6/25/08 - Here's the next accessory for shooters that I've come up with, in collaboration with EMDOM USA. Are you tired of bringing your loose ammo to the range in ratty plastic or mesh bags, tearing at the seams with rounds falling out of splitting sides and open tops? Do you wish ammo cans were lighter and didn't take up space when empty? Do you hate the noise ammo cans make when they're half full and fall over when you're turning in the car? Do you wish ammo can handles were more comfortable to carry? Well, I've got the solution for you - the EMDOM USA/MM Ammo SAC (Soft Ammo Can).

Concept - When I head to the range, I bring loose ammo in ammo cans, individual boxes or individual boxes emptied into plastic bags (if I don't have enough cans around). I dislike bringing individual cardboard boxes to the range as I have to open them up, get the rounds out, then discard the boxes. So, for quite a while, I've been emptying the rounds from cardboard packaging into whatever I could bring to the range. Loose ammo is just quicker to load into the mags. I'd sometimes use the plastic bags that the ammo was packaged in, but they don't last long. Other nylon bags aren't designed to hold 1000 rounds of ammo, and didn't have proper handles. So, I decided to come up with a simple solution to my issue - the SAC (Soft Ammo Can). EMDOM turned the concept into actual product with their usual attention to detail, excellent workmanship and quality.

Description - The EMDOM USA/MM SAC is a purpose-designed and built bag for carrying loose ammo. The SAC comes in two convenient sizes:
Small, which fits the contents of a standard 30 cal ammo can (10" x 7" x 3").
Large, which fits the contents of a large 50 cal ammo can (11.5" x 7" x 6").

Whatever the amount of ammo you can fit into the steel ammo cans (e.g. 750 rounds of 5.56mm in the small can and at least 1000 rounds in the large can), you can fit into the SACs. The large SAC measures approximately
8.5" long x 6.5" wide x 7.5" tall. The small SAC is about 7" long x 5" wide x 6" tall.

Materials - The SACs are constructed of 500D cordura, with double-stitched seams and fully seam taped. Both small and large sizes are available in Coyote and Foliage green. The bottom is reinforced with a layer of 1000D cordura. I've been using both my prototypes for the past year or so, filling them up to the brim with 7.62mm, 5.56mm, .45 ACP, 9mm, shotshells etc, with no signs of wear or tear.

Other Features

• Flat bottom - The SACs have a rectangular, flat bottom so they sit flat and open for easy access.
• Cinch cord opening - The full size opening has a cinch cord closure with cord lock. Inside the opening is a sleeping-bag compression sack-style flap. The flap keeps the opening closed and the contents secure when the cord is cinched tight. I wanted the SAC to be able to open up to its full diameter, for easiest access to the loose ammo inside. The flap lays outside or can be tucked out of the way.
• Carry handles - 1" low profile carry handles; I wanted them to be as short as possible so as not to get in the way. The handles are actually a single length of webbing that wraps under the SAC completely. The take-off point is box and cross stitched, and reinforced with a second piece of webbing.
• Outer slot pocket for ammo label - This is a slot pocket with clear 3" x 2" window for putting a note or card with ammo data/label. I usually tear off the end of the ammo package and stick it in the pocket.
• Internal mag loader pocket - An internal 4.5" x 4" deep slot pocket will hold most compact pistol or rifle mag loaders, like Maglula or C-mag loaders.
• Folds up flat and compact - Both SACs will fold up flat neatly and can be stuffed into your range bag pocket.

I've used the SACs for rifle, pistol and shotgun ammo, and also to carry loaded mags (the larger one is great for M4 mags). I typically use a large one for rifle ammo and the smaller one for handgun ammo. I find it useful to have each size in different colours, so I can differentiate them at a glance, as I sometimes being different caliber weapons to the range. If need be, the small one can also be 'nested' inside the large one. After shooting, I've used them to pick up my empty brass. The SACs are not limited to carrying ammo; you can put whatever you want in them. They're very quiet, especially when filling or emptying them. No more rattling or clanking, whether full or partially.

Anyways, I hope shooters will enjoy the added convenience that the ammo SACs provide. Enjoy, and thanks for looking. See ya at the range.

3/3/07 - Here's a sneak preview of my latest design project that I am collaborating with EMDOM USA on. I came up with the concept and sketch back in July '06, and after a couple of prototype and changes, it is finally in production (available now, from EMDOM, also pre-orders at i-SHOT inc. ). It's nothing high-speed; just something that I think most shooters will find a very practical shooting accessory, in my humble opinion.

