Forage in the Woods for Wild Edible Plants

We've found that foraging in the woods has been a great way to increase our sustainability, improve our survival skills, and provide food for ourselves without having to rely as much on grocery stores. It's been an adventure in experiential learning. Once we started to realize just how much food was available in the forest around us, we dropped everything we were doing to gather as many gallons of free fruit from the surrounding woods as we could cart home with us.
Not only have become more intimately familiar with our own region of the world, gathering berries has been a great crash-course for us in learning how to can and preserve our own food. I'm happy to say we now have delicious jams stockpiled away for the colder months.
Whether you live in the Rockies like us or somewhere else entirely, there are bound to be edible plants near you. I hope that our experience inspires you to start seeking out what nature has abundantly provided.
Below are some of the berries we've been capitalizing on in our region of the world.

Huckleberries

Tangy like a blueberry, huckleberries are a big deal around us. They grow in higher elevations and are often hard to come by, so people will go to great lengths to acquire them. In some cases they can sell for over $40 a gallon!
After several picking sessions, we've gathered close to five gallons of huckleberries. The time upfront is well worth it for the opportunity to be in nature and make some incredible berry-­filled recipes.

Thimbleberries

Though these berries looked slightly poisonous when we have walked by them in the past, we can guarantee to you from personal experience that they are perfectly edible­ and delicious! Our region of Idaho is just ripening up with these berries and we've found that they are better suited for jams and jellies than casual snacking. So far we've harvested a quart and anticipate getting more as they continue to ripen, turning it all into a thimbleberry jam.

Wild Raspberries

Surprisingly smaller than their cultivated cousins, wild raspberries are an awesome trail side snack this time of year. Juicy and delicate, wild raspberries often don't keep well and are best eaten right away or cooked down into jam. Because of their similarity to thimbleberries, the two can be combined in recipes for added complexity of taste.

Serviceberries

Far from our favorite berry, serviceberries are actually quite bland and tasteless, though they are fairly common in our area. We will be making a jam out of these berries to give them a try, or we may even try to make an ice cream out of them! Worst case, these berries can be combined with other fruits to make the end-product more palatable, but we have high hopes for making something delicious out of them alone!

Wild Foods We Haven't Eaten Yet

We've done a lot of experimentation with wild foods in our area so far, but we're only at the tip of the iceberg with this new found food source. There are dozens of wild plants we haven't had the chance to try yet, but hopefully with time we'll be able to knock more off our list.
Cattails. We didn't know that cattails were edible until just a few weeks ago, but now I'm eager to try some! The peeled stocks are apparently great for pickling, and the pollen can apparently be used as a superfood or even as a flour substitute. Can’t wait to try these wild ideas out!
Camas­. A beautiful purple-­flowered plant, the roots of camas are not only edible, but were once considered a delicacy! The roots supposedly taste sweet with a slightly sticky texture.  Though I don’t know that I’d consider them to be an everyday meal option, camas would be a great survival food to have on hand or access to in an emergency situation.
Stinging Nettle. Though difficult to handle (it really does sting you!) this type of nettle loses all its prickles when cooked. Nettles grow just about anywhere and recipes for cooking with them are in abundance the internet, so there is no excuse to not try this forest delicacy.
Fireweed. As these are scattered throughout the forests around us, we're hoping this fun plant is a delicious as it is gorgeous! The flower petals are supposed to make a great jelly, though you will need a bit patience to harvest the quantity of flowers needed.

How to Forage and Find Edible Wild Plants Wherever You Live

Though it’s natural instinct to think of the grocery store first when it comes to food, there is plenty of free food available in nature, so long as you know what to look for. Take some time to cultivate your edible forest product side by taking a hike with an experienced friend or guidebook to educate you about what you can eat.

This should be common sense, but remember to never try eating a plant you can't identify. That's just asking to get poisoned.

