A New Study on Firearm Fatality

By

-

December 6, 2022

A study worth reading. It is rare to get a raw and data rich study about firearm fatalities in the US, they are up from our low point in 2004 and are almost at the rates we had in the worst part of the 90’s. But where these deaths are occurring and why, an honest inquiry and not an aspersion to firearms ownership as a sin in itself, is rare in these studies. Hence the failure rate of studies during the RAND audit and the directly attributable response of politicos citing the worst studies to prop up their pet proposals.

The study overview goes,

Question How have firearm fatality rates varied over a 32-year period in the United States?

Findings In this cross-sectional study of 1,110,421 firearm fatalities, all-intent firearm fatality rates declined to a low in 2004, then increased 45.5% by 2021. Firearm homicides were highest among Black non-Hispanic males, and firearm suicide rates were highest among White non-Hispanic men ages 70 years and older.

Meaning This study found marked disparities in firearm fatality rates between men and women and by racial and ethnic group, and these disparities increased in recent years.

Importance Firearm fatality rates in the United States have reached a 28-year high. Describing the evolution of firearm fatality rates across intents, demographics, and geography over time may highlight high-risk groups and inform interventions for firearm injury prevention.

Objective To understand variations in rates of firearm fatalities stratified by intent, demographics, and geography in the US.

Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study analyzed firearm fatalities in the US from 1990 to 2021 using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heat maps, maximum and mean fatality rate graphs, and choropleth maps of county-level rates were created to examine trends in firearm fatality rates by intent over time by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and urbanicity of individuals who died from firearms. Data were analyzed from December 2018 through September 2022.

Main Outcomes and Measures Rates of firearm fatalities by age, sex, race, ethnicity, urbanicity, and county of individuals killed stratified by specific intent (suicide or homicide) per 100,000 persons per year.

Results There were a total of 1,110,421 firearm fatalities from 1990 to 2021 (952,984 among males [85.8%] and 157,165 among females [14.2%]; 286,075 among Black non-Hispanic individuals [25.8%], 115,616 among Hispanic individuals [10.4%], and 672,132 among White non-Hispanic individuals [60.5%]). All-intents total firearm fatality rates per 100,000 persons declined to a low of 10.1 fatalities in 2004, then increased to 14.7 fatalities (45.5% increase) by 2021. From 2014 to 2021, male and female firearm homicide rates per 100,000 persons per year increased from 5.9 to 10.9 fatalities (84.7% increase) and 1.1 to 2.0 fatalities (87.0% increase), respectively. Firearm suicide rates were highest among White non-Hispanic men aged 80 to 84 years (up to 46.8 fatalities/100,000 persons in 2021). By 2021, maximum rates of firearm homicide were up to 22.5 times higher among Black non-Hispanic men (up to 141.8 fatalities/100,000 persons aged 20-24 years) and up to 3.6 times higher among Hispanic men (up to 22.8 fatalities/100,000 persons aged 20-24 years) compared with White non-Hispanic men (up to 6.3 fatalities/100,000 persons aged 30-34 years). Males had higher rates of suicide (14.1 fatalities vs 2.0 fatalities per 100,000 persons in 2021) and homicide (10.9 fatalities vs. 2.0 fatalities per 100,000 persons in 2021) compared with females. Metropolitan areas had higher homicide rates than nonmetropolitan areas (6.6 fatalities vs 4.8 fatalities per 100,000 persons in 2021). Firearm fatalities by county level increased over time, spreading from the West to the South. From 1999 to 2011 until 2014 to 2016, fatalities per 100,000 persons per year decreased from 10.6 to 10.5 fatalities in Western states and increased from 12.8 to 13.9 fatalities in Southern states.

Conclusions and Relevance This study found marked disparities in firearm fatality rates by demographic group, which increased over the past decade. These findings suggest that public health approaches to reduce firearm violence should consider underlying demographic and geographic trends and differences by intent.

HEAT Map breakdown of firearm homicides 1990-2021

These are HEAT maps, separated by homicide victims and suicides, color code to show high instances as hot (red) and low instances as cool (blue) with green and yellow in between. If you’ve seen a map of a rain/thunder storm you can recognize the HEAT map. They are then run on 14 different filters, total, male, female, White (likely includes East Asian demos), Black, Hispanic, Male and Female by race, and the metropolitan and nonmetropolitan break downs. The axis of the maps are age (vertical) and year of instance (horizontal).

Homicide

The homicide map gives us a tremendous amount of data. We see the bloom in the 90’s with a cooler period in the 2000-10’s and a dramatic increase in the last couple years, starting 2020 (Shocking, I know).We then see the demographic and gender filters. We see the majority of deaths are male, starting in their mid-to-late teens and cooling off around the age of 40.

There were just over 69,000 female victims during this 32 year span, their are over 369,000 male victims. 210,818 of those males were non-Hispanic Blacks, with substantial flares in the 90’s window and the 2020-2021 window. White and Hispanic homicides were near parity in number, however the trends over time are very different. The homicides with White Male victims were fairly evenly distributed with a more gradual cool period in the 2000’s and more even age disbursement after the mid-teens. Hispanic homicides were very bad in 90’s but cooled substantially and stayed cooler to 2020 where a flare has been seen again. The two decades between 15 years of age and 35 account for the majorities in all demographics, White being the most evenly distributed outside that age range and Black and Hispanic heavily concentrated in that range.

Female trends followed the corresponding male with greatly reduced occurrences.

Urban areas have the majority of homicides as data given, but approximately 140,000 are unmarked between urban or rural locale.

Suicide

The greater share of mortality over the same time frame were suicides, 43% greater.

Suicides show an immediate inversion of homicide data in that, while they start at around the same age, they are heaviest among the older population. This immediate inversion in age is also joined by a disparity in demographics. While the male:female disparity remains steady at between 5 and 6 male deaths per female death, the male dead swing overwhelmingly white. White males are killing themselves between 7 and 8 to 1 over Black and Hispanic males combined. The older, the greater the risk of suicide in White males, Black males are at risk younger with a reduced risk for middle age and a slight increase as they get older.

Causes/Conclusions

Multifaceted and deeply ingrained.

We see dramatically different cultural attitudes towards killing one another, and killing oneself, across the various demographics filtered when it comes to violent use of a firearm.

This study found marked disparities in firearm fatality rates by demographic group, which increased over the past decade. These findings suggest that public health approaches to reduce firearm violence should consider underlying demographic and geographic trends and differences by intent.

This line is why we should take this information seriously. It didn’t say “Ban semi-autos or ‘high’ capacity magazines” it openly says this is a problem to be addressed within each of the problem segments. ‘Differences by intent’ make all the difference in the world.

It’s very clear that suicide, especially among the white male population, is seen more as acceptable and a solution to diminishing quality of life, a collection of failures and compounding stresses. Within the Black and Hispanic communities it is clearly more culturally taboo to kill themselves. Homicide, by contrast, is clearly seen as a social currency/social solution amongst the younger Black community, this then fades to closer to the societal averages after 35 years of age and dramatically closer after 55.

