Review: USMC R.A.T. Boots

An October 2011 article in Survival Blog, Choosing the Right Footwear, coincidentally authored by Desert Rat in this case, brought up something that had been on my mind lately; replacing my 10+ year-old combat boots with something that would last a bit longer if/when TSHTF. Wouldn’t want to have to pull a Doug Carlton with duct tape.

I looked at REI and similar places for good hiking boots, but prefer military boots. Soon the relatively new USMC RAT (rugged all-terrain) boot caught my attention. The RAT boot is set to become a USMC standard issue item in 2012.

Made with a couple types of leather and 1000 denier nylon, and Vibram soles, polyurethane coated leather over toe and heel, they seemed like a winner. There are two versions, hot (with drain/vent holes on the side) and temperate (waterproof, with Gortex). Sound awesome.

The problem is price, from most stores for about $300. They are made by both Bates and Danner. However the Bates RAT boots were recalled after they began falling apart in Afghanistan. Danner is now the sole supplier.

That’s why you can find a lot of Bates RAT boots relatively cheap online, when the used to go for $300. These boots may or may not be part of the rejected/defective lots. For example, The Sportsman’s Guide (TSG) has the Bates version (hot weather) for $100, cheap due to “slight blemishes.” Or are they actually the defective boots? Seemed too cheap, but see below…

I eventually found a pair of Danner temperate RAT boots in my size on eBay for about $200 (eBay return policies can be iffy so you need to know your size for sure). The finish on the boots is outstanding, no break-in was required. The only problem is that they are too hot if it’s over 50 degrees with any sort of activity, like walking. I found out that these are also referred to as “cold” weather boots and Marines in Afghanistan also said they were too hot.

So I mistakenly thought “temperate” would be suitable for most weather in the U.S. Sadly not the case, walking a bit when it’s 60 degrees out had me ready to get the boots off soon. No doubt they’ll be great for winter, but it’s been an expensive lesson.

During my search I had contacted Bates to see if the boots for sale at TSG were from the defective lots. Didn’t hear back until after I’d purchased my Danner boots; they are NOT part of the defective lots.

I said screw it and bought another pair from TSG. Since I’ a club member there, got them for just under $90. Combined shipping with a bunch of other stuff.

The Danner RAT boots are superior in fit/finish to the Bates boots. The leather/nylon materials are a little bit nicer and better cut. The Danner boot went on with zero break-in while the Bates were a little stiffer, though I don’t think they’d cause blisters if I did a 20 mile walk from day one. The Vibram soles are exactly the same. Stitching on both seems to be excellent. The coyote brown is a bit darker on the Bates version, which I prefer. Laces on both are identical.

Overall I would say the Danner RAT boots are a bit better, if the Danner is a $300 boot, the Bates is a $200 boot, IMO. But for around $100 the Bates version from TSG is an excellent deal. I noted some really slight blemishes on the pair I got, nothing I’m concerned with at all. If you’re within a couple years of needing a new boot, I suggest getting some from TSG at they low prices while they still have them.

Now with two pairs to alternate, one for winter and one for the rest of the year, I expect these boots to last me 15-20 years at current levels of use. Probably a lot less if TEOTWAWKI kicks off as they’ll get more use, but we’ll cross that road when we get there. Would not want to get caught in something like that with only my old boots on hand.

UPDATE: Wellco also makes them, right now for sale at $140. I have no idea about the quality of these boots.

Review: DuraCoat Shake N Spray

DuraCoat is a hard polymer paint using a base and hardener (like epoxy) designed for painting firearms, including moving parts, barrels, etc. It dries to the touch after 20 minutes, can be used after curing to eight hours, but takes several weeks to fully cure to super hardness. It comes in dozens of colors & patterns, retains some flexibility so isn’t fragile, and is somewhat self-lubricating. By all accounts, it’s probably the hardest, most durable coating that can be had outside some factory finishes, and maybe better than some of those.

If you ever watch the Nutnfancy YouTube channel, you know he’s crazy about DuraCoat and has multiple videos on the subject. That’s where I first learned of the product.

