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Archive for 2019

Abraham & Moses Survival Gear – Victor 3

Monday, June 10th, 2019

Teased on social media for the past few months, the Victor 3 Knife from Geissele Automatics offshoot Abraham & Moses Survival Gear made its official debut at last weekend’s Blade Show in Atlanta, Georgia.

The story behind this knife is pretty incredible. I’m going to give a very abbreviated version because Recoil magazine did an in-depth article.

Bill Geissele showed me the knife during last month’s SOFIC and I took a few notes. Many years ago, Bill bought a knife from a Vietnam Veteran he knew and wanted to learn more about it. During last year’s Blade Show he set it out on the table in the A&M booth and sure enough, someone recognized it and after referencing a 35 year old issue of Blade magazine, filled him in on a few details.

Turns out, the knife was originally called the Victory 2 and made by Pennsylvania custom maker Dan Valois. Many Soldiers from the local area bought and carried it back in the 60s. Bill described the original knife’s design to me as a cross between a Bowie knife and a short sword. Bill found out that Dan was from a nearby town and attempted to contact him, only to find that he had passed away. Fortunately, Dan’s widow got back with him and gave him permission to carry-on with the knife’s tradition.

The Victory 3 is not an exact copy of the Victory 2, but it’s still what Bill referred to as a “Classic American Knife.” It’s a survival knife, and although it’s a full tang design, one side of the handle opens in order to store small Survival items. The blade is made from 440C stainless steel and heat treated to 58-60 Rockwell hardness. A&M states the blade is 6.875″ with an overall length of 11.75″.

Bill told me they had to purchase a machine to hollow ground the blades, like on the original. The team also preserved the large brass guard which gives the knife its unique look.

One interesting feature is the hex wrench in the butt. It also accepts a cutdown bandsaw blade into that channel, which gives the knife a different functionality than others out there.

A&M also recreated the sawtooth cuts on the back of the blade, so it’s available with or without. Additionally, they’ve introduced a serrated option for the blade.

While the Victor 2 came in a leather sheath, A&M offers a Boltoron version in Black, Coyote or Green.

Although it’s not on the website yet, it’s available now at abeandmoe.com

Posted in Knives | 10 Comments »

Marine Captain Mark A Bodrog Publishes Play to Help End Veteran Suicides

Monday, June 10th, 2019

‘22 A Day,’A tragedy in three acts, is a revolutionary story and wake-up call for the Veteran community

Gloucester Township, N.J. – Marine Captain and Infantry Officer, Mark A. Bodrog, has recently published a play for the Veteran community in order to raise awareness for the 22 Veterans each day that take their own lives in “22 A Day, A Tragedy in Three Acts” (published by iUniverse).

“This play is specifically designed to be the wake-up call for the Veteran community and greater American public on the issue of Veteran suicide,” Bodrog shares. “Veteran suicide rates are extremely high and disproportionate. The hope of this play is to end these high suicide rates. Every loss of life is a tragedy. Our Veterans deserve better.”

22 A Day, based off of true events and experiences in Bodrog’s own life, was co-authored with another Marine he served with in Afghanistan named, Hunter Haskins. The two joined forces to create this masterpiece in order to bring awareness for the Veteran lives lost and families destroyed. “Hunter and I couldn’t stand by and continue to see the numbers rise,” Bodrog says about his co-author. “Right now, more Veterans are dying at home by suicide, than on the battlefield against the enemy. We both decided it was time to do more for our brothers and sisters,” Bodrog comments.

Bodrog and co-author Haskins are no strangers to war or the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome when Veterans return home. Bodrog was an Infantry Platoon Commander and Company Commander who served two deployments to the Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Haskins, a CH-53 Helicopter Pilot, served in both the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters.

An excerpt from “22 A Day”:

“Congressman, if you look at any Department of Veterans Affairs study over the last ten years, you will see that suicide rates are disproportionally high among Veterans and they are increasing. The current statistic is that twenty-two Veterans a day take their lives. This is roughly one US Veteran every seventy minutes…Do you know in 2014 alone, almost 20 percent of all suicides in the United States were committed by Veterans, yet less than 1 percent of our total population serves in the military? This is a scary statistic!”

