Executive Protection

Chris Tran joins Jadoti Day to combine the looks of high performance hardware with executive dress in this latest Tracerx Photography project.

I don’t do personal security details, I’m just a cop. But, for this project I had the opportunity to do some role playing with beautiful gun gal, JaDoti Day for TracerX’s most recent photo shoot. Keeping in line with a “high class” theme instead of our usual jeans and t-shirts attire, we broke out some of the shinier tools from the toolbox to help make this photo shoot something special.

Up first is JaDoti with the Kriss Vector CRB chambered in .45ACP. My trigger time behind the Vector is on a standard configuration, not one setup for lefties like me. But, this is an exotic and fun carbine to get behind. With its unique recoil-mitigating system, the Vector can be run all day long.

Initially dubbed the “bling-bling” rifle project a few months ago, I’m more of a form over function kind of a guy and had never built a showcase or BBQ gun before. But, when the good people at High Velocity Arms heard that I was a leftie shooter and sent me one of their custom ambidextrous mag release buttons and a beautiful billet trigger guard called the ASTG (Advanced Safety Trigger Guard), the game build was on. Both of these amazing custom pieces were finished in NiBx and simply a work of art.

I chose one of my favorite forged upper and lower receiver sets from Seekins Precision as the base for the project and added an outstanding MCSR V2 keymod rail. With internal components such as a Rainier Arms BCG, Raptor, RAC, and Mountain Series CHF mid-length barrel, I was confident that not only was the build going to look good, but it would run really well, too.

Another unique and outstanding product I added to this build was from a company called Unity Tactical. I prefer to run my WMLs at 12 o’clock and the Unity Tactical FUSION hub, BUIS, and inline rail allows me to mount a Surefire X300U with a Unity Tactical EXO shroud at the 12 for easy manipulation and zero barrel shadow, and it doesn’t get in the way of my optic FOV. Also, Unity Tactical just released their new redesigned Gen2 flip down front sight, which bolts directly onto the FUSION hub (and is also compatible with Blitzkreig Components, LLC chevron front sights).

The last go-to part that I’ve installed on just about all of my rifles is the mighty GripStop distributed by Lanco Tactical. The GripStop is a simple radiused barricade/handstop and it’s the most comfortable, simple, and effective handstop I’ve ever used.

To complete the build, I sent select parts and components to WMD Guns for their proprietary NiBx coating and it was well worth the wait. Rounding off the components of this “bling bling” build is furniture from Mission First Tactical with a Primary Arms 4X Compact Prism Scope.

If you’re interested in progress shots of this build, or looking for a retail cost breakdown, go ahead and visit my Facebook or Instagram page to see how it all came together.

The last rifle in this photo shoot is centered around Northtech Defense, whom I’ve previously written about in another blog post.

Northtech Defense has really come into it’s own over the last several months and they’ve raised the bar even higher by releasing their own line of stunningly beautiful barrels chambered in .223 Wylde. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill-released-on-a-whim barrels, these babies are finely made precision barrels and I can personally attest they’ll shoot sub MOA with ease.

The non-Northtech Defense components of this rifle are comprised of a CMC Triggers 3.5 flat-bow trigger pack, a Rainier Arms NiB BCG and Raptor CH, a Tactical Link Z360 rear sling mount, a Fortis Manufacturing REV rail, and we’ve capped it off with the Lantac USA Dragon muzzle brake. The optic is a Vortex VIPER PST cradled in an amazing self-tensioning scope mount by Bobro Engineering.

Fortunately, both of my builds, and obviously the Kriss Vector, look and shoot great. A showcase rifle is still a rifle and one that the end-user should be able to trust their safety to. That being said, with fine components like the ones used and offered on the market today, not only can we have rifles that perform well, but we can have high-performance rifles that look good, too.

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