Come by the 5.11 Store in Carson this Saturday 8/4/18 from 10 AM to 8 PM and celebrate their Second Anniversary!
Everything in the store will be 20% off. They will have food and music starting around 11 AM.
20759 S Avalon Blvd.
Carson, CA 90746
I will be there from 10 AM to about Noon if you want to say hi!
I have an Update for you on the Cloud Defensive OWL.
Here’s a message from the CEO, Sean McCauley:
Hello!
We just wanted to give you an update on your Optimized Weapon Light order.
The OWLs are in production now and working their way through the process of starting out billet aluminum and then turning into the most advanced weapon light produced. So they’re coming, as promised. We do have some updates for you on features and timelines – stuff we would want to know at this point if we were you.
As we announced via our social media channels, we did make a design change to the OWL a little while ago. And, admittedly, it was late in the process to make such a change. Originally, the system was designed to run on three (3) CR123 batteries. And it worked fine. It was bigger and heavier than we wanted. Many saw this version at SHOT Show, when the OWL was introduced. However one thing you’ll learn about us: We exist for the end-user. And your combined feedback was that you wanted the OWL “smaller, lighter and brighter”. We knew we could do that and could not in good conscious sell you guys a light that was less-than our best effort. We’ll never bring a product to market just for the sake of getting a fast sale. That’s not how we roll.
So we listened to your feedback. And then made an in-line design change to facilitate those requests. That meant extensive structural change to the system and electrical updates to accommodate the single 18650 rechargeable battery required for the task. So while the concept didn’t change, pretty much every dimension on the OWL did change. It meant making a pivot on our battery purchases and other production and support equipment. In fact, it had significant down-stream implications for production. Those are challenges we were able to handle and we are in production now.
It did slow us down from our original timeline for late summer 2018, however. Because of those changes, we are now expecting to ship the OWLs around Thanksgiving. I know that part sucks – we hate a delay too. If we can beat that timeline, we certainly will. We’ll never rush a product to market for the sake of the timeline though. The quality you guys demand is our top priority. So while we know the delay in the release is not great, we also know the end result here is a light unlike any other. One that is worth every dollar you paid and every day you wait.
If for any reason you need to cancel your order due to this, rest assured you will receive an immediate refund. But if you have gone this far, I sincerely hope you’ll stay the course with us and be able to put the OWL on your gun this fall. Everything we do here is for you guys, we want you all happy, and the OWL is going to be awesome.
As we get further into production, keep an eye on our social media. We’ll be doing a lot of pictures and video to show you guys your OWLs as they come to life. There will be a lot of behind the scenes stuff and just overall fun content in the coming months. It’s a bit unprecedented to do that in the world of manufacturing but we want to share the excitement of the project with you guys as much as possible. And as consumers ourselves, it’s the kind of stuff we would want to see.
Now, the good news for you in this extensive. You’re getting a light with capability and equipment you had not been aware of previously. And you are actually getting a few things you did not even intend to pay for.
A few bullet-points for you on it:
– OWL is now a little bit shorter than it’s competitors. A substantial change given the size of the original version you have seen.
– OWL is now over 30% lighter that it was before. A very substantial thing and that alone was worth the delay.
– The OWL now runs on a single 18650 rechargeable battery now. Because the 18650 is simply far superior to the CR123s and even 16340s. It has an incredible amount of energy density and as such, we can get performance we were not otherwise getting. Lumen/Lux/Candela ratings via ANSI lab testing will be completed for the official numbers. But simply said, this is more powerful than it was before…and it was easily beating the competition in its prior form. So your OWL will be very potent.
– With the new battery selection – it means your OWL is now upgradable, with the ability for you to simply put a different head on your light at any point in the future.
– Due to our change in moving to an 18650 battery, we felt it would be unreasonable for us to just ship the light without a battery. I feel most would agree with that statement and then expect us to ship the light with a battery. But we are doing one better for you: We’re shipping every light with TWO batteries. And due to the unique electrical system, the OWL adjusts the output on the light, based on the specific battery that you run. That means, you can control the output and run-time by using different batteries. Pretty cool when you stop and think about the implications of that. Nobody has that level of control on their weapon light. But you will.
So, one of the batteries you will get will be a Samsung battery. The other will be a Sanyo battery. The Samsung battery will give you maximal output. The Sanyo will give you a couple of hundred less lumens (roughly speaking and it will be hardly perceptible) but significantly enhanced run-time. So, based on your need, you can run those batteries (or others) to fit your mission profile.
– We are ALSO shipping each OWL with a custom charger for those batteries. It’ll have both an AC cord and a car adapter. It’s a “smart” charger, with an LCD display. This keeps you safer when charging your batteries, gives you more data during the charging process and makes evaluation of the battery charge a lot easier too. The value on this alone is substantial. It’s professional-grade and will serve you very well.
