Special Forces :: Best Military Surplus

Movie Weapons From The Patriot

by craigkent

June 17th, 2012

We’re back with another movie weapons article, turning back the clocks to the time of the American Revolution with The Patriot.

Mel Gibson stars as Benjamin Martin, a farmer from South Carolina who fought in the French and Indian War. He doesn’t want to get involved in the Revolutionary War that’s begun in his homeland, but has very good reasons to. As a result of tragedy that happens with his son, he finds himself leading the colonial militia. Martin takes part in one of the most important battles in the Revolutionary War. But one of the best parts of the movie is all of the military surplus!

Kentucky Rifle - The first rifled-barrel firearm made in the U.S. is the Kentucky (or Pennsylvania) Rifle. This gun was much more accurate than smoothbore muskets because the bullet would spin in the barrel. This was used extensively in the Revolutionary War, and even up until the War of 1812. The Kentucky Rifle is .50 caliber, but it was known to use .36 and .45 also. Average range for the firearm was about 100 yards.

Martin and his sons all use Kentucky Rifles when they try to rescue Martin’s oldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) from the British. This gun got the job done for Martin, and it obviously was a worthwhile gun to have for any colonialist in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Charleville Musket – As the name suggests, this is not a rifle, and it has French origins. It used a .69 caliber musket ball, and its effective range was only about 50 yards. The rifle first came around in 1717, so by the time it shows up in The Patriot, many modifications had been made.

Gabriel Martin is seen using the Charleville Musket multiple times.

Flintlock Pistol – This firearm originated in the 1600s but saw widespread use until the 1800s. A simplified explanation of how this weapon works is that a flint piece strikes metal to cause a spark which ignites gunpowder, therefore firing the bullet. The mechanism used in the flintlock pistol was also used for muskets, and later, rifles.

This weapon is used by many leading characters in The Patriot, including Benjamin Martin in the final battle scene (where he uses bullets made from his son’s toy soldiers) and Colonel Tavington.

This list of movie weapons used in The Patriot is not exhaustive, but you’ll just have to go watch it yourself to see all the others. Check it out!

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Movie/TV Gear
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TV Weapons – A New Beginning in Terra Nova

by craigkent

December 11th, 2011

We’ve had several articles on movies weapons, but we’re starting a new spin-off with TV weapons, looking at some of the cool firearms and other weapons used in TV series. Terra Nova is one of the newest shows on broadcast television, but it’s already been a hit in terms of sci-fi action and drama. We’ve only seen a small selection of TV weapons featured, but we’re going to take a look at them anyway.

Just to give some background on those who aren’t familiar with the show, Terra Nova follows the story of Jim Shannon (Jason O’Mara) and his family as they travel from the year 2149 A.D. on the Tenth Pilgrimage through a portal to an alternate Earth 85 million years earlier in order to escape the depleted wasteland of their present day planet. They’re part of the settlement called Terra Nova, led by Commander Nathaniel Taylor (Stephen Lang), whose goal is to give the settlers a new beginning. The settlers face dangers of the Earth, including ferocious dinosaurs and a group of revolutionaries who came on the Sixth Pilgrimage in an attempt to prevent Taylor from reaching his goal.

Since the series is set in the future, some of the TV weapons are fictitious, but they have an obvious origins in modern-day firearms.

Modified CAR-15 – The assault rifle seen many times in the series is a version of Colt’s AR-15 and M16 category of rifles. They look similar to the 733 Model, which have components of an A1 and A2, as well as an M16. The 733′s have three groups of fire control. Other aspects (no case deflectors, for example) of the firearms suggest they are shortened versions of the Sporter SP1 Carbine (an AR-15).

Several characters use this modified rifle, including Josh Shannon (Landon Liboiron), Skye (Allison Miller), and military members.. Several modifications have obviously been made in order to enhance believability that the guns are futuristic, but they still appear to have comparable firepower to modern-day assault rifles. Their automatic features come in handy when fending off reptilian creatures…

Unidentified Pistol – It’s amazing how creators of movies and TV series can continue to imagine futuristic weapons that are different than ones that have been thought of already, but Spielberg and his crew have done it in Terra Nova. The pistols in this futuristic society appear to be somewhat more bulky than modern pistols, but they sure get the job done. The modified pistol is a favorite of Commander Taylor and Jim Shannon, and it makes recurring appearances throughout the series. Some have compared the pistol to a Nerf gun, which is slightly tacky, but who am I to judge?

