Table of contents for October/November 2021 in Ballistic

Synergism can be defined as an interaction between two entities that creates a greater benefit than the sum of their individual selves. I had the opportunity to observe this recently in the firearms community with partnership between two well-established gunsmiths. The first week of April I was invited to a small media gathering at Gunsite for the announcement of the new Gunsmithy concession. Ken Campbell, Gunsite’s Chief Executive Officer, started by saying, “We’re the best in the business in firearms training, and Dave Fink and Bobby Tyler are the two best gunsmiths we know. So, we’re happy to announce that Fink and Bobby’s company, Tyler Gun Works, will be taking over the gunsmithing concession at Gunsite. The Modern Technique has evolved and so has gunsmithing, and we think this collaboration…

We all have stories about the “one that got away.” This phrase is generally reserved for some fishing or hunting excursion that we are describing to a particular audience. The story might include a little embellishment here and there, the level of which increases with how much we’re trying to captivate our audience. While I don’t have many, if any, such stories in this vein, I do recall some firearms that I wish I had pursued, one of those being the Canik TP9. The TP9 isn’t rare, and it’s not like I can’t just go buy one. But it’s more than that. I enjoy, just like many others, the initial introduction to a platform and going through the discovery process it affords. There are the inevitable comparisons to other platforms,…

For a limited time, US Palm is offering their AK 30 Banana Special Edition magazine. The sealed, one-piece polymer design is built to last. A low-friction self-cleaning polymer follower keeps performing while the stainless steel latch cage ensures positive loading that won’t give way when you need it the most. The unique waffle and tread design provides a solid grip for the shooter during loading and unloading while providing rigid reinforcement. It comes in a bright yellow color with a light blue base. The mag also comes with a special patch. If you miss out on the Banana magazine, make sure you check out US Palm’s other awesome AK30 magazines at uspalm.com.…

CODY DRAKE could feel the sweat evaporating from his skin as the afternoon sun intensified. The dark words from his most recent death threat played through his mind as he methodically sifted through the sand. His resolve proved to be stronger than any fear and nothing, not even another death threat, could pull him out of the Arizona desert. Drake had just begun the most significant and incredible discovery of his treasure hunting career. He had already uncovered actual gold and knew there was so much more to be discovered, as if the past were calling to him from underneath the sand. Greed was not the driving force keeping him there, instead it was the love of history. To Drake, everything he unearthed told a story and connected him with…

The internet is littered with images and stories of bunker complexes scattered around the Midwest, mostly carved out of decommissioned missile silos for the ultra-wealthy, a respite from whatever apocalypse they are certain will befall society. Of course, that’s if Pac-Man consoles, jacuzzis, mini-bars and Pelotons are necessary to stave off assured death in the aftermath. Notwithstanding, an emergency shelter of any kind—one that fits your budget and needs—is easily recommended, as there are other tragedies always looming in the near future. Floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and debilitating winter storms are more likely than the zombie hoards, nuclear strikes or solar flares knocking out the electrical grid. A LITTLE BACKGROUND Since the beginning of the Cold War in the 1950s, the U.S. government has encouraged those with the means to construct…

In early October 1973, Israeli intelligence reported large concentrations of Egyptian troops massing on the Suez Canal opposite the Sinai Peninsula. The Israelis had seized the Sinai in 1967 during what they called the Six-Day War. The Arabs called that epic butt-whooping The Setback. In 1967, the Arab coalition lost 80 percent of its combat power to the IDF (Israel Defense Force) in less than a week. The humiliation they experienced at the hands of Israeli forces remains a suppurating wound even today. In 1973 they were ready for some payback. Military intelligence is an inexact science. Information flowing in from myriad sources had to be collated, analyzed and packaged. Personal warnings from Jordan’s King Hussein went unheeded. The United States counseled restraint. There had been extensive Egyptian military exercises…

Tactical clothing has become something that isn’t just worn on the battlefield these days. It is durable and ideally suited to carry all the necessary gear you’re likely to need in the field. It has also proven to be a popular choice for wearing to the range or travel. Few shooters may be concerned with fashion, but there could be a reason the women in your life don’t want to join you in a day out shooting followed by running errands. Simply put, a lot of tactical clothing on the market today looks out of place when there isn’t an MRAP parked behind you. “There is a reason that first responders, law enforcement, and the military wear the clothing they do,” said Viktos’ Justin Fox. “But in our daily civilian…

