The movie RONIN is on of the more interesting action movies out there. The story line is simple and the plot is pretty straight forward, but it is subtle. Action movies traditionally are about as subtle as a brick to the head, so this sets Ronin apart.
I’m not going to lecture about the details and philosophy of the Matrix universe. What I’m going to do instead is an attempt to examine the firearms used in the movies and why the characters would use them. So, let us begin at the beginning.
It came out the Terrorist in the Baton Rouge police ambush used an IWI Tavor rifle. Some words were thrown out by some media sources. “Assault Rifle”, “High Powered”, “Sniper Rifle”.
It’s not an assault rifle. Sure, it’s similar to the weapon used by the Israeli Defense Forces… But it is not a select fire weapon. The TAVOR doesn’t have a Shoulder Thing That Goes Up. It does not have a Bayonet Lug. It doesn’t have a Heat Shield. It doesn’t have an Adjustable Stock. So by all definitions, it’s not an assault rifle.
It’s chambered in 5.56mm – which is .22 Caliber. 5.56mm Nato is based on the .223 Remington cartridge. (Note the first two numbers after the decimal point is “22”) The .223 Remington was designed as a Varmint round. Varmints as being small critters like Rabbits and Squirrels. On many boxes of .223 ammunition, you’ll see images of small rodent type animals. Not Big Game. Not even a small White Tail Deer. So it’s not a “High Powered” rifle. Not even close.
What made the Tavor so deadly was the Man Behind the Trigger. Who was trained in the use of firearms, yes… But the man had EVIL intent. This is the difference between the the Good Guys and the Bad Guys.
What he used as his tool is not important. In France, we saw the tool was a truck. In Boston, we saw the tools were Pressure Cookers. The tool doesn’t matter. It’s how it’s used.
In both cases – Extreme Hate was the catalyst for Evil thoughts to be turned into extreme actions and Evil was carried out. The Tool doesn’t matter, where he got the tool, doesn’t matter. What matters is that it started with Hate.
Hate is where fingers should be pointed.
I get asked this a lot. Do I build my new AR, or do I buy my new AR? That’s a good question. First, let’s talk about the economics of it:
This guy, I don’t know this guy. But he makes a lot of sense. If you are buying a rifle in that 1000 or Less price range.
Or what you do is spend a bit more out of the gate and buy a rifle that is closer to your ideal of the final configuration you want. There’s a lot of rifles out there in the 1500 range that come pretty much done out of the box. Or even less. I’ve seen some very good builds that are complete and good to go for about 1200.
Unless you are wanting a lot of specialized aftermarket stuff with spiky bits or excessive milling for either weight or cosmetic purposes… stuff that isn’t available OEM from anyone… Then building makes sense money wise.
Or you just want a Cheap Out build. And you are going to be shopping for low cost parts. Then in that case, you are going to end up with a Cheap Rifle. I can’t tell you how many times guys have shown me their Cheap Out Build and then they blow sunshine at me that it’s Custom. No, it’s not Custom. It’s a Cheap Out Build you put together on your coffee table. That’s not impressive, so don’t expect me to act impressed. And don’t get mad at me for not being impressed. Anyone can order those same parts from Brownells and Midway USA. A Cheap Out Build though, can get you into an AR for the same or less than most entry level AR’s. I’ve seen some Cheap Out Builds that were about 400 bucks that were actually solid AR’s. So if you do it RIGHT, you can really have something. The problem though is too often, it’s not done right and the result is just another cheap AR.
Another reason to build your AR is that you BUILD your AR. You might need some help or borrow some tools or even buy some tools… But the end result is your own rifle you put together yourself. There’s a lot of satisfaction in that. And if that’s your goal, and you are happy with the rifle – Awesome. That’s all that matters. That’s all that’s important. Because at this point in the AR Market – NO ONE CARES. Do your own thing, be your own man. You only need to impress yourself.
The 3 Things to Splurge on:
1. The Barrel.
2. The Trigger.
3. The Optic.
Spare no expense on these items. Expensive BCG’s are over rated. Expensive fore grips and stocks, are over rated. Back Up Iron Sights, unless you are going to run Iron Sights, are over rated.
In my Church, I’m the Goto Guy for Emergency Preparation. Officially. It’s my job in the church to know and teach this stuff. CNET even reached out to me for information about EP and what they need to keep their Tech going in the case something bad happened… like their power went out. Or they had to go outside.
I wish I had this before CNET talked to me… Because I’d have just said “Get a Sunjack”.
Continue reading Put this in your Kit: Sunjack 14W Solar Charger.
