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General


VAN CAMPING AT RANGES

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date January 10, 2023
 * 0 Comments



Note: I wrote this initially in late 2020 but didn’t publish because I didn’t
finish. I wanted to publish in case anyone was looking at a SUPER basic retrofit
to make a minivan more viable for camping/overnighting. More current updates at
the end.


2021 SETUP

For 2021, I did a lot of range camping for Mapleseeds: I’d drive out to a range
and stay overnight so that I could do the Mapleseed the next day and I ran most
of 2021 van camping in an old ’03 Dodge Grand Caravan. In that van, I pulled the
rear row of seats out and popped in a wood elevated sleeping platform that could
fold over the middle row of seats. This let me store Mapleseed and camping gear
underneath the sleeping platform. I also made some removable, velcro-backed
mosquito screens for the windows to get some ventilation.

Removable mosquito mesh for windows adds ventilation for hot nights Folded down,
it’s exactly a 4×8 sheet of plywood. I put a cheap surplus wool blanket on top
to keep slivers at bay Super quick setup

It worked really great and I preferred it a lot to my micro tent setup from last
year. Advantages of the van over tent:

 * Setup was incredibly fast
 * Tear down was quick even in the rain (no drying out materials required)
 * Nice and quiet even in high winds

But on the other hand, it was a bit tight when I brought one of my boys along
and stuffing the whole family in the van is right out. On the coldest days, the
van can’t hold the heat in very well and you were stuck running a warm sleeping
bag similar to what’d be needed in a tent.


THE PLAN FOR 2022: BOTH VAN CAMPING AND TENT TRAILER (POPUP CAMPER)

In our current situation, full size camping trailers and new vehicles are a lot
more expensive than usual. I’m cheap and I don’t want to buy anything at a
higher than usual price.


SETUP 1: CONTINUED BUDGET VAN CAMPING

My van’s super old and rusty, so I don’t want to put any real money into turning
it into some luxury van camper on wheels. If it was a bit newer, I might be
tempted to build some nice drawers to better access the under-bed area. But that
said, van camping in it was pretty cushy. I found a tri-fold foam mattress
that’s comfortable and folds up, I have enough space for myself if I’m heading
out to a Mapleseed and overall it’s far better than tenting.


VAN UPGRADE: CHINESE DIESEL HEATER

I toyed with a few different heating options in the van over 2021. I tried
candles but the van is just too drafty for them to have any real impact on the
temperature. The little buddy heater was OK but due to the cramped spaces, it’s
hard to find a spot where it won’t melt something. It also added a lot of water
into the air and all windows ended up super wet in the morning. On a couple of
really cold nights where I didn’t have warm enough bedding, I had to wake up and
start up the van which was annoying and it took a long time to get the inside of
the van warm.

The cheapest permanent solution is to setup a Chinese diesel heater. These
“parking heaters” are pretty power efficient, they’re a sealed combustion
chamber so you’re not putting fumes or water into your living space, and some of
them come with thermostat functionality so you can set a temp and not have to
adjust it through the night. Most importantly, they’re super cheap.

Chinese Diesel heater options:

Output rating options2kw
(7000 BTU)5kw / 8kw
(17000 BTU)ControllersBasicWith thermostat, some
with remote startOutput optionsSingle hose4 hoseKit?Build as kitEnclosed “all in
one”Tank size10L (for kits)5L (for all-in-ones)

Note that some kits lack output redirection vents, lack intake filters, fuel
filters, hard fuel line vs soft, etc. Pricing is all over the place, so shop
around.

I ended up buying a unit labelled as an 8kw unit even though these are really
5kw units. I only got it cause it was the cheapest AND it also came with the
fancier controller unit. After looking through Aliexpress, eBay, and Amazon, I
found that the cheapest option was on Amazon. I contemplated getting an enclosed
version, but wanted more flexibility in mounting options and in silencing the
loud tick of the pump so I decided to go for a kit. I picked the one with a
thermostat so that I could set it and forget it.

