How often do you practice self care? How often do you do something special or a little indulgent because it’s something you enjoy? Do you value yourself enough to make your life worth defending?
Make it a Life Worth Defending
I’m not suggesting that you actually assign your life a dollar value, or that you have to spend tons of money on expensive luxuries in order for this to apply. Merely that showing yourself some love and kindness every so often is a good practice, and can also serve as reminder of what you’re trying to protect.
My hobbies are pursuits outside of the defense & applied violence realm and exist for two reasons:
1) They give me balance. If I find myself burning out on the punchy shooty stuff I have several completely unrelated rabbit holes that I can geek out on for a while.
2) They bring me pleasure. Some of it is sensual, but it’s also my preferred form of artistic expression. I’ve never been much for drawing, painting, or sculpting, and playing music is only fun for me when in a group. However, creating a beautiful cocktail, a well-plated meal, or a perfect cup of coffee is something I find immensely satisfying. And it’s an experience I can easily share with others, which allows me to spread that pleasure and joy.
The same applies to style. Aesthetics for the sake of aesthetics can be enjoyable.
Appreciate the Little Things in Life
A lot of this boils down to being able to appreciate the little things, to take pause and just appreciate the fact that you’re even drawing breath right now.
We all have that thing stashed away that we’re saving for a “special occasion.” Screw that! Any day has the ability to be special, and that’s something to be celebrated.
We get so bogged down either in the drudgery of our day to day routine or the fixation on a statistically insignificant sentinel event that it becomes very easy to lose sight of the “why” behind it all.
That is why I encourage everyone to pause from time to time and find an excuse to celebrate—to indulge a little.
Spend an extra $20 on that next bottle of booze if that’s your thing. Maybe pick up one nice versatile custom dress shirt that you’ll get some mileage out of. Even something as simple as taking your car through the carwash so it frees up some time for you over the weekend (unless washing your car is a zen thing for you, then go to town!).
Remind yourself that you have value. That you’re worth it. Small acts can help cement that mentality.
So what’s your self-love language? ….I really need to find a better term for that.
Who remembers the days of 89-dollar Mosin Nagant rifles? What about Nagant revolvers and CZ 52s for less than a hundred dollars and ammo costing almost nothing for bulk-packed corrosive stuff? Those days are long gone, and it might feel like you can’t find any old guns for a decent price. I can see why you think that, but it’s not entirely true. Admittedly, the military surplus market has mostly exploded, but you can still find old guns at great prices, including the S&W Model 1903 revolver.
The old S&W I frames, often overlooked, have a unique charm. It’s true, they have an awkward size frame, smaller than the J-frame and almost awkwardly small. Guns like the S&W Model 1903 Hand Ejector are too big to be pocket pistols with long barrels and elongated frames. The size of the S&W 1903 guns is somewhat awkward, but they hold a significant place in history. The I Frame was the first S&W hand ejector design, a pioneer that introduced the swing-out cylinder and an ejector rod, features we see on 99% of double-action revolvers produced today.
These were produced in 1896, too late to be picked up by cowboys and too soon to be the guns of private detectives. They didn’t get a pop culture push or famed users to make these guns collectible or desirable. That’s a good thing if you like old guns and want an affordable model. I’ve picked up two of these guns this year and spent less than $150 on each. That’s a Hi-Point and a half for a S&W revolver.
What’s the Catch With the S&W 1903?
There isn’t a catch unless you want a Model 1903 for defensive use. I would say the safety features are a bit out of date. Okay, if I had to come up with a downside, it would be the caliber. The gun fires the .32 S&W Long cartridge. This little cartridge isn’t bad per se, but it’s expensive and somewhat tough to find. However, the round has seen a slight revival with the advent of the S&W 432 UC. I’ve been able to find .32 S&W long quite easily at my local gun store and even Academy.
It’s still 60 cents a round, but I can find it. The .32 S&W Long delivers crazy good accuracy. How accurate? Do you know those high-end Italian super pistols designed for competition? Due to its absurd accuracy, it’s one of the rounds that often finds its way into those pistols. You can easily find wadcutters designed specifically for these guns that also work well in revolvers.
Old Gun – Old Charm
The blued finish of these guns is gorgeous. It’s a beautiful gun, and that shiny reflexive finish holds a ton of charm. The S&W Model 1903 is downright charming. The little gun is simple with its thin wood grips, or should I say stocks, and front blade sight. The ejection rod remains unshrouded and has that big circular knob that makes it easy to punch out empties. Speaking of, the gun holds six rounds. It’s deceptively small for a six-shooter, but the smaller size of the .32 S&W Long makes it easy.
These guns have that old-school turn-of-the-century revolver design that just eeks charm. They are beautiful enough to be display pieces. The barrels are round without flats, the grips and the frame have humps and lines we don’t often see. The S&W Model 1903 is the definition of a cool old gun.
These Model 1903s were popular options for city law enforcement. The little .32 wasn’t seen as a poodle shooter like it is today. A lot of metropolitan police were largely unarmed, so when the first firearms were adopted, they went with lightweight, somewhat compact frames.
To The Range
The Model 1903 hand ejectors are fun little shooters, and they are, in most cases, safe to shoot. Obviously, if the gun was beaten up, abused, and rusted out, then consult a knowledgeable gunsmith. In most cases, the low-pressure .32 S&W Long wasn’t abusive on these guns, and they are safe and easy to shoot.
If you like low recoil, then you’ll love the S&W Model 1903. Even for their small size, the recoil is downright pleasant and enjoyable. It’s a step above a .22 Magnum, but not by much. You get plenty of smoke from the old cartridge but not much more. What’s also fun is the accuracy. You quickly learn why high-end bull’s eye competition shooters utilize the cartridge. The gun is very accurate, even with a tiny rear trench sight and the thin front blade.
The long, heavy double-action trigger pulls are often smoothed by time, and the single-action triggers are super light. Pair a good trigger with an accurate round, and you can send rounds into a quarter-sized group at 7 yards. At 50 the little round can ding a 10-inch gong easily and consistently.
