More Fun With Colorfill!

Well I thought that I would take another shot at color filling as my last results turned out great! This time the victim is a Smith and Wesson M&P 9. I do plan on getting this pistol Cerakoted later on but for the time being, I needed to do something to break up all the black. Conveniently, my awesome wife was shopping the other day and picked up a new nail polish color that she thought would look great on one of the firearms (and on her fingernails to duh!)... How rad is that?


When working with firearms, be safe and make sure the firearm is unloaded. These are firearms not toys, and as such they need to be treated, handled, assembled, maintained, and operated with a certain amount of respect. In all following pictures, the firearm is not loaded and pointed in a safe direction.


Anyway, so the materials needed are the same as before;
Paper towels
Nail polish/lacquer
Nail polish remover or pure acetone
Time
A clean gun...


Let's start with some before pictures so you know what I am working with;

If you look closely in the above pictures, there are fuzzies (no other word for them) inset in the slide engravings that I am going to color fill. This is why you want to make sure that the firearm is clean before starting. Those fuzzies will keep the nail polish from properly adhering to the gun and it will not last as long. One quick air compressor blast is all it takes to clear this out so we can continue.


After making sure the areas to be filled are clean and free of debris, apply dollops of the fingernail polish so that you can no longer see the lettering underneath. The reason behind this is that as it dries, some of the fingernail polish evaporates, leaving only the color pigments behind. This causes the polish to reduce slightly. Besides, if you put on too much, you will just clean it off anyway later!


Here it is during the drying process;

Once it is mostly dry or completely dry depending on how impatient you are, dampen a folded paper towel with either nail polish remover or acetone and wipe smoothly and lightly in one direction so as to not spread the extra polish around. Use as many swipes as needed and make sure they are LIGHT! Otherwise you will pull the polish out of the grooves that you are filling in... and then you will have to repeat the whole process!


Here is the finished product;

The polish that I used is Covergirl's "non-stop stone" number 210. It is a earthy grey that I though did a great job of breaking up the all black nature of the firearm. Here is a picture of the UPC if you want to search for it;

Timex Intelligent Quartz Compass

This is my EDC watch that I always have on me. It offers me with the ability to tell time (imagine that!) and a solid compass feature! It is water resistant up to 100m depth. It is equipped with a indiglo back light feature and has phosphorescent inserts in the hands and in the 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 11 o'clock positions. The Timex comes with an olive drab padded band as shown below;

Here is a better photo of the face of the watch;

As you can see, there are four hands on the watch. They are all self explanatory with the exception of the hand that is at 12:00 in the above picture. This hand is used for the compass feature only and only moves once the compass feature is turned on. To turn on this feature, push the lower button (the red button as seen in the next picture). The watch makes an audible beep upon initiation of the compass feature and again after 20 seconds telling you that the feature is being turned off (to conserve battery life).

Calibrating the Compass

 

Since a compass uses the Earth’s magnetic field, you must be aware of large metallic objects, such as vehicles or bridges, or objects that give off electromagnetic radiation, such as TVs or PCs, which could affect the magnetic field around the watch. If compass is calibrated near such objects, it will only work properly in that same location. If compass is calibrated away from such objects, it will not work properly near them. For best results, calibrate in area of intended use.

In calibrating and taking headings, it is important, as with all compasses, to keep the compass level. Calibrating or taking a heading when the watch is not level can result in large errors. Also avoid areas that may exhibit higher than normal concentrations of hard and soft iron, as they may cause inaccurate headings. You can recalibrate as often as you want to.

To calibrate the compass feature, pull the center crown (above) to the middle position and press the lower (red) button to begin. The compass hand rotates two revolutions to remind you to rotate watch. Keep the watch level or place on level surface (if band interferes, place on an inverted cup). The watch may be face down, but protect the watch face. While level, slowly rotate the watch two full revolutions, taking at least 15 seconds per revolution. This is critical in achieving proper calibration. When done, press the red button again, keeping watch level. The compass hand will move back and forth to acknowledge end of calibration and then moves to current declination angle setting. If you do not wish to set/reset the declination angle, push the center crown back in. Otherwise, press either the red or black buttons to move compass hand east (+) or west (–) by one degree to point to your location’s declination angle using declination scale. Push the center crown in when done and you should be good to go!

