Violence: Gun & Otherwise

By

-

October 28, 2021

(from nlc.org)

On October 25, an article appeared in ABC news online written by Ivan Pereira, who believes he sees that America has a problem with “gun violence” (“America has a gun violence problem. What do we do about it?”). There is little to recommend this piece, but he does make one good point when he refers to people developing behavior patterns that “. . . make them more prone to violence in all of its forms; violence against partners, violence against the community and violence against themselves. . .”

This is a message so often overlooked or ignored by those who argue that we should restrict Second Amendment rights. The murders we see on TV or learn about from one source or another arise from tendency or temptation to harm, injure or kill others. The story of Cain’s murdering Abel is among the very earliest morality tales in the Bible.

Unfortunately, Periera seems to lose sight of this profound truth and gets distracted by “gun violence“. As is so often the case with those attacking the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, he focuses on the tools, rather than those who use the tools.

He quotes a commentator as saying with regard to killers using guns “. . . some are premeditated acts of aggression, some are domestic disputes, others are part of other crimes such as robberies, but the one common denominator is access to a firearm.” Since he only considers killings done with guns, this is like saying that listening to the radio requires access to a radio. And of course this commentator misses Periera’s other point, expressed more or less in passing elsewhere in the article, that the real common denominator behind all murders is the intent to do harm.

Early in the piece Periera talks about so-called mass shootings being “a symbol for some of Americas obsession with guns . . .” Those who like to watch courtroom dramas may want to leap up and shout, “Objection—assumes facts not in evidence!“ He also compares the U.S. to some other countries with regard to rates of “gun violence.“ As has been pointed out in this column numerous times, when you look at all the world’s countries, the U.S is among the lowest in homicides.

While from beginning to end he takes an alarmist position as to injuries from people misusing guns, he presents a couple of graphs showing that in the U.S. deaths and injuries that follow from firearm misuse are decreasing, rather than increasing. Others have reported the same thing. Readers are also told about an “. . . epidemic of injury by firearms . . .” which doesn’t square well with the decline—as shown by a graph he presents—in injuries arising from people who misuse them.

What can one conclude from all this? Perhaps, that occasionally the fog lifts just a bit and it can be seen that people often harbor malicious motives and are drawn to awful acts. While sometimes these thoughts and acts arise primarily from an individual’s psychological make-up, at other times social relationships figure heavily, as in violence perpetrated by street gang members.

Hitler arranged for millions to be poisoned by gas. Ted Bundy bludgeoned and strangled dozens of victims. Those who seek to act murderously will use whatever means at their disposal.

.

—Thomas E. Gift, MD is a child and adolescent psychiatrist practicing in Rochester, New York, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical School, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

All DRGO articles by Thomas E. Gift, MD

‘ABC News: Inside the rise of AR-15-style rifles in America’ A Fisking

By

Keith Finch

-

October 27, 2021

The well worn FN "M16A5-I" of the author. One of those AR-15's in circulation.

Emily Shapiro has released a piece for ABC that should serve as the textbook definition of, “Tell me you don’t know what you’re talking about without telling me you don’t know what you are talking about…”

Inside the rise of AR-15-style rifles in America

After an emotional expositive opening about how murder is bad, and how it makes the surviving family and friends of murder victims sad, she targets the true culprit… The AR-15. Which, like most of these pieces, fastudiously ignores all other possible methods of injury available to mass murders.

Actually I will give Emily credit here, her piece doesn’t outright ignore it. But it buries the lead so well you could be forgiven for missing her acknowledgment that, despite the assault weapon ban of 94-04, the FBI was tracking an increase in mass public attacks and public shootings for various motives. The Pandora’s Box of media response to these events was known and the 24 hour media cycle plays right into a very select delusion of the potentially violent, infamy.

Shapiro then pivots to explain that 20 Million… 20,000,000 AR-15 style rifles are in circulation currently, like the ones used in those horrific mass murders. Think of all that murder potential ladies and gentlemen. If one gun can do murder, and there are 400 Million guns… 400,000,000! And 20 million are the really extra bad guns… well that is all just bad and you should think so too.

There is no definitive criteria for AR-15 “Style” listed, but as the NSSF is the cited source I would think that means actual AR-15 variants that stick fairly close to the original Armalites and Colts and does not include firearms like the MCX, SCAR, X95, or AK’s in the total. But I don’t know.

Then we get this intellectually anemic attempt at a point from former FBI agent Brad Garrett. This is a classic appeal to authority fallacy to make someones point for them and precludes examining the point or comment critically because ‘FBI Agent’

Because AR-15-style rifles are so versatile, with the ability to add scopes and change both the length and size of the barrel, they became a desirable weapon for many Americans, especially people who like to hunt, ABC News contributor and former FBI agent Brad Garrett said.

Let’s look at the the core of the statement.

‘with the ability to add scopes and change both the length and size of the barrel‘

While pointing out that the pump action shotgun, which hasn’t changed its overall form much since 1897, has both of those features also, I must additionally point out that this isn’t even enough to qualify as a gross oversimplification of why Americans and eligible residents like the AR-15. It’s oversimplified beyond a gross oversimplification. It is a nonsense statement barely grasping at a point.

The AR-15 is an accurate, moderate power (in its native 5.56x45mm), ergonomic, and safe rifle to operate for its users. It is also a modular and well supported system that can be tailored to any user’s comfort and performance needs. It is the ‘everyone’s rifle’ for its moderation and flexibility. When costs came down on them drastically it also became much more accessible. PSA regular lists a basic one you can buy for about $400 (in two halves).

The hunting comment is an odd one too, selected as a grasp (I assume) by ABC at one of the common misnomers about the Second Amendment… that it is for hunting. The AR-15 is an excellent game rifle, but more from the fact that it is an excellent rifle overall then that it is tailored for game. It can be tailored for anything well, it is an excellent rifle.

