BUYER’S

GUIDE
FIGHTING KNIVES
PG. 50

GUN LIFESTYLE: GEAR • TECHNOLOGY • SPORT • OUTDOOR • HOME & PERSONAL DEFENSE
COVER
1 OF 2

BALLISTIC
BRONCO
UPDATE
PG. 140

MOA VS. MIL

BENELLI PUMP FOR THREE-GUN
RUGGED SUPPRESSORS SURGE 7.62
ALASKAN CARIBOU HUNT
FREEDOM ORDNANCE BELT-FED 9MM
WINTER DRIVING
GUN RETENTION 101
ZEROED IN: FRANKIE MCRAE

RECOILWEB
L .COM
ISSUE 23
 BUYER’S
GUIDE
FIGHTING KNIVES
PG. 50

GUN LIFESTYLE: GEAR • TECHNOLOGY • SPORT • OUTDOOR • HOME & PERSONAL DEFENSE
COVER
2 OF 2

BALLISTIC
BRONCO
UPDATE PG. 140

MOA VS. MIL

BENELLI PUMP FOR THREE-GUN
RUGGED SUPPRESSORS SURGE 7.62
ALASKAN CARIBOU HUNT
FREEDOM ORDNANCE BELT-FED 9MM
WINTER DRIVING
GUN RETENTION 101
ZEROED IN: FRANKIE MCRAE

RECOILWEB
L ISSUE
.COM23
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 56
IS S U E 23

FEATURES
56 MICRO DYNAMIC RIFLE
Desert Tech Introduces an American
Bullpup

66 MOA VS MIL
Bear With Us, ’Cause it’s Time to
Get Your Math on 74

74 LEWIS MACHINE
AND TOOL’S
COMPRESSOR SBR
Shooters Can Shave Ounces and
Inches With LMT’s Innovative New
Stock System

84 S’NO PROBLEM
Advanced Driving Tips to Help You
Keep it Between the Lines this
Winter
98
98 CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA
Benelli’s Pump Gun is Pretty Good 84 130
Right Out of the Box. Here’s How to
Make it Sing.

106 ALASKA BOUND

Ever Dreamed of Putting Together
Your Own Adventure, North of the
Arctic Circle? We Did, and Took
Three Wounded Vets Along for the
Journey.
134
130 RUGGEDLY HANDSOME
Can One Tax Stamp Cover a High-
Volume Can for Your .300 Win Mag
and a Shorty for Your SBR? Rugged’s
Surge 7.62 Provides the Solution to
Your Conundrum.

134 BELT FED. 9MM. UPPER.

Say What? Freedom Ordinance Defies
All Logic With the FM-9.

140 BALLISTIC BRONCO

140 146
BULLETIN
How Has RECOIL’s Trusty Steed Held
Up to 12 Months of Abuse?

146 WEAPON RETENTION 101

Because Nothing Good Can Happen
if Your Gun Ends Up in a Bad Guy’s
Hands
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HEXMAG GRIP TAPE
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The Executive Ordnance grip consists
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PISTOL GRIP your preference with a variety of
texture and color options. The EO grip
is quality worth holding on to.
http://www.executiveordnance.com/recoil/

MANTICORE
ARMS, INC.
 FIREARM SAFETY RECOIL (USPS 013-320), March/April 2016; Number
IS TOP PRIORITY 23, is published bimonthly by TEN: The Enthusiast
Network, LLC, 261 Madison Avenue, 6th floor, New
IS S U E 23 RECOIL reminds you to be safe and always obey York, NY 10016. Copyright © 2016 by TEN: The
firearms safety rules: Enthusiast Network Magazines, LLC. All Rights
1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
DEPARTMENTS 2. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe
Reserved. Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY
and at additional mail offices. Subscriptions U.S.
direction. and U.S. Possessions: $49.97 per year (6 issues);
16 ON THE COVER 118 ZEROED IN 3. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready Canadian, $55.97, Foreign, $61.97 (including surface
Frankie McRae to fire. mail postage). Payment in advance. U.S. funds
4. Be aware of your target’s foreground and
22 DOWNRANGE background.
only. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM
Editor’s Letter 156 SHTF 707.4.12.5): NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES:
All contents in RECOIL Magazine are profession- send address changes to RECOIL, P.O. Box 420235,
Nothin’ But a “G” ally photographed in a closed studio or range. Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235. Please allow 8-10
28 INCOMING Thang Do not attempt to recreate any photographs weeks for delivery of first issue. No part of this book
New Gear depicted in this magazine. may be reproduced without written permission.
164 PT This book is purchased with the understanding
36 VISIT Pull Your Own PRODUCT DISCLAIMER that the information presented herein is from many
Anthens War Museum Weight Prices and details for items featured in RECOIL varied sources for which there can be no warranty
are set by the manufacturers and retailers, and or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy or
44 TRANSPORT 172 RECOILWEB are subject to change without notice. completeness.
War-by-Four
194 GOING HOT
50 UNUSUAL MISFIRES
SUSPECTS In the “Full-Scale Assault” feature in RECOIL Issue 22, we misspelled www.americansnipers.org.
Fighting Knives We apologize for any confusion this might have caused.

90 MINDSET
Beyond the OODA Loop Throughout this issue you will see certain
images are labeled as being 1:1 Actual
Size. This designation is for the print edi-
tion of this issue. Because of the various screen sizes
on different tablets and computers, we cannot always
provide actual life size images in digital versions. We
apologize if this causes any confusion and thank you
for your understanding.
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 ON THE COVER COVER PHOTO BY STRAIGHT 8;
Brendan Hunter/istockphoto.com
Right now, the world around you is
threatening your life. We don’t mean in
a dramatic, face-shooting sorta way. No,
we’re talking about more of an inevitable,
slow-roll toward doom fashion.
Be it on a tropical beach, a snowy
mountainside, or even in your own living
room, the sun’s rays slowly bake you,
the cold causes metabolic changes that,
unchecked, will lead to your demise, and
a seemingly harmless skin abrasion is an
invitation for bacteria to reward your do-
mestic clumsiness with a life-threatening
case of cellulitis.
Your defense against nature’s sinister
onslaught isn’t what you think. It’s not
an emergency tin containing waterproof
matches, a signal mirror, and a space
blanket. No, basic survival gear begins
with clothing.
Nowhere is this idea more obvious and
urgent than for those operating on the
frozen flanks of the planet. In the arctic,
a warrior’s need for protection from
the environment equals their need for
protection from the enemy.
It’s the toughest environment on the
planet, except for the deep blue, and it
has no tolerance for the ill-prepared.
Months ago, we decided to produce a
special-edition winter cover to kick off RE-
COIL’s best year ever. In RECOIL fashion,
we were going to go balls out to give our
readers something available no place else.
Our readers would see the bleeding edge
of cold weather combat gear on our cover.
We reached out to a few companies
with a not-so-simple request: Can you
outfit our cover models, prior service
Marines Buck Doyle and Rudy Reyes,
in arctic uniform concepts that comple- 1
ment the next-generation nature of our
cover guns, the LMT 300 and Desert
Tech MDR? Oh, and we’ve got 45 days
’til the cover shoot.
Instead of pulling product off-the-shelf
and giving it a white paintjob, Beyond
Clothing took our 45-day deadline as
a challenge to create a system of cold
weather clothing worthy of a place in
their product line. Its effort produced
the Axios Arctic System shown here for
the first time.
On the hard goods side, we reached
out to First Spear for arctic-specific
load-bearing equipment and armor
carriers. Fortuitously, the company had
a couple of off-the-record projects in
development it was willing to share with
our readers. We’re excited to debut First
Spear’s brand-new Viking Patrol Har-
ness and the existing Strandhögg Plate 3
Carrier, both in the never-seen-before
ATACS ATX camouflage pattern.
We caught news of Oakley Standard
Issue’s effort to update its venerable M
Frame eye wear with a reinvention tai-
lored to the needs of the Special Opera-
tion’s community. Somehow, we talked
the company into letting us introduce
the new M Frame Alpha eye protection
system to the world.
 And, if that weren’t enough exclusive
product announcements, glove maker
Mechanix Wear made us a very limited
edition M-Pact glove in white for our
cover to celebrate the release of their
brand-new Tactical Specialty line of
gloves. We’ve got a show ‘n tell about
the T/S Azimuth, Breacher, Recon, and
Tempest gloves on page 28.
That means you, dear reader, saw sev-
en RECOIL exclusives before you even got
to the first article in the magazine. Not a
bad way to start 2016. Turn the page for
the details on this new equipment.

1 RIFLE 3 CLIMBING
MAKE: HARNESS
Desert Tech MAKE:
MODEL: Mammut (Shown with
DMR custom, gray gear
MSRP: loops)
See pg. 56 MODEL:
2 URL: Ophir 4-Slide
www.deserttech.com MSRP:
$70
URL:
2 RIFLE www.mammut.ch
MAKE:
LMT
MODEL:
300
MSRP:
See pg. 74
URL:
www.lewismachine.net

Mechanix Wear 4 GLOVES

made a set of MAKE:
white M-Pact Mechanix Wear
Gloves just for
4 RECOIL to use on
MODEL:
M-Pact Glove
our white cover.
Special Edition for RECOIL
3 Check out theirr
four brand-ne
-new-- MSRP:
for-2016
16 TTactical $49.99
Spe
Specialtyy ggloves URL:
on page 2828. www.mechanix.com
 ON THE COVER
MAKE:
Beyond Clothing
UNIFORM
MODEL: Beyond Clothing’s AXIOS Arctic
Axios Arctic System System is a five-layer clothing system
MSRP:
Special Order, Pricing Upon designed for operations in -40 to -70
Request degrees F. It’s a purpose-built array
URL:
www.beyondclothing.com of garments made for warfighting. It’s
not an adaptation of polar exploring or
mountain climbing gear. To that end,
body armor allowances and access to
load-bearing equipment are baked right
into the system’s genetics.
Beyond’s greater Axios system uses
10 layers, A1 through A10. Axios
Arctic uses five of those 10 layers and
includes the base layer (A1), active
insulation (A3), softshell (A5), active
extremity insulation (A8), and extreme
static insulation (A10). You’ll notice
there’s no hardshell or rain jacket, that’s
because it hardly ever rains in the polar
regions and it’s too cold for snow to
thaw, even when it’s on your clothing.
From a distance, layers A1, A3, and
A5 could pass for typical cold weather
gear. But, layers A8 and A10 are pure
outside-the-box cold weather clothing
design. The Active Extremity Insulating
layer (A8) is a half-jacket that warms
the arms and shoulders. It leaves the
chest and back uncovered and without
insulation. This allows access to gear
while assuming body armor is present,
which adds insulation in areas the half-
jacket isn’t covering. Heavily insulated
Hockey shorts are the other half of the
A8 layer. They’re a breeze to get off and
on and help retain a lot of core warmth
from the groin area and thighs.
A unique aspect of the Axios layering
system is each layer’s intimate compat-
ibility. From the skin out, each succes-
sive garment layer is designed to work
together. For example, materials are
chosen for their ability to move moisture
from the base layer (A1) through the
insulating layer (A3) to the softshell
layer (A5) where it can evaporate during
periods of exertion; all without losing
the warmth retained in the extremities
by the extremity insulation layer (A8).
When activity slows down, the fifth
layer (A10) is used to envelop the entire
body in fragrance-free, Tauntaun level
warmth.
The level A10 Static Parka is what
we’d want if our Snowspeeder crashed
someplace out past the last marker, and
we’ve gotta hunker down and wait till
dawn for a rescue party. It’s insulated
with a double layer of Climashield. The
abdominal pass-through (reminiscent of
an eviscerated kangaroo) allows access
to a chest rig, a quarter zip limits that
chance for zipper draft and a fur lining
on the hood creates a warmish, wind-
free zone in front of the face.
LOADBEARING EQUIPMENT
When First Spear opened its shop
five years ago, it pioneered the use of
laser-cut PALS fields and laminated
fabrics to reduce the weight of configu-
rable body armor systems. It called the
innovation 6/12 technology and hasn’t
slowed down since.
New for 2016 is the Viking Patrol
Harness. It’s a chest rig tailored
specifically for working in the arctic
environment. To accommodate bulkier
winter clothing, First Spear added
longer adjustments in the shoulders
and the back strap and minimized the Spear’s Jon Laplume, “not just to aid
bulky areas to reduce moisture absorp- in concealment, but also in terms of
tion. The VPH has three double rifle protecting HK416 magazines from be-
magazine pouches and an MBITR radio ing crammed with snow.”
pouch built in with a 6/12 field on “We learned some interesting things
MAKE:
either side for attachment of modular about Velcro, too,” said Laplume. We’re also showing First Spear’s First Spear

IS SUE
pouches and accessories. During field trials, the company found Strandhögg MBAV Plate Carrier seen MODEL:
Developing this new piece of gear lower nap Velcro stayed closed and for the first time in ATACS’s brand-new Strandhögg MBAV Cut
Plate Carrier and Viking

2 3
required some old school thinking captured less snow than high nap ATX camouflage pattern. The company Patrol Harness
when it came to dealing with mag Velcro. It worked better than custom tells us this version of the plate carrier MSRP:

pouches and snow. “We found full molded closures, which often became is proving very popular with its Scandi-
$500 (est.) and $369 019
URL:
flaps worked much better,” says First snow clogged and frozen, he said. navian SOF customers. www.first-spear.com

EYE PROTECTION
The Oakley M Frame has gone through
many design revisions since its introduc-
tion in the late 1980s, but we think none
have been so radical as the brand-new M
Frame Alpha design.
In looking for feedback to update
the M Frame, Oakley SI paid particular
attention to the Special Operations com-
munity. Due to their diverse missions and
steady operational tempo, SOCOM oper-
ators demand more from their equipment
than other military commands. Oakley’s
Defense’s Drew Wallace, a former mem-
ber of the 75th Ranger Regiment, says
he heard over and over how much the
guys disliked all the different pieces of
gear they had to deal with and that they
appreciated modular equipment.
So, the company began to rethink
the M Frame in early 2013. Three years
later, we have the M Frame Alpha. It’s
REC O ILW E B .C O M
a modular and scalable eyewear system
based on a single lens that converts
from the M Frame Alpha spectacle to the
Halo goggle. Aside from the modular-
MAKE:
ity, Oakley SI made at least three other the needs of people involved in marks-
Oakley SI
important improvements. manship, close quarters battle, and mo- MODEL:
First, the new lens shape addresses bility work. Lastly, the Alpha features a M Frame Alpha
MSRP:
fogging with a new flush-mounted frame new, easier-to-use lens exchange system. $130-$180
and horizontal vents that allow air to The updates, including the new goggle URL:
www.oakleysi.com
escape more easily than it could in older frame integration, mean better perfor-
designs. Second, the field of view is mance and less stuff to keep track of.
increased and improved after examining Well done, Oakley.
 WOLF GREY IS
THE NEW COVERT

FASTFIT ® ORIGINAL ® M-PACT ®

WOLF GREY WOLF GREY WOLF GREY

TACTICAL HAND PROTECTION.

US: 800.222.4296 | WWW.MECHANIX.COM
#mechanix
 BY IAIN HARRISON
You might have noticed something a little different about
this issue’s cover. It came about as a result of getting
not one, but two exclusives on a pair of new guns from
companies that are leaders in their field. Instead of having
them duke it out for space, we did something that, to our
knowledge, no one else in the gun rag trade has ever done
— and let you, the reader, pick which one you’d rather
have. Of course, we had to make them look good side by
side, too.
It’s our first issue of 2016, so we decided to once again
throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the publishing
industry. Since RECOIL burst on the scene four years ago,
we’ve gotten a reputation for shaking things up and bring-
ing a new look and voice to a market that frankly was old,
stodgy, and narrow minded in both content and outlook.
We introduced topics that had previously been considered
off limits in a gun magazine and teamed them with great
photography and award-winning layouts from the best tal-
ent in the business. From the outset, our business model
2 3
allowed us to bring you unvarnished reviews and ask the
IS SUE
sorts of questions you wanted answered.
22
REC O ILW E B .C O M
So in this, our birthday edition, we’re delighted to
present all of the usual stuff that got us to where we are
now. The trucks, gear, cool guns, skills training, how-to’s,
and knowledge that sets RECOIL readers apart from the
benighted, huddled masses. In this edition, we check out
a belt-fed 9mm, a couple of great suppressors (we’re big
fans of cans), get schooled on long-range shooting, update
our Bronco, and get winter driving tips from the pros.
Earlier this year, I had the distinct pleasure of spend-
ing time with three gentlemen who had sustained injuries
while in the service of our nation. Our Alaskan adventure
can be found on page 106, and you can find a video de-
tailing our exploits later this month on RECOILweb. Speak-
ing of video, coverage of SHOT Show should be up by the
time you read this, so why not take a gander at the latest
products from the firearms industry while you’re visiting.
Cheers,
Iain
 Editorial. Advertising.
Editor/ Iain Harrison General Manager/ Mark Han
Senior Editor/ Patrick Vuong Associate General Manager/ Danny Chang
Managing Editor/ Laura Peltakian Network Manager/ John Schwartze
Feature Editor/ Rob Curtis Advertising Operations Coordinator/ Monica Hernandez
Contributing Editor/ Steven Kuo
Web Editor/ David Reeder
National Sales Offices.
Photography Studio Manager/ Jorge Nuñez
Contributors/ Ryan Cleckner, Joseph Dowling, Kevin Estela, New York Office/ 212.915.4000
261 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Ryne Gioviano, Ben Hetland, Jon Janeway, Kenda Lenseigne,
Bill Maniotes, Straight 8, Jared Wihongi, Keith Wood Los Angeles Office/ 310.531.9900
831 S. Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
Special Thanks/ Archangel Design, Scott Carver, Cowtown
Range, Rick Elder, Dave Furman, Green Beret Foundation, Irvine Office/ 949.705.3100
1821 E. Dyer Rd., Suite 150, Santa Ana, CA 92705
Andrew Ha @fiftyshadesoffde, Jon Laplume, John Maynard,
Jay Neely, Erik Poston, Tactical Forum Korea, Detroit Office/ 248.594.5999
4327 Delemere Court, Royal Oak, MI 48073
The Gun Vault Utah, Drew Wallace
Chicago Office/ 310.531.9896

Art Direction & Design. Tampa Office/ 813.675.3479

Creative Director/ Alan Alpanian

To advertise on this magazine’s website, or any of
Group Art Director/ Ti Tong
TEN: The Enthusiast Network’s other enthusiast sites,
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please contact us at
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Manufacturing & Production Operations.
VP, Manufacturing & Ad Operations/ Greg Parnell TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC.
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This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that the infor-
mation presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty VP, Editorial Operations/ Amy Diamond
or responsibility by TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC., or the publisher as to
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legality, completeness and accuracy.
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Any submissions or contributions from readers shall be subject to and governed
by TEN: The Enthusiast Network’s User Content Submission Terms and Condi- VP, Digital Monetization/ Elisabeth Murray
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BACK ISSUES To order back issues, visit https://www.circsource.com/store/ EVP, Mind Over Eye/ Bill Wadsworth
storeBackIssues.html.

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Editorial contributions are welcomed, but editors recommend that contributors Consumer Marketing, Enthusiast Media
query first. Contribution must be accompanied by return postage and we assume
no responsibility for loss or damage thereto. Manuscripts must be typewritten
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on white paper, and all photographs must be accompanied by captions. Photo
SVP, Circulation/ Tom Slater
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ADVERTISING INFORMATION
Please call Recoil Advertising Department, (949) 705-3100. Related publica-
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Printed in the USA

Copyright © 2016 by TEN: The Enthusiast Network

Magazines, LLC.
All Rights Reserved.
 trust is earne

tactical entry ™ ii
40 ounces | 5 inch barrel
available in .45 ACP

made in a merica
ed in the field america’s best rely on kimber—
so should you.

(888) 243-4522
what all guns should be™ kimberamerica.com
©2016, kimber mfg., inc. all rights reserved. information and specifications are for reference only and subject to change without notice.
 1
This is the Agency Edition of the
S3F Solutions barrel. It’s a light,
match-grade barrel with what
they describe as a tighter-fitting
hood so it will go into lockup
better. Although it’s built with
octagonal fluting on the crown
and length, there’s a portion of
the barrel left round to ensure
there’s no degradation of ac-
curacy caused by the loss of its
cylindrical shape (and so it will
cycle as it should). Said crown
is cut 35 degrees and sports a
high polish and the feed ramp is
also highly polished for optimal
feeding. The new Agency barrel
is designed for the Glock 19
and Glock 17 with a twist rate
of 1:10. Built of 416R stain-
less steel, the rifling is pulled
broached/SAAMI spec 9mm.
Optional threading is ½x28.
2 3
MAKE:
Agency Arms
IS SUE
MODEL:
Agency Edition S3F Solutions
COLORS:
28 Black Nitride, Stainless, TiN
MSRP:
$300 black nitride or stainless;
REC O ILW E B .C O M
$325 TiN
URL:
www.agencyarms.us
SOCIAL:
@agencyarms
1 2
2
If you’re one of those people who
have parts requiring different
mounting systems, you’re gonna
like the PicMod Rail System plenty.
It provides for both Picatinny and
KeyMod rail attachments by virtue
of clever — and extremely sleek
— machining; they put slots into
the side of the Pic rail. Built of 6061
aluminum, the 15-inch rail weighs
just 9 ounces. It utilizes BCM’s pat-
ented KMR barrel nut and mounting
hardware (future incarnations will
be available in 13.4 and 9 inches).
The PicModRail is available with or
without hardware if you’re looking
to directly replace KMR-equipped
guns. The PicModRail will reduce
weight and height while giving you
the benefits of two of the major
handguard accessory mounting
systems in one.
MAKE:
Bootleg Inc.
MODEL:
PicModRail PicMod Rail System
MSRP:
$209 w/BCM mounting hardware;
$159 slick
URL:
www.bootleginc.com
3 4
KDG’s impetus has been
improving the SCAR system
the company’s inception. Its
most recent creation? The
SCARging handle (which has
an awesome name). It was a
purpose-driven design, we’re
told, and focuses on function
over form so it can take the
beating that comes from
shooters who run their guns
hard. Ambidextrous by design,
utilizing the same dual radius
angled design of the Gripstop
and built of 1018 low carbon
steel, the SCARging handle is
reversible and sticks out less
from the receiver than the fac-
tory part. This results in less
snagging on gear and more ef-
ficient handle manipulation. It
comes with a parkerized finish.
MAKE:
Kinetic Development Group
MODEL:
SCARging Handle
COLORS:
Black
MSRP:
$50
URL:
www.kineticdg.com
SOCIAL:
@kineticdevgroup
The Talon SCAR safety is going to
appeal to a lot of SACRiors, not least
those who’ve been running M4 platform
rifles. The 90-degree option, which can
be matched to the position of an M4 if
preferred, provides the intractable “we
don’t like change” types the security
of knowing their rifle is on fire and it’s
time to party. Popping the cylinder and
rotating it 180 degrees gives you a
45-degree safety for shorter travel for
that sooner-not-faster experience (that’s
what she said). The control surface is
smooth and less difficult to manipulate
than the factory safeties, providing what
looks to be a superior platform that will
respond better even to gloved, cold, wet,
or bloody hands. There’s also wrong-
handed love; the Talon is a simple,
screw-less design so there’s nothing
to back out or come loose. It allows the
shooter to swap levers at will, even in
the field, so it can be switched around
for lefties with little effort.
MAKE:
Kinetic Development Group
MODEL:
SCAR Talon Safety Selector
COLORS:
Black, FDE
MSRP:
$79; $89
URL:
www.kineticdg.com
SOCIAL:
@kineticdevgroup
5
If you’ve been waiting for some newer,
thinner RailScales, the wait is over.
Not only have they been redesigned,
they are available now in some new
textures (well, two new, one updated).
They’re 33-percent thinner than before,
new “Dragon” and “Tenderizer” and
made over “Honeycomb” textures alike.
Says RS, “We designed them as thin
as we could back in 2014; now we’ve
completely redesigned the KeyMod nut
to accommodate our new panels at
the incredibly thin size of 0.125 inch.”
At 0.188 inch those earlier incarna-
tions are still plenty slim. There are
also new length offerings. Previously
RailScales were three- or five-hole
for KeyMod. Now there are four- and
six-hole lengths, which will give some
additional options for those using a
handstop (or you corn-fed guys with big
ole’ dickskinners). They’ll be offered in
packs of two or three. Look for a more
inexpensive, five-hole polymer option
that will come in more colors than the
original G10 Rail Scales.
MAKE:
RailScales
MODEL:
Dragon, Tenderizer, and Updated
Honeycomb
COLORS:
Various
MSRP:
$75/3
URL:
www.getrailscales.com
SOCIAL:
@railscales
5
 6
We’ve previously covered the
process of making an 80-percent
AR-15 lower from aluminum, but
these guys have taken to heart the
advice given to Dustin Hoffman’s
character in The Graduate. Using
the AR-15 mold kit, a home-
based builder can cast their own
zero percent polymer lower from
scratch. We’re letting friends
and family pour a bunch of these
for free, in whatever colors they
choose, just to prove to politicians
that you can’t stop the signal. The
mold with enough resin to cast 10
receivers will set you back $444.
MAKE:
AR15Mold.com
MODEL:
AR-15 Mold Kit
COLORS:
Whatever your heart desires
MSRP:
$444
2 3
7
The Pyro was intended from the git-go
to look as if Darth Vader designed
it — that’s how Dead Air describes it
in its own words. It’s a brake/diffuser
that connects to other Dead Air muzzle
devices. It’s built to direct flash and
blast forward, utilizes the company’s
Sandman-series mounting system and
is built of the same material. Featuring
a replaceable front cap compatible
with (and functioning as a de facto
spare parts package for) its Sandman
cans, it attaches directly to Dead Air
suppressor mounts and flash hiders.
It’s adaptable from 5.56mm to 7.62mm
and is just under 3 inches long.
MAKE:
Dead Air Armament
MODEL:
Pyro Compensator
MSRP:
$229
URL:
www.deadair.com
8
We’re not sure exactly what the right
term is for someone who obsesses
about good timepieces. Chronophile?
Epomaniac? No, that’s us … well,
whatever the word is, we know one
thing; they’re going to love the Venator
Watch with a fierce and terrible love.
Designed, prototyped, and built here in
the USA, Venator Watches are built to
provide “Maximum RAR:” Reliability,
Accuracy and Readability. They’re not
actually on sale just yet, as there are
just 26 in existence. That will change
as soon as their Kickstarter concludes
though. There will initially be nine
dark
different variants; three faces (dark
green, navy blue, and black) andd three
finishes (stainless, PVD, and titaanium).
They’re built to withstand the woorst
sort of beating, using AR-coatedd sap-p
phire crystal, Torx lug bars insteead off
spring bars, and a 316L stainlesss steel
or titanium grade 5 for the case and
a double sealed screw-down croown.
9
The Elite 1 Mile CONEX from Bushnell does something we
at RECOIL love; it makes things simpler. This range finder
talks to the new line of Kestrel 5 series weather meters
equipped with Bluetooth Smart, aka “LINK.” Once the
target is lased, the range finder combines the distance
with the weather and Applied Ballistics firing solution
data from the Kestrel and displays the correction right
in the range finder in a matter of milliseconds. Getting
all your shooting data in one place speeds things up and
reduces the chance for a fat-finger error in your elevation
and windage. While we’re excited about the range finder’s
interoperability, it’s also worth noting that it’s an incred-
ibly accurate and durable range finder that can measure a
reflective target at more than 1,700 yards.
MAKE:
B h ll
Bushnell
MODEL:
Elite 1 Mile CONX
MSRP:
$685
URL::
www.bushnell.com

URL: SOCIAL:
www.ar15mold.com @deadairsilencers They’re water-resistant to 200 m meters
IS SUE

SOCIAL: — and what’s not to like about the

@gunmolds reticle face of the Reticle model??

