Innehållsförteckning för July/August 2021 #55 från Recoil

We knew something was going to come out of the current administration regarding guns, but the recent dog and pony show is more telling than we expected. Not only does President Potato want to take on DIY firearms and braced pistols, but his nomination of anti-2A lobbyist David Chipman as Director of the AFT [sic] is a clear declaration of war on American gun owners. Before we go too far, it might be worth bringing up a bit of historical context. The National Firearms Act of 1934 originally sought to eliminate handgun ownership amongst the peons by subjecting them to the same punitive $200 transfer tax as machine guns and suppressors. Bear in mind, this was during a period when Congress actually took notice of the Constitution, so they figured…

Let’s say you’re working for an organization tasked with finding vehicles capable of traversing a devastated area after a natural disaster. The fire department and Army Corps of Engineers might come to mind, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they can accommodate what you’re after without it being a logistical nightmare. Or perhaps you’re a transportation manager for a major studio who needs to find set pieces for a postapocalyptic thriller that was just green lit. Where would you look to find something of that ilk that’s readily available and functions reliably? As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. About three years ago, Ted Yadlowsky seized upon that notion with a company that can assist in the aforementioned tasks with a fleet of vehicles that are anything but run…

Let’s get this out of the way before we go any further. This is the first Taurus handgun ever to appear in the pages of RECOIL, because up until comparatively recently they were about as appealing as a piss-flavored snow cone. For example, there was the small issue of the home team in Brazil not being too happy with their .40-cal 24/7 DS pistols. In 2013, the Sao Paulo Military Police discovered to their dismay that some of the guns would discharge when shaken vigorously, leading to the recall of all 98,000. There swiftly followed a $30-million class action lawsuit in the U.S., which resulted in the company being forced to buy back nine of their affected models. The quality of their revolvers took a nosedive slightly before. That kind…

If we learned nothing else from the great warrior-poet Egon Spengler, PhD, in the movie Ghostbusters, it’s that crossing the streams would be very bad. Yet the time period stretching from spring of 2020 until the early part of 2021 (at the very least) was practically defined by the crossing of two streams. The first stream was triggered by the tide of uncertainty caused by the events of the past year. The pandemic, marches and protests during the summer, tumult surrounding the election … all these factors led to a huge number of people experiencing a newfound worry about their physical security. This newfound worry was addressed by many people via running out and buying their first firearm. The second stream was caused by the hard realities of commerce. Lockdowns…

“We’re not going to get lightbulbs from candles if everyone is making the same stuff,” said Bobby West, founder and owner of CGS Group. “Everyone doing the same designs the same way doesn’t push the ball forward.” Right in the middle of our first conversation about new engineering tools, manufacturing, materials science, and, importantly, silencers, West managed to distill his philosophy of life, and by extension his company, into two sentences. West founded CGS Group at the tail end of 2014, and their first product was the opposite of quiet — the Pandora detonator, most commonly used for breaching charges. It would be 2017 before their first suppressor, the earliest example of the Hyperion, would go through testing for a USASOC small-frame sniper rifle project. Though they didn’t end up…

Most veterans, particularly those who serve in special operations units, come away from their service with a strong sense of pride in their branch, unit, or career field. That esprit de corps is a staple of military culture embodied by the straightforward branding of Three Rangers spirits. In addition to sampling their flagship single-barrel Rye whiskey, we had the opportunity to speak with Three Rangers CEO Clay Othic, who’s also the brains behind Tier 1 Targets. Othic has dedicated most of his life to frontline service — first as an infantryman in B Company, 3/75 Ranger Regiment. While serving in the Ranger Regiment, he was a member of the now-famous Task Force Ranger during Operation: Gothic Serpent, a household name thanks to the book and movie Black Hawk Down. He…

01 WOOX RAIL COVERS MSRP: $49 for a set of 3 URL: wooxstore.com Not too long ago, gun enthusiasts used to fall into two camps: modern black guns kitted out with as many accessories you could fit on them, and old-school firearms with wood furniture that were left in their vintage state. Nowadays, there’s a growing trend to mix the two aesthetics — either upgrading lever-action guns with rails, lights, and lasers, or adding wood accoutrements to newer rifles. WOOX is leading this new charge with accessories like its Rail Covers. Made from authentic American walnut and solid Micarta, these scales give you increased traction and heat protection as well as unique aesthetics. They come with mounting hardware, take about two minutes to install, and are compatible with any M-LOK…

Lockback knives seem to have been around forever. Chances are, if you were a Boy Scout or Cub Scout, it may have been the second knife, after a slip joint, that you were most familiar with as an introduction to edged tools. Although they may seem a bit dated compared to modern liner locks, frame locks, or other type of locking mechanisms, there’s no question about the inherent strength of a properly made lock-back. The easiest way to describe a lock-back’s method of operation is that a locking arm sits along the rear of the handle and engages with a hook that fits into a notch on the rear of the blade. As the blade is opened, the hook snaps into the notch and locks the knife. The user depresses…

Since the SCAR-H was released on the market, people have been doing their ready best to transform it into a DMR. Usually, they start and end with a longer handguard and some glass — and that’s it. Today we’ll be performing the reverse: chopping down a SCAR Mk20 to fighting length. The main issue is that the SCARH was never really intended to exist at all, not in the form we have it in. When FN made the SCAR-H, they basically just stretched out their smaller SCAR-L 5.56mm rifle to accommodate the larger 7.62x51mm. They even kept the skinny, whippy pencil barrel from the SCAR-L, much to the chagrin of those attempting a higher level of precision. When the FN SCAR Mk20 was initially developed, 7.62 was still considered a…

