Best Revolvers For Women 2020 Ultimate Round-up
Flir ThermoSight R-Series RS64 2-16X Rifle Scope Review
What You Will Get Here Specifications Whom is this product for? Pros Cons Common Questions and Answers Our Remarks Specifications Product Dimensions 14 x 11 x 5 inches ; 5 pounds Item Model Numbe 431-0017-06-00 Focal Plane Array 640x512 VOx Framing capability 30 Hertz Focal Length 60mm HFOV 10 degrees Focus Manual Zoom Up to 8x Eye Relief 3 inches Reticles available Duplex, Fine Duplex, German Diopter Adjustment range +/-6 Operating Temperature range -4° to 122° F Display type Active Matrix LCD User Interface Simple four-button interface Compatible with MSR semi-automatic up to .308 Cal Editor Rating : 5 out of 5 star Check Latest Price & Reviews On Amazon A night in the woods is really interesting. We, humans, are not nocturnal we don’t have the power to see the objects at night Flir thermal scope gives us the ability to watch out the things at night. The Flir Systems thermal vision riflescope is the perfect riflescope for your hunting after the sunset. This Flir R-Series Riflescope is comparatively low in price. It’s compact and easy-to-use, it gives the rock-solid thermal imaging when there is no light. The Flirscope R-Series Night Vision Riflescope is the ideal night vision, professional level hunting scope because it detects heat energy, instead of visible light. Does not matter day or night, the body heat of animals will differentiate against the cooler backgrounds when seen through the scope. Traditional image intensified (I2) night vision scopes can't be compared with the power of thermal because it requires separation from moonlight or other light sources. They also can't give you the view what's going on in the shadows in the same way a thermal imaging scope can. Whom is this product for? People who are not any more interested to just play with their rifles must get one of this Flir thermal scope. It’s not just a scope, its more than a scope; it acts like a camera. Also, there are people who love to be in the woods and enjoy the wildlife and want to have a closer look at nature can use this night vision scope. It will provide the privilege of how the nocturnal animals act in the night which is really adventurous. Military professionals have got a wide range of use of this kind of infrared scope. This kind of tool helps them to be alert and secure of any kind of attack and help to have a close look at their surroundings. Flir Thermal Scope Explained This Flir RS Thermal Scope comes up with six different detection palettes, with FLIR's exclusive InstAlert™, which helps to display and indicate the hottest temperatures in red so that you can detect the lively and warm objects more easily.The R-Series has the great image quality with an easy-to-use design. The scope gives you the images automatically using its own advanced image correction technology. Large, glove-friendly buttons with a simple menu interface give you the access to every key setting in three clicks or less which is really helpful to use for any user. Pros Thermal night vision scope Better image with this tool A Lightweight and simple tool Video output on most of the Flir models Compatible with a 1913 Mil-Standard Picatinny Rail System Internal battery supports more than 4 hours Simple 4 button operation Cons A bit heavier than average scopes available in the market right now Battery life is not that great Common Questions and Answers Question : Can we use it in the daylight? Answer : Surely you can, but you might not get the best result. Question : Non game hunting’, what does it mean? Answer : It’s simple. Hunting something real in real time. There are some non-game animals like wild pigs or coyotes in Texas and many other states. Our Remarks When you are in shortage of budget, and yet you need a thermal scope this Flir thermal scope can be a great solution for you. There is also an ATN thermal scope that can be a great help for your night adventure. This might be a cheap thermal scope in price, but you get all advantages just like you can get from another Flir thermal scope. The object detecting system of Flir night vision scope makes a tool to rely on the woods. "Check Latest Price" & Reviews On Amazon share share share share share
Photo Gallery: Sneak Peak at James D. Julias Firearms Auction
/* custom css */.td_uid_2_5f379d38c2296_rand.td-a-rec-img { text-align: left; } .td_uid_2_5f379d38c2296_rand.td-a-rec-img img { margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Best Starter Kit for Concealed Carry: S&W M&P 9 SHIELD $394.96 guns.com Safariland IWB Holster $43.99 brownells.com Safariland Duty Belt $88.99 brownells.com SnagMag Ammo Pouch $LOW! gundigeststore.com Disclosure: Some of these links are affiliate links. Caribou Media Group may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Thank you! James D. Julia , Inc., the world’s leading firearms auction house, will conduct their Fall Firearms Auction on October 5th-7th with a preview on October 1st and 2nd. While the auction will feature a number of affordable firearms, James D. Julia will also offer some rare and unique guns. Here’s a look at some of the more distinctive offerings. Related GunDigest Articles Photo Gallery: Sneak Peek of RIAC's Upcoming Regional Firearms Auction Gallery: Top Performers at James D. Julia's Firearms Auction Photo Gallery: Sneak Peek at Morphy's Upcoming Gun Auction
