I first tried getting an entry-level Barska 20 – 60×60 mm spotting scope – it was less than a hundred bucks.  It did the job – barely.  The price was right but the optics just weren’t up to my standards (I’m a photographer – go figure).  So I sold it and decided to expand my budget and see what else was out there – which brought me to the Konus Konuspot 7120:

The long and the skinny is this – good glass isn’t cheap.  I had to better than double my previous budget, but having used the Konus Konuspot 7120, I consider it a great solution at an affordable price, particularly compared to the competition.

Spotting scopes have several different purposes but as for myself, I simply want to be able to see my level of accuracy on the target I’m shooting at, without actually having to run out to the target.  Here’s a photo of my Konuspot 7120, and my AR-15 on the 50 yard range:

The Konuspot 7120 comes with a table top tripod which is both light and functional – perfect for my uses.  If the user had need to use the Konuspot 7120 at eye level while standing, it accepts a standard tripod mount and could be used with any tripod which also uses one.  The Konuspot 7120 also comes with a nylon zipper case for storage and transport that works well.

The Konuspot 7120 is simple to use – the magnification adjustment is located on the eyepiece and has just three settings – 20x,40x, and 60x.  The smaller control knob on the side of the scope serves as the fine focus.

While it was twice as expensive as my prior spotting scope, it’s also a much more capable one.  With an objective lens diameter of 80mm (as opposed to the common 60mm size), the scope brings in a lot of light, and delivers it to your eye.  This translates to a brighter, sharper view of your subject.  It’s quite useable at every magnification level – though you’ll see progressively more vignetting which each step up in magnification. I can easily differentiate my bullet holes on my targets at 50 and 100 yards.  For me and my vision (your mileage may vary) about 200 yards would the upper limit of trying to see rifle rounds on target – past that I think you’ll need to spend more money.  The Konuspot-80 is a perfect fit for me here again as my local range doesn’t go out past 200 yards.  .

I wanted to provide a photographic approximation of looking through the Konuspot-80.  It came with some sort of photographic adaptor that, which used with a T-ring on a 35mm camera, allows you to photograph what you’re seeing (nice feature for bird watchers).  I don’t happen to have a T-ring for mine (nor do I have a need to photograph using my Konuspot 7120) so I simply held up my point-and-shoot camera’s lens up to the eyepiece, and photographed this image of a target at 100 yards:

What you see is actually better than the above image depicts.

The Konus Konuspot 7120 has a retail price of approximately $399.00 but as usual, our friends at Amazon.com can save you almost half that amount:

Konus 7120 20x-60x80mm Spotting Scope with Tripod And Case

If you’re in need of a spotting scope, do give this one serious consideration.

As the name suggests, the Aimpoint 3X Magnifier gives a three power magnified view, or magnifies by a factor of three.  So theoretically speaking, an object viewed through the Aimpoint 3x Magnifier will look the same as an object only 25 yards away from your position.  The 3x power magnification is fixed and cannot be adjusted.

The Aimpoint 3x Magnifier is designed to be completely compatible with Aimpoint’s other red dot optics, like the Aimpoint PRO.  Here’s a couple of photos of my Colt 6490P with an Aimpoint PRO red dot optic mounted in the forward position, and the Aimpoint 3x Magnifier mounted behind it:

The Aimpoint 3X magnifier can be ordered with a choice of mounts, but Aimpoint makes a fantastic “twist mount” which makes removing the 3X Magnifier for close quarters combat quick and easy – just press the release button, twist the magnifier counter clockwise, and lift up to remove the unit:

The mount adds a lot of flexibility – the 3x Magnifier does add some weight, and can potentially block access to the rear site (depending on how you have it mounted).  So the ability to quickly and easily remove and replace the 3X Magnifier is a great benefit that the twist-off mount provides.

So how much actual help is the 3X Magnifier?  This will vary a bit by person, but for me, it’s not about shooting further – I can be combat accurate out to 200 yards without it.  For me, the 3X magnifier makes shooting from 100 to 200 yards easier, more accurate, with faster target acquisition.  Whatever your ceiling is for shooting range, the 3x Magnifier should extend it considerably.  At 50 yards, I don’t think the 3X Magnifier helps – it’s out past 50 yards where you really see the difference in your groups.

Unfortunately, rifle optics are not cheap – in many cases optics costs can equal or exceed the price of the rifle they’re mounted to.  Amazon however can save you a few bucks on the Aimpoint 3XMag Magnifying Module.  You can also click here to see their discounted price on the Aimpoint Twist Mount Base.

Since I couldn’t readily get an XM-18, I started looking around at other options, and decided to give the Hinderer designed Zero Tolerance 0550 a try:

The Zero Tolerance (or ZT for short) 0550 represents a collaboration between ZT and one of the hottest knife makers on the planet – Rick Hinderer.  Collaborations of this nature is something which the ZT brand is well known for doing, and has had several successful past collaborations.  Zero Tolerance first released a limited edition model prior to the ZT 0550 called the 0551.  It was identical to the “regular” production ZT 0550 in nearly every way, except for the blade steel used, and the G10 scale pattern.  My guess is the ZT 0551 was used to gauge interest in the design, and lead to the ZT 0550. Here are the stats on the ZT 0550:

Steel: S35VN
Handle: Textured G-10
Blade Length: 3 1/2 in. (8.8 cm)
Closed Length: 4.625 in. (11.75 cm)
Overall Length: 8.125 in. (20.6 cm)
Weight: 5.8 oz.
Price:  $250.00 MSRP.