Learn to Suture – Wound Closure Course & Supplies

Prepping 101: Learn to Suture – Wound Closure Course & Supplies

The Apprentice Doctor Suture Kit/Course $69
The same kit on Ebay – $69
Suture Supplies Kit with Bonus Materials
(note that sutures are sometimes listed as practice or veterinary do to the Ebay T&C but they are all the same thing)
Demetech Sutures on Ebay
Keebomed Sutures on Ebay
Oasis Sutures on Ebay
How to Stitch Up Wounds (Free PDF from TheApprenticeDoctor.com)
Guide for Choosing the Right Suture Material (Free PDF from TheApprenticeDoctor.com)
Ethicon Wound Closure Manual (Free PDF from Video)
The last time that I covered the topic of traumatic injury, a lot of EMT types came into the comments. Anyone who has been trained in the medical profession of course would feel that only a trained professional doctor should attempt any kind of medical procedure. And for them, that included any real wound care at all. I disagree. Some issues require a complex diagnosis. Some things require a trained and experienced hand. But some things are just one course in medical school, plus some non-human practice. Suturing is one of those things, and in a survival situation, it is more likely than not something you will need.
I don’t suggest that anyone just buy sutures and Lydocaine and add it to your kit. As you’ll see in the video, I found an extremely thorough suturing course made for the do it yourselfer. They take you through not only the proper method of handling the suturing needle, but also several knots and examples of where in the tissue you would pierce to close a wound. It comes with practice skin, and a CD with instruction and videos, using the practice skin.
There are also sections on cleaning wounds, tying knots, and a lot of other useful material, and the kit comes with a full set of suturing tools that are used on the CD course. At $69, the course is not overpriced for what you get. The tools alone go for $15-$30, and if you just buy the tools, you don’t get specific instruction using those tools.
What the CD course does not cover is how to select a suturing material, and a suturing needle. I have linked above to the PDF sent to me by TheApprenticeDoctor.com that covers these topics. Their PDF is put out by a suture company, and I have linked to a separate PDF from another suture company. With all of the PDFs above, you don’t absolutely need the $69 kit, especially if you don’t intend to sit down and practice with the practice skin right away. But if you can afford it, I think it is a great investment. They will send you a link after you buy it to the CD content in an Ebook as well, with screencaps of the videos. It’s a great value from a company that put a lot of effort into making you competent at wound closure.
Bulk sutures on Ebay go for about $1 each to $3 each, depending on whether you are ok with less known name brands from overseas. The expensive sutures are from Demetech, which is right here in South Florida. The sutures I have linked to above are fresh and have a 5 year freshness date on them. For silk or nylon, there is probably no expiration date at all, and that may be true of the synthetics as well I don’t know. Once you understand how to select suture material, and that it isn’t really important in a survival situation whether you leave a scar or not, you won’t waste a lot of resources buying different materials and thicknesses. I strongly doubt that any of us will be repairing individual blood vessels or nerves, so there is no point going dainty, only to be frustrated by breakage. A 3.0 silk with a 3/8ths or 1/2 circle reverse cutting needle will cover most major trauma. Just make sure you learn the basics and hopefully practice before you need your new rudimentary skills and tools.
I have also linked above to a suture kit that comes with some good basic supplies for cleaning wounds and suturing an actual human with a serious injury, and that kit comes with Bonus Material that will make the job a lot easier. If the link above is sold out, he has asked me to give you his email address of aberc4stts1 at yahoo.com as a backup.
If you have a source for Lydocaine yourself, the injection kind, not the topical kind, grab some. It is not technically a controlled drug, but the online pharmacies will not sell it to you directly. As explained on this website, Lydocaine that contains epinephrine is preferable to doctors because the epi slows down the absorption of the Lydocaine, and if you have a seeping bleeding problem, it can stop the bleeding. Be very careful with any injectable Lydocaine. Use a very small needle, and make sure to draw a little before you inject, because if you inject into a blood vessel it will kill the patient. Those little glass vials are meant to be used with a dental aspirating syringe and disposable needles, and they are popular because Lydocaine is very thick and can be a pain to draw. If you are drawing from a bottle, you may want to get some 18 gauge needs to draw, then inject with a 25. I am not a doctor of course. This is just what I have read in my own research.
It would also behoove you to get some antibiotics. I have explained before that you can get medications made for fish and birds that contain exactly the same antibiotics that humans get. Amoxicillin, Erythromycin, Ciprofloxacin and others are available through Ebay and other online sources. Just look. Modern combo antibiotics, like Augmentin, are available from India. Don’t be afraid to order from them, and at the same time you can stock up on your blood pressure meds and even birth control pills. If you are clicking this article long after the November of 2016 release date, that link may not work. They are pretty aggressive in taking down any source of medication that are not from the American medical cabal. The book Survival Medicine explains the differences in the antibiotics, and it is only $15 these days at Amazon.
Many of you have noticed that I shut comments off for these articles some time ago, and articles like this are why I did that. If I left them on, we would see an instant barrage of people saying that you’ll kill your friends and get sued if you try to close a wound yourself. The point is that if need this skill, all the doctors are already dead, or the hospital is so hopelessly overrun that you’d never get stitched up in time to make a difference. Your friend is going to die if you don’t figure out how to stitch him up, and the legal system will not be accepting any torte cases for the foreseeable future, if there is any legal system left at all. This column isn’t about preparing for a hurricane or big snowstorm. We are talking about the end of our civilization for a long long time. It is coming, and these recent developments suggest that it could be coming sooner rather than later.

Savage 10 BA Stealth Rifle

Savage 10 BA Stealth Rifle—Full Review

The Savage 10 BA Stealth, shown here chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor and sporting a 24-inch barrel, offers beginning precision rifle shooters a great gun at a great price.

