The NRA Store’s Catalog has hundreds of interesting items for sale, ranging from belt-buckles to a ballistic calculator watch. There are plenty of unique gift items — how about a “Don’t Tread on Me” blanket, or a stag-handle NRA Tomahawk?
Among the many catalog items, two smart, utilitarian products caught our eye.
AR15 and m1911 Cleaning Mats
The NRA offers handy waterproof, stain-resistant Zorb-tech cleaning mats for black rifle shooters and 1911 fans. Printed on the 40″ x 14″ AR15 mat (item SA 21577, $16.95) are complete AR parts schematics, plus cleaning guide and AR assembly instructions. If you’ve ever fiddled with all the little parts on an AR15 bolt assembly, you’ll know how handy this Assembly/Cleaning mat can be. A smaller cleaning mat with 1911 pistol schematics sells for $13.95.
Magnetic Gun Clamp
For years we’ve been wanting a product like this. This simple magnetic device allows a handgun to be stored out of sight, yet instantly retrieved in an emergency. The device is simplicity itself. No more fumbling with jury-rigged holsters or hard-to-access drawers.
A magnet strong enough to lift 10 pounds is sealed in durable, scratch-resistant plastic, and backed with a mounting bracket. You can easily place the magnet under countertops or on the side of a cabinet or desk. (On steel surfaces the magnet will grip without screws or through-bolts). The NRA Rapid Access Gun Magnet (item SA 24385) costs $27.95.
After California banned the sale and ownership of many semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines, AR lower receivers were developed with devices such as the “Bullet Button” that required the use of a “tool” to remove magazines. These tool-activated ARs were deemed legal in California by state authorities. Now, when you go to a High Power match in California, you’ll see shooters using ARs fitted with bullet buttons. This has allowed California-based shooters, such as the National Champion California Grizzlies Junior Team, to continue to compete in matches, without having to switch to bolt-action rifles. That may all change soon….
SB249 Would Outlaw Many Current Semi-Auto Rifles and Mandate Confiscation
California Senate Bill 249, introduced by CA State Senator Leland Yee (D. San Francisco), renders bullet button-equipped ARs (and similar semi-autos) illegal. Yee’s SB249 changes the definition of what constitutes a detachable magazine for a semi-automatic firearm, potentially making an estimated one million semi-automatic rifles legally sold in that state “illegal to possess” as of July 1, 2013. Ironically, SB249 was originally an innocuous agriculture bill that passed in the California Senate back in May. But, by way of a sneaky amendment, Senator Yee turned the bill into a wide-reaching gun ban.
If passed, SB249 could force owners of currently-legal semi-automatic rifles to surrender their rifles or face confiscation. Though semi-auto rifle owners would be required to turn in their guns (or face imprisonment), SB249 has no provisions to allow reimbursement for the loss of valuable property. Worse yet, the bill doesn’t require a public notice program to advise owners of the change in state law.
This bill appears to be a knee-jerk reaction to media reports of recent shootings involving ARs. But in fact, the overall crime rate has declined in California while bullet-button ARs have been legal to buy and shoot. So SB249 serves no useful purpose. The NRA-ILA recommends that all Californians contact their state legislators and urge them to oppose SB249.
American Tactical Imports (ATI) has introduced its new ATI Omni Lower Receiver, a multi-caliber AR15 lower made of reinforced polymer. Since it was designed to milspec dimensions, ATI claims the Omni polymer lower is compatible with most current AR15 lower parts kits, grips and stocks. ATI says the durable polymer material “can withstand harsh environments as well as everyday wear and tear.” The Omni lower will be available as either a stripped lower, OR a complete finished kit including all lower internal parts and collapsible stock. ATI claims the Omni lower has tested reliably with .22 LR, 5.56×45 (.223 Rem), and .410 but is “not recommended for larger calibers“.
The Omni stripped lower has an MSRP of just $49.95 while the complete finished kit has an MSRP of $129.95. The Omni lower comes in either black or dark earth colors. The .22LR version is available now. The .223 (5.56) version is slated for release in August, 2012, and a .410 version will be offered in the fall. To learn more about the ATI Omni Polymer AR15 lower, visit www.AmericanTactical.us.