It’s uncertain yet what other firearms may be featured in the series, but if the Terra Nova settlers make contact with 2149 again before the end of the series, there’s a good chance that some more TV weapons would make an appearance. The future for this new series has yet to be decided, but we can only hope Fox (or some other network) will renew it for at least a second season. Then we can see some more military surplus in the form of TV weapons.

Episode 10 is set to air on Fox this Monday, and the series finale will be a two-parter on December 19th, so don’t miss it!

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Movie/TV Gear
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Breath Just Fine With a Gas Mask

by craigkent

November 23rd, 2011

The origins of a gas mask go back to the first millennium AD, but it was really in the 20th century that the gas mask was fully developed.

The U.S. first began using the gas mask when a scientist made his own version after an alleged chlorine gas attack on British soldiers during World War I. The British also invented what was called the Hypo Helmet to protect its soldiers from chlorine attacks. It consisted of a cloth soaked in a chemical that would absorb the chlorine.

The gas mask became more sophisticated as years went on for use in World War II and the Cold War era. Soon, full clothing was required to protect soldiers from biological

The Sandman

weapons as the gasses used became more advanced (nerve gas, etc.) — these gasses would penetrate skin.

The gas mask as most people think of it — a half-mask — uses a filter to get rid of any harmful toxins its wearer may breathe in. This is the type of mask the superhero Sandman from the Justice Society of America uses to protect himself from the chemicals he uses against his enemies. Many chemical weapons are only harmful if they are exposed to the eyes or inhaled through the mouth or nose. With this design, the wearer must breathe air himself through the filter. A full-face gas mask that may be a part of a full suit will often blow filtered air directly into the mask — the wearer doesn’t need to suck the air through the mask. These are used for chemicals that can go through the skin.

Almost any gas mask available to civilians today is a half-faced gas mask. You can get one from Amazon at a pretty good price. My hope, though, is that we never have to use them on our home soil.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Clothing Accessories, Movie/TV Gear
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Float on Air – Military Hovercraft

by craigkent

September 2nd, 2011

Military hovercraft are not the most technologically-advanced form of transportation used for war, but they are definitely some of the most interesting vehicles.

The idea of using air-cushion to aid in vehicle transportation, leading to the development of military hovercraft, was born in the late 1800s. The Do-X flying boat, built in 1929, made use of air-cushion transportation. It allowed the “boat” to hover above the water surface, reducing the drag and increasing its speed and efficiency. The British military developed the first real hovercraft in the 1950s — the Saunders Roe, Nautical 1 (SR.N1). Soon after, the U.S., France, Sweden, and Japan developed their own versions.

Development continued as the benefits of a military hovercraft were discovered. These vehicles could traverse almost any terrain because of its air cushion, including land, water, and ice. Hovercraft were also given a rubberized skirt to hold the air cushion on uneven ground.

The hovercraft saw the most action in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War as a patrol unit. The hovercraft’s unique ability to travel on water and land proved useful in the reedy parts of Vietnam. Today, the military hovercraft serves a limited purpose. The Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft has been developed for the U.S. Navy to serve as a connector between ships at sea and land bases. These military hovercraft primarily transport weapons and other military surplus to naval ships. Military hovercraft are also used in the Coast Guard for patrolling duties.

Many civilians own hovercraft for recreational or sporting purposes. You can build your own hovercraft with a kit, or buy one from a commercial supplier, such as Universal Hovercraft. I can remember my good friend Bill Wayne wanting to build his own when we were younger… Another interesting fact is that there are hovercraft clubs in Europe and the U.S. that have hovercraft racing events.

So you might not get to use a hovercraft like James Bond on a mission, but you can still get your own to enjoy.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Movie/TV Gear, Vehicles
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Steve Rogers – The Captain of America’s Spirit

by craigkent

July 1st, 2011

Steve Rogers, the alter-ego of Marvel Comics’ most famous superhero, may not be a real soldier, but he still represents the countless soldiers who fight for our country. And since we like to honor our troops who have fought for us, and are still fighting, her at Best Military Surplus, we wanted to feature a hero who represents all who have courageously put on a uniform.

Steve Rogers was like many American men, wanting the pride of wearing the fatigues that allowed you to battle against the nation’s enemies. But instead of being a regular soldier, Rogers was given a “super serum” which enhanced his physical abilities. Thus, Captain America was born. The hero he would become would be someone that every soldier and citizen alike could look up to. After the 1940′s, Cap disappeared for a while, until he was resurrected by Jack Kirby with the introduction of the Avengers superhero team.

Captain America is a unique superhero in that he uses a shield as a weapon. Who knew? There have been variations of this shield over the years, but the constant aspect in all of them is that they portray some symbol of this great country. You can get a shield just like Steve Rogers right here. The cool thing about the Captain America shield is that it can be used as a weapon, most commonly in the form of a boomerang. Shields aren’t standard issue for soldiers nowdays (and they weren’t so even when Cap was introduced in the ’40s), but super soldiers like Rogers don’t even exist in the real world.

The event Captain America fans have been waiting for is finally arriving this summer: a legit film made for theaters. Chris Evans stars as the wimpy Steve Rogers who turns into an American icon through the “super soldier” program. Don’t miss Evans, Hugo Weaving, and Tommy Lee Jones in the summer flick arriving July 22 this summer!

After we see Cap duel with Red Skull in the movie to be released this year, Steve Rogers (played by Evans) is set to reprise his role in a new Avengers movie in 2012.

What do you think of Captain America? Has there ever been a better soldier (fiction or real) to embody the heart of America’s military? Let us know!

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Movie/TV Gear
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Is the Jericho Missile From Iron Man Real?

by craigkent

August 1st, 2010

The illustrious Tony Stark is known in the Marvel comic universe for his technological innovations, particularly for the Jericho missile weapons system. This advanced “smart” missile is one of the most deadly means of offense for the US government, and any enemy it’s used against is sure to run scared.

The fictional Jericho missile being fired in Iron Man

Iron Man’s suit may be pretty advanced, and one of the coolest pieces of gear in the Marvel world, but the Jericho missile gives it a run for its money. The missile makes its appearance in the first Iron Man movie, which was released in 2008, and it makes any other weapon in the movie look like kid’s play (including the M4). Tony Stark demonstrates the Jericho missile in the Middle East with several US military officials present.

The concept of the Jericho missile is not a new design. It would probably be considered in the category of a cluster

The fictional Jericho missile exploding behind Tony Stark

bomb. A missile launches from a stationary pad towards the general area of the target. In midair, several smaller munitions separate from within and hit their designated targets. There is also an enormous shockwave upon impact of the smaller missiles. As Tony Stark so eloquently says, it’s a weapon that you “only have to fire once.”

Now there doesn’t exist an actual Jericho missile like the one in Iron Man, but there are some weapons that are very similar. One of these is the CBU-97 Smart Bomb. This potent weapon is dropped from an aircraft and, like the Jericho missile, it breaks off into several smaller munitions designated BLU-108/B. These munitions then release explosives called “skeets,” which detect enemy units nearby, propel towards them, and destroy them. The one big difference between the CBU-97 and the Jericho missile is the giant shockwave, which seems to be more for intimidation than for anything else.

Skeets from the CBU-97 exploding

Beyond that, the only things that are actually called Jericho missiles are a series of ballistic missiles that have originated in Israel. Missiles from Israel were first given this codename in 1963 and refer to the city of Jericho mentioned in the Bible. It is estimated that there have been three different “Jericho missiles,” but Israel has been very secretive about these weapons.

A real Jericho missile might not actually exist today, but maybe someday it will. Keep your eyes open for this currently-fiction weapon to become real military surplus.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Movie/TV Gear
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William Wallace Sword – For Men

by Administrator

July 23rd, 2010

The William Wallace Sword, from the ultimate “man’s movie” Braveheart. No real man can deny how inspiring, exhilarating and exciting the movie was. (btw if you are a living breathing guy over the age of 9 and you haven’t seen it then head to Amazon right now and Buy The Blue Ray, I’m very serious, this will be here when you finish watching it).

