New Products: Issue 48

MTHD’s (Mountain, Tundra, H2O, Desert) Aphelion is a mid-layer jacket that keeps you warm while recognizing your body benefits from different materials in different places. The front torso is insulated with a breathable, lofting insulation and covered with a durable, lightweight nylon 20D ripstop face fabric. Areas that need to stretch and breathe a bit more are made from an abrasion-resistant fleece with moisture-transporting qualities. The result is a jacket that blocks wind up front while shedding excess heat from the back and allowing mobility in the sleeves. A few touches take the Aphelion to the next level of utility with mesh-backed hand-warming pockets, interior stash pockets, ninja sleeves, and a DWR finish that makes the whole jacket shed light precipitation.

Make: MTHD
Model: Aphelion Hybrid Full-Zip Jacket
BODY INSULATION: Polartec Alpha insulation front
SLEEVES/BACK INSULATION: Polartec Power Stretch Pro
MSRP: $150
URL: tacticaldistributors.com

OTTE Gear’s latest collaboration with Bawidamann’s is the Aloha Now Tiger Stripe, a subtle print that commemorates the 40th anniversary of the iconic film Apocalypse Now. As Captain Willard’s cinematic journey took him up the fictional Nung River to confront Colonel Kurtz, artist Andrew Bawidamann went on his own journey of inspiration that included much less eventful visits to locations such as the archives of the Wright-Patterson AFB National Museum to locate original samples of ADS Tiger Stripe camouflage garments. The result of his effort is the Aloha Now Tiger Stripe pattern with its subtle details hearkening back to the Vietnam War, including Hueys, F5s, B-52s, and river boats.

Make: Otte Gear
Model: Aloha Now Tiger Stripe Shirt
COLORS: Vintage Green, Blue Hawaii
MATERIAL: Preshrunk 100% organic cotton, coconut shell buttons
MSRP: $125
URL: ottegear.com

Lasers aren’t ready for combat, yet, but they have proven mightier than the sword. Evidence: the work of custom Cerakoter Blown Deadline. The artist behind the laser, Michael Sigouin, uses the polymer surface of a Magpul PMAG as a canvas to spread pop culture to the masses in short runs. At press time, his latest project brought the visage of a particularly adorable, but not-quite-helpless Child to magwells everywhere. Keep an eye on Blown Deadline’s social media channels to pick up the latest social statement pieces, including MAGA-zines, circle game hysteria mags, and even more fun references to our favorite space opera.

Make: Blown Deadline
Model: Baby Yoda Laser Engraved PMAG GEN M2
CALIBER: 5.56/.223 REM
MSRP: $22
URL: blowndeadline.net

MDT’s XRS chassis is a crossover product for guys who want the utility of a precision rifle chassis with the feel of a traditional rifle stock. The XRS is cut from a full-length aluminum extrusion that’s CNC machined and covered in textured polymer panels for comfort, including an interchangeable grip. The heart of the XRS is a V-block bedding system that ensures easy and repeatable action installation, maximizing the accuracy potential of any barreled action. At a hair under 4 pounds, it’s light enough to serve as a hunting stock and modular enough to run in precision competition. The XRS features a length of pull starting at 13 inches and offers 12 inches of forend space that’s adorned with M-LOK slots for accessories. Precision competitors note, MDT tells us it has an XRS barrel channel weight system in the works.

Make: MDT
Model: XRS Chassis
FIT: Remington 700 short action
WEIGHT: 3.9 pounds
MSRP: $500
URL: mdttac.com

It might look like some Kali-compliant grip, but the TLC rifle grip is designed for precision shooters running chassis or AR-style rifles who want more surface area than traditional, tubular-shaped grips provide. The forward portion is much larger and beefier than most AR-style grips and features a near vertical grip angle. The shape accommodates both thumb-over and beer can grip styles and adds palm support in the form of a palm swell that makes the TLC feel much closer to the feel you get from a traditional stock.

Make: TLC
Model: Precision Rifle Grip
FIT: Any AR-style grip interface
COLORS: Black, Tan
MSRP: $55
URl: tlcgrips.com

While you might think everything worth improving upon in the AR-15 platform has already been done, the cunning chaps at Extreme Defense reckon they’ve come up with a way to make the heart of the system more reliable. By redesigning bolt lugs to eliminate stress risers, elongating the cam path to delay unlocking and using an exotic grade of steel, covered with a surface treatment that’s slicker than Labrador snot, their BCG runs way smoother. We tried it out in over-gassed SBRs, and the guns ran less violently, with a cyclic rate that was noticeably lower. Oh, and check out the twin ejectors — a first for a small-frame BCG.

