Are You A Handgun Combat Master?

By

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October 6, 2024

Chuck Taylor is one of the earliest civilian defensive firearms instructors. He worked for Jeff Cooper and ran Gunsite at one point. He served in Vietnam and was an encyclopedia of knowledge. Searching For Chuck Taylor these days mostly comes up with shoes, but Mr. Taylor was a legend. He passed in 2020, and the shooting industry is less for it. Chuck Taylor established something called the Combat Master certifications.

He established these standards in 1982 and used them as a baseline for student skills. The Combat Master certification covers four weapons: the handgun, the submachine gun, the shotgun, and the rifle. If you could pass all four, you were a 4-way Combat Master. According to the archive version of Chuck Taylor’s website, there are only five 4-way Combat Masters.

Today, to memorialize Mr. Taylor and his lasting imprint on the training industry, let’s look at the handgun Combat Master standards. Maybe you can go out at your local range and see if you’re up to snuff with Mr. Taylor’s standards?

The Handgun Combat Master Test

The stages use Mr. Taylor’s own target. It’s a Taylor Combat Target. These are vaguely silhouette targets with distinctive hit zones. They come in black and white, but there are also partially camouflaged variants. Camo targets create an interesting challenge at moderate ranges. They are still available and sold at Action Target.

You can earn a total of 400 points with a passing score of 360 points. The scoring is broken down into major and minor power factors. Any hit on the X is five points. Hits outside the X are 2 for Major and 1 for Minor. Penalties earn -5 points and include:

Premature Start; “Creeping”.
Overtime shot. SPECIAL NOTE: If the overtime shot was caused by a malfunction and it was CORRECTLY cleared, no penalty will be assessed.
Hit on an object designated as cover or hostage. In the case of an “edger,” if more than half of the bullet diameter is on the target, no penalty is to be assessed, and credit for a peripheral hit will be given.
Overtime Speed or Tactical Reload, Malfunction Clearance.
Procedural error.

These Combat Master qualifications are found on the archive version of Chuck Taylor’s website. Use the Internet Archive and Wayback Machine to find it. http://chucktayloramericansmallarmsacademy.com/combatmaster.html.

Stage One – Standard Exercises

To be a handgun Combat Master, we’ll need to conduct a fairly long course of fire. If fired from concealed, you can add 2/10ths of a second to each drill.

Part 1 – At 1 meter, draw and fire two shots from close retention in one second. On Mr. Taylor’s website, it’s called the Speed Rock technique.

Part 2 – At 1 meter, draw and fire two shots as you step rearward.

Part 3- You’ll fire two shots at various ranges from the holster at various time points. They are as follows:

From 3 meters, draw and fire two shots in one second.
From 7 meters, draw and fire two shots in 1.3 seconds.
From 10 meters, draw and fire two shots in 1.8 seconds.
From 15 meters, draw and fire two shots in 2.3 seconds.
From 25 meters, draw and fire two shots in 2.8 seconds.
From 50 meters, draw and fire two shots in 6 seconds.

Stage Two – Presentation Evaluation

For this stage of the Handgun Combat Master Course, we’ll stick to seven yards. Start with your weapon holstered. You’ll draw and fire one shot at the go signal in seven seconds. You’ll repeat this drill five times.

Stage Three- Responses To Left, Right, and Rear

This portion of the Combat Master test will involve moving. We’ll start at seven yards, and one shot will be fired per repetition. Start with your weapon holstered and your body will face parallel to or in the opposite direction of the range.

Respond to the left, draw, and fire one round in 1 second.
Respond to the right, draw, and fire one round in 1 second.
Respond to the rear, draw, and fire one round in 1.2 seconds.

Repeat each of these positions five times.

Stage Four – Small Targets

The small targets portion of the Handgun Combat Master will focus on headshots to the target. You’ll start with your weapon holstered.

At 5 meters, draw and fire one headshot in 1 second. (Repeat four times.)
At 7 meters, draw and fire one headshot in 1.2 seconds (Repeat five times)

Stage Five – Hostage Situations

You’ll need four total targets. Two will be hostage, and two will be threats. Use the hostage targets to cover 40% or so of the head of the hostage taker. One target should have 40% of the right side of the head covered, and the other should have 40% of the left side of the head covered. You’ll need to cant the hostage targets at 40 degrees as well.

From 7 meters, draw and fire one shot to the hostage taker’s head on the right (Repeat five times)
From 7 meters, draw and fire one shot to the hostage taker’s head on the left (Repeat five times)

Stage Six – Multiple Targets

This is not a quick course of fire. You’re likely figuring out that you’ll need to dedicate a lot of time to make this work, but you’ll be a Combat Master! Not really, because you have to do it in front of two Combat Masters to earn that title.

Stage 6 requires four targets placed 1 meter apart. You’ll draw and fire one shot on each target. You’ll engage the strings of fire as follows:

Two Targets in 1.2 seconds
Three targets in 1.5 seconds
Four Targets in 1.8 seconds

Stage Seven – Ambidextrous Shooting

At seven meters, place three targets one meter apart. Load two magazines with three rounds. Load one magazine into the weapon.

At the beep, draw and fire one round per target. Reload, transition the gun to your weak hand and fire one shot per target. You have six seconds for semi-autos and eight seconds for revolvers.

Stage Eight – Targets At Odd Angles

At seven meters, you’ll setup two targets in a canted position. One should cant left, and one should cant right. The targets should be 40% hidden by ‘cover.’ You’ll need to pick between head and chest shots and, according to the test, stick to one for the entirety of the stage.

Draw and fire one shot to the right target. (Repeat five times)
Draw and fire one shot to the left target. (Repeat five times)

Stage Nine – Speed Reloads

There is no shooting here. It’s just reloading. You’ll reload your gun from empty five times. For semi-autos, you have 1.5 seconds. For revolvers, you have four seconds. Repeat the drill five times.

Stage Ten – Tactical Reloads

There is still no shooting. This is reloading with retention. You have four seconds for both semi-autos and revolvers. Repeat the drill five times.

Stage Eleven – Malfunction Clearing

This is the last drill of the handgun Combat Master. There is no shooting. It’s weapon handling only. You’ll defeat three types of malfunctions.

Fix a type one stoppage, aka failure to fire in 1 second.
Fix a type two stoppage, aka a failure to eject in 1 second.
Fix a type three stoppage, aka a feed way stoppage, in four seconds.

Repeat each of these techniques five times.

Are You A Combat Master?

Oh boy, that’s a long qualification. It seemed to expand and grow throughout the years. It’s most certainly a challenging course of fire. I’m not a handgun combat master, but are you? At the very least, it’s a very well-made course of fire that will give you some guided training. Who doesn’t need a little more training?

More on Zeroes and Offset

By

Keith Finch

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October 6, 2024

Caleb and I recently went on a tangent about rifle zeroes

Something that we touched on too is optic-bore offset, or called optic height over bore. The placement of an optic and the rifle’s inherent design have a dramatic influence on which zeroes are most useful and usually, for all rifles, the closer the zero the less useful it is.

This 9-Hole video (above) tackles several details about why zeroes and comparative optic height are so important. A poor zero can give you a tremendous amount of vertical variance for shots where you do not want it, close and quick, while proper zeroes, heights, and optics give you flat and predictable trajectories with logical progressions at range.

Also, if you haven’t, go check out Josh and Henry’s channel too. Good information to add to the files.

Rossi Expands its R95 Line with 4 New Cartridges

By

Tim Stetzer

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October 5, 2024

Rossi USA just announced the expansion of its R95 lever action rifle line. They’ve added four new cartridges: the 44 Mag, .357 Mag, .444 Marlin, and the .360 Buckhammer. This expands the caliber options for folks in states with straight wall cartridge hunting regulations.

