RECOIL 37 by Vadim Koval

BUYER’S GUIDE DAMASCUS KNIVES PG. 48

SIG SAUER, Magpul, Gerber, Flir, Tuff Writer, Gemtech, Armasight, Leupold, MTEK, Universal Night Vision, Arc’teryx, PG. 12

SIG SAUER RATTLER PG. 98

PHOENIX WEAPONRY’S

.45-70

ISSUE 37

PG. 60

GEMTECH AURORA II PT: PROGRAMS VS. WORKOUTS GENERAL PATTON MUSEUM ZEROED IN: NEAL HUNT GUNS, WEED, AND STATE’S RIGHTS BLACKHAWK LIGHT-BEARING OMNIVORE TEAM TORN

PG. 42

PG. 90

™

THE RUGER AMERICAN PISTOL IS DESIGNED WITH THE TOUGHEST STANDARDS IN MIND. ®

Short Takeup Trigger with Positive Reset

Anything Else Would Be Un-American.

™

Designed with the latest U.S. Military standards in mind, the Ruger American Pistol is built to perform in the harshest conditions. A true American innovation, this pistol was developed through a rigorous “Voice of the Customer” process – where numerous law enforcement and military trainers, ﬁrearms experts,

Recoil-Reducing Barrel Cam, Low Mass Slide, Low Center of Gravity and Low Bore Axis

distributors and retailers provided input, feedback and testing in the determination of the form, function and features of this ﬁrearm. The resultant new pistol is a revolutionary platform for Ruger, one that utilizes the combination of a recoil-reducing barrel cam (which is designed to better spread recoil energy over time) with a low mass slide, low center of gravity and a low bore axis to provide an unparalleled shooting experience.

Genuine Novak ® LoMount Carry Three-Dot Sights

Modular Wrap-Around Grip System for Adjusting Palm Swell and Trigger Reach

Safe, Easy Takedown with No Tools or Trigger Pull Required

Ambidextrous Slide Stop, Manual Safety and Magazine Release Allow Actuation with Either Hand (Pro Models Come without External Safety)

Complete Your Ruger American Pistol® with the Ofﬁcially Licensed Blade-Tech® Total Eclipse Holster at Your Local Retailer or Online at ShopRuger.com

BUILT TO PERFORM IN THE HARSHEST CONDITIONS.

RUGER.COM/AMERICANPISTOL

010317

52 IS S U E 37

FEATURES 52

YOUTUBE’S GUN VIDEO TYRANNY Video Channels Begin to Feel the Fallout from YouTube’s Firearm Content Restrictions

NO TRAP DOORS Phoenix Weaponry Puts a New Spin on a Frontier Classic With the .45-70 Auto

EATING NEARLY EVERYTHING We Dig in (and Dremel) a Blackhawk! Omnivore

GEMTECH AURORA II Size Matters — Just Not the Way You Think

300 BLACKOUT BUYER’S GUIDE

Expanding 300 Blackout Subsonic Ammo

RATTLER! SIG Cracks the Code on Getting a Super ShortBarreled Rile to Run

112

GUNS, WEED, AND STATE’S RIGHTS Is Green the New FDE?

72 98

90 112

MARK 5HD

MARK 5HD TWILIGHT MAX HD LIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THREE-TURN ZEROLOCK ELEVATION DIAL (M5C3) 35MM MAINTUBE FOGPROOF, WATERPROOF, AND GUARANTEED FOR LIFE

#BERELENTLESS

LEUPOLD.COM

IS S U E 37

DEPARTMENTS 12

ON THE COVER

DOWNRANGE

124

GONE SHOOTIN’ Team TORN

Editor’s Letter

134

ZEROED IN Neal Hunt

INCOMING New Gear

148

PT Lone Wolf vs. Power in Numbers

VISIT General George Patton Museum

158

SHOW US YOUR TATS

TRANSPORT

162

GOING HOT

Yamaha Wolverine X4 SE

UNUSUAL SUSPECTS Damascus Knives

FIREARM SAFETY IS TOP PRIORITY RECOIL reminds you to be safe and always obey irearms safety rules: 1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded. 2. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. 3. Keep your inger off the trigger until ready to ire. 4. Be aware of your target’s foreground and background. All contents in RECOIL Magazine are professionally photographed in a closed studio or range. Do not attempt to re-create any photographs depicted in this magazine.

PRODUCT DISCLAIMER Prices and details for items featured in RECOIL are set by the manufacturers and retailers, and are subject to change without notice.

RECOIL (USPS 013-320), July/August 2018; Number 37, is published bimonthly by TEN: Publishing Media, LLC 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10036. Copyright © 2018 by TEN: Publishing Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY, and at additional mail ofices. Subscriptions U.S. and U.S. Possessions: $49.97 per year (6 issues); Canadian, $55.97, Foreign, $61.97 (including surface mail postage). Payment in advance. U.S. funds only. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5): NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address changes to RECOIL, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Please allow 8-10 weeks for delivery of irst issue. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission. This book is purchased with the understanding that the information presented herein is from many varied sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy or completeness.

Throughout this issue you will see certain images are labeled as being 1:1 Actual Size. This designation is for the print edition of this issue. Because of the various screen sizes on different tablets and computers, we cannot always provide actual life size images in digital versions. We apologize if this causes any confusion and thank you for your understanding.

KEYPOINTS -This uniue sling-pack has generous size to accommodate laptops in its rear padded retainer, yet is nimble enough to be rotated from back to chest for on-the-go access to gear without loosing retention while when riding in a vehicle or on a cliff, ski lift, etc. -Generous amounts of traditional and laser cut m.o.l.l.e. webbing on both sides/front of pack, and shoulder strap provide ample space for external modular pouch expansion. -Drop-down admin/gear organizer on front face provides quick access to maps, iPad devices, or whatever else you may need at a momentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s notice. Clear window works with tablet screens! -Internal walls of main compartment are covered with fuzzy trico lining for dividers and patch storage etc.

1. WATSON Lumbar/Chest Sling-Pack 2. FREELANCE Photo/Drone Tactical Sling-Pack 3. PONCHO VILLA Technical Soft-Shell Poncho 4. FRONTLINE ASSAULT Rifle Loadout Chest-Rig 5. PLAN-C Dual Strap Slim-Pack 6. PILLBOX Thermocap Photo-CCW Pack 7. M.P.C. Multi-Pistol Padded Carrier 8. Patented Roto-Lock Buckle 9. AIRSTRIKE Rolling Photo/Laptop Carry-on 10. OVERWATCH Convertible Rifle Roll-Pack HARDPOINT Elastomer Load-Loop Set

MOST BAGS ARE CCW COMPATIBLE USING OUR UNIVERSAL STICK-UPâ&#x201E;¢ HOLSTER SYSTEM

ON THE COVER 10 BRIDGE MAKE:

Ultimate Night Vision

COVER PHOTO BY STRAIGHT 8

MODEL:

1 RIFLE MAKE:

SIG SAUER MODEL:

Rattler

37 IS SU E REC O ILW E B .C O M

MODEL:

RQE Universal Dual Bridge

1.5” Dual Layered

MSRP:

$69

URL:

store.springieldarmory.com

$699

www.ultimate nightvision.com

11 HELMET MAKE:

MTEK

MODEL:

Flux Ballistic MSRP:

Starting at $1,438 URL:

www.mtekusa.com

MSRP: URL:

13 BAG

MAKE:

Arc’teryx MODEL:

LEAF Courier Bag 15 MSRP:

$279 URL:

leaf.arcteryx.com

Tuff Writer MODEL:

URL:

$96

MSRP: URL:

www.tuffwriter.com

2 RED DOT MAKE:

Springield Armory

6 PEN

MSRP:

www.sigsauer.com

MAKE:

Precision Press Series

$2,700

12 BELT MAKE:

Leupold

7 KNIFE MAKE:

MODEL:

Gerber

MSRP:

Empower

URL:

$148

LCO

$700

www.leupold.com

MODEL: MSRP:

URL:

www.gerbergear.com

3 SUPPRESSOR MAKE:

Gemtech MODEL:

GMT-300BLK MSRP:

$995 URL:

www.gemtech.com

4 SHIRT MAKE:

8 NIGHT VISION MAKE:

Armasight

MODEL:

MNVD-51 3G MultiPurpose Night Vision Monocular MSRP:

$5,995 URL:

www.armasight.com

Magpul

MODEL:

R&R Plaid Shirt SS

9 NIGHT VISION MAKE:

MSRP:

Flir

URL:

Breach PTQ136

$65

www.magpul.com

5 PANTS MAKE:

MODEL: MSRP:

$2,495 URL:

www.flir.com

Magpul

MODEL:

Reflex Pant MSRP:

$80

URL:

www.magpul.com

11 10 9

Gone are days of bullpup casings ejecting into your line of sight. With patented downward shell ejection, the Kel-Tec® RDB™ is simply the bullpup done right. It’s completely ambidextrous, adjustable for a wide variety of ammunition and features the best factory bullpup trigger ever. In other words, the only thing the RDB flies in the face of is mediocrity. Innovation. Performance. Kel-Tec. See more at KelTecWeapons.com. ©2018 Kel-Tec CNC Industries, Inc

M O D E L

L I V E Y O U R L E G A CY.

7 T S

7 3 5 4 - S P 1 0 7 T S™ A L S® S I N G L E S T R A P TA C T I C A L H O L S T E R

S E R I E S

H O L S T E R

Our Safariland 7TS™ Holster Series has set new standards in ruggedness and durability with extremely high tolerances to heat and cold making it impervious to the weather. The proprietary DuPont blend, SafariSeven™ finish is non-abrasive to the weapon and the holster’s unique interior design reduces dirt and moisture contact with gun. Check it out at www.safariland.com/7TS.

A U T O M AT I C

LOCKING

SYSTEM

C O L O R S AV A I L A B L E

Here at RECOIL, we’re known for shaking things up a bit ... and

are still open to federal prosecution just like gun owners have

covering subjects anathema to other gun magazines. Which is

to deal with the dissonance between state and federal firearm

why we made the decision this issue to invite Mary Jane to the

transport regulations, as well as crap like the Hughes Amend-

party. Just as in editions past where we’ve covered moonshine

ment, gun-free school zones, and arbitrary barrel length require-

and tobacco, we’re neither endorsing nor condemning its use,

ments — all regulation meant to prevent victimless crimes.

but using it as a way to discuss state’s rights, individual liberty, and government overreach. Using scare tactics and orchestrated media outrage in

agenda by well-organized and funded networks. RECOIL will

done” mode is nothing new. Nixon and Reagan did it with

continue to call them out and highlight their useless, feel-

the war on drugs, Clinton did it with the war on guns, and

good proposals, through actions such as the Green Mountain

Obama tried and failed in the same area of public policy. All

Airlift, where we distributed 1,200 Magpul 30-round maga-

of which produced unexpected costs that we, the taxpayers,

zines on the steps of Vermont’s capitol building to stand

had to shoulder, as well as unintended consequences that

with the state’s law-abiding gun owners and protest new gun

ruined the lives of ordinary citizens.

control legislation. We’re still getting hate mail from that

There’s an interesting parallel between the timelines of “shall though the constituents for each are somewhat divergent. Once the federal government stepped in, grassroots organizations at both the state and national level started pushing back to create

IS SU E

the regulatory checkerboard we see today. Despite a loosening

REC O ILW E B .C O M

idiots in the media, are being used to drive a preexisting

order to stampede elected officials into “something must be

issue” CCW permitting and the decriminalization of weed,

We’re currently seeing a resurgence of interest in legislation promoted by telegenic moppets who, along with useful

of regulation at the state level, imbibers of Satan’s cabbage

event, so I guess we did some good.

MSV-55 COVERT

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Ventilated 0.6mm palm material provides evaporative cooling.

TACTICAL HAND PROTECTION

US: 800.222.4296 | WWW.MECHANIX.COM #mechanix

Editorial. Editor/ Iain Harrison Executive Editor/ Rob Curtis Senior Editor/ Tom Marshall Managing Editor/ Laura Peltakian Contributing Editor/ Steven Kuo Editor // Social Media/ Dave Merrill Editor // Online/ Candice Horner Director, Video Production/ Trent Stockton Photography Studio Manager/ Jorge Nuñez Contributors/ AZPhotoMan, Amy Bushatz, Ryne Gioviano, Ryan Hasagawa, Kenda Lenseigne, Freddy Osuna, Russell Phagan, RCP Photography, Nick Robbs, Soar No More, Straight 8, David Valencia, Patrick Vuong, Tim Weaver, Greg Wong Special Thanks/ Blacklist Ind, The Bullet Ranch, Cowtown Range, Trish Ellis, Jay Ponsford, We Plead the Second

Art Direction & Design. Senior Art Director/ Gene Coo Art Director/ Sarah Lampert

Submissions. recoil@enthusiastnetwork.com

Subscriber Customer Services. Domestic/Canadian: 813.675.3495 Foreign: 386.246.0439 recoil@emailcustomerservice.com

Advertising. VP, Group Publisher/ Mark Han General Manager/ Glen Castle 813.675.3495 Ad Sales/ Shawn Sloan 813.675.3552 Ad Sales/ Scott McGregor 435.657.5923 Network Manager/ John Schwartze Advertising Operations Manager/ Monica Hernandez To advertise on this magazine’s website, or any of TEN: Publishing Media’s other enthusiast sites, please contact us at recoil_advertising@enthusiastnetwork.com.

TEN: Publishing Media, LLC. President/ Kevin Mullan SVP, Editorial & Advertising Operations/ Amy Diamond

Consumer Marketing, Enthusiast Media Subscription Company, Inc. SVP, Circulation/ Tom Slater

This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that the information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by TEN: Publishing Media, LLC., or the publisher as to legality, completeness and accuracy. Any submissions or contributions from readers shall be subject to and governed by TEN: The Enthusiast Network’s User Content Submission Terms and Conditions, which are posted at http://www.enthusiastnetwork.com/submissions/ BACK ISSUES To order back issues, visit TENbackissues.com. REPRINTS For high-quality custom reprints and eprints, please contact The YGS Group at 800-290-5460 or TENreprints@theygsgroup.com EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS Editorial contributions are welcomed, but editors recommend that contributors query first. Contribution must be accompanied by return postage and we assume no responsibility for loss or damage thereto. Manuscripts must be typewritten on white paper, and all photographs must be accompanied by captions. Photo model releases required on all persons in photos. Recoil reserves the right to use material at its discretion, and we reserve the right to edit material to meet our requirements. Upon publication, payment will be made at our current rate, and that said payment will cover author’s and contributor’s rights of the contribution. Contributor’s act of mailing contribution shall constitute an express warranty that the material is original and no infringement on the rights of others. Mail contributions to: Recoil Magazine, 1821 E. Dyer Rd., Suite #150, Santa Ana, CA 92705.

VP, Retention & Operations Fulfillment/ Donald T. Robinson III VP, Acquisition & Database Marketing/ Victoria Linehan VP, Newsstand Retail Sales/ William Carter

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ITS

With its new Interval shoe, Combat Flip-Flops is dangerously close voiding its “Bad for Running, Worse for Fighting” credo. While these shoes offer more protection than flip-flops, they’re still a little too chill for a day of hard-core operations. Thankfully, they excel at bar side ops. With an understated upper made from durable and breathable canvas, the Interval is a lightweight, comfortable alternative to the corporate dress code. The outsole is a longwearing blend of natural and synthetic rubber with a cushioned EVA foam heel. True to its roots, the new Unarmed Forces footwear continue CFF’s effort to manufacture peace through trade by sourcing the raw material for its new shoes from farms that formerly grew coca plants to support the drug trade. The farms are now rubber plantations, generating sustainable materials used throughout the UAF footwear line. And each pair of shoes funds a day of school for an Afghan girl through Aid Afghanistan for Education.

MODEL:

MAKE:

0.750-inch diameter barrel

URL:

Combat Flip-Flops

MSRP:

www.celticshield.com

Carrying tourniquets on armor carriers and packs presents a trade-off between access speed and protection from the elements. TQs mounted in the most accessible places suffer damage from basic abrasion to the slow deterioration caused by exposure to sunlight and rain. We all know that seconds count when that arterial bleed is gushing. So, Imminent Threat Solutions invented a device that decreases the time it takes to deploy a TQ while protecting it. The TourniQuick pouch’s cover is actually a breakaway Velcro panel that connects to the free end of the TQ and tears off from the pouch. Instead of pulling a pouch open and removing a TQ, once you pull the TourniQuick’s top, you’re actually holding the free end of a TQ that’s now ready for life-saving action. Each TourniQuick includes a removable time label and a long MALICE Clip for mounting on PALS webbing.

IS SU E

MAKE:

REC O ILW E B .C O M

TourniQuick Pouch COMPATIBILITY:

MODEL:

C-A-T or 1.5-inch-wide SOFTT-W Tourniquets

UAF Interval

MSRP:

1.25 inches

WIDTH:

$45

MSRP:

URL:

$45

www.itstactical.com

The minimalist wallet from Celtic Shield (a veteran owned and operated company) joins a growing trend away from dead cow and toward compact, modern materials. It’s essentially two Mil-spec aluminum plates held tightly together by two retention bands. For an additional fee, Celtic Shield can also provide a custom engraving on the plates. Just pry the plates — which provide RFID protection — apart and access your needed charge card. Our slick/clip sample has a clip that can work as either a money clip or as a pocket clip (if you prefer to run cashless). The wallet is available in ive conigurations, including slick/slick and coin/clip, which features a holder for a 1.5-inch challenge coin on one side and a money clip on the other. Made in the USA.

Lining up a gas block on an AR barrel isn’t rocket science, but it’s still kind o f a pain in the ass. There’s enough forgiveness in the Stoner operating system that most rifles will function with a slightly misaligned gas port, but a 100-percent perfect gas port alignment means you’ve got one less thing to worry about when troubleshooting a inicky home-built rifle. The Gas Block Genie is a simple device that measures the location of the port in the gas block and lets you scribe a line that perfectly aligns the ports on the barrel and gas block. The irst version works with 0.750-inch barrels, but versions for 0.625-inch and 0.875-inch are in the works. We’ll admit this is the sort of thing an enterprising tool geek can make themselves if they had the time. But, we don’t have time.

MAKE:

Celtic Shield

MAKE:

Two Two Three Innovations

MODEL:

Celtic Shield

Gas Block Genie

MSRP:

COMPATIBILITY:

$98

$20 URL:

www.gasblockgenie.com

URL:

www.combatflipflops.com

Transform your ar into a 22 noslEr. Swap your barrel and change out your mag to turn your standard AR into a 22 Nosler. Next, use the new 85 grain RDF bullet with its ultra-high BC to shoot faster, flatter and farther than any other AR on the range.

Flat out. Lights out.

22Nosler.com

37 IS SU E

A gun that’s not regularly lubricated can fail to ire or fail to feed, ultimately failing to ind its target — all of which can lead to serious problems in a life-anddeath situation, let alone during competition or practice. That’s why Brothers & Arms USA teamed up with Dumonde Tech. The irearms apparel and accessories company collaborated with the lubricant irm known for racing oils to come up with a formula speciic to the shooting world. Their lube features Dumonde’s Micro Resistant Complex Compounds technology, which has a lighter viscosity, yet reduces friction, increases adhesion, and provides corrosion protection. Plus, the lube will not build up and get gooey or sticky. It’s available in half-ounce, 2-ounce, and 32-ounce containers.

When we’re not banging on our keyboards (which is most of the day, night, and weekends), we’re writing on dead trees using a pen. So when Cantu Bruner Designs sent us this custom-made RECOIL pen, we were impressed. The sample shown is based on the Texas company’s Bullet Pens series. These ballpoint pens are made from once-ired .308 Winchester casings and come with standard, medium-point black ink. (They accept Cross-style ink reills.) This lineup has models for a range of prices with various iber-engraved images, from gun-inspired memes and military logos to superheroes and movie characters. Cantu Bruner also offers personalized laser and iber engravings for an additional cost, as well as pencils, fountain pens, and more.

MAKE:

Spyderco Inc.

Brothers & Arms USA

Cantu Bruner Designs Inc.

MODEL:

Yojimbo 2 Trainer

True Blue Gun Oil by Dumonde Tech

Bullet Pen

MSRP:

$210

Starts at $11

Starting at $20

URL:

www.spyderco.com

www.brothersandarmsusa.com

www.cantubrunerdesigns.com

REC O ILW E B .C O M

When it comes to knife defense, the safest and most effective way to practice is with a training tool that realistically replicates the knife you carry daily — but without the ouchy parts. The Yojimbo 2 Trainer is practically identical to its live-blade counterpart in feel, use, and weight, except that the tip and edge have been dulled for safe contact. There are even strategically machined holes in the BD1 stainless steel blade to match the live blade’s weight to within 2 grams. The ergonomic G-10 handle is red to signal that it’s a safe training tool while the four-way pocket clip is adjustable, so you can practice high-speed knife deployments from the same position you would on the street. MAKE:

Real Avid has a new suite of cleverly designed and affordable armorer’s tools. The Master Bench Block is a Rube Goldberg meets Tetris contraption that helps you install and remove pins for your AR-15’s ire control group, trigger guard, front sight gas block, forward assist, charging handle, bolt catch, ejector, and extractor — all in the space of a 5.25-by-7.5 inch overmolded bench block. Note that it’s designed for standard forged receivers. The Pivot Pin Tool prevents you from flinging springs and pins all over your garage when trying to install the pivot pin in your lower. Made of hardened stainless steel with a comfortable resin handle, the Armorer’s Master Wrench has interchangeable brass, nylon, and rubber hammer heads, a castle nut wrench, a wrench for standard and some free-float barrel nuts, ¾-inch and 5⁄8-inch wrenches for muzzle devices and ixed stock receiver extensions, and a ½-inch socket to accept a torque wrench. The Lug-Lok Vise Block allows you to safely work on your upper by slotting directly into the steel barrel extension lugs rather than grabbing onto the upper receiver itself, similar to Geissele’s Reaction Rod except made of 7075 aluminum. Two additional conveniences are cross pins to prevent slipping in your vise and a knob to lock the upper in place. Finally, the Smart-Fit Vise Block secures your lower in a vise via its magwell, with a wedge design that gradually expands the block inside the magwell for a tight it with any lower.

MAKE:

Real Avid MODEL:

AR-15 Master Bench Block, AR-15 Pivot Pin Tool, Armorer’s Master Wrench, Lug-Lok Vise Block, Smart-Fit AR-15 Vise Block MSRP:

$30, $10, $60, $70, and $30, respectively URL:

www.realavid.com

ARE YOU READY?

