PMCI - December 2015

DEC 2015
2
CONTENTS
4 TRAINING: COMBINED FIREARMS COURSE
We speak again to our good friends at the European Security Academy to
get the lowdown on their very latest firearms course!
8 BOOK REVIEW
“The Combat Leaders Field Guide”.
10 TRAINING: KAPAP COMBATIVES
Avi Nadia is a highly repected matrtials arts and tactical trainer running
courses globally; we find out what makes him tick.
15 “TRUNK MONKEY”
PMCI goes “one on one” with contractor and author Lewis Steiner
18 INDUSTRY UPDATE
Hutchy gives us his thoughts on medical training for PMCs
20 GEAR ON TEST
The PMCI Team make their recommendations on the latest gear to hit the
market!
24 MEET THE MAKER
Carinthia have been around for a while, but who are they and what do they
bring to the table?
28 TACTICAL INNOVATION
We check out some of the very latest tools from the Walther Pro line
30 BOOK REVIEW
“Glock, the World’s Handgun”
33 FIREARMS SPOTLIGHT
Trampas asks the question “Bolt Action or Semi Auto?” with an innovative
build featuring precision parts from Deveil Dog Arms
36 TECH AND TOOLS
Need a top of the range knife? Trampas gives us his thoughts on the
“Wanderer” from Gray’s Custom
38 BOOK REVIEW
“Devils Fire”
40 SPECIAL REPORT
We’re constantly looking “outside the box” for tactical and firearms solutions,
and the FlxSHOT system certainly is different and effective!
42 HEAD TO HEAD
This time our two tame contractors “get physical”
44 INDUSTRY VACANCIES
Looking for work? Just check here.
Copyright © Calibre Publishing 2014. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic,
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reserve the right to edit submissions prior to publication.
Thank you for downloading this Edition of PMCI, the FREE digital publication dedicated to PMC
Operatives. PMCI is written by individuals with first hand knowledge and experience of the subject
they write about - people like Col. Gerry Schumacher (USSF Ret.), author Simon Chambers
and ex-TL Dan E, all of whom have an intimate understanding of what the role entails and the day
to day challenges faced by PMCs.
PMCI will provide a platform to review and discuss the things to matter to all of us, such personal equipment,
training, employment and lifestylestyle management - and these are also our core fundamentals. We hope
you enjoy this Edition of PMCI and if you have any feedback or comments, or would like to contrubute to future
issues, please let us know by email to: editor@pmcimagazine.com
PHOTO CREDITS: Cover: CARINTHIA. Authors where applicable, Shutterstock.com, Istockphoto.com
Editor (UK): Bill Thomas
Editor (International): Dan Eastes
Graphic Design: Baz Thakur
Publisher: Nigel Streeter
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TRAINING: EUSECA
TRAINING:
COMBINED FIREARMS COURSE
Ever since PMCI was launched we’ve worked closely with the team at the ESA in Europe due to
their meticulous training programs, and were delighted to see a new course had been added to their
ever-expanding curriculum. We asked Bartosz Zukowski, Director of the European Security Academy
UK, to give us the lowdown.
Here at the European Security Academy in
Poland we provide all kinds of Security
Courses and Training for civilians as well
as for governmental units but we felt
that something was missing! If we are
talking about Firearms Courses we have
various short three days courses where
our students can learn from the basics
how to use a handgun or carbine on our
Tactical Pistol/Tactical Carbine which
takes place three times a year. After
those courses students can progress
through Dynamic Pistol/Carbine where all the drills are done
on the move, with time pressure, with multiple targets and
specifically designed tasks. I did all of them and all I can say in
short is: they are AWESOME !
Last year myself and one of the ESA instructors came to
the conclusion that it would be great to have something in
between, something that gives a taste of all modern weapons
systems that are used by contractors all over the world,
something that students won’t forget about for a long time and
come back for more. The task wasn’t easy as we had to fit lot
of material into three days which is normally done over seven
days training. After a long conversation, careful planning and
litres of coffee we came out with an idea to run a three day
COMBINED FIREARMS COURSE. Now we needed one more thing
to accomplish our mission and get it running; the “green light”
from the ESA Managing Director.
Getting that wasn’t as hard as I thought, he mostly agreed with
the idea, but some of the training parts had to be removed and
he suggested what we could add instead to make it a three
day course on three different weapons systems in one go. At
the end of the meeting he found the idea of the course so
innovative, attractive and beneficial to the students that he
decided to place that course in regular ESA Training Schedule
and run it twice a year in 2016. WOW what could I say? I was
more than happy, and now it was the time to see what students
reaction is going to be and their feedback. We set the 1st date
and it was early November 2015. People started signing up fast
as soon as we released the training programme online.
To be honest I was expecting it as the training programme
was very innovative, designed to teach students how to work
with Glock 17, Submachine guns such as Swiss APC and German
MP5 including KURZ version, and the Sig Sauer M4 Carbine. The
cherry on the cake was night CQB scenarios with FX Simunition
“Force on Force” Drills, but let’s start from the beginning.
Day One; after registration our group which was comprised
of ten shooters went through weapon familiarisation. Our
Instructor brought all the units mentioned above plus handguns
such as HK UPC/Berreta/SigSauer and explained about the
safety on the range as well as how to operate each of the
firearms. Students also had an opportunity to disassemble and
assemble all of them which was a lot’s of fun for most of them
considering the fact that none of them are available for shooting
due to tight gun legislations here in the UK. Before lunch the
group was familiarised with all the units we were going to use
4

and ready to go live on the range. The first day
was planned to be spent mostly with handguns
and this is what happened, working on drawing,
grip, sight alignment, breathing, trigger work
and a solid shooting platform.
That was the main concern of the instructor;
safety first, and always. After few hours students
were sorted, mistakes were fixed, wrong habits
were wiped out. Accuracy was improved and
everybody was using their handgun in a safe
and professional manner, even those who have
never handled one before. When it started
getting dark we had to come back to the
Academy for dinner, debriefing and relaxing for
the rest of the evening which was spent mostly
in discussion about the course, weapons, other
courses provided and tons of questions and
answers.
Day Two started straight on one of the ESA
ranges. I noticed big smiles on the faces of all the
students when our Instructor opened the cases
full of Brügger & Thomet APC’s and Heckler &
Koch MP5’s. We started with a warm up with the
handguns we had used on the Day One and then
we jumped into SMG’s. Students were impressed
with the accuracy of both weapons systems and
especially with APC which was equipped with a
red dot sight. With almost no recoil all shooters
were able to put bullets on the targets quite
easily. Once they got use to static shooting we
went for more dynamic scenarios with multiple
targets.
When the sun went down and we couldn’t
see the targets properly we got back to the
academy for the dinner, but the day for us wasn’t finished! After
dinner we met up in what is called “Little Mogadishu”. It’s a CQB
village built for the purpose of CQB training and running AOP
(Attack on Principle) drills on PMC (Private Military Contractor)
and CP (Close Protection) courses.
When we arrived there equipped with Glocks converted to
FX Simunition and flashlights the Instructor said, “We are not
going to shoot paper targets today anymore, we are going to run
scenarios with real opponents shooting back on you”. Then he
looked at me and I knew that I’d have the task to play a bad guy
and make their life hard during building clearance and fulfilling
the mission which was fine with me as it’s always an extra
training opportunity for myself ! Did I mention that the Instructor
also took flashbangs and smoke grenades with him? Yes, he did!
We started! The first drill was for the students to go on the
setup route through the building with me popping out from the
corners and attacking them. It’s a task which looks easy especially
when you have 5 men team where each member can focus on
covering their sector, but it quickly became a mess when I threw
the first flashbang and attacked them from different angles. The
formation got mixed up and chaos ensued. Of course you can’t
teach somebody CQB in one day and this was understandable
for everybody. What was important for us is to give our students
understanding of the difficulties of CQB and room clearance.
After few rounds in teams of five we decided to split them
into smaller groups to see how they were going to cooperate with
each other. This time the mission was to check the building, locate
the hostage and evacuate him to a safe area. All of the course
were equipped with FX Glock, and I was there with grenades
trying to disturb them. This time the drill went better according to
rules; the less operators in the team the less the mess. All teams
managed to fulfil the mission with more or less casualties; I got
shot few times as well. Those drills were performed with low
light conditions where some of the lights in the building were
turned on. Now was the time to bring it to the next level; one on
one hostage rescue drills in pitch black darkness!
The only source of light was a Glock flashlight attached to the
pistol. This time students were really careful and moved forward
very slowly checking each room with lot of attention making sure
TRAINING: EUSECA
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TRAINING: EUSECA
they were safe to proceed. Unfortunately they weren’t as I was
somewhere in there waiting for them in the dark. We finished
the day very late about midnight and went straight to bed as
the next day there was more fun and knowledge to come, this
time with M4 Carbine made by Sig Sauer.
Day Three started easy. During breakfast and travel to the
range there was only one subject under discussion; yesterday’s
drills. Everybody was still excited about what happened the
night before. Students were showing each other bruises from
FX Ammo and sharing their experiences.
When we arrived the Instructor explained about M4 carbine
once again and the group started to warm up with static
shooting.
When everybody was happy with it the Instructor invented
more sophisticated drills with usage of multiple targets and use
of cover. We also shot from alternative positions like kneeing
and prone. Then we reached the time when we had to start
what everyone had been waiting for; weapon transitions. It’s
a technique of changing your primary weapon which was the
M4 in our case to your secondary weapon which was the Glock.
Reasons for that transition may be something like a malfunction
in your primary weapon or an out of ammo situation when you
can’t stop providing fire. We showed the students two ways
of doing this, one suitable for a static and one for a dynamic
situation. They picked up quite quickly on the dry drills and we
were able to continue with live ammo.
When it became dark we realised that we still had
about 30 bullets for the M4 and 30 for the Glocks for
6
each students left and we needed to shoot it all in one drill as
we had to be back at the Academy for the dinner in less than
an hour! The Instructor gave me a free hand to design the drill
and after five minutes I had a good one for them. Because it
was completely dark at this time we had to use a flashlight
to at least point the weapons on target. Luckily the Instructor
from ESA had his very own version of the M4 with holographic
sights and flashlight attached and let the students have it for
the drill. However some of them refused it and wanted to go
in the dark, and that was individual choice. The drill started
with walking forward towards the targets, then I gave the
signal “CONTACT FRONT” and it all kicked off! Double tap on
four targets, run behind cover, two double taps from the left
side of the cover and two from the right , then shooting to four
targets while moving, getting to the point where they were
dry. Weapon transition (at this time I was pointing my flashlight
on the targets), double taps to 3 different targets. Magazine
change and on the move six “Mozambique Combos” in three
targets. That was enough for everybody!
After that drill we went back to the academy for dinner
and certification. We discussed the course, and listened to the
feedback which was very good. Now I can’t wait for the next
one which takes place in January 2016.
Now that sounds like a righteous course to us, and Bartosz
has kindly invited us to attend one of their courses
next year so we can bring you our own thoughts. If
in the meantime this article has piqued your curiosity
then you can find out more by visiting www.euseca.
co.uk or emailing them via info@euseca.co.uk
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THE COMBAT LEADERS
FIELD GUIDE
BOOK REVIEW Combat Leaders Field Guide
The Combat Leaders Field Guide is one of those books that really
should be in anyone’s library as it really is the “one stop shop” for
topics ranging from equipment and techniques to communication
and commands. It’s essentially a guide to the basic skills which
must be understood and mastered by anyone in a military
occupation and id updated regularly to take into account the
very latest changes in tactical doctrine.
It covers all the “skills and drills” that are needed for the
combatant to prevail in small-unit dismounted combat
operations, including planning, battle drills for offensive and
defensive operations, patrols, construction and emplacement
of fighting positions, use of weapons and calls for fire, land
navigation and map reading, communications, close quarter
battle, and tactical combat casualty care.
It basically takes into account all the equipment, operational and
individual security skills essential to anyone who is essentially
acting in an infantry role, and this 14th Edition has been
extensively updated to include the very latest lessons learned
during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Although written as a true military reference guide the
inclusions are equally as valuable and insightful for anyone
acting in a Private Military capacity, as often this will include
working alongside regular military forces; having a thorough
understanding of their operational doctrines is something that
will prove ultimately useful, and could just be life-saving!
With 416 pages of text and 238 black and white illustrations
this is a lot of book for the money that really should be required
reading for anyone deploying overseas in a military security role.
Author: Jeff Kirkham
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 978-0811714448
Price: £12.99
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TRAINING: KAPAP COMBATIVES
TRAINING KAPAP
COMBATIVES
A number of us that contribute to PMCI are actively involved in tactical training and the product
development that goes hand in hand with this. We speak to others involved in the industry worldwide
on a regular basis and this month we’re turning our attention to self-defence and martial arts
training again as we speak to Master Avi Nardia from KAPAP Combatives.
PMCI: Avi, in your own words tell me what
led you to set up the KAPAP Combatives?
I’m an obsessive student! That quality of
mine has become a big part of my life and
made it dwell around the idea “Always
a student, sometimes a teacher“. It’s a
stepping stone for my students to learn
as I introduce them to the numerous ideas
and teachers and subject them to study
and exploration.
As I left the Israeli Army after experiencing
the war zone and serving on the land of
Lebanon pushing PLO and Syrian army drug cartels out in June
1982 as part of my Mandatory service I left to study Martial Arts
in the Far East. That journey has taken almost 8 years and as I
returned to Israel I started teaching anything I have learned and
knew at that time. I haven’t tried to find what was not good
in an existing systems or how they differ but more what I can
study and earn from studying and how to develop and increase
my knowledge.
KAPAP consists of everything that Avi Nardia has studied
and learned BUT as I got involved in teaching the IDF and
creating a new program for Military Krav Maga under the
supervision of Lt Colonel Avi Harus to upgrade the Krav Maga
system unfortunately he passed away and at that time the
army got more into politics.
10

