The primary differences are the grips, of course: the Magpul versions are slightly thicker side-to-side, have a straight back strap, and more texturing. But the Magpul version also has a larger magazine release button and deeper slide serrations. The flush fit 10-round magazines are completely interchangeable, although the bottom plate is slightly thicker on the Magpul version.
VIDEO: "Magpul Edition Ruger LCP Max 380 ACP Gun Review"
sootch00 (24 min.)
Now that many in the self-defense and prepping community are packing around IFAKs to deal with serious trauma, a reminder that not every injury needs a tourniquet, pressure bandage, or a 5-foot roll of gauze. The author reviews a few pre-made kits of lessor items--"boo boo" kits--packaged and sealed that you can slip into an IFAK, a backpack, or into a pocket.
VIDEO: "The Medical Layer Most IFAKs Are Missing: Field Austere Medical"
PreparedAirman (6 min.)
This video looks at the features of the Taurus Deputy single action revolver (there is a separate shooting review video). As you can tell from the thumb nail photo, this revolver is modeled after the Colt SAA revolver, even offering the "4 click" hammer cock. The main feature that sets this revolver apart from others is that if comes with two cylinders: a .38 Special/.357 Magnum cylinder and a 9mm cylinder. Given that 9mm is easier to find and often less expensive, it is a nice option. The other nice feature of this revolver, in my mind, is that it uses a transfer bar safety system so it is safe to carry a fully loaded cylinder with the hammer down.
VIDEO: "This Revolver Shoots 3 Different Calibers | Taurus Deputy Review"
Hook & Barrel Magazine (5 min.)
Theodore Dalrymple has published a book review, entitled "We Shall Not Fight on the Beaches," of Jean Raspail's dystopian novel The Camp of the Saints. Raspail's novel, published in 1973, is of a France too full of guilt and self-loathing to drive off a flotilla of immigrants sailing from the slums of India to France; and when the immigrants do land, it results in the collapse of France and Western Civilization, generally.
Dalrymple's essay begins well enough, roughly describing the book and the reaction it has engendered among those same elites which are condemned in the novel. But at the end of the review, Dalrymple faults Raspail for selecting Hindus from the slums of India as the invading hordes rather than Muslims, which turned out to be the hordes that ultimately invaded Europe. He writes:
But there were some things that he did not foresee—or if he foresaw them, omitted to mention. Chief among these was his failure to foresee or mention the peculiar difficulties for Western countries posed by large-scale Muslim immigration. In making Hindu Bengalis the Trojan horse, he was startlingly, almost diametrically, mistaken. Hindu immigrants have never created difficulties anywhere; and, oddly enough, it is Eastern, Muslim Bengalis, not Western, Hindu Bengalis, who have established a vast ghetto in London’s East End, and have profoundly corrupted the local politics. A member of the British Parliament, who was elected in a constituency in which Muslims were a majority, on a platform that made Gaza the most important issue, recently made a speech in which he called on Muslims to remain united in the face of the enemy—the very West to which they had emigrated.
I can understand why Dalrymple focuses on the Muslim hordes, but I think it misses the overall point made by Raspail. Raspail could have picked most any people for his horde when he wrote his book. At the time, though, India was the poster child of overpopulation, overcrowding, and revolting slums. The overcrowding of Muslim cities, such as Cairo, had not yet occurred; and neither had Africa yet seen its population start to explode.
But the idea behind the book is not that there was something particular about the population he had picked for his invading horde. Rather, it was that they were not Western and did not appreciate Western Civilization. They were barbarians, but of a different sort than had previously shown up in history. Not warriors that militarily destroyed a civilization but a vast unthinking horde that washed over a France (and, by extension, the West as whole) like a tidal wave. They were Indians in his book, but could have just as easily been Africans or, in the early 1970s, starving Chinese peasants. His book wasn't a warning about Islam because it was more broadly a warning of mass migration, particularly from non-European peoples, into Europe.
The Gates of Vienna actually has a good article about this entitled "The Varieties of Cultural Enrichment" which, while acknowledging that "[t]he Islamic variety [of enrichment] may be the worst, ... there are other contenders constantly vying for the title." Or, to put it another way as I saw in recent meme: "If local panda numbers were declining, you would never just bring in a bunch of cockroaches & say[ ] things are good bc 'the number of animals is growing'."
And the reason that any third world people could have been the horde in the novel is because the real warning of the book is not about the horde, for there are always barbarians trying to force their way through the gates, but about the people that not only left France (and the West generally) helpless and prostrate before invaders that could have been easily stopped at any time before they arrived, but reveled in the destruction of the white race.
A review of Wraithworks WARP-15, featuring a polymer lower and stock, and a mostly polymer upper as well. The idea is that it is metal only where you need it. It seems to me that is a natural progression of the "what would Stoner do" project. The video indicates a price of $340 for a complete rifle, but the website has a price of nearly $400. But beyond the low price, the other selling point is the weight: their 16" barrel version is barely over 5 lbs. They also sell some other firearms, but at much higher prices.
VIDEO: "Super Light, Affordable, And Plastic: Wraithworks WARP-15"
PSR (22 min.)
War Machine is a sci-fi action flick staring Alan Ritchson (of "Reacher" fame) starring as an Army grunt going through Ranger selection in order to keep a promise to his brother who was killed in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan. Although there is some background drama regarding Ritchson's character and his inner demons, the film fairly quickly moves to its core premise: Ritchson's unit being attacked by an alien battle robot while on their final field drill/test before becoming rangers.
