Rise of the Micro-Dots!

This week in the mountain of new and restocked products that we got in, I noticed a familiar box with a different product inside of it. The Holosun red dots all have similar packaging and just at a glance, you wouldn’t notice any difference. Upon inspection, you would see the insides are different. Much like this Holosun 407K!

From the outside, the 407K and the 507K are identical except for the 1 number difference in the markings. Same battery tray, same battery. Same glass and housing even. The big difference is the LED emitter inside. The 507K gives you 3 options. The 2MOA dot, a circle, and a circle dot.

The 407K however, gives you just one single option. A 6MOA Dot. Now some people might not know why I’m taking time out of my day to write about a $90 difference in very similar products. The key here is that this is one of the very few times, where the cheaper option might just be the more superior.

The 6MOA dot on a micro pistol seems like it is the better option. The 407K and the 507K have very tiny windows. The option of using a circle dot or a circle is kind of limited to the smaller area to actually see it. I would rather run a smaller dot that gives me more visibility overall. I think that the 6MOA dot could be smaller. My preference is a 2.5 or 3.25MOA dot. I think that option somewhere in between the price of these 2 would be the ultimate option.

The Micro-Red dots are becoming more and more popular and the price on them is becoming more and more attractive. I think that in another year or so. We will start seeing more serious options that go beyond cheap glass or polymer housings. We will start seeing other companies getting on board and trying to compete.

Let me know what you guys think about the 407K compared to the 507K. Is the ability to have the other reticles that important to you on a micro-compact handgun? Is the price difference enough to make the 407K the better option? Check out both products on our website and find all the info in the item descriptions!

New Cerakoted Aim Slides!

We have started to experiment with some new came cerakote patterns for our budget friendly Aim 2S Slides. These slides are a great value. Typically you would spend about $100 to get any slide cerakoted in general. Plus you would pay $200+ for a RMR and front serration slide. So you’re looking at a total price of about $300 and we are selling the slides for right at $200. You’re basically getting the cerakote for free!

These are 17 and 19 gen 3 and they are cut for the RMR footprint. They will work with any mil spec components you would use to complete the slide or the normal factory stuff that comes in a Glock already. They are the perfect way to get a fancy slide to upgrade your gun or complete a P80 build you have laying around.

I’m going to talk less in this blog and allow you to just look at all the new colors. If you’re interested in one, stop on over to the website and grab one while you can! We expect these slides to sell pretty fast because of the insane amount of value that we have stuffed into them!

One Sig to rule them all

People always want to know more about our employees. One of the most asked questions we get is ” what’s your favorite gun?” or “what gun are you carrying every day?”

So I figured today I would give you a glimpse into what my answer is… at the moment. lol

My go-to class gun as I would call it. Is my Sig Legion P320. I call it my class gun because it’s an almost 4lb gun when loaded. It’s the gun that I will shoot the most at the range, will take to classes, and compete with. It’s a gun that I am the most proficient with but does not meet the criteria that I have for a carry gun. I love my Legion. It shoots super flat and is crazy heavy. The recoil is almost minimal and makes the gun a joy to shoot. I rock a Leupold Deltapoint Pro. The 2.5MOA version with a simple red dot. It’s a big window and a nice clean crisp dot. I used to run a SRO but it sits a little bit higher than I like and the Leupold fits directly to the slide without an optic plate.

The gun that I do carry however is my 19X. This gun used to be my class gun until I got to the point that I was significantly more proficient with it than any other gun I had ever owned. That gave me the trust in the gun that I wanted it to be my carry gun. I knew that If I ever had to pull this gun, it would be my best chance at succeeding in whatever reason I needed it for. I run quite a few things on this that most people will disagree with.

I rock the SRO with 5MOA dot. I run no backup iron sights. That right there is the part most people won’t like. I enjoy a clear dot with no obstructions in the window at all. I trust the SRO to always have a dot and to not fail me. I know that if the dot does fail, I have enough proficiency to get solid hits from my previous training with this gun. I had it stippled by a co-worker of mine. It has a Parker mountain machine compensator and an apex trigger. these are all things that I think give me my best chance to win in a gunfight.

I carry in a Tier1 Concealed Axis slim holster at the 1 o’clock position. I am a rather large individual and this is the only holster that I can successfully do this with. I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my armory and my personal collection.

New Acro On the Way!

Aimpoint has announced a new optic that should start shipping and showing up to dealers almost immediately. It is the optic that I would say most people thought they were getting when the ACRO was released. This is the ACRO P-2.

When the original ACRO was announced everybody was stoked about the release of a sealed emitter, long battery life, and rugged pistol-sized optic. The RMR had a big downside and that was it was susceptible to the elements. Rain or snow or even debris could affect the dot. When people are looking for optics for their Duty guns or their ” live or die” kit, they typically want the most bomb-proof things they can find. The RMR was close, but still missing that element proofing. That was the reason the hype for the ACRO was so insane.