The new rifles are built to the same high standards as the rest of the R95 series. They feed from a tube magazine, with capacity varying by caliber. The .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum R95’s hold 10 rounds each. The .360 Buckhammer model holds 5 rounds and the .444 Marlin R95 holds 6.

All of the new versions come with classic walnut finish wood stocks and black oxide finished steel frames and barrels. The stocks are fitted with Soft Touch recoil pads and integrated sling mounts.

The straight wall R95’s have the classic lines that American shooter’s have come to expect out of a lever action rifle. Whether for hunting, camp use, or just for fun Rossi is giving shooters a lot of options to choose from. MSRP on the new R95’s is $946.99 for the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum models. The .360 Buckhammer and .444 Marlin models go for $1060.99.

For more information on the new R95 rifles, check out Rossi USA.

5.11 Tactical V.XI XTU Pants and Shirts

By

Travis Pike

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October 5, 2024

5.11 Tactical has released a new set of tactical uniform-style pants and shirts designed to embrace the modern world. I’m talking about the new V.XI (get it, Roman numerals for 5.11) XTU series. 5.11 reportedly teamed up with top-tier LEOs and military teams around the world to develop the XTU pants and shirts. These are ultra-modern designs with a number of exciting features that were a nice surprise. 5.11 Tactical sent me a set of the Multicam pants and shirt for test and review.

The XTU Shirt

A combat shirt is a utility uniform designed to be worn with a plate carrier or other body armor type. The US Military developed combat shirts to provide soldiers with a cooler, lighter-weight uniform that can breathe when worn with body armor. The sleeves take on the color of the combat uniform and often have the same thick nature to protect the arms. The torso portion is much more lightweight and lacks a camouflage pattern.

The XTU takes the combat shirt design to the next level of modernity. Most combat shirts, especially those of the USGI type, are built to be disposable. Other companies have certainly made better, more durable shirts, and 5.11 Tactical joins their ranks. The XTU Shirt and shoulders are made from a durable 58 percent cotton and 39 perfect nylon Cordura blend. The torso portion is made from a 60 percent cotton and 40 percent Nylon 66 Cordura jersey material. It’s moisture-wicking and odor-proofed.

The XTU shirt is super comfy and light around the torso. The seams are flatlock and don’t rub or chafe. In addition, the front has a quarter-zip design to allow for some breathability. The cuffs are fit with hook-and-loop cuffs for tight adjustments, or they can be rolled up and out of the way. The pockets on the sleeves are zippered and face outward for easy access. You can fit all the little goodies you want in the shirt pocket.

The XTU shirt allows for excellent mobility. You can move, groove, shoot, and climb into a variety of positions with ease. Shouldering a rifle or climbing into the prone position isn’t restrictive. Upon initial wear, the shirt is a little itchy but softens up with a wash.

The XTU Pants

The XTU pants are our classic cargo utility pants with a twist. They have a lot going on, so let’s start from the top and work our way to the bottom. At the top and rear, we have Ortholite foam support for comfort when paired with a belt, especially one of those rigid, heavy-duty belts that carry mags, a sidearm, and more. The belt loops are especially wide and supportive, perfect for an underlayer belt to hold up your duty kit.

The pants have a ventilation opening on the inside of the leg, which is nice, especially in Florida during the heat of what’s supposed to be Fall. The pants feature cargo pockets on the legs, but they are positioned more to the front than the sides, which makes them more accessible and easier to access. The pockets are zippered, as are the rear pockets. We have N6 nylon Mag Pockets—inside the cargo pockets—for a spare handgun magazine.

Right below the cargo pockets are built-in knee pads. The external portion is polymer, and the inside is soft foam. They are super comfy, even when kneeling on concrete. A rear strap allows you to tighten the knee pads down and keep them locked in. As you’d expect, any tightened rear strap can be a little less comfy. So, I’d undo them until game time.

At the bottom, we have a shoelace hook to lock the pants down to your boots, and blousing straps allow you to keep critters and hazards out. The pants are plenty baggy and quite comfortable. Even the knee pad portions don’t rub when worn. They move with ease, and I don’t feel anything, just waiting to grip as I crouch, climb, and shoot.

The Collection

As you’d expect, 5.11 tactical makes the XTU gear in numerous patterns, including black, storm, Multi-Cam, Ranger Green, and Dark Navy. The gear is clearly aimed at military and law enforcement, but it’s perfect for LARPing. Likewise, things like the pants can be awfully handy when camping, working, or doing anything physical outdoors.

The material is a no-melt, no-drip fabric, which was a concern the GWOT quickly discovered. The XTU series embraces an extremely modern design and is 5.11 Tactical’s premier series of uniforms. Give them a peek if you want a modern, tactical uniform with all the bells and whistles.

For more information, please visit 511Tactical.com.

PACE: Four Stage Planning Methodology

By

Jim Cobb

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October 4, 2024

A few weeks ago, my wife and I watched Rebel Ridge on Netflix. In one scene, the protagonist, a former Marine named Terry Richmond, briefly discusses the PACE acronym. As I was already familiar with the term and its meaning, I earned a couple of cool points from my wife, which is always appreciated.

What is PACE?

PACE is an acronym that outlines a four-stage planning methodology. It was originally developed by the military for communications, but it has much wider applications. You can use PACE as a tool for nearly any type of emergency planning.

P = Primary

This is the first plan or tool to be used. It should be the method that’s most likely to succeed on the first attempt. It’s also often the easiest approach for all involved to use.

A = Alternate

If the primary means isn’t working for some reason, this is the first backup method. Ideally, it will be almost as good as the Primary in terms of likelihood of success, as well as ease of use.

C = Contingency

If both Primary and Alternate methods aren’t working or are for some reason unavailable, this is where you’ll turn. It might not be as convenient or reliable, but it should definitely be workable.

E – Emergency

This is your Hail Mary. If all else fails, this is what you’ll do. It may be far from ideal, but it should still be absolutely feasible. Always keep your plans firmly rooted in the real world, not fantasy land.

How Does It Work?

Here’s an example of how PACE can work. Let’s say we’re talking about emergency evacuation and how a family is going to get from home to their chosen bug-out location.

In this example, we’re looking at a husband, wife, and two children (ages 8 and 10). They also have two medium-sized dogs. They live in a predominantly middle-class suburban neighborhood.

For the purposes of our discussion, we’re just focused on their transportation options.

Primary – Ideally, they’ll use the family minivan. It’s large enough for everyone to ride in comfort, even with the dogs. It’s in good shape, gets decent mileage, and there’s room in the back for bug-out bags.

Alternate – If the van is in the shop or otherwise unavailable, they’ll take dad’s commuter car. It’s smaller than the van, so it’ll be a tight fit, but they can probably make it work even with the mutts.

Contingency – If neither vehicle is working for some reason, they’ll borrow a truck from their neighbor. They’ve lived next to each other for years and have become good friends. They’ve had conversations about this in the past, and he has given the family his blessing to borrow a truck in an emergency. He has two of them, one for work and one for personal use. If he’s not home, they have a spare key for the house, and they know where the truck keys are located.

Emergency – If no vehicles are operational, then the family will hop on their bicycles, with the dogs running alongside.

PACE is an excellent planning tool. It can help you discover holes in your plans and give you the opportunity to address them before they become real problems.

