Month: December 2015

“Beware of the man who only has one gun.”

I found this quote fitting for me as the year comes to a close. 2015 has been a very busy year when it comes down to the weapons systems that I parted ways with and the the ones that I acquired.

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I went through a sort of ‘spring cleaning’ with the guns I own. The reasoning behind it? I wanted own the guns that I want and enjoy shooting and get rid of ones that I never shoot. Makes sense right?
My spare time and especially range time is extremely limited due to my priorities with family and work. If you know me, I put my family first above all else. So when I do find the time to hit the range, I want to get in practice with the few guns I will use when the time comes. Financially, guns and gear also aren’t anywhere near the top. In order for me to afford the guns I want, I needed to sell some to fund them. Fortunately, guns hold their value pretty well and I sold most of them without losing out on what I paid for them and a few I got more for what I paid initially.
Before this year, I was never one to sell my firearms. There was a strong sentimental value each of them had. I had to get over it in order to get what I wanted. After selling my first one, the rest got easier to part ways with. I’m positive that they are all getting much more use than I would’ve had I still owned them.
I started with selling my HK USP .40. I wanted to replace my current duty weapon at the time, my Sig P229R because I wanted a newer and simpler weapon system to operate at work. It was hard to sell because it was the very first pistol I purchased the moment I turned 21. I was my duty weapon for a few years before my P229; but it has been sitting in my safe collecting dust. I sold it to a friend who always wanted a USP but couldn’t afford the msrp price tag. It was a win-win for the both of us. Thankfully, the HK VP9 had a lower msrp and I was able to obtain it along with a Surefire X300U for not much more than what I sold the USP for. I’ve been carrying my VP9 for months now and as far as pistols go, I shoot very well with it and ergonomically, the best for me.
To read my review on the VP9:

My back up guns went through a few changes. I sold my Beretta M85F Cheetah chambered in .380 ACP to buy the Beretta BU9 Nano. I initially wanted a Glock 43 but they were hard to find at the time so I got the Nano because it was available immediately. When my partner offered to sell me his spare Glock 43 (he had two) I quickly sold the Nano.
To read the review of the Cheetah: http://wp.me/p5LV2Z-1R
To read the review of the Glock 43: http://wp.me/p5LV2Z-39
Now onto the weapon system that I never thought I’d I ever own because of it’s hefty price tag: the FN Herstal SCAR 17s. I was going to sell my M1A since it was the gun I was replacing the SCAR with. I had buyers back out and it’s still waiting to get picked up so I had to sell some others for the time being. The first sacrifice was easy: the GSG-5, a MP5 clone that was chambered in .22lr. It was a fun little plinker but it didn’t get shot a lot. Next was the HK USC .45, a civilian version of the UMP SMG. This was a lot harder to sell because it has since been discontinued and very rare. Good thing for me, it’s value shot up and I was only willing to let it go for the right price. I tried to sell it amongst friends first, for a much better deal than what I ended up selling it for but no one could afford it so I threw it on gunbroker and it sold minutes before the listing ended. The transaction was very simple and didn’t cost me too much in fees. The P2000sk in .40 was next to go. This was my last .40 caliber weapon I had but it also had some sentimental value as well, it was my first back up gun and was my main off duty carrying weapon for years. I also wanted to limit the different ammunition types I had and so it went. Now I finally had enough to fund what I’ve wanted for years, my very own FN SCAR 17s.
To read my review on the 17s:

Back to the quote; the reason that the man with one gun should be feared is that he probably knows how to use it. It insinuates that he shoots it a lot and trains. This is very important especially now, more than ever. I’m a huge proponent of everyone’s right to self-defense because it is a human right, not because our Second Amendment guarantees it; despite states that infringe on that right. The best tool to defend yourself is a firearm. Owning a firearm is a nice start, knowing how to operate it under stress and effectively would be optimal. It is something that a lot of gun owners take for granted and sadly the same goes for LEO’s. I made the decision or decisions this year to improve not only my weapons systems and gear, but my personal skills with each of them. I did so by limiting the amount of systems I owned and making sure that I shot more with each of them; quality over quantity. I was fortunate to get some training at work and some training outside of work at Falcon Ops Group.
To read my After Action Review of that course:

The time chooses you. Remember this fact: You never ever know when or where some bad things are going to happen to good people, yourself included. San Bernardino happened a few counties over from where I work. Some of my friends lost their friends in that terrorist attack. The first responders when interviewed said that they had hoped to not have seen what they did in their entire careers. I hope for the very same thing. This is the world we live in today, we are still at war. These cowardly attacks can happen anywhere in a free society, all we can do is prepare outselves and make ourselves the absolute worst nightmare for these terrorists/criminals who think they can go unopposed during their attacks. Best way to deal with someone trying to kill you? Han Solo did it best in the Cantina, he shot first! If someone is pointing an AK47/AR15 (it doesn’t matter) you’re not required to wait and return fire, you may never get the chance to.
The law enforcement response to the San Bernardino attack was swift and the first to arrive were there in minutes, the terrorists were still able to murder in cold blood, over a dozen people and injuring dozens of others.
A lot of friends who were on the fence on gun ownership reached out to me after this horrific event and asked for my advice on what guns to purchase. Like I said, getting the right tool for job is only the beginning, teaching yourself how to use that tool well is where you want to be.
I started this blog in February and I got a lot of feedback so I will continue to write and try to write more often. Thank you to each and everyone who follows this blog and especially those who share it amongst your friends. I don’t make any money from this, I just like to pass along my personal knowledge, hoping that it’ll help others make big decisions on gear etc. Stay safe and train often!

I saw YouTube video where the two guys in it were discussing the relevance of a .308 battle rifle for civilian ownership and usage. They didn’t think it was for civilians, but it was for the military.

They had some good points but I think they are wrong. In my opinion, .308 or 7.62×51 battle rifles are very relevant for civilian ownership and I’ll explain my thought process.
First we need to get the negatives of the .308 platform over the .223:
1. Magazine Capacity is usually limited to 20 rounds vs. 30. (in California and some other states it’s 10 regardless and makes this a mute point, so it’d be an advantage over the .223)
2. Weight of the rounds/magazines/rifle are always heavier.
3. Cost of Ammunition is on average .70 per round vs .50 and below for .223 (this is an non issue when you buy by the case, cost can get down to .40 per round)
4. Overpenetration. A .308 FMJ has the potential to overpenetrate (a negative for home defense and a positive in most other engagements)
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the advantages a .308 platform gives the civilian shooter or anyone utilizing it over a .223.
It makes up for all of the negatives in one huge area: ballistics. The .308 round out performs a .223 in every aspect: effective range, accuracy in adverse conditions, effect on targets with an average .308 round delivering about 3 times that of a .223 in weight. I myself have never been in combat so I can’t tell you from personal knowledge how rounds effect those who are trying to do you harm. From numerous interviews that I’ve seen of our service members, it’s not unusual to hear them say that they would normally put three or more rounds with a 5.56 rifle to ensure the threat was no longer a threat.
Sure, there’s JHP ammunition available to give the .223 round better ballistic capabilities. Then there’s also JHP’s for .308, which will make it much more effective than a .223. When there’s no JHP available, the standard M80 ball 7.62×51 or standard .308 ball ammunition is king. You can also hunt most game with .308 whereas you’re very limited on what you can shoot at with a .223.

I own both M1A and SCAR systems
in .308. I will say that the M1A was very capable at medium to long range engagements but it was too unwieldy for close up work. It was best fired from a kneeling or prone position, standing took a lot of practice and arm strength.
This is why the SCAR 17s was a weapon system had always been on top of my list of guns that I wanted. To me it’s the ultimate battle rifle and it kind of is for everyone else. It’s light weight and very ergonomic that allows it to be run as a CQB weapon and keeps it’s long range qualities as well. It’s a jack of all trades and it’s a great weapon system that is accurate, reliable and proven- not by me but our USSOCOM soldiers and sailors on the battlefields of Iraq,  Afghanistan and all over the globe.
Back to the civilian world. I’ll give one scenario as an example: the freeway ambush. This is a scenario that I’ve thought about long before it was recently brought up on CNN with the arrest of the man who assisted the San Bernardino terrorists. He was part of a plot that never took place thankfully but it can easily happen. Their plot was to hide out in the hills overlooking the 91 freeway armed with rifles. They would stop traffic with IEDs and then open fire on the stranded motorists and responding first responders. If I was one of those stranded, I’d like to have my SCAR 17s to return fire at the terrorists who may be at least a hundred yards or more away. A .223 platform just isn’t enough firepower in my opinion to adequately meet this threat because you’re already at a position of disadvantage.
I can go on all day long about different scenarios but you get the picture. .223/5.56×45 is a great platform and the .308/7.62×51 doesn’t replace It; it augments it, but if it’s your only rifle available and you’re on your own, which would you rather have? I know I’d want my SCAR 17 over my M6A2 any day.

