The Social Media Reload: July 17, 2015

Gone are the days of newspapers, magazines and network television. Social media is today’s top source for news, entertainment and information. But with the quick pace of trending topics and 140-character updates, unless you live online, you’re bound to miss something. Luckily for you, that’s my job. The Social Media Reload features the most popular, interesting, entertaining and controversial content in the firearms and outdoors industry from the past week and repackages it into a quick list with a bang. Read on and see what you missed this week.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqHrTtvFFIs] DRONE TAKES HANDGUN TO THE SKIES
It was only a matter of time. The drone revolution is upon us and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is playing catch up to establish various guidelines for the unmanned aircraft systems. Once passed, those guidelines are certain to set restrictions that would render creative innovations like this, a homemade multirotor with a mounted .22 Magnum Kel-Tec PMR-30 handgun, illegal to both build and fly. And while there is very little information currently available about the video, uploaded by a YouTuber by the name of Hogwit who has been posting drone videos for over a year, it appears to be one of the first of its kind shared publicly and without the aid of a major movie production company. Like the FAA, we’ll keep an eye out for updates about this pistol-wielding drone in the future. (via Outdoor Hub)

Update: Sure enough, the FAA has launched an investigation into this drone, now known to have been created by a 18-year-old Austin Haughwout of Connecticut, for violating its regulations, which prohibit the careless or reckless operation of a model aircraft. (via ABC News)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvQnpPA8AmQ] BIGGEST EXPLOSIONS ON YOUTUBE
Do you love loud, earth-shaking, crater-creating explosions? Luckily for you, Matt and the destructive team over at Demolition Ranch have put together a list on their Facebook Page of the largest binary explosions on YouTube in celebration of “Explosion Week” and leading up to the unveil of a video that will claim (temporarily, at least) the new world record. The list starts from the “smallest” explosion to the largest, featuring fellow YouTubers FPSRussia, GY6vids and Funker Tactical, as they try to one-up each other with over-the-top explosions exceeding 200 pounds. Falling under the same laws as black powder and other explosives that are exempt for sporting use, binary explosives, like Tannerite, have grown in popularity to the point where it’s difficult to visit YouTube and not be recommended an explosion video (or is that just me?). Demolition Ranch will seek to make it even harder later this week.

Update: Here is the new YouTube record in the form of a 425-pound pipeline bomb.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWB3aOX_h4Y] DEAD FISH DOES NOT WANT TO BE SCALED
If there is anything I’ve learned in my time working in the hunting and outdoors markets, its to never be surprised by the mysterious abilities of wild animals. This viral video, posted last August, falls under that category as a headless and gutted bowfin fish fights its angler on the kitchen counter. As the video above and others uploaded depict, the fish is not keen on being scaled and gives both the woman and man a good scare and laugh. But this is no “zombie fish” as some have proclaimed, the reason for the flailing can be attributed to the anatomy of the fish itself; the nerves that control movement are located in its spinal column, muscles and skin – not its head. For what it’s worth, researchers have found that bowfin fish can survive prolonged conditions of exposure to air (up to 3-5 days) because they have the ability to breathe air. (via Outdoor Hub)

Have you watched or read something interesting, entertaining or controversial on social media this week? Shoot us a link in a comment below and stay up to date with the best of each week with our Social Media Reload archive.