Ballistic - Fall 2018 by Vadim Koval

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Nino Bosaz Linas Cernauskas Greg Lickenbrock Kenneth Ross Michael Toppin Matthew Hogan Andrew Berry Richard Ortega Scott Hill/ProCirc Brandon Williams*

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old. And who better to grace the cover than our resident badass Pat McNamara and his wingman, All That Remains front man Phil Labonte? You’ll get to know more about their passions in this issue, plus there’s some great accompanying video of Pat telling OUTSIDE OF RECEIVING readers about his ’69 GTO on the cover my first firearm when I was at ballisticmag.com. For more muscle-car 11 years old, and killing my flexing, you’ll also want to check out our first buck a few years later, “Custom Challenge” (page 14), where we’re buying my first set of wheels giving away two hot-rodded Sig Sauer MCX brought on the ultimate rush of freedom. Rattler PSB pistols. Plus, we’ve rounded My used ’79 Chevy diesel pickup up some top gun industry folks who helped me get to and from high were more than happy to share school, odd jobs washing dishstories and photos of their es for a restaurant and working tricked-out rides. for a local construction company, Our tank might be full of and the hunting fields and fishing content related to cars, but we’ve hot spots of upstate New York. also got hunters and shooters Those days were easy. Crank covered, too. Don’t miss out on SPECIAL EDITIONS: the engine and Iron Maiden, knocking nilgai with a Wilson Our first Ballistic specials—Ballistic’s Black Sabbath or AC/DC on the Combat AR, buck slaying with Best and Ballistic “upgraded” sound system, and let Barrett’s new Fieldcraft and range Precision—are now available on newsstands the wild rides begin! time with a pistol-caliber Dark nationwide. But you Those were my teenage years. Storm SBR. We’ve also got some can also go the homedelivery route by visiting What’s really changed? Not great grilling recipes (page 116) outdoorgroupstore.com. much as far as all the “likes” are and an encyclopedia of beer (page concerned. That’s what we were 128) for your next get-together. Every Friday, visit thinking as we put together this Enjoy the ride! —Nino Bosaz ballisticmag.com to special issue. We still love the catch our Free Gun WE STAND CORRECTED: We had our wires Friday video series sounds of great tunes blasting as crossed on the Nighthawk Agent 2 review in hosted by Lauren the last issue. Only 150 guns were made, Mark we roll along to our next advenStone was the person we should’ve attributed Young. One gun is up quotes to on page 27, and on page 28 we for grabs every month, ture. The smells of gasoline and incorrectly stated that Agency Arms makes the so make sure you slides. We’ve put a corrected digital version of enter to win! Hoppe’s No. 9 never seem to get the article online at ballisticmag.com.

Pedal To The Metal

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BALLISTIC FALL 2018

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INSIDE

ISSUE

FEATURES 18 BLAZING GLORY

Spec-ops vet Pat McNamara and Carolina Arms Group team up to build the ultimate .45

BY RICHARD JEFFRIES

36 FEATHERWEIGHT 7mm FIELDCRAFT Barrett’s newest sporter cuts weight without losing an ounce of performance BY JAY LANGSTON

44 FOWL BALL! When he’s off the diamond, MLB’er Brandon Snyder hits grand slams in the wild BY JAY PINSKY

50 BLUE BULLS Head to Texas with the “AR King” and his .338 Federal Tactical Hunter BY JAY PINSKY

58 AN ALL-AMERICAN DYNASTY LIVES ON Jase Robertson talks life after Duck Dynasty, hunting with the Trumps and more

BY PETER SUCIU

64 DARK STORM RISING The DS-9 Hailstorm proves that quality SBRs are well worth the wait

BY SEAN UTLEY

74 COVERT CANIK For those who want James Bond performance at a blue-collar price BY WILL DABBS, MD

90 STEALTH RIMFIRES How Chris Costa’s versatile .22s can help you upgrade your Rugers back home BY LEN WALDRON

98 RAISING THE BAR Pack your guns and gear—it’s time to head to Wyoming’s High Bar Homestead BY LAUREN YOUNG

BALLISTIC SPRING 2018

INSIDE

ISSUE

COLUMNS 08 STOCKPILE The best new guns and gear hitting the market

BY BALLISTIC STAFF

14 CUSTOM CHALLENGE Two Sig MCX Rattler pistols get tricked out like hot rods—and they’re up for grabs BY ALEX LANDEEN

32 STREET SMARTS The how and why of using your handgun to strike an attacker BY MICHAEL JANICH

82 ROUND TABLE What the “been there, done that” pros carry when it comes to protecting principals BY DONALD J. MIHALEK

108

86 FORGE IT It ain’t easy being top dog, but this blade makes everyday carry a little easier BY EDWARD EARLE

104 TRUCK UPGRADES How to pack over 75,000 lumens of LED light aboard an off-roadready Ford F-250 BY RYAN LEE PRICE

116

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112 AR UPGRADES Enhance your AR with help from some true players in the world of bolt carrier groups BY FRED MASTISON

116 WILD KITCHEN Four kickass recipes to get the most out of your hunts and cookouts BY BRI VAN SCOTTER

120 BODYGUARD DIARIES How one man kept singer and actress Wendy O. Williams safely away from a stalker BY LEROY THOMPSON

124 WILD RIDES A lot of gun guys are also car guys, as these well-known makers prove BY FRED MASTISON

128 AFTER HOURS There’s a lot more to beer than just keeping the Rockies cold BY FRED MASTISON

132 THREADS As the weather changes, you’ll need to update your EDC loadout BY ALEX LANDEEN

108 BUYER’S GUIDE

136 LAST BLAST

The best new 4x4s and accessories to conquer the backwoods this fall

A blonde bombshell with a .50-caliber precision rifle—what’s not to love?

BY LEN WALDRON

BY BALLISTIC STAFF

1> CORDOVA 125 XL The 125 XL is the largest cold-storage solution in Cordova’s hard-sided cooler lineup. This 32-galloncapacity cooler can hold up to 120 pounds of ice or 120 cans with a 2-to-1 iceto-content ratio. Measuring 46 by 19.63 by 19.75 inches and weighing 45 pounds, the 125 XL is boat, truck, RV and UTV friendly. It also features top-mounted lid latches, a lid lock system to keep the lid open when retrieving items, CNCmachined aluminum handles, a TriLock quad-core rubber gasket and anti-slip feet. (cordovacoolers.com)

STOCKPILE The best new guns and gear hitting the market

By Ballistic Staff • Photos Courtesy Manufacturers

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The firearms industry is known for its innovation and boundless energy. Dozens of manufacturers in this realm are constantly churning out new products—so many that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with the “latest and greatest” guns and gear. Thankfully, we at Ballistic spend considerable time keeping our fingers on the pulse to make sure you’re always up to date. We’ve cut through the clutter to bring you the best. So without further ado, here’s some of the hottest new stuff heading your way.

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2> ED BROWN K1 Ed Brown Products has teamed up with the craftsmen at Winkler Knives and master bladesmith Jason Knight to introduce the Ed Brown K1 ﬁxed-blade knife. Some may know Jason Knight from his time as a judge on the History Channel’s Forged In Fire. The knife features a sculpted Micarta handle with unique “snakeskin” scallops as well as a hand-ground 80CrV2 carbon-steel blade measuring 4.63 inches long with a black oxide ﬁnish. The entire knife is 9.5 inches long, and a hand-molded sheath is included. (edbrown.com)

STOCKPILE ®

3> GRAYBOE RIDGEBACK

Case-Gard is now offering

Like other high-end traditional

three Tactical Pistol Cases that

stocks, the Ridgeback is a solid ﬁberglass/epoxy model

hold three, four or six handguns

featuring a vertical pistol grip, an adjustable cheekpiece

or other gear. All three cases

and a spacer system to easily adjust the length of pull. It’s

mil-spec foam to hold your

also the ﬁrst stock of its kind to feature M-LOK slots built

They’re also water resistant and

into the forend for accessories as well as a built-in bubble

out dust and moisture. The

level to make it easier to get hits at a distance. The stock

easy to house extra magazines

is available for short and long Remington 700 actions and

make it easy to add padlocks.

along with magazines and/ are dark gray and lined with handguns securely in place. feature O-ring seals to keep ﬂexible storage areas make it and accessories, and tabs (mtmcase-gard.com)

barrels with a Sendero or varmint proﬁle. It weighs 3.75 pounds. (grayboe.com)

6> PROIS OLANN BASE LAYER Prois is now offering its Olann line of women’s base-layer hunting garments in the

Cumbre camo pattern. This pattern was jointly developed

4> MOSSBERG 590 SHOCKWAVE .410 Adding to its 12- and 20gauge 590 Shockwave lineup, Mossberg is now offering a .410 version. This relatively compact ﬁrearm features a 14-inch, heavy-walled, cylinder-bore barrel; a bead front sight; a polymer Shockwave Raptor pistol grip; a forend with a strap to keep your support hand in place; sling swivel studs; and a six-round capacity. On top of that, the gun is 26.37 inches long and weighs only 4.24 pounds unloaded. Like all 590s, this model has non-binding twin action bars, dual extractors and an ambidextrous top-mounted safety. (mossberg.com)

5> MTM CASE-GARD TACTICAL PISTOL CASES

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Your days of bringing multiple individual handgun cases to the gun range are over. MTM

by Veil Camo and Prois as an exclusive option for women’s outdoor apparel and accessories. Olann base layer clothing features 96-percent merino wool content with a 4-percent Lycra blend. This offers a perfect ﬁt while allowing for a full, non-constrictive range of motion. It also conforms to a wide variety of body types. (proishunting.com)

7> PROPPER REVTAC SERIES Propper’s new RevTac pants and shirts for men and women offer a modern, updated take on the classic tactical look. They’re made of a rip-stop poly/ cotton to stand up to tough conditions. The pants feature thoughtfully designed cargo pockets that offer all the space you might need for magazines, ﬂashlights and other essential gear. For increased comfort, the pants also have slider waistbands, gusseted crotches and waistband grippers to keep your shirt tucked in. (propper.com)

STOCKPILE ®

8> REAL AVID LUG-LOCK VISE BLOCK

Thyrm has addressed these

The Real Avid Lug-Lok vise

ﬁts most Zippo-style inserts,

block utilizes the strength of barrel lugs to safely secure AR

including butane torch versions.

upper receivers while you work, rendering clamp-style blocks

for toughness and an O-ring

obsolete. The non-marring, aircraft-grade aluminum block

The latch is spring-loaded for

slides through the upper receiver and into the chamber

MOLLE/PALS-compatible clip

of your barrel. This takes the pressure from torqueing away

right where you need it when

from weak, damage-prone parts and puts it squarely on the steel lugs. Adjustable vise pins hold the block at the optimal work-

issues with the PyroVault, which

It’s made of reinforced nylon provides a waterproof seal. one-handed operation. The means that your lighter will be you need it. (thyrm.com)

11> VORTEX RAZOR AMG UH-1 The Razor AMG UH-1 uses

ing angle, and the lock knob ensures the upper receiver

Vortex’s new Fusion Hologram with Quantum Well Light

stays exactly where you want

Control (FHQ) technology. This results in a sight that combines

it. (realavid.com)

the durability, reliability and energy efﬁciency of a red dot with the sight picture and reticle pattern of a holographic sight.

9> RISE ARMAMENT 1121XR The new 1121XR is designed for those who want more from a semi-auto 6.5 Creedmoor precision rifle. It’s designed to be lightweight and portable while still offering sub-1-MOA accuracy. The rifle features a 22-inch barrel and a 15-inch, M-LOK, aluminum handguard as well as Rise Armament’s RA-535 Advanced Performance Trigger with a 3.5-pound pull, a crisp release and a short reset for fast follow-up shots. More features include a black-nitride-finished bolt carrier group, Rise’s stainless steel RA-701 compensator and a Cerakote finish in black, foliage green or Flat Dark Earth. (risearmament.com)

10> THYRM PYROVAULT Lighters like Zippos have been around for a long time, but the fuel evaporates and the cases can be slippery without having any attachment capabilities.

BALLISTIC FALL 2018

The purpose-built dynamictargeting EBR-CQB reticle is clean yet highly versatile, and the UH-1 also boasts aluminum and stainless steel construction for lasting durability in harsh environments. It runs on a Micro-USB-rechargeable LFP 123A battery or a CR123A battery. (vortexoptics.com)

12> WINCHESTER DEER SEASON XP Winchester’s Deer Season XP ammo line has developed a strong following among deer hunters who love its largediameter, polymer-tipped bullets for delivering devastating terminal performance. Winchester currently offers Deer Season XP ammo in 15 of the most popular deerhunting calibers across North America, and it recently added 117-grain .25-06 Remington and 250-grain .450 Bushmaster loads to the lineup. Each load is available in 20-round boxes. (winchester.com) ¥

CUSTOM CHALLENGE

Two striking Sig MCX Rattlers get tricked out like hot rods—and they’re up for grabs BY ALEX LANDEEN

BALLISTIC FALL 2018

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WANNA WIN THESE SIGS? Every issue of Ballistic features a Custom Challenge gun giveaway. Check out ballisticmag.com/win-rattlers to learn more and see how you can get your hands on these two beauties.*

LIKE BOURBON AND barbecue, or bacon and more bacon, custom guns and classic cars just go good together. The first time you turn over a freshly rebuilt engine—the straight headers pounding your chest, pissing off neighbors and rattling garage doors—feels similar to pulling the trigger for the first time on a custom rifle built piece by piece under the buzzing fluorescent lights of your friend’s shop. Both situations are driven by the need to set yourself apart, to be different, to be unique. Some people get it; some people don’t. So when we decided to have Pat McNamara spread his metallic awesomeness all over this issue, we knew that we had to bring a little noise ourselves. Keeping in line with the heavy metal/ muscle car theme, we reached out to David Teves at MAD Custom Coating and Michael Sigouin of Blowndeadline to customize a pair of Sig Sauer MCX Rattler pistols. These two guys have known each other since about the time they started in the custom finishing world, and they thought it’d be fun to collaborate on this project. (Michael has a background in graphic design and supplied David with custom vinyl stencils before becoming a full-time coater himself.) I think the results speak for themselves. Their inspiration started, as with many things these days, with an internet search. “We both knew we wanted to do a cool muscle car color,” David said. “But red is overdone, black is cool, but all guns come in black, white is boring, and let’s face it—nobody really likes orange.” Eventually the two settled on Tyrol Blue, a Pontiac factory color from 1967, based on an image Michael found online. Trying to get as close as possible to the color base only on the photograph, the two used a mixture of Sky Blue, Robin’s Egg Blue, Zombie Green and Satin Aluminum to match the teal/turquoise. For highlights, they chose Satin Aluminum for the small parts and for the logos, and Hidden White for the rails. I have not seen the

*No purchase required. Open to U.S. residents only and void where prohibited. Prizes worth $6,438. Sponsored by Sig Sauer. Starts 7/10/18 and ends 10/8/18. Restrictions apply. Visit ballisticmag.com/win-rattlers for details, eligibility and a complete list of official rules. BALLISTIC FALL 2018

CUSTOM CHALLENGE

WIN THESE SIGS: Visit ballisticmag.com/ win-rattlers and follow @athlonoutdoors on Instagram to learn more.

photo of the car they were working with, but based on these guns, I have to believe that it was probably rocking a white roof.

THAT NEW GUN SMELL “Battle worn” is basically a manlier way of referring to the style of faux-patina painting commonly seen in the hot rod world. So it didn’t surprise me when Michael, who used to work in the automotive sector in Detroit (turn to page 124 to learn more on that), would use this styling as a way to creatively set these guns apart. The red/brown base layering from Blowndeadline does a great job hinting at rust and the red-oxide primer coloration fancied by rodders, and the overall ﬂat ﬁnish brings everything together nicely.

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SPECIFICATIONS:

SIG SAUER MCX RATTLER PSB CALIBER:

300 Blackout

5.5 inches OA LENGTH: 19.3 inches WEIGHT: 38 ounces (empty) GRIP: Polymer SIGHTS: None ACTION: Piston-operated semi-auto FINISH: Matte black CAPACITY: 30+1 MSRP: $2,719 BARREL:

In contrast, David and the crew at MAD Custom Coating went for a shiny new look.

The smooth bright blue holds all the depth and perfection of a freshly restored classic. The final step of spraying a gloss clear coat gives the impression of something that should be kept dust free on a showroom floor, surrounded by weary sales clerks raising eyebrows at sticky-fingered children who happen to wander too close. Watch your buddies closely on range day—a “door ding” would be tragic on this beauty. To enter for a chance to win these stunning Sig Sauer MCX Rattler PSB pistols, make sure you visit ballisticmag.com/winrattlers. And to see more great custom work and get started on your own hot-rod-style rifle or pistol, check out blowndeadline.net and madcustomcoating.com. ¥

AMERICAN MADE METAL

BLAZING GLORY SPEC-OPS VET PAT MCNAMARA AND CAROLINA ARMS GROUP TEAM UP TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE .45 BY RICHARD JEFFERIES ¥ BRANDON WILLIAMS PHOTOS

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→ MAC’S FACTS THE WORD “ICONIC” HAS BEEN used to describe a handful of weapons, but the 1911 stands at the top of that list. Though I shoot various handguns and use a Glock 19 as my everyday-carry gun, I have a love affair with custom-built 1911s. The fit, feel, ergonomics and accuracy are unparalleled. Every gun owner should have a 1911 as part of his or her arsenal. Some scoff at the 1911, even calling it an anachronism, choosing their polymer Eurotrash guns over a 1911, but that’s probably because they’ve never fired a custom-built metallic sentinel of battle. They might argue that 1911s break, have too many malfunctions or are too bulky. My opinion couldn’t be more opposite. To be analogous, a custom-built pistol, such as my Blaze Ops Edition 1911, is a Rolex compared to my Glocks, which are G-Shocks. I designed the Blaze Ops to replicate the handguns I used while serving 13 years in USASOC. Some of the mods include a forged frame and slide, an adjustable aluminum trigger, a 4-pound trigger pull, carbon-fiber grips, a solid guide rod, a beveled mag well, an extended mag release, an arched mainspring housing and an ambidextrous safety. The thing shoots like greased butter and drives tacks at 50 meters. After firing one of Carolina Arms Groups’ Trenton 9s, I knew it was the company to put together the perfect 1911 in .45 ACP. It makes everything inhouse, machined from metal. Its attention to detail and craftsmanship are top-shelf. “Quality is never cheap, and cheap is never quality.” That’s what I say to those who would never consider dishing out the bucks to own an instrument of badassery such as the Blaze Ops Edition 1911. John Moses Browning would feel sorry for you. —Pat McNamara

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Â®

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YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD OF PAT MCNAMARA, but if you haven’t, here’s a quick recap. “Pat Mac” spent 22 years in the U.S. Army, most of it in various special ops groups. He was his unit’s marksmanship commanding officer, and he developed his own marksmanship club with NRA, CMP and USPSA affiliations. Pat also ran monthly IPSC matches and semi-annual military marksmanship championships to encourage marksmanship and competitiveness throughout the Army.

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McNamara retired from the service as a sergeant major in 2005, and now he’s an instructor teaching everything from basic marksmanship to advanced defensive techniques. In short, he is the real deal. So when Pat McNamara decided he needed the perfect combat 1911, he knew just who to contact for a ﬁrst-class package: Carolina Arms Group, or CAG. Located in Mooresville, North Carolina, CAG is a small company that turns

out exceptionally high-grade 1911s. The owner and brains behind the company is Mark McCoy, a ﬁrst-generation gun-maker and designer. He received a business degree from Villanova, then spent 21 years in naval aviation. While in the service, he attended Embry-Riddle aeronautics school in Florida, where he gained some of his engineering skills. He entered the ﬁrearms world in 2009 as a quality-control manager at Para

USA before founding CAG in 2015. Today, the company offers several models, including its newest addition, the Blaze Ops Edition 1911. And brother, what an addition.

MAC INSPIRED According to McNamara’s wishes, the Blaze Ops was designed and built in about six months. Like all CAG guns, each model is built one at a time by

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one gunsmith who oversees it from start to finish, with all of the parts being hand-fitted. That’s one thing that makes CAG guns stand out: micromanaged production. Except for the barrel and grip panels, every other component is made inhouse. Some of the company’s other models have sights from other vendors, but the Blaze Ops does not. The fiber-optic sights, with a red insert up front and green inserts in the rear, are actually made in-house. All CAG guns use Kart National Match barrels. With a 1-in-16-inch, left-hand twist and proprietary rifling, and tolerances held to within 0.0002 inches, it’s easy to see why anyone who wants an accurate 1911 chooses a Kart barrel. The only other outside components, the grips, are made without CAG’s usual “Eagle C” logo. Only 25 Blaze Ops Edition 1911s will be made, and each sports front and rear

cocking serrations as well as a ﬂat-top slide. The mainspring housing is arched, and the magazine release is extended. The rail on the frame makes it easy to add a light or laser. Finally, every Blaze Ops is tested at the factory to ensure it can create 1.5-inch groups at 25 yards. Obviously, with only 25 being produced, not too many people will get their hands on a Blaze Ops. Not to fear, as CAG plans to make another version with an unlimited run: the Privateer. While the Blaze Ops has an MSRP of $4,500, the Privateer’s is $4,200. The differences in the Privateer are minimal. The slide is rounded with night sights and only rear cocking serrations. The mainspring housing is ﬂat, and the magazine release is of standard size instead of extended.