Low Light Shooting and Your Variable
Variables are the general purpose optic of choice. Affordable, familiar, and versatile… modern 1-4/6/8x variables have become the do all optic of choice. These optics can be used at point blank out to 600 yards with a roll of the cat-tail. While we are plenty familiar with their use in the daytime, not enough of us have experience with them in low light. Not all of us have NVG’s, though most of us do have a variable of some type or another ready to roll. There are certain considerations you should take when shopping for a variable. Not all of them are well suited to the dark, and many of them will give up your position when you switch on the power. It’s best you learn the inn’s and out’s now before you are called to engage Zed and Federal Extermination Squads in varied and complex lighting conditions. Optics and Low Light: Reticle and Illumination Choice My first thoughts on this are… that there are many crappy reticles on the market designed without much thought to contrast . What does a self defense rifle do? It shoots targets in all lighting conditions and under stress of time. Running in low light is a difficult proposition for a variable if it has a teeny reticle that doesn’t catch the eye. Many manufacturers like to equip a small reticle that makes the optic feel more like a red dot when the power is on. Ok concept in the day, but at night… The problem with that concept is two fold: When running in the dark, the shooter will typically run the illumination at a lower setting. This means that if you have to light up your weapon light, the tiny red dot like reticle may wash out. If you run the on-board illumination too high, many optics spill light out the front giving away your position. These are typically optics with full reticle illumination. The 1st reticle is all around a poor choice for shooting in darker environments or in the woods. If the battery dies you have a small black speck to grab the eye, and if you light up your weapon light the reticle can easily be lost. I improved the reticle by incorporating a overbearing German #4 styling. Now you wont lose that reticle in any lighting condition except pitch black! For more reading on reticle choice in dark environments, see my prior article “ Why the German #4 Still Rocks! ” The mentioned article has many more examples of me “fixing” reticles precisely for low light situations. In a nutshell, you want to find reticles that are reminiscent of the German #4 because those big sidebars are your backup if your illumination fails. With sidebars, your eye is still lead to center the target in the reticle. Without sidebars… your left working out the center with a small, black point of reference that doesn’t immediately catch the eye. I’m Bleeding! Another consideration is light bleed or light spill. Have you ever considered that your optic may be giving away your location every time you switch it on? Check your objective! Many scopes which illuminate the whole reticle experience some degree of light bleed out the objective. If your opponent has NVGs, your variable will light you up like a beacon regardless of how low you run the settings. Variable Optics with full reticle illumination typically tend to spill some light out the front of the optic. This means that if you want to stay hidden, AND SEE YOUR RETICLE, you need to run it at a low power setting and let your eyes adapt to the dim lighting. This is a two edged sword; if the need arises to shine your weapon light, you will wash out the reticle at a low power setting. Hence why you need to find a reticle with bold designs which add tons of contrast such as (drum roll please)… The German #4. Optics with a center dot such as the Razor HDII and the Leupold Firedot operate on a different mechanism, and there is no light spill out the front with those two models. These are excellent choices for a defensive carbine. Go ahead and check your variable. Turn it on and go in a dark closet. Is light spilling out the front? Bingo. Better hope your opponent doesn’t have NVG’s. The Razor HD II does not feature light bleed out the front of the optic due to its rearward facing fiber optic illumination. Magnification Brightness Booster TURBO MODE: Another point to consider is your magnification setting. As you twist the magnification ring, you increase or decrease the size of the exit pupil. Ideally we want that nice 7-8mm exit pupil so the image output matches our night adapted pupil. Most shooters don’t know that the image will brighten up to a point and then decrease once you pass the magic 7-8mm exit pupil. As you turn the magnification up, the light is focused to match the diameter of your night adapted pupil. Typical 1 -4x and 1-6x variables are most efficient at 3-3.5x magnification. As you twist the magnification ring, you are decreasing the size of the exit pupil. Again with the Razor as an example: At 3.5x, the razor HD II has a 7mm exit pupil. At 6x it has a 4mm exit pupil. Since I want the image to