Beretta 1301 Tactical

[WobblyPossum]

I'm running a TLR-1 on this mount, now. It looks goofy as shit, in my opinion, with a slightly too-big pistol light hanging off the side of the slightly-too-big rail. But it puts the tailcap right where I need it, where my thumb likes to sit anyways.

So it looks stupid and works well.

Good to know. My mount should be delivered on Tuesday. I just wish the Federal Flite Control #1 Buck load was still available. I’ve got a few boxes of the 8 pellet Flite Control 00 Buck remaining so I’m not too worried, but I’ve always wanted to try the #1. I’m hoping Federal gets the kinks worked out and resumes production and sale.

As time goes on, I find that I’m beginning to agree more and more with @Dagga Boy’s notion that a shotgun is more appropriate for the likely scenarios in which someone would use a long gun to defend their home and an AR style weapon is more appropriate to scenarios where you call 911 and find out no one is coming to help you. Yes, I did recently listen to the P&S episode about non-standard defensive weapons that DB was just on.

[TheRoland]

Today, it lives with 4 00 Federal LE buck in the tube with an empty chamber, so it's very much not an AR with a 30 round magazine. I'll be adding a way to hang additional shells on the gun.

As time goes on, I find that I’m beginning to agree more and more with @Dagga Boy’s notion that a shotgun is more appropriate for the likely scenarios in which someone would use a long gun to defend their home and an AR style weapon is more appropriate to scenarios where you call 911 and find out no one is coming to help you. Yes, I did recently listen to the P&S episode about non-standard defensive weapons that DB was just on.

I have not listened to this yet, but that seems like a reasonable position. I still want a reload available.

[WobblyPossum]

I like the combination of Velcro and the Vang Comp shotgun cards. @TCinVA has posted about why they’re superior to the other elastic side saddle options.

[TheRoland]

I like the combination of Velcro and the Vang Comp shotgun cards. @TCinVA has posted about why they’re superior to the other elastic side saddle options.

I searched but couldn't come up with a detailed post. Are you willing to comment on this again @TCinVA?

I was eyeing the much smaller 4-shell estac cards but they don't have a great reputation for staying viable long term.

[Flyboytim]

Yes, I did recently listen to the P&S episode about non-standard defensive weapons that DB was just on.

Hey there DanM...
Can you provide a link to the P&S episode of which you refer to here???
TIA,
Tim

[WobblyPossum]

Hey there DanM...
Can you provide a link to the P&S episode of which you refer to here???
TIA,
Tim

Here’s a link to the YouTube video. I don’t remember how to embed videos directly into a post.

[vaspence]

I searched but couldn't come up with a detailed post. Are you willing to comment on this again @TCinVA?

I was eyeing the much smaller 4-shell estac cards but they don't have a great reputation for staying viable long term.

Not TC (but I did take his class!). On his recommendation I purchased the Vang Comp shell cards and haven't looked back. I have used the same shot card and 5 Fiocchi dummy shells for practicing reloads, malfunctions, etc. hundreds of times of times in the last 2 months and it still doesn't look any different from the new ones I have. The Fiocchi dummy shells have held up great also. I am tempted to cut one down though since Vang doesn't offer a 4 or 5 round card that I'm aware of.

[Flyboytim]

Here’s a link to the YouTube video. I don’t remember how to embed videos directly into a post.

Awesome! I’ll have a listen. Thanks Dan...

[TCinVA]

I searched but couldn't come up with a detailed post. Are you willing to comment on this again @TCinVA?

I was eyeing the much smaller 4-shell estac cards but they don't have a great reputation for staying viable long term.

Spence beat me to the punch, but sure.



I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out the best way to keep spare ammo on the gun. I tried everything out there. The Tac-Stars were functional, but would wear and require holding shells rim up. Mesa produces beautifully made side saddles that are terrible in practice. The rubber tubing that provides tension on the shells in the carrier is too stiff to get the shells out when new, hits a sweet spot after you work with it a bit that lasts for like two weeks, and then starts raining shells if you carry rim down. Requiring replacing the rubber tubing and starting the whole sad process over.

I tried the velcro shell cards and didn't find a single one that lasted more than a week of my dryfire practice.

Then I found the Vang Comp cards and gave them a shot. It was obvious how different they were from the moment I opened the package and after using it hard for literally years I haven't killed my original one yet.

The flexibility is nice because it allows you to be really aggressive in driving the shell into your hand, and it allows you to get the shell clear of the saddle earlier by letting you torque the shell out rather than requiring you to drive the shell completely out of the carrier like the rigid carriers do. This provides significant advantage in speed, but most importantly to accommodating a wider range of physiology and differences in technique that may be required due to the variance in physical makeup.

The great thing about the Vangs is that you can stretch the daylights out of the loops over and over and over again without reducing their flexibility or their ability to effectively retain shells.

They're fast, they're incredibly durable, and they're cheap.

And when I say "fast" I mean in class I regularly demonstrate starting in a low ready, one shot on target to an empty gun, an emergency reload, and a followup shot in less than 2 seconds. The actual load time is usually between 1.3 and 1.7 seconds with the 1301.

It's certainly possible to go faster with something like a Match Saver, but that's a unique manipulation for a single shell in a device that has a spotty reputation for holding on to that shell.

The Vang is far more practical because it stays on the gun, retains the shells effectively, and the emergency load manipulation works for all the shells that are carried on it so you aren't learning a dedicated manipulation for something that may not be there if the feces has hit the fan.

At the moment they only come in a 6 shell configuration, but hopefully in the near future there will be a 4 shell version forthcoming.

If you don't want to carry the full 6, I'd suggest loading the most forward four slots because they are closest to the ejection port and that eases loading a tad.

I attach mine by degreasing the receiver of my gun and laying down industrial strength velcro as shown in the photo above. This works just fine. And it, too, is cheap.

[rob_s]

I'm seeing two versions of this I think. You guys seem to be sticking it right to the gun with velcro that's adhesive-backed and stuck on. But I'm also seeing this version that looks to provide a plate to hold the velcro and then the card sticks to that?
https://vangcomp.com/product/vcs-det...ition-carrier/

Or do you just buy this guy, some industrial strength 1.5-2" wide velcro, and stick the velcro directly to the gun?
https://vangcomp.com/product/vcs-det...extra-carrier/