 

 

Here is a picture of the declination scale on the face of the watch, It is the red section that spans from 11:00 to 1:00 and allows for adjustment from 30 degrees west to 30 degrees east.

 

 

 

 

Another thing that I really like about this watch is that it uses common 22mm width bands. This makes it easy to find replacements or to customize the look of your watch with different colored/patterned bands. Interestingly enough, Fossil stocks watch bands in 22mm in a variety of colors and they run about $20 each. I picked up a red one and a grey one and this is how the look on the Quartz Compass;

County Comm stocks a much larger selection than Fossil but there are shipping costs associated with that.


Throughout all the time that I have had this watch it has yet to develop a scratch on it! That is saying something as I have banged it on plenty of stuff (accidentally) and it always comes up unscathed, this is a very resilient watch! If you are interested, then check it out over at Timex!

The not so great state of Colorado

Colorado is in turmoil,

In the “great” state of Colorado, there is currently legislation attempting to be passed Colorado House Bill 1224 Banning magazines with a capacity of over 15 rounds, CHB1226 retracts existing ability for legal concealed carry on college campuses, CHB1228 Imposes a gun tax when purchasing a gun, CHB1229 Criminalizing the private transfer of a firearm… This is passing in Colorado because the anti-gun/protectionist Democrats (read: not all Democrats) are controlling that state with the addition of certain Republicans collapsing and voting against freedom. This is what happens when YOU don’t vote. By sitting on the sidelines and not voting and not being politically active YOU are allowing this to happen to our country. Contact the Colorado officials by email, phone calls, and written letters even if you do not live there!!! Let them know that you do not want this to pass and why! If this massive act of gun control legislation passes, then the door has been opened to other states that will also collapse under pressure and pass similar legislation. This is all leading up to the Universal Background Checks (see below).

How does this affect you if you do not live in Colorado?

Other than what I mentioned above, Magpul Industries is based in Colorado! If this legislation passes then about 75% of their production would be deemed illegal and they would be shut down. Magpul has threatened to take its business (and all of its jobs) to another state. If this passes then they better move to Texas! But it won’t pass…. Because YOU are going to contact the following people RIGHT NOW;

                Max Baucus 202-224-2651

                Sen. Mark Begich 202-224-3004

 Sen. Susan Collins 202-224-2523

                Sen. Joe Donnelly 202-224-4814

 Sen. Kay Hagan 202-224-6342

                Sen. Martin Heinrich 202-224-5521

                Sen. Heidi Heitkamp 202-224-2043

                Sen. Tim Johnson 202-224-5842

                Sen. Tim Kaine 202-224-4024

                Sen. Angus King 202-224-5344

                Sen. Mary Landrieu 202-224-5824

                Sen. Joe Manchin 202-224-3954

                Sen. Claire McCaskill 202-224-6154

                Sen. Mark Pryor 202-224-2353

 Sen. Harry Reid 202-224-3542

                Sen. Jeanne Shaheen 202-224-2841

                Sen. Jon Tester 202-224-2644

                Sen. Mark Udall 202-224-5941

                Sen. Tom Udall 202-224-6621

                Sen. Mark Warner 202-224-2023

 

Go ahead and take a moment to do this, Google them for email or call them now… I will be here upon your return.

 

The truth about universal background checks…

There is currently legislation in the works that will require universal background checks for the sale and transfer of all firearms albeit FFL to person (buying a gun from a gun store or vendor at a gun show) or person to person (private sales or even passing down a firearm to your son). This sounds to the outside that this is merely the same as it is now but with the additional checks required for private party transactions, as FFL to person transactions have required background checks for decades, not so bad right?

NO!!!  It is not the same at all!  This now popular proposal promises to destroy your privacy and your gun owning rights. It cannot work without a National Firearms Registry! The new proposed universal background checks will act as a database for who owns what firearms. The NICS system that has been in place for ages does not allow the use of its information recorded to be placed into a database. The caveat with this is that if it passes, then another bill will pass that requires the owners of firearms to provide the information of what firearms that they already own to be put into this database or face felony charges with a minimum 10 year prison sentence…. This is called total gun registration… Once this has all been accomplished, the government is basically free to enact legislation leading to the final goal… complete confiscation of firearms and total disarmament of a responsible society which was allowed these rights in order to defend ourselves.

