When you purchase expensive optics, you need to be careful about who you deal with, and what you buy. There are an increasing number of forgeries coming in from various parts of Asia. Just recently, three executives of Field Sport Inc. were charged with ‘selling a counterfeit mark’, in connection with Field Sport’s importation of fake EoTech riflescopes. Earlier this month, 900 counterfeit EoTech sights/magnifiers were discovered by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspecting a shipment from China. The Field Sports execs were charged with multiple felonies.
Now a fugitive believed to be in China, Yongming “Steven” Sui, 53, chief executive officer of Field Sport Inc., was charged by state prosecutors with two felony counts — manufacturing and selling a counterfeit mark (a form of trademark infringement) and possession of an assault weapon. Also charged in the state criminal complaint were Sui’s colleagues — co-owner Isaac Cheuk Hang Tse, 65, of Rowland Heights, and Pao Sheng Yang, 34, of Corona, the firm’s business manager. Both are alleged to have engaged in manufacturing and selling a counterfeit mark and possessing an assault weapon.
Many Counterfeit Optics for Sale on Internet
In addition to this EoTech situation, there appear to be many other examples of counterfeit optics entering the United States. The Firearm Blog did a quick web search, and found numerous imitation EoTech and Leupold scopes advertised on Alibaba.com, a wholesale site part-owned by web giant Yahoo.com. We suspect the fakes found by the Firearm Blog on Alibaba.com are just the tip of the iceberg. Below is just one of many fakes AccurateShooter.com found on Alibaba.com today (3/30/2011). A 3.5-10x40mm Leupold MK4 M3 Scope is advertised for sale for $750.00:
There’s no way you’re going to get a genuine illuminated Leupold MK4 for $750.00 and we can tell you that the real things don’t come from Indonesia, where this seller is located. We confirmed today with Leupold that ALL MK4 scopes are still made in the USA. The genuine Leupold 3.5-10x40mm MK4 LR/T M3 sells for about $1350.00 in the USA:
If you have any concerns about the authenticity of a Leupold scope you plan to purchase, ask the seller for the SERIAL NUMBER. Then call Leupold support at 1-800-Leupold. Leupold will trace the serial number and determine positively whether the scope is genuine or conterfeit.
The official centennial of J.M. Browning’s 1911 pistol was March 29th, 2011, 100 years to the day since the legendary handgun was adopted by the U.S. Army. (The U.S.M.C. and U.S. Navy adopted the 1911 pistol roughly two years later). To celebrate the 100th birthday of what many experts believe is the greatest self-loading pistol ever made, Colt created a spectacular, fully-engraved “Anniversary Edition” pistol. It’s pimped to the max, complete with gold inlay and genuine ivory grips. The gun is currently up for auction at Gunbroker.com with proceeds to benefit the NRA Foundation.
Price? If You Have to Ask…
Want it? Well you may have to liquidate your 401(k) to buy it. Current bid price is $33,635.00 and a similar fully-engraved Anniversary 1911 sold for $83,025.00 three months ago. See January Auction.
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EABCO.com has a selection of Lapua factory-loaded ammo on sale at super-low prices — about 40% off current retail. These are older supplies of ammo that have been sitting in inventory for a while, so Eabco has cut the price dramatically to move it. Keep in mind that the price of Lapua brass has risen dramatically in the last couple of years, so this loaded ammo has become more attractive. Eabco has the Lapua 6mmBR 77gr HP loaded ammo on sale at $24 for 20 rounds, or $1.20 per finished round. Consider that you may now pay $0.80 per piece of Lapua 6mmBR brass. So, another way to look at it is that this ammo is worth about $16.00 per box… just for the brass.
Special Lapua Ammo Inventory Clearance Sale — Limited Quantities
Eabco tells us: “These are odd lots of loaded ammo in 20-round boxes. Some may not be the most popular bullet weight or style, so the price is much lower than our regular line of Lapua ammo. But this is all first-rate ammunition, made from total Lapua and VihtaVuori components. Quantities are limited. When these lots sell out, we won’t have more.”
