Mossberg

The Flash 5 From Tactaload – Best Shotgun Stock

Tactaload is a new company bringing a lot of innovation to the world of shotgun stocks. Tactaload was founded by a veteran Secret Service agent with an expansive amount of time behind a shotgun. His experience with the Speed Feedstock and normal side saddles lead him to create the Flash 5.

The Flash 5 is a shotgun stock designed to hold five spare rounds of ammunition. It’s capable of holding 2.75 and 3-inch shells normally, and when you remove a spacer, the gun will then hold 3.5-inch shells.

The Flash 5 is made from a rugged and ultra-strong polymer material designed to take a beating. The stock is currently produced for the Mossberg 500 series and the Remington 870 shotguns.

Breaking Down the Flash 5

The Flash 5 has an integral magazine built into the stock the feeds the rounds from the bottom of the stock. A small spring-loaded gate ensures the rounds do not slip out of the stock when the environment is dynamic. The gate pops out of the way with no input from the user other than pulling the round from the stock.

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The Flash 5 is ambidextrous, and the majority of the rounds are concealed inside the stock. This adds a level of protection not found in side saddles. On top of that, the rounds are in the center rear of the gun. This positioning helps maintain the gun’s balance and makes the gun swing nice and smoothly.

How It Works as a Stock

While holding rounds is cool, the stock has to succeed as a stock more than it has to succeed as a shell holder. I can use a shotgun without a shell holder, and I can’t use one without a stock. The Flash 5 is luckily one helluva good stock. It provides a consistent cheek weld and allows for a comfortable grip.

Most importantly, you can adjust the length of pull. Most shotgun stocks have way too long of a LOP for combat shooting. The stock has optional inserts to adjust the stock from 12.5 inches to 13.5 inches in half-inch increments. This makes it quite easy to fit the stock to the shooter and increases comfort and control over the weapon.

Putting Work In

I was a little skeptical about reloading from the Flash 5. I’ve always found side saddles to be the fastest way to reload a gun. Imagine my surprise when I found myself slightly faster with Tactaload’s Flash 5 stock. The Flash 5 made the movement from stock to chamber short and more intuitive. Grip the round, rotate my wrist, and insert into the tube, rinse and repeat. The only time it’s slower than a side saddle is for port reloads. However, we are talking fractions of a second slower.

I repeated the drill for what had to be hundreds of reloads. Over and over and over. I was oftentimes wearing my wrist out holding the Mossberg 590A1 on target. The Flash 5 never failed to deliver the next round I needed. I’m shocked and remain surprised at how capable and durable the Fast 5 is.

The Mossberg 590A1 is my go-to pump-action combat shotgun, and it will sit adorned with the Flash 5 permanently. It’s faster, easier to use, better balanced, and is one helluva well-made stock. It’s short and sweet, with the ability to hold five-rounds makes it a no-brainer for me. On my Mossberg is squeezes into most AR15 Cases It costs nearly the same as the famed Magpul stock but offers you a high-quality spare shell holder on top of that. The Flash 5 is a genius design, and I’m excited to see what Tactaload comes up with next.

My 5.11 Shotgun Loadout

It’s not a big surprise that I love shotguns right? Well, 5.11 has helped me out with an awesome Shotgun Loadout for my All Missions Plate Carrier. It’s one of the two loadouts I run on my AMP and I have been training hard over the last week with it. Learning how to use both the carrier as well as a couple 5.11 Shotgun attachments. Mixing these attachments with the AMP has provided me with an awesome overall loadout for shotguns. The Hex grid layout allows me to run attachments that would be vertical as horizontal and even slightly diagonal. This makes it easy to run a mix of two very different pouches.

How I designed My Shotgun Loadout

The idea was simple. Shotgun ammo is a real pain in the ass to carry around, but the shotgun itself is not a high volume weapon. It’s made for quick, close, and violent encounters. I designed the loadout to work with both quick reloads, and for lulls in the fight. This struck a balance between the amount of ammo I can carry and the availability of said ammo.

My Shotgun Loadout Pouches

What drew me to 5.11 Shotgun gear is the fact it is tested by Viking Tactics, a company I respect immensely. If you don’t know Kyle Lamb and VTAC you need to do some research and learn what’s what. They are an outstanding, cutting edge company in both the gear and training realm. I trust them.