The .32 S&W Long is a solid small game cartridge. The S&W Model 1903 can be used to hunt rabbits and similar-sized game. That’s probably one of the few roles this gun could be used for in the modern era. It can be a good option for dealing with all sorts of pests, too, but it’s a pricey way to replace a .22LR.
Cool Old Guns
Old guns are rarely affordable these days. It’s smart to snatch one up when you find one because cool old guns rarely remain affordable. The S&W Model 1903 series is one of the few old guns that remains affordable, relatively easy to find, and a ton of fun to shoot.
I’ve had a few conversations with people about what and how they carry in their pockets.
Some find it bulky and cumbersome. Others use every cubic inch of space that they’ve got.
The trick when integrating carry gear into an intentional wardrobe is being able to carry effective and appropriate tools without sacrificing fit and aesthetic.
This is one of the reasons I gravitate towards small frame tools like the POM and Modlite. They’re reasonably unobtrusive, regardless of what you’re wearing.
I give a full breakdown of what I routinely EDC in my pockets as a template. What and how do you carry?
The KelTec SUB 2000 might be KelTec’s most successful firearm. It’s the easiest to obtain and one of the company’s cheapest options. It’s a clever design that famously folds in half. KelTec made some wise decisions with the platform, namely offering the platform in various models that accept all manner of popular pistol magazines. But what about a duty SUB 2000?
With compatibility for Glock, S&W, SIG, and even CZ, the KelTec SUB 2000 is a practical choice. Available in 9mm and .40 S&W, it allows for easy pairing with your handgun, sharing ammunition and magazines. And with a retail price of less than $500, it’s a cost-effective solution. However, despite its popularity, I’ve never considered the SUB 2000 a duty rifle.
When I say Duty weapon, I mean a weapon used by police and military forces. The little budget-minded rifle isn’t a bad gun, but it’s far from your standard duty weapon in terms of performance. Yet, what I picture isn’t always the reality of this world. The Duty SUB 2000 is a real thing, and today, we are going to discuss who uses the gun, why it’s being used, and its pros and cons as a duty gun.
The Duty SUB 2000
The first example is one we can excuse as an act of desperation. Did you know the SUB 2000 is internationally popular? Believe it or not, the weapon is popular in Ukraine. At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, KelTec had an order pending for 400 rifles to a Ukrainian distributor. However, after the war, things went quiet, and KelTec ended up just donating the 400 rifles to the war effort.
I’ve found one photo of the gun being used by some form of soldier, guard member, or just a civilian defending his city with the rifle in a combat zone. Admittedly, when you’re being invaded by a major military power, you take what you can get. What about when you live in a world where the AR-15 is everywhere and you are in a modern police force?
Would an American police force ever use a duty SUB 2000? The answer is yes. At least twice now, the duty SUB 2000 has been issued to American police forces. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Department ordered 42 of the rifles to equip their School Resource Officers. The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s office in South Carolina also ran an active shooter drill, and one of their personnel was seen carrying a SUB 2000.
The Duty SUB 2000 and the SRO
Twice now, the duty SUB 2000 has made its way into the hands of School Resource Officers. I’m not a police officer and never have been, but the School Resource Officer seems unique with its own tactical and logistic concerns. If an active shooter situation occurs, the SRO would theoretically be the first officer to respond.
There are few situations where a handgun is better than a long gun. If you are going to a gunfight, taking a long gun is best. If you’re in charge of defending my kids, I want you to have a rifle. However, most school resource officers aren’t going to sling their AR-15s throughout the day. And if they did, you’d have to deal with potential throngs of kids being around you and your rifle. The kid factor is a major consideration when deciding on the armament of your school resource officer.
(Donut Operator)
You want them to have a rifle, preferably an AR-15, but where do you store it? If it’s in the car, you now have to leave the school, grab the rifle, and go back in. You’re wasting minutes of time. Maybe the SRO has an office, but does it have a safe? Is that safe bolted down so no one can grab it and carry it off? You have to consider all of these factors when equipping an SRO with a long gun.
(KelTec)
If you have a duty SUB 2000, you can store it safely in a backpack, sling bag, or messenger-style bag, and the SRO can carry it securely at all times without anyone knowing. It’s ready for near-instant deployment at a moment’s notice. Of course, that relies on the SRO being tough enough to carry a sub-five-pound rifle all day.
A Critical Look at the SUB 2000
The SUB 2000 offers you a rifle platform that offers rifle-like accuracy. You have three points of contact that make the rifle much easier to shoot than any hand gun. It can also share ammo and magazines with your handgun. The rifle is lightweight, easy to shoot, and surprisingly reliable.
The duty SUB 2000 still has plenty of downsides. First, it’s still just a pistol round. Pistol rounds don’t stop threats like a 5.56 does, and it might take several rounds to take the threat down. Adding optics can be tough due to the folding action, but the Gen 3 has solved that problem.
You might think a pistol caliber offers less recoil than a 5.56 rifle, but you’d be wrong. A 5.56 rifle and a blowback-operated PCC have roughly the same recoil. The duty SUB 2000 has some logistical benefits and tactical downsides.
I can see why the duty SUB 2000 is chosen for this role. It seems tailor-made for the SRO role in many ways. It’s certainly a unique duty weapon, but for the role, it might just make sense. I’d still prefer a 5.56 rifle, but I can understand why some alternatives need to be fielded, and not every department can afford a P90. In that role, this little gun might be the best option, and I’d rather have a SUB 2000 than a handgun in a gunfight.
When it comes to a concealed carry lifestyle, it’s not uncommon to hear the justification of “it makes me feel safe.” This is generally related to the purchase of a new handgun or other piece of personal protective equipment. Unfortunately, that’s where the thought typically stops. “I have X, so I’m safe.” This means that X is little more than a personal security blanket for the user
Finding Real Safety by Taking Personal Control
There are those who argue that the mere sense of feeling safe is sufficient. They feel it can result in the carrier walking taller, presenting an air of confidence, and other behaviors we associate with being deselected for victimization.
