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Police Social Work: An Insider’s View (Part 1)

By
DRGO
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[Ed: Given the talk about replacing some functions of police with social work interventions, DRGO turned to our expert on the subject, Warren Lind, LCSW.]

One of the many suggestions (or demands) coming out of the current political upheaval is to put more social workers in police departments.  In my long career in social work from 1971 to 2018, I was twice a police social worker.  This concept dates back to the early 1900’s.  Unfortunately, few of the nation’s 13,000 police departments utilize social workers.

“Issues in implementing police social work within police departments:

Employing police social workers within police departments raises numerous issues that need to be considered. These issues include, but are not limited to: (1) securing and maintaining funding for sustainability; (2) the influence of civil service regulations that direct local government agencies such as police departments to require a MSW/BSW or an academic degree in a related field in addition to relevant experience; (3) police officers’ concerns about the safety of civilians; (4) the influence of police unions and perceptions that police officers are being replaced by social workers or that social workers are performing police functions; (5) police social work training and appropriate supervision; (6) the use of equipment such as police radios and unmarked police departmental vehicles by civilians; and (7) where to position police social workers within the various police department units.”  Excerpted from Police Social Work, A Unique Area of Practice Arising from Law Enforcement Functions, George T. Patterson, Ph.D., ACSW, LCSW-R, Assistant Professor, Hunter College School of Social Work, July 2008.

Is there a culture clash between police officers and social workers? 

Social workers are often portrayed as being very liberal, whereas police are portrayed as being very conservative, but the truth lies somewhere in between.  In my experience social workers tend to gravitate to fields of practice that fit their personality.  Police social workers must have a very “take charge” attitude.  Police social work consists of rapid assessment, crisis intervention, and short-term intensive case management, not long-term psychotherapy.  Having a dark sense of humor helps; all professions have their own ‘inside humor’.

One example:  I was once called to assist officers with a mentally ill man.  After the ambulance took him away, his dog jumped from the second-floor balcony to the ground and continued running; I remarked to the officers: “Dog attempts suicide by jumping”, which got a hearty laugh.

And there needs to be time for socializing so that the LEOs and social workers can get to know each other as people, and break down barriers and stereotypes.  In my experience, picnics, food, and (in moderation) alcohol can help.

How social workers can help police officers:  

One study (1985) found that 26 percent of the calls to the 911 dispatcher were for general advice and information and 22 percent were related to victim needs.  Once the scene is secure, the LEO can turn the problem over to the social worker and leave.

Some of the problems that social workers can deal with include homelessness, elderly issues (Alzheimer’s Disease, etc.), family and neighbor conflicts, drug/alcohol abuse, and crime victimization.  Police are often called to the same address over and over again to deal with the same “frequent flyer”, often a mentally ill person.  The sad fact is that the mental health system in most states is broken, and jails/prisons have become the new “treatment centers”, warehousing persons in dire need of professional treatment.

Fact:  there are 10 times as many mentally ill persons in prisons and jails than there are in psychiatric hospitals.  Having a social worker can both reduce police burnout and give them more time to deal with actual crimes.

True story:  I was sent to an address by police dispatch to assist an officer with a  dispute between a young mentally ill man and his mother.  Upon arriving at the address, I heard a loud voice from the backyard, and assumed it was the client.  But upon rounding the corner of the house, I saw the police officer standing about one foot from the “suspect”, and reading him the “riot act” about how he was treating his mother.

After the lecture concluded, I asked the officer what was going on; he took me aside and told me that he had lost his temper.  He and I shared the same values about how parents should be treated, but we had different ways of handling our tempers.

The next two articles will cover four more ways that social workers (and other mental health professionals) are already assisting police officers:

  1. Crisis Intervention Training
  2. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
  3. Community Mental Health Liaisons
  4. One-on-one psychotherapy to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Resources:

  1. In Illinois there is the Association of Police Social Workers. (According to Dr. Patterson’s article, Illinois and Wisconsin are the leading states for employment of police social workers.)
  2. One model (2018) for police and social workers collaborating to help at risk youth.

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— Warren Lind is a retired licensed clinical social worker and a full-time security officer who writes extensively about crime, survival, and self-defense.  He a long-time CCW holder and is a member of too many pro-2A organizations to list. 

All DRGO articles by Warren Lind

The five most underrated self defense rounds

By
Caleb Giddings
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Everyone knows that 9mm is the best round for self defense, and we all also know that 40 S&W is good, 357 Magnum is good, etc. But what are rounds that are good, but we maybe don’t acknowledge? Here are the five most underrated self defense rounds.

5. 10mm
I know what you’re saying, how is 10mm one of the five most underrated self defense rounds? 10mm is awesome! You’re right, 10mm is awesome, but it’s sort of under appreciated. The existence of 40 S&W has relegated 10mm to a specialty cartridge for people worried about dangerous animals, but it still excels at its original purpose – stopping bad people from doing bad things.

4. 22 Magnum
The best thing about 22 Magnum is that it’s awesome. In all seriousness, the little 22 Magnum revolvers like the 351PD or more common 351C are fantastic, because they hold 7 rounds. That’s…more than you get in a 38 Special j-frame, and more rounds is always good. The only drawback to 22 Magnum is that it’s a rimfire round, so the triggers are a little heavy and the round is technically less reliable than a centerfire round.