As same as in most police/army systems it’s very difficult to
make changes without making a revolution.
At that time I joined the top Israeli Counter Terror unit as an
NCO with the rank of Master Sergeant and became trainer of
the world’s top Israeli unit that has helped to build KAPAP as a
system. KAPAP was nameless at that time and was mixture of
everything that I taught . As I moved to the USA later on many
asked what was the name of the system. The existing name Krav
Maga was more marketing and business oriented and at that
time it was connected with some people from the underground
who have tried to trademark something they didn’t own and sell
certificates. I made a decision to make a difference in the market
and I called it KAPAP in 1992; Israeli Krav Maga. It was meant to
make a change by creating a new and solid identity of the true
Israeli martial arts recognized as KAPAP. It happened that later
on many have tried to trademark the name and steal the name
so it was changed to KAPAP Combatives and today it is known
as A.N.A. – Avi Nardia Academy for only the teacher can make a
difference and show that it’s not the title that makes the person
but the opposite the person makes the title...
I have been a father of KAPAP in the top unit of Israeli counter
terrorism and I have brought to light the old name that was long
time forgotten, KAPA Face to face combat. Back in 2000 there was
only one school who was teaching KAPAP and there was only one
web site owned by me and representing my school. Today you
can find numerous individuals claiming to be the real KAPAP.
I don’t mind for good quality always finds its way to stand out
in the crowd and be recognized by true people.
If you ask me KAPAP could be even called a banana! I am
trying to present my knowledge in the right way and teach
everything I know BUT since Israeli Martial art and Krav Maga
were perceived in a wrong way I wanted to set some borders and
demand more professionalism on all levels not to turn the system
into a marketing product but to bring back the respect to the
instructors from the old days who have made the Israeli Martial
art unique and brilliant in so many ways that most people forget
to mention and take credit only for themselves.
PMCI: When and where did you start running your courses?
In 1992 I came back to Israel from the Far East where I spent
most of my time in Japan as a student for almost 8 years
studying different martial arts. My job was part of the project
run by Colonel Avi Harush RIP. It was supposed to prepare young
recruits for joining the Special Forces in Israeli army. This is when
I started teaching KAPAP as a system but only part time. Later on
when I got recruited to the top counter terrorist unit of Israel as a
member and a trainer I became a full time KAPAP trainer.
The KAPAP system was also used by instructors in the
operational police academy but since they had their own
curriculum “ HAGANA Hatsmit “ ( Defensive Tactic ) the police
didn’t allow this kind of an open minded program like army did or
counter terrorism unit. The police had very rigid system and didn’t
allow the input of new ideas but at least they allowed instructors
to take classes.
When I moved to the USA around 2002 I started teaching
KAPAP to the USA army, Marines, Navy, Police and SWAT SRT teams.
TRAINING: KAPAP COMBATIVES
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TRAINING: KAPAP COMBATIVES
PMCI: What exactly do you specialise in?
I am specialised in studying, I am a very good student. I
study Karate, Judo, Jiujutsu, BJJ, Kyudo, Kendo, Iaido, Jodo, Thai
Boxing, Boxing and many other arts. I have always seen myself
as Avi Nardia, swordsman and combative. I have been studying
martial arts to the highest level: Karate to 6 dan , Kendo to
6 dan, Aiki Kenpo Jiujutsu. I’m one of the leading instructors
under Hanshi Patrick McCarthy who is one of the most talented
martial arts teacher and who I look up to as one of the most
important roots of KAPAP.
I am studying “Brazilian Jiujutsu” with the Machado family
Machado RCJ and I am an owner of their black belt too. I also
teach and share BJJ art and I’ve been a guest BJJ teacher in
Brazil as well.
I used to love firearm training and I taught different styles
of firearm training, mostly based on self-defence, but also sport
and competition for fun too.
PMCI: Who do you see as your target customer for your courses?
For many years it was different units of the army and police
but today I’m more into targeting civilians like kids, adults, and
women for the world is constantly changing, not many times
for good. We can see how values and morals have decreased
and drugs and terror controlling the population and getting into
all pores of life. In Israel we all get born hand to hand with
terrorism and it is part of our lives to deal with it and fight it on
a daily level. But nowadays people worldwide feel threatened
by it. It seems that terror doesn’t come only for a visit but likes
staying and becoming part of daily life all over world. This
is why KAPAP Combative open doors more and more to the
civilians and people from all walks of life, also in the form of
kids classes.
PMCI: I know that you have access to excellent training
facilities that you make use of worldwide; can you tell me more
about them and what you do there?
We have a CQB school in Thailand where students can
take any course starting with army skills, survival and SERE
to parachuting, firearms class from hand guns to rifle, boat
and different skill that are closed to civilians and open only
to army and special units. It includes tactical driving, and a
VIP protection school run by a good friend of mine. I used to
be a Master Instructor for long time in CQB school but today I
only teach on occasional basis, from time to time because I’m
busy with other projects. My students like taking classes there
as same as in Serbia in one small town close to Belgrade. The
city Pozarevac has a very good firearm school called “GROM”
(Thunder) with great team members who offer different
defensive training almost each month for hand guns, rifle,
shotgun, gun transitions, low light, behind cover and many
others skills. You can easily find many video clips of the GROM
shooting school at the Avi Nardia Youtube channel where you
can see great training lead by Master Željko Vujčić.
PMCI: You also provide training to the military; what does
this entail?
We keep teaching for example in Serbia units like PTJ (
counter terror unit ), ZANDARMERIJA and also police units in
Israel and military units worldwide that most times I am kindly
asked not to mention to the public. I am teaching only countries
who are friendly to Israel and stand for democratic values.
My credo is “Safety first, safety last” and if safety is not
in the first place I will not teach even if I was asked to do it
by Delta force itself. I have noticed that many units neglect
safety and let ego dominate the training. Safety starts from
basic safety rules that I apply from organising a firearm range
and how to set guns at the range and perform drills, how to
clear gun. Before every training I must be sure that only my
safety rules and standards will be applied to the training for
many units have different ideas what safety consists of. When
you teach the firearm dry fire is the most important part of the
training. It needs to take 60 % of the training and only when
students get nice skills we move to the basic skills with ammo
from trigger control, renew contact, malfunctions, changing
magazines, working behind cover, shooting from cars, window,
12

door and so on but all this cannot be done without being hundred
percent sure that safety is first and last. A year ago one Russian
instructor nominated himself as the deadliest person ever and
published lots of Rambo style video clips. One of them was a
clip with 5 students in the shooting range where he shoots his
student four times by accident! Where ego is high and safety low
the accident can always happen.
PMCI: Do you train just military and police personnel or
civilians too?
My goal and agenda in the last couple of years is to move
my teachings more to teaching civilians. The main problem with
civilians is that they fall for marketing and since all web sites
today look the same it’s difficult for them to know who is who.
Any former solider can become an expert or hero, but people
forget that after all having a yellow belt in Karate even if you’ve
been a soldier doesn’t meant that you can’t teach hand to hand.
Every day I see 22 years old guys that have just left the army
and have never been instructor in army and for sure not in the
police calling himself expert and grand master. They thrive from
the fact that many students only want a certificate and rubber
stamp to set them as instructor. I always say that if you set a
crown on a clown it doesn’t make him a king. This is the main
reason why the market is not up to the highest standards but
run by low level expectation mostly also because of the instant
gratification that became a modern trend that everything needs
to be achieved in few months or weeks only. People are used to
getting what they want in an easy way and very fast and this is
opening doors to many so called instructors who are willing to
sell illusions instead of real knowledge.
PMCI: Do you offer training in specialized equipment?
We offer different training including stick fights, swords fight, fire
arms, gun disarming , knife fighting and disarming, and from time
to time also special trainings like parachuting, or boats assaults
survival skills, arctic survival that some time need some gear BUT
at our main and regular training all you need is cloth.
Some trainings are done in the field under the sun and some
inside a gym where most of the time you don’t need any gear
PMCI: Do you have all the equipment available as part of your
courses?
Students don’t need any special gear unless it’s some special
training when they get a list of equipment needed. At the regular
training we offer most of the gear and pads, but for boxing
for example students need to have their own gloves, mouth
protectors and so on for hygiene purposes.
PMCI: Once trainees have successfully completed one of your
courses can they buy the equipment from you or are you able to
direct them to the correct supplier?
Yes we have organized a seminar called “Knife Only” where
students get the knives and use it and could also keep it after
the training. We organize also “Spikey” training where students
get the tool as part of the course. We have a store on my web
site where you can find the KAPAP book and gear and where you
can also get books and DVD by Amazon. I’m not a big marketing
expert person and not a big salesman but we have a store at the
website in order to help students find everything they need.
PMCI: Once trained, how do those successfully attending your
courses go about finding employment?
Most students who attend my Instructors program have
already their own schools and only want to incorporate the KAPAP
program into their school as another way of combative and selfdefence.
Some new instructors set up new schools or rent space
in order to start to teach. Most of them who join the Instructors
program are already instructors who want to enrich their knowledge
and get jobs as security officers or police or army personnel.
PMCI: Without going into specifics, who do you, and your
successful trainees, work with?
I can give Fabian Garcia from Argentina as an example. He
is working with the Argentinian army Police and prison guard
system and has also spread KAPAP all over south America in
countries like Peru, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay. Diogo from Brazil is
working with BOPE in Brazil and also with other police units.
For me success is not measured by working for the police or
army only. We have a great example of Sam Markey from UK who
was working with handicapped people and this is very important
to me to bring KAPAP close to civilians and also to civilians with
disabilities so we can change their lives and make them feel
strong and better prepared for life.
PMCI: Where do you see KAPAP Combatives evolving in the future?
I can see KAPAP Combatives more under the A.N.A.; Avi Nardia
Academy. As I already said 20 years ago no one has even heard
about the KAPAP but I have been working really hard ever since
and I haven’t been always easy on my students who weren’t
promoted that easily and I also haven’t allowed people to teach
unless they went through all four levels of KAPAP. Only in some
rare cases I have agreed to let some people teach with Level
One only. Today there are so many people who have earned
the KAPAP Level One and saw their chance to take advantage of
KAPAP’s good reputation and credibility to make easy money and
sell certificates to anyone who wants to pay. This is why I have
decided to set the program under my name, Avi Nardia. It is the
only way to stop this upcoming avalanche and continue working
on my agenda the way KAPAP is meant to work and function.
My goal is to include MORE civilians and kids and women into
the system and to present KAPAP more as a self-defence system
and less as an assault military system. I like thinking about KAPAP
as an Israeli Jiujutsu.
PMCI: If someone reading this article likes the sound of what
you offer, what should be their next step?
My goal is not to have anyone who will read this join KAPAP
tomorrow! I’m looking for integrity first of all. My goal is not to
have opportunist students who change their teachers every few
month and so organisation and ranks... I am not looking for these
guys. I’m looking for people who are ready to do research, to go
to youtube to watch video clips, to take a look at a few DVDs
and then contact me and come to see the training to get their
own impressions. I am not looking for students who are into
rumours and only want to wear T Shirt with Commando or Army
or Special Forces logos. It’s a joke that many people go with an
army uniform to the city mall to do their two hours training and
go home. If someone wants to be a solider or commando he
needs to join the army! There are no wannabees in my school
and I kindly ask all of them not to waste my time as I am very
busy and my goal is to spend my time on students who want to study.
PMCI: Master Avi, thank you for taking the time to speak with
us and give an insight to what you do. I’m certain that there
is something you offer that would be pertinent to
each and every one of our readers!
www.avinardia.com
www.kapapacademy.net
www.avinardiablog.com
TRAINING: KAPAP COMBATIVES
pmcimagazine.com

