GunsAmerica Blog Product Reviews – Accessories and Gun Related items

Otis Technology makes a multitude of cleaning products and cleaning systems for firearms and optics. They offer task specific cleaning systems for Sporting, Law Enforcement, and Military applications. All OTIS products are made in the USA at the company’s facility in Lyons Falls, NY. One of the latest products, the RIPCORD one-pass cleaning device, was featured in the OTIS Technology display at the 2014 SHOT Show.

The RIPCORD is a pull-through-the-barrel dry cleaning system. Each end of the RIPCORD has a coated brass tip that is clearly labeled with the intended caliber. These tips feature 8-32 threading so they can accept most standard cleaning accessories like brushes, bore mops, and patch holders.

The Handi-Racker is a small plastic block (available in several sizes) that fits over the slide of your pistol, on the muzzle end, and allows you to push the frame of the handgun to rack the slide rather than having to pull the slide itself. This simple change of motion and force will enable nearly anyone, regardless of age, strength or condition to work the action of a pistol. As I demonstrated in my review of Handi-Racker, it is also highly effective in clearing a jammed gun.

Liberty Ammunition recently reintroduced its Civil Defense line of ammunition in new packaging. Coinciding with the new packaging, the line was extended to include 380 Auto. Another notable change is that the 45 ACP load is now labeled as a +P load. These two loadings join the previously released 9mm +P and 40 S&W to complete the Civil Defense line-up.

Liberty proclaims the Civil Defense line to be the “World’s Fastest Handgun Rounds”. Published velocities range from 1500 feet per second for the 380 Auto up to a blistering 2000 feet per second for the 9mm +P and 40 S&W. Last year, I tested the 9mm and 40 S&W just after they were introduced (as Halo Point) and verified velocities exceeding 2100 feet per second from both loads when fired from 4.5” service length barrels. I was very curious to see how the Civil Defense bullets would perform at the lower velocities published for the 380 and 45.

If you’re anything like me, you have all kinds of tools, patches, swabs, solvents, and favorite rags for cleaning your guns. I’m old enough to remember when there was but one way to clean a gun – Hoppe’s No. 9, a firm brush, and lots of patches. While those items are still within easy reach on my bench, I have also been happy to embrace new ideas – especially if they save me time or money! The folks at Swab-it have a product line that they say does just that. Gun Tips and Bore Tips are foam swabs that come in many shapes and sizes and are engineered to provide superior cleaning and easy re-use. I put an assortment of these swabs to the test.

Trends in today’s firearms market can sometimes be recognized early in competitive shooting sports. If you want the fastest and most durable add-ons for your rig, watch what the top competitors use. It costs a lot of money to attend matches, buy bullets, and keep up with equipment, so more often than not the professionals will use quality gear that runs reliably and holds up to the abuse of matches and travel. Although the XRAIL Mono tube has only been widely available for a year, you will find that most professionals shooting competitively are outfitted with a mono tube from Roth Concept Innovations that increases the shell capacity of their shotguns. The factory magazine tube found on most shotguns is typically one piece that goes from the receiver to the end of the forend. To add shell capacity, an extension must be placed on top of the factory tube. This design works, but XRAIL has a better solution that was made to win.

Chiappa Firearms https://www.chiappafirearms.com/ Chiappa Firearms, best known for their quasi steampunk looking Rhino revolvers, had a shotgun/rifle combo at SHOT this year that the survivalists out among us will surely take note of. The X-Caliber is a folding stock, over-under, shotgun rifle. The basic form of the long gun is a 12 gauge shotgun barrel [...]

The SHOT Show is literally acres and acres of guns. The physical space is comparable to a suburban mall made up of gun stores. With so much to see, so many triggers to fiddle with, some of the real innovation can be hard to see. I first ran into the geniuses behind MyCaseBuilder.com at last year’s NRA convention. I found them again at SHOT, and they’re showing off something truly revolutionary. You can now take a picture of your gun (or whatever you’d like) and their software will convert that photo into a 3D pattern that can be cut in foam.

Timney Triggers https://timneytriggers.com/ Timney Triggers make exacting aftermarket additions for serious shooters. They’re known in the industry for the precision they engineer into products that are, for the most part, already good. They’ve just released a new trigger for the IWI Tavor that will rectify the only complaint I’ve ever heard about the pugilistic bullpup. [...]

One of the great things about being at SHOT Show is that you never know what you’re going to find that, once you know it exists, you just can’t do without. We saw a demonstration of the AR-15 charger from Caldwell Shooting Supplies, one of the Battenfeld brands, and it was impressive. Starting with a box of .223 rounds, the spokesperson, Kyle, dumped it into the charger, attached a magazine, and in a matter of seconds had transferred 30 rounds to the magazine. All without having to touch a round. That’s fast! See for yourself what a great accessory this is in the accompanying video or go to www.BTIbrands.com.