 

I have supplied a letter (not mine) to be emailed to your senators so that you really do not have any reason not to do this... you just need to add your name to the bottom;

Dear Senator:

I strongly encourage you to oppose the so-called Universal Background Checks (UBC) for gun purchasers. On any level, this is a bad idea. I will not achieve its stated objectives and will bring into play many serious abuses against US Civil Liberties. In discussion of the UBC please consider the following:

1) We already have a universal background checking system in place: the NICS. All personal information is reported through NICS and approve by checking existing Federal Criminal databases. The vast majority of guns sold in this country are ran through NICS. The system, like all govt programs, functions poorly and has blocked 10000s of legitimate buyers of firearms; good people denied their rights. Moreover this system itself is an invasion of individual privacy and, contrary to federal law, the provided information has been integrated into illegal databases by the ATF. Meanwhile violent criminals do whatever they’ve always done: stealing or obtaining their guns through illegal sources. UBC will not affect criminals just as the current system generally does not.

2) The real intent of UBC is to track, control, limit, ration, outlaw many varieties of guns, and ultimately confiscate personally held firearms. Even if that’s not the intention of your Congress, those that follow you can easily change this. Private gun transfers should remain legal and untracked by any govt entity since doing so does not decrease crime. And yet proponents know UBC cannot work without creating a National Firearms Registry. They will demand national gun registration with attached felonies for non-compliance as they seek to identify, track, and eliminate personal firearms. With this system in place, politicians can “call in” whatever guns, through current political expediency, are determined to be “evil.” In this expanded UBC system criminals, of course, will be unaffected. Bad guys can illegally manufacture dangerous devices anytime they want irregardless of law.

3) Many abuses of the UBC system will ensue. The creation of an all encompassing Federal Gun Owner Database will be used to the destruction of liberty and privacy for all Americans. Integration of contrived medical disqualifiers will be abused (like treatment for depression after the loss of a family member a decade ago!), extra fees and taxes will be assessed, dissemination of gun owner data in public forums could occur (leading to theft and murders), integration of national ID systems and political classifications could be integrated…just to name a few. The government has no business tracking this information and it’s a clear violation of the 2^nd Amendment..

True assistance to gun violence can be accomplished in two simple ways 1) Strengthen American value systems instead of tearing them down. Support families and their instruction of their children. Not by liberal government educational systems but by families. This WILL reduce gun crime. Good children, taught be loving guardians, grow up to be good people, protecting life not destroying it. 2) Eliminate gun free zones with national legislation. Civilian gun ownership has to be allowed in all reasonable venues to eliminate these mass shootings: schools, shopping areas, churches, stadiums, etc. Immediate armed response by both LE and armed civilians stops these shootings, proven in recent history.

UBC will prove to be catastrophic for America. I truly appreciate your support in defending the Second Amendment and will continually reward you with my support and that of my audience in social media. Likewise if I find it lacking I will strive to make sure you are not re-elected and your political career is ruined.

Thank you for your consideration,

 

AR-15 Build Review (Palmetto Receivers)!

Well this review has been a long time coming! I have had this AR-15 assembled for about a year and a half now and since then I have put over 1,000 rounds through it. So far I have had no issues whatsoever, no failures to feed, failures to eject, double feeds, stovepipes, light primer strikes etc. but this is in part to it still being a newly assembled firearm.


More than a culmination of its parts;

 

Not including the optic (C-more systems Scout model retrofitted to the Railway base with a spacer to achieve an absolute co-witness with iron sights) which I already had, but including everything else and 3 Magpul PMAGs with ranger floor plates, I built this rifle for $924.38! That price includes shipping charges from the various retailers online that I purchased from as well. Unfortunately, the prices that I paid are unlikely to be seen in the near future due to the political issues at hand so as to not rub it in anyone's face, I will not be posting prices on each component of this build.

The parts I used in this build are as follows;

Already in my possession;
C-more systems red dot sight (previously reviewed)

Upper Receiver;
Palmetto State Armory A3 flat top upper receiver with M4 feed ramp cuts (stripped)
Port cover door assembly (door, rod, spring, moonclip) picked up at gunshow
Forward assist assembly (FA, spring, roll pin) picked up at gunshow
Green Mountain 16" M4 5.56mm barrel with extension and M4 feed ramps
DPMS Barrel nut
Yankee Hill Machine (5C2) phantom flash hider
Midwest Industries (MI-MGB750) micro gas block
DPMS carbine length gas tube
Midwest Industries (MCTAR-24G2) gen 2 10" two piece free float quad rail handguard
Magpul MBUS front and back
Magpul rail covers
Magpul AFG-1 forward grip
DPMS charging handle with ambidextrous latch
Rock River Arms bolt and carrier group

