shotgun rapid reload technique

 

This is a basic, yet often overlooked shotgun technique. If you run out of ammo and are in a situation where you have no other weapon to transition to, or you cant waste the time to seek cover for a full reload, this is the technique you will need to use. Its a bit easier with an autoloader that locks back on the last round, I have a tendency to loose count of my rounds under stress and fully cycle a pump action closed. Its not a deal breaker, it just requires another step to open it back up again.

In “real life” though, most people dont walk around with those nifty shell carriers, so digging a round out of a pocket, pouch or weapon mounted carrier is going to be a bit slower than pictured here.

favorite knife for bigger jobs

 

When a job is too big for a pocket knife you have to select the right tool for the job. My personal favorite is the Cold Steel SRK. This knife has a 6 inch, Carbon V, clip point blade with a false edge. The blade is covered in a black epoxy powder that provides some protection from the elements, however the edge can still rust if you don’t take care of the knife.

The blade is tough as you can see in this video.

I purchased this knife back in the early 90’s. It has followed me on military missions, camping, climbing and hunting. It has stood up to every task I have put it too and looks to be around for a long time to come. When I bought it, it was about $90. I see Cold Steel has them at $100+ these days but you can find better values on the net.

I’m sure that there are better knives with stronger steel, sharper edges, better handling dynamics, bigger, badder, more lethal..yadda..yadda..yadda. But as I’ve said before I am a fan of “good enough for the job”. I don’t need a $300-$1000 custom knife with a damascus blade to worry about dropping, loosing, staining with deer blood and so on. I find this knife a great combination of quality and cost. This one is pictured with a custom Kydex sheath that I purchased so long ago that I cant remember the company that made it. It was worth the cost of about $50 I paid. It has a positive “click” grasping mechanism that has never let the blade slide free without my directly pulling on it. It has friction only retention which makes it lightning fast to draw. This one has a Bianchi clip attachment that I chose for attachment to military gear. It works OK on a regular belt, but if I were buying one now I think Id go for a regular belt slide configuration.