Savage is well-known for producing rifles that outperform their price points. In fact, they often can outshoot rifles that cost twice as much or more. I recently had a chance to try out the 10 BA Stealth, which is designed to be lightweight, simple, and above all accurate. It’s available in either .308 Win or 6.5 Creedmoor. Starting with a factory blueprinted action, Savage adds a precision barrel, in this case a 24-inch 1:8 twist, fluted barrel with 5/8 x 24” threading at the muzzle. This barreled action is factory designed for the best possible accuracy unlike others that simply drop a run-of-the-mill setup in a nice stock.  It comes with a single-piece flat rail (no elevation) for scope attachment, and an oversized bolt knob.

The rifle feeds from an included 10-round detachable magazine.

SPECS

• Chambering: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Barrel: 24 inches
• OA Length: 38.5 inch
• Weight:9.2 pounds
• Stock: FAB Defense
• Sights: Scope rail provided
• Action: Bolt-action
• Finish: Black anodized
• Capacity: 10
• MSRP: $1,207

Savage has worked in conjunction with Drake Associates and uses their monolithic aluminum design chassis. Machined from a solid billet it utilizes AICS-patterned magazines and an AR pistol grip and buffer tube/stock.  It houses an adjustable Savage AccuTrigger. Minimalist in design, the stock extends forward slightly and uses M-LOK rails to accommodate accessories, and a single sling stud is provided from the factory.  A Fab Defense stock using a cheek riser goes over the six position tube, but it will accept any AR tube allowing the use of precision stock systems if needed.  At 9.2 pounds, it is as light as precision rifles go and well balanced.  Retail is $1,207.00 for both the .308 (with a 20-inch barrel) and 6.5 Creedmoor (with a 24-inch barrel) models.
To my mind, it is a great starter rifle for the precision rifle enthusiast due to its retail price point of $1,207 and its ability to easily accept AR-pattern accessories. This one has a lot of potential to get a lot of new (as well as experienced) shooters out into the field of long-range shooting.

The author equipped the rifle with a Burris scope and GEMTECH suppressor for testing.

Testing

During my testing, scope duties were handled by Burris Optics new XTR II 3-15x50mm FFP (First Focal Plane)  scope using a 34mm tube and SCR lighted Mil Lined reticle. Mounted in a set of Vortex Precision Matched Rings, it  zeroed with ease. Clarity on the glass is excellent and the reticle is comparable to any simple Mil-lined reticle on the market.  The vertical line has 20 mils graduated in half mil increments below the horizontal line.  There are five mils above with the last two graduated in .10 mils. Extending on either side are 10 mils graduated in .2 of a mile for the first five where another .10 mils section sits for ranging calculation. The center section is lighted for three mils on either side and six mils below the center line. Dialed up to 15 power, there were 11 mils available for holds with the entire horizontal line visible. Knobs are tactile with audible clicks at .10 mils per click and 10 mils per revolution. The XTR uses a zero stop that is easily adjusted. Loosen the screws, slip the knobs to zero and press firmly and re-tighten. Parallax adjustment sits on the right along with lighted reticle activation. There are 11 settings with “battery saver” steps in between each setting and a hard “off” setting at both ends. Scope covers that flip flat against the scope when open are included.

The Burris used during testing was an XTR II 3-15x50mm first focal plane model that really impressed the author.

If at all possible, any precision rifle used for tactical work should be suppressed. The advantages are huge, and the drawbacks short of cost are all but non-existent. In keeping with that philosophy, I attached Gemtech’s Dagger direct threat suppressor for all the testing.  Rated to .300 WM and built from titanium, it only weighs in at 15.3 ounces. It can be used on smaller calibers on barrels as short as 7.5 inches for 300 BLK, and 10.3 inches in 5.56mm and 6.8 SPC. It’s even rated for a 12-inch .308 barrel and an 18-inch 300 WM, making it extremely versatile.

The GEMTECH Dagger used by the author fit easily on the rifle’s threaded muzzle, and is rated up to .300 WM.

Range Time

Savage starts with a blueprinted action to insure accuracy, and it worked. Starting just after dawn it was cool and smoky due to some fires in the area, but wind was minimal and the bugs had yet to come out. My first group in testing measured just over half an inch, and it just got better from there. My best group was fired using Hornady’s 143 Grain ELD-X Precision Hunger at a tad over .35 inches. While I have produced better groups in my life, I have not with a factory rifle costing just $1,200.00. My next best group was produced using Doubletap’s rather juicy 127-grain LRX at .45 inches.  Nothing exceeded .70 inches during the test, all were very consistent. Moving out to 500 yards on steel, six rounds of Hornady/ELD match were loaded up with elevation dialed in using data from my Kestrel Applied Ballistics Meter. Not a single miss was had, with all hitting close to center.

The author’s best group of .35 inches was achieved with Hornady ammo, and all ammo tested came in sub-MOA.

