The PP-19 Bizon and the FN P90 came from a theory and generation of submachine guns that emphasized maximum capacity and minimum space. The ergonomics of a smooth reload didn’t make the list of considerations. The reloads were able to be done and that was pretty much that. That compares in ill favor to what we have nowadays where the reload ergonomics are absolutely a major part of our control scheme designs.
So Garand Thumbs gun video on the PP-19 complete, why did we delve down this high capacity slow reload line of design?
Simple, we were gambling. Balancing is really the proper term, we were balancing the likelihood we shot through an entire magazine while still in contact with an active threat and therefore requiring a reload with the troops and missions these little guns excelled at. The P90 has 66% more ammunition on deck than the MP5 or AR-15. The PP-19 Bizon, in its native 9×18, has 113% more (64 rounds) and the type of fight these guns were meant for was the one magazine engagement and the well supplemented gunfight.
One Magazine Engagement
What is that?
You already know actually, at least one version. The home defense shoot is nearly universally a one magazine engagement. Even against multiple attackers a single standard capacity magazine is going to resolve the fight with the assailants stopped or fleeing. Prolonged gunfights are a true superminority outside the purview of organizations in conflict.
The P90 and Bizon are excellent examples of relying on an over standard capacity to carry the fact that the reload, if necessary, can be done administratively/tactically between fighting sequences as opposed to in the middle of a gunfight. Even in professional PSD type work (the Secret Service likes the 50 round P90 comparatively to the 15-20-30-32 round 9mm guns like the UZI and MP5.
Well Supplemented Gunfight
Here we get back to the fact that the PDW is meant more for vehicle crews in one of its principally designed rolls, therefore the folks using these high capacity yet slower to reload weapons have supplemental protection in many cases.
They’re in something with a much bigger gun.
Armed and armored vehicle, helicopter, APC, whatever it happens to be they can roll with the support of a much bigger gun and the little PDW fills in the gaps.
High Capacity Today
With Magpul and a few others releasing high reliability high capacity magazines for 5.56 and 7.62 carbines, the niche of guns like the Bizon and P90 has narrowed even further. Instead of relying on a PDW style gun with an overcharged magazine to make certain you don’t run out of on rounds when that would be highly inconvenient, the reliable drum magazines give that same capability with full power rifle rounds. The trade off, as there is always a trade off, is weight.
The D60 and D50 make guns heavy. No weigh around it [/pun]. But if its a staged gun instead of a carried gun, that is very manageable. A carbine being carried by a vehicle, or stored in a quick access static space like a locker or bedside, helps manage that transport of that additional weight. It is only every picked up when in actual use to shoot, where the extra capacity is most likely going to benefit the user.
The Compact PDW types then get slotted into the roll of high capacity yet “easy” to carry still. The P90 and Bizon would still both sit reasonably comfortably beneath an arm in a shoulder rig where a PDW sized AR with a D60 or Surefire would not. They also store into very small spaces reasonably well with a magazine in place, something that a traditional carbine again does not do well.
So these guns still have a roll and are still very cool, but for many rolls there are simply better fits.
Brass knuckles are neat weapons. In the modern age, they aren’t exactly great for carrying. Knives, guns, batons, and pepper spray are often a much better defensive choice. However, they occupy this neat historical genre of weapons. They’ve been around since the Roman Coliseum and were used by everyone from Abe Lincoln’s bodyguards to Marines from Belleau Wood to Fallujah. If you want a nice set of knuckles for your own, look no further than Empire Tactical.
Most of the time, if you start shopping for brass knuckles, you’ll end up finding the cheapest pot metal junk out there. The stuff that occupies the tables of gun shows and flea markets. It’s made in China and has about as much brass as my leather boots. Empire Tactical is a small American company that produces a number of cool weapons, patches, and morale gear.
The Empire Tactical Brass Knuckles
Amongst all of this sits real brass knuckles. Not just metal knuckle dusters, but knuckles made of real brass that weigh a solid pound! These knuckles have a built-in beer bottle opener. I guess because they need a reason to exist outside of being knuckles. I honestly get it. I’m never going to carry this as a defensive weapon, so they might as well serve some purpose.
As a beer bottle opener, they certainly start a conversation. They are huge and hefty, and man, they’d suck to get hit with. This kind of weight with the right punch won’t just hurt someone, but could easily kill them, if not at the very least concuss them.
They are expertly machined too. They aren’t the crude flea market knuckles, but they are almost artistic in their design and shape. It’s clearly something someone took time to design and perfect into the manliest addition to my cutlery drawer imaginable.
As a Weapon
I’ve already mentioned I won’t use them as a weapon. The downsides and legality make them inefficient and impractical. Would I really carry around a pound of brass versus a gun? Bot hare lethal force and bot hare weapons, and in most places, a gun is legal to carry, but knuckle dusters are not.
Although, if I ever wanted to, they would be an awesome choice all around. Not awesome as in better than a gun, or pepper spray, or a baton, but awesome in the realm of knuckle dusters. They might just be a conversation piece, but if spun into action, they would deliver. They aren’t a replica for replicas’ sake but real weapons that should be treated as such.
The downside is that they are pretty big. I have big hands, and they feel a little large, even for me. Smaller hands might feel a bit overwhelmed and uncomfortable. Also, not knowing how to use them can hurt you more than the bad guy. It really changes how you punch and your form. Do it wrong, and it’s a broken finger in the future.
The K frame .357 Magnum revolver such as this Smith & Wesson Model 19 is ideal for .38 Special Outdoorsman use.