30 MAKE:
Venator Watch 8
MODEL:
REC O ILW E B .C O M

Reticle
COLORS:
PVD Black, Stainless, Titanium
MSRP:
$700-$950
6 URL:
venatorwatch.wix.com/venator
SOCIAL:
@venatorwatches

7
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 10
There are a billion camera bags on the
market; many of them are good at protect-
ing camera gear, some are good at hauling
camera gear, and a few can do both while
holding up to some abuse. Rare is the bag
that’s protective, adaptable, comfortable,
and durable while scoring major points for
lust-worthiness. The Delta Block II in Multi-
Cam Black comes from the deepest pit of
badassery to wrap your gear in a veil of
awesome we’ve yet to see equaled. If you’re
running a decent DSLR setup, the Block
II has room for a fullsize camera, three to
four lenses, batteries, memory cards, and
some lighting gear with room left inside
for a set of COMTACs and eyepro. The bag
opens like a trunk from the rear, so it’s fast
to get into and the shoulder straps don’t
wallow in the mud. A padded sleeve holds
a 15-inch laptop that’s accessible from
the outside, and there’s smaller pockets for
incidental items, PALS webbing, a remov-
able tripod bucket and straps, a Velcro
field for ID or moral patches, and bomber
2 3
carry handles. As a nod to Bravo Company
IS SUE
Worldwide’s roots, there are straps on the
side that’ll hold a skateboard, though they
are great for carrying other kinds of gear.
32
MAKE:
Bravo Company Worldwide
REC O ILW E B .C O M
MODEL:
Delta Block II Camera Bag
COLORS:
MultiCam Black
MSRP:
$300
URL:
www.bravocoworldwide.com
SOCIAL:
@bravocoworldwide
10
11 12
Whether you’re into guns, Star
Wars, or overly scoped laser
guns, Ten Pound Monkey has
you covered. Its homage to the
original space gangster will
improve the feng shui of any
cantina, bathroom, man cave,
home theater, or child’s room.
Heed the lesson from a galaxy
far, far away and do what Han
would do. The limited edition
poster is available in two
versions to match any decor.
We’re not sure how well it’ll
go over on the planet Rodia,
where people are still raw from
the whole “Hans up, don’t
shoot” incident.
MAKE:
Ten Pound Monkey
MODEL:
Shoot First Artwork
SIZES:
18x24 inches
COLORS:
White; Green
MSRP:
$20 est.
URL:
www.shootfirstlaughlast.com
SOCIAL:
@tenpoundmonkey
11
Magpul Industries doesn’t do half-ass. Its new
softgoods line leads off with the release of the Tejas
Gun Belt, and the time invested in the details shows.
The belt looks as good, or better, than anything you’d
buy on Rodeo Drive. But, it’s as stiff as anything
being filmed in the San Fernando Valley. Its rigidity
comes from its combination of top-grade bull leather
layered over a polymer core. Stiff enough to hold the
heaviest pistols, it’s flexible enough that it won’t tear
into you or your clothing. Special touches include
tool-free hardware that allows easy swapping of the
chrome-plated buckle for other buckle hardware, and
eight ¾-inch spaced adjustment holes for wide, but
precise, adjustment range. The belt comes in even
sizes from 32 to 44 inches and in three colors. We’ve
been wearing one for several weeks and can attest to
its stiffness, comfort, and versatility.
MAKE:
Magpul
MODEL:
Tejas Gun Belt
SIZES:
Sizes: 32 to 44 inches
COLORS:
Black, Light Brown, Chocolate
MSRP:
$85
URL:
www.magpul.com
SOCIAL:
@magpul
12
13
CZ found the sweet spot between fun factor
and price — and its Scorpion EVO pistol
is NSRing the hell out of it. There’s nothing
wrong with the Scorpion in pistol form, but
it’s impossible to ignore the attraction of a
shoulder stock. Giving into that Form 1 gravity
with Side Project’s LINK Adapter and the
included Magpul Zhukov stock will feel great.
The LINK is machined from billet aluminum
with a mil-spec, hard-coat, anodized finish.
It replaces the forward portion of the Zhukov
hinge mechanism, minimizing both weight
and length of pull. It’s installed without tools
in seconds, and since it’s made in the USA,
it constitutes a 922(r) compliant part. Be on
the lookout for more 922(r) parts from Side
Project & CZ USA in the near future.
MAKE:
Side Project
MODEL:
LINK for CZ Scorpion EVO & Magpul Zhukov
COLORS:
Black
MSRP:
$180 w/stock
URL:
www.sideprojectllc.com
13
Conceal in Comfort.
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 Preventing scraped knuckles
and burns has always been the

province of Mechanix Wear. Its
first pair of gloves were prototypes
made to protect the hands of
NASCAR pit crews in the early
’90s. The pit mechanics’ battle
is against a clock, not an armed
enemy, but their fight involves
grabbing and manipulating angry
bits of metal while chaos cranks
all around them. Sound familiar?
Mechanix Wear’s brand-new-
for-2016 Tactical Specialty line
is purpose built to suit the needs
of warriors and law enforcement
officers. Common features include
hella strong pull-on loops, high-
dexterity 0.6mm leather palms,
no drip or melt flame resistance,
touchscreen compatibility, and
2 3
1 2 3 4
The T/S Azimuth is the Mechanix Wear answer The T/S Breacher is the bruiser of The T/S Recon is the The T/S Tempest offers
to the ground guy’s love of the NSN flight glove. the bunch. Molded thermal plastic lightest glove in the excellent scratch and scuff
Assaulters love the simple Nomex flight glove rubber on the knuckles and fingers class, forgoing Nomex protection along with the
for the supple palm and its light touch, and the offer serious protection from im- for a stretchier mate- flame-resistant benefits of
Azimuth keeps those qualities. Adding a swath of pact. There’s Nomex on the back of rial that fits tighter. Nomex and flame-resistant
5mm foam padding across the base of the knuck- the hand for flame resistance, FR It offers the feel of a goatskin leather. The glove
le, a fire-resistant goatskin palm with suede at goatskin leather in the palm, and second skin while pro- features 3D patterning
the heel for added grip, and touchscreen-friendly the trigger finger has a seam that viding the protection of that translates into a palm
fingers make this glove that much more lovable keeps it from fraying if you want to something like fourth that won’t bunch up on a
than the basic, long-gantlet standby. cut the tip of the finger off. and fifth skins. rifle grip.
MAKE: MAKE: MAKE: MAKE:
Mechanix Wear Mechanix Wear Mechanix Wear Mechanix Wear
MODEL: MODEL: MODEL: MODEL:
T/S Azimuth T/S Breacher T/S Recon T/S Tempest
MSRP: MSRP: MSRP: MSRP:
$80 $85 $43 $70
URL: URL: URL: URL:
www.mechanix.com www.mechanix.com www.mechanix.com www.mechanix.com

baked-in articulation for better fit

SOCIAL: SOCIAL: SOCIAL: SOCIAL:
IS SUE

and a bunch-free grip. @mechanix_wear @mechanix_wear @mechanix_wear @mechanix_wear

34 1 2 3 4
REC O ILW E B .C O M
 A L L NE W. A L L LW R C I . ™

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You know the commitment to craftsmanship and design excellence that comes with every LWRCI rifle. And the new Di is no exception.
Built from the ground up to be more than just another Direct Impingement rifle, the new Di delivers the quality the discerning
shooter demands, and innovation you expect from LWRCI. All with an operating system that’s
been around the world and back. Di Elevated. Improved. Enhanced.

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 THE ATHENS
WAR MUSEUM
STORY AND PHOTOS
BY BILL MANIOTES
2 3
IS SUE

36
REC O ILW E B .C O M

Greece is a beautiful country with Amazon Battle Frieze. the Royal Guard every 30 minutes. The tion of Greek war history. The building
4th Century B.C.
amazing culture. Most have seen War Museum is only a short walk past is a massive landmark surrounded
pictures of the islands, beaches, or the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and by lush trees and has an exceptional
possibly experienced the hospitality and the National Botanical Gardens. wealth of material to excite history and
food first hand. The capital, Athens, The War Museum of Athens, Greece, firearms enthusiasts alike. It should
is a modern city that never stops. It’s was inaugurated in 1975. Its aim and be noted that the museum is operated
one of the world’s oldest cities with Athens War Museum mission is the study and documenta- and managed by the Greek military.
main entrance.
its recorded age being close to 3,400
years old.
Athens has several museums of
remarkable quality and content. It’s
the perfect playground for the student
of history. When sightseeing in Athens
you’ll be visiting some of the oldest
historical findings that define the hu-
man race.
The War Museum is located near
Syntagma Square and the Greek
Parliament. The Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier is located in front of the Parlia-
ment and is guarded by the Royal
Guard. There’s an elaborate change of
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designed as an alternative to the military's M24E program, with a similar mission profile that
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Titanuim to quickly adjust the ergonomics for the individual shooter without having to use
tools further personalizes this high-end bolt-action rifle. Available in short and long action.
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 GREECE IS THE WORD

There are three floors of indoor 1. Neolithic tools.

displays and two outdoor exhibits, as 1
2. Corinthian helmets.
well as a library and amphitheater for 6th and 7th Century
lectures within. Depending on your B.C.
museum “speed” it can take a couple
3. Macedonian
hours to see everything. Start at the phalanx. Introduced
top floor and work your way down and by King Philip II and
perfected by his son,
then explore the outdoor displays. All Alexander the Great.
artifacts are labeled in English.
The permanent indoor exhibition
area of the museum includes:

Stone Age and Early Bronze Age with

Room 1
emphasis on the Mycenaean era
Room 2 Prehistory of Greece
Room 3 Byzantine Period
Room 4 Frankish Rule
Rooms 5 & 6 Greek War of Independence
2
Room 7 New Greek State
Room 8 1912-1913 Balkan Wars
Room 9 Balkan Wars and the First World War 3
Greco-Italian War of 1941 and the
Room 10
2 3

German Invasion
IS SUE

As the tour of the museum begins, the

quality of the reproductions and repli-
38 cas becomes apparent. The Neolithic
4. Greek/Turk CQC
painting by Robert
period tools were made with labor- Woodville.
REC O ILW E B .C O M

intensive precision. Each historical

period has its corresponding displays 5. European Middle
Ages in Greece. 5th to
of armor and uniforms. The Medieval
15th Century A.D.
period display has some impeccably
made armor and weaponry replicas.
Aside from gifts and donations, the 4 5
museum also houses private collec-
tions of arms, uniforms, and art.
There are paintings and sculptures
that add a visual dimension to histori-
cal and violent times. Notable is the
Greek/Turk CQC painting by Robert
Woodville. It conveys the intrica-
cies of the up-close and in-your-face
combat. Another exceptional piece is
The Amazon Battle Frieze that dates
back to 377 to 353 B.C., depicting
Amazon women fighting against Greek
men. The diagonal positioning of the
participants together with the moving
garments shows the intensity of battle.
The war museum is home to some
special firearms. There are a number
 GREECE IS THE WORD

The west side of the war museum

focuses on the history of the Hel-
lenic air force and a fullsize biplane
is suspended over the marble steps of
the entrance! There are half a dozen
airplanes on display. Metal ramps al-
low the visitor to get very close to the
planes. It’s an impressive outdoor dis-
play of Greek air force aviation history.
Here’s a great way to end this mu-
seum visit and a bit of a local secret:
The aviation area shares a fence with
the Byzantine Museum next door. This
museum has a great café with very
nice indoor or outdoor seating. Athens
has very mild weather, and you can sit
outside for most of the year. Access
to the café through the courtyard
1
1. In 1988, these HK
pistols were gifted
to the Greek Prime
2 3

Minister Andreas
IS SUE

Papandreou from
the Greek ministry
of defense. They
commemorate the
40 beginning of HK
Greek manufacture
REC O ILW E B .C O M

under license.
2
2. Steyer MP34
Submachine gun.
Used by the police 4
of small arms that served as gifts
and the Royal
Hellenic Gendarmery between dignitaries. One of the
from 1937 to 1941. highlights is the pair of commemora-
Gifted by Italian
General Inafante tive Heckler & Koch pistols made
to Greek Colonel in Greece. They commemorate the
Papathanasiou. beginning of HK Greek manufacture
under license. In 1988, these pistols 3
3. Yugoslavian were gifted to the Greek Prime Min-
Zastava CZ99 in
9mm. Donated by ister Andreas Papandreou from the
Slobodan Milosevic, Greek Ministry of Defense (notice the
then president of the tastefully blinged-out HK P7!).
former Yugoslavia.
Outside, the south side of the build-
ing is lined with artillery pieces that
4. Bulgarian Makarov
Pistol gifted to have served the country of Greece.
General Scarvelis These items are not roped off, so you
from the Bulgarian can get close. Along with the light
Army.
marble floor, the trees together with a
blue sky offer a beautiful setting for
5. German Luftwaffe
CQC insignia and pictures as you work your way to the
tools. west side of the museum.
5
 GREECE IS THE WORD

doesn’t require purchasing a ticket for

the Byzantine Museum. Walk through
and have an iced coffee, beer, or a
light meal.
The war museum can also serve as
a starting point to other activities and
excursions. The best-known destina-
tions are the exceptional Acropolis mu-
seum and the Monastiraki area known
for its flea market and military surplus
stores. The metro and yellow taxis
can take you to the above locations in
minutes for pocket change.
Whether your interest in Greek 1
history starts with the movie 300
or stems from a life-long love of the
2
classics, most would agree that this
is a remarkable museum. Currently,
Greece is in the news with its financial
troubles and its position within the
Eurozone. Best way to help is to plan a
2 3

vacation to Greece.
IS SUE

WAR MUSEUM OF ATHENS

ADDRESS:
42 Vassilissis Sophias Ave. and Rizari St. 2,
10675 Athens, Greece
REC O ILW E B .C O M

Use the blue metro line stop called

“Evangelismos.” This stop is a two-minute walk
(180 meters) from the War Museum
TELEPHONE:
+30 210 7290543-4, 7215035, 7244464 3
HOURS:
Summer: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Mondays
Winter: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed on Mondays
Sundays: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
National holidays: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day,
Easter Weekend, and May 1
ADMISSION:
3 Euros, free admission for kids under 10
URL:
www.warmuseum.gr

1. WWII German
weapons and
uniforms.

2. Artillery display

3. Planes display
A MARINE INFANTRYMAN’S TAKE
ON THE IDEAL TRUCK
STORY BY JOHN SCHWARTZE
PHOTOS BY JOSEPH DOWLING 1 2
One of the fun things about covering
vehicles like this is hearing stories of
how our Transport articles also inspire
readers to start their own build. In this
case, Chris Pate of San Antonio, Texas,
befriended an individual whose Tundra
had appeared in our Issue 12 of
RECOIL, and it got him thinking about
what his dream vehicle would be.
Having served 10 years in the Marine
Corps, much of which was as an infan-
try squad leader in Iraq and Afghani-
stan, and participated in MMA, Chris
wasn’t about to spend his deployment
pay on some latte-sipping hybrid.
He wanted to create the biggest, bad-
dest Tacoma out there. Why a Tacoma?
He’d previously owned one and knew
that it could not only take a beating, but
could hold its own next to Tundras and
Jeeps. So he got to calling dealerships
until he found one two hours away that
had the platform he wanted — double
cab, TRD package, four-wheel drive,
and it had to come in black.
Now that the he had the base, next
came getting endorsements from
companies that made the products he
believed in. The goal? To take his truck
all way to SEMA, one of the world’s
biggest automobile aftermarket con-
ventions. And after coordinating with
sponsors while he was deployed, in
2015 he got a chance to do just that.
They knew he was serious, and backed
his play. So let’s see all the cool gear
that made its way into the mix.
The V-6 motor was upgraded with a
Volant cold air intake and ram scoop,
along with straight pipe exhaust. The
four-wheel-drive system was re-geared

2011 TOYOTA
TACOMA
TRD SPORT 4X4
4L V-6

IS SUE
AUTOMATIC

2 3
45

REC O ILW E B .C O M
1 LIGHT
MAKE:
Golight
MODEL:
Stryker HID
URL:
www.golight.com

2 LIGHT
MAKE:
Pro Comp
MODEL:
Pro Comp 7-inch HID
URL:
www.procompusa.com

3 LIGHTBAR
MAKE:
Zero Dark Lighting
MODEL:
20-inch LED lightbar
URL:
www.zerodarklighting.com

4 LIGHT
MAKE:
Zero Dark Lighting
MODEL:
3D Rocket Pod
3 URL:
www.zerodarklighting.com
4
 WAR-X-FOUR

1 2 3 4 5 6
2 3

1 ROCK SLIDERS 6 TENT

IS SUE

MAKE: MAKE: 7 8 9 10
All Pro Offroad Cascadia Vehicle Roof Top Tents
MODEL: MODEL:
46 Extreme-Duty APEX Series Rock Sliders CVT Mt. Shasta
URL: URL:
REC O ILW E B .C O M

www.allprooffroad.com www.cascadiatents.com

2 KRYPTEK RAID WRAP 7 TIRES

MATERIALS/PATTERN: MAKE:
www.usnightvision.com General Tire
INSTALLATION: MODEL:
www.sideafects.com 35-inch Grabber MT
URL:
www.generaltire.com 11
3 FENDERS 8 WHEELS
MAKE: MAKE:
11 RIFLE for the larger Center Line wheels and 35-inch
Glassworks Unlimited Center Line DWS AR-15 Alpha Shooting Sports General Tires by Nitro Gear & Axle. Those huge
MODEL: MODEL: stainless steal fluted heavy 16-inch
4-inch front, 4.5-inch rear 20-inch RT-2 barrel and lower parts kit, DWS meats are brought to a stop with the help of R1
URL: URL: titanium nitride/ZrN-coated BCG Concepts E-Line series rotors. A 6-inch Fabtech
www.glassworksunlimited.com www.centerlinewheels.com with Strike Industires MegaFins-XL high-performance lift with Dirt Logic shocks,
M-LOK handguard, Strike Industries
4 ROCKET LAUNCHER 9 REAR BUMPER Icon Vehicle Dynamics Uniball upper control
M-LOK Covers V2, Strike Industries
MAKE: MAKE:
Hex Selector Switches with 60/90 arms, and powdercoated coilovers round out the
Saab Bofors Dynamics All Pro Offroad
MODEL: MODEL:
Combo Shaft 3-in-1, BCM grip, suspension accouterments.
AT4 High clearance rear bumper Magpul pro sights, Hexmag maga- Bodywork consists of a 2014 front end,
URL: zine, Mission First minimalist stock,
Strike Industries Triple Crown-Comp custom mesh grille, All Pro Offroad rock sliders,
www.allprooffroad.com
with Ferfrans concussion reduction single hoop Apex front bumper with a Warn
5 ROOF RACK 10 TIRE MOUNT device winch, and All Pro Offroad metal rear bumper.
MAKE: MAKE: URL:
Smittybilt Wilco Offroad www.facebook.com/ Lights abound with ProComp 7-inch HID lights
MODEL: MODEL: TomorrowsAdvancedGunfighters (two spot and two flood) lights. Police Strobes
Defender Tiregate Vertical Mount
and LED lights in the grille, two Golight HID
URL: URL:
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 PROVEN
PROTECTION FOR ANY SITUATION

ENGINEERED, TESTED
4X4 VEHICLE EQUIPMENT
KEY FACTS:
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 WAR-X-FOUR

joystick, and various other LEDs reside

in the hoodscoop and license plate.
IPCW Bermuda black LED taillights,
and custom headlights with HIDs, red
and white halos, and red LEDs round
out the package. Glassworks front and
2 3

rear flared fenders allow space for

IS SUE

some dips and jumps when this thing

1 2 hits the dirt. A full Kryptek Typhon
wrap adds a bit of camo effect to the
48
5 PISTOLS overall aesthetic.
3 4 (Top) Glock 17 Gen 4 with DWS EXO All Pro Offroad storage sits in the
REC O ILW E B .C O M

slide packages and RMR slidecut bed for some of Chris’ Dynamic Weap-
package with Trijicon Suppressor
ons Solutions firearms. A Defender
Night Sights. Trijicon RMR with
custom stippling, frame reduction roof rack, CVT Mt. Shasta three-person
and undercuts. Cerakoted graphite tent, and WaterPORT portable water
black with DWS trigger job, threaded
and fluted S3fsolutions black nitride supply help keep supplies stacked up
barrel with S3f ext base pad. and off-road trips a bit more practical
(Middle) DWS Glock 17 Gen 3 with when not in the comforts of custom
MRK II Destroyer slide pack- leather seats. Two Optima batteries
age hand-polished and coated
help keep juice flowing to the Uniden
titanium nitride. Slide also has
RMR cut and plate cover package. Bearcat CB Radio, Pioneer head unit,
ALG Defense 6-Second Mount and and custom stereo that are situated
Aimpoint T2 optic. Also a S3fsolu-
tions black nitride fluted barrel. in a carbon-fiber dash with a custom
Custom stippling and frame console. Oh, a police siren and a Horn-
reduction with undercuts. Blaster’s Conductors Special train horn
(Bottom) DWS M&P 9mm with kit will ensure a path is cleared, even
enhanced EDC slide package with
for the hearing impaired who will prob-
black multicam cerakote. Match
grade Storm Lake threaded barrel. ably feel the sound on their teeth.
Trijicon HD Night Sights and Although Chris plans on selling this
1 FRONT BUMPER 2 WINCH 3 SEATS 4 MACHETE Salient Arms trigger with Apex
beauty, he’s already eyeballing a new
MAKE: MAKE: MAKE: MAKE: duty carry kit. Inforce APL light
All Pro Offroad Warn Roadwire Gerber Gear with 10-8 Performance magwell. project. Thanks for your service to
MODEL: MODEL: MODEL: MODEL: DWS ext base plate. our country. We’re glad you can enjoy
Apex ZEON 8 Leather Gator URL:
URL: URL: URL: URL: www.facebook.com/ the fruits of your labor in one badass
www.allprooffroad.com www.warn.com www.roadwire.com www.gerbergear.com TomorrowsAdvancedGunfighters truck.
 UNUSUAL SUSPECTS FIGHTING KNIVES
STORY AND PHOTOS BY PATRICK VUONG

As humankind’s first tool, the knife has had
millennia to sharpen — we love puns! — into
one of the most versatile implements available.
Hunters use skinners for preparing game. Bush-
crafters utilize fixed blades like they’re multi-
tools. And suburbanites might flick open a folder
for light-duty tasks like opening their Amazon
Prime packages. All legitimate uses for a knife.
But let’s not forget the original reason our
ancestors smashed two rocks together: to cre-
ate an edged weapon.
Whether it was to kill prey or to defend when SHTF, expecting a butter knife to perform
against predators, humans first made knives as as a fighting blade would be a bit like trying to
weapons. So, in this edition of Unusual Sus- get a wheel gun to shoot like an AR-10.
pects, we take a closer look at models designed
specifically for self-preservation. Of course, in
capable hands, any tool resembling a pointy
tip and an edge could be used for combat.
c bat
comb
But we’re specifically highlighting kknives
i f
for
first responders, bearded face-shoo
oo
oters, and
preparation-minded individuals who
hoo might
ig
find themselves in harm’s way. Bec
eccause

MAKE: MAKE: MAKE:

1 Triangle Krav Maga 4 Gray’s Custom 7 Cold Steel
MODEL: MODEL: MODEL:
Benthic Knife Oni Leatherneck-SF
OAL: OAL: OAL:
6.9 inches 8.75 inches 11.75 inches
BLADE LENGTH: BLADE LENGTH: BLADE LENGTH
H:
2.4 inches 3.75 inches 6.75 inches
BLADE MATERIAL: BLADE MATERIAL: BLADE MATERIAL:
IAL
L::
304 stainless steel S35VN stainless steel D2 tool steel
2 3

WEIGHT: WEIGHT: WEIGHT:

IS SUE

2.24 ounces 5.6 ounces 11.7 ounces

MSRP: MSRP: MSRP:
$70 $275 $130
URL: URL: URL:
050 store.trianglekravmaga.com www.grayscustom.com www.coldsteel.com
om
REC O ILW E B .C O M

MAKE: MAKE:
2 BlackHeart Knife 5 Extrema Ratio
& Tool USA MODEL:
MODEL: Pugio Desert Warfare
Pike OAL:
OAL: 8.9 inches
8 inches BLADE LENGTH:
BLADE LENGTH: 4.33 inches
3.6 inches BLADE MATERIAL:
BLADE MATERIAL: N690 stainless steel
3V tool steel WEIGHT:
WEIGHT: 6.7 ounces
8.25 ounces MSRP:
MSRP: Approx. $260 (depending
$400 on exchange rate)
URL: URL:
www.blackheartknives.com www.extremaratio.com

MAKE: MAKE:
3 Benchmade Knife Co. 6 Hardcore Hardware
MODEL: Australia
808 MODEL:
OAL: Razorback CQC-01
8.62 inches OAL:
BLADE LENGTH: 9.25 inches
3.68 inches BLADE LENGTH:
BLADE MATERIAL: 4.52 inches
S30V stainless steel BLADE MATERIAL:
WEIGHT: D2 tool steel
6.56 ounces WEIGHT:
MSRP: 12.98 ounces
$240 MSRP:
URL: $259
www.benchmade.com URL:
www.sharpernow.com

FLIP THE PAGE FOR MORE DETAILS ON EACH KNIFE.

 INTERROGATING THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS
TRIANGLE KRAV
MAGA
BENTHIC KNIFE
411:
Inspired by the Japa-
nese kunai dagger, the
Benthic Knife has two
prominent features: a
ring and a forked blade.
The ring is for retention
and striking, while the
dual-pronged blade
is meant to inflict two
2 3
wounds with every stab.
IS SUE
The U.S.-made knife
comes in two colors:
black arrow or Cthulhu.
052 A $40 training blade is
sold separately.
REC O ILW E B .C O M
PROS:
It’s incredibly difficult
to disarm a knife with a
ring on its handle.
Features Cerakote for
added wear and corro-
sion resistance.
Most affordable option
of this bunch.
Effective at puncturing.
CONS:
Edges are intention-
ally dull, which means
no slicing ability.
Overly aggressive
jimping can cause “hot
spots” on your hand.
Included Kydex sheath
is great, but its belt
attachment works as
well as a paper clip.
BLACKHEART BENCHMADE GRAY’S CUSTOM EXTREMA RATIO HARDCORE HARD- COLD STEEL
WARE AUSTRALIA
PIKE 808 ONI PUGIO DESERT RAZORBACK LEATHERNECK-
WARFARE CQC-01 SF
411: 411: 411: 411: 411: 411:
The Pike is a badass While fixed blades Gray’s Custom makes Extrema Ratio has been Some might look at this Get your Rambo on! OK,
self-defense knife are best for com- some of the most manufacturing knives blade from the land so this isn’t a replica of
that, thanks to the bat — fewer moving precise, elegant, and in Italy for almost two Down Under and say, the survival knife used
included Kydex sheath parts, faster to draw deadly tools in the decades. Its Pugio was “Hey, they ground the by everyone’s favorite
with Tek-Lok, can also — they’re not always custom-knife world. designed as a back-up wrong side of the blade!” ’80s Italian-American
be an everyday-carry practical (or legal) in Gray’s Oni might seem weapon for troops and The Razorback is meant action icon. A tribute of
tool. It features a true all regions. Enter the like a glorified kitchen first-responders, but to be held in a reverse sorts to U.S. Marines,
0-degree convex edge folding knife. The 808, knife to the uniniti- could serve anyone grip to facilitate some of the Leatherneck-SF is a
(no secondary bevel) also called the Loco, is ated, but we see it for admirably as a self- the thrusts, traps, and military-inspired knife
and BlackHeart’s signa- a beefy tactical folder what it is: high-quality defense blade. A black slashes found in Filipino that’s ready to go to war.
ture 3D machined G-10 designed to take a components crafted by version is available for martial arts. For another The biggest beast of
scales. Made in the beating and dish one sophisticated design about $15 less ($245, $80 ($339 total), you this bunch comes with a
USA and available with out. Made in America. work. Made in small depending on exchange can get a blue training Secure-Ex sheath.
a black, burnt bronze, Blade available in satin batches in the USA, so rate; doesn’t include blade that replicates the
or gunmetal gray or black with a plain or be prepared to wait if import duties). weight and feel of the
Cerakote. semi-serrated edge. it’s sold out. live-blade version.
PROS: PROS: PROS: PROS: PROS: PROS:
Modified Wharncliffe S30V is a top-notch Super pointy tip leads Though not a top-level The weight, design, The clip-point blade
blade provides plenty of stainless steel that’s to a razor-sharp edge. grade, the tough N690 and sharpness of (made of D2 tool steel
belly for cutting and a sharp, tough, and long- Prominent finger blade steel sharpens the blade can deliver with a diamond-like
sturdy tip for stabbing. lasting. guard protects your easily, retains an edge devastating stabs and coating) is so sharp and
Ergonomic handle Benchmade’s Axis hand from slipping onto well, and has strong cuts. tough, it could prob-
feels fantastic, regard- opening mechanism the blade. stain resistance. Textured G-10 scales ably be used to dissect
less of grip (Filipino, is ambidextrous and Full tang extends The spear-point blade offer a secure, comfort- Decepticons.
sabre, reverse, etc.). reliable. past the handle scales, comes sharp and pointy able grip. Features a thick steel
Premium 3V tool steel G-10 scales feel great doubling as a pommel out of the box. High-quality construc- end-cap that can be
can take a beating and in hand and accom- and a glass-breaker. Included sheath has tion and craftsmanship. used for striking or ham-
stay laser sharp while modate various grip Comes with a good multiple carry options. Kydex sheath with mering.
the Cerakote adds even styles. Kydex sheath. Tek-Lok is outstanding. The textured Kray-Ex
more protection. handle offers a strong grip.
CONS: CONS: CONS: CONS: CONS: CONS:
It costs as much as Due to its size and While those with big Cuttlebone-shaped Weighing almost a Almost a foot long, it’s
an Apple Watch — but slightly curved handle, paws might find it a handle feels awkward pound, it should go on a not exactly going to blend
in the Pike’s case you’re the 808 takes up a lot perfect fit, our average- unless held with a low-carb diet. in with your grayman look.
paying for quality of pocket real estate. sized hands felt the sabre or reverse grip. Single-sided reverse The sheath’s belt at-
craftsmanship and not A manual-opening 3D milled scales were The knife rattles talon blade severely tachment (made of web-
hype. folder will always be just a tad too thick and inside its sheath. limits its versatility bing) is floppy and shifts
slower to deploy than a rectangular. and requires knowledge too much, preventing a
fixed blade. of specific techniques quick drawstroke. You’ll
to be used safely and need to grab the sheath
effectively. with your off-hand to pull
the knife out quickly.
 BUILT ONE AT A TIME,
™
PROVEN EVERY ROUND
Government Model®
MSRP $799

Defender™
MSRP $899

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AMERICAN
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EACH COMMERCIAL FIREARM SALE TO FOLDS OF HONOR.
MADE COLT.COM 800.962.COLT FACEBOOK.COM/COLTFIREARMS @COLTFIREARMS
 56
REC O ILW E B .C O M IS SUE 2 3
MICRO
DYNAMIC
RIFLE
DESERT TECH INTRODUCES AN AMERICAN BULLPUP
STORY BY IAIN HARRISON
PHOTOS BY STRAIGHT 8 AND BEN HETLAND
Bullpups have never had much of a
following in the U.S. market. Despite
their obvious advantages of a rifle-
length barrel in a PDW-sized package,
their perceived drawbacks have always
limited their mass appeal. For the
most part they’re regarded as the fire-
arms equivalent of a Ducati — a Euro
affectation that looks funny, has dodgy
ergos, and questionable reliability. Why
would you buy a Diavel when you could
have a Road King?
For decades, if you wanted to dip a
toe into the bullpup world, your options
comprised an AUG and, well, that was
it. Various bastard conglomerations
of conventional firearms were stuffed
inside aftermarket bullpup shells, but
apart from their deluded owners, no
one ever took them seriously. Recently
however, things have started to change
for the better with the Tavor and Kel-
Tec RDB entering the market. Desert
Tech has found favor with their line
of very accurate switch-barrel bullpup
bolt guns and for the past couple of
years have teased everyone at SHOT
Show with a 3-D printed, prototype
semi-auto. That prototype has just
entered production, and RECOIL got
exclusive access to it in its final form.
Following its debut at SHOT in
2014, the MDR languished for lack of
engineering expertise. In mid 2015,
things made a quantum leap forward
as Corey Newman joined Desert Tech
as VP of Engineering after a long and
fruitful stint at SIG, and it wasn’t
long before he was joined by former
colleague John Meehan. Both had
worked on the MCX program, refining
it to meet the needs of the special
operations community. Echoes of SIG’s
MCX and MPX are evident in specifics
such as the MDR’s gas system, which
employs AR-15-style McFarland rings
as gas seals, and the overall attention
to detail and quality expectations of
the program as a whole.

