13C

I’ve been asked for some time what .308 AR style rifle I’d recommend for those who don’t want to shell out the coin for something like a SCAR 17s or some of the high end AR-10 style rifles on the market.  I’ve been hesitant simply because it wasn’t something I’d personally ventured into and not at the lower price points.

While prices for AR-15 style rifles chambered in 5.56 have plummeted recently, the offerings in .308 have stayed relatively flat. Likewise other .308 rifle offerings have held on as well, only recently have we seen the M1A finally start to come down in price.

In my searching I’ve come across what appears to be a very solid offering from DPMS in their G2 line.  I picked up their Recon model and it seems to be a solid rifle and the price point makes it even more attractive.

One of the first things you’ll probably notice on the G2 Recon are the magpul accessories such as the stock, pistol grip and backup iron sights (MBUIS).  You’ll also notice the forward hand guard has a quad rail system and a free floated 16″ stainless steel bead blasted barrel.

In the full review I’ll cover some other features such as the monolithic bolt carrier and extended ejection port and commonality with some off the shelf milspec parts.

For this initial look I was concerned on getting out my first impressions and getting the rifle and optic on paper.  Sight in with the iron sights was quick, with minimal adjustments I got the MBUIS to a rough zero.  Next I tackled the Vortex Viper PST, which I had on an American Defense QD mount.

My initial impressions on the G2 Recon are quite positive and I’m looking forward to getting some more trigger time with it and putting it through it’s paces.  Not to mention getting some match ammo and shooting it for groups.

As those of you who are following the 13C channel know the new property is finally a reality and I’ve had my hands full with it, the full range won’t be done for a couple of months.

I made a short video of the hour or so I was able to get out to a public range and get sighted it, be sure to check it out on the 13C YouTube Page and subscribe for the full review coming later.

*Originally posted by Joe at TheBangSwitch

The first thought that pops into a persons mind when they hear body armor is usually “When would I need something like that?”.  It’s a fair question and one that I’ve frequently thought myself, considering I don’t currently find myself being shot at, let alone threatened with weapons any more, the subject of armor isn’t usually on the forefront of my mind.

A few months ago a deranged couple in Nevada went on a short lived murder spree in a Ci-Ci’s Pizza and Walmart.  A armed Citizen confronted the male murderer and was shot in the back by his female accomplice.

Setting aside situational awareness, this scenario could happen to anyone and in fact a few minutes earlier, the same thing happened to the second police officer murdered that day as that officer focused in on the male assailant and was shot in the back by the female as well.

Tunnel vision happens.  You can train to mitigate it all you want but unless you are regularly put under that level of stress and learn from your mistakes (by living through them), you can’t assume you won’t also suffer from tunnel vision to some extent or another.

Several readers have asked me about Body Armor after that incident and again with the recent stir in California.  I’ll be taking an in depth look at the armor itself in the next few weeks.  Today we’ll cover some basics.

Soft vs Hard Armor.  If you are looking into adding armor to your EDC kit, soft armor is the way to go.  Hard armor might be a option for home defense but I would assume most people would have their covert armor pull double duty, at least initially.  The best armor you have, is the armor you are actually wearing.

This is usually where the old “hide in your bedroom with yer scatter gun” crowd chimes in.  I’ve got a wife and three daughters.  I can’t “hunker down” should something go bump in the night and leave my family to fend for themselves.  At a MINIMUM I have to secure my children and that means leaving the bedroom and venturing through the house in the middle of the night.

Stealth model concealable soft armor from Safe Guard

Covert vests are offered up to NIJ level IIIa and hold between 22 and 32 layers of Kevlar.  A level II vest protects against 9mm 124 gr FMJ Remington rounds traveling at speeds up to 1175 feet per second as well as .357 Magnum 158gr SJSP Remington rounds traveling at speeds up to 1395 feet per second and will also provide protection against lower level threats.

Level IIIa vests, on the other hand, offer more protection and can withstand 9mm 124gr FMJ Remington rounds traveling at speeds up to 1400 feet per second as well as .44 Mag 240gr SWC GC Remington traveling at speeds up to 1400 feet per second, and all lower levels.

Given pricing differences and advances in technology, it doesn’t really make sense to buy level II any more.  If opting for soft armor choose lvl IIIa, most manufactures, such as SafeGuardArmor only charge an additional $100 or so for the increased protection.

Hard Armor is a significant upgrade from soft armor in regards to the threat levels they can stop as well as the weight and bulkiness of armor.  Hard Armor varies and can be anything from stand alone ceramic or steel coated plates to systems that “stack” on top of lvl IIIa soft armor.  Remember if you are choosing “steel” plates, make sure they have a coating designed to trap the fragmentation of the bullets as they impact the plate.

Quality lvl 4 armor can stop .30 Caliber 166 gr MZ Armor Piercing rounds traveling at speeds as high as 2880 feet per second and 30-06 Armor Piercing 166gr traveling at speeds as high as 2850 feet per second.

You might also want to consider choosing a vest that is also rated to stop knife and stabbing attacks.  Just because a vest has a ballistic rating doesn’t mean it will stop slashing and stabbing attacks as well.

Like a firearm, Body Armor isn’t a magic talisman and for it to help you, you have to have it on you.  I’ll be addressing the ease of donning the various types of armor as well as going more in depth about armor, choices and some situations you might want to consider having armor available for.