If I were to give a short description of the film, it would be that it is a cross between the table-top miniatures game Battle-Tech (at least the version I played in high school back in the 1980s which was as much about managing your Mech's resources as shooting weapons at the enemy) and the original Predator movie. While I don't believe it is as good as the original Predator, it was an enjoyable action film hearkening back to the action films of the 1980s and '90s. It is currently streaming on Netflix.
Earlier this month, I happened across a review from the Tactical Hermit about the Khyber Optics Mini Dot Optic (MDO). I hadn't heard of the company before, but based on the Tactical Hermit's post and the website, it is related to NC Scout over at Brushbeater. It costs $199.99 and comes with a green reticle that can switch between a circle-dot, dot-only, or circle-only. I have a multi-reticle circle-dot from Holosun that I really like and that type of reticle has become my preference because it is quicker to pick up than a plain dot.
In any event, I was moving my Holosun HS515GM red dot to a different upper and was in the market for a new red dot. I had been looking at getting an inexpensive Holosun model for roughly the same price with similar features (i.e., green circle-dot reticle) to the Khyber MDO anyway, so I pulled the trigger, so to speak, and ordered the Khyber MDO. What tipped the scale for me on this one over the Holosun is that the Holosun model I was looking at has a small tray to hold the battery that uses a couple really small screws to hold it into place whereas this one has a large cap over the battery that can be unscrewed with a coin or regular flatheaded screwdriver, making it much easier to change batteries and less likely to lose critical parts. This model also had a significantly higher shock rating than the Holosun model.
I ordered it on a weekend, but the sight promptly shipped on the next business day which I appreciated and took roughly a week to reach me. (You would not believe the number of items I order where "shipping" just means that they printed the shipping label and then it sits for several days or more before it is actually shipped). The sight comes in a fairly sturdy padded plastic box (see below).
Inside was the optic with a large Khyber Optic logo on the top, already mounted on the higher riser; a battery; a lower riser for rifles or shotguns with traditional drop-comb stocks; a lens cleaning cloth; and a couple tools for mounting the optic on a Picatinny rail and adjusting the sights. There is also a small booklet with instructions and information on the optic tucked behind the foam padding in the lid. There is no cover for the optic.
As you can see from the photos, the optic is roughly 1.25 inches wide and about 2 inches long.
Although the website indicates that the optic is "IP67" I believe this might be a typo as the literature that came with the optic indicates that it is IPX7, meaning that it can withstand temporary immersion in water up to 1 meter (roughly 3.3 feet) for up to 30 minutes without sustaining damage. However, if the website is correct, a 6 rating for dust would be pretty good.
Many optics come with visible lens coatings, such as a ruby coating, for clarity and protection, but I could find nothing in the booklet about coatings and do not see any visible coating. I did note that looking through the optic that it can catch reflections of brightly lit objects from behind.
The controls work fairly well. To turn on the optic, you have to push and hold the + button for a few seconds. Pushing and holding the + button for a moment also allows you to cycle through the reticles. Pushing and holding the - button will turn off the optic. The + and - buttons will also increase or reduce the brightness of the reticle, respectively.
Because it is green reticle, it shows up better in bright light than a red reticle and does seem to work better for my slight astigmatism--red colored dots always seem to be slightly smeared in my vision rather than a crisp dot that most people see. The circle on this is much smaller than the Holosun circle-dot that I own. At first this bothered me, but then I realized that the circle was small enough to use by itself to aim the weapon.
Brightness is manually set only. I have a few other red dots that automatically adjust to brightness, but this is not one. It does, however, have a "shake-awake" feature that turns off the optic if it doesn't sense movement for roughly 220 seconds per the instructions. This feature is very sensitive. I had a hard time telling if mine was working correctly because just the vibration of opening the door to where it was stored or the vibration of footfalls was enough to light it up. I had to leave the door open and carefully walk up to it to spot whether the emitter had gone off. Whatever sensors it uses would be great for a perimeter alarm!
The glow from the reticle or emitter is quite visible from the front of the optic. Khyber Optic lists a kill flash for the MDO, but it has been out of stock. If they get more in stock, however, I plan on picking one up.
I haven't had a chance to go out shooting and test this in the field. However, I did roughly zero it using the backup iron sights (which were already sighted in) and I have to say that the clicks for the adjustments were very solid and easily felt.
Now I just need to get something to keep dust off the optic. I've had to resort to baggy neoprene covers on a couple other optics, so that will probably be what I do on this one as well unless there is a tighter formed rubber cover that will fit. [Update: I bought a DAXISONN Romeo5 Red Dot Lens Cover from Amazon--it is a neoprene cover with a small loop for pulling it off--and it fits very well over the optic and its mount. I bought a black cover, but they also sell them in brown/FDE, a grey and brown woodland pattern, and a green and brown woodland pattern].
A detailed look at the new Gen 6 Glock pistols, with the host of this video going over a Gen 6 Glock 17. He had mounted an optic, so he does address the optic mounting system in more detail than other reviews I've seen, including a possible failure point being the plastic plates. If you are on the fence about getting a Gen 6 or just interested in what has been changed, this is a good video.
VIDEO: "Glock Gen 6 // Underwhelming and Shocking at the Same Time"
OG’s Danger Show (29 min.)