Buffalo Bore ammunition offers a wide range of quality ammunition in both rifle and handgun calibers. Most make the most of a caliber. Some get the weaker calibers off their knees in a real way. The .32 ACP, .32 Smith & Wesson Long, .38 Smit & Wesson, .32 H&R Magnum and .380 ACP are among the calibers Buffalo Bore has given special attention to. Buffalo Bore also offers medium power/medium recoil loads for use in lightweight revolvers in .357 Magnum caliber. They are the only maker offering full power .44 Special and .45 Colt loads suitable for personal defense.
Tim Sundles, the owner, has extensive outdoors experience. He has taken the largest North American and African game and knows what it takes to create a load useful for defense against animals. Among the most useful are ethe Outdoorsman loads. This line offers shooters an option once available only to handloaders. The shooter taking his 9mm or .38 into the wild may need a bullet with greater penetration in order to be useful against the big cats, feral dogs and even bears. A non Magnum handgun caliber is hard pressed to penetrate a large animal’s body. But a hard cast bullet at sufficient velocity will penetrate the skull. Some of the loads have been used for the intended purpose and proven effective. When a small-bore proves surprisingly effective, it is most often because of penetration. In one case a bear was killed with body shots and a hard cast 9mm load from Buffalo Bore. While fast opening hollow points may be OK for personal defense when a big bore fails, it is because it has failed to penetrate adequately. These loads are proven.
The .32 H & R Magnum is notoriously underloaded with most factory loads using a 85 grain JHP at about 1,000 fps from a four inch barrel. Buffalo Bore’s 130 grain hard cast bullet at 1150 fps. I have fired this load in Ruger revolvers with excellent accuracy potential. This is a respectable loading in a typically underloaded cartridge. Then there is the .38 S & W cartridge. Please don’t fire old hinged frame break top revolvers! The solid frame Smith & Wesson I and K frame revolvers are as strong as most .38 Special handguns. I have fired this load in my old Terrier revolver with good results. A 125 grain flat nose bullet at 1050 fps gets the superbly accurate short .38 off its knees. Most factory 146 grain loads break about 600 fps in the Terrier. MagTech loads are safe in most old break tops as they clock 515 fps. If you have a Smith & Wesson Military & Police revolver in good condition, an I frame five shot Terrier, or a Colt chambered in this caliber, the Buffalo Bore load may get it back into service for defense.
Most .380 ACP ammunition use a 95 grain FMJ bullet at a true 950 fps. 90 grain hollowpoints may break 1,000 fps. Penetration is a concern. Buffalo Bore’s hard cast 100 grain bullet tops 1,060 fps in my Colt 1903. Since Buffalo Bore uses lead bullets that create less friction and pressure, they are able to create greater velocity with a heavier bullet.
This is a hard-hitting bullet that gets the short .380 into different category of penetration. Accuracy is superb in the right handgun.
Most don’t consider the 9mm an outdoors handguns. But ten many of us have more than one gun. Shooters who own a 9mm may wish to load deep penetrating loading for animal defense in the wild.
A full-metal jacketed bullet may offer good penetration, but these bullets famously create very little tissue damage, slipping through with little effect. The Buffalo Bore 147 grain hard cast flat point breaks 1,060 fps in most 9mm handguns. Accuracy is excellent and there are no excess pressure signs. Take a look at Buffalo Bore’s bear autopsy video. No the man didn’t go hunting bear with a 9mm but was threatened by a bear. Straight shooting and deep penetration did the business.
This brings us to the most useful and most used of the Buffalo Bore loads and my personal favorites. I own several .38 Special revolvers, not to mention the .357, which accepts all .38 Special ammunition. Few modern shooters realize how powerful and useful the .38 Special really is. In a heavy revolver, the .38 Special may be more useful than the .357 Magnum. It may be loaded into a useful caliber for outdoors use but with less recoil and muzzle blast than the .357 Magnum.
Buffalo Bore offers two powerful lead bullet loads for the .38 Special. I would not use them in a light Rossi, Taurus, or other foreign revolver. The guns wont blow up the small parts take a beating. They are best in a J or K frame Magnum revolver- which are best regarded as nice .38s! The 158 grain lead hollow point is perhaps the best .38 Special defense load possible. For many years a standard .38 Special handload using a cast hollowpoint at 1100 to 1200 fps was a standard and very effective defense load. In four inch barrel revolvers the Buffalo Bore load breaks 1125 to 1150 fps. This is a stout load! I have fired it in my S&W Model 60, which has large Hogue grips. Velocity is 1040 fps. This is a heavy load that makes the most of the .38 Special.
The author is impressed with the 9mm Outdoorsman’s performance. Buffalo Bore’s hard cast SWC outdoors load is superbly accurate. The .38 Special hollow point is a fine all around defense load. These are Buffalo Bore hard cast bullet loads in .45 ACP and .45 Colt.
The .38 Special Outdoorsman uses a hard cast Keith type SWC. This bullet has a long nose sharp shoulders and a lot of weight outside the cartridge case. This allows greater powder capacity and less pressure. This load is usually about 20 fps faster than the hollow point loading. This is the single most accurate factory .38 Special load I have tested. Only the most experienced handloader will equal this load’s accuracy. These .38 Special loads get the .38 into a different role and a different power level.
The final load is a superbly accurate long range load that I have enjoyed firing in my Ruger GP 100 revolvers. A 180 grain bullet offers excellent stability, accuracy and penetration. In a four inch barrel GP 100 the Buffalo Bore 180 grain load breaks 1336 fps. This offers a high degree of protection against dangerous animals. The .45 ACP and .45 Colt outdoors loads are also interesting. I have loaded quite a few heavy .45 ACP loads for use in bowling pin shoots. Buffalo Bore offers a 255 grain load at a strong 950 fps. Recoil is there. I fire this load only in Government Model steel frame revolvers. For a measure of authority in the wild this is a credible loading.
