Pistol Stabilizing Brace

With arm braces once again on the menu thanks to a court injunction, SB Tactical has released a new model. The SBA5 is adjustable through five positions and will fit most common large-format pistols. Let’s see how it compares to its predecessors.

9mm PCCs have been one of the fastest-growing sub-sections of the firearms industry and with so many offerings out there already, it’s hard to stand out. When I first heard about Extar USA and their virtually all-polymer firearms, I was almost certain that they had to be cheaply made import guns. To my surprise, it was the exact opposite and it’s the first reason why I really like the EP9 for what it is. Extar USA was founded in 1995 and was one of the first manufacturers of molded polymer rifle caliber receiver sets. The Extar EP9 was released just a short while ago, and the much anticipated and desired EP9 Carbine followed shortly afterward. With the recent release of the EP9 Carbine, I thought it was finally time to give you all my review of the EP9 “large format pistol” that I’ve been shooting for the last several months. Today I’ll give you some insight into where the platform excels, what I think it’s good for, and where it might fall short for some shooters with specific shooting tastes.

Palmetto State Armory came out swinging this year at SHOT Show with a ton of prototype and concept guns. Hop stopped by to take a look at the most talked about concept so far: the X5.7 PDW. The X5.7 is chambered in 5.7x28mm like PSA’s own Rock pistol and uses the same magazines. Some aspects of the X5.7 PDW are still being refined, but it will have a spring-loaded pistol brace, and take standard AR charging handles.

In this episode of TFBTV, Hop checks in with Mike from H&R and NoDakSpud to take a look at the new 633 style 9mm “DOE” AR. H&R has been expanding its lineup of retro and “clone correct” AR builds for the last few years to include 9mm ARs using the Colt stick magazine pattern. The H&R DOE 9mm will be a mostly faithful reproduction with a few subtle tweaks to make it more appealing to shooters.

The FCU X01 came out six years ago. It has been eclipsed by other chassis systems like the Flux Raider but Exo Gunner is making FCU upgrades for it along with some other upgrades for other guns. All thanks to the benefit of 3D CAD and printing.

Strike Industries has just unveiled their new SMC BRAVO Chassis for SIG P320 pistols, which allows much more modularity than a stock pistol. For those not familiar with the SIG P320 pistol series, a major design feature is that the serialized Fire Control Unit (FCU) allows the trigger group to be swapped into various grip moduals and used with various sized slides as well. The SMC BRAVO Chassis is the second such offering from Strike Industries, with the ALPHA being the first. However, the BRAVO is described as being the “lite” version, which will normally be listed at $129.95 compared the ALPHA which was released last year for $549.95. You can read Strike Industries’ description and features below.

Strike Industries is always at the forefront of providing their customers with innovative ways of making their guns more useful for them. The KRISS Vector pistol is one of those rigs that while compact, has limited use without a solid and stable platform to shoot from. Strike Industries is proud to introduce the new Strike KRISS Vector Picatinny Stock Adapter which will allow you to use either a pistol stabilizing brace or a standard rifle stock if you’ve converted your KRISS SDP to an SBR.

TFBTV Show Time coverage is BACK: We’re reporting from TriggrCon 2023 on TFBTV Show Time this week. Remember, that’s a separate channel from the TFBTV Main channel, so don’t forget to subscribe as we’ll be dropping 15-20 videos from TriggrCon 2023 on Show Time this week. We’ll also have a playlist for TriggrCon 2023 videos. To start with, an allegedly perfectly legal buttstock for most handguns – the One Shot. One Shot is a manufacturer of an allegedly legal non-brace stock that works for pistols and is, according to the company reps, in use with special forces units and the United States Secret Service. Sound off about this device in the comments.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many types of guns, gear, shooting sports, and ammunition types! Last week we talked about a recent upgrade that was released for the KelTec P17 pistol. The new optics-ready slide is a cool addition to the pistol’s capabilities but I’m still debating on whether or not it’s a solid recommendation from me as it puts the pistol on the same price scale as the much more reliable and durable SIG P322 or even the classic Ruger Mark IV Lite. If the price were a bit lower for the entire package, I’d say it would be 100% worth picking up – so maybe wait for a sale or something because it’s certainly a lot of fun for a compact lightweight 22LR pistol. Today we’re going to combine the rimfire world with the world of clone builds. As you might have guessed from the title, today we’re talking about the DPMS Model RFA2-KIT or “Kitty Kat.” This pint-sized AR was originally intended to be used by SWAT entry teams which explains the ridiculously short 7″ barrel – even if you’re losing a lot of velocities, 5.56 has more than enough speed left to cause some serious damage at ranges you’d typically encounter baddies at indoors. However, if you’ve built one of these, you know you’re not training to use it for a planned entry – you’re probably mag-dumping it like the rest of us – and that’s expensive. Today we’re going to go over some of my recent experiences combining both Hop’s clone of the DPMS Kitty Kat, as well as CCMG’s latest iteration of their BRAVO 22LR conversion kit – this winning combination makes playing around with the Kitty Kat just a tad bit less expensive, and a whole lot more fun.

