5th Gen 4Runner E-Locker Issues

Do Masks Really Prevent the Spread of COVID?

First, I have to start this article by saying COVID is a very real virus and it is deadly, if you are elderly, have a weak immune system, and smoke or have a lung disorder. Don’t be fooled by the gossip people, this is not political, it’s not racial, and it’s not terrorism. It’s a real virus that has been around for decades, if you don’t believe me, grab a can of Lysol spray from under your kitchen sink and read the label. Somewhere in the fine print it lists all the different viruses Lysol kills, and believe it or not, Coronaviruses are on that list. oh, and no COVID won’t go away after the 2020 Presidential Election, it was here before Trump, before Obama, before Bush, before Clinton, before Bush Sr, before Reagan, so on and so forth, you get the picture. COVID-19 is a coronavirus it’s just a slightly different strain than we’ve seen in the past. You could say it’s more evolved and the latest studies show it could be targeting specific blood types, but that’s not what I am here to discuss.

Now that I’ve given some background let’s dive in. The US and most other parts of the world are almost 6 months into “the pandemic” and all countries, states, territories and provinces have chosen to deal with it in similar but different ways. For us in the United States, the CDC recommends everyone where a face mask and practice social distancing at a distance of 6ft or more (2 meters for my international readers). I don’t mind the social distancing, it has been a godsend in the fact that it has taught people to give others space. Lines at Supermarkets, Malls and Airports are less dense, and people aren’t touching each other anymore. I don’t mind the plastic/plexiglas shield screens in front of everyone at the registers, it’s fine and doesn’t hurt anyone. What I do mind and where the public has been fooled more than anything else ever before is this whole ridiculous mask order. 

The type of masks most people are wearing are not of the N95 type, nor are they respirators with particulate filters that can filter out viruses, bacteria, fungi, metals, dust, and microscopic particles. The little blue hospital masks that are so popular don’t do shit! They don’t stop viruses from escaping someone’s mouth, they don’t stop bacteria from escaping. Despite the fact they don’t prevent the spread of germs and viruses they are so often infested with bacteria and coronaviruses because people keep wearing the same masks everyday, everywhere, collecting tons of germs along the way. Think about that again, these masks, unless they are 3M N95 they DO NOT stop the spread of COVID-19, flu, other viruses, bacteria, fungi, and molds. So, what’s the point in wearing them you ask?? Well, they do stop saliva and breath moisture droplets from flying out of your mouth into someone elses. But wait, couldn’t we accomplish the same thing via social distancing?? Yep! If you stay at least 4-6ft (1.5-2meters) away from others, you won’t have to worry about someone spitting in your mouth.

What blows my mind is how scared the public is of coronavirus when the vast majority of people will experience little to no symptoms at all. It really makes me wonder why people didn’t walk around in Hazmat suits to keep from catching aids! HIV is WAY more scary than COVID, it’s a life changing virus, and it is highly contagious. If someone Who has AIDs spit in your mouth or bled on you, you would have AIDS. Could you imagine never being able to have children because you can’t be intimate with someone if you have AIDS or you risk giving them the virus and sentencing that person to death. As a society we have literally allowed the government and media to scare us into cowering into our houses, staying away from each other, and covering our bodies and faces. When did the US come under Sharia Law? We are not an Islamic nation! No one can tell you what you can and can’t wear. Now please understand that privately owned businesses can and most likely WILL refuse to serve you if you don’t wear a mask. But public entities don’t have that same ability, if it’s not a law in your city, town, county or state, they can’t refuse you service for not wearing a mask. Seriously people, wake the fuck up and quit doing everything you are being told! It reminds me of the 90s when Bill Clinton said you could get AIDS by shaking someone’s hands. Everyone freaked out and started wearing latex gloves everywhere they went until the CDC came out and said, “you can’t catch HIV by shaking hands with someone, you must exchange saliva or blood for the infection to spread.” These mask rules are the same thing, bad information, given to the public as a scare tactic, just to see how easy it is to make the majority of the public do something.   It’s no different than if the media told us, “if you don’t wear a hat, you’ll get pregnant”, then everyone started wearing hats. It’s bad information, spread purposefully as a scare tactic.

Whether you agree or disagree with anything I’ve said, I will share with you why I decided to write the rant. I’ve been a subservient coward like the rest of you wearing your masks in public, and I wear a mask when I go into a store if the sign says you have to. Today my wife and I flew across the country with a layover in Chicago. TSA is requiring everyone to keep a mask on their face unless they are eating or drinking. So we had to wear masks for 6hrs straight. I’ve never been claustrophobic, and I often tell my wife her claustrophobia is in her head because she panics if she’s in the closet picking her clothes out and I walk in and block the doorway. But I will tel you I am claustrophobic when I wear a mask in a confined area like a plane. I started to panic, I couldn’t breathe and it didn’t help that the air was stagnant and hot. Wearing a mask makes my face feel all muggy and humid and I can’t breathe correctly, not to mention the rubber straps really hurt the tops of my ears when worn for any length of time. 

This morning we get into an Uber to go to the airport. The driver looks at me and says, “can you please put on a mask sir?” I said, “yes I have one and will but could I please eat my breakfast first?” He said that was fine, but I could tell he didn’t like the fact I was in his backseat without a mask. He cracked the window in front of me to flow air my way so it would keep my “poisonous” breath from building up. Maybe he realized the blue hospital mask he was wearing won’t prevent viruses like everyone seems to think?! After I finished my bagel, I promptly put a new 3M N95 masks on. 30mins later we arrive at the airport and the mask was cutting the skin above my ears, so I pull my bandana out, take the mask off and I walk into the airport sporting my bandana cowboy style. Look like I’m ready to rob a bank we went through security and made our way to our gate. Once on the plane the the stewards told us we had to keep the masks on unless we were eating or drinking. I took a break for a few minutes while I sipped a coke, then back on the mask went. Two and a half hours later we land in Chicago, by this time my face was sweating and hot and muggy, my chest was sweating and I had to get out of the mask. We walked through O’hare with my mask down below my mouth until we found a restaurant. I wasn’t even hungry but I ordered just so I would have an excuse to get out of my mask. Our flight to Chicago was on a Boeing 777 and it was only half full, so we had plenty of room to stretch out and stand. But our flight from Chicago on “Wisconsin Air” was on a small Canadair Plane three seats across. It was so small, hot and full. We ended up sitting in the back row by the restroom (my wife is cheap and won’t upgrade even for the $8 it cost to upgrade this flight). FYI people - the CDC does NOT recommend sitting in the back of a plane or near the restroom as this an area of high contact with other people. But since my wife and I know that COVID is not near as bad as the flu or Tuberculosis (both of which are much more contagious than COVID) she ignored the warning. I started having a panic attack and for the first time in my life I experienced claustrophobia, I had to take the mask off and let the cool air blow on my face. Luckily we were in the back of the plane and it was a one stewardess flight so no one saw or bugged me about it.   

Today was the first time I had to wear a mask for almost 8hrs and I am done! The government can’t tell me I have to cover my face, or what I have to wear. It’s a free country and I’m free to make my own decisions. If you are a scared, liberal, coward who can’t make up your own mind and are frightened you’ll catch COVID, then please wear a mask, because when you see me out in public, I won’t have one on. I promise not to spit in your mouth or sneeze in your face because I’m a normal person who has manners and respect for other human beings. 

Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think about these ridiculous mask ordinances and rules. Do you like it or hate it? Do you think we will have to wear masks the rest of our lives? Let’s discuss. Take care and God Bless America!

RIP Gary Crow

I hadn't posted in a long while, and the reason being this time around is because for the last year, I had been spending a lot of my time with my Mom and Dad.  On February 6th, 2020 at 9:19pm my father, Gary Crow, breathed his last breath and then closed his eyes.  Dad was just 5 days shy of turning 65. He had battled with MDS (Myleodysplastic Syndrome) since 2010.  MDS is a form of Leukemia that affects the bone marrows ability to produce blood cells.  His marrow was shot, it wasn't producing blood cells at all.  Over the past 10 years the answer was to give him periodic blood transfusions, and chemo injections.  Early 2019, at his doctors recommendation, we re-visited the idea of a Bone Marrow transplant.  Dad's condition was worsening, and the doctors basically said, if you don't do this, you will die in 6 months.  We opted for the Bone Marrow transplant, and my sister and I went and immediately got tested to see if we were compatible. Unfortunately we were not, but they found a 100% match in Germany, a 23 year old donor.