BEHIND THE SCENES After a visit to the CAG factory, I’m even more impressed with the outﬁt. The com-

pany’s small cadre of gunsmiths build one-of-a-kind 1911s. And as a gun nut who’s spent lots of time in various gun shops around many gunsmiths, I tend to view a gunsmith as an older person with many years of experience. I tend to forget that, at one time, that person was just an eager wannabe. The lead gunsmith at CAG is a youngster—to me at least. Ethan Byrd is just 28, and he started his professional career only three years ago. He attended gunsmithing school for two years previously and has been the lead gunsmith at CAG for about a year. But don’t let that throw you. The standards at CAG are so high—on par with the Les Baer’s of the world. That’s saying something. The best gun I ever owned was a Baer Thunder Ranch Special. The factory is a testament to the modern art of CNC machining and laser etching, but it’s also an old-school shop with lathes, surface grinders, milling

cation with FIREClean. (Recoil-spring replacement aside, as there’s nothing anyone can do about that.) One of these days, when I have about $3,500 to spare, I’ll call CAG and ask for a gun built to my specs. I’m thinking I need to win the lottery so I can buy four or ﬁve pistols, including a gorgeous gold-engraved, ivory-stocked barbecue gun. C’mon, Powerball! In my not-so-humble opinion, CAG is a manufacturer to watch and contend with. Les Baer and Ed Brown, you have some strong competition rapping at your back door. Time to raise the bar, folks, or get left in the dust. The fact that CAG is Carolina based is icing on the cake. For more information, visit carolinaarmsgroup.com. ¥

SPECIFICATIONS:

CAROLINA ARMS GROUP BLAZE OPS EDITION 1911 CALIBER:

.45 ACP

5 inches OA LENGTH: 8.75 inches WEIGHT: 32 ounces (empty) GRIPS: Custom carbon-fiber SIGHTS: Fiber-optic ACTION: SA FINISH: Matte black DLC CAPACITY: 8+1 MSRP: $4,500 BARREL:

machines and polishing wheels, and every gunsmith there knows how to use each tool to perfection. A gun crafted by CAG is not just a ﬁrearm. It’s a work of industrial artistry. McCoy knows the value of such craftsmanship, and that’s why every gun has parts that are serial numbered to match the gun, and each gunsmith signs his name on the inside of the grips. Want to see what a $2,000 pair of grip panels looks like? How about those made from titanium with inlaid 24-karat gold? (Some items are so highly specialized that they get farmed

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out, but only to craftsmen of the same caliber.) Bobtails, short barrels, carry bevels—you name it and CAG will do it. As a side note, I have never been impressed with 1911s with barrels shorter than 4 inches, as this changes the geometry of the internal parts and can lead to serious malfunctions if this isn’t addressed properly. If you buy an Ofﬁcer’s Model equivalent from CAG, you will receive a totally reliable gun with internals built to accommodate a 3-inch barrel. One of McCoy’s guns, for example, has run 54,000 rounds with nothing more than an occasional lubri-

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INSIDE A METAL HEAD Rocker Phil Labonte on the Second Amendment, lifting and life on stage

Photo: Courtesy JR Rock Shots

BY MATTHEW HOGAN

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO GEORGE Washington, guns and heavy metal rank pretty high on the America chart. The Second Amendment needs no introduction here. Meanwhile, headbanging until your brain hurts dates back to the 1970s, but it really picked up steam here in the United States in the 1980s, when bands like Metallica and Anthrax started shredding. Enter Phil Labonte, lead vocalist of the metal band All That Remains. He encapsulates that gun-toting American spirit with sniper-like precision. His support for the Second Amendment is well documented. He released a video soon after the Parkland, Florida, shooting

detailing his thoughts on gun control and why passing a bunch of laws is more of a kneejerk reaction that simply won’t work. “The debate’s frustrating, at least on the internet, because you’ve got people that don’t know what they’re talking about saying, ‘Do something,’” Labonte said in his video. “Well, what is that ‘something’?” Then there’s the metal side of the operation. Based in Springﬁeld, Massachusetts, All That Remains has recorded eight studio albums, sold hundreds of thousands of copies and toured dozens of countries since its founding in 1998. Shooting, rocking and a steady gym regimen keep Labonte busy most of time, so we sat down with him for a chat about everything that pours into his mold of American freedom. When did your love for firearms begin, and how did it get started? Well, for me, ﬁrearms are linked with the larger idea of liberty. If we are free and we own our property, we have a responsibility to protect ourselves and our property. Shooting is fun, and I love building ARs and customizing them, but at heart, it’s part of being free.

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What do your typical gun outings entail? Do you hunt? Are you strictly a range guy? Do you have any training? I’m not a hunter, but learning how to field dress a deer is in my future. Mostly, I think of firearms as tools, so I treat them as such. I’ve taken some rifle and pistol classes. I have more planned this summer. I think it’s important to continue to train, and that goes for at home, too. I do dry-fire exercises, reload drills, draw from concealment, etc. Most of what I focus on is, ‘What if I have to use a firearm in the real world?’ I think that makes the most sense. I don’t do a lot of bench shooting or standard range stuff. I live in the woods, so it’s easy for me to do shoot-and-move stuff. I don’t have to go to a range. What’s your favorite firearm to shoot? I like ARs and Glocks. I don’t own a lot of guns—at least by gun-guy standards. Overall, I own like 15, and four of them aren’t Glocks or ARs. Second Amendment rights have come under attack in an almost historic manner recently. Why are those rights more important now than ever? When something bad happens, people tend to look to the government and say, “Do something.” I don’t think the right to protect yourself is something they have any authority to legislate. A lot of gun control advocates seem uninformed about actual gun laws. Where do the dangers lie there? What major problems do you see with gun-control arguments? It seems to me there are two things that would result from additional regulations. One is they pass laws making criminals of law-abiding citizens, and there is no actual change in gun violence. Two is some attempt to enforce a total ban with a European or Australian model. That won’t go over well outside of cities. You’re also a big supporter of veterans. Tell us a little about how your involvement got started there.

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“

Pat’s a metal head and a solid dude... Maybe it’s one of those ‘warriors keep the artists safe, and the artists connect the warriors to home’ kind of deals.

”

Well, I was in the Marine Corps for a minute in the ’90s. My father and uncles were in the military. I was married to a woman who deployed a few times. Most of the people I spend time with outside of the band are military or former military. I guess it’s just something that was always a part of my life. I get what it’s like to be in, and I get what it’s like to be the spouse at home. You and Pat McNamara are good friends. How’d you two meet? I guess it was at SHOT Show the ﬁrst time we met. Pat’s a metal head and a solid dude. We also have some mutual friends. He’s a buddy with Jose Mangin from SiriusXM. Jose and I go way back. I’ve got a bunch of friends Pat knows in the military currently. So it’s cool to be able to hang out with people whose worlds are so different, but they have such a big impact on each other’s lives. Maybe it’s one of those “warriors keep the artists safe, and the artists connect the warriors to home” kind of deals.

Benghazi warrior Kris “Tanto” Paronto was featured on the cover of the fall 2017 issue of Ballistic. All That Remains also featured Tanto in the music video for the track “Madness.” How’d that come about? Kris is a friend, so when we had the idea to do something to draw focus to PTSD and asked Kris if he’d be a part of it, there was no hesitation. He’s just one of those dudes who is always down to help the cause. We ﬁgured we could make a music video that was close to our hearts. You’re one of two founding members still in the band. When that ﬁrst got started in 1998, was that something you knew you wanted to do full-time? I always knew I would be in a band. I didn’t think it would become a full-time job or that we’d have songs on the radio or No. 1 singles. I just love playing shows. So when we started getting offers to play shows and get paid for it, I was like, “This is awesome.” But there

was never a plan to succeed, because just making a record is success. Just writing a song you feel good about is success. I was always a guy who loved playing and loved music. And we’re super fortunate we can do it for a living. You’ve been going hard for 20 years. What’s been the best part? Shows. That’s the whole point of it, in my opinion. Playing the songs for people. There are a lot of shows that are milestones, but just being able to play for so many people is what it’s about for me. What’s a typical day look like when you’re out on tour? How has that evolved over the last 20 years? On a typical day I’m up by 7 or 8. I usually get to a gym around 2 p.m. and then get back to the bus and eat. After that, I’ll screw around on the internet for a couple of hours until show time. Once the show is done, it’s eat again and go to bed. If there aren’t friends in town or I don’t have appearance stuff, it’s very chill. I have to limit my conversations, and I can’t talk at the bar because that would blow my voice up. So I mostly take it easy. Metal and shooting are major components to your lifestyle, but another one is ﬁtness. I’ve lifted off and on since my time in the military, but in the past year, I really buckled down and got disciplined in my training. Consistency and time is really all it takes. It’s not fast, but it happens. I put stuff up on my Instagram to keep me accountable at ﬁrst. I asked my followers to start giving me crap if it was too long in between gym pics. That wasn’t necessary once I started to really see changes, though. Between metal, shooting and working out, what’s the most important to you? They all play a different roll. I don’t know if one is more important. The gym and metal keep me sane, and the guns keep me free. Not sure I can pick one that is more important. ¥

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PAT MAC’S PONTIAC THE TURBULENT 1960s SAW AN amazing amount of change in American culture, with dramatic evolution in music, politics, education and civil unrest. Against that backdrop came the popularization of street performance cars. Like some of the ﬁrearms we enjoy, curbside iron like this was usually a case of “better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it.” For many, the launch point to this principle was Pontiac’s GTO. For true automotive enthusiasts, the letters ﬁrst stood for “Gran Turismo Omologato,” and the domestic version’s terminology was a direct takeoff

on the Italian-built Ferrari 250 GTO, of which less than 50 were ever built. Pontiac, considered the performance arm of GM in some circles, would later say the letters meant “Grand Touring Option.” However, on the boulevards of America on Saturday night, GTO meant style and savvy, tire smoke and taillights—Great Thrill Overkill. “It was a long time that I wanted that car—’65 to ’67 models speciﬁcally—and this one was perfect because I was born in 1965,” Pat McNamara said. “I always had a fascination with muscle cars, and even though I’ve owned other vintage cars like ’60s Cadillacs, the GTO was at —Continued on page 30

the top of my list. So a number of things came together to let me buy this one, and I am really happy about it.” GTO BEGINNINGS: The origins of the GTO were birthed from controversy. After concerns about government investigations, in early 1963, GM decreed that no more formal competition equipment would be sponsored or released by the company’s divisions. In 1962, Pontiac, led by John Z. DeLorean, was coming off a season-long NASCAR Grand National crown, big drag-racing wins and land-speed records set by the legendary Mickey Thompson, and DeLorean knew horsepower and youth sales were the future. He set out with his engineers to figure out how to translate that race visibility onto the street by creating the first true muscle car, defined by using standard sporty equipment on a mid-sized body, a big-block engine (larger than 350 cubic inches) and options galore. It was a big transition from the previous bone-basic, race-only specials or hulking luxury power barges. This was a street cruiser. The first GTO Tempests arrived for the 1964 model year, and other builders soon found out that performance mattered—a lot.

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In 1965, the year Mac’s car was built, the option list grew long, with all sorts of expensive goodies such as Tri-Power (3 two-barrel carbs) and four-speed transmissions. His car was built to the needs of many youthful owners. The 389-cubic-inch engine with the standard four-barrel carb and Hydramatic are there, and it still has all the hot dress-up stuff. Since Mac bought it, he has backdated some later hot-rod tricks, such as mag wheels to more classic original condition, with careful detailing and new reproduction redline tires from Coker Tire in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“

You know, the thing handles like a Jeep. It’s not like driving a Honda Civic around.

”

These powerful Pontiacs grew in stature throughout the 1960s and into 1970 as engine sizes expanded to 455 cubic inches, with colors bolder than a rainbow and crazy names such as The Judge. However, the government reared its head again, as did insurance companies. The latter saw that big engines and young owners—some back in country after stints in Vietnam—were resulting in a lot of accident payouts. Soon, the insurance premium on a muscle car was more per month than the car payment. By 1971, emissions controls were also taking a toll on what sort of horsepower was possible in a street package. Pontiac, like all of Detroit, turned from excitement to compliance, and the GTO died a quiet death in 1974, a shadow of its ﬁre-breathing original self. The name was revived in a more modern platform as the Pontiac brand struggled in the early 21st century, but then the brand was also vanquished by the epic upheavals in business. STILL DRIVING: The original musclecar era gave great memories and created unique bonds between enthusiasts, and they remain today as the iconic reminders of that time. GTOs like Mac’s are considered valuable collectors’ cars when restored to the beauty and function they originally demonstrated. Mac’s is also unique because, unlike some trailer-queen show cars, he still drives it. “You know, the thing handles like a Jeep. It’s not like driving a Honda Civic around,” he said with a laugh. “When I was growing up in Connecticut and in high school, there were lots of guys with used cars like this. You really have to experience a muscle car. You have to smell it and look at the front-end styling, and hear it when you turn the key. Take it out on the road, and there is nothing like the thrill of that raw horsepower. I have driven some of the new muscle cars, and they are badass, but these cars from 1965 through 1970—the Chargers, the GTXs, the GTOs—were simple in their styling. They all wanted to look nasty. They still do. There is nothing like it.” —Geoff Stunkard

STREET SMARTS

THROW A

PISTOL PUNCH THE HOW AND WHY OF USING YOUR HANDGUN TO STRIKE AN ATTACKER BY MICHAEL JANICH

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Photo: Alfredo Rico

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In 1970s detective shows, using the butt of a handgun to whack people on the back of the neck was apparently a stock-intrade skill. Amazingly, the person who was hit always obediently took a nap and then just as obediently woke up after the commercial break none the worse for wear. Outside of that rather cliché application, most people probably haven’t considered the subtleties of “pistol whipping” someone, but in a close-range lethal-force encounter, it isn’t just a viable tactic—it’s sometimes better than squeezing your pistol’s trigger. Serious students of defensive shooting understand that handguns are uncertain stoppers. Even with state-of-the-art ammunition, there are no guarantees, so savvy shooters always train and practice to keep shooting until they decisively stop the threat. They also have contingency plans for malfunctions and other Murphy’s Law events that can easily spoil your textbook tactics. With that noble goal in mind, using a handgun as an impact weapon quickly starts to make a lot of sense. The most logical reasons to strike a attacker with a handgun include: • You have suffered a catastrophic malfunction that you cannot clear in the middle of the ﬁght,

A SOLID FOUNDATION Hitting someone with a handgun sounds deceptively simple, but there are a number of things you should bear in mind when choosing your methods. First of all, your technique should work with all types of handguns. Hitting with the butt of the grip works great with large-framed revolvers, but not J-Frames or pocket-sized

“…in a close-range lethal-force encounter, it isn’t just a viable tactic— it’s sometimes better than squeezing the trigger.”

semi-autos. There just isn’t enough gun in that spot to offer a solid striking surface. Your striking technique should also not damage your gun or its component parts. Hitting in a way that keeps your gun healthy and functional allows you to shoot immediately after the strike (if possible), or as soon as you can make your gun operational again. The B-movie strike with the butt of the grip may look cool—until you break the baseplate off your magazine and all of your ammo pours onto the ground. Similarly, your gun hits should not damage your hand. Slapping with the side of the gun can easily result in a hard impact on your ﬁngers, potentially injuring them and maybe even causing you to drop the weapon. Finally, good gun handling always starts with muzzle discipline. This is particularly important when striking with a handgun since

Michael C. Rigg/Stay Safe Media Photos

and you are still facing a close-range threat • You have expended all of your ammo and do not have the time or resources to reload before facing a close-range threat • The dynamics of your situation do not allow you to shoot without endangering innocent parties behind the attacker • Because of the particular dynamics of the encounter, it makes more sense to strike ﬁrst before ﬁring your handgun.

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STREET SMARTS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33: Cornered by an unknown person with his hand concealed behind his leg, the defender sets a boundary and challenges him verbally as he prepares to respond. When the assailant suddenly slashes with a knife, the defender executes a guarded draw, protecting his head and neck with his outer forearm. To create immediate distance, he pistol punches the attacker in the face before ending the encounter with well-aimed shots.

guard for your head and neck. Index your gun hand along your right pectoral muscle with the base of your thumb over your nipple and your elbow, hand and muzzle in line. Since you’re not shooting (yet), your trigger finger should be straight and solidly indexed along the gun’s frame. From this position, think of using your extended index finger to “poke” the target as hard as you can. Using the index finger as a guide ensures accuracy and keeps you from squeezing the trigger while at the same time making sure the force of the impact is transferred straight into your palm. As you strike, let your shoulders turn naturally, maximizing power and drawing your left arm—still in a guard position—safely back and out of the path of the muzzle. What do you hit? In general terms, the bad guy. Any solid contact will hurt. However, the attacker’s face, neck, sternum and groin are ideal targets.

BATTERY NOT INCLUDED

7 The proper grip for a powerful, controlled pistol punch is a solid shooting grip with the trigger ﬁnger straight along the frame. By “poking” with the index ﬁnger, you strike with accuracy and power while avoiding an unintentional discharge.

it’s natural for you to grip it tightly to brace for impact. Sympathetic contraction of the trigger ﬁnger could easily lead to an unintentional discharge, which is particularly dangerous if your striking method involves swinging the gun in arcs. For all of these reasons, my preferred method of striking with a gun is “pistol punching.” A linear punch with the muzzle allows you to maintain sound muzzle discipline and decisively point the gun at the bad guy. The strike is very focused on a durable

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8 Here you can see the pistol punch in action. Note that the foam-padded target post is rocking backwards from the force of the author’s impact. He then immediately follows up with quick shots on the adjacent paper target.

part of the gun, and the impact shock is directed through the grip and into the hand— just like recoil. A linear thrust also drives the attacker back, creating distance, time and other opportunities to ﬁnish the ﬁght.

STRIKE MECHANICS Since it is a contact-distance tactic, the pistol punch should start from a solid weaponretention position. If you are right-handed, anchor your left palm to your forehead, just above your left eyebrow, to create a solid

One common criticism of pistol punching is that, if done with a semi-auto, it will knock the slide out of battery and prevent the gun from firing. Yes, hitting with the muzzle will probably push the slide slightly out of battery at the moment of impact. Fortunately, as soon as you remove the pressure from the front of the muzzle by retracting the gun, the recoil spring does its job and the gun returns to battery—just like when you squeeze the trigger and fire a shot. This is easy to validate if you have a range that allows dynamic close-quarters shooting training and an appropriately “punchable” target. It can also be performed “dry” with an unloaded weapon, a punching target and a safe environment and backstop. Either way, the idea is to learn to trust the function of the recoil spring. If, after delivering a pistol punch, your slide does not return to battery, no worries. The effect of the punch should give you time to reorient, perform a “tap, rack, ready” and be prepared to fire if necessary. Striking with a handgun is a very viable tactic when used in the proper context. If you’re serious about your gunfighting skills, you owe it to yourself to make it part of your close-range arsenal. ¥

PROVING GROUNDS Â®

FEATHERWEIGHT 7mm FIELDCRAFT

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Barrettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest sporter cuts weight without losing an ounce of performance BY JAY LANGSTON

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PROVING GROUNDS ®

the other monsters that prowled the western Kentucky farm.

