New: Cloud Defensive MCH Handheld Flashlight

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Cloud Defensive is one of the leading names in weapon-mounted lights, with the exceptionally-durable OWL and versatile REIN receiving praise across the industry. Several members of our staff, myself included, own these lights and have had great experiences with them. However, there are a few lighting categories that Cloud hasn’t entered yet. The first is pistol lights — they’ve been teasing the EPL series, and we’re looking forward to its release in the future. The second is handheld lights, and that’s why we’re glad to report that the wait is almost over. The Cloud Defensive MCH handheld flashlight design, specs, and approximate release date have been revealed.

The New Cloud Defensive MCH

The MCH (left) next to a Cloud Defensive OWL (right)

MCH, which stands for Mission Configurable Handheld, is a modular flashlight that will offer various body, head, tailcap, and pocket clip options. This configurable design will allow each user to set up the MCH with his or her desired color temperature, candela, battery life, tailcap feel, and so on. The MCH will be covered by a transferable lifetime warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read on as we go over some of the options that have been announced already.

Body Choices: Full-Size 18650 or Micro 18350

The MCH will be available in two body sizes. The Micro (above left) takes an 18350 battery; the Full-Size (above right) takes an 18650. These are approximately the size of a single CR123 or double CR123 battery configuration, but these lights don’t use those old-style disposable batteries. Instead, each light includes an 18350 or 18650 Lithium-Ion rechargeable cell, much like Cloud Defensive’s weapon lights.

Each light is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum with a Type III “hard coat” anodized finish. Black and FDE lights have already been shown, but it seems likely that Cloud Defensive will eventually offer other color options such as OD green, clear anodized, camo, and even “moonshine” as previously offered on the OWL and REIN.

Head Choices: EDC, High Candela, and More

At time of launch, two heads will be available for the Cloud Defensive MCH. These will be designated MCH-EDC and MCH-HC. The EDC model is the standard model, designed for every-day carry and general-purpose use. It offers a balance between strong candela for long range and spill for close range.

MCH-EDC Pending Specs:

  • Estimated 30,000 Candela.
  • Estimated 1,400 Lumens.
  • At at a confirmed 4000-5000K light temperature, it is a phenomenal Every Day Carry option that displays coloration similar to the older incandescent bulbs.
  • Estimated 18650 run-time is 90 minutes.
  • Estimated 18350 run-time is 35 minutes.

The HC model stands for high candela, which is ideal for long-range use as well as cutting through photonic barriers such as window tint. Some might refer to the HC as a “tactical” light, since its specs indicate it would be well-suited to law-enforcement and other duty applications. Cloud Defensive says it may be “too intense” for use in enclosed spaces or for admin tasks such as map-reading.

MCH-HC Pending Specs:

  • Estimated 70,000 Candela.
  • Estimated 1,100 Lumens it performs in a way nobody else can.
  • Uses a proprietary and customized Mil-Std coating on our Low-Iron AR glass that moves the light temperature from 6000K down to 5200k. This creates a penetrating white light that is warm enough to defeat photonics barriers and cool enough to be highly disruptive on target.
  • Estimated 18650 run-time is 80 minutes.
  • Estimated 18350 run-time is 30 minutes.

Other Heads Coming Soon

You may have noticed that the MCH-EDC and MCH-HC both offer fixed lumen output (1,400 and 1,100, respectively). Many users prefer high and low modes for close-range admin tasks and longer battery life. Thankfully, Cloud Defensive has mentioned plans to offer another head with this functionality.

In a comment on the official Instagram page, a representative explained that it’s uncertain if the high/low mode head will be available at launch. “We will have that available as soon as possible, but we are still trying to get all the timelines figured out,” the comment explained.

Cloud Defensive MCH heads are fully interchangeable with both body sizes, and will be sold individually on the company’s web site.

Pocket Clip Choices: Deep-Carry Steel or Thyrm SwitchBack

Cloud Defensive MCH with optional Thyrm SwitchBack clip/finger ring

The MCH will ship with a standard deep-carry spring steel pocket clip with a black nitride finish. At time of publication, we haven’t seen photos of this clip yet, but several photos have been published of the other option: a Cloud-Defensive-branded Thyrm SwitchBack. The Switchback features a polymer pocket clip plus a finger ring that helps retain the light during one-handed use (especially alongside a firearm).

Tailcap Choices: Three Included ND Protectors

There’s no worse feeling than reaching for a flashlight when you really need it, only to find the battery is dead. For any light with a raised tailcap button, there’s a chance of a negligent discharge (ND) if an object presses that button while it’s in a pocket or on a belt. Cloud Defensive has worked around this by including three “ND protectors” with each MCH flashlight.

The low-profile protector (pictured above left) is intended to offer maximum access to the button, and is well-suited to use with a Thyrm SwitchBack. The other two create medium and tall barriers to protect the button from unintended activation. Cloud Defensive says they’re user-serviceable and take about 10 seconds to swap out.

Cloud Defensive MCH MSRP and Availability

Cloud Defensive says the MCH will be offered at an MSRP of $220, but early birds will be able to snag the first batch of MCHs at a one-day launch price of $200.

At time of publication, the exact launch date hasn’t been announced, but Cloud Defensive has confirmed it will be released in Q1 of 2022. So, we hope to have one of these lights in our hands for a full review by the end of March.

For more details, go to CloudDefensive.com.

Kitanica Tamarack Fleece

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Layering your clothes is a must for cold weather, as we’ve explained in previous articles. It allows you to add layers to stay warm, or remove them so you don’t overheat, sweat, and end up hypothermic. Each layer — including base, mid, and shell — is important, and their moisture-wicking and insulative properties should be considered carefully. The new Kitanica Tamarack fleece could work well as a insulating mid-layer under a windbreaker, or as an outer layer in milder spring and fall weather.

