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Spend More Time Shooting and Less Time Loading with MagPump Pro

The easiest way to load magazines

New to the lineup of products from MagPump is the MagPump Pro Series. The MagPump pro is capable of handling large capacity, high-frequency magazine loading for 9mm and AR-15 magazines.

The two new magazine loaders are a hybrid of the already trusted and loved MagPump models. The Pro offers a more robust finish with a lightweight polymer exterior married to strong, metal internal components that produce a reliable operation while loading hundreds of rounds in one sitting.

Easy to Use

Like its predecessors, the MagPump Pro is easy to use and eliminates hand fatigue. The MagPump saves you time when time equals money! It reduces loading time by more than 50 percent. Simply load the ammunition in the high-capacity hopper and let MagPump do its magic.

The pump-action lever self-sorts the ammunition and loads 30 rounds in less than 30 seconds.

More Time Shooting and Less Time Loading

I’ve been using the 9mm loader and the AR-15 loader for several weeks now. I love them both and don’t want to go back to loading magazines without them. I save a stupid amount of time by using them!

The other day I was doing ball and dummy training using ST Action Trainers and was able to dump them into the hopper with live rounds mixed in. No more predicting when I would come across a dummy round while training – the MagPump mixed it all up for me and I had no idea when I would encounter them!

I haven’t had any issues with fitment of my AR magazines of varying brands and condition. My 9mm MagPump has only been loading Glock magazines but it will also fit SIG, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, CZ, and Ruger. You can also purchase additional single and double stack magazine retainers for most pistol models.

Lifetime Warranty

MagPump is backed by a lifetime, no-questions-asked guarantee.

Spend more time training and less time loading.

MSRP for the PRO Series loader is $249.99.

For more information about the PRO Series and all MagPump products, visit www.magpump.com

Check out these deals on MagPump Magazine Loaders

The Phalanx Defense Stealth Operator – New and Improved

A long time ago I purchased my first Stealth Operator holster. It was a kydex holster that could accommodate over 150 different holsters securely. I was curious, and I consider most universal holsters to be absolute garbage. However, the holster was quite affordable. This was 4 years ago and to this day that same Phalanx Defense Stealth Operator holster still works like an absolute champ. It accommodates a wide variety of guns, including big name guns like Glock, S&W, and even Walther and CZ. It accommodates mostly double stack, polymer frame guns.

That being said it has no problems with my Walther PPS, which is a single stack 9mm. They’ve updated the construction of the Stealth Operator to last even longer, and they’ve utilized redesigned belt loops and more modern screws. Additionally, they’ve created a special edition model that is Hydro dipped in the colors of Old Glory. This is the compact model and it does leave the barrel and slide of most guns exposed but fits nearly any modern gun. For a complete list of guns that are compatible with the system check out their new website here.

The Stealth Operator Improved

The kind folks at Phalanx Defense sent me one of the new Stealth Operator compact models, hydro dipped in Old Glory. Comparing it to my older model I see a few differences. Instead of screws, the two halves of the holster are bolted together. The belt loops are slightly curved more than the older models and this allows for a more form-fitting design.

This pulls the gun in closer to the body. This holster arrived at the right time as I did need a new holster for a Polymer 80 Glock I finished some time ago. Most Glock holsters won’t accommodate it, but the Stealth Operator does so with ease. This is the full-sized model and the holster makes it easy to secure.

It holds the gun close to my body and makes it nearly invisible under nothing more than a T-shirt. It prints just a hair, but it still an impressive amount of concealment for such a big gun.

Because it holds the gun tight to the body you will feed some abrasion from the grip on the gun as it rubs throughout the day. That’s just part and parcel of concealed carry though. The holster itself is sized for 1.5-inch belts and fits nice and tight on those belts. I’ve used it in combination with my Propper Carbon Carry belt and they’ve been a great combo

Hows the Retention?

Retention is going to be a concern when you try to design a holster to accommodate a wide variety of guns. However, the design of the Stealth Operator uses a rather simple but elegant solution. This is a bulge on both sides of the holster that creates a friction point. This clips in over the trigger guard with a nice and loud ‘click’. It secures the weapon well and for concealed carry it works well.

