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NEW BREED OF QUIET: SIG Sauer SRD9 Suppressor
Firearm silencers, suppressors, sound moderators, and cans range from crude improvisations to the low- or no-maintenance advanced metal tubes we have today. Examples of the former are “spud silencers”(potatoes jammed onto the end of a revolver barrel), plastic bottles and car oil filters screwed onto threaded barrels, as well as tire inner tubes stretched over
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CODE OF SILENCE: GSL Technology Suppressors
Two years ago, I spent a day with Gemtech in Boise, Idaho. I learned a lot, met good folks, tested great equipment, and did an article about it. (THE STRONG SILENT TYPE: Straight Scoop on Suppressors, January 2017 S.W.A.T.). I expected to see a facility like LaRue—rows of machines, guys busily building silencers. When I
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TRAIN YOUR WEAK STUFF: Precision Rifle at Thunder Ranch
Most guys I know train (or just practice) the stuff they’re good at. They’ll go to the range and run some drills, the ones they like, blow up a bunch of ammo, and figure they’re good to go. Not many of us, including me, train harder at the stuff we suck at. I’m pretty good
SurvivalShow More
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OFFBEAT: C’mon Baby, Light My (Survival) Fire
The ability to start a fire is a key factor in surviving in the wild. It can mean the difference between life and death. The conditions won’t be ideal. You need redundant ignition methods to ensure at least one works in any environment. THE SURVIVAL LIGHTER A good lighter cannot be matched for its all-around
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AGAINST ALL ODDS Long-Range Throwsticks
The use of sticks to hunt small and medium game is thoroughly documented. Throwstick variants have been found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs but were truly made useful by many native tribes, especially the Australian Aboriginals. Throwsticks and rabbit sticks are variations of the more advanced kylie. While these hunting tools have been discovered
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AGAINST ALL ODDS: Shomer-Tec Travel-Ready Gear
A company that has caught my eye over the last couple of years claims to specialize in “merchandise for those looking for law enforcement and military products, as well as spy and revenge products.” This got my attention, and soon I was talking to Jeff from Shomer-Tec about some of these items. Previously, I’d seen
WeaponsShow More
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THE SPINNY TWINS: Custom Fighting Wheelguns
Dave Laubert of Defensive Creations is a name that may not be familiar to many, but if you appreciate the highest order of pistolsmithing, it should be. Dave is a pistolsmith in the most distinguished sense of the word. A member of the American Pistolsmiths’ Guild, he runs a one-man magic foundry out of Ohio.
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.50-CALIBER AR: Big Horn Armory AR500
The AR-15/AR-10 platform has been chambered for more cartridges than any other firearm in history. It’s time to add another to the list—the 500 Auto Max used in Big Horn Armory’s AR500. Now and for the foreseeable future, it is the most powerful short-range semi-auto in the world. AR500 Based on a .308/AR-10 lower receiver,
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LONG-RANGE PERFORMANCE: Christensen Arms CA-10 G2
Photos by Ethan Burgreen Any mention of Christensen Arms brings forth an association with their precision bolt-action hunting rifles featuring carbon-fiber-wrapped barrels. This is understandable, as these were the initial product offerings. Various models of Christensen weapons have been brought forward since Dr. Roland Christensen (Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering) saw a way to apply his
Tactics & TrainingShow More
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TRAIN YOUR WEAK STUFF: Precision Rifle at Thunder Ranch
Most guys I know train (or just practice) the stuff they’re good at. They’ll go to the range and run some drills, the ones they like, blow up a bunch of ammo, and figure they’re good to go. Not many of us, including me, train harder at the stuff we suck at. I’m pretty good
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LONG GUNS: Savage 110 Scout Rifle
In the 20 or so years I’ve been writing this column, this will be the fourth one I’ve done about a Scout Rifle. That should indicate that I like the Scout Rifle concept. If I had to explain that appreciation in one word, it would be “versatility.” When Jeff Cooper developed the Scout Rifle concept,
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GET THE LEAD OUT: Lead Faucet Tactical Pistol Course
“If at the end of the next three days of pistol training, you’ve learned one or two good take-aways, I will have done my job.” Dan Brokos began his Training Day 1 brief with this humble statement. He didn’t promise any magic and honestly shared with us the evolution of fighting with a firearm based
GearShow More
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NEW BREED OF QUIET: SIG Sauer SRD9 Suppressor
Firearm silencers, suppressors, sound moderators, and cans range from crude improvisations to the low- or no-maintenance advanced metal tubes we have today. Examples of the former are “spud silencers”(potatoes jammed onto the end of a revolver barrel), plastic bottles and car oil filters screwed onto threaded barrels, as well as tire inner tubes stretched over
-
CODE OF SILENCE: GSL Technology Suppressors
Two years ago, I spent a day with Gemtech in Boise, Idaho. I learned a lot, met good folks, tested great equipment, and did an article about it. (THE STRONG SILENT TYPE: Straight Scoop on Suppressors, January 2017 S.W.A.T.). I expected to see a facility like LaRue—rows of machines, guys busily building silencers. When I
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THE CUTTING EDGE: SOG Strat Ops Auto
SOG Specialty Knives & Tools was founded in 1986 by designer and toolmaker Spencer Frazer. Named after the elite Vietnam-era Special Forces military group known as the Studies and Observation Group, the company’s first knife was a replica of the original SOG Bowie knife. The SOG Strat Ops Auto is an impressive recent addition to
More from S.W.A.T.Show More
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STREET SMARTS: Tactical Subterfuge, or the Art of BS
Once again, I’ve had a weird idea for a column. This one might be unique because I’ve never seen anything similar in print, and thus our discussion might be a World’s First. I’m going to talk about bluffing, or more pedantically: Tactical Subterfuge. This concept is a strange idea to examine because of my foundational
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GOOD GUYS WIN! Second Amendment in Action
He Kicked the Wrong Door In the wee hours of a Monday morning in July, the quiet of a St. Louis, Missouri home was disturbed by the sound of someone violently trying to kick in the front door. One of the four residents, a 21-year-old male, retrieved a firearm and moved to the sound of
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FRONTLINE DEBRIEFS: Millennials in Law Enforcement
I entered the LAPD in 1976. During this epoch, the prevailing philosophy was, “If it happened to me, it will most definitely happen to you.” To clarify: If others had been treated like @#*%, then quite logically, you were going to be treated like @#*%! Fair enough. This meant you sat in the front row
