The .44 Special – An Underrated Option

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April 13, 2025

Keith Finch, former editor of Gat Daily, once said something that stuck with me:

“I don’t believe in stopping power, but when I load a 250-grain .45 Colt round into a revolver, I almost believe.”

I’m paraphrasing, but you get the point. I share that same sentiment with Keith, extending to the .44 Special. I love the little .44 Special round. It’s the 10mm of revolver cartridges, not necessarily in power, but in its popularity and use.

The .44 Special has a cult following that loves the cartridge. It has a rich history, and you’re also very unlikely to see many new guns produced using it. Also, like 10mm, there are tons of .44 Special loads that are too weak to serve a purpose. Yet, if you try it once, you’ll be hooked.

The History of the .44 Special

The .44 Special is an old round. It dates back to 1907 and was initially created by Smith and Wesson. It descends from the cartridges that start with .4 and were popular in the western United States. In the early 1900s, the advent of smokeless powder was supercharging rounds, and black powder loads were on their way out.

S&W initially introduced the cartridge with the Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector 1st Model New Century. Elmer Keither declared the New Century the finest revolver ever made. That’s excellent praise from the father of the .44 Magnum. The .44 Special was intended to be a big selling point of the new revolver.

S&W based the .44 SPC on the .44 Russian. The .44 Russian was developed for the Russian military and their S&W Model 3 revolvers. The .44 Russian proved to be an accurate and popular round, so it seemed like an excellent place to start. To help improve the cartridge ballistics, the case was slightly lengthened. This also kept the .44 Special smokeless powder rounds from chambering in .44 Russian guns.

The downside is that S&W didn’t use that extra case capacity. Instead, they essentially duplicated the .44 Russian round ballistically, using a 246-grain projectile moving at 755 feet per second.

Handloaders would change this and start hot-rodding the cartridge a fair bit. They developed much more capable loads and surpassed the .44 Russian by a large margin. These handloaders eventually helped develop the .44 Magnum, but that’s a different conversation.

The .44 SPC Today

The .44 Special is still kicking around. Hornady has a modern defensive round that I used to love…until I learned a little more about the .44 Special’s potential. Hornady’s load is a 165-grain FTX round moving at 900 feet per second. I liked the round, low recoil nature and accuracy, but what’s the point of a slow-moving, rather lightweight cartridge? Without a doubt, it would be a capable self-defense round for two-legged vermin.

However, the .44 Special can do so much more. It’s capable of being an animal defense round and a two-legged vermin cartridge. Unlike the .44 Magnum, the .44 Special can be light and compact. It strikes an excellent middle ground where it can defend you from most critters while still being a capable defensive round.

Sure, I wouldn’t carry it to a bear hunt with a .44 Special for a humane kill, but it will be capable of defending you from bears with the right ammo. Buffalo Bore makes a 255-grain round moving at 1,000 feet per second that ought to solve any outdoor problems.

If you’re like me and bears aren’t an issue, but wild hogs, dogs, and coyotes are, and you want a viable self-defense option, Underwood makes a semi-wadcutter that weighs 190 grains and moves at 1,150 feet per second.

Shooting the .44 SPC

I own a Charter Arms Bulldog, a 1980s vintage of Charter Arms’ most famed gun. The Bulldog packs five rounds of .44 Special and is a compact gun with a three-inch barrel. It’s fairly simple and an interesting gun. The Bulldog is not quite pocket-carryable and is considerably larger than my 856 Defender.

It’s most certainly a vibes gun. It’s not the most efficient gun, but it’s certainly effective. The Charter Arms Bulldog shoots straight and is fun to shoot. Recoil is mild, even with some hotter, faster rounds. I’d compare it to a .357 Magnum through a medium-frame gun.

I’m not smart enough to know what exactly makes a cartridge inherently accurate. Why are the .44 Special and .32 S&W Long known for their accuracy? It’s a magic that escapes me, but it’s true. This thing makes it easy to stack rounds into a target. I can put all five rounds inside a two-inch circle at 15 yards, and I suck with revolvers.

The .44 SPC is ridiculously underrated, but it’s easy to see why. It limits your capacity and doesn’t perform at Magnum levels, but it has a magnum cost. I still like it, and I keep my eyes peeled for cheap ammo so I can continue to enjoy it and even occasionally carry my Bulldog.

Rule of Threes – Prioritize Survival Needs in a Crisis

By

Jim Cobb

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April 12, 2025

The Rule of Threes has been around for ages. It’s a useful memory device regarding survival priorities. However, it’s important to understand that the time limits used are averages at best. Nothing here is carved in stone. There are numerous factors that will affect the time frames stated at each level.

Still, it makes for a good teaching tool. This is basic stuff, Survival 101, if you will. That doesn’t diminish its importance. It isn’t a bad idea to revisit the basics from time to time.

Rule of Threes #1 – Three Minutes Without Oxygen

Rule of threes - oxygen — Your body requires oxygen, and it uses blood to move it around to your organs.

The first priority is oxygen. Your brain and other organs can’t survive very long without oxygenated blood flowing to them. Now, here’s the thing. We often interpret this rule as referring to the presence or absence of air to breathe. While that’s certainly part of the equation, the other needed factor is blood. Without enough of it, there won’t be a way to deliver oxygen to the body, even if breathing isn’t impacted. This means that if you’re injured, plugging those holes is a priority. Make sure you have first aid supplies with you.

Rule of Threes #2 – Three Hours Without Shelter

Rule of threes - shelter — You need protection from the elements.

Hypothermia is a dangerous condition where your body’s temperature falls below 95F. This can happen even in relatively mild conditions. Hyperthermia is a risk in hot and humid conditions where your body temperature is abnormally high. Generally, if your body temp hits 104F, you’re in serious trouble. Shelter from the elements, whether we’re talking about rain, snow, wind, or the hot sun, can help mitigate these problems.

You need to be able to maintain your body temperature at or near 98.6F. This starts by dressing for the weather, including proper outerwear, in addition to carrying additional supplies. These might include a rain poncho or at least a large trash can liner, as well as a fire kit.

Rule of Threes #3 – Three Days Without Water

Rule of threes - water — Dehydration can and will kill you if you can’t find water and make it safe to consume.

Dehydration can kill you. The rule of thumb is three days, but it can happen a lot sooner in hot conditions. Finding water and making it safe to drink is absolutely a priority. Something to keep in mind is that while you might survive three days without water, the latter half or so of that time will involve dizziness and confusion, coupled with listlessness.

As a practical matter, this means that by the time you reach that point, your odds of being able to source water and treat it to make it potable aren’t great. Never head out on the trail without water as well as a filter or other means of treating additional water.

Rule of Threes #4 – Three Weeks Without Food

Rule of threes - food — Trail mix is a great way to avoid missed meal cramps, but you’ll need more than that to survive a few weeks.

There are a lot of factors that will affect the length of time you can survive without food, including your physical condition, metabolism, and activity level. The more calories you burn, the more you’ll need to ingest. Health issues can also have an impact. For example, if you get sick from drinking bad water, you’ll not only lose hydration and speed up dehydration, but you’ll also lose whatever calories you may have been in the middle of processing in your digestive tract.

While most of us are probably walking around with plenty of spare calories around our middles, it is a good idea to toss at least a little food into your pack before you head out. If nothing else, taking a snack break on the trail is always a welcome treat.