When the pair joined the project,
the gun’s overall look and feel had
already been established, along with
general architecture and plastics, but
there was still much to be done regard-
ing its deep mechanics. “We knew the
gun had a lot of potential, so long as
we could get it to function as well as
it felt,” Meehan said. Many sleepless
nights and long days followed, fueled
by high-test coffee and local micro-
brews, until the seventh iteration of
the prototype was almost ready for
production. Then disaster struck.
One weekend, a fire erupted in a
building across the street from their
facility. As firefighters struggled to
contain the blaze, they caused a water
main under the shop floor to burst,
flooding the plant and causing a section
of floor to collapse. Fortunately, busi-
2 3
ness owner Nick Young was passing by
IS SUE
and saw water spilling out of the doors,
so he sounded the alarm, allowing their
CNC machines to be saved, but the
58 flood resulted in several hundreds of
thousands of dollars in damage.
REC O ILW E B .C O M
There was a silver lining, however.
Forcing the plant to shut down in order
to deal with water damage meant that
MICRO DYNAMIC RIFLE
floor space could be reallocated and
processes reorganized to maximize
efficiency, by separating the bolt gun
and MDR production lines. As a result,
the company expects to be in full
production by April and able to fulfill
its expected order volume.
Enough of the backstory — let’s
look at the gun.
DETAILS, DETAILS
Desert Tech has worked on address-
ing many of the usual drawbacks of
bullpup designs. Historically, they’ve
been cursed with notoriously crappy
triggers and, due to the location of
the ejection port, are difficult to shoot
from the support-side shoulder. In the
case of the SA-80 that I carried for
eight years, if you attempted to shoot
left-handed, you’d lose precisely half
your teeth as the cocking handle came
back and smacked you in the mouth.
Internet pundits opine knowledge-
ably about the bullpup’s slow reload,
but this is either a complete nonissue
or vastly overblown, depending on
the situation. If you’re retaining the
mag, your reload time is going to be
the same as with an AR, as you’re

performing the same movements. In
the case of an emergency reload from
a plate carrier, we were able to con-
sistently get under a four-second par
time from bolt locked back to rounds
2 3
downrange — about a half second
IS SUE
slower than with an AR, but hardly
musket territory.
Desert Tech is not known for fitting
60 horrible triggers to their bolt guns.
In fact, its SRS and HTI model bolt
REC O ILW E B .C O M
guns have some of the best bang
switches in the business — which is
why it should come as no surprise
that the one in the MDR is leaps and
bounds ahead of anything on either
the Austrian or Israeli rifles in terms
of feel and reset. The stock trigger
comes in at around 6.5 pounds, which
may seem heavy at first glance, but
feels lighter than it is and was spec’d
due to military requirements. A lighter
trigger is expected to be offered as an
accessory.
The MDR has not one but two mag
release options. The first sits next to
the magwell, where it’s usually found
on competing designs. The second
is an ambidextrous button located
where your muscle memory would
lead you in the event you’ve got many
hours and repetitions on the Stoner
platform. Extend finger, push button,
mag drops. Easy.
Assisting prospective users transi-
tion from the AR was part of the
designers’ brief, and this is evident
in the location and operation of the
selector switch. In the semi-auto ver-
sion, your thumb sweeps it down about
70 degrees from safe to fire, and if
you’re lucky enough to get hands on
a full auto variant, another 70 will get
you to fun times. Two lower receiver
variants will be produced, and thanks
to the killjoys at the ATF, there’s no
way to stuff a full auto trigger pack
into a semi auto lower, even if you did
manage to find one.
Despite being a piston gun, the
MDR features a free-floated barrel.
It achieves this by means of a tappet
piston housed within its gas block,
which is out of contact with the bolt
carrier when at rest. Once the bullet is
pushed past the gas port, the piston
starts moving backwards, but never
MICRO DYNAMIC RIFLE
actually contacts the carrier until the
projectile has left the muzzle. As a
result, Desert Tech claims accuracy of
better than 1 MOA with their standard
carbine — less with the DMR version,
which is in the works. It should be
noted that due to time constraints, we
never got the opportunity to test this at
the range.
A non-reciprocating ambi charg-
ing handle is mounted forward on the
upper receiver, right where you’d want
it to be in the event of a stoppage. For
those who wish to relive their inner Die
Hard, but don’t want to spring for an
HK, the charging handle can be locked
back by means of a notch in its guide
tube, then slapped to release it. The
rifle’s handguard is quickly replaceable
and will be offered in three flavors:
carbine, compact, and suppressor-
compatible. Each one has M-LOK slots
carved in places you’d expect them.
 FNS™- 9
ONLY $599 MSRP

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COMO .

THE WORLD’S MOST BATTLE-PROVEN FIREARMS.


Unlike an AR, the MDR’s upper
receiver is the weapon’s serialized
component, and it’s formed from an
aluminum extrusion. In order to ensure
long service life, the minimalist bolt
carrier group rides on steel rails, rather
than contacting the receiver directly.
Its eight-lugged, Carpenter 158 bolt
2 3
locks up into a corresponding barrel
IS SUE
extension, which is clamped into the
receiver by means of two Allen head
fasteners. Both the bolt and exten-
62 sion feature angled locking surfaces,
which increase the contact area of the
REC O ILW E B .C O M
two components when the weapon is
in battery, thereby improving the sys-
tem’s strength. Further improvements
are made by eliminating stress risers
at the bolt lug root through the use of
radiused corners. The reason for these
strength upgrades will become appar-
ent below.
So far, so good. There are two
real groundbreaking innovations to
this rifle, however, and the first is
its ejection system. Secured to the
receiver’s flanks are two thin panels,
one of which houses a mechanical
ejector and the other an ejection
chute. Combined, they act to kick
out empty cases forward and away
from the shooter, which means that
owners of this particular bullpup no
longer need to keep their dentist on
speed dial, should they feel the urge
to shoot something around the left
side of cover. Those who were born
MICRO DYNAMIC RIFLE
wrong-handed can simply press in the
spring-loaded detents on the ejector Note: Long barrel
panels and swap them over to create
extension and tappet
piston, which should
an instant southpaw variant. contribute to accuracy
and repeatability.
The ejector chute panel performs a
vital second function. In the event of
a stoppage, the user should lock the The patented and
ambidextrous ejector
bolt to the rear and if needed, per- panel is operated by a
form a “tactical tickle” through the lug on the bolt carrier.
Cases are pushed
magwell to free up a misfed round. our perpendicular to
In the event of a type 3 malfunction, the bore axis by the
where the world has gone to hell in brass-crusted lever
(circled).
a hand basket, the user can quickly
unsnap the ejection chute panel and
poke around inside the gun’s guts
until whatever caused the problem
has been removed. There’s no need
to replace the chute as the gun will
function without it just fine — it’ll
throw empties to the 4 o’clock posi-
tion until you snap it back into place.
The second innovation concerns
caliber change. The MDR is capable
of accepting both 7.62 and 5.56
magazines by means of a magwell in-
sert, which means it could potentially
be chambered in any of the myriad of
 Rebel Arms is an
online dealer for these
quality components.

A Rebel is more than

a state of mind,
it’s a way of life.

@rebelarmscorp
#TEAMREBEL

W W W . R E B E L A R M S . C O M

Q U A L I T Y F I R E A R M S | P R E M I U M C O M P O N E N T S | A P P A R E L
 MICRO DYNAMIC RIFLE

cartridges that fall between a 0.384- Initially, the MDR will be launched only the barrel is changed. Overall
2 3

and 0.470-inch bolt face diameter. in 5.56 NATO, 300 AAC Blackout, and weights of all three variants are almost
IS SUE

There’s potential here also for some
very cool intermediate cartridge
designs that don’t have to be shoe-
64 horned into the STANAG magazine’s
overall length restrictions. You’d
REC O ILW E B .C O M
7.62 NATO variants, with a 7.62x39
version following later for godless
heathen commies. In order to change
both calibers and magazine types, the
end user must replace the barrel, bolt,
identical, coming in at just under 8
pounds as of press time, though this
may come down as lighter weight com-
ponents are developed. Which means
you can now get a 16-inch barreled

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 BEAR WITH US, ’CAUSE IT’S TIME TO GET YOUR MATH ON
The argument over whether to use
Minutes of Angle (MOA) or milliradians
(mil) is one that’s guaranteed to spark
a lively online debate among shooters.
2 3
Before you get sucked into the fray,
IS SUE
arm yourself with a healthy under-
standing of the difference between the
two systems, and how to make them
66 work for you.
Both MOA and mils are units of
REC O ILW E B .C O M
angular measurement. In shooting,
angular measurements are used to de-
scribe linear size, relative to distance
(e.g. 10 inches tall at 300 yards, or
15 centimeters left at 200 meters).
The most common uses are incremen-
tal adjustments to a bullet’s impact,
estimating the distance of a known-
x 2x
0 100 200
size target, “holding” for windage or
elevation, and measuring accuracy by
shot-group size.
The most important thing to un-
derstand about these measurements
is that they are angular! For example,
when we adjust our scopes we move
the reticle inside the scope, which
then forces us to move the barrel of
the rifle up, down, left, or right in
order to get the reticle back on to the
target. This difference between where
the rifle’s barrel was pointed prior to
an adjustment in windage or elevation
and where the barrel is pointed after
the adjustment can be measured as
a change in angle. A certain angular
adjustment translates into smaller
Figure 1
300 400 500 600
STORY BY RYAN CLECKNER
changes in the bullet’s impact at
closer distances and larger changes at
further distances.
To help you understand how an angu-
lar measurement translates into differ-
ent sizes at different distances, imagine
holding two laser pointers next to each
other and pointing them down range. If
you spread the two laser pointers apart
at a certain angle, the lasers would
gradually get further and further apart
from each other as they went down
range. For any given angle, however, the
rate at which the dots spread apart is
consistent — the dots will be twice as
far apart at 200 yards and 10 times as
far apart at 1,000 yards as they were at
100 yards. See Figure 1.
10x
700 800 900 1000

Figure 2
2 3
IS SUE
68 MINUTE OF ANGLE (MOA)
In the term Minute of Angle, the
REC O ILW E B .C O M
word minute means 1/60th (for
example, 1 minute of time is 1/60th
of one hour) and the word angle refers
to one of the 360 degrees in a circle.
So, 1 Minute of Angle is 1/60th of a
degree. (See Figure 2.)
If we spread the two laser pointers
from the example above apart 1 MOA
(1/60th of a degree), then the two la-
sers’ dots would be about 1 inch apart
at 100 yards, about 2 inches apart
at 200 yards, about 3 inches apart
at the 300 yards and so on. Simply
stated, this means that 1 Minute of
Angle is about 1 inch per 100 yards. I
say “about” 1 inch because 1 MOA is
actually 1.047 inches per 100 yards,
but using 1 inch per 100 yards is
close enough for our purposes. Cue
the slapfest. Many will argue that it’s
crucial to use 1.047 inches per 100
yards, and if you don’t it’ll make the
baby Jesus cry.
1°
I don’t disagree that it’s more ac-
curate; it’s just that in the real world
I don’t notice enough of a difference
to use the more accurate number, but
hey, maybe you do. Let me qualify
that. At 1,000 yards, when I use 1
inch per 100 yards, 1 MOA equals 10
inches. When 1.047 inches per 100
yards is used, 1 MOA equals 10.47
inches. The 0.47 inch difference at
1,000 yards is barely wider than the
width of my .308 Win bullet and is so
small that you can’t even adjust for
it on a scope (the finest most scopes
adjust is ¼ MOA, which is about 2.5
inches at 1,000 yards). Therefore,
even if I needed to move my bullet’s
impact up 11 inches at 100 yards, the
closest adjustment I can make is up
1 MOA.
Where things get hinky though, is
if you try to convert drop values in
inches to MOA, if these are coming
from a source other than your own
DOPE cards. Let’s say you have a bal-
MOA VS. MIL
1° 1/60th = 1 MOA
listic app or a store-bought “ballistic
card” that say you need to come up
XX inches at a certain distance. For
example, if your information says that
you’ll need 425 inches of elevation
at 100 yards, you’d convert that into
42.5 MOA using 1 inch per 100 yards
or 40.5 MOA using 1.047 inches per
100 yards. That 0.47-inch difference
is repeated 42 times for a total differ-
ence of 19.74 inches, or 2 MOA. At
this point, those who are fixated on the
1.047 value will yell, “Aha! Gotcha.”
Whatever. It’s still almost totally
irrelevant. First, reference data from
another source is likely not to be
perfect for your system because of
different environmental effects and
differences in internal ballistics. And
second, because most shooters prefer
to gather their own data on previous
engagements and would rather not to
have to drag around a calculator in the
field, they’re going to stick to 1 inch
per 100 yards and do just fine.

Figure 3
C = 1 Radian
A
2 3
IS SUE
70 MILLIRADIAN (MIL)
Just as the meter is the metric
REC O ILW E B .C O M
equivalent of the yard for distance, the
milliradian is the metric equivalent of
the MOA for angular measurement.
In the term milliradian, the prefix
milli- means 1/1,000th and the root
radian is the metric unit of angular
measurement. So, 1 milliradian is
1/1,000th of a radian. (See Figure 3.)
A radian is an angle based on a
circle’s radius, or half of its diameter.
When the length of a section of a
circle equals the radius of that circle,
the resulting angle is a radian. In
simpler terms, if you placed a string,
which is the same length as the radius
(“A” in Figure 3), along the edge of
the circle (“B”), the angle formed
from the center of the circle to each
end of the string would be one radian
(“C”). Now, if you divided that angle
into 1,000 equal smaller angles, one
of those smaller angles would be one
milliradian.
B 1/1000 = 1 MIL
This is where the simplicity of using
milliradians comes in. If you imagine
yourself standing at the center of the
circle in Figure 3 and you spread two
laser pointers 1 milliradian apart and
shine them along the radius to the
edge of the circle (“A” distance), then
the dots will spread exactly 1/1,000th
of the length of the radius (“A” dis-
tance) apart.
I have heard many people argue
over whether 1 milliradian equals 1
meter at 1,000 meters or whether it
equals 1 yard at 1,000 yards. They
are both right! One milliradian equals
1/1,000th of any distance. It is 1 inch
at 1,000 inches and 1 mile at 1,000
miles. It does not matter what unit of
measurement you are using so long as
you keep using that unit of measure-
ment. Of course, it’s easier to use
mils with meters though, because it’s
easier to calculate 1 centimeter (cm) is
1/100th of a meter than it is to calcu-
late 0.36 inch is 1/100th of a yard.
MOA VS. MIL
USING MOA AND MILS
When learning how to use MOA or
mils, always think in whole increments
for a particular distance. What I mean
is this. Start with the target’s distance
and ask yourself how big 1 MOA or 0.1
mil is at that distance. Then, deter-
mine how many of those “chunks” you
need to adjust.
For example, with MOA, if your
target is 600 yards away, you should
first calculate that 1 MOA is about
6 inches and then ask yourself how
many 6 inch “chunks” you need to
adjust your bullet’s impact. If you need
to move 3 inches at 600 yards, that is
½ of a 6-inch “chunk” so you need to
move ½ MOA. Likewise, if you need
to move 12 inches at 600 yards, that
is two 6-inch “chunks” so you need to
move 2 MOA.
With mils, if your target is 500
meters away, you should first calculate
that 0.1 mil is 5 centimeters (or 1 mil
is 0.5 meters) and then ask yourself
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how many 5cm “chunks” you need to
adjust the bullet’s impact.
2 3
CONVERTING BETWEEN MOA
IS SUE
AND MILS
Approximately 3.5 MOA equal 1 mil.
To be accurate, there are two different
72 precise conversions, because there is
a difference between a true milliradian
REC O ILW E B .C O M
and a NATO milliradian. The number
of true milliradians in a circle is not an
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Ryan Cleckner is a former sniper
team leader in the U.S. Army’s
1st Ranger Battalion and sniper
instructor. Cleckner, who is currently
a firearms industry executive, at-
torney, and university lecturer, has a
passion for teaching and explaining
seemingly complex topics in a way
that anyone can understand. He
has appeared as a sniper expert on
History Channel’s Top Shot program,
has a series of popular online fire-
arm instructional videos, and is the
author of the Long Range Shooting
Handbook. Learn more about him at
RyanCleckner.com.
even number (it’s actually 6,283.18…)
and it is not easily divided into equal
parts. Because of this, many militaries
have rounded the number up to 6,400.
Therefore, there are 6,283 true mil-
liradians and 6,400 NATO milliradians
in a circle. One true mil equals 3.438
MOA and 1 NATO mil equals 3.375
MOA, but don’t let this take you off
into the weeds.
To convert from mils to MOA, mul-
tiply the mils by 3.5. To convert from
MOA to mils, divide the MOA by 3.5.
Mils x 3.5 = MOA
As with use of 1 inch per 100 yards
for MOA, it’s not necessary to use
the precise conversion from MOA to
mils. First off, when I am converting
between the two, precision is generally
not required. For example, when I was
first learning to read wind I’d calculate
the wind hold in MOA and then convert
to mils so that I could use the reticle in
my scope, (thanks, Big Army!) Gener-
ally, a wind call, especially while you’re
first learning, isn’t precise enough to
have the difference between 3.375
or 3.5 matter. Also, using the precise
figure for MOA and mil just doesn’t
MOA VS. MIL
make much of a difference.
For example, with my rounding of 1
inch per 100 yards for MOA and 3.5
MOA to 1 mil, I calculate that 1 mil
equals about 3.5 inches at 100 yards.
Now, if I use the precise numbers of
1.047 inches per 100 yards for MOA
and 3.375 MOA to 1 mil, I calculate
that 1 mil equals precisely 3.53 inches
at 100 yards. By rounding, I was able
to calculate approximately 3.5 inches
in my head quickly, instead of a pre-
cise 3.53 inches slowly. The difference
at 100 yards is 0.03 inches. Even at
10 times that distance, the difference
is only 0.3 inch. Leave the arcane hair-
splitting arguments for the chairborne
rangers on Internet forums to worry
about — we’ll be off shooting stuff.
WHICH IS BETTER?
My simplest advice is to use what-
ever you are most comfortable with. If
you normally think in inches and yards
and have experience with MOA then
you might want to stick with MOA. If,
however, you are comfortable with the
metric system or are starting fresh
and don’t already have MOA experi-
ence, you might want to go with mils.
Contrary to what you might hear on the
range, mils are not more precise than
MOA. In fact, mil scopes generally can
only adjust in 1/10 mil increments,
while MOA scopes often adjust in ¼
MOA increments.
Regardless of which unit of mea-
surement you choose, pick a scope
that uses the same unit for its turrets
and reticle. Newer scopes are avail-
able in mil/mil and MOA/MOA com-
binations that are much easier to use
than a scope with turret adjustments
in MOA and a reticle with marks in
mil. Something else to consider is
what unit your peers will be using.
Regardless of my personal preference,
I’d rather use whatever my shooting
buddies use so that we can speak the
same language.
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VXSSUHVVRUVPDGHLQWKH86$MXVWOLNHWKHHOLWHZDUULRUVZKRWUXVWWKHLUOLYHVWRWKHP
 2 3
IS SUE

74
REC O ILW E B .C O M

LEWIS MACHINE AND TOOL’S

COMPRESSOR SBR
SHOOTERS CAN SHAVE OUNCES AND INCHES WITH LMT’S INNOVATIVE NEW STOCK SYSTEM
STORY BY IAIN HARRISON / PHOTOS BY STRAIGHT 8
Once you get talking with the gun
geeks at LMT, you start to understand
the meaning of the acronym. We toss
around the term OCD as shorthand for
someone who has a bit more interest
in arcane details than we do, but in
this case, it’s probably not far from
its clinical definition. If the first step
is acknowledging you have a problem,
then we’re OK with saying that, yes,
we can get excited about the 1907
Roth-Steyr’s firing mechanism bearing
an uncanny resemblance to that found
in a Glock. But these guys take it to a
whole ’nother level.
Approached by a NATO mem-
ber country that wanted a compact
carbine for undercover security forces
who worked in confined spaces, they
examined the problem, then presented
a solution that used several of their ex-
isting products, as well as coming up
with a brand-new one. We got an ex-
clusive opportunity to go hands on with
one of the first pre-production units,
which coincidentally is one of the guns
appearing on this issue’s cover.
In developing the Compressor,
LMT took their proven L7SA1 upper
receiver and stuffed a 10.5-inch, .300
BLK barrel into it. The receiver itself is
a monolithic design, with no joint be-
tween the upper and handguard, mak-
ing for a very strong unit with almost
no chance of force being transmitted
to the barrel nut from the rail system.
It’s what the AR would have been if
Eugene Stoner had access to five-axis
CNC machines.
The .300 Blackout was chosen
due to its versatility and ability to be
effectively suppressed, an essential
requirement of the end user. Due to
their environment, if they’d lit off, say,
an unsuppressed short barreled 5.56,
communication between team mem-
bers would have been compromised.
Most of them would have been deaf
after the first few rounds.
In addition to several advantages,
the .300 BLK brings with it a few
problems. We’ve messed around
with enough examples over the past
half-decade to be able to look past
the hype and sycophantic fanboy-ism
and realize that while it’s a decent
compromise that enables the AR-15
to launch heavy, subsonic bullets, it’s
not a magic death ray. When setting
up an upper, it’s usually necessary
to decide whether its primary ammo
is going to be super or subsonic, as
either longevity or reliability is going to
be compromised if the wrong choice
is made. Subsonic ammo is usually
more reliable when teamed with a
pistol length gas system, but firing
supersonic ammo in the same setup
can result in an upper which is over
gassed — problems such as the bolt
IS SUE
outrunning the magazine springs can
rear their head.
2 3
Conversely, an upper using a car-
bine length gas system (which depend-
ing on barrel length is optimum for
75
supersonic ammo) can be very picky
REC O ILW E B .C O M
about supersonic fodder and may
produce stovepipes when fed ammo it
doesn’t like. Add to this mixture varia-
tions in back pressure when a sup-
pressor is mounted or removed, and
you have an engineering nightmare.

The Blackout is typically fueled by a
slow pistol powder, which by rifle stan-
dards burns much faster than usual.
Because pressure spikes closer to the
breech than with the original 5.56
round, by the time a bullet passes the
usual gas port location, it’s running out
of steam. The acid test for any .300
BLK gun is its ability to work with
subsonic loads when unsuppressed,
and supersonic loads when fitted with
a can. These combinations produce
the widest range of gas pressures and
volumes, presenting a tough hurdle for
any manufacturer to overcome.
The Internet would have you believe
that a 9-inch barrel is optimum for
this caliber, but in our experience this
is not the case. You can gain a bit
more performance with a longer tube
without producing an ungainly weapon.
LMT seems to have reached the same
conclusion, as the Compressor uses
a 10.5-inch barrel, allowing the gas
system to remain pressurized for a lon-
LEWIS MACHINE AND TOOL’S COMPRESSOR SBR
ger period of time than the industry-
standard option. Offsetting the slightly
longer barrel is LMT’s new stock and
buffer system, which chops 3 inches
off the overall length of the gun.
Despite its flaws, the AR-15 endures
as the preeminent American rifle of
the 20th and, so far, 21st centuries.
RECOIL readers are no doubt familiar
with the limitations of the multi-lug
bolt, the craps-where-it-eats gas
system, goofy charging handle, and
tits-on-a-fish forward assist. Perhaps
not as well known, but more important
from a functionality standpoint, is the
action’s short dwell time.
Go ahead and fully retract the BCG
on your AR. You’ll no doubt notice
that compared to say an AK, there
isn’t that much distance between the
back of the magazine and front of the
bolt. When it comes to reciprocating
components, distance equals time,
and that ¼ inch or so just doesn’t give
the magazine much of it — in order to
push another cartridge into position
before the bolt runs forward after
reaching the end of its stroke. We can
slightly change how quickly the BCG
returns by adding or subtracting mass.

78
One of the ways manufacturers have
sought to reduce the incidence of bolt
over base stoppages has been through
increasing the number of sliding
weights in the buffer, thereby reducing
its tendency to bounce off of the end
of the receiver extension. Any change
LEWIS MACHINE AND TOOL’S COMPRESSOR SBR
to the AR’s design that fails to account
for the action’s short dwell time will
negatively impact reliability.
Which brings us to the LMT Com-
pressor’s buffer system. Their engineers
managed to shorten up the buffer tube
without shortening the BCG’s stroke, by
means of chopping down the buffer’s
length — and they did this without
losing any reciprocating mass or the
deadblow effect of the original’s sliding
weights. Which we think is pretty trick.
When you break the system down,
you quickly reach a forehead-slapping
moment and question why you didn’t
think of it first. Immediately apparent
is the abbreviated SOPMOD butt-
stock, which slides onto a shrunken,
six-position buffer tube. Despite losing
inches, there’s no loss of functionality.
What’s hidden from the outside is the
patented bit of the system, consisting
of a tiny aluminum buffer, a flat-wound
recoil spring, and a bolt carrier insert.
It’s this insert that slides into the open
rear end of a regular bolt carrier and
houses a sliding tungsten weight. The
beauty of the system is that it requires
no permanent changes whatsoever
to a stock AR-15 upper, and can be
retrofitted to any existing carbine. Like
we said, forehead-slapping.
ROUNDS DOWNRANGE
Lewis Machine and Tool will be
introducing their own suppressor
design in 2016, but it wasn’t ready for
our range session. So we enlisted the
help of SureFire, who sent along one
of their SOCOM300 SPS cans. After

slipping it over the matching muzzle
brake, we slapped in a magazine of
220-grain subs and started hammer-
ing steel. So far, so good. Removing
the suppressor and remembering to
insert earplugs, we then shot it unsup-
pressed and noticed that brass was
ejecting into the same pile that the
first mag produced, indicative of both
a low back pressure suppressor and a
well tuned gas system.
The third magazine was loaded with
120-grain supersonic rounds, and
we got through about half of it before
the RECOIL curse manifested itself.
We’re well known for breaking shit (or
maybe it’s just that when stuff breaks,
we actually tell you about it), and true
to form, the prototype carrier insert
decided to spontaneously disassemble
2 3
IS SUE
80
REC O ILW E B .C O M
LEWIS MACHINE AND TOOL’S COMPRESSOR SBR
itself, locking up the bolt. LMT’s rep-
resentative was quick to jump on a call
with their engineering department, and
we discovered that several changes had
been made to the production version.
In ours, the tungsten weight was
retained by a simple threaded cap
that had backed out, whereas the cap
on newer ones are also secured by
high-temperature thread locker and a
couple of spot welds. Despite lacking
the new improvements, our proto had
still managed to last through several
range sessions prior to its arrival in
Arizona before letting go, leading us
to believe the new version should hold
up. But as always, we’d like to test a
production unit before pronouncing it
ready for service.
We still had ammo to burn, so rather
than call it a day we installed the upper
on a different lower and shot it with
both supersonic and subsonic rounds.
Because no one wants to leave a range
with anything other than brass in their
range bag. Apart from a slight problem
caused by our reverse Midas touch, the
session went as planned and no further
problems were encountered.
We’re always conscious that being
the first to try out new gear brings
with a certain amount of risk, for both
writer and manufacturer alike. We
think the trade-off is worth it, as you
get to see cool kit before anyone else
and see potential pitfalls and what’s
been done to correct them. In this
case, LMT’s stock system is a novel
and innovative approach to solve an
end user’s problem. The Compressor
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 LEWIS MACHINE AND TOOL’S COMPRESSOR SBR

stock will be available as an aftermar-

2 3

ket package that can be fitted to any

IS SUE

AR-15, and should bring down the col-

lapsed length of a 14-inch, pinned and
welded carbine to 26.5 inches — just
82 above the legal minimum, and equal
to many SBRs. What would you rather
REC O ILW E B .C O M

have: 3 inches of additional barrel or 3

inches of buttstock? Thought so.
SPEC BOX

LEWIS MACHINE AND TOOL

LM8CSW300 COMPRESSOR

CALIBER
.300 Blackout
BARREL LENGTH
10.5 inches
OVERALL LENGTH
24.3 inches (collapsed) ACCESSORIES
WEIGHT (UNLOADED) Shield Sights LTD CQS 2MOA $370
7.3 pounds
SureFire SOCOM300 SPS $1,075
MAGAZINE CAPACITY
30 Rounds Conversion Kit $425

URL MSRP (SMOOTH UPPER) PRICE AS FEATURED

www.lmtstore.com $ $2,691 $ $4,561
 2 3
IS SUE
84
REC O ILW E B .C O M
The reduced-traction climate that grips
large swaths of America from post-
Thanksgiving to post-Easter is its own
special blend of white roads and white
knuckles for most drivers. While there’s
really no winning at winter driving on
public roads, there is a step above
surviving.
Now, no one, including the folks at
RECOIL, is suggesting the roadway is the
place to test the limits of your vehicular
prowess, but learning to apply a few ten-
ants of rally car racing will add a few op-
tions that can help keep your snow-white
undercarriage from turning brown this
winter. And, above all else written here,
keep one thing in mind: if you’re ever in
doubt, just slow the hell down.
STORY BY WYATT KNOX
CONSTANTLY MONITOR AND
EVALUATE THE CONDITIONS
Driving quickly in winter conditions
requires the constant assessment of
available traction at least a few seconds
down the road, and often much further
ahead as speeds increase. Temperature
is the key factor when dealing with snow
and ice. Anything under 40 degrees F
should signal entry into the danger zone.
A wet road surface can turn to black ice
at temperatures well above freezing on
bridges or when the ground is frozen.
Factors like sunlight and shade on the
road, elevation, windchill, road material,
and sudden changes in temperature we
see from morning to evening can all dra-
matically change the driving conditions
even from one corner to another.
Temperature affects snow in a vari-
ety of ways as well, as anyone who skis
or snowboards knows. Just walking
around on a snowy surface or feeling
snow in your hand will give you a good
idea of how your tires are interacting
with the road surface. Always position
your vehicle on the road so your tires

are on the grippiest surface available,
and do any braking or other maneuver-
ing before suspect patches.
KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT
Most warm-blooded American males
come naturally calibrated for dumb,
rear-wheel-drive vehicles. These natu-
ral instincts need to be adjusted for
front-wheel, all-wheel, and four-wheel
drivelines and for vehicles with active
safety systems. The main factors to
be acutely aware of are the driveline
layout of your vehicle, its tires and
tire pressure, and the safety systems
your vehicle is equipped with such as
anti-lock brakes and traction control.
Each of these systems affect the per-
formance of you vehicle, and it’s up to
the driver to learn how these systems
react to challenging road conditions
and emergency maneuvers well before
anyone’s grabbing the oh-shit handles.
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2 3
85
REC O ILW E B .C O M
PRACTICE SAFELY, CONSTRUC- SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
TIVELY, AND OFTEN Having a routine as you prepare
Skid control, like so many things, your car for winter travel will prepare
requires you to build up to the limit, your mind and attitude for the chal-
step beyond it sometimes, and adjust lenges ahead, similar to a pilot doing
back from there. Empty, snowy a pre-flight inspection. Some things to
parking lots are the most accessible consider:
practice grounds for most people. Taking the time to clean your wind-
Just make sure you’re familiar with the shield and windows
layout of the lot so you’re not slam- Using sunglasses to get more defini-
ming into curbs or other obstacles tion on snowy roads
hidden in the snow. You want to try Sometimes keeping your defrost cold WARNING!
The information
accelerating to the point where either to avoid snow melt and buildup on presented here is a
very basic outline
the tires spin or the traction control the windshield
of car control and
kicks in, braking to the point where Having a well-stocked winter emer- winter driving
techniques, and is in
the tires lock up or the antilock brake gency kit in the vehicle
no way a complete
system activates, and steering to the Carrying a quality tow strap or comprehensive
guide. Mastering
point where the front tires lose grip. Keeping the fuel tank full
advanced car control
You then want to try accelerating and Keeping your mobile phone battery skills takes many
hours of deliberate
steering simultaneously, and braking charged
and focused training.
and steering simultaneously to see Tire pressures for example, can For more, seek a
reputable driving
how your particular vehicle deals with make a massive difference in how
instructor.
these inputs. much grip you get on a snowy road.

