The AA-19 – A Gucci Glock Gen 3

By

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July 6, 2023

There has been a recent glut of Glock Gen 3 clones hitting the market at a variety of price points. PSA and Anderson covering the budget market, Polymer 80 is hitting the mid-market, and now Adams Arms is swinging in to provide the high-end option with the AA-19. Adams Arms is well-known for producing piston-driven AR-15 rifles, so handguns were a bit of a new stretch. The Adams Arms AA-19 is Glock 19-sized and does come complete with all the fancy features you expect from a Gucci Glock.

The Adams Arms AA-19 – In Living Color

What are those fancy features? Well, you get the fancy slide with all the work done up on it to make it look quite nice. Up front, they trimmed some slides away to lighten things up. At the rear, it’s optics ready, but you have to purchase the Adams Arms optic plates to match your particular optic.

The sights are the Ameriglo Defoor sights that keep things simple and blacked out. The barrel is threaded and suppressor or muzzle device ready. The frame looks like a Polymer 80 design with some Adams Arms touches. The frame features an excellent trigger guard undercut for a nice high grip as well as a slide bit defeating an overhang at the rear of the grip.

The grip is just a hair longer than a Glock 19 variant. I like this because, on a Glock 19, my pinky hangs off of half the grip, making it easy to pin the magazine in when I attempt a reload accidentally. The magazine release is also slightly extended compared to most gen three options. We also get a proper Picatinny rail for accessories.

The trigger comes from Tango Down and provides a flat-faced option with a rather nice trigger shoe and a great reset. It’s the Vicker’s trigger, and Vickers is, of course, Larry Vickers, famed Delta Force commando and firearms expert.

At the Range

The AA-19 ships with a single Magpul 15-round GL9 magazine. Simple but effective. I have a pile of G17 and various capacity 33-round magazines, so that wasn’t an issue. I loaded them up and let them fly. I like the all-blacked-out sights. I’ve become fond of the idea, and they won’t damn well. The only time I had an issue was with B8 targets. Lining black with black on a black target was tricky, but I guess if it was all black, then I was lining it up right.

The trigger pull was nice and crisp. It’s predictable. We aren’t getting a lightweight competition-type trigger. It’s a duty design that seems to remove some of that plastic-on-plastic feeling of a Glock trigger. Decent sights and a good trigger made accuracy a non-issue. It’s easy to pass the basics and score high on 10-10-10 drills, and even when fired from the draw, I was doing fairly well landing all in the black.

I backed off to 25 yards and locked into the chest of a silhouette target, and let it go. If the cardboard target had had lungs, he wouldn’t anymore. (9mm knocks lungs out, right?) The AA-19 lands shots where you want them as long as you can do your part.

Controlling the AA-19

The ole AA-19 was plenty easy to keep on target and fire rapidly. Like any Glock-style firearm in 9mm, you won’t be worrying much about recoil or muzzle rise. It’s pleasant and easy to shoot, kind of like driving a Honda Civic. You know what to expect. Keeping the gun low and on target while shooting won’t challenge you.

Even newer shooters won’t be intimidated by the recoil or muzzle rise. More experienced shooters will be easy to snap back down and on target in a flash. Blasting away with the AA-19 is never tiring, and it’s pain-free, thanks to that overhang. Outside of the Gen 5 Glocks, every other generation eats my hand up with slide bite.

With ammo prices being what they are, I may have purchased some cheap remanufactured ammo. I know it’s a risk, but sometimes the price is too good to pass up. With that in mind, the AA-19 didn’t seem to mind the remanufactured ammo or craptastic steel-cased stuff. It shot it all. It also had no problems with various mags from Magpul, Glock, ETS, KCI, and more.

Worth the Squeeze

The MSRP of the AA-19 is 999, but when you break down the various components, it doesn’t seem out of line. Of course, you are not picking your own gadgets, gizmos, and parts. If you prefer to have professionals deck out your Gucci Glock this is the way to go. I would include one of the plates to attach an optic, but that’s just me. With the AA-19, you are only an optic, light, and compensator away from being as decked out as it gets.

Review: Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7

By

Keith Finch

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July 6, 2023

I’ve always like the use theories behind 5.7x28mm. A small, fast, low recoil round for a handgun and PDW that can bridge a performance gap between the 5.56 and 7.62 service rifles and the 9x19mm handguns and submachine guns

What most use theories ignore, unfortunately, is logistics. Supply, training, time, sunk costs, etc.

