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Modifying Clothing for Concealed Carry

By
The Suited Shootist
-
https://www.facebook.com/adamrosscustom/photos/359836249075616
Photo Credit: Adam Ross Custom

When you decide to start carrying a firearm, a lot of things have to change. You hear a lot of advice on how to adjust your wardrobe.

Personally, I prefer to keep my clothing as unmodified as possible, for 2 reasons:

Reason 1: Modifications are expensive. Good tailoring costs money. Having something done to every single jacket or pair of pants in your closet can add up.

Reason 2: Some carry-specific adjustments only make the garment fit right when you’re wearing the gun. I don’t like the proposition of two separate “with a gun” and “without a gun” wardrobes.

With that said, let’s take a look at the popular modifications that people recommend.

Buy Bigger Clothes:

The most common suggestion you’ll hear is “wear a size bigger” (especially as it pertains to pants for carrying inside the waistband).

The biggest problem I have with this “tip” is that a size bigger is bigger everywhere. This means that, while there certainly is extra space in the waist for your sidearm, you end up looking like you’re wearing hand-me-downs. At best it just looks sloppy, and at worst it’s unusual enough to draw further scrutiny. (Yes, this really happens. Claude Werner experienced it firsthand.)

IF you insist on sizing up your clothing to make room for a pistol, I’d suggest getting the garment tailored so that it fits you properly everywhere else, and you don’t look like you’re wearing a circus tent.

Extra Belt Loops:

It was popular for plain clothes cops and bodyguards to have extra belt loops added to their trousers to support the weight of a full-sized handgun, spare magazines, and other gear all hanging on a double thick leather gun belt. You see this trend continued in modern tactical pants and jeans. I don’t hate this one, with the caveat that it works best when you’re going to be wearing a jacket since most of the extra loops will be concealed. If the beltline is going to be exposed, that density of loops interrupts the profile of the belt, and it can deviate from the norm enough to raise questions.

Reinforced Lining:

Guns are angular chunks of metal. Angular metal is sharp. Especially when you’ve got the fabric of a jacket pulled over it. It can be expensive to have an entire jacket re-lined, so some guys will have a sacrificial layer sewn into their coats This can be the same material or something with a little more structure like moleskin. Especially if you’re regularly carrying a firearm while wearing jackets/sports coats, but don’t have many in the rotation, this can save you some costly repairs. Of all the options discussed, this is the one I see as the most viable. John Murphy has recommended iron-on patches to help avoid the cheese-grater effect guns have on your shirts for appendix carry.

Extra Weight:

Another old-school bodyguard hack. To facilitate the “IDPA Flick” of getting the jacket out of the way, some would have small weights sewn into the front hem of their jackets. This would ostensibly keep it from falling back over the gun as quickly as the shooter went to clear the garment. The problem with this one is, aside from the cost, whenever you have that jacket pressed, eventually, the weight will be outlined in the fabric. You can achieve a similar effect by putting something in the pocket (just make sure it’s not so bulky as to ruin the lines of the jacket)

For the more casual wardrobe, I’ve found all that’s needed is to buy clothing that fits correctly, wear pants at the natural waist, instead of lower on the hip bones, and have fabrics with a little bit of stretch to them. This will generally give you the space you need to fit a pistol.

AP Stylebook Catches On To Gun Terminology Before The Left

By
Lars Smith
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Image Credit: Associated Press

As the standard of “no color commentary” news reporting, AP Wire has long been a source other news outlets use to generate their own coverage, though of course they often add a lot to those stories. For over 110 years, they have also produced a style guide, which has become the standard for journalism, public relations, and marketing communication. It’s not required, but the influence on text based media is inescapable.

Standardizing word choice and usage is valuable, so as to avoid unnecessary confusion when attempting to communicate a concept to as diverse a group of people as “English speakers”. Examples of things the AP style guide has standardized include a.m. and p.m., the use of % over “percent” and which words are to be capitalized in headlines. So in light of that, it’s refreshing as hell to see them take a reasonable stance on gun communications. Among other terms they’ve chosen to highlight in this most recent update, is the ever controversial “assault weapon/rifle“.

As I’m sure most of you are aware, “assault rifle” is a gun industry/military term denoting a weapon of carbine or rifle dimensions, that fires an intermediate cartridge (between pistol and traditional full-size rifle size) and is capable of select fire: Semi, burst, and/or full auto. There are arguments about which was the first, and I’ll leave that up to someone more qualified than me, like Ian @ Forgotten Weapons, but generally speaking the German-made MP/Stg-44 and the AK are the grandfathers of the bunch. The M16, L85, FN FNC, AUG, etc all evolved from those, and similar predecessors.

Per the NRA-ILA, the term “assault weapon” first showed up in 1984, as part of a pro-gun control newspaper ad from Handgun Control, Inc. Since then, it become the nom de rigueur of anything that looks scary enough to the genpop that anti-gun groups and politicians think they can gin up support to ban them. They did so successfully for a decade between 1994-2004, and have been actively trying to repeat that success ever since.

The problem is that, as a lobbyist/media generated term, it doesn’t have a defined meaning, and indeed fluctuates wildly in definition between “assault weapon” bans from various jurisdictions. The federal AWB regulated rifles, mainly, but the NY SAFE act limits handguns as well. Indeed, as the decades have gone by, its application has only expanded, to the point today that we are hearing calls for bans on semi-automatic firearms entirely. Well, except for actual “weapons of war” like the M1 Garand, or anything that has a wood stock, for some reason.

Looking for cognitive dissonance in anti-gun legislation is like playing whack-a-mole on easy mode, obviously, but we appreciate that at least someone in the media is trying to minimize the bullshit hyperbolic hoplophobia, and attempting to restore a margin of accuracy and sense to the “debate”.

