Gear is secondary to mindset and skillset, but still very relevant to success. The right piece of gear makes any job easier. Contained here are all posts about equipment, from reviews to employment.

CoolFire Trainer: The Raw Truth Long(ish) Term Review

There was a time where ammo was cheap, but those days are gone. The CoolFire Trainer allows you to train with your carry gun for the price of cheap .22lr in the comfort of your own home and on your own schedule. But after nearly 18 months of ownership, do I think it's worth it? Let's discuss.

Otto Noizebarrier Range SA: Raw Truth Review

When you talk about electronic hearing protection, most people either think "cheaper" like the ubiquitous Howard Leights or "Super Expensive" like Peltor Comtacs and Ops-Core AMPs. Today I'm looking at another American-made option you might not know about, the Otto Noizebarrier Range SA.

The Rifleman Harness: Old School is New Again

As part of revising my load bearing equipment, I've continued building on previous versions to create something I've dubbed the Rifleman Harness. It's a heavier load bearing equipment configuration for longer duration away from home.

Digital Radio for Serious Marksmen: AnyTone 878UVII+

Since you and I aren't part of a well-organized, funded, and supplied group who can issue common equipment to everyone, it makes the most sense that your radio brings the most flexibility that you can get. In this post, I want to quickly touch on what I think is the best "all around" radio for the prepared citizen. We'll touch on digital mobile radio (DMR) and the capability it brings along, as well as a few alternatives.

Swampfox Optics Trihawk Review: I Can See Everything

The Swampfox Trihawk is a 3x magnified prism optic intended for tactical usage by law enforcement and prepared citizens. It sports a best-in-class field of view, great optical clarity, and battery-powered illumination. At about a quarter of the price of an ACOG, will it become my go-to recommendation for people looking at prism optics? Let's take a look.

TA33 3×30 ACOG Review: The “Gunfighter’s” Optic

To start off a series of reviews concerning 3x prismatic optics, I wanted to start with the current king of the 3x hill, as it were. The TA33 has been around since 2007, and is well known among enthusiasts. Let's run down what makes this model so interesting, how it works up close, and where its age is starting to show.

Are Prism Scopes Due for a Big Comeback?

I'm making a casual bet that the market for compact prism optics is going to heat up soon. Low power variable optics (LPVO) have been king for the last several years, of course, but I'm noticing some trends and techniques that I think will lead us in a different direction.

What I Learned Moving from Glock to a CZ 75

MLC recently stared migrating from striker fired pistols to hammer-fired CZ pistols. He's learned a few lessons on the way. In this post, he does a mini-review of his CZ 75 SP01 and how it what to look out for when comparing it to the ubiquitous Glock.

Do You Need an All-in-One Fighting Kit?

I ventured off into a thought experiment that ended up becoming something...more. I've long suggested that the average prepared citizen should consider a battle belt and chest rig (or plate carrier) combo as their go-to fighting gear. There's a lot of advantages there. On the other side, though, I've been thinking a lot about a single "grab and go" fighting kit all contained in a single piece of equipment. Here's where I'm at with the idea.

Hammer-Fired vs Striker-Fired: A War on Two Fronts

There are several timeless debates in the firearms world: 9mm vs 45, Stoner vs Kalashnikov, 10.5" vs 12.5" AR-15's, Kydex vs leather, or Glock vs...everything. Some of these have settled, but others....well I don't think we'll ever get to a final answer. One of these debates is hammer-fired pistols against striker-fired. I'd like to put my own two cents out there.

The Magazine Pouch Primer: Access, Security, and Ergonomics

In this article, we're diving in on the topic of magazine pouches. We'll go over my classification system, the tradeoffs between them, what you should prioritize based on your uses, and some basic rules for configuring your ammunition load.
Faxon 18" Gunner profile barrel on another project

The AR-15 Barrel Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need to Know

This post summarizes just about everything I've learned about rifle barrels in general, and specifically AR-15 Barrels. It's fair to say that the barrel is the heart of the gun, and the most important choice to make when configuring a rifle. There are a lot of considerations and tradeoffs to make when deciding on the "right" one for you, so let's dig in.

Adventure Awaits

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