TRUNK MONKEY
Jay Slater takes the opportunity to interview a man who really has “been there, done that.”
Weapons are like cars,” says Lewis Steiner,
an ex-Army soldier and Mercenary for
Hire (or “Security Contractor” as the
industry prefers to call him these days).
“I think everyone has their favourites and
I know many who rave about the AK-47.
Personally I hate it, not because it’s crap
but because it has no finesse. It’s not
super-accurate and yes, it does have manstopping
power but when you consider
most are made under licence in shithole
countries with no quality control, I rather
put my life in the hands of something a bit more refined.”
Steiner sits in the corner of a pub in Lower Clapton Road,
his back to the wall and eyeing the locals, the saloon door
and a means of escape as if routine. Located on a stretch
of tarmac that lays claim to the unwanted title of “Britain’s
Deadliest Road” in terms of gangland killings, Steiner feels
at home despite the clientele and air of graphic violence.
Images of the Kray brothers hang from walls as if shrines to
the departed and suit the pub well. Its wallpaper, tarred by
fading nicotine and the occasional splatter of claret just do
not catch the eye - unless, of course, you are Steiner.
Lewis Steiner is currently serving with a major US news
outlet in Baghdad and has returned to London to promote
his book Trunk Monkeys: The Life of a Contract Soldier in
Iraq (Fonthill Media, 2014). The book, unlike many other
titles that fabricate the author’s role in the Middle East, tells
Steiner’s true story as a mercenary working in Iraq shortly
after the second Gulf War.
From the perspective of a grizzled veteran who left
the British Army to join the gold rush in the living hell that
was war-torn Iraq, this fascinating and often extremely
violent book encompasses the highs and lows of operating
throughout the country; from Basra in the south up to Mosul
in the north. Steiner recounts stories of friends lost due to
negligence and poor planning, to the realities of conducting a
private war surrounded by civilians who might be the enemy.
Injured in an incident that left two dead, Steiner accepted
a contract located near Tikrit, where the missions rapidly
become a death sentence to many of the contract soldiers.
In some cases the missions were pointless, costing men,
vehicles and the sanity of his brothers in arms. Steiner was
in the thick of it, from dodging enemy ambushes, to taking
out a suicide bomber and narrowly escaping death in “Sniper
Alley” - collecting cranberry sauce for the US on Thanksgiving Day!
Forget the fictionalised works of Andy McNab, Tom Clancy
and Chris Ryan: this is the real deal and tells a story that the
government does not want you to know. Think of The Wild
Geese (1978) on steroids and you have the picture.
Before becoming a security contractor, Steiner spent
twenty-two years in the British Army as an infantry soldier. His
first tastes of combat were in Northern Ireland, although he
claims what he does now is an almost laughable introduction
to the battlefield after his service in Afghanistan and Iraq.
INTERVIEW LEWIS STEINER
pmcimagazine.com

INTERVIEW LEWIS STEINER
“I managed to avoid peacekeeping duties in the former
Yugoslavia. From what I have heard from people who served
there, it sounded like a truly depressing and demoralising
situation. Also, it is very common for the fighting man to have
their hands tied by the same corrupt politicians who unleash us
to do their dirty work and then change the rules mid-game.”
Steiner has encountered a number of life-threatening
situations such as a suicide bomber, who he took out with his
SAW before his bullet-pummelled human target exploded with
no effect next to an armoured vehicle. He states that he has
been in many of these situations, so will concentrate on the
one that had the deepest and most profound effect on him.
He had been working in Iraq for over a year and was a team
leader of a PSD (Protection Security Detail) team near Samarra.
As was often the case, the missions that he was convinced were
suicidal were not, whereas the routine tasks proved to “bite you
in the arse”.
He had been busy all week and preoccupied with several
IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device) and small-arms fire in a
five-day period. “On the Friday, we had a day off and decided
that we would go to a local US Army base for some “R & R”.
I remember sitting in the passenger seat of the lead vehicle
feeling content and thinking that the 10-kilometre trip back
was a foregone conclusion.” Ordering another beer, Steiner
reflects on the past as if it happened yesterday. “I wasn’t
that relaxed that I wasn’t doing my job but enough that what
happened next surprised me. I felt and heard the whoosh of an
RPG round as it impacted on the road where the right-hand tyre
made contact with the tarmac. Had the round hit my vehicle,
I would not be here talking to you now. The blast lifted the
rear of the vehicle into the air and this, combined with the
six-ton vehicle and the high speed that we were travelling at,
was enough to flip us. I could feel the vehicle about to go in
what felt like a slow motion moment. The horizon through the
windscreen changed and the road outside my side window got
closer and closer and then in a flash, the slow motion became
fast forwards as the SUV crashed into the ground and rolled
several times.” Steiner states that he felt as if he was in an
out of control washing machine – easy meat for the enemy.
The screeching of metal and sand that was kicked up inside
the SUV’s cabin overwhelmed his senses, leaving him numb,
dazed and shocked. Gradually, his senses returned. “I was still
in my seat and I looked around the vehicle – it was empty.
The windscreen had shattered and I crawled through the gap,
falling onto the road. The SUV had come to a halt on its side
and I could hear small-arms fire and the engine of the second
vehicle as it stopped next to me. I wanted to drift off and sleep
but I knew we had been ambushed and the RPG was just the
start of it. I had to get back in the game and I forced myself up.
I couldn’t feel it yet but I had two cracked ribs.”
Steiner recovered his SAW and successfully engaged and
destroyed the enemy that had bumped him and the unit.
The driver was found off the road about ten metres in front
of the stricken SUV where he had been hurtled through the
windscreen when the RPG exploded. “He was alive but it was
obvious to me that he wasn’t going to survive,” Steiner reflects.
“We called in a medevac and loaded him onto a chopper. We
found out later that he died on his way to the nearest camp.
While this is by no means the worst thing that I have seen, it
affected me the most.”
Looking back, he says that his service in Northern Ireland
was great, a chance to do what he was trained for; in a six-month
tour, his battalion lost one man. In the 1990s, his group enjoyed
no casualties. However, Afghanistan was the most dangerous
country that he has ever served. “I was lucky enough, if you can
use that term, to have been part of the invasion of Afghanistan
and for me that was epic. It was dangerous but what came
later in my opinion was far worse. The Afghans have done to
us what they do best. They knew they could not defeat us, so
they waited. What followed our invasion was a constant war of
attrition. To put it into context, during the thirty-eight years of
the Troubles in Northern Ireland, over 700 soldiers died. Since
16
pmcimagazine.com

2001, over 400 British soldiers have perished and over 3,000 if
you group all deaths of ISAF (International Security Assistance
Force) personnel.”
Steiner reflects on the past where he could earn $145,000
and more a year but now you can halve that – not good at all
when every day could be your last. “Ten years ago when we
owned Iraq and called the shots, there were thousands of us
running around the country. And now? The Iraqi government
call the tune and most PSD teams are locals. Until the next
invasion, the need for people like me will be on the decrease.
The few companies that still employ people for PSD in hostile
environment missions demand a minimum of six years in the
army and at least two operational tours. You also need an SIA
(Security Industry Authority) Close Protection licence. With that
being said, infantry and basic medical skills are needed and not
“spooks” or SF. Just solid infantry skills and mental robustness.”
Which begs the question: “What exactly is a trunk monkey?”
In Steiner’s words it refers to a rear gunner in an armed vehicle
and is a term used among military personnel in Iraq. Steiner
perfected this role and made short work of approaching
enemies with his SAW. But how does Trunk Monkeys differ
from the multitude of other likeminded books of heroics and
adventure?
“Trunk Monkeys doesn’t ignore the facts and shows the
good and the bad. I hope it gives an insight into what it was
like to operate in a post-conflict environment like Iraq. We all
saw the news reports about “Route Irish” (a notorious 7.5-mile
stretch of highway in Baghdad known for its suicide bombers
and drive-by shootings) and IEDs, but these reports never gave
an idea of what it was like to live under the constant threat of
death. I hope in some way I have conveyed this feeling of dread
that we all shared. Every day that I climbed inside my vehicle,
it felt as if I was climbing into a coffin.”
Steiner looks out of the rain-lashed window as if lost in
thought. Was the hard cash worth it? Were the endless scenes
of death and destruction worth it? The day he left Iraq for the
UK, ISIS was only thirty-five miles to the west. “For all our
airstrikes and firepower that we sold to the Iraqis, none of
these things are slowing the enemy - an enemy we created
and allowed to flourish by destabilising the region. I hope if
nothing else that Trunk Monkeys gives you an idea of how what
is happening today has gotten to this point and the problems
that we will face to stem the flow of extremism. I would bet
my life savings on the fact that airstrikes and weapons won’t be
anywhere near enough. Indeed, we are all going to get sucked
in again because the only way to stop what’s
happening is by committing ground troops.”
Steiner throws his head back and drains his
glass. “We need to send in our military. It’s time
to wipe them out.”
INTERVIEW LEWIS STEINER
pmcimagazine.com

INDUSTRY
UPDATE WE
KEEP WATCH SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO
Things change constantly and rapidly within the contracting industry so this month in the first of
a series of regular columns we’re very pleased indeed to have Paul Hutchinson, MD of Associated
Risks Group based in the UK, join us to keep everyone updated on legal issues.
INDUSTRY UPDATE
18
Iwould just like to start by apologising for my Rod Gilbert
style rant on “International Firearms courses” in the last
issue, I will try to calm down and I promise the medication
will start to work. Talking of medication…
Medical training in Close Protection is for most a subject
that is avoided until their current certificate is about
expire. For year’s medical courses where overlooked,
students usually attended physically but mentally
managed to be elsewhere. Medical training is one of the most
important skills any CP operative should know and continue to
practice and yet for most it’s avoided, just like any casualty they
tiptoe past!
Lets take your principal; threats fall into three category’s;
Unintentional Injury, Intentional Injury and Embarrassing
Situations. Generally the biggest threat is from medical situations
in the unintentional category, such as cardiac arrest, chocking,
angina or strokes. Accidents like falling from a horse, sports
injuries or incidents on the ski slope are a common occurrence.
However the biggest killer in the world today is still an RTC, Road
Traffic Collision.
The issue is this; your medical training could save a life
whether it is the client, a team member or God forbid
one of your own children. A friend’s son was about 10 years old
when he started to choke on a bit of bread, they were 35,000
feet in the air at the time! Needless to say good fortune or good
training, he managed to unblock the airway and his son was fine.
But he was it… the only medical response available!
Medical training should be realistic and relevant to your Task. I
have seen details over the years with Med-kits or Trauma Bags
the user has no understanding of, or the reverse, no medical kit
at all. Medical courses such as FPOSi (First Person on the Scene
Intermediate) are basic but should be a basis to start from; courses
such as MIRA (Medicine in Remote Areas) have raised the bar
but as we move forward new courses develop such as the FREC
(First Response Emergency Care) be aware that the FREC course “a
career in the emergency services, ambulance services, the event
medical sector or those who work in high risk workplaces.” has
been developed for the Medical industry, not Close Protection.
Then there’s the matter of skill fade “If you don’t use it, you lose
it” I frequently work as a First Responder for a private Medical
company in the UK covering all manner of medical emergencies
just keep my hand in. Think of it like this, you’re getting paid
to keep your skills up to scratch. I think you will find that’s a
“win-win!”
Stay safe
pmcimagazine.com

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CLAW GEAR AVICEDA FLEECE HOODY
RAL 7013, or Brown Grey, is a colour that is being picked
up by many manufacturers for tactical clothing. We
take a look at a great mid-layer garment from Claw
Gear to explain why.
GEAR ON TEST
It’s very interesting to see how the tactical gear and
clothing industry has “trends” every bit as much
as the fashion business and recently I’ve noticed
that a number of European manufacturers have
begun to offer garments and kit in “RAL 7013”.
So what is “RAL 7013” and why is this colour
suddenly so popular? In 1927 the German
Reichs-Ausschuß für Lieferbedingungen und
Gütesicherung (State Commission for Delivery Terms and
Quality Assurance) invented a collection of standardised
and numerically referenced colours which has been
continually expanded from that day on. If you check out
www.ralcolorchart.com and search for RAL 7013 you’ll find
it in the “Grey” pallete; RAL provides a colour standard for
all manufacturers to adhere to.
In the tactical world this colour works in a wide broad
range of ways. For professional end users the Brown Grey
colour blends into a broad spectrum of environmental
settings and can be perfectly combined with other blockcolour
or camouflage clothing or equipment. Brown Grey
gear is becoming increasingly popular because it works
very effectively in all settings; it’s equally at home in
towns and cities as it is in the backwoods. It’s a subtle and
clever tone that allows the user to visually blend into their
surroundings.
RAL 7013 is the colour predominantly used by the
Austrian Armed Forces so it’s hardly surprising to see Claw
Gear, who are based in Steyr-Gleink, being at the forefront
of this colour adoption. Claw Gear are highly innovative in
what they produce not just in terms of cutting edge design
and their use of the most up to date fabrics but also in
their choice of colour options.
Claw Gear have worked this colour into their entire
range of tactical clothing and recently they sent me one
of their Aviceda fleece garments to trial. This lightweight
mid-layer garment is extremely comfortable to wear and
the modern styling allows a full range of unrestricted
movement. It’s made from a 100% polyester fleece fabric
which looks and feels great, and high quality YKK zips are
used throughout. The fleece itself is water repellent and
breathes extremely well, making the Aviceda a superb
layering piece. I especially like the low-profile hood which
works perfectly in conjunction with a hard or softshell
outer layer, effectively eliminating cold spots around the
neckline.
The Aviceda also benefits from two lower, mesh-lined
handwarmer pockets, pockets on both upper arms with
velcro patches for team/unit patches, and an inner pocket
which allows routing for comms cables; the outer
pockets are neatly trimmed with black fabric which gives
the jacket a visually stunning appearance as well.
Weighing in at just 410g the Aviceda is easy to pack
and takes up minimal space in a pack, so it’s absolutely
ideal if you want to stow it away “just in case”. Overall
it’s a superbly designed jacket made of high end fabrics
and components, and the finish of it just oozes quality
and attention to detail. If you’re in the market for a new
performance fleece jacket in the very latest “tacticool”
colour then I would thoroughly recommend you take a
very close look at the Aviceda.
Claw Gear is currently available direct from the
manufacturer although I’m led to believe that it will soon
be more available in the UK. The Aviceda costs
€74.90 and is available in RAL 7013, Black,
Coyote, and Solid Rock (grey) in sizes small
to XXL. For more information please visit
www.clawgear.com
20
pmcimagazine.com

