The “California Combat Hoodie” is now available for pre-order at All Skill No Luck. The “tactical” Baja style pullover was the brainchild of Gripstop inventor (and longtime industry designer) Nathan Murr, in conjunction with ASNL’s Aaron Russel.
Murr explains, “What initially started out as a sort of fun, one-off project just for the sake of doing it, quickly turned into a legitimate product because of the overwhelming interest and support we received. When that many people surprised me, with such overwhelming enthusiasm for a modernized Baja hoodie…there was only one company I could think of that could pull this off with quality and style. ”
“I cold-called Aaron Russel at ASNL, and asked if he was interested. Aaron laughed and said that he was working on his own version, and that I had beat him to the punch! That wasn’t true, as Aaron had thought of a lot of the great concepts that we rolled into the final design.”
The collaboration started, but the hard part proved to be finding the proper material. There are only a handful of companies that produce the traditional fabric called “Jerga” Baja type garments are made from, and after months of extensively searching, All Skill No Luck located such a manufacturer.
The California Combat Hoodie is being made in Oceanside California, located just outside of Camp Pendleton. Between the military and surf culture of SoCal, the team wanted to update the classic Baja hoodie for the 21st century and to appeal to all fans of the legacy design regardless of their walk of life.
“Pockets are never a bad idea,” explains Murr. “Look, men generally don’t carry purses. Carrying a backpack everywhere is annoying. We have a limited amount of pocket space as it is, which is consumed even faster if you carry a gun, spare mags, light, TQ, etc. It doesn’t matter if you CCW or not, you have to carry your gear somehow. The more pockets, the better! We wanted to give the garment flexibility for that, regardless of how you intend to wear it. It could be skating in the city, riding your motorcycle, hiking in the woods, trailing a suspect down a busy street, or laying justice down on a cold desert night 7,000 miles from here. It has the features to do it all, and carry it all securely.”
Cali Combat Hoodie Features:
-100% authentic, Traditional Jerga fabric and pattern.
-Hand-warmer pocket.
-Velcro lined, securing Kangaroo pocket for a 3 cell M4 mag insert. Pocket can also used to organize and hold other gear, such as a pistol, radio, medkit, etc. when used with other industry common hook-backed pouches.
-Small Anorak style pocket located high center of chest.
-Two sleeve pockets with easy to remove external loop velcro if not using IFF markers-Generous cut hood for use over other headwear
-Internal loops to attach a concealed cummerbund for carrying heavier loads in the Kangaroo pouch.
Palmetto State Armory has been around for almost a decade, providing quality AR parts and accessories for AR builds. They are now supporting me here via their affiliate program. I’ll be doing a review of a build in the future.
If you’re ready to build your next AR15, use the link below. Thanks for your support!
My good friend Joe, a fellow writer at Breach Bang Clear, just retired from 14 years of service with the Navy and is now onto his next venture in the civilian sector. Here is the full scoop:
CPO Joe Dawson, USN/NSW (RET) is John Darwin No Longer
Several tactical-outdoor companies and publications are happy to share the news that Joseph “Joe” Dawson, USN has retired. Dawson spent the last 14 years serving in various Naval Special Warfare (NSW) billets. During much of that time he has written under thenom de plumes“John Darwin” and “Joe” for Modern Service Weapons, RECOIL Magazine, and Breach-Bang-Clear.
He is now medically retired as a CPO (SOC) and free to write, instruct, and consult under his real name.
⚠️ Dawson promises never to write a non-fiction book. Nor to pen any exaggerated exploits and tales of derring-do disguised as an autobiography. Certainly nothing with colors, shapes, or the wordHEROESin the name. ⚠️
Joe Dawson is the son of a law enforcement family, an avid reader (Jack London to Jim Butcher and all points between). He is a hopelessly dedicated father and greasemonkey/gearhead who enjoys turning wrenches with a fierce and terrible love. Dawson has been shooting competitively for several years now, as his schedule permitted, enjoying primary PRS and USPSA but also dabbling in 3 Gun and IDPA.
During his Navy career, Dawson deployed to Iraq Afghanistan and different AOs in the Pacific. From 2011 to 2013 he was the lead Petty Officer in charge of Land Warfare Training. For the last three years, he served as the Course Supervisor and Course Manager for the NSW Sniper School (a DoD LV1 Sniper program), concurrently filling both billets.
Dawson’s qualifications are, he advises, “…about what you’d expect.” He was static-line and HAHO/HALO qualified, served as a sniper, lead breacher, HRST Cast Master, Navy Dive Supervisor, Navy Master Training Specialist, and Master Training Specialist Mentor, and an Athlete’s Performance SOF Tactical Military Mentor. He was a longtime NSW RSOIC, working small arms, demolitions, indirect fire, CQB, Ground Mobility Vehicle, and other ranges.
He recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Business Administration and is a member of the Alpha Lambda Honor Society. He continues to write as a freelancer as time allows.
“Lots of dudes went to Afghanistan and Iraq,” says Dawson. “Many of them did more than I did, many did less. Most all of them did what they sent out to do, same as me. Having some deployments under your belt isn’t some validation of incredible heroism or mythic skill as a warfighter. I’m proud of my service. I was pretty good at my job. I’ll never forget the incredible teammates I served with. But now I’m ready to get my civilian on.”