You can hang the gun upside down and it’s not going anywhere, but when it comes time to draw the gun its a smooth move. I’ve only had and used this specific holster for a couple of weeks now, but durability wise I trust it. My previous model has lasted me a good four years without any issues. Retention has always been tight, even with the old school screw design.

Oddballs

What I originally loved about the Stealth Operator is that it accommodates guns that can be tough to find a holster for. Newer designs or those not well known don’t always have the best holster market. The Stealth Operator is often an excellent go to if your gun isn’t the most common on the block.

I will say at the time the Stealth Operator will fit most popular pistols, especially if they are polymer frame double stack guns. This is an affordable and well-made holster assembled in the Great State of Florida. I’ve been a fan, and continue to be a fan. If you need an affordable and reliable holster designed for daily carry this is a great choice. If you have a multitude of guns and don’t want to break the bank buying holsters this may be the ultimate solution for you.

FAB Defense Scorpus Covert G-9 Holster

The name FAB Defense should be no stranger to regular readers of the Load Out Room, the Israeli based company has had several of their products featured here before. FAB Defense made a name for themselves with their KPOS Glock carbine conversion kit and their GL-Core AR15 stock that was compatible with both civilian and mil-spec buffer tubes. In this installment of the LoadOut Room, we have been fortunate enough to get one of their Scorpus Covert G-9 holsters to spotlight and review. We want to take this moment to thank FAB Defense’s North American distributor ZFI Incorporated for partnering with us on this review.

The Scorpus Covert G-9 holster is an interesting holster for several reasons. What makes it interesting is that the design team at Fab Defense has managed to make an affordable holster that it thin, lightweight and is usable by several different pistol formats. They also took the lessons learned from their successful Scorpus G-9R outside the waist holster and incorporated them into this new inside the waist holster. Let’s take a look at closer look at the new holster.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: FAB Defense

Country of Origin: Israel

Material: Unspecified Polymer

Material Thickness: 1.9mm Thick (0.07 inch)

Model Supported:

Glock Model :17, 19 , 22, 23, 26, 27, 31, 32 & 33
CZ-P10 C
H&K VP 9
Walther P 99
FN FNS-9 & FNS-9 Compact
Ruger SR-40
Grand Power K100 & T12
Schmeisser SLP-9
FMK 9C1 G2

Colors Available: Black Only

Handedness: Left & Right Both Available

Belt Sizes Supported: 1.5 ” & 1.75″ Wide Belts

MSRP: $39.25

Other Features:

Adjustable Retention Mechanism
Ergonomic Rounded Sweat Guard
Removable Covert Spacer to allow the holster to ride even closer to the wearer
Weighs 67 grams (2.36 Ounces)

Initial Impressions

The first thing I noticed after unboxing the FAB Defense Covert G-9 is it’s weight or lack of weight I should say. Weighing in at a whopping 2.36 Ounces and being less than 2mm thick the holster is about as minimalist as you can get. In a holster that will be used as a conceal carry holster, that is a good thing. It’s hard enough to conceal a pistol without adding a huge polymer monstrosity on your hip poking out for all to see.

FAB Defense wasn’t specific on their polymer that was used in the Scorpus Covert holster but I will say that without the pistol in the holster it does flex a bit when pressure is applied to it. After all, it is less than 2mm thick so it’s to be expected, that being said once the pistol is inserted no flexing of the material is detectable which is a good thing.

The backside of the holster that will be in contact with the users skin or undershirt if the user is layering clothing is textured with a pattern of in recessed circles. It’s an interesting pattern but FAB Defense never says why the pattern is included in the design. I will wager a wild ass guess that its the allow the holster to not stick to the wearer skin in humid or wet conditions. The voids in the pattern should allow some amount of circulation of air against the users skin? Maybe

One issue many people face when selecting a CCW holster is that they usually have to think about what width belt they are going to use with their holster. Traditionally holsters didn’t offer much in the way of select-ability, you bought a size and you were stuck with it. In designing the Scorpus Covert the team at FAB Defense made a quick change feature that allows the wearer to use either a 1.5″ or 1.75″ wide belt.

