Bobster Alpha Goggles and Prowler Glasses Review

Last month I posted up about the Bobster Alpha Goggles, and I have now had the chance to run both the Alpha and Prowler safety glasses in a few games of airsoft.

Sure it is airsoft and not real "operating" but it does put them through some good work. I have learned that running different goggles and glasses during airsoft games will show you which ones will fog up under hard use. Also taking a .20g bb at 350-400FPS gives a pretty good idea of just how stout the lenses are.

I will start with the Prowler Deluxe glasses. These have quickly become my favorite (which I didn't expect to happen), they are comfortable and offer better coverage of my face when combined with my smaller face mask. There are no gaps between the mask and the bottom of the lens so I don't have to worry about a bb coming through. 

As far as fogging goes, they do tend to fog up when standing still after running through a room. But they do clear out rather easily, and after treating them with some anti fog cream they do much better.

The lens is really tough, it has taken at least 5 direct hits from under ten feet away and there's no sign of damage. I did manage to mar them a bit when I dropped them after a game, but nothing I won't be able to polish out.

Overall they are extremely comfortable, provide stellar protection for my eyes, and like I said before have become my favorite to wear when playing.

Next are the Alpha Goggles.

These have to be some of the most comfortable goggles I have worn, the padding is beyond adequate and the clarity of the lens is amazing. Both the clear and the tinted lenses offer zero distortion.

The lens is extremely tough just like the prowler deluxe, withstanding multiple hits from close range with .20g bb's. The lenses are surprisingly scratch resistant, even after accidentally dropping them on the ground the lens remained unscathed.

As far as fogging goes, the Alpha does a bit better than the prowler but it still fogs up. This is an easy fix when treated with an anti fogging agent.

Overall the Bobster goggles have been some of the best I have come across, and there have been plenty of people asking about them in between games. I have highly recommended them to other players, and will say that if you are looking for some great safety glasses make sure to head over and give Bobster's site a once over cause they might have something you like.

Initial Thoughts: KONUS PRO M30 10X-40X52MM

Wow, how far can I see with my new telescope? Yesterday was a first for me.  I came home from work and there, on my coffee table, was a brand new scope that I didn't pay for (yet).

The Konus Pro M30 10X-40X52mm is HUGE measuring just a bit over 18 inches without the 4 inch sunshade attached.  As noted above it also has a huge amount of magnification.  I'll be the first to admit that I am a fan of high magnification, but there are pros and cons to it like everything. With higher magnification comes a bit slower target acquisition, but better visibility down range.  When Travis asked me to choose what scope I'd like to review I found the highest magnification available from Konus.  Why not, I have a 300 win. mag. just waiting to be stretched out.

As mentioned the scope comes with a sunshade.  Also, included with the optic are two flip up lens covers, allen wrench for resetting the turrets, a spare battery for the illuminated reticle, and an owners manual.  At first glance the owners manual seems to be the length of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, but as it turns out they included a translation for a total of ten languages... Greek anyone?  The English section is only about four pages and is fairly concise.  It covers your basic functions, has a diagram that explains all the measurements of the milliradian (Mil) reticle, and a conversion chart from MOA to Mils.

The 10X-40 is pretty feature heavy, most obvious are the tall locking-target turrets.  The turrets are 1/10th Mil. adjustments, have a very noticeable click when turned, and feel very solid.  The locks aren't sleek by any means, but they lock solidly preventing any rotation.  On the left side of the scope is a parallax adjustment knob that adjusts from 10 yards to infinity.  The parallax knob turns smoothly without any detents to indicate what range the focus is being adjusted to.  I don't feel this is a big issue since the shooter is going to adjust this in and out until the target is in focus regardless of what the dial says.  There is also a locking "fast-focus" adjustment on the eyebell to sharpen the appearance of the reticle.  Just in front of the eyebell there is an illumination knob offset at 45 degrees.  There are two illumination colors, red and blue, each color has five brightness levels. The magnification adjustment like all the others seems very smooth from 10x-40x. On the outside the scope seems to be very well constructed and has an even matte black finish.  It is nitrogen filled, and shockproof so it should do fine on larger caliber rifles.

