THE MODERN MINUTEMAN Volume 21, January 2025
Welcome to 2025... Suppressors, Split Rigs, Night Vision, and more...
If you didn’t already catch it in the title, we decided to update the newsletter name and tweak the look a little bit. The New Year equals a New Look! Enjoy this early look at what we are working on to share with you!
As we said in last months issue, we have some great things in store for 2025 and for this issue we are kicking it right off with a discussion on Night Vision setups for the everyday guy, the Split Front Chest Rig for the Minuteman, and on my recent journey into Suppressors. So lets get at it!
Night Vision for the masses
Being able to see at night is truly a super power. There is an old saying that:
“Give a man a flashlight to see at night and he is a king, but give him night vision and he is a god”
I remember my dad bringing home from the Army an old Gen 1 analog NV monocular and we used it to play capture the flag on a scout campout. Man, it was already apparent then the advantage of its use in the field. It’s use in the field today is no different. Except now we live in a world of Gen 3 single, dual, and even panoramic quad tubes that cost as much as a small luxury car. But even Gen 3 single tubes like those from ATN start in the $2500-$3000 range with many in the $5,000 to $6,000 range. For the average guy that can be very overwhelming. As with many big purchases you can budget this expense out and save to make this purchase without affecting you overall household needs. But for many guys the big expense just may not be in the cards. So what to do to at least get in the game…
Now this is where guys will say that cheaper night vision options are not PVS-14s and they are right, but we are not saying they are the same performance. What we are saying is that they allow the user to dip their toes into the night vision game and at least learn how to use them for their own benefit. Maybe the guy just wants to view wildlife, maybe he is looking at Coyote hunting, flat range shooting is another use so is night hiking. Maybe they are going to be part of one’s OP/LP kit for observation purposes. I can tell you from personal experience that a unit like the NightfoxProwl will get you into the NV game without breaking the bank. I recently updated my setup by adding the Nightfox Prowl and I was immediately impressed with its use and function.
They can be worn on one’s head with the included headstrap, mounted on a helmet via a Wilcox G34 (or similar) mount, and can even be mounted on a rifle behind an NV friendly red dot. Now add an IR laser to your rifle and you have a basic setup to head out into the field.
My buddy (Freedom By Me on YouTube) has a great video review on the Nightfox Prowl that is well worth watching.
I will have a full review in the next month or two highlighting my use out at my camp and out on our property patrols!
Split Front Chest Rigs (This might be the perfect rig for us Minutemen)
A split front style chest rig was never on my radar. I have a Smersh LBE for patrolling for 24+ hours and chest rigs for shorter oriented patrols where I may only be out for a few hours at a time. Over the last 2 years or so I had everything dialed in and squared away to my liking. Fully setup kits for both uses. But then I read an article that my buddy
had written about his quest for the ideal rig setup for patrolling his woods and how he ended up coming full circle back to his old split front chest rig.
So, as with anything, I decided to give it a go and went all in on a legit copy of the Spiritus 34A Split Rig. I know, I know, the haters are gonna come out and say that the Amazon clone is made in Chynah…
I get it, I do, but on economies of scale, the Amazon clone was about $132 all in versus $507 for the Spiritus setup. Yeah you read that right, $507 for the Spiritus Rig.
Here is the breakdown from Amazon:
SPUD Pouch, $19.99 each X2
MUTANT Pouch, $26.99
Sm GP Pouch, $15.99
Split Rig with harness, $48.99
Now you can mix and match your pouch choices based on your own needs. Personally, I wanted to simply transition all the gear in my Light Scout Rig over to the Split Front Rig so my pouch choices reflect that. Property Patrols up to 24 hours long with a small patrol pack for sustainment/mission needs.
I am liking that it sits lower than a chest rig but higher than an LBE. I can squat with no interference and I don’t feel the weight (or heat buildup) on my chest. Everything I had in my AT Armor Light Scout Rig easily transferred over to it. Stay tuned as there will be more on this rig over the coming months.
Suppressors (My experience buying)
Let me start this off by stating that Anechoic was kind enough to reach out to me and offer to send a couple suppressors my way to review! I still had to go through the tax stamp process and pay the crown a fee (more on this later) but without them I may never have jumped into this pool. Now with that said. I should have jumped in long ago because the water is great.
So let’s start with the Tax Stamp…
The mere fact that we have to pay a special “tax” as part of the process of gaining the permission to buy a suppressor is mind boggling to me. But it is what it is (for now) so let’s start there…
This is the first time that I have had to do this so I had plenty of questions for the folks at Anechoic. They were awesome with guiding me on what to do. The first step was finding an FFL/SOT to go through to have the Suppressors sent to. So a good friend of mine recommended I go to D & A Armory (a small local gun shop) where he has bought multiple suppressors at. They have a lot of experience in dealing with Suppressor purchases so I made a trip over there to ask questions and get the ball rolling.
