http://www.spw-duf.info
comments in () by the same
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F Troop Rudderless?: …Advocates like Rand say the failure to nominate
a director reflects the administration's larger fear of tackling any
firearms issue - like reinstating the assault-weapons ban - that might
rile the gun lobby. A White House spokesman declined requests for
comment. But privately, senior officials (who asked not to be
identified talking about a personnel issue) say they have had a tough
time even finding a candidate interested in the ATF job because of
likely gun-lobby resistance. That's what befell the last person
President George W. Bush nominated for the job, Michael Sullivan. He
never got a vote after then-senator Larry Craig of Idaho - upset about
the ATF's treatment of a firearms dealer in his state - put a hold on
Sullivan's nomination. "Do you think there is anybody we can get
confirmed for that job?" asks an administration official. Still, says
another, the administration hopes to have a nominee "soon." (NRA
spokesman Andrew Arulanandam says, "If they want to delegate the
authority to make that nomination, we'd be happy to do it.") …
Open Carry in Connecticut: An eruption in a simmering dispute over gun
rights occurred when James Goldberg, wearing camouflage clothing and a
holstered - and licensed - pistol on his right hip, walked into a
Chili's restaurant in upscale Glastonbury, where he intended to pay
for a takeout order. According to Goldberg, a college-educated,
occupational safety engineer, a restaurant employee, concerned by the
sight of an armed customer, called the town police department. A
goggle-eyed luncheon crowd watched three officers roll up, confront
Goldberg and handcuff him. "What can we get him for?" Goldberg, 32,
says one of the officers asked his colleagues. The answer, as it
turned out, was nothing. A state Superior Court judge dismissed the
breach of peace charge police ultimately filed against Goldberg,
forcing law enforcement experts to concede that, absent extenuating
circumstances, there is nothing in Connecticut law to prohibit
licensed gun owners from conducting their lives visibly armed…
http://www.ctnow.com/news/connecticut/hc-open-carry-guns-0418.artapr18,0,5565132,full.story
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Some Cheese to Go with That Whine?: Arizona has become the third state
to allow gun owners to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. The
new law means gun owners who want to carry a concealed weapon can
forgo the background checks and eight-hour training class that is
currently required. "When you choose to carry a gun, you need to know
what you're doing," said Matt Misener, an instructor at Shooter's
World in Phoenix. Without the training requirement, Misener said he is
concerned fewer gun owners will understand how to operate their weapon
or know the laws surrounding gun ownership. The law will not take
effect until this summer, but Misener said there are already fewer gun
owners signing up for training classes. "Back around the holidays, we
were filling our classes like crazy, but once this law came out it's
kind of slowed down a little bit," he said. Misener said he also
worries gun owners will inadvertently break the law because you still
need a permit to carry a gun in several locations. Gun owners will
still need a concealed weapons permit to carry a concealed weapon in a
school zone, a national park, a bar and to other states… (I guess we
firearms instructors in Arizona will need to market our services more
effectively now, without the state telling people they have to take
training [my approach: http://www.spw-duf.info/training.html]. Yes,
the CWP allows you to carry lawfully within 1,000 of a school in the
state in which it was issued and allows you to carry into an
establishment serving alcohol, if it is not posted. It will not be
required to carry into a national park in Arizona and may allow you to
carry in most other states but is not required in Alaska or Vermont.)
http://www.kpho.com/news/23179834/detail.html
An Appropriate Quotation:
...But to prohibit the citizen from wearing or carrying a war arm,
except upon his own premises or when on a journey traveling through
the country with baggage, or when acting as or in aid of an officer,
is an unwarranted restriction upon his constitutional right to keep
and bear arms. If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot
unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by
the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a
constitutional privilege...
Wilson v. State, 33 Ark. 557, 560, 34 Am. Rep. 52 (1878)
(It is for the purpose of avoiding the ICU, the penitentiary and the
modern equivalent of the gallows that people should take training and
take it more than once.)
