The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners group is planning a Feb. 1 news conference at which Alderden is expected to declare he will not jail anyone caught violating the proposed policy.
Without elaborating, Alderden on Monday confirmed his position to the Coloradoan.
CSU is one of the sole public universities that permits people to carry concealed weapons on its campuses.
The CSU Board of Governors next month will consider a ban on all weapons on campus. That ban would extend to people who have concealed weapons permits but also would apply to pellet guns and Tasers.
CSU System board members argue that banning weapons, concealed or otherwise, from the Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses will improve safety by reducing the number of guns on campus. Weapons are already prohibited in residence halls.
RMGO spokesman Ray Hickman said CSU has failed to show any real evidence that banning guns improves safety. Read more
Author Massad Ayoob also covers the expansive accessories market, and provides real-life practicalities for each accessory. He also educates you about concealed carry laws, and how they pertain to you. This is essential information for anyone considering concealed carry. Click here to order the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry.
In the small world category, I recently reconnected with a kid I knew in grade school. Well, neither of us are kids any longer and perhaps it was something in the old neighborhood, but we both ended up along similar paths. But his path was west. Jim, we'll call him Jim because, well, that's his name, went to work for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and ended up in dignitary protection and CT work. Now he's helping others learn those skills.
High Threat Solutions is a tactics training company based in Los Angeles, California. The group is available to travel throughout the U.S. and overseas. The instructors at High Threat Solutions are certified to teach Active Shooter Response, Firearms, Dignitary Protection, Defensive Tactics, Diversionary Devices, multiple terrorism courses and Basic Academy courses. They are experienced instructors having trained law enforcement and military units from around the world. The three core instructors have a combined 88 years of experience in law enforcement and military special operations including custody, patrol, undercover, narcotics, vice, auto theft, SWAT and counter-terrorism. The two current monthly scheduled classes are Introduction to Dignitary Protection and Off-Duty and Plainclothes Survival. Other classes are available upon request.
The largest Gun Show ever held in New York State will be staged April 16-17, 2011, at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. Over 800 exhibits and displays will be provided by our collectors and dealers from all over the United States and Canada.
Featured will be displays and sales tables of U.S. military arms, Colt Revolvers, high grade double barreled shotguns, Remingtons, muskets, Smith & Wesson, Kentucky rifles, gun parts & accessories, Indian items, Frontier & Western paraphernalia, Sharps, Springfields, Winchesters swords, bowie knives, powder horns, civilian and military weapons from all nations, custom-made and factory knives, military relics and equipment from before the Revolutionary War to present.
Cash or barter. Haggling for the very best deal possible is both expected and accepted. Old and unwanted guns gladly purchased by our collectors.
Admission is only $6.00 per day, children with parents FREE. $5.00 per day for senior citizens.
For more information contact:
Sandy Ackerman Klinger 346 Paul Street Endicott, NY 13760 (607) 748-1010 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Completed, the pair of ARs sits happily on mother-in-law’s kitchen table. Note the eye catching contrast of the FailZero treated receiver with the rest of the black rifle. The author is all about good looks.
Installing the fire control is easy. Stick the safety/selector in from the left side and turn the receiver upside down on the vise block. Drop the detent in its hole. Place the selector detent spring into the small hole on the top of the pistol grip, hold it there with the tip of your finger and put the pistol grip onto the receiver, then hold it while you fiddle one handed with the grip screw.
I can’t figure why everybody insists on using a stainless steel flathead screw here, instead of an alloy socket head. Must be “mil-spec.” Take your guide tool (firing pin with tip cut off) and use it as a slave/guide pin for the hammer and trigger. Install the trigger first, without the disconnector. Drop the trigger in and insert the guide tool in from the left and all the way through. Push the trigger pin in from the right, all the way through.
Do the same for the hammer; and you may have to gently tap the hammer pin in. Then push the trigger pin a little more than halfway out and insert the disconnector into its slot in the trigger, hold it with the guide tool, and push the pin back all the way back through. This little guide tool will save you many number 10 frustrations.
