Taurus TCP

The Taurus TCP is the little brother of the PT709 slim. The design is based off the wildly popular .380 caliber Kel Tec design. Although many different copies have been designed and manufactured to get in on the .380 boom over the last few years there is a few features that sets the Taurus apart.

The triggers on most .380 pocket pistols are long, heavy, and sometimes rough. Since most of these are being carried in concealment or pockets without manual safety levers a long trigger pull is a good thing. But what sets the Taurus apart is the smoothness of the trigger pull. I noticed right away in side by side comparisons the trigger was far superior to the other pistols.

The second major difference is the last round hold open feature. This feature is usually reserved for full size pistols. In such a small pistol with a limited magazine size this is a must have in my opinion.

The only bad things I have to say about it is that it is fairly unattractive and the magazines have a strange backwards lip. Inserting the mags takes a little getting used to because it is the only magazine that I know of that has the strange lip. Although it does aid in crating a slightly larger grip once inserted.

The magazine capacity is six rounds and one in the pipe. The pistol comes with two magazines and a strange belt carrying case that looks akin to a cell phone or PDA case.

Magpul MIAD Pistol Grip

The MIAD pistol grip form magpul seems to be every bit worth the 35 bucks or so that it sells for. While most modern grips offer a storage compartment and good ergonomics the Magpul MIAD offers so much more for a great price. In the box you get three different back straps, two different front straps, a bottom plate insert, the grip, a mounting screw, literature, and a Magpul sticker.

The three different back straps give you a varied grip size so that you can try different grip sizes. The two larger grips also have a tail of sorts off the back to keep your large hand in a comfy pocket. The rear back strap can be removed at any time even if the grip is mounted to the firearm. The two front strap basically only consist of one with an index finger stop and one just textured. Other front straps can be purchased separately. The front strap can only be changed when the grip is off the firearm.

The bottom plate insert that comes with the Magpul Miad grip has a small rubber insert that will hold three rounds of 5.56×45. A cool feature though is that you can purchase other bottom plate inserts that will hold either two 123 batteries or an extra bolt and firing pin.

The Magpul MIAD also comes in 4 different colors, black, foliage green, flat dark earth, and OD green. The textured hard plastic surface seems to grips fairly well actually and is nice in very hot and very cold environments as it doesn’t hold a particular temperature too long.

Ron Paul 2012

In a time where we live with bloated federal government with unprecedented spending, out of control banks and a war on our liberty as we know it, there is a battle brewing next year for our presidential election. We live our lives today not in the light of common sense policies, and the rule of law, but of a new breed of federal politician that seeks not the welfare of the people and our liberty, but that of his own welfare. The federal government was meant to protect the rights of the people from the states, from foreign influence, from big business and from your fellow man. Our founding fathers knew we were imperfect beings, so they sought to create a document that would serve as a safeguard against tyranny. That document was our constitution. There is only one man today who has a 30 year voting record and the following to win against our corrupt federal system. Only one man that is an unapologetic constitutionalist. That man is Ron Paul. It is our duty to protect the republic by any means possible. We are given that chance this coming year by voting for common sense, voting for our constitution, by voting for RON PAUL!

Kodiak Gearslinger

For the last few months I have been toting around the Kodiak Gearslinger as an EDC bag. It is lightweight, durable, and has well designed pockets. Personally I have to give it a 4 out of 5 reloads. Yes I just created a new rating system.

The reason why has nothing to do with the quality of the gearslinger, which I find to be very high, but with the ergonomics of the one shoulder strap design. I have found that with considerable weight it will want to slump off your shoulder and swing down. Maxpedition's answer to this problem is a secondary strap that crosses you chest to buckle into the main strap. I have found this to be fairly inadequate when carrying a lot of weight. This seems to be a common theme with me as I am used to carrying a lot of weight and usually demand more from things I buy than they are designed for. I also found that drawing a firearm from the provided concealed carry pouch is not easy if you have cinched up the strap to have it ride high on your back.

What I like about the Kodiak Gearslinger is it's high quality construction and well laid out pockets for when you slide it around to your belly. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to carry a light or moderate load and doesn't want to have a man purse style EDC bag. I also found that an AK47 Draco pistol fits perfectly inside the main part of the bag. You may want to consider the Kodiak Gearslinger for a truck bag that you could pull an SBR out of, if it had a folding stock.

Due to the way it is setup I imagine the purpose of the Kodiak Gearslinger is intended more for paperwork and EDC items that you might want to carry around. This would be a great bag for a student or someone in an industry that doesn't need the ultra-professional look.