A Question for Our Readers

So recently we asked on the Facebook page what you guys and gals would like to see more of from us, be it gear, guns, specs, or reviews. One of the most common responses we received was that you would like to see more comparison posts of things like triggers, muzzle breaks, AR parts, etc. 

Being that we are just starting out our connections are still somewhat nonexistent within the industry, which in turn leads to us having to borrow or buy most of the stuff we have reviewed. Granted we have made a few connections with some great companies who have been more than gracious when working with us, but there are so many items out there that we receive questions on that we just cannot get our hands on currently due to funding.

So the question I am going to put forward here is this.

If we were to run a crowd funding campaign to help raise funds for us to purchase parts for T&E, and also to help fund a few of the items we need for video and editing, would you all be willing to help us meet a goal once we set it?

Geaux Hard Holsters Gering

My Initial thoughts on this holster have mostly followed through after carrying this on an off for a month. The design is simple yet very effective. Let's dive into details. 

Some of you might be familiar with the Raven concealment vanguard 2. This Holster system runs off basically the same principles but it expands on them. 

Both of these holsters cover up the trigger guard and leave the top of the gun exposed inside of your waistband. Both also allow you to tuck a shirt and while you're carrying due to the way that the struts on both of them are configured. 

Because of the way that this Holster sits inside the waistband you do not have to unfasten it and take it out to reholster like to do the Raven concealment vanguard 2; due to the fact that it is Kydex instead of injection molded plastic it has a much more positive click in much better retention. 

One design flaw that I have found, GHH is fixing before production, and it is the Kydex it covers up a portion of the magazine release on the Glock pistols and possibly the Smith & Wesson's also. Having full access to the mag release will allow you to clear the gun without removing the holster. 

One more flaw that I had noticed and it might just be the with the way the clips are designed but the belt loop seems to open up a little bit whenever it is flattened. It could use possibly another rubber spacer. 

When I was training with a friend, I drew and it lifted just enough to snag the Velcro part of my 5.11 nylon belt and the entire holster came out. Again, it could be a flaw with the clip.

Overall I am very pleased with the Geaux Hard Gering. It is extremely slim line and easy to conceal, even under tighter fitting clothes with the Glock 19. The biggest issue was with the clip failing at the range but I simply put my belt on the opposite direction and have had no issues since. It is very comfortable and easy to take on and off in a hurry, yet, stays in place inside of the waist band. 

Not All AR500 Is Created Equal Part 2

In the last post I talked about about The AR500 plates that I received from Infidel Body Armor for testing, and how the results were less than expected.

This post will cover the second AR500 plate company to respond to my request for a plate to test and review. 

When I had originally sent the email off to AR500Armor.com I really hadn't expected to receive a response knowing that they are a very busy company, and there are already dozens of videos showing just how tough their plates are. I remember watching the Military Arms Channel video where Tim shot the AR500Armor plate with both XM855 and XM193 and both were stopped, and I couldn't figure out why the IBA plate didn't do the same since it "is" AR500 steel also.

When I heard back from AR500Armor it was awesome to be able to talk about the differences in the quality of the AR500 steel and how that would affect the way that the plates perform. They were upfront about the fact that XM193 is beyond the FPS limitations of their plates, but that doesn't mean that the plate wouldn't stop it.

They also explained the difference between the coating that they use for the antispalling and what other companies are using, it kind of made sense over the phone but really made sense once I actually had the plate in my hands. The AR500Armor plate's antispalling coating is much tougher than what was on the IBA plate, it had a completely different texture and feel to it. 

A set of AR500Armor.com plates runs right around $200 if you get them with the ASC and built up coating and weighs in close to 9 pounds due to the coating. However they tend to run really good package deals that include a carrier along with the plates.

When we took the plate out to the range we wanted to shoot it with the same rounds that we did with the Infidel plate to see if it would hold up any better. 

The rounds that we used for testing were as follows:

XM855

XM193

7.62x51 M80

7.62x54R (mild steel core)

.270 130gr and 150gr

We started with the XM855 to see if it would blow the antispalling off of the plate like it had with the IBA plate. I know from our original testing that the antispalling coating will stay intact much better when the plate is inside a carrier, however it makes it harder to tell if a round has penetrated the plate or not without removing the plate every time. 

