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Topics - Bota-CS1

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1
General Discussion / Gun Jesus needs your help!
« on: February 15, 2022, 08:53:13 PM »
https://chng.it/PmqYYKkr2B

Link to a petition to get Gun Jesus into the next John Wick movie
2
General Discussion / Money Shot Challenge
« on: January 19, 2022, 09:02:10 PM »

Rules:
5 Shot group at $1 coin @ 100 yards at Koko Head (Mainland and neighbor island forum members can shoot at their own local 50 or 100 yard ranges.  Every other rule still applies.)
Partial hits count
You must be challenged by another forum member before you can participate. (So make friends)
You can challenge 1 forum member to complete the challenge for every partial or full hit you get on your coins.
No Limit to how many times you participate in the challenge once another forum member "challenges" you.
Must post pic for credit.
Must use commercially available "off the shelf ammunition" - hand loads prohibited.


Equipment:
Semi-Auto Rifle (No Bolt Actions)
5.56 or smaller
Any Optic / Any Magnification
Bipod only - if no Bipod, you can use those wooden rests that are provided at the range with a front rest bag.
Trying to keep this low to no cost for those that don't have a lot of equipment, hence the minimal equipment and no custom loads.


Set up
I used clear packing tape on the front in an X pattern on top of the coin, and on the back of the cardboard.  I found the helpful after Coin #2 went flying out the back of the target and into the tall grass after the 2nd hit.



Coin #1
55gr .223 Rem UMC
1/5

I'll challenge DRK100 because I know he can do better than me


Coin #2
62gr 5.56 Green Tip PMC
2/5
This was the coin I thought I hit with the first shot since I didn't see an impact on my paper upon closer inspection.  It was on the 2nd shot I saw it sail out the back of my target land in the grass.  I was lucky enough to find it after since the grass is getting taller.  I'll challenge Dirtylickins and Inspector.


Coin #3
62gr 5.56 Green Tip PMC
2/5
Mrs. Bota did this one with her rifle after she saw what I was up to. >:D


Coin #4
77gr OTM Black Hills
1/5
. Honestly had the highest hopes for this round, but only managed to get 1 partial hit out of 5.  Probably try getting this load down in the future.  I'll challenge Changemyoil since he always likes to tell me how boring the bench side is.


Have fun guys!  :shaka:
3
Off Topic / Hot Politicos!
« on: December 12, 2021, 08:21:14 PM »
There's a thread dedicated to probably the prettiest White House Press Secretary and it got me thinking.  Why don't we have a thread dedicated to hot politicians and appointees?  There should be some ground rules first:


1. Individual must hold a political or an appointed office, the level of the office doesn't matter, they must hold some kind of office.  Spouses of politicos do not count unless they too hold some kind of political office.
     a) Holding an officer position in a political party qualifies.
     b) Well known political commentators qualify as well.  (Candace Owens, Tomi Lauren, etc.)

2. Don't merely post a picture and then ghost - leave a short blurb that has the person's name and what office they hold in their respective government.  That will save the rest of us from having to do reverse image searches. Why can't we all just admire what comes of the XY chromosome combination?




4
Off Topic / Anyone available for skateboard lessons?
« on: November 21, 2021, 07:36:12 PM »
Just scored a good deal on this one, but I need someone to teach me the tricks...



5
Reviews / Meridian Defense - "Lust" AKM
« on: November 15, 2021, 07:45:19 PM »
“If you’ve ever yelled, “Wolverines!!” while shooting your AKM, go ahead and hit that like and subscribe button.” – Garand Thumb (probably if he had a Meridian Defense AK)

If it wasn’t for Rob Ski, I probably wouldn’t have ever found Meridian Defense.  At the time I came across his reviews, he was on part 3 of his series on the “Pestilence” AKM from Meridian Defense.  The Pestilence is the last rifle in their apocalypse series of rifles which is a close copy of the Lust.  By the second video, I was sold and had ordered my “Lust” from the team in Goleta California.

