Blog

I know of no one who personally puts more rounds down the barrel of AR-15/M4 type weapons each year than Mike Pannone. I've had the honor of shooting with him several times, and came away from those brief sessions a better shooter. I greatly respect his opinion and experience on all things AR-15/M4. He's recently completed an exhaustive test of a Bravo Company 14.5" M4 type upper receiver assembly. You can read the details here. In essence, he stripped away all lubrication, replaced critical items in the lower receiver, and… Read More

After my tour of the POF facility yesterday, I was temporarily loaned two POF upper receiver assemblies, one of which is photographed below. The upper assembly has a 16" fluted barrel with a carbine length gas system. It is built around the reinforced POF upper receiver and uses the POF modular rail system, which is equivalent to a 9" free float rail in terms of length. It's remarkably light and well balanced - this rifle would have a neutral center of gravity with a lighter stock. For those of you… Read More

Recently, I contacted Frank DeSomma of Patriot Ordnance Factory with a request for a T&E upper to be used for an upcoming SPR comparison. Noting that I was in Arizona, Frank invited me to take a tour of POF's facility before I tested one of their uppers. It should go without saying that this was an offer I couldn't refuse. Located in an industrial park devoid of any indication that a world class manufacturing facility lurks within, POF is composed of a machine shop - two machine shops, really -… Read More

What do you get when you order an upper receiver group from BCM? You get a box... Inside the box are a hat and a shirt (you may not get a shirt)... There are also some stickers and a catalog... A generous amount of bubble wrap is also included... Inside the bubble wrap is some sort of long, cylindrical shaped object... It's a faithful representation of the military Mk12 Mod0. For those of you not familiar with the Mk12 program, click here. I'll be getting many more close up shots… Read More

I'm not going to lie. Before I completed this test, I thought the AAC Blackout was all hype. I thought AAC had engaged in shady marketing practices in order to show that their flash suppressor was superior to the competition, namely, the Smith Enterprises Vortex. I figured that I'd be spending $50 to pick up a Blackout and that I'd lose $10 reselling it after I did the comparison (maybe more than $10, if I said really bad things about it). I was wrong. Now, if you've seen my previous… Read More

It seems that Vltor thought up the alternate adjustment lever well before I did. However, they have no plans to produce it or a stock in this configuration...just imagine being a dealer and having to order an "EMod, Foliage, Mil-Spec, Lever 1" as well as an "EMod, Black, Commercial Spec, Lever 2" and everything in between, for a total of a dozen configurations! Note that their design offers more leverage in the available space. It's also at a shallower angle, meaning a reduced chance of having the lever snag on… Read More

I love the price of 5.45x39mm ammunition. I love my S&W 5.45x39mm upper because it lets me shoot cheap ammunition that has recoil and blast characteristics similar to that of 5.56x45mm ammunition. I'm glad to see that many people have caught on to this same idea. However, I'm a little puzzled by the folks who are put off by the fact that surplus 5.45 is mildly corrosive. Hey, these aren't match uppers. They're meant for plinking and training. S&W was smart and made theirs with chrome lined barrels, which helps… Read More

The Vltor EMod is my favorite stock. It doesn't add much weight to the weapon, overall, but the weight is concentrated at the rear of the stock, which helps balance out a muzzle heavy rifle. However, due to the presence of a battery compartment in the body of the stock, the adjustment lever is of a slightly different design, and isn't as easy to adjust on the fly. It does have its own advantages, but I prefer the "traditional" adjustment lever, as seen on CAR and M4 stocks, as well… Read More

I've long been a fan of Bravo Company uppers. I have a supply of BCM hats to last a long time (you receive a BCM hat with every upper purchase). One of the things that most impressed me about Bravo Company was something pretty minor: barrel extensions. Bravo Company products are held to such a high standard that the lack of properly hardened barrel extensions stopped production of Bravo Company upper receiver assemblies for two years. Two years. Keep in mind, we're not talking about the lack of any old… Read More

The Diamondback DB380 is a new firearm manufactured in Cocoa, Florida. Some of you may know that Kel-Tec is located in Cocoa, Florida. I've heard several stories about Diamondback, all of them essentially saying that Diamondback was started by former Kel-Tec employees. Whatever the background, the result is head and shoulders above anything produced by Kel-Tec. I am actually a fan of the Kel-Tec P3AT, having purchased 4 and given 3 to friends and relatives as carry handguns. Of those four, with about 800 rounds downrange between them, I observed… Read More