Author Archives: Commander Zero

The PSA Daggers

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Someone asked me in email about how the Palmetto State Daggers are coming along. A reasonable question.

I’ve taken a couple of them out and shot them and found no real issues. I had one round that failed to feed properly but I suspect the person was limp-wristing the pistol. Other than that, no hiccups at all with S&B and PMC ball ammo. Trigger is a bit mushy but I suppose you can drop in a more responsive Glock-style trigger since this thing is a clone.

I find the grip to be a bit more comfortable with it’s palm swells, and they left off the useless interchangeable backstraps that everyone seems to do these days.

I’ll link to someone elses review of the pistol and say that my experience is pretty much identical. I like them enough, especially at around $260 (dealer) each, that I’ve put back a dozen for myself.

I’d take a genuine Glock over the clone, but I feel pretty confident with this clone. I wouldn’t hesitate to say that if your logistics base is centered around Glock handguns, these are an outstanding choice for a secondary level of redundancy. That is to say, if you wanna leave a gun in the truck, the cabin, the tacklebox, a cache, or as a loaner…and you don’t want to have to buy yet another type of magazine or other logistics…this is a no-brainer.

I’ve put an Olight weaponlight on a full-size Dagger (G17 size) and thats one of my house guns now, for what thats worth.

I can only report on my experiences. Mayb people have had some issues with these guns. All I can say is that I haven’t. I’ve shot three or four different ones, found them about as accurate as the Glock, and don’t really have anything to complain about except for the trigger and some holster fitment issues.

Trigger: mushy, but you can learn to work with it. Alternatively, swap for a another Glock trigger.

Holster: to avoid lawsuits, the Dagger has some style changes from the Glock. Holster with some ‘give’, like cordura or leather, seem to be forgiving enough to fit just fine. Kydex is a bit more strict. Just take the gun to your gun show, find the guy with the big Rubbermaid totes full of used holsters, and find something that fits.

I know its supid, but I also like the color combinations….frame, slide, and barrel come in different colors and you can pretty much pick what you want. I rather perfer the OD green ones with the supressor-height sights and threaded barrel.

So, overall, your buddy Commander Zero says these things seem pretty good to go.

Combat tent sale at Coleman’s Surplus

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This caught my eye a few weeks ago so i ordered one up:

Officially known as TCOP- Tent, Combat, One Person. This tent has been over engineered to withstand almost any situation. The black anodized cold weather rated aluminum shock corded frame is designed to hold up under the harshest of conditions. Main tent bathtub style floor area measures 28 square feet and is made of rip-stop nylon material. The two vestibule areas are a total of 17 square feet which is ideal for additional gear storage. Reversible rain fly is flame retardant, and made of full coverage blackout material with durable taped seams. All netting is 40D nylon “no-see-um” for protection from dust and small insects. Tents are approximately 33” high on the inside. Woodland pattern. Unused in original manufacturer’s box. Tent, fly, frame weighs 6 lbs. 6.7 oz. NSN# 8340-01-535-0134. MADE IN USA.

Condition was, apparently, new and unused. It might have been used at some point, I suppose, but it sure didnt look it. They say unused, the evidence seems to support it.

I like the idea of as light a pack as possible so my go-to for shelter is either a tarp or poncho shelter, or something ridiculously light like a Kifaru tarp..  But, sometimes you just want something you can zip yourself into and get away from those damn mosquitos.

Anyway…if youre looking for a tent and fly suitable for one person who doesnt mind 7# of weight, go check it out before it goes off sale.

LifeStraws…again

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Was up at CostCo and the LifeStraws are now $20 for 4 (or $5 each if you’re mathematically challenged). Its worth having one in your vehicle console (“Glove compartment”), hunting bag, emergency kit, and off-site stash.

 

And…they may turn up as Paratus gifts at that price.

 

 

First impression of Romeo4 XT Pro

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For someone who tries to embrace technology when possible, I have been reluctant to try a red dot scope. No particular reason except that ‘iron sights are good enough’. As a result, I have pretty much zero experience using them.

