K9 Treats, Making Dobie Ear Taters
Posted by rick cancino on May 6, 2016 in Articles | Comments Off on K9 Treats, Making Dobie Ear Taters
So, your mutt keeps eating thru bags of snacks like they were…. well. Snacks. Here’s a cost effective way to whip up some snacks for your pup while being healthy, fun and crunchy for them to toss, and tear up. My local Mariano’s has each pound of sweet potatoes at 65 cents. Supplies; Blade, EDC or a Chefs knife Crenellated Tactical Flashlight. spare extended mag. ….I forgot where I was going with this. oh. 4 Sweet Potatoes, try to get them uniform in shape so they are easier to cut into slices. Dehydrator with at least four trays. Figure each Sweet Potato needs 1x tray. Start by slicing off the ends. This will make it easier to slice. Rinse/wash them right after. You can dry them if they are slippery to handle. Cut them on their longest side. About 1x 9mm wide is best. 1/4″ wide is also acceptable. Lay them all out. Set your dehydrator to the highest setting. Mine went up to 160f. I typically run them for about 18hours. If I made any really thin sliced pieces I will pull them out after about 8-10 hours. If your pup is picky or not used to veggies, you can drop some bacon in the bag thats been crumbled up to “infuse” the pieces. It’s been 18 hours, It’s Dobie Ear Tater...
Read MoreRainier Arms RM15 Lower Receiver Setup
Posted by rick cancino on Apr 3, 2015 in Articles, New Products | Comments Off on Rainier Arms RM15 Lower Receiver Setup
This is a short and sweet reference article for folks on the internets trying to find this info. The RM15 lower receiver is reminiscent to the Seekins Sp223 lower receiver with their captured detent spring. This gets us away from the traditional retention method of securing the spring with the buffer endplate. Just be sure you have a .050 allen wrench on hand because they are not commonly found in most generic tool kits. You will have to cut down the detent spring a few coils. Your results may vary due to spring manufacturers so test, cut, test etc until you find your solution. The setup in the following photos only needed 6 coils removed from the spring. Hope this info helps! If it does, leave us a comment below so we know to keep sharing info like...
Read MoreREVIEW: Squared Away Customs, The Spartan IWB Kydex Holster
Posted by rick cancino on Jan 28, 2015 in Articles, New Products | Comments Off on REVIEW: Squared Away Customs, The Spartan IWB Kydex Holster
Kydex holster fabricators are now easier to find than a piece of spent brass at the range. But of course quantity does not bring quality. A quality fabricator can shape a holster to minimize footprint, retain position, wear comfortably all day and most importantly, be consistent in drawing. Without a solid, efficient draw you put yourself and others at risk. It can be difficult to write a review on a product such as a holster because so many different considerations go into what makes for a “good” unit. This article will cover some of the facets of The Spartan and why I so readily recommend it. Squared Away Customs was founded by Mark L. and is based in Vermont. They pride themselves on short lead times and maintaining a high quality standard. Unlike other kydex manipulators I have dealt with, SAC (Squared Away Customs) welcomes custom kydex projects! If you have an idea for a project, contact them thru their website . After using their Spartan holster for a few weeks, I knew they would be the ones to make a custom rig for my P-09. I reached out to Mark at SAC, who is in the process of making this happen. So, look forward to that upcoming review! The Spartan was designed by Cloud Defensive and produced by SAC, and it was crafted specifically for IWB carry. It isn’t an OWB that had the loops removed and some soft loops thrown on it and then dubbed an “IWB Holster.” They took the features they liked the most and avoided the issues other holsters had and thus conceived, The Spartan. One thing I have to say is that I despise the “one size fits all” approach to products that expect you to change, to fit the product. The Spartan holster allows you to change the configuration to best fit your carry style. Whether it is comfort, deep concealment, or grip access, you can configure the holster to reach these goals. You can adjust the loops for different ride heights and then the angle of the loops for different cants. The picture above shows me running the loops with a cant and then the photo below shows a zero cant. If you look at the magazine...
