Pandemic Gardening Part 5 – Herbal/Medicinal

By

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July 27, 2020

Continuing with the gardening theme, I would be remiss if I didn’t include an article on herbs in this pandemic garden series. I have so far only grown herbs for culinary purposes, but several of these also have purported “medicinal” properties. If you are planting for the Apocalypse you may want to consider an herbal plot for both kitchen and medicinal use.

If I’m going to talk about “medicinal” properties of plants, bear in mind that a lot of this is “traditional” medicine and has not been supported by double-blind placebo controlled trials, nor even screened for safety. Thus, I hesitate to “recommend” any of this with an MD after my name.

Add to that the very nebulousness of most herbal medicine claims. I own several books about foraging and growing medicinal plants, and they are filled with poorly-defined terms such as “detoxify” and “supports”. As a scientist by nature I am bothered by the lack of precision and true research.

That said, my feeling is that if you can eat it as a food, then it “should” be safe to try some teas, topical poultices etc from the same edible portions of the same plants. That’s as far as I’m going to go with this, and as always, proceed at your own risk. If you have a genuine medical problem you need to consult your own physician. Bear in mind that “All natural” does not necessarily mean “nontoxic”. And even Tylenol can be toxic to your liver and even kill you if taken in too large doses. We are all adults here and responsible for our own choices.

Lavender (Lavandula species)

I’ve always loved the smell of lavender. Real lavender, not the purple-colored non-descript floral garbage that air fresheners and hair products label as lavender.

Several years ago I decided to see if I could grow my own. I had seeds I bought as souvenirs of my visit to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Apparently lavender can be tricky to grow from seed, but based on a couple videos, I refrigerated it for a few weeks first, and then it germinated – tada!

It grew in my window in peanut butter jars until early summer and then I transplanted it outside. Three years later I have a lovely section of lavender in my flower bed and it even needs to be thinned and spread out a little at this point. It has thrived and I am so pleased!

Besides smelling lovely and being used to for sachets and potpourri, Lavender is purported to have many other uses, from the culinary to the medicinal.

Lavender with a peek of Chamomile in my garden.

I have even used my dried lavender flowers soaked in 181 proof grain alcohol to make a pleasant-smelling “hand sanitizer” that doesn’t have the slimy and chemical aspects of commercial sanitizer.

This lavender variety is cold hardy in my growing zone and has survived two winters so far.

Chamomile (Chamaemelum species)

Chamomile is another herb that I grew from seed I got at Monticello. I started it in the same season as the lavender, and it has been just as prolific. I love the “happy little daisy” look of these summer flowers and just brushing up against them emits a pleasant fragrance.

I planted chamomile so I could make tea, but it too has many other purported uses which are generally recognized as safe. But do look up the few safety recommendations as it can sometimes interact with other medications you are taking or produce allergic reactions in a few susceptible individuals.

Happy little chamomile flowers in my herb garden.

Like the lavender, chamomile is a perennial and also self seeds, so you do need to separate and thin the clumps every few years.

There are two main types of chamomile – Roman and German – which have some differences. But both are considered “ medicinal”.

Bee Balm (Monarda species)

Bee Balm is another herb that I started from seed in my window. Finding these things as pre-started plants in nurseries can be a challenge and additional expense, so I went the cheap route and planted seed in toilet paper tubes in my window.

Bee Balm doesn’t bloom until the second season, so some patience is required.

There are a couple different species of Monarda, with varied colors and reportedly varied concentrations of “medicinal properties“ I planted Monarda fistulosa which tends towards pink or purple flowers, and has a very oregano-like flavor, but I’m now ordering Monarda didyma, which tends toward red flowers and has a fruity scent/flavor, so that I have both.

Another name for Bee Balm is “Oswego Tea”. It is reported that some colonial citizens followed the Native American practice of cultivating and drinking Bee Balm as a tea. This was rather a finger in the eye to British tea taxes. It is said that Monarda didyma has a flavor similar to Earl Grey, resulting in another somewhat misleading name of “bergamot” – which is the name of a completely different plant that is used to flavor real Earl Grey Tea.

Bee Balm is a member of the mint family, so be careful where you plant it. The mint family is notorious for spreading everywhere and taking over a garden plot, so plan accordingly, or just keep it in pots to keep it under control. I personally don’t care if it takes over the whole hillside, so I’m not restraining mine.

Yarrow

The Yarrow I have in my yard is a bit of an accident. When we built the house 20 odd years ago there was an embankment that needed to be seeded promptly to avoid erosion. I spread a bag of “wild flower mix” around and hoped for the best.

The only thing that has survived after all this time and hasn’t succumbed to the mower or been crowded out by grass or clover is Yarrow. This year I’m going to move some to the bed with the Bee Balm so I can keep my “medicinals” in one place.

Yarrow that I’ll be transplanting shortly.

Yarrow too has many purported benefits. According to this link it is generally not considered toxic. Though pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid unless under advice from their doctor. Likewise people with bleeding disorders.

In addition to the above, I’m growing the usual more common culinary herbs like basil, oregano, mint, rosemary, and thyme that are also said to have various healing properties. Time and space preclude their addition here, but if you are genuinely interested, books and internet sites abound.

The only “medicinal” use of any of the above I can admit to having done myself is hot mint tea with a splash of bourbon during a headcold. But hey – there isn’t any medicine that makes a cold go away faster anyway, so why not. At least it tasted good and I slept well.

These herbs in addition to being edible and purportedly useful medicinally, are also pretty, colorful, smell good, and are pollinators that make the bees and butterflies happy. With all that going for it, why wouldn’t you plant an herb garden?

The Modern Samurai Project Standards

By

Caleb Giddings

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July 27, 2020

The Modern Samurai Project Standards are a straightforward test of your shooting ability. High performance on these standards shows a high level of shooting skill, and a fast draw. Today we’re going to take a look at the standards, and the different levels of skill required.

To understand the Modern Samurai Project Standards, we have to understand where they came from, and that’s the mind of Scott Jedlinski, the owner of Modern Samurai Project (MSP). Scott is a lifelong martial artist, USPSA Master Class shooter, FAST Coin holder, and all around good dude. He created the MSP Standards as a way to benchmark students in his classes against certain baseline measurements.

