by David Crane david@defensereview.com Al Baker was at TREXPO West 2004 to display and demonstrate the Baker Batshield, an advanced and novel ballistic shield designed for dynamic LE SWAT operations. More specifically, it’s designed for CQB (Close Quarters Battle). The Baker Batshield, available in both full-size and compact versions, allows an operator to engage hostile subjects with a shoulder weapon …

By Mario Martinez Jr., HRT Training Corp Inc. As a 24-year veteran of tactical law enforcement and training consultant for federal and state law enforcement agencies. I have had the chance to test and evaluate hundreds of products for vendors worldwide. My training company has trained members from US Marshal Service, FBI SWAT, US Customs SRT, Ft. Benning SRT, Ft. …

by David Crane Sorry for the delay in posting new stories, but I’m still in Orlando, FL at the Round-Up, and have been WAY too busy and having WAY too much fun. SWAT Round-Up has been great. Everybody at the OCSO (Orange County Sheriff’s Office) has done an amazing job with this event. There was also some extremely cool stuff …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com A little over a year ago, I wrote a story on the Arms Tech Recon Rifle. Well, in early November 2002, I got to shoot Arm’s Tech’s Compak-16 select-fire subcarbine/SBR (Short-Barreled Rifle), which is basically a shortened version of the Recon Rifle. I actually had a lot of fun shooting ths gun. Ideally, I would have …

by David Crane While we were at SWAT Round-Up 2002, we were fortunate to get to put a few rounds through the HK G36C sub-carbine. Out of all the guns we got to shoot at round-up, this one would be my personal choice. It was nice and compact, and had very light recoil, even on full-auto. We only wish we …

O.k., everybody, we just got back from Orlando, FL, where we had the honor of attending the latest SWAT Round-Up (2002). SWAT Round-Up is an international LE SWAT competition where SWAT teams from around the country, and even some from overseas, come to compete against each other in organized events that test their various tactical/operational skills, shooting skills, and mental …

It’s official. The Kimber Custom II single-stack .45 1911(5" Government Model) has apparently defeated all comers, and is thus slated to rest on the thighs of all LAPD SWAT operators in the very near future. For an LE SWAT/SRT contract, it’s a big one–160 guns(2 per operator). The significance of the Kimber Custom II’s adoption is magnified by the fact …

By 1st Tactical Studies Group (1TSG) July 7, 2025 The U.S. ARMY and Marine Corps need a multi-caliber, Modular Weapon System (MWS) that can shoot all the major cartridges to meet the myriad of threats on the 720 degree, Non-Linear Battlefield (720 NLB) based on upgraded the combat-proven, M16/M4 rifle/carbine family whose manual-of-arms is in the muscle memory of every …

By Toby Melville November 29, 2024 What is the Chinesium Paradox? The term Chinesium is a term I’ve coined about the litany of products that can be obtained on Amazon (aka The Evil Empire). While Amazon is not evil, I use this reference due to its overwhelming global reach. The paradox is derived from the fact that quality products that …

By David Crane david (at) defensereview (dot) com Photo(s) Credit: Ross D. Franklin for the Associated Press (AP) and the Pacific Legal Foundation May 18, 2021 This is a biggy. The United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) recently decided UNANIMOUSLY in the first gun case in a decade. The case is Caniglia v. Strom, and it involves a man’s Second and …