Heath Layman

Heath Layman Heath has been a law enforcement officer in the Great Northwest since 1993 and train as a pistol and rifle instructor for both law enforcement and civilians. He also serves as an advanced armorer on pistols and rifles. If you're looking for training or would like to contact him, he can be reached at [email protected]

RavenCrest Tactical Out the Front Knife, the Guardian is Ready When You Need It

Knives are useful tools. Often when you need a knife, one of your hands is already occupied. Auto knives and assisted opening knives are great. When you’re done with the knife, closing it safely, while your hand is still occupied, can be a pain or even a hazard to put away.

RavenCrest Tactical OTF (out the front) knives are a great option for those of you looking to solve the open and close problem that knives can present when your hands are occupied.

I recently got my hands on the RavenCrest Tactical “Guardian” OTF knife equipped with a Tanto Serrated blade and I’ve fallen in love with it. I love how it sits deep in my pocket and has a flat feel to it. Pulling it out of the pocket, it opens with ease with the push of my thumb and closes back up just as easily.

Putting the business end of the blade up against an object to simulate my leg, the blade quickly stops and loses resistance. A quick flick of the wrist to put the blade back out and it’s back in business, opening and closing with the push of a button.

The Guardian OTF knife feels like quality in your hand with a balance and weight that just feels right. This version of the knife is lighter than its predecessor with the use of CNC Aviation Aluminum, coming in at 200g total weight. The blade is CNC 440C Stainless Steel with a hardness of 58HRC. The blade is 4 inches long and the total length open is 9.5 inches. The handle has a smart and modern “tire tread” textured grip that gives it a positive seat in your hand when you get to work with it.

RavenCrest Guardian OTF knives also feature a pocket clip with a glass breaker built in, available when you need it.

RavenCrest backs their knives for life. Every OTF Knife from RavenCrest has a Lifetime Warranty. If your RavenCrest knife fails you for any reason, simply send it back to them and they will first attempt to repair the knife. If the knife is beyond repair, they will replace it with a new one.

RavenCrest Tactical is a family owned and operated business out of Mesa, Arizona with a mission to build and develop tactical products that will serve their operators well for a lifetime.

If you’re looking for a great tool for your pocket, a supplement to your self-defense, or a great steak knife while one-handed; this knife might just be for you. Prior to having this knife in my hands, I would have struggled with justifying the price point. Now that I’ve carried it on duty for a few weeks, I’m in love with it and would have no problems coughing up the cash (just don’t tell my wife!)

DETAILS

Total Length: 24.13cm / 9.5in
Blade Length: 10.16cm / 4in
Blade Thickness: 0.3175cm / .125in
Blade Width: 2.54cm / 1in
Blade Material: CNC 440C Stainless Steel
Handle: CNC Aviation Aluminum
Hardness: 58HRC **
Total Weight: 200g / 7oz
MSRP $269.00

Photos by author

See more with Hackett Equipment’s Tactical Shooting Glasses

Versatile Glasses that do it All

With Hackett Equipment’s Tactical Shooting Glasses, you can have one pair of glasses that do it all. Or you can have a pair of glasses to wear while on duty, a pair of glasses for when riding your motorcycle, a pair of glasses for when shooting on the range, a pair of glasses for when on a road trip or going to the beach. Pretty soon you’re going to have glasses everywhere except where you can find them and be out a lot of money.

At an M.S.R.P. of just $24.99, Hackett Equipment has come up with solutions for multiple scenarios. They market these glasses, as tested, to be Tactical Shooting Glasses. They are suitable for so much more than just shooting glasses though!

Shooting Glasses

As for shooting glasses, they work great. The foam backing on the frames absorbs sweat and aid in protecting the eyes from impact as well as protecting from keeping hot brass from falling between your face and the frames. With four changeable polycarbonate lenses that are anti-fog and UV400 protected, you can be sure to find the right lenses for what you’re doing that day.

With the foam backing on the lenses, you can confidently know that a spent casing won’t be falling between your face and the glasses. The glasses won’t help you with keeping brass from going down your shirt like this gal though. (We do not endorse nor recommend crossing your thumbs while shooting a semi-automatic pistol. A video for demonstration purposes only.)