So I had written off 5.7×28 as a caliber for serious use and placed it into the neat box of thought and proof of concept projects. It would be simply be that cool round for a couple cool guns FN designed back in the day. Looked really cool in Stargate SG-1 too. No harm, no foul, but also not an EDC for me.

Then for some reason a bunch of companies picked up and said let’s make 5.7x28mm guns. Smith & Wesson was among them.

I have a happy and positive history with the M&P line and it was honestly strange I didn’t own a few anymore. I had settled into comfort with my P226/229 and the AXG P320 that followed their profile. I loved the original M&P 45 and 9L, the 2.0’s have continued my appreciation for the guns too with their excellent list of improvements. I simply didn’t own one myself.

But, that concerned only 9mms.

What happens when offered the chance to look at a brand new M&P pistol, in a caliber I’ve liked in theory but written off as impractical, that is being more often produced by several affordable ammunition companies?

Well, I end up with an M&P 5.7 in my hands and giving the gun (and caliber) a try.

Huh, weird… Uncanny even…

The Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 has some attractive stats. It is a full size duty pistol with 22 rounds of ammunition per magazine and the full suite of M&P 2.0 features. This including optics and suppressor compatibility.

But it looks… odd. Almost offputtingly so. It’s a tall pistol, but the slide is very squat. It’s a long pistol, but slim like a P365 or Shield. The circumference of the grip is both correct and incorrect simultaneously. It inhabits this uncanny valley of handguns where both the closeness of it to normal sows a discomfort rather than familiarity and trust, but everything is precisely where it should be for a pistol in such a dimensionally different caliber like 5.7x28mm.

In short, its weird and I didn’t know what to think in unboxing and handling it.

Adding to the oddity, the M&P 5.7 is a gas operated. Its barrel is sleeved and the barrel acts as both the locking lugs for its chamber and the gas piston to cycle the slide. It is a fascinating design rarely seen employed in handguns.

So next I thought the practical thing and figured I’d shoot it and see. It came with two magazines and a load assister, I won’t call it a speed loader but it does help get cartridges into the thin semi-rimmed magazines. The magazines, like all new magazines, got difficult near max capacity.

Those magazines are also where I experienced my first and only failure of anything on this pistol. One of the mags was a from the factory dud and was binding at about the 19 round mark. You could load it but the spring and follower would not more than two or three rounds before it became stuck. I called into CS, replacements from S&W quickly, and those ones feed fine.

Doin’ it live

Live fire showcases the truly exceptional difference this pistol exhibits, here’s a video showing the field strip.

Again this is a gas operated pistol, like the Desert Eagle, but chambered in 5.56 NATO ‘Short’ for all intents and purposes. The barrel and barrel extension/chamber are also the “gas piston” and the locking lugs. I didn’t know what to expect but it certainly wasn’t the smooth recoil impulse that the M&P delivered. I’d say it is more pleasant to shoot than the FiveseveN from FN even, and that is an absurdly pleasant pistol to shoot in its original form.

The single action trigger with the trigger blade style safety delivers a consistent take up and a predictable wall to wait at and roll through when you want to deliver the shot. The results downrange were telling. I was able to keep every round I sent inside the headbox of a USPSA target with ease at 25 yards… with the iron sights. I hadn’t put the Holosun EPS Carry onto it yet, I was just testing function.

For reference, I can’t do that with a 9mm reliably enough to make the claim. The mass generated recoil of the 9mm produces more disruption and I can’t pace it as quickly as I was able to pick up and manage the M&P 5.7.

This pistol shoots. It is a very pleasant pistol to shoot with tactile feedback that benefits the user. The trigger breaks when you want it to. The slide is easy to manipulate. The sights were on from the factory and a dot like the Holosun EPS goes right on too and extends the effective range neatly.

The recoil is extremely soft and is easily managed, you quickly recover a sight picture, the trigger predictably resets and preps for another shot.

Everything about shooting the M&P 5.7 is easy to direct.

Ammo

Feeding the M&P 5.7, or any 5.7x28mm is going to be your hurdle.

Ammunition sourcing is probably the pistol’s greatest limitation at the moment. Now 5.7 is more available than its been, but it isn’t and certainly will likely never be 9mm available or 9mm cost. At best it will likely hover around what we pay for .45 ACP and we aren’t at best right now. We can find it above 10mm and .45 but below .308/7.62 NATO.