Lower Receiver;
Palmetto State Armory Gadsden flag lower receiver (stripped)
Palmetto State Armory MOE lower build kit (Previously Reviewed)
CMMG ambidextrous safety selector

Once I had all of these parts, I just needed to put it all together. This is a simple, straightforward task with the exception of the barrel. The barrel must be properly torqued onto the upper receiver and headspaced properly for safe operation of the weapon system. I just had a gunsmith buddy of mine come over and help me out with the barrel aspect of the build.

Above is a picture of the Palmetto State Armory Gadsden Lower as it came to me in its stripped condition. This lower has mil-spec tolerances so all mil-spec parts will fit with no issues. It is constructed from 7075-T6 aluminum with a black hard coat type 3 anodizing to keep it protected. On the reverse side above the serial number it is marked "CAL-MULTI" to accommodate builds of different calibers. It has great lockup and very little play when mated to the upper receiver. Below is a picture of it post assembly.

Speaking of the upper receiver, I really like the way that this one turned out! The Magpul MBUS back up sights are great and came perfectly adjusted out of the box. I am not sure if that was intentional, but they did not need any adjustment at all! Operation of the MBUS sights is simple, just push down on the side tabs or top tab and they spring up and lock into place. Check it out below, the front is the same as the rear in terms of operation.

The Midwest Industries (MCTAR-24G2) two piece 10" free float quad rail handguard I chose not only because it is lighter than most other similar rails at only 11.9oz, but it does not require the use of a proprietary barrel nut for attachment onto the receiver. It has two built in quick detach sling swivel studs on either side (for a total of four) allowing for ease of use for different sling types. It comes in two pieces (upper and lower) that sandwich the barrel and clamp over the barrel nut via an interior channel (as seen in the picture below). I applied red loctite to the six allen head screws to ensure that they would not work their way loose and it has been nothing but smooth sailing and increased accuracy ever since!

I went with the 10" version because I wanted to be able to extend my reach father than normal to better control muzzle rise and recoil mitigation. Here is a good shot of it on the assembled firearm.

Sample the above picture also for the highly recommended Magpul AFG-1 forward grip. I prefer this grip to a conventional forward grip because it allows me to maintain a low bore axis on my reaction hand when gripping the firearm. To me, the AFG-1 is better than no grip at all because it repositions my wrist into a more comfortable angle for shooting when I am extending the grip to the end of the rail system. It came with two inserts as seen below; one with a finger groove and one without. I use the one with the groove and position it so that the groove sits between my right middle and ring fingers and this acts as a great point of reference for a consistent grip every time.

On the muzzle of this rifle lies Yankee Hill Machine's Phantom Flash Hider (model 5C2). This particular flash hider is much better than the standard A2 birdcage flash hider in the sense that it further conceals the muzzle flash in low light conditions. I had indexing issues when installing this with the supplied crush washer as there is a dedicated top and bottom. To remedy this issue, I used a jam nut from an old DPMS Micculek compensator to get it indexed properly as seen below.

All in all I am very happy with this build. Accuracy on this setup is more than adequate at 2 MOA (2 minute of angle, 2 inches) shot groups at 100 yards on the backup sights. The rifle as configured is relatively light weight (I have not actually weighed it) but very reliable so far. I would recommend every part on this weapon system to anyone who is looking to build their own AR-15. When building an AR from parts, If you do not feel comfortable performing some or all of the assembly please seek the assistance a professional to ensure that the firearm is assembled correctly and safely. These are firearms not toys, and as such they need to be treated, handled, assembled, maintained, and operated with a certain amount of respect. In all above pictures, the firearm is not loaded. The weapon is on safe and pointed in a safe direction.

Batteries!

I figure that since I am unsure as to the flashaholic (one who loves flashlights) status of my viewers, and that those who are not in the know as to the vast different types of batteries out there that I would shed some light on the subject (pun intended). We will start with the smallest typical batteries found in the flashlight world and go upwards in size from there.


AAA Size Batteries

While all of the above cells look the same in terms of size, they are vastly different in terms of performance and chemistry (see the end of this post).

