30
FEATURES 30
ACTIVELY ARMED
70
On-The-Go Options For Concealed Carry
36
50
Sharpen Your Edged-Weapon Skills With Solo Training
76
TRAVELERS BEWARE
44
How to Preserve Personal Safety While Outside Your Comfort Zone
84
GRAND POWER
92
CLOSE AT HAND Using Makeshift Weapons When SHTF
SBR AMMO BUYER’S GUIDE Think M193 and M855 are Good Options for a Stubby Tube? Think Again
THE GRAND SLAM A Primer on Effective Throws and Sweeps
62
PAIR OF PIZZA PISTOLS The Beretta APX Centurion and Compact
The Q1S Takes Aim at the American CCW Market
56
36
HOLD UP Atlas Gunworks’ New 2011 EDC 3.5 Carry Gun Thinks it’s a Race Gun
44
SOLITARY KNIFE FIGHTING
98
(FIRE) POWER SUITS
50
You Don’t Have to Choose Between Dressing Up and Gearing Up
POLYMER80 COMPACT LONG SLIDE
56 70
Roll Your Own Anti-G19X
DEPARTMENTS 8
ON THE COVER
18
OPTIONS
10
EDITOR’S LETTER
22
EVERYMAN EVERYDAY CARRY
14
UNCOVERED 106 GOING HOT
16
84 62 76
CRAP SHOOT
FIREARM SAFETY IS TOP PRIORITY CONCEALMENT reminds you to be safe and always obey firearms safety rules: 1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded. 2. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire. 4. Be aware of your target’s foreground and background. All contents in CONCEALMENT are professionally photographed in a closed studio or range. Do not attempt to recreate any photographs depicted in this magazine.
PRODUCT DISCLAIMER
98
Prices and details for products and services featured in CONCEALMENT are set by the manufacturers, retailers, and agencies, and are subject to change without notice.
92
®
by DeSantis
MSRP $39.99 MADE IN THE U.S.A.
WWW.DESANTISHOLSTER.COM
The Ruger® EC9s™ comes with no gimmicks, rebates or mail-in offers for gift cards... just the rugged, reliability of the strikerfired LC9s®, now with integral sights and a no-hassle price point that won’t break the bank. The Ruger® Security-9™ is an affordable, rugged, mid-sized pistol that provides everyday security in the perfect caliber, size and price point.
WHY CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM WHEN YOU CAN HAVE BOTH?
RUGER.COM
© 2018 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 011118
COVER PHOTO BY STRAIGHT 8
1
CARABINER
MAKE: Mummert Knives MODEL: Grub
Multitool/Carabiner MSRP: $130 URL: mummer tknives.com
KNIFE WITH FRAG PATTERN 5
MAKE: Dmitry
Sinkevich MODEL: F.C.K. (Functional Carabiner Knife) Monkey Edge FRAG Pattern Limited Edition MSRP: $599 URL: monkey edge.com
2
PISTOL
3
MAKE: Grand Power MODEL: Q1S MSRP: $574 URL: grandpower.
PEN
MAKE: Tuff-Writer MODEL: Mini Click
Fluted Barrel MSRP: $210 URL: tuffwriter.com
eagleimportsinc.com
4
WATCH
MAKE: Christopher
Ward MODEL: C60 Trident 300 MSRP: $455- $530 URL: christopher ward.com
LARGE KNIFE 6
MAKE: Chris
Reeve Knives MODEL: Large Inkosi with Black Canvas Micarta inlays MSRP: $550 URL: chrisreeve.com
4
1
3
6 5
2
YOUR PISTOL. THE WAY YOU WANT IT. BUILT BY YOU. With an 80% frame from Polymer80, some basic tools, and modest mechanical aptitude, you can build your own pistol from the frame up. The best way to know the gun you carry every day is to build it yourself. See the many size/style/color options at Brownells.com.
Available At
Due to politicians engaging in hair-on-ire
about the subject. Boy, I’d love to have
sensationalism over the DOJ’s settle-
observed that patchouli-scented meeting
ment with Cody Wilson, in this issue
of intellectual titans.
we decided to cover what any sensible
Since then, it seems to have entered
bunch of Second Amendment guys
political discourse like an STD, popping
would write about. So naturally, we have
up every now and again exactly where
for your ediication an article that details
you’d expect. Recently, none other than
how to build your own handgun from an
distinguished elder statesman Sen.
80-percent frame without applying for a
Charles Schumer (D-NY) took to the
permission slip from the government.
podium with his pearls tightly clutched.
Now, the right to make your own
In an epic display of his mastery of the
irearm has been part of societal fabric
subject, he proclaimed, “Ghost guns are
since the invention of gunpowder, but
not only scary, they’re outright danger-
this doesn’t seem to have muted the
ous in the way they can mimic the look
volume of wails coming from certain
and the capacity of a hardened, fully
camera-chasing media whores and their
semiautomatic weapon.”
attendant useful idiots in the media.
In the face of such idiocy, we should
In order to save humanity from the
point, laugh, and then exploit every
imaginary hobgoblin this state of affairs
available means to raise a metaphorical
creates, the phrase “DIY freedom”
middle inger. So go ahead, fellow free-
simply wouldn’t do. Thus a couple of
dom-loving Americans. Make a stand,
years back, the flunkies buzzing about
make a gun, and make a statement. C
Californian dim-bulb, political hack Kevin Leon like flies orbiting a turd brainstormed the catchy-sounding expression “Ghost Gun,” no doubt to eliminate any need to expend effort actually learning
100% MADE IN THE USA, AND CONSTRUCTED USING STATE-OF-THE-ART MACHINING AND AEROSPACE GRADE MATERIALS, THE TUFF•WRITER PRECISION PRESS PEN IS A TRUE HARD USE DEVICE. MONKEY EDGE FRAG PATTERN MACHINED BODY • 6AL4V TITANIUM BODY + TIP LENGTH: 6.00” • THICKNESS: .50” • WEIGHT: 2 OZ FISHER SPACE PEN CARTRIDGE INCLUDED • LEGENDARY 416SS ADVANCING MECHANISM
THE BEST SH!T + LIGHTNING FAST + RAZOR SHARP
MONKEY EDGE CARRIES A LARGE, REAL-TIME INVENTORY OF TUFF•WRITER PENS. FIND US ONLINE AT MONKEYEDGE.COM, AND ASK US ABOUT OUR DISCOUNT FOR ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. MILITARY.
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 Network Manager/ John Schwartze Director, Video Production/ Trent Stockton Photography Studio Manager/ Jorge Nuñez Contributors/ Hana Bilodeau, Conrad Bui, Kenda Lenseigne, Chad McBroom, RCP Photography, Straight 8, Jared Wihongi Special Thanks/ The Bullet Ranch, Jason Poucher, Vlad V, Angeles Armory, Derik Brewster
Art Direction & Design. Senior Art Director/ Gene Coo Art Director/ Sarah Lampert
Submissions. recoil@RECOILweb.com
Subscriber Customer Services. Domestic/Canadian: 888.681.7064 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 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 advertising@RECOILweb.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 VP, Retention & Operations Fulillment/ Donald T. Robinson III VP, Acquisition & Database Marketing/ Victoria Linehan VP, Newsstand Retail Sales/ William Carter
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: Publishing Media’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. 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. ADVERTISING INFORMATION Please call Recoil Advertising Department, 949.705.3100. Printed in the USA Copyright © 2018 by TEN: Publishing Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
C O N C E A L M E N T
12
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
1 It’s easy to focus on only gear that
2 As much as we’d like to have a custom
3 Not every multitool needs to be a
4 The hardest part of successfully using
creates holes in targets, but you shouldn’t neglect the tools that plug holes, too. Premier Safety Group makes that a little easier with the Tac Pac Jr. This everyday-carry medical kit is about the size and weight of two Game of Thrones paperbacks sandwiched together, yet it holds vital life-saving equipment: CAT tourniquet, pressure gauze, pen light, and CPR barrier mask. All of that comes in a compact, waterproof pack that can be attached to your belt or MOLLE-compatible bag. Plus, the Tac Pac Jr. includes a pouch for your smartphone to make it even more EDC-friendly.
set of accessories for our race guns, a separate one for our fullsize pistols, and another for our EDC compacts, the truth is that ain’t nobody got money for that. Thankfully, Pitbull Tactical helps us save some cash with its Universal Mag Carrier — it accepts a variety of magazines, from a 9mm single-stack to a .45 ACP doublestack. The carrier adjusts dynamically in size as the mag is inserted, thanks to a flared opening, a silicone flex band, and two telescoping shells that expand and contract. With no screws or parts to set up, this fully injection-molded pouch is ready out of the box. Also, it’s small and comfortable enough to be carried inside or outside the waistband.
heavy istful of steel and polymer. The Pryma from CRKT takes the minimalist approach by jamming nine functions into a one-piece tool that can it conveniently on your keychain or slip into your pack. The most obvious feature is the pry bar, which doubles as a scraper and is great at opening boxes. But there are also four sizes of hex wrenches, a carabiner, and a glass-breaker. And, really, no EDC tool is complete without a bottle opener. At 0.9 ounce (yep, less than 1 ounce) and 3.23 inches long, the Pryma is a small, featherweight tool with plenty of uses.
a knife in self-defense isn’t necessarily how long the blade is or how fancy your techniques are, but rather it’s deploying your tool in time to stop the threat. Carrying a ixed blade can help eliminate fumbling with a folding knife — especially if said ixed blade has a retention ring like the ST Silence 2.0. This little bad boy is super slim (just 0.15-inch thick), features a razor-sharp blade (2 inches long), and has a 1-inch ring that vastly improves grip stability (essential for a fast draw). It’s made by sandwiching carbon iber with titanium, which is coated with carbidized tungsten for increased edge holding and durability. Comes with a Kydex sheath.
MAKE
Premier Safety Group MODEL
Columbia River Knife & Tool MODEL
Pryma
MAKE
Tac Pac Jr.
Pitbull Tactical
DIMENSIONS
MODEL
MATERIAL
3Cr13 stainless steel
7 by 4.5 by 3 inches
Universal Mag Carrier
MSRP
MSRP
$47
$20
URL
URL
www.premiersafetygroup.com
MAKE
MSRP
$10 URL
www.crkt.com
www.flagrantbeard.com
MAKE
Schwartz Tactical MODEL
ST Silence 2.0 OVERALL LENGTH
5.5 inches MSRP
$120 URL
www.schwartztactical.com
1 3
2
4 C O N C E A L M E N T
14
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
5 It’s no weapon light, but Princeton
6 If you need to justify it you can call it
7 Most of us partaking in training and
8 Stufing mags sucks. Thankfully, we
Tec’s new Snap light is an admin light that’ll do more than just keep your hands free to solve other problems when the shadows creep in. It does the job of ive different lights in a single, adaptable package. It’s most at home strapped to your forehead as a headlamp, but, tug on the lamp’s body and a strong magnet gives way turning the headlamp into a 200-lumen handheld flashlight. On its own, use the body’s magnet to mount the light to any metallic surface as a handsfree task light. The Snap also includes a snap-in hanging body that turns the light into a lantern, and a handlebar mount that turns the light into a bike light (or a pipe-mounted work light.) It’s splashproof, dimmable, and has an easily accessible strobe setting to get attention when the situation calls for the cavalry. And, it’s made in the USA.
an upgrade, but we’d just call it a worthy indulgence. We’re talking about converting your .380 Glock 42 into a slightly more powerful 9 Makarov. The conversion takes about as much effort as burning toast, but you end up with a pistol that’ll run on whatever’s the cheaper of the two calibers available to you. It’s not a bad option as we’ve watched the prices of .380 rise and fall without rhyme or reason the last few years. Aside from a gain of a few feet-persecond, the Alpha Wolf 9 Mak barrel gives you 416 stainless steel, a button rifled bore, a tough salt bath nitride inish with a surface hardness of RC 60 and the threaded version (shown) comes with a thread protector.
have interns who load our mags for us. But, if you’re not fortunate enough to have this resource, you can pick up the newest version of the Magpump mag loader designed for 9mm pistol mags. Set the contraption up with one of the included mag adapters, shove a mag in, dump a box or two of your favorite luger food into the hopper, and work that lever till it ills the mag. We can load a 15-round Glock mag in well under 25 seconds. The loader breaks down into three parts, the base, body, and hopper for storage and transport. Setup takes a few seconds and your thumbs will thank you.
OPTIONS
competition end up spending a lot of time out under the sun, and that means slathering ourselves with slimy sunscreen to avoid cancer. A friend in the shooting industry turned us on to Zealios Sun Barrier, though. The stuff is made without oils, so once it’s applied, there’s nearly none of that slippery sunscreen feeling left on our hands. We’ve been reapplying sunscreen during range mag-stufing breaks and have yet to drop a round or bobble a reload (that we can attribute to slippery hands). When it comes to protection, Zealios uses Zinc Oxide to block the sun’s rays from damaging your skin. It’s a step up from the titanium dioxide found in many sunscreens, because it absorbs and blocks a wider spectrum of sunlight. We also dig that Zealios was started by a couple of athletes and isn’t some huge chemical conglomerate disguised as a healthy choice brand.
Threaded or non-threaded
MAKE
MAKE
Princeton Tec MODEL
MAKE
Alpha Wolf MODEL
Glock 42 9x18 Makarov Threaded Conversion Barrel
3.76 inches THREAD PITCH
½x28
PROTECTION LEVEL
BRIGHTNESS
MSRP
MSRP
$15
URL
$40
MSRP
$150
SPF 45
$140 to $160
MSRP
INCLUDED MAG ADAPTERS
Glock, SIG, Smith & Wesson, Springield Armory, CZ and Ruger
MODEL
40 to 130 hours (AAA x3) 200 lumens; dimmable
MODEL
9mm Luger Magazine Loader
URL
Sun Barrier
RUNTIME
Magpump
www.magpump.com
Zealios
LENGTH
Snap
MAKE
www.lonewolfdist.com
URL
teamzealios.com
URL
www.princetontec.com
8 5
7
6
C O N C E A L M E N T
15
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
THE PISTOL NORMALLY KNOWN AS “EXHIBIT A” BY TOM MARSHALL
We were flat-out amazed to locate an L-25 in such incredibly clean condition. That’s where the amazement stopped, though.
Junk guns. Mouse guns. Pocket pistols. Saturday night specials. Suicide specials. A most unflattering litany of nicknames for a particular size, shape, and class
intertwined conglomerate of small
1993, they were the leading handgun
businesses once dubbed the “Ring of
manufacturer in the United States,
Fire” by a UC Davis health professor,
producing nearly 350,000 pistols
due to their disproportionate use
that year. In 1996, they iled for
in holdups, muggings, and street
bankruptcy — under the weight of 18
violence in the mid ’90s.
separate lawsuits for product liability,
One of these companies was
personal injury, or wrongful death.
automatics with 2- to 3-inch barrels.
Lorcin Engineering, which had a
They emerged from bankruptcy in
A handful of companies based
rather meteoric rise, and fall, even
January of 1997, only to ile again in
out of California were the primary
by irearms industry standards. The
August of 1998, with an additional
manufacturers of such pistols — an
company was founded in 1989. In
22 lawsuits pending at that time.
of pistol: cheaply made .25 ACP
C O N C E A L M E N T
16
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
Hornady’s XTP bullet is too good for this gun. But if you can get it to function, it’ll be your best chance in a ight.
THE AWFUL The gun is constructed almost entirely of Zamak — a lightweight alloy consisting primarily of zinc, with small proportions of aluminum or other metals just so that you can’t chop it up with a butter knife. With the Lorcin’s reputation for poor function, you’re in almost as much danger behind it as you are in front of it. Mechanical deiciencies aside, the .25 ACP is wildly underpowered. We give a smile and a hat-tip to Hornady for their efforts. But a 35-grain slug out of the Lorcin’s 2-inch barrel generates a disappointing 63 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. This is the ballistic equivalent of “well … at least he’s funny.” If we had to defend ourselves against a close-quarters threat, and
magazines. The box was in “gently
we could choose between a .25 auto
since Lorcin closed up shop, their im-
used” condition. The instruction pam-
and a sharp stick, our irst question
mense production volume means that
phlet didn’t even have a coffee ring
would be “how long is the stick?”
plenty of these pistols are still floating
on it. This Lorcin looks as good as any
around. We bet most of them are in
Lorcin ever will. Our initial impression
the same pawnshops they started out
was a little like getting the last loaded
in 10-plus years ago. The rest are
potato skin off an appetizer sampler.
Even though it’s been a decade
likely languishing in large metropolitan
CONCLUSION It shoots, and it groups, for less than the bar tab at our last team din-
Hornady currently produces a
ner. Potential buyers should expect
evidence rooms all over the country.
35-grain XTP load for .25 ACP, which
most specimens to be in miserable
We happened to ind ours in a family
fed with about 75-percent reliability.
condition, if they function at all. Even
owned, upper-middle-class gun shop.
Not good, but better than expected.
if you happen to ind yourself a win-
This is a store the author frequents on a regular basis and isn’t prone to bargain basement inventory. The owners
THE OK Our test gun didn’t perform nearly as
say it came in as part of a large lot of
bad as we expected. From the 5-yard
consignment guns from an individual
line, we were getting ive-shot groups
who had been collecting his whole life
in the 2-inch range. At a two-digit sale
and was looking to off-load some of
price, we were anticipating groups twice
his selection. At a whopping $90 flat,
that size. Having said that, the gun
it was the perfect candidate for this
consistently shot right. We passed it off
infant column.
You’re probably better off turning the gun sideways than trying to line up these sights with any sense of urgency.
ner, remember that these guns aren’t built to last. Moisture, abrasion, and routine use will erode them at warp speed. But maybe a gun in the hand is worth two on the shelf. C
RATING
to three other shooters and everyone
SPECS
got the same result: 2-inch groups, 2
LORCIN
inches right of point-of-aim. That’s at
L-25
Given this gun’s well-documented
5 yards. Extrapolate for distance as ap-
CALIBER: .25 ACP
track record for poor quality, this par-
propriate. This gun was clearly designed
BARREL LENGTH: 2.3 inches
ticular one was in absolutely pristine
for use at dinner table distances. The
WEIGHT (UNLOADED): 14.4 ounces
condition. The inish was silky smooth,
sights are little more than a half pipe
MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 7
the bore was clean, and it came with
on the top of the slide. Good luck see-
PRICE: $90
all the original packaging: a box,
ing them if a cloud happens to pass
instruction pamphlet, and two shiny
overhead while you’re aiming.
PURCHASED FROM: AZ Gun Emporium (Tucson, AZ)
THE AWESOME
C O N C E A L M E N T
17
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
1
2
MAKE
MAKE
Mission First Tactical
Raven Concealment
MODEL
1911, Glock, S&W, Ruger LC9, Springield XDs, HK VP9, SIG P320, FN509, CZ P07
MODEL
IWB Ambi Holster FITS
1911, Glock, HK, Ruger, Springield, Taurus, SIG SAUER, S&W, Walther
FITS
Glock Gen 3/4/5 9mm/.40 S&W/.357 Glock pistols & SureFire X300U/B, Streamlight TLR-1 HL
MSRP
$50
MSRP
FURTHER
$50
missionirsttactical.com
FURTHER
NOTES
rcsgear.com
Mission First Tactical’s entry into the adaptable holster market is molded thermo plastic slip-on affair that features a wide plastic clip to grab 1.5-inch belts. While the holster is ambidextrous, there are only a couple screw holes on each side for setting ride height. Cant adjustment is pretty limited, but simple and effective for most shooters running a gun from common AIWB and 3 to 4 o’clock positions.