GripSense

ACTIVATION

FIRST SHOT CONFIDENCE

™

BAD THINGS HAPPEN FAST Get a grip on your firearm and GripSense technology reacts as fast as you do to illuminate and guide your sight to threats. CENTERFIRE® LIGHT AND LASER SIGHTS with GripSense™Activation Available for Ruger LC9, Glock 42/43, and S&W M&P Shield 1-800-LASER-03 | lasermax.com LC9 | S | 380

42 & 43

Shield 9mm .40 | .45

UCO Gear has earned a reputation for making quality camping, outdoor, and survival gear that’s affordable, reliable, and easy to use. Its Sweetire Firestarter Bio-Fuel Tabs are all of that and earth-friendly, too. Made of sugarcane waste and formed into rectangles using vegetable oil, the tinder tabs are a renewable bio fuel. Ignite one with a match, lighter, or iresteel and it’ll burn for six minutes — enough time to grow it into a lasting ire if you’ve gathered enough tinder and wood. You can toss the whole box in with your camping gear or distribute the tabs throughout your bugout bag, home emergency kit, and other key places for those SHTF moments. Each pack comes with 24 tinder tabs.

UCO Gear

MAKE:

MODEL:

Streamlight

Sweetire Firestarter Bio-Fuel Tabs

MODEL:

MSRP:

PolyTac X

Every yang must have its yin. If you’re training how to shoot holes into targets, you should also learn how to plug ’em, too. If you’ve already learned irst aid and some tactical medicine, you should have blow-out kits in strategically placed locations, such as in your car, home, and range bag. Enter the Tac Pac Pro. It’s a compact kit that contains the essentials for stopping blood loss: packing and pressure gauze, EMT scissors, emergency blanket, and a North American CAT Generation 7 Tourniquet. The items come in a small pack with PALS webbing, allowing it to be attached to larger kit or have other gear connected to it.

MAKE:

Premier Safety Group MODEL:

Tac Pac Pro MSRP:

$69

Sometimes spring can make for some interesting weather. But Rite in the Rain won’t let a little precipitation stop you. The company famous for making waterproof notepads recently released the Storm Sight All-Weather Shooting Targets. As the name implies, these targets will shrug off rain and snow, making them ideal for year-round practice. Our samples are double-sided with the front for 25-yard zeroing while the back is for 100-yard zeroing. They’re 8.5 by 11 inches to match common binders and feature high-contrast MOA grids that borrow from military and competition design logic to score and improve your shooting. Each pack comes with 25 sheets and are made in the USA.

MAKE:

Rite in the Rain MODEL:

25- & 100- Yard Zeroing Target

$3 per pack

MSRP:

URL:

MSRP:

URL:

$75

www.premiersafetygroup.com

$12 per pack

www.ucogear.com

IS SU E

MAKE:

Nowadays most light companies offer their flashlights with rechargeable batteries … but do you have a compatible charger? Streamlight’s new 18650 USB battery sidesteps that problem with its integrated USB charging port. Just connect the battery to a USB cord and plug it into an outlet at home, in your car, or on your portable power bank. Streamlight has several new flashlights that run on this new multi-fuel system, including the 600-lumen PolyTac X. The handheld torch features a removable pocket clip, a high-impact nylon polymer body, and Streamlight’s trademark TEN-TAP Programming for three mode conigurations. The 5.46-inch-long PolyTac X is waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.

URL:

www.streamlight.com

www.riteintherain.com

9 11

REC O ILW E B .C O M

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Few wars in American military history produced more memorable leaders

campaigns, Patton’s participation was

with distinct personalities than World

inextricably linked to armored com-

War II. The global, sinister nature of

bat. The Punitive Expedition was the

this particular conflict gave rise to

U.S. Army’s first campaign to include

some of the greatest and most contro-

motorized vehicles. In World War I, he

versial flag rank officers that the U.S.

was one of the first tank command-

military has ever produced.

ers in our new armored divisions. He

No small measure among them

RECOIL TAKES AN INSIDE LOOK AT ONE OF WORLD WAR II’S MOST ICONIC LEADERS BY TOM MARSHALL PHOTOS BY RCP PHOTOGRAPHY

Throughout all three of these

even taught at America’s tank school

is General George S. Patton, most

in France. Between the two World

famed for his command of the Third

Wars, he remained an integral part

Army in France and Germany after

of America’s fledgling armored corps

the D-Day invasions at Normandy.

— providing key input on training and

However, he was also at the helm of

doctrine development.

operations in Casablanca and Sicily.

For decades, Fort Knox, Kentucky,

Less often discussed by most major

was the home of America’s tank force.

history texts are his tours of duty in

Our senior editor is personally a two-

World War I and the Pancho Villa Ex-

time alumni of Fort Knox — first for

pedition of 1916 (sometimes referred

the Armor Officers’ Basic Course, then

to as the Punitive Expedition).

for the Army Reconnaissance Course. So when he heard that RECOIL was planning to go behind the scenes at

GENERAL GEORGE PATTON MUSEUM the Patton Museum, he volunteered as tribute. While the current Armor School is now located at Fort Benning, Georgia, any old-school tanker or cavalry scout will tell you that Knox will always be the spiritual home of America’s armored force. By no coincidence, the Patton

General Patton’s staff car — a “1938-and-a-half” model. The front end was rebuilt from a 1939 car after the collision that would prove fatal for General Patton.

Museum is still located in the Bluegrass State, adjacent to America’s most famous gold depository. The structure of the museum itself is interesting. Not entirely chronological, the exhibits are set up to be viewed as a leadership museum — an unconventional yet poignant approach, particularly for the roughly 30,000 Admission to the museum is free,

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ROTC cadets who train at Fort Knox

REC O ILW E B .C O M

That very first exhibit is Patton’s

every summer. Different sections of

but it runs entirely off of visitors

’38 Cadillac staff car — the very ve-

the museum feature handpicked items

donations so, if you do make the

hicle he was riding in when he died in

from the collection, arranged alongside

trip, please consider making a small

1945. In a practically immeasurable

placards describing episodes from

contribution to their efforts. The

gesture of generosity, we were allowed

General Patton’s life that highlight the

experience is completely self-guided,

to get up close and personal with the

various army leadership values.

and the staff recommends you budget

interior of the car that Patton was in

about an hour-and-a-half to walk the

when he suffered an eventually fatal

entire place. If you’re a true Pat-

injury in a car wreck.

For those who didn’t have the pleasure of army values being beaten into them the old-fashioned way, they are: loyalty, duty, respect, selless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. And yes, as an acronym, they do indeed spell LDRSHIP.

The Patton Museum shares the outer edge of Fort Knox with the famed gold depository. But getting inside there is a little more dificult.

ton fan or general military history

On December 8, 1945, the staff

aficionado, we suggest you allot a

car collided with a large military truck,

little more time than that. We spent

throwing Patton head first into the

the suggested 90 minutes just on the

glass partition between the front and

first exhibit alone.

rear cabins. This resulted in both a

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GENERAL GEORGE PATTON MUSEUM In an interesting and uniquely Ken-

compression fracture and dislocation of his C3 and 4 vertebrae, as well as a bro-

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ken neck and cervical spinal cord injury.

REC O ILW E B .C O M

He spent 12 days in a hospital in Heidelberg before dying at the age of 60 and being buried in Hamm, Luxembourg,

Above: Patton may have been his own best museum curator, going so far as labeling his own childhood weapons for future reference.

alongside fellow war casualties from his former Third Army — this was per his request to be “buried with his men.” Unbeknownst to us until this particular visit, a multitude of conspiracy theories surround Patton’s death, including that he was assassinated by either the Soviet NKVD (predecessor

Top, right: The only weapon to ever wound George S. Patton: a machine gun that Patton himself recovered from a bunker after being hit by it.

to the KGB) or our own OSS (predecessor to the CIA). Theories speculate that he was poisoned, shot, or that the truck hit his car deliberately. Extensive discussion with the museum staff assure us that the truth is far more mundane and, in that normalcy, even more tragic. Almost every individual exhibit in the Patton Museum has a similarly rich, intensely personal story behind it. From his childhood toys that he labeled and dated himself to the 66 individual weapons he collected or was gifted throughout his service, including the machine gun that wounded him in World War I — which he recovered from the enemy machine gun nest and had shipped home.

Bottom, right: The General’s famed ivory-handled wheelguns. Despite common misconception, they were neither pearl-handled nor a matching set of single actions.

One of the items on display at the

tucky twist on the life and times of

museum is a footlocker General Pat-

this larger-than-life war hero, our visit

ton had converted to a portable bar.

to the Patton Museum was followed

He was known for mixing a cocktail

immediately by a trip to the unique

of his own recipe that he named Ar-

family owned Boundary Oak Distillery

mored Diesel. It was allegedly served

in nearby Radcliff, Kentucky. While

to all of his staff during meetings. The

not officially connected to the Patton

recipe commonly cited by the museum

Museum, they share a unique overlap

is simply bourbon, shaved ice, sugar,

via a particularly obscure piece of the

and lemon juice. Having said that,

General’s legacy.

the actual contents of Armored Diesel

Let’s face it … conventional media outlets are banning the kind of information freedom-loving Americans have enjoyed for years. That’s why we’ve stepped up to the plate and created a resource for everything firearms — RECOILtv. Just as RECOIL magazine made a name for itself giving you the no-holds-barred insight on firearms, we’re bringing that same trusted expertise to video. From testing the latest guns, giving in-depth product reviews and expert tutorials, showing you some topnotch vehicles, user-generated content, and lots more, RECOILtv is the premier authority for the content you want and deserve. As the world of political correctness slowly censors current online informational choices out of existence, RECOILtv will be there to give you the scoop on what you can’t find anywhere else.

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GENERAL GEORGE PATTON MUSEUM as poured by Patton himself could’ve contained a mixture of just about anything including whiskey, scotch, white wine, and even cherry juice. Fellow

Right: This apparent wax statue of Patton is actually carved entirely from a single block of wood.

veterans may remember similar concoctions under the catchall banner of Grog, served most often at unit-level dining functions. Boundary Oak produces a somewhat more palatable version of Armored Diesel — they’re tight lipped about the exact ingredients and process. But we’d have been remiss not to give it a taste for ourselves. While it’s definitely

Far right: The personal saddle of Julio Cardenas — Poncho Villa’s second-in-command. Patton took this saddle after shooting Cardenas off of it. You can’t see the blood stains from this angle but, trust us, they’re there.

far more palatable than a marriage of scotch and wine, it’s wholly unique, even in the heart of bourbon country. You won’t forget you’re drinking it. It’s available by the bottle and in several variations of a collectable presentation

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box, with historical notes about both

REC O ILW E B .C O M

the drink and the man. There are few great leaders who don’t also breed controversy. General

Below: The walkway approaching the museum features several tanks from various parts of American armored history.

GENERAL GEORGE PATTON MUSEUM George S. Patton was no exception. But his legacy as a consummate professional soldier and intensely skilled battlefield commander are matched by only a handful across the annals of military history. At time of writing,

Unlike several others we’ve toured, Boundary Oak deines the boutique distillery — typically producing one barrel per month at the time of this writing.

the Patton Museum at Fort Knox had recently shut down for several months of intensive renovations. The projected re-open date is June 1, 2018. We hope to return for ourselves and take a look at all the improvements currently being implemented. It’s a uniquely personal lens through which to view both World War history and the balancing act of effective combat

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command.

REC O ILW E B .C O M

GENERAL GEORGE PATTON MUSEUM ADDRESS

4554 Fayette Ave., Fort Knox, KY 40121 HOURS

Tuesday - Friday 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturdays & Federal Holidays 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. ADMISSION

Free PHONE

The Patton signature Armored Diesel cocktail produced by Boundary Oak comes in a classy “foot locker” style collector’s box.

(502) 624-3391 URL

www.generalpatton.org

BOUNDARY OAK DISTILLERY ADDRESS

2000 Boundary Oak Drive, Radcliff, KY 40160 PHONE

(270) 351-2013 URL

boundaryoakdistillery.com

At Boundary Oak, the trucks are aged as thoroughly as the bourbon.

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WE TRIED TO BREAK THE YAMAHA WOLVERINE X4, BUT IT MAY VERY WELL BE THE VEHICULAR VERSION OF LOUIE ZAMPERINI

IS SU E

BY JOHN SCHWARTZE PHOTOS BY IAIN HARRISON

REC O ILW E B .C O M

RECOIL takes pride in testing manufac-

chassis. Since its builders chose the

also double for recreational use? Good

turer claims. Whenever companies want

aforementioned platform to create that

to go. Need to haul up to 2,000 pounds

to take a chance on us trying out their

monstrosity around, we knew breaking

worth of trailered ancillaries? You see

products, especially the four-wheel kind,

the Wolverine would be a challenge.

where we’re going with this.

there’s a ravenous anticipation among

Yamaha already had the benefit of the

the staff akin to that of wolves finding

doubt because of its reputation for qual-

buyers often have when kicking tires is

stray deer. Given the chance to try out

ity. But first a little history on this model

engine size. They have their heart set on a

Yamaha’s new Wolverine X4 was some-

to provide some context. Its ability to suit

displacement or horsepower amount that’s

thing we welcomed with open arms and a

a variety of tasks was an eyebrow raiser.

quite a far cry from real-world practicality.

heavy right foot. We were ready to treat it

The Wolverine has been a part of

One of the common misconceptions

As the saying goes: Horsepower sells cars;

like the BATFE treats Branch Davidians,

Yamaha’s leet for a while and evolved

torque wins races. Sure, the Wolverine

but our inability to snap, burn out, blow

to incorporate the beefier benefits of a

X4 might not keep up with other models

up, or otherwise return the vehicle to

utility chassis, but in a sportier package.

intended for pedal mashing across lat

Yamaha in pieces with a heartfelt “oops”

With the recent addition of the X4 four-

desert, but we wouldn’t be racing the Mint

and shrugged shoulders earned this UTV

passenger version with sliding/folding

400 with it. When it comes to the needs

some well-deserved respect.

rear seats, it’s got more room for passen-

of the firearms crowd, it checks off the

gers and gear. Want a solid trail explorer?

proverbial dance card nicely with a good

Minigun Motorcycle in Issue 30, which

Check. Looking for a vehicle that’ll per-

equilibrium of power, balance, handling,

was built on a Yamaha R1 Superbike

form ranching or agricultural tasks and

and storage capacity.

You may remember our coverage of the

2018 YAMAHA

WOLVERINE X4 SE 847CC

ULTRAMATIC V-BELT WITH ALL-WHEEL ENGINE BRAKING WWW.YAMAHAMOTORSPORTS.COM

UNBROKEN 1 2

IS SU E

REC O ILW E B .C O M

44 To get a little granular for the gearheads, here’s what you get in terms of

1 GIMBAL MAKE:

FLIR

drivetrain. The engine is a four-stroke

MODEL:

847cc liquid-cooled twin-cylinder that’s

M324

surprisingly quiet. It’s all hooked to an

URL:

www.flir.com

Ultramatic V-belt drive trans with low, high, neutral, and reverse gearing. An on-command locking differential gives the driver 2WD, 4WD, and full diff-lock 4WD capabilities, rather than the sensing version seen on some other UTVs that’s automatically activated when the vehicle thinks it needs to come on. We plotted our route from Phoenix to

2 LIGHTBAR MAKE:

OnX6 MODEL:

10” LED Lightbar URL:

www.bajadesigns.com

3 LIGHTS MAKE:

Prescott, Arizona, and back via old min-

Baja Designs

ing roads, as we felt the topography and

XL Sport LED

MODEL:

landscape would more than adequately

URL:

test how much damage the Wolverine

www.bajadesigns.com

would or wouldn’t withstand. Although it may not have the speed some of its contemporaries do, when we were out on the open road with it, it had more than enough power to get where we needed to go and carry what we needed to carry.

4 GUN SCABBARD MAKE:

Condition Zero Mounts MODEL:

Rackbone Clamp URL:

conditionzeromounts.com

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UNBROKEN Independent rear suspension with

is another benefit this package has go-

things that were even enough to startle

self-leveling shocks provide for a pretty

ing for it. Adding a winch or snowplow,

us into getting out for a quick inspec-

comfortable ride. You certainly won’t

upgrading to a heated and enclosed

tion. Despite the alarming sounds of

get this kind of comfort from a Jeep

cab version to go hunting with a few

our aggressive driving, we never got

Rubicon used in the same environment

guys in the dead of winter, or adding

a lat, started leaking luid, or expe-

without modifying the hell out of the

a stereo are just some of the in-house

rienced a breakage that sidelined the

suspension. With the amount of travel

options, and that doesn’t even scratch

vehicle … so we kept right on going

the Wolverine offers, it gives damn

the surface of what aftermarket com-

until the gas tank dried up.

near a Trophy Truck level of stabil-

panies have out there.

ity and responsiveness. The power

Compared to its contemporaries, it’s

steering doesn’t overcompensate to

landscape was in no way meant to

cheaper than a Polaris General, has

the point where the vehicle is control-

be polite. We traversed some areas

more room than a Honda Pioneer, and

ling you, rather than you controlling

that looked like something meant for

offers more power than a Kawasaki

it. Although some might think it’s

the Mars Rover at wide-open throttle.

Teryx. So if you’re in the market to

not responsive enough, we think the

There may have even been some shouts

purchase a UTV, you may want to kick

Wolverine lets the driver sense the

of “ramming speed!” said among the

tires or take one out for a spin to get

feedback and adjust to the road condi-

occupants. We encountered plenty of

a feel for our experience with it. We

tions. Since it’s meant to haul multiple

ravines and boulders in our path that

wished we had more time with it. Not

passengers as well as cargo, we think

we negotiated without a problem.

only because it was fun, but we really,

that’s just fine. Like a good AR, the freedom to accessorize to your personal preference

There were deliberate and occasion-

1 STORAGE

al “bangs” that came from the frame

failed in that mission, our conclusion is

and suspension components hitting

that it’s a sound investment.

Daystar Cam Cans URL:

www.4wheelparts.com

46 REC O ILW E B .C O M

MAKE: MODEL:

really wanted to break it. Although we

IS SU E

Our journey through the rocky desert

So what does all this equate to?

UNUSUAL SUSPECTS It took us five years to make this Damascus blade buyer’s

MAKE:

1 W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. MODEL:

guide happen. Why so long?

Sway Back

Was it insane amounts of

5.56 inches

procrastination? Nope. That’s just how long

OAL:

BLADE LENGTH:

2.125 inches

BLADE MATERIAL:

MAKE:

MODEL:

Boker Plus OAL:

7.7 inches BLADE LENGTH:

3.4 inches

BLADE MATERIAL:

Blued Carbon Raindrop Damascus Steel

Damasteel

specialized steel to go down

WEIGHT:

1.7 ounces

2.2 ounces

BY PATRICK VUONG

5 Boker Plus

it took for the price of this enough for companies to

DAMASCUS BLADES

WEIGHT: MSRP:

offer them at quantity. While

MSRP:

$309

$125

some custom knifemakers still

URL:

www.bokerusa.com

URL:

www.wrcase.com

charge “unobtainium” prices for them, most production

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knife companies now have at

REC O ILW E B .C O M

MAKE:

2 Columbia River Knife & Tool MODEL:

least one Damascus model

KISS Commemorative

that fits in the more reachable

5.77 inches

“limited edition” range. Why so expensive? Damascus is a combination of at least two different types

OAL:

BLADE LENGTH:

2.28 inches

BLADE MATERIAL:

Damasteel Damascus DS93X Steel WEIGHT:

of steel that — after many

1.7 ounces

time-consuming and expensive

$200

processes known as pattern

MSRP: URL:

www.crkt.com

MAKE:

6 Fox Knives MODEL:

Desert Fox Damascus OAL:

8.5 inches BLADE LENGTH:

3.7 inches

BLADE MATERIAL:

Björkmans Twist-patterned Damasteel WEIGHT:

5.8 ounces MSRP:

$789 URL:

www.bokerusa.com

welding — forms a single piece with distinctive wavy layers. Named after the Syrian city

MAKE:

3 Bear & Son Cutlery MODEL:

where it gained a worldwide

WSB07D

reputation, Damascus steel is

6.25 inches

actually a modern recreation of ancient wootz steel from

OAL:

BLADE LENGTH:

2.75 inches

BLADE MATERIAL:

India. Scientists don’t know

High Deinition Damascus Steel

how the Indian alloy was

2.2 ounces

made, but scholars know that it was used in swords imported to the Middle East starting in at least the 3rd

WEIGHT: MSRP:

$149

URL:

www.bearandsoncutlery.com MAKE:

century. Modern knifemakers

4 Benchmade Knife Co.

say their Damascus blades

698-181 Foray

offer similar benefits — a durable composite that

MODEL: OAL:

7.34 inches BLADE LENGTH:

doesn’t chip or break (like

3.22 inches

soft steel) yet is incredibly

Loki-patterned Damasteel

strong and stays sharp (like hard steel). Oh, and they’re

BLADE MATERIAL: WEIGHT:

3.46 ounces MSRP:

delicious eye candy for the

$800

knife knut.

www.benchmade.com

URL:

MAKE:

7 Spyderco Inc. MODEL:

Endura 4 Ti Damascus OAL:

8.75 inches BLADE LENGTH:

3.83 inches

BLADE MATERIAL:

DPS 15 Steel WEIGHT:

4.2 ounces MSRP:

$310

URL:

www.spyderco.com MAKE:

8 Cold Steel Inc. MODEL:

Night Force OAL:

9 inches BLADE LENGTH:

4 inches

BLADE MATERIAL:

DSC Damascus Steel WEIGHT:

4.6 ounces MSRP:

$440 URL:

www.coldsteel.com

INTERROGATING THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

37 IS SU E REC O ILW E B .C O M

FOX KNIVES

SPYDERCO

URBAN TRAPPER DAMASTEEL

DESERT FOX DAMASCUS

ENDURA 4 TI DAMASCUS

BEAR & SON

KISS COMMEMORATIVE

WHITE SMOOTH BONE DAMASCUS

411: The smallest knife of the bunch features a Wharncliffe blade whose Damascus pattern resembles a topographical map. The pairing of its intricate bronze-ish swirls with a bone handle (jigged and treated to look like stag antler) gives it a fascinating newschool mix of two very different old-school styles. Quite the American thing to do and rather cool. Made in the USA.

411: This Ed Halligandesigned folder spawned a genre thanks to its sophisticatedly simple two-piece construction. The frame-lock body and chisel-grind blade allows the KISS to be slim while it’s sizable pocket clip doubles as a money clip. This commemorative edition honors the late Halligan by attaching a gorgeous Damascus blade to a titanium body; beautiful upgrades to a beloved fan favorite.

411: This Bear & Son folder fuses the look of an ancient Asian blade with vintage American aesthetics to create an unusual style — in a good way. This trapperstyle folder features a smooth bone handle with nickel silver bolsters surrounding the elegant Damascus blades. Unfortunately, both its clip-point blade and its spey blade (which can be used for neutering livestock or skinning game) didn’t cut as well during our testing. Made in the USA.

