The Knives of Alaska Caribou Skinner/Cleaver is perfect for butchering meat and prepping stew ingredients.
When picking fall hunting knife sets, quality is key. Think gut hook, knife, saw, and small hatchet. Each tool has its job. The gut hook eases the gutting, the knife handles skinning and butchering like a pro, and the saw slices through bone.
A hunter uses a small hatchet for heavy-duty butchering tasks that a knife can’t handle, such as splitting bones. Butchers and hunters often use it to break down the rib cage, sternum, and pelvic bones of a large animal. This tool and task make it easier to gut and quarter. Consider balance, durability, ease of use, and transportability. Let’s explore two outstanding set options that really stand out!
Fall hunting kicks off an exciting season for outdoor enthusiasts. Hunters roam forests, tracking deer and other game. Crisp air energizes the spirit, while colorful leaves create a beautiful backdrop. Gathering with friends around the campfire fuels camaraderie and stories. Armed with top-notch gear, hunters prepare for successful outings in nature’s embrace. The thrill of the chase makes every adventure unforgettable!
Caribou Combo Hunting Set
The Knives of Alaska Caribou Combo is the lighter version of the Light Hunter Combo, making it perfect for field dressing whitetail deer and medium game.
It features two knives in one sleek sheath: the Light Hunter Cleaver, at 7 ½-inch D2 steel overall. It slices smoothly and features a gut hook for messy jobs. The Cub Bear is a fine-detail knife that’s great for carving and paring. Both have comfy black SureGrip handles and fit snugly together.
The Knives of Alaska Caribou Combo features two D2 steel knives: the Caribou Skinner/Cleaver and the Cub Bear, each about 3/32 inches thick.
This combo is ideal for deer, sheep, and mountain goat hunters. The Caribou Skinner serves as both a butcher knife and a versatile tool, making meal preparation a breeze. Bon appétit!
MSRP: $189.99
The Muley Combo Hunting Set
The TOPS Knives Muley Skinner/Saw Combo is your ultimate outdoor duo. With a 4.50-inch drop point blade and a 4.25-inch saw blade featuring a gut hook, you’re ready for any adventure. The stylish Black Orange Tan G10 handle and dual leather sheath add flair and function.
The Muley Skinner, made from tough 154CM stainless steel, excels at skinning game and handling campsite tasks. Its deep-bellied blade and weather-resistant G-10 grip make it a reliable companion, handcrafted in Idaho.
The TOPS Muley Skinner/Saw Combo features a 4.50-inch drop point blade and a 4.25-inch saw blade with a gut hook.
The Muley Saw is a bone-cutting champ that can also tackle wood in emergencies, with its sharp gut hook added for versatility. The skinner’s corrosion-resistant build gets the job done without fuss. Together, they’re versatile tools that pack a punch—who knew the outdoors could be this fun?
MSRP: $550.00
Fall Hunting Knife Sets Features
Hook This– A gut hook knife is a hunter’s best friend when it comes to field dressing. With its clever hook, it slices open the abdomen while keeping internal organs safe from harm—no one wants an organ spill! It’s perfect for tackling tough tendons and cartilage as well. This knife isn’t just a tool; it’s the secret weapon for turning your game into dinner without a hitch!
The Caper–A caping knife is a must-have for hunters—think of it as the Swiss Army knife of trophy care. With its sharp blade and fine tip, it tackles everything from skinning around trophy zones to crafting those perfect shoulder or European mounts. It lets you work with precision, ensuring your game’s hide stays intact while you channel your inner taxidermist. In short, it’s the secret weapon for turning your hunting prizes into a lasting keepsake!
The TOPS Muley Skinner efficiently deboned the bird with its deep belly and ultra-sharp edge, maintaining a secure grip even in messy conditions.
Closing
This handy hunting set keeps all your field dressing tools in one place, making processing game a breeze—no more wrestling with larger game! Using these specialized tools spares your everyday knife from the wear and tear of gutting. Therefore, helping your tools stay sharp for your next adventure.
I don’t have a lot of time to play games. I have a full-time job that can be demanding. I have a family, and video games aren’t a priority in my life. Every so often, one comes around that catches my attention, and due to the peer pressure of my friends, I played Ready or Not. Ready or Not places you in a fictional city based on Los Angeles. You’re a SWAT commander in charge of a four-man team.
You’re thrown into a wide variety of missions. The missions are often based on realistic situations, which include a gas station robbery, cartel human trafficking rings, and even a SWATting situation. The game is very dark and tries to focus on realism. Keep in mind, realism always takes a back seat to fun, but Ready or Not tries to be more realistic than other first-person shooters.
I’m not a video game reviewer, but I’m a gun nerd, and in the first few minutes of this game, I was hooked because it’s made for gun nerds like me.
The core of any gun nerd game is the gun selection. Ready or Not breaks down their firearms into Rifles, Shotguns, Submachine Guns, and handguns. There are also additional weapons like a breaching shotgun and rotating launchers that can fire gas, less-lethal, and flashbangs.
The Shotguns
I’m a shotgun nerd and was pleased to see a mix of the classics with some modern touches. In fact, I own all of the shotguns in the shotgun category. Classics include the Remington 870 and Benelli M4, but we also have the magazine-fed Mossberg 590M, the Beretta 1301, and the Benelli SuperNova.
Specialized shotguns include an orange-furniture outfitted 870 that fires bean bags and an 870 MCS. The less-lethal 870 is actually less lethal; if you make a headshot, it can kill the target, so be cautious.
Submachine Guns
Submachine guns might be out of style in most modern SWAT teams, but not in Los Sueños. There are plenty of SMGs, which include classics like the MP5 and a 10mm variant of the MP5. We have PDWs like the P90 and the MP7, and a smattering of B&Ts. This includes the MP9-N and SPC9. Don’t forget the UMP 45 and UMP 9, the S&W MPX, and even the Flux Defense Raider.
Rifles
Rifles get the full monty treatment in Ready or Not. We get PDW-sized .300 Blackout rifles, like an LVAW wannabe, some PDW-style ARs, and then standard carbines and short-barreled rifles. There are predictably lots of AR variants.
To keep things spicy, we get FALs, G3s, SCARs, AUGs, and even an AK. There are tons of rifles, and like real life, they tend to be a great choice for all-around performance. Plus, if you’re facing armored targets, the rifles are going to be your best friend.
Handguns
Handguns include options from SIG, Beretta, Glock, and even a Colt Python and LAR Grizzly Mark V. Handguns are your secondary option and are often relied upon by your shield guy.
Beyond Guns
Having a ton of guns is cool, but what makes the difference is how they handle. Each gun feels fairly distinct and has an effect on the game. The shorter the gun, the easier it is to use in close-quarters combat. If the gun’s long, it gets in the way and clings to your body when you approach a door or a close wall.
You have to go around a corner wider with a longer gun. This gives you real advantages when using short SMG-type weapons or even a handgun in some situations. You can also swap between high and low ready positions, which can make a difference when dealing with cover.
In Ready or Not, shotguns allow you to swap between buckshot and slugs, including the ability to do a slug select drill. If you’re only running buckshot, it’s tough to deal with aggressive hostage negotiations, so you might want to swap to your pistol.
Rifles, handguns, and SMGs allow you to equip JHPs or armor-piercing ammo, or a mix of magazines to alternate. Walls, doors, and similar items can be penetrated by bullets, and AP can even penetrate non-armored targets and harm someone behind the person. This means firing a thirty-round burst from an AR is a bad move.
It’s realistic in that way, but also sometimes a little glitchy. It doesn’t always work, but most of the time, penetration is something you need to be concerned about.
Gear And Accessories
One of the neat things you can do is customize your gear. You can pick an armor type; for example, you can use ceramic armor, soft armor, or even steel armor. Steel armor can even fragment rounds into you when shot. Soft armor lets you move faster. You can even choose to leave your back plate behind.
Ready or Not allows you to pick from different armor types, which allow you to carry more ammo, flash grenades, etc. You can balance your loadout to accommodate more of your preferred tools. If I want fewer pistol mags and more flashbangs, that’s an option. Plus, you can pick from several different stylistic choices of plate carrier, belt, and gear. I’m an M81 fan.
