Glock 41 and 42 SHOT Show 2014 Initial Thoughts

On Monday I had the opportunity to shoot both the Glock 41 and 42 that are being released very soon. I remember when I heard that Glock would be releasing these new guns and thinking to myself, why is it that Glock would release a .380 single stack pistol when everyone else has been releasing 9mm? While I did not get an answer from the rep at Media Day, I did get to find out that the Glock 42 was an extremely small gun that despite it's size still fit very well in my hands. 

As with any Glock the 42 is a shooter, it was extremely easy to ring the steel with and had little to no recoil.

                                    (As you can see the 42 looks very small in Lane's Hands)

The Glock 41 was probably the one that had impressed me the most, it was extremely easy to hold even with my "smaller" hands and it shot like a dream. Thanks to Glock engineering they have created a .45ACP that feels like it has the recoil of a 9mm. If you watch the video you can see that I pulled the first shot because I was expecting it to shoot like a .45ACP and was a bit surprised when it didn't.

                                                                        (Glock 42)

Are these the guns that the community has been asking for? No, no they are not. Matter of fact they have left many people asking why.

Are these guns that will sell? Yes because they are both very well made, and we all know that even when Glock releases a gun that people question at first, it still sells.

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SHOT Show Initial Thoughts- Caracal CS308

As many of you have seen we posted up a picture of the new Caracal CS308 which was introduced during SHOT Show 2014 Media Day at the Range, and as I am sure those who have been following us and reading or watching our reviews will know I am not a bolt gun guy. However there have been 2 Bolt Guns that I have handled over the past year that have made me want to get one, the first being the Texas Customs Rifle .308 and now the Caracal CS308.

The Caracal CS308 uses a very interesting skeleton frame design, and the stock offers a variety of positions for the shooter to choose from which in turn makes it a very comfortable rifle to shoot. The muzzle break that is installed makes a huge difference in the amount of muzzle flip and felt recoil, you just don't want to be standing at 45* on either side of it because it creates a massive concussive force.

When I got behind the rifle I was surprised at how comfortable it felt and how smooth the bolt is. The bolt system that they use is a 3 Lug System which locks up much tighter that the standard bolt design, and at the same time creates a smoother bullet loading system. On top of all of that the bolt slides like glass with very little effort.

The 2 stage trigger was nice, but I would probably have adjusted it more to my liking if I could have. When shooting the rifle it was evident right away that it was going to be very easy to shoot with, after taking the first shot and having very little recoil and muzzle rise all I could do was smile a little bit.

Looking forward to seeing this rifle when it releases on the market, and also looking forward to seeing how well it holds up given the prior issues Caracal has had with their pistols.

SHOT Show Media Day at the Range

Today we are heading out for Media Day at the Range, we are looking forward posting up tons of pictures and information throughout the day so make sure to stay tuned.

Desert Tech SHOT Show Release

Just received an email from Desert Tech that they will be releasing this rifle during SHOT next week. We are really looking forward to getting a first hand look at it while we are there, and also shaking the hands of the guys and gals at Desert Tech for the stand that they made against  having their weapons sold to other countries. 

Some Initial Thoughts and Info: Hiperfire 24 and 24C

A few weeks back Hiperfire sent us their 24, 24E, and 24C triggers to use in our rifles and give some feedback and review them. Needless to say we were excited to get them and get some range time with them. This post will be talking about the 24 and 24C.

The 24:

The Hiperfire 24 is the entry level trigger that they offer at $185 on the website which is comparable to other aftermarket triggers that I have used before. However this is nothing like other aftermarket triggers I have used, instead of being a 2 stage trigger like a few of the others I have used in the past this is a single stage trigger. It also has more parts to it than the normal fire control group, but there is a reason for this.

The extra springs and bars that you see in the instructions above are what make the Hiperfire triggers unique. They help to create extra hammer power while keeping your trigger pull light and crisp. Essentially they have figured out a way to give you the reliability you need while offering up not only a lighter trigger pull but also an adjustable trigger pull weight. As you can see there are 3 different color spring sets on the right hand side of the instructions, each one offers a different pull weight depending on your preference.

Currently I am running the blue toggle springs and have really enjoyed the pull weight that they offer, it's not too light or too heavy. While doing dry fire you can hear just how solid the hammer hit is even though the trigger pull is as light as it is. So far there have been zero issues with the trigger out at the range, and it is just overall fun to use.

(In the picture above you can see how the trigger looks when installed)

(The hammer also has quite a different look to it)

The 24C:

This is the 3Gun/Competition trigger and my personal favorite. The 24C is the most expensive model that they currently offer at $235, which is cheaper than many of the other 3Gun triggers I have seen. It offers a Straight Trigger which can be used with or without the red shoe (which is adjustable and adds change to the leverage of your pull). The biggest difference between the 24C and other 3Gun triggers is that this is a single stage trigger, which offers quick trigger weight adjustment. All you have to do is switch out the toggle spring set and you have changed the weight, without losing the added hammer fall energy. 

One of the best parts about this trigger in my opinion is that there is little to no take up or reset, which makes it an extremely fast trigger. This has also helped me with longer distance accuracy because I am not having to guess the take-up, instead I know the trigger is already at that ledge and ready to drop the hammer when I am good and ready.