The knife is constructed as a titanium frame lock and shares certain aesthetic and functional similarities to Rick Hinderer’s own XM line of custom knives.  The blade length places it most closely similar to the 3.5″ XM-18 – a key reason behind my purchase of the knife.  During the week I wear suits and dress slacks to work.  The 7.8 ounce, 4″ XM-24 I own is just a bit to big and heavy for my work week attire.  Having carried ZT 0550 for a few days, it’s right at about the upper limit of both size and weight I’d personally want to carry during the week.  For size comparison, here’s a photo of the ZT 0550 with my Spyderco Manix 2:

Impressions:  Overall, I think the ZT 0550 is a good looking knife.  The Hinderer influenced blade shape with a stone wash finish applied to both the blade and the titanium knife frame is very pleasing to my eye.  Here’s a photo of the backside of the ZT 0550 – you can also see the blade markings and pocket clip:

My XM-24 has a media tumbled finish applied to both the blade and titanium back side, and I’m torn as to which finish I prefer.  Visually, I like the clean, uniform stone washed finish better.  Functionally, I know the tumbled finish will do a better job of masking regular wear to the finish – a big benefit for an expensive knife you may one day sell on the secondary market. Here’s a photo comparing the two knives from both a finish and size perspective:

The black G10 handle is “grippy” but not overly aggressive as to be abrasive feeling or damaging to clothing.  I’m not crazy about the appearance of the pattern on the G10 scale which is included with the knife.  I was fully prepared to really not like it based on photos I saw of the knife, but when I received the knife, dislike gave way to ambivalence.  I don’t hate it, but neither do I like it.  Fortunately, much like Hinderer’s own XM series of folders, accessory G10 scales can be purchased in a variety of different colors and patterns.  Here’s a photo of my ZT 0550 sporting a brown G10 scale, with a traditional Hinderer pattern:

Looking at more functional considerations, I’ll begin with the knife steel – Crucible’s S35VN.  The knife world has seen the emergence of many “super steels” in the past decade, but none so popular as S30V (due primarily to custom knife maker Chris Reeve and his extensive use of the steel).  S35VN is now Reeve’s primary steel of choice, and other knife makers have quickly followed suit – Rick Hinderer also uses S35VN extensively in his knives.  Compared to S30V, S35VN improves over S30V in several key areas including toughness (more difficult to chip), corrosion resistance, ease of sharpening, and machineability.  This is my second knife made with S35VN and I’ve not used either enough to have had need to sharpen them, so I can’t yet comment on how it performs from use.  It is important to note that the manufacturer’s heat treating of their steel is a key differentiating factor – not all S35VN knives are created equal.  So the buyer should not assume for example that a Zero Tolerance 0550 will perform to the same level as an actual Hinderer XM knife simply because both use S35VN steel – Hinderer’s steel heat treating process is considered to be among the best there is.  I will say though that the ZT 0550 came impressively sharp from the factory.

The pocket clip of the ZT 0550 is the same used on the $30.00 Kershaw Skyline (both Kershaw and Zero Tolerance share the same parent company – Kai USA).  Like the black G10 scale, I’m rather ambivalent about the pocket clip.  True, it’s neither a fancy pocket clip, nor is it a deep carry type  – but it is perfectly acceptable from a functional perspective.  You can debate as to whether a knife at this price point should have the same pocket clip as the $30.00 Kershaw Skyline, but it works well enough for me.  There is however a problem I did note with my ZT 0550…

THAT DARN DETENT…

In most liner lock and frame lock style knives, a simple mechanism is used to retain the blade in the folded position called a detent – a depression in the blade which is engaged by a ball partially embedded or set in the liner or lockbar.  Opening the blade of a frame lock design knife requires the user to exert sufficient force to overcome the spring-like load pushing the ball into the blade detent by the lockbar.  If the retention force created by the detent is too little, the blade can open in your pocket and creates a risk of injury for the user.  Too strong however, and the blade becomes difficult to open.  Striking a happy medium is an interesting challenge for knife makers and in many respects, the amount of detent overcoming force needed on a knife is a matter of personal preference.  By my standards, the detent on the ZT 0550 was excessively strong, and interfered in the reasonable deployment of the blade using the thumb studs.  I could open it via the thumb stud, but it was, shall we say, a pain in the thumb .  I modified my technique by placing the topside of my thumbnail against the thumb stud, and flicking outward for deployment.  Less painful, but still only resulted in about 1 in 3 effective deployments of the blade, without using any wrist motion to aid in deployment.  Not good.

