13C

The AR-15 has come a long way over the past several decades and so has it’s charging handle.

The need to be able to operate the charging handle from either side and using gloves, especially the heavy gloves I use during these harsh midwest winters has had me exploring various options for a new charging handle.

The NLX223 from Next Level Armament is solid charging handle made from 7075 Aluminum.

The NLX223 features true ambidextrous handle featuring extended ears, robust roll pins and according to Next Level, the fewest moving parts of most competitors.

The scalloped ridges on the front and back of the ears provide and excellent gripping surface for running the handle while the rounded edges mean it won’t cut into your body when the rifle is slung up against you.

A forward curve to the ears also helps with the grip by preventing your fingers from rolling off.

Top: Standard Bottom: NLX223 Ambi

With it’s solid build, true ambidextrous nature and excellent ergonomics the NLX223 is a serious contender for anyone looking for a new charging handle.

I give my full thoughts on the NLX223 and other considerations over at the 13C YouTube Channel –

Weaver Tactical at 7x

Weaver has a new scope out and it’s getting some well deserved attention.  I picked up 1-7x24mm Tactical model and it’s several features I like rolled into one optic.

In the first focal plane it has a etched Mil Dot Ranging (MDR) Reticule, by placing the MDR in the first focal plane it scales proportionately as you zoom in on your target from 1 through 7 power.  This means your ranging reticle is good at every magnification level, not just one as is the case with optics that place their reticle in the second focal plane.

Next Weaver has placed a 4MOA red dot you can turn on and off  in the second focal plane.  In doing so, the dot stays the exact same size as you zoom in and out through the range of magnification.

Combine the red dot with the true 1x setting and you have an optic that can used as a scope for precision shots at 7x and as a red dot with no magnification at 1x.  Basically the best of both worlds in one optic.

It has other features such as a turrets that are resettable to zero after your scope is sighted in and detachable quick throw levers to help you quickly change from 1 through 7x magnification.

You’ll find more of my thoughts and impressions on this optic at the 13C YouTube Channel.

Click to expand the images for a better view

As many of you know the 13C range is currently under construction, in fact it’s about a 1/3 done at this point.

The problem I’ve been having in the interim is with target stands, I can’t set up anything permanent right now because more dirt and heavy equipment is still being delivered and maneuvered.

You’ve seen my make shift old campaign sign style targets from time to time as well as my mobile steel target setups but I’ve wanted something for full sized paper targets.

The mobile stands I made are very easy to do and can be done with few tools and fairly quickly.  They are also inexpensive, about $15 each if you are making a pair.

You can see the video for these stands here:

The material list for one target includes the following:

2- 1×2″ 8′ sections of wood, I used furring strips.  97 cents each
2- 1×3″ 8′ sections of wood, again I used furring strips (you can make 2 stands with 3 8′ sections) $1.17 each
1- section of 1.5″ PVC tubing , I bought a 12′ section. $3.50 each
4- 90 degree PVC elbows, female/female ended about $1.50 each
2- “T” PVC fittings. All female ends about $2 each
12 wood screws 1 3/4″ length (I used #10 diameter).  You might want to use 14 or 16 for a little more strength

Tools-
Eye protection
Screw driver (preferably power)
Drill (preferably power) with bit appropriate for screw diameter you choose.
Saw
Pen/Pencil
Tape measure

Optional things that might be nice-
PVC glue if you want to make the connections permanent
Appropriate saws for wood and PVC
Saw horses

Inforce left, Coast right

In need of a better, and more mobile, canopy for the new range project I was searching on the Costco website and in addition to finding a decent easy up / one person setup canopy that should work I also came across a ” TX40 tactical weapon mounted light” for $65.

The light, from Coast, includes (or is supposed to include) a 235 lumen light with 1″ diameter tube and tail cap with pressure switch as well as a second tail cap with a corded pressure switch and a mount for a 1913 rail.  100,000 “unbreakable LED” and run on 3 AAA batteries.

It’s costco and you can return anything, for any reason at almost any time (save tv’s, cameras and computers), so I figured what the heck.  Tactical on a budget!

My package arrived today and the first thing I noticed out of the box… this thing is pretty big.  5 and 11/12 inches long.  Let’s call it a full 6″.  Not what I was quite expecting.

The light output itself seems to pretty good, on par with my other lights in that range and the beam is nice and tight as advertised.  So that is a plus.

Next is the pressure pad and tail cap.  It isn’t in the box, so I can’t comment on it’s function.

So I get asked all the time, “is XYZ worth it”.  This can be a relative question but let’s put this light up against the Inforce WML 200 lumen light I bought from Chi-Town Tactical a couple of weeks ago.

The Inforce is 4″ long and with the integral mount is smaller than the Coast in height as well.  Brightness is pretty close but the 35 extra lumens from the coast is noticeable and the coast has a tighter beam.  The use of AAA batteries and lifetime warranty is worth noting.

FWIW I find 200 lumens to be more than sufficient for use in a home, beyond that and you risk blinding yourself if your beam hits a light colored wall.

So is the Inforce (for example) worth twice the price of the Coast?  Again this is subjective but considering I don’t want a huge light hanging off my rifle and the TX40 is nearly twice the weight, I’d take the Inforce.  The TX40 will be going back to Costco for a refund.

If I was looking for a handheld on a budget I’d probably select something from Fenix first.

While I do subscribe to “buy once cry once” philosophy, I also know I can’t afford to buy multiple high end flashlights (or other devices) and try to reserve the higher end items for my “working” purposes.

Sort of like putting a T1 micro on a go-to rifle and a Sparc on a second or third line rifle.