The glass is very clear, multi-coated, and fog proof.  This is a second focal plane scope, meaning that the reticle is in the second lens, not the first.  What that means is that the measurements on the mildot reticle are only accurate at a certain power of magnification.  Typically that is at the highest power magnification.  The illuminated mildot portion of the reticle is 10 Mils in diameter.  The dots measure 0.2 Mils, from dot center to dot center measures 1 Mil.  Outside of the 10 Mil. area the stadia are heavy and solid, measuring 18.3 Mils.  So if you are doing the math the reticle is a total of 46.6 Mils in diameter.  Just below the reticle in the shooters field of view is an internal bubble level.  This is a big plus allowing the shooter to correct any canting without having to change position.  At first glance the internal level is pretty hard to see, but I haven't mounted the scope yet so it could be my eye relief, nor have I looked through the scope outside in the sun.

During the review period this scope will be mounted on a Savage model 111 chambered in 300 winchester magnum.  I'll also be doing a review on the rifle soon.  I'll be looking for a few specific things as I review the Konus.  One is light transmission.  Being that this scope has such a long body it could decrease the amount of light transmitted back to the shooters eye.  The 52mm bell and 30mm tube should help though.  Eye relief is an area that I seem to have issues with, and at 3.44 inches of eye relief on this scope should be pretty good.  I'll also be checking the accuracy of the elevation and windage adjustments on the turrets, and parallax adjustment.  My goal is to find a scope that will allow me to shoot long distances, 1000 yards plus, without breaking the bank.  The MSRP on this particular scope is about $750, however, I was able to find it on Amazon for $400.  I am looking forward to mounting this scope and seeing what I can do with it in the coming weeks.

 

Lionheart Industries LH9C Expanded Initial Thoughts

So yesterday I posted a video with my initial thoughts on the Lionheart Industries LH9C and I figured that I would expand a little more with this post.

Fit and Finish

The LH9C is a very well made pistol, when you get one in your hands you can see how good the quality of the workmanship is. The slide moves easily on the frame with minimal play, and I can actually grip it with one hand and rack the slide back (not that I would ever really need to do that). There aren't any rough or sharp edges on the gun, and the Cerakote finish gives it an extremely clean look and very durable finish.

The serrations are deep and plentiful on the gun making it easy to rack the slide even when covered with dirt or your hands are slick. The serrations on the backstrap of the gun do offer a nice amount of grip to keep the gun from moving side to side, while remaining comfortable and not digging into your hand.

The grips are beastly, the diamond pattern is deep and gives a very positive hold to your hands. They aren't rubber like they would appear in pictures, but a more solid polymer/plastic which makes them a little less comfortable.

Ergonomics and Shooting

The ergonomics of the LH9C are pretty good, it does fit well in my hands and it is very easy to "point" without having to make adjustments. While the safety isn't really needed because of the DA+ feature it is easy to manipulate, even though it is opposite the 1911 safety direction which would take some getting used to.

One thing that I did notice was the trigger guard rubs my finger which would cause it to rub that finger raw during a class. This was actually an issue I ran into with my Glock 19 also, but I was able to fix that with an undercut whereas the LH9C cannot have that modification done to it.

Having the Novak sights is a very nice feature since they are stout and would stand up to a lot of abuse, but like I said in the video I am not a big fan of the fact that they ramp up and there isn't a way to use the rear sight to rack the slide if you need to.

Using the DA+ trigger is very different and takes some getting used to. One thing that I will say that I like about the DA+ is the fact that it's not a "de-cocker" like most other hammer fired guns, instead it makes getting into SA from DA easy. The problem I have is that it can throw you off target a bit when the hammer does drop back into SA mode. I am sure this is something you can train and adjust to if this gun would be a primary carry, but for me this is something I am just not a fan of.