I first assumed that the issue was unique to my knife, and began scouring the Internet for any user feedback on the issue.  As it turns out, among the roughly 15 video reviews, written reviews, and forum posts I found on the topic, the majority of the users (10) reported a negative experience with the detent.  A Kershaw/Zero Tolerance company representative reported that they’d seen approximately 10 ZT 055x knives returned for warranty service due to detent related issues.  He further promised that if I sent the knife in for factory service, he’d personally see to my satisfaction.    A great offer, but I hated to be without a knife I purchased to hold me over until I could purchase a more desirable knife (the Hinderer XM-18) so I explored other options to resolve the issue.

STEPS TAKEN TO RESOLVE THE DETENT ISSUE

In speaking with other ZT 0550 owners on the issue, I received many suggestions on how to resolve the detent problem I was experiencing.  Some pointed to technique – if care is not taken when opening the knife, pressure can be applied to the lock bar, increasing the drag of the detent ball, and making it feel as though the knife is harder to open than it otherwise would be.  Checking my technique, this was not my issue.  Others suggested disassembling the knife and applying some lubricant to the friction points.  Since I wanted to change out the scale on my ZT 0550, I had the perfect opportunity to do lube the knife up in the process:

I applied liberal amounts of Militec-1 lubricant to the ZT 0550 (which was reasonably simple to both disassemble and reassemble) put it back together, and while the lubricant did help, the detent was still overly strong.  I even attempted to adjust the tension of the pivot screw which also didn’t help.  The final advice I received seems to be the most effective – accelerate the detent wear in process with repeated opening and closing of the knife.  Over time, through normal use  the detent ball will wear a bit of a channel into the blade along its natural arc of travel.  So while watching television, I repeatedly opened and closed the knife – hundreds of times.  This helped substantially – by as much as 50% or so I’d imagine.  Now, this particular solution will only be so effective, and a point of diminishing returns will be reached.  I’m not sure if I’ve hit that point yet or not.  Right now the detent resistance is “bearable” for me – stronger than I think it should be much much improved.  I may still send the knife to Zero Tolerance after I’m able to secure a Hinderer XM-18, and see what improvements they can create.  Time will tell.

This is my first exposure to the Zero Tolerance brand – a relatively new brand in the marketplace which attempts to bridge the gulf between production knives and high-end custom knives.  By all measures, Zero Tolerance  seems to be very successful and has a considerable following.  Now, many may be wondering “is a ZT 0550 as good as an actual Hinderer XM knife at a lower price point?”  In my opinion, it isn’t and I don’t think that’s the objective.  True, for many consumers, the fact that you can secure a ZT 0550 at about half the retail price of a Hinderer made XM-18 will make it the better choice for them.  The fact that Zero Tolerance has the capacity to produce the ZT 0550 at numbers to better satisfy market demand is also a plus.  You can actually find them readily available from dealers at a discount vs. Hinderer XM knives which are typically out of stock from dealers and only available at greatly escalated prices over retail on the secondary markets.  The ZT 0550 is also manufactured in much the same philosophy as Hinderer manufactures his own knives  as over-engineered tools.  I like over-engineered products – one of the main reasons why I wear Rolex watches and drive BMW automobiles.  The ZT 0550, like the Hinderer XM knives features an extra thick blade spine, similar to Hinderer’s own knives, and extra thick titanium backside, and of course Hinderer’s signature lockbar stabilizer mechanism.  But I would stop short of comparing the ZT 0550 to an actual Hinderer knife – the robustness, fit and finish, and over all quality of the Hinderer made knife is simply a step (or two in some cases) above in my opinion.  My Hinderer XM-24 has a blade deployment that’s silky smooth and flies open with little effort for example.  Though to be fair to Zero Tolerance, the detent of the XM line of knives has been criticized by some as been too light.  Again, the level of detent is somewhat a mater of personal preference.

I like the Zero Tolerance 0550 – it has the design, form factor, and features I was looking for in a Tactical Folder.  At this point I’m inclined to think I’ll keep it even after I acquire a Hinderer XM-18 for tasks and situations for which I won’t necessarily want to use a hard to find custom knife.  Again, time will tell.

The M&P 15-22 is certainly a fantastic rifle for doing everything from plinking to varmint hunting.  But if you own an AR-15 (and not just one from Smith & Wesson) the M&P 15-22 can be a tremendous asset as a low-cost training platform to hone your AR-15 shooting and operating skills – the main reason I acquired one.  Bulk .223 ammo runs around $0.33 a round.  You can buy .22LR bulk for about a tenth of that cost.  So, if you’re looking to reduce the cost of training with the AR-15, it’s hard to go wrong with the M&P 15-22.  Of course, you could be saying “why not simply buy a .22LR upper for my existing AR-15?  You could do that, sure – a good .22LR upper will run at least $200.00.  For only a couple hundred dollars more, you can have the advantages of having an entire 2nd rifle and for me it was well worth having a 2nd rifle.  In fact, since the M&P 15-22 is a relatively low cost rifle, and using it would be saving me a great deal of money over time in ammunition, I spent some extra money to make it more similar to my other AR-15.  The M&P 15-22 is so  similar to a MILSPEC AR-15 that many parts are interchangeable between the two.  That made it easy to set up my M&P 15-22 in a near identical configuration to its “big brother” M&P 15, which I also own.  I’ve installed an Aimpoint PRO red dot optic,  a Geissele SSA trigger, and a Hogue Rubber Grip
- all components found on my AR-15.  I’ve also installed a Magpul Vertical Forward Grip on my M&P 15-22 to simulate the ergonomics of the VFG I use on my M&P 15.