The “Lust” is the first rifle in their 7 Sins line of rifles.  I had always wanted an under folder, but after shooting one in Vegas, I realized it was the worst stock/caliber combo in existence.  The Lust compared well to other AKs I was considering, and in the end, I hit that Purchase button.  I ordered my Lust with the Dead Air Key Mount Muzzle Brake, KNS Adjustable Gas Piston, and their tuned ALG Trigger.  It comes on their own in-house receiver with a Romanian milsurp parts kit.  It’s not listed, but it does come standard with the Krebs enhanced safety lever and Ultimak optic rail.

https://meridiandefensecorp.com/the-1st-sin-lust-sold-out/

Then came the Rona and the lock down.  Like many, all I could do was work from home and watch as the wait time stretched from 16 weeks, to 20, and on to 30 weeks.  These aren’t off the shelf rack rifles, but hand fitted and turned out in small batches so I was perfectly fine waiting.  The wait was worth every minute.

As soon as it arrived, I literally flew down to pick it up and had it out at the range that same weekend.  The irons were already on which was nice,

The action was unbelievably smooth.  The controls reward a firm competent touch with an unbelievably smooth ride.  The long stroke piston isn’t as forceful on other AKs I’ve shot where your nasal sinuses feel the recoil due to the placement of the stock in relation to the recoil spring.  This is probably due in no small part to the adjustable KNS piston.

The piston won’t reduce recoil to zero, but it will up to a certain point, after which your AK will turn into a fancy Mosin bolt action.  I’m impressed how Meridian Defense didn’t approach the Lust with a one size fits all approach when it came to gassing.  Most people’s complaint about the AK is that it is over gassed and doesn’t suppress very well.

This is where I’ll venture and say the Lust is the best bang for your buck AK.  Along with the KNS piston option, you get a Krebs enhanced safety selector, traditional side mounting rail, 4.5mm triangle stock, Ultimak rail, tuned and polished ALG trigger, along with a front sight gas block combo, and a nitride barrel topped with your choice of muzzle device.  For a little over $2K, it’s a feature packed custom tuned rifle.

With almost 2K round down the tube, I haven’t had a single problem.  No rivets backing out, no excessive internal wear, and no issues with any mags or ammo I’ve thrown at it.  I’ve used surplus steel and polymer mags along with bakes and Magpuls.



I’d consider this to be the Roy Jones of custom AKs – the best pound for pound, feature for feature AK on the market.  I’ll be looking forward to more projects from the team in Santa Barbara.

Rob Ski’s 5 part series on the Pestilence
















6
General Discussion / !! Forum PSA !!
« on: September 23, 2021, 03:23:19 PM »
I'm going to leave this right here and walk away.  Like a piece of modern art, everyone is going to be entitled to their own interpretation.  Just remember forum users, sometimes no matter how much you may argue, cajole, or try and convince, others may not be able to comprehend what is "common sense" to you.


7

When submitting your comment just keep in mind a few tips:

1) Stick to the rule change that is being proposed, going off on tangents about unrelated topics like politics, doesn't lend weight to your comment.

2) Point out the shortcomings of their proposed rule change.  I'd suggest reading 6716J's thread to familiarize yourself with the proposed changes before submitting a comment:
https://2ahawaii.com/index.php?topic=41361.0

3) Explain how this will impact you: Imagine having to go down to HPD to register all the components for every component in your upper and lower receiver.

4) Don't use cut and paste boiler plate comments

5) Use profanity or make threats


Here's the link to submit your comment on this proposed rule change:

https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/ATF-2021-0001-0001
9
General Discussion / The current state of Ammo from the CEO of Federal
« on: December 20, 2020, 04:11:02 PM »
Not sure who needs to hear this rn, but here it is.  From the CEO for Federal Ammo.



