Table of contents for September/October 2013 in Recoil

01 CHEST RIG BRAND: HSGI MODEL: Double Decker Value Combo MSRP: $195 URL: www.highspeedgearinc.com 02 BELT BRAND: HSGI MODEL: 1.5-Inch Cobra Belt MSRP: $63 URL: www.highspeedgearinc.com 03 HOLSTER BRAND: HSGI MODEL: Drop Holster for Tactical Lights/ Lasers MSRP: $90 URL: www.highspeedgearinc.com 04 HANDGUN BRAND: Glock MODEL: 20SF MSRP: $670 URL: us.glock.com WEAPON LIGHT BRAND: SureFire MODEL: X300 Ultra MSRP: $299 URL: www.surefire.com 05 PANTS BRAND: Vertx MODEL: Men’s Pant MSRP: $55 URL: www.wearvertx.com 06 SHIRT BRAND: REI MODEL: Endeavor MSRP: $80 URL: www.rei.com 07 HARNESS BRAND: Black Diamond MODEL: Alpine Bod Harness MSRP: $40 URL: www.blackdiamondequipment.com 08 HELMET BRAND: Crye Precision MODEL: AirFrame MSRP: $844 URL: www.cryeprecision.com HELMET RAILS BRAND: Crye Precision MODEL: AirFrame Rails MSRP: $43 URL: www.cryeprecision.com 09 RIFLE BRAND: Armalite MODEL: Super SASS MSRP: $3,100 URL: www.armalite.com…

Throughout history there have been a handful of men and women who have refused to be constrained by the pull of gravity. What often begins as a child pondering how birds can soar high above the treetops develops into a pioneer flying through the clouds, then space. Someone once said, “To most people, the sky is the limit. To those who love aviation, the sky is home.” Thanks to the vision of the late Captain Michael King Smith and his father, Delford Smith, the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum brings the beasts that fill the sky back down to solid ground. Tucked comfortably in the middle of Pacific Northwest wine country, the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and Captain Michael King Smith Educational Institute are just over 3 miles southeast…

How can you tell someone is lying about serving “in the special forces?” They’re talking to you about it... The same is true in the gun industry. If it’s a “spec ops” this, or “SOCOM” that, you can usually bet good money that it has yet to go through the rigors of earning that consideration. Not so with the HK45C. Also known by the Navy designation Mark 24, it truly is used by the best of the best. Much like the elite bearded warriors for whom it was designed, HK’s marketing of the HK45C remains understated. Even though it’s earned the reputation as a “SOCOM” weapon, nowhere do you find the company cashing in on its military status to boost public sales. Moreover, the exact same weapon HK designed and…

Resolve. The one facet of the human spirit that dictates our strength, desire, and ultimately our destiny. While it cannot be taught, bought, or coached, its value is immeasurable when we’re put up against impossible odds. It makes us unbreakable in the face of defeat. Resolve is something Paul Buffoni knows all about. “After Sept. 11, I felt a calling to participate as much as I could in bettering the country and I thought that creating this company seemed like a great venue in which to do so,” says Buffoni, a former U.S. Marine reservist and now president of Bravo Company USA. Creating BCM was Paul’s destiny, and the small-arms manufacturer gave up a lucrative pharmaceutical sales rep position to follow his dream of establishing a company that would ultimately…

A quick-access safe is a vital component of a home-defense strategy. It must not only keep the gun out of the hands of children and unauthorized adults, but also open quickly when SHTF. LOCATION Before you select a safe, determine where you’ll store your firearm. There are safes for dresser drawers, some that bolt under desks, and others that can be hidden in walls. And you can install several in different parts of your home. Your selection will depend on your needs, your family, and your state’s laws. “A firearm in the home provides us no protection if it’s not accessible,” says Kris Sutton, co-founder of Shoot and Move, LLC, and a former Army Ranger and police lieutenant. Because he has no children in his home and his wife is…

Unless you’re Snake Plissken or a Halloween pirate, an eye patch really shouldn’t be on the top of anyone’s shopping list. So why tempt fate by leaving your eye protection at home while you’re heading to the range? Shooting glasses are an essential part of your gear and should be worn anytime firearms are involved. After all, you can own many types of guns, but you only get one set of eyeballs. Daniel Bales takes range safety very seriously, not just because his occupation depends on it, but so too does his life. As both a SWAT member with and the rangemaster of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada, Bales understands the hazards involved with shooting, which others might not think twice about. “A shooter should always wear eye…

There is an old saying: “A BB gun in the hand is worth two boxes of expensive ammunition.” OK, maybe we’re extrapolating a bit here, but nonetheless, it does hold some validity. A modern replica airgun, or high-quality airgun of any type, can be a valuable aid to maintaining your firearm skills during the times you just can’t get to the range (or can’t locate enough ammunition to make a trip worth your while). And, at least for the time being, they are less restricted in most jurisdictions, making them freely available to adults. Some in the firearms community might view these as merely toys. The truth is that airguns are much, much more. Aside from being an indispensable training tool in an era when ammo is either in short…

