SHOT Show 2012 is less than two weeks away, and if you’re one of those gun blogger types attending, we’d like to see you there.  ExKevin from Misfires and Light Strikes was kind enough to put together a questionnaire to help determine the date and location,  so please take a minute (as soon as possible) to put in your two cents on the time and place.

See you in Vegas.  Baby.

I’ve previously established that I’m not tacticool, but I don’t mind admitting that there are some gadgets and widgets in the tactical gear world that I would be happy to own.  I now have another item to add to this list:  5.11 Tactical’s Taclite Pro pants for women.

I’ve looked at purchasing tactical pants in the past, but the options for women have always been extremely limited.  While there are a few companies that make women’s outdoor clothing, the vast majority of tactical and outdoor sports pants are made only for men.  Another issue that has prevented me from finding a pair of pants that are suitable for competition shooting is that I’m a bit vertically challenged, and pretty much all the tactical-ish pants for ladies I’ve looked at are ridiculously high-waisted.  I don’t enjoy wearing pants that go up to my armpits in my daily life, and that would be a serious no-go when I’m shooting.

5.11 Tactical decided to tackle the ill-fitting women’s tactical pants issues, and they have recently updated their line of pants for women with a more friendly fit.  I got the chance to see their new styling during Media Day at SHOT Show earlier this year, and they caught my eye right away.  One of the ladies in the 5.11 Tactical booth was sporting a pair, and they not only looked sharp, the waist looked to be at just about the perfect height (just under the natural waistline).

Thanks to 5.11 Tactical, I now have a pair of Women’s Taclite Pro Pants of my very own.  I selected my most often worn pants size, and I was very pleased to find that they fit great through the hip, seat and legs – not loose enough to be called “relaxed”, but still plenty of room to move around in.  The top of the pants fall just below my natural waist; I could not have asked for better placement.  I was surprised to find that the waistband was on the loose side (hey, maybe I lost some weight.  More cake!), but the little areas of elastic on each side of the waist seems to help keep the waist from drooping.  I’m almost always going to wear them with one of my competition shooting belts, so this is a non-issue for me.  I’m considering that a plus, as the slight looseness will allow me to throw a pair of long underwear on underneath without them being too tight.

The only fit issue I had to deal with was the overall length – a good two inches too long for me.  I knew this before I received them because they are only available in regular and long.  I managed to hem them myself with no problem (and I didn’t even cheat with hem tape this time), but I really wish 5.11 would add a “petite” length to their line of tactical pants.  After all, I’m perfectly average, according to the Government.

The Taclite Pro’s are made with poly-cotton ripstop, which is why I chose them over 5.11’s standard, cotton canvas tactical pants.  I figured I would get more use out of a lighter weight pant, and since they are treated with Teflon for a stain resistant finish, I have a chance of keeping them snazzy looking for a decent amount of time.  I have a habit of wiping my dirty, grimy magazines off on whatever I’m wearing, so having some stain resistance is a nice bonus.

To put these pants through their paces, I decided to wear them at the two big matches I shot in November:  The IDPA South Mountain Showdown and the USPSA Area 2 Championship Match.  The IDPA match was an all-day, 8 stage match, and temperatures were unseasonably low with dark rain clouds looming almost all day.  I was concerned the fabric would be too light for the weather (anything under 75 degrees=cold), but my legs never felt cold, and they were so comfortable that unlike everything else I was wearing, I didn’t want to rip them off after wearing them for over 11 hours.

For the Area 2 match, I wore them on Saturday, our second full day of shooting.  The weather was, again, unseasonably cool with the threat of rain.  Once again, the pants felt great all day.  I’m really glad I chose these pants for Saturday because it turned out to be the day with some of the most physically challenging stages.  The reinforced knees came in very handy while going prone and the deep front pockets allowed me pick up after myself quickly after pulling a couple of yard sales with my magazines.  In addition to feeling really comfortable in these pants all day, I also received an inquiry and complement on them from one of my fellow female squad mates, who is of similar stature and has the same problems finding pants to wear while shooting.