The .41 Magnum and a Lesson in Ignoring Experts

By

Travis Pike

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April 12, 2025

Imagine being three of the most prominent revolver shooters, lawmen, and legends in the firearms community and having an idea. Elmer Keith, Bill Jordan, and Skeeter Skelton are giants in the revolver world. These three men passed decades ago at this point, but their legend lives on. That’s how big these guys were. They were the influencers of their era. Gun companies (mostly) listened to them. I say mostly because Remington surely didn’t when it came to the .41 Magnum.

The .41 Magnum is a largely forgotten caliber in the modern firearm zeitgeist. Hardcore revolver guys still appreciate it, but it’s like the 10mm of revolvers. It’s a cult favorite that never made a massive impact. That’s not because it wasn’t a good round; it’s because Remington couldn’t be bothered to listen to three of the most impactful revolver experts known to man.

The .41 Magnum and the Experts

The primary forces behind the .41 Magnum were Elmer Keith and Bill Jordan, with some input and expertise from Skeeter Skelton. For some, those names might not mean much. These guys were revolver experts who helped craft what we know as modern revolvers. Understanding Remington’s blunder is tough until you consider the expertise they ignored.

Bill Jordan served as a Marine in both WWII and Korea, eventually retiring as a Colonel from the reserves. Jordan also served the US Border Patrol for 28 years. He developed holsters and grips and convinced S&W to produce K-frame .357 Magnums. He wrote numerous articles and books on revolvers and shooting, the most famous of which is No Second Place Winner.

Elmer Keith was a revolver enthusiast and firearm expert. He designed the .357 Magnum and, later, the .44 Magnum. Keith convinced S&W to produce revolvers and Remington to produce the ammo for his cartridges. He designed Keither-Style bullets, which were modified semi-wadcutter designs. He also wrote extensively and is called the dean of American gun writers.

Skeeter Skelton held many titles. Skelton was a Marine, a Border Patrol Agent, a Sheriff, an investigator with Customs, and a Special Agent with the DEA. He was a freelance firearms writer who eventually retired from law enforcement to become a full-time writer. He was a handgunner and revolver man often credited with reviving the .44 Special.

These three were titans who came together to create the .41 Magnum.

The Vision of the .41 Magnum

The idea behind the .41 Magnum was to create a police and self-defense cartridge between the .357 Magnum and the .44 Magnum. The new cartridge would address the weaknesses of both. The .357 Magnum has terminal ballistics issues, which became less of a problem when JHPs improved and we weren’t stuck with soft lead bullets.

The .44 Magnum was too powerful and uncomfortable to shoot. It required a larger, heavier revolver and was inappropriate for police use. The .41 Magnum could offer better terminal ballistics without the recoil and need for a massive revolver.

Keith initially had the idea of a .41 Special round. His musings were written in 1955. In 1963, work began to develop the .41 Magnum. By this time, the Magnum craze was on, so the “Special” moniker was dropped in favor of the .41 Magnum.

The cartridge’s initial vision was twofold. You could have a true magnum round throwing a 210 grain round at 1,400 feet per second, appropriate for magnum tasks like hunting big game. For defense and police work, they developed a tamer load throwing a 200 grain semi-wadcutter at 900 FPS.

The experts had a simple idea to create a versatile and capable round. Then, the proto-MBAs got involved.

How to Ruin a Good Idea

In the 1960s, the American market was overcome by the Magnum craze. Remington’s head honchos saw dollar signs and decided to take the .41 Magnum blueprint and Magnum it even more. The .41 Magnum round was released, firing a 210 grain projectile at 1,500 feet per second, while the lighter police load moved at nearly 1,200 feet per second.

The recoil turned off police forces used to the .38 Special. Additionally, S&W decided to produce N-frame revolvers for the .41 Magnum, using the same heavy frame used for the .44 Magnum. This meant the size and weight concerns weren’t addressed, and the guns were still too heavy and large for police use.

A few police agencies adopted the cartridge, but it wasn’t successful. It didn’t achieve the goals the experts aimed for. Instead, it produced what was largely viewed as a round too powerful for police work and underpowered compared to the more popular .44 Magnum. The dream of the .41 Magnum would never be realized.

The .41 Magnum Today

The .41 Magnum still has a cult following. Many enthusiasts appreciate the cartridge design and its potential. It’s one of the more underrated options. It’s interesting to think about what could have been but never will be, thanks to the industry’s failure to listen to experts.

Ask the Pros: Catching up with Nicole Apelian

By

Reuben Bolieu

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April 11, 2025

GAT_Nicole (1) — Nicole Apelian is a best-selling author, survival TV personality, mother, and educator seen on shows like Alone and Surviving The Stone Age.

What motivates survival TV personalities and experts? We’re catching up with Nicole Apelian to hear from a well-respected figure in the industry for the inside scoop!

Who is Nicole Apelian?

Meet Dr. Nicole Apelian, a multi-skilled expert in herbal medicine, biology, anthropology, and traditional skills instruction. Nicole has impressed audiences with her abilities in the outdoors. She has appeared on the History Channel’s “Alone” TV series twice, relying heavily on a knife and her intelligence to survive while completely isolated.

Her performance on the show has earned her a reputation as one of the most capable survivalists. Additionally, she has shared her knowledge and experience with others on the UK documentary series “Surviving The Stone Age.” Overall, Nicole is a respected expert in survival techniques.

How did you become affiliated with the History Channel and Alone?

Quite simply, they called me for season one. I told them to ask again for season 2, which they did. The rest, you could say, is “History”!

What are your favorite wild edibles to forage?

I love wild greens like miner’s lettuce, stinging nettle, & wood sorrel, seaweeds of all types, and mushrooms.

Allow me to introduce you to Dr. Nicole Apelian, a highly skilled professional in the fields of herbal medicine, biology, anthropology, and traditional skills instruction.

Catching up with Nicole Apelian: Tools

My answer depends on the situation, but I always like having a large knife, a good saw, and a multi-tool. I did alter the Leatherman that I took on Alone so that I’d have an awl and a chisel–no need for screwdrivers in the bush/woods.

Nicole Apelian is a highly skilled expert in nature, culture, and survival. She possesses diverse expertise in herbal medicine, biology, anthropology, and traditional skills instruction.

Who would you consider a mentor or significant influence in your life?

My stepfather, a chemistry professor, was my biggest mentor growing up. We’d go on adventures together, camping, canoeing, hiking, always bringing our field guides, curiosity, and a lot of fun and laughter. I was a rather feral child, and he fostered that even more in me; I also became a scientist like him.

My parents always encouraged me to follow my passions and instilled in me the importance of giving back to the world. Now, I’ve passed on all that he taught me to my children.

When was the first time you were lost?

Very deep in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, 1995. I made the (incorrect) assumption that the people I was with in the bush knew where we were going. It was a dicey situation. I’m much smarter now—haha!

Nicole Apelian: Most miserable time on Alone.

Honestly, the transition home was the most difficult for me (I really loved my time on Alone, even with its challenges). The transition back to society was completely overwhelming after spending so much time solo in nature. That was much harder than anything I had experienced in the field.

What do you love about teaching wilderness awareness skills?

I love it when someone “gets it,” and you not only see that they’ve mastered a skill, but you see a new light in their eyes. Igniting that spark brings me deep joy.

If you could go to a foreign environment to camp/learn/explore, where would it be?

Nicole was fortunate to spend time with the San Bushman, who has made Botswana’s vast and stunning Kalahari desert their abode.