The first two attachments are the 5.11 VTAC Shotgun bandoliers. These 5 round bandoliers are made to run vertically, but I like running them horizontally at the top portion of my vest. This makes it easy to reach them and keeps me from over occupying my plate carrier vest. On my Shotgun loadout, these are the bandoliers I use for quick reloads. This includes emergency reloads and reloads under fire. This gives me ten rounds on tap for those “Oh Shit,” situations.

These mini bandoliers use elastic loops to hold the rounds secure and running them horizontally. With the brass up they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

On top of that, I keep a VTAC Shotgun Ammo pouch on board. This holds 25 rounds of shotgun ammo in the standard cardboard box a 25 round packs come in. The box stays in the pouch and the zippered lid of the pouch has an overlapping open elastic flap that prevents the rounds from bouncing out of the pouch, but this allows you to reach in and remove rounds.

The entire setup gives me 35 rounds total. In a flash I can switch to an AR loadout and rock my ugly 80 percent lower receiver AR, aka the Ghost Gat.

Running the Shotgun Loadout

The two bandoliers of the shotgun loadout make it very easy to access ten rounds on the fly. For emergency reloads, and for a quick top off these two bad boys are perfect and easy to reach. These attachments make it easy to grab ten rounds of ammo on the fly. I practiced speed or emergency reloads quite a bit. These being the reloads through the ejection port when you run the gun completely dry.

The same goes for grabbing rounds and shoving them into the tube. It’s quick, easy, and very intuitive.

The VTAC ammo pouch allows me to fish for extra rounds when the stakes aren’t so high. It is a little slower than the bandoliers, but it also holds 5 times as much ammo. I use this pouch for reloading when things are a little quieter. This could be a lull in the fight, or for when the enemy at least appears defeated but we need to ensure everyone who needs killin’ is killed.

Additionally, besides reloading the shotgun I would use this pouch to reload my side saddle and my 5.11 bandoliers. This allows my shotgun loadout to be used together and this increases my overall versatility.

The Setup

My Shotgun Loadout is working out very well for me. The gear is very intuitive, very easy to use, and it’s made very well. When paired with the All Missions Plate carrier I find it to be supremely customizable. Building this loadout hasn’t been easy. The industry largely ignores the shotgun and I’m glad 5.11 has stepped up the shotgun game.

The shotgun is far from a popular weapon, but it is still an amazing close range fight stopper. Having a way to carry extra ammo is an absolute necessity. This gear from 5.11 is an outstanding choice if you are a fan of the mighty shotgun.

Peak Cases: The John Wick approved Shockwave Case

Cut cases are all the current rage in the firearms industry. Ain’t nobody got time for some generic random cut case. A case cut specifically for your firearm offers greater protection, a more compact package, and a stylish design. Looking cool is half the battle after all. The Peak Cases Shockwave Case is quite gangster for lack of a better term. It’s almost a modern incarnation of the old Violin cases used to stash guns. On the outside, it’s not tactical or even sporting looking. It’s just a case… But if Tinder has taught me anything its whats on the inside that counts. (Tinder has taught me nothing tbh.)

Inside the Shockwave Case

It’s something guys like John Wick and El Mariachi would carry, and something you may want to consider. This Shockwave case is, of course, custom cut for your Mossberg 590 Shockwave or your Remington Tac 14. The model you see here is for the 12 gauge variants, but 20 gauge options also exist. As you can see your Shockwave won’t be lonely in the Peak Case Shockwave Case.

The Peak Case Shockwave Case does accommodate two full sized guns, and actually, they can go beyond full size. The pistol cuts have additional blocks that can be removed to accommodate even larger guns. This allows it to fit guns like the Glock 34 or guns wearing compensators, and even miniature red dot optics. I tossed in my Glock 17 equipped with an NC Star Flip Dot and it fits with the dot up or down.

Just to answer some questions the other gun is a CZ 75B (B stands for ‘because I’m a hipster.” ) It’s wearing a Mec Gar extended 19 round magazine and that’s why it looks a little longer in the grip than normal.