To see the pants in action, here’s a video of me shooting stage 7 of the Area 2 match.  Yes, the popper on the far right was supposed to go down.  (Note to self:  the *ding* of the steel does not always mean it went down)  Might I suggest focusing on my mag changes instead?

I really like these pants.  So much so, I’ve already purchased another pair in black.  I decided to purchase a size smaller then the original pair, and that might have not been the best idea.  The waist fits better, but the seat, hip and upper leg area are a little too tight (So much for more cake).  If you are a skinny-mini, you should be able to get away with purchasing a size smaller than normal, but if you’ve got some shape going on, I’d recommend sticking with your regular pants size.

The tactical pants reviewed above were supplied to me by the fine folks at 5.11 Tactical in exchange for my unbiased review.  The 2nd (and soon to be 3rd and 4th) pair I own was purchased with my own monies.

A Hi-Point 995 Carbine Torture Test

My Hi-Point 995 9mm carbine torture test is complete.  I didn’t set out to conduct a torture test of the Hi-Point carbine, it just happened.  I wanted a cheap, pistol-caliber carbine for shooting a tactical carbine/shotgun match at Phoenix Rod & Gun Club, to see if this was a discipline I would want to spend my time and money on.  The rifle retails for only around $250 or less, making it much cheaper than a 9mm AR platform rifle for “testing the water”.

Danno, over at SandCastle Scrolls, appeared at the range on the day I was sighting in my new carbine.  I couldn’t stop giggling as I created a jagged hole in the upper A-zone on a USPSA target.  This proved to be way too much for Danno, as he explained in his Very Short Play in Three Scenes.

I had more than 15 rounds stuffed into the ProMag magazine. The mag hit the ground when I racked the slide.  I shot the same match the following week, loading the aftermarket mags with only 14 rounds, and didn’t have any malfunctions.

I’ve shot all but one of the monthly matches in the last year, but I haven’t bothered to upgrade to a different carbine.  I haven’t even taken the time to clean the one that I have.  Over a year, and more than 1,000 rounds later, I’ve finally started to have a small problem with my American made rifle.  At last night’s match, the bolt needed a slight tap to get the gun to go into battery for the first round on each stage.  Despite the extra required nudge during loading, the rifle shot flawlessly and has never had a malfunction that wasn’t traceable to aftermarket magazines.

The little burp going into battery meant the rifle was telling me something. It was ready for a cleaning and maybe some oil.  Once stripped, I was surprised that there wasn’t a pile of broken parts inside, but it was filthy.

More than a year of shooting without maintenance and it’s still cruising.

It took almost two hours to get all of the gunk out.  The gunk included some of the receiver paint that had peeled off and blended into the burnt powder gunk.

It turns out that over 1,000 rounds of the cheapest, nastiest ammo I could use, fired during scorching hot duststorms and freezing rainstorms, had made the rifle dirty (shocking isn’t it).  That little carbine still ran and fired every time the trigger was squeezed.

I don’t think I could ask for much more from any rifle.  In fact, at every carbine match in the last year, I’ve watched rifles with much better pedigrees and significantly higher price tags malfunction on every stage.  This brings me to the most important reason for cleaning the little rifle that could.  True Blue Sam is hosting a Hi-Point e-postal match for November.  If you have a Hi-Point carbine, join in and see how your shooting skills compare to others.

I am impressed with this inexpensive American-made rifle. It works reliably every time.  If you want a fun little carbine that will shoot 9mm hollow points and is compact enough for home defense, or need something for tactical pistol-caliber competition, the Hi-Point 995 is a great choice. It is a fun little rifle to shoot for grins and giggles, that also could be considered as an affordable home defense option.

Are you ready to shoot a practical pistol match?

Robb Allen over at Sharp As a Marble has a plan for his USPSA match on Sunday.  ExurbanKevin at Misfires and Light Strikes has a plan for his IDPA match on Sunday.   Mz. VRWC and I are participating in an IDPA Regional Match this weekend, called the South Mountain Showdown, at Phoenix Rod & Gun Club.  Surely, I have a plan for shooting this event, I think.   The plan has to be somewhere around here, now where did I leave it?