August of 2019, Mom and Dad temporarily moved in with Kristin and I, as he began his pre-treatment at MD Anderson.  In September Dad was admitted, and the bone marrow transplant happened.  It worked, it went well, and was uneventful.  They let Dad out of the hospital by the end of October, on the condition that he would visit a couple times a week for check-ups.  By Thanksgiving the donor cells had fully grafted with Dad's cells, and his body had accepted the new tissue....at least that's what the doctors told us. Keep in mind that Dad is on a LOT of different medications throughout this process: Anti-Virals, Anti-Fungals, Anti-Bacterials, Anti-Rejection, Immunosuppressants, among other things.  This is a normal regimen for Cancer, Leukemia, and transplant patients.  The goal here is to ensure nothing attacks the body while the body gets used to the new (donor tissue), and to keep all immune systems turned off so that they don't' attack anything while the body becomes acclimated to the new tissue. There were a few things that the doctors just didn't do anything about though.  Dad had not eaten since before his transplant. By Thanksgiving it had been 3 months (90 days) since he last had a meal.  He would take a bite of something and drink a Gatorade, but that was it. No food, no nutrition.  However, everytime we told the doctors, they would test him and say he was not malnourished.

By Christmas, Dad had lost 60lbs and of course, was still not eating.  He was taken off the Immunosuppressants on Dec. 22nd.  The idea here was that the new tissue and DNA were active and it's time to turn his immune system back on. The next day, Dad began to lose movement in his feet.  He began to fall and by Christmas day he could not lift his legs to get in bed or into the truck.  We thought it was Muscle Atrophy because of the fact he wasn't eating.  The last week of January Mom called me and said that Dad had not gotten out of bed for a week, was just laying there wasting on himself so she was taking him to MD Anderson.  You can see from the timeline, he was dead within 3 weeks of arriving at MD Anderson.  MD Anderson could not explain the condition, all the would call it was an ascending paralysis, a type of neuropathy.  He tested positive for absolutely NOTHING.  They ran every test they had, and I watched him lose control of his body as he laid there. The first few days he was able to use his hands and text and type on his phone, then he couldn't move his hands, then arms, and then his neck, and it just kept going up.

My father's life was stolen from him, he was too young, and he didn't deserve to suffer the way he did.  You know how people have this idea of how things will be years from now, or how life will turn out? I remember as a kid watching my Dad and his father (Pappaw) and all the great things they go to do together. I have had this plan in my head the last 5-10 years that my Dad and I were going to do all of those things he got to do with his Dad.  I was planning to take him on an Exotic Game Hunt, and I always wanted to take Kristin and go on a cruise with my parents.  When I was younger, during Holidays, the women would go off and go shopping together, and then the guys would go and do their thing. Those moments I spent with my Dad and my Pappaw were priceless.  I don't have children at the moment, but I already am sad that my children will not get those memories.  Birthdays and Holidays just won't be the same without Dad.

My Dad was a great man and everything he did, he did for my Mother, my sister, and for me.  Sometimes we take for granted the fact we have parents, but if you are lucky enough to have BOTH of your parents, you should pick the phone up and call them EVERY SINGLE DAY and do everything you can to spend as much time with them as possible.  If you are like me and only have one parent left, then you need to love that parent twice as much, because I can promise you, as much as Dad's death hurts me, it hurts my mom more.  I only wish I had spent more time with my parents, and talked to them more. I can't bring Dad back, and I can't go back in time, but what I can do is make sure I spend more time with my Mom so that I don't feel the same way when she passes on some day in the distant future.  Cherish the time you have with your loved ones and tell them how much you love them, because the time you have with them is limited.

Crow's Custom

Hi Guys and Gals...wanted to let everyone know that our upcoming Gun Business has a blog, acting as a placeholder for our upcoming website, www.CrowsCustom.com. Be sure and check it out, bookmark it and check back frequently for updates concerning Crow's Custom LLC.

As always, for the very best the Crow has to offer on political opinion, current events, DIY, Electronics, Tech and Firearms info, stay tuned here.  If you would like to subscribe so you can be notified of new posts and updates send an email kellym.crow@gmail.com with the subject "Subscribe Me"

Thanks to Everyone!

- Kelly

Shot Show 2019 - Las Vegas

Kristin and I attended this year's Shot Show (2019) in Vegas, as guests of exhibitor 5.11 Tactical.  Since forming our new Custom Firearms Retailer, Crow's Custom, Mid-2018, we've been excited about getting setup as an Authorized Dealer with all the industry's Top Brands, Manufacturers, and Distributors. With that said, we just had to make an appearance at Shot Show 2019! I must say, we had an excellent time checking out all the new products coming out this year, and visiting with some of the industry's best.

Unfortunately, we did NOT take enough pictures, since we were there to Network and get setup as a Dealer with anyone we aren't already setup with.  But, I wanted to show everyone the pictures we did take, and give ya'll a quick recap of what to be on the look-out for this year!

Daniel Defense

As everyone knows by now, Daniel Defense, the main sponsor of Shot Show 2019, unveiled their latest offering, and their first step into the Bolt Action game, the Delta V.  This is essentially a highly accurized, suppressor ready, Short Action Bolt Gun built on the Rem700 patterned Action, equipped with a fully modular and adjustable polymer tactical stock featuring MLok attachment points for your bipod and accessories. 

The rifle comes in 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08, and .308/7.62mm as of January 22nd, 2019, but they've assured me there are plans to make this rifle available in a few other caliber offerings.  I did ask about Long Action calibers, specifically .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua and was immediately told, "those calibers are an entirely different animal and would mean going completely back to the drawing board....not going to happen in the near future."

I pulled specs for the Delta V from Recoil Web, who just published an awesome review on the rifle a few days ago:

• CALIBER: .308 Winchester | 6.5mm Creedmoor | 7mm-08 Remington
• BARREL: User-interchangeable, stainless steel cold hammer forged to contour
• BARREL LENGTH: 20” (.308 Win) | 24” (6.5 Creedmoor) | 24” (7mm-08 Rem)
• BARREL TWIST: 1:10 RH (.308 Win) | 1:8 RH (6.5 Creedmoor) | 1:9 RH (7mm-08 Rem)
• MUZZLE THREAD: 5/8” x 24 TPI (Threads Per Inch) with thread protector
• WEIGHT: 8.9 lbs (.308 Win) | 9.5 lbs (6.5 Creedmoor/7mm-08 Rem)
• LENGTH: 40” Max (.308 Win) | 44” Max (6.5 Creedmoor/7mm-08 Rem)
• ACTION: Mechanically bedded stainless steel action with integral recoil lug
• BOLT: Three-lug bolt with a 60 degree throw and rotating bolt head
• BOLT KNOB: 5/16 – 24″ removable bolt knob
• TRIGGER: Adjustable single stage Timney Elite Hunter with two position safety (1.5 – 4 lbs)
• PICATINNY SCOPE BASE: 20 MOA/ 5.8 MRAD of elevation with four #10-32 bolts
• BARRIER STOP: Integrated into pillared bottom metal for stability
• ERGONOMIC STOCK: Constructed of carbon fiber reinforced polymer
• ADJUSTABLE CHEEK RISER: For preferred height, yaw, and drift
• CONFIGURABLE BUTTSTOCK: Offers length of pull and butt pad height adjustments
• ATTACHMENT: 11 total M-LOK points along forend with one point on bottom of buttstock
• QUICK DETACH: Ambidextrous M-LOK QD sling points on forend and buttstock
• MAGAZINE: Accepts AICS pattern detachable single feed magazines
• MSRP: $2199.00

Kimber

Kimber is known the world over for making high-end semi-custom 1911's.  I say semi-custom

because they are made in a factory on an assembly line process, but their guns are made with the utmost attention to detail, quality, and tolerances.  They have always gone above and beyond to offer the firearms community as many custom features as possible, in as many finishes as possible.  This year Kimber is releasing a striker fired micro pistol, a new lightweight 1911 offering called the Rapide, 6 models of a hammerless revolver, the K6, as well as one model with a hammer, a DA/SA type K6. We spent some time checking out the Kimber booth, and seeing all the new variations of their product lines. One of my Dad's friends wanted us to look at the different K6 hammerless revolver offerings and see what we thought about the various barrel lengths offered.  I must say, for a compact revolver that is quick to draw from a concealed position, the K6 fits the bill! However, I was most impressed with the Rapide 1911, as I feel this is Kimber's first venture into the modern custom handgun market.  We've seen what ZEV Tech, Agency Arms, and Lonewolf Dist have done with the Custom Glock Market over the last few years (my apologies to the dozen or so other Custom Glock companies that I failed to mention).  However, the high-end custom 1911 market has been dominated by a select few companies that predominantly target the competitive shooting sports market.  Kimber's new Rapide 1911, fills that niche, and does so in a very classy, and very useful package!

The Rapide is currently offered in .45 ACP and 10mm. The frame and heavily machined slide are made entirely from Stainless Steel and finished off in Kimber's proprietary KimPro II finish in Black. The match grade stainless steel barrel features a LH 16" Twist Rate which is pretty standard for this class of 1911, but is finished off in a super hard Gold DLC Titanium Nitride finish.  I was unable to find out if Kimber has purchased the equipment to do DLC finishes themselves at their shop in Yonkers, or if they are outsourcing the finish on the barrels for these.  If they did in fact purchase DLC finishing equipment, this could open the door down the road for a variety of other colored barrel finishes for some of their other 1911 models.

Kimber finished off this new model with Tru-Glo TFX Day/Night Sights, a G10 Grip, and a V-Cut aluminum trigger set at 4.5lbs at the factory.  MSRP is expected to be $1490 USD at the time of release.

