Picking the best weapon

If I could choose any sidearm the choice would be easy. However, picking the perfect firearm or melee weapon (any weapon used in close quarters combat) is going to vary from person to person. If you put a Desert Eagle 50 AE in the hand of an average person they will be very ineffective in a fire fight. The weapon is heavy with a major kick so their arms will get tired very quickly hampering their aim.

There are several factors to consider when choosing the right weapon. First off, look at the situation. In a close quarter combat situation, like the one that is faced in a building clearing scenario, you would not want a long barrel weapon because you need maneuverability and control over your weapon. In a long range fire fight you would not want a pistol. We also have to look at the user of the weapon- how strong they are, how used they are to combat, weapons, etc?

A perfect example is that a lot of people in the world have a 12 gauge shotgun in their house for home defense. However this is a mistake, a 12 gauge shotgun will tear through your house as much as it will to an intruder. Also, I have seen shotguns get blown right out of peoples hands because they are not used to firing it and they do not know how to use it. I prefer a 20 gauge shotgun for home defense because it will do much less damage to your surrounding environment while still dropping your target.

When you are considering a sidearm for yourself you need to make some big decisions:

-The size of the pistol for concealment
-Weight
-Size of the round for stopping power
-Consider how the recoil will affect your accuracy and potential fatigue.
*The same considerations come into play if you are looking at an assault rifle, melee weapon, etc.

The reason I am making this post is because I constantly see guys in gun stores buying a big shiny expensive gun and then selling it two months later because it was not what they needed and they didn't take time to properly consider what they were looking for in a firearm.

Do you agree, disagree, have something to add? Sound off in the comments below.

H&K Mark 23

Okay so all of you will come to know that I am a big fan of H&K firearms. I love the G3 assault rifle as long as it is one of their 7.62 models but I do not care for the 5.56 round.

Now let's look at the Mk 23 SOCOM, the link for the page is right here if you care to check out the tech specs yourself. This is my most favorite sidearm I have ever fired. It has all the stopping power that comes with a great .45 and it is designed for advanced operation right from the get go. It comes prepped and ready to fit a suppressor and a lower rail to fit light or laser attachments. Not to mention the 12 round magazine capacity that gives you plenty of rounds to put down targets before a reload is required.

The Mk 23 has a great weight and feel to it as well. Even with an empty or low mag it doesn't become front heavy like a lot of larger pistols out there. One thing that I really like is the trigger pull is a little heavy (about 4-5 pounds) with single action, and around 10 pounds in double action. It even allows for inexperienced shooters to have a proper trigger pull and steady their shots.

The only thing I have a problem with is the price. The Mk 23 can run anywhere from $1,600 to $2,500 depending on location, taxes, extras, etc... As a poor college student/father/husband I do not have the cash to buy this weapon. If I could get one for about half that price I would buy it in a heart beat. If you can get a hold of this sidearm do it. You will not be disappointed. I would recommend this weapon as the primary for any officer, agent, or security professional in the business. While I love this weapon, if you are simply looking for an affordable sidearm for protection and emergency situations, you would be just as well off with a less expensive Taurus or Springfield, just make sure to always choose a .45 over a 9mm. But hey- if you've got the money, absolutely splurge for this!

5.11 Rush 10 Mobile Operation Attachment Bag

I am currently back in school after leaving the military, and I love this bag. So for my first review I am going to go over this great, mid-size tactical bag.

This bag is made by 5.11 Tactical and is a great system. Here are the specs. It has so many uses and it is very well made. It is also part of a bag kit system. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a kit that allows you to attach different bags together and make a custom pack for your needs- a must have in combat service.

The bag has a main pocket as well as a front admin pocket. There is also a micro pocket that is fleece lined so you can put in things that have a tendency to getting scratched, like sunglasses, smartphones, etc... The bag has a built in carry area for a water bladder and a slot to guide the tube through so you could carry your water without having to have an additional pack. The bag also has a great feature that I love, in a one strap pack, and that is the fact that you can make the pack hang to either side. It allows you to set it to your liking and functionality. It can swing in front of you and work from your chest for easy access, and this is where the secret sidearm pocket comes into effect.

All in all I would give this bag a 9 out of 10. The only reason it doesn't get a 10 is because it is slightly smaller than other midsize bags I have seen on the market.

Any questions about the bag please feel free to ask in the comments.

Where to begin

So I decided to start a new blog about combat, survival, zombie attacks etc.... So to get started a little bit of my background as to why I may be at all qualified to do this. I am a veteran of the United States Army, I have spent a large part of my life camping, oh and I was raised by a former Marine who is very paranoid so I know how to survive in a worse case scenario.

I plan on using this blog to review items (knives, firearms, tools, etc....) and tactics (food and water storage, combat and survival tactics). So if anyone out there has any requests or recommendations I would be happy to try and accommodate them.

In closing I hope that this blog will be able to serve as a companion to my other blog. So I will have two blogs one for each of my hobbies.