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Your secret is safe with me, okay? Yeah, yeah, we all know you’re supposed to be checkin’ out this gift guide to select goodies for your shootin’ buddies, but — your eyes have already wandered over a couple of photos, and you’re thinkin’, Hey! Cool! I need one of those! — right?
Relax. You don’t qualify for a spot on Santa’s Naughty List as long as you buy one for a pal, and one for yourself. In fact, if you do this, you’re in definite danger of becoming sorta noble an’ altruistic even. I mean, what greater measure is there of your friendship than that you got your friend exactly what you wanted? Yeah; that’s you — noble, right? Lift your chin; look dignified. That’s it!
Now, His Imperial Editorship, Roy-Boy The Grinch, wants me to pack all these potential presents into the size of two postcards, so here’s how we’re gonna cut some corners and save space: First, we’re not listing prices, because they can vary wildly anyway, and you oughtta be strategically shoppin’ for discount deals, seasonal sales, or even “two-fer” offers anyway.
Second, you won’t find reams of reporting on the features an’ fine points of all this stuff. If I gave you a basic brief about the Auto-LAWKS system on the CRKT knife and listed half of the tools on Gerber’s new Freehand Multi-Plier, there’d be no room for the photos! Besides, I’ve done the hard, thankless footwork — having to identify, evaluate, play with and drool over an array of the coolest gifts for handgunners, so it’s only fair you should do the finger-work: turning pages, tappin’ on computer keys, and punchin’ phone buttons. Just know this: from the shirt-pocket stocking-stuffers to the bestest-buddy budget-busters, they’re all high quality gizmos, and good-to-go for gunners — guaranteed. |
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MTM CASE-GARD is kinda like a “shopping central for shooters,” so be careful! You meant to buy the two-pound all-weather Jammit Target Stand, then you noticed the Predator Shooting Rest is for handguns as well as long guns, then you needed the Predator table to put it on, then storage for your gear and something to sit on — Hey! The SPUD-7 Dry Box fits! See what I mean? Use some restraint, will ya? |
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The toasty, good-lookin’ SIG TAC coat can keep a gunner warm and dry all winter, and it has these strange, roomy, Velcro-secured hidden interior pockets. They hold SIG pistols very neatly — a coincidence perhaps? We wonder if they know about that. |
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Lots of you asked SUREFIRE for “general duty” lights built to the same tough standards as their blinding tactical lights, but with significantly extended burn times. The new “Outdoorsman” E1L and E2L lights deliver loads of usable lumens and squeeze every spark outta those expensive batteries. |
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For all you cowboy shooters, mountain men, buffalo hunters, Texans — and those who just wish they were — KATZ KNIVES’ “Alamo Bowie” has 10" of sabre-sharp steel blade, handled in ivory Micarta, cherrywood, stag or stag crown, with a highest-quality leather sheath. There’s even a Limited Edition of 300 bearing bold Lone Star medallions set in the stag crown, and nestled in a fine wood presentation case, so get one fast — they won’t last! |
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We all need the right guns, and they all need the right tools. SMITH & WESSON’S well-chosen “Gun Pal” 12-piece bit and driver set comes in a handy pouc. Ain’t nothin’ 1911-flavored that WILSON COMBAT’S “Versa Tool” can’t handle, and GERBER’S new “Freehand” Multi-Plier is their biggest, strongest, slickest model yet. Now, Glock shooters, notice the other photo there, showing a rough, ugly folding knife with a funny rod stickin’ out? That’s the lone prototype of a joint effort by SPYDERCO and LONE WOLF DISTRIBUTORS. The Tactical Armorer’s tool will be a beautiful 4th-generation Endura folder with a 3/32" pin-pushing tool that swings out of the handle — all you need to take down your Glock — with delivery scheduled before the first snow falls! |
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You don’t have to be a cop to appreciate the spacious, thoughtfully compartmented DeLuxe Range Bag from UNCLE MIKE’S Law Enforcement division — just a smart handgunner. Padded and reinforced everywhere it needs to be, it will hold all the guns, ammo and gear you could need for a great day at the pistol range. That blue brick will fit neatly in it too. That’s what SHOOTING CHRONY’S full-featured but bargain-priced “Beta” model chronograph looks like when it’s folded down after telling you how fast your slugs are steppin’ out. |
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The global military cargo experts at HARDIGG now offer their expertise in the civilian Storm Case line of protective containers, and the iM2200 is a big hit for handgunners. Watertight, dustproof, and so airtight it has its own Vortex automatic pressure relief valve, your guns might break before this case does. It’s lockable and FAA approved, of course. The bottom level of dense foam is pre-sectioned and “pluckable,” or you can cut-to-fit with any smooth, hand-polished razor-sharp blade — like an AL MAR Shiva, perhaps? Yeah; go ahead, toss that in too. Gee, you’re a great friend. |
