Firearms For Freedom and Forage-Part 4, Hunting Handguns

When it comes to hunting with a handgun, I very rarely have ever looked at the handgun as anything more than a back up or a convenience. I very rarely ever go hunting without a handgun, but it is used very little in comparison to my long guns. Having owned many pistols that people say are great for hunting, I’ve narrowed down my selection to only two that I consider necessities when it comes to “pistols for foraging”.

Keep in mind what I am making my comparisons to. I have owned a 7.5″ Ruger Redhawk in .44Magnum, a 6″ GP-100 in .357Magnum, a 4″ Ruger Security Six in .357 Magnum, a Magna-ported 6″ S&W M29 in .44Magnum, and a 3″ S&W M317 in .22LR. They all did OK and shot well enough. As a matter of fact, the 6″ M29 was one of the most accurate Magnums I’ve own. These were cut from the “Herd” for various reasons which I will cover below.

Selection Criteria

Versatility

The things I weigh when making a firearms selection for a hunting handgun, starts first with versatility. This is the reason I choose a revolver for what Mel Tappan called a “Working Gun”. Revolvers can use reduced loads and birdshot loads as reliably as a regular, full power, factory load.

Accuracy

After versatility, comes accuracy. If a .22LR revolver won’t shoot “Minute of Squirrel” at 15 meters, it gets cut from the team. This is why the 3″ S&W M317 was sold. If my Magnum caliber handgun doesn’t shoot into four inches at 25 yards, it gets the boot.

Weight/Bulk

Lastly on the list is weight/bulk. While I like a handgun to be lightweight, a .44 Magnum that is lightweight is a “Masochist Special” in my book. On the other hand, a Ruger Redhawk with a 7.5″ barrel is not only too heavy for convenient carry, but it is way too bulky for a quick presentation if necessary. I’ve found the 6″ barreled revolvers I’ve owned to be a tad too long for convenient belt or “Tanker Holster” carry, so there goes the GP-100, Redhawk and 6″ M29.

Power

In big game hunting revolvers, I look for enough energy to do the job on the game I’m hunting. The .357 Magnum out of a 6″ barrel is in the “bare minimum” category for me. When you drop the .357 Magnum to 4″ barreled velocities, it doesn’t deliver near the downrange energy I’d like in that type of handgun and that nixed the Security Six.

I’m lookin for at least 700 foot pounds out of a handgun I carry when hunting big game. Although the .357 Magnum has some specialty loads that will do that, it averages around 500-550 ft lbs in common weights and bullet designs. At least the .44 Magnum out of everything from a 3″ barrel up will put out 700 ft. lbs. on target with most factory loads.

Reliability

When it comes to reliability, most revolvers will give you that, as long as you know what will cause problems with that type of action. The biggest issue I’ve seen with revolvers is after a lot of shooting, lead will build up on the forcing cone to the point that you need to clean/scrub it. You can do as I did in between relays in a “Firearms Instructors Course” in the 90’s and half cock the hammer while spinning the cylinder to knock the lead build up off (that is a last choice option BTW, and was completed while still on the “Line”) but that was done after we had fired hundreds of rounds through our weapons that day.

Availability

Finally, I look at what is commonly available in the “Mom and Pop” General stores. Usually you will see .357 Magnum and maybe .38 Special. There will usually be .44 Magnum, .45ACP, 9MM and always .22 Long and Long Rifle.

My Choices

Taurus 4″ M94 .22LR 

4″ Taurus M94 .22LR in a Mil Surplus aviator shoulder holster with a folding knife sheath converted to carry three speedloaders. One speedoader always has 9 CB Long cartridges in it, due to how quiet they are.

The first pistol I selected is a Taurus M94, nine shot .22LR with a four inch barrel. I have had this pistol for about 15 years and it never fails to deliver when needed. It will shoot “Minute of Squirrel” out to 20 meters off a solid rest. I can’t tell you how many squirrels I’ve taken over the years just because I always had this firearm in my pack when I went out hunting.