PROS: Hybrid aesthetics Quality construction and materials Sharp Damascus blade A reasonable price tag for a Damascus knife

PROS: Slim, compact knife design for the ultra minimalist Pocket clip doubles as a money clip. Gorgeous blade is razor sharp. For a Damascus, it won’t break the bank.

PROS: PROS: Comes with two High-quality blades: a versatile materials and clip-point and a workmanship spey for neutering or Damascus blade’s skinning animals. Loki pattern looks heavenly Fascinating fusion of visual styles The blade cuts and pierces like a Relatively affordable for a Damascus lightsaber knife Feels great in hand

PROS: PROS: Lavish-looking The Damasteel gentleman’s knife blade illets cardboard as if it were Lightweight and fresh game slim Futuristic look comFlipper tab opening bined with premium is fast and smooth. materials and a Unlike other framefunctional design locks that unlock awkwardly, this Outstanding closes as easily as a construction liner-lock.

CONS: Jackknife design means there’s no pocket clip or thumbstuds. Narrow handle

CONS: Tanto blade is less versatile than other blade shapes. Without scales, the handle is rather thin and not ideal for hard or extended use.

CONS: The blades sometimes “pushed through” cuts rather than slicing smoothly during our test cutting Classic design means no thumbstuds or pocket clip

CONS: Handle might be too thin to get a comfortable grip for those with large meat hooks

SWAY BACK

BOKER PLUS

CRKT W.R. CASE

BENCHMADE

698-181 FORAY

411: Say hello to the Bugatti of the bunch. This pimped-out version of the Foray features a marbled carbon iber handle with mother-of-pearl overlays, DLC-coated hardware, and an exclusive Lokipatterned Damascus blade steel from Damasteel. But all that bling isn’t overcompensation. The base model is already a stellar folder thanks to its versatile droppoint blade proile, ambidextrous AXIS locking mechanism, and Goldilocks-like length and weight.

CONS: Nitpicking here, but the mother of pearl overlay kind of clashes with the Damascus pattern and carbon-iber handle.

411: This is a modernized gentleman’s knife based on the traditional trapper folder with a blade made by Damasteel. The ladder pattern is mesmerizing, while the edge slices with ease and the tip punctures like a needle. Plus, the skeletonized framelock handle is made of titanium. So why is it just $309 when its competitors are twice that amount? It’s made in China. Fortunately, Boker puts out quality products no matter where they’re made.

411: This pitbull of a knife comes from Boris Manasherov, a gunmaker, engineer, and Krav Maga instructor. So, it’s no surprise that it’s a tactical knife for daily use irst and a showpiece second. Damasteel’s Björkmans Twist pattern in its super sharp blade reminds us of flowing lava, a lovely complement to the blue anodized titanium handle. While we’re not fans of its overly contoured grooves, the frame-lock body is designed for smooth blade deployment and closure.

411: The Endura is one of Spyderco’s most popular knives, so it only makes sense for the Coloradobased company to offer a Damascus version. The DPS 15 blade steel was manufactured in Japan by sandwiching two layers of Damascus steel around a VG-10 stainless steel core. Combined with a titanium lock-back handle, Spyderco’s trademark thumbhole, and an adjustable pocket clip, this Damascus blade offers good value for its $310 MSRP.

COLD STEEL

NIGHT FORCE

411: This “classy tactical” folder is a beast in unicorn’s clothing. The 4-inch clip-point blade is made from charming rosepatterned DSC Damascus Steel, and it shaved through our cardboard test material with tremendous speed and accuracy. As a perfect yin to the blade’s yang, the handle is made of a sleek G-10/ carbon-iber laminate that’s comfortable in forward or reverse grip. This upscale specimen is made in Italy.

PROS: PROS: Blade has a crazy Remarkable cutting sharp edge and and stabbing pointy tip powers. Endura base model Innovative HTR is already a proven opening mechanism winner is an angled thumbramp that lets you Lock-back offers open the blade strong locking quickly and safely. mechanism Considering its maIncredibly well built, terials, it’s relatively strong, and durable. affordable.

CONS: CONS: Coniguration of A little hefty the Endura forces a The frame is “too saber grip ergonomic” — unless your hand is the same shape and size as Manasherov’s, it might not it quite right in your paw.

CONS: We’ve noticed that most of Cold Steel’s new lock-back knives have a grittiness when pushing down on the rocker bar to unlock them; the Night Force is no exception.

37 IS SU E

VIDEO CHANNELS BEGIN TO FEEL THE FALLOUT FROM YOUTUBE’S FIREARM CONTENT RESTRICTIONS

52 REC O ILW E B .C O M

BY AMY BUSHATZ

YouTube is the land of people doing stupid stuff,

ers and about 12.5 million views. “The same

auto sears, conversion kits), and high capac-

cats, and, for firearms enthusiasts, guns — lots

way Facebook could change elections, YouTube

ity magazines (i.e., magazines or belts carrying

and lots of guns. From tutorials and reviews to

could silence an entire industry.”

more than 30 rounds).”

THE POLICY

“provides instructions on manufacturing a

And then it goes on, banning content that

footage of shooters just doing their thing, it’s all on YouTube for your viewing pleasure. For now.

YouTube made the change quietly in late

irearm, ammunition, high capacity magazine,

That’s because when a new YouTube gun

March, long before a woman opened fire at the

homemade silencers/suppressors, or certain

video policy went into effect in April, just what

company’s California headquarters killing her-

irearms accessories such as those listed

is and isn’t taboo is far from settled. Instead of

self and injuring three others. Rather than just

above. This also includes instructions on how

thousands of educational and informative videos

prohibiting videos featuring the much maligned

to convert a irearm to automatic or simulated

on virtually any kind of weapon imaginable,

bumpstock, the new policy creates bans for

automatic iring capabilities, [or] shows users

YouTube could instead be home to more cats.

specific conversions or perfectly legal accesso-

how to in-stall the above-mentioned accessories

ries, and opens the door to sweeping deletions.

or modiications.”

The idea that firearms content, seen by many as both a First and Second Amendment issue,

“YouTube prohibits certain kinds of content

As of this writing, YouTube, owned by

could be tossed by someone who knows nothing

featuring irearms. Speciically, we don’t allow

Google’s parent company Alphabet, has been

about gun culture has video producers entering

content that: Intends to sell irearms or certain

silent on the inspiration for its expanded gun

digital survivalist mode.

irearms accessories through direct sales (e.g.,

policy, but it’s not hard to guess the cause.

They aren’t playing a game of wait and see. They’re bracing for impact.

private sales by individuals) or links to sites

In October 2017 the site prohibited videos

that sell these items,” the policy reads. “These

demonstrating bumpstocks or how to “convert

“The entire industry uses YouTube as a

accessories include but may not be limited to

firearms to make them fire more quickly,” You-

repository of information. It’s huge,” said Jon

accessories that enable a irearm to simulate

Tube officials said in statements at the time. The

Patton, whose channel and brand The Gun Col-

automatic ire or convert a irearm to automatic

most recent policy change was made about one

lective has almost 130,000 YouTube subscrib-

ire (e.g., bumpstocks, rotary triggers, drop-in

month after a former student killed 17 people at

Jon Patton ilms the opening segment of his irearms industry news show, The Gun Collective, that began on YouTube.

YOUTUBE’S GUN VIDEO TYRANNY endangerment,” and, of course, “firearms.” Those rules are policed through layers of official and unofficial content moderators. But just what training those employees or the volunteer laggers have in the nuances of guns is anyone’s guess, said Harmsen. “In my conversations with Google I said, ‘If you unleash these 10,000 moderators … it’s basically a ban on all firearms videos because they don’t know jack sh*t about firearms,’” he said. “Pretty much anything firearms related to an untrained eye, these moderators who don’t want to lose their jobs, they’re going to lag it.” The lagging system is only the start

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of the parade of new issues for gun video

REC O ILW E B .C O M

a high school in Parkland, Florida, and

video descriptions, a common practice,

just days before thousands attended a

means their pages won’t have YouTube

gun control rally in Washington, D.C.

placed ads on or in them. But the new

It’s easy to see how the new policy

rules seem to say that including any

raises questions among firearm pros.

of those links or promoting guns at all

For example, blocking content that

could also simply mean their channels

“provides instructions on manufactur-

will cease to exist.

InRange TV founders Ian McCollum, left, and Karl Kasarda talk to their YouTube audience about changes in their funding model, asking them to support them using Patreon.com.

about a tutorial on assembling a gun

THE MODERATOR PROBLEM Unlike the majority of video produc-

after cleaning? And if “conversion kits”

ers with small to midsize followings,

are banned, does that include, for ex-

Tim Harmsen’s almost 700,000 You-

ample, installing aftermarket stocks?

Tube subscribers on his Military Arms

But for many producers, the sticki-

Channel grants him something others

est problem of all lies in the new rule

don’t have: access. He has a direct

against content that “intends to sell fire-

line to YouTube through a YouTube

arms or certain firearms accessories.”

representative with insider intel.

Although YouTube-generated ad-

What he’s learned by questioning

vertising has long been blocked for

that contact since the announcement

videos that Google sees as fitting that

is, well, not much. So far, he said, his

category, the existence of the videos

requests for clarification haven’t really

themselves has never been at risk.

been answered. If YouTube officials

In a world of content pumped full of promotions, reviews, and firepower that marketers hope will inspire viewers to

understand the nuances of their own gun policy, they haven’t told Harmsen. YouTube and, by extension, Google

get out their wallets, banning videos

are making the rules, but it appears

that could fit an “intends to sell” de-

that no one there knows how to play

scription gives YouTube the leeway to

the game, Harmsen said.

censor pretty much anything, producers worried. Patton and others already know that including links to products in their

The real problem is what happens next. If a lagged video is confirmed as violating the YouTube policy, the channel it’s posted by is given a “strike,” which sits on the account for 90 days. If a channel gets two strikes in that period, they’re blocked for posting

ing a firearm” clearly rules out how-to videos for homemade guns, but what

creators and the channels they run.

As part of its “community policies,” YouTube has about a dozen contentspecific rule categories around topics like “hate speech,” “child

Jon Patton talks in a video posted to his YouTube channel, The Gun Collective, about his giveaway hosted on another site. YouTube’s new gun policy could be interpreted to block even that kind of content.

anything new for two weeks. Three strikes, and “your account will be terminated,” Google warns. That means all of the channel’s videos and content are deleted, creators said. And while strikes can be appealed, there’s no promise as to how quickly those appeals will be processed.

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YOUTUBE’S GUN VIDEO TYRANNY

REC O ILW E B .C O M

THE MONEY GAME Some content producers already know the burn of a channel cancellation all too well. Take James Yeager, for example.

rule that has now been expanded to the YouTube policy. It was thanks to that change that

FINDING SAFE HAVEN YouTube’s site isn’t the be-all and end-all of gun video hosting. RECOILtv

channels like the Military Arms Chan-

and Full30.com, among others, offer

nel went from making what Harmsen

content space.

His channel, run under his name, had

called “good money,” to having their ad

But YouTube is the biggest, which

336,000 subscribers but was killed by

revenue cut by as much as 90 percent.

is why the announcement sparked a

AdSense isn’t the only way using

wave of worry from producers over the

strikes. He then started a second chan-

YouTube can pay. Content producers

bigger question regarding their videos:

nel, Tactical Response, which YouTube

also make money through sponsorships,

If YouTube kicks them out, who will

has allowed him to keep.

paid reviews, or links back to advertisers

take them in?

YouTube last fall after receiving three

The deletion of his original channel

placed in the video description, all made

Part of the answer for one channel,

did more than just eliminate his hard

problematic by any rule against promot-

InRange TV, is the porn industry. In

work and a parade of a million views

ing sales.

the wake of YouTube’s announcement,

per month. He said it hurt his bottom

But more than anything else, the

InRange founders Ian McCollum

line. That’s because, like many content

AdSense changes forced video producers

and Karl Kasarda announced that

producers, Yeager wasn’t just running his

to start funding their channels through

they’d had enough of YouTube’s

channel for the hell of it; he was using it

crowd-funding sites like Patreon, which

power plays and would happily begin

to earn money.

marshals pledges and cash support from

uploading their videos to a site that

fans. Using that system ensures they

has no problem protecting freedom of

producers based on viewership but

aren’t relying on the whims of YouTube or

speech: PornHub.

requires that videos and the text posted

its moderator team to guarantee paydays.

Google’s AdSense system pays

with them abide by a set of stan-

That support from viewers like you,

With plenty of server capacity and no chance that their videos will be consid-

dards. Expanded last summer, those

they said, keeps them producing and

ered too edgy, McCollum said, the pair’s

standards rule out a variety of gun or

means YouTube doesn’t have to be the

decision to utilize PornHub in addition to

“violent” content, including “pages

boss of what they can and cannot do.

a variety of other sites, including Full30

that drive traffic to firearm sales,” the

… Sort of.

and Facebook, makes sense.

Tim Harmsen demonstrates use of a YHM Turbo 5.56 Silencer in this still from a video on his Military Arms Channel on YouTube. Under their new gun policy videos like this could be banned.

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YOUTUBE’S GUN VIDEO TYRANNY video hosting is expensive — a truth

Amendment battle with which fire-

InRange and the others who have since

that has kept Full30 from expanding

arms enthusiasts have become all

joined them there is a guaranteed path to

consistently since its 2014 founding.

too familiar.

the almighty dollar. Many firearms or fire-

He said his site currently has over

arms accessory advertisers likely won’t

1,000 producers lined up looking for

asked, does a privately owned com-

appreciate PornHub’s NSFW qualities,

space that he can’t yet offer thanks to

pany become a part of the public

the other ads that’ll populate next to their

those challenges.

interest? Should it be OK for YouTube

But what PornHub doesn’t offer

“The bandwidth costs alone are

products, or the idea of further tying the two industries, producers worried.

ties and products while still populating

That’s why many content brands

every intention of being that lifeboat

bomb making videos and violent video

when we are sure the infrastructure

game content? And does YouTube have

a more family friendly home than

can handle the load.”

to answer for what many see as the

He said he thinks the new platforms won’t last, if only because

types of potentially dangerous content,

YouTube announcement, a lurry of

they’ll run out of the money needed

hosts have cropped up, including Utah

to stay in operation.

while banning others? YouTube, said McCollum, allows “all manner of illegal activity” to be

THE BIGGER QUESTIONS

joining already established platforms like Full30 and RECOILtv; the latter is

While the YouTube change has left

currently opening up its video platform 37

to media partners. IS SUE

hypocritical standard of allowing some

plenty to choose from. Since the

Gun Exchange and GunStreamer.com,

REC O ILW E B .C O M

to ban videos of legal firearms activi-

phenomenal,” he said. “Full30 has

and industry insiders are looking for PornHub can supply. And there are

At what point, producers have

But starting a video hosting site isn’t as simple as it sounds, said Harmsen, who cofounded Full30. The recently launched platforms don’t yet support advertising, and running servers and technical support for

producers scrambling over practical James Yeager discusses his goals for 2018 in a still from a YouTube video posted to his channel. He recently launched his own video platform in an attempt to flee the site’s new restrictions.

problems like where to host their vid-

displayed on the site, but still has plans to remove large numbers of completely legal firearms videos. “YouTube is basically the biggest li-

eos, it has also raised loftier questions

brary in history. They exist as a digital

that both industry insiders and video

content provider and at least, to me, I

producers say will necessitate long

think that’s their role,” McCollum said.

game thinking.

“On a much grander scale, do we, as a

They start with freedom of speech and flow quickly to the Second

society, really want YouTube to decide which speech is going to be free?”

BY TOM MARSHALL PHOTOS BY AZ PHOTOMAN AND STEVEN KUO

It wouldn’t be much of an irrational

configurations, America’s Rile has now

ket. What started as a pet project will

argument to claim that the AR-15

become a prime test bed for all manner

now be available for purchase. They’ve

platform has been refined nearly

of ballistic experiments. In a quest to

built a highly customized AR rile

to its engineering apex. Different

push the performance envelope of the

around an equally custom cartridge:

manufacturers have made alterations

platform, and to sell more riles, many

the .45-70 Auto. Phoenix Weaponry let

to barrel length, gas system length,

companies are fielding AR-pattern

us play with their preproduction test

buffer weight, buffer spring weight, gas

riles in more and more unconventional

rile during a group hog hunting trip in

port size, chamber dimensions, and

calibers for specialty applications.

Texas. The rile’s performance against

just about any other physical dimension

Enter Phoenix Weaponry in Colorado.

the Lone Star State’s four-legged

you can name. With the sheer volume

They’ve undertaken a number of out-

vermin didn’t disappoint. Before we talk

of technical data now available on

side-the-box projects and are bringing a

about that, a little history on where this

the rile’s performance in various

particularly unique big-bore AR to mar-

hard-hitting round came from.

NO TRAP DOORS WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN The renaissance of American small

with some regularity, this was heavily

and after the Civil War gave birth to a

dependent on proper range estimation

number of innovations in the realm of

and sight adjustment, as the original

shoulder-fired ballistics. Some of these

loadings could generate as much as 50

wound up relegated to the pages of

inches of bullet drop by the 400-yard

firearms oddity. Others turned out to

line. Minimum acceptable accuracy

be true milestones in the history of fire-

standards for the .45-70 set forth by

power. Most fell somewhere in between.

Springfield were a 4-inch group at 100

The .45-70 cartridge was developed by

yards, but it’s said that a more accom-

the U.S. Army’s Springfield Armory spe-

plished marksman could hit a 6x6-foot

cifically for use in their 1873 Trap Door

square out to 600 yards — a technique

rile. The original full nomenclature for

mainly used in mass volley fire, as the

the cartridge, 45-70-405, was derived

effective range on point targets was

from the load parameters — a .45-cali-

capped at 300 yards. Original loadings

ber slug, sitting atop 70 grains of black

pushed the aforementioned 405-grain

powder, weighing 405 grains.

bullet out of the muzzle around 1,300

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the earlier .50-70 cartridge that was,

REC O ILW E B .C O M

range was possible, and did occur

arms development that occurred during

The cartridge was a replacement for

While making accurate hits at long

feet per second. The .45-70 saw service across

from its outset, a temporary solution for

the western frontier throughout

Army requirements that saw less than

the entirety of the Indian Wars. In

a decade of service in the ranks. The

this capacity it gained an excellent

smaller .45-caliber cartridge was latter

reputation against both enemy

shooting with a longer range compared

forces and large game. Its military

to its bigger, short-lived brother. Note

service continued into the Spanish-

that “latter shooting” is used with a

American War, when the Army finally

large dash of relatively speaking. The

realized that its soldiers were severely

combination of a heavy slug and slow-

outgunned against an enemy with

burning black powder gave the .45-70 a

bolt-action repeating riles. The U.S.

rainbow trajectory.

Army had previously chosen the

NO TRAP DOORS Trapdoor Springfield over available

Since the original .45-70 cartridge

repeating designs, which the brass

sported a thick rim for breach loading

deemed wasteful of ammunition

riles, Phoenix Weaponry had some

and encouraging inaccurate fire. An

work to do in order to fit the round into

interesting piece of military trivia —

a box-fed autoloader. What they wound

the .45-70 can still be found aboard

up doing was to use a lathe to turn

U.S. Navy ships, in the form of blank

down the rim on genuine .45-70 brass.

cartridges used for line-throwing guns.

The result is a rimless case that’ll fit on

As a result of its successful

37 IS SUE

an AR-10 bolt face. While no commer-

performance on the plains, the .45-70

cially loaded ammunition is currently

gained popularity among sportsmen

available, you have two options to roll

and hunters of the time, with some

your own. If you already have a lathe to

medium and big game hunters using

modify original .45-70 brass, Phoenix

it even today. The almost-one-ounce

will sell you the form cutter. Or you can

lead pill has proven effective against

simply purchase pre-modified brass

traditionally difficult game, including

directly from them.

elk, buffalo, and grizzly bear. Because

From left to right: .45-70 Auto, .308, and .223.

Since we didn’t have any loading ma-

of this, several companies produce

terials on hand, they pre-loaded some

modern ammunition and repeating

test ammo for us. These rounds used a

riles for the round. Lever-action

325-grain Hornady FTX slug atop 53.5

carbines have been a staple guide

grains of IMR4198 powder. For refer-

gun among Alaskan bush hunters

ence, similar .458 SOCOM loadings use

and others who routinely encounter

only 36 grains of the same fuel. Result-

potentially aggressive large animals.

ing muzzle velocities out of an 18-inch

REC O ILW E B .C O M

64 As with most AR rifles, the Phoenix Weaponry .45-70 Auto is pretty adept in improvised shooting positions, but at nearly 10 pounds, this isn’t necessarily the irst AR we’d choose to carry around all day.

barrel were in the neighborhood of

in-house. Rail sections, sling mounts,

2,500 feet per second. The crew at

and hand stops can all be mounted

Phoenix has several other loads either

to it. Having said that, we’re not sure

already dialed in or in the works, includ-

why it wouldn’t have been simpler (and

ing a 250 grain FTX bullet traveling at

more convenient for the customer) to

2,700 feet per second and a 500-grain

make an MLOK pattern tube. It’s 15

DGX slug that, at time of writing, had

inches long, shown here on an 18-inch

yet to be chronographed.

barreled gun. Speaking of barrels, it’s interesting to note that this rile runs

THE LAUNCHER While the .45-70 Auto was designed

37 IS SUE

70 riles typically used a 1:20 twist

to run off an AR-10 bolt, and the rile

— logical, considering the increased

looks like an AR-10 from the outside,

velocities out of the autoloader. The

much of the rile is produced in house.

barrels themselves are 4140 CMV and

The receiver set, dust cover, hand-

button riled.

guard, trigger, and muzzle brake are all

a 1:14 twist barrel, while original .45-

Phoenix uses a mid-length gas

produced by Phoenix Weaponry. The

system on the 18-inch riles. If you

muzzle brake is what they call their

request a 20-inch or longer barrel, it’ll

chevron brake. We found it to be highly

be a rile length system. The BCG, buf-

effective and highly loud. Noise, lash,

fer, and buffer spring are all standard

and fireball are all exactly what you’d

AR-10 parts, which means owners will

expect from sending a ¾-ounce slug

be able to tune their recoil systems to

down range at Mach 2.

a specific load. Additionally, the charg-

The trigger on the test-bed rile

ing handle, furniture, and fire controls

tripped at just over 3 pounds with

are off-the-shelf as well. Feel free to

a touch of pre-travel before a crisp

add on your favorite bolt catch, mag

break. The handguard is also made

release, or selector lever. Our baptismal experience with the .45-70 Auto cartridge was at Quintanilla Ranch in Tilden, Texas. Lesson one: It’s not ideal on covered iring lines.

Phoenix Weaponry produces a number of parts for this gun in-house, including the dust cover, handguard, and teethrattling muzzle brake.