BIOLITE NANOGRID
As you’ve probably guessed I spend quite
long periods of time away in quite lonely
parts of the world testing and evaluating
clothing, footwear, and equipment. My
last three week testing trip took me to the
Haute Vosges area of France, where rolling
“ballons” meet forests that literally go on
for miles. Of course I will always try to find
a base camp to pitch the main tent to make life a little
more comfortable but it’s by no means unusual for me to
pack a small pack and head off overnight.
Because of this I am constantly trying to find ways
to save weight and reduce my pack size and as I was
searching through the Military1st website prior to the trip
in their “New Arrivals” area I happened to come across
something called “BioLite”. Upon doing a little digging their
website told me that this “system” was something just a
little bit special; BioLite was founded by Alec Drummond
and Jonathan Cedar. Their flagship stove technology was
inspired by a philosophy of applying efficient design to
real world problems. The story on the website went:
“Alec and Jonathan met at the design consultancy Smart
Design in New York City, where they quickly bonded over
their interest in sustainable design in 2006. Alec, frustrated
that all efficient camping stoves required petroleum fuel
or batteries, had the idea of a wood-burning stove able to
utilise its own thermal energy. Jonathan, an avid camper,
quickly brought his engineering background to the table
and the two began the design process. Countless nights,
weekends, and prototypes later, the BioLite CampStove
was born.”
At the time of writing the BioLite team has grown to
38 full time members and together has over 50 years of
product development experience and holds more than 30
utility patents! This in itself is very, very impressive and
shows what determination and application can achieve,
but from the initial BioLite CampStove a whole family of
exciting, innovative and above all highly practical devices
has come into being.
Having read up on the system but not wanting to put
all of my eggs in one basket with something that I’d not
tried before I contacted Military1st and asked if I might
take the NanoGrid setup on my testing trip. This complete
and compact light and power system consists of two
key elements, the PowerLight and SiteLight. The BioLite
PowerLight, featuring a Quick Light button for low to nolight
conditions, combines patented texture Edge-Lit 200
Lumen lantern with a powerful 250 Lumen torch and a
battery large enough to refill up to three smartphones. The
lantern provides warm even light with no hot spots while
the flashlight mode is great for use around a dark campsite;
there’s even a neat battery indicator which allows you to
easily keep track of the charge level.
A pair of BioLite SiteLights come with the NanoGrid set;
these are directable and dimmable lights powered by the
PowerLight that can be hung on closed loops or angled
in any direction with a custom friction hold design. The
system allows you to connect up to four SiteLights for
40ft of overhead off-grid lighting (10ft cord per SiteLight);
you can think of these as spotlights that are particularly
effective for reading and writing after dark as each
SiteLight offers an additional 150 Lumens of illumination.
The blurb that came with the NanoGrid set told me
that I could expect a battery life of up to 72 hours from
the PowerLight on its lowest setting with no additional
SiteLights connected; turning up the power, adding
SiteLights, or using the PowerLight as a charger for other
electrical devices (yes, it really can charge your phone,
notebook or Kindle as well!) would mean a much shorter
battery life which was not unexpected.
This was all well and good, but how did the NanoGrid
REALLY perform? Well, the honest answer is outstandingly
well. The PowerLight in fairness was mostly used on its
own and in using it every night for nigh on three weeks
it only needed one top-up charge from my Solar Charger
and one from my notebook via a USB connection when I
had power! It was truly staggering, and could easily have
been charged solely from the Solar Charger alone!
Weighing in at just 210g for the PowerLight and a
miserly 55g for each additional SiteLight and with an
absolutely minimal pack size for the whole thing the
NanoGrid proved to be a thoroughly indispensible bit of
kit and I can totally see why the BioLite NanoGrid was
awarded ‘Best In Show’ Winter Gear at the Outdoor Retailer
Trade Show in Salt Lake City this year. If you need a lighting
solution for “on the move” then this really is
it, and at £78.95 it’s worth its weight in gold!
For more information on the NanoGrid and to
check out the other great devices in the evergrowing
BioLite range please pay a visit to
www.military1st.co.uk
GEAR ON TEST
pmcimagazine.com

MISSION PACK
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pmcimagazine.com
MEET THE MAKER: CARINTHIA
MANUFACTURERS PROFILE - CARINTHIA
For 60 years Carinthia, a trademark of the Gold Eck Textile Corporation, has devoted itself to insulation
technology using both, natural as well as synthetic fibres for use in most extreme conditions. For
over 25 years, they have concentrated on the development of Technical Polyester Insulation for
demanding conditions. Their aim? To achieve maximum efficiency with an optimal warmth to weight
ratio for operators “at the sharp end”!
The Goldeck Textil GmbH Holding based in
Seeboden offers two well-known brands for
sound sleeping: Carinthia and Gold-Eck Austria.
The company regularly modifies its corporate
strategy to meet all the demands of the market.
The brand name Carinthia stands for insulation
garments and sleeping bags for civilian as well
as military use. Deliveries are made to nearly
all European countries. In the product range
of sleeping bags and bivi bags, Carinthia has become one of
the leading European producers within the military field. And
thanks to our good friends at www.speq-se.com it will now
be fully available in the UK!
For many years Carinthia has been doing research in
the processing of synthetic and down fillings. Carinthia
thermoinsulation provides the perfect equipment for any
expedition or mission. Outdoor experts are constantly included
into the development process resulting in high - performance
customised sleeping bags, tactical and outdoor products that
perfectly meet the requirements in any situation. Their inhouse
research and development department carries out the
necessary lab and cold chamber tests for any new developments.
The main component of all the Carinthia products is the G-LOFT
fibre, which is produced in their Seeboden headquarters
Carinthia garments are developed specifically for challenging
mission environments. Their individual thermal
insulation products filled with G·LOFT insulation, are the result
of an intensive R&D program. Following extensive testing,
many European military forces opted for G·LOFT insulation.
Their high insulation garments and their high quality sleeping
bags are used by regular military as well as special-forces
units in operational deployments and normal field exercises.
Even under the most extreme climatic conditions G·LOFT offers
superior performance along with the comfort required for
effective rest. This extraordinary quality has been achieved
after years of systematic research using the natural properties
of goose down as the benchmark.
24

Carinthia thermal insulation products offer unbeatable
performance in 3 decisive areas:
• Highest thermal insulation
• at a low pack size (compressibility of the filling)
• and low weight
Furthermore, the key criteria of durability and comfort that
they provide are essential
to professional users of their sleeping bags and high-insulation
garments.
REDUCING THE BURDEN
If you’re at all interested in performance clothing and gear then
you’ll probably be no stranger to the Carinthia brand; at shows I
always make a point of stopping at their stand to check out their
latest offerings and I’m rarely disappointed! Thanks to SPEC-SE
Carinthia products are now going to be a whole lot more available
in the UK so let’s have a look at some specific models that will be
amongst the first brought in.
First up some of the key clothing models; The G-LOFT MIG
(Medium Insulation Garment) Jacket features:
• fixed lined hood with elastic draw-cords, adjustable in two directions
• two way front zipper
• all outside zippers are water-repellent
• elastic cuffs
• two spacious lined insulated front pockets and one inner pocket
• two pockets on the upper sleeves with a velcro fastener for insignia
• one pocket on the lower sleeve
• arm pit zips for ventilation
• elastic draw-cord on the waist line
• comes with compression bag
• machine-washable
This jacket is a cracker; it’s multifunctional but not overly bulky
(650g in size M). The outer shell fabric is the excellent Gore
Windstopper, with the G-LOFT insulation inside which maintains
85% of its warmth even when wet! It’s available in Olive, sand,
and Black.
Next up are the G-LOFT LIG (Light Insulation Garment)
Jacket and Vest; both of these benefit from light weight and
small pack size so they’re ideal to have tucked away in your kit
as a “just in case”! Features shared by both jacket and vest are:
• two way front zipper
• all outside zippers are water-repellent
• two large front pockets and one inner pocket
• elastic cuffs
• elastic draw-cord on the waist line
• comes with compression bag
• machine-washable
These are both very tough, very versatile garments with a great
warmth to weight ratio, and the jacket can even be stowed
away into its own pocket!
GETTING YOUR HEAD DOWN
In addition to some great clothing Carinthia are also extremely
well known and respected for their sleeping systems, offering a
wide range of sleeping and Bivi bags. SPEC-SE will be bringing in
one of their most popular models, the ultra versatile “Tropen”.
The Tropen is a light-weight sleeping bag with an extremely
small pack size and minimum weight. Its remarkable feature
is its vapour permeability which is very important for hot and
humid tropical nights. The Shelltrans shell fits loosely over the
inner structure (again with a G-LOFT fill) and provides an extra
layer of insulation with no cold spots.
This construction ensures reserve warmth for cool, damp
nights. In warmer weather the bottom part of the two-way
zipper can be opened for ventilation. The hood is equipped
with a mosquito net which can be folded out of the flap if
required (it is in the front part of the bag and stored behind the
flap with press studs.) The net can easily be attached around
MEET THE MAKER: CARINTHIA
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MEET THE MAKER: CARINTHIA
the hood by means of the small zipper. The zipper is nonsnagging
so that you can always get out quickly and easily. The
Tropen is available in two sizes, both of which already haves
NSNs!
Now a good sleeping back is always a real bonus, but
of course you always need to be prepared for whatever the
weather might throw at you. To this end Carinthia have a really
fine range of Bivi bags, from straightforward to massively
technical!
All Carinthia Bivi Bags and Bivi Tents have the revolutionary
gas permeable GORE-TEX laminate as their top, outer material;
this is 100% waterproof, windproof and vapour permeable.
What’s new is that the new laminate is also gas permeable.
That means that their Bivi Bags can be closed completely
without having to keep a ventilation slit open for fresh air. The
fresh air permeates through the material itself. The benefits are
obvious:
1. The warmed air stays inside the Bivi Bag resulting in a
much better insulation effect. When the outside temperature is
–10°C, for example, the air temperature inside the head area is
+3°C.
2. In really bad weather and precipitation the Bivi Bag can be
closed completely and remains absolutely waterproof.
On the base of all the Bivi bags is a highly waterproof and
cold-flex durable laminate. Some of the key models are the
Mountain, Explorer and Observer Plus models.
The Mountain; This Bivi bag is of minimal stuff size and
weight. It is mostly used for mountaineering or as part of
survival packages, but it is also suitable for every soldier who
wants to be protected from the elements. The outer shell is
made of laminate, which is waterproof, windproof and vapour
permeable.
The Explorer is a more comfortable Bivi bag with a tent pole
arch in the head area (single pole supported). There is enough
space at the head end for equipment that needs to be at hand
day and night. The L-shaped access opening can be closed with
2 zippers. The specially designed storm flap ensures that the
zippers are sealed to be absolutely waterproof. The 5 loops on
the back of the Explorer keep an insulating mat in place.
Upping the ante considerably is the Observer. This is
the perfect sniper Bivi bag with self-standing double pole
support. Two tent poles form a small dome at the head end
which provides enough space for the user to handle a rifle or
other piece of equipment. The Bivi bag slopes down from the
shoulder to the foot end preventing straight lines which are
easily spotted. The L-shaped opening makes it convenient to
get in and out of the bag which can be closed with 2 zippers.
All zippers are protected by a specially designed storm
flap to make them absolutely waterproof. The big observation
opening at the front allows an observation range of 180° and
can be closed completely in bad weather. The user’s rifle and
26