NOTES
Even with the retention adjustment screw set on the loose end, we found the pistol retention a bit on the aggressive side. With a bit of sleuthing, we igured out why. It turns out the belt clip screws protrude into the mouth of the holster enough to come in contact with our Glock 19’s frame. It’s not a lot of contact, but it’s noticeable. We like that the holster’s sight channel is tall enough to accommodate some serious suppressor height sights, and there’s plenty of clearance for slide-mounted MRDS, but we miss the ability to bring the ride height up or down. We’re also not fans of a single plastic clip; it’s wonderfully convenient when donning and dofing the holster, but we worry about how it’d do in a retention struggle, or possibly on the dance floor.
C O N C E A L M E N T
Little pistols deserve little holsters; otherwise what’s the point of carrying a summer subcompact when the holster forms a sweat-absorbing appendage that prints like an untreated third-world tumor? We set the RCS Morrigan for 4 o’clock, behind-the-hip carry using the simple, but surprisingly effective, ride height and cant adjustments. It looks like an appendix-carry rig, and it works well enough up front, but as we realized after a few days out and about, the Morrigan works well as a deep concealment holster positioned just forward of our wallet pocket. The circumferential angles, strap positions, and cant adjustment holes allow the pistol to sit very comfortably, and stably, in a slightly muzzle-back position. This presents the grip perfectly for an almost behind-the-back draw. We noticed the pistol oriented this way hugs the body a little more and prints less. RCS uses a Velcro strap for retention, and we were a bit pessimistic about this setup. We igured the strap would slip off when pulling the holster off at the end of the day. Turns out that the end of the strap is retained by a screw, so it’s not going anywhere. On the downside, we were disappointed that we couldn’t cut the spine of the holster to it our RMS Shield MRDS without losing the top two (deepest) ride height options. It’s a small trade-off, but notable considering the growing popularity of MRDS-equipped micro pistols. Overall, we’re fans of the budget-friendly, adaptable, and very concealable Morrigan holster.
18
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
™
P ROT ECT I O N • TACT I C AL • S PORT
VISIT COMPLETEFOCUS.CO M
All the bullets in the world mean nothing if your concealed carry handgun fails when you need it most. The XD-S Mod.2 in 9mm is a less than one-inch wide pinnacle of reliability. 25K rounds without a stoppage and an integral grip safety for total peace of mind when carrying.
WE LOOK INSIDE THE POCKETS OF THE ARMED CITIZEN BY DAVE MERRILL
RYAN CLECKNER PROFESSION Attorney, author, entrepreneur CURRENT JOB TITLE Founder/president of Mayday Safety DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT Mostly desk-jockey with some range time HOW DOES YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT AFFECT YOUR EDC? Thankfully, I work in the firearms industry and firearms are not an issue for my work. URL www.ryancleckner.com LIST AND EXPLAIN EACH OF YOUR EDC ITEMS SIG SAUER P365 with Barnes 115-grain TAC-XPD The P365 is the perfect blend for me of size, shoot-ability, and capacity. With a backup mag, I can carry 25 rounds of 9mm in a micro-sized handgun that I competently shoot. I carry it either appendix or ankle carry. Benchmade 941-2 This is my fourth Benchmade 940 series knife (the previous three have been “lost” with the help of TSA during travel). The design and quality of this knife is a no-brainer for me — it’s small enough for everyday, the Axis lock give me way more confidence than a liner lock, and it’s big enough for every use I’ve needed so far.
Streamlight ProTac 1AAA This little light is new to my everyday carry and I love it — super small and bright enough for everyday work on a single AAA battery. iPhone w/Mayday Safety App Even when I can’t carry my SIG or my Benchmade, I have the Mayday app to notify those around me, my family, and any organization I’m a part of — worldwide — with my exact location. Ranger Coin Those who are/were in Ranger Battalions have a standing rule: Challenge someone and if they forgot their coin, they owe you a beer. I like free beer. EXPLAIN YOUR PERSONAL EVERYDAY-CARRY PHILOSOPHY My first responsibility is to keep me and my loved ones safe — it’s not to get into a gunfight. Situational awareness and avoiding bad situations goes a long way. Be smart, be aware, and if violence is needed as a last resort, be swift.
C O N C E A L M E N T
22
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
BRADY PESOLA PROFESSION Personal protection/wilderness survival instructor DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT Currently working in the executive protection industry. HOW DOES YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT AFFECT YOUR EDC? Down here in California, our laws vary greatly than those in other states. Especially our gun laws, so it makes it difficult for people to be able to defend themselves and be prepared. However, there’s more to an EDC and being prepared than just having a gun. I won’t say what my full-time job is for my own protection, and I don’t always carry a gun for obvious reasons. I do, however, teach wilderness survival and direct an outdoor nonprofit where we find ourselves in areas where a gun is permissible and very handy to have around, but when in certain situations this is the EDC I carry most of the time. URL www.sandiegosos.com
LIST AND EXPLAIN EACH OF YOUR EDC ITEMS Spyderco Endura with Emerson wave I like the double-beveled edge, lightweight grip, and wave for quick one-handed opening. SOG multitool Always have a multitool in your kit. Can be heavy to carry in pockets, so I carry my Gerber Crucial. Both are handy to have when you need a good set of pliers. LumaForce Tac light Has an aggressive bezel for self-defense, super bright, and heavy enough to cause damage, but light enough to carry. Glock 19 Great weapon for both conceal and open carry. Trusty, reliable, and I know how to shoot it very, very well. OC spray If you’ve ever been hit with it you know why it’s effective. In times where you just can use a gun, this does a great job and getting the results you want in compliance. EXPLAIN YOUR PERSONAL EVERYDAY-CARRY PHILOSOPHY My philosophy is looking at logical problems that may arise, God forbid the worst happens. The gear I carry is to ensure the survival of both myself and the client. One should always have a few basics on their person; the rest close at hand in a gray-man bag.
EVERYMAN EDC
DON NELSON PROFESSION Retired aerospace engineer, former Marine officer CURRENT ENVIRONMENT National forests and grasslands, wilderness areas, mountains, deserts, trails, streams, towns and cities DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT My EDC pretty much covers the stuff that needs regular doing, plus most foreseeable defense. (In grizzly country the .45 is replaced by a 10mm, and a rifle is kept handy.) LIST AND EXPLAIN EACH OF YOUR EDC ITEMS Dan Wesson V-Bob .45ACP I’ve been a 1911 guy for 50 years, and this is the best quality example I’ve owned or shot. This one has well over 20,000 rounds through it and looks like it’ll easily outlast me. High Noon Topless in horsehide Like everyone, I’ve got a box of holsters that didn’t work. This particular holster has been on my belt for the last seven or eight years. It’s durable, secure, fast, and pulls in tight at 3 o’clock. SureFire Titan Tiny, reliable, doesn’t make anyone ask if I’m happy to see them when in a front pocket. Withings Activité Pop This is new. It’s a smartwatch that talks to a phone app. It also tells time. The jury’s still out. Victorinox Swiss Army Found on the street, it replaced a Buck 110 and a Leatherman multitool. If I need more, there are tools in the truck. EXPLAIN YOUR PERSONAL EVERYDAY-CARRY PHILOSOPHY My EDC philosophy is to only carry what I actually use. The pistol is the exception, though it’s been used a couple of times to chase off predators (four-legged) that were eyeing my dog. Here in South Dakota and the surrounding states open carry is legal, so the depth of concealment isn’t critical. Even so, a 1911 is pretty thin and hides nicely.
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
SAMANTHA SMITCHKO PROFESSION Marketing at Cutting Edge Bullets CURRENT JOB TITLE Chief Marketing Officer DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT My work environment ranges from sitting at a desk, to flying across the country for trade shows, to being out on the range. HOW DOES YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT AFFECT YOUR EDC? I have to be mindful of the CCW laws everywhere I go. If I’m traveling, I always review the reciprocity laws are, and if I can, I take my pistol. If not, I always have my knife on me no matter what. LIST AND EXPLAIN EACH OF YOUR EDC ITEMS SIG SAUER P938 My SIG P938 is a great go-to CCW piece no matter where I’m going. It’s small, so it’s easier to conceal, but still comfortable to shoot. I also really like the weight of it; it’s light enough to carry, but heavy enough to keep the recoil low. SIG SAUER extended mag I use the extended mag in my P938, because it makes it significantly more comfortable to grip. Most people would agree that the P938 or P238 are rather uncomfortable to handle because of how compact they are. The extended mag really helps in this area. Guardian Tactical Helix Nano pocket knife Guardian Tactical OTF knife I always have my Guardian Tactical Helix Nano or my Guardian Tactical OTF blade on me no matter where I’m at or what I’m doing. I love this company because they produce high-quality blades that conceal easily, which is helpful as a female since our clothes tend to me more fitted. They’re all also made in the USA, which is extremely important to me. CEB PHD ammo I believe good quality ammo with maximum stopping power is essential in a CCW pistol, especially in smaller calibers such as .380 and 9mm. The CEB PHD ammo is loaded with monolithic bullets designed to shed four blades after 1 to 2 inches, while the base continues. In addition, they’re a lot lighter than your average bullet, so the recoil is significantly reduced. EXPLAIN YOUR PERSONAL EVERYDAY-CARRY PHILOSOPHY I want everything I carry on a daily basis to be as compact and concealable as possible while still being extremely effective.
EVERYMAN EDC
Online writing
Content writer
I work at home or any place that has Internet access writing articles or editing other people’s articles.
I have the freedom of choice since I’m not working in an ofice environment for the time being. Threats and hazards are at an absolute minimum, as I live in a relatively safe neighborhood.
M&P Shield It’s compact and functional in my personal opinion and easy to conceal when carrying in appendix. G-Code INCOG holster It’s comfortable and provides a snug it for the M&P Shield, along with an extra magazine. TRS Survival Knife This knife isn’t only very sharp, but it’s also compact and can be used for everyday activities like ishing and eating. The knife holster provides good retention and can be strapped onto any pants I’m wearing. Uniball Pen This speciic pen lasts really long, and allows me to write well unlike other pens that are dificult to write with. Memo Notepad I have multiple tasks to deal with throughout the day and writing them down on a compact notepad helps. PHY My everyday carry philosophy is simple. If I know I’m going into a dangerous environment, I’ll bring everything including my pistol and knife. If there’s little to no danger and I’m going on activities like ishing, then I leave the pistol at home.
C O N C E A L M E N T
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
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EVERYMAN EDC
RON WARREN PROFESSION Law enforcement CURRENT JOB TITLE Patrolman/firearms instructor DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT I work for a small police department in rural North Central Pennsylvania. We serve a borough and two townships, which can involve anything from patrolling a remote single-lane road in the woods, to a major four-lane highway (and everything in-between). HOW DOES YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT AFFECT YOUR EDC? Being a cop in a rural area is unique in that there’s no abundance of officers around. Even when I’m offduty I carry the basics required to go back on duty if the need arises.
LIST AND EXPLAIN EACH OF YOUR EDC ITEMS iPhone 7 It’s my opinion that a reliable smartphone is a must-have tool. I’m not glued to social media or texting 24/7, but I recognize the importance of being able to communicate in an emergency. It’s usually stashed away in a back pocket and always protected by an Otter Box case. Glock 19 Don’t get me wrong, I love this gun, but to be totally honest I’d prefer to carry a SIG P320 Carry. My duty gun is a Glock 17, and I have difficulty switching between the two brands without point-of-aim issues, so I compromise with the 19 for EDC. It’s reliable and has enough bullets that I don’t always need to carry a second magazine. It can be found in one of two Safariland paddle holsters depending on the situation. My preference is to have the SureFire light mounted when I can. Benchmade Triage Auto Knife I always have this in one of my front pockets. I upgraded from the original version that I carried and used for several years. It’s a strong, dependable knife that’s multifunction. I’ve used the glass-breaking spike twice on vehicle crashes to access victims and
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I use (and abuse) the blade almost daily. And no, the tip isn’t broken; it’s made that way. Suunto Ambit Watch/GPS This watch has been on my left wrist since my Army Medevac days in Helmand, Afghanistan (2012-2013). I bought it to serve as a watch and GPS at the time. I’ve used it to track and log combat missions, civilian medevac flights, hikes, runs, etc. Sometimes I even use it to tell the time. Streamlight ProTac 1AA This light is small, reliable, and bright. I like that it uses a AA battery. It’s always in my left front pocket. EXPLAIN YOUR PERSONAL EVERYDAY-CARRY PHILOSOPHY Coming from a rural community, there are a lot of people with the, “It won’t happen to me” attitude. It’s my belief that I better be part of the solution, not the problem, when “it” happens to me or in my presence. That’s why I carry the items I do. My biggest fear is that of standing by helplessly, because I was unprepared that day. Along with that, I think discreetness is paramount; open-carry is always a no-go for me unless I’m on duty.
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ON-THE-GO OPTIONS FOR CONCEALED CARRY BY CANDICE HORNER
Figuring out ways to carry concealed
the security of having it can give you
per spray is a viable option, but there
can be intimidating in and of itself,
peace of mind. If you have to draw your
have been plenty of published incidents
but add an activity, like running, and
gun, an attacker will likely retreat. The
where an attacker can ight through
many people opt to go unarmed. The
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
the pepper spray. In our last issue of
easy option is to not carry the gun,
found that criminals run 55.5 percent
CONCEALMENT, Chuck Haggard gave
but you don’t have to sacriice safety
of the time when faced with a gun.
an in-depth how-to on using pepper
for comfort. In this article, we lay out
There are plenty of non-lethal self-
several options for carrying while run-
defense products marketed toward
ning, hiking, walking, or working out.
runners, and they’re a step in the right
spray. Check out RECOILweb.com for his lesson on “How to Pepper Spray.” Making the conscious decision to
direction. But they have their flaws.
be prepared is always better than
Products that alert others nearby with a
ignoring possible dangers. And if
loud sound or ping law enforcement via
there’s an escalation of force, having
immediately on the defensive. An at-
an app put your life in someone else’s
a weapon may give you the upper
tacker relies on the element of surprise,
hands. Sharp rings or handheld weap-
hand when confronted with violence,
and he/she has the advantage from the
ons could deter an attacker if you end
or it will at least even the odds, al-
start. In reality, you’ll probably never
up in a hand-to-hand altercation, but
lowing you to end a confrontation in
even need to pull your gun out, but
if the attacker has a gun, you lose. Pep-
your favor.
BUT WHY? In the event of an attack, you are
ACTIVELY ARMED
Above left: Hill People Gear’s Kit Bag Above right: Black Point Tactical’s Outback Chest System
CARRY OPTIONS
Black Point Tactical’s Outback Chest System is a minimalist chest-
and have been around for a long
concealed is imperative because you
carry option. This would not be a
time, but some of us are adamantly
shouldn’t be reminded of the gun
concealed option unless you wear
opposed to them because — aside
with every step you take. It should
a jacket or vest over the holster.
from screaming, “There’s a gun in
rest securely and not thump or flop
The Outback Chest System is so
here!” — they’re innately dorky.
around. And the weight of the carry
lightweight that it’s easy to forget
Internal belts are one of the best
option should be distributed evenly
you’re wearing it. The kydex holster
options for carrying during physical
to prevent unnecessary fatigue or
keeps the gun secure, but just like
activities and truly keep your goods
soreness. To determine how to carry,
other chest-carry options, it’ll thump
concealed. Most bellyband-style hol-
first consider which activity you’ll be
around unless you tighten down the
sters are stretchy and provide several
doing. With more physical move-
straps when you run.
options for stufing other items into
Finding a comfortable way to carry
ment, more retention is needed. Carry options at chest level keep
Most people carry their pistol on
the pockets. For example, you can
their waist. But running shorts don’t
carry your pistol, backup magazine,
the gun high and easily acces-
have belt loops, and using a standard
sible, but they’re not as discreet.
inside-the-waistband holster causes
Hill People Gear’s Kit Bag can play double duty, carrying the gun and
Right: Bellyband made of double layer elastic strip with Velcro can carry your pistol, backup magazine, knife, cell phone, and ID card
sagging. Fanny packs are an option
other small items. The weight of the Kit Bag is evenly distributed with a mesh H-harness across your back. If you plan to run with this bag, we recommend you also purchase the Stabilizer Strap to prevent the bag from pounding against your chest.
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
Sport Belt by Can Can Concealment knife, cell phone, and
Instead, we put the retention strap
and cant the manufacturer determined
over the back of the slide so that it
for gun placement. Concealment cloth-
wouldn’t interfere with getting a positive
ing is pricier, and you’ll likely want to
equal, though. Some are as simple
grip on the pistol during the draw. The
wash it after each wear, so its versatility
as a double layer elastic strip with
downside to concealment clothing is
is more limited compared to options
Velcro. But the Sport Belt by Can
that you’re stuck with whatever position
that go under or over clothing.
ID card. Not all bellybands are created
Can Concealment has features that make it one of the best options as a bellyband. Grippy strips on the top and bottom inside the belt hold it in place, and the belt is contour-cut, with the top being slightly shorter than the bottom. The holster pockets are slanted for better seating of the gun, and sewn in at the bottom of those pockets is a small magnet to further secure the gun in place. We ran, jumped, rode a bike, and even did cartwheels with the Sport Belt, and the gun stayed in place. Concealment clothing is another option. There are shirts that tuck away a pistol under your arm, and pants that have an extra layer in the waistband to make a gun pocket. Undertech Undercover makes the widest variety of concealment clothing. We’ve used their leggings and shorts. Newer Undertech Undercover designs include a retention strap, which the company shows placed over the backstrap. We found that carrying it as the company’s images suggest results in a slow, awkward draw. You either have to use your support hand to move the strap or incorporate moving the strap with your dominant hand into your drawstroke routine.
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
ACTIVELY ARMED BE PROFICIENT Responsible gun owners understand the importance of training with their weapon for proficiency. A gun is no good if you don’t know how to use it effectively. The same is true for your holster. If you can’t get the pistol out of the holster, you’re screwed. When you get the holster you’ll use during physical activities, practice drawing your gun from it. Just like any new holster, there’ll be a learning curve until you can consistently draw your weapon.
FINAL THOUGHTS The way you choose to carry is as personal as the handgun you select. Each holster has to it your needs and continue to meet your expectations. Explore ways to be actively armed so that you don’t have to forego safety in the name of exercise. C
ONLINE RESOURCES FOR CARRY OPTIONS The Well Armed Woman: thewellarmedwoman.com Undertech Undercover: undertechundercover.com Can Can Concelament: cancanconcealment.com Black Point Tactical: blackpointtactical.com Hill People Gear: hillpeoplegear.com
Undertech Undercover leggings and shorts feature gun pockets built into the waistband.
C O N C E A L M E N T
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
that specializes in custom 1911 and 2011s with delivery times that range from days for semi-customs, to four to six months for full custom, open-class guns.
WHAT’S A 2011 We’ll take a second to explain what a 2011 is, in case you’re one of those people who like guns that work without constant attention.
