You can always find at least one leap of faith at Shot Show. This year, Gerber Tactical stepped up and unveiled its latest knife design – the Maximus.
I’m not sure what to think of this blade. It’s a little gimmicky – sort of resembles something the Soviets would have designed for the Spetsnaz. Anyway, the Maximus is like the old gravity knives that were intended for paratroopers. It has a three-inch tanto blade that partially collapses into the polymer handle for compact carry. The tip of the blade locks into a stubby, molded-plastic sheath for a closed length of 4.86 inches.
A firm tug pulls the blade out until it locks with a positive click. Obviously, it’s not full-tang, so heavy use is not a good idea. It does look like it would make a nasty stab wound if that’s what you’re into. The fit and finish work on the Maximus is pretty good but the steel is questionable. Gerber fashioned the blade from 7Cr17mov steel, a Chinese steel comparable with 440A stainless.
Gerber plans to sell it for about $70, which is not a bad price these days for a back-up knife. You be the judge.
As I was at the airport waiting to catch my flight for SHOT, I realized that I didn’t get the memo about appropriate attire. I guess I should’ve been completely kit’d out and ready to kick down a door. At least that’s what a ton of guys looked like! Here’s the problem; We all love the functionality and features of our favorite kit, but I personally don’t like looking like I’m down range. BDS Tactical has a new great line that addresses one part of this: your pack. They just launched their new line of Sport packs. [click to continue…]
I stopped by the booth displaying Yates climbing gear at the SHOT show, my eyes instantly drawn to the evil looking device above. Yates makes both large and small Afghan hooks and an additional Special Ops hook for Law Enforcement use. These hooks were designed from the get-go to help soldiers scale the thick, high, mud walls typically found surrounding compounds in Afghanistan. After it is hooked on the wall, the operator can pull down on the caving type ladder attached to it, which releases a swing arm atop the hook. That secondary hook comes down to snag on the wall to create a secure anchor point before soldiers begin climbing.
Here is the inventor, John Yates, showing off the “small” Afghan hook. Back in the day, SEALs were going through walls with 40-pound platter charges, rather than over them, but it’s cool to see some more…subtle techniques being used. Be sure to swing by their website as well, they make all manner of tactical climbing gear, fast ropes, SPIES ropes, caving ladders, and other cool stuff.
Kit Up! contributor Jack Murphy is a former Ranger, Special Forces Soldier and is the author of the military thriller Reflexive Fire.
Colt Defense LLC showed off its new LE901 Multi-Caliber Weapon System at Shot Show this year. The LE901 is a semi-auto version of the gunmaker’s CM901. [click to continue…]
I was hanging out with the guys from LWRC at SHOT and they showed me their new completely ambidextrous lower receiver. The mag release, bolt catch and selector switch are on both sides of the lower. With this lower, everything can be operated in a familiar manner, no matter which side the weapon is shouldered on. So, not only taking care of left handed shooters, but also making it easier when going offhand for barriers or injury. [click to continue…]
This is one of my favorite Glocks. They made some minor improvements including some safety and spring mods. Great pistol. Billy Tosheff is shooting video for us. Thanks brother!
In years past, HALO jumping was done almost administratively. There was a wind arrow during the day and flares on the Drop Zone at night. Soldiers generally jumped without combat equipment, regulations sometimes mandating it. It wasn’t without reason; If you’ve been deployed for half a year, you don’t want your first jump to be in full kit, so a few “Hollywood” jumps will help troops get back into the flow of things. Still, there were valid criticisms that HALO teams were just skydiving rather than conducting true Military Free Fall operations during training. The War on Terror has shown that combat HALO jumps are not only possible, but highly practical in today’s unconventional warfare setting. [click to continue…]
