Wrestling with ways to apply “Coyote Tan” by anodizing can be maddening. So far our efforts have given us a bronze-like finish which shines in the sun — not exactly what we had in mind for a part intended for the Border Patrol!
First effort at “Coyote Tan” anodizing.
We’ve got one more trick to try, but odds are we’re going to switch to black for the initial delivery, and explore some pay-extra options like military-grade ceramic bake-on finishes.
One of the Border Patrol’s Tactical Operations Units (BORTAC) recently asked us to produce a part for the HKP30L. 
The HK P30 isn’t an easy pistol to work with design-wise thanks to the details of its frame, but we think we’ve got it handled. Some of the new details include:
Nampa, Idaho — After two wins by forfeit, Team Gotta encountered real competition in October,
Team Gotta in Nampa, Idaho
going head-to-head against the Nampa Juniors at the Idaho Steel Challenge Championship in Nampa, Idaho. Team Gotta’s varsity squad cruised to victory in the Iron Sight Rimfire category, helped along by a landmark performance by 16-year-old Jordon Castro. Strong performances by Nampa’s Jack Stinger and Kolby Pavlock pushed the Nampa team into second, ahead of Team Gotta’s JV crew (led by Jake Overstreet and Justin Nevins).
Given the reputations of Stinger and Pavlock, the Nampa group was expected to obliterate the younger shooters from Custer. Indeed, Stinger and Pavlock beat Overstreet and Nevins soundly, but Team Gotta’s newest members — Sarah Dealy and (returning) Ian Thomas beat their opponents by almost the same margin, pulling Team Gotta JV to within one half-second of second place!
In the end, both squads came away with their heads held high, and with healthy contributions to their teams’ endowment accounts pending. Team Gotta will receive $5,000 for first and $3,000 for third, while Nampa Juniors will receive $3,500 for second. Add to that $3,000 in “participation money” for showing up, and the two teams will earn $11,000 and $6,500 respectively.
Team Gotta’s “Four Horsemen,” varsity shooters Jordon Castro, Adam Rusling, Adam Thomas, and Keith Neher.
Not bad for a weekend’s work!
To learn more about youth teams participating in Steel Challenge competition, contact Tricia Gensman at USPSA at (360) 855-2245.
We think the 22-round magazine for the Glock 22 (.40) is the cat’s pajamas. If only Glock had made the silly thing a few millimeters longer. . .
That was the complaint various competitors brought us, hoping that we would build them an extension to bring the “super-capacity” magazine out to the full 170mm limit imposed by USPSA for “Open” Division competition.
We built a few custom parts for people, and finally gave up and did a run of “Supercaps” to see how they’d do. The resulting extension takes your 22-round .40 out to 25-plus-one!
140mm Tanfoglio “K-Type”
Friends of ours that shoot Tanfoglios practically begged us to bring out an improved magazine extension for the large-frame Tanfoglio “K-type” magazine.
The “K-type” differs from the regular magazine in that it has a spacer crimped into place to reduce the magazine’s overall length (and thus better match the 9mm and .40 S&W’s overall length). These mags are also slightly longer, making most of the existing floorplates TOO LONG TO BE LEGAL for USPSA/IPSC competition.
We’re using the “Gallion post” retention system on this floorplate, as it seems to fit the design of the pistol better than our standard “Fort Knox” locking plate. The design is a simple improvement of an older one, making it much easier to remove, and much easier to know that it’s properly locked in place. We’ve got a handful out on the USPSA circuit now.