– The OWL runs on any 18650 that you put in it, protected or unprotected. Flat-top or button-top. Nobody else we know offers this kind of flexibility. This means you will have a wide potential selection of batteries. It means you are less-restricted.
As always though, quality batteries are all we will ever recommend you use. We’ll have a list of those for you. If you run cheap or poor-quality batteries in any system there is risk involved in that. So do not run unapproved batteries in the OWL. And stick to the batteries we tell you to use. And if you need more batteries, they are widely available and we will sell them at a price that most likely will beat anybody else. We’re here to help, not gouge you.
One more thought on the 18650 battery, in general: CR123s are not rechargeable. They are one-time use. And they average about $1.50 per battery for a quality cell. Not cheap. That would have been $4.50 for each “set” of batteries in the original OWL design. Conversely, the 18650s are good for hundreds of cycles. If you go with even highly conservative numbers, you can easily get 200 cycles from one of these batteries. That means your single 8 dollar 18650 battery is the equivalent to $900 in 123 batteries in the previous OWL design. Another fun note to give you an idea of the capability here: At 300 discharge cycles, the Samsung battery we are shipping you is good for 70% charge retention. And the average 18650 at only 50% charge has more energy density than 2 brand new CR123s. Like I said, powerful. And these things are good for a long time.
– The lug design and integrated switch are 100% intact as before. And we upgraded the switch cover as well so you’ll have a more tactile feel in that.
– The field-serviceable lens is still in place as well. As is the integrated tool in the tail cap for attaching the OWL to your weapon. Nothing has changed there.
– We removed the programmability feature of the light because our beta-testing revealed too much potential for end-user friction. Basically, if you ask 10 people how they want a programmable switch to work, you get 10 answers and nobody agrees. But, because we have an electrical system unique to anything we have found, we have the ability to control the light with our pressure switch in a way that others can not: You have a momentary and a constant-on capability with the same switch. It’s VERY intuitive and it’s the fastest way to control your light. Your thumb never has to come off the light to fully control it.
– Cost. We are actually going to increase the price of the OWL due to the changes made. But for you, that just means you got an even better deal than you thought – certainly an outcome we are glad to give you in thanks for your early support of our project.
– If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]
The journey to bring the OWL life has been (and will continue to be) a fun one for us. We’re fully committed to doing right by you, the customer and end-user. There is no doubt in my mind you guys are going to be very happy when that package arrives on your door this fall.
In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to email us if you have any questions. We are always here to help. And we appreciate your support more than you know. So on behalf of everyone at Cloud Defensive, I’d like to say THANK YOU! We’ll keep working hard for you guys.
Sincerely,
Sean McCauley
CEO
Cloud Defensive LLC
www.clouddefensive.com
ATEi is happy to announce that the upgraded Gen Glock 19 A9, first introduced right around a year ago, is back in stock in limited quantity, in plenty of time for late Summer carry.
The A9 is a “turnkey” upgraded Gen 19 modified to ATEi’s high specs and standards. It is intended to provide an end user access to a superior ATEivolved fighting pistol right out of the box.
Features of the A9 include:
“I don’t subscribe to that bullshit theory that, oh it’s summertime, so I carry a pocket gun, when it’s wintertime I’ll switch back to a big gun,” says ATEi founder and HMFIC Doug Holloway. “That is ass backwards. When do you see large groups of people out doing no good? In the winter when it’s just a couple degrees out, or during summer, when it’s 80º during the day, and the 70s at night? We’re much more likely to get into an encounter in the summer than winter, at least here in a colder climate, therefore we should probably be carrying the bigger gun in that season than the other, and more mags too. Maybe in Florida it’s different, but here in Michigan you don’t see a lot of people fucking off and hanging around the gas station at night during the middle of winter.”
The ATEi A9 is offered as a choice for someone looking to purchase a full-size ATEi EDC gun without having to send a weapon in and wait on the custom work involved.
Here is a quick rundown of the A9 features and why they were selected for this model.
Stippling
The medium stippling, provided by Great Lakes Custom Works, is one of several types of stippling available on ATEi guns. In the A9’s case specifically, the medium level was selected because it is a “middle of the road” choice. Additional textures include Carry, Aggressive, Hybrid, and others, but would require special arrangements to include on an A9 purchase. Stippling on the A9 grip is 360º, and additional stippling is provided for index points on the side – one for the trigger finger, when it’s not on the trigger, one for as a reference point for the support hand thumb in a two-hand grip.
Trigger Guard Undercut
This modification is intended to eliminate “Glock knuckle.” The advantages of this will vary depending upon the geometry of the shooter’s hand. Some shooters find that a proper master grip, with the middle finger touching the trigger guard, causes a rub point. The corner of the bottom of the trigger guard will wear on the first knuckle of the middle finger. Some people develop a sore or callus there, i.e. Glock knuckle.
