Fire Safety

The NSCA Foundation has distributed an opinion piece on the occupational health and safety (OHS) duties of officers. The language in the article is anomalous in the context of contemporary OHS thinking and trends.

What are some of the things you take with you for preparedness when you fly far away from home? I’ll get it started with some of what I used to take.

Original source: Do You Fly Often? | Stranded Far Away From Home After SHTF Event

Border Patrol on High Alert for Suicide Bomber headed to US Border Through Mexico

According to a leaked memo obtained by Breitbart, authorities are on high alert for a group of five terrorists who they suspect are en route to the United States via our porous open border with Mexico. […]

This Article Border Patrol on High Alert for Suicide Bomber headed to US Border Through Mexico is an original article from OFFGRID Survival If it is appearing on any other site but OFFGRID Survival, that site does not have our permission to use our copyrighted content!

I’m sure a lot of our readers have heard this muttered, “if I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.” Well, I can certainly relate to that phrase. When I was younger – much younger – I was totally indestructible, nothing could stand in my way – except for life itself. I will readily admit that, before I became a born again Christian, I didn’t lead the most honorable life – it was actually pretty wild in a lot of ways. Roger Simon, a newspaper reporter in Chicago, Illinois, once wrote …

The post Blackhawk 6-inch Trident Ultralite Boots, by Pat Cascio appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Washington — In response to a petition for rulemaking, the Federal Railroad Administration is delaying by 16 months the implementation dates of its Training, Qualification, and Oversight for Safety-Related Railroad Employees regulation.

This week’s recipe is for Health Cookies. It is a recipe excerpted from the scarce book Nine Hundred Successful Recipes, by Lulu Thompson Silvernail. This book, from my own book collection, was published in 1923. A recent change in U.S. copyright law now puts most pre-1925 books in the public domain. Lulu Thompson Silvernail’s emphasis in this book was recipes that included hard red winter wheat flour. This entire recipe book will be just part of the more than 4,000 pages of bonus content that is being added to the SurvivalBlog archive waterproof USB stick. That should be orderable within …

The post Recipe of the Week: Health Cookies appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

A gun battle has errupted in Pensacola, Fl. Pensacola is the home to Pensacola NAS which experienced an active shooter back in December. One car has crashed at McDonalds. Officers and K-9 are in the area on foot looking for two suspects who ran from the crash scene. If you live in this area, lock […]

The post BREAKING! Gun Battle Breaks Out In Pensacola Florida! appeared first on Tactical Sh*t.

Most preppers are a little too fond of gear and information gathering. What we all tend to lack is practical application of skills. Make an honest comparison of your ammo cache with the practical skills gained from applying half those dollars to training. Skill building does not need to be expensive. When was the last time you built a fire in poor conditions? Have you ever taken an evasive route…

Source

Do you want to hear a slight exaggeration? 

The AR market is a little crowded these days. 

I mean, let’s be honest, the AR market is chock full of every gun and caliber you could ever want.

It’s full of furniture, accessories, lowers, uppers, and everything from boomer cringe to post-modern artwork. 

While I wouldn’t change anything about this, I will say as a gun reviewer, and it makes it hard to review an AR model without some kind of hook.

The Springfield Saint Victor doesn’t have a crazy hook, what it does have is an impressive set of features, a lot of extras, and it comes in at a crazy reasonable price. 

The hook here is that I think the Springfield Saint is that it’s the best sub-1K AR-15 on the market. The MSRP is 1,073 bucks, but when was the last time you paid MSRP for a gun?

Online they can be found for around 900 dollars. After shipping and transfer, that should still be under a grand. 

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Specs 

The Saint Victor is a standard AR carbine with a 16.1-inch barrel. It’s chambered for 5.56 and uses a standard AR loadout. You’ll find that this gun is very light–only 6 pounds and 9 ounces. 

The Victor’s barrel has a 1:8 inch twist, and the upper and lower are both made from 7075 T6 aluminum.

It is 35.5 inches with the stock fully extended, and 32.25 inches full collapsed.

Springfield gave it a type III hard coat anodized finish and M4 feed ramps. 

Brilliance in the Basics

Brilliance in the basics is a term I heard a lot in my USMC time.