There are a FUCKTON of YouTube videos on these heaters, but a lot of them don’t
know what they’re doing. This old Australian guy knows his shit and he has a
whole series of videos on these heaters.



To power the diesel heater, I’ll be getting a 60Ah Lifepo4 (Lithium Iron
Phosphate) battery. These batteries are expensive, but they’re also light and
better than AGM batteries for camping, and they’re not the same as the phone
batteries that light on fire and fail after 3 years. I suppose I could hook the
heater up to my vehicle battery, but I don’t want to kill it. I intend on
re-using the lithium battery for the tent trailer and potentially for a small
electric trolling motor, so I thought I’d get one lithium battery instead of 2
deep cycle batteries.

This dude has a pile of videos on lifepo4 batteries if you’re interested.


2023 UPDATE

I didn’t end up installing the Chinese diesel heater in my van. Instead, I kept
using the van as-is for the season, along with a folding foam mat (3″ foam
folder from Walmart for ~$50). I have an air sleeping mat but the foam is
imperious to punctures, is bigger, and has no setup time.

Hard to beat the speed of setup and tear down of this

Instead, I bought a tent trailer and deployed the diesel heater to use in my
workshop. The remote on the diesel heater makes it really handy to pre-heat the
shop when I need to do some reloading.

The van is still going to be handier for overnighters at the range but for
longer hunting excursions, Mapleseed weekends, and bigger shooting matches, it’s
hard to beat the inside space of the tent trailer. I might do a blog or two on
what mods I put into that tent trailer.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
Shotgun Reviews


GIRSAN MC312 REVIEW

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date December 29, 2022
 * 0 Comments



After the Benelli inertia system patent expired, we’ve seen an explosion in the
number of shotguns using their system. It’s easy to see why: they’re simple in
number of parts, clean shooting, and very reliable. The Girsan MC312 is an
inertia-driven, semi automatic shotgun made in Turkey. It’s budget priced (I got
this one on sale for cheap from Cabela’s) and copies a lot from the Benelli M2.
In the US, these are imported by EAA and were selling for as low as $300 at one
point.




SPECS

 * 28″ barrel
 * Weight: 7 lbs
 * 7lb trigger pull
 * Fiber optic front sight
 * 5 in the tube (2 with the plug), 1 in the chamber
 * 3″ or 3.5″ chamber
 * Mine came with a ton of chokes (5) but it uses mobile chokes if you want more
 * There’s a version with a pistol grip stock
 * One version comes with a red dot
 * Comes in black or camo or wood

Here’s a video review from my Slam Fire co-host Kyle:



Why are Turkish shotguns so cheap? Because their country and economy are run by
a complete moron and their currency has been on a headlong dive for well over a
decade. That’s terrible for the Turkish people but great for us who buy their
stuff for cheap. Note: some Turkish guns are pretty good but some others are
crap. Quality varies between manufacturers.


GIRSAN MC312 AS A CHEAP 3 GUN SHOTGUN

As a starter semi-auto 3 gun shotgun, the Girsan 312 is about as cheap as you
can go and still get any semblance of reliability. The current crowd favorite
for a cheap 3 gun shotgun is the Stoeger M3K but here in Canada, it’s closer to
$750 while the 312 can be $400-450.

3 gun mods for the MC312:

 * Add a magazine tube extension (see my article on shotgun capacity here): this
   one takes Nova/supernova extension tubes
 * Open up the loading port
 * Weld lifter
 * Optional: work over the trigger or replace trigger parts with Benelli parts


BENELLI M2 AND OTHER PARTS COMPATIBILITY WITH THE MC312

 * You can swap out whole trigger packs and run an M2 or Franchi trigger pack in
   the MC312.
   * You can swap in a Taran Tactical M2 spring kit & lifter
 * Benelli Super Nova magazine tube extensions work, some may required that you
   cut off a bit of the magazine tube (thread or two)
 * Takes Beretta/Benelli Mobil chokes (tons of aftermarket options, common in
   Turkish shotguns if you already have some)
 * You can change out the fiber optic rod if you want