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“Gift knives” don’t have to be gutless! These look good, perform perfectly, and they’ll never languish in a desk drawer because they’re “pretty, but well, pretty wimpy.” Top to bottom, CRKT’S AutoLAWKS-equipped M21-14 is both beefy and beautiful; SPYDERCO’S “Police” is a solid, engraveable classic; SOG’S fast assisted-opening “Twitch XL” looks terrific with a tux, and AL MAR’S slender, elegant Falcon Ultralight will fit almost anywhere — sharp deals! |
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SUREFIRE’S been goin’ around hammering nails with their tough X200 weaponlight, but if you just want to use it to illuminate your target, that’s okay, And STREAMLIGHT’S new TLR-2 puts a bright light and brilliant laser into a trim, tight package. So your pal’s got a little Glock 26 or 27, and no rail to hang his subcompact Insight X2L on? No problem — get him a no-gunsmithing LITERAIL, the only permanently-mounted rail for the mini-Glocks. LiteRail can even fix him up with a nice holster to fit the combo if you’re too cheap to pop for it. |
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JUST SHOOT ME PRODUCTS makes the most challenging, craziest-jumpin’, lead-eating reactive targets in the world, and the Pistol Cube (that weird orange X-block) is nothing but a blast, leaping up to eight feet in the air when hit! Hollowpoints may chew some holes in the polymer material, but it still has a lifespan of 5,000 to 10,000 rounds. The smaller “winged paddle-wheels” are Small Caliber Cubes, made for .17s, .22s and other petite pills, and like the Pistol Cube, they’ll spin, roll, jump, and always leave you with an attainable target sight picture. Shoot ’em up! — and Merry Christmas to all! |
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The folks at U.S. CAVALRY know the value of comfort, cleanliness, hygiene and health in the field, and they carry the very best. “HOO-AHHS” unscented pre-moistened field towels are a soldier’s “baby wipes” on steroids, and “Combat Bath” antibacterial cloths are a bath in a plastic bag. That “SKYDEX” pad and straps are an adjustable retrofit suspension kit that’s the best thing that’s happened to a trooper’s head since the “Fritz” PASGT helmet. Search the site at www.uscav.com for Bug Band insect repellent and Mitigator sting and bite treatment products — they’re all proven performers. Toss in some GOJO Purell Hand Sanitizer, SPENCO 2nd Skin for blister prevention and treatment — maybe a set of fresh boot insoles too — and you’ve got a great gift pack! At the Cav, remembering their own harsh and painful past guides their present and future products and makes your gift shopping easy. Rely on the Cav pro’s, I have for years. |
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Don’t these CRKT knives just shout, “Made for the Marines”? Columbia River Knife & Tool’s big M16-14ZSF at top, and M16-13ZM below, are fast-opening and sure-locking with the patented AutoLAWKS system that gives a folder the strength of a fixed blade — and the Zytel scales are a great match for Marine desert digi-cammies. www.crkt.com Hey! Did we forget the Army? |
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No, and the Army made it simple! They recently asked SPYDERCO to make their classic “Endura” and “Delica” folding knives with FRN textured handles to match the predominant gray-green foliage color in their new ARPAT combat camouflage pattern. Of course, Spyderco delivered, check ’em out at www.spyderco.com. While you’re there, pick up some Spyderco hones to keep all those blades razor sharp and ready for duty
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The troops in Iraq asked, and the Two Big B’s answered: From BROWNELL’S, there’s a contoured, rattle-free improved-over-issue M16 DeLuxe Buttstock Cleaning Kit. Brownell’s also commissioned Blade-Tech to design a single-mag speed carrier to clip on either belt or MOLLE gear with a Tek-Lok back. BlackHawk jumped in with a newly-designed double M16 Magazine Coupler with a TRP “Top Round Protector” which keeps the first-up round of a back-up magazine from moving forward due to shock, causing a potentially fatal malfunction. Sometimes a pack is too big and a cargo pocket is too small — that’s when BlackHawk’s “Battle Bag” is just right. It’s a survival-essentials organizer with M16 and pistol mag pouches, and room for everything from night vision gear to comms and grenades, maps and lights, slung from a shoulder or secured with a hidden belt. www.brownells.com and www.blackhawk.com. |
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Anybody who has fought in an oven like Iraq knows that cotton towels quickly become funky, foul “cootie farms,” besides being too heavy and bulky to begin with. The rule is, “Use twice, then burn,” before they crawl away and hide. MCNETT CORPORATION make soft, super-light, fast-drying and bacteria-denying microfiber towels in every size from face-scrubbers to body-buffers, all in ventilated nylon zip-bags. This is a “Connor’s Choice” item, found at www.mcnett.com! |