Then we get the standard proclamation that it is being used in more mass shootings,

But along with that rise in popularity, the use of these weapons in mass shootings is also climbing, according to Louis Klarevas, a research professor at Teachers College, Columbia University who specializes in gun violence and safety. From Sandy Hook to San Bernardino to Orlando to Las Vegas, “most of the deadly high-profile mass shootings in the past decade were perpetrated with assault weapons, particularly AR-15-style assault rifles,” Klarevas said.

This cleverly glosses over the fact that this makes sense. Not because the AR-15 and “assault weapons” are ‘ideal for mass killings’ (because in fact they are not, improvised explosives are far more efficient) but again merely for the fact that the rifle is an excellent rifle. They dutifully ignore the fact that equivalent slaughters have come from handguns and shotguns. They ignore that the cost and availability of the AR’s, because of their mass popularity, make them a convenient tool for a killer and that has a huge determinant factor in selection.

In short they ignore any environmental circumstance that could muddy the point that ‘AR-15 bad’.

They also ignore all the science we do have on killing itself, on mass killing motives, target and method selections, and how one of the greatest determinants on casualties is not the weapon but site of the attack. We see that in both Orlando and Las Vegas. ABC oversimplifies themselves out of a point here, because in making it they would have to undermine their argument that the AR-15 is special in the way they are trying to portray.

The AR is an effective weapon, but ABC’s argument is that it is extra effective to such a degree that its use is what is shifting the balance of lethal force in mass killings. It isn’t. The disparity of force in a mass killing environment is not unique to ‘assault weapons’.

We then get to the ‘History’ section we get more nonsense trying to find a point to land on,

Sometimes referred to as “assault weapons” or “military-style rifles,” this class of firearm can encompass many different kinds of guns — not just the more well-known rifles, such as the AK and AR-15 series weapons. The term “assault weapon” generally encompasses a wide range of models, including the UZI rifle and pistol, the Beretta AR-70, the SKS rifle and more, according to the California Attorney General’s Assault Weapons Identification Guide.

Recall that the bolt action rifle and pump action shotgun both have over a century of military service, are still in military service making them military weapons, and have been used in mass killings. The guide is objectively nonsensical.

AR-15 style rifles are rifles “modeled on the AR-15 platform and that fire the same caliber cartridges,” Klarevas said, such as the Smith & Wesson M&P15 and the Ruger AR-556.

But what if it fires a different cartridge like a 350 Legend? Does that count anymore? What if the same cartridge is fired in a bolt action rifle, like the Ruger American? You just listed two AR-15 manufacturers, the nation’s two largest firearms companies for name recognition, and didn’t actually make a point.

Along with their use in hunting, for some Americans, AR-15-type weapons also connote patriotism, which can be traced back to the M16 military rifle that became prominent during the Vietnam War, according to Garrett.

That… is not why.

More than anything, it was because people like the California government said we couldn’t and shouldn’t have them. If you haven’t noticed, Americans have a deep contrarian streak mixed with a distrust of government authority overreach that has never been higher in recent history, especially if your pet political party currently isn’t in power.

“It didn’t hurt that Sylvester Stallone uses an assault-type weapon in ‘Rambo,'” the 1982 film about a Vietnam veteran, Garrett said.

Wow… way to date yourself, Mr. Garrett.

It would be more accurate to say that the rise of detailed firearms in video games, combined with the Global War on Terror, propelled gun culture and the AR-15 forward in popularity. Veterans like their rifle. It’s why I have the M16 in the title image. It is why I have an M4A1-like rifle too. They were my service weapons, and they worked. I am comfortable with them.

Pop culture has had a major influence, and a known one exploited by the industry. Companies compete to have their products used in high profile shows and movies for a reason. People buy and emulate what they like. The fact that the films are also emulating real life firearms use in police and military contexts just strengthens the cycle of emulation further. John Wick series, case and point.

But again, the ‘patriotic’ symbolism isn’t from the M16. It is more from the government wanting to take the M16 away. It wouldn’t be nearly the symbol it is if certain members in government didn’t want to ban it for nonsensical and idiotic reasons. Government officials clearly not knowing a thing about the subject they are speaking on, kinda like ABC in this piece now that I think of it, does nothing to help their position either. The AR-15 is a literal and physical embodiment of combating government overreach, not because it is an M16.

But in 1989, an AK-47 was used to kill five children at a Stockton, California, elementary school, leading California to become the first state to enact an assault weapons ban, Klarevas said. That was followed by two other high-profile mass shootings with semiautomatic pistols — one in San Francisco and one on a Long Island Rail Road commuter train — in 1993.

So we openly admit handguns are dangerous too, we have documentation from gun controllers on why they stopped targeting handguns and went after the AR-15 instead… and it was because they think the public is stupid (they have a point there).

We then get a brief foray into the federal assault weapon ban and a spin on how it was (allegedly was) effective despite congress and a federal review determining it wasn’t. The very next paragraph gives away that while deaths during the period of 94-04 went down, as did crime in general, it went down within context of the criminal decline during period.

Mass shootings continued to trend over both the decade of the ban (Columbine happened during the ban remember, 1999. Years after the ban should have had the positive influence came the definitive school shooting) and the decade after the ban expired and the AR exploded in popularity, due to all the causative factors. It is almost like the motive to seek a mass slaughter was not about the availability of a weapon, but a motive to take a grievance out publicly and violently.

While there’s no federal assault weapons ban now, Washington, D.C., and seven states — California, New Jersey, Hawaii, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York — have banned the possession of certain kinds of these firearms, and the rules vary state to state. According to Klarevas’ report, “In the past 30 years, accounting for population, states with assault weapons bans in place experienced 54% fewer gun massacres involving the use of assault weapons and 67% fewer deaths resulting from such attacks perpetrated with assault weapons.”