Being my first real test of the Burris XTR II, I was very impressed.  Retail pricing on this model is only $1,259.00, a price range that is becoming incredibly competitive.  Scopes that cost 3K are great and offer features a few shooters need, but this Burris and similar scopes perform well for the vast majority of conditions. The glass is as clear as any in this price range; as clear as some with twice the price tag.
Measurements were consistent when working from 100-800 yards using input from the Kestrel.  First round hits were the norm until the wind kicked up, but elevation stayed consistent. Knobs are easy to grab with firm and audible clicks. Setting the zero stop is easy and was used in between each change of distance. When the day was done it held its zero to within .25 inches. Given a 20-degree temperature change and a couple hundred rounds using a suppressor, that is about as good as it gets. Still more long-term testing to do, but if this run is any indication this is an excellent scope in general, let alone for its price.
Gemtech prides itself on sound reduction and their Dagger delivers. Most of the time there was just a puff of white smoke. Most suppressors designed primarily for sound reduction will result in increased bolt lift on rapid fire strings, and this was no exception. It takes time to allow the trapped gas to dissipate so run the bolt hard and fast, and by round four or five you will need to work a bit harder to lift the bolt.  Most of the time a count of one or two seconds between shots eliminates this. As a practical matter it’s not a concern for most precision shooters, but if you compete with a suppressor you need to be aware of it.

The FAB Defense stock came standard on the rifle, although the AR buffer tube extension design allows you to swap it.

The hand guard portion of the stock features M-LOK attachment points and is short and compact.

Hand guards of reduced or minimal length like this one seem to be gaining in popularity. Most shooters have no need to hang lasers, lights, rangefinders, or anything other than a bi-pod off their rifles. If you need all of those things, and or clip on NV (Night Vision), this stock may be problematic.  There is plenty of room for a light, maybe one other device, but it will cramp your style a bit. If not, it saves quite a bit of weight you will never use. Working barricades and around the bench there was a tad less space for bags and the like, but not unworkable at all. If you spend much of your time in prone or resting on a bag it is fine.
The FAB Defense cheek rest on the stock never came loose and provided a pretty solid purchase. It never collapsed under recoil nor interfered with positions. Recoil was minimal with the 6.5 Creedmoor, so that was not an issue. If you want something different it’s pretty easy, just swap them out. If you prefer a precision rifle stock of some type you just change the buffer tube.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a reasonably priced precision rifle capable of accuracy exceeding most shooters, the Savage 10 BA Stealth is an excellent choice. You get a rifle with a blueprinted action, a great barrel and impressive performance at a retail price of around $1,200. Chambering it in 6.5 Creedmoor provides a solid platform for longer-range target shooting and precision rifle competitions. The stock is rock solid, it works with AICS magazines, it balances well, and accuracy is excellent. It allows you to change stocks and pistol grips as needed to meet personal needs. If it has a limitation, it’s the hand guard length, but that’s all about personal need and preference. Far too many people buy what they think is “operational” with features (and weight) they just don’t need. If you are planning on hanging another 10 pounds of stuff on the end of your rifle you may want to look at something different.

The AR-pattern grip performed well, and can be easily swapped out with any other AR-pattern grip.

The tang-mounted safety was simple and easy to operate for the author.

Savage rifles have always been accurate, but they are also amongst the most user friendly on the market. Barrel changes can be made with simple tools due to the barrel nut system; no need to take them to a custom shop. This rifle would accept any barrel change using a .308-based cartridge pretty simply, so it’s easy to change caliber or even length for different purposes.

The rifle comes standard with the terrific AccuTrigger system.

Savage has done a great job with this rifle meeting what may be the largest demographic for precision rifle shooters, the entry level. It will shoot at a much higher level for sure, but it allows new shooters to experience the joy that comes from ringing steel at 1,000 yards consistently, or putting five rounds into a hole you can cover with a dime. If you are new to precision rifle shooting and want a start, the combination of the Stealth and the Burris HTR II worked great. For those Savage fans, you now have an out-of-the-box blue printed action in a proven long range caliber (6.5 Creedmoor) that is soft shooting and easy to maneuver. Either way it is a great choice and should be added to anyone’s list of precision rifle choices.

The Freedom Munitions .223 Wylde G.I. Rifle

I was recently sent a gun from a company that I had previously only purchased ammunition from, which was interesting. The good people at Freedom Munitions had formed a partnership with their neighbors, Seekins Precision, in Lewiston, Idaho. Seekins has a great reputation as a quality boutique manufacturer of AR parts and complete rifles. The cool product of this partnership is that Freedom Munitions is now stocking what they call the G.I. Rifle, which has all the best options that Seekins offers for around a grand! The exciting part is that they have this rifle in stock now, ready to ship to your FFL.
What makes the G.I. rifle so unique is the fact that Seekins Precision rifles are usually not “price point” products. Seekins has a great reputation for quality, and prices their rifles at reasonable ranges for the quality you are receiving. But, these prices often range from above $1,500 (with some around $1,250 at the lowest). So, the sub-$1,000 ballpark price of the G.I. is notable. Sure, $949.50 is still a lot of money, but you get a lot for that money with this rifle that makes it a real value, in my opinion. Read on to find out more.