ATLAS GUNWORKS’ NEW 2011 EDC 3.5 CARRY GUN THINKS IT’S A RACE GUN BY ROB CURTIS
A good 1911 is an incredibly accurate irearm. By way of gross oversimpliication, this is thanks to the pistol’s inherently crisp, single-action trigger and the way the barrel is held in the slide. But one of the longstanding gripes against the single-stack platform is that it’s limited to a 7- to 9-round magazine capac-
Atlas Gunworks is a newish venture started by competitive shooter Adam Nilson and his
ity, depending on caliber. In 1993, Virgil Tripp and Sandy Strayer
machinist buddy, Tod West. Nilson wrangled
addressed the mag capacity issue by
West into building him a few pistols when he
introducing a double-stack version of the
couldn’t endure the wait times 2011 shops
gun, calling it the 2011. Their design
were quoting him for a new gun.
left the 1911’s top end and ire controls
Nilson started shooting competitions with a
pretty much unchanged, but turned John
Glock, then wanted to move up, and so began
Browning’s receiver into two separate parts,
his relationship with the 2011. “The wait time
a wide, plastic grip and the serialized frame,
for a 2011 was like a year and half to two
comprising the slide rails and ire control
years,” says Nilson. So he bought a used STI,
group. Strayer and Tripp called their company
then an Ininity. By the time he was ready to
STI, and it continues to make well-regarded
get a new gun, wait times weren’t any better,
2011 pattern pistols today.
so he did what any enterprising American would, he decided to make his own gun. Nilson says, “The path looked like it was
STI’s patent protection on the 2011 modular receiver expired in 2012. This released a swell of 2011 development and products.
going to be buy a gun, wait six months, a
Gunsmiths immediately began working on
year, or two years for it, then send it to some-
ways to improve the original plastic grip,
one else to have the trigger done, wait for it,
known to crack. Aluminum 2011 grips were
then send it somebody else for coating ... and
developed ... or redeveloped. STI tried to
on and on.” He couldn’t ind a one-stop shop
make them years back, but they cracked too
that’d build his gun and build it quickly. He
and weren’t enough of an improvement on
sensed an opportunity in the gun market and
the original plastic grips to gain acceptance.
within a few years, Nilson and West were run-
That brings us to Atlas Gunworks and its
ning a full-time gun manufacturing operation
7075 aluminum-gripped 2011 EDC 3.5.
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
HOLD UP SIZABLE ADVANTAGES 2011s are big and heavy. It’s actually one of the platform’s beneits, and why it’s the choice of so many pistol competitors … and so few concealed carriers. Combine a heavy gun with a light caliber, and it’s not hard to understand the competitor’s attraction to 9mm 2011s. The pistol tracks like a bloodhound and holds a squad’s worth of rounds. But the size and weight makes them impractical when it comes to carrying concealed for selfdefense. That’s why the promise of a lightweight, compact 2011 from an up-and-coming custom house piqued our interest, and likely the interest of competitive shooters already well aware of the 2011’s blessings that are on the lookout for a carry piece too. So the Atlas EDC 3.5 is a pistol with the DNA of a race gun and the balls of a carry gun. It provides the top end accuracy and legendary trigger of the 1911 and the capacity of a service pistol with the footprint of a carry gun.
CONTROLS The EDC’s trigger is miles ahead of any carry gun we’ve ingered. We averaged the break at 3.65 pounds after 30 pulls. We usually only need 10 pulls to get an average reading, but with 10 pulls in a row varying by only an ounce, we kept going until we got bored. Even then, we only found a 4-ounce spread between the highest and lowest pulls. That’s impressive. Swings of 8 ounces or more are common with factory triggers. We suspect that level of consistency has something to do with the
Atlas Gunworks’ coowner Tod West works on a magwell for one of the company’s race guns. The operation grew quickly over the past few years and continues to grow as Atlas expands it’s catalog of self-manufactured parts.
to, inside and out. The parts were all
where you want them without needing
hand-engraved with numbers, evi-
to buy a longer or shorter shoe. Out of
dence that all these bits of metal were
the box, the trigger has 0.04 inch of
hand-it to work as one. When you
take-up with another 0.05 inch to the
think about all the parts of a 2011,
end of the stroke.
every edge that meets another has the
The ambidextrous thumb safety
potential to produce a burr. And one
falls exactly under our thumb and
burr in those 50-plus, close-itting
feels rock solid when run from either
parts is all it takes to stop the show in
side of the slide. There’s no slop and
the 1911/2011 platform.
no play. It’s wide and easy to sweep
highly polished sear and disconnec-
The trigger itself is a German
tor. When we pulled the guts out of
Geppert X-Line Vario trigger with a
heavier than a flick-and-forget race
the gun, the EGW sear and disco
curved face, and adjustable pretravel,
gun safety, as it should be on a carry
nearly blinded us — now we know
overtravel, and length of pull. That last
gun. The beavertail is disabled but
why there’s a wall of rotary tools on
one is pretty cool. The trigger shoe
not pinned, and we’re ine with that.
the bench in the Atlas workshop.
is connected to the bow by a screw,
Its extended, non-ambi mag release
As we looked, we realized every
allowing you to set the length of pull
works and doesn’t get in the way of
so the shoe and inger connect exactly
our support hand grip.
single edge on the pistol was attended
C O N C E A L M E N T
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
up and down, though it’s a little
ERGOS As big as it is, the aluminum grip is damned comfortable, though. The pistol included an A-Zone custom laser-cut rubberized overlay we felt was overkill after a few range sessions. At 1.34 inches with the tape, the grip felt like a beer can. We pulled it off, rubbed the newly exposed grip with some Goo Gone, and relished the control we gained with the now 1.25-inchwide grip. We hoped to ind 20 LPI checkering underneath the grip tape on the front strap, but no dice. Still,
Atlas matches the surface hardness of the hammer and sear at 50RC so the parts wear evenly and have a 50K-100K round lifespan.
We dumped the mag into a 12-inch
as fast to pick up as anything, and the
steel square at 10 yards and felt like
U-notch 10-8 rear is flawless, but by
we couldn’t miss no matter how fast
the time you read this, Atlas will be
we shot.
shipping guns with its own, in-house
Oh, and this was with +P ammo; +P
manufactured sight.
the reduced girth gave us a better grip
in the heavy, but well-balanced pistol
… and that’s ine as long as we don’t
feels like shooting subsonic loads.
KKM 3.5-inch barrel. Atlas custom
get heavy palm sweats.
The zippy Black Hills 115 +Ps take
angles and polishes the feed ramp.
our Glock 19 for a ride, but the EDC
Nilson says it takes about 20 hours to
3.5 shrugs and quickly falls back on
build one of these guns, and three of
target with little input. Driving this
those hours are spent itting the barrel.
gun is easy.
The tight groups we saw tell us that’s
ACCURACY The EDC shone during paper and steel sessions. We printed under an inch at 20 yards with two of our
The sights contributed to our
four test loads. But the racegun fun
conidence. Shooting IPSC targets on
came out when we wanted to test
walk-back drills no matter how far we
how the gun tracks and returns when
went was like shooting the broadside
run hard. The EDC didn’t disappoint.
of a barn. The iber optic up front is
C O N C E A L M E N T
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
We should also mention the hand-it
time well spent.
EXTRACTION It’s a 1911 operating system. We expected some issues. We had a couple.
HOLD UP Wilson flat wire recoil spring from 13
PERFORMANCE AMMO
AVG VELOCITY (FPS)
EXTREME SPREAD
STANDARD DEVIATION
BLACK HILLS 115 TAC-XP +P
1,126
16
6
BLACK HILLS 124GR JHP
1,123
pounds to 14 pounds to run +P ammo instead of adjusting the extractor. BEST 5- SHOT GROUP, 20 YARDS (INCHES)
0.85
His reasoning is that the range of 9mm case measurements vary enough that Atlas wants to err on the side that
19
6
1.22
has the best chance of working with the most ammo. That means running
WINCHESTER 147GR RANGER RA9T
964
46
14.5
0.8
BLAZER 115GR FMJ
1,104
18
6
1.7
the extractor a little on the forgiving end. They make up for it by tuning the recoil spring to slow the slide. This makes it less likely for the spent case to get jarred out from under the ejector claw on the way back and miss the ejector. John Browning gives no free lunch, though. This approach leaves the pistol vulnerable to short stroking with less powerful ammunition. Choose your poison, but we’d rather adjust the extractor to it a range of good ammo and skip the cheap stuff. Who spends $5K on a pistol and runs steel-cased crap through it, anyway?
MAG DRAMA The other problem we ran into was two rounds of our 600-round eval hanging up on the feed ramp. Nilson says it’s a known issues with the recently released second generation STI 2011 mag and followers. We uncovered an extraction/ejec-
rules you. You pull the extractor on the
According to Nilson, STI stopped
tion issue with our mag-out iring
spot and bend it until it behaves itself.
making its original mags, forcing him
test. It’s standard practice to load the
Finding the sweet spot by tweaking
to igure out how to tune the updated
chamber, drop the mag and ire the
that rod a tiny bit at a time means ap-
mags on the fly. STI mag necks have
gun to evaluate the extractor tension.
plying all of your senses, patience, and
to be narrowed to run reliably. This is
With no round beneath for a buddy
remaining ammo as you break down
called mag “tuning,” and if you own
carry assist, the extractor has to hang
the pistol, reassemble, shoot, and re-
a 2011, you may tune your mags as
on to that empty case like a big boy
peat. It’s a uniquely 1911 thing. Some
often as Glock owners don’t clean
and get it all the way to the ejector on
might think it’s a pain in the ass, but
their guns. When Atlas gets STI mags,
its own. When that doesn’t happen,
1911 proponents know in their hearts
it tunes the neck to a set width that
it generally causes a 1911-signature
that John Browning made it this way
prevents rounds of that caliber from
stovepipe malfunction. That’s what we
so they could ix their guns in the ield
stalling in the neck as two side-by-
found with the EDC 3.5 when we shot
with minimal tools.
side rounds cam against each other
our Black Hills 115 +P ammo. It didn’t
We spoke with Atlas’s Nilson, and
and the mag walls.
exhibit this issue with any standard
he wasn’t surprised to hear our report.
pressure loads.
He said the +P ammo is increasing
from STI, measuring 0.610 inch, and
slide velocity, so slowing it a bit would
Atlas sized the original, Gen 1 mags
treat the pistol like a bad dog and
help the extractor hang on to the case
to 0.580. After testing, the company
show it who’s boss before it thinks it
under recoil. He said he’d up the stock
now sizes the Gen 2 mags to 0.560.
The commonly advocated ix is to
Nilson says the mags often come
HOLD UP
WRAP UP
SPECS
Look. It’s a $5,000 hand-it pistol.
ATLAS GUNWORKS
It shoots great. Well, better than great,
3.5 EDC
actually. A carry gun that prints groups
CALIBER: 9mm
like a race gun and carries a combat
BARREL LENGTH: 3.5 inches
load of ammo? Yes, please. Sure, it’s
OVERALL LENGTH: 7.2 inches
porky but we’ve all got our winter carry
WEIGHT UNLOADED: 36.5 ounces
guns, right?
MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 17+1
It comes with a serviceable IWB hol-
TRIGGER PULL WEIGHT: 3.6 pounds
ster from Red Hill Tactical that we ran
MSRP: $4,750
AIWB for a few weeks without spilling
URL: atlasgunworks.com
the gun. It’s hefty, no sugar coating
LIGHT: SureFire XC1 $299
Stay with us … it’ll all make sense in
the nearly 3 pounds (loaded) of metal
PRICE AS FEATURED: $5,049
a sec.
you’re toting, but that weight falls away when the gun comes out and we have
To make matters worse, the initial
the conidence to aim small as can be.
follower design in the updated STI
We weren’t happy, or surprised, about
mag was a little loose, causing incon-
feed, so the decision to drop $5K on a carry gun is going to fall flat on
sistent spring pressure as it rose in the
the stovepiping and failure-to-load
the bathroom floor every time. There
mag. STI put out a redesigned follower
issues that cropped up. But, we’re con-
are just too many capable sub $1K
a few weeks after we got our test
ident a little extractor or recoil spring
guns in the display case to walk past
tuning will cure the gun’s fear of +P
before we’d get to the EDC 3.5. But, if
ammo, and hopeful that the mag update
money wasn’t a concern, and/or your
will remedy the issue that caused the
racegun’s been begging for a sibling,
two misfed rounds we logged.
we can tell you that shooting this Atlas
pistol. So, it turns out we’re using the STI Gen 2 mag with the initial, flawed follower and Atlas’s older, 0.580-sized neck value. Nilson says the mags with the updated follower and 0.560 neck are running 9mm ine.
We peeled off that AZone custom-cut grip cover and relished how much better the grip felt after shrinking it by as little as a tenth of an inch.
We’re practical here at RECOIL. We have bills to pay and guns to
C O N C E A L M E N T
42
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
has ruined all those ine $800 pistols for us. C
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HYBRID FOLDING SIGHTS
HOW TO PRESERVE PERSONAL SAFETY WHILE OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE BY HANA BILODEAU
When preparing to travel, we typically
to help deter violence in airports and on
gency, people commonly look to them as
think of how to artfully pack our suitcase
aircrafts. Although this has arguably in-
the sole providers of protection and safety.
to make it past TSA regulations. We’re
creased safety while in transit, it has left
But we can’t count on others for an instant,
often annoyed by the inconvenience of se-
some people feeling helpless once they
effective response. This is even more of a
curity measures, while trying to navigate
arrive at their final destination.
concern when traveling in an unknown area,
busy and sometimes unfamiliar airports.
Believe it or not, most Americans rely on
Unfortunately, most don’t see the bigger
others for their personal safety. Whether
picture. In the wake of Sept. 11, stricter
it’s the TSA, military, law enforcement, or
screening procedures were put in place
private security, in the wake of an emer-
C O N C E A L M E N T
44
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
state, or country that prevents you from carrying a irearm or a handheld weapon. Former federal air marshal Richard A. St. Pierre suggests that personal safety
400tmax/istockphoto.com
and accountability is always having an
that happen in our backyard? On October
to other “universal” safety rituals, like
entrance and exit plan whether it’s at
1, 2017, at the Route 91 Harvest Music
installing smoke detectors in our homes
home, the airport, a restaurant, or a
Festival held in Las Vegas, Nevada, a
in case of a fire, wearing seatbelts while
foreign country. There are measures you
gunman opened fire on concertgoers from
driving in case of an accident, and locking
can take to maintain your personal safety
the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel,
our doors to deter theft. Still, the average
in spite of restrictions imposed by your
killing 58 and injuring more than 400.
American neglects daily practices focus-
travel. But first, we’ll review some statis-
Our goal isn’t to talk about what the vic-
ing on personal protection.
tics and events that’ll hopefully help you
tims might’ve done, but to acknowledge
understand why it’s important to be more
that evil exists and prepare ourselves to
that you can take to increase your aware-
prepared when traveling.
combat it as best we can.
ness and safety before, during, and after
Here are some recommended steps
travelling.
In January 2013, Sarai Sierra, a
Studies show that, as of 2013, the
33-year-old Staten Island mother and
average response time for law enforce-
wife, was killed while traveling in Turkey.
ment nationwide is 11 to 18 minutes.
During an interview, her killer stated that
Conversely, a commonly cited statistic
The first step in protecting ourselves,
after drinking alcohol and sniffing paint
is that the average gunfight lasts three
or loved ones at home or on the road is
thinner he stumbled upon Sierra, who was
seconds, while a shooting incident lasts
having a plan. Whether it includes carry-
walking alone. He told authorities that he
approximately 12.5 minutes. These statis-
ing a firearm or an edged weapon, being
attempted to kiss her and she resisted,
tics suggest that, on average, we may not
proficient in hand-to-hand combat, or
striking him with her cell phone. Then, he
be able to rely on others for help when
simply being able to remain calm, think,
dragged her into an alcove, where she at-
we most need it, and we’re ultimately
react, and communicate appropriately. It’s
tempted to fight him off for approximately
responsible for our own safety. With these
important to identify a survival resource
30 minutes. Some would conclude that
numbers at our disposal it may be hard to
and train it consistently, helping to de-
traveling alone in Istanbul, Turkey, simply
understand why daily habits of prepared-
velop an ingrained mental pathway for our
isn’t safe. But what about the incidents
ness aren’t more common compared
safety habits.
C O N C E A L M E N T
45
BEFORE TRAVEL
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
TRAVELERS BEWARE indigosmx/istockphoto.com
If you’re traveling domestically, carrying a firearm once you arrive at your destination may be an option, but first you must research the firearms and carry laws of that locality. Does it have reciprocity with your home state? If not, what are the local licensing laws? If flying with a firearm or handheld weapon, you should check with both TSA and the airline to ensure you follow proper procedures to do so. For international travel, you don’t have this option. Prior to travel, research your destination. If flying into an airport or arriving in a train station, look into the various modes of transportation within the area and how to access them. For example, is public transportation a practical option and known to be safe? To get an idea about crime trends throughout
eras and GPS locators. If traveling interna-
No Anonymity: Passengers are given a
the transiting area, check out the free crime
tionally, not all cabs are regulated. If using
driver’s name, photo, vehicle information,
reporting website Spotcrime.com. It’s light
a cab, you’re better off calling for one rather
and contact number. The trip is also kept
on details, but it’ll give you an idea of what
than hailing one. When the cab arrives, look
on record.
areas have high instances of crime.
for numbers and labeling on the outside.
GPS Tracking: Once your driver accepts
On the inside, look for a meter, radio, and
you request, your trip is tracked via GPS on
tify reputable companies and pick-up loca-
badge. Know where you’re going and be
your phone and the driver’s phone. You also
tions ahead of time and know whether or not
aware of local currency conversions.
have the ability to share your ride with your
If you’re using taxi or car services, iden-
they’re regulated in that area. In the U.S.,
Other popular transportation options are
friends or family so they can keep track of your ride.
taxi services are regulated and have set
ride-sharing services, such as Uber, UberX,
prices in each state; they generally offer two
or Lyft. Most ride-share services have come
to three different price brackets for daytime,
under regulation — the respective state
reviewed by passengers on a scale of 1 to 5.
nighttime, and peak hours. Furthermore,
and territory governments have set varying
Drivers may have their accounts deactivated
most taxis are outitted with security cam-
requirements on drivers before they’re eli-
if they consistently receive low ratings.
gible for work. Uber
areas plagued with high crime and avoid
required to hold a
them if possible. Crimereports.com is a great
state-based driver
way to search crime data by region, address,
authority (much like
zip code, or law enforcement agency.
46
Having a plan and knowing where you’re
usually involves a
going will reduce any unnecessary loitering
criminal history and
that could reveal to predators that you’re
medical check as
unfamiliar with the area.
well as providing
C O N C E A L M E N T
Make sure to note any neighborhoods or
drivers are generally
a taxi driver), which
AntonioGuillem/istockphoto.com
Rating System: Drivers are anonymously
If staying in a hotel, try to find a known,
proof of insurance.
reputable brand. Most hotel chains have
Aside from regula-
a rewards program and website to book
tions most ride-
reservations through, which often include a
share services have
star rating system. When making your res-
a number of dif-
ervation, request a room off of the ground
ferent parameters
floor. Higher floors help prevent someone
in place to ensure
from walking in off the street and easily
passengers safety
gaining access to your room. Once your
to include:
reservation is made, record the hotel’s ad-
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
KatarzynaBialasiewicz/istockphoto.com
DON’T ADVERTISE SOLO TRAVEL OR THAT YOU’RE A TOURIST. YOU COULD INADVERTENTLY PUT YOURSELF AT RISK IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE AMONGST THE WRONG CROWD.
DO Online research of crime reports in the area you intend to stay. Lock sensitive items up in a hotel safe and copies of identification on your person. Call for a taxi from an accredited company or ride-sharing service rather than hailing one. Periodically check your bank and credit card statements to watch for any fraudulent activity.