“It is an honor and privilege for Hunter and I to publish this play for the military and Veterans community. We hope that we can save lives through increased awareness of the high rates of Veteran suicides and effects of PTSD,” says Bodrog.

“22 A Day- A Tragedy in Three Acts”

By Mark A. Bodrog and Hunter Haskins

Perfect Bound Softcover | 5 x 8 in | 198 pages | ISBN 9781532071584

E-Book | 198 pages | ISBN 9781532071577

Available at iUniverse, Amazon and Barnes & Noble; Available on Facebook: www.facebook.com/callsignhades

About the Author

Captain Mark A. Bodrog received his B.A. and M.A. Rutgers University. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in Quantico, Va. He has served two combat deployments to the Helmand Province, Afghanistan with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom 10.1 and 11.2. His personal awards include five letters of appreciation; a Certificate Of Commendation; the NJ Distinguished Service Medal; the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal; the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal; the Combat Action Ribbon; two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons; the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal; the NATO Medal-ISAF Afghanistan; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Navy Unit Commendation; two Afghanistan Campaign Medals; the National Defense Service Medal; the Jeremy Kane Scholarship; the Battleship NJ Scholarship New Jersey; and Rutgers Graduate Scholarship for academic excellence.

Posted in Press Release, Veterans | Comments Off on Marine Captain Mark A Bodrog Publishes Play to Help End Veteran Suicides

XTECH TACTICAL Once Again Raises the Bar for US AK Magazines

Sunday, June 9th, 2019

June 7th, 2019

Mesa, AZ – XTech Tactical, a rapidly growing firearms accessory manufacture, announces the release of two new core offerings in its AK magazine line up.

First in the lineup is the MAG47mil “Militia Special” which is the strongest US Made rifle magazine ever made. The MAG47mil was developed in response to a consumer torture test completed at the request of XTech Tactical. The company requested that consumers compare the MAG47’s durability to the legendary Bulgarian and Russian military issued magazines.

Not surprisingly, Spent Brass, a firearms social media channel, performed more brutal testing than the operators who had tortured the MAG47s for months prior to its release.

The MAG47mil features: Stainless Steel Feed-lips, a solid machined steel rear lug, stainless steel spring, extremely durable polymer, easy field stripping, and is 3 922r compliant components. MSRP for the MAG47mil is $34.95 and they are now shipping!

XTech Tactical is also extending its partnership with Gun Owners of America to donate $1 per MAG47mil sold off its website, as it currently does with it OEM47 10/30 and MAG47 10/30.

“We are proud to share that the MAG47mil was developed as a result of our direct interaction with consumers. With the ever-rising costs of the beforementioned options, we are very excited to continue to raise the bar for US AK magazines while supporting the fight to retain our standard capacity rights”, stated Jeremy Deadman, XTECH TACTICAL’s Director of Sales and Marketing.

The second new release from XTech Tactical is an entry level option for its AK47 magazine line up, the OEM47. The OEM47 is also Made in the USA and features the same geometry and flawless feeding as the MAG47 line without the steel reinforcements. The OEM47 is a great option for those seeking magazines for recreational use. The OEM47 MSRP is $14.95, and they are now shipping!

Please follow XTech Tactical on Instagram, Facebook, and sign up on their website newletter for many upcoming product releases, as the company continues to grow and expand its offerings. To learn more, visit XTech Tactical at www.xtechtactical.com.

Posted in Press Release, Weapon Accessories | Comments Off on XTECH TACTICAL Once Again Raises the Bar for US AK Magazines

SCUBAPRO Sunday – Buoyancy Compensator Device

Sunday, June 9th, 2019

The buoyancy compensator device is the cornerstone of a SCUBA diving rig. It holds the tank securely and assists in routing the air hoses. Its integrated weight system secures ballast weights, and the valve system keeps a scuba diver neutrally buoyant and in control when descending, ascending, and while exploring the depths. The BCD (sometimes just called a BC) is available in three basic styles: jacket, front-adjustable, and back-inflate. Determining which is the best BCD for you depends on where you’re going to use it, along with your diving style and skill level.

