Innholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2015 i Recoil

You know the story. You’ve learned about it in school and read the details in a well-researched book or two. At the very least you’ve watched a documentary about the event (and not the cornball movie by Michael Bay). Still, it bears repeating…lest we forget. In the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 1941, the United States’ Pacific Fleet was attacked by Japan while its ships were moored at the U.S. Navy’s headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The devastating surprise attack killed more than 2,400 people, wounded over 1,100 others, and damaged or destroyed 18 ships — including five battleships and close to 300 aircraft. Today, Pearl Harbor acts as an enduring symbol of both the reason for the USA’s entry into World War II and the nation’s resilience in…

FNH announced a couple of new models this year. One of them in particular seemed tailor made for Buck Doyle’s course, so we snagged the first one sent to the media. As you can see from the images, it wasn’t exactly babied, we don’t expect FNH will be calling us for beauty shots for their catalog. In addition to surviving the class, we put an additional 300 rounds through it before touching down in Utah, so it’s been thoroughly wrung out. With a couple of decades of manufacturing M16s for the U.S. Armed Forces, you’d expect that they might be able to produce an excellent AR — and you’d be right. Although touted as their designated marksman rife (DMR), it shows evidence of input from FNH’s three-gun team. Overall, components…

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 80 percent of the American population lives in urban areas. Yet, whenever we see classes or articles about precision marksmanship, they’re usually set against a backdrop of wide-open spaces, with emphasis on the mythical “1,000-yard shot.” Charles Mosier, lead sniper with Las Vegas SWAT and a former Navy SEAL, aims to change that with his urban sniper course. Basic skills of Feld craft, navigation, stalking, and trigger pulling don’t change, whether the environment is the tundra of northern Norway or the mountains of Afghanistan. But the methods used to ensure a successful shot and the survival of the shooter must be adapted to circumstance. This is why Mosier teaches through doing. Each student gets the chance to practice with his or her equipment in…

For decades now there’s been a huge gap between high-priced, high-quality optics from companies like Schmidt & Bender, Night force, Trijicon, Aimpoint, or Leupold and the cheap, Chinese junk you commonly find at gun shows and on eBay. Certainly, there have been optics in the medium price range, but oftentimes their quality was only marginally better than the cheap junk, or their price point was such that it was worth saving your pennies to hold out for a higher-quality optic from one of the aforementioned companies or their peers. MAKE: Vortex Optics MODEL: Sparc II OVERALL LENGTH: 3.125 inches OVERALL WIDTH: 2.1 inches WEIGHT: 5.2 ounces MSRP: $259 URL: www.vortexoptics.com Vortex Optics has recently and effectively filled that gap in the market by providing a large range of great quality…

The iconic and tiny Škorpion vz. 61 submachine gun is probably as well known in the United States from its use in films, TV, and video games as anything else. CZ’s new EVO is the evolution of the Scorpion line of submachine guns (SMG) that began officially in 1961, hence the name Scorpion EVO. The original Škorpion vz. 61 was an ultra-compact SMG designed for special operations, vehicle crews, junior level officers, and security forces. Though well engineered, it was originally fielded in 7.65x17mm (.32 ACP) — an anemic caliber in general and, in my appreciation, almost worthless in a sub-gun. It was later made in 9x18mm Makarov as the Vz 65, 9x19mm NATO as the Vz 68, and 9x17mm (.380 ACP) as the Vz 83, with a few other…

We shot SureFire’s SOCOM 2 suppressor on the Accuracy International rife featured on page 72 and were impressed by its performance. So, when their rep asked if we’d be interested in getting some time with their newest model, there was very little arm twisting involved. Bottom line up front: it’s a modified K baffle design, using a titanium tube and end caps for reduced weight. The baffles themselves are stainless steel, which should mean they last just about forever, and in the event of erosion or baffle strikes can be individually replaced by the manufacturer. SureFire claims that fats machined on the outer tube reduce weight and allow for a better sight picture. The first part of that sentence is demonstrably true (although whether the savings are significant or noticeable…

A few pretty cool things will be on our website in the coming weeks. We’ll look a little more at the backstop material Dave Merrill and I were shooting when I took that .38 ricochet to the forehead — it’s good stuff and at a well-run range, so we reckon it was just a one-in-a-million ricochet off some nested rounds from a previous shooter. But who knows? Anyway, several of you were curious after we posted that web article, so we’ll fill you in. We’ll be running a review by Aaron Cowan wherein he tries to break a Law Tactical folding stock adapter — maybe it’ll help you determine if this is an option you’re interested in. And Russell Phagan will be sharing an interview with Kurt Miller, talking about…