BEHIND THE SCENES

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PICKING EACH STEP to land in bare spots on the logging road kept my pace deliberate and didn’t spook the bejesus out of the buck as he rose from his bed 35 yards away. He knew something was up but wasn’t alarmed enough to run more than 40 yards and freeze. I saw just enough of his rack as he snuck through thick underbrush to warrant raising my riﬂe instead of binoculars. Climbing an adjacent ridge, he froze at my level. With my riﬂe propped on a shooting stick, I studied tiny fragments

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of his rack and portions of his body through obscuring brush for the next 40 minutes as he stood with his feet seemingly cemented to the forest floor. Finally, I figured out what had divided the buck’s attention and kept him there so long. A doe in estrus finally had enough of the situation, and she stood and trotted over the ridge to the north. As the buck moved after her, I saw enough of his body and rack to know he was worth shooting. I continued to creep slowly down the logging road, hoping I’d get another chance at that buck or one of

Living where whitetails are common, and frequently trying out new rifles, has let me kill several deer using a wide array of action types in an even broader selection of calibers. When I don’t have a new rifle I need to test in hunting situations, I have a natural go-to that’s one of my favorites. It’s a lightweight bolt action chambered in 7mm-08 Remington that offers several characteristics I favor, and it’s cleanly taken almost four-dozen whitetails—several of them gnarly old bucks upwards of 250 pounds. This past fall, I tested Barrett’s Fieldcraft in 7mm-08, which emulates and improves on several features of my familiar favorite. I live less than an hour’s drive down country backroads from Barrett’s manufacturing facility south of Nashville, so I occasionally drop by to get a firsthand look at what’s new. When I met with company president Chris Barrett, we discussed several new rifles, but he was especially excited about the company’s new Fieldcraft. I quizzed him

PROVING GROUNDS ®

about the origin of the rifle’s name. “The term ‘fieldcraft’ embodies all of the skills that a rifleman needs to succeed in the field,” he said. “Mastery of shooting positions, survival in the harshest terrain, the ability to cover long distances. It just seemed like the perfect description for a rifle like this with a nod to our military heritage.” I left that day with a 7mm-08 Fieldcraft in my pickup. During the next few days, I tried a couple of scopes and settled on a Trijicon 2.5-10x56mm AccuPoint scope that I installed with a set of Talley rings. The optic looks a little oversized for such a lightweight rig, but it would give me a tad more magnification for range work.

SHEDDING WEIGHT Over the past 30 years, Melvin Forbes of New Ultra Light Arms (NULA) has gained a stellar reputation for building custom featherweight hunting rigs by trimming the fat from muzzle to butt. NULA produces riﬂes with actions closely scaled to their chamberings to make them as light as possible. So it makes sense that Barrett decided to work with Forbes with its take. The

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Fieldcraft follows the same principles of weight reduction and action scaling on custom riﬂes, and it incorporates some gun voodoo to make it accurate at the same time. One of the Fieldcraft’s most signiﬁcant features is its lightweight price tag compared to similar custom rigs. Its $1,800 MSRP hovers just higher than what I’ve

found on web gun stores at $1,730. Compared to a NULA rifle with a price tag of $3,500, the Fieldcraft seems like it was made for guys who drive 13-yearold pickup trucks and like nice rifles. The 7mm-08 Fieldcraft tips the scales at 5.2 pounds unloaded. One of the biggest weight-reduction measures Forbes accomplished years ago was to create a graphite-reinforced Kevlar stock that weighed 20 ounces. He went with a trim design that incorporated an elevated comb that slopes upward as it nears the butt, and the Fieldcraft uses the same feature. Many other rifle stock designs have combs parallel with the axis of the bore or drop at the heel. That would cause the stock’s cheekpiece to slam into the shooter’s face during recoil rather than dropping away from the face in the NULA/Barrett design. Here, however, the Fieldcraft uses a hand-laid carbonfiber stock. Twin aluminum pillars allow the action, barrel and stock to come together under the same tension each time. Other stock features that aren’t obvious unless you disassemble it start with full-length barrel and action bedding. Gun nuts have argued over free-floating versus full-length barrel bedding in terms of accuracy for a long time. NULA rifles have proven that it works to support pencil-thin barrels with full-length bedding, and that’s been carried over to the Fieldcraft. The barreled action is attached to the stock and aluminum pillars with hex-head screws. This lets the screws be torqued down to specific values, which has more benefit than merely keeping the rifle together. Specific torque values are recommended by Barrett, with the front screw tightened to 80 inch-pounds and the rear screw drawn down to 36 inchpounds. Using a torque wrench, I have seen barrel harmonics—and subsequent group sizes—improve by tuning torque values on the rear screw. Pillar bedding makes this possible. Another weight-shaving feature is the Fieldcraft’s blind magazine. Without the magazine well cutout, the stock is stiffer, helping accuracy. Not adding the extra weight of a hinged floorplate also takes

PROVING GROUNDS ®

getting minimal bullet jump to the lands. I loaded 10 rounds and sent the first five downrange. The chronograph readings hovered around 2,760 fps, so that looked good. Still a couple of steps away, I saw what looked like part of a group to the left of the bullseye. My first reaction was, “What now?” suspecting the scope bases had worked loose and scattered bullets off the target. But as I got closer, I realized I had created one ragged hole with a round impacting slightly to the left. All told, the group measured just 0.48 inches. Subsequent groups never got larger than 0.89 inches, so some scope adjustment was all I needed to ready the rig for the hunt.

BACK INTO THE WOODS

etary Timney trigger that is as crisp and dependable as the Timney triggers I have installed on several of my personal guns. This riﬂe’s trigger broke cleanly at 2.75 pounds from the factory.

TRIGGER TIME I didn’t have a lot of time to test the rifle at the range before taking it hunting, and my supply of factory 7mm-08 ammo was thin. But I found a couple of boxes of Federal’s 140-grain Partitions and Barnes’ 140-grain TSXs. The loads chronographed at 2,734 and 2,746 fps, respectively, on average. Five-shot groups at 100 yards hovered around an inch, with the Federal load’s best group measuring 0.96 inches. The Barnes load was comparable, with its best group measuring 0.99 inches. Sub-MOA five-shot groups are pretty telling about a rifle’s capabilities, and they are statistically more reliable than three-shot groups. Because this rifle’s barrel is so thin, I took my time and spaced shots at least a minute apart. In between groups, I set the gun aside for several minutes to cool. Not quite satisfied with the results I got with factory loads, I grabbed some virgin Hornady cases that were already prepped with Federal Match primers.

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SPECIFICATIONS:

BARRETT FIELDCRAFT 7mm-08 Remington BARREL: 21 inches OA LENGTH: 40.5 inches WEIGHT: 5.2 pounds (empty) STOCK: Carbon fiber SIGHTS: None ACTION: Bolt FINISH: Stainless CAPACITY: 4+1 MSRP: $1,800 (as tested) CALIBER:

PERFORMANCE: LOAD

VELOCITY

ACCURACY

FEDERAL 140 PARTITION

2,746 2,734

0.99 0.96

HORNADY 139 GMX/40 VARGET

2,762

0.48

BARNES 140 TSX

Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best ﬁve-shot groups at 100 yards.

I set my RCBS electronic scale to 40 grains and poured enough Varget in it to drop several loads. Next, I grabbed a box of Hornady 139-grain GMX bullets and seated them far enough out to where I felt they would make chamber-throat contact. I went back and forth, resetting the Hornady seating die until the bullet would just touch the barrel lands. Measurements checked and rechecked, I kept adjusting the seating die until I was

Fifteen minutes after my protracted encounter with the buck, I stepped from the logging road into the edge of a pasture. I checked both ways for deer and stepped out. Truck in sight, I picked up my pace but stopped short when I caught movement along the adjacent tree line—buck! I propped the Fieldcraft on the shooting stick and saw a nice buck standing and looking into the briers along the woods’ edge. The doe was bedded in the weeds, and I saw the silhouette of her head and ears among the blackberry vines. The problem: The buck was directly in line with the farmer’s brand-new 110-horsepower Kubota tractor parked by his hay depot. I knew a pass-through shot would put a hole in that shiny orange tractor. The buck didn’t pay me any attention as I sidestepped to get a shot that would clear the tractor. At the shot, the buck went down, and the doe vamoosed. I spent almost four years working inside a gun factory and have a strong appreciation for what’s involved in designing and manufacturing a rifle such as the Fieldcraft. Fittingly, the engineering and manufacturing prowess Barrett incorporates in this rifle is as lean as I’ve ever seen. You can bet I’ll be selling off a few safe queens to make sure this rifle gets a new home. For more information, visit barrett.net. ¥

CAMP CHATTER ®

FOWL When he’s off the diamond, MLB’er Brandon Snyder hits grand slams in the wild BY JAY PINSKY

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Most baseball fans get to meet their favorite players at a game or maybe a charity event. I met my favorite baseball player at my hunting lodge in Middleburg, Virginia, a few minutes after I shot a doe during the 2017 archery season.

Little did I know, however, that when I met Brandon Snyder, it ultimately wouldn’t be his bat speed, pitch recognition or slick leather I’d remember, but his attitude. I didn’t ask for Brandon’s autograph when he drove to the lodge because the World-Series-ringowning utility inﬁelder was preoccupied with carrying, gutting

and butchering my deer. You see, a neck injury that would be surgically corrected just a few days later had rendered my right side almost useless. So that day, the Baltimore Orioles’ ﬁrst-round pick of 2005’s MLB June Amateur Draft stepped up to the plate for me because I needed someone’s help. He pitched in without hes-

BALL! itation, and when he did, former two-time All-Star John Olerud ofﬁcially became my secondfavorite baseball player.

LIVING TWO DREAMS Hunters have quite a few memorable conversations at the deer-skinning pole. Chatting with Brandon, currently a Tampa Bay

Ray, proved to be no different. We talked baseball, of course. I’m a lifelong Baltimore Orioles fan, so I must have seemed like a giddy schoolboy to him as I peppered him with questions about life as a professional baseball player. He ﬁelded every question I hit his way, but he was more interested in showing me how fast and how

well he could butcher my deer. I’d soon ﬁnd out that this professional baseball player—a man who lives the dream of playing a game for a living—spends just as much time dreaming about duck blinds, trophy bucks and decoys as he does on how to hit a 3-2 pitch with a runner on second. Most men have a dream, and

some men have a few, but Brandon is living two. He isn’t just a pretty good ballplayer. He’s a real-life Major League ballplayer. And he isn’t just a hunter, either. He works as a professional guide, and I, being one of the luckiest baseball fans in camo that day, got to learn about how he managed to make both childhood dreams come true.

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FOWL BALL! ®

“My uncle, Barry Snyder, got me interested in hunting and fishing when I was 4 or 5 years old,” Brandon said. “He always took me with him and taught me everything. He was an amazing man and had a lot to do with who I am today. He passed away from pulmonary fibrosis last year, and I know he’s always with me in the stand or the blind.” Ironically, Brandon said nobody in his family was much of a hunter other than his uncle. “But,” he said, “my whole family loves to fish.” It doesn’t take a Major League scout to figure out that Brandon is all heart, and that he has a gift for understanding people and relationships. “The bond you share with someone you spend time hunting or fishing with, to me, is like no other bond,” he said. “My uncle was probably the most influential person in my life. He taught me how to hunt, fish, shoot, track, call and countless other skills in our time together. The lessons I learned in those moments made me a better man and have molded who I am to this day.” As Brandon told me his story, his eyes lit up—as much as they probably do when a trophy buck or banded duck crosses his path. It seems pro athletes, regardless of the sport, have a level of energy that sets them apart from mortal folks like me, and one of the first glimpses I got of his intensity was how excited he got talking about hunting. “I always loved to fish from the first time I can remember going,” he said. “When I was 3 or 4 years old, my uncle used to have me draw pictures of deer and put a target on the vitals so I knew where to aim. From that point on, all I ever wanted to do was go with him, and it stuck.” At the same time, Brandon’s father and former Major League baseball pitcher Brian Snyder was setting an example on the baseball diamond. “My father pitched in the Majors, and from the time I was a baby, we would always go watch him play,” Brandon said. “It was never forced on me; I just loved the game from the get-go. I also played basketball in high school, and I love to golf. My competitiveness attracts me to any sport, really.” Although a lot of people dream of growing up to be just a Major League baseball player, Brandon isn’t shy about telling anyone that

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hunting is also a big passion. How good is he at hunting? Like baseball, he’s a professional and makes a modest living guiding people for ducks, geese and other game animals in and around Virginia. “I always joke around that I work just so I can hunt,” he said. “But that isn’t too far from the truth. I love what I do for a living, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but my real passion has and will always be the outdoors. Plus, the baseball off-season starts right when hunting season starts.” Still, Brandon knows that being a pro baseball player is something to be proud

of. It’s a dream he began to believe in early on in his youth. “I knew I could be a special player when I was in high school, but my father really kept me focused,” he said. “Now that I have played for 13 years professionally, it has opened a lot of opportunities to hunt and ﬁsh with a lot of great people in a lot of really awesome places.”

NEVER GIVING UP Humility and realism haven’t been lost on Brandon. “I always wanted to be a professional baseball player since I was a child. But that doesn’t last forever, and it would

FOWL BALL! ®

be amazing to be able to make my other passions my profession when I hang up the spikes.” Brandon began to mix his hunting and baseball pitches up as I swung away during the interview. He helped me understand how similar the two athletic challenges can be, and even classified what an athlete is in and out of a duck blind. “I would say that being an athlete definitely helps when you are taking those long hikes into the stand or setting up those giant rigs for late-season Canadas,” Brandon said. “I don’t believe all hunters are so-called athletes, but if you want to be a guide, it’s going to be hard if you’re not in shape.” Anyone who has hunted ducks can testify to that. After all, decoys can’t fly to the lake, and every waterfowl hunter I’ve known always needed just a few more decoys in his spread, which can exhaust hunters who might not have the necessary endurance. “We work hard and put in a lot of manual labor to make sure our clients have a great experience,” Brandon said. Along with fitness, Brandon said another character trait serves hunters and baseball players well if they want to be successful at the highest levels. “Patience is a very important thing in both hunting and baseball. But even more importantly, not giving up. Sometimes a game or a hunt goes bad from the start. But you can’t give up, because you never know when that big hit or big buck is only around the corner.” I’ve heard it said that a hunter is an eternal optimist, and if you think about it, this has to be true for baseball players, too. After all, you must have a good attitude to keep showing up for a job where failing nearly 70 percent of the time at the plate can make you an all-star. So, how did Brandon break into professional waterfowl hunting? He didn’t get a spring training invite. Nope, duck hunters do it in the cold, harsh winter. He was ready when his big break came, though. “I went on a hunt with John Pemberton of Total Sportsman’s Outfitter in 2015, and I told him I loved to hunt waterfowl,” Brandon said. “He heard me call, and said if I really wanted to do it to come by, and the rest is history. I love to hunt ducks and geese, and

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I had always taken my friends. I would set the spreads and blinds and do all the calling. Now I get to do the same thing with new people and call it a ‘job.’ I love it.”

MAKING MEMORIES During our photo shoot near his house in northern Virginia, Brandon asked if I’m still an Orioles fan. It’s understandable, because they aren’t knocking on the World Series’

door lately. Loyal to the Orioles, I said yes. He smiled and then said he’d be right back. Moments later, he came down with a game-worn warmup jersey from his time with the Orioles. He handed it to me, and I just smiled. In a day when so many people think pro athletes—and pro hunters—think they’re above it all, I got to meet Brandon first as a hunter, then as a friend and finally as one of the kindest and most humble professionals there is. No wonder his final words were: “I have been very blessed to have had an amazing career in baseball, and I hope to continue playing and progressing for as long as I can. But as I said before, a baseball career is a very short-term thing when you look at a lifetime. To be able to make a living hunting and guiding would be incredible. To me, it’s like the saying goes: If you love your work, you will never work a day in your life. That is what I call a success.” ¥

EXTREME HUNT ®

BLUE BULLS

Head to Texas with the “AR King” and his .338 Federal Tactical Hunter BY JAY PINSKY

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THERE AREN’T MANY WAYS to make a Wilson Combat riﬂe better, but hunting with one next to the legend, Bill Wilson, is one of them. I had that chance after Bill invited me to join him and a few close friends at the 853,000-acre King Ranch just west of Kingsville, Texas, to hunt nilgai. What’s a nilgai, blue bull as they are sometimes known? Before I hunted one, I would have told you it’s India’s largest antelope. Now I’ll say

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it’s the smartest, toughest, sharpest-eyed critter I’ve seen. Both descriptions are still true. Other far-more-qualiﬁed hunters share my sentiments. Bill, who has hunted about every animal on the planet, has a lot of respect for nilgai, too. “I don’t think there’s anything in North America as tough as a nilgai, other than the big bears,” he said.

READY TO HUNT Let’s circle back to why I was invited to Texas. Bill wanted me to hunt one of the world’s tough-

est critters to see how good Wilson Combat’s Tactical Hunter was in the field. A few months before my February hunt, Wilson Combat introduced its new AR-10-style platform to gun writers and editors at Athlon Outdoors’ exclusive Rendezvous in Colorado. Little did I know that was the rifle I would later use on what turned out to be the greatest hunt of my life. Why did Wilson Combat develop such a rifle? “Primarily because I’m a serious hunter, hunt with ARs almost daily and wanted the best

package for hunting we could produce,” Bill said. “Also, because this is a market segment that hasn’t been properly served, in my opinion.” Many firearms manufacturers make good AR-10-style rifles. But good has never been enough for Bill, and as with most of his weapons, he believed there was more customers could demand from high-end rifle builds. He gave it to them in three flavors: the Ultimate Hunter, Ultralight Hunter and Tactical Hunter. “The primary goals of the project were to

make the riﬂes as light as possible while still retaining stellar accuracy,” Bill said. “I personally shot thousands of rounds, optimizing the accuracy of the barrels used in the Hunter series to optimize them for hunting bullets. The Ultimate Hunter and Tactical Hunter are basically the same riﬂe with the exception of the threaded muzzle and buttstock. The Ultralight Hunter is designed to be the lightest we can build it while still retaining stellar accuracy and fast handling characteristics. I was the lead on all the design

work and personally did all the testing for the Hunter series project. A lot of different components were tested to optimize the system, and I personally shot thousands of rounds of factory and handloaded ammunition in testing for function, durability and accuracy. This resulted in riﬂes that are totally reliable, durable and extremely accurate with common hunting bullets, especially with handloads.” In fact, one of Bill’s handloaded 210-grain Nosler Partition rounds would have the last word

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BLUE BULLS ®

THE WILSON DIFFERENCE

The primary goals of “ the project were to make the riﬂes as light as possible while still retaining stellar accuracy.

”

with a nilgai. When you hunt with Bill, you don’t just use a rifle, and you sure as hell don’t feed it just any old ammunition. When I got to Texas, Bill’s personal Tactical Hunter in .338 Federal was waiting for me. It sported an 18-inch barrel with a 4-pound, two-stage Tactical Trigger Unit, and to suit Bill’s tastes, the barrel was crowned and not threaded. Bill enhanced the Tactical Hunter with two remarkable tools: a magazine full of handloaded 210-grain Nosler Partitions pushed by 42 grains of Benchmark powder and a simple Burris 3-9x40mm Fullfield II riflescope. Bill handpicked that bullet and optic because he knew I’d need them.

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If you’ve priced ARs lately, you’ll notice anything with the words “Wilson Combat” on it costs more. It’s because they’re better. Bill and his son, Ryan Wilson, spare no expense when they create a rifle, pistol or shotgun that bears the company name. Here’s one example: In this particular development, they used S7 tool steel for the bolt stops, proudly proclaiming they’ve never had one break, even though AR-10-platform bolt stops are notorious for that industry-wide. “We have spared no expense in the development, testing and production of these rifles,” Bill said. “If we could build a better one, we would. A big advantage Wilson Combat has is the fact that I’ve been a serious hunter since the early ’70s and have a very keen personal interest in Wilson Combat making the very best ARs on the market, whether for hunting or tactical use. I’m shooting and testing AR products virtually on a daily basis. Here at the ranch, we are fortunate to have shooting ranges out to 800 yards for extensive accuracy testing. Also, I hog hunt at least 325 days out of the year, plus I’m deer hunting over 120 days of those 325, with annual harvests of 200-plus hogs and 50-plus deer, all with ARs. Who else proves out their product like that?” Even his relentless testing wasn’t good enough, as Bill insisted on putting one of his most advanced ARs in my hands to go after the toughest animal I’d hunted just a few months after major neck surgery. I’d need one of the best, lightest and softest-shooting rifles to succeed, and that’s what Bill was counting on. If you’ve hunted with an AR, “light” and “ergonomic” are terms that probably eluded you. I know that was true with me. My career in the military gave me plenty of carrying time with M4s weighed down with mission-essential bells and whistles. I don’t have fond memories of carrying my rifles, and to be honest, an AR isn’t the first hunting rifle I’d reach for. Well, until I hunted nilgai.

THE KING AND I Hunting at the King Ranch is, I’m told, almost identical to African plains game spot-and-stalkstyle hunting. The western Texas ranch boasts plenty of world-class whitetails, feral hogs, Rio Grande turkeys, coyotes and exotic but savvy transplanted game from around the world. We got a lot of windshield time trying to ﬁnd bulls,

BLUE BULLS ®

but most of the day was spent—and sometimes seemingly wasted—wearing out the soles of my Lowa Renegade boots when we’d spot, get spotted and then watch 500-pound animals run almost 40 mph away from us. Only twice did I get to do what anyone would classify as a stalk, with one having one of the most humiliating endings I’ve experienced. Now, back to that fantastic rifle. The Tactical Hunter Bill issued me was chambered in the wildly underrated .338 Federal. If you’re unfamiliar with the cartridge, imagine a .308 Winchester that spent a lot of time in the gym working out. The cartridge is nothing more than the .308 case necked up to the beefier .338 caliber. “The 338 Federal and .358 Winchester are substantially more powerful than the .308 Winchester,” Bill said. “Both are underrated for what they’re capable of, and I don’t know why they’re not more popular.” By the end of the hunt, I was a fan of the .338 Federal and insisted on being the grand marshal at its ballistics parade. Bill talked more about bullets than he did cartridges because, according to him, that’s how it should be. “People always think caliber, but the first thing they need to think about is bullet selection and shot placement,” he said. “Can you get a bullet to do what you want it to do, and can you put it where it needs to be?”

