Lead Star Arms Rifles

Tucked away in a corner of Summerville is an amazing place.  An American flag hangs from the ceiling, the sounds of CNC machines fill the air, stacks of aluminum billets sit on pallets, and a three-man team is constantly in motion producing the most precise AR platform rifles in the world.  Welcome to Lead Star Arms. 

The brainchild of Derek Hicks, a US Navy Veteran, he is the nerve center of this enterprise. He is the CEO, CFO, designer of the parts, the IT expert, logistics wizard, janitor and all around HMFIC.  With his right-hand men, Tres and Eric, this team produces the finest and most precise AR Platform rifles I have ever fired. 

“Precision Matters” is the motto of Lead Star Arms and they mean it.  Some companies will have blemish sales but you won’t find that at Lead Star.   Derek will not let anything out of the shop that is not 100% perfect.  These rifles are machined with such tight tolerances, the parts all fit perfectly, the actions are smooth as silk and they just keep running.  They are a thing of beauty to look at and a dream to fire.

As far as complete full size rifles Lead Star Arms offers four different models, the Grunt™, and Grunt™ Enhanced, can be chambered in 2.23/5.56, 7.62x39, .300 Blackout and .458 SOCOM.  The Barrage™ is available in 2.23/5.56, 7.62x39, and .300 Blackout.  

The Barrage

The Grunt Enhanced

The Grunt

The AR Pistol offerings are the Grunt™ Enhanced Pistol and the Havoc™ both are only available in 5.56 and .300 Blackout.  Even though they are pistols that not only look sexy but fire and handle as well as the full-sized rifles.

The Havoc

The Grunt Pistol

I don’t know if they will offer other calibers in the future but Derek is always on the cutting 
 edge and you never know.  They even offer a skeletonized version of them that are designed for 3-Gun competition.  Speaking of which, Lead Star Arms sponsors one of the best 3-Gun shooters in the country, Matt Martini and his Lead Star Arms rifle is one of the most accurate, and beautiful rifles I have ever seen.  I could only wish to fire it one day.  There are other nationally ranked shooters that all have sexy rifles from Lead Star Arms as well.

Truthfully, there are so many options to explore at Lead Star Arms as far as complete rifles, uppers, lowers, builder kits, complete uppers, free float hand guards, charging handles, muzzle breaks, gas blocks, and magazine release buttons, I am going to stick to one for now. Keep checking back for other reviews of their rifles, parts and events.

I knew I was going to own one so Derek and I discussed the different calibers, colors, and I eventually settled on the 7.62x39 Barrage to be my rifle. I have carried, slept with, lived with, and fired a LOT of AR platform rifles in my career.  I started carrying an old M-16A1, yep the old school triangle grips and everything, moved to an A2, Carried a GAU-5 in Iraq and finished up my career toting an M-4 around.   In between firing my issued rifles, I had friends that owned other AR Platforms that I got to fire.  Working with different US Military units, both conventional and non-conventional I have seen and fired just about every mod of an AR out there.  Some were better than others, some were worn out paper weights that should have been de-miled and put in a museum or melted down.  Some were so tricked out with every bell and whistle and were nail drivers.  Lead Star Arms rifles are head and shoulders above all of them in my book.

The first time I saw a Lead Star Arms Rifle I was immediately taken with the pure lines and sexiness of the rifle.  The high quality, precision milling stands out.  It is clean and each line is perfectly placed for fit, function or just to make it look awesome.  From the scalloped forms of the upper and lower receiver to the small details and name of the company milled into the rifle with the same precision.  These are not a typical AR platform.  Inherently lighter than your typical AR, they range from about 6 to 6.7 pounds.  The skeletonized versions are on the lower end of the scale. 

Lead Star Arms rifles take down the same as any other AR, the upper and lower function the same way as a typical AR.  Once you pick one up the precision stands out.  Nothing rattled, everything was in such tight tolerance they just worked flawlessly. 

