Month: October 2018

Dehydrators are deceptively simple machines, involving little more than a low-wattage heating element, a fan, and open racks that let air flow throughout. But some models perform much better than others (and price isn’t necessarily an indicator of performance). To find the best dehydrator, we considered these factors:

Even drying

The best dehydrators are ones that evenly dry food without requiring you to rotate or rearrange the trays much, if at all. The amount of work and attention you have to invest throughout the drying process depends on how well your dehydrator circulates air. We found that the best results came from round vertical-flow dehydrators with the motor at the base. This makes sense because heat rises, and a bottom-mounted motor pushes hot air where it naturally wants to go (up, it wants to go up). Top-mounted dehydrators struggle to push heated air down to the lower trays and require more attention and rotation.

In general, horizontal-flow dehydrators dry unevenly and require you to rotate the trays throughout the process. Jeff Wilker, engineering and QA manager at The Metal Ware Corporation (Nesco’s parent company), told us that the hard right-angled corners on these box-shaped models don’t promote even airflow. The result: dead spots of stagnant air, usually in the corners.

How often you have to rotate the trays depends on a few factors, the most important being what you’re drying and the dehydrator itself. The best horizontal-flow dehydrators have bigger fans that move more air, which means less tray rotation—once or twice during the entire process versus every hour. But the best horizontal-flow dehydrator still doesn’t dry food as evenly as a round vertical-flow model with a base-mounted motor.

Size and capacity

It takes a lot of time to prep and then dry your own food, and the results shrink to just a fraction of the weight you started with. So you want to be able to dehydrate a lot at once. But that doesn’t mean you have to deal with a giant space hog. We prefer dehydrators that strike a good balance of bulk and drying volume. This boils down to smart design. For example, we tested two round, vertical-flow dehydrators that had 15-inch-diameter trays—but one offered 1 square foot of drying area per tray while the other had only three-fourths of a square foot per tray. That’s because the latter model had a wider gap around the perimeter of its trays that took up valuable usable space.

Accessories

Extra pieces like fine-mesh mats and fruit-roll trays are handy accessories for your dehydrator. Fine-mesh mats keep small items like herbs from falling through the trays as they dry. And fruit-roll trays aren’t just for making fruit leather; they’re also handy for hikers and campers who want to dehydrate lightweight packable meals. Some companies include these accessories with the dehydrator, while others charge extra. Think about how you’ll use your dehydrator so you’ll get the most for your money.

Cleanup

The most common dehydrator trays are made from plastic and can be a bear to wash because they have lots of nooks and crannies to clean. Generally, plastic trays also aren’t safe to run through the dishwasher, because the excess heat can warp them. If you have a spacious sink, a good soak in hot soapy water followed with a dish brush will do the trick. If you require dishwasher-safe trays, your choices are limited to horizontal-flow dehydrators with stainless steel racks either included or offered for extra cost. We haven’t come across a vertical-flow dehydrator with stainless steel trays.

Automatic shutoff

Some folks might prefer a dehydrator with an automatic shutoff feature. But we found that dehydrating times varied by batch, so this feature is useful only if you have a lot of experience dehydrating or will be away from the machine for a very long time. Otherwise, if the machine cuts off before the food is adequately dried, you run the risk of mold growth or spoilage. There’s really no such thing as overdrying from a food preservation standpoint. But snacks—such as jerky and fruit leather—are much more enjoyable when they’re still a bit pliable and chewy, and not yet dried to a crisp.

Temperature settings

Different types of foods have their own sweet spot when it comes to drying temperature. We found that most dehydrators have six to seven temperature settings, ranging from 90 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is enough flexibility to dry most foods. Although you need not worry about the exact temperature inside your dehydrator, you should stay within the correct range for the type of food you’re drying. For example, you can’t dehydrate fruits and vegetables above 140 degrees because you’ll run the risk of case hardening (when the surface dries too quickly and prevents moisture in the center from escaping).

Low temperatures—90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit—are best for delicate herbs and flowers. Nuts also dehydrate best in this zone because hotter temperatures can cause the oils to go rancid. Most vegetables and fruits dry between 125 and 140 degrees. Meat and fish require the highest temperature setting on your dehydrator, which is usually around 160 degrees.