We all love firepower and the quest for more gives me a reason to get up each morning. In that vein, would you rather own one fully-loaded F-15 (including a pilot under your command for one year) or a lifetime of ARs and ammo? I’m all about that F-15 because I’m pretty sure I could conquer a few small countries and then set up a factory to build AR’s for the army I would compile on the quest for world domination. Looks like I’m in the minority, though. Final tally was 34 to 14 in favor of unlimited AR rifles. Best quotes: Dane Becker: Does the F-15 have nukes? Stephen Graham: The ARs and ammo. They leave more usable meat. The F-15 has the advantage of killing, cleaning and cooking…

I like the Star Wars movies about as much as any hobby-level cinephile, but my data point would barely escape the x-axis on a graph of franchise-related nerdiness. Before late 2019, any conversation about Mandalorians would have left me scratching my head in confusion. If not for the recent Disney series by the same name, this warrior/bounty hunter clan of characters would most likely still remain in relative obscurity. Most people who are familiar with the original Star Wars trilogy should remember Boba Fett. He was the helmeted bounty hunter with that sweet rocket-launching jetpack. He captured Han Solo for Jabba the Hutt, then later died a goofy death by falling into the mouth of the Sarlacc in Return of the Jedi. (Apparently the creator of The Mandalorian took umbrage…

INTRODUCED IN 2017, THE SIG SAUER P365 CHANGED EVERYTHING ABOUT CONCEALED CARRY FIREARMS. Prior to the P365 you could pack a proper high-capacity combat pistol concealed, but it was going to be the size of a running shoe and weigh as much as a world-class bluegill. By contrast, the P365 packed 12+1 capacity and proper combat pistol ergonomics into a handgun you could comfortably conceal underneath shorts and a t-shirt. Our little world would never be the same. Two years later Sig debuted the P365XL. This variant used the same interchangeable fire control module of the P365 now set into a longer frame underneath a stretched slide and barrel. The innate modularity of the design was custom crafted for upgrades. Nowadays the tactical landscape is littered with cool-guy stuff that…

You want to start a fight within the gun community? Start bandying around the term Scout rifle when discussing a rifle. The number of articles and books written on the subject weighing in on Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper’s concept of a general purpose rifle is both flattering and staggering. Why broach the Scout rifle topic? We wanted to set the stage for the new breed of general purpose rifles as exemplified by the Sig Sauer Cross and Christensen Arms MPR (Modern Precision Rifle), both chambered in .308 Win. To be clear, we’re not representing that these two rifles are Scout rifles—though it would be hard not to appreciate each when viewed by the parameters set forth by Cooper. The underlying component in the scout rifle concept as defined by Cooper…

People are fascinated with history. So much so, it can literally kill them! Learning about old structures and locations throughout the country and across the globe is an interest for innumerable people. However, gathering their information from textbooks or videos offer them just a portion of the entire picture, and this is one of the reasons URBEX (urban exploration) prominently exists today. The urban explorer is a curious and some-what adrenaline-fueled individual who not only learns about old, abandoned places from afar, but takes the next step and heads out to visit these places on foot to get hands-on video to document their finds. However, this niche hobby, or profession for some, doesn’t come without its dangers. Death is a very real possibility from visiting dilapidated structures and it can…

Have you ever played with a radio-controlled car? These mesmerizing child’s playthings are rugged, fast and powerful. They can do stuff that might transform full-sized vehicles into garbage. Many’s the prepubescent male who has whiled away a Saturday afternoon tearing up their backyard with such a nifty trinket. Models let us live vicariously. By piloting a scale rendition of some larger, sexier thing we normal folk can live out our automotive fantasies without breaking the budget or incurring undue risk to our persons. However, for the proper guy there is always the nagging what if. In our hearts, when given the option we’d always sooner be screaming about in the real thing. Enter the Tamiya Wild One MAX. THEORY I am 55 years old. Back when I came of age,…

Fall might be here again, but that doesn’t mean we have to start letting that summer body waste away. Not again, no sir! This time we are going to work hard right through the holidays. We are not going to let the extra helping of mac and cheese have it’s way with us. We will stand firm against that inappropriately large piece of carrot cake! We shall conquer our desire! Right. Or, more realistically, let’s just try to keep the damage to a minimum, shall we? Either way you roll (no judgment), here are some of my favorite new things to help you keep you moving and functional this fall. VIKTOS Kadre Shorts The Kadre line of shorts was one of the first products that introduced me to the Viktos…

MY latest get-richfast scheme involves the plot line from almost every great Hollywood blockbuster: killer for hire. You know, a mercenary. Wet work. Assassin. Hit man. Hired Gun. Sicario. Liquidator. What I need: Basic firearms skills. Check! Lack of a strong moral compass. Check! Somebody willing to pay me millions of dollars to fly somewhere exotic and then give me a super high-dollar weapon that is perfectly sighted in to take out a much hated, evil bad guy. Hmmmmm. I don’t know anyone with that kind of budget or altruism. I could try my skills at home but the last time I checked, $50 bucks was the going rate for one gang member whacking another gang member in the inner city. With the price of ammo these days, that is…