Remington

The guys at Remington Outdoor Company, formerly the Freedom Group, acquired AAC, Bushmaster, DPMS, Remington, and Marlin a few years back under the direction, and with funding from Cerebrus  Capital Management, an investment firm.  Since this time, we've seen the ACR released to the civilian market under the Bushmaster portfolio, DPMS' quality control has increased significantly, and a new plant was opened in Huntsville, Alabama specifically designed to manufacturer AR-15's and Remington's version of the 1911, the Remington R1, based off the old Remington-Rand Blueprints from the Ilion, NY plant that date back to the Great War and WWII.  Remington brought their entire product lines from all major divisions, and it was fun to look at some of their larger silencer ready precision rifles.  As a matter of fact, I was holding one such rifle when the marketing team from Remington came over and started filming me while I was holding the rifle, I worked the bolt, and posed for the video footage. If anyone see's a video floating around YouTube or Remington's website with me in it, please shoot me a link! I'd like to link to the video here.

There's a lot of cool things going on at Shot Show, and much more to write about...but it's time to sign off for tonight.  Stay tuned for more cool products and spoilers from Shot Show 2019 in Las Vegas, NV!

10 AK Variants You Should Own - Part 1

As the title suggests, we are going to take a closer look at 10 AK Variants that You Should Own. I'm breaking this article up into a two part series, we will look at 5 AK Variants in each article. The list could be a lot longer, but having just 10 AK variants on your Gun Store Shopping List is probably easier for all of us to explain to our significant other, than having 25+ AK's on the list!  There are many list like this available at different forums, blogs, and websites around the internet. However, this list is not a Top 10 of the Most Sought After, Most Coveted, or Most Expensive AK's on the market. This is a list of the 10 AK's that you Must Own because of their reliability, dependability, accuracy, and overall badassness!  Believe it or not, the AK and it's variants are the most widely used military rifles in the world (sorry AR fanatics). The reason for this is because it has been adopted for service by more than 45 countries and it's seen use in every military conflict since the 1940's. Impressive for a single weapon platform, as there isn't another weapon in the world that can say the same for itself. Without further ado, here are the 10 AK Variants You Should Own!

10. Romanian WASR-10 - 7.62x39mm

The Romanian gun manufacturer, Cugir Arms Factory, builds the WASR-10 as part of agreement between Century International Arms, a US based Weapons Manufacturer and Importer, for sale in the US. The WASR was already being manufactured by Cugir in Romania when Century negotiated a contract to import WASR-10's into the US, in order to fulfill the United States high demand for AK style rifles. WASR's are built in Romania in a single stack configuration, and shipped to the US without a barrel and the standard wood furniture. Once in the US, Century stamps the receiver with their import marks, converts the receivers to accept the standard AK double stack magazine, installs their RAK-1 Enhanced Trigger Group set, and a US Made chrome lined 1:10 Twist Barrel. You can pick up one of these classic AKM style WASR-10's with one Steel Mil-Surp 30rd mag for about $650 from any reputable gun dealer.

9. Century RAS-47 - 7.62x39mm

Century International Arms manufacturers this gun 100% in America. It's almost identical to the WASR-10, as it's an AKM clone, except it's American made! These come standard with maple wood furniture, chrome-moly 1:10 twist barrel, with Century's RAK-1 Enhanced Trigger group, all on a 1/16" stamped receiver. These are a good alternative for anyone wanting a WASR/AKM style AK-47 but prefers American made products. The price is what makes this a better alternative to the WASR-10, you can pick up an RAS-47 with one Magpul 30rd AK mag for $625 from you local gun store.

8. Zastava M70 N-PAP - 7.62x39mm

Another AK imported by Century, the M70 N-PAP was originally manufactured by Zastava for use by Yugoslavian troops and law enforcement. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the country was split into 6 different countries, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. The modern day M70 N-PAP is still manufactured by Zastava which is now located in Serbia and is still issued to Serbian troops and law enforcement. The N-PAP is your basic AK-47, it comes standard with wood furniture, the slant style muzzle brake, and Cold Hammer Forged barrel with a 1:10 twist rate. The big difference between this AK and the others is the bolt carrier group is Hard Chromed for added durability and lubricity. This is by far one of the most reliable and accurate AK's listed thus far. I personally own one and have never had a single FTF, FTE, or other type of malfunction. I do have one recommendation for anyone who purchases an M70 N-PAP though, replace the muzzle device with a high quality brake.  The AK-74 style .30 caliber brake is by far the most common choice and it does a fantastic job of taming the recoil dynamics and calming the notorious cheek slap that the N-PAP is known for.  Any aftermarket parts built for the Yugo M70 are interchangeable with this rifle as it is built to spec, identical to the Yugo M70s. These can be bought for about $650.

7. Polish Tantal - 5.45x39mm

This Polish legacy has had it's share of fans and haters over the past couple of decades.  When I first saw this rifle it was at the Ozark Armory in Springdale, Arkansas. It sat on the counter in their tactical section, priced at $750 and came with two 30rd Bakelite Mags. Now there is a lot of information on the internet about this rifle and some of it is non-sense while some of it is true. As you know I only post facts here so you can rest assured everything you read about this rifle at my blog is the truth.  First, if you had purchased one of these when I first saw it, 8 to 10 years ago, you would have bought an AK that was notorious for key holing. This flaw was quickly traced to the US Made barrels that Century was putting on these rifles when they started importing them a couple decades ago.  Century sourced a replacement barrel about 6 years ago that was of better quality, after making hundreds of warranty repairs to these guns. So, if you find a Polish Tantal that was imported and assembled by Century, the first thing I would do is take it to the range and see if it has the key holing issue, if so, change your barrel out with the best barrel money can buy and you'll have an amazing rifle. The best option for a barrel would be the original Polish made barrel than can often be found in the parts kits on Gun Broker but there are a few US manufacturers producing high quality replacement barrels for the Tantal. Secondly, when this rifle was being produced and issued to Polish military and law enforcement it came in a black color with bakelite furniture and bakelite or steel mags. The Tantal's floating around on the market that were imported and assembled by Century were parkerized a silvery gray color. If you pick up a gray parkerized Tantal then you definitely have one that was brought into the US by Century. However, now that these have been in the states for almost two decades, several custom shops have started building these correctly and finishing them in an all Black Moly Resin coating just like they were originally finished in Poland. Nowadays if you can even find one of these, it will set you back $1000 - $1200.

6. Arsenal SLR-107 - 7.62x39mm

Arsenal is a manufacturer/importer of some of the higher end AK variants. These are the AK's that the AK purists and the collectors are looking for. However, they do make and sell some really good AK's that aren't priced too high. The SLR-107 is one of those. This particular rifle also comes in two other versions, the SLR-106 and SLR-105 which fire the 5.45x39 and 5.56x45 rounds. Other than the chambering all three SLR AK's are identical. The SLR-107 is built on a Bulgarian Stamped receiver and features Arsenal's Bulgarian made Cold Hammer Forged barrel with a 1:10 twist rate. It ships in a few different variations, the most common features the all black polymer furniture with a folding buttstock, but it can also be had with a Midwest Industries quad rail handguard, or with Desert Sand polymer furniture.  One notable difference between this AK-47 and most AK-47's is the muzzle brake. Instead of the basic slant brake, Arsenal equips the SLR models with an AK-74 style .30 caliber brake which drastically reduces recoil and muzzle rise. There is no cheek slap when firing an Arsenal AK! You can purchase one of these fine AK's for about $1200.

5. Arsenal SAM7 - 7.62x39mm

Another Bulgarian AK from Arsenal the SAM7 differs from the SLR models in that it is built on a Milled Bulgarian receiver and comes with a Chrome Lined Cold Hammer Forged barrel with a 1:10 twist rate and removable four port muzzle brake. NATO black polymer furniture and a Bulgarian Waffle Mag come standard. Other than the features mentioned there aren't any real differences between the SLR-107 and the SAM7 except the receivers. Many prefer the added durability and weight that milled receivers add to the platform. Similar to the AR platform it has been found that milled receivers increase stability and accuracy. That's as much as will say on the subject, I don't need to turn this into a lengthy debate on the differences of milled and stamped receivers.  Another great Arsenal AK that cane be had for about $1200.

The Southern Cross aka The Confederate Navy Jack

It's been awhile since I've posted but I felt this is EXTREMELY relevant in the times we are faced with today.  The Southern Cross, also known as The Confederate Navy Jack, is the most widely recognized flag of the Confederate States of America.


Please be aware of the following as this is the information that is of extreme importance for all Free Men, Americans and else where to understand.  It is necessary to disclaim any connection of this flag to neo-nazis, white nationalists, red-necks, skin-heads and the like. These groups have adopted this flag and desecrated it by their acts. They have no right to use this flag - it is a flag of honor, designed by the confederacy as a banner representing state's rights and still revered by the South. 