For the buttpad: Limbsaver 10810 works but isn’t an exact match. However, the
Limbsaver 10804 fit exactly but the screw holes dont match up so you have to
screw through the plastic to get the holes to match and tighten it up

What definitely won’t fit:

 * Charging handles
 * Barrels
 * Benelli BCG won’t fit
 * Recoil spring is a bit different length
 * Forends


CONS TO THE GIRSAN MC-312

 * The butt pad is pretty hard and needs to be replaced
 * Needs 1oz target loads or heavier because it won’t run light loads (this is
   pretty common with inertia shotguns though. It’s tough to make a gun that
   cycles target loads AND heavy goose loads)
 * I don’t really like the forked lifter (bad for catching fingers)


CONCLUSION

“Cheap” doesn’t usually go along with “reliable” when it comes to semi auto
shotguns. A lot of the really cheap semi-auto turk shotguns suffer from really
poor reliability but the Girsan MC312 is OK as long as you use heavier target
loads, duck/goose rounds, and let it work in. Because it’s a clone of the
reliable Benelli, it is likely to be able to run reliably for long spans without
much cleaning needed. As a cheap duck/goose gun, or a cheap semi-auto 3 gun
shotgun, it may turn out to be a new favorite.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
Shotgun Reviews


SOVIET IJ-12 O/U SHOTGUN REVIEW

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date December 27, 2022
 * 0 Comments



The IJ-12 is a Soviet era O/U (Over/Under), hammerless, double trigger, 12 gauge
shotgun. They’re very reasonably priced on the used market and based on the
“arrow in shield” mark on mine, it was made in the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. I
bought mine from Intersurplus in Canada for under $300. These shotguns were
superseded by newer models like the Baikal Model IZH-27.


IJ12 SPECIFICATIONS

 * Walnut stock
 * 7.1lbs (3.22kg)
 * Tiny sling swivels (maybe 0.5″?)
 * Brass bead front sight
 * Some engraving (mine has a squirrel on one side and grouse on the other)
 * Automatic tang safety
 * Extractors
 * Takes down as most typical O/Us do
 * Fixed chokes (on mine, the top barrel is full choke, bottom is mod choke)
 * Trigger weight: 6.5-7 lbs (the front trigger is for the mod choke, the rear
   trigger is for the full choke)




WHY BUY ONE OF THESE?

As a duck/goose gun, this is not the shotgun because I’m not sure if you can
shoot steel shot with this shotgun and the top barrel is absolutely no-go since
it’s full choke. So this is a lead-shot, trap and upland game kind of shotgun.

For myself, it was a cheap O/U trap & clays shotgun. $300, it’s got a wood
stock, reasonable chokes, and that’s hard to beat. To buy a new O/U, you’re
looking at $650 minimum.

Being able to choose between mod or full choke is nice for grouse and upland
game because you can fire the mod choke for birds that are in the air, while you
could choose to go full and get the head if the grouse is on the ground.




SHOOTING THE IJ-12

The Baikal IJ-12 shot fine at the range. It swung well and the mod choke broke
clays so easily that I rarely needed the second full choke shot. The brass bead
in the front is small but completely usable and the heavy-ish triggers didn’t
seem to make much of a difference on the clays.

You have to hold the barrels down to keep the action open for unloading or
loading. You also need to close it with a bit of a snap.

The tang safety automatically engages once you break the action open: a safety
feature I find a bit annoying on some break action shotguns.

The split forend repair on mine started coming loose the second time I had the
shotgun out at the range so I had to re-repair the split.