1,000 rounds of 9mm can be found very quickly for under $300 right now. $700 is what I would spend for 5.7x28mm. It’s almost 3 to 1 in favor of 9mm for the cost.

Cost isn’t everything though and $700 isn’t unreasonable for a case of ammunition in general, it’s just high for a “pistol” round. For 5.56 in any sort of special round (like 77gr) or 7.62×51 that price per round is pretty normal. We’re just accustomed to 9mm, and this isn’t 9mm.

If the benefits of the pistol, specifically capacity and ease of use, outweigh the ammunition cost swing it is well worth considering the gun.

Carry

Yes, I’ve carried this pistol EDC.

And yes, I will recommend it for that roll. If you like the comfort of a 1911-esk slim/fullsize the M&P 5.7 fills that profile and nearly triples your capacity. It can also easily index a slim light like a Streamlight TLR-7A without ballooning that profile. The slim design makes keeping the M&P 5.7 close to the body a breeze and comfort of carrying this pistol is on par with a Sig P365 X-Macro.

It’s still a large pistol to carry, however it is on the most comfortable end of large pistols to carry. It also brings 22 rounds with it wherever you do carry it.

Will it replace my X Macro or my most preferred P365X with its WC frame as my EDC? No. But I did carry it for several months consistently, comfortably, and confidently and will probably do so with some regularity moving forward. The M&P 5.7 is an exceptionally comfortable full frame pistol.

Use Case – Compromised Hand Strength

Having a quality firearm available for that a physically compromised person can use is far more important than having one I can use. I’m a reasonably fit infantry veteran in my mid-30’s, I would lose a hand to hand bought with anyone who significantly out strength/masses/reaches me or who is a substantially more studied and practiced fighter than I am. But that list isn’t that long.

Compare that to the fact that any given male between 15 and 45 years of age physically outclasses most females in that age range and nearly all males and females in the retirement 60+ age range and we get the reminder that physics and physical power will not be on my side forever even if they are at the moment.

Add onto this disparity the men and women with actual manifest physical disabilities. They are missing a limb or limbs, have significant damage to their arms or hands, or in any other capacity cannot generate the normal control forces required to operate a traditional semi-automatic or double-action revolver. These people have an additional possibility with the M&P 5.7 and similar pistols. It is high capacity, low recoil, and the slide is easy to manipulate.

All of these factors make the pistol a joy to run for the normal shooter too, but where the ammunition price may not justify our mainlining the M&P 5.7 over a comparable 9mm it could be exactly what someone else needs in a handgun to make it function for them and the ammunition cost is easily justified by the person’s ability to make the pistol perform.

All in all, the M&P 5.7 is shaping up to be a quality if niche addition to the Smith & Wesson line and it is worth considering both for the fun of it and if you have a need that 9x19mm handguns are not fulfilling properly or to your satisfaction.

You can also just pick it up because you want to. I recommend 4 extra magazines and an EPS Carry from Holosun to top it off.

Barrett MRAD Tags Bigfoot at 1 Mile!

By

BullShooters

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July 5, 2023

The X4 System: The Heads Up Innovation from Magpul and Maztech

By

David Reeder

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July 5, 2023

Keith interviews the Maztech crew at the Magpul Booth, SHOT 2022

The first two components of the 7 component X4 system are building to give the end user an integrated and smarter information flow in the chaotic operational environments encountered by small units.

The 30mm/34mm fire control unit helps the shooter achieve faster rounds on target by doing most of the math and guesswork for you. The round counter magazine systems give you a real time logistics count on your ammunition (and will also work on others kit in an expanded variant of the system later on). The final announced component, the laser ranging module, will do even more of the fire control units mathematics by auto adjusting the range to target.

The 5.11 Rush 12 – The Little Guy

By

Travis Pike

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July 5, 2023

I’m a sucker for backpacks. It drives my wife crazy. Why do I need so many? I don’t know, and I can’t rightly tell you. I do constantly switch my EDC pack around or come up with excuses. My latest EDC bag is the Rush 12 2.0. My excuse? Well, the other Rush 2.0 I have is too big, so let’s downsize without tossing out too much of the compatibility of a modern backpack. The Rush 12 is a standard-sized 24-liter backpack with all the extra features you expect from something that fits into the tactical world.