The Scuba Vest

The jacket-style BCD was diving’s original buoyancy compensator design and is still very popular among divers, from the newly certified to the veteran. Easy to use, it offers lots of lift capacity and requires minimal adjustment. When SCUBAPRO unveiled the first stabilizing or “stab” jacket over forty years ago, it revolutionized the diving BCD market. Providing unequaled stability, its unique design uses unrestricted internal passageways to allow air to flow throughout the jacket and accumulate at the highest point. This makes for a stable ride under water and a comfortable and relaxed face-up floating position on the surface. A direct descendant of the original “stab” jacket, SCUBAPRO’s modern Classic jacket-style dive BCD combines the best design and construction features of past and present. Built tough, armed with a first-class valve system and offering an outstanding buoyant lift, the Classic is the original jacket-style BCD, and still one of the best. “Stab” jacket fans include dive instructors, technical divers, commercial divers, and military divers.

The Front-Adjustable BCD

A front-adjustable BCD provides a sense of comfort and security that can transform your dive from one of trepidation to total self-assurance. With the ability to adjust shoulder, chest and waist straps to achieve the perfect fit, and with air cells positioned under your arms and around your waist, a front-adjustable BCD hugs you. An excellent example of a front-adjustable design is the Glide. Ideal for all types of SCUBA diving, when it comes to comfort, fit, and performance, this buoyancy compensator sets the bar. Its innovative Y-Fit shoulder design delivers exceptional comfort, control, and range of motion. Stable both at depth and while floating on the surface, it is popular with new divers, experienced divers who dive infrequently, and divers who like the idea of being surrounded in comfort.

The Back-Inflate BCD

A back-inflate BCD, like the name implies, positions its air cell behind you. By doing so, front-body bulkiness disappears, leaving an uncluttered chest area, and hydro-drag is radically reduced, creating a feeling of total diving freedom. Compared to other BCD designs, this can feel like you’re diving with no equipment at all. Back-inflate BCDs, like the Seahawk 2 or the unique HYDROS PRO, considered the best back-inflate BCD, also tend to place you in the optimum swimming position at depth naturally, and wearing one you will never suffer from body squeeze. Advanced divers, travel divers and photography models are enthusiastic devotees of the back-inflate BCD. However, having your buoyancy behind you tends to push you forward on the surface and requires that you pay a bit more attention to your trim weights. This can easily be accomplished with practice, but it’s why the back-inflate BCD tends to be favored by more experienced divers.

The General-Purpose BCD vs. Travel BCD vs. Hybrid BCD

General-purpose SCUBA BCDs are loaded with comfort features like padding and neck rolls and depth-compensating cummerbunds. They also offer high lift capacities and big weight ditch systems able to hold lots of ballast weight. These BCDs are ideal for temperate to cold-water diving where thick wetsuits or dry suits are required for thermal protection. If you do most of your diving near home in lakes, quarries or high latitude oceans, these diving BCDs will do the trick. The above-mentioned Classic jacket-style and Glide front-adjustable are both excellent examples of general-purpose BCDs. Also, a good choice is the back-inflate Seahawk 2. It is built rugged for cold-water diving and offers a generous buoyant lift.

If you do most of your diving on vacation or in warm-water locales, a travel BCD would be a good choice. These SCUBA BCDs are lighter in weight, offer less buoyant lift and smaller ballast weight pouches, and they pack extremely easy. The Litehawk is a back-inflate BCD designed specifically for dive travel; so is the GO, which is built for traveling divers who prefer the fit and feel of a front-adjustable BCD.

Of course, many divers divide their diving time between excursions close to home and trips to exotic diving locales. To avoid diving locally with an under-powered travel BCD, or lugging an over-powered

general-purpose BCD halfway around the world, some divers choose to own two SCUBA BCDs – one for home and one for vacation. Other divers opt for a hybrid BCD – a SCUBA BCD that, by virtue of its unique design attributes, can perform as well in local waters as it does in distant tropical waters.