From left to right; Duracell 800mAh 1.2v NiMH, Duracell 1.5v Alkaline, Energizer 1.7v Lithium Primary, Ultrafire 500mAh 4.2v 10440 Lithium Ion.

A quick note on Lithium Ion batteries: Their names are indicative of their size. For example a 10440 is 10mm in diameter and 44mm in length (same size as a AAA). An 18650 is 18mm in diameter and 65mm in length. A 14500 is 14mm in diameter and 50mm in length (same size as a AA). A 16340 is 16mm in diameter and 34mm in length (same size as a CR123A).


AA Batteries

From left to right top row then bottom row; Kodak 2100mAh 1.2v NiMH, Energizer 2300mAh 1.2v NiMH, Duracell 1.5v Alkaline, Energizer 1.7v Advanced Lithium, Energizer 1.7v Ultimate Lithium, Trustfire 900mAh 4.2v 14500 Lithium Ion.


CR123A Batteries

Same order as above; Surefire 3v Lithium, Energizer 3v Lithium, Duracell 3v Lithium, Trustfire 880mAh 4.2v 16340 Lithium Ion.

Notice that this is the first size of common flashlight batteries that does not have NiMH or Alkaline batteries. CR123A cells are meant for high drain, high current lights and devices and are equipped with the better chemistries with which to do so.


18650 Batteries

18650 cells are a whole new can of worms. They are all 4.2v with Lithium Ion as their chemistry but they vary in output, capacity and abilities as you are about to see.

In the same order as the above pictures but color coded for your convenience; Samsung ICR18650-22F 2200mAh, Panasonic UR18650A 1900mAh, Panasonic UR18650FM 2600mAh, LG LGES218650 2200mAh, LG ICR18650 2200mAh, Panasonic CGR18650E 2550mAh, Angelfire 18650 3200mAh

Here is what each battery size looks like when next to one another;

Common Battery Chemistries

For this we will harp back to the first picture of AAA sized batteries for a reference;

The first Cell is a NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) "AAA" cell denoted as an HR03. NiMH cells have a nominal voltage of 1.2v and is the most common rechargable AAA sized battery that can be found. They require the use of special chargers (more on that in a later post) that charge at low levels over an extended period of time. These cells can be reused and recharged until it no longer holds a charge. There is an inherent risk with NiMH chemistry that overcharging will cause a buildup of hydrogen, causing the cell to rupture. Because of this, almost all NiMH cell have a vent that this hydrogen will be emitted from in the event of serious overcharging. NiMH cells have a higher self discharge than that alkalines. Despite the higher self discharge, NiMH cells are advantageous over alkalines for high current drain applications, due in large part to their low internal resistance. For example, an alkaline battery might have a 3000mAh capacity at low current levels (200mA), but at higher current levels (1000mA or 1A) they might only have 300mAh of capacity, leading to a varying capacity related to the current draw being applied. NiMH cells will hold their full capacity even at higher current levels.

The second cell is a plain old Alkaline "AAA" cell denoted LR03. I tend to call these types of batteries alkaleaks as alkaline batteries are prone to leaking out a caustic and irritating potassium hydroxide. You see this leak as crystaline formations as the potassium hydroxide absorbs carbon dioxide from the air to form the crystal like porassium carbonate that spreads out like a fungus and is the cause of many a ruined maglite! These batteries are not rechargable and have a nominal voltage of 1.5v. Because of their chemistry, they have a gradual self discharge leading to substandard expiration dates (about 5 years.... if they don't leak).

Third is the Lithium Primary "AAA" cell denoted L92 or FR03. Lithium primaries have a lower internal resistance than NiMH leading to higher current usage. The Lithium Primary battery is composed of pile Lithium which is a metalic Lithium. Lithium cells also tend to be very lightweight as the atomic mass of one molecule of Lithium is about 7 to Nickels atomic mass of 59! Lithium Primaries are non rechargable, they do not leak, and they have a low self discharge leading long shelf lives (about 15 years!)