It is convenient to carry not only because it is only a 4″ barrel, but because it is “J-Frame” sized (the same as the 5 shot, snub nosed revolvers) and relatively lightweight. It carries plenty of rounds to get the job done, and what I normally do is load CB Longs into the first and second chambers and the rest are CCI Mini Mags.

The sights are thin enough to make an accurate shot on small game, but still visible enough to see when the light starts to dim. I carry extra ammo for this pistol in HKS speedloaders for no other reason than it is more convenient than loose ammo in your pocket. If you compare the cost of the S&W M63 (a comparable pistol model) the Taurus M94 is half the price with most of the same attributes (the S&W DA trigger is smoother).

Smith and Wesson 4″ M29

Magna-ported 4″ M29 .44 Magnum with an El Paso Saddlery Tanker holster and an M1 Carbine 15 round mag pouch which conveniently holds 4 speedloaders.

I have been a fan of .44 Magnum revolvers since I was a teenager. With that said, I’ve owned a number of them and of all the .44 Magnum revolvers I’ve owned, the 4″ M29, I’ve had for 17 years, is the most convenient one for size, weight and accuracy that I have found.  At 50 meters, this revolver will put all six rounds on a paper plate when using a solid rest.

My 4″ M29 is Magna-ported. What this means is that the perceived recoil and the muzzle rise is less than a non Magna-ported version and it makes a big difference. I consider Pachmayr grips to be a necessity on magnum caliber revolvers, and the “Gripper” model you see here is best, out of their selection of designs, in my opinion.

The 3 loads I use out of my M29 are the Remington 240 grain HTP Jacketed soft point, the CCI shot loads for small game (both #9 and #4 shot) and a reload that pushes a 310 grain hardcast flatpoint at 1080 fps for a little over 800 ft lbs. of energy. This round is meant as a dangerous game load and is all about penetration of vital areas.

The 4″ M29 weighs in at 3.25 lbs. loaded and carries very well whether it’s strong side or cross draw on the belt, or in the tanker holster on my chest. Anything bigger is too cumbersome. Anything smaller would be painful to shoot, not as controllable and not as reliable, power wise, at taking out a dangerous animal.

This concludes the 4 Part series of the basic attributes I look for in “Firearms for Freedom and Forage”. Next, we will look more in depth into the firearms we’ve given a brief overview of.

JCD

“Parata Vivere”- Live Prepared.

 

 

Heads Up! Upgrading Your PASGT Kevlar Helmet Suspension System

“Concerned American” over at WRSA has asked me numerous times to post something about the upgraded suspension system available for the older PASGT kevlar helmet, which are generally still available on the surplus market. The reason he wanted me to do this is simple. Most people into preparedness (especially if you’ve done it for a while) probably already bought a PASGT helmet a while back, and it just makes sense to perform an upgrade to the suspension, rather than go buy a new ACH type (or worse, a MICH) kevlar helmet that is on the market these days.

Having started out in the type of Airborne units that usually don’t use helmets after the jump in, I didn’t use one a lot for a number of years other than on jumps and on some ranges.

Early on, certain units I was in required us to use helmets when we conducted certain types of training. When I eventually ended up in an Infantry Company, that became an “All the time” affair while in the field.

When we transitioned to the ACH (Advanced Combat Helmet) helmet, it was hard to believe that it could be that much more comfortable. The only downside I ever had with the ACH was during cold weather.  The pads have a gel that has to warm up from body heat (a minute or two) before they stop feeling like rocks.

The upgrade I used on one of my old PASGT’s was from Oregon Aero, and it’s called the “BLSS Kit”. The BLSS is available on Amazon, but it’s definitely cheaper when you can get it off of Ebay.