NO TRAP DOORS Magazines start life as standard AR10 boxes, but must be heavily modified by Phoenix Weaponry to actually feed the .45-70 Auto round. We asked about the modifications, but they’re playing that process tight to the vest. Once complete, you’ll get 6 rounds of .45-70 into a 10 round PMAG. We’re waiting patiently for them to perfect drum mags. Our test gun was cerakoted in FDE, but since these weapons will be made to order, you’ll be able to request the color or camo pattern of your choice.

ROUNDS DOWNRANGE We had the opportunity to take this gun out into the (hog) killing fields of

For a weapon of its size, our test gun was surprisingly easy to control.

west Texas during a team building hunt with Escondido Hunting at the scenic

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Quintanilla Ranch in Tilden, Texas. If

REC O ILW E B .C O M

you’ve never heard of Tilden … don’t worry … neither has anyone else. But the food was good, the people were great, and it let us witness firsthand the potency of 19th century ballistic genius. On the lat range, we were zeroed within five rounds. Our gun came with a Burris MTAC 1.5-6x42mm already mounted, which made things pretty easy at 100 yards and in. We also learned very quickly that this is not the gun you want to be shooting under a covered shooting position with people on either side of you — unless you hate those people. Recoil wasn’t nearly as stout as expected. The monster muzzle brake, softer-shooting mid-length gas system, and buffer/spring combination brought it down to a level that we would compare to an inertia-driven 12-gauge. Follow-up shots were definitely possible, though had to be executed judiciously. We did get lucky enough to take a single small hog with this rile. It was after sunset, and we didn’t have night vision. After hours of no activity, the author and RECOIL OFFGRID web editor Patrick McCarthy were getting ready to pack it up for the night when

No bacon to be brought home this particular afternoon. Even still, the .45-70 Auto is a potent pill against just about any North American game.

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HANDGUARD Lightweight and balanced, with fully customizable rail system.

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MUZZLE DEVICE Available with 3-prong flash hider or Barrett muzzle brake.

Shown with optional accessories.

NO TRAP DOORS they heard movement outside the blind. The shot was made through the MTAC’s illuminated reticle with Patrick using his EDC lashlight to illuminate the trio of hogs approximately 60 yards from the blind. The shot was far from ideal, catch-

Despite some custom dimensions and unique engineering, this rifle is still an AR at heart. All the controls will be intuitive for anyone who’s served in uniform or played irstperson shooter games.

ing a 40-ish-pound pig in the hindquarters. A smaller gun would’ve left the animal suffering. But at twice the speed of sound and then some, the 325-grain lex tip slug ended the ordeal in a matter of seconds — inverting the pig’s entire back end in the process. When the two of us, our guide, and Iain inspected the crime to the point of being almost comical.

goes into getting these guns to

Suffice to say that .45-70 Auto can be

function properly. But a price point

loaded to handle almost anything in

that’s halfway to five figures will make

the lower 48.

this gun a big-bore pipe dream for

there’s a lot of custom tuning that

The only limiting factor is price

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scene, the results were impressive

point. This rile is listed on Phoenix

will get reasonably close to aircraft-

Weaponry’s website at $4,800, a

grade firepower and be hard pressed

price tag that hits almost as hard as

to find themselves underpowered in

the .45-70 itself. We concede that

any situation.

SPEC BOX

REC O ILW E B .C O M

many. Those with the means, however,

PHOENIX WEAPONRY

CHRISTINE

CALIBER

.45-70 Auto

ACCESSORIES

BARREL LENGTH

Burris MTAC 1.5-6x42mm

$479

18 inches

OVERALL LENGTH

41 inches

WEIGHT (UNLOADED)

9.75 pounds

MAGAZINE CAPACITY

PRICE AS FEATURED

$ $5,279 MSRP

$ $4,800

URL

www.phoenixweaponry.com

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IS SU E

WE DIG IN (AND DREMEL) A BLACKHAWK! OMNIVORE

REC O ILW E B .C O M

BY DAVE MERRILL

Several years ago, Blackhawk

a Streamlight TLR-1/2, and one that

height of the thumb lock with one of

(Blackhawk!) released the Omnivore

accepts a SureFire X300/X300U. If

the two included spacers to fit your

universal holster. Quite frankly, we

you’re into InForce, Insight, Viridian, or

body and mounting position.

weren’t huge fans of the non-light

NC Star it isn’t for you. For this quick

bearing holster, because it involved

overview, we chose the SureFire model.

adding parts to pistol rails for the

Flipping the holster over we see the standard Blackhawk three-hole

This is a Level 2 retention holster

pattern. Don’t be mistaken that

locking mechanism. The light-

— before you ask, you disengage the

these will line up with Safariland

bearing Blackhawk Omnivore is

locking mechanism with your dominant

mounts; they won’t. As with most

another story entirely.

thumb, not your trigger finger as with

holsters though, a little bit of

the Serpa. Not even Chris Cerino can

Dremel love on a Safariland QLS lock

Blackhawk offers two different versions of the light-bearing

shoot himself with this one. Well,

Omnivore — one that accommodates

probably not. You can customize the

Oh. Look. It its a Glock 19. Of course.

allowed the Omnivore to clip right in. G-Code also makes adapter plates

EATING NEARLY EVERYTHING

The full kit comes with all the parts and pieces you need to customize. IS SUE 37

for many other platforms if you’re the

channel. The bottom of the holster is

meek type.

open, but not entirely. You may have

If you don’t want to go through

to break out that Dremel if you have a

all of that, the Blackhawk Omnivore

particularly long or compensated gun.

ships with both a paddle and belt

Structurally, this makes little difference.

attachments, with several holes to

One negative of the SureFire X300

allow for cant if desired. Changing the

and X300U-A Omnivore is that it isn’t

belt-slide width is done with a secure

compatible with the newer X300U-B

and clever mechanism that double locks

because its thumbscrew mount adds

into place.

more width than the holster can take.

Blackhawk claims that more than

With that said, many light-specific

150 pistols will fit into the Omnivore

holsters suffer from the same problem.

out of the box, and while we don’t

Furthermore, there’s a grippy rubber

have 150 pistols, nearly everything we

texture added to the outside of the

own that accepts an X300U fit into

holster; far as we can tell it’s meant to

the holster due to its generous size,

collect dust and pet hair, though that’s

including those with slide-mounted

just an aesthetic issue.

optics — with some modifications, we got them all to fit. There’s an awful lot of space inside this holster, and it sports a large sight

Hitting the thumb lock during the draw is fast and smooth. When reholstering, since this Omnivore locks onto the light itself, some accustomed to non-light

REC O ILW E B .C O M

The front sight channel is generous.

EATING NEARLY EVERYTHING The tiny S&W EZ locks in place, and is like throwing a hotdog down a hallway.

bearing holsters may have to practice leading with the weapon light itself. As far as getting the Omnivore to work with all pistols and silencers to boot? You guessed it: Dremel magic. Since the locking mechanism is all about the light, we simply cut off the entire top of the holster. Active locking hood rat race holster? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind if we do! This modification also makes the Omnivore more lexible, which means it became possible to rip/twist the pistol out of the holster. So, we made a channel for a zip-tie to increase rigidity â&#x20AC;&#x201D; we did say this was a hood rat race holster. Ultimately, we found the lightbearing Omnivore to be the best holster Blackhawk has made to date. Time will tell if it holds up over time,

IS SU E

and please, Blackhawk, release a

REC O ILW E B .C O M

professional version of our Hoodrat Race Holster.

Once we cut it like a third-world surgeon, suppressed pistols were no problem.

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Back in the dark ages of the 1990s, when Will Smith was still a young comedic actor, Gemtech began working on a specialpurpose suppressor. It had to be as small as possible, lightweight, and quiet. A lot of special and one-off items have been made for downed pilot survival kits â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Aurora would become one of them. Getting your grubbies on one of the originals was hard, but now thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a newer and better one out there: The Gemtech Aurora II. The first suppressor to be made in-house by new Gemtech parent company Smith & Wesson, these Auroras will actually hit the larger open market.

Several changes and improvements went into the Aurora II. First and most obvious is the exterior sleeve. It’s slotted and then

The internals are a palindrome of wipes

After a lot of testing and trial and error,

and spacers, so it makes zero difference

engineers at Gemtech determined that simply

which end of the Aurora II you use.

having the larger hole on either side actually

Less obvious are some of the internal

increased wipe longevity. The change in ma-

slightly bent in at the middle. This makes grip-

changes of the Aurora II versus the original.

terial and spacer design made for a tougher

ping the silencer to take it on or off exceed-

Firstly, it uses wipe material that is 85A du-

suppressor. How much? The original Aurora

ingly easy. Secondly, it’s tandem threaded

rometer polyurethane, much tougher than the

had an anticipated wipe life of 10 rounds

and bidirectional. Have a 9mm pistol threaded

original 65A material. Secondly, the spacers

when mounted on a service weapon — and

M13.5x1LH? There’s an end for that. Have a

are now bidirectional. While there were sev-

the Aurora II: 40.

9mm pistol in the preferred thread pattern

eral different versions of the original Aurora,

of the only nation to put a man on the moon,

depending on what year it was produced,

and light? At just 3.3 inches long and a scant

½x28? There’s an end for that too.

many had spacers with different openings

over 3 ounces, this can won’t crack any scales.

Did we mention that the Aurora II is small

on either end. The idea was that having the

Because it’s so small and light, no booster or

thread protectors and wrench lats that con-

muzzle-end hole slightly larger gave more

Nielsen device is needed even when used with

veniently fit into an AR armorer’s tool.

space for a wipe to cave into as it wore.

a Browning tilt-action barrel.

Each end comes complete with internal

79 REC O ILW E B .C O M

BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER

BY DAVE MERRILL

IS SUE

SIZE MATTERS —JUST NOT THE WAY YOU THINK

GEMTECH AURORA II

OLD TECHNOLOGY FOR NOVEL USES

IS SUE

Normally when we think of silenc-

REC O ILW E B .C O M

throw downrange work much in the same manner. There are definitely downsides to

We don’t care what consenting adults do, but this kind of docking is absolutely not recommended.

er. If you’ve ever heard about a suppressor being run “wet,” that’s in reference to an ablative media being used. After the Aurora II is packed with

ers that use wipes, old Mitch Werbell

wipes; they can’t be used very much

designs come to mind. Wipes can be

before replacement, accuracy can get

grease and fresh wipes, it can be

made from all manner of materials, so

thrown off considerably because the

tucked away for years without any wor-

long as it’s pliable enough to allow a

bullet passes through the material, and

ries of leakage or evaporation.

projectile to pass through but seals up

generally they aren’t as well suited for

fast enough to trap the explosive gases

modern weapons when compared to

behind. Those self-healing targets you

present-day options.

THE PROJECTILE PREDICAMENT While you may think that the Aurora

But of course there’s a but. You can

II might make for a nice little night-

make a silencer exceptionally small with

stand or carry can, you’ll have to pump

wipes and grease. As mentioned wipes

the brakes here. Because the projectile

help keep the gas sealed in, and the

passes through several wipes and some

grease is an ablative media — in other

grease along the way, even with the

words, a temporary performance enhanc-

X-aperture in the wipes themselves, the bullet strikes material on its way down range. This means hollow points or any other expanding ammunition are a no-go. To quote Gemtech, “guaranteed endcap strike.” Slightly further complicating matters is that only one side of the silencer threads off — if both sides came off, an endcap strike could be a quick fix. While our service men and women The internals are deceptively simple — and this is the cleanest they’ll ever be.

the world over largely carry ball ammunition in their pistols, we won’t pretend this is the best possible choice for defensive application.

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™

GEMTECH AURORA II

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AT THE RANGE

REC O ILW E B .C O M

HUSH. Ammunition with truncated

Exactly how long the wipes will

cone projectiles, like a lot of 147-grain

last in the Aurora II goes far beyond

on the market, will reduce the life span

the user manual. Supersonic rounds

of the wipes.

through a short pistol will wear out

Because we wanted to play with ex-

wipes faster than subsonic through a

tremes, we used supersonic 124-grain

duty-sized gun. The more powder you

NATO ammunition in a tricked out

have burning and blasting from the

micro-murder Glock 43, and 165-grain

muzzle, the shorter the life span.

HUSH ammunition out of a Glock 17.

The original Gemtech Aurora was

Differences were night and day. With

designed around subsonic Israeli

a 165-grain from a full-size pistol, we

158-grain ball ammunition. We can

were able to unload a full box of 50

confirm this load works very well, as

before the wipes gave way â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from the

does Freedom Munition 165-grain

G43, about 17 rounds.

800 -338-3220

HORNADY.COM

SHHH...TELL EVERYONE N E W

S U B S O N I C

A M M U N I T I O N

Hornady® Subsonic 300 Blackout ammunition is a high performance, true controlled expansion subsonic round. The Flex Tip® insert and optimized design of the new, patented SUB-X™ bullet help it to expand at subsonic velocities as low as 900 fps. The results are deep penetration and large wound channels with no loss of accuracy, proving that you don’t have to be fast and loud to make a big impact.

GEMTECH AURORA II an inch of polyurethane after exiting the

Glock-branded stress balls to sheep-

muzzle. Supersonic ammunition tended

skin to sleeping pads. Ultimately the

to delect less, but inconsistent wear of

original polyurethane was the best,

the wipes may also have some effect.

but leather ended up being something of a viable alternative — no huge sur-

LOOSE ROUNDS The original Aurora may have been developed for pilot escape and evaThe guts come out charred and smoked to perfection.

prise as many early silencers sported leather wipes. Compared to full-size pistol sup-

sion kits, but it soon found roles with

pressors, the Aurora II is maintenance

other parts of the defense apparatus.

heavy and has a whole lot of ammuni-

It isn’t terribly hard to imagine one

tion restrictions. But for the original

of these being employed against a

intended role and other government

sentry’s skull, making their brain the

special uses that came later down the

final bafle. Enough of these went to

line? Unparalleled. The very best part

specific SOCOM units that Gemtech

of the Aurora II isn’t simply the size or

was tasked with providing training on

how quiet it is, but the fact that you

field-expedient improvised insides.

can actually own and use one yourself

They tried everything from cut up

without crashing an F/A-18.

Even when the centers of the wipes

IS SU E

were blown out, there was still some

REC O ILW E B .C O M

(albeit small) suppressive effect. While subsonic ammunition can make any silencer sound pretty good, what surprised us about the Aurora II is that it worked exceptionally well with supersonic ammunition too. Once the silencer gets heated up and the grease starts burning off, it can get quite smoky at the range — so definitely ensure you have good ventilation if you’re partaking indoors. Accuracy was very dependent on the pistol and load as well; remember we’re talking about blowing though a total of

When the wipes go, the centers are completely removed. If you take off your Aurora and can see through it, it’s time for new guts.

GEMTECH AURORA II CALIBER:

9mm

MATERIAL:

Aluminum and stainless steel LENGTH:

3.3 inches DIAMETER:

1.125 inches WEIGHT:

3.2 ounces MSRP:

$399

URL:

gemtech.com

GEMTECH AURORA II

MAKING REPLACEMENT WIPES The best suggested practice for replac-

1. Disassemble the Aurora II.

ing the wipes in your Aurora II is to send

Destroy and dispose of spent

it in to Gemtech. For $30, they’ll put in

wipes. Clean spacers if

brand-new factory wipes, grease it up

needed (being a little dirty is

properly, and send it on back. However, if

no problem).

WARNING! The BATFE has notiied manufacturers that suppressors and suppressor parts, including suppressor wipes, are federally regulated devices and can only be manufactured by specially licensed irearms manufacturers.

you’re a type 02/07 Special Occupational Taxpayer (SOT) FFL, you can legally make

2. Using your BFH and arch

new wipes without any questions or hassle.

punch, cut eight wipes from

Legal stuff aside and without further ado:

your PU. A cutting board makes this job easier and will also keep your punch

TOOLS & MATERIALS 15

⁄ 16-inch hammer driven arch punch

(McMaster-Carr #3427A23)

sharp for a longer period of time.

Craft knife 37

3. Use your craft knife (or

grease is a viable, yet unpreferred,

½-inch cold chisel) to cut

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Petroleum jelly (premium synthetic alternative)

an “X” through the center

BFH

of the wipes. Pair each wipe

REC O ILW E B .C O M

with another, using a dab of

Gloves 12x12-inch sheet of ⁄ 8 -inch-thick

petroleum jelly to stick them

polyurethane (PU) rubber, 80A hardness

together. Each cut “X” should

(McMaster Carr #8789K21); enough for

be offset 45 degrees from

well over 100 wipes, but you can buy in

one another.

any quantity 4. Pack the outside and inside Notes: OEM Gemtech wipes are water-jet

channels of your spacers

cut. However, these instructions closely

with the petroleum jelly.

follow Gemtech-founder Dr. Phil Dater’s

Also apply jelly to the top

instructions for original Aurora wipes.

and bottom of each spacer

You also have some options regarding

for the best seal with the

tools and materials. For example, the PU

wipes.

hardness for OEM wipes is 85A, which we found more difficult to source. The 80A

5. Assemble the silencer. The

is an easy alternative with only slightly

guts consist of eight wipes

reduced longevity.

stacked together in four

Additionally, if you already have a 1-inch

pairs, with three spacers.

arch punch (McMaster-Carr # 3427A24)

The order of assembly is

that’ll also work — but you’ll need to use

wipes-spacer-wipes-spacer-

a dowel to press it. Both sizes are equally

wipes-spacer-wipes.

as effective. Another optional tool is a sharp ½-inch cold chisel (McMaster-Carr

6. If you’ve used a 1-inch

#3575A22) in lieu of a craft knife; while

arch punch rather than a

it isn’t more effective, it does look nicer.

15/16th, use a dowel to

Neatness doesn’t count terribly much here

press fit. Replace the front

in regards to performance though.

cap and enjoy!

PRECISION ENGINEERED // RUGGED FIBERGLASS CONSTRUCTION // DESERT TAN FINISH

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You’ve put your heart and soul into the SHUIHFW ULÁH EXLOG 6KRXOGHU LW ZLWK SULGH 7KLV LV WKUHH JHQHUDWLRQV RI VXSHULRU LQQRYDWLRQ 7KLV LV D OLIHWLPH RI SHUIRUPDQFH This is McMillan.

EXPANDING 300 BLACKOUT SUBSONIC AMMO IS SUE

BY IAIN HARRISON PHOTOS BY KENDA LENSIEGNE

mented by cutting back the jacket tip on an SMK

subsonic prowess for tasks other than punching

and then boring out the meplat, thinking that this

paper. Common subsonic loads, even if tipped

would be enough to induce expansion. Great the-

with a fragile match bullet such as the ubiquitous

ory, sucks in practice. Gel testing confirmed that

220-grain Sierra Matchking, plow 0.30-inch

it performs no better than an unaltered bullet, so

diameter holes straight through leshy targets and

why waste the effort? Cutting to the chase, we

keep on truckin’ right into the next inconveniently

rounded up a small selection of expanding subs.

located piece of real estate.

Note there are a few more companies who offer

We’ve tried bullets that in other applications

bullets for you to roll your own (Cutting Edge, for

are positively explosive. Hornady’s 208-grain

example), but as work has displaced gentle-paced

A-Max, for example, fragments violently when

pursuits like reloading, we’d often rather pay in

shoved out the muzzle at even .308 Win veloci-

money than time.

ties, but from a Blackout you might as well be

If you decide that a subsonic 300 BLK fills

using a DeWalt. Getting a .30-cal to expand

your requirements for a stealthy hog slayer, or

reliably at around 1,000 feet per second requires

you’ve settled on that caliber for home defense

a specialized projectile, and they’re not exactly

duties, then you might want to avail yourself of

inexpensive.

our buyer’s guide below.

AMMO

MEAN VELOCITY 16-INCH BBL

MEAN VELOCITY 9-INCH BBL

PENETRATION

EXPANDED DIAMETER

ORIGINAL BULLET WEIGHT

RETAINED WEIGHT

GROUP SIZE

Fort Scott

1,047

936

15.5

0.308

190

189.8

2.55

Gorilla

1,035

Hornady

1,150

943

17.5

0.933

205

204.9

0.88

1,017

0.585

190

170.2

Lehigh

0.75

1,150

1,034

0.550

194

180.5

0.74

Noveske

1,177

1,004

0.551

220

190.8

1.35

SSA

1,156

1,022

0.468

220

187.8

1.32

91 REC O ILW E B .C O M

Being cheap bastards, in times past we experi-

point at which you try to take advantage of its

300 BLK has a lot going for it, right up to the

FORT SCOTT 190-GRAIN SCS BRUSH HOG $1.30 / ROUND Ever heard of these guys? Neither had we, until we walked into a gun store near San Antonio, Texas, where the counter jockeys assured us they were well regarded by local hog hunters. Intrigued, we bought a couple of boxes for testing. Unlike the rest of the projectiles in this test, these are non-expanding, relying for their wounding abilities on becoming unstable in media more dense than air. Gasp! The fabled M16 tumbling bullet! Despite a healthy dose of skepticism, they turned in a decent performance, coming to rest after 180 degrees of lippage and 15.5 inches of penetration in bare gel, with the bullet’s base just barely under the back end of the block. Fort Scott seems to be using a set of dies that diverges from industry norms, which resulted in a misfire rate of around 50 percent in our bolt gun — the only sample to do so. On examining the case shoulder (which, in 300 BLK, is even less significant than Chuck Schumer’s dick) it would appear that it’s both steeper and shorter than competitive brands, allowing the case just enough room to shift forward under firour AR, though.

IS SUE

ing pin impact. It ran fine in

REC O ILW E B .C O M

TESTING PROTOCOL All loads were tested for velocity using both 16- and 9-inch barreled weapons. A Remington 700, equipped with a Nightforce ATACR 4-16x42 and SilencerCo Omega was employed as our longer rifle, and it was this combo that we also used for accuracy and gel testing. Five-shot groups were shot at 50, rather than 100, yards as we felt this was a realistic distance for subsonic use. The shorty gun was our budget hog hammer — a franken AR built on a Gibbz side charging upper and equipped with a Maxim Defense PDW pistol brace. Note that all loads except the Fort Scott and Gorilla offerings were supersonic from the 16-inch barrel. Velocity readings were taken using a Caldwell G2 chronograph, which has the useful ability to store data on your phone via Bluetooth. Chrono was set up 10 feet from the muzzle, ambient temp was 69 degrees at 2,100 feet elevation, and gel testing was performed using two, 16-inch Clear Ballistics gel blocks, placed end to end.