Spending the extra money on the accessories and modifications was money well spent – now I have no qualms about shooting my M&P 15-22 and getting legitimate value as a training tool.

Shooting the M&P is a rare treat.  The lack of almost any recoil means you can click off rounds as fast your trigger finger can move – and I can empty the 25 round magazines made for the M&P 15-22 pretty darn fast.  The almost negligible recoil also makes the M&P 15-22 an ideal candidate to introduce new and young shooters to carbine rifle shooting.

The M&P 15-22 is also remarkable precise and is rock-solid reliable, even with cheap value pack Federal .22LR.  CCI also makes a special line of .22LR tactical rifle ammo for which the M&P 15-22 is rumored to have been used as a test bed:

It’s my go-to ammo when I want to do any precision shooting.  Here’s what I can do from 50 yards with this ammo, using a non-magnified Aimpoint PRO optic from 50 yards:

Whether you’re looking for a training tool, a starter rifle for the family, or simply a fun gun to shoot, the S&W M&P 15-22 fits the bill.  Since purchasing it, my rifle shooting skills and accuracy have improved dramatically.

At the time I purchased my Aimpoint PRO, its availability was limited to government/law enforcement personnel (I had to provide proof of my status as being employed by a government contractor in order to purchase one).  Recently however, Aimpoint has relaxed these restrictions and the PRO is now being sold to the general public.   And with a street price around $450.00 (which includes the excellent mount), Aimpoint is selling all they can make.  Since 1997, Aimpoint has been providing red-dot optics to the U.S. Army, for use atop M4 carbines and various light machine guns and is recognized as a top optic manufacturer.  So while $400.00 may seem like a lot, its substantially less than other, very similar models Aimpoint offers, such as Aimpoint M4.  Here’s a photo of mine mounted to my Colt 6940P:

The Aimpoint PRO is a robust unit – water resistant to 150ft, and has a reported battery life of three years.  Mind you, that’s three years with the unit left on.  Though (and I speak from experience here…) if you accidentally leave the unit on its highest brightness setting, you’ll run the battery down much more quickly.  The design of the PRO allows for co-witnessing of your back up iron sites in the unlikely event of an optic failure.

Speaking of the settings, the PRO has a two minute of angle (MOA) dot, with 6 daylight brightness settings, and has four NVD (the PRO is night vision compatible).  In terms of my practical experience using the PRO, I only use about two of the daylight settings.  Essentially, I use the lowest brightness setting I can visually pick up, because increasing the brightness effectively increases the perceived size of the dot.  Smaller dot=more precise shot placement, so I try to use the smallest dot I can.

Zeroing the Aimpoint Pro is simply a matter of adjusting the controls for both elevation and windage, which are concealed beneath screw-on caps.  Here’s a photo of the elevation adjustment control with the cap off:

The PRO includes a rubber strap which connects atop both caps which cover the adjustment controls – it’s designed to help retain them, should one of the caps become unscrewed.  It’s a bit annoying when trying to get to the adjustment controls, so I leave it off.

If you’ve never tried a red dot optic like the Aimpoint PRO, you really should.  My first experience shooting an AR-15 was with some Navy SEALs and an M4  in conjunction with a story I was covering.  The M4 they had me shoot just had iron sites and I couldn’t hit the broad side of the barn.  The reason being is that I’m cross eye dominant – I had a heck of a time getting my left eye behind the sites while wearing hearing protection.  At the time I thought I simply couldn’t shoot a rifle being cross eye dominant.  It wasn’t until some time after that I had the opportunity to try an AR-15 equipped with a red dot optic that a buddy from my gun range let me try.  It was a night and day difference for me.  Sight acquisition was both quicker and easier – you can keep both eyes open when using a red dot optic.

I’ve tried other optics, but irrespective of price I find myself preferring Aimpoints.  When the price of the Aimpoint PRO and the included mount is factored in, it’s an easy decision.  I’ve picked up two additional rifles, and a Saiga 12 shotgun, and all have been equipped with an Aimpoint PRO.  So yes, I strongly recommend the Aimpoint PRO.

Click here to find the best price on the Aimpoint PRO, Red Dot Sight on Amazon.

The Colt LE6940P is a brand new rifle from Colt which only started hitting the market in March of 2012.  Oddly enough, I hadn’t set out to purchase this new model from Colt – I was originally looking for the “non-P” Colt LE6940.  In Colt’s civillian AR-15 offerings, the Colt LE6920 is about as close as you can come to a government issue M4.  The Colt LE6940 is essentially the same rifle as the Colt LE6920, but adds a monolithic rail, and folding back up iron sites.