Accessorizing Guns
Each gun has a fixed number of slots for upgrades. You can attach optics, which include real-world designs from Aimpoint, Holosun, EOTech, Vortex, and more. You can use red dots and magnified optics. Even your pistols can attach optics, including the RMR or SRO.
You can use lights and lasers. Lights include the Surefire Scout for most guns, and the Surefire X300U for handguns. The Surefire DSF even shows up on the 870 series. Lasers include the PEQ-15 and MAWL. When using lights or lasers, you have to be careful.
The enemy can spot them coming. You think you’re safe with IR lasers and night vision? Well, some bad guys have night vision. You have to play smart, and that’s what makes the game a lot of fun to me.
It Gets a Little Weird
The weird part of this game comes from the bad guy’s guns. We see the usual mix of ARs, AKs, shotguns, and Uzis, but sometimes the bad guys have some esoteric weapons. For example, the Calico M950 shows up as a bad guy SMG.
Ready or Not is an alternate world where the P250 became a popular gun, apparently. Also, some are MILSURP fans and wield the Makarov. I’ll give credit to the game; the bad guys also have 3D-printed Glocks, which is at least an interesting criminal gun to see.
Armed and Nerdy
Ready or Not is a ton of fun. I love replaying levels, trying different guns and tactics. I main a shotgun amongst my friends, but single player is a playground where sometimes I respond to a gas station robbery with a FAL, or I go to Epstein’s island with an MP7 and lay waste. Either way, I’m nerding out and having fun.
Habits are a great tool when it comes to achieving long-term goals. They allow you to continue moving forward without putting a lot of conscious thought into it. If you want to get in better physical condition, developing a habit of daily exercise will help you get there.
In fact, if you commit to the habit for a while, it can feel uncomfortable if you don’t engage in it. For example, let’s say you start exercising every morning. About six months later, something comes up that pulls you out of your daily routine, and you can’t get that exercise in. You might feel a little discombobulated all day long as a result.
Creating habits with a prepper mindset or perspective will absolutely help keep you in a better position to handle emergencies. Here are a few examples of what I mean.
Filling the Tank
Once you get started with this, it’s fairly easy to keep up with it. That’s especially true if you have a fairly consistent daily commute. Make it a habit not to let your gas tank fall below half. Once it hits that halfway mark, fill it up.
We don’t get to choose when a crisis will strike, nor the form it might take. If you have a sudden need to drive somewhere, such as when a family member needs to go to the hospital, you don’t want to have to stop for fuel along the way.
As a practical matter, you’re not spending any more money filling your tank at halfway than when you otherwise would. You might be stopping for gas more frequently, but unless you drive quite a bit on a daily basis, it’s probably adding maybe one extra stop a week.
Staging Gear
Let’s say your smoke alarm wakes you up in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, it isn’t because your teenager forgot a pizza in the oven. This is a real emergency, and you need to evacuate immediately. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
In this situation, what would you grab? Would you be able to find what you need quickly? I’ve read that because of all of the synthetic materials in homes today, you may have just a few minutes to escape before things get truly ugly.
It’s a good idea to get into the habit of staging quick grab items each night before you go to bed. This isn’t nearly as complicated or involved as it might sound. As an example, take your cell phone, keys, and wallet and put them together on your nightstand or dresser. You want them in the same place every night, so there’s no fumbling around trying to locate them. You also want them within easy reach, as you might not be able to run to the other end of the house to retrieve them.
Along these same lines, keep footwear of some sort near the bed, so you can slip them on quickly. Even slippers are better than bare feet. A robe, or sweatpants and a hoodie, might also be wise if you tend to sleep without wearing much of anything.
Escape Routes
We’ve talked before about establishing points of egress. The basic idea is to get into the habit of scoping out where you can go in an emergency when you’re out in public. For example, figuring out different ways to evacuate a restaurant, should an active shooter situation develop. This is one behavior that doesn’t take too long to get ingrained once you start doing it.
In a very positive move for the gun-rights movement, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to present oral arguments in the lawsuit challenging Illinois’ ban on so-called “assault weapons.” Interestingly, in the case Barnett v. Raoul, rather than supporting the ban, the federal government intends to argue that the law violates the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
Oral arguments in the case, being heard by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, are scheduled to begin on September 23.
Why The Ban Is Unconstitutional
In an amicus brief filed with the court in June, the government argued that the Illinois ban goes too far and completely ignores the directives set down by the U.S. Supreme Court in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
“Three years ago, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision meant to break a habit developed by some States of treating the Second Amendment as ‘a second-class right, subject to an entirely different body of rules than the other’ constitutional rights,” the DOJ brief stated.
“Regrettably, not every State got the message. Just a few months after Bruen, Illinois outlawed some of the most commonly used rifles and magazines in America via a so-called ‘assault weapons’ ban. In doing so, Illinois violated the Supreme Court’s clear directive that States cannot prohibit arms that are ‘in common use’ by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.”
The brief also included an argument of why the DOJ Civil Rights Division should be able to take part in the oral arguments, a request the court later granted.
“This appeal concerns whether Illinois’s Protect Illinois Communities Act, which prohibits so-called ‘assault weapons,’ can withstand scrutiny under the Second Amendment, which protects Americans’ right to ‘keep and bear Arms,’” the filing states. “Because of the federal government’s interest in ‘protect[ing] the Second Amendment rights of all Americans,’ the United States filed a brief as amicus curiae supporting Plaintiffs-Appellees. The United States believes that its participation in oral argument will be helpful to the Court.”
Is Kash Patel On Board?
Interestingly, the oral arguments will begin less than a week after FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee that he believed a ban on so-called “assault weapons” could stop some killings. While he stopped short of endorsing legislation for such a ban, his statement seems to directly contradict the DOJ’s efforts in the Illinois case.
Ultimately, the Trump Administration will need to get all of its agency leaders on the same page concerning semi-auto firearms and the right to keep and bear arms. And the sooner the better.
Social media is great for some things. Keeping in touch with friends, reconnecting with people you’ve not seen in years, keeping tabs on your exes, all that fun stuff. The downside is that users tend to share information that’s demonstrably false or misleading. Don’t get me wrong, they have the best of intentions. But the end result is that some of this nonsense goes viral, leading to tons of people relying on it like it’s gospel.
Here are just three examples of what I’m talking about. There are many, many others floating around social media.
If You’re Lost or Need Help, Update Your Outgoing Message
This one cropped up a few years ago and, like the proverbial bad penny, it keeps coming back.
My sweet summer child, you need a cell signal in order to change your outgoing message. If you have a cell signal, then your priority should be contacting someone for help. Why wait for some rando to call your phone? I mean, most of us don’t even listen to the outgoing message anyway. We hear the message start, we hang up, and we send a text. Your best bet with this particular self-rescue approach is that the guy calling about your extended car warranty actually listens to the entire message and is moved to call the authorities.
A far better plan, if you can get a cell signal, is to text 911. Texting uses less battery power than calling. It’s also more likely to get through if the signal is sketchy.
Wasp Spray is Self-Defense in a Can
I tried to do a deep dive on the history of this one a while ago.
As best as I was able to determine, this got started back when it was common to fax jokes and such to one another. Sort of the precursor to sharing memes like we do today.
As the story goes, someone somewhere heard about another person who worked in a school who was told by a police officer to keep wasp spray in the school office in case there was some sort of violent encounter. This is like one of those classic Friend of a Friend (FOAF) stories, like the guy with the hook for a hand who preyed on teens making out in the woods.
Near as I can tell, the only reason wasp spray was singled out amongst all the other bug sprays is that it has a range the others lack.
While anything sprayed into an eyeball will cause momentary discomfort, pepper spray is far more effective against people than wasp spray. Plus, the container is smaller and easier to carry with you than a typical can of wasp spray.
Burn Crayons During a Power Outage
This one is true in a technical sense, but it’s still kinda dumb.
Here’s how this often plays out on social media. Someone will post this meme or something similar to it. Then, several people will comment, “Great! Next time I go to the store, I’m going to pick up a box of crayons to keep on hand for power outages.”
If you’re at a store that sells crayons, I’m betting they also sell actual candles. Those will burn cleaner and provide more light than crayons. On top of that, you won’t need to listen to your kids crying and screaming because you’re destroying their beloved Crayolas.
