Category Archives: Gear Review

Surefire x300 Ultra and MR07 1911 Rail

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Amazon recently had a sale on Surefire x300 Ultras (aka U-boats) that I couldn’t pass up. It’s a duel CR123 500 lumen weapon light. I’ve been carrying a 500 lumen Fury for a few months now so I was excited to try the U-boat. However, the only railed handgun I have is a Glock 19 that I carry daily and I don’t want to give up my crossbreed supertuck which is not light compatible. I have a Springfield 1911 that doesn’t get carried too often so I decided to try out sure fires MR07 rail adaptor.

MR07
The MR07 comes as simple kit, a rail, a new slide stop and a shim in case you need to tighten it up.

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Install is easy.

– Remove the slide stop.
– Put the rail in place.
– Insert the new slide stop, be careful not to scratch anything, it was a little tighter than my factory slide stop.
– Tighten the set screw. It’s important to do this before putting your light on the rail so you have access to the screw.

That’s it.

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I had a little trouble getting the u-boat to slide on to the MR07 the first few times however it became easier with use, I would not recommend adding or removing the light from any rail while the weapon is loaded. The MR07 is truly a drop in part which is a rarity for 1911 parts. The mount is solid and does not negatively affect functionality of the weapon.

X300 Ultra

As far as the Surefire X300 Ultra its a great light. It’s 500 lumens, pushing the switch forward works as a pressure swich, up or down switches it on in the middle it’s off. I really like the 500 lumens the extra brightness is nice.

It’s a big boy, 1.477 inches wide, compared to a Glock 19 which is 1.001 or a 1911 or .905 at the slide. On the Glock 19 the lamp protrudes about an inch and a half from the front of the slide. It’s more or less even with the barrel on the 1911.

The U-boat swich rides a little lower on the MR07 from the slide 1.352″ compared to 1.130″ on a Glock 19. However I don’t find that to be an issue.

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Here is the light at night, the fence is at about 50 yards the tree 30 and the wall 3.

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While I have found a custom holster option, and there are some universal duty style holster that will work, may of the big names holster makers do not make holsters that accommodate the MR07. I wish they would. For now this 1911 will go on bedside duty once I get a proper holster.

Bottom line the X300 Ultra is a great light and the MR07 is a good solution for adding a rail to a 1911. The only drawback is the lack of holster support for the MR07.

In action.

 

Update: I was never able to find a suitable holster for this set up. Raven no longer makes a Combatable holster and both of the small shops i reached out to did not fulfill my order. Which is a shame because it is a nice set up.

So the MR07 has gone into the parts bin and the U-Boat rides on my G19 in a Raven Concealment Phantom when I can OWB carry.

 

 

L.E. Wilson Case Trimmer Review

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I’ve been through a couple of trimmers over the years, a RCBS trim pro and a WFT. Around a year a go I also picked up a L.E. Wilson case trimmer.

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Both the RCBS and the WFT have pros and cons, and have their place. I did a review of the WFT here..

The Wilson trimmer is unique in that it has different cartridge specific case holders. As opposed to the shell holders on more traditional timers, like the RCBS trimpro, which grip the base on of the case. The case holders on the Wilson trimmer balance on the rails of the trimmer between the cutter and support the case so that it makes contact with the cutter on one end and the stop screw on the other. Eliminating case rim as a contact point keeps the case length more consistent.

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Set up and use is fairly simple. Adjusting the stop screw changes the case length and there is a set screw to lock the stop screw.





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To use it.

– Inset a case into your case holder
– Tap it in on a hard surface to secure the case
– Place the case holder on the rails
– Push the cutter against the case
– Keep your hand on the case holder keeping the base firmly against the stop screw
– Run or spin the trimmer while gently rotating the case holder on the rails.
– Stop when you hear/feel the case no longer being trimmed
– Tap the case out of the holder and repeat.

I have the drill attachment for mine and I mount it in the jaws of my vice. This set up is pretty handy for me but there are several different accessories to chose from.

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Review:

I love this trimmer. Compared to the other timers I’ve tried this is far easier to set up and more consistent. I easily get less than .001 variation. It is solid once it is so there is no “drifting” like I experienced with other trimmers, so there is no second guessing. It’s so consistent that I am comfortable only measuring every 10 cases or so. I’ve never found one off more than .001.

There are only two minor “cautions” I have for this trimmer. First, be careful when holding the case holder if you let it jump the rails you can mess up the case or worse cut yourself on the cutting head, so pay attention. Second and this is really minor, keep it out of the humidity it will get surface rust quickly, I keep mine in a ziplock bag and spray it with CLP when I am done.

Bottom line it’s a constant well made tool which makes a tedious process a bit more enjoyable.

A quick video on how to use this trimer

CMMG A4 22 Upper Range Report

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A couple months back I picked up a CMMG A4 22 upper. I had backordered it and frankly I had not expected it to come so soon and I was thinking about canceling it and getting an air rifle upper instead. I’m glad I didn’t!

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I hope to use it to get more practice for Highpower. I use the same lower as I do on my service rifle, so it has the same feel and Geissele trigger. Additionally, I use the same Turner 1907 sling, black dog magazines and topped off with a Rock River NM carry handle. While perhaps a little extravagant for a 22 upper but I wanted a good quality hooded sight that would feel the same as my White Oak A2.

It worked well, I ran out of daylight before I could get it in the black however I am happy with its performance. It fed and shot well, especially for 20+ year old 22 that’s been in the back of my gun safe as long as I can remember.

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M1 Garand SLED

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I have been using the “SLED” for a almost two years now, it’s a very handy device.

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It is a simple modified clip that allows the a shooter to single load by inserting the round into the Garand’s internal magazine instead of inserting the round into the chamber.

There are two major benefits of using this contraption. First, feeding from the magazine reduces the risk of slam fire. Frankly I’ve never seen or heard of is happening to anyone at a match but it is a valid concern. Why I use a SLED is because it makes loading, especially one handed while in the prone position, much easier. Using the SLED can also allow the shooter to keep the rifle shouldered while reloading which can help keep a consistent position.

Once installed it is easy to use just push the round down into the magazine, then pull back on the charging handle. It’s important not to put pressure in the charging handle while inserting the round, else you give yourself a case of Garand Thumb.

I painted my SLED orange to help me notice when it is still in the chamber.

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It’s important to remember to remove the SLED before the rapid prone stage. I keep a flat head screw driver in the front pocket of my shooting stool so when I forget, it’s not so hard to pop out.

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Here is a quick video of how to insert and load the SLED.

And how to remove it.

If you are handy you can build your own see ray-vin for instructions. http://www.foundry.ray-vin.com/m1sled/m1sled.htm