The rifle was equipped with the optional 60-degree ambidextrous safety lever, which the author liked.

Unboxing

The GI Rifle came in a plastic hard case precut outlined in the Mil-spec high-density 2.2-lb. polyethylene to match the rifle and all the accessories. Also included were three Freedom Munitions-branded AMEND2 30-round magazines (one comes standard with the rifle). These magazines were black polymer with a textured grip, anti-tilt follower and stainless steel spring. The magazines can be painted with Cerakote.
The rifle has a 16-inch barrel with a twist rate of 1:8, is chambered in .223 Wylde (which means that it can shoot both 5.56x45mm and .223 Remington) and has an ArmorBlak coating. From what I can tell, ArmorBlak is a durable coating that, unlike Melonite, will not affect the heat treatment of the metal. The barrel was capped off with a A2X Flashhider, threaded at 1/2x 28. Covering the barrel was the beautiful 12-inch Seekins Precision MCSR M-LOK Free Float Handguard. This is a traditional gas-operated gun, featuring an M16 bolt carrier group and an M4 feed ramp. The upper receiver has a Mil-Spec 1913 Picatinny rail feeding into the matching rail on top of handguard.

The buttstock on the G.I. is a Mission First Tactical Battlelink Minimalist MilSpec unit.

The buttstock on the rifle is the Battlelink Minimalist MilSpec adjustable stock from Mission First Tactical. The stock is made from military-grade reinforced, super-tough polyamide. This makes for a very strong yet incredibility light stock. The pistol grip, also from Mission First Tactical, feels good in the hand and has storage in the grip for kit of your choice.
Housed within the lower receiver is a milspec standard trigger. The selector switch is fully ambidextrous and offers you the choice between a 90-degree standard throw lever and a 60-degree short throw lever. My sample rifle was set up with the 60-degree option. The selector has a diamond texture added that aids in maintaining contact with the lever, and it has the added benefit of looking great. The trigger guard is oversized and uniquely-shaped to add to the appearance and facilitate the use of gloves. The bolt catch is the Seekins oversized catch with an aggressive diamond texture for positive operation. Locking the bolt back is facilitated by the bottom portion of the catch, which is also oversized and diamond textured for this reason. Even the mag release button, billet CNC machined from a solid piece of aluminum, is diamond textured to match the other controls.
So, it should be clear by now that while the G.I. rifle has an introductory-level price point, it is very well-appointed on enhancements and feature upgrades. This is not a bone-stock M4-style carbine, but a nicely appointed little rifle.

Let’s Be Clear

The following is a clarification to avoid confusion, not necessarily a point of criticism. The G.I. Rifle’s upper and lower receiver are CNC made from 7075–T6 aluminum forgings. This is not a complaint, but I want to clarify this, as Seekins is best-known for their very creatively-machined billet receivers. Both the selector switch and bolt catch are manufactured using metal injected molding (MIM). They claim that this allows for the selection of a proprietary material that is considerably stronger than billet or factory milspec.

A 12-inch Seekins Precision MCSR M-LOK Free Float Handguard comes standard on the G.I.

Now, for my opinion: All of the AR-15 style guns that I currently own are manufactured using an aluminum forging. I have never had an issue with this material. I do believe that the billet is a stronger, more durable base to build the gun from. However, on this platform I believe that its advantage is primarily to allow for a higher, more detailed level of artistic customization. I have had some less-than-spectacular results with MIM parts, and as a rule I generally try to avoid them. That being said, I am not in the manufacturing business, nor am I any class of an engineer. I will defer to others who’ve told me that it is quite probable that the claims made about the process and materials are completely accurate in regards to producing a better part using MIM over machining from billet.

The G.I. has all the features you want from an AR and none that you do not, and all at a great price.

SPECS

• Chambering: .223 Wylde
• Barrel: 16 inches
• OA Length: 30-34 inches
• Weight: 7.3 pounds
• Stock: Battlelink Minimalist
• Sights: None (Picatinny rail)
• Action: Direct gas impingement
• Finish: Matte black
• Capacity: 30+1
• MSRP: $949.50

Range Prep

The GI Rifle did not come with optic or sights installed, and I wanted to choose an optic that reflected the potential of this gun. To that end I mounted up the MeOpta Meostar 1-6X24 RD with a 30mm main tube. I selected this optic due to its impressive 113-foot field-of-view at 100 yards. It also came with windage and elevation turrets that offered easy adjustments. The illuminated red dot in the center had eight levels of intensity to choose from. Each of these eight settings are followed by an intermediate off position, so that the dot can be turned off and back on without having to cycle through all of the options to return to your preferred level of brightness. Nice! I found that it had plenty of power for daylight use, and the adjustment allowed for use in the faintest amount of ambient light.

The rifle comes with one 30-round polymer magazine branded with the Freedom Munitions logo.

