Illegal Machineguns Soon Illegal-er!

By

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September 16, 2022

illegal machinegun glock — Photo Credit: mynbc15.com

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/30/us/automatic-machine-gun-fire-invs

Remember when Amazon sold NFA items (illegal machineguns/parts) with Prime shipping? Pepperidge Farms can go to hell, but we remember. That was 2017, but Wish.com kept selling them after Amazon stopped, and just two years later, we remember this. Hell, if you go to the BATFE website, they certainly remember, and cite an example as far back as 2003!

Some have suggested that the ATF either setup, or allowed this to continue happening in order to generate A Problem for them to solve. We don’t know if that’s the case, and there doesn’t seem to be any direct evidence supporting it, but it does seem like they might have done something about the importation of illegal machineguns in the intervening 19 years besides occasionally bust someone.

Cut to today: Reports of converted Glocks being seized by police are stacking up, and predictably various anti-rights legislatures are champing at the bit to “Do Something”. Naturally, they want to do the only thing they seem to know how to do: Prohibition. Somehow the threat of a federal firearms felony isn’t stopping people from importing, or more commonly nowadays, 3D printing auto sears and switches, so surely a state law will scare them into compliance, right?

Right?

[Oh and one was just used in Memphis, so that’s fun]

Elements of Tuckable Holster

By

The Suited Shootist

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September 16, 2022

With the advent of the PHLster Enigma, why would anyone ever think about opting for a belt-mounted holster when they need to tuck in a shirt overtop of it? Well, it could be that there isn’t an Enigma-compatible holster for their preferred carry gun, the Enigma isn’t available or in stock, or a litany of other reasons. While the Enigma has become my preferred option for carrying in dress clothes, it’s still important to know how to make a conventional holster work in that role as well.

I started appendix carrying back in 2012, and my first AIWB “holster” really wasn’t. It was the Raven Concealment Systems Vanguard 2 (the original configuration, before they introduced the wing). Holsters are expensive, and I didn’t want to invest a ton of money in this experiment, but $20 was a manageable gamble. Over the span of the last 10 years, I’ve experimented with multiple configurations from various manufacturers, some well-known, and some boutique. Through the course of my trial and error, here’s what I’ve found that works best for me:

The Holster Body:

I’m not going to go into too much depth on this, because for the purpose of a tuckable holster, it’s arguably the least important part of the equation. Now that’s not to say it doesn’t matter, but as long as it’s from a reputable maker, is of quality construction, has mounting holes low on the body to accept tuckable clips, and is long enough, you can probably make it work for you. My personal litmus test for a holster maker is that they actually train regularly, preferably in the realm of applied violence (i.e. not just square range or competition shooting), or at least solicit input from people in that arena. This is a good indicator that they’ve actually pushed their designs to the point of failure.

The Attachment Points:

As mentioned previously, there have been multiple different attempts in this arena. Most of them have simply been hasty retrofits of existing attachment methods pressed into service on a tuckable platform: Soft loops, j-hooks, over-hooks, and clips of various sizes/shapes have all been tried. The problem is that they are not suitably discreet, and generally look out of place, as can be witnessed in the photos above.

The Ulti-Clip was getting a lot of press and love over the last few years. It kinda works and it’s certainly secure, but I found the camming flap to add an unnecessary level of bulk that creates a bulge behind the belt, and I have some real concerns about the finishing of the edges and the wear & tear it would create on the cover garments.

In my mind there has only been one truly successful solution to this problem: The Discreet Carry Concepts Mod 5.1 – HLR Discreet Gear Clip™ – Behind the belt – SHS clips. Not only are they the lowest profile option, resulting in minimal bulk behind the belt, but they’re amazingly secure. There are numerous reports of these clips surviving the vigorous force-on-force evolutions of ECQC. Here’s a comparison of how the DCC clips look behind the belt compared to the RCS Overhooks. Nothing against the RCS hooks per se. I was pressing them into service in a role for which they weren’t intended. Mostly because I hadn’t discovered the DCC option yet.

One other thing that bears mentioning: For most guns, it behooves you to have 2 attachment points, and to have those 2 points be as far away from each other as possible. This distributes the weight more effectively, as the waist of the trousers is the only thing supporting the weight of the gun. A single point or narrow spacing can result in the clips sagging below the belt, and defeating the purpose of this configuration. Also, the trousers need to fit correctly, which is probably more snug (not tight) than most men are used to. The pants themselves need to offer a certain level of tension to keep everything in place.

The Claw:

No, not that one you basic, alcoholic degenerate.

This should be pretty self-explanatory after Jon’s Concealment Principles video above. The function of the claw is to drive the grip of the pistol in towards the body. This is one you’re going to have to play with to see what combo will work best with your build, holster, belt, etc. The big 3 on the market are the RCS VG Claw, the ModWing, and the Dark Star Gear Dark Wing. I’ve tried all 3. For me, I like the teeth on the Dark Wing. I’ve found that it helps to keep the cover garment tucked in and in place. Some folks don’t find the claw to be necessary. Try it yourself and see what works best.

The Wedge:

The wedge serves 2 basic functions: First it helps push the muzzle away from the body and therefore presses the grip of the pistol in towards the body. Secondly, it increases the surface area of the holster that’s pushing against your body, reducing hot spots and discomfort in what Matt Jaques calls “The Lego Principle” (i.e. if a Lego were the size of a loaf of bread, it wouldn’t hurt when you stepped on it. It only hurts because the pressure is applied on such a small area). Again there are 3 basic styles of the wedge. Some holsters like the PHLster Classic and the Tenicor Velo have a wedge molded into the body of the holster itself. I have no personal experience with these types, but based on what I know about the guys that use it in their designs, I can’t imagine it’s anything but effective. Then there’s the rubberized RCS Wedge. Personally I’m not a fan of these because I’ve found that they don’t really have enough give to be comfortable, and they offer a relatively small surface area, unlike the integrated wedges mentioned previously.

My preferred are the squishy wedges, attached with heavy duty velcro. Not only does that method let you adjust the ride height of the wedge, but the little bit of give results in increased comfort over a long period of time (I’ve done an 8 hr drive wearing holsters like this). Keepers Concealment (my other preferred holster manufacturer) makes what they call the “Gabe White Wedge” which is 2” thick at the base, and offers amazing concealment. The only drawback I’ve found is, because of the type of foam they use, it does have to be replaced periodically (~6 months with daily wear for me). Dark Star makes a wedge that I’ve been playing with as well, and it seems to hold up a little bit better over the long term. It’s more expensive up front, but it seems to be slightly more optimal long term solution. Either way you can’t really go wrong.

By now you may have noticed that no one supplier offers everything that goes into my preferred tuckable rig. That’s usually how it goes. You’ll buy an “off the rack” solution, and then play with it for a while. You’ll find something that’s less than ideal for you, and replace it. It’ll either improve things or it won’t. Lots of the guys that are making good holsters today started out because they couldn’t find something that satisfied their exact needs. At the end of the day, what works best for you will probably be a Frankenstein-like amalgam of parts from a couple different sources.

