All posts in Hunting Gear

Spicing up your gun collection with handgun displays

Long before I moved to where I am presently living, I was able to turn a closet in my home  into a gun safe.   I think there needs to be some serious thought put into how safe it is to keep your guns in a closet, but depending on the location in  your home and how strong and secure the door is, the only bad thing other than any a break in would be fire.   If you have a good fire alarm system in your home, the notion that your house is going to burn to the ground shouldn’t really be much of a reality, although it is possible.   There are ways to fire proof areas of your  house especially around closets that can help you avoid having to bring a 500lb safe down your basement steps.   I strongly recommend keeping any kind of firearms safe out of visibility because I have learned that a good $2000 gun safe will only slow a thief down, but not necessarily stop them.

If you have the time to build a small fire proof room  in your home for your firearms, you can avoid all of the clunking and banging around that can happen in other safes.   There are good pistol display racks like the Versatile rack that can organize and spice up the look of your collection.   Springfield Armory also has fun looking GI 1911 gun cases that are a wooden box that looks like you just received it from an airdrop in Europe.  Gun cases can help you keep your guns and stuff organized and protected, but it’s no fun to have to store your guns in a gun safe that is cluttered.  Build yourself a gun closet.

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Avoiding unnecessary searches during police stops

There has been a recent issue with a man who moved from Colorado back to New Jersey and has been arrested and thrown in jail for transporting firearms that he legally owned.   I won’t go into the whole story, but it’s available with just a google search.  From what I am reading about it now, there was something that occurred and the police made a stop and searched this individuals car, they found two unloaded handguns in the car and he was arrested.   Transporting firearms in non-gun friendly States has been a real problem for those traveling across State lines for hunting trips.   I had the opportunity to take a trip to Maine and I had to plot driving routes to avoid as many blue States as possible although  avoiding all of them was impossible.

So many of my friends own SUV type vehicles and I have urged many of them to think about tinting the windows, not too dark, but darker than what they had, just because they can dramatically reduce their chances of having a theft by making it harder for the less  honest in society,  from seeing any firearms even in gun cases or valuables they are transporting.  Most of the smash and grabs that I have heard of were for laptops and the CCW stuff was under or near it.   Of all of the times I have ever been in a vehicle stop, being polite to a Police officer avoided any friction and I have never had issues with searches.

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My new LWRCI an C-Products

With things being pretty shaky with our economy right now,  I have been doing a lot of thought about what I am planning to use at training sessions in the coming year.   I have watched the prices of 5.45×39 for almost 2yrs now and seen very limited movement.    Almost 10yrs ago I did a range test at a 500yd gun club where I tested a Romanian SARI and a Romanian SARII side by side.   I engaged targets at 100yds and tested groups sizes.  I’m very much aware of what the AK was designed to do and expecting better than 4inch groups from a 7.62×39 gun is a  lot with military ammo.   I know you can do better with handloads, but that’s another story.   As I  proceed out to 300yds, I had more and more  hold over with the SARI rifle.   The SARII gun was nailing targets and I don’t think I was holding more than 12 inches over the targets.   Even though I thought the gun was a little clunky, it was as flat shooting as an M4 Carbine.

My LWRCI upper was something I have wished for, for several years.    I know I will  be the first amongst my friends to test this gun out, but it seems to be a better thought out idea over the Smith & Wesson 5.45×39 upper.    The Smith & Wesson is a direct impingement gun and even though they will fit in the same gun cases as my LWRCI, I don’t thing they are the same.   Say what you will about the AR design, but this LWRCI upper is a combat gun and not a plinking gun.   I wouldn’t expect a gun like the S&W to hold up to much abuse unless there was a domestic manufacturer of 5.45×39 ammo.

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5.11 tactical jeans review pt 1

I finally did my rounds and checked out a few local 5.11 dealers to see what they had in stock.    Something I always find annoying about stopping in these places is how much of a mess the clothing usually is.   I always have to dig around for my sizes and rarely do any of these gun shops or police and security stores keep there crap together.   The other thing that I find annoying is that so many of them clear out certain styles of clothing during the year like there is a non-season for polos and jeans.   Some of these tactical clothing manufacturers are running huge shortages and various products are out of stock for 6-9 months at a time.   I actually noticed many of the gun shops in my neck of the woods stopped selling 5.11 tactical pants because it was too much of a headache for them to deal with.

It was time to restock my tactical pants inventory and I’m not prone to sticking to only one manufacturer.   I have worn 5.11 tactical pants, Eotac, Woolrich Elite and even SigTac.   Each tactical clothing company and tactical gear manufacturer has it’s pros and cons,  but I’d give Eotac and Woolrich Elite the edge on quality control.     I am comparing the Eotac 205 concealed carry jeans to the 5.11 jeans and there is no comparison.   I feel a difference in the movement of each jean, but I really don’t think I feel restricted in any way.   They are both well made, but there are huge differences in the designs.   The Eotac jeans are very similar to the Woolrich Elite Discreet MKII pants, but they are definitely not the same.   The 5.11 jeans are what I’d call more for deep concealment.   There are internal pockets that can hold a j-frame revolver or a small semi-auto and a few spare magazines.   I find the pockets to be a  little too deep and don’t really like the fact the guns are practically inside the pants.   I tried putting a Sig 239 in the pockets with spare magazines and it was extremely uncomfortable when sitting down, so I would have to say you need something smaller than that.

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Trigger locks are worthless, gun safes are practical

I must have a pile of trigger locks in my  house that all came mandatory with various firearms that I have purchased.   There is absolutely no logic in having firearms with locks on them.  I have seen plenty of video demonstrations where firearms can still go off even if a trigger lock is installed.  Will a trigger lock prevent your firearm from being stolen?  Absolutely not.   Will it keep a loaded gun in a safe position so that a child finding it will not be able to shoot it?  Possible not.    I do  not think we need laws making it mandatory to lock up your firearms, but common sense says we should.  I know there are people in some situations where they may want quick access to a firearm, but modern gunvault gun safes are so fast that you can access a firearm in less than 2 seconds.   If you factor in the 2 second rule for CCW engagements, waking up, getting out of bed, and getting your gun from a gun safe in less than 10 seconds is very reasonable.

I am a strong believer in taking young children to a firing range even if they are not old enough to fire guns.  It may be a good idea to make sure they know that Mom and Dad have real guns and that the guns that they can play with are toy guns and let them see the difference.    Give your trigger locks to your kids for locking up their bikes, but do yourself a favor and research the various GunVault gun safes that are out now.   They are very impressive and can help keep your wife’s jewelry locked up and out of sight also.  The Gunvault gun safes that are being used for firearms can easily be bolt to hard to get to locations and be used for jewelry.

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Matching guns to gun cases

I am a strong believer in marking all of your gear, not just because you need to have your name on it, but it’s a good to keep your stuff well organized so you don’t run into an “aw shit” moment when you didn’t pack up something vital for your daily events.  I just spent a weekend hanging out with someone that locked up all of his guns, but didn’t keep all of the keys together and couldn’t open up one of the gun cases.   I suggest people have a range bag to keep tools and range magazines in and then a good tactical vest.   The reason I suggest these is it’s best to really keep putting everything in the same place and know that every time you go to the range, items A and B are always with you, and then bring whichever gun or ammunition you need.

I always match the rifle case to the gun and leave the magazines or the bare minimum of 3-5 of them inside the case pockets.   Sight in tools are always in my tactical vest along with ear plugs, shooting glasses and even a small bottle of bug spray.   I wear my Eotac Style 101 vest under some of my hunting jackets just because it’s a little bit of an overkill for hunting, but it has everything I need in it.   I keep field dressing gloves, tactical gloves and elbow pads in this, also.

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gun grips and bare hands

As we progress into the tactical accessories market, the more we realize that when we make  one change to a firearm there is a good chance we may have to make another.   For example, there are a lot of rifle scope and rifle stocks  out there, but one may feel too short in the summer when we are wearing a t-shirt, and the other may feel too long if we are wearing a heavy coat.   I still laugh when I hear people say that the AK was built for short people, when the reality was that it was designed for people wearing winter clothing, and that’s why the stocks are so short.

The M4 carbine stock is designed for people that are wearing body armor and may not fit into your shoulder very well if you are not wearing any.   These are minor things to think about, but just as we think about the type of holster we are wearing, we should think about what kind rifle stocks, and how we are going to be shouldering and using a Carbine or Rifle.   Anyone that has gone on any extensive hunting trip will gladly get rid of an extra 2-3 lbs of weight if they can which is why so many prefer a Mini 14 for hunting over a 5rd AR15 type of rifle.