The 5.11 Rush 12 – What’s Inside

We get a total of six compartments. Of the six pockets, two are small, one being a sunglasses pocket and another a micro organizer. A medium-sized front pocket packs a ton of room for organization and lots of little pockets for your pens and calculator, you nerd. Sitting hidden by velcro behind that pocket is a CCW pocket. This pocket is secured by velcro and packs a massive velcro patch on the inside that’s just waiting for some form of holster.

Beyond that, we have our main compartment with two mesh organizers on one side and a laptop pocket on the other. I love a good tablet/laptop pocket. The final pocket is a hydration bladder pocket for all your adventuring needs. It’s got quite a lot going on for a fairly compact backpack.

On the outside, we have our fair share of MOLLE for attaching whatever extras you may need. A lot of people point to MOLLE as some kind of giveaway to tactically and treat it like open carry. It might not be discrete, but hell, even my son’s backpack from Wal-Mart has MOLLE on it these days. I don’t think it’s as big a tell anymore.

In Action With the Rush 12

Lots of pockets and organization make it easy to set up for consistent use. My everyday backpack isn’t doing anything cool, but it holds my laptop, maybe some gym clothes, a notebook, an external phone battery and a small medical kit, and whatever else I may need for the day. It’s not tacticalised, but it gets used daily.

Sometimes it schleps ammo, mags, and guns to the range. In this configuration, there are lots of pockets to keep things put away and plenty of room for the basics, like a shot timer, a stapler, targets, ammo, handguns, etc. As we speak, or as I type, I guess, it’s full of gear I’m reviewing and hauling from place to place.

The Rush 12 features a healthy dose of padding at the back to provide a nice bit of comfort. The straps are also surprisingly padded and wide and complete with a chest strap. It’s a small backpack, but it would be comfortable carrying a heavy load. The Rush 12 has no business having such comfy straps and padding, but it’s nice to see, even on a small backpack.

It makes toting my goodies to and from comfy, and if I’m stuck in a hurry-up-and-wait situation, I don’t mind wearing the pack. The orientation of the pads even allows for airflow to keep things cool.

What About Concealed Carry?

I don’t tend to carry offbody, but I still gave the 5.11 Rush 12 a try. I mounted a holster in the rig and practiced my draw and transitions. You learn to swing the bag around my body the correct way, and gaining access to the holster was easy. The breakaway velcro makes it quick and easy to access the holster and gun. It’s still slower than appendix carry, but as an off-body carry option, it’s fairly quick.

The value I find from the concealed carry pocket is just as a hidden pocket. I don’t have anything to hide, but it makes stashing gear I don’t use daily easy. It’s where my mini medical kit calls home, for example, and it could easily be a handy spare mag pouch. Keeping it concealed prevents exposure to the elements and other stuff that might rub, smoosh, or expose these valuable items to the world.

Grab and Go

I got the 5.11 Rush 12 as a prize in a competition shoot, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by its utility and how handy the little pack can be. I normally carry something a bit bigger out of habit, but the smaller Rush 12 is handier and easier to rock and roll with. It’s a little pack with big potential.

The Taurus Curve – Mostly Forgotten

By

Travis Pike

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July 4, 2023

Taurus Curve, if you weren’t around in 2015, you might think I’m talking about a Ford car. The Taurus Curve was, in fact, a Taurus subcompact, pocket pistol-sized .380 back when those were still popular. The years 2014 and 2015 were wild for Taurus. They released a few oddball guns, including the famed View, a specially modified Model 85. We also got the Curve in that time frame.

The Curve was first somewhat secretly shown to gun media folks at SHOT 2014, but it was nearly a year before an official announcement was made. The Curve appeared to be a modified variant of the Taurus TCP, a lightweight .380 pocket pistol. The modifications were extensive, and they produced what I think is an innovative gun. It’s a design with a few interesting features that are often overlooked.

Innovation is often conflated with good. Sometimes the idea is innovative, and the execution is not. That’s exactly what we have here with the Curve. The idea to create a deep concealment gun with a bevy of modern features wasn’t a bad one; it just wasn’t properly executed.

What’s the Curve

Curve describes it aptly. They took a TCP style .380 ACP and curved the frame to better fit the body. It’s curved to be carried on the right-hand side in a strongside IWB configuration. The idea is that the gun’s design will mate better with the natural curves of your body. This only works when it’s carried without a holster which Taurus admittedly set you up for.