If going hybrid sounds like your kind of diving, there is no better example of a first-rate hybrid BCD than the innovative HYDROS PRO. A real breakthrough in dive comfort and convenience, the HYDROS PRO includes both a full-sized integrated weight system and Trav-Tek harness straps. With a quick switch of clips, you can transform a powerful fully weight integrated temperate or cold-water scuba BCD into a lightweight and streamlined harness travel BCD. Modular in design for a lifetime of diving and fully customizable, you simply have to see this SCUBA BCD appreciate all it offers fully. The HYDROS PRO is an incredible feat of SCUBAPRO engineering.

Best Women’s BCD

Buoyancy compensators are generally considered unisex SCUBA equipment. For example, the above-mentioned jacket-style Classic and back-inflate Seahawk 2 and Litehawk, as well as the front-adjustable X-Black and Equalizer, can all be worn by both male and female divers. However, women are unique in size and shape, and they often face difficulties finding a BCD that fits right, provides good stability, and is easy to control in the water. For this reason, there are buoyancy compensators available that are specifically designed, tailored, and sized for female divers. On these BCDs, you’ll find smaller air bladders, shorter inflator hoses, and curved shoulder straps, to name just a few of the modified features intended to deliver a more comfortable and secure fit while diving the depths. The Bella is an excellent example of this refined design approach. Ideal for all types of SCUBA diving, this durable buoyancy compensator outshines all other front-adjustable female-specific BCDs when it comes to exceptional comfort, fit, and performance. Moreover, for back-inflate BCD aficionados, there is the one-of-a-kind HYDROS PRO, which is also available in a model designed especially for women.

The Back Plate and Wing

While not SCUBA BCDs in the traditional sense, backplate systems perform the same important buoyancy control device tasks – they take a different approach in doing it. A standard backplate system consists of three basic components: a SCUBA back plate to hold the tank, a diver’s harness to strap the back plate to the diver, and an air cell, or dive wing, to provide the buoyant lift. Put them together, and you have a backplate system. A typical system, for example, would be an X-Tek Back Plate in either stainless steel or aluminum, an X-Tek Donut Wing air cell, and an X-Tek Form-Tek diver’s harness. While suitable for any divers, these systems are most commonly used by technical divers, and they are designed for either single or double tank configurations. They are modular, so you can mix and match the right type of back plate to the right sized wing for your type of diving, plus they are incredibly stable and offer advantages in distributing ballast weight.

Jacket-style, front-adjustable, back-inflate. General-purpose, travel, hybrid. Also, don’t forget the backplate system — lots of different choices for so many different divers and so many different diving styles.

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, Maritime | Comments Off on SCUBAPRO Sunday – Buoyancy Compensator Device

Largest Promotion Ceremony in Army Special Operations History for Psychological Operations Soldiers

Sunday, June 9th, 2019

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service) — More than 200 Psychological Operations noncommissioned officers proudly stood before their Families, friends and leaders during a promotion ceremony larger than any other in Army Special Operations history, May 31, 2019. About 100 additional promotees will pin, but were unable to attend the Fort Bragg ceremony because they are currently deployed or in training.

PSYOP Soldiers complete extensive training and education in human dynamics, influence theory, psychology, sociology, language, culture, and politics. PSYOP NCOs are expected to operate successfully in austere environments, executing national strategic and theater-level policies and decisions with limited supervision. They are expected to interact with U.S. ambassadors, senior country team members, and host nation ministerial-level officials on a daily basis. The importance and sensitivity of their missions warranted a grade plate change for the PSYOP Regiment’s enlisted ranks to ensure the NCOs’ ranks corresponded with the level of responsibility they assume while downrange.

Army and ARSOF leaders at multiple echelons worked for more than a year to achieve the grade plate change that would later create additional positions for the newly promoted staff sergeants and sergeants first class. The current organizational structure did not allow for additional NCOs of these ranks, resulting in a stagnation at the junior NCO levels. However, the dedication of these leaders resulted in the change of 336 sergeant positions to staff sergeant, and 114 staff sergeant positions to sergeant first class.