match my pupil diameter, I want to leave my razor on 3.5x for the best low light performance. A moot point indoors, but outside switch over to 3.5x and give your low light vision a boost. Wrapping Up: Using your equipment to its maximum capability in low light is a simple matter of understanding how the optic funnels light to your eye, and recognizing some of the pitfalls that illuminated optics have. The best choice for a low light optic is something along the lines of a simple 4×32 ACOG. It has a large objective in for lots of light gathering goodness and funnels that down to a 8mm exit pupil so its set up pretty good for low light shooting. Since more shooters are rocking a variable these days, your best bet is to understand it IN AND OUT. A 24mm variable optic isn’t the best optic for low light, but it will brighten the image if you understand how to use it. I hope you can make use of this knowledge when Z day comes. May your shots find their mark even in the dark. Good Luck. Share: Google Twitter Facebook Pinterest Reddit More Tumblr LinkedIn Pocket Email Print
SHTF Firearm Choices
I read a lot of articles about the best choice of firearms . They generally focus on the AR-15 and the AK47. I believe the discussions generally miss the point by failing to ask the question of what are you trying to do with the weapon. For example, if your goal was to stop a vehicle from 800 yards neither the AR-15 nor the AK47 would be an effective choice. In this case the .50 BMG would be the ammunition of choice and there are numerous weapons to discharge this projectile. My original choice would have been the McMillan TAC-50A . However, the recent sale of this portion of the McMillan Group places this on hold. I hope they don’t disappear like CheyTac. The Barrett M107A1 certainly plays well in this arena as do many of the other Barrett rifles. Other folks make .50BMG rifles like Armalite . They don’t all cost $12,000, like the McMillan, and can be quite effective in stopping a vehicle at long distance. Quick Navigation Long Distance Shots The Battle Rifle Close Combat Conclusion "Long Distance Shots" Let’s say your next objective was to take out individuals from a mile away. In my humble opinion I believe that taking a mile shot is a waste of ammunition. There are too many variables that limit the viability of the shot. The first variable is the shooter. The average person does not have the resources to train and practice at these distances. The second variable is the rifle. Even a sub-MOA rifle could be off feet at this distance. Ammunition also creates variability. What do variations of a 10 th of a grain of powder do at these distances? Variations in crimping and any defect on the bullet surface will alter the trajectory of the projectile. Try and adjust your shot placement for uphill or downhill and then throw in the environmental variables such as temperature, humidity and wind and you will find the shot to be a guess at best. If you are not convinced then consider the .50BMG discussed above or a round like the .338 Lapua Magnum. Players in this market space include the above mentioned McMillan with the TAC 338, the Barrett Model 98B , the Accuracy International AXMC and the Savage 110 BA. What about a threat from 200 – 500 yards? During SHTF , your goal at this level should be to identify and eliminate the command and communication staff. It should also be to eliminate as much of the threat before you are in their range. I believe this is an area where most shooters can be effective with a modern large bore hunting rifle. The market place is filled with tremendous rifles and ammunition. Browning, Remington, Ruger, Savage, Sako, Weatherby and Winchester are all large players in this market. The rifles are affordable to the working person and they are extremely accurate. Do You Have Concealed Carry Weapon Insurance? Self-defense can land you into major legal battles, or even jail . USCCA provides top-class CCW insurance plus training for you and your family at $22/mo with $2,000,000 in coverage. Join USCCA Also Read: Survival Gear Review: PWS MK214 Battle Rifle There are excellent optics available for reasonable costs. Bushnell , Burris , Leupold , Nikon , Vortex , Zeiss and many others service this market. The scope options are exceptional and include built in laser range finders, bullet drop compensators, illuminated reticles, windage markers and parallax adjustments that can be used as a poor man’s range finder. Inexpensive laser range finders are also available. Many of the range finders have a bullet drop compensator that adjust for your bullet group and compensate for changes in angle. Ammunition has also improved with the introduction of polymer tipped bullets. The consistency, accuracy and energy are all improved over the past decade. Ballistic charts and calculators are readily available. Winchester has an interactive ballistic calculator on their website where you can simulate different conditions. Winchester also has an app for an iPhone . Let’s go back to the threat. Imagine a group of individuals with reasonable shooting skills confronted with individuals carrying contemporary battle rifles. They may not be able to stop a battalion, but