Federal Gun Ban

Friends, most of us are likely old enough to remember the Clinton era assault on weapons that were mis-labelled as "assault weapons".  Do you remember going to gun shows and seeing those cool 30 round magazines for your AR-15 and not being able to buy them because they were "law enforcement and military only"?  Do you remember not having a flash suppressor because that magically made your AR a blood-thirsty killer?  I do.  I remember many of these things.  I also remember that the "pre-ban" magazines that were still available to civilians kept climbing in price.  I do not blame the distributors, because I would charge what the market will bear, just like anyone else would.  I blame the federal government and a simple piece of federal legislation that was signed into effect with the stroke of one leftist pen.

Imagine if your 30-rnd PMAG had to have been manufactured before a certain date or you would not be able to buy it?  Friends, right now they are selling for $22, give or take a buck or two.  Imagine if you were paying $66 for the same 30-rnd. magazine, and that is if you were lucky enough to find one.  I hope this country never takes another step in that direction, trampling on our rights, but I don't trust the government, and I don't think we have a good reason to, given their record.  In the last few weeks I have purchased 4 PMAGS by Magpul.  I went to the website like I normally do, but I could not purchase them there.  The website said that demand is at "crisis levels" and they are only delivering to distributors.  That is why I put up this post.  Several distributors are on Amazon, so you can still get these magazines pretty easily online.  I'm posting the links for your convenience, as well as my own:  if you click my link I do receive a small percentage, so thank you in advance.

PMAG

Ranger Plate

As for you pistol mags, I'm still looking for a good supplier.  I carry a S&W M&P .40c as many of you know, and magazines are fairly pricey from the manufacturer.  I have yet to find any on Amazon.  As soon as I secure a good supply I will let you know.  The Clinton-era bans limited capacity to 10 rnds, so my compact would be safe, but if you have an M&P full-size of any caliber, you should seriously be looking for extra magazines right now.

Are you feelin' Lucky? I am.

Have you ever tried an online ammo retailer?  I just finally got a chance to try LuckyGunner.com and I have to say their service and product are second to none.  I won' pull any punches:  they are an affiliate of this blog, but I do purchase ammo from them.

I try to support my local gun stores as much as the next guy, but I think we've all had a sad experience or two trying to find ammo.  It's hard for a small shop to keep all the calibers stocked, when you think of the huge diversity of ammo available.  I remember one day when I went to pick up some .40 caliber hollow points and there were none.  Things like this happen at the big box shops, too, especially when something is new or popular.  Enough complaining, now let me tell you the bright side of the alternative.



Everything you see at LuckyGunner is in stock.  Your order will ship today or the next business day.  You can expect to see variety (Do they stock 458 Lott at your local store, for example?).  And I encourage you price shop them.  Even their by-the-box prices are going to beat your local store's prices, and if you want to stock up on a lot of 500 to 1,000 rnds., you will be happy here.

My wife and I recently took a trip to the range with some .40 cal. PMC that got from LuckyGunner, and we had a blast.  First we sorted everything out and loaded up.

Then we sat down and got to work.  Frankly, at this range, I'm just happy to keep it on the paper when I'm using my little M&Pc.  The PMCs I got from LuckyGunner were exactly the quality you'd expect and every one went bang the first time like I hoped.  It's just good therapy to send small projectiles down-range at high speeds.

All in all it was a great day and much fun had by all.  We broke plenty of paper and even had some fun with one of those orange reactive targets that hops when you hit it.  Now I'm saving up for something bigger, like a 1,000 brick of 9mm for the wife's M&P full-size.

Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe: Beauty to This Beholder

Foreword:  Crossbreed Holsters has not endorsed or funded me, this review or this blog in any way.  My only relationship with them is as a customer.

I can't say that I was ever dissatisfied with my previous EDC (Every Day Carry) holster, and I don't remember precisely why I began the search for a new one.  I think it was a consequence of the hottest summer the Midwest has seen in recent memory and the perspiration it brought about.  Anybody who's ever gone for a walk on a balmy summer afternoon with an In Waist Band (IWB) holster knows the amount of moisture that can collect on your weapon.  Additionally, many of the semi-sharp edges that may not have bothered you in the dryness of winter will soon start to chafe your skin under more humid conditions.  As you may remember, my EDC pistol is a Smith & Wesson M&P compact in .40 caliber.  This pistol has sharp cocking serrations at the rear which stick up above the top of many holsters and they can really hurt if you're walking and sweating.  So began my search for a superior concealable holster.

