Innehållsförteckning för July/August 2023 #67 från Recoil

With the recent popularization of “overlanding” vehicles, many truck and SUV buyers are looking to equip their rigs with a never-ending list of aftermarket upgrades and accessories. Lift kits, skid plates, oversized mud tires, light bars, communications and navigation tech, winches and recovery equipment, auxiliary power systems, refrigerators, showers — almost everything but the kitchen sink. We won’t deny that all this gear makes for a very comfortable and capable vehicle, but is it necessary? Rewindbacktotheearly1960s, and you’ll see that the concept of overlanding was quite different. A bare-bones, rugged vehicle with four-wheel drive and adequate clearance was the basic formula, and few vehicles epitomize it more than the classic Land Rover. Along with its cohort, the American Willys Jeep, the original British Land Rover (and its successor the Land…

For just a moment, put aside the unpleasant stigma of creepy Uncle Joe associating shotguns with self-defense, or even uttering the word “shotgun” at all. As much as we love rifle-caliber platforms, shotguns are still fantastic and versatile weapon systems. A load of 00 buckshot can deliver eight or nine pieces of lead, with over 1,500 foot-pounds of energy on target, all at once. Not to mention a hefty 12-gauge slug, which can produce twice as much energy as that. Then, load up some birdshot, adjust your choke, and you can hunt birds or play some games with your very same gun. However, most repeating shotguns come with limited-capacity tubular magazines, requiring you to continually think about reloading and to proactively manage differing ammunition types for different needs. There’s a…

Almost anywhere in the United States, you can find a police officer on duty whose service weapon is secured in a Safariland duty holster. Safariland launched the first Level III retention duty holster some four decades ago — meaning that three separate, deliberate actions are required to unholster the firearm, preventing criminals from successfully grabbing an officer’s gun. Safariland’s now-ubiquitous system consists of the SLS (Self Locking System) with a strap and hood that must be pressed down and flipped forward — two motions — to expose the gun underneath. Then, the ALS (Automatic Locking System) must be disengaged, a thumb release lever that releases the pistol with no further resistance for a smooth draw. That adds up to the three actions required to defeat the retention. Officers and operators…

Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading manufacturers of lever-action rifles in the United States. It was founded by Anthony Imperato in 1996; their first designs were lever-actions in rimfire calibers and well-made versions of the original Henry rifles dating to 1860. Over the years, they’ve greatly expanded their offerings and made a move from New York City to Rice Lake, Wisconsin, where they harvest the wood for the walnut stocks on their rifles. The company motto is “Made in America or not made at all,” and they do live by that. Every component is sourced in the USA by American manufacturers. At the 2023 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Henry announced a new model, the Homesteader in 9mm. This is a semi-auto carbine that sports a…

The Sauer 38H is a lesser-known sidearm, developed in Germany in the 1930s and widely distributed to the Wehrmacht during World War II. Like many German small arms, it continued to be widely issued following the war among police in West Germany. Unlike the P-38 — issued amongst militaries from Sweden to Germany to Portugal and contributed design features to handguns such as the M92 Beretta — the Sauer 38H has seen short shrift in the gun and collecting community. This is unfortunate, as it featured some remarkably forward-thinking design features that contributed to later designs such as the SIG Sauer Classic Series pistols that were the gold standard amongst special operations forces for years. The first thing that comes to mindwhen many see or pick up a 38H is…

01 GOATGUNS LLC .50-CAL MODEL MSRP: $50 URL: goatguns.com Sometimes it’s OK to play with toys, whether that’s getting a Can Cannon to launch beer cans 100 yards or investing in a Death Star playset made out of LEGO. Unfortunately, those hobbies cost hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars. Fortunately, GoatGuns has a whole lineup of mini guns at reasonable prices for you to indulge your inner child. No, not M134D Gatling guns — actual miniatures. Take, for example, the replica Barrett Model 82A1 shown here. This non-firing model is constructed from die-cast metal and features functioning parts, such as a moveable trigger, loadable magazine, and popup sights. Made in 1:3 scale, this lifelike .50-caliber rifle comes in multiple colors, including black, gold, and olive. 02 DPX GEAR DEMO MSRP: Starting…

They go by different names — T-Back Knives, Push Daggers, Punch Knives, Gimlet Knives, or even Palm Knives. They’re primarily designed for self-defense, although a few utility blades for hunting and other outdoor chores make use of this design when you might need better retention. The retention factor makes these knives great for self-defense. If you can access and deploy it quickly, you can punch your way out of a deadly altercation. While the idea has been around for centuries, they became streamlined in the early 19th century in the southeastern states. Favored by city dwellers for their ease of concealment and retention, these designs made their way West as the country expanded, quickly becoming popular with miners, gamblers, and anyone else who needed a concealable, GTF off me blade.…