Everything that’s been discussed thus far is built around my default carry pistol, which is a Glock 19. That’s right, I’ve found a way to conceal a full sized handgun in a reasonably effective and discreet method that suits about 85% of the social situations I’ll find myself in. Some folks prefer to opt for a single stack pistol (Glock 48, Sig P365XL, etc). If that works for you (or you just really want an excuse to buy a new toy) go for it.

Hopefully this has proven useful. Like with most gear-related solutions, the most effective answers tend to be more principle-based instead of there being a singular, blanket statement that’ll work for everyone.

I Was Wrong About The P210 Carry

By

Travis Pike

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September 16, 2022

At first glance, the SIG P210 Carry seemed silly to me. It fell into that realm of 1911, where it might be fun and capable of self-defense, but it seemed silly to carry in 2022. Still, I’ve always wanted to shoot and handle a P210, so I asked SIG to send me one. They sent this loaner, and in short order, it changed my mind, at least a little bit. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to carry it, and now I most certainly do.

What I expected was a pistol that was fun to shoot, something reliable, and a bit of a modern BBQ gun, if you will. I’ve shot the new P210 Classic and greatly enjoyed it, so I didn’t think the P210 Carry was a bad gun by any means. I just didn’t think it would be a great carry gun.

How I Was Wrong About the P210 Carry

To really explain how I was wrong about the P210 Carry, I have to do a deep dive into the gun and a few of the features that make it stand out.

The Great Trigger

A single-action trigger is always nice, and it does offer a lightweight trigger, and that’s great, but it’s more than that. The trigger in the P210 Carry is very consistent. The trigger offers a short and light reset. It’s not too light for a carry gun, and it’s consistently the same trigger every time you touch it, and that’s a lot like a modern striker-fired gun, and we love that on our carry guns.

The P210 also offers a hammer that does allow you to manually control the hammer as you reholster the gun. For a lot of people, that’s not a concern, but I appreciate the little extra safety. This is a little like insurance, especially when carrying AIWB.

Awesome Accuracy

A good trigger can always aid in accuracy, but it’s not the end all be all too accurate shooting. The ergonomics, sights, sight radius, and general construction of the gun. The SIG P210 Carry does maintain the reputation of the classic SIG P210 for great accuracy. I’ve run everything from modified 10-10-10 drills and El Presidente drills to the newly beloved Dickens drill.

The accuracy results have stroked my ego quite nicely. The P210 Carry isn’t a small gun, but it shoots like a much bigger gun. The drills I’ve fired are not slow-fire drills, but drills are done under the pressure of a timer, and that’s the accuracy that matters with a carry gun. I’m consistently making good hits and doing it quickly. I’m faster with a red dot, but this gun shoots almost as well as a red dot-equipped handgun.

Great Ergonomics

My big hands can be quite frustrating with guns. Not just small guns, but guns like the P226 and Glock 17 can even be a pain for me. One of the biggest problems is the slide lock. My thumbs often pin it down the slide lock, preventing it from locking to the rear on an empty magazine.

That’s not a problem with the SIG P210 Carry. Additionally, the manual safety is massive and provides you with a shelf to quickly disengage or engage the safety. The gun sits up nice and high in the hand, and the beavertail acts as a great guide to getting that good purchase on the gun before you draw the weapon.

Ease of Control

The svelte and thin grip is a nice touch and allows you to obtain a nice grip on the gun that makes it easy to get a good handful of the gun. The P210 Carry is an all-metal gun that’s fairly heavy and does pack a 4.1-inch barrel. It’s a 9mm handgun too, so recoil is already fairly controllable. Add in the great ergonomics and aggressively textured grip panels, and you get a gun that barely bucks when you knuck.

After the recoil impulse, the gun returns right back on target consistently. That’s why it’s fairly easy to pass timed drills, even when the gun is relatively new to me.

What I was Right About

I wasn’t all wrong about the SIG P210 Carry. It is not an efficient gun. It’s roughly Glock 19-sized and only holds eight rounds in the magazine. That’s not efficient. Something like the P365 is much smaller and packs anywhere from two to four more rounds. It’s a big, hefty gun, and that doesn’t change.

Still, it’s got a good degree of old-school cool to it, and I can appreciate that. Would you be undergunned with this thing as a carry gun? Not at all.

West Coast Armor | High-Performance Protection

By

David Reeder

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September 15, 2022

Person pulling West Coast Armor from a vest

Body Armor used to be cumbersome and expensive, good thing it ain’t 2005 anymore. Happily, West Coast Armor has stepped up to the plate (no pun intended) with its Pure Dyneema and Pure Spectra plates.

In fact, the team at West Coast Armor spent five years on R&D before releasing their first product. They’re not messing around when it comes to the preservation of life.

Who Is West Coast Armor?

Body Armor and other equipment stacked together — West Coast in a field kit

The diverse team at West Coast Armor has deep roots in the world of executive protection, military, law enforcement, and the private sector. In addition, the team at West Coast Armor has used and created body armor throughout their individual careers. They know firsthand the benefits and drawbacks of the different types of body armor.

With this knowledge and real-world experience, they achieved what they set out to do. West Coast Armor put five years of research and development, so they could create their industry-leading body armor. They were rewarded with Armor that is lighter, stronger, and more affordable than any others on the market.

What Sets Apart West Coast Armor?

West Coast Armor uses Pure Dyneema or Pure next-gen Spectra in the construction of its body armor plates.

Hard armor made with pure Dyneema and next-gen Spectra is up to 75% lighter than steel or other traditional armor materials. This is without compromising the level of protection traditional materials provide.

Body Armor and weapons propped up outdoors — Body Armor put through the ringer

For military, law enforcement, and others working in high-risk environments, hard armor made from Dyneema provides not only maximum protection but also enhances the comfort, maneuverability, and efficiency of the person wearing it.

5 Benefits of Using Dyneema in Body Armor Plates

Constructed from ceramics, compressed laminate sheets, metallic plates, or composites
Designed to deform and capture the bullet upon impact
Absorbs and distributes the kinetic energy of the impact
Protects against NIJ Level III, III+ and works as an excellent backing for ceramics in III++ or IV rifle threats
75% lighter than steel and 25% lighter than Aramid

Where are West Coast Armor Plates Made?

All raw materials are 100% domestically sourced and made in the USA.

Is West Coast Armor NIJ Certified?

Yes. West Coast Armor is NIJ certified, and all their body armor plates meet or exceed NIJ criteria.

The NIJ conducts independent research on the Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor with the help of the Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES). The most important attribute of the NIJ is its ability to remain objective to the industry and only adopt criteria based on scientific research and testing.

