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INDEPENDENCE DAY
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If you have been a subscriber for a while, you know the drill. If you are new to this newsletter, my annual Independence Day missive always starts the same:
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Half of 2024 is already behind us. In a few days, we will be celebrating our Nation's "independence." Independence is defined as "a condition of freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others." How do you define independence? How do you celebrate it? Is it just a day off work? Is it a fireworks display? Is it a weekend of relaxation and rest that are, as Sam Adams expressed it 250 years ago: "the tranquility of servitude?" ..or do we still value that "animated contest of freedom?"
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Since 2020, it has felt (to me anyways) like we have had precious little "independence" to celebrate. While the future is uncertain, there are some recent developments we can be thankful for. On the legal front: the end of Chevron Deference is a major blow to the administrative state and ATF over-reach such as the "engaged in the business" rule. The Supreme Court has struck down the bump-fire stock ban. This is another victory - whether or not you see any value in bump-fire stocks. The "frame or receiver" rule is currently being challenged and if the current trend holds, that will be struck down as well. Don't relax your vigilance!
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Many years ago I was the safety manager for a Unionized facility in Northwest Ohio. The relationship between management and the union was typically stressed and as contract negotiations time approached, it was common to begin receiving visits from OSHA and the EPA from "employee complaints," not to mention allegations of software pirating, even a call to the police that the company was holding one of the worker's hostage! To be fair, management responded in kind with more forced overtime, denied personal leave, and stricter enforcement of company policies. These were pressures applied in an attempt to bully the other side and soften them up prior to negotiations. As we get nearer and nearer to the presidential elections, I anticipate we can expect similarly applied pressures in the form of social unrest, foreign distractions, probably financial and security threats as well. Be aware of it, be prepared for it, don't participate or give in to it!
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How you spend your time during the upcoming holiday weekend is a personal decision, but I would charge you that amidst your recreations, you should do at least one thing this week that will help you achieve an improved stance of "independence," whether that is paying off a debt, building your personal supplies, assembling a preparedness kit, breaking a bad habit, investing in some training, or learning a new skill. Make it a family tradition. As we celebrate independence, let us be confident that we can individually be independent.
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DESIGNATED MARKSMAN RIFLE
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Speaking of signing up for classes, I had to cancel the pistol class this year due to low enrollment and some last-minute withdrawals. If you are interested in a pistol class, get in touch with me and if I can get a few folks together, we will re-schedule. The New Mexico Pistol and Carbine class scheduled for the end of September still have only one registration. The good news is, the next class on the 20th of this month, Designated Marksman Rifle class, has 5 registrations already and is shaping up to be a good class.
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In this one-day curriculum, we have to focus on the capabilities of Designated Marksman-type rifles such as the RECCE, Mk12, Mk14, and M110. Any accurized AR with a magnifying optic, preferably in the 1-8X, 2-10X, or similar range will be ideal for this class. Accurized AR10's, M-14's or other semi-autos like the SCAR-17 are also good choices for this class.
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For this class, we will be doing a fair amount of shooting in the prone position and modified field positions. You will want your rifle to be equipped with a bipod for this class. We will be talking about using natural and improvised supports like shooting sticks and tripods. This is an advanced class and it is preferred that you have already taken either a carbine or precision rifle class from us or another credible instructors, or be a somewhat experienced shooter.
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This class will be held on July 20, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Fremont County Sportsman's Club in St. Anthony, Idaho.
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UPPER RECEIVERS
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Did you miss your chance for an Adaptive Defense Armory rifle? I don't have lower receivers or complete rifles anymore, but you can still get one of our upper receiver groups. These builds begin with a T-marked government-contract M-4 upper receiver laser engraved with our logo. Barrel flanges are "trued" for top-notch accuracy. Builds feature our handguards and gas blocks with black nitrided gas tubes. These are available in mid-length or rifle-length configurations. (Carbine-length builds for pistols and SBRs are also available - contact us for more info).
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The mid-length configurations are available with:
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1.) 16-inch classic chrome-lined and parkerized government profile barrel with a 1-in-7" rifling twist
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$500 plus shipping and tax
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2.) 16-inch classic chrome-lined and parkerized "HBAR" heavy barrel contour with a 1-in-7" twist
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$500 plus shipping and tax
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3.) 16-inch "premium black" medium contour nitrided stainless barrel with a 1-in-8" rifling twist
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$525 plus shipping and tax
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The rifle-length configurations are available with:
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1.) 18-inch "premium black" Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) profile barrel with 1-in-8" rifling twist
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$550 plus shipping and tax
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2.) 20-inch classic chrome-lined and parkerized "HBAR" heavy barrel contour with a 1-in-7" twist
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$550 plus shipping and tax
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Since some folks prefer to outfit their uppers with their own muzzle device, charging handle, and bolt, these uppers don't include these parts. I do have bolts and new ambidextrous charging handles on the way that should be available soon. These will be from Battle Arms Development, who are fine-tuning the laser engraving. When these are available, I will also be offering uppers fully assembled with these parts.
