Columns

The Swiss are know for two things, neutrality and precision. There is a lot more going on over there than just those two things, but if you look at history, the Swiss are known for being a neutral country during both World Wars, and for their meticulous precision in things like watches. Swiss neutrality, in fact, could not have been achieved without the precision of the Swiss rifle, called the Schmidt Rubin. There is a famous question: “Why was Switzerland never invaded by the Germans?” The answer is simple. In 1912, the German Kaiser asked a Swiss soldier what Switzerland would do if Germany invaded with 500,000 troops, while the Swiss could only muster 250,000. The soldier answered: “Shoot twice and go home.”

It is almost laughable when you hear people say “I don’t want to survive in whatever world is left after the collapse.” I promise you that every one of them will be singing a different tune when they are wasting away from thirst and hunger. “I don’t want to die like this!” That is what they are going to be saying. You can bet on it. That also goes for injuries and sickness. Nobody is going to say “Nah, don’t try to stop the bleeding! Don’t give me antibiotics to get rid of my Malaria! I really don’t want to live anyway since the world is so crappy now. Go help someone else.” Nobody wants to die when the time comes. Nobody.

Many experts agree that the 20 gauge is not only sufficient at the distances most likely to be in play in a home defense scenario– many feel it is a better choice than the traditional 12 gauge. The Escort Gladius 20 gauge shotgun is a purpose built defensive weapon, and is well appointed to serve in that role.

While the Bushnell LRHS is labeled as a “tactical hunter” it has all the right features for a scope that’s meant to go the distance, whether that be on a hunting rifle, semi auto, or precision bolt gun. I was fortunate enough to get one of these scopes for testing and I put it through its paces at the range and in competition.

One of the more memorable scenes from the 1973 film Soylent Green was Edward G. Robinson on his pedal powered generator, to keep the lights in a post collapse scenario. Is pedal power realistic? How much power do you get? We we able to try the $195 extremely innovative K-Tor Power Box, one of the few complete package options on the market. It generates 20 watts at a steady pedal rate. This is not a ton of power, but lets take a look at the actual numbers, plus a general review of the product itself. One of the nice features on the K-Tor is that it generates 120 volts, not 12v like most backup power systems. The power is DC, not AC, but you can plug your regular wall warts right into the K-Tor, because DC will pass through the power rectifiers in the wall wart. Most electronic devices run on DC, but electric motors are generally AC.

What attracted me to this gun for testing and evaluation is its compact size, light weight and super quick handling. You can think of it as a shotgun carbine. The Beretta 1301 is compact, fast, and agile.

I just got home from “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (trailer below), and it was nothing like I expected. This was due in part to an article on InfoWars suggesting that the movie had a subtle anti-gun message. Those of you who are regulars here know that I have been critical of Alex Jones and his team in the past over 2nd Amendment issues because they seem to make them into a joke. Never will you see interviews with the hard working gun statistics experts out there, and you also never see any of the very smart editorialists at the NRA. Instead, after Sandy Hook we got a circus of a petition to deport an anti-gun CNN host, and this week followed in that same vein with a sloppy opinion that somehow this very pro-gun movie is somehow the opposite.

The Traditions Vortek striker- fired in-line muzzleloader shoots more like a GLOCK than it does your average flintlock, yet the high-tech rifle can still be used during those extra days of hunting season when the center-fire rifles and shotguns are forbidden. But once you have the gun loaded and ready, you may not be able to tell the difference.

CZ is not the first name in American hunting rifles, but I think they need more love. This 557 in .30-06 is rock solid, dependable, and as accurate as any rifle you’ll find on the shelf at any mom-and-pop gun store in America. It is time these rifles get the respect they so obviously deserve.