The monolithic rail on the Colt LE6940/LE6940P

The LE6940 is actually lighter than the LE6920 (thanks to the loss of the carry handle on the LE6920).  Many wonder why anyone would pay more for the LE6940 (current retail about $1500.00) than the LE6920 ( current retail about $1155.00).  I looked at this issue myself – and concluded that I couldn’t install a quality rail and good back up iron sites for much less than the price difference between the two, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a lighter (about 6.5 lbs), higher quality rail than Colt’s on the LE6940.  So that’s why I was set on the Colt LE 6940.  But Colt AR’s can be difficult to find – they seem to be snatched up as soon as they hit the market.  While I was waiting for Colt to crank out more LE6940′s, my chosen dealer got his first shipment of the new LE6940P’s.    The new LE6940P (retail about $2105.00) is essentially a piston driven LE6940 – Colt’s first piston driven model.   So I jumped at the opportunity to get one of the first piston driven Colt AR-15′s commercially available.

What’s the big deal about buying a piston driven AR-15?  Traditional AR-15′s use a direct gas impingement system – gases released when a round is fired are blown back into the chamber which is what makes the rifle cycle.  This approach sends a lot of hot, dirty gas in a critical area of the rifle.  A piston driven system essentially re-routs these gases to another area of the rifle.  There are pros and cons of each design approach, but a piston driven AR-15 will, generally speaking, run cleaner, cooler,  more reliably, and have a longer life span than that of its direct gas impingement counterpart.

The interesting thing about buying any piston driven AR-15 is that there’s no “MIL-SPEC” which standardizes the specifications – every manufacturer does their piston system just a little bit differently.   However, Colt’s not exactly a newcomer to piston driven AR’s – they’ve been working on them since the 1960′s:

The Colt back up iron sites (BUIS) aren’t as pretty as, say the Troy Industry battle sites which I put on my S&W M&P 15 , but they are functional.  Here’s a couple of photos of the rear site, both in the retracted and upright position:

Here’s a close up of the front site (in the down folded position):

One of the things you pay for when you step up to a Colt made AR-15 is magnetic particle inspection (a non-destructive testing process for detecting surface and slightly subsurface discontinuities in ferroelectric materials such as iron) of certain key components like the barrel:

Having put a few hundred rounds through it, I can tell you that the rifle shoots very well.  I had thought perhaps that the recoil on this piston driven AR-15 would be less than that of my M&P 15.  If it is, I certainly can’t discern the difference.

Here’s a couple of photos of targets from the break-in shooting I did – both targets are Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C targets 6″ in diameter:

From 50 yards:

From 100 yards:

I was shooting good old 55 grain American Eagle ammo:

Clearly I’m not an expert marksman, but I’m signed up for several training courses this year and hope to improve.  By the same token, being able to consistently make 100 yard head shots is pretty impressive to me. 

In terms of cleaning/maintenance, a piston driven AR-15, definitely runs cleaner…at least as far as the bolt carrier group is concerned:

Usually the BCG would be filthy dirty after a couple of hundred rounds through my M&P 15, but the Colt LE6940P BCG barely looked used.  I haven’t tried cleaning the piston yet, so we’ll see how that goes.

Thus far I’m entirely pleased with my Colt LE6940P – as well I should be for the admittedly premium price tag, which is on the high side when compared even to other piston driven AR-15′s.  But the Colt name, legacy, and build quality are unmatched in the industry – I’m very proud to own a Colt AR-15.

As usual, I stayed at the TDI recommended Comfort Inn hotel.  It’s about 20 miles from TDI (they’re in a pretty remote location – the choices for accommodations are few) but the price is right, and there’s some good dining options right next to the hotel (a great pizza place and an excellent diner).  Our class was quite full with just over 30 students in attendance – the parking lot was overflowing:

About half of the first day is spent in the TDI classroom facility:

Much of day 1 is spent focusing on safety, mindset, and the fundamentals of grip, sight alignment, and trigger control.  Our class was made up of novice and experienced shooters alike, and we all found value in this segment.  After lunch we headed out on the range to do some actual shooting!

Here’s a photo of Yours Truly on the range:

The first day was spent shooting cardboard targets at fairly close range- one shot, then two consecutive shots, then three.  Again, grip, sight alignment, and trigger control were strongly emphasized.

Though it was a large class, every student was given close, personal attention thanks to the army of instructors which TDI brings in for these courses:

Some of the biggest names in the firearms and tactical community are associated with TDI.  You might recognize firefighter/EMT and custom knife maker Rick Hinderer (holding his ear protection) in the above photo.  Here’s a photo of David Bowie of Bowie Tactical Concepts giving our class some tips:

One of the things that really impressed me with TDI is their style of instruction.  Even when students make mistakes, correction is made in a very positive manner.  Every question, no matter how basic is always met with the response “great question.”   Again, positive reinforcement is used constantly and no one is ever made to feel “stupid.”

Day one closed out with an excellent session on gun cleaning by TDI instructor John Motil.  I’ve learned what I know about gun cleaning mostly from YouTube, and never knew for sure if I actually do a good job.  While I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know, it was nice to confirm with a trained professional that I’m doing things correctly.  I got some nice cleaning product tips from Motil too – very worthwhile.

