Month: August 2018

For those who want it all to be one color go read my JTT at Breach Bang Clear! Special thanks to everyone at Rifle Supply!

Radical Firearms is a Texas based company that manufactures AR style rifles at an affordable price. They make the majority of every component in house with the exception of very few parts, usually it comes down to the furniture. When people hear affordable in the gun industry, they immediately think that it is junk. Although there is some truth to that way of thinking, it isn’t always true, sometimes you get a quality product at a lower price. This is definitely true with my experience with Primary Arms optics. I have seen some mixed reviews online and I always like to keep an open mind on things as much as I can by waiting to get some personal experience with a certain product.

My good friend and whose opinion I trust, Joe Dawson wrote a review on his sample Blue Line Rifle from Radical Firearms and had no issues whatsoever after shooting 2,000 rounds through it. For that article:

The guys at Radical Firearms asked me over a year ago asked me if I’d be interested in testing out a complete rifle or upper and run it hard.

I replied with the specs I wanted for an upper since it’s much easier without having to go through an FFL. I wanted something lightweight. I requested for a 5.56×45 Upper with a 14.5″ barrel along with their Nada Muzzle Brake pinned and welded and their MLOK rail, oh and FDE if possible.

Not long after, I got a package in mail with my new upper from Radical Firearms. Out the box, it was in a thick plastic bag and luned inside and out. The upper was cerakoted in FDE and felt solid. It looked great on the outside and inside as well with some personalized engraving one the left side of the receiver spelling ‘Radical Firearms’ and etched on the outside and inside of the ejection port cover was @fiftyshadesoffde, a very nice touch.

Here are the exact specifications from Radical Firearms of my upper:

• MIL-STD upper
• NADA Zero Impulse Brake
• M4 Profile 4140 Chromoly Barrel, 1:7 twist
• Carbine Length Gas System

This report took some time to get written. My time on the range is very limited as I have many other priorities to take care of in my day to day. I wanted to be thorough and get a significant round count through it before I come up with my honest opinion of the product.

I slapped the upper onto my LWRCI M6A2 lower and I could immediately feel the weight difference having the Radical upper on instead of the original piston one. This one of the many reasons I like the AR platform, versatility and interchangeability of parts. This makes it easy to switch uppers with different setups that have different capabilities.

The only part I swapped out of the upper was the charging handle. I got a Radian Weapons Raptor ambidextrous charging handle in FDE. Other accessories that I added on:

BUS- Magpul MBUS 2

Optics-I used several different red dots: Aimpoint PRO on a Kinetic Development Group Sidelok mount and Holosun HS503GU FDE on a Elevated Tech Slide mount.

Weapon Mounted Light- Surefire M600U head on a Haley Strategic/ Impact Weapons Components Backbone body and Thornail mount. A Cloud Defensive LCS Mk1a secures the ST07 switch to the top rail.

Finger stop- Vz Grips

Rail Rap by Burn Proof Gear

Sling- Lead Faucet Tactical Light Weight Sling

What I wanted out of this upper was to have a light weight carbine for close up work and it certainly fits the bill.

The first shots out were taken. At an indoor range to make sure it goes bang and get a hasty 25 yard zero. It goes boom rather than a bang with the NADA Muzzle Brake at the end of the barrel. It does it’s job of mitigating felt recoil but it isn’t fun to stand close by when it’s firing away. I got off around 200 rounds in that session and I wouldn’t get another chance to shoot it until months later with Dan Brokos of Lead Faucet Tactical at a CQB Carbine course. I just ran a bore snake through the barrel a few times and put it away.

At the LFT course, the upper ran fine until just before the lunch break where I ran into some issues that were due to me not adding any lube since my first range session and an unrelated ammunition problem.

Some excerpts from that article:
“I had two double feeds in my weapon, which was caused by a lack of lube (I hadn’t cleaned her and got her wet since my last range trip). I added a good amount of Lucas gun oil on my BCG — problem solved, lesson learned.”

