As more than one of our readership has pointed out, this patch (from Bob Riggle’s rousing speech for ELITE) would be pretty popular if it was widely available. When will someone be making this?
Oh, and Lt. Col. Riggle, hat tip to you for your anti-hippie stance. God bless you.
Tactical Fanboy: Check the Modern Marfare 3 morale patch.
Yep. This is a lager brewed by Brauerei Spezial in Bamberg. It’s made for (well, besides bacon-loving patriots) eating along with meats like kielbasa, smoked chicken, maybe some grilled pork chops…you get the idea. “Bamberg makes a lightly smoky lager that’s crisp and amber-colored. It’s very dry and slightly nutty, with an unmistakable bacon note in the finish…”
Read the story of Bacon Beer on Esquire.
Don’t drink beer? Try some bacon flavored Jones Soda.
Tactical Fanboy: We like hot females with weapons...especially if they manage NOT to put their finger on the trigger.
Thanks to Off the Grid Concepts for this exercise in perception and perspicacity.
Nice little speech about Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3’s ELITE…”cuz noobs poo in their pants.”
Hat tip to Under the Radar.
One of the advantages of attending SHOT is not just being able to see new products at all the different booths. One of the things I like
most is the opportunity to catch up with so many individuals from so many places all in one week. You may run into one or two at the NTOA Conference, then another a New Breed of Warrior, but darn near everyone attends SHOT. This gives you the chance to hear and see what they’ve seen and heard and like, what kind of EDC or specialty kit they’re running, etc. When you run into multiple peers wearing something or talking about something they say you should investigate, you’d be foolish not to.
Over the course of SHOT I bumped into several friends who spoke very highly of the Cobra belts from Jones Tactical LLC. So we’re clear, I haven’t gotten my hands on one or worn one, but I heard nothing but good things (I wear a Yates CQB Cobra and love it, though I intend to give the Jones belt a try). Among those who advised their preference for Jones Tactical belts: MilsSpec Monkey, one of the engineers from War Sport, a USSA instructor and a couple of friends who prefer to remain anonymous.
You can find more information on the various belts on the Jones Tactical website and Facebook page, and a lot of pictures on their Flickr page.
SSD: Jones Tactical belts of various colors
Swedish treasure hunters of the deep-sea salvage company Ocean Explorer searching a classified location on the floor of the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland may have found a UFO. Using a side-scan sonar they located a cylindrical object some 60 meters in diameter with a “rigid tail 400 meters long”. Apparently they also found a second disc-like shape some 200 meters away.
Could be a UFO. Could be some weird mangle of sunken ships since, you know, there are tens of thousands of sunken ships on the bottom of the Baltic, dating back to when their crews carved on each other with bronze.
Tactical Fanboy: a diver from Ocean Explorer
This is pretty cool. Always good to see someone achieve success, especially someone without contacts and agents and whatnot. This guy began a Kickstarter page for his graphic novel, and now it’s on the New York Times best seller list. That’s awesome and we with him continued success. Read the story in its entirety here.
Tactical Fanboy: The cover of FUBAR.
Yesterday we ran an article about Best Ranger. I did a poor job of explaining the issue of Big Army’s limitations supporting the Best Ranger Competition. This is my fault, not the NCOs we spoke to about it and I apologize for the vague wording. The fact is, Best Ranger IS supported by Big Army, but regulations prevent certain things from being funded by them (such as prizes, some of the dinners and hospitality stuff, etc.) I apologize for the apparent inaccuracy and will work diligently to avoid anything that could be misinterpreted, misunderstood or is out and out wrong in the future!
Please still consider supporting Best Ranger. You can get the details by calling l Ms. Bryant at 706-718-9520 or e-mailing her at CandyssBryant@gmail.com.
TANSTAAFL
Rangers from 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan.
As you might have expected, there were a number of sunglasses, goggles and other types of eyepro at SHOT. Body Specs had several on display, but the most interesting were the Pistol model. They’re a fairly high impact wrap style eye-pro, hard coated for scratch resistance and all the usual tacti-goggle-glass features.