Concept - If you go shooting, whether it be at an indoor our outdoor range, or just out in the field, chances are that you've had to disassemble your weapon, either to take a look at a problem, or simply to clean it. Even when shooting off the bench at an outdoor range, it's nice to have a clean surface. Most of us have an old T-shirt or towel to do the work on, and keep the oily parts out of the dirt. I usually carry a G.I. M16 cleaning kit pouch with my sectional cleaning rod, small bottles of bore solvent and oil, jags, brushes, and maybe another one with some essential tools and spare parts. Every time I've had to break all of this stuff out, and find a clean surface to work on my gun, I thought about how nice it'd be to be able to have all of these in one package for the field. I did some research, and while I found cleaning kit pouches and mats, they were always separate, and the mats were too bulky and large for practical field use. And of course, none of them were built out of 1000D cordura in cool colours. So, the KitMat idea was born.

The KitMat is a fold-up/roll-up cleaning kit pouch, with attached mat (hence the imaginative name). The mat itself is a 24" x 19" piece of coated 1000D cordura. At one end are some grommets, two of which have a loop of shock cord attached. The shock cords keep the mat rolled up tightly. At the other end are two cordura pouches with internal pockets for cleaning kits and spare parts.

Empty and rolled up, it's approximately the same length as a G.I. M16 cleaning kit pouch (9.5"). The diameter depends on how much stuff you put in the pouches. To unroll it, the shock cord loops are passed over the ends of the roll, and the mat unrolled completely. Then it's unfolded and spread out flat.

Mat - I sized the dimensions of the mat very carefully. I didn't want it to be too small as to be unusable, and I didn't want it to be too large as it'd be too bulky. The size of the pouches were based on the G.I. pouch dimensions, and dicatated the width of the mat. 24" x 19" ended up being the optimum size. It's large enough to lay out the parts of a disassembled carbine (as shown below). It's also wide enough to be used as a mini shooting mat to rest your elbows on if you're lying on dirt and rocks. You can also sit on it if the ground is wet (the coated Cordura is pretty water resistant), or even use it to put food on and eat off, instead of in the dirt, or on a rock. But its primary purpose is to keep your disassembled weapon's components out of the dirt. I've found it useful at home, just in case I knock over my bottle of solvent on to the carpet. It'll keep it from soaking through for a few moments and buy time. The edges of the mat are finished with seam tape.

Small parts area - In one corner of the mat near the right pouch is a 6" x 4" area of loop velcro. Supplied are two 3" and two 4" lengths of 1"-wide hook velcro, with sewn-over ends. These are for securing small springs, pins and other small parts to the velcro patch to prevent loss. Place the part on the velcro patch, and stick the velcro strip over it. If the wind catches the mat and blows it over, at least these small parts won't get lost. The velcro strips store on the patch when not in use.

Pouches - The KitMat has two zippered pouches, using YKK zippers and cord pulls. Each one is 9" x 3" x 1", and will open out flat. Inside each pouch are 420D compartments/pockets.
The left pouch has two 4" x 3" compartments, and will fit cleaning patches, most bore brushes and jags, or small solvent/oil bottles. Inside the lid is a long 9" x 3" pouch with velcro-secured flap. This is sized to fit G.I. sectional cleaning rods and commercial pistol cleaning rods. The pockets aren't flap, but are pleated at the corners so they expand.
The right pouch has an identical flapped pocket inside the lid, and a full-length compartment at the bottom. These will hold bolt carriers, boresnakes, toothbrushes, my AR chamber guide, spare parts in plastic baggies etc. Stuff can be stored between the pockets instead of inside them as well. All pockets and compartment openings are designed to be accessed easily when the pouches are opened out flat. All seams are finished with seam tape.

To roll it up, the dirt/sand is shaken off the mat, and the mat is simply folded in half. The dirty side of the cordura is always down or inside, and doesn't dirty the upper surface or pouches when rolled up. When the mat is folded in half, it's rolled around the pouches, then the shock cords are slipped over the ends to keep it from unrolling. It's compact enough to fit in most rifle cases with the rifle, and any range bag, ammo can or ruck.

I've used the KitMat prototypes over the course of the past few months, tweaking the design, to ensure that it performed as I envisioned. I usually stock it with both a rifle and pistol cleaning kit, essential tools and spare parts for whatever weapon I have with me. I've used it on filthy indoor range tables full of unburnt power particles, in the dirt/sand, as a mat on shooting benches and at home on the floor and table. When it gets too dirty, you can throw it in the wash, or just dunk it in the sink and scrub it off (after emptying its contents of course).

