MyGunDB Initial Review

I was recently contacted by Alan Ellis to check out and review a Firearms Database program that he created, called MyGunDB.  Of course I said yes.  I went to the website to see what the program was all about and to see what others have been saying about it.  The website is clean, simple to navigate, and provides basic info about the program, along with several screenshots to help you understand what the program itself looks like.  After browsing the site for several minutes, I was definitely intrigued.  I downloaded the full program and started exploring.

Here are my initial thoughts on MyGunDB:

First thing that I noticed about the program was how easy it is to navigate.  There is nothing complicated about it.  Everything is pretty self explanatory which is one thing that I always look for in new programs.  It only took me all of ten minutes to figure out what each tab did and how to enter and change information as I needed.

I started with the Firearm Data tab which has several sub tabs that allow you to put in a massive amount of information about each individual firearm that you own.  Details like brand, model, serial number, caliber all fall under the initial information that you input when adding a new firearm to the inventory. The cool thing about this is that after you have input the information it brings up a running list of the firearms you have in a column to the left, which you can click on and it will take you directly to the info for the gun you have chosen.  Other things like barrel length, twist rate, sights, etc. can also be input into the system, which when you have more than one of a specific firearm and there are differences between the two you can keep all of that info sorted.

                                      

Under the Firearm tab there is also an option for accessories so you know what holsters, mags, and lights you have with the firearm.  I know, for myself, I have multiple magazines for each firearm that accepts magazines, and several different holsters that I use.  This is just a nice way to keep track of all of the gear that you have for that specific firearm.  If you end up selling it later on down the road, you will already have a list of what gear you have that can be sold with it.

The next tab I believe would be great for FFL's and private collectors - it is the Pictures tab.  I can understand how, in a large inventory of firearms, it can be easy to mix up which one is which when there are multiples of the same model that are available in different colors.  Having the option to add a picture of each specific firearm, and having it connected to all of the information you have already input into this database, in my opinion, would make it much easier to keep tabs on everything in your inventory.

The Purchase/Sold tab is another great option to have.  Honestly, I wish I had this program for all of the firearms that I have sold over the past couple of years.  It keeps a detailed record of the purchases and sales that you have made - ideal for dealers who have a large volume of sales every day.

Moving on the the Ammo tab, I was surprised to see how detailed the information for your current ammo supply could be.  It is really easy to add an ammo type, and when you do, information like brand, bullet weight, caliber, and other information can be input and then shown on the main screen of the ammo tab.  This is really cool because you can also input how much of each caliber, bullet weight, and brand that you have, which then gives you a running tally.  What's even better is that you can go in and highlight the specific round you used at the range that day and simply type in how many rounds you used, hit the subtract button, and your number is automatically updated for that round.

Also, for you reloaders out there, the ammo tab has a very cool option.  It gives you the ability to input all of the information for the rounds that you are currently loading, and designates your reloads with an asterisk so they are quickly identified.  The information that you can input includes, C.O.L., powder brand, powder weight, brand of bullet, and other options. This in my opinion, as a reloader, is a great tool to have because you can add notes for the rounds that you are reloading.

The Maintenance Tab is an option that would rarely ever be used by me, but I am sure that anyone who likes to keep a detailed record of cleanings, parts replacements, and other maintenance, this it would be a great way to record what you have done or have had done, and the cost of the maintenance.

As someone who typically scours the internet looking for the best deals before making a purchase (even though the current market there are very few to be found), I appreciate the fact that there is a Deals Tab. In the top section of the deals tab there is a running list directly from SlickGuns.com and then below has folders that contain addresses to many different firearms sites where you can usually find a good deal.  This is a great idea and is something that I am sure I will check a couple times a day.

Overall, I am really impressed with the MyGunDB program. It is very easy to navigate and quickly pickup on how to input information into it, and just as easily retrieve and modify the information that you have saved in the program. I believe that it would be great tool for FFL's and major collectors.  However, for guys like myself with a smaller collection, it is a bit overkill to have the whole program.  It's more than I need.  What would be awesome to see, would be an Ammo Database program for a smaller fee.  This is something that I know I would use quite a bit and it would help me keep much better tabs on where I am at with my current ammo supply.

