Loadout Room Guest Authors

Gear in the Wild: The Glock 17 in the hands of a British Royal Marine

A Royal Marine at the Commando Training Center, fires down range with a Glock 17 pistol during the Royal Marine Operational Shooting Competiton (RMOSC) at Altcar Training Camp, Hightown, United Kingdom, May 15, 2018. The U.S. Marine Corps travels to the United Kingdom annually to compete in the (RMOSC) with the opportunity to exchange operational […]

Gear in the Wild: A room with a view during Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercises

A scout team member keeps watch over a nearby town while the main force prepares for movement during the Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise. The EDRE is an exercise designed to test a unit’s ability to alert, recall and deploy under emergency conditions. The Army routinely conducts deployment readiness exercises to assess their ability to provide […]

When you need a compact backup light: ASP Pocket Light

In an effort to further minimize my EDC I have begun to carry a new light. Regular handheld lights can be difficult to conceal and carry a weight that could be better used in a different capacity like an extra magazine or a fixed blade knife. Consequently, I have found a pretty good trade off […]

Gear in the Wild: ‘Sharkies’ are a knife trainer’s best friend

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. – Marines with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit participate in combat knife sparring using “sharkies” during martial arts training at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Oct. 2, 2018. The sparring exercise allow the Marines to work on close quarters combat knife techniques. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Robert […]

Anti-Glock: The Dark Side of Plastic Perfection

Upon hearing about my fellow TAG team member Brian‘s article titled “Do All Roads Lead to Glock?,” I knew with absolute certainty I had to present the other half of the argument and be that guy—the Glock hater. I’m tired of shootists perpetually singing the praises of this platform—it’s the ultimate in reliability, they’re inexpensive, […]

Gear in the Wild: Glock’s 19X on display at the Marine South Exposition

A Glock 19 pistol is displayed during the Marine South Exposition at the Geottege Memorial Field House on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Apr. 11, 2018. The Marine South Exposition is sponsored by the Marine Corps League and is a forum for defense contractors to display, inform, and promote the latest defense equipment and […]

Put a ring on it: The benefits and detriments of ringed knives

Knives are excellent backup weapons if you’re carrying a pistol. They also make good primary weapons for an everyday carry if you are unable to carry a pistol. Often when traveling abroad, I have found it exponentially easier to obtain a good knife than a reliable (or affordable) pistol. They are usually cheaper and easier […]

Gear in the Wild: Spanish soldier inspecting a Brit’s SA80A2 rifle

A Spanish soldier, assigned to Task Force Besmaya, inspects a British SA80A2 rifle before a rifle range at the Besmaya Range Complex, Iraq, Nov. 28, 2018. The soldiers learned to use other Coalition partners’ weapons to build camaraderie and build a positive working relationship. The 74 nations and five international organizations that make up the […]

Gear in the Wild: The M1911 in the hands of a Force Recon Marine

A Force Reconnaissance Marine with Maritime Raid Force, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, loads an M1911 .45 caliber pistol in Guam, January 29, 2018, during Visit Board Search and Seizure training. VBSS teaches Marines how to take over ships for searches and counter-piracy operations. As the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU, the 31st MEU provides […]

Glock Upgrades and Do-It-Yourself Modifications

Glock ‘Safe-Action’ pistols are arguably one of the most prolific pistols in use today by military and law enforcement organizations around the world as well as private citizens. The reasons are many and while this article is not intended to be a review of the pistol, I will list a few that are particularly noteworthy: […]