In fact, under attack, it still flies over the South Carolina capitol building. The South denies any relation to these hate groups and denies them the right to use the flags of the confederacy for any purpose. The crimes committed by these groups under the stolen banner of the conderacy only exacerbate the lies which link the seccesion to slavery interests when, from a Southerner's view, the cause was state's rights.

Note contributed by BJ Meksikatsi.


It is in this Southerner's opinion, that I highly recommend those who wish to fly a symbol that is less widely known, and it's very essence was created as a basis for State's Rights, such as those rights that are so widely fought for today by protests, and violence, you should fly the Stars and Bars, the original flag of the Confederacy.

What ignorant and under-educated Americans don't understand, is that the American Civil War was fought over State's Rights, not Slavery, it had no direct correlation with Slavery. In fact many of the so-called "Northern States" (Union States) allowed and legalized Slavery up until the end of the Civil War when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln.  Issues of States Rights, like those that divided our country so many years ago, are very much prevalent in American Politics today. It is my opinion that if the citizen's of our great country don't quit their bickering, get educated, learn to accept compromise, and clean up the US Government with their right to vote, the only thing that will fix this country again, would be another Civil War. This would be horrible and it would decimate life as we know it, and I don't wish it on any country.

State's Rights are being taken each and every day! California fought for a long time to legalize Marijuana, it remained illegal per US Government Federal law, but through peaceful protest, education, and voting it soon became decriminalized on the Federal level. Their hard work has caused many other states to adopt similar legislation.  While on the topic of State's Rights why don't we talk about States having the right to deregulate their utilities industries like Texas and New York have done. In many US States, utilities are a Government run monopoly, the states do not have the right to choose how they wish to regulate them either.  How about States having the right to choose if they wish to honor citizen's wishes to have same-sex marriages? Or what about States having the right to choose if they allow the sick and mentally ill citizens that have been affected by some mental retardation saying they don't understand what sex they are, so they wish to use the opposite sex bathroom in public places?  No matter how liberal the issue, the State's should have the right to choose how they wish to legislate and allow these issues within their borders. This is EXACTLY the reason for the American Civil War, don't confuse the facts, and don't EVER let anyone tell you otherwise, because they are a liar, and are simply trying to push an agenda on you if so.

God Bless America
Kelly Crow

Happy Veteran's Day!

All of us at Black Flag Tactical and The Crow Fly's blog would like to wish our Veteran's a Happy Veteran's Day! It is because of your sacrifice, that the rest of our nation gets to enjoy the freedoms we all enjoy. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for us...we hope you have a great day, and an awesome weekend! Stay Safe!

Sincerely,

Kelly Crow & Adam Amend

Inside the AK-47 by Vickers Tactical

My father sent this to me, and after watching it I had to post it here at our blog to show all of our readers this amazing video. It is a fantastic representation of the inner workings of an automatic firearm, specifically the AK-47. Don't take my word for it, watch this short minute and a half long video!

Blog Archives: NFA Weapon Classes Explained

Originally Posted on November 5th, 2013

by Kelly Crow

This is another article pulled form the archives of the old blog, By the Way the Crow Flies. Over the next few months we will be moving a few articles over from the old blog as part of our "Blog Archives" series - Enjoy!

If anyone has recently watched the movie "The Purge" that was released On Demand, Redbox and iTunes around Halloween, then you may be familiar with the text displayed by the US Government on the TV Screens of US Citizens in the movie.  Without revealing any spoilers for those of you who haven't seen the movie, I would like to give a VERY brief description of the plot.  The Purge takes place in the US in the year 2022. Due to the overwhelming growth of poverty, homelessness, and crime, the Federal Government declared one night a year, known as "The Purge", for any crime to be legal! That's right, everything that is illegal is legal for one night a year, from 7pm to 7am....even murder.  The Purge begins at 7pm with the sound of the Air Raid/Tornado Sirens every American City has in place and an Announcement made by the Federal Government on Television. The announcement basically states that....All crime is legal and fair game for the next 12 hours, there will be no police, no fire trucks, and no ambulance on duty until 7am the next day.  All Weapons up to Class 4 may be used, anything over Class 4 is still illegal for use during The Purge.  And that's about all I am going to tell you.  Being a firearms aficianado myself, I am familiar with Class 2 and 3 weapons, and I could guess what Class 4 Weapons are but I wanted to find out with a quick Google search. Googling "Class 4 Weapons" brought up a bunch of questions, directly related to the movie "The Purge".  People all over the web want to know what Class 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on Weapons are and an example of each. The first one I clicked on was at Yahoo Answers, and the two answers given were completely retarded, and the one that was voted "Best Choice" was completely INCORRECT! This disturbs me, the fact that ignorant and uneducated people that know nothing about what they are saying, are in fact saying things and trying to answer questions which they shouldn't be answering. I answered a couple of these questions using the National Firearms Act of 1934 as my reference and info from the BATFE website. I actually did my research before answering the damn question, even though I had an idea of what the answer was before. When someone asks a question, it should be answered with fact and supporting evidence, it should state the sources of information. Answers to questions, especially at sites like Yahoo Answers, should NEVER be an opinion with the source "First Hand Knowledge".

I decided that my response to the question (What are Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on Weapons and an example of each?) was so accurate, detailed and necessary that it deserved its own post here at the Crow Flies blog. Without further ado, I present to you the Question and Answer of the Day:


Question: What are Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on Weapons and an example of each?

Answer:  I will answer this question correctly and as best as I can.  The NFA (National Firearms Act enacted on June 26th, 1934) classifies all weapons that are sold, manufactured, imported, exported or owned by Americans, into 4 major Categories. A Weapon is defined as: any instrument or tool that can be fashioned and wielded for the purpose of killing (animal or human) or inflicting bodily harm on others.  It is by this definition that the TSA is able to call a box knife (a tool most commonly used for cutting boxes and tape off of packages) a weapon, since it was used one time to hijack an airplane.  Now that you have some background on what a weapon is, it's time to define the different classes of weapons as outlined by the NFA.

Class I Weapons - handguns, rifles, and shotguns that are imported into the United States are defined as Class 1 Weapons. In order to import these weapons one must hold a Class 1 FFL (Federal Firearms License).  It should be noted that Class 1 Weapons are generally semi-automatic (one pull of the trigger fires one bullet) only as all fully-automatic (one pull of the trigger fires multiple bullets) weapons are no longer being imported into the United States, as of 1986. However, a Class 1 Weapon can legally be converted to a Full-Auto firing mechanism once it has been imported, but only by a properly licensed Class III FFL Manufacturer and only after BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives) approval. An example of this would be a Full-Auto AK-47 imported post-1986. These are rarely found legally owned in the US. However, the Full-Auto AK-47 is a very common weapon in the US, but almost all owners, obtained the weapon illegally. Since, the AK-47 is a Russian/Eastern Bloc Weapon, after the Berlin Wall fell in '86 millions of these carbines were sold to Mexico and other Latin American nations. Thousands of these rifles are smuggled into the US daily to help arm Muslim Terrorists fighting for Allah on American Soil.

Class II Weapons - handguns, rifles, shotguns, and silencers that are manufactured within the US.  These Class 2 Weapons are semi-automatic only, meaning that each time the trigger is pulled only one round is fired from the barrel. It should be noted that in order to manufacture a silencer one must hold a Class II FFL but in order to sell silencers you must have a Class III FFL. Also, in order to purchase and own a Silencer, one must apply for a Class III NFA Tax Stamp (a $250 fee paid to Uncle Sam) with the BATFE. It is for these reasons that Silencers are so often mistaken for being illegal or only sold to military and LEO's (since Class III FFL Dealers are not as abundant as Class II FFL Dealers).

Class III Weapons - Short Barreled Rifles (SBR's), Short Barreled Shotguns (SBS's), and Fully Automatic Rifles and Handguns are classified as Class III Weapons. Short Barrel describes firearms with a butt-stock and having an Overall Barrel length of less than 16" from muzzle to breech.  Because of the Short Barrel definition, one can reasonable conclude that attaching any type of stock to a pistol would then classify it as a SBR or Short Barreled Rifle which then makes it a Class III Weapon. If the pistol we are describing was just a regular handgun purchased from a Class II dealer, it would be illegal to make it a Class III SBR by attaching a stock to it, without filling out the appropriate paperwork first and applying for the NFA Tax Stamp. All NFA Violations such as this one, as Class Y Felony's punishable by a $100,000 fine and a 10 Year minimum prison sentence. Fully Automatic Weapons are those that fire multiple (more than one) bullet with a single pull of the trigger. These weapons are legal to own in the United States by non-felon, Class III Licensed citizens and are sold only by Class III FFL dealers.

Class IV Weapons - The last and highest class of Weapons, sometimes referred to as Class 4, covers what the NFA calls, Destructive Devices or DD's. Destructive Devices are bombs, grenades, nuclear weapons, flame throwers, dynamite, rocket launchers, tanks, Javelin Missile Launcher, Harrier Jets, and so on and so forth. Class 4 Weapons or DD's cover anything that explodes, shoots flames, or launches an exploding device. Class IV weapons are illegal to own, manufacture, sell, trade, import, export, or own parts for, by any American citizen other than properly licensed LEO's, Military, and government officials.