The Modern Samurai Project Standards are composed of four tests of shooting skill. The rules are simple: four drills must be shot in order, with certain par times in an MSP class to earn a Black Belt patch. As of this writing there are 8 Black Belt Patch holders, making the MSP Black Belt patch one of the toughest feats of marksmanship to complete. The “pure” way to run these drills is from concealment or an ALS style duty holster. Running them from a competition holster incurs a time penalty. In addition to the Black Belt patch, Scott has broken down the MSP standards into three other categories, based on the Brazilian Jujitsu belt system. There’s blue belt, purple belt, brown belt, and of course the aforementioned black belt.

First up is the 3×2 drill, which on the surface seems simple. Draw, fire 3 shots to the body and 2 head shots at 3 yards. The par time to beat for a black belt patch is 2 seconds, and let me tell you that is no joke. It’s easy on this drill to go too fast because you’re so close to the target and end up missing one of the body shots, or worse miss a head shot. I tend to miss the head shots because I’m rushing the transition to the head box.

Next on the Modern Samurai Project Standards we move to 7 yards, and fire one shot to the center mass of the target. Black belts have to do this under 1 second. A 1 second first shot from 7 yards is sort of the gold standard for a concealment draw, and no matter how hard I battle I’ve never been able to consistently hit that number. It’s a shame, because a “slow” draw makes the next drill even more difficult: the Instagram famous Bill Drill. Draw and fire six shots, that’s it. Black belts don’t get a lot of time, they have to be under 2 seconds.

Last, we move to 25 yards, and fire one shot center of mass. 1.5 seconds is the par time on this stage of the Modern Samurai Project standards, and that’s no joke. Lots of people can’t even hit a center or mass hit at 25 yards with no time limit, much less with the tight times that the MSP Black Belt patch requires.

Before you get bummed out that you’ll never be able to hit these standards, here are the rest of the breakdowns for the drills.

Blue Belt: 3 second 3×2, 1.5 second 7 yard 1 shot, 3 second Bill Drill, 2.25 second 25 yard 1 shot Purple Belt: 2.5 second 3×2, 1.3 second 7 yard 1 shot, 2.5 second Bill Drill, 2 second 25 yard 1 shot Brown Belt: 2.15 second 3×2, 1.1 second 7 yard 1 shot, 2.15 second Bill Drill, 1.65 second 25 yard 1 shot

Take a look at those numbers, and see where you fall. If you don’t know, maybe it’s time to buy a shot timer, take some training, and find out where your skill level is actually at? Because the real point of the MSP Standards is being able to measure performance on demand. What can you do when the chips are down and you have to perform? The only way to find out…is to put yourself to the test.

TEAM WENDY® RELEASES EXFIL® ADAPTER FOR AMP COMMUNICATION HEADSET

By

Keith Finch

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July 24, 2020

CLEVELAND, OH (July, 2020) – Cleveland-based Team Wendy^®, a leading provider of exceptional head protection systems, announced today the launch of its EXFIL^® Adapter for the Ops-Core AMP™ Communication Headset. This headset, originally designed for Ops-Core’s ARC Rail, can now be also be mounted on Team Wendy helmets.

The adapter easily attaches each arm of the AMP headset to Team Wendy’s EXFIL Rail 2.0 or EXFIL Rail 3.0 accessory mounting systems. A press fit design – rather than a hard mount – ensures breakaway functionality when enough pressure is applied in an emergency situation.

“The breakaway capability is important for airborne operations,” said Mike Romanchek, director of sales and business development for Team Wendy. “The EXFIL Adapter reduces risk should lines get tangled around the headset by detaching from the helmet thus reducing the chances of equipment malfunction or injury.”

The EXFIL Adapter for the Ops-Core AMP Communication Headset retails for $21.99 and is available for purchase on TeamWendy.com and through authorized Team Wendy dealers.

ABOUT TEAM WENDY^®

Team Wendy is a family-owned company dedicated to providing exceptional head protection systems designed from the inside out for those who risk their lives every day. Founded in 1997, our Cleveland-based company places a strong focus on the prevention of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in honor of the company’s namesake Wendy Moore, who died tragically from a TBI following a ski accident.

As a leading supplier of helmet systems for military, law enforcement, search and rescue, and adventure sports, Team Wendy is steadfast in our dedication to the pursuit of improving head protection research, design and development, bringing more choice, better technology and reliable customer service to the industry.

Team Wendy was recognized as a winner of the Cleveland Top Workplaces 2019 award by The Plain Dealer and was also named one of NorthCoast 99’s Best Places to Work in Northeast Ohio in 2016.

ICYMI: COVID-19, George Floyd Riots, and the Second Amendment

By

DRGO

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July 24, 2020

[Ed: This is published by permission, slightly edited, after its first appearance at Hacienda Publishing on June 10.]

The events of the last two or three months have been not only momentous but also perhaps portentous of things to come. In rapid succession COVID-19 and the George Floyd riots have underscored the fact government cannot always be trusted to do the right thing, and that Americans in the 21st century still need to preserve the God-endowed Natural and government-guaranteed Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

Why you ask? We need firearms for collective defense in unforeseen just wars or homeland invasion; for self and family protection, as in home invasions; for self-defense in the streets during car jackings or against ruffians, who still threaten our lives during robberies or attempting rape; against marauding thugs during riots or following natural catastrophes, such as in the wake of devastating hurricanes; to protect our businesses during attempted robberies and from looting; against assailants who are stronger than we are, as they prey on the young, the old, the infirm, women, and the most vulnerable of us in society. The gun is the great equalizer.

During the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, not only did we have our share of mountebanks going door-to-door impersonating health officials in attempts to swindle the elderly and vulnerable, but also ruffians wearing masks to conceal their identities while committing burglaries, robberies, home invasions, and other violent crimes. In some districts the police have even refused to answer calls to “non-essential” cases, citing the “pandemic.” Then on May 25, 2020, we had the irrational and needless death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, who had already been handcuffed, died after a white police office knelt on his neck for nine minutes in an inexplicable attempt to further restrain him. The event not only triggered nationwide peaceful protests but also launched violent riots, looting, and orgies of devastating fires in various large cities, uniformly controlled by Democratic administrations and mayors who have shown incompetence, negligence, and even support for the incendiary looters. Several police officers in various cities have been ambushed, knifed, shot and killed by these rioters and veritable assassins that the mainstream media insist on calling “peaceful protestors.”

In the meantime, across the globe, the real valiant freedom fighters — who do not loot, burn or kill innocent people, but instead courageously defy a ban on assembly instituted by the most brutal regime in the world, communist China, to attend vigils in memory of the Tiananmen Square massacre and attend numerous other peaceful protest marches in Hong Kong — are ignored by the American media. For coverage, we have to search the BBC.