KelTec Releases a New 5.7 SUB 2000

By

Travis Pike

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October 4, 2024

KelTec has quietly released a new SUB 2000, which will change the entire platform. Well, kind of. This new Gen 3 SUB 2000 is a 5.7×28 variant of the famed pistol caliber carbine. Is this still considered a PCC? The 5.7x28mm isn’t necessarily a pistol round, so what exactly does this gun qualify as? It’s too big to be a PDW, so I think the 5.7 SUB 2000 is best described as a light rifle. It falls into the same vein as the M1 Carbine.

The Gen 3 SUB 2000 series is KelTec’s latest implementation of the SUB 2000. This is the first generation to make adding optics easy. They lopped off the iron sights and added a rotating handguard similar to their CQB model. This isn’t KelTec’s first 5.7mm gun, either. They had the rather interesting P90 magazine consuming P50.

The 5.7 SUB 2000 Changes Everything

What’s the big deal with using the 5.7 cartridges over something like 9mm? As noted, it changes the genre of the gun entirely. It’s not just a PCC anymore. It’s a light rifle—the use of the 5.7x28mm cartridge gives you a rifle that handles a helluva lot differently than the stand 9mm model.

The gun still uses a straight blowback design, but the 5.7x28mm generates a lot less recoil than a 9mm or .40 S&W. It recoils a bit like a .22 WMR from a direct blowback gun. That’s cool, but the big benefit comes from the cartridge’s long-range capabilities. It can reach 100 to 150 yards, much easier than 9mm.

The 5.7 SUB 2000 shoots much flatter. At 100 yards, it drops about three inches compared to 9mm’s 12 inches. (This can change depending on zero and sight height.) The round also has great penetration, tumbles, and yaws, more like a 5.56, which helps make up for its small size.

Since the KelTec Gen 3 SUB 2000 is easy to optically enhance, I think a lightly magnified optic would be nice. However, I don’t think the eye relief will work unless we go with a scout scope.

The 5.7 SUB 2000 – What Else?

KelTec famously uses popular pistol magazines for their varied SUB 2000 incarnations. With the 5.7 SUB 2000 the gun uses an FN Five SeveN magazine. (They spell it all weird, not me.) This gives you 20 rounds in a flush-fitting magazine, and there are thirty-round magazines and drum magazines out there from the aftermarket.

That’s a good bit of lead. Additionally, the 5.7 SUB 2000 is likely to be the cheapest 5.7x28mm rifle on the market. In my mind, I see a very capable, very low-recoil defensive weapon for recoil-sensitive shooters. It’s like a 10/22, but you have centerfire reliability and a substantially more powerful round.

At 4.36 pounds, this is a very lightweight rifle. It could be a great backpack gun, a ranch rifle, and more. I can see it being the handiest of SUB 2000 rifles, and I’m a SUB 2000 fan. Toss a red dot on, fold it up, and toss it in a bag, and you have a super handy and effective weapon.

Now I just need to get my hands on one….

For more information, please visit KelTecWeapons.com.

Leatherman Announces the Malloy Special

By

Tim Stetzer

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October 3, 2024

Leatherman just announced its latest product on social media—the Malloy Special. Leatherman is known for packing a bunch of tools into a compact space. The Malloy Special only has one tool though, the blade. Check out the latest from Leatherman’s limited edition Garage Series knives and tool.

The Malloy Special

The Malloy Special is part of The Leatherman Garage limited-batch release series. Less than a thousand knives or tools are made in each batch. This one is batch 007. Despite the batch number, there’s nothing spy related with the Malloy. It’s a practical design made for the field. Whether it’s hunting, fishing, farming or just some outdoor recreation.

The Malloy Special was created in collaboration with the Malloy Brothers, a family of musicians, directors, surfers, and ranchers. It’s a compact knife with a 2.7-inch drop-point blade of Magnacut steel. The full tang design is fitted with polished white Micarta scales. It has jimping along the spine and a lanyard hole near the pommel. It’s a classy design with clean lines and is made in the USA.

The Malloy Special comes with a custom leather sheath that’s also made in the USA. It has an MSRP of $300.00, and once Batch 007 is gone, these are gone for good.

Specifications:

Length: 6.47 in.
Primary Blade Length: 2.7 in.
Blade Material: MagnaCut®
Overall Thickness: .46 in.
Weight: 3.17 oz.
Sheath: Leather
MSRP: $300.00

For more information, check out Leatherman.com.

Ruger Rolls Out the LC Carbine in 10mm

By

Travis Pike

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October 3, 2024

Another entry into what’s becoming an interesting class of pistol-caliber carbines is Ruger’s LC Carbine in 10mm. The LC series started with a 5.7 rifle, then moved to a .45 ACP rifle, and has expanded to 10mm. This means Ruger currently produces two lines of PCC: the PC Carbine and the LC Carbine. The LC Carbine seems to be formed for the more powerful classes of PCCs. These rifles tend to stretch into the light rifle concept.

I’m sure Ruger will sell tons of these things. It’s a 10mm rifle that uses Glock mags. According to every comment on any article about PCCs, if you make it in 10mm and ensure it uses Glock mags, those commenters will buy it, and I’m sure they’ll most certainly keep their word!

The LC Carbine – The New 10mm

The LC Carbine series are interesting guns. They look like Glocks in mech Tech kits from a different dimension. The gun houses the magazine in the pistol grip, which reduces the overall length. The LC Carbine series comes with folding stocks and collapsing stocks, an M-LOK handguard, a threaded barrel, flip-up sights, and modern ergonomics.

The modern ergos include an ambi safety, reversible charging handle, and an enlarged magazine release. The stock can be reversed to fold to either side, and a section of Picatinny rail at the rear allows you to swap stocks easily.

The carbine’s handguard is CNC-machined aluminum, so it’s quite sturdy. The sights are flip-down Ruger Rapid sights, which are just AR sights. The LC Carbine series features a 16.25-inch barrel and has an overall length of 30.6 inches. At 7.1 pounds, the gun isn’t quite light, but it’s no anchor.

The gun comes with a 30-round magazine from SGM. Overall, the LC Carbine has a great layout. It’s a solid little design that’s held back by the NFA and the requirement for a 16-inch barrel. This thing with an 8- to 10-inch barrel would be amazing. Although I’m not sure what the purpose of the rail in front of the trigger is, it’s there.

The biggest downside is the straight blowback system. It doesn’t even seem to use the dead-weight blowback system of the PC Carbine. Blowback 10mms might have some stiff recoil and stiff springs.

Why 10mm Carbines

The 10mm is like a mini magnum round. It’s long been compared to a .357 in an automatic gun. It can even reach the low end of the too cool for this world .41 Magnum. The round is great in handguns but even better in slightly longer barrels. The LC Carbine’s 16-inch barrel can substantially increase the 10mm round’s velocity.

It can throw the always-powerful Buffalo Bore 180-grain round at 1,700 feet per second and hit a target with 1,000-foot pounds of energy. Admittedly, compared to a proper rifle round, that’s not much. However, for a pistol round, that’s quite powerful. Unlike a .44 Magnum lever gun, you get 15 to 30 rounds of 10mm instead of seven or eight.

In reality, the 16.15-inch barrel is longer than it needs to be. It seems like 10mm excels with a 9- to 10-inch barrel. After that, we don’t see any significant improvements. The NFA keeps that from being a stocked reality, but knowing Ruger, there will be a Charger version sooner or later.

What’s the Point?

It’s still a pistol-caliber carbine. It’s fine for home defense, but it excels outdoors. The hard-hitting rounds can penetrate very deeply through muscle, bones, and beyond. It’s a great woods gun. It could be used as a lightweight camping rifle and could be a great defensive option for two-legged pests up to bears in a pinch.