The William Wallace sword is not exactly surplus, but it is a military weapon from the 13th century (and most of the readers here love Braveheart). A book called ‘Wild At Heart‘ (great book, highly recommend it) partly inspired me to write this about this weapon and man.

William Wallace’s Sword is a Claymore used by the Man’s man Wallace (played by Mel Gibson in the movie). The real William Wallace lived from 1271 – 1305, and was a Scottish Knight who led his countrymen to rebel against English oppression of the day. The sword itself is huge, measuring 5 feet 6 inches long (the shaft 4 feet 4 inches). Wallace himself was a very tall and strong man to use a large sword like this effectively.

When you watch a movie like Braveheart, you usually get fired up as he tries to defend his woman, lead the small group of Scotts against a much larger English force, and we all remember the speech he gave right before the battle:

It’s something us men need to consider when there is a challenging or dangerous situation in our lives. Is living like a coward for the rest of your life really worth living?

My opinion is no, I think many guys need to take a chapter from William Wallace and start acting like real men. This may make some of you angry, that we should all be sensitive, more caring guys, but that is not the way we were created.

William Wallace, in his most famous battle (The battle of Stirling Bridge), had about 5,000 men (just 100 of them knights). The English army was 50,000 foot soldiers, 4,000 archers, and 1,000 heavy cavalry knights. But Wallace, was not intimidated by this. He let half the English army cross over the Stirling bridge, then signaled his men who were hiding below the bridge to take out the supports. The bridge collapsed and killed many English soldiers. The commanders of the English army did not know what to do except watch in horror as their divided army was split and being massacred. The commanders did know how to do one thing, run, like cowards they ran until they hit the English border.

It may not be politically correct to be a man like William Wallace in today’s day and age, but ask yourself this: do politically correct pansies get statues erected of them? Feel free to leave your comment on this subject to let us know what you think.

If you want to buy a William Wallace sword, there are a couple options.

Buy A Movie Replica of William Wallace Sword (this is the officially licensed one)

Buy other William Wallace Claymore’s & Replicas

Written by Bill Wayne, member of the Best Military Surplus team

Categories Articles, Movie/TV Gear
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Movie Weapons – Independence Day

by craigkent

July 4th, 2010

We’re back with another movie weapons article, focusing on one movie in particular: Independence Day. Check out our articles on other movie weapons in Transformers and The Matrix. This weekend is the Fourth of July, so we figured it was the best time to feature this blockbuster film.

Beretta 92 – One of the most popular movie weapons in recent years, the Beretta sees some action in Independence Day in the fight against the aliens. The Beretta is known by the military as the M9 and it replaced the M1911 as the standard firearm in 1990. With Independence Day’s release in 1996, the Beretta was still a new weapon.

The Beretta 92 is one of the most widely used movie weapons because of its purpose in the U.S. military. The gun is ambidextrous (can be used by those who are right-handed and left-handed) and uses 9MM rounds. It’s considered perhaps the most reliable military surplus handgun on the market today.

Military personnel make use of the Beretta in Independence Day. General Grey, Major Mitchell, and a Secret Service agent use their Beretta 92′s to stop an alien in a lab after the President tried to talk with it.

M61 Vulcan – This automatic firearm based on the Gatling gun is the other primary gun used in Independence Day. The M61 has been an armament on U.S. fighter jets for over 50 years. It’s a six-barreled firearm that can unload its rounds at a rate of 6000 rounds per minute. The gun was originally designed by General Electric and has been used on numerous fighter jets, including most recently the F-22 Raptor.

The M61 makes this list of movie weapons because of its pivotal role in Independence Day. In the movie, the M61 is outfitted on the F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets. The M61 proves to be ineffective against the alien fighters that have shields, but once those shields are disabled, the M61 easily destroys the alien aircraft. The second battle scene in the air between the F/A-18′s and the alien fighter craft is arguably the best part of the movie, and gives any military surplus enthusiast good entertainment.

Independence Day has great movie weapons, and anyone who likes military surplus and some good action will enjoy the movie.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Articles, Automatic, Guns, Hand Guns, Movie/TV Gear, Special Forces
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Military Surplus Guns

by Administrator

June 14th, 2010

M1911 Pistol

Military surplus guns are one of the least popular items purchased in terms of military surplus. When you think of military surplus, camouflage, helmets, and backpacks probably come to mind. But what you might not know is that there is a huge supply of military surplus guns available for purchase.