they can certainly make it hot for smaller groups. "The Battle Rifle" Let’s move the threat from 100 – 300 yards. In this zone during SHTF , a rapid rate of fire with knock down power would be desired. This is an area where the AR-10 / HK91 battle rifle platform shines. It has large bullets with excellent knock down power, reasonable accuracy, managed recoil, high capacity magazines and high rates of fire. PWS, Accuracy International, Armalite, LWRC, POF , Bushmaster, Colt, DPMS, Heckler and Koch, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Smith and Wesson are all makers of weapons in this class. Imagine the damage a group of reasonably trained individuals could inflict in this zone with these weapons. Also Read: Do You Really Need an AR-15 When SHTF? Move the threat closer into the zone from 25 – 150 yards and the amount of lead going down range becomes critical. Your threat is near and reloading becomes an issue. Accuracy, while always important, becomes the second most important issue of the day. A rifle that can shoot a 3” group at 100 yards is just as effective as one that shoots sub-MOA. This is the zone for the AR-15, Mini-14 and AK47. Short carbine rifles with high rates of fire, minimal recoil are required to repel the threat. There are an incredible number of manufacturers in this market place and even a larger number of accessories. Quality, accuracy and price vary dramatically. Choose wisely. Close Combat When we look at close quarters combat one would lean towards the AR-15 platform. However the standard AR-15 may not be the optimal choice. Before you make that final decision consider coming around a corner and you have to swing a 16” or 18” barrel. Compare that to a 7” or 10” barrel. That fraction of a second may be the difference of life and death. So if your threat is in this zone consider an AR-15 with a short barrel. Technically these weapons are considered pistols rather than rifles. You may want to add a Sig Sauer Stabilizing Brace to your pistol. Let’s look at other situations. Assume for a moment that you are guarding a checkpoint into your neighborhood. You may be in a situation where you need to stop a vehicle at close range. Consider a shotgun with steel slugs like the DDupleks . They come in 1oz and 1 1/8oz sizes. They are encased in polymer and are safe to shoot in any choke. Imagine a flat faced steel slug traveling at 1400fps. Put this in a Saiga shotgun with a 20 round magazine and you are a very formidable opponent to anyone at close range. What about handguns? They certainly have their place. My personal favorite is the 1911 .45acp . But that is just me. When I am asked what handgun someone should buy I generally answer with the one you shoot well. I know this may sound like a cop-out but it’s true. For me a 1911 fits my hand perfectly. I also have a CZ75 that I shoot very well. Then I have an S&W .9mm. It is a nice little handgun. It just does not fit me and I struggle with accuracy. Then there is recoil. It is better to have a handgun where you can manage the recoil. Trying to teach someone to shoot a handgun with a .454 Casull would fail because they would develop bad habits from the excessive recoil. So pick a handgun that you can manage. Back to the value of handguns, they are easily carried; the variety allows for individual selection, are generally reasonably priced. They are also excellent in close quarters situations. How about carbines chambered for handgun calibers? This class of firearm is pretty interesting. One manufacturer Hi Point makes a .45ACP, .40S&W and a .9mm. These firearms are inexpensive and I wouldn’t classify them as a good gun. I would classify them as a good enough gun. These guns are inexpensive to buy, inexpensive to shoot and pretty effective at close range. Think of the damage a 230 grain .45ACP bullet will do a 75 yards. This is a good choice for those on a limited budget where they want to minimize the calibers of ammunition. What about a .22 or an air rifle? I realize that many people have been killed with a .22. Unfortunately, they lack the immediate knock down power of other calibers. The .22 and the air rifle may not be the best for defense. That doesn’t mean they don’t have value. They are inexpensive to shoot and therefore are excellent for training. They are also excellent for survival. An air rifle can kill small game without compromising your position. Conclusion To summarize, what weapon should someone buy? Ideally, everyone would have the resources to own and train on several in each category. However, that is about as realistic as winning the lottery. I think of defense in zones. Think about the zones you need to defend. If you live in an urban area you may never need a .50BMG or . "338 Lapua Magnum" . In this case, an AR-15 may be perfect. If you are on a limited budget then a carbine shooting a handgun round and a handgun or a .22lr may be the right choice. If you live in a rural area where longer range shooting is possible a large bore hunting rifle or a AR10 type platform may be an excellent choice. However, don’t forget about close quarters. Eventually all fights get up close and personal. Other articles by Dave H. 5 Dollar Preps: DIY Firestarter Expedient Family Survival Water Filter Quick Tips for Dehydrating Food Photos by: Mr. Smashy Heckler & Koch Other interesting articles: Book Review: Air Rifles: A Buyer’s and Shooter’s Guide Survival Debate: .308 Win vs. .223 Rem The Ubiquitous 30-30 Lever Gun Ruger 10/22 Takedown Upgrades For SHTF
