GUN LIFESTYLE: GEAR + TECHNOLOGY + SPORT + OUTDOOR + HOME / PERSONAL DEFENSE

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ISSUE 52
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> OLD SCHOOL: G41(W)

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01 > VISIT: NATIONAL ATOMIC
TESTING MUSEUM
> BUILD SHEET: OLD-SCHOOL

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 VISIT >

NATIONAL I
n the shadows of the infamous Las
Vegas Strip is the Frank H. Rogers
Science and Technology build-
ing, home to the National Atomic
Testing Museum, devoted to preserv-
ing the history of the Nevada Test Site

ATOMIC (NTS) and the early days of the atomic

age. While technically not a “weap-
ons museum” in the usual sense, this
10,000-square- foot facility focuses
instead on the history of the ultimate

TESTING
weapon, namely nuclear weapons and
the 928 announced nuclear tests (100
atmospheric, 828 underground).
It’s the only one of its kind that
offers visitors a look into the his-

MUSEUM
tory of atomic testing, beginning in
the Second World War to the end of
1A /2A:RESPECTING

atomic testing during the Cold War. The

museum offers the reasons why the

By Peter Suciu
022
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 VISIT >
01 02
1A /2 A: A N E STA BLISHMENT

1. A Cold War single

warhead and a
scale model of the
USS Indianapolis
— the ship that
delivered the first
atomic bomb across
the Pacific — are
024

in the museum’s
impressive collec-
tion.
R EC OILW EB.C OM>

2. The National 03 04
Atomic Testing
Museum docu- United States developed the atomic it as the National Atomic Testing Mu- Little Boy and Fat Man, the respec-
ments the history bomb. In the collection is a complete seum. It’s now one of just 37 national tive code names for the atomic bombs
of nuclear testing
copy of the Einstein–Szilárd letter sent museums in the United States, and that were dropped on Hiroshima and
at the Nevada Test
Site (NTS) in the to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt the only one dedicated to the study of Nagasaki in August 1945. In addition
desert north of Las that warned Germany might develop an atomic testing. to the scale models of those bombs, the
Vegas. It’s located atomic bomb and suggested the United The museum is a noted repository for museum offers a concise history of the
just a stone’s throw
from the Las Vegas States should start its own nuclear one of the most comprehensive collec- Manhattan Project and the beginning of
Strip. program. This prompted action by tions of nuclear history. As part of its the nuclear age. This includes an over-
Roosevelt, which eventually resulted in mission, the National Atomic Testing view of the unsuccessful “Thin Man”
3. A full-size replica
the Manhattan Project developing the Museum continues to seek to collect nuclear bomb, and how this led to Little
of a Cold War-era
nuclear weapon. irst atomic bombs. and preserve a wide variety of materials Bomb — a gun-type ission weapon.
and artifacts relating to atomic testing, There are multiple “bombs” or
4. A 1/6-scale rep- GOING NUCLEAR IN SIN CITY the Nevada Test Site, the Cold War, warheads in the collection, and these
lica of “Little Boy,”
the code name of First opened March 2005 as the and nuclear and radiological science include a B57 tactical nuclear bomb
the atomic bomb “Atomic Testing Museum,” today it’s and technology. The current collection and the massive B-53 high-yield “bun-
that was dropped operated by the Nevada Test Site His- includes thousands of rare photo- ker buster thermonuclear weapon.”
on the Japanese
torical Foundation as a 501(c)(3) non- graphs, videos, artifacts, scientiic and Designed from 1958-61, it remained
city of Hiroshima on
August 6, 1945. proit organization. The museum has nuclear reports and data, and one-of-a in the U.S. arsenal until 1997. It had a
been afiliated with the Smithsonian kind scientiic collections. yield of 9 megatons and was the most
Institution since December 31, 2011, This includes numerous nonfunc- powerful weapon in the U.S. nuclear
when President Barack Obama signed tional/non-nuclear warheads and other arsenal after the last B41 nuclear
a military spending bill, designating weapons including scale models of bombs were retired in 1976.
 VISIT >
FROM WARHEADS TO PLOW ing the hydrogen testing of “Bravo,” than 65 years, as well as more than 1. An exhibit that
SHARES which exploded with the forces of 16,000 official government and unof- shows the 1950s
mindset for dealing
While the focus is on atomic a 15-megaton bomb and created a ficial personal photos that document with a potential
weapons testing, the museum also fireball that was 3.6 miles wide! Talk the 70 years of atomic history. nuclear war — just
highlights how these weapons in about the “big one.” The museum, which is divided into hunker down in the
bunker and wait
the long run may have resulted in Museum exhibits also include vin- several key galleries, allows visitors
out the fallout.
peace. It’s largely focused on the tage Geiger counters, radio badges, to understand the history of atomic
period from the first test at NTS and other radiation testing devices, testing both in the atmosphere and 2. One forgot-
on January 27, 1951, to the pres- but the National Atomic Testing later underground. What’s notable ten aspect of the
history of atomic
ent. Among the exhibits is a short Museum also features exhibits relat- too is that while visitors can take in testing is that
presentation in the “Ground Zero ing to Native American artifacts that the weapons of mass destruction that the United States
Theater,” simulating the experience were from test area. The Atomic age came about from the atomic testing, actually invited a
Soviet delegation
of observing an atmospheric nuclear has a unique history of pop culture it also highlights how cooler heads
to the Nevada Test
test as well as a discussion on memorabilia in everything from candy prevailed and how the United States Site to help steer
whether it was necessary to develop and breakfast cereal, to comic books the world away
02 from develop-
such a weapon, but how thankfully and toys, and even a lab kit designed
ing more atomic
these were never used. for children. weapons.
The film footage includes various The collection now includes more
1A /2A:OF RELIGION,

thermonuclear explosions, includ- than 3,500 artifacts that span more 3. The museum
chronicles the
01 development of
atomic weapons
from the 1940s to
the 1960s.