This is hard to causate for two reasons. The first being mass attacks are rare and devastating regardless of method of injury (Nice, France). The second being that even with these percentage numbers layed out and ‘adjusted for population’, California still has hosted several mass killings by banned weapons and mass attacks have occured with casualties with non-banned weapons by the state and federal measures. That bans worked perfectly, until somebody ignored them.

Then we go into the ‘Pros and Cons’ portion where Shapiro pretends to have a balanced yet informed opinion on the AR-15.

We open with another Garrett quote of nonsense…

In many rural and suburban areas, fully and semi-automatic rifles hold a practical value, such as for defending property, and a familial value, to pass down weapons to future generations, Garrett said.

He at once invalidates anyone in an urban area who also recognizes the value of an AR-15 for defending themselves (also it is usually illegal to defend property and an FBI agent should know that, lethal force for a lethal threat) and makes the owners sound like ‘those dumb peckerwoods in the hills’. Then I like how he said “fully and semi-automatic” like the $20,000.00 National Firearms Act controlled transferables are just all over the place in the ‘rural’ spaces.

AR-15-type rifles are also beloved as sporting rifles because they are accurate, versatile, light and easy to disassemble, Garrett said. They’re also simple to shoot — Garrett said anyone could be trained in a few hours.

These basic characteristics also describe most bolt action rifles. In fact, they are more apt to something like a Ruger American bolt action than to the Ruger AR-556. But we’ll gloss over the fact that both rifles are an excellent design fit those basic descriptors.

Let’s face the fact that the AR-15 is a fighting rifle, it has an edge over other rifles because it is semi-automatic and has a sufficient magazine to sustain itself through most probable fights and an energy deliverable capable of inflicting a fight ending wound reliably. Garrett’s comments avoid ‘Self Defense’ studiously, it seems. They don’t seem to want to project the idea that the AR is good at that. It is really good at that from a homestead defense standpoint.

They then go to the “Typical AR-15 Owner” with Oliva & Wife, a pair of USMC veterans who gives the typical answers of the AR-15 isn’t the same weapon he carried in Iraq and Afghanistan… and honestly I am tired of the semantic bullshit we are spinning here because the other side isn’t biting, they don’t care.

The AR-15 is nearly identical to the select fire M4 and M16.

They are essentially the same weapons and that is a good thing!

Why?

Because the M16 and M4 are good rifles.

They are good fighting rifles. The AR-15 and its “assault weapon” peers are fighting rifles. They are purpose built for self defense and community defense. That’s why the same guns riding in police cruisers and in the hands of soldiers are the ones you should have for defending yourself. They are the best individual tool for the job, fighting.

What we don’t want to say aloud is the exact same characteristics that make a tool ideal for self defense make it usable offensively as well. There is no way… none, to make a defense only weapon. It cannot happen. Someone might say taser? Are tasers misused? I think Hawaii just tried to make that argument as they are set to be legalized… So apparently that defensive weapon is used offensively enough for concern.

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t argue good weapon/bad weapon. It is just a weapon. When used by a responsible person of good intention it is of little danger… ever… no matter how many rounds it can shoot, of whatever caliber, and however fast. And the reverse is also true of someone of evil intent.

There is no safe weapon in the hands of a mass killer. It doesn’t exist. The potential for a high casualty event in a location where the balance of force is entirely in the hands of the killer doesn’t shift significantly whether that balance is caused by a handgun, a bolt action rifle, a pump action shotgun, or an AR-15. The killer has almost all the cards in every single scenario.

The minute someone starts quoting rounds per minute as a legitimate measure of lethality is the minute you should stop listening to them, because they have no idea what they are talking about.

The military doesn’t use the automatic setting on the M4A1 for what people think they do. It doesn’t enhance the lethality of the weapon that much, it is selectively useful under very specific circumstances. For example, where a heavier machine gun like an M240 or M249 isn’t available for the role. Making it full auto does nothing to change the wounding potential of a 5.56x45mm caliber weapon in the mass casualty scale, it changes the wounds per time frame if the shots are accurately delivered. On a micro scale and given certain environmental factors (like a corralled crowd that can’t flee) it can, but it doesn’t matter when we look at the imbalance of power between the killer and their victims as a whole. Gun controllers often try and confuse this microthreat vs macrothreat argument where the primary problem is the force imbalance, not a weapon.

This is why every mass casualty event we experience around the world is so shocking to us, it wasn’t a specific weapon that did this. It was the imbalance of force between the attacker(s) and the victims. We have seen this imbalance with planes, trucks, knives, explosives, and firearms.

There is no safe weapon to hand to a mass killer. Period.

In most states you must be 21 years old to buy a handgun from a federally licensed firearms dealer, but only need to be 18 to buy a rifle, he pointed out. That’s because, historically, rifles have been used by people in rural areas to hunt or defend property, Garrett said. But with the prevalence of private and black market sales, “none of these laws apply in reality,” he said.

none of these laws apply in reality

“none of these laws apply in reality“

Finally, Garrett makes a point that needs to be made. We come back to the concept that we cannot declare certain weapons ‘good’ and others ‘bad’ as it makes no sense. It doesn’t account for the reality of what a mass attack fully consists of.

In the 1980s, less than 20% of gun massacres involved assault weapons, while in the 2010s, that number went up to 35%, Klarevas said. In the last three years, those weapons made up 67% of gun massacres, according to his report.

Well when you keep changing what an ‘Assault Weapon’ is and it constitutes the most common type of firearms made today, that are most popular, that are increasingly affordable, and constitute the best modern technology, is it surprising? I bet bank fraud was different in 1980 compared to 2010 too. All you said, ultimately, was technology changed and people changed with it.

Then we get to the ‘public opinion’ polls

Those numbers mostly match up with how members of political parties feel about a potential ban. When split by party, 27% of Republicans support an assault weapons ban and 70% oppose, while 88% of Democrats support the idea and 11% oppose it, according to an April poll from Quinnipiac University, a nationally recognized public opinion polling center.