Weapons and body armor loaded in a vehicle

This research and testing are designed to save lives and improve the level of justice our law enforcement agencies can provide. This is why every company that wishes to sell body armor in the United States must meet the requirements set forth by the NIJ.

If you’re looking for a company that is selling armor, ensure they can provide an NIJ letter of compliance by doing a simple check on DOJ’s website to see if the company is certified.

West Coast Armor Hard Armor Levels

Patriot Armor IIIa Plate

The Patriot Armor level 3a body armor Plate is so unbelievably light and thin that you will forget you’re wearing it. At 0.82 pounds per square foot, these lightweights perform like heavyweights.

Forged from a proprietary manufacturing process, the IIIA Plate is constructed with some of the strongest and lightest ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers available.

West Coast Armor’s UHMWPE fibers are stronger than steel at a fraction of the weight.

Features and Specs

Designed for use as a standalone plate
Standalone NIJ threat level of IIIA
True multi-shot plate
Weatherproofing: spray-lined synthetic coating
0.82 pounds per square foot
Available in black polyurea spray lining
Size: 10″ x 12″

Patriot Armor IIIP Plate

The performance of our Patriot Armor IIIP Plates is second to none. At an incredible 3.3 pounds per square foot, they are clearly some of the strongest level 3 body armor plates available today.

Forged from a proprietary manufacturing process, the IIIP Plate is constructed with some of the strongest and lightest ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers available.

West Coast Armor’s UHMWPE fibers are stronger than steel at a fraction of the weight.

Features and Specs

Standalone NIJ threat level of III
True multi-shot plate
3.3 pounds per square foot
Sizes 10×12″, 11×14″

Level IV AP Plate

West Coast Armor’s IV AP Plate is just like its little brother, the IIIP Plate, in that it is unbelievably strong and light. Weighing 5.5 pounds per square foot, it takes the performance of your tactical armor to a higher level.

Their proprietary manufacturing process utilizes some of the strongest and lightest ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers available, allowing West Coast Armor to forge the strongest lightweight body armor on the market today.

Features and Specs

Ceramic strike face and UHMWPE backing
Finished with a spray-lined, weatherproof synthetic coating
5.5 pounds per square foot
Available in black
Size: 10″x12″
Multi curve

West Coast Armor Testimonies

Helmet resting on West Coast Armor in a bag

“As a former Police Chief, I believe that one of the most important responsibilities we have is to give the men and women that serve our profession the best equipment to do their job and keep them safe. I’ve seen firsthand the superior quality of the West Coast Armor Body armor in action. I’ve been blessed to witness agencies across the country test West Coast Armor vests and plates, and the outcomes were superior. I recommend to all my colleagues that they reach out to West Coast Armor.” – Donald (Chief of Police Ret.)

“The West Coast Armor level 4 plates are the most well-balanced and comfortable plates I’ve used. After seven combat deployments between Special Operations and Contract work, I can only wish I’d had these issued to me. I have full trust and confidence in their ballistic properties as I’ve seen their performance through more rigorous testing than NIJ requires. These plates have my full endorsement.” – Kyle C.
“As a retired police officer of 23 years working long shifts and jobs from the jail to vice then on to detective. I was always issued uncomfortable, heavy stiff armor. After wearing all types of armor throughout my military and law enforcement carrier, I can say I’ve never seen anything like it. Without question, West Coast Armor makes me want to wear armor again; it’s the lightest, thinnest and strongest armor I’ve ever seen.”– Bob V. Esponisa

The Handgunner’s Guide, Chic Gaylord, and Yesteryear

By

Travis Pike

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September 15, 2022

I love old gun books. I’m talking old training and historical books and similar tomes of information. When I was a kid at the library, they would often sell old books, and my first exposure to these old books was Chic Gaylord’s Handgunner’s Guide. I purchased it for 2.50 cents from the library, and I’ve owned it ever since. It’s the hardcover edition, and I think I made a smart investment since the books seem to be going for 100 dollars or so now.

I recently rediscovered the book in my collection and have been browsing my way through it. The Handgunner’s Guide was written in 1960, but by then, Chic Gaylord was already an established pistolero and holster manufacturer. This book was likely a tome for a number of firearm enthusiasts and police officers. It was written at a time when concealed carry wasn’t really a thing like it is today.

There was no Safariland, no Desantis, nothing, just local holster manufacturers cooking up various designs. The training was fairly limited, and police were the common carriers of handguns at this time period.

Who Is Chic Gaylord?

Chic Gaylord was the world’s premier concealed carry holster manufacturer of his era. He made more than concealed carry holsters, but that’s what he became famous for. At one point, he showed up on TV wearing a suit and stunned the audience by revealing he was carrying 13 guns on him.

Chic Gaylord became fairly popular with police forces, especially for plainclothes officers and undercover officers at the time. His designs included ankle rigs, a wrist rig, shoulder rigs, belt rigs, and even various appendix designs even. His holsters were designed to allow a quick and safe draw.

He was also an accomplished shooter and quick draw. Chic pioneered some techniques that have come and gone and is a very interesting man. He even became well known for his own custom guns. These weren’t necessarily sold, but he designed the guns for himself, and they were often seen as top-tier ideas.

The Handgunner’s Guide

The Handgunner’s Guide is exactly what it sounds like and is essentially a guide to everything handgun in 1960. It talks about various types of guns, from concealment to defensive, and even ‘fun’ guns like .22LRs. Handgunner’s Guide digs into holsters, ammunition gun handling, and more.

While not all the advice is necessarily useless these days, a good bit is outdated. The tactics, techniques, and holsters have obviously changed since 1960. The development of modern guns, tactics, and techniques can likely trace their lineage to Chic Gaylord or men like him.

For the modern shooter, this is a real piece of history. It’s interesting to see where we started and where we are now in regards to holsters, gun handling, and even ammunition. With all the new gun owners out there, an updated version of this guide would be fairly interesting to see.

The book really starts with assuming you know very little about handguns and guides through defensive, service, fun guns, and even hunting and sporting handguns and does so in less than 200 pages. I think today’s book might be a fair bit longer.

Some Notable Highlights

The Handgunner’s Guide unassumingly throws out a lot of information we would find interesting today. So notable highlights from the book show us a few things about a gun culture many of us never got to experience.

For example, modifying carry guns is nothing new. Chic was slapping on grip adapters, trigger shoes, and modifying grips to get the gun just right. He talks about some sighting solutions that work well in low-light scenarios and even gives the addresses of two of the gunsmiths to get your action honed.

Interestingly Chic didn’t seem fond of automatics. In the section on concealment, he openly said he wouldn’t suggest any small automatic for carry because they were reliable. He seemed to like the M1911 okay but found it too bulky for concealment.