As with all of Kitanica’s clothing, the Tamarack fleece is made in the United States. It consists primarily of 300-gram, double-sided Polartec ThermalPro fleece. It also incorporates 4-ply Taslan, which is a waterproof, wind-resistant, abrasion-resistant polyester fabric. The supporting hardware is all top-shelf as well — No. 5 YKK zippers, Fastex cord closures, and real Velcro hook-and-loop material.

Above: The left arm has a zippered map/document  pocket as well as a flap-opening pen pocket with the distinctive Kitanica bug logo.

The Tamarack fleece is a full-zip hoodie design. It has adjustable draw cords on the hood and waist, and gusseted sleeves to trap warm air around the torso. In addition to two large zippered front pockets, there’s an inside chest zippered pocket. One sleeve has a Velcro field for patches, and the other has two small admin pockets topped with the Kitanica logo.

Kitanica says the Tamarack fleece offers good mobility and flexibility thanks to its relaxed fabric, and that its hood is “contoured to provide great peripheral visibility.” It is currently only available in black, with sizes ranging from XS to 3XL. Tall readers will also appreciate the availability of Long sizes — speaking from personal experience, it’s always annoying when a jacket’s sleeves or torso hem are too short and allow drafts between layers. MSRP for this fleece is $299.

For more information on the Kitanica Tamarack fleece, go to kitanica.com.

Letter from the Editor: No Man is an Island

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We’ve always said that survival is a team sport. Whether it’s your family, neighbors, coworkers, or the fated group of strangers you wind up alongside, humans are pack animals and there’s indeed strength in numbers. But modern life, particularly in a post-COVID world, has many of us working remotely and socially distanced. While there’s certainly something nice about a little bit of privacy, the complications of survival are compounded without anyone else to rely on for assistance. If a crisis shows up on your doorstep when you’re home (or away from home) alone, what you have in your bag and in your brain will be all you have to rely on. Combine that with increased risk of exposure that is part-and-parcel of the colder holiday weather, and the severity of an isolated survival scenario grows exponentially — whether you’re a lifelong resident of blizzard country or have to add a layer or two against the cooler nighttime temps of the southern sunbelt.

So, we’re looking at how to cope with the perils of finding yourself stranded, either alone or in a small group. Our What If feature examines how to make the most of limited supplies and no communication in the context of a hunting trip or cabin vacation gone wrong. Scott Finazzo gives us the lowdown on flares and signaling devices. Just because help isn’t there when you get in trouble doesn’t mean that you can’t get help to come to you. Our Pocket Preps column examines a variety of tinder and fire-starting tools that can be stashed in a pocket or pack. Patrick Diedrich interviews survival instructor Jerry Saunders, whose new home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula puts him on the frontlines of both rural separation and cold weather.

We also look at two different survival rifle projects: a sub-$2,000 economy bolt-action rifle for precision shooting and game-getting, as well as a pair of modified and customized AK-pattern rifles tricked out for emergency use. Finally, we pay tribute to the passing of staple RECOIL OFFGRID contributor Chad McBroom. Any of you who are regular readers have surely come across one or two of his articles, which were always engaging and informative.

Regardless of your location, lifestyle, or likely risk factors, there’s always a possibility of facing the odds with nobody there to back you up. This is why we so strongly stress thorough research, informed gear choices, and a broad skillset to call on in the face of danger. Survival is hard. Work harder now and stack your deck.

In Memoriam: RECOIL Remembers Chad McBroom

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It’s with heavy hearts that the RECOIL editorial team found out about the recent passing of one of our own. Chad McBroom was a U.S. Border Patrol tactical officer who wrote frequently for the entire RECOIL family of publications. He was a prolific contributor not just to this magazine, but also to our sister titles CONCEALMENT and RECOIL, as well as RECOILweb. We were deeply saddened to learn of his untimely departure from our lives at the end of August, and we felt compelled to share some thoughts with those of you who may have crossed paths with him or known his work.

I personally recruited Chad as a contributor in 2015, after taking his collapsible baton tactics seminar. It was a one-on-one training session conducted in a local park. I was impressed not only with his level of knowledge in a particularly niche self-defense subject, but also with his highly approachable demeanor and the ease with which he conveyed techniques and principles. I immediately began working with him, and he went on to have a rich career as a truly beloved member of our team, both as a writer and a photographer.

But Chad was so much more than his articles. He was a devout family man, and a consummate professional in both his law enforcement career and as an educator of our audience. Every member of the RECOIL OFFGRID team will tell you that the thing we recall most fondly was his passion to convey knowledge to those who sought it and his absolutely unshakable positive attitude. It’s easy to get jaded in this industry — the politics, the constant stream of product launches and media events, the re-hashing and de-bunking of tired old survival stereotypes — but that wasn’t the case for Chad. Every opportunity to evaluate a new tool or learn a new skill was a joy for him. He seemed to quickly find the best parts of every product — and every person — he encountered. Every class or range trip was a chance to teach and to learn. He was a life-long student of all forms of self-defense, from shooting to tactics to martial arts. He never got tired of seeing new things and sharing these discoveries with us and with you. We can’t think of a single person who dealt with him personally who ever had a negative thing to say about him — an unfortunately rare report to give in today’s day and age.

It was an honor to watch him continually grow and develop. Not only as a passionate subject matter expert, but as a writer and photographer. Over the last several years, he honed his skill behind a camera as he would have behind a knife or gun, and his photography prowess soon grew beyond magazine content to include real-estate, portraiture, and street art. As was his style, he shared these endeavors through multiple social media streams, most notably the legacy Instagram accounts @cmcbroomphoto and @cmp_street. At time of writing, these accounts are still available to view and, if you knew him or his work in the shooting community, we encourage you to look at them and share his enduring passion for visual art.

Chad McBroom truly embodied the warrior spirit, both in his passion and his compassion. His depth of knowledge and unwavering enthusiasm for anything he deemed worthy of his time will be fondly remembered and sorely missed. We are, beyond any doubt, diminished without his continued presence in our lives and wish only the best for his family, children, and grandchildren.