This is a guest post by The Realist:
"Ozark Trails Stocking-Stuffer Knives" by The Realist:
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| Ozark Trail knife and multitool display at my local Walmart. |
Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this article were purchased by myself. I did not receive samples, evaluation models, or other compensation from any manufacturer or retailer. I have no formal relationship with any manufacturer or retailer mentioned in this article - I have only been an arms-length customer. All brand names and product names used in this review are the trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. This article reflects my unique circumstances and subjective opinions with regard to performance and other characteristics of the products being discussed. Your mileage may vary.
My local Walmart finally got around to putting out their seasonal cardboard display loaded with inexpensive stocking-stuffer knives and multitools. I have been watching for several weeks for this display to be put out, and it finally appeared in their sporting goods department.
However, these knives and multitools are no longer five dollars, they are now seven dollars ($6.97). And, they are now made in Vietnam, not China.
The display has several varieties of pocket knives, including folding and fixed blade knives. Surprisingly, all of the knives have a plain edge - no partially serrated blades. There is only the one style of 12-in-1 multitool, looking very similar to prior years' offerings, with various paint treatments to the handles.
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| Ozark Trail #6123 (top) and #6128 (bottom) pocket knives. |
I like simple locking blade pocket knives with a plain edge. My attention focused on two models in the display. First, the Ozark Trails #6123 whose packaging stated it had a "ball bearing open" for its pivot and a "rubberized handle." And second, the Ozark Trails #6128 whose blade style I liked better, and whose packaging also stated it had a "ball bearing open" for its pivot.
Years ago, I purchased a CRKT knife with a ball bearing pivot. It opened smoothly with very little effort - perfect for one hand opening. The ball bearing pivot is the reason I was interested in these two Ozark Trails knives. Their ball bearing pivot is not as good as the one in the CRKT knife, but they open easier than a pocket knife without one.
The blade is made of stainless steel, but there is no mention of the type or formulation. The blades come with a tolerable edge, but they could use some touching up. Both knives utilize a liner lock to lock the blade open while in use. Both knives come with an attached pocket clip, and it appears the pocket clip can be reversed on the #6128, but not the #6123. Both knives are 7.5 inches long when opened, and both knives have a 3.25 inch blade. The blades can be opened with one hand.
The "rubberized handle" of the #6123 knife is indeed rubberized, with it being a thin sprayed-on rubbery coating like that found on many products. It should remain rubbery for several years before the coating deteriorates and becomes sticky.
The fit and finish of both knives are good, but not perfect - much better than what I would normally expect for seven dollars. There are no burrs that could hang on clothing or cause injury while handling the knife. For both knives, when the blade is opened and locked, there is no wiggling - no side-to-side wiggle, and no looseness in the locking mechanism.
For the past few years, I have been adding some of these inexpensive pocket knives to my backup and barter inventory. These knives are good enough in quality that I would not be worried about using one myself, putting one in a 72-hour kit, or giving one to someone else. These knives do not feel cheap - their look and feel is on par with the appearance and feel of more costly mass-market knives. In contrast, the Ozark Trails multitool also for sale in this seasonal knife display looks and feels cheap.
This is Taurus' latest iteration of its .22LR tip up barrel pocket pistol design. Chris Baker gives it a pretty good review with one exception: reliability. He had a handful of misfeeds and/or misfires out of each 100 round string of fire. The reliability issues are low enough that if this was a range toy, it would be of no real consequence. But as a defensive pistol, even a 2 or 3% failure rate is concerning. But is it the pistol or the ammunition? Several years ago, I had a bulk box of .22 LR from a reputable manufacturer where literally every other round was a dud even with good primer strikes, no matter what firearm I used; and I just have an impression--I haven't been keeping score--that quality control has slipped overall with .22 ammo production. And I'm not the only one that feels that way, as it seems this has been a well visited topic in various forums and boards.
VIDEO: "Taurus 22TUC: Budget Price, Zero Compromises (Well, Maybe One)"
Lucky Gunner Ammo (8 min.)
Lucky Gunner is doing a series on .22 pistols and decided to review the updated Beretta Bobcat. The major changes are that the newer versions have "real" sights instead of the small front blade and rear gutter sights of the original, a larger safety lever, the magazine release has been moved from the heel of the weapon to the more standard location behind the trigger, and the trigger guard is now part of the frame instead of being the spring for the tilt up barrel. The magazine is now slightly longer to accommodate 8 rounds of ammunition and provide a pinky rest, and is made of polymer. The particular model tested has a threaded barrel for mounting a suppressor and suppressor height sights; but Beretta also sells a version with a regular barrel and lower sitting sights according to the video.
VIDEO: "Beretta 20X Bobcat: Tip-Up .22 Gets an Overhaul"
Lucky Gunner Ammo (8 min.)
The first video reviews a sub-$100 radio that might be useful for a prepper: the Radtel RT-950. One of the more interesting features is that the radio can as act a cross-band repeater. The second video discusses the difference between the basic RT-950 reviewed in the first video against a slightly more expense "Pro" model. The only real differences between the two is that the "Pro" version can transmit on the CB bands while the basic version can only receive CB frequencies; and the "Pro" can also receive upper and lower side bands. But for a $12 difference, it is probably worth getting the "Pro" version.
VIDEO: "I Review The Radtel RT-950 Ham Radio for SHTF & Emergency Comms"
NotaRubicon Productions (16 min.)
VIDEO: "Radtel RT-950 PRO vs RT-950 Unlocked Ham Radios For SHTF"
NotaRubicon Productions (8 min.)
