Archive for January, 2012

Recoil Magazine

There is a new magazine on the newsstands this month called Recoil. The magazine is marketing itself as a “gun lifestyle” magazine. This magazine looks like the WIRED of gun magazines with a textured, thick cover and a larger than normal size. Some of the features of the debut issue include:

Review of HK MR556A1

How to customize your truck as a bug-out ride.

A review of some of the popular outdoor watches

A buyers guide of some popular knifes

ATV guide

A profile of competitive shooter JJ Racaza

The ultimate zombie-proof house in Poland

Review of SCAR17S

Profile of  training company Redback One and its founder Jason Falla

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PARA Accquired by Freedom Group

From Gear Scout Blog:

“We welcome Para into the Freedom Group Family of Companies,” stated. E. Scott Blackwell, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Freedom Group Inc. “Para USA is a leader in handgun technology and their fine products exemplify quality, innovation and performance. Para is a perfect complement to our industry-leading family of brands, and our success in 2011 with the Remington R1 – 1911.

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Navy Commits To Renewable Energy

The President mentioned it in the state of the union speech, and the Military Times has reported that the Navy is committing to buy a large amount of renewable energy by 2020.

From Military Times:

The Navy will reach its goal by using a variety of alternative financing techniques, including:

• Energy savings performance contracts, where a company pays the upfront investment for energy-efficiency renovations and retrofits in exchange for payments from energy savings over time.

• Enhanced-use leases, where a company gets to develop government land with renewable energy or other projects in exchange for payment or in-kind services such as reduced-rate energy.

• Power purchase agreements, in which a power company constructs an energy system in exchange for fixed payments over a certain number of years.

I can only guess that when the power is actually needed for whatever the Navy needs it for, it will be a cloudy windless day and we will all be praying that we stuck with gasoline or CNG.

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300 AAC Blackout (300BLK) Suppressed SBR

300 AAC Blackout (300BLK) Suppressed SBR

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Nigeria’s Boko Haram Militants Remain a Regional Threat

From STRATFOR:

By Scott Stewart

The Nigerian militant group Boko Haram conducted a series of bombing attacks and armed assaults Jan. 20 in the northern city of Kano, the capital of Kano state and second-largest city in Nigeria. The attacks, which reportedly included the employment of at least two suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), targeted a series of police facilities in Kano. These included the regional police headquarters, which directs police operations in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, as well as the State Security Service office and the Nigerian Immigration Service office. At least 211 people died in the Kano attacks, according to media reports.

The group carried out a second wave of attacks in Bauchi state on Jan. 22, bombing two unoccupied churches in the Bauchi metropolitan area and attacking a police station in the Tafawa Balewa local government area. Militants reportedly also tried to rob a bank in Tafawa Balewa the same day. Though security forces thwarted the robbery attempt, 10 people reportedly died in the clash, including two soldiers and a deputy police superintendent.

In a third attack, Boko Haram militants attacked a police sub-station in Kano on Jan. 24 with small arms and improvised hand grenades. A tally of causalities in the assault, which reportedly lasted some 25 minutes, was not available. This armed assault stands out tactically from the Jan. 20 suicide attacks against police stations in Kano. The operation could have been an attempt to liberate some of the Boko Haram militants the government arrested following the Jan. 20 and Jan. 22 attacks. Read the rest of this entry »

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SWAT Magazine March 2012

Features:

The Mechanical Safety – Taking Responsibility

Long-Range Blasting – Tac Pro Advanced Tactical Shotgun

Sub-Caliber Smith – S&W M&P .22 Pistol

Tinkerer’s Dream – Saiga-12 Shotgun

Performance Booster – Geissele SSA Trigger

Columns:

Briefing Room – Easing The Effects of A Crash

Street Smarts – Suicide is Painful

Against All Odds – Top 10 Survival Tools

Frontline Debriefs – The 3,000 300

Enemy At The Gate – Vile VIPRs

Training And Tactics – Dedicated Lights: Pros and Cons

Departments:

Mail Room

Lawful Carry – Don Hume H721 Holster

Long Guns – Steyr SSG 08 .338 Lapua Magnum

The Cutting Edge – Biotec Fixed-Blade Carry System

Offbeat – Brunton Restore Portable Solar Charger

Gear Locker – New Products And Accessories

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Considering a U.S.-Iranian Deal

From STRATFOR:

By George Friedman

Last week, I wrote on the strategic challenge Iran faces in its bid to shape a sphere of influence stretching from western Afghanistan to Beirut on the eastern Mediterranean coast. I also pointed out the limited options available to the United States and other Western powers to counter Iran.

One was increased efforts to block Iranian influence in Syria. The other was to consider a strategy of negotiation with Iran. In the past few days, we have seen hints of both.

Rebel Gains in Syria

The city of Zabadani in southwestern Syria reportedly has fallen into the hands of anti-regime forces. Though the city does not have much tactical value for the rebels, and the regime could well retake it, the event could have real significance. Up to this point, apart from media attention, the resistance to the regime of President Bashar al Assad has not proven particularly effective. It was certainly not able to take and hold territory, which is critical for any insurgency to have significance. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ruger GP100 Revolver

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Polarization and Sustained Violence in Mexico’s Cartel War

From: Stratfor

As we noted in last year’s annual cartel report, Mexico in 2010 bore witness to some 15,273 deaths in connection with the drug trade. The death toll for 2010 surpassed that of any previous year, and in doing so became the deadliest year ever in the country’s fight against the cartels. But in the bloody chronology that is Mexico’s cartel war, 2010’s time at the top may have been short-lived. Despite the Mexican government’s efforts to curb cartel-related violence, the death toll for 2011 may have exceeded what had been an unprecedented number.

According to the Mexican government, cartel-related homicides claimed around 12,900 lives from January to September — about 1,400 deaths per month. While this figure is lower than that of 2010, it does not account for the final quarter of 2011. The Mexican government has not yet released official statistics for the entire year, but if the monthly average held until year’s end, the overall death toll for 2011 would reach 17,000. Though most estimates put the total below that, the actual number of homicides in Mexico is likely higher than what is officially reported. At the very least, although we do not have a final, official number — and despite media reports to the contrary — we can conclude that violence in Mexico did not decline substantially in 2011.

more

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XS Sights’ XTI AR-15 Angle Mount Back-up Iron Sights

From: Richard Mann

Sometimes optics break. And, sometimes you need to shoot things with an AR that are too close for you to use your optic, particularly if your optic has magnification. An option is to have open sights that co-witness with your optic but these can be distracting. They also work best with zero magnification optical sights. XS Sights has developed an ingenious solution that will work on any AR with a full length rail. These sights are calledXTI™ (Xpress Threat Interdiction™) AR-15 angle mount sights.

XS Sights more

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Iran, the U.S. and the Strait of Hormuz Crisis

From STRATFOR:

By George Friedman

The United States reportedly sent a letter to Iran via multiple intermediaries last week warning Tehran that any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz constituted a red line for Washington. The same week, a chemist associated with Iran’s nuclear program was killed in Tehran. In Ankara, Iranian parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani met with Turkish officials and has been floating hints of flexibility in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

This week, a routine rotation of U.S. aircraft carriers is taking place in the Middle East, with the potential for three carrier strike groups to be on station in the U.S. Fifth Fleet’s area of operations and a fourth carrier strike group based in Japan about a week’s transit from the region. Next week, Gen. Michael Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will travel to Israel to meet with senior Israeli officials. And Iran is scheduling another set of war games in the Persian Gulf for February that will focus on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ irregular tactics for closing the Strait of Hormuz. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ruger Hawkeye African Rifle

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Taurus 22/25 PLY Pocket Pistols

The Taurus 22PLY and 25PLY in polymer frames make the already light guns into super-light guns weighing only 10.8 oz. Both models feature a blowback action and tip-up barrel design for the added convenience of not having to rack the gun before shooting.   The reverse fish-scale serrations on the slide add to the sleek look of the gun.   The extended magazine base and full body contouring provides a larger, improved and more comfortable grip.   The trigger guard is designed for added finger purchases.  The magazine release is conveniently located on the trigger guard for quick changes.  Taurus is constantly mindful of safety and has incorporated the magazine disconnect and a manual safety on the 22PLY and 25PLY. More info at taurususa.com

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Armed UAV Operations 10 Years On

From STRATFOR

One of the most iconic images of the American-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — as well as global U.S. counterterrorism efforts — has been the armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), specifically the MQ-1 “Predator” and the MQ-9 “Reaper.” Unarmed RQ-1 Predators (which first flew in 1994) were flying over Afghanistan well before the 9/11 attacks. Less than a month after the attacks, an armed variant already in development was deployed for the first time.

In the decade since, the Predator has clocked more than a million flight hours. And while U.S. Air Force procurement ceased in early 2011 — with more than 250 airframes purchased — the follow-on MQ-9 Reaper has already been procured in numbers and production continues. Predators and Reapers continue to be employed in a broad spectrum of roles, including close air support (CAS), when forward air controllers communicate with UAV operators to release ordnance with friendly troops in the vicinity (CAS is one of the more challenging missions even for manned aircraft because of the heightened risk of friendly casualties). Officially designated “armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long endurance, remotely piloted aircraft,” the second to last distinction is the Predator and Reaper’s principal value: the ability to loiter for extended periods, in some cases for more than 24 hours. Read the rest of this entry »

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Barrett 30th Anniversary Rifle

Press Release From Barrett®

BARRETT THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY “ONE OF ONE” TRIBUTE RIFLE


(Murfreesboro, TN) A lifetime of accolades paves the way for Barrett’s thirtieth year in 2012. Currently, seventy-three allied governments have accepted Barrett Products, however, Barrett is best known for their flagship rifle, the Model 82A1 (.50 caliber) which was adopted by the U.S. Army as the M107.To celebrate their 30th year Barrett has crafted a one-of-a-kind rifle patterned after their new M107A1™ .50 caliber. The rifle glows deep silver from its completely nickel teflon coating. Barrett will announce their special plans for this tribute rifle later this year.
30thM107A1
The humble beginnings of Barrett are just as unique as their products. Ronnie Barrett, a twenty-seven-year-old making his living as a professional photographer, was inspired to make his own shoulder-fired .50 caliber rifle while photographing a gunboat for a client. With no engineering education, Ronnie Barrett hand-drew, what he believed would one day be a working firearm.
Being a longtime gun enthusiast and having a general understanding of how firearms worked was just enough to get things started. With help from a couple of friends with machining experience, this dream may have never left Ronnie’s gravel-floor garage.
In the past thirty years, Barrett has branched out and become known for not only firearms but also ammunition, optic accessories and training. Currently, U.S. and international commercial markets, Law Enforcement agencies and over 73 friendly governments have accepted Barrett products.
Barrett is still privately held by Ronnie and has been joined by his son, Chris, and daughter, Angela, who also play key roles in making sure the Barrett legend continues to grow.
For more information please go to barrett.net/press or contact the above listed.

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