Gun & Prepping #88

Some links that may be of interest: 

• "Goodbye M7, Hello XM8"--The Firearm Blog. Key bit:

The Pentagon's FY2027 budget request booklet outlines continued investment in the Generation Squad Weapons program but previously planned procurement of more M7s will now be replaced by the XM8. The US Army hasn't procured any M7 rifles in Federal FY2026 (which began on 1 October 2025).    

Also:

The Army states that the XM8 is approximately 3.5 inches shorter and over a pound lighter than the M7. The XM8 features a slimmer barrel, a shorter suppressor and new 25-round magazine. The XM8 also has improved hanguard rigidity and a fixed, rather than folding stock.

• "Field Shooting Positions & Real-World Hunting"--American Hunter.  The author observes:

    The reality is, hunting is chock full of randomness. Sure, you can pattern animals’ travel and, to an extent, timing, but everything else—such as where a big-game animal stops, the angle of its body, etc.—is unsystematic. Perfection is rare. And so it is with shooting, too.

    When a suitable shot is presented, and you’re confident in your abilities, you must do so at the earliest moment; procrastinating can cost you an animal, and potentially that once-in-a-lifetime trophy. Learning about, as well as practicing from, the various shooting positions can prepare you for whatever you encounter.

    In the subsequent sections, I detail some of the real-world field shooting positions, ranging from prone to standing, unsupported or “freehand,” along with middle-ground techniques. Not all shooters are comfortable with all of them, but the more versed you are, the better. Let’s begin with the most stable shooting position—prone. 

• "5 Red Dot Pistol Drills to Find the Dot Faster and Shoot Better"--Ammo Land.  This is an updated version of a 2025 article. The author begins by noting that it is not easy to switch from iron sights to a red dot, before giving a presentation drill. Alternatively:

    Another great way to get better at finding your dot is to work the draw and presentation in reverse. Start with the firearm extended and the dot on target, then reverse the presentation, breaking it down step by step. This is a great drill to do dry, but can be done with live ammo as well.

    Start in the ready position, on target. I use a B8, but you can use anything. With the dot on target, fire a shot, and then break the position down. Pull the weapon inward to the pre-presentation position, but try and keep the dot on target until the gun dips below your eyesight.

    From there, you can reverse the draw and reholster the firearm. Now you can draw and do a presentation drill. Then, repeat the process: start in the ready, fire a shot, and then break the form down, constantly looking for that dot.

• "Silencer Saturday #438: Wheel Gun Suppression With Revolver Seal"--The Firearm Blog.  In interesting product: a shroud that goes around the frame and cylinder of a Heritage Rough Rider to seal the cylinder gap when using a suppressor. 
• Mixing two great things: firearms and the Cthulhu Mythos: "The Tandemized Ruger MK IV"--The Truth About Guns: 

    I talked to the folks at TANDEMKROSS last year at GunCon and had a chance to shoot some of their customized guns at range day. Late last year I followed up with them and picked up the parts to do a build of my own. While TANDEMKROSS does offer complete pistols, I opted to put one of my own together.

    The MK IV is a pretty popular mod platform so you can buy just about any component you want individually. I picked up a new 22/45 Lite barreled upper in Flat Dark Earth as my base. It came with a threaded barrel, iron sights, and a Picatinny rail, but no bolt. From TANDEMKROSS I got one of their Cthulhu grip frames, bolt with Halo extended charging ring, compensator, fiber optic sights, and upgrade components for 22/45 magazines. 

    The primary upgrade piece from TANDEMKROSS is their Cthulhu lower. Cthulhu is an ancient eldritch horror from H.P. Lovecraft’s 1928 short story, The Call of Cthulhu. He’s represented as a colossal being with a tentacled face and is pretty much the epitome of uncaring evil. Why is the TANDEMKROSS lower named the Cthulhu? You’ll have to ask them that. I’m an H.P. Lovecraft fan so I’m good with it. I will say though, there’s nothing evil about their Cthulhu. 

• Some firearm history: "Beretta 1934: First Hit by the World’s Oldest Gunmaker"--Breach Bang Clear. Although Beretta is 500 years old, the article indicates that they didn't actually start manufacturing whole firearms until WWI. The Beretta 1934 was a .380 caliber that was adopted by the Italian military in 1935 and continued in production until 1991. The article discusses the history in more detail as well as describing how to field strip the pistol. 
• ".30-30 Winchester Ammo — Performance and Top Loads"--Mag Life. An excerpt;

    Shooters can expect 20 to 30 inches of penetration with the .30-30 Winchester. Traditional soft point ammo tends to penetrate about 20 to 25 inches, while solid copper monolithic rounds can achieve over 30 inches. Because of the slower velocity and heavy bullet design, .30-30 will typically travel through light barriers and bone without much deflection.