I'm happy to report that it works exactly as I envisioned, and that EMDOM USA did a great job bringing the idea to life, with their typical high quality.

Update 4/28/07 - Other coloured KitMats shown below - Black (by request of i-SHOT), Foliage Green and Army UCP. i-SHOT and EMDOM will be offering a mix of the colours, so check both sources for particular ones. All of them have colour-matched zippers, velcro and shock cord. The inside pockets are all grey nylon.

Here's a method of folding the KitMat with the pouches on the outside, for easier access to the contents without having to unroll the mat. The shock cord is still used to secure the KitMat together, and will have to be disengaged to access the pouches.

8/29/08 - Many shooters are already familiar with Maglula Ltd., and their innovative magazine loaders. I've been using one for my AR15 for a number of years. Their newest offering is the StripLULA, which loads M16/AR15 magazines using stripper clips or loose rounds. I'll also cover some of their LULA models for other weapons in this writeup, including the UpLULA for pistols.

Background - The name 'maglula' is made up of the words 'magazine loaders and unloaders accessories'. maglula is an Israeli company and was established in 2001 by Guy Tal and his father, Ran. Ran is the chief inventor of maglula's products and is an 'old school' engineers, making prototypes on his workbench at home from scratch with no paper, drawings or computers. maglula's products are pretty ingenious designs, in my opinion. The LULAs are designed to load single/loose rounds into magazines, making it much easier on the fingers and thumb, and reducing wear on magazine feed lips. All of them are constructed using durable reinforced polymer and will last for tens of thousands of rounds.

LULA - The LULA (magazine Loader and Unloader) is probably the product that most people are familiar with. The LULA is made to fit specific magazines, or standard variants of the same, and are made for most popular 5.56mm, .308, 7.62mm and 9mm rifle and submachinegun magazines. Some of them will be covered below.

The LULAs share a common design and method of operation - they attach to the top of the magazine and lock on. The main difference between the various LULAs is how they lock on to the different magazines. The LULAs have a lever which stows inside the body when not in use. The lever is pulled up when the LULA is to be used and it rocks back and forth on a pivot. The lever has two cams on the inside end, which push down on the top round in the magazine, alternating left and right when the lever is moved forwards and backwards. When the top round is pushed down, it makes space for the next one to be loaded, case first, without putting any tension on the feed lips. With the magazine facing 'bullets up', one round is loaded with each flip of the lever. I find it easier to handle the magazine if I rest the baseplate against my body and work the lever with one hand, while the other hand loads loose rounds. Unlike loading by hand, the LULA helps prevent wear and tear on feed lips.

To unload a full or partially full magazine, the LULA is placed over the top and the magazine oriented so the bullets point down. The lever is worked back and forth and the rounds drop out. All LULAs have a small split ring at the rear for tethering. On average, you can load about one round per second.

M16/AR15 LULA - This is the first LULA I ever bought, and have used it over the past few years. It slides over and locks onto any standard AR15 or M16 magazine utilizing the mag catch detent on the body. While easier than loading by hand, I didn't find it that much faster, and also started using my 5-round C-mag loader which I think is a bit faster. However, sometimes rounds don't line up right in the C-mag loader and I have to shake it to re-seat them. My new favourite AR15 mag loader for loose rounds is the new StripLULA shown below.

M1A LULA - The M1A LULA has a small square 'pin' fits in the front square hole on the magazine body. It is installed by slipping it over the magazine at the front first, and inserting the square pin into the hole. There is a 'lock wire' that rotates down and locks the LULA on the rear mag catch of the magazine. Loading is performed as normal, by moving the lever up and down with the magazine front facing up. I noticed a difference between mil-spec M1A mags and aftermarket. The rounds would sometimes stick in the aftermarket mag when unloading and I'd have to shake the mag a bit before they fell out. No probs with the USGI mag.

FN FAL LULA - The FN FAL LULA will fit all 10/20/30 round FAL metric and inch type magazines, as well as L4A1 and L1A1 mags. It functions essentially identically to the M1A LULA. The front of the LULA has a cutout which fits over the front protrusion on the magazine, and the rear lockwire locks it in place on the rear catch. Watch a short video demonstrating the M1A and FAL LULAs.

