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. 

The Biggest Lie You Will Tell Yourself

Every time I've seen someone (mainly a female) in the news that was attacked or taken advantage of, my initial response was..."I’d like to see so and so try that with me! That would NEVER happen to me! What an idiot!" I think a lot of us say something similar. It's human nature to think personally, we are equipped to handle a life or death situation with cat like reflexes and the grace of ballerina. Fact: YOU will probably never be fully prepared for an attack.

Let's go back in time 5 years. I was sitting in a CCW class. I thought I knew everything. I scored a 100% on my written exam and even made a perfectly tight grouping on the live fire test, with my shiny new Kimber Custom Shop firearm. I, of course, bought the $88 holster my instructor recommended, and away I went, with the certificate in tow. I was unstoppable. In my head, I was ready for anything. I pitied whoever would try to break into my home, or attempt to harm my kids or myself.

Three years later, and I had no training under my belt, other than some hours spent at the range, reinforcing bad habits. At the urging of my brothers, I decided to look into a defensive firearms course. After researching instructors for several months, I took the plunge and enrolled. I watched countless hours of videos, and read the syllabus. I will admit, I was reluctant to follow through. I finally hyped myself up enough to promise that I would finish the course, regardless how stupid I felt or how much I may embarrass myself. I felt like I owed that much to my 2 small kiddos. 

The 2 day course I took honestly changed my perspective on self-defense. What in the beginning was a humble and emotional roller coaster, turned into the biggest dose of self-confidence I've ever experienced. I was far from perfect while participating in the drills, but it showed me what I needed to work on. It challenged me to think outside the box (or indoor range), that I had mastered 3 years previously. Looking back on the experience it taught me that training and education is an ongoing process. Things and people change, so you constantly need to adapt. You will never be fully prepared for an attack, but you should be trained on things like what to look for, how to use different tools for self-defense, first aid, and most of all, be honest with yourself in everything you do. It’s easy to practice things you’re good at, because no one ever wants to fail. Sometimes, failing at something shows us our true weakness. By exposing our flaws, we learn opportunities on how to improve ourselves to be better than we thought we were.

If you do one thing for yourself or family in 2014, I would urge you to take a self-defense course from a reputable instructor. If you carry a firearm, or keep one in your home, then make sure you take a defensive firearms training class. Too many people read a magazine, or watch a YouTube video and consider themselves “prepared”. Take pride and ego out of the equation and realize that you are not perfect. Don’t be afraid to be “that guy/girl” in a class, everyone must start somewhere. Ask questions, do some research and take an active role in your future. You owe it to yourself, and your loved ones.

:: CFS Class ::
:: Kilgore, Texas ::
{ May 2013 }

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.

GhostGun Pistol Build

When Aero Precision announced they would be doing the Ghost Gun lower after CA Senator DeLeon's hilarious display of ignorance I decided I was going to get one to build an AR pistol on. So when I ordered the PewPewPew lower I grabbed a ghost gun lower also and began looking for the right parts and upper to put into this build.

I had contemplated building an upper but everywhere I looked the shorter barrels were sold out or way out of my price range. Finally I came across the Adams Arms 11.5" Basic Carbine complete piston upper on GrabAGun.com and the price was well within my budget. Even though it came with the standard hand guards installed I wasn't too bothered by that since the Magpul MOE hand guard will work with a piston system and drops right in. 

I know there will be some people that will ask why I did not go with the 7.5" upper, I will answer simply with I like the 11.5" barrel length and the fact that it is a carbine length gas system not a pistol gas length.

In the picture above you can see almost all of the parts that were used in this build, from the PWS Pistol EBT to the Troy fixed sights this build has had a good chunk of time and thought put into it. Sure there were a ton of other options out there but I am very pleased with how well this all came together.

I used the PWS Pistol Enhanced Buffer Tube for the build, I was impressed with how well it mounts up to the receiver and not having to to tighten down a castle nut was a huge plus! The overall quality of the EBT is awesome, you can tell that there is a ton of care put into making them and there is a ton of pride taken by the people at PWS. Installing the EBT showed me just how much better it was over the rest of the tubes that I have used before. Instead of guessing how many turns it would take to hold the detent correctly there is a notch in the tube that sits around the detent while allowing the tube to sit just a bit further in the threads. One of the other things that I really like about the EBT is there are QD sling mounts built right into it, just one more added bonuses to an already well made buffer tube.

The lower parts kit that is installed came from JoeBobOutfitters.com, it is actually sold under the JBO brand name which is great to see. I swapped out the stock mag release with the ODINWorks XMR (zombie green) this is one part that I have used on a couple rifles now and have had the pleasure to run before they were released, it's a quality part from a great company. 

The sights are Troy Fixed Battlesights, the front is the traditional M4 style and the rear is the Dioptic style (which I have come to like after using a few times.) While I would have preferred to use the folding sights I am very happy with how these fixed sights look and fit on the pistol. 

When you take the upper off the first thing you will notice is the Hiperfire Hipertouch 24, with the heavier of the toggle springs installed. I have been using the Hiperfire triggers since December and have run around 500-600 rounds through the 24 and 24C, both have been great performers. I decided to use the 24 in this build because there is no real reason to run the faster of the two triggers in a pistol. The reset is very positive, and the trigger pull is very light with a nice crisp break which makes this a great piece of the overall build. 

Overall I had a lot of fun planning this build while waiting on the lower to get to my FFL, it of course was even more fun to build the pistol and then take it out to the range and shoot it. I am looking forward to getting my hands on a Sig Sauer SB15 to install while I wait for the SBR tax stamp paperwork to process.

One thing that I will say is that when building a pistol or buying a pistol, look into a quality compensator. The A2 flash hider that came on the Adams Arms upper just doesn't cut it for the muzzle flip that the shorter barrel creates, which on top of not having a stock to shoulder can be a bit uncomfortable but not uncontrollable. Having a quality compensator would help smooth everything out and make it more controllable overall.