Embrace Soldiering – Reject Operating

By
Travis Pike
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Everyone wants to operate these days, and no one wants to soldier. Honestly, I’m not the type to hate on people who wear gear and train rifle CQB. It’s a ton of fun, and I do it too. Admittedly the operator stuff, the recce, the room clearing, the CQB, and even the sniper shots are all exciting and fun. Soldiering can be a bit boring, admittedly. When I say soldiering, I mean the common infantry tasks any E2 worth their salt would know as an 11B or 03__. 

Soldiering is a little less sexy than operating but is chock-full of valuable skills that everyone should know. If you like your high-speed skills, you can keep your high-speed skills, but if you want to learn something new, you’ve come to the right place. Today we are going to examine five skills any proper infantrymen would be skilled in. Oh, and these skills are unrelated to firearms. These are what we’d call fieldcraft. So get ready to…

Rejecting Operating – Embrace Soldiering 

Basic soldiering skills might seem a bit tame compared to clearing rooms, but these skills are the fundamentals of a good infantryman. Infantry forces are the queen of battle, and any actual military operator is going to know these basic skills on top of their high-speed training. I purposefully left off shooting skills to establish there is more to being high speed or even low speed than shooting things. 

Let’s dig into some soldiering skills. 

Range Determination 

Range determination is vital if you ever plan to hit your target beyond the typical engagement range, call for fire, or to make accurate observations. There are lots of ways technology can help, and rangefinders have become quite common, but there are other ways to determine. Certain ways involve a compass and pacing, like the Five Degree method, which can be quite handy to know and use, environment permitting. 

There is also basic guessing, which sounds silly and ultimately relies on you being able to mentally picture a known distance and apply it to the battlefield. We always used football fields to do so. Lots of modern optics also have rudimentary range-finding tools like scales or the EoTech circle and dot reticle. 

A trick for estimating range at long distances is knowing what certain objects look like at various ranges. The two pictures here come from the Marine Corps’ Scouting and Patrolling publication. 

Find yourself a good means to estimate range and master it. Test yourself and check your work. 

Navigation With Map And Compass 

My watch has a GPS built into it, and so does every smartphone, and in general, personal GPS units have never been cheaper or more widely available. Even in a world where GPS rules, knowing how to read a map and compass for navigation over land can be a lifesaver. This goes beyond soldiering but is clearly a proper skill for a good soldier. Batteries run out.

Know how to plot a destination, know how to read a compass, and know your pace count (how many of your steps take you 100 meters over open and rough terrain). This is a skill easily forgotten if not practiced.

Effective Use of Camouflage 

I’m not talking about slapping on your favorite shade of Multicam and calling it a day. Uniform/clothing is part of that, but camouflage goes beyond your Crye pants. Camouflaging yourself and your gear certainly makes sense, but also learn how to camouflage your position and use natural camouflage. 

Anything that can reflect light should be covered or dulled. Anything that bangs, clamps, or dings about should be silenced. 

A Marine wearing camouflage face paint participates in Exercise SOLID SHIELD ’83.

When you occupy a position, learn how to camouflage it. When you choose a position, consider the camouflage advantages it offers, like fallen logs, rocks, natural dips, and bushes. Avoid lone trees, fence corners, and other things that stick out by their lonesome. 

Camouflage is a very valuable soldiering skill to have. Remember, if your enemy can’t see you, you have an automatic advantage. 

Observation 

Observation is just looking. How can I goof that up? Well, what are you looking for is the question. Being observant is more than just looking for or at something. Good observation skills allow you to pick signs of the enemy, be it footprints, vehicle tracks, or even trash. 

Footprints, tracks, and trash can do a lot for you. You can learn something about their numbers, you can learn about their discipline and skill level, as well as where they are going. 

In terms of purposeful observation of a location, an enemy force, or any geographic location, learn how to approach and set in for observation. Understand how to approach an area for best observation and for best camouflage. Take advantage of a rising or setting sun, geographic conditions, and even the weather. 

Observation is more than just looking around. It’s a valuable soldiering skill. 

Planning 

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance, amiright? Everyone involved in an operation has some responsibility for planning. The NCOs and officers plan for their mission and the individual plans for their tasks. 

U.S. Marines with Weapons Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, cross a canal as they head to an overnight post, March 23, 2012. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alfred V. Lopez/Released)

 

Plans help ensure success, and everyone should know their part in the plan and everyone else’s part in the plan. Plans include all your tactical scenarios and objectives but also plan for sustainment. How much food and water do you need? 

What’s your comms plan? Your prisoner plan? Your evacuation plan? Those are all valuable to consider and are a basic part of every mission operation. Planning goes beyond the leader of an op and should be something anyone can do. 

Embrace Soldiering 

These are the five skills I think are very underrated and underutilized. A lot of them are replaced or supplemented with technology, but a good analog method never goes out of style. If you are serious about your tactical training, open your mind to skills beyond the gun. Sure, you might never storm a POW camp to free your allies, but learning these basic skills can be handy in everyday life in general. They tie directly to hunting and survival in a group.

Plus, ammo is expensive, so why not learn something that won’t cost you 5.56. 

The P365 Proforce Airsoft

By
Keith Finch
-

Improve Your Training with the Airsoft Version of the P365

The Proforce P365 airsoft pistol is the economic and authentic answer to training more often, more effectively, and more affordably. Unlike traditional training weapons, airsoft guns fire a very economical 6mm polymer BB, allowing flexibility in both the budget and training environment. Perfected for muscle memory exercises, shooting drills, and tactical training.

Airsoft is one of the best avenues to economically get force on force and some beyond dryfire repetitions in without needing live ammo and a safe range.

Sig has invested deeply in their airgun and airsoft avenues so that those products both standalone as fun high quality offerings and fully complement their live fire counterparts.

Smith & Wesson AR-15 Sales Data Subpoenaed by Congress

By
Keith Finch
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image via NBC Chicago

The U.S. House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Smith & Wesson Brands Inc (SWBI.O) for information on its AR-15 style firearms sales and marketing after the gunmaker’s chief executive refused to appear before lawmakers last month, it said in a statement.