You may find a hill that is simply
impossible to climb with 32 psi of air
pressure, but you can drive right up
the same hill easily with 22 or 25 psi.
Sure, you’ll have to air back up before
you drive at interstate speeds, but that
trick might be the difference between
making it home and spending the night
in your wayward car.
2 3
ONLY ONE MANEUVER AT A TIME
IS SUE
Performance driving on any surface
requires you to take maximum advan-
tage of the traction you have to work
86 with. The simplest way to do this is to
think of the brake, the throttle, and the
REC O ILW E B .C O M
steering as very separate inputs and
understand that only one should be
used at a time. Approaching a corner,
all of your braking should be done in a
straight line before making any steer-
ing input. When you get to the entry
of the corner, you’ll want to release
the brake and add steering. Once you
are around the corner, you’ll want to
straighten the wheel and accelerate.
Applying any throttle or brake while
actually turning around the corner can
easily overwhelm the available traction
and cause the vehicle to skid. Exactly
how it will react depends on your
driveline and other factors.
ADJUST YOUR DRIVING LINES
AND TIMING APPROPRIATELY
You don’t have to be a pro race
driver to understand different corner-
ing lines on the street. As roads get
slippery, especially if you’re driving
expeditiously, you’re going to want
to think about using a late apex line
around corners. This means start-
ing your corners well to the outside
of the lane, turning for the deepest
part of the corner well before you get
to it, and finishing the corner on the
inside edge of the available roadway
or lane after the actual apex of the
turn. Allowing your car to track out
to the outside of the road again after
the apex of the turn as you would on a
traditional racing line can be very risky
on slippery roads.
Also, there is often a measurable
delay between the time a steering
input is made and when the car actu-
ally responds; and this delay gets more
exaggerated as the road surface gets
more slippery and speeds increase.
Anticipation, giving a steering input
before the response is actually neces-
sary, takes practice and experience,
but it’s the best course of action when
traction is limited.
LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO
As you start skidding and sliding on
any surface, it’s imperative to keep
your focus well ahead and where you’d
optimistically like to end up. This
S’NO PROBLEM
is the foundation of all car control
training, and the only way you’ll have
any chance of recovering from a bad
situation. It can take some practice, as
it’s natural for most people in a panic
situation to focus on the most negative
possible outcome.
If your car steps out sideways as
you’re going around a corner, you’ll
likely look where the car is headed and
at what’s right in front of it — a phone
pole, guard rail, a clown with a bloody
axe, all things that are more visually
interesting than the open road beyond
them. Once you fixate on the target,
you’ll panic, freeze up, and most likely
drive right into whatever you’re looking
at. The correct action is to look down
the road well ahead of the impend-
ing danger and use your hand-eye
coordination to recover from the skid.
This can take some optimism and even
some denial, but it’s the only way to
stay on the road.
USE YOUR BALANCE
Driving at the limits of traction
involves evaluating many different fac-
tors, and weight transfer is one of the
most crucial. Your vehicle is a heavy
metal box held up by four springs,
Courtesy/Tire Rack
 S’NO PROBLEM

one at each corner, with a tire at the LEFT FOOT BRAKING GO RACING
ABOUT bottom of each spring. Every time you Left foot braking has been shunned There are many affordable, grass-
THE brake, accelerate, or turn the wheel, by some drivers as too difficult, un- roots racing events around the country
AUTHOR you’re shifting this weight around on natural, confusing, and unnecessary... that require little more than a normal
those springs, front to back and side to but you won’t often see these drivers street car and a helmet. Autocross
Wyatt Knox is the
side. This applies different amounts of on a podium. Yes, it can be tricky to races are held on tarmac parking lots
special projects direc-
force to each of the tires. Tires with a get used to, and, yes, you’ll stomp the and consist of a timed course made
tor with Team O’Neil
lot of weight will get the best traction brake pedal the first few times you try entirely out of parking cones. Rally-
Rally School in Dalton,
(to a point), and tires with very little it. But, for many drivers, it’s the miss- cross is essentially the same thing held
New Hampshire. Knox
weight on them will get the least grip. ing link to controlling the car at a much on gravel, snow, or grass. Ice racing
spent many years
This is why braking in turns can make higher level of performance. There are events held on frozen lakes are great
as the school’s lead
the rear of the car slide while the front over a dozen reasons for left foot brak- entertainment.
driving instructor, is a
maintains grip (oversteer) and also ing, but the main ones are that it gives You can do track days, amateur
national rally car racing
why accelerating abruptly in corners you faster and more accurate transi- drag racing, hill climb events, time-
champion, and races
can cause the front tires to lose grip tions from throttle to brake and vice- speed-distance (TSD) rallies, and a
cars all over the world.
(understeer). versa, it allows you to balance weight whole variety of other novice racing
The school teaches
Weight transfer is often not a prob- transfer in corners very precisely, can events that are fun, educational, and
advanced driving skills
lem with normal daily driving, as your cure understeer, and it can be used to a great way to meet other like-minded
to many elements of
inputs tend to be smooth and conser- control oversteer. You may not have any individuals. Don’t want to abuse your
America’s Special
vative. But, aggressive, or emergency, interest in becoming a world champion own vehicle or take the time required
Operations forces, and
driving means you’ll have to learn to racer, but covering the brake pedal to learn all of these skills on your
has produced champi-
2 3

use this weight transfer to your advan- can significantly cut your reaction time own? Consider a performance driving
ons in several racing
IS SUE

tage. Winter driving at high speed in in an emergency situation and can or car control school if you want to
disciplines. The O’Neil
general requires smooth, calculated certainly be the difference between fast-track your skill building with
Rally School’s notable
inputs to transfer this weight slowly, stopping short of an obstacle in the proper, expert training. You won’t be
88 alumni include Travis
smoothly, and deliberately. road and plowing straight into it. disappointed.
Pastrana and Ken Block.
REC O ILW E B .C O M

For more information

about Knox, the school
and available driving
classes, please visit
www.teamoneil.com.

Courtesy/Tire Rack
 2 3
IS SUE
90
REC O ILW E B .C O M
THE PSYCHOLOGY If you’ve put in any sort of time train-
ing for practical self-defense (or read
AND PHYSIOLOGY OF any amount of advice from Internet
GUNFIGHTING
commandos), you’ll have no doubt
heard of the phrase “OODA Loop.” The
acronym of observe, orient, decide,
STORY AND PHOTOS BY and act was developed by John Boyd,
DR. NEAL H. OLSHAN
who flew an F-86 Sabre during the lat-
ter part of the Korean War. It has since
been applied to everything from sports
to litigation.
As a fighter pilot, Boyd was dis-
mayed by the staggering kill ratios
by North Korean pilots fighting U.S.
fighter pilots in what was known as
“MiG Alley.” Instead of attempting to
defeat the enemy aircraft, he utilized
the OODA Loop to attack the thought
process of an opponent (the enemy pi-
lot) and get inside their reaction loop.
The U.S. pilots soon had a 10-to-1 kill
ratio, even though the MiG 15 could
outperform the U.S. aircraft in speed
and turning capabilities.
Since most of us are not fighter
pilots, we are going back to the good
old days and utilizing the process as
it was meant to be used. Why? Since
Boyd’s development of the OODA Loop
literally thousands of articles have
been written dissecting, elaborating,
and complicating the basic loop sys-
tem. From a simple one-page diagram,
psychologists, scientists, military, law
enforcement, and even prestigious
universities appear to be on a quest
 to turn what was a very simple and
straightforward process into a maze
of complexity that might give pause to

VE OR Steven Hawking.

I
Therefore, what I have attempted to

ER
form Gat
her do is to have everyone take a giant step
and m.
n le sub dat backward and utilize two principles:
atio prob sta a a

EN
itu the nt n keep it simple, and less is more.
ia
S

d e th
bo s

t Although the loop has been suc-

s a nt

in eo
t
u
OB

for rie
rie rre

T
cessfully used in arbitration, mitiga-

ma s.
theoat cu

tion, business negotiations, profes-

tion
sional football, and even politics, for
Look

to
the purpose of this article we are going
to solely focus on the gun lifestyle:
gear, technology, sport, and home and
personal defense.
Submarines in the United States
Navy have used the OODA Loop theory
for many years. The movie The Hunt
for Red October is probably one of

ob s to
.
I m l uat
eva

le m
the best examples of combatants
pr io n

E
pl e
em s

IS SUE
CT
t utilizing OODA loops to out maneuver
en
lu
so
ol t a n
ID
p t he
A

and destroy each other. If you get a

EC
ut d l o
io n ve s

2 3
s. D e dres chance, watch this 1990 film and the
ad

D
dueling OODA Loops — Alec Baldwin’s
CIA analyst and Sean Connery’s Soviet
91
captain are constantly modifying their

REC O ILW E B .C O M
decision cycles, each trying to get
inside the other’s OODA Loop to claim
victory.
 BEYOND THE OODA LOOP

THE BASIC OODA LOOP
STRUCTURE
Observe: This phase is where you
collect information as accurately and
quickly as possible. You must learn to
scan a situation, like a pilot is taught
to constantly scan the instrument
panel of his aircraft, attempting to
quickly determine if everything is in
the green. When beginning, apply the
filter of what’s relevant for the particu-
lar situation.
Orient: Orientation is interpreta-
tion of the observed information, or
familiar with the phrase, “Keep your
head on a swivel.” Your new phrase
will be, “Keep your brain on a swivel
and loop.”
Decide: If the decide phase is to
be effective, it must be based upon
experience — and the best method
for gaining experiences is through
repetitive training. In a life-or-death
situation there is no time to develop
a pros-and-cons checklist. Through
training you have already sorted
through the various options/outcomes
and selected the most effective. With-

KGrif/istockphoto.com
converting information into knowl-
edge by developing concepts through
analysis. The way our systems interpret
information depends upon culture,
genetic heritage, ability to analyze
and synthesize, and most importantly
out training, there is the potential to
freeze in this phase, allowing your loop
to be compromised.
Act: Actions complete the loop and
are stored in memory and may become
a factor in the next loop in a

MIG ALLEY:
experience (training). Most people are similar situation.
2 3

THE OODA
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92
LOOP
SOLUTION
REC O ILW E B .C O M

During the Korean War, the American F-86 Sabre was slower
and less maneuverable than the Soviet MiG 15. But the F-86
had full hydraulically assisted controls, and the MiG 15 was
only partially hydraulically assisted. The MiG pilots had to work
harder to control their aircraft during the stressful maneuvers
in an aerial dogfight. By increasing the time of the dogfight,
Colonel John Boyd knew the MiG pilots would become increasingly
fatigued, which allowed the F-86 pilots to get inside the MiG
pilot’s reaction loop.
In most situations, more than 80 percent of our initial
reaction to stimulus is based upon visual input. Even in a verbal
confrontation, we rely too much on visual input and ignore the
subtleties and warnings provided by audio input. It’s always good
to remember that reaction time to audio input is significantly
faster than visual input. Improving reaction time is only as
good as the decision process. Getting delayed or distracted in
the orientation phase can kill you. The ability to interrupt or
disengage the opponent’s traditional loop is like throwing a flash
bang into his loop process, creating disorientation. Response
time is slower when responding to an unknown stimulus.
 BEYOND THE OODA LOOP

A real-life application of the OODA

Loop comes from Ward Henry, a police
sergeant for a midsize rural police
force in Maryland. He was second
to arrive at the scene of a domestic
disturbance: A distraught and drunken
man was threatening to kill his wife
when he found out she was filing for
divorce. The man had a shotgun point-
ed at the ceiling. Henry immediately
scanned (observed) the environment
and noticed that the man continually
glanced at photos of a young boy and a
man playing baseball. The man in the
photo appeared to be the same man
who stood before him (orient). The ser-
geant knew what he had to do (decide)
and began talking calmly (act) about
his own boys and playing baseball with
them, then asked if that was his son in
the photo.
2 3

Four minutes later, the potentially

IS SUE

life-threatening situation was defused.

Henry had used the OODA Loop to get
inside the distressed man’s loop (think
94 and overreact) and disrupt it.
REC O ILW E B .C O M

HUMAN
REACTION
TIME
There is a distinct difference
between the time interval be-
tween the onset of an auditory
stimulus or visual stimulus and
the initiation of a response. Au-
ditory (sound) stimulus takes 8
to 10 milliseconds to reach the
brain. Visual (sight) stimulus
takes 20 to 40 milliseconds to
reach the brain. See “Reaction
Time” in RECOIL Issue 20 for
additional information. Stress
can increase reaction time by
as much as 31 percent.
 POWER IS POINTLESS
WITHOUT CONTROL

THE KRISS SUPER V RECOIL MITIGATION SYSTEM REDUCES MUZZLE

CLIMB BY 95% AND FELT RECOIL BY 65% WHEN COMPARED
TO TRADITIONAL FIREARM OPERATING SYSTEMS*
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toll free number: +1 855 KRISS US (574-7787)
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 BEYOND THE OODA LOOP

“FAILURE TO ACT QUICKLY OR FAILURE TO ACT

DECISIVELY MAY RESULT IN DEFEAT OR DEATH.”
— DR. NEAL H. OLSHAN
2 3
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96
TRAINING THE OODA LOOP as Hick’s Law, it’s named after British What can slow the OODA Loop?
REC O ILW E B .C O M

Some common comments from the and American psychologists William The following factors can significantly
top firearms instructors: Edmund Hick and Ray Hyman and de- impede the loop process and, in a
Reality-based training is a dynamic scribes the time it takes for a person worst-case scenario, freeze the loop
process … to make a decision based on the pos- just prior to the act phase:
Reality-based training and a force sible choices he or she has: increasing > Uncontrolled anger or rage
options simulator can’t be beat … the number of choices will increase > Little or no practice utilizing train-
Reality-based training is simply the the decision time. When going from ing, simulation, and repetition
purest and most lifelike form of train- one response to two, response time is The end game for your OODA Loop
ing there is … increased by 58 percent. is simple: penetrate an adversary’s
Obviously, reality-based training is This has become the basis for re- loop to cause fear, confusion, and loss
the key to successful application of the petitive simulation training. A common of self-confidence with the ultimate
OODA Loop since, in many cases, it all example of reducing reaction time in goal of forcing your opponent to hesi-
comes down to response time. firearms training is found in malfunc- tate, not act, or act in your favor based
The response time and success of tion drills — a potentially complex solely on emotional triggers. To win,
your OODA Loop is in large part based reaction is reduced to a single and we must act faster and more accurate-
upon the Hick-Hyman Law. Also known faster response. ly than our adversary or opponent.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ask
Have you used the OODA Loop in a scary situation and what
Dr. Neal H. Olshan is the developer of Evolution of Mindset and is a was the outcome? Have you modified the loop to fit your

Dr.O
consulting psychologist for corporations and the sports industry for
athletic improvement through the use of the Mindset program. He is also
a pilot, an award-winning photographer, an author of both fiction and
non-fiction books, and the chief combat psychologist for LMS Defense.
particular circumstances? Want to find more resources
or learn more about this topic? Do you have an idea for a
column on the psychology and physiology of gunfighting?
Email Dr. Neal H. Olshan at mindsetdoc@gmail.com.
 Courtesy of

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VALUE
 The Heavy Metal division of three-gun competition requires
the use of a .308 rifle, .45-caliber pistol, and 12-gauge
pump shotgun. While it lacks the enormous diversity of
aftermarket doodads available for other marques, the Benelli
Supernova has been king of the hammers for the past
couple of years. And for good reason.
Its combination of features overmatches anything offered
STORY BY IAIN HARRISON by Remington, Mossberg, or even the Browning BPS that we
PHOTOS BY KENDA LENSEIGNE previously tricked out for just this eventuality, but like any
mass-produced consumer good, it can be made better with
a little handiwork by the end user. As a bonus, it’s about the
easiest of the bunch to work on. Here’s what you can do in
the comfort of your own garage to make it race ready.

IS SUE
2 3
99

REC O ILW E B .C O M
 CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA

Areas of the mag SLICK IT UP use a 3mm Allen wrench to unscrew

tube that come into
contact with the Like every other pump out there, the the bolts holding in the action bars.
fore-end should be Supernova’s action bars are stamped Note, the action bars are left and right
polished. Yes, you’ll
2 3

rub off the blueing, out of sheet steel, which leaves sur- handed, so they’ll only go back in one
IS SUE

but the trade-off face imperfections to mar their smooth way, which is a nifty feature.
for a slick-as-snot operation. Smooth is fast, so the first Use a flat surface and your choice of
action is worth it.
thing we’re going to do after proving abrasive to polish the action bars and re-
100 clear, is to detail strip the gun and pol- move any roughness or burrs. We started
ish them up. To strip, simply remove out with a 400-grit diamond block and
REC O ILW E B .C O M

That little tab at the barrel and press out the two pins worked up through the range of Japa-
the back of the
bolt carrier and the that retain the trigger group. Next pull nese water stones, but a glass plate and
corresponding lock the bolt carrier from the bottom of wet-and-dry paper works also. Next, use
in the trigger group
need to be polished. the receiver and set it aside. Run the abrasive cloth to polish the magazine
So have at it. fore end off the magazine tube and akes contact.
tube where the fore end makes contact

Once the front end of the operating
system is taken care of, it’s time to ad-
dress the bolt and trigger group. Fortu-
2 3
nately, we don’t need to do much here
IS SUE
apart from polish the rear of the bolt
carrier where it makes contact with the
hammer and carrier lock. You may be
102 tempted to alter the angle of the car-
rier lock, so that the fore end unlocks
REC O ILW E B .C O M
during recoil — if you do choose to go
this route, discretion is definitely the
way ahead — take too much off and
you risk the gun firing out of battery,
which will ruin your day.
CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA
CHOP JOB covers the mag tube in front of the
RCI’s mag extension Seeing as we have the fore end receiver. Once it’s reprofiled, we can
can be fitted with a off the gun, it’s worth considering turn our attention to the loading gate.
barrel clamp if you’re
into that sort of thing, pruning it back a little if you use the The Supernova benefits from a
but slug accuracy can “load two” or “load four” technique. It loading gate sized to accept 3.5-inch
be compromised as
seems Benelli gave the job of design- shells, which means that feeding
it heats up. We’re not
exactly easy on gear, ing the fore-end to an intern with a normal 2.75-inch fodder is like, ahem,
and ours held up just sci-fi fetish, as there’s a Klingon-esque throwing a sausage down an alley. But
fine without one.
bulge close to the receiver that gets if big is good, then bigger must be
Note fore-end chop in the way of the paw that’s stuffing better, right? Using a coarse file and
job. The original is shells. As it’s plastic, there’s an easy sandpaper, we opened up the trigger
very Italian-looking
and stylish — we fix involving a hacksaw and coarse file housing, cutting a 45-degree chamfer
butchered this one for — chop that sucker back and, while around the edges, which allows fresh
speed.
you’re at it, get rid of the plastic that ammo to almost fall into the gun.
 ®

SERPA LEVEL 2 TACTICAL HOLSTER

FEATURES OUR EXTREMELY FAST, YET ULTRA-SECURE
AUTO LOCK™ RETENTION SYSTEM.
EASILY CONFIGURES TO ANY MISSION WITH
MULTIPLE PLATFORMS.
U.S. MILITARY ISSUE.

In 1990, a Navy SEAL was navigating a minefield when his pack failed. As his gear tumbled to the ground,
he vowed if he made it out alive he would make gear the right way. Today, this obsession with quality
applies to everything we do. We are constantly researching, refining and perfecting every detail to
provide gear that will not let you down. Because we are not just making stuff. We are honoring a vow.

MADE IN THE USA. SERVING WITH HONOR AND DISTINCTION WORLDWIDE.

© 2015
 CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA

MO’ BULLETS, MO’ BETTA

Division equipment rules limit
shotguns to eight rounds in the tube at
the start of a course of fire, which is
four more than a stock Supernova will
swallow. Fortunately, help is at hand
from RCI, who will send you one of
their excellent extension tubes for the
not-so-princely sum of one Benjamin,
2 3

complete with follower and spring. (If

IS SUE

you want to get a little more involved,

their one-piece tube replaces the
factory unit and offers more strength
104 than an extension, but ours held up to
being thrown in dump bins with nary
REC O ILW E B .C O M

a whimper.) Reassemble the shotgun

using the new tube in place of the
old magazine cap, trim the spring to
length, and run it like you stole it.
SPEC BOX

BENELLI
SUPERNOVA
S

CALIBER
CALIB
CA
CAL
CALIBE
ALI
LIIBE
BE
ER A C S O E
ACCESSORIES
12-gauge
1 -g
g uge RCI magazine
RC m g i e tube,
tube, spring,
spring
p n andd fo
follower
o e $99
$ 9
BARREL
B R E LENGTH
L N T
24 iinches
2 h
OVERALL LENGTH MSRP PRICE AS FEATURED
48 inches $ $460 $ $559
WEIGHT (UNLOADED)
8.0 pounds
URL
MAGAZINE CAPACITY
11 rounds (as featured) www.benelliusa.com
 Features that are setting us apart from the competition:
◆ Super smooth, easy to use patented lever ◆ Precision machined to tight
tolerances for precise repeat of zero ◆ Multi-faceted adjustment nut for perfect
adjustment tension ◆ Wide contact clamp that will not damage your upper
or rail ◆ Stringent quality control that ensures perfect performance
◆ 100% made in the U.S.A., backed by our Lifetime Warranty

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 106
REC O ILW E B .C O M IS SUE 2 3
 EVER DREAMED OF PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR OWN ADVENTURE NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE?
WE DID, AND TOOK THREE WOUNDED VETS ALONG FOR THE JOURNEY.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY IAIN HARRISON

Alaska has always held a special place in the hearts of
adventurers, hunters, and outdoorsmen. Even today, it exerts
a magnetic pull on the imagination of those who live in the
Lower 48, and an expedition way up north might seem like an
unattainable dream for most, denied due to reasons of logis-
tics, distance, and expense. It doesn’t have to be that way.
When we first started planning this trip, the original idea
was to simply task a couple of RECOIL staffers with putting
it together, and then document the process for a print ar-
ticle. As the pieces fell into place, we decided that it would
be just as easy to take six guys as it was to send two. So the
idea was hatched to share the adventure with some dudes
who really deserved it.
Working in this small industry brings us into contact with
some truly exceptional, hard-working, and warm-hearted
people, and occasionally we get an opportunity to throw
something back into the karmic pot. When folks heard what
was in the works, they practically fell over themselves to
help out, offering guns, optics, ammo, gear, and rations with
no expectation of payback.
 ALASKA BOUND

THE TEAM
Nic Harrelson
A graduate of Virginia Military
Institute, Nic took time off halfway
through his studies to deploy to
Iraq with the Virginia National
Guards’ 116th Infantry Regiment as
a .50-cal gunner. On his second deployment, his vehicle
was hit by an explosively formed penetrator and despite
suffering a traumatic brain injury, he recently completed
a master’s degree in diplomacy. Nic demonstrated his
Scandinavian bloodlines by wandering around Kotz in a
T-shirt while the locals were bundled up against the bitter
wind, and spent time in camp thrashing the water into a
froth with his fly rod. The fish laughed.

Rocky Marciano
Rocky saw 23 years of service,
all of which were with airborne
units. Kicking off a career that
spanned three continents and 130
2 3

static line jumps, he served with

IS SUE

2nd Ranger Battalion before moving to 508th Airborne

Battalion Combat Team, the 82nd Airborne Division,
and then to Army Special Operations Command. During
108 a deployment to Afghanistan, the former sergeant major LOGISTICS and elk, and instead hunt caribou
was blown up twice, suffering a traumatic brain injury Make no mistake, putting together during their annual migration. Tags are
REC O ILW E B .C O M

and PTSD. Built like a fireplug, he snores louder than a
F16 on takeoff.
Rich Peters
Rich is one of those larger-than-
life characters whom you just
don’t get to meet all that often.
A founding member of SEAL
Team 6, his last foreign escapade
involved busting out of a Libyan jail after shedding about
a hundred pounds due to a dates-and-diarrhea diet plan.
Although suffering from reduced pulmonary capacity
due to exposure to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War, the
former master chief still had plenty of breath to regale
everyone with a nonstop series of adventure stories.
Micah Clark
Former Navy corpsman and
executive director of Camp Patriot,
Micah was instrumental in getting
this trip off the ground. Acting as
a fixer and liaison with the veteran
community, his negotiating skills paid off on numerous
occasions and smoothed out many bumps in the road.
the logistics for a successful Alaskan
adventure takes hard work, and you’ll
pay for it with either time or money.
We’re tight-fisted bastards, preferring to
put in long hours and late nights rather
than just whip out a credit card, so a lot
of research, planning, and cell phone
minutes were in order. We wanted to
combine time in the true wilderness with
physical challenge, along with the op-
portunity to put meat in the freezer — in
that exact order of importance. A hunt-
ing trip, for sure; but one that was as
far removed from standard outdoor TV
hunting shows as imaginable. There was
to be no fakery, no staying in expensive
lodges, no guides, no bullshit. We were
on our own.
Certain Alaskan game animals are
available to outsiders only if they employ
a guide. As this would run counter to
our philosophy of rugged individualism,
we chose to forgo brown bears, moose,
relatively inexpensive, they require no
specialized gear or exotic calibers and
their trek south for the winter is one of
the most spectacular events in nature,
as thousands of majestic animals cover
hundreds of miles across the barren tun-
dra. There are 32 Alaskan caribou herds
or groups, and we decided to go after
the Western Arctic herd, as this is one of
the largest and their migration patterns
fitted well with our group’s availability.
In order to cover as much ground as
possible and maximize our chances of
coming into contact with the herd, we
decided to rent rafts and paddle down
the Noatak River as the animals congre-
gated in preparation for their trek south.
Accordingly, arrangements were made
with Northwest Alaska Outfitters to de-
liver three, 12-foot inflatables to the air
taxi service we’d be using, in preparation
for our arrival in the northwestern village
of Kotzebue.

2 3
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110
REC O ILW E B .C O M
In the meantime, the most important
component of the trip was handled by
our friends at Camp Patriot. Having
worked with several veterans’ organi-
zations over the years, we’re used to
approaching the field with a degree
of caution. There have been several
instances where well-meaning charities
have gotten in over their heads when
it comes to housekeeping matters.
And there’s a notable case study
that seems to spend most of its time
pursuing large corporate donors in
order to bump up its administrative
budget, instead of developing programs
to support the cause for which it was
founded. That they also stepped on
their dicks with the firearms industry
was reason enough to seek out people
with unimpeachable credentials.
Arrangements were made for the
group to rendezvous in the tiny town
of Kotzebue, Alaska. Quite literally at
the end of the line, it’s inaccessible
by road — the only way in is by either
air or sea. Two Alaska Airlines flights
each day touch down on the abbrevi-
ated runway, which is also used by
smaller aircraft, such as the Cessna
206 favored by most of the bush pilots
in this region. Once there, last-minute
preparations would be made, major
Top: Millions of acres pieces of kit such as tents and rafts
of bugger all, dotted
with wet spots. reinspected and assembled, and gear
Heaven! would be repacked for loading onto
Above: Pilot Eric Sieh bush planes. Because it’s at the far
of Arctic Backcountry
reaches of a very long logistical chain,
Flying Service has
over 20,000 hours goods and services cost anything from
of seat time in bush two to three times what you’d expect
planes.
to pay at your local big box store. So
we learned to plan for it, accept it, and
quit whining about it.
We failed to plan for one eventuality
however, and that caused more than
just a little cursing. Kimber did a stand-
up job of getting bolt guns and 1911s
sent to RECOIL’s outpost in Arizona,
where they were fitted with Leupold op-
tics and repackaged before being sent
on their merry way. Figuring that having
ALASKA BOUND
15 grand’s worth of guns and accesso-
ries sitting on a loading dock was a bad
idea (we’re smart like that), we checked
transit times and dispatched them
to ensure their arrival two days prior
to the team’s touchdown, and three
days before we were due to fly to the
backcountry. Following several emailed
delay notifications and ill-tempered
phone calls with UPS HQ, we eventu-
ally received a delivery notification after
we boarded the return flight home.
Fortunately, our team located the guns
in a Kotzebue warehouse following a
physical search of the premises, after
having a hunch that someone might
have overlooked their arrival and failed
to enter it into the system.
To paraphrase Von Moltke, no plan
survives contact with Alaska. While we
were scrambling to locate our guns (and
receiving many offers of loaners from
complete strangers), our air taxi service
suggested that we might want to recon-
sider our scheme to float the Noatak
River, as rafts typically don’t work so
well on ice. Due to unseasonably cold
temperatures, not only had the river
started to freeze over, but this had con-
solidated the caribou herd and pushed
them southward. Our pilots were only
too glad to fly us to the original put in
point if we insisted on sticking to the
plan, but when you receive information
from guys who have eyes on the ground
from 2,000 feet AGL, you’d be an idiot
not to take it into consideration. Ac-
cordingly, we switched targets south-
ward in an effort to get in front of the
herd and hunt them on the tundra.
After stuffing dry bags, packs, and
gun cases into the fragile-looking
Cessnas, we squeezed on board and
settled in for an hour flight to our base
camp. With tundra unfurling beneath
our wings, we were treated to views
of snow-capped mountains, pristine
lakes, moose, bear, and finally, as we
closed in on our destination, caribou.
Thousands of them.

