I have to have one of these custom rigs form Andrews Custom Leather. Check it out the shotgun hangs in a quick-release holder, and an adjustable length tether attaches to the butt swivel. The offside contains a handgun and ten rounds of 12 Ga. shells what could be better?

If you are wondering these custom rigs are available for Remington, Ithaca, Mossberg and similar 12 Guage shotguns and run about $500 each.

Technorati Tags: 12 Guage Shotgun, Custom 12 Guage Shotgun Rig, Shotgun

I came across this a few days ago. It is amazing how things never change, and people never learn. Abraham Lincoln was a wise man that a lot of people now days could learn a lot from. It is true that if you are ignorant of history that it has a tendency of repeating itself.

Technorati Tags: Abraham Lincoln Prosperity, History

How would you like to get the Ultimate Concealed Carry Firearm Permit?

I know what you are thinking, your probably going to have to jump through hoops to get one of these. Well that might not be the case. Utah offers a Concealed Carry Firearm Permit that is valid in 31 states, and seems fairly easy to get without jumping through too many hoops.

Here is a list of the 31 states that the Utah permit is valid in:

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* Colorado
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Idaho
* Indiana
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nevada (this may be reversed with new legislation)
* New Hampshire
* New Mexico
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Pennsylvania
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wyoming

The great part about getting a Concealed Carry Firearm Permit from Utah is that you do not need to be a resident of Utah. You do need to be at least 21 years old, and can’t have a felony conviction on your record. You also can not have been convicted of any crime of violence. You must not have been convicted of any offense involving the use of alcohol or unlawful use of narcotics or controlled substances. No convictions involving any domestic violence. Also you can never have been adjudicated in U.S. courts as mentally incompetent, unless that was reversed or withdrawn. You can not have been convicted of any offense that involves moral turpitude.

If you meet all of the requirements above then you will only need a few more things including the proper application form (available online or by calling (801) 965-4445 ) to the Bureau of Criminal Identification in Salt lake City Utah. You will also need a valid copy of your drivers license along with a passport quality photograph of you for the new permit. Also you will need a fingerprint card taken by a trained fingerprint technician that is legible and completely filled out, and finally you need a weapons familiarity certification from an approved instructor. The instructor does not need to be a Utah resident but must be approved by Utah for the course and also fill out part of the application required showing you completed training.

There will be a few hundred dollars in fees for an FBI background check and for the instruction course. Overall though that seems pretty easy for a valid Concealed Carry Firearm Permit that is valid in 31 states.

Technorati Tags: Firearm Permit, Ultimate Concealed Carry Firearm Permit, Utah

Everyone should have a basic knowledge of how to clean small game. Small animals like rabbits and squirrels are plentiful even in the big city. I lived in the suburbs of Chicago for several years and I couldn’t believe how plentiful squirrels were. They were every where!

So to help everyone out there that might not have killed and cleaned a squirrel I found this video below. The gentleman in the video is quite entertaining and has one of the fastest and best ways of cleaning squirrels that I have seen.

Technorati Tags: clean a squirrel, clean small game

OK everyone grab your bug out bag because we got to go!

What you don’t have a bug out bag? This is the one thing that everyone should have, and I don’t mean a half empty backpack that you have to empty out before you can use. A bug out bag is essential for survival in any emergency situation or natural disaster.

Do I need to remind you of all those people in New Orleans during Katrina who only had the clothes on their backs. Could you even imagine how much easier their lives would have been if the had spent a few hours creating a bug out bag that they could have grabbed out of the closet and hit the road with. They could have had clean dry clothes to change into, plenty of food and some water to get them through the first few days!

I would urge everyone out there to make a bug out bag because you never know when you will need it! Another thing I would consider is making one for every member of your family even your kids. They can carry a few things too, and don’t forget to put something in there fun for them to do like a coloring book. It will help them pass the time and take their minds off the situation.

If you don’t know how or what to put in a bug out bag then I would suggest getting a book like “The Bug Out Book” it will teach you everything you need to know about making a bug out bag. It doesn’t cost very much, only $9 and also comes free of charge with the “USMC Winter Survival Course Guide Book” and the “Breath Mint Tin Survival Kit How-to” If you want to get a copy of “The Bug Out Book” you can by Clicking Here!