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NEW PRODUCT UNDER DEVELOPMENT
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A2 flash hiders are effective and inexpensive, but... let's face it: boring. I've been working on a flash hider design that incorporates popular, effective features with some unique enhancements. These are the first drawings that have already been sent to the machine shop. They will be made from 4140 steel and black-nitrided like our gas blocks. The angular fluting causes the design to be self-tightening and the cutouts in the front allow the flash hider to be lined-up on rebar, lock hasps, or other rod or wire barriers to facilitate ballistic breaching. They are the same diameter as the A2 flash hider and feature a wider 3/4" hexagonal profile for solid wrench engagement to mount or remove. Flash hiders shouldn't be mounted with excessive force. The last physical influence on the projectile is the last portion of the barrel and the "crown." This is also the thinnest portion of the barrel. Over-tighening a muzzle device on these threads can cause stretching and distortion of this critical section of barrel. For this reason, the US Army Marksmanship Unit rifle builders mount flash hiders only "hand tight," using spacers or shims to properly "time" the orientation of the muzzle device. I do the same with my builds, adding a drop of Rocksett, a high-temperature thread-locking adhesive. These are designed to be effective flash hiders, not muzzle brakes. They will have minimal or no recoil-reducing effect, but they also won't deflect blast to the shooters on the line at your left and right. They will be theaded 1/2 X 28 to fit standard AR muzzle threads and have a bore diameter of .270" which means they will work for 6mm ARC, 6.5mm Grendel, and probably 6.8 SPC as well with 1/2" X 28 thread pattern muzzles. If timing works out, I anticipate these will be ready to go by the end of September. If you are interested in one of these, keep an eye on our website and newsletters.
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GOT ANYTHING TO TRADE?
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Would you like to attend a class, but don't have the spare cash for tuition or ammunition right now? Then let's make a deal: if you have shooting, tactical, or survival gear taking up space, I might be interested in a trade. You can clean out your extra gear for class tuition and/or ammo and it will help me help out other ADC Alumni who might need what you have. Fair game would be holsters, optics, gun parts and accessories (sorry, no firearms or receivers), anything in serviceable condition. Send me an email with what you've got to trade and we'll see what kind of deal we can work out that will make us both happy!
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In the meantime, I have a few optics that I'm looking to give someone a deal on. The first is a Trijicon Credo 2.5-10 first focal plane, mil/mil optic. This is an excellent choice for a DMR or hunting rifle with just enough magnification for these activities.
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The CREDO is an illuminated-reticle optic with a 30mm tube and high-quality Japanese glass. These can be found retail as low as $970, but I am selling my used, excellent condition 2.5-10 FFP Credo with flip-up caps for $800 or would be willing to trade for a used Trijicon TA-01 in excellent condition.
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I'm also looking to part with this Blackhound Optics Emerge 3-24 FFP/MRAD/Illuminated optic:
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If anyone is interested in either of these optics, send me an email and let's chat!
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ADC logo Hat
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Vintage Washed Twill Cap with ADC logo. Velcro closure.
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$20.00 +tax (where applicable)
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ADC Cotton T-Shirt
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Available in Small, Medium, Large, XL, and XXL. $20.00 +tax (where applicable)
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SWAG pack
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Includes Hat, T-shirt, Shield patch, and Glow-in-the-dark patch.
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$52.00 Original price was: $52.00.$40.00Current price is: $40.00. +tax (where applicable)
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FINAL THOUGHTS
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I hope you and your families have a safe and happy 4th of July. I have vague memories of a fireworks display my uncles set off when I was a young lad, sometime in the late 1970's. Quantities of alcohol may or may not have been involved by those responsible, but the main problem was the box where the rest of the fireworks were being held was on the same table that was being used as a platform to launch the fireworks - what could possibly go wrong? In any case, it only took a few minutes for sparks to get into the main box of fireworks. The table they were on tipped over and pointed directly at everyone watching. My most vivid memories of that display consist of a few brief moments of confusion sheltering behind a lawn chair that was getting pelted with rockets and various other pyrotechnic progeny. Not the prettiest fireworks display I've ever witnessed, but certainly an exciting one.
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If you set off your own fireworks, exercise due caution. Some of the new stuff has gotten very efficient and seems to be more powerful than what the typical Class-C fireworks allow. Treat fireworks the same way you would treat firearms:
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- Treat all fireworks as if they are ready to fire. Never trust a dud!
- Keep fireworks that launch projectiles like rockets, mortars, roman candles, fountains, etc... pointed in a safe direction. Make sure they are positively anchored before lighting the fuse. Be aware of the effects of wind that can blow things over and blow rockets and debris off-course.
- Keep the ignition source away from the fuse until the device is ready to fire and oriented in a safe direction. Most firework instructions recommend placing the item on the ground before lighting the fuse, rather than lighting and throwing the device. Fireworks fuses are notoriously unreliable and can burn extremely fast. In the heat of the moment, I have seen people light a fuse then throw the lighter and have rockets and firecrackers ignite in their hands.
- Observe appropriate hazard zones and impact areas for fireworks. Make sure spectators remain at a safe distance. Rockets can break and change course during flight - going in unexpected directions. Mortars can experience "low breaks" and explode in the tube or just out of the tube, spreading flaming debris in all directions. Don't launch fireworks near combustible structures, foliage, or anything else that can be easily set on fire. You Northern New Mexico folks, especially my Los Alamos and Jemez folks... probably better if you avoid fireworks altogether.
On top of those basic rules, don't take fireworks apart or mix fireworks powders from different devices. As someone who has spent significant time studying pyrotechnic and explosives safety, I can tell you with confidence that chemical incompatibilities between various fireworks components are very common. Mixing powders can turn a "relatively save" formulation into a shock- or friction-sensitive explosive. Never put exploding fireworks into metal containers that can turn a noisemaker into a fragmentation grenade. Keep pets indoors or safely restrained during fireworks displays. There are already reports on the local social media of lost dogs, etc... that ran off during fireworks displays.
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If you attend a professional display, keep in mind that those fireworks can suffer the same malfunctions as the stuff you can buy at the corner fireworks stand. The difference is, they are MUCH more powerful. I know of at least one instance where a professional display launched a "dud" device into the spectator area. A bystander picked up a piece of the device that landed on the ground near her, right before it exploded and took off her thumb. Never trust a "dud!"
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By all means - celebrate Independence Day the way our founders envisioned, but please do it responsibly!
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"—I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."
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