spotting scope can nevertheless still be placed in position through
an observation slit. Both the observation opening and the access
opening are fitted with a mosquito net. There are 5 loops on the
back of the Observer to hold an insulating mat in place.
CARINTHIA REALLY DO HAVE YOU COVERED!
It has to be said that Carinthia really do provide everything
you might need in terms of cold and wet weather gear. SPEQ-
SE are obviously “testing the waters” by bringing in just a small
part of the overall range initially, but we’ve been told that they
will look to bring in more from Carinthia in due course.
I know I harp on about this but don’t expect Carinthia gear
to be available at “budget” prices; this is high performance,
high specification kit for professional users who need to operate
effectively in any given theatre. What you get for your money
will be completely fit for purpose, and tested in some of the most
extreme operating environments in the world, so take my advice
and give Carinthia kit a long, hard look!
For more information on the individual models please visit
www.speq-se.com, or Carinthias own website www.militarysleeping-bags.com
MEET THE MAKER: CARINTHIA
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WALTHER Pro
TOOLS AND FLASHLIGHTS
At IWA 2015 Umarex unveiled a complete new
range of knives, tools and flashlights under their
“Walther Pro” brand. We’ve been testing three
models of these and now share our findings.
A few years ago now I was given a folding knife from the
“Walther” range to test and although it was okay, it was just
“okay” although the price was pretty keen. You can imagine
I’m sure that with this experience in the back of my mind I was
somewhat sceptical when the new Walther “Pro” range was
presented to me in Germany. The range was comprehensive to
say the least, but were the new models any better than the old?
I was told at the show that Umarex had gone back to the
drawing board with the new Walther “Pro” range and that they
had spent a great deal of time, research, and money on getting
things right this time , even to the point of recruiting a whole
new team of seasoned industry experts to work on the range.
New elements, materials and processes had been sought out
and set up; for instance the steel in the new knives and tools is
very high quality, not a mass produced product and the design
so good that the latest versions had to be distinguished from
the regular Walther brand. Walther Pro was designed from the
ground up with this in mind; it costs slightly more than the
regular Walther kit but the quality does warrant that and prices
are not so high that it takes the new models out of reach.
ARMEX, the UK distributor for the Walther Pro range, were so
confident in the new models that even after expressing
28

my concerns they were happy to send me a PL70R flashlight, a
Rescue Knife, and a Tactical Tomahawk to test; my brief was to try
and trash them if I could!
The new PL70R is supplied with an ICR 18650 lithium-ion
rechargeable battery but is otherwise the same in design as the
older one; there was nothing wrong with the design of the older
model but the battery life was nowhere as good as the new one.
The flashlight is made of anti-reflex aircraft aluminium and
has a high-quality aluminium reflector and scratch-proof lens.
It has a clever Temperature Protection System (TPS) and Multi
Battery System (MBS) with a charging indicator.
as you heft it. The black coated blade measures 123mm, while
the entire axe 420mm long including a composite glass-breaker
handle. There’s also a 70mm rear spike on the opposite end of
the blade, which is perfect for prying. The Tomahawk comes with
a sturdy sheath which just the job for protecting you and it, as the
blade has a good, keen edge to it!
I’ve used the Tomahawk for various tasks, chopping wood,
prying open planks nailed together, and even used it to smash
an old window to simulate a breach. The blade gives it a great
weight and feel in the hand and makes chopping a cinch. For
most this will be more at home as a handy tool than as a tactical
implement but at iro UK£60.00 it’s a great bit of kit.
It can be powered by the included 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable
battery for optimal run-times, or alternatively can be powered
using two CR123A lithium metal batteries or three AAA alkaline/
NiMH batteries. The PL70R boasts a stunning 910 lumens when
used with a 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable battery and still has
an impressive maximum output of 430 lumens when used with
AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries. You can choose your light
output from 100 %, 40 %, 10 % or Tactical Defense Strobe (TDS),
the latter of which is quite mind numbing and could be a real
benefit in a tricky situation!
It comes with a charging cradle that can be connected by
means of a 1m cable to a power charger unit both of which are
included, or a USB port (5 V). An adapter for a charging socket in
a car is also supplied (12V / 24V). The Beam Adjustment System
(BAS) is a simple single-hand operation and in use the PL70R
is straightforward and intuitive to work with. The PL70R retails
in the region of UK£90.00 and for this you’re getting a rugged,
technically up to the moment flashlight for your money!
It’s great to see a Tactical Tomahawk in the new “Pro” line as
in recent years the good old “hatchet” has undergone something
of a resurgence with professional police and military users; more
and more operations are undertaken in urban environments,
breaches and searches all requiring a “one tool” approach. The
Tomahawk from Walther Pro is really ready to tackle any job
required!
Equipped with a synthetic handle mated to a durable 420
stainless steel blade, this tool feels like it means business as soon
The Walther Pro Rescue Knife was really the one that I had most
reservations about given my prior experience with the old blade
so I approached testing this with some vigour! This folder is
designed for professional rescue personnel, and it shows. The
rectangular button at the base of the blade and the recesses at
the top of the blade allow it to be opened even with a wet or
gloved hand. A flipper provides opening assistance and protects
the index finger when the blade is extended and the liner lock
engaged.
The 90mm long titanium grey coated drop-point blade is
made of 12C27 Sandvik steel and has a short serration for sawing.
A glass breaker is integrated into the rear of the handle, and nonslip
rubber grips are screwed onto each side of the rugged housing
giving the 208g knife a very positive feel. The knife comes with
its own sturdy nylon pouch, and loops on the rear allow it to be
worn on the belt horizontally or vertically.
In use this is a really great tool for everyday carry. It feels
robust and durable and when I tried the pry technique which
resulted in the old model breaking the new “Pro” knife shrugged
this off with alacrity, not even the dark grey finish to the blade
being affected. I’d like to spend more time with this knife but my
initial impression is that it is a million miles removed from its
forerunner both in materials used in its construction and overall
performance. Retailing iro UK£65.00 this is a good buy in my
opinion and would make a perfect gift as it comes in a cracking
“Walther” presentation box!
Overall after working with the knife, tomahawk, and
flashlight for a little while I’ve come away very impressed that
Umarex really have finally got it right with their new Walther Pro
range. Money and time have obviously been wisely invested and
the net result is a great range that is absolutely worthy of your
consideration if you’re looking some quality items, sensibly priced.
For more information on the models reviewed and the rest of
the range of Walther Pro tools and flashlights please visit www.
armexonline.co.uk
WALTHER Pro
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BOOK REVIEW Glock – The Worlds Handgun
GLOCK – THE WORLD’S
HANDGUN
Iwill come straight out and say this; if you have ever been
in any professional firearms setting then undoubtedly
you will have used one of the many models of Glock
handgun available today!
The Glock series of handguns represents one of the
greatest steps forward in pistol design since the
introduction of the venerable Colt M1911. Inspired by
the Austrian Army’s request for a new sidearm in 1980,
the Glock company set to work designing and developing a
revolutionary new weapon that combined reliability, firepower
and the very latest in material technology.
Within two years it had been adopted by the Austrian Army,
but such were its qualities that within a decade the handgun
was a dominant presence in global military, law enforcement
and civilian markets. More than 2.5 million have been sold to
date, and they are in use with more than 50 nations. In the USA
alone, the Glock has taken 65% of the law enforcement market!
This collectors guide follows the evolution of Glock from concept
through to being a real market leader, and explains each of the
many variants and calibres, starting with the original G17 and
working through to the very latest Gen 4 models. Looking at the
Glock’s practical use, the story is both dramatic and, at times,
controversial. Glocks have been fired in earnest in the most
varied of contexts; users include the British Army, The French
Naval Commandos, Geramn GSG9, the FBI and dozens of State
Police Forces in America.
Add its pervasive appeal in civilian handgun markets, and the
Glock currently stands as one of the most influential sidearms
of the last 50 years. Illustrated with more than 200 colour and
black and white artworks and photographs, “Glock” is an expertly
written account of one of the most important handguns in the
world today.
The author, Chris McNab is an experienced specialist in outdoor
survival techniques and military fitness training and has written
over 50 books including titles in the popular “SAS and Elite
Forces” series.
Author: Chris McNab
Publisher:
Amber Books
ISBN: 978-1- 78274-256-2
Price: £19.99
30
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‘Stand-by’
‘Stand-by’
Level 4
Covert Urban
Surveillance
Operators Course
(Blue Skills)
Setting the training
standards in the
commercial arena

BOLT vs SEMI
DEVIL DOG
ARMS
BY TRAMPAS SWANSON
As a lifelong hunter, recreational shooter and
former Law Enforcement SWAT sniper, it is
safe to say, I am a huge fan of long range,
precision shooting. Having reaching several
milestones in my life through the use of the
industry standard, Remington 700 based bolt
action rifle, I have still always kept an eye on
the continuing advancements with semi-auto
rifle technology. With their higher magazine
capacity and faster ability to load and reload, it was always
an ashamed they would never be as accurate as my beloved
bolt action. With all those moving parts, there is no way a
semi-auto high caliber rifle such as a .308 could perform like
a bolt gun, right? In this article, we will take a look at key
components for building an AR style precision .308 calibre rifle
like the one recently built here in house that could help you
answer that question for yourself.
DAWNING OF A NEW ERA OF SEMI AUTO
RIFLES
Until the Knight’s Armament SR-25 started its deployment
with US Navy SEALS and US Army snipers under the military
designation of M110 roughly 20 years ago, it was been a
general understanding bolt action rifles were simply more
accurate. What was sacrificed in volume of fire as well as
second shot follow up times by the traditional bolt action rifles
was outweighed with its more precise shot placement and
range. Due to machining and technological advancements
in semi-auto rifles, the gap between bolt and semi-auto
accuracy started closing at a lightning pace with the SR-25
on the battlefield setting the pace. Over the past couple of
decades, real world data has been accumulated both on static
competition ranges and down range in the hands of special
operations warriors that have made the firearms industry
rethink its traditional views.
As data rolled in over the war torn past 14 year period for
the military in particular , it was discovered the semi-auto
rifles were holding their own in the field against the bolt
action sniper rifles and becoming quite the overall advantage.
The SR-25 gained worldwide notoriety which sadly led to
sky-rocketing price increases on the civilian market for those
shooters who wished to own one. Currently, the Knights
Armament SR-25 retails for over $6000.00 US.
MEET DEVIL DOG ARMS
With the recent trend of shooting enthusiasts building their
own AR platform rifles, there has been a good portion of
shooters and companies alike trying to replicate what Knights
Armament provided to the military at a better cost via the
AR10 and slightly modified LR308 models. While there have
been some very good rifles built off of these designs, they all
have fallen a bit short in their goals. In 2010, one company
was founded in Zurich, IL with the sole intent on specializing in
precision AR style rifle manufacturing, thus giving serious rifle
shooters a more affordable solution to the SR-25.
I present to you Devil Dog Arms, the company that will
change the way you look at precision shooting with the AR
platform forever. I had the great pleasure of meeting Joe
Lucania, CEO of Devil Dog Arms earlier this year at the industry
FIREARMS: Devil Dog Arms Precision Rifle Build
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FIREARMS: Devil Dog Arms Precision Rifle Build
SHOT SHOW in Las Vegas during the shows range day. Joe
was kind enough to walk me through the wide range of their
AR platform rifles before letting me get behind one of their
signature .308 rifles to engage gong style targets set out into
the desert at 800 and 900 yards. After missing low on my
first two shots to see where the scope was doped in at, the
following 8 shots from the MagPul magazine struck steel at
each distance.
Once I was done shooting, I spoke again with Joe and the
rest of his crew more in depth in regards to the .308 series.
I was impressed with how crisp the trigger felt breaking
the shot and the extreme lack of upper / lower movement
between the two parts which is usually a thorn in the side
of most AR10 platform rifle’s as far as accuracy. According to
Joe, the key is the design being based more on the SR-25
specs rather than AR10 / LR308 versions. The big difference
between the SR-25 and the Devil Dog Arms (DDA) is Joe’s
company has built theirs in a rock solid billet configuration. As
I discovered, DDA not only sells complete rifle packages but
all the components to build your own rifle as well.
BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION
In the passing weeks after SHOT SHOW, I could not get over
how impressive the DDA rifle was and how with a few minor
personal preference tweaks based on my shooting style,
their rifle would be the perfect .308 semi-auto rifle. I finally
decided to reach out to Joe and explain what I had in mind
for a custom build project. Joe and the Devil Dog Arms staff
went out of their way to make sure this project was off to a
great start by providing a rock solid foundation by means of a
matched billet set of DDA upper and lower parts.
A week after the arrival of my receiver parts at my local
gun shop, Second Amendment Gun and Range, a beautiful
hexagonal shaped 15 inch free float rail Joe and I discussed at
great length back in Las Vegas arrived at my home. This rail
not only locked onto the upper so secure you would swear
it was one solid piece but it also allows for a bipod to be
mounted far enough forward to give the rifle a great balance
when shooting prone or supported. Exclusively produced by
UniqueARs for Devil Dog Arms, this meaty handguard has
a smooth finish with pre-drilled holes on all sides down its
entire length to add supplied accessory rails wherever you
wish. This design is perhaps my favoUrite of any I have seen
by far on the AR platform.
RealiSing the bolt carrier group needs to be smooth and
mated well with the upper, I decided to also choose DDA for
this set up as well. I had originally looked at several other
manufacturers in order to offer more diversity in the build but
none of the other products I found matched the precision and
craftsmanship of the DDA carrier and bolt. Combined with a
BCM Gunfighter charging handle, the action was smooth and
easy to manipulate.
BARREL CHOICE
Having a great start to the project rifle in hand, it was time to
seek out the heart to this shooting beast. With this decision,
I chose to take a cue from Knight’s Armament and contacted
Krieger barrels. This company is the driving force behind
not only the SR-25 platform’s success but several other rifle
designs that have taken top honours in the amateur and
professional competitions. I spoke with the marketing director
at Krieger and explained what I had in mind.
After our discussion, I was instructed to decide on what
muzzle break I wanted to go with and send it and the stripped
rifle bolt to Krieger. As my goal is to shoot the project rifle
suppressed and unsuppressed equally, I had my friends
at Surefire send over a suppressor ready flash hider. Once
it arrived, the bolt and muzzle device were in the mail to
Krieger less than 24 hours later. Upon receiving my package,
the engineers at Krieger took their standard M110 20 inch
stainless steel barrel blank, chambered it in .308 and cut it to
match the supplied bolt facing. Each barrel Krieger builds is
single point cut, hand lapped and thoroughly inspected before
sending to its new home. When the barrel arrived back to my
shop, the muzzle device I had originally included was installed
and tuned to the proper position. Without even shooting the
finished rifle, I was already immediately impressed!
FINDING THE RIGHT TRIGGER
As I had learned during my time at SHOT SHOW, Devil Dog
Arms and I both share a fondness for a series of triggers
made by a company called Hiperfire. This company offers
a new dynamic to the AR based platform through a totally
redesigned trigger group with their HiperTouch line. Instead
of the amount of force the hammer has striking the firing pin
being directly inverse to the weight of the trigger pull, the
two parts are independent of each other’s actions now other
than to fire. With the assistance of two overhead mounted
power springs, the hammer actually has 30% MORE power
while giving the trigger LESS felt pull and over travel. I chose
a HiperTouch model 24E for our build project which ended
up giving each shot a true “glass rod breaking” feeling. Set
at just over 2lbs, I could not feel any slop what so ever and
extremely little creep in this scalpel-like trigger.
STOCK, GRIP AND MAGAZINES
Once the main components of the build were secured, I
needed to decide on several other key factors of the basic
structure, such as which stock, grip and magazines I would
run on this project. I turned to the most popular choice on
the current market, MagPul of course. With their line of PRS
stocks, it seems no precision AR platform rifle these days can
bear to go without its counter-balancing heft and wide range
of adjustability. Having run these stocks in the past with other
ARs I own, this combined with my personal favorite MagPul
MIAD pistol grip with customizable front and rear straps,
would aid in getting a jump start on the rifle’s initial comfort.
The 10 and 20- round magazines were also supplied by
MagPul to offer the best feeding option on the market for the
.308 platform. These magazines are tough, easy to clean and
light weight enough to help offset the extra heft once fully
loaded. For general purpose shooting, these magazines would
be a perfect choice in rounding out the rifle’s ground work.
34

OPTICS AND MOUNT
Next, what precision rifle would be complete without good
quality glass? For the Devil Dog Arms project, a scope would
need to comfortably handle being able to get the shooter on
target out to 1000 yards. I decided to go with the Viper PST
6-24x50 Front Focal Plane model from Vortex Optics. With
so many great options on the market for scope pick from, I
chose Vortex due to their perfect balance of quality, price point
and great service in my personal opinion. Taking all three of
these factors into account, I have never been disappointed or
regretted a purchase from them.
The Viper PST 6-24x50 offers the shooter CRS zero stop
tactical style turrets for fast adjustment while shooting. This
model comes with an illuminated reticle in 3 options of
configuration. My personal choice for reticle’s is the EBR-2C
(MOA) which offers a very fast shot hold over adjustment and
easy to use hash marks for distance and speed estimations.
The 30mm tube offers all the light needed to squeeze
off shots in very low light situations. Of all the scopes I have
owned in the past, the Vortex Optics Viper PST is one of my
favorite all-purpose utility scopes I have ever used.
Mounted to the rifle using a cantilever style American
Defense Recon series mount, the scope held secure without
need of adjustment after over 100 initial rounds. This mount
is built rock solid and perfect for the AR platform regardless of
chambering due to its forward design allowing for optimum
scope eye relief. The mounts are strong and easy to set your
scope into with the benefit of American Defense’s awesome
customer service and tech support.
AMMUNITION OF CHOICE
Federal Match Grade 168 grain, boat tail hollow point
ammunition in .308; I could end this section on that statement
alone. Why? Because it flat out performs. The FBI snipers use
it, most every SWAT sniper unit that I have ever encountered
during my time as a Law Enforcement sniper uses it and I
have a little over 15 years of personal experience of using it,
including taking top honors in competition with it. We all use
it because we trust Federal Match Grade ammunition to do the
job quality precision ammo is meant to do, fly straight, group
well and efficiently destroy what it strikes. Are there other
loads and brands on the market that can do a great job? Yes,
of course, but in a personal ten load test by eight different
manufacturers, the Federal “Holy Grail of ammo” not only
outperformed the others out of the Devil Dog project’s Krieger
barrel during its break in time, it has time and time again
outperformed the others in my bolt action sniper rifle left over
from my LEO days. Good job Federal!
Holding just at ½ inch MOA in a 3 shot group and 0.7inch 5
shot group during the first 100 rounds fired from the Krieger
barrel on the Devil Dog project, I was quite impressed. The
weight of the barrel and solid billet construction of the
upper / lower seems absorb much more of the recoil which
allows your scope to stay on target more than its bolt action
counterpart.
FINAL TOUCHES
With the addition of a stable and fully adjustable bipod for
prone shooting, I decided to give the entire rifle project a
complete DuraCoat finish. This helps protect all the metal
surfaces from rust, dirt and damage as well as break up its
outline by blending into the Florida environment. By adding
a very comfortable Viking Tactics padded sling in MultiCam
pattern, the entire project seemed to tie together well.
To transport the rifle project to and from the range and
during long trips, I chose the NANUK hard case. This case is
sturdy enough to support a full size man standing on top
jumping up and down! (Yes, I personally tried it and no you
will never see my gorilla routine unless you visit us in Florida.)
Offered in Tan, Black and Green, I went with the Tan color
in hopes of it drawing less heat when left in our endless
Florida sun. Measuring just over 55 inches long, 17 inches
wide and 6.6 inches tall, this case easily fit our rifle with
scope mounted. With an empty weight of around 26.6lbs, this
case isn’t the heaviest hard case I own, but it does make you
appreciate the smooth rolling wheels on the bottom. There are
four stainless steel reinforced eyelets located around the case
to make it fully lockable and airline approved allowing me to
easily transport our Devil Dog project anywhere I wish for a
shooting event.
IT’S A WRAP!
With now having roughly three months under my belt
shooting the fully completed Devil Dog Arms .308 project
I have had to rethink everything I thought I knew about
precision rifles. With the help of all the great companies who
went out of their way to help this project come together, it
is clear to me the market is finally able to allow shooters to
build their own precision .308 rifles just as well as they have
been with the 5.56 platform. Based on my recent personal
experiences of building and shooting this project, I no longer
believe the sacrifices out weigh the benefits of a bolt action
over semi-auto precision rifle.
This rifle was able to be built for roughly half the price of
the industry semi-auto precision standard, Knights Armament
SR-25. In our staff’s experience, our build has actually been
able to produce better end results as well! It is needless to
say how impressed I have been with all components that
went into our build in order to produce the results we have
seen thus far. As with any rifle, every firearm has its own
preferences, even those of the same make and model. The
goal of this article was to show the end user what is available
on the market to be able to build the precision semi-auto rifle that
fits them. Feel free to contact us and share your builds with
us as well and please take the time to check out all the great
companies who made this article possible.
‘Til next time, Train Hard and Watch your Six out there!
For more information on all the options offered
please pay a visit to www.devildogarms.com
FIREARMS: Devil Dog Arms Precision Rifle Build
pmcimagazine.com

pmcimagazine.com
TECH AND TOOLS
GRAY’S CUSTOM
KNIVES:
THE WANDERER
At this year’s Blade Show in Atlanta, Georgia, I
was fortunate enough to meet Craig Burhart,
the founder of Skallywag Tactical. Since
meeting, Craig and I have had the opportunity
to develop a great working relationship and
friendship through the love of great blades and
field testing some of the rock solid creations
built for the Skallywag crew by a small,
hardcore knife shop called Gray’s Custom
Knives. Craig generously offered to introduce me to the owner
of Gray’s Custom, Javan Roberts and I couldn’t say YES fast
enough. Javan’s company has been cranking out awesome
knives over the past few years under by the Skallywag banner
as well as Gray’s Custom Knives that have really started to get
noticed by current and former top SPEC OPS warriors. The latest
of these top shelf knives has been geared towards the growing
population survivalists or “bushcraft” community, titled “The
Wanderer”. Javan was kind enough to send a sample of this
new blade to me a couple of months ago to give it a whirl
and report my findings for our readers. Unlike most other
companies, Gray’s Custom Knives listens to the end users and
takes what they have to say to heart in providing the best
product they can for those whose lives may one day depend on
a Gray’s blade. In the cold business world of selling knives or
anything else for that matter, this is a rare gem!
Like its Old English poetic namesake, this Bushcrafting tool
conveys the meditations of a solitary exile in which is often the
case of this unique hobby of honing one’s wilderness
By Trampas Swanson
survival skill set. In the simplest of forms, the Wanderer holds
the key to sustaining life along one’s travels into the wild when
wielding by the properly skilled individual.
As the guys with Gray’s Custom Knives state, the Wanderer
was very much inspired by the Ray Mears “Woodlore” knife,
but I can assure you, this blade is definitely cutting its own path
through the industry. With its wide spine and razor sharp 4.5
inch blade, each knife is made from CPM4V heat treated to an
aim hardness of 62/64hrc. The overall length of the Wanderer
is right at 9 inches, hollow ground with a deep etched Gray’s
Custom makers mark. The handle scales are made of green
micarta with vulcanized fiber red liner and attached with Gray’s
Custom brass hardware.
36

CARRYING COMFORTABLY
For the past couple of months, I’ve been carrying the Wanderer in
the provided Tec-Lok equipped kydex sheath that held the blade
close to my body with the grip just above the belt line for easy
access without the annoying flip flop of more traditional sheaths.
While I originally was dismayed to have to part with my beloved
Gray’s Custom produced Aculeus, it did not take long to get used
to carrying the Wanderer. The sheath positions the knife on the
belt in a way that allows for ease of draw and returning of the
blade safely and efficiently with very little wasted movement.
This can set up can be carried effortlessly in a nonchalant,
politically correct, everyday low profile carry.
While the swamp critters here in Florida may not care to
notice a robust fixed blade on your belt, it usually can get more
than a discerning look in line at the local bank or post office.
A quick thought before moving to the knife itself is the
suggestion of an optional leather sheath being offered for the
Bushcraft diehards. These individuals would be those who would
really enjoy the Wanderer’s design but haven’t found themselves
on the kydex bandwagon yet. Purists would enjoy a quality
leather option for stropping the blade in a pinch.
PROS AND CONS
A couple of things I really enjoyed about this knife over the initial
60 days were the ease of clean up the CPM4V steel construction
allows for and the razor sharp edge retention. Unlike carbon
steel or typical stainless steel, these blades don’t need to be
treated like a baby in oiling them after every use. In my nonstop
time with the Wanderer, I have used in salt water induced
environments, through tree sap, poly filament fishing line, meat,
dirt, etc. without any noticeable scratches on the blade or nicks in
the edge profile. A quick wipe on a hand towel or pants leg and
the Wanderer is ready to go again.
Like all things “Bushcraft”, comes labour intensive duties often
involving tools of the trade. If I had to find one drawback to the
Wanderer’s design, it would be in the scales used for the handle.
While the squared edges offer a great retention for a fighting
knife in being able to keep the angle of the blade in position for
cuts and traps, this particular Bushcraft tool would benefit from
a more rounded profile like that of a spade, shovel or other tool
grip. My idea of the perfect grip for a knife like the Wanderer
would be that of the last 5 inches of any given shovel handle
found in the local hardware store. The rounded profile would
be easier on the interior of the hand during prolonged cutting
tasks such as drawing motions, rolling the blade along craving or
simply more mass to filling the hand to prevent muscle cramping.
In my opinion this issue can be quickly resolved once purchasing
this knife with a Dremel tool and three minutes of spare time.
Another option would be either a spliced section of garden hose
or rolling the grip with everyone’s favorite duct tape. Considering
how quick a fix this issue can be, it’s hardly a bad mark against a
great blade in my opinion.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I found the Wanderer proved just as well-balanced in the hand
while performing daily tasks as it did after removing it from the
shipping package when it first arrived. The spear point blade
and jimping on the back of the spine help in piercing materials
such as canvas tarps, processing wild game or impromptu
leather working. It’s been my past experience with spear point
blades; they felt more like a cheap chef’s knives from my kitchen
knife block than it did a survival tool, but not the case with the
Wanderer. The heavier weight of the Wanderer’s wide spine puts
it in more in the control range of a high end wrench from Snap On
tools than a cooking blade from Walmart.
Retailing at US$425.00, the Wanderer falls in line with high
end production knives while getting the quality of a completely
custom American made knife with far superior materials than
that of commercial name brands. In recent weeks, Grey’s Custom
Knives has decided to walk a different path than its former
partnered company, Skallywag Tactical, but their drive to produce
top quality knifes versus high quantity from cheaper materials is
what will hold them head and shoulders above other competitors
going forward. In my opinion, Grey’s Custom Knives has developed
a winner in the Wanderer on their first venture into the world
for Bushcrafting. With the mentioned recent internal
moves and consolidation, I see only more great things
coming from these guys very soon! Check them out on
Facebook at Grey’s Custom Knives and show this great
small business your support!
TECH AND TOOLS
pmcimagazine.com

