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Weapon Evolution Forum – The AR15 Resource
Since 2007 I have been part of the Weapon Evolution Forum, though I have have not been present as much as of late due to other commitments. The forum has been in the good hands of a friend and co-worker of mine that goes by UWone77 and new content is being added all the time.
Weapon Evolution offers a “No BS” approach to proving information and feedback to the members. There is no bickering or bantering back and forth. That is reserved for other forums out there and will not be tolerated on WEVO.
Join in on the discussion: http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum/
Diamondhead-USA Diamond Polymer Sights
Diamondhead-USA has released their new Diamond (Flip-Up) Polymer Sight for both the front and rear sighting needs of your AR-15 and Modern Sporting Rifles. These sights are built with advanced polymer/composite construction for strength, lightweight and exceptional durability. Both of these sights can be used with any other Diamondhead-USA diamond-shaped apertures. Similar in function to Diamondhead-USA’s already popular line of Diamond sights, the Polymer versions also allow for faster target acquisition and sight alignment when used as a pair against the speed of traditional back-up sighting systems. As with the Diamond sights, the new Polymer sights will feature the proprietary reference posts and horizon bars.
The Diamondhead-USA Polymer Rear Sight will function just as well with AR-15’s fitted with a factory handguard and a fixed front sight or can be paired with any picatinny rail-mounted Diamondhead-USA front sight. These sights include a NiteBrite™ Photoluminescent Insert that can be charged by either natural light or with a flashlight. The photoluminescence is more cost effective than tritium, but does require a light source to charge prior to using.
Both sights are spring-loaded and will flip up quickly with the push of a button and will stay up securely until they are no longer needed and can be folded down flat without the need of pressing a button again to release a locking mechanism. The push buttons offer a large surface and positive texture to engage the sights into the open position. The push buttons have enough resistance that should mitigate any accidental engagements of the sights until they are needed, though will not require brute force to activate. The rear sight will fold down completely with either the small or large aperture in position which is unlike a lot of back-up sights that use a 90 degree swivel for their dual-apertures that do not allow the sight to fully close depending on which aperture is chosen.
The rear sight allows you to select one of three sighting options with a small aperture for precision shooting, a large aperture for CQB/CQC shooting, and the absence of a rear aperture by selecting the flat mid-position for use with the diamond-shaped sight exteriors and photoluminescent inserts, particularly useful in low-light CQB/CQC scenarios.
For installation, both the front and rear sights will need to be slid onto the picatinny rail and secured with the included nut and bolt which is installed with a cross-tip screwdriver.
The rear sight’s windage knob is adjustable with a flat-head screwdriver or similar sized flat metal object in 0.5 MOA steps. I attempted to use a dime to see if that would work in a pinch and found that it would not fit to turn the dial. On the front sight there is no need for special sighting tools for adjusting elevation. To adjust the elevation, there is a dial on the rear of the sight that can be adjusted to the right or to the left of the shooter in order to raise or lower the elevation. The elevation dial is recessed and has enough tension applied to prevent any inadvertent adjustments. I was able to adjust the elevation dial by using a fingernail; however, you may want to have a smaller flat-head screwdriver on hand if you find the fingernail method not to work in your favor.
As with other polymer backup sights, the Diamondhead-USA Polymer front sight is not suitable for gas block mounting due to heat-related issues from the barrel damaging the polymer. Diamondhead-USA recommends that the polymer sights should be only mounted on picatinny rail sections and flattop upper receivers.
For those who will be running the Diamondhead-USA Polymer sights with an electronic optic, these sights are same plane for both apertures and are at the same exact height as factory A2 sights.
Diamondhead-USA offers a lifetime warranty on their Diamond Polymer Sights and states; “If a Diamondhead product fails at any time due to defects in material or workmanship it will be repaired or replaced at no charge.”