This is a small sampling of Buffalo Bore’s loads. I recommend this make without reservation.
Colion Noir’s take on the ‘Smol’est SCAR, the SCAR 15P, is about what I expected it to be. He likes it. Shocking, I know.
I like it too.
I think the PDW 5.56 is incredibly niche but I still like them. You’ve lost a lot of gas (literally and figuratively) on 5.56 guns after you’re dropping under that proverbial 10.3″ barrel of the original MK18. I still have two, and 8.5″ and a 9.5″ that are exceptionally fun guns to run. I would, as a fan of the SCAR series, do exactly as Colion did and SBR it and add the classic ugg boot stock the way he did. I’d throw a good dot on top that I could fit a QD magnifier behind and call it good.
I wouldn’t shy away from a fixed magnification solution either to be honest.
My XCR-L 9.5″ 5.56×45, folds up nicely as a truck/travel carbine.
Super Short
When I’m talking ‘super short’, I’m using the 10.3″ MK18 as the divider. As we’ve delved further down the rabbit hole of 5.56 and what it can do for us, there was a point we dug too greedily and to deep. We ended up in an era of very short 5.56 guns for no reason beyond their shortness and… they didn’t work great in most instances.
Now there are several out there, properly tuned up PDW types, that work phenomenally if we’re discounting the fractional ballistic performance at range. But they’re PDWs, they’re meant to fight close and hit harder than the 9mm can and be ammo compatible with their more conventional carbine brethren.
We’ve since eased it back and we’re settled in on this barrel range of about 11-14.5 inches being the sweet spot. Sure, this makes them NFA items. But were it not for the NFA the standard would undoubtedly have developed as 14.5″ as the standard, copied from the M4, from 2004 onward. The 16″ would likely not have held the commercial dominance that it does and those looking for personal protective and home defense guns would be where we, in thought process at least, are now with ~13″ guns.
This still leaves the super shorties. The true small guns like the Rattler 5.5″, the LWRC PSD 8.5″, and my pictured XCR-L 9.5″ there.
What are they for?
In short (pun assuredly intended) they exist to supplement conventional carbines in the same way that a subcompact handgun like a G43, Masada Slim, or P365 exist to compliment their duty pistol siblings. They are conditionally more useful. But the difference is that with handguns, the conditions the small one is more useable and useful aligns very naturally with every day carry and the conveniences the small handgun bring to that task. We find the larger handgun the more difficult tool to manage in general for that. With carbines, the opposite is the day-to-day reality. If the carbine is involved the concepts of needing it so small, mobile, or concealable as to make the conventionally sized guns undesirable is extremely unlikely. The goal shifted, usually, from covert comfortable convenience with the handgun to just small enough for efficient overt movement and strong terminal effects against the target.
Most of the time if the rifles are out hiding the rifles is not a goal at all. Especially in LE and citizen defense situations, the rifle itself is an additional demand for immediate de-escalation from the threat and barring that circumstance a very effective solution against the threat. Handguns get you out of gunfights, rifles win gunfights. But for the few instances that concealment still is a goal, these PDWs bring 5.56 as portably and as effectively as can be balanced.
In this space I also still highly recommend folks look at PCC/SMG guns in pistol calibers unless the performance, even so reduced, and noise profile of the 5.56 in these short guns is still a necessary part of the system. It could be and for many use cases it is. It is one of the reasons I really like my XCR-L. The receiver and barrel combination with the folding stock gets it small, but I still have 9.5″ of barrel, putting me in good carbine company with guns like the G36C.
Super shorty carbines have their roles, mostly professional.
“Truck Gun”
This is still a concept most people apply improperly as they think to build a gun to leave in the vehicle. That is a bad idea. The idea of the truck gun is one you can operate while you too are in and around your vehicle, its the chance to bring the bigger stick to the fight if time and opportunity allow. It does not replace your carried handgun as your immediate emergency lethal response to a threat and circumstances that put you in or near your vehicle may also afford you the opportunity to use the vehicle as the defense and evasion tool rather than the firearm.
The ‘truck gun’ is extremely niche for us (Rando McCitizen) in that manner, we aren’t running the gun in any professional capacity like area security, VIP protection/PSD, low profile police work, limited transport capacity work like a motorcycle cop, or in any other professional setting where the super compact nature of the weapon fits our job. We usually just want a more capable gun (when it is in the hands) for our commute to supplement the more accessible and comfortable carry gun.
More is better, especially when it comes to shotguns. The strength of the scattergun is its ability to throw multiple projectiles with one pull of the trigger. Our goal with a shotgun is to throw as much lead as possible per trigger pull while balancing shot size for adequate penetration, shell size for ammo capacity, and recoil for control. That often leads to a 2.75-inch shell holding nine pellets. But what if I told you that isn’t the best option due to something called the 9th pellet flyer?
What Is The 9th Pellet Flyer?
The 9th pellet flyer is a random occurrence of one pellet separating from the rest of the pellets and ending up several inches away from the rest of the pattern. The distance can be as far as 6 inches, in my experience.
When you start choosing defensive buckshot, you have to test and pattern your ammo. The 9th pellet is that random pellet that separates itself from the rest and can skew a pattern’s dimensions. It’s worth mentioning that it doesn’t always happen, and you can shoot ten rounds of the same buckshot and never see it, but then, that 11th round will give you an odd, off-pattern flyer.
It kills averages and has made nine pellet loads of buckshot unpopular with shotgun enthusiasts.
What’s The Big Deal
We pattern our buckshot loads so we know where the pellets are going. We want to know what the pattern looks like at specific ranges and what it’s doing so we can be best prepared for our engagement. When I pattern my chosen buckshot load at 15 yards, I want to consistently perform the exact same way. Same spread. Predictable area of effect.
