FN patch

A new addition to my patch collection is this "It's f'n awesome" patch. Being a FN user I just couldn't resist. ;-) And to be honest, the patch says it all!!

I've got some spare patches, if you want one just give me a shout ;-)

Bullet impact as art?!

Yesterday I came across a photographer's portfolio who had the stangest idea to photograph bullet impacts in different materials. The results are quite nice.
The photo's were taken by Deborah Bay and below is her website.
http://www.deborahbay.com/bigbang

Training with the F2000

During last february, it was quite cold, I had the chance to do some training with the F2000 with different optics. Elcan, Aimpoint and Eotech were on the menu. They all work great and have their pros and cons. At the end of the day, there is no best of. The best optic for you, is the one that hits the spot every single time ;-)

CTOMS Slimline CFAK

Last year I attended the trainer course “Tactical Combat Casualty Care” and since then I’ve been hooked on the concept. Browsing through the internet it soon revealed that there is a lot to read on the subject but especially there are a lot of companies with great medical gear and pouches around.

This blog post will focus on some of the TCCC pouches available. These are sold and issued under the name IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit) or CFAK (Combat First Aid Kit).  

The current ABL issued IFAK pouch (more commonly known as the “Caiati trousse”) is a great pouch but it has its shortcomings.

The big advantage of the pouch is that it can be ripped open exposing all the medical gear in one instance.

Negative points are that the pouch stays fixed to the MOLLE compatible vest and can’t be torn off.  If the casualty is facing down with major injuries to the back, getting to his TCCC pouch contents, installed on the chest side, can be rather difficult. Another less positive point is if the CAT tourniquet is stored inside the pouch(to protect from dust and mud) the complete pouch has to be torn open to gain access. Closing it again with the attached velcro is rather difficult and probably impossible when injured.

Contact-front has been looking to construct its own TCCC pouch but it is still in a development stage.

Meanwhile I came across the Canadian company ‘CTOMS’ which produces a wide range of medical supplies and gear. One of their innovating product they sell is the Slimline CFAK.

I managed to purchase one from CTOMS via a friend in Canada because transport to EU is rather expensive. 100$ for one pouch is a little bit too much. Nevertheless, if you would order 1 or 20, transport would stay the same. So buy in bulk I would say ;-)

Looking up close to the Slimline CFAK, I can only say that it is a well thought of piece of kit. First of all, its constructed of 550D Cordura and takes up two Molle channels. The pouch itself is closed with a silent zipper and when opened folds open in two equal parts.

The front of the pouch reveals a separate pouch which is closed with a velcro flap to store the CAT tourniquet. It protects the CAT and you don’t have to pull open the pouch to gain access.

On both sides of the pouch you can find one channel Molle attachment to mount additional gear like for example a Benchmade Safety Cutter or combat Shears.

The zipper is covered by a velcro flap. The two zipper pulls come together at the top of the pouch where there is a pull tab that can be used to “tear” open the pouch pulling the two halves apart.

The inside of the pouch reveals a modular attachment system that can be tailored to personal preference. There is more than enough room to at least accommodate the items that can be found in the ABL IFAK. Except for the triage card and chest seal that have to be folded in two to be able to fit.

The Slimline CFAK is mounted on a platform which is attached on a MOLLE system like the NFM Bear 2 vest. The platform is available as a horizontal or vertical solution. The pouch can be quickly released from the mounting panel in one motion with a pull on the beaded tab. The pouch can be easily reattached with one hand.   

Here you can see the comparison with on the left the issued IFAK and on the right the slimmer CTOMS CFAK.

All in all CTOMS has designed a very innovating TCCC pouch with lot of advantages when looked at other commercialy available similar pouches. 

So true ;-)

ZULU NYLON GEAR mega admin pouch

For a while now, I’ve been looking around on the internet for a big enough pouch to accommodate all my small arms instruction gear like whistle, chrono, instruction sheets, safety briefings, markers, ….  A lot of the time I had to search for a piece of equipment  that was stowed in another place but didn’t know where I’d put it. A nice, large enough, means of stowage, would certainly help me with that. A central place to stow everything I need on the range concerning instruction.

I came across the ZULU nylon gear website and saw their mega admin pouch and ordered one. I have to say they send it very fast with tracking, but it was held up by Belgian customs. Accompanied by an extra 28€ of import taxes it finally arrived two weeks after I ordered it. Due to the tracking I could see that it arrived in BEL about two days after I ordered the pouch.

But it was worth the wait!

I ordered a Coyote Brown pouch without the plastic map insert that can be bought as an option. At first glance the admin pouch is very well made with 1000d coated Cordura. Overall dimensions of the mega admin pouch is 23 cm wide x 15 cm tall x 2,5 cm deep

The admin pouch is big enough to accommodate a A5 booklet. Even the width of the pouch is more than enough for a 2 cm wide booklet.

The main compartment is zippered and has elastic fittings and slots for a wide range of extra gear. The two halfs are held together with a adjustable 550 paracord but this can be removed. This feature is handy when the pouch is installed on a chest rig at chest height so that it doesn’t completely fall open, but stays at a desired angle like a tactical desktop ;-)

On the front side, the mega admin pouch also features an extra admin pouch which is completely covered with velcro for attaching your name tab or favorite morale patch. Inside you can again organize your gear due to the elastic fittings. Next to the front pouch there is another universal pouch which can be used to fit a tactical light, multitool, … The Velcro covered flap can be adjusted to your needs or completely removed.

