Camping as a Test for Bug-Out Gear

By

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July 1, 2023

Now that I am officially retired from medical practice I suddenly have the time to pursue some latent interests. One of those interests is camping. But now that I am almost sixty years old I have no desire to sleep on the ground anymore. Since I do not want to invest in an RV at this point, I decided to try car-camping.

I figured this would also allow me to test out some gear that I have collected in case of an emergency bug-out situation. Bugging-out on foot will not be a reality for me thus, if sheltering-in-place fails, my plan involves vehicular transport. My plans for this summer and fall involve camping in various state parks in surrounding states while I see some sights and test out my gear.

Some of you may recall a previous article about camping. I am no stranger to sleeping on the ground in a tent and “watering the weeds” in the wilderness. But those experiences are now 25 to 40 years behind me. Although I no longer have to wrangle offspring in the field, wrangling my own changing needs means that I had to plan carefully.

I am a solo female who would be be traveling and sleeping alone, and hauling/loading my own gear. I had to make sure that what I used were things that I could lift and/or set-up by myself. I also needed redundancy and back-up plans as there wouldn’t be another person to call on for help if something failed.

To get started I watched YouTube camping videos all winter to gather ideas and find out what new gear was out there that I might find useful and what of my own 40-year old gear might need to be replaced. When planning I started with the basic human needs – Food, water, shelter from elements , warmth, and hygiene, and then went out from there. What follows is what has worked for me so far. The tweaking is ongoing.

Food

I figured that I easily had food covered, what with all my canning and dehydrating adventures. I could rehydrate and heat in the field virtually anything from my pantry. But I did include some small portion convenience foods as well in case I was too tired to cook or the weather wasn’t cooperative. None of it was gourmet but it was nutritious food. I decided not to mess with foil pouch “campfire cooking” in case I wasn’t able to have a campfire – at least for the first few go-rounds.

For cooking purposes I took along a candle stove for experiments, but I also brought and used a single burner butane stove, which proved invaluable.

Water

I used a three-pronged approach for water. I took along a couple jugs of my stored emergency water so I could make sure it still tasted fine after being stored for 9 months. But I also had a picnic jug filled with ice to drink as it melted and drank the melted ice from the frozen water bottles (used instead of actual ice or blue blocks) in the cooler as well.

The only “fail” in this part was when I discovered that my 30 year old jug and cooler were wholly inadequate beyond about 12 hours. So I broke down and bought Yetis from the discount sporting goods store. On the next outing those held ice for a whopping six days! Even if the purchase was painful, it was worth it in the end.

Shelter

My initial shelter investment (besides the car) was something called a Tail Veil. Actually I think it was a knock-off and not the name brand. I found it on Amazon. It’s basically a small tent whose only support is the raised tailgate – no poles or guy lines to mess with. I was sleeping in the car (more on that in a bit), so this space was only for rain/bug protection and privacy for changing clothes, etc. I did stake the corners and use some strong magnets that I bought at Harbor Freight to augment the elastic to further secure it to the vehicle. I also added a small tarp to further cover the intersection between the car and the tent (also anchored with magnets) to help prevent any rain leaks.

FYI – my vehicle required the insertion of a carabiner into the lift gate latch in order to fool the car’s electronics into thinking that the gate was closed. I learned from the internet that an open hatch can over time run down the vehicle’s battery unless work-arounds are employed. So beware on that score. My longest stay in any one place without starting the car was 3 nights, and that trick worked at least that long for me. Still, I brought along specialized jumper cables to plug into my Jackery 1000 power station, just in case my plan failed.

For sleeping I had a 4-inch trifold memory foam mattress across the cargo area and folded back seats of the car. This was placed on top of a blanket and a yoga mat. ( So much more comfy than the ground.) A fleece sleeping bag and wool blanket provided warmth and a 12 volt electric blanket sat in stand-by if needed when the nighttime temps were in the low 40’s. I could charge phone and electric blanket on my power station. I actually really liked this set-up. With the window covers up it felt like a cozy cave and was quite comfortable.

This vehicle (Honda Passport)has a fairly level transition between cargo area and folded seats, but my previous vehicle (Subaru Forester) required me to build a bit of a raised platform in order to make things more level. Videos abound on the internet as to how to build such a thing but I chose not to do it for the current vehicle. I thus lost the potential for storage underneath the platform but it also gave me the most headroom. Sleeping with my nose against the ceiling is not my idea of comfort no matter how much storage it provides.

And by the way, comfort was the key to this whole operation. If I wasn’t comfortable and wasn’t sleeping well, then that would destroy my whole attitude toward the rest and I wouldn’t do it anymore. Sleep comfort was my first priority.