We must look at taking serious action to limit motivations for both homicide and suicide in the various regions and demographics they are most problematic. Curbing inner city violence motivated by criminal competitiveness will not be the same as reducing suicides by improving later life mental health treatment.

A ban is a terrible plan

A ban is a mindless, methodless, and ‘hammer square peg into anything but a square hole’ type of a proposed solution for curbing motives as there could possibly exist. But not everyone agrees on that point, despite plenty of evidence.

But let us say that we implement a ban. Let us then say the ban is so stringent that all semi-autos and high capacity magazines are removed from circulation, 100% efficacy and compliance. We’re back to revolvers and lever/bolt/pump guns. We shall additionally say for the sake of argument that the common firearm is limited to 8 rounds.

How many people could we save, potentially, in Chicago being limited to 8 shots?

Potentially five people over three incidents. That terrible supposition assumes one would never reload and that the person who died was shot and killed after the 8th shot fired, also that every person was shot just once and thus shot at once. Meanwhile the number of incidents in range of every J-Frame and 5-shot shotgun, non-banned firearms, is in excess of 400 with around 150 killed. This ‘ban’ to do something about violence would maybe, maybe influence the outcome in about 1% of multiple victim shootings. Not prevent, not in the least, merely influence.

This highly improbable 1% improvement in imposing a limit on multiple victim shootings also supposes an environment of perfect compliance, which does not and has never existed. Even in an environment of 90% or greater compliance, that would leave millions in circulation and those among the most hostile to authority and the law already. Some would be among the otherwise law abiding perhaps, but many would be among those who are already the contributors to the high injury and death counts through currently illegal criminal mischief.

Now let’s talk about the ban actually being discussed, the one with grandfathering of current weapons and that will not remove the tens to hundreds of millions of weapons and hundreds of millions to billions of magazines, just tell everyone that you can’t buy, sell, or trade them anymore and hope for the best from the worst offenders.

Not a great plan.

Home Invasion Stopped By Armed Mom

By

Lars Smith

-

December 6, 2022

Home invasion gun pointed — Photo credit: Vakililaw.com

Texas mom shoots burglar while hiding with children during home invasion: cops https://t.co/7WP1a83AZ1 pic.twitter.com/cxT7N75v3K
— New York Post (@nypost) October 31, 2022

A home invasion is top of the list on most people’s worst nightmares. Burglary is bad enough, but to qualify as a home invasion, the perpetrator is determined to have violent intent apart from the unlawful entry itself. Put briefly, they’re there to hurt you, not just take your stuff.

The Bureau of Justice statistics on police response times are not especially comforting. More than 60% of incidents of violence reported resulted in a wait of 6-60 minutes after calling 911. The details vary widely by city, time of day, volume of calls, and seriousness of the incident being reported, but even 6 minutes is a lifetime during a home invasion when someone is inside your house, looking to do you harm, and the only thing slowing them down is a fragile, hollow-core interior door.

One Texas mother unfortunately was forced to illustrate the value of armed self-defense last month, while she was on the phone with police, huddled with her children behind just such a bedroom door. Despite announcing that she was armed, and that the police were on the way, the intruder continued to try to force his way in to access the woman and her kids.

Finally, alone, with help still minutes away, and likely fearing for the lives of herself and her children, the woman fired once through the door, striking the intruder in the arm. A bullet was the only thing that stopped what could have been a deeply tragic home invasion, and the suspect was later arrested 100 yards from the home.

It’s something of a cliché, but it rings true nonetheless: When seconds count, police are minutes away. While it’s unlikely that most Americans will face determined violence in their daily lives, when it happens, the rescuer most likely to be available when you need it is you.

Measure 114 Under Fire In Oregon

By

Lars Smith

-

December 5, 2022

Oregon Measure 114 may make buying and selling guns illegal in OR — Photo Credit: Getty Images

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/12/delaying-oregon-gun-control-measure-114-would-lead-to-unnecessary-deaths-attorney-general-argues.html

Ballot Measure 114 is now facing Firearms Policy Coalition, who has filed the second lawsuit aiming to take it out. The measure, which will be the law of the land after December 8, would ban magazines with a capacity greater than 10 rounds, and would require a permit to purchase for anyone wishing to express their enumerated 2nd Amendment right by purchasing or selling a firearm.

The mendicants that orchestrated measure 114, which won with a <2% margin, seem to have completely failed to make any sort of preparation for actually implementing the law. Under it, one must pass a firearms safety class with a live-fire section, then pay a fee to be granted a license to purchase a gun. Unfortunately not only is there is no enumerated class, there is not even a curriculum, funding (the program is estimated to cost $40,000,000/yr) instructors, or facilities in the state to make such a requirement accessible for all Oregonians, let alone marginalized groups who may not have money or transportation to go to such a class.

In a city of over 600,000, there are precisely 5 gun ranges. Even if there were classes and permits available immediately, the obvious bottleneck this would create puts this bill on shaky constitutional ground all by itself. Then we get in to the fact that the police they wanted to defund 2 years ago now being the arbiters of a constitutional right, and the magazine capacity restrictions. Given the original intent of the 2A was focused on producing an armed citizenry with access to military weapons, the idea that limiting magazine capacity to 10rd will stand up to the historical test required by the SCOTUS Bruen decision is laughable.

Between the total failure to plan ahead for this new law, its’ blatant unconstitutionality and obvious disregard for the rights of all OR citizens, not least of which the poorest among us, we are hopeful that the courts will do the right thing and put this whole debacle to bed.

Pistol Basics: The Bill Drill

By

P.E. Fitch

-

December 5, 2022

_{Image above: Bill Wilson shooting one of his pistols. image credit: Wilson Combat}

The Bill Drill: Six rounds into an IPSC A-Zone (6 inches by 11 inches on a metric target) or IDPA “Down 0” zone (eight inch diameter) starting from the holster at seven yards. It is a straightforward and simple drill and probably one of the most popular shooting exercises out there.

Rob Leatham, one of the most decorated pistol shooters in history, dubbed this exercise the Bill Drill after Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat who was an early pioneer of pistol action shooting sports at their dawn during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

WHY THE BILL DRILL MATTERS

The time it takes a person to shoot a clean Bill Drill can say a lot about their pistol shooting skills. Once again, the Bill Drill itself is an extremely simple and straightforward affair. After all, shooting a six inch by eleven inch A-zone target at 7 yards is not particularly hard. However, in order to clear this exercise at a high level, every aspect of shooting a handgun must be done decisively and with no wasted movement. It starts before the timer even goes off. How you stand. How your hand moves to your gun to draw; how the support hand joins the firing hand. How you squeeze down on your pistol and the moment you decide to break the first after deciding that your immediate sight picture is acceptable. How you use your arms and entire upper body to ensure that the slide tracks flat. And how you shoot to what your sight(s) tell(s) you until the gun locks back on the last round.

