AuthorDave Merrill

About the Author: A combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Dave "Mad Duo Merrill" is a former urban warfare and foreign weapons instructor for Coalition fighting men. An occasional competitive shooter, he has a strange Kalashnikov fetish the rest of the minions try to ignore. Merrill, who has superb taste in hats, has been published in a number of places, the most awesome of which is, of course, here at Breach-Bang-Clear. He loves tacos, is kind of a dick and married way, way above his pay grade. You can contact him at Merrill(at)BreachBangClear.com and follow him on Instagram here (@dave_fm).

About the Authors

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Pack a Pelican Gun Case | Just the Tip

by Dave Merrill | Aug 1, 2023 | Learnin' | Just the Tip, Safe Storage

If you’re reading this, you probably have a Pelican gun case. Or three. Or ten. We do too. Here’s how we pack a (firearm) Pelican cargo case.

Nothing from a Vacuum: Weapon Mounted Lights

by Dave Merrill | Jul 19, 2023 | Learnin' | All the Lumens, Low Light | No Light, Weapon Lights

The weapon lights on today’s rifles and pistols weren’t invented in a vacuum, and certainly aren’t new. Let’s talk WMLs then compared to now.

Review – Grey Ghost Gear Minimalist Plate Carrier

by Dave Merrill | Mar 12, 2023 | Gear Curious | Battle Rattle, Grey Ghost Gear

Reviewing the GG MPC. How does the Grey Ghost Gear minimalist plate carrier rate? What’s a good minimalist plate carrier setup look like?

Low-Vis Like You Mean It: Crye LVS IAV

by Dave Merrill | Apr 24, 2017 | Musings | Body Armor, Crye Precision, DFM

The Crye LVS can roll under a t-shirt one size up (ideally patterned or a darker hue), or a button-down that actually fits you normally.

Nothing Good: More Criminals with Rifles

by Dave Merrill | Apr 2, 2017 | Musings | DFM

Nothing Good: More Criminals with RiflesDave MerrillIn situations that don't require concealment, a rifle beats a pistol almost all the time. The learning curve of effective rifle fire is far shorter than with a handgun. A rifle offers three solid points of contact...

Use “Breach15” at checkout and save 15% on holsters from StealthGear USA.

MNKF: Kershaw Leek 1660

by Dave Merrill | Mar 20, 2017 | Assorted Ramblings | Kershaw Knives, Knife Reviews, On the Edge

Most of the swag at SHOT Show consists of stickers, t-shirts, patches, and hats. Sooo many hats. There are exceptions, of course; one standout for the 2017 SHOT was a customized Kershaw Leek 1660 from Q LLC. The 1660 features an incredibly smooth assisted open, which...

Stop the Burning with Penicilli – We Mean Armageddon Gear

by Dave Merrill | Mar 16, 2017 | Musings | Armageddon Gear, Daniel Defense, DFM

Silencers come in all shapes and sizes, and there’s an Armageddon Gear suppressor covers for damn near all of the popular ones.

JTT: In Defense of the Walmart Belt

by Dave Merrill | Feb 28, 2017 | Musings | 88 Tactical, Appendix Carry, DFM, Just the Tip, Sonoran Desert Institute

Just The Tip: In Defense of the Walmart Belt Dave Merrill So there I was three beers deep in a Thai brothel at an EAG Shoot House class. Given the nature of shoot houses in general and shoot houses with multiple parties in particular, all the instructors and students...

I Wear this Too Much: Review of the Vertx Phantom LT

by Dave Merrill | Feb 26, 2017 | Assorted Ramblings | Vertx

The title is accurate. Our only consolation is that he doesn't like Affliction or TapOut shirts. Mad Duo UPDATE [Originally Published Jan 15, 2017] This post is over two years old, and this shirt is still being used. Through today, Sunday 2/26/17 get 30% off...