DON’T Leave drinks unattended or accept any from strangers. Travel alone, especially in unfamiliar areas. Post information on social media regarding your whereabouts and status abroad until after you return home. Leave receipts, boarding passes, and other information that can be used to identify you behind in hotel rooms.
dress and contact information, and store it
etiquette for the areas you’ll be visiting,
utilize any additional security locks. Note
somewhere that you can easily access once
whether in or out of the United States.
that not all hotel doors have supplemental
you arrive. Fumbling through your personal
Remember that anything you say or do in
security features, so consider travelling
belongings creates distractions and oppor-
public can be overheard or observed. Like
with a rubber or tactical doorstop with
tunities for human predators.
the World War II saying “loose lips sink
which you can chock the door from the in-
ships,” gabbing openly about your plans,
side to make it harder for someone to force
tions through an online hospitality service
where you’re staying, or how excited you
access. If there’s a safe in the room, always
that rents private residences like Airbnb
are to finally get out on your own could in-
keep identification papers and high-dollar
or VRBO, knowing the area becomes even
advertently put you at risk if you happen to
items locked up. If an in-room safe isn’t
more important. Is the area of the rental
be amongst the wrong crowd. Do your best
available, the front desk may have a safe
safe? Is it accessible to public transporta-
to favor well-lit areas with lots of public
deposit box. When leaving your room, place
tion? Will it be owner-occupied while you’re
traffic. If you plan to drink alcoholic bever-
the do not disturb card on the outside
renting? Is there parking available at or
ages, know your limits, don’t leave drinks
of the door and leave the radio or TV on.
near the rental, if renting a car or driving to
unattended, and don’t accept drinks from
This will make your room appear occupied,
your destination? Always know whom you’re
strangers. The importance of selecting a
especially when traveling alone.
renting from by reading previous renter
reputable car services applies doubly when
reviews and renting from a verified source.
you’re tipsy. We know of several people
check the safe for personal items. Do a
who’ve been mugged or worse because they
full sweep of your hotel room to ensure you
had one too many and assumed that once
don’t leave any personal affects behind.
they got in a cab everything would be fine.
Make sure not to leave anything in the trash
If you’ve booked your travel accommoda-
DURING TRAVEL Don’t advertise solo travel or that you’re
Prior to checking out of the hotel, double-
that could be used to identify you, such as
a tourist. Always move with confidence
The loose lips rule applies to hotel staff
even if you feel unsure. Don’t be flashy
equally as anyone else. Have just one key-
old boarding tickets, receipts, mail, or agen-
with clothing or accessories. If traveling in-
card made for your room, to help prevent
das. Although most hotels have stopped at-
ternationally, be sure to know local customs
misplacing or losing track of keys. When in
taching personal information to room keys,
and dress accordingly. Be aware of cultural
your room, make sure to lock the door and
turn in or take hotel keys with you.
C O N C E A L M E N T
47
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
TRAVELERS BEWARE Map courtesy ControlRisks.com
to make sure you didn’t leave anything
mean that risks are no longer present.
dence that you booked through an online
behind. Also, run periodic checks of your
We often become complacent in our daily
hospitality service, preparedness is para-
bank accounts and credit card statements
routines, and it’s just as important for us to
mount to your safety. Communicate through
to make sure none of your accounts were
maintain vigilance while conducting daily ac-
the site you book through, set expectations
compromised. It’s also a good practice to
tivities. Whether you’re traveling to and from
with your host for your visit ahead of time,
occasionally check your credit statement
work, to another state, across the country, or
and don’t leave personal items behind.
for fraudulent activity.
internationally, personal accountability and
Again, if you’re staying at a private resi-
Maintain awareness in all senses of the
preparedness are the two most important
airport or in any major transportation hub.
word. Just because you safely made it back
factors to ensure that you and your loved
Hundreds of thousands of people transit
to the comforts of your own home doesn’t
ones don’t become victims. C
Try to remain especially alert at the
through these various networks on a daily basis from all over the world, making it a target-rich environment. As always, maintain accountability for your personal items and never leave them unattended. If you forget
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
this last part, the incessant loudspeaker an-
Hana L. Bilodeau has over 15 years of law enforcement experience, serving both locally and federally. Most
nouncements in most major airports will no
recently, she spent time with the Federal Air Marshal Service covering multiple domestic and international
doubt remind you.
missions. Hana has a wealth of knowledge in a number of different defensive modalities to include her present role as a full-time firearms instructor for SIG SAUER Academy. Hana is also a per diem deputy with
AFTER TRAVEL Even after travelling, safety is para-
the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office, allowing her to stay current with the law enforcement culture. www.sigsaueracademy.com
mount. Once home, check your luggage
C O N C E A L M E N T
48
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
C O N C E A L M E N T
50
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
THE Q1S TAKES AIM AT THE AMERICAN CCW MARKET BY IAIN HARRISON PHOTOS BY KENDA LENSIEGNE
We covered Grand Power’s fullsized, rotary-
to the G19 anyway, why would we go against
factory to the north, it follows a conventional
locked 10mm in CONCEALMENT Issue 3
that particular trend? Striker ired and poly-
layout, having its rails on the outside of the
and came away pleasantly surprised by its
mer framed, its 13+1 capacity puts it in the
frame. This is a good thing, as it’s beveled
ergonomics and feature set. Since then, their
wheelhouse of what’s popularly thought of
to reduce both mass and proile — if it rode
product line has expanded, and the Q1S
as the sweet spot of serious carry guns. But
inside the frame rails, there wouldn’t be a
seems targeted squarely at the consumer who
the Slovenians have their own way of doing
whole lot to grab when it came to stoppage
believes the Glock 19 is the answer, no mat-
things, and this handgun is a reflection of
drills. Fortunately, the manufacturer has seen
ter what the question might be.
that design philosophy.
it to bestow it with forward serrations, for
One of the irst things that stands out
BY THE NUMBERS Grand Power delivers a pistol that its in
those of us who prefer to manipulate the slide
upon picking up the gun is that indeinable
in this manner, and they’re decently sized
it in the hand, not at all reminiscent of a
and aggressive.
the box deined by Gaston’s most popular
chunk of bar stock nailed to a 2x4. While its
Likewise, the ejection port is generously
creation, and as everyone else will compare it
slide looks at irst glance to hail from the CZ
proportioned and chamfered to make sure
C O N C E A L M E N T
51
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
GRAND POWER empty cases are flung clear of the
The Q1S barrel is conventionally
Our test gun’s inish started off like this. We caused it to rust after just a couple of range sessions.
ixed-barrel HK P7, it’s very close,
chamber, while the steel three-dot sights
rifled, six-groove, right twist, and 3.7
are dovetailed and pinned. The front
inches long, locking to the slide by
sight could stand to be a smidge taller
means of a large, single lug, about
in order to aid speed of acquisition, and
½-inch forward of the chamber. A he-
lineage to small arms developments
the rear would beneit from a more verti-
lical cam groove at the 6 o’clock posi-
that occurred just over Slovenia’s
cal forward edge to enable one-handed
tion rotates the barrel in much the
western border in the early part of
manipulations, but they’re usable as-is.
same way as its ancient predecessor,
the 20th century. The Roth-Steyr’s
The almost-standard iring pin drop
the 1912-vintage Steyr Hahn, rather
striker has been ripped off by just
safety and striker tail can be found in
than employing a more conventional
about every purveyor of plastic fan-
the almost-standard locations, though
Browning-style tilting lockup. Because
tastics, and while the GP’s operating
there’s been a fair amount of lightening
of this, there’s no integral feed ramp,
system hearkens to another Steyr
work done to the slide’s underside. While
though there’s a slight bevel to the
design dating prior to WWI, the
it might look like it’s inished in the
chamber edge to help with getting
lower half of the pistol makes use of
same way as most of its contemporaries,
rounds from the magazine. When
a more recent innovation from the
that flat black coating is just a basic
unlocked, there’s almost no step for
same Austrian company.
industrial oxide. Unfortunately, here in
the new round to negotiate, as it’s as
the Arizona desert, hands tend to get a
near as dammit a straight line from
little sweaty during time at the range,
the feed lips to the chamber. While
and after just a few sessions, rust began
the path isn’t quite as clean as a
to form everywhere we’d fondled it. We hate to think what would happen after a few days riding in an IWB holster in Florida or Georgia.
C O N C E A L M E N T
52
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
and we don’t foresee failures to feed ever being a signiicant problem. The entire gun owes much of its
the scene in 1982. It has beneited from the reinements forced by users since then and features an undercut trigger guard, grip texturing, and Pic rail under the dust cover. It also has a pair of domed buttons above the beavertail, serving to blank off a hole where a manual safety could be added, should someone in a position to place a large order for such a variant demand it. There’s a slight thumb shelf molded into the sides, which also serves as a fence to prevent inadvertent activation of the ambidextrous mag catch. We
It’s a chassis gun, and unlike the one employed by SIG in the P320, this one is CNC’d from bar stock, rather than being a sheetmetal stamping. It’s nicely executed with long frame rails and a highly polished feed ramp, which may seem like overkill given the magazine’s high-feed position — the top round barely contacts it before the bullet’s tip enters the chamber.
There are a lot of sweet design touches here, like the inely machined chassis and rotary-locked barrel. For those with an aversion to modern manufacturing process, the only MIM part is the heavily sprung extractor, just visible next to the breech block.
The chassis houses all of the pistol’s
experienced some stickiness during
lockwork, as well as the ejector and
our irst range session, as the catch
ambidextrous slide lock. The latter
was remarkably dificult to press and
hinges on a pin that passes through
gave the impression that its spring had
the outer part of the frame, also
been sourced from the rear axle of a
serving to capture the recoil spring
dump truck. Once it had been cycled
assembly — one less thing to misplace
a few times, this went away, and we
when ield stripping. The most highly
were able to reliably dump the mag
stressed part of the frame, namely the
with either hand.
barrel cam, is replaceable; loosely held
Like a Glock, the Q1S’s trigger
in the chassis, it’s a section of tool
has the usual gas pedal in its face,
steel rod that’s both free to rotate and
preventing it from being pulled unless
has its grain structure oriented at 90
the tab at the rear of the blade is
degrees to the frame rails.
pushed out of engagement with the
The rest of the frame is made of the
frame. Unlike the G, its striker is fully
same glass-illed nylon we’ve come to
cocked, which in theory should make
expect since the Glock 17 arrived on
for a shorter trigger pull. But this isn’t
C O N C E A L M E N T
53
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
GRAND POWER the case, as it takes about 3⁄8 inch to
best split times on the ’Gram, this
Once proven clear, pull the slide to
move it from initial takeup to the point
is deinitely not it. But not all of us
the rear, while pulling down the pair of
at which entertaining things happen
are that shallow. Think of it as a very
takedown tabs (think Glock) forward of
— there’s an overtravel stop sticking
smooth, very light, double-action trig-
the slide catch. Then lift the slide up
out from the rear of the trigger blade,
ger, which for a defensive pistol makes
off the frame rails and run it forward
a whole lot of sense.
to disengage the recoil spring. If this
which comes into play about 1⁄8 inch after the striker slips off the sear, so from pinning the trigger to reset takes about 1⁄2 inch. If you’re looking for a trigger that will allow you to post your
We were impressed by the soft-shooting characteristics of the rotary breech. Despite the DA trigger, rapid follow-up shots were easy to make.
Due to the rotary-locked barrel, the
sounds like the possession of a third
Q1S requires a different ield strip-
appendage might be a good idea, just
ping methodology than most pistols
wait till you try to put it back together.
in the cabinet of your local gun store.
While the process does get easier with
SPECS
GRAND POWER
Q1S
CALIBER: 9mm Luger BARREL LENGTH: 3.7 inches OVERALL LENGTH: 7 inches WEIGHT UNLOADED: 22 ounces MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 13 MSRP: $574 URL: grandpower.eagleimportsinc.com
practice, it’ll never be as intuitive or
to its nuances, that’s a good sign. The
simple as, say, a P226 or Beretta 92.
main human engineering factor that
Anyone with poor grip strength or less
allowed us to exploit its inherent accu-
patience than a special-needs teacher
racy was of course its trigger, which on
will probably feel an urge to fling the
paper seemed to be a handicap. After
Q1S across the garage the irst time
all, it’s no 1911.
they decide to clean it.
Extended baseplate is needed for a full grip and although the importer’s website lists capacity at 12 rounds, we had no issues when mags were crammed with 13.
Due to the very smooth, long pull,
The rest of the pistol’s functioning was entirely unremarkable. It went bang when it was supposed to, mags entered and left the grip without protest, and nothing fell off. In short, the Q1S did everything we demand of a carry gun; its low-ish bore axis
we were able to make conscious sight
and rotary-locked barrel made for
corrections all the way through our
a smooth recoil impulse. While we
trigger press. The shot broke without
did have a couple of issues with the
pistol, it was halfway through a train-
disturbing the sight picture, and there
inish choice for the slide and the
ing session, which had already pro-
was no stacking or grittiness what-
sights could stand some improve-
gressed to the 50-yard line. Loading
soever, while its overtravel was like
ment, the irst of these can be cured
up a full mag took some effort, as that
a period of mechanically mandated
with Cerakote and the second is a
new spring smell was in full effect, but
follow-through. Yes, the long reset
matter of personal preference. Over-
every one of our BBs found their way
did add a couple of hundredths to
all, the Grand Power is a competent
to the center of a steel IPSC target.
our split times, but in a self-defense
carry gun option, and one we’d feel
For a new pistol, right out of the box
application, is this really going to be a
comfortable sticking in a holster as
with no time to become accustomed
deciding factor?
part of our EDC. C
ROUNDS DOWNRANGE The very irst time we shot the test
C O N C E A L M E N T
55
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
WARNING! The concepts shown here are for illustrative purposes only. Seek professional training from a reputable instructor before attempting any techniques discussed or shown in this story.
C O N C E A L M E N T
56
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
A PRIMER ON EFFECTIVE THROWS AND SWEEPS BY CONRAD BUI
WHAT COMES UP
The date: March 13, 1998. The
first fight amongst modern-day hu-
event: Ultimate Fighting Champion-
mans ended up with the combatants
Throws are no doubt effective.
ships (UFC) 16. It’s the early days
rolling on the ground. Wrestling and
Here are five reasons to add throws
of the UFC, and cage fighting is
throwing have been around since
into your combatives training.
still banned in many states of the
time immemorial. In fact, a mural
union. Only hard-core combat sports
discovered in Egypt, dating back
in the opening paragraph, dumping
fans and devoted martial artists are
to 2,000 B.C., depicts a variety
someone on his noggin will end a ight
tuning in to watch the mayhem on
of wrestling positions. Grappling
quickly. In the cement jungle, throws
pay-per-view.
during a violent encounter almost
may have deadly consequences. Ad-
seems natural. It happens in almost
ditionally, unforgiving objects like ire hy-
weighing in at 180 pounds and sport-
every MMA match. In the sport of
drants or rocks can make throws lethal.
ing the physique of a Greek Adonis,
boxing, contestants are routinely
has his hands full against Russian
separated after they clinch up, and
attacker will have to make his way
kickboxer and undefeated Extreme
scores of YouTube videos record
back up to his feet to be effective.
Fighting Champion, Igor Zinoviev. The
fights that often involve grappling
This can buy valuable time to high-
bell sounds and the ref yells, “Let’s
of some sort, whether it be standing
tail it out of there.
get it on!” Only 22 seconds into the
or on the ground.
MMA legend Frank Shamrock,
ight, Shamrock dives in, picks up Zi-
Ends a Fight Quickly: As depicted
Speed Bump: Once on his butt, an
Shielding: During a multiple at-
Throws and sweeps — you’ve likely
tacker situation, a downed attacker
noviev, and throws him to the ground.
seen Steven Seagal, Jackie Chan, or
makes a great shield, slowing down
Zinoviev is knocked unconscious with
Bruce Lee throw opponents on their
the attack of other assailants.
a career-ending broken collarbone
asses on the big screen. Maybe your
Control: Putting someone on the
and a fractured C-5 vertebra. Sham-
favorite UFC fighter (like Shamrock)
ground will make life much easier,
rock barely broke a sweat with the
uses them. But just how easy is it to
if your goal is to control the rowdy
throw, marching off into UFC history
do, and how effective are throws in
rascal. Having the ground contacting
as a legend of the sport.
a SHTF scenario? Here we explore
and blocking the majority of a bad
what it means to dump a bad guy,
guy’s body will make escape diffi-
like a bad habit.
cult, giving you more dominance.
Grappling and throwing are as old as mankind, and most likely the
C O N C E A L M E N T
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
THE GRAND SLAM Advantage: If you have experience
It’s Complicated: Compared to
KNOW YOUR ROLL
in wrestling, sambo, judo, or jiu-jitsu,
strikes, sweeps and throws have more
you’ll have a huge advantage in the
moving parts. To execute successful
Looking for a new pastime? How about one where you’ll make
clinch. This will be especially true if
throws, more training time is required.
lifelong buddies, have fun, get into fabulous shape, and learn to
the only thing your opponent is used
This can be a good thing because
defend yourself during fights? Look no further than the grappling
to wrestling is his own conscience.
training will get us off our couch and
arts found at your local gym or recreational center. But where to
make us sweat. We’ll take it.
start? Here’s our guide to the most common grappling arts.
HOW TO PUT A BAD GUY DOWN
Aikido: Also called “the way of harmonious spirit,” Aikido is a
MUST COME DOWN As effective as throws can be, they’re not the panacea of combat-
Although there are a variety of
Japanese system that mixes joint locks with philosophy. If you’re
ives techniques. Throws may end a
throws from many different martial
looking for a system that’ll also teach you to be a better human
fight quickly, but they do have short-
arts, here we’ll focus on what we
being, while learning to subdue an attacker with the least amount
comings. Below are the drawbacks to
feel are the three most effective
of violence, this art is for you.
your slam fest.
and easy to apply: the back sweep, front sweep, and hip toss. Rounding
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ): A more modern interpretation
most violent confrontations happen in
out your combatives arsenal with
of traditional or Japanese Jujitsu (see below), BJJ emphasizes
close range, we recommend you make
these three techniques will make you
ground fighting, with the goal of gaining submission by joint
a quick exit if you can. Throws, by
better prepared when trouble comes
lock or choke. Many BJJ practitioners compete in tournaments
nature, require bad-breath distanc-
knocking. But first, let’s study how
to improve their skills and test themselves in a safe environ-
ing — recommended if you can avoid
to safely close to the requisite dis-
ment. You’ll often find this art taught alongside Thai boxing and
it. Run, hide, and (lastly) ight is the
tance for the throw-down.
wrestling in mixed martial arts gyms across the country. If you
Too Close for Comfort: Even though
like to get sweaty and lose weight, sign up.
formula we recommend. Size Matters: No matter what Yoda or any other master tells you, execut-
ENTER THE DRAGON Before attempting any throw,
Japanese Jujitsu: This is the original samurai art used as
ing a successful throw during an
you must be in the proper posi-
a last resort on the battleields of yore. Traditional jujitsu offers a
all-out violent encounter may require
tion; think hugging range. Against
well-rounded curriculum of strikes, kicks, joint locks, and throws.
some mass and strength. You may
punches, get your chin down and
Some schools teach katana (aka samurai sword) techniques, as
notice that grappling sports like wres-
hands up. Take a step forward and
well as basic ground ighting.
tling and judo are divided into weight
get your head close to the attacker’s
classes. This is to make the sport fair
head. Grab their shoulders or arms
Judo: A popular Olympic sport often found at your local rec-
for the little person, acknowledging
and hang on. Against a weapon (like
reational center. Judo involves the use of a “gi” or judo uniform
that big people have an advantage
a knife, club, or firearm), control-
that resembles a bathrobe on steroids. Throws and sweeps are
when you get all touchy-feely.
ling the attacker’s offending limb
the specialties of judo practitioners and ground fighting; along
Grounded: When attempting
is paramount for safety and proper
with submission holds are also practiced.
a throw, there’s always a chance
follow-up. With the weapon under
that you may end up on the ground
control, your strikes and throws will
Russian Sambo: This art is found in both the Russian
yourself. Falling to the ground may
have greater success.
military as well as Russian gyms. Stateside, sambo can be found in martial arts schools across the USA. It’s a combination
open up an entirely different can of worms if you’re not well-versed on the fine art of ground fighting. Also,
TENDERIZE Don’t feel that once you’re close
of judo, jujitsu, and wrestling. Strikes are also taught as part of the military version, and sambo tournaments can be found around the world.
the possibility of multiple attack-
to your attacker, you must sweep
ers makes floor-based-fighting an
or throw immediately. Feel free
absolute no-no.
to soften them up with any strike
Western Wrestling: An Olympic sport, freestyle
handy, including elbows and knees
wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling can also be found in high
armed with a knife or gun, getting all
(see RECOIL OFFGRID Issues 7 and
schools and colleges across the U.S. More recently, MMA gyms
close and personal for a throw may
16, respectively). The strikes will sap
are introducing wrestling programs into their curriculum to make
not be what the doctor ordered. Try-
the attacker’s will to fight and knock
their fighter’s repertoire more complete. Wrestlers train take-
ing to flip someone on his head can
them off-balance. Once tenderized
downs as well as ground controls and pins. It’s a grueling sport
go south really quickly, if a knife or
and tippy, success is almost guaran-
dominated by younger athletes. But make no mistake, wrestlers
firearm is presented mid-struggle.
teed. Now onto the throws! C
are tough SOBs.