The upgrade was done to a standard PASGT kevlar helmet with the Parachutist pad and retention straps (Bunny Ears)

This is the original suspension system. One advantage I found the PASGT had after we transitioned to the ACH was the PASGT’s ability to carry items, that could be immediately useful to a Team or Squad Leader, tucked above the suspension system.

The BLSS kit comes with instructions that are easy to understand and follow. It took me about 30 mins. to do the transition on the helmet. What I can tell you is that this system is as comfortable as the suspension system that came in my ACH helmet. I can also tell you the pads are the same as the ACH,  so the cold weather “warm up” issue I mentioned above, is there with the BLSS too.

As you can see from the pics, both helmets have practically an identical suspension system now. If I had bought both helmet and BLSS off of Ebay, it would have cost me about $130. If you already have a PASGT helmet, it costs you $40 from Ebay, and your PASGT is now as comfortable as an ACH.

This is what came out of the PASGT helmet before fitting the BLSS. I kept the parachute straps (bunny ears) in the helmet for a goggle retention system, similar to what the ACH has.

ACH on the left, PASGT with BLSS on the right

PASGT on left, ACH on right. I usually don’t use the cloth cover unless it’s for snow. Krylon is the paint of choice.

ACH on left, PASGT on right. Note how the parachute straps help retain the goggle strap.

ACH on left, PASGT on right. Note that the PASGT has more coverage over the ears than the ACH. The PASGT also has a short brim on the front, and the ACH does not.

If I’m going to camouflage my helmet, I will use a bit of camo netting, not a cloth cover.

I just use earth toned shock cord to keep the camo net on. If need be, I can untie the cord and lace it through the camo net.

I know there are those out there who will say, “But the ACH is level IIIA and the PASGT is only II in ballistic protection. Sure, that is absolutely correct. Here’s my question, how many of you know of or have talked to someone who was SHOT IN THE HEAD BY SOMEONE WITH A RIFLE while wearing a helmet, and if you do, did it matter what “level” it was?

Those protection levels mentioned above (level 2 and 3A) are only supposed to stop pistol rounds, but there are examples of soldiers in Grenada (when the PASGT first was fielded in combat) being hit in the head by 7.62x39S bullets from AKs, and it stopped those bullets. Here’s the deal, helmets are designed to stop shrapnel, not bullets from rifles. If you’re lookin’ for a helmet that is guaranteed to stop a rifle round, good luck on your search. We’ll wait………….

Something else to note. Where does the Spec Ops community appear to be going in the coverage department? A lot less side coverage, that’s where. It kinda seems like it’s a diminishing returns kinda thing when you look at what the helmet is meant to do, but…it’s their skull. On another note, helmets will protect you from a lot more than just bullets and shrapnel in a real world encounter, especially if you’re in a vehicle.

When do I plan on using a helmet? First would be during Defensive Operations such as a vehicle check point or overt observation post. The second would be while moving by vehicle. Those are also the only times I’d be using my Interceptor Body Armor or my plate carrier.

I hope this was helpful. If you’ve got a PASGT helmet and you plan on using it, I’d recommend you get the BLSS for it. Is comfort important in something like a helmet? You bet it is. Just like a holster that is comfortable to wear, you are more apt to use/wear it when you need it if it’s not like putting on a “masochist special” every time you wear it.

JCD

“Parata Vivere”-Live Prepared.

 

 

Force Multipliers: My Optics Of Choice For The LP/OP

A few things should come to mind when you think of items that are considered “Force Multipliers”. Good Commo, Night and Thermal vision, and some good optics with special features. These all make things easier and more sure when it counts.  Use of those items along with other visual aids can help positively identify (PID) friend from foe. In a combat zone, PID is a must. Even more so would be the need for PID if you and yours are to survive a WROL situation.

Burris XTS 2575 spotting scope on left, Armasight 7×50 with M22 Mil rangefinder reticle on right. Both are no longer available for sale, but other versions of these items are readily available.