The gun comes with a clip on the side of the Curve, which is removable if you so choose. It also comes with a MIC trigger guard cover. This device has a string attached that you tie to your belt, so when drawn, the MIC is pulled off by the action of drawing the gun.

It’s a neat idea. It does have a few flaws. Primarily the gun only works for righties. I believe Taurus promised a left-handed version, but it was never produced. The other downside is that it did create an awkward grip.

The Good(ish) Ideas of the Curve

It’s tough to say everything about the Curve was a good idea. However, I fully give Taurus credit for their out-of-the-box thinking with the Curve. The Curved design is a neat idea that does lend itself well to very deep concealed carry. However, it doesn’t allow for tuckable carry, which is often a deep concealment must-have.

My favorite idea was to integrate a light and laser into the gun. Integration of these products might be the future of handgun design, as well as the integration of topics. While that might be a long way away, the Curve came with a light and laser built into the frame. While that was a cool idea, both were very weak. The light is only 25 lumens, and it works at point blank and not much further.

Taurus also trimmed off everything that could snag on the draw. We’ve seen SIG do the same with the P365 SAS, but the Curve arguably did it first. While the SAS idea has been around for a long time, the Curve was the first to take it to an extreme and ditch the sights, slide releases, and magazine releases.

The Bad Ideas

The bad ideas include the lack of sight. The laser works indoors, but too much light will wash it out. The rear of the gun has this little section of white ones that are supposed to act as sights, but it kind of sucks. It’s tough to shoot accurately at any range. The magazine release is a pinch-type design at the bottom of the mag, similar to the subcompact S&W Sigma of old. It reduces the need for a button but is also easy to accidentally bump.

The DAO trigger was silly because it could accidentally short-stroke and not properly reset. It was easy to do because the trigger has two tactile and audible clicks as it resets.

Also, the controls for the light and laser weren’t great. Taurus designed it so that when drawn from the MIC, the MIC hits the laser and light control and activates it on the draw. It can be programmed to use just light, just laser, or nothing. I don’t think it’s always wise to activate the light and laser on the draw. Activating it manually is also a hassle, and the button sucks.

At the Range

As mentioned, the gun is tough to shoot accurately. My best results were the laser on a target in the shadow. Once zeroed, that was fine. Trying to use the rear drawn-on sights was difficult and resulted in crazy inconsistency from my hands.

Recoil is what you exact from a .380 Pocket pistol. That recoil and the magazine placement caused the mag to come loose twice. I’m also gripping hard to hold on, which doesn’t help.

The biggest issue is reliability. The Curve is extremely ammo picky. It only seems to like brass-cased FMjs. Hollowpoints were a no-go for me, but to be fair, I only tried the one brand I had. I got a ton of failures to feed with hollow points. With the FMJs, I got a single stovepipe in the 150 rounds I fired.

Ultimately it’s easy to see why the Curve faltered and why it wasn’t meant to be. Taurus might have been ahead of the Curve (pun intended), but the poor gun ultimately faltered. Can it make a comeback? Maybe, but they would have to make some serious changes.

Independence Day and America’s Rifle

By

Keith Finch

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July 4, 2023

Josh and Henry over at 9-Hole reviews hit the gas on the M4 Block II and took it on a speedway run.

The Block II is about a decade old at this point and no longer represents the pinnacle of what the M4A1 is, especially rocking the old ACOG. But its also a good rifle. Like a really good rifle. It can handle just about anything smoothly and reliably that you could ask a 5.56x45mm NATO carbine to do and has shown that we can stretch the legs on these things more than we though by putting the right combination of training, optics, and ammunition together.

As mentioned in the video near the end, each iteration of the M4 looks to be significantly better than the last. However, the last iteration was also near universally a good rifle too (No, not you M16. The M16A1 was the start of the good ones. Army Ordnance done goofed there)

That brings me to the point of this Independence Day post. The current standard in American rifles.

We’ve settled nicely more and more on the ~13.7-14.5 guns, with a capable muzzle pinned on and ready for a can, as the proper carbine standard. They’re svelt and nimble enough while not giving up enough maximum range or muzzle velocity to be of any concern. They easily, especially with good optics and ammo, command about 500 meters in any given direction and can also move through the tight confines of a house or close urban streets and alleys with ease. Its good for the soldier, the peace officer, and the home defender alike.