DuraCoat is normally applied with an airbrush and requires an air compressor, which I don’t have and didn’t want to purchase for the few projects I might have for the paint – a few rifle stocks (not the guns, though), some magazines, and a few odds and ends. Probably a lot of others felt the same way, which is why the manufacture, Lauer Custom Weaponry, came up with the “Shake N Spray” kits.

The Good. I’m going to spend more time in the bad portion of this review, but DuraCoat is actually mostly pretty good. Most any color or pattern you’d want is available. The kit is relatively cheap and you don’t need an air compressor. The hardness and durability of DuraCoat is outstanding.

You can really dress up a beat-up weapon, stock, whatever. If you do use it on the action, barrel, etc., it acts as a rust inhibitor. For a nice .303 Enfield or M1 Garand? Probably not, but for modern carbines and “black guns,” absolutely. I will continue to purchase, use, and recommend this product.

The Bad. First, it’s difficult to determine what the colors actually are by looking at the photos on vendor websites. In the photos below, I have the samples from the website and the examples of items I’ve painted. The East German Green and TangoDown Flat Dark Earth look fairly close in the online samples of ARs, but the green is a shade darker while the flat dark earth is a shade or so lighter (compare the piece from a stock above and the magazine below – big difference).

Second, even though I followed the instructions to avoid having a shiny finish (even used more of the base to give a flatter appearance), my East German Green project came out shiny. I like the color, it’s actually almost exactly what I want, but it should be flat and not shiny. Others have noticed this (and here). I’ll have to get some clear matte to fix that as shiny defeats the purpose. A solution online said to use something to stir up the bottom in addition to shaking the bottle for the recommended time, which I’ll try next time.

Third and last, a lot of the advertisements claim you can coat two weapons with the kit (some say 2-4). Pistols, maybe, but my dark earth kit gave me three good coats on sever AR magazines, while the green one coated one rifle stock and foregrip – and that was it. Probably the spray applicator included with the kit isn’t’ as fine as an airbrush and uses more of the mixture.

Survival Blog Reviews the Mini-14

Recently Pat of the Survival Blog reviewed the Mini-14, with which he has a couple of decades of experience. However, through email with that reviewer I found he has only owned and fired the older Mini-14s with the thinner barrels, and has not fired the newer model Mini-14 with thicker barrels and retooling, in production since the mid-2000s. This matters. (My review of the Mini-14 Tactical).

A few updates/corrections to the Survival Blog review:

• Newer Mini-14s get closer to 2 MOA, or better, out of the box, not the 4 MOA referred to, which is more appropriate for older, non-accurized Mini-14s.
• While some new Mini-14s are advertised in the $750+ range, CDNN sells this newer model for under $569, which is the price one of my brothers paid. Got mine from CDNN for $589. Sometimes police trade-ins of the older models are available for ~$400.
• Factory magazine are readily available for $15 less each than the $50 and $40 suggested in the Survival Blog review, for 30 and 20 rounders, respectively. Check CDNN and Cheaper Than Dirt. On sale for $5-10 less than that at times.
• New Minis now come with 5, 20, and 30 round magazines depending on the model, not just 5 round magazines as the review states.
• Contrary to the Survival blog review, firing pins available at Midway. But as the review mentions, spare parts are rarely needed with the Mini-14.

Let’s also address the myth; the Mini-14 is fine for killing varmints, but is not a combat weapon. It’s a 5.5.6mm round, same as AR variants. If it will hit/kill a small animal, it will hit a man as well. That’s just reality.

I have some experience with the AR-15 (M16 and M4). If you know how to repair/maintain an AR-15 variant, have the spare parts, have a lot of brass-cased ammo, and want to clean that direct impenitent system, then the AR is the carbine for you. They are very accurate, and reliable – when clean, oiled, and when you have all he spare parts you need.

My brothers and I chose the newer Mini-14 Tactical for a long-term survival carbine because we want an accurate weapon that’s not picky about ammo, cleaning, and won’t need a lot of maintenance.