Conservative estimates put the number of new gun owners at around 7,000,000.  That’s right folks another 2% of the entire population of the United States bought their first firearm.  Congratulations to those folks for exercising their 2nd Amendment right.  That’s +4x the entire state’s population, 2x the population of Los Angeles, and 2x the population of Dubai. 
10


This is why I support the FPC and GOA!  :thumbsup: :geekdanc:
11
Legal and Activism / HRA critical of HPDs new appointment system
« on: October 22, 2020, 01:59:16 PM »
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/10/22/hawaii-news/election-pandemic-may-have-led-to-growing-interest-in-firearms-on-oahu/

SA had an online article that has some quotes from the local HRA president about HPD’s new appointment system.  The comments are lit.
12
Reviews / Vortex Razor Gen III 1-10x24
« on: September 20, 2020, 08:04:32 PM »
Vortex Razor HD Gen III 1-10x24


With the range being closed for a second time this year, I’ve had a little more time to dedicate to doing more in depth reviews.  Like the title says, this is my review of the Vortex Razor Gen III 1-10x24.  I’ve seen previous attempts at a 1-10 before and while those attempts were cool, a lot of them had something peculiar about them, that made them outliers.

Like many of you, I’ve not had the luxury to put endless rounds down range so I’ve had to settle with an abbreviated evaluation cycle.  In my last review I started at the front of the optic and worked my way to the back, but I’m going to make a departure from that format for this review and start with the “cons” of the optic first.  This may foreshadow my opinion of this optic, but I think it’ll make more sense that to jump from pro to con and back to pro again.

The first “con” that I came across was the very light bluish hued tint towards the edges of the glass.  I’ll preface it with this, it’s not anywhere as bad as the RMR, so let me just put that out there right now. I noticed this hue more when I was looking at something that was white. For those that don’t know, the tint is there on purpose to increase the visibility of illumination which is often the Achilles heel of first focal plane optics.  You'll see what I mean if you look at the top arc (from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock in the picture below from The Armory Life) there is some slight distortion and coloration of the dirt as well as the insert image of his white and red target that shows a slight blueish hue.  Some may not notice this as much and it may not bother them.

The Gen III does not have parallax adjustment and that can be a deal breaker for some.  Vortex probably has some very good reasons as to why they didn’t work to try and include this in their Gen III, but it is what it is.

My next “con” may sound like me nitpicking, but I was a little disappointed in the reticle size in relation to the field of view at 1 power.  It just seems empty.  There’s a lot of space around the “T” reticle even with the center illuminated during the day.  I might have preferred a much larger “T” that gradually fades out of view as the magnification goes up, eventually leaving just the Christmas Tree.  Otherwise, the glass is decent for the price point with limited distortion towards the outside edges at 10 power.  I noticed a little chromatic aberration at 10x but that is to be expected.  The center reticle is translucent at increased power, and I find myself rather ambivalent towards that.  It’s cool that you can see through the reticle at range while it’s not illuminated, but is that a big positive?  I’m not sure.  This is the last gripe, if I can even call them that, against the scope. 




Photo courtesy of the Amory Life


Speaking of illumination, the illumination dial to me is perfect.  It’s a rather large diameter knob on the left that has a shut off notch between each level of illumination.  Each level is tactile and you can really feel the knob settle on each setting.  This is a pretty common feature on most modern tactical rifle scopes in the past few years which allows the user to set their preferred illumination level, and make a partial turn to shut the illumination off rather than having to go all the way back to 0.

The Gen III runs capped turrets which prevent unintended adjustments when using the scope in competition or in the field.  My preference is for capped turrets, but I know a lot of other shooters prefer exposed turrets.  I believe Vortex intended to market this scope towards the LE/Mil market and is the reason why they went with capped turrets.  I’m drawing my conclusion from the marketing materials that Vortex has been putting out there and the types of social media personalities they’ve been sending scopes to review to.  If you're one who wants to manually adjust your dope based on your own hand loads, simply leaving the caps off isn't a problem and you'll like the very easy to adjust turrets.

The biggest plus in my book, and I’m not alone in my opinion, is that Vortex was able to squeeze all the capabilities of a 1-10 in the same footprint as their 1-6 and still improve on it.  This to me is worthy of an industry award and why the Gen III has garnered so much positive praise. 


In addition to squeezing all that performance into the same package, Vortex has managed to improve the Razor’s already impressive light gathering ability by increasing the diameter of the tube to 34mm.  That 4mm does make a big difference in light transmission which is only going to help you distinguish your target at range.  During the summer months here, light is overly abundant, but if you're going the the Pacific Northwest, or hunt in Alaska where it can get overcast in a heartbeat, that larger diameter will help gather up what light there is.


