At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
1. Palmetto SA — Complete AR Lower + Magpul Stock — $219.99
⏺ Good complete lower with nice stock — add upper of your choice
Get that AR lower while you still can. This complete Palmetto State Armory lower with Magpul stock is fully assembled. It will take a standard upper, which you can build or purchase later without an FFL. The lower is the section that much be purchased through an FFL with a background check. On sale for $219.99, this complete PSA AR15 Lower features polished hammer and trigger components with nickel-plating for smoother trigger action. This lower is finished with an adjustable Magpul MOE Carbine Stock, Magpul MOE Trigger Guard, and Magpul MOE Grip.
⏺ Great deals for AR500 steel targets — watch video above right
Caldwell’s new bright, easy-to-see steel targets come in multiple shapes and sizes for competition, training, and recreational use. Made of AR-500 grade hardened steel, these bright yellow targets can withstand thousands of rounds. Rated up to a 3000 fps impact velocity and a 3500 ft-lb impact energy, these targets come in seven styles and sizes with three hanging solutions. These bright yellow AR500 targets are On Sale now at Midsouth, starting at just $14.79 for 5″ Gong Target.
3. Midsouth — RCBS Explorer Reloading Kit, $399.99
⏺ RCBS Kit includes all vital tools — good for new hand-loaders
Reloading tools have been in high demand. Many popular presses and combo kits have been sold out. Here’s good news — Midsouth has received Press Kits from RCBS. Great for folks getting started in reloading, this kit includes the single-stage press, powder measure, priming tool, trickler, digital scale, load manual, and various accessories. Get the RCBS Explorer Kit 2 for $399.99. If you want a bigger press, Midsouth also has the Rebel Master Reloading Kit for $488.95. This include everything in the Explorer kit, but with the beefier Rebel press plus a few more tools. Both kits are in-stock now, but could sell out soon.
4. MidwayUSA — Crimson Trace 5-Series Tactical Scope Sale
⏺ Really amazing deals on excellent FFP optics for PRS/NRL applications
KILLER DEAL on high-quality First Focal Plane MilRad optics, ideal for PRS/NRL tactical applications. These high-tech Crimson Trace scopes are over HALF OFF now. Grab the 3-24x56mm for $799.99 (55% OFF) or the 3-18x50mm for $699.99 (56% OFF). Both feature 34mm main tubes, tons of elevation, and advanced MR1-MIL illuminated reticles. We’ve looked through these optics and they have good glass and nice controls. These scopes feature EZ Mount Leveling Indicators for quick, precise mounting. All Crimson Trace scopes come with FREE Batteries for life and a Lifetime Protection Warranty.
⏺ Quality ultrasonic heated cleaning machine at very good price
Looking to clean your brass and/or gun parts? The H&B Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine is a bargain at just $77.98 on Amazon. This unit features a heated tank for cleaning of cartridge barss and metal parts. The ultrasonic cavitation lifts and dissolves carbon, dirt, and any residue left on fired cases. Chose cycles from 90 to 480 seconds. Not only can you clean brass, but this unit can clean pistol slides, magazines, jewelry, and silverware. Note: This unit, an “Amazon Choice” with 89% 4- or 5-star reviews, is nearly identical to the unit Lyman has sold for $120+.
6. Midsouth — Lyman Ideal Reloading Press, $95.25
⏺ Compact yet strong — good second press for range or home
Lyman’s Ideal compact press works great as a second, lighter-duty press. For loading at the range, it can easily be mounted to a bench. This cast-iron press is stronger than other small presses in its class. The Lyman Ideal C-Frame press costs just $79.99 at Midsouth. With good leverage in a compact size, this is a great press for the price.
Here’s a very good mat for just $29.99. This NcStar Vism shooting mat boast decent padding, and reinforced areas for elbows and knees. Full dimensions are: 69″ Long x 35″ Wide. This mat has straps for pre-loading your bipod. When you’re done simply fold in the edges, roll it up into a compact 19.50″ W x 8.50″ H package — the size of a sleeping bag. You can pay twice as much for a shooting mat and not get much more quality. This mat has earned 85% Five-Star buyer ratings on Amazon.
Would you like the functionality of caliber-specific powder funnels, but don’t want to spend big money on multiple units? Then try the Lyman Pro Powder Funnel for $28.99. Six caliber-specific inserts effectively give the funnel a custom fit for your case neck sizes. This kit features a convenient carry case that holds the funnel plus six (6) inserts for 22, .243/6mm, .25/6.5mm, .270/7mm, .308 and .338 caliber rifle cartridges. NOTE: If this sells out, Midsouth has the Pro Powder Funnel with inserts for $27.45.