Review: Kel-Tec SU-16C Carbine

Several months ago I saw a deal on a Kel-Tec SU-16C ($515 from Bud’s) that I couldn’t pass up. Once I got it, it took awhile to find time to get to a rifle range and shoot it. But now that I’ve shot it, had it apart a few times, and done a few basic modifications, it’s time to review this carbine.

First what this rifle is and isn’t. At 4.7 lbs unloaded and just over five with an optic, with a folding stock (can shoot folded), using cheap and plentiful AR magazines, I consider this primarily a bug out weapon in 5.56 NATO. Excellent for a pack, trunk, toolbox, etc. Relatively inexpensive, few parts to break/replace, and a clean piston system. Picatinny rail on top for easy scope mounting options. Anything for bugging out is also fine for home defense. I don’t consider it a long-term survival weapon with hard use in mind – it’s not an AK or Mini-14 – and will cover that below.

There are several variants of the SU-16. I prefer the SU-16C for the thicker barrel and folding stock. If you have any of the other SU-16 versions, a folding stock can be added, if legal in your state.

The excellent Nutnfacny review of the SU-16C noted that the carbine might need a couple hundred rounds for breaking-in. I shot about 200 rounds of PMC 55 grain FMJ and 60 of Wolf 55 grain HP through mine with no malfunctions at all, so I was probably lucky and this one didn’t seem to need that. The Wolf HP was to verify it would eat cheap steel-cased ammo. Cleaning was easy, very little fouling, very clean shooting.

As part of the break-in process, I went through three 30 round magazines in rapid fire to see if I’d get any stringing when the barrel got hot. Didn’t notice any of that, but it did get hot enough that I was worried about some of the plastic parts melting, especially where the barrel connects to the stock. I did not have this concern with the Ruger Mini-14 Tactical carbine.

Accuracy was good for a break-in, but conditions at the range weren’t ideal. I was a bit rushed, the 100 yard area was in the shade, and it had rained recently so impacts didn’t cause any dust to appear. Excuses aside, I was able to sight it in with an EOTech 512 and hit a nine inch gong at 100 yards consistently. A little more time in better conditions and I’d have the iron sights dialed in, but that’ll have to be next time.

The reason I say, IMO, the SU-16C isn’t a long-term survival carbine with hard use is that I suspect the polymer stock isn’t up to it. Let me stress couple phrases here; long-term and hard use. Glocks have stood the test of time, but an SU-16 has a lot more surface area that needs to hold up. When TSHTF, I’ll be fine with the SU-16C for bugging out. When I get to the retreat, I want my Mini-14 Tactical. The SU-16C will remain for occasional use.

I changed three things on this carbine; added a Kel-Tec compact fore end, a Yankee Hill Phantom C2 flash hider, and a single point sling attachment. The flash hider was a pain because the SU-16C threads didn’t quite lend to easy installation. Took awhile, but I got it. The sling attachment was actually for a PLR – but works perfectly for the SU-16 (note to Kel-Tec, you need to market the PLR sling attachment for the SU-16).

The compact fore end installation was a real pain. I wanted this change so I could use a fore grip and to mount a bipod, and maybe a flashlight. First, the instructions from Kel-Tec absolutely suck. As did the PLR sling attachment instructions. This is a big Kel-Tec fail. So I looked online – this guy did it all wrong, should be a lot more solid.

And getting the compact fore end solid was the real problem. If a fore grip is mounted to it, it must be solid, not come off easily. Some people may add it to look cool, I did not, I wanted some function out of the picatinny rail underneath. My solution was to drill holes and cut/drill/tap four small strips of aluminum to hold the compact fore grip together solidly from the inside with some hex bolts. Took a few hours to get everything right, used blue Loc-Tite. End result, its rock solid.

Overall this is a perfect bug out carbine in 5.56mm NATO, has a clean piston operation, takes cheap AR mags, has good optics mounting options, is ultra light, clean shooting, and inexpensive. Not a major consideration, but looks cool and is fun to shot. Probably not for long-term, hard use, but fine for home defense.