AK LULA - The AK LULA will fit all AK-47 7.62mm and Galil 5.56mm magazines, as well as most AK-74 mags. Like the FAL and M1A LULAs, the AK LULA is slipped over the front of the mag body first, engaging the front locking tab on the magazine, then clicking it on the rear catch of the magazine. Loading and unloading is as with the other LULAs. To detach, the lock tongue at the rear is lifted slightly to release it from the mag body.

StripLULA - The StripLULA is maglula's latest offering (at the time of this writing). It will work with all M16/AR15 magazines; both metal and plastic. It's very compact and will easily stow just about anywhere. The tail end of the StripLULA body slides into the stripper clip grooves at the rear of the magazine. The grooves are pretty shallow, so it's recommended that the tail end of the StripLULA is held to the magazine securely by a finger. There is a slider that moves up and down the body; and stows on the rear of the body. A loaded stripper clip is slid into the body of the loader, and the tail end of the body secured to the magazine with a finger. The slider is then turned over the rounds and quickly slid towards the magazine to load it. The magazine is then turned upside down to drop the empty stripper clip from the loader and is ready for the next one. To load loose rounds, the magazine is held horizontally and ten loose rounds are slid into the loader, ensuring that the base of the case is all the way down in the loader. The same procedure is used to load them into the magazine; by placing two fingers on the slider and quickly moving it towards the magazine. The magazine must be horizontal (with the bullet tips up), or else the rounds will fall out of the loader.

The tail end has a short tab which can be used to unload the magazine. It is used to press the second round in the magazine downward enough to release the top round, which just drops out when the magazine is facing downward. The StripLULA is my new favourite AR mag loader as it's quicker than the LULA, and easier than the C-mag loader I was using. I made a short demo video to illustrate how the StripLULA works, loading 10 rounds for brevity, along with the AK LULA.

upLULA - Now when this came out and I used it, I thought to myself, "Whoa, this is really an ingenius design!" Ran Tal designed an innovative and unique loader that would load most pistol calibers including 9mm, .357, 10mm, .40 and .45, into both single and double stack mags from most manufacturers. This is accomplished by a tapered hood that accomodates both single and double stack magazines. The hood automatically centers the magazine in the upLULA body. A steel 'beak' is attached to a pivoting portion of the body called the 'press'. When the press is closed, the beak presses down on the magazine follower when the upLULA is slid over a magazine and pushed downwards. It is recommended that the base of the magazine is placed against something like a table or hip. A round is inserted between the feed lips and the press is opened, and the beak is withdrawn. The spring loaded tapered hood then allows the upLULA to be raised and the process repeated until the magazine is full. Note that there are a few magazines that the upLULA will not work with - visit the upLULA page to see which ones they are.

UpLULA

Double stack mag

Single stack mag

The upLULA is small enough to fit into a pocket and very easy to use once you've tried it a couple of times. I have tried it on all my magazines and it works like a charm on them all. I'm faster using the upLULA than loading the old way. For the higher cap mags, it really saves the thumb and fingers and makes loading those last few hard-to-load rounds so much easier. It's ambidextrous, and made of tough reinforced polymer. You can leave all the other pistol loaders at home as now you only need one pistol loader - the upLULA. It truly is a Universal Pistol Magazine Loader. See a short upLULA demo video here. Note that when Guy Tal saw my video, he mentioned that I should grip the upLULA with my index finger going over the top (see pics below). That way, it's much easier to push down with. Watch magLULA's demo video here.

Correct UpLULA grip

Maglula's magazine loaders are easy to use and help prevent damage to magazine feed lips. Best of all, they prevent sore thumbs and fingers. If you're shooting a lot of rounds, you'll be glad you had a LULA on hand.

8/3/08 - As 5.56mm ammunition prices have more than doubled over the past couple of years like the price of gas, and don't seem to be going down anytime soon, I've been shooting a dedicated .22lr upper on my AR-15 lowers for plinking, close-range (less than 25 yards) drills and practice, and just plain fun. I use the BDM (Black Dog Machine) magazine. It holds 27 rounds of .22lr and comes in skinny and full size. I use the full size which looks like a regular 30-round magazine and fits into 30-round mag pouches. My only gripe with the BDM mag is that it's hard to load, once you get past 15 round or so. You have to push each round down with the one you're trying to insert, and it's not easy with the curvature of the .22lr case. The result: sore and tired fingers. I cut one inch off the magazine spring, which helped a bit, and didn't affect functioning, but I resorted to banging the bottom of the mag on the table while loading it to help me push each round in when the spring got compressed.

