Burris.

ZT knives. They have a lot of new styles, including a bayonet that looks and feels very good. ZT is Kershaw's tactical division, all made in the USA from premium steels... very good. Take a good hard look at them.

Buck..

Taurus. They have a Poly Judge and a Judge revolving Carbine out now. In my opinion .410 remains a chambering for the Old, Young, Silly, or just Bored. The Carbine actually looked good and if it was just a .45 Colt or a .44 Mag, or a .357... they would really have something.

Springfield. The XDM 3.8 gun... slightly smaller than the regular XDM... it's still a chunk of a gun... I see no point. Now if they had made it an actual Compact size... could have been an contender... could have been somebody... on the 1911 front, they have lots of good new models that are quite nice.

Leupold. Nothing impressed me. Zeiss

Kahr. The new external safeties they have on the PM9 series... Completely unnecessary and I feel it detracts from what is an otherwise fine weapon. It's low profile yes, but hard to use and just redundant.

Magpul. I love how these guys really think a product through... their Theory Based products are very good... sound... and actually work to enhance your interface with the weapon system. This makes you more effective with your weapon... this can help you... this can save your life... this can save the lives of your loved ones... seriously.. their stuff works. The AFG is an example of this. It works with the techniques that Magpul Dynamics teaches and enhances the techniques. I like the stubby vertical foregrip too. All their products are best in class.

1-23-10:  SHOT SHOW 2010. The SHOT show was, as always, an experience I'll never forget. Other times, I had always felt like I was crashing the party... like at any time security would swoop in and grab me and escort me out. This time however, I actually felt like I was meant to be there. I had gone in with a number of expectations and a battle plan. But that got thrown out the window and I had to take what I could get. Next year, I'll be there for the whole thing. This time, I didn't get in until late Wednesday, so only really had a day and a half to “Git'er Done”.

his openness, his frankness... and his expressed desire to undo that “You Suck, We Hate You” image... I was convinced. This isn't the old HK. He gave us some insight into the new Marine IAR weapon, HK's new military contracts for that and with the Navy for some handguns... big contracts that would have meant HK could have avoided the whole Civilian market if they wanted to. But that's not the case. In fact, we are going to be seeing some new stuff that would have been previously unheard of... such as a very real possibility of a revamped XM-8 – for Civilian Sales. Which would be outstanding. No, I didn't win the P30. That's okay. I want to buy one now. HK really impressed me. From that point on, the show wasn't about the hardware anymore... it was about the people. Sitting down with Rob Pincus. Hanging out with my friend Mark Walters, going to see Ted Nugent. He was playing at the Hard Rock Hotel... we had previously met with Micheal Bane who got us passes to see The Nuge... we could have sold these passes for 500 bucks each. The Hard Rock is an awesome hotel... we walk in there... they have an open bar going on... they have a huge buffet going on... steaks, chicken, pasta... all kinds of food going on. I was starving so I grabbed a sirloin and threw it in a roll and munched that while we walked around... they had the huge strawberrys the size of apples, dipped in chocolate with gold foil... I ate like four of them... The USCCA Dinner... Oh, we gotta talk about that... the dinner was Amazing. Tim Schmidt, founder of the USCCA hosted this dinner at the Smith & Wollensky Steak House, right across the street from the Monte Carlo... The valet got a kick out of my truck... he left a pack of S&W cookies form me. They were quite good. Okay, Tim has great taste, this place was shockingly good. The food was amazing. Not cheap. The conversation we had was the absolute best – we could have been sitting around a table at McDonalds and had a great time. Tim's wife is an amazing woman and I enjoyed talking with her. Oleg Volk, world famous photographer was there and we talked... Duane Daiker sat next to me... very cool guy... He does a lot of Gear Reviews for CCM. Mark Walters... Kathy Jackson... Dr. Bruce Eimer was awesome... the man was hillarious. Okay, now check this out... After the dinner, I gave Mark and Bruce a lift in my old 91 Chevy 4x4... Bruce riding in the middle, Mark riding shotgun, another dude in the back seat... roaring down the Vegas Strip in my old truck. You should have seen that... I should have taken a photo of that! I had to just shake my head... but the Old Chevy got them back to Bally's and I went to Terrible's... it was like 1:30AM when I got to my room and just crashed. The day completely kicked my trash. Packing around my bag, packing my sack of catalogs, it's not worth it... Friday I carried just my camera and a little notepad. I didn't take catalogs... just business cards. Travel Light. Everything else you can get online. Friday morning I met Oleg Volk in the Press Room. Oleg took some photos of me... How cool is that? Worlds most famous photographer and I got some shots. He had appointments, as did I so we didn't spend much time... but it was very cool to hang out with Oleg. Weather reports were getting nasty and the SHOT show was winding down, so I wanted to split ASAP... I didn't have time to hit a lot of what I planned on hitting... which was a shame... next year I'm not going to do SHOT 3 days late. I'm going to do it start to finish and make sure my whole checklist gets checked.  The drive home was fast until I hit Provo... then it was back into four wheel drive mode and crawling all the way home.