A review of the Baofeng DM32 DMR portable radio. The video mentions that Brushbeater was having a sale on these radios, but the video description now indicates that Brushbeater is completely sold out. While not as low of a price, Amazon nevertheless is offering them for 23% off the MSRP, bringing them down to $85 apiece. The review covers the items included with the radio, and goes over the features of the radio. He notes that "this radio has more features and more options than any other low cost consumer radio that I have ever tested" and comes close to what the Motorola XTS can do. He notes that the radio is unlocked, meaning it "can transmit on some of the hams radios frequencies as well as on GMRS, MRS and LMR frequencies." It can also receive commercial FM radio, AM airband from 108 to 136 my gigahertz, VHF 136 to 174 and 220 to 260 gigahertz, UHF 350 to 390 and 400 to 520 gigahertz and NOAA weather alerts. Notably, per the review, the digital broadcasting offers encryption.
VIDEO: "I Review The Baofeng DM32 DMR Ham Radio for SHTF"
NotaRubicon Productions (18 min.)
The Ghost and the Darkness is a 1996 movie starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas. It is ostensibly the story of John Patterson (played by Kilmar)--an engineer sent to design and oversee the construction of a railroad bridge in 1898 over the Tsavo River in what is today Kenya--and his efforts to hunt and kill a pair of man-eating lions that were feeding on the workers. The movie was good and, since I first saw it, I had been interested in tracking down Patterson's book.
A couple months ago I watched the movie again and afterward found that his book was available for the Kindle. Notwithstanding the title, The Man-Eaters of Tsavo, the book actually covers much more of Patterson's experiences in East Africa while working on the Uganda-Mombasa railway than just the story of the two-lions. The story of the two man-eaters is only about the first third of the book and, unsurprisingly, very different from the movie. The movie, in fact, is pretty much fiction. The lions were a problem--according to Patterson they took and killed pretty much one worker a day during the times they were around the work crews--but labor disputes threatened the project more than the lion attacks.
The movie character Charles Remington (played by Douglas) was apparently made up whole cloth. The railroad financier that berates Patterson in the movie also makes no appearance in the book--it appears that Patterson had no issues with higher-ups.
Other events portrayed in the movie are sensationalized or taken from events that occurred after the two lions were killed. For instance, one of the creepier scenes in the movie is when Patterson and Remington, while attempting to track the lions, stumble across a cave used by the lions as a den or shelter. In the book, Patterson did stumble across the lions' cave, but this was by accident and after the two lions had been killed. He did note that it was filled with many human bones--apparently bodies that the lions had dragged back to the cave to consume, some still with native jewelry on the bones.
While the movie was intended to be a somewhat creepy, disturbing story, the book was quite different in tone. It is obvious from the book that Patterson had two great loves: engineering and big game hunting. The book is mostly about the latter--and Patterson seems to hunt almost all of the dangerous game Africa has to offer--but offers descriptions and mention of his work designing and overseeing construction. And it is a type of travelogue as well, even ending with recommendations and advice (and prices) for someone wanting to travel to East Africa to hunt big game.
As a firearms aficionado, I was interested in the weapons used by Patterson, his compatriots, and the African and Indian workers and assistants. My biggest surprise is that, other than a couple occasions when he borrowed a larger double rifle or made use of a shotgun, almost all of his hunting--including the lion hunting--was done with a .303 Enfield bolt-action rifle. I've read of other hunters of that era using smaller, high velocity calibers, but I was nevertheless surprised.
Patterson's willingness to use the smaller bore rifle also seems to fit into his character and the general attitude at the time (at least in East Africa): danger and risk seemed to be welcome and even a source of humor, and death and injury was too common to mourn or obsess about.
Anyway, if you've seen The Ghost and the Darkness or like books on big game hunting, the British Colonial period in Africa, or just a good memoir, I think you would enjoy Patterson's book.
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| Gun + Mag Holster (image from the manufacturer's site) |
However, life happens and I was generally content with my other concealed carry options, so I put off obtaining a SmartCarry system. But one of my son's gave me one a few months back and I finally got around to trying it out. I have to say that I wish I had started using this product years ago.
SmartCarry offers a variety of styles, including certain models cut for women. But all of them can essentially be described a fanny pack type pouch with an elastic band or belt that goes around the waist or hips. It uses hook and loop fasteners to fasten the belt. They have different configurations: single gun (i.e., a pocket for the firearm only); the gun + mag model (shown above with a pocket for the firearm and a smaller pocket for a magazine or speed strip); the gun + mag + valuables (same as the gun + mag model with the addition of a secondary pocket at the waist line for carrying cash); and a double pocket model with side-by-side pockets each large enough for a firearm or bulkier items like wallets.
From what I can tell, the holsters are mostly set up for the right-handed shooter. That is, I don't see any specific left-handed options. A single pocket model would probably work, but if you are interested in carrying a firearm and a magazine, it looks like the best option would be the double pocket model, and simply carry the firearm in the left side pocket.
In addition, they sell a Kydex type trigger guard that simply slides over the trigger guard of select models or makes of striker fired handguns. This can be purchased separately or already set up in a holster.
The holster is available in different colors, as well as a leather option.
Apparently the most popular model is the Gun + Mag holster, which is what I have, in the basic black. Prices vary depending on the configuration and material. But the basic model I have sells for $62, not including any shipping costs or taxes.