ALIEN NATION Overview: Does anyone even remember this movie? Released in 1988, the plotline is basically that a race of humanoid aliens comes to Earth and eventually integrates with society, primarily in Los Angeles, much to the chagrin of the local population. One of the marooned aliens played by Mandy Patinkin eventually becomes a detective and is partnered up with a reluctant James Caan, whose partner had recently been killed by one of the “newcomer” bad guys. What We Like: So, if you’re easily dazzled by car chases, half-baked quips, and carny-trick action-movie essentials, you might actually enjoy this flick. The two stars make it bearable to watch. In the opening sequence, Caan’s partner is killed when a criminal alien manages to pick him off by shooting a mag-fed Benelli…

There’s an old saying, “Justice is expensive. How much do you want?” In other words, being able to navigate endless hurdles of red tape requires either a law degree or enough money to pay for someone who has one. Imagine for a second you’ve been injured in combat, seen your friends killed, feel stripped of any sense of purpose, and must reintegrate with civilians who feel indifferent to your sacrifice. Many of you reading this may already understand that plight. Having that feeling compounded by bureaucracy to receive the benefits you’re entitled to is an injustice no one should have to suffer. Our servicemen and women who get wrapped around the axle of legal rigmarole can often become just another statistic of PTSD, homelessness, or suicide. Does that make you…

We all know how it goes — you find that roll pin on the floor and now you have to build another gun. In this case, it was being gifted a really nice 9mm AR barrel that pushed everything over the edge to put this together. This build is something that had been pondering for considerable time. Now being “forced” to take action, some goals were identified: a compact 9mm, runs on Glock mags, and can be easily suppressed. This build is meant for fun ground squirrel hunting or occasional plinking when/if ammo prices even out. The Rainier Arms Select Series Barrel was the perfect starting point for this little blaster. At 6 inches, it wasn’t so long that subsonic rounds would go supersonic, since this build is intended to…

The story of the Turkish MP5 has all the makings of a Tom Clancy novel. There’s a relationship dating back to the Ottoman and German empires, Cold War geopolitics, ambulance-chasing lawyers, modern-day corruption, and even a trip to a Turkish prison for one of the players involved. If you’re so inclined, its roots can be traced all the way back to 1887, when the first Mausers were delivered to the government in Istanbul from the factory in Spandau. A version of the Gewehr 71, that particular rifle could itself be used as shorthand for the myriad of rebellions, bush wars, proxy conflicts, and global intrigue which abounded during the period of the Great Game — smuggled to participants in the Boer wars, the Irish rebellion, the German Revolution, and the…

We knew we’d be breaking new ground with a barrel this short on a SCAR Mk20, and that factory gas settings, even if they worked, would be less than ideal. While aftermarket gas jets are available in many sizes at prices below $10 each — but if you don’t know where you should start then you may need an awful lot of them. For reference, here are some commonly used gas jet sizes as starting points: SCAR 16 16-inch barrel: 1.4mm 10-inch barrel: 2.0mm SCAR 17 16-inch barrel: 1.5mm 13-inch barrel: 1.6mm SCAR Mk20 20-inch barrel (7.62x51mm): 1.4mm…

It could be said without much argument that the AR-15 rifle is the most versatile and modular weapon system on the planet. A shooter can configure their rifle exactly how they want it with optics, furniture, and other accessories. An AR-15 can be configured as a rifle or a pistol — and there are even options for shotgunners too. Caliber choices run the gamut from 22 rimfire all the way up to a single-shot 50 BMG upper receiver, along with just about every conventional (and some not so conventional) rifle and pistol car tridge in between. For any individual concerned about preparedness for any calamity, it makes sense to have at least one AR-15 on hand. And with a variety of upper receivers and the appropriate magazines, you can make…

The Mini-14 is a rifle that we sometimes love to hate. Not especially known for its accuracy or endurance, it’s easy to bash on with all the hindsight afforded by the 21st century. The original design dates back to 1973 and was a scaled-down version of the larger M14 service rifle (hence the name) chambered in 5.56x45mm. It features a self-cleaning, short stroke gas system similar to the M1 Garand rifle. A product of its time, it featured wood furniture, no provision for optics, and none of the modularity we’ve come to expect as industry standard on newer rifle designs. But for what we believe it was meant to be — a handy, light-recoiling, ranch-rifle alternative to the AR — it delivers in spades as a no-frills, meat-and-potatoes carbine. The…

Some firearms have interesting backstories; this is especially true with military firearms — many of which are designed to address a need, fill a gap, or overcome a perceived inferiority. It may be difficult to believe but the best bolt-action battle rifle of the 20th century, the No1 Mk III or SMLE (Short Magazine Lee Enfield), and its descendants were almost consigned to the scrap heap before World War I. The British Army had an extremely difficult time subduing the Boers in South Africa. The Boers used terrain extremely effectively and were excellent at bushcraft. Additionally most of them were accomplished marksmen and careful hunters. This combination of traits, combined with overconfidence and gross underestimation of enemy capability, led to a number of embarrassing British defeats. Like most organizations that…