Editor’s NOTE: This story is based on a press release by ATI. We have not examined or tested the product. Accordingly we can give no opinions as to fit/function, durability or safety. Likewise, we cannot venture an opinion as to whether the ATI Polymer lower would be legal in restrictive jurisdictions such as California. Nonetheless, this is an interesting technology that may prove useful in some applications. For example, the inexpensive ATI lower could work well with the Crosman MAR177 AR15 Airgun Upper, keeping total system cost down.
Here’s good news for AR shooters looking for a 6mm option. 6mm HAGAR brass is now available from Hornady, and it looks like this brass is quite good. Those of you who follow the National Matches at Camp Perry know that Carl Bernosky won multiple National High Power Championships shooting the 6mm HAGAR cartridge from an AR Platform rifle. The 6mm HAGAR was derived from the 30 Remington cartridge, and it has the same case head diameter as the 6.8 SPC, also a 30 Remington derivative.
The 30°-shoulder 6mm HAGAR is just about the longest 6mm cartridge that can be loaded in a two-column AR15 magazine and still feed reliably. The advantage of the 6mm HAGAR is that it offers enough “boiler room” to drive 6mm bullets to impressive velocities, yet it can still fit and function well in AR mags. But note, if you are restrained to a mag-length COAL, you can pretty much rule out using 95-108 grain bullets, because they would have to be seated too deep in the HAGAR case. That actually means that the “advantage” of the 6mm HAGAR’s case capacity is lost to some degree — at least when using long, heavy bullets. On the other hand, when loaded with shorter varmint and hunting bullets, such as Hornady’s 75gr V-Max, you can load to 2.260″ mag length and use nearly all of the HAGAR’s case capacity.
For this reason, we think the 6mm HAGAR may ultimately prove more popular with varminters than with the High Power crowd (at least those who do not want to modify their mags to allow heavy 6mm bullets to be seated longer.) If you’re using shorter bullets, you can fill up the HAGAR case and drive 60-75 grain projectiles at serious velocities.
6mm HAGAR Basics
The 6mm HAGAR uses a 6.8 SPC AR-15 bolt and 6.8 SPC magazines and a conventional upper receiver, barrel extension, and bolt carrier assembly. Typically this cartridge has been used for varminting, hunting, and High Power competition. We think the 6mm HAGAR should be a kick-ass cartridge for varminters shooting ARs with shorter varmint bullets.
On the other hand, because the 1.775″-long HAGAR case takes up so much space in an AR magazine, the 100-108gr bullets aren’t well-suited for mag-fed 6mm HAGAR applications (unless the mags are modified). These same 100-108 grainers DO work well in single-load situations provided the chamber is properly throated for such bullets.
NOTE: Some High Power shooters have slotted AR mags to allow loading of long bullets up to 2.340″ max, i.e. beyond normal mag length. See modified magazine at right.
Hornady’s 6mm HAGAR Brass Is Shipping Now
Until recently, 6mm HAGAR brass was hard to obtain. Cases could be formed from 30 Rem brass, but this was a tedious, time-consuming process. Now, however, quality 6mm HAGAR brass is available from Hornady. An initial run of 150,000 pieces of 6mm HAGAR brass was produced. Vendors who got some of the first run of HAGAR brass include AR-X Enterprises LLC (Robert Whitley) and Creedmoor Sports.
Robert Whitley reports: “We’ve received our first shipment of factory 6mm HAGAR brass from Hornady. This Hornady 6mm HAGAR brass is hard at the base but well annealed at the neck. The brass has a small primer pocket and a small flash hole. All of these features enable the brass to hold pressures well and to remain serviceable and usable for multiple re-loadings. Internal H20 capacity of the brass case is right around 37.0 – 37.5 grains of water weight. With its larger case capacity the 6mm HAGAR can accurately push the bigger 105gr to 108gr bullets in the range of 2800 fps (when these bullets are seated long and single-loaded, not mag-fed). However, because of its rather long case length (1.775″) relative to max mag-fed cartridge OAL of 2.260″, the 6mm HAGAR may work best with the smaller and lighter 6mm bullets (75gr and under).” [Editor: Do the math … 2.260″ minus 1.775″ leaves only 0.485″ clearance for a bullet to extend beyond the case mouth.]