FIELD ENCOUNTERS My ﬁrst encounter with a nilgai wasn’t on my ﬁrst hunt but rather the hunt of Jon Wayne Taylor, a fellow gun writer and veteran. We were

NILGAI NOTABLES DURING THE TRIP, I HUNTED with one of the King Ranch’s wildlife biologists, Weston Koehler, who grew up in Seguin, not far from the ranch. Weston graduated from Texas A&M Kingsville—the Javelinas, not the Aggies, mind you—and interned at the King Ranch. He’s a tall, ﬁt, steelyeyed lad who knows more about nilgai than I do about most animals, so when we hunted, he helped answer all of my questions. “The nilgai were brought to Texas around the 1930s, and they ﬂourished here,” he said. “All of their senses are good, and they’re all better than a deer’s. I’ve had them spook and wind me at 600 yards and farther. They’re not curious animals.

If they sense danger, they simply turn around and go. They’re big-structured animals, with big horns, a thick hide and a strong will to live.” Weston recommends at least a .300 Winchester Magnum, although ranch rules recommend a .270 Winchester. He admits he always feels better when a client hunts with a .30 caliber or larger. He also recommends full camo on nilgai hunts, but don’t ask him to pick a brand. “I don’t recommend one particular brand,” he said. “I’ve used them all, and they all work about the same.” Although Weston won’t endorse a camo, one thing he endorses heavily is the use of shooting sticks. “The best advice I can give anyone coming to hunt nilgai is to practice shooting off sticks out to 200 yards,” he said. “A lot of hunters shoot off a bench and not off of sticks, and it’s totally different.” —Jay Pinsky

paired with the King Ranch’s wildlife biologist, Weston Koehler, and because Jon only had 24 hours in camp to get a bull, I quickly bowed out so the team could focus on him. Jon was using Wilson Combat’s new .458 HAM’R in a unique hybrid AR somewhere between an AR-15 and AR-10 in terms of dimensions. The .458 HAM’R ran in what Wilson Combat calls its “WC-12” platform, and Bill handloaded ammunition for Jon that pushed a 300-grain Barnes TTSX bullet at approximately 2,100 fps out of the gun’s 18-inch barrel. After some trial-and-error stalks for Weston and Jon, where I volunteered to stay in the truck to minimize spooking antelope, I was invited to join the next stalk and would earn the title of Jon’s lucky charm, as he took a mature trophy bull up close with the .458 HAM’R. With Jon’s bull in the freezer, I hunted with

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BLUE BULLS ®

What gives Wilson Combat’s Hunter series ARs an edge? Bill Wilson has been hunting game all around the world since the early 1970s, and his experience drives every component chosen here.

just missed a once-in-a-lifetime nilgai with his perfect riﬂe in the most imperfect way. What I expected was to be drawn, quartered and hung next to Jon’s nilgai. But what I got was humility and fatherly words only a good man like Bill can say. “It happens,” he said. “Shake it off, and go back out there.” I didn’t sleep that night. I rehearsed that shot again and again. I’d love to say it had been a malfunction, or that the optic was off, a wild hog jumped in front of my riﬂe or there was an earthquake. But there wasn’t. I just choked.

ANOTHER CHANCE The next morning, I was ready much earlier than usual. I ate a bigger breakfast. I gave myself a Knute Rockne speech in the bathroom and I was met by Weston, who wanted to see me succeed. Then, I stepped outside and saw that God would make me earn my redemption the hard way—or not at all. Fog covered the King Ranch. I don’t mean pretty, artsy, make-everything-cool-looking fog, either. I mean heavy how-the-hell-will-I-ever-see-a-grayish-blackantelope-in-this-stuff fog. Weston seemed undaunted. So, I picked up the set of brass balls it took for me to admit to Bill I’d missed

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a trophy bull nilgai, and we headed out. It didn’t take long for Weston to spot a trophy bull. The guy, no doubt a ringer for any game of Where’s Waldo, had a knack for ﬁnding nilgai. So, after a short stalk, I held my .338 Federal on a massive nilgai bull 130 yards in front of me. At ﬁrst, I saw his shape. Then, when I put the optic on him, I saw everything. I saw the

animal. I saw the fog. I saw the trees. I saw what was in front, behind and to the left and right of him. And ﬁnally, I saw his shoulder clearly as I walked the scope’s crosshairs up to the sweet spot. At such times, during visually muddy conditions, you need an optic with good contrast and that’s optically clear and bright. The Burris had those

Â®

EXCLUSIVE Q&A

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A N A L L-A M E R I C A N

DYNASTY LIVES ON Jase Robertson talks life after Duck Dynasty, hunting with the Trumps and more BY PETER SUCIU • JOHN HAFNER PHOTOS

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IN TODAY’S ECONOMY, FEW PEOPLE GET TO DO WHAT THEY love, but Jason Silas “Jase” Roberston has a love of life, work and family. The American TV star became famous for the A&E reality series Duck Dynasty, which highlighted the trials and tribulations of his close-knit family and their business, Duck Commander. The show was a hit on A&E, breaking ratings records for the network and launching the Robertson men—brothers Phil and Si, and Phil’s sons Jase, Willie and Jep—into the mainstream. Although Duck Dynasty concluded its run in 2017 after 11 seasons, Duck Commander recently ﬁnalized a shotgun wedding of sorts with Benelli. The shotgun maker had previously been a title sponsor of Benelli Presents Duck Commander, the Robertsons’ previous show on the Outdoor Channel, and was instrumental in the global launch of the Duck Commander brand. The companies will continue to work together with a common goal of providing hunters and shooters quality products. We recently had a chance to talk to Jase, now the COO of Duck Commander, to learn more about his family’s past and future.

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EXCLUSIVE Q&A

duck-hunting videos, correct? That was how we were discovered. We did the ﬁrst Duck Commander in 1987, and not much happened. We hunt every day, and we reached out to a few companies and basically said, “Send us your products and we’ll use them in our videos.” Companies then started to come to us, and Benelli was the sponsor of our ﬁrst show. You did a commercial with Benelli, but it didn’t go as planned. What happened? Not at all. We were shooting their shotguns, and they wanted a commercial. They had a script with lines that my dad was supposed to say. He just looked it over and said, “I got it.” Then they turned on the camera, and my father, instead of reading the lines, said, “The best shotgun is the one that goes boom, boom, boom!” Benelli loved it and said that slogan is better than anything they had. This proved that we knew what we were doing and were really good off the cuff. From there, we did the show. I have used different shotguns, but I wanted to get back with them, and we’re happy to be home.

Is it safe to say there is more for hunters to be thankful for given that Hillary Clinton isn’t in the White House? Oh yeah. I think Mr. Trump is doing a good job as our president. I had the pleasure of taking Donald Trump Jr. hunting last year. You have some history with the Trump family? That we do. It’s kind of a famous story now between our two families. We were in New York promoting the show, and I had to use the bathroom, so I went into a Trump-owned hotel. It was very nice, but I got escorted out because the security thought I was a vagrant. They weren’t fans of the show. But afterward, the Trump family found out, and we got on quite well. I’ve played golf with Donald Jr. and his brother, Eric. Have you ever gotten the chance to go shooting with the Trump family? I actually have. Don Jr. is quite a shot and did

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quite well. It was really a pleasure to shoot with the Trumps. You’re part of the Robertson family, so you obviously grew up around hunting. How did it all start for you? I was 7 or 8 years old the first time I went out shooting, and my family taught me to respect guns. The first time I was able to shoot while hunting was with a magnum 12 gauge—that’s a pretty big gun. But I loved it, and I’ve been shooting and hunting ever since. Duck Commander and Benelli are working together again. What can you tell us about this renewed partnership? Honestly, I’m thrilled that we’ve joined forces again. We owe a lot of our success to Benelli. Benelli was one of the first sponsors you guys had when you started making

What makes a Benelli shotgun special? That’s simple. The No. 1 thing is that Benellis are easy to disassemble. Honestly, the only time I clean my Benelli shotgun is after I hunt when it is pouring down rain. No matter what you do, everything gets wet, and that is not good for a shotgun. Benellis are easy to clean. They disassemble in about 15 seconds, and with a couple of squirts of oil, I’ve had no issues. I’ve been shooting with these for almost 10 years. Do you consider yourself a gun guy? I have to admit people think I’m a firearms expert, but I’m not. I can shoot guns quite well, and I’m really into hunting, but when it comes to breaking down a shotgun, I’m not as confident. So you’re a hunter first and foremost. Is it safe to say there are only two times a year: hunting season and the rest of the year? That is very true. We hunt 70 days each year. A lot of it is in Louisiana these days, but we hunt anywhere we can. You must have a lot of memorable days afield, but are there any that stand out? Maybe tell us about the best and worst days. The worst hunt I’ve been on has to be when I was a teen hunting with Uncle Si, and we didn’t fire a shot from daylight to dawn. He also made

EXCLUSIVE Q&A

a variety of different reasons, and often will express gratitude and afﬁrmation, and ask for a picture or an autograph to show others that they met us.” That doesn’t mean this right is absolute, and Al was quick to say people with mental problems can be very dangerous, which is why efforts should be made to improve screening to keep guns out of the hands of such people rather than enacting blanket laws that add restrictions on law-abiding citizens. “There are also a lot of sworn enemies out there to our faith and to our way of life that have sinister motives and evil intent about how they deal with people that don’t believe as they do,” he said. “It’s for these encounters that concealed carry is the most important and is why most of us are trained and ready with our ﬁrearms to defend ourselves, our families and our way of life.”

→ THE FAMILY THAT SHOOTS TOGETHER… MARSHAL “AL” ROBERTSON might be one of the lesserknown family members, but he has a lot to say about the family business, ﬁrearms and more. The eldest son of Phil and Kay, Al left the family business to become a preacher, but after 25 years, he returned to the fold, doing public relations for Duck Commander and appearing on Duck Dynasty since Season Four. “I deﬁnitely will say in the case of the Robertsons, the family that shoots together stays together,” said Al, who is the only adult male in the family without a beard. “I would probably add prays together in there, too. We have hunted together all of our lives—almost 50 years now for me. The times we have spent in a duck blind or at a deer camp or just reliving a hunt or some funny instance that happened on a hunt has always been a bond for us.” The Robertsons also bond over killing, cleaning and pre-

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paring their food to partake in wholesome family meals. According to Al, this helps keep them grounded and steady. GUN HANDLING: In terms of firearms, Al, who has two adult daughters married to men with beards, said the most important tip for those looking to pick up a shotgun for the first time is to think safety first. “My dad always stressed so much when we were young boys about how to handle a shotgun in and out of a hunting situation,” he said. “You always assume a gun is loaded until you check it properly. You always fully unload your shotgun when leaving home and also after the hunt. In a duck blind, you always make sure your shotgun is secured.” Unfortunately, accidents happen, Al said, and it can be something as simple as a dog knocking over a loaded gun, which is why he said every

shotgun must be treated as if it were ready to shoot. “As far as shooting, one of the most basic tips that I still sometimes struggle with at 52 years old is to make sure the butt of my shotgun is right on my cheek when I am ﬁring it,” Al said. “That helps ensure that you’re looking right down the barrel at what you are aiming at. Also, if you are shooting birds, you have to lead them. Most people shoot behind them.” CONCEALED CARRY: Al said there is still good reason to have a ﬁrearm ready and handy out of the woods. “Concealed carry is a great right for every citizen of our republic, as mandated by the Second Amendment,” he said. “Our family is especially grateful because we feel a lot safer being able to be armed when facing unknown threats in our everyday walk. Most people we meet are fans of our show or our family for

BEARDED BRETHREN: As for the beards, Al has no plans to grow one, but was quick to talk about his bearded brethren. “One thing I might change is their propensity to claim every duck that gets shot in our blind,” he said jokingly. “According to them, I have never killed a duck in my life. Once we start tallying, ol’ Al always gets what my granny called, ‘What the little boy shot at.’ I might also add a little positive energy to Jase. He is a notorious pessimist, although he claims to just be a realist and the only one bold enough to state the obvious. In other words, his glasses are always half empty. “Seriously, I love my family, and I love to hunt with them, and ﬁnd some of my best memories hunting in a duck blind and telling old stories of hunts from yesteryear. They are all men of God who love their families and love hunting and shooting.” ¥

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COMPACT AR TEST

DARK STORM RISING The DS-9 HAILSTORM proves that quality SBRs are well worth the wait BY SEAN UTLEY

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I ACQUIRED MY FIRST TAX STAMP IN 2005. It was for a 9mm Colt Sporter that was later converted into an SBR. Back then, wait times were maybe 30 days, but it still seemed like an absolute eternity. If you have gone through the NFA process, then you know exactly what it’s like. But, although the wait was grueling, I knew it was well worth it in the end. Words couldn’t describe the excitement and joy I felt when I finally topped that Colt lower with a short-barreled upper. Pistol-caliber carbines have a draw like few other firearms. Maybe it’s because of the HK MP5 and Uzi from many years ago. Maybe it’s the shoulder-firing capability without the excessive

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DARK STORM RISING ®

recoil and concussion that you get with riﬂe-caliber carbines—and that’s before you put a suppressor on them. Suppressed pistol-caliber carbines are sweet, and 9mms are by far the most popular. There are several challengers in the pistol-caliber carbine ﬁeld: Brügger & Thomet, CZ, Heckler & Koch and even Sig Sauer with its MPX. Each company offers a distinctly different platform with its own advantages and disadvantages depending on your point of view. And now many of these weapons are available as so-called “pistols.” While I still grapple with this designation, especially when they are so physically large, pistol stabilizing braces have made them perfectly legal and acceptable SBR-ish weapons ready to stow in backpacks and other not-so-obvious containers. With said pistols taking over the world, it was refreshing to have a real

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NFA-registered SBR on hand from Dark Storm Industries. I don’t love the tax stamp process involved with acquiring one, but owning a true SBR is something special—a rite of passage, if you will, into a world beyond the regular guns that just about any shmoe can walk out of the gun shop with. SBRs are pure, and unlike pistols made out of carbines, you don’t have to consult some BATFE letter on how you can or can’t shoot it, nor how it will be perceived if it is operated a certain way. Owning an SBR says, “You’ve made it.” The process to own one is involved but far from difﬁcult. And once you do it, you’re pretty much hooked.

ALL HAIL THE DS-9 The DS-9 Hailstorm brings good looks to a not-so-new package. As cool as some of the other 9mm carbine packages out there are, the allure of a 9mm AR

cannot be denied. Until recently, 9mm ARs were just as rare as other 9mm carbines because few dedicated 9mm lowers were in production. This is no longer the case, and gone are the days of using some mag-well conversion block to create a pistol-caliber AR. One of the great things about the DS-9 Hailstorm is that it shares controls with its popular big brother, the AR-15. This translates to a shorter learning curve for a new operator. Of the other 9mm SBRs available, only the Sig MPX comes as close with the B&T APC9 being not too far behind. Although this control familiarity isn’t a must, it’s deﬁnitely advantageous depending on how often you train. Being familiar with a wide range of ﬁrearms is never a bad thing. Dark Storm Industries has taken a relatively straightforward approach with the DS-9 Hailstorm, but in this simple

DARK STORM RISING ®

of contention. The Hailstorm is sleek, especially with the low-profile M-LOK handguard that surrounds the barrel. I wanted to keep it as “low pro” as possible, so I added Nikon’s new P-Tactical Spur reflex sight. It’s equally as sleek and minimalist, which I love in certain applications. With this sight, the 3-MOA dot can be adjusted to 10 different brightness levels via two side buttons. But all together, with all of the Hailstorm’s sleekness, the Magpul CTR stock almost looks like a boat anchor attached to the rear of the gun. Finally, the DS-9 Hailstorm SBR sports a nitrite-treated, 7.5-inch barrel with a 1-in-10-inch twist rate. It’s topped off with a blast deflector that probably isn’t necessary, but it looks good tucked under the handguard nonetheless. The carbine operates via blowback, and at the range, its functioning was smooth and free of drama. It had been a while since I shot a 9mm AR, and I was quickly reminded of how nice and docile they are. No wonder we love pistol-caliber carbines so much.

TRIGGER TIME My range time consisted of running the DS-9 Hailstorm with a few differ-

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DARK STORM RISING ®

ent types of ammo in the included 17-rounder and a 31-round ETS magazine. And I’m happy to report that there were no malfunctions after rapidly emptying two magazines’ worth of ammo. I can’t recall if the old guns would run defensive ammo or not, but the DS-9 Hailstorm ran both FMJs from Winchester and hollow points from Federal and Sig Sauer with ease. I measured the DS-9’s accuracy at 25 yards. Based on the chambering, most of us are likely to use the gun within such ranges. Using the attached Nikon optic and a couple of sandbags, I proceeded to shoot several ﬁve-shot groups, and the DS-9 Hailstorm didn’t disappoint. After so much time behind precision guns, I forget that other guns can be very accurate when used within their intended range. Having tested other 9mm carbines, I don’t recall any memorable accuracy results, but this wasn’t the case with the DS-9.

SPECIFICATIONS:

DARK STORM INDUSTRIES DS-9 9mm BARREL: 7.5 inches OA LENGTH: 25.5-28.75 inches WEIGHT: 6.4 pounds (empty) STOCK: Magpul CTR SIGHTS: None ACTION: Blowback-operated semi-auto FINISH: Matte black CAPACITY: 17+1 MSRP: $1,095 CALIBER:

PERFORMANCE: LOAD

VELOCITY

ACCURACY

FEDERAL 124 HST

1,305

0.52

1,416 1,271

0.45 0.89

SIG SAUER 124 V-CROWN JHP WINCHESTER 115 FMJ

Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best ﬁve-shot groups at 25 yards.

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BOLD CARRY Â®

COVERT 74

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CANIK For those who want James Bond performance at a blue-collar price BY WILL DABBS, MD Â¥ SCOTT BAXTER PHOTOS

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COVERT CANIK ®

he man sat behind his cards, his steel-gray eyes as unreadable as a piece of 19th century Russian literature. His body was the most highly refined killing machine mankind could produce. Across the table this night reclined a monster. His opponent was purportedly a wealthy Estonian textile magnate. Forbes claimed that his fortune stemmed from uncanny business acumen and blind luck. The reality was that Aristotle Kristatos had acquired his opulence on the backs of slave laborers in places like Uzbekistan and Sierra Leone. Sweatshop T-shirts birthed in a former Soviet Bloc nation did not buy a seat at this table. That kind of rarefied horsepower spawned from affordable heroin and blood diamonds. There were others playing as well, but they were little more than set dressing. The real game was being played between the MI6 assassin and the Spectre criminal mastermind. Both knew that only one of them would be $25 million richer at the end of the evening. The other would be dead. From some hidden place upstairs, a desperate woman’s scream shattered the moment. Startled, the room turned as one toward the sound. Kristatos’ gaze remained riveted on Bond and his thin lips ﬂirted with a smile, rendering his cadaverous visage all the more baleful. For his part, Bond felt his muscles tighten involuntarily underneath his ﬁtted Dormeuil suit. The girl was indeed perfect, but nonetheless, she remained one of many. The difference this

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time was that Bond had allowed himself to care. That ethereal notion would be the bloody signature on Kristatos’ death warrant. The gun was a handmade German semi-auto matched to a custom-tuned sound suppressor. Q had crafted the weapon to Bond’s individual speciﬁcations, and the combination cost Her Majesty’s government more than a luxury automobile. 007 had the weapon out and up before Kristatos’ henchmen perceived the motion. Two quick rounds to the forehead sent Kristatos straight to Hell. Three more sequential doubletaps did the same for his bodyguards. Like some sentient corporeal thing, the casino crowd ﬂowed screaming for the exits. Bond used the chaos to retrieve the woman, bruised but alive, and retreat to his Aston Martin DB10. Half an hour later, he reclined on a deserted beach in the twilight with the grateful heiress and a properly chilled bottle of 1959 Dom Perignon.