Full registration for the program is $44.95 and Basic Registration is $24.95, both of which I believe are fair prices for a program that covers as much as it does and makes maintaining a record of everything you have much easier.

The difference between the levels of the program are as follows:

Full version has NO limits.
Free version is limited to 10 firearms
Basic only disables Ammo, Maintenance, and Holsters tabs, A&D reports, and allows 3 images per firearm

(There is a mobile app available for both the iPhone and Android.  I will be downloading the iPhone version in the near future; once I have a little time to mess around with it, I will be sure to post a review of it for any of you who may be interested.)

RGuns Nickel Boron BCG

I must admit that the idea of the Nickel Boron coating on a BCG is pretty cool to me, I had seen many people posting about them on different forums and Youtube videos. Needless to say I was intrigued and wanted to get one for the Spartan build, but when I started looking around for parts the market had already become sparse with parts. I had searched through all of my reliable websites looking for a good deal on a BCG, but I kept coming up empty handed, that was until one day I happened to check Aim Surplus and there was a RGuns Nickel Boron BCG and the price was well within my budget.  Without doing any research I quickly ordered it before they ran out of them (apparently I bought one of the last few because the next day they were sold out and haven't had any since), I was quite happy with the price I was able to get it at. That was until I began to research the RGuns BCG, during my research I had found out that the extractor springs that come in them are extremely weak and almost always needed to be replaced, and apparently some other people have run into issues with the coating peeling off within a few hundred rounds. Of course with all reviews they need to be taken with "a grain of salt" because some people are naturally complainers, and some people really just complain about stuff because they want to. With that said I still ordered an extractor spring replacement kit from BCM, just in case the spring that came stock in the BCG was actually weak.

When I received the BCG from Aim Surplus I was happy to see that the coating was smooth as could be (I even handed it to my wife and she asked if there was any oil on it because it felt slick), there were no major flaws to be found in it and everything looked to be within spec (to the naked eye). Needless to say I was impressed with the product received and was excited to get out to the range with it and run a few hundred rounds down range with it. But sadly it had to sit with all of the other parts waiting for the Spartan lower to come in from 2 Vets Arms.

I couldn't wait until the Spartan lower was in my hands to take my completed upper out to the range and put some rounds through it. Luckily I have a coworker who likes firearms nearly as much as I do, and I had just completed a build for him. So we headed out to the range to test out his build and make sure that everything was functioning properly for the build, and of course allow me the opportunity to make sure that everything on my upper build was working also. Once I had the adjustable gas block zeroed in I had hoped that everything was good to go, however I was having an FTE issue. I quickly figured out that it was the ejector spring, it was too weak to actually eject the brass and I didn't take the replacement spring with me to the range.

When I got home I pulled the old ejector spring out and saw that it was about a coil and a half shorter than the new one, and I knew that was exactly what the issue had been at the range. Getting the new spring in required a lot more force than was required to get the old one out so I knew that once this one was in everything would be good to go.

Once I had my build all completed I went back out to the range within a couple days and fired off around 120 rounds just to make sure that everything was functioning perfectly. I no longer had any failure to ejects and the brass/steel was being tossed in a nice pile a couple feet to my right. The BCM replacement spring was just the ticket to get this BCG working just like it should.

So far I have run around 350 rounds down range using this BCG and I have not run into any other hiccups after replacing the ejector spring. I just recently pulled it apart to give it a good cleaning so I could have some pictures to show what it looks like after that many rounds, and it cleaned up rather nice. There is some staining in the Nickel Boron coating but it is still slick to the touch despite the staining. I am confident that this BCG will give me thousands of rounds reliably out at the range, and I am glad that it is easy to clean up, even though I am sure that I could have easily run a thousand rounds through it without and issues.

(This picture was taken after cleaning it recently you can see some of the staining)

                              (These pictures were all taken prior to cleaning with 350 rounds fired)

The Spartan Build is Complete!

