Tactical solutions' lightweight conversions

Guns Magazine, May, 2004 by John Taffin

Having somewhat of an artistically creative mind myself, I am always appreciative (envious?) of those who are especially talented. My granddaughter is one such person being the accomplished artist I could only dream about becoming. I especially recognize the tremendous talents of those few individuals who can combine an artistic and mechanical mind, those who were able to design firearms that are not only nearly perfect mechanically but also so aesthetically pleasing. Names that come immediately to mind are William Mason, the designer of the Colt Single Action Army, and John Moses Browning, the creator of the Colt 1911.

Isn't it strange that most of us know the names of these two men, but can anyone identity the third member of the trio who came up with the Triple Lock Smith & Wesson? I don't believe I've ever heard his name mentioned. Be that as it may, the SAA, the 1911, and the Triple-Lock are just about the epitome of artistic and mechanical perfection when it comes to handguns.

Today we have many a man who is able to combine the same talents especially when it comes to handguns. Bill Ruger was not only able to combine artistry and mechanics, he was also responsible for adding a third attribute, new manufacturing methods which resulted in excellent firearms most people could afford.

Inventive Genius

Today there are at least a dozen gunsmiths producing beautiful custom revolvers having the same combination of artistic and mechanical talents so necessary for everything to come together perfectly. One such gunsmith is Richard Brown.

Richard is so full of ideas I almost find myself wanting to give him a tranquilizer to settle him down when we are out shooting together. His mind is always racing and I find myself amazed at the number of ideas he has. One of his ideas, and the subject of this article, is the Pac-Lite.

When Ruger introduced the 22/45 .22 semi automatic pistol with its lightweight polymer frame, the light bulb really went on in Brown's creative mind. What if he could combine a lightweight receiver and barrel assembly with the polymer frame? That's exactly what Brown set out to do. His goal was to design the perfect .22 pistol for the backpacker, hiker, camper, hunter or fisherman who wished to take along an accurate, high-quality but extremely light weight .22 pistol.

All of this started in 1992 with Ruger's introduction of the 22/45. Unlike the Mark I and Mark II semi-automatic pistols with their Luger-style steel grip frame, the 22/45 has a 1911-style grip frame that is very lightweight. Even before this Richard Brown had been applying the same technologies to rifles and made some lightweight Marlin .22 and Ruger 10/22 barrels. That's when I first met him. At that time he was threading 10/22 receivers and screwing in lightweight barrels that were pillar bedded.

I well remember his frustrations in those days as he tried to get into production. He thought he had the answer when he gave five of his drilled blanks and liners to a company, however they decided they didn't need him once they had the parts. He continued working on his lightweight .22 barrels and receivers, eventually deciding one piece, aircraft aluminum construction with a steel liner was the best way to make the best product.

Highest Praise

In 1996 Richard sought my advice as to an honest and capable gunsmith he could show his idea to. The name that came immediately to mind was Hamilton Bowen, a gunsmith of total integrity. Richard made the 2,200-mile trip to Tennessee to meet with Bowen. Hamilton looked at Brown's creation and paid him the highest possible compliment by basically saying, "I wish I had thought of this." This was the encouragement Richard needed.

In March of 2002, Richard met Dan Persons, Operations Manager of CNC Solutions. This company, owned by Chet Alvord, had the capability to build the lightweight, one-piece barreled receivers now known as Pac-Lites and thanks to these two men it was full steam ahead. Originally Brown's idea was christened Brown's Delight by his wife, who also came up with the new and highly appropriate name of Pac-Lite.

Pac-Lites are considered by the ATF to be firearms. On the Ruger Mark I, Mark II and 22/45, the upper receiver is the serialized component. All this simply means is that Pac-Lites must be purchased through a licensed firearms dealer. Pac-Lites are marked on the left side of the receiver with "Tactical Solutions Boise, ID Cal. 22LR" and on the right side with "Pac-Lite" and the serial number.

Pac-Lites replace the original upper receiver and barrel assembly. They come fully equipped with an adjustable rear sight and a post front sight that is slightly angled to prevent it from hanging up in a holster. Of importance to the individual shooter is the fact different front sight heights are available. My Pac-Lite was still shooting high with the rear sight bottomed however, it was an easy task to simply change the original front sight blade which is held in place by a single screw.

In addition to the standard iron sights a scope base solidly anchored on the receiver with four screws is also available. This base does not interfere with the iron sights. This allows one to mount a scope and should the occasion arise remove it and have immediate access to the iron sights without removing the scope base.