Also as far as warmth goes, my addiction to wool served me well during the cool nights and rainy days that I encountered so far. Wool stretch pants and wool T-shirt for pajamas, wool socks, wool blanket, and wool hoodie all saw faithful service during my outings. Layering is also helpful. The temperature at 5 AM on the way to the bathroom might be 48 degrees, but by 2 PM it might be 80, so flexibility is key.

Hygiene

I have so far only stayed at designated state park campgrounds – both for security reasons as a solo female camper and for personal comfort. I “have” dug cat-holes in my camping life, but I have reached the stage in life where a flush toilet is much preferable. Hot showers are also a plus, but I can get by with “shower wipes” for a few days if needed. All of that is great, but women my age also often need to get up in the night. In such a situation finding your shoes, jacket and flashlight in the dark is not ideal when you are in a hurry. Thus, I set up a night-time bucket, lined it with grocery bag and livestock bedding pellets, and topped it with a pool noodle for just-in-case. This is another huge plus for having the tail veil with rain fly – privacy for such issues. This set-up has worked well for me so far.

Safety

As stated above I have thus far only stayed in designated, staffed, state park campgrounds. My carry permit is recognized in some states but not others, and an arrest-able offense in still others, so I have to be careful about my safety plan. I did keep bear spray within arm’s reach when I was sleeping and also my 2000 lumen StreamLight in case anything on two legs or four came lurking around at night. But the beauty of sleeping in the car means that I could also button up and lock myself inside the vehicle at night if needed. You can’t do that sleeping in a tent.

I now have 11 nights of camping in four different state parks in three different states under my belt. These adventures have just begun so there will likely be follow-up articles about specific gear and situations. But so far I have answered several camping and bug-out questions for myself and learned a few things besides.

-My stored water tasted fine nine months out.

-My home dehydrated food also tasted fine.

-The Jackery 1000 worked well, charged on the drive, and gave me peace of mind about the car battery.

-My gear “does” all fit in the car with room for me to sleep, but I need to be judicious.

-I did need that folding step-stool to get in and out of the back of the car. (I am short)

-The candle stoved worked but was “meh”.

-The butane stove was great.

-You “can” heat commercial microwave meals in a foil pan over the campfire. (Hormel turkey with stuffing and gravy was comfort food on an evening when I was tired, sore, and grumpy.)

-I need to freshen-up my lantern batteries.

-The weather band radio was handy with no cell service.

-Park Rangers sometimes check-in on you if they know you are alone.

Stay tuned as I traipse around the Eastern U.S. trying out more gear and strategies for car camping. It could be entertaining in ways both good and bad.

No Duty to Protect The Children

By

Keith Finch

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June 30, 2023

Marjory Stoneman Douglas Highschool is a name and place that brings strong emotions, to say it succinctly. Some of the strongest come against the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Specifically their former School Resource Officer, Scot Peterson, who waited outside the school, “taking cover”, for 45 minutes while 17 people were killed within. Scot has received active shooter training. Every active shooter program I know teaches their officers to find and stop the threat. Every cop I spoke with after this event was shamed by Peterson’s actions. It brought shame to a profession under fire enough as is. It undermined the legitimacy of why the police are there.

But was it illegal?

Well, we now know the legal consequences for a school resource officer who waits and does nothing. Nothing.

Ex-Parkland resource officer who stayed outside during mass shooting found not guilty

A jury has acquitted Scot Peterson, the ex-school resource officer who stayed outside during the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on all counts. The case was notable for the state’s decision to bring the child neglect charges under a Florida statute that governs caregivers, arguing Peterson as a school resource officer had a duty to protect the students.

The case is an interesting one. We know that law enforcement in the general sense has no legal duty to protect you specifically, they can’t be held negligent for not saving you. But the premise that a school resource officer, by nature of the specifics of their job, does have a specific duty to protect the school and children under their care is a case worth considering. It is uncomfortable to note that a teacher appears to hold more liability for the well being of their students than a police officer when a police officer is the only one of those two professions trained for a gunfight. Peterson was specifically trained for this gunfight, school active shooter.

The ruling in the trial of a law enforcement officer for his response to a mass shooting found Peterson not guilty of seven counts of felony child neglect, three counts of culpable negligence and one count of perjury. Peterson wept in court as the judge read off the verdict, later telling reporters outside the courtroom “I’ve got my life back.” The 60-year-old, a former deputy for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, described the years since the shooting as “an emotional roller coaster.”

Well Scot, good for you I suppose. Seventeen people, fourteen students, lost their lives while you chose to wait for three quarters of an hour as “the best you could do”, but a jury found that neglect by a peace officer specifically assigned to the school for safety wasn’t criminal neglect.

Oh, thanks for David Hogg too. He’s a treat. A real shining example of the grift of tragedy, he has made the massacre his personality.

