The knife is obviously modeled after the classic white plastic butter knife that you’ll find at picnics, parties, and similar events. This one is larger, though, and substantially stronger. It’s also razor sharp.
This is a fixed-blade knife. It runs 8.75 inches from end to end. The blade is 3.5 inches long. This is one solid piece of 0.125-inch AEB-L steel that’s been shaped and ground. There’s a lanyard hole at the base of the handle for those who like to adorn their knives.
From end to end, the knife has been powder-coated white. Each one is hand-ground, so there may be very slight deviations in measurements. Mine weighs 2.4 ounces.
The Panic at the Picnic comes with a white Kydex sheath. There’s a bit of a thumb break to make deployment easy. The sheath is equipped with a clip that can slip onto a belt or possibly serve as a pocket clip if you’re feeling particularly froggy.
The clip on the Kydex sheath can slip on a belt or potentially secure the knife in a pocket.
Panic at the Picnic Performance
I haven’t used this knife a ton, but it’s quite serviceable. There’s a lot of belly on the blade, which helps it perform as a great slicer. I mean, this is modeled after a knife designed for meal times, so it makes sense that it works well in that regard.
Given how slim it is in the handle, as there are no scales at all, this isn’t a knife I’d want to use for long periods of time or for any sort of heavy work. But that’s okay, that’s not what it’s intended for. I do like the jimping on the spine. Between that and the handle shape, you can really choke up on the knife for leverage as needed.
The Kydex sheath is great. It holds the knife securely and complements the overall aesthetic quite well. The clip can be removed or shifted around to any number of configurations.
Here’s the Panic at the Picnic compared to a Benchmade Bugout, just for a size reference.
Who Needs It?
Well, need is such a strong word. Few people truly need to buy anywhere near as many knives as we knife nuts do.
Is it cool? Absolutely, 100%, no question about it.
Is it more novelty than practical? If we’re being honest, yeah. But y’know what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Some things are just fun, and that’s okay.
That said, here’s what I’ve done. I keep an MSR Titan Long Spoon in my EDC bag. It’s there for the times when I’m on the road and swing through a drive-thru, only to find that they forgot to give me utensils. The Panic at the Picnic lives in that same pocket in the bag. It’s perfect for slicing up fruit or other foods. Sort of like how you’d use one of those white plastic knives, but better. Whip this thing out in the employee lounge and people aren’t going to raise an eyebrow.
Blunt Force Blades produces the Panic at the Picnic knives in small batches. You can find it at their website for $125.
Gordon Ingram is often called the John Moses Browning of straight blowback submachine guns. That might be a slight exaggeration, but the man mastered the straight blowback, open-bolt, full-auto design at a very low price point with a simple design. Ingram did a little more than straight blowback SMGs, but those were his most successful designs.
Ingram was a California native who found a love of weapon design in the United States Army during World War II. After the war ended, Gordon Ingram jumped feet-first into the firearms development world. His name would become attached to the MAC series of submachine guns, but he designed quite a few guns. Let’s start with his most popular design and work our way through Mr. Ingram’s creations.
The MAC Daddy of Ingram Guns
Gordon Ingram’s most successful gun is the MAC series. He designed the original MAC-10 and followed it up with the MAC-11. The MAC-10 was a full-auto submachine gun that used a direct blowback system and an extremely simple operating system. The guns in the MAC series were cheap and easy to make, reliable, and portable for a submachine gun. The MAC-10 was the .45 ACP variant, and the MAC-11 was a micro .380 ACP variant.
Outside of caliber and size, these guns were identical. They fired from the open bolt, fed from magazines locked into the magwell, and had simple folding stocks. They walked the line between SMG and machine pistol. Their compact nature made them niche tools. These SMGs were used by special operations forces and were the most popular civilian machine gun on the market. The MAC design has been sold over and over and is still produced in modern variations.
The Ingram Model 6, 7, 8, and 9
Prior to the MAC, the Ingram Model 6 was Ingram’s most successful gun. This was a more traditional submachine gun that was typical of the era. It featured a wood stock, pistol grip, and handguard. The Model 6 fired from an open bolt and chambered either 9mm, .45 ACP, or .38 Super. The Ingram Models 7, 8, and 9 were all Model 6 derivatives.
The Model 7 used a closed bolt. An improved version of the Model 6 became the Model 8. The Model 9 was a Model 8 with a detachable stock. These were all straight blowback submachine guns with eight-inch barrels and an overall length of 28.5 inches.
The Model 6 was adopted by numerous American police forces, the Cuban Navy, and the Peruvian Army.
The Ingram Model 5
After returning from World War II, Ingram designed the Model 5. He chose Model 5 to differentiate it from the M1, M2, and M3 already in use and expected an M4 to join the ranks. He was right…but that would be decades later. The M5 was an incredibly simple gun.
It was an open-bolt, direct blowback .45 ACP SMG with three moving parts: the trigger, bolt, and sear. The Model 5 was never adopted, and Ingram abandoned the design. It does seem like he was trying to challenge the Grease Gun or the STEN gun from World War II.
Ingram FBM
The Ingram FBM was an assault rifle designed by Gordon Ingram for the Bolivian military in the 1990s. The FBM was a gas-operated, rotating-bolt assault rifle that fired either the 5.56 or 7.62x39mm round. The general idea behind the assault rifle was to produce an extremely affordable platform that was easy to manufacture.
The FBM draws inspiration from the Galil and Stoner 63. It doesn’t seem to have been adopted, and finding a single photo or much information about the gun is difficult. It existed, and Ingram designed it, but we don’t know much else.
Ingram SAM Series
Ingram didn’t just design cheap sheet metal SMGs and assault rifles. He did design some more traditional wood-stocked rifles that used the famed short-recoil operation of the M1 Carbine. The SAM series of rifles used the M1 Carbine design but upped it to 5.56, 7.62×39, and 7.62 NATO.
The gun used STANAG mags for 5.56, AK mags for 7.62×39, and M14 mags for 7.62 NATO options. These never made it far past prototypes, but they appear to be very handsome rifles. Ruger must have beaten him to the market with the Mini-14.
Ingram Durango Series
Another prototype series from Ingram is the Durango series of rifles. These were pistol-caliber carbines that varied wildly. There is a bullpup .44 Magnum model that used Desert Eagle magazines, then we had more traditional 9mm and .45 ACP rifles. The 9mm used Beretta mags, and the .45 ACP variant used 1911 magazines.
These were all basic straight blowback guns. That works fine with 9mm and .45 ACP, but how the heck would the .44 Magnum be practical as a blowback-operated gun? Maybe the .44 Magnum uses a different operating system? It’s unclear, but the only prototype was sold at an RIA auction a few years back. Maybe we can figure out exactly how these guns worked?
And More!
These aren’t the only gun designs of Mr. Ingram. He had the Model 20, which was reportedly a light machine gun. Why isn’t it featured here? I literally know nothing besides it was a light machine gun, and I can’t find anything else about this gun. I’m sure there are designs and prototypes lost to time. Mr. Ingram was a prolific firearms designer, and while he’s most known for the MAC series, he designed a pile of different guns.
Why didn’t anyone tell me that I.W.A. International Inc. had a mortar system? I had to find out about it on Instagram. It looks like it’s a pretty new release and more info is coming, but here’s what I know.
The IWA Mortar System consists of a mortar launcher, a heat shield, an ammo bandolier, and a variety of munitions. Before you get too excited, we aren’t talking High Explosive rounds. IWA is showing smoke, bang, and cluster bang loadings. Less Lethal or, considering its intended role, non-lethal stuff. Just lots of noise and smoke. Still, that has a lot of fun potential.
IWA’s Mortar itself is 48mm in diameter and 26 inches tall. The tube is made from 1026 DOM (Drawn Over Mandrel) steel. Its base is 8.5 inches wide and 4 inches deep, and it’s made from 1018 carbon steel. Range is listed at 150 to 300 meters. Don’t blame me for the mix of English and Metric measurements; that’s how IWA lists it.
MSRP on the mortar itself is $349.00.
If you know your history, it looks a lot like a WWII Japanese Type 89 grenade discharger. It was also known as the “knee mortar” due to US troops erroneously thinking you could brace the buttplate on your leg and fire it. That proved to be a bad idea. I wouldn’t try it with the IWA Mortar either. If you get one, follow their instructions.
Munitions
There are three types of munitions listed. The first is a Mortar Cluster Bang round. It has a range of 150 – 200 meters. The fuse burn time has a 6-second delay once you light it. It looks like there’s a striker on the back from the pics and the video on Instagram. The lift charge has a sound level of 130 dB.
The Cluster Bang has eight submunitions that each detonate with a 130 dB sound level as well. The fragmentation zone is listed as 10 meters. Presumably, this is just the cardboard casing from the round. More details on that will likely follow. MSRP for a Cluster Bang round is $39.99.
Next up is the Single Bang Mortar round. It too has a range of 150 – 200 meters and a 6-second fuse. It’s a single projectile and has a slightly louder 140 dB sound level when it explodes on target. The fragmentation zone for the Single is 5 meters. MSRP for it is slightly less than the Cluster round at $34.50.
Last up is the Mortar Smoke round. This is the only round currently available, according to the IWEA website. The bang rounds are listed as coming soon. It has the same 6-second fuse as the bangs. When it goes off, it emits smoke for 40-45 seconds. The Sound Level for the lift charge is 130 dB. There is no fragmentation associated with the smoke rounds. Red and White smoke is available for an MSRP of $37.99 each.
Sling and Heat Shield Package
The other accessory that IWA has for the mortar is a sling and heat shield package. It consists of a quick-detach sling with an integrated six-slot ammo pouch. There’s also a barrel wrap that protects you from heat and gives you a place to hold when firing. MSRP on the sling and heat shield is $84.99, and it’s available in Multicam or Ranger Green.
Who is this for, and how do I get it?
IWA says that the Mortar System is intended for military and police training, maritime signaling, the film industry, and paintball and airsoft use. It should work for scaring off wildlife from runways as well. I can definitely see it adding some extra spice to your local airsoft game for sure. Now, although the IWA Mortar is just launching smoke and noise rounds, it still does require that you get a Professional Pyrotechnic Certification.
The nice thing is that it’s free, and you can do it online. It only takes 15 to 20 minutes to take. I did one of these for another company that sells flash bangs. It was pretty easy if you paid attention to the training material. Once you pass your certification test, you also need to be at least 18 to purchase a mortar or munitions for one. IWA recommends you make sure you’re familiar with any applicable local or state laws as well.
The IWA Mortar seems to be a pretty unique product. Hand-held smoke and noise rounds aren’t uncommon, but I can’t say I’ve seen a mortar set up before. I wonder if there’s a chance they’ll do flares, or parachute flares for it down the road as well? If you have a use for one, or can come up with one, it’s a neat training aid or tool. I’m already thinking of how to explain to my wife that I probably need one of these.
Contrary to popular media portrayals, people in the gun industry are some of the most boring, most normal people you’ll ever meet. I mean that in a good way. They are normal family people with an interest in firearms, but they’ve turned it into a career. Most aren’t savvy arms dealers wheeling and dealing like Nic Cage in Lord of War. However, every so often, we get someone best described as interesting, and one of those interesting people is Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe.
Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe joins the ranks of people like Samuel Cummings and Heinrich Thomet, who have odd ties to odd people internationally and just seem to be in the right place at the right time. He was a Peruvian military officer who would jump from country to country, designing and selling guns and fairly commonly finding himself in some hot spots.
Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe – The Beginning
Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe started his arms career shortly after meeting famed submachine gun designer Gordon Ingram. It’s easy to see why this relationship started. Ingram had designed a fairly basic submachine gun known as the Model 6 and worked for a company he co-founded called Police Ordnance.
The Model 6 was somewhat successful. It got orders from a few police departments and even the Cuban Navy. Peru’s Army adopted the gun, and Gordon Ingram spent a year in Peru setting up the machinery to build the gun. While I can’t confirm this is how they met, it seems fairly obvious. As we know from Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe’s later achievements, he had an interest in low-cost, simplistic submachine guns.
Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe got a job at Police Ordnance in 1951 and immigrated to the United States. This is where things started to get interesting.
The Cuban Connection
While in the United States and working for Police Ordnance, Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe began to secretly work for Cuban Revolutionaries. The Batista regime was in full swing and was a brutal authoritarian government. While we can look back and say Castro’s government wasn’t any better, at the time, there was some hope that the people of Cuba could live in a free and democratic society.
Why would a Peruvian feel the need to arm Cuban revolutionaries? Perhaps it was simply a sense of duty to arm a revolutionary force he sympathized with. Maybe it was for money? His inspiration isn’t quite clear. Someone caught on, and the police pursued him.
He was either smart or lucky, and he dodged law enforcement and headed to Mexico. From Mexico, he continued to work and support the Cuban rebels. As we all know now, Castro won. With the success of Castro, Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe headed to Cuba to become Castro’s armorer.
Azicorbe set up shop in Cuba and attempted to create domestic production of firearms for Cuba. This didn’t last long. Instead of creating domestic arms production, Castro decided he’d use Soviet-supplied weaponry. Without much to do, Azicorbe headed back to the United States. It’s unclear why, and if he was still wanted.
Some sources claim he was still wanted in the United States, but others don’t mention this at all. With what comes next, maybe it was a mix of both?
Azicorbe and California
Azicorbe headed to California to set up shop in the 1960s. Some sources say he was still wanted, but he seemed unafraid of law enforcement and established Erquiaga Arms Co. According to a newspaper article published in 1965, and available in the CIA’s reading room, the company was licensed by Federal Authorities but was not licensed by the State of California.
He aimed to produce an incredibly simplistic submachine gun known as the MR-64. Additionally, he created a conversion system that could take an M1 Garand and convert it to a magazine-fed design. Erquiaga Arms Co. began producing and converting M1 Garands and produced the MR-64 submachine gun. It’s now 1964, and Castro is an enemy of the United States.
Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe produced guns with the intent to sell them to anti-Castro Cubans. He swapped sides fairly quickly after returning to the United States. A memo from the FBI lists two anti-Castro groups, JURE and Cuba Libre, that united and purchased M1 Garand rifles converted to M-14s from a California company; I think we can assume that Azicorbe and Erquiaga Arms Co. were behind the production of these guns.
It’s worth noting that, according to that same memo, the guns didn’t work very well. Additionally, Erquiaga Arms Co. received an order from Costa Rica for a batch of MR-64 submachine guns. In reality, these guns were intended to be sent to anti-Castro revolutionaries. A batch of MR-64 prototypes was sent to Miami.
The FBI Gets Involved
The FBI intercepted the shipment, but here is where things get murky. Only one was recovered by the FBI. The rest were diverted to the Dominican Republic, where they armed Communist revolutionaries. Either way, Juan made some money on the deal and proved to be more of a shrewd businessman than a thoughtful revolutionary.
So why didn’t the FBI arrest Juan Erquiaga? That’s the big question. It’s tough to say because he had a legit order from Costa Rica, which was placing the order to disguise the production and shipment of the guns. The conspiracy theory is that Juan had friends in the government who also wanted to arm the anti-Castro Cubans.
Shortly after the initial conundrum, he hired Gordon Ingram to work for him and help improve the MR-64. The MR-64 was nothing more than a slightly modified STEN gun. Gordon Ingram helped create some improvements, like a compensator and a weight to reduce the weapon’s rate of fire. They produced nearly 500 MR-64 SMGs, but Costa Rica backed out of the deal.
There was no more official, approved order they could use to siphon guns to anti-Castro rebels. With the official order gone, the FBI raided the facility, seized the guns, and some 100,000 rounds of ammo. Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe fled the country before he could be arrested and remained in South America.
The End
That was the end of Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe and his firearms work as far as I can tell. Was he hooked up with the CIA? That’s all speculation. However, he was willing to sell simple guns to anti-Castro forces, and the CIA was interested in toppling the man.
The former Castro armorer turned against him sounds like a great story, but it’s not something we’ll likely learn the truth about anytime soon. It’s still a fascinating story, and Juan Erquiaga Azicorbe is an international man of mystery.
Revolvers are making a comeback. A big one. Why? I guess we are all bored with black plastic guns, finally. If you’re like me, the revolver is a bit foreign to you. I’ve shot ten times the ammo from an automatic than from a revolver. Revolver beginners might feel a little confused, but have no fear, we’ve gathered the five best revolvers for beginners.
I’m biased toward this gun. It’s probably my favorite revolver ever. I carry it fairly often, and I love shooting it. Hitting targets at 50 yards with a snub nose revolver will never get old. The presence of a rear iron sight instead of a trench in the top strap results in a gun that’s super easy to shoot. The use of the .32 H&R Magnum cartridge makes it easy to control and shoot with less recoil than more traditional revolver calibers.
The Ultimate Carry Configuration gives you a nice, fat grip that’s easy to handle and makes drawing easy. The trigger is fantastic, and S&W ditched the internal lock with the UC guns. The use of .32 H&R Magnum allows you to chamber six rounds rather than five. The downside is clear: the .32 H&R Magnum isn’t as common and can be expensive. However, the sights, the low recoil, and the excellent features make it a great beginner’s gun.
Taurus 856 Defender TORO
If you’re like me, you’re spoiled by red dots on handguns. I won’t purchase a modern semi-auto unless it’s optics-ready these days. Revolvers have been hit or miss with optics, and most revolver-ready optics are designed for competition or hunting. The 856 Defender TORO is a carry revolver designed to integrate micro red dots we see on semi-auto platforms.
The gun uses a plate to mount an RMSc-style optic, and it’s perfect for beginners. The 856 Defender is a six-shot, .38 Special revolver with a three-inch barrel. That combination of features makes this a fantastic revolver for new shooters. Red dots make shooting faster, further, and straighter easier. It takes a little adjustment to jump from optics on semi-autos to optics on revolvers, but it’s not a big jump.
Ruger LCR .22LR
One of the best ways to get your toes into the revolver world is to find an affordable .22LR. The Ruger LCR offers a .22LR gun that could be carried with ease if need be. It offers a low-recoil alternative to centerfire calibers and can hold a total of eight rounds. Recoil amounts to a small burp and not much more. The trigger is a bit heavier than most LCR models but is still smooth and easy to handle.
The Ruger LCR utilizes polymer to keep the gun light while also keeping the cost fairly low. The ammo is incredibly common and affordable. Even high-end .22LR costs hardly anything. The LCR is an extremely common and easy-to-find revolver that won’t leave you high and dry. The little LCR in .22LR makes getting into snub nose revolvers affordable, offers additional capacity, and strays away from the stiff recoil associated with these small guns. The .22LR is a great place for beginners to start.
Charter Arms Double Dog
Charter Arms has made a good comeback in recent years. I’m a revolver newbie, but revolver experts I know and respect have shown that Charter Arms has made some serious quality improvements. The Double Dog is a convertible revolver that fires either .357 Magnum or 9mm. The Double Dog allows you to swap cylinders in seconds.
The 3-inch variant is my suggested model. It makes taming .357 fairly easy and turns .38 Special and 9mm into soft shooters. The ability to use multiple calibers makes life a lot cheaper and makes ammo much easier to find. The Double Dog is simple as far as revolvers go, but I’m a fan of 9mm wheelguns. I’d train with a 9mm for the low price and carry a .357 Magnum.
S&W Model 10
The S&W Model 10 is the quintessential revolver. It’s been kicking around since 1899 and has gone by many names. It’s a medium-frame .38 Special revolver that served countless police forces and many military forces. They have been produced en masse, and S&W makes a Classic model these days. You can find an affordable Model 10 on the used market with ease.
Smith and Wesson
A Model 10 with a 4-inch barrel is a fantastic revolver for new shooters. It’s not too big, not too small, and can be a solid and smooth shooter. It’s one of the most proven revolvers, and while it’s remarkably simple, it’s also remarkably capable. It has low recoil, excellent accuracy, and a just-right configuration that makes it a wonderful gun for revolver beginners.
Beginners and Revolvers
As a dude spoiled on automatics, I will say revolvers have an interesting learning curve. I don’t shoot them as well as automatics, but I’m having a ton of fun learning. If you’re on the fence, my advice is to dive in. Find a good revolver for beginners and start making that wheel spin.
I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals. Like, a lot a lot. Not as a patient, mind you, but visiting and assisting family and other loved ones. And more often than not, the visits went on far longer than planned. What was supposed to be a two-hour procedure ends up taking 8-10 hours or more.
Over the years, experience has taught me what I should bring with me. This isn’t necessarily a bag that I’d keep packed and ready to go at any time, though I could see that as being a good idea in some situations. Instead, look at this as a checklist of sorts.
Boredom Relievers
First and foremost, bring something to do while you’re waiting in the hospital. I like to read, so I’ll usually have a book or a couple of magazines. Some folks like crossword puzzles or word finds, that sort of thing. A deck of cards is a great addition. While it’s good to have something you can do by yourself, playing cards with others in your group or family can help pass the time. Travel-size games are also good, especially if you’ll have children with you.
Electronics
I keep a portable charger as well as a wall plug charger and cord for my phone in my EDC bag. If you don’t do the same, then make sure you grab one for your hospital bag. Despite the books, games, and whatnot you’ve packed, odds are you’ll spend more time than you should surfing social media and draining your phone’s battery.
Sustenance
Having snacks and a water bottle or other soft drink will prevent, or at least delay, visits to the hospital cafeteria or vending machines. Bear in mind that many hospitals today seem to rival college campuses in size. As such, it’s fairly easy to lose your way. The less walking you do, the less the chance of you getting lost on your way back.
Cash
Despite your best efforts, if you’re there long enough, you’ll end up spending money on food and such. While many machines today take credit cards, I like to hedge my bet and keep at least a few bucks in cash and coins available.
Notes
You may want or need to write down things like medications, dosages, expected side effects, and follow-up care instructions. They’ll probably provide you with some printouts as well. A notebook will help keep you organized. Don’t forget a couple of pens or pencils.
Extra Layer
Hospitals are notoriously chilly. A light sweatshirt or sweater is wise. If you decide to curl up and take a snooze, you’ll be glad to have that extra layer.
As I said at the outset, this isn’t really a bag that you’d pack and keep prepped in advance. Unless, of course, you have a loved one who is in poor health and sudden trips to the hospital are common. Even so, I can tell you from experience that it won’t take more than maybe 10 minutes to gather all of these items and toss them into a duffel or shoulder bag.
ANR Designs is mostly known for making fantastic holsters. They often make holsters for guns that are under-supported, like the CZ P09 series, or for popular guns with unpopular lights, like a SIG P365 and a Foxtrot365XR. Out of nowhere, they also produced the Ukon optics mount, and it’s not your typical red dot mount.
The Ukon mount was created to satisfy a specific special operations contract for an incredibly compact weapon. The system didn’t have much room for iron sights after adding the usual light, laser, and optic combo. The Ukon aimed to provide a set of backup iron sights built into an optics mount. The mount was intended to be ultra-lightweight and to work with red dots.
ANR Designs won the contest, and the secret squirrels got a micro-sized optic to work with their SIG Rattlers. ANR Designs then did the best thing they could: they made the Ukon mount available to the general public, and they made it available for a few different red dots. This includes the Aimpoint micro footprint, the Trijicon RMR, Aimpoint ACRO, SIG Romeo4T, and the Holosun AEMS.
ANR Designs was kind enough to send me one of the Ukon mounts for my AEMS, and I put it to work.
The Ukon and Me
The Ukon was made for those micro-sized platforms, and I have plenty of those. As a PDW enjoyer, the Ukon fits plenty of my firearms. I have plenty that are tight on room, but ultimately it landed on a CMMG Banshee, which is tight on space. The AEMS mounts directly to the optic’s mount and sits the red dot at a 1.7-inch height.
The optic feels rock solid, but weighs a mere 2.2 ounces. The Ukon is constructed from 6061 aluminum and has a typical Type 3 hard coat finish. It attaches at two points and locks on super solid. Installing the AEMS on the Ukon was a breeze. However, the Ukon eliminates the ability to use the AEMS-style flip cover mounts.
Since the iron sights are built into the mount, it allows for a complete cowitness. The sights are very simple. The front sight is an adjustable AR-type sight, and the rear sight is a fixed open design, much like a handgun. The open rear sight makes it easy to mount the optic wherever and allows you to see through the sights.
The front sight acts as a backup sight, but it’s also an alternative option for different loads. If you’re swapping from supersonics to subsonics with a .300 Blackout, you can zero the elevation to deal with subs and the dot for supers.
Rocking and Rolling Up the Ukon
With the Ukon equipped to my CMMG Banshee, I took the gun to the range and spewed lead. I started with a focus on the target and using the dot. The 1.7-inch centerline height of the mount encourages a heads-up shooting style, but if that’s not tall enough for you, there are taller options.
Admittedly, I’m spoiled by just folding sights down and out of the way. The built-in iron sights are ever-present in your view through the optic, but if you’re focusing on the target, you’ll only notice them if you try.
The dot works, the optic keeps things mounted, and ultimately, it’s going to work as a mount. I’m not testing the AEMS, I’m testing the Ukon, so I turned the optic off and used the sights. The sight radius is superbly short, which isn’t going to do wonders for precision accuracy.
This setup works best within 50-ish yards. Anything further than that and it’s a guide more than a sight. The iron sights worked perfectly fine at CQB distances where I’d use the Banshee, and where most PDWs would be used. At 50 yards, hitting C-zone steel was ridiculously easy.
Hitting gongs at 50 yards wasn’t an issue either. It’s easy and it works well within that range. I’m not printing tiny little groups by any means, but I’m ringing 10-inch steel repeatedly. The short sight radius does have the advantage of speed. Short sight radius and open sights are built for speed.
Going Fast
It works almost like a red dot up close. Just aim and go, and I imagine that benefit is felt by users of PDW-style firearms. Since the rear sight is open, we just drop behind it, and we can easily use a semi-target-focused sight picture. Get the front sight on target up close, and you’ll most likely hit it.
As the range extends, make sure the rear sight is more in play and the precision increases. It won’t replace the sights on a 5.56 rifle, but on a submachine gun, a subgun, or a similar platform, this sight setup works.
The ANR Designs Ukon is a fantastic optics mount, and while it has a niche use case, it’s a valid use case. With the growing surge of small platforms and PDWs, optics mounts like these are quite handy to have.
Nature is a great getaway from stress, your daily routine, and the hustle and bustle of urban living. Many times, a few-hour hike can do wonders to clear the cobwebs from your mind and allow you to regain your focus and confidence in life. However, a hike has its own set of problems. From meandering off the trail to encountering nature’s predatory residents, to being bitten alive by pests, a peaceful hike can turn into a real-life nightmare. There are solutions to all these dangers of solo hiking, though, and once prepared, your time out in nature will be beneficial and stress-free.
One of the biggest mistakes made by both newbies and seasoned pros is not informing anyone of their quick trek into the woods. This can have life-threatening ramifications. People who don’t leave an itinerary of their hike usually fail to do so for one of two reasons.
First, they are experienced hikers and believe that they don’t need anyone to back them up because of their own vast experience. While it may be true that they hiked a certain trail numerous times, nature can always throw a curveball their way. Weather conditions can change, predatory animals may be on the hunt, or a misstep may send them down a dangerous embankment.
Second, a newbie may not even have thought to tell others their plans. This can be because of their inexperience, and this can ultimately cost them greatly.
Pack Accordingly
Not preparing properly can injure or kill you, even on a short, few-hour hike. Essentials such as a disposable poncho, a few snacks, enough water to stay hydrated, a lighter or other fire-making materials, and signaling devices if lost. Additionally, the ideal item to carry is a satellite phone or GPS signaler, so no matter how deep in nature you are, you can send a signal for help or rescue.
Don’t just throw items into a bag and go. Rather, take an intelligent approach and configure the best weight-to-gear ratio for your hike. On one hand, you want to stay lightweight with gear; on the other, you need to carry the essentials. Pre-planning is key to packing perfectly for your specific outing and avoiding one of the common dangers of solo hiking.
Stay in-Tuned
Hiking alone is not like traveling in a large group. You have one set of eyes instead of six or more sets. As such, you need to be in tune with everything that’s going on around you. Being careful where you step and staying on course on the trail is essential. Staying always wary of dangerous animals that may cross your path is entirely in your own hands. No one will be there to watch your back.
With that being said, you can’t be glued to your cellphone screen or listening loudly to music in your Bluetooth earphones. Any distractions could bring trouble your way, so the best thing you can do is disconnect and connect to nature itself.
Be Ready for Bites
Although you may be the only human on the trail for miles around, you’re definitely not alone in the woods. From the smallest insect to the largest bear or moose, your mood and physical well-being can all be affected by interacting with wildlife. Mosquitos can bite until your skin is a pimply, itchy mess. The continual scratching can increase irritability, which in turn can cause you to make rash decisions.
Mosquito head nets, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and using insect repellent can aid with biting bugs. This common occurrence in the outdoors is often overlooked as one of the dangers of solo hiking.
Beware the Big Ones
On a larger scale, being mauled by predatory animals is a very real possibility. Also, don’t ignore smaller mammals like raccoons and foxes. These aren’t cute or domesticated. They can bite and pass to you dangerous diseases like rabies. Bacterial infections can also occur from the animal’s bite. Bear mace, carrying a pointed walking stick, and avoiding the offspring of aggressive animals can help to keep you safe.
Let’s not forget about snakes. If you go out into nature, expect to encounter one. Thick, over-the-ankle-high boots can assist with low-attacking bites. Investing in snake gaiters is also wise if traveling through thick underbrush.
Know your Limits
One key takeaway when hiking alone is to know your limits. Don’t go beyond your comfortable hiking distance. Although you may feel you can take on the world, after a few hours, fatigue will set in. Also, if your trail doesn’t circle around, you have to hike that same distance back to your starting point.
The more you convince yourself to push forward, the greater risk you’ll have of not physically making it back. Also, climbing steep embankments, hopping on stones in a shallow river bed, and going off-trail through thick brush to save time are not the best choices to make when hiking alone. You risk getting injured with no one with you to help.
Even if you have done seemingly reckless things over the years, age isn’t forgiving. If you are past your peak, activities can become much more challenging.
The Numerous Benefits
Now, not everything is doom and gloom for the solo hiker. If you take all the necessary precautions, you can reap the numerous benefits nature has to offer. First, you are in control. You can set your itinerary, take as many rest stops as you like, and not have to worry about other people’s needs. After that, you can focus solely on nature and all its wonders on your terms.
Additionally, going alone into nature builds confidence and mental strength, and can help overcome fears of being alone. If done right, solo hiking can be highly rewarding for recharging both mind and body!
The Intratec TEC-9 is an infamous pistol. It gets the anti-gunners’ panties in a bunch and is a true testament to the fact that the anti-gun crowd knows nothing about guns. The TEC-9 is a terrible firearm. It’s not reliable, has excessive recoil, is not very accurate, and generally isn’t built very well.
They certainly look cool. The TEC-9’s appearance made the gun massively successful. It looks scary, and it looks like it should be a full-auto firearm. It’s not; it LARPs as a machine pistol with an intimidating appearance thanks to its large size and ventilated barrel shroud.
The gun might not have performed very well, but it was cheap and sold well. They sold incredibly well; over a quarter million were made and sold. They were so popular that Intratec continued to produce various models after numerous bans to keep the market. Anything that’s popular will be cloned.
Everyone wants a piece of the proverbial pie, and with that in mind, let’s talk about some of the companies that more or less cloned the TEC-9. The TEC-9, as a firearm, is most well-known for its forward magazine design, its blowback operation, and general largeness factor. Three distinct clones of the TEC-9 have emerged, and I think one might be surprising.
Kimmel AP-9
The Kimmel AP-9 looks like an uncanny valley version of the TEC-9. If you described a TEC-9 to a sketch artist, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a drawing of the AP-9. The Kimmel AP-9 has the ventilated barrel shroud, the forward magazine design, and the TEC-9 layout. They even used a healthy amount of polymer for the lower receiver.
I’d argue the Kimmel AP-9 is better than the TEC-9 in a few ways. The sights are better, not by a lot, but they are sturdier. The ergonomics are better, with a safety that’s not just a charging handle. It’s not necessarily a good gun, but it’s better than the TEC-9.
A.A. Arms out of North Carolina produced the AP-9 for about six years and ceased production in 1994. The most interesting AP-9 was probably the Target model with a 12 or 11-inch barrel, depending on the year. It looks like they intended to produce a rifle version with a folding stock, but it’s either very rare or was never produced and sold.
Enfield MP-45
John Foote was no dummy. He was an American designer who decided to cash in on the Enfield name. Enfield America had no relation to the British Enfield. This did mean Mr. Foote had to change the name to Encom eventually, but the gall to use Enfield on a TEC-9 clone is hilarious.
The Enfield MP-45 came in both 9mm and .45 ACP, which gave it a unique caliber for TEC-9 clones. The MP-45 features a very long magwell that seems to be intended to double as a forward grip, so you don’t have to use the magazine as a grip, which could ruin your reliability. The MP-45 used an AR grip, which was neat for the time.
The gun allowed for quick barrel changes, and a carbine kit was produced. It allowed you to add a 16-inch barrel and a wire stock. It’s kinda neat. The really neat version was the ultra-rare side-loading model, which was a lot like a Sten gun, which I want so damn bad.
Beretta PMX/s
Yep, Beretta qualifies for producing a TEC-9 clone. It’s the most refined version of a TEC-9 to ever exist, but it qualifies. Am I being sacrilegious? Let’s look at it. Blowback operated, tubular bolt, reciprocating bolt, forward magazine, 9mm, and a handguard that’s more or less ventilated?
It’s different, a lot different, but the PMX/s lines up with the TEC-9 in a lot of ways. Even the lower receiver is made from polymer. Like the TEC-9, the PMX/s descends from a submachine gun and serves as a semi-auto pistol. The PMX/s does have fantastic ergonomics; it’s also reliable, accurate, and easy to shoot.
The Beretta PMX/s is the best TEC-9 clone by far. It might not be what you’d picture as a TEC-9 clone, but boy oh boy, it scores high on the TEC-9 scale. With that said, if you ever buy a TEC-9 clone, buy the PMX/s and don’t buy the rare side-loading Encom; save that for me.
TEC-9 Clones
Only the first two of these TEC-9 clones were built to compete with the TEC-9. These two were built to cash in on the TEC-9 design and popularity, but never reached the same degree of fame or infamy. The Beretta is clearly a few decades removed and not just a simplistic clone trying to cash in on the TEC-9 infamy. Interestingly, such a terrible gun has remained in its design to this day.
I remember when Cold Steel first started gaining recognition back in the 1980s. Countless car doors were victimized by their Tanto knives. I was more drawn to their push knives and a couple of other models. But over time, the ever more strident and aggressive ads turned me away from the company’s offerings. To me, it got to the point where it seemed as though they were parodying themselves. However, the Cold Steel Republic might have righted the ship.
Anyway, the point is that Cold Steel fell off my radar for quite a while. Last year, I was perusing the New category at DLT Trading’s website and came across the Republic. Natural canvas micarta handle, nice leather sheath, S35VN steel, all sorts of good stuff. Not gonna lie, I was shocked when I saw it was from Cold Steel. This sort of field knife was light years away from what I normally expected to see from them.
Of course, I snapped one up and waited patiently by the mailbox for it to arrive.
Republic Specs
The Republic stretches an impressive ten inches from end to end, with a 5-inch blade. The S35VN has a Rockwell hardness of 58-60 and the blade has an Ionbond finish that helps prevent corrosion. Jimping runs about 2.25 inches of the spine. The edge was razor sharp out of the box, which is always nice.
The natural canvas micarta handle scales have been shaped and contoured for maximum grip as well as comfort. They’ve been slightly scalloped toward the blade to provide a nice pinch grip. The scales are removable, in case you want to replace them with something else. Natty canvas is one of my favorite handle materials, so that’s not going to be an issue for me.
The lanyard hole at the end of the handle has some ridges to either side, calling to mind what we used to call a “skull-crusher” pommel.
My postal scale reads 8.4 ounces without the sheath, which matches the company’s stated specs. This is a heavy-duty knife, and the weight bears that out. It’s not a brick, but it’s definitely no lightweight.
The Republic’s sheath is a good quality leather pouch that’s been wet-formed a bit. The knife fits securely, no problems. However, wet-formed sheaths can loosen over time, so that’s something I’ll be watching for down the road. The belt loop will accommodate up to about 2.25 inches of belt.
Republic Performance
I like this knife quite a bit. It’s an excellent option for a primary field knife. It has plenty of blade for anything you’ll need to do without being so big it’s awkward or clumsy. It’s very well-balanced.
The handle has a lot of meat to it, so it doesn’t feel like I’m losing my grip when I’m chopping or something along those lines. It’s also plenty comfortable when feather sticking or doing other more delicate chores.
I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to rely on the Republic as my primary survival tool, that’s for sure. It can handle anything you want to toss its way.
I have to admit, Cold Steel has won me back as a customer with this knife. It’s comfortable. It’s durable. And I didn’t have to watch anyone hollering at me about how many car doors it can destroy. Find it here at Cold Steel and here at DLT Trading.
In an era where the short carbine is regarded as the ultimate CQB weapon, I still have a fondness for the subgun. I’ve always loved submachine guns, and the closest thing we can get to SMGs affordably in the American market is subguns. Subguns are large-format, pistol-caliber firearms that are often semi-auto variants of actual submachine guns.
Subguns can be effective defensive weapons, particularly as excellent home defense tools. While the 5.56 carbine can be an optimal choice, a pistol-caliber subgun can be a capable choice. There are several downsides, including the fact that they have the ballistics of a pistol, rather than a rifle.
We aren’t experiencing secondary wound characteristics; we only receive direct tissue damage. That’s a big downside and should be acknowledged. However, I find it hard to believe that a subgun loaded with proper defensive ammunition wouldn’t be a capable defensive weapon.
But What About .300 Blackout?
.300 Blackout is great. It’s a fantastic caliber designed to work with short barrels and ultimately designed to replace 9mm subguns on the market. It works well from short barrels, it suppresses easily, and outshoots any pistol caliber. It’s a rifle round that has secondary wounding characteristics. It’s fantastic.
Why would I suggest a pistol-caliber subgun over a .300 Blackout weapon? Well, I wouldn’t suggest it as a better option, but as an alternative option. The cheapest .300 Blackout ammo is going to cost $0.60 a round. I can get 9mm for $0.19 a round. Ammo for pistol-caliber subguns is a third of the price of .300 Blackout.
Backpacking a compact, powerful gun like the SAINT Pistol in .300 BLK can be a life-saver.
Additionally, subguns can be smaller than .300 Blackout guns due to the dimensions of the round. The .300 Blackout rounds require a rifle-length lower and upper and work best with barrels ranging from seven to nine inches. I’ve never seen a .300 Blackout large-format pistol be as small and compact as an MP5 clone.
That’s my digression into .300 Blackout. Let’s get back into the defensive subgun discussion.
Why the Defensive Subgun?
Instead of cramming this into a few paragraphs, let’s do it listicle style and break it down piece by piece.
Ammo Is Super Cheap
I already mentioned this a minute ago. If you opt for a 9mm subgun, the ammunition can be extremely affordable. 9mm is everywhere, and while defensive ammo will always be expensive, standard training ammo is extremely affordable. Affordable training ammunition allows you to hone your shooting skills and be prepared for a potential defensive encounter.
Cheap ammo can go a long way. This does stick you with 9mm because if you get into .45 ACP and 10mm, the price savings can dry up a bit. It’s still cheaper than .300 Blackout and 5.56, but you’re not getting much advantage from anything bigger than 9mm for self-defense anyway.
Easy to Suppress
If you’re willing to get into suppressors, and with $0 tax stamps incoming, I’m sure plenty will, then a defensive subgun might be for you. It’s easy to find subsonic pistol ammo, and when using a subgun, you might be using a barrel that’s longer than your average pistol barrel. This is great because you’ll want to use heavier cartridges with longer barrels to ensure proper expansion.
Pistol suppressors are lighter and shorter than most rifle suppressors, and they are cheaper than rifle-rated options. A short subgun with a can is a quiet, hearing-saving option for home defense. My APC9K with a can and some 147-grain ammo is tough to beat.
Ultra-Short Designs
When it comes to large-format pistols, subguns are going to be your smallest options, especially with the rise of K-model subguns. They will be shorter than any rifle-caliber gun that’s actually usable and not a meme. Guns like the CMMG Banshee, the APC9K, and MP5K clones are shorter than my temper at a SHOT Show beer line.
Note the 3-lug suppressor QD attachment and rails to accommodate both BUIS and optics (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
They are easily maneuverable and even easier to use with a single hand. Being able to use the gun easily with a single hand can be beneficial. If you have to call the police, navigate doors, or secure family members, a one-handed gun that can be easy to shoot sounds pretty damn good.
Less Concussion and Noise
As you shorten the barrel on a 5.56 rifle or even a .300 Blackout rifle, the concussion, muzzle flash, and noise get ridiculous. It’s insanely loud and can be brutal, especially indoors. For a guy or gal that shoots a ton, that’s not a big deal; you train enough, and you’ll deal with it. For the average user, that level of concussion, flash, and noise will be absolutely brutal.
A subgun with a four to seven-inch barrel doesn’t have that problem. This makes it easy to use indoors with an ultra-short barrel. It’s not as effective as a 5.56 round, but it’s a lot quieter and easier to deal with.
Less Recoil (Potentially)
If you use a defensive subgun with a delayed blowback system, you can have less recoil than any other centerfire platform. A CMMG Banshee with its radial delayed design or an MP5 clone with a roller-delayed design has significantly less recoil than other centerfire weapons. Another notable mention is blowback guns with hydraulic reducers, like the APC9 series from B&T.
U.S. Navy
If you go with a cheaper direct blowback gun, you can expect at least the same or more recoil as a 5.56 rifle. Direct blowback guns hit you with more recoil than a 5.56 rifle, so be cautious.
The Defensive Subgun and You
The defensive subgun isn’t the best option. It’s less likely to deliver a one-shot stop than a 5.56 or .300 Blackout rifle or a shotgun. However, it does offer numerous benefits over both platforms. The defensive subgun isn’t the best option, but it’s still a viable option.
Meet Marshal Chris Barfield. I’d call him a super Law Enforcement Officer, the type that movies are made of. I’ve known Roger, I mean Chris, for 15 years through the Randall’s Adventure & Training school. However, these days I call him a friend!
Marshal Chris Barfield and the U.S. Marshals Service
The U.S. Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency, handling high-risk duties that anchor the justice system. They apprehend dangerous fugitives, protect judges and court personnel, manage the Witness Protection Program (WITSEC), oversee prisoner transportation nationwide, and seize criminal assets. Their work is often behind the scenes, but it’s foundational to law and order in the U.S.
Chris Barfield – Retired Marshal and Traveler
Chris Barfield started as a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer in NC, then had a 24-year career with the U.S. Marshals. Initially stationed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he spent the majority of his career based out of Indiana but worked extensively on long-term assignments in Latin America and the Balkans. He currently considers himself a recovering federal agent.
Chris in rural Colombia doing cool Marshal stuff!
Instructor Training/Career Highlights:
Firearms Instructor
Protective Operations Instructor
Protective Driving Instructor
Forensic Accountant (CPA)
Chris Barfield on Law Enforcement
Why did you choose the Marshals?
Just unlucky, I guess. All of my formal training has been in accounting. I have a BS, an MS, a CPA, and for whatever reason, law enforcement seemed more attractive for a 22-year-old than sitting behind a desk, adding up numbers for 50 hours a week. When I discovered they’d pay me to shoot, drive, and work in a team environment, particularly in high-level operations around the world, I forgot all about the pocket protector and the Hewlett-Packard 17BII calculator.
However, I didn’t put it all together until later in my career, when I was assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office full-time as a forensic accountant, tracking down the money and other assets of drug organizations around the world.
Classic EXPAT in a secret location.
This is one of the first times I’ve addressed you as Chris. For several years, a lot of us called you Roger. Can you explain why that was briefly?
For a large portion of my career, I was assigned to a more secretive unit in the government. It was very common for us to operate under different names, both for our safety and the safety of others.
Chris on Firearms
The trusty Glock 26 in Magnum P.I. holster. Only the best for our Marshals!
What firearm was issued to you while working as a US Marshal?
Way back in the 1900s, when I started with the Marshals, they issued us Ruger GP 100 .357 6-shot revolvers, if you can believe that. The Marshals have been around since 1789, and tradition dies hard. I left mine at the academy and never carried it since we had broad latitude to carry pretty much whatever we wanted back then. I carried a Heckler & Koch P7 M13 semi-auto and still have it to this day.
However, once I started working in South America frequently, I quickly realized that my HK was too expensive and aroused far too much curiosity from the locals, so I switched to an old Glock 19 (Gen 2). It would not be the end of the world if it went missing when we had to check it in with the pilots while flying around the country. Seriously, we had to turn our guns into the pilots!
Today, USMS issues Glock 19s like many other federal agencies.
Preferred Carry: Long gun or Handgun?
Depending on who or what is shooting at me. Ideally, I’d like to have a long gun. And a bunch of friends with their long guns. But probably a handgun since it can always be with me. Although my Daniel Defense AR is never too far away…
Chris is attempting to dry his Beretta 9mm Model 92F, given to him by the Albanian government.
What is your preferred firearm off-duty in town, and why?
I’m still a Glock guy. Not because I think they are the best or nicest (they aren’t). But they are a tool that works every single time I press the volume button. I still have my 1989 Gen 2 Glock 19 that performs flawlessly. But I end up carrying a Glock 26 daily. I tried the G43 for a while but went back to the G26.
Marshal Chris Barfield on Tactical Knives
What are your preferred carry-cutting tools on the job?
For almost 2 decades, I had an ESEE-3 (or RAT-3 back in the day) on my tactical vest and carried them all over the world, literally. I have a picture of using it to start a fire in an old Soviet-era bunker in Albania. It’s the Glock of the knife world. It won’t win any beauty contests, but it works reliably. And it becomes a pretty good bargaining chip to get you out of (or into) somewhere. As you know, overseas ain’t like the U.S. A pack of Marlboros or a good knife can sometimes open doors that Embassies can’t.
Then, the ESEE3 was called the RAT3, worn on Chris’s vest worldwide.
What cutting tools do you carry, such as EDC or woods tools, and why?
I’ve carried pretty much the full spectrum of folders at one time or another, starting with Spydercos in the 90s. Then Benchmades, Emersons, Striders, ZT, Chris Reeve, and on and on. But at heart, I’m a child of the 80s. I keep coming back to the tried-and-true Swiss Army Knife, MacGyver style.
Other EDC items include a Pokka pen, a small brass compass from Tru-Nord, an American Express Platinum card, a Rolex Explorer II, and an Expat Knives Zippo. If I can’t get myself out of trouble with that combination, well then, I guess it’s just my time.
Favorite Flashlights?
Surefire. Period. End of story. Those are the lights on my handguns and rifles. I’ve seen them abused for years and years, and they still work flawlessly. I have old models with non-LED bulbs that still work. I’m a fan of their E2 series, in the various iterations. I bet my iPhone light gets just as much use these days.
Marshal Chris Barfield is EXPAT
How did you conceive the idea for the ESEE Knives EXPAT series?
In the early 2000s, while traveling in Colombia, I sought jungle survival training due to the threat of kidnapping. This led me to Jeff Randall and ESEE (formerly RAT). We discussed creating a line of knives inspired by my experiences abroad and real-world usage. This resulted in Expat Knives, designed to be cost-effective, so you won’t regret using them to barter. I once traded an old pair of handcuffs to a customs officer to skip a long line, a lesson I’ve never forgotten.
Best thing about being on the job?
A pension. They keep paying you, even when you don’t have to show up anymore.
Geared up and doing the town, Chris was on the job in some hotspot in the world.
The 1980s were a wild time. It was a fairly radical period in arms design. It was also the last breath of the submachine gun. The 1980s were a time when the submachine gun still ruled in tactical teams, and there was still a large market for SMGs internationally and amongst police forces around the world. The short carbine was coming and coming fast, but the submachine gun was still viable. As an appreciator of firearm oddities, I wanted to gather some weird SMGs of the 1980s.
Let’s see what the last breath of submachine guns delivered.
Calico 960 LWS
As the happy owner of a Calico 950 that works extremely well, I want a Calico 960 of some variety. Calico Light Weapon System’s firearms had one big gimmick, and it was the magazine. These guns used a top-mounted magazine that held 50 to 100 rounds of ammo. The rear sight was even located on the magazine. It’s an odd magazine, but when loaded correctly, it works reliably.
These guns used a roller-delayed blowback operation, much like an MP5. This kept recoil low and maintained a highly reliable operating system. The 960 was the submachine gun-specific version, and Calico made eight models with varying features and accessories. They had the ultra-short machine pistol model, models with collapsing stocks, and more. The guns were never officially adopted, but according to Calico, piles of them were purchased by various police and military forces.
Benelli CB M2
Benelli, famed producer of semi-auto shotguns, experimented with producing some fairly radical and weird SMGs. The Benelli CB M2 ditched Benelli’s inertia-driven systems and went with a simple blowback design. It’s magazine-fed, uses a top-folding stock, and has lots of polymer in its construction. Nothing too weird there.
It didn’t stop there. Benelli developed a semi-caseless 9mm round called the 9mm AUPO. The ammo wasn’t completely caseless and featured a small rear portion of a case that was discarded when the round was fired. It was neat but didn’t do anything all that different than any standard 9mm SMG.
Jatimatic
There is something inherently Finnish about the Jatimatic. Something about the way it looks just screams Finnish to me, and I don’t know why. As far as weird SMGs go, the Jatimatic both looks and functions weirdly. The gun was an open-bolt, blowback design, but its bolt guide rails sit in an odd relation to the bore axis. The guide rails force the bolt to move up an incline as it cycles.
Wikipedia
This slows the bolt naturally and counteracts muzzle rise. The bolt design and incline plane reduce muzzle rise and recoil, making the weapon controllable when fired in full auto. To help this effect even more, the pistol grip sits higher, closer to being in line with the end of the barrel, which helps improve control. The Jatimatic is an excellent combination of weird looks and weird function mixed with traditional design.
Ares FMG
From what I can tell, the Ares FMG is the first of the many folding submachine guns that were designed to be disguised when folded. Ares Inc was a company owned by Eugene Stoner, and an engineer named Francis Warin designed the gun. It was a fairly simple blowback-operated submachine gun that just happened to fold around the pistol grip and a 20-round magazine.
The Ares FMG was designed to fold and unfold at a moment’s notice and would be easily concealed or disguised. I imagine it was intended for discreet and covert use, but sadly, the Cold War ended. The Ares FMG never entered full production, but companies like Magpul and B&T were clearly influenced by the idea, as were the Russians and Ukrainians.
Spectre M4
The Spectre M4 wins the award for best-looking of the weird SMGs. It does look cool as hell. It’s also an interesting oddity. The Spectre M4 is a blowback-operated, closed-bolt 9mm submachine gun. That’s standard, but what’s not is the double-action design that integrates a striker-fired mechanism. After firing the first shot, double action, it reverts to a single-action design and has a decocker.
Wikipedia
The Spectre M4 uses a variety of magazines, including a coffin-shaped 50-round magazine. A front grip and top-folding stock topped the gun off. It’s an oddity, but the Spectre M4 was an efficient and effective firearm. Plenty were produced, and even some semi-auto-only variants made their way to the United States.
Weird SMGs and the 1980s
You gotta give it up for the 1980s. Submachine guns were on the way out, but they went with a bang rather than a meek little whimper. Things got a little weird, but weird is always good as far as I’m concerned.
I’ve been a big fan of 5.11 Tactical for several years now. Their products have never let me down, whether we’re talking about pants or packs. Their RUSH line of backpacks has been around for a bit now, but they’ve recently introduced a new colorway called Moonlight. After seeing the 5.11 RUSH 12 in the new colorway, I had to get one for myself.
The packs in the RUSH series are named after the number of hours each pack was designed to supply the user. The RUSH 12 is a 12-hour pack, whereas the RUSH 72 is more suited for a few days. The largest is the RUSH 100, which is a 60L pack.
For years, I used a RUSH 24 as my main pack. While it was a bit large for EDC, it served me just fine in that regard. I eventually passed it along to one of my sons. Recently, I found a need for a smaller pack, and the RUSH 12 turned out to be just the ticket.