I love to travel and learn from people from cultures different from ours. I’ve spent a lot of time with a community of Kalahari San Bushmen in Botswana, Africa, who are like family to me. Every time I’m with them, I absorb even more of their skills and ways of connecting with each other and with the land around them.

When I travel, I seek out local ways of living and do my best to learn how they connect with nature. My most recent travels were to Egypt with my sons. Not sure where my next adventure will take me, but I have many places on my list.

Catching up with Nicole Apelian: Gear Designs

I’m really proud of my bush bolo knife, designed by myself and knife maker Ron Macy and which I took on both seasons of Alone. I needed one knife to do the job of many, and this one didn’t disappoint. I also really like the firestarter necklace by Wazoo Survival Gear. It’s a simple, effective design, and the Apelian Utility Work Fleece by Dovetail Workwear—finally, durable workwear for women!

My last item is the foraging bandana I helped design. It’s a one-of-a-kind foraging field guide that you can wear, carry, and use daily. It’s also beautiful.

For more information, please check out Nicole Apelian, Ph.D.
www.nicoleapelian.com
https://nicoleapelian.com/books/

The .22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer

By

Travis Pike

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April 11, 2025

Striking, eye-catching, and bizarre are the terms I’d use to describe the .22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer. You may have seen this odd-looking round floating around the internet, but you had no idea what you were looking at. You just know you are looking at something weird. Weird cartridges are nothing new, and we will be examining one of the most interesting and bizarre cartridges ever produced, the .22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer.

The .22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer is a very real cartridge. At least one rifle was produced to shoot it, and it was the product of a legendary ballistician. The cartridge had a fairly unique purpose, and it wasn’t designed for commercial use but for one simple experiment to answer one question. Can a projectile fired from a rifle reach 5,000 feet per second?

The Challenge

Bob Hutton, editor of Guns & Ammo magazine and owner of Hutton’s Rifle Ranch, put out a bit of a challenge. He wanted a cartridge to throw a projectile at 5,000 feet per second. Hutton had a long history of testing cartridges at the Rifle Ranch, including the 5.56x45mm, which he tested at Eugene Stoner’s behest.

Guns & Ammo regularly took contributions from a man named P.O. Ackley. If that name is new to you, you should research the man. P.O. Ackley was a rifleman, gunsmith, barrel maker, columnist, and wildcat cartridge developer. The man developed dozens of cartridges that were often improved versions of existing cartridges. He often blew up guns just to see what he could learn from doing so.

When he heard of Hutton’s idea for a cartridge that would exceed 5,000 feet per second, he got to work. His end result was a 50-grain .224 caliber bullet on a .378 Weatherby Magnum case. He had to seriously neck the cartridge down. The massive case had plenty of capacity and allowed 105 grains of H570 powder.

Did it Work?

P.O. Ackley reportedly sent Bob Hutton a batch of hand-loaded ammo and a hand-built rifle to test. As far as I can tell, it’s the only rifle of this caliber ever produced and the only ammo load. Bob tested the cartridge, and it achieved a speed of 4,600 feet per second.

While the .22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer didn’t achieve its goal, it did produce a fairly humorous and unique cartridge. From the name to the purpose, this was never to be taken all that seriously and was seen as an experiment. It’s completely possible that someone could take a run at this experiment with modern, slower-burning powders and reach the 5,000-foot-per-second goal.

The .22 Earsplitting Loudenboomer – An Offshoot

Before we go, I need to mention the .22 Earsplitting Loudenboomer, which is a bit different in design and the name of the Eargesplitten Loudenboomer. This was a .22 caliber projectile placed on a .50 BMG casing. Machinist Zach Weighman produced this ‘cartridge’ as a joke. It’s a novelty and appears to be an empty, unprimed case.

The Meme

The .22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer is more than a meme. It was a serious attempt to tackle a specific goal. While the cartridge might not have hit that goal, it did make a lasting impression on the firearms world and its culture.

P365 Mania

By

P.E. Fitch

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April 10, 2025

Even though I’m in the business of writing about firearms, I have a dirty little secret—my embarrassing list of popular guns in circulation that I’ve never shot before. Among these are the Browning Hi Power, the FN SCAR, the Ruger 10/22, the Mossberg 590, the Ruger SP101, the Savage 110, and, up until very recently, the SIG-Sauer P365.

(And worry not, because I am waiting on a Savage 110 Magpul Scout to review in the coming weeks).

As far as the Ruger 10/22 is concerned, I don’t really have an answer for that one. I always preferred bolt-action .22 LR rifles, I guess…

But damn, it was about time I tried shooting a SIG Sauer P365. I’m penning this only a few days after submitting my SIG Sauer P365 FUSE review manuscript to another publication. But prior to conducting that review, I had no practical experience with SIG Sauer’s popular micro-compact models.

I’m not completely oblivious to the SIG P365. These pistols constitute some of SIG Sauer’s best-sellers amongst guns sold today. P365s can be found in nearly any establishment that sells firearms, be they mom-and-pop shops or big-box operations. Their slimmer profiles and micro-compact frames lend themselves quite well to carrying convenience, and there’s no doubt that their practicality and form factor also.

The original version of the SIG Sauer P365 was launched in January 2018. It turned many heads because it somehow managed to squeeze so many 9mm cartridges into its micro-compact frame. From that point forward, these little guns took off, and it wasn’t long before nearly every concealment holster maker began offering fits for them.

The P365 Blueprint

Two key elements in its initial success lie in the P365’s “stack-and-a-half” magazine designs that allow for a great size to capacity ratio. Likewise, it the fact that P365s are built around an FCU (fire control unit). The fire control unit is a concept borrowed from the original SIG-Sauer P250.

Its gist is that the trigger mechanism is contained in a serialized (and regulated) sub-assembly, which is independent of the actual grip or frame. Both of these elements meant that it wasn’t difficult for SIG-Sauer to build off the P365’s core design without having to reinvent the wheel. In a similar vein, the FCU is the reason why the SIG P320 also has an entire laundry list of sub-variants.

Besides the original 2018 P365 model, other notable P365 product launches include the slightly larger P365 XL that followed in June of 2019. During the autumn of 2022, three years later, the even bigger P365 X-Macro models made their way into gun shop display cases. The X-Macro guns were the first to sport 17-round standard-capacity magazines, and I distinctly remember my bewilderment. “17 rounds in a frame of that size?”

Finally, last summer, SIG Sauer followed up after the XL and Macro models by introducing P365 FUSE—the inspiration behind this article.

Full-Size FUSE

The SIG-Sauer P365 FUSE is currently the largest variant in the SIG-Sauer P365 product line. Like the SIG P365 X-Macro models, the P365 FUSE includes a standard capacity 17-round magazine. Unlike its X-Macro siblings, the FUSE has a longer 4.3-inch barrel. It does share the same frame otherwise, and all FUSE slides are optics-ready.

The P365 FUSE checks off virtually most of the specs found on contemporary duty-size polymer-frame striker-fired 9mm pistols. However, thanks to that stack-and-a-half magazine scheme and its FCU, the grip module retains the original thinner width of the standard SIG P365. This means that the FUSE doesn’t feel like a typical double-stack striker gun at all.

The thing about the P365 FUSE is that its most important details overlap with those of full-size 9mm duty handguns—that higher capacity and barrel length longer than four inches (a benefit when it comes to muzzle velocity development). And being brand new to the P365 family, I think that’s what makes the FUSE in particular so interesting.