When we think of having to occupy either a permanent or temporary Listening Post/Observation Post (LP/OP), what are some of the tools you think you’d need at your disposal? In the realm of commo, for me it would be a radio and a field phone. That way you have a wireless means of commo, but more importantly, with the field phones, you have a means of commo that can’t be intercepted unless it’s spliced into on the actual wire.

Military TA-312/PT Field Phones with 1/4 mile of wire.

When it comes to optics for an LP-OP type post, they should be geared towards “overlap/confirmation” type devices. What do I mean by “Overlap/Confirmation”? Simply this. When it comes to overlapping or confirming something with optics, I’m talking about being able to easily transition from one system to another. This is either a more powerful optic, or a different systems such as night vision or a thermal imager, to confirm whether it is a friend or foe you are observing.

 

Scenarios:

As an example, we have “Sarah the Survivalist” who has the “fortune” of pulling LP/OP duty this morning ( midnight shift) for the retreat group she is part of. It’s been a boring shift so far, but just as she’s about to drink some coffee from the thermos, she catches movement out of the corner of her eye.

FLIR Scout 240 thermal imager. $1500 but worth every penny as a night or DAYTIME viewer.

Scenario #1

Sarah puts down the thermos, picks up her binos, and although it is still early dawn and still somewhat dark, she is easily able to confirm it was just some small birds moving in the leaves approximately 50 meters away. Sarah is using a pair of 7×50 binos that are easy to use and are well equipped to see in low light, due to their large and moderately magnified lenses.

Scenario #2

Same as scenario #1 above, but Sarah can’t quite make out the movement’s source, so she pulls out a FLIR thermal viewer. Low and behold, it’s two individuals low crawling very slowly through low lying ground (shallow defilade) in the retreat’s perimeter. What the binos had a hard time making out with their non enhanced optical capability, the thermal showed very quickly what was what. Sarah calls in to the “Charge of Quarters” (CQ) desk, personnel are placed on standby and the infiltrators are engaged when they hit a trip wire flare.

Baofeng UV-5R with handset in a UW Gear Swamp Fox 4 rig for FAL/M1A 20 rounders

Scenario #3

“Pete the Prepper” is pulling LP/OP duty one afternoon, and while scanning the treeline in his LP/OP’s area of responsibility with binos, he sees what appears to be a couple armed men approximately 500 meters away. Pete’s rifle of choice only has a 1-6x optic on it (and that won’t help with identifying the individuals at that distance), so he gets behind the spotting scope, turns it up to 40x, and sees it is a neighbor with his sons and they are carrying rifles and an ax. Although Pete could identify that they were armed while using the binos, but he could not positively identify (PID) those guys without the more powerful optical capability that the spotting scope provided.

Scenario #4

“Pete the Prepper” is pulling night duty at the LP/OP and it is raining with a bit of light fog. The 7×50 binos that are in the LP/OP don’t do much except show ghosts. Pete has been using the PVS-7 night vision goggles with a 5x magnifier screwed on the objective lens for the last couple hours. The Night Optical Device (NOD) works ok to a point for this night, but Pete sees something moving in the distance, and he can’t make out what it is, due to the light fog. It is about 175 meters out, and he only sees fleeting images of it as it moves from left to right towards the perimeter wire.

Military systems-tech.com

Polish flare pistol with colored (short) flares and white illumination (long) flares in holster/case. Illumination flares are getting hard to find.

 

Pete gets out the FLIR thermal viewer and is immediately able to see it is a lone gunman creeping towards the perimeter of their retreat. Pete calls his security counterpart sitting at the CQ desk, over the field phone, and a “Stand To” is alerted. When all security posts are manned, he fires an illumination flare which catches the individual out in the open. At that time, the individual opens fire and is engaged by the members of the retreat.

 

5x magnifier screws directly into the front of a PVS- 7 and 14. On the 7’s it’s like 5x binos at night.