Raven Rock Book Review: A Little Bird Told Me

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The Premise: Since the 1950s, the United States has had a plan on how the government could survive a nuclear attack. In August 1949, the Soviet Union detonated their first atomic bomb, sparking the nuclear arms race and the Cold War. In the early days, the nuclear threat was small, but it gradually escalated to earth-shattering superweapons such as the Russian Tsar Bomba. At 50 megatons, that hydrogen bomb was over 1,500 times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. What started as a few hardened facilities able to withstand a near miss snowballed into a multibillion-dollar, multitiered plan to save the government in hopes of rebuilding the United States of America after a catastrophic event. Underground facilities such as the Raven Rock complex exemplify this plan.

Our Review of Raven Rock by Garrett M. Graff

The 411: In writing Raven Rock, author Garrett M. Graff delves deeply into the history of how the U.S. Government plans morphed from some basic protection to very comprehensive Continuity of Government (COG), Continuity of Operations (COOP), and Enduring Constitutional Government (ECG) programs that continue to this day. The author writes, “What began in the 1950s as a nationwide push to ready every household and workplace for a Soviet attack shrank decade by decade, until by 9/11, there was just one aspect of the grand plans left in operation: the evacuation of the nation’s leaders to bunkers hidden under mountains … The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax attack on the U.S. Congress restarted a focus on COG and COOP planning that continues to this day. Today, this secret world still exists, just beneath the surface of our country. In many ways, it’s actually more expansive, powerful, and capable today than it ever was during the 20th century.”

The book further explains the size, rough capability, and government function of several unclassified facilities. Also of note are the civilian-owned facilities, such as the AT&T bunkers, “Atomic Storage” contractors that housed records for companies like IBM and General Electric, and yet others built by Fortune 500 companies like Standard Oil and Shell Oil. These private bunkers far outpaced what the U.S. Government was building, in terms of sheer size and quantity. But in terms of importance to the United States Government, Raven Rock stands out. “The Raven Rock Mountain Complex (RRMC) is a unique hardened, survivable, deep underground command center and relocation site with rigorous redundancy, reliability, and security standards charged with a mission to support the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, select DoD components, and as appropriate, non-DoD agencies of the Federal Government. The installation encompasses at least 35 distinct tenant activities with specialized infrastructure and buildings spread out over a 700-acre campus and several distinct remote sites.”

There are a lot of interesting tidbits contained within the read. For example, the now-infamous Greenbrier facility reveal by the Washington Post in 1992, the suggestion to use Mammoth Cave in Kentucky as a government relocation facility, and the symbolism of the “Fallout Shelter” signs. Was there ever a foreign nuclear device stored in the United States? Would any private-sector personnel have priority to be saved ahead of other doomsday planners? How did the Cuban Missile Crisis affect the civil defense effort? How did Hurricane Katrina affect Continuity of Government plans?

The Verdict: This book is a must-read for anybody who has an interest in knowing how the U.S. Government plans to withstand a national catastrophe — whether it be a nuclear exchange with a foreign power or a rogue asteroid capable of killing millions of people in seconds. The author has successfully managed to peel away the layers of the unclassified aspects of these programs and presents them in an engrossing manner. The book is heavily researched and annotated, with an extensive bibliography of more than 400 references.

About Raven Rock

Book & Author
Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Secret Plan to Save Itself – While the Rest of Us Die
By Garrett M. Graff

Publisher
Simon & Schuster

MSRP
$20

URL
simonandschuster.com

Pages
560

Rating:
>Thrive
Survive
Die

OFFGRID LIBRARY OF RECOMMENDED READING

Looking Back: Blade Show Texas, March 2022

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Texas is a great place to be if you love guns, knives, and the great outdoors. That’s why our colleagues over at BLADE Magazine decided to bring a unique branch of Blade Show to the Lone Star State. Blade Show Texas will be held on March 18th and 19th, 2022 in the Fort Worth Convention Center. In addition to many of the world’s best custom knifemakers and knife companies, the show will include cowboy artisans, live demos, and a celebration of Texas culture, history, and entertainment.

Blade Show Texas: Things to See & Do

Above: The 2021 event (photographed above) happened in the Fort Worth Stockyards and hosted over 150 exhibitors. The 2022 show will be twice as large and take place in the Fort Worth Convention Center.

The 2022 show will boast more than 300 new exhibitors, with a list of knifemakers and companies that’s growing every day. If you want to see if one of your favorites will be there, you can check the current exhibitor list here . There will be fixed blades, folders, axes, swords, and all sorts of other edged tools, ranging from practical workhorses to extravagant works of art. The engraved blade below is a great example of the latter category, and won Best Collaboration Knife at the 2021 Texas show. Bruce Bump made the knife and Brian Bump did the engraving; photo by Caleb Royer.

However, this is more than just a knife show. It will also serve as an expo for cowboy and wild-west-themed gear — spurs, conchos, leatherwork and more. There will be on-site demos that include knife sharpening, grinding and leatherwork. Bring the whole family and enjoy the celebration of Texas culture!

Above: The show will also have cowboy creations like these custom spurs made by Wilson Capron.

For more information on last year’s show and a list of award-winners, check out this article from BLADE Magazine.

2022 Show Details at a Glance

Above: Factory makers such as TOPS Knives (photographed above) will be present at the show this year alongside Cowboy Artisans and custom knifemakers.

Location
Fort Worth Convention Center
1201 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Date
Friday, March 18th and Saturday, March 19th, 2022

Hours
Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Tickets – Available now!
Tickets can be purchased on site at Blade Show Texas OR online at bladeshowtexas.com/tickets. Online tickets will continue to be available for sale throughout the show weekend.
Single-Day Pass: $20
2-Day Pass: $35
*Children under the age of 12 are free

Hotel & Travel Info
Please refer to bladeshowtexas.com/travel for hotel bookings in the official Blade Show Texas hotel block.