The Diamondhead-USA Diamond (Flip-Up) Polymer Sights are expected to be introduced at $119.95 for the set and are anticipated to be released for sale sometime after the 2014 SHOT Show. The SHOT Show is right around the corner from January 14-17, 2014, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. If you plan on attending SHOT Show, make sure you stop by and check out the Diamondhead-USA product line at booth #8503.
For more information about Diamondhead-USA, check out their webpage at http://diamondhead-usa.com/.
Review originally written for Arms Collective by zero7one.
The Pointman glove by Line of Fire Tactical
Line of Fire Tactical has developed a glove dubbed “Pointman”. Gloves come in many shapes, sizes, and purposes whether it be rubber medical-grade gloves for a doctor, cowhide split leather gloves for a construction worker, or in this particular case, tactical shooting gloves for the military serviceman, police officer, competitive shooter, or just about anyone who wants to protect their hands while shooting. Of the three main purposes of gloves, protection, grip, and warmth, the Pointman covers two of them quite well and the latter on less than frigid days.
Utilizing patented micro-replicated technology, the Pointman uses a unique gripping system that combines a high friction surface with thin flexible backing. Used alone the grip system provides a strong and secure grip in wet and dry environments. Used in a two-part system, the strength of the grip is maximized, though the grip will release instantly when needed.
The grip is made possible by TEGS™ (Technologically Enhanced Grip System) by Grip Tech which uses thousands of microscopic nodes, or gripping fingers, that when used in a one-part system can increase grip by up to 80% and by 270% when used in a two-part system. In layman’s terms, TEGS™ is a high-tech non-slip traction system, not a sticking system. It will not stick to itself or your clothing like Velcro does, but instead provides traction and grip when and where needed. Every pair of Pointman gloves include a 36” roll of gripping tape for you to place on anything that you need to get a little extra traction on, such as the grip of your AR-15.
The Pointman is a short versatile glove that is constructed of high-grade digital goatskin with TEGS™ material on the palm and fingers, premium drum-dyed cowhide leather on top of the hand and fingers, 100% Nomex on top of the hand and fingers, and includes polyurethane abrasion and impact resistant knuckle and finger guards. The gloves are available in black, tan, and foliage green and are available in sizes from Small to XX-Large. Line of Fire has done a nice job with the exact placement of the TEGS™ material on the palm and fingers allowing the hand to form naturally into a fist or gripping position without bunching up, causing hot-spots, or discomfort. The TEGS™ material is so extremely thin that you will not notice it is even there.
Though some glove manufacturers offer padded palms in their shooting gloves and if done correctly are not too bad. The Pointman does not offer padding on the palm, but does offer very minimalistic padding on the top side of the fingers. Personally I do not care too much for padding in the palm of my gloves and I don’t think that the lack of padding will be a deal-breaker for most.
For those shooters out there that is particular about how their finger falls on the trigger will appreciate the leather over wrap trigger finger that provides seamless comfort and better trigger dexterity. The Pointman is touchscreen capable allowing the wearer to utilize nearly any of their touchscreen devices without the need of removing the gloves. I only say nearly since I obviously cannot test out every single touch screen out there, though every touch-capable screen that I have tried works out just fine.
Out of the packaging, the Pointman is extremely comfortable, flexible and does not require a break-in period or conditioning for functional use. For those who are accustom to the carbon fiber knuckles offered in some tactical gloves will find that the semi-hard polyurethane knuckles on the Pointman are more malleable, are not as restrictive and do not have the hard sharp edge commonly associated with the carbon fiber one-piece molded knuckles. However, the polyurethane knuckles will probably not provide the same level of impact resistance as the carbon fiber knuckles do. As long as you are not being cracked across the hand with a metal pipe on a regular basis, the polyurethane should suit most needs just fine.
As with almost every quality manufacturer, Line of Fire guarantees their gloves for 90 days, to the original customer, against any defects in manufacturing, materials or workmanship. As common sense would apply, the Limited Warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, neglect or accidents caused by the customer. Also keep in mind that you can extend the life of your gloves by hand washing them with a mild detergent and allowing them to hang dry. The Iraqi desert was rough on many pair of my gloves and those that were washed more often seemed to last considerably longer.
