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July 27th, 2009
Surgeon Rifles has engineered new, heavy-duty scope rings with unique features. First, the rear ring comes with a bubble level integrated into the top half. This smart invention eliminates one other pricey accessory you’d otherwise need to add separately. The new Surgeon rings are made of high-grade 7075 T6 Aluminum so they are strong yet light. The “wide-body” design offers a full 0.950″ of clamping surface (front to back), secured by three vertical hex-head fasteners per side. The rings will be offered in a variety of heights, from .875″ to 1.125″, in both 30mm and 34 diameters. A 0.625″-wide steel version is planned for later release. Ring sets will cost $199.00 and that includes the bubble level.
Surgeon uses 9-axis machining to ensure exact alignment of ring center with ring base. Preston Pritchett, Surgeon’s owner, explains: “The bottom of the ring is machined at the same time as the bore for the scope on a 9 axis machine. This is done in one operation to ensure that the bore is parallel with the bottom of the ring. We checked another brand and found that they were off .0025″ in .625 inch. We checked ours and found it to be within .0003 in .950.” These rings are very carefully designed and crafted to align square on the rail. Many Weaver-style rings have a sloppy fit on the rail so they can clamp slightly differently from one installation to the next. Surgeon uses alignment pins to ensure its rings clamp properly: “The silver pins you see are 1/8 dowel pins that keep the clamp square to the ring and at the right height.”
For more info on these rings, or to place an order, visit SurgeonRifles.com, or call Preston Pritchett at (405) 567-0183. Surgeon plans to be shipping ring sets in various sizes within three weeks.
July 18th, 2009
Our “master fabricator” and silhouette guru Mark LaFevers recently attended the SoCal Precision Rifle Competition, Mark’s first-ever tactical match. Competition was fierce at this year’s SCPRC. The match winner, and “top gun” among the 50+ competitors was Sgt. Dan Gilland, (USMC), a scout-sniper from a nearby Marine base. This was only Dan’s second civilian match and yes, the young Marine was shooting a .308 Win (7.62×51 to be precise). Jason Boak took second place while Gordon Campfield finished third. Jason was the top shooter among the NorCal guys, who did well, capturing 6 of the top 10 places, earning California intra-club bragging rights.
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Mark told us that the match was a humbling yet very fun experience. In these kind of matches very few, if any, sighters are allowed, and you’re often shooting at unknown distances. Accordingly, it is imperative that you have rock-solid come-ups at all distances, before you arrive at the match. In addition, the SCPRC offered the challenges of angled shooting (requiring ballistic compensation), and lowlight shooting. Log on to the CalGuns.net Forum for a complete match report by NorCal shooter Vu Pham, with lots of photos, plus stage descriptions (match directors take note).
A wide variety of calibers were shot at the match, and Mark observed that no one chambering seemed to have the edge (though a .308 finished on top). However, most of the top shooters were running detachable magazines, and had barrels fitted with muzzle brakes. You can see the dust kicked up from the muzzle brakes in the video below. The first part of the video shows a stage where competitors had to start with standing (off-hand) shots, then transition to a stepped barricade, moving lower and lower as the timer ticked off the seconds. For the standing stages, Mark noted, you wanted a rifle that balanced well and was not too heavy. Some of these beefy tactical rifles, optimized for prone work, are tough to hold offhand.
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July 15th, 2009
 If you haven’t got your fill of Tactical TV with the Military Channel and History Channel offerings, check out Tactical Arms, a new program hosted by Larry Vickers and broadcast on the Sportsman Channel. Vickers is a skilled gunsmith who has two decades of U.S. Special Operations experience. He is supported by SEAL Team veteran Kyle DeFoor and Australian ADF Commando Jason Falla. These guys are all very knowledgeable and the technical information is solid. Based on the previews we’ve watched, we can say the show has high production values, enhanced by high-quality animated graphics.