BILL DRILL TIME STANDARDS

While different instructors or organizations may have their own time standards with regards to the Bill Drill, a reasonable Bill Drill par time for most shooters is 3.5 seconds (and maybe four seconds for those who are new to working from a holster). Clearing the Bill Drill at two seconds or less is evidence of strong pistol shooting abilities, especially if done from concealment and not from a competition holster or equipment. According to Brian Enos, two seconds was also Bill Wilson’s original par time back in the day.

Arguably, the draw is the most critical part to getting a very competitive time. For example, a fast shooter who has a draw-to-first-shot-time of 1 second now has to shoot the remaining five shots with splits of at least 0.2 seconds or less to make that 2 second par time.

No, No, No, Stop it Winchester Defender – A Step Back

By

Travis Pike

-

December 5, 2022

Rarely do I see something so silly that it just makes me stop in disbelief. I was cruising the world of Facebook when I ran across a post from one of my favorites follows, That Shotgun Blog. Hat Tip to that fine fella. Give him a follow for a lot of good information. He posted a screenshot from Midway USA showing a new load from Winchester Defender called Close Range. It’s a 20 gauge load, which I can get behind because there aren’t a ton of good 20 gauge defensive options. However, the Winchester Defender Close Range is one of the worst options you could ever trust for defensive use.

The Winchester Defender Close Range load is a number 2 load and not a number 2 buckshot. That’s right, a load from Winchester Defender is saying birdshot is a good choice for defensive use. My goal for the last year or so has been to stop people from using birdshot for home defense. This isn’t just my goal but the goal of many shotgun aficionados. I feel like all the work that’s been done has been undone by this new development.

Why Winchester Defender Close Range Is A Bad Idea

The Winchester Defender line has made some funky shotgun loads in the past. I admire their ability to be creative, even though the rounds they utilize aren’t often great. Sure, they made a .410 load that’s about the only worthwhile load in .410 handguns. They also made a buck and ball slug load that a good it dangerous for lawful self-defense. It can often go in either direction.

The Winchester Defender Close Range load is a step in the wrong direction. Unless you’re stuck in an Alfred Hitchcock movie, then birdshot is a terrible defensive choice. Lots of people like to parrot the saying, “It’s like a slug at close range!”

It’s not, and this Winchester Defender Close Range laid isn’t any better. It’s not a slug at close range. Birdshot is designed to kill flying animals with thin bones and not much meat. Humans have thick bones and often a fair bit of meat. The load of shot can’t penetrate deep enough to strike a vital organ and shut down the attacker.

But, but, but it’s Number 2 birdshot, a much heavier birdshot than most. That’s true, but let’s be clear, just because it’s good for the goose doesn’t mean it’s good for the gander. Number 2 birdshot is still birdshot and still sucks at penetrating.

On average, it penetrates 9.5 inches in ballistic gel. The FBI standard for penetration is 12 inches minimum. Anything less than 12 inches can’t reach the vitals necessary to shut down the attacker. You would be better served by a.22LR loaded with CCI Velocitors.

The Better Option

If you have a shotgun for home defense, then buckshot is the option. If you can’t handle buckshot or are worried about ‘muh overpenetration’ then swap firearms. Get an AR or other intermediate rifle platform. Or just learn to shoot.

Birdshot from a 20 gauge isn’t an option, and Winchester should be shamed and admonished for advertising a less effective option. Just say no to the Winchester Defender Close Range load. Winchester makes a Number 3 buckshot load for the 20 gauge. That would be better. Not perfect, but better. A low recoil 20 gauge round loaded with number 1 buckshot would be the best self-defense 20 gauge round, but I don’t think it exists.

Gunday Brunch 79: Tales from the Gun Store

By

David R

-

December 4, 2022

Caleb starts this week’s episode off with a rant that he might have done before, and then he and Keith launch into tales from their times in retail firearms sales. Jack was killed by a big titty goth girl.

Gangsters and the Luger Pistol

By

Travis Pike

-

December 4, 2022

When you think of prohibition gangsters and their weapons, you likely get visions of 1911s, Thompsons, and various double-action revolvers. What about Lugers? Likely not, but ye olde Luger was a somewhat popular weapon with bootleggers and gangsters of the era. It doesn’t show up as much because they weren’t as common or as affordable. They tended to be more popular with bootleggers who had plenty of money to spare.

Lugers and their popularity in the United States are often overshadowed by other American-made firearms. While they may have never been as common as the American-made 1911, they had their fans. There was a joke that DWM imported half their overall production of Lugers to the United States.

After World War 1, Lugers became highly desirable and were often popular bring backs for troops returning from the Great War. This helped fuel their popularity in the states and gave them a standing market.

The Luger Appeal

In a world still mostly ruled by revolvers, the automatic pistol offered a smaller, lighter, and easier-to-conceal platform. They tended to be flatter and easier to pocket, something important to you if you were a criminal. The standard Luger magazine held eight rounds, and those 32-round snail drums were popular enough that at least two criminals carried them.

In the 1930s, 32 rounds in a handgun are absolutely absurd. It outperformed any other handgun from that period in terms of capacity. Lugers were also nine ounces lighter than the 1911, making them easier to pocket-carry.

Additionally, these guns were soft shooting. They were very easy to control and quite accurate. The M1911 isn’t a wrist breaker, but the Luger and its 9mm round are downright soft from an all-metal handgun. If you had to conceal a gun, the Luger seemed to be the right one in this era. Your other choices were 32s and 25s, which weren’t fight-stoppers by any means.

Criminals and Their Lugers

One of New York’s biggest celebrities and biggest bootleggers was a man named Jack ‘Legs’ Diamond. He was famous, reportedly very charming, and quite rich due to his bootlegging activities. Legs made as many enemies as he had friends and was a man who survived half a dozen assassination attempts.

He carried a good chunk of lead in his body and a Luger handgun. His Luger was in .30 Luger, and he is one of two known to have a 32-round snail drum. However, in December of 1931, his enemies finally got him. His Luger sold for nearly ten grand at auction somewhat recently.

If we go from New York to Detroit, we run into a group called the Purple Gang. The Purple Gang was a successful group of bootleggers who made buckets of money with booze. They were also violent hitmen, which would lead to their fall.

The police actively pursued the Purple Gang, and in April 1938, they got a tip regarding Purple Gang member Louis Fleisher. Police stormed his apartment and took out a pile of firearms. This included suppressors, a Mauser 96, a Colt Woodsman, a 1911, and two lugers.

One was your standard 4-inch barrel Luger pistol, and the other was a Luger with an 8-inch barrel that had been nickeled and wore a snail drum.

A bootlegger named John Guida, who reportedly stood a mere 42 inches tall, reportedly reached for a Luger when two men murdered him. Guida’s last action was to reach for a Luger stored in a cigar case when Frank and William Carr gunned him down.

The Unconventional Bootlegger Blaster

Lugers are easily some of the most famed firearms in existence. In the states, they’ve mostly been. Known for being collectible. However, they were more than collector’s items and saw their way around both sides of the law.