The magnification adjustment has been significantly tweaked with the Gen III to the point where you don’t have to have the hand strength of Hercules in order to make adjustments.  The Gen II was notoriously sluggish when time came to change magnification.  I’d go so far to say that this has the best adjustment “ring” of any of the scopes I’ve recently had – it’d give my Mark 6 a run for its money.  It comes with an adjustment “cat tail” and I reluctantly installed so I could fully review the scope as Vortex has it boxed, but I don’t feel I need it.


Overall, if this scope is in your range, I won’t hesitate to tell you to give it a moment of your time.  I didn’t want to turn this into a comparison with my Vudu, Trijicon, or Mark 6, but the Gen III can definitely stand on its own merit.  I’m going to go so far to say that Vortex has another “Gold Standard” product on its hands.

Weight: 21.5 oz
Length: 10.1”
Reticle: EBR-9 MRAD   
Eye Relief: 3”- 4”
Focal Plane: First
Magnification Range: 1-10X
Price: $2899 @ Vortex
$1999 @ Optics Planet
$199.99 @ Wish  ;) ;D (j/k)
FOV @ 100 Yds:  11.7’



Here are some “Pro” opinions:






13
Reviews / Leupold Mark6 1-6x20mm LPVO
« on: September 03, 2020, 07:33:28 PM »
Leupold Mark 6 1-6x20mm


It’s been awhile since I last did an optic review.  I haven’t been immune to the Great Ammo Shortage of 2020 to where I can do my typical 1,000 round test.  As many have had to adjust, I’ve had to curtail my test shooting to about half of what I used to do.  Everything else being the same, I’m not connected to Leupold in any way and consider myself neutral and fair when reviewing stuff that I buy.  Overall, this optic has been everything I wanted, but it does have its shortcomings which I’ll get to in a little bit.

First, let’s start with the positives. When I was building my AR-10 I did some research into what LPVO I was going to mount and came up with a list of criteria it would need to meet, and I feel the Leupold Mark 6 1-6x20 meets all those criteria and then some.

The first thing I was looking for was an overall weight savings with the scope and mount.  I had previously run an Eotech Vudu 1-6 which weighed 22 oz. in a Warne Ramp 2 mount that was 8 oz. (1/2 lb.).  The reason why I was looking for this was because I really noticed the weight difference and change in handling characteristics when I changed out the Vudu for another optic.



So I ended up saving half a pound in overall weight by switching to the Leupold and Scalarworks LEAP mount.  While it doesn’t sound like much, I think there is something to be said about good design and how it affects perceived feel when it comes to weight and balance.  A mechanical engineering friend told me that people often mistake weight, or something being heavy, as being durable, when in fact that additional weight is just a backstop against bad design and poor engineering.

When you get behind the scope, you’ll see what I find to be one of the best reticles out there.  The CMR-W 7.62 reticle with BDC:




You’ve got a BDC out to 1200m for a 175 grain freedom seed traveling at 2575 fps.  There are wind holds for crosswind as well as a range estimator.  I realized that some will find the Christmas Tree style reticle too busy and cluttered for their liking.  The center dot is 0.15MIL which is nice and tight for those precision shots.

When you have the scope at 1x the center horseshoe and dot combo is small and is close enough to a red dot for short distance shots.  The Mark 6 is a First Focal Plane (FFP) optic with a very good “true” 1x.  The reason why I say is it’s “true” is because as with most if not all LPVO’s 1x is not really a 1x.  Within say self-defense ranges (30 feet and closer) there is a degree of magnification at 1x.

That aside, the clarity of the glass is amazing and the image is flat with no bending of your sight picture towards the edges.  I tend to shoot with the optic at 4 or 5 power and even then, the eye box is very forgiving to the point where I’m comfortable pulling off snap shots with the optic.