Just because you saw it on the internet doesn’t make it true. Use your head for more than just a hat rack and think it through before you click Share.
[Note — all of the images included here have spread throughout social media, and there is no practical way for me to credit properly to their originators.]
I’ve used a lot of 5.11 Tactical gear over the years as a police officer, and off duty for camping and EDC. Over the past 9 months or so, though, I’ve been giving a trio of 5.11 products a bit of a different workout: travel. You probably think of 5.11 as a tactical brand, and they are, but don’t rule them out for your everyday uses as well.
I worked with a RUSH 24 pack, a MOLLE Packable Pack, and the Load Up Carry On during trips that took me from my home base in Western Pennsylvania all the way to Alaska and a bunch of places in between. It’s a lot to cover, so I’m going to start with the item I used the most, the RUSH 24 backpack.
Photo courtesy of 5.11
The RUSH 24 2.0 Backpack 37L
I normally travel fairly low-key and pick styles and colors that don’t scream tactical. Despite that, I decided to pick up a Multicam pack late last year. I figured with events like SHOT Show, GunCon, Blade Show, and various camping trips, the Multicam would blend in with those crowds just fine. Even traveling through the airport, there seemed to be enough folks dragging around Multicam packs that it never seemed to raise an eyebrow.
I was looking for a pack that would fit under an airplane seat and count as a personal item, but still had good organization and storage capacity. While 5.11 makes a variety of sizes in the RUSH series, I went with a 37L pack. When it’s stuffed full, it just fits under an airplane seat, so I’m maximizing my space.
The 37L RUSH 24 is generally constructed from high-strength, water-repellent 1050D nylon. On the MultiCam version, it uses 1000D nylon. The pack includes a lightweight, removable high-density PE/stay frame sheet for stability. It has contoured yoke-style shoulder straps and a ventilated back panel to improve comfort and airflow.
There’s also a quick-detach sternum strap with multiple positioning points. Additional features include a flared and reinforced grab handle and side compression straps to secure and streamline the load. Last but not least is a concealed pistol compartment with break-away hook and loop for immediate access.
Packing the RUSH 24 for the Road
5.11’s 37L pack weighs 3.85 lbs. The main compartment measures 20 inches high by 12.5 inches long by 8 inches deep. A front pocket measures 12.5 by 11 by 2 inches. An internal padded laptop sleeve fits devices up to 15 inches. There’s also a rear hydration compartment that supports a 2-liter bladder within a 17 x 12.5-inch space. The design includes dual top zippered pockets with internal organization and 6×1 name tape areas. At the top of the bag is a fleece-lined eyewear/media pocket. The large front pocket features an interior admin panel, key hook, and stash pockets.
The full-access main compartment has dual cord-pull zippers allowing left or right side entry. It also contains multiple mesh pockets for organization. The pack incorporates a modular MOLLE web platform on the front and sides, shoulder straps, and a bottom panel. There’s also a 3×3 loop field and RUSH Tier System compatibility for integration with other RUSH bags (sold separately). The Rush 24 37L pack is available in Black, Double Tap, Kangaroo, MultiCam, Ranger Green, and Moonlight colors.
MSRP is $140.00.
From Daypack to Carry On
The RUSH 24 is the item I picked up first, and the one I’ve used the most so far. It went to the SHOT Show with me as both a carry-on and my day pack throughout the show. I had plenty of space for a change of clothes, my iPad and Kindle, a backup power supply, my mess of chargers, personal items like meds, a small first aid kit, as well as snacks.
I also carry basic tools like EMT shears, a CRKT tactical pen, a TSA-approved Leatherman, and a Griffin Pocket Tool. They’re my go-tos for air travel since I can’t carry a knife. I also kept a flashlight or two on hand. Typically, a Streamlight Wedge light and sometimes my ASP Penlight or a 5.11 USB Deploy light as well.
I like the multiple compartments and various zippered sections. They let me organize my gear so that I could find it easily. It also kept stuff from rattling around loose in the bottom of the bag. The fleece-lined sunglass pocket, located adjacent to the grab handle, was very convenient. It actually had room to keep a pair of reading glasses, in addition to my sunglasses, in a hard case.
Feature-Rich Carry
I didn’t use the concealed pistol compartment for its intended purpose. Partially because I was traveling by air, so I didn’t always have a pistol with me. I prefer to keep my gun on my person, too, not in my bag. With that said, it’s a handy pocket for other stuff. It is discrete, so it’s not a bad place to store spare cash or documents.
What I used it most for, though, was a place to keep all of my charging cables and plugs. Not that those need to be concealed. It was just a convenient spot to put them that was accessible, and kept them all in one place.
I really like the padded straps. They’re easily adjustable, so you can quickly adapt to whatever clothing or other gear you’re carrying. Even with the pack heavily loaded, they distributed the weight well. The rigid stay form sheet in the back of the pack helped as well.
I went from using it as my carry-on item headed to Las Vegas for SHOT to using it as a range bag on SHOT Range Day. It served as an EDC bag through the rest of the week. It hauled water, snacks, swag, and paperwork easily and comfortably.
After SHOT, it saw frequent use as a daypack. A lot of my basic gear remained the same as my travel gear. But I’d also generally add some spare ammo for my EDC gun, and a knife or multitool. Other items depended on what I was doing. Occasionally, I’d add my laptop, which did fit easily into the padded laptop sleeve in the back of the pack. Other times, it would be spare range gear. Or just whatever junk I happened to have to haul around that day.
The RUSH to the Woods
I had two multi-day camping trips in the Spring where I used the RUSH 24. The first was a five-day trip to Montana. I used the pack as my carry-on again, along with a 5.11 Load Up bag. Once I got to camp, I added some gear from my checked bag. That included a big Becker Knife and Tool BK9, a folding saw, some cold-weather gear, and rain gear.
I camped in a hooch that my buddies and I built with tarps and paracord. So the 5.11 spent most of its time on the ground, either in the lean-to or near the campfire.
The pack saw all of the weather on that trip: rain, snow, and sleet. It even caught a little bit of sunshine and warmer temps on one of the days. The material held up well to being tossed around camp and was water-resistant at least. It’s not designed to take a full dunk, but I had no issues with the gear inside getting wet.
A month later, I was in West Virginia for a 3-day trip. My loadout was similar to the Montana trip. There was no snow this trip, but plenty of rain and mud. Again, there were no issues with moisture getting into the bag, and it hauled all of my gear without issue.
Alaska to Ohio
The next trip I took with the RUSH was to Alaska. I used the pack as my personal item along with the 5.11 Load Out as my carry-on. This was a 9-day trip with a cruise plus a couple of days tacked on to either end. To cover all of that time, I had the pack, the carry-on, and a regular suitcase to fit all of my crap. Alaska’s weather is pretty variable in early June. I had to pack for both warm and cool weather, as well as rain. Especially for rain. You couldn’t rule out snow either.
Travel days were long, and I was separated from my main bag for most of the time. I made sure to keep all of my essentials in the RUSH. For day-to-day excursions during the trip, I used the MOLLE Packable Bag, which I’ll cover in a later post.
Right on the heels of my Alaska trip was another 3-day trip to Columbus, OH, for GunCon. I did this one with the RUSH 24 and Load Out Carry On, even though I was driving. By this point, I’d become quite accustomed to the RUSH 24. It was comfortable even with heavy loads and even when wearing it for long periods. I found the straps and rigid back support did a good job of making that happen.
I had my organization system down pat, and knew exactly where to look when I needed something. The main compartment provided enough space for all the extras that the day might require.
A PCC Pack?
Another thing I found the RUSH 24 was handy for was carrying the Foxtrot Mike VFM-9 PCC pistol I’ve been testing. Although I said I don’t like keeping a gun in a bag, the PCC is a different story. That isn’t something you can carry on you. So if you plan on taking one with you, you need somewhere to stash it. The VFM-9 is a good choice for a pack gun. Since it uses a folding buffer assembly, it folds to a very compact 13.5 inches.
It easily stuffed into the main compartment of the RUSH with room to spare. I could put spare mags in the laptop sleeve, too. That kept them from rattling around loose in the bag and banging into the gun and its Meprolight MCO Pro optic.