Related FAQ:
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/04/17/common-myths-about-constitutional-carry-in-arizona/
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What, No Guns?: Choi Jin-young hanged himself last month with an
electrical cord. The 39-year-old actor wasn't getting any work in
local TV, police said, and he had been depressed since the suicide of
his famous older sister. The sister, Choi Jin-sil, was known as the
"nation's actress." When she hanged herself in her bathroom in October
2008, a wave of sympathetic suicides swept South Korea and 1,700
people took their lives the following month. Seven months later,
former president Roh Moo-hyun jumped off a cliff to his death. "I
can't begin to fathom the countless agonies down the road," he wrote
in a note. Then a 20-year-old Chanel model, Daul Kim, killed herself,
posting a blog entry that said: "Mad depressed and overworked."
Another said: "The more I gain, the more lonely it is." And so it ends
for 35 South Koreans a day. The suicide rate in this prosperous nation
of about 50 million people has doubled in the past decade and is now
the highest in the industrialized world… (Note the graph comparing the
US and the ROK – American suicide rates have actually declined as
Americans have regained more aspects of the RKBA. The Few citizens of
the ROK who are licensed to own firearms for hunting are required to
store them at police station.)
Realistic Handgun Training: … We then ask about physical skills and
body dynamics: "What's the stance in a gunfight?" A free-flowing
discussion follows to illustrate that there's no classic stance,
because fights involve movement. Example: Iverson opens his folding
knife and extends the tip of the blade forward. For safety purposes,
he then closes the blade but keeps his arm and knife handle extended.
A student officer stands directly in line of Iverson's arm as Iverson
moves forward in a simulated attack. He asks: "Would you stand where
you are as the knife closes on you?" "No way!" says the officer, as
they move laterally off the line of attack. Then, asks Iverson, "Why
would you stand unmoving in the path of a bullet?" Answer: Officers
haven't been trained to move. They are forced to remain within the
shooting booth on the range for "safety purposes." … (Good stuff here.
Several years ago, in another town, I was surprised to hear that the
local gun dealer was referring students to my CWP course with the
advice, "Forget all that kung fu gunfighting Steve teaches and
concentrate on the legal stuff." Targets in the monthly combat-pistol
match don't attempt to bash, slash, stab or shoot the contestants but
this guy has had to shoot people and ought to know better.)
http://www.lawofficer.com/news-and-articles/articles/lom/0603/fight_to_win.html
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More "Warrior" Stuff: Any man who considers himself a "warrior" should
have read The Book of Five Rings. Miyamoto Musashi is considered the
kensei, or "sword-saint" of Japan. Musashi practiced the art of the
sword, but his teachings apply to any weapon designed for mortal
combat. If we think in terms of principles, rather than the weapon or
the style, fighting hasn't changed much in the 400 years since Musashi
wrote the book. In this article, just substitute "gun" for "sword."
Musashi talks only in terms of killing — like the sword, we don't
shoot to wound, but if your P.C. flag goes up at the word killing, you
can think "stop" instead… Shootists today argue ad naseum about stance
- Weaver or Isosceles. I'm a Weaver guy, but I'd never tell you that
I'll only shoot it in combat. Terrain and circumstances determine
tactics and technique, and if I end up flat on my back, I'll shoot
from there. I may end up shooting with one hand, weak hand, or with
the gun upside down. However, I've spent years perfecting technique,
and will probably come close to my normal technique under stress. I
won't think about it, I'll just do it, but I can't get there without
years of good, repetitious training. Those who advocate shortcuts are
setting the student up for failure (if I could make you a gunfighter
through a program you listen to on your iPod, I'd be a gazillionaire,
not a trainer and wordsmith)… (There's some wheat among the chaff
here. In most Asian striking martial arts, forms are used to teach
principles of structure and movement. In my analysis, one transitions
into mastery when he can perform beyond the confines of the forms.)