CONCLUSION

It’s a VERY inexpensive O/U 12 gauge shotgun: among the cheapest you can find.
It won’t wow anyone at the sporting clays club but it fits the bill as a rugged,
multi-use shotgun that you won’t feel bad crashing through the bush with,
chasing down some grouse.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
News


2022 HGG IN REVIEW

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date December 27, 2022
 * 0 Comments



I thought I’d do a quick recap of the year:


THIS WEBSITE:

 * 800k visits in the year
 * 1.2 million pageviews
 * Top article: 300 win mag vs 308
 * One of the more useful articles that I keep updating is the one on building a
   custom 10/22
 * Since starting this website, the content has been viewed 12.5 million times
   by 6.5 million people


YOUTUBE:

 * 1.6 million views in the year
 * 93k watch hours
 * Top video: Canadian Gun Ban Amendment
 * This year, I started doing some YouTube shorts. They’re 1 minute takes that
   fit well on a phone screen
 * Since starting my YouTube channel, my videos have got 14 million views
 * 50% of my viewers are Americans, 25% are Canadian, and the remaining 25% are
   from all over the world including Australia, the UK, Thailand, France,
   Brazil, Germany, Philippines, Mexico, Italy, and more.


OTHER PLATFORMS:

I post albums of most of my review photos on my Facebook page.

I post some “in the moment” images on Instagram and am somewhat active there.

I post the odd video to alternative video sites like Bitchute, Juxxi (Full30),
Rumble, and Utreon but there aren’t really big communities of gun people on any
of those.

I dislike Twitter and never post there.


WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING ALL YEAR?

I’m still a co-host on Slam Fire Radio: doing weekly podcasts on a variety of
Canadian gun topics.

Mapleseed has been taking up many of my weekends. It’s a training/event that
covers the fundamentals of marksmanship and as a shoot boss in Alberta, I run
many of them across the province along with a few other shoot bosses and
instructors who I like spending time with.



I’ve also shot a few 3 gun matches though I’m unsure how we’re going to do that
next year if the Liberal government enacts the G4 amendment in bill C21.


WHAT’S COMING IN 2023?

Off YouTube and this site: more Mapleseed. I really believe that getting more
people the fundamentals of marksmanship is a great way of getting more people to
appreciate and sharing my love of the shooting sports.

In terms of reviews, I’ll be doing some more camping-focused content as I do
more camping with the family. I’ll be doing more shotgun reviews because I
haven’t done a lot of those recently and there seems to be a gap in honest
reviews of those.

And of course, I still love budget-friendly gear. I’ll be reviewing the cheap &
cheerful stuff: from budget bolt action hunting rifles to budget 22LR rifles.


WHAT’S NOT COMING IN 2023:

Handgun reviews. Canada froze handgun purchases/transfers and restricted
firearms are a pain in the ass to get into my studio if I don’t own them. I
might do a feature on the Glock 48 that I own and haven’t reviewed but that’s
about it. Modifications get demonetized on YouTube so I won’t go out of my way
to do those unless I really like the mod.

Semi auto rifle reviews. Call me pessimistic but I think the Liberal party is
going to ban these in the spring and the NDP and Bloc will go along with them.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
Rifle Reviews


SBI LYNX 180 MATCH REVIEW

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date December 21, 2022
 * 0 Comments

The Spectre Ballistics International (SBI) Lynx 180 Match is an AR180 compliant
lower you can use to build out a competition AR180.




LYNX 180 MATCH SPECS:

 * Very lightweight
 * Uses AR triggers, trigger pins, safeties, mag release
 * Uses non-beavertail AR grips
 * Flared mag well
 * Stock attach options:
   * Buffer tube
   * 1913 rear rail
   * Magpul Zhukov Stock (Yugo variant)
   * other mounts are about $30

What you’ll still need from your WK or WS-MCR for the lower build:

 * Bolt hold open, spring, etc


BUILD PECULIARITIES:

The lower went together really easily but I found 2 things that you should watch
for when doing your build:

 1. The magazine well wall is pretty thin so you should screw your mag catch in
    all the way. If you leave it a turn or two out, it’s possible to press the
    mag release too far and have the catch rotate outside of the magazine well.
 2. You may have to stretch your AR safety detent spring or use a plug to get
    correct engagement. Play with it until you’re happy with the force required
    to use the safety.
 3. The buffer tube adapter won’t fit standard end plates so you won’t be able
    to use your fancy QD cup end plate.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
Equipment Reviews


NITECORE NU25 & NU25UL GEN 2 REVIEW

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date November 20, 2022
 * 1 Comment



The Nitecore NU25 Gen1 (review here) is a well-liked ultralight hiking headlamp.
The Gen 2 version bumps up the specs, build quality, and goes USB-C.