I'm surprised that no one has come up with a simple thumb loader for the BDM mags yet. BDM should come up with a simple thumb loader in addition to the more sophisticated/expensive one they're working on. Just a simple molded piece of plastic will do. Everyone's waiting for the more sophisticated mag loaders to come out, but until then, all I wanted was something to help save my thumb and fingers. It would just need to be like a pistol mag loader that fits over the BDM mag, and pushes the top round down so the next one can be inserted. If fact, would a pistol mag loader work? My first experiment was with a Glock pistol mag loader. The plastic was kind of brittle and thin, and prone to cracking. I used scissors and a dremel. It worked semi-ok, but I dremeled the center post too narrow and it'd start angling sideways so I had to junk it.

I looked in my parts box to see what I had, and found a Safariland polymer mag loader for double stack 9mm or single stack .45 pistol mags that was sturdily built, and looked like it might work. It's require extensive modification though. I thought about how I wanted to do the modification, and started cutting. I used a saw to cut off the front and part of the rear, so that it could be slid over the BDM mag. I then dremeled the crap out of it, ending up with what I've shown below. The center post has to be narrowed to fit between the feed lips of the BDM mag, and a lot of the internal plastic had to be removed. Important note - the center post is hollow and needs to be reinforced or it will bend. I filled it with JB Weld (I took the photo before it was filled). Any strong epoxy will do. I don't have a 'formal' description of what I did - it was dremel/check and dremel again until it worked. So if you plan on doing it yourself, look at the pics below as a reference. It's not pretty, but it works.

It's obviously not as good as a loader that would be designed for the BDM mags, but it actually works pretty well. It sure beats pushing that top round down with my finger or the other round. The loader doesn't fit in the recessed channels on the sides of the mag so it's held in place by the non-loading hand. I guess I could fabricate and glue a couple of panels to the inside of the sides so they run in the channels on the side of the BDM mag, but haven't bothered to do so. Push down on the top round, insert a new one, let the loader spring up and repeat. It's not a speedloader, but a thumb/finger saver. Even so, loading a BDM mag is easier and quicker than before. Until a dedicated loader for BDM mags comes out, this is what I'm using. I shot a short video demonstration to illustrate how it works.

11/4/07 - The CrossTac AR-15 Armorer Block is reversible block that will fit both upper and lower receivers on an AR-15 and hold it for gunsmithing tasks. I've assembled and disassembled quite a few AR-15s over the years, and have found that some kind of specialized aid that holds the parts in place is much more convenient than wrapping them in a cloth and sticking them in a vice. It also prevents damage to the components.

The CTAC Armorer Block is machined from solid UHMW HDPE and is virtually indestructible and resistant to oils and solvents. It will not marr nor scratch a receiver. The Armorer Block is available by itself or as a kit with the addition of the hammer block and punch. The Armorer block fits in any standard lower receiver, either from the bottom or top of the mag well, to hold the receiver right side up or upside down. There are mag catch slots on both sides to hold it securely in the lower when installed. The block will also fit standard upper receivers by flipping it over. There is a gas tube relief slot on the top, but it wasn't cut deep enough to accomodate the gas tube on my version. Future versions will have the slot relieved enough so that the block fits all the way into the upper when a gas tube is installed. It's not too critical, as most people use an Armorers block to install barrels. This is generally performed without the gas tube, of course, so the point might be moot. However, some may want to use the block for other purposes when a gas tube is present, like handguard/rail system installation or mounting scopes. There's also a small hole in the side of the Armorer Block to aid in punching out the trigger guard roll pin. The lower receiver is supported by the block and the roll pin punched out into the hole. It's meant to be used with the pistol grip removed.

The Hammer Block slides into the top of the mag well and provides a surface for the hammer to drop instead of slamming against the receiver if it's pulled when working on a trigger job. With both the Armorer and Hammer blocks installed, the lower receiver is supported vertically and the bolt catch is held captive. This is handy when installing the bolt carrier release catch roll pin, which has to be punched from the rear. The CNC stainless steel Bolt Catch Pin Punch has a small hole on its end to hold the roll pin and is long enough to reach the bolt catch.

The Armorer Block fit my standard uppers, as well as LMT MRP, Vltor MUR and LaRue Stealth Uppers (since they all have standard internal dimensions). The Block is not pinned to the upper, and so depends on a snug fit to retain it. When installing a longer or heavy barrel, the end of the barrel might have to be supported to prevent the upper from rotating down. Normally, a hand on the top or front of the upper, pushing it against the Block is sufficient to keep it in place. If you work on ARs, the CrossTac Kit is definitely worth considering.

