Self-Securing ‘Sticky Holsters’ Provide Flexible Carry Options
Mike Christoff’s “Sticky Holsters” had already been around for over a year before we first started hearing the name. Last year, the name came up again in the Gear Review section of the GunLink forums and again when we asked who we should visit at SHOT Show 2013. Well, we visited them at the show and we’re glad that we did.
The first response when the holsters were mentioned on the forums was probably a common one: “They’re sticky?” Sticky Holsters aren’t so much sticky like glue as they are just “high friction.” The IWB holster is constructed of three layers: a layer of padding sandwiched between the textile interior and the rubberized exterior skin, which is somewhat similar to the material on the those no-slip dashboard mats that keep your cell phone or GPS from sliding away when you go around a corner.
This construction allows the holster to work without loops, clips or other gadgets to keep it in place. Combined with the “sticky” exterior, pressure from your waistband holds Continue reading
February 8 Rally to Spread Second Amendment Message Nationwide
We first heard about the nationwide Second Amendment rally through a flyer that someone gave us at SHOT Show 2013 and now word of the rally is spreading like wildfire with more than 13,000 Facebook users confirming their attendance.
Nationwide 2nd Amendment Rally
Friday, February 8, 2013 – 10AM
At YOUR capitol building
The peaceful protest is slated to take place at every state capitol across the country on Friday, the eighth of February at 10AM at each state’s respective capitol building, although we have heard buzz that some locations have had to reschedule for various reasons (e.g. Maryland moved to February 6).
Keep spreading the word so that all Second Amendment advocates have the opportunity to attend. We’ve started a thread for the event on the GunLink Forums for users to discuss the event, arrange transportation, share information, pictures and more.
The Pocket Pistol Showdown – Developments from Heizer Defense and DoubleTap Firearms
You may remember an interesting pocket pistol, then known as the Heizer Defense DoubleTap, which we covered at the 2012 SHOT Show. Since then, there have been some shake-ups, including DoubleTap inventor Ray Kohout ejecting from the deal with Heizer Defense to form DoubleTap Defense. DoubleTap has also filed a $6 million lawsuit against Heizer et al. for monetary damages and an injunction against “any further action on the part of Heizer Defense, LLC and others to manufacture or market a product based on the intellectual property of DoubleTap inventor Ray Kohout“. Both companies were at the 2013 SHOT Show and were both still in the hunt for market share for this type of pistol.
The newly announced Heizer HD1 pocket shotgun, chambered for .45 Colt and 2.5/3″ .410 shotshells and offered in a variety of materials and finishes, has a similar small form factor with a familiar grip and trigger design. The HD2 model appears quite similar to the double barreled pistol we saw on display last year, along with its two-barrel-single-hammer firing mechanism and a price tag ranging from $489 to $719 with spare barrel assemblies priced at $189 . Heizer has recently made an announcement reiterating their commitment to the project and the company said that they hope to have both units available later this year. Heizer personnel didn’t have much to say about the split other than nodding toward a sign at the rear of the booth noting that they were not associated with DoubleTap.
DoubleTap’s booth had on display what they describe as an improved version of the model unveiled last year. Manufactured by Azimuth Technologies of Naples, Florida, the new DoubleTap is projected to hit the market in the first quarter of 2013. The biggest change is probably a simplification of the firing mechanism to use two hammers which operate sequentially rather than one hammer that reciprocates between the two firing pins.
The DoubleTap is also available in a variety of materials and finishes with retail prices ranging from $499 for aluminum non-ported models to $799 for ported titanium models. Spare barrel sets for converting the pistol between 9mm and .45ACP range in price from around $200 to $269.
One fellow SHOT Show attendee, while viewing the double-barreled pistol in the New Product Showcase, asked “What’s the point?” Whether it’s to meet a low-capacity firearms restriction, to have a last-ditch backup gun or to have a tough, dependable firearm for your glove compartment, tackle box, etc, it looks like this design would meet those needs (albeit, at what seems to us to be a relatively high price-point for something in that role).
Stay tuned to GunLink for future updates on the Heizer/Doubletap split, lawsuit and products as well as more from SHOT Show 2013.
Illinois Second Amendment Victory is a Good Start
IL General Assembly has 180 days to craft new concealed carry legislation
Given the anti-gun image that Illinois has, thanks in large part to Chicago/Cook County, people may not have had very high hopes when the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed suit in May 2011, suing the state over the prohibition of carrying firearms for self defense. Gun rights proponents and US Constitution/Bill of Rights fans got good news this week when the decision in Moore et al v. Madigan et al was handed down.
The lawsuit alleged that the statutes which ban carrying handguns for self defense are “inconsistent with the Second Amendment.” SAF executive VP Alan Gottleib pointed out that “Illinois is currently the only state in the country that imposes a complete prohibition on the carrying of firearms for personal protection by its citizens.” SAF attorney David Jensen said that it was “incredible that this situation has persisted even in light of the Supreme Court’s rulings in Heller and McDonald”
The 7th US Court of Appeals this week issued a ruling which stated Continue reading
BREAKING: Streets Continue to NOT Run Red With Blood in Open Carry States
When Oklahoma’s open carry law went into effect earlier this month they became the 15th state to allow licensed gun owners to openly carry firearms. Nearly 30 more states permit anyone not prohibited from owning a weapon to openly carry a firearm. Oklahoma’s new law pushed the open carry movement back into the news and you won’t believe what is happening in those states with laws harkening back to the Wild West…
Nothing.
Nothing out of the ordinary, anyway. The streets aren’t running red with blood (unlike in Chicago – where guns are nearly impossible to get, let alone carry – which is averaging roughly 42 murders per month). We aren’t seeing shootouts in the streets (unless you count New York – where, again, firearms are difficult to legally obtain. Carry permits? Fuggedaboutit! – where police unleash a hail of gunfire on innocent citizens who happen to be standing behind a bad guy). The biggest change will likely be increased 911 call volume to report a MWAG (man with a gun).
What else is business-as-usual? The consternation and hand-wringing from the hoplophobes worried about someone so lowly as a mere subject – er, citizen – carrying a firearm. Continue reading
Heizer’s DoubleTap Pint Sized Pistol Packs a Punch
I first became intrigued with the Heizer Defense Double Tap when I saw an ad for it in the NRA’s American Rifleman magazine. For some reason, there is something I just can’t resist about this type of pint sized pistol.
The DoubleTap, available in both 9mm and .45ACP versions, comes in a package significantly smaller than other firearms in the same class. In fact, Heizer bills the DoubleTap as “the world’s smallest and lightest .45 ACP concealed carry pistol on the market today.” At just 5.5 inches long, 3.9 inches tall and less than 0.7 inches wide, the DoubleTap can easily disappear into a pocket or purse and be at the ready should you need it. With both aluminum and titanium models available (weighing in at 12 and 14 ounces, respectively), the pistol won’t weigh you down either.
With only two rounds chambered and another two stowed on a speed strip inside the grip, some people might feel a little under-gunned with that low of a round count. The DoubleTap might not be the right choice for someone who wants to be ready to take on a small army but it definitely looks like it would serve its intended purpose of offering .45ACP stopping power in an ultra-concealable package. This makes the DoubleTap perfect for a last-ditch backup gun or an EDC concealed carry piece for someone who wants to keep size and weight at a minimum.
Operating the DoubleTap is a breeze. The ten pound double action trigger pull is butter-smooth thanks to precision ball bearings and then breaks crisply. Each successive pull of the trigger drops the snag-free internal hammer on each Continue reading