A gun like this would be capable of reliably stopping predators with ease. It’d be a real coyote buster and hog killer. Even something like southeastern deer at close range could be taken with good ammo selection. If I did my shooter’s calculator right, the round would stay flat enough to 100 yards and not have a significant drop at 125, and even out to 150 shots would be possible with a slight holdover.

Sadly, I think the gun’s slightly over $1,000 MSRP will be a turn off. A 5.56 rifle could do all of the above and more quite well and could be had for less than a thousand dollars. Still, I’m intrigued. I like the 10mm and could see some real potential behind LC Carbine in 10mm.

For more information, please visit Ruger.com.

CASH STASH: Squirreling Away Money for Tough Times

By

Jim Cobb

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October 2, 2024

While there may one day come an economic collapse in the United States, it hasn’t happened yet. The reality is that cash will have value right up until it doesn’t. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to have a cash stash.

Setting Up a Cash Stash

Today, I can walk into any grocery store in the United States with a $20 bill and walk out with food and water. Maybe not as much of it as I could have 20 years ago, but I’m still not going to go hungry. The same goes with buying fuel for my car or other needed supplies.

Some advocate squirreling away precious metals instead of a cash stash. While that’s not entirely a bad idea, you might want to diversify a bit. Think about it like this. Let’s say there’s an emergency evacuation in your area. Maybe it’s a wildfire or an approaching hurricane. You and your neighbor both stop at the gas station at the edge of town for provisions and fuel.

You have $100 in cash and he has some silver rounds. Between the two of you, who is more likely going to be able to buy what they need?

How Much Cash?

So, how much should you have in your cash stash? More is always better than less, but few people can afford to have a ton of money tied up into something like this. Ideally, you should have enough cash on hand for:

At least one full tank of gas
One or two nights in a decent motel
Meals on the road for a couple of days

Add all of that together, then toss in another 10% or so for a cushion. Consider that total figure a minimum to keep on hand. Add to it as you can.

While big bills reduce the size of the cash stash that needs to be hidden, strive for a variety of denominations. If all you have are $100 bills, then that’s the minimum you might be paying for something if the person doesn’t have change.

Where to Keep It?

The cash stash should be immediately accessible to you. Depending on the nature of the crisis, hitting up an ATM might not be practical. While you don’t want to just leave your cash stash sitting out in the open, you don’t want to have to spend a lot of time digging up mason jars from the backyard. A safe might be a better option.

If you go that route, don’t keep the safe in the master bedroom, as that’s one of the first places burglars look. A better location would be the basement or maybe the closet in a spare bedroom if that’s available.

There are plenty of places in an average home where a cash stash could be hidden but easy to access quickly.

There is often empty wall space inside closets right above the door. An envelope can be taped or tacked up there with none the wiser.

Pull out a utensil drawer in the kitchen. Tape an envelope to the back of the drawer on the outside, then replace the drawer.

Do you have an electric garage door opener? Take the shroud over the motor off and you could put your cash stash inside, taped to the interior of the shroud.

Get creative, and you’ll undoubtedly be able to come up with some more ideas of your own.

This is your catastrophe survival money and shouldn’t be touched for any reason other than true emergencies. Once you have the cash stash established, forget it exists other than to add to it. Even if you never have to evacuate your home, this money could come in quite handy in the event of unexpected job loss or other similar situations.

The Stone Glacier Avail 2200

By

Travis Pike

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October 2, 2024

My knowledge of packs, hiking, and hauling a load was beat into me during my time in the infantry. I used the terrible ILBE pack, the old-school ALICE pack, and the not-so-terrible FILBE packs. After my time in the Corps, hauling a heavy load wasn’t something I wanted to do again. That’s what I have a vehicle for! However, I recently was sent a Stone Glacier Avail 2200 pack and started a workout program called Tactical Barbell.

Part of the Tactical Barbell workout plan is long-state cardio, and hiking is one of the three activities I plan to do to achieve that long-state cardio. It was just great timing. I don’t know who from Stone Glacier had my address or why they sent me a pack, but I figured it had to do with gear reviews. To be completely upfront, I also got a wallet, and in that wallet was five dollars. I’m not sure why, but hey, it’s five dollars free.

I also promise you that five dollars isn’t going to win my opinion, but it feels worth mentioning. Stone Glacier isn’t a brand I’m familiar with, but looking around the internet, I see that it seems they are held in pretty high regard. The Avail 2200 isn’t a dedicated hiking pack for long overland trips. It seems more devoted to hunters and skiers.

It’s not a long-term sustainment pack, but a 200 cubic inch pack that’s 20.5 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 8 inches deep. The pack weighs three pounds and eight ounces, and day pack best describes the Avail 2200. For a minimalist camp, it’d be fine, and for someone like me who’s rucking for about an hour once or twice a week, it’s well suited for my needs.

The Inside and Outside of the Avail 2200

The pack itself appears to be a mess of straps on the outside. There are enough straps and buckles to decorate a goth kid’s pants. There are straps for everything. You have an external compression panel that’s perfect for rain gear or anything that gets wet along the way. Likewise, it has a strap above the panel for oversized gear.

Straps on the side allow you to tie down sleeping mats, tents, tripods, or similar items. There are straps on the bottom for gear, straps on the sides, straps to adjust the waistband, and straps for the shoulder straps. There are lots and lots of straps.

Beyond straps, we also have shock cords in multiple parts of the pack. Four sections of shock cord are inside the main pack, and four other sections are on the outside of the pack. Between the straps and shock cords, you can attach just about anything to this pack.

The pack comes with a minimalist-style frame. To haul heavier loads of gear, that minimalist frame can be swapped for a more serious Krux frame. The base-level frame is good enough for my use. The bag comes with a fairly sizeable padded waistband and a chest strap.

The pack has a main pouch that has two internal pouches. There is a secondary outside pocket for gear as well. The main pocket is quite large, and the pack can be unzipped from top to bottom, making everything easy to access.

Going For a Walk With the Avail

Tactical Barbell focuses on the physical fitness needs of soldiers, cops, EMTs, firefighters, etc. This includes strength and cardio. A big part of this is endurance training. One day a week I run, one day a week I work the heavy bag, and my longest endurance session is always a ruck. The Avail has been my go to, and I’ve loaded it with sandbags for weight.

I started with 25 pounds and am working my way up to 50 pounds. My last hike was 35 pounds for an hour at a 3-mile-per-hour pace. I’ve found the pack to be quite supportive for a minimalistic design. The straps and waistband are highly adjustable, and I was able to get the Avail to fit me just right. I’m a tall, wide guy, but the pack fits me with just a few adjustments.

When properly adjusted, the pack didn’t kill my shoulders or lower back. My hiking has been pain-free as far as the pack went. I can’t say the same thing for my feet, but my back and shoulders were good to go. I’ll be curious to see if the minimalistic pack holds up to 50 pounds or more with the base-level frame.

The Stone Glacier

Stone Glacier is a company that’s new to me. The company seems to have a cold weather theme, and as a Florida guy, I don’t have to worry about that. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a well-armed, comfortable, easy-to-adjust, and easy-to-organize pack. This isn’t a sustainment pack, but it is pretty nice as a day or assault pack.

Check it out on the Stone Glacier website, and if you’re the guy who lost his five bucks packing my bag, hit me up on Instagram.

The Taurus 692 Executive Grade (Part 4)

By

P.E. Fitch

-

October 1, 2024

Taurus 692 Executive Grade Revolver 9mm Luger .38 Special .357 Magnum

Continued from Part 3

Wearing-In the Taurus 692 Executive Grade

Dear reader, I took a little break between Part 3 of my Taurus 692 Executive Grade revolver review and this installment. Prior to shooting any 9mm ammo, the Taurus 692 Executive Grade has crossed the 300-round threshold. Since the end of Part 3’s evaluation, I fired another 50 rounds of mixed Fiocchi 125 and 158 grain .357 Magnum at a local indoor range to get more reps in.