1-19-10:  In just a few hours from now, I'll be driving down to Las Vegas for the SHOT SHOW 2010. I'm excited. All my friends down there are already having a great time, getting the party warmed up. Me? I had obligations to attend to and I'm going to pack it all up and head South shortly. I should be there by Lunch Time. Bringing my trusty little Digital Camera, so What Happens In Vegas, gets Publicized.

1-14-10:  George in the State Senate: Why would you support me? Utah is one of the best states in the whole nation, but it needs to be run better and it needs to redefine its boundaries with the Federal Government. Utah always says that it is very Pro-Family. But we neglect our Education system. We spend very little per student in actual teaching, and I know of many teachers who have actually spent their own money for things students need. I know a lot of teachers who work well past their hourly limit, knowing they will only be paid for their allowed hours. Yet at the same time I know of a couple school buildings that are being completely rebuilt from the ground up because they were not maintained and had leaky roofs and doors that wouldn't shut. Forgive me if I am wrong, but I would rather fix the leaky roof and fix the doors, and then pay the teachers. The teachers are where the education comes from, not the building. I'm all for buildings, but I'd rather keep them in good order. If this was a car, would you junk it and buy a new one just because you have a tail light out and need an oil change? Education money can be spent better.

TakeBackUtah. I think we can manage our own backyard.

Utah is a Gun Friendly State. For the most part. Yet Utah has many restrictions which even some more Liberal States do not have. Utah needs to really be Gun Friendly. Guns built in Utah and sold to Utah Citizens should not be subject to the same interstate trade rules which gives the ATF authority to regulate... Utah allows open carry – if the gun is unloaded. Utah allows CCW, but requires Citizens to apply for what is a defined Right. This is, to me, absurd. Do I need a Permit to exercise my Freedom Of Speech? Must I carry my Pen with the ink cartridge removed? The Pen is a Tool. So is The Gun. It's a tool. It's neither good nor bad, it has no political affiliations, motivations or agendas... such things are of the sole reliance of the owner. Time and time again we see that evil people will lash out and try to harm as many as possible for whatever reason... and it comes down to Good People With Guns that Stop It. Trolley Square, hit close to home with me. I used to live near there and was in fact intending to go there that day, and would have been there at that time. An Off Duty Cop, out of Uniform, but packing his gun... he put a stop to it. We see this same thing happen all over the country. Random Violent Evil must be met with Sharply Focused Violence in Return. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. You can't reason with, talk to, or plead with evil such as this... just ask Suzanna Hupp. To me, this comes back to the original thought of this post... Is Utah really family friendly? Does Utah really love its Kids? Well then Utah should empower parents to protect their children, where ever they are. Parks. Schools. And stop harassing law abiding citizens who are exercising their right to carry openly. I am a supporter of OpenCarry. If someone calls the cops that someone has a gun – officers should respond with “What's the person doing with it?” Not respond with use of force, but the guy on the ground, and investigate any reason to arrest or confiscate. Having and packing a gun is Legal. Just because someone doesn't know that, doesn't mean you should be thrown to the ground. Handcuffed. Treated like a Felon until you prove you are not. Self Defense is a Human Right and it doesn't end at the door of any building or the gates of a park or the property line of a campus. How come I have a Constitutional Right and a Human Right six days a week, but on Sunday I don't? If I want to go to Church in Utah, I don't. I don't believe that's right. Utah has a lot of other issues that I believe need to be sorted out, and I'll be talking about those as well in the future. 

