NEW REVIEW: OCTOBER 2005

By Chris Choat

FOBUS USA INTRODUCES NEW LINE OF HOLSTERS

Fobus USA, a division of First Samco, has just released the first in a series of a new generation of holsters. The New Fobus Inside the Waistband (IWB) holster fits the Glock 9mm, .40 and .357 models. It is the first IWB designed by Fobus and is contoured to allow a full range of motion while in use. This unique holster makes the handgun appear almost invisible inside your waistband. The holster is lightweight for all day concealed carry and allows single handed reholstering. The handgun is retained using a passive retention system similar to that on other Fobus holsters. An upper and lower retaining hook is designed to maintain attachment of your holster to your belt, with the upper hook being the only part of the holster that is visible outside your belt. This first new model is designated as the Model GLC. For more information on this as well as an extensive line of other firearm accessories, please contact Fobus USA, a Division of First Samco, Dept. SAR, 1300 B-3 Industrial Highway, Southampton, PA 18966-4029. Phone: (215) 355-2621. Fax: (215) 322-9223. Their website is www.fobusholster.com.

D&L SPORTS INTRODUCES NEW EXTREME DUTY AR-15 MAGAZINES

D&L Sports have now introduced their new Extreme Duty magazines for the AR-15/ M16 series of rifles. The new magazines feature a precision follower made from stainless steel to resist corrosion and impregnation by grit. No more cracked plastic followers. The new follower features concave tracks and legs which align with the inner dimensions of the magazine body and assure smooth, consistent operation and proper delivery of cartridges into the feeding position every time. Filter tracks have been integrated into the followers which filter contaminants past the follower and minimize operational drag. The stainless steel floorplate is another patented design. It eliminates the fragile 90 degree tabs common on the bottom of AR magazines. The new D&L floorplate is over 1/2 inch thick and is held in place via 5 machine screws. The screws are dual slotted to allow easy field maintenance with either a phillips or flat screwdriver. The screws are also domed to assure no sharp edges. A finger ring is integrated into the stainless steel floor plate. This allows easy extraction of magazines from a pouch and easy magazine retention during reloads. The magazine bodies of the new magazines are heat treated aluminum held to excellent reliability tolerances curing excess weight and corrosion problems. They come in both 20-round and 30-round sizes. The 20-round magazines are just the thing for bipod use. The magazines carry an extreme duty warranty and money back if you are not completely satisfied. For more information, please contact, D&L Sports, Inc., Dave Lauck, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 651, 800 South Overdale, Gillette, WY 82718. Phone: (307) 686-4008. Fax: (307) 686-5093. They can be found on the web at www.dlsports.com.

NEW AR-15 A-1 BARRELS FROM J&T DISTRIBUTING

Fads may come and go but when you have a high-quality product with consistent performance, it’s timeless. That’s what J&T Distributing has found with its signature AR-15 barrels and the lesser-used, but still important A-1 barrel. The company has found that the A-1 barrels are making a comeback as the A-1 barrels are preferred by law enforcement officers because of its lighter weight. Another attraction of the A-1 barrels is that they are manufactured using the proper diameter sight base of .625, which more resembles the Vietnam issue model. Like all J&T barrels, the A-1 is Mil-Spec parkerized, giving it a non-reflective, non-glare and weather-proof finish. J&T uses Shaw or Wilson match grade barrel blanks, drills the gas hole and properly fixtures the forged front sight housing. The housing is drilled, reamed and pinned in place before the barrel is parkerized. Stainless steel bull barrels can also be fitted with gas blocks. Additionally, J&T can supply barrels from 10-1/4 to 24 inches in 5.56, 9mm, 7.62 X 39, 300 Whisper and 6.8 SPC in various twist rates. Chrome lining is also available in any configuration. They can even engrave your name on the barrels in 25 unit lots. For more information, please contact Jack Starnes at J&T Distributing, Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 430, Winchester, KY 40391. Phone: (888) 736-7725. Their website is www.jtdistributing.com.