10/19/07 - The Ergo Rear Squeeze Bag by IST Designs and available from CrossTac is replacing my old USGI sock filled with sand as my rear stock bean bag for shooting rifles off the bench or in the prone position (when using a bipod or front rest). The Ergo is constructed of a unique one-way stretch, tough, rubberized material that stretches vertically when you squeeze the bag (when it's on its end). The Ergo has an oval cross section, and measures approximately 5.5" long x 4" wide x 2" thick. The Ergo can be used in all three postions - flat, on its side, and on the end.

The Ergo has a wrist strap across its length which secures it in your palm, or be used as a tether point. The Ergo comes pre-filled with inert poly beads. They're very lightweight and won't retain moisture. They're also easier to squeeze than sand when adjusting the height of the bag. The Ergo has a zippered opening for easy access to the filling.

It can be used with just about any rifle for rear support, placed under the stock or pistol grip. The rubberized material is non-slip, and keeps it in place. Out with the old and in with the new, the Ergo has found a permanent place in my range bag.

6/11/07 - The Norton's Universal Cleaning Stick from Countycomm is one of those simple, inexpensive tools that makes cleaning weapons just a bit easier. The U.C.S. is a a little flat piece of hard but flexible plastic, about 4.3" long and .375" wide, and about as thick as a wooden ice cream stick. The thickness tapers down at each end to create a sharp edge. One end has rounded corners and the other has a sharp corner. This stick gets into the nooks and crannies of a firearm that are overlooked or missed much of the time. For getting into narrow grooves, I usually break a wooden q-tip in two and use the sharp point, or use a dental pick with a cleaning patch on the end to get the gunk out. The wooden Q-tip usually breaks and the dental pick can scratch firearm finishes.

I used the U.C.S. to see what I could scrape from a slide I had already cleaned and was surprised at how much I had missed. I wrapped the end in a patch and used the stick to move the patch in the grooves and recesses. It came out pretty dirty. The U.C.S. can also be used to scrape carbon from under extractors on pistols that you don't usually remove them from. I used a knife and added a couple of small notches at the ends of the U.C.S. - the notches grabbed the patch better when moving it around, so it wouldn't slip off the end of the U.C.S. The U.C.S. comes in orange or brown and are a good addition to any cleaning kit.

MD Labs XF7 Grease and SLIP 2000 Gun Care Products

10/2/04 - I actually got the SLIP 2000 products and MD Labs XF7 grease a while ago - almost a year for the SLIP 2000 stuff. I held off from writing any sort of review as I wanted to use these products for a while. As I don't get out to the range as often as I'd like, it takes me some time before I can get any sort of idea about how well gun care products work. If you're like me, you have bottles of different kinds of oils, solvents etc. I'm a sucker for products that claim to make my weapon function better and get clean faster.

The XF7 grease was developed by MD Labs, the makers of Mad Dog knives. It's distributed by MAXPEDITION Hard-use gear. From the Maxpedition website -

"Formulated specifically for protecting modern weapons and tools in extremely adverse conditions, MD Labs XF7 is a truly water-proof grease with extraordinary powers of lubrication and corrosion inhibition. XF7 will not run/melt/drip even when heated; it remains where you applied it and continues to protect at high cyclic rates and at high temperatures of up to 500 degrees F. XF7 guards metal surfaces in marine and under-water environments; it continues to work even in boiling salt water. Long after conventional oils or greases have washed/melted/boiled off, XF7 is still right where you put it, functioning at optimal level. Use non-toxic, non-staining, non-corrosive, O-ring friendly MD Labs XF7 for your high performance weapons, tactical knives, and tools because they deserve the best."

My particular interest in it was for the AR-15 series of weapons. I've found that the bolt gets dry after a few hundred rounds - the oil gets burned off or turned to carbon. XF7 seemed like it might work a bit longer to keep the bolt lubricated. Rather than repeat what's on the website, read the general information sheet, and instructions for use in the M16/AR15 series of weapons here. In a nutshell, you have to degrease/clean all components, apply a thin coat of XF7, and then lubricate with oil as usual. By following instructions, I found that the XF7 still remained on the components, after the oil had disappeared. It didn't gunk up any more than usual, and hasn't seemed to affect reliability adversely in any way. Using a very light coat spread with my fingers on handgun components before lubing with oil also seems to work very well. The grease stay put where the oil might run off.