810-4316034 – Lapua 6.5×55 Swedish Ammo 100 gr. FMJ (20 rounds) $24
810-4316048 – Lapua 6mm BR Norma Ammo 77 gr. HP (20 rounds) $24
810-4316051 – Lapua .243 Win Ammo 90 gr. FMJ (20 rounds) $24
810-4317183 – Lapua .308 Win Ammo 170 gr. FMJBT (20 rounds) $29
Many Other Bargains at EABCO ‘Garage Sale’
If you are looking for other discount gun parts and reloading accessories, check out EABCO’s ongoing “Garage Sale”. Here you’ll find stuff like scope bases, lens covers, press parts, snaps caps, plus odds and ends. There are even a couple custom rifles for sale along with a Vintage Cessna Airplane. Check out the Garage Sale — you may find something you need for pennies on the dollar.
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Hornady is rolling out a series of new Boat-Tail Hollowpoint (BTHP) match bullets. These are all-new non-tipped bullets, not merely modified A-Max designs. There will be a 105gr 6mm, a 140gr 6.5mm, a 162gr 7mm, three new .30 Cal bullets (178, 208, 225 grains), a 285gr .338-cal bullet, and a monster 450gr .416-caliber projectile. These BTHP bullets feature Hornady’s new AMP (Advanced Manufacturing Process) jackets, which Hornady claims are “the most consistently concentric bullet jackets available”.
All Bullets Except the 6mm and 6.5mm Can Be Purchased Now
Unfortunately, the 6mm and 6.5mm bullets have not reached dealers’ shelves yet, as far as we can tell. However, the .30-caliber match bullets, the 162gr 7mm, and the new .338 and .416 bullets, are in stock now either at Grafs.com or Sinclair International. Our price check revealed that, for those new Hornady Match bullets currently carried by both vendors, Grafs.com has the lower price by a couple dollars per box. Grafs.com also offers free shipping (after a flat-rate handling charge). The prices in the chart below are for Grafs.com, except where only Sinclair Int’l has inventory in stock.
High BC and Improved Concentricity — But Will They Shoot?
Hornady boasts some pretty high G1 BCs for most of these new match bullets. In addition, Hornady claims the new bullets have superior concentricity because their AMP jackets exhibit “near zero wall-thickness variation”. We’re anxious to try some of the new AMP-jacketed bullets to see if these bullets really are exceptionally accurate, or whether Hornady’s marketing claims are mere hype. Watch the video below to learn more about these new bullets.
Disclosure: Hornady does not advertise with AccurateShooter.com and does not contribute to this site as a sponsor. Story sourced by Edlongrange.
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Mark your calendar. The NRA Annual Meeting, to be held April 28 through May 1 in Pittsburgh, PA, is just one month away. The 2011 NRA Annual Meeting features nearly 500 displays of firearms, shooting accessories, and hunting gear. Most major domestic firearm companies will have their complete line-up on display. With over 310,000 square feet of exhibit space, there’s something for everyone. You can check out new handguns, view tactical and sporting rifles, book a hunting trip, or browse heirloom arms in the gun collector area. The Meeting is FREE for all NRA members (however some special events require ticket purchase). To see the exhibitor list, view the floor plan, check the seminar schedule, or reserve event tickets, go to NRAAM.org, the official NRA Meeting website.
Pyramyd Air Offers Indoor Shooting Range All Four Days
The meeting officially opens at 2:00 pm on April 28. Early birds should head straight to Pyramyd Air’s Air Gun Range for some indoor shooting fun. On the 28th, you can also check out the lobby exhibits, get tickets for major events, and shop at the NRA Store. On Thursday you can beat the crowds by registering early. Attendee Registration on Thursday runs from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Registration resumes at 8:00 am each morning for the next three days (Fri, Sat, Sun).
Major ticketed events at the Annual Meeting include: NRA Foundation Banquet (April 28, 5:00 pm), 5th Annual NRA-ILA Auction (April 29, 6:00 pm, Heinz Field), NRA Celebration of American Values (April 30, 7:30 pm, CONSOL Energy Center), NRA Annual Prayer Breakfast (7:00 am, May 1, Wyndham Hotel).