As a teenager, I spent a lot of time with an airsoft gun and the Handgunner’s Guide in my room. The holster was a cheap nylon piece of crap. A section in the book was dedicated to a quick draw, and in 1960 they didn’t exactly have shot timers. Chic suggests dropping a silver dollar or hat and being able to draw before it hits the ground. I raced against a big washer quite a few times.

In a section on fighting up close, which he labels Alley Firing, he does suggest shooting at the flash of the bad guy’s gun without really aiming. He mentions shooting a barrage of fire at the muzzle flash. Interesting to see that kind of mindset, and it certainly wouldn’t fly today.

Bookmarks

Finding a copy of the Handgunner’s Guide seems pretty tough these days. I don’t see an Ebook version anywhere, and it’s long out of print. I really wish someone would catalog these old books in Ebook format for the world to enjoy. If you get lucky to find one for a couple of bucks at a public library, then I’d certainly grab a copy just to help understand the evolution of the fighting pistol.

The SBR “Amnesty” Coming

By

Keith Finch

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September 15, 2022

What is the deal with the upcoming and alleged NFA amnesty period? Well, the Armed Attorneys weigh in on the topic in this video

It is just under 12 minutes but if you’re familiar with the legal terms you can skip to the 5 minute mark.

In short, the ATF will be doing something about braced “pistols”. The braced firearm, as we’ve enjoyed them for the last several years, will be going away in December more than likely. You may remember the absurd points system that was proposed to tell whether something was a pistol or not, but most legal pistols that are based on carbines or sub gun type PCCs are going to come out of the smoke as SBRs in the aftermath of the rule change.

That is the point of the rule change.

But the ATF can’t just felonize 15-40 million people. That is considered problematic, so what it appears we are getting is the 2nd NFA amnesty period. There was an original one in the 1980’s where those with unregistered machine guns could get them into the NFA registry, thus the creation of the Pre-86 Transferrable.

This new variant will be if you have a braced pistol and e-file Form 1 it, it will be a free tax stamp. Which, let’s be honest, is one of the two reasons the NFA is most hated.

We’d like to pretend it’s the fact that it is a registry, but it isn’t. Our behavior bores that out.

We’re overall only mildly bothered that the NFA items are on a list, we will say so out loud, but that only low key irritates people. It is annoying in principle, not practice. We would rather that registry not exist, but it doesn’t actively bother us on any given day ending in Y.

What does bother us is the absurd wait times to pick up something we bought and a $200 additional tax to do so for no other reason than because the rule says so. Which is why the braced pistol was so attractive. We could buy that today and it was almost what we wanted without a 9-13 month wait and a $200 tax.

If the NFA cost $5 and turned around in the same timeframe as a normal NICS check we would grumble a little about the registry, but that would ultimately be it. People don’t put much effort into hating on things that don’t inconvenience them. The NFA inconveniences the hell out of people, but the registry itself doesn’t.

So we need to wait for the final rule to drop into draft on Regulations.gov, but if it is what the “leak” portends, we will be able to take any firearm currently wearing a brace and put it into the NFA as an SBR. Which is the thing most of us wanted anyway, an SBR. We just lived with the brace out of it being abundantly more convenient.

National Preparedness Month

By

Dr LateBloomer

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September 14, 2022

1A905627-A57F-4088-9A68-F7B17F0249A2 — From fda.gov

With the water system failing in the Mississippi state capital, inflation out of control, and the possibility of a looming winter energy crisis, National Preparedness Month seems all the more critical to observe this month of September.

Too many people are too oblivious and too complacent about where their water comes from, where their food comes from, and where their energy comes from. Too many us blithely flip switches and turn on taps expecting that these systems will always be working to serve our needs whenever we want them. It doesn’t make you a “crazy prepper” to want to be ready for natural disasters and unforeseen negative events.

There is a whole government sponsored website called Ready.gov which actually encourages the American population to do these things. Hope is not a plan.

What if you woke up tomorrow and the power was out for a week?

What if a flood contaminates your local water supply, rendering it undrinkable? Or worse yet, what if a main break means you get Zero water to your home or anywhere for miles around?

Have you thought about how you will charge your emergency devices, how you will light your home, how you will cook something to eat and how you will keep warm or cool without electricity? Will the gas station’s pumps run? Will the card swipe work? Will the ATM machine work? Do you have cash?

Have you thought about how you will get drinking water? What about toilet flushing water? Bathing/hygiene water?

If you haven’t ever seriously considered these things, that’s what National Preparedness Month is all about. It’s about educating yourself and learning how to be better prepared for emergencies.

Things I am doing this month:

Refreshing my Get-Home Bag.

Buying and testing a smaller rocket stove – to use less biomass fuel when I don’t need a big burn. There will hopefully be a future article about this.

Dumping and replacing my stored water. I’ll actually not dump, it’ll be used in the garden and the outside storage tub that I imagine I’ll use for flushing toilets and such if needed.

Changing smoke detector and CO detector batteries.

Making sure my stored food gets rotated.

Buying and storing more propane (in an outside shed).

Buying long fireplace matches and extended reach lighters to more easily light my gas oven if the power is out.

Thinking about ways to encourage friends and neighbors to also get prepared for emergencies. This is partly about being a good human being but it also helps you. The more people around you who are also prepared keeps you from having to deal with unexpected drains on your supplies and additional mouths to feed to complicate your survival plans.

Two years old – time to make green bean casserole.

All of that is besides my usual garden canning and dehydrating that I normally do this time of year anyway. Although I do not live in a hurrricane zone, I do live in an area that can get excess rainfall from a “petering out inland” hurricane. Therefore the hurricane season is a good benchmark for “time to check the emergency supplies” – even in my area of the country.

My house is located in an area where things would have to get nearly apocalyptic before I would have to evacuate, but not everyone is in the same boat. If you live in an area that is a potential evacuation zone for anything from floods to wildfires, it’s time to check your bug out/evacuation kits/boxes.

Water is Heavy

I’ve discovered a few more things to consider when rotating my stock as well. One is to keep an eye on the size of my water storage jugs. While I can easily handle and carry the 3 gallon jugs when they are full, the 6 gallon water storage jugs are a giant pain to get up and down the basement steps. This is a consideration as I get older.

Six gallons is difficult to get up and down the stairs.

While I can carry them for short distances on the flats and currently hold on to the stair rail with one hand and lift the 6 gallon jugs up one step at a time, it is a bit laborious and I may not be able to do that in ten more years. Maybe I will, but maybe not. My elbow hurt for two days after I did this the last time. These three jugs looked great in the store when they were empty and light, but now not so much. The internet says that 6 gallons of water weighs just about 50 pounds – oy. Given this I’ll be buying smaller jugs or only filling these halfway, which means I need more jugs anyway – lesson learned.