Alongside that, the Shockwave Case has 30 slots for 12 gauge shells that fit perfectly in the case. The rims make them easy to remove for whatever purpose they may serve. On the opposite side of the case, you have 5 slots for magazines or other small pieces of gear. I tossed in two additional Glock magazines and two CZ 75B magazines as well as a 1Tac flashlight.

Foam Matters

The design of the Shockwave Case isn’t just some cheap bullcrap. It’s designed to provide the ultimate level of protection to your guns. The foam is soft, thick and firm. The bottom and top of the weapons are protected by an inch of foam. The top of the foam is covered with blue polyester felt to keep the foam lasting long and looking new. The case itself is an extra heavy 7mm EVA hard shell case that’s metal band reinforced. This means you, or likely airport workers, are able to kick the crap out of it and your guns will remain safe and protected. The outside is then covered in ballistic nylon.

Oh, did I mention it’s a TSA approved case? The case comes outfitted with a combo locking system that’s small and ingenious. It locks the zippers and you can open it via combo or TSA key.

Lastly, the Shockwave Case has bumpers on the bottom for a smooth ride and to prevent undue stress on the case. It’s small enough to squeeze under a bed, which makes it perfect for hotel storage. It rocks a simple handle and best of all is low profile. Nothing about it screams gun case. Even the Peak Case logo is low key. The Shockwave Wave doesn’t make waves until it’s opened.

Peak Case isn’t a one-trick pony. The Shockwave Case is just one of many custom cut cases they produce. They make them for all your favorite guns like the CZ Scorpion, the MPX, AR 15s of all sizes, and even to more Fudd like guns like O/U shotguns. My little mini 80 percent lower AR is gonna get a guitar case. Also, their prices really blow my mind. The Shockwave case you see here goes for under a 150 bucks.

Check out the Peak Case Shockwave Case, and all their other cases here.

Beat 12 gauge recoil with the Ergo Mini-Max Xpress

While trends come and go in the gun world one I’ve always appreciated was the vertical foregrip. When the world transitioned over to AFGs I was still a proud VFG wielder. mostly due to a rather intense shoulder injury in my left. A VFG has always helped my support hand and arm due to the angle. From my M16A4 to my 80 lower receiver build, and beyond. This is especially true with pump-action shotguns. I’ve found a vertical grip to be the superior option for the 12 gauge shotgun and by extension 12 gauge firearms. Finding the right right vertical grip can be tricky, but I think I found the right answer with the Ergo Mini-Max Xpress vertical grip from Ergo.

My Mossberg Shockwave is already sporting plenty of Ergo gear. This includes the Ergo Shockwave pump, and the Ergo AR 15 adapter to attach a pistol brace and pistol grip. I like Ergo’s gear and the Mini-Max looked brilliant. It comes in three configurations. There is the M-LOK variant, the Keymod variant, and the Picatinny Rail model. I have a M-LOK pump but went with the pic model to accommodate my Magpul hand stop and the vertical grip.

The Mini-Max is a stubby grip and is round in shape. Best of all it’s made completely of metal. This Picatinny option has a QD release lever and you can loosen and tighten the foregrip to accommodate a variety of different rails. It can also be removed without having to be slid forward or backward. This keeps you from having to remove accessories to remove your foregrip. The Mini-Max is only 3 inches long, is lightly textured, and

Why the Mini-Max Xpress Rocks on a Shotgun

The Mini-Max Xpress allows for maximum control of the gun’s pump, and for me a much more comfortable hold. With shotguns, my chosen means to control recoil is to stretch the gun. By stretch I mean you push forward on the pump and pull rearward on the stock or pistol grip. You have to fall into a pattern. Push forward, pull rearward, fire, release and pump the weapon and ready the next shot. The Mini-Max as a vertical grip allows me to maximize my ability to push the weapon forward while I pull rearward. This reduces my muzzle rise, as well as that rearward punch.

It’s perfect on my Shockwave, which is also complete with a Gear Head Works Tailhook V2 brace. The combination of these two turns the Shockwave into a small and controllable platform. The Ergo Mini-Max Xpress vertical grip makes it easy to rack the weapon and maintain positive control of the pump.

