TriggrCon, Media/Industry day.

When we last we saw our intrepid blogger, he was stuck in traffic, heading home from Triggrcon Range Day.

In case you hadn't heard, the Seattle-Tacoma area has nasty traffic these days. Besides, all that free ammo can really take it out of a guy, you feel an obligation to not let it go to waste.

So, first things first: Today and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday July 29th and 30th, TriggrCon is open to the public for "Enthusiast Days." Go to the website to register, for free.

Up front, I did confirm that the last pistol caliber carbine and sub machine gun I fired at Range Day was by Battle Arms Development, and made that correction in my previous post.

The show itself is being held at the Greater Tacoma Conference Center.

Which bans guns and knives on site, and has security pawing through your bags and checking you with a hand wand.

It was hardly a TSA-level search, and I suspect I could have gotten a pocket pistol in, in my bag, but it's still annoying that they couldn't find a venue that either had more reasonable policies, or was willing to make an exception.

Especially since you walk in and turn left, and Freedom Munitions was selling ammo by the case, and knives, and if you turn right the Triggrcon Proshop is selling guns.

While wandering over to the Proshop I stopped at the Sig Sauer station -- they have a trailer set up as a traveling display, I've sen it elsewhere -- and confirmed that Sig does have plans for a .22LR P320, it's just that no one knows when...

But first... Before you got to the security station, there were several tables set up out front, mostly of local operations.

Mostly... The first stop I made was at the booth/table/display for PHLster Holsters. I've been admiring their Flat Pack Tourniquet "device"
(Another pic-heavy post, after the break...)

PHLSter Flat pack, back...
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

PHLSter Flat Pack, front, with tourniquet.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

In case you've never tried it, finding a good way to keep a tourniquet handy, but secure, can be... a challenge.

They also showed off a new appendix holster for the Sig P320. (Not listed on their website, but they have 'em...)

Front...
Not obvious in this photo is that the "strut" attachment is somewhat innovative, which I failed to get pics of...
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

...and back.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

That tear-drop shape serves to angle the grip of the pistol in, which sounds uncomfortable but is a great aid to concealment. Other manufacturers are attaching wedges of various materials, and some people advocate using a Doctor Scholl's heel pad for the purpose! PHLSter says molding this in obviates such a measure.

Hmmm, maybe that shirt wasn't good for another day...
OTOH, the full-sized SigP320 Blue Gun isn't obvious.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Also out front of the display hall was The Patriot Patch Company. Neat stuff. I couldn't help asking about custom patch rates, for when all my fans decide that the ultimate range bag accessory is a Cluemeter Blog patch.

Right.

They also do stickers, decals, cleaning mats, and t-shirts. Good stuff. Check 'em out.

I chatted with the folks from the Washington Arms Collectors. Who, admittedly, are familiar with the phenomenon of being a pro-gun rights organization holding events on a venue with policies that are at least somewhat anti-2nd Amendment Rights.

They were selling memberships, as well as WAC paraphernalia, but since I already have a WAC lanyard and t-shirt, I limited it to chat. I did however, receive an invitation to be authorized to photograph the show for the purpose of blogging it, which surprised me.

Oh, right, I was on a media pass...

 As I said up front, walk in the door (after running the gauntlet), turn left, and Freedom Munitions was selling ammo by the case. With this as their centerpiece:

They supplied the ammo for range day, why couldn't they have let us play with this toy...?
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

My next stop was at the MantisX - High-tech firearms training device booth. This is a nifty device that attaches to your gun and contains an accelerometer, and which connects to your phone or tablet to display information about movement of the barrel during the trigger pull. I got some pics during Range Day, but not enough, so...

The system works with live fire, dry fire, "real" guns, airsoft, or CO₂. Here it is attached to CO₂ versions of Sig226s.

The module attached to the gun's rail, and unmounted.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

If your gun doesn't have a rail, there is an adapter that replaces the base plate of the magazine.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

This says I have trigger "issues" with this unfamiliar air pistol...
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Back indoors..
Green is muzzle movement overall, yellow is during the trigger pull, red is during the shot.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

And then it kindly offers suggestions...
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

The MantisX device is available at Amazon as well as direct. They do not list the pistols that need an adapter, including for magazine base plates, on their site.

Savoy Leather. Because certain parties view holsters and belts as fashion accessories...

photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Master of Arms was showing off their 3.65 pound rifle.

Considering that an (unloaded) M16A2 weighs about 7 pounds, this might not seem like a huge deal, but...