The single action pull is actually one of the better ones I have felt on a stock hammer fired gun, and the reset is solid. It is very easy to get off quick successive rounds with this gun and remain on target. The double action pull is crazy heavy but I understand why, but is also the reason why if I carried this gun I would carry in the DA+ mode.

Thoughts So Far

The LH9C is an extremely well made gun, there is a lot of care put into the manufacturing of the gun itself and it does have some good upgrades on it when compared to some of the other hammer fired guns in it's price point. The fact that it comes with a soft carry case, Cerakote, novack sights, and 2 magazines is pretty cool because a lot of the other companies don't include things like that.

I am looking forward to getting a few hundred more rounds through the gun and seeing if it grows on me or not. I have been impressed by the fact that it was able to clear itself out enough to function despite being completely covered in the red Oklahoma dirt out at the range.

Like I said in the video, this isn't an ideal carry gun for me. However that is my opinion and preference and not a review of this gun.

Some Quick Thoughts: Windham Weaponry .308 SRC

Yesterday I picked up the Windham Weaponry .308 SRC from my FFL, to say that I was stoked to get my hands on it would be an understatement. I was impressed by the rifle and it's quality at SHOT Show and have been looking forward to getting some range time with one since then.

The first thing I noticed out of the case (which the rifle comes with a rifle case which is better than a cardboard box) was the quality of the finish, it was very clean and the parts all looked to be good quality. It comes with a Houge rubber pistol grip instead of the standard plastic one, which is a nice upgrade. The other nice addition to the rifle is the fact that it comes with a 20 round PMag instead of the standard metal magazine.

The gas block is rail height which is awesome since you won't have to worry about purchasing a "gas block height" front sight, instead you can use your standard height sights. I know this was one issue I had with some other uppers I have picked up before and it sucks when you end up having to buy a special front sight to line everything up.

The trigger is nothing special, but it is smooth for a mil spec trigger. One thing that I found interesting is that they went with a flat trigger guard instead of a winter style. This isn't really that big of a deal I just found it different.

The first thing I did was toss on my Vortex Viper HS 2.5-10x44 when I got the rifle home, and it just gave the rifle the right look.

I am really looking forward to getting this rifle out to the range and seeing how well it performs and getting some video of it being run. Make sure to subscribe to the email listing so you can receive the latest updates on posts, and also subscribe to the YouTube channel.

Quick Thoughts on the Adams Arms Piston Conversion Kit and Installation

So a week ago I installed the Adams Arms piston conversion kit on my AR-15 and I wanted to write down some thoughts on the installation and my experience with it.

First off the directions are very good, there have been plenty of times where I have received a kit and the instructions left me even more confused.This wasn't the case with the Adams Arms conversion kit, the DVD that was included was very clear on what I needed to do to install the kit. 

One of the biggest things that I had trouble with was installing the bushing into the upper, even after cleaning it and putting a decent amount of lubricant/grease it still took a big hammer and some hard hits to get it installed. The good thing about that is I will never have to worry about the bushing backing out over time. 

One of the other things to really watch for is your gas block, you need to make sure that it is straight and in the middle, otherwise you will have trouble getting the piston out of the gas block. This will also cause issues with the system when firing it, and would more than likely cause malfunction and failure of the system.

The one thing that I really liked about the Adams Arms gas block was the fact that it uses hex head bolts to tighten it down on the barrel. With the sheer amount of force bouncing it around it needs a great mounting system and they provided it.

Two of the weirdest things to me when doing the conversion were the bushing and then the removal of the gas rings and installation of the spring on the bolt. While it's easy to understand why there is no need for the gas rings once a piston system is installed, it is just odd to pull the rings off and install a spring on the tail end of the bolt.

Instead of using the supplied hand guards I opted to use the Magpul MOE set, and it matches up perfectly with the piston system. I am sure at some point I will change over to a free float rail system but for now the MOE set will do the job.

Overall the installation was rather easy, and took no longer than 30 minutes to complete. I am looking forward to running the piston system as hard as I can and seeing just how well it will do. I will continue to post periodic updates so make sure to subscribe to the blog to receive them.