A weakness that’s attached to pump shotguns is the fact it takes two hands to work it. An injured off hand makes it nearly impossible to pump a shotgun. With a vertical foregrip, you can actually use it as a hook to accentuate the pump. It’s slow, but it does work and the Mini-Max excels at it.

The Mini-Max Up Close and Personal

The Mini-Max is comfortable, albeit short. I use it as a vertical grip, but the stubby design is perfect for an angled design. The Mini-Max’s metal design makes it robust and sturdy, more so than most polymer models. The recoil of a 12 gauge shouldn’t be underestimated and metal always makes me comfortable that polymer when it comes to recoil.

The Xpress lever locks up very well and has never loosened in the middle of a day of shooting. Even after a few dozen 12 gauge rounds the Mini-Max grip keeps rocking and rolling. The Mini-Max is a rock solid verticle foregrip, and in the age of plastic the Mini-Max stands out as a rugged and dependable vertical foregrip.

I can’t be the only one running a vert grip, so if you are still running a vertical grip let me know below and why.

Why I still choose the home defense shotgun

Working with the Loadout Room has given me access to tons of gun and gear I’d never thought I’d get the opportunity to access. From the big to the small I’ve gotten hands on with every category of rifles, handgun, and of course the shotgun. Throughout my experiences I keep coming back to the shotgun. In the age of the semi automatic carbine, the suppressed 300 Blackout upper, and even the brace equipped AR pistol I come back to the Home Defense Shotgun.

Why the Shotgun Sucks

It’s easy to sell people on the AR 15 and other carbines for home defense. They do offer the shooter 30 rounds, light recoil, and tons of accessories and customization options. Without a doubt the carbine is the perfect choice for some people.

Let’s face the shotgun is not a fair weapon. It doesn’t care how big you are or how recoil affects you. They typically offers 8 rounds or less of ammunition, and it doesn’t offer Barbie doll amounts of customization. The home defense shotgun certainly has its issues, but when push come to shove for close quarters fighting it’s hard to beat.

Why the Home Defense Shotgun Rules?

Power. Simply put per trigger pull the 12 gauge shotgun is the hardest hitting most powerful weapon in the home defense arsenal. With a proper buckshot load the 12 gauge shotgun is devastating weapon.

There is three main ways a bullet stops an attacker.

The first and least reliable is pain. Inflict enough pain onto an attacker and they stop attacking. With a gun this generally isn’t your aim, but it works. The home defense shotgun will certainly inflict plenty of pain.

The second way a gun stops an attacker is through blood loss. Again it’s not the best way to stop an attacker, but it works. The shotgun’s use of multiple projectiles creates one massive wound, or a dozen smaller wounds. With properly placed shots the shotgun can cause massive damage to the body.

The final and most effective way to stop an attacker is through proper shot placement. Proper shot placement means hitting a vital body part and causing things like organ failure. This is where the shotgun excels. The use of shot drastically increases your chances of hitting something vital in the body. With a number 1 load you are launching 16 pellets worth of effective firepower.

Being Realistic

Don’t get it wrong a shotgun isn’t creating a wall of lead when fired. The modern shot pattern doesn’t expand a crazy amount at close quarters. However, when it hits the body it continues to spread and open up. The vital zone in the human torso really isn’t that large. The lungs and heart are generally located in one central area. A rifle or handgun round placed in this small area can completely miss these vital areas, or deflect off bones, or a dozen other situations that doesn’t immediately stop an attacker.

With a shotgun and proper ammo you are putting anywhere from 9 to 16 pellets in that area. Some may miss, some may deflect off bone, but what are the chances all of them are going to miss these vital areas? I’d say its slim. More than likely you are going to score multiple vital hits with one shotgun blast to the torso.

When the Lights Go Out

Another consideration is low light scenarios. It’s great to talk and train for situations where we have great visibility on our targets. In a home defense scenario I may not have that kind of visibility. I may only see the glimpses of my opponent between muzzle flashes. In that case, I may not get that great sight picture before I apply some pressure to the trigger.

With a handgun or rifle let’s say I aim for a vital area. I hit the target, but I’m three inches off my point of aim. Have I still hit a vital area?

