Gun & Prepping News #62

 Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:  

• "Top Selling Guns | December 2025"--Guns & Ammo.  This is looking at sales from GunBroker.com. The notable point from December is that the top 5 new semi-auto rifles were all models from Ruger. 
• "Preview: Mec-Gar Glock Magazines"--American Rifleman. These are metal magazines for Glocks in 10, 15, and 18-round configurations. Price is listed as $29. The article doesn't identify the models these are supposed to fit, but it does mention that they are for 9mm. I assume that the 18 is for the G-17 and the 15-round is for the G-19.
• "First Look: Magpul Full-Size Grip for Ruger RXM Pistol"--Shooting Illustrated. If you already have an RXM, here is a new grip module that gives you a longer (full-sized) hand grip--essentially giving you a G19X with the existing RXM slide, or you can also add a G17 slide and get a G17 equivalent. 
• "Updating A Legend: Ruger Makes 10/22 Upgrades Standard"--American Rifleman. Some of the "upgrades" that are now being made standard for the new 10/22 rifles are the BX-Trigger (an adjustable weight trigger), a "match-type" bolt lock "which allows a bolt that has been manually locked to the rear to be released with a simple pull-and-release of the charging handle, for one-handed operation," and a cleaning port at the back of the rifle that will allow the barrel to be cleaned from the chamber end. Ruger is also changing the standard model to a polymer stock. Looks like the MSRP will range from $300 to $400 depending on configuration. 
• "Colt's Kodiak Revolver: The Best Backcountry Wheelgun"--Firearm News. This appears to be a version of the Colt Anaconda--Colt's .44 Magnum revolver--but with muzzle ports to reduce recoil, non-fluted cylinders (generally for greater strength), and apparently can have an optic rail attached so you can use an optic for hunting. The author has this to say about the revolver: "The Colt Kodiak’s double-action trigger pull is the smoothest and most predictable I have ever experienced on a production wheelgun…even when compared to my S&W Performance Center pet revolvers!"
• Speaking of .44 Magnum revolvers: "A Bigger Rhino: The Chiappa 60DS L-Frame In .44 Mag."--American Rifleman.  

    The L-Frame 60DS is a double-action/single-action swing-out cylinder revolver in the format of previous Rhino revolvers with an “inverted” design where the lowest cylinder chamber is fired, resulting in an extremely low bore axis for a revolver. While previous Rhino models were based around a standard frame, the .44 Rem. Mag. chambering required an entirely new frame from the ground up.

    It is still made from 7075-T6 aluminum and has bilateral finger grooves to make the reach to the trigger manageable on the big revolver and bilateral bolted-in finger stops. In an update from previous Rhinos, there is a full Picatinny optics rail running between the front and rear sights, as well as a Picatinny accessory rail running the length of the barrel’s under side. The grip profile has also been revised and a rubber Hogue grip is used.

• Some firearms history: "Retro Review: The Webley MK IV Revolver"--The Truth About Guns.  Up through WWI the British used Webley double-action revolvers as a military pistol, but in 1931 adopted a revolver produced by Enfield which was pretty much a copy of the Webley models, but reduced in sized and using a .38/200 cartridge (a .38 S&W loaded with a longer and heavier 200 grain bullet). But Enfield couldn't keep up with demand and so Webley also started producing revolvers in the .38/200 cartridge. (On top of this, the British also obtained S&W Military and Police revolvers modified to shoot the .38/200 cartridge). 
• "But They Looked Harmless"--Shooting Illustrated. The article is intended as a reminder that violent criminals can look nice and clean and approachable.
• "Disturbing video shows pit bull attack 1-year-old on crowded NYC street, refusing to let go"--New York Post. They finally got the pit bull to let go by twisting its gonads hard (the owner promptly got on a city bus with the dog and left the scene). Have you thought about what you would do if an animal latched on to a person like this?
• "The Ultimate Lightweight Backcountry Spotting and Shooting Setup"--Guns America. "This 1.5 lb mountain-ready kit," the article explains, "pairs the Wiser Precision Ridge Warden head, Aziak Backcountry Lite Tripod, and Kowa TSN 550 to slash pack weight while staying rock solid for glassing and real shooting." It's pricey--roughly $2,500 for the whole package--but if you do a lot of back country hunting where you have to hike in to where you are hunting, it is probably worth it. 
• "Best SHTF Radios for Disaster Communications"--The Truth About Guns. The author primarily is looking at radios for family and neighborhood communications. He writes: "After evaluating consumer, GMRS, and amateur radio options, one handheld consistently stands out for practical SHTF use: the Midland GXT1000VP4. But it’s far from the only viable option, depending on your FCC licensing level, technical skill level, and operating environment." He covers some things to look for in a radio and discusses the Midland, mentioned earlier, and then several handheld shortwave radios. 
• "Prepper's Pantry: Extracts and Syrups and Reductions, oh my!"--Blue Collar Prepping.  Extracts involve soaking a spice or flavoring (e.g., mint leaves or vanilla beans) in at least 80 proof alcohol (the author recommends vodka, but in my experience Everclear works the best because there is no residual flavor from the alcohol and it seems to extract faster than vodka). Syrups, of course, are flavorings in a super saturated sugar solution (or if your jam turns out to be too thin--it's not a disaster but a happy mistake because you now have syrup). And, finally, he discusses beef or pork renderings. There are recipes for each. 
• "Safest Places During Martial Law: Navigating Uncertainty with Confidence"--Option Gray. An excerpt:

    For those keen on preparedness, the concept of safety during martial law encompasses both physical location and self-sufficiency.

    Safe places are generally characterized by their ability to provide shelter, resources, and a degree of seclusion from the heightened military presence and potential centers of disorder.

    Locations such as rural cabins or homes located off-grid are often considered ideal because they minimize reliance on societal infrastructures that might be compromised or controlled under martial law.

•  On the topic of martial law, the following video discusses how in an emergency government can appropriate your supplies and offers some suggestions to conceal vital supplies from these confiscations: 

VIDEO: "The First 5 Things Govt Will Seize DURING A CRISIS (And How to Hide Them)"--Fallout Dude (10 min.)