Read MoreSig Sauer SBX vs SB15 Arm Brace Dimensions
Posted by rick cancino on Jan 9, 2015 in Articles, New Products, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Sig Sauer SBX vs SB15 Arm Brace Dimensions
We will probably hear ten different reasons why a second version came out, and thankfully everything you read from the internet is true. I will entertain a couple of them for you guys. One speculation was that due to it’s stock like appearance they wanted to move to a model that was more “brace” like to further avoid any “Stock” debates. Another speculation is that the SBX is just a pure upgrade to the SB15, thinner and lighter. I want to review the apparent dimensional changes and design tweaks they incorporated. Weight comparison. SBX weighs 9.7oz SB15 weighs 11.9oz Here you can see how the SB15 gets some of its additional structure support from its polygonal shape compared to the SBX which has squared off shape. The SBX incorporated a larger velcro strap for additional stability. I have yet to tell the difference between the two in stability, so the larger improved strap may, or may not be to thank for it. Side by side, the SBX has a shorter height. The SB15 has a thicker structure for sure, the SBX was slimmed down and also fluting, this is definitely one of the places they shaved off some of the weight. Calipers on the fluting Caliper on the thicker part of the brace Side by side refernce Now the SB15 and SBx have the same dimensions for mounting to the buffer tube. But where they differ most drastically is the length of each brace. The new SBX brace is shorter and the back end is closed off now. Now because the back end is closed off on the SBX, that will limit how far down the buffer tube you can mount it. I have the SBX mounted as far forward as it can go and you can see the gap that is left in front of the SBX on the KaK Super Sig Tube. I am unsure how I feel about the new SBX. I say this in a positive way! If I don’t hate it means they did not sacrifice anything in this new version, if I don’t love it means you don’t need to run out to replace your current SB15. This is just an article about...
Read MoreGem State Armory, Armorers Wrench & Rainier Switch Installation
Posted by rick cancino on Nov 20, 2014 in Articles, New Products | Comments Off on Gem State Armory, Armorers Wrench & Rainier Switch Installation
I had a hard time deciding one what to write about first, the difficulties I had installing the Rainier Arms Switch handguard, or the success I attained with Gem State Armory’s Wrench. I guess for this one I will start with the problem that introduced me to one of the best wrenches on the market! So we were putting together a 308 upper and decided to use the new Rainier Arms Switch handguard which is made by Fortis MFG. in WA. The difference is minute, the Rainier version just has an awesome angled cut in the front similar to diamondhead’s handguard, but in a lighter fashion. The Switch handguard has a lever to lock the handguard onto the proprietary barrel nut that came with the handguard. This way if you wanted to change out handguards, you can. I don’t know why you would want to change between other switch handguards, so if any of you have an idea why you would, PLEASE comment and let us know! From what I gather, they had a previous barrel nut design that required indexing vs this new design which you just torqued the nut to spec and it was good to go. Where I ran into a problem was with the new barrel nut and the bull barrel (Rainier Arms 308 UltraMatch), none of my adapters or wrenches would fit! Here you can see the standard ar10 style pinned adapter wont fit around the barrel. I contacted Gem State Armory (G.S.A.) and asked them if I had ordered the wrong adapter. Jeff, the Owner of G.S.A. contacted me to help me figure out what was going on. After corresponding back and forth is when we figured out that Fortis/Rainier changed the design and we were able to figure out the specs for a new adapter to work with the new nut and bull barrel. Final Product! Adapter fits like a glove! Here I am starting to crank it down. I completed the install with my torque wrench inserted into the 1/2″ drive port. Now that we got the problems solved of torquing down the barrel nut, now we can talk about the solution bringer! The Gem State Armory wrench is made from...