I hope that this info will clarify some of the things you may have been wondering or maybe never knew.  I know there are many new Gun Owners out there that want the biggest, coolest, and baddest looking gun and features, sometimes they buy things that would make their gun illegal to own and without knowing the NFA laws, this can get you into some serious trouble. One mistake such as the one described under Class III Weapons with the Pistol and stock attachment, could cost you a LOT! A felon, can never own another gun again, can NEVER purchase another gun, can NOT vote, can NOT serve in the Military, and can NEVER leave the United States....even for Vacation.  Do your research before attaching that awesome new accessory you ordered off the internet to your gun and taking it to the range!  This does bring me to another issue, just because it is sold legally at the gun store or on the internet, DOES NOT mean it is legal for you to own!  For example: A Full Auto Trigger Group for an AK-47 or AR-15 can be purchased for under $30 from various retailers online. It can be purchased and shipped directly to your house via US Mail, no questions asked, and this is perfectly legal. However, these parts are sold for those who LEGALLY own a Class III Weapon (Full Auto firearm) and are ILLEGAL for those who don't own a LEGAL Class III Weapon to have in their possession.  The law is very specific in how and what it states. The exact rules of the law will be explained in this next description:

Let's say you own an AR-15 with a 16" barrel that you bought at the local gun store.

Stripped AR Lower Receiver - Class II Weapon

A friend of yours who just sold his last AR-15 has some extra/spare parts lying around that he gives you since he has no use for them anymore. One of these is a short 7.5" barrel.  It is perfectly legal for you to own a 7.5" AR-15 barrel, you could use it to build an AR Pistol.  However, the fact that you don't currently have a dedicated AR Pistol receiver in your possession, the only AR-15 receiver you do have is the one that you just bought that has the 16" barrel on it, makes having possession of this 7.5" barrel an iffy ordeal.  According to the NFA law, which I encourage everyone to read (it's only several hundred pages long), having possession of this Short 7.5" barrel that will fit on your current Rifle Length 16" AR-15, gives you the ability to convert your current AR-15 into a SBR (Short Barreled Rifle) which is a Class III Weapon. This is a prime example of how not knowing the law could cost you your guns and life.  How can we make this scenario legal you ask? Simple! Go to the gun store, purchase a "Stripped AR Lower" and a "Stripped AR Upper", keep your 7.5" barrel stored in the same place as the two Stripped AR Receivers but separate from you 16" barreled AR-15.

Stripped AR Upper Receiver - Not Classified

If for some reason the police or ATF were in your house and saw this 7.5" barrel, they would see that you are in the process of building an AR pistol (you will probably have to tell them this is what you are doing) and it is perfectly fine for you to own these parts now.  Using this example you can swap the 7.5" barrel for many other parts that are available for you to purchase and apply the same concepts.  Going back to the Full Auto trigger group, if you have possession of a Full Auto Trigger Group in your parts kit that you take to the range with your new 16" barreled AR-15 that you bought at the local gun store, you are breaking the law! The ATF says that you could easily (even though there is nothing easy about it) convert that AR-15 into a Full Auto M16 by installing the Full Auto Trigger Group into it.  What makes this scenario legal? If you own a properly licensed Class III M16 that you have the paperwork for, then you can also have that Full Auto Trigger Group in your parts kit/tool box that you take to the range, even if the M16 is not with you, but back at home in your safe. You just need to make sure that you have proof of the paperwork to show in case the ATF asks.

Looking back, we have determined what a Weapon is, described the different classes (categories) of weapons as defined by the BATFE in the National Firearms Act, given examples of each, and then wrapped everything up by applying some real world scenarios to the different laws defined by the NFA.  Now you are aware that the NFA is not a person, nor is at a government body, it is a set of laws that govern all firearms on US Soil, even those carried by Foreign diplomats.  I would like to end this post by telling you what brought the NFA into existence - this is by far my favorite Firearms fact. World War I, the Great Depression, and Prohibition gave rise to many advances in technologies especially those regarding firearms as well as rise to a new culture and breed of individuals. Like modern times, where people want the latest and greatest technology in the lightest and most compact form factor available, the people of the 1920's and 30's wanted the same, in fact, it is safe to say, this has always been a desire among man in regards to technology.  World War I brought about many new weapons and refinements to current platforms, for example, the Fully Automatic Machine gun, capable of firing 800 to 1000 bullets a minute, was now not restricted to bulky vehicle mounted armaments but could now be held by a single man and fired while the man was at a full sprint!  Guns like the Thompson Submachine Gun fit this bill and could be purchased at the local hardware store for $25 by anyone that could see over the counter.  Check out these ads pulled from period specific Newspapers.

The ad below was targeted toward security guards, police, and homeowners, as it describes the Tommy Gun as the Thompson Anti-Bandit Gun!

The Ad on the left was targeted toward Hunters and Plinkers. The Thompson Submachine gun was an instant success when released in 1919, even though the US Military didn't pick it up until 1938 for WWII, the streets of every major US City were flooded with Thompson Submachine Guns. No Bootlegger was without one, even farmers and ranchers purchased them as a means of fending off coyotes (this was another use of the Tommy Gun depicted by a 1922 Thompson Advertisement, not seen here).  US LEO's and J Edgar's G-Men were still carrying 6 shot revolvers, and SWAT teams hadn't even been thought of yet.  Government officials were being mowed down daily and every time, it was by Thompson's new Submachine Gun.  The Gangs of New York and Chicago were especially notorious for outfitting their workforce with Tommy Guns instead of pistols.  It was due to the high number of Government employees who died as a result of the Tommy Gun that in 1934 the 72nd Congress drew up and enacted the NFA. This made the Tommy Gun a Class III weapon and to own one, you would have to submit a photo id, fingerprints, and pay the $250 Tax to the ATF (at the time probably the new FBI). This made it especially difficult for the felons to purchase them and those that didn't have lots of money, especially since the tax was 10 times what the gun cost new!  It didn't stop people like Al Capone from purchasing them though.  Those that already owned a Tommy Gun were grandfathered in and were not subject to the NFA unless the attempted to sell the weapon.  It should be noted that in 1938 the Thompson Submachine Gun went into service with our Men and Women of the Armed Forces and was carried on the shores of Normandy to the Jungles of Vietnam. It was later replaced by the M16, but that is a different story altogether.  I have always been fascinated by the politics, culture, and state of our country from 1920 to 1939 and often wish I would have been alive to see that period. It is because of this that I find the above facts to be the most fascinating.  Culture, Politics, and Crime all played a part in leading up to the formation of the NFA. If the US hadn't gone through the Great Depression, Prohibition might never have happened, gangs and unions might not have been so influential, and the Thompson gun may have just been a Badass Coyote Killer! If you have any questions or comments feel free to post in the comments section below as it is open for everyone, guests included or you can email me at kellym.crow@gmail.com. If you would like to subscribe to my blog and be notified via email of future posts please email me a blank email with the subject line SUBSCRIBE ME. Thanks for reading!

Survival 101: Bug Out Bags (B.O.B.)

by Adam Amend

This article begins our latest series, Survival 101, which will be composed of several smaller segments detailing the basic tools, supplies, and skills need to survive just about any situation you may experience. When we are finished, you should be able to print each posting and create your own Survival Book with the valuable information we are providing you.  The most important tool for survival is the Bug Out Bag. Therefore, it made sense to start this series with an article detailing Bug Out Bags. Be sure and check back for the rest of the Survival 101 series.


It's finally happened. That event you've been prepping for years for. That natural disaster that's devastated your area, that zombie apocalypse all your friends laughed at you for preparing for, that civil unrest that causes you to retreat from your home. Or maybe you're that other guy, the one that's not prepared... 

It's never too late to be prepared for.... anything!

Let's talk about bug out bags, AKA: BOB's. A bug out bag is a kit you've put together that can last you 24-72 hours depending on your level of preparedness and what you want to carry. It should contain clothing, tools, enough food and water for up to 72 hours, supplies for finding, gathering, hunting, cleaning and filtering food and water for anything after 72 hours, and a host of other miscellaneous supplies and accessories that you will use to survive until you can get yourself to a better situation.

Natural disasters come in many forms depending on where you are,
and many happen without warning. Being prepared is not paranoia,
it is foresight.

Bug-Out-Bags should be considered as a temporary survival plan or as a backup at best. You should keep in mind if you are forced to leave your home or retreat; you have essentially made yourself a refugee, which is the last thing you want during hard times, but it's important that you equip yourself with the tools to survive. Let's discuss what you're going to need in your Bug-Out-Bag. It should be noted that you should have a bag for each person in your group or home. I suggest a 72 hour bag accompanied by a few 48 and 24 hour bags as well for easier 

transport, especially if you or someone in your group isn't in the best of shape.

Bug out bags come in many shapes and sizes.
Some come fully stocked, while others are nothing
more than a backpack.