“Upon my third and last run, I went to do a press check and separated the bullet from the casing. I thought it was a jam so I cleared it and tried to load another round and the bolt wouldn’t close. Dan immediately took my weapon and said something was definitely in the barrel.
Good thing it was now lunch time, giving me time to fix the problem.
Another lesson learned: always have a cleaning rod with you!
I had to borrow one from the next bay from some Federal LEOs on site because I didn’t have on in my gear. It was just a quick hit with the rod (*snicker*) and the 55-grain bullet came on out. It was a first for me and reloaded ammo was most likely to be at fault. That was the last malfunction I had to address.”

To read that full report: https://www.breachbangclear.com/brain-dump-lead-faucet-tactical-cqb-carbine-course/

Those were the only problems I ran into and neither were the result of the fit and function of the upper. I cleaned it a bit more thoroughly and put plenty of Lucas Gun Oil around the high friction parts.

The next range day with the upper would be another few months later and was uneventful. Another 100-200 rounds were fired without any hiccups.

As long as the upper has some lube applied, it’ll run. I understand that this report and most of my opinions are based on a sample size of one and that this upper was made specifically for me and to my specifications, this upper worked well for me and proved to be a high quality product that is reliable and accurate.

I will leave it as my primary carbine and will continue to run it. Radical Firearms did an excellent job with this upper.

For more information on Radical Firearms and their products, please check out:

www.radicalfirearms.com

Mean Gene Leather makes some great stuff, and while it isn’t really in FDE, he does have some decent other shades of brown. Here is what we know about the new Hunting Rifle Slings:

(From the release.)

The new slings will be available in padded and non-padded versions, with the latter coming first. Although built with bolt guns in mind, they will function with most any long gun and will make them look good while doing so.

Hunting slings will be handmade using 8/9 oz. English Bridle Leather and will ship standard with the following features:

• Available in Rich Brown, Golden Brown, and Black
• Textured neoprene non-skid backing
• Double stitching with #277 Boned Nylon thread for strength and durability.
• Burnished edges
• Hand conditioned with Ray Holes Saddle Butter Leather Conditioner before packaging fora soft, supple feel and increased flexibility.
• 1.25 in. Mil-Force or QD Swivels
• Attachments secured with Chicago Screws

Note: Customization options including:

• Personalized laser logo, are available (Mean Gene Leather is shown here as anexemplaronly)
• Non-standard sizes (for young’uns up to big ole biscuit-eatin’ types)

Specs:

• Weight will vary depending upon the sling
• Minimum adjustable length 33 in.
• Maximum adjustable length 42 in.

Learn more or purchase one here:

http://www.meangeneleather.com/shop/mgl-hunting-sling/

Slings already available include the MGL 2-to-1 and MGL Two Point.

Warning: slings may not be completely identical. Specific pieces leather and other materials and the very nature of handcrafting could result in very minor differences that will have no impact on the quality of the sling (but will make each one unique).

All MGL hunting rifle slings are sewn one at a time as ordered, from premium leather. Please allow 2 weeks from order date (or when MGL receives the artwork for your logo) before shipment.

*Buyer must be the legal owner of laser engraved logo or provide written permission for use.

For additional information, contact [email protected].

Kydex and Cordura will work but distinguished things deserve leather.

Mean Gene Leather is dedicated to Handmade Leather products. Where the Old meets the New. Our vision is to provide the best-handcrafted gear for our Mean Gene family. Without you, we would be nothing. MGL is online at meangeneleather.com. Connect on Facebook, /MeanGeneLeather/, or follow on Instagram, @mean_gene_leather. MGL is a participant in the HMW Bazaar. See more: #meangeneleather on Instagram | #meangeneleather on Facebook.

Reptilia has announced the availability of two new optic mounts: the ROF SAR, a 30mm Tube Red Dot Optic Mount that adds a mounting point for a Trijicon RMR, and the other ROF SAR, which adds a mounting point for the Leupold Delta Point Pro.