The panel, led by Democratic U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, cited incomplete data and gaps in the company’s metrics in seeking documents from the firearms manufacturer, citing a copy of the letter notifying CEO Mark Smith of the congressional summons. – Reuters

After Ruger and Daniel Defense both made headlines in the gunternet circles by failing to denounce the ATF during their questioning, and while that is disappointing it feels a lot like asking someone to tell you how their abusive relationship is going with the abuser in the room and they’re still going home with them after this meeting, Smith & Wesson CEO Mark Smith did not answer the congressional committee summons and has had their records subpoenaed instead.

Unlike the private lawsuit that targeted Remington and Bushmaster, this is Democratic congressional aggression against the firearms industry citing the same basic principles. The allegation is that Smith & Wesson among others in the industry has recklessly advertised their firearm products and sold ‘assault weapons’ to the public.

“This subpoena was made necessary by your unwillingness to voluntarily comply with the Committee’s investigation, including your refusal to testify about your company’s troubling business practices … and your refusal to voluntarily produce key information about your company’s sale of assault weapons to civilians,” Maloney wrote in a letter to Smith.

So Maloney is upset that Smith & Wesson legally sold AR-15’s to people who are legally able to possess and use them through the regulated process overseen by the ATF. How dare Smith & Wesson comply with all these rules and arm Americans!

Daniel Defense and Smith & Wesson have both featured prominently in a couple recent mass casualty attacks, being the two owned ARs for two of the shooters.

This circumstance has spawned a conspiracy theory, including a call within circles of the industry not to sell Daniel Defense or S&W AR-15’s (or any firearm) to very skinny young white males, since four such were responsible in recent MAPS type attacks.

The theory goes further to allege government involvement, due to several loose connections, including but not limited to the consistency in rifles owned, number of rifles, recentness of the purchases, expense of the rifle in the case of the Daniel Defense products compared to early 20’s and late teen’s income, and even the location of the vertical grip on the rifle (which DD does from the factory). And while I would love to immediately dismiss government misconduct, the problem there is that the government has acted against the American people before and consistently when they needed to get their way.

Do I believe the government is turning young, disenfranchised, impressionable youth into lone wolf terrorists? On US soil that is?

I do not. I just wish it wasn’t as plausible as it is.

Because we, the US, have absolutely and unquestionably done that other places. The government is capable of it and was very good at it during the Cold War era.

But the more plausible option continues to remain that these are self radicalized youth who want the attention a horrific act brings. The fact that several have had traits loosely in common with the Scene, Emo, and Punk cultures seems to be one of those disturbing coincidences. But in a simplified way these specific attacks quantify rebellious youth commits the ultimate rebellion, against all decency, empathy, and morality, and gains unquestionably the attention of the nation or world.

Unless they get smoke checked by another young man and die trying to crawl back to their hiding place in the mall bathroom that is.

The Subpoena

This behavior from the House Oversight Committee is troubling, even if it is only meant to be mildly irritating, intimidating, and disruptive to the firearm industry.

This administration and the Democrats in congress seem bound and determined to make Bruen consequences everyone’s problem and as annoying for all of us as it needs to be for them due to their unconstitutional law practices up to know.

Ladies Shotgun Salon

By
Dr LateBloomer
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Allow me to tell you about my recent weekend at the Ladies Shotgun Salon by Calibered Events.

I originally attended my first ever Ladies Shotgun Salon LAST summer and had a marvelous time. The event has been going on for about nine years, plus or minus a time out for the virus-which-shall-not-be-named. This year was actually my second time attending.

About the word ”Salon” – No, I did not take my Benelli along to get my hair done. It wasn’t that kind of salon (although there was a hair and nail salon as part of the spa services, but more on that later). In this case the word “salon” comes from the European Aristocratic custom from the 17th and 18th centuries. These salons – gatherings primarily hosted by influential women – were events intended for the exchange of ideas. And so it was that this event was for learning about shotguns and sporting clays and for the fellowship of women friends in the shooting sports – both old friends and new friends.

That’s not to say there were no visits to the nail salon or the spa involved. Part of the package deal was that there were spa credits to be used at the on-site resort spa, which we all took delightful advantage of. But the “salon” in the title is about the learning and fellowship, not technically the mani/pedi.

Thus, I explained my days off to co-workers as a “sporting clays and spa event”. There may or may not have been some eye-rolling, but there were also a few interested questions.

Ann Marie Foster, event founder/coordinator started this event about ten years ago. Minus a year for the C-word, this was the ninth iteration, and second for me. Ann Marie’s careful planning and “mother henning” made it a wonderful experience for everyone.

Last year I took my Benelli 828u 12 gauge along for the festivities. It is my favorite shotty and why wouldn’t I? But this year just for giggles I decided to take my only 20 gauge, which was a pawn shop find from a few years ago. (I’ve had some great pawnshop scores in the shotgun department and even turned one of them into a tactical/home defense gun.)

This 20 gauge is a Mossberg 500 pump youth model. I have a short LOP, but this was a little too short, even for me. A padded butt sleeve fixed that right up. I knew that the pump and somewhat shorter barrel would be a challenge for clays, but I was attending for the fun and fellowship – not the scores – so this is the gun I chose. And honestly with a total round count for the weekend in the neighborhood of 250 shells or more, 20 gauge was going to make my joints happier than 12 ga.

My little 20 gauge waiting in the foreground while fun was being had on deck.

The weekend began with distribution of gift bags and a welcome dinner with cocktails on Thursday evening. It was a great way to get reacquainted with friends from previous years and meet previous attendees who hadn’t made it last year when I was there.  Many hugs were distributed. The venue provided us with a delicious spread including prime rib sliders and crab cakes, which were a great addition to my bourbon cocktail. The venue even provided a shuttle bus back to the hotel so no one had to worry about driving. 

The following morning we met at 8:45 to caravan over to the clays course and begin our first day of shooting. Friday morning was to be 75 rounds of clays, followed by lunch at the course restaurant/grille. Then we carted our full bellies around for another 75 rounds in the afternoon. 