Loading Long Bullets to Mag-Limited 2.260″ COAL Is Neither Practical Nor Wise:*
6mm HAGAR Brass, Dies, Mags and Complete Uppers Offered
Along with 6mm HAGAR brass (at $84.00 per hundred), ARX Enterprises has 6mm HAGAR dies, and magazines. ARX Enterprises is also building complete match and varmint AR-platform uppers chambered for the 6mm HAGAR. You can find out about all these products on Robert Whitley’s 6mm HAGAR web page. To order 6mm HAGAR uppers, die sets, brass, magazines and related products contact:
AR-X Enterprises, LLC (Attn: Robert Whitley)
199 North Broad Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215) 348-8789
e-mail: rcw3 [at] erols.com
*Left = 75gr Hornady V-Max at 2.260″ OAL (bullet diameter at mouth of case is .243″.)
Left Center = Berger 100gr BT at 2.260″ OAL (bullet diameter at mouth of case is only .225″.)
Right Center = Sierra 107gr MatchKing at 2.260″ OAL (bullet diameter at mouth of case is only .222″.)
Right = Hornady 105gr A-Max at 2.260″ OAL (bullet diameter at mouth of case is only .225″.)
Lothar Walther has some new “pre-fit” barrel offerings that should interest Garand and AR shooters. Garand Match competitors and vintage military rifle shooters will be pleased that LW is now offering “finished” Garand barrels, pre-chambered in your choice of six (6) different chamberings: .270 Win, 7×64, .308 Win,.30-06, 8x57IS and 9.3×62. These are all four-groove barrels with 24″ length. Twist rates along with land/groove diameters are listed on the Lothar Walther website. NOTE: Though these barrels come pre-chambered, you’ll still need a competent gunsmith for final fitting and headspacing.
Finished M1 Garand Barrel
AR15 Barrels — Multiple Contour Options
For AR15 shooters, Lothar Walther now offers a wide variety of pre-chambered AR15 barrels, set up for either .222 Rem and .223 Rem. With the .223 Rem barrels you have a choice of either standard .223 Rem OR .223 Wylde chambers. You can select either stainless steel or what LW calls “special rifle steel”. For most of these contours, other calibers/chamberings (.204 Ruger, .17 Rem., .30/.221 Fireball, 6.5 CSS, 6.8 SPC) are available on request. Extra charges may apply. Gunsmith required for attachment of barrel extension, drilling of gas port, and attachment of gas block, and (optional) front sight.
Contour 6000:16
Contour 6100:20
Contour 6100:24
Contour 6200:24
Contour 6200:26
Contour 6300-1675-MU
North American customers can order these “finished” Garand and AR15 barrels by contacting:
Six decades after the introduction of the M16, Colt has added a gas piston system to the venerable AR15. Colt put a gas piston in this new AR-platform rifle in order to improve reliability and reduce fouling. The new gas-piston Colt AR, designated the LE6940P, will be sold to both civilians and law enforcement agencies. In selling a gas-piston AR, Colt is following the lead of Heckler & Koch (HK 416) and other manufacturers who have found a market among buyers seeking a lower-maintenance AR with significantly less internal powder fouling than the original direct-gas-impingement AR design.
Colt’s product press release declares: “Colt Defense LLC … has advanced its one-piece monolithic upper receiver to introduce the LE6940P. This modular carbine has an articulating link piston (ALP) operating system and offers shooters a highly accurate, lightweight and easy-to-clean AR-platform rifle with an extended lifespan. The advanced piston carbine (APC) is a lightweight, highly accurate alternative to the traditional direct gas impingement system found in most ARs. The LE6940P utilizes a unique articulating link piston (ALP) operating system, which reduces inherent stress in the piston stroke by allowing for deflection and thermal expansion. As a result, shooters are offered a highly accurate firing experience and the weapon’s lifespan is extended.”
Piston Design Developed for U.S. Military “The new LE6940P puts to use a new, improved version of a piston system that Colt originally pioneered for the U.S. Army,” said David Ridley, Vice President of Colt Defense LLC. Ridley added: “Colt was the first to put a piston system in an AR, and we have continued to improve on that system since. Now, any civilian shooter or law enforcement professional has the opportunity to shoot using this superior piston-operated AR.”
