The Navy Seal Foundation has new products they are offering the public. Proceeds go to the Navy SEAL Foundation.
Navy Seal Foundation Offering New Products
March 14th, 2018Honeywell Spectra Shield Material Helps Reduce Weight Of Ballistic Handheld Shields By As Much As 20 Percent
March 14th, 2018Safariland’s breakthrough design is the first of its kind to install lens caps directly into ballistic shields, enabling lighter weight without sacrificing protection
MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., March 13, 2018 — Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that Safariland Group is using Honeywell Spectra Shield® in a breakthrough new design that changes the way ballistic glass is installed in ballistic handheld shields. The resulting shields can be up to 20 percent lighter. Safariland is introducing the new design in its new X Series line of lightweight ballistic shields, sold under its PROTECH Tactical brand.
Handheld shields have a lens cap, also known as a viewing window, made from ballistic glass. It is typically installed into a frame that is then bolted into the shield. Using Spectra Shield, Safariland is able to integrate the lens cap directly into the rest of the shield. This streamlined design eliminates points of weakness that arise from the traditional bulky frame system such as drill holes and seam lines. The result is better ballistic integrity with as much as 20 percent less weight. Traditional ballistic handheld shields can weigh more than 20 pounds.
“When we challenged ourselves to design a lighter ballistic shield for our law enforcement customers, we knew we had to use Honeywell Spectra Shield because it was the most optimal material to help us meet our goals,” said Todd Mackler, Vice President, Armor, Safariland. “Our innovative X Series Lightweight Shields remove common structural weakness points without sacrificing ballistic protection, ensuring that we continue to protect our men and women in uniform while helping to lighten their load. We are excited to offer this latest result from our extensive collaboration with the Honeywell Spectra team.”
Safariland supplies protective equipment to law enforcement personnel in the U.S. and around the world. The PROTECH Tactical line of hard and soft armor products includes ballistic tactical vests, shields, armor plates, helmets and other accessories.
“Demand for Spectra Shield continues to grow as it consistently proves to be the best material for the world’s most advanced armor products,” said Sanjay Sharma, Vice President and General Manager, Packaging and Composites, at Honeywell. “Customers choose Spectra Shield for its unique, mission-critical benefits: best-in-class ballistic performance, while being lightweight, strong and comfortable. They know that our team is dedicated to providing application expertise and support to help them realize their designs, resulting in innovative products such as the new X Series Lightweight Shields.”
Pound for pound, Spectra is 15 times stronger than steel, yet light enough to float. It has up to 60 percent greater strength than alternate aramid fiber. Spectra fiber is made from ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene using a patented gel-spinning process. It is used to create Spectra Shield, an advanced ballistic-resistant composite material. Honeywell’s Shield technology is a patented Honeywell process designed to optimize the ballistic performance characteristics of Spectra, as well as for aramid fiber in Gold Shield® materials.
Spectra Shield and Gold Shield products have been widely adopted and proven for the most advanced armor applications globally, from bullet-resistant vests, breast plates and helmets to combat vehicles and military aircraft – all of which require lightweight solutions and superior performance.
Honeywell maintains an active Spectra fiber and ballistic materials research program focused on continuous improvement and development of high-performance materials. For more information about Spectra fiber, visit www.honeywell-spectra.com.
You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up
March 14th, 2018
Richard B sends this shot from just outside the Nürnberg Messe.
FN America’s BATTLE-PROVEN Tour
March 13th, 2018FN America, LLC is pleased to announce the launch and inaugural tour of consumer events that FN will attend, aptly named the “Battle-Proven Tour” – presented by FN Firearms. The 2018 tour will make twelve stops across the United States at major consumer-focused events in both endemic and non-endemic markets, including several NASCAR races, the Bassmaster Classic, and military airshows.
“In an effort to continually grow our brand awareness, we decided to take FN directly to the public and tell them our story, face to face,” said Tom Scott, marketing director for FN America, LLC. “The insight gained from our interactions with consumers at these shows and events are invaluable to FN and we want more opportunities to engage and learn from them, and hopefully teach them something new about the FN brand that they didn’t know before.”