Returning to America, in the wake of the infamous Breonna Taylor shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, I wrote a piece lamenting the militarization and abuse of federal and local police as a prelude to tyranny, but the violent reaction that his tragic episode has triggered has gone way beyond what we would expect for any reasonable concern that the crowds may have had for George Floyd — or for that matter the thousands of young black men and women who are killed by other blacks year after year. As the BBC headline reads, “Chicago sees deadliest day in decades amid protests and curfew.” Be that as it may, the mainstream media (MSM) have done all they could to call these thugs “protestors” and describe all these protests as peaceful.

After all the dust has settled and passions have been exhausted, I think Americans will find out the disservice that the MSM has done them in misreporting the news. Those who did looting and burning and killed police are not peaceful protestors but criminal thugs, who took the occasion for looting and plundering. Some “protestors” seemed to be organizers of the rampage. Communist groups and billionaire George Soros involved in so many leftist causes globally have been implicated as being behind some of these planned riots.

Will the media investigate? I doubt it. They have abandoned objectivity and perform investigative journalism only against conservatives, as they did with President Trump and “his associates”, but came only with fake news as with the Russia collusion hoax and the Ukraine accusations fiasco.

Ironically, in localities where the looters were particularly vicious and destructive, the police were around but made little attempt to arrest or even stop the looting. They could not even prevent the burning down of their own police station. They were presumably so instructed by the politically correct police departments, municipal governments, or the sympathetic Democrat Mayors, who, despite the wanton destruction by the criminal elements, sided with the MSM and Hollywood celebrities in support of the rioters. Some “progressive” municipal governments now want to defund or disband entire police departments as in Los Angeles and Minneapolis.

In several major episodes, business owners successfully protected their businesses with firearms. The response from the American people has been astonishment, fear, and in some quarters of the Blue States, even admiration for the rioters, or so the media tell us. But overall, there has been a realization that the Second Amendment is still needed for self, home, and family protection. The police cannot be everywhere all the time. And even when they are there, they may not act until after a criminal act has been committed — in other words, not until one has become a victim, robbed, raped, killed — if at all!

One to two million guns sold per month this past spring has set record numbers of gun sales. Gun control has been given a well-deserved and welcome setback that will be reinforced if Trump is re-elected and the Republicans gain more seats in Congress this November. But it all hinges on what happens in the coming election. Joe Biden’s numbers, according to the pollsters and the media, have surged. Media propaganda may be working.

But the $64,000 question is: Have the American people learned the correct lessons from the coronavirus pandemic and the orchestrated fears incited by the global public health establishment, beginning with the Wuhan disaster and the politicized World Health Organization (WHO), which has been shown to be subservient to communist China? Will the gloom and doom predictions of Dr. Anthony Fauci and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) materialize in a resurgence, especially with the multitudes brought about by the protestors?

The second question is: Have the American people, particularly the voters, connected the dots in the George Floyd riots? Namely, that this is not about the crime committed against Mr. Floyd by four rogue police officers, but about bringing down the Trump presidency and sinking his re-election. If not, the nation is doomed. Tyranny will indeed be in the making.

For those who think that police departments will be defanged, if not disbanded, just as soon as the leftists attain power, think again. You are seriously deluded. We will not live in harmony and happily thereafter. The truth is progressives are socialists and as close to being communists, as they have ever been in American history! Let’s refresh our historical memory: Marx and Engels once claimed that once the bourgeoisie (that is us the middle class) was eliminated and the “dictatorship of the proletariat” created, the class struggle would cease, and the State would vanish! Lenin smiled. Stalin laughed.

Together these communists founded the most repressive totalitarian state with the most efficient and deadly secret police — i.e., the Cheka and the KGB — in history. Opponents were disarmed and liquidated in the gulag, in government-created famines, or in the cellars of the Lubyanka with a single shot to the back of the head!

Mao Zedong added the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution and together Soviet and Chinese communists liquidated over 100 million people in the 20^th century. If the thirsty-for-power American socialists, who still admire Mao and Che Guevara, ever attain full power in all three branches of our government, they would create the most horrific police state America has ever seen.

Most of the surreal world we are seeing is taking place in Blue States. Vigilance, peace and quiet reigns in the rest of the country, especially in the Red States, and I think that once common sense returns, Americans will see through the fog and re-elect Trump by significant margins! After that, unfortunately, I’m not so sure. Our memory is evanescent.

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— Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D. is a retired professor of Neurosurgery and Medical History at Mercer University School of Medicine. He founded Hacienda Publishing and is Associate Editor in Chief and World Affairs Editor of Surgical Neurology International. He served on the CDC’s Injury Research Grant Review Committee.

All DRGO articles by Miguel A. Faria, Jr., MD

The PHLster Pro Series: Keeping Law Enforcement in Mind

By

Anna Martinez

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July 24, 2020

Off duty carry, a thing that many law enforcement agencies struggle with. Whether it is off duty or plain clothes carry, many agencies don’t know what type of holster, let alone the specific company that can give a trustworthy product. They may choose the “cheapest” or “most popular” brands, or just the one their procurement officer likes. This leads to officers installing parts incorrectly, ill retention, or dangerous locking mechanisms. Any one of these issues can then lead to people getting hurt, whether it’s due to their own accidents or an incident in the field.

Insert the PHLster Pro Series. This holster is made to assist the Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) with ease of installation, comfort, and performance.

Compatibility

The PHLster Pro Series is compatible with any optic, suppressor high sights, threaded barrels, and compensators. It is not compatible with weapon mounted lights (WML). Many LE agencies still have not hopped on that train despite the numerous sources of data that prove why it’s needed for the safety of LEOs, but I digress..

Currently there are three different models of holster. The SIG P320, GLOCK 43/43x/48, and GLOCK 26/19/17/34.

[Sidenote: If you do run a WML, PHLster has you covered there too. Check out the Floodlight.]

Ships as this w/ DCC monoblock kit added to order

Hardware

The holster comes with snap loops using Pull the Dot snaps or Discreet Carry Concepts (DCC) Monoblock Kit if added.

Pull the Dot Snaps can be stiff at first,which ultimately ensures a longer lasting and safer type of belt hardware. The snaps are directional. Ensure that you are lining up the bottom of the snap and pressing hard on the bottom before hearing it snap on the top. Please watch PHLster’s instructional 2 minute video before becoming pissed and breaking your loops. You have to “roll” the snap bottom to top.