TDI states on their website “we shoot rain or shine.”  They’re not kidding.  Day 2 started off in the classroom, but quickly moved back out to the range.  But during the lunch break, it started raining and never let up.  We were back on the range for another 5 hours and it rained for most of that time.  It could have been worse – it’s been unseasonably warm in most of the country, but it’s not unheard of to have snow on the ground this time of the year in Ohio.  During this time we focused quite a bit on drawing from the holster and doing both emergency and tactical reloads.  In particular, the importance of a correct, smooth draw stroke to everything that follows cannot be over emphasized.  Due to the rain, I didn’t take any pictures on day 2.

Day 3 skipped the classroom and we went straight to the range.  Again, we reinforced what we had learned in the previous two days, and were introduced to concepts like cover vs. concealment, moving and shooting, and techniques for shooting from behind cover (note:  we were using the cardboard targets from the day prior, and shooting at steel targets downrange).

“Space is your friend” was something we heard quite a bit, so if possible standing back a bit from your barricade is preferable.  Sometimes we don’t have have the luxury of space, so we were taught techniques for shooting right up on your barricade as well:

Everything we’d learned up until this point culminated in the live fire house shoot excercise. TDI has three live fire houses which are used for drills and exercises.  My live fire house exercise took place in “LFH 1″:

TDI Instructor Clay Smith lead me through the exercise.  Each student is given a scenario – mine was that my wife was visiting a friend at her house, and that when I pulled in the driveway to pick her up, I hear shots fired and see a vehicle I don’t recognize in the driveway with the motor running.  My objective is to go into the house and rescue my wife.  The LFH exercise draws from all the skills and techniques  you’ve learned over the past three days and is definitely a challenge.  The LFH has several rooms and the student must, using proper technique, clear each room of potential hostile threats (in the form of photo realistic paper targets) before progressing to the next room.  In some rooms, you encounter paper targets of armed threats whom you must shoot.  Other rooms contain unarmed “no shoot” targets.  The final room contained a photo paper target of my “wife” being held by an armed thug.  I’m proud to say I found and shot all the armed targets, didn’t shoot any “no shoot” targets, put a nice shot right between the eyes of the thug holding my wife.  I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but learned a lot.

At the end of the day, President and Chief Instructor of Tactical Defense Institute, John Benner personally presented each student with a certificate of completion:

Level I-III Handgun was the best firearm training course I’ve taken to date – the quality of the instruction and the facilities which TDI has to offer have a reputation of being 2nd to none, and I can definitely see why.  I’m already looking forward to returning in June for my next class at TDI – Active Shooter!

To visit Tactical Defense Institute’s website, click here.  For a description for the Handgun I-III course, click here.

Hinderer Knives produces two different models of tactical pens – the Extreme Duty Pen, and more recently, the Investigator Pen.  The Extreme Duty Pen is rather sizable at an overall Length 5 7/16” – a bit larger than I wanted an “EDC” (every day carry) pen that I could put in the pen pocket of a dress shirt.  So I opted for the newer Investigator model with an overall length of 4 ¼”, and a 3/8” diameter.  Like the Extreme Duty Pen, the Investigator is offered in several different materials – titanium, aluminum,brass, copper, and stainless steel.  I might have liked titanium, but all Rick had with him was aluminum and stainless steel – beggars can’t be choosers.  The aluminum was tempting but I preferred the heft and look of the stainless steel model.  The Investigator is also similar to the Extreme Duty Pen in that it has a modular design – the existing strike tip can be removed, and the pen can be fitted with other accessory tips:

The Investigator is designed to be used as a functional pen – and a fine one at that.  It comes equipped with a black Fisher fine point ink cartridge, and has all of the writing attributes  the special pressurized ball point ink cartridge provides.  It writes upside down, underwater, over wet and greasy paper, etc.  The traction groves which run along the length of the pen not only ensure a no-slip grip when striking with the pen, they also provide a nice comfortable grip when writing.

The pen is slightly smaller than most standard sized pens – very comfortable to write with, but still useful if you find yourself in a bad situation (and if  I’m down to relying on my pen defensively, it’s a very bad day indeed…).  For size reference, here’s a photo of the Hinderer Investigator along with the Foursevens Titanium Tactical Pen, and a United Cutlery Black Tactical Pen:

I was first introduced to the idea of a tactical when I took TDI’s Defensive Knife training course last year.  As someone who travels, a defensive option which will make it through a TSA screening at the airport is very attractive, and many tactical pens will fit this bill.  Just bear in mind that the more “tactical looking” a pen is, the more likely you’re likely to get hassled or perhaps even have your pen confiscated by TSA agents.  Some tactical pens are better than others in this regard.  Smith and Wesson for example makes a nice enough tactical pen, but their name and logo is quite prominent on the pen.  “Why no officer, this pen marked “Smith and Wesson” isn’t a weapon….really.”  Thankfully, Hinderer’s pen bears no such markings.  And if you’re concerned that the strike tip will raise suspicion, simply unscrew the cap exposing the writing end of the pen,  replace the cap over the strike tip, and send it on through the conveyor at TSA – it won’t get a second glance.