The combination of its size, features, and specifications could make it a do-it-all gun for a general-purpose use case. It is thinner and thus easier to carry, but it does so without giving up any firepower or handling ability.

In my formal review, I noted that the grip is long enough to accommodate the three fingers of most adults’ firing hands comfortably. Such an attribute allows the gun to be extremely controllable despite its lighter weight. Yes, felt-recoil is consequently more noticeable, but not to any detrimental extent. In the review, I also touch on the fact that a smaller overall circumference of the grip makes it easier to grip harder and thus control better, too.

Can The P365 FUSE It Do It All?

I’m only 300 rounds into this gun, which is a pithy sum of ammo, all things considered. So, it would be physically impossible to write a long-term report on my experiences. A break-in was practically mandatory because the slide was extremely stiff when racking. Most handguns, even modern ones, always “feel” better after shooting at least those first 200 or so rounds through them. Specifically for the P365 FUSE, I felt that the break-in period was actually mandatory.

During the first few mags, I had several instances of the pistol failing to fully go into battery with factory 124 NATO loads. I think I’m in the clear after the first 200 rounds, but I wouldn’t mind shooting the pistol some more to be sure, given my lack of hands-on familiarity with P365 models.

After shooting the gun from the rest for the original review, its apparent mechanical accuracy really impressed me. The P365 FUSE sports a carbon-steel barrel rifled with a ubiquitous barrel twist of 1:10. Hornady’s 115-grain Critical Defense XTP based load printed tightly at 15-yards. However, I’m even more excited about its potential with 147-grain bullets.

So far I’ve only tried HOP Munitions’ 147-grain Poly RN match loads which have an advertised muzzle velocity of 900 fps and are designed to make minor power-factor. 20 of these averaged out to 904 FPS and a power-factor of 132. Their gentler recoil impulse also made shooting this load very comfortable; I wouldn’t have any qualms about shooting this gun in USPSA Carry Optics.

The FUSE’s Stock Trigger

Unfortunately, some of its prime accuracy can be somewhat offset by its stock trigger. Though manageable, it requires a lot of practice and deliberate trigger management. If one isn’t careful when breaking the shot with this trigger, one can end up printing fliers and throwing shots.

Personally, I don’t think it’s the end of the world. As a striker-fired trigger without a bladed safety, I find that my P365 FUSE’s actual trigger-pull weight and required travel distance more than make up for that. This is a defensive carry pistol and not a 50-yard Camp Perry gun after all.

To best answer the question about whether this skinny gun could “really do it all”, I’d have to keep shooting and training with the pistol to see how it performs over the long-term. I am not sweating the pre-break-in stoppages I experienced, but I want to ensure they were just that and nothing more.

I’m also interested in seeing if and how the feeling of the trigger pull changes once the gun gets to its first 1000 rounds.

The Takeaway

In the end, I also recognize that this handgun won’t be everyone’s cup of tea either.

First, it still has an overall length of more than 7 inches, which can make concealment tricky for some. Its thinness is irrelevant in this regard.

Two, I can imagine that a certain pool of sophisticated handgun shooters will want nothing to do with the pistol due to its trigger pull. Personally, I don’t mind the trade-off, considering all of the benefits the P365 FUSE posits. Likewise, as with all other P365s, the P365 FUSE also lacks fully ambidextrous controls. There’s only one slide-release lever on the left side of the pistol meant for right-handed shooters.

It can be a potential deal-breaker for some. Again, it’s a trade-off. As a left-handed shooter, I’m already used to adapting to a right-handed firearms world. Due to its thinness, the P365 FUSE slide only works with RMSc/Holosun-K optics footprints, and similarly, its accessory rail accepts smaller TLR-7-sized weapon lights.

The SIG P365 FUSE Isn’t the First of Its Kind

Finally, it’s also worth pointing out that the P365 FUSE isn’t actually the first pistol of its kind to hit the market. That distinction arguably belongs to the Glock 48, which is slightly smaller than the FUSE, but only marginally. After all, what is a Glock 48 but a skinny Glock 19?

One of the first things I did when I brought the P365 FUSE home was to put it beside the Glock 48 and size it up. Not surprisingly, they share a similar footprint, with the FUSE being slightly larger and longer.

The FUSE also isn’t the only contender in the game, as different gunmakers also offer thinner-but-bigger models centered around practical daily carry. But tying it back to its original P365 parent, seeing where the modularity of SIG-Sauer’s P365 FCU and stack-and-a-half magazine design attributes are taking modern carry pistols is getting very interesting.

This counts not only for the SIG-Sauer P365 FUSE but also its competitors.

Interarms Was A CIA Front

By

Travis Pike

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April 10, 2025

It’s always been one of those open secrets that Interarms, a famed Virginia-based arms importer, worked for the CIA or with the CIA. The owner, or who appeared to be the owner, Samuel Cummings, had a long history of working with the government, including the CIA. The old joke that no one ever really leaves the CIA seems quite true regarding Mr. Cummings.

There has been a massive release of documents from the CIA concerning the JFK assassination, and part of those documents confirmed that the CIA didn’t just work with Interarms; they owned the organization. Samuel Cummings acted as their representative and eventually purchased the company, but it seemed to be in the CIA space until it was taken over by High Standard.

Interarms and the Document

The connection between Interarms and JFK’s assassination is tenuous. Interarms indeed imported the Caracano rifle, but it was sold through a gun store in Chicago to Oswald. The reason Interarms even came up was because one Gary Underhill, a CIA employee, was openly discussing how a CIA clique killed Kennedy. Underhill reportedly committed suicide by shooting himself in the back of the head. Convenient.

Underhill was a friend of Samuel Cummings, and that’s how Cummings was tied to the released files. Cummings was first employed by the OSI in 1950 but had served as an Army weapon specialist in World War II. He was used to purchase weapons for a wide range of clients, from Hollywood to the Taiwan Government. In Korea, he was used to identify captured weapons.

According to the documents released, he purchased weapons for the CIA in 1951 and 1952. These weapons were intended to be funneled to resistance efforts behind the Iron Curtain. It was not until 1954 that Cummings became the principal agent of International Armament Corporation and Interarmco Ltd.

These companies were incorporated in the United States, Canada, and Switzerland. The files state that he engaged in sharp business practices and was extremely difficult to control.

The Business of Interarms

Samuel Cummings is largely responsible for the surplus in the United States. He went wild, buying guns from everyone who’d be willing to sell. He brought in piles of cheap surplus firearms from both World Wars and saturated the market with them. Outside of surplus, Interarms became the export sales agent for small arms companies, including the sole exporter of Armalite.

He took the AR-10 to South America and demonstrated the weapon. He famously sold 100 of the rifles to Fulgenico Batista. Fidel Castro’s forces intercepted those 100 rifles. Cummings sent Castro a letter asking him to pay for or return the rifles. Castra invited Cummings to visit and even paid for the rifles, hoping to purchase more.

An arms embargo blocked the sale. I imagine the CIA wouldn’t be excited for more arms to be sold to Castro’s forces. Cummings later supplied the arms used in the Bay of Pigs disaster.

Those Cuban AR-10s found their way to the Dominican Republic in the hands of rebels. This culminated with an enraged Trujillo demanding to know why AR-10s were being used by rebels when Cummings arrived to visit to discuss arms sales.

In 1972, an anonymous tip brought 126 cases to the attention of officials in Nieuwhaven on the Netherlands Antillian island of Suracao. These cases came from Venezuela and were on a Belgian freighter. The officials uncovered machine guns, grenades, ammo, and five dismantled U.S. F-86 Sabre fighter planes. This was a shipment by Interarms, and some of it eventually disappeared from the port.