The MSRP of the Pointman is $159.99, though discounted prices can be found around the internet.
For more information, check out Line of Fire Tactical at http://loftactical.com.
This review was originally written for Arms Collective by zero7one.
Intacto Arms Operator Rifle
Intacto Arms Operator Rifle
Intacto Arms has released their new top of the line .223/5.56 caliber firearm, the Operator Rifle. The Operator has all of the common upgrades that have typically been added to their Battle Tac Rifle.
The specs of the Operator Rifle are as follows:
- Intacto Arms Billet 6061 CNC Machined Lower Receiver
- Intacto Arms Billet 6061 CNC Machined Upper Receiver
- Adjustable Gas Block (Precision Reflex Installed on Rifle Tested)
- Intacto Arms Nickel Boron Bolt/Carrier Group
- Intacto Arms 16.5″ .223/5.56 Wylde 1:8 Twist Stainless Steel Match Barrel
- 12.5″ Intacto Arms Billet Free Floating Hand Guard
- 4 QD Sling Mount Positions and Continuous Picatinny Top Rail
- Phantom Persuasion Tip Flash Hider / Muzzle Brake
- With Gift Certificate for any QD Flash Hider That The Customer Has A Suppressor For, I.E. Gemtech or Surefire
- Geissele G2S 2 Stage Trigger
- JP Enterprises Silent Capture Buffer System
- Battle Arms Ambidextrous Safety
- BCM A44 Ambi Charging Handle
- Black Magpul ACS Stock
- Magpul MOE+ Grip
- Magpul 30 RD Mag
- Magpul MBUS Sights
- Magpul ASAP Single Point Sling Mount
- 1680 Denier PVC 5-Pocket Tactical Soft Carrying Case
Out of the packaging the Operator Rifle appears to be a solid platform with enough quality upgrades coming standard to make any shooter, new or seasoned, feeling complete without wondering what they will need to do to make it better with the exception of throwing on the optic of their choice. At first glance I was taken-back by the MSRP of the Operator at a price of $2499. So I thought that in order to confirm or deny my assumptions of the price, I broke down the retail costs of each part as if I were to buy each part individually and build it up myself. After adding up the retail prices I was pleasantly surprised to find that the retail cost of individual parts was on par with the MSRP of the complete Operator Rifle. Add in armoring, a warranty, and the peace of mind that the rifle has been built properly and you have a good deal.
Operator Upper:
The Operator Rifle’s upper is built around a billet 6061 CNC machined upper receiver and is fitted with a 12.5″ Intacto Arms billet free floating hand guard, an Intacto Arms 16.5″ .223/5.56 Wylde 1:8 twist stainless steel match barrel, and capped off with a Yankee Hill Phantom flash hider/muzzle brake. Atop the Operator sits a pair of Magpul MBUS sights and a BCM A44 ambidextrous charging handle. An Intacto Arms NiB bolt carrier group rounds out the internals of the upper.
Of note is the billet free floating hand guard, which is round in shape and includes a picatinny rail on the 12o’clock position and a smooth surface on the remaining sides. The rail has multiple mounting positions on the smooth sides to attach the proprietary 2.75” rail sections. The rail includes four QD Sling mounting positions.
Operator Lower:
Intacto Arms Billet 6061 CNC Machined Lower Receiver features a standard bolt-release, magazine release, and pin sets and has been upgraded with a Battle Arms Development Ambidextrous Safety Selector, Magpul Moe+ Grip, and a Geissele G2S 2 Stage Trigger. Rounding out the back side of the Operator is a Magpul ACS Collapsible Stock and a Magpul ASAP Single Point Sling Mount. The machining of the lower is clean and provides for tight tolerances. The checkering on the front of the magwell is not only aesthetically pleasing, but provides for a positive gripping texture as well.