This may not be an issue for people with only one width belt but many people today have wider range belts they use while training that are slightly wider than a belt they would wear daily. The ability to train and use the same holster across not only several different pistol models as well as two different width belts just adds to the overall value of this holster.

Wearing and Adjustments

Wearing the FAB Defense holster with my Glock 19 is a dream. The fact it’s extremely lightweight and thin helps reduced any profiling while wearing it at the 3 O’Clock position. When lugging around a fully loaded pistol I tend to look for ways to lighten the load, and with this holster, it’s about the lightest CCW loadout I can find. I always tend to wear some form of undershirt and generally a long sleeve shirt so that any holster doesn’t directly contact my skin. So I can’t speak to how the recessed pattern on the holster sticks or doesn’t stick to your skin.

I can say that it doesn’t bunch or dig into my shirt and that all the rounded and smoothed edges are a very nice touch and speaks to the attention to detail at the factory. This isn’t an Uncle Mikes holster that you regret buying the instant you try to wear it. The design team at FAB Defense made this a very direct and straightforward design. Even when it comes to making adjustments like tightening the retention screw, all you need is a small phillips style screwdriver and you are all set. When swapping between 1.5″ and 1.75″ belt clips all you need is a flathead screwdriver to press down the retention tab. A few pulls of the material and you simply slide in the new clip and you are ready to go.

Overall I will say that for the price that the company is asking for this holster it’s really a can’t miss deal. It’s well built, lightweight and does the job with no muss or fuss. It’s a common sense no-frills approach to CCW. It keeps in line with the tradition FAB Defense has built of making quality gear at an affordable price. If you would like to purchase the FAB Defense Scorpus Covert or any of their other products like the pistol caliber carbine conversion kits, check out the company’s North America distributor in the links below. We want to say again thanks to FAB Defense for all of their support.

FAB Defense: www.Fab-defense.com

ZFI Incorporated North American Distributor: www.zfi-inc.com

The Kidon Conversion Kit – The Tip of the Spear

The name Kidon may not mean much to those of us outside of Israel. However, in Hebrew Kidon means bayonet or tip of the spear, and more than that Kidon is a department of the Mossad. Specifically, Kidon is the branch of the Mossad in charge of executions of opponents. It’s one helluva name for IMI Defense’s pistol to carbine conversion kit. I love these pistol to carbine conversion style kits, and this particular one is quite impressive. I love the Micro Roni, the KPOS G2, and KPOS Scout, but the Kidon is genuinely different.

The Kidon is not bound to one weapon. These kits are designed around one handgun. The Kidon can be used with multiple guns with different adapters and some small adjustments to the base unit. I like my Glocks and pistol to carbine kits are widely available for them, but what about my CZ P09, my Glock, or even my 1911? Well, the Kidon can handle all of them. Swap the adapter out, make some quick adjustments and you are good to go.

What Exactly is the Kidon?

Before we dive too deep into the review, let’s take a look at what the Kidon system is. Of course its a pistol to carbine conversion kit. It’s not a proper conversion because unless you go the NFA route, you cannot equip the gun with a stock. Instead, you can attach a pistol stabilizing brace as I have. This allows you to support the weapon for comfortable shooting.

The Kidon is made mostly of polymer and features some metal reinforcements where necessary. You get an excellent long rail for adding an optic as well as two side rails for attaching accessories like flashlights.

The system comes complete with a set of folding sights, as well as an angled foregrip, and you can swap the charging to left or right-handed use.

The foregrip is very well made and very comfortable in hand. It’s angled, so it’s kosher to be on a pistol according to the ATF. This model is the IMI Defense FSG1 Front Support Grip.

The sights are also quite fantastic. They can be used in two different ways. When stood up they work as traditional iron sights. They are very AR like, but require no tools to make adjustments. The rear sight has a large and beautiful peep sight hole.

When the sights are folded, they can be used as rapid iron sights. The rear sight has two small nubs, and the front sight has a small numb, and together they function like open handgun sights.

The complete kit comes with a nice carrying case, as well as a sling, and the tools needed to make adjustments to fit different guns.

Gun Compatibility

Just to get this out of the way the Kidon is compatible with tons of guns. You just need the correct aftermarket adapter. The adapters are numbered K1 through K13. Here is the list of compatible adapters and guns.