While this further relegates the longer guns, like the M16 and MK12 evolutions, into the role of DMR rifles pushing the rounds as fast and as far as they can be made to go, that isn’t a bad thing. Giving rifles specialties while we make the GPRs more useful is a grand way to continue to push our technological and physiological training development to make better use of what these tools can do for us.

So Happy Independence Day! Celebrate by making your GPR M4 the best it can be. TONS of sales this year. Drink and shop responsibly (but not too responsibly, have fun too)

July 4th, 1776

By

Keith Finch

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July 4, 2023

That date would begin the greatest experiment in republican democracy that had ever yet to be undertaken and would take 15 years to realize what we recognize more as the constitutionally governed United States with the ratification of the bill of rights on December 15th, 1791.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Bang Saber: Flashbang for civilian use (that you can buy online)

By

David Reeder

-

July 3, 2023

The “Bang Saber” is a flashbang for civilian use. It might not be quite as effective as a military or LE Noise Flash Diversionary Device (NFDD), but it has the distinct advantage of being both a reusable and a civilian legal flashbang. Here is the release.

TS Bang Saber Civilian Flash Bang

St. Peters, MO

For Immediate Release

If you’ve ever thrown an M-84 or CTS 9-Banger at your day job, you will like those. If you’ve ever banged somebody within an FPS game, you will like these. Fact is, whether you’re going FISHing (Fighting In Someone’s House) or trying to liven up a boring cotillion, you’re going to like these.

Local warlords: buy flashbangs online!

The TS Bang Saber 2.0 civilian legal reusable flashbang is manufactured for Tactical Sh!t by Helius Engineering. It’s for training, “distracting,” or just for fun. The 2.0 bangs just as hard as its predecessor but is now slimmer and much lighter. Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain… especially when you’re banging someone.

The Bang Saber is made in the USA. It utilizes a 12 gauge or 9mm blank or a 209 primer for ignition. Just load the blank or primer into the body, remove the pin, and toss the device where you want it.

You’ll get a bright flash, some smoke, and an approximate “bang” noise around the 120-160db level. The exact amount of candela and decibels will depend on the type of blank used.

Here are a few things to know about the Saber flashbang for civilian use:

No training or certification need to purchase (buy flashbangs online!).
Limited numbers are available due to manufacturer difficulty with materials: if they’re out when you try to buy one, sign up for notifications.
Must sign a liability waiver to purchase.

The Bang Saber ignites using a blank cartridge like these 12 gauge blanks. It will also use 9mm blanks.

Flash/Sound Diversionary Devices

Capt. John Kolman, Ret. (LAPD D Platoon SWAT) and Cmdr Sid Heal, Ret (LACSD Special Enforcement Bureau) defined an NFDD in a paper for the Justice Department, as you’ll read below. Contrary to the common vernacular, it is not a “flash bang grenade.” It could not be a grenade in the traditional sense and still be labeled a less lethal device.

What is a flashbang? “A flash/bang diversionary device produces a loud bang with a brilliant light that is intended to cause confusion and distraction to provide a tactical team with a few seconds of advantage.”
That’s what the Bang Saber does. Get your hands on one or a few!

The OBi Link System: Connect Your Gun/Tripod/Binos to Your Pack

By

Anna Martinez

-

July 3, 2023

Hunters and Precision shooters alike are needing new ways to carry their rifle and tripod while still being able to remove it quickly from their pack. Usually this involves securing their tripod in multiple straps on the pack or simply hand carrying their rifle which can all be a little annoying. The solution? The Old Balls Inc (OBi) Link System. A post and lock system that can be installed on your rifle, binos, gun, pretty much anything which will lock into again..pretty much anything due to the multiple different locking systems that are available. Don’t get overwhelmed with the options though, it is a simple system, trust me.

multiple options for the link system — There are many options on how to use the Old Balls Inc Link System. Click here to see them.

Reason for the System

My specific reasoning for this system comes from National Rifle League Hunter matches. These matches often involve a lot of hiking with a pack, all of your gear for the match, your rifle, and your tripod. Hand carrying your rifle over your shoulder definitely isn’t the most energy saving way to hike.

These matches also involve wearing this gear to start each stage and having to remove your tripod from your pack on the clock. My method of putting my tripod on the side pouch of my pack and strapping it in tight so that it doesn’t flail as I am running definitely slowed me down when it came to unstrapping said tripod. That is time taken away from ranging and engaging targets under four minutes.