One huge complaint against the FN SCAR weapons system is the fact that it is very limited on rail space forward of the gas block. The rail is short because FN designed the system to be modular, allowing the end user (Special Operations Forces) to swap out different barrels quickly for their mission. If the rail was extended, it would negate the ability to mount the shortest barrel.

There are numerous aftermarket rail extensions available for the SCAR system. FN, PWS, MW Industries, Handl Defense and Kinetic Development Group.
I needed a rail extension because I wasn’t planning on ever cutting my barrel down and could not have a foregrip and bipod mounted together comfortably with the stock rail. What I didn’t want was added weight and bulk to my SCAR as it is the lightest Semi-Automatic .308 battle rifle on the market and I want to keep it that way.
After all of my research, I concluded that the Kinetic Development Group MLOK MREX rail extension was the best solution for my SCAR 17s. This rail and the majority of others work on both 16&17 systems.

I got the 6.5″ FDE rail that gives me three MLOK sections forward of the gas block. It has a lowered top picatinny rail that allows you to put an X300, X400, TLR, PEQ, DBAL, whatever you want on top without that unit obstructing your optics. The design of the rail is slim and low profile, making much easier to grab. Best of all, it weighs in under 4 ounces!
What comes in the box:
The MREX
2 Torx wrenches (T20&T25)
6 screws, packaged in the order you’ll use them.
1 pack of Vibratite
2 MLOK rail sections
1 KDG PVC velcro patch
Installation was easy, there’s no written manual, there’s however a tutorial video on YouTube, which is even better! https://youtu.be/zd-xiXisAKg
I used a heat gun and my own set of torx wrenches and a rubber mallet.
I’m not a gun smith and don’t fiddle around with my guns too much but I was satisfied with the fact that I was able to do this myself.
After the installation, you could see right away how the overall look and feel of the SCAR was immensely improved for the better.

I placed Magpul MLOK covers on the side MLOK slots, placed an MLOK vertical grip under the gas block and the longer rail section a little further up to accommodate my Harris Bipod.
The SCAR system is advertised to keep it’s zero after barrel changes. After taking it to the range and shooting it, I can attest that is does hold it’s zero.
Ergonomically, my SCAR 17 is better; it allows me to have a better grip on the fore end, and I no longer worry about getting hit with the charging handle!
I’m glad I made the right decision on which rail extension I chose. For more information, go to https://kineticdg.com/

For those who know me well, this would be a shocker because I’m known to be an HK and Sig snob when it comes to pistols. I never disliked Glocks, I just never preferred them.
After many years of being a gun owner, I finally bought myself a Glock 43 as my back-up weapon for work. It replaced the Beretta Nano which was a gun that I owned for the shortest amount of time. The Nano is a nice little pocket pistol but I liked the ergonomics of the 43 and the trigger a lot better.

Why the 43 over the 26? The 43 is perfect for what it was designed for: a pocket pistol with a slim profile. You do lose out in firepower with it’s stock 6 round capacity magazines but it fits comfortably in a pocket holster in my support side pocket when I’m 10-8. A 26 would have to be in a vest or ankle holster. Weighing in at 1.5 lbs loaded, it’s very light to carry all day long. It’s light weight, however makes it a little harder to shoot with more felt recoil.
Shooting the 43.
It definitely took a lot of dry fire practice and live firing for me to get used to the trigger. It’s not as clean as it is in other Glocks and feels a little heavier to pull. I ended up needing to put more of my trigger finger for the trigger press and needed to get used to the increased recoil. I’m no shooting expert by any means or a sharp shooter. I’m just an average shooter who is always learning and adapting my skills to get better.
After a lot of practice, I qualified with it just fine. To qualify, you need to shoot 15 rounds at a small silhouette target 22 feet away and score at least 70%. Sounds easy right? It actually takes some discipline with a little gun to make sure your hits count. Miss three rounds, and by missing we’re talking not hitting inside the 7 ring. So after taking my sweet time for the qual, I slowly pressed the trigger until it surprised me each time, I was able to send 14 of the rounds in one group a little high a left of the X mostly 8 and 9 ring hits and one stray at the lower left in the 8 ring. At least all of my rounds counted and I passed!

