Innehållsförteckning för October/November 2019 från Tactical Life

Nighthawk Custom is a legend within the firearms community. I consider it the Maserati of the 1911 world. The company first planted roots back in 2004 when four guys who shared a true passion for firearms came together to offer the marketplace a hand-fitted, finely tuned 1911. Now Nighthawk is staffed by approximately 65 full-time employees who all share the same passion for the 1911. That passion is plainly seen in the high-end pistols rolling out of Nighthawk’s headquarters in Berryville, Arkansas. Nighthawk’s slogan is “One gun, one gunsmith.” I asked the company’s owner, Mark Stone, about the slogan, and he gave me a simple answer. He stated that Nighthawk pistols are generally made to order, and there are no assembly lines in his business. Each and every Nighthawk 1911…

Like other outdoor writers, I had heard rumblings about Cobalt Kinetics, a small AR manufacturing startup in Utah, as we closed in on the 2015 SHOT Show. While I had seen a couple of jaw-dropping images of rifles, any information at all was tough to come by. Ultimately, the only way I was going to learn much of anything at all about the company was to pay it a visit on the show floor. I broke free early from a meeting at SHOT Show and headed to the Cobalt Kinetics booth, where I discovered the company’s Billet Aluminum Modern Firearm, or BAMF for short. Of course, the abbreviation has another meaning, and that one may fit even better than the PC jargon. While Cobalt Kinetics hit the ground running with…

No one can doubt that Chris Barrett, like his father, Ronnie, believes in his products. Chris has traveled all over the world hunting a variety of big game. Consequently, he knows a thing or two about hunting rifles. So, it should have come as no surprise that, in 2017, Barrett introduced the Fieldcraft, which marked a departure from the company’s history. This lightweight, sub-5.5-pound hunting rifle is at the total opposite end of the spectrum from the almost 30-pound Barrett M107A1 sniper rifle in .50 BMG. Yet the Fieldcraft has established a reputation for being a solid rifle that exhibits quality and style. It has also proven itself on multiple safaris and big-game hunts. The Fieldcraft is actually a resurrection of the rifle that was designed and made by Melvin…

In 2002, Springfield Armory negotiated a business deal to begin importing the Croatian HS2000 for the U.S. market. Rebranded as the XD for “Xtreme Duty,” the pistol became a huge success. It was a feature-rich, ergonomically friendly, striker-fired design that offered a number of options not found on competitors’ existing pistols. The XD also featured a grip safety and a dedicated loaded-chamber indicator. The grip was contoured to fit a variety of hand sizes, and the magazine release was ambidextrous to accommodate right- and left-handed shooters. A few different variants came in short order. Then, in 2008, Springfield introduced the XD-M series, with the “M” standing for “more.” The XD-M was designed to complement, not replace, the legacy XD pistols. Now, 10 years later, the original XD series covers five…

“…STAG…KNOWS WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T, AND HAS LOADED THE 10S WITH PRACTICAL, QUALITY FEATURES AND COMPONENTS.” While the 5.56mm NATO has its detractors, there’s no doubt that it has performed yeoman service for militaries around the world for the past 60 or so years since its inception, and rifles chambered for it continue to be adopted today. That said, there are certainly times and places where a little more punch would be appreciated. There has been a lot of chatter about the various 6.5mm rounds, particularly in spec-ops circles, but there’s something to be said for the proven 7.62mm NATO and its civilian .308 Winchester counterpart in terms of power, penetration and range. That’s why 7.62mm/.308 ARs have only grown in popularity in recent years. Stag Arms has been…

ALIEN GEAR CLOAK SHOULDER HOLSTER The new Cloak shoulder holster from Alien Gear is an attractive and fully modular system designed to hold ShapeShift and Cloak series holster shells for various firearms. Black, brown and tan leather options are available, and you can specify what you’d prefer under each arm—a mag carrier, a holster or nothing at all. You can also adjust the cant for the mag carriers and holster, and the entire rig is super comfortable thanks to the CoolVent neoprene cushioning on the straps. And if you get a new gun, you just need to buy a new shell to carry it. (aliengearholsters.com) CLENZOIL GOES VINTAGE Clenzoil has partnered with Mission 22, a non-profit that combats the ever-rising veteran suicide rate, to raise funds for veterans in need.…

For years, military and law enforcement personnel have been clamoring for a red-dot sight (RDS) that could stand up to the elements. Many work well today, but they just aren’t reliable enough for hard use. Typical pistol RDS units project the dot onto the back of the lens, for example, and mud, debris or snow can cover the diode, eliminating the dot. This may not be a problem for some shooters, but for duty and military applications, it’s a different story. I’ve never had that happen with a pistol, but it has been an issue on rifles and shotguns. I stopped using them as primary sights on long guns for just that reason. The mounting can also be problematic, since most RDS optics are held in place by two small…