Exhibit Hall Hours:
Friday, April 29: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 30: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 1: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Volunteers Needed NRA is seeking volunteers to help at the 2011 NRA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh. Volunteer opportunities include working at the Air Gun Range, staffing the membership counters, and stocking shelves in the stores to name just a few. For more information, contact Dennis Eggers, Annual Meeting Volunteer Coordinator, at 270-522-0909.
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Tracy Barnes of Durango, Colorado beat the very best biathletes in the world in the Shoot-Out phase the Veltins World Team Challenge in Schalke, Germany. The World Team Challenge, held annually in the Veltins Arena, is the equivalent of the SuperBowl of Biathlon. Tracy grabbed top honors in the prestigious Shoot-Out event, a shooting competition for the top 20 biathletes in the world. In this invitation-only event, 10 women competed head-to-head in a four-stage shooting event duplicating the format for a regular biathlon race (two prone, two standing). In the final round of competition, the top three ladies from the preliminary round face off with the top three men from the mens’ first round. Tracy came in 1st for the women’s round AND 1st in the final competition!
Laser Rifles Used in Shoot-Out
This year, the athletes and the 50,000 spectators at the Veltins Soccer Stadium had to adjust to something new — this was the first time that laser-rifles replaced the traditional .22-caliber rifle. The athletes received their laser-rifles on Saturday and had only one day to practice before the World Team Challenge. Tracy and her U.S. teammate Tim Burke finished 9th in the pairs mass start and 10th in the pursuit race held the same day. Tracy’s personal support team (her husband Gary and her Dad) accompanied her to Germany for this major biathlon event. [Editor’s note: While we don’t want to diminish Tracy’s accomplishment in any way, we think it is unfortunate that event organizers mandated laser guns instead of .22 LR rimfire rifles. Biathlon started as a military training competition. To change from actual shooting to “lasering” is a step in the wrong direction in our opinion.]
Lanny Barnes Stars in Mammoth Lakes Biathlon Festival
Meanwhile, back in the USA, Tracy’s twin sister Lanny Barnes traveled to Mammoth Lakes, California on friday to help with biathlon clinics for several hundred new biathletes ages 10+ and competed in a race at a new biathlon course in Mammoth Lakes on Sunday. Due to the town receiving close to 10ft of snow during the week, flights were canceled and Lanny wasn’t able to make it in for the clinic. She helped with the kids, adults, wounded warrior, and disabled skier biathlon race on Saturday and competed in an elite race on Sunday. She won the race on Sunday that was filmed by Versus and Outdoor Channel and American Trigger Sports Network. Tracy was impressed by Mammoth Lakes — she says it is evolving into one of the best high-altitude biathlon venues in the country. With over 200+ volunteers that dug out the range buried by mountains of snow, the Mammoth Lakes crew put on one of the most professional and exciting biathlon events ever run in the United States.
Twin Biathletes Continue Training for Next Winter Olympics
The twins ended their seasons after those two events and will now take a two week break before starting up their training again for the 2011/2012 season. With three short years until the next Winter Oympics, the twin will be training hard in hopes of winning gold in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
Photos provided courtesy Tracy and Lanny Barnes, rights otherwise reserved by copyright holders.
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CDNN Investments recently released its new 2011-1 Catalog. As we’ve come to expect from CDNN, the new catalog is full of deeply-discounted pistols, rifles, shotguns, optics, magazines, gunstocks — plus myriad other gun parts and accessories. CDNN typically buys overstock or obsolete inventory from manufacturers and then resells these items — often at prices way below normal retail. You should download the 2011-1 catalog and see for yourself. Along with the firearm bargains, we found some amazing deals on shooting accessories. Here are a few…
Sllencio Ear Muffs Just $4.69
First, CDNN is offering Silencio EarMuffs for just $4.69 (or $3.99 for 6 units or more). If you help run a gun club or junior shooting program, and you need a large quantity of ear muffs — here’s your opportunity. You can buy a dozen muffs for just $47.88. Stellar deal.