4. Back in the
026

1950s and 1960s,

atomic energy was
all the rage in pop
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culture.

5. It might not look

much larger than a
conventional bomb,
but this example
of a Cold War-era
B57 tactical
03 nuclear bomb (a
training model of
course) could take
out a reasonably
sized city. It was
designed to be de-
ployed by a variety
of U.S. military
aircraft.

04 05
 VISIT >
and Soviets actually met in 1988 at of the test site, the museum offers a
the Nevada Test Site. Within just a small exhibit to the nearby “Area 51”
few years of that historic meeting, the and while the truth may or may not
Soviet Union would fall and the long be out there, the gallery also offers THE NATIONAL ATOMIC
Cold War would be over. temporary exhibits on other aspects TESTING MUSEUM
It’s fitting then that the National of the atomic age. Finally, just outside HOURS OF OPERATION:
Atomic Testing Museum even has on the museum is a weather station that Open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
display a section of the Berlin Wall, records weather data for downtown Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and
a symbol that serves to mark the end Las Vegas, and the data includes New Year’s Day

of the Cold War and the need to end temperature, wind speed, and notably ADDRESS:
Frank H. Rogers Science and Technology
atomic testing. background gamma radiation in micro- 755 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV
Beyond the direct nuclear aspect roentgens per hour. ADMISSION:
General Admission: $22
01 URL:
www.nationalatomictestingmuseum.org

03 2. It’s hard to believe

now, but this American
1A /2A:OR PROHIBITING

M1 steel helmet and

safety goggles were
considered adequate
for atmospheric
nuclear testing from
1945 to 1963.

3. The cutaway shows

the inner workings of
028

02 1. One of the rarest a Cold War nuclear

World War II U.S. warhead.
Army shoulder
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patches — this 4. A scale model of

would’ve been worn the USS Indianapolis,
on the uniforms of the Portland-class
the camp guards who heavy cruiser that
oversaw the safety undertook the secret
and security of the mission to deliver
Manhattan Project parts and what was
during the Second about half of the
World War. Interest- world’s supply of
ingly, the patch does Uranium-235 for
kind of give away the atomic bomb
that a weapon of Little Boy — the
mass destruction bomb dropped on
was being developed. Hiroshima.

04
 EYE SAFE
Protect Your Eyes From the Emerging
Domestic Laser Threat By Rob Curtis
1A /2 A :T H E S E C U R I T Y O F
068
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A
s if cops in the U.S. don’t into the threat facing law enforcement
have enough to worry officers working protest details in
about, 2020 comes along Portland, Seattle, and other areas of
and adds frickin’ laser unrest around the country.
beams to the mix. We’ve seen protest-
ers in Portland wielding handheld BUT AREN’T LASERS EXPENSIVE?
lasers against police officers during While a harmless laser pointer can
nightly street clashes. The social un- be had for a few bucks at a gas sta-
rest surrounding George Floyd’s death tion, one might expect a much more
has led to more than 130 consecutive potent laser to be prohibitively expen-
days (and counting) of violent protests sive, thereby keeping them out of the
in Portland, with other high-intensity, hands of broke-ass, troublemakers.
shorter duration demonstrations pop- Well, yeah … decades ago these
ping off in cities around the country. devices were exotic and pricey, but
Lasers will only become more the laser’s industrial ubiquity made its
popular among street protestors, so components and methods of manu-
it’s worth a few minutes to learn how facturing dirt cheap. The expense of a
they work and how to protect yourself modern laser isn’t based on how much
from them. power it puts out, but in the refine-

RECOILWEB.COM >
ment of its performance.
BOUND TO HAPPEN HERE “It’s harder and more expensive to
While lasers are a new threat to make a laser that’s actually 5mW and
American LEOs, the first notable use complies with safety regulations,”
of handheld lasers in civil unrest was says Garth Blocher, a research engi-

069
overseas in 2013. Demonstrators neer with Revision Military.
packed Cairo’s Tahrir Square calling He cites Revision’s recent in-house
for Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi testing of a dozen handheld lasers the

#52 /JA N.F E B. 2021

to step down. The crowd focused company bought from various online
their cat toys on an Egyptian military vendors. His testing mirrors concerns
helicopter flying over the demonstra- laid out in a 2013 U.S. National
tion, menacing the protestors. Images Institute of Standards and Technology
of the laser-painted helo transmitted report that says in a test of 122 com-
from the scene were eye-catching, mercial laser pointers, 89.7 percent
and the media coverage helped focus of the green lasers put out more power
the world’s attention on Egyptian than they were supposed to. Of that,
politics. 52 percent put out more than double
Later, in 2019, sophisticated protest- their rated power.
ers in Hong Kong used cheap, handheld Technological advances along with
lasers to fry the CCDs in surveillance economies of scale have made lasers
equipment used by the state to collect dirt cheap. So, making a dangerously
evidence against agitators during anti- powerful laser costs less than making
Chinese government protests. an eye-safe emitter because the safety
Taking it a third step, South engineering and components raise the
American protestors watching the price and eat into the profit margins of
Hong Kong protests realized shin- the lower-powered laser made by gray
ing $30 novelty lasers directly at riot market importers.
control officers were effective tools to
distract, disorient, and possibly injure HIGH END VS. LOW END
them during street protests. An infrared military target designa-
This brings us to America in 2020, tion laser costs tens of thousands of
where all three of these tactics melded dollars — not because it’s powerful,
 EYE SAFE

but because it’s far more complex than the cornea (the eye’s lens) and retina
any commercial laser pointer. It’s made (the eye’s photoreceptive surface)
to pulse its output at sub-microsecond and burning either or both of them.
intervals, encoding the laser beam with Effects range from an involuntary
targeting information that’s read by blink response to temporary vision
CLASSIFICATIONS laser sensors on airborne sensor pods spots (aka sunspots) and, in the case
or falling munitions in real time. This of prolonged exposure to a powerful
A laser’s output is measured in mil-
liwatts (mW), and lasers are broken requires a laser capable of exquisitely laser at close distance, irreparable
up into a number of classes by the controlled output that works in a range vision damage.
FDA based on the threat they pose. of environments, from hot desert run- In layman’s terms, a laser to the
ways to the cold skies over a war zone face results in wincing and looking
Class I lasers put out less than 0.5 — and that’s not cheap. away, and you might end up with sun-
mW and are harmless. Class II On the other hand, handheld lasers spots or permanent eye injury if you
lasers operate at up to 1 mW and are relatively simple devices. While force yourself to look at it. It’s tough
pose little threat to eyesight since the enclosures might look snappy on to know the intent of the people wield-
the eye’s blink response significantly higher-end products, the guts are a ing the laser, but it’s likely they’re
reduces the chance of injury, but
commodity made as inexpensively either trying to blind you or make
they can cause eye injury inside of
as possible. Think of it this way, if a you look away so you can’t see them
1A /2 A:A FREE STATE,

about 23 feet if you stare into them.

military laser is a Mercedes-Benz E- lighting fireworks or gearing up to toss
Class IIIa (also called Class 3R)
Class, a novelty, handheld laser is as projectiles your way.
lasers are 1 to 5 mW and are barely
more dangerous than Class II lasers refined and safe as your cousin’s lawn
but can hurt eyes inside of about mower-powered go-cart. Despite the PRACTICAL INFO
52 feet. Federal Food and Drug Administra- Lasers come in a range of colors,
tion’s oversight of novelty laser manu- but we’ll focus on three in particular:
Things get sporty at Class IIIb (also facturers and importers, compliance red, green, and infrared (IR). Red is
070

called Class 3B). These handheld seems like it’s achieved with a simple the cheapest and was once the most
lasers in the 5 to 500mW range can warning sticker. common, green is now the most popu-
R EC OILW EB.C OM>

cause damage to eyesight with ex- lar color laser as well as the brightest,
tended exposure (roughly more than
WHAT’S A LASER? and IR is the most dangerous.
a half-second) inside 520 feet. Class
In order to appreciate the threat
IV lasers aren’t generally handheld,
posed by lasers, let’s take a step back Red Lasers
so it’s rare to see one in a protest.
and geek out a little. Lasers emit a Generally, red lasers (650 nm)
However, they put out more than 500
mW and burn exposed skin, cause beam of light with three features that aren’t particularly harmful to eyesight
instant damage to eyesight, and distinguish it from common, diffused because most red laser pointers are
present an eye injury hazard from as light sources. The light from a laser best suited as cat toys — though
far away as 733 feet. is coherent, monochromatic, and they do present a threat to situational
collimated. awareness. Like all visible lasers, the
Coherent means the waves of radia- threat escalates from distraction, as
tion that form the light are packed lasers are hard to ignore and cause
together and traveling in the same di- disorientation. It’s hard to keep your
rection and at the same speed. Mono- eyes open with a bright laser shining
chromatic means the light emitted in your face, and eventually injury may
from the laser is all the same color or result from either the laser burning
wavelength, expressed in nanometers. the eye, or from a brick or something
And collimated light is a beam that thrown by the protestors while you’re
spreads out very little as it gets fur- forced to look away.
ther from its source. This is expressed
as a beam’s divergence, measured in Infrared Lasers
minutes of angle (or milliradians). IR lasers (700+ nm) are particularly
The danger of a laser comes in the dangerous because they’re invisible.
form of the collimated light hitting You might wonder how invisible light is
 EYE SAFE

dangerous. Think of the sun and a sun- Luckily, sort of, direct drive diode la- The then
want protection against, only thing not
look-
included is the vise.
burn. You can’t really “see” sunlight, ser emitters hit the market a few years ing at the amount of light in a given
but you know a big dose of it will burn ago. They’re cheaper than DPSS emit- wavelength the lens blocks, and lastly
the hell out of you — same thing with ters and don’t put out any IR. There looking at how much visible light you’ll
IR lasers and your eyes. You can’t see are still plenty of legacy DPSS lasers have to give up for that protection.
the light, but you’ll eventually feel it if on the street, but chances are good The blocked color is defined by the
you look into its source long enough. that most lasers bought recently are wavelength (or range of wavelengths)
If you can’t see it, your eye’s natural direct drive green lasers without the
defense, the blink response, won’t threat of an IR-contaminated beam. LASER COLORS
protect you. IR lasers are found in la- Violet: 405 nm
ser range finders and all sorts of mili- LASER DEFENSE Blue: 445 nm
tary targeting laser systems, because Laser lenses work by putting a Green: 532 nm
they’re invisible to the naked eye. wavelength-absorbing dye between the Ruby: 694.3 nm
laser and your eye. Most are made for Near IR: 800-900 nm, 1,064 nm
Green Lasers use in laboratories, and the dyes are
Green lasers (532 nm) are the in a coating applied to the face of the the dyes in a lens blocks. The amount
greatest combined threat to officers’ lens. For the street, you’ll want some- of light a lens blocks is known as its
eyes. First, green lasers appear the thing far more durable. And for that, optical density (OD) and is provided
brightest because human eyes are tactical eyepro makers worth their salt for a specific wavelength. It’s speci-
1A /2 A :T H E R I G H T

most sensitive to green light. Second, mix the magic dye directly into the lens fied as a number from 0 to 7, with 7
many green lasers are contaminated material, so it’s baked in and can’t be offering the most protection. The per-
Revision Military’s
with dangerous IR light. scratched off. You also want to make ceived amount of light the lens allows
Muna Majhi and Ali
Adam inspect lens sure you get a ballistic lens that’s rated to pass is the visible light transmission
IR CONTAMINATION blanks that’ll later for the kind of projectiles your friends (VLT). These three specs are the key
Most lasers made in the last be cut into lenses in black will be offering up from their to choosing the most appropriate lens
072

for StingerHawk
couple years use new technology that side of the protest line. for your tactical situation. The more
eyewear. Revision
eliminates the threat of IR contamina- manufactures its Assuming you’re looking at a ballistic wavelengths you want to block, the
R EC OILW EB.C OM>

tion. According to Mark Cameron, a lenses entirely in lens with impregnated dyes, there are less colors you’ll be able to see. If you
Vermont and inspects
systems engineer with B.E. Meyers, three key considerations for LE folks want more protection from each of
each lens by hand
green lasers made up until around before shipping them looking for laser eye protection. First is those colors, you’ll have to accept a
2017 used DPSS technology, short for to customers. determining the color of the laser you darker lens.
diode-pumped solid-state.
At a time when lasers were either
IR or red, DPSS was 1990s witchcraft
that turned IR lasers into green lasers
using math and a couple of crystals.
The problem with DPSS lasers, as
noted earlier, is that they emit IR along
with the green light. Properly made
DPSS lasers have filters in their output
stage to neutralize this IR contamina-
tion. But novelty lasers are bootleg AF,
and any bootlegger worth his eye patch
will tell you deciding between cheap
and safe is hardly a decision at all.
Isn’t the U.S. FDA and its laser
classification and regulation system
supposed to protect us from this sort of
thing? Yes. But it seems the department
applies the same effort to laser testing
as it does to mattress tag inspections.
 EYE SAFE

A green laser pointed at

the Revision Stingerhawk
with an FT2 lens is stopped
cold. Look closely; while
most of the laser’s energy is
absorbed by the lens dyes,
some is relected away.
1A /2A:OF THE PEOPLE

NO, YOU CAN’T HAVE IT ALL BOTTOM LINE is still in active development. Re-
It’d be great if one
The first question everyone asks is Current lens technology is evolving, searchers are focused on finding a no-
074

lens blocked every

if there’s a universal laser-blocking color laser, but you’ll but at the moment, the limitation of compromises solution to laser vision
lens. There isn’t. That’s because a have to choose which current laser lens technology means threats that’s practical for line units.
R EC OILW EB.C OM>

lens that blocks all colors of lasers wavelength (color) situational awareness and broad We’re getting close but armed with the
of laser you want
would block all colors of light and be protection are on opposite sides of the knowledge in this article, you should
protection from.
nearly opaque. The specs for such a Revision Military’s coin. To see everything, you’ll have to be clear on the hows and whys, as well
lens would look something like this: Stingerhawk laser and give up some protection. Since lasers as the compromises needed to make
ballistic protective
400nm - 1,064nm, OD 5, VLT 1 per- are still an emerging threat to law an informed decision when shopping
eyewear’s LazrBloc
cent. This is over simplified, as each FT-2 lens (top) enforcement, the defensive technology for laser eyepro.
wavelength has its own OD. But you protects against
get the idea … You’d be safe from eye violet, blue and green
lasers (405nm OD4,
injury, but the world would be a black
445nm OD4, 532nm
sheet in front of your face. OD4), while the
For nighttime use, you’ll want the LazrBloc GF-8 lens
protects against green
highest VLT possible. That means
and near infrared
maybe giving up protection from the (NIR) lasers (532nm
less popular laser colors, such as blue, OD2.5, 808nm OD2).
violet, and yellow, in favor of a lighter
lens that provides greater situational
awareness.
For line units working street pro-
tests, look for lenses that block green
lasers for sure. Those are the most
common. But be aware that green laser
protective lenses won’t allow you to see
the green laser projected reticle in your
EOTech. Plan accordingly.
 A homemade shotgun
is one of the few
irearms you can build
without using any
actual gun parts; the
JBB-12 is a volley ire
12-gauge AOW (Any
Other Weapon).
1A /2A:MAKE NO L AW
090
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THERE ARE INHERENT

RISKS AT EVERY TURN
WHEN IT COMES TO FIREARMS,
AND LIKE ANYTHING WITH A
MODICUM OF DANGER, THEY‘RE
UNFORGIVING OF HUMAN ERROR.
 Making Your Own Double-Barreled Shotgun at Home
By Mike Searson

E
arlier this year, we built a legally own and possess what they’re
410-gauge shotgun from a kit building — convicted felons or other
and a lot of pipe fittings for prohibited persons cannot. There may
our sister magazine RECOIL be additional restrictions where you
OFFGRID. One thing about building live, so be sure to double check.
that particular piece was that even the Schedule 40 black iron pipe is sold
parts kit that was provided by Pop- in a number of sizes. For 12-gauge,
A-410 could easily be sourced at a you’ll need ¾- and 1-inch diameter
home improvement store. So this time, pipes, plus a 1-inch cap to thread on
we set about building one relying purely the end of the 1-inch pipe that’ll act
on Home Depot’s inventory. as your receiver.
Some people who consider the fire- It gets tricky here, as not all pipes
arm lifestyle a mere hobby couldn’t get are created equal, and the sizes aren’t
over themselves decrying how danger- close to being uniform. The reason for
ous and irresponsible these types of this is that plumbing isn’t a modern
builds are for a shooter. There are inher- invention, and most standards are re-
ent risks at every turn when it comes ally just guidelines. Furthermore, pipe
DISCLAIMER: to firearms, and like anything with a threads will certainly not be concen-
It’s legal for you to build your
own irearms. Convicted felons or modicum of danger, they’re unforgiving tric to the bore.
other prohibited persons, however, of human error. When selecting a ¾-inch pipe,
cannot. There may also be other
applicable laws where you live, so With that in mind, we set out to try to bring a few different types of
double check the regulations in your build a somewhat different version in shotgun shells with you to see if they’ll
jurisdiction. The following article is
for educational and entertainment 12-gauge. fit. Some will, but most won’t. If you
purposes only. CMG West, its check several pipes on the same shelf,
parent entities, and subsidiaries
shall be held harmless in the event BUILDING you’ll often find inside diameter vari-
any entity acts on information It’s legal for gun owners to build ances between all of them. Ideally, the
provided in this article.
their own firearms, so long as they can front of the rim should sit flush, and
 BUILDING JOE BIDEN‘S BLASTER

the shell itself should have very little, is woefully out of spec when compared a pipe wrench to ensure everything is
if any, play at all. to most gun parts. You can mark the snug, tools for cutting the pipe, and a file
The next step is to check that the primer of your shotgun shell, load it or Dremel to size the insides if needed.
¾-inch pipe will fit inside the 1-inch in the ¾-inch pipe, and see where the We christened our creation the
pipe. If it drops in with a tight fit, marking agent hits the inside of the JBB-12.
even better. Most likely, you’ll need to cap. This is where you need to drill
hog out the inside with a sanding bit. and will become your breech face. INSPIRATION
Ideally, you want enough clearance Once you have a hole all the way Former Vice President Joe Biden
and fit so that the ¾-inch pipe freely through, you can start your tap from once remarked that all anyone needs
moves back and forth through the Construction is the outside. Go slow and use cutting for self-defense is a shotgun:
1-inch pipe. simple, using four oil; back out every so often to keep it “I said, ‘Jill, if there’s ever a prob-
pieces of pipe, two
Ensure that the cap easily threads clean. We used an 8-40 tap because lem, just walk out on the balcony here,
pipe caps, two tees,
down on the 1-inch pipe. A proper seal two set screws and that was the size of the set screws we walk out and put that double-barrel
is critical for this next step. This was some scrap pieces had on hand. shotgun and fire two blasts outside
our stumbling block, so we turned to of steel. The only Thread the set screw into the the house,’” Biden said.
element of complexity
good friends Tyler Norona and Jarrett threads you created. You just need the “You don’t need an AR-15 — it’s
is in lining up the
Bushey at Illumined Arms to cut and welds properly to tip to barely protrude. Too deep and harder to aim,” he added, “it’s harder
rethread the pipe ends. ensure consistent you run the risk of piercing a primer. to use, and in fact you don’t need
ignition.
1A /2A:RESPECTING

Back at the shop, drill and tap the Once the tip of the firing pin is set, hit 30 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a
center of the cap to install the firing it for about 15 seconds with a butane shotgun! Buy a shotgun!”
pin. Centering will be the hardest part, torch to harden it. We decided to build this firearm just
because you’ll find that even the cap Lastly, we attached a ¾-inch tee to like he advised.
the threaded end of the ¾-inch pipe, It’s a bit more of a challenging build
making a forend grip to more easily as you need to connect the two outer
092

slam-fire the gun. pipes and ensure that the barrels can
These five parts comprise a basic move back and forth. This means
slam-fire gun. Aside from preparing the welding. Once we spaced the cham-
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cap, the only real tools you need are bered receivers, we did the same with
 BUILDING JOE BIDEN‘S BLASTER

the barrels, using ¾-inch pipe tees to Our first try was experimental to NFA
add a foregrip made of shorter pieces lessen the chances of grave injury or The barrels measured 19.5 inches,
of pipe. Fitting the pipes was tough, death. We emptied the shot out of a and the overall length was 20 inches.
and we used a liberal amount of Lucas pair of mini shells about 1.75 inches While the barrel length was certainly
Oil Gun Grease to keep the action long. Only one barrel successfully legal if you were building a shotgun,
smooth. As it was a bit heavy and discharged, so we tightened down the the overall length was below 26
cumbersome, we mounted a piece of set screw on the faulty chamber and inches. Had we placed a stock on the
pipe to act as a pistol grip. slammed it again. It went bang. Next, JBB-12 or added an extra 6 inches
This was intended to mostly be fired we moved up to live ammo, again in to the barrels, this would be a typical
from the hip. You could add a stock, the form of mini shells, then eventu- Title 1 firearm. However, there was no
but firing two 12-gauges simultaneous- ally a few 2¾-inch loads from bird need for a stock on this project. In this
ly, inches away from your face, didn’t shot to #4 buck shot. Both barrels case, the end result was to register it
Below: The JBB-12
seem like a good idea. fired simultaneously 90 percent of the as an AOW (Any Other Weapon).
breaks down into two
components for ease time. You can somewhat-intentionally This is a catch-all classification for
FIRING THE JBB-12 in transportation, fire a single barrel instead of two by firearms that don’t have a traditional
with each section
To fire the JBB-12, you load the altering your angle when you slam. design, such as pen guns, glove guns,
measuring 20 inches
1A /2 A:A N E STA BLISHMENT

chambers, take hold of the forward and 14 inches, We had built a fully functional and so forth. If your pipe gun is ex-
grip, aim, and slam the barrels rear- respectively. double-barrel, slam-fire gun and have tremely simple, with no grips, stocks,
ward. The impact of the firing pins to admit the recoil was much milder or triggers, looking like one piece of
against the primers of the shells causes Bottom: Two shots than anticipated, due to the weight pipe inside another with a cap, that’ll
ignition and fires the projectile. are better than one of the piece and the thickness of the be an AOW. The classification is also
sometimes, but make
You also might want to say a Hail pipe. It was much quieter than a typi- applied to firearms with one rifled and
sure your shells will
Mary that you don’t blow yourself up it in the chambers as cal double-barrel, but hip firing may one smoothbore barrel under the 18-
in the process. you build. have played a role there. or 26-inch minimum requirements,
094
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YOU ALSO
MIGHT WANT
TO SAY A HAIL
MARY THAT
YOU DON‘T
BLOW YOUR-
SELF UP IN
THE PROCESS.
 BUILDING JOE BIDEN‘S BLASTER

like the old Marble’s Game Getter. If you just want a sterile firearm,
Likewise, if you have a smoothbore there are plenty out there in the form
firearm that has never had a stock of shotguns and rimfire rifles built prior
installed and doesn’t meet both length to 1968 that have no serial numbers.
requirements, an AOW tax stamp is They can be had for not much more
the order of the day. than what was invested in this project.
It costs $200 to build an AOW, just Look for names like Hopkins & Allen,
like any other NFA item on a Form 1. New England Firearms, Harrington
However, the transfer tax is only $5, & Richardson, Iver Johnson, Savage/
so there’s a benefit when you transfer Stevens, Sears, Western Auto, and the
it to another entity. like. You’ll end up with something safe
and definitely a more accurate shooter.
ALTERNATIVES AND LOOSE The home-built slam fire gun is
ROUNDS more of a tool to help you understand
This was yet another fun project. It how a firearm works in most simplistic
was definitely less expensive than build- terms, providing a basic blueprint for
ing the slam-fire 410-gauge, and you building something like this when you
can walk away with the satisfaction that have no other choice. Beyond the fun
1A /2A:OF RELIGION,

you built a firearm on your own. More- factor, this is a firearm of last resort.
over, putting it together may give you a It may also be your only alternative
better sense of how firearms work. should a certain political party get
This is a gun for a time we hope their way in all branches of govern-
never comes — when your own guns ment and decide to shred the um, uh,
You can make the are confiscated or destroyed, and you you know the thing.
frond easier to rack
096

have no chance of buying another one.

by wrapping the
pipe sections in Had we built a single-shot version, our
burlap (as shown), cost would’ve been about $45. This
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parachute cord, wire, one came in at about $95.

or rubber from a
bicycle inner tube.

She may not be pretty, but

the JBB-12 is effective and
can be either a fun “I made
this” project, or a weapon of
last resort when it’s the only
thing you can lay hands on.