THE DEBATE BETWEEN AK-47 AND AR-1 5 OWNERS RAGES ON Hello again, Ballistic readers! We are back for another Skillset Comms, and today I’ve brought some special guests to the table. As you know, our country is more divided than it has ever been. Everywhere you go, you see a 50-50 split among American ideologies. Social media platforms are constant battlegrounds for these two sides, and no matter how many facts are presented, no one ever wants to give ground. These parties have their heels dug in so deep, in fact, it feels as if we are living our own internal Cold War. No, wait! I’m not talking about Democrats and Republicans—I’m talking about AK-47 owners versus AR-15 owners. Channeling my own inner Gandhi, I have arranged for two pivotal…

“I don’t know what sort of Capitalist magic Meridian does to their AKs, but the Pestilence shoots flat.” DARKSIDE COUNCIL It has been three years since we published AK-47 & Soviet Weapons, so my AK insider knowledge is a bit rusty. What was shocking to me was the prices of AK-47s. Gone are the days of finding one for $300. Most AKs are priced at a grand and go up from there. I needed help. I reached out to six people telling them I was looking for my first AK, and all of them basically said, “Welcome to the dark side, brother.” The council advised me that the Century VSKA was a good rifle and the problems from the past don’t seem to plague these rifles from Century. They also…

There have been four seminal developments that have changed the world of guns and hunting forever, and none of them existed when I started my gun writing career in 1966. That’s when I sold my first article, but I was already a rifle weenie and hunter a decade before that when the bolt action was just beginning its ascendency and the lever action was still the most popular hunting rifle. Let’s take a look. AGE OF THE AR Most non-gun people still believe “AR” stands for Assault Rifle, but from the very start when this semi-auto version of the military M-16 first became available to civilians in 1973 it was the acronym for Armalite Rifle. It was hardly an overnight success, however. In fact, it took a couple of decades…

Death and injuries sustained by urban exploration is very real. The emphasis on safety while absorbing all that abandoned places have to offer should be the number one priority. Unfortunately for the following individuals, that type of thinking was not in their immediate mindset. In 2017, Thomas Rhodes, just a teenager, fell to his death exploring an abandoned hotel. A Memphis newspaper executive, Eric Janssen, died from a fall from the London House Hotel in Chicago while taking pictures on the dilapidated roof. Fourteen-year-old Myles Johns-tone died when he was playing on the roof of an abandoned home. Adam Johnson, only 12 years old, was climbing on the roof of a factory when he fell and died. No matter whether the victims were explorers or just youngsters playing on or…

If the mass of men live lives of quiet desperation, Bradley O’Neal is not among them. This lifetime extreme sports athlete didn’t see a career worth devoting his life to so he created his own by merging motocross and base jumping in the most jaw-dropping way. He travels around the country finding, building and imagining jumps that push the boundaries of what humans have done on a motorcycle. Brad sat down for an interview with Ballistic magazine to discuss his motivation for risking life and limb, the skills and expertise that go into his work, and the long journey he took to set his life up the way he wanted it. Brad is an inspiration in that he lives a life that’s uniquely his own. He has overcome not only…

A basic toolkit for your home away from home should include a mix of hand tools and power tools that cross the spectrum of carpentry, plumbing and electrical. ■ Multi-tool■ Claw hammer■ Screwdriver set■ Torx and hex wrench sets■ Power screwdriver■ Power drill■ Power saw■ Battery charger for power tools■ Saw for cutting wood and lumber■ Saw for cutting pipes (metal and PVC)■ Socket wrench set in metric and non-metric sizes■ Level, torpedo and three-foot long■ T-square■ Measuring tape■ Carpenters pencils■ Pliers, needle-nosed and flat nosed■ Pipe wrench■ Combination wrench set■ Adjustable wrenches■ A variety of wood and metal files■ Flashlight, headlamp and handheld■ Plumbers snake■ Toilet plunger…

There is an injustice in this land—an injustice that has burdened us since the early days of 1791 when the government saw a way to generate revenue. We still suffer from the same tactic today. This revenue source would be a whiskey tax and would be imposed on any liquor made in the country. This was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government and was intended to generate revenue for the debt incurred during the Revolutionary War. As you can imagine, this was not well received and for the next three years, distillers held off the tax collectors by less-than-legal means. This outright defiance eventually spurred the government to send a U.S. Marshal to Pennsylvania to collect the taxes owed. This was not…