Review: Truglo Multi-Reticle

Update: A few weeks ago at the range my Multi-Reticle failed while on an SKS (7.62x39mm). The sight has a lifetime limited warranty from TruGlo and I called them about it. It was replaced, no questions asked. Lessons from this; 1) this is a good sight, but keep it at 5.56mm or less, 2) there are a lot of identical sights for sale for a bit less (at Cheaper Than Dirt, CDNN, etc.), but if they don’t have a good warranty behind them, skip that brand, and finally, 3) probably not for a SHTF situation, but fun for plinking.

Original Post: Having only used my brother’s cheap $30 red dot before, I wanted an entry level red dot/holographic sight with a little more quality to see how I liked the concept. After some searching I got the Truglo Multi-Reticle (TG8360B) from Amazon for $72 (though Cheaper Than Dirt has the best price currently at $65).

Multi-Reticle specs; 3.23” long, 4.1 oz, 24x34mm window, unlimited eye relief, five brightness levels in red and green, uses one CR2032 battery, and has four reticle patterns. Thos pattern are: 5 MOA dot, 6 MOA center dot, standard crosshair, and 15 MOA peep.

Though not described in the manual, both the crosshair and 15 MOA peep (circle) have what appears to be a very sharp and clear 1 MOA dot in the center.

See online reviews at Amazon, Cheaper Than Dirt, and Optics Planet. My experience with the sight is inline with the majority of those reviewing it online: it’s a really good sight for the money.

So far I’ve used this sight on my Ruger Mini-14 Tactical and Beretta U22 Neos (carbine configuration). No complaints with either – it’s easy to mount, easy to zero, and accurate. I prefer the red 15 MOA peep with 1 MOA dot. For years I’ve tried to keep both eyes open with regular sights to no avail, but with a red dot or holographic sight it’s natural, it just works.

For shooting at the range, plinking, and hunting up to 100 yards I think this is a perfect red dot/holographic sight. Probably not rugged enough to consider for a TEOTWAWKI scenario, but I think you’d be pleasantly surprised by the quality, clarity, and accuracy of this sight, especially for the price – a great value.

Since purchasing the Truglo sight I’ve used a friends EOTech 512, which is IMO awesome – an EOTech or Aimpoint is probably in my near future.

Review: Ruger Mini-14 Tactical

Following up on the selection of the Mini-14 Tactical as a standard carbine for my family, this is my review of the Mini-14 I put through its paces over Christmas 2010.

I’ve read that some rifles prefer certain types of bullets, so I had a selection of 55 grain FMJ, 55 grain HP, 62 grain FMJ, and 62 grain HP, in brass and steel cased (zinc plated, polymer coated, and lacquer coated) ammunition. Brands included Federal, (edit/add: Prvi Partizan PPU M855), Wolf, Silver Bear, Tula, and some no name Russian stuff.

Long story short, we noticed no significant differences in reliability or accuracy with these different types of ammunition – 100% cycled and was accurate out to 300 yards we shot to with this rifle.

The first 100 rounds were Federal XM193 55 grain shot mostly at targets within 50 yards for breaking in the rifle. After that my brothers and I took turns with it on our redneck range, which began in a corner of our parent’s yard with targets at 75, 100, 200, and 300 yards out into a field. The area goes out to 400 yards, which we’ll probably setup next time.

We used iron sights and a TruGlo red dot sight (review to follow) at 75 and 100 yards with identical results once sighted it; at or over 90% hits on soda cans and good groups on the targets. At 200 and 300 yards we used a Nikon Prostaff BDC 4-12x40mm scope. Due to my not adjusting the scope mount correctly (not factory rings), we had a hard time hitting the 300 yard target, but had consistent grouping at 12-16” between three shooters.

