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THE GET OUTTA DODGE TRUCK: Loaded for Survival
The phrase “Get Outta Dodge” (G.O.D.) originated in Dodge City, Kansas, during the wild days of the 1870s. The Santa Fe Trail gave way to buffalo hunters, then to cattle drives, all of which led to lots of lawlessness. Marshals like Billy Brooks, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Mysterious Dave Mather, and Bill Tilghman kept the…
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NEW PISTOL-CALIBER CARBINE: Lone Wolf Distributors Alphawolf .45 PCC
Pistol-caliber carbines are not a new invention. Cowboys, lawmen, outlaws, and citizens had them with their revolvers and rifles chambered in .44-40, .38-40, or .32-20. In the early 2000s, we saw the development of the first true pistol-caliber carbine, at least by American standards. Marlin developed the Camp Carbine that fed off of 1911 magazines…
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MAGAZINE ACCESSORIES: Top Picks
During the first ten years of my military career—starting just in time for the first Gulf War in 1991—if you wanted to increase ammunition capacity or enhance your M16A2’s magazines in any way, you basically only had the same options as the very first soldiers who used the M16 back in the late 1960s and…
SurvivalShow More
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THE GET OUTTA DODGE TRUCK: Loaded for Survival
The phrase “Get Outta Dodge” (G.O.D.) originated in Dodge City, Kansas, during the wild days of the 1870s. The Santa Fe Trail gave way to buffalo hunters, then to cattle drives, all of which led to lots of lawlessness. Marshals like Billy Brooks, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Mysterious Dave Mather, and Bill Tilghman kept the…
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SHOTGUN SAVVY: The Perfect Survival Gun?
The amount and variety of firearms available today is staggering. Some are designed for specific uses. When choosing a firearm to fill multiple roles, you often find that only one type of firearm will work for one specific job. Take the Barrett M82 .50-caliber sniper rifle. It is designed to engage targets at very long…
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AGAINST ALL ODDS: A Tale of Two Bivvies
SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer) has come out with their newest offering to the bivvy market—the Escape Pro Bivvy. Although SOL is not new to the bivvy market, the newer Pro series makes some subtle changes to the existing line-up. Throughout the warmer season, I used the Escape Lite Bivvy, so I could evaluate two options…
WeaponsShow More
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NEW PISTOL-CALIBER CARBINE: Lone Wolf Distributors Alphawolf .45 PCC
Pistol-caliber carbines are not a new invention. Cowboys, lawmen, outlaws, and citizens had them with their revolvers and rifles chambered in .44-40, .38-40, or .32-20. In the early 2000s, we saw the development of the first true pistol-caliber carbine, at least by American standards. Marlin developed the Camp Carbine that fed off of 1911 magazines…
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RUGER GP100 MATCH CHAMPION 10mm: A Long Time Coming
Every once in a while, someone brings a really good idea to fruition. Ruger has done exactly that with their GP100 Match Champion 10mm. Finally a medium-frame six-gun chambering six major caliber rounds! This idea isn’t new — it was bouncing around in Bill Jordan’s head 60 years ago. He was the originator of the…
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IDF COMBAT RIFLE WITH A TWIST: IWI Tavor X95 Bullpup .300 BLK
One must ask why Israel decided to invest the time and effort to develop the Tavor X95, especially considering they were being handed M16s as if from a Pez dispenser via generous U.S. aid packages. I will address why I believe the reason is because the X95 is a viable alternative to the typical AR…
Tactics & TrainingShow More
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LONG GUNS: Mossberg 590A1 Retro Combat Shotgun
I remember buying my first trench shotgun, a Winchester Model 97. A local gun shop specializing in collectible and antique firearms had one showing some battle wear but in sound operable condition. A friend of mine who was an FBI agent and I stopped by the shop. One aspect of the visit that has stayed…
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THE FIRECLEAN GUN: Three More Years of Testing
FIREClean is one of the market leaders in the new wave of high- performance, non-toxic firearm lubricants. In 2016, I wrote about a test where I took a milspec Bravo Company Mfg upper receiver group to 3,000+ rounds on a single lubrication with no cleaning or maintenance over a six- month period (FIRECLEAN: Next Generation…
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LONG GUNS: US M4 Survival Rifle
When I first became interested in firearms over half a century ago, there weren’t as many gun magazines or gun books as there are now. As a result, I read every article in the American Rifleman and other magazines. I checked out the few books in my local library on guns multiple times. I must…
GearShow More
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MAGAZINE ACCESSORIES: Top Picks
During the first ten years of my military career—starting just in time for the first Gulf War in 1991—if you wanted to increase ammunition capacity or enhance your M16A2’s magazines in any way, you basically only had the same options as the very first soldiers who used the M16 back in the late 1960s and…
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THE CUTTING EDGE: CRKT Provoke
The karambit has become a very popular backup knife. Although it could be argued that it’s less instinctive than a straight-blade knife, the unique features of the karambit make it an outstanding knife for last-ditch self-defense at extreme close quarters, especially for those willing to train with it. The forebear of the modern karambit can…
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OFFBEAT: ETS Magazines
Elite Tactical Systems Group (ETS®) magazines have developed an excellent reputation for delivering reliable performance. The company’s AR, MP5, and Glock mags, and new for 2019 SIG Sauer P320, Smith & Wesson M&P, and M&P Shield mags offer a combination of patent-pending features that sets them apart from other magazines on the market. Some time…
More from S.W.A.T.Show More
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ENEMY AT THE GATE: Efforts Intensify To “Repeal or Replace” 2nd Amendment
Even before an evil bigot slaughtered 50 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand, encouraging strident calls to dramatically restrict guns here (as if that would have made any difference), gun ban zealots in the U.S. have been becoming more extremist by the day. When Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA)—who is running for President in 2020—announced several months…
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AGAINST ALL ODDS: A Tale of Two Bivvies
SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer) has come out with their newest offering to the bivvy market—the Escape Pro Bivvy. Although SOL is not new to the bivvy market, the newer Pro series makes some subtle changes to the existing line-up. Throughout the warmer season, I used the Escape Lite Bivvy, so I could evaluate two options…
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ENEMY AT THE GATE: Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Gun Law Challenge
On January 22, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that will shed more light on the Court’s view of the breadth of the Second Amendment’s protection of the right to keep and bear arms. This will be the first time in nearly ten years that the Court has agreed to hear such…