SIG’s P210 ‘Commander’ Compact

By

V. Caldwell

-

December 3, 2022

The author found the P210C a slick shooting handgun.

A few years ago SIG brought back the SIG P210, a legendary 9mm pistol of epic statue. The P210A features important improvements over the original. Lockup is now the standard SIG type locking the barrel hood into the slide. The controls are Americanized with a Browning type magazine release and an extended safety in the proper location. The original SIG P210 safety is located in front of the triggerguard. The new pistol is stainless steel with a modern corrosion resistant coating. The SIG P210 is a single column magazine 9mm caliber handgun. Magazine capacity is eight rounds. The pistol is a good handling and shooting pistol. Reliability isn’t a question and you will have to look far and wide to locate a 9mm pistol as accurate as the P210A. And if you do chances are it will be a SIG. The P210A is a target type pistol by most definitions. How does it translate to a concealed carry handgun? Very well. The P210 Carry is a first class concealed carry handgun.

P210 Carry Pistol Specifications

Caliber: 9mm
Overall Length: 7.75 inches
Overall Height: 5.63 inches
Overall Width: 1.44 inches
Barrel Length: 4.1 inches
Sight Radius: 5.6 inches
Weight (w/magazine): 29 oz.

The P210C is a compact version of the SIGP210A. The primary difference is that the pistol is built with an aluminum frame and a shorter slide. The pistol features SIG X Ray three dot night sights and a low key black finish. The grips are G10 types with a good balance of adhesion and abrasion. The front strap is nicely checkered and even the front of the trigger guard is checkered. The trigger action breaks cleanly at a crisp 4.0 pounds even in my example. The pistol features a low bore axis setting low in the hand. This is largely due to the Petter inspired slide design. The slide is reversed from the usual format and rides inside the frame. The controls are positive in operation. Disassembly is simple enough and the pistol should be easy to maintain. It is predicable the pistol will be as reliable and long lived in service as the full size P210A. Lets look at the P210C’s performance.

As of this date I have fired the pistol with 620 mixed rounds including lead bullet handloads, full metal jacketed ammunition, jacketed hollow points, all copper sharp nose bullets, and +P loads. All have fed, chambered, fired and ejected normally. The pistol is smooth in operation but also tight very tight in slide to frame fit. The pistol has a natural point and heft I find refreshing. I carry a 1911 Commander .45 most of the time. I have the greatest respect for the CZ 75 and the Browning High Power. It is natural I use these handguns as a frame of reference. The P210C handles more quickly and more accurately than 9mm 1911 handguns I have tested. It seems to have an advantage that is less pronounced over the Springfield SA 35 while the High Power type pistol carries more ammunition. The CZ 75 D on hand for comparison isn’t as sure to a first shot hit due to its double action first shot trigger. In slow fire, however, the CZ 75 is very accurate- closer to the P210C than most handguns. The bottom line is that nothing in my gun safe or experience shoots as well as the P210C in overall accuracy in combat type shooting or absolute accuracy. Some are close but none quite equal the SIG.

In firing off hand the SIG P210 C is a joy to fire. Recoil is straight to the rear and the low bore axis results in little muzzle flip. The pistol is among the easiest of 9mm handguns to keep on target during a firing string. Most of the shooting with the pistol has been in off hand combat fire and bracing on different barricades, a truck bed, and from kneeling position. The pistol has never failed to deliver good combat accuracy. In firing from a solid braced firing position the pistol demonstrates excellent accuracy. I was able to secure several 2.0 inch groups at a long 25 yards with quality ammunition. On occasion when all went well with sight alignment, sight picture, and trigger press, I fired a 1.5 inch 25 yard group. This doesn’t have much to do with combat shooting but it demonstrates the fitting and quality of manufacture of the pistol. So we have a brilliantly accurate and easily controlled 9mm, light enough for constant carry, but without a high capacity magazine or light rail. That limits the audience and potential buyers. Just the same the P210C is as accurate a handgun as may be purchased over the counter and it offers steadfast reliability.

The SIGP210C is a handsome and useful handgun.

The Target Masterpiece

By

P.E. Fitch

-

December 3, 2022

The Smith and Wesson Model 14 revolver is one of the true classic members of the .38 Special K-frame family. These were known back in the day for their target match shooting performance out of the box. Typically, a Model 14 revolver has adjustable Patridge target sights and a six inch barrel. First unveiled in 1947, these guns quickly became a favorite of serious shooters during the golden age of the double action revolver, for both competitors and police officers. Besides the generous sight radius and crisp sight picture afforded by this revolver’s sights, it also balances quite nicely. Ever since I noticed how pleasant 148gr .38 Special wadcutters feel when shooting them from a Model 14, I started looking out for one to call my own. The overall pleasant experience, smoothness of the action and great accuracy with match .38 caliber ammunition led me to dub it the “Goldilocks Gun.”

Smith and Wesson’s “model number nomenclature” did not become a thing until the year 1957, so prior to that guns just had names like Military & Police, Registered Magnum, Target Masterpiece, Combat Masterpiece, etc. The Model 14 in particular was known as the K-38 Target Masterpiece. While nowadays a six inch barrel on a revolver might be seen as too long and not the first choice, the majority of target revolvers of yesteryear were built with such barrel lengths in mind. Besides these longer barrels, the Model 14 had adjustable target sights which might as well have been the mounted dot sight equivalent of their day, especially if one compares the rudimentary sights found on basic service or general purpose revolvers back then. More basic guns had a rear sight that milled through the revolver’s topstrap and the front sight was just a rudimentary blade fixed in place. On the other hand, the Model 14 specifically had Patridge sights. E. E. Patridge came up with his design in the late 1890s and these quickly became the go-to for accuracy oriented target pistols. A thick front sight blade lines up evenly in front of a square notch while still allowing some light on either side of the front blade. The sight picture this arrangement provides is ideal for a 6 o’clock hold when shooting bullseye targets.

Detail of the thick Patridge front sight blade along with the adjustable rear sight and a full length serrated flat top. This was a feature often found on target semi autos and revolvers to reduce glare. Note the wide target hammer as well.

THE MODEL 14 IN MATCHES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

Jack Weaver shooting his Model 14 revolver using the stance he become famous for developing.

The Model 14 was nearly perfect for bullseye and PPC (Police Pistol Combat Competition) out of the box. Prior to the popularity of action pistol sports like IPSC or IDPA, old school serious shooters participated in these types of shooting events. Accuracy in either of these disciplines was paramount, and matches were often determined by the number of “X-ring” tie breaker hits. Naturally it follows that these older games would require more accuracy. As most revolvers held only six cartridges it was important both in sport and combat that all six rounds had to count. Famous pistol shooter, Jack Weaver (inventor of the Weaver stance) used to shoot with a Model 14. His skill level was such that he had no problem competing against shooters with single action 1911s.