Tactical Arms, which offers a unique exploration of modern weapons, from machine guns to battle rifles to combat pistols, will have its primary airing on Thursday nights at 9:30 pm ET during the network’s “Thursday Night Shooting” lineup presented by Midway USA. (Tactical Arms is followed by Handguns at 10:00 PM, and Guns and Ammo TV at 10:30 PM.) Other show times are Wednesday at 2:30 pm and Saturday at 12:00 am Eastern time.
July 10th, 2009
Here’s a new product that may prove useful for tactical shooters and walk-around varminters. The new Monkey Bag™ (MSRP: $29.95) from Shooters Ridge®, is a versatile three-part, poly-filled bag rest that can adapt to a variety of placements. You can stack all three “rolls” to create an elevated front rest. Use one or two rolls in the rear to support your buttstock in prone position. Available summer 2009, the Monkey Bag features a soft suede pad to protect a firearm’s finish and provide a gripping surface. NOTE: As the Monkey Bag hasn’t hit the shelves yet, we haven’t tested it. But it looks promising for shooters who want something more versatile than a “sausage roll” sand-sock, but lighter and more compact than an Uncle Bud’s Bulls Bag.
Filled with polymer stuffing rather than sand, the Monkey Bag is lighter and easier to carry than conventional sandbags. Shooters Ridge claims the Monkey Bag is “ideal for fence posts, box blinds, [and] shooting benches.” This versatile bag joins Shooters Ridge’s existing line of modular bag rests such as the Gorilla Bag and Mini-Gorilla Bag (photo below). For more information, visit ShootersRidge.com.
July 8th, 2009
The 4th annual Southern California Precision Rifle Competition (SCPRC) will be held July 11-12, 2009 at the West End Gun Club, 20 minutes west of San Bernadino, CA. Match director Mark Archuleta, aka “Spaniard”, runs a great match, with a diverse and challenging course of fire. 50 shooters have already registered for the match, one of the most popular tactical comps on the West Coast. This year’s event will include night shooting, 10-12 core stages, and (new this year), a .22LR side match. For more information on the course of fire, and match rules, visit the WEGC Forum and Read this Thread for a complete run-down on the event.
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Mark reports: “Surprises? we have a few of those, so be prepared. All targets will be 1 MOA or bigger. We have paper, reactive and some special targets. Some of the stages are a hybrid of the Sniper Comps you have seen on Discovery Channel. We will be shooting UKD (unknown distances) and LRF are allowed. You will be shooting from terrain (dirt) and barricade as before. There will be some angle shooting as well. The farthest shot will be about 625 yards at angle 5 – 10°, the closest roughly 75 yards.
This event draws top tactical marksmen from around the country. Mark noted: “Last year, at our third SCPRC, and we had shooters from all over the US.” You can see highlights from the 2008 event in our Shooters’ Forum, and below are some photos from the 2008 Match:
Vu Pham from Nor-Cal (above) hit both his cold bore shots on day 1 & 2 last July. There was a 3.5″ Clay pigeon set at about 325 yards, with roughly a 10° down angle. In 2006, 7 out of 22 shooters made the hit, in 2008, 12 out of 34 shooters made the hit. Some folks don’t think that the 10°-15° slope makes a difference, but it does.
Above, Phil demonstrates textbook bipod shooting: working the bolt, maintaining a solid cheek weld and keeping an eye on the next target.
Click Here for Complete 2009 SCPRC Tactical Match Information.
July 8th, 2009
Speaking of all things tactical, if you’re looking for a great pair of cargo pants at a good price, check out the $29.99 Propper F5220 Tactical Pants . This Editor has a couple pairs of F5220s and I’ve given them hard use 2-3 days a week since the beginning of the year. I highly recommend these pants. Offered in Black, Navy, Olive and Khaki for $29.99, this is a great product for the money. In my opinion, they’re every bit as good as the 5.11-brand tactical pants which cost $49.99. (Note: 5.11 pants are 100% cotton. After many washings, they may feel softer than the poly-blend Proppers. But they also wrinkle badly and will shrink a bit — unlike the F5220s.)