All the Bells & Whistles

The shooting glasses come with a mirror, clear, yellow, and grey lenses that are 1.80 mm thick. No tools or special skills and knowledge are required to change the lenses out.

Retrieve the lenses that you want to exchange from the included case. Pull down the bottom part of the frame, push the lens from behind near the bridge of the nose, and pull out the lens. Push the new lens in starting at the bridge of the nose and it’s secured.

If you’re using the shooting glasses under a ballistic helmet or a motorcycle helmet, simply push a lever on the legs of the glasses and plug in the strap. Now you’re rolling with goggles that easily fit and hold the glasses securely in place comfortably.

When you’re done switching the lenses out or changing from traditional legs to the goggle strap, clean your grubby fingerprints off with the included cleaning cloth.

Keep all the toys that come with these great glasses in the included soft case or hard case that easily clips to your gear bag or whatever. Don’t limit these great glasses to just the range or you’ll be missing out on a pair of glasses that can do it all.

Versatile and Affordable

These glasses feel like a bargain, especially once you unpack everything and see what’s been included.

Make things just a little sweeter by using a Loadout Room discount code for 20% off: HACKETT20

Be sure to check out Hackett Equipment for more great stuff at their website, Instagram, and Facebook.

The Maxim Defense CQB Stock: Short and Sweet

The Maxim Defense CQB Stock is a strong, comfortable, durable and compact stock that is made for real-world use. The Maxim CQB Stock weighs in at just 18.59 oz and has a housing made of 7075 Aluminum Alloy where they’ve smartly placed QD mounts. When closed, the stock measures just 5.375″ and extends out to a full 10″, the same as a extended carbine stock.. It has two additional positions at 6.875″ and 8.375″.

You can set-up the stock with a myriad of buffer options to fit your rifle and tune it in. The stock is available in black and FDE.

The Maxim Defense CQB Stock isn’t built to be a safe queen, it’s made for real-world use. With the 4 available extension positions, you can dial in the stock for your body and function.

Installation was easier than expected. Just be sure to not launch your detent and spring for the rear take-down pin when you disassemble!

Once together, I was amazed by the compact size of this unit and the comfort of the adjustment points. I’m a tall fella at 6’6″ with gorilla arms and the Maxim Defense CQB Stock still adjusted out to fit me.

At the range, I had mentally prepared myself for failures on my short barrel suppressed work rifle using the generic buffer and spring and assumed I would have to contact Maxim for different variations of their product to dial it in. I was pleasantly surprised with it, not a single failure after about 200 rounds through it. Obviously it’s going to need some more put down range to put me at ease but I’m on the range next week for rifle training so we’ll push it then. The hex patterned and textured butt plate kept the stock welded in place while ringing my CTS Steel plates.

Overall opinion of this piece of equipment is that it is strong, quality craftsmanship that makes my rifle a better trunk monkey. I’m able to stow it in more compact spaces, deploy in the confines of the front seat of a patrol vehicle without smacking a windshield, and manipulate the rifle in the close quarter confines of the trashiest trailer house. Coupled with the Spikes Tactical Compressor upper, I’ll hopefully still be able to hear if I ever have to use it in the field without my hearing protection on.

Speaking of hearing protection – if you’re in a position to affect change within your agency, work towards getting suppressors on all department rifles. One incident in a confined space with the patrol rifle and you’re looking at a high likelihood of permanent hearing loss.

MSRP for the Maxim Defense CQB Stock is $395.00. Maxim Defense Industries offers a 30-day return policy.

If you’re looking for pistol or rifle training in SW Washington, come join us at Willapa Firearms Training.

Hey ladies, Dene Adams has a holster solution for you

SHOT Show 2019 has helped me find a holster solution for the ladies in my life, Dene Adams a company making holsters for the ladies. Men – show this article to your gal. With the right holster, maybe she’ll want to start carrying concealed after all.

Founded on a Legacy, Holsters Made for Women

Founded on the legacy of Anna’s grandfather, Dene Adams supplies creative solutions for concealed carry with women in mind (and now a new line for men.)