The problem with the 9th pellet flyer is that it creates a random, inconsistent flyer that makes it difficult to fully predict what your pellets will do. The 9th pellet could be completely off target, flying haphazardly, and could randomly strike an innocent person by not staying where the rest are.
Why Does it Happen
The general consensus is that it has to do with how the pellets are stacked. You are shoving a lot of pellets inside a small plastic hull. The 9th pellet often sits on top of the other eight pellets and does so in an odd way. When the shotgun gun fires, the other eight pellets smash into it, causing it to deform, and that is why many theorize it flies oddly.
It’s also likely why it doesn’t always happen. It’s more or less bad luck and potentially bad shell design. Not all buckshots are equal and cheaper buckshots with unplated lead pellets commonly throw the flyer, at least more so than the good stuff from name-brand companies.
How Can You Prevent It
The best way to prevent the 9th pellet flyer is to use 8-pellet buckshot. That tends to be the favorite of most serious defensive shotgun users. It’s the most popular Flitecontrol load for a reason. In general, nine-pellet Flitecontrol works better than most, and while I have never seen it personally, I have heard that it does happen even with that particular load.
The optimum defensive buckshot load seems to be an 8-pellet, 2.75-inch load, loaded between 1150 fps and 1250 fps. Prevent that 9th pellet flyer by just not having a 9th pellet.
Testing cheapo knock-off gas masks from China and other sketchy locations.
What could go wrong?
Mike’s tears tell us the story.
Seriously though readers and watchers, buying the cheapest solution to emergency equipment is nearly universally a bad idea. Those products exist to make you feel like you’re prepared for X, Y, or Z event. Investing in a quality solution that fits your use case, and the training to use it, is better money spent 10 out of 10 times.
Invest in a single quality handgun, maybe a dedicated carry gun too, a single quality rifle, the supporting equipment for them, and the training to use them. Do that with emergency medical, with weather emergencies, power loss, and for riot conditions as your local situation warrants. Have all that in process and then you can grab as many extras, backups, and whatever you want just because you want them. That “essentials” list is already a sizeable investment of time and money, even if you’re frugal with your purchases.
I’m pretty sure hidden compartments in books were an invention of pop culture, but I’m betting more than one of us has wanted one. I know so because companies sell them prebuilt. I wasn’t keen on coughing up 18 bucks for a book safe that is clearly not a book. Instead, I’d figure I’d make my own hidden book safe and finally put those expensive college books to good use.
Making Your Own Hidden Book Safe
First, we need a thick book, a boring book too, one not likely to draw eyes and investigation. An aforementioned college textbook is perfect for that. It needs to be thicker than you think too. A small gun is tough to conceal, so bigger is better. Besides the book, you’ll need the following:
Exacto Knife Glue (I used school glue) Small Paint Brush Ruler Scissors Pen Wax or News Paper
Now it’s time for arts and crafts with guns!
Step 1 – Grab The Glue
I made the mistake of cutting before I started gluing, and it was a pain. So let’s glue first. Take your wax or new paper or whatever medium to have. Open the book up to the first hundred pages and place the wax paper over the first hundred pages. Now do the same for the last hundred pages. The paper protects the pages from the glue.
Between the first and last 100 pages, we will carve our compartment. Use the paintbrush to apply glue to the compartment pages. Be generous with it. Once it’s all glued, take a break and let it dry.
Step 2 – Outline the Compartment
Measure an inch from all sides of the book. An inch from the top, bottom, middle, and outside. Using your ruler and pen, outline a box within those measurements. This ensures there is plenty of book left to hold up whatever weight you decide to hide.
Step 3- Start Cutting
I went through two Eaxcto blades and spent a good hour cutting. What I would do differently now is use a drill and bit and create four holes. One in each corner. It would have made life easier. This is the longest part of the hidden book safe project. Just keep cutting within your outline. It takes forever.
Step 4 – Glue Again
My hidden book safe will hide a KelTec P3AT and a spare magazine. The gun is quite thin and just barely fits, and I am tired of cutting. Once it fits, use your glue to glue the inside of the compartment pages together.
Let it dry once more. If you choose, you can use some paper glued in the compartment for a cleaner look. I used pieces of black construction paper to make it look a little cleaner.
Bonus Step – Cut More
I found the book wouldn’t close well because of the cuts closest to the middle of the book. The paper bent upwards naturally. In this case, I used my Exacto and carved a little hump downwards. This allowed the book to close flat without issue. It might not happen with everyone, but it’s worth noting.
The Hidden Book Safe
It’s not too hard. In fact, my kids enjoyed it enough that we made a few more for them. Obviously, they didn’t have guns to hide. Just costume jewelry and holographic Pokemon cards. The project is simple and cheap but does consume some time. It’s certainly a fun way to spend a few hours getting your spy on. (Although, to be safe, the book is locked in my closet, which requires a passcode to access, so it’s super spy.)
WarGate Books has sent out a release announcing the latest in their Forgotten Ruin series of novels. Because of the unique way they phrased things, we’ll just let you read it in their words in its entirety.
Scroll on down and we’ll give you a few excerpts.
Something to know before you get started: Amazon’s marketing department is now shadow-banning indie authors with “violent content” on the cover (guns, swords, combat, etc.: more on that here). Big-name authors like Jack Carr haven’t been impacted yet (that we’re aware of), but individual writers and small publishing houses very much have been. They cannot run ads on Amazon Marketing Solutions on affected novels, and some books are no longer searchable by the author’s name. You can’t find them unless you know the specific title of the individual book. Sound familiar?
Now on to the release.
SGT. THOR and MJÖLNIR ROCK THE RUIN
For Immediate Release
Area 51, God Only Knows When
Bring it in, take a knee. WarGate Books is proud to announce Sgt. Thor’s imminent raid on the Ruin, Sua Sponte solo style.