2 3
IS SUE
THE HUNT
112 Touching down on a gravel beach,
the realization that our nearest neigh-
REC O ILW E B .C O M
bors might not have our best interests
at heart came quickly, once we found
grizzly tracks at the rear of the tent site.
After waving goodbye to our intrepid
pilots, we set about building a meat
pole (hur, hur) in order to hang food
outside of camp and away from where
we’d be sleeping, then built a fire,
grilled up some moose meat given to us
in Kotzebue by a returning hunter, and
prepared for a good night’s sleep.
The morning dawned cold and clear
as we scrambled up the hill at the rear
of camp. At the summit, we pulled out
binoculars and spent the next few hours
glassing across the river to a valley
where the caribou were expected to
make an appearance. Several ghostly
white tree stumps were mistaken for
our prey, but despite wishing and willing
them to move, they remained resolutely
immobile. As we waited for them to turn
into caribou, two grizzlies kept us enter-
tained as they searched for a few last
tasty morsels of the season, trying to
pack on as many pounds of fat as they
could before retreating to their dens.
Our vantage point was quickly
dubbed OP hill, and we explored all
of it, locating potential ambush sites
and crossing points where we thought
the ’bou might make an appearance.
Burning up calories left us hungry for
a Menu 4, or possibly a Menu 20 for
those with an adventurous palate, so
we trekked back into camp to refill
Evidence of nocturnal bellies and water bottles. Around 90
visitors.
minutes before last light, a couple of
the guys decided to take one last look
ALASKA BOUND
around from our vantage point.
They’d had binoculars pressed to
their faces for maybe 15 seconds
before letting out a yell. The caribou
had been sighted and were headed our
way. Game on.
Leaving Rich and Micah back in
camp, the rest of the group scrambled
up the loose dirt slope that took us
to our vantage point, then skirted the
crest around the hill where we were
greeted by the sight of a thousand cari-
bou streaming down the valley to our
north. Scarcely 500 yards away across
the river, they showed no sign of slow-
ing down to bed for the night and were
intent on putting as much distance
under their hooves as possible. Guess-
ing they’d attempt to cross downstream
from camp, we hustled across the
tundra to a vantage point in some thin,
scrubby willows — slightly above where
we estimated the herd would make an
appearance, and in a position of cover.
Suddenly, the sound of hundreds of
animals entering the water rose like surf
crashing on a beach and everyone’s
heart rate kicked up in anticipation.
As the lead animals started pushing
through brush on our side of the river, a
shot rang out. Rich had zeroed in on a
bull and let fly, which spooked the herd
into a mad dash — stampeding caribou
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CAMP
PATRIOT
“Camp Patriot exists to take U.S. disabled
veterans on outdoor adventures.” That’s the
mission statement, but what does it mean to
the guys who get involved? Founded in 2005,
the organization started out by taking groups
of wounded vets on mountaineering trips,
as well as hunting and fishing adventures.
Since then, their program has expanded and
the centerpiece is now a 90-acre ranch in
Northwest Montana, which offers residential
activities based out of two guest lodges.
“Having a home base allows us to serve
many more vets than we’ve been able to
previously,” according to Micah Clark, Camp
Patriot’s executive director. “In addition to
spending time in the great outdoors, we can
2 3
also offer educational programs such as animal
IS SUE
husbandry, homestead gardening, and self-
reliance skills like canning and bee keeping.”
The value of offering outdoor adventure
114 programs extends far beyond the few days
spent in the wilderness. By having a focus and
REC O ILW E B .C O M
goal outside of their daily rehab routines, par-
ticipants have a light at the end of the tunnel,
which can provide the additional motivation
needed to improve treatment outcomes.
RESOURCES
We used Walt Maslen at Northwest Alaska Outfit-
ters as a resource for hunt planning and raft
rental and can recommend you pick his brains.
(907) 259-4290
www.northwestalaska.net
Arctic Backcountry Flying Service and Golden
Eagle Outfitters share an office and hangar.
Both are experts when it comes to bush flying
and are easy to work with.
www.arcticbackcountry.com
We highly recommend you purchase your
licenses and tags before departure. You can
do this online at Alaska Fish and Game.
www.adfg.alaska.gov.
Beyond Clothing hurtled past our position as panicked
outfitted all the
guys with their great animals sought to escape. One slowed
layering system, down to walking pace and Rocky man-
which we adapted to
differing insulation aged to get a clear shot, dropping it
needs. Whether about 200 yards from where we sat.
hauling loads across With two animals down and daylight
the across the
tundra or sitting on rapidly fading, we had to work fast.
a hilltop glassing for Innards rapidly became outards and
hours, our clothing
large chunks of ungulate were secured
performed superbly.
to pack frames for the haul back to
camp. While Rich and Micah worked
on their caribou, an enormous grizzly
wandered onto the opposite river bank
and licked his lips in anticipation of
ALASKA BOUND
the feast to come, eventually head-
ing back into the tree line after much
yelling and arm waving from humans
intent on keeping their prize.
Headlamps flickered through brush
as our team humped their loads
through overgrown game trails and
wrestled with a dense matrix of meager
branches that tried to snag packs and
rifles. When you’re loaded down with
80 pounds of fresh meat in grizzly
country and can see maybe 10 yards in
any direction, there’s a certain reassur-
ance that comes from nine rounds of
10mm on your hip. Once our loads were
slung on the meat pole, the campfire
was rekindled as the moon rose bright
and clear and a celebratory bottle
was passed among brothers gathered
around the flames. Backs were slapped,
jokes made, the same tale was told
from different perspectives, and plans
were made for the next day.
In the end, everyone who had a tag
filled it. Our reward came, however,
not from death, but rather the affirma-
tion of life — something that’s hard to
fully appreciate unless it’s experienced
first-hand, and in the raw. Men who
previously were strangers shared an
adventure, and in doing so forged a
common bond.
 ESSENTIALS
1 2
GEAR
DRY BAGS
We went into this trip with
the expectation that we’d
be rafting and set up the
gear list accordingly. Despite switching
plans at the last moment, Watershed
dry bags proved to be worth their weight
in gold, as they fit nicely in the aircraft
and thanks to being completely water-
tight were able to be stored outside of
the tents in camp. Their Torpedo gun
bag is big enough for a scoped rifle and
takes up about half the volume of a
typical nylon padded case.
www.drybags.com
6 7
RIFLES
Kimber equipped
everyone with their
Mountain Ascent
rifle in .30-06, and we were all
very glad they did. Sub-MOA
accurate with a killer trigger and
weighing in at a scant 5 pounds,
5 ounces, we scarcely used them
to their potential, but loved the
way they carried. As a bonus, the
effective muzzle brake brought
recoil down to .243 levels, even
on full-house 168-grain loads.
www.kimberamerica.com
MEDICAL KITS
One of those items you
hope is never needed, but
you’re awfully glad to have
along when it is, the extra level of utility
provided by an extensive med kit was
appreciated by all. Chinook Medical’s
Expedition kit packed everything
needed for immediate care of fractures,
bleeding, burns, dental emergencies,
and other assorted trauma. Their
Adventurer kit also got stuffed into day
packs whenever we left camp, for peace
of mind when hunting far afield.
www.chinookmed.com
OPTICS
Leupold stepped up and
equipped each team
member with a set of BX-3
binoculars, an RX-1200i rangefinder
and a VX-R 2-7x33 Multidot scope, the
ballistic reticle on which gave us an
accurate aiming point out to 500 yards.
We were conscious of not loading down
a lightweight rifle with an enormous
piece of glass, but wanted something
that would allow us to exploit the
weapon’s performance fully. Objective
achieved.
www.leupold.com
4
7
3 4
AMMO
We’d love to show you a
perfectly mushroomed cop-
per projectile, recovered
from just under an animal’s far side
hide. But Barnes’ TTSX bullet is one
penetrating mofo and keeps right on go-
ing after wreaking all sorts of internal
havoc. We wanted a round that would
provide enough horsepower to take
down a grizzly, in case we were forced
to shoot one that contested our place on
the food chain and the 168-grain gave
enough safety margin to do just that.
www.barnesbullets.com
8 9
PACKS
Short of a pocket sherpa
(just add water!), there’s
no easy way to carry
caribou quarters across lumpy, knee-
wrenching tundra. SJK Tactical’s Rail
Hauler made light of heavy work and
is highly recommended for any time
you need to pack out game animals.
We teamed it up with our dry bags to
make a large-volume, easy to handle
backpack, but you can use their optional
roll-top bag to achieve the same goal.
Good kit.
www.slumberjack.com
5
PERSONAL
LOCATOR BEACON
While our objective was
to get away from the 24/7
connectivity of the modern world,
having a lifeline meant sleeping a little
easier. The SPOT Gen3 personal locator
beacon allows first responders to locate
the exact pile of Mr. Bear’s poop you end
up in, so long as you hit the SOS button
before entering his digestive tract.
www.findmespot.com
RATIONS
Rationing was a combina-
tion of MREs supplied by
Crazy Mike’s Surplus and
Mountain House freeze-dried meals. We
had the luxury of space and capacity
in our Cessnas, so food was never an
issue. If you’re trying to cram everything
into a Super Cub, then go with the light-
est, most calorie-dense options.
www.crazymikessurplus.com
www.mountainhouse.com
10
ALASKA BOUND
5
GPS
When you’re 150 miles from
the nearest road, naviga-
tion becomes somewhat
important as hitching back to camp
ain’t going to happen. We used a Gar-
min GPSMap 64st as recommended and
supplied by Lt Col (Ret) Joe Strohman
at Strohman Enterprise, and had no
complaints with its performance.
www.strohmanenterprise.com
10
TENTS
The MSR Stormking
five-person tents
we used provided
luxurious accommodations — though
we admittedly only used a fraction
of their capabilities. Huge vestibules
allowed sensitive gear to stay out of
the elements and their five-pole design
shrugged off the near-constant wind.
www.cascadedesigns.com
8
 CAREER SPECIAL FORCES
INSTRUCTOR FRANKIE
McRAE PREPARES
PEOPLE FOR THE “THREE
BATTLES” THEY’LL FACE
IN A FIGHT FOR THEIR
LIFE AND REFLECTS ON
HOW AMERICANS CAN
SAVE THE WORLD.
STORY BY DAVID REEDER
PHOTOS BY DAVID REEDER AND RAY PARK
2 3
IS SUE

118
REC O ILW E B .C O M
“You’re gonna meet your maker one
day,” Frankie McRae tells everyone
gathered on the firing line. “Can’t be
afraid to do that.”
It’s a funereal way to begin a period
of instruction. It comes before a safety
brief, it comes before an explanation
of courses of fire, it comes before any-
thing else. The solemnity is reflected
on the attentive faces of his students.
“You have to have
the conviction to
fight and to win. In a
fistfight, expect to get hit.
If you’re in a knife fight, expect
to get cut. If you’re in a gunfight, ex-
pect to f*cking get shot. If you have to
fight — fight. You have nothing to lose
at that point.”
McRae of Raidon Tactics is a fiercely
intense but affable man who never
seems completely at rest. He’s certain-
ly never still. His instruction is pointed,
fast, and based on a long career as
a special operations soldier. It leaves
students motivated, intense, and (for
some at least) a little off balance, like
they just stepped off a roller coaster.
Originally from Wilmington, North
Carolina, he’s a firm believer that
things happen for a reason and will
unabashedly tell you training others
is his calling. A former Green Beret
medic, Frankie’s primary specialty
is 18D. Combat engineer (18C) is
his secondary MOS and as a team
sergeant he was also an 18Z (Special
Forces senior sergeant). Among his
various schools and qualifications are
scout swimmer, Level 2 sniper, rescue
swimmer, HALO jumper, SFAUC (Spe-
cial Forces advanced urban combat)
instructor, driving instructor, and many
others.
He was an exchange instructor at
the Israeli Counter-Terrorism Course
and has appeared as an expert witness
in homicide cases, including soldiers
hemmed up by the Army for shootings
conducted on missions.
When McRae teaches, he frequently
focuses on the fighting instead of the
specific weapon system. Some involves
what he refers to as the PRA system
— Perceive, Recognize, and Acquire or
Act, a way to train people to cut an op-
ponent’s OODA Loop. He teaches with
a shock knife when training for blades
and a shock collar when teaching other
weapons — it works just as well on hu-
mans as it does canines. It’s a kind of
operant conditioning, and he describes
it as the basis for the training of all
combat soldiers, particularly in special
operations. He uses it to train people
in tactics that allow them to fight by
themselves, rather than in a group, or
what he calls an “action figure set.”
“When you’re in your home, you’re
by yourself,” he says, still subtly but
constantly in motion. “You’re not part
of a four-man action figure set. You
have to clear your house by yourself.”
Later, in a comfortable but austere
office with a number of half-destroyed
dog toys on the floor, he leans back in
his chair to explain. Two Belgian Mali-
nois alternately sprawl on the floor or
try to climb in his lap while he’s talk-
ing. It’s clear one or both would crawl
across his shoulders and lay there like
an old lady’s stole if he’d let them.
RECOIL: OK, your career — let’s start
with what you do now and talk about
your military service later. You take
your responsibility as an instructor very
seriously. In fact, you describe it as a
calling. Explain that.
Frankie McRae: So, I was out on the
range during an Infidel Gunfighter
League match … and, literally I got
this feeling, your job is to train other
people to fight. I’m not an evangelical
Christian, but I am pretty religious. I
honestly think everybody needs to have
the basic skills to defend themselves.
The world is getting more evil. You as a
citizen of America have a responsibil-
ity, given to you by your birthright of
being an American. Part of that is to
be prepared and be self-reliant. I have
a calling to teach as many good people
as I can how to fight, and I’ve got to
live with the fact that those people have
got to leave me and defend themselves
somewhere else. Being my friend
doesn’t help you at all if you’re halfway
across the country or around the world
if I’m here. There’s nothing I can do
for you here. I’ve lost students, I’ve
lost teammates, and one thing you ask
yourself as an instructor is, “Did I teach
him everything he needed to know?”
You teach utilizing “operant condition-
ing” and you use not just shock knives,
but sometimes shock collars. Can you
explain that?
FM: I do. They’re a great tool. Operant
conditioning provides the basis for the
training of combat soldiers, especially
special operations soldiers. It’s the form
of training we use for K9s. We give two
kinds of feedback — negative and posi-
tive. But here’s the deal, it’s not what
you think. Negative feedback can some-
times be good. If I’m applying pain or
pressure and I take it away once you’re
doing something right, you’re going to
repeat that action. Positive reinforce-
ment can mean I gave you something.
If you do something wrong and I give
you a shock, that’s a positive reinforce-
ment. I can also give you a compliment
— that’s typically what people think of
as positive reinforcement. We integrate
operant conditioning to extinguish
bad habits and generate an adrenal
state, but we don’t want to overpower
someone either. It varies based on the
way an individual student tolerates and
responds to pain. Individual titration
levels will change. That’s why you have
to closely observe the student, and why
I like a 1:5 ratio of instructor to stu-
dents. We use UTMs a lot too, but that
takes a lot of involvement and cost. A
shock collar is inexpensive and easy to
use. I put it on people who consistently
 2 3
IS SUE
make the same mistake, maybe on their
leg. If someone overexposes around a
120 position of cover, they get a shock. It’s
like they’ve been shot.
REC O ILW E B .C O M
The OODA Loop refers to an individual’s
decision-making cycle: Observe, Orient,
Decide, and Act. You use that, but also
the PRA System. What is the latter?
FM: I train people to cut the OODA
Loop. Now the aggressor has to restart
his OODA Loop. Bad guys operate with
what I call the PRA System: Perceive,
Recognize, and Acquire or Act. First,
he perceives weakness in a person,
recognizes they’re not paying any
damn attention, then he acts. We’re
going to use PRA against the bad guy,
but if you don’t have skills inherent in
their decision-making process, they
can’t act past their initial decisions.
That’s why training is so important.
Let’s back up. You were a career
special operations soldier. How did you
choose a career in the military? Did
you always want to be a soldier?
Frankie uses his FM: I always wanted to be a Green
medical background Beret medic, since I was a kid. I had
in every aspect of
a Special Forces (SF) medical ser-
his instruction. Every
geant’s manual when I was 13. Couldn’t
individual is differ-
ent, as are genders. understand a lot of it, but I had it. It
For instance, hip was just something I’d always wanted
structure. Women are
to do. I was actually going to go into the
built differently than
men, so expecting a Army once, and my father talked me
woman to have the out of it — and I’m glad he did. Back
same fighting stance then I couldn’t have told you how things
as a man, he opines,
would work out, but … dad talked me
is silly. “Stance gives
you three things: out of it and we wound up moving down
balance, mobility to Charleston, which is where I met my
and stability. As long wife. Hurricane Hugo hit, I was working
as your stance does for my dad, and I decided to start my
that, it’s a good
own business. Then we invaded Panama
stance.”
that Christmas, and I was mad as hell.
Man, I shoulda joined the Army! But if I
had, I would have joined from Wilming-
ton, not Charleston. I’d never have gone
to Charleston, where I was supposed to
meet my wife. I honestly think that was
the whole point. I’d been recruited by
the Citadel to go wrestle for them and
turned them down because the school
I went to beat them. Then my parents
moved to Charleston; everything kept
FIGHT PROFESSOR
taking me to Charleston. Sometimes
things happen for a reason. If you don’t
let those things happen, well …
But you did end up in the Army, first
in the Ranger Regiment, then in Spe-
cial Forces.
FM: That’s right. Linda and I got
married on a Saturday. On Sunday we
moved to Asheville, North Carolina. I
was working, and I liked the job, but
I wasn’t happy. I just thought, I’m not
doing what I should be doing in life.
Then Saddam Hussein invaded Ku-
wait. The day they said, “We’re send-
ing American troops,” I went down to
the recruiting office.
I said, “Hey, I want to join the Army,
and I want to go to a Ranger Bat-
talion.” They said, “How do you know
about the Ranger Battalions?” Both of
my uncles were in the Army, both in
5th Group, Special Forces, one of them
retired. They told me all about it and
said that’s the best way to get into the
Special Forces where you need to be.
So, I went to the Ranger Regiment, to
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McRae following a
rough night in Sadr
City with a Joint Task
Force.
1/75, and had a great time there. I was
the average Ranger. I started as a ma-
2 3
chine gunner, went to Ranger School as
IS SUE
a PFC, and was lucky enough to be one
of the honor grads for my class. While
in the Ranger Regiment I became a
122 team leader and had some great men-
tors there. I was on the battalion jump
REC O ILW E B .C O M
into Kuwait, which was a blast.
Despite wanting to be SF for all those
years, you said you almost didn’t go
and you came close to staying in the
Ranger Regiment. How is that?
FM: One bad NCO made the differ-
ence. I was an E-4, this was in the
Clinton years, and RRD (Regimental
Recon Detachment) Selection and SF
Selection were within a month of each
other. I was selected for RRD, then
came back and went to SFAS (Special
Forces Assessment and Selection)
train-up and was selected. I was kinda
like, what am I gonna do? I want to do
this SF thing, I’ve wanted to do it all my
life and two of my former squad lead-
ers, former mentors, had gone Special
Forces. Dammit, if they think it’s good
enough, that’s what I’m going to do,
but at the same time I loved being in
the Regiment — then this NCO said I
was being a traitor to the Regiment. I
said, no, I’m not, it’s a career progres-
sion thing, but he told me I was a traitor
… the Rangers, it can sometimes be
a boy’s club, and in particular that
platoon leader. So I said, “F*ck you,
I’m out.” He made my decision for me.
I went SF, went through the Q Course
(Special Forces Qualification Course)
with 112, maybe 120 dudes, and was
one of the 12 guys who made it through
— all Ranger infantry 11 Bravos. Then
I went to 1st Group at Ft. Lewis. I was
originally supposed to be a sniper, but
my orders were switched and I became
an assaulter instead. I was at Ft. Lewis
for a few years in 1st Group’s C Com-
pany, 1st Battalion, 1SFG(A). I was on
Okinawa as an assault team leader for
F team, Troop 1 of the CIF (Combatant
Commanders In Extremis Force, a re-
gional hostage rescue, counterterrorism,
counter-proliferation unit) and deployed
all over the region working with units
like Korea’s 707, Seoul SWAT, and
similar units in other countries.
McRae wrestled in
high school for four Did you spend your whole SF career in
years. He wrestled First Group?
at 145 pounds and FM: No. I’d been an instructor at Spe-
earned an athletic cial Forces Advanced Reconnaissance,
scholarship to Pem-
Target Analysis, and Exploitation Tech-
broke University. The
years he spent train- niques Course (SFARTAETC) for just a
ing with his coach
continue to influence
his teaching today.
McRae does not
worship at the idol
of doctrine or range
lore. Everything he
teaches is based on
actual experience he
or fellow soldiers ex-
perienced and often
learned the hard way
while in combat.
FIGHT PROFESSOR
year before I got orders back out to Ft.
Lewis. Denzil Ames (then command
sergeant major) helped me out and
gave me one more year at SFARTEC.
He said, “Well, you shouldn’t already
have orders, it’s only been a year, but
you did just get promoted.” I was ready
to get back into the war, believe me,
but it was hard on the family. The kids
were just getting used to, you know,
being American. My daughter was born
in Japan. We’d just put my son into
school for the first time here in the U.S.
Later on he asked if I wanted to go to
3rd Group as a team sergeant. I said,
“hell yeah,” so we stayed. I went to
B-2-3, to 3rd Group’s CIF, and deployed
with them as a team sergeant, troop
sergeant major (a troop is typically
comprised of two assaulter detach-
ments and one sniper detachment). We
stood up the ICTF, running missions
with them, and were doing rotations
with the guys from 5th Group.
So … we stayed in Fayetteville. After
that I went to USASOC (United States
Army Special Operations Command) HQ
in R&D, in a special projects team, and
retired from there at Bragg in 2010.
You mentioned that you were fortu-
nate to have many good mentors in
the Ranger Regiment and in Special
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Forces. A couple of those names So, I showed
will be familiar to our readers. For up the next day at
instance, you specifically mentioned 05:00 and … we
Mike Pannone? would go all day.
FM: Yes. Mike Pannone is the single That, I think, is
most professional soldier I ever met in one of the hardest
the Army. schools in the
I was on a SCUBA team in 3rd bat- Army, but he put
talion and he was on a SCUBA team a private from HQ
on ODA 155. I was about to start pre- by a phone with
SCUBA. It starts on a Monday. My wife a number the
goes into the hospital on Sunday morn- hospital knew to
ing, and she has a complication with contact. Five days
her pregnancy. This is how tough my later, she’s still
wife is, she says, “You told those guys in labor, I’m still
you were going to pre-SCUBA and you in pre-SCUBA,
only get one shot. You’re gonna go.” and there’s still a
It was Mike’s team that was running private sitting by
the course. He was the NCOIC for pool that phone.
week. So, I’m about
to do a crossover, and there’s the edge
2 3
of the pool. I’m about ready to pass
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out. As I go to touch the wall I see this
hand stick into the water. I’ve gotta do
a flip turn to go back the other way,
124 this hand grabs my hair and pulls me
up outta the water, and it’s Pannone.
REC O ILW E B .C O M
He says, “You’re wife’s in labor, get the
f*ck out of the pool.” I was thinking,
“No shit she is.” He says, “No, she’s
having a baby, get the f*ck out of the
pool, now.” I think that’s the only time
I ever heard him cuss. So, he has a
private come over and grab me up and
THE MALIGATORS
take me to the hospital. That was the
birth of my son. Mike is good, good
McRae has strong ties to Quality K9 Concepts (QK9C), which people.
breeds and trains Belgian Malinois. The two so often sprawled all
over him in his office are Tig (short for Tigra) and Odin. “Tiggy” What was it like for you in the days
was imported from Czechoslovakia. She was bred to Dutch, the following the September 11 attacks ?
great grandson of Elgos, a dog Frankie describes as “the greatest FM: We were locked down at Torri’s
Belgian Malinois in the history of the breed.” Range 37PSR is set Station in Japan right during Sep-
up specifically not just to accommodate dogs, but to incorporate tember 11 for a typhoon. When the
them into training. For instance the kennels are located not too far planes hit here in the morning, it was
from the range so the dogs can get used to the sound of gunfire. “I about 11 at night there, so we had
am at best a novice trainer,” admits McRae. “I’m a disciple of Matt hours to sit and watch the news and
Hammond. I love it, love working with them. Working with the dogs wait. Like dogs in the kennels, getting
is my therapy.” McRae is on the Board of Directors for H-3 Veteran frustrated. Everybody wanted to just go
Services, a nonprofit that trains canines taken from animal shelters kill everything. But you know what’s so
to be service dogs for veterans. funny; it was September 13 before we
FIGHT PROFESSOR
could go back to work. So everybody
on the team shows up at 05:45 for
PT formation and everybody’s like, We
are gonna go f*ckin’ kill everything.
Then the command sergeant major
comes up and says, “We’re gonna go
run off some steam boys, let’s go.” So
we break up and run just as the sun
is coming up. The Japanese people
were standing out on their porches and
clapping as we were running by. The
Japanese flag, the rising sun? I’d never
seen it before. That day the rising sun
was out. Even the Japanese people
were pissed. It was amazing.
Anyway, here we think we’re going
to deploy in the next three days, and
I remember our battalion commander
calls us up to this little theater we had
up there and goes, “Hey guys. How
long after the Pearl Harbor attack did
we attack Japan?”
We were all like, “Aw, shit, I dunno,”
and he says, “Well, I can tell you right
now it wasn’t three f*cking days.” We
still had Head Start that week, the long
mandatory cultural education course.
It had been on the training calendar
forever. It was the only time the majority
of us could be there. So we sat in Head
Start for a week after September 11.
Talk about being pissed off. It was a hell
of a week. When we went, we deployed
to the Philippines, working against Abu
Sayyef and JI (Jemaah Islamiya).
Now that you’re retired you run Raidon
Tactics and Range 37 PSR. What are
those companies, what’s the differ-
ence, and which came first?
FM: Raidon came first. We started
providing training back in ’08. I got a
business partner and wound up buying
the range sometime later. It was all but
abandoned then, had 15 members. We
put the berms back up, rebuilt every-
thing. My brother helped with a bunch
of it; the pro shop looks awesome. Now
we have 500 members. The range sup-
ports Raidon, which also does security
 FIGHT PROFESSOR

haul around a full loadout for your opens up avenues of egress.

everyday carry. Handgun, knife, cell
phone, keys … sometimes not even a
spare magazine. Why is that?
FM: A good run is better than a bad
stand any day. If you can get away
from it, get away from it. Soft skills
are important. I’m never not looking,
never not conniving. I’m always paying
attention to, “I can use that if I have
to, I can use that I need to.” I was in
a convenience store and a guy came
in to rob the place … all I had in my
hand was a Mountain Dew bottle, so
COACH
ALAN
consulting and business consulting, not I was going to use that. Soft skills are
just tactical stuff. Our guys have been
SEWELL extremely important. A good run is bet-
to Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Bolivia, ter than a bad stand any day. Even if
McRae wrestled
Mexico, and other places. you win the fight, if you die on the way
in high school and
to hospital I still win as the bad guy.
went to Pembroke
Are Raidon cadre also Range 37 PSR
University on a
instructors or are the two separate? You speak of the three battles every-
wrestling scholarship.
2 3
Number three is the legal fight. That
will come. As an expert witness on
more than one trial for U.S. Service
members charged with first-degree
murder for killing Afghani terrorists and
combatants, I’ve seen the aftermath of
the financial burden placed soldiers.
The average cost was $180,000 that
they had to pay out of pocket for legal
defense. If they’ll prosecute a soldier,
they sure as hell will prosecute a civil-
ian if the local government is at all
liberal. There are other legal aspects to
look at as well. The legal use of force
may be justified, but a missed shot
that hits someone else can be devas-
tating to the whole family.
Earlier you said, “A good run is better
than a bad stand any day.” Can you

Whom do you instruct? one faces if they have to fight for their expand on that?
He credits his
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FM: There is some overlap. There are life. What are those, and what do you FM: A good run is better than a
wrestling coach,
some instructors who work for both mean? bad stand because only you know if
Alan Sewell, as being
Raidon and Range 37PSR; some are FM: There are three fights you’ll you’ve prepared for the fight up to
126 unique to each. All of them teach my
one of the most
have to deal with. Number one is the that point. A warrior can only afford
influential people
way, the SF way. Teach the snake to emotional fight. So many Americans to die once. Running headlong into
REC O ILW E B .C O M

in his life, teaching

train and kill other snakes. We teach
him the value of hard
shooting, driving, advanced concealed
work and dedication.
carry, aerial platform shooting … most
Sewell’s 30th and
of what we do for our DoD clients we
final season as a
do for law enforcement and our civilian
wrestling coach
students, with the exception of any
recently ended and he
classified TTPs. We have a civilian
is preparing to retire.
HALO class and just recently taught a
Frankie attended a
static line airborne course right before
reunion to celebrate
the Green Beret Pro Am. We’ve trained
that event with his
just about everybody in Special Opera-
former coach and
tions Command, mostly what they call
early mentor.
“enablers.” We teach hard skills and
soft skills to signals guys, psyops,
intel, and civil affairs … the guys an
SF unit must have to get the mission
done. We use our own range and have
some other training areas. We lease a
1,000-acre farm to run exercises, and
the farmer is one of our role players for
scenario-based training.
Unlike some folks, you don’t typically
are taught it’s wrong to kill. There’s a
difference between killing and murder.
There’s a moral obligation or that reli-
gious part that some people cannot get
past. You have to decide long before
you get into a situation, make up your
mind now not then, that I’m going to
use whatever force I have available to
me to win this fight. You have to have
full conviction in your heart and mind
about survival, that you can wound or
maim or kill. Make it right with your
God and your morals. That’s the emo-
tional/spiritual fight.
The second is the actual physical
fight. It tests your skills and your en-
durance. That’s what we learn our skills
on the range for, why we train with our
weapon systems, our hands, our head,
our teeth … that’s why we teach how to
gouge eyes and bite. You also prepare
for the physical fight with medical skills
and hardening. When you have skills, it
defeat is not only stupid, it endangers
others. That is more important than
self-preservation. If a man has the
jump on you with a gun or knife in your
throat or head, give him the wallet. It’s
only money. Turn away if you’re not
prepared for that fight in the right way.
But if that fight is happening anyway
and there’s no way to avoid it, go down
biting, screaming, punching, kicking,
and anything else you can do to cause
harm. Always pick your battle space,
prepare your defenses, and have a way
out if need be.
What advice would you give to a young
American who wants to be a Ranger or
Special Forces?
FM: You know, Special Forces, a Rang-
er, SEAL, any job in the military — you
need to be able to solve problems.
You need to be physically fit. You need
to be able to look ahead and to plan.
 FIGHT PROFESSOR

in the world than 50 years ago. There

is more greed, more oppression, more
terrorism. America is the only nation
on Earth that can help the entire world
fight this evil. The first way is to elect
leaders who can stand up to evil, not be
a part of it, and to fight the fights that
need to be fought. Some people will
say that the military needs to do that.
I say, as Americans, we all fight that

FRANK MCRAE’S evil every day, by being good citizens

EVERYDAY CARRY
and good examples to the rest of the
world. America has saved the world in
the past. One day we’ll have to do that
McRae tells us his
EDC is most often You’ll need to have focus and motiva- press free speech, the right to practice again. The world is calling on us now
a Glock 19 in an tion. My dad gave me focus, some- whatever religion we want.  and we are not answering that call. 
Advanced Holster times with the belt, but my wrestling All of these things are what others in
Systems rig for coach is the one who showed me what the world want for themselves and their For more about McRae, Raidon Tac-
concealed carry, or dedication and hard work would get children. We don’t need to go and force tics, H-3 Veteran Services, and the folly
sometimes a S&W
me. You need to challenge yourself. If our values on others, but when a people of the “four-man action figure set” tune
Airweight 38+P. “I’m
a big hammerless you’re not challenging yourself, you’re is being oppressed by a government in to RECOILweb.com. We’ll talk more
2 3

revolver guy,” he not growing. You know, that’s what we with no rights of the people to pick about the OODA Loop and PRA System,
IS SUE

says. He carries a would tell any kid, not necessarily just their leaders, we, as Americans, need why Frankie went to a muzzle-up ready
Spartan Blades knife one going into the military. Any kid to be there to free them. Then once and movement position with his rifle
and spare mags while
who wants to be a good human being we’re done, we leave. I used to wonder, after a tour in Baghdad, and how a raid
128 on his motorcycle,
and a good American. Being born an does it seem the world is getting more in Sadr City convinced him to change
but usually not
American is a birthright. Every human evil because we have 24-hour news to boarding house rules (everyone gets
REC O ILW E B .C O M

otherwise. When
teaching, training, or has a calling. God gave us a talent. cycles and better communication? But firsts before anyone gets seconds) when
doing certain kinds It’s our job to find that talent and help I’ve realized it’s not. There is more evil servicing multiple targets.
of security consulting others with it. You can’t be a good
his preferred rig is
American if you’re not.
a plate carrier from
Tactical Tailor and
the Raidon Belt they You said Americans need to be strong
helped develop with and prepared, so that America can
Archangel. “I really save the world.
like the Archangel FM: I believe that as Americans we’re
multi-caliber nylon
in the lowest part of our history. We
holster,” he says. “I
go through so many can keep getting lower, or we can act
guns depending on now to change it and rise back up.
what I’m teaching, so It all relies on our people. We’re Ameri-
instead of switching cans and we were founded on certain
stuff out that one ideals and principles that we as a na-
holster does it all.
tion are no longer following. The Spe-
cial Forces motto is De Oppresso Liber.
It means to free the oppressed. I’ve
spent my whole career trying to live
by that motto. Our country is the only
one in history to have the freedoms we
have — to live without a class system,
to have a government that doesn’t sup-
 2 3
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130
REC O ILW E B .C O M

CAN ONE TAX STAMP COVER A HIGH-VOLUME CAN FOR YOUR .300 WIN MAG AND A SHORTY
FOR YOUR SBR? RUGGED’S SURGE 7.62 PROVIDES THE SOLUTION TO YOUR CONUNDRUM.
STORY BY IAIN HARRISON, PHOTOS BY KENDA LENSEIGNE

It’s not like Michael Dzerdiak set out
to “damn the man.” It’s just that
paying for two cans and waiting for
the Form 4’s to clear on both of them
seemed like such a drag. His com-
pany, Rugged Suppressors, ships the
Surge as a 9-inch suppressor rated to
.300 Remington Ultra Mag levels of
blast and gas volume. The end user
then has the option of unscrewing the
adapter, swapping the endcap over to
the shorter tube, and enjoying reduced
length and weight on another rifle.
The last few years have seen signifi-
cant advances in mount technology
due to new companies entering the
market (Yay! Capitalism), and Rugged
claims their 17-4 PH stainless muzzle
devices will allow the Surge to be
screwed onto different hosts without
compromising security or accuracy.
Following a range session, we saw no
reason to doubt their claims. Using
twin-tapered mating surfaces, the user
has the option of employing either a
flash hider or a three-port brake that
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2 3
131
REC O ILW E B .C O M
threads onto the barrel and is secured
with high-temperature thread-locking
compound. The female portion of the
can then slips over the muzzle device
and the locking collar given a quarter
turn, which engages two arms that
sandwich the locking system.