[Edit: The B-Square mount it must have been installed by my a little off kilter. When I sighted the scope in at 100 yards, had to adjust both windage/elevation a lot. At 300 yards it needed to be tweaked a bit but was out of range. So we picked spots on the upper left part of the old dryer the target was on, and got the grouping in the lower right of the dryer, which took awhile to figure out. This rifle is basically 2 MOA, maybe a bit better closer in.]

Rather than the Ruger rings provided with the Mini-14, I used a B-Square mount for the Mini-14 to mount both the red dot and scope. The B-Square mounts to the side and provides weaver rail to mount optics to. Testing showed the mount could be removed and reattached without loosing zero (review to follow).

We used 20 and 30 round factory magazines with zero problems. In addition to slow target shooting, we went through a few hundred rounds in rapid succession in order get the barrel hot to see if it would affect accuracy; it did not.

It wasn’t a torture test, but we shot 1,200 rounds over several days before cleaning the rifle. Yeah, I know, but I wanted to know. The barrel and chamber were amazingly clean, especially considering all the cheap Russian ammo that was used. Only the gas port was filthy, but not in a way that affected operation of the bolt. It cleaned up relatively easily.

The Good: The Ruger Mini-14 tactical is reliable and finally accurate. At 6.75 pounds and 36.75”, it’s light and compact. It does not require prompt cleaning and is not picky about the ammunition it shoots. Decades of use have shown the Ranch version to be durable and rugged, and Tactical version seems no different. For around $600, this rifle is outstanding.

The Bad: Options for mounting optics remain limited; Ruger rings for a scope, or an aftermarket solution for weaver/picatinny rail. Ruger needs to correct this. A second issue I had (but no one else in my group) was that I twice charged it in such a way as to pull the charging handle out of the take-down groove on the side (yellow arrow in photo), causing the bolt to be slightly misaligned an jamming. I’m used to charging AK and SKS rifles and sometimes pull a bit out as I pull down – don’t do this with the Mini-14. At the time I found in forums this had happened to a couple others.

Overall I was very pleased with this rifle, especially for the price, and can recommend it for a SHTF carbine on par with the AR-15 and AK-47.

Update: Forgot to mention that we tried the flash suppressor, at night of course. It works, really broke up the flash and would help maintain night vision.

Selecting a TEOTWAWKI Carbine: Mini-14 Tactical

Over Christmas vacation I was able to put my recently purchased Mini-14 Tactical through its paces, overall with very good results. Tested with iron sights, red-dot, and scoped (out to 300 yards); and using a wide variety of ammunition. Review to follow, this post is about the process used to select the Mini-14.

The criteria my brothers and I started with in selection a group standard carbine; reliability, accuracy, durability, high capacity magazines, can use a wide variety of ammunition, weight, able to reach out to 300 yards (scoped), and price. Not necessarily in that order, we were looking at the whole rifle capability. We have Mosin Nagants for longer-ranges (review to follow).

We did a lot of research before settling on the Mini-14. While I’ve owned AK-47s and have experience with the M-16 in the military, I had not fired a Mini-14. We all read a lot of online reviews and all the “AR vs. AK vs. Mini” forum threads we could find.

While there are high capacity magazines for the SKS (7.62x39mm, like the AK-47), they are awkward and the rifle itself is larger and heavier than the other carbines being considered. We still own a few SKSs and will keep them as backups. Also looked at the KelTec SU-16C, but eliminated it early on due to concerns about long-term use of the polymer parts that are probably more apt to be bumped around than a Glock.

Something you’ll come across fairly often in forums discussing AR vs. AK is that 5.56mm ammunition will be more accessible in a TEOTWAWKI situation. While we selected a rifle in 5.56mm, I think that notion is a myth; the military and maybe police would have some but it’s not like they’re going to sell it or share it. 5.56mm might be available for a little longer, but the vast majority of ammo would become scarce at any price.

Early on in we research we eliminated the AK-47 and AK-74. They’re fun to shoot and have an undeniable track record for rugged combat reliability and durability, but the AK-47 isn’t generally considered very accurate past 100-200 yards and is a hassle to scope. The AK-74 and its 5.45x39mm ammo aren’t very prevalent in the U.S. yet, so that was also ruled out.