Quality Kydex Holster for $9.99
Next, CDNN offers Uncle Mike’s molded Kydex straight-drop holster for just $9.99. This Editor owns this very same holster and I use it for general range practice and IDPA matches. I really like the straight drop which allows the holster to be used in multiple strong-side positions as well as cross-draw. This holster fit my Glock perfectly (way better than a $95.00 BladeTech holster I used to own). Don’t be fooled by the low price, this is a very good holster, with a better fit to the gun than many $100 holsters. Check the advert for availability for your Glock, Beretta, HK, or S&W M&P. If you can’t find a CDNN sale item to fit, you can normally get these holsters for under $22.00 at gunshops.
Better Grip for Your AR — Just $14.99
One of the first things many AR15 shooters do is replace the standard plastic pistol grip, with something that fills the hand better. One of our favorite replacement grips for AR platform rifles is the MFG Grip from Israel. Much more ergonomic than the standard grip, the MFG was originally developed for Israeli Special Forces. It features a stippled back, finger groove, and an internal storage compartment with trap door. It’s on sale at CDNN for just $14.99.
Hi-Viz 52″ Rifle Case Only $18.99
The last item that caught our eye is a Burnt Orange 52″-long plastic rifle case. This Plano-made gun case is lockable and airline-approved. Why would you want a bright-colored rifle case? Well, at a well-attended match you’ll often see dozens of virtually identical rifle cases. If your case is orange while all the others are black, there’s less chance someone may walk away with your rifle by mistake. And Airport thieves are less-inclined to grab a bright-colored case that is easy to spot at a distance.
Applied Balllistics LLC, run by Bryan Litz, has just released new .308 Winchester Tactical Ammunition. This new ammo employs a brand-new 175gr “Tactical OTM” bullet from Berger Bullets. This new projectile is unique in that it was designed to “fly right” even at transonic and subsonic speeds. The new 175gr bullets are loaded to magazine length (2.800″) in new Lapua brass, so the ammo will fit all popular detachable box magazines in tactical bolt guns and gas guns. Bryan recommends a 1:13″ (or faster) twist barrel.
New Tactical Ammo Has Individually-Weighed Charges and Low ES
Unlike most “factory ammo”, Bryan’s new Tactical Ammo features individually weighed charges. That’s right — the charge for each and every round is weighed before it goes in the case. As a result, the new ammo typically delivers Muzzle Velocity (MV) Standard Deviation (SD) under 10 FPS (for 10 shots). That’s a low number, on a par with quality handloads. Bryan has shot this ammo at 1000 yards through a LaRue OBR AR10-type rifle. The ammo shot under one MOA at 1000 yards. Another benefit of the weighed charges is that this allows the use of high-quality extruded (stick) powders. The stick powders are known to deliver great accuracy while being consistent through a wide temperature range.
Berger’s NEW .30 Caliber 175gr Tactical OTM Bullet
This bullet was designed by Berger Ballistician Bryan Litz specifically to optimize performance of the M118LR class of ammunition. The design objectives were to maximize BC while staying within the 2.800” COAL for magazine feeding, and the requirement for the bullet to remain stable through transonic speeds. All of these design objectives were achieved, according to Bryan. The bullet has a length-tolerant tangent ogive shape, so it is less sensitive to seating depth than secant-ogive bullets.
The BC of this bullet is 7% higher than the 175 grain Sierra MatchKing currently used in most M118LR ammunition, and 2% higher than the Hornady 178 grain option. The average G1 BC of the Berger 175gr Tactical bullet is 0.510 from 3000 to 1500 fps. The G7 BC is 0.259, and is a more accurate representation of this bullets performance over a wide range of speeds. (CLICK HERE to read about G1 vs. G7 BC.)
The Berger 175gr Tactical OTM bullet requires a minimum twist rate of 1:13″ to be stable from the muzzle. Transonic stability was verified from a 20″-barreled LaRue OBR with a 1:11.25″ twist.
Early Tests Show Bullet Shoots Great — Report by Robert Whitley
Robert Whitley got a box of early-run 175gr Tactical bullets. He says they shoot great in his own handloads: “I just received some of the new Berger .30 cal 175gr Tactical OTM (Open Tip Match) bullets. Wow — what great bullets for the .308 Winchester! I did some range testing and these things really shoot! As you can see below, I had a 5-shot group around 0.2″ and, then, shooting prone, I produced a 20-shot group that just tore out the X-Ring.” (NOTE: these targets were shot with Robert’s handloads, not the Applied Ballistics pre-loaded ammo.)