If you agree with any of these opinions, please Contribute to my Campaign.

1-13-10:  SHOT 2010: I'll be arriving in Vegas Wed night, staying at a hotel within spitting distance of the Convention Center. I know most guys are getting there Monday, and it starts Tuesday... yeah... I know. But something came up and there is zero way I can break away. Next year, I'll be there Monday through Friday. But that's next year. This year, I've got a weeks worth of work to do in two days. I'm planning on hitting as much as I can during that time.
Diamond Head: One of the booths I'm going to hit is Diamondhead. They are making a cool looking sight that may or may not have any actual advantage... but we at Crusader want to determine that for our selves. If it's advantageous, we'll use them. If not, we wont. But we will give them a trial, an honest evaluation. We shall see. Kahr: For CCW, strictly CCW, Kahr is one of the Premier gun makers. Their booth is Mandatory. I'd like to line up another review from them. SWAT: Gotta shake hands with Rob. We've been on the radio a few times together, and will be again this Sunday during the 3^rd hour Round Table. FMG Publications. Got say Howdy to Scott there. S&W, Springfield, DSA, Remington... man... I can't even begin to list everyone and everything I need to see and do there. Not even close.

State Senate Run: This is now 2010 and my Run will officially in March. But now is the time I need to start building my war chest. Big Time. This is going to be expensive in a way I don't even want to think about. So I need help. Lots of help, and by help, I mean specifically contributions. PayPal. My email address, Ogre at MadOgre.com via PayPal. Now, because I have to track all contributions, I need a Name and Address... that's a legal requirement. Seriously guys, I will not make it if I don't have a lot of help.

The Round Table. The Third Hour of Armed American Radio is becoming a favorite. The Round Table. That's where everyone sits back and relaxes and we just have a conversation. It's not just more fun to do, but it's Good Radio. For those of you listening in on Stations that don't pull in Hour Three, hit the AAR website, and download it, or hit a Radio Station Online that Streams it Live. You don't want to miss The Round Table.

Man, let me tell you... being sick is a lot of fun.

1-11-10:  That must be some Custom gun: I think I did very well today in keeping composure and a straight face. A fellow came in today needing a good long range scope... he went on to explain in impressively vague details about his super custom rifle that can shoot 8,000 yards. Yes, he said eight thousand yards. Several times. I don't know why, but I asked the caliber... oh, of course, it was custom made ammo too. Of course it was. I was suddenly getting that sharp pain behind my eyeballs, but I had to inquire... morbid curiosity got to me... and I was well rewarded for it. It was “7.62x54R, but based on a .30-06, necked down to .30 caliber.” This he also repeated a couple times. I found biting the inside of my cheek helped keep a straight face. My reply as I shut the sliding doors on the scope case... “Wow, that's some custom gun.” I suddenly had something else to do. A rimmed cartridge, based on a rimless cartridge, necked down to the same diameter... capable of eight thousand yards... that would be some thing...

Now, something has been bothering me... an email that was read on ArmedAmericanRadio Sunday night. This has kinda bothered me. One email came in, questioning going to SHOT because they barred packing loaded and concealed guns. We explained our position that because of the nature of SHOT, if you “stand up for your rights” and don't go on principle... you are shooting yourself in the foot because of what you are missing out. Most gun businesses do the majority of their business at SHOT. It's a Make it or Break it deal for them. For the Gun Media, if you don't go, you miss out on all the contacts and networking and lining up all the reviews for a whole years worth. You miss everything. If you want to be in this business, you go to SHOT. That's just the way it is. Now the irritation came in another email to Mark, saying that we “Back-Peddled” on that issue. I forgot who wrote that email, but man... that's a classic case of “Not Getting It”. Super Libertarian Man that wrote that really just doesn't get it. Sometimes you just can't pack your heater and take care of business. So the “I'm going to Boycott” just doesn't work in real world. The SNAFU with Applebee's is one thing. There are other places to go eat. But what about Federal Buildings? Court Houses? You get a ticket and have to go to court, are you just going to boycott the court? What about the Post Office? Are you going to refuse your US Postal Mail because you can't carry into the Post Office? You can avoid going into the Post Office most of the time, or send someone else... but according to Super Libertarian Man's ideology... that's Back-Peddling. You are still getting mail. Still doing business with them. So you need to refuse all Postal Mail... send them all back, return to sender, please use FED-EX for Correspondence. It just doesn't work. Sometimes, you swallow the pride and take care of business, and then we you leave the building – you strap your cannon back to your hip and carry on.