Anyone Anywhere (Kind Of)

Cummings and Interarms only supplied American-backed forces with guns. This included M1 Garands to Castillo Armas in 1954, Vampire jets to Trujillo, small arms to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Sten Guns to Finland, half a million FALs to Argentina, and Lee-Enfields to Pakistan and Kenya.

Cummings eventually purchased Interarms from the CIA for $100,000. As part of the deal, the CIA kept control of $250,000 of inventory that Cummings would sell for them. Even after this, it seemed like Cumming kept close ties to the Intelligence Community.

He reportedly attempted to purchase several Soviet-era weapons for the BND and DIA, including a T-54 Tank. The CIA claims in the documents released that they had no operational interest in Cummings and weren’t paying him. They state that any information he provided was volunteered to them.

I’m not conspiracy-minded, but if I had to guess, Cummings wasn’t getting money from the CIA directly, but they made it really easy for him to make a fortune selling weaponry. Governments can sell guns, but purchases are recorded and are forced to go through committees and approvals. Why do that when you can just have a private company move guns from one country to another?

Especially if you need to prop up a dictator or overthrow a democratically elected government? It’s nice to know that an open secret is no longer a secret. I wonder what comes out next.

ASP Releases the Defender LE Duty Grade OC Spray

By

Tim Stetzer

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April 9, 2025

ASP is certainly no newcomer to the less lethal field. They’ve made the world’s most popular collapsible batons since the beginning. They’ve also had their Defender line of keychain pepper OC sprays out for a while now. Due to police officer and agency demand, ASP has now introduced the Defender LE. The Defender LE is a duty OC line of premium pepper spray aerosols that will be available to civilians as well as law enforcement personnel.

ASP Defender LE

According to ASP, the Defender LE OC sprays boast an industry-leading 1.4% major capsaicinoid potency, UV marking die, and omnidirectional dispersal with a 15-18 foot range. The OC sprays are nonflammable and CEW (Conducted Electrical Weapon) safe.

The Defender LE’s come in two sizes, a 2.68-ounce MK-3 and a 4.3-ounce MK-4. It comes in stream, gel, or fog formats. Inert training sprays to correspond with each type are available as well.

ASP doesn’t just drop new products, either. They make sure that law enforcement knows how to use them.

According to ASP, “Defender LE is supported by a new, police-designed, tuition-free law enforcement training program to set officers and agencies up for success on the street.”

That program is run directly by ASP for the police. Civilians aren’t left out, though. ASP has partnered with the USCCA (United States Concealed Carry Association), which is offering a “Non-Lethal Tools for Self-Defense Course.” The USCCA runs those classes, and it covers other less lethal tools as well.

The Defender LE actuators (trigger button, basically) feature flip-top safeties. The actuators and canisters are both color-coded to make it easy to tell active contents from inert ones. The canisters also have a serial number and expiration date. That’s great for department issue inventory and evidence control, but handy for civilians to know how current their spray is as well.

Prices are a very reasonable $19 to $21, depending on size. The trainers are a couple of bucks less.

If you don’t have a less lethal option in your toolkit, you really should. Pepper spray isn’t a cure-all, but it’s a good tool to have. ASP’s new Defender LE makes it an affordable one, too. Grabbing some training if you don’t have it through something like the USCCA is a good idea, too.

How Much Do Good Handgun Triggers Matter?

By

Travis Pike

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April 9, 2025

Triggers are an interesting topic when it comes to firearms. There used to be a time when triggers were everything, especially handgun triggers. I intended to write an article about triggers, but it quickly became apparent that combining rifles, shotguns, and handguns would be long and complicated, so let’s just talk about handgun triggers.

I used to believe that I needed a good trigger to shoot straight. Triggers were an essential way to judge a gun. Then something happened. When I started shooting a lot more, I realized the trigger’s weight and length didn’t matter as much as I thought they did. Do handgun triggers make a big difference in accurately shooting a handgun?

Handgun Triggers – What Does Nice Mean?

What’s a nice trigger? Typically, people describe a nice trigger as one that’s smooth, light, and short. You want it to glide or feel like it’s moving on ball bearings. Theoretically, you’d want to apply as little effort as possible to get the trigger to break and the gun to fire.

It’s easy to see why people like nice triggers, outside of their personal performance. It’s a tactile delight. I love manipulating a lever action, and for the same reason, I like a good trigger. Good triggers are just fun to manipulate.

People like things that feel nice. Dry-firing a PDP feels great because the trigger rocks. Does the trigger of your handgun make a difference in your accuracy?

Yes (Kind Of)

If you’re new to shooting or not very experienced with a handgun, a good trigger can make a difference. The reason it makes a difference is because you’re new to shooting and no offense, but you probably suck at shooting.

That’s okay. I suck at shooting too. It’s a journey, man; enjoy the ride. A good trigger helps new shooters because they haven’t mastered their grip. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’ve mastered grip by any means, but I’ve progressed to the point where trigger pull doesn’t make a difference.

At least with two hands. A nice trigger helps me shoot with one hand because I really suck when I shoot with one hand. Good handgun triggers can be a crutch when your grip isn’t solid.

The Handgun Trigger Reality

Shooting accurately is really easy. You put your sights on the target, ensure they are aligned correctly, and pull the trigger without disturbing your sight picture. It’s easy…to explain, anyway. It’s not always so easy to do.

What keeps you from moving your sights when you pull the trigger isn’t the trigger; it’s your grip. A good grip on your gun means you can slap the hell out of the trigger, and it doesn’t matter. A long, heavy trigger won’t matter either. Just keep the grip tight and slap it, and you can shoot.

After I got a decent grip on how to grip my gun, I quickly realized I wasn’t paying any attention to the trigger. There’s a reason plenty of people can shoot a DAO revolver accurately. It really became apparent when I shot this Tara 9mm, a DAO 9mm striker-fired pistol with a God awful trigger.

I was shooting it just as accurately as I could with my PDP.

How a Bad Trigger Can Affect Accuracy

That’s not to say it’s impossible for bad handgun triggers to cause accuracy issues. If you have a trigger that’s so long and heavy that it forces you to shift your hand to pull it, you have a trigger that can affect your accuracy. This can occur, especially when guns get smaller.

My favorite example is the original S&W Bodyguard. It mixed a crappy long, and gritty trigger pull with a super short and thin grip. The weight of the trigger and the fact that you had hardly anything to hold onto make it hard to shoot accurately, and the trigger contributes to that.

By all measures, the new Bodyguard isn’t much bigger, but it’s much easier to shoot due to its striker-fired trigger. We have a tiny grip and not much to hold onto, but a better trigger.

The Reality of Your Handgun Trigger

Swapping from a stock Glock 19 trigger to the Uber Tactical Super Match trigger that retails for $250 isn’t going to make a big difference in your overall accuracy if you’ve mastered your grip. A lighter trigger can help reduce split times, but you must be a good shooter for it to matter. Most of us aren’t fast enough to notice slight differences in pull. (Of course, we all aim to be.)

Overall, I think the trigger in your gun doesn’t matter as much as the gun industry seems to think. A nice trigger is still nice to have, and companies should try to make excellent triggers, but you need to master your grip if you want to shoot straight.