The problem lies with the fact that there tend not to be any actual capabilities to back up that confidence. So, it’s likely to crumble immediately if challenged. The types of people that will likely put us in situations that require using force have probably had guns pointed at them before. Likely more than once. They may have even been shot and/or stabbed before.
The entire reason you find yourself in a situation like that is expressly BECAUSE they’ve done the math, assessed the risks, and decided that you’re worth the time and effort.
This is why BEING safe is far more critical than FEELING safe. FEELING safe alone tends not to hold up to any resistance. However, actually BEING safe means you actually have an understanding of your own capabilities and limitations and can act accordingly.
I’m not a knife guy, but I like knives. I particularly like knives with wartime reputations. These knives become things of legend. Knives like the Ka-Bar, the Bowie knife, and the Trench Knife are American legends. One of these legends outshines the rest, and it’s known as the Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger. The knife is of British origin and came to be during World War II. There, it became a standard part of the British commandos’ kit and became a legend in its own right.
The Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger – A Desperate Need
World War II was going badly for the Allies early on. Dunkirk and the French surrender occurred as the Nazi war machine grew and expanded. Winston Churchill wanted to keep the fight alive with the Brits, so the British Commandos were born. These men would be a portable strike force designed to harass and slow the spread of the Nazis.
They were to be trained and unleashed to be saboteurs who were experts in insertion, escape, demolitions, and combat. The spirit was there, but the steel wasn’t. British Commandos and British forces, in general, were full of spirit but short on steel. The Commandos were sharing Thompsons, and sidearms weren’t common. A knife would fill that gap and provide a secondary weapon to provide close protection.
Two Brits who served abroad in the Shanghai Municipal Police came back home to support the war effort and train the British commandos in close-quarter combat. William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes weren’t your average policemen. Shanghai was a hive of criminals, and violence was daily. They were seasoned and skilled and responsible for training the police of the SMP. These guys knew the insides and outs of close combat.
You need a knife and have two close-quarter combat specialists working for you. It’s like a match made in heaven. Fairbairn and Sykes worked together and designed the Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger.
Designing a Commando Dagger
As the name “dagger” implies, both sides were sharp and reached a traditional dagger tip. A slight cross guard protected the hand, and most commonly, a seven-inch blade topped it off. The overall length was 11.5 inches. There are some slight variations of the knife with slightly shorter blades. The original Shanghai knife used a 5.5-inch blade, and the first pattern commando daggers had 6.5-inch blades. Later models went as long as 7.5 inches.
(War History Online)
The long blade was designed to pierce through thick clothing that might be worn. Winters in Europe aren’t known for being pleasant. A soldier might have to stab through 3 inches worth of coats to reach anything vital.
Most of the knives use ring grips to encourage a good hold on the knife, but there are various grip designs with different textures and patterns. You might find a rounded ball or knurled grip. Most had English markings, but they made sterilized models for sneaky, sneaky stuff.
The Knife In Action
The Commando Dagger was attached to troops as they led excursions into German-controlled areas. Some were carried on legs, others on belts, and some up sleeves. Commandos para trooped into locations with nothing more than a Colt M1903 and a Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger at times. The knife was a constant ally to the British Spec Ops Commando. It’s always tough to know where and how they were used, but we have at least one account of a British Commando killing a German officer.
George Peel of 3 Commando:
We moved forward, using house-to-house techniques, diving into porches, our Lee-Enfield rifles at the ready. I was in a doorway, and I had a feeling, the door behind me opened slowly. When it was half open, I gave it a kick and standing there was a German officer. Without even having to think, I whipped my knife out and stabbed him. But then I couldn’t bring myself to pull it out of him. It suddenly appalled me what I’d done. For all the training we’d had — and it was the reaction I’d been trained for — this was one of the worst episodes of my career.
Peel’s actions likely saved his life and were the result of an effective training regiment, but opened our eyes to the nature of such close combat. As fun as it is to romanticize the Commando experience it was often a brutal one.
D&B Militaria
Beyond the British
The British developed and fielded the Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger, but the design proved so efficient that various forces would adopt it in some form or another. The British version of the Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger moved outside of the commandos, and all manner of British troops used them when they could get one—but the knife went international.
Marine Raiders had their own, known as the Raider Stiletto. This knife was directly inspired by the Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger, and Marine Raiders went to Europe to train with the British commandos and learn their techniques. They often kept their stiletto tucked behind their M1911.
The OSS also saw a need for a quick and dangerous weapon for close-quarters combat and silent killing. Agents of the OSS were trained by Fairbairn, Sykes, and Rex Applegate. These men became accustomed to the Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger and adopted their own. These lacked any markings and came with a unique holster.
Finally, another Shanghai policeman named Dermot O’Neill trained the 1st Special Service Force, a joint team of Americans and Canadians. Some of these men had been a part of the commando training with the British, and they came together to design the V-42. The knife used a 7.5-inch blade with a stacked washer handle that ended with a skull crusher on the pommel.
The Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger Today
While I bet most spec ops soldiers still carry knives, I doubt they intend to use them for combat. The Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger isn’t issued these days but maintains an allure. Several special operations units use the Dagger as their symbol on patches, guidons, and other regalia. It’s earned a spot in history, and it killed a lot of the enemies of democracy to get it.
We all know Taurus as a civilian firearms company renowned for its affordable semi-auto firearms and mix of classic and new revolvers. However, there’s a lesser-known side to Taurus beyond their budget-friendly handguns. I’m not referring to Rossi and Heritage. I’m talking about a distinct line of Taurus military firearms, a world apart from their civilian offerings yet largely undiscovered by the American market.