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BLACKOUT BUYER’S GUIDE GORILLA AMMO 205-GRAIN SILVERBACK $1.95 / ROUND Gorilla’s monolithic projectile features

HORNADY 190-GRAIN SUB-X $1.15 / ROUND Announced in December 2017 and released for

a gaping hollow point, which initiates

sale three months later, Hornady added an expanding

pretty healthy expansion after about 3

subsonic bullet to its existing five Blackout offerings.

inches of penetration in gel. One of the

Built to their usual standards, the bullet features

two loads achieving subsonic velocities

a red polymer tip to initiate expansion, a detail no

from our 16-inch bolt gun, it’s mouse-

doubt familiar to users of their Critical Duty line of

fart quiet even in longer barrels. Not only

pistol ammo. In our test rile, it proved to be an ac-

did it retain all its weight after impact,

curate and consistent performer, and if a lone lyer

but petals on the copper bullet remained

were discounted, would’ve turned in a 0.36-inch

sharp enough to nick careless fingers

group. Of the conventional jacket-and-core projectiles

when pulling it from the gel block. Ac-

in this test, it was the only one not to separate. Note,

curacy was plenty good for dispatching

however, that some polymer mags may have prob-

critters at subsonic ranges.

lems in presenting the blunt tip high enough to make it up the feed ramp in your favorite semi auto. Either use regular old GI versions or Magpul’s 300 BLKspecific offering.

LEHIGH DEFENSE 194-GRAIN MAXIMUM EXPANSION $2 / ROUND Lehigh’s wicked-looking solid copper bullets turned in an admirable performance, expanding as advertised and growing sharp, symmetrical talons when shot into gel. When dug out, they showed evidence that the fast twist barrels of our test guns would’ve caused additional tissue damage, as they screwed their way through the medium — in this case making three complete revolutions before coming to rest after shedding a petal. Those wanting additional penetration should consider Lehigh’s loading; it exceeds the FBI protocol, but if you encounter bigger hogs it affords a margin of safety on quartering shots.

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BLACKOUT BUYER’S GUIDE NOVESKE / NOSLER 220-GRAIN BALLISTIC TIP $2.25 / ROUND Averaging 20-fps faster than the otherwise similar SSA load, this collaboration between two of Oregon’s most respected gun companies is unmistakable with its ominously dark finish. Accuracy was good enough for the task at hand, and the bullet core achieved 17 inches of penetration, after parting company with the remaining jacket around the 15-inch mark. About 30-grains worth of ballistic payload was shed in total, leaving a smoky-looking trail through our gel block as

IS SU E

it threw off particles of lead and copper.

REC O ILW E B .C O M

96 SSA 220-GRAIN BALLISTIC TIP $1.80 / ROUND Silver State Ammo was acquired by Nosler in 2013, and we suspect that both this load and the Noveske/Nosler above use the same bullet, with a different polymer tip and coating. Group size was almost identical to the Nosler load, and both bullets separated from their remaining jackets after 12 to 14 inches of penetration in bare gel. As this meets the FBI requirements, we don’t see this as a negative for defensive use, because both resulting fragments penetrate sufficiently to reach vital organs.

37 IS SU E REC O ILW E B .C O M

Patrick Boelens/istockphoto.com

SIG CRACKS THE CODE ON GETTING A SUPER SHORT-BARRELED RIFLE TO RUN BY IAIN HARRISON PHOTOS BY STRAIGHT 8

IS SUE

let you be the judge of its likelihood,

to a combination of jetlag, a strong

but there’s not much point in incurring

According to company lore, a SIG

British accent, and, no doubt, the

the development costs involved in

Brit military propensity for attempting

chopping down the already petite

to drink everyone under the table,

MCX, unless there’s a real operational

representative, on a business trip to the place where Great

the rep believed his interlocutor

need from a legit end user. Going from

asked by a certain

to have referred to the 9mm MPX,

a 9-inch to a 5.5-inch barrel requires

Army unit what the

which he said can indeed ship with a

more than just busting out the angle grinder and hacksaw.

Britain used to be, was

shortest-barrel option

4.5-inch tube in its most truncated

was for the MCX, as

form. “Alrighty then!” proclaimed

they wanted something

our transatlantic brother. “We’ll

ian version of the Rattler last year, but

small enough to fit

take a bunch of them. Oh, and

we’ve instituted an editorial policy that

it’s your round.” It wasn’t until his

no gun from a major manufacturer will

return to New Hampshire that the

be evaluated until it’s in final produc-

misunderstanding was realized, but

tion format. There are always problems

by that time the engineering team

in going from the limited run, hand-

had already accepted the challenge

made guns you’ll find at a media event

of making the world’s smallest select

to the version that ends up on the

fire rile.

shelves of your local gun store. While

inside the glovebox of a BMW, while

Now, the preceding account may or

We attended the launch of the civil-

we appreciate the opportunity to get

may not be true, but why let the truth

hands on as early as possible, it’s un-

stand in the way of a good story? We’ll

usual for there not to be changes made

99 REC O ILW E B .C O M

still chambered in a rile caliber. Due

from a miscommunication. Allegedly.

Our cover gun this issue was born

IS SU E

RATTLER!

REC O ILW E B .C O M

100

between first showing and retail. You’ll

At last year’s launch event,

find coverage of new product launches

SIG personnel indicated

THE BASICS The Rattler is a short-stroke, piston-

at RecoilWeb.com and RECOILtv, but

that the version spec’d across the

driven semiauto, feeding from familiar

we’ll reserve full reviews in print for

pond would also be available, but

STANAG-pattern box magazines.

the finished product.

thankfully, sanity has prevailed for

Designed to offer better ballistic

In its current format, the Rattler is

the US market, and the 5.56 option

performance than a submachine gun,

offered in two configurations, namely

is not currently cataloged. We can’t

but from a smaller package, it features

think of a practical application of a

a two-position gas regulator for use with

5.5-inch barreled 5.56 gun, unless

a suppressor, full-length M1919 top rail,

the idea is to simultaneously deafen

and free-loating handguard.

a factory SBR with folding stock and a pistol with a collapsible brace, both chambered in 300 Blackout. We requested the pistol version, as it’s transferable as a Title 1 firearm and can be carried across state lines without a, “Mother May I?” letter from the BATFE.

Field stripping is very straightforward and should be second nature to anyone who’s ever maintained an AR. No need to strip BCG to this level for routine cleaning, as piston operation keeps it fairly clean.

your opponent while setting him on

The MCX platform on which the

fire. Then again, we’ve run a 12-

Rattler is based went through some

inch .308 in three-gun competition

pretty significant changes last year in

this year, so perhaps they’re onto

order to reach a 20,000 round service

something.

life, and the tiny rile benefited from

RATTLER!

Pic rail and MLOK make the most out of limited accessory space.

breaking at around 9 pounds. It’s a real letdown on a gun that’s supposed to retail for almost 3 grand. The Rattler does, however, retain its parent’s anti-wear features, such as replaceable, hardened steel cam track reinforcement and feed ramps, as well as steel pins where the charging handle latches make contact on the upper receiver. The barrel is replaceable at the user level, retained by two Torx-headed cross bolts. Compared to an AR-15, there’s a definite feeling of solidity and longevity to the MCX upper, like it’s designed to last a couple of lifetime’s worth of hard use. Which it

should, given the price difference. IS SU E

The Rattler’s handguard locks into the upper by means of two grooves cut into the sides, below the Pic rail, and is secured in place by a lug

REC O ILW E B .C O M

102 most of them. Taking cues from Knight’s Armament and their E3 bolt, the SIG part now has rounded, tapered lugs, rather than the original Stoner-pattern square numbers. This eliminates stress risers and largely prevents the familiar AR-15 failure point at the lugs closest to the extractor. There’s an additional safety feature as well, in the form of a firing pin block actuated by the hammer, so if you’re in the habit of dropping your rile muzzle down it’ll go clunk, rather than bang. Another significant advance was the adoption of a two-stage trigger, which felt very much like the excellent Geissele SSA. Unfortunately, this has not been carried over to the Rattler. Our test gun has one of the worst GI-style bang switches we’ve encountered in the past few years; gritty, notchy, and

Legacy MCX carrier group top, Rattler below. Note shortened carrier extension due to gas piston location and ramped bolt locking surfaces.

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captured by the front takedown pin. It’s a neat system lending itself to swapping out components at will, if you’re prepared to live with a large gap in front of the gas block — other MCX handguards are designed around sensible-length barrels. One aspect of the handguard’s construction we didn’t much care for, however, was its inability to accept most non-SIG suppressors. Its inside dimensions are just a hair smaller than the 1.5-inch outside diameter of many direct-thread cans, while the position of the barrel’s tapered shoulder means the suppressor has to enter the handguard in order to tighten. One can we found to be a halfway decent option for those wanting to run subsonic ammo only was SilencerCo’s Osprey 45K, which when turned upside down looks like it was made for just this application. While it’s hearing safe, it doesn’t have the kind of Hollywood-quiet levels of suppression you might expect from a 300 BLK, as the bore is sized for wider projectiles.

ROUNDS DOWNRANGE The question foremost in our mind when we headed to the range was what sort of performance compromise did we have to make in order to use this ridiculously small package. Although 300 BLK was developed with short barrels in mind, the AR-15 wasn’t, and our perception of tiny riles pretending to be pistols has been colored by experience with them. While it’s entirely possible

Two position gas piston throttles back carrier speed when dealing with a can. This Gemtech almost fits, but needs a shim set to avoid bottoming out on the handguard.

RATTLER!

With the third interpretation of the ATF’s position regarding arm braces still in effect, we wonder why anyone would go to the trouble of filing a Form 1.

to get 7.5-inch barreled direct

22LR, for example. Hell, for that

for a set of dudes who spend a lot

impingement guns to work, it’s a case

matter, a good 22, whether it has

time practicing to shoot bad guys in

of not much, not often. Short-stroke

a can or not. But there are others

the face at close range. If you want a

piston operation is another matter,

passed off as ideal for the new gun

semiauto to serve in as many different

and as SIG managed to get the 9mm

owner by idiots who have no business

scenarios as possible — the kind of

MPX to run reliably using this system,

dispensing advice. A good example of

gun that will always be a solid choice

we were hoping their engineering mojo

this would be anyone recommending

no matter if the job entails defending

had carried over to its big brother.

a J-frame Smith to a novice female

home and hearth, putting meat in

CCW candidate, a practice that reeks

the freezer, or going up against your

of condescension in the worst way.

buddies in a friendly competition at

The Rattler falls into the latter

the range, then a 16-inch-barreled

Bottom line up front: This isn’t a beginner’s gun. There are certainly some firearms that the owner can shoot as a novice

category — it’s a specialist weapon

black rile of whatever’s your favorite

and will never outgrow. A suppressed

developed for specific circumstances

lavor will never be a bad choice.

Thankfully, SIG steered clear of the temptation to thread the Rattler’s muzzle in some bastard metric thread pattern, unlike the MPX. This one takes 5/8x24 devices.

The Rattler is not that gun. That said, if you trust yourself not to place your support hand anywhere other than on the very limited amount of surface area immediately in front of the magwell, it’s a frickin’ riot. You too can benefit from the engineering prowess of a major firearms manufacturer that was tasked with creating the smallest possible rifle for a tiny group whose lives depended on it. If you have a tendency to go full Costa on any long gun you shoulder, well that would be a selfcorrecting problem. There’s quite literally no room for error, and should you make the mistake of grabbing the fore end just a teensy bit north of where you should, at minimum escaping gasses will tear meat from bone; otherwise, you’ll get that benefit, plus a .30 caliber hole where it shouldn’t be.

The Rattler would be even more compact with a side folder, which would be our preference.

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IS SU E

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Now that we’ve been all paternal

REC O ILW E B .C O M

110

and responsible — oh, and get

Going to a 1-in-5 twist barrel (no,

a hand stop, kids — how does

that’s not a misprint) spins the lanky

it actually perform? Recoil is

heavyweights fast enough to keep

surprisingly soft. Ejection is to the

them pointing the right way. Accuracy

3 o’clock position when shooting

hovers around 3 MOA with factory

supersonic rounds without a

ammo, a number we think could be

suppressor, and the low reciprocating

improved upon, were it not for that

mass doesn’t disturb the sight

god-awful trigger.

picture as much as you’d expect from See that sling loop poking out? It’s annoying as f@ck and should be the first target of your trusty Dremel.

bullets were adequately stabilized.

a short-barreled AR. One of the metrics we use when

As a home-defense weapon, the Rattler with a short, 300 BLK suppressor would be hard to beat. It’s

assessing reliability in this caliber

short enough to easily maneuver

is whether the gun will run when

around furniture, won’t blow out your

unsuppressed and fed subsonic

eardrums should you have to use it

ammunition. Without backpressure

indoors, has 30 problem solvers on

from a can, there’s usually

hand, and delivers enough on-target

insufficient gas volume and pressure

energy to ensure problems stay

to cycle the action, but in this case

solved. It’s also a great option in

it seemed to work just fine. We

its intended role that of a compact,

did encounter a couple of failures

“get the f*ck off me” gun for vehicle

to lock back the bolt on an empty

passengers in low-vis operations. It’ll

magazine, but no failures to feed

never replace a 16-inch barreled car-

or eject were apparent. It’s notable

bine as a do-all rifle, but it’s surpris-

that despite the reduction in velocity

ingly capable, despite the specialized

from the short barrel, subsonic

niche for which it was designed.

IS GREEN THE NEW FDE? BY ADAM KRAUT AND LARS SMITH PHOTOS BY LARS SMITH INTRODUCTION BY ADAM KRAUT, ESQ. IS SUE 37

EDITOR'S NOTE: It may be surprising to

Whatever you call it, Cannabis has been subject to regulation since the early 1900s. It wasn’t until the 1930s

legalized some form of

that marijuana was addressed at the federal level —

marijuana use — and

around the same time the federal government imposed

one of the four remaining

restrictions on individual’s Second Amendment rights.

states decriminalized it.

The 1970s brought a number of changes to

While medicinal use is not

the United States, including a significant event

the free-for-all of California

for marijuana. Oregon became the first state to

or Colorado, it effectively

decriminalize cannabis in 1973. Other states quickly

demonstrates that nearly

followed. Nearly two decades later, California became

every state disagrees with,

the first state to legalize medical marijuana. Over the

and disregards, federal law

past 20 years, 29 states and the District of Columbia

pertaining to marijuana. You don’t have to like marijuana. You don’t have

have followed California’s footsteps, legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes. Lately, marijuana, particularly the medicinal variety,

to like the people or the

has been thrust into the same limelight as firearms.

culture that surrounds

Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I narcotic,

marijuana. But if you love guns and freedom, you should support marijuana reform.

meaning that the Drug Enforcement Agency believes the drug has no currently accepted medical use (although the majority of states disagree) and has a high potential for abuse. As federal law prohibits an unlawful user of a controlled substance from possessing firearms or ammunition, people who may benefit from medical marijuana are forced to choose between their medicine and an enumerated constitutional right.

113 REC O ILW E B .C O M

hear, but 46 states have

Pot. Grass. Dope. Weed. Reefer. Ganja. Marijuana.

MARIJUANA USAGE BY STATE

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Recreational Use Medical Use Illegal for Any Use, but Decriminalized Illegal for Any Use

REC O ILW E B .C O M

114

While the debate regarding marijuana

Marijuana may not be everyone’s

is far from settled, there’s a clear trend

cup of tea. However, it’s incumbent

emerging. Many states and people be-

upon us all to take note of the battle

issue. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,

lieve marijuana offers a valid medicinal

of states’ rights when it comes to

Firearms and Explosives has taken the

use, as evidenced by the legalization of

cannabis. It can be distilled down to a

position that anyone who has a medical

the plant in a number of jurisdictions.

simple phrase found in a lesser-quoted

marijuana card, regardless of whether

While there are gun owners who believe

amendment. “The powers not delegated

there's an indication they actually utilize

marijuana is the “devil’s lettuce,” it’s

to the United States by the Constitution,

it, falls under the prohibition found

important to consider the implications

nor prohibited by it to the States, are

under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3). The

of adopting such a position — fel-

reserved to the States respectively, or to

agency even revised the ATF Firearm

low citizens are denied the ability to

the people.” United States Constitution,

Transfer Form 4473 to add the following

exercise an enumerated constitutional

Amendment X.

language, “Warning: The use or pos-

right based on, in many cases, the use

session of marijuana remains unlawful

of a plant for medicinal purposes. Yet,

under Federal law regardless of whether

opioids and their derivatives, which are

it has been legalized or decriminalized

arguably more dangerous, bring about

for medicinal or recreational purposes in

no such implications for one’s constitu-

the state where you reside.”

tional rights.

Under the Obama administration, the DEA refused to reschedule marijuana, which would have alleviated this

Way more states disregard federal law than you may have thought.

Patrick Henry said it best,

“GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH.” Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

GUNS, WEED, AND STATE’S RIGHTS

STRAIN

Photo by Henry Glover

GUIDE BY LARS SMITH

You’ve probably heard cannabis is

Indica: Gives a “Jeff Spicoli” high,

Commercial farming practices in legal states make for tremendously large and healthy plants.

CBD: This is a substance, rather than a subspecies. Growers have bred

stronger these days than it was in the

with effects like couchlock, munchies,

’70s, and while the breathless media

and “Wait, we watched all 20 seasons

attention makes one wonder if there

of South Park?” Also known for relief

might be a standard-capacity magazine

of pain, insomnia, anxiety, anorexia,

them effectively non-psychoactive and

hidden in every bud, they don’t have

nausea, muscle spasms, and more.

giving CBD a promising medical future.

for it, and you can now find strains that have a 9:1 CBD to THC ratio, making

it entirely wrong: It turns out selective

Sativa: Invigorates, encourages

Cancer, inlammation, gastrointestinal

breeding still works on plants, even if

creativity, and makes outdoorsy activities

issues, seizures, joint problems, and

the government doesn’t like them.

more fun. Want to take a hike, write,

more have all seen some relief with

draw, or chat with your dog for 45 min-

CBD treatment in preliminary studies.

able today are indica, sativa, hybrids

utes straight? Introverted? Depressed?

Receiving a treatment without getting

of both, and CBD-heavy strains.

Have trouble socializing? Sativa. You still

stoned is a big benefit.

They have differing ranges of effect,

shouldn’t drive or go wandering off on a

which can generally be characterized

backpacking trip stoned just because it’s

and price will vary by phenotype, grower,

by subspecies. Growing conditions,

a sativa, but it’s far less impairing than

testing facility, retailer, and geographic

weather, genetics, and random chance

an equivalent indica.

region. Strains described in this guide

The major subspecies of weed avail-

can significantly alter the perceived

Strains: THC/CBD concentrations

are presented with typical concentrations

Hybrids: Exactly what they sound

effects of buds from plant to plant, so

like — crossbreeds of indica and sativa.

these characterizations are more like

They’re usually described as being indica

well-defined guidelines, than hard and

or sativa dominant, letting you know

fast rules.

what to expect.

and pricing. Your local dispensary may or No, not some backwoods sketchy grow operation.

may not have these specific strains, but usually they can guide you toward offerings with similar characteristics.

Photo by Henry Glover

SATIVA

CINEX

GUNS, WEED, AND STATE’S RIGHTS

STRAIN LINEAGE Cinex is a sativa, bred from a sativa/hybrid cross of Vortex/ Cinderella 99

NOSE Strongly citrus, with a heavy undertone of diesel and wet dirt.

RECREATIONAL EFFECTS An excellent example of everything sativas have to offer, Cinex is an outstanding way to start any day you don’t have to go to work. Creativity and energy will be plentiful, and if you pair it with a cup of coffee, you’ll deinitely have the drive to follow through on all those ideas.

MEDICAL BENEFITS Not particularly effective for pain relief, but it does help with aches. Overall, the impact targets the mind, rather than the body, as is common with sativa strains. Look for mood elevation and stress management with this strain, which it delivers nicely without being too intoxicating right off the bat.

DOWNSIDES Like most buds, these will dry out your mucous membranes, and of those reviewed here, this strain felt the highest on the “added anxiety” scale. Though to be fair, paranoia is a much less common trait of weed these days, as everyone tries to breed it out of their products. Don’t be afraid, but keep this in mind — if you have something in particular weighing on you, perhaps skip the Cinex this time around. Cinex is on the cheaper end of the scale, because it has a relatively middling overall THC content. But don’t let that fool you: if you’re looking for something to pair with a board game, a walk in the park, or maybe some time with a camera or a sketchpad, this is a great place to start.

REC O ILW E B .C O M

STRAIN LINEAGE Bred from the pride of Ohio's cannabis cultivation, Fresh Squeezed is a combination of Lemon G (sativa) and Face-Off OG (indica). It's another example of what a good sativa should be, winning 1st Place seat in the 2017 Oregon Cannabis Classic. While technically a hybrid, it’s included as a sativa because the indica effects are minimal.

NOSE Sweet, mulch, citrus, but orange instead of lemon. It smells like clementines and wet dog

RECREATIONAL EFFECTS Sativa up front here, with energy and positivity to spare: this strain is touted for its depression ighting ability. A pleasant body high accompanies this, while keeping anxiety or paranoia at bay and helping you relax while you talk or draw.

MEDICAL BENEFITS Deinitely good for mood/attitude adjustment. This is a wellregarded antidepression strain, and if you have a hole you need to crawl out of or just want to brighten your day a bit, reach for Fresh Squeezed.

DOWNSIDES If you guessed dry mouth, you win. Munchies might be an issue for some as well.

OVERALL A strong, balanced, yet notably sativa-dominant choice that demonstrates the positive medical properties of a carefully cultivated strain, without going too hard in any one direction.

(22.27% THC 0.06% CBD) TYPICAL PRICE: $11/GRAM

FRESH SQUEEZED

(14-20% THC) TYPICAL PRICE: $8/GRAM

116

SATIVA

IS SU E

OVERALL

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INDICAS

OBAMA KUSH

GUNS, WEED, AND STATE’S RIGHTS

STRAIN LINEAGE Like many strains these days, this isn’t pure — it has a good bit of sativa heritage mixed in, but its effects land it squarely in indica territory. A child of the highly regarded Afghan (indica) and OG Kush (sativa hybrid), this strain attempts to give you all the hope and change you could want, so long as it’s in your couch.

NOSE Very sweet, with a bit of woody, earthy, wet forest underneath. Quite pleasant and much more delicate than expected. If hippies smelled like this, they’d get a lot less sh*t from people.

RECREATIONAL EFFECTS This strain lets you know it’s an indica right up front. Calm, euphoric, and silly are phrases that come to mind. It’s Afghan parentage is apparent, and you should consider where you are when you smoke it, because you’ll be there for a while. This isn’t entirely Spicoli territory as OG Kush elevates the level of discourse above Cheetos versus Funyons, while also keeping you from passing the hell out.

MEDICAL BENEFITS Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you actually stop feeling pain, or if you just don’t care anymore, but the net effect is the same. Loosened joints, vanishing stiffness, and the ability to pop parts of your skeleton you forgot could move are high on the list here.

DOWNSIDES Desertiication is a global problem, and you’re going to feel it in your face after Obama is done with you. Dry eyes/mouth are common side effects, but this strain delivers a little extra.

A well-regarded indica that holds you back from the edge of becoming a stoner movie caricature. The strong indica high, balanced by a lack of munchies and sedation, makes for a more functional, but pleasantly strong effect.