The round count was really a rather loose affair. The coach/trapper who accompanied each squad encouraged multiple reshoots to “try again”, and since the package deal included ammo, well, why not? By the Saturday morning session the coach/trappers were driving us around the various stations for various purposes including – “finding a station to challenge us”, “finding an easy one to restore our confidence”, and even “finding a shady one to cool off”.  The staff were all wonderful, educational, and accommodating. Highland Sporting Clays showed us a fantastic time and I heartily recommend them.

Our group numbered about 16, so we had four squads of four give or take, plus a certified coach/trapper each. Some ladies had their spa appointments and had to leave early, but we kept it flexible and just had fun. My squad chose not to keep score at ALL.  We just wanted to learn and have fun, so that took the pressure off of me and my short little pump gun. I had a blast!

I was pleasantly surprised. I did not shoot as badly as I had feared I might. I busted more clays than expected with the pump, and even hit a true pair or two. By the end of the first morning the pumping was becoming automatic and I didn’t have to think about it anymore. That’s not to say that I was actually “good” or anything. I never practice enough to become “good” at any of the shooting sports. But I was “satisfied”, and that was good enough for me.

One sure takeaway I got from this weekend was that you don’t “need” a fancy, expensive shotgun in order to enjoy sporting clays. If you want to try it out with some supportive friends just do it. Don’t worry about the gun, just shoot what you have. Or even rent one.

Some ladies in the group used loaner Beretta semi-autos from Calibered Events. Some ladies had pricey O/U’s, but not everyone. Another gal had an unrecoverable malfunction and used a loaner from the venue to finish the day. It was quite a mixed bag of guns and I had the only pump gun, let alone the only pawn shop gun LOL.

What goes for the guns also goes for the clothing. Some of the women wore name brand specialized “shooting vests”. But I wore a vest that I sewed myself for IDPA several years ago. The pockets were big enough to hold a box of shells, so that’s what I wore. But no vest at all is required. You can carry your box of shells up to the station if you want to, or even use a fanny pack. A big investment to “look the part” is not necessary. Safety is the only requirement. No matter what anyone was wearing or shooting, it was all great fun and we had beautiful weather besides!

Yours truly with the little pump gun.
Trying “rabbits”. Note the empty shell in the air and the finger indexed along the receiver even while pumping. Some things stay ingrained and automatic.

After the shooting on Saturday morning we had the afternoon to ourselves before the dress-up banquet in the evening. Personally I took a nap. But others went to the pool or had their spa appointments. That’s another nice thing about this group/event – you can do what you want most of the time. Some gals went to the hotel bar/nightclub in the evening or gathered in rooms. Others (like me) needed introvert recharge time and read a book on the quiet room balcony. It was all good.

The Saturday evening banquet was another fun time. Since I only know some of these women from hunting trips, I’m used to seeing them in camo and blaze orange. Dinner was an opportunity to prove that we could all clean-up nicely when we wanted to. With dinner and cash bar there were also prize drawings and lots of laughs. My ticket was pulled and I won a Beretta game bag full of goodies like shooting glasses, a towel, and a hat! It was a fun way to round out a great weekend. 

We can clean-up!

I reserved my personal spa massage time for Sunday morning before departure. I figured that way if I was sore from shooting I could get the kinks worked out before the drive home. It proved to be a good decision. All in all this was a fantastic weekend getaway, one which I hope to repeat on a yearly basis.

The ladies who have attended over the years hail from many different states – Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia, and even Wyoming. I saw some familiar faces, but also had the pleasure of meeting some new ones this year. 

My squad with the Founder.

Ladies Shotgun Salon – the faces may change, but the fun and camaraderie never does.

Grendel Inc.’s Weird Guns- The Kel-Tec Before Kel-Tec

By
Travis Pike
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People give KelTec a lot of crap. I’ll admit their designs are sometimes more novel than handy, but they are by far among the most creative of all the gun companies on the market. Kel-Tec’s founder, George Kellgren, has been creating firearms well before Kel-Tec, though. In fact, he helped design the original TEC-9 SMG. Between the TEC-9 and Kel-Tec, he started a company called Grendel.

Mr. Kellgren seemed to like tossing his name into his firearm companies. The Kel in Kel-Tec and the Gren in Grendel are creative ways to make your mark. Names are one way, but so are weird and wonky designs. Kel-Tec corners the market these days, but many of the guns in Kel-Tec’s catalog started with Grendel Inc. Today, we are going to look at five weird Grendel designs.

Grendel Inc.’s Weird Guns

The P10

At first glance, the P10 looks like every other small handgun in the Kel-Tec catalog and certainly doesn’t stand out at first glance. However, this micro .380 ACP was certainly a revolutionary gun for the time. The P10 might not stand out these days, but in 1988 a mini polymer frame .380 ACP was fairly new.

The Grendel P10 also used a fixed magazine and loaded through the top with a stripper clip. It was certainly an odd design. The gun did hold ten rounds, which is also an impressive feat for the time. It’s an odd duck with a huge trigger guard but was pocket-sized. Grendel followed the P10 up with the P12, which was the same gun but had an 11-round, detachable magazine and was a slight upgrade.

The P30

The PMR 30 from Kel-Tec was a neat pistol that was seen as quite revolutionary for the time. Packing 30 rounds of .22 Magnum into a flush-fitting magazine is fairly impressive, but what if I told you that Grendel did it first? The Grendel P30 was a .22 Magnum semi-auto pistol that used a 30-round magazine that was also flush fitting.

The magazine was made from Zytel, and the gun came with either a 5 or 8-inch barrel. It’s a simple, straight blowback gun, but it looks like a space gun. In real life, it’s a rough-looking gun with that Kel-Tec flair of hex head screws holding things together. Still fairly neat for the time and way ahead of the PMR 30.