Overall, 52% of Americans support and 43% oppose a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, according to the poll.

And how many of those polled have a clue what they are being asked? How many can remotely articulate anything accurate about what they are being asked?

The politicians looking to ban these things routinely make statements so patently absurd that if they came out as a flat-earther too that would make more sense. Flat earth theory is more sensical than ‘heat seeking bullet tips’ (because they are painted orange), or the barrel shroud being the shoulder thing that goes up.

The greatest argument against gun control should be the fact that those arguing for it, including ABC with this piece, don’t have a clue. They cannot articulate a point beyond ‘murder bad’ and ‘weapons that can murder bad’ but ‘certain weapons that cause murder good because those murders are less murdery bad’.

It is asinine. We only have one coherent gun control argument, only one that can fit their data.

All guns should be banned.

That is it, that is the only argument they can accurately present, and it is so full of its own problems that it wouldn’t have the desired result either. If they could implement a full ban then we would be living in a world where a full ban would be entirely unnecessary in the first place. It is fantasy.

So nice try ABC, you still don’t know what you are talking about.

Why do you need a blue gun?

By

Caleb Giddings

-

October 27, 2021

Someone once said “if you want to be a firearms instructor and you don’t own a blue gun, you’re pretending.” With a tragic firearm related accident making headlines, we as a community of shooters, students, and instructors can take an opportunity to reflect on why it’s important to have inert training devices.

What are blue guns?

“Blue gun” has become an industry phrase that represents almost any inert, solid plastic or polymer “gun” that holds the exact shape and dimensions of its live counterpart. The original blue gun was in fact blue, and is still produced today. Ring’s Blue Guns are the OG of these inert trainers, with the widest array of models available. However, other solid inert trainers are available from companies like ASP (the baton company), and Cold Steel. The primary purpose for all of these inert training objects is to allow students and instructors to perform actions that would be wildly unsafe in a training environment with an item that feels like their duty or carry gun. They can also double as holster molds for amateur kydex benders, but that’s a secondary feature.

When would we use a blue gun?

As mentioned above, the primary role for these gun-shaped training tools is training. For example, in a class where the instructor is demonstrating support hand placement during a concealed draw from appendix carry, it’s easiest for students to see if the instructor is facing them. However, we can all agree that it’s not safe to draw a real gun in that situation, which is where these inert trainers come into play. As an instructor, I can safely present a blue gun in a classroom environment as if I’m simulating a street encounter, and not worry about pointing a real gun at people.

Another environment where blue guns are especially useful is force on force training, such as ECQC by Craig Douglas. In these training environments we’re dealing with the complex problem of a close-in fight involving guns, grappling, and contact weapons. It would be IMPOSSIBLE to safely train without the use of inert training guns. But when those training items are used the training environment becomes as realistic as we can safely make it.

My personal favorite blue gun environment is for very new shooters who are uncomfortable with “real” guns. Introducing them to fundamentals with an inert trainer often removes some of the jitters that come with a live gun.

Do’s and don’ts of blue guns

Do: use your blue gun to demonstrate techniques
Don’t: use your blue gun as a pointer
Explanation: Blue guns are gun shaped objects. Their point is to simulate gun-actions that would be dangerous to do with a live gun. If they’re not being used for their intended purpose of simulating a real gun, then put it down. We don’t want to wave it around or treat it casually. Yes, we point blue guns at people, but we’re doing that intentionally with an inert device for training.

Do: make sure your inert trainer is a bright color that’s easily distinguishable from a real gun
Don’t: cerakote your gun the same color as an inert trainer
Explanation: I feel like this should be pretty obvious. I’m often surprised by what’s obvious to me and isn’t to other people. Don’t dress up real guns to look like inert training objects or toys. That’s how people get shot “accidentally on purpose.”

Blue guns and other inert training tools are fantastic ways to conduct important training. But it’s also just as import to make sure that even when we’re using inert trainers that we’re following good safety protocols. When used correctly in the right context, an inert training gun can add tremendous value to a class, or to your personal training time.

The CDC’s Forever War on Gun Owners

By

DRGO

-

October 27, 2021

(from nytimes.com)

[Ed: This is the full text of the piece Drs. Faria & Wheeler published in the Washington Examiner September 9.]

Twenty-five years ago, Congress reprimanded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for its political advocacy of gun control. Now, President Joe Biden’s CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is planning a new round of activism against gun owners. In an emotive video interview with CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen, Walensky recently signaled her intention to resume CDC research on “America’s epidemic of gun violence.”

Since the CDC’s 1990s activism, consequential shifts in science, public opinion, and law have transformed the firearms debate. Firearm homicides are a fraction of what they were then. Mountains of criminology research and law enforcement experience have shown firearm carry license holders to be exceedingly responsible. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that gun ownership is an individual right. Walensky ignores it all, repeating tired tropes about “gun violence” and implicitly conflating average gun owners with chronically violent criminals.

We testified before the House Appropriations Committee in March 1996, at the height of the controversy. The public health community had just launched its campaign to portray firearms as “dirty, deadly, and banned,” as top CDC official Mark Rosenberg put it. President Bill Clinton’s Surgeon General David Satcher used his bully pulpit to rail at the National Rifle Association.

In the CNN video, interviewer Cohen alleges that the NRA, in the 1990s, “convinced Congress to cut funding for all gun research.” That myth has been the narrative of the public health community ever since. In reality, Congress only put a stop to the CDC’s “activities to advocate or promote gun control,” as the full House Appropriations Committee report put it.

And what were those activities? Along with two other witnesses, we laid the evidence out for the Appropriations Committee:

1) A CDC-funded 1993 New England Journal of Medicine article by Dr. Arthur Kellermann and co-authors. They used the case control method, traditionally an epidemiology research tool, to claim that having a gun in the home triples the risk of becoming a homicide victim. The sample population was a group of crime-prone urban residents who had been murdered in their homes. The authors then tried to equate this wildly unrepresentative group with typical gun owners.