These books will get you on the right track, and take away any worries of not being prepared when the worst happens. Now get out there and start building your bag!

Technorati Tags: Bug Out Bag, Emergency, Survival

How do you safeguard the things most vital to your survival while preparing for not only the breakdown of civil society but the possible imposition of extreme countermeasures by government?

One way is through having buried survival caches placed in strategic locations. They are cheap and easy to make from pvc pipe at the local building supply store, or if you are too lazy to make your own they can be purchased from Prepared Ness Equipment along with all the other storage supplies that you will need.

These pvc survival caches should be water tight if constructed correctly, but every precaution should be taken to protect the items that are put within the cache. There is nothing worse than being in an emergency situation and finding out that your survival cache has been ruined by water seepage. So make sure that you put everything that you can in preferably air tight vacuum bags. Also don’t forget to use O2 Absorbers in your cache they are cheap protection from moisture!

So what should I put in my cache?

Buried survival caches can prevent theft or confiscation of stored things like emergency food, shelter, medical supplies, clothing items, assorted valuables, and trade items such as personal hygiene, liquor and tobacco products. Pretty much anything that u think you might need if the SHTF!

Also you could use your survival cache for storing extra weapons and ammunition but for public safety concerns I would think this option through carefully before burying any firearms.

Technorati Tags: Buried Survival Caches, emergency food, Survival, Survival Cache

Is your weapon of choice Battle Tested?

Will your caliber of ammunition penetrate and do what u want it to do? I Like a lot of people out there trying to protect themselves have never been in a combat situation, and have always in the back of my head wondered how well prepared I am to defend myself if need be.

Obviously having a firearm when the SHTF is a hell of a lot better than not having one, but did I buy the right caliber? Is it going to do what I need it to do or am I going to have to empty the magazine out before I stop someone. Well the story below is from a father who picks his son’s brain about the different weapons platforms that the United States military is using in Iraq. It will give you a good idea of what to expect out of your 9mm or your .223 AR15 if you ever have to use it!

I found this at NeverYetMelted.com stop by and check out all their posts they have some good stuff there!

Originally Posted on FREE REPUBLIC by Infantry Marine, who asks that it be passed along:

Hello to all my fellow gunners, military buffs, veterans and interested guys. A couple of weekends ago I got to spend time with my son Jordan, who was on his first leave since returning from Iraq. He is well (a little thin), and already bored. He will be returning to Iraq for a second tour in early ‘06 and has already re-enlisted early for 4 more years. He loves the Marine Corps and is actually looking forward to returning to Iraq.

Jordan spent 7 months at “Camp Blue Diamond” in Ramadi. Aka: Fort Apache. He saw and did a lot and the following is what he told me about weapons, equipment, tactics and other miscellaneous info which may be of interest to you. Nothing is by any means classified. No politics here, just a Marine with a bird’s eye view’s opinions:

1) The M-16 rifle : Thumbs down. Chronic jamming problems with the talcum powder like sand over there. The sand is everywhere. Jordan says you feel filthy 2 minutes after coming out of the shower. The M-4 carbine version is more popular because it’s lighter and shorter, but it has jamming problems also. They like the ability to mount the various optical gunsights and weapons lights on the Picatinny rails, but the weapon itself is not great in a desert environment. They all hate the 5.56mm (.223) round. Poor penetration on the cinderblock structure common over there and even torso hits cant be reliably counted on to put the enemy down. Fun fact: Random autopsies on dead insurgents shows a high level of opiate use.

2) The M243 SAW (squad assault weapon): .223 cal. Drum fed light machine gun. Big thumbs down. Universally considered a piece of shit. Chronic jamming problems, most of which require partial disassembly. (that’s fun in the middle of a firefight).

3) The M9 Beretta 9mm: Mixed bag. Good gun, performs well in desert environment; but they all hate the 9mm cartridge. The use of handguns for self-defense is actually fairly common. Same old story on the 9mm: Bad guys hit multiple times and still in the fight.

4) Mossberg 12ga. Military shotgun: Works well, used frequently for clearing houses to good effect.