To attend any of the stops along the “Battle-Proven Tour” – presented by FN Firearms, please review the events and dates listed below, and purchase your tickets directly from the event organizers.
For more information about the “Battle-Proven Tour” or other events that FN attends, please visit www.fnamerica.com.
The Red Devils Partner with Gentex to Support Word of Honor Charity
March 13th, 2018Ops-Core FAST Helmets worn during promotional and training jumps in San Diego, California
Carbondale, PA, March 12, 2018. Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel announced today that its partners, The Red Devils, will conduct a jump during their promotional and team training this month in San Diego, California to support Word of Honor Fund, a charity that facilitates milestone events for the surviving children of SEALs and Special Operations personnel who have died in the line of duty. Gentex provides The Red Devils, the official parachute display team of both The Parachute Regiment (The Paras) and the British Army, with Ops-Core FAST Carbon High Cut Helmets, worn during their jumps.
“We’re proud to support Word of Honor Fund,” said Tom Short, vice president ground systems, Gentex Corporation. “Helping to fulfill a fallen operator’s promise to their children further emboldens us in our mission of protecting those that serve.”
Through their partnership with The Red Devils, Gentex supports The Paras and the British Army, both long time customers of Gentex Corporation, and promote their common goal of advancing parachuting and skydiving safety.
With its unique system design and patented rail technology for mounting helmet accessories, Ops-Core is today’s leading brand of modular, scalable, open-architecture helmet systems for elite defense and security forces. Ops-Core helmet system platforms and components are designed to seamlessly work together to provide true system level performance for today’s most demanding users.
To learn more about or to make donations to Word of Honor Fund, click here.
PEO Soldier Visits FN America
March 13th, 2018During a recent visit to FN America, BG Potts, Program Executive Officer Soldier, looked “at emerging technologies for the Next Generation Squad Weapon.”
He didn’t just look. He also got some range time with some of FN’s rarer examples. He was photographed firing the HAMR (Heat Adaptive Modular Rifle), which was FN’s submission for the USMC Infantry Automatic Rifle program back in 2010. It uses a SCAR style upper, with a lower capable of accepting STANAG magazines. But the real secret sauce was a mechanism which converted the weapon from closed to open bolt operation based on how hot the weapon was, in order to keep it cooler.
Image source PEO Soldier’s Facebook page.
AAFES Stops Selling 10+ Capacity Firearm Magazines, Customers Complain, AAFES Reverses Decision
March 13th, 2018Lots of businesses are deciding to institute boycotts of certain types of firearms and accessories. You’d expect it from a company like Dick’s Sporting Goods, but many of us were surprised to see a standard capacity magazine ban instituted by the Army Air Force Exchange Service bringing it into alignment with an earlier ban in 2013 Marine Corps Exchange. The MCX will distribute a so-called High Capacity Magazine only if it is OEM equipment with a firearm and legal in the state where the firearm is sold.
Both organizations sell firearms in select stores, along with accessories. Sure, it’s a convenience, but these are quasi-military organizations, which just also happen to be stores, created to sell products to military personnel and their families, and most recently, other authorized veterans.
I realize a lot of you are upset by this and I understand your dismay. But, think about it this way. First off, they’ve shown their true colors. Second, big box stores have forced out many local and small specialty retailers. The heart of our ability to purchase firearms lies in your local FFL. That FFL facilitates the transfer of firearms and they don’t keep the doors open by transferring firearms purchased somewhere else. They need to actually sell guns to consumers. What’s more, they make more from accessory sales than firearms.
AAFES just recently reversed its decision after an outpouring of comments from its customers. AAFES stated, “Feedback from active-duty, Guard and Reserve soldiers and airmen highlighted the criticality of high-capacity magazines as it relates to readiness and proficiency.” This shows us you have a voice, and others will listen. But it’s a voice which should’ve never had to have been used.
This is a wake up call for us as supporters of Second Amendment rights. We need to support those businesses who support us always, and don’t falter when it’s politically expedient. Buy local, or from specialty retailers who support the Second Amendment. I’m sure most of you have your own favorites but if you don’t, I’d like to suggest our advertisers which offer firearms and accessories.
National K9 Veterans Day
March 13th, 2018