This will be the lightest of the kits. Since you're anticipating getting to your stronghold in about a day, you won't need that many supplies. The other scenario for carrying this bag is that it's one of many in the group and there is a larger bag being toted by someone else with more supplies. The lists below show what I suggest carrying,

The 24 hour bag

1. First Aid Kit
2. Potable water (At least a gallon per person is recommended per day)
3. At least 2000 calories of food per person. MRE's are great for this. Check your local Army surplus store or visit Food For Patriots. Protein bars are also a great caloric energy source, just make sure you choose bars that are low in sodium, as water will be limited and sodium increases thirst.
4. One extra set of dry clothes per person.
5. Gun and ammo. Whatever you are comfortable carrying.
6. Knife and multitool
7. Fire starter kit/wind proof lighter - you can assemble your own kit by using dryer lint, cotton balls, water proof matches, and some sort of magnesium fire starter.
8. Flashlight/batteries - I recommend at least two flashlights and enough batteries to allow two to three changes in each
9. GPS
10. Cold weather gear: Gloves, hats, hand warmers, thermals.

The 48 hour bag: (This list includes what was listed in the previous bags)

1. 2 sets of clothes per person
2. Tent or hammock
3. Food (24 hour bag multiplied by 2)
4. Axe/shovel
5. Solar powered radio
6. Snacks such as nut mix, bars, or other protein heavy items
7. Personal hygiene items
8. Rope (Charlie Bronson's always got rope)

The 72 hour bag: (Also includes any items previously listed)

1. Enough water/food/clothes per person
2. Sewing kit
3. Snares or traps for hunting
4. Water filtration system

Louisiana after Katrina is a great example
of why you need to be prepared for self evacuation. Even a 24hr B.O.B.
would have helped many of the displaced families

These aren't complete lists, simply guidelines. You should customize your kit to your needs and liking. Be aware of how much you can carry as well. Don't forget to have defense measures on hand. I, personally, would have not only my sidearm, but my AR-15 rifle ready to go with the appropriate mags loaded as well. It is also wise to invest in a good plate carrier or proper rig. I'll go into depth on that in another article. Keep your kits accessible and in multiple locations such as your vehicles, closets, work, and various rooms of the house. You never know when you'll need that kit accessible. So when the stuff hits the fan, grab your pack, and get to a preplanned stronghold you've prepared like the boy or girl scout you are!

Happy Labor Day

Adam and I would like to wish everyone a Happy Labor Day! I hope everyone is having a safe and memorable weekend. Who said you can't learn something on a holiday? Did you know that Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September each year and is a National Holiday, held in respect and honor of the American Labor movement of the late 1800s? We celebrate Labor Day to remember the hard work and contributions that American Workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. Labor Day also marks the unofficial end to summer, for students it means that the first weeks of school are over and the semester is in full swing. For adults it's the last summer hoorah we can put on before the weather starts to change and the holidays are among us. With that said, get out there and Barbecue America! Go swimming, take the boat out, shoot off some fireworks, and have a frothy beverage, because tomorrow we all have to go back to work to play our part and help increase our countries strength, prosperity and well-being! Oh and when you get up to Labor tomorrow, put a smile on your face, because it's only a 4 day work week! 

Blog Archives: My Quest for the Ultimate Tactical .45

Springfield Long Beach Operator 1911

by Kelly Crow

This is an article that was written and posted to the old blog, By the Way the Crow Flies, but it had a ton of page views and was very informative. Over the next few months, we will be moving a few articles over from the old blog as part of our "Blog Archives" series - Enjoy!

Recently I had the great pleasure of being able to trade my Remington R1 and a Glock 19 for the most amazing production model Springfield Operator I've ever laid eyes on, a Springfield Loaded Operator Long Beach Police Department Mod 1911. I'm a huge advocate of Springfield's firearms, especially their 1911's - not so much the XD's (I have always been a Glock Fanboy when it comes to Polymer pistols) but I've heard great things about the XD .45's and the XDm in all calibers. Springfield Armory is well known for their extensive lineup of 1911's and M1A/M14 rifles. These two weapons systems are where they excel in my opinion and the rest of their product line is just to retain market share and brand saturation (I'm not knocking the XD and XDm - I've shot both, just wasn't a fan). Anyways, since I love Springfield 1911's I'm always at their website and I know their current product line like the back of my own hand.

The Search for the Ultimate Tactical .45ACP

HK Mark 23

About six months back I started a quest to find a full-size .45 ACP caliber handgun with at least a 5" barrel, a picatinny rail for light/laser mounting, that could fire in some of the most extreme conditions without a single malfunction. Those specs were clear and the gun had to at least meet those to be considered. There were of course things that I could go either way on, such as Threaded Barrel or Not a Threaded Barrel, Lanyard Loop was a plus but not a must, and magazine capacity had to beat the 1911 capacity of 8+1. When I first started spec'ing out this handgun 6 months back, I really wanted a high capacity 45, so my search had me looking at a lot of polymer framed pistols. I started with the
HK Mark 23, but it was way out of the price range I was looking for, then I went to the HK USP .45, but it sure seemed expensive for a polymer pistol and it doesn't have a picatinny or universal rail. It has some weird HK propriety designed rail that requires the use of adapters for all lights/lasers - can 

Glock 21

you say "Stooopid"? Talk about an engineering flaw, what were they thinking there? This is where all those HK Collectors and hardcore HK owners start cursing me....and that's fine if you are but remember, HK was my first choice, I love their guns, and would buy one but the prices have always held me back. I moved from HK to the Glock 21 and 21SF. I am very familiar with the Glock platform having owned a few of them in my day and modified and built many more. I like the modularity of the Glock platform and the fact that if you've shot one Glock you can shoot them all, they all fit your hand the same and function the same, very simply. I also like the fact that Glock does not use a lever safety of any kind (not a big fan of lever safeties, I like my guns ready to go and requiring as little work as possible by the shooter). I like the fact I can purchase a Match Grade Stainless Steel Barrel from Wilson Combat, KKM, BarSto, Storm Lake, or Lone Wolf for the Glock 21/21SF (I like choices)! From Glock I went to FNH and looked at the FNX-45 in FDE Tan with a Threaded Barrel. It has a magazine capacity of 15+1! That's awesome for a 45, but how wide is that grip?? I liked parts 

FN Herstal's FNX-45 Tactical

of what I saw from each manufacturer, but I wasn't completely satisfied with anyone of them in particular. The Glock 21 was the winner as far as price and durability were concerned, but it sure is awfully plain looking and has minimal features. The HK's were great looking, had all the features I wanted, but have the wrong style rail for mounting lasers/lights. The FN FNX-45 was by far the coolest looking pistol, that incorporated all the features of the HK's with the standard picatinny rail of the Glock, not to mention the high round count of it's magazines. But the FN was a polymer pistol and it's price tag is inline with some of the better all steel guns on the market. There's two arguments on this but I personally would rather have an all metal gun for tactical usage. Some may argue that every ounce of weight you can subtract helps, so polymer is the way to go here so as to keep the weight down when your loaded down with gear. I feel like theres better ways you can shed weight so as to allow yourself to carry a steel gun.

The more I thought about what I truly wanted and needed from a Tactical .45, the more I realized that

Springfield Loaded Stainless Steel 1911

MEUSOC 1911 built by Marine Armorers from a WWI Era

Ithaca frame and mid-1980s Springfield slide.

a polymer frame just wasn't going to cut it. This pistol was developing into something more specific as time went by and I read more reviews and forum postings. I finally decided that I needed a 1911. I currently owned a Stainless Steel Springfield Loaded 1911 that I have had for about 5 years now. I love it! It's the most accurate shooting gun I've ever owned, I can punch 2" circles out of paper at 30 yards (90 feet) with it all day long! It has little recoil, is super accurate, very durable, and factory and aftermarket parts are readily available. My spec's were closely aligned with the MARSOC pistol that won Colt a government contract for their M45A1 (a Desert Tan Cerakoted SS Colt Rail Gun). My research led me to discover the MARSOC's predecessor/father the MEUSOC 1911, which were/are built by Marine Armorers for the Marine Expeditionary Unity Special Ops Command. These MEUSOC 1911's have round counts upward of 100,000 to 250,000 and they are still running strong! The MEUSOC 1911's don't have an integrally forged picatinny rail since most are built on WWI/WWII era Colt, Ithaca, and Remington Rand frame. The slides are much newer as the slide is scared after 50,000 rounds or so and new ones are installed, provided by Springfield Armory. Springfield has been doing this since the mid '80s according to their website.  So, I could just buy a Colt Rail Gun and I would have a gun that fits within my specs. Colt makes great 1911's, after all, they are a legend in the industry, but I own a Springfield 1911 and it's awesome, more reliable than any Glock

Colt's Rail Gun won the MARSOC contract a few years back.

The new Marine pistol, the M45A1, is a SS Colt Rail Gun like

the one pictured above, but finished in Cerakote's Desert Sand

and dons G10 Grips to match.