This rifle shoots as good as it looks.  The recoil is less than I expected and every round fed and fired like clockwork.  I have put about 600 rounds through her and not one stoppage.  The feel of this rifle is like it was made for my hands.  Comfortable to hold, easy to find the cheek weld, and getting a consistent sight picture is a dream.  The trigger has almost no creep and is crisp.  Releasing the mag is smooth and the magazine, even the crappy pro-mag I have, releases smoothly yet is held securely in place when seated.  The bolt slides forward to battery as if it too was specifically made for this rifle.  Nothing on this rifle is out of place, or sticks.  It runs and runs and runs.  You keep feeding her, she keeps spitting out rounds. 
 

For anyone looking for a high end, precision AR platform I urge you to check out Lead Star Arms.   You will not be disappointed with them.  Their website is LEAD STAR ARMS and you can view on up close and personally at Palmetto State Armory in Summerville, if they have on one the shelf, they tend to not stay on display long.    If you hit up the Lead Star Arms website there is a contact us where you can get into touch with Derek himself and he is always ready to discuss his rifles and answer your questions. 

Train right and train for success

Training.  We have all heard the old adage “practice makes perfect”, but we all know it really should be “perfect practice makes perfect”.    Whether you are a seasoned shooter learning a new skill or technique or a first day shooting rookie, you need to ensure your training is up to par and is perfect in execution.  Only when you ensure it is perfect can you build the right muscle memory and be able to rely on that skill when it counts.  

First and foremost, make sure you start slow.  Walk through your drills slowly, deliberately, analyze each movement. Visualize this in your head first, then move to dry fire and make sure you are doing it smoothly and correctly.  I spent countless hours in my bathroom mirror looking at my draw, grip and stance.  I do suggest finding someone to look at your technique.  Someone who has experience who can give you a once over to see if you have any bad habits.  This may be taking a class at your local shop or having a friend you know that can help you.  Once you feel comfortable and feel you have it down, move to the range and encompass all this into a live fire drill.  With this, start slow here as well.  Visualize, dry fire, then shoot.  This combined with practice is the only way to ensure your skills are honed.  I can’t stress enough about dry fire.

Once you have put that time in and learned it, if you need that skill, muscle memory and monkey brain will take over and it works the way it is supposed to before you realize it.  I have experienced this personally in Iraq.  Things went bad, bullets started flying and before I knew what I was doing I was already behind cover and was scanning for a target.   The side of the Humvee where I was standing, was riddled with bullet marks and a few holes.  I’d like to think my training had something to do with none of those holes being in me.  

I started on my journey by attending classes that our squadron paid for to give us a better understanding of combat and how to react and operate. As a Combat Photojournalist we spent a lot of time with front line Army units and usually found ourselves on the front lines documenting combat operations. We weren’t infantrymen but we did know their skills and how they did things.  More than a few times we had to drop our cameras and pick up a rifle and these classes and training helped make sure our folks came home.  I always had outstanding instructors who started us out crawling (dry fire) walking (slow fire drills) and then running (full speed drills).  We spent as much time as we needed to make sure we were learning correctly. I put in thousands of hours dry firing, making sure my muscle memory was built in.  I was identified and then sent to instructor classes to learn how to teach these skills to others and new folks in our unit.  Tactical Rifle, Tactical Pistol and CQB instructor classes were my forte.   I went to several instructor level classes, learning new stuff from each that I incorporated into our squadron training. 

I always started my classes with the simple task of holding the weapon.  Yes, it sounds basic, but you have to crawl first.  Once we made sure they were holding their weapon correctly we then progressed to the draw and re-holster drills, reloads, then putting it together, how to draw and fire.  Using snap-caps we worked on trigger pull and firing.  Once they were comfortable we moved onto live fire.  We would drill this over and over.  The other instructors and I always watching to make sure it was done correctly and smoothly and above all safely.  Students would try to go fast from the start.  My favorite quote from an instructor, “Always learn to be smooth, smooth is fast and fast is smooth.”  It is so true.  Make sure you are smooth and speed will come.  Once we had the mechanics down, we progressed to more advanced tactics.  This is where you learn more advanced shooting skills, like moving and multiple targets like you find in 3-Gun.  

