Overview

In S.W.A.T.'s February 2010 issue:

  • Go under-cover with Colombia's anti-narcotics special ops squads.
  • Smith & Wesson now offers a .22LR carbine for all your training and plinking needs.
  • Abner Miranda covers TDI's Tactical Rifle I course.
  • Is Ruger's polymer LCR +P revolver the equal of its metal cousins?
  • 21st century technology meets firearms training, and the results are realistic enough that one past trainee mistakenly shot the screen with a hot back-up gun.
  • The ongoing battle between political correctness and survival.



Columns
The Briefing Room
Caution: Political Correctness Causes Death
by Denny Hansen

Street Smarts
Quantifying Experience
by Brent T. Wheat

Against All Odds
Survival Pros' Everyday Carry Gear
by Reuben Bolieu

Frontline Debriefs
Expertise: Born and Bred on the Streets
by Scott Reitz

Enemy at the Gate
The Natives Are Restless
by Claire Wolfe

Training & Tactics
Don't Be A Zero When You Zero
by Louis Awerbuck


Departments
Mail Room:
Letters from our Readers
Staff

Lawful Carry:
Fanny Packs
Flint Hansen

Long Guns:
Winchester M97 Trench Gun
Leroy Thompson

Offbeat:
US PALM AK30 Magazine
Denny Hansen

The Cutting Edge:
Victorinox Soldatenmesser 08
Eugene Nielsen

Gear Locker:
New Products and Accessories
Staff

  
Click the cover
to view a larger version
 

Features

WHITE POWDER WAR
Inside Colombia's Elite Jungla Commandos, Part 1
Take a journey into the jungle as S.W.A.T. takes an inside look at Colombia's efforts to stem cocaine production and trafficking. From training and equipment behind the operators, to the jungle drug labs targetted by them, we take you behind the scenes, offering a gritty—and sometimes grim—view of the conflict.
by Jeff Randall

HIGH-TECH VIDEO GAME OR LIFE-SAVING TRAINING?
BlueFire Wireless Weapon Simulators
Wondering about the latest in high-tech training? This month, S.W.A.T. covers Meggitt's virtual training facility in-depth. Utilizing bluetooth-enabled modified weapons, from rifles to TASERs, Meggitt offers safe yet ultra-realistic training that serves such diverse uses as training soldiers to identify and avoid roadside IEDs.
by Jerry Ahern

REVISITING THE COACH GUN
Side by Side Simplicity
The coach gun, while hardly a mainstay of police and tactical unit armories, retains the appeal of simplicity and proven reliability. S.W.A.T. takes a look at the Stoeger Single-Trigger Coach Gun, adds a few gadgets to bring it into the 21st century, and puts it to the test. With surprising versatility between roles, from sport shooting to home defense, this workhorse is a winner.
by Steve Baughman

BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO AN OLD WARRIOR
M1 Carbine Tactical Upgrade
The M1 Carbine has a long and distinguished history. Though sometimes dismissed as an old gun, modern production versions have been upgraded to keep this venerable weapon a serious competitor to the AR.
by Sheppard Kelly

RUNNING AND GUNNING
TDI Tactical Rifle I
TDI's tactical rifle course offers a valuable and unique tactical rifle training experience. The first day offers 300-yard precision shooting, followed by CQC exercises, a live-fire course, and a night shoot competition on the second. On the last day, students encounter the Jungle Lane, identifying and neutralizing targets in an environment with heavy cover and shadows. Don't miss our review of the last course, a novel mix of geometry with shooting on the move!
by Abner Miranda

SMITH & WESSON M&P15
Now in .22 Long Rifle!
How good is Smith & Wesson's .22LR AR-style carbine? S.W.A.T. offers a look at this underrepresented training firearm. Out of a myriad of .22 LR carbines and conversions, the M&P15-22 offers a solidly engineered, respectably reliable .22LR training platform. But is it right for you?
by Leroy Thompson

SIGHT OFFSET
The Next Dimension
Sometimes shooting prone isn't good enough, and a firearm must be canted to be able to fire from behind cover with reasonable safety. What can be done to minimize the effect of sight offsets under such conditions? Find out what to expect when firing with a canted weapon, and our recommendations on how to train to compensate.
by Cable Hogue

FANTASTIC PLASTIC
Ruger LCR +P Polymer Revolver
Love it or hate it, polymer-framed pistols are pervasive, and the trend has begun reaching into other classes of firearms. Behold the Ruger LCR .38 Special revolver, sporting a polymer frame. We examine it from (hidden) hammer to muzzle, taking special note of its recoil characteristics, trigger, and overall accuracy. Is a polymer-frame revolver heresy, or a concept whose time has come?
by Rich Grassi