Recoil

down range

Despite what hyperventilating bobbleheads on cable news might lead you to believe, the most dangerous part of shooting is the car ride to the range. Statistically, you’re far more likely to use a first-aid kit than your CCW, yet oftentimes we pay lip service (or less) to training with the former, while devoting countless hours to obsessing over the latter. So in this issue, we decided to tip the balance a little. No, it isn’t as sexy as the Army’s next-generation squad automatic weapon (though we do have a breakdown of their latest subgun), but for the majority of us, learning to prevent blood loss, manage an airway, and prevent further injury is time well spent. It’s probably fair to say that the majority of our readership would, in the vernacular…

recoil

Editorial. Editor/ Iain Harrison Editor, Concealment/ Rob Curtis Managing Editor/ Laura Peltakian Features Editor/ Dave Merrill Senior Editor/ Tom Marshall Contributing Editor/ Steven Kuo Editor // Online/ Candice Horner Network Manager/ John Schwartze Director, Video Production/ Calvin Coulthard Contributors/ Aaron Adams, Dan Brokos, Alexander Crown, Niccole Elizabeth, Ashley Hlebinksy, Sandy Hughes, V. Kenneth, Kenda Lenseigne, Chris Mudgett, Russell Phagan, Mark Saint, Nick Saiti, Mike Searson, Joey Skibel, Miles Vining, Patrick Vuong, We Plead the 2nd Special Thanks/ Angeles Armory, The Bullet Ranch, CNS Engraving Art Direction & Design. Senior Art Director/ Gene Coo Art Director/ Sarah Lampert Advertising. General Manager/ Glen Castle 813.675.3495 Senior Account Executive/ Shawn Sloan 813.675.3552 Senior Account Executive/ Ryan Farner 760.809.8729 National Account Executive/ Matt Johnson 952.240.9794 Account Executive/ Lori McDaniel 715.498.3768 CMG West, LLC. VP, Group Publisher/ Mark Han Financial Controller/ Jenni Sexstone Operations Director/ Gregory S. Krueger Circulation/ NPS Media Group llevasseur@npsmediagroup.com…

incoming

1 We believe that the best defense is a strong offense, especially when it comes to a life-and-death confrontation. But that doesn’t mean we neglect all defensive gear or training for the sake of more guns, ammo, and accessories. We also make room in our budget for a med kit and some armor. The PakProtect fulfills that latter category. This plate is made of “ultra high molecular weight polyethylene with a polyurea coating” — science speak for bulletproof. With a protection level of NIJ Level IIIA, it can defend against your common handgun rounds and even up to a 12-gauge 1-inch lead slug. At 11 by 14 by 0.25 inches and weighing 1 pound, 2.5 ounces, the PakProtect is designed to slip into a backpack or messenger bag to give you…

australian war memorial

Nestled in the heart of the capital city of Canberra, across the Molongo River from Parliament House is the Australian War Memorial. It’s fitting that such a solemn tribute to Australia’s fallen should be within eyesight of those with the power to send future generations of young Diggers into conflicts around the world. The Memorial is both a shrine for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and an interactive museum — many locations today do a good job of serving as one or the other, but rarely both at the same time. Here, both Australians and tourists alike can learn about the history of the Australian Defense Forces for the lowly price of free admission and year-round operation. When looking at the context of the First and Second World Wars,…

futuristic retrospective

The Third World War left the planet shrouded in a pall of radioactive dust, under skies lurid and angry, in a climate gone insane. Tilted on its axis as a result of the nuclear holocaust, the Earth lived through a reign of terror with storms and floods of unprecedented severity. When this epoch began to wind down, the remnants of life once more ventured forth to commence the struggle for survival and dominance. This is the story of some of them. If you recognize this passage, or the vehicle pictured here, then you know what movie it was from. If you don’t, what the hell’s the matter with you? Stop whatever you’re doing and go watch Damnation Alley. You could count on two things if you grew up in the ’80s —…

unusual suspects

In the 1970s a unique type of folding knife began to hit the United States in great numbers. So much so, that it dominated the bladed martial arts scene and began showing up in martial arts and action movies, such as Red Dawn, Falling Down, The Big Brawl, and many others. This knife was known as the balisong or butterfly knife and has origins in the Philippines. It’s most closely associated with the Filipino martial arts and in my case was my gateway into the world of fighting knives about 35 years ago. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. A split handle houses the blade, and deployment is achieved by a simple flip of one handle, a 180-degree rotation, and another flip. I saw it as the nunchaku of the 1980s, and…