PSA has a deal going on through 5/13 (they extended the deal) on the new second generation Vortex Strike Eagle Scopes. The deal includes the optic, a Vortex 2″ cantilever offset mount (their 14919 CME-202 mount to be specific) and PSA is including free shipping. Use Coupon Code: Strike
This is a short post – you might want to snag this deal while you can. I have a first gen 1-6 and really like it. The scope has a great field of view at 1x and helps you zoom in to see things better.
By the way, the following are first generation Strike Eagle listings at other vendors so you can compare – I have a first gen 1-6×24 and it has held up great. It’s living on my Beowulf right now so it’s up to you as to whether the new features matter enough:
Interest in the Beowulf round is growing as people buy the low cost 12.7×42 chambered pistols, rifles and kits. 12.7×42 is the metric designation for the Beowulf and is being used by groups wanting to avoid a trademark problem with Alexander Arms.
The Beowulf is one heck of a thumper delivering massive kinetic energy on target from the base AR-15 platform. That’s the remarkable part – it uses a standard AR lower! To give you an idea of the size of the round take a look at this photo. From top to bottom: .50 Beowulf 350gr XTP, 5.56×45 55gr FMJ , 7.62×39 123gr FMJ and a loose 9mm 124gr Hornady HST. The Beowulf sure dwarfs the little 5.56×45 round!
I’ve owned two .50 Beowulf’s and my current one was built using an Alexander Arms DIY kit that allows you to add the handguard and brake that you want. They are built on standard AR lowers so if you have an AR today, it’s just a matter of adding an upper in this caliber or you can do a whole new dedicated build – it’s up to you. I’ve also done a number of posts about my builds in case you want to learn more – click here to see a list.
A Beowulf upper can mate to any in-spec AR lower. This is a Spike’s lower with an Ergo group, Magpul PRS III and Geissele trigger.
This is the 16″ DIY kit. Alexander Arms has done all the fitting for you. It comes with one magazine as well. In terms of the upper kit, I found the machining and parts fitment to be excellent.This is the Timber Creek Heart Breaker and it does a remarkable job of reducing the recoil. It has three heart shaped ports on each side that redirect the blast backwards to propel the rifle forward and reduce recoil. The three circular ports on the top help reduce climb. Seriously, this is a solid brake.
For ammo, there is an increasing variety out there – Alexander Arms makes their own with a variety of loads plus there are other sellers out there with their own offerings. I’ve found the Alexander Arms 350 grain Hornady XTP ammo to be accurate and the XTPs really open up on impact.
The is older packaging. In 2019 I noticed Alexander was using an eye catching color scheme of navy, black and white – same ammo just a different box. The Alexander Arms .50 Beowulfl 350gr XTP ammo is packed 20 rounds to a box and Primary Arms has it in stock.Here’s the whole Beowulf.
Ok folks, quick public service announcement – just read on Business Insider about a manufacturer in Oklahoma, NXTI, who has developed a nano fiber fabric called “Filti” that is 9x better than cotton in terms of filtering and can hit N95 in commercial face masks. It’s a better filter than blue shop towels and is designed to be a filter from the get go.
For those of you who do not know Journeyman, in more normal times, they produce some great distilled spirits, such as their Humdinger Japaleno that I am particularly fond of. They also have a great restaurant that you may need to wait an hour or two for a table if you make the mistake of showing up without a reservation.
This is one of our bottles. I’d definitely recommend you put it in something smaller for regular use.
Now, I didn’t buy their drum but we did get two of their 1.75 liter packages and we had them ship it to us to keep things simple – they are about a 30 minute drive from our house.
The sanitizer is a liquid – not a gel – and works great in a little spray bottle. I made some of my own hand sanitizer and bought some of these little bottles off Amazon and they work great.
So, this stuff seems to work well. It’s not super sticky nor does it dry out your hands. Washing with soap and water for 20+ seconds is still best but this sure helps when you can’t. I noticed today that Hoosier Brewing is also selling hand sanitizer. I can’t speak to them but it gives you another option.