The grade plate change made it possible for these NCOs to finally pin after years of waiting – more than a decade in some cases. However, each promotee had already met every requirement for promotion; they had completed the appropriate level of professional military education and met the time in grade and service requirements, sometimes multiple times over. Instead of reclassifying to a different military occupational specialty or leaving the Army altogether, they were committed to their craft, to their teammates, and to the ARSOF Family.

Newly-promoted Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Phillip is one such NCO. Phillip has been a PSYOP Soldier since entering the Army in 2009 and was a sergeant for almost eight years. She said job satisfaction and quality leadership are what kept her in the career field for so long without the guarantee of upward advancement.

“I love PSYOP,” she said. “I love the job, I love what we do. I’ve had the pleasure of working with leaders who’ve always pushed me so even though I might have had the rank of sergeant, I never felt like one. I always felt like I could grow. I always felt like I could do new things, try new things and just accept responsibility. I love PSYOP so that’s what kept me around.”

While most promotees were pinned by Family members or friends, Phillip was among the few selected to be pinned by Maj. Gen. John Deedrick, 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) commanding general. During the ceremony, Deedrick emphasized the fact that these NCOs have patiently waited for this well-deserved day to come while remaining dedicated members of the PSYOP Regiment.

“I think it moves the bar on what selfless service, what patriotism, and what fidelity really mean,” Deedrick said. “And I want to thank you all personally for your steadfastness, for your commitment to this nation and to this regiment as you have shouldered that burden and gone on and conducted your mission in an incredible way.”

He added, “They’ve put in the work, they’ve put in the time. They have the experience, they have the education and they are ready to operate at the next level. I couldn’t be happier for all of you standing on this field.”

By SFC Kissta DiGregorio

Posted in Guest Post, Profession of Arms, SOF | 4 Comments »

Canik’s Nils Jonasson Wins USSL Multigun Championship Tactical Optics Title

Sunday, June 9th, 2019

DELRAY BEACH, Florida – (JUNE 3, 2019) – Canik, manufacturer of handguns and accessories used around the world and imported to the U.S. exclusively by Century Arms, is excited to announced Nils Jonasson recently won the United Sports Shooting Leagues (USSL) MultiGun Championship, Tactical Optics Division in Boulder City, Nevada. Held in conjunction with this event, Jonasson also placed second in the USSL Grand Championship, Tactical Optics Division.

Jonasson joined Team Canik in May 2019 and these events represent his first national competition shooting the Canik TP9SFx. The USSL MultiGun Championship was a 15-stage match with every stage requiring the use of multiple guns including rifle, shotgun and pistol. The USSL Grand Championship required shooters to compete in five multigun stages, five rifle, five shotgun and five pistol stages. Jonasson used a TP9SFx with factory iron sights on his way to the wins.

Jonasson is a 15-time winner of national and world championship events, one of an elite few that compete in different divisions across many styles of competition shooting, all while maintaining high level finishes.

Canik and Century Arms are proud to support Nils Jonasson and congratulate him on his recent wins.

centuryarms.com

Posted in Press Release, Shooting Sports | 2 Comments »

Blade Show 19 – Hell-Bent Brewski Bro Beer Holster

Saturday, June 8th, 2019

Some Kydex everyone can enjoy. The Brewski Bro Beer Holster From Hell-Bent Holsters is available in 19 different colors and fits standard 12 and 16oz cans.

hellbentholsters.com

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Blade Show 19 – CRKT Twist & Fix Tool

Saturday, June 8th, 2019

There are multiple versions of CRKT’s new Twist & Fix Tool. Designed by Ryan Glasgow from Portland, Oregon, there are Torx, Hex, Sae/Metric sockets and even Philip/Flat driver heads.

www.crkt.com/twist-fix-socket-tool

Posted in Blade Show, Gadgets | Comments Off on Blade Show 19 – CRKT Twist & Fix Tool