Peterson was accused of failing to confront the gunman according to his active shooter training, instead taking cover for more than 45 minutes outside the school’s three-story 1200 building before the killer was apprehended. State prosecutors accused Peterson of ignoring his training and doing nothing as 17 people, including 14 students, were gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Peterson’s attorney argued that he didn’t enter the building under attack because he couldn’t tell where the shots were coming from. Peterson said of the shooter: “The only person to blame was that monster. It wasn’t any law enforcement, nobody on that scene, from BSO, Coral Springs. Everybody did the best they could. We did the best we could with the information we had, and God knows we wish we had more at that point.”

Okay, Scot… But your best, their best, and Ulade’s ‘best’ seems to contrast very very differently from Nashville’s… why is that?

We have a serious problem between our effective and ineffective law enforcement responses to massacre level violence, we also have a serious problem holding officer accountable for failures of initiative, aggression, and judgement. Trying and failing should be no fault, but failing to try? Uvalde and MJD here contrast starkly against the result in Nashville at The Covenant school. There, Tennesse officers aggressed smoothly through the school, hunted the attacker, and neutralized them.

Then the internet did what the internet does.

Mockery of the shooter abounded, as it should in my opinion. Like how we clowned on this dunce.

No sympathy, no compassionate understanding, no foundation of legitimacy should every be given to these broken monstrous excuses for human beings. We should be cruelly analytical of their faults, their failings, and their decisions so that we can better respond to the next unhinged assailant who for [insert motivation] decides killing kids, co-workers, gay people at a bar, or concert goers is the thing to do to get their mad out.

We highlight the heroes who didn’t freeze up when the moment came, unlike Peterson, and we give them the deserved accolades for acting when the monstrous tendencies of humanity reared their ugly face in public.

The R51 – Remington’s Coffin Nail

By

Travis Pike

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June 30, 2023

Remington has a great origin story. Eliphalet Remington looked at the rifles on the market and decided he could build a better gun than he could buy, so he did. He built a flintlock rifle and competed with it, doing rather well. He began taking orders and founded the business that, by 2015, would produce more rifles than any other company out there. Somehow by 2018, the company faced bankruptcy, and Freedom Group was eventually broken up and sold. There were many factors leading to this, and one includes a little gun called the R51.

The Remington R51 was the final nail in the coffin, or well, at least it was a nail in the coffin. The real villain was mismanagement, a drop in QC, and the absorption and destruction of plenty of successful companies. The R51 wasn’t even the last handgun Remington produced that flopped hard, but it was the most noticeable. It’s quite sad because the concept had merit.

The Origins of the R51

Way back when, during the Great Depression, Remington produced a pistol known as the Model 51. John Pedersen designed the gun in 1917, and production lasted from 1918 to 1926. This semi-automatic handgun used a locked breech design that was novel for the time and used something called a hesitation-locked action.

A locked breech was rare at this period. It allowed the guns to have a much smaller and lighter slide that made them quite svelte. The Model 51s were very successful, and the production run was limited to about 65,000 pistols. That didn’t stop Remington from seeing some promise in the design. In Jan 2014, the Remington R51 was announced,

This would be a 9mm single stack pistol that made use of the hesitation-locked action. This was 2014, so the single stack 9mm game was still strong. Although by this point, it was a little late to the market. The industry was hyped for its arrival, and it looked different and promised to be different.

Launching the R51

Upon release, the gun was plagued with problems. It became a huge story that helped make internet gun journalism a bit more palpable. Plenty of big magazines gave the gun glowing reviews, but when it came to internet reviews, the bucked stopper. To be fair, both Recoil and American Rifleman gave it fairly accurate reviews.

Quality control was terrible, the gun was largely unreliable, and it flopped hard. Remington suspended sales in July 2014. Two years later, they began to ship Gen 2 models. Although these guns were better, for many, it was too little too late. The reputation was ruined, and no one wanted a Remington pistol.

This clearly affected the sales of the following Remington R9 and RM380 series.

In Real Life

Now, nearly a decade later, I have an R51 in my hands. It’s an interesting time capsule, and I’ll admit it’s a great-looking gun. The art deco style makes it stand out amongst guns that are nothing more than black rectangles. The all-metal design is interesting even for 2014, but it’s still fairly light and easy to handle. The grip is comfy, and the controls are nicely placed and accessible.

I noticed almost immediately the slide lock didn’t work well. I had to physically press up on the bottom of the empty magazine to engage the lock. The magazines loaded easily enough, and shooting resulted in some fairly sharp recoil that’s most backward. The grip safety, when combined with the recoil, creates a pinch that’s unpleasant.