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Almost every American in combat is now equipped with a hydration system, perhaps one like the 3-liter Water Beast reservoir which CAMELBAK provides in their totally user-configurable Delta-5 tactical over-armor vest shown here. But regardless what system a soldier has, one thing they’re always short of is cleaning supplies. Go to www.camelbak.com and review the contents of the field cleaning kit, which includes a long flexible brush for the tube, a synthetic scrubber to scour the interior of the reservoir and a two-pack of cleaning tablets, packed in a handy camo pouch. You’re right; better get an eight-pack of those tablets and send ’em with the kit — your thirsty trooper will thank you. |
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For a fine battle blade and equally beefy back-ups, look no further than www.gerbergear.com. The SEAL-designed Silver Trident is a pure fighter that’s qualified to do manual labor too, with a 6.18" blade of 154CM steel and a Hytrel handle. The Applegate-Fairbairn Combat Folder is almost as large deployed, and has a secondary liner lock for super-strength when opened. Finally, the Diesel Multi-Plier is the latest iteration of a distinguished line of multi-function pocket tools, and shows its proud lineage with one-handed operation and lots of “necessaries.” See the well-worn warrior under it? It has its own story. In Iraq in 2004, Army Sergeant First Class Dillard Johnson’s unit was under attack. He was hit with shrapnel in one hand, and his radio was damaged. He grabbed a wounded buddy’s single-hand operated GERBER Multi-Plier, repaired the radio, and called in supporting fire which saved his unit. SFC Johnson was awarded the Silver Star and a Purple Heart — and now he’s never without a Multi-Plier — A new Diesel. |
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Gifts For Grunts
Goodies for Our Warriors —
Who Won’t Be Home For
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Writing Christmas gift guides is a pain in the butt. There’s the searching, the finding, the sorting-out; the back-and-forth with suppliers, testing and writing; not entirely unpleasant, but by the time you’re done it’s minimum-wage work, and it’s still steaming August. Two of those guides — one for Handgunner and one for GUNS Magazine — are for our brothers and sisters deployed to The Rockpile and The Sandbox, Afghanistan and Iraq. And I’d do those guides if I had to pay the publisher to print them.
Some of you know why, don’t you? You’ve been there & done that; sweating or freezing, in wet snow, dripping jungle or scorching sand, so far from home that lights from the family Christmas tree would have to bend like a rainbow to reach you, but the only lights are tracers, and “peace on earth” is just a line on a Hallmark card. You know why I do it. Yeah; three Christmases in combat and one in a military hospital. You know what just getting a Christmas card was like, right?
If you don’t have someone serving, then find someone. It’s not hard; just ask around, or visit the local American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. Get a name and address, and brighten some trooper’s Christmas. Whoever they are in whatever assignment, this will be true: All will give some, and some will give all. You can give a little, and get a lot in return.
Pack your parcels well, stuffing the sides with magazines, like Handgunner, GUNS and American COP, for starters — and chewing gum, jerky, prepaid phone cards and letter writing materials for sure. Be sure to get your Grunt’s AP, FPO or AE address — the one in the U.S. — and ship via U.S. Postal Service “Priority Mail.” That way you’re only paying postage to that military mail forwarding facility, and they take it the rest of the way. I just priced some packages running around two pounds each. Priority Mail to a stateside AP was about six bucks. The same packages sent to a physical address in Baghdad by commercial carrier were quoted at over $135 each.
I can guarantee you two things: First, any of these goodies will be thankfully received and enjoyed thoroughly — especially if they’re not really expected — even more reason to “adopt” someone else’s serving son or daughter. Second, you’ll never feel better about any gift you’ll ever give, than you will about a gift to a grunt in a combat zone. Okay, I’ve set the ball up for the punt, now all you’ve gotta do is kick it through the goalposts!
Now it’s time for me to thank you, and to wish you all a safe, peaceful and very Merry Christmas. Did you notice my Afghani Christmas stocking under the Gerber gear? The lady who sewed it knew that Santa Claus was a “different kind of khareji — a foreigner from “far North” — so she made Santa and his dancing elf look like Mongols. Well, that’s “far,” and it’s sorta “North.” And what? You don’t have a Christmas tree bulb with Bactrian camels and palm trees on it? Gee, they were all over the bazaar in Kandahar. Okay; I’ll get you one next time. Connor OUT. |
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