This won’t matter to you if you prefer anemic military science fiction, effete protagonists, lackluster action, or peace. If, however, you appreciate a side of carnage to go with your violence of action, then you’re going to want to read on.
BLUF: An indie book company with a stable-full of combat veteran writers and best-selling authors is launching a new book line. You should back them on Kickstarter.
Who is Sgt. Thor? He’s what would happen if Conan completed Ranger School, got tabbed and scrolled, and carried a .50 AMR named Mjölnir on his adventures. He’s the guy who changed his name and his religious affiliation so he could grow a beard, then went full Viking. You know, the former surfer with the Glock 17, matched tomahawks, and Thor Score: The Regimental high score for stacking monstrous bodies.
What is the Ruin? It’s an ancient, murderous future. It’s four hundred generations from now, the wreck of a world Ruined by a nano-plague. It’s a place stalked by hideous creatures and haunted by fiends. It’s the place a company of Rangers with attachments and augments find themselves going shock and awesome on a series of HVTs straight out of a Tolkien novel or D&D campaign.
What about WarGate Books? They’re this world’s source for the acclaimed Galaxy’s Edge, The Lost, Warlord¸ Splashdown, and of course Forgotten Ruin series of novels. They have entirely reimagined military science fiction.
Excerpt from the Forgotten Ruin series…
The skeletal rider heaved the flaming pieces of the devastated shield off into the grass. And at the same moment the Dark Rider uttered its first words as it bore down on us, deathly pale gray horse heaving as it pushed its way up the last of the slope.
“Now,” it hissed across a vast canyon that separated the real and surreal. Its voice like that of a drowning ghost in a graveyard well past midnight. “Now you all die, mortals!”
As the rider reached the top of the hill, kicked at the terror-struck horse, and pounded directly at Sergeant Thor, the sniper reversed the Barrett and used it like a club to knock the Dark Rider from the passing horse with one terrific swipe. The dark Jackpot commander HVT groaned like some great giant as it fell backwards off its mount, rolling as it went, its great gray still-burning grave shroud flying in the night like the flag of death eternal. Yet it landed on its ancient leather black boots caked with mud. Terrible sword out and ready to cut as its wielder rose slightly into the air, levitating off the ground right in front of us, dying flames crawling across its body.
Thor scrambled away, pulling a magazine off his chest carrier and getting it into the massive Mjölnir as he turned and raised it to fire.
Anspach, Jason; Cole, Nick. Hit & Fade (Forgotten Ruin series book 2)
Rangers gonna Ranger, whether they’re killing bad guys in dirty manjams or orcs in rusted armor.
“The Ranger tab is just a leadership school. The scroll is a way of life.” Sgt. Thor
Dear Federal Agent who Monitors my Feed: Don’t worry, it’s just powdered sugar.
The Associated Press has just reported that Hunter Biden has been formally charged with failure to pay taxes and also charged with illegal firearms possession.
The AP reports,
“As part of the agreement, made public Tuesday, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and is expected to reach an agreement with prosecutors on the felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user. It is somewhat unusual to resolve a federal criminal case at the same time the charges are filed in court, though it is not totally unheard of.”
That’s right fellow citizens and 2A supporters, the drug-head crook who happens to be the son of the sitting president gets to, “reach an agreement with [federal] prosecutors on the felony charge,” AND he gets to quietly sweep it all under the rug on the same day he was charged.
Show of hands how many of you think you would get the same treatment on a federal firearms charge? Anybody? Bueller? Okay, now show of hands how many of you think this has absolutely nothing to do with a certain demented cabbage in the Oval Office, a crooked Justice Department, and a presidential campaign?
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, boards Air Force One at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, U.S., February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Via CNN
CNN is reporting that Hunter Biden will be pleading guilty to two tax related misdemeanors and will be taking a Pretrial Diversion Agreement on the felony gun charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance (and lying on a Form 4473, but that wasn’t charged).
As if you needed more proof that the President should not be taken seriously when it comes to firearms than his spurious claims that braces are capable of changing a firearms caliber and making it larger, here we have concrete proof that the DoJ, because of the adminstration, does not give a shit. You can commit an obvious felony, gather the proof of it yourself, have that proof discovered in your possession and verified, and you will be given the lightest possible sentencing over it from this tough on gun violence administration. Because they didn’t mean ‘actual’ crimes, they meant theoretical fear mongering crimes. They meant vague armed boogeymen because they certainly won’t keep actual violent felons locked up and away from firearms.
But dammit we need an assault weapon ban! We can take them, this super serious administration, seriously on that part, right? Right? Literally nothing criminally could or should be taken seriously out of the left’s cadre of activist prosecutors, from local to national levels, and this softball from the DoJ cements it.
“But Keith, you don’t believe that simple possession and use of substances should be a felony.”
You are correct. I do not. Just as I don’t believe possessing a gun with a less than a 16″ barrel and a stock should be a felony (unless you pay the tax) or is demonstrably more dangerous than a gun with a 16″ or longer barrel. I believe that the NFA is as demonstrably valueless as Hunter Biden is demonstrably a felon under the law. But the DoJ is tossing this softball.
Why?
Simple, I think they want to set themselves up as seeming more legitimate as they press the charges against Donald Trump. Regardless of how deserved the charges are or are not against Trump, the obvious optics are that the DoJ, which is Biden helmed at the moment, is attacking their immediate political rival. This will give them some evidence that they will prosecute their own team too, even the President’s own demonstrably felonious son is subject to the law a little bit. They couldn’t let obvious multi-time criminal Hunter Biden, who sank himself, sit there uncharged and then press full court against the bombastic Trump. That would be a step too far on hypocrisy.
