Category: Review

Bersa Model 383, by Pat Cascio

This particular pistol, the Bersa Model 383, has been in the family for about 25-years, maybe even longer. It was my wife’s everyday carry gun, for a lot of years. She just likes the way it feels in her hand for some reason. It was a step-up from her little .22 LR pistol that was never reliable, and of course, the .22 LR is a pitiful stopper when used for self-defense. It took a lot of years before my wife gave up the Versa 383 and started carrying a Glock 19, with a laser on it. It was just recently, …


Altus Stealth 28 HTBT Earbuds, by Thomas Christianson

I was recently able to test a pre-production prototype of the soon-to-be-released hearing protection Altus Stealth 28 HTBT Earbuds. The earbuds are scheduled to be released in April, 2022. They offer an attractive form factor that is well designed to provide superior comfort and ease of use. The electronics in the prototype unit that I tested were okay, but could be improved upon. Altus promises better performance in production versions of the unit. The Backstory In December of 2021, SurvivalBlog posted my review of the Axil GS Extreme Earbuds. I found them to be excellent earbuds, but a bit pricey, …


Review: The Siege Belt

As the Senior Editor of SurvivalBlog, I don’t have the opportunity to write many product reviews. Most of that fun is reserved for our two Field Gear Editors. But I recently received a sample of a new product that captivated me, so I decided to conduct the review test, myself. It is called The Siege Belt.  It is a new product that is made by the same folks who manufacture the sturdy Siege Stoves. (You probably recall their name, as one of our advertisers.) Proviso: I’m not an attorney. Do not consider any of the following as legal advice.  Consult …


Springfield Armory XDs Mod. 2 .45 ACP OSP, by Pat Cascio

Just over a year ago, I did a review on the Springfield Armory XDs Mod. 2 chambered in 9mm Parabellum with the red dot sight on it. I carried that for quite a while, until the red dot version of the Springfield Hellcat came along, and that became my current everyday carry piece. To be sure, there is nothing “wrong” with the XDs Mod. 2 9mm OSP. It is just that the Hellcat is a smaller handgun, and it carries a lot more rounds – hard to argue this point. More ammo on-tap is always better. I’ve never read of …


VISM Soft Body Armor, by Pat Cascio

Today, if you’re in law enforcement, military or even private security, body armor is an absolute must-have piece of kit, if you ask me. We are no longer in Kansas, Toto.  It’s a dangerous world out there, and you don’t want to have a target on your chest, especially in law enforcement. Used to be, if you wore body armor under your uniform shirt, many other police officers made fun of you, and said you were paranoid. Gone are those days. Most major police departments now issue and mandate that their officers wear soft body armor. These days, many departments …


Springfield Armory Emissary 1911, by Pat Cascio

It is always exciting when Springfield Armory comes out with a new M1911 handgun. They never cease to amaze me, with the new and improved 1911s they are able to produce. It was with great anticipation, that I waited for the new Emissary. Unfortunately, Springfield closed down for two weeks, for inventory – and that was right at the time I placed my request for a sample of the Emissary. It was a long, long two week wait, for my sample to get shipped. Was it worth the wait? You know it was! The Model 1911 has been around since, …


Taurus GX4, by Pat Cascio

It appears that the micro 9mm wars are still far from over. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and trying to outdo one another. I’m a huge fan of the micro 9mm handguns. We can have anywhere from 10 rounds all the way up to 13+ rounds in a sub-compact handgun/ These are just great for concealed carry – and the best thing is, they are all very shootable – more than accurate enough for self-defense. Taurus is the latest gun maker to jump on the itty-bitty 9mm Parabellum pistol bandwagon, and they are coming on strong, too. When I …


Kerosene Lanterns, by Pat Cascio

It is no easy task, to find products to write about. I know a lot of our readers, would like me to simply cover firearms, some knives, and other survival gear. While I really enjoy writing about new firearms, to be honest, there’s not a lot of actual “new” firearms to write about – the gun makers do their best to come out with a new firearm, that no one else has out there on the market. Many new firearms are just cosmetically slightly different than another similar gun. When it comes to knives, it is extremely difficult to find …


Review: CRKT Xan, by Pat Cascio

I want to say that the CRKT (Columbia River Knife & Tool) Xan knife under review in this article is “symmetrical” but that’s not quite true. However, the design simply flows from the tip of the blade to the butt of the handle. It’s a little bit hard to explain, but once you pick up this folder, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. This folder was designed by Darrin William Sirois, a former Spec Ops guy, and it is surely is “tactical” if ever there was a tactically-inspired folding knife. Those who have followed my knife articles for any …


S&W M&P .40 Pistol, by Pat Cascio

I spent a good portion of my life lusting after the newest and coolest firearms that came on the market. I used to haunt quite a few gun shops in the Chicago area, Colorado Springs, Colorado, all over Oregon, and some other spots. Needless to say, there was no way I could afford to purchase all the firearms I wanted – and I still can’t. Most gun writers that I know can’t purchase all the guns they would like to have – not on their salaries – believe me, I know! We are fortunate, in that, if we are well-known …


Rocky Winter Boots, by Pat Cascio

If your hands and feet get cold, the rest of your body isn’t far behind. This is a fact! Going back to my high school days, I attended a private Lutheran High School, and it was about 13-miles from where I lived – that is a long, long distance in a big city (Chicago) to travel. On a good day, it would take me about an hour and a half to get to school, and home at the end of the day, on the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) bus. As most big-city dwellers will know, buses usually make a stop …


Jackery Explorer 1500 and Solar Panels, by Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker

This is a review of a battery/inverter/solar panel combination. The Jackery “solar generator” (portable battery pack with charge controller and inverter) and the solar panels were well-packaged. They arrived just after Christmas, so temperature concerns (here in Indiana) have made testing it tricky. The battery pack arrived partially charged, and per instructions, it was plugged in to charge from a 120-volt AC wall jack. The input options are DC from the solar cells, DC from a car (12 or 24V), or 110/120V AC household current. Outputs are three 110V outlets (with pure sine wave power, rated for a 1,800-watt load), …


Springfield Armory XDm Elite 9mm, by Pat Cascio

META: Another new acronym. It drives me crazy with acronyms for so many things. Acronyms help save time when communicating with someone. That is, if they are schooled in the terminology with certain things. The military and police find that important. However, META is a new one to me. It doesn’t refer to the new name for the Facebook company or The Metaverse. Rather, it stands for Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly, and it refers to the trigger on the Springfield Armory XDm Elite 9mm pistol. The acronym from Springfield pretty much explains it all. They claim that this trigger is …


Notes on Firearms Maintenance, by Pat Cascio

We’re going to review any new products today, instead, we’re going to let you in on a few “secrets” to keeping your firearms clean and running. I’m a real stickler when it comes to keeping my meager firearms collection in good shape. I’ve always been this way for as long as I can remember. It got very intense when I worked for the late Col. Rex Applegate, when I maintained his gun collection of more than 850 firearms. It was a monthly chore, believe it or not. The good Colonel didn’t shoot most of the guns in his collection – …


Beretta M9A1, by Pat Cascio

I don’t know about other people, but I’ve always been resistant to change or controversy in my life. As I grow older, rapidly approaching my 70th year on this earth, I find I’m more resistant to change than ever. I don’t enjoy getting into a controversy over things. I believe a lot of controversy stems from our opinions on things. Many people simply don’t understand what an opinion is, either. Quite simply, an opinion is just that – an “opinion” and it is based on what we believe. I don’t think an opinion is right or wrong, it’s just one …