Lastly is the 10440 4.2v Lithiom Ion! These cells can produce tons of output and usually have very high capacities. Unlike the Lithium Primary which is composed of a metalic Lithium, Li-ion batteries are composed of an intercalated Lithium compound that allows for the higher voltage attained by Li-ions. Like NiMH batteries, Li-ions are rechargeable but you will need a different type of charger to handle the needs of the hot rod Li-ion! With power comes responsibility, and there are inherent safety risks involved with using Lithium Ion batteries. They tend to dislike high heat and have known to incinerate and explode by being driven outside of their parameters. They cannot be used safely out of a normal operating voltage range of 3v-4.2v. There are safety devices in place inside these Li-ion batteries that include; shut down seperator (for overtemperature), tear-away tab (for internal pressure), vent (for pressure relief), and a thermal interrupt (for overcurrent/overcharging situations). These safety devices occupy useful space inside the cells, add additional points of failure and irreversably disable the cell when activated. They are required because the anode (positive end) produces heat during use, while the cathode (negative end) may produce oxygen. These devices and improved electrode designs reduce/eliminate the risk of fire or explosion. Unfortunatley, these features also increase the cost compared to other battery chemistries.

Status Update!

Take notice!

I have updated the layout slightly on this blog and I have incorporated organizational elements to the right sidebar that breaks down my posts by type. This will make it easier to find what you are looking for!

I have many reviews currently in the works but due to a hectic schedule they seem to be popping out sporadically. So sign up by email to be notified when I make new posts on the gear reviews that you love!

Also, feel free to comment on my posts with any questions or feedback you may have!

~Oats

Ultrafire C8 XML-U2 Power house!!

First off I will disclose that this behemoth of a light is produced in China, the same country that produces just about every other electronic device in your everyday surroundings. With that being said, if you have reservations about overseas produced items then this is not the post for you. If you understand why being produced in China makes this light vastly superior (but not without its drawbacks) to similar lights produced in other countries then keep reading.

Lets discuss the drawbacks and pitfalls of this particular light and get that out of the way. Firstly, being produced in China you would think that this is a knockoff of some higher priced light like a Surefire, but it isn't. If I remember correctly, Ultrafire designed this light from the ground up a few years back and since then every other Chinese company has produced a sub par version of this light and either rebranding it or even going as far as to copy Ultrafire's own labeling... This has caused the market to be flooded with very crappy versions and untrustworthy vendors online. I picked mine up from www.lightmalls.com (a trusted website in the flashlight community) and at the time I paid about $17 for this light you see below (as of 02-14-2013 it is on sale for$15.50). Try to not pay attention to the inflated lumenous output figures as that is a common tendency among Chinese flashlight vendors and manufacturers.

$17 buys a LOT of light for the money! Unlike the $25-$50 gun show special knockoffs pushing out maybe 250 lumens from their poorly driven XRE emitters, this C8 comes equipped with Cree Industries' great, very well driven XML emitter in either T6 (neutral white) or U2 (cool white) color bins. For those that may not be flashaholics like myself let me explain this a little more in detail: Cree's older XRE emitter maxes out at around 300-350 lumens from being driven with perfectly by about 3 amps from the battery. Their newer and much more efficient XML series of emitters can be driven exceptionally hard, and although I am unsure as to their limits off the top of my head, The Ultrafire C8 XML U2 pushes about 3.7 amps through my best batteries (UR18650FM Panasonic cells) to the tune of just over 1,000 lumens out the front of the light.

Yes, 1,000 lumens! That's enough to light up just about anything at night let alone cause temporary blindness if shined in someone's face. But pushing 3.7 amps has a two major disadvantages; run time and heat. My super awesome Panasonic 18650 sized batteries with a capacity of 2600mAh that provide amazing output in this light will only last about 45 minutes on a full charge. In that 45 minutes, this light will get uncomfortably warm unless adequate airflow is cooling the heatsink just below the bezel in the picture above. Mounting this light to a bike for night time rides is more than sufficient for keeping the light nice and cool, with the added benefit of being brighter than most cars' headlights (even fancy HID headlights!)

The reflector design on this light is more than adequate as it is machined from aluminum and with a size of 1-1/4" in depth and 1-1/2" in width with a smooth (SMO) finish, this light has plenty of flood light to wash your surroundings with light and a very hot hotspot in the middle of the beam that is great for long distance spotlighting.

The Pill (receiver specifically for a given light that houses the Emitter, Star (what the emitter mounts to), wiring, and Circuit bard) is made of solid aluminum with plenty of surface area toughing the inside of the body of the light allowing for great heat dissipation (this is why the light gets hot) the star is mounted to the pill with adequate thermal epoxy helping to further increase heat conductivity. On top of the star board, there is a shield that prevents the exposed solder points on the star from shorting out on the aluminum reflector once the light is assembled.