So Hunter was sacrificed, given the barest bones of a conviction, and it will be used as a defense that the Biden DoJ will prosecute their own too. Which good for them. For what it’s worth, which certainly isn’t much, this more just confirms that most felonies shouldn’t be felonies if prosecuting them is this worthless.
Aaron Cowan over at Sage Dynamics has some of the most extensive information available on the topic of pistol optics and their durability in a realistic duty sense.
Not every optic is meant to be an M&P rated item, yes that is more than just a Smith & Wesson trademark. They are all not meant for the military, the police, serious competitive events, training, or hard use ccw gun. They aren’t and they do not have to be. I don’t need an RMR on a 10/22 that mostly exists for my kid to enjoy range time or for a task no more serious than controlling damaging critters.
Thus enter the EOTech EFLX.
Now EOTech is a well known and well respected duty optic brand. The HWS line has served and continues to serve as an excellent optical series in the reflex sight category. Their magnifiers are exceptional glass quality. Their LPVO and high power rifle optics in the VUDU line have all seen well respected success.
Their VUDU 1-8x SFP is one of my favorite LPVOs, arguably my favorite SFP one. However, their initial 1-6 offering left a lot to be desired in its design. I feel like, and Aaron’s report here supports that belief, the EFLX is going to be another proof of concept optic where a follow on variant solves many of the deficiencies of the first version.
Does that mean you should avoid buying an EFLX? Maybe. You can arguably get a dot with better performance under harsh handling conditions for similar spend, so why wouldn’t you. However if you want it just because [reason] and its limits are not detrimental to what you are trying to do with it, then pick it up now. If you want to wait or buy something more suited to your task, then do so.
Bipods are most stable when to the very front of the gun. However, there are props that may need it to be pushed more towards the rear.
The AR platform is quickly becoming trusted as being a precision gas gun. The ability to customize your AR with an 18-20 inch barrel, straight pistol grip, and lightweight triggers has made the AR-15 a very competitive gun in many precision gas gun matches. As many know though, the handguard can often be an issue when it comes to attaching a bipod that is able to be quickly removed or adjusted on the rail. The ARCA handguard from Israel Weapon Industries fixes that issue.
The Problem
During precision gas gun matches there will often be many different barricades that you will need to shoot off of, sometimes two different barricades in one stage. This means that the bipod may need to be taken off of the gun quickly or even moved back and forth dependent on the width of the prop. M-LOK and Picatinny handguards, handguard that most AR platforms have, do not allow bipod adapters to be moved back and forth without removing the entire bipod. These adapters also usually need another piece installed onto the rail to clamp onto, furthering the worry for pieces to come loose. To sum it up, these rails can be slow in removing the bipod, not enable the bipod to be moved back and forth, and have the need for extra parts.
My bipod is currently all the way forward on the rail because I wanted to leave it on for weight but wanted it out of the way for the stone barricade. This was at a Quantified Performance match at Quantico.
The Solution
The IWI Arca rail is one of the very few ARCA rails on the market for the AR-15 platform. Most will buy rails and install the ARCA piece on it however the rail from IWI comes with the ARCA already machined into it. With a simple installation procedure you can now have a strong ARCA rail that with the right adapter on the bipod, allows the bipod to quickly detach and slide back and forth on the rail without removal.
“In close collaboration with Jeff Cross, owner of Cross Machine and Tool, IWI US has witnessed a growing demand, in the M4 community, to both utilize and fully integrate the popular ARCA Swiss rail system into the actual rail.”-IWI
MSRP: $249.99 Length: 15.5″ and 17″
The ARCA handguard from IWI allows for easy clipping on on tripods like this one. Just ensure that you have an ARCA adapter on your tripod head already. Photo: IWI
Using During a Precision Gas Gun Match
“The endless modularity that comes along with putting any ARCA rail on your rifle goes without saying.. The 15+ inches of flat surface was a very welcomed bonus, and sits very flat on almost anything you set the handguard on.” Matt Kitzmiller IWI Proteam Shooter
“The ARCA style rail incorporated in my Zion hand guard is crucial for fast deployment and positional changes when using a bipod or shooting bags in 3 Gun. It allows me to move my bipod close to the magwell for shooting off of small short spaces and allows me to run a bag for barricades or different shooting props. This hand guard modification is a must have for competition shooters, military or law enforcement.” George Dorbert IWI Proteam Shooter
The IWI ARCA handguard shines in precision matches for a few reasons. These matches being gas gun matches such as the IWI Gas Gun Challenge in Pennsylvania and Quantified Performance Gas Gun matches. Both of these matches have the shooter engaging targets from 200-1000 yds and off of different sizes props all on the clock. If anything comes loose on your handguard you will often miss targets, thus losing points and time fixing it. If you cannot quickly release your bipod or shift it between props you will also lose time and points. All reasons that the ARCA rail already machined into the handguard is a great choice for matches.
There are a lot of different props in precision gas gun matches. This tree had two different shooting positions on it.
Below are a few things that need a strong ARCA handguard to be successful.
Tripod: Sometimes in a match there will be a set up stage that makes the shooter shoot off of a tripod. Sometimes this can mean throwing a bag over the tripod and shooting off of it like that or it can mean “clipping in” meaning clipping the tripod onto your gun. Many tripods will often have ARCA adapters for their binoculars thus allowing an ARCA handguard to clip in. A much more stable way to shoot if you have the time to do it.
Different Sized Props: Sometimes there will be two props on one stage such as a barrel and a tire. Using bipod on either of these props involves sliding the bipod back and forth on the rail between props or even before the stage begins. If you have a small piece of Picatinny where your bipod is mounted, that is just simply not possible. However a full rail of ARCA that the bipod can be moved on is conducive to these bipod adjustments.