Most equipment that the military uses is sold retail and also after being actually used by soldiers. Items that this is true for include uniforms, boots, helmets, backpacks, and belts. The difference between these items and military surplus guns is that some guns are available only after they have been used by the military.

Did you know that you can purchase guns that were made as early as during World War I? Older military surplus guns are tougher to come by these days, as collectors are snatching them up, not letting them see another owner ever again. But one military surplus gun used during World War I that is readily available is the M1911. This pistol was the standard issue sidearm for the U.S. military for over 70 years!

M4 Carbine

There are also many military surplus guns used in later wars for sale today. One such gun is the M60 machine gun. This 7.62-caliber gun uses the popular belt of ammunition, and can fire up to 600 rounds per minute. This gun continues to be used in the military, but is in the process of being replaced.

One newer firearm that is popular among military surplus guns is the M4 Carbine. Coming from the family of AR15′s and M16′s, this assault rifle has found its place in the military as one of the most reliable guns. Compared the the M16, the M4 is shorter and lighter, and it has the firing options of semi-automatic and three-round burst. For some ranks of the Marine Corps, the M4 is carried instead of the M9 pistol. To customize your own rifle, click here.

The M4 may be replacing M16′s in some military units, but the M16 remains the most popular assault rifle in the world. With its introduction into the service in 1963, it became a hit among soldiers. It was designed to replace the M1 Garand, a task that the M14 had unsuccessfully accomplished. The biggest advantage the M16 was its lighter weight, and the ability it gave users to carry more ammo (because the ammo was also lighter than that of the M14′s). Like the M4, the M16 came from the family of the AR15.

We hope this gives you an idea of how military surplus guns are staple surplus items, and that several of these are available for the public to purchase. The selection of military surplus guns on the market is much larger than what we’ve mentioned here, so be sure to look for the ones you want. Also, if you’re looking to protect your military surplus gun to keep others from using it, check out this Barska Biometric safe review.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Automatic, Guns, Hand Guns, Rifles, Special Forces
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Gun Accessories – Bipods/Tripods

by craigkent

June 5th, 2010

This will be the last article in our series on gun accessories. It’s been a great journey up to this point, so we’ll finish it with a bang (pun intended).

Bipods are gun accessories that are not necessarily common among civilian sportsmen. However, U.S. soldiers have many uses for bipods, especially those in the special forces. A bipod, and less commonly a tripod, more than anything else gives the shooter stability. Bipods are used when the shooter is close to the ground. But if you’ve ever fired a gun from the ground, you know how tough it is to keep it stable and still be accurate.

Bipods are usually used with rifles or other long firearms. They can have adjustable height, and allow a free range of motion for the firearm. The attachment mechanism is simple for these gun accessories: a mount is attached to the firearm, and the bipod is attached to the mount.

A variety of designs for the bottom of the bipod’s “feet” are available, such as rounded rubber bottoms or flat bottoms. The feet bottom style to use depends on the surface on which the bipod will be used. The rounded rubber bottoms will give grip on surfaces that are not completely flat (dirt, rocks, grass, etc) , whereas the flat bottoms will allow the bipod to hold its position better on structural surfaces (buildings, walls, fences, etc). These gun accessories can be made with different materials, such as aluminum or steel — a bipod made from steel, which is stronger than aluminum, will be more expensive.

A high-quality bipod can cost as much as $200, like this heavy duty one made by GG&G for the AR30. Besides GG&G, Harris is another great company that makes bipods. But if you’re looking for a low-cost bipod that just clips on just about any rifle, this is the one to get.

A tripod performs the same function as a bipod, but it is usually used for heavier firearms like machine guns. Tripods often hold the gun higher off the ground than a bipod which allows the shooter to kneel or stand. Here’s a military surplus tripod made by Armalite that can be used with an AR50 rifle.

This concludes our series on gun accessories. Be sure to tell us what you thought of it by commenting below. Check out any of the previous articles here.

Written by Craig Kent, member of the Best Military Surplus team.

Categories Automatic, Guns, Rifles, Special Forces Gear
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