I’d still keep my sidearm on my person even if I had the PCC. But it’s nice knowing I could quickly deploy the Foxtrot Mike from the pack if needed. Being a conventional-sized pack, it wasn’t obvious that it was housing a PCC of any sort.
The Perfect Pack?
Is the RUSH 24 37L the perfect pack? No, it’s not, but it does come close for me. It’s a good size and ruggedly constructed. It’s held up extremely well to travel and all sorts of weather. The organization is excellent, and it’s comfortable to carry. It comes in a variety of colors, including some pretty neutral options if you want discretion. At $140, I won’t say it’s cheap, but it’s competitively priced and you get a lot of value for the money in design and materials.
One thing I’ve greatly missed, though, are bottle carriers on the side of the pack. I realized that this is something that I use a lot, that the RUSH 24 is lacking. I noticed this first at SHOT, and this was just reinforced over the months of using it. Yes, I can, and did, just stuff water bottles in the main part of the pack. But having the side-mounted pockets is a lot more convenient.
It also means that you aren’t taking up your primary cargo area with water. 5.11 does make some MOLLE bottle carriers, but for some inexplicable reason, they only come in black. That certainly still works from a functional standpoint, but the color mismatch bothers my OCD.
The other thing I’d like to see is a little more Velcro on the pack for patches. I added some additional Velcro with MOLLE adapters. That is an option since you do have MOLLE everywhere. I realize this is a personal preference thing and doesn’t affect actual function at all, so it’s a quibbling detail. Still, if I’m going to be honest, I missed the extra Velcro space.
Packing for the Long Haul
Despite my couple of minor quibbles, 5.11’s 37L RUSH 24 pack has been my go-to for a bit over 9 months now. It’s traveled from one end of the country to the other with me and back, by land, sea, and air. And from the urban streets of Seattle and Las Vegas to the backwoods of Montana and West Virginia.
I’ve owned a lot of packs over the years, but I don’t see replacing this one any time soon. With the build quality, I doubt I’ll need to either.
The only thing I might consider is adding a second RUSH 24 in one of the more neutral colors. Just for times when I might want to blend a little better and not have a camo pack. If you’re in the market for a well-designed hard-use day pack, I’d give a hard look at 5.11’s RUSH series.
Who doesn’t like to save money? This long-term food storage article isn’t a doomsday solution. This type of food storage requires a freezer with electricity. Let’s dive into a solution for wasting less money and nutrition!
Long-Term Food Storage: Prepping Like a Kitchen Pro
Ask anyone who knows their way around a kitchen, and they’ll tell you it’s about preparation. The foundation of any great dish lies in the work done before cooking starts. Chopping vegetables, marinating meats, and gathering tools create a seamless workflow, allowing your creativity to shine without interruptions, even when planning for long-term food storage.
In essence, mastering preparation enhances your cooking game. By taking the time to prepare, you boost the food experience and fully enjoy the journey of creating it. This fact also counts when prepping food for an easier future cooking experience. And, it saves food from needing to be tossed out due to looming expiration dates.
A short-term solution to buy a few more days is to use food storage bags.
Long-Term Food Storage Reminders
Foods That Freeze Well
Large cuts of raw meat (roasts, whole poultry, brisket)
Lean fish & shellfish (cod, haddock, shrimp, lobster)
Low-moisture vegetables (broccoli, peas, carrots)
Hard & semi-hard cheeses (cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella)
Butter (wrapped and airtight)
Foods That Do Not Freeze Well
Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula) – turn limp and watery
Soft cheeses & most dairy (cream cheese, sour cream, milk) – separate or curdle
Cooked pasta or rice – becomes mushy
What You Need for Food Prepping
Assure you have freezer bags specifically designed for long-term storage. Use any cutting board you have, preferably one made of wood. Lastly, make sure you have a sharp, good-quality knife. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to have a few Band-Aids close by just in case.
Slicing for Long-Term Storage
If you’re a knife person or want the practice of kitchen knife skills, this will be fun. Safety first, try not to use the natural support hand to grip the food like you’re gripping something. I call this the letter “C” or Pac-Man grip, and it sucks! Most kitchen knife cuts are due to this position. Use the claw grip, especially important for long-term food storage prep.
The author uses the claw grip while slicing peppers for long-term food storage.
A proper chef’s claw grip is a safe hand position that keeps your fingertips protected while cutting.
On your support hand, curl your index, middle, and ring fingers inward so the fingertips tuck under, forming a “claw.” The thumb and little finger help to hold the food steady from the sides. Your knuckles should face the blade and act as a guide. Allow the flat side of the knife to brush against them as you cut lightly.
Keep your fingertips perpendicular to the cutting board, never pointing toward the blade. Use a smooth rocking motion with the knife, moving your claw hand back gradually for even, controlled slices. Your thumb can help push food forward, but never past the three curled fingers in front.
Slicing and Dicing for Convenience
I throw away a lot of onions and peppers before I can use them all. I come back from a trip or two and notice my garlic is brown and dried out. Or I have mushy peppers and onions. However, I remember that I may have an emergency pack of onions and peppers in the freezer. This made me think.
While walking down a grocery store freezer aisle, I took note of the types of vegetables in the freezers. One of my favorites caught my eye. Since I love Fajitas, onions, and peppers are always a staple in the refrigerator. They’re excellent fresh, but go bad in time. These veggies are suitable for long-term food storage by slicing them and putting them in a freezer bag, then freeze. Simple!
The author cut the peppers and onions to size and froze them to store in the freezer.
I slice strips for fajitas and stir fry dishes where noodles are used. The long strips can be removed from the freezer bag, lined up, and diced into smaller squares quickly. I also slice onions and peppers into squares or triangles for various dishes, especially stir-fry dishes with meat or tofu. By the time it’s time to toss the onions or peppers into the pan, they are usually half-thawed.
Canned Corn?
Canned food is already preserved for storage. However, it can still be hard to finish before it goes bad. It also has a low moisture content, so draining the can and patting it dry with paper napkins is all the prep needed.
Canned corn can be dried and bagged for future use.
Put the corn in a freezer bag and crack it open when you need it. A spoonful or handful in chili, eggs, Mexican dishes, soups, or cold salad is where it comes in handy, offering a smart way to utilize long-term food storage.
Blanch and Freeze Food Storage
To freeze broccoli and carrots for long-term storage, start by washing them thoroughly. Cut the broccoli into florets and carrots into uniform slices. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch the broccoli for about 2–3 minutes. Blanch the carrots for 3–5 minutes, depending on their size.
Immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water. This step stops the cooking process, preserving the color and texture of the food. Drain the vegetables well and pat them dry with clean towels. Drying prevents ice crystals from forming. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer to airtight freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible before sealing. This method locks in freshness, flavor, and nutrients for up to a year, a truly effective long-term food storage technique.
I’ve been a fan of the .22 Magnum round for a long time. I’ve owned revolvers and bolt-action rifles for decades, but I always wanted a semi-auto. For reasons. I wanted a Ruger 10/22 Magnum, but never ended up getting one. Then I saw the Bear Creek .22 Magnum AR uppers on sale for $225.00. Being that I always have a pile of AR parts lying around, this would be an easy build. Not to mention a lot cheaper than tracking down a used 10/22 Magnum.
I honestly wasn’t sure how a .22 Magnum AR would function, but for the price, I was willing to give it a chance. The Bear Creek Arsenal AR-15 .22 Magnum complete upper comes with a 10.5-inch heavy barrel constructed from 416R stainless steel with a 1:16 twist rate. The barrel is fitted with a BCA flash hider and uses standard 1/2×28 threads. It comes equipped with a 9.5-inch MLOK rail for accessory mounting and a flat-top M4 billet upper receiver.
It came complete with a BCA bolt carrier group and their Gen 2 right-side charging handle. I’d never used a side-charging AR before, so that was something different to mess with, too. BCA lists that the upper is compatible with any mil-spec AR-15 lower that uses an unnotched (rounded) hammer. They also include an appropriate buffer spring and buffer. Not a bad package for $224.95.
Palmetto State Armory Lower
I already had a Palmetto State Armory lower on hand. It was a stealth model blemish, as I recall, and only cost about $40. I added a B. King mil spec lower parts kit and a buffer tube from my parts bin. BCA mentions needing an unnotched, rounded hammer for use with their upper. I honestly wasn’t even sure what they meant by that, but my mil spec parts kit worked. Since the BCA upper came with a buffer spring and lower, I dropped that into the buffer tube on my PSA lower.
I had previously used this lower for another project, and I had finished it with Norrells Grayish-Black Colt MolyResin. I used some more MolyResin and painted the BCA upper to match. The military flat gray looked a lot more appealing to me than the somewhat glossy black factory anodizing.
KAK Type 42 Flash Hider
There’s nothing wrong with the BCA flash hiders from a functional standpoint, but I never loved their aesthetics. I figured I was going to replace it with something else. When I rummaged through my parts bin, I found a KAK Industry Type 42 Style Flash Hider that I’d picked up, waiting for the right project.
The Type 42 is inspired by the WWII-era MG42 flash hider. KAK says it’s a standout choice for retro, steampunk, or space-themed builds. I didn’t know what to call my .22 Magnum build at this point, but the V42 looked perfect for it.
KAK’s V42 measures 1.750 inches in overall length and weighs 2.08 ounces. It uses 1/2×28 threads and has a bore capable of accommodating calibers up to 9mm. The flash hider is heat-treated for enhanced strength and durability, and phosphate-coated to resist corrosion. It has milled flats that allow for easy installation, and they’re fully machined in-house at KAK Industry.
The phosphate finish looked good with the MolyResin gray finish on the upper and lower, and I was getting a bit of sci-fi vibe to the build. The V42 is surprisingly affordable, too, at only $19.00.
B5 Systems CAR15 LS2 Grip
I initially had a B5 Systems P-Grip on the build, but later swapped it out. I settled on another B5 grip, the CAR15 LS2 Grip. This was B5 Systems’ relatively recent release, which is an homage to the old 90s era Lonestar grips. The Lonestar’s were basically a more ergonomic A2 grip with a storage compartment in the handle.
Before the days of B5 and Magpul, or the myriad of other grip choices we have now, the Lonestar grip was the go-to cool grip. It’s become popular with cloners too, and originals were tough to find. They’d often run north of $100 when you did find them. Unless you really needed an original for your clone OCD, B5 solved the scarcity issue with their LS2 grip release.
The B5 version is made in the USA and uses updated materials, so it’s probably stronger than the originals. They’re available in black and OD Green and in matte and shiny finishes. The shiny finish was common on early AR grips, so it has a certain vibe to it. Unlike vintage grips, the B5 LS2 sells for just $20.00. I had a shiny OD Green one on hand, so that’s what I ended up using.
To Brace or Not to Brace
Since I got the 10.5-inch barrel, I had to decide whether I wanted to SBR the build or not. My gut instinct is to SBR all things. Being that this was a .22 Magnum, though, and I didn’t have a solid plan for its use other than plinking, I decided to save the $200 on a tax stamp and just put a brace on it. I ended up using the Magpul BTR Arm Brace.
The BTR mimics the shape of the MOE stock. It’s a narrow brace, however, and has a QD swivel on the rear. It’s designed for AR pistols equipped with a mil-spec-sized carbine receiver extension. The BTR is made from high-strength polymer and metal. It features toolless, single-handed adjustment, so it’s easy to collapse down for storage. In addition to the rear QD mount it also has M-LOK compatible slots for additional sling mounting options.
The BTR is only available in black. That did bother my OCD a little since I had an OD grip and rail covers, but I’m dealing with it. The BTR is priced at $59.95.
B5 Systems MLOK Rail Covers
The B5 Systems M-LOK Rail Covers are my favorite rail cover, and the go-to on most of my builds. They’re low profile and simply press fit into the MLOK slots on your handguard. The rails are made from a soft, non-slip material with ribbing for improved traction. They’re comfortable and offer added heat and chemical resistance.
The rails come in a 4-pack, and each cover fits over three M-LOK slots. The B5 rail covers are available in Black, Flat Dark Earth, Coyote Brown, OD Green, and Wolf Grey. The price of a 4-pack is $18.00.
Truglo TRITON 30mm Dot Sight
For an optic, I once again turned to my parts bin. I had a Truglo TRITON that didn’t currently have a home, and it looked like a good fit for the Bear Creek .22 Magnum. The TRITON is a 30mm 5 MOA Dot optic. It has three selectable color options: red, green, and blue. That lets you select the best color for the background in the area where you’re shooting. I normally default to green, but the blue is a neat option too. The TRITON is shock and waterproof, and I have had it mounted on 5.56 platforms as well as other .22s without issue.
It’s powered by a CR2032 battery. I don’t know that I ever saw a listed run time for these, but this one has held up well, and I’ve had it for years with maybe only a battery swap or two at most in that time. The Triton is currently priced at $89.99.
I honestly can’t recall what I paid for it originally. I know this isn’t any kind of high-end optic, but neither is the rest of my build. And I know it’s worked for me in the past on other builds, so I went with it.
Black Dog Magazines
With the gun together, I needed mags to feed it. Black Dog Magazines is the only place I know that makes .22 Magnum magazines designed for use with AR-pattern rifles. That being the case, it’s a good thing that they’re solid, reliable mags. They work with both .22 Magnum and .17 HMR. They were initially available in 10 or 14 round capacities, in the form factor of a 20 round 5.56mm mag.
I bought a few 14-round mags initially. Later, they came out with a 23-round model in a 30-round 5.56mm mag format. The mags come in either smoke/translucent or black finishes. Black Dog magazines feature a durable polycarbonate body paired with glass-filled nylon feed lips. They’re priced between $24.00 and $28.00, depending on capacity and color.
It Lives!
The final build was a mix of a cheap on-sale upper and random parts that I already had on hand. It was a Frankenstein of a build with no real planning. It just sort of came together with what I had. With that said, I actually ended up loving the final product.
The 10.5-inch barrel, coupled with the Magpul BTR brace, made for a very handy overall package. The B5 LS2 grip and B5 rail covers in OD added some pop to what could have been a bland build. They went well with the gray Norrells MolyResin finish, too. I think the KAK V42 flash hider really gives it a distinct look as well.
Having it look cool is one thing, but that doesn’t matter much if it doesn’t run. I know guys give Bear Creek crap because they’re inexpensive, but the Franken .22 has run like a sewing machine. I’ve mostly used CCI Maxi Mag and A22 Magnums through it, but they’ve been solidly reliable with the Black Dog mags.
I want to say I had one malfunction that I can recall over the year or so since I built this gun, and I’ve had it out to the range a good bit. The side charging handle is easy to operate as well, and it gives the gun a little bit of a different look and feel than your run-of-the-mill AR.
Magnum Plinker
I like the .22 Magnum, even for a plinker. It’s accurate and fun to shoot. You can tell you have more kinetic impact downrange than with a .22 LR, but the recoil is still rimfire-like. As in nonexistent. I’ve never benched this gun, but I plink at Daisy Shatterblast targets frequently on my club’s 25-yard plinking range.
The Shatterblasts are little 1/8-inch-thick clay targets 2 inches in diameter. I can easily hit those shooting offhand, and then pick apart the broken pieces until there’s nothing left to shoot at. Pop cans are no challenge at all, although they are fun to send flying with the .22 Magnum rounds.
.22 Magnum isn’t as cheap as .22 LR to shoot, but it’s still about half the price of 5.56mm. To me, it’s worthwhile to kick up the fun factor with a bit more power downrange in a gun that’s still extremely pleasant to shoot. It would actually make a great pest control gun, too. It’s compact enough to easily toss in the Jeep or carry on your tractor around the farm.
The Franken .22 or the Possum PDW?
A .22 Magnum AR may not be on everyone’s bucket list, but it definitely checked off a box for me. It was an inexpensive build that shoots better than it has any right to. There’s more punch than a .22 LR, and less blast (and cost) than a 5.56mm.
The Franken-build certainly has PDW vibes, although I’m not advocating it for defense. It would be awesome if you got overrun by varmints, though. Maybe instead of the Franken .22 I should call it the Possum PDW?
This isn’t a fun topic like firearms, knives, or campfire cooking. But you know what else isn’t fun? Sitting in a home that smells like an outhouse during an August heat wave. Sanitation is one of those things we tend to take for granted.
When our usual method of waste disposal isn’t an option, then we’d better have alternate plans ready to go. As the classic children’s book says, everybody poops.
Even if the water isn’t running in your home, toilets may still flush. You just need to fill the tank manually. If you have a pool or a rainwater catchment system, this is a great use for that water. Just grab a bucket, fill it with water, then use it to fill the toilet tank. Those who are on septic systems shouldn’t have any problems.
However, if you’re on a municipal water and sewage system, there might be problems down the line that can cause backups. If that’s the case, hopefully the sanitation department will communicate that to the community members.
Bag It
Don’t get cheap trash bags for this, spring for something decent. Photo credit: Amazon.
Buy a box or two of contractor-grade trash bags. Don’t cheap out on this; get the good ones. Empty the toilet bowl of water, then line the bowl with a double layer of trash bags, one inside the other, so they’re open and ready for filling. Use cat litter, powdered laundry detergent, baking soda, or something similar to sprinkle after each deposit to help reduce odors.
Change the bag before it gets too heavy. It would be quite a calamity if the bag were to break halfway through the house as you’re carrying it out to the trash, especially if you don’t have running water to clean up the mess.
Bucket Potties
If you have a five-gallon bucket available, you can use it as an improvised toilet. Line it with one of those contractor-grade trash bags and you’re ready to rock and roll. If you want to get really fancy, you can take a pool noodle and slit it along the side to fit over the rim of the bucket. That will give you a somewhat comfortable seat.
In a pinch, you could remove the seat from your toilet and just rest it over the top of the bucket. But if you’re going to do that, you might as well head to your local camping outfitter and pick up a toilet seat that’s tailor-made for five-gallon buckets. Keep it on hand, just in case.
Camp Toilets
Camping toilets like this aren’t cheap, but could be valuable during a long-term grid-down situation. Photo credit: Amazon.
If you swing into your nearest camping store, you’ll probably find a few different models of toilets made for camping. These consist of a seat, naturally, and a holding tank. In between is a trap door of sorts. Once you’ve done your business, you pull a lever. That opens the trap door, and your waste falls into the holding tank.
Some models will even have a small bellows that releases water to keep things cleaner in the bowl as well as reduce odors. The holding tank will need to be emptied on a regular basis, which isn’t a chore anyone will be lining up to do.
Paperwork
They say no job is complete without the paperwork being done. If there’s one thing most families learned during the COVID pandemic, it was the value of having a good supply of toilet paper. If you’re caught without, there are a few options.
Wet wipes are probably the first thing to come to mind. They’ll do the job well, as that’s what they’re designed for. But the supply could go quickly if everyone in the home is using them. Remember, don’t flush them! Even if the package says that they’re flushable, they’re not. Toss them into the garbage.
If you have a soft-sided plastic bottle, meaning one that you can easily squeeze, you can make an irrigation bottle from it. Just punch a couple of small holes in the cap. Purpose-made irrigation bottles aren’t expensive, though, if you want to pick one up for emergency use. Even today, some homes still have newspapers delivered. If you go that route, use newsprint, not the glossy ads, for cleaning. It’ll do the job well enough.
California is one step closer to putting the final nail in the coffin of one of the most popular polymer-framed handguns in the world.
Last weekend, the California General Assembly passed a measure that would ban all Glock handguns in the state under the guise of them being too easy to convert to full-automatic fire. All that is left is for Gov. Gavin Newsom, likely the most anti-gun governor in the nation, to sign the bill into law.
Of course, doing anything to convert any gun—Glock or not—to shoot full auto is a felony that can net you a decade in federal prison. But that didn’t stop California Democrats, who have never seen a gun ban they didn’t like.
Anti-Gunners Gloat
Of course, anti-gun groups acted like the newly passed legislation would solve all of California’s criminal violence problems, just like they reacted when they passed countless other restrictions.
“Machine guns are prohibited under California state law,” so-called Everytown for Gun Safety said in a news release following the bill’s passage. “But because the gun industry has chosen to put profits over public safety, firearms that can be easily converted into machine guns are readily available. AB 1127 bans the retail sale of weapons that can be easily modified into DIY machine guns in an effort to prevent these deadly weapons from continuing to flood our streets.”
Pedro Ventura, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action in California, also got in on the virtue-signaling trend, praising yet another setback for California’s beleaguered gun owners.
“No one needs a pistol that can be turned into a machine gun,” Ventura said. “Banning Glock switches was a good start, but the threat has grown. These devices are easier to get and deadlier than ever. AB 1127 steps up by holding gun makers accountable. If they won’t modify the design, they can’t sell the gun. It’s that simple. We’re grateful to Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel for leading the way.”
Incidentally, although the measure doesn’t mention “Glock” by name, its language targets semi-automatic “machine gun-convertible pistols” with a specific definition—one that can accept a common aftermarket full-auto switch insert. or “chip” insert. Additionally, the legislation does not apply to currently owned Glocks, so anyone who doesn’t mind breaking federal felony laws and converting their Glock to shoot full-auto (that would be criminals, hint, hint) will still be able to do that in California if they wish.
Craft a quick and clever filter for that incredibly foul, muddy water. Then, just boil it for good measure!
These pieces of gear often go unnoticed. However, we commonly use them in the outdoors, where the cool factor frequently overshadows function. These true unsung gear hero MVPs are leather gloves, acotton bandana, and a trusty sit pad.
Meet the unsung heroes of your adventures! Leather gloves shield your hands from challenging tasks and chilly winds, while a cotton bandana is your go-anywhere ally—wear it, tie it, or use it to dab away sweat. Don’t underestimate the sit pad, either; it’s your portable throne for well-deserved breaks. These underrated essentials let you channel your focus on the journey instead of fussing over gear. In the great outdoors, simplicity is the name of the game!
The Unsung Sit Pad Hero
The Tuff Possum Gear Multipurpose Sit Pad might look simple, but it’s a camping essential. At 15″x11″ with durable Cordura and a removable 1/2″ foam pad, it’s incredibly versatile.
Upon arriving at camp, I immediately use it for kneeling while prepping the fire and as a solid workspace for fatwood shavings. When stoking coals, its lightweight rigidity is perfect, and the Velcro closure transforms it into a pouch for tinder. While not fully waterproof, storing tinder above the pad on damp ground helps keep tinder dry.
Keep your knees happy while tackling woodworking projects—it doubles as a moisture shield too!
During mealtime, it serves as a cozy seat, perfect for those cold rock tables. After cooking, it neatly holds my small grill inside. It also works great for carrying utensils while moving between camps.
As added insulation on my pole bed or as a shoe mat before entering my bivvy, it’s indispensable. When in my hammock, it props up my feet and keeps my gear safe from moisture below.
Durable and easy to clean, it shrugs off rain and ember debris. I use the orange side to spot ticks during the season. It even doubles as a signal tool when needed. This pad gets third place in the unsung gear hero MVPs!
Leather Gloves
A sturdy pair of leather gloves is a must-have for any Bushcraft adventure or survival kit. I can’t imagine camping or wandering the woods without them! They help me gather firewood, cook, and handle hot items without turning into a fireball.
On backpacking trips, they double as a pillow or knee pads and offer insulation on chilly rocks. Alongside my knife and possibles pouch, these gloves are my trusty companions during cooking and firewood missions.
Leather gloves are a wise choice for chopping, sawing, or shaving wood, keeping risks at bay while you craft!
Building shelters becomes effortless with leather gloves, protecting my hands from sharp debris and bamboo, which seem hell-bent on cutting me. They give me a temporary superpower against heat and cuts!
I currently use a pair from Amazon called Olson Deepak. They’ve held up for two years, survived a few repairs, and are perfect for winter with a size up. I usually wear a thin fleece pair underneath for warmth since leather can be cold.
In my view, leather gloves are essential gear—truly the second most unsung camp hero!
The Hero of MVPs
The bandana is the ultimate camping MVP, a must-have in my cargo pants or possibles kit. Outdoor enthusiasts have praised this square cloth for ages, and I can see why.
During my 2015 trips to Angel Falls and Mount Roraima in Venezuela, my orange cotton bandana became indispensable. With paper banned, it transformed into a face shield, headband, sweat rag, toilet paper, and washcloth—all while staying bright for visibility. Privacy was scarce, but I quickly mastered the art of using a bandana.