K1: Glock 17/19/20/22/23/25/29/30/31/32/36/38 (Gen 4 & Gen 5 Compatible as well), with rails, Honor guard HG9SCLSMST / HG9SCLS
K2: CZ 75 With rails, 2075 Rami
K3: CZ 75 Duty, P-07, P-09, P-09 .22 LR,SP-01 Shadow 1 , Shadow 2, 75 01 Omega
K4: Jericho Steel Frame with Picatinny rail, Fits all lengths
K4S: Jericho Steel Frame without Picatinny rail (adapter provided), Fits all lengths
K5: Jericho Polymer frame – Fits all lengths, also fits Sig Sauer P320 X Five (front sight must be removed)

K6: Sig Sauer P226, P226 MK25, P226 Nitron, 227, 229, SP2022
K7: Sig Sauer P250, P320 (all lengths), 220 fits also Grand Power ST 380 | Q1 | XCALIBUR | K100 MK12 | P1 MK12 | P11 | K22 X-TRIM MK12 | K22 MK12 | Q100, Tanfoglio Force Police
K8: H&K P-2000 FS
K9: Beretta 92-A1, 96-A1, M9-A1
K10: Beretta PX-4, APX

K11: S&W M&P, M&P Pro 5” also fits Canik MC28 SA | MC 28 SAC | MC 28 .40SA | MC 28 SAS Glock 21/34/35/37/41
K12: Springfield XD / HS2000
K13: FN FNP9, FNX Fit 1911 (disables the rear safety)

Putting it Together

My first complaint is the lack of solid instructions. IMI Defense could undoubtedly update their instructions. I spent quite some time trying to figure the system out, and I finally reached out to their customer service. They gave me some advice, and I was rocking and rolling shortly after.

There are three primary areas you need to understand to fit your pistol correctly. The first is the rear plate. The Kidon breaks into two pieces a back and front section. The rear part is where the different adapter plates are fitted. Its a quick screw and reattachment of a plate that takes just a few minutes to swap out. You can also adjust the tension here to ensure the rear of the weapon is fitted correctly.

There are two adjustments you may need to make sure to fit your gun to the Kidon system correctly. The first is the flash suppressor, loosen the Allen screws and extend the flash suppressor forward as need be to fit the weapon.

Next, look to the charging handle. It can be extended and retracted as necessary. Do so until your gun fits.

Different guns need different adjustments so be patient and make sure the gun fits the system. I adjusted the system to my CZ P09, my RIA 22 TCM double stack 1911, and my Glock 17. This wide variety of guns all required me to make small adjustments here and there to ensure proper fit and reliable function.

On the Range

I enjoy these kits because I often upgrade and customize my handguns. The Glock wears a Suarez trigger, as well as a Suarez NPE firing pin. The trigger pull is smooth and fantastic. The CZ P09 rocks a Cajun custom internals and has a buttery smooth trigger. I can toss a handgun into a kit like this and keep those upgrades and controls I’m used to.

On the range, my favorite gun to run in the Kidon was the CZ P09. I’m biased though because it is one of my favorite handguns anyway. I like the DA/SA action to it. Running it in the Kidon was an absolute blast.

I was entirely accurate with it out to 50 yards and has issues rining my good steel popper. With man-sized targets, I could place shots in the chest, head, and pelvic area with tedious regularity. Groups were one ragged hole as I spent mag after mag of 9mm at the 10, 15, 20, and 25 yards lines.

The same goes for the Glock and RIA 22 TCM. Accuracy and effective range were multiplied significantly. I can make 50-yard shots with a handgun sure, but I can’t do it as fast and accurately as I have been doing with the Kidon. It goes from a challenge built on focus and fundamentals to something as simple as sight picture and press.

Contol is another thing the Kidon gives you over a standard pistol. You can easily control the weapon when it comes to rapid fire, much more so than a pistol. The addition of a stabilizing brace and an overall more massive package make this a sweet and easy to control system.