The trigger is okay, and where the gun shines in its accuracy. Color me impressed. It’s quite solid and consistent. Also, the slide and sights are very easy to track, making the gun easy to shoot accurately and easily. Sadly, the slide will only sometimes lock to the rear with a single magazine. It’s not something I would count on.

The End of a Neat Idea

The R51 was a neat idea. My model mostly works, and it doesn’t stand out. I wouldn’t want to fire it in a high-round count class by any means. It’s a painful little gun, and I’d imagine getting irritated quite quickly. It mostly works, with some quirks, even in the Gen 2. Had Remington released a working gun in 2014, it would likely have a cult following but probably wouldn’t have saved them from bankruptcy.

Roller Delayed What Now?

By

Keith Finch

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June 30, 2023

Leave it to the Germans to take a series of simple physics principles, stack them, and find a way to make it cycle a firearm incredibly reliably.

Leave it also to the Germans to take the Belgian’s snubbing of wanting to build the FN FAL in Germany as the G1 and turn that into being one of the world’s small arms power houses. H&K was born out of FN going, “no” when Germany asked to build the rifles natively post WWII and during the Cold War.

Fear of the Soviets didn’t outstrip pettiness, which I can respect after a fashion, and let to the rise and eventual dominance of H&K. H&K has service weapons in most of prominent the NATO nations. They even got the poor SA80 working well enough that it spawned an A3 variant that seems fairly properly modernized. Even when they aren’t supplying, like they are to the French and the USMC, they are inspiring with guns like the VHS-2 clearly deriving from the G36.

FN is no slouch and I certainly prefer the SCAR to the 416 but the results of that decision by FN decades ago is amusing.

Anyway, watch Henry go through the stacked equations of simple physics to show you why the G3 and the weapons that came from that line work so durned well, were modular far ahead of their time, and still hold their own today for being so simple.

Also check out 1911 Syndicate and Teufelshund Tactical for more.

The Faxon FX22: From Plinking to Competition

By

David Reeder

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June 29, 2023

Faxon Firearms has announced the release of its FX22 Complete series, a collection of guns intended for plinking to target shooting, to competition experiences. The series comprises three rifles and a pistol, all using the 22 Long Rifle cartridge.

The FX22 series accommodates different skill levels and preferences, aiming to cater to various shooting activities, from casual plinking to competitive shooting.

Offering multiple configurations, such as rifles with different barrel lengths, handguard styles, and stocks, as well as a compact pistol option, the series aims to provide a customizable choice for potential users.

Faxon Firearms claims that the FX22 series utilizes high-quality components and is designed with attention to detail to ensure reliable performance and accuracy. According to the manufacturer, the series could be a viable option for those interested in plinking, target shooting, and varmint hunting, all in a cost-effective package.

Here is some of what Faxon had to say about the FX22 series.

Faxon FX22 Rifle, GBMFG Chassis, 16″ Barrel

The FX22 showcases the “La Chassis” by Grey Birch MFG and features a 16″ Medium Fluted Barrel manufactured from top-notch 416-R Stainless steel, ensuring endurance and accuracy. To enhance protection and aesthetics, the barrel is coated with Black Nitride.

With a sporter chamber type and a 1:16 twist rate, this rifle is ideal for hunting due to its reliability. The muzzle thread pitch 1/2×28 enables effortless attachment of your preferred muzzle device.

The FX22 receiver is crafted from 6061-T6 Aluminum and receives a Black Hardcoat Anodize finish, ensuring long-lasting durability. It includes an integrated 0-MOA 1913 Picatinny Rail for convenient mounting of optics and accessories.

The FX22 bolt is comprised of 17-4 Stainless Steel, and the firing pin has a round profile to ensure consistent ignition. For easy charging, the Tandemkross Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle is provided. The rifle is equipped with a Ruger BX-Trigger, delivering a light and crisp ~2.75 LB trigger pull, granting the accuracy and precision necessary to elevate your shooting skills.

GBMFG Chassis, 16″ Barrel Specs

Stock/Chassis: Grey Birch MFG “La Chassis”
Barrel length and profile: 16” Medium Fluted
Barrel Material: 416-R Stainless
Barrel Finish: Black Nitride
Twist rate: 1:16
Chamber type: Sporter
Muzzle thread pitch: 1/2×28
Included magazine capacity: 25 Rounds
Receiver Material 6061-T6 Aluminum
Receiver Finish: Black Hardcoat Anodized
Picatinny Rail: Integrated 0-MOA
Bolt Material: 17-4 Stainless Steel
Firing Pin Profile: Round
Charging Handle: Tandemkross Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle
Trigger: Ruger BX-Trigger
Trigger Pull Weight: ~2.75 LBS
Weight: 4.5 LBS
Length: 33.75
Height: 6.75
Width: 2.5″

Faxon FX22 Rifle, Hogue stock, 16″ Pencil Barrel

The FX22 showcases a Hogue rubber over-molded stock and features a 16″ Pencil Barrel crafted from high-quality 416-R Stainless steel, ensuring both durability and precision. To enhance protection and aesthetics, the barrel is coated with Black Nitride.