2 3
For those of us who geek out over
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material specs, this can’s guts are
100-percent Stellite, which means you’ll
burn out several barrels before seeing
132 significant baffle erosion. The downside,
of course, is that super alloys like this
REC O ILW E B .C O M
are expensive to buy and horrendously
difficult to machine, which adds to over-
all costs. That said, the $1,300 MSRP
is reasonable, and in line with others
that offer this level of durability.
RUGGEDLY HANDSOME
such as 5.56 NATO, especially if
the bullet is supersonic. We quizzed
Dzerdiak about the inevitable, cringe-
inducing event that eventually befalls
all cans that are subjected to a life of
mag dumps and hard use, namely the
baffle strike. Rugged stands behind
their products and when the user does
experience a problem, their policy is to
make it good and take care of the situ-
ation, no matter what caused it.
For anyone in the market for a
versatile, long-lived suppressor that
can handle anything
in the .30-caliber
realm and below,
Rugged’s offering
are worth serious
consideration.
MAKE:
Although 1.5 inches and 4 ounces
Rugged Suppressors
might not seem a whole lot at first MODEL:
glance, you really notice them when Surge 7.62
LENGTH:
they’re gone. Just ask the missus. By
shedding its adapter unit and the two
7.5 inches and 9 inches
DIAMETER:
additional baffles it contains, the can’s 1.5 inches
MATERIAL:
center of gravity is shifted closer to Stellite core, 17-4 PH stainless steel mount, 316
the shooter making its absence felt, stainless steel tube
particularly on a shorter gun. While MSRP:
$1,300
sound damping is lessened, it’s not URL:
as noticeable on small-volume rounds www.ruggedsuppressors.com
 BELT-FED.
9MM.
UPPER.
SAY WHAT? FREEDOM ORDNANCE
DEFIES ALL LOGIC WITH THE FM-9
STORY BY IAIN HARRISON
2 3

PHOTOS BY KENDA LENSEIGNE

IS SUE

134
There are certain words that shouldn’t
REC O ILW E B .C O M

ever go together in a sentence. Words

like habanero and Astroglide, or Clinton
and bathing suit. Until Freedom Ord-
nance released their FM-9, you might
have thought that belt-fed 9mm was
one of those combinations, but in this
case, the juxtaposition actually works
better than expected.
Now, there are those who might
believe this to be a superfluous toy,
unworthy of consideration. But hold on
there, Timmy, ‘cause not every gun has
to be over-the-beach capable — no one
is pretending that this is going to be
the next infantry light support weapon.
Some guns exist purely for range fun
and this one is more than ready to
fulfill that role and leaves anyone that
shoots it grinning like a Cheshire cat.
When we first heard about it, we
were prepared to be underwhelmed.
Firearm novelty items tend to suffer
from a lack of development — after

all, why spend R&D dollars when your
customers have low expectations in the
first place? Instead, we were pleasantly
surprised by both the quality of ma-
chining and thought that went into its
design. Our first impressions were of a
gun that was through a rigorous process
of refinement — definitely not some-
thing that was haphazardly slapped
together in a garage machine shop.
Individual parts were nicely machined
and finished, rather than looking like
they were gnawed out of scrap by an
angry beaver. Clearances were tight,
and components moved slickly past
each other with a minimum of friction.
Having had some prior experience run-
ning CNC machines, we’re always on
the lookout for evidence of sloppy tool
paths or poor calibration. Neither were
evident and about the only worthwhile
improvement we could find would be to
radius some of the sharp edges on the
top cover’s perimeter.
While a pistol-caliber belt-fed may
seem counterintuitive, there’s actually a
historical precedent for it. The very first
working example of Hiram Maxim’s ma-
chine gun was a one-third scale model
in 7.62x25, which also by definition
made it the world’s first SMG. While
the FM-9 is not as fin de ciecle drop-
dead gorgeous as Maxim’s prototype, it
makes up for it by being chambered in
a more practical cartridge and has the
benefit of utilizing disintegrating links,
rather than a cloth belt. Because of its
diminutive dimensions, the guys at Free-
dom Ordnance had to design their own
links for the 9mm Parabellum round,
adding significantly to the effort needed
to bring the upper into existence. Per-
forming the same role as a magazine,
i.e., getting a live round into position at
the right time to be chambered, links
face a short, violent existence. Instead
of more or less constant spring pressure
forcing rounds against a mag’s feed
IS SUE
2 3
135
lips, links have to endure being yanked
REC O ILW E B .C O M
sideways at some pretty severe g-forces,
then stopping dead in the space of less
than a millimeter. Strain exerted by the
gun’s feeding mechanism varies accord-
ing to the length of belt that must be
lifted — fire an M240 from a vehicle
mount with a loose belt trailing on the
floor, and if you listen carefully, you can
hear the rate of fire change as the belt
shortens.
With a gas-operated gun, the user
can typically adjust the amount of gas
entering the system to compensate
for different ammunition types. As the
FM-9 features blowback operation,
this option isn’t available — instead
the shooter can either change spring
weights or alter the mass of the mov-
ing parts. To facilitate this, the bolt
features a cavity with a removable
weight; if that’s not enough to get
things working reliably, there’s always
the option of swapping out buffers.
 As the bolt cycles, a roller cam pin at
the 12 o’clock position engages a track
in the top cover, just like in a grown-up
machine gun. This track then transfers
motion in the gun’s X-axis through 90
degrees and uses it to move a pair of
feed pawls, advancing the belt and feed-
ing the next round. It’s a system that’s
been successfully used on just about
every machine gun since the MG42,
only in this case, it looks like the work-
ing parts have emerged from a too-hot
tumble dryer. Forward of the cam pin
lies a feed horn, which rams the fresh
cartridge out of its link and stuffs it
into the chamber, while the empty link
shuffles out the right side of the gun.
Also like a grown-up MG, the little nine
features a quick-change barrel system
— simply depress the barrel retaining
latch, and use the carrying handle to
2 3
school bus, slam around like a fat guy
on a pogo stick, produce way more re-
coil than a tiny round ever should, and
beat on hammer and trigger pins like
they didn’t listen the first time. The
FM-9’s bolt weighs a scant 12 ounces,
and we were initially concerned that it
was going to blow the buffer out the
back of the receiver extension due to
excessive velocity. We needn’t have
worried, however, as much of the initial
push is taken up by the belt-feed sys-
tem, effectively producing a delayed
blowback action and reducing recoil to
almost .22LR levels.
As the FM-9 is not a firearm, it can
ship directly to your door. It also has

rotate the hot barrel to the unlocked

IS SUE

position and pull it out of the receiver.

A note on that bolt. Nine-millimeter
ARs usually have solid bolt-carrier
136 groups that weigh about the same as a
REC O ILW E B .C O M

the virtue of being able to snap onto
any AR-15 lower, even a full auto ver-
sion, should you be fortunate enough
to have access to one.
ROUNDS DOWNRANGE
If you have any time on an open-
bolt MG such as a M249 SAW, M60,
or M240B (or GPMG for our British
readers), then yanking back the charg-
ing handle, raising the top cover, and
flipping up the feed tray will probably
be second nature. If you try this with
the FN-9, you’ll quickly run into dif-
ficulties, as it’s a closed-bolt design.
Unless you manually lock the bolt to
the rear using the bolt catch, its cam
pin winds up in the wrong position to
engage the corresponding slot in the
top cover. Don’t worry though, the
gun will tell you that you screwed up,
as the cocking handle will only move
about an inch before it bottoms out.
Loading is another area where the
FM-9 departs from convention. The
belt is inserted while the top cover is
BELT-FED. 9MM. UPPER.
IS SUE
2 3
137
REC O ILW E B .C O M
closed, stuffing links in from the left
until a couple of detents snick into
place. If you try to lay the belt on the
feed tray with the top cover in the
raised position, most times the belt
sits a little high and produces a first
round misfeed. We struggled might-
ily with this until we actually read the
manual and applied some of that book
learnin’ to our screw-ups. Once you do
what the manufacturer tells you to do,
things go a lot smoother.
While perusing the manual, we
 BELT-FED. 9MM. UPPER.

noticed that the guys at Freedom
Ordnance helpfully listed a number of
ammo types they’d tested, all of which
was 115-grain ball. So naturally, we
grabbed up just about anything that
wasn’t on the list and headed to the
range. It takes a while to tune the gun
to accept various bullet weights, but
we managed to get it to run anything
up to 147-grain subsonics relatively re-
liably. When a stoppage did occur, we
2 3
IS SUE
had to remember not to revert to SOP
and, instead, first lift the top cover
before pulling the charging handle.
As the upper has the ability to shoot
a large volume of ammo quietly and
also possesses a quick-change barrel,
this got us to thinking (which admit-
tedly, is always a dangerous thing).
If the FM-9 were ever chambered in
.22 TCM 9R, the user would have the
ability to launch a 35-grain bullet at
around 2,700 fps and then switch
barrels to shoot 147-grain subs — a
miniaturized, poor man’s .300 Black-
out belt-fed if you will. Which would be
a whole new level of awesome.

138 Magwell insert (above

left) provides a fixed
REC O ILW E B .C O M

ejector and dovetail for

attaching 150-round
nutsack (far left)
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 It’s been a year since we pressed the Ballistic Bronco into
service, so we thought this might be a good time to update
y’all on its progress. It’s hauled steel targets and ammo to
the range, an occasional trailer, and our sorry asses into the
desert and back on several four-wheeling trips. Throughout
its travels, it’s averaged a whopping 7, yes 7, mpg of regular
unleaded — a figure that makes hippies weep.
We’re not sure exactly how many of them there torques
a mildly built 460 big-block turns out, but it’s evidently
sufficient to contribute significantly to global warming and
twist a driveshaft completely off the transfer case yoke. One

HOW HAS RECOIL’S TRUSTY STEED HELD UP of the first jobs we wrenched on this year was to replace

TO 12 MONTHS OF ABUSE? READ ON. and upgrade the factory unit, which gave out on a trip from
Cowtown. Fortunately, we’d already completed the range

STORY BY IAIN HARRISON session and had another couple of vehicles along for the
PHOTOS BY KENDA LENSEIGNE ride, otherwise it would have been a long wait for recovery.
2 3
IS SUE

140
REC O ILW E B .C O M
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 2 3
We’re not sure whether the driveline
IS SUE
failure had anything to do with shred-
ding the tranny’s rear seal, but about
a month after we took possession of
142 a shiny new driveshaft, the usual few
drops of various automotive fluids nor-
REC O ILW E B .C O M
BALLISTIC BRONCO BULLETIN
mally found under old trucks became a
small puddle. Evidently, the Bronco was
becoming incontinent. We’d be inclined
to ignore the problem and write it off
as just another symptom of advancing
years (look on the bright side, it does
its own transmission service), but when
we wound up having to add fluid every
time we hit the gas pump, we knew it
was time to do something about it.
One addition we made in fairly
short order was an ARB compressor to
handle the chore of airing up tires be-
fore rejoining pavement. Hard mounted
to the engine side of the firewall, it
provides enough air to run power tools
and was originally developed for mili-
tary applications, so it’s probably going
to last as long as we need it to. We
stuffed the small collector tank under
the dash, allowing us to hit all four
corners of the vehicle without having
to pop the hood.
If you live in the desert, you quickly
learn to appreciate the value of a cold
beverage. We’d toyed with the idea of
installing a center console between
the driver and passenger seats in order
to increase the Bronco’s available
storage area, but in the end decided
that hydration was more important.
Hence the installation of a Smittybilt
fridge/freezer, which proved to be more
versatile that we thought. Able to run
on both household and vehicle power,
we discovered another use for it on a
 2 3
IS SUE
BALLISTIC BRONCO BULLETIN
144
REC O ILW E B .C O M
recent dove hunting trip when it was
tasked with chilling freshly killed birds.
When you’re dragging a few thou-
sand bucks worth of high-end death
machines around in an open-top
vehicle, you can either post a guard
every time you walk away from it, or
invest in a little security. We bolted up
an Adventure Box from 4 Wheel Parts,
which gives a couple of lockable stor-
age compartments for both handguns
and long guns, as well as swallowing
up a range bag or two. It’s not quite as
convenient as a slide-out locker, but
it’s also about one third of the cost,
which means more money for ammo.
And we like that.
All told, the Ballistic Bronco has
been a fun project and one that’s likely
to spawn others. 2016 might just see
us going a little bigger on the next
build — don’t touch that dial, kids ...
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IS SU E
146
REC O ILW E B . C O M
BECAUSE NOTHING GOOD CAN
HAPPEN IF YOUR GUN ENDS
UP IN A BAD GUY’S HANDS
STORY BY JARED WIHONGI
PHOTOS BY PATRICK VUONG
Police videos and surveillance cameras
have shown us again and again: an
officer in the struggle for his life as a
criminal grabs hold of his gun. These
types of images chill us to the core not
just because cops are society’s guard-
ians, but also because we can easily
see ourselves in their shoes. Having
your weapon taken away by a bad guy is
a scenario that all defensive gun enthu-
siasts should be prepared to prevent.
Weapon retention techniques have
been taught by police academies for de-
cades, but few have ever applied effec-
tive concepts from the Filipino martial
art of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali. Until now.
A question I often pose when teach-
ing a concealed firearms permit class:
Is being armed, being prepared? It’s
certainly a good start, but police and
civilians alike often become victims of
the very weapons they carry. Imag-
ine this scenario: You’ve drawn your
weapon because you initially perceived
a threat of deadly force, only to realize
WARNING! as the situation unravels that deadly
The concepts
force would not be justified. Before
shown here are for
illustrative purposes you can re-holster or re-pocket your
only. Seek a
weapon, you’re in a physical alterca-
reputable instructor
before attempting tion with the weapon in your hand.
any techniques
Situations like this can and do happen,
discussed or shown
in this story. and can evolve into a struggle over
your weapon at the blink of an eye.
Pekiti-Tirsia Kali (PTK) is based
on the application of short and long
contact-distance weapons, both edged
and impact. The principles of this art
train practitioners to effectively apply
strategic thrust and slash angles of
attack offensively, and defend against
the same angles using counter-offen-
sive principles. Anytime someone has
an arm extended toward you, either
from arm’s length or from a closer
clinch position, the principles of coun-
tering this action are consistent with
the principles of defending against a
contact-weapon-based attack. In PTK
this is commonly referred to as the
transferrable methodology principle,
or applying the same techniques and
tactics across various types of close
combat.
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 WEAPON RETENTION 101

THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE:

1 2
CARRY AND EQUIPMENT
The most dangerous weapon (and
the most difficult to disarm) is the one
you don’t know exists. Concealment
in and of itself is the most valuable
level of retention for a weapon. Some
choose to open carry in places where it
is legal. While displaying a weapon in
open carry can be a potential deterrent,
doing so gives up the retention benefits
of concealing your weapon, along with
the invaluable element of surprise
3 4
that can be exploited in a defensive
scenario. Choosing a holster with levels
of retention is also important, especially
for those whose profession requires car-
rying your weapon openly.
I’m aware of recent situations in
which police officers were disarmed of
their duty knives and stabbed. Often-
2 3

times, especially when working in more

IS SUE

hazardous parts of the world, I will

keep my folding knife in my waistband
with the clip behind my belt, rather
148 than in my pocket where it is visible.
5 6

As a police trainer playing the bad

REC O ILW E B .C O M

guy in multiple force-on-force scenarios,

I found all too often that it was easy to
disarm police recruits of their sidearm
during a physical struggle. Often this was
done without them realizing the gun I had
in my hand had came from their holster.
This made me a strong believer in the
importance of a holster with adequate
retention. But too much retention is not
always a good thing either. There has to
7 8
be a balance among secure retention,
the ability to get the weapon out quickly,
and the ability to re-holster quickly while
activating at least one of the retention
levels. There are several good holsters out
on the market that meet this criteria, but
like everything it boils down to training at
the end of the day.

SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE:

PRIMARY WEAPON
In a deadly force situation where With Conrad Bui attempting to wrestle away the gun, Jared Wihongi delivers an elbow and forearm strike to distract and loosen his
someone either has or is attempting grip. Next, he grabs his attacker’s outside elbow, pulls it toward him, and twists into a takedown.
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 WEAPON RETENTION 101

to put their hands on your weapon

1 2
and you reasonably fear for your life,
the fastest countermeasure is to try
to utilize the offensive properties of
the weapon that is being controlled.
With an edged weapon it’s harder for
an assailant to control the weapon, as
grabbing a blade isn’t a great idea.
If your arm is being held and con-
trolled by the assailant, techniques as
simple as switching the weapon to your 3 4
support hand can turn the tables fast.
For a firearm, this means to orientate
your muzzle toward your assailant and
pull the trigger as soon as a target
presents itself. Aim center of mass,
but that doesn’t always mean center of
mass of the torso. It could be center
mass of the leg or arm for example.
Sometimes simply pulling your weap- 5 6
on aggressively away can force the
2 3

muzzle to orientate directly toward the

IS SUE

assailant. It’s important to be keenly

aware of the properties of your firearm,
so you know what will happen if the
150 weapon discharges while someone is
holding the slide/barrel. Sometimes
REC O ILW E B .C O M

a malfunction can be induced in the

weapon before you have the opportu-
7 8
nity to discharge it, and knowing how
to fix it quickly, with one hand if neces-
sary, can be a life-saving skill.

THIRD LINE OF DEFENSE: TRAN-

SITION TO SECONDARY WEAPON
Two is one and one is none. Sound
familiar? If not, you should make
this a code to live by with regards to
certain items of everyday-carry (EDC) 9
equipment. As it applies to weapon
retention, I’ve found that oftentimes
the most effective way to protect your
weapon once a bad guy has a hold of it
is to lock that weapon in and transition
with your free hand to another weapon.
In force-on-force scenarios where the
bad guy is strong and intent with his
When Conrad Bui draws a knife, Jared Wihongi grabs the knife
energy, this tactic seems to work best. hand while simultaneously unleashing a palm strike. He then
What does it mean to “lock the If a bad guy grabs your gun instead of your hand, do not draws his concealed pistol. When Bui recovers and grabs his
attempt to duck underneath his arm to break free. Why? hand, Wihongi ducks under his arm and stands up, releasing Bui’s
weapon in?” In Pekiti-Tirsia this is the
Because you’ll end up pointing the muzzle toward yourself. grip and letting him get his muzzle pointed in the right direction.
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 WEAPON RETENTION 101

1 2

DRAWING TOO SOON: In extreme close quarters where you are

reacting to a threat, reaching for your weapon too soon can leave
you exposed and vulnerable to the attack you are trying to defend
against. Think self-preservation first, then present your weapon.

DRAWING TOO SLOW: Once you find an opportunity to draw

your weapon after reacting to a threat, your window may be
narrow so you need to be able to get your weapon out fast. If you
need two hands to access your weapon quickly, that won’t work if 3 4
you have to actively defend with one of them.

DRAWING HIGH PROFILE: In a close-quarters situation where

you are not the focus of the initial attack, drawing your weapon
in a high-visibility manner can divert the attention to you. Being
able to draw your weapon surreptitiously can help you maintain
that essential element of surprise.
2 3

NOT PROTECTING THE DRAW: At close-quarters, an assailant

IS SUE

can easily jam your draw stroke and control your weapon before
it has even come to bear. Drawing from a balanced and protected
152 position with weapon side away from the assailant is important.

NOT DRAWING ON THE MOVE: When time and space permits,

REC O ILW E B .C O M

knowing how to draw your weapon and get it into the fight while
moving to a position of advantage can be a life-saving skill.
Movement may be toward cover, concealment, obstacles, escape
routes, advantageous angles, or simply to create distance.
If both your hands are tied up, use your other
natural weapon systems. Here Jared Wihongi strips 5
Conrad Bui’s grip by using his knee.

principle of trapping, an essential skill in
any close-quarters weapons-based fight-
ing system. In the context of weapon
retention, this is easier with a long-gun,
but certainly possible with a pistol.
The simplest and most effective way
to do this is to push the weapon to the
assailant and pin it to his body or push
the weapon straight down, making sure
to keep the muzzle oriented away from
your body. The weapon may end up
being pointed down, up, or across the
assailant’s body. It may not reach the
assailant’s body if they are pushing
back toward you, but the key is that
the weapon is locked in a static posi-
tion temporarily with the muzzle not
pointed at you. If the weapon is still in
the holster this can be a little easier,
just push on an angle down and toward
your body to keep the weapon from
coming out of the holster.
Once you have your primary weapon
trapped, you may have only a narrow
window of opportunity to access another
weapon and get it into the fight. The as-
sailant’s focus on your primary weapon
will typically leave them exposed to purpose will require some pre-planning
attack from your secondary weapon. and training on your part. I recently
What is a realistic secondary weapon spoke with a Miami Dade police officer
to carry? If your primary weapon is a who had done just this during a struggle
long-gun, your secondary may be a with a suspect over his handgun. The
handgun. Certainly one of the most ef- suspect was much bigger than him, and
fective and practical secondary weapons during the struggle he was able to lock
for civilian EDC purposes is a tactical in his handgun, get his folding knife out
knife. Carrying and using a knife for this and open with his support hand, and

successfully cleared the suspect from
his weapon using the knife.
Application of a knife for weapon re-
tention should be kept as simple as pos-
sible. The fundamental PTK principles
of identifying available targets works
well in this situation, and then attacking
those targets using thrust and slashing
angles. Less lethal force can be applied
HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND
OF PTK
Pekiti-Tirsia Kali is a close-quarters combat system that hails
from the Bacolod area of the Philippines. Founded on edged and
impact-weapons principles, this fighting system has evolved
over decades and even centuries to be relevant to the needs
of modern warriors. Subsystems include sticks, knives, double
2 3
weapon combinations, empty-hand strikes, joint manipulations,
IS SUE
and firearms tactics.
While the roots of the art go back much further, it was the
Tortal family who founded the Pekiti-Tirsia system of Kali in 1897.
154 In the 1970s, the current grandmaster of the system, Leo Tortal
Gaje Jr., introduced Pekiti-Tirsia to foreigners for the first time
REC O ILW E B .C O M
when he moved to New York. Since that time it has spread across
the world and influenced many weapon-based fighting arts. In
particular it has been popular with police and military special-
operations units.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jared Wihongi is a specialist in close-quarters combatives,
utilizing a full integration of empty-hands, contact weapons, and
firearms in his programs. He is one of a handful of tuhon or master-
level instructors of the Filipino combat art Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, and is
Chairman of the Pekiti Tirsia Tactical Association.
His 16 years of experience working as a SWAT officer and police
instructor of firearms and defensive tactics have heavily influenced
his training programs. Also, he has more than a decade of experience
teaching his Tri-Angle Combatives (TRICOM) and Sole Operator
Survival (SOS) programs to various U.S. Special Operations Forces.
He’s currently the tactical consultant and frontman for Browning’s
Black Label line of tactical products.
www.jaredwihongi.com
www.survivaledgetactical.com
www.teampekiti.com
by attacking the arms that are holding
your weapon to force a release. More
lethal force can be applied by attacking
higher value targets, like the eyes and
the arteries in the neck.
As simple as these concepts are,
they can be performed most effectively
by practicing drills for ambidexterity
as you’ll likely need to wield a weapon
with your support hand, along with
drills to increase your speed, power,
timing, and precision. Pekiti-Tirsia Kali
is comprised of flow drills that build
these attributes. Don’t underestimate
the importance of training to get a
tactical folding knife out, open, and
into a fighting grip under pressure. I’m
a big fan of “pocket deploy” style fold-
ing knives that open when you simply
pull the handle out of your pocket
with simple gross-motor movement —
knives like the Fox DART knife by Doug
Marcaida or the Vanquish by Browning
Black Label that I helped design.
In the event that a secondary
weapon is not immediately available
and you don’t have a tertiary weapon
option, another important principle of
PTK can be applied: the recognition
and application of improvised weapons
that may be close by. The same
principles applied with a knife can be
applied with an improvised weapon,
but it’s important to understand the
dynamics of impact versus edged
weapons and what targets are most
effective with each.
FOURTH LINE OF DEFENSE:
NATURAL WEAPON SYSTEMS
The art of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali is very
multi-dimensional with a lot of breadth
and depth. In addition to the use of
weaponry, which is where training
starts, empty-hand striking and joint
manipulations based on the principles
of weaponry are also integral to the
art. Although a plethora of techniques
can be found in PTK, it’s the funda-
mental techniques that I find the most
WEAPON RETENTION 101
effective. Because most people do not
train on a regular basis, techniques
have to be functional, retainable, and
based on the principles of gross-motor
movement.
One of the subsystems that is com-
monly practiced is counter-trapping,
or countering an attempt to control
and immobilize your arms. Counter-
trapping techniques translate directly
into what is referred to as in-hand
weapon retention, or countering an
assailant’s attempt to grab and control
your weapon or weapon-bearing limb.
(See the photos in these pages.)
While writing this article, I did a
meet-and-greet with members of the
elite BOPE (Special Operations Bat-
talion) of the police in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. One of their senior officers told
me of an experience he had clearing a
small building where he had to sling up
his rifle and utilize his handgun. While
clearing the building a suspect came
out of a room at close quarters and
grabbed his handgun. He was able to
throw his shoulder into his assailant’s
elbow, causing a hyperextension and
allowing him to orient his handgun to-
ward his assailant’s leg and discharge
a couple of rounds. This allowed him
to regain control of the situation and
take the suspect into custody. This was
a perfect example of using his natural
weapon systems (the fourth line of
defense) to allow for the application of
his primary weapon system at the time
(the second line of defense).
At the end of the day, it’s important
that you don’t become over reliant on
the tool that is in your hand — instead
you need to become the weapon. It
sounds a little cliché, but it’s an es-
sential paradigm shift from the “I’ll
just shoot him” rhetoric that is not
always realistic. A seamless integra-
tion of fundamental distance weapons,
contact weapons, and empty-hand tac-
tics complete the whole, and will make
it impossible for you to be disarmed.
 2 3
IS SUE
In 2003’s The Hunted, Tommy Lee
156 Jones plays a wilderness survival
expert tasked with tracking down a
REC O ILW E B .C O M
mentally unstable government assassin
played by Benicio Del Toro. Even with
a star-studded cast and intense action
scenes, the survival community paid
more attention to the knife carried by
Del Toro, the Beck Knives Tracker.
The knife’s unique design com-
manded attention
and generated no
shortage of ques-
tions about how
WILL THE MODEL G WSK — THE LATEST VERSION well it would perform in real scenarios
OF THE CINEMATIC BECK KNIVES TRACKER — simulated in the movie and in the lives
HOLD UP TO HARD OFF-SCREEN USE? of interested moviegoers. Del Toro
faced a SHTF experience being hunted
STORY AND PHOTOS BY KEVIN ESTELA
by Jones in the Pacific Northwest, but
before the Tracker’s abilities could be
showcased, he was disarmed of it.
In this review, we’ve been armed
with the latest version of Beck’s iconic
tool — now renamed the Model G
WSK with a new modular sheath sys-
tem and companion Scout knife. Keep
up if you can because we’re about to
see how well the modified design im-
proves upon the original, and how well
it will perform in SHTF-like conditions.
BECK BACKGROUND
The history of the Beck Tracker/
WSK knife is a history of constant
testing, evaluation, and improvement.
The Model G is the latest incarnation
improving on chopping ability with a
longer, thinner stock blade, while re-
taining the overall length and reducing
the weight of previous models.
The new design is the result of feed-
back from various search-and-rescue
personnel, as well as survival instruc-
tors and the military. It provides an
additional inch of cutting surface and a
single position handle within the same
overall length as the original Tracker
pattern. According to designer David
Beck, this new model is the best of the
tracker patterns created to date and
the Model G is the version he carries
personally.
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 Since this knife package is meant
to be used, Beck includes a specialty
accessory steel tempered harder
than the 01 steel used in the knives.
Not only does this create an excel-
lent ferro rod scraper, it doubles as
2 3
gybacked to the main sheath. In the
field, this combo can be separated to
distribute the weight between belt and
shoulder carry.
BATONING

a burnishing tool for damaged edges Assuming the “S” really “HTF,” and
IS SUE

should this bad scenario play out.
The tip also doubles as a screwdriver
for adjusting the modular carry sys-
158 tem screws.
The Baldric carry allows drawing
REC O ILW E B .C O M
you are left with only the Model G, you
can fall back on your skills to save your
hide. To test the batoning and sawing
ability of this knife, a full friction fire
kit was carved out of sufficiently dried

either blade with either hand, which cedar. The heft of the knife batoned
is an improvement over The Hunted’s well into the wood and the slightly
small-of-the-back carry that made radiused concave spine made the ideal
The Model G comes drawing with the opposite hand dif- point of impact for a makeshift baton
with a modular GRAB-AND-GO TOOL ficult. As tested, the Model G came to prevent glancing when setting the
carry system made
David Beck has created a new carry with the 8.5-inch Scout knife pig- edge in line with the grain.
of heavy-duty leather
and 8 feet of climb- system for his tracker knife, incorpo-
ing-grade Sterling rating a heavy-duty leather sheath with
tubular webbing. 8 feet of climbing-grade Sterling tu-
bular webbing that creates a “Baldric”
style setup for vertical or horizontal
carry over the shoulder. The carry sys-
tem also includes the smaller yet very
capable Scout (BK018) knife, which
Every bushcrafter has a 4-inch blade made of ǩ-inch-
knows that a survival thick O1 steel. While the Model G WSK
knife must be able to can be used for extended fine cutting,
baton wood to create
the weight discrepancy between the
kindling or useful
slats. The Model G two knives in this system makes using
WSK can do that and the Scout preferable for skinning, gut-
more. After all, the
ting, and fine carving. It also serves as
“WSK” in its name
stands for “wilder- a backup knife should the primary go
ness survival knife.” down or get lost.
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The saw teeth chewed into the ba-
ton with each strike as expected, but
2 3
the “Swiss Army type” saw teeth.
This self-cleaning design is extremely
precise cutting tasks. While making
an A-frame shelter, the saw was used
in the tight confines to trim branches
unnecessarily poking inward.
In situations where swinging a blade
to chop is impossible due to space
restrictions, a saw makes an invalu-
able tool that can save a life. The saw
excelled in trap-making where notches
were cut to hold together pieces of
triggers with strict 90-degree angles.
The thinner 3/16-inch stock of the
knife creates a narrow kerf in the
wood, resulting in less wood wasted
and less sawdust left behind as a sign
of your presence.
The concave radiused section of
the spine is rounded for supported
cuts using both hands with additional
thumb support to clean up rough
sawed through sections. We sawed

didn’t affect performance significantly efficient and cuts on both push and until our hands were sore and tired
IS SUE

as the knife powered through the pull of the saw. The saw section and found the only add-on to help
wood. The saw was used to cut the of the knife is approximately 3.25 the design was a piece of paracord to
all-important notch into the fireboard inches long and intended for small, make a lanyard for added retention.
160 to the center before carving out the
necessary “1/8 of the pie” to give
REC O ILW E B .C O M

the coal the oxygen it needed. The

section of the edge closest to the
handle before the “hook” was used to
carve and give the spindle its round
shape. Not content with just batoning
light wood, we used the Model G on
heavily knotted and grained seasoned
hardwood, including oak, maple, and
beech. It powered through knots and
made short work of small rounds. With
twisted grain, the wood split along
the cutting path the heavy belly made
contact with.
From fireboard to fuel, Beck’s WSK
did not falter in performance. Even
without the fire steel carried in the
modular pouch on the sheath, the
Model G can provide you fire if you
have the skills.