pmcimagazine.com
DESERT FIRE
Regular readers of my book and media reviews will know that
it’s very rare for me to delve into the world of fiction so it has
to be something pretty special if it’s to make it in here; “Desert
Fire” really cuts the mustard though!
I recently reviewed “Born Fearless” by former SAS soldier “Big
Phil” Campion, and I recommended it as a thoroughly good
read. Now Phil has followed other of his esteemed Regiment
colleagues by utilising his vast experience of matters military and
private military to move into the world of storytelling.
BOOK REVIEW Desert Fire
Colonel Gadaffi’s youngest son, Sultan, has been kidnapped by
Tuareg warriors armed to the teeth with illicit NATO weapons.
Sultan Gadaffi has escaped from Libya with a fistful of dangerous
secrets, and is being held, along with a kings ransom in gold,
in a fiercely defended Libyan desert stronghold. The British
Government is desperate to stop Sultan sharing his fathers
deadliest secrets, and needs a black-ops team to seize him
before it’s too late!
They want ex-Special Forces operative Steve Range, the go-to
man for any black-ops missions, to lead an ultra-covert mercenary
group to seize him from his near-impregnable desert stronghold.
If Range’s “Blackstone Six” team can somehow overcome the
enemy, then they will earn themselves gold bullion worth $500
million. But as the bullets begin to fly and the body count rises,
Range realises that he’s been double-crossed. Unwilling to lose
the gold, he begins to contemplate cutting a deal with the very
man they came to rescue.
That’s the basic premise of the story, and in many ways it’s a
familiar theme, but what stands this book aside from the majority
of the others out there is Phils intimate understanding of how
these things really go down. His obvious knowledge of the kit and
weaponry is pretty encyclopaedic, whether it be from the Maximi
that Range carries into battle, or the SpecOps Chinook that he
and his colleagues manage to “borrow” for part of their mission.
The battle sequences themselves also have you right on the edge
of your seat, and at times you can almost hear the rounds going
downrange and smell the cordite. When Phil gets things going, his
effective narrative style really drives all of his characters forward
at breakneck speed. It’s not all “gung ho” though, as the book
also shows the meticulous planning that really goes on behind
any mission, and the obvious professionalism and intelligence
that all of the operators share. It shows in no uncertain terms
that some bonds will never be broken.
Phil Campion is a veteran of military operations in just about
every conflict prone corner of the world, both as a soldier in
the Armed Forces, an elite SAS operator, and as a mercenary
soldier. He lives with his partner, Wendy, and their children and
continues to work as a much sought after operator on the private
military circuit.
Author: Phil Campion
Publisher: Quercus
ISBN: 978-0857384447
Price: £7.99
All in all I found “Desert Fire” very hard to put down once I’d
started it, with great action, some memorable characters, and a
well thought out storyline. Luckily for us this appears to be the
first of many “Blackstone Six” thrillers from “Big Phil”!
38
pmcimagazine.com

pmcimagazine.com
GEAR ON TEST: Fold ‘Em Gear FlxSHOT
FOLD ‘EM GEAR
FLXSHOT
By Trampas Swanson
All too often, I find the most useful devices are
those so simple that I slap my head and say,
“Why the hell didn’t I think of that?” This was
the case when I had the pleasure of meeting
Steve Sturm of Fold ‘Em Gear, LLC during the
SHOT SHOW Industry Day at the Range this
past January. It was the end of a long day of
observing and shooting all the new guns set
for upcoming release throughout 2015 (tough
job, I know). Before boarding the bus to head back to the hotel,
my wife and I made the final loop through the last section
of shotgun booths. Between the Benelli and Browning booths,
there was a huge sign with duck silhouettes which read FOLD
‘EM GEAR. Underneath, several men and women were shooting
skeet with various shotguns while wearing these compact 3
shell devices on their forearm and belt. When I walked up and
introduced myself as the “internationally famous” writer with
PMCI Magazine, the gentleman that I first met was named
Steve. Judging from my cheesy smile, Steve knew right off, I
was just giving him my best friendly but tired greeting. As it
turned out, Steve Sturm was the owner, operator and creator of
this neat shell carrier that got my attention.
As I was shown a Fold ‘Em Gear shell holder, I learned it was
called the FlxSHOT. While holding one, a hundred different uses
rushed to mind with Steve’s beloved ducks being the very last
of them. I explained to Steve and his staff, while I did grow up
shooting a duck or two, I do not consider myself an avid duck
hunter. What I do enjoy is any good piece of handy gear
By Trampas Swanson
for tactical and defence purposes. In the shotgun gear market,
you will probably find much more hunting gear than tactical
with no practical application to cross from one application to
the other. In theory, the FlxSHOT device from Fold ‘Em Gear
seems to be a good example of an exception to the norm, but
time in the field would determine the final judgement.
Molded in everyone’s favorite Flat Dark Earth, the FlxSHOT is
a flexible polymer device designed to hold 3 standard shotgun
shells ranging from .410 to 12 Gauge securely via rare earth
magnets the company calls Shell-Loc technology. Removal of
a stored shell for reloading is lightning fast and easy but if you
are trying to make a shell purposely fall out, you will wear out
long before this device does as I found out the hard way.
40

About a month after Steve and I spoke at SHOT SHOW, I had a
package arrive from Fold ‘Em Gear containing five FlxSHOT devices
to try out. I immediately called another one of my fellow writers,
Craig Reinolds to come by and check these out. I had told Craig
about these carriers soon after returning from SHOT SHOW and
wanted him to be a part of the field testing. Craig went his way
with a pair of carriers and I went mine for the following months
running the devices to develop our field notes.
FIELD TEST #1
Over the testing process on the range teaching, I found the FlxSHOT
carrier made for a great way to mount 3 extra shotgun rounds to
a tactical plate carrier via the rear mounted clips. Coming from a
Law Enforcement background with SWAT teams, one of the tasks
most often needed for a shotgun is that of breaching doors by
blasting the lock and hinges. Usually these shotguns are small
and have a very limited magazine capacity. Having extra rounds
to finish the job at your fingertips mounted high and in your work
space could mean the difference between life and death.
I did note something important about the device’s use of
a rare earth magnet to contain the rounds that would be very
important to the end user before going out into the field. Every
manufacturer uses a different mixture of brass components to
make up its shells, some being much more magnetic than others.
Using Federal’s Tru Flite 12 gauge buck shot rounds; the shells
would simply fall out of the carrier, completely unfazed by the
magnet. On the upside, every other type of ammo and brand that
I used, held very well from Winchester to Remington, even other
styles of 12 gauge buck shot rounds made by Federal. Despite
being primarily built to house a 12 gauge shell, I even threw
a few .410 and 20 gauge shells into the FlxSHOT carrier just for
fun. The carrier did a good job holding them in by its magnet
and bottom end pocket. Everything from 2 ¾ to 3 ½ inch shells
worked well aside from the previously mentioned load.
FIELD TEST #2
During a staff meeting at the end of last month, I spoke again
to fellow PMCI Staffer Craig Reinolds about his thoughts on the
FlxSHOT carrier. This is what Craig had to say.
“The FlxSHOT seems to be primarily advertised for duck
hunting. In my opinion, I do see this mainly as a duck, quail or
some type of bird hunting accessory. I can see a valid use in 3
gun events or any other type of shooting sport which includes
the shotgun and a need for fast reloading. It attaches well to the
belt and makes additional rounds easily accessible. It does work
well attached to my arm or the butt of shotgun but depending
on activity can move around which can be aggravating. Belt
mounted is my preferred use for the FlxSHOT; it works okay in
the woods as long as you are not going through heavy brush. I
did not lose a round but I could see how it would be possible if
not paying attention. Shorter shells sink deeper into the pocket
past the magnets but catch if shaken before losing them. If I was
hunting with bird shot loaded in my shotgun already, it would be
nice to have a variety of other loads in case I run across larger
game, slug, 00 Buck, so on. I think it is a good tool to have in the
tool box for those times you need it.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
Once Craig and I compared notes and exchanged ideas on the
FlxSHOT carrier, we both agreed it was a brilliantly simple idea
for a tool that has yet to reach its fullest potential and made for a
fun T&E. With its segmented “pods”, this carrier appears it could
easily be cut down to a 1 or 2 shell carrier in order to fit into
tighter areas or to supplement a full size carrier as well. The use
of Velcro could facilitate the FlxSHOT being mounted directly on
the side of a shotgun for a 3 Gun event or to a Velcro equipped
tactical shirt or jacket.
What I was the most impressed above all else was the
inventor, Steve Strum himself. Steve remained in close contact
throughout the summer and always seemed to be very open
to any criticism of the device and eager to hear suggestions for
better versions. The FlxSHOT is not the end all of shotgun shell
carry for everyone, but it is a very good start! With new ideas
having already been discussed via design tweaks, color
options and more, look for the FlxSHOT carrier from Fold
‘Em Gear to do great things in the coming year!
For more information on this innovative piece of
equipment go to www.foldemgear.com/flxshot.html
GEAR ON TEST: Fold ‘Em Gear FlxSHOT
pmcimagazine.

pmcimagazine.com
HEAD TO HEAD
HEAD TO HEAD
For this issue of PMCI we decided to ask our two tame contractors who have worked “The Circuit”,
one British and “new skool” and one American and “Old Skool” the same question to see where there
are similarities or disparities. This time my question to them both was “how do you prepare physically
before a contract and how do you keep fit with very limited resources in-country?”
Rob S (USA)
So how do I physically prep for a security contract?
I have consulted with many clients for many years who
ask me about getting ready for overseas “merc work” or even
“younglins” for their selection. This question can be a tough
one to answer. That is it would be tough if I was looking for
the politically correct marketing of complex programs of the
current time. Ha! But here we go, ready for this? The answer,
do less. Yep, less. If you are genetically cut out for this job
and have been trained (skills) right, almost everything will
be about preventing injuries. For example, if you walked into
selection and aced it without much prep simply because you
are mentally stable, physically capable and avoided getting
injured then you understand what I’m getting at. Less is more.
Having owned gyms and personal training companies in
the past and in a time before the internet and all its lies, aka
marketing fairy tales people want to hear, we used to study
and test everything, no guessing, find what worked. My clients
usually had plenty of money and very little time. They cared
not about being seen with a trainer (some even hid the facttalking
to you Quantico boys ha ha), but they wanted results.
So we tested and tried many, many programs. Funny enough,
most programs of physical training worked well towards a
progressive goal. Some much faster than others, but the ones
that led to injuries due to such mistakes as improper form, to
fast of speeds, repetitive poor form injuries and over training,
the biggest culprit, always slowed progress big or stopped it
completely. So things that don’t cause injuries, that part was
easy. This narrowed what we did considerably. Next was time
constraints. My clients were busy saving the world or controlling
it (yes, officers and politicians I speak of you) and they had no
days off and no spare time. This meant I needed something
that could be done in small bites daily or one mid-sized bites
once or twice weekly. So keep it simple, avoid injury and do the
least possible to get a result. Less!
I try to start my physical prep work up with Doctors visits
and chiropractic visits to ensure I’m healthy, up to date on shots
and my alignment is good. Too many people forget it starts
at base health. I’ve seen guys sent home because their blood
pressure spiked or a back injury flared up they hadn’t taken
care of. Believe me we all have injuries suffered as a result of
combat and other uncontrollable factors, but if you knew about
it ahead you could get it taken care of or be better prepared. Go
see your docs first.
So we move onto the actual physical stuff. As a strong
believer in Pareto’s principle, I look for the 20% or less that will
produce 80% or more of the results. That means something I can
do almost anywhere, that is quick and simple. Remembering
that getting fit is different than maintaining fitness as well. My
goal is to keep my strength, my endurance and my health up,
maybe even improve it on a contract, all while working our
typical 14+ hour nights and seven days a week start to finish. I
want to train as I will be when working. Heard something like
that before? It may not be what you think. So, I split my training
into 3 categories, strength with endurance is one. Flexibility
maintenance is another. Posture and movement is the last.
These all have crossovers of course but you will get the idea.
Warm ups? I don’t really warm up so much as check my joints
to ensure they have range of motion and no injury flare ups
or such. For me hip and shoulder injuries in my past from
parachute and well, fights. LOL I use a bit of movement typical
of Russian martial arts guys, simple slowly move each joint and
see or feel how it flows through its motion from neck to toes.
Again it isn’t so much a warm up as a safety check of my
body. We always try to condition to react on demand. You
don’t do stretches and bends before using the stairs when the
elevator is out, you don’t do push ups before lifting the car off
your wife to retrieve your credit cards from her purse after the
accident, you just do, well it.
Onto the training; let us keep it simple. Yeah KISS. I have
found that the majority of my body can be worked with only 4
simple exercises and I can maintain my overall fitness, health
and keep them. I do one arm alternating clean and presses
progressive 20x10 tabat style (twenty seconds of lifting and ten
seconds rest, repeat) as my base. I prefer dumbbells but have
used everything from sand bags to local kids. That’s another
story. My method is work from light to heavy, if possible, over
six to nine sets. I do four reps, two each arm, and rest ten
seconds then repeat till I can’t do anymore or I hit the nine
max sets. It’s simple and it works. Usually I rest for one or two
minutes max then onto the next exercise. My next exercise is
Long step farmers walk lunges up to one hundred steps max.
Put on your ruck, grab a spare ruck for the front (weight
vests work too), then grab two heavy dumbbells (again sand
42