Then the realization set in that the specs of the new ACRO were very underwhelming. The battery life was laughable the mounting system was new and nonexistent and many things could not be retrofitted to work. For years we have now heard good review after good review talking about how much people enjoyed the ACRO, just to have the review flop at the fact that the specs were holding it back.

The new release has supposedly fixed the main worries of the first-gen. The new specs advertise ” an improved LED emitter coupled with a higher capacity CR2032 battery to provide an astonishing five years (50,000 hours) of constant -on power”. This one improvement right here will be the single thing that makes the ACRO P-2 the best-selling handgun optic in the near future I think.

We see plenty of military units and branches using optics on their handguns already. We are even starting to see police departments and local LEOS with them on their duty guns. The RMR is more than likely the optic they are going with now. I do see that changing though when this version of the ACRO starts to get more widely used. The weather sealing itself is a good enough reason to upgrade and change out all the RMRs. While I myself, will still continue to use the RMR on my personal stuff. I don’t do anything on a daily basis that I don’t see the RMR living up to and surviving.

I would love to see what everyone else’s opinions are on the upgrade. Do you see it replacing duty optics? Do you plan to pick one up and try it yourself? We plan to have these in stock as quickly as we can. We want to run one through its paces and see how it holds up.

Your NEX and last Belt!

If you were to browse our website and look around you wouldn’t find a ton of apparel or nylon gear at all. Typically it’s hard to stock multiple sizes and colors of stuff like that because it’s hard to gauge what is in style or popular at the time.

You will however notice that if you google EDC belts or gun belts you’ll see a million and one different kinds. Out of all those options, the 1 belt that we do carry is the NEXBELT. This thing has been a game-changer for me and all the people I have recommended it to. The NEXBELT is a ratchet style belt that is extremely sturdy, comfortable, and fits just about everybody’s size.

The belt starts out unassembled and at a 50 Length. You cut it down to your size, install the set screws and you’re good to go. What’s nice about it is lots of times people are between sizes and one hold is too tight, one is too loose and somehow none are just right. This belt allows you to put on the gun and holster, then pull the belt as tight as you need. Getting ready to run around a bunch? Pull that belt tight and make sure that the gun doesn’t bounce around. About to get into the car and need a little breathing room? No problem, just pull the lever and the belt will naturally release and open up to the width you want it.

The belts are so convenient and work great and they come in a bunch of different colors. They have multiple belt designs, buckle designs, and materials. We carry the EDC ones and they are literally the only belt we even go out of our way to carry. With all the options out there we like to carry any product that we stand behind or care about even if it’s not something in our wheelhouse. That’s the benefit of being a big enough company that we can support the ones that we like ourselves.

Enough Fiber in your Life?

For the past several years we have been having products made to our specifications for a bunch of different products that we feel the industry has been slacking.

The first upgrade that many people do with their new handgun is take it out to shoot and quickly realize they don’t like their factory sights. A lot of times a new set of sights can quickly take a gun that you were shooting OK, and turn it into a gun you just put 5 shots in the same hole. Some people just naturally shoot different kinds of sights better.

I personally prefer a red dot. Huge shocker there right? Typically though I run a set of black-out sights because I don’t want my front sight catching my eye while I’m looking for a dot. When I’m not running a red dot, I prefer to have fiber optics. Fiber optics can be used almost the same way. You can use a blackout rear and a bright fiber optic front. Pretty much take that shiny front sight and put it on your target and pull the trigger. Can’t be easier than that. Some people love them, some people hate them, but either way, you weren’t gonna pick up a good set of fiber optic sights for under $80…

That’s where we came in. We have all kinds of sights now being made for $39.95 and you can get them in suppressor height and normal height. It now doesn’t have to cost almost $100 to add some better sights to your gun. We have Glock and Sig sights and about 10 different variations. They can be found on our website and we plan to release more kinds as the years go on. So if you’re looking for something specific, let us know on one of our social media platforms or even shoot us an email. Until next time, stay safe and healthy everyone!

Police Trade-In Sigs!

It has been a while! Back before COVID became a thing, you could browse our website and see probably 4 different SKUs of Police Trade-In firearms. The super-cheap M&P40s, the abundant Sigs, and the easily convertible Glock 22s. We were well known as the place to stop and pick up a cheap turn-in and have a nice plinker for the range or even a gun good enough to carry.

Ever since COVID hit, the police trade-in market kind of dried up. The guns that we used to get were being bought faster than we could bid on. Plus other companies who couldn’t get their hands on guns at all, were paying way too much for them and then selling them at a higher markup than new guns would even cost. That time was wicked. For months people were overpaying for everything just to get something at all. We DIDN’T want to play that way.