To sharpen your skills for competition or to hone them to protect yourself and family train the same way.  Learn how it is done perfectly and make sure you mirror that until you have that muscle memory.  The more you train the smoother you get, the smoother you get, the faster you get.  

A friend recently got a new pistol and asked me to show him how to shoot.  He wasn’t happy about the slow start, and he wasn’t happy about the dry fire but once we got to the range he saw the difference it made.  He is becoming a very good shot and his accuracy is improving. 

The thing tp remember is, if it’s a new skill or sharpening an old one, do it right, and do it often.  I know Palmetto State Armory offers classes and most other ranges offer classes or have experienced folks that can take time to help you.  

Safe and Happy Shooting to you all.

Smith and Wesson M&P 9c Compact

Recently I was offered an amazing deal on a pistol.  The pistol in question, the S&W 9c.  I have fired S&W pistols before, knew about them but never owned one.  It was too good to pass up so I am now the proud new owner of a S&W 9c.  This is a full factory settings gun.  No aftermarket sights, triggers.  No custom coatings, stippling or anything.  Before I owned it my buddy had fired probably 100 rounds though it.  It was clean and solid so I am very happy.

At first sight I liked the lines of the pistol.  It looked mean, it looked smooth and fit my hand well.  The magazine was too short and my pinky finger wrapped around the bottom of the mag, but the rest of the grip felt molded to my hand.  Spoiler alert - This is the only drawback I found for this pistol.  I had been looking for a compact for every day carry but still wanted to keep the full sized punch.  The shield was an option but single stack guns usually get lost in my paws.

The polymer frame and stainless steel slide, covered with a factory Armornite® finish, it fits seamlessly and weighing in at just over 24 ounces it is very well balanced and light enough to shoot for a while comfortably.  The S&W 9c action is smooth, the slide racks and loads flawlessly.  There is a small Picatinny-style rail up front, no light as of yet but it is nice to know its ready.   The ambidextrous slide catch is a nice touch.  As a former tactical pistol instructor I learned a long time ago to shoot and manipulate any weapon with both hands.  It makes teaching South-Paws easier and helps them catch on quicker.  

with the 12 round mag included

 The only downside to this gun was the short 12-round mag.  After a little research I found Xgrips.  These are well basically a spacer between the end of the magazine and mag well.  I nabbed a couple full sized S&W magazines and a couple Xgrips.  The fit makes this a whole different game.  Now this pistol fits my hand like a true glove.  Yes it stick out more and I guess some would not consider it compact anymore, but I am a big guy and I can still strap it in my Muddy River TacticalIWB holster and its still concealed.

Full size mag with the Xgrip

I grabbed some ammo and headed for my local range.  Palmetto State Armory has opened a new store near me in Summerville SC and their indoor range is top notch.  I set up my target at the 15 yard line and lined up the sights and gave her hell.  The recoil was typically 9mm but the recovery seemed instant.  I was able to fire three rounds in quick succession and all the rounds stayed in a small four inch group.  I was slapping the trigger, just seeing what it would do.  I was impressed.  I controlled my breathing, lined up my sights and worked through all the drills I knew.   

At the 15-yard line my grouping was nice.  The gun became an extension and my shots went where I wanted them.  

Love shooting the gun

After about 40 rounds I felt I had a pretty good feel more my new pistol.  I reloaded and finished up an even 100 rounds and there was a bang after each and every trigger pull.  Every round loaded, fired and ejected like clockwork.  Not one stoppage the entire time.  The full sized mags worked seamlessly, the Xgrips made it a perfect fit and gave me that 17+1 round count.  

All in all I give this pistol a 9.9 out of 10 on my personal scale. 

 It is just what I wanted and then some.  If you are interested in checking the S&W M&P 9c out I HIGHLY encourage you to Visit the Summerville PSA, they have them for same and available to shoot on their range.