Snick! – Advantages and Disadvantages of Automatic Knives

By

Jim Cobb

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April 8, 2025

I have to admit that my fondness for automatic knives at least partially stems from my youth. Growing up, autos weren’t legal where I lived, so it was rare to see one in person. At best, you might run across someone’s older brother who had picked one up cheap from Mexico or some such. It was dull as a spoon, and the action was slow, but you still pined for it.

Times have changed, and automatic knives are now legal in most parts of the United States. There are still some restrictions here and there as to blade length and other aspects. By and large, though, the days of hiding your switchblade from Johnny Law are gone.

But is an automatic knife right for you? Let’s run through the pros and cons.

Pro: Automatic Knives are Fast

If speed is a factor when it comes to knife selection, automatic knives score highly. There is no fumbling around trying to flick the blade open with your thumb or index finger. Push a switch or button, and the blade deploys in the blink of an eye. At least, that’s what is supposed to happen.

Con: Automatic Knives Can Fail

If you don’t properly maintain your knife, which includes cleaning the inner workings, you might be surprised when nothing happens after hitting the switch. Pocket lint, dirt, and other debris can work their way inside and foul the mechanism. The cleaning procedure differs by model and construction. But most often, the application of canned air will clear up many issues.

Pro: Automatic Knives are Convenient

If you’re in the middle of a project, being able to deploy your blade with one hand can be very convenient. Sometimes, you just don’t have both hands free. You can easily hit the switch and cut what needs to be cut while you’re holding parts together with the other hand. If you have an out-the-front (OTF) model, you can also close the knife via the switch.

Automatic Knives - Kershaw Livewire — The Kershaw Livewire is an out the front (OTF) knife that’s snappy and fun.

Con: Automatic Knives Are Expensive

Ounce for ounce, an automatic knife is going to have a higher price tag than a manual knife that’s similar in size and features. This stands to reason, as manufacturing one is going to be more involved than building a flipper or slip joint folding knife. But if you shop around, you might find a good sale price on something that’s definitely worth the price of admission.

Two Favorite Automatic Knives

I own several autos that I’ve picked up over the course of the last decade or so. If I had to pick two, they would be the Kershaw Livewire and the Buck 110 Auto.

The Kershaw Livewire is the first OTF I’ve had, and it’s a lot of fun. The knife is well-made and comfortable to hold and use. The blade snaps into position fast and cycles back into the handle just as quickly.

Automatic knives - Buck 110 Auto — The 110 Auto from Buck Knives is an excellent addition to the collection.

The Buck 110 Auto is sort of nostalgic for me. I’ve owned and carried a traditional 110 for ages. Like many other knife nuts, it was one of my first blades. As a kid, I’d heard rumors about 110s that had been modified into automatics. But I never actually saw one. So, when Buck came out with the real deal, I had to get one. And I’ve never regretted that decision.

Hawke Vantage 30 WA 2.5-10X50

By

Travis Pike

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April 8, 2025

Have you ever heard of Hawke Optics? I hadn’t, but I’ve recently decided to try and create the best possible hunting rifle combination for $750 or a little less. My goal is to come in drastically under budget, but I’m also interested in seeing how close I can get to $750 while getting a good rifle and good optics. My rifle ended up being a Mossberg in 6.5, but today, we are talking about Hawke Vantage 30 2.5-10×50 optics.

I know nothing about Hawke, but I’ve always liked the 2.5-10X magnification setting. I had an old Nikon ProStaff in 2.5-10X, but Nikon has since discontinued that optic. I wanted to find a replacement for that optic, and a big part of that old ProStaff was the low price point combined with the magnification range I enjoyed.

That’s where Hawke came in. Finding a budget optic that’s not crap tier and offers that magnification setting wasn’t that easy. I just landed on the Hawke Vantage 30 by luck and hit that buy now button with a little hope in my heart. For less than $300, I had a 2.5-10X scope on the way, and I hoped it wouldn’t let me down.

Who The Hell Is Hawke?

Admittedly, before I hit the buy it now button, I did a little research into the optic and the company. Hawke seems to be a popular air gun optics brand, especially in Europe. That’s where most of the reviews originate and are tied to. They also have a fairly big name in the binocular world for affordable binos with decent glass quality.

Hawke also makes centerfire rifle scopes with what appears to be a focus on hunting optics. You’re not going to see some ultra-tactical stuff here. That’s apparent with the Vantage 30. It’s a fairly basic design. It’s got a fixed parallax at 100 yards, and is a second focal plane scope.

I’m hunting within 150 yards, so I don’t need an FFP optic. In fact, I’d prefer an SFP option for those times when I’m only using a portion of the magnification. I want the reticle to be highly visible even at 2.5X. The reticle in the Vantage 30 isn’t complicated, which was another thing I wanted.

The L4A reticle consists of three thick stadia at the bottom and sides and one thin stadia at the top. In the center sits an illuminated 2 MOA dot. You can switch from red to green illumination, and you have five illumination settings. It all works out for what I need, so in a jiff, I got my optic mounted and hit the range.

The Hawke Vantage 30 – The Good

First, the glass clarity is surprisingly nice for a sub $300 optic. It’s clear enough to easily see the varying colors in front of and around me. I can pick up the fine lines of the target at 100 yards. I can see the red center easily. My berm is mostly white sand, and I’m aiming at a white target and can see it in detail without issue.

I like the reticle. The 2 MOA dot is easy to see and makes an excellent aiming point. It doesn’t obscure much of the target and allows you to dial in the optic nicely. Illumination is fine, but it likely won’t be necessary for my hunting type.

My rifle shoots 6.5 Creedmoor, so it’s not a magnum shoulder thumper, but I still appreciate the 3.5-inch eye relief. It’s comfy and allows you to snap behind the gun. The field of view isn’t bad, with 12.6 feet visible at 100 yards with the magnification set to 10X.

The weight and size aren’t bad. It’s 12.9 inches long and weighs 21.2 ounces. For a budget optic that’s acceptable to me. The ¼ MOA clicks are enough adjustments for hunting and allow a nice tight zero. The zero stuck around and never drifted during testing.

The Bad

While the glass is mostly clear, the optic suffers from chromatic aberration. This is most apparent when aiming at white targets, like the target I zeroed the gun for. It’s much less of an issue in low light or when aiming at darker targets.

The reticle illumination doesn’t work in full sunlight. It’s too dim. That’s not a huge concern since most of my hunting is right before dark and as the sun rises.

The turrets are a bit soft, and I’d prefer good audible and tactile clicks. Luckily, once the optics are zeroed, they stay zeroed.

Behind the Optic

The Hawke Vantage 30 does what you expect from a budget brand optic. It’s clear enough, has a decent field of view, and works well. I wouldn’t hunt bad guys in Fallujah with it, but I’d hunt deer and hogs in Florida. For the money, you are getting a decent optic with a particular magnification setting I tend to prefer. It’s not a mind-blowing value, but it’s not a bad alternative to the more affordable Vortex lineup or as a replacement for the Pro-Staff lineup.

DIY Carabiner EDC Kits

By

Reuben Bolieu

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April 7, 2025

GAT_DIY_Carabiner (1) — The author uses a DIY Carabiner EDC Kit with items needed when walking the town and in the hotel room.

There’s a kit for everything. However, these DIY Carabiner EDC Kits are fun to make and convenient to carry. They’ll equip you for several scenarios and give you the tools to smash the day!

Carabiner EDC Kits

I hate Altoid Tin survival kits. Sure, they were fun to do 20 years ago. However, they force you to cram small, cheap, nearly useless pieces into a small space. Then, the snag factor comes into play when you need something. This usually results in several items ejected from the tin like Goose in TOP Gun. No good!