For all other information, go to bladeshowtexas.com. You can also follow Blade Show on Facebook and Instagram for updates. We hope to see you there!

AKs Two Ways – Part Two: Custom Lee Armory AK

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If you haven’t already read Part One of our AKs Two Ways series, we recommend you go do so now. It sets the context of this comparison between two approaches to building customized AK-47s. For our full custom build, we teamed up with the AK experts at Lee Armory in Phoenix, Arizona. With their help, we learned how to convert a bare Lee Armory AK receiver and a pile of parts into a fully functional custom rifle, pressing in every rivet and polishing every surface for the best possible results.

Photos by Patrick McCarthy

The Blank Slate Lee Armory AK Build

Above: The “pile-o-parts” in raw form, before the builders at Lee Armory worked their magic with them.

Our full-house custom build is based on a Lee Armory AK stripped receiver and parts kit. As previously mentioned, the days of extremely cheap, reliable AKs are probably fully in our rearview mirror. While modding an off-the-shelf rifle does allow the advantages of immediate gratification and financial burden spread out over time, the amount of money you save total may not be a significant incentive for some.

By contrast, a true custom-built AK is the long-game solution to those looking for a single AK-for-every-occasion. We know that there are true Kalashnikov aficionados who’d rather (and do) rely on this Soviet-era workhorse instead of an AR. For them, we suspect there are both practical and existential advantages to having an AK platform built not just for them, but to them.

Above: Unlike an AR parts kit, which can be assembled while watching TV on your couch with hand tools, AKs require a more artisan approach to put together properly.

We decided on a fixed-stock pattern, stamped receiver to maintain maximum access to aftermarket accessories. On that note, we’ll start by pointing out that “fixed-style rear trunnion” no longer means the same thing as “fixed stock.” To that end, we capped the back end with a 1913 Picatinny rear trunnion from Occam Defense. We then clamped their Hex 2.0 folding stock onto it. The beauty of the 1913 rear trunnion is it allows you to convert from fixed to folding stock, and swap stock styles, ad infinitum per personal preference.

For internals, we used a standard bolt and bolt carrier, beefed up with the same ALG Defense enhanced recoil spring used in off-the-shelf conversion. But instead of the ALG trigger, we chose the cassette-style counterpart from CMC Triggers. CMC has been in the AR trigger game for a long time with a well-established track record for performance. Admittedly, we’ve had their AK trigger in our parts bin for longer than we care to remember, just waiting for a Kalash to drop it into. The wait was worth it. The crisp, single-stage 3.5-pound trigger is almost frighteningly good when compared to legacy AK service triggers. There’s an audible click during reset, but the reset is so immediate you might miss it under recoil. It makes running this trigger at speed too easy, given the skyrocketing prices of 7.62x39mm ammo.

We finished off the fire control suite with a Krebs Custom safety — another enduring staple in the AK aftermarket — and a RAM Tactical extended magazine release. It took us a fair amount of digging to find RAM Tactical, but this is the second AK build we’ve used this magazine catch on and we’re very happy with the result. It’s extended and easier to actuate without being intrusive or ungainly.

Above: We elected to delete the side scope rail from our receiver to better accommodate the Occam folding stock.

Our Lee Armory AK omits the standard side rail optics mount to allow the Occam Hex folding stock to sit tighter against the receiver. In its place, Lee Armory installed an Attero Arms Bravo Mount. This mount replaces the rear iron sight with a low-profile, footprint-specific tail for direct-attaching optics. The Bravo version will accept any optic with an Aimpoint Micro-style footprint. In this case, we used a Vortex SPARC Solar. The SPARC has gone well above-and-beyond to prove its reliability — one of our contributors literally smashed one against a tree and threw it in a fire, and it still worked — and, last year, Vortex upped the SPARC’s capability by adding a solar backup. We figured, on a survival AK, an optic that can be supplemented with solar power was a good thing to have on hand. It should be noted that the Attero line of mounts also feature a built-in backup iron sight in the form of a pistol-style rear notch. While this doesn’t offer the adjustability for range found on a standard AK-style rear sight, for quick shots up close in the event of an optic failure, it’s a good repeatable option to have.

Our handguard setup took some serious thought. There are an ever-increasing number of modern handguard options for AKs. Many are extended to the gas block or muzzle to give you more room for both hand position and accessory mounting. Some of those require you to grind off either the sling loop or the entire handguard retainer. That’s not the worst thing in the world if you’re confident in your choice of handguard, or at least handguard style. We decided to play conservative and go with a setup that wouldn’t require any permanent removal of the lower handguard retainer. TDI Arms specializes in AK accessories and theirs have seen both law enforcement and military service in a couple of locations around the globe. We also used their Enhanced Russian Grip for our pistol grip.

TDI’s lower handguard is a light, rugged, effective way to incorporate a few M-LOK slots into your AK setup. It also features a left-side QD socket for direct attachment of a sling. We didn’t feel there was enough room to comfortably mount a weapon light on the handguard — we’ll get to our solution for that shortly — but we did want to attach a forward grip or stop to increase controllability under rapid fire.

When people first attempted to mount early gen vertical grips to AKs, problems were encountered during reloads. AR mags drop straight down, so you can mount a forward grip anywhere you want. But the longer, curved AK mags have to be “rocked” out and a long vertical grip too far back could make reloads literally impossible. We still wanted a way to maximize control on the front end of the gun without road-blocking our own reloads. Our goldilocks fit came from Strike Industries. Their short angled vertical grip measures a demure 2.3 inches tall and weighs less than 2 ounces. Even on the shorter TDI Arms lower handguard, there’s no interference with reloads and no substantial mass added to the front of the gun. These grips also feature a channel through the bottom to manage excess cable from lights and laser switches. We wound up not needing this feature, since we decided to equip our build with a Streamlight RM-2 weapon light.