 “Tactical” Pants vs. Denim Jeans
I much prefer cargo pants (aka “tactical trousers”) to regular jeans for field use. Propper’s tactical pants have a double-seat and double knee. The large side pockets are big enough to hold a shooters’ logbook on one side and a digital camera (or windmeter) on the other. The front slash pockets are deep and secure so keys and miscellaneous gear won’t fall out. The small pocket on the left is perfect for a cell phone. The waistband is elasticized around the back, improving comfort when you’re kneeling or bending.
Fit-wise, the F5220s were exactly the size advertised. Made from a 65 poly/35 cotton blend, they do NOT shrink in the wash. The Propper pants are truely wrinkle-resistant, so they look good enough that you can use them for general use, and they don’t scream “commando wannabee” like camo BDUs.
Lighter-Weight Version Offered
Do I have any criticisms of the Propper Tactical Pants? Well, with the elasticized waistband, fairly heavy fabric, and serious load capacity, you’ll probably need to wear a belt — always. By contrast, with my old 501 Levis, I don’t really need a belt. Also, on hot summer days, I wouldn’t mind a lighter-weight fabric. But for those very warm conditions, Propper offers the model F5243 Lightweight Tactical Trouser. It shares all the features (and pockets) of the F5220s, but comes in a lighter 65 poly/35 cotton Ripstop fabric.
Propper is a well-established American company that provides uniforms to the U.S. Military and to many Law Enforcement Agencies. I think you’ll be more than satisfied with the overall quality of Propper’s tactical pants, in terms of both materials and workmanship. You can purchase Propper clothing from Amazon.com or BDU.com.
June 26th, 2009
We noticed that the shooting media has touted Wilson Combat’s announcement that it will sell the FN “Patrol” .308 rifle for $1995.00. This rifle, as built by FN, has a Hogue black or olive drab stock with an aluminum bedding block. The action is a Model 70 clone.
When we saw this rifle on Wilson Combat’s website we thought, “Hmm, that looks familiar….” Sure enough, CDNN Investments is now offering essentially the same FN rifle (but with non-fluted barrels) for nearly $1400.00 less.
Wilson Combat FN Patrol (with trigger adjustment) — $1995.00
Wilson Combat FN Patrol (no trigger adjustment) — $599.99
CDNN is also selling an olive drab (green) version for $699.99. And if you don’t like either Hogue stock, you can buy the barreled action for $499.99, or the FN Patrol short action (complete with scope rail, bottom metal, and detachable magazine) for $349.99.
June 14th, 2009
The Hensoldt line of optics represents the premium military/tactical series of riflescopes and spotting scopes produced by Germany’s Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH. Hendsolt products are expensive, to be sure, but they offer many features found in no other tactical optics. Thanks to importer HDC, LLC, Zeiss Hensoldt products are now available in the American marketplace, through a network of dealers, including G.A. Precision, McMillan Firearms, SWFA, Superior Shooting Systems (David Tubb), and Tac Pro Shooting Center. You can review the specs and features of Zeiss Hensoldt scopes on the HDC website, www.hudisco.com.
HDC, LLC was selected by Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH, a subsidiary of the Carl Zeiss group, to become the distribution partner in the USA for the Hensoldt line of Zeiss optics. This allows HDC to bring to the American market the latest and most advanced optical products from the Zeiss factories. The Hensoldt line offers unrivaled glass quality and state-of-the-art technology in both telescopic and reflex sights.
Below is a video of the remarkable 6-24x72mm SAM scope. This optic integrates superb, ultra-bright apochromatic fluorite glass with a calculator module that provides ballistic info and weather data to the shooter. SAM stands for “Sniper Auxiliary Module”. An integrated ballistics calculator can be programmed for up to four different types of ammo. Sensors in the integrated ring mount measure weather parameters. These values, as well as scope data, are then directly projected into the visual field of the eyepiece. This provides selectable displays of elevation clicks, windage clicks, angle of fire, cant angle, temperature, and air pressure.