IS SU E

OVERALL

(15.8% THC) TYPICAL PRICE: $9/GRAM

Cactus is a blend of the always popular Afghan (indica), and one of the most famous strains in North America, Northern Lights (indica). It was among the 1st Place winners in the 2012 High Times Cannabis Cup.

NOSE Strong. Not unpleasant, or overly skunky, but skunk deinitely comes to mind. It’s balanced by a dash of lemon and a mellowing undertone of wet soil.

RECREATIONAL EFFECTS An indica through and through, this is deinitely the Jeff Spicoli of the bunch. A mellow, jovial time is to be expected with Cactus, with sleepy and dopey catching up the more you partake. If you want to relax after a long day, don’t have anywhere to go, and, depending on how hard you hit it, plan on going to sleep soon, Cactus would rarely fail to please.

MEDICAL BENEFITS Pain and insomnia are the irst to go down after a round with Cactus. This is a widely regarded painkiller strain, and it has been known to help with migraines and joint swelling as well. This could easily replace a nighttime regimen of ibuprofen and sleeping pills.

DOWNSIDES “I swear I’m not being lazy” and dry mouth and eyes are the side effects that seems hardest to breed out. As with all high-yield indicas, dizziness is a potential issue, especially if you overindulge. Headaches can follow as well, so be sure you don’t blow yourself out of the water with this stuff. Note that it, as is more common with indicas, will probably make you hungry, so either eat irst, or go get some snacks before you settle in.

OVERALL Cactus is highly respected as a painkiller and knockout strain, and if you just want to veg out and have a good time, it’ll do that just as well. Just be sure to bring the chips, and don’t stand up too quickly.

(29-32% THC 0.08%CBD) TYPICAL PRICE: $11/GRAM

CACTUS

STRAIN LINEAGE

INDICA

REC O ILW E B .C O M

118

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Black Rhino Barstow

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Method MR312

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HYBRID

XJ-13XPENNYWISE

GUNS, WEED, AND STATE’S RIGHTS

STRAIN LINEAGE This is a unique one, bred from XJ-13, a sativa dominant hybrid that’s well regarded as a clear-headed, intellectual high great for social occasions or deep conversations, and Pennywise, a high-CBD hybrid known for treatment of epilepsy, arthritis, and the side effects of neurological disorders or PTSD. This results in a lightly intoxicating 4/3 CBD to THC ratio that achieves the medical beneits of CBD while retaining the pleasant, uplifting, and mood elevating properties you’d expect from a sativa.

NOSE Surprisingly subtle, with some strong pine overtones, and a sweet floral/fallen log aspect that softens what would otherwise be a bit like diluted turpentine. Not your usual skunky weed.

RECREATIONAL EFFECTS The XJ-13 is noticeable, with positive attitude adjustment up front, and a desire to start doing something fun. CBD has little to no psychoactive effect beyond a very mild “one beer” type of loosening up, so not much to report on the Pennywise half. Overall impact is that of a very light sativa.

MEDICAL BENEFITS Pain relief! Sore muscles and joints become noticeably less vocal, and overall stress levels bottom out pretty well.

DOWNSIDES Dry everything. Get a big glass of water, and if you wear contacts, consider switching to glasses. An excellent example of what crossbreeding can accomplish, this lightweight packs a strong medical punch while maintaining a light buzz that doesn’t leave you wondering if it’s actually working or not.

REC O ILW E B .C O M

STRAIN LINEAGE A pedigreed OG Kush strain, Fire OG comes from the original OG Kush, and an F3 generation Hybrid of OG Kush and Afghani called SVF OG Kush. This is cannabis genetics reinement at its best.

NOSE Very earthy, lightly sweet, with some bright lemon and maybe Windex underneath. This deinitely has a “compost” angle that isn’t bad, but quite strong.

RECREATIONAL EFFECTS An interesting hybrid with both strong sativa and indica impact. It’s a bit harsh going down, but manages to hit every strong suit of both its parents as it takes effect. Happy, chatty, and creative follow a strong, sedate, pain relieving high that works as a sedative or sleep aid if you let it. Caution is recommended for novices with this one, as it hits hard and fades slowly.

MEDICAL BENEFITS Reports of relief from neuropathy, insomnia, depression, and even headaches abound. While nobody we know has neuropathy, it certainly hits every other mark anecdotally.

DOWNSIDES It tastes rough. The compost smell doesn’t improve with ire, though an extract of this strain might be quite pleasant going down. Its impact is pretty hard too, so watch out for dizziness. Also, yes, dry mouth. Always dry mouth.

OVERALL A powerful weapon against pain, sadness, and good flavor, this is the .50 BMG of the bunch. Go easy, and you’ll have a very positive experience.

(~20% THC 0.36% CBD) TYPICAL PRICE: $9/GRAM

FIRE OG

(6.5%THC, 8.1% CBD) TYPICAL PRICE: $7/GRAM

120

HYBRID

IS SU E

OVERALL

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Modular Rail Hand Guard

Picatinny Rail Section

Hand Stop

GUNS, WEED, AND STATE’S RIGHTS

SUMMARY OF STRAINS 5 4 3 2 1 0

Cinex

Fresh Squeezed

Obama Kush

Cactus

XJ13xPennywise

Fire OG

FLOWER

IS SU E

DRIED CANNABIS FLOWERS

REC O ILW E B .C O M

122

Routes of administration for weed are now more varied than ever. You can buy lower,

PROS: Intact terpene proile, imparting a more unique effect; generally more variety at retail outlets; quality flowers can be processed into edibles or even homemade extracts (extracting oil from cannabis flowers is often a very volatile process, and should only be attempted by professionals)

CONS: You need papers, at least, and ideally a pipe, bong, or vaporizer of some sort, which aren't cheap if you don’t want a piece of junk. Burning flower has a strong, distinct, and dificult-to-manage smell, which can linger for a surprising amount of time. Bad for apartment living.

sure, but you can also buy oils, extracts, edibles, topicals, and even 99-percent pure, crystallized THC. They all have various benefits and drawbacks, but the most noticeable difference is the amount of

EDIBLES BROWNIES, CHOCOLATE, GUMMIES, DRINKS, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CONSUME.

PROS: This is as gray man as it gets for weed. There’s no smoke, no vapor, no leftover product, and you can usually buy predosed products with directions on how to ensure you only get a single (usually 10mg) serving, if that’s what you want.

remnant terpenes (volatile

CONS: This is also as strong and long-lasting an effect as it gets for weed. You might have to wait two hours to feel anything, and lord help you if you jump the gun and double up before the irst dose hits — this is how epic Reddit threats about disastrous dinners with your in-laws come to be.

chemicals that give bud, and other plants, their distinctive

TOPICALS

smells: current research

PRODUCTS MEANT TO GO ON YOUR SKIN, FROM THC/CBD-INFUSED OILS, LOTIONS, SOMETHING LIKE TIGER BALM, TO EVEN PERSONAL LUBRICANTS. THE MARKETING IS BACKED UP BY SOME CONVINCING, IF PRELIMINARY, RESEARCH, AND REVIEWS ARE SIMILARLY POSITIVE (ESPECIALLY FOR THE LUBE).

indicates they may be what give indica and sativa strains their differing effects). Yes, THC is what gets you high, but the terpenes seem to

PROS: High-quality topicals from a dispensary or a licensed manufacturer seem to work as advertised, and relieve inflammation transdermally, according to the research. If you like Tiger Balm and want to kick it up a notch, try it out.

CONS: Expensive.

be what make it up or down, lazy or creative, and so forth.

EXTRACTS OIL, RESIN, SHATTER/DAB, HASH

The more pure the extraction process, the fewer noncannabinoid substances (like terpenes) that will be left, and the less unique the character of the “high” will be.

PROS: Extracts are more cost effective, as you are paying for a much more concentrated product; a much smaller amount of product can achieve desired effects; they smell more like an e-cigarette than weed; oil can be found in cartridges for use with portable vaporizers, giving an already discreet choice a signiicant amount of portability. Extracts are also vaporized in a bong-style “Dab rig,” in which you apply the extract to a nail made of ceramic, titanium, or quartz, and inhale the vaporized product.

CONS: Tolerance builds quickly when you dab and suck on a vape pen with 70-percent-plus THC extract. However, the potency of these products must not be underestimated, no matter how much of a tolerance you think you have. If you’re unfamiliar with orthostatic hypotension, do a huge dab your irst time, and you’ll quickly ind out how much fun double vision is. Also, the purer the extract, the lower the level of retained terpenes: thus one 80-percent extract can feel like any other.

37 IS SU E REC O ILW E B .C O M

124

TEAM TORN WE SPEND A WEEKEND STRIKING, SHOOTING, AND NAVIGATING WITH SOME OF THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS BY TOM MARSHALL PHOTOS BY TOM MARSHALL AND TEAM TORN

A lot of great shooting schools are out there. A lot of great mar-

Sometimes, when you see an instructor or school with an

tial arts and unarmed combat instructors are also out there.

extensive list of “on-paper” certifications, it can be an at-

We’ve done our best to introduce you to as many of them as

tempt to compensate for a lack of real-world experience in the

we can. But for all the ones we’ve covered, there are still some

instructor cadre. In the case of Team TORN, even typing that

really fantastic hidden gems. We recently found one such gem

sentence made us snicker. The owner and lead instructor of

in the mountains of Northern Nevada: Team TORN.

Team TORN has over 18 years of Special Operations

Team TORN actually started as TMTORN: Tactical Mobility

experience and has served in some of that community’s

and Technical Off-Road Navigation. The facility was initially

most sensitive roles. You’ll read that on their website,

built to teach some very particular military and government

but we can verify it first hand, as we personally met this

organizations the niche skill of using off-road vehicles like

individual while deployed downrange on a similar govern-

side-by-sides and dirt bikes in hostile or non-permissive

ment program. The author has since hung up his helmet

environments. While they continue to teach this “very unique

to spell-check articles for a living, but several TORN instructors

set of skills” they’ve since expanded their curricula to include

still run in those circles at least part-time, so we’re not going to

dismounted land navigation, combatives, shooting, rope

go into a ton of detail about them.

rescue, situational awareness, and rural and urban survival

That level of subject-matter expertise runs from top to

skills. They’re certified by all of the following organizations to

bottom with the TORN cadre. All of their instructors are

teach their various courses: Motorcycle Safety Foundation, ATV

either former Special Operations personnel who retired with

Safety Institute, Recreational Off-Highway Association, NRA,

decades of experience or, in the case of a couple of their driv-

and USCCA.

ing instructors, international champions in their motorsport of

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TEAM TORN

REC O ILW E B .C O M

126 choice. With over a century of experi-

best we’ve seen in a long time) and

ence in their incredibly small training

classroom. All the meals we enjoyed

team, you’re going to be hard pressed

during our time there were either

to find that ratio of practical experi-

catered by local small businesses or

ence at a lot of schools.

cooked by neighbors using from-scratch

We recently had the chance to spend a long weekend at their mountain

family recipes. Whether you’re visiting Team TORN as

school house, practicing everything

a military unit, tactical response team,

from precision long rile work, to driv-

or family-and-friends training trip, the

ing and navigating off-road vehicles.

entire atmosphere of this place seems to

Their facility is currently 643 acres,

promote camaraderie in one form or an-

with plans for an expansion that will

other — whether the living quarters, the

put them over four figures’ worth of

(literally) home-cooked meals, nightly

acreage. They have access to 1,000

social hour, or just the welcoming at-

miles of trails, roads, and unimproved

titude of the instructors. Also, both cell

off-road terrain with mean elevation

reception and Internet connectivity are

running from 4,500 to 8,000 feet.

somewhat spotty. We call this a big plus

But nostalgic scenery and dirt trails

— you can finally focus on your training

are hardly all they have to offer. The

and appreciate the surroundings without

bunkroom, equipped with its own gun

your electronic leash constantly vibrat-

vault so you can store your gear right

ing in your pocket.

next to where you sleep, is steps away

We spent our first afternoon hump-

from the grill, gym, eat-in kitchen,

ing up and down slopes, shooting one

and showers/bathrooms. Immediately

of their two particularly unique rile

upstairs is the team bar (one of the

courses. This one, The Giffy Challenge,

Upper, left: Every good training facility should aspire to a team bar like the one at Team TORN. We spent several evenings here sharing stories and killing off the weakest of brain cells. Lower, left: The TORN weight room is bound to make some people nostalgic for FOB life. It’s spartan, but has everything needed to conduct as much PT as you can handle at 7,000 feet. Upper, right: The accommodations at Team TORN are a much classier version of traditional military barracks. If this is outside your comfort zone, there are several hotels in town, 20 to 30 minutes away, if you care to commute.

is named in honor of fallen Gunnery Sergeant “Giffy” — a friend and former teammate. The course consists of a number of steel targets laid into the surrounding terrain at distances between 200 and 350 meters. Shooters must navigate between targets on foot over challenging terrain a total of 800 meters. The lowest point on the course is 6,890 feet, and there’s a 200-foot elevation gain across the distance of the course. Only one target is off an improved platform. The rest of the time you’ll be shooting off rocks, branches, and tree stumps. Most of the targets can’t be hit from conventional standing or prone positions. The designated shooting spots are also on a mountainside, meaning you’ll have to crouch or kneel on various inclines/declines. While the course is designed to be shot on the clock, it was our first exercise with the TORN cadre, so we did it purely as an intro to the coming weekend. We used several of

TEAM TORN the school-owned Daniel Defense ARs

view, they’re fully capable of teaching

with a variety of sighting options from

a comprehensive self-defense course,

factory irons, to red dots and magnified

including the use of Red Man suits for

glass. While ringing steel at 350m with

full contact rehearsals.

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an ACOG isn’t typically anything worth

REC O ILW E B .C O M

128

The rest of our morning was spent

bragging about, the uneven target disper-

in Land Navigation class. Team TORN

sion and aggressive cross-winds will force

has partnered with North 40 Rescue in

you to get familiar with wind calls and

Montana for their navigation and techni-

holdovers. If those skills are new to you,

cal rescue classes. North 40 is run by

or you happen to be a little rusty, the

another Special Operations veteran who

natural environment of Team TORN will

spent a sizable portion of his career

certainly give you some quality learning.

teaching both navigation and search-

The next morning started out with

and-rescue to his fellow soldiers. We

a couple hours of combatives. Team

spent our block of instruction getting

TORN doesn’t endorse a particular com-

acquainted with Garmin’s Rino series of

mercial system for hand-to-hand. It’s

GPS devices. The Rino series is an excel-

not Jiu-Jitsu, Krav Maga, Muay Thai, or

lent choice for team sports, like SAR or

Kali. What they teach is down-and-dirty

small-unit movement, as it packs a num-

street fighting. Their instructors have

ber of features that allow direct tracking

lifetimes of experience operating in a

and communication of other Rino-users.

wide range of hostile environments —

Topics included everything from

some of which don’t permit the warm

practical use of GPS to navigational

blanket of belt-fed weapons.

background data, including how to en-

The techniques we rehearsed were

sure your GPS is using the same datum

quick to learn and not reliant on

as your maps — admittedly, it doesn’t

strength or form. With a baseline of

sound like the coolest thing to learn.

physical fitness and healthy doses of

But you know what else isn’t cool? Get-

aggression and overwhelming violence,

ting lost because your GPS is giving you

we watched our fellow students over-

coordinates that don’t align with your

come the instructors and create enough

map, then having to get bailed out by

time and space to escape some very

your instructor. Ask us how we know.

ugly, very dangerous situations. While our class was meant as a brief over-

Above: The lead instructor for North 40 Rescue gave an excellent hands-on class on technical rope rescue in the case of a vehicle rollover in rough terrain.

After making it through our 1,500meter practical movement exercise, we

Below: The author and his driving partner navigate a miles-long off-road course using a tablet equipped with ATAK software.

In addition to shooting and mobility, Team TORN offers several classes in survival techniques, including shelter building.

started our work on mounted navigation. This is TM TORNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foundational curriculum, and they offer a comprehensive technical off-road package that includes

37 IS SU E REC O ILW E B .C O M

software suite known as ATAK â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the

If you have multiple trucks or ATVs

Android Tactical Assault Kit. ATAK is

moving around in a given area, ATAK will

an app-based mapping and situational

let each user track every other user in

awareness program that allows real-time

real time, with coordinates available in

networking of any Android-based device

both Lat/Long and Military Grid Refer-

techniques, and vehicle recovery. Their

(phone, tablet, etc.) to track multiple ele-

ence System. ATAK allows you to set

off-road navigation class is based on a

ments across an imagery overlay.

waypoints, build routes, record signifi-

route planning, navigation, movement

130

Our weekend with Team TORN included a class on counterambush tactics and live-ire vehicle bailouts.

TEAM TORN cant events, and share all this data with fellow users. It’s also rated for targeting use, so that data may be shared with air support and fire direction officers to facilitate directed strikes. While it’s currently available only to military and

Right: The owner and lead instructor of Team TORN walks the author through route planning prior to an off-road movement exercise.

government agencies, a de-militarized version of the software is being developed with plans for commercial release. So you’ll still be able to track your buddy’s ATV in real time — you just won’t be able to drop a JDAM on him for swiping the last energy drink before hitting the trail. After learning some background on the software, we laid waypoints and built a route for ourselves. The class was then broken down into pairs — one driver, one navigator with a tablet, and we drove our

Below: with steel targets in the hillside at various distances, plinking off the back deck of the team house is encouraged to hone distance estimation and wind calls.

routes and witnessed first-hand just how accurate the ATAK app was. We missed a single turn on a route that spanned several kilometers. ATAK helped us catch it within 50 feet, while traveling at approximately 40 mph. The mounted navigation course also got us familiar with Team TORN’s other particularly unique precision rile range, which they simply call the golf course.

The course can be shot two ways: Sniper Golf or Hunter Golf. The targets are the same but, in the Hunter’s version your ranges are given to you ahead of time. Left: In true small unit fashion, long days in the ield end with a couple of pints shared among friends.

By Sniper’s rules you must mil, laze, or otherwise determine your own distances to each target. The course itself is nine holes (targets) spread out over a 1,000acre course. Targets are at a variety of unknown distances between 450 and 875 meters. Shots must be taken from a combination of standing, kneeling, and prone, depending on the target. Movement between targets must be on side-by-side UTVs along a route plotted on ATAK or map. We didn’t have the opportunity to

SOURCES TM TORN www.tmtorn.com

shoot the entire golf course front to back so, of course, we’re already planning our return. In the meantime, tune in to RECOILtv for additional coverage on

Team TORN www.teamtorn.com

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We’ll talk about hunting in general and birding in particular, but this interview is about discovering a need in the market of your love, filling it, and starting your own business. Hunt and his partner Andy Phelps still have day jobs, but they sit right on the brink of achieving the American Dream. And it’s something that wouldn’t have been possible had Hunt been just 10 years older. At only 33 years old at the time of this writing, Hunt works a fulltime job to support his family of seven, and everything made from his real passion goes BY DAVE MERRILL PHOTOS BY CANDICE HORNER AND SOAR NO MORE

right back into his business. A scummy used car commercial on a cheap cable channel can cost tens of thousands of

Usually in our “Zeroed” column we feature

dollars to produce (we’re just as shocked as

competitors, trainers, personalities, and busi-

anyone else), but a YouTube video? Far less.

IS SUE

nessmen who are already well known in their

Sometimes it takes more than a good idea and

respective fields. What’s unique about Neal

some follow-through; sometimes it takes per-

Hunt is that you’ve probably never heard of him,

fect timing and the ability to inspire a whole

but you likely share some of his dreams.

segment of the population as well. Behind every overnight success, there’s a decade or

cultivate them once you catch the bug. Hunt

more of hard work behind it, often unseen.

discovered at an early age he had a great love for

Today we’ll take a glimpse behind that curtain,

pigeon hunting, a sport that hasn’t been popular

learning a thing or two about ledge peckers

in the United States since the extinction of the

along the way.

Passenger Pigeon more than 100 years ago. This much-maligned winged game has more derogatory names than official ones, though the scene is changing — arguably directly due to Hunt and his company, Soar No More Decoys.

REC O ILW E B .C O M

You can’t pick your passions, but you can

135

WITHIN PLAIN SIGHT go to the dairy. We’re going to grab 20 pigeons we shot the time before. We’re going to freeze them in our freezer, and then we’re going to come back out to the dairy and set up the frozen bird. Then we’re just going to wait and hide, and then when the pigeons come to the dairy they all try to land with the frozen birds. And we would shoot them, the frozen pigeons basically being the decoys. Pigeon hunting became what we would live for. At 16 or 17, wake up early, grab 20 to 30 frozen pigeons, and shoot maybe a hundred birds in one day, just over those dead birds. You used frozen birds as decoys. Were any pigeon decoys available? NH: At the time, we looked for pigeon

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decoys online, and there weren’t any

REC O ILW E B .C O M

136

American pigeons. But over in the RECOIL: On the Soar No More webpage it says you got started in 2009, but what led up to that? Neal Hunt: If you’re a bird hunter, the biggest depressing part about being a bird hunter is when duck, goose, or pheasant season ends in January. So in January you have to wait all the way until September in order to start hunting birds again. Basically, when I was 14 or 15 my parents would go and drop me off on a family friend’s dairy that we have here in Idaho. They left

The best in the bird hunting industry hunting pigeon together in the off-season: Terry Denmon (Mojo Outdoors), Chad Belding (The Fowl Life), Skip Knowles (Wildfowl magazine), Mike Plein (Toxic Calls), Scott Jorgensen (UFC), Chad Ryan (banded), and Neal Hunt (SNM).

me there all day long with, I think, five or six boxes of shells for a shotgun. It would be me and my friend Derek who would go there ... and there were just thousands of starlings and hundreds of pigeons that would just lock to those dairies. We would go there just to have fun, shooting these starlings and pigeons. They’re pest birds, so you can shoot as many as you want and at any time of the year. We would shoot all day. We started with starlings first and then the pigeons became kind of the “trophy bird” because they’re the bigger bird. What we noticed is that when

Hunt and Andy Phelps in 2009 at their very irst local Sportsman’s Show.

we shot some of the pigeons, they

U.K., pigeon hunting is the number-

would hit the ground and the other

one thing to do when it comes to birds.

pigeons would come back around and

They had a ton of pigeon decoys and

try to land with the dead bird. Then

pigeon accessories. Down in South

we would shoot more, then they would

America pigeon hunting is huge. All

turn around and try to land with the

of these pigeon decoys and acces-

dead birds. Then we would shoot more.

sories were available for birds in other

At that point, pigeons become our focal point. That’s why we’re going to

countries but not here in the U.S. It was bafling.