5) The M240 Machine Gun: 7.62 NATO (.308) cal. belt fed machine gun, developed to replace the old M-60 (what a beautiful weapon that was!!). Thumbs up. Accurate, reliable, and the 7.62 round puts ‘em down. Originally developed as a vehicle mounted weapon, more and more are being dismounted and taken into the field by infantry. The 7.62 round chews up the structure over there.

6) The M2 .50 cal heavy machine gun: Thumbs way, way up. “Ma deuce” is still worth her considerable weight in gold. The ultimate fight stopper, puts them in the dirt every time. The most coveted weapon in-theater.

7) The .45 pistol: Thumbs up. Still the best pistol round out there.

Everybody authorized to carry a sidearm is trying to get their hands on one. With few exceptions, can reliably be expected to put ‘em down with a torso hit. The special ops guys (who are doing most of the pistol work) use the HK military model and supposedly love it. The old government model .45’s are being re-issued en masse.

The M-14: Thumbs up. They are being re-issued in bulk, mostly in a modified version to special ops guys. Modifications include lightweight Kevlar stocks and low power red dot or ACOG sights. Very reliable in the sandy environment, and they love the 7.62 round.

9) The Barrett .50 cal sniper rifle: Thumbs way up. Spectacular range and accuracy and hits like a freight train. Frequently used to take out vehicle suicide bombers (we actually stop a lot of them) & barricaded enemy. Definitely here to stay.

10) The M24 sniper rifle: Thumbs up. Mostly in .308 but some in 300 win mag. Heavily modified Remington 700’s. Great performance. Snipers have been used heavily to great effect. Rumor has it that a marine sniper on his third tour in Anbar province has actually exceeded Carlos Hathcock’s record for confirmed kills with OVER 100.

11) The new body armor: Thumbs up. Relatively light at approx. 6 lbs. and can reliably be expected to soak up small shrapnel and even will stop an AK-47 round. The bad news: Hot as shit to wear, almost unbearable in the summer heat (which averages over 120 degrees). Also, the enemy now goes for head shots whenever possible. All the BS about the “old” body armor making our guys vulnerable to the IED’s was a non-starter. The IED explosions are enormous and body armor doesn’t make any difference at all in most cases.

12) Night Vision and Infrared Equipment: Thumbs way up. Spectacular performance. Our guys see in the dark and own the night, period. Very little enemy action after evening prayers. More and more enemy being whacked at night during movement by our hunter-killer teams. We’ve all seen the videos.

13) Lights: Thumbs up. Most of the weapon mounted and personal lights are Surefire’s, and the troops love ‘em. Invaluable for night urban operations. Jordan carried a $34 Surefire G2 on a neck lanyard and loved it. I cant help but notice that most of the good fighting weapons and ordnance are 50 or more years old With all our technology, it’s the WWII and Vietnam era weapons that everybody wants The infantry fighting is frequent, up close and brutal. No quarter is given or shown.

Bad guy weapons:

1) Mostly AK47’s . The entire country is an arsenal. Works better in the desert than the M16 and the .308 Russian round kills reliably. PKM belt fed light machine guns are also common and effective. Luckily, the enemy mostly shoots like shit. Undisciplined “spray and pray” type fire. However, they are seeing more and more precision weapons, especially sniper rifles. (Iran, again) Fun fact: Captured enemy have apparently marveled at the marksmanship of our guys and how hard they fight. They are apparently told in Jihad school that the Americans rely solely on technology, and can be easily beaten in close quarters combat for their lack of toughness. Let’s just say they know better now.

2) The RPG: Probably the infantry weapon most feared by our guys. Simple, reliable & as common as dogshit. The enemy responded to our up-armored Humvees by aiming at the windshields, often at point blank range. Still killing a lot of our guys.

3) The IED: The biggest killer of all. Can be anything from old Soviet anti-armor mines to jury rigged artillery shells. A lot found in Jordan’s area were in abandoned cars. The enemy would take 2 or 3 155mm artillery shells and wire them together. Most were detonated by cell phone, and the explosions are enormous. You’re not safe in any vehicle, even an M1 tank. Driving is by far the most dangerous thing our guys do over there. Lately, they are much more sophisticated “shape charges” (Iranian) specifically designed to penetrate armor. Fact: Most of the ready made IED’s are supplied by Iran, who is also providing terrorists (Hezbollah types) to train the insurgents in their use and tactics. That’s why the attacks have been so deadly lately. Their concealment methods are ingenious, the latest being shape charges in Styrofoam containers spray painted to look like the cinderblocks that litter all Iraqi roads. We find about 40% before they detonate, and the bomb disposal guys are unsung heroes of this war.