Make: Extreme Defense
Model: BCG
MSRP: $385
URL: brownells.com

Although we’re still in the golden age of magazine availability (don’t wait until November to stock up), prices on AK-74 mags have started to creep up a bit in the past few months, so the presence of a low-cost option fresh off the machines at AC Unity is a welcome addition to the market. We visited their Bosnian facility in 2018 and were impressed by the engineering and attention to detail that went into their production process. These windowed 30 rounders feature reinforced steel locking lugs front and rear, as well as a steel hold open tab in the follower to let you know when it’s time throw in a fresh one. Look for MP5 and STANAG mags to hit these shores later in the year.

Make: AC Unity
Model: AK74 mags
MSRP: $14
URL: www.robertrtg.com

SIG SAUER adds to its popular ROMEO lineup with the ROMEO1PRO. Its 3- or 6-MOA red dot has 12 brightness settings for rapid target acquisition, whether in bright or low-light conditions. The optic’s trademarked TruHold lockless zeroing system uses twin adjustment springs to compensate for recoil and return to zero after every shot. It has a 20,000-plus-hour runtime, thanks in part to its trademarked MOTAC system that powers up when it senses motion and powers down when it’s still. With a CNC aluminum housing, a protective steel shroud, and an IPX7 waterproof rating, the ROMEO1PRO should offer performance and durability for everyday carry and when SHTF.

Make: SIG SAUER
Model: ROMEO1PRO
WEIGHT: 1 ounce
MSRP: Starting at $450
URL: sigsauer.com

Why carry a paper notepad when your smartphone has an app for that? Well, your phone can also become an expensive brick if it runs out of power or gets dropped unceremoniously into a toilet. For folks who prefer a tangible hardcopy but don’t want the bulk, MicroNotes by Pokka is ideal. It’s the size of most credit cards, so it can slide easily into a wallet, purse, or pant pocket. Plus, its 20 pages (all ¼-inch grid ruled) are protected by sturdy Pokka-Flex covers and a sewn binding. Whether it’s writing an important address on the fly or recording DOPE information during a long-range shooting session, MicroNotes has got you covered. Comes in packs of 3, 5, or 10 with black or blue covers.

Make: Pokka Pens
Model: MicroNotes by Pokka
DIMENSIONS: 3.375 by 2.125 inches
MSRP: Packs starting at $8
URL: pokkapens.com

Automatic knives are the Maseratis of daily carry knives — sleek, fast, beautiful, and expensive. The 3400BK, also known as the Autocrat, is no exception. At five Benjamins, it costs as much as most striker-fired handguns. Why so Gucci? It starts with the 3.71-inch blade. It’s made of S30V, a premium stainless steel that’s lightsaber sharp, quite strong, and holds an edge and fights off corrosion like nobody’s business. The handle is made of G10, which is grippy without being abrasive, resistant to chemicals and temperature, and doesn’t conduct electricity. Reminiscent of Wolverine’s claws, the double-edge dagger blade shoots out the front with a satisfying thwack sound and retracts the way it came by pulling back on the button. Made in the USA.

Make: Benchmade Knife Co.
Model: 3400BK
OAL: 8.75 inches
MSRP: $500
URL: benchmade.com

A handheld tactical flashlight is a great EDC item, but not for every lighting situation. Think wrenching on your car or repairing your firearm in the garage. That’s why Streamlight came out with the FlipMate. This ingenious little device has both a flat magnetic base and a storable hook so you can hang or attach it to your car to go hands-free during repairs. Its lightbar can rotate 270 degrees so you can aim it at hard-to-see spaces or upward for umbrella illumination. The FlipMate can put out 500 lumens for up to 2.5 hours or 250 lumens for 5.75 hours. Made of aluminum and an unbreakable polycarbonate lens, the sturdy FlipMate is both water and impact resistant.

Make: Streamlight
Model: FlipMate
WEIGHT: 8.7 ounces
MSRP: $125
URL: streamlight.com

Federal Ammunition now offers its Syntech line of range ammo in 500-round buckets. It promises to be a cleaner way to shoot because its polymer coating prevents metal-on-metal contact between each bullet and the bore of your firearm, eliminating copper and lead fouling. Plus, each round uses clean-burning powders and the trademarked Catalyst lead-free primer to further minimize residue and the frequency of cleanings. Also, the lack of a copper jacket on the bullets reduces splash-back on steel targets. The 9mm Luger cartridge has a 124-grain weight with a reported muzzle velocity of 1,050 feet per second from a 4-inch barrel.

Make: Federal Ammunition
Model: Syntech Range 9mm Luger
BULLET WEIGHT: 124 grain
MSRP: $194
URL: federalpremium.com

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