Anna Taylor of Dene Adams has a passion for what she does and it shows in her creativity and enthusiasm for her products. Anna calls her holster creations a “compression concealed carry holster for women.” Anna’s innovation and design efforts allow women to carry concealed comfortably without a change in wardrobe.

I teach a basic pistol course for civilians and a question that I am frequently asked is from the ladies. “What holster options do you have for us women? I don’t want to wear a belt, I want to keep my pretty outfits.”

I usually show the ladies in my class a collection of holsters that I have that work for me. Kydex, leather, and even some plastic that are mostly OWB hip carry and some IWB appendix carry. These holsters work for me but I’m a big fella at 6’6″. I always wear a belt and usually a loose shirt that easily conceals even a large frame pistol. My girth helps with the concealment.

My big fella holster solutions don’t always work for the ladies.

Solutions by Anna

Instead of listening to a big dumb guy tell you why these holsters work and make me awkwardly talk about things like “the ladies,” “boob sweat,” “smoothing the back fat,” and stuff like that; how about you listen to Anna tell you about it.

Blauer Clash 6″ Waterproof Boot: A Step Ahead

The Blauer Clash 6″ Waterproof Boot is a step ahead of other duty boots with technology in a boot that works, is long lasting, durable, waterproof, breathable, lightweight, and comfortable.

When I first received my Blauer Clash duty boots, I was on vacation from work for a few weeks. I was impatient to start wearing them so on they went as I got to work on my family farm cutting down trees with a chainsaw, dragging logs out with wire rope and generally putting these boots through hell. They held up through it all and I fell in love with these boots.

I’ve had a lot of duty boots over the last 25 years and I’ve always liked my Danner boots. These aren’t anything like those. These are about a 1/3 the weight and they were immediately comfortable. I didn’t have to wait 3 to 4 weeks and go through some miserable blisters to find them comfortable. I highly doubt these boots are going to last 10 plus years like by Danner boots did but I’m completely okay with that.

The first thing I noticed about these boots is the BOA Closure System, a braided stainless steel cable. If you haven’t played around with the BOA Closure System before or heard it, think Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future when he laces up his sneakers in the future. You turn a dial and the boots cinch up to a consistent tightness that doesn’t bind, doesn’t loosen, and doesn’t knot. Wearing my boots through the brush I found the boots to be a breath of fresh air with great ankle support and no snagging my laces through the sticks. They didn’t start digging in with pinch points and they didn’t loosen. At the end of the day, I didn’t have to deal with some hideous knot when I just wanted to take my boots off.

The traction pattern on the boot was perfect for uneven terrain, dirt, wet cement, and everything in between.

The boot is light, breathable, and just downright comfortable. The cut of the ankle area was perfect when sitting in a vehicle. Some boots dig into the back of your leg when in a seated position. The Blauer Clash tactical boot has a relief cut that makes your ankle and calf still liking you at the end of a long day.

All that being said, I still found myself focused on the BOA Closure System and how much I loved being able to quickly get out of my boots or put them on.

Once back to work, they polished up to looking like new and I head out. The Blauer Clash boot is a great design and I look forward to seeing how they continue to wear. Click here to buy yours now.

U.S. MSRP $139.99

Grey Ghost Precision Offers Dual Optic Compatibility

The Slide, Improved by GGP

I like Glock pistols and I like red dot sights. Optic sights on your combat gun allow for faster target transition, a wider field of view with both eyes open, quicker sight acquisition of your target, improved accuracy at close and long distances, and allow you to stay target focused. With that being said, I’m not in love with the Glock MOS (Modular Optic System) as the solution to mounting red dot sights on the Glock platform (see my general complaints later).

Grey Ghost Precision (GGP) recognized the existing market gap and a need to improve the way things were being done and introduced aftermarket milled slides. GGP slides offered were great quality, but they had the same problem that sending your Glock slide in to have custom milled had; until they offered the V4 and their genius shim system for dual optic compatibility.

The Problem with Custom Milled Slides

Custom milled slides offer a superior mounting solution to red dot optics. They are a much more robust mount when properly done. The fitment of the optic to the slide is a press-fit where you essentially don’t even need the mounting screws for it to stay in place. Add a little thread lock to the screws and mount it up for a locked-in tight fit that lets you use a quality optic as a handle just as much as a red dot. The red dot sight sits nice and low and allows a lower profile fit.