Like these archaic handgun games, police shooting tactics then placed a heavier focus on accuracy and standards were more stringent then than they are today. According to Darryl Bolke of HiTS, shooting scores and critical accuracy were held in extremely high regard by police culture of the era, and many departments and agencies already had decades using six inch barreled target revolvers as duty weapons. It comes with no surprise that the Model 14 revolver was an approved pistol that was extensively used by the Los Angeles Police Department during this time period. Officers were originally issued the perennial 158gr LRN standard .38 Special loads. Typically officers carried a fully loaded cylinder and 12 additional cartridges in some drop pouches with the addition of perhaps a back up snub nosed revolver as well. That is a total of 18-23 rounds on board. Every shot had to count. Revolvers like the Model 14 were carried in very old school break open clamshell holsters. These archaic holsters split open from the front in order to make it easier to draw a revolver with a [relatively long] barrel efficiently.

A Model 14 Revolver at the LAPD Museum in Los Angeles, California. The gun sits on an opened clamshell holster along with the period Sam Browne rig. An Ithaca Model 37 shotgun barrel is also in view.

The Smith and Wesson Model 14 was also prominently featured in the popular LAPD TV show, Adam-12 during its first few seasons until the LAPD started transitioning from the Model 14 to the Smith and Wesson Model 15 revolver during the early 1970s. (The TV switched accordingly to remain consistent with this detail as well). In the 1988 film Colors Sean Penn’s character officer Danny McGavin notably carries a Model 14 as his main duty sidearm as well.

Screen grab from Adam-12. Officer Malloy is unloading his Smith and Wesson Model 14 revolver. The old school drop pouches that held 12 additional loose cartridges are visible in this photo in addition to the customized Fuzzy Farrant stocks on the revolver. image credit: IMFDB.org

THE MODEL 14 LEGACY

The Smith and Wesson Model 14 revolver became relevant in American gun culture during what was arguably the zenith or the golden age of the double action revolver. Offering police officers and competitors everything they needed out of the box to shoot well, it was also revered as such. Though the sun has set on the service revolver as a primary duty weapon, firearms such as the Smith and Wesson Model 14 continue to bring some utility, pleasure and appreciation for the old ways to modern shooters. Whether it is Smith and Wesson or Colt or any other revolver manufacturer who has been present for generations, often times people remark something along the lines of “they don’t make them like they used to.” This is undoubtedly true, especially for products that have been around for over a century. The Model 14 is a product of an era when gunsmiths worked over and fitted normal factory guns before being shipped out—something that is now economically unfeasible due to the time, money, and skill required to do so. Manufacturing techniques have evolved, in many ways for the better, but these old guns will always retain that “soul.” To understand where one currently is and where they are heading in the future, one must not forget what came before them.

The Colt GX-3181 – A Forgotten Pocket Pistol Prototype

By

Travis Pike

-

December 3, 2022

If you said Colt didn’t have much imagination, I’d have to agree. They are still clinging to the 1911. Admittedly they seemingly failed every time they tried to do something different. Why they aren’t exactly imaginative in the guns they produce, they do have some interesting prototypes that never got made. For example, the confusingly named Colt GX-3181. The GX-3181 is a prototype pistol designed as a retro refit of the Colt 1908 Vest Pocket pistol.

To really understand this gun, we have to understand the Colt 1908 Vest Pocket. The Vest Pocket was a John Browning design. As the name implies, it’s a pocket pistol. It’s only 4.5 inches long, with a 2-inch barrel. It weighed only 13 ounces and was chambered in the anemic 25 ACP round. This was a striker-fired pistol that used a straight blowback operation. ‘Tiny’ best describes the gun.

The weapon featured a set of fixed sights which were incredibly small but designed to be snag-free. They are actual sights, but Colt carved a trench into the slide to allow them to sit flush with the slide and be rather snag-free. It’s a smart design. The 1908 Vest Pocket was a popular pistol, and nearly half a million were produced. They were even fielded by the OSS and SOE during World War 2.

The Colt GX-3181 – Revamping the Colt 1908 Vest Pocket

By the mid-1940s, the Vest Pocket was out of production. Sales likely slowed due to the gun’s age and the advent of similar, more modern weapons. Colt still wanted a piece of that small, concealable pistol market. Cheap European pistols flooded the market, and Colt was being priced out. They looked at the Vest Pocket and pondered what they could do to improve the design.

They came up with a few options to make the pistol more modern and appealing. I imagine the anime 1908 Vest Pocket pistol made it a little less prevalent after World War 2. People were looking towards the future and the atomic age. The wearing of vests was likely less common, and who wanted a gun from 1908?

The Colt GX-3181 ditched the wood grips and replaced them with a polymer-type material with a bit of a swell to them. It likely filled the hand better, making the gun a little wider and easier to shoot. Say bye to the grip safety because it was gone. The frame-mounted safety had a slight redesign that allowed it to be a bit bigger and flow into the slide easier.

The heel-mounted magazine release was enlarged and likely much easier to work with. The slide was slightly reduced, exposing some of the barrel. To cut weight, the frame was made from aluminum. Also, interestingly enough, the prototype produced was in .22LR instead of 25 ACP. This might have been for prototyping means, but it also might have been because 25 ACP was going out of style.

The sights remained small and kept the odd, low profile, trench-type design. It appeared to be a very handy little pistol. Perfect for the pocket and handy for concealed carry. So, where is my overpriced Colt GX-3181 listing on Gunbroker?

The Fate of the Little Fella

Colt prototyped the weapon and tested it, but it went nowhere. Sadly Colt ditched the idea but still wanted a mini pocket pistol. They decided to import a weapon from Spain, specifically Astra. Colt imported the Astra Cub and renamed it the Colt Junior. It was a 25 ACP pocket pistol that was cheaper to import than it would be to produce the GX-3181.

Sadly, economics got in the way of production, and Colt ditched the plan.

The Schema – A New Concealed Carry Option from Safariland

By

Travis Pike

-

December 2, 2022

Safariland is the company for duty holsters. They probably equip more police officers than any other holster maker in the world. They’ve produced concealment holsters before, but they’ve always seemed like an afterthought in the grand scheme of things. That’s until now, and the Safariland Schema.

The Schema is a low-profile IWB rig aimed at the appendix market. It’s currently being produced for firearms from Glock, Shadow Systems, Taurus, SIG Sauer, and Springfield Armory. The main focus is on the smaller guns, and my example is for the SIG P365XL. The Schema is a different take on the minimalist holster. There are cuts placed here, and there are done to maximize the minimization of the holster.

What you end up with is the lowest profile possible on an IWB holster. We’ve seen the traditional IWB rigs, and we’ve seen those zany, fairly unsafe minimalist rigs. This falls in between those two and offers you a minimalist holster that doesn’t sacrifice safety or support.

The Schema – A Quick Peak

The Schema is an all-polymer design with a single clip. It comes with a claw that helps with AIWB concealment and pushes the holster back toward the body. Safariland designed the Schema with optics in mind and doesn’t get in the way of my big ole Shield RMSx.

The single clip allows you to adjust the cant as well as the height of the holster very easily. Untighten an Allen key, make your adjustments and tighten it back down. Not a whole lot to it, and sometimes simplicity is good. Sorry to say that you lefties are left out once more, and it’s right-handed shooters only.

