Category: Weapons

Youth’s Lessons: The Slingshot – Part 2, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 1.) On any frame with forks there are also two options for the orientation of how the bands are attached to the forks – Through The Forks (TTF) or Over The Top (OTT). TTF means that the bands come around the sides of the forks, and the ammo passes through the forks roughly centered on the bands. OTT means the bands come over the top of the forks, and the ammo comes out roughly centered on a line across the tops of the forks. Here’s a picture that illustrates the two layouts (TTF on top, OTT on …


Youth’s Lessons: The Slingshot – Part 1, by J.M.

One of the hallmarks of good preparedness is leveraging lessons of the past to help us prepare for the future. However, as we age we tend to discard a lot of the simpler things we learned earlier in life in favor of more advanced (and typically more complex and expensive) approaches. Weapons are a great example of this – if you’re somewhere in the realm of a ‘seasoned citizen’ there’s a good chance you made and used a slingshot (‘catapult’ or ‘katty’ for those of you in the UK) from a tree branch and inner tube sometime in your youth, …


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 …


Handguns For Hard Times – Part 2, by Rufus King

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Traditional Double Action Pistols Aside from striker-fired pistols, the traditional double action/single action (“TDA”) pistol has a following. Examples of this design are the SIG P226 and the Beretta M9. With this type of action, the pistol is carried with its exposed hammer in the down position. The first shot is fired with a long, heavy double action trigger pull. After the first shot, the pistol cocks itself, and subsequent shots are fired single action, with a lighter, shorter trigger pull. Given that the hardest thing about shooting a pistol is learning …


Handguns For Hard Times – Part 1, by Rufus King

What handgun should you have for hard times? Handguns tend to be a deeply personal thing, and people tend to be emotionally attached to their favorites. We all have different priorities and different levels of training and experience, so it can be difficult to talk about handgun selection, particularly online, without talking past one another. I have been seriously training in defensive handgunning for over 20 years. Back when I was a sworn law enforcement officer, I was a certified LE firearms instructor in my state. I average at least one professional training class per year. I teach NRA classes …


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 …


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 …


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 …


Letter Re: Dragon’s Breath

Dear Editor, I’m writing you concerning a recent article advocating the use of homemade imitation “Dragons Breath” 12 gauge rounds.  This practice is both physically dangerous and legally problematic.  Gun writers and attorneys have warned against this sort of thing in the past. Point 1:  Things that increase the flammability of rounds inside domestic structures are a pretty bad idea.  Carpet and modern furnishings often contain chemicals that burn more easily than natural fibers.  A self-defense scenario could easily involve a call to the fire department after that.  In a rural area with lengthy response times, that could result in …


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 …


Zero Tolerance 0357BW, by Pat Cascio

Before Zero Tolerance (ZT) knives came out, I was touring the Kershaw Knives factory, and I was sworn to secrecy, about the new ZT line of knives that they were coming out with. Needless to say, it was hard to keep it all secret, but I did. Many months later, the ZT line of knives became a reality. I had several samples of the first ZT knives given to me during the tour, and several more were sent to me, for testing some time after my tour. I was really impressed with the products I saw and tested – and …


Cold Steel Finn Hawk, by Pat Cascio

Sometimes, something old, can be new again, with minor improvements. The Finnish Puukko knife is one of those things that are old, but new again. When I was just a young boy – maybe 11 years old, I used to travel to downtown Chicago, to haunt a couple Army/Navy surplus stores. I always had an affinity for anything military surplus. I still do, to a certain extent. Both of the Army/Navy surplus stores I used to haunt were within a block and a half of one another. However, the smaller of the two stores, had a much larger selection of …