A lawsuit spearheaded by the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) has secured a preliminary injunction against the ATF arm brace ban. What exactly does that mean? And who does that apply to? This is all still a little unclear, but let’s take a look at this case and what might be on the horizon.

Recently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives published a major report entitled the National Firearms Commerce And Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA). This report looked at the state of the firearm industry in the United States. It contains information on many interesting trends in America’s gun trade and is worth a detailed study.

Palmetto State Armory needs no introduction; they are one of the biggest names in American firearm manufacturing. Though they started out as an AR-15 supplier, their offerings have grown to include Glock clones, large-frame ARs, and AK-pattern rifles. That AK lineup has expanded from basic AKM rifles to more niche items like the AK-105, a shortened and modernized AK-74. Let’s take a closer look at this pistol and how it runs.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new YHM Turbo T3 5.56 rifle suppressor. Last week we dug through recent news to discover Silencers Ripped From The Headlines. This week we drop back in for a review of the Silencer Central Banish 45 titanium and aluminum modular pistol suppressor. Is it good enough to change my mind about the utility of pistol silencers? No, but it is both fun and quiet. Let’s take a look.

Our friends at Silencer Shop are reminding everyone that in three weeks (April 26, 2023) they plan to stop taking new orders for tax-exempt ATF Form 1  applications. ATF’s deadline to submit all tax-exempt Form 1s is May 31, 2023 but, based on high demand, Silencer Shop expects to stop taking orders by end-of-day on April 26 to ensure all customers have time to complete their submission by ATF’s cutoff.  As a friendly reminder, both TFB & Silencer Shop don’t make the rules or laws, but we want to help you stay informed so you can make the best decision for your situation.

With the on-paper legality of pistol stabilizing braces in question here in the United States, it appears that other countries and their militaries are taking advantage of the same equipment at a firesale price. According to a source within the pistol brace industry, manufacturers have made agreements with dozens of foreign groups to provide them with pistol stabilizer braces for various platforms including the AK-47, M4/AR-15 platform, as well as several large orders for PDW style braces, presumably for MP5 pistol platforms. Although adopting the use of pistol-stabilizing braces may seem strange for a military unit, American Mercenaries have used pistol braces in the past. As the pistol brace amnesty deadline looms over our heads, are pistol brace manufacturers making a desperate move to secure their livelihood?

The successful launch of the Extar USA EP9 was simultaneously met with a demand for a .45 ACP version of the large-format pistol. Extar USA has listened to its customers and is happy to announce the release of the new EP45 featuring a similar recoil system to the one found in the EP9. Extar USA is also heavily emphasizing that their new EP45 will run hollow point ammunition, which has often been a struggle for other firearms chambered in .45 ACP.

With the mad rush on the pistol brace ruling by the ATF, both firearms owners and producers alike are attempting to find ways to salvage their legally possessed firearms without the need to register them under the NFA. Rifle Dynamics is now offering pistol-to-rifle conversions with an additional 20% off select rifle parts as part of their pistol-to-rifle services. This service is for those who don’t want to deal with the NFA and still want to keep their Rifle Dynamics AK without disposing of it or registering it.

CMMG’s Radial Delayed Blowback pistols are some of the most popular options for those looking for a pistol caliber carbine. However, with the recent stirrings in the NFA sphere regarding pistol stabilizing braces, the braced pistol option is quickly falling out of favor. CMMG is attempting to at least salvage part of what you have already by offering up new Radial Delayed Blowback Rifle Conversion Kits in its primary pistol caliber carbine cartridges: .45, 9mm, and 5.7x28mm.

On the virtual eve of SHOT Show 2023, the Department of Justice is amending the regulations surrounding the clarification of firearms that constitute a rifle under federal law. At the heart of the ruling is the factoring criteria for firearms with stabilizing braces. Approximately 10 years ago, the ATF evaluated the first device designed to assist people with disabilities while shooting longer/heavier guns. Since then, the market for ‘pistol stabilizing braces’ grew exponentially, with most major manufacturers offering models with braces. The 300 page ruling focuses on six criteria, including weight and length, length of pull, type of sights, the design of the weapon, advertising materials, and general use throughout the community.