Strapping It On

The Schema pops on and off nicely. A hook under the clip secures it to your belt and once attached, it’s locked on and doesn’t move. The holster blends in seamlessly and disappears under your shirt and pants. Small guns tend to do that, and the Schema does it well. Appendix can be tricky in the comfort department.

Like any appendix holster, you aren’t likely to forget you are wearing it. However, it doesn’t poke and prod unnecessarily. The little rig clings tight to the body without rubbing you wrong. I had a little fear that things would get pinched between the gun and the skeletonized portion of the holster, but my fears were unfounded.

In Action with the Schema

With a little help from the Mantis Laser Academy, I got a good mix of both live and dry fire reps in place. The Schema does allow you to get a nice full grip on the gun and to draw with complete and total confidence. It’s easy to get a natural firing position prior to drawing, which helps you get that good, solid presentation.

Of course, I can’t not have a complaint. I’d be able to carry this holster a lot more often if the clip was tuckable. Seeing as how it’s detachable, it seems like Safariland could produce upgraded options in the near future, but who knows? A tuckable clip would allow me to carry it during the day job and not just when I’m off work.

A New Age

It took Safariland long enough to really enter the concealed carry market. The Schema marks a new turn for Safariland, and it’s an odd turn, to say the least. It’s a handy holster that keeps up Safariland’s reputation for quality and consistency. It’s a little different and a great way for Safariland to enter the concealment market wholeheartedly. At 40 bucks, it’s a tough holster to beat.

The New Dimension of Compact, Sig Sauer P365 X Macro

By

Keith Finch

-

December 2, 2022

p365 x macro from sig sauer with a tlr 7a streamlight and holosun eps red dot — The Sig Sauer P365 X Macro with Holosun EPS and Streamlight TLR-7A

The Sig Sauer P365 X Macro entered the market as a fairly radical departure from what the P365 was originally, a micro hi-cap 9mm.

In that small pistols place we have a new compact. It’s a medium frame pistol with higher than average capacity and a slimmer profile than we’re used to seeing. It’s approximately the size of a G19, P10C, or P320C, but then slimmed. It takes about the same space as the Springfield Armory 9mm EMP 1911.

The slimmest and most comfortably carriable 17 rounds on the market, along with the now standard ability to mount common lights and red dots.

Rethinking the mid-size pistol, the return of the “compact”

The X Macro is competing in the space of the pistols I mentioned above, the Glock 19, CZ P10C, and Sig’s own P320C. These traditional compacts have been the core of popular carry guns for years, decades in some instances.

In a ‘shocking’ bit of marketing, Sig is borrowing on their popular micro-9’s name to drive attention. This is a compact pistol, although they have several compacts already in their catalog. Even before we even talk about competing brands the P229, SP2022, and M11-A1 join the P320C models in occupying the space the X Macro looks to inhabit also.

GAME CHANGER?

Sort of?

It’s the only native slim 17 round frame at the moment in a modern striker pistol. The G48+Shield Mags and Hellcat Pro are 15rd guns. The Masada Slim can take a native 17rd magazine (Jericho) but its frame and grip are 13rd length.

This means that, for the moment, the P365 X Macro industry leads as the smallest/slimmest 17 round frame. Also one of a handful of 17 round capable pistols that have reduced dimensions. It is giving us duty pistol capacity while reimagining compact frames as more than just a slightly shorter grip and slide. Manufacturers have finally targeted width as a reduced dimension without resorting to single stack.

A P365 in a Wilson Combat grip module and 12 round mags sitting atop the X Macro

The most dramatic departure from the hi-cap micro-9’s the P365 X Macro exhibits is not in the capacity, it is in the frame design. Extending magazines isn’t new. We’ve taken that to its logically absurd extremes for awhile now.

Returning to a conventionally railed frame and making the frame thicker in a few spots, the trigger guard most notably, compared to slimmer legacy P365 frames steps it back into the mid-size/traditional compact pistol field. We are returning the expected features found on traditional compact pistols. The interchangeable backstrap inserts are another legacy feature from the full and mid-size category and they are back also.

The pistol can comfortably mount a TLR-7A (or any light that size) and work in compatible holsters. The large backstrap fills out the grip in the way smaller P365 and P365X grips couldn’t. I purchased the built up WC grip for my P365 for that reason, it is unnecessary on the X Macro.

Why Slimmer?

There have been good ways to manage a full size or midsize pistol and a light, including an X300, but those options are still sizeable in IWB holsters. Those pistols and ancillaries take up substantial carry real estate, I would hesitate to call them truly comfortable as compared to manageable. The light and red dot sight do necessarily increase the gun’s footprint.

Even using smaller lights the large frames are… well… large. The P320 AXG is a large, smoothly actioned, heavy pistol and it shoots like it.

I’ve carried it in a Floodlight, it works. Exceptionally. But nothing makes the pistol itself smaller. It was manageable, not comfortable. We don’t need to rehash the old saw about a pistol being comforting and not comfortable either, its a silly argument as humans require comfort to optimize. Comfort lowers the chances of fatigue, injury, and distraction. Comfort is a component of safety.

Now slimmer pistols, slimmer lights, in complementingly svelte holsters are going to have their say on that space requirement moving forward. The reason pistols like the G43 and S&W Shield dominated the carry market upon their introduction and sold like mad was comfort and convenience, now the X Macro is offering those qualities at a 17rd capacity.

I don’t see this as changing the game, we are not inventing comfortably framed pistol sizes, lights, optics, or compensators here.

The P365 X Macro and its peers have nicely begun the full optimizing of the compact pistol and subcompact pistol by tackling that trickiest dimension of width. With that we will likely witness a shift as full size pistols maintain their popularity in their roles, but the traditional compacts and subcompacts, G19 and G26 as examples, will be ceding ground to the new compacts and new subcompacts.

The G26 hasn’t been spoken about with much seriousness in years, fading to an ‘ I already own it and it works well enough’ state of existence like an old small pickup truck you have no reason to sell.

The three dimensionally reduced pistols will overtake the older compacts as the dominate designs for carry. We will witness the legacy compact fade in popularity, we have already in many respects, the way we’ve seen older rifle styles fade to obsolescence. With pistols it will very likely be a quicker rate of turnover. Those physical dimensions directly influence how comfortably carriable a pistol is, therefore they impact someone’s daily carry habit.

A rifle is not a contact point for most of us everyday, to say nothing of continuous contact. Whether your rifle is wearing a rail designed last month or last decade, or a rail at all, whether it is free floated or not, none of those will greatly impact your daily comfort with the rifle. The new standards for pistol sizes can and will influence daily comfort, that comfort/performance equation has driven the dimensional and capacity race over the last several years.

We saw the market go down to the mini-380’s, then the micro-9’s, and now swinging back into the “hi-cap” micro-9 or slim-9 category. The .30 Super Carry may also get its say in the space. People who carry daily are more likely to adopt a change for their daily comfort. People who are getting into carry are more likely to pick these newer comfort centric options initially. It will be the long list of people who occasionally carry, or have settled comfortably onto a pistol, that are least likely to be moved to adopt a newer gun at this point in time.