The economy rifle, complete with favored accessories – MagPul Pmags, shooting glasses, Surefire Sonic Defender earplugs, and OTIS Tactical cleaning kit. All that is now needed is a pony and tactical mane comber.
Test the function by cocking, “firing” and recocking again without releasing the trigger. The hammer should be retained by the disconnector and should reset with an audible clack when the trigger is released. Do this multiple times. The hammer should not fall upon trigger release, though that may happen when the disconnector gets worn after extensive use. The safety should engage and prevent trigger pull beyond a little take up. The take up should reset upon trigger release. If this all works, slap the upper onto the lower, and repeat the fire control test while cycling the bolt. If it’s still okay, you are done. For best results apply a dab of grease to the sear/hammer surfaces, the slots in the takedown and pivot pins and selector.
Shameless Promotion
The go-to carbine was finished off with a DPMS detachable rear sight that was in my pack rat box. There is now before my eyes a basic, quality utility carbine. Add a PMag and it’s heaven on earth. This is now my house gun.
We haven’t really covered the hunting rifle, since it was my intent to get constructive descriptive only on the run of the mill assembly, which the hunting rifle really was not.
With the wife’s permission, an 18-inch 6.5 Grendel CTR upper, black barrel, with scope mount and two 10-round mags, were ordered from JP Enterprises. I then promptly tore it apart and sent some of it off to FailZero (www.failzero.com). These dudes apply an electro-less Nickel-Boron-Nitride plating, called EXO Technology, to the receiver, charging handle, hammer, and bolt carrier group. It is billed as a lubrication-free coating, and after hundreds of hand cyclings and dozens of actual shots, seems to be just as advertised.
So far there hasn’t been any flaking or chipping, or malfs. While there does appear to be a slight polishing on the bearing surfaces, that is actually a bonus, operating even more smoothly. Furthermore, it has a nice “Leupold silver” color that really looks fine on the black rifle. I figured that a deer rifle used in below freezing weather might just benefit from a lube-free nature, since many common gun oils don’t hold up so well in those conditions, and can freeze or gum up, counteracting their very purpose.
6.5 Grendel vs. .223 Remington. As can be seen the Grendel uses a significantly fatter cartridge, with a much longer bullet. Grendel mags are black stainless steel, while the .223 on the right stands before the vaunted Pmag.
FailZero also offers kits of their own, one of which includes bolt carrier assembly, hammer, upper, and charging handle, in bare or black. I suspect that it would also be of great use in a talc-dusty environment like where our servicemen are shooting bad people. There are also a couple of fascinating (really) scientific papers describing the process linked to their website, explaining its superiority to hard chrome or other electro-less platings currently on the market.
Finishing off the hunting rifle was a Rock River Arms Match trigger (also from my pack rat box), a Badger Ordnance Gen II Tactical latch and ACE ARFX skeleton stock from Brownells, and my trusty, much used Zeiss Conquest 3-9×40 beat up test scope.
The RRA trigger is a nice set. It is smooth and crisp. As with the economy rifle, a dab of grease was slapped on the sear/hammer interface, and disconnector/hammer interface. There are some folks out there who say that is a bad idea, and can cause malfunctions. But it’s my experience that if a gun’s fire control malfunctions (fires on release, fails to disconnect, doubles, etc) it will do so whether there is any grease there or not. Greasing this used fire control set made it slicker than snot on an August afternoon.
The Gen II tactical latch is extended longer than a standard latch, but not nearly as protrusive as the original tac latch. Both are rather appealing, but since this rifle was going to be carried in the woods, your esteemed author didn’t really want a huge latch digging a new navel in his torso. The Gen II latch is just large enough to be obscenely useful, but not so big to be a nuisance.
The ARFX stock, another one of my favorites, is a lightweight, low profile stock. The best part about it is the foam covering the buffer tube, making the -10 degree cheek-weld a rapturous delight.
Conclusion
I’m happy with the set up; it shoots well under an inch at 100 yards, factory and reloads. The ballistics of the 6.5 Grendel cartridge are impressive and can be examined at the website of Alexander Arms (www.alexanderarms.com), the originators of the cartridge.
