Gun & Prepping News #59

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

• "Ammo: What is a Lot Number?"--Shooting Illustrated. And, perhaps more importantly, why you should care. 
• "An Appendix-Carry Primer"--American Rifleman. The article has lots of tips and advice but also offers some history:

     What we call appendix carry today is something that would be familiar to pistoleros going back dozens, even hundreds, of years. In the early days of the semi-automatic, a style of firearm carry commonly referred to today as “Mexican carry” involved sticking an unholstered handgun behind the waist belt at the front of the body, where it would be quickly accessible by a shooter’s strong hand. It was a popular option for revolvers, too, as the butt of the gun could hook onto the belt. Casting aside, for a second, the safety considerations of carrying an unholstered gun this way, an obvious benefit was the immediate accessibility of the firearm, as well as the concealment benefits.

    Going back further, daguerreotype images from the Civil War show troopers, soldiers and guerillas with revolvers stashed into the belt at the front of the body, and illustrations going back even further show men with long-barreled flintlock pistols having the gun situated at the front of the body, albeit in more of a cross-draw position to accommodate the 9" to 12" barrels on such guns. Clearly, there were benefits even then to locating your sidearm on the front portion of the body.  

Lindy Beige did a video about holsters back in the 1800s and why they would use a cross-draw method of carry. And it was because people actually wore slacks that went up to the waist, no riding around the hips. At that height, it is very difficult to draw from a holster on the same side as your gun hand, necessitating cross body draw if you want any speed.  

• "Beginner’s Guide to Pistol Ownership and Everyday Carry" byAlex Costa, Range Hot. The author begins:

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of essential gear and equipment for new gun owners who want to carry a pistol for self-defense. While we emphasize the importance of professional firearms training and safety, this guide focuses specifically on holster selection, spare magazines, and other gear to enhance your concealed carry journey. We’ll explore how to choose the right holster for your needs, the importance of dry fire practice, and how to select quality gear that integrates seamlessly with your everyday wardrobe. Remember, responsible gun ownership starts with safety and consistent training, but having the right gear can significantly enhance your confidence and preparedness. 

• "Bolt-Action Versus ARs for Hunting: Choosing the Best One for You"--Guns & Ammo. Setting out the pros and cons of each for hunting. As the author notes, "[t]he biggest advantage to hunting with an AR, however, is higher capacity and the ability to make faster follow-up shots." While the author discusses some potential advantages that the bolt action might have in accuracy and shorter lock time, "[t]he real benefit of bolt-actions is their simplicity." Meaning, easier in theory to maintain and troubleshoot. Other advantages he lists for the bolt action are a greater variety of cartridges, and can (and I would emphasize the "can") be built lighter. But you can probably get almost as light using magnesium receivers from ROAM and using other lightweight components. ROAM, for instance, sells a sub-6 lbs. AR10, and I built an AR10 using their receivers that was, without scope, 6 lbs. 2 oz. I could have gotten it to 6 lbs. if I had used a pencil profile barrel. 
• "The Rimfire Report: Tips for Building an Off-Season Rimfire Trainer"--The Firearm Blog.  The author notes the importance of practice for successful competition or hunting, but that shooting the centerfire ammunition can be expensive. His suggestion is to use a rimfire rifle that mirrors (or, at least, mimics) your hunting or competition rifle. His favorite is the Bergara B‑14R which, he states, is "a customizable rifle that closely mimics a Bergara/700‑pattern centerfire in length, weight, stock shape, and magazine form factor," and "allows hard bolt cycling, safety manipulation, and position work that feels almost identical to their big‑game rig due to the sheer weight of the rifle’s barreled action alone...." But it comes at a steep price. He lists some other options are less expensive (relative to the Bergara) but still will cost as much as a good hunting rifle. 
• This one might work as an off-season trainer at a much lower price point: "The Savage B Series FV-SR .22 Magnum"--The Truth About Guns. This one is a bolt action rifle that uses a 10-round rotary magazine and has a threaded barrel. The author notes that for small game hunting, the .22 Magnum falls into a nice middle ground between the .22 LR and a centerfire cartridge like the .223. He also discusses the silencer (sound suppressor) for it. 
• "One Cool Custom Bearcat"--Guns Magazine. The author praises the engraving and case coloring abilities of Tyler Gun Works. 
• "The VTAC 1-5 Drill | Dynamic Rifle Shooting"--Ammo Land.  This drill was developed by Kyle Lamb. It uses 3 targets and its intended to practice close in shooting (the author of the article notes that it could, for that reason, also be used for handguns).
• "Glock Gen 6 First Look: Evolution, Not Revolution"--Guns America. Yet another review of the Glock Gen 6. Key bit:

     The simplest way to describe the shooting experience is this. It shoots like a Glock.

    Recoil impulse, sight tracking, and trigger behavior all feel familiar to anyone who has ever shot any generation of Glock. The improvements come from how the gun stays planted in your hands. The undercut, beavertail, improved texture, and slide stop fence make it easier to grip the gun correctly without fighting traditional Glock quirks. These are valid improvements.

    The flat trigger offers consistent finger placement but does not change the fundamental nature of the trigger itself.  

• "Inglis P-35B Hi-Power Review: Modern Take on Browning’s 9mm Legend"--The Truth About Guns. Notwithstanding the Inglis name, this is built in Turkey like so many other reproductions. It has some updates over the historical Hi-Power including a replaceable front sight and ambidextrous safety. It also lacks the magazine safety. 
• "The EDC Tool Roll: 711L Mini Ratchet Wrench"--Jerking The Trigger. This is a tiny ratcheting offset screwdriver that appears designed to take standard screwdriver bits. This also means that with a small adapter it can be used as a small socket wrench. It can also fit a bit into the end of the handle so it can be used like a standard screwdriver. The author says that it is about 2 inches long.  It looks to be selling for $25 on Amazon. The Amazon link in the article is dead, but the one I provided sees to be to the same product. 
• "Testing Your Bug Out Bag – Would Yours Survive the First 48 Hours?"--Modern Survival Blog. The gist of the article is that if you can't grab your bug out back and successfully camp for two or three days with it, you have some serious problems with your kit that you need to fix. The author will set up a testing weekend, then comes up with a scenario that would explain why they have to abandon vehicles and continue on foot. He shares his experience on one of these tests with his girlfriend and family. 
• "15 Pioneer Recipes That Still Taste Great"--Urban Survival Site. The author notes:

 Pioneers relied a great deal on Dutch ovens to cook their meals on the trail. Recipes didn't involve specific temperatures. Rather, it was just a matter of putting ingredients into the Dutch oven and letting it cook over a fire. [Ed: that is, over coals]

• "Best Oil Lamps for Indoor Use (2025): Safe, Bright & Reliable Picks"--Modern Survival Blog. His recommendation for indoor use is a hurricane style lamp, and he discusses a couple brands. He also mentions this about the lamp oil:

One gallon will last about 256 hours. If you burned 6 hours a day, one gallon of lamp oil would last you about 42 days (for example).  

 

He says that lamp oil will not go bad, and the hurricane lamps can also burn vegetable oil (even if rancid) and can also used citronella oil (which can be handy for keeping away insects). He has other advice wicks, safety, and more, so be sure to read the whole thing.