For a number of years now, Palmetto State Armory (PSA) has sold a solid 36″ tactical rifle carrying case that you don’t hear about! I’ve owned a number of them over the years. When I bought my AK-E and needed a case, the PSA unit immediately sprang to mind. Yes, I really did buy the AK-E and this case. Nobody paid me to write this so I’m telling you my honest opinion.
One reason I wrote this post is that there are a ton of junk cases for sale on Amazon and eBay. I plan to write up some of the other good brands like Savior, Voodoo, 5.11, US Peacekeeper and what have you when I get some time. By the way, some Amazon reviews of cases are useless – “Looks good when I got it out of box” and they give it five stars when the POS obviously will not hold up but that buyer lacks the experience to know better.
Do you want to separate the cheap bags from the good ones real quick? Look at the material, the stitching (at least double stitched around the zipper and even better in high stress areas such as box stitches), the main carry handle straps should go around the bottom vs. ending on the sides. Guys, these rifles weigh a ton when you are carrying loaded mags with them. I’ve watched cheap cases fall apart.
One other comment – these bags really need a robust zipper. My preference are YKK zippers but whatever PSA uses is pretty good. I’ve only had one break out of the 4-6 that I have owned over the years. If you ever see a case with a zipper that looks like it came off light-weight clothing or a spring coat, don’t buy it. It’ll probably fail pretty quick with real world loads (not airsoft).
With my Magpul ACS stock collapsed, my AK-E is almost 36-1/4″ long and it fits nice and secure at a slight angle – you will not get anything longer in this case unless maybe if you force it but anyone looking for 36-1/4 or shorter will be happy.
There are tons of pockets and straps for tailoring the bag to your needs. I’m using a RS Regulate optic mount and a Vortex Crossfire red dot and everything is nice and protected by the ample padding.
In the following photos, the Secret Squirrel morale patch is something I added. The give you a velcro attachment point to do whatever you want with it.
30 round AK and AR magazines will fit in the provided pouches. You can get two mags each in the end pouches and four in the middle. Yes, a Chinese style 75 round drum will fit in the middle no problem. You’re pushing some weight at this point and that is why you need good stitching and carry straps that go around the whole bag. Note how the mag pouches have both velcro as well as clips if you need to securely close the flaps. The bungee cords are for increasing the tension on the mags in the pouches.There are MOLLE loops on both ends plus a small zippered poclet.There is another compartment with even more storage areas directly behind the magazines. It will unzip and lie flat but it does not detach – not that I think it needs to. I’m just pointing open it is wide open in this photo. My AK-E is packed in there. This is the only way it will fit and the ACS stock is firmly in one corner and the muzzle in the other. 36-1/4″ is as big as I think you can fit in here. That main compartment is 36″ long and about 10″ tall. It’s kind of hard to tell the exact height will the flexible padding – it’s somewhere around 10-11″ though.The stitching and the zippers look good. FYI, if you ever see a case with a zipper that looks like it came off light-weight clothing or a spring coat, don’t buy it. It’ll probably fail pretty quick. I’ve seen some real crap import cases with ridiculously fragile zippers and light stitching.The case has a flap to join the two carry handles together plus a full set of backpack straps. Everything looks solid – I’ve never had a problem with a strap but also need to point out I just sling it over my right shoulder and don’t use both straps — don’t think I ever will for that matter.
Interested in an American made AK? Consider Palmetto State Armory (PSA) as a source. Click on the following links for the associated webstore categories for AK-related rifles, pistols and parts at PSA:
Sometimes you need targets and don’t have any handy. This happened to me the other day when I needed to sight in two rifles. Since I needed them right away, I whipped up some targets that I then printed and used. It dawned on me that maybe others could benefit from them as well so I created this post with links to PDF files you can use. A PDF file can be opened by most browsers as well as a number of different viewer apps such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Please note that the below are just thumbnail graphics. Click on each to open the actual PDF file so you can have sharper image to print and so forth.
One Big Bullseye With Crosshairs
Five Circles With Crosshairs
This is the style shown in the top graphic for this post.
As you’ve no doubt experienced, going to the store and buying traditional hand sanitizer is almost next to impossible right now. This is because the whole supply chain is stretched thin. Everyone thinks about the alcohol but they also have problems sourcing the bottles, pumps, the chemicals that create the gel and so forth plus just an unbelievable level of demand globally that nobody expected.