With a sporter chamber type and a 1:16 twist rate, this rifle is an excellent choice for hunting and reliability. The muzzle thread pitch of 1/2×28 allows for easy installation of your preferred muzzle device.

The FX22 receiver is constructed from 6061-T6 Aluminum and receives a Black Hardcoat Anodize finish, ensuring long-lasting durability. It includes an integrated 0-MOA 1913 Picatinny Rail, providing convenience for mounting your favorite optics and accessories.

The FX22 bolt is made of 17-4 Stainless Steel, and the firing pin has a round profile, ensuring reliable ignition. The Tandemkross Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle is provided for quick and easy charging. The rifle is equipped with a Ruger BX-Trigger, featuring a light and crisp ~2.75 LB trigger pull, granting the accuracy and precision necessary to elevate your shooting skills.

Hogue stock, 16″ Pencil Barrel Specs

Stock/Chassis: Hogue Rubber Overmolded
Barrel length and profile: 16” Pencil
Barrel Material: 416-R Stainless
Barrel Finish: Black Nitride
Twist rate: 1:16
Chamber type: Sporter
Muzzle thread pitch: 1/2×28
Included magazine capacity: 25 Rounds
Receiver Material 6061-T6 Aluminum
Receiver Finish: Black Hardcoat Anodized
Picatinny Rail: Integrated 0-MOA
Bolt Material: 17-4 Stainless Steel
Firing Pin Profile: Round
Charging Handle: Tandemkross Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle
Trigger: Ruger BX-Trigger
Trigger Pull Weight: ~2.75 LBS
Weight: 4.5 LBS
Length: 34.5″
Height: 5″
Width: 2.75″

Faxon FX22 Rifle, Magpul stock, 16″ Fluted Bull Barrel

The FX22 features a Magpul Hunter X-22 Stock and is equipped with a 16″ Straight Fluted Bull Barrel made from high-quality 416-R Stainless steel, ensuring both durability and precision. To enhance protection and aesthetics, the barrel is finished with Black Nitride.

With a sporter chamber type and a 1:16 twist rate, this rifle is ideally suited for hunting and offers reliable performance. The muzzle thread pitch of 1/2×28 allows for effortless installation of your preferred muzzle device.

The FX22 receiver is constructed from 6061-T6 Aluminum and receives a Black Hardcoat Anodize finish, providing long-lasting durability. It includes an integrated 0-MOA 1913 Picatinny Rail, making mounting your preferred optics and accessories simple.

The FX22 bolt is made of 17-4 Stainless Steel, and the firing pin has a round profile, ensuring reliable ignition. The Tandemkross Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle is utilized for quick and easy charging. The rifle is equipped with a Ruger BX-Trigger, featuring a light and crisp ~2.75 LB trigger pull, delivering the accuracy and precision necessary to elevate your shooting capabilities.

Magpul stock, 16″ Fluted Bull Barrel Specs

Stock/Chassis: Magpul Hunter X-22 Stock (Black)
Barrel length and profile: 16” Straight Fluted Bull Barrel (Black)
Barrel Material: 416-R Stainless
Barrel Finish: Black Nitride
Twist rate: 1:16
Chamber type: Sporter
Muzzle thread pitch: 1/2×28
Included magazine capacity: 25 Rounds
Receiver Material 6061-T6 Aluminum
Receiver Finish: Black Hardcoat Anodized
Picatinny Rail: Integrated 0-MOA
Bolt Material: 17-4 Stainless Steel
Firing Pin Profile: Round
Charging Handle: Tandemkross Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle
Trigger: Ruger BX-Trigger
Trigger Pull Weight: ~2.75 LBS
Weight: 6.1 LBS
Length: 34.25″
Height: 7″
Width: 2.75″

Faxon FX22 Pistol,

The FX22 showcases the Grey Birch MFG “La Chassis” and an 8.5″ Patented Flame Fluted Barrel manufactured from high-quality 416-R Stainless steel, ensuring both durability and precision. To enhance protection and aesthetics, the barrel is coated with Black Nitride.

This firearm features a sporter chamber type and a 1:16 twist rate, making it an ideal choice for hunting due to its reliability. The muzzle thread pitch of 1/2×28 allows for easy installation of your preferred muzzle device.

The FX22 receiver is constructed from 6061-T6 Aluminum and receives a Black Hardcoat Anodize finish, guaranteeing long-lasting durability. It includes an integrated 0-MOA 1913 Picatinny Rail, providing convenience for mounting your favorite optics and accessories.