On The Range:
I took the Operator Rifle out to my local rifle range to give it a shot (pun intended). I was pleased with how smoothly the bolt cycled and had minimal recoil and muzzle rise. In fact, this was most likely the least amount of felt recoil I have experienced out of an AR. All of the controls (selector, charging handle, mag release, bolt catch/release, and trigger) functioned flawlessly without any hang-ups and offered for a smooth “Operator” (again, pun intended).
To ensure consistency while checking accuracy of the rifle, I used a CTK Precision Ultimate Gun Vise as my bench rest and shot Remington .223 55gr PSP rounds that I had on hand. I understand that this ammo is not match grade ammo, however, it is reliable and what I had on hand.
After shooting 10x 5 round groups at 100 yards with a Vortex Optics 1-4x Viper PST Scope, I observed that the groupings were approximately 1” – 2” (~1-2 MOA) with a flyer here and there. If I would have had some match grade ammo on hand, I’m sure that the groupings would have been more consistent and tighter. There are a lot of factors when testing a firearm for accuracy, especially at 100 yards. Bear in mind that I was not shooting out to 800 yards where these factors are even more pronounced, but they could have had a slight effect on consistency. The temperature was around 48°F, no noticeable wind, no precipitation or cloud cover, and was shooting at a slight downhill grade.
The Intacto Arms Operator Rifle retails for $2499.00.
About Intacto Arms:
Intacto Arms is a Type 7 FFL and S.O.T. licensed weapons systems manufacturer and a full-service customization shop specializing in the AR and 1911 platforms. At Intacto Arms, we understand that our customers’ lives, families, and freedom depend on the quality of our work – and we take that understanding very seriously. We offer a full line of suppressors, automatic/burst weapons, SBR’s for military, L.E. and SOT/NFA clients. Our mission is to produce the highest-quality firearms and provide the best customer service money can buy. In our world, guns are not a hobby – they are a way of life. Every firearm we manufacture is 100% guaranteed by one of the best lifetime warranties in the industry. On the AR platform, we manufacture and stock .22, .223/5.56, .300 and .308. We custom build any caliber from .17 HMR to .50 Beowulf.
Intacto Arms manufactures some of the highest-quality firearms in the business. We pride ourselves on our boutique approach to building firearms. All of our 1911s are hand fit and finished. All of our rifles are built on a billet lower receiver. After extensive R&D, custom machining and thorough testing, we are able to provide a superior product at every price point – while still honoring the best warranty in the business.
100% Lifetime Guarantee
All Intacto Arms products have a 100% guarantee against manufacturer’s defects. Additionally, if you damage your firearm in the line of duty, we will gladly repair or replace your damaged Intacto Arms product at cost with minimal downtime. Intacto Arms has invested considerable effort to produce some of the highest-quality firearms available. We stand behind our products 100%. Any mechanical issue you come across will be covered, period. The majority of 3rd party manufacturers also have a lifetime warranty; and in the event of a defective product, we promise to facilitate the repair/replacement of that product to the best of our ability. Please understand that in some rare cases, a 3rd party manufacturer may have a different policy than our own; and in that case, we will do our best to help facilitate a timely turnaround.
Intacto Arms
7103 W. Overland Road
Boise, ID 83709
208-639-1270
This article was originally written for Arms Collective by zero7one.
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About
I am a Full-Time Local Law Enforcement Officer and also spend a considerable amount of time doing Weapon and Tactical Photography, Marketing and Reviews for a number of great companies with Defense Marketing Group, a Contributor for Harris Publications, and an Administrator of the Weapon Evolution Forum.
I am a Combat Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the United States Army and worked as a PSD Team Leader and NCOIC for a General-Grade Officer. I served for 7 years and received an Honorable Discharge from the Army in 2005 as a Staff Sergeant.
I am currently serving as a Washington State certified Handgun and Patrol Rifle Instructor, Taser Instructor, and Reality Based Training Instructor.