The R31

Remember how the PMR 30 got a carbine variant in the form of the CMR30? Well, the P30 got the same treatment by Grendel when they produced the R31. That being said, the R31 looks a whole lot different than the P30. The pistol grip is the only thing the R31 and P30 have in common.

The R31 has some pseudo MP5ish looks with the handguard. It features a collapsing stock and a 16-inch barrel. The tip of the barrel is complete with a brake, because of that mighty .22 Magnum recoil. It’s still a fairly simple straight blowback gun fed from 30-round, flushing fitting magazines. I think it’s neat and would love to get hands-on with one.

The SRT

As far as I know, KelTec has never made a bolt gun, but Grendel Inc. did. The Grendel SRT was the first gun created by Grendel, and it was uncovered by a Guns and Ammo writer who got to check with George Kellgren and got the majority of information we have about the rifle. The SRT was a Sako bolt action fit into Grendel body and everything else.

This includes a Zytel stock that featured an under-folding design, much like the SU-16 series of guns. The barrel was topped with a muzzle brake, and the guns came with various barrel profiles. The magazine was removable and held nine rounds and allowed the stock to fold with the magazine in place. Grendel chambered these guns in .22-250, .308, .243, and .358 Winchester.

The GSG-41

Our last weird Grendel is a bullpup shotgun, but it’s not your mama’s KSG. It’s a .410, with a magazine, in a bullpup format. The design was produced but never beyond the prototype stage. It was a pump-action and looked a bit like the RDB Survival rifle. The magazine held 12 rounds of 3-inch .410 rounds.

It’s listed as a double-action-only gun, which is rather interesting. The overall length is 26 inches, and the gun weighs five pounds total. Pretty neat, but even more interesting, it came with an integrated MiniMagLite making it a fair bit ahead of its time. Sadly this gun never came to be, but I really want one. Imagine how much fun the GSG-41 would be.

The World of Grendel

Grendel Inc. certainly had the creative instincts that Kel-Tec has now. You can see a lot of the design influence from one company to the other. Like Kel-Tec, Grendel didn’t hold back on their firearm’s design, and they had some real oddballs, but they are undeniably cool.

We ask, Ian answers – Why Not A Semi-Auto BAR?

By
Keith Finch
-

In the twilight hours of WWI, John Moses Browning introduced a weapon to the US Army Ordnance Corps that would see quite extensive use… 20 years later during the second world war.

The Browning BAR, at a glance, looks like a phenomenal candidate for an early main battle rifle.

  • Detachable Box Magazine: 20rds
  • Full power and effective range: 30.06
  • Select Fire
  • Later models (Colt Monitor) even featured a pistol grip.

There is one crucial facet that makes it problematic however, it is an open bolt machine gun. The bolt carrier design was so good though that if you pull the FN MAG/M240’s carrier and a BAR carrier, you’re going to see the developmental ancestry quite clearly.

But even as we have since made a Battle Rifle version of the BAR, the Ohio Ordinance HCAR, the BAR of the World Wars, Korea, and early Vietnam era never was re-engineered as a fighting rifle instead of its early Squad Automatic Weapon role.

via Wikipedia

Would doing so have been a viable idea? Certainly, with very few changes internally and weight reductions done externally for the projected lower rate of fire, it could have been. But it wasn’t, for any number of reasons on any given day with the Ordnance Corps, it was not. Ian goes into why, so hit play and enjoy.

Review: Sarsilmaz SAR 9 Compact 9mm

By
V. Caldwell
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When I test fire new firearms I let each stand on its own merit. Just the same, company history and the reputation the company’s other products have some bearing on the opinion of the firearm I am testing.

I have found the original SAR 9 9mm handgun a good performer. Performance is comparable to the Glock, Smith & Wesson Military & Police, and Walther handguns. The pistol functions well and has good hand fit and good sights. The grip panels are Walther like with both an adjustable backstrap and side inserts for the grips. I was interested in SAR’s newest 9mm.

SAR 9C with Sig Foxtrot WML

The SAR 9 C is a compact version of the SAR 9. If SAR got it right the new pistol would be an interesting handgun. The pistol is generally available for around $350 retail. Occasionally the pistol will be on sale for a little less. When you approach a bargain pistol you have to ask what corners have been cut. In this case it appears concessions to economy are minimal. 

Reliability is most important. Next comes hand-fit and practical accuracy. Testing  a pistol for a simple evaluation is one thing, proofing a pistol for personal defense is another. I found the pistol good and went forward with a longer test to proof the pistol as a carry gun and home defense pistol. Nothing changed my initial opinion of the pistols suitability for personal defense. This handgun is among the best buys in the handgun world and should serve well for defending home and person.

The pistol is manufactured in Turkey by Sarsilmaz. They have been in business since 1880 with an impressive list of military contracts. The full size SAR 9 9mm is a standard Turkish military handgun. The SAR 9 C is similar to the original with changes necessary for a compact frame and slide. The SAR 9 C is a polymer frame striker fired handgun. In the modern fashion grip inserts and side panels may be changed to make the pistol fit your hand better. While grip inserts are common side panels are more rare.

The handle offers a good gripping surface whether the hand is cold or wet. The frame features a slight undercut beneath the trigger guard. This makes for a lower bore centerline.  A roughened patch on each side of the grip frame above the trigger guard makes for a useful finger rest. The magazine latch and slide lock are positive in operation.

Take down is simple enough. The large take down levers are easily manipulated. There is a molded in accessory rail to accommodate combat lights and lasers. The sights are standard three white dot insert types. The sights are well regulated for 124 grain loads using the six o’clock hold. The slide rides on steel rails. There is an internal steel chassis. There is no manual safety. The pistol features an internal firing pin/striker block and the trigger features a blade type safety lever. When the pistol is cocked and ready a red making is visible on the rear of the trigger. I have tested trigger break on several SAR 9 pistols including the new SAR 9 C. Usually trigger compression is less than six pounds, most break around five and one half pounds. This example went 5.75 pounds compression. 