I call them the forbidden Tauri; Tauri is plural for Taurus, right? Eh, either way, it shows us how international the company is and that they produce more guns than you might realize. Let’s dig into the Taurus military firearms and see what we are missing out on.
Taurus T4
Most of us can probably guess what the T4 is just by its name. Taurus copied Eugene Stoner’s design and produced their M4 variant. The T4 comes in both the classic 14.5-inch barrel length and Mk 18 style 11.5-inch variants. These guns are straight M4-style clone rifles. Taurus released a few variants of the T4 as the T4SA to the American market, but I’ve never seen one in person.
(Wikipedia)
The T4 gives shooters selective fire capability and features a quad rail, an optics rail, and the same six-position stock we all know and love. The Taurus T4 rifle has gone on to serve the Brazilian police forces and the Army. Taurus also sold T4s to the Philippine Army and the Armed Forces of Senegal. I’m sure it’s a fine rifle. It’s tough to mess up the Stoner design. The Taurus military weapons lineup wouldn’t be complete without some form of M4 firearm.
Taurus ART556
The ART556 and CT556 premiered in 2011, but I’d guess they are out of production. The ART556 was an assault rifle that jumped on the short-stroke gas piston train with a polymer lower and monolith upper. In 2011, guns like the SCAR, ACR, and similar platforms were all the rage. The ART556 offered you the Taurus version of this gun. It was complete with rails galore, ambidextrous controls, and a collapsing and folding stock.
Taurus
The CT version was the semi-auto option. The guns came with either 11.5 or 16-inch barrels. I can’t seem to find anyone who adopted the rifle, so it may have just faded away. It looks pretty cool, and I would have been curious to see how Taurus could have competed with the SCAR and ACR with the CT556 in the American market. It might not have been a successful rifle in the Taurus military firearms lineup, but it’s worth mentioning.
Taurus T9
The Taurus T9 comes from the recent partnership of Taurus and Indian firm Jindal. The Indian government most certainly needs all the help it can get. They kind of suck at designing weapons. Their SOF required a submachine gun, and more than a couple of companies threw their hat in the ring. Taurus and Jindal produced the T9. The T9 is a micro-sized AR-style submachine gun.
(Taurus)
The T9 features an uber-short 5.5-inch barrel, a collapsible stock, an M-LOK handguard, and a flat-top upper receiver. It’s super small, which is one of the big benefits of using a submachine gun, as is the short overall length. It’s a straight blowback design and appears to take Glock magazines. Taurus should consider bringing this to the States as a braced pistol and take it from the Taurus military world to the Taurus civilian market.
Taurus SMT
The Taurus SMT is the OG of Taurus submachine guns. It came out alongside the ART556, and if you compare the two, you’ll certainly see a very similar design inspiration. The gun used lots of polymer, lots of rails, and a monolithic scope rail and came in both 9mm and .40 S&W. Taurus also produced the SMT9C and SMT40C variants, which are uber small and essentially K models of the SMT series.
Taurus
The SMT series were produced as semi-auto rifles and released in the States. I feel like I’m one of five people who own one. Sadly, Taurus didn’t support the weapon very well. The Taurus SMT series proved successful internationally. Police and military forces in Brazil adopted the gun, as did the Bangladesh military and the Indian military.
Taurus LT40
Taurus makes both a 38mm less lethal and a 40mm grenade launcher for Taurus military customers. The LT40 has a fascinating and fairly creative design. It can be attached to a rifle or used as a standalone platform. The standalone platform features a folding stock, an AR-15-style grip, and an optics rail. This single-shot design can pivot to the left or right to open the breech for loading grenades.
This ensures that it can use any length of grenade. The gun definitely takes some design cues from the ART556 and SMT with its use of polymer and a familiar ridge-like handguard. I can’t track any information regarding anyone adopting the LT 40 beyond the Brazillian military.
The World of Taurus Military Firearms
You might know Taurus for the Model 85 or the G2C, but that’s only scraping the surface of Taurus. As an international company, it produces more firearms than your standard. The Taurus military lineup is fairly diverse, and while they aren’t all hits, it shows that Taurus is more than a budget handgun manufacturer.
The internet has been awash with debates over the last several years as to the necessity of weapon-mounted lights on concealed carry pistols. Should you carry your pistol ready for low-light scenarios? Or not? That is the question.
Low-Light Pistol Training with Odyssey Training and Consulting
Having lived and worked my entire life in urban or suburban areas, and having had a couple of what I call “non-events” (situations that got my hackles up and very well could have been a setup/interview but didn’t end up degrading to a point where force was needed), I’ve personally never experienced a compelling argument for a light specifically on a carry gun.
A local range has done some low-light “skills and drills” nights, where we mocked up some situations with various lighting conditions and played around with various hand and gun lights. But that has been the extent of it.
Up to this point, I hadn’t prioritized a low-light class, but I realized that I should test my theories more seriously to see how well they held up. When Chris Cook of Odyssey Training approached me about auditing his Low-Light Pistol class that was coming to town, I obviously jumped at the opportunity.
The course started off with a few hours in the classroom going over relevant terminology as well as real-world examples of light usage (mostly by officers, since that’s what tends to get caught on camera), to help frame the problem that we as Civilian Defenders are likely to encounter.
On the Range
Once we hit the range, there was the requisite warm-up/skill evaluation. Chris likes using the Bill Drill since it highlights grip, presentation, trigger control, and recoil management. His guidance is that your 1-handed Bill Drill splits should be no more than 2X that of your freestyle Bill Drill. One-handed shooting gets introduced early on in the day since the support hand will soon be tasked with other things. Namely, the three major hand light positions that Chris favors.
A combination of Modified FBI, Temple Index (higher than Neck Index), and Harries gives the shooter a good range of mobility, stability, and alignment of the light.