In a landscape dotted with once-proud titles that have either folded, gone entirely digital, or stagger on like B-movie zombies, RECOIL keeps growing from strength to strength. It’s an of repeated axiom that print is dead, but I guess that if you give people what they want, they vote with their wallets. And we plan to keep on giving you what you’ve asked us for. One of the items that kept cropping up in previous discussions was expansion of our preparedness content, so we created an entire magazine around it — if you haven’t checked out OFFGRID yet, the newest issue goes on sale June 26, and it’s a great read. We also recently turned our attention to the topic of concealed carry, and you might still be able to…

We know what you’re thinking. Is this Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s tactical vehicle or some addition to Area 51’s security feet? We’re going to keep you guessing for the moment and speak to a belief that often gets reiterated in the pages of RECOIL…ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain. So when it comes to dreaming up your bug-out/survival vehicle blueprints, while it may seem like a good idea to pile on every single piece of cool gear you can dream of (after all, you might need it), it may actually interfere with mobility more than you think. Would you believe this actually started life as a 1975 Chevy ½-ton pickup? We certainly had a hard time wrapping our heads around that, but when its owner/builder John Kanicsar started telling us…

Thanks to the Salesman-in-Chief, it seems like everyone’s got an AR-15. With a market awash in 5.56mm rifles, the next item many people will consider adding to their collection is its big brother, a 7.62 NATO version — because although the ammo is heavier and more expensive, by comparison it hits like the hand of an angry god. With that in mind, we assembled three of the best examples of the breed and compared them side by side to see which one might best fit your requirements. DANIEL DEFENSE 7.62 First up is the newest of the three offerings, which may or may not be on sale by the time you read this. We got our hands on an early prototype DD7.62, so some of its features may change before…

SIGSAUER P320 Glock started the striker-freed polymer pistol revolution back in 1982, and by the mid-1990s it was dominating the U.S. market for commercial and law enforcement sales. One by one, all the other major manufacturers have moved to offer similar models, some quicker than others. SIG SAUER, renowned for its double-action/single-action (DA/SA) pistols, was the last holdout, joining the party in 2014 with the P320 model. Based on SIG’s marketing materials, the P320 is clearly intended to go head to head against Glock, particularly when it comes to law enforcement sales. What’s the big deal with striker-freed polymer pistols anyway, and why do so many agencies want them? Experience gained while teaching armed security guard classes over the past few years has revealed some firsthand insight into the benefits…

John Wayne Walding is still standing. His chest is heaving. His body is drenched in sweat. His hands are firmly planted on his knees — but he’s still standing. Impressive considering the punishing Cross Fit workout he and his cadre of veteran friends just endured at the hands of Alan Shebaro, a jiu-jitsu and training guru and former Army Special Forces (S.F.) member. As the sun breaks the horizon, they’ve already performed a blitzkrieg of exercises that some might describe as self-torture. As John wipes his brow, his hands move and exposes the prosthetic that works as his lower leg. He’s an amputee from the knee down. Suddenly, the fact that he’s still standing becomes that much more significant. “Seems like an awful lot of leg workouts for a guy…

He who scores the most points in the least amount of time walks away the winner. This is true whether you’re in combat, on duty, or competing — though the definition of “points” and what’s at stake will vary. As shooters we quite often spend most of our training time and efforts on gear, techniques, and mechanics, as if those things will make us better shooters. Those things might help, but by themselves they’ve never scored a single “point.” PERFORMANCE SHOOTING Fast and accurate shooting should be our goal. My brand of shooting is performance shooting, defined as applying the correct ratio of speed and accuracy to “dinomatical” shooting situations in order to score maximum points in minimum time, with 100-percent accountability. (What’s “dinomatical?” The word “dynamic” is pretty overused,…

The AR-15 platform has arguably become one of the most finely tuned weapons ever to go bang. Its ubiquity, modularity, and open architecture have resulted in a veritable cornucopia of modifications and accessories designed to optimize it for a wide variety of applications. Everyone from large established players to guys in their garage workshops with a good idea have conceived, produced, and marketed almost anything that you could imagine — including the topic of this article, lightweight bolt carrier groups (BCGs). From machining lightening cuts to using space-age materials, these featherweight BCGs reduce the reciprocating weight in your AR-15, resulting in smoother operation and reduced felt recoil and muzzle movement — allowing you to get more hits in less time and to keep your eyes and optic on target throughout.…