Dawson will continue to write and work as an SME/consultant for a handful of companies of good character, with good products, and hopes to freelance for other publications. He will also still be teaching on occasion through the auspices of Bruiser Industries and will, once he gets settled into his new household billet, be back out competing as much as possible.
Connect with Joe Dawson professionally on Instagram, @bruiserindustries, or personally as @joe.dawson45. He is also on Facebook, /BruiserIndustries/ and /Joe.Dawson45/. Bruiser Industries can be found at BruiserIndustries.com. Private consults and closed training sessions are available.
Get out and train with SGM(R) Chuck Pressburg of Presscheck Consulting!
Here’s the press release:
(Fayetteville,North Carolina) 9.11.18
Presscheck Consulting has updated its training schedule for Fall/Winter 2018. Training slots remain available in many courses, though some – likeNo Fail Pistol in Shawnee, Oklahoma– will be closing out very quickly. Enrollment options are available atOperational Detachment Source.
Other upcoming coursesNo Fail PistolinChicago,ILandCarthage,NC, as well asNight Fighter Rifle/Pistolclasses nearHouston,TXandPhoenix,AZ.
Additional classes are being added weekly, sometimes daily. Check the interactive calendar at the bottom of the training page for the most recent additions, including a Night/No-Light Shoothouse now scheduled for 14-16 DEC in Jacksonville, FL. Note that a few classes are restricted to law enforcement and military attendees.
Courses are instructed by a 26 year Army veteran whose career was spent almost entirely in SOF (Special Operations Forces) units, including Special Mission Units and the Asymmetric Warfare Group.
No Fail Pistoldesigned to equip patrol and tactical officers with the skills to make high risk / high reward pistol shots in critical situations. This 16-hour course stresses the importance of being able to place accurate hits on small, moving, and limited exposure critical areas of the human body to instantly cease all motor function or cause rapid unconsciousness usually resulting in death.
The Night Fighter courseconsists of approximately 9-10 hours of Daylight training/classroom instruction and 8-9 hours of low-light and nightvision training. This is an intermediate level course, all students are expected to arrive with a sound grasp of firearms safety as well as the operation of their primary and secondary weapons systems.
About the lead instructor:SGM(R) Chuck Pressburg began his SOF career in the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He spent a decade in that unit, deploying twice to Afghanistan as the platoon sergeant of a 65 man Ranger unit that was highly decorated for its mission to recover missing US military personnel during the Battle of Robert’s Ridge (Takur Ghar) in 2002. Pressburg was a founding member of the Asymmetric Warfare Group (Selection class #1, Operational Training Course #1), spending over 20 months conducting SKT (Small Kill Team) operations and direct action raids during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He spent a total of 12 years in HQ USASOC (Headquarters United States Army Special Operations Command) including a lengthy billet in science and technology R&D. He is a graduate of the Combat Developer’s Course and MANPRINT (The Human Factors Engineering Course). SGM Pressburg retired from the Army on 01 JAN 2017
Find Presscheck Training and Consulting LLConline. Follow on Instagram, @presscheckconsulting, or connect on Facebook at /PresscheckConsulting/. You can subscribe to the PCC YouTube Channel atPresscheck Consulting. Operational Detachment Source is online atOPDsource.com. Follow them on Instagram, @opdsource, or connect with them on Facebook, /OpDsource/.
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.
The Upper fresh out of the packaging.
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
Photo Courtesy of Muzzle Flash Media
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
Business end with the WML setup.
What I wanted out of this upper was to have a light weight carbine for close up work and it certainly fits the bill.
My friend firing away.
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.
Setup for LFT CQB Carbine Course
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.
Photo Courtesy of Muzzle Flash Media
For more information on Radical Firearms and their products, please check out:
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)
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.
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
Photos by Paolo Bedran and PPCE Radical Firearms is proud to share its recent partnership with local law enforcement in Brazil. Just a few days ago Radical Firearms completed delivery of 150 RF-15 rifles to the PPCE (Polícia Civil do Estado do Ceará, or Ceará State Civil Police).
Ceará is but one of 13 Brazilian states who have chosen Radical Firearms for their security forces.
The selection of the RF-15 was completed after an extensive evaluation process. Included in that was a visit to the Radical Firearms facility by a team from C.O.R.E. (Coordenadoria de Recursos Especiais, the civil police tactical unit of Rio de Janeiro) and members of the Brazilian government. This particular model of RF-15 were built with a specialty maritime coating to deal with humidity and other unique conditions of the PPCE’s operational area.
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.
The RF-15 is a 5.56mm rifle with 1 in 7″ Twist 16 in. 4140V Chromoly Melonite Coated barrel. It features M4 feed ramps, 1/2×28 thread pitch, a low profile micro gas block system, and fore end quad Pic Rails. Options for bolt carrier group, charging handle, and rail furniture are available.
Ceará is one of 27 states in Brazil, and is the 8th largest, with a population of some nine million people (about the same as Virginia). It covers a geographic area somewhere between that of Minnesota and Michigan. Its capital, Fortaleza, is the fourth most populous city in Brazil, a major ocean port and a significant tourist destination. The crime rate there is very high, and like many urban areas suffers from the violent activities of organized gangs (such as the Comando Vermelho and Guardiões do Estado). It has recently significantly increased its available manpower.
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.