This is where the P365 X Macro is ‘changing the game’ as it were, though I think that is too much the buzzword, it is continuing our transition to the new three dimensional era of compact pistols and I believe it has set the standard to match for the new mid-size on most things.

Getting it right

Both 17+1, optic equipped (Holosun EPS) and light equipped pistols.

I’m not going to wax hyperbolic here about the P365 X Macro, it shoots.

I pull the trigger, the round does down range, the pistol recoils and gets ready to do it again. And again… and again. The P365 X Macro has continued that trend every time I ask it too and I’ve been carrying it since mid-August.

The longer recoil spring assembly and the compensated slide make this a pleasant pistol to shoot, especially compared to the legacy P365. Splits were notably faster and the recoil transfer is notably less. The littler P365X with its shorter recoil assembly is snappier, a trade for the size savings. The P365 X Macro exhibits very comfortable recoil characteristics, inhabiting that middle ground of recoil impulse where only a significant increase in mass of the frame and slide are going to tame it by any further noticeable degree.

I carry and shoot alloy framed guns because of the smoothness in operation and the recoil characteristics. I carry small frames and polymer frames for size and weight savings. Features that push the feel of small polymer frame guns back toward their larger alloy framed family members make me happy. The X Macro makes me happy.

Optic mounting comes standard, pick any slim profile dot. The light rail handles a smaller frame light well and makes deciding to forego a light to save on weight and space a much less pressing concern for the carry gun. You can ask of the P365 X Macro almost anything its larger sibling or competitors can do and it will do it.

That is all very well done.

To do better – The critique list

A new pistol with issues? Perish the thought, right?

No, the P365 X Macro isn’t perfect. My model has perhaps the most looney toons feeling trigger I have ever pulled through. It isn’t heavy, but it feels like pulling on a lever labeled ACME and watching the catapult launch Wile E. into orbit rather than the predictable sear release that my P320 has. This might just need breaking in. This might need me swapping a few bits. It isn’t a great trigger, it is a functional one.

But even with that the gun is flat and accurate. Your trigger experience may vary or it may match.

The second issue is magazine finish, I have never met a pair of mags who so desperately wanted to be Autumn basic and deck out in orange. I know they’re new and it was a rush to get them going, but the regular 12 rounders seem much move averse to surface rusting than these new 17’s that shipped with mine. This could be an issue specific to when my magazines got their finish finished. I’m ordering half a dozen more when they come available.

Magazine finish didn’t seem to fight rust and wore though rather quickly and trigger press kinesthetics are, at best, functional. No issues on function. The Holosun EPS Carry is working superbly with it.

This is my EDC gun, it will remain my EDC gun for the foreseeable future. I recently dropped the TLR-7A and went with a reduced profile holster from PHLster, however carrying with the light was not cumbersome either and remains a good option for those wanting or needing it.

One final point of note for this, and noted for other pistols wearing a comp or with a comp. Specifically on shooting from close retention, you have gas being redirected up and out on a short barrel and slide. This means shooting next to your body is going to gas you, no getting around it. You’re going to catch some of the burning powder and hot gas if the muzzle is near your body. This point of note for a specific shooting condition set needs to be accounted for so a buyer can plan accordingly. Some folks like comps. Some folks do not on “fighting” pistols. This one is comped and shoots very pleasantly because of that.

Final final note, wait for a decent price on the P365 X Macro. PSA gets them and sells them for $799.99, this isn’t worth paying double that on an auction just to have right now. It isn’t.

Unless it is because its your money, you can’t take it with you. Do what you want.

Final

The P365 X Macro is a perfect carry pistol, if you want a mid-sized 17+1 pistol with a compensator, optic, and capable of adding a light or laser right out of the box. It isn’t the only carry pistol. It won’t be the carry pistol of choice if any feature on it doesn’t fit your use case. There are other excellent options from other excellent manufacturers. There are cheaper options, smaller options, larger options, heavier and lighter options.

But after all those considerations were considered and the options optioned, I stuck with this one.

Dr. Mark Hamill vs. the Empire (Again)

By

DRGO

-

December 2, 2022

(from sideshow.com)

DRGO member Mark Hamill, MD recently let us know about his team’s newly published paper on how firearm sales across the states correlate with crime and murder. (Short version—they don’t.) Specifically, “Legal Firearm Sales at State Level and Rates of Violent Crime, Property Crime, and Homicides” will be published in the January 20023 edition of the Journal of Surgical Research. It should be available online through November.

Dr. Hamill is an associate professor of surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha specializing in critical care and trauma surgery. Yes, he’s one of those physicians who put back together victims of “gun violence”. Yet he didn’t get infected by the public health virus and has been looking at gun laws, the consequences of gunfire, and the realities of gun ownership and gun carrying in themselves.

We reported on his earlier study “State Level Firearm Concealed-Carry Legislation and Rates of Homicide and Other Violent Crime” from the January 2019 Journal of the American College of Surgery. In that, his team showed conclusively that relaxing concealed carry laws makes no significant difference in violent crime rates.

Hamill and his co-authors do a similar service in their new study showing that there is no “association between increased lawful firearm sales and rates of crime or homicide.” These are not casual conclusions or simple correlations based on artificially constructed controls, like so much agenda-driven work that tries to undercut the value of gun ownership. Hamill et al stay reality based, using consistent, deep statistical analysis based purely on solid official statistics compiled over decades, state by actual state.

Please read the abstract (and the paper, if you can access it via your subscription or institutional affiliation). This is the kind of work that is incontrovertible no matter what your politics. It underlines the fact that the thesis that restricting legal gun use would reduce crime, death or injuries is null.

There is reason to believe that privately keeping and bearing arms as protected by the Constitution really reduces those tragedies. But all that is necessary is to prove that doing so doesn’t cause or increase them, which many studies like these, expert panels and good surveys support. With no societal utility for infringement, there’s no case to be made.

With good work like this, Dr. Hamill risks being tarred by the “mainstream” medical and media establishment as beyond the pale, the same neighborhood Dr. John Lott, Jr. resides in their imaginations. It is not a comfortable place to live, but the integrity and quality of their work makes such ostracism a badge of honor. Like Lott, Hamill has the courage of his convictions and the strength to stand tall by them. Thank you, Mark!

.

— DRGO Editor Robert B. Young, MD is a psychiatrist practicing in Pittsford, NY, an associate clinical professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

All DRGO articles by Robert B. Young, MD

Mouse Guns – A How To Guide

By

Travis Pike

-

December 1, 2022

I’ve developed a growing interest in the mouse gun concept, the little calibers. Calibers like .22LR, 25 ACP, 32 ACP, and similar little fellas. It’s easy to find some solace in the realm of 9mm and even .380 ACP, but maybe there is a space for mouse guns. To be fair, if you asked me if I wanted to carry a pocket-sized .380 or a pocket-sized .32 I might pick the .32 ACP.