It shoots very flat, most bullets having very high ballistic coefficients. Even out of short barrels, it still retains enough velocity in 100- to 123-grain bullets to be supersonic past 1000 yards. Yet it is light recoiling, and the available bullet selection for reloading is large enough to waste some few hours tinkering with loads. It stands a chance of becoming my chosen all-around pick, for practicing long-distance stuff, to mid range steel, to close range Bambi carnage.
Value describes all the ingredients in these two recipes, value in thrift and in largess. The greater value is in building rifles with your own two hands, to the design that only you can perfectly derive, for the purposes only you can conceive, on those two hundred dollar chunks of machined aluminum that you bought for a rainy day.
This article appeared in the March 15, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. Click here to load up on your subscription.
A change is coming to Gun Digest the Magazine. Starting with the May 10 issue, Gun Digest the Magazine will be published in standard magazine size.
This new size provides multiple advantages for our readers and advertisers: – Improved delivery time to both coasts – Improved newsstand distribution and positioning – Easier for distributors and mailers to handle, reducing problems and delays – Easier for you to pick up ads that appear in other standard-size publications – More color pages available for both advertising and editorial
To make sure you don't miss the historic first magazine-size issue, get your subscription now. Click Here
Gun Digest the Magazine will now be published as a standard-sized magazine, starting with the May 10, 2010 issue. The new size provides readers an even cleaner format.
Strikemark based in beautiful Virginia Beach, VA.; home of the Brass Bell Steakhouse & Lounge, a.k.a. the mother ship for many of my buds, is a living and breathing example of what can happen when creative people are allowed to combine imagination with perspiration. This is a young company that started out designing and manufacturing reactive steel targets because they had the vision to see that shooting paper is not the way to train.
Today, they’ve expanded to some interesting niche products that can be summarized as mounting technologies for a variety of digital cameras.
Increasingly more people and/or organizations are integrating video capture technologies with a weapon system to help them meet increasing legal requirements, in the case of law enforcement, or for the military to enhance command and control capabilities.
Strikemark recognized that need and has developed an assortment of mounting solutions for some specific technologies like Go Pro and Contour.
Recently, they’ve also introduced a Digital Camera Picatinny Rail Mount that allows the operator to mount a generic digital point and shoot camera to your weapon’s Pictainny rail system.
The mount slides over the desired rail and can be tightened down on the rail system using a hex nut.
The camera is then attached to the Strikemark mount, using any one of five holes provided, then secured to the mount using a ¼ x 20 bolt and wingnut. The Strikemark mount is compatible with virtually all compact digital cameras with a ¼ x 20 tripod attachment point.
It’s a great little doodad that for $34.95 will let you capture the moment!
Gun Digest is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews and practical how-to instructions. Subscriptions are the First Amendment way to stand up for your Second Amendment rights. Click here to begin your subscription to Gun Digest.
Inside This Issue
• Yes, you can own “machine guns” and silencers, but you have to be prepared to deal with the bureaucracy. Dave Morelli shows how.
• Editor Kevin Michalowski believes fewer guns is not the solution. Click here to read his "Editor's Shot" column.
• Rifles: Navy Arms
• Shotguns: Merkel
• Handguns: Norinco, etc.
• NRA Update: NRA recognizes “Top Gun”
• Field Gun Review: The Gun on the Bottom of the Basket
• Precision Marksmanship: Reloading for Precision Pt. II
• Gunsmithing: Indispensable Tools Pt. 1
• Performance Handloading: Loads for the Military Bring-Backs
HARLINGEN, Texas – Authorities say the man found dead on the side of the road in Harlingen was shot because he was threatening a homeowner, and the homeowner fought back.
It all started around 9:30 Thursday night on Rabb Road in La Feria. Authorities say 31-year-old Francisco Antonio Moreno, Roman Cardoza and another man approached a La Feria homeowner.