Monolithic Upper with Extended Rail
The LE6940P weighs just over 6.5 pounds, and measures 35 inches with stock extended. The rifle is chambered in .223 Rem (5.56×45 NATO) and uses standard AR15 magazines. Colt delivers the LE6940P with a full-length rail running from the rear of the upper receiver to the front sight. This allows many mounting options for sights and accessories. Colt has also includes a back-up iron sight (BUIS) and a folding front sight. The lower receiver is marked “Piston Carbine” and comes with a Colt/Rogers Super-Stoc M4 H-buffer stock kit with cam-lock lever, push-button QD swivel, and accessory kit. The standard barrel is a 16.5″-long M4-type contour with flash-hider. CLICK HERE for large photos of the internals, plus close-ups of the folding sights.
Here’s good news for AR fans who want to add an ultra-accurate Tubegun to their rifle collection. Now you can use many popular AR-specific buttstocks with Eliseo CSS Tubegun Chassis Kits. Gary Elesio has crafted a new adapter that fits between the Tubegun’s action sleeve and the buttstock, allowing the use of the many AR buttstocks which fit an AR buffer tube. The new adapter, priced at $60.00, is a simple, no-gunsmithing installation.
The buffer tube (with buffer removed) simply screws into the female-threaded CSS adapter unit, and then the AR buttstock is secured to the buffer tube (either by set-screws or locking collars, depending on the design). Finally, the whole assembly (AR buttstock plus adapter) slides into the rear of the Tubegun’s action sleeve, where it is secured by a tensioning screw.
Gary Eliseo of CompetitionShootingStuff.com (CSS) explains: “I’ve had lots of demand to support AR buttstocks on my chassis systems. The Lightweight Hunter Chassis will now be supplied with an adapter for mounting an AR buffer tube. This adapter, with an anodized finish, will also be available as an option for other CSS Chassis Kits. The whole system is reasonably light with an AR buttstock installed. With an ACE skeleton-style AR stock (shown in photos) the whole Tubegun weighs right at eight (8) pounds. That was with action in place and a 24″ sporter-weight barrel, but without optics. Some heavy-barrel ARs weigh more than that.” NOTE: The Chassis in the photos is right off Gary’s machines, so it is bare metal. As delivered, CSS Chassis Kits come with an Anodized, Cerakote, or Powder-coat finish, according to buyer preference.
Eliseo’s Light Weight Hunter (photo below) will now be delivered with the AR adapter, rather than a CSS-made buttstock. This gives the chassis purchaser the ability to choose from a variety of third-party buttstock designs, including collapsible stocks. The good news is the price of the CSS Light Hunter Chassis with Cerakote finish will be reduced $90.00 to $685.00. That’s a great deal when you consider most guys can use a buttstock they already acquired for their AR(s). If you have any questions about Gary’s new buttstock adapter, you can post in this Forum Thread, and Gary can give you an answer. Alternatively, email your questions to: order.info [at] competitionshootingstuff.com.
Shown above is Gary Eliseo’s Light Weight Hunter with original CSS-made tubular buttstock. From now on, Light Weight Hunter Chassis Kits will be supplied with an AR buttstock adapter (and no buttstock), so the purchaser can select his preferred buttstock design from a variety of third-party options. This change allowed CSS to reduce the Light Weight Hunter Chassis price to $685.00 (including adapter).
From March 15 through April 22, 2012, Nikon will give a free scope mount to purchasers of select-model AR scopes. Yep, if you buy a qualifying Nikon AR riflescope, you’ll receive the corresponding AR mount (retail value up to $99.95) for free. Included in the offer are Nikon’s P-22, P-223, and M-223 riflescopes. Nikon’s M-223 and P-223 scopes are built specifically for the .223 Remington cartridge. With BDC (bullet drop compensating) or Nikoplex reticles, they are designed to give AR shooters a high quality optic with fast sighting speed. The P-22 is the rimfire-optimized variant designed for the .22LR cartridge.
Choose Two-Piece or One-Piece AR-specific Scope Mounts
Nikon has developed two types of AR scope mounts for AR platform rifles. The new P-Series mount (shown above) is a two-piece design that can mount a P-22 or P-223 scope to almost any AR platform rifle. The M-223XR mount is a one-piece design made for the M-223 riflescope. The angled-base M-223XR offers +20 MOA of built-in elevation for long-range shooting.
