Category: Weapons

Letter Re: Scot’s Product Review: Burris 2-7xx32mm Handgun Scope on the Mexican Mauser

Good morning, Hugh, In reading Scot’s excellent review of the Burris 2-7X Extended Eye Relief rifle scope he mentioned using a ballistics program to determine a 200 yard zero which would also allow hits within four inches of point of aim at 250 yards. Inadvertently, I think, Scot broached the topic of Point Blank Range with that sentence. If one watches movies and television dramas, one probably believes Point Blank Range to be several inches to a few feet in front of a firearm’s muzzle. It is not. The definition of Point Blank Range is: “The maximum distance at which …


Letter Re: Cold Steel Voyager-JWR Edition

Hugh and Capt. Rawles, I’ve been following SB.com for about three years now after reading How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It. That book and others opened me up to the insanity surrounding us, and I suddenly felt sadly under-prepared. Since then I’ve trolled the web, bookstores, and gun shows for tools to help me protect my family. My enthusiasm can probably be attributed to wanting to ensure my two little girls never have to suffer through the times depicted in Jim’s works of fiction. I have held out, for the most part, from purchasing …


Scot’s Product Review: Burris 2-7xx32mm Handgun Scope on the Mexican Mauser

I have long been a fan of Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper and his Scout rifle concept. It’s not the best tool for every application of the rifle, but his idea was to create a general purpose answer to the problem of striking a decisive blow on an animal up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) at any distance the shooter could place a bullet into the vitals of said animal. He further specified that it should be handy and defined it as being one meter (about 40 inches) long and three kilograms (a bit less than seven pounds) in weight unloaded …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: CZ Scorpion Handgun

Some many months back, I viewed a video on YouTube about the CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 handgun. (That’s quite a mouthful, so we’ll just call it the CZ Scorpion.) I was really impressed with the video testing the CZ Scorpion. I’ve had some other semi-auto only versions of full-auto sub guns in the past, and most didn’t impress me. They were just too bulky, or they flat out weren’t reliable. However, there was just “something” about the CZ Scorpion that caught my attention when I watched that video. So, I kept a watchful eye out for one at my …


Scot’s Product Review: Liberty Suppressors Mystic X

I am unsure when the term “force multiplier” came into use, but unlike many trendy phrases I think it is a good one. The concept is a military one, but it is useful in any endeavor. The basic idea is that we find something that makes us more effective than our competition whether in business, sports or combat. A force multiplier can be having more knowledge, better tools, strategy, or tactics or the ability to deceive. Another term for force multiplication might be competitive edge. A force multiplier can allow an apparently weaker opponent to triumph in the end over …


Benchmade’s Model 665 – By Pat Cascio

Having toured the Benchmade Knives factory several times over the years, one thing that has always struck me about it is how clean it is. I mean their plant is super clean. How they manage to keep the place “that” clean while operating several shifts is beyond me. Additionally, it is pretty darn quiet in the Benchmade plant. I was amazed some years ago when I watched the laser cut knife blanks in almost total silence; it was amazing to watch the laser slice through the sheets of steel. The one problem Benchmade has is that they have a difficult …


Letter Re: Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Kahr Arms CM40

HJL, I just want to thank Pat for his reviews especially on the small conceal carry type of pistols. Unfortunately, the review on the Kahr Arms CM40 came a little late for me personally. About a month ago I went to a gun show specifically looking for a small frame 9mm for conceal carry purposes. I had researched several specific brands in a low price range, such as the Taurus PT111, and the Taurus PT-709, the Kel-Tec PF9, and the Ruger LC9. I even read Pat’s LC9 review that he posted here some time ago. My thought was to get …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review – Kahr Arms CM40

There was a time, many years back, when some of the first double action only (DAO) semi-auto pistols started appearing on the market. I still remember the first S&W DAO pistols, and I tested quite a few of them, and just didn’t care for the ovey long trigger pull. I could have that on a revolver! To be sure, many of the first DAO pistols that arrived were really lacking in the trigger pull department; besides being long, some overly long, many had a hitch in their “git-along”. They were gritty, with humps and lumps along the entire trigger pull. …


Letter Re: Scot’s Product Review: Federal Ammunition

Scot, Great article on the 7.62. I have found a great alternative to the over 1k price tag. I just use a SOTA Arms 7.62 upper on my AR lower, and it’s been working out great. The price was $450, and I use ASC 20 round mags. These fit in the old ALICE mag pouches real well. I have a “battle rattle” set up just for this rifle. I included the links for you to check out. Again, great article. – G.S. ASC 44MAG.com Sota Arms


Letter Re: Getting Home – Part 1, by BF

HJL, I thought that live ammunition is banned from the US Mail. If so, would he to UPS his stuff to that address, with proper ORM-D labeling? Or, could he mail the rifle and then carry the ammo in checked luggage? – C HJL Responds: You can send a “long gun” or an antique through the U.S. mail, but you can not send a modern handgun or live ammunition. I have heard of people in the past sending things through that should not have been sent, but I would strongly encourage you NOT to do that. You never know when …


Scot’s Product Review: CMMG Mutant Mk47 AKM

If you like the 7.62x39mm Russian cartridge but aren’t a fan of the AK47 or SKS, CMMG may have just the rifle for you. At first glance it looks like an AR, but the second look tells you something is different. They call it the Mutant because, while it uses a lot of the basic AR platform, both the upper and lower receivers are unique as they were re-sized for the cartridge and to use the AK magazine. In other words, it is not a standard AR by any means though some parts will interchange, like the trigger group, safety, …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Kershaw Knives – Launch 1

We have Hollywood to thank for portraying automatic knives as being demonized by not only states laws and statutes but fed gov laws, too. I don’t know where the term “switch blade” came from, and it is puzzling when you think about it. The blade doesn’t “switch” when you open it, does it? No, the blade on an automatic folder flings open when you press a button on the handle of the knife. However, for some strange reason, the ill-informed still call automatic opening folding knives “switch blades” for some reason, and they believe, stupidly, that an automatic opening folding …


Letter Re: Uncommon Calibers

Hugh, I can respectfully understand one reason that someone would switch to a non-standard unpopular cartridge; hear me out on this one. I don’t want to start an argument about what is better; I just want to say whatever you have at hand that you can hit a target with might be what’s best for you! Whatever works for you is what you might want to stock up on. It’s always cheaper to have common stuff, but it might not be your best solution. Consider my situation. I found out this year that I have carpel tunnel and my right …


Letter: Uncommon Calibers

HJL, I have been thinking about survival of my community after a collapse. In the area of defense and caliber choices, I’m now leaning towards two “other” calibers. In an AR 15, the 6.5 Grendel, and AR 10, the 6.5 Creedmoor. Both out shoot the 5.56 and 7.62 respectively. My thinking in this is, if we are equipped, have the ammunition supplies we need, the reloading equipment and reloading supplies, and we can maintain an armory that will take us through most situations. Then any weapon that may fall into unfriendly hands has limited use against us. We have enough …


Scot’s Product Review: Winchester Ammunition

Winchester was kind enough to furnish some ammunition for me to review in both .223 Remington, 5.56x45mm NATO and 7.62x39mm Russian. The .223 load was their 69 grain Match round while the 77 grain one was the 5.56mm Match load. All of the rounds were tested for accuracy, and it was a very pleasing experience. I should point out that while .223 and 5.56 look like the same round, the military 5.56 chamber is slightly different and can handle more pressure, so 5.56 ammunition should not be used in .223 chambers. It is acceptable, however, to use the lower pressure …