The cool thing about them, however, was the adjustability feature. The lenses are capable of telescoping out and panascoping up and down (angling), allowing you to adjust for length (fit from your face) and the cant of the goggles themselves. Whether you’re one of those good looking guys make everything look good or one of those big mongoloid types with a huge forehead, you can fine tune the fit. Cant them down so they don’t bump your eyebrows, adjust if so they aren’t molested by the front of your helmet, the lighting or your shooting position. If you prefer an adjustment from when you’re got a helmet on versus when it’s off, easily done (same as if you prefer a modification from standing to prone).
The nosepiece has a wide contact area, doesn’t seem to slip at all, and supports an Rx insert if you need corrective lenses, and they have some new specialized purple or brown lenses made for competitive shooters.
One question we’d have would be how frequently you can adjust them before they begin to wear down. Upon first try, they have sufficient resistance but in fairness we’d have to ask long term would they start slipping on their own? It would be impossible to say without putting them through field trials, but at first glance and a quick “try-on” they feel pretty good. In any case, they only run $40 retail, which is pretty inexpensive compared to some of the Gucci military goggles and better known eyepro. Might be worth taking a crack at it.
Bod Specs is a woman-, veteran-owned business based in Grass Valley, CA. You can call 530-268-8882 or e-mail the owner directly at Anna@bodyspecs.com. They do have a distributor on the GSA Schedule if you need one.
The Pistol comes with smoke and clear lenses, retention lanyard and a semi-rigid carry case you can attach to your gear should you be so inclined. Oh, and the Pistol has an NSN:
4240-01-526-9637. More at the Body Specs website.
This load-bearing kit redefines feminine protection.
Thanks to US PALM for sharing this on their Facebook page and feel free to go LIKE ’em. Then tell ’em Tactical Fanboy sent you.
Hat tip to the Mad Duo for letting us know.
Edit: I apparently didn’t write this terribly well, so some of the part about supporting the Best Ranger contest didn’t come across the right way (that’s my fault, not the NCOs we talked to). Best Ranger IS supported by Big Army, but regulations prevent certain things from being funded by them (such as prizes, some of the dinners and hospitality stuff, etc.) I apologize for the apparent inaccuracy and will work diligently to avoid anything that could be misinterpreted, misunderstood or is out and out wrong in the future! TANSTAAFL
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A couple of us had the privilege and pleasure of spending some time with instructors from the RTB (Ranger Training Brigade) while we were at SHOT. If all goes well we’re going to be periodically sharing some Ranger news with you. (Only stuff that’s either open source material or cleared hot by their PAO, so we’re clear.) Now, you may not be aware of it, but yesterday was a pretty big day in US Army Ranger history. Yesterday, the 25th, was the anniversary of the “Abrams Charter” of 1974. That’s the directive by General Creighton Abrams (you may recall they named a big vehicle after him) instructing the Army to activate the first battalion sized Ranger unit since World War II. US Army Forces Command HQ command then published General Orders 127 , which stood up 1ST Battalion (Ranger) 75th Infantry. General Abrams believed that the Army would be improved as a whole by the inclusion of permanent Rangers within its ranks (in no small part due to the diffusion of leadership and fighting ability throughout its ranks as Ranger qualified Soldiers slowly spread into other units).
The Abrams Charter said: “The Battalion is to be an elite, light and the most proficient infantry in the world. A Battalion that can do things with its hands and weapons better than anyone. The Battalion will contain no ‘hoodlums or brigands’ and if the Battalion is formed from such persons it will be disbanded. Wherever the Battalion goes, it must be apparent that it is the best.”
You may be one of the many people who’ve watched the Best Ranger competition. We’re going to delve into that competition in the future, discuss its development and goals and whatnot, but we’d like to throw in a quick plug on its behalf – though the competition is supported by Big Army, there are a number of constraints that prevent Big Army from assisting with ancillary expenses (like dinners, prizes, etc.). There are a number of reasons why, but essentially those ancillary needs are all taken care of with the support of benefactors. If you are interested in supporting Best Ranger, we urge you to contact them and help out. (Here are the current 2012 supporters: feel free to join their ranks.) If you are interested in supporting the Best Ranger Competition, call Ms. Bryant at 706-718-9520 or e-mail her at CandyssBryant@gmail.com.
