Category: Review

Springfield Armory XDm 10mm, by Pat Cascio

23

The 10mm round is just one of those calibers that refuses to go away, and this latest handgun addition– the Springfield Armory XDm– which is chambered in 10mm, might just be the best handgun to come along in this hot-stepping caliber. Some History of 10mm Caliber Handguns Let me give you some of the history on 10mm caliber handguns. Many years ago, a company called Dornus & Dixon announced they were coming out with a handgun in the new 10mm caliber. There were many problems along the way, first of which was financing. The second issue was that, while they …


Kershaw Concierge, by Pat Cascio

9

Kershaw knives never ceases to amaze me with the seemingly unlimited folding knife designs they come out with. Today we’re checking out the new Concierge folder, and it’s a slick one for every day carry. Folding Knives I’ve been carrying folding knives since I was about five or six years old. When I was growing up in Chicago, just about every kid carried a folder of some kind. We didn’t get into knife fights, either. It was just a tool as far as we were concerned. We also played a game called mumbly peg. I’m not sure what the point …


Blackhawk Terrain Mid-Training Shoes, by Pat Cascio

18

A good shoe is important to survival, be it in the city or out in the boonies. Without a good shoe, you may fail in your survival efforts. We’re looking at the Blackhawk Products Terrain Mid-Training shoe. Discount Big Box Store Shoes I know. I know. We all have to watch how we spend our hard-earned money these days, and I’m no exception to this. I certainly understand the discount shoe stores and big box stores, who sell cheap shoes, and I mean this not only in price but that they’re cheaply made. Oh sure, they initially look really well …


Springfield Armory Range Officer Elite Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio

6

Once again, another new and very exciting 1911 from Springfield Armory is under review today. This one is a winner and a bargain as well. Range Officer 1911 From Several Years Ago Several years ago, Springfield Armory came out with the Range Officer 1911. It was meant to be all set up so the user could enter various shooting competitions, and it worked quite well in that regard. However, it wasn’t 100% suitable for street carry, if you ask me; it needed to be refined, updated, or “something” needed to be done. The All-New SA Range Officer Elite Operator 1911 …


Gerber Gator Machete, by Pat Cascio

13

It’s often forgotten, but a machete can come in handy in many wilderness situations. Under review today is the Gerber Gator Machete. Machetes I own several machetes of different sizes and from different companies. Some came without a package, so I have no idea who made them, other than to guess that they were made in China, as is this Gerber Gator Machete. All of my machetes are rusted. They are all manufactured out of carbon steel, and all were fairly inexpensive. However, they all work. Gerber I’ve been a fan of Gerber products for a lot of years, and …


Gerber Prodigy, by Pat Cascio

6

I’m always on the lookout for knife bargains and knives to test for our readers. This time around Amazon led me to the Gerber Prodigy, a fixed blade survival knife, and we’ll give you a run down on it in this article. Writers Who Test Firearms and Knives Many readers believe that writers, especially those of us who test firearms and knives, make a lot of money doing this for a living. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of us hold or have held other jobs while pursuing the testing/writing of products. As for me, I worked as …


S.T.O.M.P. II Medical Pack, by Pat Cascio

14

It may not look like it when you walk into my home office. It looks messy, but I know where everything is. I like to be organized, and with the Blackhawk Products new S.T.O.M.P. II Medical Pack, it makes it easy to find all the medical supplies one might need in an emergency. We’re taking a close look at the SEAL team Medic-inspired medical backpack today. Ambulance Boxes Back In the Day Back in the day, and we’re talking way back in the day when I worked on an ambulance, we had all of our medical gear stored inside of …


CZ P10-C, by Pat Cascio

7

One of the most in-demand 9mm pistols these days is the CZ P10-C. We have taken a close look at it and are pleased to give our test results here. Everything I Hoped It Would Be and Then Some It’s not often but this sometimes happens that when a pistol is so popular and in-demand they actually sell for more than retail. With this being the case, you know this one is a winner. The CZ-P10-C is under review, and it is everything I hoped it would be and then some. CZ CZ is world famous for their firearms, and …


Ruger EC9s, by Pat Cascio

11

For as long as I can remember, I’ve carried a second (or backup) handgun to my main handgun, and these days we have quite a selection of small, compact handguns to pick from. We’re looking at the new Ruger EC9s 9mm handgun today. It is one super, little, concealed carry piece. Ruger- Affordable Handguns I’ve stated this before, but I will say it again; for the most part, Ruger www.ruger.com is producing guns that are for us blue collar workers. Now that’s not to say that they aren’t producing some outstanding upper-end firearms, because they are. However, many of the …


Kershaw Kitchen Knives, by Pat Cascio

3

Survival means different things to different people. Many only think of survival in terms of surviving out in the wilderness. That isn’t the only type of survival. Today, we are looking at a set of kitchen knives from Kershaw Knives and how they will help you survive your daily kitchen chores. Ernest Emerson- The Real Deal One of the most famous tactical knife designers in the world is Ernest Emerson. When many hear his name, they immediately think of his line of custom or factory-made tactical knives. They do so with good reason; this is what made Emerson famous. However, …


Cold Steel Bush Ranger, by Pat Cascio

5

In a most fitting tribute to Jim Bowie, Cold Steel recently came out with the Bush Ranger. This is a folder that sure does remind one of the Bowie fixed-blade knife, with its deep clip-point blade. Cold Steel Always In Demand Anyone who has been around the cutlery field for any length of time surely knows the name “Cold Steel” and their outstanding line of knives. To be sure, the Cold Steel line-up is always in demand, and quite often they will be out-of-stock on many of their knives. It is difficult for them to keep up with supply and …


Pepper Ball LifeLite, by Pat Cascio

12

Not all threats need to be met with lethal force, because sometimes a threat can be handled by less force. Today, we check out the Pepper Ball LifeLite. Threats No matter what type or where threats come from, they are always a dangerous thing. My own wife works as an elementary grade school teacher. Though in a rural area, danger can spring up at any time. Don’t believe for one moment that “it can’t happen here” or that it can’t happen. It does all the time, no matter where you live or work. We’ve all heard the former saying when …


Jeep Shovel, by Pat Cascio

30

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have some kind of compact shovel in my vehicles. Some are better than others. Today, we’re taking a close look at the “Jeep Shovel” from Major Surplus. It is quite the little tool. Haunting Army-Navy Surplus Stores When I Was a Kid I grew up haunting army-navy surplus stores back in Chicago, IL when I was a kid. I could, and I did, easily spend hours and hours in those stores. Two, in particular, were just a couple of blocks away from one another in downtown Chicago, so it was easy visiting …


Backup Power, A Review by KS

16

Backup power for when the grid goes down or you have to bug out should be an important part of everyone’s prepping plan. For some, that power supply might be more important than others, especially those with medical conditions. Those might be people on dialysis, CPAP machines, or any other health-related electrical pieces of equipment. Then, there’s the obvious short-term food storage issue we think about relating to our refrigerators and freezers. Long-term uses might include recharging batteries, running Ham radio equipment, et cetera. Real Options For Backup Power For many years, the only real option for backup power was …


Concealing Handguns, by Pat Cascio

33

Carrying concealed is no easy task, if don’t do it properly. We’re taking a close look at some clothing and accessories today that aids in concealing your handgun on a daily basis. Conceal With The Best, Not Necessarily Easiest I’ve always looked for the best, not necessarily easiest, method of carrying a handgun concealed, as most of the work I’ve done in law enforcement and in private security/private investigations have called for working in “soft clothes” rather than a uniform of any type. I’ve lost track of the number of times over the years I’ve spotted a “concealed” handgun on …