The men allegedly forced the homeowner and his son out of their car and demanded they be let inside the house. They used a gun, knives and baseball bat to threaten the homeowner. The sheriff says the homeowner refused, wrestled the gun away and shot in self-defense. Read more
Calderon, who has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers and police to fight drug cartels, told Fareed Zakaria's “GPS” program on CNN that there was resistance in Washington to Mexico's demands that sales of such weapons be stopped.
“They (U.S. officials) say that they are facing strong opposition and there is powerful lobbies in the Congress in order to change that situation,” Calderon said in a pre-taped interview in Mexico City.
Click here to order the Gun Digest book of the AR-15.
The Mexican leader added that solving the cross-border gun trafficking problem was critical to his bid to crack down on the drug-related violence that has killed 4,600 people in the past two years.
Mexico says 90 percent of the weapons used by drug gangs are bought in the United States, often legally. Mexican officials also want to see the U.S. Congress reinstate a ban on the sale of assault weapons that expired in 2004.
U.S. gun rights groups generally oppose such a restriction. Read more
“Liu believes that judges have the authority to impose their views… using clever verbal camouflage to disguise what they're doing.” — Ed Whelan, a one-time clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia and now president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (3/4/10)
Imagine a judicial candidate that is so far to the left that even Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel, is hesitant to push him forward.
Imagine a liberal law professor that not only fails to meet the ABA's basic requirements for a federal judge, but is so green behind the ears that it appears the only reason he is being nominated to the federal courts is because he served as part of President Obama's transition team.
Click here to learn more about Gun Digest 2010, the world's greatest gun book.
If you can imagine such a leftist candidate, then you would be thinking of Goodwin Liu, the President's recent nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Liu is the Associate Dean and Professor of Law at the ultra-left UC Berkeley School of Law. Only 39 years old, he comes nowhere near fulfilling the ABA's standards for a judge.
But what he lacks in experience, he makes up for in radical liberalism. In a recent book that he co-authored, Liu says that, “Applications of constitutional text and principles must be open to adaptation and change… as the conditions and norms of our society become ever more distant from those of the Founding generation.”
Got it? Like many radical progressives, Liu believes that our rights are constantly evolving. The Second Amendment might have been necessary in the 1700s, he believes, but now those rights are no longer necessary.
In Liu's world, there would be no gun rights. Read more
The plan heads back to the House for approval, due to several changes made by the Senate Monday. The plan’s original House sponsors said the legislation is modeled after similar laws in other states and intended to raise a constitutional challenge to the federal government’s oversight of business between states.
The Idaho Firearms Freedom Act is one of several plans approved by Idaho lawmakers pushing back against federal control.
“We’ve given up, as citizens and states, a tremendous amount of freedom,” said Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth. “This simply challenges the power of the federal government to regulate everything in the state of Idaho under the guise of interstate commerce.” Read more
The new Tactical Mark II AR35F is 60″ x 37″ x 27″ and weighs 860 lbs. The new Tactical Mark II AR26F is 60″ x 30″ x 25″ and comes in at 725 lbs.
Both models are 1200º F/60 min. standard fire protection rated, and UL® tool attack listed. Both safes feature new anti-pry features, including Pry-Stop End Bolts, tight-tolerance door fits, chromed locking bolts, fully reinforced integrated door frames, extended throw locking bolts, and the Force Deflector™ Locking Mechanism.
In addition, both models come with the DPX® Storage System exclusive to Browning. This system increases the number of firearms that can be stored in each model by allowing both long guns and handguns to be stored on the inside of the door.
The interior includes space for long guns and shelves for handguns and other items. A Safe Top Basket located on the top of each safe conveniently stores extra gear. The Tactical Mark II models have an additional external accessory rack to hang gear on the side of the safe.
Gorgeous finish, “neutral balance,” and built-in accuracy made the Model 27 a long-lasting classic.
In 1935, Smith & Wesson and Winchester announced a new revolver and a new cartridge simultaneously. Both would bear the same name. The cartridge would go on to become one of the most popular in the history of handgunning. The revolver would also be a milestone. More than 20 years later, it would get a mundane new name: “Model 27.” But until then, it would be known simply as the “Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum.”