The problem with that milled sight is that you’re now locked-in to the optic you chose when you got it milled!

A custom milled slide is a great option but you will be locked into the footprint that you choose. No going back!

Some law enforcement agencies may not permit officers to have the pistols milled, as they “alter” the firearm.

The Problem with the MOS

The MOS is a great option for the weekend shooter that doesn’t need to rely on the optic for rough and tough treatment.

You can mount multiple brands of optics with the Glock provided plates. Installation is easy and it retains a stock condition that some police departments want.

Too high on the slide and only two screws holding the optic in-place

All that retains the optic onto the pistol with the MOS configuration is two tiny screws! They do not do a great job of holding the optic onto the gun. The time I’ve spent on the MOS mounting configuration resulted in a loose optic after firing a lot of rounds and doing a few brisk manipulations using the optic as a lever.

The other problem with the MOS configuration is the optic sits up high on the gun and sometimes even suppressor height sights are worthless (such as with the taller footprint Leopold Delta Point Pro.)

The Grey Ghost Precision Solution

Take the stock slide off your Glock, swipe the components from it or just purchase new ones for a minimal price, and install it on your new Version 4 Grey Ghost Precision slide. If you’re mounting the Trijicon RMR or optic with compatible footprint, leave the additional shim on top of the slide in place and use the provided screws with a little threadlocker. Press fit the optic on the slide and install the screws. It’s that easy and it fits precisely as it should.

With the shim in place, the Trijicon is a press-fit installation. Use the GGP provided screws with thread locker.

If you’re using the popular Leupold Delta Point Pro (or other optic that uses Leupold’s footprint), remove the provided shim and press fit the optic to a precision fit. Use your Grey Ghost Precision provided screws with a little thread lock installed and you’re in business.

Remove the shim and install the Leupold DPP with the provided screws and some thread locker

Grey Ghost Precision gives you options for mounting red dot sights and it’s much more robust than what you’d normally find.

This Grey Ghost Precision V4 Mount should be the GLOCK MOS standard!

Tighter Tolerances Equals Tighter Groups

The Grey Ghost Precision V4 slide is much more than just a good optics slide. The slide is machined in-house out of 17-4 billet stainless steel and has tighter critical tolerances.

The GGP slide is Black Nitride Coated inside and out and comes with a custom G10 cover plate and proper screws for use without any optics installed.

The GGP V4 Slide looks great without an optic as well. It comes with a cover plate installed.

Add the GGP match grade barrel and you’ll really see things tighten up if you can avoid slapping the trigger. I hope to be telling you more about the GGP, Glock 19 compatible, Match Grade Barrel later.

Microscale Texture

The GGP V4 slides feature a new slide design with a new texture – the Microscale Texture. The Microscale Texture creates the ultimate strong frictional grip. The design is functional, easy to manipulate from any angle, and is a wonderful example of end-user-focused engineering.

Microscale Texturing makes the slide a cinch to manipulate from any angle.

Grey Ghost Precision slides development was directly influenced by special forces, law enforcement officers, competitive shooters and you – the end user in mind.

Grey Ghost Precision slides easily swap onto OEM & 80% frames. I think one of the best built combinations is the GGP V4 slide placed onto the Nomad Defense, Nomad 9 frame, or one of the GGP Combat Pistol Frames! Take having a custom pistol to a new level and start with the components you want from the get-go and build it your way.

I’ve been running the GGP V4 slide for a couple of months now and I love it. I’ve got the XS Sights, DXT Night Sights on it for back-up sights and they work wonderfully. (More about these sights later.) I ran the Trijicon on the slide first and loved how it sat low and tight in the slide.

I’ve just recently got my hands on the Leupold DPP and have to say, I was impressed with how after removing the shim and changing the screws, the DPP was just as good of a press fit as the Trijicon had been. I’m also starting to enjoy the DPP optic which I hadn’t had any time in on before.

If you’ve been on the fence about building your own custom pistol with components – quit waiting and try out Grey Ghost Precision. You can buy all the components directly from GGP to build your own custom pistol.