After lunch, we then progressed to manipulations with the weapon-mounted light, Chris’ preferred activation methods (he and I both agree with the late Paul Gomez’s philosophy that “I only want my trigger finger doing one thing, and that’s adjusting the volume on the gun”). This was my first time really trying to activate a gun-light from the holster, and it was a lot more finicky than I had expected. Chris’s “standard” for gun lights is that the draw w/activation should add no more than 1/2 a second to your draw to first hit.
We worked a few more exercises, including moving around barricades to force the use of the various different techniques and Centrifuge Training’s “Third Grade Math.” Then, the day culminated with a game Chris calls “Flashlight Tag.” It’s basically a rudimentary force-on-force exercise with a flashlight instead of a UTM gun. It helped highlight how to use lighting conditions to your advantage and how to control other people with light.
What the Class Is:
This is a fantastic introduction to the skills necessary for the concealed carrier to effectively, safely, and legally apply deadly force in a low-light environment. It also affords a great opportunity to shake out your current gear and assumptions, to see how well they hold up to testing.
What the Class Isn’t:
This is not an introductory class. Students need to have their gun handling locked in tight, including holster work. Nothing was done in pitch black, but you find out quickly how much you rely on sight when holstering your pistol (especially ensuring there are no obstructions in the holster). There’s enough material that requires active mental engagement that basic skills should be deeply ingrained already to avoid overload.
As always, I shamelessly steal the Short-Barreled Shepherd’s 3×3 Course Review template:
How your environmental factors will affect your light usage (like how barriers can reflect light back at you)
Top 3 Takeaways:
The weapon-mounted light is the most complex to employ, with the narrowest utility for the concealed carrier (you’re far more likely to need the light well before you need the gun)
I really liked how Chris quantified “acceptable” skill degradation w/par times when it came to splits & draw times (one-handed shooting & activating the light on the draw)
How different beam designs can either facilitate or complicate different shooting positions. (Lights with a tight hot-spot and minimal spill require far more precise alignment when shooting from FBI & Temple Index especially)
3 Things I’ll be Doing Differently:
I need to spend a lot more time working Harries and Modified FBI
I need to spend a lot more time working with my Cloud MCH, because of its tighter beam pattern. My Stiletto Pro is far more forgiving.
I’ll be putting an even taller ND Guard on my Cloud MCH. There were a couple of times where I inadvertently double-punched that light because it was easier to activate than I realized.
Often, it’s not just the gun but the captivating narrative that accompanies it. Consider the Richardson Industries Guerilla Gun—it may not initially catch your eye. Perhaps it reminds you of the infamous slamfire shotguns used by a certain individual to outsmart a gun buy-back program. And indeed, these guns bear a resemblance and a similar function. Yet, delve deeper, and you’ll discover a fascinating story.
It’s a very simple wood stock with a mounted pipe containing another pipe. The gun has a fixed firing pin shotgun that allows the gun to slam fire. It’s as simple as a gun can get. The gun itself seems downright silly. Why would anyone ever buy one of these? I can tell you I bought one because of the story. The Guerilla Gun was created by Richardson Industries, a company owned by Iliff Richardson.
Iliff Richardson might be in the running for one of the most interesting men in the world.
Iliff Richardson and the Guerilla Gun
Richardson was a naval officer fighting in the Philippines during World War II. He served as an ensign on a Motor Torpedo Boat and was the ship’s executive officer. After a fight with a Japanese cruiser, the boat limped back to Cebu City. While waiting for repairs, the Japanese attacked and seized the city and control of the Philippines. To keep a long story short, Iliff and several other Americans were stuck in the Philippines dodging the Japanese.
He didn’t just survive. He thrived. Iliff Richardson fell in with other Americans stranded in the Philippines and became a guerilla. His strategic mind and resourcefulness came to the forefront as he worked with the guerillas, establishing radio and telegram posts to improve communication and provide intel on Japanese ship movements. His contributions were not just significant; they were instrumental in organizing aid for the guerillas from the US.
At one point, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy and an Intelligence Major in the Army. He is the only person receiving consecutive medals in the Army and the Navy. He served amongst the guerillas for years and the book American Guerilla tells his full and fascinating story.
Back to America
Iliff survived the war, and a book and movie were written about him. He worked as a life insurance salesman, a consultant and technical advisor for movies, and a firearm manufacturer. Iliff produced the guerrilla guns in a few different designs. They were all slamfire, 12 gauge shotguns of a very simple design.
He essentially recreated the weapons he saw in the hands of the Guerillas in the Philippines for the American market. As you’d imagine, there wasn’t much of a market for such a shotgun. They didn’t make or sell many of them. They cost a whole seven dollars, but they still failed to attract much attention.
The model you see here is the Basic model. The Deluxe gun had a trigger and a wood foregrip locked to the barrel. The trigger didn’t fire the gun but rather released the barrel to allow it to move and be shot. I grabbed one for a hundred bucks before I knew the story and was ecstatic to learn the history behind the gun.
Shooting the Guerilla Gun
I’m never planning to shoot this more than a handful of times, and I’m not brave enough to send some 3-inch magnum downrange either. I keep it to very light trap loads. Loading the gun is easy. Remove the barrel and insert the cartridge into the barrel.
For safety’s sake, I never place a loaded barrel into the gun until I’m ready to fire and orient the gun downrange. You pull the barrel rearward to fire the gun, and the primer strikes a fixed firing pin. My guerilla gun lost its bead sight before it got to me, but a good sight picture is a bit of a dream with this gun anyway. Using the sight is tough when you have to slam the barrel rearward to fire the gun.
The barrel has a lug at the bottom that aligns with a small cut in the receiver. This ensures that the barrel doesn’t twist; if there were a sight, it would align properly. So, how does it shoot?
It’s got to be the most uncomfortable shotgun I’ve ever shot. The ‘stock’ is stupid thick, and you can’t get a great grip. It’s just solid wood that throws itself against your shoulder. The guerilla gun has a mean recoil impulse even with sub-1000 FPS trap loads. I would hate to have to shoot this thing with buckshot.