As mentioned before, the Investigator is a smaller than most standard sized pens, both in length and diameter.  Through the week, I usually wear a suit and have a pen of some sort in my dress shirt pocket.  But during the weekends when I’m dressed more casually, most of my shirts are pocketless and I find myself asking my wife to borrow a pen.  What’s nice about the size of the Investigator is that I can slip it into the front pocket of pants or shorts, and it disappears until I need it – it’s completely unobtrusive.  The drawback to the size is diminished defensive value.  I’m only about 5’7″ and my hand fairly well swallows the Investigator.  Not much more than the strike tip sticking out from the underside of my hand when I grip it defensively.  So I wouldn’t anticipate making terribly deep, significant wounds with the Investigator if pressed into the need.     Clearly Hinderer’s Extreme Duty Pen is the one you want to have with you if had to use your knife defensively.  Personally I think there’s room in Hinderer’s pen offerings for a model that’s in between the Extreme Duty and Investigator pens.  Something longer than the Investigator, but thinner than the Extreme Duty.

The Hinderer Investigator Pen ranges in price from $60.00 to $200.00 depending on the material used in construction, and can be ordered directly from the Hinderer Knives website.  I’m very pleased with mine, and together with my XM-24, it’s a fantastic memento from my weekend meeting Rick at TDI.

The XM-24 uses exceptional materials in its construction – it’s a titanium frame lock (made from 6AL4V titanium)  featuring a a textured G10 scale.  Like all Hinderer folders, the XM-24 features the Hinderer designed lock bar stabilizer – an innovation designed to prevent accidental over travel of the lock bar during closing of the knife. Though it isn’t marked on the blade, I asked Rick Hinderer what grade of steel is used in my XM-24 and he indicated that it was S35V – a relative new “super steel” in the knife world.  The blade and titanium side of the knife feature what I believe is considered a “tumble” finish.  Normally I prefer a brushed or even polished finish, but the tumble finish suits the rugged, purposeful XM-24.  Sure, the knife is a work of art, but this also a knife designed to be used as a tool, and the finish fits.

The XM-24 is not a small knife with a 4″ blade length, an overall length of just over nine inches, and a total weight of 7.8oz.  It’s fine for carrying on the weekends, but I generally carry something smaller and lighter during the week.  For size reference, here’s a photo of the XM-24 (top) next to a Spyderco Manix 2 – my previous favorite “weekender” blade:

Holding this substantial knife in the hand, immediately two things come to mind:  Firstly, this knife is designed and manufactured in the same “over-engineered” manner in which I tend admire in many different kinds of products to which I’m drawn.  I collect watches, and like Rolex watches for the same reason – the Hinderer XM-24 is the Rolex of the knife world.  Every component used in the construction of this knife is hand made – even the screws:

The knife blade for example is impressively thick at the spine.  I’m told that, while Hinderer does not recommend using a knife as a pry bar, many have used the XM-24 for this very purpose (Rick Hinderer has plenty of fire rescue/EMT experience and no doubt drew upon this experience when designing the XM-24).

The second thing that comes to mind when holding this knife is that if worst case scenario came about, and I was forced to use a knife in a defensive scenario, I would want that knife to be the XM-24.  It feels amazing in hand and inspires confidence.  Having taken a Defensive Knife Course at Tactical Defense Institute, I’ve received some fundamental training in knife fighting.  Based on that course, the attributes of the XM-24 fit perfectly with tactical/defensive knife requirements.  Thanks to texture of the G10 scale, and the ample amount of gimping designed into the blade, it’s easy to hold on to in hard use and you don’t have to worry about your hand sliding off the frame and onto the blade.  Even the bottom of the frame features jimping:

Do I have any criticisms of the XM-24?  Only minor suggestions for improvement.  Firstly, the well-designed pocket clip on the XM-24 functions perfectly and can be moved to allow either blade tip up or tip down pocket carry.  But the pocket clip doesn’t allow for “deep pocket” carry – a considerable amount of the knife frame is visible above the pocket line when you carry the knife using the pocket clip.

While the issue of how deeply the knife sits in the pocket is somewhat of a personal preference, I’d love to see an optional deep carry clip.

My second minor criticism has to do with blade deployment.  The XM-24 offers both thumb studs and “flipper” style deployment.  I’ve personally found that the quickest, easiest way to deploy the blade is a combination of flipper press with wrist flick – it’s smooth as silk when doing so.  But attempting to deploy the blade fully in one stroke using the thumb studs is an exercise in futility.  Playing devil’s advocate here, it is a very big, very heavy blade  so expecting to be able to flick this knife blade open by just brushing the thumb studs is perhaps unrealistic.  And the flipper-with-wrist-flick method of deployment could be perceived as fairly aggressive/hostile, so it’s good that a slower more deliberate method is also available.  Still, I’d love to see smooth, full deployment via the thumb studs.