Weapons: If your assailant is
1
2
What: A motion utilizing the foot or leg in a rearward direction to floor the assailant. The back sweep is the go-to move of many martial arts, combatives, and combat sports systems, especially judo. It’s easy to learn and involves the use of large muscles to put your assailant down. How: To execute a proper back sweep you must knock your attacker back with some sort of strike or push. The strike can be in the form of a punch, palm, elbow, or ingers to the eyes. The strike will cause your attacker to lean back. Once their balance is lost, immediately step to the outside of the opponent’s leg with your same side leg. A quick twist of your upper body, along with the rear sweep of your front leg will down the assailant. Once the perp is on the ground, there’s a decision to be made. You can control the attacker, continue to retaliate, or make a quick exit.
Knife Stab vs. Back Sweep Sherman Chin grabs a knife and prepares to go “psycho” on Conrad Bui. Bui recognizes the attack, steps in to parry the attack, and strike the eyes. The eye attack allows Bui to further off-balance Chin and makes the back sweep to the ground easy. The defender now has the opportunity to further continue the offense or run. 1
Baseball Bat vs. Back Sweep Seems like every apocalypse movie has a baseball bat attack somewhere. Here the attacker comes at Bui looking to hit a homerun. Bui immediately repositions himself within the arc of the strike and lands an elbow strike. The elbow strike is enough to off-balance the attacker and allows Bui to step behind the front leg. A quick back sweep to the ground, followed with a palm strike, ends the ight. 2
C O N C E A L M E N T
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
THE GRAND SLAM What: A forward motion of the foot and leg used
the arc of the strike. A lateral strike or push will
to off balance the attacker or to take them to the
setup the attacker for an easy sweep by taking
ground. The front sweep relies more on timing and
the weight off their front leg (the leg that’ll be
less on strength. With the correct technique and
swept). Simply place your opposite foot to the
timing, this sweep can take someone down with
outside of the attacker’s front foot (if the attacker
minimal effort.
has their left foot forward, place your right foot to the outside of the attacker’s left foot). Next,
How: The front sweep will work great when the
slide your front foot medially, and down they go.
opponent is leaning forward. It’s common for
With the attacker grounded, you can continue the
the attacker to lean forward during a punch or
onslaught, use them as a meat-shield, or simply
attempted grab. Parry the attack and get inside
hightail it out of there.
1
Knife Stab vs. Front Sweep The knife-wielding assailant is looking to ventilate Bui. The defender immediately parries the attack and steps in for control and a palm strike/eye rake. The counter-strike knocks the attacker back, making the front sweep effortless. Once grounded, Bui is in a better position to disarm the thug. 1
2
Club vs. Front Sweep Bui defends himself against a clubbing attack by leaning back and getting out of the way. Once the weapon has missed, Bui quickly steps in to jam the weapon and elbow strike the attacker. A forearm shot to the throat off-balances the attacker. A front sweep along with a disarm, and Bui is safe. 2
C O N C E A L M E N T
60
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
What: A throw involving the use of one’s hip to up-
Use your free arm and wrap it around your op-
root and slam an attacker to the ground. The hip
ponent’s neck. Once the headlock position is
toss is commonplace in many judo, wrestling, and
achieved, turn the back of your hip toward your
cage matches, as well as on the streets.
attacker. Next, bend your knees to bring your hip down, lower than the hip of your attacker.
How: As with the other throws, you’ll need to be
When this position is set, use your legs to lift the
close enough to deliver a kiss, but the only thing
attacker off the ground, over your hip, and slam
you’ll be delivering is carnage to your attacker.
their body to the ground in front of you.
Haymaker Punch vs. Hip Toss Bui gets his hands up when he sees the threat. Bui steps forward inside the arc of the strike and lands his own forearm shot to the side of Chin’s neck. The force of the strike knocks Chin back, allowing Bui time to turn and hip toss the attacker to the ground. Once on the ground, Bui is able to control the attacker, break the arm, or make a mad dash for safety. 1
1
C O N C E A L M E N T
61
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
C O N C E A L M E N T
62
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
radius than the opposite coniguration.
easier to conceal and provides a longer sight
instead. A shorter grip with longer slide is
harder to conceal — and lengthen the slide
eschew extending the grip — thus making it
to its overall packaging, you might rather
carry gun. And if you were to make a change
Glock 19 is already an immensely popular
the opposite of what many might desire. The
concealed carry as a primary use case, this is
17-length grip. For the civilian market, with
weapon, the 19X has a 19-length slide and a
store for you. Intended as a military service
market, you’ll love what Polymer80 has in
they released the Glock 19X to the civilian
If you thought Glock got it wrong when
BY ROB CURTIS AND STEVEN KUO
C O N C E A L M E N T
63
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
other companies.
being used for semi-custom guns offered by
in 2018. We’re also seeing Polymer80 frames
ized PF940CL expected to be available later
pleted irearms, with the 100-percent, serial-
started offering their current frames as com-
at MSRP for their current offerings. They’ve
an 80-percent frame — $135 versus $150
100-percent frame is actually cheaper than
because you won’t need the jig or tooling, a
now also sells completed frames. In fact,
laws in your jurisdiction), Polymer80
care about a paper trail (subject to the
tion of building your own gun or don’t
And if you aren’t seeking the satisfac-
whole process is very straightforward.
of the underlying Glock architecture, the
With the utter simplicity and low parts count
that, it’s just like assembling a regular Glock.
frame, all four slide rails are metal. Beyond
assembly. So, unlike Polymer80’s original V1
slide rails that straddle the stock Glock trigger
incorporates front slide rails as well as rear
simply install a front locking block that also
it’s a very straightforward process. Then, you
jig and tooling (two drill bits and an end mill),
pieces of polymer. With the included plastic
is to drill six holes and cut away extraneous
mer80’s clever V2 frame design, all it takes
before it becomes an actual gun. With Poly-
of polymer that needs additional machining
sider it to be a irearm — it’s simply a piece
non-gun. In other words, the ATF doesn’t con-
frame is irst being offered as an 80-percent
True to Polymer80’s roots, the PF940CL
chopped down to G19 length.
Gen 3 uppers and parts, with the grip
17-sized frame, accepting G17-compatible
new PF940CL frame. It’s essentially a Glock
That’s exactly what Polymer80 did with its
POLYMER80 COMPACT LONG SLIDE For now, we got our hands on a preproduction 80-percent PF940CL frame, built it up, and wrung it out.
MAKING FREEDOM IS SATISFYING
Polymer80 offers a ReadyMod version of the frame with a completely blank grip that you can stipple or customize however you’d like.
Place the 80-percent frame in the jig and secure it in a bench vise. We added clamps to ensure it was properly aligned — but don’t crush it. With a hand drill and the M4 drill bit, drill the trigger pinhole. Drill the left and right side separately; don’t drill all the way through from one side. Then, with
ment is basically to machine them off, keeping it level. Drill presses are technically only designed to take load in the Z-axis — i.e. drilling holes. But with the smaller
the help of an X-Y table, you can secure
M3 drill bit, drill
the workpiece and use the table’s gear-
holes for the trigger hous-
ing to move it in the X and Y axes to
ing pin and the locking block
machine away material. When working
pin. Again, drill the left and right
with softer material like polymer, this
sides separately. Clean up the
allows you to use your drill press like a
flashing that remains around the
mill. But you needn’t even use a drill
new holes. Polymer80 advises
press; we’ve seen folks use everything
using a hand drill for this opera-
from Dremels to whittling knives.
tion, not a drill press, in order to align
In our case, we used a dirt-cheap
properly with the guide holes in the jig.
$135 bench-top drill press from Harbor
While a mill would be a more ap-
Freight along with their $75 cross slide
propriate choice, the next operations are
vise. As it turns out, this bench-top drill
often performed with a drill press by
press only has 10 inches of travel — in
the typical garage tinkerer. There are
combination with the height of the vise,
four tabs that extend above the top of the PF940CL frame; they need to be removed to clear the slide. The require-
PF940CL compared to a stock Glock 19 from the early ’90s.
it was insuficient to accommodate the end mill and jig when placed on its end. Moreover, its table and base were small
The end mill is used to remove tabs on the frame and cut a U-shaped area.
drill press starting to complain. Just as we backed off, the chuck came loose. Fortunately, it didn’t make much mess of either polymer or flesh, but it stands as a clear warning to exercise caution, especially with these small, light-duty drill presses. The inal step is to cut out a piece to clear the guide rod and barrel lug. Clamp the jig on its end and plunge the end mill into the dust cover of the frame to mill out a U-shaped opening, as inand only had two slots for attachments, lacking the typical X-shaped slots on larger machines that can secure items like a cross slide vise. It would have been easier to use a mill or a larger drill press, but we wanted to see how it could be
Differences from a stock Glock include the front locking block, additional locking block pin, rear slide rails, and a coiled slide lock spring.
intended to drill, not take loads laterally.
dicated on the frame. Don’t cut beyond
So grab a mallet and beat the sh*t out of
this point and be careful not to hit the
yours to secure it in place before insert-
jig with the chuck. It’s a little tricky to
ing the end mill. And even then, keep an
see what you’re doing, so we cut short
eye on it — more on this later.
of the relief edges and inished with a
Orient the jig horizontally with the tabs
round ile. Remember that you can take addition-
done on a budget. So, in grand Wile E.
on the top and clamp it in the X-Y table.
Coyote school of gunsmithing fashion, we
We again used additional clamps to keep
al passes to remove material, but you
clamped the drill press and vise next to
all the corners secure, without overtight-
can’t add it back. So cut less rather than
each other on a flat work surface, then
ening. Set the appropriate depth for your
more — it’s easy to ile away any excess.
rotated the drill press’ head away from
end mill; we set it to bottom out when
That’s exactly what we did, followed by a
its base to instead hover over the vise.
just kissing the jig. Familiarize yourself
light sanding to smooth everything out.
This gave us enough clearance and travel
with how the gearing on the X-Y table
to perform the remaining operations.
moves the workpiece, so you know which
from assembling a regular Glock are the
direction to turn the cranks to make your
front locking block that doubles as front
using don’t have failsafe chucks. They’re
cuts. Then machine off the tabs. Near
slide rails and rear slide rails that nest
simply pressed into place; they’re only
the end of our last tab we noticed the
underneath the trigger assembly in the
Drill presses such as the one we were
C O N C E A L M E N T
65
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
Beyond this point, the only differences
POLYMER80 COMPACT LONG SLIDE BANG BANG BANG
The Polymer80 frame won’t it in most Glock holsters, but a number of holster manufacturers make models speciically for it, including this one from Squared Away Customs.
The completed gun felt great in the hand, though the slide was quite tight on the frame, in particular on the front locking block. Still, it passed our safety and functionality checks, so we loaded up mags and got to work. Polymer80 recommends several hundred rounds to break in a new build. We brought out a mix of ammo with brass, aluminum, and steel cases. We experienced some failures to eject early on that went away, followed by periodic failure to feeds where the slide didn’t go completely into battery that persisted even as empty cases piled up, especially with steel cased Brown Bear ammo. The front locking block that came with our pre-production frame continued to bind on the slide and must have been out of spec. Fortunately, we had an extra locking block from an uninished production Polymer80 PF940V2 standard frame. We disassembled the preproduction unit and compared the locking blocks. Our
Trigger guard is contoured wonderfully, gas pedals are cut into the frame, and a standard Pic rail adorns the dust cover.
rear of the frame. Just insert them
spare block slid easily and smoothly
and secure with pins. We inished the
in the slide, while the original would
build with a flat-faced curved trigger
bind. After swapping it into our build,
and PVD inished barrels and slides
the gun ran like a top with no further
from Polymer80. We had two sets of
malfunctions. When you receive your
the latter to try out. The match-grade
kit, testit the pieces; grab the loose
barrels are available with and without
locking block and your slide and make
fluting and made of 17-4 stainless
sure they slide smoothly.
steel. Barrels can be had in black DLC, titanium nitride, and stainless. Frank Proctor Shooting sights with a Y-notch on the left; NIght Fision sights with Accur8 single rear tritium dot setup on the right.
Polymer80 incorporated great features on the frame, like those that
The Gen 3 slides are available
custom builders toil for hours to add
in black, flat dark earth, and gray.
to stock Glock frames. The infamous
Remaining parts were stock Glock,
Glock grip angle is mitigated by the flat
except for sights. On one slide, we
backstrap, great for those who can’t get
installed Night Fision sights with
used to regular Glocks. However, if you
tritium inserts — they were very bright;
like Glock grips, the difference is subtle
the company says they’re 30-percent
enough that it shouldn’t be too hard
brighter than other makes. The other
to adjust. If you have large hands, the
slide was treated to Y-notch sights
grip will feel almost as short as a G19
from Frank Proctor Shooting, with a
(helped by the undercut trigger guard),
iber optic front and a rear notch cut
but you may appreciate the deletion of
in a Y shape to combine the precision
the inger grooves on the front strap.
of a narrow notch with the speed of a
And if you have small hands, you’ll
wider notch.
be able to get better purchase on the
BETTER TO HAVE IT AND NOT NEED IT, THAN TO NEED IT AND NOT HAVE IT
This truism of gun ownership can also apply to owning a
VP pistols have easy to change backstraps and side panels for a personalized fit. 27 custom-fitted grip combinations are possible.
better, more reďŹ ned gun. So why settle for a striker-ďŹ red pistol with an OK trigger and a few generic grip options when the HK VP9 or VP9SK have great triggers and 27 different ďŹ tment combinations? Options too, are better to have‌
VP9 (9 mm) with 15 round magazine
VP9SK (9 mm) with 10 round magazine
ZZZ KN XVD FRP
POLYMER80 COMPACT LONG SLIDE The Polymer80 ran perfectly once we sorted out the front locking block. The frame’s features are well-thought-out and contribute to a secure, comfortable, and high grip.
gun. The texturing is grippy without
it’s stuffed down your pants, so no one
being too aggressive, though like with
will ever know, but like your favorite pair
any grip texture an undershirt helps
of underwear, it’ll put an extra spring in
reduce discomfort on the ol’ beer belly.
your step. Strapping on the gun helps
PF940CL 80 PERCENT PISTOL FRAME KIT
Contouring and undercuts on the trigger
you appreciate the original concept
CALIBER: 9mm
guard and the small beavertail allow
behind the gun —vertically, you don’t
BARREL LENGTH: 4.5 inches
you to get a comfortable, high grip on
really notice the longer slide, and hori-
OVERALL LENGTH: 7.6 inches
the gun. There’s also a small gas pedal
zontally, the shorter grip doesn’t print
WEIGHT UNLOADED: 1.4 pounds
cut on the frame in front of the slide
as much.
MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 15
SPECS
POLYMER80
on this build for more economical
the PF940CL; the anti-G19X format
selections, when you add it up, you
works well. If you want a Glock 17 with
on hand wouldn’t accept our Poly-
may lament that it costs more than an
a 19-length grip — well, Glock doesn’t
mer80. However, an ever-growing list
actual Glock. If a Glock its your needs,
make one of those. And if you want to
of holster manufacturers offer compat-
we encourage you to get one — all of
build your own gun, Glock can’t help
ible holsters. We got a Squared Away
us here at RECOIL have many of them.
you either. So, you know what you need
AS FEATURED: Polymer80 PF940CL 80-percent Pistol Frame Kit $150 Polymer80 P80 G17 Gen 3 Standard Slide $325 Polymer80 P80 G17 Barrel (Standard or Fluted) $165 or $175 Polymer80 PFSeries Slide Parts Kit $100 Glock Recoil Spring Assembly $5 Glock Lower Parts Kit $50 Polymer80 P80 Curved Trigger $100 Sights (Frank Proctor Shooting Y Notch Sights or Night Fision Perfect Dot Accur8 Night Sights) $79 or $117 Squared Away Customs P80 Holster (Multicam) $69
Customs P80 holster in sexy MultiCam;
But if you appreciate the extra features
to do. Build yourself some perfection. C
TOTAL $1,043 - $1,091
lock for those who like to get some
As a carry-focused build, we kept the
MSRP: $150 (frame kit only) URL: www.polymer80.com
extra leverage on the gun with their
trigger mostly stock Glock, except for
support thumb; it’s also a nice spot to
the P80 trigger shoe. It broke at 4.75
index your trigger inger. To make mag
pounds with a hint of grittiness. The
on the Polymer80 frames, price out
changes easier, the frame is scalloped
trigger shoe felt good, and we shot ive-
the cost of getting custom framework
out around the magazine release and
shot groups at 25 yards of just under 3
done on your Glock before you make
the magwell is smoothly flared. All told,
inches. In general, it shot like a custom-
your decision. You should check out
Polymer80 made excellent choices in
ized Glock — and that’s a compliment.
Polymer80’s frames.
their frame design that work together
Even if you forgo the premium parts
very well. Most of the Glock holsters we had
C O N C E A L M E N T
68
We really liked shooting and carrying
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
No leather holster stands up to the strength of a BLACKHAWK! ®
HAND CRAFTED ITALIAN LEATHER
OVER 60 CUSTOM FITS
BUILT BE T TER
Find out more at blackhawk.com
C O N C E A L M E N T
70
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
SHARPEN YOUR EDGEDWEAPON SKILLS WITH SOLO TRAINING BY CHAD MCBROOM
The greatest challenge with
The choice to carry a knife as a
incorporate that knowledge into a
means of self-defense brings with it
regular training regimen to hone
solo blade training is knowing
the responsibility of learning how to
your skills.
where to start. Once you know
The great thing about blade train-
use it, but just knowing how to do
how to train on your own, the
something doesn’t make you good
ing is it can be done pretty much
possibilities become endless.
at it. Skill comes from repetition
anywhere. Unlike irearms training,
The information presented here
through dedicated training. At-
you don’t need a designated training
will give you some good starting
tending a couple edged-weapons
area. You don’t need to worry about
points to help you develop a
seminars might give you a base
noise and backstops, and your neigh-
consistent solo training program
knowledge, but it won’t make you
bors aren’t likely to call the police if
that will sharpen your edged-
proicient with a blade. You must
you do it in the backyard.
weapons skills.