Glock 42: The Gun We Hate To Love

As I sit down and write this, I look at my .380 resting inside it's holster, and can’t help but laugh at how everything comes full circle.

My first 'carry' gun was a Bersa .380 that was given to me by my father. I'm sure he chose it due to the fact he had just returned home from overseas, and the gun was in wide use by foreign troops he was with. It even had some gaudy gold overlay from the manufacture, meaning a female MUST obviously like it for the bling factor. Each morning as I strapped it on, I felt as though I was part of some horrible 70's movie that included gold chains and leisure suits! I couldn't get it out of my hands quick enough.

Looking for guidance in what to carry, I turned to my younger brother, a former NOLA police officer for help. My brother had an extra Glock 17 in his safe, so I started using that as my CCW. Although fairly larger than the .380, this 9mm felt amazing in my hand. I decided to jump on board. I started shooting with it regularly, and did my first actual training class with this gun because it was with me 24/7. I quickly fell in love with it’s reliability, minimal recoil, and always forgiving genetics. The only flaw, was that the Glock 17 is a BIG gun, and I’m a SMALL girl, so concealing this gun was no easy task. Again, I turned to some folks with much more experience than me on what I should be carrying. Smith & Wesson Body Guard, Ruger LC9, Kahr PM9, Glock 27, M&P Shield, Kel-Tec, LCP, Beretta Nano, Springfield XDs, 9mm, .380, .40, .45…it seemed like the options were endless. I felt like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, with WAY more options than just hot or cold porridge and a soft or lumpy bed. The guns were either too big, too small, too blocky, too heavy, too much recoil, or too ugly…then finally I found a Glock 19. It was PERFECT! Smaller than a Glock 17, fit my hand better, same ergonomics, and seemed much easier to conceal on my person. THIS was the gun I'd have next to me until the day I died. Case closed.

I loved my Glock 19, it was easy to shoot, a popular caliber, lots of upgrades available, but it still ended up being cumbersome to carry. I found myself carrying it in my purse more often than not, which I knew isn’t the best place to carry, but my other options were slim. I felt like I was back at square one, and needed to start this process all over again.

Fast forward to December 2013, Glock announced a new model that would be revealed in the coming weeks at SHOT Show. Surely it would be a single stack 9mm since that is what the public had wanted for some time! To everyone's dismay, it was a .380! The Glock 42, what a disappointment! I hated it. Why would Glock make a puny .380? No one wanted another sub caliber, mouse gun. The internet hated it, and so did I. Stupid, insufficient .380’s! Now to continue the search, because I didn’t want another, weak .380 pistol.

Well, it’s rare for me to admit when I’m wrong, but this was one of those times. I got the chance to handle the Glock 42 while visiting Thunderbird Tactical in Wichita, Kansas. They were one of the first places to get one, and I LOVED it. It FIT my hand, and FELT perfect, two of the most important factors when choosing a defensive firearm. I was still on the fence though, because after all, despite how amazing it felt in my hand, it was STILL a .380! I started to do more research on the caliber, looked at charts, and graphs about ballistics, read articles people had written, and stumbled across one by Grant Cunningham on the Personal Defense Network’s website. The article entitled “Why does a .380 beat a 9mm?” (http://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/380-beat-9mm/)  totally turned everything else I had read by internet commandos on it’s head. Knowing who Grant is, and the time, effort, and energy he puts into his research, I trusted what he had to say, because it ACTUALLY made sense, and had FACTUAL information as opposed to unrequited bias. That did it for me. I went out and got a Glock 42, the most maligned gun on the internet!