Other than the Hornady .38 Special +P loads featured in the last installment, the Taurus 692 Executive Grade has seen at least 280 rounds of .357 Magnum ammo. Up to this point, I can feel a difference in the smoothness of the gun when actuating its double-action trigger. It’s very subtle, but the way the cylinder turns feels slicker, as does the double-action trigger pull.

Forgive me for making a very subjective comparison. However, I can best describe the feel of the fully broken-in Taurus 692 Executive Grade to the warmth and comfort of wearing a sweater and walking outside to feel the cool, crisp Autumn air for the first time after a long, humid, and hot, sweltering summer.

LOK Grips Veloce Taurus 692 Executive Grade Revolver

Enter LOK Grips Veloce Stocks

I’ve made no changes to this revolver other than swapping out the original factory stocks for more ergonomic LOK Grips Veloce palm swell stocks that fit Taurus revolvers. Waiting for these grips to be made to order and shipped was part of the reason I paused the review. Now that they’re here and installed on the revolver, it’s time to get back to work!

This set of LOK Grips for the Taurus 692 (also fitting other Tracker models, Judges, and Hunters) not only fills in the frame’s sinus but also extends the length of the frontstrap and provides additional real estate for the fingers of the firing hand. LOK’s Veloce style texturing also increases the hand’s purchase over the grip.

This aftermarket pair of stocks will remain on the Taurus 692 Executive Grade for the remainder of the review since they’re more practical for shooting.

Shooting 9mm Luger With The Taurus 692 Executive Grade

With newly installed stocks and a freshly broken-in revolver, I returned to the 15-yard firing line with the 9mm Luger cylinder on the gun. I wasn’t expecting the action to feel as smooth with the 9mm cylinder because it had never turned inside the frame before. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see this wasn’t the case.

Since the 9mm Luger cartridge is rimless, shooting with this cylinder requires the use of a moon clip. Five are included in the Nanuk case the 692 Executive Grade ships with.

Moon clips hold rimless semi-auto cartridges in the exact position so that the frame-mounted firing pin can reach their primers. They also prevent the casings from sliding and getting stuck into the charge holes. The other benefit is that upon ejection, a moon clip holding spent cases ejects quickly as a single unit.

To evaluate accuracy and muzzle velocities, I repeated the exact same protocol that I used with .357 Magnum and the .38 Special +P load in Part 3. Thumb-cocking the hammer, I fired two 10-round groups from rest using a bag at a target 15 yards away. Each load was measured with my Garmin chronograph, and I used the same 6 o’clock hold while shooting.

It’s worth mentioning that the single-action-only trigger pull also felt smoother than the previous session referenced in Part 3.

In this instance, my chosen 9mm Luger factory loads consisted of the 147-grain flat-point Federal American Eagle AE9FP, the 115-grain Fiocchi Defense Dynamics JHP, the Hornady 124-grain Critical Duty JHP and the amazingly consistent Staccato Range 124-grain FMJ. I fully admit fault for most of the vertical stringing in the groups, as there’s a bit of a gist to shooting a revolver off a bag—even single action.

Federal American Eagle AE9FP 147-Grain Flat Point

Fiocchi 115-Grain Defense Dynamics JHP

Staccato Range 124-Grain Range FMJ

Hornady 124-Grain Critical Duty JHP +P

Bonus Cartridge: Blazer Aluminum 115

After shooting groups with all of the different factory 9mm Luger cartridges referenced above, I decided to shoot a quick 20 rounds of factory 115-grain Blazer Aluminum offhand. I wanted to know how the 692 Executive Grade behaved with case materials other than brass.

All 20 rounds fired without issue, but ejecting the spent moon clip full of empty cases was not as smooth as it was with empty brass cases. In this instance, I had to firmly grasp the revolver and swiftly smack the ejector-rod with some authority.

Due to the heft of the Taurus 692 Executive Grade and the fact that it has a ported barrel, 9mm Luger “bullet jump” isn’t an issue.

A 9mm Revolver?

Because felt-recoil is subjective, it can be hard to describe it. In this instance, shooting factory 9mm Luger cartridges through the Taurus 692 Executive Grade feels like shooting mild to moderate .357 Magnum factory loads. 9mm rounds certainly won’t feel like the old-school full-house screaming hot .357 Magnum loads, either.

Honestly, the only actual downside to shooting 9mm Luger ammo through this revolver is how cumbersome it is to insert live or spent cartridges into the moon clips without the special moon-clip tool.

I understand that 9mm Luger bullets are slightly smaller in diameter (0.355”) than most .38 Special / .357 Magnum bullets (0.357”). So, I wasn’t sure what to expect with regard to accuracy and constancy from using slightly undersized bullets. However, the results more than exceeded my expectations.

Even though the distance was only 15 yards, I think the groups are satisfactory and not all dissimilar from the .357 Magnum groups from the previous part. Just like with the varying .357 Magnum factory loads I shot, the different 9mm Luger cartridges also varied in their points of impact.

Fortunately, the Taurus 692 Executive Grade revolver has that adjustable rear sight, which removes any concerns. In fact, I’d argue it’s practically mandatory on a “hybrid” revolver like this one. I think the same goes for the 1:10 rifling twist in its barrel. That rate seems to land on a happy medium that can stabilize a realistic cross-section of .35-caliber bullets between 110 to 160 grains.

Parting Shots

Even though the total 9mm Luger round-count through the end of this installment is only 114 rounds, I think shooting and grouping this popular semi-automatic pistol cartridge warrants further exploration. Perhaps it deserves a separate editorial piece beyond a general review of this Taurus revolver.

I’d like to establish whether this .357 Magnum revolver merely happens to handle 9mm Luger as an extra-value add or whether it stands on its own as a purpose-built 9mm Luger on its own, too.

To Be Continued In Part 5

A Checklist For the Prepared Citizen

By

Travis Pike

-

October 1, 2024

How many consider themselves prepared? Are you prepared for a natural disaster, a man-made disaster, or the end of the world? Do you have a dozen guns, a pile of ammo, and a plate carrier? That’s cool, but as someone who has been through my fair share of natural disasters and responded to even more, you’re unlikely to need that stuff. A Katrina situation isn’t the norm. While I’m not saying don’t have it, I’m simply saying the stuff required to be a prepared citizen isn’t all that fun or flashy.

If your household has a dozen guns and your only water comes from the sink, it might be time to rethink a few things. I’ve been guilty of overloading myself with guns and gear while ignoring some of the more common-sense items. Why did I have three S&W Model 1903 revolvers and no generator? I fixed it, and in honor of National Preparedness Month, I wanted to talk about a prepared citizen checklist of items we often overlook in the gun world.

Since this is written for gun guys and gals, I’m assuming you already have the gun part, and we’ll be focusing on the lifestyle portion of the necessities. If necessary, sell a gun or two and buy this stuff.

A Checklist for The Prepared Citizen

A Robust Medical Kit

By robust, I mean more than an IFAK. Assuming you have a family, you need a more robust kit. Make or buy a kit designed with everything needed to treat wounds big and small. This includes TCCC-approved tourniquets, hemostatic gauze, chest seals, trauma shears, H bandages, gauze, and the typical trauma stuff.

Remember the little things: bandages, bacitracin, aspirin, and even hand sanitizer. Wounds will likely be limited to bumps, bruises, and small cuts. Those will still need treatment, and sometimes, a five-year-old’s tiny scratch magically stops hurting when a Band-Aid is applied. Keep it packed and organized for easy use, preferably in a durable, water-resistant bag.

