Hornady Shows Off New Fast-Access Gun Safe at NRAAM
GunLink had a chance to stop by the Hornady booth at NRAAM 2014 and have a look at their new RAPiD Safe, an innovative solution that allows handgun owners to secure their firearm from children, intruders and other unauthorized persons while still allowing quick access by the owner when needed.
The RAPiD Safe offers three ways to access the contents within. The first method is the newest and most innovative of the three: radio frequency identification (RFID) chips are embedded in several types of “keys” that allow for fast, touch-free access. The user simply waves the RFID-tagged bracelet, key fob or card over the sensor and the safe pops open, presenting the enclosed pistol in a pop up sleeve that rises along with the swing-top lid. The company rep at the Hornady booth demonstrated how the pistol can be placed within the snug foam sleeve to allow for an immediate full grip on the pistol so that it is ready to use as soon as it is removed from the safe. The sleeve can also be removed to allow for larger firearms or other items to lay in the bottom of the safe’s 11x8x3″ interior. Continue reading
Out of This World Holsters from Alien Gear
Alien Gear Holsters has been generating considerable buzz since they flew their UFO full of holsters onto the scene last year. The Alien Gear business model is to “make and sell gun holsters directly to the public at below wholesale prices.” It all sounds too good to be true, but I want to believe so we probed around a bit to learn more. We already have a big Box o’ Holsters at GunLink HQ, so we were hesitant to order more but at this price point, resistance is futile. After all… It’s the only way to be sure, so we ordered a couple.
Hybrid Holsters
Alien Gear IWB holsters are of the hybrid type, which means that they have a Kydex shell attached to a leather backing. The wide leather backing allows the belt clips to be further apart than some other holster types, more evenly distributing the weight of the pistol and making carry more comfortable. The Kydex shell provides a completely custom, form fitting scabbard that securely holds the pistol. Being an IWB holster it, of course, rides inside the waistband of the wearer’s pants, attaching via the belt clips leaving only the clips and the grip of the pistol exposed above the waistband.
Price
The first thing CCW-ers will probably notice when comparing Alien Gear holsters to similar hybrid holsters is the price. Alien Gear holsters start out Continue reading
NRAAM Off to a Great Start
Day one of the 2014 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits is in the can and the third of the big early-year firearms shows is off to a great start already. GunLink staff is on hand to cover the show with all of the new and exciting products, services and more being offered to the shooting, hunting and outdoors communities and the coverage starts here. Keep an eye on the GunLink Blog as well as the GunLink Forums for the latest guns, gadgets and more.
GunLink staff has been covering NSSF SHOT Show for several years now but the 2014 NRAAM marks our first visit to this show, so we weren’t sure what to expect. We spend day one roaming the sometimes-narrow and often-crowded aisles of the exhibit floor, visiting with companies and plotting out our agenda for the remainder of the show. We caught up with some familiar faces like Lola and Hank Strange, N82 Tactical, MyCaseBuilder.com, Sticky Holsters, the KelTec crew and others. 
We are also getting a chance to meet up with less familiar faces with new and exciting offerings for target shooters, hunters and defensive firearm owners. There is a strong presence of companies offering products catering to female shooters and, since we have one of our female editors here at the show, we will be able to provide a more useful perspective on those products.
The NRAAM exhibit hall floor is packed with show special pricing on various products and we are taking advantage of a number of them including some new Continue reading
N82 Offers Range of Comfortable, Innovative Holsters
A Review of N82 Tactical’s Ultra-Comfortable Holsters
If you haven’t heard any buzz about N82 Tactical (pronounced Nate Squared Tactical, after the company founders) and their holster lineup, it could be the case that you don’t spend a lot of time perusing firearm websites or publications because the buzz is certainly going around.
We first started checking out N82 Tactical holsters as our KelTec P11 project was wrapping up and we were looking for carry options. We had heard about them through our friends over at the Tac Daddy Live show, but didn’t know much about them. Obviously it was time to learn more, so we contacted Nate B. who, along with Nate J., is one of the company’s two namesake Nates. N82 Tactical offers three styles of IWB holsters for a huge variety of handguns. The general construction of each style is roughly the same for the backing/pad with the main differences being in the actual holster part and the belt clip attachment. Shortly after talking to Nate, he had P11 holster in each of their three styles headed to GunLink HQ.
Construction
The secret to the comfort of N82 holsters is in the construction of the backing pad. The backing of all N82 holsters consists of the same three layers. The outside surface, the surface that comes into contact with your firearm, is oil tanned leather. This provides a safe contact surface that won’t damage the finish of your firearm but is still durable. The inside surface, the side against your body, is a layer of Continue reading
Kel-Tec P-11: What a Difference A Trigger Makes
As part of our Kel-Tec P-11 Improvement Project, we wanted to do something about the trigger. If you aren’t familiar with this firearm, the trigger has some… character. As with many double-action only (DAO) pistols, the P-11 has a long, heavy (9-pound) trigger pull. This is because, without an external manual safety, that trigger pull acts as a safety. However, the heavy pull can wear out your trigger finger and doesn’t exactly encourage you to shoot box after box of ammo at the range. Our female shooter on this project had trouble with the heavy trigger, barely being able to squeeze off a shot.
The stock trigger on the P-11 is a sharply-curved plastic number that has some side-to-side wiggle, some pre-travel and significant over-travel. The sharp curve of the trigger allows enough space for a finger to drag between the trigger and the guard during reset, which can wear a raw spot or blister in the span of a short range trip. The top of the trigger also allows for a shooter to pinch their finger between the grip frame and the upper part of the trigger.
Don’t misunderstand – the stock trigger on the P-11 is certainly passable and many enjoy their pistol just fine without any modifications. However, there is a lot of room for improvement. Continue reading
Winchester .22LR Ammo Recall Notice
PRODUCT WARNING AND RECALL NOTICE WINCHESTER 22 Long Rifle RIMFIRE AMMUNITION
Olin Corporation, through its Winchester Division, is recalling two (2) lots of M22 22 Long Rifle 40 Grain Black Copper Plated Round Nose rimfire ammunition.
Symbol Number: S22LRT Lot Numbers: GD42L and GD52L
Winchester has determined the above lots of 22 Long Rifle rimfire ammunition may contain double powder charges. Ammunition with double powder charges may subject the shooter or bystanders to a risk of serious personal injury and/or death, or cause firearm damage, rendering the firearm inoperable.
DO NOT USE WINCHESTER M22 22 Long Rifle RIMFIRE AMMUNITION WITH LOT NUMBERS GD42L or GD52L. The ammunition Lot Number is imprinted (stamped without ink) on the left tuck flap of the 500-round carton as indicated here. The 1000-round intermediate carton does not have a Lot Number.
To determine if your ammunition is subject to this notice, review the Symbol Number and Lot Number. If it is Symbol Number S22LRT with a Lot Number containing GD42L or GD52L immediately discontinue use and contact Winchester toll-free at 866-423-5224 or visit http://www.winchester.com/Product-Service/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx for free UPS pick-up of the recalled ammunition.
This notice applies only to Symbol Number S22LRT with Lot Numbers GD42L and GD52L. Other Symbol Numbers or Lot Numbers are not subject to this recall.
If you have any questions concerning this 22 Long Rifle rimfire ammunition recall please call toll-free 866-423-5224, write to Winchester (600 Powder Mill Road, East Alton, IL 62024 Attn: S22LRT Recall), or contact Winchester Customer Support online.