I’ll take a DIY Carabiner Kit any day and use substantial, quality items. These kits omit keys, as I usually keep them separate. However, personalize your kit accordingly. There’s no need to use climbing-rated or expensive carabiners for this DIY project. You need a simple carabiner to clip onto your belt loop or pack, not anything to repel a cliff with. Again, make it your own!

Travel EDC Kits

I’m a world traveler and don’t carry essential house keys with me abroad. I use a DIY Carabiner EDC Kit with items I’ll need when walking around the town and in the hotel room. I love walking at night, and having a small, capable light gives me peace of mind. Plus, you can use it as a quick distracter/blinder in an altercation. The light is usually within reach on the nightstand in case of a power outage in developing countries, which is very common.

Here’s a variant of the authors’ Woods Carabiner EDC Kit. It covers fire, cutting tool, signaling, navigation, and illumination.

Why a whistle for travel? Simple: In case of a natural disaster like an earthquake or another, if there’s a rescue party, you want to be heard.

The Victorinox Waiter is my go-to knife for travel. It’s small and contains a blade for cutting string off clothing, limes, and drinks, and most often, night market chicken, squid, and pork. The VIC Waiter also has a corkscrew and multi-use can opener/cap lifter/flathead screwdriver. Naturally, the toothpick and tweezers are always in season!

A Griffin Adventure Tool is usually in all my kits, and it is an excellent bottle opener, prybar, and screwdriver set.

Woods Carabiner EDC Kits

For wilderness adventures, I’m never without my carabiner kit. I have a cutting tool (Victorinox Camper), two ways of signaling (TOPS Dog tag Signal Mirror, Wazoo S.O.S. Whistle), Fire making device (Uberleben Hexa 3 Ferro Rod), and a general direction compass. These are the most essential pieces of valuable survival gear for me. They are not stand-alone pieces of kit. However, they are the key components that work with the rest of my gear.

This is the author’s updated Woods Carabiner EDC Kit. It covers fire, cutting tool, signaling, and navigation.

The VIC Camper has a large main blade for carving feather sticks and all knife tasks. It has a corkscrew that houses a small eyeglass screwdriver and helps undo knots, besides the obvious wine cork popper. The Camper features an awl and wood saw, perfect for a plethora of wood crafting. The usual cap lifter/flathead and can opener/Phillips screwdriver come standard with the tweezers and toothpick.

Signalling is paramount in a wilderness emergency. Keep at least two on you constantly. You can’t yell as loudly or for as long as you can blow a whistle. A small signal mirror helps you signal, enabling you to see yourself and check for facial abrasions or remove particles from your eye. This is essential in a carabiner kit.

A Ferro rod is a must-have piece of gear for the wilderness. Get a good one, and learn to use it. Practice it with various tinders and master it—your life may depend on this skill!

I change it up often and recommend you do the same to find what you like best.

This DIY Carabiner EDC Kit is what the author stashes in his camera bag. It covers the essentials and is low-key.

Kit Tips

Keep it light and realistic
Use quality pieces
Cover the basics
Practice using the kit
Be creative and make it fun!

How I would Have Designed the M16A2

By

Travis Pike

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April 7, 2025

The M16A2 holds a special place in my heart. The rifle I used in boot camp makes me one of the last generations to say that. The M16A4 replaced the M16A2 not long after I left the island. Most of my USMC career was spent with an A4 or M4; the A2 remained this nostalgic rifle. I admittedly didn’t know much about rifles, and upon experiencing an M16A2 as part of the retro runs, I realized it had problems.

How I’d Make the M16A2

As a guy who likes to do thought experiments, I wanted to think about what I would do if I were in charge of the M16 program. What would Travis do if he was allowed to design the M16A2 system? It’s easy to gamify this idea and attach a bunch of proto-modern stuff to the rifle. To avoid that, I’m sticking with what was common at the time and common amongst standard infantry forces.

Burst Begone

The USMC and military wanted to eliminate the automatic function because they believed soldiers and Marines were just ripping full auto fire at the first sign of contact. To combat this supposed waste of ammo, they installed a three-round burst feature. They somehow concluded that this was the right combination of automatic fire and ammo consumption.

To install the three-round burst design, they went with a cam mechanism. This greatly complicated the trigger and honestly made it suck. Plus, the system was more like a limiter. If you pulled the trigger to fire a burst and only fired two rounds, the next pull of the trigger on the burst setting would only fire one round.

It’s silly. Honestly, if given the choice, I’d use a semi-auto system over a burst system. It’s smoother, simpler, and provides a much better trigger.

Keep the A1 Length of Pull

In creating the M16A2, the USMC essentially wanted to create a target rifle that would excel at the Known Distance range. They installed a stock that was ⅝ of an inch longer with a recoil pad that made it about 1 inch longer than the A1 stock. That’s great for building your body and establishing a position with a loop sling, but it’s long for modern combat.

It worked poorly with armor and load-bearing gear and was difficult to manage for smaller shooters. The shorter A1 length is much better for actual fighting purposes. Shorter-length stocks are also easier to use for smaller shooters and while wearing gear.

Uses a Mix of A1 Sights and A2 Sights

Keeping the target rifle motif, the M16A2 featured complicated sights. At least they were complicated for an assault rifle. The big exposed dial also made it prime time to adjust the sight accidentally while in the field. What the A2 did right was integrate a wider alternative aperture for close-range shooting.

I’d combine the M16A2 aperture with the M16A1 sighting system, which would create a simpler, more versatile sighting system for the rifle.

Shorten the Barrel (and Lighten it)

First, I’d make the M16A2 a dissipator-style build or, at the very least, trim it to 18 inches. Short barrels are the rage now, but they existed in 1979 when the USMC started the M16A2 project. If they could reliably figure out dwell time and get the M16A2’s barrel to 16 inches while retaining the front sight position and rifle-length gas system, you’d have one helluva rifle.

The silly reinforced portion of the barrel was done due to the belief that barrels were behind too easily. In reality, a bur near the gas port on M16s was throwing off the gauge. Removing the burr removed the problem. This would lighten the rifle and better balance it.

What Would I keep?

So that’s what I would ditch to create the M16A2. That’s my take, but you might wonder what I’d keep. It seems like I’m ditching a lot of the M16A2 upgrades. First, I’d keep the twist rate since we are stuck with the 62-grain projectile in this era.

Second, the case defector made the rifle much easier for left-handed shooters. It’s remained a part of the AR-15 and M16 family since and doesn’t seem to cause issues. I’d also keep the muzzle device. The old A2 birdcage is a highly functional and very useful muzzle device.

The new handguard is fine and made to simplify logistics. It worked fine—it got hot fairly quickly—but it worked. Finally, I’d keep the new polymer used to create the stock. It was way tougher and more durable. I guess the pistol grip is fine. I don’t need the finger groove thing, but it’s fine.

That’s my take on the M16A2. Admittedly, I’m no expert. I’m just a retro rifle enjoyer. I might try to make my own Travis-Mod M16A2. The more I think about it, the more I want it.

Five Rare ARs H&R Should Tackle Next

By

Travis Pike

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April 6, 2025

I’m not an ‘AR’ guy. I’m not passionate about the subject. I think they are the best all-around semi-auto rifles one can own, and I appreciate them, but they bore me. Mostly. Retro ARs entertain me, and H&R has been a big source of my entertainment. They recently released the H&R DOE SMG, a 9mm AR pistol that clones an incredibly rare variant of the Colt SMG. That got my motor running, and I got to thinking what rare ARs should H&R make next?