1 Todd Rexford is a young cat who’s quickly making a name for himself thanks to innovations like the Rexford Utility Tool (RUT). Made in the USA, the RUT holds a razor blade, a fat-head screwdriver, and a bottle opener. In fact, the screwdriver and bottle opener can be used in tandem as an improvised can opener. Plus, there’s a lanyard hold so you can turn it into a key fob or attach it to your pack. Its titanium body is about the size of two sticks of Wrigley’s Double mint gum pressed together. MAKE: Rexford Knives MODEL: Rexford Utility Tool MSRP: $135 URL: www.rexfordknives.com 2 Andrew Bawidamann is a design wizard, bringing a unique perspective and diverse artistic skills to everything from knives and tactical gear to apparel and…

It used to be that titanium was unobtainium — extremely desirable for a variety of applications, but just too damn expensive to acquire and manufacture. Thanks to rapidly advancing technology, the metal sometimes known by its chemical symbol of Ti isn’t as cost prohibitive to fabricate anymore. It’s now seen in all sorts of products, from dental implants to bolt carrier groups (see page 128). It’s no surprise then that knife-makers are incorporating titanium in their latest and greatest models. But what makes the element so special? Named after the Titans from Greek mythology, titanium is seriously strong for a metal that’s so light. It also laughs in the face of rust because of its high corrosion resistance and doesn’t conduct heat or electricity very well. Plus, it’s non-magnetic. All…

There are trainers who succeed because of their ability to convey ideas accurately and succinctly. There are trainers who can get a class full of students to outperform through the sheer power of their personality. And there are trainers whose résumé is so crammed full of “been there, done that” stories that their students have no choice but to listen out of respect for their achievements. Buck Doyle is a 21-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran, with most of his service time spent in elite units with 1st Force Recon, 1st Recon Battalion, and MARSOC (the Corps’ contribution to U.S. Special Operations Command). He racked up five combat tours before leaving to train troops in Afghanistan as a civilian contractor. Wounded in Anbar Province while attempting to rescue a fallen comrade,…

What’s in the box? Camera equipment, tools, an extravagant lunch for you and that girl you’ve been trying to impress? Certainly nothing about it screams, “Insanely accurate sniper rife that will quietly shoot the ’nads off a gnat at 800 yards.” Accuracy International has been around for four decades now, representing the last vestiges of a once thriving gun industry in the country that used to be Great Britain. If you’re not familiar with names like Armstrong, Vickers, Whitworth, and BSA (no, not the crappy Chinese scope company), then you owe it to yourself to check out their achievements. Located in the gritty, northern part of England, proud companies such as these armed an empire with everything from handguns to warships and had an inordinate effect on both geopolitics and…

IN THEIR WORDS BRADY CERVANTES Former U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Instructor “Thanks to these guys, I’ve got boatloads of knowledge coming at me from all sides. The first four nights of being out was tough — they really hit me. I talked to John on the phone about it. After the fourth day, I just knew I had to do something. I called John up, and he told me to come work with him. The amount of guidance I’ve gotten from these guys allows me to not focus on the transition of just getting out, but to allow me to help other guys who are going through that transition. We trade ideas back and forth, and we all work together within the veteran community to help each other out.…

One of the hottest trending topics on social media after the SHOT Show in January this year was the revelation that some unscrupulous character stole Lantac’s prototype titanium enhanced bolt carrier group right off the company’s display table. Facebook, gun blogs, and online forums were abuzz with shock and outrage — how could it be that in a community with such strong fundamental underpinnings of integrity, personal responsibility, and brotherhood that such a thing would happen? Well, there are bad apples in every bunch, but the industry and the community showed its true colors as it rallied together to the cause. From manufacturers large and small to concerned individuals, offers of rewards for information leading to the return of the stolen item came pouring in. Most had no stake in…

Helmets date back millennia as crucial protective gear for your noggin, and today still serve as an invaluable tool on the battlefield to save lives. Though their designs have changed quite a bit over time, the basic principle has remained the same and the aesthetics of some have garnered quite a following — be it Roman cavalry, medieval knights, or Spartan warriors. See if you can find one you like in the selection of patches we’ve assembled for you here. Whether you’re a medic, a fan of the movie 300 and what it represents, or want to tout one of your favorite companies, surely you’re bound to find one you like. History buffs may also enjoy one with the Greek phrase of defiance Molon label, which translates loosely to “Come…