C O N C E A L M E N T
71
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
SOLITARY KNIFE FIGHTING Some solo training tools pictured here include aluminum training blades, a shot timer, a tennis ball on a string, bubbles, and a Rubber Dummies 3D Silhouette Target.
have to imagine an opponent as vividly as possible, seeing his every move through your mind’s eye. Visualize his attacks and react to them using footwork, evasions, defenses, interceptions, and counters. Imagine how he’s reacting to your movements and respond accordingly. This variation of shadow shanking is the most challenging, but the beneits you reap from it are invaluable.
THE TRAINING POST The training post is one of the oldest and simplest combat training tools known to man. Historically known as a pell, this solid wooden post was used to practice striking, cutting, and thrusting with the sword,
SHADOW SHANKING Shadow shanking is the edged-
mirror helps you develop a mind-body connection. It’s the reason gyms and
weapon equivalent of shadow boxing,
martial arts schools are covered in
with a little urban slang mixed in. It’s
mirrors. Use the mirror to correct flaws
the act of ighting with an imaginary
and solidify proper technique until your
opponent to develop technique, timing,
body knows what the right motion feels
lines of motion, and muscle memory.
like. Go back to the mirror frequently
It’s one of the most useful training
to reinforce proper technique.
Shadow shanking is the edgedweapon equivalent of shadow boxing. When done with the proper progression and mind-set, it can be a valuable training tool.
methods for learning and training basic movements and movement patterns. There are a few different ways to
FREE FLOW Another form of shadow shank-
implement shadow shanking into your
ing is free flow. This is where you
training regimen.
develop your ability to flow from one cut or thrust to another using the
WORKING THE BASICS This is how you build your founda-
most eficient path for each angle of attack. Start with preset combinations
tion. The best way to set this up is to
to engrain paths of motion into your
stand in front of a mirror and watch
central nervous system. As those com-
yourself perform the movements.
binations become more fluid, you can
You might also want to draw a large
begin linking the lines between various
asterisk on the mirror with lipstick or a
combinations until you’re able to free
grease pencil to give you a visual refer-
flow without thinking.
ence for the various angles of attack. You can then follow these lines with your blade. We tend to be very unaware of ourselves. Seeing yourself moving in a
THE GHOST Visualization is the key to ighting the ghost, a cool name for an imaginary opponent. To ight the ghost, you
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shield, and spear. It was the ancient swordsman’s equivalent of a boxer’s heavy bag, and its use is recorded in historical documents dating back to the 1st century. The training post is a vital piece of solo training equipment. Delivering
cuts and thrusts against the air is
a good idea to wear Kevlar-lined
great for developing basic technique,
gloves to protect your hand in case it
but the resistance of a solid target
rides onto the blade during a thrust,
is necessary for conditioning the
especially if your blade doesn’t have
mind and body for impact. Just like
a substantial guard.
Historically known as the pell, the training post is the ancient swordsman’s equivalent of a boxer’s heavy bag.
increase connective tissue resilience.
abdomen with various thrusts and cuts. It’s easy to forget you have two hands during weapons training, so take advantage of the liveliness of the BOB and emphasize the use of both hands
a heavy bag, using the training post will strengthen your muscles and
the eyes, neck, throat, lungs, and
YOUR BEST BUDDY “BOB”
by incorporating empty-hand strikes, checks, and grabs with your live hand
Century’s Body Opponent Bag is one
Striking a solid post will challenge
of the most useful combatives training
(the hand not holding the blade). Move
your grip and expose weaknesses in
devices available. The vinyl skinned,
around the mannequin and work as
your technique.
lifelike mannequin provides all the
many angles as possible.
Training on a post requires very
Another way to up your game on
shapes and contours of a human
little logistics. A 6-foot pole with a
head and torso, making for a realis-
the BOB is with anatomical drilling.
sturdy base is all you need. A solid,
tic, target-rich training environment.
This form of training involves the use
dead tree can work just as well. It’s
BOB isn’t very practical for live-blade
of a Dionisio Zapatero anatomical
also a good idea to add some target
training, at least not if you want to
rash guard in conjunction with the
markings like lines and circles to aid
keep him around for a while. A syn-
with working your cutting angles and
thetic or aluminum training blade, or
thrusting accuracy.
a homemade “stubby” (knife-shaped,
Proper safety precautions are
hard foam cutout wrapped in electrical
necessary when working the post.
tape), are your best options for blade
Wear safety glasses to protect your
work on BOB.
eyes from flying pieces of wood. If you’re going to use a live blade, it’s
When training on the BOB, focus on targeting and precision. Work
C O N C E A L M E N T
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BOB. The purpose is to identify the
The Body Opponent Bag is one of the most useful combatives training tools. Shown here with the Dionisio Zapatero anatomical rash guard for vital target identiication.
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
anatomical location of vital targets on the body in order to increase your ability to recognize target landmarks. This particular method was developed with the input of this author and popularized by Scott Babb in the Libre Fighting System.
SOLITARY KNIFE FIGHTING RUBBER DUMMY MAYHEM The Rubber Dummies 3D Silhouette Body Target is a self-healing rubber target designed for closequarters irearms application, but has proven effective for edged weapons training as well. Filipino martial arts practitioners have long
The Rubber Dummy combines many elements of the training post and BOB into one device, able to withstand the abuse of a live blade while offering human target features.
employed used automobile tires in various conigurations to practice stick and blade combatives. The Rubber Dummy puts a modern twist on this solo training concept with its three-dimensional human shape and tire-like, hard rubber texture. The Rubber Dummy combines many elements of the training post and the BOB into one training device. The Rubber Dummy can withstand the abuse from a live blade, while offering human target features. Cuts and stabs leave visible markings on the renewable “skin� (applied with spray paint), yielding instant feedback.
A programmable shot timer and a quality training blade are excellent tools for developing speed and accuracy.
SPEED DRILLING Speed drilling is a broad category of
from a ready position with your blade in hand and address the target
solo training with many variations. The
at the sound of the beep. Then,
purpose is to develop speed, eficiency,
perform the drill from a neutral
and accuracy. For solo training, using a
position with the blade in hand.
programmable shot timer in conjunction
Next, deploy the blade from its carry
with a suitable striking target, such
location and engage from a ready
as the ones mentioned above, works
position. Finally, deploy and engage
extremely well. The idea is to program
from a neutral position.
the shot timer using delayed start and
Speed drilling with the aid
perform the action within a set par-time
of a shot timer adds stress and
parameter. Striking a target that makes
challenges you to leave your comfort
an audible sound, like a balloon or
zone. It pushes you to the edge of
X-ray paper will signal the shot timer
failure, so you can recognize how fast
to record the split, letting you see your
you can move without compromising
actual hit time.
your accuracy or control of your
Speed drill progression should look something like this: Begin drilling
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weapon. Always use training blades for these types of drills.
BALL ON A STRING
when you were a kid, and it’s even
meaning you can quickly visit them
more fun with a knife. Borrow your
and get in some quality repetitions
hanging string can be one of the most
kid’s bubble machine and go to town.
within 5 or 10 minutes. Practice
challenging solo drills for edged-
You’ll have random targets floating all
makes permanent, so focus on getting
weapons training, and it’s also one
around you, so you’ll have to move up
quality repetitions.
of the cheapest and easiest tools to
and down, side to side, back and forth,
set up. Attach a ball to a string and
and turn around. If a bubble hits you,
the equation when it comes to any
hang it up — that’s it. The weight and
it means you’ve been tagged, so keep
deadly force issue. Mental prepara-
size of the ball and the length of the
moving and pop them before they land
tion is just as important, if not more
string are variables you can vary to
on you. The one caveat is you have
so. You must train your mind to deal
change the level of dificulty. Let the
to be precise with your blade, no wild
with the emotional trauma that comes
ball swing freely and work your cutting
swinging or flailing about.
with a violent physical assault. Rather
Striking a simple ball on a free-
than mindlessly performing countless
and thrusting angles as the ball swings toward you. Don’t forget to include footwork. That’s about all there is to
Physical preparation is only half
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
repetitions, consider incorporating
The less effort involved in setting
visualization into your solo training.
up a training drill, the more likely we
Work through various attack/response
are to do it, especially when we’re
scenarios in your mind as you do your
limited on time. The training tools
drills. This will help prepare you to
and drills presented here take very
perform under stress and reduce the
life run around poking bubbles out
little effort to set up. Most can be left
likelihood that you’ll freeze during a
of the air with their inger? It was fun
in place wherever you set them up,
violent encounter. C
this simple but effective drill.
BUBBLE BUSTER Who hasn’t at some point in their
TRAINING RESOURCE LINKS Body Opponent Bag centurymartial arts.com Rubber Dummies 3D Silhouette Body Target rubberdummies. myshopify.com Dionisio Zapatero Anatomical Rash Guard etsy.com/shop/ DionisioZapatero Aluminum Trainers keenedgeknives.com and spyderco.com Synthetic Trainers takknife.com and coldsteel.com
Chad McBroom is a 21-year veteran law enforcement oficer with most of his time spent in the tactical unit. He has spent over 30 years studying various combative systems and focuses on the science of close combat. Chad is the owner of Comprehensive Fighting Systems, and offers training in emptyhand tactics, edged weapons, impact weapons, and irearms tactics. comprehensivefighting systems.com
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THE BERETTA APX CENTURION AND COMPACT BY DAVE MERRILL
At the 2018 NRA Annual Meetings, Beretta announced two new options for their APX strikerired guns: The midsized APX Centurion and the slightly smaller (and, cue uninspired name) APX Compact. These releases are meant to it somewhere in the Goldilocks zone of “just right” for concealed carriers. We can’t really proceed without saying that Beretta is a tad late to the game with the release of the smaller APX pistols. While on the whole the shooting community has gained a whole lot of new and awesome plastic fantastics from the DoD Modular Handgun System (MHS) trials, the same beneit has yet to be seen for the companies themselves — outside of SIG SAUER, of course. We’re probably being a bit unfair by calling them late to the market, as these options were announced slightly more than a year after the duty-sized APX hit the streets. At the same time, other manufacturers definitely beat them to the punch.
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PAIR OF PIZZA PISTOLS
You can (almost) get as weird as you want. While the fullsize slide its on the stuffy frame, the reverse isn’t true.
GETTING WEIRD WITH IT The Beretta APX Centurion and
The one mash-up you cannot do is throw a Compact slide on a
HOT SWAPPING While switching the mag release
APX Compact only differ in terms
fullsize frame a la Glock 19X. This
around for the statistically insignifi-
of the grip size. The Centurion is
isn’t because the barrel lockup
cant left-handed population, we to-
slightly longer and accepts flush-
is different (it isn’t), but because
tally broke the mechanism. Normally,
fit 15-round mags, while the APX
the recoil spring assembly of the
Compact can only fit a 13-round
compact just doesn’t quite fit inside
magazine seamlessly. The barrel
the frame. Doubling the problem is
lengths are absolutely identical and
that the Centurion/Compact frame is
easily interchanged.
just slightly wider than the fullsize.
Fullsize-duty APX slide on a
Regardless, we like seeing a
compact frame? Totally doable. Sure,
near-universal system (are
there’s some exposed recoil spring
you reading this,
assembly, but that’s it. Want the
Glock?).
same ballistic effect a longer barrel gives, but with a stubby slide? Throw a fullsize barrel in a Centurion or Compact. Yup. You can do that too.
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if a company is called and we’re told
trigger that actually works.
we’re the first to break something,
Call it better than a stock
we think it’s a lie. This time around,
Gen3 Glock and a hair behind
the uncomfortable pause and the
the new Gen5. That is to say,
exclamation of “really?!” made us
totally acceptable. The reduced-
believe it. The story goes that you
power spring reduced trigger
could put a Marine in a locked room
weight to just over 4 pounds. While
with three ball bearings, 10 minutes
we didn’t have any issues with the
later one of the ball bearings would
APX eating whatever we put through
be broken, one of them would be
it, the general advice is to not use
pregnant, and one of them would
a reduced power spring for carry —
be missing. Beretta rep Eric Stern
but we’d be lying if we didn’t admit
reminded of us this parable when we
that some of our CCW guns have
talked about what we broke.
tricked-out triggers in them.
Hit the nail on the head. Despite us breaking the mag release from going Mongo on it, Beretta
SOME WARTS Whenever we shrink a gun down,
was quick to send out a replace-
we’re going to have some warts and
ment. To sweeten the pot, they also
eyesores, and in the case of the
included their new magazine spacers.
smaller Beretta APX frames, it shows
And if you want to run a 17-round
the most when it comes to weapon-
magazine in a Centurion? No gaps.
mounted lights. While the fullsize
The same can be said if you want to
APX can accommodate any number of
run a 15-rounder in the Compact.
WMLs, especially due to the straight
There’s no active retention on the OEM magazine spacers; therefore, just slide out of the way if
trigger guard, the same cannot be said of the shorter-grip models. SureFire X300U? Out of the
they aren’t already at the bottom of
question. Actually, we couldn’t find
the magazine body. Something we
a single SureFire light, including
particularly like is that each spacer
the über-small XC-1/2 that fit the
has a flare at the bottom to hold the
smaller frames. Streamlight fell
hand in place.
prey to similar issues. In fact, the
They put something else in the en-
only WML tested that worked out
velope as a bonus: a reduced-power
of the box was the Insight APS-C.
striker spring assembly.
You could get away with a Stream-
For a striker-fired plastic fantas-
light TLR-7, provided that you were
tic, the trigger of the APX is pretty
confident with only screw pressure
good. For 1911 fans, that falls
and no lug. No bueno. Quite frankly,
somewhere between a custom-fit
we see this as an incredibly large
light trigger and an old-school USGI
oversight from Beretta.
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
Unless you just want to rely on spring tension, the Insight is your only option.
PAIR OF PIZZA PISTOLS
ITALIAN WEIRDNESS Because we’re talking about Beretta, there’s going to be some weirdness going on. We’re not sure if it’s because they’re an Italian company or just operate in Europe, but not everything makes sense immediately. For instance, let’s look at the striker-indicator. As you pull the trigger of the APX, a small column pokes out from the top of the slide. If you’re a fan (or a hater) of the 92F/M9 series, you’ll probably recognize this feature. As far as we can tell, there’s little or no practical use for this striker indicator. If it was placed on the back of the slide, it could be used to ensure a trigger wasn’t being inadvertently or accidentally pulled while holstering, just like using a Glock “Gadget” or the hammer of an HK P30. As it stands, to do the same in the current configuration would require the use of three hands and a crazy holstering methodology. If someone has any idea of its actual use, please let us know. The APX has a striker release so the pistol can be taken down without pulling the trigger. Undoubtedly, this is in reaction to some law enforcement agency concerns about the Glock requiring the trigger to be pulled for a basic takedown. Actually using this feature is cumbersome; it requires you to hold the slide back slightly out of battery, while using a tool to depress the plunger. Really, just ensure it’s clear and pull the trigger in a safe direction.
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Another nuance of taking down the
manuals, the same cannot be said of
LOOSE ROUNDS
APX that may seem unconventional
the slide. At the time of this writing,
Ultimately, the APX is a solid of-
to those accustomed to other plastic
there isn’t a non-LEO APX Armorer’s
fering among this now-crowded mar-
fantastics is that you don’t lock the
Course, and Beretta doesn’t consider
ket. We wish the frame were a skosh
slide back to engage the takedown
any of the slide internals to be user-
longer to accept a wider variety of
lever. However, if you’re familiar with
serviceable. So, of course, we took
WMLs, but seeing as it’s a chassis
the M9/92 you’ll be right at home.
it apart anyway. We’re sure that
system, there’s little reason why Be-
You simply release the striker, push in
Beretta HQ has specialized tools
retta, or even a third party, couldn’t
the takedown lever from the left, and
and jigs for completely stripping the
release a new grip with slightly more
rotate it down on the right. The slide
slide, but we got by with a small
accessory rail.
comes right off. Once again, we’re
flathead screwdriver and a skinny
seeing some of those Italian genetics.
punch. The first few times were awk-
releasing new parts and pieces through
ward, but now we could probably do
their website, so we’ll be crossing our
it sh*thouse drunk in a snowstorm.
ingers until then. C
While field stripping and chassis removal is covered in the APX
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81
As time goes on, Beretta has been
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
PAIR OF PIZZA PISTOLS SPECS
BERETTA
APX CENTURION
CALIBER: 9mm BARREL LENGTH: 3.7 inches OVERALL LENGTH: 6.97 inches OVERALL HEIGHT: 5.2 inches OVERALL WIDTH: 1.3 inches WEIGHT (UNLOADED): 27 ounces MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 15 rounds MSRP: $575 URL: www.beretta.com/en-us
SPECS
BERETTA
APX COMPACT
CALIBER: 9mm BARREL LENGTH: 3.7 inches OVERALL LENGTH: 6.97 inches OVERALL HEIGHT: 4.8 inches OVERALL WIDTH: 1.3 inches WEIGHT (UNLOADED): 26.4 ounces MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 13 rounds MSRP: $575 URL: www.beretta.com/en-us
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USING MAKESHIFT WEAPONS WHEN SHTF BY CONRAD BUI
According to FBI reports, violent crime
quickly that accessing your weapon isn’t
fective is it? Here we help you think outside
— aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and
only dificult, but may be foolhardy. Dur-
the box by exploring the seven creative
murder — is on the rise. Up-close-and-
ing these times, empty-hand self-defense
concepts for using any weapon at hand.
personal encounters of the worst kind can
and combatives skills are a must. Luckily,
happen during everyday life. The odds of
there’s almost always something we can use
violence will increase during riots (like recent
in our surroundings to ight with. Once you
protests), natural disasters (like recent
know where to look, you’ll notice weapons
hurricanes), or when law enforcement is
are everywhere. Improvised weapons are
improvised weapon; most likely, the irst
stretched too thin or non-existent.
readily available, effective, nonthreatening,
weapons used by our early ancestors were
and best of all, they’re free.
improvised weapons in the form of a rock
Naturally, having a dedicated EDC weapon or force multiplier is highly encouraged.
