Strelok from United States, MI Public Profile

This bolt catch does not come with the roll pin, plunger, or spring necessary for proper installation. Which is a shame, because the primary draw of this product compared to similar "enhanced" bolt catches is the price. Once you factor in the cost of sourcing the hardware yourself, there's little reason to get this over one of the other options on the market. BAD could certainly get these parts for only a few cents a piece at distributor prices, unlike the 6-10 dollars end users would pay.

This is the perfect companion knife for a large fixed-blade when you need to do something with a little more precision. The blade is two inches, which is a bit shorter than most "small" fixed-blades, but I consider this an advantage--it makes the knife far more controllable and gives it a clear, defined specialized use, whereas 3-inchers are more "jack of all trades, master of none". The micarta scales are grippy and comfortable, and everything about the construction is solid.

Not much more to say about these scales. They look good, they're grippy, and they're comfortable to hold. I wish they came with mounting hardware--the screws that came with my BK-7 rusted kind of quickly--but otherwise I've got no complaints.

Short of going for softer aluminum, these are the lightest takedown pins on the market. The drilled-out look is darn aesthetic too, especially with the raw Ti finish, and I'd highly recommend these for anyone putting together a 'premium' build. Knocking off one star because the springs and detents aren't included with the pins. It's not a big deal to buy your own, but they're also a requirement for installing any takedown pins--why would 2A leave them out?

It's a titanium screw. Finish is good and threads into my receiver just fine. Although pistol grip screws aren't exactly heavy, the difference between this and the milspec screw is noticeable both on paper and how it feels in the hand. Not necessary or really recommended on a standard build, but for those who are actively trying to run as light a gun as possible this is a good consideration. No risk of galling thanks to anodized receivers, so this is safe to use on either a duty build or a competition gun.

This wrench is forged from think, high quality steel. It includes hardware for torquing down all the major parts of an AR--the barrel nut, the castle nut, the flash hider and muzzle device. The recommended torque values for all of these are roll-marked onto the handle as well, which is a nice touch. I can't quite give the wrench five stars because of compatability issues, however. The closed loop of the castle nut wrench means it isn't compatible with certain kinds of receiver extensions; the standard buffer tubes will work fine, but if your extension is thicker than normal (such as pistol buffer tubes), or has an integrated stock or similar protrusion, you won't be able to use this wrench.

Holosun has a reputation for making solid, budget-oriented red dot sights. The HE515CM is a higher end sight, with a price tag of 380 compared to the 160-250 range of their more popular models. However, even at this price point the savings are still excellent compared to the offerings from more established brands--The Trijicon MRO, the most comparable optic to this sight, is a hundred dollars more expensive when shipped with a mount. And yet for that reduced cost, Holosun's offering has so much additional value. Both the MRO and the HE515CM are made from 7075 aluminum, with an IP68 waterproofing rating--the durability, in other words, is essentially identical. And the holosun comes with a solar panel, the auto-shutoff feature, auto brightness adjust, lens caps, and a killflash--features not included in the price tag of the MRO. The immense amount of value over the big names, even at this "high end" price point, once again earns Holosun some respect from me for their products.

Construction quality is good, foam cells are nice and thick. With a 16" barrel and a rifle-length stock (A2 length or a fully-extended collapsible) my rifle is just short enough to fit. However, even with a micro-sized red dot sight there's very little clearance between my optic and the edge of the case. If you have optics mounted on your AR I'd highly recommend measuring the vertical height before buying, to make sure your gun will actually fit in this case.

I slipped this buffer system into my newest lightweight build and it shoots like a dream. The recoil is soft and smooth--despite my gun being a lightweight build (just under 5 lbs), I felt less recoil with this build than I have with heavier milspec rifles. Installation is dead easy too, as it's a one-piece system that slips straight into the buffer tube. If you're willing to pay the premium this is a choice upgrade for your AR.

I bought the 12" version of this handguard, and it's a wonder to hold. Light as a feather, but despite that it's far more rigid than the woven "basket" design would suggest. It doesn't bend or flex in the slightest under pressure, and so far it's taken day-to-day abuse without issue. The integrated sling swivel stud is a nice touch--it means I don't need to buy an M-lok backing plate or sling mount. In general, I'd say the ATLAS model is best for anyone that wishes to accessorize his rifle while also retaining a lightweight handguard. You have enough space for the "standard" complement of accessories--backup front sight, flash light, IR laser, sling swivel on the stud, and a bipod on the bottom. Alternatively, you could choose to use the sling swivel as a bipod mount instead, as there are several bipods that mount onto this kind of swivel. I'm also a fan of the barrel nut's attachment system. After torquing on and timing the barrel nut, the handguard threads on separately, and is secured using a jam nut which screws is threaded to turn in the opposite direction of the handguard. This allows the user to precisely orient the handguard to the desired orientation, and simply tighten the jam nut to secure it--a very flexible and relatively hassle-free system.