9. Amazon — MAXUS Dante Milligram Scale, $16.99
⏺ Excellent little scale good for sorting duties
Having a good compact utility scale is great for weighing bullets, primers, and brass. Everyone should have a small battery scale for loading at the range or sorting bullets by weight. Right now you can get a decent digital scale for a mere $16.99. Despite the low price, this MAXUS Dante Milligram Scale has earned good owner reviews. The scale reads up to 771 grains and comes with batteries, check weight, and powder pan.
10. Midsouth — Roll of 250 Stick-On Benchrest Accuracy Target
⏺ Handy roll of adhesive targets with precise grid
Midsouth offers 250 self-adhesive Benchrest Targets on a convenient roll. These stick-on targets work great for anyone doing load development. Each target offers a precision 1/4″ grid at the top with diamond aiming box below. This is similar to official targets used in Benechrest matches, with the addition of the upper grid lines which allow you to instantly estimate group size. These targets also include an area to list your load components. Midsouth sells the 250-target roll for $14.99.
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On our main AccurateShooter.com site, you’ll find a good article by GS Arizona on the Basics of Neck Turning. If you’re new to the neck-turning game, or are just looking for good tips on improving your neck-turning procedures, you should read that article. Below we offer some highlights and photos from the article, but you’ll need to read the whole story to view all the illustrations and follow all the procedures step by step.
Why Should You Consider Neck Turning?
Let’s assume that your rifle doesn’t have a tight neck chamber that requires neck turning; if you have a tight neck chamber, of course, the answer to the question is “because you have to”. For the rest of us, and that includes the vast majority of Highpower shooters, neck turning isn’t a requirement, but it can be a useful way to bring your ammunition a small but meaningful step closer to that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: perfection. I’m not talking about a theoretical improvement, but a real one, an improvement that lies in equalizing and optimizing the neck tension of your loaded rounds. Inconsistent neck tension is a real contributor to increased muzzle velocity variance which itself is a significant factor in increased elevation dispersion at long range. So there’s our basic reason for neck turning: to equalize and optimize neck tension in order to reduce elevation dispersion.
The Tools of the Trade
Here you see everything I use and a bit more. The press, a cordless screwdriver (always plugged in, turning is tough on the old battery), a couple of K&M neck turners (one set up for 6mm, the other for .30 caliber) an expander for each size, some Imperial lube, an old toothbrush or two to keep the cutter clean, a handle with a caseholder (for those emergencies when the screwdriver dies and there’s just one more case to go!), steel wool and a tubing micrometer finish the list of tools. Hey, I left the dial calipers out of the picture! They’re always handy, keep them around, but they are useless for measuring neck thickness, so don’t try. I usually use an Optivisor magnifier while I turn necks, very handy for a clear view of what’s happening on the neck.
Expanding the Neck
Put some lube on the inside of the case neck and run it into the expander. Really, this isn’t hard. I prefer to expand each case immediately before turning it as opposed to expanding all the cases and then turning them. Brass is somewhat springy and will tend to go back toward its original size; therefore, by expanding and turning immediately, you are more likely to have all cases fit the mandrel with the same degree of tightness and to get a more consistent depth of cut.
Cutter Adjustment for Cut Depth and Length
All the tools I’ve seen have pretty good adjustment instructions. The only thing they don’t tell you is that you should have five to ten spare cases to get it right initially. Anything of the right diameter will do while you learn, for instance, just use that cheap surplus .308 brass to do initial setup and save the precious .30-06 for when you know what you’re doing. Be patient and make your adjustments slowly; you’ll need to set the cutter for thickness as well as length of cut (just into the shoulder). The depth of cut (brass thickness) takes a bit of fiddling, the length of the cut is generally easy to set.
The Finished Product — A Perfectly Uniform Neck
If you read the whole article, and follow the procedures using quality tools, you should get very good results — with a little practice. To demonstrate, here’s an example of my finished, neck-turned brass. You’ll see there is a perfect, 0.0125″ thick neck. It’s very uniform around the circumference, usually I only see 1 or 2 ten-thousandths variance. Now, with the necks uniformed like this, we can select the bushing size that will give us our preferred neck tension and experiment with various levels of tension, secure in the knowledge that all of the cases will actually have the desired neck tension.