A quick video on proper installation procedures

DCC Monoblock Kits can also be added for a different type of mounting hardware. These clips come with 2 sterile clips (no logo), two bushings, and four mounting screws. They are very easy to install. Ensure that the bushing is installed between the holster and the clip to avoid damage. Through experience these clips have shown great retention due to the inverted notch on the bottom. A tip to install these on your belt or jeans is to lift up on the bottom of both clips, slide all the way down to where you need, and then release the clips. The Monoblock is a much faster on/off the belt system than the snaps.

Retention

The holsters are also made using compression molding, which not many kydex companies do. This allows CAD design to be used to form holsters which then ensures consistent quality for each holster. Due to the Pro Series being a non-light bearing holster, adjustable retention is not needed as the holster can now create a more crisp fit.

Customization

This is key in any holster world and PHLster nails it. This holster features adjustability for both ride-height and angle. The holes for the hardware are on each side allowing ambidextrous carry and draw. The holster also accepts any IWB hardware on the market. Meaning LE and average consumers alike can buy the same type of holster and hardware but still make it their own no matter where and how they carry and no matter their hardware preference.

It comes with two different sized wings due to different body types. The wing is meant to “claw the angle the grip of the gun inward, reducing conspicuous printing when worn in any carry position.“-PHLsterholsters.com

Showing the claws ability to push the pant line out allowing the grip to be pushed more in-line with the body.

Comfort

Last but certainly not least..comfort. Comfort is the main thing that people look at when it comes to holsters. Everyone has that box in their basement that has 10+ holsters that just didn’t work. A large reason that they didn’t work is due to finally finding out through prolonged wear that they frankly hurt. Specifically when it comes to doing uncomfortable things like a long shift in their squad car or sitting all day at the office. The Pro Series design changes that with a couple things.

Rounded Muzzle End

The holster has a rounded edge on the muzzle end. This gives relief of hot spots. A feature that you didn’t even realize you wanted.

Wedge

The wedge is meant to allow the gun to be away from the body and not digging. It is pronounced enough to work but not too pronounced that it induces printing itself.

From PHLster

“since no holster is perfect for everyone, given the variations of human anatomy and different thresholds for comfort, we’ve kind of come to the conclusion that an IWB holster is a lot like a prosthesis. You start with a manufactured platform, and then some part of it is custom fitted to the individual physiology. The Pro Series is our best jumping off point for that. We focused on making a zero-hot-spot holster mold which keeps sharp corners and seams away from the body, but without having too pronounced of a molded wedge, favoring instead a smooth, gentle radius which is stand-alone comfortable and aids concealment, while providing a generous surface area for the attachment of user-supplied foam wedges to adapt the holster to their individual bodies. We also paid special attention to reducing carry fatigue, which can come from long periods of sitting, driving, or wearing a holster which has overly-assertive concealment features built into it. And beyond the forming, we made sure that the holster would accept pretty much whatever hardware you prefer, and in whatever configuration you need. So anyone can make the adjustments or customizations necessary to accomplish the level of concealment and comfort they require from the holster.”

Backed by Law Enforcement Entities

PHLSTER has already had approval of trustworthy support from many LE entities. Centrifuge Training, a law enforcement training and consulting company has put the stamp on PHLster as being a trustworthy company in which their holsters will perform.

About

LEO/MIL Discounts available, official work email needed

LEO/Military Discount

And as always, all the features that make this an impressive option for LE IWB carry makes it just as useful, perhaps more so, for the EDC types.

How to improve IDPA

By

Caleb Giddings

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July 24, 2020

The International Defensive Pistol Association, or IDPA is one of the most popular shooting sports in the world. With 30,000 members in over 70 countries, its popularity continues to grow. As the sport has aged over the years, the rules have changed from time to time to better reflect the changing nature of defensive pistil shooting. The current version of the sport is pretty great, but it could also be a little better. Here are three ideas on how to improve IDPA.

Allow Appendix Carry

Honestly I could stop the list right here and be done with it. Appendix carry is the most popular way for switched on CCW holders to carry their guns right now, and the fact that the shooting sport that is ostensibly focused on “defensive” use of a handgun doesn’t allow this common method of concealed carry is crazy to me. I can even write the rule for this: “Appendix Carry: shooters may position their holster and magazines forward of the hip when using this method of concealed carry. Concealment garment must be a closed front shirt, no vests allowed for shooters appendix carry. Holster and all magazine carriers must be inside the waistband.” Boom, done that is how to improve IDPA.

Allow longer courses and more rounds in the gun

Ideas two and three on how to improve IDPA are connected. I don’t want to turn the sport into “USPSA with concealment” but I’d also like to load my gun at or near capacity. Right now, the max number of rounds you can have in the gun is 10+1, and then 10 in your magazines. That’s a holdover from when the sport was founded during the Clinton AWB. Let’s cast off our restrictive chains and embrace freedom! A great way how to improve IDPA is let us load 15 rounds in our magazines.

Then, once we can have more bullets, let’s make the stages longer. Everyone likes to shoot, right? So more shooting is more better? Great! How to improve IDPA part three: up the maximum round count for a stage to 24. Think about how great that would be with 15 round guns! More shooting and more action means more excitement.

Personally, I think that these three ideas on how to improve IDPA make a ton of sense. They’re simple, easy to put in place, and would help position the sport as the thought leader in defensive pistol competition. Maybe if we all email IDPA HQ we can make it happen.

Novices Teaching Neophytes

By

Keith Finch

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July 23, 2020

Qualified Expert, the discussion on why the Expert badge and being titled an Expert *weapon* Shooter are misnomers was a good piece. Henry’s video over at 9-Hole Reviews covered it well too. The follow I did with I Grew Up Around Guns got a great deal of response too. Now we have the what, so let me dig into the why.

A Novice, is one who is new to a topic, trade, skill, or discipline. Neophyte, by short definition, means something very similar. In written context however, a Novice possess some experience while a Neophyte has none, they are brand, shiny, squeaky new.

An uneven dispersion of Experts

Most of the truly expert shooters and instructors within the military work in the locations they are most needed. They are either on special operations and other high kinetic positions where marksmanship and weapons handling are more than just annual check boxes. They are also instructing the schools that populate those job slots. They are not on hand to teach PMI to the regulars, the engineers, or the mechanics, whose normal day to day job involves a wide variety of soldiering functions unrelated to squeezing the trigger on an M4.

The experts are all in a small selection of spots. They stay in these spots. The whole military needs to qualify though, so a substitute must be made.

