Incoming Issue 39, New Products

This article originally appeared in RECOIL Issue 39

The job dictates the tool. Applying some stucco? Grab a trowel. Installing a new turbocharger? Time to bust out the wrenches. But sometimes it’s enjoyable to have a tool that can do more than just one job. Take for instance the Flagrant Templar. This tomahawk is sharp enough for troops to stop bad guys in their tracks, whether through intimidation or blood loss. It’s strong enough for first-responders to pry through barricades thanks to its 1095 high-carbon steel. And it’s comfortable enough for outdoor adventurers to choke up on the tapered handle for detailed work on firewood, fresh game, and more. This chopper features a Cerakote and comes with a Kydex sheath. It’s a multitool with more bite.

Make:
Flagrant Beard
Model:
Flagrant Templars
OAL:
12.75 inches
MSRP:
$380
URL:
www.flagrantbeard.com

It’s happened to the best of us. One second we’re enjoying the latest viral video, the next we’re looking at a spiderweb of broken glass. It doesn’t take much for a smartphone to slip out of our hands, land on concrete, and became a $600 paperweight. That’s why Urban Armor Gear makes lightweight composite phone cases that combine an impact-resistant soft core with an armored shell. They meet Mil-spec drop-test standards and are compatible with wireless charging. Its Pathfinder SE Camo series features various camo patterns, including Arctic (white, gray, black), Hunter (green and orange), and Midnight (black and gray).
Make:
Urban Armor Gear
Model:
Pathfinder SE Camo series
COMPATIBLE WITH:
Various, including Galaxy S9+ and iPhone 8.
MSRP:
$50
URL:
www.urbanarmorgear.com

Trained by Nicholas “The Reaper” Irving (one of the greatest Army snipers in history) and fought alongside him, Staff Sergeant Paul Martinez served in Afghanistan as a sniper with the 75th Ranger Regiment. His 304-page memoir from St. Martin’s Press, When the Killer Man Comes, focuses mostly on his platoon’s mission to hunt down the most dangerous Taliban and al Qaeda leaders just as the U.S. troop drawdown of 2011 approached — all while evading IEDs, RPGs, and small-arms fire. With cowriter George Galdorisi, Martinez gives us an insider’s look at the chaotic nature of combat, the complex political nature of the war, and perhaps most importantly the sacrifices each military member makes when serving our country.
Make:
St. Martin’s Press
Model:
When the Killer Man Comes: Eliminating Terrorists as a Special Operations Sniper
MSRP:
$27
URL:
us.macmillan.com

Assembling your own AR is the adult version of constructing a Lego set. It taps both the mechanical and the creative sides of your brain, resulting in a personalized build and a sense of accomplishment. That’s the fun part. The not-so-fun part is losing pins and springs or slipping and mangling the finish on your components. The AR15 Master Bench Block from Real Avid helps reduce those headaches. This comprehensive product lets you tap 13 vital pins, holds five key components in eight ways, and secure loose pins with integrated magnets and a storage section. For convenience, there are component labels marked with pin punch sizes while the back and sides are wrapped with anti-slip over-molding.
Make:
Real Avid
Model:
AR15 Master Bench Block
MSRP:
$30
URL:
www.realavid.com

The recently launched Precision Match line is a departure from Barnes Bullets’ signature monolithic copper offerings. The new ammunition is based on a traditional copper jacketed lead round that the company loads for military customers. Barnes released the ammunition to the commercial market in 2015 and the initial offering encompassed military specific cartridges: 5.56mm, .308W, .300WM, and .338LM. Now the company expands the meticulously made ammunition to popular precision calibers, 6 and 6.5 Creedmoor, and .260 Remington. The 6.5 and .260’s BC is an impressive .586, and the 6mm is pushing .624. Combine these high BCs with tight manufacturing and loading tolerances with extreme quality control measures and you’ve got a consistently accurate match load without spending Friday night in front of the press.
Make:
Barnes Bullets
Model:
Precision Match
Calibers:
6 Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Remington
MSRP:
$35/box of 20
URL:
www.barnesbullets.com

Apex Tactical Specialties expands its action enhancement products into the rimfire category with its new MkIV kits. It offers two kits, one for the Mark IV and one for the Mark Iv 22/45. Both kits include an optimized trigger shoe, hammer, magazine disconnector, and safety plate. Taking 30 minutes to watch a few how-to videos and ripping into your Ruger makes for a splendid evening that pays off with a reduced trigger pull weight; 4.5 or 3.5 pounds on the Mark IV and 22/45, respectively. You also get less trigger travel, less overtravel, a cleaner break and, as Apex pointed out to us, it does all this without replacing or messing with the factory balanced sear … something it says Ruger told them would impact the pistol’s drop safety performance.
Make:
Apex Tactical Specialties
Model:
Ruger MkIV Action Enhancement Kit
MSRP:
$90
URL:
www.apextactical.com