In this episode of TFBTV, Hop reviews the CMMG Dissent, an ultra-compact PDW-style AR chambered in .300 Blackout. The Dissent has a recoil system fully contained in the upper receiver, which allows it to mount a folding stock or brace, and even fire folded. These are also available in 5.7x28mm and 5.56x45mm but .300 Blackout is (of course) the one you want.

The long wait is over! The Strike Modular Chassis ALPHA is here from the folks over at Strike Industries. The Strike Modular Chassis (SMC) was announced way back at the beginning of this year at SHOT Show 2023 and takes your standard P320 fire control group, slide, and barrel, and converts them into a more modular package capable of accepting more attachments. Today Strike Industries is pleased to announce the release of the Strike Modular Chassis Alpha which is their standard length model to match the full-size SIG P320 and its 4.7″ slide and barrel.

At the last SHOT Show, back in January, Strike Industries unveiled a lot of new products. One of which was this Dual Folding Adapter. I was intrigued by it and its potential for a variety of weapons. Strike Industries sent one in for review so let’s take a closer look at it.

Photo Of The Day and we have a great picture of the YKMF-5 9mm AR Side Charging Pistol made by QC10. As you can see, it has been designed for 9x19mm MP5 magazines. The upper and lower have been milled from billet 7075-T6, with Type III hard coat anodizing. The barrel is a QC10 5.5” 9mm, with a Dead Air Silencers Micro Brake. The handguard is a 4.25″ Bowden Tactical and the brace is an SB Tactical PDW. The total weight is 5.14 lbs. The price is $1,775.

Rear folding Picatinny rail stock adapters are insanely popular but often only fold in one direction. The new Strike Dual Folding Adapter is the latest M1913 folding adapter system that can be folded in either direction without having to reconfigure the adapter. This new M1913 adapter will come with both a rear stabilizing brace, as well as a compatible buttpad for use with SBRs or non-NFA rifles.

FoldAR’s compact and quick deploying AR pistols have just received a fresh new update for 2023. The compact folding AR pistols will still remain compliant with NFA regulations keeping them off the registry but will now include a new adjustable gas bolt carrier group, Red Rock Outdoor Gears Large Rover slingpack, as well as a new 300 BLK variant. What’s unique about the FoldAR MoBetta pistols is that they allow the user to have a compact package in virtually any barrel length while remaining reliable due to the adjustable gas block system.

Magpul has expanded their lineup of stabilizing arm braces with the new BDA brace. It is fixed in a single position, unlike their other arm braces.

Foxtrot Mike released their 16″ FM15 upper receiver/rife a couple months back in spring and customers immediately requested a shorter barreled version of it. The company has just introduced the new FM15 12.5 upper receiver! The new 12.5-inch upper is very similar in nature to the 16″ version in that it still retains its non-reciprocating charging handle, low-mass bolt carrier, nested recoil spring assembly, and interlocking gas key and proprietary patent-pending integrated recoil system. Full details on the new pistol/SBR are below.

Volquartsen Firearms has just announced the expansion of their semi-automatic rimfire pistol line with the introduction of the new ENV-HMR pistol chambered in 17 HMR. The success of the 22LR ENV showed Volquartsen and its customers the clear benefits of the platform and now Volquartsen is further expanding on that capability with a hotter, flatter shooting cartridge maintaining all the great features found on the 22LR version of the pistol.

The venerated MP5 design is one that has lasted well beyond its practical use and into the modern age. The MP5 has made itself a comfy home in the minds of American gun owners due to a combination of real-world and fictional portrayals in the hands of operators and action heroes alike. The MP5 is simply a near-ubiquitous design when it comes to the term SMG or submachine gun. However, the trouble with MP5s, especially in the Heckler & Koch manufacture, is they are really hard to get a hold of and on top of that, they’re also insanely expensive. There are a few other great options out there if you’re unwilling to pay two and a half racks for that roller-delayed goodness and today we’re taking a look at one of the more affordable options in the MP5 scene with POF’s (Pakistan Ordnance Factories) SMG MP5 otherwise known as the POF-5. These Pakistan-produced and Arkansas-imported firearms come in at a competitive price, and really have great performance to match if you’re looking to scratch that MP5 itch and don’t really care about the roll mark.

There are really not many firearms in the market chambered in Wilson Combat’s 300 HAM’R cartridge. Four Peaks Tactical is changing that today with the introduction of their new SBR or pistol in 300 HAM’R featuring an 11.3 barrel. The veteran-owned company announced the introduction of this new pistol/SBR on August 8th, which is packed down with lots of premium features and components.