Patrick Rollins, lead instructor at Randall’s Adventure & Training, cools off by the river with a wet bandana. His favorite way to chill out!
In the Amazon Rainforest, it performed even better than a hat. It cooled overheated friends, protected against the sun, and served as a bandage and pot holder.
I’m not into designer brands; most of us just end up with these little champions. That said, I do have a soft spot for Merino wool neck gaiters and Kerchiefs from Wazoo Gear. They regulate temperature and tackle multiple tasks, especially in winter.
In short, the bandana is the unsung gear champ! Try finding one item with as many endless uses as this!
Finding
These are my underrated gear picks that deserve more love than water filters, stoves, and tents. These unsung heroes truly enhance the camping experience, making life on expeditions easier and more enjoyable. In my book, they’re the real MVPs of the great outdoors!
It’s been a good month to be a gun-toting Floridian. The Gunshine State shines on with two major events that have made September a very good month. Florida is a weird place for gun laws. We are fairly unrestricted; things like assault weapons bans won’t fly, but Rick Scott left us with a bump stock ban, he raised the age to 21 to purchase firearms, and generally just sucks. We also can’t own Dragon’s Breath ammo or flechette ammo for some reason.
Luckily, we’ve been breaking down barriers and making strides in becoming the brightest Gunshine State we can be. We got Constitutional Carry a couple of years back. The Florida House has okayed a bill to reduce the age to purchase a long gun back to 18, but we haven’t seen that pass yet.
Luckily, I’m not paying taxes on gun and ammo purchases, and open carry might be on the menu soon.
The Tax Holiday
DeSantis proposed a Second Amendment tax holiday last year, and he got his wish this year. From September 8th to the end of the year, the State of Florida will not charge a sales tax on guns and ammo, as well as firearms accessories, bows, and bow accessories. There are also some tax breaks on camping gear and fishing gear under certain dollar amounts.
The big thing is guns. When we are gauging our ammo purchases down to the penny per round, cutting out a seven percent sales tax makes a big difference. That reduces the cost of my 9mm ammo, with a store discount card, to $9.49 a box. That also took $28 off the last gun purchase I made. I love the Gunshine State, and my ammo stores will swell appropriately.
Let’s be real, the gun industry needs some sales. We’ve entered a market slump, and as such, the gun industry is hurting, from big manufacturers to mom-and-pop gun shops. Cutting out sales tax might help boost some sales, but admittedly, Florida is just one state. Maybe others will follow?
The Tax Holiday has seemingly been embraced by online companies as well. I searched through several websites and put items in carts, and happily saw no sales tax applied. This includes Amazon, which surprised the hell out of me.
Open Carry Comes to the Gunshine State
Florida has Constitutional Carry, or technically permitless carry. Even after the permitless carry bill passed, open carry was still banned. In fact, it’s been prohibited for 40 years now. That’s just been one of the quirks of Florida. Open carry was allowed for fishing, hunting, and hiking, but other than that, it was prohibited.
Ashley Moody successfully resisted the passage of open carry, but the 1st District Court of Appeals has ruled that open carry should be legal due to rulings from the Supreme Court that laid out a framework for firearm laws throughout the nation.
Judge Stephanie Ray wrote “that the state has failed to carry its burden to show that Florida’s open carry ban is consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”
In monitoring the situation, I saw that several Sheriff’s Departments are already issuing statements that they won’t enforce open carry restrictions, even though it’s likely several weeks before the legal and procedural steps are finalized.
What’s Next?
It seems like the State is planning to lower the age of long gun purchasing power to 18 once again. The law behind raising the age to 21 is currently in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has stated he is refusing to defend the state law and has urged the law to be stricken.
Maybe we can gain access to bump stocks, FRTs, binary triggers, and Super Safeties soon. That doesn’t seem to have the same teeth as these other removals, but as a PCC enjoyer and 3D printer, I need a Super Safety!
I don’t keep up with Palmetto State Armory all that much. Not because I dislike them, but because they release so much stuff I can’t keep up. I see the emails all the time, and I check the Daily Deals page pretty constantly, but I only read the subject lines. One that stood out recently was “H&R DOE .300 Blackout has arrived.”
That blew my mind. I’m a huge fan of the H&R retro rifles and large-format pistols, and I absolutely love the H&R DOE guns. I’ve wanted a DOE gun since I flipped through an encyclopedia of guns as a kid and ran across it. The thing also captured my imagination, and PSA’s brand H&R released a replica pistol that I have and love.
DOE stands for Department of Energy. Colt never officially called the DOE SMG the DOE SMG. Instead, it’s just the Colt Model 633. It’s a part of the Colt SMG family and a fairly unique part. It’s known for being extremely small, especially for the era. The distinct handguard and folding front sight make it distinct in the Colt SMG family.
Colt employees called it the “briefcase gun” because it fits inside a briefcase. It was remarkably small. One of the few purchasers and the most famous purchaser of the Colt Model 633 was the Department of Energy. Their compact design likely made them handy for vehicle use when transporting nuclear materials or patrolling a nuclear site in a vehicle.
Colt never released a civilian version of the DOE SMG, and replicas on the civilian market were rare, small-batch, and expensive. PSA and H&R made my dream of owning one possible. I love my little H&R DOE SMG, and it’s my favorite gun of 2025.
Seeing any new DOE SMG news gets me excited.
The DOE SMG Reimagined
.300 Blackout didn’t exist in the 1980s. If you wanted an uber-short and effective platform, you were using an SMG, namely a 9mm SMG. That’s not the case in 2025. The .300 Blackout cartridge premiered with the idea of creating an AR-compatible cartridge that could be shoved in an SMG-sized platform.
The .300 Blackout specifically focused on making a suppressible platform roughly the size of an MP5SD, while being roughly the same size. The DOE SMG with a seven-inch barrel would work well with .300 Blackout, a cartridge that reaches peak velocity out of a 9-inch barrel.
If you were to make a modern DOE SMG, then .300 Blackout would be your go-to cartridge. There are piles of AR pistols with short barrels in .300 Blackout; that’s not new. PSA and H&R created an uber-short AR pistol with the design aesthetics and features of the DOE SMG, but in a much more capable cartridge.
The .300 Blackout DOE SMG can shoot supersonic .300 Blackout, which gives you rifle performance in a tiny package. You can toss on a can and swap to subsonics and get a gun that suppresses as well as a 9mm shooting subsonics.
You’re getting more range, more power, and a better all-around firearm.
The Big Changes
The biggest change is moving from 9mm to .300 Blackout, but there is more to it than that. The old Colt SMG-pattern guns are all straight blowback weapons. The .300 Blackout variant of the DOE SMG is gas-operated with a standard direct impingement gas system.
It’s also predictably using a traditional AR lower with standard AR magazines. Using standard AR mags in a DOE SMG looks like a reverse stretch design, and it’s got its own charm.
This might be one of the few, if not only, carry handle, retro-style .300 Blackout rifles I know of on the production side.
H&R is one of my favorite current brands. The stuff they’re making is fascinating and interesting. I can’t wait to see what comes next. It’s interesting to see they are diving into alternate designs that aren’t historically accurate, but still retro-cool.
Fall prevention is an area of home safety that far too many people overlook until it’s too late.
A half-inch flooring deviation took my grandmother’s life. That’s not hyperbole nor exaggeration. She was 83 and had lived alone for over 30 years. She was active and quite spry. One afternoon, as she was leaving a neighbor’s home, she tripped where a wooden deck met a concrete step. It was only a half-inch or so, but it caused her to fall backwards, and she struck her head. She was okay at first, but deteriorated over the next couple of days. She spent several months essentially comatose and eventually died.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are three million visits to emergency rooms in the United States due to falls, resulting in over one million hospitalizations. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries.
So, yeah, fall prevention is important. Fortunately, there are things you can do to mitigate the risk.
Control Cluttered Areas
One area in the home that tends to accumulate stuff is the entryway. A lot of us dump our shoes or boots near the door, along with coats and other outerwear. Kids often toss backpacks there as well when they get home from school. The end result is a ton of stuff causing all manner of trip hazards.
Do what you can to keep things under control. Set up some sort of system where boots always go here, backpacks go there, jackets get hung up, and so on. Be diligent about it, and it won’t take long (hopefully) for the habit to develop for everyone.