Ergos

Most of the ergos will be your gun’s already inherent ergonomics. I will say the placement of the side rails is perfect for a pistol light like the TLR-1 series. It’s straightforward to reach via thumb. The forward angled grip is very comfortable, and I may order a few for some other guns I have. The side charging handle is also well placed, and so far of the kits, I’ve used this is my favorite charging handle.

Reliability

Anything universal that requires fitting is going to take a little practice to ensure reliable function. Making the right adjustments is necessary to ensure the system will be reliable if you are swapping guns. I had to make a ton of tweaks between the Glock and Rock Island Armory 22 TCM.

Of the three guns I ran the only issues I ran into was with the 22 TCM and it’s ambi safeties. It should be noted that the Kidon is compatible with 1911s, but this particular 1911 is far from ordinary. It’s a double stack gun with ambi safeties. If I didn’t pull the gun in tight as I fired the slide would strike the rear plate. Also due to the bulk and ambi safeties, the RIA was tough to get in there.

The Glock 17 and CZ P09 ran flawlessly. The Kidon features a considerable ejection port the is an entirely open top design. This allows a variety of guns with a variety of ejection patterns to function without issue.

I could reach the controls on all three guns with ease and eject magazines, decock the CZ, and use the manual safety of the RIA 1911. Controls aren’t compromised in any way.

Parting Shots

The Kidon is an exciting piece of kit. It’s use of AR stocks and tubes make it easy to adapt to a non-NFA configuration as well as add accessories like folding stock adapters. The kit is well built and easy to use. The instruction manual certainly needs to be more in depth, but IMI was quick to respond to inquiries.

A kit like this could be used for a wide variety of purposes. You could take a Glock 80 lower from polymer 80, mill it out and finish the build into a unique and off the books PCC. Or you could turn a wide variety of handguns in PCC platforms, or just huge pistols, easy to stabilize guns.

The Kidon’s cost is exceeded by its value in my eyes. The ability to convert so many different guns into a more effective platform is worth it to me. Finding one of these kits for a Glock is simple, but finding one for a CZ, and a Glock, and a 1911, and a SIG P226, and, well, you get the point. It might not be for everyone, but it’s for me.

Sarsilmaz ST9 and Turkish Alternatives

A few months ago we brought you the ST9 from Sarsilmaz. This gun is imported by T R Imports and has a lot to offer. See the original article here. Fully ambidextrous, 17+1 rounds of 9mm, and H&K styling make the ST9 an attractive design for those wanting a full-featured gun without the full-featured price tag. Far from compact, this is the extra-stuffing couch for your hand complete with cup holders and recliner. Guns of this size make for great range days, house guns, or just all-around service guns.

Turkey has been a great source of affordable firearms inspired by popular premium gun makers. Whether it’s a 1911, Walther (Canik), Baretta (Girsan), CZ (Canik), or H&K (Sarsilmaz) design you can find a Turkish variant that often has some added touches. I like to look at them as the same gun but from an alternate dimension. Often times these inspired guns go beyond just being a tribute and include features the originals lacked or weren’t en vogue at the time of original design.

What sometimes frustrates the American consumer though are claims of reliability issues. This made the most noise with the Canik TP9 SF Elite release. This issue was covered in the video below.

What folks seem to forget is that most of these guns were made for Turkish military or police contracts, or at least to the standards of such contracts. As a result they were designed around the 124gr NATO 9mm round, not the softer-shooting 115gr that most Americans take to the range. That’s not to say that the guns won’t run 115gr, in fact in our tests they’ll run as light as 65gr, but the shooter has to do their part.

This means having a firm grip and wrist, and possibly using 124gr or heavier loads until the spring and gun is well broken in. Another solution is to ensure that the slide is well lubricated. As a reviewer of firearms I tend to run them right out of the box without any extra love that might give the gun an advantage in our testing. Don’t let this deter you, they’re great guns. Just remember before you start blaming the gun that in most cases it’s our own fault, not the firearm.

More information about the offerings from T R Imports can be found on their product pages here.

Revisit: Sarsilmaz ST9 and Turkish Alternatives

What sometimes frustrates the American consumer though are claims of reliability issues. This made the most noise with the Canik TP9 SF Elite release. This issue was covered in the video below.

More information about the offerings from T R Imports can be found on their product pages here.