As you can see in the picture above the XM855 entered the coating and was completely captured by it. Instead of the coating blowing off it instead partially separated from the plate. 

Also in the picture above is the XM193 round that we shot at the plate, just low and left of the XM855 round. The XM193 was completely stopped by the plate, there wasn't any rearward deformation of the plate and from what I can see under the coating it barely dented the front of the plate.

Next we tested the plate against the same 7.62x51 round that had defeated the other plate. The biggest thing that we noticed was that it blew off I good chunk of antispalling, but as I said before when in a carrier results will differ. 

Rearward deformation from 2 rounds of 7.62x51 was very minimal, you can feel a bump when you run your hand over it but that's about it.

Since the plate refused to fail with the first three rounds we decided to kick it up a bit with some heavier rounds and faster rounds. 

The first round we hit it with was the 7.62x54R mild steel core from the Mosin Nagant. The plate took the round with very little deformation, and hardly a dent.

         (.270 150gr and 130gr marks)

The same went for the .270 rounds (130gr 3,060FPS and 150gr 2,850FPS) when the plate was hit by these rounds there was surprisingly less rearward deformation than what we saw with the 7.62x51.

The plate was shot with an additional 7 XM193 rounds just to make sure it would hold up against them. The same results as the first shot were observed, no deformation or piercing of the plate, and no antispalling blow off.

Overall we abused this plate to the furthest extent that we could with the firearms and round selection that we have. 

So as you can see the the plate from AR500Armor.com is the clear choice if you are going to purchase steel plate armor. It can take a beating and continue to protect, and there is no expiration date on the armor so it can be stashed away for as long as you need it to be.

I personally would have a set as a last resort option for the entire family because it won't break the bank, and as I pointed out above there is no expiration date for them. However my go to plates would still be a set of Level IV's from EnGarde or US Palm due to the extra protection and padding that they offer. 

Not All AR500 Is Created Equal Part 1

When I set out a few months back to do some armor testing I never thought that I would have the opportunity to work with the variety that I have so far. It took a lot of emailing companies and asking if they were willing to send me a plate or two that I could literally destroy. A lot of them ignored my emails, some responded that they did in house testing, but a few responded positively and were willing to send out a plate. 

Two of the companies produce and sell AR500 Armor plates. This was one type of plate that I was very interested in testing since there had been quite a few suggestions for them on the page when I started this project. 

The first company that I heard back from was Infidel Body Armor, they were gracious enough to send out 3 plates all of which were covered with antispalling material and rated at Level III. A set of 2 plates runs $295 on their website and each plate weighs in around 9 pounds. The plates are 1/4" thick AR500 steel and the polymer coating (antispalling) is another 1/4" thick making the plate 1/2" overall.

They state on their website that their plates "just won't quit" and they have hit them with "semi armor piercing" rounds, which are XM855. 

I would like to point out that XM855 is not armor piercing or semi armor piercing. 

However the plate did stop the XM855 rounds that we threw at it. The problem was when the plate went up against XM193, the round cut through the plate like butter. XM193 as most of you know is a very fast moving 5.56 round, and one thing I have learned in testing is "speed not mass defeats steel". 

We were also able to defeat the plate using .270 130gr SP, 7.62x54R mild steel round, and 7.62x51 146gr M80 surplus. All which have a muzzle velocity greater than 2780FPS. 

The plate above shows which rounds penetrated where. If you go to the YouTube channel (http://youtu.be/frZEFtaYJXs) you can watch the video of this plate being shot and the results of the penetration in the clay block we set behind it.

Originally we thought the round that had pierced the plate was the XM855 but after watching the video a few times I had my doubts so we ran a second plate out to the range and did a single shot of XM855 and XM193 to see which one actually went through. The picture above shows the results. We also had our hands on a .308 bolt action rifle and decided to see how the plate would handle that round, the results again were very disappointing. 

I began doing a lot of research on AR500 steel to see if I could find an answer as to why these plates failed so easily, and after talking on the phone with a few sources and emails back and forth I learned that there are different levels of the AR500 steel and the hardening process is different for each. Which is why I titled this Not All AR500 Armor Is Created Equal. 

While I am not one to ever bad mouth a company I do feel that Infidel Body Armor does need to make a statement as to why their AR500 plates are subpar and do not stop the rounds that they say they do on the website. I cannot in good conscience recommend these plates. When you but body armor you are buying it to possibly save your life if that need were to ever arise, and while these plates would stop handgun rounds and XM855 rounds you would not be safe from higher velocity rifle rounds.

