Get a Grip – How to Keep Your Pistol Under Control
A Review of TALON Grips on GLOCK and KelTec Pistols
As any pistol shooter knows, having the proper grip on your firearm is important. An improper hold can not only lead to missing your mark but can also allow the pistol to move around, requiring a grip adjustment between shots, slide bite on your hand, or even jams – the last thing you want if you ever need to use your firearm in a defensive situation.
The goal of providing a solid purchase on a handgun is nothing new. Wood grips with checkering or other texturing have been around nearly as long as modern handguns themselves and the evolution of polymer framed pistols has seen (often unsuccessful) changes in the molded texture of the factory grip. However, given the properties of the materials from which the frames are made, there is only so much grip that texture can provide, and it is often a compromise between grip and comfort while carrying or shooting. Continue reading
N82 Tactical Introduces New Products, Including IWB Magazine Carriers
The 2015 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Nashville (open to all NRA members & family) are just around the corner and N8² Tactical (“Nate-Squared Tactical”) will be there in booth 957 to showcase their latest products, including additions to their line of comfortable single-clip IWB holsters and the all-new magazine carriers styled after the Pro model holsters.
Nate Beard and Nate Johnson (namesakes of the Nate² brand) have been making IWB holsters since they dreamed up the idea in 2009. Their suede backing, neoprene padding, and oil-tanned leather outer surface combine to protect your firearm while remaining imminently comfortable. The single-clip design allows them to be easily put on or taken off. The Original and Original Tuckable models, with their elastic firearm “pouches,” hold the firearm snugly while offering a degree of flexibility to carry other firearms of similar size. The Professional models are an upgrade that features a polycarbonate (PC) shell that offers a custom fit, additional protection, retention and an adjustable cant angle. The Pro model holsters are roughly the basis for one of their newest products which is sure to be a big hit. Continue reading
Pro-Defense Tactical Fast Pull Pro Review
Optics blocking the controls on a firearm isn’t a new problem. Shooters who have spent time behind a scoped lever- or break-action rifle are probably familiar with hammer extensions that let them manipulate the hammer when it is blocked by the scope. As the popularity of flattop AR-platform rifles has grown over the past decade or so, allowing optics and accessories to be mounted, this problem has manifested there as well.
A good, by-the-book overhand grip on the charging handle can easily be impeded by rail-mounted optics. Getting an index finger on the latch and pulling from one side might work if you can get to it, but it can also apply undue lateral stress on a stock charging handle designed for the overhand grip. If you are using your scoped AR for hunting in cooler weather, wearing gloves can add additional complications into the mix.
There are charging handles with extended latches, but they are often quite expensive and are overbuilt to solve problems that many users just don’t need to solve. That is why the Tactical Fast Pull from Pro-Defense caught our eye at SHOT Show 2015. The company founder was at the booth to show us the Tactical Fast Pull (shown above) and Tactical Fast Pull Pro. Following the show, he sent us the Pro kit to try it out for ourselves. Continue reading
2015 Ladies Choice Awards Recipients Honored at SHOT Show
Taking a break from the noise and excitement of Range Day and the miles of aisles on the SHOT Show exhibit floor, the GunLink team had a chance to attend the presentation of the Shooting for Women Alliance’s (SWFA) 2015 Ladies Choice Awards. The well-attended event filled quickly and, while our Women’s Shooting editor got there early for a seat, I ended up in the standing-room-only portion – which worked out well for shooting photos and congratulating the award recipients as they exited.
Awards were presented by SFWA founder, Susan Carrichner Rexrode – who, in in 1992, was held hostage at knife-point in her own home for 5 ½ hours and then stalked for two years. Following her ordeal, Susan became a more active participant in her self defense and began training others to help prevent something similar from happening to them – out of that was born the SFWA.
In front of a standing room only crowd with a multitude of onlookers sneaking a peek through the entryway, fifteen awesome industry leaders accepted 2015 Ladies Choice Awards for Guns and Gear for the Modern Woman presented by Shooting for Women Alliance, a non-profit 501(c)3 nationally-renowned organization based in Knoxville, Tennessee. “10,000+ women weighed in with all products being used during actual personal defense related training classes, and the crème de’ la crème rose to the top,” explained Rexrode.
Criteria to be considered as a Ladies Choice Award recipient include: a women-friendly company that designs products that actually work well for women, are easy for them to use, perform as they expect, and understands that it is NOT about pink (although customization options are appreciated). All products are tested Continue reading
More Lighting Solutions from Elzetta Unveiled at SHOT Show
As in past years, Elzetta brought some new lighting solutions with them to SHOT Show this year. While stopped at one flashlight vendor’s booth as we roamed the halls of this year’s show, the booth staff asked me if I liked flashlights. Before I could answer, he immediately answered his own question: “of course you do, you’re a guy.” He was probably right, judging from the quantity of lights around here – tucked in drawers, stuck on metal surfaces, hanging from hooks, mounted on firearms, and in pockets or bags for EDC.
Last year Elzetta introduced their 1-cell Alpha model, a prototype belt clip that would facilitate carrying their indestructible torches, as well as new heads with changeable lenses and automatic voltage sensing heads.
This year they didn’t let down lighting enthusiasts. In collaboration with Impact Weapons Components, they have developed a new integrated weapon-mounted light: the Mini-CQB Modular Weaponlight. Based on an Alpha body, the new Mini-CQB weighs in under 5 ounces. Despite the 1-cell’s dimminutive size, it delivers 315 lumens in a pattern optimized for close quarter engagements.
And since it is based on existing Elzetta lights, the Mini-CQB is compatible with any of six tailcaps to give it rotary, click, high/low, high/strobe, or tape switch functionality. The Mini-CQB is available with multiple ambidextrous attachment mechanisms to suit most users’ needs, including the A1 model for M-1913 Picatinny rails or the A2 model that is compatible with keymod systems as well as Magpul’s M-LOK system.
Elzetta plans to begin shipping the Mini-CQB in April and is currently accepting pre-orders with prices starting at $210 for the A1 model with rotary tailcap.
Designing Your Own Custom Case with MyCaseBuilder
Last year, we wrote about our SHOT Show visit with MyCaseBuilder and how they make custom cases easy. The foam case inserts that they had in their booth and Steve’s big-screen demo both told a story about the quality and ease of creation of custom foam, but I wanted to get my hands on one to check it out for myself. There are myriad shapes and sizes of Pelican cases, OEM gun cases and other cases around GunLink HQ, but I thought that we should start small for our first custom case, so I got to work on designing some custom case from for a Pelican 1170 pistol case for transporting a Glock pistol (if you don’t already have a case, MyCaseBuilder can send your made-to-order foam in a brand new case).
The design tool is easy to use and is pre-populated with many existing shapes for various firearms, firearm accessories, electronics, camera equipment and more. The Glock 19 shape library includes shapes for the pistol and magazines, in various configurations, and with or without finger notches to make it easier to pull the items out of the form-fitting foam. For this case, I started with the G19 pistol with finger notches. I modified the shape with custom cut-outs to accommodate the pistol and sights with the slide partially rearward (so that it can be cased with a chamber flag inserted) as well as a threaded barrel. Continue reading
