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Thunderbird Tactical
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Shaw’s all. It’s a great play on words.
Daniel Shaw, an occasional GunsAmerica writer and Thunderbird Tactical’schief training guru, has put together a package with Primary Weapons Systems. It is a PWS MK114. The rifle has a 14.5″ barrel, and is decked out in Magpul furniture. The grip has even been hand stippled. The sights are MBUS Pros. The gun is cerakoted in a coyote tan. It comes with three magazines, and a ticket for a carbine class with Thunderbird.
Why is Shaw’s name emblazoned on the PWS? He’s not on their payroll. He is a believer, though. I know Daniel well enough to know that he isn’t going to lend his support, much less his name, to a gun that isn’t flawless. Perfect. PWS has the ability to deliver that level of perfection. And Shaw has a good context for the practical application of AR style rifles.
The Thunderbird Tactical logo is emblazoned on the side of the rifle.
Here’s his bio from Thunderbird site:
Daniel Shaw is a retired US Marine infantryman with multiple combat tours and instructor titles. He has developed curriculum and training standards for pre-deployment training and Marine Security Forces such as the Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Teams (FAST) and the Naval Nuclear Security Program. His direct action experience includes Level IV VBSS and In Extremis Hostage Rescue.
Daniel has been a DOD/USMC firearms instructor for over 15 years and has over 18 of concealed carry experience. He holds numerous instructor certifications from the US Marine Corps to include foreign weapons and master instructor of Handgun, rifle/carbine, shotgun, and medium to heavy machine guns. Daniel takes his life of training and combat experience and develops curriculum to help responsible armed citizens prepare for a deadly force encounter.
I’ve taken several handgun classes with Shaw and I’m a convert. I was a college professor for 15 years and I’ve seen a lot of instructors. What Daniel does so well is adapt his classes to the needs of his students. In a handgun class with rank beginners, Shaw may leave the high-speed operator persona behind, and talk about how we all carry everyday. In the same class with students with strong skills, the drills are much more complicated. He can be comforting and encouraging with one student and that hard-ass motivator with the next.
Shaw’s developing quite a following. As his reputation grows, he’s teaching in more areas of the country. And people are coming to him, making what may seem like long trips to spend the weekend working with him.
If you haven’t seen the video below, it is worth your time. Want to see more from PWS? Check out our review of the MK107.
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Chambered in .223 Wylde.
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On the other side of the mag well is PWS’s logo.
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The furniture in Magpul.
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The PWS FSC556 muzzle break holds down the rifle nicely.
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The MBUS Pro sights are a nice extra.
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One of the benefits of the PWS system is the easily adjustable gas system.
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The controls are all functionally large, which is good for those of us with big hands.
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The forend uses key-mod rails, which makes the rifle lighter and slimmer.
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When I got the gun, it was filthy. I put a good 500 rounds through it in two range sessions. Even this dirty, it ran without a hitch.
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Built in QD sling mounts make carrying the Shaw’s All easy.
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The PWS piston bolt carrier is a thing of beauty.
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The Shaw’s All is based on the PWS MK114.
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This is the infamous cut-away, one of the best I’ve ever seen of an AR.
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This Rifle is Better than ANY 7.62×39,300 blackout or 308 caliber AR because it has Much less recoil and the Ammo is Much Cheaper to buy which means you Can train More with it than the previous mentioned !!! Lol
It’s a 5.56 x 45 rifle. How good can it be? 🙂
I prefer 7.62 x 51, 7.62 x 39 or .300 AAC Blackout semi automatic rifles.
I notice that so many of the reviews never have a full on picture of the firearms. Please let your photographers know that close-ups of everything doesn’t give a good overall impression. Please start taking pictures of the entire rifles! Thanks!!!
I have had the privilege to train with Daniel multiple times. He has outstanding teaching abilities and tremendous amounts of knowledge. He teaches from his hard won experience and not from theory. He also has outstanding well qualified staff helping him teach. I have not left a class dissatisfied in any way. Training with Shaw should be on your bucket list.
I have had the privilege to train with Daniel multiple times. Outstanding teaching abilities and tremendous amounts of knowledge. He teaches from his hard won experience. He also has outstanding well qualified staff helping him teach. Training with Shaw should be on your bucket list.
I’ve lost track of all the ultimate ar-15’s there are out there, This one can’t be because the one I built is.
Very nice addition to the AR platform family. We’ve been working on a similar design using the best of the AR/AK systems to create a hybrid that will satisfy the harshest critic. Bravo! Nice job!
Just a note to Guns America Editors: The link in the email for this article redirects to the article by Sam Trisler on the pink Savage Rascal!!! I had to re-route through your Author list to get to this article! You might want to check into that….
Yup. You are correct. Thanks for the heads up it allowed us to get a link in to the real article early so people aren’t pulling their hair out of their heads all day.