More on that to follow.
2/75 Rangers in Afghanistan just a couple of months ago.
In the meantime, read a historical piece about the Abrams Charter from the War College, if you’re interested in learning more. This is a pre-GWOT study on leadership practices within the Ranger Regiment. It’s an interesting read.
Episode One of Best Ranger 2011:
The 75th Ranger Regiment Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company conducted a water jump in September:
Sometimes you need more than just combat effective gear and the more obvious accessories. Sometimes you need rail-mounted awesomeness that makes acts as a force multiplier by virtue only of being awesomely awesome and tacticool. How about a rail mounted skull? It increases the range of a black rifle by an average of 17.4%, if will decrease the spread of an iron sights shot group to about half what it was (at the hundred), and if you ever run dry or suffer a malfunction you can flip the rifle around sideways and scare the hell out of whomever you’ve been shooting at (though with a skull on there it’s pretty hard to imagine you’d have missed in the first place).
TFB: A rail-mounted skull is the appropriately deadly accessory for any "true" warrior.
Now if they’d just make bullets that whistled or screamed while they hurtle through the air. You know, like some of the old Samurai arrows, or a Stuka. Hat tip to (and picture, and smart-assed tone)courtesy of Andrew at Spartan Imports.
There were several service dogs in evidence at SHOT Show, not surprisingly. Soldier Systems caught up with the director of one organization that helps provide them at no cost to the veteran: and recruits the dogs from animal shelters! Read the article about Paws and Stripes, if you would, and consider supporting them. At a minimum go like their Facebook page and help spread the word!
Do you follow Predator Intelligence? Pretty good commentary on there, including some Booth Babes that know how to shoot.
As you may be aware, Spartan Imports ran a raffle at SHOT Show to raise money for Stand by the Wounded and to help promote Dalton Fury’s new Delta Force novel Black Site. Their booth had customized airsoft guns that replicated exactly what Dalton carried in the Battle of Tora Bora in Afghanistan, where he was the ground Delta Force commander – cool thing was, Dalton and some of his teammates turned up to sign the weapons! Anyway, they sold quite a few raffle tickets for those 5 advanced copies (Spartan Imports and Elite Defense thanks all who supported the effort) and Tactical Fanboy would like to congratulate the winners (among whom was the CEO of Tango Down).
Congratulations! Thanks for supporting a good cause. Now go order a copy of the book, cuz it’s pretty damn good.
Here are some pictures of the weapons they signed:
Tactical Fanboy is going to begin a Morale Patch of the Week feature (and we’re open to suggestions, if you know of one or if your company has one it wants featured). This week is the new Good Guy patch from the guy who is pretty much the progenitor of the whole widespread morale patch phenomenon. Yeah, others did it, sure there were unit patches and unique patches before. but nothing like the Monkey has done it. (If you weren’t aware, “suck factor”, “Persian Gulf Highway Patrol” and “Hajji Don’t Surf” were available in Saudi Arabia during Southern Watch and in South Korea at least since the mid-90s, and so-called unofficial patches abounded during the Vietnam War, but it’s the MilSpec Monkey who turned it into a military and airsoft meme; not that there aren’t lots of other cool patch makers out there now). Anyway, this is the Good Guy patch featured on a Maxpedition Larkspur (held up by one of the the Maxpedition HMFsIC himself). It has good color, is well constructed and great physical features. Watch for it soon on MilSpecMonkey.com!
Have an idea for a morale patch you want featured or think would look good? E-mail TAANSTAFL here via the standard Tactical Fanboy comms with a facebook link, a couple pictures and some background.
Tactical Fanboy: the MSM Good Guy PatchCan you blame him for smiling? He's showing off the new MilSpec Monkey Patch! (Now he needs to ship the eeee-light team of fightin' bloggers here at TFB a couple of those in some kind of weird furriner camo no one recognizes, so we can feel special.)
By the way, don’t know who MilSpec Monkey is? You been living under a rock? Here’s a picture of DJ Monkey Boy testing out a BCE on his rifle, training to lay some hate down on those that might deserve it.