Way back in the sands of time (well, in Issue 6 actually, but it feels like a decade ago), I mentioned that we’d be putting a lot more unique content online. It took a little longer than anticipated, but by early summer, we’ve made good on that promise. We’ll continue to publish interesting and valuable articles on RECOILweb.com that you won’t find anywhere else, as well as offer additional material from our print stories that works well in that medium. Look for icons in this issue that denote extra online content, and please check it out. In this edition, we take a close look at some aspects of home defense that perhaps don’t get the attention they deserve. (See “Safe House” on page 104 and “Like a Hairy Hollowpoint” on…

MAKE: Chevrolet MODEL: C70 YEAR: 1980 ENGINE: 366ci V-8 DRIVETRAIN: 4WD PHONE: (888) 755-7769 EMAIL: info@survivortruck.com Over the years we’ve seen Hollywood conjure up countless interpretations of how vehicles would take shape in preparation for, or in reaction to, doomsday. But if things go haywire in real life, would you really want to be driving Mel Gibson’s blown Interceptor or the rocket-launching Landmaster from Damnation Alley? Style is great on the silver screen, but in the event of a catastrophe, practicality is where the cream rises to the top. In previous issues of RECOIL we’ve shown you what’s possible in accessorizing a fairly new ride, but the buck doesn’t stop there. Jim DeLozier has taken what many consider an old dog and outfitted it with all the trappings hell on…

After hearing about a few too many “game changers” that didn’t live up to their marketing hype, I’ve become pretty jaded when it comes to new products in the firearms industry. When I sat down with a company called Proof Research at the 2013 SHOT Show in Vegas, I had my BS detector with me. They were claiming to have perfected the process of building rifle barrels out of carbon fiber. Well, technically, it’s actually wrapping really thin steel barrels in the spaceage compound. I’m always up for carrying less weight so I was intrigued. When they offered to put a barrel on the Armalite Super SASS languishing in my safe, I figured I’d let them prove their claims. Proof Research is based in the emerging gunmaking Mecca of Western…

What can you say about a pump shotgun? Bang, chik-chik, bang, chik-chik, bang. It’s almost boring…but it’s exactly that simplicity and boring reliability that so many people love about pump shotguns. So how do you make a pump shotgun more exciting, without going overboard on bling and tacticool nonsense? FNH has a few tricks up its sleeve with the P-12 shotgun. PLUG AND PLAY Based on the venerable Winchester design introduced with the Model 1200 and 1300 from the ’60s and ’70s, the FNH P-12 is every inch a fighting 12-gauge shotgun, pretty much ready to go right out of the box. Assembled in Portugal alongside its semi-automatic SLP sibling, the P-12 features an 18- inch barrel, front and rear sights, and a rail for optics. The first notable characteristic…

History has shown that there are three things that man loves most in life: a good woman, a loaded firearm, and a loyal dog. And not necessarily in that order. While all three can provide much comfort and joy, only one of those cherished necessities is guaranteed to be fighting by your side to the death … and we’re not talking about the one that can run out of ammo or run off with another guy. A well-trained dog can not only be a devoted family member, but also a criminal deterrent, a reliable and keen alarm system, and a first line of home defense. In fact, most experts say that a canine can detect and engage a threat long before you’ve even woken from your nightly coma — let…

This 7.62 bullet is worn around the neck on a piece of 550 cord and represents “the one with your name on it.” The legend is that as long as the sniper owns this bullet, he’s invincible. The truth is somewhat different. As any owner of a startup company will tell you, long hours and sleepless nights are the norm, as the usual functions of product development, R&D, sourcing, finance, and marketing are shouldered by very few staff members. Or in many cases, by just one guy. If you also happen to be learning to walk again after losing both legs in an IED attack, well your job just got a teensy bit harder. So we didn’t complain when Colin Raaz, founder of Rogue Precision, had to reschedule our appointment…

You’re lost and alone. It’s been four days since you last ate. And you can’t get over the gut-wrenching reality that a main road could be 50 feet away … or 50 miles away. In every survival situation, desperation plays an important role. Perhaps on day four, a dead lizard still looks like a dead lizard, but by day 11, the same dead lizard looks like filet mignon. The reality is if you don’t replace the lost calories expended while in full-tilt survival mode, there will be very little left of you to rescue. Fortunately, Mother Nature’s got your back, and if you have ample water, there is enough food in any average American forest to keep you in relatively good shape — provided you know what to look for.…

1 Running your shotgun dry during a stage is a cardinal sin for three-gunners. On duty, the consequences could be far worse. “Oh shit caddies” have adorned the fore-ends of many a shotgun over the years, typically elastic loops holding shells close to the chamber for a quick reload. MatchSaverZ recently introduced a clever caddy that holds a single shell, perfectly positioned to pull back and dump into the chamber. The shot shell is exposed and has enough tension when clamped in the MatchSaverZ to allow the user to manipulate it much more easily and smoothly than from an elastic loop. Available in black, red, white, and blue. BRAND: MatchSaverZ MODEL: MatchSaverZ MSRP: $25 URL: www.matchsaverz.com 2 While there are other gun safes made specifically for trucks, they often eat…