The Model G’s self-

NOTCHING/SAW USE
cleaning teeth can
David Beck experimented with many saw on the push and
serration varieties before settling on the pull.
 MAKE:
DRAW-CUTTING AND CHOPPING
Beck Knives
ABILITY MODEL:
Model G WSK really comes into its Model G WSK
BLADE STEEL:
own when it’s used for chopping and 01 Tool Steel
draw-cutting through material. The OAL:
12.25 inches
large belly (1 inch longer than previ- BLADE LENGTH:
ous versions) and thinner 3/16-inch 7.25 inches
HANDLE MATERIAL:
tapered stock give the knife an excel- Unpolished Micarta
lent combination of mass forward and WEIGHT:
1 pound, 13 ounces
reduced drag through wood. The width
MSRP:
of the blade (2.5 inches from edge $950
to spine at the widest point) provides URL:
www.drbeckknives.com
significant weight behind its edge. The
taper down to 1ǫ inches width at the
secondary grind gives the blade biased
balance perfect for snap cutting.
To test the chopping and cut-
ting ability, the knife was used on
seasoned wood, standing tatami
straw mats, hanging manila cord and
green branches/vegetation. When the Thanks to its blade
2 3

medium being cut was impacted by shape and materials,

the Model G can chop
IS SUE

the belly, the knife dug deep if not all

like an axe and draw-
the way through. When the “hook” in
cut like a chef’s knife.
the blade impacted first on draw cuts,
162 it acted as a shear and cut clean or
The author with
rip cut until the belly of the blade
REC O ILW E B .C O M

knife designer David

took over.
Straight line from hook to tip, the
cutting edge is 5.25 inches long and
when measured along the curve, the
sharpened edge is an extra ½-inch
long. This cutting surface paired with
the thinner stock (previous WSK knives
were ¼-inch thick) and previously
mentioned attributes makes the Model
G an ideal lightweight chopping tool.
CONCLUSION
In the penultimate set piece of The
Hunted, Del Toro escapes out of a win-
dow and flees the urban landscape for
the Oregon woods, all the while being
chased by a team of local, state, and
federal authorities. Sure, this situation
is highly unlikely for the vast majority
of the population, but any number of
grab-and-go scenarios (natural disaster,
civil unrest, or family related emergen-
cies) exists and can force outdoorsmen
Beck (left).
from their homes in a hurry.
As tested, the Model G WSK is a
complete package capable of helping
provide shelter, fire, water, and food in
the wild when your world has turned
upside down. It’s equally helpful on
something less stressful like your next
outdoor adventure.
The sling carry can be worn under or
over heavy layers of clothing and while
wearing a supplemental daypack or
shoulder bag. The knife can be modi-
fied into many configurations in the
field to suit your needs with the pro-
vided metal honing, fire steel scraping,
and screwdriver tool. There is a catch:
The Model G costs almost a G — as in
one grand — but that’s because each
knife is handcrafted from premium
materials and made to order. Still,
if there’s one knife system that can
address all the needs of an outdoors
enthusiast, it’s the Beck Knives Model
G WSK. It can change the odds on who
or what is really the hunted when the
SHTF.
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 WARNING!
The exercises and content
expressed in this column are
for illustrative purposes only.
Consult your physician before
trying any physical activity
or nutritional plan. RECOIL
and its contributors are not
responsible for any harm
or injuries sustained while
attempting these techniques.
2 3
IS SUE

164
REC O ILW E B .C O M

Athletes and beefcakes alike can
sometimes fall into the trap of de-
veloping only “mirror muscles,” the
ones guys look at when they pose in
the mirror (e.g. chest, biceps, etc.).
This means neglecting one of the
most important components of one’s
physique: the back. This could lead to
poor performance at the least and pos-
sible catastrophic failures at the worst,
such as the inability to climb over an
obstacle or to carry a downed partner.
Enter the pull-up.
MASTER THE PULL-UP IN NO TIME WHY IS THE PULL-UP
IMPORTANT?
STORY BY RYNE GIOVIANO
PHOTOS BY JON JANEWAY
Few exercises command as much
respect as the pull-up. It’s a true test
of body weight mastery and one of the
most functional exercises you can do.
There’s a reason why Navy SEAL and
Marine Corps physical fitness tests re-
quire them ... because they’re that im-
portant! Aside from it just being one of
those exercises that everyone wants to
be able to do, pull-ups can be great for
back development and shoulder health.
If you happen to be someone who’s
primarily focused on bench presses and
biceps curls, then evening out some of
that pressing with pull-ups can do great
things for your shoulders and posture.
You wouldn’t want to be walking around
with the posture of a jumbo shrimp.
Pull-ups also build the lat muscles,
which run basically from your armpit
to your lower back. It should be pretty
apparent by the area this muscle cov-
ers that it’s a key player in your upper
body. It can play a significant role in
stabilizing your shoulders, which can
correlate to better groupings at the
range, throwing a punch, or success-
fully bringing down an attacker.
 PULL YOUR OWN WEIGHT

WHAT DOES A GOOD PULL-UP
LOOK LIKE?
We can’t really talk about pull-up
training without first discussing how to
do one properly. First, there should be
no kipping or anything else resembling
a dry heave hanging from the bar.
That’s the perfect recipe for shoulder
problems. The pull-up should be done
under control as to not cause injury.
2 3
Slowing the movement down also
happens to fix many of the common
problems that occur with this exercise.
To do a great pull-up:
Begin in a dead hang position with
your shoulder blades pulled down like
you’re doing the opposite of a shrug.
Grip the bar hard, and brace like
you’re going to take a punch to the
stomach. This may not seem like
much, but this technique alone can
improve your pull-up numbers and
quality.
Keeping your chin tucked back, drive
your elbows to your sides and squeeze
your shoulder blades down and back.
Don’t let your elbows travel behind
your torso.
Pause briefly, then slowly lower your-
self. Stop just short of the very bottom.

Dead hang - right way Dead hang - wrong way

IS SUE

166
REC O ILW E B .C O M

Starting position - dead hang Pause briefly at the top

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 PULL YOUR OWN WEIGHT

and eccentric contraction. What this means is that you’ll get a boost to the top
position, hold yourself there for five seconds (isometric), then slowly lower your-
self to the bottom position in five seconds (eccentric). Once you can complete
five repetitions in a row, you should be able to do one full pull-up. Here’s what
that would look like:

HOLD PLUS LOWERING SETS REPS REST (SEC)

Week 1 3 3 90
Week 2 3 4 90
Week 3 4 4 90
Week 4 4 4 90
Week 5 2 5 90

The pull-up requires a heavy em-
phasis on strength. It’s considered a
2 3
Straight sets are the most common way to program for any type of goal. This
entails simply completing, for example, three sets of eight repetitions. You would
do one set of eight, rest, complete another set of eight, rest, and finally complete
the last set. This is one of the best methods to strength train, and should be the
bulk of your program. The one thing to keep in mind is to vary your training stress
(called periodization) to make sure you’re able to continue seeing progress and

foundational quality because strength ensure you’re not always going balls to the wall in your training. That would surely
IS SUE

is a huge factor in most other fitness impede your progress in the gym. Here’s what a sample might look like:
qualities. Strength will obviously need
STRAIGHT SETS SETS REPS REST (SEC)
to be adequate to complete a few
168 repetitions, but it also plays a signifi- Week 1 4 5 90
cant role in increasing that number.
REC O ILW E B .C O M

Week 2 4 5 90
The stronger you are, the less relative
Week 3 5 5 90
effort it’s going to take to complete a
pull-up, making repetitions easier. Week 4 3 5 90
Grip strength and endurance also
play a huge role in pull-ups. We need
to be able to hold on to a bar or ledge Cluster sets are something a little different that can be beneficial in building
firmly for all of the repetitions you strength and switching up some of the training if your performance has pla-
complete. If 20 pull-ups is the goal, teaued. Cluster sets are basically just like doing a set within a set within a set.
that’s quite a bit of time to be hang- So, for example, you would do a set of two reps, rest 10 seconds, do another set,
ing on. rest 10 seconds, do another set, rest 10 seconds, and finally do your last set.
This constitutes one full set.
SAMPLE PROGRAMMING This is great because it allows you to take a weight you’d normally only be able
If completing one pull-up is a chal- to lift a few times, such as a pull-up plus 25 pounds, and increases that number
lenge, we have you covered. Getting all within a single set. More repetitions with a heavy weight equates to increased
that first pull-up can be the most strength. Here’s what a program might look like using cluster sets:
rewarding, but also the most frustrat-
CLUSTER SETS CLUSTERS SETS REPS REST BETWEEN REST (MIN)
ing if it’s been a while and you haven’t CLUSTERS (SEC)
achieved it. We’ll first look at what a
Week 1 4 4 2 10 2
program would look like for someone
who is unable to complete his or her Week 2 4 4 2 10 2
first pull-up. Here, we’re going to break Week 3 4 4 2 10 2
down a muscle contraction, and focus
Week 4 3 3 2 10 2
on two of the three parts: an isometric
 PULL YOUR OWN WEIGHT

Grip strength can be a key player in
pull-ups, and can be one of the main
reasons why you can only do a few.
This gets even more important the
more repetitions you are able to do.
Luckily, training the grip is pretty sim-
ple. We’ll use two exercises to focus
on the grip, farmer’s carries and dead
hangs from a bar. For the farmer’s
carry, just grab two heavy weights and
go for a walk.
The dead hang is exactly what it
sounds like: hanging from a bar in the
correct position outlined above.
Here’s an example of how you would
program for those two exercises. You’ll
complete the farmer’s carry for three
sets before moving to the dead hang.
CONCLUSION
It may seem daunting to get your first
bodyweight pull-up, or maybe it’s getting
to double-digits that seems out of reach.
More often than not, if you haven’t been
successful in getting more pull-ups, you
need to prioritize them more in your train-
ing. Using the aforementioned techniques
should push you up to that next level.

WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4

GRIP STRENGTH SETS REPS SETS REPS SETS REPS SETS REPS REST

Farmer’s Carry 3 40 yds 3 40 yds 3 40 yds 2 40 yds 60 sec

Dead Hang 3 20 sec 3 25 sec 3 25 sec 2 30 sec 60 sec
2 3
IS SUE

170
REC O ILW E B .C O M

ABOUT
THE
AUTHOR
Ryne Gioviano is a
frequent contributor to
our sister publication
RECOIL OFFGRID
magazine and the
co-owner of Welligee
Personal Training &
Lifestyle located in
Naperville, Illinois.
He holds a master’s
degree in exercise
physiology and is
certified through the
National Strength
and Conditioning
Association. You can
find more information
at www.welligee.com.

Farmer’s carry Dead hang

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WELL, MAYBE YOU’LL WANT TO READ
SOME COOL ARTICLES ONLINE TOO
BY DAVID REEDER

I’m just curious if anybody is actually reading this or if I’m wasting my time.
So, to that end we’re going to start giving some stuff away every issue. Not
tactarded inconsequential crap like you’ll see on some halfwit’s Instagram
page (“one random person who reposts will win a Condor magazine pouch
in UCP pattern!”). No, we’re going to shamelessly exploit our friends for loot
you’d happily blue falcon your friends to win. However, in a blatant attempt
to ensure you read this whole damn thing I’ll wait till the end to post details.
The other big news for this issue is not SHOT Show, nor is it uncon-
firmed reports that Rep. David Cicilline (D, Rhode Island) actually enjoyed
a leucotomy before running for the U.S. House of Representatives and
has been following a daily regimen of window licking since then. No, the
big news for this issue is our new relationship with Primary & Secondary
Forum and Ed’s Manifesto.
2 3

P&S is an outstanding online resource that somehow manages to have

IS SUE

almost none of the drama or derpitude so many other forums contain. Its
Facebook groups are well moderated by Matt Landfair and his staff, with
daily discussions worth reading.
172 Ed’s Manifesto is a blog run by Ed Calderón, a security specialist from
south of the border who spent many years working PSD, counter-narcotics
REC O ILW E B .C O M

and anti-abduction work in some of the worst places in Mexico. He teaches

(and more important for us, writes about) anti-kidnapping procedures, “es-
capology,” urban movement and assorted other hard and soft skills. This is
a guy who takes the term immersive training seriously — which is why some
of his courses are actually taught in some of the worst barrios in Mexico.
Anyway, yeah, he’s now one of our contributors on RECOILweb. That’s
awesome for a number of reasons, and not least because he said he’d
hook me up with some really good tequila.
Now, back to the first piece of loot I’m gonna hand out to shamelessly
bribe you into reading my column each month. This is a 5.56 NATO, 16-
inch, carbon-fiber composite AR pattern rifle barrel from Proof Research.
It’s been described as the most accurate rifle barrel on the planet. Not
being a dude who can ring steel out at stupid let’s-drive-down-to-check-
the-target-it’s-too-far-to-walk distances I can’t swear to that, but I do
know dudes like Daniel Horner and Frank Proctor use them, so check out
RECOILweb.com/23-contest if you have the slightest interest in putting
this thing on your blaster. You’ll have to go direct, we’re not going to link it
through the news feed.
It will suck if none of you read this and enter, but at least I’ll get to
keep the barrel.
That’s it for now. Go forth and conquer.

Grab your smartphone, tablet, or laptop and head

to RECOILweb.com for more exclusive content.
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 PRESENTED BY 5.11 TACTICAL & THE CREATORS OF

DAE’S CSASS
AIMING FOR
THE ARMY’S
SNIPER
ARSENAL PG. 28

WINTER
CCW
EXTRA CLOTHING
DOESN’T HAVE TO
SLOW YOU DOWN
PG. 04

SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS
DON’T FIND OUT THE HARD
WAY WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW
PG. 10

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CONTENTS
003 EDITOR’S LETTER
004 WINTER CCW
Extra Clothing Can Slow Your
Draw Down. Watch What
Happens When We Shoot 010
Through Our Clothing. 016
010 THE GOSPEL OF
SOFT SKILLS
Situational Awareness That
Could Save Your Life

016 NEW PRODUCTS

The Latest and Greatest Gear
from 5.11 Tactical

020 TRUCK TEETER

TOTTER 004
Don’t Wait Until You’re a
Cliffhanger to Learn Vehicle
020 024
Recovery

024 5.11 TACTICAL

COVRT INSERT
Always Be Ready, Never Be
Noticed

028 DARK HORSE

DAE’s CSASS is Gunning for
the Army’s Compact Sniper
System Contract.

028
EDITOR’S
LETTER
Welcome to Loadout, the third in our series
of collaborations with 5.11 Tactical. Like
its predecessor, this additional content is
bought and paid for by 5.11, but instead of
an in-your-face ad, they opted for something
a little more daring and useful based on the
kind of stories RECOIL is known for.
In it, you’ll find a rundown on the new
CSASS rifle from DAE — it’s unusual to find
a small company taking a run at a large gov-
ernment contract and going up against the
big dogs, but their submission is definitely
worth a look. Long-time RECOIL contributor
Keith Wood examines options for winter
concealed carry and manages to destroy a
couple of perfectly good 5.11 jackets in the
process while Danny “Gator” Pritbor provides
insight on how to stay safe while working
abroad — lessons that are just as applicable
to the U.S.
I’m writing this while en route home from
Turkey after a nine-day assignment and before
heading out, I was fortunate enough to get to
edit Reeder’s piece on the world according to
Gator. While overseas, the U.S. embassy in Is-
tanbul around the corner from our hotel issued
a warning to stay away from the compound, as
they’d received intel that suggested they were
about to be hit. This was the week after Turkey
had splashed a Russian SU24 and two bomb
attacks had been carried out on public trans-
port, so the security forces were a little edgy.
Having a plan B that involved other friend-
ly consulates (plus a map, GPS, E&E kit, and
two grand in cash) was both reassuring and
a direct result of being reminded that even
in a friendly country, things can go sideways.
Being responsible for your own safety isn’t
paranoia — it’s common sense.

Iain Harrison

511TACTICAL.COM 3
4 LOADOUT
EXTRA CLOTHING CAN SLOW YOUR DRAW DOWN. WATCH WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN WE SHOOT THROUGH OUR CLOTHING. BY KEITH WOOD
Carrying a concealed handgun for
defensive purposes isn’t really a part-
time activity — you either carry every
day or you’re not really serious about
it. Carrying a gun 365 days a year
means rain or shine, warm weather
or cold. And while winter where I live
means just enough cold to put on
a jacket (thereby making conceal-
ment easier than the usual T-shirt),
carrying in real winter clothes is
something to think about. When you
start adding layers of clothing to fight
winter weather, don’t assume that it
doesn’t change the way you carry,
draw, or even shoot your handgun.
Let’s start with the obvious: When
you have more than one layer of
clothing between your gun and the
rest of the world, getting that gun out
in a hurry becomes slower and more
complicated. Learning to draw under
these circumstances and hammer-
ing that skill into your subconscious
mind is crucial if you’re ever going
to do it under tremendous stress.
We all love to train under best-case
scenarios (OWB holsters, cough), but
fights don’t always happen like that.
Put on the clothes you’ll wear on the
coldest morning of the year and do
some practice draws. Did you do it
with gloves? Does your gloved finger
even fit inside your trigger guard? No?
Make sure you tell that bad guy hold-
ing the sideways Glock to give you a
second while you take your gloves off
so you can shoot him.
Dave Starin, director of training
at Gunsite, put it pretty succinctly:
“Everything has a tradeoff. With the
additional layers of winter clothing,
concealed carry becomes easi-
er while accessing your handgun
can become more difficult. Make
sure to spend some dry practice
time presenting and returning your
handgun to the holster while wearing
your winter garb. Keep in mind extra
clothing or jacket drawstrings can
get caught in your holster. Once you
feel comfortable, get out to the range
and practice. You may find it is much
different to present and shoot with
the extra bulk of winter clothes. And
if you wear gloves and carry one of
those cute little pocket pistols, you
may find it is very difficult indeed.”
5.11 makes clothing for just about
every scenario, save for the business
suit, winter wear included. We asked
them to send us some everyday jack-
ets so that we could run through some
drills on the range and put our cold
weather carry theories to test. I enlist-
ed the help of Mike Meehan, founder
of 3 Gun for Vets (www.3gun4vets.
com), to help me out. Mike drives Chi-
nooks when he’s not shooting three-
gun, and he’s a former infantry guy
with lots of time spent in recon and
sniper platoons so he knows which end
of a gun bullets come out of. Looking
like we’d looted a 5.11 showroom, we
bundled-up and hit the range. We tried
two styles of jackets for our testing,
5.11’s Sierra Softshell jacket and the
puffier 5.11 Insulator jacket. These
jackets are purpose-built for people
who carry guns every day. The cut of
the jackets allow room for concealing
a firearm at the waistline and there
are other important features built
into the garments with CCW in mind.
511TACTICAL.COM 5
 Using two of my everyday carry guns,
a Zev Tech-tuned Glock 19 and a Kahr
PM9, we drew and fired from various
different holster positions to see what
worked and what failed miserably.
Dave’s right about there being
benefits — concealing a decent-sized
handgun becomes easy with a jacket
on. A Glock 19 conceals like an LCP
and hiding a duty-sized handgun is
a reasonable exercise. If I were ever
going to carry my longslide 10mm
concealed, winter would be the time
to do it. Here’s the other side of the
coin: Unless you’re used to it, draw-
ing a handgun from under a jacket
with the shot timer running pretty
much sucks. I’m not talking about
the Member’s Only–looking rapist
windbreaker that you wear to cover
your gun during IDPA matches, I’m
talking about an actual jacket that
keeps you warm. Both 5.11 jackets
were awesome, but when you’re
used to wearing polo shirts, a jacket
6 LOADOUT
complicates things. You’ve got to get
that fabric out of the way in order to
draw your handgun, which means one
of two things: either you sweep the
jacket to clear the holster or you pull
the jacket upward. Neither allows you
to draw as fast as you would with just
a shirt on and both take some real
practice to perfect.
Let’s start with the sweep: as you
begin your draw, you use your strong
hand to sweep the jacket far enough
backward to clear your handgun and
then transition to a normal draw. Its
advantage is that it can be really fast,
nearly as fast as drawing without a
cover garment if you practice enough.
The disadvantages are that a) your
jacket has to be open for it to work,
which might not always be practical
in the cold, and b) every jacket you
wear “sweeps” a little bit differently
and, if you miss the sweep somehow
and don’t get the jacket out of the
way, you’re pretty much screwed.
 Pulling the jacket (or sweater, or
vest, or serape) upward doesn’t look
nearly as high-speed as the sweep
and may not be as fast, but it pretty
much works with whatever you’re
wearing and it’s also pretty much
impossible to bugger-up. This is done
just the way it sounds; you bring your
support hand across to your strong
side and grab onto whatever layers
of clothing cover your handgun, then
lift upward to clear the strong hand
to draw the gun. After your gun clears
the holster, your weak hand can come
up and complete the grip as it nor-
mally would. It’s simple and it works.
Unless you’re wearing Ralphie’s broth-
er’s jumpsuit from A Christmas Story,
yanking hard enough upward will get

511TACTICAL.COM 7
 through the pocket and access an wedged between the barrel hood and
AIWB handgun and shoot directly the breech face, and it took two of us
through the fabric. As much as I to get the gun untangled.
hated to shoot through the shiny-new The good news about shooting
(and free) jackets, we had to try it. from your pocket is that you don’t
We started with the Sierra Softshell lose any brass, the bad news is that
jacket and the G19. Loaded with it doesn’t always work. We learned
a full mag, I drew the pistol and that there’s an art to shooting a gun
dumped a quick five rounds into the from inside a pocket, which means
A-Zone of an arms-length USPSA you have to be aware of the gun’s
target. The gun stovepiped after the position in relation to the fabric and
fifth round, as the pocket was likely allow it some room to work. Personal-
retarding the movement of the slide. ly, I’m not sure that this is something
We tried it again with the left pocket that I could count on doing effective-
and the gun ran fine. ly under stress. In my experience,
I put on the heavier Insulator jack- the way to use the RAPIDraw pocket
et and broke out the Kahr, thinking effectively (if the situation demands
that the smaller dimensions of the it) is to reach through the pocket to
gun would work better in the tight draw the gun and then fire it from the
confines of the pocket: wrong an- larger dimensions of the abdominal
swer. The Kahr stovepiped after the area of the jacket, which should give
first round and, when we switched the slide more room to cycle. If you
pockets to try it again, things went really, really want to shoot through
just about anything out of the way even further downhill. After a single your pocket, practice a bunch or get
and allow for an effective draw. I shot, the fabric of the pocket became a J-frame revolver.
guess now is a good time to mention
a conclusion that I drew during this
testing: the advantage of appendix
carry when wearing lots of layers.
Since it’s so easy for the weak hand
to clear the clothing without coming
all the way across the body, appendix
carry is a good option when wearing
lots of clothing. I’ve not done much
AIWB carry in the past, but I may
give it a try this winter based on these
observations.
So we’ve determined that getting
the gun out from under a bunch of
layers isn’t easy, but, wait — what
about shooting through the jacket?
Isn’t that the fastest of them all?
Funny you mention that. Both 5.11
jackets that we tested featured
RAPIDraw pockets to allow you to do
just that. The pockets are zippered
on the inside, so that you can reach

8 LOADOUT
 The most disappointing thing
about shooting through perfectly
good jackets is that they don’t burst
into flames or blow massive amounts
of insulation across the range. We
even “concealed” a Remington Versa
Max 12-gauge in the Insulator jacket
and were underwhelmed when we
blew a very small hole through the
fabric. Determined to make Primaloft
insulation fly like snow, we finally
hung the jacket on the target frame
and gave the birdshot enough room
to spread out. Mission accomplished.
The most important takeaway
from our testing is that you can’t
simply throw on winter clothing and
expect the same performance when
it comes to drawing and shooting
a handgun. It sucks, deal with it.
There are no hard and fast rules
for winter carry except the same
fundamentals that apply elsewhere:
train like you fight. If you wear three
layers in January, draw and shoot
with those layers until you can’t get
it wrong. If you wear gloves, shoot
with gloves. Don’t throw mindset
away when the weather turns bad,
either. It’s easy to walk around with
your head down and your hood on
when it’s cold, windy, and icy, but
what do you think that does to your
situational awareness? Grab some
sack and keep your head up or move
someplace warm.
511TACTICAL.COM 9
 SITUATIONAL AWARENESS THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
BY DAVID REEDER
PHOTOS BY WODHAWK
The Gospel of Soft Skills, if you’ll
forgive the liturgical reference, is
how we refer to the tenets of what
Firebase Combat Studies Group
(FBCSG) preaches to its students.
They are unabashedly dogmatic
about it. Soft skills are what’s
most often missing in a training or
preparation regimen, particularly for
people traveling in semi-permissive
or nonpermissive places.
FBCSG’s lessons are predicated
on decades of combined experience
gleaned working in some of the
world’s unfriendliest places overseas.
It’s soft skills, says FBCSG cadre
member Danny “Gator” Pritbor, that
are most often what will keep you out
of trouble. This is true whether you’re
a protection specialist keeping a VFIP
alive or just a traveler.
10 LOADOUT
Note the word traveler. This is not
limited to tourists or NGO workers
working within the local infrastructure
in Asscrackistan. This is anyone going
anywhere, though obviously some
places are less friendly than others.
“We are not in the era of trust
anymore,” says Gator, “not even
in Europe. The threat is huge. We
hear very little here about what is
going on. A systematic approach to
high-risk travel begins with a good
understanding of awareness.”
When you think soft skills, think
awareness and observation; a basic
understanding of surveillance (so you
know when you’re being watched); a
comprehension of the attack cycle;
comprehensive journey planning to
mitigate risk; even the ability to per-
ceive improvised weapons, where they
are, and a willingness to use them.
Hard skills, of course, are used when
things get loud and painful — shoot-
ing skills, combatives and the like.
Though one might think of such
survival skills as significant only in
places like Libya or Iraq, they are
vital anywhere someone goes. Recent
attacks in France, riots and arson in
Sweden, and numerous armed rob-
beries in South Africa (not to mention
crime here in the USA) should make
this absolutely clear.
 11
Makarska/istockphoto.com

511TACTICAL.COM

VE
ER
S
OB
CT
A
GATHER INTEL
The Gospel of Soft Skills is
important whether you’re concerned
with the threat posed by Fourth
Generation Warfare, are (rightfully)
aware the next Paris attack could be
right here CONUS, or just know an
attack can occur anywhere. They can
be as mundane as understanding
the OODA Loop and Cooper’s Color
Codes, thinking proactively when
COLOR CODE OF MENTAL AWARENESS
WHITE
PREPAREDNESS SCALE
BLACK
YELLOW
ORANGE
RED
it comes to simple equipment and
travel plans or as seemingly esoteric
as establishing multiple rally points
and counter-surveillance measures
with your whole group.
Here are some things FBCSG
incorporates into the training it
provides NGOs, members of business
organizations traveling abroad, mis-
sionary groups, and governmental or
corporate agencies.
12 LOADOUT
Obtain as much open source intel- in if your taxi begins to take you off
OR ligence as possible. It’s a huge and course. Traveling in a vehicle blindly
I vastly underused asset. Have Google is very bad juju indeed. If possible,
EN
Earth imagery of your destination. have a trusted source there on the
T
Make sure you know the location of ground arrange all travel for you.
allied embassies, the Red Cross, or
other possible safe havens in relation COUNTERMEASURES
OODA LOOP to your hotel or workplace. Study Be careful not to establish pat-
news reports — not from CNN or Fox, terns, especially if you’re going to
but from a source that will actually be there a while. No time and place
tell you what’s going on in the world predictability. We leave out of the
E
ID front door of the hotel and get into a
C
DE
taxi. Can’t change your time? Change
ANCE T
SELEARGE
your exit. Don’t eat at the same place
VEILL CT T
R each time.
SU IO
Staying in a hotel? Don’t stay
N
higher than the second floor; this will
T
LIS
SP OLLECTION
TARGETTIAL
C
make for a quick exit out the window
ECIF
INI
if necessary. Have a crisis plan “on
IC INTEL
file” with someone back home. If
ATTACK CYCLE you have to leave quickly, or events
prevent you from returning to your
SAA N D
ESCDEA
OR
lodging, ensure you know what the
L nearest safe haven is. Make sure your
AP T
ARNG
H N
E
family (and other members of your
AN E
AT TA K PL REH group) know that, if you have to evac-
C uate, you’re headed to that location.
It’s in the next city north, hotel X at
location Y; it should take me 10 hours
UNAWARE - POTENTIAL VICTIM (Reuters is a good one). Many regions to travel to that location.
PANIC will have apps you can use — as an Establish rally points for everyone
example, check out Behold Israel. traveling with you. Pick a good spot
RELAXED ALERT / SITUATIONALLY AWARE
Make sure to monitor any local news near an embassy, for instance. If
SPECIFIC ALERT sources if possible, there’s usually anything happens and we get separat-
READY TO FIGHT OR FLIGHT much better local, real-time informa- ed (as happened to many people in
tion (remember there are many great Mumbai), if chaos erupts, we’re going
sources online and on social media). to meet there at location A. After four
Telemundo is far more likely to pro- hours we’ll move to location B.
vide ground truth in South America Understand surveillance detection
than MSNBC. routes. If possible, limit backtracking
Know your basic cardinal direc- in foreign countries where the threat
tions, specifically between significant is high. Don’t take the same route —
locations. Even if you travel with vary any movement to and from the
a GPS, don’t rely on it. Select key two places most commonly attacked
terrain features — if you know what as much as possible, both to work
direction your hotel is from the airport and residence. Common destinations
or market, you’ll be more likely to clue are also particularly vulnerable. Know
how to make a cover stop to see if
you are under surveillance, whether
it’s by hostiles or the local authorities
(which it very well could be, even in
“friendly” countries).
Know how the attack cycle works.
Hostiles develop an initial target
list, conduct intel and information
collection, and then target selection.
Once the target has been selected,
they conduct specific intel collection,
planning and rehearsal, and plans
for escape and/or death (the latter in
the case of jihad). Understanding the
attack cycle will make it easier for
you to be a hard target.
“With a good foundation of situa-
tional awareness, you can do a great
deal to mitigate attacks,” Gator says.
“If you can spot the bad guy(s) in the
surveillance part of the cycle, you can
harden yourself as a target, perform
various ‘head fakes’ so to speak.”
Take a class that provides familiarity
training on foreign weapons (semi-au-
tos, rifles, etc.). You should know how
to use what might be encountered in
a foreign land: an AK, FAL, PPSh, or
Type54. There have been documented
cases of prisoners being handed an AK
by a guard to hold while he was doing
something else.
Learn how to get free of such
restraints as duct tape, zip ties, flex
cuffs, and rope. This is taught during
FBCSG’s “personal recovery” portion
of the class. Sometimes it’s better to
know when not to fight. In extreme
cases (i.e. where you are outnum-
bered), offer your hands as a soft PEOPLE WATCHING
target so they tie your hands in front
Simple but effective exercises in awareness and human behavior can be practiced just about anywhere. For example, the “People
of you. Understand their end game, Watching Drill.” When you are in the restaurant having dinner, look at the people around you. See if you can pick out who just met
what they’re going to do and why. and are just getting to know each other (i.e. lots of smiles and good behavior). Pick out the tension, who is fighting and not having a
Perhaps it’s better to comply ahead good time. Learn the anomalies — if your gut tells you something is wrong and out of place, then go with that. Action typically beats
now so you don’t wind up smashed inaction, be ready to move at the first sign of a problem. If the option is fight versus flight, then fight. Think, just because you may not
in the face and hogtied. Now their have a firearm (OCONUS) does not mean you are out of the fight. Look for improvised weapons, get to work if needed.
guard is lowered too.