Training Circular, The TC Manual

The updated TC 3-20.40 Training and Qualification – Individual Weapons. Image via Soldier Systems

In this case, the substitute is a book. This TC manual outlines, in a brief 832 pages, how to train soldiers on their individual weapon systems and what the qualification courses of fire are to meet the Army’s standards. As you might imagine it is riveting reading, an absolute page turner that will keep you glued to your seat.

In reality what occurs is the OIC (Officer in Charge) or NCOIC (Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge) pulls out this manual from a stack of manuals, tosses it to the resident “expert” or whatever NCO drew the straw to teach PMI, and then goes about the business of logistically organizing the range. The NCO then does their best (hopefully) to harsh together a period of instruction to dust off shooting skills that have been neglected for a year. This while individual soldier observation tells them the Army really can’t care that much about shooting anyway because of how poorly and haphazardly they perform this task.

This compounds soldiers earlier experiences in their formative training where they may have been shoehorned threw a line behind an M4 without any comprehension of the system. Encountering this for the first time was infuriating. The Marine Corps obviously takes digs at the Army and vice versa, the DoD competitive nature is something to foster and keep each other strong and accountable, but I was floored. Regardless of MOS my 80 man strong platoon had a solid foundation on the M16A2 coming out of basic, it was a core skill.. a Corps. skill you might say. My marksmanship instructors and drill instructors all had firm foundations in both the mechanics involved in shooting and teaching skills. This firm foundation continued into the School of Infantry, where all Marines spend either a short course or a full MOS course learning their jobs. There was a reason an admin clerk, the supply sergeant, and the commo shop staff could all hang with and shoot with 03’s, it was just intrinsically part of their job as Marines.

There were still those who struggled, those who didn’t grasp the material or who this skillset was more challenging for them, but there was never a lack of institutional emphasis.

Flash over to the Army and I was teaching Staff NCO’s how the safety selector operated… “Yes, Sergeant. When the selector points to Fire and you pull the trigger, the rifle fires. Holy S***, right?”

Institutional indifference. A cancer within the military.

Now, this problem isn’t the OIC or NCOIC’s fault, they have a ton of logistics to put together to make a qualification run and a list of actual firearm experts was probably not on their list of resources to pull from. This isn’t the fault of the NCO, who has the manual and what it provides him or her and… perhaps nothing else to draw from, perhaps a little personal experience, almost certainly no actual instructive formative training, hopefully a platoon or company “gun person” who watched The Art of the Tactical Carbine who can help them. But, more than likely, the company is lacking in M4 subject matter experts who can answer questions and provide live feed back… They have the TC and that is it.

The problem: the Army relying on passive trickle down for actively developed skills. They seem to think that as experts, actual experts, change units and hop around the components that this knowledge will spread. It doesn’t have time to spread because it isn’t given time to spread. Even when placed with components who can use the knowledge base to further develop the unit’s skills and make more experts who can keep the chain of information flowing the whole process is stifled to a grinding halt.

Why?

“We don’t have time for that, we have to do a blended retirement powerpoint.” “If you want to put together a hip pocket glass, I guess go ahead.” “Why would we do that? Qualification is in September.” “I don’t want to draw the range or ammo.” “That isn’t our priority.”

Then, inevitably, when the failure rates get so abysmal it can’t be ignored, “Battalion says we need to focus on Soldier skills. Let’s do a hip pocket class on patrols.”

What is needed. I say again, NEEDED. Is time on the range and supplemental time in the EST. Soldiers will take away more from 1-2 days on a live 25, 50 or 100 meter range under good instruction that checks their grouping, positions, reloads, and malfunction clearances with repetitions than any ‘hip pocket’ ‘whitespace’ class could possibly give them. During this time the novices and neophytes both learn.

The novices learn and develop into knowledgeable users who can run worthwhile PMI out of the TC because they have time on the platforms to back them up, not just “Here’s the book, good luck.”

Time, folks. Time spent under deliberate training, not a novice who just so happens to be the novice with the most experience, is how we improve the discipline. There is no substitute. It can be supplemented. It can be enhanced with tools like the EST, Mantis X, dummy rounds, and dry fire. But nothing can replace live rounds into targets, working on fundamentals, and under trainers who can answer questions and fill the knowledge pool.

The Answers are Time, Live Fire, and Instructor Development.

This is the hard part. It’s easy, but it isn’t.

The Army must invest in live fire range time for these skills. It must develop continuous marksmanship and handling instruction within the ranks. Those developed instructors must be given the time on the guns to understand the guns. They must be coached in how to develop skills in their student body of both junior and senior enlisted. They must be developed so that they can develop their students. This takes time and live fire under the guidance of experts, maybe outside experts, especially to start with.

Setting up a Fighting Rifle

By

Keith Finch

-

July 22, 2020

It is the inevitable question.

“Hey guys, I just picked up *INSERT RIFLE* what should I get to finish it out?”

I answered this, in part, back here. But that article was mostly geared towards getting out and using the rifle and training to use it properly.

Mike (GarandThumb) is an Airforce officer and former survival instructor who has a YouTube channel. Kevin Owens was Special Operations in two armies (Ireland and the US) as well as a contractor. Aaron was a SEAL. Kevin especially has been part of equipment selection in special operations for the last portion of his career with his magnum opus being the newest modular sniper rifle, the MK22 ASR.

These guys know gear. They’ve used a LOT of gear. They’ve made mistakes with their gear and learned from it.

Watch the video and you can learn from it too.

The most poignant thing mentioned in the video, in my opinion, is Kevin’s emphasis that firearms are specialty tools. It’s easier to build them up to be very good at a niche particular role than to expertly cover a huge swath of roles. Your primary limitations are always going to be caliber and size.

The MP5 is a phenomenal CQB gun, it makes an equally phenomenal home defense gun. But it’s qualities also impose limitations on what the MP5, or any 9mm/45ACP sub gun, can do.

But, thanks to enhancements in ancillary force multipliers (aka: the stuff you put on and in the gun) a fighting rifle today can do a great deal more with a higher degree of success than 20 to 30 years prior. Even 5 years ago tech wasn’t what we have today. So with the specialization aspect in mind they go over the guns. Seriously, it is worth the watch. Hit play.

What is the rifle’s primary mission? Personal Defense, General Purpose, something else?

Kevin and Aaron show off two examples, an 11.5″ rifle with a CQB/Personal Defense type mission and a 14.5″ gun with a General Purpose type mission. The 11.5″ CQB gun is running a dot and magnifier and the 14.5″ is running an LPVO and offset dot. Kevin notes that the Vortex Razor Gen III 1-10x has capabilities that match or exceed the sniper rifle scopes that started GWOT, but now come in a carbine optic.