The P-Series mount is available with the purchase of the following P-223 or P-22 scopes:
P-223 3×32 Carbine Reticle (#8496) | P-223 3-9×40 BDC 600 (#8497) | P-22 2-7×32 (#8498, #8499)
The M-223XR mount is available with the purchase of any of the following M-223 scopes:
M-223 1-4×20 (#8485) | M-223 2-8×32 (#8486, #8487) | M-223 3-12×42 (#8488, #8489)
To learn more about Nikon’s free scope mount promotion, visit NikonPromo.com after March 15, 2012. NOTE: Offer excludes Nikon M-223 2.5-10×40 Laser IRT (#8491); and M-223 4-16×42 (#8492, #8493).
At Media Day right before SHOT Show, Thompson/Center Arms unveiled an innovative hunting rifle that features interchangeable barrels and multiple bolts. This allows a single gun to shoot a wide range of chamberings — from .204 Ruger all the way up to the large, belted magnums. The gun employs some unusual engineering, with an AR-type barrel nut on a barrel extension which contains the bolt-lug recesses. There is no conventional recoil lug. Instead a slot on the underside of the barrel extension mates to a metal bar molded into the stock. With the supplied tools, the entire gun can be assembled or disassembled in under one minute (in the Video, a T/C rep assembles the gun in 55 seconds.)
T/C’s Dimension rifle is definitely innovative; there is nothing like it on the market anywhere near its price range (MSRP is $648.00 with tools). For a walking-around deer hunter who is satisfied with factory barrels, and who doesn’t shoot with a rear bag, the gun will probably have appeal. On the other hand, varminters won’t be impressed — the stock won’t work well with a bipod or rear bag, and T/C will be the only source for barrels. The nature of the design, for practical purposes, precludes the use of affordable 3rd-party barrels. You won’t be able to buy a Shilen or PacNor prefit barrel, as you can for a Savage.
Factory Promo Video (Loud Soundtrack — turn down speakers before playback!)
Action Features Pro: One size fits all — single hard-anodized aluminum action can be used to shoot multiple chamberings from .204 Ruger to .300 Win Mag with bolt, barrel, and magazine swap. For all chamberings, T/C guarantees 3-shot accuracy of one MOA with premium ammo. Con: You have to replace complete bolt assembly to go from one family of cartridges to another (e.g. from .308 Win to Magnum). This is much more expensive than swapping a bolt head on a Savage.
Barrel Fitting Pro: Barrels can be quickly exchanged using provided tools. Con: Bolt recesses are machined into barrel extension section, so barrels must be supplied by T/C. We were told that both bolts and barrels “absolutely have to come from Thompson/Center”.
Stock Features Pro: Stock is lightweight with rubberized surface texture — good for wet climates. Con: Stock is ugly. Forearm too flexy to use with bipod. Concave arc on underside of buttstock is terrible for use with rear bag. Stock finish tends to retain dust and grit.
Scope Mounting Pro: T/C offers a bridge scope base that mounts to the barrel (like on Blasers). This allows an optic to stay with a barrel — so you could have a low-power close-range scope mounted and zeroed on one barrel, with a higher-power variable scope on another barrel. Con: If you keep optics on the barrels, you need to buy a separate bridge for each barrel. That’s an added expense, plus many hunters can’t afford multiple scopes anyway. Thankfully, conventional Weaver bases can be fitted on top of the action.
Commentary: On viewing and handling the rifle, and watching the assembly process, it was obvious that some intelligent, clever engineering went into the gun. The AR-style barrel engagement system functions very well — the whole gun can be disassembled in under one minute. T/C provides some fairly sophisticated assembly tools with the gun, including wrenches that automatically set correct torque values. That’s cool. The gun is relatively light and balances well. On the other hand, the stock design fails in many ways. The fore-arm is short and too flexy for serious use with bipod. The curving underside of the buttstock is a odd-looking, but what is worse, the curve is just about the worst possible profile for use with a rear sandbag. Most observers thought the gun was ugly.
T/C Dimension Caliber Groups
The T/C Dimension LOC™ System has 7 parts — a universal stock and receiver that accept multiple barrels, magazine groups (magazine and housing), bolts and bridge scope mounts. Dimension hand tools work with all Dimension rifles. Interchangeable parts are stamped with letters: A, B, C or D. Match the letter on the barrel with the one on the bolt and magazine group.