Other reasoning lies with hunters that want their hands free and things easily accessible such as bear spray or to grab a pistol or binos.

I started seeing the OBi Link System around the internet but it all seemed a little overwhelming to me so I forgot about it. Until I picked up a piece from a prize table at a NRL Hunter match at the Arena in Georgia. I then became intrigued and have been impressed since.

The System

Before going into the details below ,a simplified way of looking at this system is to think about holes and sticks. The stick or post connects into the U shaped hole or lock. OBi has simply made a system of posts and locks that will connect to your gear to make it easier to carry and to remove with a simple tug.

This system comes in many different styles such as a lock that can be run through your pack strap, a clamp lock that uses four allen screws and clamps to your pack strap, or even a grip on that grips onto the entire leg of your tripod. There are also posts that can be screwed into your bino’s and a M-LOK post that installs onto your gun. Versatile!

The overall design and materials of the system is pretty impressive as well. Everything tightens up without slipping and the posts and locks are beefy, with proof from the dudes carrying around their 25lb rifles with the OBi Link System.

The Post

Quick Detach Post: Works as a simple push button, just like we are used to with QD slings. Simply put into your rifle QD mount and then install a lock onto your pack strap and wallah.
Round Post M-LOK: Mounts to your M-LOK rail on your firearm. This is great if you don’t have a QD option near where you want your rifle to be mounted.
Round Post M-LOK Mini: Mounts to your M-LOK rail on your firearm but with one M-LOK nut, not two.
Anywhere Post: Can be mounted..anywhere. Many will poke a hole in the handle on their shooting bag and mount this post. It has a little nut type washer on the rear of the screw that is connected to the post enabling it to clamp into anything.
Strap Post Square: Threads into 1-inch webbing and doesn’t allow side to side movement.

obi link on strap of pack and grip on on tripod — This configuration is the Clamp Lock positioned on my Stone Glacier pack belt. The tripod has the Grip On Circle on it to link the two together.

Do You Want Your Gear to Swivel?

There are two shapes of posts, a circle and a square post. All of the locks are U shaped. The only difference in the circle and square posts is that the circle posts allows for some movement side to side, say if you were hanging a gun or a tripod off of your pack you may want it to move with you just a bit. The square post is a little harder to drop into the U shaped lock but will not allow the item to move such as if you want to mount binoculars to your pack you would use the square post and clamp or slide through lock.

The Locks

Clamp Lock: Works by using two plates and four screws connecting the two plates. Simply take the four screws out, put one part of the plate behind your strap, the other on the front of the strap, and tighten. This works well for shorter pieces of strap. It gets very tight and stays in place.
Slide Lock: Works by weaving your strap through the teeth in the slide lock. You will need a longer piece of strap for this to work.
Camera Lock: Mounts using a 1/4-20 bolt. Many will use this on a camera due to the threading on the camera for a bolt.

OBi clamp lock on strap of pack — The clamp lock works by 4 screws clamping the front plate to the rear plate. This is the clamp lock before installation on my Stone Glacier pack. I decided on the clamp lock instead of the slide lock due to my strap portions being shorter.

Grip On

The grip on plates and posts are probably the coolest piece of the OBi Link System just due to how it’s designed. They can be connected to anything due to the lock having a fabric strap that runs through it. Some options for use are binoculars, tripod legs, bear spray, even water bottles.

The cool thing though is how it tightens. Pull the strap tight as you would with anything. Once fully tight you then use an allen wrench and tighten down a screw tightening it even further. It literally doesn’t slide. It’s genius.

back of the grip on showing the curve — The grip on is curved in the back so it will need to be compatible with the size of the item that you want to mount it on.

tightening the grip on — After tightening the strap for the Grip On simply tighten the screw on the side of the plate. It will make it very very very tight and not slide.

The Overall Design and Strength

Everything within the OBi Link System is made to last. It is not flimsy plastic or weak detents on the QD buttons. The items are made to last and stay in place. The plates are beefy and screws are strong (no YFS chinese screws here). OBi packages also come with the correct sized allen wrench for the screws which is a big plus.

The system is economically friendly as well because all of the plates can be mixed and matched with the locks therefore you don’t have to buy multiple systems if you just want to switch out one or the other. All of the U Shaped plates also are ARCA compatible meaning that the plates can be mounted onto your tripod with an ARCA adapter.

