XC3 Weaponlight

Rest In Peace – CPT Larry Dring (USA, Ret)

Monday, July 25th, 2016

When I was a kid, I read about Larry Dring’s Army exploits and they definitely influenced my own service. For example, I was often in hot water over being in the wrong uniform. 

Unfortunately, he passed away even before I joined the Army myself, but I often went back and read the accounts written by SF Veteran Jim Morris and published in Soldier of Fortune  magazine. To me, he was a hero. 

 Today is the anniversary of his death and I thought I’d introduce this legend to my readers.

I recently ran across a great memorial website, complete with scans of the SOF articles, and found out that Larry’s son also served in the Army. They put a lot of work into it, so be sure to go check it out.

vietnamveteransmemoral.homestead.com/dringlarry

Are You Cleaning Your Carbine The Army Way?

Sunday, July 24th, 2016

In this video, from the Army Marksmanship Unit, SSG Michael Howard, shows you how to perform maintenance the Army way.

‘Legendary Action’ by Gene Adcock

Sunday, July 24th, 2016

I’ve known Gene Adcock for many years. He’s a retired Combat Controller CMSgt from the Air Force and has been working tirelessly on improving the Combat Control School’s Heritage Museum at Pope Field in North Carolina. In that capacity, he’s also served as a historian for the careerfield and put together the book ‘Legendary Action’ which chronicles many of their exploits over the past two decades.

If you have an interest in military history, or are just curious about CCT, this hardcover book is a steal, and Gene uses the proceeds to improve the museum. Get yours at www.amazon.com/Legendary-Action-Gene-Adcock.

SSD Saturday Night At The Movies Presents ZULU

Sunday, July 24th, 2016

We continue our series of classic movies with 1964’s ‘ZULU’ with its epic depiction of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift and starring one of my favorite actors, Sir Michael Caine.

Gunfighter Moment – Larry Vickers

Saturday, July 23rd, 2016

After a brief hiatus, we are pleased to announce that Gunfighter Moment is back, with a new sponsor, Bravo Company USA. It’s a great fit, and an excellent group of guys.

I get questions all the time from students asking if they should run a red dot sight or a variable power optic on their carbine. My answer is simple; how do you expect to use the rifle in the real world? If you honestly believe any realistic shot will be within 100 meters then a good red dot sight will most likely do fine. If you expect to take shots beyond 100 meters and those shots are morally and legally justifiable then a 1-4 or 1-6 magnified optic has real merit. On my primary BCM training carbine I use an Aimpoint Micro instead of a magnified optic. I have BCM rifles setup with variable power optics but I have weighed the pros and cons and for me a red dot makes more sense. Give this topic serious thought before you decide which direction to go in. As always be safe and see you at the range!

Larry Vickers
Vickers Tactical Inc.
Host of TacTV

Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical is a retired US Army 1st SFOD-Delta combat veteran with years of experience in the firearms industry as a combat marksmanship instructor and industry consultant. In recent years he has hosted tactical firearms related TV shows on the Sportsman Channel with the latest being TacTV of which Bravo Company is a presenting sponsor. Larry Vickers special operations background is one of the most unique in the industry today; he has been directly or indirectly involved in the some of the most significant special operations missions of the last quarter century. During Operation Just Cause he participated in Operation Acid Gambit – the rescue of Kurt Muse from Modelo Prison in Panama City, Panama. As a tactics and marksmanship instructor on active duty he helped train special operations personnel that later captured Saddam Hussein and eliminated his sons Uday and Qusay Hussein. In addition he was directly involved in the design and development of the HK416 for Tier One SOF use which was used by Naval Special Warfare personnel to kill Osama Bin Laden. Larry Vickers has developed various small arms accessories with the most notable being his signature sling manufactured by Blue Force Gear and Glock accessories made by Tangodown. In addition he has maintained strong relationships with premium companies within the tactical firearms industry such as BCM, Aimpoint, Black Hills Ammunition, Wilson Combat and Schmidt & Bender.

With over 300,000 subscribers, his Youtube channel features a new firearms video every Friday. 

Larry Vickers travels the country conducting combat marksmanship classes for law abiding civilians, law enforcement and military and works with Aztec Training Services to coordinate classes to best meet the needs of the students attending the class.

Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Bravo Company USA. Bravo Company is home of the Gunfighters, and each week they bring us a different trainer to offer some words of wisdom.

Yankee Air Pirates

Saturday, July 23rd, 2016

Morgan Advanced Materials – LASA Ballistic Shield

Friday, July 22nd, 2016

Morgan Advanced Materials, a global leader in the field of materials and advanced lightweight ballistic shield systems technologies, has launched a new range of high-specification ballistic shields as part of its Lightweight Armored Soldier Architecture (LASA) range.

Complementing Morgan’s existing range of hybrid composite helmets and ballistic inserts, LASA Ballistic Shields deliver outstanding multi-hit protective performance despite weighing 20% less than existing in-service solutions, at a thickness of just16mm (0.6inch).

Utilizing Morgan’s world-leading ballistics expertise and pioneering research and development into composite materials, the LASA ballistic shields offer protection to NIJ 0101.06 Level III and the following special threats: 7.62 x 51mm 149gr M80 FMJ; 5.56 x 45mm 55gr Ball (M193); and 7.62 x 39mm 123gr PS Ball (Mild Steel Core).

Available in four standard sizes to suit a broad spectrum of operational requirements in both military and law enforcement situations, designs can also be customized to meet specific customer needs, as required.

Smaller variants in the range have been specially designed to offer full mobility to end users, enabling the user to move at speed while remaining protected. The larger variants are available for environments where a more comprehensive level of protection is required.

Duncan Eldridge, President of Morgan Advanced Materials – Composites & Defense Systems, commented: “Our goal with the LASA range is to provide a range of solutions which offer proven, premium protection at the lowest possible weight, for both military and law enforcement applications. Lower weight means greater mobility and reduced fatigue – a key benefit for those operating on the front line. Our world-leading expertise in composite research and development for ballistics, coupled with extensive testing, enables us to meet the varied needs of elite military and law enforcement personnel around the world.”

For further information please visit: www.morgandefencesystems.com/LASA-shields

Federal Judge Dismisses Fireclean vs Tuohy Based On Jurisdictional Issues

Friday, July 22nd, 2016

We’ve just received word that United States District Court Judge James C. Cacheris issued an order dismissing Fireclean v. Tuohy for defamation, based on personal jurisdiction. Fireclean failed to satisfy the court that the case should be tried in Virginia when Touhy and his Vuurwapen Blog are physically located in Arizona. This also dismisses the case against Everett Baker who is from New Hampshire. This is an interesting precedent for web based writers in particular, who could previously be sued in another state for their writing.

Now, we get to see if Fireclean will pursue the case in Arizona, and perhaps New Hampshire as well. In Arizona the question of corporate personhood is more straight forward and Fireclean may only have to demonstrate negligence rather than malice as well as negligence.

UPDATE: At least he’s consistent. Tuohy even misleads about this. Rather than just telling people why the case was dismissed (jurisdiction), he’s got people believing that the case was dismissed because the Judge said the case had no merit.