A few years ago I never would have considered a Mini-14 due to its notorious accuracy problems and very expensive magazines. The problem with that view is that Ruger improved the Mini-14 several years ago, adding thicker barrels, tighter tolerances, and a few different versions. Magazine prices are now also sane, at about $30 for factory 30-round steel magazines.

There are a lot of Mini-haters out there, which made forum threads painful at times. Those with no trigger time on the new Minis continued to berate their accuracy. That’s like comparing the reliability of the original M-16 to a modern M-4; apples and oranges. Nutnfancy has a thorough and bias-free review of the Mini-14 Tactical.

Having narrowed things down to an AR or a Mini-14, my brothers and I were leaning towards the AR, specifically the SIG516. Truth be told I’d like to be able to outfit all of us with these, but at about $1,350 before shipping, taxes, and FFL fees, it’s a bit too much. Additionally, there are also still valid concerns about feeding ARs cheap ammo since some ARs are finicky. Training with the steel-cased ammo is a lot cheaper, and what if the steel-cased was all that was available after TSHTF?

Sifting through the forums where people with actual trigger time on the newer Mini-14s showed the new and old to be like two different weapons as far as accuracy. Still with AK-like reliability and durability, but now with accuracy nearing the AR.

Some arguing against the Mini-14 and for the AR-15 claimed Mini-14 parts aren’t nearly as widely available as AR parts. Looking at Cheaper Than Dirt, Centerfire, CDNN, etc., that claim is absolutely true, lots more AR parts (and more accessories) out there. Why? Reading forums it seems Mini-14s almost never break (firing pin a noted issue in some Minis after high round counts).

This reminds me of another often quoted Mini-14 myth: it’s a good varmint rifle – coyotes and jackrabbits are in danger – but not a combat rifle. Right, because the 5.56mm round is lethal to varmints but won’t kill people when fired out of a Mini. These are the sorts of illogical arguments you need to sift through to find the information you’re looking for.

All our research led us to believe that the AR is more accurate than the newer Mini-14s, but we’re talking 1-1.5 MOA for most ARs vs. 2-3 MOA for non-target model Minis, at 100 yards, out of the box. And that the Mini-14 won’t normally do better than that. Accuracy was one of our critical criteria, but we felt 2-3 MOA was fine – we’re not snipers taking head shots.

We had two major concerns about the AR platform. First the repeated use of caveats when describing the reliability of the system, for example it’s reliable when properly lubricated or when properly cleaned. Some claimed to have fired a million rounds though their AR with no cleaning/lubrication (yes, I’m exaggerating), but those claims didn’t mesh well with the vast majority of credible information we read. Mini-14 users never used those caveats, just reported that it always goes bang.

Second was that ARs can be choosy about the type of ammo it cycles well, specifically some problems with cheap steel-cased ammo. This is a problem because it could potentially increase the cost of training with the AR, and in the perhaps unlikely but still possible event that it’s TEOTWAWKI and all you can get your hands on is some Wolf ammo.

However, unlike the Mini-14, ARs have much cheaper magazines (good ones for $10) and can be scoped with a variety of optics very easily. The Mini-14 has $30 magazines and using the provided scope rings (which are not quick detach, or QD) blocks iron sights. Overall, we considered these annoyances rather than deal breakers, and a B-Square mount for the Mini-14 worked out very well (w/o rings for ~$50, review to follow).

Considering our criteria and planned use as a TEOTWAWKI weapon, we settled on the Mini-14. If we never expected a SHTF situation, could afford to stock up on tens of thousands of brass-cased rounds, and price was not a concern, might’ve gone with an AR. The Mini-14 accuracy is now very good, reliability/durability excellent, can reach out to 300 yards easily, not picky about ammo, and the price is right – under $600 at CDNN.

In the end, it all comes down to your personal (or group) criteria and preferences. If you like or dislike the ergos, etc. on one or the other, go with what you like. IMO the AR, AK, and Mini can all good choices, depending on your specific needs.

