Clay Martin

We have seen a lot of new products hit the market in the belt kit category over the last year, with good reason. Ex Umbris designs have stepped into this void with a fantastic new design. Founded by a retired Special Forces soldier, they have expertise on hand gained from real-world experience.

The FCU’s have been flowing for some time now, I know. But I wanted my first build to be something magical, and that has taken time to source parts for. Finally, everything came together this week. I, for one, think it was worth the wait.

It hasn’t been all that long since we took our initial look at the Springfield Armory Model 2020 Waypoint, the first bolt action for a familiar brand. Why are we back again so soon? Because I stand by my statement it is the best value in bolt actions, so much so that I bought one. And while the Waypoint is absolutely fantastic out of the box, I wanted to push it to its limits with some upgrades.

Have you ever made an impulse purchase that was way out of your wheelhouse, but it looked like such a good deal you had to go for it? Me neither. Okay, that isn’t actually true. But just because I make a serious, serious mistake doesn’t mean I don’t write about it on the internet. So that others may learn. Or have a good laugh. Or maybe both this time.

A nightstand gun is premised on the idea you don’t have children. I do now, so I have to err a bit more on the side of caution. But as a single dude living in some perhaps sketchy areas, I was a huge advocate of the nightstand blaster. And for that particular role, the 1911 packs some clear advantages.

This week, we are going to take a look at an odd one, and not just for historical reasons. I was able to procure a Glock 37 and 1000 rounds of ammo to feed it recently for $800. That is a used gun off the secondary market, but it was available and not badly priced. Considering how crazy the gun market has been, you could do a lot worse. Why could it be had at that price? Because a Glock 37 is chambered in 45 GAP.

We saw a lot of development in the new style micro battle belt over the last year, a slimming down of the traditional setup. And finally, a King has been crowned. The competition was stiff, but in my opinion, Blue Force Gear has emerged as the clear winner. The CHLK or Combat Helo Load rated Kit is an absolute champion.

Recently, I have fallen in love with a classic and it’s one that might fit your needs as well. Don’t write me off immediately because the name of the boot is the Altama Leather Combat Boot, colloquially known to service members as the “All Leather”.

Hey, fair warning, if you are a big-time revolver nut, you might want to skip this week’s review. I have personally fired less than 1000 rounds out of a wheel gun in my life, and quite possibly less than 500. So why am I covering a revolver? Because I bought one to correct that, which is the point of this exercise.