...when you're an MI geek with a 120+ pound ruck, and no one thinks an MI Geek needs a carbine, every ounce helps. You think Appalachian Trail through-hikers obsess about weight? They file down their toothbrush handles, we were debating whether we really needed dental hygiene...!

Anyway. Hi Speed, Low Drag (and weight!) rifle:

Yes, this is another range day pic.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Full view, indoors:

photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Yes, that butt stock is pretty minimalist. In a 5.56mm you don't really need the full size thing, although it's nice... but if the intent is to cut weight where ever possible...

Granted, using Tennalum makes the rifle expensive as well as light...

In fact, it makes the Daniel Defense M4 carbine see downright reasonable... albeit a bit heavier.

photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Everybody seems to be making pretty ARs these days...

...of course, making them in patriotic themes is still triggering for some!

Cross Machine Tool, AKA CMT Tactical
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Aero Precision, local firm.
Wish they had a sales store...
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Adaptive Tactical has modifications for pump action shotguns to replace the tube magazine with a detachable box or drum...

photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Yes, this is the new Mossberg Shockwave with a 10 round Sidewinder drum.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

I really wish they'd been at Range Day,  because I'd really like to try this out. The box mags are large and heavy, but they put all the weight at the center of the scattergun. OTOH, the drum sticks out a bit to the side. More importantly, I'd like to see how they stood up to Range Day, which would amount to several 2000 Round Challenges.

I'm not sure a stock Remington 870 or Mossberg 590 could handle that. (At my Defensive Shotgun at FAS we were regularly stopping to spray the insides of the receivers with lube.)

Dead Foot Arms has a folding stock mod for AR15 style rifles.

photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Instead of a buffer and spring inside of the buttstock, it has a shortened receiver extension with a dual (nested) spring.

Device on top is the receiver extension. It folds.
Nested springs, w/spring guide.
Bolt Carrier Group needs to be shortened, too.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

Compared notes with the owner. Since he was an Iraq vet with experience dealing with ambushes inside a HUMMV, his is more relevant than mine, but I can tell you that dealing with a full size M16 inside of HUMMVs without ambushes, or communications shelters and EH60s, or while humping a 100+ pound ruck is not all sweetness and light even without an ambush...

DESERT TECH was showing off their rifles. The long range/high power guys were drooling over the » SRS-A1 and » SRS-A1 Covert, not to mention the » HTI--which made me wish Id doubled up on hearing protection, not normally needed on an outdoor range!--but...

HTI, with SRA1 behind it.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

 I was more intrigued by the » MDR.

Completely ambidextrous.
Amazed the military hasn't made that a requirement, or at least a "added points" factor.
photo ©2017 D.W.Drang & The Cluemeter

The MDR can be set up as a bullpup, as shown, or a standard rifle with standard buttstock. Changing it from right to wrong I mean left is simple operator level function, although I imagine that in military use this and some other "morphing" would be "locked out" as a unit level armorer function.

A note on bullpups. They're compact, real compact, much shorter for a given barrel length than a standard configuration. I can't comment on whether and to what degree the various designs mitigate the issues Chris Byrne brought up in his updated bullpup post (The AnarchAngel : Five Years Later - Why bullpups aren't a great solution.)

Didn't get pictures, or they didn't come out:

• Adams Arms does piston-operated ARs. Shot one at Range day. No opinion, really. The fact that the AR uses a "direct impingement" gas system is a constant source of criticism. Adams Arms claims their system is self-cleaning. 
• Full Conceal. Got a lot of buzz (and accusations of derp) for their rail-mounted magazine clamp. Few commented on the fact that the full modification involves cutting down the grip of a compact pistol size to a sub-sub-compact size, which, in conjunction with that forward mounted mag device, gives the pistol the same profile as a large cell phone (Galaxy S8+, etc.)
• You decide whether that's useful, but having handled the thing I can say that you are not necessarily muzzling your hand removing the spare mag from that clamp. 
• Despite having a grip best described as "2 fingers and a thumb" I was still hitting the steel at 10 yards. FWIW.
• Their "Mark III" is more radical, as it involves giving the pistol a folding grip and collapsing trigger guard, so that the entire pistol folds into a package the rough size and shape of that Galaxy S8.
• Note to the panicky: Can not be fired folded.
• Ghost Gunner had a booth. Speaking of the panicky... 
• Holosun. If my Eotech refund ever gets here...
• The... oddest thing I saw all day was the dude with the operator tats and operator beard, wearing sandals, with his toenails painted red, white, and blue.
• Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Good times, good times...