 Here is what the official release says:

The ROF SAR mount is designed as a drop-in upgrade for magnified scopes with an objective diameter of 1.3in or less. Available initially for 30mm scope tubes, the ROF SAR adds a mounting point for a Trijicon RMR® or Leupold Delta Point Pro® to provide a fast, close-range targeting option to your magnified scope. End users can easily position the reflex optic at 90º, 45º or any angle the user prefers.  Additionally, when paired with the ROF Riser, released earlier this summer, extra height can be provided to clear a host scope’s turrets.

The ROF SAR is precision machined from 7075 aluminum and protected with Mil-Spec type III hardcoat anodizing. Weighing in at 36g, care was taken to minimize the added weight when mounted to your 30mm scope tube.

“Reptilia was founded with the purpose of developing product solutions for those who are put into harm’s way, to ensure our safety and freedom,” stated Eric Burt, Reptilia’s President and Head of Design. “Our ROF line of products was developed to fill a request we received for specific mounting solutions. We take great pride in being able to work closely with our end-users, to ensure we are developing solutions to address the limits that existed.”

Burt, one of the industry’s most respected and sought after Industrial Designers, founded Reptilia with the intent to address issues that were frequently overlooked in the firearms industry. Ranging from simple design tweaks to grander-scale innovations, Reptilia is the vehicle to bring ideas to fruition. Promising an insatiable need to innovate and bridge the gaps that challenge end-users. In a world that is always evolving, Reptilia strives to produce products and provides services that are unmatched in this industry.

The ROF SAR is available now, through the Reptilia web store at www.reptiliacorp.com.

I’m currently working on my own report on a Radical Firearms Upper they sent me last year. I will post it up here soon, in the meantime, here’s a press release from Radical Firearms on their latest contract to supply Law Enforcement in Brazil with RF-15s:

Radical Firearms to Supply Police and Security Forces in Brazil

Ceará is but one of 13 Brazilian states who have chosen Radical Firearms for their security forces.

These RF-15s were part of a larger order of imported weapons for Brazilian agency, which also included a large number of .40 S&W SIG SAUER P320s and five Armalite AR-10 SuperSASS rifles. Although this initial import was to equip PPCE agents only, additional weapons will be imported by the end of the year for other agencies, including the PPCE’s military counterpart, the PMCE (Policia Militar do Ceara Policia Militar do Brasil). Unlike PPCE agents, PMCE personnel do not conduct traditional criminal investigations, but rather work special emphasis operations to deter violent crime. Other Brazilian agencies, including PCES PMES (Polícia Militar and Polícia Civil do Estado do Espírito Santo) are also in the process of upgrading their weapons and equipment.

Historically, Brazilian agencies have been required to source firearms from such local manufacturers as IMBEL and Taurus, but that is slowly changing. In fact, as TFB’s Ronaldo Olive reports, Brazil’s Departamento de Polícia Federal (Federal Police Department) and the Polícia Rodoviaria Federal (Federal Highway Police) have both been equipped with foreign-built weapons.

Radical Firearms is a Title II NFA gun Manufacturer with an exclusive lineup of pistols, rifles, silencers, and machine guns. They are a true manufacturer, not an assembly shop, with a fully tooled modern machining facility producing numerous components for complete rifle and pistol builds, upper assemblies, and components for their diverse OEM customers. Their knowledgeable and skilled employees provide the highest quality craftsmanship. Many of their employees are veterans and very passionate and take pride in their work producing American made rifles and pistols.

Here’s my full report of my personal favorite EDC pants and belt. Follow the link below:

If you’re wondering what that X01 was on my feed, here’s a first look at it:

https://www.breachbangclear.com/first-look-fire-control-unit-x01/

Congratulations to Tenicor! They got the Golden Triggr Award for Accessories at Triggrcon last weekend. Here’s the full details: