Kit Badger Videos

WTF is 8.6 Blackout/Creedmoor? Well, a lot of people misunderstand it as a knock off of 338 Federal. Is it similar? Yes it is. Is it substantially different as well? Most certainly. The biggest difference is in the case dimensions. The 8.6 Creedmoor case allows for the seating of large heavy subsonic 338 projectiles. 338 Federal doesn't allow for this. From there, the 8.6 Creedmoor continues to differentiate itself in a number of ways. Such as being optimized for a short barrel, fast twist rate for accurate subsonic loads, reliable feeding out of 308 magazines, etc... Personally, I'm really looking forward to this cartridge. I think it is going to be pretty awesome when it comes out. Especially with either a Noveske Pistol or one of Q's Fix Pistols chambered in 8.6 Creedmoor....

If you are unfamiliar with ESD (Edgar Sherman Design) this video will enlighten you. I have previously reviewed the ESD Sling. It is a great 2 point sling that has a lot of features built into a small lightweight package. Today we take a look at the man behind the sling as well as other products, Edgar Sherman of Edgar Sherman Design. A cool guy making some great innovative products for Military, Law Enforcement and the Shooting Industry.

The Edgar Sherman Design sling is a simple two point adjustable sling with a captured tail. It can move easily in either direction and can stow on itself.

While there are a lot of coffee companies out there, there aren't many like Black Rifle Coffee Company. A buddy from my contracting days, Edwin, runs me through what makes BRCC what it is. A ground up (no pun intended) Veteran company. We take a look at the process from start to finish. Getting in small batches of beans from their growers, to roasting, packaging and finally shipping. Putting a great product in the hands of those looking for a solid cup of coffee, be it in their hometown or in the mountains of Afghanistan.

In Part 4 of the Franklin Lakes Adventure Log, my boys and I do a little more fishing in the morning before heading up to Franklin Pass. The pass sits at around 11,000+ feet. The climb is a little rough, but the view is worth it. You can see far back into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Eventually we come back down and among other things, roast some marshmallows. Another great day on a memorable backpacking trip with my two boys.

This is Part 3 in our Franklin Lakes Adventure Log. Our first full day up at Franklin Lakes. My boys and I do some exploring around the lake looking for some good fishing spots. Eventually we find our fishing pole got broken so I do a hasty backcountry fix and we do some fishing. Overall it was a great day with my boys out on our backpacking trip.

This is the final chapter, Part 5, in the Franklin Lakes Adventure Log. My boys and I pack up camp early in the morning before throwing our backpacks on to head down. We end up crossing some streams and get the opportunity to see some beautiful bucks still in the felt. Overall it was a great backpacking trip. I'm fortunate for the opportunity to share the experience with my two amazing boys.

In Part 2 of the Franklin Lakes Adventure Log, we make it up to the lakes. Is it a easy journey? Absolutely not, but rarely is there value in something that comes easy. My boys and I persevere on our hike up. Dodging a few thunderstorms and eventually getting our camp set up.

Adventures, have them! In Part 1 of this Adventure Log I head up to Franklin Lakes with my two boys, ages 6 and 8. The weather decides not to cooperate but we continue the journey. Starting at around 7k feet at the Mineral King Ranger Station, we head up to the 10k+ foot elevation that the lakes sit at. It is an adventure.

You can check out their offerings here: https://prometheusdesignwerx.com/ I've been a fan of Prometheus Design Werx for some time. They consistently come out with solid well thought out solutions for problems that can crop up on adventures. Great designs and materials, made to a high standard. But how does all of this happen? I was fortunate enough to go visit with Chris and Patrick, the two minds behind PDW. Pretty rad guys...

You can find the gel cups here: https://amzn.to/3SnQaaU The Howard Leight Impact Sport amplified hearing protection is probably one of the best options at the price point. But, the ear cups honestly leave something to be desired. Especially if you've had them for awhile or just spend a lot of time wearing them. At that point you'll rapidly wish they were more comfortable. Enter the Valholl Gear Gel Ear Cups. They are, in a word, amazing. It is a night and day difference if you are used to the old Howard Leight ones. Now granted, they cost close to the price of the Impact Sport Ear Pro, but they are in my opinion worth it. Whether you are out hunting or putting in some hours at the range shooting, they make it so much more comfortable. Allowing you to concentrate on the task at hand rather than being distracted by discomfort.

You can find the NANOspark here: https://amzn.to/3Z1Q2jZ There are a lot of "Emergency Firestarters" on the market. How many of them would actually do you good in an emergency situation is probably quite a small fraction of those. Most are frankly not very well thought out, or they are difficult to use when you are cold and/or wet. Not so with the NANOspark by Exotac. The Exotac NANOspark is a great little fire starter. If you want to go the bushcraft route, you can make your nice little birds nest and throw sparks into it. Baby it along and get a fire going. On the other hand, if you NEED to start a fire, the Nanospark will do it. The NANOspark is machined out of aluminum and has a small waterproof container, making up the body of the unit. Inside, it comes with a compact piece of tinder which can easily be fluffed up to catch a spark. This is invaluable in an emergency. The tinder is easy to light and incredibly forgiving if your fire making skills aren't on point. There are some other great features built in as well, which is why the NANOspark has become a fixture on my key chain and part of my EDC (Every Day Carry). A turn key solution to starting a fire.

What is in a name? With Q, you never know. This time however, the Lefty, has a interesting backstory. Q's Lefty is a prototype 5.56mm silencer. It was designed around the problem of SOCOM needing something to lower the impulse noise of their HK416 in addition to lowering the back pressure. To ultimately slow the cyclic rate of fire and to reduce the noise and gas pushed out the ejection port. Well who suffers most from gas and noise coming out that ejection port? Left handed shooters... The design is pretty cool as well as simple and clean in its execution. A stainless steel mono-core silencer only requiring one weld. Due to this, the price point should be pretty affordable. So when is it coming to market? I'm not sure, but hopefully soon.

Find info on his classes here: https://www.runenationllc.com/ In June of 2018 I had the opportunity to meet Ian from Runenation and check out the Vehicular Dominance & Survival class. In a word, impressed. Ian is a solid guy and incredibly passionate about his work. Not just shooting, but the whole package from groundwork on up, to include physical fitness. The Vehicular Dominance & Survival was pretty cool unto itself. While it covered a huge myriad of topics, it was very well executed. Quickly touching on some things, while getting deeper into others. Building some solid foundational skills and confidence along the way. Overall it was a great class that dove a lot deeper than most "Tactical Vehicle" courses. If you want to schedule training with Runenation, check out their offerings. Ian travels a lot and you may be able to find something close.

In Part 3 of my series on Suicide, I round out a few more ideas that may be helpful in dealing with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). A few simple steps that can hopefully have a big impact, as well as some things to just be aware of. A big factor, that has the potential to help, is removing oneself from the constant reminders. This can be accomplished by physically changing your location. Especially with respect to Law Enforcement. Relocate, get away from the place that has the ability to dredge up so many past experiences. Another thing I speak to in Part 3 is the likelihood of a crisis of faith. Not to say it will happen, not to say you can't have a strong sense of spirituality coming out the other side, but it may well happen.

Suicide can be an uncomfortable subject. Like talking about divorce as a spouse. As though speaking of it can bring it about, make it real. Well, spoiler, suicide like divorce, is real and I think should be talked about. In Part 2 of this series on suicide I talk about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and how it relates to Military, Law Enforcement as well as Security Contractors. How we use it as a mechanism in order to preform our given tasks. And how eventually we need to deal with it. Rather than just highlighting a problem without offering solutions, I bring a few options to the table. Ways to hopefully help move past the pain and memories. Hopefully they will be actionable for at least one person out there...

Suicide, an uncomfortable topic for conversation. Yet we seem to have no problem talking about school shootings. Which, at its heart, is a symptom of suicide. I've started this series on suicide and broken it into a couple pieces. The first part dealing with suicide and how it relates to youth. While I save the second part for PTSD within military, law enforcement and contracting. In the last 10 years or so, 288 people have been killed in school shootings. That number in most cases includes the perpetrator, who was at the core, suicidal. In that same 10 years over 57,000 students have committed suicide. Where should we have a conversation?

You can find links for everything here: https://kitbadger.com/triggrcon-2018-range-day/ If you are unfamiliar with TriggrCon, it is a 4 day event in Bellevue, Washington. A convention highlighting innovations in the Tactical Firearms Industry. This year I attended the TriggrCon 2018 Range Day. They had a whole number of vendors with all of their goodies out there for media and other exhibitors to try out.

You can find the SOCOM 556 RC2 here: https://tinyurl.com/2p8wnjj8 SureFire, while best known for their flashlights, make a number of Suppressors / Silencers. Today Chris walks me through the SureFire line of 5.56mm Suppressors. Starting with their legacy 5.56 can and moving on to the SureFire SOCOM 556 RC2, the SOCOM MINI2 and the SOCOM SB2. Each of their sound suppressors are made with different host weapons in mind. From a 14.5" AR15 down to sub 10" short barreled rifles.

You can find the SOCOM 762 Mini here: https://tinyurl.com/5y9crvvz While I have admittedly owned a SureFire SOCOM 762 MINI suppressor for some years, I didn't really know they "why" behind it. No suppressor / silencer is built in a vacuum, so what was the MINI built around? Chris from SureFire walks me through a little bit of the history of how the SOCOM 762 MINI 2 came to be. We get to run it on a number of hosts as well, including a full auto AK47, a SIG Rattler and of course the AR15 platform. As an added bonus, I get to check out the SureFire Warcomp 762 AK, made specifically for the AK-47. While I've used it before to good effect on my AR-15, it works equally well on the AK.

Here it is, the final piece to our Deep Dive into the Honey Badger by Q. We finish out building my Honey Badger Pistol, putting the Cherry Bomb on as well as the handguard. After finishing the build we head to the range where I run the weapon through a series of tests ensuring proper function. The same tests all Honey Badgers go through before shipping out. An amazing little rifle / pistol...

You can find the Discreet Ballistics PopStop here: https://discreetballistics.com/shop/popstop/ First round pop with silencers / suppressors is a thing. You have turbulent atmosphere inside the barrel and can of your weapon. This can lead to a POI (point of impact) shift on that first shot. Additionally you usually end up with some flash and extra decibels. Discreet Ballistics, makers of super high quality subsonic ammo, tackled the problem. What they came up with was the PopStop. A way to introduce carbon dioxide into the weapon system and displace the atmosphere. Significantly reducing the effects of first round pop. A pretty cool approach to the problem.

This is part 3 of our Deep Dive into the Honey Badger by Q. We take a look at some of the innovation in the barrel of the Honey Badger. To include why Q chose 1:5 twist for their 300 Blackout barrels and how their low profile adjustable gas block works.

Welcome to part 2 of our Deep Dive into the Honey Badger Pistol by Q. In this video Mitch, an engineer from Q, helps me finish populating the lower receiver while explaining some of the design elements along the way. Mitch also walks me through the stock assembly, which in this case, uses an arm brace by SB Tactical.

It is time for a in depth look at the iconic Honey Badger Rifle by Q. In this Deep Dive series I will be building a Honey Badger Pistol, using a SB Tactical brace, with the assistance of Mitch, one of Q's Engineers. In Part 1 of our Deep Dive I go over some of the history of how the Honey Badger and 300 Blackout were born, in addition to some of the nuances of the lower receiver.