Reconfirmed Zero

Got my home rifle zeroing range cleaned up yesterday and got a pretty nice backstop made of oak stumps. I checked my zero on the EoTech XPS, G33 magnifier and the iron sights.

XPS holographic sight and the magnifier required no adjustments at all. Iron elevation and windage required two clicks and three clicks respectively. I use a 25m/300m zero. With the magnifier I can hit a 1cm circle at 25m.

Took about 20 rounds total, because the zeros were still close. Haven’t been able to shoot as much as I want to lately. But the family has some big news coming soon related to property purchase that will allow much more shooting than before, including a 300 meter range.

How is your zero? Still holding?

ZeroGov: Why Glock?

I highly agree with Mr. Buppert on this one, as does the US special operations community. They’ve foregone the regular Army chosen Sig P320 in favor of the Glock 19. I own both, I like both, I can shoot well with both, as can my wife, but I carry the Glock 19. I have for years. For years before that I carried the Glock 17. She has chosen to carry the Sig.

The 17 never malfunctioned on me, ever. The 19 did, once. Hornady Critical Defense HP ammo got hung up on the feed ramp with that pointy bullet and rubbery insert. I’ve since fixed that issue.

If you carry something else, fine by me. There are a great many models made by a great many companies. But don’t knock the Glock.

Becker BK-2 review, part of my survival knife set.

I’ve been carrying the Becker BK-2 as my primary bush-crafting knife for at least the last five years. It remains a part of my get-home-bag setup but I remove it often for bush-craft outings and camping trips. While it may be heavy to some (weighs in at about a pound), I find this to be an asset. The durability and usefulness of this brute of a knife lend itself well to many applications. While there is no jack-of-all-trades knife out there that can do it all, this one seems to check off more than it’s fair share of boxes.

Firstly, I’ll get into the complaints I see from most people about the BK-2. The weight is the first one. Like I said, it weighs a pound, so for people doing long distance thru-hikes and trying to shed ounces by selecting the lightest shoes or that ultralight backpack, this wouldn’t be the knife to bring along. However, on outings and camping trips where weight is at least a little less of a factor, this knife can adequately replace other tools. The knife has served as a hammer and a chopping implement for me in addition to it’s primary use as a knife, enabling me to leave the hammer and/or hatchet at home.

The second most common complaint I hear is about the scales. The scales are very smooth, this is true. Personally, I have not had any problems with mine, and this may be due to the fact that I’ve often been wearing gloves when I’ve used it. In any case, there are textured aftermarket scales that attach easily, or you can re-texture the factory scales yourself. There are two sturdy pins holding them onto the tang.

No more common complaints stand out to me. So speaking of the tang, it is a full-tang knife. I love this, because this is obviously going to give you the strongest tool. No worries about breaking the knife off the handle. The tang protrudes out at the bottom of the knife giving you a nice blunt edge to use as a cracking device or hammer.

The BK-2 is made from 1095 Cro Van steel, which is supposedly known to be on the brittle side of things if the blade is very thin. This knife, however, is NOT thin, and the 1095 suits it well. 1095 is great steel for a thick knife, and this one comes in at a quarter inch in thickness. Overall length is 10.75 inches, and the blade is 5.25 inches of that.

It has a black, nicely textured drop point blade. Mine has some use on it, and I’ve been impressed by how it holds the edge through chopping small trees and batoning through wood for a fire. Mine came with the polymer sheath, which holds the knife tightly with no movement no matter which way it’s turned, but still allows quite an easy draw thanks to a nice thumb ramp to press off of. Looking around online these days the BK-2 can be had on Amazon for $85.

The BK-2 is one of four knives that I personally choose from for my purposes over the last several years. It’s my primary bush-craft knife, usually paired with a Swiss Army Knife “Camper” model for the smaller tasks, like taking scales off of a pan fish. On a few occasions I have switched the Becker out for a classic US Army-stamped Ka-Bar (Olean NY) that I used in Afghanistan when I’m feeling old fashioned. My daily carry pocket knife is a spring assisted Gerber Covert folder I purchased at Camp Casey in Korea in 2011.

Tell us about your knife choice for outings and for everyday carry.