The first time I’d seen the buck was through a spotting scope. He was 360 yards away and a year younger. On opening day of deer rifle season, I decided to sit in a ladder stand tucked into a cedar grove that allowed me to watch over a 15-acre field that had been a dairy pasture a half-century before and was now a mix of briers and broom sedge. My choice of weapon that morning was a modern sporting rifle. I had high expectations, having watched several mature bucks travel the field the previous summer. Arriving at the stand just as the eastern sky began to glow, I hoisted up my pack and rifle and got situated. Fifteen minutes after legal shooting light, I kept a close eye on the…

As good as lead-core bullets have become, there will always be problems, or at least potential problems, with them. Briefly, these include core/jacket separation, fragmentation when fragmentation is undesirable, variations between the two dissimilar materials used to make traditional lead-core jacketed bullets, and a host of health hazards from the processing and handling of lead during bullet manufacturing. Some shooters who find themselves behind enemy lines in occupied America have been forced to transition to non-lead bullets by laws banning the use of lead-core projectiles for big-game hunting, or altogether. While these restrictions have typically been framed as environment- and wildlife-saving measures, it’s clear that many politicians behind such moves are eager to seize any opportunity to increase the costs and burdens to shooters. The firearms industry has responded to…

In April, Glock announced that legendary actor, martial artist and U.S. Air Force veteran Chuck Norris would serve as the company’s newest spokesman. And while no one could ever fully replace our friend, R. Lee Ermey, aka “The Gunny,” Norris is nevertheless a fitting choice. “Chuck Norris revolutionized and ushered martial arts into the American mainstream just like Glock revolutionized firearms by inventing and commercializing polymer-based pistols and the Safe Action system,” said Glock Inc. Vice President John Dorsey in a company statement. “Having him represent the Glock brand brings two iconic names together that are mutually committed to perfection and their fan base. We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership.” Neither could we. From battling Bruce Lee to Lone Wolf McQuade and Delta Force, Norris is indeed an…

As a young soldier, the first time I shot through a windshield in training, I completely closed my eyes. Although I was wearing all the necessary protective equipment, I wasn’t prepared for the audio and visual pressures created by firing my M4 in a confined space. And despite failing to observe the effects of my rounds, I continued with the drill and bailed out of my vehicle. In subsequent drills, I managed to keep my eyes open. However, this did little to solve the problem that I still couldn’t comfortably observe what was happening to my target. With each bullet fired, I further deteriorated the quality of the windshield in front of me. This ported the glass so that my rounds flew unobstructed. But it also created cracks that grew…

You should clean your weapons like your life depends on it. Because it does. I’ve had one gun jam during a shooting competition due to lack of maintenance. It was clearly my fault. I had tried to save some time and skipped a cleaning session. Wrong decision. Not only did it ruin my day, but it messed up my final score. In a defensive situation, however, I could have been killed. Here are a few quick tips. While you clean your weapon, look for excessive wear. Some parts may need to be replaced. The extractor on any platform needs to be cleaned. Some extractors can become chipped from use, so replace them as needed. Canned air, like the type used to clean computer keyboards, is useful to blow out bits…

Stopping a feral hog with one shot can be a real challenge. Hogs are tough animals. Unless you hit their central nervous system, they can run a long distance before dropping. Worse yet, hogs live in dense undergrowth and swamps, where they can be next to impossible to retrieve. Deer also run and can be hard to recover, but in my experience, hogs are tougher to stop than deer and more difficult to find, even with good shot placement. Fortunately, Ruger’s new .450 Bushmaster Scout Rifle and new loads from Hornady and Remington are up to the task. BUSHMASTER BASICS The .450 Bushmaster cartridge seems like it was designed for hogs. It was originally developed on Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Cooper’s concept of a “thumper” round that would cleanly take larger…

1. SIG SAUER P365 NRA The P365 is the hottest concealed-carry pistol on the market, so Lipsey’s worked with Sig to produce a special-edition Coyote Tan model to support the NRA. Featuring the same Coyote Tan slide and frame as the U.S. Army’s new Sig M17, the P365 NRA comes with a special serial number, a limited-edition challenge coin and three magazines: one flush-fitting 10-rounder, one 10-rounder with a pinky extension and an extended 12-rounder. Sig X-RAY3 front and rear night sights round out the package. 2. GLOCK G43 VICKERS EDITION Lipsey’s has teamed up again with retired Delta Force operator Larry Vickers on the new Glock 43 Vickers Edition. This G43 features front cocking serrations for the first time and special “LAV” serial numbers. Each pistol is equipped with…

Over the past couple of years, many major airgun manufacturers have introduced “entry-level” pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) models in an effort to remove the stigma that shooting PCP airguns is a “rich man’s sport.” Yet, a sizable support system is still needed to be able to enjoy shooting PCPs. For instance, while air is free, pushing it into the air reservoir at 3,000 psi or higher requires specialized equipment. In the past, such equipment was also something out of the reach of the typical airgun enthusiast unless a considerable amount of discretionary income was in play. WHAT’S NEXT? So, you now have your shiny new PCP air rifle that required a sizable investment. What options exist to get into PCP airguns without taking out a second mortgage? If you’ve observed someone…