Food and Water Stores

Food and water are two of the most basic survival needs. You might find yourself in a situation where the water isn’t working, and you’re getting hungry. The easiest solution is bottled water or gallons of water. You typically need a gallon per person per day. This includes sanitation concerns. Personally, I fill a tub up, and that’s my sanitation water. There are a few cases of water just in case government disaster relief takes its time.

Food can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. A couple of loaves of bread and some peanut butter is a cheap prep. Lots of calories and carbs, but don’t worry about your macros during a disaster. There are military MREs, as well as various survival food options. Pick one, buy enough for three days, and call it a day.

Generator

One of the pricier items for a prepared citizen is a generator, but it can be a Godsend. In Florida, hurricane season is also the hottest part of the year. When the power goes out for a week, and it’s August, a generator and a window unit A/C are life-saving. Beyond my personal comfort, a generator will allow those with wells and pumps to have water and fridges to keep food cold and light so you don’t stub a toe.

Generators also come in all sizes and shapes. Whole house generators cost as much as a car, but a small portable generator can be had for less than a grand and can power most of your stuff. Don’t depend on them to run anything 220, but you’ll be much more comfortable with a generator than without. Don’t forget fuel cans because gas stations might be down for a few days.

NOAA Radio

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will keep you abreast of weather situations and scenarios. NOAA radios are widely available and designed for emergencies. Most have an internal battery, and some even come with hand cranks in case all your power options are exhausted.

Situational awareness is a key feature to staying successful and alive, and a NOAA radio does just that. Plus, some even come with a light that can be hand-charged. The NOAA radios are cheap, easy to stash, and a great tool.

Battery-Powered Light Sources

A prepared citizen needs something to light the way. In the tactical world, the majority of us have these super-powerful flashlights designed to find bad guys. Those are great, but they suck batteries quickly. For general preparedness, you want a light that has a longer battery life and might not be so powerful. My choice is typically the Streamlight Sidewinder.

I’d also grab some form of battery-powered lantern to light up an entire room. It’s a handy comfort item and makes sure no one gets too scared of the dark. Plus, they can be emergency beacons if necessary.

A Good Tool Kit – Including a Drill

Even if you’re not the DIY type, having a good tool kit around can be invaluable. I’m also very partial to having a drill to secure boards to windows, and if needed, I can remove doors from walls for emergency access. Tools allow you to shut off utilities like natural gas or even water to prevent contamination.

Tools allow you to do many things, too many to list here. You might need to make emergency repairs, secure tarps to roofs, and more. Your area will likely dictate the tools you need to succeed. As a rural man, I keep a chainsaw to cut trees off of roads, but that might not be necessary for you.

Fire Extinguisher

Every house should have one or two of these. One should be in the kitchen to stop fires, and another should be stored for emergencies. During disasters, the fire department might have its hands full, and obstacles like flood water, powerlines, and downed trees might make your home inaccessible. With that in mind, a fire extinguisher becomes a must-have gear.

Power outages introduce grills for cooking and candles for light, and any open flame creates danger. Keep a fire extinguisher that works, is in date, and is UL certified. When deployed correctly, they can save lives and homes.

Document Grab Box

A document grab box allows you to put all your important pieces of paper in one place. Preferably a waterproof, fireproof place. In an emergency, you can snatch it and just go. You don’t have to leave your important papers behind. Arguably, it doesn’t save your immediate life or provide immediate comfort, but it will make your life easier after the storm and allow you to focus on rebuilding and repairing.

Staying Prepared

Being a prepared citizen doesn’t just mean stashing a dozen guns and hundreds of rounds of ammo around the house. Sometimes, it’s not that exciting or interesting. Most modern disasters won’t be Mad Max-like scenarios. They’ll be boring, uncomfortable, and work-filled. A bit of smart preparations will take you far!

Leupold’s Classic Tactical Milling Reticle (TMR) Part 2

By

P.E. Fitch

-

September 30, 2024

Leupold TMR Reticle Scope Box — Leupold Mk5 HD 2-10×30 label with TMR reticle legend

^{Continued from Part 1}

Personal Experience With The Leupold TMR

All of my hands-on experiences with the TMR are based on shooting with a Leupold Mk5 HD 2-10×30 riflescope. I’d argue that this version of the Mk5 HD, which is the most compact in the Mk5 HD family, is likely the spiritual successor to the older Mark 4 LR/T 3.5-10×40 referenced in Part 1 that was issued with the M110 SASS 7.62mm NATO rifle.

To date, I’ve shot with the TMR reticle in two big ways. The first was during the first day of training at the Green Ops LPVO course I took last year. I deliberately used the Mk5 HD/TMR combo to shoot both at CQB distances and across the course at B/C steel-sized targets out to the 400-yard line.

The second big way was during my review of the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 rimfire carbine. Sure, mounting a Mk5 HD on an M&P 15-22 is probably overkill, but the fact that the scope was already mounted on a Leupold Mark AR mount made it all too easy to switch over and zero.

At Green Ops LPVO

Shooting Up Close

The Green Ops LPVO course was one of the most memorable training events I took part in last year. Part of my plan for that course was to have an opportunity to shoot the Mk5 HD 2-10×30 from 10 to 500 yards, so to speak. Naturally, the TMR reticle came along for the ride, and I dealt with both its upsides and shortcomings.

Even though my carbine had an offset 45-degree red-dot sight mounted next to the scope, I deliberately shot all the CQB targets using the Mk5 HD with the zoom level adjusted all the way down. I won’t sugarcoat it. In spite of the fact that I got by okay through the CQB portion of the Green Ops course, the TMR reticle itself is simply not ideal for CQB conditions.

In my case, the first focal plane arrangement of the Mk5 HD made it more challenging to use since the reticle looks like a very fine crosshair on 2x and with the “shrinking effect” of first focal plane. Would it work in a pinch? Sure, but it would be awfully difficult in low-light settings, especially without illumination. I was very lucky this event took place on a bright, sunny day and we shot at highly contrasting targets.

Shooting Further

Leupold TMR Reticle Shooting CQB — CQB Shooting during the Green Ops LPVO course under the watchful eye of a Green Ops instructor.

On the flip side, the Leupold TMR kicked ass when taking shots at steel targets at further distances. To respect the spirit of the LPVO-centric curriculum, I never dialed any of my shots. However, the subtensions on the principal vertical stadia line with the 0.5 mil and 1 mil even spacing came in very handy for my holds.

Shooting 5.56 NATO ammo out of that 16-inch barreled carbine meant that my hold for the 55-grain ammo with a zero at 100 yards was dead on for nearly everything inside of 250 yards.

For 300- and 400-yard targets, I just needed to hold over 1 and 2 mils, respectively. Too easy—and with adjustable parallax on the side knob? Maybe I was cheating!

*Sidebar comment: The illuminated version of the TMR reticle found in contemporary Mk5 HD scopes has the entire inner section with the finest stadia lines light up. The entire inner reticle looks like it has a glowing (+) sign.

I think that if there was a way to somehow combine a Leupold Firedot-style aiming point with the TMR reticle, that could make for a very good general-purpose LPVO / 2-10 riflescope reticle. On lower-power magnified optics, a bright aiming point with a basic mil hash marks on the vertical stadia line work quite well.

I say this with the caveat that I’ve not had the chance to look through the illuminated Mk5 HD TMR reticles as they currently exist mounted on a rifle looking downrange, however.