Propane is Forever

Another thing I learned while rotating stock is that I don’t have enough propane. Propane apparently keeps almost forever (unlike kerosene, gasoline, etc) so I really don’t have an excuse. I have heretofore stored about 20 1-lb bottles because that is what my gear – from stove to grill to portable heater – runs on. But I recently bought my own 20 pound tank and gear to refill the 1 pounders, in addition to a conversion hose to run it all off the 20 pounder.

A new thing to play with. I hate to throw out disposables.

I have read that it is better to buy your own tanks and refill them at places like Menards rather that use the “turn-in and take the next one” routine. The next tank you get may be a crappy one which may not hold up. Better to buy and keep your own. I’ll be buying and storing another 20 pounder this week, and maybe a third as well.

Prepared vs Crazy?

For me this is all about trying to find the balance between reasonably prepared and stepping onto the crazy train. No I have NOT bought a Geiger counter or a gas mask. I have some basic OTC meds in a plastic tub but no, despite being a physician I am NOT going to be setting up a combat aid station in my basement. Yes, I keep a get-home bag in my car because roads wash out and snow storms happen. But I do NOT pack it as if I will need to fight thru the zombie hordes to get home, normal concealed carry excepted. This is about finding where your own personal balance is. You have to figure out where that line is for yourself.

Take this opportunity to review your plans for the unexpected. Revise or make additions as needed. If you have no plans, it’s time to get started. Winter is coming.

AAPI Gun Ownership Up 43%

By

Lars Smith

-

September 14, 2022

asian american gun owners — Photo Credit: Emanuel Hahn/The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/16/asian-americans-gun-ownership

The Pandemic years have produced some significant changes to the American Sociopolitical landscape, and not all of them good. So when one sees another story about how X is changing, Y is new and scary, or those got-dang Millennials are killing yet another industry, it’s easy to click away and sigh about the state of the media. But here we have some relative good news brought on by the chaos of the last few years: 5,000,000 new gun owners were minted in that same time frame, and a significant portion of them were Asian Americans. Being one of the least well represented demographics in the gun owning public, any change would seem large, but the number went up by a whopping 43%.

Asian Americans have been reporting a significant increase in race-motivated violence, and threats of violence since early 2020. It’s an unfortunate reason to see such an awakening to the value of armed self defense, but reality isn’t often fond of wearing kid-gloves, and boy is it making a comeback recently. Whether it’s caused by fraying social and political norms, poverty and homelessness, or the generally more negative tone of… well… everything lately, it’s what the Asian community in the US is experiencing, and they seem to be of a mind to do something about it.

Chris Cheng, noted Top Shot winner and gun rights activist recently started the Asian Pacific American Gun Owners Association to help train, educate, and in many cases introduce his community to firearms for the first time. As mentioned above, as a demographic, the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) community is poorly represented among gun owners, for complicated social and cultural reasons, but APAGOA is working hard to change that. While the cause of this change is unfortunate, the outcome is positive and we hope that our fellow Americans of all stripes continue to join us in our pro-rights attitude and activism.

Heat 2 – Book Review

By

Travis Pike

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September 14, 2022

Saying you love Heat in the gun world is a bit like saying you drink water. It’s expected. I love Heat, and while the gunplay is good, I love it more than that. I love the characters, the complexity, and the cinematography. The main character’s plots and plans are great and seeing smart people do smart things and succeed is nice. The movie sets up some fairly specific rules with the disciplined McCauley, and when he breaks his own rules, he pays for it. Recently Heat 2 came in the form of a crime novel.

Michael Mann coauthored the book with award-winning crime author Meg Gardiner. I had never read Meg Gardiner before, but after reading Heat 2, I plan to pick up The Shadow Tracer or Phantom Instinct and read more of her work. I’m writing this as spoiler free as I can, but if you don’t want anything revealed, then stop after this section. Here is the bottom line up front, it’s a good book. It’s enjoyable, fast-paced, and interesting. If you enjoyed Heat for more than the gunplay, then you should enjoy this book.

Heat 2 – Where it Starts and Where it Goes

Heat 2 pulls a Godfather 2 and is both a prequel and a sequel. That’s funny because that’s also a movie that used DeNiro and Pacino. The book opens right where the first film ended. The shootout had just occurred, and Hanna is tracking down Shiherlis in 1995. The story moves forward but also backward.

It flashes back to 1988, and we begin to learn a lot more about both Hanna and McCauley. Things that were only briefly mentioned in Heat pop up in Heat 2. For example, in the film, it’s mentioned Hanna took down a heavy hitter in Chicago. In the 1988 portion, Hanna is with CPD tracking down a violent crew.

We also see McCauley’s crew pull off multiple scores, and each time, they are professional planners. Like the film, it’s enjoyable to read about these smart characters doing smart things. One heist isn’t even violent. It’s just clever.

Throughout the book, it jumps to 1996, and we examine Chris and his life in a new country under a new name working for an international crime family. It’s an interesting evolution of his character. We get to see him mature a bit and focus less on scores on more on the ability to build an empire.

Finally, the book jumps to the year 2000, and we see more of Hanna and the world post the big shootout. We go back to LA in the year 2000 to wrap things up and finish all the plotlines.

The Grandness To It

Admittedly there seems to be less grandness to Heat 2 than to Heat 1. The ending to Heat and themes throughout it that explore loneliness and the focus of two men who are the best at what they do are gone. The theme now seems to be about dealing with your past in the present and what that entails.

In the last scene of Heat, as McCauley dies at LAX, he says to Hanna, “Told you I wasn’t going back.” Hanna hotels his hand as he dies, and the credits roll. It gave me chills. I didn’t get that same experience with Heat 2.

Also, throughout the book, there is a villain, a real nasty guy that has dealings with both Hanna and Neil. Both have a not very friendly personal connection to the man. The problem with this character is that he’s basically Waingro but nastier. Also, in the end, it feels like a way to tie Chris into Hanna’s story, and I didn’t necessarily buy it.

While I did enjoy the book and seeing what happened and happened to the characters, I never got the big ensign Heat gave me. In fact, while it’s not exactly sequel baiting, I do feel they left room to keep the story going. If they released the third book in the modern era, say 2024, then Chris would have a grown son, and that would be an interesting route to take.

If you enjoy crime thrillers, then you’ll enjoy Heat 2. It’s a fast-paced, fun book with good action and fun characters. It’s a quick read, and I finished it five days because I enjoyed it so much. That’s five days with two jobs and three kids, so take that for what you will.

Heat 2 and Fan Service

Michael Mann is not a novelist, but he does write his movies, and the book does read like the Heat movie. Heat 2 does feel like a Mann production, and it’s not like they slapped his name on it and let Meg Gardiner write the whole thing. She probably provided the expertise of a novelist and likely helped the novel get a good fine edge to it.

Before you read the book, you might want to watch Heat. This will make the book more enjoyable, and you’ll catch some of the fan service. For example, you learn why Neil randomly brought up the iridescent algae in Fuji. You also get some brand-name weapons and model numbers thrown at you. The way the men are described as using the guns also makes a lot of sense and is realistic.