From Mountain Guerrilla: EDC

We all love us some good talk about everyday carry (EDC) loads. Please read and heed what John Mosby has to say about it at Mountain Guerrilla.

I will be going over and updating my own EDC this week. Always a good idea to rehash what you have and what you’ve lost or forgotten, or what needs replacing or reworking.

Nous defions, indeed.

The Army’s two handguns: One shooter’s thoughts on the Glock 19 and the Sig Sauer P320

Originally posted by The Gray Man at American Partisan.

I’ll go out on a limb and assume that a great many of the readers at American Partisan are aware of the choice made by the US Army to go with the Sig Sauer P320 as the winner of the Modular Handgun System (MHS) competition. The Army started issuing the P320 full sized pistol and the P320 compact pistol, referred to by the Army as the M17 and M18 respectively, to the 101st Airborne Division in November of 2017. That said, the US special operations community has a bit more leeway in their choice of weapons and gear, and in 2015 it was reported that the US Army Rangers, Special Forces groups and 160th SOAR (followed shortly by MARSOC) had chosen to outfit their units with the Glock 19 (4th generation Glocks at that time), while the MHS competition was still ongoing. Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley (who was base commander of Fort Hood while I was there in 2013) elected to allow the SOF community to go with the Glock 19 regardless of the outcome of the competition.

Putting recent history aside, as if we can just do that, I’d like to discuss these two handguns and put them beside each other for myself. I own a Sig P320 “compact” that I did send back to Sig when the trigger “recall” occurred. I had not had any problems with my pistol, but since Sig was offering to make it safer and improve the weapon for free and in a timely manner, I gladly took them up on it. I also own a 4th generation Glock 19. The only add-ons to my P320 are a set of night sights that my version came with. My Glock 19 is as stock as stock can be. My version of the P320 would be referred to as the “M18” in Army parlance.

During my time in the Army, I qualified many times with the Beretta M9. Being an intelligence collector, I had to stay qualified with the pistol because we (the intel guys, I mean) all carried them downrange in addition to our long guns. Of all the times I qualified with the M9, which was at least seven times that I recall, starting in 2012 and as recently as the Summer of 2018, I qualified as “expert” every time and I only ever missed a grand total of one target. Assuming that I ran through a pistol qualification course seven times, that’s a total score of 209 out of a possible 210. Maybe I’m not the world’s greatest gunslinger, but I can hit man-sized targets well enough. And yes, I do like the M9.

Now that you know what I’ve got, that I actually own these things and that I’m passable as a military pistol shooter, let’s get to it.

The Glock 19 9mm was originally released in 1988, and currently there is a 5th generation model. The one I use is 4th generation. The Sig Sauer P320 is a new copy of the 9mm Sig Sauer P250, with the P250’s hammer-fired design having been replaced with a striker mechanism. The P320 is modular, being able to convert from 9mm to .40 caliber with some simple parts changes. My model is kept in the 9mm configuration. Both pistols feature a polymer frame with metal slide, and both have a standard ammo capacity of 15+1. The Glock is 5 inches tall, while the Sig P320 is 5.5 inches tall. The Glock is 1.2 inches wide, the Sig’s width is 1.4 inches. The Sig weighs about two ounces more. Both pistols fall into a category of what I like to call “fighting pistols”, i.e. larger sized handguns with adequate kinetic energy transfer and higher ammo capacity. I’m not knocking anyone who carries a .380 with seven rounds or wheelguns with five or six, but a fighting pistol is what I prefer to have with me.

Ergonomics lends itself to the personal preferences of the shooter in most situations, but I think we all know that Glock pistols are not well celebrated for their ergonomic advancement. While I prefer carrying the Glock 19 due to simply becoming accustomed to it over the years, I will say that the P320 fits the hand more comfortably. The bore axis of the Glock sits low, closer to the shooter’s hands, which technically reduces felt recoil. The Sig does have a higher bore axis, as Sigs are known to have, but the weapon has a short beaver-tail that you can push your grip higher into, hopefully mitigating some of that. Both handguns lack external safety switches on the civilian version, and both have a rail to accommodate lights or lasers.