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Even your shotgun should go in a case

I don’t know what it is with hunters, but when I comes to gun cases, I see more neglict with lever actions and shotguns than other rifles.   I guess some people think that if it has glass on it, you need a gun case, but if it all wood, you don’t need one.   I don’t know how many times I’ve been on hunting trips and see my buddies unload there guns and gear and the  shotguns aren’t in any kind of case.  When they pack, they just load up the bags and gear and then toss the guns in right on top.   Well, one of my second most common reasons for having a gun sock or gun cases, soft or hard shell, is not just to protect the gun from getting banged around, it’s also to keep glancing eyes from noticing what you are transporting.  I have 3 friends that have lost firearms in cars, along with laptops, because they had them in visible sight.

When you are travelling, there may be occassions where you may want to stop and get something to eat or have to run and take a leak.   Smash and grabs are the most common ways that I have seen firearms stolen from vehicles and none of them were in gun cases,  if the criminal didn’t see what was in the car, they wouldn’t know what it was or get the temptation.    There are a few criminals in New York that are walking around or sold a few of my friends Glocks and Browning shotguns.   If you are a gun owner, you may want to consider tinting the windows on your vehicles.   There are also areas in the Country where a bad cop may become problematic if it’s obvious that you are transporting firearms.

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Deer Hunting in Vermont with a semi-auto

Last year I had the fortunate experience to actually hunt in a State that allowed the use of a semi-auto rifle.    In Pennsylvania we are retricted to bolt actions and lever actions, but I often wanted to take one of my Ruger Mini 14 rifles out to that part of the Country and use it for it’s best purposes.   The Ruger Ranch rifle is a great lightweight hunting Carbine that isn’t bulky and can easily and comfortable hold 5rds in the magazine.   I’ve done enough hunting in the rest of the Country to know that when you really get out there, you really have to be aware of your own safety and having the right kind of ammo with you means that that little .223 Carbine is capable of killing anything from a prairie dog to a black bear.   I have seen pictures of black bear being taken with M4 Carbines in other parts of the Country with Black Hills 77gr, most were taken under 75yds, but that still gives you a realistic view what the caliber is capable of.

There were issues with finding reliable 20rd and 30rd magazines for the Sturm Ruger Carbine, but now that the 1994 AWB is over, even Ruger is selling them for their guns to the open public, but getting back to hunting, the 5rd magazines are more practical because shooting from a rest or cover is easier with a less protruding gun magazine.   I would suggest that with the popular 1-9 twist rate on the Mini 14, you try the Seirra 60gr HP for varmint and go with a 75gr A-max for deer or bear.   Remember that effective range is going to deminish with the heavier bullets and I would not suggest anything over 200yds unless you have a longer barrel bolt action.

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Happy feet even if you aren’t dancing

I remember all of the times I heard my Grandparents or Uncles make comments about getting old and I thought it was somewhat funny, but as I got into my early 40s and listen to my friends, it’s a constant medical report when we get into the “How’s everything going”.   One issue many of my law enforcement SWAT teams have issues with are there feet.   Most of these guys are pretty well in shape, but feet are something that can’t take the constant abuse or neglect without future repurcussions.    In my line of work, I’m lucky if a pair sneakers will hold up for more than 3 months because of the amount of weight and lifting I do.   I tried out the traditonal Dr. Scholls inserts and they worked well for about a month, but then they are shot.   Last summer at a Police and Security Expo we tried some foot inserts that came with a 2yr Warranty and they didn’t last 2 months.   It was somewhat of a shocking failure of a product.

Since we have moved on to carrying the Original Swat boots, if there is the slightest hint that the insoles are wearing out, original swat makes there own gel inserts that work very well.   The Style 1232 Air 9″ give you extra support for hopping around on concrete and hard surfaces.  I have not had to swap out or put any gel inserts in this style of boot and we’re going on over 4 months of 6 day a week use.   I started wearing these at the end of the summer months so it’s hard to say if they are going to be really comfortable to wear in hot environments, but I’m still impressed with how lightweight they fell on my feet.

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