The pistol is supplied with well made steel magazines with base pads. Magazine capacity is fifteen rounds. The pistol will accept the full size SAR 9’s seventeen round magazines. They protrude slightly from the handle. When firing the pistol’s felt recoil is low for a pistol of this weight, 27 ounces. Felt recoil was more pleasant than most handguns of the size and weight class.

SAR has managed to design a recoil spring system that efficiently handles 9mm Luger recoil. I have often pointed out that there is little that may be done tactically with one handgun that cannot be done with the other given a skilled user. Glock, HK, SW, or SIG, a steady hand and straight to the rear trigger press makes all the difference. A heavier gun with better sights and a lighter trigger may be easier to fire well at longer range. The SAR 9 C is a credible defense pistol well suited to personal defense in rapid fire shooting and accurate enough to shoot the X ring out of a B 27 target at 15 yards. The pistol is fast on target and aligns quickly. Despite the current ammunition shortage- getting a little better-I have been able to put over three hundred rounds of ammunition through the SAR 9 C. Reliability has been faultless without any failures to feed, chamber, fire or eject. 

Carrying the pistol requires a good holster. In general holsters designed for the Glock 19 are an ok fit providing they are not too tightly molded. I find the SAR 9 C a good pistol. The affordable price seems to be a product of mass production and successful military contracts more so than cutting corners. 

Specifications:

Striker fired 

Polymer Frame

Overall Length: 7.2 in.

Weight:   26.9 oz. 

Barrel Length: 4 inches  

Average price- you should be able to find this pistol for less than $400

ACAB… Unless They Are Enforcing A Law I Approve Of

By
Lars Smith
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Photo Credit: Jiayin Ma - Getty Images

https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2022/07/critics-say-new-yorks-new-gun-control-law-will-fuel-mass-incarceration/374742/

If you’ve spent any time on the internet in the last two years, you’ve likely seen the progressive stance of “All Cops Are Bastards/Bad” (ACAB), usually accompanied by “Defund the Police”. The premise being that “since there are bad cops that don’t get fired, or pushed into quitting by the rest, that all are culpable, and thus inherently bad. And since they’re all bad, let’s get rid of them!” Why this only applies to policing, and not literally every other human endeavor, I’m not sure, but such simplistic stances are generally devoid of nuance, so expecting to find any is a losing game.

However, recently those espousing this view seem to have picked up on the volume of anti-gun bills attempting to be rushed into law immediately following several gun-friendly SCOTUS rulings, and support them eagerly. You can often see people spouting their pro-gun control views alongside their anti-cop ones. This is an interesting line of thinking, lets see if we can encapsulate it: “Cops are awful, and kill minorities constantly for no reason, so we need to get rid of, or at least de-fang them to the point that they can’t keep murdering brown people left and right. But, also, we need to empower them to patrol, investigate, and search more people, so that they can physically disarm the country. At least of wildly dangerous semi-automatic weapons!”

But an exceptional example is New York’s current desperate attempt to make carrying concealed in NYC such a clusterfuck of pitfalls and, functionally, legal traps for citizens who are simply attempting to legally express their rights. They’ll allow shall-issue permitting to go forward (because they have no choice), but they’ll make it nearly impossible to do so legally, and expand and empower law enforcement to make it happen. Which will, according to criminal justice reform advocate M.K. Kaishian, lead to “continuing to focus on individual possession cases where the police are in charge of that enforcement just ensures that we’re going to continue to see the over-criminalization of Black and brown New Yorkers,”

Magically, they don’t seem to correlate “Expanded police activity” with their own talking point of “Cops are unequally slaughtering and incarcerating people of color”. We can only suppose they think that when enforcing gun control laws, police will suddenly lose their inherent bias, fear of minorities, and penchant for constant abuse of power. Whatever the thought process that leads one to arrive at the aggressively incompatible viewpoint that cops are terrible, AND we need to empower them to ensure nobody is in possession of newly banned personal property, it’s not one we can reconcile. If your legislative goals require mental gymnastics to align with your moral and civic values, and draw ire from the minorities you purport to be representing and protecting, maybe there’s some more thinking that needs to go on before passing knee-jerk politicized laws.

The Best Defensive Scenario Is The One That Doesn’t Happen

By
Lars Smith
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Photo Credit: Greg Ellifritz via ActiveResponseTraining.net
A Late Night Knock At Your Door

When we prepare for violent encounters, we tend to think of things going a certain way. Everyone is different, but common themes include suspicion of a threat, then probably confirmation, and engagement of that threat, followed by assessment that the threat is neutralized, and then maybe a call to law enforcement/EMS.

While your personal odds of being involved in a violent encounter is statistically low, the stakes involved are as high as they get. Preparing for such a scenario is important, and should involve differing scenarios: We’ve all heard about the (apocryphal or not) cop who drew, shot twice, and reholstered, despite the threat not being ended, because “that’s how he trained”, yeah? Well, whether that happened or not, it speaks to the reality that we will generally respond to a deadly threat however we have trained, and planned for.

In the case Greg Ellifritz outlines in the linked blog post above, nothing was quite like he expected. There were indicators that gave him a weird enough vibe to feel it out without engaging, and it worked out well for him. But it was nothing like the usual home invasion scenario you hear people discussing in forums or on social media. He was prepared for a scenario that didn’t go to guns, as well as armed and trained to meet the more commonly dissected one.

He kept his head, prodded at the weirdness of the unfolding events, and because he did so, it all worked out great for him, in the least exciting way possible. If he had accepted the story, or gotten aggressive and opened the door to run them off, it may have gone quite differently. It was only the next morning, with fresh eyes, that he realized precisely what might have been going down. If he’d only prepared for a literal door-kicking, he might not have caught hints at what was going on, that only later stood out like a neon sign. Because of this, it wound up being a strange, confusing event, but ultimately boring.

It’s wise to consider that your defensive training and mindset might so thoroughly defuse someone else’s idea of what’s about to happen, that it just… doesn’t. The OODA loop goes both ways, and often, when you do things right, nobody knows you did anything at all.