Top and Side Serrations
The ATEi Top Serrations on the A9 are primarily intended to aid in one-handed weapon manipulations. While a good rear sight can be used to rack the slide of a weapon, a properly serrated slide face provides a larger area to hit and will work off more surfaces. ATEi Side Serrations are machined with wider valleys and narrow peaks so it will bite into the hand better. Two additional serrations are added to the rear for a larger purchase area. Front serrations are provided to assist with a press check.
Please note: the small Glock logo (right side of slide) has been cut through with these serrations, as well as the letters on the left which does leave some remnants. This is a case of function over form. Removing the letters would require the milling of an additional .010” because of the compressed steel under the rollmark, which would leave the serrations half as deep and half as useful.
OEM Minus Trigger Connector
The OEM Glock Minus connector is installed to take advantage of the superior angle of its engagement surface. This reduces the pull poundage of the trigger.
Optional Sights
Sights are an extremely personal choice. Fiber optic, night sights, red vs. green fiber optic, there is a vast number of choices. The A9 usually ships with stock sights to reflect this, but buyers can opt to have ATEi install Trijicon HD orange or Trijicon yellow front night sights as well as 10-8 Performance sights instead.
Optional Trigger Upgrade
An Overwatch Precision TAC Trigger flat face trigger upgrade is offered as an option on the A9. This Overwatch trigger reduces pre-travel as much as practical without compromising firearm safety, and features a small indexing hook to ensure consistent trigger finger placement. Its flat face reduces trigger reach by 0.24 in., idealizing it for small framed shooters, while simultaneously providing for a good, straight rearward press.
OEM Quality Refinish
The refinish on the A9 is a salt-bath Nitride, more commonly known in the industry as Glock “Tennifer” or Smith & Wesson “Melanite”. This provides good corrosion resistance and a durable black finish on the weapon.
Additional information can be found on the ATEi Guns FAQ page .1 Specific ordering information is on the ATEi A9 page .2 The ATEi A9 retails for $1,147.00 and will ship to your FFL almost immediately, except in cases of Hilary Clinton voters or card-carrying Communists, in which case the cost is $2,294.00 with an indeterminable ship time.
Connect with ATEi on Instagram, @ATEiguns3, or follow them on Facebook, /ATEiGuns/4. You can also follow them on Twitter, @ATEiGuns5, but they’ve never tweeted anything. Ever.
Happy Independence Day! I thought it’d be a great day celebrate our Freedom, thanks to every Warrior Past and Present for keeping us that way. Also to celebrate our Second Amendment rights and say thanks for all the support!
The Fifty Shades of FDE 55K GAW is here! It starts today, July 4th and ends 7/14/18. Winner will be announced the following day. Please Read the FULL Description and follow ALL the rules!
Thanks to each and every sponsor, this would not have been possible without their support!
One Lucky Winner will get:
From Primary Arms:
-Aero Precision Stripped AR-15 Upper Receiver – FDE Cerakote*
-Ghost Firearms 9″ M-LOK Handguard Flat Dark Earth*
From Rosco Manufacturing:
-10.5″ Bloodline Barrel in 5.56**
From Cloud Defensive:
-Streamlight HL-X with LCS MK2K in Burnt Bronze**
From Holosun:
-HS503GU FDE*
From Burn Proof Gear:
-FDE rail-rap heavy**
-Hank**
-5 pairs of large FDE laces**
From Lead Faucet Tactical:
-LFT Sling*
-LFT Handstop*
-LFT +2 Baseplate*
From Breach Bang Clear:
-FDE Propper Pack with swag and parts from sponsors*
From Mad Duo
-Three T-shirts of your choice at www.madduo.co **
From Muzzle Flash Media:
A print of the King of FDE, signed by me.*
From me: Fifty Shades of FDE patch and more swag
Rules:
1. Must be US Resident. 21 or older. Only ONE entry per person.
2. NFA rules and regulations may apply. These are parts for an AR Pistol Build or a Stamped SBR Build. It is the Winner’s responsibility for following federal, state and local laws.
3. Must Follow Every Sponsor on Instagram.
4. Tag TWO friends in the comments ONLY on GAW posts by @fiftyshadesoffde. Starts 7/4/18 ends at 7/14/18 at midnight.
Good Luck! That’s it! Follow those 4 simple rules and you’re in! Winner will be picked at random and announced on 7/15/18, once I have verified requirements.
If the selected person failed to meet any of them, I will restart the selection process until we have a winner.
*denotes that the product will ship direct from myself.
**denotes that the product will ship directly from the sponsor. (I will email those instructions)
Please Note: This Give Away is not associated with Instagram and consist of parts and accessories. None of it contains a Firearm and does not require an FFL. Neither I or any of the sponsors will not be responsible for any lost packages at the fault of any delivery services.
FYI: got this from a friend,
Invisio Hearing Protection Demo & Range Time
Open to all LE/First Responders/Range Staff
Monday July 9, 9-11 am
Hosted by:
Brothers & Arms
11800 Sterling Ave
Suite G
Riverside, Ca 92503
RSVP [email protected] or via text
949-289-5301