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One of the most radical black rifles ever created wowed the crowd at the SHOT Show Range Day back in 2019. At the Boulder Rifle & Pistol Club outside Las Vegas, Battle Arms Development showcased a true “UltraLight AR”. With Titanium and carbon fiber components, the Battle Arms OIP Gen 2 AR-platform rifle weighs just 3.8 pounds unloaded. Compare that to 7.5 pounds (or more) for a typical AR-15.
Battle Arms 3.8-Lb Titanium/Carbon OIP 2 — World’s Lightest AR
At the Boulder City Range GunsAmerica Digest Managing Editor True Pearce talked with one of the Battle Arms gun designers who helped created this unique rifle, claimed to be the world’s lightest AR (yes it is lighter than ARs with polymer lowers). READ GunsAmerica Battle Arms OIP 2 Review HERE.
In the video below, True Pearce shows the key features of the $3290.00 Battle Arms OIP 2. Then he tests its function shooting offhand at steel targets. Despite its low mass, and exotic components, the Battle Arms OIP 2 AR carbine performed flawlessly.
The video above features the Battle Arms OIP GEN 2 AR that weighs just 3.8 pounds. To save weight, this carbine features a carbon fiber handguard and various titanium parts including a Titanium muzzle brake. Look carefully at how even small controls have been modified to save ounces.
GunsAmerica reported: “Battle Arms has done a lot of work to find all the ounces that can be spared to make this gun as light as possible.” Even at just 3.8 pounds, the gun is very controllable during rapid fire. Despite a steep $3290.00 MSRP, the first run of Battle Arms’ sub-4-lb GEN 2 OIP sold out. That proves that “light is right”, as least in the AR carbine market.
Pew-Pew Tactical Review of Battle Arms OIP 2
The team at Pew-Pew Tactical also field-tested the Battle Arms OIP Gen 2 rifle. The reviewers were impressed, finding that felt recoil was very manageable, even given the rifle’s very low 3.8-lb weight:
Pew-Pew Tactical Battle Arms OIP Gen 2 Review
The Concept Behind the OIP — Why Go Ultra-Light
Recoil Magazine featured an earlier model OIP rifle back in 2016 (Issue 21). This design was later refined into the current OIP Gen 2 version. Recoil’s writers explained the concept behind this unique design:
Battle Arms OIP Rifle — How Low Can You Go…
“The OIP had its genesis as a simple idea to build a lightweight gun that just plain worked. Dave Lake and Matt Babb of Bentwood Gunsmithing spent years perfecting the concept, incorporating the latest components where they existed and working with companies to customize parts that didn’t. They wanted a well-balanced gun with an optimized operating system and literally no excess — to be as light as humanly possible.
Bentwood didn’t want to utilize polymer receivers and worked with Battle Arms Development to develop a super lightweight receiver set with intricate machining to shave as much weight as they could. They investigated some more exotic material choices, but found them to be prohibitively expensive.”
— Source: RecoilWeb.com
Battle Arms OIP 2 Owner’s Review on TFB
Last year, The Firearm Blog (TFB) published an extensive review of the Battle Arms OIP 2. TFB writer/tester Rusty S. had purchased this OIP 2 rig with his own funds — making a serious $3290.00 investment.
After using the rifle in the field, Rusty concluded: “Objectively, the Battle Arms Development OIP 2 is a very well put together, reasonably accurate and very lightweight rifle. It has proven to be reliable, durable, and soft shooting despite its lightweight configuration. Subjectively, the OIP 2 has proven to be the rifle I most often bring with me into the backcountry with the exception of during deer and elk hunting season. It’s nice to have a 500-yard-capable rifle with me that weighs so little. All that being said, the amount that the OIP2 will lighten one’s wallet by will be a real sticking point for most prospective buyers.” Rusty added: “At this price point, I would appreciate some sort of ultra lightweight flip-up iron sights. I also don’t think the rear of the buttstock is as ergonomically optimal as it could be.”
Product Description from Battle Arms
[The Battle Arms OIP 2 is] the lightest, purpose-built, no compromise, production ultralight survival carbine[.] It took years in R&D, engineering and multiple U.S. Patents to create the most robust and reliable lightweight AR platform on the market. Building something that is not only lightweight but all the while not sacrificing strength and performance is the ultimate secret of the Battlearms OIP.