The Glock 42 is probably one of my favorite firearm purchases thus far. It’s small enough to finally, comfortably, conceal and carry, but not so small where it doesn’t fit my hand. It has the ergonomics of its larger counterparts, making it feel just right in my hand. I’d stayed away from other .380 guns because they were VERY jumpy while shooting. I’m not recoil sensitive, but being able to get fast, accurate follow up shots is something that’s necessary for a defensive pistol. The 42 doesn’t have the recoil issues as other guns in its class. The gun handles recoil amazingly well for it’s size, and is more accurate than I expected from such a short barrel. It comes with the usual reliability of a Glock, eating all types of ammo I’ve thrown at it. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this little gun. So here I am now, back with the caliber I so vehemently despised, but in a much more efficient package, and with a greater understanding of it’s capabilities. 

Breakthrough Clean Initial Thoughts

Yesterday I received a sample of Breakthrough Clean so I could do a review on it and share my thoughts on it with everyone. 

This morning I used Breakthrough Clean on the piston setup from my Adams Arms upper, which last week had over 150 rounds of Tula .223 run through it and you could see just how dirty the outside of the gas block was (the AA logo was completely covered). I also used FIREClean on the bolt from the same gun. Both parts showed a good amount of grime covering them because as we all know Tula is dirty and it likes to get everything covered. I didn't scrub with brushes or use picks to clean anything today, this was just a quick run of the cleaner to see how well it does.

As you can see in the above picture the Breakthrough Clean did an awesome job of doing what it is advertised to do. It stripped away all of the dirty ammo grime off of the piston setup with ease, and you can see just how dirty the paper towel is that was used to wipe the grime off.  It is great that there is no chemical smell to the product, and the fact that it is in a spray bottle is awesome also since it makes it easy to apply to either a paper towel or directly to the part being cleaned evenly. 

It took very little effort to clean the piston, all it took was a quick spray down and then I wrapped the paper towel around it and wiped it off. Easy.

The picture above shows the paper towel that was used to clean the bolt from the same gun using just a couple drops of FIREClean. It too was very easy to use to clean the grime off of the bolt, it did take a little more finesse only because of the lugs on the bolt and cleaning between them. 

(The piston looked dried out after cleaning and the Bolt was slick)

Here is the point that I wanted to get to since I know there are some people reading this and shaking their heads saying "These are 2 completely different products! One is a degreaser and the other is a lube!" I hear you and I know what you are saying, however here is the reason why I did this. There are lots of items out there that can do multiple things and do them well, while other things focus on one aspect and excel at it; FIREClean both cleans and lubricates while Breakthrough Clean strips and cleans.

Yes Breakthrough Clean is a degreaser, and it does that job top notch; but as you can see in the picture above it does not lubricate the part that it is cleaning. This means that after you finish cleaning your gun and gun parts you will have to go back through and use a lubricant before putting your gun back together. Don't get me wrong Breakthrough Clean has it's place in my workbench now because it does such a great job of degreasing and cleaning dirty parts. However with my time being limited because I would rather spend time with my wife and kids, I don't always want to take the time to run a 2 step process for cleaning and lubricating my guns.

If you are looking for a degreaser that will strip away all of the dirt and grime I would highly suggest checking out Breakthrough Clean. As I said a few times above, it does an excellent job cleaning off gun parts that are dirty, and also does a great job of stripping off old lubricants that have been applied to your gun before.

I will be posting more on Breakthrough Clean in the future once I have some more time with it but like I said, it has it's place in my workbench because I have seen how well it works.

Quick Look: Infidel Body Armor

Awhile back we did some on camera shooting of the EnGarde Body Armor  Level III and IV Plates, we were new to doing reviews at the time and learned a lot. Well now we have the opportunity to run another test on a body armor plate thanks to Infidel Body Armor, they sent us one of their 10x12 Plates to use for test and eval.

The last time we did a body armor test we set the plates against a back stop, while that did give us a good idea of what the trauma would be like behind the plate we really couldn't see just how much. This time we are planning on setting blocks of clay behind the plate so we can get a good idea of just how much force is transferred rearward. We will also be checking for spalling since this plate is made of 1/4" AR500 steel with an anti spalling material layered over it.