Dehydrators with digital control panels and dual-stage capabilities (the option to start at a higher temperature for an hour to speed up the drying process) look modern and sound useful, but we found that neither of these things are worth the extra cost that comes with them. Some digital dehydrators let you set the temperature to the exact degree, but that kind of precision isn’t necessary for successful and even drying. And we found that dual-stage drying doesn’t shave more than an hour off the total time. When you’re drying something for 10 hours, that time savings is a drop in the bucket.

Noise

All dehydrators use a fan, so if you’re sensitive to the sound of a room fan on high speed droning on for hours on end, consider the noise factor. Running the dehydrator in your garage or laundry room with the door closed is an easy fix. But folks with limited square footage might not have that option. You can opt for a quieter dehydrator (one of our picks is pretty quiet), or you can put yours in the location farthest from your bedroom door and dehydrate at night.

 A .22 pistol is some of the best and cheapest fun you can have with your clothes on. Which one, though, to buy?

Partially, that depends on the intended purpose. Some are good all-arounders and others are better for specific uses. The ones that attach to a belt buckle probably aren’t good for too much at all.

With that said, here are six slam-dunk .22 pistols that are great additions to almost anyone’s collection.

 

The Heritage Rough Rider is a single-action revolver patterned after the classic Colt Single Action Army, aka the “Peacemaker.” They make a small number of big bore models (mostly in .45 Colt and .357 Magnum) and a larger number in .22. The ones to acquire are the Combo models.

The Combo guns – available in 4.75-inch and 6.5-inch barrel lengths and multiple finishes – have swappable cylinders. Since the Colt SAA design uses a pinned cylinder, you can swap them out easily. These guns will let you shoot .22 LR or .22 WMR, in case you want to step up to the hotter stuff for small game or even self-defense.

They won’t win any competitions and you have to reload every six shots, but fun doesn’t come any cheaper, as most models go for $300 or less — a lot less — in stores. Many for less than $150.

This is one of the most popular .22 pistols on the market, just as the Ruger 10/22 is one of the most popular .22 rifles on the market. The Mark IV is the latest version of the first gun ever made by Ruger, designed by Bill Ruger himself in his garage after tearing apart two captured Nambu pistols from WWII.

A multitude of models exist to suit almost any sensibility. Tactical models with rails and black finish galore. Target models with bull barrels and target sights. Bog standard guns ready for all the plinking your heart could desire. The 22/45 line with its 1911-inspired grip angle and control scheme.

It’s the standard by which all other .22 pistols are arguably judged.

The Walther P22 is one of the most popular rimfire pistols on the market, as you will find few gun stores without one on its shelves. Walther is known for making some of the most comfortable pistols on the market and this is undoubtedly one of the better plinking pistols available. Since they’re commonly available for $250 or less, it’s a heck of a lot of inexpensive fun.

Some people even carry the compact models for self-defense. It may not be the best semi-automatic for that purpose, but with good shot placement…the .22 Long Rifle is better than any gun you left at home.

You can choose either a compact model with a 3.42-inch barrel or a target model with a 5-inch barrel. A threaded-barrel adapter is available if so desired, as are numerous other accessories.

An ergonomic grip (no one does that better than Walther) makes it comfortable in the hand. Unusually for most .22 pistols, the P22 is double-action, with a slide-mounted de-cocking safety. All of the service pistol fun in a rimfire. What’s not to like?

 

Ruger and Browning pretty much owned the .22 semi auto market for years — decades, even — until in 2016 Smith & Wesson introduces the SW22 Victory. 

The Victory looks like the lovechild of a Buck Mark and a Ruger Mark pistol. The SW22 is now available in four standard models as well as four additional tricked out Performance Center versions to suit any shooter. And there’s a threaded barrel model if you want to screw on a suppressor.

With its affordable price, excellent trigger and tons of customization options, it’s a worthy competitor to its more established .22 semi brethren.

Smith & Wesson Model 17 Masterpiece

Most people can’t (or won’t) justify dropping $900 on a .22 revolver. But if ever there was a gun that made that kind of investment attractive, it’s the Model 17.

Built on the medium size K-frame, the double action revolver steadies the hand and produces virtually zero recoil. It has an adjustable rear sight and is almost unrivaled as a plinking or small game gun. 