The FX22 bolt is made of 17-4 Stainless Steel, and the firing pin has a round profile, ensuring reliable ignition. The Tandemkross Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle is provided for quick and easy charging. The rifle is equipped with a Ruger BX-Trigger, featuring a light and crisp ~2.75 LB trigger pull, delivering the accuracy and precision necessary to elevate your shooting skills.

GBMFG Chassis, 8″ Barrel Specs

Stock/Chassis: Grey Birch MFG “La Chassis”
Barrel length and profile: 8.5” Patented Flame Fluted
Barrel Material: 416-R Stainless
Barrel Finish: Black Nitride
Twist rate: 1:16
Chamber type: Sporter
Muzzle thread pitch: 1/2×28
Included magazine capacity: 25 Rounds
Receiver Material 6061-T6 Aluminum
Receiver Finish: Black Hardcoat Anodized
Picatinny Rail: Integrated 0-MOA
Bolt Material: 17-4 Stainless Steel
Firing Pin Profile: Round
Charging Handle: Tandemkross Spartan Skeletonized Charging Handle
Trigger: Ruger BX-Trigger
Trigger Pull Weight: ~2.75 LBS
Weight: 3.2 LBS
Length: 16.5″
Height: 6.75″
Width: 2.5″

The Faxon Firearms line of FX22 Complete Firearms proves itself to be an excellent choice for both range enthusiasts and competitive shooters alike.

With its exceptional performance, reliable construction, and innovative features, this firearm surpasses expectations and elevates the shooting experience to new heights.

Whether honing your skills at the range or participating in rimfire competitions, the FX22 offers unparalleled accuracy, versatility, and durability.

Faxon Firearms has once again demonstrated its commitment to providing firearms of the highest quality, ensuring that shooters can rely on the FX22 Complete Firearms to deliver exceptional results.

The Brownie – Mossberg’s First Gun

By

Travis Pike

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June 29, 2023

When you first hear the words O.F. Mossberg what do you think? I’m betting it’s a shotgun, a 500 or 590 series pump action shotgun. Maybe the new 940 Pro series. Mossberg is a shotgun company, like S&W is a revolver company. It’s not entirely true, but that’s what they are known for. They certainly aren’t known for handguns, which is odd since their first gun produced was a handgun. Specifically, a little pistol was known as the Brownie.

All About The Brownie

The Brownie is an odd and interesting pistol that first premiered in 1920 and was produced in 1932. The Brownie wasn’t a revolver or a semi-auto but an oddball four-barrel pistol more in the realm of a pepperbox or advanced derringer design. It’s a .22LR handgun with a DAO trigger. The design uses an internal hammer and a rotating firing pin. Mossberg described it as semi-automatic, and by the strictest definitions, it is. It does fire one round per pull of the trigger.

The barrels opened via a latch at the rear. This allowed you to load and unload the gun. Mossberg included a small piece of metal to extract the empties that were stored in the side of the gun. These are often lost, but I still have mine. The sights are very simple, a front sight and a groove, and that’s it.

Oscar Mossberg and his sons began producing the little guns and eventually produced 30,000 of the Brownie.

Marketing the Brownie

The Mossberg Brownie was marketed to trappers and hunters. It was offered a pint-size piece of firepower that held four rounds. It’s a remarkably small gun. The barrels are 2.5 inches long, and the overall length is 4.5 inches. The gun weighs only 10 ounces. It was super small. The little gun offered itself up as a compact firearm, with Mossberg claiming it could be concealed in the palm of your hand.

What was really attractive was the five-dollar price point. If we adjust for inflation, that’s about 75 dollars and some change. Not bad, even by today’s standards. It’s quite simple and was much cheaper than other small repeating firearms of the era. The Brownie was about 20 bucks cheaper than a Colt Vest Pocket, which is considerable savings.

Shooting the Little Fella

I purchased my Brownie for 80 bucks, and it was a great get. To keep the gun safe, considering it’s almost 100 years old, I don’t use anything of the normal velocity. Instead, I used primer-only loads like the Colibri and CB Cap loads. These ensure safety and don’t inhibit the function of the pistol.

It’s quite fun to shoot. The trigger is surprisingly smooth and light for a DAO trigger. Accuracy isn’t spectacular since the sight is more of a good suggestion than a proper sighting system. None of the barrels align with it, so it’s a bit off for every shot. For killing game in traps, this wasn’t a big concern.

The recoil is nil, and the only moving external control is the hammer. No safeties, no slides, and nothing rotating externally. It’s so simple and honestly fun to shoot. It’s a bit silly, but still a uniquely cool pistol. While it might have been designed for hunters and trappers, it wouldn’t have been a terrible concealed weapon for the era. It was quite affordable, and affordability can go a long way.