We’re digging deep into Marlin’s Model 1895 in this issue and if aftermarket support is an indicator of the big-bore 45-70’s popularity, then we’re not alone in our fascination with the Tyrannosauriffic rifle. Ranger Point Precision recognized a few areas it could improve on the 1895. Chief among them is what we call the little big loop lever ($140) that’s a smaller version of the glove-friendly factory SBL lever. RPP’s version reduces the distance the hand travels to hit the back of the lever, getting the gun back into action faster. It doesn’t come with the 550 cord; we added that. We plugged RPP’s loading gate spring ($42) into the rifle and our thumb thanked us for the reduction in effort needed fill the mag. Swapping out the plastic mag follower with RPP’s fluted aluminum follower ($26) improves reliability with self-cleaning action by scraping the interior walls of the magazine as it travels.
Make:
Ranger Point Precision
Model:
Marlin 1895 Upgrade Parts
MSRP:
$26 to $140
URL:
www.rangerpointstore.com

We rarely go into the field without a bipod on the gun or in the pack these days. There are a lot of good ones to choose from, but a common thread among the best is their use of interchangeable Atlas style bipod feet. Hawk Hill Custom brings Accu-Tac owners into the fold with its machined aluminum adapters that screw securely to the bottom of SR-5 and LR-10 bipods, imbuing them the power to run balls, sleds, pads, waffle cut, and wicked spikes such as Hawk Hill’s own Talon feet.
Make:
Hawk Hill Custom
Model:
Accu-Tac to Atlas Bipod Feet Adapters
MSRP:
$50
URL:
www.hawkhillcustom.com

Magpul’s continued march toward making everything for everything continues with the release of the Magpul Bipod. It’s designed to combine performance and value in a way that shames guys running $400 bipods while enticing guys running $50 bipods. The heart of the bipod is steel and aluminum while polymer is used in areas to save weight. The result is an 11-ounce support offering 6.3 inches to 10.3 inches of rise with 50 degrees of tilt and 40 degrees of independently locking pan movement. It also accepts Atlas style feet.  The result is a capable, lightweight and inexpensive bipod that’ll punches above its price.
Make:
Magpul
Model:
Bipod for M-LOK
OPTIONS:
M-LOK, Picatinny Rail, ARMS 17S Style
MSRP:
$110
URL:
www.magpul.com

Grey Ghost’s minimalist plate carrier carries standard 10×12-inch ESAPI plates securely without a lot of frills. There’s enough PALS webbing to carry mag and radio pouches, first-aid kits, and a Velcro ID pocket with a loop field for patches. Grey Ghost also makes it’s own premium-featured, 4.8-pound Level III+ standalone armor plates. They are multishot rated and can stand up to light armor piercing projectiles. As an exclusive offer to RECOIL readers, it’s offering a package deal. Take 10 percent off a pair of the comfy, lightweight padded plates and the Minimalist plate carrier off when you order from Grey Ghost Gear using the code “DONKEYPUNCH” at checkout.
Make:
Grey Ghost Gear
Model:
Minimalist Plate Carrier and GGAP-31 Level III+ Armor Plates Kit
MSRP:
$888
URL:
www.greyghostgear.com

Say what you want about the idea behind themed AR builds, but the level of detail in Rare Breed Firearm’s new receiver sets is downright astonishing. The company figured out how to turn a CNC machine into a sculptor’s riffler, imbuing the Spartan helmet with detail, depth, and drama we’ve never seen on an AR. The lower’s premium feature set is what we’d expect from a part this pricey; 7075 billet construction, ambi-controls, and, on the one pictured, custom Cerakote that brings out the helmet. The custom safety markings and edging around the lower add to the 300/Percy Jackson feel. Available through Spike’s Tactical, the Spartan is available as a stripped lower, a receiver set and as complete pistols and rifles. Take your molon labe game to the next level with a Spartan build. It may end up a safe queen … but it’s an excellent conversation starter (or ender) that’s bound to become a collector’s item, right out of the (Hot) gate.
Make:
Rare Breed Firearms
Model:
Spartan Bronze Helmet Lower Receiver
MSRP:
$400
URL:
www.rarebreedfirearms.com

While the new Pint-Sized Game Changer shooting bag looks like a smaller version of the Reasor Precision-designed, Armageddon Gear produced Optimized Game Changer shooting bag, it isn’t. It’s filled with much smaller, silica-based beads mimicing the look and feel of sand that combine with the waxed canvas exterior to make the Pint-Sized a dense, yet pliable shooting support. The bag works as both a front bag or a rear bag and excels at turning barricade shooting positions into stable supports. The move from nylon to waxed canvas should mean the bags will break in with use and become even more supple and grippy. We’ll have a full rundown on how to use the Game Changer bags on RECOILweb.com.
Make:
Armageddon Gear
Model:
Pint-Sized Game Changer
Materials:
Waxed canvas with a bison leather strap
WEIGHT:
5 pounds (heavy fill), 3 pounds (light fill)
DIMENSIONS:
7 by 4.5 by 5 inches
MSRP:
$85
URL:
www.armageddongear.com