A Family: .204 Ruger, .223 Rem
B Family: 22-250 Rem, .243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, .308 Win
C Family: .270 Win, .30-06 Sprg
D Family: 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag
Crosman unveiled a great new product at SHOT Show — a dedicated upper that transforms your AR-platform gun into a .177-caliber air rifle. Smart idea. Crosman deserves praise — we wish this was on the market decades ago. This is great for service rifle shooters who can now practice at a fraction of the cost of centerfire ammunition. Since the lower is unchanged, and the sights are the same as on a service rifle, the shooter doesn’t have to adapt to a different trigger or sight height/radius.
As Crosman representative Mark Deboard explains: “With the [MAR 177 upper kit], you can take off your AR’s centerfire upper, replace it with the Crosman upper and go to your basement or garage to shoot .177 pellets. You’re getting great trigger time without going to the range and without buying .223 ammo. You can buy a tin of 500 pellets for about five bucks.” (With a good pellet trap you could practice in your basement — but first consult your state and municipal regulations).
The 7.4-lb Crosman MAR177 Conversion Kit replaces your existing AR/M4 style upper and converts it into a PCP .177-caliber competition air rifle with 21″ free floating Lothar Walther™ barrel. Designed to support 10-meter match air rifle competition, the MAR177 is also suited for service rifle shooters who want to practice indoors in winter. Fitted with a 10-shot rotary magazine, all the shooter has to do work the bolt back every time after firing. The air reservoir offers up to 120 shots per fill.
It looks like the Crosman MAR177 will be popular. Crosman’s Deboard noted that: “We took the MAR177 to Camp Perry last summer for the High Power Rifle Championships, shot it inside the 20 foot Crosman Trailer and everyone loved it.”
Price and Availability
The MAR177 starts shipping 1/25/2012. It is available initially at crosman.com, creedmoorsports.com, and pilkguns.com. Look for retail price around $700, though Creedmoor Sports has a pre-order price of $600.
Among the many catalog items, two smart, utilitarian products caught our eye.
Magnetic Gun Clamp
Here’s good news for AR shooters looking for a 6mm option. 6mm HAGAR brass is now available from Hornady, and it looks like this brass is quite good. Those of you who follow the National Matches at Camp Perry know that Carl Bernosky won multiple National High Power Championships shooting the 6mm HAGAR cartridge from an AR Platform rifle. The 6mm HAGAR was derived from the 30 Remington cartridge, and it has the same case head diameter as the 6.8 SPC, also a 30 Remington derivative.
6mm HAGAR Basics
Lothar Walther has some new “pre-fit” barrel offerings that should interest Garand and AR shooters. Garand Match competitors and vintage military rifle shooters will be pleased that LW is now offering “finished” Garand barrels, pre-chambered in your choice of six (6) different chamberings: .270 Win, 7×64, .308 Win,.30-06, 8x57IS and 9.3×62. These are all four-groove barrels with 24″ length. Twist rates along with land/groove diameters are listed on the 
“The new LE6940P puts to use a new, improved version of a piston system that Colt originally pioneered for the U.S. Army,” said David Ridley, Vice President of Colt Defense LLC. Ridley added: “Colt was the first to put a piston system in an AR, and we have continued to improve on that system since. Now, any civilian shooter or law enforcement professional has the opportunity to shoot using this superior piston-operated AR.”
Here’s good news for AR fans who want to add an ultra-accurate Tubegun to their rifle collection. Now you can use many popular AR-specific buttstocks with 
Commentary: On viewing and handling the rifle, and watching the assembly process, it was obvious that some intelligent, clever engineering went into the gun. The AR-style barrel engagement system functions very well — the whole gun can be disassembled in under one minute. T/C provides some fairly sophisticated assembly tools with the gun, including wrenches that automatically set correct torque values. That’s cool. The gun is relatively light and balances well. On the other hand, the stock design fails in many ways. The fore-arm is short and too flexy for serious use with bipod. The curving underside of the buttstock is a odd-looking, but what is worse, the curve is just about the worst possible profile for use with a rear sandbag. Most observers thought the gun was ugly.
The 7.4-lb 