The SLiP 2000 gun care products seen above are just a few of the many offered by SLiP 2000. Their CLP is a light, completely synthetic oil which contains NO silicone or teflon. Their 725 cleaner/degreaser, I've found works well, but doesn't dissolve carbon as well as M-Pro7 gun cleaner (in my personal experience), which I've been using for years. That's ok, as they also have their Carbon cutter which DOES work rather well to dissolve carbon deposits after soaking. It works best when parts are allowed to soak for a while. The large jar comes with wire hangers for submerging parts in it. You don't have to filter it when it gets dirty. It doesn't make the tough deposits on the back of the bolt simply disappear, but it gets most of the carbon off. Still need a little elbow grease.

I'm using the SLiP 2000 CLP as my gun oil, in combination with the XF7 grease, and it's worked very well so far. I found Break-free CLP to get rather gunked up and dirty in my weapons, while the lighter SLiP 2000 doesn't gunk up as bad. Reports from friends who've gone to Gunsite have come back with positive reports about SLiP 2000, which Gunsite has been using for a while.

3/16/08 - I love to shoot, and know lots of others who do. And if you shoot, you clean your weapons, sometime or other. Sure, some people don't, but that's not me. For those weapons I don't shoot often, I clean them pretty thoroughly. For the weapons I shoot most often, I just do a quick cleaning between sessions. Either way, I get tired of cleaning the bore (even with the bore snake). For this task, SLiP2000 has come up with a simple device that makes the chore of cleaning a little bit easier - the Brush Buddy. It eliminates the need to screw and unscrew the cleaning tools on the end of a cleaning rod.

Normally, I have one or two rods, and change the attachments in between. I'll run a patch/jag through the bore, then a bronze bore brush, each time unscrewing the attachment before drawing out the rod. Call me impatient, but even those few seconds are a chore sometimes. Especially when I'm only pushing the brush through and not reversing it.

The Brush Buddy is an attachment that fits onto the end of most 8-32 commercial thread cleaning rods. It's made of brass, and has a hole in the top end in which attachments are inserted. The aluminum attachments are retained by a spring loaded locking mechanism/quick release lever. They're simply inserted until a 'click' is heard and the lever locks. The attachments are also free to rotate freely so you don't have jag's unscrewing from the cleaning rod. To remove the adaptor, the back end of the lever is pressed down into a small depression, which unlocks the attachment, which is then removed. The Brush Buddy comes with four attachments. You screw your wire brush, jag etc onto an attachment. Extra attachments are available separately. Switching between the wire brush, jag or patch holders is done in a matter of seconds. No more poked fingers from unscrewing wire brushes, plus your hands stay a lot cleaner. It also lessens thread wear on the end of the cleaning rod.

The Brush Buddy comes in three sizes - .20" for .22 caliber and up, .25" for .270 caliber and up, and .375" for larger calibers (has a 5/16-27 thread instead of the 8-32). Note that the .20" kit is only meant to be a PUSH system ONLY, do not PULL/REVERSE your wire brush or tight patch back through the bore, as the locking lever can lose its grip on the attachment.

EWL and Carbon Killer - SLip2000 also offers their Extreme Weapons Lube (EWL), and Extreme Weapons Grease (EWG), not shown here. The EWG has the consistency of grape jelly, and doesn't feel as sticky as a grease, but smooths on and spreads more easily. I've been using their CLP above since '03 without any issues, and will see how the EWL does. Weapons lubes are very difficult for someone like me (a civvie shooter) to evaluate, as I do not put enough rounds downrange nor expose my weapons to different 'real world' conditions to see a big difference between all the lubes I use as I'm just on a range running around, or occasinally in the desert. I've never really had a problem, as long as I keep the M4 well lubed. The differences I'll notice are ease of cleanup, formation of carbon and how long it stays where it needs to and doesn't burn off or go dry.

Rather than copy and paste the manufacturer's product information here, please visit the links I provided above. I'll update my writeup if I have anything to report while using these products. The Carbon Killer is a the Carbon Cutter repackaged and coloured. Still the same good product.

.22" brush buddy

.25" brush buddy

.22 kit with attachments

.25" kit with attachments

EWL and Carbon Killer

PCA/SPECTRUM (Natec) Polymer Cased Ammunition (no longer manufactured - kept here for info only)

10/1/04 - I saw PCA/Spectrum Polymer cased ammunition at the '04 SHOT show, and was intrigued. I was finally able to do some testing of the ammunition at the end of August '04. The commercial load had been available earlier, but I had wanted to wait until the military-spec load was available. I also wanted to test it on full-auto, not just semi, so it was a matter of finding a weekend to get together with my friend Ferdie Sy of Ferfrans, who is a military/LE dealer.

