Games involving hiding are a core memory for most people’s childhoods, and this fact holds true across all recorded human history. Why? We think it’s a function of having to learn early on in our lives how to effectively avoid predators who may be actively hunting us. Likewise, we must also learn how to effectively hunt prey (or other predators) who are determined not to be found. Both halves of hide and seek can be directly tied back to evolutionary adaptations required to survive in a hostile world. Unfortunately, while the world has grown more developed, it hasn’t become any less hostile. Y ..read more

Milk and cookies, peanut butter and jelly, Jack Daniels and Coke — some things just seem to be made for each other. We have an addition to that list: rimfire pistols and suppressors. The former is an excellent tool for schwacking varmints, affordable plinking at the range, and teaching new shooters how to use a pistol; the latter enhances each of those functions. With a suppressed .22LR pistol, you can control the pest population discreetly without alerting everyone who lives near your property, plink safely without ear protection, and introduce those new shooters to a weapon that’s quiet and ..read more

If you blinked, you might have missed it—VIP tickets for CANCON AZ 2024 were gone faster than you can say “lock and load”. In just three minutes, enthusiasts snapped up the passes, each eager to get their hands on a VIP Bag bursting with more than $2300 worth of top-tier tactical gear. So, what’s in this treasure trove? Let’s take a peek inside and find out why this bag’s got the community buzzing. A Toolkit Fit for the Tactical Enthusiast Every item in the VIP Bag is a testament to the support of the 2A community, and a tip-of-the-hat to some of the best customers the industry could ask for ..read more

It has been said that rendering aid during a mass casualty incident (MCI) is trying to create order out of chaos. When most people hear the term “mass casualty incident,” it conjures up images of major catastrophic events: hurricanes, terrorist attacks, plane crashes, etc. Those are all prime examples to be sure, but an MCI can happen anytime and anywhere. Simply put, an MCI is any scenario in which those needing aid outnumber those able to provide it. In these scenarios, the SALT triage technique is a powerful tool. The occurrences of MCIs are few and far between. But sadly, not as few and no ..read more

Many worship at the altar of Stoner, exalting the AR-15 platform’s ergonomics, versatility, and modularity. But with a receiver extension and buttstock that can’t be folded, since the bolt carrier group reciprocates into it, compactness for transport wasn’t Stoner’s first priority. The aftermarket has come up with solutions for this — but what if you’re looking for an even smaller footprint than a folding stock will provide? That's where the AR-15 Takedown comes in. If you don’t mind disassembling your weapon, Stoner’s original design gets you halfway there, as you can easily detach the upper ..read more

One of the fundamentals of fighting well is to know your enemy. When we’re talking about fighting violent crime and criminals, there are a lot of varied opinions. Some people see violent criminals as victims of a flawed economic system or argue they’re just mentally ill, while others see them as cunning rational actors engaged in rational acts. Hopefully, the essay that follows will give you a quick summary of who criminals are, how criminals think, how they pick their victims, and how to truly win confrontations with them. Any time we’re generalizing, we must be careful to remember there are ..read more

The term “technical” is often used to describe a civilian vehicle — usually a 4×4 pickup like the venerable Toyota Hilux — that has been modified to carry an onboard weapon system such as a heavy machine gun, anti-aircraft cannon, or anti-tank rocket launcher. The underlying light, mobile weapon concept dates back far beyond the automobile to horse-drawn tachanka carts of the First World War and carroballistas (essentially huge crossbows mounted on carriages) of the Roman Empire. However, according to the book Technicals: Non-Standard Tactical Vehicles from the Great War to Modern Special Forc ..read more

For all of life’s biggest and heaviest decisions — changing careers, moving out of state, choosing a college to attend, proposing to a spouse, and so on — it’s wise to take a moment to consider your options. Some of us make lists of pros and cons, ask friends or mentors for insight, or “sleep on it” before committing to a choice. But no matter what, we avoid making split-second decisions about any situation that’s likely to change our lives for years or decades. There is, however, one instance where this level of deliberation will not be possible: deciding to pull the trigger in a self-defense ..read more

In a true case of “what’s old is new again” the last several years have seen not only a resurgence of the lever action rifle, but an evolution of it. Although this platform was once reserved for ranchers and cowboy action shooters, well-known companies like Midwest Industries have committed significant resources to developing accessories that modernize this oft-overshadowed platform. Smaller custom houses like Mad Pig Customs go even further, offering complete boutique tactical lever gun builds with selectable furniture, accessories, and colorways. With all this effort expended to teach an old ..read more

What do you own that costs upward of $10,000 but is fragile enough to break if it’s dropped a few feet onto a hard surface? Unless you’re a collector of Ming vases, antique Waterford crystal, or high-end camera equipment, it’s probably a very short list. But there’s one thing that many military members, law enforcement officers, and shooting enthusiasts wear that fits this category: night vision. A set of dual-tube night vision goggles (NVGs) can easily set you back $8K to $15K, and this equipment is extremely sensitive to hard impacts, long-term light exposure, and other environmental damage ..read more