NU25 VS NU25UL

The difference between the two is a few grams saved in exchange for a more
comfortable front strap and quick release buckle. 9 grams saved, which is nice
if you’re into ultralight hiking.

It’s also more compact to stash in a pocket, which I found handy while hunting.

There’s a more comfortable front strap on the regular NU25 vs the NU25UL


NITECORE NU25 SPECS

 * 56 grams for regular vs 45 grams for the UL version
 * 400 lumens max
 * White spot, High CRI flood, and Red lights
 * Built-in 650mAh battery
 * USB-C charging


VIDEO REVIEW




BUTTON USABILITY

The NU 25 Gen 2 is still kind of complicated to use because of how many lighting
modes there are behind the mode and power buttons.

The power indicator is in a great spot


HEADBAND, ADJUSTMENT, CHARGING

The NU25 uses a single 1″ headband on the front half and shock cord on the rear.
Like many of their headlamps, they use a small bead of silicone on the front
inside of the headband to both give it a bit more grab on your head and to
divert sweat to the sides instead of your eyes.

The headlamp aim can be adjusted down in several distinct clicks to get it
closer to your eye line.


USING THE HEADLAMP WHILE HIKING/HUNTING

The spot gave decent distance but I found myself using the flood most of the
time. It made it easier for others in my group who didn’t have headlamps to hike
and see what they were walking on. The ultralow floodlight will be really useful
for inside the tent where you don’t need a ton of light.

I’m not hardcore enough to need the red light to save my night vision.


CONCLUSION

This headlamp retails for about $50-60 on Amazon, which is pretty great
considering the weight. The big upgrade for me on the gen 2 was the fact they
went to USB-C. For some ultralight hikers, this means they may not need that
Micro USB adapter or cable and they can just run with a short, lightweight USB-C
to C cable.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
Equipment Reviews


CROSS MAGS GEN 2 REVIEW

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date November 7, 2022
 * 1 Comment



Cross Mags are coupled 10/10 pistol LAR mags that fit STANAG-compliant firearms.
As the law currently stands in Canada, mags are limited based on what they’re
designed for not what they’re used in. Since these mags are designed for the
LAR15 pistol AR, they’re pistol mags and can be 10 rounds each even if you use
them in a rifle. Cross Industries asked if I wanted to try some of their Gen 2
mags and I emphatically agreed because I use their Gen 1 mags for 3 gun.



Gen 2 of the cross mags comes with a few improvements, namely:

 * Plastic finish is more coarsely textured on the outside for better grip
 * Feed angle has been modified
 * Follower modified

I found them to be just a bit tighter on the 10th round than my gen 1’s. This is
always a tightrope to walk because too loose of a fit may allow an 11th round
in, while too tight of a fit means the 10th may not reliably feed.

Feed wise. . .I didn’t have any problems with my Gen 1 mags and I didn’t
experience any feed issues with Gen 2 either.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
Rifle Reviews


THE WILD WORLD OF CANADIAN AR180S

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date November 7, 2022
 * 3 Comments



In Canada, AR15’s used to be restricted: you could only take them to the range
and back and they had to be double locked. $650 Norinco or S&W M&P rifles were
great for competition. Some people wanted non restricted rifles so they could go
shoot on public land or go coyote hunting, or they didn’t want to own a
restricted firearm, so they used WK180s. Then in May 1, 2020, the government
enacted an Order in Council (like an Executive Order in the US) to ban AR15’s
and many other alternatives, but they left the 180’s behind so now they’re super
popular.

I thought I’d put together an article on the different manufacturers, versions,
and aftermarket parts available.