How the weapons shoot and handle ultimately comes down to the shooters themselves. I am able to shoot well enough with both models, as you can see in the photos above. I have no doubt that I could shoot just as well with a Springfield or a Smith and Wesson, two other top quality weapons. One difference between the G19 and P320 that most Glock shooters will see coming is the trigger mechanism. I have felt and still feel that grindy, rough feeling stock Glock trigger pull. The Sig P320 however, can only be described in one word: Smooth. That’s it. This Sig trigger is very smooth and easy feeling. The average Glock 19 trigger pull weight is about 5.5 pounds, while the P320 is about the same at 5.6, albeit with a noticeably shorter travel and a nicer break.

I took these pistols into my backyard range and fired several groups with each from 21 feet away. I went through a “warm-up” magazine with each weapon to make sure I had any rust knocked off (of myself), went through another magazine each to establish a trend and then fired the groups you see below, aiming at the dead center of the target every time (no Kentucky windage) to post here. I used 115-Grain Winchester FMJ. The groups in the photos are representative of the other groups I had fired earlier. In total this session, I fired about 90 rounds. I included the weapon in the images to give you a point of reference on target and group sizes.

For each pistol, I fired a three shot slow-fire group, each shot separated by about one second of time. I followed that up with a five shot quick-fire group, faster than one second each, but not what I would call “rapid-fire”.

In the top two photos above, you see the G19 performed well at grouping the three slow-fired rounds, with a bit of muzzle rise appearing during the five round quick-fire. You can see that I had one round pulled down low, almost missing the page. That’s a bad shot on me.

The next photos show the P320, which also had a nice group on the slow-fire. There was a bit more spread on the five round target, but I managed not to pull any shots this time.

Overall, I’m pleased with the performance of each weapon, and decently satisfied enough with my shooting. Both of these pistols are great fighting pistols and I would highly recommend either one. If I’m able to get my hands on a Springfield or S&W pistol, I’ll try to give those a test as well.

Safariland ALS 7377 Review.

Several months ago I purchased a Safariland ALS 7377 right hand draw holster for my Glock 19. This particular outside-the-waistband (OWB) holster had been recommended to me by a former special forces soldier, and I’m glad to say the recommendation was spot on. This is the model I have.

The first thing I noticed out of the box was that when I placed the G19 into the holster, there was no movement whatsoever. The weapon is firmly locked in place and when I shook it to check the retention, there was not a millimeter of shifting.

The 7377 did not come with a paddle, which I personally am okay with. I’m partial now to using simple belt loops because I’ve had paddles pinch me before, and paddles seem to allow a lot of movement of the entire apparatus when drawing the weapon. If paddles work better for you and you want this holster with one, I believe you can find it aftermarket easily. The belt loops on the 7377 are close enough together that it won’t slide around if you’re using a web belt, or rigger’s belt, or some other tactical style belt. As of right now I am using a 5.11 work belt and I’m getting no extra movement from the holster.

As far as the draw stroke, I love it. I am able to get a firm, high grip on the weapon and once I clear the holster, there is no need to adjust to get a good firing grip. It’s already there. This holster doesn’t require an odd grip on the draw, which would need to be changed prior to firing. The thumb release, once cleared, places your thumb in the correct location for a good firing grip. I am happy that the retention release is located closer to the body, rather than on the outside of the holster where the release itself is in view of others. Also, the downward force you apply to the thumb release again prevents the holster from traveling upward at all with the pistol during the drawstroke.

The profile of the holster is generally slimmer than most other OWB pieces, which is nice for me. I prefer to carry OWB and covered, assuming I am walking around in a state that unconstitutionally bans open carry. I would prefer to carry openly in some situations, but that’s a debate for another time. The 7377 has just enough space inside to allow debris to fall through clear of the pistol, but still maintains a narrow profile so you’re not printing through clothing unless it’s a shirt that fits a little tighter.

Overall, this is a really great product if you need a new OWB holster.

WeaponsMan: 412-660 million guns in the US?

A few years, before Hognose passed away, the WeaponsMan blog made the mathematical case that the figure of 300 million privately owned firearms in the US is wrong. They not only claimed that the number is wrong, but they actually made a solid case that the accurate figure could be somewhere between 412 and 660 million privately owned firearms inside the US.