Suppose someone told you a backyard range in rural Oklahoma is a top destination for those serious about getting good with a gun. You might think it was a joke. But in fact, Bill and Sharla Armstrong have worked long and hard to make that statement a reality. What was once a tiny dirt berm has been transformed into a fully stocked training facility with anything an instructor might need on-site. The property doesn’t look like much more than a nice country home, like the hundreds you passed on the way to MeadHall; if you aren’t paying attention, you’ll blow right past the gate. As soon as you pull in, you might think, “great, another podunk range.” That’d be a mistake. There’s a reason many of the top instructors in…

Driving is an inevitable part of everyday life for the average American; nearly everywhere we go requires some form of motorized transportation. According to the Department of Transportation, modern Americans spend over 370 hours per year in their automobiles. Needless to say, there’s a strong argument to be made for vehicle-based emergency preparedness measures within this ever-changing environment. Defense when traveling isn’t a new concept — the security of individuals and goods in transit dates back to the earliest days of humanity. The weapons used for this purpose must be multifunctional, given the cramped environment of the vehicle, but also flexible in their ability to engage at various ranges. Not to mention also accommodating modern accessories like optics, slings, and lights. Enter the bullpup rifle. The modern bullpup sparks a…

Silencer Central has spent the last several years making substantial waves in the suppressor community. We hate to use corporate catchphrases like disrupting the market or changing the game to describe anything. But we’re hard pressed to find a better way to capture the impact of their business model. Perhaps the most frustrating part of purchasing a suppressor (besides having to receive BATFE “permission” in the first place) is the purgatory known as “NFA jail” — wherein your purchased suppressor sits in the safe at your local FFL/SOT, unable to be used, during the always-longer-than-advertised wait time, while the BATFE processes your tax stamp application. If you have friends behind the counter at said FFL and/or they have an attached range, you may be able to photograph, test-mount, or shoot…

After the outbreak of World War II, the Marine Corps found itself in need of a better knife. Knives throughout the Corps reflected trench daggers from World War I, with knuckle guards, the U.S. Navy Mark 1 Utility knife, various machetes, and the Raider Stiletto. Two Marine officers were tasked with finding a modern and effective fighting knife and asked several military knife and tool manufacturers to submit designs for the war effort. The officers eliminated quite a few of these designs and decided that the U.S. Navy Mark 1 utility knife would make a good starting point. One manufacturer seemed to be more responsive or easier to work with than the rest: Union Cutlery. Union lengthened and widened the blade, while using a thicker bar of steel from which…

There’s a common theme in AR build trends: whatever permutation of Stoner’s brainchild is selected by military and law enforcement special operators will be reflected in the home-builds of those who construct their guns to be relied upon in hard times. This logic has merit. These units often train more rigorously and more consistently than larger conventional units, putting their carbines to work more often. It would then stand to reason that whatever general configuration of AR they settle on would be the result of an aggressive cycle of “test, train, use, improve.” With that in mind, we examined the current trends in SOF carbine configuration and fused in some high-performance parts available on the open market to build our own rendition of the general-use special operations AR. Our…

Acommon refrain is that there are no new ideas; we only innovate old ones. In 1970, Bernard D. Shadow had the brilliant notion of putting wheels on a suitcase. Carrying a suitcase before this was a two-man job. Traversing the airport with screaming kids, the fog from the smoking section, and a suitcase over your shoulder wasn’t for the weak. Rollers on luggage were a no-brainer, but for some reason the change was slow to take hold. Eventually, travelers saw the light, and demand went through the roof. Today, you’d be hard pressed to find a piece of luggage without wheels. By themselves, wheels or luggage weren’t new — but putting them together was a revelation. Small innovations can have a big effect. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a…

In the book, How to Survive in the Woods by Bradford Angier released in 1969, the author asserts the following about a survival firearm: “The best survival weapon, it follows, is a flat and hard shooting rifle. There is no need to append that it should be rugged, accurate, and durable.” Angier, considered to be one of the foremost voices in the survival community prior to the explosion of internet survival stars, formulated a very logical argument for carrying a rifle as a tool to put meat over the fire. In 1969, the leading .22 rifles on the market were the Armalite AR-7, Marlin model 60, Ruger 10/22, and Remington Model 66. Even today, despite a couple of them being out of production, these firearms are among the best available,…

We’ve featured plenty of cigar brands in this column, but never a bona fide cigar roller. This time, we’re pleased to introduce you to The Mobile Cigar Lounge, a boutique cigar roller who’ll travel to you for parties and private events to provide a truly custom hand-rolled cigar experience. The brainchild of Joey Mac Dizon, a former Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps and graduate of Norwich University, the oldest military university in the country. (Our model for this photo and subject of this issue’s Zeroed In column, AJ Zito, is also a Norwich University alum.) During his time in service, Dizon served in Norway, Mongolia, and Iraq as a Marine Rifleman. After separating from service, he started The Mobile Cigar Lounge in 2018, with this to say about his…