Short list along with current availability

Full Rifles:

 * Armalite AR180B (discontinued)
 * Kodiak Defense WK180B Gen2 (available)
 * WS-MCR (short supply)
 * Sterling NR R18MK2 (available)
 * BCL SRV2 Siberian (pre-order)

Lowers & Kits:

 * SBI Lynx180B lower (available)
 * TNA upper+lower kit (available)
 * Jard J180 (very few)
 * Spec180 Lower (short supply)



Click here to see the parts compatibility chart I whipped up.


ARMALITE AR-180

The AR180 is the civilian version of the AR18 and they are prohibited in Canada.


ARMALITE AR-180B

An AR180B with a few aftermarket parts (stock adapter, top rail)

The AR-180B (my review here) was made as a much cheaper version of the AR180.
They use a polymer lower, STANAG mags, and mixed so many other parts that they
were considered a new platform and got a “non restricted” FRT (Firearms
Reference Table) entry in Canada.

These used to be around $1000 but got a lot more expensive after other options
dried up. In my opinion, they’re not worth the $2k+ price that people are asking
nowadays. The polymer lowers are easy to break at the front pivot point, you
can’t use AR15 grips and forends, there are a ton of proprietary parts and
Armalite stopped making these in 2007. That said, reliability and durability is
otherwise good in these rifles.


KODIAK DEFENSE WK180C

Kodiak Defense WK180C with Vortex PST 1-4 scope

Kodiak is a Canadian company and the WK180C (my review here) was the first
commercially successful, locally made AR180 clone. Unlike the Armalite version,
this one used a better aluminum lower, aluminum upper, aluminum forend, and a
standard buffer tube for mounting stocks. The safety was ambi, you could use
non-beavertail AR grips, and many other parts were compatible with aftermarket
alternatives. Barrels were AR-compatible BUT, you need a carbine-length gas
system. That means you’re pretty limited in barrel selection.

They’re currently the cheapest option for a 180 clone at around $1200-1300. I
see a lot of these break the screw-in charging handles and snap pistons once in
a while at 3 gun matches, not sure if these have been fixed.

Update Jan 2022 – WK180C Gen 2: Kodiak showcased their Gen2 at Shot Show this
year. It has an ergonomic bolt release lever, non reciprocating charging handle,
updated magwell, they narrowed the lower body so it takes AR pins and safeties,
it has a longer 15″ forend, it takes AR beavertail grips, ambi mag release,
captive takedown pins front and back (back one goes through the lug to keep it
secure), and I think the recoil springs are captive on the guide rods. The Gen-2
go for $1479.

So in terms of what you might find:

 * WK180C Gen 1
 * WK180C Gen 2
 * WK180C Steel
 * WK180C Magpul Edition
 * WK180C 7.62×39 (uses 7.62×39 AR mags)
 * WK181C (same as above, but uses AK-pattern mags)


SPECTRE LTD WS-MCR

WS-MCR with a Magpul fixed MOE stock, Aimpoint PRO red dot, and paracord wrapped
forend

The Canadian-made Spectre Ltd. WS-MCR (my review here) varies in a few ways to
the WK180C. It uses a steel upper, so the charging handle can float, yet not
chowder the inside of the receiver. They used a beefier brass piston bushing.
There were a few issues when they were first released, but these look to be
mostly resolved. They use a cross pin in the upper to reduce upper/lower wobble.

Later versions are left side charging, right side eject ONLY. There are versions
in 7.62×39 that are available and there are also versions that use the Spec180
lower. Currently around $1600 if you can find one.

Since Spectre started making the Templar/Crusader rifles, I haven’t seen a lot
of WS-MCRs for sale.

I use a WS-MCR for 3 gun competition.




CRUSADER ARMS TEMPLAR

Image from Crusaderarms.ca

The Crusader Arms Templar comes with an ACR stock or AR15 stock, and with a
milspec trigger or Triggertech, depending on trim level. Unlike many of the
other 180’s, these can use a mid-length gas system, which many more AR barrels
use. These are made by Spectre Ltd who also make the WS-MCR and Spec180 lower.
They sell for around $2000 depending what trim you get.

More info on the Templar here.