It’s merely stressing being proficient in the basics because that’s the most important thing to be good at.

I like to apply this idea to AR-15s. 

An AR-15 like Brownell’s retro series is cool, but if they don’t work, what’s the point? If it doesn’t hold together, what are you going to do with a big paperweight?

The Springfield Saint Victor is an excellent example of brilliance in the basics. 

From the outside, things start lining up quickly. Springfield staked both the gas key and castle nut. The handguard is appropriately aligned and installed. It’s not moving a hair in any direction. 

The finish is evenly applied, and the stock and pistol grip are aligned and locked onto the gun. Springfield pinned the gas block rather than hold it on with set screws. 

Furniture wise the gun doesn’t slap on a standard M4 stock or pistol grip. Instead, Springfield tacks on Bravo Company gear that includes the Gunfighter stock and pistol grip.

I love this stock. I typically stick to a Bravo stock from B5 systems, but the Gunfighter is winning me over. 

The handguard is 15 inches long and made from M-LOK, and it lacks a full length i12 o’clock rail. You get a small rail section for a front sight. This rail design makes it quite light but limits rail space.

If you are looking to run a night vision clip-on or another optic extension, this isn’t the gun for you.  

Do you know what the Saint Victor does out of the box that other guns don’t?

Included sights.

Holy crap, is it hard to tack on some sights to my 1,400 dollar MPX? 

The sights are simple but very useable. It has both a fine and wide aperture for easy target engagement at iron sight ranges. 

The Saint Victor comes with metal front and rear flip-up iron sights. These low profile sights mean your gun is ready to go out of the box. It comes with a PMAG as well as a nice little carrying case for the gun. 

It’s a great package, and Springfield did an excellent job of ensuring it’s a complete package out of the box. I can’t state how much I appreciate being able to take the fun out of the box and start shooting it without having to buy anything else. 

The Saint Victor also has a standard M16 bolt carrier group that is HPT and MPI tested. What I particularly liked is that the BCG is made from a more robust 9310 steel instead of your usual Carpenter 158.

The Extras 

I’ve mentioned that the gun is great out of the box. I

t’s well put together and lacks a lot of features that would classify the firearm in the budget category. The Springfield Saint Victor goes beyond that and gives you tons of extra features. 

As I mentioned, the stock and pistol grip are BCM made Gunfighter models.

The Gunfighter pistol grip has a sharp downward angle that is more comfortable than the A2 nubby grip. It allows you to pull the gun rearward and into your shoulder. 

The grip also has a small storage compartment for the little goods you can store, like small parts, tools, and skittles. 

Gunfighter stocks have a feature I consider very important–it’s beard friendly.

I didn’t grow this hipster beard for guns to pull on it. The Gunfighter stock carefully avoids that. 

I guess it also offers you a solid cheek weld, easy adjustment, multiple sling points, and a robust wiggle free design. That’s all-important too, I guess. It is an excellent stock, and its plenty comfortable. 

In front of the stock is a staked receiver end plate with a QD mount, which is a nice little touch. 

The trigger is a nice flat-faced design inside of an enlarged trigger guard for use with gloved hands. The trigger isn’t matched grade drop-in good, but it’s very nice for a stock trigger. I like the flat-faced design and feel it gives me more control over the trigger. 

I’m not sure if it makes a real difference, but flat-faced triggers are more comfortable to me. The trigger components have a NiB coating that makes everything a little smoother. This single-stage trigger is heads and tails above a mil-spec style trigger. 

The lower is outfitted with Springfield’s Accu-Tite system. This takes the form of a user-adjustable screw located in the lower. It’s adjustable by the end-user and allows you to tighten the connection between the upper and the lower receiver. 

The Accu-Tite eliminates that sloppy fit between an upper and lower. If you’ve ever chosen an upper by company A and a lower by company B, you may have experienced this slop. You can adjust the screw to tighten it more, but this will make it harder to disassemble. 

The good news is mine came from the factory nice and tight, and I can still take the upper off the lower easily enough. 

The M-LOK handguard comes all the way to the end of the barrel, and the muzzle device is the only thing sticking out.