There are also scenes that elaborate on characters we barely saw. Characters like Kelso get some background, and Nate even gets some love. We even see what happened to Eady and how Chris and Charlene met. In one of the few heartwarming portions, we learn that even after Hanna’s third divorce, he talks to his stepdaughter and cheers her on.

Heat 2 delivers some deep lore into what makes McCauley the McCauley we met in 1995. We learn more about Hanna as a cop and what lines he will cross to obtain justice.

My Complaints

I have a few complaints. My petty complaint is Chris had a G36 in 2000. He mentions it’s been in storage for five years, meaning he got one in 1995. In 1995 the G36 was brand new and unlikely to be on the black market just yet. That’s a petty one.

Another complaint is a change in the character of McCauley. In Heat, McCauley is a Marine complete with an EGA tattoo. In the book, this is swapped to him being a soldier with the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam. Sure, Neil could have done both, but that seems unlikely.

Finally, I just can’t believe that Hanna and McCauley would both give up on finding the big bad guy after he takes actions that affect both of them in personal ways. Especially McCauley, who in Heat hunted down both Waingro and Van Zandt.

Even with my complaints, some of them being petty, I really enjoyed Heat 2. I hope Mann can get it made into a movie and give us that neo-noir film the theatres are missing. If you’ve longed for a Heat expanded universe, dig in. If you want to preserve Heat as you remember it, then you can skip the book and not have anything taken from the film.

Fundamentals Are Fundamentals For A Reason

By

Lars Smith

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September 13, 2022

Fundamentals are important — Photo Credit: Elizabeth Conley, MBI / Associated Press

When looking at training classes, it’s important to ensure you’re constantly improving, and that a given class can benefit you beyond giving you an excuse to bust caps or LARP with your Carbine+PC. Certainly that stuff is fun, and fun is all the reason you need to want to go. That said, if that’s what’s eating your annual training budget (you have a training budget, right?) as a non-sworn, non-doorkicking regular citizen, then you’re not actually training for anything you’re likely to encounter. Do rifle classes all you want, but not to the exclusion of something that will make you a better concealed carrier, home defender, or whatever skillset that best fits in the tactical envelope that is your life. A basic, or advanced pistol class would likely serve the majority of us much better, as it’s the fundamentals, and keeping them fresh, that make a shooter good.

Fundamentals are never more fundamental than when they mean the difference between life and death, or continued freedom and living in a cage for 10-20. Officer Privette in the Active Self Protection video below, seems to have ignored Rule 1 to his own detriment, and that of the suspect he was attempting to apprehend. We weren’t there, we didn’t see what happened, but from the video, it’s difficult to imagine another scenario. He exits the vehicle, gun up, and almost before he can finish his demand to see hands, the pistol discharges, to which his response is “Oh shit!”.

If this truly was an unintentional discharge, it’s probably because his finger was on, or near the trigger, as he completed his shooting grip. Maybe as his left-hand fingers squeezed together, he had a sympathetic response and his right-hand fingers did the same, maybe he slipped, but whatever it was, there doesn’t seem to have been a threat that reached the level of lethal force. An investigation will determine this, but it seems plain this discharge wasn’t intentional, and the officer keeping his trigger finger in a high-register would have served him better than whatever he actually did.

How Video Games Helped My Carry Selections

By

The Suited Shootist

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September 13, 2022

Most people are fairly critical of the media portrayals of gun handling, and the related content and behaviors. Everything from “cup and saucer” grips on cop dramas, to the infamous “cocking Glock” on The Walking Dead. TV, movies, and even video games generally give us a pretty unrealistic perspective on how living with and carrying guns generally works. But there are those rare instances where you find something useful:

Ok, so it’s not exactly a direct correlation, but I do find myself configuring my daily carry setup along similar lines to how modern FPS games have you equip your character.

Stick with me here, I promise this will make sense in a minute.

One compliment that modern game designers have been getting is paying more attention to the realism of their games; both in the visuals, but also in the performance of the equipment and how much a character can carry. With the current crop of Ghost Recon/Rainbow Six/Call of Duty titles, you get to customize your character’s loadout. You’re generally limited to:

A Primary weapon
A Secondary/Backup weapon
A Grenade or Less Lethal
A Med Kit
A Gadget or Special Skill
Gone of the days of Goldeneye and Grand Theft Auto where you can carry literally every gun, bomb, and attack helicopter that you pick up. And it makes for more interesting gameplay. As luck would have it, that same basic framework is actually a pretty good guideline for structuring your EDC loadout as well. Here’s how I’ve structured mine:

Level 1 (always with me with no exception): MEDICAL. Why is this at the top of the list? Because it’s the solution to the widest scope of problems I might encounter. I can find myself (or someone else) in need of medical aid whether or not a confrontation has taken place.

The bare minimum that I carry for this is a tourniquet and a pack of Quikclot carried in a Wilderness #8 Pouch. If I want to add chest seals and other gear, I’ll bring in an ankle IFAK. I also keep IFAKs in all my vehicles, one in my range back, and another one if I’m carrying a briefcase or shoulder bag.

Level 2 (with me wherever possible, unless prohibited by law): LESS LETHAL. Wait what? Not the gun!?!?!?! *unsubscribes intensify* Hear me out. There are plenty of interpersonal conflicts where some level of force might be appropriate, but deadly force may not be necessary. Additionally, there are places I like to go (namely the extensive list of cocktail bars my town offers) where carrying a firearm is legally prohibited. But I can still have

POM Pepper Spray: It allows me to basically perform the “eye jab” that Craig Douglas teaches during his Managing Unknown Contacts (MUC) block at greater than arms reach. (Literally, after taking ECQC one of the first things I did was buy pepper spray because the class showed me how easily people can encroach on you, and how unpleasant it is having to go hands-on with someone). The legal threshold* (at least where I am) for using OC is dramatically lower than it is for deadly force. It can help dissuade someone that’s not taking “no” for an answer, but not posing a deadly threat. It offers a solution that’s “between harsh words and a gun” to shamelessly steal the title of Chuck Haggard’s OC class.

A Sap: They’re legal to carry in Texas for the last few years. I took a short form class from Larry Lindenman at Tac-Con back in March, and it showed me the real value of a purpose-built impact weapon. The biggest advantages are that they’re flat, low-profile, and easy to carry. You can modulate the level of force being applied, depending on if you’re striking with the flat vs. the edge, and where on the body you’re striking. They can also be discreetly “staged” during the MUC process, so that it’s ready to use if needed.

Level 3 (with me wherever possible & when appropriate): FLASHLIGHT. There are also those that insist on carrying a light everywhere, all the time. for me, that’s a little excessive. Don’t get me wrong I’ll throw it in my pocket, especially if I’m dressed down and more casual, but I don’t make it a point to bring a light unless I’m going out past 5 PM. My current light of preference is the Cloud Defense MCH High Output. The combination of size, output, and overall build helped edge it out ahead of the competition.