Let me tell you what, the guys at D & A Armory were great. The owner (Dale) and his staff answered all my questions and got me started on their Silencer Shop kiosk to get an account and then to fill out the Form 4 paperwork for sending to the ATF. One of the employees went ahead and emailed my contact at Anechoic to get her their shop info for having both Suppressors shipped to them. By the time I left the shop I felt comfortable about the process and clearly understood how it all worked. Some things to point out about buying a Suppressor:
You have to pay the $200 tax for each suppressor. So figure that cost into each purchase. Also, many shops may charge a transfer fee (like have a firearm transferred to your preferred FFL) so figure that cost too.
File as an individual or as a trust. This is up to you. As an individual only you can have possession of your suppressor or you have to be present if a buddy or family member is using it. If filed as a trust, then you list each person’s name on it that may use your suppressor. But you will pay extra for that “privilege”. Also, as part of a trust you can leave them to others in a will upon your death (I believe I have that correct).
When ordering one online (from Anechoic for example) you simply choose your preferred gun shop near you for it to be shipped to or let Anechoic choose for you from their dealer network.
Wait times vary depending on if you file via paper or electronically. It may be a day or two or it could be as long as 90 days. My wait was 6 weeks while the guys at D & A Armory said that they have seen it as short as a day or two or several weeks. Almost as if it is just a roll of the dice. But even 6 weeks is better than the old days of waiting over a year for one.
Double check everything when filling out your paperwork. Most longer waits or forms sent back are because of mistakes made when filling out the forms.
And lastly, be patient. Do not check the Silencer Shop portal everyday. You will drive yourself nuts. Just wait for the email from the ATF saying:
At the end of the day, if you’re on the fence about getting a Suppressor, well just do it. You’ll be glad you did.
So I have these two from Anechoic…
The AnechoX 223 and the AnechoX 22. We will share reviews and testing as the next several weeks and months go by. But so far so good with our initial impressions!
Huge thanks to the folks at Anechoic and D & A Armory, they have both earned a lifetime customer! They both made the process easy and simple for this first timer. Please go check them both out!
Classifieds
Who here remembers the classified ads from SOF Magazine? Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s you could find Mercenary ads to fight in the Congo, buy full auto machine guns, nunchucks and ninja stars (hell, you could buy full “how to be a ninja” books), overseas beauties, and so much more!
So in honor of those long gone years, we are going to start our own classified section in our monthly newsletter.
Books:
Shop all of the manuals from The Professional Citizen Project here:
Suppressors:
First you may ask, why Anechoic Suppressors?
They are:
Ultralight
Whisper Quiet
End user serviceable
Multi-Caliber
Universal MOunting System
ANECHOIC™ is a technology-driven engineering and manufacturing company focused on creating the lightest, highest-performance suppressors that have ever existed. Shoot our cans, and we think you’ll agree. Meet our people, and we think you’ll understand. Our team includes the top minds in firearms suppression engineering, AI-tuned gas flow physics, advanced metallurgy, precision CNC machining, laser and electron beam manufacturing, and modern sporting arms.
ANECHOIC™ is in Washington County, Utah, home to 3 of the top 5 silencer makers in America, a Second Amendment Sanctuary County named for the noblest of the founding fathers of this great American nation. We take inspiration from his legacy and the nearby National Parks like Zion, Bryce, Arches, Grand Canyon, and Capitol Reef. We are richly blessed by God with endless world-class outdoor opportunities and people who share our values. Come for the shooting, stay for the life.
Shop Anechoic’s complete lineup here.
Bear Creek Arsenal:
Bear Creek Arsenals philosophy is pretty straightforward:
"The AR platform is a staple mark of American freedom and liberties that we believe every American shooter should be able to afford to own."
Bear Creek Arsenal has been a great supporter of The Modern Minuteman! We have been lucky to test out numerous firearms from them and every single one has been a winner! Each one we put together we make sure we build it with a purpose. Whether it is an SPR build, a .22lr AR for the kids out at our camp, a Scout Rifle, or a General Purpose build, BCA has always come through with the fit/finish and a quality product that is worth taking a look at, not to mention at a price that everyone can afford!
Check out their offerings here:
My reviews…
*There are affiliate links that I may earn a small commission on*
Great stuff Jay. Looking forward to 2025
As always a great read .. lots of great info in every article!!! Thanks for keeping them coming