THIS IS A GUN FOR A TIME

WE HOPE NEVER COMES -
WHEN YOUR OWN GUNS ARE
CONFISCATED OR DESTROYED,
AND YOU HAVE NO CHANCE
OF BUYING ANOTHER ONE.
 SMOKE
AND SPICE
Making Your Own Smoke Grenades
1A /2A:OR PROHIBITING

By Forrest Cooper
Photos by Samantha Lauraina
100
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 F
rom theatrics to tactics, symbol of danger on the horizon or a improvisations such as Molotov cock-
smoke has many uses other sacrifice rising up to please the gods. tails. That being the case, it falls on
than perfecting roasted meat The modern military has two prima- each individual to know their state and
and getting in our eyes around ry purposes for smoke: as a signal for local laws. Playing too much with fire
a campfire. Whether to obscure move- medical support, supply drops, or tar- will likely get you burned once or twice,
ment or to signal allies, the use of get identification, and as a way to ob- and playing too much with smoke will
smoke long predates firearms, harken- scure troop movements. Video games certainly catch the attention of neigh-
ing back to the days of large-scale frequently capitalize on both of these bors, if not law enforcement. A friendly
maneuver warfare. In the 21st century, by imitating the use of smoke to call word of advice: Courtesy and situation-
as both technology and industry have for reinforcements, or the completion al awareness will go a long way.
permanently changed the appearance of a task or mission. While not too far
of war and conflict, so too have combat off from reality in this aspect, the use INGREDIENTS AND TOOLS
units in the military adapted to smaller of smoke in high-paced first-person REQUIRED
unit structures. While the concept of a shooters leans toward the fictional, The easiest part of making a smoke
whole army in conflict once dominated evoking the illusive disappearing act of grenade is finding out what you need.
the scope of war, we now live in the a ninja. Outside of an organized team, Common table sugar and potassium
age of small unit tactics. smoke grenades belong more in fiction nitrate, generally known as saltpeter,
And that both translates to — and is and film than reality. constitute the smoke-making com-
enabled by — the increased abilities That being the case, they add a pound. In rural areas, you can likely

RECOILWEB.COM >
of the individual. Infrastructure has certain panache to any range day, buy both in the same store, but for
adapted to accommodate small teams theatrical event, or training operation. urban dwellers, there’s the internet.
of highly capable individuals, provid- And while the military supplies their Potassium nitrate is cheap, used for
ing vast resources to a smaller and operators with those iconic canisters, various gardening tasks like removing
smaller roster of combatants, further making a smoking compound really stumps, but that doesn’t mean every
augmented by more extensive training isn’t as difficult as safety-worshipping form of stump remover is made of the

101
as well as technology such as drones, fearmongers would imagine. The trick right stuff. Check product labels before
global positioning systems, and night is matching the tool to the job and buying. As for kitchen tools that you

#52 /JA N .F E B. 2021

vision. Yet at the same time, operators stoking the fires of one’s imagination use to create your concoction, assume
are still deploying age-old tools like to make it work. that they’ll all be forfeited for future
DISCLAIMER: knives, axes, and hammers to accom- Legally speaking, smoke grenades, use. Thankfully, cooking utensils
Check local laws
before attempting to plish their missions. As long as fire or smoke bombs, should fall under the abound in most big-box stores. A
make your own smoke
grenades.
has been in the hands of man, smoke category of pyrotechnics, not destruc- medium-sized pan and a wooden spoon
has had its place in war, be it the tive devices, unlike other home-made or spatula are all that you’ll need. If
given options, choose a smaller spoon.
DIY SMOKE BOMBS ITEMS LIST Once you’ve sourced the base ingre-
Cannonfuse.com dients, you must choose how to carry
Slow Cannon Fuse: $6
and deploy the smoke, and how to ig-
1¼-inch Paper Plugs: $3
1¼-inch Tubes: $3 nite it. Luckily, various forms of fuses
Sugar: $8 can be purchased online, and with the
Potassium Nitrate: $20 popularity of fireworks for films and
festivals, there’s plenty to be learned
-or-
Stump Remover: $8 from those who spend their time imi-
Pastels: $15 per big stick tating their idols instead of becoming
Capsaicin: $20
them. If options are available, choose
Fry Pan Set: $17
Utensil Set: $7 the slower-burning varieties in order to
Electrical Tape: $3 better ignite the compound. Our first
attempt ended up comically resem-
bling cartoon dynamite, with results
that were much more show than bang.
We used thick cardboard tubes de-
signed for fireworks as the body, with
 SMOKE AND SPICE
Using a pastel marker cardboard plugs supported by heavy- That space accommodates a top plug
sugar as base, some
duty tape to create a good seal. When if you use one, as well as providing the
color could be applied to
the smoke grenade itself. constructing a smoke canister, limiting oxygen needed for the mixture to start
the airflow arrests the compound burning. Packing it down tightly, use
from burning too fast, producing more a skewer or similar disposable pointy
smoke along the way. thing to stab a channel in the center
Most of your work will be done for the wick. Then proceed to cap the
around a stove top. Throughout our tri- newly created smoke bomb, keeping
als, it became so apparent that an open some of the wick exposed.
flame should be avoided at all costs Let it cool and test them out, some-
that we suggest purchasing a budget place that you know you won’t attract
hot plate in the event that your home too much attention, especially consid-
is equipped with gas burners. To spice ering 2020’s massive spike in arson.
things up, depending on the intended
use, you can add oil-based pastels or ADDING FLAVOR
capsaicin extract. More on these later. Achieving different colors comes at
1A /2 A :T H E F R E E E X E R C I S E

the cost of buying the right materials.