On left, right and bottom sides there are also extra attachment for additional gear.

On the backside there are provision for Molle attachment to be used in conjunction with Malice clips.

Conclusion, I’m very happy with the Zulu Nylon Gear Mega Admin Pouch. Now I have efficient storage for all my instructional range gear.

Ballistic Effects Testing‏

A nice video depicting the ballistic effects with different calibers.

Pmag for the FNC

If you are interested in the weapon & gear scene you've probably heard of MAGPUL. http://www.magpul.com/

MAGPUL is an innovating company which produces accessories for weapons like slings, sights, handguards, stocks, ... They even designed their own weapon system, the MASADA.

One of their most popular items is the Pmag. Made from an impact and crush resistant polymer construction, it was first announced in early 2007. The Pmag is a 30-round 5.56 NATO Polymer MAGazine for AR15/M16 platform weapons. With millions fielded to military, law enforcement, and commercial users, PMAGs have become the de facto standard for magazine reliability and durability. Since 2007 the Pmag underwent a lot of modification to be compatible with other weapon systems than the AR family. Since some time MAGPUL has Pmag M version which is fully compatible with our FN FNC. (theversion marking is visible on the bottom plate of the mag)

I have tried some Pmags and must say they feel light and platic like, because they are ;-) But after shooting a couple of mags I wasimpressed.

They claim to be stoppage free compared to the Stanag metal magazines. I checked both mags and must say that the follower is much smoother on the Pmag and doesn't tilt when pushed on one end.

Neverthless, the goldon rule still stands: Only put 28 rounds in a 30 round magazine.
Even the Pmag tend to jam the FNC when fully loaded.


I've been using them for over a year now and have had no issues what so ever. They come in a variaty of versions and colours and have their own accesories like a dust cap (included) and magpuls.

From left to right, Stanag metal mag, standard Pmag, Pmag with maglevel.

Once again, they are tough ;-)

Lightweigt, effective earprotection

A lot of people use the issued Comtac active earprotection headsets but when they have to be used in conjunction with the issued Schubert helmet we get into trouble.
In searching for a lightweight, effective, comfortable earprotection, I came across the Surefire Earpro EP3 Sonic Defenders.

I've been using these for about 2 years now and they are just great. No more hassle with headset and helmet. They fit perfect and can be used the whole day long.

The earpro also provides an additional stopper that can be manually inserted for even more protection.

Features

• 24dB* Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) with stoppers inserted
• Lowers potentially dangerous noise levels above 85dB
• Hear safe sound levels (with stoppers out) as if you weren't wearing ear plugs
• Ergonomic design and double-flange stem design conforms to ear shape for comfort and secure retention
• Made from hypoallergenic, medical-grade polymer that's soft, durable, and long-lasting
• Low-profile design allows you to keep them in place while wearing a mask, helmet, hat, or while using phone, headphones, or supplemental hearing muffs

Even for people with bigger or smaller ears, Surefire provides different sizes. (S, M & L)

I bought mine through Ebay but it seems that they are widely available in EU for about 15€

Some music after the range

A few months ago I came accross a shop that was producing portable MP3 player in the form of wooden boxes and 50 cal ammo cases. I was keen on the idea and started searching for all the pieces so I could build one of my own.

Items needed:

• 50 cal ammo case
• Motorcycle amplifier 12V
• 5mm MDF plates
• Velcro
• Lead battery 12V, 11Ah
• 2ea 10cm 2 way speakers
• 2ea 12cm fan protectors
• Black spray paint
• Woofer tube
• Power switch
• Screws and washers
• Nuts and bolts
• Tech 7 glue
• DIY battery monitor
• Tri colour LED
• Audio cable
• Sanding paper

I started out cutting the speaker and speaker mounting holes on the side of the ammo case. Not forgetting the smaller woofer hole in between. On the side I drilled a hole to install the power switch. When drilling make sure the switch will be positioned so that you can manipulate it from the hole in the side open/closing lever of the ammo case. Then I trimmed the MDF plate so it would fit nicely inside the case. The back plate was trimmed to the full interior length of the case. The previous cut out holes were transferred on the front MDF plate and cut out. Using Tech 7 I glued the MDF plates into place with the exception of the back plate. This should be able to slide out if necessary because I was planning to mount all electronics and battery on it.

In order to check the battery status I looked for a circuit that showed the status through a tri colour led. Green above 11,5V, Orange between 11,5V - 10,8V and red below 10,8V. These values can be changed with the potmeters.
http://kd1jv.qrpradio.com/batmon/batmon.HTM

I made the circuit on a experimental board and drilled a 5mm hole in the woofer tube. From the outside the battery status was visible through the bass tube.
The two fan protectors were sanded and sprayed black. After drying I cured the paint by baking the protectors in the oven for about 20 min at 200°. Try to do this without the misses at home because it tends to smell.

After mounting the speakers, protectors and switch it was time to install all electronics on the back plate. On the left I installed the amplifier with screws and in the middle the battery. The battery is held in place by a self made Velcro harness so changing it isn't a big issue. Mount the battery with the connections to the top so that recharging is easy. On the right I mounted the battery monitor. With this setup the ammo box will also be in balance. The battery alone weighs a couple of kg.

Last but not least I wired everything up and added an Ipod for testing. Closed up the case and the sound was just great.

A nice gadget when maintaining your weapons ;-)