The system works, but give the barrel a healthy slam rearward. Operating the weapon quickly isn’t easy. When the hulls expand, they can’t be easily removed. A cleaning rod is necessary to knock out the shell to reload and shoot again. It’s not fun, accurate, or easy to shoot, but it’s an experience.
The Story
Owning this gun is all about the story. It’s not a capable or fun gun to shoot. It’s downright silly. After firing it, I greatly respect the guerrillas who fought the Japanese with these guns. It’s slow to fire, tough to aim, and you got one shot against an enemy better-armed than you. Those guys had massive balls. While the gun didn’t succeed, I’m thankful men like Iliff Richardson did.
The conversation that revolves around optics on revolvers is getting interesting. Optics on revolvers isn’t new, but it’s been largely focused on hunting and competition. The concealed carry and defensive revolver market has been largely ignored. You had guns with rail systems like the TR88 from S&W and the Chiappa Rhino’s with six-inch barrels, but those are more duty-sized guns. Taurus really kicked off the conversation with the TORO series of revolvers, and now Shield Arms and MDFI are replying with the ROC.
The ROC, an acronym for Revolver Optics Conversion, is a groundbreaking innovation. Designed by MDFI and produced by Shield Arms, this system revolutionizes the way we approach optics on revolvers. You no longer need to purchase a new revolver to mount an optic. The ROC allows you to convert your existing revolver into an optics-ready design. Its simplicity and ease of use, as demonstrated at NRAAM, have left many wondering why this wasn’t done sooner.
The ROC – Simple Is Better
The ROC requires absolutely zero milling. It attaches to the side of your revolver and is bolted onto the gun. Most average gun owners can install the ROC, and revolver heads can most certainly do so. The device installs over the top and side of your revolver and sits super low on the gun’s frame. MDFI and Shield’s goal is to keep the weapon concealable.
This mounting system offers you two optics footprints. You can pick from Trijicon RMR and the Shield RMSc footprint so there are tons of different choices for optics. I’d go with the RMSc, so your optic is smaller and lighter, and your gun is easier to conceal. Having choices is admittedly always a good thing, and the RMR footprint is easily the most popular modern optic footprint.
Shield produces the mounting system from precision machined billet aluminum. Its hard coat is anodized and secured to the gun via titanium screws or through stock S&W screws. The ROC will be available for the S&W 442 revolvers as of this writing. There are plans in the future to extend the line to other revolvers and likely other optics.
Price-wise, we don’t have a definite price, but the predicted price is less than $100. Availability is also not super clear, but it seems like the release is imminent. The predicted timeline is June.
Optics and Wheel Guns
I think the ROC is a brilliant step forward for revolvers. As we all get bored of AR-15s and 9mm striker-fired guns, the revival of revolvers has been nice to see. You might be willing to move to an older platform but don’t want to sacrifice modern amenities. I’ll live in a log cabin, but I want central A/C. Optics-ready concealed carry revolvers are tough to find as is, so being able to add an optic to an existing platform is a Godsend.
What about carrying the gun? Well, I have good news on that front. Phlster, one of our favorite holster manufacturers, makes the City Special, and the S&W 442 with ROC and optic is compatible with the rig. A system is only as good as all its parts, and it seems like the ROC is well-supported.
Personally, I’m hoping to see one available for the 432. Heck, the ROC might fit the 432, but you never know the subtle frame differences. Either way, I’m excited to see the ROC take off and hopefully get some time behind one in the near future. Watch this space for an upcoming evaluation.
In the concealed carry market, there are a lot of novel products designed to address various perceived and actual problems. Purpose-built concealed carry clothing is a large section of this market. Sadly, many of these garments are little more than average-quality department store items with universal “one size fits none” gun pouches, which have lousy retention and underwhelming construction. TarnKappe Gear rejects this trend and has put some very serious thought into how the company designed its concealed carry dress shirts.
Concealed Carry Dress Shirts from TarnKappe Gear
If you weren’t paying attention, you’d think that this is just another menswear company.
The company’s casual sports shirts have cuts and colors that are perfectly suited for business casual and suburban backyard cookouts. However, they forgo the typical “off-duty” vibe that most of the popular “tactical” brands give off.
TarnKappe Gear built several features into its shirts specifically designed to facilitate access and deployment of your concealed pistol.
The small construction details, like the reinforced placket (the strip of buttons/buttonholes down the front of the shirt) and double-layered yokes (shoulder panel) are designed to withstand the rigors of a purposeful and deliberate draw and presentation.
They also have a shorter hem, which is not only aesthetically appropriate (most button-up shirts are far too long to be worn untucked), but also results in less fabric that can bind and foul your draw.
John Hearne of Rangemaster and Two Pillars Training likes to take his shirts and replace the bottom couple of buttons with snaps. This creates a breakaway placket to provide easier access to your holster.
TarnKappe Gear saves you the effort and has that as an included feature on all of their shirts.
Their shirts will run you about $100/ea (+/- 10 bucks). This is admittedly a little pricey for what they are, but supporting a small business always carries a bit of a premium.
But Are They Worth It?
That’s not a question I can answer for you. Value is incredibly subjective.
For me personally, I’ve spent my entire gun-carrying life working with the limitations of traditional button-up shirts. So, when I put my draws on a timer to compare the features of this shirt to the rest of my wardrobe, I didn’t find an appreciable difference.
These features absolutely address a pain point for some folks. It’s just going to depend on the individual’s needs.
If you are wrestling to dig your EDC pistol out from under a button-up, or you’ve been rocking the same graphic tees you wore in high school because anything else is “hard to draw from,” these are absolutely worth checking out.
-DISCLAIMER- This shirt was provided to me at no cost for testing & evaluation.
I’ll get the disclaimer out of the way up front: I’ve been connected with Ben DeWalt on Facebook for a while now, and we got a chance to meet in person at SHOT Show in Vegas back in January. During one of the after-hours informal networking gatherings, he graciously extended an invitation for me to attend Defensive Pistol when he came out to Houston in March. The invitation was not contingent upon a favorable review, but I do feel it important to mention that I did not pay for this class.