Level 4 (with me wherever legally possible): DEADLY FORCE. Generally the only time I’ll carry a knife for defensive application is if I’m going somewhere where firearms are legally prohibited (like bars in Texas). Most of my edged weapons are either Shivworks designs, or variants thereof. As for firearms, it’s either going to be my Glock 19 in a Dark Star Gear Orion on a PHLster Enigma, a Ruger LCR either in a pocket or in a DSG/Enigma combo, or my KelTec P32 in a Mika pocket holster. I virtually never find myself carrying an extra magazine.

The type of pistol I’ll carry on a given day is not decided by my mood, the alignment of the planets, or some other silly motivation. It’s strictly based on what I’m wearing, what I’ll be doing, and my risk assessment of wherever I’ll be going. Therefore, this is not a carry rotation, but a situationally dependent decision tree.

That’s right. The firearm is the last item on the list of tools I’ll carry. This is because of a few different reasons: Firstly, my job and interests regularly take me to places where I’m prohibited from carrying a gun. Secondly, because of how I live my life, there is a greater chance of me encountering a non-gun problem.

There are folks out there that will espouse that “I won’t go anywhere I can’t carry”, and that’s certainly their prerogative, but I think that limits one’s potential life experiences. There are also those that will say “Concealed means concealed. What they don’t know won’t hurt them”, suggesting that they would carry their firearm in violation of posted laws. Again, that’s certainly their call (not that this blog advocates law-breaking). But understand the risk you’re taking on. I’ve known people to lose their jobs or suffer other negative social outcomes that could have been otherwise avoided had they carried smarter and more appropriately.

One of the “catchphrases” you’ll hear regularly within the gun-carrying community is “Two is One, One is None” And that’s used to justify carrying 2 guns, extra mags, more than one blade, etc. For some people, depending on their lifestyle, that might be a realistic and appropriate loadout. For most of us who live life with a gun (as opposed to it being part of our job), preparing for the least likely event can prevent us from going about or day to day lives. Everyone likes to gear up for the Hollywood-style, “save the day” type of defensive gun use (DGU). John Johnston of Citizen’s Defense Research calls these “Sentinel Events”, and I think they warrant their own article.

Ultimately, everyone’s context will be different. What is appropriate for me may not be appropriate for you. I would encourage you to take a long, realistic, analytical look at your lifestyle, and make sure that your chosen equipment list accurately reflects that.

As always, Your Mileage May Vary. Only you know what’s best for you.

*I’m definitely not a lawyer, and nothing on this blog constitutes legal advice of any kind. You are solely responsible for everything your chosen carry gear complies with all local, state, and federal laws. I don’t know you, so I’m sure as hell not going to jail for you. It’s called being a responsible adult.

The Premier Armor Concealable Armor Vest – Keep It Hidden

By

Travis Pike

-

September 13, 2022

I love the fact that in the last fifteen years, the body armor industry has exploded, and the civilian purchase of body armor has exploded. It gives me a warm and fuzzy. Most of us likely own a plate carrier and some form of rifle plate, and that’s amazing. Today we are looking at something a little less tactical and maybe even a little more practical. What we are looking at is the Premier Armor Concealable Armor Vest.

Concealable armor isn’t for everyone, but for certain people, it can be quite handy. I did repo for a bit and would have loved a vest to wear. People who transport money or even work in cash businesses like check cashing places would certainly be well served by a concealable vest. Hell, maybe someone has just threatened you, and you don’t want to take the risk. For $659 dollars you can have a Level IIIA vest that could save your life.

Breaking Down The Premier Armor Concealable Armor Vest

There are plenty of companies that produce armor, and there are lots of terms that you should look out for. One of the more important terms is NIJ Certified. The National Institute of Justice sets standards for body armor and acts as an unbiased testing program. To achieve NIJ Certified, the armor has to be tested to NIJ Standards by the NIJ.

NIJ certification is a lot like TCCC approval for tourniquets. You really want that certification. A lot of armor companies produce what they refer to as ‘built to NIJ Standards.’ This is a slippery way to say that the armor hasn’t been tested, but it kind of makes it sound like it has and is built to established standards.

The Concealable Armor Vest and its IIIA soft armor are NIJ Certified. IIIA armor is not rifle-rated armor, and this thing won’t stop an M193 from zipping through it. It’s mainly produced to stop pistol rounds and shotgun rounds. The armor is rated to stop a 44 Magnum moving at 1,400 feet per second. To top it off, the vest is special threat rated to deal with shotgun slugs, that crazy Liberty Defense 9mm ammo, and SS197SR 5.7x28mm rounds.

Throwing on the Concealable Armor Vest

The Premier Armor Concealable Armor Vest has six points of adjustability to fine-tune the fit, which is fairly important. This isn’t just for comfort but to ensure the vest covers the vitals properly and conceals them easily. The vest has two points at the shoulder and four around the waist. Getting a good fit is easy and takes some adjustment to get it right.

Since this is a Concealable Armor Vest, it’s smartly designed to deal with heat and discomfort. Without a doubt, it’s going to be hot when you wear this thing. It’s just the nature of the beast with body armor. Until they get the same kind of cooling my gaming PC has, it’s gonna be hot. Yet, Premier Armor took some effort to make it a little comfier.

This includes a breathable material that is also moisture-wicking and gets rid of sweat when possible. The material on the inside is fairly soft and comfy too. It doesn’t chafe my nips, and that’s pretty dang important when wearing your best concealed. With that said, I still suggest a shirt under the vest and a shirt over it.

Concealment

How concealable is this Concealable Armor Vest? Well, it depends on your normal clothing choices. Under a flannel, it absolutely disappears. The flannel style patterns really help break up any printing the vest creates. A button-down shirt conceals it without a problem. The black outer carrier might stick through a white shirt, so darker colors might work a bit better.

Any kind of hoodie or jacket will also completely make this vest disappear. It does fit tight to the body, which is important to me because I conceal carry. With the Concleable Armor Vest being tucked tight to the body, it doesn’t get in the way when I try to draw my firearm. If I’m in a situation where I’m wearing armor, I’m gonna be packing a piece as well. Even with appendix carry, the vest isn’t in the way of your draw.

Armored Up

It might not offer all the advantages of hard rifle plates and a plate carrier, and I might not be Master Chief in his Spartan armor, but I’m a bit more prepared than just wearing a layer of cotton. This is a niche case use item, but if you fall in that niche, you likely want the best armor you can get. The Concealable Armor Vest is a fantastic piece of gear. It’s protective, NIJ Certified, concealable, and even comfy.

It’s Not A Glock! But Does it Suck?