The plan, meticulously based on the only three IDPA club matches I’ve shot so far…is:

1. Muzzle safety – Don’t point the gun at anything I don’t intend to destroy, including my own body parts, or my match is over early (instant disqualification).
2. Maintain the 180 degree rule at all times – Don’t point the gun in a direction greater than 90 degrees to the left or right of the downrange berm (instant disqualification).
3. Only shoot has fast as I can accurately shoot – Any faster than that will waste ammo, time, and incur penalties.  (You can’t miss fast enough to win.)
4. Have fun and enjoy the experience.
5. Maintain a relaxed approach to fend off the Red Mist, facilitating quick and safe draws from concealment.

That’s it!  That is my plan for this match.

I know how to pull the trigger smoothly, line up the sights correctly, and how to be safe while handling firearms.  Any other “things” I could plan on doing would probably exceed the mental bandwidth available after the timer buzzes.

Watching other shooters fire at lightning speed can create tremendous performance anxiety.  At some point, you realize that you can only perform at the best of your abilities.  You need this realization to keep your competitors’ performance from inducing the Red Mist.

Many people focus on the hoped for outcome of the event, at the expense of those tasks that have to be performed to achieve that goal.  When those tasks are performed correctly, the sum of those tasks will equal the desired outcome, which is a winning performance.  My focus will be on managing the tasks I have control over.  If I do everything correctly, the result will be safe competition,  zero-down scores, and a good place in the results.

Now I just have to remember my plan…where did I put that plan?

Today, my interwebs are overflowing with stories and information on concealed carry.  It’s getting a little safer out there, but there are still plenty of reasons to make sure you ready and able to protect yourself at all times.  Here’s some great information about why and how to carry, courtesy of the internet:

Caleb from Gun Nuts media discusses a terrifying true story with a (thankfully) happy ending, and offers some sound advice on why we should be carrying at all times.

My Gun Culture reviews the Ruger LCP .380.  A VERY detailed review with a sprinkling of humor that makes for a great read.

NSSF has a link to a Babes with Bullets video that is part of a series on choosing a concealed carry pistol.  While this video focuses on semi-auto pistols, they also have a video dedicated to choosing a conceal carry revolver, and a more general video about choosing a conceal carry handgun:

The above videos serve as a great primer for anyone (especially women) looking at the idea of carrying concealed. As an added bonus, you get to learn something from one of the greatest competitive shooters in the world for free.

Jake is (finally) gone, Mike’s a zombie, and there’s only one episode of Top Shot Season 3 left this season.  So, who’s going to defeat the other three competitors (and the red mist) and become America’s next Top Shot?  Let us know in the comments, and you could win some bitchin’ History Channel/Top Shot stuff:

• First person to correctly name the winner tonight gets a spiffy History Channel messenger bag
• Second person gets a Top Shot iPod soft case
• Third person gets a Large or XL (your choice) History Channel T-shirt

Make sure to enter a valid email address when you submit your answer, and we’ll contact you for your shipping details if you’re one of the lucky three.

Thanks again to the awesome people at History Channel and Top Shot for sending us a nice selection of items to give away to our readers, and for making a pretty darn good show about competitive shooting.

It’s that time again.  Top Shot on the History Channel is now casting for seasons to be named at a later date:

APPLY TODAY!
Email TopShotCasting@gmail.com with your name, city, state, phone number, a recent photo of yourself and a brief explanation of why you are America’s “Top Shot.” For more information, visit pilgrimstudios.com/casting/topshot. Producers will get in touch if they need additional information.

This is an ongoing casting call. Currently there is no deadline for submissions or schedule for the final casting process and production of the next season. Still, we’d like to hear from you!

If you are thinking about answering the casting call, here’s a tip – don’t wait until the last minute.  If you do, you might end up having to shoot your introduction video in the basement of a Holiday Inn, then uploading it using the hotel’s computer because you crashed your laptop’s hard drive the night before.  On a related note, I do not lose sleep at night wondering why I wasn’t chosen for the next season.

And for those wondering (all three of you) if I’ll be tossing my hat into the reality show ring again, the answer is YES.  I figure I’ll just keep answering their casting calls until they either invite me to the in-person auditions or they block my email address.