Leupold TMR Reticle M&P 15-22 rifle — Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 rimfire rifle with Mk5 HD 2-10×30 mounted

Shooting Groups .22 With The M&P 15-22

While conducting my review of the M&P 15-22 rimfire carbine, my goal was to shoot different groups of rimfire rounds to get a feel for the M&P 15-22’s capabilities. So, review day turned into a long, fun, and quiet afternoon of shooting groups at small aiming points at targets between 25 to 50 yards.

The stock single-stage trigger on these rimfire carbines isn’t anything to write home about, which made me more deliberate with my aim. Over the course of the afternoon, I began noticing some of the TMR’s more nuanced features for the first time.

For example, all stadia lines have 0.20 mil hash marks, whereas the fine stadia lines transition into the coarser ones. Likewise, the coarse stadia lines have hash marks that measure 1 mil in width with a spacing of 5 mils apart. It was while shooting these careful groups that I also cemented my preference for that negative “floating” aiming point.

Leupold originally implemented this negative space to prevent obscuring longer-distance targets for precision shooting applications, and it works great. This void is quite small. In the case of the Mk5 HD I shoot with, it’s only 0.05 mils wide.

The Takeaway

Previously, I’ve called the Leupold TMR a dialing reticle, as it’s straightforward and doesn’t include any wind dots, grids, or additional horizontal stadia lines. In this sense, it could be considered a very minimalistic reticle and may not be everyone’s cup of tea, either. From a precision shooting standpoint, it’s the opposite of a busy precision reticle like the Tremor 3 or Horus H59.

Even so, both the 0.5 mil and 1 mil hash marks along both stadia lines provide decent utility while keeping the central reticle area clutter-free. At Green Ops, I had no difficulties using the bottom stadia line to hold over at distances. As for wind, the hash marks on the horizontal stadia line are still useful for wind calls, too.

Simple Sophistication

Up until the later part of the Cold War, there were hardly any differences between reticles on hunting rifles and military rifles. That started to change with the introduction of mil-dots and footballs in military-oriented scopes. Besides providing reference points for holdovers, these early milliradian-based subtensioning systems also provided snipers and marksmen a rudimentary way to range things to determine their distance.

For the Tactical Milling Reticle, with its cohesive pattern of subtending hash marks along both axes of stadia lines, it’s not just in the name. One look at the reticle diagram, and it’s quite clear how easily one can use this reticle to range distant objects and targets.

With the advent of sophisticated laser rangefinders and binoculars (that also have built-in range finders), the analog milling of targets isn’t probably as commonplace as it used to be. As I said, maybe the milling function of the Leupold TMR is more of a party trick these days. In some ways, it reminds me of the bezels on certain sports watches that still have tachymeters.

But in the case of the TMR, everything is neatly packaged into the reticle without cluttering it. And one never knows when having to manually range something with the reticle comes in handy.

Spanish Pistols Are Underrated

By

Travis Pike

-

September 30, 2024

We live in a world where pistols from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the good old US of A are celebrated. Some of these countries have little fan clubs that greatly revere their respective weapons. One country that doesn’t often get brought into the awesome handgun genre is Spain. Spanish pistols are underrated in the modern error and sadly ignored.

There are plenty of reasons why. Namely, most Spanish firearms manufacturers are out of business. Some haven’t pumped out guns in decades, and that’s as good an excuse as ever to forget about humble Spain and its legacy of really nice, often inexpensive handguns. Another reason is they never did anything too revolutionary.

Most of their guns weren’t copies, but they took existing ideas and often made incremental improvements. Do you like Walther PPKs? Cool, Spain made a copy with an accessible slide lock/release. Do you like DA/SA SIGs? Well, Spanish company Star can give you that all-metal DA/SA design, but in .45 ACP and 10mm, well before SIG made that an option.

Let’s take a moment today to recognize Spanish pistols, and maybe we can open your eyes to a legacy that’s not often part of the conversation.

Spanish Pistols and the Ruby

In the United States, there are three somewhat well-known Spanish pistol makers: Astra, Star, and Llama. These weren’t the only Spanish handgun manufacturers, but for today’s discussion, they were the most popular imports. All three companies kicked off their legacies with a weapon known as the Ruby Pistol. That’s not to say the Ruby was their first pistol, but it’s the pistol that helped kick off several Spanish arms companies.

Gabilondo and Urresti, who later became Llama, was founded in 1904 as a tiny four-person gunsmithing shop. The company grew slowly, and by 1914, they had produced the first Ruby Pistol. The Ruby was based on the Browning-designed Colt M1903 Pocket. It wasn’t a direct copy, and some liberties were taken with the design.

It was still a .32 ACP but featured a nine-round magazine, a more vertical pistol grip, and a much heftier design. These Spanish pistols were stout, reliable, and well-made. They are hefty little guns and surprisingly accurate. The simplicity of a direct blowback design likely made it easy to produce the guns quickly and affordably.

In 1915, the French were desperate for guns as WWI began, and their Spanish neighbor sent the Ruby to be tested. The French liked the pistol and ordered 10,000 pistols a month, then 30,000 a month, then 50,000! Gabilondo couldn’t produce that many, so they subcontracted.

Over 45 companies were contracted to produce Ruby pistols. Astra and Star were among those companies. This provided ample cash to launch the three companies into the international market.

The Rise of Llama

Llama became Llama in 1932. It became one of the leading Spanish pistol companies and began to produce Colt 1905 clones and later Colt Model 1911s. Llama produced a variety of guns based on the M1911, and that’s what they are known for to this day. They quickly adapted the M1911 design to various calibers and sizes, including .32 ACP, 9mm Largo, 7.63mm Mauser, and more.

In the 1990s, they really hit the American market with a variety of affordable M1911 variants. They even produced a number of double-stacked M1911s that held 10 to 12 rounds of .45 ACP. They released a variety of guns, like the double-stacked Mini Max, the pocket-sized Micro Max, and more.

These Spanish pistols had a good reputation and were seen as excellent value. They were cheaper than Colts and often came in configurations Colt never produced. Sadly, by the early 2000s, the company was running out of money. They couldn’t modernize, and after nearly a century, they closed up shop.

Astra – Copy What Works

Astra has a history of taking successful gun designs and modifying and improving them just a bit here and there. They made copies of the Bergmann-Bayard pistols in 9mm Largo and called them the Campo-Giro. The gun isn’t a direct copy, but it certainly stole its main operating system from the previous design. The pistol saw success and was adopted by the Spanish military.

Astra also produced Ruby copies but really found its footing with the Astra A400. This gun competed with the Star Model A for the Spanish military contract in 1921. The Astra A400 was a blowback-operated design that chambered the 9mm largo round. It became a popular pistol well known for its durability and reliability. The gun was nicknamed the Mangetout, meaning “eat anything.”

The gun could chamber and fire 9mm Largo, 9mm Steyr, 9mm Browning Long, .38 Colt, and even 9mm Parabellum. It’s not a suggested practice, but that’s the legend. The Astra A400 became a family of guns, including the A300 and A600 series. Chile adopted the A300, and Nazi Germany purchased the A600 in 9mm Parabellum.

Astra later expanded beyond guns without giving up firearm production. They produced revolvers and semi-automatic weapons. Guns like the Constable continued Astra’s tradition of copying handgun designs with small improvements. The Constable was a Walther clone with a 3.5-inch barrel and manual slide release.

Astra closed its doors in 1997.

Star – Aiming For the Stars

Star copied many handgun designs throughout its lifespan, including the M1911, the Mannlicher M1900, and more. The Civil Guard adopted the Star Model 1920, which was an M1911 clone that was devoid of grip safety and had a slide-mounted safety device. Much like Llama, the M1911 became a gun they copied in various calibers and odd configurations.