4) Mortars and rockets: Very prevalent. The Soviet era 122mm rockets (with an 18km range) are becoming more prevalent. One of Jordan’s NCO’s lost a leg to one. These weapons cause a lot of damage “inside the wire”. Jordan’s base was hit almost daily his entire time there by mortar and rocket fire, often at night to disrupt sleep patterns and cause fatigue (It did). More of a psychological weapon than anything else. The enemy mortar teams would jump out of vehicles, fire a few rounds, and then haul ass in a matter of seconds.

5) Bad guy technology: Simple yet effective. Most communication is by cell and satellite phones, and also by email on laptops. They use handheld GPS units for navigation and “Google earth” for overhead views of our positions. Their weapons are good, if not fancy, and prevalent. Their explosives and bomb technology is TOP OF THE LINE. Night vision is rare. They are very careless with their equipment and the captured GPS units and laptops are treasure troves of Intel when captured.

Who are the bad guys?:

Most of the carnage is caused by the Zarqawi Al Qaeda group. They operate mostly in Anbar province (Fallujah and Ramadi). These are mostly “foreigners”, non-Iraqi Sunni Arab Jihadists from all over the Muslim world (and Europe). Most enter Iraq through Syria (with, of course, the knowledge and complicity of the Syrian govt.) , and then travel down the “rat line” which is the trail of towns along the Euphrates River that we’ve been hitting hard for the last few months. Some are virtually untrained young Jihadists that often end up as suicide bombers or in “sacrifice squads”. Most, however, are hard core terrorists from all the usual suspects (Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas etc.) These are the guys running around murdering civilians en masse and cutting heads off. The Chechens (many of whom are Caucasian), are supposedly the most ruthless and the best fighters. (they have been fighting the Russians for years). In the Baghdad area and south, most of the insurgents are Iranian inspired (and led) Iraqi Shiites. The Iranian Shi’a have been very adept at infiltrating the Iraqi local govts, the police forces and the Army. The have had a massive spy and agitator network there since the Iran-Iraq war in the early 80’s. Most of the Saddam loyalists were killed, captured or gave up long ago.

Bad Guy Tactics:

When they are engaged on an infantry level they get their asses kicked every time. Brave, but stupid. Suicidal Banzai-type charges were very common earlier in the war and still occur. They will literally sacrifice 8-10 man teams in suicide squads by sending them screaming and firing AKs and RPGs directly at our bases just to probe the defenses. They get mowed down like grass every time. ( see the M2 and M240 above). Jordan’s base was hit like this often. When engaged, they have a tendency to flee to the same building, probably for what they think will be a glorious last stand. Instead, we call in air and that’s the end of that more often than not. These hole-ups are referred to as Alpha Whiskey Romeo’s (Allah’s Waiting Room). We have the laser guided ground-air thing down to a science. The fast movers, mostly Marine F-18’s, are taking an ever increasing toll on the enemy. When caught out in the open, the helicopter gunships and AC-130 Spectre gunships cut them to ribbons with cannon and rocket fire, especially at night. Interestingly, artillery is hardly used at all. The enemy death toll is supposedly between 45-50 thousand. That is why we’re seeing less and less infantry attacks and more IED, suicide bomber s***.

The new strategy is simple: attrition.

The insurgent tactic most frustrating is their use of civilian non-combatants as cover. They know we do all we can to avoid civilian casualties and therefore schools, hospitals and (especially) Mosques are locations where they meet, stage for attacks, cache weapons and ammo and flee to when engaged. They have absolutely no regard whatsoever for civilian casualties. They will terrorize locals and murder without hesitation anyone believed to be sympathetic to the Americans or the new Iraqi govt. Kidnapping of family members (especially children) is common to influence people they are trying to influence but cant reach, such as local govt. officials, clerics, tribal leaders, etc.). The first thing our guys are told is “don’t get captured”. They know that if captured they will be tortured and beheaded on the internet. Zarqawi openly offers bounties for anyone who brings him a live American serviceman. This motivates the criminal element who otherwise don’t give a shit about the war. A lot of the beheading victims were actually kidnapped by common criminals and sold to Zarqawi. As such, for our guys, every fight is to the death. Surrender is not an option.