2) The winter 1993 CDC publication “Public Health Policy for Preventing Violence,” co-authored by Rosenberg. It offered two strategies for preventing firearm injuries: “restrictive licensing (for example, only police, military, guards, and so on)” and “prohibit gun ownership.”

3) Shockingly frank admissions made on the record by CDC officials, describing their clear anti-gun political agenda. “We’re going to systematically build a case that owning firearms causes deaths. We’re doing the most we can do, given the political realities,” said P.W. O’Carroll, acting section head of the Division of Injury Control, CDC, in “Epidemiologists Aim at New Target: Health Risk of Handgun Proliferation” in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1989.

4) A CDC-funded newsletter from the Trauma Foundation, a San Francisco-based gun prohibition advocacy group. The newsletter urged readers to “organize a picket at gun manufacturing sites” and to “work for campaign finance reform to weaken the gun lobby’s political clout.”

And now, after all that, the CDC director wants gun owners to believe her invitation to “have a conversation” and “come to the table” to “be part of the solution.” Nowhere does Walensky even hint that she has actually reached out to the National Rifle Association, Second Amendment Foundation, or Gun Owners of America.

For decades, the CDC has quietly expanded its activities from its original critical mission of infectious disease control. The agency now supports far-afield research projects in spousal abuse, juvenile delinquency, and other subjects far better explored by criminologists and sociologists. Our CDC director seems to think that now, even as we struggle with the most lethal pandemic in a century, is a good time to once again direct the agency’s resources against gun owners. The public is not likely to agree.

.

— Miguel A. Faria, Jr, MD is a retired professor of Neurosurgery and Medical History at Mercer University School of Medicine. He founded Hacienda Publishing and is Associate Editor in Chief in Neuropsychiatry and World Affairs of Surgical Neurology International. He served on the CDC’s Injury Research Grant Review Committee. His latest book is America, Guns, and Freedom: A Journey Into Politics and the Public Health & Gun Control Movements (2019).

All DRGO articles by Miguel A. Faria, Jr., MD

— Timothy Wheeler, MD is the founder and former director of Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership, and a retired head and neck surgeon.

All DRGO articles by Timothy Wheeler, MD

Blacktail Deer in Wine Country

By

BullShooters

-

October 26, 2021

If you don’t live in California’s rural areas but you listen to the news, you might believe the entire state is nothing but a bunch of woke, progressive anti-hunting lefties. But actually the gorgeous, geographically diverse state has tons of great hunting, and no better can be found in the wine-country hills near Paso Robles.

JJ recently hunted blacktail deer there on a fair chase hunt at Steinbeck Winery and Vineyards. While the hunt may not have been as challenging as a backcountry elk hunt with a bow, it was certainly one of the most pleasurable, given the full field-to-table experience.

Plus, Jeff tries out Mossberg’s new Patriot LR in 6.5 PRC, which is like a Creedmoor on ‘roids.

The MP5K

By

Keith Finch

-

October 26, 2021

H&K Roller Gun Guru James Williamson of Teufelshund Tactical goes into the history of the iconic 9mm PDW.

The H&K MP5 gained worldwide notoriety after the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980 as the SAS, on live TV, executed their counter-terror strike in London and rescued the hostages held in the embassy. The success propelled the 14 year old weapon to prominence and has spawned over 100 clones and variants with several licensed production facilities worldwide.

Where the AK series are the most produced and reproduced rifle and the Glock is the same for handguns, the H&K MP5 probably holds that distinction for submachine guns, at least of the generation 3 type (closed bolt select fire, modern ergos)

The K (Kurz) variant of the MP5 was developed in 1976 and was stockless, it used a shorted variant of the operating internals and had a higher fire rate than the original A2. It also chopped a down the barrel and handguard portions to complete the compact and concealable select-fire system.

The later ‘PDW’ variant added a modified stock assembly that worked with the shorter receiver but kept the very small profile of the weapon. It still sets the

The Shadow Systems MR920

By

V. Caldwell

-

October 25, 2021

It isn’t unusual for a popular handgun to be copied.

Sometimes they call it cloning, or perhaps the pistol is based on an original. There are untold versions of 1911 handgun, several revolvers based on the K frame Smith & Wesson, and good, bad, and ugly CZ 75 clones. Sometimes the gun is made cheaper to sell at a lower price point, sometimes the pistol is a genuine improvement.

Funny enough Glock offers a retro Glock reissue of the original, a sure sign of a brand’s popularity. At the same time there are upgrades of the Glock and quite a few clone pistols. There is a tremendous market for Glock aftermarket parts. I think sights are fine but I would never carry a gun for personal defense that has had trigger work. There are too many variables. The Glock always works and I don’t mess with success.

The strong suit of the Glock is reliability. Perhaps handling could be improved. Every striker fired polymer frame pistol on the planet shows Glock influence. Pistols with a steel slide and polymer frame are sometimes slide heavy. A bit of re-design or custom work on the frame may be an aid in this handling.

Enter the Systems MR920 9mm.

This is a close clone of the Glock 19 9mm. Shadow Systems began manufacturing with Glock upgrade parts, such as barrels. As they moved to manufacturing their own slides and frames the added first the MR918 as a complete handgun and now the MR920. Sure, we may all be capable of easily adding a tritium front sight but some of the other upgrades are much more difficult.

The Shadow Systems pistol features changeable grip inserts that differ considerably from the Glock including one that closely mimics the 1911 grip. The grip features an extended tang commonly referred to as a beavertail. The frame feels slightly different compared to the Glock. The trigger guard is undercut toward the rear to lower the bore axis. The grip frame treatment offers a balance of abrasion and adhesion. The slide features custom cuts and a nitride finish. The barrel features standard rifling rather than polygonal, so you may use lead bullet handloads. Shadow systems uses a Glock like trigger system superior in trigger press to the standard Glock. This is a factory trigger. No one may accuse the owner of reckless tampering. The pistol features a standard Glock type rail for mounting optics. A steel guide rod is added. The rear sights is a ledge type and the front sight is a bright tritium dot that offers excellent combat accuracy.

Adding the features up quickly shows you could not modify a standard Glock to this standard unless you spent perhaps twice the cost of the Shadow Systems pistol. The trigger connector is from Taran Tactical. Coupled with an aluminum trigger shoe the fit and feel are good, the trigger face is more flat than a Glock. While the trigger broke at 4.9 pounds originally after a few months use it settled into 4.5 pounds and has remained there for more than a year of use. Pre travel is slightly shorter than the Glock. The pistol features a slightly flared magazine well. The Shadow systems handgun is supplied with an easily mounted magazine funnel. I have not used mine. Be aware that aftermarket magazine wells for the Glock do not fit the Shadow Systems pistol. Shadow Systems recommends a two hundred round break in. My pistol came out of the box running and has never failed to feed, chamber, fire, or eject.

Shadow Systems has done their homework with this handgun. While reliability should not be a question with a Glock clone the pistol also features modifications that improve handling and accuracy. Shadow Systems called the grip design the NPOA or Natural Point of Aim. Backstrap inserts offer custom handling. The H backstrap is for those preferring a muzzle high attitude and this one is most similar to the Glock 19. Another insert is the neutral or N insert. Small hands will be served with the L backstrap.

The pistol is fast on target and shoots very well. The improvement over the Glock pistol is incremental. It isn’t a sweeping change like say the Les Baer 1911 over a standard Colt. It is rather a meaningful and noticeable improvement that is best exploited by a trained shooter. I have fired the pistol extensively and it is among my favorite daily carry guns. Reliability is excellent. In speed shooting the superior grip treatment and high visibility sights are an advantage. As for absolute accuracy the pistol is more accurate than most. As an example at a long 25 yards the pistol has proven accurate enough for any reasonable chore. Firing using the MTM K Zone shooting rest I fired several 5 shot groups using a proven accurate loading. The Black Hills Ammunition 124 grain JHP breaks over 1150 fps and features an excellent balance of expansion and penetration. Five shots went into 2.0 to 2.25 inches. This is a credible handgun well worth its price.

The Hi-Power Returns with Interest

By

Keith Finch

-

October 25, 2021

On the heels of perhaps the oddest release of a product nobody asked for, Springfield Armory is releasing a retro product that is making everyone happy.

The Model SA-35 is the Iconic Browning Hi-Power for the masses and honestly it looks fantastic.

It is a classic.

My bad, it is an… Icon?

It became the quiet companion of the M1911 and the standard of a double stack 9mm handgun. With SA bringing it back into larger production, a healthy aftermarket for working on them, and a incredibly high demand in the industry for the ‘iconics’ the SA-35 is well placed to succeed in the market.

I wouldn’t doubt seeing a modern take or two in the future from Springfield Armory too. The fact that the website lists the section as the ‘SA-35 SERIES’ is a strong supporter of that supposition also.

Well done, Springfield. Well done indeed.

The Magpul D-50 EV9 Drum – Banging Away At the Drum

By

Travis Pike

-

October 25, 2021

Drums, fun to beat, fun to shoot with, and made perfect by Magpul. Or as close to perfect as drums can be. Magpul did a fantastic job with the olde D-60 for 5.56 rifles and has slowly eeked out new and better drums for a variety of weapons. Currently, we have the 5.56 oriented D-60, the 7.62 NATO D-50, and now two 9mm D-50 drums. One made for Glock platforms, and the other made for the Scorpion series of pistols and PCCs from CZ. Today I’ve got the Scorpion D-50 EV9 drum on hand and have been dispensing lead in 50 round strings for a few weeks now.

The Magpul Drums

Before Magpul made the D-60, drums for modern firearms had a somewhat checkered past. When I say checkered, I’m politely saying most were absolute crap. There is a reason why no major military force adopted a drum as a serious use tool. They often failed. They were expensive and difficult to maintain.

Magpul made their drums reliable, easy to maintain, and, well, only somewhat expensive. Admittedly they often cost 100 bucks or close to it, but compared to other drums in the past, and they are relatively affordable. Plenty of people will say they can purchase five PMAGs for the cost of a single drum, and I can’t argue with them.

What I can argue is that drums are just cool. Something about anti-gun people hating them makes me love them a fair bit more. Plus, I have a romantic vision of the old Thompson in my mind, and the Scorpion D-50 EV9 gives me cyberpunk Tommy gun vibes. As long as it works, I can justify the price.

Does the Scorpion D-50 EV9 Work?

Heckin’ yeah, it does, my man/lady. It follows the same construction pattern as the rifle variants. This included the loading lever, false cartridge follower, and general layout. It’s made from the same polymer composite as the Gen M3 PMAGs, so it’s the tougher polymer. We get the dot matrix, a small window to monitor capacity and the quick take-down construction.

Loading the D-50 EV9 is much easier than loading the rifle caliber variants, mostly due to its size. You can fit it in your hand and work the lever without feeling like an extra hand would help. It takes a fair amount of time to load, and you’ll work that lever enough to make your thumbs nice and strong.

Once loaded, you’ll be excited to rock and roll. You’ll also get a trigger finger workout because the Scorpion’s notoriously heavy trigger now gets to pop off 50 times prior to a reload. Magpul could advertise this as a full-hand workout if they wanted. I’ve loaded and unloaded this thing what feels like a dozen times now. In reality, I’ve put eight full 50 round loads through the gun, with a variety of partial loads to test various ammunition types.

In that testing, the only failure I got was from the worst steel-cased ammo on the market, the Winchester Forged garbage. It’s super dry, and it leaves my hand filthy when I loaded in the 30 rounds I had left of it. Other than that, not a single issue with standard brass FMJs, Tula steel, and jacketed hollowpoints.

