Author: Andrew Tuohy

While in Oregon with Deliberate Dynamics last month, I had a chance to examine a state-of-the-art virtual training simulator, located in Hillsboro, Oregon at Threat Dynamics (which is unrelated to Deliberate Dynamics, by the way). I say "state of the art" because I found it to be incredibly advanced compared to the virtual simulators I used while in the military, such as FATS, or the silly compressed air "M9" and "870" weapons I used in basic training. Manufactured by VirTra Systems, the simulators available at the Threat Dynamics facility included… Read More

A number of the firearms you have seen reviewed on this blog, such as the SCARs, the FNAR, and the FNX-9, among others, were loaned to me by my friend "ferris2son," as he is known on various firearms forums as well as this blog. He's wheelchair-bound, but wasn't willing to give up on shooting, so he came up with the idea to mount a rifle to his wheelchair. Using some barstock and a KZ Gooseneck mount, he's able to attach just about any rifle that has a bottom picatinny rail,… Read More

Coinciding with requests for longer reviews is the arrival of a S&W 1911 - the new "E" series model with no Swartz safety and the improved Performance Center extractor. This model also has the Melonite finish and an accessory rail. The review will take a while to complete due to other work and the interests of being thorough, but I am shooting for a 7 minute Youtube video. Too long? Too short?

As the media reports on links between the deadly cholera outbreaks in Haiti and a strain of the disease that was most likely introduced by UN peacekeepers, I am reminded of my visit to Tunisia and Libya last month. I photographed the UN refugee camp in Tunisia, about four kilometers inside the border, and interviewed several English-speaking refugees. Although I am not an expert on the transmission of infectious diseases, I received basic instruction on this topic when I became a Navy Corpsman. The situation I saw at the UN… Read More

In my experience, most people who are looking to buy AR-15s do so because they want something that looks like what the military uses. Most of these people then buy 14.5" or 16" M4 type rifles, regardless of what they actually need or have a use for. I have a variety of ARs, and several have 20" barrels and collapsible stocks. They're great shooters and would fit the needs of a lot of civilian shooters (uh-oh, I said it) much better than an M4. But they don't look as cool,… Read More

I'm spoiled. I live a short distance away from a great shooting range. It has a 100 yard sighting-in range, a 200 yard range with a thick steel plate at the end, a 50 yard pistol range, and numerous "action bays" (where competition shoots of all types are held every Saturday and Sunday) that range from 5 to 50 yards. Most of the ranges have covered shooting platforms, which is really nice in the summer. The rangemasters are proficient, friendly, and hardworking. A yearly membership is very affordable compared to… Read More

Tonight I'll raise a drink to these guys, and a few others.

Be sure to check out TFB for Europe videos and posts. I'm doing the post processing for factory tours of CZ, Sig, Beretta, Benelli, Steyr, Chiappa, and Fiocchi, as well as interviews and news from the IWA trade show. I apologize for being away from my blog so long, but the content is going to be great.

"We've already had one blue-on-blue incident," said the park ranger. "We don't want any more. There are fourteen different agencies working in this part of the desert." "It seems like you guys don't communicate very well with one another," I said. He smiled. "There are fourteen different agencies." In the past year, I've traveled to a number of locations in the Arizona/Sonora border region where smuggling activity is considered to be high. Sometimes I encounter law enforcement; sometimes I don't. I can't say that I've met people from fourteen different… Read More

I was recently loaned a Blue Force Gear Six Pack Bandolier by Deliberate Dynamics and have been spending a significant amount of time with it. Similar in design to the BFG TenSpeed line of products which sacrifice long-term durability for significant weight, cost, and size savings, the bandolier lists for $43.95 and is designed to hold six M4 type magazines in its elastic pockets. It has a shoulder strap and a waist strap, both of which are constructed from thin webbing. This piece of gear defines minimalism. It naturally hangs… Read More