You can make your own hand sanitizer but you need to follow proper guidelines and most people refer to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidance on making hand sanitizer with glyercerine and/or the CDC guidance. Bottom line is you need a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.
Enter The Youtube Videos
A number of people have produced some great videos on what to make and I’m only listing videos from folks with chemistry or biomedical/healthcare knowledge. Always look at the ratings and read comments before you trust anything plus remember that you need at least 60% alcohol and not some weird home brew concoction that one would expect to see at Halloween.
Finding Bottles / Containers
Finding Glycerine
The Alcohol
You will need to hunt for your isopropyl or ethanol. It is often out of stock on Amazon and other online sellers as well as local stores. So, do your digging. Do not use methanol, or wood alcohol. It is toxic – you need isopropyl or ethanol or some variation of those names – isopropanol, distilled alcohol, denatured alcohol, etc.
Other Sources
A lot of distilleries are making and selling hand sanitizer under special approvals from governors and other bodies to make an otherwise regulated product in these special times. Check out your local distilleries and see if they are doing anything and help support them while they support you as well. Journeyman Distillery is one example and I did a post about them.
Conclusion
I hope this helps you and your family to stay healthy and safe.
There are a number of businesses selling food that can be stored long term, survival kits and more. In general, preparedness vendors are getting a ton of orders and have backorders of 6-10 weeks so if you are concerned, order now vs. when you are in real need – be prepared. I’d avoid Amazon – those third-party sellers are gouging and also ripping people off. That happened to me already! Instead, check out these reputable vendors directly:
Augason Farms – Food, Water, Supplies – have stopped taking food orders right now they are so buried but are taking orders for other items
I bought the 12″ FARend, the strut that projects forward from the chassis, thinking that a longer unit would be better. For my purposes and taste, it’s just too long so I bought an 8″ model from Black Collar to replace it. I stored the 12″ just in case but an 8″ unit fits the Magpul AFG and a 5 slot Picatinny rail perfectly.
The FARend units are designed to mount MLOK units. I attached the Magpul AFG directly and then installed a 5 slot rail section just forward of that to then mount an American Defense quick release rail section. You can see the length difference between the 8″ and 12″ segments relative to the Pork Sword.
Adding a Quick Release to the Bipod
In hindsight, I should have known that I would not like the screw on clamp attachment that Magpul offers in one model. I should have bought the model that was ARMS compatible and just needed that lever system added to it. Well, I had the bipod and wanted to make do with what I already owned.
This is the Magpul model with a 1913 rail clamp. The core bipod is really nice and the clamp is just fine if you plan to screw it on and leave it. I have found that I need to mount and remove bipods quickly depending on what I am doing.
To be clear, Magpul offers different bipod models with different attachment methods – Sling Stud, M-LOK, 1913 Picatinny Rail and one ready to be mounted on the ARMS 17S quick release adapter. It’s this last model that I should have bought in hindsight. Here are the Magpul bipods with the different attachment methods and colors:
American Defense Manufacturing (ADM) makes a quick release mount with a 5 slot rail section on top that fit the bill perfectly. This unit is available from Brownells under a different part number than what is on the ADM website directly – AD-170-VPG (4102).So, I clamped the Magpul bipod to the ADM adapter. Again, had I known, I would have bought the Magpul ARMS ready model.
Savior Case
To store the Pork Sword, I bought a 28″ Savior tactical case. This is my fourth Savior back and think they are well made. There is ample padding, good stitching, and plenty of pockets to store accessores, mags and ammo. The Savior cases are on Amazon and that is where I bought mine.
This is the 28″ Savior case in olive drab. I added the Crusader cross morale patch.It holds the folded Pork Sword very nicely as you can see.
The Final Result
Note, you’ll see a wrap on the aluminum strut that I am prototyping and hope to offer in the near future.
Conclusion
I really like how it turned out. The weight and feel are great – it’s the first time I’ve liked having an AFG on a weapon. Now, I just need to get to the range some day after all this COVID madness fades.
