TFB at 17: Greetings from Your New Editor in Chief

Today is July 18th, 2024, which means it’s The Firearm Blog’s 17th anniversary. That’s right, TFB is almost old enough to buy a rifle! I understand it’s tradition for the Editor in Chief to write a post commemorating the occasion, so please allow me to introduce myself: I’m Josh, and as of July 1st, I am the Editor in Chief of The Firearm Blog, as well as AllOutdoor and OutdoorHub.

How the heck did I wind up here? I’ve been in the content business about as long as TFB has been around. For many years, I was managing editor of a long-running technology publication. I’ve been a bit of a prepper for years, and I entered the preparedness content scene when all hell broke loose in early 2020.

When Pete announced that he was riding off into the sunset, my friend Doc Rader asked if I’d take the role. I turned him down. Twice.

I didn’t figure I had any business running the place. Sure, I’ve been shooting guns since I was old enough to walk. When I was five years old, my dad gave me a Daisy .22 rifle for Christmas—it’s apparently something of a rarity—that I still shoot raccoons with to this day. I have partial hearing loss from a childhood spent shooting my dad’s Taurus .357 Magnum revolver.

(There were two things my daddy didn’t believe in: Hearing protection and spending more on a gun than he felt he had to.)

Today, I own a few guns and I’ve even built an AR, but I don’t consider myself a true expert like the guys here. All that’s to say: Don't expect to hear much from me. I’ve had enough spotlight in my life, and I’m more than happy to leave it to the capable crew Pete left me with.

Most of my doings are focused on fixing the wiring and plumbing behind the scenes. You may have noticed that our long-dormant Twitter, err, X, account is back online. Go give us a follow there and we’ll have some fun.

What can you expect at The Firearm Blog? The same expert firearm news and analysis you’ve come to expect these past 17 years, and as always, free of politics, even if we have to butt up against them sometimes.

One small change you can expect is a focus on deeper, richer content, as well as detailed guides for beginners and enthusiasts alike. It’s amazing how much wealth of knowledge there is behind the scenes here at TFB, and it really comes together in articles like Pete’s behind-the-scenes explanation of how Secret Service details work and Daniel Y’s breakdown of the end of the Chevron Defence.

It’s awesome watching these guys work together to produce these fantastic articles, and we want to share more of that expertise with the world.

What Do You Carry?

I’d like to shut up and get back to work, but I figured it wouldn’t be a proper introduction at The Firearm Blog without discussing my everyday carry. First of all, I’ve been carrying the same Leatherman Wave for over 25 years now, and I only take it off my belt when I have to.

As for guns, I spent years alternating between:

• A Glock 19 Gen4 equipped with TruGlo night sights and Talon Grips. I usually carry that in an Alien Gear IWB holster, though I also have a Safariland OWB holster that accommodates my Streamlight TLR-1 when I need to make a statement.
• A Ruger LCP II in a Vedder Pocket Locker. This pistol gets a lot of hate, but I find it fun as heck to shoot, and you can’t beat the size or price.

But I had a Goldilocks problem: the Glock was a little too big and the LCP II was a little too small, so I fell out of the habit of carrying them. That became a big problem recently when our family vehicle broke down an hour from home and we were stranded outside of a liquor store. I could picture the headlines: “Firearm Blog Editor Gunned Down in Mugging.” That had to change.

So I decided to test the crew and get recommendations. I was intrigued by Patrik O’s review of the Glock 43X. So I visited a gun store and handled one alongside the Glock 43. While the Glock 43 is a bit more compact, I liked the extra grip (and thus control) the Glock 43X offers.

The crew recommended the Raven Vanguard 2, a tiny holster covering only the trigger. I love this combo. It’s comfortable enough that I can almost forget I’m carrying it, but it still fires a capable 9mm with a respectable 10-round capacity. I also love how easily this holster moves between the appendix and 5 o’clock positions. Appendix carry gives me the “heebie jeebies” as my son likes to say, but sometimes it’s the best choice for concealment.

As for the carry ammo, I opted for the 115-grain Hornady Critical Defense over my usual preference, Federal Personal Defense HST. When I tried out the Glock 43X with my cheap bulk 9mm ammo, I noticed the lighter weight of the pistol made it snappier than my Glock 19, so I figured less grain is more. Less grain = less kick = better control = faster followup shots. The lowest grain of the HST they had at the store was 124, so I went for the Hornady.

I briefly considered the pink-tipped 100-grain HST Critical Defense Light, because the thought of an attacker getting taken out by pink lead is amusing, but I decided against being overly festive.

I also needed a new gun belt, because I bought my trusty leather one when I was about 70 pounds heavier, and now it barely holds up my pants, much less my pistol. Again I asked the crew for recommendations, and I have a Black Arch EDC on the way. I’ll let you know what I think.