BACK TO REALITY Sigh. I’m just some goober with a word processor. Even if I possessed the requisite ﬁtness, skills and comportment to run in such circles, I could never afford the trappings. James Bond’s cufﬂinks cost more than my car. If only there was some way we mere mortals could gain access to truly spy-grade guns and gear. Alas, Century Arms has heard our plaintive cries, and the new Canik TP9SFT offers everything James Bond might possibly desire all at a price within reach of the Common Man. It’s no longer enough to sport a state-of-theart combat handgun. If you want to eat at the cool kids’ table, you’ll need that proper combat handgun along with a nice sound suppressor and a whiz-bang laser sight. Until now, that host pistol, with its obligatory elevated sights, trickedout controls and threaded barrel, was going to set you back a pretty penny. Now, thanks to the holy union of Century Arms and Canik, you can get into the suppressed combat pistol of your dreams without hocking a kidney.

AFFORDABLE TURKS I have been pulling triggers for fun and money for decades now, and I am madly in love with Canik’s TP9 series pistols. No kidding. I own six of them. If there is any legitimate tactical feature that these bargain-priced handguns do not offer, I have yet to ﬁnd it. And the evolution of the TP9 species has been fun to watch, too. The earliest version favored the Walther P99.

COVERT CANIK ®

on the science of sound suppression than any other American suppressor company. Friendly law enforcement and military personnel use Gemtech products worldwide. The GM-9 is Gemtech’s flagship 9mm pistol can. Sound suppressors represent the classic tactical compromise. You could build a true silencer for a handgun that is actually soundless, but it would be as big as a pickup truck and require a forklift to carry. The smaller the can, the louder the report, but the GM-9 strikes a nice balance. For starters, the GM-9 just naturally fits a modern combat pistol’s aesthetics. Trim and lightweight, it gives you clearance for the sights while siphoning off much of the gun’s racket. The GM-9 is also small enough to run in tight spaces without being cumbersome. The GM-9 sports a Linear Inertial Decoupler (LID) to ensure reliable operation in recoil-operated Browning-inspired handguns. This nifty gadget is also known as a Nielsen device, and it is the most inspired human contrivance since toilet paper on a roll. The LID gives the nose of your pistol a wee tap with each round fired and ensures that recoiloperated handguns remain reliable despite the extra mass of the can hanging off the snout. That first basic Turkish TP9 pistol launched itself up and out of the evolutionary ooze sporting a dual-function trigger where users could select between double- and single-action modes via a bilateral slide-mounted decocker. The frame featured a brace of cavorting dolphins—which I’ll never really understand—but it was a cool and efficient, top-quality combat handgun at a ridiculously cheap price. The TP9 also came with a nice polymer retention holster, a pair of magazines, cleaning supplies and more, all in a quality lockable case—just like Canik pistols do now. You only need to add ammo. Later TP9SA and TP9SF versions opted for a Glock-style striker-fired trigger with the obligatory blade safety in the trigger face. There were nuances that differentiated these guns, but the beating heart was pretty much the same. The TP9SF Elite-S is the same gun but stubbier in a Glock-19-style package that also includes a superb manual safety. The TP9SFx is the race-gun version with an extended barrel, slide and magazine. That pistol also comes with a Vortex Viper reflex sight. The TP9SFT draws all the tactical sweetness from those many superb precursors into one suppressor-ready combat machine.

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A CLOSER LOOK This suppressor-optimized warrior has all the bells and whistles. First off, the TP9SFT comes with tall, steel Warren Tactical sights, with a ﬁber-optic insert up front. They’re also mounted in dovetails in case you’d prefer to replace them. The nitrided slide also has a Cerakote ﬁnish to stand up to the toughest imaginable environments. A striker status indicator is also included at the rear. The slide houses a match-grade, 4.98-inch barrel with metric 13.5x1mm threading up front. If your suppressor sports English threading, its manufacturer probably offers an inexpensive replacement piston so it’ll work with this gun. The push-button magazine release is reversible, and the loaded-chamber indicator is both visible and tactile. The frame is made of durable black polymer, and both 18- and 20-round magazines are included.

TACTICAL UPGRADES Gemtech began decades ago in a hospital basement when a radiologist named Phil Dater crept down to play with machine tools between reading chest X-rays and CT scans. As a result, Gemtech embodies more institutional knowledge

COVERT CANIK ®

crisp and predictable while the take-up and reset are both minimal. If you are the sort who likes to run a tactical pistol like a machine gun, the TP9SFT has you covered for fast target engagements and quick follow-up shots. With the GM-9 installed, the Warren Tactical sights actually ride above the can. This allows you to sight the pistol as readily and accurately as you might without the suppressor. In the grand scheme of things, the TP9SFT, GM-9 and Rail Master complement each other perfectly. The suppressed report is still a bit uncomfortable given the diminutive geometry of the GM-9. However, the addition of a little ablative material like wire pulling gel or dB Foam calms things down nicely. Spritz a little something wet inside and run subsonic ammo and you can sound like James Bond on the range no matter how old, fat or poor you might be in real life.

THE TOTAL PACKAGE

SPECIFICATIONS:

CANIK TP9SFT 9mm BARREL: 4.98 inches OA LENGTH: 8.09 inches WEIGHT: 26.88 ounces (empty) GRIP: Polymer SIGHTS: Warren Tactical ACTION: Striker-fired FINISH: Cerakote CAPACITY: 18+1, 20+1 MSRP: $520 CALIBER:

I also added the Crimson Trace Rail Master to the TP9SFT. This is a trim green laser unit built for a gun’s Picatinny rail. This rugged device feeds from a compact 3-volt lithium battery for two hours of continuous operation. The bilateral activation switches are easily accessed and intuitive, and the laser can be programmed for constant-on, momentary activation and strobe modes.

HOW DOES IT RUN? Synergy is the technical term. Take a topquality TP9SFT handgun and outfit it with a Gemtech GM-9 and a Crimson Trace Rail Master and you have a sum greater than the individual parts. This tricked-out tactical hot rod is small enough to maneuver easily inside a car or within a dark house yet sufficiently capable to catapult you to the coveted position of apex predator anyplace two or more armed guys find themselves at cross purposes. For home defense, tactical carry around rural spaces or simply as an exceptionally capable truck gun, nothing runs better at any price.

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PERFORMANCE: LOAD

VELOCITY ACCURACY

1,177

0.80

NOVX 65 RNP

1,174 1,775

1.55 1.20

SIG SAUER 147 V-CROWN JHP

1,092

2.50

WINCHESTER 147 SUBSONIC FMJ

999

0.80

ARMSCOR 124 FMJ HORNADY 115 CRITICAL DEFENSE FTX

Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best four-shot groups at 12 meters.

The controls run like those of any other combat pistol, and the gun’s quality is quite literally unimpeachable. I have yet to experience a stoppage running zillions of decent rounds through all six of my TP9 pistols. I have entrusted the safety of my family to these guns. I see no higher accolade. The striker-ﬁred trigger is the equal of that of guns costing much more. The break is nice,

You can indeed drop lots more on a tricked-out tactical suppressor host, but you really won’t get much extra for that investment in the areas of reliability, ergonomics and efﬁciency. The TP9SFT offers all that while bringing certain features found nowhere else. Additionally, Century Arms plans to offer the threaded barrel and sights as an aftermarket option for anyone wishing to upgrade their TP9SF. You may have plenty of money. You may have spare rooms built onto your house to hold all the extra money you have helicoptered in daily alongside your unparalleled collection of albino tiger cubs, sundry unicorn horns and vintage Italian sports cars. You might own a South Seas island just to house your alphabetized harem of movie-grade trophy wives. For the rest of us, however, the TP9SFT will host a suppressor easily without breaking the bank. Capable, powerful, rugged and fun, a tricked-out TP9SFT will reliably inoculate you against life’s more sordid ills at a price that suits us normal folk. ¥

FOR MORE INFORMATION Q Canik centuryarms.com Q Crimson Trace crimsontrace.com Q Gemtech gemtech.com

ROUND TABLE ®

VIP SECURITY EDC What the “been there, done

iStock Photo

that” pros carry when it comes to protecting principals BY DONALD J. MIHALEK

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Thirty-six-year-old Michael Abram was on the brink, and his mind was spinning. He felt as if he was in danger from the man inside the house in front of him. Abram felt this man not only posed a danger to him, but also to the world. So he found a way inside the house with the intent of stopping this threat. After gaining entry, Abram found a knife and began to search for this man. When Abram found him, he attacked. Lunging at the man, he stabbed him repeatedly. The man tried to fight back, but Abram’s force and rage were too much for the peaceful disposition of the man he attacked. Abram plunged the knife into the man 40 times. The man’s wife tried desperately to stop Abram and eventually used a fireplace poker and lamp to subdue him. Abram later told police that he believed that the man was “an extraterrestrial,” and that a group he was associated with were “witches from Hell who rode broomsticks.” Abram’s paranoid schizophrenia led him to believe that his victim, George Harrison, and the rest of the Beatles posed a grave threat to the world. This leads to the question of how celebrities, executives and other famous people protect themselves from vicious attacks like this. The answer usually involves a combination of some basic home security and a protection professional. Their duty is to ensure their “principal” is safe. This is usually done with a small footprint, some ingenuity and good gear. For more, we spoke to a few protection specialists.

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CHRIS CARACCI Retired Navy SEAL and law enforcement officer, trainer and Hollywood consultant Q Chris Carracci is a force to be reckoned with in the training business, and he’s learned a few things over the course of his career. He said, “Since you are often working light or alone, efﬁciency is the key.” He also feels accessing his equipment should feel like instinct. “I try to wear everything as close to the body as possible so I can feel all my gear and limit printing. I carry an array of pedestrian gear, including a Ziploc bag or container of baking soda due to the threat of thrown chemicals these days.” Carracci continued, “My belt is always a rappelling type with a metal buckle that

Q Codename “D”

Q Chris Caracci

acts as belly protection from a knife, bullet, etc., and the belt itself can be used as sling, tourniquet or to carry someone. On my belt is always my primary light, which is a right-angle First-Light model that features 600 lumens of white, red, green or ultraviolet light. I favor the right-angle light because I can use it hands free.” For a ﬁrearm, Carracci believes bigger is better. “My primary is the Guncrafter Industries .50 GI with a Leupold DeltaPoint sight. I carry the gun for a cross-draw from an inside-the-waistband holster. The holster is a custom Kydrix/leather hybrid rig made by Silver Bullet Concealment in Las Vegas. I also carry two magazines and a Leatherman tool, all inside the pants. Any backup weapons, including knives, must be located where either hand can get to them. My backup gun is either a Springﬁeld XD(M) .45 or 10mm EAA.” For an ingenious approach to nonlethal protection, Carracci created a special laser device that is capable of incapacitation, and he also wears a special leather cuff that he created. “When I was a cop, I’d wear the cuff under my jacket or shirt, usefully as a non-lethal approach with animals and against cut/slash attacks.” For body armor, Carracci has worn it all

and has no real preference. “I often carry a backpack that will stay in the car with my other gear, from vehicle security (mirrors), surveillance equipment, door stops and medical supplies, etc.” To Chris, “There is nothing more important than someone putting their life in your hands. It is true that our best and most important weapons are our minds, but second to that is the tool category. I believe in a ‘no quarter’ mindset here.”

CODENAME “D” Former CIA operative with experience in hot spots like Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan Q We obviously can’t use his name here, but “D” states, “Most of my work was in the rather discreet style, so I often wasn’t able to carry a lot of overt gear or U.S.-attributable stuff. I want to give a strong shout out to the boys at High Threat Concealment. They make the best quiet and concealable rigs in the world. I also have always tried to carry a Mystery Ranch pack when able—this is a solid kit. Finally, I can’t say enough about Keen sneakers. I opt for those over boots every time! If I do wear boots, they’re usually Rocky S2Vs or 5.11 ATACs.” As for guns, “I load my Glock 19 with

modern 9mm ammo, and it is highly lethal. I still love a good .45 ACP, but now that I’m older, that’s a lot of gun to hump around all day, so the G19 is what I most often carry. I also use a Sig P320, and if I’m allowed a backup, I’ll carry my S&W M&P9 Shield with an Apex trigger.” When it comes to ﬂashlights, “I’m old school and always carry two or three SureFire E2Es because they never fail. I also hate weapon-mounted lights and won’t run them.” For a knife, “I literally have dozens that I’ve carried, but I always come down to the Spyderco Delica and Zero Tolerance 0350TS.” For body armor, “I’m usually stuck with whatever they give me and have worn it all— Second Chance, Point Blank, Velocity Systems, etc. I have two personal rigs at home for ‘preparedness’ and one has standalone Level IV plates from an Israeli company that are ‘swimmable,’ and the other has TacProGear Level IV ‘shooter’s cut’ plates. Both are in Tactical Tailor carriers.” Since you always have to be ready to render aid, “I usually just put my own little IFAK or blowout kit together. I always have a CAT-style tourniquet and a lot of QuikClot bandages, some chest seals and whatever else I can jam in a small pouch.”

BILL MURPHY SureFire Institute instructor, former FBI and USAF trainer, and law enforcement officer with decades of experience Q Bill said, “When it comes to protecting people, planning is the most important point

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ROUND TABLE ®

light is the EDCL1-T which is versatile and always functional. You need at least two lights on any operation. “Since you are preparing for the worst on protection details, having first-aid capabilities is key, so I often create my own first-aid kit but always have two RATS tourniquets. For ballistic protection, I tend to wear Point Blank body armor with, when needed, SFI SAPI plates. If I need a rifle, the SFI-15 is my go-to platform.”

SCOTT ALSWANG

Q Bill Murphy

for any professional to remember. When I’ve worked with the Secret Service, the one thing they do better than anyone is plan, plan and plan again for any protection visit. “For gear, there are multiple options, but everyone has their favorites and what works best for them. The gun I prefer to carry, thanks to years of experience and training with it, is the Glock 19 in 9mm. It’s versatile, easy to use and always functional no matter

what. My secondary weapon is always a Smith & Wesson J-Frame. It never fails.” As for a knife, “I have many, but the ones I seem to default to are the Benchmade Mel Pardue series for their simplicity and ease of use, and the Hartsﬁeld dagger knife that gives me a straight blade to use if I’m in need. “Being a SureFire Institute instructor, I of course hammer home the need for a ﬂashlight, and preferably two. My favorite SureFire

Q Scott Alswang

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Retired Secret Service agent and current executive vice president of SOS Security Q “During my tenure with the Secret Service, we went from carrying .38 Special revolvers to the Sig P229 in .357 SIG. Since I’m more ‘old school,’ the revolver is what I started with and what I still carry. Since, if I do my job right, I shouldn’t need to use it, I find a revolver always reliable. A Smith & Wesson Model 36 is perhaps a ‘classic’ but has never failed to fire when loaded,” Alswang said. As for flashlights, “I like SureFire lights, usually the smaller one-cell lights like the Titan Plus, which is compact but has a strong beam of light.” Alswang continued, “I’ve always viewed knives as more of a tool than anything else. I’ve used them to cut through things or rescue people more than anything else. So I prefer a knife that is small but capable and like the Benchmade 595 Mini Boost with a half-serrated edge for cutting. “For first aid, bandages, gauze and a tourniquet should solve most problems. It also never hurts to carry prescription over-thecounter medications for you and the one you are protecting since you normally can’t stop if you don’t feel well,” Alswang said. “When I was working with the Secret Service, Level IIIA soft body armor was issued, and most often it was from Point Blank. The more covert the better, and I recently found this company called Talos Ballistics that offers the ultra-light, lowvisibility Level IIIA Bulletproof Fenix BBL, which I wish we had when I was active. “Overall, providing protection for VIPs and high-threat individuals is as much about planning as it is about gear,” Alswang said. “But having the right mix does nothing but set you up for success.” ¥

FORGE IT

ELITE CEO STEEL It ain’t easy being top dog, but this blade makes everyday carry a little easier BY EDWARD EARLE ¥ DUANE MILLARES PHOTOS

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WHEN I WAS TOLD this column would be dedicated to creating a blade for executives— EDC for CEOs—I was extremely excited. I myself am an entrepreneur and CEO. But my life wasn’t always like this. I grew up in bad neighborhoods and had to learn to protect myself. Some days I made it home from school in time to evade a beating. Other times I didn’t. This upbringing is what drove me to start my own company and strive for the executive lifestyle in the ﬁrst place. But I mention this to explain that I have a little bit of real-world experience when it comes to being on both sides of the tracks and how to defend yourself in both worlds. And defending yourself as a successful executive is much more difﬁcult. There are so many variables to consider.

EDC FOR CEOs With this lifestyle, you can’t walk around with a chest rig or MOLLE-covered backpack. You can’t deck yourself in 5.11 gear for the “tacti-cool” look. You’re left to a nice shirt and slacks, fancy shoes and watches, etc. So you need tools and gear that ﬁt into that type of lifestyle. This drove the design for this “Forge It” blade. I started by listing some things attributes for a good edged weapon and then consulted some high-level CEO friends of mine to see what features they’d look for in a knife that they could carry every day and use to defend themselves if shit ever hit the proverbial fan. I also drew some inspiration from my good friend and associate John Hwang, who is the founder of Rainier Arms and a host of other companies. The quintessential entrepreneur, John is also a bigtime Second

FORGE IT ®

built, usually out of repurposed things salvaged from dumpsters. It’s insane yet incredibly impressive. For this knife, we decide to use Nitro-V super stainless. This is an AEB-L steel that has been modiﬁed with nitrogen and vanadium for seriously improved toughness. It’s just as tough as any carbon steel, but it’s totally stainless. It’s easy to grind and holds an edge well.

BRINGING IT TO LIFE The first thing we always do is CAD design the knife and then 3D print a plastic model so we can feel it, carry it, fight with it and make any changes we want before we start cutting and forging steel. Then, using a cheap angle grinder, we cut out the rough shape. This is the hard way to do this, and you’ve got to be careful not to cut too far and ruin your blade profile. Then we smoothed out the rough profile using a belt sander. Then came beveling the edge and add the jimping on the thumb ramp. “Q” uses a homemade jig that works really well in keeping the bevel completely level and exact. Since this is super stainless steel,

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we needed to heat-treat this baby at just over 1,900 degrees. We used a foil packet and put the blade inside the foil and then in the homemade oven. It wasn’t too long until it was finished. We didn’t have to quench the blade in oil or water. Instead, we used an air hose to cool the blade while it was sandwiched between two aluminum slabs. I had never tried this “air quenching” method before, but it worked fantastically. I wanted the grip to have some substance, but we needed to keep the blade balanced, and that meant drilling some holes in the tang. Then, in true Tactical Trailer Park fashion, “Q” heated up the oven in his house and put the blade in for final tempering. The grayish finish was a little lovely mistake. We put a small piece of paper in the foil pouch in order to burn out any oxygen. But when we took the blade out of the pouch after the heat treating, we found the blade was this beautiful tungsten gray color. It’s gorgeous, and the pictures don’t do it justice. Apparently air got through a hole in the foil, causing the steel to oxidize. But it looks so good that it’s now a permanent part of the process.

You couldn’t create a Cerakote ﬁnish like the one we got on accident. We used black linen Micarta for the handle scales. We cut them out and pre-ﬁt them perfectly to the blade. Once we got them all smoothed out, we epoxied them onto the tang and pushed in the stainless steel pins. Then, after some cleaning with rubbing alcohol, we cleaned everything up with the belt sander.

FINISHING TOUCHES We used a simple ﬂat grind for the blade edge. After getting a good edge, we brought the knife over to a small belt grinder that “Q” had fashioned into an electric “stropping” machine. He uses a strap of leather on the small belt sander to polish the edge to razor sharpness. And as you can see by the pictures, this blade will shave the hair off your arm and

GOING SMALL Â®

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STEALTH RIMFIRES HOW CHRIS COSTA’S VERSATILE .22s CAN HELP YOU UPGRADE YOUR RUGERS BACK HOME BY LEN WALDRON ¥ ALEX LANDEEN PHOTOS

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TALK TO ANY GAME WARDEN ABOUT RIFLE ballistics looking for a tip on the best deer cartridge, and they’ll likely laugh in your face, then tell you more deer have been killed by the .22 LR than any other round. Setting aside for a moment the ethical issue that those deer mostly fell to poachers, the choice and frequency of the smaller and quieter yet effective cartridge speaks volumes. Though not a longrange round or the first pick for shooting through an engine block, the .22 LR cartridge is a reliable, lethal and inexpensive alternative for the defensive shooter, and it suppresses like a dream. Consider first the economics of the cartridge both in financial and gravitational terms. The average cost of a .22 LR round is about $0.06. Compared to a .223 at $0.45 and a .308 at $0.80, the .22 LR is a steal. Ask yourself, is your AR seven times better, or your .30-caliber bolt gun 13 times better, than your .22 LR? As for weight, 50 rounds of .22 LR

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STEALTH RIMFIRES ®

ammo weighs 8 ounces. The same .223 round count weighs 1.5 pounds while that many .308s weighs a whopping 3 pounds. So, by way of general comparison, 5 pounds of ammo would get you 500 rounds of .22 LR, 165 rounds of .223 Remington or 83 rounds of .308 Winchester. Admittedly, this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison. A pocketknife isn’t a sword, and there are certainly shooting tasks for which the .22 LR’s ballistics are insufﬁcient. But are you spending and carrying more than you need given the likelihood of the outcomes for which you are preparing? If your training budget is tight, how long would it take a rimﬁre AR to pay for itself simply in ammo savings? These are good questions and exercises to examine for yourself and your personal defense or survival situation.