To many purists, this model would forever be the Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum.
Finely checkered topstrap and barrel rib were trademark features of the Model 27.
From its beginning, the revolver we now call the Model 27 (if only to distinguish it from its long list of descendants and stable-mates in the same caliber) was welcomed and then almost universally endorsed by gun experts. The ones of its time, and the ones that followed.
The great Elmer Keith, of course, cheered its creation: he was a part of that, as we shall see in a bit. Charles Askins, Jr., carried one with a 4-inch barrel for a good part of his career on the United States Border Patrol. “This is the most sturdy revolver in the world,” Askins wrote. “As a service weapon it is tops! A very great deal of care goes into the production of each weapon; they are in fact custom made.”
The most enthusiastic ambassador of the new gun and cartridge was a member of S&W’s ruling family, Douglas Wesson, who had worked on the .357 Magnum project. Wrote Keith, “Major Wesson hunted big game and killed elk, antelope, moose and one grizzly with his 8-3/8 inch .357 Magnum.”
Later experts shared the appreciation. One was Henry M. Stebbins, who in 1961 noted that shooters were only then becoming adjusted to its power level. “When it came out in 1935 it was terrific enough to frighten some of us a bit by its noise and recoil,” he admitted. “Since then it has done much to educate us as to the amount of such ruction that we can stand and still do effective shooting…what used to seem a ferocious gun is accepted in handgun society today, with almost everyone agreeing that it has its points.”
With today’s iterations of the 27, you can put eight rounds downrange before reloading.
But more experts than those who wrote for gun magazines learned to appreciate the big Smith .357. George S. Patton bought one before he went overseas in WWII, embellishing it with his trademark ivory stocks bearing his inlaid initials. When he gave away one of his matched Colt Single Action Army revolvers to a Hollywood star, he augmented the remaining .45 with the Magnum, which he called his “killing gun.” Patton’s weapon had a 3-1/2-inch barrel. So, legend has it, did the very first .357 Magnum to leave the factory, which was presented to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, though some who study the history of S&W insist it had an 8-3/4-inch barrel.
Many agents bought identical revolvers for themselves, with the 3-1/2-inch barrel, or the 4-inch that Askins preferred. Among those with the 4-inch .357s was Walter Walsh, the legendary FBI agent, fast draw ace, and pistol champion. One day in Maine in 1937, Walsh shot it out with the notorious Brady gang. Armed with a Colt .45 automatic in one hand and his Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum in the other – and with a .45 slug through his own chest, collapsing a lung – Walsh used the .357 to kill gang leader Al Brady. Ed McGivern, the famed six-gun wizard of the period, often used one in his demonstrations, and repeatedly shot man-size targets with it at distances out to 600 yards.
Meanwhile, S&W’s archrival Colt quickly chambered three of their classic revolvers for the .357 Magnum cartridge: the Single Action Army, the massive New Service, and the “targetized” version of the latter revolver, the Shooting Master. Smith & Wesson, however, was inextricably associated with the new cartridge and dominated sales in that caliber for twenty years. None of those Colt .357s resumed production after WWII. In 1954 and ’55, for the first time, a wide choice of new models became available to those interested in the caliber.
Colt introduced their deluxe Python, even pricier than the S&W, in ’55. A year or so before, Colt had brought out their “357,” on the same theme as their service Trooper .38 whose name this adjustable sight Magnum would soon share. It was a slightly smaller, more “holster-friendly” gun, and much less expensive. In 1955, Bill Ruger brought out a highly improved single action on the Peacemaker theme, also budget priced: the Blackhawk .357. S&W countered in those years with a one-two punch.
The recessed chambers of the original S&W .357 may seem an affectation today, but display the intricate machining that characterized this top-line revolver.
One blow was the Highway Patrolman. This was the regular large frame .357 Magnum with choice of 4- or 6-inch barrel, but with no checkering (except on the hammer) or other frills, and with a gray sand-blasted finish. It competed directly with the Colt Trooper for market and price point. The other punch was the smallest .357 Magnum yet, the Combat Magnum inspired by Border Patrolman Bill Jordan. This K-frame gun was, by Jordan’s own admission, designed to be “carried mostly with .357 ammo and shot mostly with .38 Special.”