Mossberg recently got back into the pistol game with their various modern subcompacts, but the Brownie is the gun that got it all started. It’s what founded Mossberg and helped turn them into America’s oldest family-owned company. Not too bad for such an odd pistol.

Springfield Operator: Best 1911 for the Money?

By

BullShooters

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June 28, 2023

For over 20 years the American firearms juggernaut, Springfield Armory, has produced some of the best 1911s available for the money. In between the straight mass-produced guns with no hand finishing and the full fledged custom 1911s costing three times as much, Springfield’s mid-priced 1911s are more than just work horses, but accurate and stylish machines that shooters can count on for drilling 10 rings or carry–if you are the bold type that carries a two-pound gun on your hip.

Nothing Unequivocal About the Snub .357

By

V. Caldwell

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June 28, 2023

For close quarters use the short barrel revolver is a great option.

I am sometimes surprised at the lengths that many go to in order to be poorly armed. Second quality firearms have always existed in greater quantity than good firearms but some find way to make an art of a race to the bottom line. It is good to choose a quality handgun and protect your own hide. This is in opposition to those who look to the government for their safety and bleat like sheep at every emergency. Choosing the handgun isn’t easy and demands lots of thought. In many situations a snub nose revolver works best.

Load, close the cylinder, aim and fire. Simple as that. Some shooters are directed toward a handgun that doesn’t fit their skill level. A 9mm compact isn’t for everyone. Beginning and experienced shooters alike often choose the revolver. They are well armed if they practice. Those who do not practice are in the poor position of deploying a deadly weapon they cannot use well. While the .38 Special is a respectable caliber the .357 Magnum offer greater wound potential. While the slow burning powder used in the Magnum doesn’t generate as much velocity in a two and one half to three inch tube the increase over a .38 Special is respectable. The advantages of the revolver make the short barrel Magnum an attractive choice. Reliability is one advantage.

The Model 19 short barrel Magnum is a great all around revolver.

A further advantage of the revolver is that the revolver can be placed against an opponent’s body and fired repeatedly as a contact weapon. The automatic pistol would jam after the first shot, tying up with blood or clothing material blown into the slide. An automatic may also short cycle due to a less than perfect grip. With a full size grip but a short barrel the user has good leverage against a gun grab attempt.

Power Curve

The Magnum operates at some 40,000 copper units of pressure compared to 18,000 for the .38 Special, and 20,000 for the .38 Special +P. This gives the magnum a great advantage in power, and the ability to use heavier bullets than the .38 Special. .357 Magnum revolvers are nearly as compact as the snubnose .38, but with a heavier frame and a heavy barrel, offer a good platform for the magnum cartridge. I have often regarded the lightest .357 revolvers as simply nice heavy barrel .38s. With a heavier barrel and good sights and a hand filling grip these handguns take away the sometimes sharp recoil of a lightweight .38. Medium frame snub nose .357 revolvers are docile with .38s and manageable with Magnum ammunition.

Be certain to get your practice in with your handgun!

With a mechanical advantage in reliability the ability to use the weapon with a less than perfect grip and the ability to fire with the handgun pressed into an opponents body the snub nose .38 is a credible choice for personal defense while the Magnum is even better- for those who practice! The Magnum loses velocity when fired in a two- to three-inch barreled compact revolver, but it remains far more powerful than the snubnose .38 Special as the accompanying table shows. Just the same- the Buffalo Bore 158 grain lead hollow point is a counterpoint to the short barrel Magnum and gets the tired old .38 off its knees! Recoil of J frame five shot Magnum revolvers is sharp. The revolver must be held firmly for control. There is a sharp jolt not to be underestimated. The person deploying this revolver must engage in practice and use the proper techniques to master this revolver. As for practice- twenty rounds of .38 for every Magnum is a good standard.

Another advantage of the revolver is superb accuracy. The Smith and Wesson Model 19 I often carry has been in service for four decades. A combination of excellent high visibility sights and a smooth trigger make for fine accuracy. Most quality ammunition will cut a 1.5 inch group at 25 yards. However this 2.5 inch barrel revolver has once fired a three inch 50 yard group at 50 yards, from a solid benchrest and the MTM K Zone firing rest. Ammunition was the Black Hills Ammunition 148 grain .38 Special wadcutter. Firing a 2.5 inch barrel revolver even a very good one for accuracy at 50 yards is something of a stunt but the Smith & Wesson Model 19 was up to the task. Modern Smith & Wesson revolvers actually have superior barrel throat fit and tighter tolerances although I don’t like the mix of an action lock and MIM parts. What most of what is needed in personal defense the hardy revolver is a good choice.