The RM-2 is a 1,000-lumen rifle light that can be activated with either an included tape switch or a pressure pad built into the rear tail cap. We chose the latter option and mounted it directly to the barrel via an RS Regulate BM-1 light mount. The BM-1 is essentially a short section of Picatinny rail with a hinged clamp for attachment directly to the barrel. We were able to get the BM-1 attached between the handguard and gas block, which put the light close enough to our hand to make the tape switch unnecessary.

We did still decide to install a railed gas tube on this build. Even though it remains unused at time of writing, “rail estate” on the AK is in short supply as-is, so we wanted to build in some additional mounting space on the off chance it’d be needed in the future — whether we add more accessories or just change the configuration of the existing ones. There are a couple of different options out there, and we went with Midwest Industries. The folks at MI have a well-established track record for durable, ergonomic meat-and-potatoes accessories at reasonable prices, and their railed AK gas tube was an easy drop-in addition to add to the adaptability of this rifle.

The gas block is a combination gas block/front sight base from JMac Customs. While gas block setup is largely a function of personal preference, we prefer the combo gas block because it’s fewer parts and a little less weight on the front of the gun. It also allows you to shorten up the front end if you choose to pin and weld your muzzle device, which we did. In this case, we used a SureFire Warcomp in 7.62mm, threaded for the AK’s 14×1 LH threads, perched on the end of a Faxon Firearms AK barrel. This allowed the folks at Lee Armory to trim the barrel down to just over 13 inches and permanently attach it for an overall barrel length of 16 inches. This gave us the “shortest” 16-inch barrel setup we could get away with while providing compensation, flash suppression, and the ability to run a SureFire can in the future if we so choose.

Above: We chose to have our Faxon barrel cut to minimum legal length for the SureFire Warcomp, which was then pinned and welded into place.

The Faxon Firearms AK barrel is U.S.-made from 4150 CMV that’s finished inside and out with a salt bath nitride finish. The barrels are magnetic particle inspected and individually gauged for headspace. The button rifling is a 1:8 twist that finishes at an 11-degree target crown. Weighing in at a deft 1.21 pounds, we felt the use of a high-quality U.S.-made barrel, combined with the streamlined combo gas block, would produce a highly nimble carbine that feels more like an SBR than standard AK configurations, while still avoiding the $200 permission slip.

Finally, in the spirit of a truly custom Lee Armory AK befitting a RECOIL OFFGRID feature, we sent the rifle to Pro 2 Customs (formerly known as We Plead the 2nd) for a unique Cerakote job. We asked them to give us their take on a “post-urban-collapse” Kalashnikov. Something that looked beat up, worn down, cobbled together, and maintained with whatever parts could be scavenged. Beyond that guidance, we left everything up to the artistic talents at Pro2Customs, and we were proven right to have done so. The level of detail in this finish is not done true justice by the photos included here — although we did try. In an effort to keep with the industrialized look of the Cerakote work, we loaded this rifle with a US PALM AK-30R magazine, produced by Century Arms. The clear body gives you a fast visual index of available ammo and, when loaded with steel case, looks downright dapper against the copper-and-rust tones of the finish work.

What Did We Learn About AK Builds?

The bottom line is that no matter how you slice it, a bespoke AK-platform rifle is no longer the cheaper, easier alternative to a similarly outfitted AR. The progression in manufacturing quality and the growth of the AK accessories market has put the Iron Curtain arch enemies on equal financial footing. While we have no desire to turn this into an AK-vs.-AR discussion, suffice it to say that a well-appointed defensive rifle takes both time and money, regardless of what specific type of rifle you choose.

Modding an off-the-shelf rifle comes with immediate gratification as well as the benefit of having a rifle that is still usable right now, even as you take the time to perfect its configuration. The full custom option takes longer, but lets you walk away with a no-compromises workhorse that looks, feels, and performs exactly as you want it to in one fell swoop.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours. It must be decided based on personal preference, performance requirements, and budgetary constraints. Neither of these builds is a universal answer, but instead should serve as a healthy dose of inspiration for what could be possible when outfitting your survival AK with knowledge, research, and TLC.

Lee Armory AK Parts List

RECEIVER AND PARTS KITMSRP
Lee Armory AK$1,939
COMPONENTSMSRP
Occam Defense 1913 Rear Trunnion$150
Occam Defense Hex 2.0 Stock$200
TDI Arms Enhanced Russian Grip$19
Krebs Custom Safety Selector$50
Attero Arms Bravo Mount$75
Midwest Industries Railed Gas Tube$110
TDI Arms AKML Lower Handguard$99
Faxon Firearms AK-47 Barrel$155
JMac Customs GBC-13 Front Sight/Gas Block$110
SureFire Warcomp$150
CMC AK Trigger$160
Century Arms US PALM AK-30R Magazine$16
ACCESSORIESMSRP
Vortex SPARC Solar$400
Streamlight RM-2 Light$142
RS Regulate BM-1 Light Mount$70
Strike Industries Short Angled Vertical Grip$25
TOTAL:$3,870

Sources

Lee Armory > leearmory.com
Pro 2 Customs (formerly We Plead the 2nd) > wepleadthe2nd.com
Occam Defense > occamdefense.com
Krebs Custom > krebscustom.com
Attero Arms > atteroarms.com
RS Regulate > rsregulate.com
Midwest Industries > midwestindustriesinc.com
Strike Industries > strikeindustries.com
Vortex Optics > vortexoptics.com
Faxon Firearms > faxonfirearms.com
SureFire > surefire.com
Streamlight > streamlight.com
CMC Triggers > cmctriggers.com
TDI Arms > tdi-arms.com
US PALM > centuryarms.com

AKs Two Ways – Part One: Blue-Collar Palmetto State AK

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Seventy-five years is a long time. Most of the tools that were commonly used in 1947 have long since become obsolete — we no longer drive carbureted vehicles with leaded gas and bias-ply tires, or get the latest news via black-and-white TVs and vacuum-tube radios. But there’s one iconic invention of the postwar period that has remained relevant, even after three quarters of a century: the AK-47. It offers rugged durability, mechanical simplicity, and excellent barrier penetration with 7.62x39mm ammunition. It has proven its effectiveness countless times on battlefields around the globe, from Vietnam to the Middle East.