    Both soft point and hollow point rounds expand to roughly twice their original diameter, resulting in 0.60 to 0.65 inches. .30-30 is known for its excellent weight retention, and quality expanding loads retain 80 to 95 percent of their initial weight. Again, this is due to their moderate velocities, which prevent the intense forces that tear bullets apart. 

• "50/200 Yard Zero Simplified for 5.56 and .308 Rifles"--Ammo Land. The author writes:

The concept behind a 50/200 yard zero is straightforward: zero your rifle at 50 yards, and the bullet will cross the line of sight again at approximately 200 yards. This means that within this distance, your point of aim and point of impact will be very close, minimizing the need for adjustments. This is particularly advantageous in dynamic situations where quick target acquisition is crucial. I live in Northeastern Ohio where the longest shot I would realistically take is 200 yards, so this zero makes sense for my area. 

• "Concealed Carry Corner: Useful Vs Necessary Concealment Items"--The Firearm Blog. The author discusses three items: red dot; "upgraded" parts; and weapon lights/lasers. He considers the red dot to be necessary and the other two items as unnecessary. I am going to have to disagree. Red dots work well with race guns and openly carry duty weapons, but create snagging problem and increase bulk with concealed carry making it more difficult to conceal carry a weapon. Thus, they also fall into the "useful" category and, I would argue, actually detrimental with pocket carry. 
• "One Law at a Time: How Congress Dismantled the Second Amendment Over 90 Years"--The Truth About Guns. How Congress usurped the Second Amendment starting with the National Firearms Act, which tested the waters by justifying the violation of the Second Amendment as merely a form of taxation; and then when nothing happened, abandoning the taxation excuse and just moving on as if Congress had the inherent authority to regulate firearms. 
• "How to Vacuum Seal Rice for Long-Term Storage"--Modern Survival Blog.  Short version: "Yes, you can vacuum seal rice for long-term storage. For best results, use dry white rice, seal it in smaller vacuum sealer bags, keep it cool, dry, and dark, and protect the bags inside a bin or bucket so they do not get punctured."
• "14 Survival Supplies Most Emergency Kits Are Missing"--SHTF Preparedness. Some things that can be easy to overlook: a manual can opener; extra eye glasses; important documents; work gloves; dust masks or respirators; etc. I was a little disappointed to see no reference to nail files or clippers which are important to avoid injuries (and infections) that would result from a torn nail, and just plan hygiene benefits by having short nails which won't accumulate dirt and other material. I would also include nail brushes. 
• "How to Sharpen a Knife"--The Alpha Survivalist.  The author begins by noting that "[i]f a knife is properly taken care of,  it should never have to be “sharpened” it should only have to be honed or touched up. So to start honing your knife you can use many different things, but for this I will  just use the tools that are made for the job. I’ll start with an Arkansan sharpening stone."
• "How Many Gallons in a 20 lb Propane Tank?"--Modern Survival Blog. From the article:

Quick Answer: A properly filled 20 lb propane tank holds about 4.7 to 4.8 gallons of propane. Many exchange tanks contain only 15 lb, which is about 3.6 gallons.     

• "My 10-Step Guide to Preparing for an EMP"--Modern Survival Online. The author discusses each, but the basic 10 steps are:

1. Stock up on basics;
2. Assess vulnerabilities;
3. Get a generator;
4. Invest in radios;
5. Consider an older vehicle;
6. Protect critical gear with a Faraday cage;
7. Have an alternative method of heating your home;
8. Get analog tools and gadgets;
9. Establish a family contingency plan; and
10.  Improve your skills or learn new skills to become a Renaissance man.

• "Real World Solar Charging"--Blue Collar Prepping. 

    This winter, my parents gifted me a set of RV solar panels that they have no real use for as virtually all of their RV time is spent in parks with full hookups. Most of mine is as well, but there are places that I enjoy camping that do not have utilities at each site. In these places, you're constrained to what you can haul and what you can generate, and these constraints mean I have 58 gallons of water and whatever amperage my batteries are charged to when I leave home. When I reach the ends of that, I need to either be headed home or have a way to resupply.

    Today we'll look at recharging those batteries. Without an electrical outlet to plug into, my charging options are pretty limited:

•  I can hook my truck electrical system to the trailer, similar to jump starting, but that's very inefficient and doesn't provide a good charge to RV batteries. 
•  I can hook a generator to my trailer and create 120v power, which works very well with regards to convenience and utility, but it is quite loud, which the neighbors don't appreciate. Generators are also fairly heavy, require regular maintenance, and take up quite a bit of space. 
• Use a small solar array.