OnSight Firearms Training Defensive Pistol Course
The day started a little differently than most classes I’ve taken. After we went through introductions & the medical brief, we stepped up to the line, and Ben said, “I’m going to do something that no other instructor has done to you…I’m going to tell you the truth! You know why they always start shooting classes with a “warm-up exercise”? Is the instructor just being nice and letting you knock the rust off? No! This isn’t for you. It’s for me. This tells me where you are and how I’ll need to tailor the material & pace”
So, from the very first time our hands touched metal, there was already a little pressure due to expectation.
Ben likes shooting small targets, so we started the morning with a walk-back drill on a 3×5 card, followed by some discussions about trigger prep. Then, we advanced to some longer distances and then incorporated movement.
When I write course reviews, I don’t spend much time on the specific drills we run through. This is partially to keep people from trying to game their preparation and partially because all drills are working some combination of grip, sights, and trigger. It’s the diagnosis & individual feedback from the drills that matter most.
I always like touching on what the class IS & ISN’T, because that is what I feel best equips people to appropriately direct their training efforts.
WHAT IT IS:
Defensive Pistol is a principled-based, concealed carry-oriented class designed to develop and refine marksmanship and gun handling beyond the “stand and shoot” skills of intro-level courses. You’re not doing Hondo-rolls or fast-roping out of flaming helicopters. But you will learn what it feels like to draw and shoot while incorporating movement and what degree of ownership you truly have in your skill with a pistol.
WHAT IT ISN’T
This is not your “first class after your carry permit” type of course. While Ben & Rachel can certainly help someone with rudimentary skill, you’ll get the most out of this class if you already have good trigger & muzzle control, are comfortable working from a holster, and have a little more awareness & sensitivity about what’s going on during the shot cycle.
Years ago, I discovered The Short-Barreled Shepherd and his 3×3 Course Summary, which I have adopted for my reviews.
TOP 3 TOPICS COVERED:
Methods for grip and trigger consistency. As you would imagine, as you start shooting from a less stable foundation, consistency in your grip and trigger press become even more important. Ben has his preferred method for gripping the pistol, and some specific touchpoints that help index his grip in the same place every time. I found this little hack particularly beneficial.
Movement is a major focus of this course. Everything from “getting off the X” with lateral movement (more than just the single step often used to simulate movement) to advancing on & retreating from the target. Being able to read/control the wobble zone, as well as timing shots appropriately as the target zone grows or shrinks, is something that not enough people get exposure to outside of match conditions.
Shot accountability and knowing your limitations. As we pushed out to longer distances and as movement got introduced, the emphasis was still on keeping hits in the -0 zone of the target. The emphasis was knowing what shots you could make and when you could no longer guarantee those hits (whether that be at a given distance or within a given timeframe).
TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS:
I should be more deliberate on the trigger. Not slower, necessarily. Just trust my process instead of trying to make it happen within a given time window. It’s amazing how the difference in time between a good rep and one that “feels faster” is inconsequential.
After taking Rangemaster Instructor Development last April, I’ve found that I vastly prefer a flagged/high thumbs grip over the conventional “thumbs forward” that was in vogue in the late aughts and early teens when I began my firearms training.
It’s amazing that when I get out of my own head and trust that I know what I’m doing, I’m able to shoot pretty well. As soon as I try and make it happen, things fall apart.
3 THINGS I’LL BE DOING DIFFERENTLY:
I’ve found that my action items from courses like this tend to be one or two little nuanced tweaks more than life-changing revelations anymore. What I walked away from with this class was a far better understanding of what my “right” trigger press feels like. So, I’ll be working on various exercises to groove that in more subconsciously.
I look forward to exploring more of OFT’s coursework. I like how Ben presents the material, and he offers a variety of material depending on what you’re looking for. If OnSight is coming to a range near you, I’d highly recommend signing up.
So there I was, holding an expensive, obscure shotgun at one of my favorite gun stores. It was a High Standard Model 10B. The guys at the store had only just got it in, and before I plopped my hard-earned cash on the counter, I asked to test-fire it. They handed me three rounds and sent me to the range. Out there, I ran into two younger guys who were getting ready to shoot, each armed with fairly nice AR-15s and Glocks. They had Safariland holsters, EoTechs, and magnifiers. I think one guy had a MAWL. Their handguns had optics and lights. They were a living example of modern gun culture.
I fired the three rounds, and the gun worked. As I cleared the gun, I realized the guys were watching. They were amused, to say the least, and neither of them had ever seen or heard of a High Standard Model 10B. One even made a comment about it being for elephants. I don’t expect everyone to recognize an obscure shotgun because most people aren’t weirdos like me.
I didn’t expect that neither of the guys had ever fired a shotgun. These guys are clearly gun guys, and it was evident that they could shoot. We didn’t chat long, but that day has stuck with me.
Modern Gun Culture – A Bit Stuck
I had a fairly diverse, gun-influenced lifestyle. I grew up amongst hunters and learned how to handle shotguns and rifles to shoot birds, deer, squirrels, and more. The military exposed me to all sorts of things, mainly modern weaponry, and then I joined the firearms industry and was exposed even more. I never thought about the generation of gun guys who didn’t grow up with guns, and they have only ever concerned themselves with the most popular and arguably most effective firearms.
Reliability was never a concern with this rifle.
To borrow a term from gaming, the current Meta is an AR-15-type carbine and a polymer-frame striker-fired pistol. For a lot of people, that’s where their experience with guns begins and ends. My appeal for modern gun culture is to get out there and try something different and new. If you can afford to do so, I think learning to operate a diverse group of firearms in a diverse group of disciplines can be super beneficial.
It’s easy to see why. Sports and shooting clubs aren’t nearly as prevalent as they used to be. Hunting can be tough to get into due to the skill it takes to break into and the myriad of laws you have to deal with to hunt. Also, the gun industry really pushes the modern firearm, as does pop culture.
