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Syphon Filter 2 holds a special place in my heart. Kids these days don’t know how awesome it used to be to buy a new game, open it up, and read the manual as you headed home to play it. The manual had a weapon catalog with a picture and a short blurb about the weapon. This entranced me as a kid and planted a seed that led me to exactly where I am now, writing this article.

The game was rough and more action than stealth, but a ton of fun. It was my first two-disc game, and I couldn’t wait. The game absolutely kicked my ass, and it took forever for me to finish as a kid. However, to this day, it provides me with fond memories of my PlayStation.

Syphon Filter 2 — The Forgotten Series

I’m not gonna lie, I never played the first game. However, the second picked up apparently right after the first. The main characters, Gabriel Logan and Lian Xing, were part of the ‘Agency’ and now are enemies of the state. The plot involved the two characters trying to stop the release of the Syphon Filter virus and prevent rogue members of the ‘Agency’ from selling the virus to a rogue Chinese general.

It was an excuse to kill hundreds of bad guys with a variety of guns, a knife, and even a taser. It was mostly an action game, but it had small bits of stealth gameplay that amped up the action. Stealth levels with suppressed weapons and knives were intense but instantly failed when caught. I do remember being incredibly frustrated by these as a kid. Luckily, checkpoints existed, and I made it through.

Syphon Filter 2 often felt like an action movie with lots of little quasi-scripted situations. You swapped between Gabe and Lian and played through a wide variety of levels. Two that I’ll always remember is the mountain level where I rocked and rolled with an HK G11 firing accurate, three-round bursts into bad guys. The other is the train level, where you fought through waves of bad guys on a moving train.

The game sold over a million copies, and Syphon Filter 3 did well, but the franchise has been largely abandoned. There were some awesome PSP games, but in terms of major console releases, Sony seems to have forgotten how awesome these games were. I don’t want a remaster, but I’d love to see Syphon Filter make a comeback as a tactical shooter.

The Gunplay

The gameplay feels super dated now compared to most modern shooters. I mean, it is twenty-two years old. It can have a beer if it wants to. Syphon Filter 2 was a lock-on shooter that meant you had to hold a button for your character to aim at an enemy. A meter filled up on the side, showing you how likely you were to hit and damage the bad guy.

This is how you played the run and gun portions of the game. You kept your character moving to avoid getting shot, and you never stopped shooting. You could instantly switch to first-person mode to aim precisely and lean around cover. It was unique for the time and felt very ‘tactical’ to ten-year-old me.

You had a danger meter that rose and fell in a fight. The longer you were exposed, the faster the meter filled. Once the meter filled, bad guys would destroy your armor and end you quickly. You needed to use cover or even roll to drive the meter down and stay alive.

The Armor

Speaking of armor, both you and bad guys could have it. Bad guys with armor were super tough, and smart players switched to first-person mode and took precise headshots to make armor a non-issue.

The boss fights were also so cool. One required you to hide, roll, and avoid a bad guy boss because if you killed him, a bomb would explode. You had to wait and survive until your friend defused the bomb before you could take him out.

Another involved a bad guy boss so heavily armored you couldn’t kill him with guns. You could retrieve a Daewoo USAS 12 and knock him down. Eventually, you figured out you had to knock him into some helicopter blades to decapitate him. Syphon Filter 2 was a blast, both literally and figuratively.

“Teresa, I’m Coming Down the Hard Way!”

If you wanted guns, Syphon Filter 2 gave you guns. Lots of guns were relatively realistic for the time, and some were very different from the usual video game fare. Also, some were new — so new that they never reached full production, like the aforementioned HK G11. The G11, supposedly the rifle of the future, utilized the famed caseless ammo and a weird horizontal magazine.

Another standout was the game’s interpretation of the 1911. It’s every boomer’s wet dream. Stopping power was the name of the game, and the 1911 was one of the more powerful weapons. In fact, it was more powerful than most of the rifles. However, the blurb about the gun is comically wrong.

We also got some standards like the MP5SD, the M16A1, and the Glock 17. On top of that, we got a fictional blaster, the HG34, as well as a 37mm tear gas launcher posing as an M79. There were also some exotics like the Sig 550 sniper rifle, the Glock 18, and the Daewoo USAS shotgun.

Different guns delivered different effects and animations. The shotgun’s animation was the best and felt hefty with every shot. The taser could be used to the point the bad guy caught on fire and died violently, and it still amuses me.

Was it realistic?

None of the gunplay was very realistic. With the scoped rifles, you could zoom in and take long-range shots. The suppressors were whisper-quiet, and the pump shotgun seemingly had an infinite magazine tube.

Yet, it was still so much fun for me as a kid. Games like Syphon Filter 2 helped spawn a rugged, more violent, and more adult genre of tactical shooters, which most of us enjoy to this day. Why Syphon Filter 2 and the Syphon Filter series seem to be forgotten about is beyond me. I loved these games, and it’s time they make a comeback, dang it!

Fun fact apparently, the zombie game Days Gone is loosely connected to the Syphon Filter world. Perhaps a zombie plague is what happens when Gabe and Lian fail their mission.

As AR-15s have grown in popularity, so have the number of parts made for them. It used to be there was a basic component sheet and that was that, but today there are practically endless options for everything right down to the takedown pins and trigger pins. In a recent video, Classic Firearms talks about charging handles. At this point there are so many different options out there it’s not an easy matter to choose an AR-15 charging handle anymore, and these guys are here to help.

What is a charging handle?

The charging handle is a removable part in the upper receiver of an AR-platform rifle or pistol. It’s an elongated, T-shaped piece that drops in above the bolt carrier group. Its purpose is to pull the bolt back to charge the gun, clear a malfunction, or lock open the bolt for storage. The charging handle might not look like much, but it’s an important part of your gun. Without it, the gun won’t run at all.

Does the type matter?

The type of charging handle you use depends on use and personal preference. Some issues you might face with certain designs include an inability to grab the uppermost portion of the handle because the optic overhangs too far, it’s not ambidextrous and you are left-handed, or it isn’t well made and gets hung up when you try to use it. Also, if the handle portion of it is massively oversized you might end up snagging it on everything. Not all charging handles are created equally and you’ll have to find one that fits your hands and needs.

Check out the video to see what Classic Firearms has to say about AR-15 charging handles:

Your choice of charging handle is unique to your situation, but tips from other shooters can be very helpful.

 In the video comments section, YouTuber Scott talks about his personal experiences: “You know, I’m pretty happy with adding an extended lock lever on a standard handle. Just need a drift punch and drift block. I do that because I’m left handed and it just simply makes it a tiny bit easier. Steel part Part costs about 7 dollars from Brownell’s. Very small part. Also, my AR is only lightly updated.”

Gregory Hamilton has a few thoughts on the topic as well. He says he’s always bought Radian charging handles because he’s left-handed and their vents help. However, he bough a Noveske with a Geissele charging handle, and “not only did it help with the gas it doesn’t poke me in the chest and it doesn’t get caught on stuff.” He says he was surprised with how much better it was than the Radian, that he’ll run Geissele on everything now. 

And GW left a hack that might be interesting to try out: You can put a bead of silicone on a MIL-SPEC charging handle and it basically does the same as the more expensive ones.”

What’s your favorite AR-15 charging handle? Tell us in the comments below.

Out-of-the-ordinary objects have a certain appeal, and ammunition is no different. Have you ever noticed a cartridge that you’d never seen before and wondered why it even exists? Join us as Roy Huntingdon and two other narrators dive in to explore some of the off-the-beaten-path calibers in the shooting world. This video is a bit different than many you may be accustomed to, in that it is the modern version of three guys sitting around the campfire, chewing the fat, and having a fun time. Except that they’re in three separate locations and all connected by video, and there is technically no campfire. As such, there won’t be a ton of photos in this article because…well, there were no guns shown. Rather, the conversation focuses in on rarely-seen calibers.

What is or isn’t an “oddball caliber?”

Roy mentions that he was going through some of his Thompson Contender barrels and noted .221 Fireball, .222 Remington, and .35 Remington, among others. What is an oddball to one may not be that odd to another person.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Some folks just love weird, unusual stuff! To those folks, weird calibers really aren’t weird at all, they are fascinating. These old, odd calibers can add zest and variety to a gun collection. And then there’s the historical aspect that appeals to those of us who enjoy history and nostalgia. And from what the guys talked about on the video, there’s definitely a hobby aspect to it; it seems that chasing down reloading components or complete ammunition is a large portion of the fun.

It seems that sometimes people happen into a glut of ammunition in an unusual caliber, and so they buy a firearm in that caliber. Sometimes the rarity of the caliber actually justifies buying a firearm in said caliber, especially if they acquire an entire case or more of the ammo. Hey, it happens! Some may ask if that isn’t putting the horse before the cart, in that with most people whom I know will purchase the firearm first, and then the ammo. So how does it make sense to do it in reverse? Well, if you stumble upon a super rare cache of ammo, it’s sometimes easier to find the firearm afterward than it is to get the ammo, and so it could make sense to jump on the ammo deal.