The reticle in this scope is the K-Dot 2, which features a dot in the center framed by horizontal and vertical guidelines. I found that this setup allowed me to bring my eye quickly to the center of the scope. With the magnification set at 1X, this essentially functioned as a red dot optic, allowing me to shoot with both eyes open. The magnification can be dialed up to a power of 6X as needed for performance at longer ranges.
The Meostar 1-6X24 RD was just an incredible scope on all levels. I intend on using this optic as a hunting scope, for self-defense and even for competition shooting. With the clear glass and excellent light-gathering ability, this is a remarkable optic.
Since I had received this rifle from Freedom Munitions, I thought it would only be appropriate to shoot some of their remanufactured .223 55 grain FMJ through the gun. I also grabbed some Black Hills 5.56 77 grain Open Tip Match (OTP) as well as some Aguila 62-gr. FMJBT ammo.

On the Range

Upon arriving at the range, I wanted to zero the scope on the rifle. I had done a bore sighting, so I knew that I would at least be on paper to begin with. To start off, I was using the Freedom Munitions 55-grain FMJ. As usual, the first few rounds were major adjustments, with the subsequent rounds and adjustments becoming progressively smaller. However, I couldn’t quite reach the point where I felt like the rifle was really fine-tuned and dialed in. It seemed as if there was some kind of wandering zero, or perhaps that the scope wasn’t securely mounted to the rifle. I was just about ready to pack the rifle up and head home when I decided to try one more variable, and that was the ammunition.

The author ran both some remanufactured Freedom Munitions 55-grain ammo as well as some Black Hills 77-grain match ammo through the rifle.

I switched to the 77-grain Black Hills and instantly the rifle began to reveal its true potential. At 100 yards my next three shots, although they did not impact the center of the target, were less than an inch apart and there were only two holes for the three shots! I began to realize that I had cracked the code, and it was apparent to me that the Freedom Munitions loads were simply not capable of producing the accuracy that the rifle could. I went back and analyzed my previous work with the Freedom Munitions rounds and discovered that I was getting about a 3-inch group at 100 yards. But, bear in mind that this is not designed to match ammunition, but rather good remanufactured range and practice loads.
Now that I had the rifle well and truly zeroed, I set about determining the overall functionality of the gun. As I’ve said many times before, a gun that truly works well is more than just the sum of its parts. First and foremost, I noticed the 60° short throw selector was a pleasure to run, although I do believe that this is going to be one of those love it or hate it features. To me, it was faster and provided a better sense of control than I typically experience with a 90° selector. I plan on installing this on some of my other rifles soon. The other two controls were certainly an improvement over the standard fare, but not quite as pronounced as the selector. The magazine release was an extended version with their diamond texturing, and I found it easy to manipulate without inadvertently dumping a magazine on the ground. The bolt catch/release lever was easy to operate, and provided a superior feel and function as well.
The magazines that came with the gun ran without a single malfunction, and appeared to be sufficiently durable. They don’t particularly have any defining features that set them apart from most of the other high-quality polymer magazines on the market today. I also ran a variety of metal and polymer magazines through the gun, and none of them had any issues.
I took this gun to the range several times, and each time the gun performed at 100%. Mind you, there was no cleaning or maintenance done between trips. When I finally took the gun apart for photography, it was obvious that this gun was not some sensitive Sally; it was built for serious purposes.

The G.I. rifle, despite its low price, comes with several upgrades/enhancements such as an enlarged trigger guard and specially textured bolt catch lever.

For those on a budget (like an LE officer buying his own weapon), the G.I. offers a lot of bang for the buck.

Final Thoughts

As they say, you get what you pay for—or at least you should. There are probably a few people out there who are going to tell me what all this-and-that they could get for $949.50, and how this gun is not a good value, etc. Well I’m putting my money where my mouth is on this one: I sent the folks at Freedom Munitions a check for this particular gun. This G.I. Rifle is light, reliable, and accurate, and it has some innovative controls. Make no mistake, there are certainly cheaper guns out there, and I own a few. There are more expensive guns out there, too, and I own a few of those. Nevertheless, I’m hard-pressed to find a better value in this price range on the market today.

Lightweight .50: The Desert Eagle L6—Full Review

Green Beret Blows Up Stuff with a Lightweight .50: The Desert Eagle L6—Full Review.

Picking up a Magnum Research Desert Eagle .50 cal. instantly conjures stories from Hollywood, or maybe Lara Croft if you were raised in the Playstation age. If the bad guy in a movie is carrying the DE, you know he is BA. (That’s bad ass for our older readers without a twitter account.) I myself can’t look at the gun without my subconscious whispering “because yours says replica, and mine says Desert Eagle point five oh.” It is certainly an instantly recognizable icon, and sure to stand out in a crowd.

The Desert Eagle L6 is a behemoth of a .50-cal., but MRI managed to shave a full pound of weight off of it.