Some of the advantages to polymer cased ammo is lighter weight, lower manufacturing cost, less heat transferred to chamber, and natural lubricity of the case for easier extraction. The ammunition really IS lightweight, and the cases can be molded in any colour. The loose neck tension of the commercial cases worried me, as the bullet could be pried off with just some thumb pressure. The bullet could also be pushed back into the case if pushed against a hard object. I could not do that with the military case, however.

Relevant specs of the test weapons we used are as follows (see picture below):
Rifle A - LMT MRP upper receiver with 14.5", 1x7" twist barrel. Colt bolt carrer, LMT enhanced M4 bolt.
Rifle B - Bushmaster upper receiver with 11.5", 1x9" twist heavy barrel, Bushmaster bolt and carrier, Troy Industries MRF-C rail forend.
Rifle C - Stag arms upper receiver with 11.5", 1x9" heavy barrel, ARMS SIR forend

Lowers were all Bushmaster select-fire registered receivers.

Magazines used were 30 rnd USGI and 30 rnd thermold.

Lot # of the 55gr commercial ammo was PCA04 Jul B
Lot # of the 62 gr military ammo was PCA M855 0604

Ambient temperature at time of testing was approx 92° F and humidity was 45%

Here's a summary of our shooting session -

1. rifle A - commercial load, 20 rnds semi - no malfunctions. 20 rnds FA, 2-3 round bursts - no malfs.

2. rifle B - commercial load, 28 rnds FA, short bursts - no malfs. 28 rnds FA, long bursts, no malfs.

3. rifle C - military load, 28 rnds FA, long bursts - no malfs.

4. rifle B - military load, 80 rounds in 4 magazines, short and long FA bursts, no malfs.

5. rifle A - military load, 50 rounds in 2 mags, long bursts, no malfs.
50 rounds in USGI mags, short bursts, semi and double taps - no malfs.
50 rounds in 2 thermold mags, both unloaded in 25 round continuous bursts, no malfs. A round was loaded in the hot chamber and allowed to sit for about 5 minutes immediately after, and when examined, no melting or effect on the case was observed.

I had soaked 20 rounds each of the military and commercial ammo in a container of water for about 48 hours (see 'soaked' pic). all rounds were completely submerged. water was drained at the range and the ammo loaded and fired immediately.

Commercial load in rifle A - no malfs.
Military load in rifle A - 1 failure to fire. Primer was dented.

I fired the remaining ammo out of rifle A and B using a combination of mags, on the move, on both semi and full auto, with no more malfunctions. My inital concern with being able to remove the bullet in the commercial load with thumb pressure is still a concern.
Some of the commerical cases suffered partial seperation at the neck, while the military cases showed no sign of it. I'd feel a lot better about using the commercial load if the cases held up like the military load.

Summary: 120 rounds commercial - no malfunctions.
400 rounds military load - one malfunction (soaked round, failure to ignite primer).
If PCA can deal with that neck separation problem with the commercial cases, and offer it at a lower cost than the cheapest non-reloadable ammunition (Wolf), I think it'll do well in the market. Right now the commercial load cost is on par with other reloadable brass cased ammo, but it hopefully it should go down in time. I definitely like it better than Wolf - it's much cleaner and the rifle stays much cleaner after an equivalent amount of shooting. But until PCA takes care of the neck separation and loose necks, I'd hold off until further notice. I have not heard of any changes or improvements to Natec ammo so I cannot recommend it at this time. Plus I haven't heard much about them as of late.

8/5/07 - Badger Ordnance is well known for their work with precision rifles, as well as accessories for the AR15, like their Tac Latch and Ambi Charging Handle. Two years in the making, Badger has put out their limited edition "Sniper Rifles of the World" 18-month calender. Only 1000 of these calendars have been printed, and the months run from July 2007 to Dec 2008, so there's ample time to enjoy it. Each month, the large format 22" x 17" pages feature professionally taken crisp, clear full colour photos of a different sniper rifle platform, and detailed close-ups. Full specifications and data on each rifle are also listed. If you like long-range shooting and precision rifles, then this is a definite 'must' for the wall in the gun room or above the reloading bench.