The Art of Tactical Camouflage

While thumbing through the February 6, 2007 issue of Guns&Ammo's Combat Tactics magazine, I came across an interesting article titled "Tactical Spray Paint" by Alfred Cripps. From eyeballin' the title of this article, the first obvious thing that came to mind was camouflaging your rig. I was expecting the usual camo patterns found on catalogues that look too perfect that they're no longer camouflaged...those paint jobs that have absolutely no blending of colors done by individuals who are more worried about how thier rigs are going to look on a picture rather than the tactical purpose of camouflaging your rig to begin with...if you know what I mean. Needless to say, my expectations were dead wrong.

Enter the work of Jesse Gorham of Three Wolves Tactical.

Cited from his website: Located in the high desert of the Eastern Sierra, Three Wolves Tactical is owned and operated by Jesse Gorham, a full time police officer in California since 1988. Jesse conducts his Three Wolves business in his off time. In addition to his investigative duties, he is one of three department Rangemasters. Initially Jesse started working his trade on Department owned weapons (sniper rifles and Glocks) and the personal weapons of his colleagues. As word of his work spread, local area shooters sought him out to paint hunting rifles. In October 2004, Jesse published his own web site and is offering his services to anyone in need of his skills. In addition to his skills as a gunsmith/armorer and artist, Jesse is a highly skilled shooter, both handgun and long rifle, and a certified trainer in both disciplines.

Jesse does all of his work by hand resulting in paint jobs that are all individually uniquie. He uses high quality flat enamel paint. 4-5 applications of enamel paint & 2 applications of clear coat go on each rig. One of the reasons I decided to have Jesse paint my rig is because I didn't want to be locked in to one specific camo pattern as you are when using some of the more permanent methods(i.e. - Duracoat, Ceracoat, etc.)...definitely comes into play when you're working in different operational environments. All you have to do is simply strip the paint off and apply a new camo pattern. I've been told that touch ups were extremely easy, but I can bet my work will be nowhere near compared to the talented hand of Jesse's. Turn around time for my rig was only a couple of weeks and you just can't beat his prices! No matter what type of camo pattern you want on your rig, Jesse can probably reproduce it...from tiger stripe to digital patterns...you name it. You'd be amazed at what he can do. Just check out his website for detailed pics (courtesy of Ichiro Nagata) of the camo jobs he's done for customers. You won't be disappointed.

Here are before and after pics of my rig.

Before:



and After:







(Photographs Courtesy of Jesse Gorham)

Thanks Jesse.

From a more than satisfied customer.

-Doc

DPMS Panther AP-4, AR-15 Carbine

RANGE REPORT - AS PROMISED

I promised a range report when the temperature dropped below 100 degrees and the monsoons went away. On Thursday, 8/2/2007, the temperature dropped to 99 degrees and the rain stopped, so I loaded up and went to the range. Unfortunately, it was also 40% humidity, so it was a bit muggy. Here is the review of the rifle that I sent to DPMS at their request.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: DPMS Panther AP-4 Carbine
Model: RFA2-AP4
Type: AR-15 flat top carbine with removable carry handle and 6 position collapsible stock.
Caliber: 5.56x45mm
Barrel Length: 16”
Rifle Length: 36 3/8”
Weight: 7 lbs. empty
Capacity: 30 rounds
Price as delivered: $904.00

Out of the Box:
The first item of note was that the rifle came in a rifle case from the manufacturer. The case is not of high quality, but adequate to protect the rifle in transit. The finish on the rifle was excellent. The lightly textured black Teflon finish showed no obvious blemishes. The rifle came with a nylon sling and cleaning kit. The second item of note was the magazines, which are aluminum, mil-spec magazines from D&H Industries. The notable item is that the magazines are Teflon coated like the upper and lower receivers on the rifle. This is a nice touch that may extend the life of the finish on the magazines.

Closer Inspection:
Closer inspection of the rifle showed no blemishes in the finish. All metal parts on the entire rifle are well oiled by the manufacturer to prevent rust and corrosion prior to it arriving in the buyer’s hands. While cleaning and inspecting the rifle, I noted that the inside of the bolt carrier is hard chromed to limit wear from the movement of the bolt and gas rings. The upper and lower receivers fit together tightly. The bolt carrier cycles smoothly. The trigger is a bit heavy. It is crisp, with very little feeling of it creeping, like most AR-15 rifles do. All in all, the fit and function of the weapon is excellent.

Range Report:
The rifle was fired from 25 and 50 yards. It was accurate right out of the box, requiring no adjustment to set the sights to zero. The rifle functioned flawlessly through 140 rounds. It patterned 3 inch groups at 50 yards from a standing position, off hand, with no rest or support. Magazines from 3 manufactures, D&H Industries, Colt, and Adventureline, were used in the rifle. All 3 manufacturer’s magazines fed perfectly, and dropped free from the rifle without assistance. I feel as though my range report is a bit short and uneventful, but that was the way the AP-4 performed. It was uneventful at the range. The rifle was reliable out of the box, and didn’t seem to require any break in period. It shot well, without any hiccups.

Conclusion:
This is a fine example of an AR-15 carbine. I have owned and fired AR-15 rifles from many manufacturers, including big name companies and small custom shops. This rifle stacks up to any big name company’s offering, and exceeds the offering of some of the small custom shops as well. The DPMS rifle shows as good or better quality than most other carbines on the market, and they do it for a price below most other manufacturers. This is an excellent product at an excellent price.

UPDATE - Target Pics

At the request if Shadow 6, I now have target pics from this rifle. I made another trip to the range on 8/7/07 to function test a Magpul PMAG, and took the DPMS Panther along to get targets for Shadow 6. The PMAG functioned flawlessly, by the way. Next test for the PMAG - dashboard of a patrol car in Arizona summer heat. (Yes, the mag is unloaded.)

First volley - 5 rounds, 50 yards, standing, off hand - no rest.

Second volley - 5 rounds, 50 yards, standing, off hand, no rest.

This one is a different rifle. This is a POF-USA, 9.25" barrel, short barreled rifle. This 5 shot volley was fired from 50 yards, off hand, no rest. I realize there are only 4 holes. The 5th was one of those stealth bullets that doesn't appear on radar, or infrared, or paper targets. In other words, I missed the damned target. :-)

Take care and be safe,

SAO1911