Kahr Firearms Group https://www.kahr.com/ Just in time for Mother’s Day, Kahr Firearms group is offering three gold charms—a Kahr K9, a Magnum Research Desert Eagle .50 and a Thompson 1927A-1. They are highly polished solid 14K gold with fine detailing, and each weighs 5-6 grams. Each charm has a lobster claw closure so your mother [...]

As a retired US Marine Infantry Unit Leader, I’ve had to rely on a rifle for survival. I have nothing against hunting or competitions, but I do very little of either. I spend the majority of my time now training law-abiding citizens how to survive life-threatening situations. I specialize in armed response. I demand high levels of accuracy and absolute reliability. And the ArmaLite M-15TBN has met my standards, and then some. This AR excels at variety of utilitarian tasks and delivers spot-on accuracy well past 600 yards. If you’re only going to own one AR, the 15TBN would be a good choice.

When I pulled the Daniel Defense M4 V9 (DDM4V9) out of its black plastic case, I had a flashback. Inside was a 5.56mm carbine and a 30 round magazine. While this black rifle was shorter than the M16A1 I was issued during the “second phase” of basic training at Marine Recruit Depot Parris Island (way back in 1980), it was familiar enough. The DDM4V9 has the quintessential AR-15 at its core, but it is fashioned like something just back from a gunsmith, almost ready for competition. The Daniel Defense is a formidable rifle capable of serious multitasking, and it’s what Marine infantrymen 30 years ago dreamed they would have been issued.

When I hear someone talking about a Mossberg, I think of dependable shotguns that get the job done. They might not have all of the bells and whistles of their more expensive competition, but they work. Work is the key word here. Mossberg is a workingman’s gun. Mossberg has been making the 930 auto-loading shotgun since 2005. It has proven itself as a versatile scattergun for hunting and reliable tool for defense. It also doesn’t break the bank. Though the latest 930 is dressed up in Duck Commander haute couture, this scattergun is first and foremost a Mossberg and could make a good all-around gun for turkey, ducks, or upland birds.

When I first got into shooting there wasn’t the wide variety of scopes and reticles to choose from that we enjoy today. While the elements that make up a riflescope haven’t changed in many years, the technology and features have changed and continue to do so. I believe that we’re now at a point where there is literally an optic for just about any shooting activity to meet just about anyone’s budget. Hunting scopes probably have the largest market share when it comes to the total number of optics sold, but they also have the fewest features to offer the shooter. The typical hunting scope is a pretty simple affair with covered turrets and a simple duplex reticle for aiming. For most shooters, this arrangement works well for those shots that don’t fall outside of 200 yards across the fields or in the backwoods. However if a shot has to be pushed past that distance, the only choices are to apply some Kentucky windage and hope you know the drop of the ammunition well enough or to attempt to close the gap.

This year, Burris released a new line of hunting scopes called C4Plus that provides options for shooters looking for more versatility from their optics in an affordable package. Featuring two popular variable magnification ranges, custom bullet drop compensating knobs, quality glass and a new reticle specifically designed for wind compensation, these scopes have the potential to reach past the hunting scope market. At first glance it appears that Burris has done its homework in the design and layout of these scopes, so lets take a closer look.

Food is the one thing you don’t have to tell anyone to prep for when it comes to long term survival. Everyone knows you have to eat. But the misconceptions come when you compare the differences between “homesteading” and “prepping.” A traditional healthy American home keeps a good-sized pantry of food historically, though this practice has fallen away in recent times of plenty. A homestead-style pantry contains either home or store-canned food, along with some basic grains and rice and flour. Homesteading isn’t prepping for the breakdown of society. Neither is planning for one month of Mylar packet survival meals, or even one year of meals. As I said in the first installment of this series, you really have to decide to be one of the crazies, then do the best you can.

The AR-31 is the latest bolt action rifle from Armalite that has been developed as a short action version of their successful AR-30 and AR-50 rifles. Unlike the AR-30 series of rifles that were chambered in .338 Lapua and .300 Winchester Magnum, the AR-31 is chambered in .308 Winchester, although more calibers may become available in the future. When I first saw the AR-31 with its black barreled action rails, and chassis, the first thing that popped into my mind is “man is that thing tactical”. The AR-31 is more than just a “tacticool” rifle though, as it’s laden with features that make it a heavy-duty precision rifle suitable for Regular Joe’s and Law Enforcement professionals alike.

As a Rangemaster at Gunsite Academy, I see clients learning numerous new techniques and tactics through the dozens of courses we teach year round. But for every person who comes to Gunsite, there are thousands who may not be able to afford the trip, or who think that they are good enough with their personal defense firearms to not require any formal training. Many people are involved in self-defense shootings every year, and it would appear that most of them have very little effective training. Some survive the event, some don’t. Of those who do survive, do we credit skill or random chance? More important, what do YOU want to depend on if the fight comes to you? The choice is yours, good fortune or superior skills. The majority of gunfights happen in seconds, generally without much warning and at very close range. It does not take an extraordinary amount of marksmanship to hit a person in the chest at three feet. Most people don’t realize that most gunfights share some very common aspects, and training for these aspects will give you the skills to win.

Introduced at SHOT Show 2011, the Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic (PRO) entered the competitive red dot market with a host of features designed specifically for the Law Enforcement Officer (LEO). Aimpoint, which has been in the red dot business since 1974, took its years of experience as well as input from LEO professionals to create an optic that is optimized for the LEO mission field and the LEO wallet. The features of the PRO are vast, and while Aimpoint has other red dot optics in its product inventory that may appear comparable, none could match the MSRP of $440.

The catch, at the time, was it was specifically made for LEO and could only be bought from an authorized Aimpoint Dealer. Of course with that kind of price point for a top-notch optic, everyone wanted to get his hands on one (or four). The general public was initially frustrated by the lack of availability, but Aimpoint wanted to make sure the LEO community was the first to get the PRO. Some civilians (like me) were able to get the PRO from other sources a few months down the road, but pickings were slim and disappeared very quickly. Eventually, like everything, the mystique of the optic and its “unobtainable” status faded away. Aimpoint now offers the PRO as part of its commercial line, available to the American shooting public. Even as we enter 2014, the Aimpoint Patrol Optic is still one of the most affordable, well-rounded and robust red dots on the market. I have used red dot optics that are lighter and smaller, but for my money it is hard to beat the PRO for what you get.