TANDEMKROSS is an aftermarket firearm parts company that manufactures parts for popular firearms. While their line covers a wide range of firearms, including the usual suspects of AR-15 and 1911 parts, they are known for their Ruger components.
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The AR-15 is America’s longest serving service rifle and has a deserved reputation for performance and reliability. However, as with any machine, parts can fail. While not a particular weak point (10,000 round counts are a reasonable minimum) AR-15 bolts can break. One potential point of failure is the center hole fitting the cam pin.
HM Defense designs, develops, and produces AR rifles and parts that feature a number of their own patent-pending technologies. The company manufactures and final machines rifle components in-house in their Mt. Orab, Ohio facility. To improve bolt longevity, HM Defense designed their HMB Bolt, an enhanced durability part for M16/AR-15 and AR-10 rifles. The HMB Bolt corrects a natural weak point in existing bolts where the cam pin hole passes through. Under extensive use, standard bolts can fail there. The HMB Bolt eliminates the pass-through cam pin hole and replaces it with a socket and tapered pin. This reinforces a natural weak point by significantly increasing the amount of metal and strength at the cam pin location.
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Operating gunsmiths interested in maintaining profitable shops are wise to keep an eye on emerging trends. Conversations with several gunsmiths recently revealed that some of the most profitable, ongoing work for them includes AR-15 builds (no surprise there), 9mm carbines of various makes (influenced from Pistol Caliber Carbine competition), and suppressors. All three of these are nicely put together in this offering from Desert Design & Development.
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At a time when most handguns were limited to six rounds, the ten-shot Mauser C96 (Construktion 96) caught the attention of the world for its unprecedented capacity and formidable high-velocity 7.63x25mm cartridge.
Civil War Sharpshooting
At the outset of the American Civil War, the wealthy inventor and expert shot Hiram Berdan initiated the setting-up of sharpshooting units in the Union Army. These units would be tasked primarily with open-order skirmishing as well as long-range, accurate shooting. Initially, it was envisaged that the M1855 Colt revolving rifle would be the weapon employed by these specialists. Instead, the North’s sharpshooters preferred the Sharps rifle, an innovative breech-loading weapon employing a falling-block action. It had double-set triggers, aiding accuracy, and could fire up to ten shots per minute, more than three times the rate of fire offered by the standard-issue Springfield .58 rifled musket.
The Sharps was very expensive, though, and military planners believed it would encourage soldiers to waste ammunition. After a prolonged fight with the Ordnance Department, however, Berdan succeeded in procuring Sharps rifles for his men. Other Union sharpshooters were equipped with the standard-issue Springfield rifled musket, the Spencer Repeating Rifle – a lever-action rifle with a seven-round tube magazine chambered for the rimfire .56-56 Spencer cartridge – as well as competition sporting rifles repurposed for military use.
Conversely, the Confederacy favored the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifled musket for its sharpshooters. The South also imported from Britain quantities of the Whitworth Rifle, a .45-caliber, single-shot, muzzle-loading weapon distinguished by its use of a twisted hexagonal barrel. More prone to fouling and slower-firing than the standard-issue rifled musket, the Whitworth offered impressive long-range accuracy and its hexagonal bullets made a distinctive whistling noise in flight. In May 1864, a Confederate sharpshooter armed with the Whitworth famously killed the highest-ranking Union battle casualty of the conflict, Major General John Sedgwick, at a range of about 1,000 yards.
Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War: Colt, Sharps, Spencer, and Whitworth by Martin Pegler covers that history and more. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this is the engrossing story of the innovative rifles that saw combat in the hands of sharpshooters on both sides during the Civil War.
Available direct from Osprey Publishing (OspreyPublishing.com, 718/433-4402) or Amazon and other booksellers.
https://ospreypublishing.com/sharpshooting-rifles-of-the-american-civil-war
Read more in the February 2018 issue.
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Read more in the January 2018 issue.
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The High-Low Shooting Table is a portable, adjustable benchrest-style shooting table for left and right handed shooters capable of standing between 18” to 55” tall. Stabilized with three legs and footings that wedge in to the ground, the High-Low Shooting Table was designed for field use or uneven ground, as well as angled areas such as a hillside. The 17” x 33” table surface is large enough to hold rifle or handgun rests, along with ammo and tools. The comfortable, lightweight, portable stand is produced with a ridged, engineering-grade polypropylene top that is available in a dark earth color. MTM lists this with an MSRP of $139.99.
The Gun Cleaning Rod Case was designed to secure up to four rifle and shotgun cleaning rods up to 47” within its foam padded interior. Each rod is held in an individual slot, preventing rattling and damage to the rods during transportation. The case includes room for storing patches, jags, and brushes. Cleaning equipment is organized into a single, transportable container. Available in red, MTM lists this at $29.99.
Finally, the Tactical Mag Can was redesigned specifically for .308 magazines and can hold 10, 20, and 25 round magazines for the .308 AR platform rifles, along with 10 and 20 round magazines for M1A and M14 rifles. It features a reinforced O-ring seal, making it water-resistant, and a latching system that locks the magazines tightly into the case, protecting them during transportation. The Tactical Mag Can holds up to 14 magazines individually secured in pre-cut, closed, military-grade foam. Measuring 17.2” x 10.7” x 9.2” (H) with a double padlock tab and molded-in stacking ridges make it practical for storage. Suggested retail is $27.99.
Contact MTM Case Gard at MTMcase-Gard.com or 937/890.7461.
Read more in the December 2017 issue.
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