Category Archives: Photo of the Day

MADE IN THE USA : CONSOLE VAULT®

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fordf1502015consolevault

Takeaway:  Do not leave an unsecured handgun (whether loaded or unloaded) in an unattended vehicle unless the environment is secure or you or a trusted other has eyes on it.  If there will be times when you cannot do that, upgrade the vehicle storage space with a security enhancement such as a reinforced trunk, or a permanently installed or cabled hardened lock box. This admonition is a matter of common sense risk mitigation (loss of life and property, and civil liability come to mind) and compliance with the requirements of various federal and state laws.

If you own a popular model truck or SUV, the manufacturer/vendor deserving of your first look for handgun storage is Console Vault®.  For under $300 you can have a good-looking and perfectly fitting, permanently installed secure lock box in your factory console, with combination dial or “barrel” key access.  (If you are even slightly handy, it is a 15-minute DIY job which produces a factory installed look). Continue reading →

MADE IN THE USA : (Some) “Soft” Goods Makers

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madeinusa

For those who prefer to (or must) buy “Made in the USA,” here are some “soft” goods makers I favor (often after recommendations from full-time military or LEO users), along with my actual purchase examples.  These vendors make quality products with good fabrics and stitching; many are unique designs. Something (maybe everything) from each of their lines will likely interest you and satisfy your mission requirements and personal finickiness. Customer service is also top notch for all. Continue reading →

LOUIS AWERBUCK REMEMBERED

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1948-2014
Warrior, Artist, Philosopher

  Who wouldn’t want to be remembered with words like these:

Stubborn, single-minded, articulate, knowledgeable, independent, moral, inquisitive, interesting and accomplished .   .  .

That’s what Robbie Barrkman wrote of Louis Awerbuck (his friend of 35 years) on his Robar Guns website, after Awerbuck’s death in June 2014.  (The entirety of the heartfelt tribute is HERE).   Awerbuck’s Yavapai Firearms Academy, with a summary of his resume, is HERE.  A 2008 interview of Awerbuck, where he answers well-posed questions on life, death, and equipment, is HERE.  Another one, rather well-known, “Interview With A Madman,” is HERE.  An interesting commentary on his death, evidencing Awerbuck’s appreciation for warrior history and philosophy, “Requiem For A Soldier,” is HERE.  It is said that he was fearless, but carried a high capacity 1911 as a primary, and a Glock 19 as backup. Continue reading →

SHOT Show mini reviews

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Although I did not get to venture through the halls of splendor and witness the new hotness of every gun, gear and gadget, I did have the opportunity to look at a few items that piqued my interest.

I like clever and ingenious.  When someone looks at the mousetrap and says “I can do it better” that excites me.  I had the pleasure to sit down with some of these designers and take the opportunity to learn more about their nifty new thing.

First off, the Leupold D-EVO (Dual-Enhanced View Optic) http://www.leupold.com/tactical/scopes/d-evo

Continue reading →

MADE IN THE USA : THE TEK-LOK™ (U.S. PATENT 6,145,169, NOVEMBER 14, 2000)

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It’s true. The well-known holster and magazine pouch attachment device shown above was designed by two knife guys.  If you are into knives, you likely recognize the names Tim Wegner and Robert (Bob) Terzuola.  If you ever spent serious time at a national knife show (BLADE, Knifemakers Guild) you might have met and even chatted up one or both. It is indeed the very same Tim Wegner who is a co-founder of this very well-known maker of carry, duty, and competition holsters and accessories  —

        

Continue reading →

MADE IN THE USA : THE SAM® SPLINT

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Whether flat or rolled, they take up little space, and weigh almost nothing. Proven highly useful in everyday civilian aid, search and rescue, military, sports, and back country applications.  From the sammedical website: “Built from a thin core of aluminum alloy and sandwiched between two layers of closed-cell foam, the SAM Splint can be bent into any of three simple curves, becoming extremely strong and supportive for any fractured or injured limb.”   And yes, there is a guy named Sam — he’s an MD, and the company’s founder and CEO. Continue reading →

PHOTO OF THE DAY: MEDICAL KIT ADDITIONS

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[I was looking to make this one of the “Made In The USA” posts, but it turned out the two items I reference here are not.  They are nevertheless worthy of consideration as additions to your comprehensive home/tactical medical kits.  My prior MSW post pictures of tactically-oriented medical items I stock at home and carry are here and here].