Get Out There and Try More Guns
The cure to modern gun culture being stuck to a very limited range of firearms experience is to get out there and shoot. If you’re an AR guy, go try a shotgun. Heck, get out of the defensive mindset and shoot some clay pigeons. I’d suggest doing a casual shoot with friends because real Skeet can be a real challenge.
Try lever-action rifles, revolvers, bolt-action guns, or anything outside of your norm. The switch from an AR to an AK can be massive. It’s just worth getting out there and trying new things. Break outside of your comfort zone.
There is no reason for modern gun culture to have a reverse Fudd attitude. A reverse fudd is someone who dislikes the classic wood-stocked rifles, shotguns, and handguns of yesteryear. Trying new guns will make you better in your preferred discipline. You can get better by trying other platforms if you’re an AR-15 and Glock guy.
Shooting higher-recoiling .308 caliber semi-auto rifles and shotguns has taught me a great deal about recoil mitigation and made me faster with intermediate-caliber guns. Learning how to master the double-action trigger on a DA/SA handgun or revolver has made me faster on modern striker-fired guns.
The lessons I learned by shooting a precision-oriented .22LR rifle designed for competition follow me to the AR-15. A diverse shooting experience doesn’t mean you’re taking away from your chosen discipline’s skills. It can often enhance them.
Don’t Get Stuck In The Meta
Let’s face it: doing the same thing over and over again gets boring. Trying different guns and different disciplines can keep things interesting. It has the potential to make you a better shooter in more ways than one. When you learn something new, your brain’s neuroplasticity increases.
The more you learn, the more capability you have to learn. All learning comes down to problem-solving, and shooting is also problem-solving. How do I get this bullet to that target is the problem, and it gets more complex from there. Learning to solve the problem stimulates neurons, creates more neural pathways, and ultimately allows you to learn better.
See, if you try something new, you won’t just be a better shooter but a better person overall.
When the term ‘tactical pants’ comes to mind, what image do you conjure? Perhaps the classic cargo pants, reminiscent of the stereotypical guy in 5.11 pants and a polo shirt? That would have been a fitting image a few years back. However, the realm of tactical pants has undergone a significant transformation. Pants like the Vertx Delta Stretch LT now represent a new era of so-called tactical pants.
Even 5.11 now produces modern, non-cargo pants that fall under the category of tactical pants. But what exactly makes a pair of pants ‘tactical’? The answer lies in the marketing strategies of companies like Vertx, 5.11, and similar brands, who have coined this term to describe their not-so-standard pants.
Utility pants make more sense because I rarely do tactical things, but sadly, I’m almost always wearing pants. Pants like the Delta Stretch LT tend to be more utilitarian than normal pants. The difference between my ordinary khakis and the Vertx Delta Stretch LT I’m wearing is measured in miles.
The Delta Stretch LT – What New in Pants
Vertx categorizes these as CCW pants to differentiate between them and their uniform-style cargo pants. The best thing about the modern world of tactical pants is that these just look like normal pants. They allow you to stay gray, so to speak. The Delta Stretch LT pants just kinda look like khakis. Looks can be deceiving, and these pants offer you several features you won’t find on some J.C. Penny dress pants.
You can start with the pockets. You get 14 pockets with the Delta Stretch LT pants. I swear none of these are cargo pockets, and none stand out very much. I probably couldn’t name them all without taking them off and looking.
We have the normal front and back pockets and some hip pockets that are the right size for a modern cell phone or an AR-15 magazine. If you live a life that calls for that, you can pack 60 rounds of 5.56 as your EDC. We also get dedicated tool pockets below the main pockets with reinforced lips to accommodate pocket clips without getting frayed or beaten down.
On the right front, you have two front pockets. The rearmost pocket features a zipper to prevent thievery and increase retention. I toss my pocket gun in here and appreciate the zipper to secure the gun, especially if I’m doing something physical.
Inside the pants and around the belt line is a set of sized concealed carry pockets. They can hold tiny little items, so they seem perfect for something like a hidden key, especially for handcuffs. There just happens to be one right in the center at the rear of the pants.
Getting Stretchy
One of the things I like about this new generation of tactical pants is that there is a serious focus on the comfort level of the pants. That’s a big reason why I keep coming back to Vertx, 5.11, and Viktos for pants because they are so damn comfortable. The Vertx Delta Stretch LT is like yoga pants for men.
They stretch and move just perfectly and fit well. These pants allow you to easily crouch, sit, squat, and do everything from climbing ladders to sprinting. If I had the ability to do a Chuck Norris-style roundhouse kick, these pants would let me! Realistically, you could actually work out in them if you had some desire to do so.
The pants fall into that lightweight category, which is important to me because it gets hot here in Florida, and I have to wear pants. Sometimes, jeans are painful to wear due to the heat, but the Delta Stretch LT pants don’t make it feel like a swamp in my pants.
Eight belt loops make it easy to pack heat with a rigid belt. The loops can fit up to 1.75-inch belts. Another interesting feature is that each belt loop has a small hidden loop for tethers, lanyards, and similar items. The pants have a ton of little features that I keep finding. I almost feel like a small manual would best explain all this stuff, but that ruins my hidden surprises.
For Daily use
At 90ish dollars, a pair of the Delta Stretch LT pants isn’t cheap. Decking a wardrobe out in Delta Stretch LT pants would be costly, but the pants are very well made. The crotch is fully gusseted, the zippers are all brass YKKs, and the knees have articulated pleats. The heavy wear seems to be double stitched for double the durability.
These pants are rugged, durable, and comfortable. They aren’t cheap, but damn, they are well made. These are feature-filled pants with more pockets than you can shake a stick at! The Vertx Delta Stretch LT pants are clearly a step above not only your average khakis but also the competition’s tactical pants. Check them out if you’re interested in giving your legs an upgrade.