I may have been missing out. I dropped the Sig Romeo4 XT Pro on my MP5 clone, sighted it in, and…wow. You can shoot a good bit faster when your not trying to line up your rear sight with your front sight, and then lining all that up with the target. Just put dot on target and bang. There is some serious advantage there.

Of course, there’s disadvantage as well since you’re introducing a new failure point…bad electronics, battery failure, etc. But, hey, thats why we keep the open sights, right?

I was really surprised how fast it was to get on target and shoot. I may have to experiment some more with this thing on a true carbine like one of my ARs.

As for the Sig sight itself…well, its a sample of one so I don’t really have anything to compare it against but…it worked and it worked well. Me likey.

Shots fired in anger vs. shots fired in fear

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Friend Of The Blog, Tam, over at View From The Porch, had a post up with a link to this post about how the best fight is the one you never get into. Or, in other words, “The best defense is still not being there.” (Whcih, by the way, is my number one rule for surviving a disaster.)

The post basically says what I’ve said all along: that bullet parties are the exception rather than the rule, and that statistically your chance of needing to shoot someone is ‘not zero’ but fairly close.

But I take tremendous issue with this line: “First, (and I know some people are really going to be disappointed about this), you are most likely not going to be in a gunfight tomorrow. I can say this with some confidence, because statistically very few people ever need to fire their gun in anger.”

Can you spot the issue in that statement? It’s the use of the word ‘anger’. As a law-abiding, peaceful, I-won’t-bother-you-if-you-won’t-bother-me citizen there is never a need to fire a gun in anger. We don’t shoot people because we’re angry…thats what bad guys do. I can’t really think of a time when you’re justified in shooting someone because you’re angry, I can only think of times when you’re justified shooting someone because you’re scared.

The correct construction of that argument should be that “…statistically very few people ever need to fire their gun in fear.”

Crom forefend that you ever have to shoot anyone for any reason, but if it happens I believe that “I fired in anger” will not help your case nearly as much as “I fired in fear”. It is inculcated the minute we start looking into self-defense that you only shoot “in the gravest extreme”, as one author says. No one should be firing their gun in anger.

Am I being nitpicky about the use of words in the OP’s post? Maybe ‘fire their gun in anger’ was just an expression. Perhaps. I’m a  bit sensitive on the subject, and I’ve always been a stickler for precision in language. But, I think that, for me, the only reason to shoot someone, heck..or even point a gun at someone, is out of genuine heartfelt fear for my own safety…not out of anger. Be angry after the incident for the bad guy forcing you to do something that, I assume, you did not want to do. Be angry at him for the way he’s now changed your life and your assumptions about. Be angry at a lot of things. But righteous self-defense comes from a place of fear, not anger.

 

Upgrades

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A while back I posted about how I was rather taken with the Olight weapons light I picked up for my bedside Glock. As it turns out, the one that I got and liked so much, the PL-Pro Valkyrie, has the same footprint as the popular Surefure X-300 series of lights…which means that it fits juuuuuuust right into any holster that accommodates the Surefire.

I mention it because I picked up a Safariland holster a few weeks back that was made to accommodate a Glock with the Surefire light and my Olight-equipped Glock fit it perfectly. Logisitically, its a nice touch.

Speaking of upgrades, I’ve finally decided that, as age comes on apace, it might be time to look into some red dot optics. I like iron sights as much as the next guy but in this age of technology, why not take advantage of the plethora of fast-to-acquire targetting accessories out there.

To that end, I picked up a Sig Romeo4 XT Pro. Its a red dot scope that has a couple nice features and some very good reviews. Notably, there are several different sight images…dot, circle, etc, has a battery life measured in years, and has the nice feature of the dot turning itself off if the gun is motionless for a certain amount of time but then ‘wakes up’ when you pick up the gun. Nice not to have to fumble with turning the sight back on when you need it in a hurry.

I’ll be mounting it on my PTR9 MP5. For my G3 clone, I’m leaning towards the Aimpoint Comp M4 which is what some militaries have done (as well as swapping out the stocks for something more optic friendly).

Ah, I remember those days when iron sights on the AR15 were crisp and clear. Seems a million years ago. Getting old ain’t for sissies. Sure, I can still use the iron sights  but theyre just a tad fuzzier than they used to be.

Anyway, I’ll take the 9mm PTR to the range this weekend and see if I can hit the plates faster with the dot than i can with the irons. Should be interesting.

Long-term food at WinCo

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WinCo is at it again. For those of you who are local, or who are willing to make the drive into town, we are talking about the Winco at Reserve & South. They had the Augason Farms products again but his ime with something new…fake meat. They had ‘ground beef substitute’ which as we all know is code for TVP. Now, being a good survivalist as well as someone who reads food labels, i can tell you that TVP is a long-time staple of many preparedness-marketed foods. Real long-term-ready meat is not cheap. But TVP is. So when you roll up on a bucket of survival food and it mentions ‘hearty chili’ or somesuch, check that label. Odds are high that the beef you think is in that stew or chili is actually TVP.

Now, if TVP actually was indistinguishable from the real deal, I would be a supporter of it. But I have tried TVP and I have tried preparing it in a dozen different ways. I have never had an episode where I got a mouthful of it and thought it was indistinguishable from real meat. Maybe if you cook it up in enough taco seasoning and add enough salsa you might overlook it’s non-meat texture and favor but…no.

However….it is a great protein source that stores wll (but then again, so is rice & beans). Anyway, its there if you want it. They are also selling cans of beef stew vegetable blend, so get a can of the veggies, a can of the beef TVP, a gallon or two of water and you’ve got post-apocalyptic dinner in hand.

Whether you like TVP or not (and Im in the ‘not’ camp) you have to be practical and realize that for its intended use (keeping you from starving during the Bad Times) it’s actually a good product. However, its not for me and I’d rather simply store real meat..either canned or freeze-dried.

Anway, its up at WinCo and even if you’re not into the TVP, there’s still some other stuff up there worth picking up.

Paratus approaches

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Hey kids…a gentle reminder that this year Paratus falls on Sept. 15th. For those of you familiar with Paratus, the holiday by and for survivalists, no introduction is needed. However, if you’re new here you should go read the world famous Paratus FAQ and learn about your holiday.

Paratus cards are at the printer and will be sent out at the appropriate time. How do you get on the Paratus card list? Usually by either engaging with me throughout the year, or kicking into Patreon and providing me a mailing address. A smaller percentage of people will get gifts in addition to a card. The gifts will, of course, follow the gift-giving rubric in the FAQ.

An d, of course, you are more than welcome to send me a Paratus card/gift of your own. Make sure to poke some holes in the box so she can breathe 😉

Range day

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Went to the range for Independence Day and did a bit of shooting because ‘Murica.

Put a Magpul vertical foregrip and backup sights on the JAKL and fired another 100 rounds through it. No hiccups. And the bolt hold open is now functioning with the Pmags, so it looks like after about 300 rounds this thing is doing everything it should.

SO, have my impressions about it changed? Nope. It’s basically an AK in .223 with AR ergos. It has its pluses and minuses over an AR. It’s more compact and it can be shot without cleaning a good bit longer than the AR. Because it has moving parts up front along the barrel, it won’t be as accurate as an AR but it’ll certainly be ‘accurate enough’ for the sort of tasks a gun like this would be called up for.

In .223 there’s a good bit of variety these days…AR, Mini14, AK, AR180, Beretta, Sig, FN, etc. Seems like everyone makes a pew-machine in .223 these days. Not like in the old days. But although the AR still has detractors, (I know a Vietnam vet who swears up and down that the AR platform is garbage, but his experience discounts almost 60 years of development and improvement) it is probably the most developed, refined, and improved semi-auto rifle that ever existed.

When its time to run out the door with a rifle, I’ll grab the AR over the JAKL but that’s mostly because of the long and proven track record of the AR platform. But, I have to say, so far I’m liking the JAKL and plan to do a good bit more shooting with it. At the moment, I’m putting it below the AR but above the Mini14.