Oriskany Arms sells a 1911 pistol that is equipped with basic wilderness survival gear built into the grips. Now, the company offers the grips as a stand alone product for purchase. This would allow any 1911 owner to convert their pistol into a “survival” gun.

The grips install normally on standard 1911 pistols. Inside each panel is a storage area that contains various products that could help someone in a tough spot. The included items are:

• two water purification tablets
• four “strike anywhere” matches
• three fishing hooks
• an unknown length of fishing line
• a single razor blade
• a small magnetic compass
• a length of tender wire
• a concave reflector that is intended to be a solar fire starter

Of course, the usefulness of all of these items is completely dependent on the individual’s skill level with the techniques needed to utilize them.

With the grips, Oriskany Arms includes a SleepPod temporary shelter. The SleepPod weighs two pounds and will not fit inside the grips. It’s more of a backpack kind of thing.

On the company’s Survivor pistol, a small hex key wrench is included, secured in the frame of the gun. This would allow the user to remove the grip panels to access the survival gear. No mention of any such tool is included for the stand alone grips. I presume that you would need to make sure you have the appropriate driver on hand in an emergency to access the kit.

The MSRP is $99.