Accuracy is good for those who practice.

Results in Smith&Wesson 640.38 Special

Hornady 110 grain Critical Defense: 949 fps
Fiocchi 125 EXTREMA: 909 fps
Speer 135 grain Gold Dot Short Barrel: 844 fps
Winchester 158 grain LSWCHP +P: 829 fps
Buffalo Bore 158 grain lead SWC hollow point: 1,014 fps

( A good choice for short barrel Magnum revolvers) .357 Magnum

Remington 110 grain JHP: 1290 fps
Remington 125 grain JHP: 1190 fps

Stout recoil!

Hornady 125 grain Critical Defense: 1177 fps
Winchester 145 grain Silvertip: 1039 fps
PMC 158 grain JSP: 990 fps

The Pocket Shot

By

Travis Pike

-

June 27, 2023

Fun fact about me, remember that 1998 Dennis the Menace movie? My mom took me to audition for that as a seven-year-old. Alas, my life was not meant for Hollywood, but it was made for mischief. Even as a kid, I thought slingshots were so much fun. Now as an adult, I still think slingshots are fun. There is something about the ability to turn nearly anything into a fast-moving projectile I enjoy. Imagine my surprise when browsing Walmart, and I came across something called the Pocket Shot on clearance for a mere five bucks.

The Pocket Shot labels itself the future of slingshots, and for the price of a cup of coffee in 2023, I snagged it. The Pocket Shot is a small elastic-looking balloon secured to an orange plastic ring. Pocket Shot is a good name because it fits into your pocket with absolute ease.

How the Pocket Shot Works

The idea is simple. The elastic balloon portion is where you drop your ammo of choice. Drop one in and then grab it from behind and pull it rearward. Let it go, and your ammo of choice flies outward. It’s simple, and the Pocket Shot can be pulled to the rear quite far. The further you pull it back, the further and faster your ammo flies.

Ammo can be the official Pocket Shot ammo or your typical ball bearings. Personally, acorns and small rocks are the most cost-effective for me, and I let plenty of them fly. A front portion threads onto the Pocket Shot to secure the whole setup. This does allow you to carry extra ammo while it’s stored in the pocket.

The whole idea is pretty simple, but is it really the evolution of the slingshot?

Does The Pocket Shot Work?

The idea is simple and does make the slingshot smaller and more compact. I grabbed some plastic slingshot ammo from Daisy to try the thing out. Although, I also shot my fair share of acorns at oak trees. With the purpose-made ammo in hand, I let it fly.

The Pocket Shot can throw these things quite far; in fact, it flew across my yard way further than I thought, and I resigned that round to lose. With a B8 up, I practiced my accuracy. I consistently shot the thing low when I aimed instinctively, so I had to adjust, and I could hit the black most of the time at seven yards or so. It’s pretty tough to aim the Pocket Shot, harder than a slingshot, for sure.

With my son’s slingshot, I can hit a Coke bottle at ten yards consistently and keep it dancing. I can’t do that with the Pocket Shot. Although to be fair, I’ve been a menace with a slingshot since I was tiny, the Pocket Shot is brand new. Also, I don’t think I can launch cherry bombs with the pocket shot.

The Pocket Shot does launch those little balls fast and hard. I was chipping away at a cinder block with it. I also had an old dresser I needed to take to the dump that quickly became a target. In the tradition of mag dumping into trash, I threw some pellets at it. Those fast-moving balls left deep indents, and they are made from plastic. I don’t doubt I could kill the small game with this thing.

The Modular Design

It bears mentioning that the Pocket Shot is dearly modular. The company has tons of models and variations. There are even various additions to make it more sling-shot-like. Hell, you can even launch short arrows from this thing. I’m not sure if I want to spend a hundred bucks for the arrow setup, but it is tempting.

The Pocket Shot is the AR-15 of the slingshot world, apparently. They typically run for 20 bucks. While I got a great deal, I’ve definitely had 20 bucks worth of fun. I also bought two more for my kiddos because they were five bucks. If you want something cheaper than guns to shoot, give it a peek.

Bizon – That Other Weird Magazine SMG

By

Keith Finch

-

June 26, 2023

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.

The Empire Tactical Brass Knuckles

By

Travis Pike

-

June 26, 2023

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.

Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman Loads

By

V. Caldwell

-

June 23, 2023

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.

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.

Noir, the MiniSCAR, and Super Short 5.56 SBRs

By

Keith Finch

-

June 23, 2023

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.

And because we think its cool.

The 9th Pellet Flyer – Get Out There

By

Travis Pike

-

June 22, 2023

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.

This Stinks – Gassing Garand Thumb

By

Keith Finch

-

June 22, 2023

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.