Dear Reader,
What could be more American than spending this Fourth of July shooting guns and cooking out?
Well… that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.
I have a few new guns I’ve been testing out over the weekend. One of them is the new Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0:
The first thing I noticed about this gun was the aggressive grip texture — which I love. It feels like somebody wrapped the grip in skateboard tape so your hand won’t move in the slightest.
The fact is there’s nothing worse than a gun with a smooth grip, because if your hands get wet (or you get blood on them), it can become very difficult to hold onto.
Another thing I like about the M&P M2.0 is the trigger. Even though I am a big fan of Glocks (and own several of them), I don’t particularly like the Glock trigger. Thankfully, the M&P M2.0 is smooth and nothing like a Glock.
Another one of my new firearms is the Canik TP9:
The TP9 is made in Turkey and imported by Century Arms. Since I just mentioned my love for Glocks above, I should mention that many people have compared the TP9 with a Glock and agree it’s a better version.
I’ll concede that the TP9 has a better trigger and a better grip angle, but I don’t know about long-term reliability yet compared with a Glock. I heard a rumor that there have been issues with the extractor on the TP9 — but we’ll see what happens with mine after several thousand rounds. However, so far, I like how the TP9 feels and shoots.
Let’s Eat
Enough about guns for now. Let’s talk about grilling…
I believe in having multiple portable grills for cookouts, camping and, of course, emergency situations.
I own the Coleman One-Burner Propane Stove. It’s a great little stove that’s perfect for cooking for one person. I’ve used this stove while camping multiple times, and in my experience, it certainly boils water and cooks food fast.
Another stove I use is the Stansport Two-Burner Propane Stove. I like this stove because I can use it to cook for my whole family but it’s still highly portable and doesn’t take up too much space in the back of a car. It also cooks food quickly. Recently, my family and I used it to grill up some hot dogs and hamburgers at our 320-acre Spy Ranch in no time at all.
However, for this Fourth of July weekend, we used the stove my wife loves the most: the Camp Chef Three-Burner Stove. She uses this stove for canning as well, and it does a great job. But it’s just not as portable, so we don’t often lug it around.
Even if you don’t plan to grill this holiday, remember to buy a propane stove so you can still enjoy hot food during an emergency.
And don’t forget a gun, too. You can never have too many guns…
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
