Category: Review

Springfield Armory AR Pistol, by Pat Cascio

It is really hard to keep up with all the new firearms coming out of the Springfield Armory company. They don’t sit back on past accomplishments. Nope – they keep coming out with new or improved designs. That is commendable. I’ve tested several of the Springfield AR rifles and pistols over the years, and loved every one of them. Today, we’re looking at their newest AR pistol design, and it is simply called an AR Pistol. The lower receiver has a “Saint” logo, so i suppose this is considered part of their Saint series. The Springfield Armory item number is …


CRKT Ripsnort, by Pat Cascio

I like knives, all kinds of knives, big or small, or everything in the middle…even “ugly” knives are a sight to behold if you ask me. However, I’m not sure where the CRKT Ripsnort comes into the play. To be sure, it is a big knife – well, mostly big…and some would say its an ugly knife – I’m not sure where this fits into my idea of ugly – maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. I’ve been covering CRKT products since their second year in business, and one thing for certain is, they produce a wide variety of knives …


Glock 30S – SF, by Pat Cascio

I’m a Glockaholic. I love their guns! However, over the years, there have been a few Glocks that I just didn’t like, or take to for one reason or another. I love the Glock 21, and it feels great in my hand and balances nicely. On the other hand, we have the Glock 20, which is a 10mm pistol – and it’s the same size as the Glock 21. However, the 20 never balanced as well in my hand – I believe the “problem” was that the barrel was thicker causing the gun to balance a bit on the top …


Choosing (or Assembling) Your IFAK, by Pat Cascio

IFAK stands for Individual First Aid Kit. It has been a staple in the US Military for quite some time now. I’ve always had an interest in first-aid, to the point I became a Paramedic many years ago. I got tired of that job in short order, especially when you had to carry a person down a 3- or 4-storey walk-up. There is no better way to get a bad back than doing that several times per day. Still, I loved the medical aspects of the work. I then went to work for a doctor who I knew for many …


Springfield Armory XD 9mm, by Pat Cascio

Some years ago, there was a 9mm pistol coming into the States, called the HS2000. It looked very similar to the Glock line of handguns. It was (and is) being made in Croatia, and when it was first marketed here in the USA, the importer just didn’t quite market it in the right way. Springfield Armory soon purchased the rights to market the HS2000 in the States. Rebranded by Springfield Armory, it became known as the XD9. Soon, sales of this gun took off, like you wouldn’t believe. Variants were also soon available in .40 S&W and in .45 ACP. I …


Ruger LCP MAX .380 ACP, by Pat Cascio

About 12 years ago, everyone jumped on the micro .380 ACP super-concealable pistol. Ruger was a bit late to the game when they came out with teh LCP, one of the smallest little .380s on the market. It followed by the LCP II – you can do your research on them to see the difference between them, but the LCP was striker-fired. In contrast, the LCP II is hammer-fired and had a more comfortable grip, making it a huge improvement. All in all, the LCP II was easier to fire, more comfortable to fire, and more accurate. Ruger has just …


Over The Counter Pain Relief, by Pat Cascio

I’m not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be. This article covers some of the Over The Counter (OTC) pain relief medications that I’ve used and continue to use. I’m not giving medical advice, just my opinions on this subject. I live in pain – all the time – and I’m sure many of our readers can appreciate where I’m coming from on this subject. For at least 60 years, I lived in pain from my right hip. It was x-rayed dozens of times over the years, and every doctor said the same thing “osteo-arthritis” and nothing more could …


CRKT Jumbones Blackout, by Pat Cascio

As a rule, for an Every Day Carry (EDC) folder, I like a blade between 3.5-inches long and 4-inches long. That length just seems to fit my daily needs more than anything else does. However, I’m not closed-minded about most things, and I’m always open to new ideas. So, when CRKT sent me the new Jumbones Blackout for a possible article, I wasn’t all that excited about it. “Gee, another long-blade folder that I won’t carry…” was my first thought. But I was wrong! But that was simply a first impression, and in short order, I changed my mind, and …


One Year Review: Blackhawk Trident Boots, by Desert Al

Back in January of 2020, SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor  Pat Cascio reviewed the Blackhawk 6-inch Trident Ultralite Boots, and caught my attention. I am wary of buying gear online without physically holding something in my hands and trying it on. But I have used many Blackhawk products over the last 10 years and have been pleased with the price point and quality of their items. I had my boots picked out waiting in my shopping cart on Blackhawk’s website for several months until they went on sale for Father’s day in June of 2020 and I purchased them for right …


Glock 21 .45 ACP Pistol, by Pat Cascio

I still remember when the Glock 20 and 21 first came out, and I owned both, That was when I worked for the late Col. Rex Applegate. The Glock 20 is a 10mm pistol, and the Model 21 is chambered in .45 ACP. Other than the chamberings, both guns are alike in many ways. However, the 10mm version didn’t balance as nicely in my hand as the .45 ACP version did. Of course, the 10mm barrel is a little bit thicker, while the .45 ACP version has a barrel that is thinner because of the larger diameter bullet. You’d assume …


Gear Review: Two Twig Stoves, by The Novice

I often enjoy using my Norwegian “Storm Kitchen” alcohol stove. It is reliable, quiet, compact, clean, and convenient. It has just two weaknesses: it heats slowly, and in a long-term disaster scenario, I might run out of fuel for it. So I started looking into “twig stoves”. These stoves are fueled by sticks, pine cones, and other small, dry bio-mass. They have a reputation for heating quickly, and I have a virtually unlimited supply of fuel around my property. I looked at quite a number of stoves. There are dozens to choose from. Most of them are made in China. …


Rock Island Armory 1911 Government Model, by Pat Cascio

There are more 1911 pistols made in the Philippines than in any other country in the world – and that’s a fact. It wasn’t all that many years ago, when it was a real hit or miss, on 1911s from this country. And, as I understand it, there are three major companies that produce 1911s over there. Doesn’t matter what name is stamped on the gun – odds are real good that your Philippine-made 1911 came from one of those three makers. In the past, about the only thing you could get from the Philippines, was a bare bones, military-style …


CRKT Bona Fide, by Pat Cascio

As a rule, I report the suggested retail price of the products I test, usually near the end of the review. However, this time, I’m reporting it first. This is the new CRKT Bona Fide folder, and it has a retail price of $125 – and as savvy shoppers know, if they shop the ‘net they can usually find CRKT products for a lot less than their suggested retail price. The Bona Fide, is another design from world-famous knife designer/maker, Ken Onion, who makes his home in Hawaii. It has been a lot of years, since I spoke with Ken …


New Pepperball Products, by Pat Cascio

I tested several Pepperball products in the past and was quite pleased with the performance. Now, the makers of Pepperball have come out with two new products. Well, they were actually introduced more than a year ago at the 2020 SHOT Show. However, due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, everything was put on hold, because they couldn’t get their products in hand for the consumer. Having spent half my life in the martial arts, I taught my students a good number of self-defense moves, some lethal and many not-so-lethal. And, certainly, not all attacks on you will be lethal – …


CRKT Woods Chogan, by Pat Cascio

There are a lot of tools that are very suitable for survival purposes, as well as for just plain fun, and self-defense. In the past, I’ve mentioned that, in a hand-to-hand combat situation, as much as I love a good fighting knife – I designed several myself – I would prefer a well-made and well-balanced tomahawk (“t-hawk”) of some type. First of all, you will have a much longer reach, to get at your attacker, than you would with a knife. Secondly, there is a lot more “umph” behind a tomahawk that is swung at an attacker, And, of course, …