Watch for part 2 of this series to drop tomorrow, and I will also be working on a video with both companies plates which I hope to further ellaborate our findings.

New SpartanTC Reviews Shirt

Here is the newest T-Shirt design that we will be taking preorders for starting tomorrow. 

The back of the T-Shirt is a picture of 4 different types of 5.56/.223 rounds and the front is the ORM-D Small Arms label. 

If you preorder your shirt before the first batch order is placed your shirt will be $16 shipped for sizes up to XL and $18 shipped for XXL and XXXL

The price after the PreOrder Special will be $18.95 shipped up to XL, and $20.95 shipped XXL or XXXL. 

Ordering will start tomorrow morning.

Harris Tactical "We The People" Shirts

Harris Tactical just released a new shirt, and let me tell you this is an awesome design! The shirt itself is from NextLevel and is awesome 100% made in the USA quality, it is extremely comfortable and fits great. I have to say that it is quickly going to become a favorite for me.

Head over and pick one up or yourself before they are sold out!

http://www.harristacticalonline.com/Harris-Tactical-Propaganda_c77.htm

Vortex SPARC and Magnifier Deal!

Head over to the link below and check out the deal that Primary Arms is currently running on the Vortex SPARC and their magnifier. 

This is a great deal to be had.

https://www.primaryarms.com/Vortex-SPARC-Red-Dot-p/sprcpa-bundle.htm

YouTube Channel Giveaway

As I mentioned in the most recent video we are working on a giveaway for the SpartanTC Reviews YouTube channel. There are a few items that we currently have for it and I am currently working on getting some more so we can make it a pretty awesome giveaway.

Right now there is a giveaway going on to push for 500 subscribers. The items that are being given away are a Kydex Holster for a Glock 19 APL setup, and a 2/2 mag pouch setup (2 PMags and 2 M&P mags). 

  (Mags not included with the mag pouch)

Once the channel reaches 500 subscribers I will pick 2 winners, so make sure to get over there and click the subscribe button!

Upcoming YouTube Channel Giveaway

We are currently putting together a giveaway that will kick off once the SpartanTC Reviews YouTube Channel reaches 1,000 subscribers! 

Yesterday the Grand Prize showed up in the mail, it's from EnGarde Body Armor and I am pretty sure that it is something that many of you would love to have.

However to get this all kicked off the channel will need to hit 1,000 subscribers so we still have a ways to go! So to help get the ball rolling I will pick 2 subscribers once the channel hits 500.

One winner will receive a Kydex Holster that is for a Glock 19 w/APL and the other winner will win a Kydex Mag pouch system that holds 2 Glock mags and 2 PMags. 

So head on over to YouTube and subscribe to SpartanTC Reviews and let's make the push to 1,000!

The Contents of the Lucid Box

For those of you who guessed that there was a Rifle Scope inside the box from Lucid you were right!

Recently we contacted Lucid Optics about doing a test and review for them and they offered to send out the L5 Rifle Scope, which was something I personally had been checking out for a little while on their website so having this opportunity to get some range time with it will be awesome.

Here are the specs on the scope:

I am looking forward to getting some time out on the range with this scope and sharing the experience that I have with it while out there. Make sure to check back for the first post range review soon.

Geaux Hard Holsters Prototype Appendix IWB

I contacted Geaux hard holster about their prototype appendix carry holster because they were looking for a handful of people to test it out and give their honest opinion. 

For my initial thoughts, I absolutely love this rig. It is extremely slim line like the Raven Concealment vanguard 2, but with better retention and a faster on/off fastening system. The clip used is the easiest I have used on a holster. 

Another great feature I like about holster is the fine tuning you can do with the ride height. With 4 holes and each hole an oval, there is a little more adjustment available with this. 

One thing I would like to see is a notch around the magazine release. So, like the vanguard 2, you can release the mag and clear your gun all without needing to partially remove the holster. Stay tuned for a full review. 

-ShipLane 

What's in the box from Lucid?

So a package came from Lucid yesterday and I decided that I am in a giving mood today, and I have some stickers to giveaway!

So with that said what is your guess as to what is in the box?

First 10 correct guesses will receive a SpartanTC Reviews Sticker.