The Five Best Budget PCCs and Subguns – Save Your Green

By
Travis Pike
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I love pistol-caliber carbines and subguns. I find them to be a ton of fun to shoot, and they tend to be some of the easier shooting weapons out there. PCCs come in all sizes and shapes and are perfectly suitable for home defense, plinking, and of course, competition. With the price of guns and ammo right now, a PCC makes sense. Budget PCCs make even more sense. 

There are lots of budget PCCs out there, and most are generic AR clones of various quality considerations. Those can be okay, but I want to dig through the crap and deliver you the best budget PCCs out there. What’s a PCC, and what’s a subgun? They are two feathers from the same duck for our purposes. 

Both shoot pistol calibers, and the main difference is more or less a legal configuration. A carbine is legally a rifle with a stock and what’s likely a 16-inch barrel. A subgun is a fancy word for a pistol-caliber large format pistol. Your CZ Scorpion pistols and MP5 pistols fall into this category. In full context it is short for submachine gun, which is a select-fire PCC and wouldn’t have a barrel length requirement beyond design performance. But since we keep redefining the redefinitions and overcomplicating things legally, subgun will be a pistol format PCC.

When I say budget, I’d love to say below 500 dollars, but that limits us to very few firearms these days. Inflation is a real pain, so let’s define budget as anything below 700 dollars. 

The Top 5 Budget PCCS and Subguns 

5. Extar EP9 

The Extar EP9 was a gun I tip-toed around for some time. I never bought one because it’s a new company and an unproven platform. Extar seems to sell direct to consumers to reduce costs, so I could never handle one in a gun store. Luckily I finally drifted across one, and boy, oh boy, color me impressed. 

It’s not fancy, but it’s effective, smartly designed, and affordable! For less than 500 dollars, you get a braced subgun that takes Glock mags and looks a little like an AR15. Looks like it, but it isn’t. The gun has a AR 15-like lower that mimics AR controls and design. 

It’s a blowback-operated gun with a recoil dampening system to take some of that blowback sting out. It’s super nice to shoot, highly reliable, and comes with a long optics rail and an M-LOK handguard. Not bad for $449. 

4. Keltec Sub 2000 

One of the old-school budget PCCs comes from Kel-Tec, which might be Kel-Tec’s most popular and affordable long gun. The Sub 2000 is a simple blowback-operated PCC that can trace its lineage back to the Sten gun. It’s a simple tube gun design that chambers either 9mm or 40 S&W and uses popular pistol magazines from companies like Glock, SIG, and Smith and Wesson. 

What sets the little gun apart is the fact it folds in half. The barrel folds upward and over the stock and locks in place. This creates a much shorter platform that stores easily and can easily be tucked into a backpack or messenger bag. 

The recoil is snappy, but the gun is light. The Gen 2 features a hybrid handguard with M-LOK slots and Picatinny rail. It’s a fairly modern take on a very old operating system. It’s also easily found for less than 700 dollars, and I got mine for $350 a few years back. 

3. Just Right Carbines Gen 3 

The Just Right Carbine series are very simple blowback-operated PCCs that have some AR influence but aren’t exactly ARs. These guns are blowback-operated rifles that have a unique take on the PCC concept. The Just Right Carbine barely makes the budget PCCs list with an MSRP of $649, but the street price tends to be lower, close to the mid $500s. 

 

What’s really neat about these rifles is the take-down design. The barrel and handguard drop off the receiver quickly and easily, making it a very compact package. These guns come in both PCC and subgun options. 

Besides the breakdown capacity, shooters can convert calibers between 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP. These guns use either Glock or M&P magazines. They come in versions that are both SAFE Act and California compliant, to top it off.

2. Ruger PC Series 

Ruger’s simple PC Series guns have become insanely popular and spread like wildfire. Ruger produces both a PCC version and a subgun version. However, the PCC version tends to be a little cheaper at around 600 dollars. The PC series use either Glock or Ruger Security 9 magazines, and the magwell is convertible. 

 

As you’d imagine, the gun uses a blowback system, but Ruger uses a unique system to reduce recoil. A dead blow sits on the bolt, and this shortens bolt travel and reduces both recoil and muzzle rise. It’s simple but effective, and that makes it affordable. 

These are also take-down rifles that break down with ease. This cuts the length effective in half. They’ve become popular enough that Ruger produces several different configurations, but the standard is the most budget-friendly.  

1. Aero Precision EPC 

Our top dog in the world of budget PCCs is the Aero Precision EPC. The Aero Precision EPC is not exactly a rifle or subgun. It’s an upper and lower receiver set. The user can then customize and build the PCC or subgun of their dreams. You can build a very simple and very affordable PCC with the EPC at its core. 

Aero even produces all the parts you ended up building a carbine if you so choose. You can keep things nice and cheap, or go Gucci if you so choose.

Magazine-wise, Aero went with Glock, which makes the most sense from a budget perspective. 

The EPC differs itself from the standard Glock compatible AR9 lower and upper by implementing a last-round bolt hold open device. This way, you don’t get a click when you expect a bang and have to rush a reload. Additionally, Aero went above and beyond to design an ergonomic lower with excellent controls and a great flared magwell. 

The EPC allows you to have whatever priced PCC you want, and it can be built for dang near any task.

Saving Green 

Budget PCCs don’t necessarily mean crappy PCCs. There are plenty out there that are worth your hard-earned cash and happily push the limits of what a budget-friendly firearm can do. Hell, get an 80 lower and do it yourself. Any of the five above will treat you well. 

Elftmann Tactical Ambi Speed Safety: A Push Select

By
Anna Martinez
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When it comes to safety mechanisms the name of the game is one, not having to break your grip, and two, speed. These days ambidextrous selectors have taken over with both short and long levers, 45 degree throws vs 90 degree full rotation, and texturing to grip that thumb or first finger knuckle. The AR-15/AR-10 Elftmann Tactical Ambi Speed Safety (ELF ASS) combines all of these additions into one easy to push over safety selector.