Less recoil and more confidence in my ability to hit the target might overwhelm ballistic capability. The more I think about and invest in mouse guns, the more I’ve learned they have a place in some situations, although they remain a niche option.

Have a Decent Reason

Why would you carry a mouse gun in an era where the P365 exists? It’s a good question, and if you can’t answer that, then you might not need one. If your answer is it’s because it’s convenient, I might ask you to reevaluate. If you are going to settle for something in the mouse gun category, then have a good reason.

Mine is because sometimes I just can’t accessibly carry a larger weapon. Most of the time, this is due to how I’m required to be dressed for my day. I also know that when I’m dressed in this manner, my likelihood of encountering danger is lower than average. I can accept the trade-off in ballistic capability.

Understand the Downsides

Handguns, in general, tend to be weak weapons. They are terrible fight stoppers, and when you step down to a mouse gun, you need to recognize that problem. Be realistic with your expectations, and understand your weapon’s capabilities.

It’s likely harder to shoot and harder to shoot well. It’s smaller, so there is less to grab, and capacity is probably low. At the same time, these rounds are weaker. Recognizing the downsides is kind of like being an alcoholic. You have to admit it first.

Be Ammo Picky

Oh boy, you have to be picky with your ammunition Shot placement is on you as the shooter. However, your ammo has a job. It needs to penetrate deep enough to reach something vital. The standard most commonly accepted by the defensive firearms industry is 12 inches through properly calibrated ballistic gel.

A lot of these mouse gun rounds tend to be fairly poor penetrators, doubly so if they are jacketed hollow points and are designed to expand. A lot of the knowledge you apply to purchasing standard defensive ammunition goes out the window with mouse guns. You might need an FMJ to reach the distance needed to just down a bad guy.

Research your caliber and specific load, and on top of that, research how that load performs out of the barrel length of your gun. As a defensive shooter, you need to know how it performs and understand it.

Reevaluate Your Skills

I’m not a pro shooter, but you give me something P365XL-sized with a red dot, and I’m pretty sharp when I need to be. You start shrinking that platform, and my skills seemingly vanish. Not vanish entirely, but at least significantly deteriorate. A smaller gun is harder to shoot, and you shouldn’t rely on the skills you’ve built with a bigger gun.

Use time standards and make sure you understand your skills with your mouse gun. You might pass the Dickens drill with a Glock 19, but doing the same with a Beretta 21A might be a bit more challenging. You might need to adjust your expectations and plan around that.

The Mighty Mouse Gun

Little guns haven’t gotten a ton of love in the last few years. It’s tough to justify when micro-compacts have taken over the landscape. Even so, they are not entirely useless. They have their place, and I’d love to see some more modern 32 ACPs. That might not be on anyone’s docket, but I can dream. Carry a mouse gun and carry it confidently. Just be realistic in your expectations and the reality of the mouse gun.

Founding Fathers & AR-15’s

By

Lars Smith

-

December 1, 2022

A colonial era soldier holding a modern AR15 rifle — Photo Credit: Colonialarmament.com

If you’re unfamiliar with the capability of a flintlock rifle, which was a common arm employed by American militiamen in the Revolutionary War, Flannel Daddy’s video above is a fantastic intro. The founding fathers understood its capabilities, and that it had advantages over the smoothbore muskets the British Army employed, particularly in the accuracy department. To wit: The founding fathers enthusiastically employed better, more capable, privately owned guns than were the military standard of the day.

Addressing the argument we’re dancing around, if you’re unfamiliar with it, bless you and your sheltered life: Anti-gunners will often propose banning any gun that wasn’t known by/available to the founding fathers. Ignoring the obvious absurdity of the argument that the inalienable rights written down by the founding fathers only extend to the technology available at the time (otherwise the internet, telephones, fax machines, and ballpoint pens would not be covered by the 1A), let’s take a look at this commonplace argument and how to counter it when encountered in the wild. AR-15’s certainly didn’t exist in the 18th century, but that point alone does not actually mean anything, particularly when considering the context of the era the founding fathers lived and wrote the Bill of Rights in.

First of all, the Continental Army grew from citizen militias which were as old as the colonies themselves. Most colonies required all able-bodied (usually those capable of strenuous physical activity, aged 16-60) men to keep, and be ready to bear arms in action with little notice. They were mustered periodically to practice functioning as a paramilitary unit, and were often the primary line of defense against native raiders. They were considered a local extension of the British Army, and were expected to have arms of modern military quality. After all, they were often deployed alongside the army (the most modern and powerful one in the world, at that), and needed to be similarly capable and equipped. The founding fathers knew this, many viscerally as they had been members of, or fought alongside the colonial militias in the British Army.

By the time of the “Boston Crisis” of 1774, American militias had over a century of combat experience. Particularly in New England, militias had by then developed a specialized branch of younger (typically <25y/o), enthusiastic, reliable, and more highly trained men, with arms supplied by the government, who were expected arm up and turn out with “a minute’s notice”. They were hand picked by regular militia commanders, essentially the first specialized American elite military unit, appropriately named “Minutemen”. By the American Revolution, they accounted for about a quarter of the New England militia’s roster, and were among the first to fight. Does this sound like a force that would turn down an AR-15 if you handed them one? We don’t think so, and we suspect the founding fathers wouldn’t either.

The militia, and the Minutemen in particular, employed tactics considered “ungentlemanly” by the standards of warfare of the day. Anything besides moving over open terrain in massed formations was considered terrorism, and the American irregular forces that made up the bulk of the early American revolutionary military took great pains to employ those “terroristic” tactics. The greater range and accuracy of their rifles meant that they did not need to fire in massed volleys to hit the enemy, and could even target NCOs and officers to disrupt their more numerous, and often better trained foe.

It should also be noted that especially early on, there were no government stores of small arms, artillery, or warships. Significant portions of the Continental Navy were converted merchant ships, armed with privately purchased and owned cannons, commissioned as privateers. The same goes for the cannons and small arms used by the Army.

Lastly, repeating arms absolutely existed during the founding fathers’ day. From the Puckle Gun (which makes an AR-15 look like a .22), to the pepperbox pistol, and the 22-shot Girardoni Air Rifle, capable of bringing down large game.

So to bury this argument once and for all, let’s take a look at what history has to say about what the founding fathers would have thought of an AR-15, shall we? We have:
-A nation at war with privately owned arms of all kinds, from swords and pistols to cannons and warships.
-A preference for top-of-the-line rifled flintlocks that exceed the capabilities of the British Brown Bess musket.
-An understanding of repeating arms, and period employment of such by hunters, the Austrian Army, and even Thomas Jefferson himself.
-An appreciation for ingenuity, engineering, and leveraging every possible advantage over the enemy to achieve unlikely success, even if that makes some label them “terrorists”.

We think you’re capable of looking at the above and coming to your own conclusion, but if nothing else, keep all this in mind the next time you find yourself facing what may be a well-intentioned argument, however poorly supported by observable history it may be.