How The D-50 EV9 Handles

Lots of 9mm in a big drum makes for a heavy gun. The pistol variants of the Scorpion become very off-balanced when loaded down with 50 rounds of 9mm in a drum. The light and short Scorpion pistol can be easily handled with a single hand but easily relative to the style of the gun. Once you add a drum, that becomes a bit more difficult and plenty heavy.

It is interesting going from the drum to something like the 20 round magazine. The heavy 50 round drum takes some muzzle rise out of the weapon.

Reloading it a little slower. The drum doesn’t just drop free, and it’s tougher to get a grip on the drum and mag release at the same time. I’m making it sound worse than it is, but my point is that reloading a box magazine is more intuitive.

Also, on the Scorpion Micro, you lose the ability to really grip the magwell. The shorter gun has less to grab, but you’ll figure it out. Predictably, the D-50 EV9 in the bullpup variant is a bit of a mess. It presses against your forearm and feels awkward. The combination is still plenty useable but still quite awkward.

Lots of Little Bangs

Using a PCC for home defense sets you up with a capable weapon that is a compromise ballistically. Pistol rounds are still pistol rounds and often don’t provide great one-stop shots. With that in mind having more rounds is better than fewer rounds. The Scorpion D-50 EV9 gives you more rounds. Reloads aren’t a big problem with 50 rounds in your gun. The D-50 EV9 can be left loaded and is always ready when you are.

Gunday Brunch 24: Welcome to the golden age of 9mm

By

David R

-

October 24, 2021

Despite the jokes, Keith and Caleb really do believe that right now is the best time to be into 9mm striker fired pistols. The top end of the market is flush with amazing choices, and the technological developments that have made those guns so good have trickled down to the mid tier as well. What’s your favorite 9mm striker fired pistol?

Springfield XD-M Elite Compact OSP 10MM

By

248 Shooter

-

October 23, 2021

MICHIGAN: The NSSF Brings Support to HB 5187, 5188

By

Keith Finch

-

October 22, 2021

Last week we talked about the MCRGO‘s legislative pushes in the Mitten State. But the NSSF is bringing their considerable bearing to bear on two in particular.

Remember when CPL’s couldn’t be processed or renewed during COVID? Remember when Michigan citizens (among many other states also) were denied their rights to process their lawful and mandated applications to transfer handguns because the offices were closed and the state refused to make exceptions, allowances, or otherwise compensate for the normal conduct of the system the state citizens were required to perform.

Remember them shutting down the second amendment in Michigan because social distancing and remote working? Remember them not caring when it was brought to their attention that these processes were required under the law and they weren’t there to do them?

Pepperidge Farms remembers… and so does the NSSF. The negative impact of the state failing in their obligations to their citizenry and their business because they couldn’t be bothered to come up with a COVID friendly method to do paperwork is astonishing.

A pair of NSSF^®-priority bills were introduced over the summer in Michigan to ensure that public officials in the state can’t use their emergency powers to shut down the firearm industry or restrict Second Amendment rights in the future. Now, those bills are set to be heard and we need industry members to join us in Lansing to send a message to Governor Whitmer that we are essential.

Michigan was one of just 7 states in the country to refuse to designate the firearm industry as “essential” during the COVID-19 related “stay-at-home” orders of 2020. HB 5187, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Fink (R), and HB 5188, sponsored by Rep. Pat Outman (R), would amend the “Emergency Management Act” and “Public Health Code” respectively, to disallow future emergency orders that would “prohibit, suspend, or limit” the firearm industry and Second Amendment rights of Michigan residents.

These bills are set to be heard before the House Government Oversight Committee on October 28th, and legislators want firearm industry members to join us in person to show support for these bills. There will be an opportunity for our members to meet with key legislators prior to the committee hearing. Directly following the meet-and-greet, legislative staff will be on-hand to direct us to the committee room and to show us how we can submit cards of support to the committee. See the details below:

What: Meet-and-Greet with Michigan Legislators, with Committee Hearing to Follow
When: 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EDT on October 28, 2021
Where: ‘Freedom Embassy,’ 6th Floor, 115 W Allegan Street, Lansing, MI 48933

MICHIGANGER’s RSVP HERE!

If you have questions, or if your firearm industry related business was forced to close down, please contact Chris Lee, NSSF’s Midwest Director of Government Relations – State Affairs, at clee@nssf.org

NEWS FLASH: Props are Still Dangerous

By

Keith Finch

-

October 22, 2021

So Alec Baldwin killed a woman.

A little over four years after snarkily wondering aloud via the internet how it would feel to unlawfully kill someone, Alec now knows. Granted as an accident/negligence and not an OIS, but still either negligent homicide or manslaughter.

During either a rehearsal run or filming for the movie “Rust” Baldwin fired a prop-gun and something went wrong. It is not clear what specifically, if the prop failed, if it was loaded improperly, or anything else about the death and injury, but the prop expelled a projectile that killed the cinematographer and injured the director.

UPDATE: Current information is stating that the ‘prop’ firearm was a functional single action revolver with live ammunition inside it. Other sources are reporting that the safety track record on set was so abysmal that staff walked the morning of the negligent discharge because they could not tolerate the conditions on the set of ‘Rust’ any longer. Live ammunition may have been on set for recreational use between takes, this is a TERRIBLE idea.

Somewhere someone failed to take proper account of safe practices and nobody, including Alec Baldwin, was double checking things prior action being called, resulting in death and injury.

Firearms are fun. Firearms are safe when used with care. But firearms, including functioning props, must be handled with respect and maintained for safe function. They must also be used within their prescribed use guidelines. If a steel plate shouldn’t be shot closer than 25 yards there is a reason. If a functioning prop should not be pointed at someone and fired at closer than 5 yards, there is also a reason. If a prop should be cleaned and inspected to be certain a build up or other failure does not induce a dangerous situation there is a reason. If a firearm is being used as a prop and will be pointed at actors or crew members during a shoot live ammunition should not be present, if it must be present it must be strictly controlled and accounted for by an appointed accountable person.