BLUE WONDER INTRODUCES GUN BLACK AND GUN CARE KIT

Blue Wonder has introduced two new products that provide customers not only specialized care for their black guns, but also a routine maintenance all-in-one kit for all firearms. Blue Wonder Gun Black is now available in one-ounce Touch-up kits and two-ounce Refinishing kits that provide the same technology as the award winning Blue Wonder Gun Blue, enabling customers to touch up or refinish guns to a high-gloss or matte black finish. The new Blue Wonder Gun Care Kit provides everything required for effective cleaning, lubricating and protecting of all firearms. The kit contains a four-ounce tube of Blue Wonder Gun Cleaner for cleaning the bore after shooting, a one-ounce jar of Blue Wonder Armadillo for use as a dry lubricant and rust inhibitor, a new one-ounce spray bottle of Blue Wonder Disotec XFR premium lubricant for triggers, actions, springs and other parts requiring lubrication. It also includes a four-ounce bottle of Blue Wonder Fast Blast spray cleaner. For more information on these and other premium gun care and cleaning products, please contact Blue Wonder Gun Care Products, A division of the Armor Holdings Group, Dept. SAR, 1585 W. Sam Houston Parkway North, Suite 200, Houston, TX 77043. Phone: (866) 486-2583. Fax: (713) 464-6319. They can be found on the web at www.bluewonder.us.

SCHMIDT & BENDER OFFERS NEW CQB TACTICAL SCOPE

Schmidt & Bender of Germany has introduced the newest in its Police/Marksman II line of riflescopes, the 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot, built on a 30mm tube. Designed exclusively for use by military and law enforcement agencies, its sophisticated new illuminated reticle configuration provides maximum control over any conceivable lighting situation the shooter will encounter, resulting in one of the most flexible, practical rifle scopes ever produced. A separate turret with 11 click-stops controls the illumination function of a precise red dot at the center of the reticle. Stops 1 to 3 provide varying illumination intensities at very low levels, designed for use with night vision goggles. Stops 4 to 6 provide slightly higher levels of intensity to be used by the naked eye in low light conditions, allowing the shooter to determine the precise aim point against a dark target that would obscure non-illuminated reticles. Stops 7 through 11 illuminate the center dot to very high intensities. Borrowed from Schmidt & Bender’s hunting scopes, this FlashDot technology is intended for use in very bright daylight, against snow, sand, and other harsh lighting conditions. Functioning much like the front bead on a shotgun, this allows quick, accurate shots at a moving target. With illumination switched off, the 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot functions as a standard scope with non-illuminated crosshairs. This is the first time that all possible applications of different illuminated reticle technologies have been combined into one rifle scope. Four bullet drop compensators are supplied for 5.56 mm cartridges, including the Green Tip, 75-grain Hornady, Lake City 16 and Lake City 20. Both locking and non-locking turrets are available, with the locking model calibrated for the M855 and M118LR. Both windage and elevation adjustments are made in a counterclockwise direction. Two reticles are offered; the CQB, developed specifically for the 1.1-4 x 20, and offering sophisticated rangefinding capabilities; and the No. 7. The 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot is powered by a single three-volt lithium 2032 battery, providing up to 100 hours of continuous use. The scope will turn itself off after six hours. The illuminated red dot cannot be seen from the front of the scope. At lower magnification levels, the 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot can be sighted with both eyes open, making it ideal for close-in situations requiring quick, accurate shots. The full magnification range can be covered in a single 180 degree turn of the adjustment ring. The 1.1-4 x 20 CQB Short Dot has been tested and approved by the U.S. military, which designed and suggested several features found on the scope. For more information, please contact Schmidt & Bender Inc., Dept. SAR, P.O. Box 134, 438 Willow Brook Road, Meriden, NH 03770. Phone: (800) 468-3450. Fax: (603) 469-3471. Their website is www.schmidtbender.com.