By

Lars Smith

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September 12, 2022

Not A Glock kaboom! — Photo Credit: The Firearm Blog

The Springfield XD- A Polemic

The XD was an early contender against the Glock. Many people (often those who favored all-steel guns over any polymer one) complained about the grip angle, the lack of active, external safety mechanisms, the shape of the grip, and many other, less valid arguments. How a gun feels in your hand is usually a function of familiarity more than quality. Certainly a very small person trying to manipulate a very large gun like a 5.7 or Desert Eagle is going to have legitimate biomechanical problems that no amount of acclimation or training can overcome; that’s not what this is about.

This is (generally) about people finding a reason to justify their bias. Unfortunately the first company to hear and respond to those complaints was Marko Vuković, of HS Produkt, a Croatian arms manufacturer perhaps best known at the time for the HS95, an unlicensed copy of the Sig P226. They produced a polymer framed pistol called the HS2000 that had a different grip angle, a grip safety, and an absurdly tall upper, otherwise fairly similar to a Glock, but priced about $100-200 less. It is decidedly Not A Glock, though many of the genpop might mistake it for one.

In the last decade or so, many firearms instructors have kept track of the guns that show up in their classes. They’ve also kept track of which ones performed well, and which choked hard: John Correia is one, and Greg Ellifritz is another, out of many. In the article linked, Greg goes into detail about how after years of watching these “Just as good!” not a Glocks go down with any sort of hard use, as well as the issues that come with getting one repaired. It seems that if a serious issue arises (as can happen when the grip safety locks up because a fatigued shooter didn’t depress it completely while manipulating the slide), the gun must be sent back to the factory. As we have mentioned, despite being sold by Springfield Armory, the guns are made by HS Produkt. That means if your XD chokes hard enough, you have an international freight fee, and a long wait ahead of you.

Don’t take my word for it, read Greg’s article yourself and consider if the moderate savings on an XD is worth the pain in the ass that might follow.

Everything Wrong with the RATS Tourniquet

By

Travis Pike

-

September 12, 2022

The RATS is still kicking around, and it seems like regardless of what the tactical medical community does, they remain somewhat popular. Not popular with police, military, or professional emergency medical technicians, but with the everyday joe crowd. I see why. They are admittedly very easy to carry and quite convenient. I get it because I was even once a fan at first sight. I saw the design and thought it looked like a great idea.

Luckily, I got slapped with some truth and have learned from my ways. It seems like some other folks, everyday Joes, need a little truth slap. Admittedly searching through medical information can be dull and difficult, but I wanted to gather the main reasons and turn them into easily digestible bites of information on why you should toss the RATS and get a CAT.

The RATS Is Too Thin

The use of an elastic-like band to treat bleeding wounds isn’t new. We used similar tourniquets during the Second World War. Tubing was used with various clips to help prevent bleeding. Although it bears mentioning the German forces had windlass tourniquets. The tubing likely did save lives, but we moved on from M1 Garands and Tommy guns, and we should move one from elastic bands.

They can work, but they are not optimal or even suboptimal. The thinner design of the RATS creates less reliable occlusion. There is less room for error, and in a situation where you are saving a life, you are bound to make mistakes. Stopping arterial hemorrhage requires a nice wide strap.

Additionally, the thin nature of the band can create excessive pain in the patient when you finally achieve occlusion and stop the bleeding. In the CoTCCC testing, the RATS scored a one out of five for pressure.

The RATS is Too Slow To Apply Effectively

To stop the bleed with a RATS, you have to apply it in near-perfect concentric wraps. Good luck doing that when time is of the essence, you’re wounded, or your patient is covered in blood and screaming. It takes significant effort and practice to perfect. Everyone advocates training, and you should train with your TQ, but the RATS would require a lot more time to perfect the wrapping technique and ensure occlusion.

That time could be spent training in other life-saving techniques. When the CoTCCC tested the RATS compared to other tourniquets, it scored a 0 out of 5 for time to occlusion. It can achieve occlusion, but it takes a lot longer.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Hicks, a corpsman with II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), demonstrates the proper application of the newest combat action tourniquet. One of the updated features on the CAT is the attached time band, used to record when the tourniquet was applied to the casualty.

They Are Difficult To Apply One Handed

I can twist a RATS around my arms with one hand plenty easy. It’s just a cord, right? Well, doing it and doing it right are two different things. Unlike a CAT which I can just slide up my arm and tighten the windlass, I have to make sure the cord wraps around my arm just right to get the right amount of dispersion to occlude blood flow. This takes time, and the coordination required to do so is quite high. Imagine trying to do so while potentially covered in blood, with injuries, and all that jazz?

Taking It Off Blows Clots

Without a windlass, there is no way to slowly loosen the tourniquet. Eventually, you’ll have to remove it and to do so, you’ll have to apply a CAT or similar tourniquet above the RATS. This way, you can slowly let off the windlass. Removing the RATS without another tourniquet will essentially let the blood rush back to the wound at full force. With a windlass, it can be backed off slowly to ensure the blood has stopped flowing. This would only ever be done by higher-level medical, but it is worth noting.

They Are Not CoTCCC Approved

RATS has a bit of a sketchy history with TCCC approval. TCCC, or as the acronym is properly laid out, CoTCCC, is the committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care. The CoTCCC is a brilliant organization that works for the Defense Department. They evaluate, gather data, and interpret it to help improve and produce modern casualty care. While they are the CoTCCC, everyone just called them TCCC.

You can carry an EDC kit with a proper tourniquet easy enough

RATS used to advertise that they were TCCC-approved. They have never been CoTCCC approved but are USTCCC approved. USTCCC is a separate organization with nothing in common with CoTCCC. CoTCCC does not endorse products per se, but they do recommend products based on testing and evaluation. This is why the CAT tourniquet is so well regarded and is the standard by which tourniquets are judged.

Ultimately the decision is yours to make, but most unbiased medical sources see and point out the issues with the RATS. The CAT still dominates for a reason, it works, and its saved countless lives at this point. Hopefully, I’ve helped make the decision a little bit easier.

The Doctor Talks Shotgun Wounds

By

Keith Finch

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September 12, 2022

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Chris Raynor has a YouTube Channel.

In this video he duets Garand Thumbs shotgun video and goes over shotgun wounding and why the shotgun is so dang devastating inside its effective range.

I had a blast, pun intended, watching the video and going over why the shotgun and 00 (or slug) does a number on the interior organs.

Short answer, its like dumping most of a magazine of 9mm into a concentrated spot all at the same time.

As Clint Smith puts it,

“Pistols put holes in people. Rifles put holes through people. Shotguns, at the right range with the right load, will physically remove a chunk of shit from your opponent and throw that shit on the floor.”

Later on, Dr. Raynor actually goes into the surgical steps necessary for wound diagnosis and treatment, if anything can be done in the first place, and what a trauma center needs to do in order to save someone who’s been critically wounded with a shotgun and a fighting load at close range.

The short short answer to that one is… good luck bud.