Review: Midland 75-822 40-Channel CB Radio

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a substantive post. In November work, home life, and reserve duty converged in a perfect storm, followed by Christmas vacation during which I tried out a lot of equipment – look forward to several equipment reviews!

A couple months ago I purchased the Midland 75-822 40 Channel CB Radio as part of my bug out preparations. We have FRS/GRMS radios, also from Midland, but I wanted and additional bug out comms option with greater range. I was not against getting a regular CB radio, but didn’t really have space in my vehicle and didn’t want to entice thieves (this CB and antennae stowed in the toolbox).

After am initial checkout, I recommend this CB radio – it works, is compact, and doesn’t break the bank. The included antenna is virtually useless inside a vehicle without connecting to an external antenna, but all permanently mounted CBs also need an external antenna so I don’t see this as a negative. I used the Cobra HG A 1500 Magnet Mount 300W antenna with excellent results.

There are a few really nice features about this Midland portable CB. It comes with three power options; 12 VDC, AA batteries, and AA rechargeable batteries. The rechargeable battery option lets you plug-in an recharge the batteries. So you can use this while driving and use it outside a vehicle – versatile.

The CB comes with a small antenna that attaches to the top via standard BNC connector, and the Amazon site offers to sell you package with adapter to go from BNC to standard CB antenna connector. Don’t do it! It’s not needed, the Midland 12 VDC option include a dongle for a standard CB antenna, a very handy feature.

For the first test, I hooked up the radio with the included small BNC antenna and had it scan all 40 channels as I drove home from work. Didn’t pick up anything.

For the second test, I setup the Cobra antenna, which mounts to the middle of the roof of the vehicle via a magnetic mount. The cable wasn’t too thick, so I just ran it in through an open door and closed the door, no damage to the cable. Connected it directly to the CB and listened to clear conversations all the way home, about 15 miles. It just works.

If bugging out in a SHTF scenario, a CB could be useful in determining the best routes for your exfiltration. This Midland radio can also be used if you need to leave your bug out vehicle (Bov) – again, recommended.

Review: Beretta U22 Neos Carbine Kit

Beretta’s U22 Neos .22 LR pistol is an inexpensive but solid semi-auto pistol with a steel and polymer frame. While I don’t care for the looks, the Neos is accurate, reliable, and extremely easy to field strip. The grip is a little small for me, but perfect for my wife. Other pluses are the ambidextrous safety, fully adjustable sights, and built in Weaver rail. For around $250, it’s a bargain.

This year Beretta finally released the carbine kit for the Neos to U.S. consumers. The kit contains a 16.25” barrel to replace the pistol barrel (4.5″, 6″, and 7.5″ lengths), and a reinforced polymer skeletonized stock and grip to replace the pistol grip.

Like the pistol, the carbine barrel has a Weaver rail on top for mounting optics, but also has an orange TruGlo fiber optic front sight and fully adjustable aperture rear sight (peep). According to Beretta, the Neos carbine kit is also approved for sale in California.

I recently obtained and tried out the Neos carbine kit. Overall this is a very good carbine kit with a few drawbacks:

• Pros: Lightweight (3.8 lbs configured as a carbine), compact, accurate, ergonomic, Weaver rail, fully adjustable sights, potential storage space in stock, FFL not needed to purchase
• Cons: Expensive, no high-capacity magazines (10 rounds only), no sling attachment on fore grip, not suitable for single-point sling

Besides being fun to shoot, the carbine is light and perfect for backpacking or a Bug out Bag (BoB). For survivalists/preppers, this allows the kit to be carried in the BoB while the pistol is carried in a holster. Photos below will show the space in the stock could be used to strap in a small pouch containing extra ammunition, magazine, cleaning supplies, etc. I put a few hundred rounds through it on the first trip to the range and found it to be very accurate using an inexpensive optic.

