Category: General Opinion

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

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

Though I've always admired Arc'teryx apparel from afar, I've never purchased any. If I were to do a review of an Arc'teryx garment, which would be most interesting or relevant to folks who would consider buying their stuff? Here's the civilian-oriented site. They have a military-oriented branch as well.

Although the issue has declined in popularity among the major news organizations recently, the proximity of the border between the United States and Mexico to my home keeps border security high on my list of concerns. I regularly travel to various desert locations where "activity" is high, and feel that I have a basic understanding of the real situation, rather than what is presented through various media outlets. Law Enforcement Challenges The most important factor to understand is scale. Even in one state - such as Arizona - there's a… Read More

A while back, I purchased three ALS G275 smoke grenades, intending to use them at some undetermined point. I decided to test one out late last year, and was very disappointed with its performance, as was everyone else who was watching. I was expecting the cloud of smoke I'd seen when using smoke grenades while on active duty, and as represented in ALS product photos. Instead, a small stream of white smoke was emitted for approximately 20-30 seconds, barely visible from the ground 25 yards away, let alone from an… Read More

While in North Africa last week, I had the opportunity to observe and examine the security forces of Tunisia. For those who don't know, the Tunisian revolution - largely organized on Facebook - was the spark that set off half a dozen or so other major revolutions or revolts, including Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, etc. The military and police presence in the city was very heavy. This was apparent to me even when arriving at the airport, where Steyr AUG A1s were fairly common. It was also apparent that firearms… Read More

Although this is a problem I haven't experienced, some other folks apparently have - case head separations with surplus Tokarev ammo in the J&G 1911 conversion barrels. J&G is handling the issue with replacement barrels for those who want them. Information here.