I did some minor important upgrades to the 43. I got Vickers Tactical sights by Wilson Tactical with the front sight being a Tritium dot night sight and black serrated rear sights. The stock Glock sights are merely place holders for the buyer to choose from numerous sight options out there. I chose this set-up to assist in day time and night time/low light situations. http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Glock/products/169/

Another necessary upgrades are the magazines. I got Taran Tactical Innovations firepower base plates. I have a plus one for the magazine that sits in the gun to keep a low profile and three plus two for my spares. This remedies the round deficit from the the stock mags.
http://tarantacticalinnovations.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=44_49_81
The Glock 43 is a well made pocket pistol that is light, slim and is reliable as all Glocks are known to be. It’s my back-up in case my primary weapon goes down or dry. It’s always in my pocket ready to go for my worst day on the job.

Pocket holster by Desantis V5

I’ve always wanted to Camouflage my rifle via rattle can but never had the courage to do it. I wasn’t confident in my skills and was deathly afraid of ruining my $2100 LWRC M6A2. I thought about having it Cerakoted but I don’t have $200+ to throw into aesthetics alone. Yes, I know Cerakoting has a purpose in protecting the rifle and does it well, I just can’t afford it!
Last week I decided to just do it and I have to say that it was relatively easy to do and I’m very satisfied with the end product and the fact that I did it myself. Here’s how I did it:
Materials:

Multiple Cans of Rustoleum Camouflage paint. Tan, Brown and Dark Brown
(I had to use one Krylon can for Green)
Masking Tape
Camo Netting
A well ventilated area to use. It was my backyard and I used an old kennel to put it on top of.
That’s all you will need!

I broke down the entire process in 5 phases. Hint* take your time and have fun!

Phase One: Prepping

This is the absolute most important of all the phases. Wipe down the entire rifle with a lint free towel to take off any oil from your fingers and anything that will get in the way of a good contact with the surface and the paint.
Remove all your furniture, stock, pistol grip, anything you don’t want painted. (my furniture was already Camouflaged by a friend) if you want to paint those items, spray them separately.
I left my Trijicon Reflex on my rifle.
Use masking tape to tape off the very few places that shouldn’t be painted. For me, it was the objective lens, fiber optics on the Reflex sight; the critical parts of my BUIS, the piston system under the 12 o’clock rail, the bottom of the receiver where the pistol grip meets. I also left an empty 10 round pmag in the rifle. That’s it! Now you’re ready for-
Phase Two: Base Coat.

You always want to go with the lightest color to dark. I used the Tan Rustoleum Camouflage can for this. This phase is almost as important as the first. I set my rifle standing level on my dog’s old cage kennel and started spraying. The key to all of the spray painting is figuring out the distance and speed of your spray. For me it was two to three feet. Now spray in one direction and do long, steady and fast strokes to keep the paint from running.

For best results, do multiple light layers while letting it dry during each run. This is the longest phase because you have to get every part of the rifle. Be very thorough and make sure you get all of the angles. Once one side is dry, rotate it and get the next side until you get it all. You might be doing this for a long time! I spent over an hour on this phase, with the dry times included. I allowed the base coat to dry overnight before I moved onto the next.
Phase Three: Pattern.

Here’s where you utilize your artistic license. I used some camo netting for my pattern. The tricky part is getting the netting to stay close to the surface so I could get more definition from the net. I started with green and for all of the different color paints, I did a random pattern of stripes. For the color paints, do quick, short sprays at alternating distances to get a different random layers and saturation. Once one color was dry, I moved to the next, Brown. Do this multiple times until you’re happy with the pattern. Carefully take off the netting to check the status and to let dry. Same as the previous phase, rotate until you get all of the angles. At the very end, I used the dark brown to hit a few spots.
Phase Four: Air Dry.

I let it sit for half an hour before I moved it to a better place for it to dry. I let it dry for a few hours after that. The last thing you want is your fingers smearing the paint!
Phase Five: Putting it all back together.

Carefully remove all of the masking tape. Replace all of the furniture that you took off and you’re all done! See it wasn’t so hard!

Had to save the US Flag!

Since you don’t need to take the rifle apart, your Zero doesn’t change.

Running the Surefire Warden kind of cooks the paint right of the brake. Oh well. If you have any questions, leave a comment!