Author: 53gr

  • Timney Mauser Featherweight Deluxe

    Timney Mauser Featherweight Deluxe

    In the summer after I graduated high school, a friend of mine and I decided we needed Mauser rifles. After some searching, we settled on the Yugoslavian M48A and soon each of us was the proud owner of a beautiful surplus Mauser, covered in cosmoline. Over the next couple of years, we fired countless rounds…

  • Trijicon SRS Gets a Bath

    Trijicon SRS Gets a Bath

    I’ve been running a Trijicon SRS red dot on various AR-15 uppers for about a month and a half now. I’ve put well over a thousand rounds downrange (mostly 5.45x39mm) with this optic and have truly fallen in love with it. But what’s that old saying about always hurting the one you love? It’s never…

  • Surplus European Camouflage

    Surplus European Camouflage

    I’m a big fan of Not Getting Shot. It’s right up there on my list with continuing to breathe and retaining my Constitutional Rights. Not Getting Shot is a wide-ranging concept for me. It includes keeping small pointy pieces of metal from perforating my tender hide. It also includes not getting shot by some jerk…

  • Deliberate Dynamics Universal Speed Tab

    Deliberate Dynamics Universal Speed Tab

    The Universal Speed Tab, made by Deliberate Dynamics, is a solidly-made hand stop that attaches to your military standard Picatinny rail. I’m not a stranger to various hand stops and vertical grips, so let’s compare the UST to its competition.

  • Griffin Armament M4SD II Muzzle Brake

    Griffin Armament M4SD II Muzzle Brake

    I love keeping my barrel flat as I pump multiple rounds into the target, which is why I like muzzle brakes and compensators like the Griffin Armament M4SD II. Like everyone else on the Internet, I’ve run into the 5.56 vs. 7.62 debate. It gets even messier when you throw in my favorite caliber, the…

  • Rainier Arms RMC

    Rainier Arms RMC

    A few months ago, I put a Rainier Arms XTC on a medium contoured 16-inch barrel and was very pleased with the results. For the longest time, I thought that the decreased recoil and minimal muzzle rise, when compared to the standard A2, was mostly due to the 7 ounces of extra barrel weight. How…

  • Elzetta ZSM Flashlight Mount

    Recently, Elzetta Design sent me their flashlight mount for tactical shotguns. Installation was ridiculously easy. The mount is designed for 12 gauge barrels, but spacers are included if you want to mount the light on a 20 gauge weapon. The mount is simple, robust and made of glass-filled polymer. It attaches easily to any tube-fed shotgun and the required hex…

  • Staff Review: Get a Grip!

    Staff Review: Get a Grip!

    It is impossible to catalog all the different modifications and improvements that are available for the AR-15. Impossible, because a multitude of different companies are continually coming out with new accessories. This leads to a plethora of choices for the consumer. But what if you don’t feel like buying another accessory, or you don’t have…

  • Mount-N-Slot Hand Stop and Light Mount

    Mount-N-Slot Hand Stop and Light Mount

    Recently, Impact Weapons Components sent me a Mount-N-Slot Hand Stop and Mount-N-Slot  Radial Universal Light Mount for my Midwest Industries Gen2 SS Series free-float handguard.

  • TangoDown BG-17 Battlegirp

    TangoDown BG-17 Battlegirp

    I’ve never been a fan of the standard A2 grip on the AR-15. I find it’s too thin and encourages placement of the second joint of the index finger onto the trigger, which can lead to poor shooting habits. For this reason, I’ve been running a Magpul MIAD grip for a while.

  • Sirupate Khukuri – Weapon of Nepalese Warriors

    Sirupate Khukuri – Weapon of Nepalese Warriors

    Weapon of the Gurkhas The khukuri (also spelled kukri) is the traditional weapon of the elite Gurkha soldiers. Fierce warriors who hail from the mountainous regions of Nepal have used this ancient blade for centuries.

  • Tactical Applications Group: Spartan II Armor Carrier

    Tactical Applications Group: Spartan II Armor Carrier

    The number of people who have actually worn body armor at work is small. Most are military and law enforcement. In fact, the vast majority of civilians who purchase a plate carrier will do so for airsoft or paintball use. There’s nothing wrong with this, but for those few civilians who have actually had to…

  • Defensive Target Selection

    Defensive Target Selection

    Historical Context Bullseye targets are fine for competition use, but I find them wholly unsatisfactory for defense-based training. Put simply, you are never going to be mugged by a bullseye or have one break into your house.

  • Simple Green and the KZ Carbon Removal Super Tool

    Simple Green and the KZ Carbon Removal Super Tool

    Anyone who has used Soviet surplus 5.45x39mm ammunition knows that it is dirty, nasty and corrosive. I happen to shoot thousands of rounds of the stuff. In fact, I’ve shot so much through my Spike’s 5.45 upper that the bolt carrier locked closed.

  • MEC-GAR Aftermarket Magazines for the SIG P226

    When I came home from Iraq in early 2010, I decided to get myself a welcome-home present. I’d been thinking of getting a SIG Sauer P226, partially on the recommendation of several former members of the British military. Their experience with the SIG P226 impressed them greatly, and they seemed to have much more confidence…