I recently added two kit items as a result of my never-ending quest to be fully prepared to play first responder on myself and to provide others (who might attend to me or need items for their own use) medical kit items I have determined are easy to use and effective. They are: MEDIHONEY®  (gel, paste, and dressings; New Zealand by way of Canada) by Derma Sciences, Inc., and the four-inch version of the OLAES Modular Bandage (China by way of South Carolina) by Tactical Medical Solutions:

Continue reading →

MADE IN THE USA : MEMORIAL DAY 2014

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[Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial]

Monday, May 26, 2014.

From the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website (here):

The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity. The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”      .   .    .

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

On behalf of Hilton, Tim, and all of the MSW contributing authors, I ask that you please take a minute pause today to quietly say “thank you” to the families of those who died in service to the people of this great nation.

No brother in battle left behind. No veteran or casualty of battle forgotten.

Be safe, today and always.

 

MADE IN THE USA : ELEVEN * 10

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Click on the image to see the Eleven 10 Gear home page.
   The company makes/sells tourniquet cases, medical pouches, kits, and related supplies.  LE agency, military unit (the backgrounds of the company’s founders), and related individual purchases account for almost all of their sales. From their website:

“When we started to develop the prototypes for our new product line, we had a decision to make … Overseas production or USA production. Even though we could of made more profit having everything manufactured overseas, we decided keeping everything here was more important. All of our products are manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio with US made materials. We keep hearing that manufacturing in the States is dead, we beg to differ. Designed, prototyped, tested and manufactured all locally. Even our packaging is printed in Cleveland!” Continue reading →

Photo of the Day: The New 10-8 Performance Glock Base Pad

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Prototype 10-8 Performance Base Pad on a Glock FDE Gen 4 Model 19. Production versions will be black.

It probably comes at no surprise that I’ve been using 10-8 Performance Base Pads on my 1911 and M&P magazines for quite some time now, and have grown accustomed to the included features, including dimples for marking the magazines, scalloped sides and serrated or scooped front to aid in removing stuck magazines. All these features are built into the new Glock base pads while maintaining a low profile shape that conforms to the pistol grip. Installation is simple and uses the factory retainer plate. The new Glock base pads are molded and should come in at a very affordable price point of about $4 each. I’ve been running two prototypes for the better part of a year, and have been very happy with the design and durability of the pad. The pictured base pad above is molded OD green, but production versions will be black. Go to the 10-8performance.com website and sign up for the newsletter for updates as to availability.  Hilton advises that the current production updates put these about 2-3 weeks out.

MADE IN THE USA: SMITH & WESSON MODEL ?

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It is a factory nickel K-frame born 1981 (hat tip Roy Jinks, who was in when I called).  S&W logo was moved to the left side of the frame to facilitate engraving.  Blued, in various barrel lengths, used by U.S. military, various state and local police, FBI, IRS-CID, Hong Kong Police, and many more.  Mostly .38 special, but a small run was chambered in .357 magnum.  This one sports a pinned barrel, eliminated in 1982.  Gas ring changed from yoke to cylinder in this dash.

I received the revolver as a present in 2010.  On the first dry fire trigger pull, the tip of one of the prongs on the mainspring claw broke off and the wheel gun became nonfunctional.  I replaced it with a factory rated Wolff, also a new strain screw, and installed a slightly reduced weight rebound spring.  Cleaned and polished it with nickel-safe products and lubed her up.  I put on official S&W store checkered rosewood boot grips, available here.  Likely good to go for another 30+ years.

A J-frame in the pocket may be more comfortable, but a K-frame is more comforting. Much easier to shoot, and has that “extra” round.   Model 10-7, 2 inch.  A .38 caliber M&P of the 20th century:

Shown with K5 thin Kydex pocket holster made by FIST, see here.  Rides perfectly in the top pocket of several well-known brands of tactical/cargo pants and shorts. Ammo of choice is current loading of Federal Premium 125 grain NYCLAD® HP (P38MA).