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June 9th, 2009
Capitalizing on the strong consumer interest in AR15-style rifles, Remington Arms recently introduced its 597-VTR, a semi-automatic 22LR with AR-style ergonomics. Inside the matte black, slab-sided “upper” is the venerable Remington 597 receiver, updated with a nickel-Teflon® plated bolt, hammer and sear. On the outside, the 597-VTR features a AR-15 pistol grip, and AR collapsible stock, and a round AR-style float tube/handguard. On top of the receiver is a 1913 Picatinny-spec scope rail. Street price for the new rifle is about $450.00, complete with compact 10-round magazine. A standard Remington 597, without the tactical goodies and black paint, costs under $200.00.
Good for 3-Gun Cross-Training and Tactical Rimfire
While we snicker a bit at an older rimfire design tarted up in new tactical clothing, the 597-VTR makes sense for some users. Three-gun competitors should like this rifle. Most multi-gun match shooters use ARs for the rifle stages. With the 597-VTR, they can cross-train using inexpensive 22LR ammo, while maintaining the same basic ergonomics. For 3-gun shooters, who engage targets from a wide variety of shooting positions (often behind barriers), the collapsible stock has utility. It will allow the shooter to make his rifle more compact when practicing CQB or house-clearing stages.
With mods, the 597-VTR should also work well for the tactical rimfire discipline. The Picatinny rail makes it easy to swap over good optics from your centerfire gun. The tubular forearm should provide a strong mount for a bipod. However, for the tactical rimfire game, which is shot mostly prone, we don’t like the collapsible stock at all. Junk it. The LOP is too short, the bottom of the stock is terrible with sandbags, and the cheek weld is wrong. Tactical rimfire shooters would be wise to replace the collapsible stock with an upgraded design with longer length of pull and a proper cheekpiece. (The 597-VTR will accept most AR15 stocks). And, in reality, with a bedding job, a basic 597 in a laminated stock (see below) would probably work just as well.
June 4th, 2009
G.A. Precision builds some of the best tactical rifles currently available, such as the Crusader model shown below. The long-awaited updated and enhanced G.A. Precision website launches today, 6/4/2009 at 12:00 noon CST. G.A. Precision’s owner George Gardner (profile below) tells us: “The new site has enhanced features and navigation and a great deal of helpful new information. It’s still a work in progress. During the rest of this year we’ll add more pages…. You can also upload pictures of you and your GAP rifle to the site, as well as testimonials.”
Find Hidden Features for a Prize
George adds: “For the unveiling there are 8-10 ‘Easter Eggs’ on the new site. Some are clickable links while others are just hidden images. The first guy to email me with all of them will win a GAP/Strider Knife (retail value $375.00). The winner will be announced on this and other gun forums.”
History of G.A. Precision
G.A. Precision was founded and started initially by George Gardner alone as a means of building competition rifles for local High Power and long range shooters. G.A. Precision has grown during the past ten years, moving through three different locations and adding 13 more employees. G.A. Precison currently builds rifles for over 300 law enforcement agencies, including FBI HRT Team Quantico, Chicago P.D. SWAT, Illinois State Police HRT Team, Cook County (Chicago) HBT. Coral Springs P.D., Florida, Kansas City MO P.D. TAC, Kansas City, KS P.D., Denton TX, Richardson TX. Dane County WI, and many others. G.A. Precision also specializes in building competition rifles for the increasingly popular long-range tactical matches held around the country. George Gardner is an active outdoorsman and shooter, regularly competing with the rifles he builds.
GAP Gladius with Manners T2A stock, 18.5″ Bartlein barrel, Nightforce F1
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