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| The front of the SmartCarry Gun + Mag Holster |
As you can see from the photograph above (or maybe not, since it is pretty dark), the holster features open top pockets and an attached belt that goes around your waist. At one end is a hook part of the hook and loop fasteners, and then there is a generous length of the loop portions to which it attaches, which makes it easy to adjust to your specific size. The end goes through the plastic loop, which allows you to cinch it down before securing it. The belt portion is also elastic, so it will stretch with you as move or sit, making it fairly comfortable.
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| The end of the belt fits through the plastic loop and then pull back to cinch the belt and secure it. |
Back of the SmartCarry Gun + Mag holster
I have been using the holster for a couple weeks, wearing it 5 or 6 days out of the week to the office and at church on Sunday. The two handguns I have used with it are: (1) the S&W Model 638 (what used to be called the "Bodyguard") with a shrouded hammer and Ergo Delta grips; and (2) a Sig P238 semi-auto. When carrying the revolver, I keep a Bianchi speed strip in the magazine pocket with the tab up so I can easily pull it out; and with the Sig, I carry an extra magazine.
The concealment with both weapons appears excellent when wearing the pleated pants. My wife claimed she could see a bit of printing of the holster because she was looking for it, and I've noticed that women seem a little more friendly when I've worn it, but I don't think anyone can tell it is a holster with a firearm.
It is also comfortable. The only issue I've had comfort-wise has nothing to do with the holster, but the more pokey bits of the Sig digging into my belly when seated. The revolver, however, is so comfortable that it is easy to forget that I'm even carrying it.
I learned quickly, when putting on the holster, that it is best if you put it on over the tucked-in part of your shirt or the shirt tails. This keeps the shirt from fouling access to the firearm, and incidentally helps keep your shirt tucked in. If you have adjusted the holster and don't wear saggy jeans, it and its belt should be covered from view even with it going over the bottom of the shirt.
For men relieving themselves while standing up, it can be a little awkward because you will have to lift and push the holster a little to the side to get your "peter" out to urinate. But again, this shouldn't be a big deal if there are privacy shields between urinals; or use a closed stall.
The holster top is open, like a big pocket. I haven't had any issues with the firearm or the extra ammo working their way out while walking, but on one occasion when taking off the holster when changing into more casual clothes after work, I wasn't paying attention and inverted the holster, and the firearm fell out onto the floor. Just something of which to be aware.
I've practiced a bit with drawing. The primary thing to remember is to pull your belt or waistline of your slacks forward with the off-hand to give plenty of room for your gun hand to insert into the top of your slacks, grip the firearm, and withdraw it. You probably could still dip in with the gun hand only, but using the other hand to assist will make it easier.
Overall, I'm pleased with the holster. It actually solves two of my concealed carry problems: something I can use with the business-casual clothing I normally wear at work, especially in warmer weather when I won't have a coat or other outer garment to assist with concealment; and with my suits, which I wear with just suspenders, and no belt.
A guest post by The Realist
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| Harbor Freight Gordon multitool with its included holster. |
In the summer of 2024, I started seeing videos reviewing a new Harbor Freight multitool that looked like a Leatherman Wave. After seeing those videos, I started checking my local Harbor Freight and regularly checking their inventory online in an effort to get one. Finally, in February of 2025 I found this multitool at my local Harbor Freight store.
The Harbor Freight Gordon multitool is almost a clone of the second generation Leatherman Wave. Both have an assortment of knife blades, files, a saw, screwdrivers, scissors, can opener, and needle nose pliers with integrated wire cutters. (Not replaceable cutters as found in the third generation Wave+, Rebar, and other Leatherman multitools.) Along the edge of the handles are inch and centimeter ruler markings. The Gordon multitool adds a carbide tipped nub to the end of the handle to break windows in an emergency, and a "gut hook" on the back of the serrated blade.
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| A comparison of the 2nd generation Leatherman Wave (left) and the Gordon multitool (right). |
The Gordon multitool comes with a holster to carry the multitool that is similar to those provided by Leatherman for their multitools. The Gordon multitool also comes with a removable pocket clip, which is an extra-cost accessory from Leatherman. (The Gordon pocket clip does not fit the Wave.) The packaging says the blades and handles are made of 5Cr15MoV stainless steel.
There are some cosmetic differences, including the pivot screws being slightly different. And, the end caps on the handles opposite the pliers are different, with the Leatherman end caps being rounded, while the Gordon end caps are slightly pointed so one of them can accommodate the carbide window breaker.
Fit and finish is very similar. I only found one defect in the Gordon multitool, and I don't know if this is a design defect or a random manufacturing defect. Both the Leatherman and Gordon multitools use a second piece of metal next to the main scissors member as a spring. The spring is held in place by a dimple that fits in a hole in the scissors member. That dimple in the Gordon multitool is not high enough to hold the spring in place.
The Gordon multitool weighs 236 grams without the pocket clip (241 grams with the pocket clip), while the Wave weighs 241 grams.
The Gordon multitool looks like a competent multitool, and for $39.95 (at the time of this writing) compares very favorably with the second generation Leatherman Wave for $80 and up in secondary markets (the third generation Wave+ has an MSRP of $119.95). Leatherman multitools are made in the United States, while the Gordon multitool is made in China.
If you are on their mailing list, Harbor Freight regularly sends out emails with coupons for percentages off any new item in the store. Ten percent off coupons are fairly common, and occasionally they send out a coupon for thirty percent off an item. So, if $39.99 is too much, wait for one of their coupons to save a few more dollars.