STERLING NR R18MK2

The Sterling R18MK2 is a 180 clone that has a lot more features. Notably, it
seems to have a very nice ambi-bolt release (most 180 clones don’t have a bolt
release button from the factory). It is right side eject, left side charging
ONLY and the left side charging handle is a non-reciprocating unit. It can take
beavertail grips and the stock is a 1913 style with buffer tube adapter so you
could use either/or. It uses AR size trigger pins, so you can use
anti-rotation/anti-walk pins. Sells for around $2700.

The R180MK2 uses an odd proprietary barrel nut and proprietary forend.

CGN thread on Sterling R18MK2 here




BCL SRV2 SIBERIAN (PRE ORDER FOR DEC 2022)

Image from truenortharms.com

The BCL SRV2 Siberian is the newest entry into the wild world of Canadian 180s.
It brings a mid-length gas system, non reciprocating charging handle, and a
go-fast BCL-style bolt release button. They’re on pre-sale right now for around
$1650. Unlike some of the 180s on the market, the SRV2 has its own FRT entry.


LOWERS & KITS


SBI LYNX 180B MATCH LOWER

https://www.instagram.com/p/CS9pSzglDjF/

The Lynx 180B is an enhanced lower that SBI makes in Canada. These lowers are
1/4lb lighter than normal lowers, are thin enough to use regular AR15 trigger
group pins (so you can use anti-walk/anti-rotation AR pins if you like), and
have modular stock attachment adapters to support many different types of stocks
(1913, buffer tube, Magpul Zhukov, etc).

Personally, I’m a big fan of the Magpul Zhukov stock. These lowers work with
both WK180C and WS-MCR uppers.

SBI also sells an upper.


TNA ENHANCED 180 LOWER

They’re lightweight, allow use of beavertail grips, they take AR15 trigger
guards, and are a bit smoother. Made for WK180 uppers.

TNA sells a combo upper+lower.


WX-MCR

Similar to the WS-MCR, except the lower is manufactured by Xtreme Gun in Canada.
Available as fully assembled rifles or just lowers. Note: I don’t see any for
sale at the moment.


SPECTRE LTD SPEC180 LOWER

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUBMm6TL_EI/

These are an enhanced lower that Spectre Ltd of Canada makes. Of note: Spectre
Ltd and Spectre Ballistics International are totally different companies, but
both make parts in this space.

The Spec180 can be had with a regular buffer tube stock or “gmod folder” Galil
folding stock. They also allow use of a beavertail grip. The lines are smoother
and it’s not nearly as boxy looking. These lowers work with both WK180C and
WS-MCR uppers.

Not a lot of these for sale right now.


JARD J180 BUILD KIT

Jard J180 Receiver right side

The Jard J180 (my review here) is made by American company Jard. Unlike the
180B, WK180C, and WS-MCR, the J180 uses a regular gas tube into the bolt carrier
which should open up the use of many more barrels and is a pretty big advantage.

The J180 is right hand charging+ejection ONLY. As a firm believer in left side
charging handles, this bugs me but it does seal up the left side.

Jard J180 Rifle left side

The J180 uses a higher rail height, so it won’t match your forend rail and
you’ll need lower optics mounts. Disassembly for cleaning is more involved than
it is on the other 180s and it uses really dumb screws to stop magazine
over-insertion. Doesn’t accept A2 stocks without modification.

Build kits started coming into Canada in Oct 2021. At $1300 for just the build
kit, these are just too pricey in my opinion.

CGN thread on Jard J180 here


NODAK SPUD NDS 18SC (UNRELEASED)

NoDak Spud is a well known American 180 aftermarket parts manufacturer. This
project was going to use a PWS upper (PWS is making the Brownells BRN180) and
NoDak lower. Last update was in Sept 2021 and was them gearing up production
machines.

CGN thread on NDS 18SC here


BROWNELLS BRN180 (PROHIB)

Unfortunately, the BRN180 uses an AR15 lower. Prohib in Canada, do not pass go,
do not collect $200.