Options and Uses (What to Buy?)

Below are only options of what you can buy to get the prospective gear connection. There are many ways to skin the cat.

Connecting Tripod to Pack: Grip On Circle Post and Clamp Lock
Connecting Gun to Pack: QD button and Slide Lock
Connection Binoculars to Pack: Grip On Circle Post and Clamp Lock
Connecting Binoculars to Tripod BallHead: U Plate Arca and Grip On Square Post

I personally chose to buy the Grip On Circle Post for my tripod and the Clamp Lock for my pack to connect my tripod to my pack. This way when I am on the clock I can simply tug up and the tripod will be ready to be deployed. I did purchase a M-lok post but will put that on a different gun because I didn’t want to add the weight to my NRL Hunter gun as it is already right on the 12 lb limit.

tripod and pack — Notice the slight rotation from the tripod grip on connection to the U plate connection. This is nice for walking with the tripod. Square posts allow zero movement.

Gunday Brunch 107: A very boring episode about rifles

By

Keith Finch

-

July 2, 2023

In this episode, Keith and Jack take advantage of the absence of Caleb to talk about the most boring thing on earth: AR pattern rifles

Caleb, who produces even when he isn’t present for the episode, gets short in the description on YouTube and I edit it just a touch further for comedy.

The Tyger Multitool Shovel

By

Travis Pike

-

July 1, 2023

I was recently at a local match, and while having a good time, I was able to place second in a couple of categories and make my way to the prize table. I have piles of gun stuff, so I’m always on the hunt for something a little different. Amongst the magazines, gift cards, and cleaning kits sat an E-tool-like shovel. I scooped it up. The Tyger shovel followed me home, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it to be a fairly well-made and useful tool.

E-tools are already quite underrated as far as tools go. Shovels and the ability to move dirt is quite underrated by most outdoorsman, but then again, I guess most outdoorsmen don’t need to dig fighting holes. Still, at first glance, I thought the Tyger shovel would just be a useful tool to keep in my vehicle as a just in case.

After eight hours in the spring sun, I went home, drank a beer, and didn’t think much about it. The next day I explored the Tyger shovel and was surprised by what I found. This wasn’t just a folding shovel but a fairly complex multitool.

The Tyger Shovel

Tyger is an outdoor company that mostly makes stuff for off-road trucks. Deep in their website sits a set of tools, including the shovel, as well as some knives. The Tyger Shovel makes a little more sense when you consider it’s a purpose-built off-roading tool. The Tyger does off us a folding shovel, but it’s also expandable.

You can add numerous additions to the Tyger to make it longer and more capable. An E-tool is fine, but it’s a compromise due to it needs to be compact. A longer shovel is much easier to use and much less exhausting. You can add up to three additions to make the shovel over 36 inches long.

The head of the Tyger can be positioned to act as a shovel for digging, a hoe, or a hook. The bottom of the shoulder blade has a small reinforced edition to act as a hammer. Not so much for nails, but more for tent spikes. The shovel also has a straight ‘axe’ blade and a hacksaw blade as well as a wire cutter.

On top of that, each edition contains a tool. This includes, from top to bottom, a whistle, a firestarter, a knife/saw, a disgorger, a screwdriver, and an ice pick. Plenty of little tools. The entire setup breaks down and fits into an included carry case. It fits easily under a seat or a vehicle without much thought to it.

Does It All Work?

Packing a bunch of tools into a shovel doesn’t mean much if they don’t work or don’t work well. Some tools do work better than others, and it’s good to go into the Tyger with proper expectations. The axe isn’t going to split wood, but it can chop through thin brush and take down small limbs.

The hacksaw on the shovel blade is surprisingly efficient for cutting wood, and the 36 extra inches or so of reach can be handy as well. The screwdriver is, well, a screwdriver, and you get both a Phillips and flat head, but it’s a common size to fit a multitude of drivers.

The knife/saw is akin to the type of tools you find on multitools. It’s functional, but it’s no Spyderco. All around, each of the tools is handy and effective, but nothing will blow your mind. It’s a very compact package that makes for a good outdoor tool. It’s so small it’s easy to store and could be a handy bug-out item.

The Tyger multi-use shovel takes the e-tool concept to a new level and would be quite handy in the field. I guess sometimes taking second place isn’t so bad.

Camping as a Test for Bug-Out Gear

By

Dr LateBloomer

-

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

-

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

-

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.