Minor criticisms aside, the XM-24 is easily the best made knife in my modest collection.  The fact that they’re made in Shreve Ohio (I’m an Ohio resident) and that I’ve actually had the opportunity to meet and talk with Rick Hinderer makes it all the more special.  With a retail price of $550.00 (and scarcity/high demand  has driven that price up to easily double that amount in the secondary markets) the XM-24 certainly isn’t for everyone.  Be prepared too to want to buy available accessories for the knife such as colorful G10 replacement scales, titanium scales, anodized pocket clips and titanium standoffs….all sorts of nifty items to personalize your knife.  As for myself, as soon as they can produce more, I’m hoping to get a 3″ Hinderer XM-18 with a “slicer” grind for every day carry during the work week.

For more information about Rick Hinderer knives and products, please visit their website by clicking here.

The M&P Shield seems to be designed to cater heavily to the consumer “CCW” concealed carry crowd.  But according to a source I spoke with that works closely with S&W, Smith was actually responding to the needs of military officers needing a small firearm to conceal with their dress uniforms more than any perceived need in the consumer market.  Fortunately, the needs of a military officer dovetail nicely with those of the average consumer looking for a firearm for concealed carry purposes.

When it comes to firearms, concealed carry is about compromises – giving up something to get something.  The goal is to get a defensive handgun that’s small and light enough to carry somewhere on your body comfortably, without those you come into contact with knowing you’re armed.  The question becomes, what are you willing to give up in a full-size weapon in order to meet this goal?  What are your priorities?  The Shield is by and large based both cosmetically and functionally on the successful S&W M&P design and form factor – a very good thing.  Smith already makes a “compact” version of the M&P called the M&P Compact.  The Shield 9mm is essentially a single-stack (technically a 1.5 stack) magazine version of the M&P 9c.  Here’s a comparison photo showing my M&P 9c next to the M&P Shield:

While it’s clear to see in the above photo that the Shield is a bit shorter than the M&P 9c, it’s hard to see many other differences from this view.  Here’s another photo where you can see the differences in the magazine width between them:

M&P Shield (left) Compared to the M&P 9c (right)

Height wise, the Shield about the same as the M&P 9c with the 7 round magazine, and quite a bit taller than the M&P 9c with the Shield’s extended 8 round magazine.  But magazine and frame are quite a bit more slender on the Shield, which will make it more comfortable for “inside the waistband” (IWB) carrying of the weapon.  Further comparing the M&P Shield to the larger M&P 9c, the list of other compromises made to create the smaller, more concealed carry friendly Shield grows.  In addition to fire power/magazine capacity (the M&P 9c has a 12 round capacity), the Shield does not have ambidextrous controls (The Shield is set up for right-handed use) like the M&P 9c.  While a frame mounted safety is an optional feature on the M&P 9c, it’s not optional on the Shield.  Fortunately, in my testing of the Shield, I found the safety to be unobtrusive, and not prone to accidental activation.

Fortunately, firing stability wasn’t tossed out with the Shield design – it’s a very easy weapon to manage recoil when firing, and muzzle flip didn’t seem worse than the larger, heavier M&P 9c.  In fact, the M&P Shield is a very comfortable gun to fire, in large part due to the redesigned trigger found on the Shield.  Crisp, with relatively short uptake and a definite reset point not found on the triggers in other M&P models.  According to Smith, the new trigger in the Shield will soon be integrated into the rest of the models in the M&P line.

If you’re looking for a gun which can be “pocket carried” the M&P Shield isn’t, in my opinion ideal for this purpose.  When I bought the M&P Shield 9mm, I was really hoping to find a striker fired replacement for my “pocket .380″ – the Sig Sauer P238.  But, as you can see in the below photo, the Shield is quite a bit larger than the Sig P238 (or Smith’s own “pocket .380″ the Bodyguard):

As long as I’m comparing the Shield to the Sig P238, I’ll mention my only real criticism of the Shield – the lack of factory installed night sights.  In my mind, night sights are mandatory for any gun considered for defensive concealed carry use – criminals tend to prey at night and in the shadows.  On the Sig P238, factory night sights are standard.  Even on the M&P 9c, night sights are an available option (you’ll note that mine pictured above has factory night sights).  But the only option for the M&P Shield are non-luminous, daytime sights. Presumably Smith & Wesson made this decision in order to maintain the relatively low $449.00 retail price point.  However, given the necessity of night sights, most users will have them installed by a 3rd party at an additional cost of about $100.00

The Sig P238 (left) comes standard with factory night sights - not an option at this point for the Shield, but for shooting in well-lit conditions, the sights on the Shield (right) are excellent.

This minor criticism aside, the S&W M&P Shield is most definitely a home run for Smith, and I predict that retailers will have a hard time keeping them in stock – many will find it’s just what they’re looking for in a concealed carry firearm.  As for myself, I’m still on the hunt for a pocket sized striker fired 9mm pistol.

A good friend of mine (YouTube Snareman95) also bought the M&P Shield and did a nice video review on the gun (which I helped film at the range):

He also does a nice comparison of the Shield to the M&P 9c: