The Cobalt Kinetics Muzzle Device: 2.75 inches

By

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November 13, 2023

If you’re thinking about building a 13.7 inch barreled rifle for close range rifle work such as competitions or training, this is the article for you.

First, let’s do some quick math. If I have a 13.7 inch barrel, what do I need to permanently attach to make an overall length of 16 inches? Good work, at least a 2.3 inch muzzle device. Which as you may know, there isn’t a crazy large amount of these on the market.

Note: I did find a list of over 2.3″ devices that a company graciously compiled back in 2021. Thank you bexararms.net.

Add Cobalt Kinetics to that list. The RCB-KM Deadair Keymo muzzle device eats recoil and allows for a deadair silencer to be attached. It is also 2.75″ long allowing for a 13.7 inch barrel to reach an overall length of 16 inches.

gun build, vltor a5, cobalt kinetics muzzle — This is a 13.7 inch build, now with the Cobalt Kinetics muzzle device it reaches an overall length of 16 inches. Notice the VLTOR A5 buffer system. Pair this with the muzzle device and there is virtually no recoil.

The Muzzle Device

COBALT KINETICS RCB-KM DEAD AIR KEYMO®
Price: $107.76

Length: 2.75″
Weight: 6.2 oz
Material: 4140 Steel
Coating: Nitride
RC Hardness: 32-34 RC
Tread pitch: 1/2X28 tpi & 5/8X28 tpi
Calibers: 5.56 X 45mm (NATO) & .30 Cal

Installation

It was pretty easy to install. Shims did come with the device and each shim size was nicely labeled and separated out.

The RCB-KM deadair muzzle device has flats that will accept an armorers wrench for easy install. This is a midwest industries armorers wrench.

Now pin and welding, that’s a different story.

To make an overall barrel length of 16 inches from a 13.7 inch barrel, there will need to be a permanent modification done, i.e. a pin and welded muzzle device to the barrel. There are a few things to take into account when getting a pin and weld done.

You don’t have to use your “local gunsmith”. There are a multitude of companies that you can purchase a pin and weld service online from that are very very good. Simply box up your upper in a non firearm looking box and send it off to the company. Easy and legal. One of these being Dwilsonmfg.
If the pin and weld is done poorly or without the proper tools it can damage your muzzle device and your barrel. The drill bit should just barely go into the barrel. Poor pin and welds will go too deep into the barrel damaging the barrel.
The weld is important. If the weld is done poorly it will be hard to remove the device if you ever want to replace it.
A hand drill is not a proper tool if you’re paying for a service. The drilling should be done with a mill.

The Recoil Build

The goal of a 13.7 inch rifle is to be able to move quickly from target to target whether that is running or just shifting the gun. To do this, not only does the length and weight matter, but also the recoil system. The RCB-KM eats recoil. Now pair that with a Vltor A5 recoil system and you have a very flat shooting gun. This allows for faster follow up shots and finding your sight picture faster.

Uses

So where do these shorter builds shine? Well, in matches that involve quick target engagements and even in some long range gas gun matches.

2gun: Many local clubs will run 2 gun matches. Often a non-sanctioned club match, these matches involve close range engagements with both a pistol and a rifle. There may be some 200-300 yard engagements however many are running red dots on their rifles so the vast majority of the engagements are inside 25 yds. Speed is the goal here.
RPGI night matches: These day-night matches directed by RPGI have blown up. With a two on paper scoring scheme and fast close range targets, a shorter carbine fits the bill. Don’t forget the white light! Keep an eye out for these matches. It’s not shocking that 150 shooters want to show up to a match that has physical challenges, 7 stages in the day, and then 7 more at night. NVG or white light is allowed.
Precision Gas Gun Matches: Yes, even a short gun can do work at long range gas gun matches. There are a few options for shooting long range matches such as under Quantified Performance or within the IWI Gas Gun Challenge.

rpgi night match shooter — This picture was taken at the last RPGI day nite match in West Virginia. Small carbines are great to run at these matches. This shooter was using night vision

Guns 101 – The Manual Safety and Revolvers – What’s The Deal

By

Travis Pike

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November 13, 2023

Have you ever read a book and had the writer describe a character flicking the safety off of a revolver? Maybe it’s been a piece of dialogue in a terrible action flick. Or maybe they pull the revolver, and you hear the click of the safety disengaging, and you know it’s a safety because your wife can’t watch TV without subtitles. If you’re new to guns, you might not realize that the vast majority of revolvers have no form of manual safety.

In fact, in the modern era, most handguns these days don’t have a manual safety, but revolvers especially lack safeties and practically always have. That doesn’t mean you can’t find a revolver with a safety. It just means it’s going to be fairly hard to do so. That being said, let’s explore the idea of a manual safety on a revolver, highlight some actual examples, and why revolvers, by and large, don’t have manual safeties.

The Safety You Can’t See

First and foremost, almost all modern revolvers do have a safety device. If you don’t look, you can’t see it, and it’s a transfer bar system. Modern revolvers have something called a transfer bar. A transfer bar removes the firing pin from the hammer and places it on the frame of the gun. Between the hammer and the firing pin sits something known as a transfer bar.

If you look at your revolver, the hammer can’t quite reach the firing pin. It needs an extension. The transfer bar is that extension. When the trigger is pulled, the trigger presses the transfer bar upwards, and the hammer strikes the transfer bar, which then strikes the firing pin and fires the gun.

If the trigger is not pulled, the gun cannot fire. This safety prevents the weapon from firing unless the trigger is pulled. This makes them drop safe and much safer than revolvers of old. Carriers of guns like the Colt Single Action Army used to keep the hammer down on an empty chamber before the transfer bar existed. In the vast majority of modern revolvers, the transfer bar system is a safety device.

With that said, I have seen some replicas of older revolvers, like the Colt SAA, that lack the transfer bar, so keep that in mind.

Some Revolvers Have a Manual Safety

Some revolvers do have external safeties. The only current production revolver I know of that has an external safety is the Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider revolver. These ber cheap rimfire revolvers are popular first guns, and there can be an argument that new, especially young, shooters can benefit from a manual safety. These are certainly not defensive revolvers.

S&W released a revolver called the Centennial in the 1950s. The Centennial, oddly enough, has a grip safety. This was the first and last time we saw S&W use a grip safety on their revolvers. It seemed like an odd design choice and was one that was quickly let go.

Way back in 1895, Webley-Fosbery released a semi-auto revolver known as the Weblet-Fosbery Self-Cocking Automatic Revolver. It was a recoil-operated revolver that automatically cocked the gun to single action with every shot. Because it self-cocked and had a single action trigger, it was fit with a manual thumb safety.

Why Don’t Modern Revolvers Have Safeties?

Why don’t we see modern defensive revolvers with safeties, especially a manual safety devices? Mainly because they aren’t needed. A modern defensive revolver is a double action design, and the long heavy trigger pull is a safety device unto itself.

If you are capable of following the four rules of firearm safety, a revolver with a manual safety seems silly. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to fire. Make sure your revolver has a transfer bar. Use a holster that covers the entire trigger of the revolver. Boom, if you can do that, you don’t need a manual safety.

Gunday Brunch 126: Battle Rifle Hot-Crazy Matrix

By

Keith Finch

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November 12, 2023

If you’re not familiar with the Hot/Crazy Matrix, you need to fix that right away. Today the boys are all back, and we’re rating battle rifles on the hot/crazy scale. Is your favorite too crazy for its level of hotness? Find out.

A Thank You For Honorable Service

By

Keith Finch

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November 11, 2023

Happy Veterans Day to all my fellow vets out there. Happy hangover recovery for my Marines. My head hurts too.

Go get you some delicious discounted food, but tip your server the full amount! Don’t be a cheap ass.

Now, is it just me or does this Veteran’s day feels… different?

It’s been hard to put into words, but with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza flaring, after the twenty year fight in Afghanistan so disastrously closing, it just feels hard. It’s hard to be a GWOT Era veteran who either deployed, or supported our brothers and sisters who deployed to harms way, and see so little to show for those efforts. We didn’t get treated like Vietnam vets back in the day, but we’re lost as to what we spent all the effort on. It is hard to see the war flaring again, and another war in Europe that we’d been promised was done with the close of the Cold War.

This is hard to watch for veterans right now.

It’s even harder to watch the active military struggling with so many compounded issues. From the brass blaming their troops for housing problems, to the recruiting crisis as the military wholesale abandoned its core mission of being the honed weapon of the United States for some nebulous DEI friendly outlook antithetical to its core missions and personnel, it is rough to serve and rough to be a vet who has served.

Serving was never easy, but the real crux of the matter is that the hardest parts about serving started to become the parts that the men and women in uniform shouldn’t have to worry about. Getting paid on time, having their family’s taken care of and moved properly, traveling on orders being covered and not bankrupting a service member, having gear that works, being able to schedule and access the services that are benefits to them, being fed or allowed to feed themselves when they are on posts in first world nations for pity’s sake. None of these things should be stressing the service member so that they have the bandwidth to train and work on the hard and dangerous points of their job.

The military has done a bang up job tarnishing their image as a desirable place of employment in numerous ways. But to those serving who do try their damnedest every day to make it work and keep their troops well, I see you too. The behemoth of the DoD isn’t making your lives easy either, as you try and cover down on your troops and their welfare while keeping them mission ready.

And to young people who are looking at serving as an option, don’t let our burned out seething keep you from considering it. There are still a mountain of benefits to serving, you can make it a rewarding career, you can do good work and work with fantastic people. But it is hard. In a lot of ways it is hardest in all the ways it should not be. But it is a serious choice and for some of you it could be a damn good one.

Alright, off my rant box here.

Thank you for your service.

I mean that in the most heartfelt way, to all of you alive who served in each of the eras of our nation’s need. Thank you. To you who showed up each day, good and bad, and got your jobs done. Thank you. To those of you who were chosen and stepped up to lead, and train, and take care of your teams, even if it cost you sleep, money, and personal time. Thank you.

You who honorably served and showed up to take your place in the profession of arms in this nation…

Thank you.

248 Years – Happy Birthday, USMC!

By

Keith Finch

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November 10, 2023

The Tenth of November, 1775…

The Continental Congress authorized the raising of two battalions of Marines. In the 248 years since, the United States Marines have served as a special and conventional mission force capable of rapid world wide deployment. Their official specialization is amphibious infantry in conjunction with US Naval forces and able to project the will and might of the United States wherever they can be landed.

In modern context, this turns every carrier battle group with a MEU attached to it into one of the most powerful independent military forces on the planet. A MEU backed by a carrier strike group is capable of air, land, and sea dominance anywhere in the world.

Happy Birthday Marines. Especially to the CENTCOM group who did not get to have their traditional birthday celebration due to the world being in a… spicy state at the moment.

The Oft Forgotten Bushmaster Assault Rifle

By

Travis Pike

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November 9, 2023

-RARE-Gwinn-Bushmaster-Assault-Rifle-5-56mm_101575083_70986_BC8A315D3C4B237B — (Guns International)

In the last decade or so, if you heard the term Bushmaster, you’d likely relate it to some very subpar rifles put out by the ‘Freedom Group.’ Freedom Group, owned by Cerberus Capital Management, was the same death-dealing group that killed AAC, Remington, H&R, Marlin, and a few more. Prior to Freedom Group, Bushmaster was a fairly respected name in the world of AR rifles. They’ve been around for decades, but the first Bushmaster wasn’t an AR. It was known as the Bushmaster Assault Rifle.

Before Bushmaster was called Bushmaster, it was called Gwinn Firearms. Mack Gwinn Jr. founded Gwin Firearms after returning home from Vietnam. Gwinn was the real deal, and he served in the Special Forces as a captain.

He had some extensive knowledge of the Stoner 63 system and was a fan. When he came home and started his company, he designed the first Bushmaster Assault Rifle. It bears mentioning the Bushmaster Assault Rifle was not an assault rifle but simply carried that designation as a moniker. The Bushmaster Assault rifle would be produced by both Gwinn and later owners who changed the company name to Bushmaster.

Inside and Outside of the Bushmaster Assault Rifle

Gwinn saw that the future of firearms was rifles like the AR and AK series. This meant mixing modern materials like polymer and aluminum in the mix. Gwinn originally used cast aluminum, and later on, Bushmaster would use stamped sheet metal for the upper. Regardless of who was in charge, the flowers were made from aluminum.

The Bushmaster Assault Rifle was modern for the era. It mixed the controls of the AR-15 with the long-stroke gas piston system of the AK-47.

The rifle utilizes an AR safety and magazine release as well as an AR fire control group. It used AR-15 magazines as well. The sights functioned much like AR sights of the era but were not stacked on a carry handle. The barrel was 18 inches long and topped with a birdcage-style flash suppressor. These days, that sounds long, but in this era, the 20-inch barrel was standard. It was basically an M1 carbine-length barrel on a 5.56 rifle.

The Bushmaster Assault Rifle came in a couple of variants. Early models came with plain wood furniture. Later models have black painted wood. Another model featured a simplistic metal folding stock. A magnet held the folded stock closed.

The rifle has a reciprocating charging handle that, much like the AK, is connected to a long-stroke gas piston system that sits above the barrel and receiver. It sits on the left side of most Bushmaster Assault rifles. There are some variances depending on who owns the company and the design. When Gwinn owned the design, the charging handles were on the top of the gun.

The Long Stroke Piston Of It

Gwinn had used the Stoner 63 in Vietnam and was seemingly a fan of the design, which is what likely encouraged him to utilize the long-stroke gas piston system. Mixing in AR-like controls makes sense logistically since they were available to the average Joe.

It’s not like the Stoner 63 was on the shelves of Western Auto. Plus, the M16’s controls were super ergonomic for the era. Keep in mind most guns in this era were still using World War 2 like ergonomics, like the AK and M14.

Another good reason to stick to the long-stroke gas piston system was that direct impingement and the M16 didn’t have a great reputation in this era. The DOD mucked up the release of the M16 so badly that it took decades of fighting the GWOT to change people’s minds on the reliability of the platform.

The guns didn’t have a great reputation for reliability anyway. They weren’t known to be problem-free mass-produced rifles. They tended to have a fairly poor reputation. However, they did tend to shoot nicely and were fairly accurate guns all around. Bushmaster tried to market the weapon, and at this time, Colt owned the rights to the AR-15, so it was seen as an alternative.

However, once the AR015 design package lost its protections, Bushmaster pivoted towards the AR-15 and away from the Bushmaster Assault Rifle. Being a small company makes it tough to produce a new firearm design, and the Bushmaster Assault Rifle is evidence of that.

Vet Sources

By

The Suited Shootist

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November 9, 2023

It’s really important to approach information with a little skepticism and a critical mind. Just because someone did XYZ job doesn’t necessarily mean they have the expertise to comment on a given subject. Over the last 6 months or so, I’ve seen an uptick of folks with impressive resumes putting out bad information on several subjects related to the defensive world. It’s troubling because a lot of folks will take their commentary as an endorsement, without doing any deeper research of their own. In most of these instances, I choose to chalk it up to knowledge bias: They’re so accomplished that stuff seems easy or obvious to them that might be more difficult for us “regular earth people”. You spend enough time around enough highly capable people, and it’s easy to get an inflated view of what base-level abilities are. Defensive driving & correcting a skid are probably a lot easier for Mario Andretti than it is for you or me. Unfortunately, there are those out there that appear to be trying to capitalize on their backgrounds for their own gain, and aren’t interested in the quality of the info they’re putting out as long as it turns into more sales. Thankfully, they’re easy to spot. Regardless of who your chosen experts are, it still bears asking “why do they have this opinion?”. If their explanation stops at “Because I was X”, that’s just a fancy way of saying “because I said so”, which is an unacceptable answer in my opinion. If someone takes exception to being challenged (provided you’re not being a dick about it), that is probably a clue. Please be selective about who gets your money, as well as your intellectual and emotional resources. We are in the golden age of good information that’s readily accessible. We owe it to ourselves to create a non-permissive environment for derp and myth.

Ban State Friendly Home Defense

By

Travis Pike

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November 8, 2023

So you’ve found yourself in a state that bans certain weapons due to their cosmetic features. Oof, that sucks. You might be feeling boxed in when it comes to your firearm’s selection. It seems like your choices are fairly limited by your ban state. You have pump-action shotguns and handguns with neutered capacities. That sucks, so today, we have a few suggestions that defy the norm and will give you at least a few extra options you might not have considered.

As of this writing, most states that have assault weapons bans have magazine capacity bans, so this also creates a situation where we still have to deal with ten rounds or so. With that in mind, let’s look at a few alternatives that take us beyond pump shotguns and handguns.

The Henry Homesteader or Ruger PC Carbine

A 9mm carbine in a traditional layout is an easy option for most ban states. The Henry Homesteader is essentially featureless and comes with a five and ten-round magazine. The Ruger PC Carbine is another PCC that does have a few options that are featureless, namely the original models of the carbine because the tactical models are too scary for ban states.

Either one of these guns is a great option for close-range home defense. While they both fire pistol rounds, they are rifles and offer you the stability and precision of a rifle platform. Both guns are light and fairly short and fire the very common 9mm round.

Obtaining ten-round magazines isn’t tough for either platform. Both have modular mag wells, and you can swap to Glock mags, which are likely the easiest 10-rounders to find.

The Foxtrot Mike Ranch Rifle

Foxtrot Mike is now producing an AR-15 lower receiver that’s similar to the old FightLite SCR lower. It does seem like the Ranch Rifle lower is easier to obtain than the SCR these days. The Ranch Rifle gives the AR-15 lower a more traditional, pistol grip-free rifle design that doesn’t look like an abomination.

The Foxtrot Mike Ranch Rifle lower allows you to skip most of the silly ban requirements. You might need to use an unthreaded barrel or a brake instead of a flash hider, depending on the state. The Ranch Rifle uses a Magpul SGA stock that makes it super ergonomic and easy to handle.

Toss on a 5.56 upper, and you have an ergonomic, lightweight, and very effective platform. Inside the home, 5.56 is tough to beat, and since the AR is so common, you can find all manner of parts and pieces for it.

The Mini 14

The classic Mini 14, the gun subject to many accurate memes comparing AR-15s and Mini 14s and stating how they are very similar, but one is banned, and the other is not. It’s true. Both are lightweight, semi-auto rifles that chamber the 5.56 caliber round, although some Mini 14s are chambered for the .223 Remington. The Mini 14 is also a magazine-fed rifle with low recoil and easy handling.

Ruger makes several models, and while the tactical variants and the collapsing stock models will likely be a no-go, the standard models with wood or even polymer stocks are featureless under most bans. This makes them an excellent AR alternative for home defense.

The 5.56/.223 Remington variants are likely the best choice, but the Mini 30 model in 7.62×39 or the .300 Blackout option will serve you well. Make your memes a reality.

Henry Big Boy X Series

In case you want to root and toot, then a lever gun isn’t a bad home defense option. Lever guns are manually operated, and the vast majority do not take removable magazines. Guns like the Henry Big Boy X are modernized for the defensive role and throw powerful, hard-hitting rounds like the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt.

A rail and a couple of M-LOK slots make adding accessories easy. The rifles are tapped and ready for an optic and rails. Lever actions aren’t as fast as semi-autos, but with practice, they can be pretty darn fast. The close-range rounds they far tend to be good options for defensive use, especially with the right projectile.

Henry is well known for making quality guns, and the Big Boy X series is a step up from wood and octagonal barrels into the modern era. Plus, you get to play tactical cowboy!

SRM 1216

I know so far we’ve had nothing but rifles but consider a shotgun. A shotgun that holds 16 rounds in a detachable magazine but isn’t hit with ban state laws. That detachable magazine is technically four magazines, specifically four tubes that rotate to feed the gun. That’s the SRM 1216.

Obviously the SBS versions are a no go, but the main model is ready to rock (SRM ARMS)

This semi-auto shotgun is a roller-delayed shotgun. The shotgun is remarkably underrated and one beast of a weapon. It can be converted for left or right-handed use and is shorter than most shotguns due to a bullpup-like format. It’s more Uzi-like than a traditional bullpup.

It’s slick and easy to use, with excellent ergonomics. Adding lights and optics isn’t a challenge, and the gun looks too cool to be so effective. It’s an American design, and American built. Shotguns are very capable defensive firearms, and this one doesn’t slack in ammunition capacity. At the same time, it’s still ban state friendly.

Ban Ban States

Ever since the original AWB, the idea behind banning guns by cosmetic features has been the modus operandi for the anti-civil rights crowd. Luckily, the pro-gun side seems to be winning, and hopefully, articles like this become relics of a dark time. Until then, there is no reason to put your family and home at risk. Protect yourselves, practice your rights as much as you can, and, as always, keep fighting.

You Might Unknowingly Be A Cosplayer

By

The Suited Shootist

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November 8, 2023

When most people think of “cosplay” they’ll think of the folks that get dressed up for the Renaissance Festival or a comic book convention. The truth is that cosplay is way more common than that. For some folks their cosplay is insisting on a full duty loadout, even though they work a white collar office job. For others it’s that they say their pocket knife is a defensive tool, even if they’ve done 0 edged weapons training. For others still it’s something entirely different, and they go full ham trying to elevate their style by immediately jumping to jackets & ties in bold colors & patterns. The common thread among all of these is a desire to immediately rush out and buy a solution without the requisite level of thought & analysis. Mission drives the gear train, and METT-TC is a thing.

Camping Food From the Survival Stash

By

Dr LateBloomer

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November 8, 2023

Even though it’s getting a little cold for camping right now, planning for what foods you would take on such a trip can be good preparation for a potential bug-out situation. Dealing with cooking for one person while camping can be a challenge, but with a little planning and imagination you can have healthy single-serve meals which don’t cost and arm and a leg and don’t cause food waste.

Cooking Methods

I have done very little campfire cooking on my jaunts, mostly because it can be a pain to mess with and most designated campgrounds here in the east don’t want you to bring your own wood due to risk of transporting pests such as Spotted Lanternfly . At eight bucks or more per bundle, buying firewood on-site can get expensive fast – if it’s even available or there isn’t a burn ban.

I have therefore mostly defaulted to cooking on a portable camp stove with bottled fuel for the sake of convenience. A positive trade-off is that you get a lot of BTU’s for the space it takes up, and there is no “fire-building” to eat up time if you are in a hurry or it’s raining or you are really, really hungry. For me, a single burner butane stove works well for car camping. I’m not cooking breakfast for a family of five or a troop of scouts, and simple one-pot meals are my go-to. I also personally prefer the stability of a low, flat burner surface rather that balancing a pan up on a small diameter backpacking stove. But that’s just me. I tried the candle stove on my adventures, and although it does work, it is much slower than butane so I will save it for a back-up if I’m out of fuel.

Preparing Food Ahead of Time

Actual food-wise, campfire cooking usually involves fresh ingredients and a cooler for meat, eggs, etc. On the other end of the spectrum, freeze-dried backpacking type meals are very convenient although they often lose something in the flavor and texture department. They are also $uper Expen$ive and you still need a way to boil water.

The happy medium for me is using my home-dehydrated foods and a few canned goods. I don’t need a big cooler as this stuff is shelf stable. But I do need to make sure I have sufficient water to rehydrate my meals. It’s all good practice for a potential bug-out in case of emergency.

Yes, they make 12-volt fridges to plug into your car, and I have seen YouTubers with a power station large enough to run electric hot plates and coffeemakers (generating heat takes A LOT of power) but that level of power station is hugely expensive and very heavy. Whereas a butane burner costs about 30 bucks. I run a budget operation at this point.

But back to the food. Because I go camping on a budget I try to eat from my existing shelf stash without investing in specialty food items. I also supplement with some commercial shelf stable items. I’m talking cheap small serving things like single serve Spam, chicken Vienna sausages, some Knorr packaged rice mixes, and even a couple Hormel microwave bowls. It’s good practice to test out your food plan for SHTF or bug-out/evacuation scenarios. I’ve tried out a few different kinds of meals at this point, and these are things that have worked for me so far in cooking for a single person.

-Divide up pre-packaged rice mixes into serving size ziploc bags and adjust the water added accordingly. Write that volume on the bag so it’s there when you need to use it. This saves making more than you can eat and having to keep leftovers cool.

Divide up pre-packed mixes into servings.

-Home-can some meats in individual servings. I have found that canning turkey and venison in wide-mouth half-pint jars makes a nice single serving for me to take camping. Or you can use commercially canned meats – they are just more expensive.

-Dollar store carries single slice packets of Spam. It’s more expensive that way, but I also then don’t have leftovers that I need to keep cool.

-Dollar store carries mini cans of tuna salad and ham salad for lunches. Also more expensive, but also no leftovers. I HATE wasting food and these things are trade-offs in an emergency.

-Dollar store has small shelf-stable packets of Velveeta (no refrigeration) which are great for quick Mac n cheese or nachos or a Tex-mex rice bowl.

-Minute Rice saves stove fuel and can be pre-measured out in a ziploc for a single serving. Again, write the volume of water needed on the bag.

-Adding home dehydrated shredded or powdered veggies can boost the nutrition of that minute rice. Add a little extra water to take those into account.

-Home dehydrated hash browns can also be pre-measured and mixed with other dried veggies ( like peppers and onions) for breakfast hash.

Shredded potatoes with onions and peppers make great breakfast food.

-Spice mixes (like taco seasoning or powdered bullion) can be pre-measured and put in a pill bottle for one small batch.

-Consider individual packets of soy sauce and condiments to save cooler space. I made “salad dressing” out of a packet of malt vinegar from a fast food joint, combined with a packet of duck sauce from another joint and a squirt of olive oil I had along for cooking, shook it up in a pill bottle and it was delicious!

Garden veggies in the summer with “free” salad dressing.

Take these suggestions and use your imagination this winter for ways to utilize your home-dehydrated and shelf stable food stash to make portable simple meals for camping or emergencies.

The 5.11 Tactical Maxgrip Trainers

By

Travis Pike

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November 7, 2023

Coming into the beginning of summer, I had a problem. I had started taking workouts more seriously and doing dedicated programs rather than just kind of winging it and changing my program every four weeks when I got bored. I outworked my dad-approved New Balances, and I needed new shoes. I need supportive shoes, tough shoes, and shoes with a good grip. Little did I know that my solution would come from a cargo pant enthusiast’s favorite source, 5.11 Tactical. The 5.11 Maxgrip Trainers were a solution to my problem.

I had a few problems, well, more specific problems. Namely, my feet hurt. I got hit with plantar fasciitis. Too many miles too fast resulted in near-constant pain in my left foot. I started with exercises and stretches but was also advised to change my shoes, so I did. Second, I run off-road and do lots of jumps on tires, and beyond. I would find myself slipping and needing more grip texture.

When I stumbled across the Maxgrip Trainers, I figured, why not? Trainers aren’t running shoes, but I don’t run that much compared to people who actually run. 5.11 Tactical was happy to send them for this review.

Breaking in the Maxgrip Trainers

The Maxgrip Trainers are tight-fitting at first. They aren’t necessarily sized small, but they don’t leave much, if any, slack. That’s not a bad thing. This helps prevent blisters and hotspots. The front of the shoes features a reinforced toe. It’s not metal but polymer, and for off-road running, that seemed great to me. Kicking rocks, literally, is a real pain.

On first wear, that polymer toe was not the best feature. When I did lunges, I felt it dig into and rub. After running two miles, the toe started to impact my actual toes. It was a bit discomforting, but preservation proved to be a good quality. The pain went away as I wore the shoes and broke them in. I’ve never had to break trainers in, but the Maxgrip can certainly use it. They loosened up a hair, making them easier to slip on.

Hitting the Pavement

Not pavement exactly, but a limestone road. I kept the slow increase of my miles, and my plantar fascitis slowly went away. I’m not saying the Maxgrip trainers cured me; that was likely the stretches and exercises, but the pain never came back. I kept up the exercises, but they weren’t doing much before I swapped shoes.

The shoes worked well on the limestone road. They provide a good deal of support, which a man my size needs. They don’t slack or give, and the thick soles prevent me from feeling the rocks, pebbles, and other crap beneath my feet as I rune. That front reinforced toe provides some significant protection, and it’s protection I appreciate.

Beyond running, they became my shoes for HIIT and lifting. The grip on the bottom is intense, and when doing box jumps and jump rope, the traction prevents slippage. That’s critical when you’re jumping up and down on a giant tractor tire. The Maxgrip name certainly lives up to its name.

Comfort and Beyond

The Maxgrip trainers are plenty comfortable. They have a good deal of support and a great insole. I typically toss the insoles and replace them, but I’m getting the 5.11 insoles around. The Maxgrip Trainers are solid shoes for high-intensity fitness. While they aren’t runners, they work fine for basic road work and sprints. When it comes to lifting and functional fitness, they are solid, high-quality shoes that dig deep and grip hard. Check them out here.

What’s the twist?

By

Keith Finch

-

November 7, 2023

If you are curious about barrel twist rates and what they mean in the grand scheme of what you look for your firearm to be able to accomplish, hit play and let 9-Hole take it away.

If you don’t have 10 minutes right now, come back to the video later and read on below.

Rifling

For those newer in the space, rifling is the swirling cuts you see in the steel as you look down the barrel. The terminology gets as deep as anything else in the firearm sphere but for our sake here we will keep it incredibly simple.

Rifling is there to spin the bullet so that it stabilizes in flight, think of a proper spin on a thrown football.

Rifling does this by interacting with the bullet jacket, the outer surface of the bullet is a little thicker than the inner diameter of the barrel. When pressure from the powder pushes the bullet down the barrel the rifling starts it spinning.

The spinning results in greater stability once it leaves the barrel and therefore greater accuracy.

Rifle Twist Rate

In the US you will usually see the twist rate posted as 1:7 or 1:10. Variations exist like 1 in 7 and 1/7 but they all in denote that the rifling completes one full revolution in the span of 7, 10, 12 inches. In most other nations they will use millimeters for twist and barrel length both. So a 16 inch, 1:7 twist barrel would be a 406mm, 1 in 177mm twist barrel.

Twist Rate to Bullet Weight

Bullets have a fixed diameter, they will be exactly as wide as needed to go down the barrel. The bullet will also have an ideal weight, based on the length and shape. That weight is what will work ideally with the rifle twist to stabilize the bullet during flight.

The rule of thumb is the heavier, and therefore longer, the bullet the faster/shorter the twist rate should generally be. That is an oversimplification but it isn’t an egregious one.

So heavier 5.56/.223 should use 1:7 or 1:8 instead of 1:9 or 1:12 and heavier .308 benefits from 1:10 while lighter can use 1:12. These are again generalizations and real world performance is real world performance.

Getting Into Glock Mag Extensions

By

David Reeder

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November 6, 2023

Mag Extensions, particularly Ergonomic Base Pads (EBP), are critical for those looking to improve their Glock’s capacity without compromising performance. These enhancements are essential in scenarios where reloading speed is key, such as competitive shooting or other more serious shooting scenarios.

Balancing The Pros and The Cons of Mag Extensions

The primary goal of a mag extension is to add ammunition without hindering the pistol’s handling. The best extensions offer additional rounds while preserving the firearm’s balance and ease of use, ensuring that the modification is beneficial, not burdensome.

Ergonomics and Concealability

Ergonomics play a significant role in the effectiveness of a magazine extension. It should offer a secure grip and integrate well with the shooter’s hand, all while maintaining the firearm’s concealability. The right design will feel like a natural part of the pistol, even with the larger mag size.

Mag extensions like EBP are designed to optimize a Glock’s performance while aligning with the shooter’s preferences and needs. Choosing the right magazine extension, though, involves a thoughtful assessment of capacity and ergonomic design. You should always ensure anything you add to your kit enhances the shooting experience efficiently and comfortably.

An intelligent choice requires considering several factors:

Ergonomic Grip vs. Concealability: The extension should provide a better grip without detracting from the weapon’s concealability.
Model Compatibility: Check that the extension is suitable for various Glock models for versatility.
Build Quality: Opt for materials that promise durability without unnecessary bulk.
Reloading Performance: Look for designs that ensure swift and reliable magazine changes, especially under duress.

Enter The GripForce EBP

The GripForce EBP offers Glock enthusiasts a blend of functional enhancements and practical advantages. GripForce EBP offers Glock owners a combination of available enhancements and practical benefits.

The GripForce increases the magazine capacity by five additional rounds, which can be a significant factor for users requiring more ammunition. The design of the GripForce EBP includes an ergonomic grip surface, which aims to improve the user’s hold and comfort during use.

Capacity and Convenience

The magazine extension increases the capacity without adding excessive bulk to the firearm, allowing more rounds to be carried discreetly.

Ease of installation is a primary feature of the GripForce EBP, as it is designed to be attached without needing specialized tools or professional gunsmithing. The durability is also one of the major selling points; it also comes with a non-reflective finish, which some users might find suitable. This combination of increased capacity, ergonomic design, and accessible installation positions the GripForce EBP as a significant upgrade for the Glock platform. Certainly, it is a solid option to consider!

Upgrading Your Glock Mag Extensions

Magazine extensions have become an essential consideration for Glock owners seeking additional ammunition capacity beyond what the standard magazine offers. When contemplating such upgrades, it is important to assess how they will affect the firearm’s balance, grip, and ease of carrying, ensuring that the handling qualities of the Glock are maintained or enhanced.

Compatibility is also a key factor; it is vital to ensure that the extension is specifically designed to fit your Glock model to avoid any potential fitting issues. Moreover, the build quality cannot be overlooked—the materials and construction must be robust enough to withstand the demands of regular use without compromising the structural integrity of the weapon.