I've had that strange urge to get a Glock again. I can't explain it, but I've been kinda itching to get one. One I wouldn't have otherwise taken to... I'm leaning towards. The Glock 23. The Mid-Sized .40. When friends around the country all sing the praises of the gun... people who's opinions you greatly respect... you take an honest second look. Mark loves his 23, and I talked to him about that Sunday before the radio show. It's one of his favorite handguns. I need to shoot one again before I make any calls about it... but I will give it an honest re-evaluation. I dig the new textured grip on the Gen4's, and with the changeable backstraps... there is promise of a better fit in my hands. I'll look the Gen4's over and see if this is an improvement, or just a marketing stretch. If it's no advantage, I'll find an older 23 and I'll grind off the finger grooves and stipple it myself with a soldering iron... no problem. Kinda sounds like I'm already set on getting one, doesn't it? Well, I think I am... But I'm going to take my time getting into one.

1-8-10:  Shooting Day: The Exotics. One rifle that gets a lot of discussion, but few get to actually shoot, the FNH FS2000. This is FN's slick bullpup in .223. It's unique, in that there is no other rifle quite like it, bullpup or not. Yet it does everything many other rifles do... firing .223, using USGI type mags. The gun handles very well and is very balanced. And as luck would have it... completely ambidextrous. It's a good weapon. Not perfect, but a good weapon. And IDEAL or vehicular operations.

The Barrett 82 is a fantastic weapon. There is nothing else like shooting the 82. Yes, it's big and heavy as are all .50 BMG rifles, but none else shoots like the Big Barrett. Big boom, strong shove, and you can feel the action cycling and kicking out that big chunk of brass... Man, I love the 82, I really do. This one was topped with a Six Power ACOG with a ballistic reticle marked for .50 BMG drop all the way from 100 yards to 1800 yards. And it works. Brilliantly.

The Trijicon ACOG really impressed me... it's a much larger, more powerful version of the ACOG we all know and love. 6X instead of 4x, which is nice... but the larger field of view, greater clarity, and more eye relief, combined with the drop compensation marks really make this an ideal gunsight for the Barrett. I had doubts at first, but after shooting it, I am convinced. We got it zeroed at 100 yards easily. Just a few shots. I fired the next shot at our 600 yard target using the ballistic drop marks... and I nailed it dead nuts on. This system worked perfectly. The green colored chevron showed up clear and bright. Much easier to see than Red on a winter day. Also, I was impressed with how quickly and naturally you could take to the rifle, tuck in, and be on target... almost instantly. So not only is this an accurate system, but a fast system. This allows you to pick up and engage your target with great speed. First shot hits are a huge advantage in any gunfight... and when you make that first hit before the other guy does, and your rocking a .50 BMG... that's a win. This new ACOG is made of Win.

One day I'll have my own .50 caliber. Or one bigger.

Hushed .308 sniper rifles are crazy fun... more fun than they should be... I'll have to get a Can for my own.

Great Email Response to earlier post: “Dear George, Re: Citizen Soldiers. Damn right about the special sacrifices made by citizen soldiers. I too was a citizen soldier for some years (role: combat infantry) and my father has also just retired after almost 50 years of service. Many of the British soldiers currently facing peril in Afghanistan are also citizen soldiers or, as we call them, “Territorials”. In many ways, the sacrifices expected of these men and women are even greater than those of regular soldiers. It takes a special commitment to the cause to have not only an every day job and a family but also a military career simultaneously. The physical training alone is a major effort – whereas regulars do this as part of their daily duties, citizen soldiers must put their own time aside. It is time that citizen soldiers received the honours they deserve: they are not just Part Time Professionals – they are Part Time Heroes. - James St Albans, UK”

Part Time Heroes. Absolutely.