I've ever owned. Marine armorer's chose to purchase Springfield slide's for the MEUSOC 1911 not Colt, a couple divisions of the Marine's carry the Springfield MC Operator, the FBI HRT and some DEA Agents carry the Springfield Professional, not to mention the countless number of other LEO's that carry the Professional and other 1911 models from Springfield's lineup. There's a reason so many of these Government agencies equip their people with Springfield 1911's and it's not the price (the Professional cost's $2400 when you can find one for a good price).  It was at this moment I decided to add one more spec for this 45, it should be a pistol that is in service by a US Government LEO or Soldier, a duty or service pistol so to speak. Before I continue let me list out the spec's again incase I've confused any of you, I know it's changed and I've added to it since the beginning!

The Ultimate Tactical 45 Specifications

• Full Size (Government Model) 1911 Handgun
• Barrel Length of at least 5 inches
• Magazine Capacity of at least 8 rounds
• Picatinny Rail
• Must have Non-Adjustable Night Sights (Novak's preferred)
• All steel Frame and Slide (Stainless or Carbon doesn't matter but must be durable)
• Can have a threaded barrel but not a must
• Should have a lanyard loop but not a must either
• Accurate and extremely reliable
• Should have a next-gen firearm coating to prevent rust and provide adequate lubricity
• Must be a Service/Duty Pistol that is currently in use by a US Gov Official/Soldier or State LEO

These specs really narrow the gap down, especially if I say it should also be a Springfield Armory 

Springfield Loaded MC Operator

1911. The brand isn't a must but I was definitely leaning for Springfield over Colt or Kimber. At this point I was dead set on the Springfield MC Operator, it met all my requirements, but as the days went by, there was just one thing that really began to bug me - that OD Green Armory Kote frame! The more I looked at pics of the MC Operator the more I didn't like the OD Green. Yes I could send the MC Operator into SACS and get the frame Armory Koted black for $80 to match the slide but that would cost extra, require me to ship my gun and be without it for a couple weeks or longer. While searching different retailers stores and websites I ran across a limited supply of the Springfield Loaded Operator Long Beach Police Department Mod 1911's. It's identical to the MC Operator in all ways except it's completely black (Armory Kote Satin Black), has G10 grips by 10-8 Performance (instead of the Pachmayr Wraparounds that are used on the MC Operator), and it has a magwell like most custom and higher end production pistols have. What I especially liked was the fact that these Long Beach Police Operators aren't production pistols that are featured standard in their product lineup, it's a limited edition model that is built in limited quantities once every year or two when Springfield has some extra Satin Black Armory Koted National Match Frames on hand. Since the only other pistols that use a frame like this would be the TRP, Springfield knows they can sell this limited run mod.

How the Long Beach Police Operator Came to Be

The Long Beach, California Police Department sent an RFQ to Springfield for a custom spec'd gun very similar to the MC Operator. They wanted it all Black, with 10-8 Performance Grips and to come with a magwell.  Originally when the RFQ was sent they were requesting enough of these guns to be able to issue one for each officer in the entire city, so several hundred at most. Springfield made the arrangements, entered into a pre-contract with LBPD, and started to build these fine pistols. Now,

Springfield Professional Operator 1911, the handgun 

used by select FBI and DEA Agents, is built

by Springfield's Custom Shop Master Gunsmiths 

obviously these aren't Custom Shop guns, or the slides would be engraved with it like the FBI/DEA Professional Models. However, it is my understanding that any pistol made for a Government Agency for duty or service use is hand fitted and built by Springfield's Master Gunsmiths and not a regular joe working the assembly line for their production models, but keep in mind that a lot of these pistols are also sold to the Civilian public so the Gunsmith working on the pistol does not know if the gun he is building will be carried by an FBI Agent, a DEA Agent, or on a CHL holders hip on his next trip to the grocery store. This is what I was told by Springfield Armory in an interview I did with them over the phone several months back, so this is the law of the land until I see or am told by them otherwise. LBPD decides to finally follow through with their purchase of these Springfield Operators, but instead of issuing them to the entire force they decided to issue them only to SWAT, lowering their total purchase to only 146 handguns. Meanwhile, back in Genesso, Springfield has already assembled well over five hundred of

these guns. They fill the order and ship LBPD their 1911's. Springfield has no problem selling handguns, they ship the remaining LBPD 1911's out to distributors as a limited run pistol. This was almost 6 years ago......the LBPD 1911's were a hit and sold quickly at prices upward of $1700! Every year or two since, Springfield has continued to build this same Operator 1911 in limited quantities (typically less than 500 of them a year they say), dubbing it the Springfield Loaded Operator Long Beach Police Mod. The MSRP on one is $1450 and most will sell from reputable retailers for $1200 to $1300.

An In-Depth Look at The Long Beach Operator and it's Parts

Springfield Long Beach Police Operator field stripped. Note
that the recoil spring guide rod has been swapped out for a
Wilson Combat Bulletproof version, made from a Tool
Steel Billet. Not only is it much thicker and heavier,
but also secures to the recoil spring better than the stock part.

Springfield spared no expense with this handgun. They start by using one of their highly sought after NM (National Match) serial numbered frames with an integral picatinny rail and then they pair it with an Operator slide. Both the frame and slide receive a coating of their trademarked Armory Kote finish in Satin Black. Yes, I'm aware many think that Armory Kote is nothing more than Gun Kote, especially since the colors are identical between the two, and this could quite possibly be, but I do not know so I'm referring to it as their propriety coating, Armory Kote for the remainder of the article. The slide contains a titanium firing pin as is used in all of their Loaded model 1911's, as well as  Novak Night Sights which contain Trijicon's Tritium for that cool glow in the dark effect we all like so much! The extractor fits snuggly and is not quite flush fitting on the back of the slide but it's close. The slide stop also features a snug fit that could only be achieved by hand fitting. The barrel is Springfield's NM Stainless Steel .45 ACP barrel that are used in their Loaded and Trophy Match 

Springfield Long Beach Police Operator Slide with Barrel.

model 1911's. A stainless barrel bushing is used and a standard GI recoil spring plug and spring guide, both finished in the same Satin Black Armory Kote as the Slide and Frame are finished in. Recoil Spring weight measures 16.5lbs and appears to be built from Chrome Silicon. This gun, like all Springfield 1911's is a series 70 style 1911 so it does not feature the firing pin plunger that is used to prevent the firing pin from moving unless the trigger is pulled. I'm not going to get into a debate on Series 70 and Series 80 1911's, I've owned both and I've never had issues with either, but I do prefer the Series 70 due to less moving parts, which in turn means less stuff to break and/or maintain.

Moving down to the frame - this 1911 features Springfield's three hole slotted Lightweight Aluminum 

A view of the Long Beach Police Operator

frame from the top, looking down into the

frame. The lighting makes it difficult to see,

but the feed ramp is polished to a mirror shine.

Match Grade trigger and Springfield's standard sear and internals found on all Loaded models as well as a Delta style hammer. A flat, checkered mainspring housing featuring Springfield's ILS is installed with a bolt-on style maxwell attached to the bottom. The front of the grip is smooth and has no checkering. A S&A high ride grip safety has been hand fitted and blended to the frame with moreattention to detail than the one installed on my SS Loaded. The Long Beach Operator has a Wilson Combat Ambidextrous Safety identical to the one installed on the Custom Shop Professional model. The slide stop is the standard Springfield slide stop found on all Loaded model 1911's. Springfield installed an extended ejector like they do on most Loaded models, however this one has been pinned to the frame unlike the ejector on my SS Loaded. The inside of the frame and slide are immaculate, with superb attention to detail there are no machine or file marks, and the feed ramp is smooth and polished. Of course since this is an Operator model 1911 the front of the frame features the integral picatinny rail with 3 rail indentations offering a high level of flexibility when choosing laers/lights. 

View of the ejection port side of the Springfield Long Beach

Police Operator

Lets combine the slide and frame and take a look at fit with the recoil spring assembly installed and without. Without the recoil spring, guide rod, and spring plug you can really feel if a 1911 has any play in the slide to frame fit.  Now slide to frame fit should typically only have slight movement, and I'm talking microns of a millimeter in movement, only after it has been completely broken in. Even then it should still be nice and snug, especially when the recoil assembly is installed. The Long Beach Operator exhibits slide to frame fit on par with some of the finest production and semi-custom production model 1911's I've ever shot. Springfield has always been really good as far as slide and frame fit are concerned with all of their upper level pistols. I have never had the pleasure of handling or shooting any GI, Mil Spec, or Lightweight Springfields so I cannot vouch for these entry level 1911's slide and frame fit, but all of the Loaded, Trophy Match, TRP, and Custom Shop models exhibit some of the tightest fits.  Lastly, taking a look at the overall finish on the beautiful pistol reveals a perfectly applied Satin Black coating of Springfield's propriety coating, Armory Kote. At first glance, I was really impressed with Armory Kote. I have never owned a pistol with it before. The  Remington R1 that I traded had a very simple black painted finish, almost a low grade matte bluing, that wore very quickly with handling and holstering of the firearm.  What really impressed me about the Satin Black Armory Kote is the Satin look of the finish. It has just enough shine to it to make it look very nice, but not shiny enough to produce glare during daylight shooting or tactical situations. I use Teflon based Rem Oil to wipe down all my firearms, and it really soaks into the Armory Kote and makes the surface slick! I'll share my thoughts on this finish and how it holds up to the normal wear and tear of Shooting and Holstering after a week of cary and use on my family ranch in West Texas.