Photos by Patrick McCarthy

Background on Custom AKs: Some Assembly Required

Decades of widespread popularity have led to a healthy selection of aftermarket parts and accessories for this platform. However, before starting your first AK project, it’s essential that you know what you’re getting into. Building an AR-15 is a bit like assembling IKEA furniture — as long as you take your time and put the all the pegs in the correct holes, you’ll be OK. Building an AK-47 is more like building custom cabinets. It involves precise measurements, hand-fitted surfaces, and many specialized tools and jigs a novice is unlikely to own. You can always pay a professional to do it for you, but where’s the fun in that?

With this caveat in mind, we set out to examine two approaches to building customized AK-47s. First, we took an off-the-shelf Palmetto State Armory AK with a blue-collar price tag and replaced a handful of components to fine-tune it. Only one part of this build required professional gunsmithing; the rest was done at home on a workbench. Next, we teamed up with the AK experts at Lee Armory in Phoenix, Arizona. With their help, we learned how to convert a bare receiver and a pile of parts into a fully functional custom rifle, pressing in every rivet and polishing every surface for the best possible results.

Read on as we analyze each of these AK-47 projects and consider which one might fit your budget and experience level.

Off-the-Shelf Palmetto State AK Build

Among devout AK fans, the phrase “mass-produced American AK-47” will usually result in more grimaces than a string of expletives in church. We specify mass-produced because there are plenty of reputable shops in the U.S. that build custom AKs — Lee Armory is one noteworthy example. However, those custom builds can involve substantial hand-fitting, cost, and lead time (as you’ll see in Part Two of this article). If you’re looking for an off-the-shelf AK with a sub-$1,000 price tag, the typical recommendation used to be an imported Eastern Bloc gun such as the WASR-10. Unfortunately, prices for those rifles have climbed rapidly over the last few years, so the idea of an inexpensive, domestically produced AK has become more appealing.

The Palmetto State AK-47 GF3 variant is offered in various configurations, some of which are priced under $800. Each has a hammer-forged bolt, carrier, and front trunnion, as well as a 4150 barrel with nitride finish. The model we selected also included a triangle side folder stock, “cheese grater” upper handguard, and dark red wood furniture. A Magpul 30-round mag comes with the rifle, but we switched that with a Bulgarian steel mag from GunMag Warehouse for a more traditional look.

We encountered two problems with the base rifle. First, the pin through the mag release wasn’t sufficiently peened on one side, causing it to feel loose. The second issue was more substantial — the top bar of the stock wasn’t properly welded to the folding mechanism, so it wiggled up and down when we shouldered it. We reached out to Palmetto State Armory about the problems and were immediately issued a 2nd Day Air return label to send it back for repair. Less than a week later, we received our AK with a brand-new folding stock and mag release. Although we never want to encounter defects, we appreciate that PSA fixed them under warranty with no hassle and a surprisingly fast turnaround time.

Our first modification to the Palmetto State AK was to replace its burgundy-stained lower handguard and pistol grip. We contacted Kalashnicarver, a craftsman in Missouri who specializes in custom AK furniture. After discussing options, we settled on a “Bandito” lower handguard and nearly vertical pistol grip, both sculpted from curly white oak and finished with an orange stain. Kalashnicarver also attached the Sabrewerks ALM light mount directly to the handguard. It positions a SureFire Scout or similar light — such as the Arisaka Defense 300 Series we used — in line with the shooter’s thumb for easy activation.

The GF3 includes a side rail that’s compatible with aftermarket optic mounts, but we decided to go a sleeker route. The Sabrewerks KOP is a two-part modular optic mount system. Its base replaces the rear sight tower, and features slots and a locking pin to secure a variety of interchangeable mounts and rail sections. This is the only part of our build that required gunsmithing, since the base must be pressed and pinned onto the barrel. Lee Armory handled that task with ease. We tried two KOP optic setups: a 30mm cowitness mount with a Vortex Strikefire II red dot and a Picatinny rail section with an EOTech XPS2. Although the latter configuration doesn’t allow iron sight cowitness, we preferred the taller placement and large window of the EOTech for this rifle. If we change our minds, the KOP system makes it simple to switch back and forth.

We also wrapped the metal buttstock’s cheek-piece with paracord — a common mod to prevent burns on hot summer days — and stuck a strip of Talon Grips textured material to the end for improved traction against the shoulder.

We’ve grown used to crisp aftermarket AR triggers, so the original trigger on this AK had to go. An ALG Defense Ultimate trigger reduces weight and shortens pull, and its flattened Lightning Bow shape feels more modern. We also installed an ALG main spring to maintain reliability with a variety of ammo and a recoil spring for softer shooting.

An Echo Nine Three rear sling mount offers an attachment point that doesn’t move based on folding stock position, and a Circle 10 knurled charging handle provides more grip during quick reloads. The GF3 is finished off with a JMac Customs two-chamber muzzle brake. The brake’s external 1.375×24 threads make it possible to add various suppressors or blast diversion shields. We threaded-on a JMac BDS-37 blast shield and a Form 1 home-built JK Armament suppressor; both were very effective in taming the powerful concussion that the brake produces.

Since we intend to run the AK in classes in the future, we needed a way to carry some spare mags. The Parashooter Gear VOLK chest rig pays homage to old-school Chinese rigs that have been widely used since the Vietnam War but integrates modern Swift clips to attach to the Minimalist H-Harness (pictured) or your plate carrier of choice. We increased its capability with a prototype wraparound expansion kit from a local nylon gear maker known as @D3_Supplies on Instagram. This combination offers just enough room for three 30-round mags, a flashlight, two pistol mags, and a few other small items.