The Five Rare ARs

I came up with five rare ARs I’m hoping that H&R would choose to tackle.

The Colt Automatic Rifle

Of all the Rare ARs on this list, this one might make it. The Colt Automatic Rifle was aimed at being a squad support weapon in the grand tradition of guns like the BAR. Compared to belt-fed designs, the gun would be lighter and more maneuverable, while also sharing magazines with the rest of the squad.

The design implemented an open bolt to reduce heating and cook-offs associated with automatic fire. It was also developed as a full-auto-only firearm. It features a 20-inch barrel and an extremely distinctive handguard. It’s boxy and squared off with a heat shield to protect it after long strings of fire. Over its life span, the gun was made with both a carry handle upper and flat top upper. Bipods and forward grips other commonly mounted accessories.

Sadly, the full auto and even the open bolt design would have to be eliminated from the H&R offering. They’d be stuck with the distinct handguard, bipod, and even the neat little forward grip. Hell, include a D-60 with it to take things to the next level.

The Colt 605

The Colt 605 was the original attempt to create a short-barrel M16. They trimmed the 20-inch barrel to 15 inches, but they chopped the barrel off at the front sight block. Designs similar to the Colt 605 would be called Dissipators in the future. Dissipator was a reference to the handguard used by Bushmaster, but the name stuck.

The Colt 605 didn’t work well. Colt never increased the size of the gas port to deal with the reduced dwell time. This created a reliability issue that has since been solved. My vision of the H&R version of these rare ARs would have the larger gas port but still wear the classic M16 style furniture.

To avoid the NFA, the H&R 605 would need either a 16-inch barrel or a 15-inch barrel with a pinned and welded muzzle device. It would still be capable and fun to shoot. Rifle-length gas systems are bae.

M231 Port Firing Weapon

The M231 Port Firing weapon is another rare AR that comes in full auto only. The M231 Port Firing weapon was designed for American APCs, namely the M2 Bradley. I’ve heard the M231 was used for two purposes. First, when loaded with tracers, it could mark targets. Second, it acted as a PDW to protect the Bradley.

These guns had an extremely high rate of fire, up to 1,200 rounds per minute. They had a 15.6-inch barrel and a unique set of handguards. They also had a carry handle and flip-up front sight, making them interesting-looking little guns. Initially, these guns were stockless, but a wire stock was later developed for using the gun out of the Bradley.

This wouldn’t be a tricky conversion. It couldn’t be full auto or open bolt, but a wire-stocked AR with a 16-inch barrel would be neat. The retro look and design would certainly be something different.

The Mk4 Mod 0

This is one of the most obscure and rare ARs ever created. The Mk4 Mod 0 namesake tells you it comes from the Navy. Specifically the SEALs. There isn’t a lot of information out there about the Mk4 Mod 0. There are a few things we know for sure about it. First, it was made for ship-to-shore use and had holes drilled strategically to drain water from the gun.

O-rings were locked into the buffer tube to help prevent water from getting into the receiver extension. The gun wore an extremely durable, corrosion-resistant finish inside and out to prevent rust. Additionally, the gun was designed from the ground up to use a suppressor, specifically the early HEL suppressors. Interestingly, the gun even featured a modified charging handle to help limit gas blowback through the gun.

Making one of these would require an included suppressor or a faux suppressor. PSA has started selling cans, which seems like a natural extension of their business. Add in the MACVSOG-style camo furniture, and you’d have a slick Vietnam-era AR.

The Colt 608 Survival Rifle

Colt wanted to provide pilots with a compact but capable weapon, and thus, they designed the 608. The 608 was intended to be ultra small and light, and the AR series’ natural breakdown design made it incredibly compact. It featured a 10-inch barrel and was 29 inches long overall. Colt minimized absolutely everything they could.

They chopped the grip in half, minimized the stock, and equipped the platform with 20-round mags, which made the rifle super small compared to other rifles of the era. The Colt 608 Survival Rifle didn’t win the contract and faded away.

H&R could easily revive this design. It’s just a short AR. Chop the grip, make the stock into a minimalist brace, and boom, we have a Colt 608. The H&R Survival rifle might be a loud little beast, but it would be extremely fun to shoot.

Rare ARs and You

H&R has a fun opportunity to produce some awesome and rare ARs. The old AR platform has a huge history that’s chock full of rare and weird designs. I hope H&R sees nothing but success because I love the weird and rare ARs.

The Prepper Kitchen – Off-Grid Food Prep

By

Jim Cobb

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April 5, 2025

Food prep in the wake of a major event might look a little different than it does right now. If the grid is down, you won’t be using a microwave, Instant Pot, or air fryer. In many cases, it might just consist of heating water or canned foods.

The importance of being able to serve up a hot meal to your family cannot be overemphasized. Sure, survivalists are all about embracing the suck. And that’s absolutely crucial, being able to survive and thrive under adverse conditions. But y’know what? If you’re dealing with a stressful situation, it’d sure be nice if some things didn’t suck. And a hot meal can go a long way toward making people feel better about what’s happening around them.

On top of that, boiling water is one of the best ways to make it safe to drink. So, even if you decide to tough it out and decline the steaming bowl of chili for dinner, you’ll still want to be able to get water hot enough to kill any pathogens swimming around in it.

Let’s take a look at just a few different options. This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list. Hopefully, it will get you thinking about the best ways you can tackle the problem in your own situation.

Off-Grid Food Prep – Grills

Many people have gas or charcoal grills sitting on their patio or deck. Sure, they’re great for burgers and steaks, but they’ll do okay heating up other foods as well as water in a pinch. The best would be a grill that has a side burner, but not all of us are that fortunate. Charcoal grills aren’t that pricey. You can sometimes find them secondhand at rummage sales, too. If you run out of charcoal, you can use branches and sticks for fuel.

Off-Grid Food Prep – Patio Fire Pits

These have become very popular in the last several years. They come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. These fire pits consist of a large metal container on legs, inside which you burn firewood. They’re great for ambience as well as for providing a little warmth on a chilly late summer evening. You can also use them just like you would a campfire when it comes to heating food and water.

Off-Grid Food Prep – Camp Stoves

This option is pretty obvious to anyone who has camping gear sitting in the garage. I mean, food prep and boiling water are precisely what a camp stove is supposed to be used for, right? Just be sure you’ve stocked up on fuel canisters.

Off-Grid Food Prep – Campfire

While not everyone has a backyard, this is definitely an option for many people. Food cooked over an open campfire just tastes better. The downside is making sure you have plenty of wood on hand, as well as taking care that nothing gets out of control.

Off-Grid Food Prep — Helpful Hints

With the possible exception of the camp stove, these food prep options can take a little experimentation to get the hang of them. Cooking times are going to differ, given that you can’t precisely control the cooking temperature. My recommendation is to play around with these methods on a regular basis. Make dinner with them at least once a month, if not more often. Yes, I know many of us run our patio grills constantly when the weather is decent. But how often are you cooking the entire meal that way?

Also, bear in mind that most common kitchen cookware isn’t going to hold up well to the higher heat generated with these cooking methods. Cast iron? No problem. Thinner stock, not so much. Either pick up some cast-iron cookware or invest in a set that’s specifically intended for camp use. The family cook will thank you.