For as far back as I can remember, as a police officer and as a member of the media, some government official or another has been calling for a ban on “assault weapons.” Sometimes those “assault weapons” are AR-style rifles, and sometimes they are “high capacity” polymer framed handguns. Not long ago, a man even more veteran than myself in law enforcement postulated a question: if AR-style rifles were banned tomorrow, what would you be carrying instead? If polymer framed handguns were banned tomorrow, what would you be carrying instead? The questions caused quite a stir of curiosity and I had to pass those questions on. Thankfully, in my line of work I can get responses from some true experts in the field. (more…)

Depending on your background, whether or not you spent time in the military, what type of family you were raised in, etc. you may or may not have received any training in the basic necessities of survival. It’s okay if you haven’t received any training because there are only about a gazillion survival kits available for sale through a boatload of catalog and online companies. But which one do you need? This isn’t a review of which ones are best, but instead a look at what items such a ‘kit’ should contain. Then you can select which one suits your purposes and/or build one of your own. (more…)