Author Archives: GunGuy

About GunGuy

Prep minded city guy who tries not to take himself too seriously.

Gunfight Veteran Bob Stasch

Bob Stasch – Interview with a Chicago Police Department Veteran of 14 gunfights

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EMP Los Angeles Book Review

by Gunguy

I came across EMP Los Angeles purely by accident on Amazon. I read the Kindle version last year and I was impressed with its gritty authenticity. The book follows three groups; a policeman trying to get home, his wife and child trying to survive at home, and those police officers left at his station house. It uses a typical 1-2-3, 1-2-3 style throughout, and it is very exciting. Initially I thought the book would benefit from editing but I gave Frank LaFlamme some leeway as it is his first book. Luckliy for those who haven’t read it the second edition is out and most of my complaints have been addressed.

The author Frank LaFlamme is a retired LA Sheriff’s Deputy, and unlike other authors he is writing about things with which he has personal experience. He may not have experienced the collapse of the LA power system, but many years of working in rough areas of LA have given him insight into the realities of street life and many individual incidents are based on incidents he or his colleagues experienced.

I’m a big fan of Post Apocalyptic fiction. The genre has expanded in recent years due to fears of the economy collapsing, global pandemics and National Geographics Doomsday Preppers. I read the books and watch the movies for entertainment value and I find the tough situations that the writers put their characters in very interesting. Most books are from a preppers perspective or someone who has gotten lucky. There are no books out there from a Law Enforcement Officers perspective during a shit hits the fan situation. That’s why I found EMP Los Angeles so interesting and exciting to read. I recommend it highly.

EMP_Los_Angeles

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Ka-Bar TDI Knife Review

by GunGuy

I’ve owned a large Ka-Bar TDI knife for over 5 years. It’s really easy to carry the knife in a discreet manner as a backup or primary every day carry (EDC). I carry the knife on my support or strong side depending on the circumstances and clothing. Those who have a few extra lbs around the middle will find that it digs into their side when carrying it inside the waist band (IWB). I found this out the hard way as my weight fluctuated over the years. Clipped on the outside of the belt there is no issue.

The  knifes sole purpose is to be an emergency last ditch self defense knife. It comes sharp from the factory but I touched it up with a leather strop to make it razor sharp. This knife doesn’t get used for anything that will dull the blade.

The Taiwan made Ka-Bar TDI ships with a kydex sheath, and includes two straps with velcro and button snaps that make it compatible with Molle webbing and belt carry. I added the Ka-Bar TDI belt clip to give me some versatility while carrying IWM or OWB. The belt clip is personal preference and is not a requirement for carrying it effectively. For the price of $45 for the knife and $10 for the belt clip it’s a good deal and it’s worth the money.

KaBar TDI Large
KaBar Belt Clip

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Vortex Viper PST 4-16×50 Review


I have a Vortex Viper Pst 4-16×50 scope mounted on a Remington 700 SPS Tactical chambered in .308. I purchased the scope for $900 and the fit and finish of the scope is near perfect. Vortex is possibly one of the best values in mid-high range scopes. The equivalent Leupold would be another $300 and a Nightforce even more than that. More than anything else in the gun world, when it comes to optics you generally get what you pay for. This is where Vortex has really carved out its niche. It has become known for making very good quality scopes with very good glass at a very good price point.

The Vortex Viper PST line offers illuminated reticles on all models. What makes this scope so good is the magnification range is about perfect all around. With 4-16 magnification you can shoot from 100 to 1000 yards very well. The Mil scope adjustments are an improvement over the standard MOA adjustments of most American scopes. This allows your adjustments to match the reticle in your optic. If you range a target and need to make a 1 Mil adjustment you put ten clicks onto your optic and are good to go. With a traditional MOA optic with a mil based reticle you need to convert Mils to MOA and then dial the adjustment. Its just an unnecessary step and the reason military scopes now are adjusted in 1/10 mils instead of the traditional 1/4 or 1/2 MOA adjustments.

The first focal plane insures that your reticle is accurate at any magnification. With a second focal plane optic the reticle is only ‘correct’ at one setting, usually at the highest magnification. So 1 Mil would equal 1 Mil only at 16x magnification. At 8 magnification it should equal 1/2 Mil. Another step you can avoid with the FFP optic in which the reticle is correct throughout the entire magnification range. Vortex also offers fantastic customer service and one of the best warranties in the business. I’ve seldom needed to take advantage of it but any time I have contacted them the interaction has been fantastic. I can strongly recommend this scope for the serious hunter, long range shooter or tactical shooter.

One note, if you are going to install the shims for the zero stop feature, be sure to not scissor the shims as they go in. If you do the zero stop will vary quite a bit. It’s not that big a deal but I have read where people are complaining about this.

Remington 700 SPS Tactical Vortex Viper PST 4-16x50
Remington 700 SPS Tactical Vortex Viper PST 4-16x50

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Vortex Strikefire 2 Review

by Woodsbum

I picked up a Vortex Strikefire 2 for $180 and my initial impression is that it is a quality site that is robust. The Vortex Strkefire 2, which is modeled after the Aimpoint Pro, has a red and green 4 MOA dot, night vision brightness settings, 30mm one piece tube, a co-witness cantilever mount, is waterproof, and has flip up scope covers. Vortex has made some improvements over the original Strikeforce by moving the controls to the front of the site preventing accidental activation, improving the lens caps so they do not easily pop open, and an auto power shutdown after 6 hours to prevent the batteries from draining.

Comparing the Vortex Strikefire 2 with my Aimpoint Pro side by side I found that there isn’t that much difference in between the two at shorter distances. Using both sights mounted on a Sig Sauer M400 I had similiar results out to 200 yds. At 300 yds plus is when the 4 moa dot on the Strikefire 2 was at a disadvantage and I started losing my rounds on the paper targets. Adding the Vortex VMX-3T flip mount magnifier would have probably helped out a great deal. After the trip to the range I knew my limitations with the sight.

All  things considered the Strikefire 2 is a very good site for the money and is a low cost alternative to the Aimpoint Pro as the price difference between the two is about $240. With the additional savings you can get a Vortex VMX-3T flip mount magnifier for a $160 and increase your optics range. If you want a competitor that can hold it’s own and stand up right along side those military grade optics for a cheaper price, Vortex is your best bet.

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Vortex Strikefire 2
Vortex Magnifier

Strikefire 2 on a KSG

Strikefire 2 on a KSG

UPDATED AFTER MULTIPLE FIELD TIME
I now have decided that the Strikefire 2 is my “go to” red dot optic. At this time I have these optics on 3 different firearms and every one is truly awesome. One of the best features of this optic is the red/green dot option. While shooting in daylight, around all the trees, I have found that the red is really the right color to use. When it gets a bit darker or if you are around anything other than tree leaves the green is your best bet. Then again, you must take into account that I am color blind to some degree.

Strikefire 2 on an AR15

Strikefire 2 on an AR15

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