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SCAN FOR VIDEO

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WITHIN PLAIN SIGHT

REC O ILW E B .C O M

138

I laid some dead pigeons on the ground with the wings tucked in, tail and head straight, and took pictures from top-down. I went to an Office Depot, and they printed them life-size on this never-tear waterproof paper. After I got home I cut out the silhou-

Top and bottom left: The very irst Soar No More decoys. The Flat and upright Silhouette Pigeon Decoys that put them on the map for pigeon hunting.

who I met through a regular job, was

dollars of gear and decoys, and then

going to college to be a videographer

they have to get up at 4 o’clock in

— to be able to videotape different

the morning to try to beat the next

things and edit and things like that. So

hundred hunters to the spot that they

I said, “Dude, you got the video cam-

were going for. And then in the very

era, you got the skills. I promise this

best-case scenario they can just shoot

pigeon hunting thing would blow up if

seven ducks. Then you have to pack

we somehow approached the American

them, and it’s in the middle of winter

hunter with this off-season wing shoot-

so it’s freezing outside.

ing that they could go do.” We actually

Go from that extreme to pigeon

have it on YouTube, of me and Andy

hunting, where you can get up at a

going out with those ugly lat proto-

reasonable hour to get to your spot.

type pigeon decoys on our first hunt

No one’s there. And you can shoot and

together ever, and it totally took off.

shoot and shoot. Afterward you’re like “Wow, what just happened?” and there

ette, and then I cut out some boards.

It’s not only the hunter who misses

I basically glued that picture on some

the bird season, but also the bird dogs.

¼-inch boards. When the pigeons

The dog sits there off-season, and you

were lying, they looked down and it

have to get on the pond and train them

pigeons in South America. It’s been a

to keep them in shape. But with pigeon

big sport, all those big shooters here

hunting that dog can retrieve more

in the U.S. traveled to Argentina to go

than 4,000 birds in the off-season so

pigeon hunting. This whole secret, it’s

when waterfowl season hits, the dog is

never came out, not until our company

just lights-out on it. Plus, your shoot-

started promoting it. Then, it’s been

ing skills have become a ton better.

in magazines and on TV shows, and

It’s a win for every person who wants

people see that it’s the ticket.

would look like pigeons were eating on the ground. They were just lat silhouette decoys that you would just lay lat on the ground. I probably had 24, maybe 25, of these, and that’s where our first prototype started. Pigeons are viewed as dirty birds in the United States. How did you convince people to hunt pigeons? NH: Andy Phelps, my business partner,

Top, right: One of the newest decoys from the Neal Hunt Signature Series, the upright pigeon decoy. Six decoys make up the Signature Series line and include realistic features, no-shine sand-blast inish, and metal round-based motion stakes.

are hundreds of birds at your feet. There’s thousands and thousands of

to get out and do something in warm weather, and then shoot as many birds

How did this turn into a business?

as they want.

NH: There wasn’t a business at this

I mean the waterfowl industry is

point, not when we posted that first

huge. But hunters buy thousands of

YouTube video. People were emailing

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WITHIN PLAIN SIGHT

REC O ILW E B .C O M

140

What was the most difficult part about

NH: That’s the hardest question. I

getting into a business where molds

have a couple days a week where I

had to be created?

have off my day job. During those days

NH: We had to first find a person who

I have to take photos, make videos,

does wood carvings. A master carver

take people out who are interested in

who actually carves stuff out of wood.

pigeon hunting — get people excited

We actually found the guy on Face-

about pigeons and educating them

book. It was a wood carving page, and

about everything behind them. I proba-

he not only carved our decoy, but also

bly spend two to three hours a day just

allowed it to be mass produced for

on social media and editing videos that

commercial use.

I did the other days. When it comes to

It took us a year after the carving

Above: Hunt and Phelps

balancing the family life out, my kids

was done to find a good and reliable

are old enough that they can now help

manufacturer overseas that could pro-

me out with a lot what I do. Packaging

could see that it was crazy fun to

duce the mold at a price people were

orders, taping things up, and we can

hunt these pigeons.

willing to pay. It had to look good and

still spend some time together even

be durable and actually work. Remem-

though I’m working.

us and dropping comments on the videos wanting the decoys. They

All the requests were a surprise, because it was just a fun video, but then

Top: Hunt handpainting the newest decoys.

ber, we started everything from zero, so we found our mass manufacturer by

What’s your favorite shotgun? Do you

ally get them made somewhere. A sign

Googling it. I Googled “mass produc-

like to hunt anything else?

shop ended up making them for us. We

tion molding” and contacted compa-

NH: My favorite shotgun is a CZ USA

went to a trade show, and people were

nies and researched the crap out of it.

712 Target G2. That’s the shotgun I

it had to be figured out where to actu-

really like to use. Personally for me

like ... it’s a really weird business. It’s an odd business. But when they saw

How do you juggle pursuing your pas-

it’s all about the birds. I’ll go on a big

the YouTube video we had playing in

sion with needing to keep a job that

game hunt maybe once a year, but it’s

our booth, they were hooked.

provides security for your family?

always pigeons first. Then duck, geese,

WITHIN PLAIN SIGHT dove, turkeys — basically anything that

OK, I’ve never been pigeon hunting. And

has feathers. I just love to go out and

now I want to. What do I need to start?

geons ly around. You’ll straight up have

hunt them, and anything that I can

NH: A place to hunt. What’s crazy

the best time of your life, even if you

set out a decoy for and fool the animal

about this is that we’re hunting a rock

only get 20 pigeons. It’ll be the funnest

into coming toward the decoy is the

pigeon. Every pigeon we shoot we’re

thing you’ve done in a long time.

funnest thing I could do.

doing a favor for every dairy, every

need a hide for pigeon hide. If you’re

How do pigeons taste?

of pigeons in their barns, and they

hunting a wheat field, you would find

NH: It’s an amazing tasting bird — as

get crap everywhere. It’s one of those

where the weed line is between two

long as you know how to cook the meat

things that when you ask permission

fields. Grab a little seat and plop your-

right. Honestly, it’s best if you cook

to hunt pigeons on their land, they are

self on that weed line. Set your decoys

the pigeon more on the medium side.

thanking you. I’ve had people ask us

about 20 to 30 yards out into the field.

The biggest thing is to not overcook

how much we charged per pigeon to

Pigeons will start dropping. If you’re

them and dry them out. We have a

shoot. They’re usually happy because

out on a dairy or feedlot, you just need

whole string of recipes on our web-

you’re doing free pest control.

a bucket to get started.

37 IS SU E

Then, you need a shotgun and some

You shoot pigeons in the air. You

pigeon breast wrapped in bacon. Holy

decoys. The minimum gear would be

shoot them when they’re 4 to 10 feet

crap, it’s amazing! Pigeon doesn’t

12 to 18 pigeon decoys, with one Mojo

off the ground coming down to land.

taste any different than a dove. It’s

decoy. I don’t know if you’re familiar

That’s when you pop out and take them.

identical when it comes to meat-wise.

with Mojo decoys or not. Mojo is a company that specializes in different

You’ve been at this 10 years. What

eat the pigeons we take from a feedlot

species of birds, and the birds are

does the future hold? Are other compa-

or a dairy, because they stink and

motorized so they spin their wings.

nies creeping in?

they’re dirty. But any bird you shoot

Pigeons love Mojo decoys. Anytime you

NH: No, no company has yet because

out in a wheat field or a cornfield,

can put the lapping wing Mojo pigeon,

we have really dominated the pigeon

which is about half of the year — those

acting like it’s landing with the decoys,

hunting. That’s what we specialize in.

birds are fantastic.

the pigeons start falling out of the sky.

If someone tried to pitch pigeon

On the lip side, we generally don’t

REC O ILW E B .C O M

The best hide is that you don’t really

feedlot, every farmer who has a ton

site, our top 15. My favorite is mango

142

Go set them up where you’ve seen pi-

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IS SU E

WITHIN PLAIN SIGHT

144 REC O ILW E B .C O M

As far as if other companies will

our day jobs; I have five kids, and he

start carrying pigeon decoys, just

has three kids. It’s going to keep grow-

like everything else if something gets

ing until an opportunity arises to take

bigger and bigger and people see that

it to the next level.

there’s some money to be made? Yes,

decoys, I’m sure they would sell enough of them — but if anyone is looking for that one-stop-shop to get everything you need just for pigeon hunting it’s on our website. Everything is strictly

Above: Hunt and his oldest son, Brody, on a father-andson hunt — their favorite thing to do together.

definitely. There will be. As for now

Let’s time travel the other way. What

there really isn’t. Andy and I reinvest

advice would you give to yourself 10

everything that we make right now

years ago?

right back into the company. We have

NH: Taking more time. Take more time

the coolest, best-looking, most effec-

on every step that you do, instead of

tive decoys on the market. They’re all

producing products that aren’t quite right

reasonably priced. We just keep build-

yet. Take them and test them for a sea-

ing the business and keep having fun.

son. And never be rushed into anything.

When it comes to business, we keep

online, and we send it directly to them. We’ve had retailers say, “Hey, we Top: The Hunt family

doing better numbers each year, every

It looks like you were keen on scooping

year. Maybe someday we will decide

up the online market share of every-

them no because we want to stick with

to go to all of the large retailers and

thing related to pigeon hunting — how

direct sales. We don’t want to cut our

go bigger and bigger, because we

did you do it?

margins in half and deal with the mess

definitely have the name. Our name re-

NH: Remember we had to create the

of retail at the moment. Right now, we

lects the pigeon industry. A lot of the

market from nothing. In the beginning

can run the company how we want. We

big companies have investors behind

if you Googled “pigeon hunting” or “pi-

can still do guided hunts for magazine

them to support them. We have taken

geon decoys,” it was all South America

writers and TV shows and keep it where

this company from zero, from ground

and the U.K. Nothing was established

it’s still fun. We enjoy it, and that’s

level, to something — just off of our

in the United States. Starting from our

kind of how we’ve always done it.

own personal money. We have to keep

first webpage that we created by our-

want to carry your decoys.” But we told

WITHIN PLAIN SIGHT What else are you into?

snakes. I do that bare handed as well,

we did as much research as we could

NH: [chuckles] I love going out and

where I’m catching two rattlesnakes

about meta data and search engines.

catching crazy animals. That’s like

at a time and I’m throwing them in a

my next hobby. I go out and get

bag. But I just love the outdoors.

selves because we had zero money,

In the first six months of having our

badgers with my bare hands. You

on Google. We kept adding content

can actually see some of the videos

or to hunting, just doing stuff like

about pigeon hunting, little by little, so

on Facebook.

that. Basically my only hobby is bird hunting, but I love badger catching,

IS SU E

Google started to find us more. Now

REC O ILW E B .C O M

146

Anything when it comes to animals

website, we were on the fourth page

we actually have a guy who runs the

Bare-handed badger catching. That’s

coyote hunting, rattlesnake catching.

webpage so we’re up at the top [of the

the most American country-boy thing

If I ever have a moment of free time,

searches]. If it isn’t Soar No More, it’s

we’ve ever heard.

I would rather be doing any one of

a media outlet with stories about us

NH: It’s hilarious, but I also do

those over anything else.

and Soar No More. It all comes back

anything that has an adrenaline rush

to our name, and we own everything

when it comes to catching animals

Does that mean we’ll be reading

about pigeon hunting on the market. I

or hunting animals, or doing anything

about Neal Hunt and his bare-hand-

own about 15 or more domain names

like that. I love going out and catch-

ed-badger-catching business then?

all surrounding pigeon hunting. Since

ing rattlesnakes. I like getting a whole

NH: Ha, yes. It’s just too cool. It’s too

we can do that, we did do that.

gunnysack full, like 30 to 40 rattle-

much fun.

NEAL HUNT AGE: 33 years old HOMETOWN: Boise, Idaho CURRENT: Nampa, Idaho WIFE: Shawny Hunt KIDS: Brody, 11 Tucker, 10 Dayson, 9 Savannah, 8 Cannon, 5 FIRST GUN: 760 Crosman BB gun at age 7 FAVORITE BOOK: Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen FAVORITE QUOTE: “Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.” — Conan O’Brien FAVORITE KNIFE: William Henry pocket knife WEBSITE: soarnomore.com

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IS SU E

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REC O ILW E B .C O M

148

WHICH STYLE OF TRAINING IS RIGHT FOR YOU? BY RYNE GIOVIANO

Over the last several years, group fitness gyms like Orange Theory and

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? It’s a common fitness industry saying

like Zumba, but it’s still a class with a group of people exercising. On the plus side, large group

CrossFit have exploded, growing 70

that following a mediocre program 100

percent between 2012 and 2015.

percent is still better than following a

training can be fantastic for building

Like many other group exercise facili-

great program 50 percent. There’s a

community and camaraderie among

ties, these gyms create workouts in-

lot of truth to this. Following a program

participants. If you ask people who

tended to train large groups of people

with some sort of intelligent design will

exercise at places like CrossFit, one of

at the same time. But how might this

yield progress, assuming it’s followed

the first things they’ll mention is the

type of training compare to working

correctly. This concept is different from

community of people they’ve gotten

out on your own? There are pros and

showing up to a group exercise class.

to know and the friends they’ve made.

cons to each, so let’s look at this in

Sure, you might not equate something

This is one of the primary draws for

some more detail.

like CrossFit to a group exercise class

large group training facilities. Many

WARNING! The exercises and content expressed in this column are for illustrative purposes only. Consult your physician before trying any physical activity or nutritional plan. RECOIL and its contributors are not responsible for any harm or injuries sustained while attempting these techniques.

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LONE WOLF OR POWER IN NUMBERS of these types of facilities have also

That’s just one common way of

program that you’d complete on your

women, to embrace weight training.

own or perhaps at a personal train-

doing it, but the idea is that you’re

Historically, lifting weights has been

ing facility. This type of program is a

planning for the ability to recover from

largely male-dominated, but since the

series of workouts intended to focus

exercise; it’s actually integrated into

inception of these new businesses,

on a goal or several goals (such as

the program. This is called periodiza-

more and more women are starting to

strength and lexibility). There’s a very

tion, and it’s designed to continually

weight train.

big difference between the two. One

make progress toward a goal while

is a series of planned workouts, and

reducing the risk of overtraining and

the other is just a workout. The beauty

injury. When you make workouts de-

of a well-made program is that you

signed to give people a challenge every

can plan for luctuations in volume or

single time without luctuations in

intensity in order to get a specified

volume or intensity, you face a higher

training effect, while minimizing injury

risk of injury and overtraining

have in common is they’re typically very workoutbased. You could look at a workout as a session of physical exercise or training. People complete workouts that are intended to improve some aspect of fitness across a broad array of people. The workouts generally

HISTORICALLY, LIFTING WEIGHTS HAS BEEN LARGELY MALE-DOMINATED, BUT SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THESE NEW BUSINESSES, MORE AND MORE WOMEN ARE STARTING TO WEIGHT TRAIN.

and overtraining risk. For instance, if your goal is strength, perhaps you can plan out a month’s worth

CONSIDER COACHING Coaching is another point to con-

of training with four sessions per week.

sider. If you’re training on your own,

Within that month, you could make week

it’s critical you know how to perform

three a little more intense and slightly

exercises safely. It goes without saying

higher volume in order to overreach and

that the potential for injury is very high

to each other, and they’re

create a stimulus for improvement. In

if you lift weights with subpar form.

designed to give the participants an

week four, you could lower the volume

These days, it’s difficult to know what

intense workout every time.

and intensity below that of the previous

information to trust, as anyone can be

don’t have much relation 37

three weeks to allow for recovery.

been great for getting groups, such as

One thing many of these facilities

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This differs from following a workout

UberImages/istockphoto.com

REC O ILW E B .C O M

150

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AJ_Watt/istockphoto.com

LONE WOLF OR POWER IN NUMBERS

REC O ILW E B .C O M

152

a YouTube or Instagram trainer with

to run a marathon, for instance, you

little more than an iPhone. In circum-

should follow a running (and hopefully

only limited by your resources. If your

stances like these, it’s a great idea

strength training) program designed to

knowledge is lacking, designing a

to hire someone to help you, even if

enable you to do well in that particular

it’s just for a short time, to learn what

activity. In other words, you should

proper form looks like.

follow a program intended to better

Group exercise facilities involve coaching and generally less technical exercises

prepare you for your specific goal. When you join a group exercise facil-

(sometimes), reducing the injury risk

ity where there’s no individualization,

assuming the coaches are good and the

it’s likely you won’t progress efficiently

ratios of coaches to clients is manage-

toward your own particular goals. Now,

able. This can be a great option for

that’s not to say that there aren’t group

people who are newer to exercise and

exercise classes and facilities designed

looking to learn the basics.

for specific goals. If your goal is to compete in the CrossFit Games, for instance,

TRAINING FOR A GOAL

it’s probably best that you do CrossFit or

When training on your own, you’re

program for yourself

WHEN YOU JOIN A GROUP EXERCISE FACILITY WHERE THERE’S NO INDIVIDUALIZATION, IT’S LIKELY YOU’RE NOT DOING A GREAT JOB AT ACHIEVING YOUR GOAL.

may be challenging, and you’ll probably end up with suboptimal results. This is when it’d be a great idea to work with someone to create a program for you or train you. Outside of that, there are plenty of resources. From books to online or local coaches and

something similar. Outside of that, you

trainers who offer some kind of coach-

exercise programming is that it doesn’t

might mainly just burn calories, and hey,

ing or program design services for your

take goals into account. If you want

if that’s your goal, go for it.

specific goals, all are potential options.

The other aspect of general group

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LONE WOLF OR POWER IN NUMBERS WHAT ABOUT NUTRITION? Besides training, nutrition is key in making or breaking your goals. Nutrition is paramount to your success, and it really should be just as important a consideration as exercise. Proper nutrition for your goals will not only provide you with the fuel and nutrients to perform well in and out of the gym, but it’ll also be responsible for the body composition changes you’ll see as you progress. For example, good luck trying to lose weight without some kind of calorie reduction. Yes, there are certain foods that are better than others for weight loss, but unless you expend more calories than you take in you won’t lose weight. Nutrition isn’t typically addressed in many of the group-style training programs. With the exception of CrossFit, which has

REC O ILW E B .C O M

154

The Zone, you typically won’t find much in the way of specific nutrition programs to follow. So, in this case, it’s important to be your own advocate and find the right information to eat in order to support your goals.

MAKE A DECISION You have many options on how to exercise, where to go, and what to do. At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want to accomplish. Start with your goals, and it’ll be much easier to make a decision as to which options will get you where you need to be.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryne Gioviano is the owner of Achieve Personal Training & Lifestyle Design located in Aurora, Illinois. He holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology, a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer, and Precision Nutrition Certified Nutritional Coach. Ryne is also an avid firearms enthusiast. For more information, please visit www.Achieve-PersonalTraining.com or find him on Instagram and Twitter at @rgioviano.

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IS SU E

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While many old-school guns only sit in glass cases or are mounted above a fireplace, many have chosen to get their faves permanently inked on their skin. This month’s column brings you two vintage-inspired offerings we thought you’d find interesting. Keep those submissions rolling in.

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Jeff Schnegelberger: I got this done at Hart and Huntington in Las Vegas. The artist was Blanco, and he did a great job. I served 20 years in the Air National Guard, and this represents that service.

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IS SU E

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REC O ILW E B .C O M

158

Got a gun tattoo you’d like to share? Please send some well-lit, high resolution photos to recoil@enthusiastnetwork.com, along with your name, the tattoo artist’s name, the studio name and city in which it was done, and 50-70 words on what the tattoo is of and why you got it. By sending in submissions, you grant TEN: Publishing Media the unrestricted, transferable and sub-licensable, irrevocable, royalty-free, world-wide, and perpetual license to reproduce, distribute, publicly display, make derivative works of, and otherwise use the Submissions in any media whatsoever now known or later invented throughout the world for any purpose whatsoever, commercial or not.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

t’s easy to get wrapped up in

they selected in on-screen menus

the “serious” aspects of gun

can be bought over the counter at

culture. If you’ve taken the

their local gun store.

decision to include a irearm in

Making the mental and physical

your family’s security plans, then

leap from the virtual to the real

you know just what a daunting task

world is not as intimidating when

this can be, particularly when it

you’ve got a couple hundred hours

comes to mindset. In this issue of

of gaming under your ass, and once

Brownells GUNNERY, we take a

the realization hits that you can

break from the more somber sub-

pull triggers just like your character

jects that may be required in this

in the game, it’s easier to get off

ield and instead immerse ourselves

the couch and onto the range.

Home video game systems have evolved

in the fantasy world of video games.

Of course, there’s then the crush-

e’ve come a long way from the 8-bit Atari 2600 games that were all the rage in the late 1970s.

to the point that even arcades are now

First-person shooter games

ing realization that just because

practically a thing of the past. Old favor-

are one of the entry points to the

you can perform like a bad ass in

ites like Pac-Man or Spy Hunter have been

irearms world for many young

the pixelated world, it doesn’t mean

succeeded by games with a level of sophis-

people. After getting hooked on

you’re able pull off the same shots

tication in graphics, sound effects, and

COD or Rainbow Six, lots of folks

in real life. Once this realization

technical advisory that rivals a Hollywood

are amazed to discover that the

sinks in, it’s time to learn a whole

studio. In other words, it’s like a movie you

thumbs they wore out on their

new set of skills, and the discipline

can star in and direct. But while droves of

game controller can be used to

that comes with them.

programmers and continued enhancements

Iain

to player capabilities strive to make these games as real as possible, it still begs the question … how real is it? In this edition of GUNNERY, RECOIL teams up with Brownells to find a few creative ways to separate fact from fiction. We’ve selected a cross-section of weaponry found in some of the most popular games on the market. Then we asked some experts to test them in situations similar to those often depicted in the games. We think you’ll find the results interesting to say the least. Does what you see on screen translate to what goes on in iStockphoto.com Credits Cover (background): Zeferli, rancho_runner; pg.3 (controller): merznatalia; Pg.4-15: Max2611; Pg.6: JOHNGOMEZPIX; Pg.10-11: Joel Carillet;

stuff magazines. And that the guns

the real world? Read on to find out. While the virtual post-apocalyptic survival, WWII field operations, or simulated top-tier military missions may be over as soon as you put down the controller, there’s no substitute for experiencing it for yourself. The plethora of gear found in these games are often actual pieces of kit from real manufacturers. Ever wondered if your shooting game is as good at the target range as it is on screen? Now’s your chance to find out. Trying

READY PLAYER ONE? LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN VIDEO GAME SITUATIONS ARE TESTED IN THE REAL WORLD

out some of those firearms you’ve been fantasizing about is as easy as going to Brownells.com. Even though this edition of GUNNERY only scratches the surface of firearms seen in the video game world, the offerings from Brownells don’t stop there. Looking for night vision optics? Check. Trying to find some tactical backpacks and plate carriers you’ve seen in your favorite games? They’ve got those too. Thinking of trying out a pistol or rifle to see if all the online hype is true?