You may have seen Jackie Chan use a
CONCEPT 1: SITUATIONAL AWARENESS Just about anything can serve as an
or tree branch. Looking around you, we bet
As the old saying goes, “When you need it,
variety of household items in his movies,
you can already identify multiple weapons
you really need it.” Unfortunately, there are
or, more recently, Matt Damon as Jason
in your vicinity.
times when carrying a weapon isn’t possible
Bourne grab common ofice items to fend
(think schools, courtrooms, airports, and
off a group of thugs. But just how easy is it
you need to train your brain to think outside
hot days) or when an attack happens so
to ind an improvised weapon, and how ef-
the box before the brutality starts. During a
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
To be able to use improvised weapons,
CLOSE AT HAND
1
4
2
5
3
6
7
Conrad Bui is on his cell phone, but still situationally aware that Sherman Chin is disgruntled. Sherman attempts the haymaker from hell. Bui quickly steps in and slams his trusty cell phone into Chin’s neck. In one motion, Bui takes Chin down, breaks the attacker’s arm, and slams the attacker’s head into the knee. A second strike to the nose teaches Chin not to interrupt while adults are talking.
violent situation, your brain will likely not be in the “Leonardo da Vinci” thinking mode. “I can use this cup of hot coffee as a distraction,” may not come to mind when someone is trying to violently ventilate your body. During an assault, what will likely come to mind is, “Holy f*ck! What the hell?” But if you’ve already thought of utilizing common, everyday objects as weapons, you’ll have a greater chance of using improvised weapons during
1
2
3
your dilemma. Start by increasing your awareness in places where you spend the most time. In your house and at work are two good places to start. Make a game of looking for potential weapons when taking a water break at work or hanging out at home. Also do it when you’re waiting in line at the grocery
4
5
store, illing your gas tank, or sitting at a restaurant. Try to identify as many potential combatives components as
Chin stabs at Bui, who was busy cutting origami. Bui immediately steps to the side for a counter stab to the hand. Edward Scissorhands inds his mark, causing Chin to drop the knife.
you can, within arm’s reach. You’re
C O N C E A L M E N T
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
more likely to use improvised weapons,
weapon doesn’t cause you any injury.
that you’ve already identiied as such.
Using a plate to smash someone’s head is great, but if the plate
CONCEPT 2: WHAM, BAM, THANK YOU MA’AM Once you’ve identiied potential weapons, instinctively grabbing
Impact weapons, like the ubiqui-
explodes, it may send shards of por-
tous cell phone, can be effective in
celain back into your eyes. Grabbing
persuading an attacker to seek easier
the plate to strike with, instead of
prey. The downside is that impact
throwing it, only made things worse,
weapons require distance and momen-
in this example.
tum to deliver a solid strike. Grabbing
Obvious impact weapons come
something to strike with will make
CONCEPT 3: IT CUTS LIKE A KNIFE
an edged weapon (something with a
total sense. The improvised weapon
in the form of chairs, flashlights,
blade or pointy end) will also make an
will serve as a force multiplier and
pipes, hammers, crowbars, wrenches,
effective equalizer. Unlike an impact
also save your hands from damage.
pots, and pans. More inconspicuous
weapon, the edge and/or point will
If you’re looking to injure an attacker
weapons may include cell phones
make speed, distance, and momentum
with a blunt object, something with
(who doesn’t have one?), staplers, and
secondary.
heft and density will serve you well.
magazines — like the hefty one in your
Just make sure your new impact weapon isn’t too heavy or unwieldy. As with any weapon, a stable grip
The face, neck, and hands are all acceptable targets for makeshift weapons.
Cutting or stabbing improvised
hands right now (see RECOIL OFFGRID
weapons include kitchen knives,
Issue 18 for “Improv Skills” on how to
scissors, ice picks, pens, and pencils.
use a magazine for self-defense).
Any of these items can slash or cause
is paramount. It makes no sense to strike an attacker, only to have your weapon drop to the ground — embarrassing. It’s also crucial that the
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R E C O I LW E B . C O M
CLOSE AT HAND
DON’T BE TARDY
FIGHTING FIXTURES
1 1
2
2
3
Bui prepares to pull out his belt to thwart a knife attack. He makes the fatal mistake of not ighting to his weapon. The knife inds its mark while Bui is busy drawing his weapon. 3
puncture wounds. Keep in mind that,
wrist, arm, legs, neck, and head are
just like any weapon, you want a solid
adequate targets. Edged weapons can
grip and a durable tool — one that
target the inside (medial aspect) of the
won’t disintegrate (and possibly cause
limbs (either arms or legs), the neck,
injury to the wielder) when used.
or puncture soft tissue. Be smart and pick your targets wisely.
CONCEPT 4: ASTUTE AIMING Employing an edged or impact weapon will help increase your odds
4
5
6
7
CONCEPT 5: DON’T BE TARDY The idea of using an improvised
of coming out on top in a violent
weapon is no different than any other
encounter; knowing where to strike
CCW. If your tool isn’t immediately
will boost your odds even more. When
available, you must “earn your draw”
you have an impact or edged weapon,
or “ight to your weapon.” It’s a
you have either good targets or really
mistake to become weapon ixated (no
good targets. Whatever comes into
matter if it’s the attacker’s weapon
range of the improvised weapon can
or your own). Only when you have the
attack and controls the weapon. A quick knee to the groin sets up a
be targeted and attacked. Often, the
proper distance and “the coast is
head smash into the cubicle corner. Because Chin is still resisting,
target will be an attacker’s offending
clear” should you consider using your
Bui has no choice but to follow-up with an elbow strike.
limb. With impact weapons, the hand,
CCW, jacket, belt, shoes, or reaching
C O N C E A L M E N T
88
Chin attacks Bui with a stab. Bui immediately blocks the knife
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
for a nearby weapon. Fumbling
as a force multiplier and also save
around to draw your weapon or grab
your hands from damage. Instead of
an improvised weapon may lead to a
using your limbs to strike with, take
struggle by both parties at best. At
the attacker’s head (or other parts of
worse, your mind and limbs will be
their anatomy) and ram it into a solid
occupied while the assailant is well,
object, resulting in serious trauma.
assailing your behind.
Solid items to smash body parts onto can include (but are clearly not
CONCEPT 6: FIGHTING FIXTURES
limited to) corners, doors, edges, hand railings, chairs, tables, and cars. Altercations don’t always occur
When studying improvised
1
2
weapons, grabbing something to
in open ields. With the proper
strike or cut with often comes to
training and a little awareness,
mind. Take into account that a
anyone can learn to take advantage
weapon is anything that can serve
of their environment.
MAKE THAT CHANGE Do you have some loose change in your pocket? You can throw it into your attacker’s face. A flinch (from the coins) may give you that split second advantage needed for a counterstrike. Paperclips, sand, dirt, or snow can likewise serve to distract your assailant. Keep in mind that you must follow-up with immediate action, since the 1
coins won’t take down your adversary.
3
4
5
2
3
4
5
6
7
6
Bui sees Chin wielding a knife through the window. Chin is through the door before Bui can lock it. Without an exit, Bui skips into a sidekick that would make Bruce Lee proud. The door slams into Chin, knocking him to the ground. If Chin continues the attack, Bui can
Against an attempted grab, Bui throws a handful of change at the attacker’s face. The at-
“show him the door” again. This sequence may also be accomplished
tacker flinches just long enough for Bui to step in, strike the neck, and sweep the attacker to the
by “tackling” the door.
floor. A knee to the face allows Bui to make a safe escape.
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CLOSE AT HAND CONCEPT 7: BLOCK PARTY
BLOCK PARTY
Grabbing a weapon or slamming someone into an object make excellent choices in engineering our environment during a ight. Another option is to use items to delay, impede, or even trip the attacker. Objects should be large enough that 2
1
going around them is dificult. The locations best suited for this tactic are small portals, like doorways or hallways. The narrow space will make it dificult to circumvent the barrier or obstacle. This ploy can buy you valuable time to attack
4
3
or escape. Examples of objects to tip over, pull down, or shove off can include televisions, dressers, chairs, tables, couches, car doors, and large fans. Just make sure that when you go to use the objects, the action doesn’t slow you down signiicantly, allowing
6
5
the assailant to get their hands on you.
AD-LIB ANALYSIS Violence can happen at any time, and the odds increase during a crisis. Learning to defend home and hearth with weapons, improvised weapons, and empty hand may not only save your hide and those you love, but can open a slew of new 7
recreational activities. Use this article as a starting point — and with
A disgruntled Chin brandishes a knife and prepares to attack. Bui recognizes the threat and backs off. Bui tips the chair
the correct training, using weapons
over and Chin trips on it during an attempted attack. Because the knife is present, Bui has no choice but to give Chin the boot.
in your surroundings to come out on top should be no object. C
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Conrad Bui is a San Francisco-based doctor of chiropractic and frequent contributor to RECOIL. As a former bouncer, he has seen irst-hand the devastating results of improvised weapons. A self-proclaimed martial arts and combatives junkie, he won gold medals in the featherweight and absolute (unlimited weight) brown belt divisions at the 2017 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu American Cup. He’s also a certiied full instructor in Indonesian Silat Serak, Filipino Kali, Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, and Muay Thai, and holds a ifth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. www.conradbui.com
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WE SELL DEALER DIRECT | BLACK-HILLS.COM | 605.348.5150 |
#BLACKHILLSAMMO
While the old 55- and 62-grain standbys work adequately in longer barrels, if you own an SBR or AR pistol, you might find yourself undergunned if you use them in a self-defense scenario. It’s not that they don’t function in shorties, or are inaccurate — quite the opposite. It’s because their full metal jacket projectiles are dependent on fragmentation for increased wounding capabilities, and fragmentation is, for the most part, dependent on velocity. The 5.56mm cartridge’s velocity is severely affected by reduced barrel length, so much so that when fired from a 10.3-inch barreled MK18, some versions of the NATO load won’t even reliably fragment at the muzzle. Now, this is not to say that SBRs are useless. Far from it. Hit someone with a 5.56 of any description and they’re not going to have a good day, even if the bullet fails to deform
THINK M193 AND M855 ARE GOOD OPTIONS FOR A STUBBY TUBE? THINK AGAIN. BY IAIN HARRISON AND ROB CURTIS PHOTOS BY ROB CURTIS
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in any way. If we were to ask for volunteers to
say that process isn’t the choice of those
have a 5.5mm steel rod shoved through their
seeking extreme accuracy. So, we did our best
fleshy bits, I’m guessing there wouldn’t be that
to balance out the barrel’s tendency to pro-
many takers. But if we want the odds stacked
duce flyers by using a Geissele SD-E trigger.
in our favor, then being armed with a bullet
That being said, we were pretty surprised with
that does something other than just bore a
all of the groups the MK18 put out. For an
hole in an adversary is a good thing.
optic, we installed Revic’s PMR 428 4.5-28x
After considerable research, we assembled
we had sitting on the bench, and stability for
some of the top-performing (and readily avail-
groups was provided by a typical bipod and
able) ammunition currently available for short-
sandbag setup. Velocity data was gathered by firing a
barreled carbines and put them through the
10-round string next to a big, orange LabRa-
wringer. Here’s what we found.
dar. Accuracy testing is reported as the best of
TESTING PROTOCOL
five five-round groups shot at 100 yards on a
Our test mule is a classic SBR; it’s a Daniel
sunny, 80-degree day with a slight breeze.
Defense MK18 upper, which sports a chrome-
Finally, each load was shot into 20-inch
lined, cold hammer forged 10.3-inch barrel.
blocks of unadulterated, ballistically calibrated
While chrome lining and cold hammer forging
Clear Ballistics gelatin substitute at 100 yards.
creates an extremely durable barrel, let’s just
And that’s when sh*t got weird.
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SBR AMMO BUYER’S GUIDE
Rob, shooting Clear Ballistics blocks.
THE MECHANICS OF WOUNDING
CLEAR BALLISTICS IS NOT GEL
To use, mix with gallons of water and
Despite what the Internet says, Clear
refrigerate for 36 hours to set up into
Ballistics is not the same as 10-per-
a gel that, if left in the sun for a while
cent ordnance gel, which is what the
begins to putrefy back to its natural,
FBI uses to test bullets. The stuff is
nasty state. Yummy! Clear Ballistics is inorganic, (we think)
amazingly clear, and even more impor-
There’s a lot of bullsh*t spewed about how bullets inflict
tantly, it’s 99-percent less hassle than
silicon-based goo that’s stable up to
damage in soft tissue. Here’s a quick test to use should you
the real stuff … which is made by
280 degrees F and makes for gorgeous
encounter a self-proclaimed expert in the subject and wish
boiling pig bones, cartilage, and skin
photos of a bullet’s terminal perfor-
to gauge their bona fides. If anyone uses the terms “energy
for hours, then drying the resulting goo.
mance. But — unlike ordnance gel, and
transfer,” “knockdown power,” or “hydrostatic shock” they probably got their facts from a gun show blowhard, the Internet, or a gun show blowhard on the Internet. There are two mechanisms by which bullets inflict trauma on tissue other than bone. The irst and most important is through crushing. The more tissue a bullet crushes, the more damage it causes and this is dependent on the surface area it presents as it moves through flesh, as well as the depth to which it penetrates. Bullets can present more surface area by mushrooming, or fragmenting, or by yawing so that they travel more or less sideways through the target. The second way damage is caused, is by means of the temporary stretch cavity bullets produce in soft tissue, as they shove it away from their path. As this tissue is pushed outward, it’s stretched and vulnerable to additional damage from bullet fragments (or bone, should one be hit) — think of a balloon; if it’s inflated, a pin prick causes it to burst and tear, while if there’s no air in it, the same tiny hole causes, well, a hole.
LOADS TESTED Barnes 62gr TSX VOR-TX
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Black Hills 77gr Tipped Match King
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
Federal 62gr Fusion MSR
Hornady 75gr InterLock HD SBR
Nosler 64gr Defense Bonded Solid Base
live tissue — it contains no water and therefore produces some odd results when
BARNES 62GR VOR-TX
BLACK HILLS 77GR TIPPED SMK
FEDERAL 62GR FUSION MSR
HORNADY 75GR INTERLOCK HD SBR
NOSLER 64GR BONDED DEFENSE
compared to real ordnance gel. Bullets tend to rebound inside the
VELOCITY (FPS)
medium, for one, and as we found out,
Average
2,694
2,398
2,500
2,269
2,432
bullets designed to expand in water-
Standard Deviation
15.3
15
29.9
15.7
46.9
laden tissue don’t expand as they are
Extreme Spread
43
40
95
45
129
designed to in Clear Ballistics… and
ACCURACY (MOA)
sometimes not at all. When things go
Average 5-Shot Group
1.2
1.28
1.63
1.43
0.79
well, CB is adequate for apples-to-apples
Best 5-Shot Group
0.92
0.52
0.63
1.05
0.52
comparison of terminal performance,
PENETRATION (INCHES)
but the results aren’t analogous to those
Wound Track
28
12.9
20.25
40+
24
offered by ordnance gelatin. When they go
Cavity Initiation
1
1.5
1
NR
0
wrong, bullets don’t expand and rounds
Cavity Length
5
6.5
7
NR
9
go through the stuff like Rosie O’Donnell
EXPANSION (INCHES)
goes through cheesecake.
Unfired
0.224
0.22
0.225
0.223
0.224
Expanded
0.423
0.44
0.56
NR
0.406
that penetration and bullet expansion num-
Ratio
189%
200%
249%
N/A
181%
bers don’t equate to those gathered from
WEIGHT RETENTION (GRAINS)
tests using 10-percent ordnance gelatin,
Unfired
62
77
62
75
64
but they do present accurate, if anecdotal,
Fired
61.9
48.6
53.3
NR
64
data across the conined sample set. C
Ratio
100%
63%
86%
N/A
100%
So, when looking at our results, know
BARNES BULLETS
62GR TSX VOR-TX MSRP
$24/20 URL
www.barnesbullets.com TEST RESULTS 2,694 Average Velocity (FPS): Velocity Standard Deviation: 15.3 Velocity Extreme Spread: 43 Average 5-Shot Group: 1.2 MOA Best 5-Shot Group: 0.92 Wound Track Length: 28 inches Cavity Initiation: Begins at 1 inch Cavity Length: 5 inches Bullet Expansion: 189% Bullet Weight Retention: 100%
NOTES
Barnes Bullets is the pioneer of the monolithic copper bullet. We were curious to see how this well-regarded hunting round stacks up against more recent designs. The annular rings or relief bands cut at the base give displaced copper someplace to collect, reducing fouling considerably and aid in bullet obturation, increasing accuracy. We noticed neck tension was fairly light, but not light enough to make us worry about setback issues with loaded cartridges. VOR-TX ammo delivers considerable accuracy. We collected a 1.2 MOA group that’ll hand out better than minute-of-beer-gut hits out to several hundred yards without breaking a sweat. With a muzzle velocity standard deviation of 15.3, while not quite at a match ammo level of accuracy, we found charge
weights varied by a tenth of a grain across a 10-round sampling. That’s good for factory ammo. All in all, unless you’re sniping bad guys from 900 yards, we can’t see accuracy holding anyone back from using this load in your home/self defense SBR. We had to shoot the Barnes a couple times to get the bullet to do its thing in the CB medium. After the bullet failed to expand on the irst shot, we scratched our head — after all, we’ve had devastating real-world success with them in the past. Then, we consulted our friend Richard Mann who suggested introducing a bit of water to the tip. The CB medium, he surmised, is too thick to squeeze through the bullet’s small tip oriice and start expansion. Since living tissue is mostly water, it makes sense
that bullets designed to expand in a moist medium will struggle with this stuff. We layered up a few wet paper towels on the front of the Clear Ballistics block and that did the trick. Side note, if you ever hear reports of a 5.56mm TSX round failing to drop a homicidal, top-heavy woman, ask if she had silicon implants. The long, light, and fast projectile hits with 793 foot-pounds of energy thanks to its 2,694 fps muzzle velocity, which is about 200 fps faster than the other rounds we tested. That’s a big hammer and the projectile managed to maintain 100 percent of its mass while expanding to almost twice its diameter. The 28-inch penetration in fake gel seems like a lot, but all we can say is that we’re using fake gel.
Note: There are two wound tracks below. They appear to overlap, but are several inches apart. The near shot is the one we used for this evaluation. The further, with the later cavitation, was our irst attempt and the bullet didn’t have enough moisture in the tip to expand properly.
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SBR AMMO BUYER’S GUIDE BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION
77GR TIPPED SIERRA MATCH KING MSRP
$60 URL
www.black-hills.com
NOTES
The original Black Hills 77gr SMK was developed more than a decade ago in response to the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy’s need to feed the 18-inch 5.56 MK12 Designated Marksman Rifle. The resulting round, known as Mk262 Mod 1, became renowned for both its accuracy and terminal ballistic performance during the war in
TEST RESULTS 2,398 Average Velocity (FPS): Velocity Standard Deviation: 15 Velocity Extreme Spread: 40 Average 5-Shot Group: 1.28 MOA Best 5-Shot Group: 0.52 Wound Track Length: 28 inches Cavity Initiation: At 1.5 inches Cavity Length: 6.5 inches Bullet Expansion: 200% Bullet Weight Retention: 63.1%
FEDERAL AMMUNITION
62GR FUSION MSR MSRP
$22 URL
www.federalpremium.com TEST RESULTS 2,500 Average Velocity (FPS): Velocity Standard Deviation: 29.9 Velocity Extreme Spread: 95 Average 5-Shot Group: 1.63 MOA Best 5-Shot Group: 0.63 Wound Track Length: 20.25 inches Cavity Initiation: At 1 inch Cavity Length: 7 inches Bullet Expansion: 249% Bullet Weight Retention: 86%
Iraq and Afghanistan. The cartridge we’re looking at is an updated version with an improved BC and a ballistic tip to increase ballistic coefficient. The 77gr tipped SMK is a thin-jacketed, unbonded match round. It’s unlike many of its competitors in the tactical realm that tout their bonded construction and weight retention for better barrier ballistics. This bullet’s key feature is its ability to do the opposite, to fragment. When this bullet clubs someone up close, it fragments fast and dumps an absolute assload of frags into the wound. This load hauls an estimated 811 foot-pounds of energy at 100 yards, carrying the most energy to the target in our ammo test group.