At the beginning of the year2 Vets Arms workshop and pick up the Spartan lowers I had preordered from them.  Yes, it was a long day of driving, but I feel that it was well worth making the 3+ hour trip to meet Dean and Amber face to face.  I am so glad that I found out about 2 Vets Arms when AR15News.com put up a picture of one of the builds that had been done for a customer.  It is really cool that they are from Oklahoma (my current home) and are both Veterans.  As I said in my Lock-N-Load Java review, I feel that it is important to support as many Veteran Owned Companies as we possibly can; they have offered their lives to this country - helping to grow their businesses is the least that we can do.
I had the opportunity to visit the

When we got down to the workshop, I was surprised to see just how small a business they actually are right now, but also immediately impressed by the number of rifles that they pump out despite their size.  If there is one thing I have learned lately, it is that the detail and care put forth by small companies that really makes for awesome quality products.  Dean and I talked shop while I was filling out the 4473.  It was great to talk with someone else who is just as excited as I am to show off and talk about guns.  After talking for a bit it was time for us to head out.  (I had taken my wife and 2 year old along for the drive, they both did amazing :) )  On the way out the door, Dean and Amber hooked us up with the a couple of t-shirts and stickers (which I appreciate more than most people would probably understand).

To say that I was excited to build one of the lowers when I got home would be an understatement.  I was literally grabbing tools and parts as I was unlocking the door to the house.  I had been waiting to get my hands on the lowers, and now that I had them in my possession I wanted to get one complete so I could scratch that lower building itch I had.  Everything went together smoothly and I could not be happier with the end result for the Spartan Build.

 Everything came together to make a fine firearm that I know will give me years of great range time.

Giveaway on the SpartanTC81 Reviews Facebook Fan Page

Ok everyone it looks like we are well on our way to hitting the 250 “likes” mark, when we hit that I will be doing a Mini Giveaway of a paracord sling that was hand made by me.

Once the 500 “like” mark is hit/passed I will lay the details out of the giveaway. I can tell you this much this is not a giveaway that anyone wants to miss, I have been truly blessed with some great stuff from some awesome companies in our firearms community, and I truly look forward to working with them more in the future.

So for now let’s continue this push to 500, once we get there the real fun will begin!

Here is a peek at the list of companies that have offered up goodies for the giveaway, I am sure there are more to come.

Rogue Tactical Concealment
2 Vets Arms
Lock N Load Java
Argyle Armoring
Monderno
Black Wolf Weapons and Training
Northern Indiana LTCH
Ohio Tactical Supply
Thrift Store Tactical
Harris Tactical

Lock-N-Load Java for those times when only AWESOME Coffee will do.

A few months ago I decided that I was going to start ordering from more Veteran Owned companies (VOCs) - partly because I am a Veteran myself, but mostly because I feel that it is important that we support those who have served and are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.  In my search for VOC's I came across Lock-N-Load Java.  I had seen a few pictures posted on various Firearms Companies fan pages on Facebook but hadn't really stopped by the site to see exactly what the "hype" was about.  Seeing that so many of the people who had posted pictures were on their fourth or fifth orders from Lock-N-Load, I figured this was a company that I really needed to look into.

When I got to their page I was immediately impressed with how easy it is to navigate.   I enjoyed reading about the company's Founder and his accomplishments.  I was also very impressed to see that L-N-L Java has a Code of Conduct that is proudly displayed under the About Us page.  In this code of conduct they pledge to donate no less than $1 of each order to charities that are taking care of veterans and their families. I was impressed.  Lock-N-Load's vow to care for military members, and their families, both past and present is something that I highly respect. I had sent them a message on their Facebook page asking a few questions about the charities to which they donate.  I was pleasantly surprised to get a message back within an hour.  It wasn't some pre-typed message - it was a personal response, directly from Carl Churchill, the founder of Lock-N-Load Java.  I was blown away by the fact that he would take the time to personally respond back, and how quickly he did so.

No matter what type of coffee you like, Lock-N-Load Java has something for everyone.  They even have hot chocolate for those who don't like coffee.  My first order with them was for 2 different bags of whole bean coffees (Warrior Select and Charlie Don't Surf), as well as a can of Green Thunder Hot Chocolate.