SMALL-BORE SENTINELS If your curiosity is piqued and your brain is working, but your ﬁrst thought is of that

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bolt-action, single-shot .22 LR that you learned to shoot with, I have good news for you: Much has changed recently in the world of rimﬁre ﬁrearm design. One shooter that has tracked and in some respects driven this trend is Chris Costa.

Costa is well known in the shooting industry, beginning with a large splash onto the scene with the first training videos from Magpul Dynamics. Now the CEO of Costa Ludus, he trains students across the U.S. and in his home state of Wyoming. When not on the square range, Costa has focused a significant amount of his time on blending the techniques and technologies of the tactical world into survival applications. Night vision, stealth and minimalist influences have found their way into his choices for what he packs, carries and stages in the event of a natural disaster or societal emergency. Costa modeled his AR-style rimfires after his traditional centerfire ARs and reached out to Jimmy Hendrix to help build them. Hendrix, a former bodyguard for Steven Seagal, also crafts custom ARs with an eye for reducing weight without sacrificing durability. Costa runs two unique rimfire ARs built by Hendrix on Battle Arms Development (BAD) platforms. The first is a short-

STEALTH RIMFIRES ®

sports a 3-inch carbon-fiber suppressor also custom-made by Hendrix. Costa has both of his rimfire ARs set up to run either a twist-off muzzle brake or suppressor. The concept behind this rifle is similar to a CQB AR. “I can run and gun with this rifle. It’s compatible with a PVS-14 with an IR laser, or an active laser and dual-tube night-vision devices,” Costa said. “This isn’t the type of rifle you’d use to engage targets with body armor or vehicles. Rather, it’s designed for subsonic ammo and precise shots at exposed areas on threats within 50 yards.” His second rimfire AR is a medium-range setup built around a Leupold 1-4x20mm VX-2 scope with custom subsonic turrets. Mounted

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on a LaRue Tactical SPR 1.5 mount, the VX-2 has elevation markers for precise shots in 50-yard increments out to 200 yards. For a subsonic .22 LR, the longer end of the 200yard range can mean significant elevation adjustments, but the added magnification puts a subsonic 40-grain CCI bullet within a mil-spec 4 MOA at 200 yards. One clever feature with this AR is a threaded post below the carbon-fiber stock. In real estate ordinarily occupied by a buffer spring and stock body, Costa can store either the screw-on muzzle brake or his AAC Prodigy suppressor. This way the suppressor is always attached to the weapon. The rifle’s 17-inch, carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel, also

made by Taccom, is shrouded by a custom carbon-fiber handguard. It’s purpose-built to be smooth and as light as possible. “I like this setup for targets and small game outside red-dot range. My rimfire rigs are intended both for personal defense and survival. With this rifle suppressed, I can take small game without the fear of the report scattering every other possible food source in the area,” Costa said. But as an instructor, rimfire ARs are also a milder introduction to firearms for new shooters. “I have had multiple situations where non-shooters who were scared by the recoil of larger guns started on the AR .22s and then confidently moved up to a 5.56mm

STEALTH RIMFIRES ®

hanced parts and options for the Ruger 10/22 as well as adaptations to other third-party stocks and accessories. I own both a Ruger 10/22 Takedown rifle and a 22/45 pistol and decided to sacrifice them both to the gods of experimentation. Tactical Solutions makes enhancements for both, and I was curious to see what the company’s additions would net both platforms in functionality and performance. For the 10/22 Takedown rifle, I switched out the standard wood stock for Magpul’s X-22 Backpacker. This aftermarket stock is wildly popular for its sheer ingenuity and affordability. While similar in profile to the standard Ruger 10/22 Takedown stock, the X-22 reduces weight, adds storage space for ammo and survival tools, and replaces wood with weatherproof polymer. Like the full-sized Hunter X-22, the Backpacker version also features multiple QD mounts for a sling, a locking interface to attach the barrel assembly to the receiver, and a rubber buttpad. I also replaced the barrel with one of Tactical Solutions’ shorter but stiffer matte black X-Ring Takedown bull barrels. The X-Ring barrel is 2 inches shorter and comes with adjustable fiber-optic sights and 1/2x28 threads for a suppressor. I also opted to mount an Aimpoint Micro T-1 on the barrel so it maintains its zero when the rifle is assembled. As a final touch, I added a Tactical Solutions extended magazine release that allows you to release the magazine with your strong hand while still in a firing position. I also stuffed a small Swiss Army knife, a spare CR2032 battery for the Aimpoint sight and some matches in the grommeted handguard storage space. So what did all this added attention to my dusty rimfire net me? The updated rifle can now be suppressed and shoots 0.5-inch groups at 25 yards, and I can carry up to 30 additional rounds in loaded magazines inside the buttstock’s storage space. It’s truly a grab-and-go survival rifle that would make for a vital tool in a situation where personal defense and small-game foraging are the primary concerns. Also, Tactical Solutions’ Ascent22 suppressor fits both the rifle and 22/45 and is easily interchangeable.

BALLISTIC FALL 2018

THE ENHANCED 22/45 Like the 10/22, Tactical Solutions produces a line of barrels for Ruger’s Mark series pistols. I replaced the standard barrel on my 22/45 with the threaded, 4.5-inch Pac-Lite and added a Trijicon RMR directly to the top rail. I also added Tactical Solutions G10 grip panels and a Ruger Racker to the bolt. Like the magazine release on the original 10/22, the bolts on Mark series pistols are finger pinchers, and the polymer Racker allows for quicker and easier charging. These small changes transformed the 22/45 from a solid, basic rimfire to a fast-handling, suppressor-capable system with both iron and red-dot sights. Though the magazines are single-stack and limited to 10 rounds, the 22/45 now performs like an enhanced competition pistol. From 30 feet, it printed 1-inch groups with the Trijicon RMR, and with the Ascent22 suppressor attached, it only weighs 1.8 pounds, making it easy add to a day pack for a trip into the woods. So are rimfires the answer to Third World debt and global warming? No. But they are simple, efficient and in many cases a better alternative to larger, heavier and more expensive centerfire weapons. With modern functional updates, your old faithful .22 LR may return to a rightful place in your plan and rotation. And at the end of the day, what’s more fun than a .22? ¥

ROAD TRIP

RAISING THE BAR Pack your guns and gear—it’s time to head to Wyoming’s High Bar Homestead BY LAUREN YOUNG

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Matt Skutnik Photo

I ARRIVED IN Gillette, Wyoming, in the middle of February, when the temperature was a balmy -1 degree. But I didn’t hear anyone complaining about the wind kicking them in the teeth or the hands they could no longer feel. They were too busy putting together a frozen connex that doubled as a gym, splitting wood for the ﬁre and putting in work with the Sig Sauer MPX while charging through 3 feet of untouched snow. No, you would have only seen shit-eating grins and sweaty foreheads from this group—and for any group that is brave enough to experience the High Bar Homestead in the middle of winter. If you’re asking yourself, “What the hell is the High Bar Homestead?” it’s hard to deﬁne. It is a multifaceted but well-oiled machine of chaos and calm, and it can be whatever you want it to be. If you’re looking for a team-building retreat, a training facility, a place to shoot your next TV or magazine ad/editorial or just want to get away, this place is the ultimate facilitator. The ethos is in the name, and the staff sets its standards far above average to give every person

BALLISTIC FALL 2018

Drew Stocklein Photo

RANGE BREAKDOWN

who visits a world-class experience that cannot be matched by your average business retreat or vacation. “Homestead” is appropriate because once you walk through the door, you truly feel among friends and family. You may attribute this sentiment to the massive ﬁreplace in the corner, the wet bar stocked with everyone’s favorite libations, the comﬁest leather couch your hindquarters may ever experience or the assortment of trophy mounts on the raw-lumber walls. For me, the feature that truly made this place feel like home was the intoxicating smell coming from the gourmet kitchen, where Chef Tex prepared his “upscale ranch cooking.” Rest assured that you can always rely on

Tex for a great meal—morning, noon and night—accompanied by a story that will leave you in tears (the happy kind).

PUSHING LIMITS I had the opportunity to experience this place for myself and, while I had no real expectations, I wasn’t disappointed. Yes, I could have researched it further beforehand, but what would life be without the element of surprise? When asked to participate in an event at the High Bar Homestead alongside Sig Sauer and BeaverFit USA for the ultimate experience of pushing myself to the limit, declining wasn’t on my radar. And when they said they intended to push us to our breaking points, they meant it.

Whether you’re a competitive pistol shooter, a long-range savant or an avid hunter, the options for learning at the High Bar Homestead—and being humbled—won’t leave you disappointed. Here are three (of many) prime examples. QUIGLEY’S RIG: This is a 1,800- and 2,000-yard range marked by a 2.5-ton 1961 GMC ﬂatbed. The shooting positions consist of several prone locations and spotter positions in the rear of the ﬂatbed GMC. There is an elevation increase of 300 feet from the shooting location to the man-sized targets at 1,800 and 2,000 yards.

THE SHOOTHOUSE: This huge 20-room Simunitions and paintball shoothouse includes mockups of movie theater, classroom and bus entry scenarios. There are also several vehicles that can be shot from or around, adding to the course potentials. There are dozens of half-IPSC drop targets along the perimeter for additional course scenarios. PULLER’S POINT: This range allows you to practice your shotgun skills, and near the shooting position is a clay-throwing station for trap and skeet. A mix of steel targets can be engaged with slugs out to 200-plus yards. This range also can be repurposed to be equally useful for carbines. —Lauren Young

BALLISTIC FALL 2018

ROAD TRIP

Matt Skutnik Photo

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PACK LIKE A MULE If you’re brave enough to experience Gillette, Wyoming, in the middle of winter, how prepared you are will heavily dictate how much you enjoy the experience. While the High Bar Homestead provides most of what you might need and want, some things are on you, because a store doesn’t exist for several miles. So here’s a list of essential items for visiting in winter. —Lauren Young

ESSENTIALS: Q Water-resistant jacket, pants, Q Q Q Q Q

Matt Skutnik Photo

Each day we were up and out before the sun and returned long after the sun had retreated behind the mountains. Our days consisted of shooting every Sig weapon imaginable, including the MPX, P365, MCX Virtus, suppressed P229 Legion and more, while literally running through courses in several feet of snow, working out on the frozen BeaverFit USA connex, rock climbing and trail running up and down the sides of mountains, and ﬁnally returning to the barn for a relaxing evening of Muay Thai boxing led by U.S. Army veteran Grant Rung. Oh, and did I mention that we scaled snow-covered mountains with compound bows and Sig binoculars while wearing First Lite hunting gear at Dixon’s Outlook? (The temperature was still in the single digits, so I’d like to give a shout out to First Lite and Arc’teryx for my cold-weather gear. You were truly the real MVPs during these excursions.) The evenings were arguably the best part of the week. After rewarding our practically immobile, frozen-to-the-core bones with long, hot showers, it was customary for everyone to throw back a shot or two celebrating a job well done and a day well spent. I was fortunate to be surrounded by many fellow veterans. Two of the three Marine Corp vets, Jason and Jack, work for BeaverFit USA, based out of my home city of Reno. Another Marine Corp vet, Justin Miller, and Army vet Grant Rung exchanged stories with everyone but never let the atmosphere get too serious, as we all know too well

that life is short. It wasn’t long before we all felt like family, even though most of us had never met prior to this event. To some, this exhausting experience may sound awful and perhaps like their own version of Hell on Earth. But to those who embrace and understand that hard work can be synonymous with a good time, who aren’t afraid (or actually enjoy) to get sweaty and dirty, and who ﬁnd comfort and camaraderie in mutual adversity and victory, the High Bar Homestead is deﬁnitely worth checking out. For more information, visit highbarhomestead.com. ¥

gloves and boots Beanies Neck gator Several pairs of expensive/ thick socks Eye protection/sunglasses Hearing protection made for all calibers

Q Hand/foot warmers Q Portable water source Q Water-resistant hiking/range bag Q Cleaning kit Q Your favorite pistol holster Q Lip balm Q Batteries Q Headlamp Q Cell phone charger

ROAD TRIP ®

arms industry professionals and enthusiasts by creating a unique experience where we handle the small-but-important details at a location that increases efﬁciency, whether for business or leisure. For 10 years I had been looking for a location that was remote enough to provide a private, exclusive venue but close enough to a servicing airport. In April of 2016, I settled on a property in northeast Wyoming previously owned by SureFire. The property had been abandoned for nearly 10 years and was dilapidated. Within the ﬁrst year we reinvented the entire property, scraping the land of trash, debris and old buildings, creating ranges, constructing our 6,000-square-foot lodge and hiring salt-of-the-earth employees who understood what I was trying to achieve.

SETTING THE BAR HIGH I HAD THE CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH Drake Clark, a U.S. Air Force veteran, retired law enforcement officer and the owner of the High Bar Homestead, to ask some questions about the facility. His understanding of and passion for the firearms/outdoor industry truly came through in his responses, although the facility speaks for itself. —Lauren Young Tell us a little about yourself. I’m a 41-year-old, happily married father of two. I joined the U.S. Air Force right out of high school and worked as a civil engineer for four years. Shortly after being honorably discharged, I pursued a career in law enforcement, where I served as a patrol officer in the Oakland Police Department and a sheriff’s deputy at the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. I’ve worked in the firearms industry with Magpul for the last 14 years, managing all things sales and business development. What is the High Bar Homestead, and how did you choose the name? The High Bar Homestead is a 250-acre professional firearms training facility. We provide

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The staff is world class. Can you tell us a little more about them? The employees I have brought on board to interface with our customers understand, share and execute my passion.

a full-service destination and turnkey solution for firearms industry professionals and enthusiasts. With 20 ranges and close to 1,000 steel targets, onsite lodging, upscale ranch meals, ground transport and a professional, knowledgeable staff, there’s not a need we can’t meet for our customers. I chose the name for a couple of reasons. “High Bar” because I have set the bar high with our business, and “Homestead” because we want our customers to feel like they’re at a second home. Too often people call large spreads of property out in the country “ranches.” Where we come from, ranches have cattle and there’s a deep respect for that. How did this place come to be? Give us the background story. I wanted to make a change in the firearms industry. In the last decade, I realized many of the venues I had attended for firearmsrelated business and recreation were boring, lacked the level of professionalism I would expect and did not make business convenient, efficient and fun. My goal was to change all that for fire-

Ryan “Tex” Yarnell and I met through a gun manufacturer who hired him in our early days prior to the lodge being built to provide meal service. During that interaction, I found Tex to be a stellar human being with a background in outdoor industry service and who was not only a hell of a chef and an avid outdoorsman but who had an impeccable work ethic and an infectious personality. He was an easy choice to bring on as High Bar’s general manager, allowing me to continue to focus on the day to day at Magpul. Kolton Brinkerhoff is a Wyoming native who has a background in firearms and ranching, dabbles in knife-making and is an avid hunter. With an amazing work ethic and attention to detail, Kolton is a valued member of our team, providing all things with a focus on range safety. Jeff Carroll, a retired Casper, Wyoming, firefighter, is High Bar’s master range safety officer. An avid shooter and outdoorsman, Jeff juggles the range logistics and adds value by way of his EMT training and lifesaving skills. Margie Nelson is there to service your hunger needs. She’ll no doubt have a tale or two about her hunting adventures while cooking your supper.

TRUCK UPGRADES and use less power. And though the light is bright white, the output and reach are relatively the same.

GAINING MORE LIGHT

LIGHT IT UP How to pack over 75,000 lumens of LED light aboard an off-roadready Ford F-250 BY RYAN LEE PRICE

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THE WORLD CAN BE a dark place. Lonely roads that stretch into the fading sunset and dusty trails reaching into the inky blankness of night can hide foreboding desolation, anxious isolation and unknown fears that lurk in the shadows on the horizon. The stock headlights of Ford’s 2017 F-Series trucks, the Super Duty specifically, utilize a quad dual-beam halogen conﬁguration that produces, according to Ford, approximately 1,100 lumens of light in low-beam mode and around 1,700 lumens in high. Two pairs of H13 halogen bulbs—two on each side—eat

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up about 20 amps of power whenever the high-beam lever is ﬂicked. Though the alternator is large enough to handle the output (280 watts on high for each side), it is a lot of energy to achieve such a small amount of light. And for all of that essentially wasted energy, halogen bulbs produce that slightly yellow-colored glow that lacks in reach as it does in illumination. On the other side of the aisle are LED headlights (a $1,080 Ford option), which last longer

The problem with headlights—all headlights—is that they have to conform to the laws regarding lights in your state as well as the safety standards set up by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), speciﬁcally Standard 108, which is hundreds of pages long. So, basically, there’s a mountain of rules that manufacturers have to conform to, stipulating the design, placement, look and output of a vehicle’s lights. Though the stock lights might be ﬁne for city driving where there is so much ambient light from surrounding buildings and street illumination, it isn’t uncommon in the city at night to see an oncoming car with its lights completely off and the driver absentmindedly unaware that he or she even needs them. But once you’re away from the bright lights and big city, dark means dark. Night means night. And when the sun goes down, all the light you have is the light you brought. Enter Baja Designs in San Marcos, California. Proclaimed “The Scientist of Lighting,” Baja Designs has been at the forefront of automotive lighting for over 20 years. Owner and lead engineer

TRUCK UPGRADES

Alan Roach and Product Development Engineer Stephen “Tex” Mitchell were avid Baja 1000 motorcycle racers who were able to ﬁne-tune a motorcycle’s limited light capabilities to maximize rider comfort, speed and safety. As a result, Baja Designs lights have won every professional and amateur motorcycle and ATV Baja 1000 class for over 15 years. It was the ﬁrst company to develop a forward-projecting LED light bar, which was introduced in the 2005 Baja 1000.

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That original LED light bar has evolved into a line of the highest-performing,racewinning LED lights on the market. Because of this, it was only natural to contact them for the lighting solutions for our project Ford F-250, a mild off-road 4x4.