Rifles have received incremental material improvements, not really changing all that much. Better parts doing the same jobs within similar parameters. Optics, lights, and lasers have improved explosively and allowed the effective range of capabilities of the individual using the rifle to expand dramatically.

So what does the rifle (or PCC even) need to do. Is it a CQB personal defense gun for 25 yards and in, 50 on the outer edge, 100 at the extreme? Is it truly a general purpose rifle that should be able to do CQB and then transition to 300, 400, 500 yard targets very quickly? Is it a longer distance gun where a higher caliber is warranted since 800 or even 1,000 yards might be your shot envelope? What is the intended target, prairie dog or two legged predator?

Be sure to positively and objectively outline the rifle’s baseline mission. Be specific. Even ‘General Purpose’ is a specific mission profile that means you want equipment that will allow you to take maximum advantage of the full effective range of the rifle while not hindering it on either end of the engagement distance envelope, it can do 5 or 500 without being a hassle.

Your fighting gun is not also going to be optimized as your coyote gun, pick its job.

What other equipment is it working with?

Most importantly within this question, is it or is it not working with night vision. If you’re not using IR or thermal observation enhancing technology you can skip bolting on things that help aim and observe under those optics.

Yes, DBALs and MAWLs and such have visible lasers.

No, that does not make them necessary. You have a white light for a reason.

Yes, they are still really cool and it is okay to buy them anyway.

Under this consideration block don’t forget about your sling, your sidearm, and your kit for magazines and medical. Armor too if applicable.

Which tool for which fight?

Dots for personal defense, LPVOs for general purpose. Wide beam lights for personal defense, long throw lights for general purpose.

Two examples, one of a Personal Defense carbine and the second of a General Purpose carbine. The X95 and SCAR16 have a lot of overlapping capability but their main job, the one I designated, is different.

The 13″ X95 is set for home and personal defense with thought given to being able to move within close spaces like a hallway or vehicle. It is one of two rifles I will run as “truck guns” and adding a magnifier behind the dot closes the gap to general purpose rather nicely while not taking away it’s goal as a personal defense carbine. The light selection, a surefire M600 with a wide throw, lights rooms cleanly. It carries the provision for a Surefire suppressor.

The SCAR is set for general purpose, able to take a long distance or short shot with similar ease out of the 14.5″ barrel while remaining usably mobile, even in interior spaces. Offset RMR dot for close, 1-10x for the remainder. The light selection is a PLHv2 Modlite on a Reptilia TORCH body, long beam throw to give as much white light range as I can on the rifle set up for widely variable distances. It carries the provision for a Surefire suppressor.

General purpose looks to cover unknown distance as evenly as possible within the capability of the rifle and ammunition.

Personal Defense looks to cover a known distance, close, with optimal equipment selection. It can be pressed to distance with variable success depending upon caliber selection but that is always a secondary consideration. Ammo selection is more likely to include intermediate barrier and medium consideration. What are your rounds going to do going through a door, wall, vehicle body, or vehicle glass?

Can each of these rifles do the job of the other one?

Absolutely, and I have a primary ‘alternate’ for both of these rifles that are set up as personal defense and general purpose respectively. Overlap is fine, it’s to be expected and encouraged. Don’t drift out of that primary mission.

And on suppressors, I love what Aaron covers in the video. It isn’t about getting the absolute quietest per shot can, that isn’t the job. It’s about controlling the rifles signature being able to give away your position and dampen noise levels over sustained fire so you can still hear. Suppressors are wonderful tools for confined space shooting safety.

Build to the mission

If it’s prairie dogs, pick equipment for shooting prairie dogs. Scope, ammo, etc, will reflect a greater range varmint rifle. That isn’t your bump in the night gun. The bump in the night gun has an always on/easy on CQC optic for across the room distances and both eyes open searching and shooting. It has a light to fill corners and search. It might have a suppressor because tinnitus is not a fun time.

Build to the mission, the job you need the gun to do. If you have another job that needs doing, another gun is what you need to do it.

Taurus G3c Update

By

Caleb Giddings

-

July 22, 2020

It’s been a few weeks since the initial review, and in that time we’ve still been shooting it – time for a Taurus G3c Update!

When we first reviewed the gun, the first test involved firing 500 rounds through it. There were some people that weren’t happy with that, and those people claimed that the gun would fall apart after we shot 500 rounds. “Oh sure, 500 rounds is great but what about 600 or 1,000?” Never mind that no one who buys this gun will shoot 1,000 rounds through it, we kept shooting.

You know what our Taurus G3c update shows? The gun is still fine. It’s over 600 rounds now, which isn’t a lot, but given the number of people who said it would fall apart after 500, I think it’s pretty good. What I’ve been doing is any time I go to the range to train or review a different gun, I bring the G3c and shoot at least a magazine through it. Sometimes more, but always at least one full magazine. Then I’ll reload that magazine and let it sit until the next time I go to the range. This is to recreate a likely use case for this gun: it sits loaded for an extended period and then a whole magazine is dumped all at once. The G3c continues to work and continues to impress me.

I get that it’s not cool to “like” Taurus, and to be frank I wouldn’t choose the G3c as my EDC. Not because it’s a bad gun, but because I’m in a position to be choosy about what I carry. If I want to carry a 1500 dollar custom Glock I can, if I want to carry a limited edition Ruger GP100 I can. But if I only had 250 bucks? Well I’d really appreciate this Taurus G3c update, because it tells me that the gun isn’t going to fall apart during my use case, and that’s good. The Taurus G3c might not be the best carry gun on the market, but at the price point it’s really hard to make an argument against it. Now if this damn gun shortage would end, and we could actually get them.

SIG P938 SAS

By

Keith Finch

-

July 21, 2020

NEWINGTON, N.H., (July 21, 2020) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to introduce the P938 SAS (SIG Anti-Snag) pistol, bringing new innovation to this popular lightweight, micro-compact, concealed carry pistol.

“When we introduced the SAS technology with the P365 it was immensely popular, and the demand for this new technology in the concealed carry market was immediate. The SIG P938 is a very popular micro-compact pistol, so the addition of the SAS technology was a natural fit for this platform,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales. “Our proprietary SAS technology removes all the snag points from the pistol for a seamless draw. The integrated, flush-mounted FT Bullseye sight mounted directly into the slide is intuitive, and easy for the untrained eye to pick-up for fast target acquisition.”

