Category: General Opinion

Okay, if you've read some of my other posts, you'll know that I'm not the biggest fan of piston/op-rod conversions. But hey, if you've got a suppressed full auto rifle, you're getting closer to the zone of performance where the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Some folks may have seen the HK416 OTB test, where it outperforms the Colt M4 - and while that video may also have issues, they aren't as glaring as this one. The whole point of this test is to show that the barrel can be full… Read More

I've only got a little time here, but I wanted to debunk a portion of this show. I've never watched an episode on TV, but was shown a link to this episode as "proof" that the AK-47 is more reliable than the AR-15. The important stuff starts at around 27:45 or so. Well, there are a few glaring problems that a lot of people have probably already figured out. Here, we see both rifles with mud on their sides. Note the mud on the top cover of the AK and… Read More

Today I saw a bumper sticker that read, "If you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention." I don't know if that person was a liberal who applied the sticker during the Bush administration, or a conservative who applied it after the election of President Obama. Either way, it's very applicable to our present times. Today the White House announced that it would move to slash the pay of executives at companies which accepted bailout money. "Fine, sure," you say. "Those AIG folks shouldn't have gotten those big bonuses." Well, that's… Read More

We've all heard that the M1 Garand is the "greatest battle implement ever devised", and many folks speak of it as if the weapon never malfunctioned. It's pointed to as an example of how a semiautomatic rifle with a piston and an op-rod is immune to external influences such as mud or dirt. Unfortunately, this article from 1941 tells us that that simply wasn't the case. One sentence accurately describes the testing: "Sum & substance of the findings was that the Garand was a fair-weather rifle." Roy Dunlap's book Ordnance… Read More

I'm a big proponent of concealed carry. I carry everywhere that I legally can. However, I'm not of the opinion that simply carrying a gun means that I'm "covered", that I'm "safe". Yes, Rule 1 of a gunfight is "Bring a gun". However, my personal defense philosophy is based on the concept of avoiding, or reducing, confrontation. If you haven't heard the phrase "the mind is the final weapon", you need to start wrapping your head around it. Your mindset will mean the difference between success and failure in a… Read More

No investment you will make in the arena of firearms, gear, etc will be as important as the investment you make in training. Proficiency doesn't automatically come with the purchase of a firearm or first aid kit. I could hand you a well-stocked medbag, but if you didn't know how to use the most basic of its components, it would be worthless to you. I could hand you a precision bolt rifle, but if you learned how to shoot from a video game or action movie, you might not be… Read More

Here I'll be passing on my own concise, impartial gear reviews and tests. I've got a fair amount of experience with weapons and "tactical" gear, from both field use and practical design standpoints. Primarily I'll be reviewing weapon accessories, but occasionally I'll venture into other areas. Discussions are welcome, but civility is a must. Agree, disagree - doesn't matter. Thanks for checking out the blog.