While this isn’t an IWI handguard, note that there is an ARCA rail on the bottom of this shooters handguard. Also notice that the bipod is pushed back a bit on his rail to match the tire width. The IWI Handguard does not need an extra part for the ARCA rail because it is already machined in.
Rail Mounted Bags: There are shooting bags that are connected to the rail such as The RailChanger from Area419 and Armageddon Gear. These products allow the shooting bag to not have to be held but instead already on your gun which can save time throughout the stage. The adapter on this product is ARCA meaning it needs an ARCA rail/handguard to connect to.
Notice the ARCA adapter on the front of the bag. This mounts to your railing to keep the bag on the gun and not have to have to shooter hold it. Photo: AREA419
Bipod/Bipod Adapter: Maybe the largest positive thing about having the IWI ARCA handguard is that there are many bipod adapters out there that now allow the bipod to be connected to ARCA. Thus enabling it to be quickly detached off the gun with the turn of a knob or be slid back and forth on the entire rail without having to remove it.
For more info on the rail and how to properly install it see below.
The future is here old hunters..thanks to the Moultrie Mobile Edge Game Camera. A camera that connects to any cell tower in range allowing you to see your captured photos and videos with an application and a subscription (which only needs to be paid for during hunting season) no matter where you are. The Camera includes AI learning technology to enable detecting and triggering the camera for only your interested species of game. It also has an updated antenna that stores away when not in use and months of battery life..trust me I tested it. To share those cute videos of baby foxes playing, or a massive buck that you are about to slay later in the week, just click on the photo inside the app, hit share, and you instantly have options to share to facebook, messages, etc.
The FOV from the camera is great allowing to see a wide angle and both the ground and higher angles. Deer are easily picked up and can be marked as such using the “smart tag” feature.
The Problem
Most will know the issue that arises when using game cameras to start seeing what animals you have on your property. You will have to set your game camera out, go home, wait a few days, come back to the camera retrieve the SD card, and go all the way back home to stick it in your computer just see if you have any game out there..or not. It is time consuming and frankly annoying. Especially if your hunting property that is three hours away from your home. So what’s the answer? Cell phone tower connected cameras. Which brings up another problem..consumers will often need to choose a carrier specific camera that matches to most cell towers in that area. Making it a total hassle.
The Answer
Moultrie Mobiles Auto Connect Technology. It scans for any available wireless signal once turned on. Once connected, simply connect your phone to that camera within the application and you can now see every photo or video that the Edge camera captures no matter where you or the camera is. No WIFI, no bluetooth, just cell phone towers and an application.
The 2 pack of EDGE cameras comes with everything you need to start using it immediately with little set up. Simply unbox, feed the strap through the cameras, and your camera is ready to go once connected to the application.
The Product
EDGE Cellular Trail Camera
MSRP 1 Pack $99.99, 2 pack $179.99 (Military and First Responder Discount Available)
Subscription Price (monthly/annual can cancel at any time) Standard: $9.99 per month, 1,000 images and 10 videos Unlimited: $16.99 per month, Unlimited Images and 50 videos Pro Series: $34.99 per month, Unlimited images and 50 videos
Specs
Resolution: 33MP Video: 720P HD with sound Trigger Speed: 0.85 seconds Detection: 80ft detection and infrared flash range
Main Features
The Ease of Use
To connect the EDGE it is as easy as putting the batteries into the camera, turning the camera on, and waiting for all green to show that it is connected to cell phone towers. Then simply go into your Moultrie Mobile app, scan the QR code on the camera, and you are now connected to the camera and free to place it where-ever you please.
This was during the first night of use with the EDGE cameras. I simply bought a subscription through the app and started up set up using a 3 minute online video. There are only 2 buttons on the camera itself such as the on/off and the connect/take a test photo.
Inside the App
There are a ton of settings inside the app that allows you to change what your camera is doing. Such as how often you want it to upload photos/videos, if you want it to only upload photos, detection delay, sensitivity, and weather settings. These are all easily changed by the setting menus. Changing these settings really allows you to save battery life and not have to scroll through millions of photos or videos if you don’t please.
It’s very easy to share photos and videos as well due to an in the app sharing feature. Simply click share and it will pop up your facebook, messages, even signal options to share your images in one click. Very user friendly, and honestly very modern.
As far as videos due to different subscription plans, no worries if the camera takes more videos than your subscription allows. Videos are only downloaded and saved if you click download when reviewing all of the images/videos uploaded.
The app also includes a very detailed sattelite imagery map straight from google maps that allows you to set pins where you have placed cameras or other things you may want to note. There is also a section for weather showing you the weather in your current locatoin or other locations that you may want to know..say I don’t know..your hunting land..It also shows sunrise and sunset times, moon phase, and cloud cover.
AI/Learning
One of the more high techy things about the new EDGE camera is that it has Artificial Intelligence within it in a few different ways. First, there are these things called smart tags. Smart tags allow you to mark which animal is on the camera, or in other words, the camera learns species. Say a turkey, or a squirrel. You can mark those animals and tell the EDGE that you only want the camera to activate a photo or video when it see’s a deer. So those rascally (but cute) squirrels won’t waste your camera battery or your time going through photos.
The camera also charts activity. This means that you can log into your application and see during what time of day your game is most active.
The Build
The overall build of the camera is pretty impressive. It has a beefy and durable antenna that will fold down when not in use. The camera is a lightweight but hefty and you won’t worry about dropping it or attaching it too tight to the tree in worry of damaging it. It is just a durable design.
The strap is long enough for sizes of tree’s big or small and it is easy to cinch tight yet won’t slip out of the camera itself, ensuring that you don’t drop the camera or lose the strap. They thought of it all.
