by John Markwell | Contributing Editor
Like most outdoor folks, we come across an assortment of gear every year that can’t be categorized. You know the routine; those small items that you thought would be useful for whatever purpose. Here’s a brief review of some of the gun “stuff” we’ve run across that we thought TGM readers might find of interest.
Triggers
Factory triggers are a sore point with many shooters. Many are pretty poor and some are almost unusable for any degree of precision. There are two solutions to this problem: a trip to the gunsmith or installation of an aftermarket trigger. Our buddy Jay Cochran recently gave us an aftermarket trigger for the Remington 700 series of rifles that is outstanding in function and retails for only $89.95. (That’s not a misprint!)
Manufactured by TriggerTech (TriggerTech.com) and hand assembled in Canada, the friction between the sear and trigger is eliminated by inserting a roller between the two. This gives the shooter a zero creep trigger release. Externally click adjustable from 1½ to 4 pounds, the drop-in frictionless trigger for the Remington 700 comes with the safety installed.
We installed the TriggerTech unit on our .223 Remington LTR in about ten minutes and adjusted the weight of pull to 2½ pounds. We have after market triggers in other rifles by a number of “name” manufacturers and can honestly say the TriggerTech Frictionless Trigger is as good as any of them and, quite frankly, better than some costing considerably more. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you try one of these. Check out the website as other trigger products are on the drawing board.
Squibs
Shooters who have reloaded for handguns for any serious length of time have probably experienced the dreaded squib load and the attendant bullet stuck in the bore. Having lost our old brass squib rod somewhere, we recently got a new one from the Dillon Precision folks. The Arrendondo Multi-Function Squib Rod is a scope windage adjustment tool, magazine base pad tool, scope battery cap remover and a squib rod. At $12.95 it’s a must-have item for any pistol shooter’s range bag.
Loading blocks
Most shooters we know have a bunch of different loading blocks around their loading benches. Some are wood, others plastic, and few folks we know have a bunch that are all the same. The Lyman folks have come out with a new line of loading blocks made of anodized aluminum and they are really neat.
CNC milled from 6061-T6 aluminum, these 50-round blocks come in three sizes with holes measuring .388”, .485” and .565” and, they have stick-on rubber feet to keep them in place. These are for the precision handloader who needs the highest quality equipment. MSRP is $39.95. Get more details online from lymanproducts.com.
Dials
With the increased interest in long range shooting, many shooters have wished for add-on turrets for sporting telescopes with which they can dial in elevation changes and wind corrections. Leupold has listened to their customers and now offers their Screw On Dial (SOD) system for Leupold scopes that have coin-click or finger-click adjustments, excluding the VX-1s. We acquired two of the SOD turrets and installed one on a VX3 4.5-14. This scope had the finger-click dial which had to be removed prior to setting up the SOD. A very high tech tool (a bottle opener) was needed to remove the plastic piece that has the click markings on it.
Replacing the turret cover cap, the SOD was easily screwed on to the telescope and the rig re-zeroed. Up at our bench, we fired a series of groups (testing the TriggerTech trigger at the same time) and then ran a repeatability test on the new dial system. The rifle was a Remington LTR in .223 of known accuracy. Shooting a handload topped with Sierra 77-grain Match King bullets, this rifle generally shoots groups in the ¾ to ½ inch range. Using a 1” white target paster for a hold point, one shot was fired with the 100-yard zero. Then we cranked in two MOA of elevation and fired another shot which printed 2” above the aim point. The scope was returned to the 100-yard zero, fired again, and then cranked up two MOA again. The test was repeated several times and the scope tracked perfectly throughout the ups and downs of elevation changes. If ordered ballistically matched for a specific cartridge, the SOD incorporates a zero stop.
Available for both MOA scopes (S1) and Mil scopes (S2), the SOD dials are user installable and retail for about $50. Go online to leupold.com for details.
Leather
Back in the 1970s the late Mel Tappen wrote a book titled Survival Guns. In that book was a photo of the Six Pack magazine carrier that was built by Milt Sparks in Idaho. We acquired a couple of the Sparks Six Packs in the early 80s and they have seen considerable use since then. Our buddy Jack Gully of Badlands Leather (kjleather@sdplains.com; phone: 605-456-1332) has recreated this handy mag carrier and they are now available direct from Jack for $85.
Designed to hold six 1911 magazines, these handy units are made from premium saddle leather with brass snaps. The mag carrier is solidly stitched with nylon thread and the magazines are separated by leather dividers. The contents are protected from the elements by the generous cover flap. Since we often travel with a different 1911 on different days, we keep a six pack in the truck which contains two each of full sized .45 ACP and .38 Super mags, plus two 9mm officer’s sized magazines for our Guncrafter Industries CCO. We understand that Sparks Leather will still make this item on special order but if one can’t wait the Badlands version is available immediately for $85.
Rings
If one looks through the Brownells catalog, the selection of scope rings is almost overwhelming. Many seem to be a bit on the over-engineered side with levers or massive bolts and corresponding big nuts. Some of these are often touted as the last word in secure telescope mounting on your favorite rifle. Many of these rings are indeed stout, but the mounting hardware often interferes with rifle manipulation by knocking one’s knuckles, blocking the ejection port or limiting access to the internal magazine for loading. Or, the nuts/levers or whatever poke one in the back when the rifle is carried by the sling or just get hung up on gear or clothing.
TRULOC Rings, from American Precision Arms in Georgia, are new to the market and offer the cleanest profile of any rings we’ve ever used for scope mounting on a Picatinny rail. Available for 30mm and 34mm optics, TRULOCs are machined to some of the tightest tolerances in the industry. Ring heights are available from .750” (the lowest in the industry) up to 1.250”. Separate inserts allow for the mounting of optics with one-inch tube optics in the 30mm rings. One of the things that make the TRULOC rings unique is their clean lines. The clamping system blends into the body of the ring without any protrusions whatsoever. Another plus, because of the precision machining, is the TRULOC ring’s ability to return to zero after being removed and remounted on the rifle. This could be a game changer for the big game hunter who wants to take a spare scope on an expensive hunt. A pre-zeroed spare optic in TRULOC rings could save a hunt in the event of an optic failure. The TRULOC rings are easy to install on any Picatinny rail and are not the least bit torque sensitive; just snug up the two cap screws in the base of each ring and you’re good to go. Priced at $195, the TRULOC rings from APA are not cheap, but the best of anything seldom is.
These are just a few of the items we’ve found to enhance our shooting experience over the last year. New shooting-related gear is introduced almost daily and, in the future, we’ll try to bring you reviews of those items we’ve found most useful.
Good shooting.