Those M1911 clones also became popular in the United States. The Star Model B was an affordable 9mm M1911 that offered a cheaper Colt alternative. The B series helped kick off American sales, and Star produced the compact BM and the BKM, which was the BM with an aluminum frame.

In the mid-seventies, they released the Star Model PD. This line of Spanish pistols slightly departed from the M1911 but still looked and handled like an M1911. This gun sold well in the States due to its small size and .45 ACP chambering. After the Model PD proved popular, Star seemed more willing to experiment.

That led to the Star Firestar series. They were single-action-only compact guns. The M43 was the 9mm variant, the M40 was .40 S&W, and the M45 was the .45 ACP variant. These were very compact guns with a good reputation for reliability.

From there, the Megastar series appeared, which were DA/SA guns with double-stacked magazines. They chambered either 10mm or .45 ACP. They were also fairly popular with users who wanted something SIG-like without SIG price points and preferred big-bore rounds. The Star 316 was a compact variant of this gun.

Star had a great lineup but also failed to modernize and closed its doors in 1997.

The End of Spanish Pistols

Spanish pistols imported to the states died with Astra and Star. Astra and Star merged briefly into ASTAR after closing their doors, but the company lasted less than a year. Even the Spanish government adopted German and Belgian-made handguns. The Spanish pistol industry was never revolutionary, but they were stout, accurate, reliable, and well-armed guns that often went for a great price.

If you see a Star, Llama, or Astra on the market, you can confidently assume it’s a well-made weapon, and the price isn’t too good to be true.

The Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless

By

P.E. Fitch

-

September 29, 2024

Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless Revolver New Departure Lemon Squeezer .38 S&W caliber

The Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless, a five-shot top-break double-action revolver dating back to 1887, is one of the most iconic handguns of the “turn of the century.” Its production lasted through 1940, just before the onset of the Second World War. During its lifetime, the Safety Hammerless, was also colloquially known as the “Lemon Squeezer” or the New Departure. It set the tone for the design language of what was arguably the first compact modern centerfire carry revolver.

Safety Hammerless guns were so prevalent that they were reproduced by other gun companies with both cheap and elaborate clones. These pocket revolvers were available in either .32 S&W or .38 S&W chamberings. Both were still loaded with black powder during the late 1800s. By the time their production ceased in 1940, top-break revolvers like the Safety Hammerless were beyond technically obsolete, both in actions and calibers*.

Smith & Wesson’s Genesis

The Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless owes its existence to the implementation of the Smith & Wesson Model 1. It was the company’s first official product, and a diminutive rimfire revolver chambered for .22 Short. The single-action Model 1 presents a significant milestone in revolver history. It became the first revolver to use self-contained metallic cartridges instead of “cap and ball” ammunition.

Model 1 revolvers had a hinge at the top of the frame near the barrel junction and broke from the bottom to remove the cylinder. This cumbersome tip-up design evolved into the top-break Model 2. The Safety Hammerless itself is an iteration and refinement of the Model 2. It was optimized for safety and a smooth user experience as a carry piece.

Famously, the Safety Hammerless got rid of the exposed hammer, enclosed the double-action-only trigger in a trigger guard and incorporated a grip safety into the grip’s backstrap.

A Smith & Wesson Model 1, Second Issue .22 Short Rimfire. Image Credit: Mike Fitzpatrick

Top Break Actions

By the 1880s, top-break revolvers, which incorporated a hinge and latch to allow the revolver’s frame to break open at the corner of the frame closest to the hammer and expose the rear face of the cylinder and charge holes to load cartridges, were the most sophisticated and “fastest” revolvers to-date.

Cylinders that swung out like today’s revolvers (called hand-ejector models at the turn of the century) weren’t invented yet. Top-break mechanisms are quite novel and sophisticated in their own right. However, their biggest drawback was frames of moderate strength only. The lack of robustness limited top-break guns’ chamberings to lower pressure and milder ammunition. This contributed to their eventual obsolescence.

Simply put, top-break actions could not keep up with the ever-evolving pressures and muzzle velocities generated by more modern propellants and cartridges. By chance, the Safety Hammerless’ production run happened to overlap with this fascinating time in the history of modern firearms development.

The Hammerless Evolution

Throughout the production run of the Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless, the revolver saw five different “model changes.” This was the 19th-century equivalent of very early Smith & Wesson “engineering changes.” Modern shooters would refer to this as “dash-and-a-number” in post-1957 Smith & Wesson revolvers–e.g., Model 19-3, 586-4, 10-14, etc.

Most of the Safety Hammerless revisions involved modifying and improving metallurgy in order to accommodate rapidly evolving commercial ammunition as smokeless propellants improved at warp speed. In fact, for the first three model changes to the Safety Hammerless, Smith & Wesson didn’t necessarily guarantee that smokeless cartridges would be fine to shoot.

By the fourth engineering change in 1898, the S&W catalogs had changed their verbiage. As a rule of thumb, it would be best to avoid any modern commercially loaded .32 S&W or .38 S&W cartridges in any Safety Hammerless built prior to 1898.

The .38 S&W Cartridge

It’s worth noting that the .38 S&W cartridge is not interchangeable with the later .38 Special revolver cartridge. However, the former does predate the latter by at least 21 years. Because of the prevalence of top-break revolvers of all sizes from the United States, Britain, and beyond, the .38 S&W cartridge enjoyed mainstream relevance until its sunset during the middle of the 20th century.

To this day, major ammunition producers like Fiocchi and Magtech still offer a standard .38 S&W round-nose cartridge. I sourced a few boxes of said ammunition through Lucky Gunner.

A close up of the three different factory .38 S&W cartridges I fired through my S&W Safety Hammerless for this review. The black coated rounds on the far left are Fiocchi Cowboy Action loads, the brass colored are Fiocchi Heritage loads and the lead round nose bullets to the right are loaded by Magtech. The plain lead Magtech loads provide the most authentic shooting experience by far, as virtually all .38 S&W cartridges would have been loaded with lead bullets during that chambering’s heyday.

History of the .38 S&W

The .38 S&W first came on the scene a decade before the Safety Hammerless, in 1877. It made its debut alongside the Smith & Wesson Model 2 single-action revolver, whose DNA was later passed down to the New Departure/Safety Hammerless. The original black powder-loaded .38 S&W cartridge used a 148-grain heeled bullet. Its diameter matched the dimensions of the case’s diameter, just like a .22 LR cartridge.

The heeled bullet’s outer diameter actually measured .038 inches, but these projectiles proved to be less reliable in then-modern revolvers. Smith & Wesson tweaked the bullet but kept the “38” in the cartridge’s name. The “finalized” bullet diameter for .38 S&W is .361 inches, just slightly wider than the .38 Special or .357 Magnum’s nominal .357-inch diameter.

Visually, a .38 S&W cartridge resembles a 9mm Luger cartridge. However, it has a rim and straight case walls instead of the tapered counterpart of the 9mm Luger. Likewise, .38 S&W rim and case head dimensions are also slightly larger and not interchangeable whatsoever.

Standard factory loads use 145- or 146-grain bullets. They no doubt had a mild load in the interest of safety to prevent catastrophic incidents when fired through older revolvers such as the one I’m writing about.

Lasting Relevancy

The success of both the New Departure/Safety Hammerless along with that modern metallic centerfire cartridge before the turn of the century compelled the British Commonwealth to adopt the .38 S&W. The Commonwealth loaded it with a 200-grain soft lead bullet for some of its own top-break service revolvers.

Besides the ubiquity of these hammerless pocket revolvers in the United States, the British Commonwealth’s use of the .38 S&W cartridge helped keep it relevant internationally.

To be Continued in Part 2…

Special thanks to Lucky Gunner for providing some .38 S&W ammunition for this project.