AFTERMARKET 180 PARTS

 * SBI makes a better screw-in charging handle
 * TNA has aftermarket shell deflectors, accuracy hoops, brass and nylon piston
   bushings, takedown screws, anti-walk pins, extractor/ejector springs, folding
   stock adapters, and more
 * TNA has an improved upper with dust cover, shell deflector, and a nickel
   carrier
 * TNA has heavy and pencil barrels
 * TNA has a 9mm conversion kit
 * TNA sells a rifle length gas system so you can use more regular AR barrels
 * Kodiak sells an external bolt catch release. They also have some steel
   uppers.
 * RWA has a bolt catch and release kit


GUCCI SCRATCH BUILD

Gucci AR180 Build List ($2480)

 * ATRS Barrel: $550
 * SBI lower $300
 * TNA Gas system: $180
 * Zhukov mount: $40
 * Zhukov stock: $140
 * Fancy trigger: $200
 * Mag release, bolt hold open, grip, other LPK bullshit, safety: $50
 * TNA improved upper & BCG: $600
 * Some nice forend: $300
 * Bolt catch: $120



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Categories
Equipment Reviews


MAGAZINE BASEPADS IN CANADA

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date October 17, 2022
 * 0 Comments



Magazine base pads add length and a bit of weight to magazines. Here in Canada,
pistol magazine base pads are most commonly used to:

 * Add required length to use a pistol magazine with a magwell
 * Add a bit of extra length for loading magazines more reliably during
   competitions
 * Replace fragile plastic basepads with metal ones

Unlike the base pads you get in the US that are often +2 or +3 capacity, most
base pads in Canada are +0 because pistol mags max out at 10 of the cartridge
they’re designed for.

Additionally, some people use very long base pads/extenders on short rifle mags
to get them back to 30 round length so that they can use them in chest rigs.

There are also magazine base pads for 10/22 10 round mags to give you a bit more
to grip onto for insertion and removal.


WHERE TO BUY MAGAZINE BASEPADS IN CANADA

 * JF Gunworks has a pretty decent variety of inexpensive base pads for Glocks,
   CZs, Sig P320s, FN509, and Caniks.
 * DoubleTap Sports has a variety of brands for competition shooting
 * BlackBox Customs has a good selection of Glock base pads




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
Equipment Reviews


CALDWELL EMAX PRO

 * Post author By Adriel
 * Post date October 11, 2022
 * 1 Comment



The Caldwell E-Max Pro are updated electronic muffs from Caldwell. I’ve owned a
set of their old standby eMax low profile emuffs (review here) for quite a while
and couldn’t resist when I saw this set on sale at Cabela’s.


PROS:

Cost: $35 on sale is incredibly cheap.

Auto-shutoff: Should be mandatory in 2022 but my Walker Razors don’t have this
and they kill AAA batteries whenever people leave em on. Small feature but super
important to me. Maybe 3 AAA batteries will last longer than the standard 2 AAA
batteries that most eMuffs run with?

Compact: The Caldwell E-Max Pro headset packs down very nice and compact

Much more compact than the older E-Max version

Headphone jack: if that’s something you care about.


CONS:

Bad audio quality: For the price, they’re OK but far from great. Microphones on
top of the cups also seems like a bad idea: they’re gonna get rained on and
they’re not positioned conveniently for hearing. You hear lots of hiss/buzz if
you turn up the volume.

Perfect for 90’s flat top haircuts

Square top of headband: They pack down great but this is the downside. Who has a
flat top head?

Hard to find buttons: They’re unobtrusive but not at all tactile and you’ll find
yourself hunting around for them and not finding them with your fingers.


RANGE GUEST EMUFFS ON THE CHEAP

For the current price of 1 Howard Leight Impact Sport, you could buy 2 sets of
these and still have money left over for ammo. In the end, that’s what I think
these eMuffs are great for: compact, electronic hearing protection that’s good
enough for guests you take to the range so they can hear your instructions and
they won’t kill the battery when they inevitably forget to turn them off at the
end of the day because it’s got auto-off. They’re kinda crappy for some reasons
but for the price, they’re well worth it as a second or third set of ears for
your guests.



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