RUSH 12 2.0 Specs
This is a 24L pack. The main compartment is 18 inches by 11 inches by 6.5 inches. There’s a 1.5L hydration pocket at the back of the pack that measures 16.5 inches by 10 inches.
There is one pocket on the front of the pack. It measures 12 inches by 9 inches by 1.75 inches.
The front pocket contains numerous small pouches and sleeves.
Empty, the RUSH 12 weighs 3.15 pounds. Not bad at all, especially for something this rugged and well-made.
Organizational Capabilities
One of the hallmarks of 5.11’s backpack line is its organizational capabilities. With the RUSH 12, you have a main compartment with a laptop sleeve. It will fit laptops up to 15 inches, and the sleeve is padded to protect the electronics. There are also two mesh pockets inside the main compartment.
Inside the main compartment are two large mesh pockets.
On the front, the lower zippered pocket has several internal slip and zippered pockets, along with an admin panel. Above, there is a second zippered pocket. There’s a hidden CCW compartment with Velcro closure as well. It’s designed such that you can quickly and easily access the contents. At the very top of the pack is a fleece-lined zippered pocket for your sunglasses.
The front and side have MOLLE webbing for those who want to add additional pouches or other accoutrements. That said, I feel like adding things to the outside of this particular pack defeats the purpose and intent behind it. This is quite literally a day pack. While you could pile on extras, for my money, I’d rather get the RUSH 24 or RUSH 72 if more space is needed.
The front of the pack features MOLLE webbing.
The New Moonlight Colorway
I’m really liking the new Moonlight colorway. It’s not just handsome, but practical. In the prepper world, there’s a school of thought that says a tactical pack makes it look like you’re carrying something worth stealing, especially in a major crisis. While I don’t necessarily agree with that line of thinking, as in a bad situation any pack will be assumed to contain something of value, I can’t argue with the notion of striving for a Gray Man approach.
It’s unassuming, yet loaded with great features and quality construction. Photo credit: 5.11 Tactical.
And that’s precisely what you get with this Moonlight colorway. It’s unassuming and definitely lacks a tactical feel. Plus, I’ll admit I have a thing for blue gear.
RUSH 12 2.0 Performance
I used the RUSH 12 on a couple of trips recently. It was comfortable on my back and generally performed very well. On one trip, I used it to hold a day’s worth of clothes and some other gear. It had just enough space, but it was admittedly a tight fit for everything. If it had been winter rather than summer, there may have been problems getting all of the clothing inside.
I love the organizational capabilities of the RUSH packs. So many little pockets and such that help keep everything easy to find. I hate having to rummage through the main compartment of a pack to find small items that have worked their way to the bottom.
Even the 5.11 logo is subdued.
The RUSH 12 is a great EDC pack. It’ll hold your laptop and other work items, along with some preparedness gear, as you go about your day.
I appreciate two things in the gun world: weird guns and shotguns. Combining the two is, to me, the Reese’s Cups of firearms. While many people doomscroll social media, I doomscroll various Wikis, examining guns I’ve never heard of. As a weird shotgun enthusiast, I’ve noticed South Africa is a hot spot for unusual shotgun designs.
Why? I can’t really say. Most of the weird designs date to the 1990s. I’m not sure if there was a shotgun resurgence in South Africa in the 1990s, or if it was just one of those strange coincidences. Either way, I’ve found four fairly bizarre shotguns from South Africa. I aimed to find five, but unfortunately, you’re stuck with just four.
I’m not going in any specific order, but the first model is likely the oddest and, honestly, my favorite. Sadly, none of these are widely produced or available these days; if they were, I’d have a pile of them.
Techno Arms MAG-7
Techno Arms is such a great name for a 1990s gun company. They produced the MAG-7. The MAG-7 is what happens when you want your Uzi to fire shotgun rounds, and I love it, especially the original short-barreled shotgun models. The gun uses a magazine that fits in the grip, and as you’d imagine, it uses a proprietary 12-gauge cartridge.
The shells were 60mm long, or approximately 2.36 inches overall. These short shells allowed for a reasonable grip, but they’re still way bigger than most people prefer. A five-round magazine in the grip makes the MAG-7 quite small in its original configuration. A top-folding stock kept the gun compact when necessary, and the 12.6-inch barrel kept things maneuverable.
Forgotten Weapons
The MAG-7 is a pump-action design, and it directly encouraged “poor” trigger discipline. If you racked the gun with your finger flat on the receiver and off the trigger, it would be impacted by the pump moving rearward. Some of the ergonomics were odd, especially the safety, the trigger was known to be quite heavy, and ultimately, the gun was never highly successful.
These weird shotguns were imported to the United States in civilian-legal designs with 18-inch barrels, but they are exceedingly rare.
Armsel Striker
South Africa’s most famous weird shotguns are the Armsel Striker series. The Armsel Striker was designed by a Rhodesian named Hilton Walker. Hilton Walker emigrated to South Africa and produced the Striker. The Striker is essentially a massive double-action revolver that fires 12-gauge rounds.
The gun held 12 rounds, which was a ton of ammo for that era. The Striker had a short 12-inch barrel and a top-folding stock. This provided a compact package.
D&B Militaria
The Striker was a bit cumbersome. The trigger was heavy even with the manually wound cylinder clockwork spring. Empty shells had to be punched out by an ejection rod one at a time. Various models of the Striker would be produced to correct these flaws. The Protecta added an auto-cartridge ejection design. The Protecta Bulldog was a super small, stockless variant of the gun.
The gun made it to America and was produced by Sentinel Arms as the Striker-12, and Cobray produced the famed Street Sweeper model. These guns were banned by the Treasury Secretary and regulated as destructive devices.
NeoStead 2000
The NeoStead 2000 was designed in the 1990s but didn’t enter production until the 2000s, thus the name. The NeoStead 2000 did KelTec before KelTec made it cool. These weird shotguns used dual tube magazines that each held six rounds of ammo. The NeoStead 2000 also used a bullpup format.
Beyond that, the tubes were top-mounted. The gun opened like a double barrel to access the tubes and chamber. This made it easy to load the gun in its unusual configuration. It keeps getting weirder: instead of going back and forth like a normal pump shotgun, the pump goes forward and rearward.
That’s quite nice for a bullpup shotgun since your hand isn’t going to slide forward in front of the barrel when working the action. There seems to be a degree of thought put behind the gun.
The NeoStead 2000 looks like it came from the future and operates like it came from the future. It’s a weird shotgun that’s super quirky. I would love to get hands-on to see if the unusual configuration makes any sense and could challenge conventional shotgun operation. A few of these guns have made it to the States, but they are very rare.
The Jumbo
The Jumbo is our final entry into the weird shotguns of South Africa. This isn’t an original design. It’s clearly a clone of the High Standard Model 10B. It’s a bullpup, semi-auto shotgun that feeds from a tube magazine. The High Standard model premiered in the 1960s, but it’s tough to tell when the Jumbo came about.
DeactivatedGuns.UK
Only 36 were ever produced, and I can only find one reference book that promises information but seems to be out of production. The Jumbo effectively cloned the High Standard to a near “T.” This includes the rotating stock for firing it, braced against your bicep. The front sight folds, and there are dual charging handles as well.
Much like the High Standard, I doubt it was all that reliable. Since there are only 36 of them, it’s easier to find a High Standard than a Jumbo.
Weird Shotguns Rule
I really want a MAG-7, a NeoStead, and a Striker. I have a High Standard, so the Jumbo can get “Dumbo’ed.” These weird shotguns all tried something a little different, and the Striker was even a successful gun by all accounts. Sadly, unless I hit the lottery and some collections come to auction, I don’t see it happening.