511TACTICAL.COM 13
 STAYING PUT
Know when not to go. When Gator

REAL- was going to location X, he start-

WORLD ed tracking Facebook pages from

EXERCISES
indigenous instructors and local
organizations because they post a lot
Here is an example of of stuff on their pages. They track
where the Gospel of Soft and monitor what’s going on to make
Skills can be applied. the assessment. You must be willing
It is a simple example, to understand and accept when not
but totally real world. to go. Don’t go to a place blindly.
You have parked and are Thailand’s a great place to hang out,
about to enter the mall.
right? The king is 87 years old. If he
On your approach you
dies things will go sideways quickly.
spot two men sitting
Equipment considerations are
in a car who just seem
out of place. They are equally important. Unfortunately
hyper alert, paying way many people condition themselves to
too much attention carry what is available or acceptable
to who is walking by, in the USA.
rather than a normal
conversation among WEAPONS
themselves. Not a big In many places you will not be able
deal at this time, so to carry a traditional weapon, so you style on some @sshole (if you under- and don’t stow any of it in something
you just file that info should be prepared to use something stand vulnerable areas). A screwdriver that’s camouflaged or military colors
away for the moment,
improvised. A self-locking carabiner has lots of cover for action and for (but do consolidate the items once
but you are aware they
can be used as brass knuckles or status. It’s easy to explain away to the you get through passport control and
could be in the target
a striking implement, for instance. local authorities. Remember, carrying customs). It attracts attention or can
selection phase of
When you arrive at a location, buy a many items might serve to alert the get stolen. Everyone in your group
their cycle. Upon your
exit, you conduct your cheap screwdriver if possible. This locals to watch you even if they don’t should be carrying one and everyone
normal S/A scan of the will do the work quite nicely if you get you hemmed up by customs. should understand how it’s used. If
parking lot. You see the need to go to work sewing machine Travel with an industrial doorstop. you’re out roaming, a bomb goes off
same vehicle and guys. Gator prefers the Bigfoot brand. You and you take frag, you don’t want to
Now they are slowly can shove it under a door, but better be dependent on the local ambulance
moving through the lot to put two of them under the door service to render immediate aid.
as if they are following spaced out. This will buy you some Keep your first-line and sec-
folks to parking spaces. time if someone starts forcing the ond-line kit with you wherever you
Because you were door. Remember to saw the tip off go, and wear decent footwear. Gator
aware earlier, you have
so when you push it under nothing recommends traveling as lightly as
a bigger piece of the
sticks to be seen (and pushed) from possible without foregoing any of your
picture. They are, more
the other side. basic needs. Keep a daypack on you
than likely, now in the
attack portion of their all the time (again, nothing that looks
cycle. You can now GEAR military). Keep your passport on you
make a better-informed Overseas care in many places is at all times in a secure location to
decision before deciding not up to our standards. Carry an prevent pickpocketing. Do not be in a
on a course of action. IFAK and medical kit, but don’t do so situation where you are forced to re-
in a military-issued IFAK. Separate all turn to the hotel for your possessions
the components into different pieces, if you’re forced into crisis mode while

14 LOADOUT

you’re out and about. Nor should you
have to swap your Jerusalem Cruisers
for boots. Keep essential electronics
(including your laptop, which should
always be with you, even if you’re in
what you would consider a friendly or
allied country (as these can be com-
promised by local services). Remem-
ber to keep laminated copies of all
your travel documents for redundancy
and keep them separate from the
originals. You should have all on your
body somewhere (first-line) and the
copies in your second-line gear.
A final aspect of soft skills is your
mindset when it comes to your hard
skill.
Don’t just work on the latter,
validate them. Exploit every opportu-
nity you have to engage in and learn
from force-on-force exercises and
stressful, scenario-based training.
You need to push yourself to where
you start making errors so you can
identify and correct them.
DANNY PRITBOR
Danny “Gator” Pritbor is a former Marine and
LEO turned contract government security
specialist. He has many years of experience
conducting and leading low-profile, high-risk
security operations in high-threat areas
throughout the Middle East. He conducts
training for a wide variety of clientele, from
NGOs and corporate organizations to the
U.S. Department of Energy, Department of
State Antiterrorism Assistance Program,
and others. His organization, the FireBase
Combat Studies Group, is staffed by vetted
professionals with similar backgrounds.
They specialize in training, equipment, and
operational support for high-threat, non-
permissive environments. They advise their
primary objective is to “prepare, advise, and
equip those willing to stand in harm’s way
to defend others.” The FBCSG cadre has over
six decades combined experience in military
SOF, LE SWAT, and high-threat protective
operations.
Danny “Gator” Pritbor
Firebase Combat Studies Group
(407) 720-3678
www.firebasecsg.com
See some of Gator’s training videos at
www.tactical360.com
511TACTICAL.COM 15
 NEW PRODUCTS WWW.511TACTICAL.COM

XPRT SERIES UNIFORMS

MODEL:
XPRT Series Uniforms
COLORWAY:
Black, Dark Navy, TDU
Green

Ortholite® pad- Sleeve features

ding built right into venting and pen
the shoulders. pocket.

Silent magnetic Abrasion-resistant pocket

closures on flap panel with openings for a
pockets. clip-on knife or flashlight.

16 LOADOUT
Low-profile adjustable waist features a
spacer mesh on the inside for comfort.
Uniforms are often believed to be just standardized clothing
for a particular group or organization so they all look spiffy and
identifiable — not 5.11 uniforms. Operators, SWAT teams, and
military personnel around the globe were called upon to provide
feedback on how their work attire can be improved. Their experi-
ence in the field gave insight on how to create features that didn’t
exist on other brands. Enter the XPRT Series Uniforms. With over
18 months in development, you can bet there was a lot of back
and forth between end users and the RnD team to make sure they
worked … and they do.
Created with never-before-used trim, fabric, and components,
5.11 is reinventing the game for uniform construction. Any operator
out in the field knows that comfort and durability is not easy to com-
bine. With a unique 60-percent cotton/40-percent Cordura® Nylon
blend NYCO fabric, the material is totally robust without being cum-
bersome. XPRT’s ripstop, no-melt, no-drip properties make it ideal
for harsh environments and flash resistance. Add to that a Teflon®
finish for stain and water resistance, and you’ve some seriously well
thought-out gear.
Keeping things flexible and cool was another priority you’ll
quickly realize wasn’t glossed over when wearing the XPRT line.
The XPRT Tactical Shirt and XPRT Rapid shirt feature Ortholite®
shoulder pad inserts with breathable panels and extra padding,
perfect when wearing a plate carrier or outer pack. With seven and
five pockets respectively, you won’t run out of space for the kit you
need to carry. The bi-swing back has a new retracting accordion
design that allows for breathability and tremendous range of mo-
tion. They also doubled down on protection by adding Kevlar®-rein-
forced collars. Articulated elbow pad pockets, epaulettes, a camera
loop, badge tab, and shoulder patches round up the package.
The XPRT Tactical Pants have a low-profile, adjustable waist
with spacer mesh for added comfort and breathability when
wearing a duty or tactical belt, which helps eliminate “hot spots”
on the waist. Reinforced knees include our new D3O® knee pads
for high-performance shock absorption. The pants also include 16
pockets and have 5.11’s TacTec System™, allowing the wearer to
add additional pouches or a secondary holster inside these ergo-
nomic bellowed pockets. Noise reduction was another factor that
went into the development of the XPRT line with magnetic panels
of pockets replacing Velcro. Heavy-duty nylon blousing straps are
also included, capable of cutting through flex cuffs.
Look for XPRT Series uniforms to debut in fall 2016.
511TACTICAL.COM 17
 NEW PRODUCTS WWW.511TACTICAL.COM

Say goodbye to your old friend ALICE.

HEXGRID You’ll also need to let your PALS know
that you’re moving on. Oh, and your
MOLLE? Yup, you can also add that to
your garage sale list. The attachment
platform of the future is here with the
introduction of HEXGRID. This revolu-
tionary technology essentially replaces
the ladder attachment systems of the
past for load-bearing equipment. Using
a tessellation of hexagons, HEXGRID
forms ladder attachments that can be
woven in different configurations to give
you 12 angles of attachment.
5.11’s face time with military and
law enforcement led to discussions
with operators using proprietary
pouches who wanted the option of
exploring the possibility of maximizing
surface area of their kit. It became
evident that angled attachments would
increase the ergonomics of their load
bearing equipment. The end result of
these discussions led to HEXGRID,
which rivals the versatility, strength,
and configurability of any attachment
system on the market.
This laser-cut system combines ma-
terials never before used by 5.11. Its
coated, hydrophobic features make it
stronger than traditional MOLLE, and
the substrates eliminate stress points
in the fabrication. Larger areas of
negative space also give the potential
for increased weight reduction. More
mounting angles means less chance
for single-point failure. Imagine cus-
tomizing your loadout with the preci-
sion that’s been lacking in convention-
al systems. Mag and utility pouches,
specialized gear, you name it. Mount
it the way you want to instead of the
way you had to. Anyone knows that
lost fractions of a second can add up
to big consequences. Now your gear
access will be instantaneous.
Look for it to appear sometime in
Prototype Pictured 2016.

18 LOADOUT
SKYWEIGHT BOOTS

MODEL:
Skyweight Boots
COLORWAY:
Black, Coyote, Dark
Coyote, Sage
MSRP:
$139.99 to $149.99

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were shoes that bridged the gap between
training and fieldwork? Shoes that were light enough to run exercises, but
tough enough to withstand the punishment they’ll actually get when put
through the paces in the real world? Thankfully 5.11 heard this gripe and
acted on it, combining the durability and support that people expect for
on-the-job use as well as the light, comfortable feel of those sneakers you
throw on at the gym or when training in your downtime.
Skyweight Boots tread lightly, meaning you’ll be amazed by how unre-
stricted a boot can feel, allowing you a greater degree of quick movement.
However, don’t let that make you think that 5.11 skimped on the features
that’ll hold up in the most austere conditions. All Skyweight Boots are non-
metallic construction to keep them light. They sit on a full rubber outsole
with fence-climbing lugs, rope and ladder mid-foot lugs, and multiple flex
zones for maximum agility and comfort.
The platform has an 8mm heel-to-toe offset for an accelerated stance,
along with a composite shank, heel brake, Ortholite® insole, and CME-
VA midsole. With side-zip, waterproof, and rapid drain-and-dry options
available, you’re sure to find the right match for your specific needs. Fully
polishable black versions are available to be uniform compliant and fat
“sausage laces” help these cool kicks stay tied. So, if the shoe fits, beat
the hell out of it.

511TACTICAL.COM 19
 DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU’RE
A CLIFFHANGER TO LEARN
VEHICLE RECOVERY

20 LOADOUT
When you lean back in the seat, the
whole truck tilts back. When you lean
forward, the truck pitches forward.
It’s not a good feeling. Your truck is a
teeter-totter.
As you followed your line up the
incline, a few rocks shifted under
your rig and a big one spun out of
place, leaving you in a precarious
spot. With the driver-side rear wheel
hanging in the air and no visibility out
the passenger side, you get the sense
your morning just got complicated.
If you drive a mall-crawler, you
may never be in this predicament,
but if your adventures take you
off-road you could find yourself in
the aforementioned situation or one
similar to it. After all, why else did
you buy the aftermarket bumper and
8,000-pound winch with that slick
synthetic line? Might as well learn
how to use it. Hell, if this takes long
enough you may even get to put
those LED bunny burner lights to
use. Pace yourself there, fella.
Vehicle recovery can be a rou-
tine part of any serious off-roading
depending on your local trails and
conditions. This article will cover
the basics of a two-vehicle winch
recovery. If you may find yourself in
a similar situation, we encourage you
to find a local 4x4 club or adven-
ture-travel company that can provide
thorough instruction and demonstra-
tion of vehicle recovery. Off-road-
ing is inherently risky, and vehicle
recovery exposes you to injury even
more. A rollover, even a “flop” can be
deadly. Buckle up.
511TACTICAL.COM 21
 1 Once you’ve identified that you’re
indeed stuck or unable to move,
raise your other wheeling compan-
ions by whatever comms available. A
HAM license and appropriate radios
are an outstanding improvement
over traditional CB. Alternatively,
today’s FRS radios are quite capable
for general trail comms. Side note:
We’re assuming that you wouldn’t do
something like this without at least
one other vehicle on the trail — don’t
wheel alone.
3 Once you know it’s a winch
recovery, find a solid anchor point.
Another rig (preferably heavier) is
ideal. If all you have is rocks or
trees, find the most appropriate one
(at least 1 foot in diameter) within
a straight line of your ideal recovery
route. Consider whether the pull
could drop the tree. Protect the tree
with a tree saver strap, or if you’re
anchoring to a rock, use the tree
saver to protect your line. One piece
of equipment, two solutions. For our
example we’ll be using the anchor
Jeep to recover the Jeep that’s
stuck downhill.

2 Put it in park, set the e-brake, and

get out to take a look. (Wait for the
heckling to die down.) Can you stack
rocks? How loose is the ground, can
you dig? What are your options? Do
you have time to work it out without a
winch line or are you on a timetable?
What’s the safest course of action?
Take all that into consideration and
then create a plan.

22 LOADOUT
4 Lay out your recovery gear and
start putting the recovery setup
together. Label your gear in advance.
It’s not unusual for guys to pitch in
with their own gear during a recovery;
having things marked helps avoid
confusion later. It’s also a good idea
to mark your recovery straps and sim-
ilar gear with an in-service date.
5 Hook it up and tighten it up.
A. Place a weighted bag (or jacket/
bag/etc.) at the center point of the
winch line. If the line were to snap, this
provides some dampening and a point
for the cable to center its movement
around. Steel cable, recovery straps,
and line can store a tremendous
amount of energy and snapped lines
can cause serious damage and injury.
B. Use shackles to connect hooks to
straps and make sure the hook faces
upward. If the hook fails, you want
it to launch straight down into the
ground, not up into the air. Dou-
ble-check that all your equipment
is rated for the weight you’re about
to pull. Two 5,000-pound trucks
pulling on the same line equates to a
10,000-pound load.
C. Stand clear. Any spectators should
stand well clear of the area. Once the
winch line is taut, do not straddle or
cross over.
D. Block the wheels of the anchor
truck and set the e-brake. Make sure
both vehicles are in four-wheel low.
E. The vehicle being recovered should
be providing careful power to help
ease the load on the winch line. So,
gear down on the skinny pedal.
F. Put tension on the line and start
the pull. Keep tension on the line. One
spotter communicates with the winch
operator and the driver with hand
signals. Bystanders should resist the
urge to shout comments. The driver
and winch operator need to focus on
the spotter, chances are the pucker
factor is edging up there, so avoid
adding drama to the situation. How-
ever, if a bystander sees something
unsafe that the spotter can’t see, use SMALL COVERT INSERT POUCH WITH:
common sense and call out a “Stop!” Recovery Strap in 6x10 Utility Pouch
loudly enough that the spotter is alert-
First-Aid Kit and CPR Mask in 6.6 Med Pouch
Ibuprofen and 5.11 Flashlight in Pistol Mag Pouch
ed and can signal the driver.
G. Once the recovered vehicle is able
LARGE COVERT INSERT POUCH WITH:
to move on its own, be careful not to
Folding Shovel
run over the recovery straps/cables.
VTAC Game Stalker Knife
Gather up and put all your gear back Multitool
in its correct place so you’re ready for 5.11 Scene One Gloves
your next vehicle recovery. 5.11 S+R H2 Headlamp
5.11 would like to thank the Jack- Snatchblocks
son Hole Jeep Club for being such D-Ring Shackles (not pictured)
great hosts.
511TACTICAL.COM 23
 ALWAYS BE READY™,
NEVER BE NOTICED

24 LOADOUT
Thinking tactical and being ready
to deal with austere conditions at
a moment’s notice isn’t always
conducive to looking tactical. The
lives and jobs of many professionals
5.11 deals with is all about being
the “grayman,” blending in, and not
calling attention to yourself. There’s
a reason why undercover police
don’t wear uniforms, but their need
to look discrete shouldn’t mean only
being able to pick from non-tactical
clothing and gear that will put them
at a disadvantage. So how does one
strike a balance?
There is a time and place for all
cool guy gear (overt), but generally
not when people want or need to
maintain a low profile (covert). The
criteria that dictate a low profile
can vary from things as simple as
not wanting to be easily placed as a
cop when out for coffee, to the very
real need of not attracting too much
attention as military, contractors,
and other officials travel in high-risk
Middle Eastern countries for work.
In either scenario above, just be-
cause one is trying not to be noticed
or identified doesn’t mean that he or
she can work without certain items
to effectively respond to a variety of
situations. Of course, each scenario
is quite different from one another
and ultimately will determine what
items to carry.
What’s more important here is not
what items to carry, but how to carry
them. This is important because, no
matter what items one carries, if they
blow their cover due to the manner
in which they carry them — or even
worse, cannot access them easily in
a high-stress or emergency situation,
they’ve failed.
5.11 has spent considerable time
addressing this issue, with packs
and carry bags being a major area of
focus. Whether out for coffee or trav-
eling abroad, many have expressed
the need for some form of regular/
non-tactical briefcase (i.e. man
purse) or small backpack. There are
practical and ordinary reasons here
for either style of bag that is used
to carry a work laptop, notebook,
pens, etc., without being covered
in webbing and Velcro. Don’t get us
wrong, we love gear with external
web platforms and places to affix a
patch, but there’s a time and place
for everything.
There is, however, a very legitimate
reason for all that webbing and Velcro
on the outside of tactical backpacks
and other load-bearing equipment
(plate carriers, go-bags, battle belts),
which is to strategically mount and
access your gear/tools!
So what would you say if we told
you that you could carry what you
normally carry on the aforementioned
overt platforms in a more covert but which to covertly carry and rapidly
still functional manner on the inside deploy their MP5s from. Others also
of any given bag? “No. Say it isn’t began using the SCSP because they
so? Tactical pouches on the inside?” realized it worked as an excellent
Yes. Now what if we said you could covert carry go-bag. Why? Because
do this on a MOLLE-type platform it has what some like to call FTM
that had webbing running vertically Technology™ on the inside and is an
on one side and horizontally on the isosceles triangle sling pack design
other, and you could use it between that doesn’t look tactical.
multiple bags, organize pouches to As 5.11 continued having a dialog
your needs with it, and choose from with those in the field about effective
two different sizes? “Now that there yet discrete bags, many expressed
is just crazy talk,” you say? No, it’s that they just wanted a low-profile
not, and you can get it now. Let us bag with a ton of MOLLE on the
back up here a bit, though, and look inside. Hence, FTM Technology™
at the history of its development. was born.
A few years ago, 5.11 came out The entire inside of the SCSP is
with a bag called the Select Carry covered with webbing, allowing for
Sling Pack (SCSP). It was originally multiple ways to build out one’s kit.
designed as a solution for GSG-9 Some have even expressed that they
(an elite German counter-terror unit), built it out with everything that was
which was looking for something from on their entry vest, then took it to the
 some form of insert with webbing or
a pull-out organizer like camera bags
would be the ideal solution. The end
result of that discussion would come
to be known as the COVRT™ Insert,
which formed the COVRT™ line of
products.
The COVRT™ Small Insert in black
model has a 15x10-inch panel with
webbing on both sides, vertical rows
on one side, horizontal on the other.
There’s a semi-rigid plastic board like
you would find in backpacks to help
give it shape, inserted in one end of
the panel and secured with a Velcro
closure (imagine a big envelope). It
also has a handle that can be moved
around the panel so it can be quickly

lab (range) and ran reload drills out

of it. It continues to be well received
by such end users, but due to the
SCSP’s unique design, it didn’t meet
all carry needs in terms of those
ordinary items mentioned (laptop and
such). Plus, the materials and color
weren’t always appropriate for every
occasion. Time to take things a step
further.
The feedback 5.11 kept hearing
from operatives in the field was that and easily grabbed and pulled from
they wanted a bag with a versatile either a briefcase or backpack. Did
web platform on the inside, that anyone just catch that last part? It
didn’t look tactical, and that had to can be “easily grabbed or pulled from
blend into multiple environments. either a briefcase or backpack!” Holy
The proverbial drawing board began shit! One solution, many bags!
getting filled with possible designs. We took some time to get feed-
The specific challenges users were back from one operator in the Middle
having with gear lead to the idea that East who has been using the COVRT

26 LOADOUT
system for his undercover work and
here’s what he had to say about his
experience.
“I immediately set to building this
with items from my Select Carry
Sling Pack using various pouches and
a couple of DIY solutions to hold my
tourniquets. Then came time to see
how it fit in all of my low-pro bags.
Still to this day I swear I could hear
the trumpets of angels playing with
every bag I tried it in. Whether brief-
case or backpack design, it worked in
all of them!” he says.
“Since then, I have built out my
COVRT™ Small Insert in lots of
different ways and have used it all
around the world. For a typical coffee
house carry scenario, the usual load-
out will be a couple of extra Glock
19 mags, my flashlight, knife (mostly
for the window breaker and seatbelt
cutter), Trauma Shears, Decompres-
sion Needle, SOF-T Wide Tourniquet,
Compression Bandage, QuikClot™
Advance Clotting Sponge, SWAT-T
Tourniquet (as additional tourniquet
for use in conjunction with Clotting
Sponge for abdominal compression),
and a pair of Flexible Restraints. I
keep the front slick and only attach a
“police” placard to the strip of Velcro
on the top webbing row (ID during
active shooter and to help prevent
blue on blue). Currently, I’m in the
process of modifying a piece of Level
IIIA Soft Armor to fit inside the panel
in place of the rigid insert for a little
ballistic protection as well.
“When it comes to international
travel in the Middle East, obviously
I have to drop the Glock mags (sigh)
but still keep everything else and I
throw my Leatherman in one of the
pistol mag pouches. On the other
side I lose the police placard and
may or may not throw a U.S. IR
FLAG in place. I’ll also add pouches “I texted a photo of my build-out
that serve dual use. I use flashbang to a buddy with the Department of
pouches to hold my SPOT GPS Per- Energy Special Reaction Force. He
sonal Locator and Brunton Backup shared it with a SEAL he was on the
Charger for my phone. I use our 6.6 road with at the time, and both ap-
Padded Pouch for all my essential proved. I know this for sure because
electronic wires and power convert- the first thing he texted back was
ers, along with our VTAC Shotgun ‘(f*ck) yeah!’”
Ammo Pouch for my Olloclip photo
lenses for iPhone. The self-closure
top is great to hold in the lenses, but
at the same time I can access it very
quickly if there is something I want
to get a shot of on the fly. I guess
maybe that’s why it’s a good shotgun
ammo pouch? Hmm.
“When it comes to the larger
version, COVRT™ Large Insert (19x
12-inch), I have only recently started
playing around with it to redo my
72-hour bag. I’m not at all concerned
here with being “covert” by any
means, I just like the idea of keeping
things easily organized, secure, and
accessible. This will be built on a
sandstone color panel with same
color pouches and pack. Yes, I’m one
of those guys who feels the need to
match my tactical color schemes. I
use hair gel too.
511TACTICAL.COM 27
 DARK DAE’S CSASS IS

HORSE
GUNNING FOR THE
ARMY’S COMPACT SNIPER
SYSTEM CONTRACT
BY COLIN FOSTER

28 LOADOUT
While visiting the Army Sniper School
in 2008, I was given the opportunity
to send rounds through the Army’s
then-new semi-automatic sniper rifle,
the M110. At the time the instructors
at the schoolhouse were divided on
the weapon system. While everyone
appreciated the rapid follow-up shot
capabilities over the standard issue
bolt-action M24, many were not
ready to give up the innate accuracy
advantage of a bolt gun.
Fast-forward to today and the
advantages experienced downrange
on countless deployments have made
the semi-auto 7.62x51 platform an
indispensable tool to modern warfare.
For top-tier gas guns, the accuracy
gap with bolt actions has virtually
disappeared, while giving operators
a viable defensive platform when
needed. These factors contributed to
The Department of the Army seeking
these capabilities in a smaller plat-
form — The Compact Semi-automatic
Sniper System aka CSASS.
For those unaware of how military
hardware is adopted, it’s a bit like a
junior-high dance where the popular
girl already has a good idea who
she’s going to dance with, but that
doesn’t stop a bunch of awkward
boys chasing her around the gym.
When it comes to things that go
bang, the process starts at Picatinny
Arsenal. This mecca for the weapons
511TACTICAL.COM 29
 world is responsible for developing,
evaluating, and determining the
requirements for most of the lethal
tools in our nation’s arsenal. In the
case of the CSASS, it likely examined
the current precision 7.62 gas gun
landscape, interviewed experts in the
field, and determined the ideal specs
for the weapon system. These specs
are then built into a phonebook-sized
solicitation and presented to the
military industrial complex.
In 2013 the solicitation for a
compact semi-auto sniper system was
delivered to the firearms universe and
a vast array of major manufacturers
entered the competition. For a weapon
system like the CSASS, one would
expect companies like Knights Arma-
ment, FNH, HK, LWRCI, SIG Arms,
and LMT to throw their hats into the
ring. While the prize will likely go to one
of these companies, a dark horse en-
tered the race and has outlasted some
of the biggest names in the business.
DAE
Located in an unassuming office
complex in Southern California,
Dynamic Armament Engineering, AKA
DAE Defense, has been producing
complex aviation componentry for the
military since 1942. It was in 1999
that owner Jeremy Morrison made
the decision to direct some of their
precision manufacturing expertise into
building small arms and components
and formed DAE Protection. This
weapon skunkworks within DAE is run
by Josh Schoenfeld and he has quietly
been producing some revolutionary
products for the military, law enforce-
ment, and civilian market.
Josh’s office at DAE would make
most readers wet their 5.11s with the
shear badassery that is present ev-
erywhere you look. From the 60mm
grenade launchers in the corner, to
the backpacked-sized machine gun
30 LOADOUT
across his desk, in one glance you
know you’ve entered a magical place.
Josh is the definition of a gun guy,
and has spent his life designing and
experimenting with everything that
launches projectiles. While his 60mm
grenade launcher design may change
law enforcement standoff situations
forever and his micro .300 BLK PDW
will surely become a standard for se-
curity teams, his primary focus these
days is the CSASS.
THE DAE CSASS
As an accomplished tactical
precision rifle competitor, Josh knows
accuracy. So when designing a
weapon for the CSASS contract, his
first thought was to base the rifle on
one of the finest barrels in the world
— a 16-inch GA Precision. Accuracy
aficionados know that these barrels
are capable of ¼-minute precision
with the right loads so Josh’s 0.5 MOA
goal was well within reach. To further
ensure this accuracy potential, George
at GA Precision took things a step
further and match-fit each bolt to the
barrel to eliminate any play in lockup.
This starting point set the tone
for what became a virtual who’s who
of premium components: Geissele
match trigger, Bushnell ERS 3.5-21
Scopes, Atlas bipod, etc. (see CSASS
weapon breakdown).
But what truly sets the DAE
CSASS apart is the extreme attention
to detail in each of the proprietary
parts. The receiver, bolt, handguard,
receiver extension, and “brake flash”
were designed in-house by Josh and
each are truly works of art. Every
consideration for reliability, wear
resistance, and precision was taken
into account and not a single corner
has been cut.
The crown jewel of the system,
however, is the proprietary suppressor
system. Josh designed the system
with the goal of creating the most
effective suppressor on the market
that would consist of just two parts
and increase the accuracy of the
weapon system. The DAE suppressor
consists of a single monolithic titani-
um core and sleeve that tightens over
the barrel, adding just 14 ounces of
weight and only 4 inches of length to
the weapon.
As the suppressor is tightened to
the receiver, it adds rigidity to the
entire system, lessening barrel whip
and increasing precision. This near in-
tegral system adds volume to allow the
expanding gases to drop in pressure
beyond a standard suppressor reduc-
ing the sound signature. This process
is helped further by the unique design
of the internal baffles, which actually
adjust the frequency the sound waves
to a range outside of human hearing.
It truly represents the next generation
of suppressors and will surely be thor-
oughly dissected by the competition.
SEND IT
On the range Josh tells me this
suppressor reduces recoil by approxi-
mately 40 percent and after watching
the impacts of my first 10 rounds
clearly through the scope, I might say
it’s closer to 50. The sound of the
gun from behind the firing line sounds
less like a gunshot and more like a
common industrial noise. If it wasn’t
for the telltale clang of 7.62 rounds
on distant steel, the shot could easily
fade into the background noise of an
urban environment — a nice attribute
for clandestine operations.
Shooting the DAE CSASS on dis-
tant targets became almost boringly
routine. The lack of significant recoil,
superb trigger, and inherent precision
made calling shots out to 600 yards
a given. Even with the limitations of
the 7.62x51 cartridge out of a 16-
inch barrel and this writer’s ability to
call wind, the 1,000-yard gong was
consistently taking a beating. All in
all I think DAE has a winner on their
hands whether they are awarded the
CSASS contract or not. For those
readers interested, the rifles submit-
ted for the solicitation will be made
available for sale in their complete
military package including all the
ancillary gear packed neatly into 5.11
cases. For consumers looking for
perhaps the ultimate compact preci-
sion AR-10 platform, the DAE CSASS
could be the rifle for you. However, if
DAE does win the contract, prepare
to wait in a very long line…
www.daeprotection.com
CSASS RIFLE
PRICE: TBD
DAE titanium mono core suppressor
Griffon MMD (mirage mitigation device)
GA Precision 16-inch, 7.62x51 custom Bartlein
barrel
DAE M-LOK handguard
DAE Suppression integral gas system
GG&G 45-degree optical mounts
Magpul MBUS flip-up sights
Bushnell ERS 3.5-21 with Horus H-59
Atlas bipod with Q/D
DAE Archer ambi receivers
(and NIB BCG with carpenter 158 MP bolt)
Geissele SSA-E match trigger
Troy ambi fire control
Norgon ambi magazine catch
AXTS Raptor charging handle
DAE proprietary “brake flash” muzzle device 5⁄8-24
DAE CSASS receiver extension (buffer housing)
Magpul magazines and MIAD pistol grip
5.11 VTAC 2 point padded rifle sling
JL Billet Rifle stock “MBS” (modular billet stock)
ANCILLARY PARTS LIST
5.11 VTAC mark II Double rifle case 42-inch FDE
5.11 FDE MOLLE deployment kit
5.11 FDE MOLLE cleaning apparatus kit
5.11 FDE .30-caliber magazine MOLLE pouch
DAE field maintenance kit (spare bolt, springs,
cam pin, firing pin, M16 brushes)
DCAT tool (Space age weaponry) full field
armorers tool kit
Otis .30-caliber Sniper cleaning kit
Bore guide rod
Kleenbore bore snake, .30-caliber
M-PRO 7 solvents, oil and low temp grease
Otis bore tool
Mulit sectional takedown cleaning rod
Magpul 10 (x2) and 20 (x8) magazines
511TACTICAL.COM 31
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