This is where the first of the scopes shortcomings starts – the illumination.  The illumination is nothing to write home about.  At 1x it works perfectly, at magnification, you really need to have your eye at the perfect distance to really see the illuminated reticle.  It’s because of this, I don’t run the illumination during the day, and just us the etched reticle instead.  Illumination in first focal plane optics has often been their Achilles heel, and the Mark 6 is no exception. 

I personally tend to do a lot of work range wise in the scope, meaning I don’t fiddle with the turrets to make adjustments between shots.  I’ll use the holds in the reticle to make my adjustments which just makes sense to me given all the information you can gather from it.  So in the end I’m ambivalent towards the turret system.  It’s cool that all you have to do is depress a button and make your adjustments, but honestly, I’d be just as happy with capped turrets.

Making magnification adjustments are super easy to do with the scope lever, but it’s an additional cost.  For the price of the scope, I think Leupold should have included the throw lever with it, otherwise that’s an additional $125.  If you have super long fingers or hands and can just man handle the adjustment ring, you probably don’t need the lever to be honest. 

If you’re in the market for an intermediate LVPO and aren’t turned off by the price give the Leupold a look.  Just know that if there is anything that goes wrong with your scope, Leupold has a well-earned reputation of taking care of their customers, so don’t fear.


Went to Xring to zero the red dot



Weight: 17 oz
Length: 10.3”
Reticle: CMR-W 7.62 (MRAD)
Eye Relief: 3”- 4”
Focal Plane: First
Magnification: 1-6X
Price: $2859 @ Leupold   
$2199 @ Optics Planet
FOV @ 100 Yds: 19’



A couple of “Pro” opinions on the scope you may find helpful:






15
General Discussion / Action Needed - KHSC action bays
« on: August 09, 2020, 06:58:04 PM »
In an email from The Rangemaster, clubs are prohibited from using Action Bays #1 or #2 until the stage props, targets, and barrels are stored properly offsite.  This affects all clubs that use those bays so lets work together to fix the issues.  If you’re part of one if those groups, or can help those clubs store or transport those items, please do so.  We’re all shut down until we can resolve this issue.  Mahalos for your time and Kokua  :shaka: :shaka:
16
Reviews / WML comparison - Surefire / Could Defensive / Modlite
« on: May 14, 2020, 09:58:54 PM »
A light is the most important upgrade to a defensive use firearm.  The ability to positively ID your target in a low light/no light situation is invaluable.  With this in mind, this review isn’t a versus or comparison review to establish which light is better than the other.  The point is to show you the pros and cons of each and what their actual output looks like before deciding which one may best suit your needs.

First up is the “old horse” of the group, the Surefire M640DF.  The 640DF is the newest version of the venerable M600 line of lights made in Fountain Valley California.  Surefire has garnered a “hard use” reputation over the decades in the industry and is what many consider to be the yardstick by which all newcomers are measured against.  The 640 and 600DF both have the ability to utilize CR123 and rechargeable batteries.  This ability to use both power sources gives the light additional flexibility that the other lights don’t have.  Additionally the 640DF already comes with it’s own integrated mounting options.  The end user can choose between a picatinny adapter or an MLOK one.  This added flexibility is an incremental improvement by itself, but the hinge allows you to position exactly where you want it on the rail, all you need is a simple flathead screwdriver to make the adjustments.  Because Surefire has been around for so long, there’s tons of aftermarket support and accessories direct from the manufacturer and our LGS’.

Surefire M640 DF



Bezel: 1”
Length: 5.5”
Weight w/ Battery: 5.7 oz.
Body Construction: Aluminum
Output:
18650 – 1,500 Lumens
CR123A – 1,200 Lumens
Candela: 12,000 (rumored)
Runtime:
18650 – 1.5 hours
CR123A – 1.25 hours
Waterproof: ?
Cost: $299.00 on Amazon (for the black model)

PROS:
Takes CR123 and Rechargeable batteries
Integrated mounting system
Longest runtime
Lightest model at 5.7 oz.
Tons of accessories

CONS:
Unknown candela output, but the lowest amongst the three

Pro Review:

MrGunsandGear – Surefire M600DF
https://youtu.be/iDNqzix1y8o?t=15

Cloud Defensive is a veritable new kid on the block, but I think they have the right stuff.  The OWL is just a beast.  It’s a tank at a hefty 11 oz. it’s literally twice the weight of the Surefire.  Chonky, thicc, girthy are apt words to describe the light shaft (no homo).  Calm down Changemyoil.  That weight is not all bad since it allows the designers to do things with the body and head that the Surefire can’t do.  First off, it’s completely reversible.  You can swap the end cap and light head which are held in place by a very secure bearing lockup.  The activation button on the top is easy to reach and is much more tactile than the squishy Surefire pressure pads.  I’m pretty confident you could knock someone out with it if you hit them in the head with it.  The OWL uses a Borofloat glass lens, which comes with its detractors whom often say the glass is easier to break than the glass used in other weapon lights.  The OWL is also submersible up to 200 feet, not that I would recommend diving with it, but it would be the light I’d recommend you use if you wanted to get your SUP board back from Jaws.

Cloud Defensive OWL



Bezel: 1.25”
Length: 5.35”
Weight w/ Battery: 11 oz.
Body Construction: 6061-T6 aluminum
Output:
18650 – 1,250 Lumens
Candela: 50,000
Runtime:
18650 – 80 minutes
Waterproof: Yes (200 ft.)
Cost: $369.99 on Amazon (including charger and two batteries)

PROS:
Integrated mounting system (picatinny only)
Waterproof
Reversable

CONS:
Heavy

Pro Review:

Garand Thumg – Cloud Defensive OWL



Along with Cloud Defensive, Modlite is also a relative newcomer to the light industry.  In the short time the company has been in it has made quite the name for itself starting with the OKW.  Now, their current model is threatening to upset the apple cart so to speak.  There has always been a battle between spill and focused beam when it comes to lights.  In the past it was you got a good beam, but not that much spill light, or the complete opposite.  The PLHv2 appears to be a good blend of the two.  Similar to Surefire weapon mounted lights (WMLs), the Modlite uses and aluminum body that uses and end user supplied mounting platform.  In my case, I mounted it to the Unity Tactical Modbutton and light wing for comparisons sake.  As and aside, I have to say California you’ve got some great 2a companies, but your laws are completely idiotic.  The Modlite offers some flexibility in that it offers two body lengths, very much like the Surefire M300 and M600 series of lights are one cell and two cell designs.  You can pick up an 18350 body (one cell) or an 18650 (two cell) body depending on what configuration you want.  Modlite purposely designed all of it’s light bodies to take advantage of all the Surefire accessories out there, so you don’t have to worry about having to purchase a whole new set of pressure pads or clicky caps.  A win for the consumer in my opinion.

Modlite PLHV2



Bezel: 1.18”
Length: 5.25”
Weight w/ Battery: 7.5 oz
Body Construction: 6061-T6 aluminum
Output:
18650 – 1,350
Candela: 54,000
Run Time:
18650 – 75 minutes
Waterproof: ?
Cost: $330-$350 depending on what length body you chose.

PROS:
Highest Candela output

CONS:
Shortest run time

Pro Review:

Sage Dynamics – Modlite PLHv2



So here’s what this whole “review” has been leading to which is a real life example of all three in action.



From the picture I’m sure everyone can see that the Surefire had the most diffuse light, it’s light spill was good, but wasn’t very focused at range compared to the Modlite and Cloud Defensive.  The Modlite had a very distinct, well defined beam out to the tree at 86 yards.  I did this on a partly cloudy night under a gibbous moon.  I honestly don’t know what the hell monkeys have to do with different phases of the moon, but who knows.  I ranged the tree during the daytime with a pocket rangefinder and estimated the overall height of the tree by the height of the lowest branches from ground, which was around 5to 6 feet.

The pictures can’t really do the lights justice since the human eye is so much more sensitive than a camera lens.  The light from the Modlite was very clean, very white and sterile.  I would describe it as clinical.  The OWL is definitely in the yellow range of light and as a result the beam wasn’t as easy to distinguish against the clouds.  Hopefully by seeing these lights compared at the same time under the same conditions, you can decide for yourself which would be best suited for your needs.