BLINDED BY BAJA Baja Designs offers a wide variety of light bars, tail lights, auxiliary lights accessories, HIDs and infrared lights to ﬁt every type of vehicle—trucks, ATVs,

motorcycles, and even boats. Its range of light bars covers every size and type possible, with white, amber, red and blue lenses. The housings are machined at the company’s facility in San Marcos, and all of the products come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. The first step was figuring out what lights were needed for the F-250. Then I needed to find a capable installer. Thankfully, I was in luck. With the lights safely still in their boxes, the kit and truck were

BUYER’S GUIDE ®

Q CAN-AM DEFENDER X MR For the adventure-minded, Can-Am has created the Defender X MR, a workhorse that’ll ﬁt down narrow backwoods trails and provide plenty of power. The snorkeled, 72-horsepower Rotax HD10 V-Twin engine is specifically tuned for serious work, especially in muddy

OFF-ROAD RIDES & GEAR The best new 4x4s and accessories to conquer the backwoods this fall BY LEN WALDRON

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conditions, and Can-Am has installed a new front

Q GARMIN MONTANA 680t

differential setup with

Garmin, long known for its

Smart-Lok technology to get the most out of the power plant. Also note the

innovations in GPS, has enhanced its Montana platform

30-inch ITP Cryptid tires, which will provide traction in the slickest mud. (can-am.brp.com)

DESPITE THE COLD THAT COVERS MOST OF THE COUNTRY IN JANUARY, the outdoors beckon from Las Vegas at the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show every year. This year, the industry’s offerings for getting off-road and into the adventures of the wild are vast and specialized. Whether the traditional ATV four-wheeler or UTV side-by-side is your thing, technology and features continue to evolve to provide more of what you need where you need it. ATVs are narrower and can ﬁt down tighter forest service roads and usually in the bed of a pickup, but they ride more like a motorcycle than a truck and have fewer creature comforts and less payload capabilities. UTVs are getting bigger and better every year, and if weaving between trees isn’t your ﬁrst concern, side-by-sides are beginning to look more like trucks than golf carts with big tires. Without further ado, here are some of the best new rides and accessories.

to the 680t. This rugged GPS system comes with a 4-inch, glove-friendly touchscreen display; an 8-megapixel camera; and preloaded topographical maps. The critical difference here, though, is that it’s easy to mount in your vehicle or throw in your pack. It strikes an intelligent balance between being large enough to see while you’re driving yet not too large to throw in your pack if you hike away from your vehicle. It also has the option of using rechargeable lithium-ion or AAA batteries. (garmin.com)

Q DU-HA TOTE & ALL-TERRAIN Masters of the truck storage and organization game, DU-HA got its start by creating under-seat storage solutions to maximize your vehicle’s usable space. This year, DU-HA has released a portable polymer hard-shell rolling case. Dubbed the Tote (shown), it’s “the truck box that travels with you” for job sites and outdoor adventures. DU-HA has also released the All-Terrain, a lockable storage box for ATVs and UTVs. The All-Terrain has a weather-sealed lid and dividable, adjustable interior space for ﬁrearms or gear. (du-ha.com)

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Q GREAT DAY INC. POWER-RIDE CASE RACK Have a UTV or even a small Mahindra Roxor? If so, you’ll need a place to store your firepower. Great Day Inc. has you covered with its new Power-Ride Case Rack. The full-sized model fits roll bars between 50 and 64 inches wide. The small and mid-sized versions fit roll bars between 36 and 50 wide, an 42 and 53 inche wide, respectively. These case racks offer sturdy and super-reliable security for a hunter’s rifles and shotguns. The racks can be quickly attached to your ride’s vertical frame bars in just minutes. Each unit comes with two sets of holding cradles that will transport two firearms in regular soft carry cases. The frame is made of aircraft-grade aluminum that is given a tough powder-coat enamel finish. (greatdayinc.com)

BUYER’S GUIDE ®

Q KOLPIN CASES & MOUNTS Kolpin has been developing ruggedized cases and accessories for off-roaders and hunting enthusiasts since it introduced the 007 rifle case more than 30 years ago. In addition to displaying a fully rigged Polaris Ranger XP 1000 outfitted with Kolpin and Browning gear to support Pheasant Forever at the 2018 SHOT Show, Kolpin showcased its new DryArmor and Stronghold cases, which are designed to protect rifles and shotguns from wind, rain and mud. Also on

Q POLARIS SPORTSMAN

display were both versions of the Kolpin Rhino Grip UTV mounts, which use rubber grip tabs and straps or a reaching system to attach ﬁrearms, bows, tools or accessories to about any ﬂat or round surface on the vehicle. (kolpin.com)

Polaris, the dominant name in automatic 4x4s, has introduced three new models in its Sportsman line: the Sportsman XP 1000 LE, 570 EPS LE and 450 HO EPS. Polaris’ most powerful

Q LIGHTFORCE

Sportsman, the XP 1000 LE, comes in an exclusive new

Lightforce has a fanatical following among off-road motorists. Based in Australia, it designs products to survive the Outback and other environments where dust, heat and all sorts of impacts are likely. For example, Lightforce’s ROK9 and ROK10 lines have electronics bedded in epoxy to prevent dirt and corrosion from fouling the circuitry. For 2018, Lightforce launched the HTX, which combines a circle of 20 LED ﬂoods around a 70watt Xenon HID ﬂoodlight capable of pushing 1 lux of light to a mile. Also keep an eye out for the company’s powerful light bars. (lightforce.com)

Q MIDLAND MXT SERIES For folks who get off the grid and outside of cell service, it’s smart to have an independent way to communicate with companions or emergency services. Midland, a stalwart in CB technology, developed a line of two-way radios designed to keep adventurers in touch and safe. Available in 5-, 15- or 40-watt models, the ﬁxed-mount MXT line can communicate with other vehicle-mounted radios and portable handheld units up to 38 miles away and with more than 36 channels. (midlandusa.com)

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Lava Orange Metallic paint with matte titanium accented seats. This rig is a beast with rack extenders, a third LED brake light, the Ultimate Series front bumper and a 3,500-pound HD winch. The rig rides on 27-inch VIPR tires. The XP 1000 and XP 1000 LE are each powered by 952cc, 90-horsepower ProStar Twin EFI engines. Carrying 5.25 gallons of fuel and featuring 11.5 inches of ground clearance, an engine braking system with active descent control, a 575-pound payload and a 1,500-pound towing capacity, the XP is rigged for heavy use in distant places. The larger 570 EPS LE in Breakout camo features electronic power steering, a 44-horsepower DOHC engine, a 2,500-pound winch and 11 inches of ground clearance. The 450 HO EPS features a 33-horsepower engine with 10.5 inches of ground clearance and a 1,225-pound towing capacity. (polaris.com)

AR UPGRADES ®

NOTORIOUS BCGs

Let’s examine some more terms in this world. One you’ll see often is “MPI,” which is short for magnetic-particle inspection. It’s done via electromagnets, a special solution and a UV light. The process looks for cracks in metal that cannot be seen by the eye. Another term is “shot-peening.” This is a process in which the bolt carrier is bombarded with tiny spherical shot pellets. The shot acts like a peen hammer, dimpling the surface and causing compression stresses under the dimple. This ensures the ﬁnished part will resist fatigue failures and cracking. These popular methods make certain a BCG is free from defects and made to last. OK, that should wrap up science class. Let’s review some of today’s best BCG options. And it’s worth noting that I ran all of these different designs in a standard Smith & Wesson M&P15 MOD Mid riﬂe. The idea was to test these BCGs in an off-the-shelf gun to see how much they added to its performance. Q Rise Armament RA-1010 Low-Mass Bolt Carrier Group

Enhance your AR with help from some true players in the world of bolt carrier groups BY FRED MASTISON

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OK, THE CHECKLIST IS JUST ABOUT COMPLETE ON YOUR NEW RIFLE build. Upper? Check. Lower? Check. Box of springs, trigger, screws, buffer and assorted pieces? Check. The last item seems to be one that makes many new gun owners pause— the bolt carrier group, or BCG. If you take a quick spin around the internet, your brain will cramp from seeing all the opinions and designs out there. BCGs come in an array of ﬂavors, from mil-spec to unicorn bone. OK, maybe not the latter, but it’s not far off the mark. Fear not. I’ll decode much of the blur associated with the BCG world and highlight a few I think are worth a close look. First off, different styles abound. There’s the standard mil-spec carrier and many others. For the sake of time and ink, we’ll look at the big players. Those include low-mass, titanium, steel and hybrid designs.

A FEW DEFINITIONS Before we really dive in here, let’s discuss “mil-spec.” This magical term seems to be the key to opening wallets in the ﬁrearms market. Mil-spec has no magical SEAL Team 6 facets, nor does it indicate ultimate superiority to other products. It’s a set of criteria for companies to use when building items for the military. The

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mil-spec umbrella covers everything from ﬂashlights to tires, each built with set criteria. That’s not to say they’re bad. Milspec BCGs are solid and work well. They are not, however, anything more than what they have to be. The moral of the story is you shouldn’t immediately write off something that isn’t described as “milspec.” It could exceed those parameters.

LOW MASS Low-mass carriers are relatively new in this niche of the market, and they essentially live up to their name: They help shave weight off the gun. And, because these BCGs are lighter, there is less mass reciprocating during the ﬁring cycle, which helps you stay on target. One of the best I’ve seen is the Rise Armament RA-1010 Low-Mass Bolt Carrier Group. It provided a noticeable reduction in felt recoil compared to a stock BCG. The complete BCG weighs 8.9 ounces and is coated with black nitride to enhance strength and reduce friction. It can also be run with lighter buffers to allow for faster follow-up shots. The carrier is made of 8620 tool steel that has been heat-treated and casehardened. The bolt and carrier have been MPI

NOTORIOUS BCGs ®

Q BCM Bolt Carrier Group (MPI) Auto

Q POF-USA Ultimate Bolt Carrier Group

see an almost endless list of steel BCGs. My choice for a unit in this category, though, is the Ultimate Bolt Carrier Group from POF-USA. As the name indicates, it has some features that help it stand out. This unit is machined from a solid piece of alloy steel, eliminating the need to stake the gas key and the possibility of gas key screws coming loose during operation. The carrier is high-phosphate-nickel coated and features a chrome-plated bolt. This group also features a stainless steel gas inlet tube that’s pressed and pinned into the solid gas key. This tube has been designed to allow ample clearance for the removal of the roller cam pin during maintenance. The cam pin is the most unique aspect, as it’s designed to roll along the interior of the receiver, reducing if not eliminating wear. As you can see, this exceptionally well-made BCG is worth a close look if you’re interested in taking your gun up a notch. (pof-usa.com)

HYBRID DESIGNS Some BCGs teeter on being advanced physics projects. These are designed to address the ﬁne-tuning aspects of the AR platform. In many cases, these models use exotic metals, but some companies actually get into the physics of the BCG and try to make it better. My choice in this category is the Q JP Enterprises VMOS

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Variable Mass Operating System (VMOS) from JP Enterprises. As the company puts it, “one size does not fit all” when it comes to gas-operated rifles, and the VMOS ensures reliability by prodiving additional reciprocating mass as well as custom tunability. Some temperamental setups, such as suppressed rifles and exotic chamberings, require some degree of mass regulation for optimal performance. The VMOS provides a 100-percent increase in bearing surface for smoother operation, improved alignment and lower wear. It also goes through an extensive QPQ (quench, polish, quench) process that produces a rock-hard surface with remarkable natural lubricity for ball-bearing-smooth functioning with proper lubrication. This BCG provided a noticeable deadblow hammer feel to the S&W rifle and ran well. But there’s a caveat: This BCG is really intended to be paired with the JP Silent Captured Spring. I managed some gun yoga and installed the BCG with the buffer spring assembly a tad loose. I wish

I had pressed the folks at JP Enterprises for the spring unit, but my focus was on BCGs. If you’re serious about tuning your riﬂe for peak performance or helping it run better suppressed, the VMOS should be on your list. (jpriﬂes.com)

GOING FULL-AUTO The last category of BCGs includes those designed for full-auto functioning. Much to the disappointment of many, these BCGs don’t change your semi-auto blaster into a full-auto gun. Most of the high-quality carriers these days are actually “full-auto.” In design, they are slightly longer and heavier and have an additional lug at the rear of bolt carrier group. In a semi-automatic rifle, this has no effect on how the gun functions. One of the best in this category is the BCM Bolt Carrier Group (MPI) Auto. It has a Parkerized exterior and a chrome-lined interior. It’s machined to USGI specifications, and the carrier includes the proper milspec gas key. The gas key is chrome-lined and heat-treated per USGI specifications. It’s also is secured to the carrier via Grade 8 fasteners that are properly staked. These properly hardened parts ensure reliability. The bolt assembly is machined from mil-spec Carpenter 158 steel that is then shot-peened for increased strength. The BCG also includes a tool-steel extractor and ejector as well as BCM’s extractor spring. The entire unit has been MPI and high-pressure (HP) tested. In a nutshell, it’s bombproof—just what we’ve come to expect from Bravo Company Manufacturing. (bravocompanyusa.com) ¥

WILD KITCHEN

GRILLIN’ & CHILLIN’ Four kickass recipes to get the most out of your hunts and cookouts BY BRI VAN SCOTTER

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THE SMELL OF HICKORYsmoked wood ﬁlls the air. The leaves are turning red and orange, and you can practically hear your neighbors cheering every Saturday and Sunday. It’s fall, which means hunting, football, grilling and gatherings. With hunting season in full swing, the best way to celebrate your harvest is with family and friends. And we all know that wild game and grilling are a match made in heaven. There is something so amazing about prepping, cooking and sharing your harvest with your closest friends. Everyone wants to hear the story of how the meat they are about to enjoy came to the table. Of course, preparing wild game is so much more than grilling a backstrap. It’s the most versatile protein there is, not to mention that it packs a bunch of ﬂavor you just can’t get from store-bought meats. And there is something magical about using a grill to cook wild game.

CULINARY TRICKS I love to cook wild game on my Camp Chef pellet grill. Being a chef, I will impart extra ﬂavor into a dish any chance I get. So, a grill/smoker combination is a great way to go, and imparting more ﬂavor is one of the biggest tips I can give you when it comes to preparing wild game. It’ll turn even a nonwild-game eater into a believer. The trick is using different fats. What do I mean? Whenever I cook bacon, for example, it’s a sin to throw out the leftover fat. So, I

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keep a large glass jar in the refrigerator and dump all of the leftover fat into it for use at a later time. Bacon fat really helps to enhance the flavors of wild game. Try using it in place of a vegetable oil when cooking your game. I like to brush my wild game with melted bacon fat before placing them on the grill. This gives the meat a wonderful, salty smokiness that is absolutely delectable. If you’re truly an adventurous foodie, try using beef tallow. When making sausages from wild game, I always throw beef tallow into the mix. It gives it a rich umami flavor and silky texture. And never throw away the caul fat from your harvest. Caul fat, whether from a hog or deer, pairs perfectly with upland game. Try wrapping upland game in caul fat and throwing it on the grill. The caul fat essentially protects the delicate meat from overcooking. And the rendered fat penetrates the meat, creating super-moist and flavorful birds. To get you started on your next wild-game gathering, I’ve included a few of my favorite recipes. These are some classics with a twist that will leave your guests begging you to host the next potluck. Hope you enjoy them!

RECIPE ONE

SMOKED VENISON BURGER WITH BACON BEER CHEESE FONDUE FOR THE CHEESE:

the venison patties with the melted bacon fat, then season with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned patties on the grill and cook them until done as desired. Spread the spicy mayo on both sides of the pretzel buns. Place the cooked venison patty on the bottom half of the pretzel bun. Then top the patty with the bacon beer cheese fondue. Add the lettuce and tomato, then the top half of the pretzel bun.

• ¾ cup beer of choice • 1 clove garlic, chopped • 8 oz. Swiss cheese • 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese • 1 Tbsp. flour • 6 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped In a sauce pot, add the beer and chopped garlic. In a large bowl, add the Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese and flour, and use your hands to coat the cheese with flour. On medium-high heat, bring the beer and garlic to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add the cheese and flour mixture and stir constantly until the cheese is melted and everything is well combined. Then add the chopped bacon to the cheese mixture, and top the burgers with the cheese while its hot.

FOR THE SPICY MAYO: • 1 cup mayonnaise • 4 Tbsp. Sriracha • 2 Tbsp. pickled jalapenos, chopped In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Keep in the refrigerator until serving.

FOR THE BURGERS: • 6 venison patties • 3 Tbsp. bacon fat, melted • Lettuce • Tomato, sliced • Red onion, sliced • Pretzel buns Set your grill or smoker to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Use hickory pellets to smoke. Use a pastry brush to coat each side of

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RECIPE TWO

SMOKED ELK QUESO INGREDIENTS: • ½ pound elk, ground • 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning • 1¼ cups half and half • ¾ pound American cheese • 4 oz. mozzarella cheese • 1 tsp. chili powder • ½ tsp. nutmeg • ¼ tsp. salt • ¼ tsp. black pepper • Pico de gallo • Jalapenos • Sour cream

In a cast-iron skillet, add the ground elk. Place the skillet on a grill set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the meat has cooked, add the taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water. Stir well to combine. Close the smoker/grill and continue to cook until the water has evaporated. Once the elk is cooked, remove the elk from the pan and set it aside in a bowl. In a pot on medium-high heat, add the half and half. Once the half and half comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and add both of the cheeses. Whisk well to combine. Once the cheese has fully melted, add the chili powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Then add the ground elk. Serve from the cast-iron skillet and top with pico de gallo, jalapenos and sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

RECIPE THREE

WHOLE SMOKED SNAPPER WITH SPICY PESTO FOR THE SNAPPER: • 1 whole snapper, gutted and scaled (you can use trout as well) • 1 lemon, sliced • 3 cloves garlic, whole • Parsley, small bunch Oil the grates of a grill/smoker well. Lightly score the skin of the ﬁsh. This will help

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WANT MORE CHEF BRI? Visit ballisticmag.com for exclusive video tips from Bri Van Scotter. Care for Bri to cover a special topic related to preparing wild game? Shoot her an email via editdesk@ athlonoutdoors.com and put “Ballistic Wild Kitchen” in the subject line.

RECIPE FOUR

SMOKED ORANGE COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:

give the fish a delicious smoky flavor. Season the whole snapper with salt and pepper on the outside and then lightly brush it all over with olive oil. Place the sliced lemon, garlic and parsley in the belly of the fish. Then place each whole fish on the grill when it’s at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Use hickory pellets if smoking.

FOR THE PESTO: • 1 clove garlic • 1 serrano pepper, chopped • ¼ cup pine nuts • 5 Tbsp. parmesan cheese • ½ cup basil, fresh • ½ cup mint, fresh • ¼ cup cilantro, fresh

• Olive oil, ½ cup to start • Salt and pepper to taste Place the garlic clove and serrano pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Run the machine until the garlic and pepper are ﬁnely chopped. Then add the pine nuts, parmesan cheese, basil, mint and cilantro. Add about ¼ cup of the olive oil. Then put the lid back on and run the machine. While the machine is running, add the rest of the olive oil to form an emulsion. Add more olive oil if needed to get a thicker or smoother texture. Serve the whole ﬁsh straight from the grill or smoker and top it with the spicy herbed pesto so that the residual heat warms up the sauce.

• 4 oranges, sliced in half • 1 oz. bourbon • 2 oz. Droptine Apple Persimmon Moonshine • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar • Cinnamon stick Place the sliced oranges on the grill and smoke them until they have nice grill marks on their ﬂesh. Then squeeze the juice from all of the oranges. To mix the cocktail, add 2 ounces of the smoked orange juice, 1 ounce of bourbon, 2 ounces of moonshine and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a shaker cup. Fill it with ice and shake it until it’s chilled. Pour the contents into a cocktail glass and serve with a cinnamon stick. ¥

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OPERATION WENDY O. Getty Images/Tom Hill Photo

How one man kept the singer and actress safely away from a stalker BY LEROY THOMPSON

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I SAW THE ROCKY Horror Show (the play, not the film) a few weeks after its opening during the summer of 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London. I liked science-fiction, horror films and rock, so I was immediately hooked by the musical. I saw it again in London a couple of months later. You can say I was a fan of the show. I liked the music, costumes and staging. However, I never really became

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a member of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (the movie) cult. No wearing drag, throwing rice or sailing toast for me. Fast-forward more than a decade to 1985. I was back home in St. Louis when The Rocky Horror Show, starring Wendy O. Williams as Magenta, began a six-month run at the Westport Playhouse. I knew Wendy O. mostly by her wild reputation with the Plasmatics but had never seen her actually perform. I decided to take in the show, and after

it was over, an acquaintance working at the playhouse asked if I was still doing close-protection work. I was generally vague about what I did, so I said something like “maybe” or “occasionally.” He asked if we could go to the plaza to have a drink and talk. I agreed but only to water, as I was packing my pistol.

THE JOB My acquaintance explained that a fan was seemingly obsessed with Wendy O. He

was at every performance and tried to sit on the aisle so he could be close when she came into the audience to sing the opening song as Trixie the Usherette. He left notes and hung around outside the theater after the performance. A couple of times when Wendy O. was away from the theater shopping, he was seen following her, and he had asked the box office for her address so he could “send her flowers.” When I asked if he had made any overt threats or tried to touch her, my friend said no. In fact, he said they were actually more worried that Wendy O. might get fed up and attack the stalker, resulting in a lawsuit and bad publicity for the playhouse. That wasn’t an unreasonable fear, as Wendy O. had attacked a member of the paparazzi in Chicago in 1981. The bottom line: My acquaintance wanted to hire me for a few days to do a threat assessment of the stalker and maybe help discourage him. He couldn’t offer my usual day rate, but I’d get free aisle seats close to the stage every night and an extra pair of tickets to give away or sell. I’d also get a small stipend. Although I had done some rock concert security in grad school in London and filled in once or twice to help friends who minded rockers, it wasn’t the type of protective work I normally did. First, I was about 6 inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter than a usual minder. Still, it sounded interesting, so I agreed to a one- to two-week gig. There were eight performances per week, including 7 and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The playhouse was dark Monday. Although the target of my interest didn’t make every performance, he was typically at three or more per week. Before the performance the next day,

I was introduced to Wendy O., who was more quiet and pleasant than her stage persona. I liked her. She basically told me she’d handled a lot worse than him in her career. I believed her. Still, I explained that my job was to make sure she didn’t have to “handle” him. We explained that I’d be in one of the ﬁrst two or three aisle seats and backstage after the show. When we parted, she asked if I was carrying a gun. I said, “No, not today.” Actually, I was, but I believe the only time anyone needs to know that is if I have to use it.

“

I was trained to watch for anomalies in crowds when on protective assignments, but this was The Rocky Horror Show.