1 MAKE: Boker Plus MODEL: Cera-Neck OAL: 4.25 inches BLADE LENGTH: 1.625 inches BLADE MATERIAL: Ceramic WEIGHT: 1.3 ounces MSRP: $47 URL: www.boker.de/us 2 MAKE: Gerber MODEL: Bear Grylls Paracord Fixed Blade OAL: 7.75 inches BLADE LENGTH: 3.25 inches BLADE MATERIAL: 5Cr15MoV WEIGHT: 5.75 ounces MSRP: $37 URL: www.gerbergear.com 3 MAKE: Keen Edge Knives MODEL: Live Pukulan OAL: 7.75 inches BLADE LENGTH: 3.5 inches BLADE MATERIAL: 1095 tool steel WEIGHT: 3.2 ounces MSRP: $125 URL: www.keenedgeknives.com 4 MAKE: SOG Specialty Knives & Tools MODEL: Tangle OAL: 8.75 inches BLADE LENGTH: 3.9 inches BLADE MATERIAL: 9Cr18MoV stainless steel WEIGHT: 5.6 ounces MSRP: $80 URL: www.sogknives.com 5 MAKE: Medford Knife & Tool MODEL: NAV-H OAL: 9 inches BLADE LENGTH: 4 inches BLADE MATERIAL: D2 tool steel WEIGHT: 13 ounces MSRP: $400 URL:…

Scott McRee is a nationally ranked benchrest shooter, whose hobby is to make very, very small holes in paper. He and his wife spent the better part of a decade in the sport, picking up more than a few titles along the way, many of which were won using rifles he put together himself. So it’s safe to say he and his team know what it takes to build a gun that will shoot. After forming McRee’s Precision in the mid-2000s to serve the needs of the tactical long-range shooter, his benchrest experience was applied to rifles that are used in a more demanding environment. Instead of making very small holes in paper, members of the SF community overseas have used McRee rifles to make some very large holes in…

MAKE: LUCID MODEL: M7 Micro Dot OVERALL LENGTH: 3.1 inches WEIGHT: 4.9 ounces including AAA battery, 6.2 ounces with riser MSRP: $229 ($317 with accessories) URL: www.mylucidgear.com LUCID is known for a line of reasonably priced optics and earlier this year announced a micro red-dot optic, the M7, with an MSRP of $230. We got a prototype to test, as production units are spooling up to ship this summer. It’s just a bit larger and heavier than the benchmark Aimpoint T-1, but nearly as bright (to our eyes, the M7 was just a bit dimmer than the T-1 on its retinascorching highest “12” setting). Constructed of cast aluminum, the M7 has a built-in mount with an optional riser ($39) to provide a lower 1⁄3 cowitness with AR platform rifles. The…

Pop quiz, hot shot: You’re in deep REM sleep, making a nice little pool of slobber on your pillow, when you’re awakened by a window being smashed. Is it a burglar? Or, worse, a home invasion by an armed robber — or three? What do you do? What do you do?! Finding the typical “get a gun and learn how to use it” advice woefully inadequate, RECOIL interviewed some of the industry’s most experienced security experts in search of a more comprehensive home-defense plan. We learned that you don’t need to install a moat around your property or a .50 BMG turret on your roof — but you do need a proactive mindset. “A homeowner’s biggest mistake is saying, ‘I live in a good neighborhood. It won’t happen here,’” says…

If you think carrying a concealed weapon is just about obtaining a permit and strapping on a gun, then you are woefully mistaken. Carrying and potentially using a concealed-carry pistol competently takes skill, practice, and an emotional commitment … not to mention the right gun and gear for you and your lifestyle. With this in mind, the following are four areas I believe all CCW permit holders should consider before they step out the front door with that defensive tool. SKILLSET From my experience both in training and operationally, the largest deficiency in concealed carrying after pure marksmanship is the ability to rapidly and reliably access one’s firearm in a manner that lends itself to quick and precise target engagement. In other words, can you draw your concealed gun and…

In 1964, the government of the United States did something that for once made sense. Congress declared bourbon a “distinctive product of the United States.” If you are a literal reader of the U.S. Constitution like I am, then you can see how I might think that drinking bourbon makes you more American. Historically, bourbon is credited to Kentuckians. Like the Kentucky Long Rifle, bourbon has had a hand in shaping this nation. Those hard men who rode west, gambled on river boats, and fought America’s enemies drank bourbon. They did not drink vodka, or fruity concoctions, like their East Coast counterparts. As I travel the country for my job, I have been able to see both the growth in popularity of bourbon (much due to the hipster movement) and…