Every component, shy of a few detents and springs, are custom built and designed to work together as a complete system. No, you will not find a parts gun here….The OIP utilizes a patented OIP buffer system in conjunction with a lightweight titanium bolt carrier with ArmorTi finish for durability. It is balanced with a custom mid-length gas system and a specially designed titanium THUMPER compensator.
New in Gen 2 is the user-configurable M-LOK carbon fiber handguard and a carbon-fiber pistol grip that weighs barely one ounce. A new titanium billet CNC-machined bolt catch and a lightweight single-side Clutch charging handle are just a couple more of the new upgrades to the OIP. The rifle was designed to be an optics-ready carbine, providing a single stretch of Picatinny rail in the optimal spot for a red dot sight while eliminating the unnecessary weight of the rail elsewhere. The patented, lightweight 7075-T6 billet aluminum receivers are not simply skeletonized and hollowed out but is carefully engineered with structural consideration. The technology and engineering that foes into the OIP® Ultralight Rifle bring forth the next evolution of the AR platform.
Want to learn more? Check out this review of the Battle Arms OIP 2 Carbine on DefenseReview.com.
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Proper eye protection is ‘must-have’ gear for shooting sports. In addition to providing reliable impact protection, good shooting glasses should be comfortable, fog-free, and not interfere with your preferred hearing protection. Those who require corrective lenses also need to consider the various options available. In a past episode of their Weekly Gear Review, the 6.5 Guys discuss a variety of shooting glasses they have tried, including examples from DeCot, Oakley, and Wiley-X. Ed and Steve outline the key considerations when choosing eye protection, and then review practical aspects of eyewear design and construction that enhance comfort and functionality in the field.
The 6.5 Guys (Ed and Steve) offer a number of smart tips consider safety eyewear, helping you select the most effective safety glasses at an affordable price. Here are the 6.5 Guys’ KEY Take-aways when choosing shooting glasses, including prescription eyewear:
Key Things To Consider When Choosing Eye Protection
1. Avoid polarized lenses or lenses that reduce light transmission significantly (except for action shooting in very bright conditions with large, close targets).
2. Avoid frame designs that interfere with prone shooting.
3. Avoid designs that easily fog.
4. Avoid frame designs with thicker temples that are uncomfortable to wear underneath hearing protection.
5. Select lenses with an appropriate degree of ballistic protection. CLICK HERE to learn more about eyewear safety standards.
6. When you get your prescription, be sure your ophthalmologist includes the interpupillary distance. This is a critical measurement particularly for heavier prescriptions.
7. If you have a complicated prescription select a vendor who will actually spend time with you to address any concerns.
Horrific .50 BMG Kaboom — Eye Saved by Protective Eyewear
Think you don’t need eye protection? Watch this video starting at 4:10. The screw-on barrel “cap” (chamber closure) of the .50 BMG action flies into the shooter’s face. Without eye protection the shooter would have definitely lost his right eye. (See video at 5:20 for analysis).
Safety First — Your Eyes Are Irreplaceable Accurate shooting begins and ends with the human eye. Your career as a marksman could be cut short if you don’t use good eye protection every time you go to the range and/or handle a firearm.
Every year, 1,000,000 people suffer serious eye injuries. Shooting is hazardous; it is estimated that there are 30,000 firearms-related eye injuries each year (if you include paintball sports.) After paintball, general hunting accidents comprise most firearms-related eye injuries.
Quality eye protection need not be expensive. You can find comfortable, ANSI Z87.1-certified shooting glasses for under $10.00.
If you select shooting glasses carefully, and ensure that your eyewear is safety-certified, inexpensive shooting glasses can perform very well. But you need to avoid cheap, soft-plastic lenses that claim “impact resistance” without satisfying a testing standard.
A number of interesting jobs in the firearms industry have become available in recent weeks. The NSSF maintains a regularly-updated listing of employment opportunities with gun-makers and shooting sports organizations. On the NSSF’s job board right now there are financial openings, account manager positions, engineering jobs, sales and marketing positions, and media/digital marketing opportunities. Here are some of the jobs we found this week posted on the NSSF Website. CLICK HERE to visit the NSSF Career Center with all current listings
When is a single-stage reloading press worth close to a thousand bucks? When it’s made in Germany with CNC technology and crafted to aero-space precision standards. UltimateReloader.com’s Gavin Gear recently got his hands on a Turban 120mm Heavy Präzipress. This unit retails for about 715 Euros (714,27 €), which is $858.88 U.S. Dollars at current exchange rates*. Gavin put the Präzipress through its paces, and came away VERY impressed. READ FULL REVIEW HERE.