”

PREDATOR STALKING The stalker wasn’t there the first night. I was trained to watch for anomalies in crowds when on protective assignments, but this was The Rocky Horror Show. Were the anomalies the people in suits and dresses who weren’t in costume throwing rice and toast? While singing the opening number, Wendy O. would come out into the audience and sit on the lap of one of the male patrons. My first night on the job, she sat on my lap while singing and gave me a wink as she finished. The second night, someone pointed out the stalker. He creeped me out, and that takes a lot. He kept craning his neck and twisting his head like a snake to watch Wendy O. whenever she was on stage. He had an aisle seat and did everything but hold up a sign asking her to sit on his lap while singing. It wasn’t going to happen, though I could imagine her singing “Science Fiction” and then kneeing him in the crotch as she stood up. After the show, I wrote down his seat number and asked my contact to check when he next had a ticket. It was the following night. “Put me next to him,” I said. I can’t remember if they had to switch someone’s seat or if it was vacant, but I ended up in the seat right next to him, with him on the aisle. My plan was to evaluate him up close and start making him uncomfortable. Though he was somewhat disheveled, he didn’t smell. He had jerky mannerisms and didn’t look me in the eye when I greeted him while taking my seat. He pulled a program out of his pocket—I’m assuming recycled from a previous performance— and began to peruse it. I leaned over and obviously started looking at it as well. He kept shifting to get away from me. I made it a point to intrude into his space

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whenever possible, making him more nervous as the performance progressed. I obviously made an impression, because he left hurriedly. I followed him out and then leaned against the building, watching him as he hung around. He spotted me and left before long. I stayed around to walk Wendy O. out in case the stalker had doubled back, but he hadn’t. She wasn’t staying at the hotel in Westport anyway, but rather with a local family that had befriended her. I think she or someone told me they had met at a local mall. I thought it was rather informative—maybe a bit touching—that she craved a stable home life. I gather her childhood hadn’t been that stable. Two nights later, the creepy fan was

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Wendy O. Williams was considered one of the most radical female singers of her time. She also acted in a few roles, including on an episode of MacGyver in 1990 (shown).

back. I didn’t sit next to him that night but was back in my aisle seat. I had told Wendy O. to make it a point to sit on my lap during the opening number and really lay it on with me so we could see how he reacted. The stalker was behind me, so I couldn’t see, but one of the attendants later told me the stalker had gotten very nervous and ﬂustered. Again, I hung around to make sure he didn’t sneak in or wait around. He didn’t. While we were talking after the show, Wendy O. asked about my music interests. I told her about some of the bands for which I had worked. She knew most of them. She was especially interested, though, to hear about my youth, spent

going to hear Ike and Tina Turner at the Club Imperial or places in East St. Louis. When I told her the Club Imperial still existed, she wanted to see it. The next day, I picked her up, and we drove to it, though its glory had faded. I brought my Airedale terrier along, and it turned out Wendy O was a dog lover. They quickly became great friends. She was relaxed that day and really likable. She was a tough gal, but I’d grown up with tough gals. I appreciated toughness.

THE THREAT I decided it was time to convince the fan boy to move on. The next night, I knew he would be there at the 11 p.m. perfor-

Getty Images/ ABC Photo Archives

WILD RIDES ®

SHOWING MUSCLE A lot of gun guys are also car guys, as these well-known makers prove BY FRED MASTISON

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WHEN IT CAME TO MOTORCYCLES, HUNTER S. THOMPSON ONCE WROTE, “Faster, faster until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.” That quote embodies the quintessential desire for power and speed. Nowhere is this more evident than in people’s fascination with classic and modern muscle cars. There is something almost primal about sitting in a vehicle that harnesses enormous horsepower to launch you down the road at blinding speed. The car world tends to attract mechanically minded people who understand the ins and outs of their four-wheeled rocket sleds. The firearms industry has its own collection of dedicated gearheads who keep everything from restored Mustangs to modern powerhouses. I recently visited with several prominent industry folks and learned what they drove and why. So sit back, put it in park, roll down the windows and enjoy the car show.

Q Bill Wilson Bill Wilson is one of the most recognizable ﬁgures in the gun industry today thanks to Wilson Combat. He has been a major player in the industry since 1977. His reputation has been built on exceptionally well-designed and machined 1911s. He now has a wider line that includes AR-platform riﬂes and shotguns, yet the commitment to precision remains. It’s no surprise that he loves well-designed and powerful cars. In fact, he has owned various powerful cars ranging

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from a 1968 Mustang and 1970 custom Camaro to a 2014 Ferrari 458 Italia. The list of cars in between is also extensive. Fast-forward to today, and Bill’s everyday driver is the 707-horsepower 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. He jokes and says it’s a “pretty stealthy 205-mile-per-hour car.” Its 6.2-liter V8 engine is designed and tuned to make it one of the most powerful production cars. If you’re in eastern Texas and see a gray blur blow past you on the highway, there’s a good chance it’s Bill taking care of business.

// Bill Wilson

// Paul Buffoni

Paul Buffoni, the president of Bravo Company Manufacturing (BCM), has had a fascination with motorcycles and cars ever since he was a child. “I started riding when I was about 10 years old and raced motocross on CR80s, 125s and 250s,” he said. “I was always working on them, and it developed my mechanical skills from an early age. My ﬁrst Harley was an FLH Basket Case.” Later, he worked at the Harley-Davidson headquarters before starting BCM. But even the culture at BCM reﬂects Paul’s love for things that go fast. Other companies have gyms or vending machine areas, but BCM has a bay that allows employees to work on their bikes and cars. One of Paul’s prize rides is a militaryinspired Harley-Davidson WLA 1951 Panhead reproduction, but he is also the proud owner of a unique car—the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1—which you might recognize from the John Wick movies. With its V8 engine, the Mach 1 was one of the most successful models of 1969, and Paul’s is just as beautiful as Wick’s. Another tidbit: In 1969, well-known endurance driver Mickey Thompson pushed a Mach 1 to see what it could really do. During a 24-hour course, the car set 295 speed and endurance records across 500 miles. In other words, Paul’s ’69 is quite a prize.

Q Frank DeSomma Few people in the ﬁrearms industry are as technically minded as Frank DeSomma of Patriot Ordnance Factory (POF-USA). That should come as no surprise, because before launching his ﬁrearms company in 2002, Frank spent more than 28 years in the aero-

Photo: Alex Landeen

Q Paul Buffoni

// Frank DeSomma

modiﬁed 1957 Chevy 502 truck. Like many builds, it started out fairly rough but took shape quickly. The truck has fuel injection and a General Motors 4L80-E transmission wrapped into a beautifully painted blue 4x4. Throw in some Fuel wheels and Toyo tires and the ’57 classic is a powerhouse capable of going just about anywhere. Fans of POFUSA recognize the truck at events all across Arizona, and it has become a bit of a showpiece for Frank and his company.

Q Michael Sigouin

space industry as a manufacturing process engineer. That extensive background has helped POF-USA become a major player in the ﬁrearms industry. Frank’s genetic hardwiring applies to his interest in vehicles, and one has become his mainstay and calling card: a restored,

Michael Sigouin, the chief architect and mastermind behind the well-known ﬁrearms coating company Blowndeadline (turn back to page 14 to see more of his company’s artistry), works in a relatively small facility in suburban Detroit. In a previous life, Michael was an automotive interior engineer. “I’ve always been a Mustang fan,” he said. “Before we did Cerakote, I was an automotive

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interior engineer. We designed and patterned interior parts like door panels, dashboards, consoles and things of that nature.” When the downturn hit the “Big Three” in Detroit, Michael began to explore other avenues. He looked into ﬁrearms coatings, and the rest is history. Michael’s current Mustang is a modern muscle car with a long lineage: a 2011 Shelby GT500 housing a whopping 926 horsepower. It’s built with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger and Crower Stage III blower cams. The car is custom-wrapped by One Soul Graphics and has enough carbon ﬁber to qualify as a spacecraft. Michael enthusiastically shared details on the car, but I kept coming back to the fact that it mastered my two primary muscle car criteria: It’s fast and looks damn good.

Q Kort Nielson Kort Nielson, the director of marketing for Christensen Arms, has been into cars as long as he can remember. “My dad has a 1967 Mustang, so naturally my ﬁrst car was a 1968 Mustang that I bought when I was 14,” he said. “I tore it all apart and learned how to put it back together. I restored it and drove it through high school.”

// Michael Sigouin

His current Mustang was purchased when he was 15, originally as a parts car for his ’68, but he restored it and never looked back. Since then, he has restored and sold several other vintage Mustangs and is currently building a ’67 Mustang T/A racecar for the Carrera Panamericana, a 2,000-mile vintage tarmac rally across Mexico. His silver ’67 Mustang has a fully built 289 with a vintage Paxton supercharger mated to a T5 ﬁve-speed transmission. He has done all the work himself, including the paint, bodywork and upholstery, and he even built the engine,

// Kort Nielson // Les Baer

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transmission and differential. He has also designed and built several other components for the car, including rollerized front strut bushings, integrated power steering, brushed aluminum door panels and center console, and rear disc-brake brackets. Many people are motorheads, but Kort might be the king.

Q Les Baer In sister publication Concealed Carry Handguns, we asked Les Baer, the man behind Les Bear Custom, about his two great passions: guns and cars. Here’s what he had to say: “I started building guns in the early 1980s, when I was still drag racing on weekends. We always took a bunch of catalogs for the guys there. You’d be surprised how many car guys are gun guys! So many people who are involved with muscle cars are also into guns…and If I could only keep just one car from my extensive collection… Ford built a special Mustang in 1969 and 1970 called the Boss 429. If someone were to limit my car collection to one car, it would have to be one of these. I have 10 of them! I don’t think there’s anyone in the country with more than that.” ¥

AFTER HOURS ®

BEER HERE Because there’s a lot more to it than just keeping the Rockies cold

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BY FRED MASTISON

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ALES Pale Ales: These are generally gold with a crisp ﬂavor. One of my favorites is Han Brolo from Monday Night Brewing in Atlanta, Georgia. It has a fruity kick and isn’t heavy. India Pale Ales: This beer is a testament to how much the British love their beer. IPAs came to be because beer shipped to soldiers

A SHOT & A BEER IN A TIME OF HIGH-END Scotch and craft beers, the thought of a shot and a beer can sound less than classy. But there really is something to this age-old call. If we look beyond the boilermaker, which was designed to eliminate discomfort and improve our personalities, there are some great combinations. Much like combinations of certain foods, some spirits and beers pair extremely well. So, let’s look at a few solid suggestions that will dazzle your palate. Let’s kick it off with whiskey. A classic pairing here is a shot of Jim Beam with Rolling Rock draft. Jim Beam is a milder whiskey, and the easy-drinking Rolling Rock tames any burn. Looking for something a bit more upscale? Then try Courvoisier VSOP cognac with

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Beer has been called the nectar of the gods and is as much a part of worldwide culture as any other item. By most accounts, beer was discovered as many as 8,000 years ago by the Sumerians. During the next eight millennia, beer became more reﬁned as man moved from hunter-gatherer to an agriculture-based life. The mastery of growing grains led to their use in an endless variety of early beers. These lessons were passed down through time and throughout the world, from the Sumerians to the Babylonians to the Greeks until ﬁnally the English. The recipes and methodology were advanced and improved until we saw the beers we enjoy today. Generally, beer is made from malted barley, hops, yeast and water. Sounds simple enough, but a visit to any serious bar will launch a headache as you’re inundated with a wall of beer choices. So, isn’t beer just beer? Say that around a serious beer connoisseur and they will look at you like you kick kittens. We don’t want to start an international incident or insult the local brew master, so I have put together a small cheat sheet of what the heck it all means. I realize there are subcategories followed by even more subcategories, but for the sake of general information, let’s keep it as simple as possible. So grab a napkin and take some notes. For lack of a better organizational structure, I will break down beers by their style. This is the easy part because there are only two styles of beer: ales and lagers. For some, this will be enough beer trivia to get them through outings with friends. We can go deeper into the rabbit hole, though. It’s the type of ales and lagers that tend to make people’s eyes glaze over. So, if you are more serious about digging deeper, let’s break them down even further. First, let’s look at ales.

a Newcastle. These make a solid pair, as their ﬂavors mix well. It tastes great and sounds impressive when you order it. Want something a little more exotic? Then let’s travel south of the border for one called “Machete in Space.” This is a combination of Tecate and Cabeza Blanco tequila. You might stare at it for a moment before trying it, but you won’t regret it. And although it isn’t something normally thought of in a shot serving, vodka makes a great partner to a Hefeweizen. Think Grey Goose with Blonde Hefeweizen. The last one I’ll mention includes my beloved Scotch. Although I would rarely suggest Scotch be consumed in

a shot, it has a tasty partner in the mix. A shot of 18-yearold Macallan with a smooth, stout Guinness will bring a smile to your face. A shot and a beer are in revival across the country at everything from dive bars to high-end cocktail lounges. As with all matters of taste, you must experience them to ﬁnd out what you like. The great thing is that you can develop preferred combinations. There really aren’t any hard and fast rules. Think it out and give it a try. If you have to punch the wall to get it down, you might want to scratch it off the list. If, however, you ﬁnd a winner, you’ll enjoy it the rest of your life. —Fred Mastison

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SCOTCH IS COMING FOR SEVEN SEASONS, THEY WARNED us that winter was coming. Then it ﬁnally started to snow and the latest season of Game of Thrones ended. And disappeared for not just one (real) winter, but at least two. So what’s a fan of the hit HBO series to do until the eighth season premiers in 2019? Well, as Tyrion Lannister famously said, “I am a person who drinks. People who drink need to keep drinking.” To that end, we’ll need something a bit stronger than wine to hold us over. Enter the new White Walker scotch from none other than legendary maker Johnnie Walker. Scheduled for a fall 2018 release, this sophisticated blend is sure to be enjoyed by members of Houses Stark, Lannister and Targaryen alike. Fair warning: We can’t promise you won’t feel a sudden change in allegiance after your ﬁrst sip. Because let’s face it, how else did you think the White Walker army recruited so many members? We’re looking forward to it! —Richard Ortega

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in India rarely made it without spoiling. But, with an increase in alcohol content and hops, the beer could survive the long trip. Today, that formula has improved, but IPAs are still known to be very hoppy. A winner in this category is Hop Hunter from Sierra Nevada Brewing. It’s very aromatic and perfect for those in love with IPAs. Wheat Beer: Wheat beers have their roots in Bavaria and are light colored and full flavored. Hoegaarden makes a great one that comes from the namesake Bavarian village where folks have been making beer since 1445. They’ve mastered the process. Brown Ale: These beers have a strong, malty taste and can be nutty. They are what I would call a medium-bodied beer with a balance of deep flavor and lightness. A good one in this area is pretty well known. Newcastle has enjoyed retail success because it tastes good. Stout: As the name suggests, these beers are hearty and rich. Often called dark beers, they are generally thick and almost black. My all-time favorite in this category is Guinness. It’s a fullflavored stout that, although rich, isn’t overburdened with fruit or other fad flavors.

Porter: These are like stouts in many ways but tend to be a little sweeter and with a broader range of ﬂavors. A unique choice in this arena is the Maple Bacon Coffee Porter from Funky Buddha. Its description is spot-on: “Evoking a complete diner-style breakfast in a glass, it is

THREADS ®

CASUAL CITY CARRY

AS THE WEATHER CHANGES, YOU’LL NEED TO UPDATE YOUR EDC LOADOUT BY ALEX LANDEEN

WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES coming in, it’s time to mothball the sandals and get some versatile clothing and carry options. Downtown nights and urban cityscapes can create the need for lightweight and discreet self-defense accessories. The following is a gathering of goods and gear to keep you moving when the temperatures fall but your personal protection is just as important as ever.

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1› ASP AGENT BATON

2› ASP DEFENDER SERIES

For over 40 years, Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP) has been focused on providing law enforcement personnel with the highest-quality gear and training. ASP has recently released some new products with EDC in mind. This includes the Agent baton series. Featuring ASP’s Talon Loc technology, the Agent batons are lightweight, smaller in diameter and extend with the ﬂick of the wrist. They’re also easy to release by pushing a button in the tail cap. The 4140 steel striking surface and middle shaft are precision milled, and the handle, with its Crosstec knurling, ensures a solid grip. (asp-usa.com)

ASP’s Defenders are specially designed OC dispersion systems featuring proprietary aluminum containers, special valve systems and patented dispensing mechanisms, and they’re completely O-ring sealed. It only takes two quick steps to discharge the pepper spray with just one hand, and the inserts are replaceable. The Key Defender contains six 0.5-second bursts and is effective to 5 feet. The Palm Defender features three 0.5-second bursts and is effective to 3 feet. They are 4.5 and 5.75 inches in length, respectively. (asp-usa.com)

3› ASP GUARDIAN CR DF & XT DF FLASHLIGHTS Assembled in-house with the highest-quality components, ASP ﬂahshlights meet the high standards that its customers expect. These two new “dual fuel” lights will run ASP rechargeable batteries or CR123As. Offering 420 and 15 lumens of light in high and low modes, respectively, the Guardian CR DF is a great backup or EDC option. The 6061-T6 aluminum body houses a Cree XPG LED, and the tail cap offers intermittent and constant-on activation, providing for easy, no-nonsense operation. The XT DF duty light boasts a 600-lumen max output from a single press as well as programmable second-press options (low, medium, high and strobe). Programing is as simple as twisting the front bezel and tapping through the options until you reach the desired setting. Twisting the bezel closed locks in the user’s choice. The rear tail cap has three positions (intermittent, constant-on and locked) that can be switched with just your thumb. The foamed vinyl grip provides great slip resistance, and the light comes with a rechargeable battery, a charging cord, a removable pocket clip and a travel case. (asp-usa.com)

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4› JAGDHUND DANIELA WOMEN’S SHIRT Winner of Gray’s Best and Shooting Sportsman Editor’s Choice awards for 2018, Jagdhund manufactures high-quality outdoor outerwear as well as comfortable and functional lightweight allseason shirts and pants. Attractive, comfortable and durable at the same time, the Daniela women’s long-sleeve shirt is double saddled with a rounded hem and subtle embroidery. It’s made of 100-percent cotton with a satin ribbon inside the collar and cuff for an elegant ﬁnish. (jagdhund-usa.com)

5› JAGDHUND MELK 2 WOMEN’S PANTS Built for both the ﬁeld and the city, these simple jeans feature six pockets, including a knife pocket, and come a comfortable blend of 79-percent cotton, 19-percent polyester and 2-percent elastane. (jagdhund-usa.com)

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6› JAGDHUND TOBIAS MEN’S SHIRT Right Said Fred might be too sexy for his shirt, but this stylish ﬂannel shirt will get all the right kind of attention. The Tobias men’s longsleeve shirt is made of 100-percent cotton ﬂannel and features a kent collar and chest pocket with subtle embroidery. The shirt’s doublesaddled cuffs are also adjustable. (jagdhund-usa.com)

7› JAGDHUND WATTENS 2 MEN’S PANTS Designed to be noiseless for stalking through the woods or the local pub, these cotton year-round pants feature thigh pockets, knife and cell phone pockets, a sporty cut and slight elasticity to make sure you aren’t pinched while bending or stretching. (jagdhund-usa.com)

8› PISTOL WEAR TRUMP CARD Cushioned, breathable and lightweight, the versatile Trump Card holster from Pistol Wear works under athletic, casual and professional clothing and offers easy, quiet access. It can be worn around the waist or underarm with the provided shoulder strap. The stiff outer pouch wall eliminates printing, and it’ll ﬁt semi-autos and revolvers up to 8.5 inches in length. (pistolwear.com)

9› SNAGMAG CONCEALED MAGAZINE HOLSTER Designed to discreetly carry a second magazine for a concealed weapon, the Snagmag looks at ﬁrst glance as nothing more than a pocketknife. The lightweight holder is designed to “snag” on the lip of your pocket so it stays in place as you remove the magazine, and both right- and left-handed versions are available. (snagmag.com) ¥

MARCIA, MARCIA, MARCIA A BLONDE BOMBSHELL WITH A .50-CALIBER PRECISION RIFLE— WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE? MARCIA DRAKE, OF DRAKE Associates, is shown here posing proudly with the Drake Stalker MK15 bolt-action rifle in .50 BMG. She’s wearing a vintage Cockpit USA bomber jacket while standing inside a real World War II bomber. In case you couldn’t guess, the MK15 is long-range sniper weapon system capable of engaging targets beyond 1,500 meters. It features a trued McMillan TAC-50 action and a matchgrade, 26-inch barrel with a 1-in-15-inch twist rate. For some perspective, in May of 2017, a Canadian Joint Task Force 2 sniper used a McMillan TAC-50 to tackle an enemy in Iraq at 3,540 meters—2.19 miles!—making it the longest confirmed sniper kill ever made to date. According to Marcia’s husband, Chris Drake, “Even though the sniper rifle is shown in a WWII bomber, we set the photo up based upon creative ideas. We wanted a retro/modern-day pinup look. This photo was taken by Alan Cresto, a premier New-York-based photographer and art director.” The photo shoot was held at the American Airpower Museum in East Farmingdale, New York. This museum is of significant historical importance in U.S. military aviation, as the Republic Aircraft Company once owned and used this hangar for the production of military aircraft, including the P-47 Thunderbolt of WWII, the Korea/Vietnam era C-119 transport and even A-10 Warthogs that have been used in Iraq and Afghanistan. For more, check out drakeassociates. us and americanairpowermuseum.com. ¥

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