With a shotgun I can still completely miss a vital area, but I’m putting I’m still putting a lot of lead on target. In low light situations I have a speed and accuracy advantage with a shotgun that I wouldn’t normally have with a rifle or handgun. This is really where the shotgun shines. In low light situations that requires quick and instinctive shooting the rifle and handgun don’t hold a candle to the home defense shotgun.

My own home defense plan is simple. I hear a bump in the night, I grab a shotgun, step into the hallway point the shotgun at the end of the hallway. That hallway includes the rooms to my loved ones.

Anyone comes in my hallway they either flee or meet Mr. Mossberg. I’m covering a very small area with a very big bore. It’s perfect for the instinctive shooting the shotgun excels at.

The Home Defense Shotgun Setup

A shotgun is not a rifle, and don’t treat it as such. Leave the slugs for property defense, not home defense. I also stay away from over accessorizing my shotgun. I like a red dot, and maybe a flashlight. Even then those aren’t needed, at least not in my home. It’s never 100% dark, but a good light is my closest to a must have.

Mastering the shotgun is less about accessorizing and fancy techniques. It’s all about brilliance in the basics. Learn how to reload, learn how to fix short strokes, learn how to clear jams and learn to control recoil. It’s not a weapon I’m going to be in a super long firefight with it. It’s for quick, and decisive firefights at close range. If I was going back to Afghanistan I’d take a rifle (or preferably an M240) but for the house? I’ll keep the boomstick on hand.

The Shockwave Blade 2.0 – Improving the Brace

The advent of pistol braces has changed everything in the firearms world. What started with a chunky piece of polymer called the SB 15 has evolved and grown into adjustable designs like the SBA3, the Gear Head Works V2, and now the Shockwave Brace 2.0. The original Shockwave brace was the first brace that was adjustable for length of pull, although it did this through a screw and dimple system that was a bit rudimentary, but effective overall. The Shockwave Blade 2.0 keeps a lot of the features of the original blade but completely revamps its adjustable nature.

What’s New With The Shockwave Blade 2.0

Obviously, the biggest change worth noting is the change of adjustment means. Previously the aforementioned dimpled tube and screw system worked but was tedious to change on the fly and to get just right. The New Shockwave Blade 2.0 features a small lever positioned in the rear of the blade. You press the lever and you can adjust the brace to a wide variety of different lengths.

The Shockwave Blade 2.0 - Improving the Brace — The Little Lever

Other than that the design is very similar to the original Blade. It braces against your arm, not around your arm. This results in a cleaner, and a thinner overall design, which means less weight as well. The Blade 2.0 is a bit leaner and smaller than the original Blade and weighs only 5 ounces.

Like the original KAK brace the Shockwave Blade 2.0 sports a proprietary tube that is included with the kit. One thing that sets the Shockwave Blade 2.0 apart from the competition is the fact it’s less than 80 bucks for the brace and tube. This makes it the most affordable adjustable brace on the market.

In Use

It’s called the Blade for a reason. It’s small very thin. If you were to shoulder such a design on a powerful weapon you may have a wee bit of pain. Albeit when used as designed as a brace against the forearm or bicep the design is pain-free… even with something like a Mossberg Shockwave.

It has found a very nice place on my Kidon conversion system. The lighter weight arm brace seems to be better suited on lighter weight systems. As a brace, it does balance the weapon better when the weapon is lighter.

When paired with the Matador side folding adapter the Brace 2.0 and the Kidon become a very compact system for storage and transport. The thin design is very handy in this regard.

It is a strong brace and can take some serious punishment. It shrugged off the recoil of the 12 gauge without issue. My initial concern was that the adjustment system would bend or break under serious recoil. However, after dozens of rounds of buckshot the brace moves and adjusts with the same ease.

Final Thoughts and Parting Shots

The Shockwave Blade 2.0 is a hardy and robust brace that remains lightweight, durable and thin. It’s perfect for your SMG style pistols like the CZ Scorpion, MCX, and of course my Kidon system. That being said my teeny-tiny 80 lower build AR is an excellent host for the Shockwave as well. It’s robust enough for more powerful guns, but be aware that pain and recoil may go hand in hand if the design is accidentally shouldered. I love how affordable it is as well. Check ‘em out here.