The Iraqis are a mixed bag. Some fight well, others aren’t worth a s***. Most do okay with American support. Finding leaders is hard, but they are getting better. It is widely viewed that Zarqawi’s use of suicide bombers, en masse, against the civilian population was a serious tactical mistake. Many Iraqi’s were galvanized and the caliber of recruits in the Army and the police forces went up, along with their motivation. It also led to an exponential increase in good intel because the Iraqi’s are sick of the insurgent attacks against civilians. The Kurds are solidly pro-American and fearless fighters.

According to Jordan, morale among our guys is very high. They not only believe they are winning, but that they are winning decisively. They are stunned and dismayed by what they see in the American press, whom they almost universally view as against them. The embedded reporters are despised and distrusted. They are inflicting casualties at a rate of 20-1 and then see shit like “Are we losing in Iraq” on TV and the print media. For the most part, they are satisfied with their equipment, food and leadership. Bottom line though, and they all say this, there are not enough guys there to drive the final stake through the heart of the insurgency, primarily because there aren’t enough troops in-theater to shut down the borders with Iran and Syria. The Iranians and the Syrians just can’t stand the thought of Iraq being an American ally (with, of course, permanent US bases there).

Anyway guys, that’s it, hope you found it interesting, I sure did.

Technorati Tags: .223, .308, 5.56mm, 7.62 NATO, 9mm, Ammunition, Battle Tested

Don’t Tread on Me Britain!!

That is what British model and singer Myleene Klass should be screaming from the roof tops! Mrs. Klass was home with her two year old daughter when around 12:45 A.M. she noticed two young intruders trying to break into her garden shed. So Fearing for her safety she picked up a kitchen knife and waved it at the intruders scaring them off.

No big deal right? She was protecting herself and her property from harm, which should be her GOD given right no matter what country you live in. Well not in Britain! When the police arrived at her house they informed her that she should not have used a knife to scare off the youths because carrying an “offensive weapon” – even in her own home – was illegal.

Well maybe someone should remind that British police officer that the police are only minutes away when seconds count! I can’t believe the people of the so called FREE World put up with this cap! First the people of Britain rolled over and turned in their guns to the government and now the government it trying to take away their knives too! Did these people not learn anything from the last World War? Don’t they remember what happened when the Nazi’s confiscated everyone’s guns?

I guess I am spoiled living in America even though the same people who helped remove firearms from Britain are trying to do the same thing here! Well I have news for these people you can have my firearms just as soon as I am out of bullets! I don’t think these people get it, America will never give up it’s firearms no matter what kind of treaty or law they try to pass. Millions of people didn’t buy $1,000 black rifles and strip the stores of all their ammunition at the beginning of 2009 to just turn around and hand them back over because a government either foreign or domestic tells them they have to. Like I said earlier they might get them but I am willing to bet it will be bullets first!