Check out these Chinese troops putting their skills on display. The thing we found most particularly interesting was the hot potato exercise involving high explosives.
Andrew Bawidamann advises via Tumblr that he’s got this “Chuck Mawhinney Sniper Girl” original for sale (he’s been selling a few originals, and they go fast).
Buy ya one here. Andrew Bawidamann’s website is here and his Facebook here if you want to keep an eye on those as well.
This is a picture of the inestimable Bawidamann at the Multitasker booth.
Finally, someone has developed a rail-attach chainsaw for anti-zombie work. Frankly, it’s overdue, so kudos to Doublestar for finally getting it done. Known as the Zombie X (for Zombie Exterminator), Doublestar had this display out for those of you preparing for the Zombiepocalypse at the Doublestar Booth. This thing has a separate power/activation and a battery at the butt of the Kalash it mounts to (it will also mount to an AR, though it might be a little much weight to add to an M249). The chainsaw is fully functional and has its own EOTech sight (there’s a separate optic for the rifle itself). No word as to whether they’ve considered replacing the EOTech with one of those lasers you see on fancy saws at the hardware stores (you know, the ones that show where the cut line is).
Doublestar Chainsaw Attachment and Kalashnikov. Pic by Gamma Nine.
Keep in mind if you do use a chainsaw during a zombiepocalyptic event, you must wear a full face mask, not just eye pro. You think a money shot in the dirty movies is gross? Try avoiding the infection (and vomiting) sure to follow when you get a face full of zombie gore after carving it into pieces.
Currently the Zombie-X is not for sale. This prototype was built for FEMA, Homeland Security Zombie Division and the SHOT Show only. If you actually want one, you’ll need to contact Doublestar. Hopefully the production models (since they build the full rifle in addition to the chainsaw pic-rail attachment) will come with a BattleComp.
Picture courtesy of Gamma Nine (which is worth checking out on its own).
There were a lot of new zombie products at SHOT 2012. Maybe too much. Optics, bullets, t-shirts. Pretty much everything but real zombies (unless you count some of the dumbasses displaying a shocking lack of range safety out at the Media Day on the Range).
Anyway, a couple of guys checking out the new zombie Eotech and another guy looking at some new zombie targets (article coming up shortly on those) mentioned this new Brains magazine, so we checked it out. Visually, it’s not as easy to read as we’d like, and it’s certainly no Recoil, but it’s surprisingly well done.
This is what the table of contents looks like:
Tactical Fanboy: Brains Magazine
They also have a zombie centerfold:
Tactical Fanboy: the Brains Magazine Centerfold
The Brains magazine website is here. There is also a Brains magazine facebook page.
Hot Leaf Camo was at SHOT showing off stylish women’s hunting cam they say is the “hottest thing to happen to hunting since women”! They’re trying to garner enough support to get their camo into stores. They don’t actually have a product you can buy yet, they’re looking for women who do hunt and might want a “cute & stylish” but functionally effective camouflage to get behind ’em and help make that happen.
BLEND IN. STAND OUT.™
Check out the Hot Leaf website or go like ’em on Facebook to learn more and help support ’em.
This is quite a selection of gear from the Mad Duo. Raven Concealment, 5.11 Tactical, LED Lenser, Darrel Ralph Knives, Tactical Tailor, Bravo 5, Legion Firearms, T.I.E. Tactical, Warrior Wound Care, I.C.E. Training, SAR Global Tools and of course…butter, 5-hour energy, B12 energy powder, butter from Kokomos, Tabasco, OC spray and miscellaneous other things (like used family planning devices).
Only at a Vegas SHOT Show eh?
Tactical Fanboy: Quite an eclectic mix of gear and...condiments?
We reported yesterday on Recoil Magazine and mentioned that the website was down. Turns out they are planning for it to “go live” on March 1ST if all goes as planned. In the meantime, if you want to keep up with this excellent new magazine, follow them on Facebook. Pretty sure you’ll be glad you did. Please let ’em know Tactical Fanboy sent you. You can also keep an eye out for them if you’re wandering SHOT, they’ll be around.
Tactical Fanboy: RECOIL Magazine