Scenario #5

One evening, “Isaac the Idiot” is “pullin’ security” as his buddies call it. His group has all the latest high end rifles from SCAR’s to Knight Armament SR-25’s to LWRC piston guns. Of course all of them have high end Nightforce or Leupold scopes or ACOG optics on their rifles, so when it came time for other, more boring items like quality binos and night vision, they all bought the $25 Walmart specials and $125 “Gen 1” goggles because they spent the coin on what looked good in their “Tacti-selfies” on social media.

As Isaac is sittin’ there, he thinks he sees movement in the clearing in front of him. He looks with his binos…nothing. He looks with his night vision and all he sees is an unidentifiable, dark blob. He pulls up his high end, super deluxe Leupold MK4 LR/T 10×40 Mildot scope mounted to his SCAR-H, and what does he see? He sees a dark blob running directly towards his position! Holy Cow! No one is supposed to be back from the patrol for another day or so! INTRUDER…..BANG!

Isaac just shot a member of his group. That member was part of a reconnaissance patrol they sent out the afternoon before to see what was going on in their area. That patrol had been ambushed, and “Louis the Lucky” had been wounded and was the only survivor of that patrol……until Isaac. Isaac had nothing to be able to positively identify anything in his LP/OP area of responsibility at night. Just like their lack of planning to have the optics needed for situations like this, Isaac’s group had not gone over a “Challenge and Password” or what a running password is, and how to use it.

Optics play a big role during the day, and special optics can play an even bigger role at night (when you should expect an attack). The basics for night observation start with a good pair of 7×50 binos. It has been shown that the 50mm objective lens size, combined with no more than a 7 power magnification, make for an extraordinary combination to see in very low light.

M-22 Military rangefinder reticle available is some binoculars

7×50’s also work well during the day, and combined with a good spotting scope, will positively identify objects out to, and beyond, realistic engagement ranges. a good 20-50x spotting scope will get the job done, and there are many on the market. Another advantage of binos is the availability of a built in range finder scale (M22). By the way, If you are at a fixed location or even a temporary one, you should have a Range Card (post for another day) made for every position on the perimeter.

Older commercial Coincidence style range finder from Bushnell that I’ve had since ’94

Even if you are in a temporary patrol base, a basic range card should be developed. A nice to have for doing this is some type of range finder. Whether it’s a “no batteries required”, “coincidence” type (Bushnell) or the battery operated old or newer laser type (Leica, etc.) range finders. Both will do the job.

A Lieca LRF 1200 rangefinder I bought in 2002, and a pair of Apollo 10×40’s I bought in 1989. Both are durable and have been through a lot.

Night time LP-OP duties can be difficult in many ways. You’re probably fighting off sleep. If you’re tired, you will see things that aren’t there. Worst of all is if it is bone chilling cold, since this just adds insult to the other issues you are already dealing with. Having quality gear to positively identify what you are seeing is crucial to make sure you don’t engage an innocent.

You don’t always have the opportunity to use your rifle optics for detailed observation. The rifle on the left only has a 1-4x scope, while the one on the right has a 4-16x.

Of all the items mentioned in this post, I recommend you at least have a good pair of 7×50 bino, and a thermal imager. The binos are good for the majority of things you will need to observe in an LP-OP setting, and the thermal viewer will help discriminate the difference between a friend or foe whether day or night.

Hopefully, this post has given you some ideas of what scenarios you should plan for, and what you will need to survive them. We have the benefit of many durable, quality “Force Multipliers” available to us these days. It makes sense to at least minimally equip yourself with a few to give yourself every advantage possible.

Night vision on rifle and helmet, IR laser on the rifle for use with the goggles and good commo. These are force multipliers that are not only available to Soldiers, but are available to you as a civilian.

JCD

“Parata Vivere”-Live Prepared.

BTW, if you’re wondering why posts have been light for the last few months, I have been spending most of my time posting older posts from here over at American Partisan.