http://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/articles/2044753-The-five-rings-and-the-pistol/
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Patrol Rifles: In a relatively recent article from Ralph Mroz of the
Police Officers Safety Association, he discussed the militarization of
police. The article inspired some discussion and it's interesting
(gently put) to see the different outlooks folks have about things as
simple as what color uniform an officer should wear or - and the topic
of this blog - what kind of weapon he should be allowed to have… Some
administrators answered this situation by compromise: they provided
their officers shoulder fired weapons in pistol calibers, i.e. 9mm,
.40S&W, .45ACP. I call these weapons carbines. (I know it's not an
exactly accurate use of the term, but it makes it easy for me in this
discussion.) Other administrators answered this situation by providing
their officers with full-power rifles, but limited the potential for
excessive rounds fired by selecting a slower-to-fire action, i.e. pump
action rifles. They are still rifles and a .223 or .308 round is going
to have a greater affect on the bad guy shot 150 yards away than a 9mm
or .40S&W round will… (The primary advantage any operator, with or
without a badge, gains by using a long gun is improved hit potential,
due to more points of support. Beyond that, there is much room for
debate over optimum ballistic power, type of action, etc. I am not
fond of buckshot as the primary load in a police shotgun because of
the spread of the pellet load if it is used at long range. Many years
ago, a list member convinced me that a shotgun in a patrol vehicle is
best loaded with slugs, with the option to swap-load buckshot when
entering confined areas.)
http://www.officer.com/interactive/2010/04/13/patrol-rifles/
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AR-15 Light Mount: For those who wish to mount a light on an AR-15
that is not fitted with a rail, Elzetta offers an inexpensive
alternative. Some caveats:
Such a mounting may change your point of impact and group size.
You may wish to choose a light with a pressure-pad switch that can be
attached somewhere on the handguard – you will not generally want to
leave the light switched on for more than a couple of seconds at a
time.
A weapon-mounted light is not a substitute for a handheld flashlight.
If you use a weapon-mounted light to search, your muzzle will likely
cross many things you're not prepared to shoot.
Holster Warning: One of the few Blackhawk products I like is their
Serpa holster, with the single locking tab that is released with the
trigger finger. I like it because, if one normally uses an open-top
holster for discreet carry, the finger is already in place to release
the gun if one has shifted to the Serpa holster for exposed carry.
There have been prior reports of problems with this system, which
supposedly have been addressed and remedied. The latest report I
received from a list member is related to one of my beefs - the
one-size-fits-all modular mounting system. This mounting system tends
to place the holster farther than optimal from the body for discreet
carry. We now learn that the screws that mount the holster to the
belt-loop plate or the paddle can work loose. If you use one of these
holsters in a consistent mode, it is best to secure those screws with
an application of Loctite or nail polish to the threads. If, like
mine, the mounting must remain adjustable for use by students, be sure
to verify periodically that the mounting screws are still tight.
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Gelatin Ballistic Testing: Modern expanding bullets, particularly for
handguns, are usually "tuned" on the basis of testing in calibrated
10% ballistic gelatin. If you are unfamiliar with concept or the
procedures, several video clips (first link) and documents (second
link) are posted on the ATK Law Enforcement website. While a useful
tool, ballistic gelatin is not an absolute predictor of terminal
performance. It is, after all, a simulant of live pig muscle and
people we may be forced to shoot will not be homogeneously muscle in
structure. A list member recently sent me a link to a posting of
gelatin testing of the 125 gr. .38 Special standard-pressure Nyclad HP
load I favor for lightweight revolvers
(http://www.firearmstactical.com/test_data/38spl/fed38spl-125nhp-swm60.htm).
It shows an adjusted average penetration of only 7.4 inches in bare
ballistic gelatin. Based on my experience putting down a calf and a
pig with brain shots, involving initial penetration of hide and skull,
I believe the round works better in real life than it does in the lab.
http://le.atk.com/general/irl/videos.aspx
http://le.atk.com/general/irl/woundballistics.aspx
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