Approximately a decade later, Super Vel introduced expanding bullet hollow point ammunition commercially, quickly followed by the larger ammo makers. This allowed the .357 Magnum’s potential power to be harnessed for anti-personnel work, creating a shorter, wider wound channel that did massive damage inside the narrow confines of an erect biped’s torso.
The latest incarnation of the .357 Magnum of Col. Wesson, Phil Sharpe, and Elmer Keith is this Model 327 Performance Center TRR8. Tru-Glo red dot optical sight is locked to rail on topstrap, and InSight M6X combined white light and laser sight is attached to shroud of its two-piece barrel.
It allowed the .357 to get past the widely held stigma that it was not suitable for defense or police use, since it would blast through a human body and kill whatever innocent bystander might be on the other side. Suddenly, long after its introduction, the .357 Magnum cartridge was becoming truly popular in American law enforcement. When Remington introduced a 125-grain hollow point at 1400 foot-seconds velocity and Federal countered with one at 1450 foot-seconds, word quickly got around of the awesome wounds it inflicted, only about 10 inches deep but enormously wide, and the .357’s popularity increased in police circles.
The police guns, by then, were .38-frame Combat Magnums and .41-framed guns like the Colts, Ruger’s Security-Six and then GP100, and S&W’s own L-frame, which was an intermediate size between the Combat Magnum and the original 1935 Magnum. Large for its purpose by late 20th century standards, the N-frame .357 Smith was discontinued, first in its economy Highway Patrolman variation, and finally, in 1994, in its original form.
By then, it had made a host of friends among discriminating shooters of yet another generation. Such late 20th century experts as Skeeter Skelton, John Taffin, Frank James, Walt Rauch and Chuck Taylor all had good things to say about the original S&W .357. Jerry Miculek, the top dog of modern speed revolver shooters, blasted his way to fame initially with the 8-3/8-inch barrel Model 27, because no smaller frame would handle the violent 200-grain handloads he developed to set speed records in bowling pin matches. Upon its discontinuation, the big Smith, now known as the Model 27 series, became an instant “cult favorite” among revolver enthusiasts, and prices of existing samples soared. Click here to Read Part II
This article is an excerpt from the new book Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World. To learn more, Click Here.
I’ve been around motorcycles of every description for a long time and nothing, other than the Indian, will ever replace the love I have in my heart for the Harley Davidson motorcycle. It screams American in a way no other bike can. On a few trips to Paris, France, I was surprised at the number of Harleys cruising around the country side; it was great! So, when I laid eyes on Benchmade’s H-D Ti-Fender™ Monolock it was love at first sight. This is a gorgeous knife!
I remember commenting how it reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural designs. Wright is known for his use of straight lines and very soft sweeping curves; looking at the Ti-Fender was as esthetically pleasing as looking at one of Wright’s architectural wonders, striking!
The “Ti” in its name stems from a beautifully designed all titanium handle. The brushed finish gives this knife a sleek and superbly elegant look, which belies the utilitarian inclinations of its country of origin, China. However, looks alone won’t carry the day and the Ti-Fender brings a great deal to the table in both value and features.
This folder sits comfortably in the hand. There are degrees of comfort but the Ti-Fender is one of the more comfortable designs that I’ve come across in quite some time; conforming to the hand in a way that is difficult to explain and has to be experienced. The rolling curves sculpted into the handle remove all pressure points with a conformity that speaks volumes. The drilled out plugs incorporated in the handle’s design enhance both grip and reduce the overall weight of the knife, which comes in at a meager 4.88 oz. Amazing, given its overall length of 8.59 inches.
I found the handle’s length of 4.84 inches, along with its rolling finger coils, superbly functional with any gripping technique including the icepick.
Benchmade provided a pocket clip that is also titanium, which I thought was a very nice touch; other manufacturers would have used a spring steel to cut cost, not Benchmade. That’s class!