Read MoreParallax Tactical’s FFSSR Keymod Free Float Rail VS Rainier Arms Force
Posted by rick cancino on Sep 16, 2014 in Articles, New Products, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Parallax Tactical’s FFSSR Keymod Free Float Rail VS Rainier Arms Force
For my AR Pistol build I wanted a light, small handguard. Thankfully customers asked and manufacturers listened so they have been producing some fantastic solutions. Today we are going to do an over view of two handguards. Rainier Arms Force™ Free Float System 9.0 and Parallax Tactical’s PXTreme FFSSR Keymod Free Float Rail 9.2″. Both are keymod based systems which are an effective way to strip handguards of unnecessary rails that only add weight. When a user needs to attach an accessory they only need to attach a keymod rail for the desired add on. The FFSSR rail I opted for the Cerakoted Magpul FDE version, you can order them in a multitude of colors from Parallax. Since I had the Force rail already in use, it has some Noveske NSR covers on it. Technical Specs from Parallax’s website. 9.2″ OAL 6061 T6 Extrusion Type III, Class 2 Hard Anodized and Bead Blasted Finish Features our new barrel nut, 18% lighter than previous at 92g. (Noveske at 84g.) Same slot spacing to take any Magpul MOE rail accessory on the 45 degree slots. 10-32 holes on top rail to mount Sling Studs and future accessories. Included anti-rotational QD hole Includes Barrel Nut, Screws and Includes Optional Shims for spacing Installation Instructions Included Made in USA with Domestically Sourced Materials 1.52″ OD 1.35″ ID (Will not fit most supressors and KX3.) Technical Specs from Rainier Arms Length: 9″ Material: 6061 T6 Finish: Type III Hard Coat Anodized 1913 Continuous top rail Dual anti rotation tabs Keymod Modular attachment system Outer Diameter: 1.8″ Inner Diameter: 1.5″ Weight: 7.8oz with barrel nut Proprietary barrel nut included Armorer’s wrench needed for installation (not included) Outside dimensions 9.2″ Parallax on top and Rainier Arms 9″ on bottom. The FFSSR handguard mounts with 6x mounting screws whereas the RainierArms Force utilizes 8 to secure the handguard to the barrel nut. Both handguards have a QD mounting point in the rear on both sides (pictured above) Now on front end of the handguards you have a bit of a difference between the two units. The Force has another QD mounting point on both sides whereas the FFSSR was able to fit in two more keymod slots. ...
Read MoreDIY: How to get Velcro on your Molle straps for your Patches
Posted by rick cancino on Jun 25, 2014 in Articles, Uncategorized | Comments Off on DIY: How to get Velcro on your Molle straps for your Patches
Ok, so we have all been collecting those awesome patches manufacturers have been giving us with our purchases, but where to put them? I have a bunch of bags with unused molle straps. Lets put them to use! I had a spare roll of 3″ wide velcro sitting around that has “hooking” on the back and loop on the front. I laid down the velcro over the molle straps to estimate the size I wanted before cutting. I took into account the part that extends past the straps to secure the total velcro piece. I cut a piece of velcro off the roll that is the width between the molle straps (depicted in blue). I then pushed the outside “legs” of the velcro backing piece behind the molle straps and left the center to come over the top of the straps. I then took the lateral piece and put it over the outer legs and behind the center piece. This locked the velcro backing piece into place. All done! Now you can throw on some of your favorite patches....
Read MoreTaccom ULW Ultra Light Weight Recoil System
Posted by rick cancino on Jun 12, 2014 in Articles, New Products | Comments Off on Taccom ULW Ultra Light Weight Recoil System
With everyone trying to make the most of their rifles capacity to stay on target during competitions we look to adjustable gas systems to help get us there. If you are constantly changing up the ammunition used in your rifle, an adjustable gas system may not be for you. Because with an adjustable gas system you are now tuning your rifle/pistol to cycle with an exact amount of gas that your ammunition provides. By changing it around without adjustment you can damage your system or have it not function correctly. The plus side is now you can run your reloaded ammunition lighter and have the system cycle perfectly while limiting your muzzle rise and saving you powder (Every grain counts!!) Once you have your adjustable device, whether it’s an adjustable gas block or an adjustable gas key, you can then start reducing your cycling action’s weight. You can go with a lightened bolt carrier group, but be advised Taccom has not had the opportunity to test their system with aluminum or titanium carriers so they advise against using them. The ULW recoil system is only for use with lightweight steel carriers and adjustable gas systems or damage can incur. Just had to put that out there before people got all excited and started throwing things into their rifles without proper preparation… Now that you have reduced your reciprocating mass with a lightweight bolt carrier group, you can reduce the mass of your buffer system. Enter in the Taccom ULW Recoil System. It is comprised of two pieces, the rear is recognized by the pad on it and the front is smooth on the corresponding side. Install is simple, just make sure that the first part you put in is the end with the bumpy pad on it. The smooth bottomed unit is the one that will be making contact with the BCG (Bolt Carrier Group) So why do we have to do all this? The AR15, as well as most other rifle based systems are typically designed to be overgassed, hard cycling units to ensure that they will function with any ammunition you throw at it. The upside, increased reliability. Downside, you now have a cycling system that is going...
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