The SIG SAUER P938 SAS is a 9mm, single action only (SAO), hammer fired, alloy frame pistol with a Nitron finish. The pistol features the SIG Anti-Snag (SAS) technology slide treatment with a flush-mounted FT bullseye fiber-tritium night sight, an ambidextrous thumb safety, and ships with (1) 7-round magazine.

About SIG SAUER, Inc.
SIG SAUER, Inc. is a leading provider and manufacturer of firearms, electro-optics, ammunition, airguns, suppressors, and training. For over 150 years SIG SAUER, Inc. has evolved, and thrived, by blending American ingenuity, German engineering, and Swiss precision. Today, SIG SAUER is synonymous with industry-leading quality and innovation which has made it the brand of choice amongst the U.S. Military, the global defense community, law enforcement, competitive shooters, hunters, and responsible citizens. Additionally, SIG SAUER is the premier provider of elite firearms instruction and tactical training at the SIG SAUER Academy. Headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire, SIG SAUER has almost 2,000 employees across eight locations. For more information about the company and product line visit: sigsauer.com.

Facemasks and Firearms

By

Keith Finch

-

July 21, 2020

With mandatory masks in many locales this topic is upon us in force again. It varies state to state but the majority have language like that of the State of Michigan when it comes to face masks and firearms. Other have guidance out to law enforcement that those otherwise legally carrying a firearm are not in commision of a crime for following a mandatory mask rule put out by the state.

Be certain to check your particular State rules and look for updates in governor level orders.

For example:

Michigan Compiled Laws 750.396 says, “A person who intentionally conceals his or her identity by wearing a mask or other device covering his or her face for the purpose of facilitating the commission of a crime is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $500.00, or both.”

Consequently, a person legally carrying a firearm while wearing a face mask who is not facilitating the commission of a crime is not subject to the legal penalties for wearing a face mask in Michigan. While the false information spreading online appears to be targeting mask requirements, it has the unfortunate effect of deterring people from carrying outside the home for self defense. –MCRGO

Again, hit the internet for your specific State but most have answered this question by now in this phase of masks being encouraged to mandatory.

From DRGO: Happy Friday, Senator Hashmi & Delegate Carr

By

DRGO

-

July 21, 2020

(from thelibertarianrepublic.com)

[Ed: Dr. Petrocelli sent this letter, lightly edited for DRGO, to his Virginia state representatives last week. Keep visiting and writing to yours–personal contact is the most effective lobbying possible.]

I am writing to you as your constituent this Friday to share two pieces of terrific news.

Not only have your constituents bought guns in record numbers over the past several months, roughly 40% of those purchases went to first time gun owners. That is absolutely fabulous news. As gun ownership increases, the deterrent against crime grows stronger, and the culture shifts back towards normalizing gun ownership. Gun owners are on track towards turning the tables on lawmakers: soon politicians will have to chase after gun votes, rather than having gun owners beg for infringements to cease.

Those of us who understand firearms know that guns are the greatest unifier there is in the USA. Gun people are all about other gun people, and gun ownership crosses all the political boundaries the ruling elite try to pigeon-hole us as: we are not all old white men. Quick proof of this: social media website reddit.com has r/NRA (right leaning), r/liberalgunowners (left of center), and r/socialistRA (Socialist Rifle Association, way falling-over left). Reddit users skew younger, and politically left-of-center generally. And they own and love guns, and they bring more people into the fold every day.

I’d argue that the camaraderie among gun owners rivals that of the military. I see it every day I’m at the range, and every time I log into the discussion groups on reddit. This leads me to the second piece of terrific news of the past week: the best picture of 2020. This year has been a challenge to say the least, but its pictures like this that tell me we are going to get through all it together as one unified people. This picture [above] captures all of the ideas I’ve just written about, and more.

On July 4th there was an open-carry pro-2A rally in Richmond. Several hundred showed up. A smaller group of #BLM social justice advocates showed up as well, presumably to keep an eye out for racist rotten apples, and to make sure that any hateful message was checked. Guess what happened? The two groups literally joined hands and marched together. I’m not surprised, because both groups love guns and both groups have the same concern: oppression.

I don’t know the woman in the picture below, but I can try to look at the world through her eyes. There are some things I am certain of: she, like everyone else, has an inalienable right to defend herself. Just imagine for a moment if Biden is elected and his “gun control” plan is put in place. That woman’s AR-15 instantly goes on the NFA (National Firearms Act) list, along with her magazine. She has to cough up $200 each for the tax stamp for both. Is that justice? Is it fair that in addition to all the other injustices she faces, she has to pay additional money to the state that in many ways has already failed her, just so she can lawfully carry what she inalienably should be able to by birthright?

What if Senator Saslaw’s original version of what is now Delegate Levine’s HB961 passes, and her gun is outright banned. She’s out roughly $1,000, eyeballing the gun, scope, mag, mag pouch, sling, and likely ammo. What is she to do then? Assuming she can recover from that loss, she can get a handgun or a “featureless” rifle that shoots the same bullets. But either of those choices would put her at a disadvantage at defending herself, and put those around her at risk because of that. Other options don’t have the capacity that her gun has, nor the ease of fit and function that facilitates accuracy.

As you go into the weekend, please think long and hard about this woman, the people and struggles she represented during that rally, and ask yourself how HB961 is doing her or her cause any favors.

.

–Dennis Petrocelli, MD is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist who has practiced for nearly 20 years in Virginia. He took up shooting in 2019 for mind-body training and self-defense, and is in the fight for Virginians’ gun rights.

All DRGO articles by Dennis Petrocelli, MD

Aluminum, Rust, and Heat

By

Keith Finch

-

July 21, 2020

Thermite Grenades are fun. If you’ve ever gotten to use one to slag anything, you know. They make joyous melted mess of just about anything (we did a stack of empty ammo cans) from engines to electronics… anything vulnerable to molten metal being poured into it really.

Today’s Slo-Mo guys video goes into the thermite reaction and a little about why normal fire fighting techniques do nothing. Essentially it’s because this isn’t fire. Fire uses environmental oxygen where thermite does not, it’s reaction is self sustaining. Water doesn’t deprive the thermite of nearly enough heat to stop the reaction and since the reaction does not use oxygen from the atmosphere water doesn’t deprive it of that either.

The most common form of thermite, although many metallic/oxide combinations can produce this high temperature reaction, is a combination of rust (iron oxide) and aluminum. Aluminium is preferred because the reaction quickly hits its melting point temperature without going over its boiling point, so the whole shiny hot display stays as molten liquid metal instead of exploding into gas. Now it will obviously flash boil items like water (you can see it in the video) that it comes into contact with and anything that has an ignition temperature the mixture exceeds is going to burn.