SPECS

• CHAMBERING: .50 Action Express
• BARREL: 6 inches
• OA LENGTH: 10.75 inches
• WEIGHT: 3 pounds, 7 ounces
• GRIPS: Rubber
• SIGHTS: fixed
• ACTION: Single-action
• FINISH: Stainless steel slide, matte-black alloy frame
• CAPACITY: 7+1
• MSRP: $2,054.00

I am decidedly pretty boring when it comes to firearms. Everything I own is practical, and the closest thing I have to a peculiar caliber is my 10mm Glock. I was actually a bit concerned when this gun came to me for review; because it is nothing I would even entertain purchasing. I have revolvers in magnum calibers, but I have never really cared for ultra-powerful handguns. One cylinder of a .454 Casull was enough for me, and they can keep the .500 S&W. I don’t hunt (except people), so before I moved to the Pacific Northwest even 10mm was a bit much for critter control. So, what are the practical purposes of a Desert Eagle .50 Action Express? Well, the only one I can think of is for hunters/fishermen in Grizzly territory, that don’t like revolvers. Which is a pretty limited segment of the population. I am happy to report that this opinion changed after I took this bad Johnson to the range.
Practical can sit down and shut its dirty mouth. A degree in accounting is practical, but you don’t see kids dressed up as Mr. McGillicuty from the local CPA office on Halloween. We want to tour with Spinal Tap, with all the drugs, booze, and groupies promised to a shooting star Rock God. And that is what the DE brings. It is fun to shoot in a way that is hard to describe with words. You had to be there, man. You had to be there. I giggle every time I spark this big bastard off. That has been true from the first shot to the last. I am absolutely unapologetic about the fact that I flinch every third shot. Most times when I pick up a pistol I feel its weight, or balance, or craftsmanship. When I pick up this .50, I feel destructive power. And it feels good.
Now, the most significant element of this new model, dubbed the L6, is the fact that it has a lightweight alloy frame. But, light is really a relative concept, isn’t it? The Desert Eagle .50 L6 is no small fry still for sure, but MRI has managed to shave some serious weight off the platform. The other DE .50s in the line-up weigh in at 4 pounds, 7 ounces, so we have dropped about a pound here on this new gun. That is quite a gain in a pistol of this size.

Made in Pillager, MN. That just about says it all!

The .50 AE cartridge (right), next to a 9mm (center) and a .44 Mag. (left).

I must also admit, I didn’t know much about the caliber .50 Action Express when I received this gun. I assumed it was a lot like .50 GI, which you can convert a Glock or 1911 to shoot. Why do you shoot a .45? Because they don’t make a 46! .50 GI is essentially just slightly larger diameter 45 ACP. To me, that is a solution looking for a problem. Not so the .50 Action Express. This thing is a monster. I almost loaded my shorts when I first popped open the Hornady box. The cartridge is comparable in size to Off The Res 6’s thumb. 350 grains of kick-your-ass moving at 1,320 FPS is serious business.

The author ran some Hornady 300-gr. ammo through the L6 for testing.

For testing purposes, we used both Hornady 300 grain and MRI 350 grain. Both cycled equally well, and the Hornady XTP adds new meaning to the phrase “chucking ashtrays.” The abyss they call a hollow point on this bullet is absolutely massive. The MRI ammunition was a soft point FMJ, which would be more than adequate for social work in this loading. The MRI averaged about 1,320 FPS as mentioned, while the 300-grain Hornady was 1,385 fps.
How was the recoil you ask? It was present, to say the least. I credit the dual recoil springs that are present in the Desert Eagle design, and they are quite heavy, with eating a lot of that. But if you were concerned about recoil, you wouldn’t be looking at this gun. I did manage to empty the gun (7+1 rounds) in under two seconds, mostly on target, but you will feel it. Trust me.
How did it do on paper? I didn’t even bother. I already admitted I flinch a lot shooting this gun, so that is kind of unfair to the group size. And for me personally, shooting 300 grain Hornady XTP at paper would be sacrilege. Why would you shoot at paper, when you can shoot at things that explode? The closest I came to an accuracy test was golf balls at 10 meters. The answer is 1.) yes, it is accurate enough to do that and 2.) the result was hilarious.

The barrel of the L6 has an integral Picatinny rail, as does the alloy frame.