For the last decade, I’ve been packing a Surefire ExDef as my main carry light. It’s always been solid and reliable. Simple incandescent bulb, tailcap switch, and pocket clip. Made from a machined aluminum body with an anti rollaway, impact bezel. This light has been a constant companion and never before had I thought about replacing it.
Until now.
The Bullet Button “Reloaded” – Inventor Offers New (Likely) Compliant Offering
Okay, now I love the “let’s find a work around” problem solving to California’s asinine new laws. But at some point you just gotta say screw this and just move to a different weapon platform that doesn’t have these compliance issues. That point for me was at the 2 minute mark of the Bullet Button Reloaded product video. Disassembling your gun so you can reload… no… Just no. California doesn’t want you have an AR – Fine. Sell it to someone in Nevada, Arizona, or Utah. Or don’t. Keep it. Bury it in an oil bath so it’s forever protected from the elements, and then some day when the Liberals all die and you guys can FINALLY vote in someone with both cerebral hemispheres fully functional…. Estimated in the year 2055… Then you can pull that AR-15 out and shoot it like Eugene Stoner intended.
Night time in the desert isn’t what most people would think it’s like. It can be scorching hot during the day, and absolutely freezing at night. Geoffrey pulled the thick woolen blanket around his shoulders. But that wasn’t what was irritating him. Dale Collier snored like some large dying beast. Full of volume and stuttering resonance, like Geoffrey had never heard before. He looked over at Nathan.
Even in the dark, Nathan caught the glance and just shook his head. “Let the lad be, Poulden.” He said quietly. “It’s best he gets what rest he can. He’s cross when he doesn’t get enough… and then he burns through more ammo.”
Geoffrey nodded, consenting to the logic. “What gets me is that he’s maybe only twelve stone at the most… but snores like a gigantic fat man.”
Carolina Arms Group is located not very far away from me at all. About 45 minutes up I-77 and I’m pulling into their parking lot. So I’ve come to know the owner and I’ve met most everyone working at CAG. CAG has made some very nice 1911’s… and some of the the best 1911’s I’ve ever handled. That was the Trenton Series, a family of 1911’s named after the Battle of Trenton. But now CAG has a new series of pistols. Meet the PRIVATEER.
I’m going to say this… and I don’t say this lightly. In fact, I’ve considered this for some time and I keep coming back to the same conclusion. This is the best 1911 I’ve ever seen. Let me say this again…
THIS IS THE BEST 1911 I HAVE EVER SEEN.
I’ve been into 1911’s since I was 16 and the father of a girlfriend introduced me to them. His name was Dave and he was awesome. I don’t even remember his daughter anymore… but I remember Dave. Dave taught me the Tao of Browning. He taught me how the gun works, inside and out, and how to shoot it.
Dave literally saved my life because of this… because the Army gave me Zero training when they issued me a 1911 and it was a 1911 that I used to save my life when someone was intent on ending it. I’ve always loved the 1911 since those rather exciting days. And I’ve always taken them seriously because of it.
I’ve tested and reviewed some of the best 1911’s on the planet, and have owned 1911’s from the likes of Terry Tussy and other high end custom gunsmiths… And let me tell you… The CAG PRIVATEER 1911 is the finest example of the 1911 Pistol. Period. Saint John Moses Browning himself smiles upon the CAG Privateer and is well pleased.
Differences from the Trenton series have the Privateer using a regular, fine, checkering on the frame and the inclusion of an accessory rail. Up top it’s wearing Tritium Night Sights instead of fiber optics. As all serious use handguns should. The grips are a slim profile, which makes the gun more narrower in the hand, which is great when wearing gloves… and even better when the gun is tight against your side when it’s riding in a holster.
The whole gun, including the barrel, is finished with a gorgeous DLC finish. Diamond Like Coating. The DLC Finish is incredibly strong, resistant, and smooth. The gun looks amazing. The laser engraving really pops and looks clean unlike anything coated in Cerakote or other finishes. The Fit and Finish are – FLAWLESS – to the point that no photo will ever do these guns justice. You have to see these guns in person. You have to feel them in your hands. You have to feel the slide’s action. You have to feel the trigger. You have to feel the difference between these guns and every other 1911 out there.
One day, I’m going to own a CAG Privateer in a Commander length.
Hit Carolina Arms Group on Facebook, and tell them I sent you.
If you want a Carolina Arms Group pistol… See them at Point Blank Range. Or contact PBR and order one.
UPDATE:
I paid a visit to Carolina Arms Group today… The makers of very desirable things. I got a peek at a new model, the Veteran Carry… which is an insanely smooth Bobtail Commander. It’s fantastic. Save your Pennies. And they are going to be rolling out some knives with carbon fiber scales, and matching carbon fiber grips for the pistol. VERY nice. Impressive. Mark threw some laser engraving on my knife… Thanks, Mark! If you guys need anything lasered – contact CAG and talk to them about it. Their laser system is fast and precise… sharpest looking laser work out there.