Pic courtesy of “MGunz” Paul J Roarke of ‘Corps Strength’. See PMCI Issue 6
bags, kids etc work here) Start your long extended stepping
lunges and go for a walk, you will automatically take shorter and
shorter steps as you progress towards that one hundred and most
times along the way you will hit a point you can’t do another,
ditch the weights and keep going but always keep your form
proper. You may do all one hundred in which case next time use
more weight, baggage or kids. These two alone are more than
enough exercise to keep fit for work but some may desire a tad
more, to these we simple add in tradition weighted dead hand
pull-ups and overhead military press-ups. Again I do each 20x10
style but a max of 4 sets on these. At this point I may have only
worked out for 10 to 20 min max. But that is all it takes. My
lungs feel like they want to burst and my body will ache. I will do
this 4 exercise routine about two and max three times a week to
get fit and one or max two times a week to keep fit. Once I am
at my job or if my own schedule requires it, I do only one of the
exercises a day and take one day off from them every four days.
It works. How long can you keep this up? Don’t we need variance
to keep progressing and such? How long? Well I have clients who
have done this for over ten years with no injuries and have gotten
super fit and maintained it. This isn’t a program for a croxxf*t
competitor or a bodybuilder, or even a distance runner. But it is a
base fitness system for a mil contractor or human being.
Flexibility, range of motion and movement; I’m older yet I can
easily touch my toes and such. That is pretty normal flexibility is
a fit person no matter the age. Although I can get 90% into splits
as well they are not required by most for ideal flexibility. Again
people make getting that extreme flexibility a massive goal and
usually rush or force the process and get injured. You need to
accept your bodys real ideal range of motion, sadly most never
work up to it so they don’t know what it is or they force it and
get injured damaging their ability. I prefer the old style stretching
after a hard workout and only the muscles worked. Simple get
into a stretch then do contact and relax into the stretch contrast
style. Maybe stretching each movement for a minute or two total.
It works for me and allows me to maintain my range of motion
and for my clients allows them to get into theirs over time.
What about movement and posture. This is the only more
complex area of working out I use. I’ll tell you what I do, but this
is a case you should buy the books, videos and take a class or
two. I prefer the awareness through movement techniques like
Alexander and Feldenkrais styles. But other moving meditation
like advanced Tai Chi and such can be great too. What is the
number one complaint physically I hear on assignments that
require long standing or vehicle hours, back aches. These moving
programs virtually eliminate those issues and improve your work
endurance by leaps and bounds. Not to mention when you do
work in a suit you look healthy with that good posture.
So what do I do for physical prep before my work details?
I keep it simple. You may be unfit, unhealthy, overweight or
injured. I suggest caring for those first. After that just don’t get
injured!
Richard S (UK)
When we leave the military and head straight out on to contracts
in hostile environments, you already have a high standard of
fitness. The problem is keeping and maintaining that standard of
fitness when operational and working long days.
Another problem, which I am sure everyone has experienced
it, is the location you are operating from. When you’re out in the
middle of an Iraqi oil field or stuck in the middle of a city, it’s hard
to maintain you cardio. Some time the only thing that is available
is a running machine and a set of weights. Being a runner back
home I don’t particularly like throwing weights about; on one
occasion my team was operating from the centre of Basra city
with a 30 x 20 meter patch of grass. Going back to my military
roots I downloaded the bleep test from iTunes, marked the set
distances out on the grass and I religiously did a bleep test every
night.
Again facilities can change depending on contract type.
For instance if you’re working DoD, I was working from a FOB
in Wardak province. The FOB had a 3 mile perimeter and was
situated on the side of a mountain. It was also situated at 8,000
ft, which again added to the training you committed to. The gym
was awesome and had every weights machine you could think of.
If you’re a fitness monster you’re probably going to hate
commercial contracts. Long days, horrendous food, and hard to
get your hands on protein powders. There are ways to get around
this, some guys use to bring protein back from leave or DHL
parcels to a local collection.
Be prepared to conduct some form of fitness test. When I
left the military and pushed out on my first contract in Iraq the
company I was contracted to required you to complete a 2-mile
run in full equipment carrying weapon systems. I also had to
complete a mile and a half weighted stretcher run wearing full
kit. Some companies standards are higher than others, the way I
looked at it, the higher the standards the better the contract was.
Overall if there is a bunch of squaddies or veterans bunched
up together in one spot, be sure there is gym equipment or a
fitness regime.
HEAD TO HEAD
pmcimagazine.com

Advanced Security Protection
http://www.advancedsecurityprotection.com/
AKE Group
http://www.akegroup.com/
Ambrey Risk
http://www.ambreyrisk.com
Antipirates.Org
http://www.antipirates.org/
APPDS
http://www.appds.co.uk/
Aquatic Marine Ltd
http://www.aquaticmarineltd.com
Protect Asia Group
http://www.protectasia.com/
Secopex
http://www.secopex.com/
Aspida
http://www.aspida.org/
Associated Risk Maritime Risk Management
http://www.associated-risks.com
Bancroft Maritime Security Solutions
http://www.maritimesecuritysolutions.co.uk
Bechtel Corporation
http://www.bechtel.com/
Black Pearl
http://www.blackpearlmaritimesecurity.com/
Blackstone Consultancy
http://www.blackstoneconsultancy.com;
Blue Hackle
http://www.bluehackle.com/
Blue Waters Partners Global
http://www.preparedex.com/
BP Global
http://www.bp.com/
Britam Defence
http://www.britamdefence.com/
British Maritime Solutions
http://britishmaritimesolutions.com
BW Offshore
http://www.bwoffshore.com/
Calibre International Security
http://www.calibre-international.com/
Chilport
http://www.chilport.co.uk/
Chiron Resources
http://www.chironresources.com
Clearwater Special Projects
http://www.bodyguarding.co.uk/
Control Risks
http://www.control-risks.com
Decatur Maritime Security
http://www.decaturms.com/
44

Drum Cussac
http://www.drum-cussac.com/Index.aspx
Dryad Maritime
http://www.dryadmaritime.com/
Edinburgh International
http://www.edinburghint.com/home/
Elite Maritime Protection Services
http://www.elitemaritimeprotection.com
EOS Risk Management
https://www.eosrisk.com/
Erus Maritime
http://www.erusrisk.com
Espada
http://www.espadaservices.com
Ex Military Recruitment
https://www.exmil.co.uk
Exploration Logistics Group
http://www.frontiermedex.com/
G4S Maritime
http://www.g4s.uk.com
Genesis Security Group
http://genesissecurity.com/
Global Executive Outreach
http://www.geo-ops.com/
Global Risk Security
http://www.globalrisksecurity.co.uk/
Global Solace
http://www.solaceglobal.com/
Global Strategies Group
http://www.globalgroup.com/
Grail Security
http://www.grail.co.za
Halliburton
http://www.halliburton.com/en-USage
Halogen Security
http://www.halogensecurity.com/
Hart Maritime
http://www.hartsecurity.com
Hill & Associates
http://www.hillassoc.com
HP TerraMarine International
http://www.hpterramarine.com/
Hudson Trident
http://hudsonanalytix.com
ICTS
http://www.icts.co.uk
IMSA Ltd
http://www.imsaltd.com/
International Executive Recruiting
http://www.iernetwork.com
International Maritime Security
http://www.intmarsec.co.uk
International Maritime Security
http://www.intmarsec.co.uk/
International Security Network
http://www.isn.eu.com
ISC Gulf
http://www.iscgulf.com/
ISSG Sea Marshalls
http://www.issg-seamarshals.com/
Janusian Risk Advisory Group
http://www.riskadvisory.net/

Kroll
http://www.kroll.com/
Longmoor Group
http://www.longmoor-security.com
Lotus Maritime Security
http://www.lotusmaritime.com
Lotus Projects
http://www.lpyemen.com
Maersk
http://www.maersk.com/pages/default.aspx
Magregor Protection Services
http://macgregorprotectionservices.com
March Security
www.marchsecurity.com
MUSC
http://www.sps-global.com
Naval Guards
http://www.navalguards.com
Neptune Security
http://www.neptunemaritimesecurity.com/
NNK Group
https://www.nnkcorporation.com
NYA International
http://www.nyainternational.com
Ocean Marshalls
http://www.oceanmarshalls.com
Ocean Protective Services
http://oceanprotectionservices.com
Maritime Risk International
http://www.maritimeriskinternational.com/
Marsec
http://www.marsec.eu.com
MAST
http://www.mast-commercial.com
McRoberts Maritime Security
http://www.mcrobertsmaritime.com/
Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre
http://www.mmwc.org/
Minimal Risk
http://www.minimalrisk.co.uk/
MSS
http://www.mss-uk.com
MTResolution
http://www.mtresolution.com/
Oceaneering International
http://www.oceaneering.com/
Olchon
http://www.olchon.co.uk/
Olive Group
http://www.olivegroup.com/
Orchid Security
http://www.orchid-office.com/
Oxberry Risk Strategies
http://www.oxberryrisk.com/maritime_services
Pilgrim Group
http://www.pilgrimsgroup.com
Pilgrim Security
http://www.pilgrimsgroup.com
Pistris
http://www.pistris.com/Index.html
46

Protect Asia Group
http://www.protectasia.com/
PVI Ltd
http://www.pviltd.com/
Raven Special Projects Ltd
http://www.ravenspecialprojects.com
Red Cell Security
http://www.redcellsecurity.co.uk
Redfour-MSS
http://www.redfour-group.com
Saladin Security Group
http://www.saladin-security.com/
Saladin Security
http://www.saladin-security.com/
Salama Fikira
http://www.salamafikira.com/
SMS
www.specialistmarineservices.com
Tor International
http://www.torinternational.com/
Trojan Securities International
http://www.trojansecurities.com/
Orchid Security
http://www.orchid-office.com/
Blackstone Consultancy
http://www.blackstoneconsultancy.com/
Pilgrim Group
http://www.pilgrimsgroup.com/
Maritime Risk International
http://www.maritimeriskinternational.com/
International Maritime Security
http://www.intmarsec.co.uk/
Raven Special Projects Ltd
http://www.ravenspecialprojects.com/
Salamanca Risk Management
http://www.salamancarm.com
Sea Marshalls Ltd UK
http://www.seamarshals.com
SEAL
http://www.sealsecurity.com/
Securescot
http://www.securescot.com
Securewest International
http://www.securewest.com/
Security Networking Events
http://snespecialprojects.com/
Security Networking Events
http://snespecialprojects.com/
Securoquest
http://www.securoquest.co.za
Shield Risk Consulting
http://www.shield.eu/services/maritime-security/
Shipguard
http://www.mss-uk.com
SMS
www.specialistmarineservices.com
SPS
http://www.sps-global.com
Tactical Intel
http://www.tacticalintel.com/
Thalassic
http://www.thalassic.co.uk/
Tor International
http://www.torinternational.com/
Torcuss
http://www.torcuss.co.za/
Triskle TSL
http://www.triskelservices.com
Triton Security
http://www.tritoninternationalltd.com
Trojan Securities
http://www.trojansecurities.com
Veritas International
http://www.veritas-international.com/

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