Here is what the assembled pill looks like. notice the star board behind the sticker and the white thermal epoxy poking out behind the star.

The overall construction of the light is very solid and robust with great machining. The threads are square cut with all body sections screwing together smoothly and there are o-rings in every location that is necessary to provide adequate waterproofing. My example was delivered with some marring on the inside of the tail cap most likely due to the tool slipping off of the switch as it was being installed into the tail cap body (see picture below). The sizes of this light are about 6" in length, 1-1/4" diameter in the tail cap, 1" diameter in the body, and 1-3/4" in diameter in the head/bezel. Without a battery, this flashlight weighs about 5.5oz.

There are five modes of operation on this flashlight activated by either a soft press of the switch while the light is on or by turning the light off then back on quickly. These are the modes of operation are in order;
High - 3.7 amps
Medium - 1.45 amps
Low - 0.14 amps
Strobe
S.O.S.
The strobe and S.O.S. modes are another downside of Chinese lights as almost all lights produced contain these blinky modes. Personally I do not like them and I would prefer the light to just have the fixed modes but in the order of Low>Medium>High so that the used could ramp up the output to what is needed at the time, but for $17 I suppose I cannot complain.

Go grab you one or for the price go ahead and grab a spare as well! You will be glad that you did and your friends will not believe their eyes once they see the amount of light that pours out of this thing!

More with spray paint!

This is more of an extension of my last post than anything else. I got to thinking and I was wanting to use some more of that spray paint so I decided to paint one of my scopes with mounting hardware for a little continuity.

You will have to excuse my lack of preparation as I only took after photographs but here is how it all turned out post rattle-canning;

Obviously, I took the most time prepping the scope for paint. I took regular masking tape and taped off the magnification ring making sure there were no air bubbles in the tape and cutting off any excess tape. After that I unscrewed the eyepiece as far out as I could and taped that off and screwed it back in until I felt the tape catch on the internal threads (to ensue a good seal there). The windage and elevation caps just stayed on tight so no extra preparations there. Now for the objective end of the scope I stuffed a paper towel in just as an added precaution and taped it off. After a few light coats here is how it came out;

Now for the mounting hardware consisting of a set of risers and scope rings. The prep for these was minimal and limited to the scope rings. I just taped off the exposed threads on the mounting bolts and then taped off the inside circumference of the rings where they would make contact with the scope.

As an aside I made sure to clean everything beforehand to assist in the adhesion of the paint.

D.I.Y. Magazine Painting

Another D.I.Y. project brought to you courtesy of Oatmeal! This one will be quick and dirty.

So you have some old magazines laying around that are in bad cosmetic shape (either scratched up/marred or starting to corrode due to the factory Teflon wearing out), or you bought some used ones for way more than they are worth (given the current situation) and they are in heavily used condition. For about $7.00 you can refinish them and give them a new lease on life! I happened to be at Autozone and came across this camo paint made by Krylon;

Now I have some aluminum magazines that are corroding and one that was having fitment issues that I had to grind down to fit (this is the one pictured as I wanted to cover up the bare aluminum). Do not expect to just toss the magazines on a piece of cardboard, spray the crap out of them, and they come out looking great. You will need to spend a little bit of time preparing them to be painted.

First, Disassemble the magazine and set the floor plate, spring, and follower to the side as they will not be painted. If you want to you can paint the floor plate but I chose not to.

Second, prep the magazine. This requires a thorough cleaning and degreasing (I used mass airflow meter cleaning spray for this). I then stuffed paper towels into the ends of the magazine to avoid getting over spray into the magazine body which could chip off and foul the action during shooting.

Third, set up your painting space in good ventilation and begin painting! I used three light coats to get full coverage instead of one heavy coat as this reduces runs and "hot-spots" where there is an overabundance of paint in one spot. Make sure you shake the can vigorously and take all necessary precautions when working with spray paint.

After this just let it/them dry and then reassemble the magazine!

Here is how mine came out after two coats (notice my grinding on the front face of the magazine for fitment);

And finished next to a PMAG for color comparison. It is no where near a perfect match to Magpul's FDE but it does seem to bridge the gap between FDE and Foliage Green.

So there you have it! Try it out with other colors if you want or even try using an etching primer first (promotes adhesion). I feel that had I used a primer The color would have come out with less of green hue to it.