The new Veteran Carry – that’s the one to get!
#feelthedifference.
Sneak Peek at the new Veteran Carry pistol. It’s not even finished and it’s gorgeous as hell. The Want is strong with this one.
Taking the time to fit it right. By hand.
The little details are the important ones. It has to be perfect.
What goes good with a high quality gun? A high quality blade.
You’ll be able to order a Carolina Arms Group accessory kit with your pistol… Which includes the holster, knife, and matching grips.
Captain Geoffrey Poulden double checked the Sun Compass to verify their heading. It was crudely mounted above the dash right where the windshield would have been. The trucks used to have the newer P8 compasses but those had been ruined some time ago, forcing them to use the old and still reliable Sun Compass. The sun remained the most reliable thing the LRDG had. Geoffrey glanced up. It was still there, burning exposed skin, and bleaching everything else. Thankfully, the second most reliable things they had were their trucks.
When these trucks arrived in North Africa, they were brand new Chevrolet WB 30 cwt 4×2, straight from Detroit. Once they got into the hands of the New Zealanders that formed the original LRDG, hacksaws and cutting torches were used to remove the tops and anything that would be otherwise useless. Then they were painted the same color as the desert sand. After the trucks had been passed down from squadron to squadron to the Englishmen who formed “G” Patrol there was little of the original trucks left save for the frames. As trucks broke down, they were cannibalized savagely to keep the rest of the trucks operational. There are been seven trucks in Poulden’s squadron, and twenty five men. Now it was down to three, crewed by nine.
The first truck was marked with a crudely painted scorpion in a circle, right in the center of the hood. Geoffrey rode shotgun, while Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Allum drove, and Sergeant Dale Collier, the young man from Cambridge manned the new dual Browning fifty cal machine guns mounted in the back of the truck. Geoffrey looked in the back and saw that Collier was fast asleep again on top of a pile of rolled camo netting. Dale was good with the guns, and while he should be keeping an eye out for aircraft, Geoffrey let him sleep. Dale had been awake longer than the rest of them, and they were still well within friendly territory. It would be dark soon and it wouldn’t matter. He wanted Dale to be well rested tomorrow come sunrise. Because they would be deep in the desert with no support then… and the skies wouldn’t be trusted.
The second truck had Lieutenant, Eugene Baskett commanding, Staff Sergeant Roger Friedman driving, and Richard O’Carroll standing in the back of the truck holding on to his dual mounted, .303 caliber Vickers guns. Richard looked like he was wiping them down with a rag. They were good guns, but required a lot of care. Richard O’Carroll was probably the youngest man in the squadron, having come to the LRDG from the 2nd Lancers. He was used to tanks instead of trucks, having trained extensively with the Crusader light tanks. Fat lot of good that did him here, but along the way he learned how to run a Vickers K Machine Gun, so he was useful. Their truck was also their Wireless Truck. It had several long antennas and radio sets that worked well… most of the time.
The third truck was their Gun Truck, they called it Anvil. Unlike the first two truck, Anvil was sporting a 37mm Bofors Anti-Tank gun. Sergeant Roberto Goss was a wizard with it. They had tried to give him one of the captured Breda 20mm guns, but Roberto insisted that the Bofors were better and hit harder. Most thought the Bredas were more accurate, but Roberto just laughed and asked when was the last time he missed. No one could argue that point. Roberto Goss never missed. The gun truck was called the Anvil because when Roberto fired that Bofors, a few seconds later you would hear the loud “clang” of the shell slamming into target. The gun might not be able to punch the newer Panzers, but anything lighter would be wrecked. Roberto had made thousand yard hit on a moving German 232 Scout car. One shot, one kill. No one tried to take the Bofors away from him after that.
Staff Sergeant Logan Weston drove Anvil. He was able to somehow keep Anvil from getting stuck even with the heavier weapon and ammunition she carried. Lieutenant Philip Clayton was Anvil’s commander, and had a knack for positioning Anvil so Roberto had a good angle to biggest problems. Philip had been given a wide brimmed Stetson hat from an American cavalry unit, and he’s worn it ever since.
Geoffrey was a little envious. The hat was almost ridiculous, but it did good work keeping the sun out of Philip’s eyes and off his neck. Like the rest of the men, Geoffrey wore the Arab style headgear called a keffiyeh, which was pretty much a scarf held to his head with some black rope called an agal. It did fairly well in the heat, but a cowboy hat would be better, Geoffrey thought.