Just some quick facts about the Infidel Body Armor plates, they are as stated above made from 1/4" AR500 steel and lined with 1/4" of anti spalling material. They are curved so they fit comfortably against the body, and the angled cut makes it easy to shoulder your rifle without setting it on the plate. Each plate weighs a little under 9 pounds, and is rated as a Level III Stand Alone plate.

We are really looking forward to getting some testing time with this plate and are excited to relay the information back to you our viewers. Make sure to check back for the written review and the video soon.

Quick Look: Kaw Valley Precision Linear Comp

Since we here at SpartanTC Reviews have been checking out so many different compensators over the past couple months we figured we would get our hands on a couple more to try out. Recently we contacted Kaw Valley Precision about their Linear Compensator, it was one that a few of you had asked about it, and I had actually seen it a few times while browsing around the internet. KVP was awesomely quick to get back with us and help get our hands on one to test out.

(The new SpartanTC Reviews AR outfitted with the Kaw Valley Precision Linear Comp)

For those who do not know what a linear compensator is here is an answer taken directly from KVP's website.

What is a Linear Compensator? 

A linear compensator is a muzzle device designed to collect and direct all the muzzle gases forward, away from the shooter.  Unlike other types of muzzle devices, KVP linear comps actually lower the decibel the shooter experiences while shooting the rifle. This lowered perceived decibel is especially noticeable in shorter barreled rifles while shooting high power rounds. 

When you first pick up the KVP Linear Comp you can tell right away that it is a solid piece of work, and won't be damaged easily. The machining is really clean on it, and the finish is really well done and seems like it will stand up to quite a bit of abuse.

If you take a close look at the KVP Linear Comp you will notice that the only holes that it has are pointing forward. While this gives it a very different look I am really looking forward to taking it out to the range and seeing how much "quieter" it is over the other comps we have used.

We are hoping to get the new SpartanTC Reviews Test AR out to the range very soon and get some video, along with our initial thoughts on shooting with this comp. Make sure to stay to keep checking back as there are lots of reviews in the works!

Some of My Glock Modifications

As many of you have seen on the Facebook page there are a number of modifications that I have completed on my Glock 19. There are a number of reason for what I have done, but I wanted to do a quick run down on a couple of them to help people understand why I did what I did.

The very first thing that I did to the Glock was the "candle method" grip reduction. While this is not as drastic as other reductions it did help change the grip angle enough to make it more comfortable to me. 

The "candle method" is literally taking your Glock and holding it over a candle to heat the back strap up to the point that it is "moldable". Once it is heated up enough you press the back strap down on a solid surface, rolling it side to side to keep it even. What this does is flatten out the Glock "hump" which gives the Glock it's infamous grip angle.

One thing to be very careful with is to make sure you don't melt the polymer (see picture above), this was a mistake that I made but was able to "repair" the damage by stippling the frame. I ended up using a heat gun set on low and slowly heated the back of the grip up so I could form it to be comfortable for me.

The second modification I completed was stippling the grip. Since I had already melted bubbles into the back strap I knew I was going to have to sand it down and do a stippling job. So I sanded the burned area down along with all of the factory grip dots. 

One of the biggest reasons people stipple their grips is to add additional grip to their guns, for those times when you've been out long enough that your hands are really sweaty, or your gun gets dropped in the mud, etc. I did it because I like the way it feels in my hands and the extra grip is an added bonus.

Once I had the area smoothed out I took my wood burning tool with the small tip and went to work. I had started with doing the small dot pattern but wasn't happy with the way that it looked, so I started to angle the tip and came up with this pattern.

At first I thought it might have been too aggressive of a stipple but have come to really appreciate it. Even though it looks aggressive it does not rub your hands raw, but it does give a nice "stickiness" to the gun.

The third thing that I completed was removing the finger grooves from the grip. I did this because my fingers did not land right on the grip and it was uncomfortable. 

I accomplished this using a Dremel with a sand drum, slowly removing the grooves until everything was even and smoothed out. I was surprised at how much of a difference this made. I could have smoothed it out with sandpaper but had already decided I was going to do a 360* stipple so once the grooves were gone I started stippling. The picture below is after the stippling was all completed.