Kore Essentials make what seems to be a fairly popular line of gun belts that use a ratcheting system for tightening up the belt, and a plastic core that makes it more rigid. They have two basic styles of standard gun belt: (1) A nylon belt with a rubberized backing that I've seen described as the same or similar to the material used in conveyor belts. These are offered in several different colors as well as a few camo patterns. And (2) a faux leather appearing belt that I know is at least offered in brown and black.
The advantage of the ratcheting system is that it allows for finer adjustments of approximately 1/4 inch when tightening or loosening the belt. The photograph below shows a close up of the ratcheting system on the belt buckle and the "track" that it uses.
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| Close up of ratcheting system. |
Between my eldest son and myself, we've owned and used several different Kore belts over the past several years, including both the standard nylon models and the dress belts.
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| Faux leather dress belt |
The first belt I picked up for myself was a brown faux leather model to use for business wear (pictured above), which I only ever wore two times per week (I alternated it with a black leather dress belt during the work week, and use a different belt for casual wear). I went with Kore because I liked the styling (they looked nice) and the rigid core which I hoped would lessen the holster flop you can get at the end of the day when a gun belt has stretched just a bit. I used it for a year without much issue when I somehow picked up a rather unsightly scratch or scrape on the back of the belt. Over the next couple of years it picked up other scratches and scrapes so that it now unusable as a dress belt.
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| Close up of some of the scratches/scrapes. |
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| Showing more of the scratches/scrapes. |
Another problem that cropped up is that the plastic core does not extend the full length of the belt, so that the belt did deform over time, as you can see in the photograph below. The stretching and deformation can be managed simply by alternating the direction of the belt, but I bought the belt because of the plastic core that was supposed to prevent that type of thing.
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| Deformation of the dress belt from use. |
And when I was taking pictures for this review, I noticed that even the edges of the belt had started to crack and degrade.
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| Edge of dress belt. |
Keep in mind that this was not the result of heavy use: I typically only wore it twice per week to an office job. In any event, I switched about 12 months ago to using a brown, genuine leather dress belt.
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| Standard nylon style belt. |
I also purchased one of the standard nylon belts about 2 years ago (pictured above). Mine is still in good shape because I've only worn it a couple dozen times at most. But about the time I purchased my faux leather belt, my oldest son picked up a standard nylon one to use for everyday wear. He is now on his third belt of that type (which he has had for about a year), and it is already wearing out. He was kind enough to lend it to me for some photographs, below:
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| The tip of the belt is still in pretty good shape, but you can see some fraying starting to develop. |
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| Extensive fraying and wear on the edges of the belt. |
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| A small matter, perhaps, but when talking the photographs I noticed some discoloration on one side of the buckle where it looked like some of the finish was wearing off. |
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| You can see the fraying from the back of the belt, as well as cracking of the rubberized parts of the belt. |
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| Another view showing how the backing of the belt was deteriorating. |
My son also used one of the faux leather belts, but had to replace it about a year ago even though he typically only wore it for Sunday wear to church (i.e., once per week).
Kore's warranty is only for 1 year. Perhaps they envision that people will replace their belts every one to two years. But for about the same price as a Kore belt, one can get a basic leather belt that will last far longer. In short, my experience and the experience of my son is that the Kore belts wear out after about 1 to 2 years even with only moderate use.
Winchester's .21 Sharp seems like a good idea on paper: replace the heeled bullet used in the .22 LR with a bullet that actually seats in the case like a normal cartridge, make that bullet more aerodynamic, and sell it for about the same price as similar quality .22. However, it doesn't live up to the advertising hyperbole: it's much more expensive than the .22 LR and, as Banana Ballistics' tests shows, isn't as accurate or have the downrange performance of better quality .22 LR.
VIDEO: "Winchester’s Biggest Disappointment"
Banana Ballistics (12 min.)
A couple weeks ago I had linked to a video review of a U.S. Army LRP meal from the 1970s or '80s. The same channel has a new video up reviewing a modern Lithuanian MRE-style ration packet:
I reviewed Eric Cline's book 1177 B.C.--The Year Civilization Collapsed back in 2015. That book examined the causes of the Bronze Age Collapse and the nations caught up in that broad civilizational collapse: the Minoans-Mycenaeans in and around Greece and the Aegean, Egypt along the Nile and extending control into Canaan, the Hittite Empire controlling most of Asia Minor, the Mittani which occupied the northern Tigris and Euphrates river region, and the Babylonians. The impact was likely felt beyond even these kingdoms and empires as trade collapsed.
The gist of the book is that there was a perfect storm of events and causes that interplayed and magnified each other to lead to wide-spread disruption and collapse, as there is evidence of a centuries long drought (probably due to the climate cooling), several natural disasters including some earthquakes that destroyed a few major cities, resulting in famine, war, collapse of trust in institutions, collapse of long distance trade, social upheaval, and migrations of people leading to more conflict.
Although Cline and I use the term "collapse," that is not to say that everything regressed to the stone age. Rather this is a collapse in the sense that Joseph Tainter uses the term: a rapid decline in complexity of the civilization until the complexity reduces to a level where stability returns. In other words, while a society can collapse completely, it can also fragment or shed institutions without fully disappearing. Thus, it can occur at different times and to different extents.