Since the handle is finely polished on both halves, you can safely carry the Ti-Fender while wearing your best dress slacks. The pocket clip will not tear or snag your pocket, or pocket lining. The clip is also reversible for tip up right side or left side carry and allows the knife to sit deeply into the pocket, and barely visible.
Benchmade refers to its knife’s locking mechanism as Monolock rather than the familiar frame lock. I’m not sure that a distinction exists, and the Ti-Fender is clearly a frame lock design.
Blade lock up is solid with no detectable up and down, or side to side movement at the axis, and any play at the axis is adjustable using the axis point screws.
The knife’s handle is an open pillar design; therefore, the blade is visible from the top and bottom as you look through the halves. It has been my observation that with some production open pillar knives the blade does not center very well in the frame, not the case with the Ti-Fender. Its 3.75 inch spear point blade tucks nicely and sits perfectly centered in the handle. Benchmade thoughtfully included a lanyard attachment point; although, I’m not sure that I would add a lanyard to this eye-catching knife.
Benchmade elected to use 9CR13 stainless steel, for the blade material, which is a high-carbon Chinese steel that has extra Cobalt added to help with edge retention. It performs very much like a 440C in regards to ease of sharpening and hardness; however corrosion resistance may be somewhat lower than a domestic 440C or Japanese AUS8.
Benchmade claims a blade hardness of 58 – 60 HRC, which compares favorably with many of the heavy duty tactical folders or fixed blade designs but clearly this is not a tactical folder.
If you’ve been reading my knife reviews, you already know that I am a Tanto devotee; however, fixation is never good and a properly implemented spear point “floats my boat” equally well. The Ti-Fender Monolock falls squarely into that box.
The blade tip is exactly at the center of the blade and extends rearward through the knife handle axis, so the puncturing ability of this knife, although not quite up to par with a combat folder, is considerable. That charisma is further enhanced by a faux double edge that could easily be sharpened – keeping in mind state and local laws as well as your own personal safety.
The blade thickness is .120 inches, with a shallow hollow grind; making the knife an excellent slicer. Benchmade knives ship with a razor sharp edge, the Ti-Fender is no exception.
Gimping, gimping and more gimping – folks you are going to love what Benchmade has done with the Ti-Fender. They have provided an abundance of gimping along the spine that extends all the way to the start of the swedge. I love it.
Deploying the blade is a manual process and easily accomplished via the flipper or a combination of flipper and thumb studs. While I’m on the flipper, I would like to see the fine folks at Benchmade apply a slight bevel along the edges of the flipper with shallow gimping to top it all off -not an indictment, simply an expression of personal preference!
Conclusion
Benchmade has knocked the ball out of the park with the H-D Ti-Fender Monolock. Everything on the knife, from its etchings to the finish is superbly implemented. You couldn’t ask for a more elegant and modern look that is at home in a briefcase as it is in a pair of jeans or a saddlebag. Had the knife been made in the United States, it is doubtful that the quality would have been better. At the M.S.R.P. of $125 for the 13900BK it is quite the bargain. You’ll definitely want to add Benchmade’s H-D Ti-Fender™ Monolock to your collection and be sure to pick up a real Harley to match. It’s a great combination!
DEERPARK – State Police are investigating an attempted burglary to a residence 24 Taylor Road in the Town of Deerpark.
At about 9:40 pm. On Tuesday, March 23, homeowner heard someone walking through their backyard. The homeowner, who is licensed to carry a handgun, went outside and saw a man trying to break into his garage.
When confronted, the would be burglar turned towards to homeowner and appeared to have an object, believed to be a weapon, in his hand.
The homeowner fired a shot at the suspect, who then ran into the back yard. Read more
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners group is planning a Feb. 1 news conference at which Alderden is expected to declare he will not jail anyone caught violating the proposed policy.
Author Massad Ayoob also covers the expansive accessories market, and provides real-life practicalities for each accessory. He also educates you about concealed carry laws, and how they pertain to you. This is essential information for anyone considering concealed carry. Click here to order the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry.