How about reliability? I did have a couple times when the slide didn’t go all the way into battery with the next round in the magazine. No failures to eject, but a few failures to finish the cycle. I will assume all fault for that, it was literally raining soda and pieces of fruit when I was testing. No gun was meant to be subjected to that. Also, I am not too proud to admit I may have been limp-wristing the gun a bit after 200 rounds in an afternoon. That is a lot of bang in a man-sized caliber.
I also liked that Magnum Research went ahead and milled full-size Picatinny rails on both the frame and slide. With a gun this big, why not? I first put a full sized Surefire Scout Light on the pistol in jest, but it did fit. And if you are carrying something this big, why not? Ditto for the Aimpoint I put on top, and a 1×6 wouldn’t have been out of place.
The way the MRI 50 works is a pretty marvelous piece of engineering as well. One drop of a lever and the entire barrel comes off, and it is a pretty serious barrel. The “upper” weighs as much as most pistols, and you wouldn’t want it any lighter.
By far the most unique part of the DE .50 is the fact that it is gas operated rather than recoil operated and employs a rotating bolt. That it actually uses a true bolt is quite different in its own right. The bolt looks like a modified AR-15 one, and it rotates in the same way to lock and unlock the action. If nothing else, it is at least very cool.
The dual-recoil springs look like they have been scaled down from a MK 19 Grenade launcher. That being the full-auto, belt-fed grenade launcher in use for decades in the US.  They certainly work, and it adds to a military feel to the design of this weapon. I was a bit less in love with the springs after I spent an hour putting the gun back together the first time, but they do mitigate recoil quite well.
The frame in this lightweight version is all aluminum, and it is remarkably light with the slide off. We will have to wait and see how durable this frame is with such a heavy round, but if aluminum is good enough for mach-speed aircraft, it is probably good enough for this. Rounding out the frame is a very large rubber, one-piece wrap around grip, that your hands will thank you for. I was quite happy with how the grips felt during use.
The DE .50 is a single-action-only gun. The safety is slide mounted, and is a safety only, not a decocker. The only part of the Desert Eagle I didn’t care for was this. I would have preferred a “down to fire” safety, even if it was slide mounted. Pushing a safety up while assuming a firing grip is not a natural action for those of us used to American handguns, and it is a bit awkward on a gun of this size. The trigger is pretty good, as it should be in a single-action-only gun. The test model broke consistently at 4 pounds, 7 ounces, with just a small bit of take up, and a small bit of creep. It’s not a 1911, but it’s not bad all things considered.

The L6 breaks down into its primary components quickly and easily.

The .50 AE Desert Eagle L6 pistol employs a dual recoil spring system.

An M16-style rotating bolt is employed by the gas-operated pistol.

So, overall, what was my take away from the gun? It was extremely fun to shoot, and that is a purpose all in itself. I haven’t had that much fun shooting since I got my first semi-automatic shotgun, at which point I just walked around my range for an afternoon shooting down saplings and auto glass. I smile every time I shoot this Desert Eagle, and that is quite a value in itself. I might be smiling less if I had to feed it at $2.00 per round, but it is a great toy. And certainly unique. If you are already bought up on TEOTWAWKI guns, this makes an excellent edition to your collection. Like a lift on your Prius, it is certainly a head turner, and if you have the means, it is hard to pass up.

9 out of 10 Americans would likely perish.

ISIS attacks in Brussels, California and Paris may be just the beginning of an unprecedented plot to bring America to its knees by targeting our nation's scandalously vulnerable electric grid, warn officials at the Pentagon and FBI.

Why? Because terrorist groups like ISIS realize they can't beat us with brute military force on the conventional battlefield. We're way too strong for that.

But when the electric grid fails, it will be like watching America have a heart attack right before your eyes.

It's like when the heart stops pumping... everything shuts down and the patient flat lines.

Our great country would be crippled in a matter of minutes, without our enemies having to fire a single bullet.

It's a frightening idea... and worst of all, it may already have begun to unfold:

ISIS terrorists are already inside our country. Former CIA official Dr. Peter Pry warns, "There is an imminent threat from ISIS to the national electric grid and not just to a single U.S. city." Dr. Pry says that attacks on just 9 of the nation's 55,000 electrical substations could result in nationwide blackouts for up to 18 months.

The government is woefully unprepared. It seems like the government has been fixated on taking more & more away from people who worked hard to earn it, while doing virtually nothing to secure our nation's infrastructure. They've ignored dire warnings from experts about the grid's vulnerability to physical, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and cyber-attack by ISIS and other terrorist groups.

"Our death toll would be staggering" reports FOXNews. We've all been fine when the power goes out for a few hours and even days, but an extended blackout would be devastating. Frank Gaffney, founder of the Center for Security Policy predicts that "... should the power go out and stay out for over a year, 9 out of 10 Americans would likely perish."

Imagine a blackout lasting not days, but weeks or months. Your life would be frozen in time right at the moment the power fails. Lights all over the country would go out, throwing people into total darkness.

Without access to a generator, your fridge, electric range and microwave would be dead. All the food in your fridge and freezer would spoil.

Your well couldn't pump any fresh water into your house. And even if you don't have a well, a total grid failure means no fresh water to drink, cook, or clean with.

You wouldn't be able to operate your radio or TV, or charge your cell phone, so you'd feel isolated and cut off from your friends and family.

Sadly, this is NOT science fiction or some crazy doomsday theory...

Veteran news anchor Ted Koppel just wrote a book called Lights Out that details this exact scenario. And CENTCOM General Lloyd Austin says, "It's not a question of if, it's a question of when."

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