Impressive Test Results
Sizing once-fired 6.5mm Creedmoor cases with the Präzipress, Gavin achieved great results for shoulder “bump” consistency. The sizing results were nothing short of spectacular. After zeroing the first of ten cases, the remaining nine were essentially identical, showing as “0.000”, meaning less than half a thousandth of variation.
The Präzipress also delivered ultra-low run-out when seating bullets using a Forster die. On all ten test cases, the run-out was +/- 0.001″ (one-thousandth) or less.
Is this kind of press worth the money? Gavin says “yes” if you demand the highest level of precision in sizing and seating: “When you use this press, it’s immediately clear that there are no details neglected, and I can’t imagine one of these presses ever wearing out. Based on the precision tests I did with ammunition loading, it’s clear that this level of precision DOES make a difference for ammunition dimensions and consistency.”
According to Gavin, the “Heavy” 120mm version of the Präzipress is massive and boasts many notable design features:
— Three guide rods with linear roller guides (I have not seen these on any other press)
— Ambidextrous operation (handle can be mounted on left or right side)
— Positive snap shellholder retainer (secure, but easy to insert/remove shellholder)
— 120mm opening accepts cartridges up to .408 CheyTac Size length
— Enclosed spent primer catch system which contains debris
— Optimized leverage (VERY powerful mechanical advantage for sizing)
— Oversized handle (bar diameter) that minimizes flex
There are now three (3) triple-column Präzipress sizes. Along with the 120 model press featured above, there are even larger 140 and 150 models:
* Stated price does NOT include shipping to USA and other fees. The Turban-shop.de website states: “In the case of delivering to a non-EU country, there can be charged extra tolls, taxes, and fees. Packaging costs will be charged separately.”
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SIG Sauer just released a video featuring the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) Program. In this video, SIG Sauer President/CEO Ron Cohen talks about the challenges in developing new hybrid ammo, along with a new NGSW Rifle and lightweight belt-fed machine gun (NGSW-AR). These new military guns will employ 6.8×51 hybrid ammunition that combines a brass case with a steel alloy base. This allows significantly higher pressures and velocities, compared to conventional ammo.
“The Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons program is the most audacious effort in decades. It is the ability to participate in writing history and whatever happens now will dictate the next twenty, thirty, forty years”, said Cohen. This program is a result of the Army’s push for a transformational change in small arms to achieve greater lethality and capability.
The SIG Sauer NGSW system features new 6.8×51mm hybrid ammunition — a lightweight cartridge designed to handle signficantly higher pressures for increased velocity and terminal performance. With this high-velocity 6.8mm round, SIG’s new Lightweight Belt-Fed Machine Gun (NGSW-AR) doubles the effective range of the current M249 while being 40% lighter in weight. SIG Sauer even claims reduced felt recoil.
The SIG Sauer NGSW-R rifle offers advantages over current U.S. military rifles. The new SIG rifle is built on the MCX platform with the added firepower of the 6.8×51 round. Both the NGSW-AR and NGSW-R feature familiar AR-style ambidextrous ergonomics for easy transition from the legacy weapons to the SIG NGSW system. The weapons will also employ SIG Sauer “Next Generation” Suppressors.
SIG Sauer is hoping to win a big military contract with its NGSW weapons. The company stated that it “has committed virtually every part of the company to develop the NGSW weapons, engineering resources, manufacturing resources to develop the most advanced system possible.” SIG Sauer CEO Ron Cohen adds that: “We are the only company that makes the ammunition and the weapons so we were able to harness the engineers on the weapons side with the engineers on the ammunition side. SIG has the engineering resources, manufacturing resources, asset base and commitment to do this.”
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Accurate shooting begins and ends with the human eye. Your career as a marksman could be cut short if you don’t use good eye protection every time you go to the range and/or handle a firearm.
A number of interesting jobs in the firearms industry have become available in recent weeks. The NSSF maintains a regularly-updated listing of employment opportunities with gun-makers and shooting sports organizations. On the NSSF’s job board right now there are financial openings, account manager positions, engineering jobs, sales and marketing positions, and media/digital marketing opportunities. Here are some of the jobs we found this week posted on the NSSF Website. 
Impressive Test Results