1-4-10:  I get a lot of emails, and a lot messages, about how guys want to hear AAR in their local areas. Guys, I feel you. But don't tell Mark you want him in your area... he doesn't make that decision... You guys need to talk to your local Radio Station's Program Director. The Program Directors are the guys that make the decisions of what Shows play and when. The Program Director needs to hear from YOU. Not the guy down the street – YOU need to talk to them personally. Now that you have contacted him, get ten of your friends, or more, or as many friends as you have... and have them contact the Program Director as well. Email them. Fax them. And call them...

One of the pistols we talked about – the Kahr PM9... what a great pistol. As far has handguns go, this one is kinda unique... there are few pistols like it... smaller than many .380 autos, but in full 9mm... or .40 in the case of the PM40... they are small pistols designed specifically for Concealed Carry. Simple guns, but with some great features. Such as a very good trigger. Great sights for a pocket pistol. It uses the modified Browning action that a lot of guns use, and it's Single Stack, allowing the pistol to be very small, very thin, and very light for its size. Great back up guns... great concealment guns... and because they are able to be fired with shockingly good accuracy and reliability – they are just great guns – period. I've sold many of them to Law Enforcement officers as back up or hideaway guns. To doctors who need deep concealment for “professional reasons”, lawyers, teachers... people of all walks of life. My friend, Ben packs his P45 all the time, the PM9's big brother. I've shot the PM9 – love it. I've shot the P45 – love it. Kahr isn't the flashiest of pistols... they are quiet, hidden, but always ready... just what a Concealment Pistol should be.

One of these days, I'll buy one for myself... in .40, the M4048N... this is the solid stainless MK40 with Night Sights. One of the most expensive ones Kahr makes... but easily the one I drool over the most.

If you look at YouTube for just a few minutes, you will find videos of “Citizen Soldier”, a song about the National Guard, but to images from video games. I find these to be irritating and shameful. Now, I don't mind playing a video game... but to take this song and apply it to a game... that's just not right. However I can understand something about it... these guys doing this... these kids... they have no framework of comprehension of the heroics and the sacrifice that are made by real people, every day... real citizen soldiers who volunteered to put themselves in harm's way. These children just don't understand that, so they put it into a frame they do understand.

The Slipstream For The Troops Update: We are sending out our first shipment to Charley Company of the 11^th MEU. It is our prayer that this stuff is put to good use and improves the weapons our boys are using over there. Just because we're sending out the shipment – doesn't mean this project is over. This project is a continual Crusader Policy... a Standing Order. Just something we will continue to do.

1-3-10:  On the Radio, Live In Utah: AAR went live in Utah on the new radio station FREEDOM 570, and to kick it off we had a great time with Oleg Volk and Dr Bruce Eimer... even Tim Schmidt came on and a couple others. We talked about airline safety, concealed carry, FN 5-7's, Kahr PM9's, Glocks and M&P's, Al Gore... what a fun show. Radio, especially live radio, is an interesting business... when I'm doing this, all I can do is think about who I am talking to – not who is listening. No offense to my Readers here, but the same thing here on the Blog. I can't think about how many people read me or it effects me. Live on the Air, it would effect me even more. This is my “Don't Look Down” theory. Here is a little thing you didn't know about me – I am afraid of heights. Seriously, I am. Yes, I've flown Airplanes and Ultralights, Autogyros and even a Huey... I've skydived and I've repelled out of helicopters... but I'm afraid of heights. Climbing a Ladder, I keep my eyes up... Radio and Blogging, I keep my “eyes up” too.

One of the pistols we talked about, Oleg has been playing with. Keltec's new 30 round pistol in .22 Magnum. This is one of the few new pistols out that has me sitting up and perking my ears. I like the looks of this one, for some reason. I like the idea of it. And if it has good accuracy, this would be an IDEAL trail gun for packing with you while you are out and about the back 40 or up in them thar hills. On an ATV, on a Horse, or just hiking – that would be awesome. As a serious use carry gun for defense or duty... I kinda doubt it... but it has potential. What it lacks in power, it makes up good and plenty in volume. Thirty rounds of volume. That's cool. I want one.