In the case of Bronze Age Collapse, the Hittite Empire disappeared to never reappear. The Babyloniann declined but adopted and recovered a couple hundred years later. The Mittani were absorbed into the Assyrian Empire. The Minions-Mycenaeans society disappeared to reappear later as the Greeks and Cretens of the Archaic age. The Egyptian Empire went into a decline from which it never fully recovered although it also did not collapse. Some of the territories over which it established control became independent and actually seemed to thrive during the dark ages that followed the collapse, such as the Phoenicians who developed a trading empire and, more importantly, spread their alphabet around the Mediterranean. The collapse of the international tin trade also drove a shift from bronze to iron.
After 1177 B.C. explores what happened to the major civilizations and cultures after the Bronze Age Collapse and the next 200 to 300 years. While Cline takes a "glass is half full" approach, emphasizing that the Collapse did not mean the complete loss of civilization, but that cultures adapted--some even thrived--with comparable complexity and international trade reappearing between 200 and 300 years later, depending on the location.
That doesn't mean that it was an easy transition. Cline notes, for instance, that "there was a dramatic drop in population on mainland Greece immediately after the Collapse." Recent estimates indicate a decline in population of between 40 and 60%! To put that in context, that is greater than the die off from the Black Plague in the 14th Century. That is merely one of many societal changes. Cline identifies seven (7) changes:
In this respect, Cline writes:
Joseph Tainter notes that a systematic collapse of a civilization or society is also usually thought to bring an end to "the artistic and literary features of civilization, and to the umbrella of service and protection that an administration provides." As a result, he says, "The flow of information drops, people trade and interact less, and there is overall lower coordination among individuals and groups. Economic activity drops ... while the arts and literature experience such a quantitative decline that a dark age often ensues. Population levels tend to drop, and for those who are left, the known world shrinks" All of this is usually seen as a fearful event, "truly paradise lost." However, according to Tainter, sociopolitical collapse is quite a normal occurrence and even to be expected in the general course of the life of complex societies.
But while a dark age followed the Bronze Age Collapse, Cline contends that the question in studying such a period is "'dark' for whom and in what respects?"
This is the question at the heart of our explorations. What was it like for those living in the aftermath of the Collapse, and how was it different in each of the affected areas? What did it take to survive?
Cline then explores different the different regions and what happened in each region, rather than simply address all regions in a chronological fashion. First he examines the fate of Egypt, Israel, and the Southern Levant. Second, Assyria and Babylonia. Third, Phoenicia and Cyprus. Fourth, Anatolia and Northern Syria. Fifth, the Aegean region.
Egypt was the only one of the prior great powers that survived with any substantial continuity of government. But the pharaohs that rules following the Collapse oversaw a permanent decline in the power and influence of Egypt. They were faced with disruptions and upheaval within their borders taking the form of an significant jump in tomb robberies (this was the period that Egyptian officials were forced to gather up mummies from scattered tombs and hide them), famine and food shortages, in-fighting among the elites, and "disruptions" caused by foreigners (probably both migrants and slaves) inside Egypt. As Cline put it, the Egyptians "were able to cope and continue to exist but really failed to make the transition properly, neither adapting particularly well nor transforming at all."
Of course, Egypt's loss was another's gain. Losing its control over Canaan, it appeared that the mantle of control would fall on the Philistines, but it was actually the Israeli kingdoms that emerged the dominate power over Canaan in the wake of the invasion by the "Sea Peoples". The success of the Philistines and Israel were helped along by climate: although much of the region was gripped by a centuries long drought, the southern Levant experienced an uptick in moisture starting around 1150 to 1100 B.C. and lasting until about 950 B.C. permitting intense cereal and olive cultivation. In fact, newer research shows that the Levant may have been one of the few areas to experience in increase in population during the post-Collapse dark age. But as minor kingdoms, the Israelite kingdoms only flourished until other larger regional empires arose again.
Turning to his next region, the upper and lower regions of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Cline observes that "[o]verall, the Assyrians and the Babylonians proved to be among the most resilient and successful of the affected societies to weather the aftermath of the Collapse," being able to retain writing, keeping their systems of government, and even able to engage in some massive building projects. Nevertheless, they did not escape unscathed, as Cline writes, pointing out that "archaeological evidence obtained from surveys in the region of ancient Babylonia suggests that there may have been a decrease in population of up to 75 percent during the three hundred years between the Collapse at the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Babylonia resurgence after 900 BC." As for the Assyrians, it is notable that there were almost no royal inscriptions during the period from 1208 BC to 1133 BC. Nevertheless, Assyria was able to grown and expand swallowing up the city-states and smaller kingdoms that arose after the Collapse. As Cline writes:
Without any strong competitors, Assyria eventually filled the political void to become the most resilient large state recovering from the Late Bronze Age Collapse. In doing so, the Assyrians invented many of the elements that were adopted by later empires: standing armies, effective communication and transportation systems, and policy propaganda (like the Balawat gate inscriptions).
Cline next examines the Cypriots and the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians took the advantage of the sack of other port cities during the Sea Peoples invasions to win control of the trade routes across the Mediterranean Sea, "spreading their version of the alphabet, and exchanging trade goods such as purple dye for silver and other metals coming from as far away as Sicily, Sardinia, and Iberia." The Cypriots similarly spread iron goods and iron technology east and west. "Together," Cline contends, "they were the two societies that weathered the transformation to the new normal most successfully; both could even be labeled as anti-fragile, flourishing during the chaos that followed the Collapse."
Cline next examines Anatolia and Norther Syria--areas dominated by the Hittites prior to the Collapse. Cline indicates that the Hittite Empire in Anatolia had collapsed and disappeared almost completely in the years after 1200 B.C.