Winchester Model 52: Still Sweet After 100 Years
/* custom css */.td_uid_2_5f379d4802b5d_rand.td-a-rec-img { text-align: left; } .td_uid_2_5f379d4802b5d_rand.td-a-rec-img img { margin: 0 auto 0 0; } This was the classic rimfire target rifle for most of the 20th century, the Model 52, dubbed the “greatest small bore rifle ever.” Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the Winchester Model 52 remains among the rimfire royalty. Why the Winchester Model 52 Still Remains Highly Desirable: Highly accurate rimfire that, early in its history, dominated small-bore competitions. Original design included receiver machined from a forging, a non-rotating bolt, a 28-inch heavy-contour barrel. It also had a unique button magazine release. Extremely fast lock time, contributing to the rifle’s already excellent accuracy. Among the rarest and most collectible version is the Model 52 Sporting Rifle. The 100th anniversary of the “King of .22 Caliber Rifles,” the Winchester Model 52, is upon us. Although it didn’t go into production until 1920, in August of 1919, six pre-production samples of the Model 52 were issued to several shooters at the National Rifle Matches in Caldwell, New Jersey. Soon, the Model 52 was dominating the world of small-bore competition. Winchester ads called it “the greatest small bore rifle ever placed on the market.” Following World War I, Winchester recognized that American shooters were showing a preference for bolt-action rifles. Work began on designing a new rifle for rimfire match shooting. Winchester engineer, T.C. Johnson, received most of the credit for coming up with what became the Model 52, but he was assisted by another designer, Frank Burton. Features of the original design included a receiver machined from a forging, a non-rotating bolt, a 28-inch heavy-contour barrel with target sights and a barrel band, a wing-type safety on the left side of the receiver, and a unique magazine release consisting of a button on the right side of the stock adjacent to the magazine. Related GunDigest Articles Browning A5 Shotgun: The First Autoloader America's Rifle: The Remington Model 700 Firearms Collecting: The Walther PP Series More Gun Collecting Info: The Walther PP Series The Quintessential 22 Pistol: The Colt Woodsman The Rocky History Of The L.C. Smith The Browning SA-22 Colt Python : The Cadillac Of Revolvers The Model 52 was made in several variations over the 60 years it was in production, between 1919 and 1979. Winchester advertised that the Model 52 with its 28-inch barrel had the “same feel” as the Springfield military rifle, directing that claim to the veterans of WWI. In 1929, the finger grooves were eliminated and a new trigger and firing pin design called the Speed Lock was introduced, replacing the two-stage military-style trigger of the original model. Designed by Frank Burton, it reduced the lock time between the pull of the trigger and ignition of the primer, contributing to the rifle’s already excellent accuracy. Receiver sights were often included on both Target and Sporter 52s, like this one. In the early 1930s, a reinforced receiver and locking lug were added, and the model became the Model 52A. Minor changes came in 1935, including a single-shot adapter and adjustable sling swivels, and the model designation became the Model 52B. After World War II, the Model 52C was unveiled with a new vibration-free trigger mechanism that was easily adjustable. Other changes came along including single-shot models, extra-heavy bull barrels, free-style stocks (including a thumb hole) and adjustable buttplates and forends. The rarest — and what later became the most highly collected version of the Model 52 — was introduced to the shooting public in 1934. Winchester president John Olin was a big fan of the 52 Target rifle, and when a friend showed Olin his rifle that had been mounted in a handsome “sporting” stock, he was very impressed. Olin quickly authorized the development of the Model 52 Sporting Rifle, or Sporter. It had the look and feel of a “big game” rifle with its highly figured hand-checkered walnut stock complete with cheekpiece, high comb and black forend tip. The 24-inch lightweight barrel had a Lyman 48 receiver rear and a hooded ramp front sight, though sights from other makers were also available. The initial price for the Sporter was $88.50, which was a rather hefty amount in the middle of the Great Depression. Approximately 125,200 Model 52s of all variations were made. Each improvement and upgrade in the M52 Target Rifles were also included in variants of the Sporter model. The Sporter was a variation of the Model 52 Target Rifle and its serial numbers were not a separate series: They were mixed in with those for the target models. This makes it impossible to know how many Model 52 Sporters were made. I have seen estimates in the 5,700 to 5,800 range but these are based on guesses from various sources.