Weird Caliber Disease

Reloaders sometimes end up with what the narrators call “Weird Caliber Disease.” Roy mentions that he knows how to make “11 mm pinfire” cartridges, and jokes, “I’m not proud of it!” To be honest, I’ve never even heard of the caliber before now, and I’m a gun enthusiast. Actually, it’s a little humorous because to the uninformed, I’m an “expert”, but the real truth is that the guys in this video have forgotten more about bullets and calibers than I even know.

Roy mentions that it’s all well and good to train with a 9mm, blasting hundreds of rounds at the range, but he likes to expand things and have some fun, which is where unusual calibers come into play. He says, “It stretches your gray cells a little bit.” His eyes light up as he explained a rifle that he’s building in caliber .32 H&R Magnum, which is apparently the apple of his eye for the moment. He also talks about a 4mm Rimfire caliber that can be fired from miniature guns, which can be great fun.

Roy goes on to describe firing a 4-bore elephant rifle, “It was like an 8-ounce projectile from a rifle that weighed 26 pounds and I can’t describe the recoil, I’d never shoot one again and I was geared up, I had pads, I had something against my cheek, I don’t know why I didn’t break any teeth, and these guys would shoot multiple targets!” He was chuckling, and, I suspect, exaggerating slightly for the fun of the story.

Personally, I buy standard calibers because I try to stretch my dollars as far as I’m able. To me, exotic equals expensive. Plus, I like being able to find my ammunition on the shelves easily instead of having to search for it. With that said, I’m at a very different position than these guys; they own dozens upon dozens of guns, while I…don’t. At some point, I’d enjoy branching out a bit more. I enjoy WWII history, and would like to acquire more firearms from that era because they’re just very interesting. I know many people who have gone down various rabbit holes in the firearms realm, and it’s easy to go off on tangents.

To the guys in the video, these calibers are like a fun hobby, and for the most part, they’re not very practical for every day, heavy use. They enjoy tinkering with these calibers because they’re interesting and require effort to put all the components together.

It’s rather like an antique car — you take it out for a leisurely drive now and then, but you don’t commute to work with it daily. You treat it gently, pamper it. An old car might take years to put together, searching for missing parts, assembling it, tweaking this and that, painting, polishing. The truth is that, for the guy putting it all together, the building process is the most fun. When he finishes, he has a beautiful product, but the process is all done. And so he’s on to the next project. It’s really no different than with oddball firearms and cartridges. The heart of the matter is not really the material product that we’re talking about here; rather, it’s human nature. Just ask any collector, whether it’s guns, cars, tins, old spoons, coins…there are no limits.

Clearly, everyone in the video cherishes pursuing oddities in the firearms realm, and is very knowledgeable about doing so. It’s neat that they enjoy sharing the knowledge with those who are not as well versed. This is a fun video if you’re a firearms enthusiast. Normally, I don’t delve into such topics, but it was refreshing to gain a new, different perspective. Check it out, you may feel the same way!

The thought of waking up in the middle of the night to sounds of an intruder in your house is what drives most people to select a home defense weapon. The idea of protecting your home is easy but selecting the right weapon can be a bit more complicated.

There are many factors that need to be considered when selecting a home defense weapon and those factors can change greatly based on the individual that will be using it. A lot of us grew up in the days where your grandparents kept a shotgun by the front door, back door, over the mantel or within easy reach of their bed. Others grew up in a home that had no weapon in it and if someone were to break in, your only hope was calling 911 and waiting for the police to respond. Working in law enforcement for the past decade has allowed me to see a wide range of opinions on home defense and I have found many people today use anything from rifles to 12 gauge shotguns to small-framed, small-caliber handguns.

When selecting a firearm for home defense, the first thing I take into consideration is the caliber. You want something that can stop an intruder, but not over penetrate. This of course can also change some by the individual circumstances. If you live in the middle of nowhere and have no one else living in the home with you, a larger caliber rifle may work just fine. But if you live in a populated area, a home with several rooms, or an apartment building, this needs to be the first consideration.

There is no perfect list for everyone because everyone is different. Their experience with guns is different, their ability to keep a gun close by could be more challenging depending on their family size and ages of children in the home. Each home will require careful consideration and planning when selecting a home defense weapon, but this is my list of the top three weapons to use.