Some of you may look at the finished price of this Palmetto State AK build — roughly $1,900 without accessories, or $2,700 with — and say that it doesn’t seem blue-collar. However, keep in mind that AK prices aren’t what they once were, and the days of sub-$500, new-in-box WASRs are long gone. As for hand-built American AKs like our Lee Armory project, the difference in refinement is undeniable, but many of those rifles start in this price range before modifications. That said, there’s good value to be had with the PSA GF3, and our upgrades made it a lot more enjoyable to shoot. It’d be easy to tighten the budget further by starting with a fixed-stock model, using the original slant brake, and/or sticking with iron sights as Mr. Kalashnikov intended.

Stay tuned for Part Two of our AKs Two Ways article series, which will be published soon.

Palmetto State AK Parts List

BASE RIFLEMSRP
PSA GF3 AK-47 Triangle Side Folder$1,050
COMPONENTSMSRP
Sabrewerks KOP Platform #1 with long rail mount$251
Kalashnicarver custom curly white oak handguard and pistol grip$160
ALG Defense AK Trigger Ultimate with Lightning Bow$140
ALG Defense High Energy Main Spring and Recoil Spring$22
Circle 10 AK Extended Charging Handle$25
Echo Nine Three V1 Sling Adapter$24
JMac Customs RRD-2C 14F X37 brake and BDS-37 blast shield$198
GunMag Warehouse Bulgarian steel magazine$20
ACCESSORIESMSRP
EOTech XPS2 Grey holographic sight$589
Sabrewerks ALM light mount$50
Arisaka Defense 300 Series flashlight$200
TOTAL:$2,729

Sources

Palmetto State Armory > palmettostatearmory.com
ALG Defense > algdefense.com
Arisaka Defense > arisakadefense.com
D3 Supplies > instagram.com/d3_supplies
Echo Nine Three > echo93.com
EOTech > eotechinc.com
GunMag Warehouse > gunmagwarehouse.com
JK Armament > jkarmament.com
JMac Customs > jmac-customs.com
Kalashnicarver > kalashnicarver.com
Lee Armory > leearmory.com
Parashooter Gear > parashootergear.com
Sabrewerks > sabrewerks.com

The Proliferation of Wireless Signal Jammers

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Our society has become increasingly dependent on wireless technology. We wake up in the morning and check our emails over WiFi, unlock and start our cars with the key fobs in our pockets, and use our cell phones to make important calls on the way to work. When we go somewhere new, we rely on GPS to guide us. Stolen or misplaced items can be located with LoJack or wireless AirTags. On a larger scale, much of our military and civilian infrastructure relies on wireless communication. Unfortunately, these signals are vulnerable to another type of wireless device: signal jammers.

How Do Signal Jammers Work?

Generally, jammers disrupt existing wireless signals by simply drowning them out with noise. By tuning a jammer to a specific target frequency range and blasting high-powered noise, tones, or pulses, a jammer can interfere with nearby receivers that are attempting to listen on that frequency. Traditionally, this meant disrupting radio communications, but the same core principle applies to other types of wireless signals — cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and so on. Jammer range varies widely based on the power and scale of the device; a small handheld jammer might be effective within 100 meters or less in an urban environment, while large military-grade jammer emplacements can easily reach hundreds of miles across open terrain.

Military & Paramilitary Use of Signal Jammers

Jammers saw extensive use during WWII, when Nazis jammed Allied radio transmissions in occupied Europe, and only grew in popularity through the Cold War era. The Soviet Union and China jammed various incoming signals, Cuba blocked American radio stations, and North and South Korea jammed each other’s transmissions.

A Russian Krasukha-2 anti-air jamming station. (Photo via Mil.ru, CC 4.0)

Signal jammers are still used extensively as a component of electronic warfare (EW), most notably by the Russian military. The Russians reportedly used this tech to interfere with low-altitude U.S. surveillance drones in the Syrian conflict in 2018; it’s unclear whether this caused them to crash or simply veer off course. There have also been reports of Russia using powerful jammers along its eastern border, leading to disruption in Latvia’s phone system and loss of GPS signal to aircraft in the area.

Closer to home, jammers have become a very popular tool among Mexican drug cartels. They seem to go hand-in-hand with another piece of tech the cartels have adopted: aerial drones.

Armed members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) wearing signal jammers. (Screenshots via @just_some_d00d)

Small commercially-available drones have been used to surveil territory, especially at night with the aid of thermal cameras. They have also been weaponized to drop explosives on targets, a tactic that has previously been used by ISIS and other terrorist organizations in the Middle East. As a result, cartel members have been seen wearing man-portable signal jammers that can interfere with nearby drone uplinks as well as cellular and radio comms.

Civilian Black Market & Criminal Use

An example of a portable signal jammer available for sale on the internet, listing the frequencies it claims to block.

At this point, you may be thinking, “I’m not a high-value military target or part of a warring drug cartel, so I shouldn’t have any reason to care about signal jammers.” However, this is certainly not the case. Signal jammers are inexpensive, easy to use, and readily available online to those who know where to look. They can affect your daily life in several ways — veteran-owned surveillance gear manufacturer Tiny Transmitters posted some surprising demonstrations on Instagram to prove this point.

The first demo video clip shows how a portable jammer can be tuned to the frequency of a car keyfob, blocking its signal at the flip of a switch. This means a thief could watch you park your car, turn on the jammer before you press the lock button on the fob, and prevent your car from locking. Unless you happened to notice the absence of a click or light flash from your vehicle, you’d probably assume it locked and walk away, allowing the criminal to steal any valuables in the car (or take the car itself).

Tiny Transmitters showed how a signal jammer can be used to disable a wireless doorbell camera.