While the words “Open Tip Match” might lead one to believe it has a large open tip, this BTHP bullet actually has a small meplat. Robert suspects that, for this bullet’s potential tactical and military applications, it was felt the words “hollow point” should be avoided in favor of “open tip”.
Bullets Are Positioned Optimally When Loaded at 2.800″ Mag Length
These bullets were also made to be loaded at magazine feeding length in the .308 Winchester (2.800″ OAL). Robert reports: “When loaded at a 2.800″ OAL length, the bullets sit perfectly in the neck of the .308 Winchester, with the full bearing surface of the bullet up in the neck of the case, and the junction of the boat tail and bearing surface of the bullet just forward of the junction of the neck and shoulder of the case.”
If you are going to shoot these bullets and expect them to be supersonic the whole way, a 1:13″ or faster twist is recommended, and if you are going to run them at velocities where they might be subsonic/transonic, Bryan confirmed they’ll work in 1:11.25″ twist barrels. Robert notes that his company, AR-X Enterprises, carries 1:11.25″ twist Bartlein .30 Cal barrels as a regularly-stocked item in both the M24/M40/Rem Tactical contour and the Remington Heavy Varmint/Sendero contour.
Whitley concludes “This is a great offering by Berger Bullets”. While the bullets can be purchased through Berger or Berger’s dealers, the new Applied Ballistics’ loaded ammo should be ordered through Bryan’s website. The price is $40 (plus shipping) for 20 rounds.
CLICK HERE to order through the Applied Ballistics secure shopping cart.
Disclosure: Applied Ballistics LLC advertises Bryan Litz’s Ballisitics Book on this site.
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Hornady Manufacturing recently received the coveted “Golden Keiler 2010 Jager (Hunter) Award” for Hornady’s innovative Superformance® ammunition. The award was presented at the 2011 IWA & Outdoor Classics show in Nuremberg, Germany. “It is an honor to have been selected to receive this award,” said Jason Hornady, a Vice President of Hornady.
Superformance ammo, now offered in 20+ calibers, features custom-blended powders tailored for particular cartridge and bullet combinations. Some of these blends consist of regularly available powders, but Hornady actually commissioned some new custom propellents that are not available to the general public. First introduced in 2009, Superformance ammunition was created to deliver extra speed. In some cartridge types, Superformance ammo runs as much as 200 fps faster than conventional factory ammunition loaded with the same bullets. You can usually count on getting at least 100 fps additional speed compared to factory ammo from from Federal, Remington, and Winchester.
How does Hornady deliver such high speeds with its Superformance ammo? That is explained in detail in AccurateShooter.com’s 2009 Interview with Dave Emary, Hornady’s Senior Ballistician. Emery identified five main factors that yield the enhanced performance:
Superformance ammo uses advanced new Ball Powders (not yet for sale).
The powders are BLENDED, with different “recipes” for different cartridges.
The new powders maintain high-energy longer in barrel (like Reloder 17).
The new powders burn almost completely, reducing ejecta, for less exit pressure, and less felt recoil.
Superformance ball propellants pack very densely, so more grains of powder can fit inside a case, compared to typical extruded stick powders.
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Horus ATrag Ballistics software is now embedded in Kestrel 4500 NV Pocket Weather Trackers, eliminating the need for a PDA. Since the ballistics software is built into the Kestrel unit, environmental data automatically flows from the Kestrel side to the ATrag solver for accurate and instant ballistics solutions. You don’t have to punch in wind speed, temp, or air pressure — that’s all done automatically. The 4500 NV Weather Tracker is IP67 waterproof and MIL-STD-810F rugged. MSRP for the Kestrel with Horus Ballistics is $619.00 (non-Bluetooth).
Features of Horus ATrag
By integrating ATrag capabilities, you can now go to the field with just one device for weather AND Ballistics, eliminating the need to carry a separate PDA or smartphone. Along with a ballistics solver, ATrag includes an extensive gun list, customizable targets, and truing capability. Truing takes your factual data and models an accurate outcome of bullet drop, rather than a predictive one.