Optional Mods

Before I went out to shoot my new Long Beach Operator I made a few mods that I feel are necessary for reliability and to enhance shooting. Wilson Combat sells what they call a "1911 Reliability Kit" it's a bunch of springs to enhance overall reliability and to rebuild or respring a 1911. I took some of my mods from the reliability kit and I change out at least two springs on every 1911 I buy, yes, even

Left side view of the Long Beach Police Operator with a
Surefire X300 Ultra installed and VZ's Slant Tiger Stripe
G10 Grips

if they are new. First spring I change out is the recoil spring - stock rating is 16.5lbs and I install an 18.5lb Wolff Chrome Silicon spring as spec'd in the Wilson Combat Reliability Kit. Secondly, and this is something I never hesitate to change out, I install an Extra Power Firing Pin Spring. This not only adds enhanced safety to the gun by keeping the firing pin from being able to strike the primer if dropped, but also ensures that the pin returns to it's zero position within the slide so as to not allow the firing pin stop to drop out the back while the slide is moving through it's motion. The Wilson Combat Reliability Kit utilizes a 20lb hammer spring (mainspring) to lighten the trigger pull up a hair and ease the shooters ability to cock the hammer back by hand. I attempted to change this spring out with a Wolff 20lb hammer spring and it didn't work out. 22lb's is standard for the hammer spring on a 1911 but what happened with the Long Beach Operator was that the factory hammer spring was almost a half inch shorter than the new "lighter" hammer spring from Wolff. I swapped them out and had a hell of a time putting the mainspring housing back on the gun. Once I did, I couldn't pull the hammer all the way down. Anyone familiar with Springfield's 1911's knows that the hammer clicks 3 times while being pulled back. The second click is a halfway spot, while the third and final click happens when the hammer is pulled all the way back - I never could get this third click to happen, the hammer wouldn't go any farther than the second click, which is only halfway back. So, I opted to stick with the factory hammer spring and everything functioned fine during dry testing.

Besides springs I changed out the recoil spring guide rod with a Stainless Wilson Combat Bullet Proof version. Wilson's Bullet Proof line of 1911 parts are cut from a block of tool steel which allows them to don the Bullet Proof name. The factory recoil spring guide from Springfield is made from

Ejection port side view of Springfield LB Police Operator

carbon steel and is hollow through the center, and could very possibly be a MIM part. While the factory recoil spring guide is sufficient for shooting this pistol, remember I was looking for the Ultimate Tactical .45 and part of it being "Ultimate" is that  the internals need to be extra tough, I don't want parts breaking and I feel like Wilson's Bullet Proof line of parts enhance reliability as well. I also changed out the grips with a pair of VZ Slants in their Tiger Stripe G10 pattern. I prefer VZ Grips on my 1911's and have used their Recons, Operators, and Aliens so I decided to try out a pair of the Slants. They feel and look great, especially when shooting with gloves which is how I do the majority of my shooting.

Though it did not necessarily need it, I decided to polish the barrel chamber and feed lip. I started with 1000 grit wet paper, moving up through the grits until I finished with a 10,000 grit cloth based

Left side view of Springfield LB Police Operator

paper. It left a mirror shine. I also run a bit of JB Bore Polish down the barrel several times to really clean it up. The barrel did appear to not have been cleaned after test firing at the factory, polishing it really cleaned and shined it up. I had a Guncrafter Ind's Flat Checkered Mainspring Housing with Integral Lanyard Loop in the toolbox, so I attempted to install it on the Long Beach Operator to use with my Gemtech Lanyard. After installing it and seeing the color difference between the blued Guncrafter MSH and the Armory Koted Springfield MSH, not to mention losing my magwell, I decided to keep the stock setup here. Like I said before, a lanyard loop was not an absolute must but it's nice to have on a tactical handgun. Someday I may in fact go back to the lanyard loop MSH when I'm ready to get the gun recoated in Armory Kote Satin Black.

Range Results and Impressions

I finally got a chance to fire the Long Beach Operator about a week after aquiring it. I ran several mags of 230r M1911 Ball Ammo through it as well as a few mags of +P 185gr Atomic Match Hollow Points. 100rds later I had not a single malfunction or misfire. Recoil was smooth, accuracy identical to that of my SS Loaded 1911 and sighting targets was quick with the Novak Night Sights. 

From left to right: 2 Mec-gar 8rd mags that came from Springfield,

2 Wilson Combat 47D mags, 1 Kimber Kim Pro 8rd mag, and

1 Chip McCormick 8rd Power Mag - all have performed

flawlessly with the Long Beach Police Operator.

Springfield has shipped the Long Beach Operator with a variety of different mags over the years, but this particular version came with 8rd Mecgear mags with the polymer slam pad on the bottom. I also grabbed a Chip McCormick Power Mag and a couple Wilson 47D's when I picked up the pistol from the gunstore. I already had a couple Kimber Kim-Pro 8 rounders at home that I use in my SS Loaded, I installed the slam pads on them that came with them and now use them with the Long Beach Operator. I know some 1911's can be very particular with what brand and type of mag they function with, using such a wide variety of mags - Mecgear, Wilson, Chip McCormick, and Kimber - I wasn't sure what to expect, but all fed smoothly and locked the slide back on the last round. Shooting the +P Atomics definitely produced slightly more felt recoil but nothing unmanageable by any means.  However, with that said, I do not prefer to shoot +P's for target practice, but I like to shoot a few mags of them through my guns when breaking in new springs. Nothing will help set those stiff extra power springs like some +P ammo leaving the muzzle of your 1911 faster than 9mm velocities (1200fps+). 

Finish wearing on the left side of the slide by the muzzle from

 holstering the weapon

Finish wearing on the right side of the slide by the muzzle

 from holstering the weapon

I spent Thanksgiving week, Deer and Turkey Hunting on my family ranch in West Texas. This was the week after I acquired the Long Beach Operator so I really got to put it through its paces and shoot a couple hundred rounds through it off the bat. I would have liked to shoot somewhere around 1000 rounds but that was near impossible to do since I was there to hunt, not target practice. Remember my initial impressions of the Armory Kote finish were something along the lines of "Wow this is really nice!" I use a Blackhawk Serpa Thigh Rig when at the Ranch with a Level 2 Serpa 1911 holster, it carries railed and non-railed 1911's without accessories attached. After a few days of holstering, drawing, and shooting, the pistol started to exhibit some signs of wear by the muzzle of the slide. At first it was more like dull rubbed areas, which would disappear after allowing a heavy coating of Rem Oil to penetrate the finish. Soon, after carrying the pistol for the 4th or 5th day, what was once a dull rubbed area, started to reveal bare metal. Most of my guns are Cerakoted, I know a guy that does a great job Cerakoting firearms for some of the most impressive prices I've ever seen. In my experience, Cerakote doesn't wear like this, it has a much higher abrasion resistance than most finishes do. Normal wear and tear don't doesn't phase Cerakote, it really takes a beating. So needless to say, I was expecting Armory Kote to wear similarly, but this would mean that it is equally as hard as Cerakote. I guess I should have known right there that I was expecting too much since Cerakote is by far the hardest spray-on gun coating on the market at the time of writing this.

It'll take some time longer for me to really decide how I like Armory Kote's finish overall, I still love the way it looks, but looks aren't everything now are they? Slide wear is normal and prevalent on all well used tactical firearms so it really doesn't bother me as much as it may seem, I just didn't expect it 

Notice the finish wear on the top of the slide by

the ejection port. This is from holstering the weapon

for a week.

to show up so quickly I guess. That's fine though, the frame still shows a solid finish with no signs of wear at all, and after all SACS only charges $80 to refinish a Slide in Satin Black Armory Kote or $150 for an entire gun, which really isn't bad considering it's a professional full featured custom shop at one of the largest and oldest gun manufacturers in America.  The Long Beach Operator is a smooth and accurate shooting forty-five, it retains the GI recoil spring system to make it easier for the operator to field strip, clean and reassemble the gun by hand (without any tools). These are necessary attributes of any great tactical pistol.  I feel that with the few modifications I made and regular maintenance this gun will take anything I throw at it, shoot any type of ammo I feed it, and function flawlessly in a variety of different environments! It was definitely worth trading my Remington R1 and a Glock 19 in so that I could grab this limited run pistol. Unfortunately, for those of you that are now out looking everywhere for one, I hadn't seen one for under $1,500 yet! It's one of those things that if you're wanting one, you just gotta pick it up when the gun store has one. They MSRP at $1300, so a reputable gun store will sell them for just under or right at $1000 - or a trade of two good quality handguns.

Question of the Day

Do you agree that a 1911 with the right setup is the Ultimate Tactical .45? If not, what is the Ultimate Tactical .45 to you? Please post questions and answers in the comments section below!