Take some time to check out their

being said, it’s safe to say that long after

Brownells is the resource for the latest

website or call one of their trusted asso-

the current video game trends give way

makes and models as well as all the com-

ciates with questions about some gear

to new developments and software that

ponents you’d need to build your very own

you may have your eye on. Brownells has

change the virtual landscape yet again,

custom version. Brownells now even offers

been in the firearms game long before

Brownells will still be here supplying con-

a line of proprietary, retro-inspired rifles:

the TV set and computer found its way

sumer firearms needs. Some things just

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into the modern American home. That

can’t be outdone.

LOADOUT 1

BY FREDDY OSUNA PHOTOS BY NICK ROBBS

lmost to the next bunker, run-

that threshold I’ll simply strafe my sights

rates of ire and amazing ammo capacity.

ning in the open, low on ammo

across the room at chest height and any-

It’s deadly accurate in full auto, even at in-

for this 1911, tracers snapping

one inside will be cut in half.

termediate ranges. The virtual ergonomics

by my head. Holy crap, no way,

is that a Thompson sub-gun laying on the

know that Tommy can’t do any of that right?”

ground? As I snatch it up, I tac reload as

Gabe: “It’s just a game dad, I know (not

my online mates cheer. Approaching the bunker, my enemies are coming into view

really believing my own words).” Me: “I just want you to know there is

and manual of arms are wonderful, right? About a week after the aforementioned conversation with my son, I was holding a brand new Auto-Ordnance reproduction WWII-era rifle. Once I got over my boyhood

as I strafe the trench right to left with my

a major difference between what your

romance and nostalgia, I realized I had no

trench sweeper. They never had a chance.

gaming guns do and what real guns do;

expectations, no frame of reference at all

the difference between how they operate

since I’d never shot one. The model I held

in the game versus real life.”

was the Thompson M-1 military model

I drop down into the trench headed for the bunker, push the drum release simultaneously flipping out the old drum

Gabe: “I know, I know.”

and inserting a new one in its place like

The Tommy Gun is a unicorn of online

the smooth operator I am. Once I break

“Gabe … Gabe … Snap out of it! You

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gaming. It’s a force multiplier with sick

(TM-1) semi-automatic. The TM-1 comes with one 30-round stick magazine and a manual. At a sturdy

DOES THE TOMMY GUN STILL HOLD UP TO MODERN DAY SHOOTING STANDARDS?

/ PRIMARY

/ WEAPON STATS

AUTO-ORDNANCE

THOMPSON / SECONDARY / ITEM 1 / ITEM 2

Barrel Length

Magazine Capacity

Caliber

Overall Length

Weight (Unloaded)

16 30 .45 38 11.5 INCHES

ROUNDS

ACP

INCHES

POUNDS

11.5 pounds with a 16-inch barrel and

be fired from the hip. There is also a rear

overall length of 38 inches I was sur-

sight notch above the rear ghost ring for

T. Thompson invented the Tommy Gun is as

prised at the overall bulk of the weapon,

longer ranges.

interesting as it is important to the history

leading me to wonder how many Nazis

The Auto-Ordnance masterpiece,

The history of why and how General John

of our country and of modern western civili-

got their head bashed in by one. As I

although an iconic 20th century firearm,

zation as a whole. In its time, it was a won-

shouldered it and charged the bolt to

is quite primitive in comparison to today’s

der to behold. The old long guns of WWI,

snap in, I reminded myself about when

military small arms. Like I said, keep it in

used by maneuvering troops under large

and why this gun was relevant. Its bulk

context. This reproduction is for the afi-

volleys of ire, wouldn’t stand a chance in

and heft are reminiscent of industrial-age

cionado, the person who appreciates the

the close-quarters combat of trench war-

American steel craftsmanship, with a

Thompson’s impact on battlefields, Pro-

fare. Unfortunately for both Thompson and

seemingly indestructible milled receiver.

hibition-era Chicago, and even the streets

the American troops, the Great War would

The raw walnut is a nice touch as the end

of Ireland. Ironically, the Thompson’s

be over before he could get his design into

user can customize its color before adding

widespread domestic use would eventu-

the hands of the Allied forces. Thomp-

necessary wood preservative. The non-ad-

ally contribute to the rise of the National

son died in 1940, having never seen his

justable fixed sites were no problem when

Firearms Act of 1934, thereby setting off

guns reach the battleield, but that would

the name of the game was volume of fire,

the ever contentious and still relevant gun

change a year later when the attack on

and this gun certainly was designed to

control debate.

Pearl Harbor kicked us headlong into WWII,

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this time with the famed Tommy Gun in the

chow of choice for the Tommy. The bolt

I found the trigger worked very well for

hands of our troops.

itself is hefty and the recoil spring on the

squeezing off rapid strings of shots, and I

brand-new Auto-Ordnance is not particu-

had no trouble keeping the sights on the

larly easy to overcome. This gun definitely

target. Overall I had a positive experience

needs some breaking-in time, especially

and walked away a little more American

TM-1 through a number of drills includ-

if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to be the smooth operator

for having shot one. So, for the gamer,

ing three-round closing drills, position

you pretend to be in video games.

how does the Tommy compare in real life?

For my live-ire test I headed out to some open country near the U.S./Mexico border. Loaded up and ready to go, I put the

transitions, and box drills. In total, I shot

The trigger, at irst, seemed stiff with

Let me irst remind you that this TM-1,

around 400 rounds of Winchester white

too much creep, but it was designed

and all other Tommys offered by Auto-Ord-

box 230 grain, which seemed to be the

that way so remember its original intent.

nance, are semi-automatic, so I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

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speak on its full-auto shooting capability. But I can speak to the unrealistic smooth mag changes, the lack of malfunctions and failures to feed, extract, or ire you’ll experience with any gun in real life. For all you first-person shooter fans, here are some notes I took away: the Thompson takes training, like any gun. Building muscle memory with its manual of arms, including snapping in on its awkward slippery stock. There’s also the manipulating of the stubby and noticeably stiff charging handle, which, by the way, is inconveniently placed on the right side. A friend and former fellow instructor at the US Army’s Weapons Intelligence Team Course, Scott Montgomery, explained his feelings for the classic over a beer. “Any red-blooded American feels the need to hold a Tommy gun in their hands, and taking one home is the next step. For me, owning the Thompson brought a sense of pride and was a great conversation piece. However, the Auto-Ordnance M-1 is not what you might expect. It returns you

craftsmanship from 100 years ago. It’s not

to a time when steel ruled and the Thomp-

what anyone would want to use to defend

son has plenty of it. It’s so solid that it

their family or their home but a gun to be

detracts from the joy of shooting it.”

admired for what it is, a major piece of

“Wanting to show it off I shot it in the

American history. It pays homage to the

Sierra Vista Battle Rifle match, a small

young soldiers that carried it and used it

gentlemen’s match where old men with an

to support their brothers at their side.”

appreciation for the rare and cool shoot

Anyone who enjoys first person shooter

for bragging rights and to show respect

games should seek out the Tommy gun

for the soldiers of the past. The Thomp-

for full, IRL immersion. Next time you’re

son performed well at 100-meter targets

running and gunning just remember

and was on par with the M1s, 1903s,

the experience of online play is strictly

and FALs. When those ranges extended

entertainment, and a ton of history and

out to 250 meters, the Thompson was

sacrifice have gone into the gamers guns

nowhere near being able to compete. The

of past and future.

front sight needed to be held about 2 feet above the target and all my competitors enjoyed watching the slow-moving .45 rounds lobbing into the target. The Thompson is a great example of de-

MAKE / MODEL / PRODUCT ID# / PRICE Auto-Ordnance M1 Lightweight 16.5in 45 ACP Blue 30+1RD 100-401-054 $1,059

sign and craftsmanship, but design and

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LOADOUT 2

/ PRIMARY FN PS90 / SECONDARY / ITEM 1 / ITEM 2 8

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/ WEAPON STATS CMMG P90 Barrel Length

Magazine Capacity

Caliber

Overall Length

Weight (Unloaded)

Without Suppressor

10.4 50 5.7x28 19.5 7.35 INCHES

ROUNDS

INCHES

POUNDS

THE P90 HAS APPEARED IN JUST ABOUT EVERY VIDEO GAME AND SCIFI MOVIE THIS CENTURY. WE LEVEL UP THE CIVI VERSION.

BY RUSSELL PHAGAN PHOTOS BY TIM WEAVER AND WE PLEAD THE 2ND

NH’s iconic P90 has seen a lot

forth). There’s no doubt that a small shoul-

of a goofy appearance, and makes it way

of action on television, in mov-

der-ired weapon with an optic is easier to

longer than it should be. How then, can

ies, and in first-person shooter

shoot accurately than a handgun, especially

we make the gun offered over the counter,

(FPS) video games, no doubt

by personnel with minimal training.

more like its counterpart in video games?

thanks to its futuristic appearance. It’s

The 5.7x28mm cartridge offers nearly

The first order of business was to con-

probably the most desirable gun in the

twice the velocity of 9mm NATO, lighter

vert the PS90 into an SBR, or short-bar-

Call of Duty franchise and current listings

felt recoil, and far better penetration. Near-

reled rifle. Here’s where things start

on the Internet Movie Firearms Database

ly three decades after its introduction, the

getting tedious, as it requires the filing

website show the P90 has more media

P90 has been adopted by law enforcement

of an ATF Form 1. Once you’ve filled out

appearances than agencies using it. The

and special operations units in over 40

the form, paid 200 bucks, and submitted

Stargate TV series (SG-1 and Atlantis)

countries, but has never seen the wide-

your fingerprints, you then wait. And wait.

didn’t just utilize P90s, they made the

spread military use FN hoped for. Instead,

Eventually, the wheels of government bu-

gun into a plot point — noting it as being

it seems to have attained the popularity FN

reaucracy grind through their interminable

more capable of penetrating alien hides

envisioned only in the virtual world.

processes and you wind up with an ap-

Following the sunset of the federal As-

proved form and a tax stamp. Yay! In the

sault Weapons Ban in 2004, FN released

meantime, you can spend the intervening

a semiauto version of the P90 in the

months choosing the goodies you’re going

late 1980s as a personal defense weapon

American market as the PS90 in 2005.

to add to your project.

for military personnel whose primary duty

The PS90 comes with a longer barrel and

was something other than carrying a full-size

permanent flash hider to achieve a 16-inch

ing the PS90 barrel on the Internet. I

rifle (for example, armored vehicle crews,

overall length, to remain compliant with the

initially tried the more difficult option

administrative personnel, cooks, and so

Firearms Act of 1934. This gives it a bit

that involves drilling out a pin from the

and armor than the MP5s previously used on the series. In real life, the P90 was designed in the

There are several guides for remov-

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barrel shroud, which is threaded onto the

underneath, should your optic fail. The

squeezing a little tighter. There just isn’t

barrel with a left handed thread pitch. If

Aimpoint CompM5 was a natural choice

any good way to route them to the forward

you attempt this method, great care must

for use on the PS90; without a spacer it

grip used by the non-firing hand, which

be taken to avoid damaging the threads.

sits as low as you can go without resorting

would be a better solution.

Since this was my first attempt, of course

to the original P90 optic. The M5 features

I damaged the threads, making removal of

a crisp, 2 MOA dot that runs on a single

low-light combatives class; unfortunately,

the barrel pretty difficult. Time to break

AAA battery, with an advertised battery

time didn’t allow for it. While the PS90

out the angle grinder!

life of 50,000 hours.

doesn’t really do anything better than a

This is probably the best bet for end

similarly equipped short-barreled AR, it

users doing this at home — just chop

is 4.5 inches, 2 inches more than a

certainly looks bad ass. If you’re going to

the damned thing off — it’s fastest and

typical AR-15, so knowing holdovers

have a conversation piece or range toy, it

causes the least frustration. Installing the

at close ranges is of paramount impor-

might as well be functional. Movies, TV,

new, shorter (10.4”) CMMG barrel into the

tance; otherwise your bullets will strike

and video games are all ways people get

receiver was a three-handed operation.

way lower than expected. Again, this is

interested in real firearms, and having

You have to make the recoil spring and

something that isn’t a factor in the virtual

a real gun that sparks people’s enthusi-

cocking handle all go back together cor-

world, but becomes readily apparent when

asm is a great way to convert onlookers

rectly without letting the spring pop out.

at the range. Hits at 100 yards with the

into active participants in the shooting

CMMG also offers two muzzle devices for

Aimpoint on 12-inch steel targets were

lifestyle.

their barrel, one being a copy of the FN

achievable, but not consistent-

compensator, the other a ½-28 TPI thread

ly because, in typical bullpup

adapter. The compensator didn’t do much

fashion, the trigger on the

(the 5.7 round doesn’t generate a whole

PS90 isn’t great. It was diffi-

lot of gas to work a comp), so most testing

cult to tell how much of that

was performed with the thread adapter

was practical versus mechan-

and a Witt Machine and Tool suppressor.

ical accuracy potential, but if this were

Being cautious about misalignment,

my gun I’d be looking at a trigger upgrade

I chose a 9mm suppressor just in case

ASAP. That left two spots on the PS90’s

there was any deviation in the thread

upper receiver vacant, which, in a gamer

adapter, in order to avoid baffle strikes.

gun, would never do.

Using a high volume can like this has

Two rail sections from Damage In-

benefits when it comes to sound reduc-

dustries bolt up to pre-threaded holes

tion — without ear-pro, the only noise I

in the PS90 receiver to accommodate a

heard was the cycling of the action and

light and laser. The SureFire M162 Ultra

the sonic crack of the 5.7x28mm projec-

Scout Light with a healthy output of

tiles going down range.

600 lumens fulfilled light duties, while a

With the new shorter barrel installed,

The height over bore for the Aimpoint

This setup would have been great for a

DBAL-I2 served as the laser/illuminator.

it was time to add sights, lights, and

This is where things got tricky. Due to

lasers. The original optic that came on

the PS90’s unusual magazine layout, it

P90s/ PS90s left a lot to be desired. It

took some trial and error to configure the

had a small field of view and wasn’t easily

light and laser to avoid interfering with

visible in bright daylight — something

the magazine. Both throw levers need to

conveniently left out of FPS game scenar-

face upwards; otherwise there’s no way

ios. This particular PS90 came with an

to insert a mag. Pressure switches were

FNH Picatinny rail mounted at 12 o’clock,

run around the grip and located under the

with an emergency peep sight system

firing hand, so they could be activated by

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MAKE / MODEL / PRODUCT ID# / PRICE FN PS90 100-300-118 $1,299 FN PS90/P90 Fired Case Collector 119-000-081 $52 FN PS90/P88 Magazine 5.7x28 119-000-019WB $26 Aimpoint CompM5 2 MOA Red Dot Sight w/LRP Mount 100-025-990 $971 SureFire M162 Ultra Scout Light High Output LED Weapon Light 152-000-207 $429 Steiner Optics DBAL-12 Dual Beam Visible and IR Aiming Laser 100-017-789 $850

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LOADOUT 3

BY GREG WONG PHOTOS BY DAVID VALENCIA AND RYAN HASAGAWA

he Kriss Vector is a irearm born

operating system that redirects or “re-vectors”

Vector lays in learning all the little things like

into the video game era. You

the energy downward to reduce the effect of

this that make this subgun so unique.

don’t have to look far to ind

muzzle climb and recoil. This offers a more

this distinctive submachine gun

comfortable shooting experience, but more

rendered in 4k. Depicted in games such as

importantly, allows very fast follow up shots —

Call of Duty, Battleield, and now PlayerUn-

an aspect recreated faithfully in video games.

known’s Battlegrounds, the Vector is as a for-

When it comes to using the Vector in most games, it’s usually seen as an absolute beast in close quarters. Enemies who ind

midable weapon in close quarters. At 1,200

safety is located close to where you’d ind

themselves on wrong end of the Vector

RPM, the Vector has a blistering rate of ire,

it on an AR-15. The mag release and bolt

usually meet a swift demise. Because the

meaning it likely outclasses your opponent’s

catch, while different from an AR-15, feel

Vector performs so well up close you’d want

weapons in close-quarters combat situations.

similar in terms of thumb placement. One tip

to ight or sneak your way as close to the

we picked up while operating the subgun is to

target as possible. That way you are getting

we’ll look at its Super V operating system,

grab the charging handle with an underhand

the most out of the weapon’s ballistics. Once

arguably one of the most radical changes to

grip and use the base of the hand to engage

you get into that sweet spot, all the Vector’s

irearm design in the last 30 years. The Super

the bolt catch, making it easier to lock the

advantages begin to shine. The length of

V recoil mitigation system uses a nonlinear

bolt to the rear. Perhaps the charm of the

the Vector gives it a huge advantage when

To understand the Kriss Vector better,

The Vector is very easy to operate. The

TACTICS

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KRISS VECTOR — A WEAPON WORTHY OF THE LAST MAN STANDING

/ PRIMARY KRISS CRB

/ WEAPON STATS Magazine Capacity

Barrel Length

Caliber

/ ITEM 2 ighting indoors allowing you to get around

Weight (Unloaded)

Without Suppressor

/ SECONDARY / ITEM 1

Overall Length

16 13 .45 38.5 7.8 INCHES

ROUNDS

ACP

The SDP is the shortest version available,

INCHES

POUNDS

attaching a vertical grip for added stability.

corners quickly and manipulate it in conined

sporting a sling attachment instead of a

Additionally Kriss has a full rail system

spaces. That also comes in handy when used

stock, and a threaded barrel ready to ac-

extension for the Vector, adding to the ire-

around vehicles. And, all these advantages

cept muzzle devices and suppressors. The

arm’s lifespan and range of upgradeability.

translate from the screen to the real world.

CRB is an excellent option for outdoor and

Depending on the version of the Vector

sporting use, whereas the SDP really comes

you have, there are quite a few options to

into its own for home defense and conined

make it your own. The buffer tube conigu-

This quirky subgun is available to the

spaces, particularly when paired with an

ration for the Vector Carbine accepts a wide

public in two multi-state compliant conig-

arm brace or when supported by a sling.

variety of aftermarket stocks, and consider-

VARIANTS

ing how many irearms owners have bins of

urations, both of which are semi automatic. The two variants available are the Kriss

ACCESSORIES

AR parts clogging closets and basements,

Both in-game and in real life the Vector

this allows guys to try out stocks already in

Duty Pistol). The CRB comes with a 16-inch

is no slouch in accepting a wide variety of

their possession. The standard classic style

barrel making it compliant across the United

accessories, including magazines, stocks,

Vector folding stock is available for those

States. The design gives the appearance of

optics, and grips. The Vector has a Picat-

living in states that allow them. Finally, for

having an extended suppressor on the Vec-

inny rail on the bottom, but it’ll accept rail

those who purchase the SDP variant of the

tor. It’s a nice touch for those in states with

segments on the 3- and 6-o’clock positions.

Vector, that platform works well with a sling

speciic laws regulating short-barreled rifles.

The standard coniguration is perfect for

assisted method (a classic technique used

Vector CRB (Carbine) and SDP (Special

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for weapons like the MP5K) or you can pick up something like an SB Tactical pistol brace. The brace is designed to attach to the buffer tube attachment that comes with the SDP, which will give greater stability when shooting the SDP pistol and acts as a third point of contact ... with your wrist, of course. Similar to in-game depictions, there are also varying capacities of magazines that will work with the Kriss Vector. In-game the high rate of ire means you should ind the extended mags as quickly as possible. Magazine compatibility is also fantastic with the Kriss Vectors. The Vector runs a wide variety of mags designed for Glocks, which are among the most common handguns in use today. Range sessions are easily extended by supplementing magazine count with Glock mags borrowed or brought by peers. There are also different capacities available depending on state laws. Aftermarket Glock mags made by Magpul work in the Vector, as well. Both versions of the Vector readily accept almost any type of optic. The two we tried were the Holosun Solar Circle and the Vortex Crossire red dot. A great aspect of the Holosun is that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a compact optic that offers a convenient solar powered capability. If you ever happen to ind

/ PRIMARY / SECONDARY KRISS SDP / ITEM 1 / ITEM 2 14

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/ WEAPON STATS Barrel Length

Magazine Capacity

Caliber

Overall Length

Weight (Unloaded)

Without Suppressor

5.4 13 .45 16.75 2.3 INCHES

ROUNDS

ACP

INCHES

POUNDS

yourself living in a world much like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds or in an environment

CONCLUSION The Kriss Vector may look unconvention-

where batteries are in short supply, this optic

al, but peeling back its many layers reveals

will deinitely keep you going. The affordable

a host of advantages. The Super V System

Vortex Crossire is a lighter, more streamlined

really gives the irearm an edge in making

option for the Vector with a clean 2 MOA dot

follow-up shots with .45 ACP while dispens-

that runs for 7,000 hours on a single battery.

ing those wonderful big-bore pistol bullets.

Both are great additions to the Vector.

New gun designs suffer when it comes to accessories and modularity support, but

AMMUNITION & SURVIVABILITY

for a weapon of its class, the Kriss Vector

The Gen 2 Vector has another trick up

crushes it. The swappable uppers and low-

its sleeve: the weapon system can change

ers give added flexibility without having to

between calibers quickly and easily. Drop three

own multiple irearms. A host of rail systems

pins, and the lower assembly, including the

and stocks also gives the Vector a big boost

barrel, will separate. This allows the gun to go

when it comes to increasing capability.

from .45 ACP to 9mm in a matter of minutes.

Magazine compatibility is perhaps the

Swapping out lower receivers is as easy as

biggest bonus considering the Vector allows

it is on an AR-15. You could have one upper

the use of some of the most common

and swap lowers depending on the mission

magazines available today. The downside

parameters. When choosing a irearm for work,

of owning multiple irearms is of course the

personal use, or survival, having one with de-

mag issue — mag to gun compatibility is

pendable resources makes a huge difference.

typically never easy. Being able to use what

MAKE / MODEL / PRODUCT ID# / PRICE Kriss USA SDP G2 45 ACP 5.5” Bbl Black 13+1 Round 100-023-091 $1,400 Kriss USA Carbine 45 ACP Black 100-022-869 $1,485 SB Tactical Vector PSB Pistol Stabilizing Brace 100-024-270 $105 Tac Shield CQB Single Point Sling 100-019-381 $23 Holosun HS515CU Solar Circle Dot Micro Sight With QD Mount 100-029-506 $276 Vortex Optics Crossfire Red Dot Sight 100-030-011 $150

AMMO Winchester Military Ammo 45 ACP 230GR FMJ 105-000-559 $22 Sig Sauer Elite Performance Ammo 45 ACP 230GR FMJ 105-053-382 $22 Federal Train + Protect Ammo 45 Auto 230GR Versatile Hollow Point 105-002-683 $33

you may already own is a big win when it comes to affordability and convenience. The more familiar we become with the Vector, the more it’s apparent that it was designed with the shooter in mind, from both a technical and logistical standpoint. If you’re looking for something for defense, sporting, or conquering the Battlefield, snatch up a Kriss Vector from the next drop-point, we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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