The capital city of Hattusa was initially abandoned and then partially destroyed, with a small Iron Age village subsequently established on one small portion of the original city. The situation has been recently summed up by Lorenzo d'Alfonso of New York University and his colleagues as follows: "A deep transformation took place in the former core of the empire around the capital Hattusa, resulting in a drastic decrease in political complexity, a shift to subsistence household economy and a lack of evidence for any public institutions." Furthermore, James Osborne, a professor at the University of Chicago, cites recent research stating that there may have been "a drastic settlement drop of about 90%" in south-central Anatolia at this time and says that "despite evidence for continuity in certain locations ... the general picture is one of marked decline and social complexity until the ninth century."
What is significant about the 9th Century BC is that when the drought that played such a large role in the Bronze Age Collapse ended, when the climate returned to one that was warmer and wetter.
Nevertheless, "despite the collapse of the Hittite Empire proper, we can see that there were survivors and that life did continue, especially in the hinterland, even if the centralized government and its attendant bureaucracy and administration had essentially vanished, leaving the various areas to their own devices." In addition, some remnant of the Hittite royalty apparently retained some control over as many as 15 city states in northern Syria. And while the region appears to have suffered the most from the invasion of the Sea Peoples, most sites were almost immediately reoccupied following the destruction and resumed agricultural, industrial, and trade activity. Eventually, however, this area fell under the influence of the Assyrians.
Mycenae on the Greek mainland similarly fully collapsed, although not as quickly. Cline notes that "[i]t is now clear that it took more than a century for the last vestiges of the Bronze Age Mycenaean palatial society to fade away and the succeeding culture of the Iron Age to begin on mainland Greece." The primary cities were largely abandoned, but life appears to have continued in the countryside, albeit free of a centralized government control and within a simpler economic environment. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing for the commoner: as Cline notes they were freed from the overwhelming taxation to support the palatial elites and their projects, "such that some rural areas may have actually experienced a brief moment of prosperity in the decades immediately after the Collapse." But the collapse of the urban centers also led to the loss of writing for centuries as well as the loss of the representational arts and crafts. "The complex forms of political, social, and economic organization fell into oblivion. Palaces, kings, and royal families became matter for Greek myths." "In short," Cline concludes, "Greek civilization was reduced to the level of a prehistoric society." Thus, while there were survivors, "it was not until the eighth century BC at the earliest that we can talk about Greek culture resuming on a path that led to more than simply basic subsistence and scratching out a living."
In summing up his book, Cline writes:
Painting with broad brush strokes, what we see in general from the twelfth century BC onward is a fragmentation and decline in security and material standards of living in the years immediately after the Collapse, continuing down through the tenth century or thereabouts, as the Bronze Age kingdoms fell apart. In the areas that were affected to the greatest extent, including mainland Greece, Crete, Anatolia, and the southern Levant especially, there was a collapse of the local palaces, states, or kingdoms (including government, centralized economy, and so on) even if segments of the population managed to survive.
However, reintegration then begins during the ninth century and continues through the eighth century...
To put it another way, and to emphasize the material side of things, in general the period from the twelfth through the tenth centuries BC saw population crashes, abandonment of cities, violence, probable migrations, the collapse of trade routes, disease, earlier ages at death, falling economic output, lower standards of living, and the loss or decline of advanced skills, though the extent varies depending on where one looks in the region. In contrast, the period from the beginning of the ninth century BC onward saw many of these trends reversed. By the time we reach the second half of the eighth century BC, we see new life and innovations in many of the areas, and a fully interconnected world begins to take shape once again for the first time in several centuries.
He sees the Bronze Age and its subsequent collapse and recovery fitting into what is termed the "adaptive cycle" with the early part of the Late Bronze Age representing the Exploitation phase, the Late Bronze Age as the Conservation phase, the Bronze Age Collapse as the Release phase, and the subsequent Iron Age is the Reorganization phase which, will, eventually start the cycle over again--in this case, the Archaic age followed by the Classical age.
Cline also examines why some cultures seemed to weather the collapse better than others. Some of it may have been a matter of luck: located in an area that was not as affected by drought as others, being shielded from the attacks of the Sea Peoples, better leaders, more redundancies in their state administration, or armies better able to fight off raiders or conquer neighbors. But he notes, at least as to the Assyrians, that "they may have proved to be resilient because of four things that they were able to retain for whatever reason: their centralized government, still led by the king; their basic economy; their writing system; and their army."
But the main lesson that Cline wants to emphasize is that "Collapse can involve both the end of old social institutions and the beginning of new ones."
Unfortunately the archaeological record is too incomplete to come to firm conclusions as to why one culture did better than others. Unlike Cline, I think luck played a major role both as to climate and to which areas were subject to invasion or attack by the Sea Peoples. Some must have been due to the cultures--some were more, perhaps, fatalistic and others more adaptable by nature. I suspect that the relationship between the people and their elites played a role. That is, that elites that maintained their legitimacy even in the face of drought, disaster, or war, were more likely to continue their rule; and for those hated by their populace, the events of the Collapse provided an excuse for their elites "to disappear". Unfortunately, while the loss of elites may have been a temporary boon in those civilizations that were heavily taxed, it also didn't help with recovery (although the conflict among elites in Egypt appears to have been almost as crippling to recovery).
And while there are no guarantees, it appears that on an individual basis, living in a rural area that provided water and arable land was vital; and combined with access to trade and trade routes was ideal.