Low-tech? Sure. But the Model 17 is unquestionably beautiful to look at and incredibly practical as this pistol makes for some easy, fun shooting on the range and in the field. The only hitch is the price tag, but your great grandchildren will be glad you bought one. 

John Moses Browning designed the highly regarded Colt Woodsman .22 pistol, which is unfortunately no longer in production. However, at least one .22 pistol still bears his name, the Browning Buck Mark. It has Browning DNA, as JMB’s grandson Bruce Browning used the Woodsman for the basis of the Browning Nomad and Challenger pistols, which informed the design of the Buck Mark.

The Buck Mark is available in a wide range of finishes and appointments, so there’s enough choice to satisfy almost any taste. Want to get tactical? Half the lineup has an accessory rail. Want bare bones? There are a few models like that too.

The Buck Mark is known for being incredibly comfortable to shoot, accurate, reliable and with prices as low as $389 MSRP, one of the better .22 semi-autos choices out there.

Your wish is granted. The debut teaser trailer for Guy Ritchie’s live-action Aladdin, starring Will Smith as the Genie, has arrived. We’re in a whole new world now.

Disney’s Aladdin remake stars Mena Massoud (Jack Ryan) as Aladdin, a so-called “street rat” who dreams of fame, glory, and riches. We’ve also got Naomi Smith (Power Rangers) as Jasmine, and Marwan Kenzari (Murder on the Orient Express) as Jafar, the evil sorcerer who plots to take over the kingdom.

Unfortunately, there’s no Genie to be seen here. Just a few brief scenes and a tiny bit of music. A real tone trailer. When footage screened at CinemaCon in April though, the Genie just looked like Will Smith, but we’re hearing that may not end up being the case. Either way, this is a solid tease. The Cave of Wonders looks great. Color us interested.

Following the trend of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast remake, Ritchie’s Aladdin is indeed a musical—there was even a new song created for Jasmine with composer Alan Menken. I am curious to hear how the songs turn out—especially regarding Smith’s Genie. Original star Robin Williams put a lot of his personality into the role, and I’m sure Smith has done the same. But whether that means we’re getting a “Wild Wild West”-style song is anyone’s guess.

Disney’s Aladdin arrives in theaters on May 24, 2019.

As you are probably aware, wall penetration is a common topic discussed by those who debate which round is best to use for home defense. Because most rounds fired in gunfights miss their intended targets, it’s prudent to think about where those bullets are going to end up if they don’t hit the bad guy. This is one of the main objections many people have to using at AR with 223 or 5.56mm ammo in a home defense scenario.

This guy decided to do a little drywall penetration test, to compare 9mm vs. 223… and he adds some 22 Long Rifle rimfire, just for variety. He had some leftover drywall, so why not? Or in his words:

Don’t like for anything to leave the Buffalo compound without some bullet holes in it.

He uses a Glock 9mm in a carbine conversion with a 16″ barrel for the 9mm portion of the test. The Blazer Brass 124-grain FMJ (about 1300 fps) penetrated 22 layers of 3/8″ sheet rock and dented number 23.

For 223, he uses an AR with Perfecta 55-grain FMJ ammo, which travels around 2800 fps. It penetrated the same number of drywall layers, but shredded them more dramatically.

Back to 9mm, he tries out a hollowpoint 124-grain Remington Golden Saber Black Belt +P round (about 1400 fps). That bullet went through 17 layers of sheet rock, shredding their back surfaces similarly to the 223 bullet. Expansion of the hollow point was minimal, which is to be expected in a non-hydraulic medium (drywall instead of meat).

223 again: Hornady V-Max 55-grain bullet. Designed for varmints, the V-Max is meant to provide “rapid, explosive expansion” (2930 fps). This one made it through 13 layers of drywall before what was left of the bullet came to rest.

To top it off, he grabs a lever-action carbine and some CCI Mini-Mag 22LR ammo, with 40-grain round nose bullets (1220 fps). This one makes it through 11 layers. The same round fired from a semi-auto pistol with a 4″ barrel (929 fps) made it through 10 layers — the equivalent of 5 household walls.

The moral of today’s video seems to be this: If you think your 9mm will go through significantly fewer walls than a 223, you’d probably be wrong. And the 22 can be a lot more effective than some folks would have you believe.