1. Glock 19 or 23 Gen 5

Any good quality handgun can work for home defense, but you need to use what you are comfortable with. I carry a Glock 19 or 17 on me every day at work (19 for daily carry, 17 for tactical operations) and I train with it weekly, so I am very familiar and comfortable with a Glock, making this my first preference. I have used both 9mm and .40 caliber versions and when it comes to self-defense, there will be endless debate on which caliber is best. Both calibers, however, can easily stop an intruder, and the over penetration can be controlled by the type of ammunition used so we will leave the discussion of 9 vs 40 for another day.

The Glock handgun is one of the most produced and used handguns in the world. In the United States it is currently the most-used handgun by law enforcement and the easiest gun in the US to find magazines for. I have 15, 17, 24 and 33 round magazines for my Glock 19. The Glock has proven to be one of the most reliable guns out there and its size is just right for me to use as a full-size combat gun, even though it is not a large bulky gun. If someone prefers a larger grip there is also the Glock 17 or 22. I also have many other firearms that use Glock mags making it a good platform of weapons for one magazine. I can attach a light on my Glock 19 and keep it hidden in any room, so it comes in at my first choice.

2. Glock 19 with MCK Micro Conversion

I am not always a fan of conversation kits, but I will say when I was sent the MCK Micro to do some training with, I became a believer. If you want a little larger platform that will give you more control of your gun, the MCK is great for home use. It does take a little more space because of its size, but it can be great for a compact system that takes up minimal space and allows you to use a good two-handed sub-machine gun grip. You can attach a red dot and a light if you desire better optics.

I am not always a fan of conversation kits, but I will say when I was sent the MCK Micro to do some training with, I became a believer. If you want a little larger platform that will give you more control of your gun, the MCK is great for home use. It does take a little more space because of its size, but it can be great for a compact system that takes up minimal space and allows you to use a good two-handed sub-machine gun grip. You can attach a red dot and a light if you desire better optics.

One of the best designs of the MCK is that the foregrip also carries an extra magazine. I keep a 32-round magazine in mine with a 17-round magazine as the backup. This is an important feature because most people will not be strapping on a mag pouch in the middle of the night when intruder kicks open your door. Grabbing the MCK and flipping open the stock gives you good stability, a light and lots of ammo on one platform. I placed this as number two, because its larger than the Glock 19 by itself and you must either place your Glock in it each night or have an extra one to leave in the MCK. The MCK often sells in the $250 range but I have seen them go on sale before as low as $150.

3. 12 Gauge Shotgun — Remington 870, Mossberg 500

No one will argue that a shotgun will stop an intruder. In fact, a 12 gauge is probably one of the most intimidating guns you could have pointed at you. There are endless options for ammunition so over penetration can be controlled rather well.

The shotgun has one thing going for it that no other weapon does and that is the distinct and universal sound of the pump, racking a 12-gauge shell into the chamber. I would venture to say there isn’t anyone that does not recognize and fear that sound. Have you noticed in movies they manage to “rack” the same shotgun multiple times to make a point? Of course, in real life, there would be unfired shells ejecting out of the gun but hey, its Hollywood.

The biggest problem with using a 12 gauge for home defense is its size.

Again, in the movies it is always someone stomping out onto the porch and racking a shell into the chamber to scare off the would-be assailants, but this is real life and keeping a 12-gauge shotgun within easy grasp and being able to clear your home with a long-barred gun may be difficult for some people. If you train with one and you are familiar with it, and you can safely keep it within easy reach, then a 12 gauge may be the perfect home defense weapon for you. But for others, it may not be as practical. Like handguns, there are plenty of other good shotguns, but in general, it is good to stick with a popular model that has been tested extensively and offers plenty of accessories and parts so you can make it fit your needs. If you use a specific brand and like it, then that is what you should use.

Hope for the best while preparing for the worst.

There is not a “one size fits all” option when it comes to selecting a gun for home defense, everyday carry, hunting, or the zombie apocalypse. For home defense I recommend not going smaller than 9mm or larger than .45 caliber and I would not recommend a high caliber rifle unless you know you live in an area that would not be affected by the over penetrating round. Find something you are comfortable with, do some research, and then make sure you train with the weapon you select. When teaching firearms classes to law enforcement and civilians alike, I stress being aware of your surroundings and who will be affected if you start shooting through walls.

The best way to be prepared is to hope for the best while you train for the worst. You train, train, and then train again.