The biggest drawback is the price. I paid $240 for the kit but have seen it for $219. For that much you could add a Marlin Papoose, which breaks down and is only about 3.5 lbs (see the Nutnfancy review). We’ll have to wait to see if higher capacity magazine will be offered, but the sling swivel attachment problem is easily fixed.

There has been discussion about the legality of the carbine kit. The carbine stock contains a warning about configuring the rifle stock with any pistol barrel – doing so would make it a short-barreled rifle, which must be registered or may be illegal where you live. Putting the 16.25” barrel in a pistol configuration should be fine, but check your local laws.

More photos below – click on images for full-size.

Bug Out Navigation: Maps and GPS

Continuing the theme of bug out preparations, this is my navigational plan for traveling the 1,300 odd miles from where I’m living in Northern Virginia to my parents rural Nebraska farm, the “retreat,” should TEOTWAWKI occur.

As mentioned before, a map of population density by county is helpful for seeing how the eastern half of the U.S. is very densely populated. If things are getting chaotic while bugging out, Interstate highways and other main roads may not be clear, and detours could add a couple hundred more miles. Having a way of finding where you are and good maps is critical.

The best case is to just take Interstates most of the way and then take the local roads I know. If I recognized early on that it was time to bug out and only had a couple hundred miles to go, this would probably work just fine. But if late in leaving, and due to the time it would take to get there non-stop (about 22-24 hours, including pit stops), it’s unlikely the path will be that easy.

My main navigational aid while driving is a run-of-the-mill GPS. I have a Magellan but any inexpensive unit ought to do for basic navigation along main roads.

While these are GPS units are great for getting you from point A to point B after you’ve told it where to take you, with main roads potentially closed it’s perhaps better to put small segments of the overall trip in at a time so you can control your route and avoid potential bottlenecks, roadblocks, etc. Good maps of every state you might need to go through are called for.

Enter DeLorme. Most U.S. road atlases aren’t going to offer the level of back roads detail required, but DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteers do. These products regularly receive high marks from those who travel a lot, and are also called out in Bug Out by Scott Williams.

I used online mapping tools to identify the three most likely Interstate routes I would take, and purchased the Atlas & Gazetteer for each state I would or might pass through. At about $20 this came to nearly $300. I’m now in the process of using highlighters to clearly mark the Interstate routes I might take, and different colored highlighters to mark secondary highways, state roads, etc., for alternate routes.

This is time consuming and I won’t be done for awhile yet, but when done will provide me with all the maps I should need while bugging out, already marked (in plastic and stowed in my truck toolbox). If getting off main routes, I would enter segments from my maps for the GPS to guide me. Some GPS units can route multi-point trips as well.

Some GPS units also require a street address (or GPS coordinates) for the destination. To make this process faster, I plan on finding specific addresses (perhaps gas stations, sporting goods stores, etc.) and putting them on Post-It notes in the maps along the routes highlighted. Planning now will make things smoother then.

While those maps are outstanding, should my family and I have to abandon our Bug Out Vehicle (BoV) for any reason, I probably could not carry those paper maps due to space and weight constraints. And a GPS for vehicle navigation would require recharging soon, aside from not having the detail needed. Bugging out on foot is definitely something to avoid, but if it is necessary we will need to navigate (map and compass are nice, but probably not most useful in our case).

I’ve opted for another DeLorme product; the Earthmate PN-60 GPS. Look for it on sale around $300-350 – well worth it.

The PN-60 gets high marks for being rugged and a good battery life (much improved from the PN-40, which I upgraded from), but the primary reason I chose this GPS is that DeLorme includes DVDs with coverage of all of North America.

The 3.5GB of built-in storage isn’t enough for all the states I need to add, but it can also take an SD card of up to 32GB, which will take all the maps included. These are the same detailed maps as the Atlas & Gazetteer series, but on the GPS. With a yearly subscription of $30 you can download additional maps for the PN-60 (or any PN series GPS), including satellite imagery.

Even if you live in or very near your retreat, a bug out plan is needed in the event that location has to be vacated, for whatever reason. Having good local maps and a backup GPS is something I recommend.