Warrior Select -  This was the first of the 2 bags that we opened.  We were in love the second that we opened it.  Even in bean form, this coffee has an incredibly smooth aroma that will get any coffee drinker's mouth watering.  The amazing smell of coffee filled the kitchen as we ground the beans and then started brewing the coffee.  Lock-N-Load's "Warrior Select" lives up to it's name - big flavor in both fragrance and flavor.  A cup of this coffee is, by far, one of my favorite cups of coffee.

Charlie Don't Surf -  Kona blends have always been a favorite of mine.  They remind me of the times I have been to Oahu, and every restaurant offering up a fresh cup of Kona coffee.  Lock-N-Load Java's Charlie Don't Surf (Kona blend) did not disappoint.  As soon as I opened up the bag to grind the beans, I was greeted with the familiar smell of a well blended Kona coffee.  You know those times when you catch a whiff of a particular food and are instantly taken back to a good memory connected to that smell?  That's what happened when the smell of this coffee hit my nose - instant memory jolt.  The first cup that I had of this blend was pretty freakin' awesome.  If my mug was bottomless, I'd have been a happy camper - I could have sipped on this Kona blend all day long.  Just like the product description claims great flavor with absolutely no bitterness, I can honestly vouch for that.  I am sure that when it comes time to place another order, a bag of Charlie Don't Surf will be on my order summary.  Good
stuff.

Green Thunder Hot Cocoa -  Every now and then it's nice to have a cup of hot cocoa.  There is something about having a hot cup of cocoa and huddling near the fireplace, or fire pit, that takes me back to being a kid.  Unlike Swiss Miss cocoa packets, Green Thunder Hot Cocoa is a high quality hot chocolate with a delicious hint of mint.  If you don't like mint, L-N-L Java has a regular hot cocoa that I'd be willing to bet is just as good.  I plan to order some in the near future so we can give it a try, too. I was impressed with how easily this cocoa dissolved into the hot milk and that there were virtually no powdery chunks left floating on the surface of the cocoa when I was done stirring.  I can honestly say that this is one of the best hot cocoas that I have come across.

I can whole heatedly give two thumbs up to anyone that would ask if Lock-N-Load Java was worth giving a try.  I know that I will not hesitate to order from them again.  Quality coffee.  Quality cocoa.

Oh, and if anyone wants to do something awesome for our deployed troops please check out this link - Deployed Troop Coffee Package.

Rainier Raptor Charging Handle

With the many different AR's that I have owned over the past 2 years there has always been a piece of the builds that seemed to be lacking to me, I know that the mil-spec charging handle has worked just fine since the creation of the AR-15 but for me it was one of the pieces I felt the least comfortable with. It was hard to pull the charging handle with gloves on, or if a scope was mounted to the AR's that I had, so this was something that I always wanted to go a different route with.  So with the Spartan build being my "dream" build I decided it was time to get a charging handle that was designed with the most versatility, in steps the Rainier Arms Raptor Charging Handle.

The first thing that I noticed when I received my Raptor was that it is a very sturdy charging handle, rigid enough to take years of abuse and keep on going. It also has a very nice anodized finish, if there are any defects in it I cannot see them with my naked eye. Overall my first impressions were that this was one of the better purchases I have made for the build, little did I know how much I would enjoy using this charging handle when I finally finished the build and got out to the range.

With it's large ambidextrous latch release I can easily charge my AR now, I have tried using every finger on both hands and the latch releases every time, and thanks to the width of the latch releases it is very easy to pull back with one or two fingers. It operates with extreme ease and locks back in place with a very sturdy click, and once in place it does not rattle or move until you release it and charge the rifle again.

I noticed with gloves on and the magnifier that I had installed that it was still very easy to get a positive grip on the Raptor, even when I could not get my fingers to fit in between because of the gloves I am still able to "blade" the latch with my palm and charge the rifle. So far the Raptor has proven to work in every situation I think I can possibly end up in, and I am sure that there are many more that it will be willing to stand up to.