The handguard does allow for that Costa style C-Clamp grip if you like that sort of thing. M-LOK slots run up and down the rail makes it easy to attach accessories wherever you want them. 

It comes fitted with a muzzle brake that reduces recoil.

The muzzle brake has two slots, one larger than the other, and this shoots the gas sideways. It does a fantastic job of reducing recoil and also making your gun very loud.

Way louder than an AR should be.

The muzzle device is efficient, though, and the gun barely moves. It feels like an AR with a 20-inch barrel. Super smooth, low recoiling with minimal muzzle rise. 

Hitting the Range 

AR-15s are typically all pretty much the same when it comes to handling. Recoil, handling, and even triggers all fall within a very standard design and look.

I will say the Saint Victor isn’t exempt from those descriptors. 

The Saint Victor simply does it in a smoother manner. It does have less recoil than most ARs, and the brake does its job. The trigger is more fluid and lighter than MIL-SPEC ARs, and the stock and grip contribute to improving the already awesome AR 15 ergonomics. 

The real difference between the Saint Victor and most ARs is how lightweight it is. This low weight makes it easier to hold up for more extended periods, and quicker to get on target from a low ready or when transitioning from target to target. 

Once you factor in the lighter single-stage trigger and recoil reducing muzzle brake, the gun is naturally a fast shooter. If the firearm is barely moving, why not pump 3 or 4 rounds into a target? It’s plenty easy to do. The Saint Victor is perfect for action shooting and excels in this role. 

From a practical shooting perspective, this is an excellent defensive rifle. The trigger is just right for a duty or defensive style rifle, while the handguard allows for plenty of modularity, and a light would be a must-have for a home defense rifle. 

The term “driving the gun” fits this weapon well. The lightweight design makes it easy to transition between targets, and the lack of recoil makes sure you can do so without much difficulty.

Running simple drills like a failure to stop or box drill is simple, and when you move into the more complicated Viking Tactics, 1-5 drill the rifle still excels. 

How About Accuracy? 

While a lot of focus on the modern rifle is all about sexy close quarters shooting, a rifle is made for more than that. A good gun and a good rifleman should be able to take an AR out to 500 yards and hit a man-sized target. 

The Saint Victor excels in close quarters use, and in my experience, it has no problems reaching out beyond 300 yards. That’s the max range I’ve taken the gun out too, and with iron sights, I scored plenty of good torso shots on a standard silhouette target. 

With an optic, I could be even more precise. The Saint Victor is a solid rifle and performs as it should in various roles. Springfield made a formidable weapon with the Saint Victor. 

Upgrades 

The safety, magazine release, and charging handle are all standard AR-15 accessories.

They also represent the few things I’d change on the gun. The rifle doesn’t need any upgrades but could be improved just a bit. 

The charging handle could be larger, mainly when used with optics, so a Radian Raptor would be my first upgrade. 

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The next would be an ambidextrous safety from Battle Arms Development. It is a modular safety that I’m a big fan of. 

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I’m not picky about magazine releases, but a more significant release is always easier to engage. The Magpul model is super big, cheap, and I trust Magpul. After that, I wouldn’t change a thing. 

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Let’s not forget a Blue Force Gear Sling, a SIG optic, and maybe a Streamlight TLR 1. The magazine is, of course, the red Lancers. Lancers have long been my favorite and the red ones just make it pop. 

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By the Numbers

Accuracy 4/5

I’ve fired more accurate AR-15s, but those guns were built from the ground up to be precision guns. I’ve also fired a lot of less accurate ones. For under a grand, this is a lovely and accurate rifle that will perform accurately up close and at extended ranges. 

Ergonomics 4/5

The AR-15 is already a very ergonomic weapon, and the Saint is no different. The stock, pistol grip, trigger, and rail system make it a comfortable and easy to use gun. I have no major complaints, but with a few more upgrades, it can snag five stars. 

Reliability 5/5

I’ve had this gun for months, and it’s been my primary training AR. I’ve used just about every type of round you can imagine without failure, including Tula and Monarch ammo. It eats it all. 

Customizability 5/5

It’s an AR-15, and you can attach a cup holder for God’s sake. 