The reason I didn’t test these inside is because all did a great job of umbrella lighting indoors.  All three are adequate in providing indoor lighting in a defensive scenario.  But for those of you that are lucky enough to be able to hunt coqui frogs (thanks Puerto Rico!), rats, or feral chickens at night outdoors, this may give you food for thought.

17
General Discussion / 3.7 million NICS checks in March - most ever!
« on: April 02, 2020, 08:09:38 PM »
https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_month_year.pdf/viewb

This doesn’t reflect the total number if firearms sold In the country.  The last time NICS hit 3 MILLION was back in December 2015!
18
Off Topic / Tiger King on Netflix
« on: April 02, 2020, 07:55:16 PM »
19
Reviews / Cloud Defensive OWL
« on: January 03, 2020, 08:47:29 PM »
Cloud Defensive Optimized Weapon Light
Clouddefensive.com

Stats
Width: 2.76” (It's THICCC)
Height: 1.26”
Length: 5.255”
Weight: 9.0 oz (empty)
             11.00 oz (with battery - he's bulking and not show ready yet)
Cost:$369.99 (from Cloud Defensive)
Notes: Comes with case, Nitecore charger, and two 18650 batteries.  One provides higher output, the other provides longer run time.

I've been in the market for a new high output weapon light for a bit.  I was happy with the performance that I was getting from my surefire, but then I came across the OWL from Cloud Defensive.  In the past 2 years or so, high output weapons have come into their own with the advent of reliably mass produced high discharge mAH batteries.

If you’ve ever used a modern handheld cordless powertool, laptop, messed around with RC model kits, Helos, or drones you’re familiar with LiON batteries.  Most of these battery packs are unsuited to use in a weaponlight, until the 18650 came along.  This roughly two CR123A sized LiON battery can provide unreal levels of output rated in mAH.  The higher the mAH rating the longer the battery will roughly last in a high output device like the OWL.  This does come with a safety downsized – namely in a fire hazard if the battery is discharged too low, or the protective covering is punctured, or the battery shorts.  Don’t try and rewire the battery cells yourself!  Last note, you can't interchange some 18650's because they're different dimensions that the ones that Cloud Defensive recommends.  For example, the Surefire 18650s you can purchase for the 600DF are too long to fit properly.  Every woman's fantasy right?   :love:

What you get in the end is 50,000+ candela at the business end of this light.  While most handhelds and wmls measure their output in lumens, it’s usable light that matters the most.  If the lumens aren’t focused enough what you get is great spill light up close and usable light to a certain distance out front but there isn’t as much focused light.  Focused light out front is critical in trying to positively identify something in the dark/dusk.







While you can go onto the Cloud Defensive website and read for yourself all of the features of the OWL, I’m going to focus on the two that I feel that set this light apart from the rest of the lights out there – durability and performance.  I can confirm Garand Thumbs' test at night and at somewhat similar distances.  It really depends on you, but my eye can pick up a little more detail with he "warmer" light of the OWL than the more "clinical" absolute white from a Modlite.

Are you a devil handed because your mother was a witch?  Cloud Defensive has got you covered fam, just switch the head and tail cap.  The OWL doesn’t require any other mounting surface other than a clear picatinny rail.  The pressure pad is sure to the touch and in the past 6 months hasn’t given me any trouble.
   
Since I spent my own money on this light, I couldn’t subject it the durability tests but through the power of the internet, other gents have kindly done so for us.  Skip to about 9:53 to watch them hit it with a hand sledge a bunch of time until it fails.  Now, he didn’t hold the OWL down securely, but this impressive considering they'd dropped it, run it over, and dropped a cinder block on it.



So this light will definitely stand up to the rigors of everyday use and what most of us could throw at it.  Bomb proof for sure IMO.  Bet the guys in this car could’ve used one.  Then again, the only thing left would’ve been the OWL.



In summary, Pros: Performance and durability.  Cons: Cost and weight.  IMO you get a lot for what you're paying for that so far I haven't found in another light of similar price point.