Accidents happen, but this one was avoidable somewhere prior to Baldwin pulling the trigger.

Springfield releases the LevAR Charging Handle

By

Keith Finch

-

October 22, 2021

Have you ever broken your AR trying to mortar it to clear a stuck case?

No?

Me either. It has occured, but it isn’t a particularly prevalent problem. Weak substandard components certainly up the odds of this problem occurring, however it still isn’t so common that I foresee the niche for this product…

But Springfield Armory has released this product that should help you with the rare stuck case. Not a ripped rim mind you, that will still require a cleaning rod.

A stuck cartridge in your AR-15 due to out of spec ammunition renders your weapon useless until cleared. Carbine instructors train students to slam the butt of the gun against the ground to free stuck casings causing potential damage to your firearm. The patented LevAR™ ratcheting charging handle gives users a 3:1 mechanical advantage over traditional charging handles and clears stuck cartridges with ease while keeping your muzzle pointed safely down range. Simply deploy the ratcheting arm and pull back to eject the casing. The LevAR™ installs in seconds and is compatible with any standard AR-15 upper receiver.

Now this isn’t a novel idea. It isn’t even a bad idea. The IWI X95 latest generation charging handle offers a similar feature for the same reason, this simply applies an increased leverage technique to the charging handle via the receiver of the AR-15. The AR-15 which can’t get much leverage on it in other manners. AK’s have the mortar, or even kickstart. AR’s have the mortar.

Now AR’s have the LevAR as an option. So that’s nice.

In my opinion, this seems like a solution in search of a problem. I haven’t had to mortar an oiled gun in a long time. A long time. I have had to mortar one M4A1 that was far too dry and so new they hadn’t cleaned the factory preservatives out of it yet. I don’t believe equipping every AR in sight with these for the rare stuck case is beneficial, not in the same way upgrading the X95’s charging handle was accomplished quite unobtrusively.

That said, the design for its intended purpose appears to be solid, using leverage points that you cannot with a standard charging handle to exploit mechanical advantage. I don’t however know the durability on such a design, if it’s additional complexity makes it weak to debris, or if the leverage will have a detrimental effect on other components like the receiver body by the charging handle opening or the gas key of the carrier.

While mortaring does put stress on the carrier key, it is within normal ranges of regular charging and the momentum transfer of mortaring is to the whole of the bolt carrier. This design changes a great deal of the locations where force is applied to clear the case, which is not the case on the X95’s CH design.

So, this is a thing now. The LevAR.

Magnum Force is the best Dirty Harry movie

By

Caleb Giddings

-

October 22, 2021

The Dirty Harry movie series are an iconic part of American film making, and just as iconic a part of American gun culture. Clint Eastwood’s Inspector Callahan turned the S&W Model 29 into a legend, and until the advent of streaming services, re-runs of the original on broadcast TV or cable would STILL cause an uptick in sales. Today we’re going to look at the best movie in the series: Magnum Force.

Dirty Harry’s Writers

It’s an open secret that the un-credited writer of the first Dirty Harry movie was John Milius, who also wrote Red Dawn, The Wind and the Lion, Apocalypse Now, Conan the Barbarian, and Clear and Present Danger to name a few. He also wrote Magnum Force, the best Dirty Harry movie. But why is it the best Dirty Harry movie? What makes it stand above a classic like the first Dirty Harry?

Sometimes sequels are better

To draw a modern example of why Magnum Force is the better movie, I want to point your attention to the John Wick movies. The first JW, like Dirty Harry, is a great movie with generally solid gun handling, but also some weirdness that makes it not quite right. The second John Wick has the best gun handling in a modern action film…ever. The shoot-out in the catacombs is like a 3-gunner’s wet dream and absolutely cements the second John Wick as better than the first one.

Similarly, the gun handling skills in Magnum Force move the film past the first one. There are multiple instances where people are shown manipulating revolvers using the techniques that were absolutely cutting edge for the time and reflected the best of the “high-speed” techniques available to cops of the era.

Hogan’s Alley

The best example of the gun handling in Magnum Force is the Hogan’s alley scene. If you’re not familiar with the term, the original Hogan’s Alley is an urban training environment that the FBI uses to teach tactics in a city. Before we called everything MOUT Towns we called them Hogan’s Alley, because the term became a catch all for any “city/tactical” training range.

In the movie, the SFPD is having their annual marksmanship contest, which is something police departments used to do, and Harry ends up tied with the hot gun hand for the corrupt cops that he thinks are murdering people. To break the tie, they have a shoot off on the Hogan’s Alley stage, which features disappearing targets and includes shoots and no-shoots. As a narrative device, Harry uses this scene to send a message to the dirty cops that he suspects them as well as gathering key ballistic evidence.

But that’s not important, because what is important is the bad guy’s run through the scenario. While it does feature some Hollywood silliness like aggressively simulated recoil and a Hondo-roll, for the most part the gun handling is sharp and represents the peak of the 70s training. This is especially true when the bad guy goes to reload his Colt Python using a Safariland Comp-II speedloader. He conducts a weak-hand reload where he palms the entire loader, allowing him to create a physical reference between the gun and his reloading hand.

The entire scene is very well done, and is interesting to watch with an understanding of how police training was different 50 years ago. It’s especially interesting for me, because when I first watched Magnum Force I thought the shooting and training scenes were silly and kind of sucked, but that was because I didn’t know how things were done back then. I was watching it through my lens of Blackwater training with Todd Jarrett and USPSA competition, not as a student of the martial art of shooting.

I’m glad I watched it again, because as I’ve gotten slightly smarter in the last 13 years, I’ve grown to really appreciate movies that are incredibly technically well done, even if the actual guns, gear, and techniques are quite dated by now (I’m looking at you, Manhunter).