Category: Weapons

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 …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Springfield Armory XDm 9mm

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I’ve had a life-long interest in firearms, since I was a little boy back in the 1950s. I grew up watching all the western tv shows, like The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, The Cisco Kid, Roy Rogers, and many, many other similar shows. To be sure, it was a fun time to be a kid. Today, kids can’t even point their finger at someone without the police being called. It’s a sad state of affairs, to be sure. So, I take firearms and firearms selection very seriously. Additionally, as an NRA firearms instructor who is certified in several disciplines, I’m …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Ruger’s Model 77/17 in .17 WSM

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I remember when the .17 WSM (Winchester Super Magnum) round first came out, and I believe it was Savage Arms who was the first gun maker to chamber this hot, new round in their rifle. Everyone was jumping on the bandwagon to get this new rifle and new caliber. I sat back and waited for a while before taking a close look at the .17 WSM. I liked what I saw and what my results were in my testing. Still, I wasn’t about to run out and buy a rifle chambered in .17 WSM. Ruger recently announced their Model 77/17 …


Scot’s Product Review: Blue Force Gear Vickers Combat Application Sling and More

I’m not sure who first coined the phrase, but whoever it was suggested that we think of a sling as a holster for a long gun, and I’ve always rather liked that analogy. Some slings also help the shooter be more accurate by providing support in shooting positions. By and large, however, the main use of the sling is to carry a long arm while keeping one or both hands free for other purposes. There are a number of types of slings and ways to attach them to a rifle or shotgun. The most common is a simple carry strap …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Kershaw’s Emerson CQC-4KXL

I still remember the first time I toured the Kershaw Knives plant, some 20+ years ago. It was for an article in Knives Illustrated. I wrote for Knives Illustrated for many years, probably longer than any other writer at that time, and I was promoted to their West Coast Field Editor position, where I mostly covered knives made in the Pacific Northwest area. To be sure, Oregon alone houses numerous knife companies itself. It might just be the cutlery capitol of the USA. Back during my first Kershaw tour, if I recall, they only had, at best, a couple dozen …


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Zero Tolerance 0630 Folder

Not bragging, not in the least, but when I was in high school and beyond, everyone used to say I was the coolest guy they knew. Just about everyone who signed my high school year book said I was “cool”. Go figure? I guess that puts me in the same camp with “Fonzie” from the TV show “Happy Days”. Fonzie, from the show, and I had a couple of things in common, and one of the major things was that we both hated admitting we were wr…….., er, um, wro…..ohhhh, wron…..ok, ok, we hated admitting when we were wrong!! I …


KEL-TEC SU-16C: The Ultimate Prepper Rifle?, by R.S.

Calling the Kel-Tec SU-16C the ultimate prepper rifle is like calling a Leatherman the ultimate hand tool; I suppose you could drive a nail with a Leatherman, but it is certainly not the right tool for the job. In the same way there are tasks that are less well-suited to the SU-16C. If I was hunting squirrels for dinner, I would much prefer a .22 rifle and scope. If someone was breaking through my front door, they would be more likely to face a 12-gauge pump shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot. If I had to take down a zombie at …