While there are many reasons on the Internet for doing the modifications that I completed on this gun, it really is up to the individual user on what they want to do. The slight grip reduction has made the gun much more comfortable for me to shoot, while removing the finger grooves was also another comfort modification. 

Stippling has a few advantages as I listed before, but it also gives a uniqueness to your individual firearm. 

There are a lot of great companies out there that are offering their modification services, and there are also a lot of bad companies who turn out terrible work. I personally am a do it yourselfer and truly enjoyed taking on the project. I feel that the personal touch I put into the gun makes it that much more fun to shoot.

In closing I will ask. What have you done as far as aesthetic modifications to your gun?

Strike Industries J-Comp

I recently had the opportunity to take the Strike Industries J-Comp out to the range and get some shooting in with it. I decided I would write down some of my initial thoughts on it before we head out to the range to do some more shooting with it.

 (Left to Right- 556 Tactical Stryker Comp, Strike Industries J-Comp, 556 Tactical StrykeHyde)

As you can see in the picture above the overall length of the SI J-Comp is slightly longer than the other two muzzle devices, however when it's installed it doesn't look awkward like some other comps I have used before.

One of the first things that you notice about it is the interesting design. It was designed after the Japanese Type 89 Assault Rifle muzzle device, so it is a unique comp to say the least.

The rear two ports are meant to reduce recoil and redirect the concussive force you get from a typical compensator, and the front ports are meant to reduce muzzle flash. This means that it should be the best of both worlds when it comes to reducing recoil while still aiding with hiding the flash. 

The reduction in the concussive force from my experience is not as good as some of the more expensive comps (such as the Lantac Dragon) but at the price point of $39.99 it does a decent job. It does create a dust signature to the sides of the muzzle when shooting prone but the amount of dust created isn't all that bad.

As far as reducing muzzle rise goes the J-Comp does a fair job, while I haven't tried shooting rapidly with it yet the comp does a pretty good job of controlling muzzle rise and allows you to get back on target quickly.

So far with the limited time I have spent with it I am not completely sold on it to the point that I would install it on all of my rifles. It is however well priced and a very well machined compensator, which does what it is advertised to do. Hopefully I will get the opportunity soon to take it out for some night shooting and we can see how well it hides the flash.

Make sure to check back for updates in the near future.

Lantac Dragon Compensator

Lantac USA recently announced the release of their Dragon Compensator for 5.56/.223 with plans to release a 30Cal version in the near future. They have done a great deal of hyping for the release of the 5.56 Dragon comp, so the question in my mind was "does it meet all of the hype?", and of course the only way to find out was to get my hands on one and take it out for some range time.

SPECIFICATION:

Caliber: 5.56X45mm / .223

Material: Super Hard Milspec Steel

Finish: Nitride QPQ

Dimensions: L: 2.570'', DIA: .870''

Weight: 3.2oz

Thread: 1/2-28 UNEF R/H

Serial Numbered for Quality Control

Made in the USA.

When you first catch sight of this compensator you immediately see a resemblance to the muzzle device of an AK-74, with the 4 top ports and the 3 sleek open ports on either side of it. It is one extremely nice looking compensator that just seems to scream that not only does it look good but it will perform just as nicely as it looks.

As soon as it was installed on the S&W M&P AR-15 the range began to call out to it, and once it was out on the range it answered that call.

Out of the handful of different compensators I have shot with over the past couple of years my biggest complaint was that each one of them when being used under the range cover rattled my brains and made my sinuses hurt. However this was not the case with the Lantac Dragon, instead of forcing the majority of the concussive force upwards in an effort to keep the muzzle down the majority of the concussive force was pushed foward and away from the shooter. This resulted in a much more pleasant shooting experience when under the range cover. 

Now even though the majority of the force is pushed out the sides and forward, it doesn't mean that the compensator was not effective at doing its job of keeping the muzzle from rising. Instead this was one of the flattest shooting compensators I have used, there was literally no muzzle rise after each shot; and to top it off the amount of felt recoil was also reduced. Pair the lack of muzzle rise with the reduced feel of recoil and you have the ability to quickly aquire your target.