Another video shows how a jammer can be used to interrupt a wireless doorbell camera by blocking its ability to communicate with the home’s WiFi network. Unless the camera has a hardwired data connection — unlike most Ring, Blink, Wyze, and Nest doorbell cams — it will be unable to transmit footage to cloud servers or alert the homeowner that someone is at the door. Tiny Transmitters explains, “As you can guess, running an all-wireless household security system has a fundamental and scary flaw: the wireless signal can be jammed.”

There are many other possible applications of wireless signal jammers, from covertly blocking cell phone calls to disabling GPS tracking devices. These uses are illegal, but as we know, motivated criminals are unlikely to give a second thought to laws and FCC regulations.

Closing Thoughts

We’re not here to tell you to stop using WiFi, ditch your cell phone, or throw away your ham radio — wireless devices are convenient and can be invaluable in emergency situations. However, for the safety of your family and your belongings, it’s wise to keep their potential vulnerabilities in mind and take steps to limit overreliance on wireless devices.

More Cybersecurity Articles from Offgrid

Review: Haley Strategic Darter Knife

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With a resume that includes time spent as a Force Reconnaissance Marine, private security contractor, and former CEO of Magpul, Travis Haley knows a thing or two about guns. His company, Haley Strategic Partners, offers a wide range of supplementary gear — from light mounts and holsters to chest rigs and slings — as well as a variety of firearm training courses. However, he’s not a full-time bladesmith, so when he devised a purpose-built Haley Strategic fighting knife, he made the choice to partner with someone who is. That individual is Marine veteran Connor Toor of Toor Knives. Through this partnership, the two men created The Darter knife, which Haley calls “undeniably the best fighting blade on the market.”

This is a bold claim, so let’s take a look at the Toor Knives / Haley Strategic Darter to see how it stands up.

The Darter Knife

Overall Length: 8.5 inches

Blade Length: 4.25 inches

Weight: 5.3 ounces

MSRP: $395

As a nod to Haley’s “son” Garand Thumb, let’s start by going tip to butt on this fixed blade. The Darter is constructed from CPM 3V, a powdered tool steel from Crucible Industries. Toor heat-treats the metal to a hardness of 60 HRC (59 to 61, according to the advertised tolerances). This steel is designed for extreme toughness, and offers strong resistance against edge chipping. As with all steels, there’s a tradeoff here — it’ll stay sharp longer under hard use, but will be more difficult to re-sharpen when the time inevitably comes. For a combat knife, that seems like a reasonable compromise, since it’s easier to conduct long-term edge maintenance after missions rather than in the field.

The Darter knife features a 4.25-inch drop point blade shape with a strongly-tapered tip and a swedge that make it excellent for piercing. The edge is exactly as even and precise as you’d hope for on a knife with a near-$400 price tag. A series of scalloped serrations along the spine offer the ability to saw through rope and other tough materials; according to Haley’s product description, they also might serve as a secondary cutting edge “while avoiding the restrictions on a double-edged blade.”

The handle begins with a forefinger notch and front quillion on the bottom, and a thumb rise with jimping on top. Combined with a pair of heavily-textured G10 handle scales, a subtle palm swell, and a prominent rear quillion, this handle is clearly made to lock the knife into the user’s hand. A flat spot with additional jimping on the butt provides added control for reverse-grip use. There’s also a lanyard hole at the trailing edge.

This knife is offered in three colors: Coyote (pictured), Disruptive Grey with black blade finish and red handle liners, and Ranger Green with grey blade finish and black handle liners. The blade is finished in KG Gunkote with Haley’s dragonfly logo and Toor Knives’ skull logo laser-engraved onto either side.

Sheath & Accessories

Each Darter knife arrives as a box set, with the knife, a blunt trainer, and a Toor Knives Flex-Tech sheath. The sheath offers adjustable retention and comes with an UltiClip Slim 3.3 to attach the knife to a belt, waistband, or pocket hem. It’s reversible and ride-height-adjustable so you can tailor it to your needs. Adhesive loop material is also included, and it can be used to sandwich the sheath between other pieces of Velcro-backed gear, such as chest rigs or plate carriers.

We appreciate the inclusion of the trainer, an accessory every true fighting knife should have. If you can’t train with a safe analogue that’s the same size and shape as your live blade, you may not be able to use it properly when your life is on the line.

Our Thoughts on the Darter

Although we won’t go so far as to call this “undeniably the best fighting blade on the market,” there’s no denying it’s a solid and nicely-balanced tool. The workmanship is outstanding, all the way down to small details like smooth chamfered edges on the thumb ramp and front quillion. The tip is aggressive and punches holes effortlessly, but it also has enough belly to serve as a good slicer and utility blade.

In general, we’re not fans of spine serrations or sawbacks on knives, but it’s nice to have a little extra sharpness without a complete double edge (a feature that may lead a knife to be deemed a dagger, which involves legal restrictions in some areas). They’re also a decent place to strike a ferro rod for fire-starting. The Darter’s handle design offers tons of texture for a strong grip, and the forefinger notch is helpful for indexing the edge. However, it’s rather narrow, much like that of a steak knife. Users with smaller hands may find it perfect, but we found ourselves wishing for a bit more material there.

We’ve carried the Darter knife in several locations, including concealed inside the waistband, outside the waistband on a battle belt, and behind a Haley Strategic D3CRM chest rig. The stick-on loop material makes it a bit more secure for some positions, but we still ran elastic shock cord through the sheath grommets to serve as a retention fail-safe. The UltiClip alone is sufficient for IWB concealed carry.

If you’re looking for a trustworthy fighting knife and you’re not on a tight budget, the Toor Knives / Haley Strategic Darter is a great choice. Despite its marketing as a limited-edition “work of art,” it’s also a highly-functional, American-made tool that can clearly take a beating. For more info on the Darter knife, go to HaleyStrategic.com.