Crossbreed SuperTuck

I've seen the Crossbreed SuperTuck advertised in all the gun magazines, but that isn't always the best endorsement, so I continued my research on it.  A quick search of the net reveals an extremely high satisfaction rating, both with the holster and the company that makes it.  I also recall a wise old CCW instructor who showed me a SuperTuck during my CCW class.  His recommendation alone warrants the SuperTuck a closer look.  At the time I did not have a budget for another holster and I thought the SuperTuck was way too ugly for me to ever own, so I put it aside and did not look back for a long time.  If there's one thing I've learned in life it's this:  listen to the old folks, they just might know something.  This was one of those times when that lesson proved valuable.

I found the Crossbreed website extremely easy to navigate and the SuperTuck a highly customizable product.  They have a selection of clips available for the SuperTuck depending on your given application: the most concealable option fastens the clips to the inside of your belt by means of hook and loop, the second most concealable option has a small lip that wraps the bottom edge of your belt for retention, and the presumably least concealable clip is the standard SteelClip, a simple clip that wraps over the top of the pant and over the top of the belt, causing the weight of the pistol to rest on your belt rather than your pants.  I went with the over-the-belt option, but additional clips can be purchased separately and swapped back and forth with a simple Phillips-head screwdriver (the "plus screwdriver" for non-technical folks).  You can purchase the SuperTuck in black cowhide or natural horsehide, with or without a combat cut, left- or right-handed.

Before you can hit the "Place Order" button on the Crossbreed website you will see a warning that these products are handmade to order and may take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive.  I received mine in a mere 9 business days.

I chose horsehide due to it's denser grain and higher moisture resistance since this is intended to be a summer holster, and I chose to forgo the combat cut in the hopes that this would leave more leather between me and the pistol.  Both of these hopes have been fulfilled by the final product I received.

My first test was trying the holster around the house and I did need to adjust the position of the steel belt
clips on order to get just the right cant and depth.  I can say this without reservation:  the SuperTuck is made for adjustment.  Each clip has a possible 4 positions to which they may be independently adjusted.  You can cant this thing backwards, if that's what you're really looking for. I found I like just a little more cant forward than the kydex was set to already, so my Supertuck is riding in the first hole from the top on the front and the second hole on the back.  Once I got that out of the way I was ready to hit the street.

My first real surprise came while out about town.  I realized half-way through a marital shopping marathon of searching for the perfect something-or-other (was it a top? a pair of shoes?) that I had completely forgotten I was carrying a pistol.  I stopped in the middle of the store and pondered, with an expression that must have projected serenity and calm, whether or not I could sense the pistol on my hip.  I found that yes, there was a slight weight on my strong side and if I shifted my weight from foot to foot I could feel it.  Other than that my only signal was a slight pressure on my side, but it could have been a firm pillow just as easily as a steel and polymer pistol.  For the next couple of weeks I tested out my SuperTuck in the rather laid-back environment of suburban St. Louis.  The only possible negative I noticed is that the leather portion of the holster did creak if I moved in certain ways.  It was not annoying, it only happened intermittently, and the website forewarns of this possibility during the break-in period.

My next trial for the SuperTuck involved sand, water and muck in abundance.  Destination: the Missouri River, about 25 miles south of St. Charles.  To get to my favorite little fishing hole I park at a public access to the river and walk approximately a half-mile along the bank through rocks, sand and Missouri bottom land gumbo.  I'm usually there by sunup so heat is not an issue, but lately the nightly low temperatures have been in the 80s.  By the time I reached my fishing hole I was warm, and by the time I was ready to leave for home I was dripping in sweat.  With most IWB holsters, the left side of my pistol would be soaked as thoroughly as my clothes, but not so with the SuperTuck.  To my amazement, I could detect no moisture anywhere on the pistol except for the lower portion of the grip which extends past the horsehide.  In fact, the sweat only had a positive effect:  the holster no longer squeaks.

Crossbreed Gun Belt

If I sound like I'm fawning over this product, it's because I am.  So rarely these days does a product of any sort meet one's expectations, and even more rarely still does a product exceed them.  Not only is the SuperTuck everything I had hoped and more, it has raised my expectations of holsters in general.  In the very near future I would like to try their Gun Belt.

Long Break

Have been on a long break, barely keeping my skills up. I am learning the art of bass fishing and it is consuming quite a bit of my free time and resources.

Looking for Material to Review

I would love to get my hands on a Chiappa Rhino to review.  Anybody around St. Louis, Missouri feel like meeting me at a range?  I'm sure I have something you'd like to shoot, so we can trade, and I'll bring ammo for both.

Anybody in St. Louis have any other interesting firearm?  I'd love to give it a shoot and post.

Thanks.

Gun Guy Out