So far I have run around 300 rounds through the Spartan AR, and the Raptor has been nothing but willing to work every single time I have needed to use it, it is showing very little wear so far and I believe it will be a good long while before it starts to really show any major use. If you have felt like your mil-spec charging handle is lacking something I highly recommend checking into the Rainier Arms Raptor, I am extremely happy that I did.

My New Rogue Tactical Concealment Holsters

A few weeks ago I received 2 new holsters from Rogue Tactical Concealment, the first was Stack Holster that was made for my PMags and FNS-9 Mags, and the second was an IWB made for the M&P9 which also works for my FNS-9.

The Stack Holster fits a category of holster that I have been looking for since I started the Spartan Build, it gives me the ability to carry 2 PMags and 2 FNS mags without having to make extra space for 2 separate holsters. The first thing that I noticed when I took it out of the shipping box was that Steve took the time to make a quality holster specifically for the mags I am using. As with my OWB holster the fit and finish shows care that only hand craftsmanship can offer, there isn't a single rough edge to be found. The belt loops are carefully crafted also and slides easily onto my belt.

With the holster mounted on my belt and loaded out with mags, it stays tight against my body, while comfortably keeping the mags from digging into my side. Holstering the mags is made easier since the top of the holster is flared, and even though it is flared there is more than enough retention to keep the mags securely in place even when jumping around and knocking the holster into things. Unholstering the mags is also a breeze, the retention is perfect and once you have a firm grip on the mag and begin to pull up it comes right out. I have only has the chance to wear this holster to the range once, but have spent some time walking around the house with it on and I feel extremely confident that this is a piece that will be up for the challenge of run and gun.

The IWB holster is something that I use daily, it sits low enough to make concealing my full size FNH FNS-9 possible. Unlike other holsters I have had before I feel completely comfortable when wearing this one, the craftsmanship and time that Steve put into making this guaranteed that there weren't any rough edges to dig into side even when sitting in the car and wearing the holster.

Being that this IWB was made for the S&W M&P9 there is a little less retention on the FNS, yet it still keeps the firearm completely secured and positive retention is still felt when holstering and unholstering. It is a very sturdy holster with great J-Hooks to keep it retained IWB with your belt. One of the things I like best about it is that a natural curve has been put into the holster, this makes it comfortable in every position that I normally wear my concealed firearm at.

Overall every holster I have received from RTC has been stellar quality that is backed by a Veteran owned business that believes in awesome customer service. I strongly urge anyone who is looking for an awesome quality holster at an extremely fair price and an awesome turn around time, take a look at Rogue Tactical Concealment. Make sure to let them know that SpartanTC sent you.

WWW.RogueTacticalConcealment.com

556 Tactical Stryker Compensator

Where do I start on this awesome compensator that I installed onto the Spartan Build?

I decided to get the Stryker Comp from 556 Tactical during their Black Friday sale, mainly based on a video that they had posted up showing just how well it kept the muzzle from rising during quick shots. Every other AR I have had always had the standard birdcage at the end, however there have been a few AR's I have shot that had compensators installed on them and it was something that I really wanted to have on my "dream" build.

I really liked the Stryker Comp the second I opened the box, the quality and finish of the compensator is above any expectations I could have had. It looks super mean and honestly I am pretty sure it would make a great up close and personal weapon when you run out of ammo. The overall design is very impressive with the wavy compensator ports and the crown like front, it gives the impression that it means business.

As far as how well the Stryker Comp performs, I have been very impressed by how well it handles single shots, double taps, and "rapid" fire. I have not once felt like the muzzle was rising during my time spent out at the range, actually during fast firing I felt it pushing the muzzle down which was a totally new feeling for me but something I have come to really like about it. The other very impressive thing is that when you are firing with this comp installed and you happen to be under a metal cover at the range, everyone knows you are there and that is not just because of the loud boom, it also resonates in your sinuses.

In closing I feel for the $49.95 this is a great compensator, and by far one of my favorites that I have had the opportunity to shoot with. 556 Tactical shipped extremely fast and I had the compensator within just a few days of the order.