Today, scholars and journalists are placing the number at around 400 million guns. This is still a good chunk below Hognose’s lowest estimate of 412 million.

The case Hognose made was convincing, and his math seemed to be very good. Unfortunately, we don’t have access to the site anymore. If I can find where the post was mirrored, I’ll post it here.

What was most convincing to me is where they showed that the ATF uses their “A2K” system to log unique serial numbers for counting purposes. At that point, the A2K system had logged about 252 million unique firearm serial numbers, collected from VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATING manufacturers, importers, distributors and wholesalers (ZERO FFL retailers). But what percentage of US manufacturers, importers, distributors and wholesalers were actually participating in this A2K system?

About 0.4%. That was the ATF’s estimate.

Just in case you’re wondering, the ATF doesn’t receive any other type of information in their A2K system. Only the serial numbers for counting purposes. So they say. Apparently they’ve got plenty of other systems for storing other information.

So, how can the 300 million estimate from that point, and the newer 400 million estimate, be correct over time, when the NICS background check system has been reporting record breaking numbers every month for several years, and when so few entities actually participate in the recording?

I’m thinking that 500+ million privately owned firearms in the US is a very plausible number in 2020 for the 330 million or so people in the US. Thanks, Hognose, for the work you did.

My own personal estimate is between 575 million and 600 million privately owned firearms.

By the way, if anyone is asking, I don’t own any.

Vortex Strikefire Red/Green Dot Sight Review.

This is the Vortex Strikefire II red/green dot rifle optic. My dad owns the one you see pictured above, and I’ve used it myself. Here are my thoughts about the Strikefire II, which I will compare to an EoTech XPS and an Aimpoint CCO, as these are what I have owned and used downrange.

Price: I’ve posted the link above for the optic priced at $200. This price is more than fair for what you’re getting in my opinion. You’ll still be paying around $550-$600 for the more well known, “higher end” optics like the EoTech XPS line and the Aimpoint CCO. I love both of those pieces, I own the EoTech and I had the Aimpoint in Korea, Germany and switched between the CCO and an ACOG in Afghanistan. Both are great, but you pay for it. The Strikefire is much more affordable and I have been impressed with the value you get.

Vision: The red/green dot is 4 MOA, as opposed to the 1 MOA red center dot on my EoTech. The Aimpoint CCO is 2 MOA, if I recall. Honestly, I think 4 MOA is plenty acceptable for the work we have ahead of us. The red/green dot is easily toggled and each color has ten brightness settings controlled by two buttons. This is not a scope, so there is no magnification.

Ergonomics: I’m pretty happy with the ergonomics, but this essentially just speaks to where the control buttons are located. You’ll have two buttons on the left side of the optic, one is an up arrow, the other is down. Press either one to turn the dot on, press the up button to brighten, the down button to dim. Hold the bottom button until the color changes to toggle between green and red. Hold the top button to shut it off. Simple, and I love that the buttons are easy to access. My EoTech buttons are similar, but they’re located in the center of the rear aspect, low near the rail. I have a G33 magnifier behind my XPS, so the buttons can be hard to reach to turn off because you have to press both at the same time. Also, the Strikefire optic sits high enough (but not too high) that there is no need for risers or spacers.

Zero: This optic has held the zero quite well. No major adjustments have been needed over the lifetime so far, only one minor adjustment. There is a 100 MOA adjustment range and each click is 1/2 MOA. Four of us were scoring hits at 300 yards in clear weather using 62gr ammo.

Rugged: The Strikefire is water resistant but not waterproof. Rain is fine, but don’t put it underwater. It is shockproof, which is a must for any combat rifle optic.

Misc: Use two eyes to aim, this thing is large enough for it. Cowitnessing is easy with Magpul BUIS. Length is 5.6 inches and it weighs 7.2oz. Using a CR2 battery, you’re supposed to be able to get a maximum of 600 hours of life at optimum temps.

My recommendation is that if you don’t have the money to purchase something like the Aimpoint Comp M4, you can pick up the Strikefire II from Vortex and you will be more than good to go.