Bang For Your Buck 5/5

The Victor is the best sub 1,000 dollar AR on the market. It packs a ton of features into an affordable package, and I can get behind that. 

Overall 4.5/5 

Conclusion

The Springfield Saint Victor is an accurate, reliable, and easy shooting AR-15. It’s well built, and the gun is super light and packed with features. I would have no issues recommending it to anyone and my current favorite AR under $1000.

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Have you given the Saint Victor a try, or do you want to? What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below! While you’re here, why not dream about how you’d upgrade it with our Best AR-15 Upgrades list!

The post [Review] Springfield Saint Victor: Best Sub-$1000 AR-15? appeared first on Pew Pew Tactical.

A Guest Blog Post by Ashley Glinka

Ashley Glinka is a former Federal Agent, mom to 3, personal security instructor specializing in families, and the creator of Luxe Life With 3 a blog focused on family and safety. http://www.luxelifewith3.com/

You are
going on a hike through the woods; your 6-yr. old is lagging because the keep
finding “amazing” stones/branches for their collections.  You are talking to your wife and 4 yr. old as
you walk along the twist and turns when suddenly you realize you don’t hear
your oldest.  What just happened? Is your
family prepared? How are your situational awareness skills? Is this something
that you work on teaching your children?

Before I became a mom, I was a covert Federal Agent conducting missions internationally and domestically.  My ability to blend in and sense any change in the atmosphere are what made me extremely good at my job and kept me alive.  After becoming a mom to 3 (twins included) my natural desire to protect was increased and I realized how vulnerable families are.  I knew as an adult all the ways to “train” situational awareness but had to get creative in thinking how to best translate those techniques to teach kids (my own being only 6 and 3.5 years old).

What is Situational Awareness?

Situational Awareness at its core is being aware of what’s in your environment and any changes that could potential be a threat to you physically or to your health. By being aware of any change you give yourself the advantage of time; time to act and asses if you need to leave the area. In many cases your survival will depend on that advantage of time. What you notice can be simple like a change in the wind signaling an incoming storm, a smell of smoke away from your fire pit, or in the middle of summer a person entering an establishment dressed for winter.  Situational Awareness is not about creating a state of paranoia that you operate in but rather an awareness that becomes second nature just like walking and reading.  As a parent we teach our children life skills everyday why wouldn’t we want to teach them about awareness.  A great way to work on a child’s (and adults) situational awareness skills is through play; the following games are easy to incorporate into your daily routine.

Memory

This is an easy game that our family plays daily. As I am going about my routine running errand’s I will randomly ask the kids questions.  “What color car is parked next to us?”, “How many people were in the aisle when we got trash bags?”, “How many exits did you see in the store?”, “What color shirt was our cashier wearing?” as you see the questions are endless and you can start off very basic and progress as your child and you become more proficient.  You can make it into a family challenge too with the kids trying to stump you!

Lost

Understanding how to read street signs and having a sense of direction are critical skills for children.  In this game I (mom) announce “Oh no I am lost how do I get home?” I start this from a close easy location such as school, grandparents’ house, etc.  They guide me home using landmarks and road signs.  They will tell me to turn left on Monroe St, look there is the playground we need to go past that and turn at the next, etc. This game can be done while bike riding, hiking, driving (obviously obey traffic laws) and is great for teaching both situational awareness and direction. 

5-Step Seek

This is a great way to work on situational awareness skills for all ages.  The concept is simple take 5 steps, look around and find 3-5 items (mom or dad call out things; like something green, red, square, etc.), then 5 more steps, repeat. This not only teaches how to really look around but because you are limited on your ability to physically move it teaches you how to use items to look further (reflective objects like windows and mirrors).  You can do this game both inside and outside along with adding other elements like a sibling who is hiding in the room.

The games above can be played with all ages; we start introducing them around toddler age.  They are fluid and allow for you to make the adjustments needed to fit YOUR family; but don’t just limit them to the kid’s parents need to work on these skills as well.  Situational Awareness is a tangible skill that we all need to continuously work on; nobody has ever regretted being more aware.  Like Creek Stewart always says, “It’s not if but when.”

The post Teaching Kids Situational Awareness with Games appeared first on WillowHavenOutdoor Survival Skills.