The resulting wound track and cavity are brief, but eventful. The bullet upended, headed downward, and at some point, the lead core split from the thin copper jacket and continued on for an inch or so, coming to rest after producing a 12.9-inch wound track, hitting the mark for the FBI’s minimum penetration performance. Compared to the other bullets in the group, this is the shortest wound track and the short track indicates the bullet used its energy in an explosive manner, consistent with the separated core and jacket. The wound cavity is about 6.5 inches, and shows what we’d expect from such a healthy blast into gel, a 2- to 3-inch-wide permanent cavity.
barrel, vice a 20-inch-plus barrel normally found on a bolt-action hunting rifle. Shorter barrels call for faster burning propellant that’ll get the bullet up to speed without spewing flame and unburned powder while providing enough gas to cycle a semi-auto action. The bullet itself is made using Federal’s Fusion process, which uses electrolysis to molecularly bond a lead slug with the copper jacket before the bullet is formed. That’s the opposite of traditional cup and core construction in which a lead slug is dropped into a copper jacket, forming a mechanical bond between the two materials. Federal says its Fusion process results in higher weight retention, which leads
to more controlled expansion, and with 86-percent weight retention and 249-percent expansion in our gelatin test we’re obliged to agree. Retaining more than 80 percent in a non-bonded or non-monolithic bullet construction is solid work. The bullet began to cavitate within an inch of entering the gel and proceeded to belch out a ripper for another 7 inches before it augered to the end of our 20-inch block, stalling just past the threshold into the abutting block. Based on the 2-inch width of the permanent wound cavity and its 7-inch length, the round gave up most of its 690 foot-pounds quickly and the hot round melted the goo in front of it as it drifted gently to a stop in the suspension.
NOTES
Federal’s MSR cartridges are about five years old and were made to address the growth of hunters running semi-auto AR platforms. The lacquered primer in the MSR line is a little tougher than what you might find in other hunting cartridges to mitigate slam fires that can happen with the AR’s free-floating firing pin. The brass has that dirty look from post-wash annealing that the military requires as an indicator that the cases are properly annealed after neck sizing. Federal uses this marking to differentiate the MSR line from its other hunting rounds. The company also used custom propellants with flash suppressing chemistry and optimized charge weight for a 16-inch
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HORNADY
NOTES
75GR INTERLOCK HD SBR MSRP
$20/20 URL
www.hornady.com TEST RESULTS 2,269 Average Velocity (FPS): Velocity Standard Deviation: 15.7 Velocity Extreme Spread: 45 Average 5-Shot Group: 1.43 MOA Best 5-Shot Group: 1.05 Wound Track Length: 40+ inches Cavity Initiation: None visible Cavity Length: None Visible Bullet Expansion: Unrecovered Bullet Weight Retention: Unrecovered
This is the weird one. We can’t say for sure why the exposed lead tip of Hornady’s 75gr InterLock SBR bullet didn’t mushroom out when it came in contact with the Clear Ballistics media. Lord knows we tried. We shot cartridges from three boxes into a couple of blocks, even switching them around for the hell of it. No matter what we did, those InterLock projos zipped straight through 40 inches of material without fail. The 75gr InterLock bullet was designed in 2015 in response to the FBI’s request to industry for a short-barreled rifle-specific cartridge. The FBI was looking for a round with a more efficient, cleaner powder that could run in a 10.5- to 11.5-inch semi-auto carbine. It needed a bullet that could expand at the reduced velocities SBRs put out, too. The FBI’s test protocol gauged bullet performance by shooting bare gelatin, heavy clothing, auto glass, ¾-inch
NOSLER
64GR DEFENSE BONDED SOLID BASE MSRP
$21/20 URL
www.nosler.com TEST RESULTS Average Velocity (FPS): Velocity Standard Deviation: Velocity Extreme Spread: Average 5-Shot Group: Best 5-Shot Group: Wound Track Length: Cavity Initiation: Cavity Length: Bullet Expansion: Bullet Weight Retention:
2,432 46.9 129 0.79 MOA 0.52 24 inches At 0 inches 9 inches 181% 100%
plywood, two sheets of drywall, 20-gauge sheet steel, and a 100-yard bare gel test. Since the InterLock passed the FBI test protocol, we assume it’d open up when hitting our gel block. And yet, it did not. In our quest to recover one damned bullet, we ired 10 rounds through the blocks and while a handful of them showed some cavitation, we had to wonder if that was just the unexpanded bullet yawing and creating turbulence through the gel. The majority of the bullets tracked straight through, but a few yawed and exited the block’s sides and top. We spoke with Hornady ballistician Jayden Quinlan about the bullet’s performance. He was surprised the bullet didn’t open since it was designed to expand in gel when moving as slow as 1,900 fps. He said Hornady can’t guarantee any results when using synthetic gelatin because they don’t use it in their own testing.
While we can’t talk much about its terminal performance, we can say that it produced respectable groups for a round made for close-quarters battle and its velocity was equally as consistent with an SD of 15.7. We’ve no doubt we could hit whatever we aim at, but until we mix up our own ordnance gel we’ll assume the Clear Ballistics failed, and not the bullet. We’ll shoot real 10-percent gel and share the result on RECOILweb.com..
NOTES
At about five years old, Nosler’s Bonded Solid Base Defense ammo design is relatively new. Like its competitors, the company wanted to add a bullet to its catalog designed for MSRs, with a tip that can take getting smacked around inside a mag and on its way into the chamber. The bullet was designed around four requirements; reliable feeding, high weight retention, reliable expansion, and maximum penetration. Based on our accuracy, ballistic and forensic evaluation, Nosler nailed all four of those attributes.
We had no malfunctions with the round, recorded 100-percent weight retention, 181-percent expansion, and 24 inches of travel through Clear Ballistics gelatin. Accuracy-wise, holy crap. We had to check after the first five-round group that we hadn’t accidentally loaded a match round. We didn’t know our MK18 could print a 0.79 MOA group, let alone a 0.52. We thank whoever made that blood sacrifice to the MOA gods on our behalf. We pulled a couple handfuls of cartridges apart to measure the caseto-case powder variation and were not
Note: Ignore the lower wound track.
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shocked to find it varied by 1/10 of a grain. The overall cartridge length only varied by 5 thousands. Those numbers are pretty much within the realm of handloading. The bullet tracked straight, with a little porpoising after expansion. It hit the block with 609 foot-pounds of energy and the bonded bullet maintained all its weight. We’ve always had great luck hunting with Nosler ammunition, and based on the tight tolerances we found in this cartridge, we now know why.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN DRESSING UP AND GEARING UP BY TOM MARSHALL PHOTOS BY RCP PHOTOGRAPHY
The image of the dapper shootist has been hard-etched into irearms pop culture. From
BASE LAYERS The cornerstone of our ensemble comes from
the well-dressed lead slingers of the old west to
The Suit Man in New York City. The Suit Man
high-fashion gunighters like James Bond and
makes the irst dedicated “tactical suit” — at
John Wick — the latter being well-known to
least, it’s the irst that we’ve heard of. The
modern moviegoers as “a man of focus, commit-
pants feature an extra layer of material from
ment, and sheer will.” The big screen facsimile is
the knees down for increased wear resistance.
plenty good fun, but there are thousands of real
The jackets are speciically cut to hang closer
people who wear both suits and guns to protect
to the body, and include side vent slits to aid
their country, community, or loved ones. While
access to equipment. These suits are currently
plaid shirts, cargo pants, and trail shoes make
being used by a number of law enforcement and
far more comfortable ighting attire, one may not
government agencies, but are available to the
be afforded such luxury when that really bad day
public. Their lightweight tri-blend suits retail
comes knocking.
for $350 or $400 for the 100-percent wool
Detectives, agents, lawyers, or entrepreneurs, if your daily routine calls for shiny shoes and jackets with buttons, a number of carry options
version. They’re not bulletproof, but are durable, comfortable, and affordable. Our sample came in charcoal, but black and
are out there regardless of whether your EDC
navy blue are also available. These are two-piece,
calls for a fashion-conscious pocketknife or dis-
two-button, single-breasted suits with a tapered
cretely packaged irepower and protection. This
it. The overall style is conservative, somewhat
guide is by no means comprehensive, but we
athletic, and flattering, but still professional.
hope to touch on the full spectrum of possible
These are workingmen’s suits. They may not
self-defense requirements while staying focused
quite it in at the Casino Royale, but the wearer
on dressing in and around formal business attire.
will have a solid, functional piece of professional
SUIT MAN TACTICAL SUIT $350 suitmanusa.com (516) 395-4844
RESCO INSTRUMENTS RTAC $1,205 rescoinstruments.com
VERITAS TACTICAL MICRO AR PISTOL FROM $1,400 veritastactical.com
GREY GHOST GEAR WANDERER MESSENGER BAG $200 greyghostgear.com
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(FIRE) POWER SUITS 5.11 PURSUIT OXFORDS $50 511tactical.com
OAKLEY SI CROSSHAIR $163 www.oakley.com
FIRST SPEAR HOLSTER $94 TACTICAL DRESS BELT $73 first-spear.com
USPALM ANKLE CARGO CUFF $40 rykernylongear.com
EVERYDAY EQUIPMENT For the vast majority of us, a couple pieces of well-selected gear will do wonders in an emergency. A fully charged cell phone, quality knife, and powerful pocket light will be enough to extricate yourself from a broad spectrum of urban mishaps. If you can wear a gun, do so. Any quality leather or Kydex holster that sits tight to the body will do. The side slits in our tactical suit jacket seemed to let it fall a little more freely around the pistol. We don’t wear suits very often, but this one seemed to print less than the rest of our selection from discount suit warehouse. While the author’s daily setup makes extensive use of G10 and webbed nylon, he decided to pursue slightly more reined hardware for this ensemble. On a practical note, be mindful that the gear you carry in your jeans may not be the same you want to put into suit pants. Knives with super-grippy scales or lights with heavily knurled bodies will tear up the edges of your pockets before you know it. The last piece of vital EDC is a quality med kit. We took advantage of the wardrobe built to handle daily use. They’re sized off the jackets and only available in even-numbered sizes. Our pants came with a waistline 6 inches larger than the jacket size and uninished hems. This leaves some room (see what we did there?) for custom tailoring. Prefer cuffed pants? Need the waist taken in? Sleeves slightly too long? All easy
Above: Proper gear selection and a little bit of fashion sense will allow you to conceal everything from Band-Aids to body armor under formal businesswear. Left: The Suit Man tactical suit is comfortable and lightweight, while also aiding concealment. The author is wearing his Glock 19, two spare mags and ankle med kit in this photo.
formal footwear game with 5.11 Tacti-
growing trend in ankle-borne trauma
cal’s Mission Ready Oxford. These are
kits. Ours came from the now-defunct
the mullet of dress shoes — business
US PALM. These are no longer for sale,
on top, tactical on the bottom. They
although you may be able to trade a
feature a traditional-style leather
buddy who still has one. Nevertheless,
dress upper mated to the lightweight
a quick Internet search will turn up a
foot bed of their Recon boot with an
number of high-quality alternatives that
aggressive traction sole that looks like
achieve the same end.
an off-road truck tire. We rounded out our base outit with
The cut of our Suit Man suit pants were loose enough to make a well-
a First Spear Line One belt. The Line
stocked ankle kit all but vanish. If
One is a simple belt made of Bio-
ankle cuffs aren’t your style, shop
Thane, a nylon core covered with ure-
smart and you can strip down the
much better than the one-size-its-
thane. This creates the feel and look
bare components so that they’ll it in
most suits you ind at big-box retail-
of leather, while also being impervi-
the back pocket of your pants, or the
ers without requiring the time and
ous to temperature and moisture. We
inside pocket of your suit jacket. Flat-
money of fully bespoke formalwear.
modiied our sample belt by applying
rolled duct tape, a clotting sponge,
But the most tactical suit in the
a few short strips of hook-side tape to
compact chest seals, and a SWAT-T
world isn’t much good if you slip and
the back of the belt, to more securely
tourniquet can be rubber-banded to-
fall on a gravel path or patch of ice
hold up some of our additional equip-
gether in a footprint not much thicker
while moving to cover. We upped our
ment. More on that in a bit …
than a full wallet.
ixes with a quick trip to your local seamstress. We think this setup strikes a nice balance — it looks
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(FIRE) POWER SUITS FULL FIGHTING LOAD The simplest way to carry your gun under a suit may be a belt holster. If that’s all you need, and the last paragraph answered all your questions, more power to you. But start adding things like rifle mags, radio, ixed-blade knife, grenades, and so on until your pants sag like those kids at the mall your granddad always yells at. So how do you carry full kit when you can’t really wear a proper kit? Enter the First Spear Tactical Dress Belt. Think of the TDB as a slightly toned-down battle belt. It’s shorter and thinner, while offering the same degree of modularity. The 6/12 pouch attachment system uses laser-cut slits in the fabric instead of MOLLE loops, making the design a little sleeker. The attachment points are separated so you could thread a belt in and out to accommodate traditional belt holsters or pouches. The back side of the Tactical Dress Belt also has loop-side Velcro. Our sample Tactical Dress Belt came with a belt holster and two of their multi-mag adjustable pouches. These pouches, a double pistol mag and single rifle mag respectively, use a unique ratcheting system to tighten or loosen the pouch body, accommodating a wide array of magazine types. We also took advantage of the Velcro backing to store our Colonel Blades Low-Viz dagger. Its short blade and pistol grip handle gave it a natural it for this application. There are some trade-offs to using
SUREFIRE EDCL1-T $165 surefire.com
a system like this. On the plus side, it’s easy to ditch your gear if you don’t need to have it on you full time. Even fully equipped, it can be rolled up and kept ready in a bag, large desk drawer, or hanging on a coat hook. When the balloon goes up, click it on and you’re good to go. It also doesn’t
FIRST SPEAR MULTIMAG RAPID ADJUSTABLE POUCH PISTOL/RIFLE STARTING AT $51 LINE ONE BELT $73 first-spear.com
CITIZEN ARMOR T-SHIELD $310-590 citizenarmor.com
irepower in a package the size of a
CARBON TACTICS BADGERSTRAP MAGNETIC TACTICAL BELT $65 carbontactics.com
FIRST SPEAR ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT PLATE CARRIER $99 first-spear.com
shoe box, Veritas might have just what you’re looking for. Our test gun sat inside the Wanderer bag with enough room leftover for a laptop and a pair of tennis shoes. As much as we like the Wanderer, it’s not as purpose built as a gun bag. There’s a compartment on the body side of the bag lined with loop side fabric. Go nuts illing it with whatever hook-tape-backed pouches you need. The vertical pocket on the end is perfect for medical supplies. However, the rest of the bag isn’t particularly accommodating to your danger gear. There are some pouches in the front pocket that are sized just right to hold AR mags. But these pouches have no retention whatsoever and we dumped our combat load in the dirt several times when picking up the bag by one end or moving too aggressively. But there’s enough opportunity here to make it work while maintaining a passive, non-tactical appearance. While the selection and stocking of go-bags is well beyond the scope of this guide, we wanted to outline potential
put weight directly on your pants. But even though this system was
OFF-BODY CARRY Some folks prefer carrying their
speciically designed with formal wear
emergency supplies off-body in a pack
in mind, it adds more bulk around the
or bailout bag. There are enough op-
waist than we had hoped. Perhaps
tions for shoulder bags and backpacks
different pouches, or different
to ill several separate articles. We
placement, would help out some.
tried out a Wanderer Messenger Bag
We loaded the sides of the belt to
from Grey Ghost Gear. We appreci-
keep the back clear so that we could
ate the Wanderer’s waxed canvas
still sit in a car or at a desk without
construction, waterproof zippers, and
anything digging into our spine.
glorious lack of MOLLE webbing. It’s
Arranged this way, even our Tactical
a low-key, fashionable bag that fully
Suit had trouble keeping the loadout
eschews the “man purse” paradigm.
Above: The First Spear Slick and Grey Ghost Wanderer provide rifle-plate protection and the ability to conceal a rifle-caliber PDW with folding stock (or brace). We wore the Slick over our dress shirt for demo purposes, but wearing it underneath is equally as comfortable. Left: While the First Spear Tactical Dress Belt is far from invisible, it does provide low(er) proile load carriage when additional irepower is needed.
setups for the sake of due diligence.
UP-ARMORED OPTIONS Beyond Hollywood gunmen, we suspect the most common stereotype for the combination of dress suits and armor would be bodyguards or law enforcement. What about district attorneys on high-proile cases? Or businessmen traveling to high-risk countries to scout out “emerging markets” or bring manufacturing jobs to “developing economies?” Do you work at a bank in
discreet. There’s no doubt that the
We used our sample bag to carry
Tactical Dress Belt is going to be a
around a Micro AR Pistol from Veritas
bit much for the armed citizen, but
Tactical. Veritas is run by a veteran
for professionals required to be well
with years of Executive Protection
as it seems on irst glance. We looked
dressed in a high-threat environment
experience and specializes in subcom-
at two different types of armor carriers,
this may be just the thing. After all,
pact AR pistols. We’re talking 5.56mm
one each for plates and soft panels,
wearing Multicam with formal attire is
builds with 5-inch barrels and fold-
speciically designed for minimum bulk
a tactical fashion faux pas.
ing pistol braces. If you need rifle
and visual signature.
C O N C E A L M E N T
103
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
Chicago or Detroit? Our point is that the idea of so-called everyday people wearing body armor isn’t nearly as paranoid
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Well-appointed accessories are just as important as your choice of suit or holster. They provide ight-ready functionality while seamlessly integrating into your more formal wardrobe.
HANGING IT ON THE RACK
Our sample soft carrier comes from
tra Lightweight Plate Carrier. It’s as sim-
Citizen Armor. Their Civvy concealable
ple as simple can get. The plate pockets
soft-armor carrier is incredibly low-
are made of Tweave material, with both
proile while still offering full coverage
the cummerbund and shoulder straps
in either Level II or Level IIIA protec-
being Velcro adjustable. It’s not meant
tion. Our sample was a Level II vest
to carry anything but plates. We’re not
listed as only 0.19-inch thick, doing
sure how well this carrier would do with
away with the stereotype of the bulky
the ultralight Level III plates, which
to impress without sacriicing the
Kevlar that shifts and bunches during
are often more than an inch thick. For
right to self-defense. The Suit Man
daily wear. The Civvy also features cloth
that matter, we also don’t think AR500
tactical suit is a purpose built,
“tails” in the front and back that can
plates will function well, on account of
reasonably priced starting point
be tucked into your pants to keep the
the amount of stretch in the Tweave.
when the dress code requirement
vest from sliding around as much. Dif-
Then again, we didn’t try it either. Our
is professional and prepared.
ferent sizes are available, but the vests
experience with the Slick was that it’s
Beyond that are myriad options for
are also highly adjustable thanks to
comfortable and incredibly breathable,
accessorizing, depending on the level
Velcro and elastic straps for both waist
a feature we very much appreciated
of protection you require. Use this
and shoulder adjustment.
while testing all this gear in Southern
as a starting point to igure out what
For those who need hard plate pro-
Arizona. In June. Plates were held tight
works for you and to build yourself a
tection in their lives, First Spear once
to the body and there was no bouncing
sharp-dressed solution to keep safe
again comes through with the Slick Ul-
or shifting while moving.
from boardroom to barrio. C
C O N C E A L M E N T
104
R E C O I LW E B . C O M
While there’s no way to reasonably cover every permutation of suitsuitable carry gear, we can provide at least a sampling of both the products and techniques available to those of you who must dress
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