Personal Defense World August/September 2021

Unless you’ve been living in a bubble the past few months, you’re probably aware of the renewed push to relegate our Second Amendment-protected rights to the dustbin of history. From the federal level, headed by President Joe Biden, all the way down to the municipal level in many big cities, the battle against the right to keep and bear arms is being waged like never before. Consider that along with pushing disturbing legislation like a semi-auto rifle ban, a ban on firearm magazines holding more than 10 rounds and repealing the law that protects gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits for the criminal misuse of their legal products, Biden has also appointed devout gun-ban advocates to important top jobs in his administration. New Attorney General Merrick Garland was once nominated for the U.S.…

TO say the AR-15 market is saturated would be an understatement. From mild to wild, rifle variants can be found that will cost less than a month’s car payment, or more than a couple months’ mortgage payments. This creates a very buyer-friendly market as companies compete for attention. What can be daunting is deciding what makes for an all-around good buy. Ultra-affordable rifles have been known to have shorter lives due to low-grade components or construction, while at the same time some of the most elite builds can be fussy (especially in terms of the ammo brands and types they will shoot) because they are built to operate within narrow parameters. Entering the largest segment of the market is the new Stag 15 Tactical. built for those of us looking for…

Vulcan Arms WeatherLock AR Bag Finally, a rifle bag that survives the elements we shoot in. It’s nearly waterproof. We floated this bag down a creek with a 12-gauge AR-10 and two large-format pistols in it. No more soggy rifle bags breeding rust on our rifles after a day in the wet. Waterproof materials and a sealing zipper mean that unless you actually submerge the bag, water is not getting in. Lightweight and well-padded, the Vulcan Arms WeatherLock AR Bag is a companion for protection and safe transportation in conditions that send most shooters home. MSRP: $280 (vulcanarms.com) Eagle Industries Tactical Ultra Low-Vis Plate Carrier An incredible upgrade from what I wore in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Tactical Ultra Low-Vis Plate Carrier sheds a lot of weight and cuts the mess of…

Alright, it is no secret that Taurus used to have a quality control issue. I remember when I first started in this industry, I heard stories of Taurus revolvers failing (cylinders falling out and rolling down the firing line) and semi-auto pistols jamming at media events. It wasn’t pretty, to say the least. Their reputation of lackluster quality began to follow them around. Now anytime someone mentions Taurus on the web, you can hear the echo chamber banging away on their keyboards, “I hope it doesn’t blow up on you,” “Good luck with the South American POS,” “Be prepared for fails and repairs,” “You’re better off buying X brand, because PERFECTION!” You get the idea. However, something happened at Taurus about eight years ago. They released the Taurus G2, a striker-fired pistol…

XS SIGHTS The DXT2 Standard Dot is a perfect fit for this micro-compact 9mm. The front sight has a glow dot that absorbs light in low levels before it is dark enough to see the tritium. The rear v-notch has a white line with tritium in it down the middle of the sight that aids in the dot-the-“i” sight picture. The combination is quick and intuitive, which is a must have for those stressful situations. You can find them at xssights.com CROSSBREED For the holster option I chose Crossbreed’s OWD Dropslide and IWB Reckoning. Both holsters use a top-grain leather backer, which aids in comfort. The holster part of both is made of kydex, so basically they are the best of both worlds. The Reckoning can be set up strong-side, appendix or…

When things go bump in the night, our adrenaline gets pumping and we start to prepare for the worst-case scenario. A part of the preparation is grabbing your gun and then executing the home-defense plan you have laid out. The guns that serve in these roles tend to be modern striker-fired pistols, high-tech AR rifles and tactical shotguns. While these are all solid choices, there are other options as well. One that has come up in discussions many times is the classic lever-action rifle. I am here to tell you that a lever gun in trained hands can be a good blaster to help you protect yourself and your loved ones. These rifles have been around a long time. I will not pretend that the lever gun is a superior weapon in…