Water Causes Problems
Bathroom floors are often wet due to shower overspray and such. Clean up the water promptly.
Bathrooms and kitchens are troublesome when it comes to fall prevention. Water makes things slippery, and those rooms are both prime candidates for splatters and spills. Put down non-slip rugs to provide traction. Non-slip mats in the shower, or at least those adhesive non-slip treads, are a good investment. Any spills or puddles, such as from shower overspray, should be cleaned up right away.
While you’re in the bathroom, grab bars in the shower as well as near the toilet aren’t bad ideas. If you’re falling and you grab a towel rack on your way down, odds are it isn’t going to do much to help you.
Hold the Railing on the Stairs
Make sure the handrails are sturdy and secure.
Every stairway in the home, and outside of it for that matter, should be equipped with a sturdy handrail. Use it as you go up and down those stairs. We have two dogs and a few cats. Want to bet how many times our handrail has prevented me from tumbling down? I’d much rather deal with a wrenched shoulder than play Humpty Dumpty.
Don’t Go Solo with Ladders
What are the odds someone is at ground level keeping an eye on his safety?
I know we’ve all taken unnecessary risks with ladders, and it’s going to bite one of us square in the behind someday if we’re not careful. If you’re the only one home, don’t climb a ladder unless it’s an emergency. If you miss a step or something else goes sideways, you’re going to want someone around who can call 9-1-1.
Before using a ladder, be sure it’s rated for your weight. Place the feet of the ladder such that they’re secure and won’t slide around.
Check Rugs and Carpets
Take a walk around your home and see if there are any rugs that tend to slide around. If so, either replace them or attach non-skid rug grippers to them. It’s not uncommon to see carpeting begin to loosen and bunch up after several years. If possible, have the carpet replaced.
Light It Up
On the exterior of your home, install motion-sensitive lights near entryways. That will make things easier when you’re coming home after dark and help ensure you don’t take a header on something. Inside the home, don’t hesitate to turn on lights as you walk into a room when it’s dark. Fumbling around using the Braille method to get through the room is just a recipe for disaster.
Spend some time on fall prevention. Take a walk through your home and look for trip hazards before you find one the hard way.
Snub-nose revolvers aren’t meant to be precision weapons. Their short barrels, short sight radius, and double-action triggers can make accurate shooting difficult. Growing up, I often saw them referred to as “get off me guns” or “belly guns,” implying their use was at close to point-blank range. As a dedicated revolver enthusiast, but admittedly amateur revolver shooter, I was curious how far a snub-nose revolver could effectively make hits.
I’m not an expert or a particularly good shooter in general. With those qualifications, I think I’m a good choice to approach the subject. Namely, because most people aren’t experts and aren’t revolver masters. Skill level plays a huge role in your ability to make hits, but most of us aren’t going to shoot like Caleb Giddings or Darryl Bolke.
I grabbed a few of my dedicated snub-nose revolvers to figure out how far I could shoot and what played a role in my ability to make hits beyond point-blank.
The Factors
My revolvers of choice were a S&W 940, a S&W 432 PD, a S&W 432 UC, and a S&W Bodyguard .38. Yep, all S&W’s to avoid some kind of company bias. Plus, S&W is the name in snub-nose revolvers with their famed J-Frame.
These guns represent several different configurations and several calibers. I started shooting at seven yards, 15, 25, and eventually 50 yards.
The testing consisted of shooting five-round groups at each range. At 7, 15, and 25 yards, my target was an eight-inch circle. Think of it as a “bitchmade B8” because the scoring rings make me crack under pressure. At 50 yards, my target was an IPSC-sized steel target.
At 50 yards, any extra ammo I had was spent trying to shoot again and again to see what I could do.
I don’t think my discoveries are going to be all that controversial, but I found several different factors contributed to my ability to make hits.
Skill Level
Skill is going to be a big factor in any shooting. I guarantee that an experienced revolver shooter can pick up a barebones .38 Special snub-nose, like the Bodyguard, and make hits at 50 yards all day. Since I picked up revolvers, I’ve seen my own skill grow significantly, and I’ve seen drastic increases in accuracy and decreases in group size. Skill and practice are going to be the most important factors in making long-range hits.
Sighting System
Sights were the second most important factor. The Bodyguard has the traditional revolver sighting system. It’s a front sight you have to align with a trench in the center of the top strap. For me, this was the worst system for making hits. I struggled to land five rounds into an eight-inch circle at seven yards and settled for four out of five.
The Bodyguard and S&W 940 are very similar. They both feature small grips and short barrels. The biggest difference is that the S&W 940 features a dovetail rear sight and an XS front sight. Within 15 yards, the 940 was on paper, and at 25 yards, I got all five rounds on paper, but just barely.
Out to 50 yards, I landed two out of five on the IPSC-sized target with the 940. With the simple sights of the Bodyguard, I was lucky to land one at 50 yards, and my groups at 25 yards were made up of two shots at best.
I achieved impressive accuracy with the 432 UC at 7, 15, and 25 yards, and at 50 yards, I did hit the target three times, once, which was more luck than anything.
The S&W 432 PD had a red dot mounted via the Shield Arms ROC. I consistently landed all my hits on paper at 25 yards, but outside of the 8-inch circle target, and four out of five at fifty yards. I loaded the gun with six rounds and hit five out of six shots. A red dot is a bit like a cheat code for long-range shooting. The red dot was also the fastest option for accurate shooting.
Sights made the second biggest difference, and the biggest equipment difference.
Trigger
The trigger can make a big difference with small guns, namely, because the heavier trigger pull can make it tough to keep a good, consistent grip on the gun. The trigger pull of the UC is fantastic and a big reason why I think it made such an accurate gun within 25 yards. The 940 trigger isn’t bad, and the 432 PD is average. The Bodyguard’s trigger just sucks.
A smooth trigger makes it a little easier to shoot the gun without sacrificing your grip. Speaking of, grip size makes a difference.
Grip Size
Snub-nose revolvers famously have tiny and thin grips. The 432 PD, the Bodyguard, and the 940 all have tiny grips, and they all kind of suck for control purposes, but excel for concealment purposes. Small grips are necessary for pocket carry or ankle carry, which are roles snub-nose revolvers excel at.
The 432 UC has High Horn grips, which give you a lot more gun to grip. This made the gun easier to shoot accurately and consistently. I could punch very tight paper groups at seven yards and kept four out of five in an 8-inch circle at 15 yards. I made a great group at 25 yards, better than the red dot-equipped 432 PD. Inside of 25 yards, the grips seem to make more of a difference than the sights.
The High Horn grips allowed me to hit the target at 50 yards quickly and effectively. The accuracy was typically two rounds out of five, with a rare three out of five. I could also do it a little quicker, thanks to less felt recoil due to the larger grips.
Caliber
Snub-nose revolvers aren’t the easiest guns to handle. They tend to have somewhat snappy recoil that’s tough to mitigate. Recoil affects accuracy when it comes to repeated shots on target. The Bodyguard’s .38 Special recoil didn’t do it any favors at 25 yards, or even at 15 yards.
The 940 features super small grips and fires a 9mm round, which has about the same recoil as a .38 Special. While the sights helped me hit the target, the small grips made it tough for me to hit targets quickly and accurately.
The 432 PD and 432 UC fire the .32 H&R Magnum, which has less recoil. This made it easier to shoot quick drills at all ranges. The 432 UC even delivered a 2.07 Bill Drill (after a few warm-up runs). The lower recoil makes a big difference for consistent accuracy after round one is fired.
It seems like the best combination would be the 432PD with a red dot and High Horn grips.
I combined the two, or sort of. The High Horn grips wouldn’t fit with the ROC mount. I held them together with my hands and found it to be a capable combination. My next goal is getting a pair of High Horn grips and trimming them to fit the 432 with the ROC and red dot.
Shooting Straight With a Snub-Nose
Remember, I’m no expert; these are the findings of a subject matter enthusiast at best. As a normal guy, these were the differences I found as an average revolver shooter. I think sights are the most important factor for longer-range shooting, but good grips were more important at 25 yards and in. Caliber makes it easy to hit a target repeatedly without grip adjustment.
This is what I discovered. What do you think? I’m willing to accept that my ideas are incorrect, but I think I might be on the money, at least for my shooting performance.