(Trigger is shown installed with the optional red shoe)

(Lane using the 24C for some 100 yard gong shooting)

The installation for the Hiperfire triggers can be tricky at first, especially if you misread the directions (make sure to put the toggle spindle in place before dropping the hammer in). The biggest issue I personally ran into was pushing the toggle springs and pivot into place the first time, but since then it has become easier to do. One of the other things that is important to watch for is the way you install the toggle shafts, they are directional and can cause the springs to sit incorrectly if not installed right. Other than those two things it is almost exactly the same as installing any other trigger.

While we have only had the triggers for a short time they have quickly become some of our favorites to use in our rifles, they work great and have an awesome feel. We are looking forward to spending more time with them at the range and giving a long term usage report on them.

Post Range Thoughts: Lucid L5 Riflescope

This post has taken a little longer than we had originally planned, however it has given us time to run quite a few rounds down range using this scope and we figured it was time to post up our thoughts on this scope. 

From the Lucid website:
The L5 Rifle scope offers precise and repeatable 1/8MOA windage and elevation adjustments on lockable and re-zeroable turret tactical style turrets. The side parallax adjustment combined with the ocular diopter adjustment provides a crisp target image over the entire magnification range. The L5 Reticle is a precise MOA measuring devise with 2MOA increments below the rifle's zero and meaningful windage values built in this rifle scope. This optical package simply makes longer shots possible.

One of the first things we noticed about the scope was how clear the glass is in it, there are no noticeable defects. With the scope being as clear as it is the amount of light that is transmitted through it is great, even when it is overcast. Because there is so much light transmission it makes the reticle stand out really well.

The L5 Reticle is different from other reticles I have used before, typically I have used BDC, Fine Crosshair, and Duplex Crosshair. So when Lane and I first looked through the scope it was a bit different and did take some getting used to.

When the scope is zoomed all the way to 24x there is a bit of distortion along the edges but it is not enough to create any real issues with using it. The transition from 6-24x is very smooth even when adjusting while looking through the scope. 

The adjustment of the scope is extremely simple, and the 1/8" MOA adjustments are great for fine tuning exactly where your reticle sits. Having the breakdown of the L5 Reticle from the picture above makes it great for figuring out which part of the reticle to sit on your target at multiple distances. 

Overall we ran around 600 rounds through the rifle that had this scope mounted to it, and every time we took it to the range it was enjoyable to use this scope. However there were a few things that we did not like about it, and they were minor things.

The first on the list of gripes was the price point for this scope, at an MSRP of $450 I feel that there are a few other options I would go with first. However it can be found on Amazon and a few other sites during a google search for under $300, and at this price range this is a great scope that should give you years of great use.

The second gripe was the lens caps that it comes with, they are cheap and they fall off while shooting. So one of the first things to do would be to change them out for some higher quality ones.

In closing, if you are looking for a scope that has a great reticle with awesome fine tuning adjustments this is one to look into, if you can find it for the right price. 

Side Note:
There is also an iPhone and Android app that has the information for using this reticle, while we did not have the opportunity to use the application I am sure it would make using this scope even more fun to use. If anyone gets the opportunity to use the app we would love to hear feedback on it.

Quick Thoughts- SIRT Training Pistol

I have had The SIRT training pistol for a few months now and have been using it on and off for awhile. When I first received it I wasn't sure how I would use it and what it would actually do for "training", especially since I feel that training without the recoil or the ability to rack the slide for a reload isn't super beneficial for trained actions. However as I spent time with the SIRT I saw what some of the benefits are.

One of the first things that I noticed when I picked it up was the weight, while it's not exactly the weight of my Glock 19 fully loaded with 147gr HP's (it's about 10 ounces lighter), it does have a nice weighted feel to it. Also the construction and materials are pretty good quality, it doesn't feel cheap when you hold it. It holds just like a Glock 17, which for me is ok but the fact that I have done a grip reduction to my Glock 19 it does mess with the grip angle I am used to.

One of the things that I really appreciate about the SIRT was the fact that the trigger pull, weight, and reset can all be adjusted. Since I run the McNally trigger on my G19 being able to adjust the trigger on the SIRT to be closer to the actual trigger pull and reset that I have is an awesome bonus. Also the fact that there is a take up indicator is great, especially since it will remain on if you do not go beyond the reset distance which allows you to train for quicker follow up shots.

Having the all black sights works well for me since I run the Pro i-Dots on my carry pistol, instead of having the typical stock Glock sights installed on the SIRT it makes me feel much more comfortable with the way I line up either set of sights. After using the SIRT a few times I did notice that my presenting sight alignment did improve, and more often than not my first trigger pull resulted in the laser marking exactly where I was aiming.

Having the ability to drop the magazine, and insert another one is awesome. However not being able to insert the magazine during slide lock, and then bringing my hand back over the top to rack the slide back into battery is a training downfall for me. While this is one thing I feel is a downfall, it does not render the training pistol as useless, it just lacks one of the things that I use during training.

I had used the SIRT for a few weeks before I took my last Combat Focus Shooting class, and I did notice some improvement with my presentation from the holster, first shot and follow up shot placements, and overall trigger control. I was extremely pleased to see these improvements. I know part of them were from training with live rounds at the range, and the other part were from practicing with the SIRT.

Overall the SIRT does have it's place in my training, where it lacks in some features it makes up for in adjustability and savings on ammo costs. It does help you focus on trigger pull without constantly having to dry fire your carry gun, and it gives great visual feedback when the trigger is pulled. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I wasn't sure where it would fit in for me as far as a training tool, but the more I have used it at home the more I have grown to like it.