At 100 yards using a Lucid Red Dot I was able to continually smack the 10" metal gong, and double taps were amazingly easy to control and still ring the gong. It brought a sense of controllability I have been looking for when it comes to using an AR and firing quickly.

Overall I was extremely impressed with the performance of the Dragon Compensator and cannot wait to get my hands on one for each of the AR builds that I am currently working on. 

If you have been looking for a great compensator to slap onto your AR, this is one that I highly suggest you look into.

You can preorder one through Harris Tactical using the following link.

http://www.harristacticalonline.com/Lantac-Dragon-556-Muzzle-Brake-LAN-DGN556B.htm

Iron Hammer Armory .300 Blackout Upper Review

A couple months back I started talking with Iron Hammer Armory about the AK's that they have been producing and also the line of AR's that they have been working on putting out. There have been a lot of conversations between Martin and myself and I have come to really appreciate the information that I get from him whenever I ask questions. So when I was asked if I would be up for testing and reviewing the IHA .300BLK complete upper I told them heck yes, I would love to get my hands on any AR upper to take out and test anytime I can.

When I picked up the upper from a friend's shop I was really impressed with the way that it looked, with the Stainless Steel Barrel coming out from under a black hand guard it has such a cool look to it. What I thought was really awesome was that the Hand Guard was from ODIN Works which is another company whose products I have heard great things about and had hoped at some point I would get to check out in person.

While I personally prefer a longer hand guard on my AR uppers the 9.5" that the IHA is outfitted with does give it a very clean look since it allows the SS barrel to really stand out. I took some time to field strip the upper and give it a good cleaning and applied FIREClean to it like I do with all of my other firearms (yes even when I do testing for companies I still give it a good clean before and after shooting), this gave me the chance to check out the workmanship that has gone into the building of this upper.

First thing that I noticed was that there was not a single blemish to be found inside and out, and the BCG was staked correctly and everything fit together really well. It was very noticeable that there was great pride taken in assembling the upper. The laser etching on the receiver and the charging handle is a very nice touch and adds some character to the overall build also.

The ODIN Works hand guard is very sleek and very comfortable to hold since it is smooth on the sides with one small section of rail on the bottom side at the front. The rail matches up perfectly with the receiver and gives it a nice continuous look. The overall construction of the ODIN Works hand guard is really good, while being lightweight it did not feel cheap or flimsy like it could break at any second. Just from the short amount of time that I have had with it I have decided I will be using one of their longer hand guards on one of my future builds.

When I was able to take the upper out to the range it was both too windy and too busy for me to be able to setup the cameras to capture any good videos of me firing it, there was also the issue of the wind blowing down the target stand that I was trying to use to zero it in. So finally I gave up and just aimed for the steel plate that we had setup down range. Even though the scope I was using was garbage I was able to figure out where to place the reticle to ring the steel, and once that was figured out I can tell you the steel just kept ringing. 

Every shot that I was sending down range was hitting it's intended spot, and even though I did not have a paper target to measure exactly how accurate this upper is, the side by side and stacked marks on the steel were enough for me to consider this an accurate barrel and with a properly sighted scope and a worked up hand load it should be hitting Sub MOA (I am not an expert marksman but I have shot both well made and crappy made barrels and this is well made). 

While the price for the upper is still up in the air until IHA is able to get the production of them moving I will say that it is a very nice upper with some very nice features, I am sure that the price will contend with many of the other companies that are building uppers, and even if it is a little higher the quality and craftsmanship that is put into it shows. Below you will find a graphic that has the breakdown of the parts used for this upper, all of the parts are nice quality parts that should give you a long happy service life from it.

I would like to thank Martin at Iron Hammer Armory for allowing me the opportunity to take this upper out to the range and check it out, this was the first time that I have been able to test a new product for a company before it's release and I am hoping that I will get the opportunity to do that more often.