Technorati Tags: Ammunition, Don't Tread On Me, Firearms

Ammunition From The Chart

1. .22 Magnum 40 gr. JHP (1209 FPS / 369 MPS)
2. .32 ACP 60 gr. Silvertip JHP (936 FPS / 285 MPS)
3. .380 ACP 95 gr. FMC (902 FPS / 275 MPS)
4. .38 Special 125 gr. Nyclad SWHP (1009 FPS / 308 MPS)
5. .38 Special +P 110 gr. JHP (1049 FPS / 320 MPS)
6. .38 Special +P 140 gr. JHP (869 FPS / 265 MPS)
7. 9mm 124 gr. FMC (1173 FPS / 358 MPS)*
8. 9mm 125 gr. JSP (1121 FPS / 342 MPS)
9. 9mm 147 gr. Black Talon (1010 FPS / 308 MPS)
10. 9mm 147 gr. Golden Saber (1083 FPS / 330 MPS)
11. 9mm 147 gr. Hydra Shok (1011 FPS / 308 MPS)
12. .357 Magnum 158 gr. JSP (1308 FPS / 399 MPS)
13. .357 Magnum 110 gr. JHP (1292 FPS / 394 MPS)
14. .357 Magnum 125 gr. JHP (1335 FPS / 407 MPS)
15. .40 Caliber 180 gr. FMJTC (992 FPS / 302 MPS)
16. .40 Caliber 170 gr. FMJTC (1095 FPS / 334 MPS)
17. 10mm 155 gr. FMJTC (1024 FPS / 312 MPS)
18. 10mm 170 gr. JHP (1137 FPS / 347 MPS)
19. .41 Magnum 210 gr. LSWC (1141 FPS / 348 MPS)
20. .44 Magnum 240 gr. LFP (1017 FPS / 310 MPS)
21. .45 Long Colt 250 gr. LRN (778 FPS / 237 MPS)
22. .45 ACP 230 gr. FMJ (826 FPS / 252 MPS)
23. 12 Ga. 00 Buck (9 pellet) (1063 FPS / 324 MPS)
24. 9mm 124 gr. FMJ (1215 FPS / 370 MPS)*
25. 9mm 115 gr. Silvertip JHP (1252 FPS / 382 MPS)
26. 9mm 124 gr. Starfire JHP (1174 FPS / 358 MPS)*
27. .357 Magnum 158 gr. JSP (1453 FPS / 443 MPS)*
28. .357 Magnum 145 gr. Silvertip JHP (1371 FPS / 418 MPS)
29. .357 Magnum 125 gr. JHP (1428 FPS / 435 MPS)
30. 10mm 175 gr. Silvertip JHP (1246 FPS / 380 MPS)
31. .41 Magnum 210 gr. JSP (1322 FPS / 403 MPS)
32. .44 Magnum 240 gr. SJHP (1270 FPS / 387 MPS)
33. 9mm 124 gr. FMJ (1440 FPS / 439 MPS)*
34. 9mm 115 gr. FMJ Israeli (1499 FPS / 457 MPS)
35. 9mm 123 gr. FMJ Geco (1372 FPS / 418 MPS)
36. 9mm 124 gr. FMJ Cavin (1259 FPS / 384 MPS)
37. .44 Magnum 240 gr. LSWC (1448 FPS / 441 MPS)*
38. .44 Magnum 240 gr. HSP (1320 FPS / 402 MPS)
39. 12 ga. 1 oz. Rifled Slug (1290 FPS / 393 MPS)
40. 12 ga. 1 oz. Rifled Slug (1254 FPS / 382 MPS)

Bullet Abbreviations

The following standard abbreviations are used to designate types of bullets or projectiles contained in the rounds tested.

FMC/J Full Metal Case/ Full metal Jacket

FMJTC Full Metal Jacket Truncated Cone

HSP Hollow Soft Point

LRB Lead Round Ball

LRN Lead Round Nose

LSWC Lead Semi-Wadcutter

JHP Jacketed Hollow Point

JSP Jacketed Soft Point

LFP Lead Flat Point

SJHP Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point

SWHP Semi-Wadcutter Hollow Point

Technorati Tags: Ammunition, Body Armor, Categories Of Body Armor

I ran across these two videos the other night while looking for bullet reloading information. Knowing how to reload your own ammunition and having all the materials and proper tools to do this after the shit hits the fan can be a great peace of mind.

We have all been experiencing a shortage of ammunition, guns, and reloading supplies here since last fall, with stores finally starting to get their stock back up. This run on the gun stores was based on peoples fears of what might happen, could you even imagine how fast the stores would be cleaned out if something actually did happen. So having you own reloading equipment and all the supplies to reload your own ammunition might be something to think about.

These two videos are of the Dillon 1050 reloading equipment with aftermarket modifications. I realize that the Dillon 1050 is out of the price range of 99% of the people out there, but they do a good job of showing the extreme that you could go to when reloading ammunition.

Technorati Tags: 1050, Ammunition, Ammunition Reloading, Bullet, Bullet Reloading, Dillon, Dillon 1050, Guns & Ammunition, Reloading