CONSTRUCTION At a local art store, chonky pastels
Preparation is key to success here, are sold for the artistic-minded. While
so begin by pre-building the tubes. If the military may use different colors
For a few minutes, the you recycle, empty aluminum cans of to mark different situations such as
sugar would show no
the thicker soup and vegetable variety medical or troops in the open, for us,
signs of melting.
Adding capsaicin to the are most of the way there, the only it’s all for appearances. Don’t expect
mixture turned quickly, challenge being the open end. If opting to nail perfect color combinations the
clearing out the kitchen
102

for fireworks cardboard tubes, insert first time. To add a particular color to
and one’s sinuses.
the bottom plugs and wrap the whole a smoke bomb, melt the pastel in the
canister in tape. Stage the tubes near base of the pan before adding the dry
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the stove top or cooking surface, along ingredients and follow the same proce-
with pre-cut fuses. Then, begin heat- dure described above.
ing the sugar. While it’s technically not illegal to
Our tests confirm that a 2-to-3 ratio own pepper spray and the like, mak-
of sugar to potassium nitrate makes ing an eye-watering, cough-inducing
the ideal smoke sauce. Making smaller smoke grenade may attract the at-
batches takes more time, but they’re tention of those whose attention you
so much easier to control that we don’t want to attract. To turn a smoke
quickly stopped using a 10-inch pan grenade into a dispenser of spicy air,
in favor of a more wieldy 8-inch one. add capsaicin extract to the smoke
After dumping ½ cup of sugar into the mixture. The extract is an oil, so it’s
pan and setting the burner to medium- supposed to vaporize as the com-
high, we added ¾ cup of potassium pound burns. Just a little flaring up in
nitrate and stirred it into the mixture. the pan was enough to clear out our
For about 4 minutes it felt like nothing kitchen, so this is a perfectly reason-
was happening, but soon the sugar be- able time to wear your damn mask.
gan to melt and clump together. With The legality of tear gas, as it’s listed in
the first batch, we completely caramel- various penal codes, is dubious at best,
ized the mixture, but we got the hang but we couldn’t find consistent prohibi-
of it after that. Go for a sticky, slightly tions on making or possessing peppered
grainy texture, like sandy dough. smoke. In many cases, it appeared that
Once the smoke compound is com- difference between legal and illegal
Color-coding the smoke plete, spoon it into your tubes, filling would come down to chemical com-
grenades is easy with basic craft supplies. them to about ¾ inch from the top. pounds, primarily ones that belong in a
 SMOKE AND SPICE

not like Roman candles; you can’t hold

onto them. Always have a fire extin-
guishing source on hand.
As to adding color, again we were
met with mixed results. Blue color
added minimal visible difference —
easy to identify on a sunny day, but
unnoticeable at dusk. Red added more
optical flare, but as the bloom dissipat-
ed, the color blended into the expected
gray of uncolored smoke. If you’re
looking for vibrant colors, consider
lab. Since a smoke bomb self-identifies Of the tests itself into a sugar rocket. The tubes buying commercial options. Sadly —
as a pyrotechnic apparatus, not a de- performed, the filled with the more caramelized mix- and also thankfully — the capsaicin
capsaicin-infused
structive device, and adding spice to one smoke grenades ture tended to treat the smoking agent tended to burn off in our tests, adding
wouldn’t make it a biological weapon, created more like a propellant, launching them- a little agitation to our spicy air cans
you can give it a try. But double check disappointment than selves in a cartoon-like random pat- but not nearly as much as expected.
crowd-dispersing
your local laws, and don’t be surprised tern. Conversely, the less melted and Finally, regarding cost, making
clouds.
if it’s not looked on lightly if used for a subsequently less bonded compound smokes is analogous to cooking food.
1A /2 A :T H E R E O F;

prank, even by the law. burnt itself out quickly to the tune Large batches are cost effective, but
The sugar to of 30 to 40 seconds, producing less don’t justify making less than 10 serv-
TESTING AND EVALUATION potassium nitrate smoke along the way. One tube was ings. A medium-sized batch will easily
While our testing produced varied ratio determined more of a cannon, launching a glob produce upward of 20 small canisters,
whether the cardboard
results, marking the tubes allowed us of sticky, burning anger. Thankfully, with the key limiting component being
tube would become
104

to narrow down the variables and make a smoke grenade, nothing was lost but a 6-inch circle the throwable body. Soup cans make
adjustments for our second batch. a sugar rocket, or a of lawn grass. Take this as a warn- an excellent, albeit bulky option.
cannon launching
First and foremost, the consistency ing, though — home-made smokes If you’ve ever wanted to pop smoke,
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burning, molten sugar.

of the smoke mixture determined if So always point in a shouldn’t be deployed without taking this is a cool weekend project. Be safe
the bomb would merely bloom or turn safe direction. proper safety considerations. They’re and have fun.