20
Reviews / Noveske N9 - 9mm Pistol Caliber Carbine
« on: October 13, 2019, 05:03:11 PM »

Noveske N9

History:

Noveske Rifleworks was founded in 2001 by John Noveske and is best known for their rifle barrels and AR-15 accessories such as the KX5 Firepig.  Noveske doesn’t get hung up on one particular thing, they seem to do what they feel like doing when they want to – forget what a traditional gun company business model says.  They have military inspired rifles like the Recce, Infidel, and Afghan to more humorous takes on pop culture with their Ghetto Blaster and Space Invader.  It’s as if they purposely refuse to be put in a corner and defined as any one genre of manufacturer.  John unfortunately passed away in a tragic car accident in 2013, but the company has managed to adapt to the loss of such a well-respected person in the industry and thrive.







And this is where I’m going to lose a lot of you….



OAL: 31 ¼”
Caliber: 9x19mm
Barrel: 16” Stainless Steel 12 RH Twist
Operating System: Direct Blowback


First Impressions

Like always thank yous are in order before we get started.  Security Equipment brought these rifles in recently, and I’ve been wanting one ever since they were announced during Shot this year.  Thanks to Jason and Stan for your help.

Before we go any further let’s address the elephant in the room – the price.  $2600 for anyone is steep, and you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the stretch, given its pedigree, and how it comes equipped.

Right away, it’s a 16” stainless steel barrel with a 12 RH twist.  Good quality barrel from a great barrel manufacturing company – check.  Magpul Pro sights included – check.  Magpul stock, 60 degree safety, and K grip – check.  Geissele Charging Handle – check.  Cerakoted billet 7075-T6 upper and lower (inside and out) – check.  Noveske 15” MLOK handguard – check.  Geissele MPX trigger – check.  Billet lower with ambi controls, flared magwell, and paddle release – check.  You have to really look at the entire picture to see what you’re getting.  There’s also an internal tension screw that removes any wobble between your upper and lower.

This is honestly the first rifle I’ve bought where I feel the need to change anything. I thought oh cool, I’m good with everything that’s already included, I just need an optic and a sling.  Would I have spent as much piecing out a build myself – probably not, but I also wouldn’t have ended up with Noveske parts and one of the more functional lowers.

Seeing as how it was a direct blow back, I thought, “Oh, this is will be kind of like the Thompson I shot in Vegas, but not as bad (recoil wise).”  Then I broke it open and was pleasantly surprised.  Inside was a VLTOR A5 recoil system.  Comparatively, the LWRC .45 which costs $3K uses a semi-roller delay action to soften recoil and allow for a folding stock.  For those of you who aren’t familiar, the VLOTR A5 basically takes a rifle length buffer and recoil spring and allows it to be used in shorter lower receiver extensions.  The advantage is reduced felt recoil and more consistent functioning of the bolt.  Why is this important in a pistol caliber carbine (PCC)?  Well most PCCs are direct blow back which means that recoil is going to be harsher than your typical AR – that’s been my limited experience with them.

I’m not sure what kind of unicorn-horn magic fairy dust Noveske did but this thing is a dream to shoot.  The action is smooth, and it ate everything I fed it at the range.  It feasted on everything from 147 down to 115, the majority of which was 125 grn.  The only malfunction was due to me accidentally riding the charging handle forward.  I don’t have a ton of time with the N9, only about 300 rounds so I’m going to keep updating this as I encounter things.  I’m interested to find out if there are any issues with the synthetic heads, or self-defense loadings.

Get good mags if you’re going to get a PCC. The N9 comes with a single Metalform mag, but I happened to pick up a few of the Brownells a little while ago.  If you cruise the other competitive shooting forums you’ll hear horror stories of mag related failures.  We’ll see as the round count climbs if my luck with feeding and extracting issues holds up.

Is this the PCC for you?  Is it really worth it?  It really depends on what you want to use it for.  Could you build something for USPSA for yourself for 3/4 the price, certainly.  Would I run this at a USPSA match, probably not.  I do have to say that this is the first rifle I’ve gotten that I haven’t had to change anything right out of the gate.  I think that says a lot about the team over at Noveske. 
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