Result, one can of spicy shiny melty goodness that can be transported very safely and stably. It needs a high temperature to set it off so a high temperature fuse is used in the grenades and things like magnesium cord are used in other applications. Applications like slow motion video.

Enjoy!

Swampfox Trihawk 3x

By

Keith Finch

-

July 20, 2020

Swampfox Optics announces the Trihawk 3x prism scope, featuring a super wide, true ten-degree field of view. Looking through Trihawk, you’ll see a 52ft field of view from edge to edge at 100 yards; the widest FOV of any 3x prism on the market. Yet Trihawk still offers greater eye relief than comparable prism scopes from other brands. Fans of the classic “do it all” 3x prism scope concept will want to take a
close look.

Specification highlights:
• MOA reticle features 40 MOA of vertical holdover
• BDC reticle calibrated for 5.56 / .308 coming soon
• Green or red reticle illumination models available.
• Shake ‘N Wake motion sensing auto on/off illumination
• Ten brightness settings via top mounted push buttons, 2 NV compatible
• CR123a battery built into the mount for greater brightness and battery life

Swampfox Product Marketing Director Michael Branson said:

“It’s hard to really understand Trihawk until you look through one. When we first started talking about doing a 3x prism scope, I was skeptical. Why should we do a fixed 3x when we already make LPVOs that do everything from 1-8x or even 1-10x? And the answer was, it will have a true ten-degree FOV. Again I was skeptical. ACOGs have about a seven-degree FOV, what’s three more degrees, will anyone care? But the first time I looked through a prototype, I literally laughed out loud because I had never seen anything like it before. Ever used a scout scope, where you have great peripheral vision but the view through the scope itself is like looking through a drinking straw? This is the opposite of that. The amount of situational awareness you get looking through the scope at the target area is just phenomenal.”

Construction:
• 6061-T5 aluminum
• Weight: 15.4 oz
• Rated to 800 G force shock
• IPX7 Waterproof (1 meter 30 mins)
• Eye Relief: 2.4”
• Exit Pupil: 9.5mm
• Scratch-resistant, anti-fog, hydrophobic, fully multicoated glass

“The 3x prism concept is a simple, strong, do-it-all optic that excels at medium range shooting and saves
you weight and bulk compared to other optics with similar capability. At 15.4 ounces Trihawk is not a super light optic, but all the weight is in the glass, a 30mm objective lens up front and the ocular lens out back is even wider, and of course in between them is the prism itself. However, that listed weight includes the mount, and everything you need is included right there in the box, even the anti-reflection device is included. Compared to our Arrowhead LPVO plus our mount, Trihawk weighs almost half as much, and the user experience when you shoot with it is amazing.”

MSRP for Trihawk is $329. Swampfox has an aggressive discount policy for law enforcement and military customers and a T&E program for departments who want to “try before they buy.” Trihawk is available now at www.swampfoxoptics.com.

Why are they all so… similar?

By

Keith Finch

-

July 20, 2020

Have you ever taken a moment to look at the modern rifle landscape? Let’s start with the APC223 since it’s the subject of the video.

Small arms, particularly service carbines in the 21st Century, have seemed to settle on a consensus of form. With few exceptions, it goes something like this

Short stroke gas piston, adjustable
Free floating barrel
Folding and adjustable stock
Ambidextrous control suite

These four cornerstones are then accompanied by the individual designers blend of steel, aluminum, and polymer give the rifle form.

FN’s Special Operation Forces Combat Assault Rifle was one of the earlier examples of these features taking form. It was also the high days of the ‘Modularity‘ craze where, no matter how actually impractical, every feature had to be swappable ‘in the field‘ or it was bad.. or something like that.

FN gave us two well built, extremely reliable, lightweight rifles that transferred that weight to their price tags. But as many point out, the SCAR 16 is just a top tier 5.56 carbine for the most top tier of price tags. It didn’t do much the M4 didn’t, it was more reliable and accurate, but in a sort of 23 miles per gallon instead of 21-22 miles per gallon sort of way.

It was that very reason that SCAR 16s stopped being procured into US SOCOM inventory and all the budget shifted to 17’s instead. The 17 did things they didn’t have a rifle for already. But the formula was set.

The ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle), which played off the name of the 1986 Government program to replace or update the M16 (they do that a lot), was the Remington procurement of a Magpul prototype for a rifle that met a bunch of the SCAR programs goals and kept a lot of commonality with the AR-15.

Remington then spent the following decade thoroughly killing design through every possible failure they could conceivably come up with. It was a rifle that should have worked. They just never put the effort into it. And now its dead, Remington/Bushmaster have pulled all their copy and killed the line.

It does live on though, sort of, and in the hands of a company that cares about making a good rifle. Radom in Poland. I don’t know if there are actually IP transfers involved with this rifle but…

It certainly looks that way.

Although in fairness that is the point of this article. How these rifles are all the same formula.

Short stroke gas piston, adjustable
Free floating barrel
Folding and adjustable stock (available even if not pictured)
Ambidextrous control suite

The core operating and feature system set of every one of these “new” rifles can be traced nominally back to…

Eugene Stoner, Arthur Miller, and company. Eugene didn’t actually work on the 18/180, he did the AR-16 which was the 7.62 variant, like the AR-10 to the AR-15.

What the old AR-18 is ‘suffering’ from, for lack of a better turn of phrase, is the future developments in CAD, CNC, and rapid prototyping that allow highly effective variations on a theme to be very quickly produced. Even the modern AR-15 variants like the 416 and the MARS, the most recent adoptees by 1st World militaries utilize the advancements. Those don’t have folding stocks though, and cannot with their recoil system design. They could LAW Folder but they aren’t functional folded so I do not include them in the list today.

Negative space attachment rail systems are quickly becoming the fifth element and will be by the end of the decade, most likely.

America loves some M-LOK (thanks to CRANE) while Europe is mixed but strong in the HKeyMod court. Mostly because H&K makes many of the gun: (France, UK, Germany) while the independants like Radom and CZ use M-LOK. But Picatinny rail will not be gone tomorrow, it will be interesting to see if procurement of ancillaries forces a shift away from legacy rails into another product improvement program to add M-LOK to M4’s and M27’s.

A mountain of empirical evidence seems to suggest the best rifle systems for durability, versatility, and accuracy overall are adjustable short stroke piston guns. There are a couple high quality hold outs for full stroke pistons and the DI system isn’t going to stop working or vanish though, we live in an era of very good designs.