The new unit allows users to load and customize multiple guns and rounds from the extensive proprietary Horus database. You can create up to six targets, each customized for location, distance, direction, declination and winds. The Kestrel meter will meter wind velocity and direction, and, using its built-in digital compass, it will give the bearing to the targets. Once these parameters are set, the Kestrel meter takes over — tracking the current met data and automatically updating the firing solution. The Horus ATrag software even compensates for coriolis and spin drift at extreme long range.
When you switch out of Ballistics mode, you still have all the capabilities of a 4500 NV unit which can measure: speed and direction, temperature, humidity, heat stress, barometric pressure, altitude, density altitude, crosswind and more.
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For 2011, Champion® Traps and Targets offers new 3D and printed targets. For fans of reactive targets, Champion now sells bright “Radiation Green” versions of its single and triple varmint spinner targets. These auto-resetting targets wobble or spin on impact to indicate positive hits. The targets are made from a self-healing DuraSeal polymer than can take hundreds of hits. (The smaller the bullet, the longer the target life.) The new day-glo green color really is eye-catching, even at long range. That’s because flourescent or “dayglo” colors not only absorb and convert light energy of the dominant wavelength, but also the wavelengths of ultraviolet rays and other colors lower in the visible spectrum. As a result, your eye perceives a far more intense color. More INFO.
In addition to reactive targets, Champion offers a wide selection of printed targets, including 100 and 200-yard benchrest targets. New for 2011 are “X-Ray” animal targets and Insect Targets. The X-Ray targets display the bone structure and heart/lung position of game animals. These will surely be popular with hunters, as will a new line of “Critter” targets with 5 different realistic animals in a 10-pack. Precision shooters looking for a change from standard bullseye-targets should have fun with the new Bug and Fly Precision Targets. We like shooting the Fly Paper target at 50 yards with our rimfire rifles. CLICK HERE to view the new X-Ray Animal Targets, Critter Targets, and Precision Insect targets.
X-Ray Hunting Target
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The entry/information forms are now available for the NBRSA 600-yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 600: April 20-21, 2011), 1000-Yard F-Class Bench Match (April 22, 2011), and 1000-Yard Nationals (Sloughhouse 1000: April 23-25, 2011). All three major events will be held at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center, located outside Sacramento, California.
There will be hot dogs for purchase April 20,21,22, and 24, while lunch will be catered on Saturday, April 23rd. Match Fees for the two Nationals Events are $50.00 per class (Light Gun and Heavy Gun), while the fee for the F-Class Bench Match (22-lb class) is $30.00. Make Checks payable to: Sloughhouse Benchrest Shooters Inc., 10607 Sacramento Road, Galt, CA 95632. More information will be available on the NBRSA website.
When you purchase expensive optics, you need to be careful about who you deal with, and what you buy. There are an increasing number of forgeries coming in from various parts of Asia. Just recently, three executives of Field Sport Inc. were charged with ‘selling a counterfeit mark’, in connection with Field Sport’s importation of fake EoTech riflescopes. Earlier this month, 900 counterfeit EoTech sights/magnifiers were discovered by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspecting a shipment from China. The Field Sports execs were charged with multiple felonies.
Hornady Manufacturing recently received the coveted “Golden Keiler 2010 Jager (Hunter) Award” for Hornady’s innovative Superformance® ammunition. The award was presented at the 2011 IWA & Outdoor Classics show in Nuremberg, Germany. “It is an honor to have been selected to receive this award,” said Jason Hornady, a Vice President of Hornady.
Horus ATrag Ballistics software is now embedded in Kestrel 4500 NV Pocket Weather Trackers, eliminating the need for a PDA. Since the ballistics software is built into the Kestrel unit, environmental data automatically flows from the Kestrel side to the ATrag solver for accurate and instant ballistics solutions. You don’t have to punch in wind speed, temp, or air pressure — that’s all done automatically. The 4500 NV Weather Tracker is IP67 waterproof and MIL-STD-810F rugged. MSRP for the Kestrel with Horus Ballistics is $619.00 (non-Bluetooth).
For 2011, 