For those in the market for a magazine extension, a thorough approach is recommended. This includes researching and potentially testing various models to ensure the chosen extension enhances the Glock’s performance without compromising its design.

Gunday Brunch 125: CCW for Parents Pt 2

By

Keith Finch

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November 5, 2023

Welcome back to part 2 of Caleb’s interview with Melody Lauer of Citizen’s Defense Research! In this episode they take an even deeper dive into CCW tips for parents. If you’d like to train with Melody, you can! Just search for “Citizens Defense Research Eventbrite” on google

Like Background Checks and Gun Free Zones, Police Notifications [AKA “Red Flag Laws”] Fail All The Time – Maine

By

Keith Finch

-

November 4, 2023

“Suspect was known to Maine Authorities.”

This headline and variations of it are common out of Maine, as more information about the shooter’s actions leading up to his attacks on the bowling alley and bar where he killed 18 people and wounded 13 others severely with gunfire, is torn apart and examined.

Card, the shooter, was a career length Army reservist of Staff NCO (E-7, Sergeant First Class) rank and some manner of shooting instructor. He made threats against a Reserve or National Guard station in September. The Center followed up with police who then attempted to find Card… for about 2 weeks. They stopped when they couldn’t find him.

This was the nightmare scenario that pro-gun advocates dread. One of “our own” (at least on paper to anti-2A types) going rogue and causing a mass causality event. But the more we learn the more this looks like yet another failure of the authorities, perhaps an unavoidable one, to do the things they continue to promise the public they can do. But they cannot, it is physically and digitally impossible to do.

Card then shot 31 people.

Background Check

Robert Card was, until that attack, a citizen “in good standing” and probably owned several firearms as an instructor. Even with threats leveled against the Saco, Maine military instillation, the specifics of which I do not know but prompted the notice from Maine Army National Guard, none of that changes the prior clearance to purchase or the otherwise professional background of the man.

A background check, no matter how universal you want to pretend it is, would not be able to prevent this. The checks were already done and passed.

He was also recently denied a silencer transfer at the point of sale. I do not know if he answered the 4473 or the Form 4 as prohibited, but one of them terminated the process. There is, however, no follow up on prohibited transfers that do not happen, there just isn’t. It is far too common an event and usually amounts to nothing. NICS false positive rates are absurdly high, especially for initial denials. Improper record keeping accounts for a dramatic percentage of the denials. Mistakes on paperwork account for another massive chunk. But in the end, Card did not get the silencer due to the gun shop employee actions.

In Card’s attempted silencer purchase it was his own answer on the form that denied him the transfer at the point of sale. Not a background check, no governmental authority checked for his mental health institutionalization, he volunteered that information. The background check system certainly “didn’t work” to stop him from the governmental end.

Side note: Anyone claiming that the silencer purchase would have made things tremendously worse is a moron, unworthy of giving an opinion on the subject. A “silenced” 5.56 rifle shot at short distance, indoors, is still uncomfortably loud and getting shot at at interior distances is hard to mistake.

Gun Free Zones

Both the bowling alley and the bar were gun free zones. That fact did nothing to prevent the attack. It was ignored as easily as a speed limit sign. It is just a written rule. People ignore written rules all the time. Unless the premises has an enforcement mechanism that rule is effectively a polite suggestion. Nothing more.

Red Flag Law

I’ve seen it written a few places that Maine doesn’t have a “Red Flag Law” and that this is what failed to prevent the tragedy. They have a colloquially titled “Yellow Flag Law” which seems to function exactly the same.

Let’s break this down.

Card was treated for something at a mental facility for a two week period during the summer. This seems to have been involuntary, but no confirmation. If it was involuntary he became a prohibited possessor federally at that time. This does not mean any action was initiated by the authorities to remove firearms, merely that he was now required to answer ‘yes’ like he did on his silencer application to the mental health question.

When he leveled the shooting threat against the Maine National Guard station, this behavior was acted upon by the police. That is how a red flag law works. Concerning behavior, reported behavior, court backed law enforcement action to attempt intervention.

But the police never made contact with Card, after two weeks the attempts were shelved and the case was closed as incomplete, no contact with suspect, and so forth, as much as the police had for information on their attempts.

That is the hard limit of an ERPO or any other preventative. They require the resources and interaction to enforce. It is in all other respects just the polite suggestion of society.

Will gun laws change?

There is certainly a current push for both “Universal Background Checks” which are the most likely effort to be put in place, and an assault weapon ban. But with an assault weapon ban on life support in California, the oldest version of the law in the nation, that avenue is most likely political grand standing and base appeasement, not the concerted efforts for a legislative push. The government is also rather hit and miss on its message of arming civilians as it pushes arms to Ukraine, which definitely armed civilians, and Israel, who was warned not to arm civilians with its delivered armaments.

Into that quagmire we are most likely to see much harrumphing and beating of chests, but little to endanger democrat reelection efforts needing to be ramped up next year in a dicey economy and with unpopularity and strife points across many spaces.