The Battery Life
The battery compartment allows for either 8 batteries or 16, dependent on how often you want to change them however like I mentioned in the article previously, 8 batteries will suffice. You also do not HAVE to use Moultrie Mobile batteries, just the same kind of any Double AA’s.
The thing that I am personally most impressed about though? The battery life. I have now owned two of the EDGE Cameras for over three months now. I filled up one with 16 batteries from Moultrie Mobile and the other camera I filled with 8 batteries. The cameras have been consecutively on taking photo and video. The 8 battery is now at 68% battery life and the 16 battery at 85% battery life. Therefore, it just proves that you won’t be having spend money replacing batteries.
Accessories
While extra accessories are not needed, some of the accessories that Moultrie Mobile offers could actually be pretty useful. There are items such as a security box enabling you to lock up the camera and ensure it doesn’t get ripped off of a tree and stolen. There are solar power accessories for solar power instead of batteries. There is also a cell booster antenna however, I live on a mountain in Virginia with terrible cell service. Connecting took a little longer than expected however it did connect without issue so I would try before immediately buying the booster, no matter how bad of cell tower location you have. There is also some swivel mounts and stands allowing you to mount you camera on the ground other than on a tree with a strap.
The strap of the camera, an often looked over piece of any product, is strong and designed intelligently. It is also very very long making no worries for attaching to large trees. If you don’t want to attach it to a tree there are also accessories to buy for ground mounting. Ensure that you tie off any excess strap so it doesn’t scare off the game!
Personal Review
I am personally pretty new to game cameras however I am aware of the issues that hunters can face with certain kinds of cameras. The EDGE has taken all of those issues away after 3 months of using and playing with it. I first set these cameras out to track the deer down the local fire trail and spy on a fox den that had 6 newborns. The quality and usefulness of the EDGE is unmatched. I can change my subscription thus saving me money and pretty much never have to replace batteries. The picture quality is amazing both at day and night and it picks any movement. Playing with the application the in app map and ability to place pins and mark locations is great and the AI part of the camera works. I have been able to mark certain animals and see when they are most active. It’s exciting to just be able to wake up in the morning, open my phone, and check on the deer or foxes without having to make the trek to the camera. I am now a forever customer to Moultrie Mobile without shame of it or payment from the company.
This is just one photo of the many photos and videos I have of these baby foxes. So far we have lost 4 of the babies and are down to two and the mom. I also found out with the help of the EDGE that there is a groundhog trying to live in the same fox den. Crazy!
Notice everything on the bottom of the photo capture such as the moon cyle.
One of my favorite things about writing is that I get to do what I love. I love learning the origins of things, especially in the gun world, and now instead of doing it just for fun, I get to share it. Recently I started learning more and more about single-action revolvers, and that coincides with my immediate need for one. In my research, I stumbled across the term Bisley and Bisley grip, and while I could see the difference, I wanted to learn about the why and when of this term.
If you’ve shopped for Ruger revolvers, you’ve most certainly seen the term. It’s associated with single-action revolvers, and it’s evident as soon as you look at the gun. Let’s get deep with Bisley grips and talk about the why, the when, and the what.
What is a Bisley Grip
The Bisley grip comes from the Colt SAA series of revolvers. The famed Colts used what was known as a plow grip. It sweeps rearward and points well. The Bisley grip took the plow grip and forced a more vertical angle with a less swept-back design.
River Junction Trade Company
There are two Bisley-type grips. There is the original Colt designed in the 1880s, and then we have the new Ruger Bisley grip. New being relative to the age of the Colt design. Ruger used the same profile, and it’s not until you pick one up that you feel the difference. Ruger went with thicker grips than Colt. The primary advantage is more space to disperse recoil and prevent the gun from rotating in your hand.
Why the Bisley Grip
That sweet Colt plow grip is rather nice. It points well and allows for a fairly rapid-fire design. As you fired, this grip encouraged the gun to roll backward with the recoil. A skilled shooter could take advantage of the rolling recoil to thumb the hammer back as the gun recoiled and then fell back forward. It allowed for faster shooting.
The plow grip worked fine with most common loads, but as higher recoiling rounds became available, the grip tended to roll back sharply. This could be unpleasant as your fingers hit the trigger guard the gun’s front sight flew off target. It was snappy. Plus, for shooters who wanted more stability, the plow grip was found lacking.
The Bisley grip offered the shooter an advantage with hot loads. The recoil was put into the wrist and shoulder. The gun didn’t roll back as much, and it was a very stable grip. This allowed for more accurate slow fire and more control over hot cartridges. In the Colt era, it was the .44-40. These days, it’s calibers like the .454 Casull. You can lock down a Bisley grip is what’s more like a fist than the Colt’s plow grips.
What’s the Origin Story
When I first heard the name and began researching the Bisley grips, I assumed it was named for some gunsmith who worked for Colt. I was quite wrong. Colt originally made these grips for competitive shooters, and at the time biggest shooting contest in the world was in Bisley, England. Bisley still plays home to the Imperial Meeting and is the home to the National Shooting Centre. It seems to be the last remaining part of gun culture in England.
Colt’s new grip designed performed well and gathered attention. Since this was the Wold Competition, it was fairly famous and well-known for the era. People began referring to the grip design as the Colt Bisley, and it stuck. Since then, it’s become the de facto choice for high-powered single-action revolvers. Magnum Research, Ruger, Freedom Arms, and many others use the Bisley frame for their power house revolvers.
Now we know the origin of the Bisley grip, why it exists, and where
Today’s episode the boys are back and they’re talking about things they can’t believe people are still saying in the Year of Our Lord 2023, like “red dot sights are unreliable because batteries die”