First heard about from a former 75th Ranger Regiment guy, it was said to have sped up operation of the selector and handling of his firearm due to not having to break grip.

Made for standard mil-spec AR-15 and AR-10 receivers, the ELF ASS is a push selector instead of a flip enabling the shooter to not have to break their grip to change to fire or safe.
elftactical.com

The Idea

When envisioning how this selector works, envision the M249/M240 platform. The safety is a simple cylinder the moves to the left and right for safe and fire. It shows a red ring for fire when shifted to the right, and no red ring when shifted to the left and on safe. The Elftmann is exactly the same concept except it is made for the AR-15/AR-10 platforms.

The M249 machine gun has the same concept of a selector as the ELF ASS. A simple push to the side changes from safe to fire.
https://www.bevfitchett.us/machine-gun-m249/change.html

Advantages

When moving a standard ambi-selector, grip will have to shift. Dependent on hand size the shift may be minimal but the palm will come off the grip. This push selector ensures grip won’t need to be broken at all due to pushing the button to the side and not flicking up or down. With smaller hands especially this selector is a huge help in not having to break your grip and being more efficient.

The Install

The ELF ASS works best when installed in a true mil-spec lower receiver. It uses the same grip, same selector spring, but different detent. The selector will ship with the selector and proprietary detent. The only tool needed is the screwdriver or bit that is used to remove the grip.

To install: simply remove the grip as you would normally, remove the selector spring, detent, and currently installed selector. Now, install your new ELF ASS, the new longer and thicker detent, same selector spring, and install the grip back on as normal. Your elftmann ambi-selector is now installed.

The positive about installing this selector over the other ambi-selectors on the market is that there is no small Allen keys, extra detents, extra screws, or extra anything needed to install the levers, due to it being a push button.

Note: Due to the construction and detent cutouts, this selector will NOT work with binary/three position triggers nor will it work with the hiperfire Genesis trigger.

When installing the only thing that needs to be changed out is the detent that comes with the Elftmann selector. Continue to use the same grip and selector spring as before.

Purchasing Options

This product can be purchased from multiple places such as MidwayUSA, Primary Arms, and of course, Elf tactical

Price: $39.95
Finishes: Stainless Steel, Black Oxide

Note: All Elftmann Ambidextrous Speed Safety’s have a lifetime guarantee if any issues arise.

Herbal Teas for Prepping

By
Dr LateBloomer
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Lemon Balm in my garden.

If you are the type that prepares for various future scenarios, there are lots of questions you need to ask yourself. But one that many people don’t think about is their caffeine addiction and how they will deal with it. 

Things to consider – Will coffee supply always be available? Will Coke/Pepsi/MtDew? Is it worth the space to store potentially months or years worth of any of them? Will withdrawal symptoms from a caffeine addiction be helpful in an emergency situation? 

Preparedness Advocate, Paul T. Martin suggests getting more in shape “now” and eating less/losing weight “now”, so that if something bad happens you will be more physically prepared for austerity and hard work and less likely to have a heart attack or something when quadruple bypasses aren’t available. Plus, who doesn’t want to take better care of their health/wellness no matter what may come down the pike in the future? Of course as I type this I am eating salami and potato chips for lunch. Practicing what I preach is an ongoing process.

When planning for potential “bad things”, considering your daily beverages (beyond clean water) is something to think about. Growing your own ingredients for various herbal teas in your own yard should be a consideration. Wouldn’t it be easier on your wallet and better for your overall health to stop drinking imported coffee, or soda pop full of gawd-knows-what, and drink mint or camomile or bee balm, or lemon balm teas instead? I know that sounds like heresy to many people, but think about it. Soda pop is full of dubious ingredients (and expensive),  and coffee is imported from all over the world. Do you really want to spend the apocalypse with withdrawal headaches from a stimulant that has supply chain issues at best and is no longer available at worst? 

Instead, you could be drinking beverages grown by your own hands for almost free, without pesticides or additives except whatever you put in it yourself. ( honey? maple syrup? bourbon?) As an added bonus these herbal tea plants provide vitamins and nutrients that benefit your overall health and nutrition. Who can hate that? I don’t think Mountain Dew has anything positive in the ingredient department to recommend it, though for some people it could be considered a “comfort food” to stockpile. YMMV.

Dried chamomile from my garden.
Mint drying in my kitchen.

There is precedent for this in American history. In the colonial era many settlers either couldn’t get British tea (imported from India), or it was cost-prohibitive, or they boycotted due to taxation. They drank various herbal teas instead, including “Oswego tea”, brewed from a plant in the Monarda family .

But your caffeine addiction may not be completely SOL in the apocalypse. You may be saved because there IS one single plant source grown in North America which produces caffeine. Unfortunately it doesn’t grow very far north. This plant is called Yaupon Holly and is similar to the Yerba mate of South America. The botanical name is Ilex vomitoria which doesn’t sound very appetizing, but it’s mostly a misnomer. If you don’t live in the south, I have read that some folks are working on a more cold tolerant variety. I’m going to be looking into that for my foodscaping efforts, as I already have mint, bee balm, lemon balm, and chamomile in my tea garden. Yaupon is also commercially available and I’m going to be checking that out.

I personally will probably not be giving up my first morning cup of joe until I absolutely have to. But I am working on cutting down my consumption the remainder of the day. Most days I’m down to just that first cup of caffeine and then drinking herbal tea or water the rest of the day. It can’t hurt, and it’s baby steps in a healthier (and more prepared) direction.

Even without an “apocalypse”, given the skyrocketing cost of groceries, training your family’s palate to appreciate a beverage you can grow yourself can potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year. Who can hate that?

Gunday Brunch 62: Women’s Self Defense Products Suck

By
Keith Finch
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Today Caleb is joined by special guest Annette Evans of  @OnHerOwnLife  who sheds some insights on why self-defense products marketed towards women are usually awful, and how we can make them not awful.

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