So because the prices were outrageous it didn’t do us any good to buy expensive trade-in guns and sell them to you at a price we couldn’t imagine asking you to pay. So we backed off for a little bit. Now that things are starting to simmer back down, at least on the gun side of things. Ammo not so much. We have managed to get some decently priced Sigs back in the building. There are some 229s,226s, and even some old revolvers from Smith and Colt that came in. The Sigs will hit the website and we will give tons of people the chance to get them. The one-off revolvers though will go to our Showroom. So if you’re a local guy. I would recommend making a trip down if you want a pricey revolver at a good discount. I got to handle a few of them and boy did they look good. Stop in, check out the website, or just say Hey on one of our social media platforms. We are always happy to answer any questions or help out any way we can!

Training with Langdon Tactical

If you have ever owned, wanted to own, or do currently own a Beretta, then you have more than likely heard of the name Ernest Langdon. Most commonly associated with Langdon Tactical. He is known for his custom shop buttery smooth and downright beautiful Beretta builds.

The class was Hosted by Fire Ridge Defense in Mt. Gilead Ohio. Super nice range and run by some cool people. Off the beaten path and kinda private. Nice to know you won’t have to worry about random people walking onto/into your class and disrupting it.

While I was not shooting a Beretta for this class. About 12 other guys were rocking exactly what they were meant to be. A custom Langdon Tactical 92, or an M9, or even a couple dudes had PX4s. The class was to learn about how to run your Beretta better. SOOO you’re probably asking why I wasn’t running a Beretta. I enjoy taking classes and learning as much as possible. While I wasn’t interested in learning strictly about DA/SA triggers and how to shoot them, Ernest doesn’t teach a lot of classes that make their way out in our area too often. This year in fact he’s only teaching a handful to begin with.

So I figured while the opportunity was there I would take the class and learn what I could and attempt to get a fast coin. There aren’t many of them out there and while I could do it in training. I ended up not leaving with one. Just like the other hundreds to fail. The standard is hard and it pushes you to be fast. Faster than I was able to be and do on-demand. That is the reason that I think drills like his and standards are great in the training world. You can shoot and train all day, but you don’t get any better if there isn’t a purpose behind it.

Overall this class was great. Got to take one of my dream classes and get away from a weekend of working. I know you don’t need my recommendation, but if you have the chance. I would hands down take a Langdon class. Especially if you are a Beretta guy at all, to begin with.

AK US Palm Mags!

I can say that I’m personally not huge into the AK world, but I know that just about anybody that shoots AKs hardcore is all about the US Palm Grips For the longest time the AK market was dying for a grip that fits universally and wasn’t a slick wooden grip digging into your hand.

Magpul was the go-to for a long time but some people that didn’t want to “Sporterize” their rifles wanted something that was less like an AR grip and more traditional to the rifle.

This is where US Palm grips come into play. They keep a more traditional look to the grip and come in colors that you can often find matching the wooden furniture on the guns. They have a nice texture, they are super thin and ergonomic, and they were relatively affordable.

Right now we have all 3 of the popular colors in stock. They are up on the website and they are probably the best selling AK grips that we have ever carried. So if you’re looking for something to spice up your rifle or your old wooden one has started to splint. This the upgrade for you!

AimSurplus has 9mm In!

Steel case ammo is one of the most taboo subjects in the gun world. There is a huge community of people that wouldn’t touch the stuff with their buddy’s gun. Then there are guys who only shoot steel case and laugh in the face of those who don’t.

The common thought in the naysayers head about steel case ammo, is that the ammo is going to damage their gun. They are right and wrong all at the same time. Typically we don’t recommend shooting steel ammo in a few scenarios. 1. If you have a stainless steel barrel. The steel-on-steel contact will wear your barrel about 30% faster than normal. 2. If you have a relic or antique firearm. Lots of older guns were not treated to the same hardness or tested to the same level of newer firearms. So if you do manage to break an extractor or something like that, the part may be difficult to replace.

Other than those 2 reasons. There really isn’t a good reason to not be shooting steel-cased ammo. The steel case is harder than brass, so the extractors of most guns don’t bite into it as deep and they can extract kind of weak. They don’t expand in the chamber so you get less built up pressure and more debris in the upper of the firearm from gas blowback.

What that means to me is that all of my modern firearms that have nitrided or heat-treated barrels, making them harder than steel will be fine. If for some reason I manage to break an extractor off of one of my guns. The money I save shooting steel case as opposed to brass, will pay for a new extractor 10 times over.

If it comes down to shooting 500 rounds of steel or 300 rounds of brass on a training day. I’ll take the steel ammo all day every day. The Pros far outweigh the Cons. Typically the steel is a few bucks cheaper and more readily available. These weird COVID times have swapped things around and jumbled prices and whatnot. However, in normal times it’s the way to go. So if you’ve ever heard about steel case ammo gumming up a gun and being the reason it won’t work. It’s probably not really the ammo’s fault. Our company shoots Tens of thousands of steel case ammo a year with no problem.