3. 38 Special 148 grain Wadcutter
This is a specific round, and it doesn’t apply to all 38 Special. Just 148 grain wadcutters, because they’re easy to shoot, have low recoil, almost always hit to the sights, and will absolutely meet the FBI’s penetration standards. There’s a reason they’re on the five most underrated self defense rounds, and that’s because in the era of hi-cap 9mm pistols, we have forgotten some of the old ways. Back in the day, squared away dudes were loading these into their little wheelguns for serious work.

2. 32 ACP
If we accept that the FBI is correct and penetration is the most important handgun wounding criteria, then suddenly the 32 ACP makes a lot of sense. In fact, it makes more sense than 380 ACP, especially in similar sized packages. The 32 ACP holds more rounds, is easier to shoot out of tiny mouseguns, and again – it meets that penetration standard.

1. 32 Magnum
This is a bit of a wheelgun specific choice, but man is the 32 Magnum one of the five most underrated self defense rounds. It does everything you can do with a 38 Special in a little gun, but gives shooters that critical 6th shot, and in some newer guns even a 7th round. More capacity is always a good thing, and squeezing those extra rounds into very small self defense guns is a great idea.

So how many of our rounds do you have? Do you think I missed one?

THE ALL-NEW DIAMONDBACK® HD SPOTTING SCOPES

By
Keith Finch
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BARNEVELD, Wis. – The way you hunt demands more of an optic, whether you are picking a tine out of dense cover or seeing the telltale flick of an ear on the next ridge. In any scenario, the last thing you want is to doubt if your gear is up to the job.

The Diamondback® HD line of spotting scopes from Vortex® is taking the next step forward with two new configurations, the 16-48×65 and the 20-60×85, providing power and clarity in a redesigned package that’s high on performance and low on sticker shock.

The power behind the new Diamondback® HD spotters is an HD optical system that delivers crisp resolution, brighter images, and edge-to-edge sharpness, reducing eye strain during long glassing sessions. All air-to-glass surfaces are fully multi-coated for increased light transmission and powerful low-light performance, giving you an edge when you need it most.

In addition to rethinking the Diamondback® HD’s internal components, Vortex® took a fresh approach to the spotter’s exterior, introducing a streamlined, snag-free profile. The helical focus wheel provides fast, fine adjustments, and an Arca-Swiss compatible foot means the Diamondback® HD mounts quickly to compatible tripod heads without additional plates. Plus, a neoprene cover comes included, keeping your spotter protected in the field.

MSRP:
$499.99 – Diamondback®  HD 65mm Angled Spotting Scope
$499.99 – Diamondback®  HD 65mm Straight Spotting Scope
$599.99 – Diamondback®  HD 85mm Angled Spotting Scope
$599.99 – Diamondback®  HD 85mm Straight Spotting Scope

For a list of specifications, frequently asked questions and high-resolution images, check out the Vortex New Products Portal. For more information, visit VortexOptics.com and be sure to follow Vortex Optics on Instagram, Facebook, YouTubeand Twitter. About Vortex Optics: American owned, veteran-owned, Wisconsin-based Vortex Optics designs, engineers, produces, and distributes a complete line of premium sport optics, accessories, and apparel. Dedicated to providing unrivaled customer service and exceptional quality, Vortex® backs its products with the unconditional, transferrable, lifetime VIP Warranty. Built on over 30 years of experience in the optics industry, Vortex® has emerged as a leader in the optics market. 

Accupower 1-8x, The Trijicon LPVO King

By
Keith Finch
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Josh over at 9-Hole Reviews takes on what was once probably the open market Gold Standard of Low Power Variable Optics in the 1-8 category. The Trijicon Accupower 1-8x Front Focal Plane.

Like the Vortex Razor HD Gen II 1-6x came to epitomize what the a 1-6 second focal plane LPVO should encompass, The Accupower 1-8x came to nearly that same place with 1-8’s and first focal plane scopes. It was rugged, bright, reliable, durable, came from a known legendary name for rifle optics, and it came in affordably.

I’ve spoken on this and other scopes in other LPVO articles but haven’t highlighted the Accupower in its well earned place. The Leupold CQBSS 1-8 kicked off the genre in earnest with its bulky tank like profile and commanding price tag, but the Accupower became ‘the optic’ that also factored in price. It wasn’t/isn’t cheap, still commanding around $1,100-1,300. But that price point, parallel to the Razor and Tango6T, and the name Trijicon gave it a whole new class of accessibility. It cose what an ACOG did roughly and that linked up nicely.

Trijicon obviously also has the much more expensive VCOG models, but the cost put them out of that serious ‘everyman’ territory for LPVO glass. Now by no means does everyone spend even that much on optics and there are quality options below the $1K mark that can serve (I recommend a look at Swampfox) but those optic guys will be just as quick to point out that while their stuff is damn good for their price point, the high dollar optics are too.

The Accupower 1-8x was the ‘Everyman VCOG’, same company, very reasonable durability without that extra extra bombproof bombproofiness that put the VCOGs price point so high. Do I want my optic waterproof? Absolutely. Do I need 20 meter submersibility? No.. rain, mud puddle, and stream/pond level waterproof are perfectly fine, which the Accupower is.

The Accupower was the barrier breaking optic of the 1-8 category. It was also one of the first front focal plane optics to achieve the popularity and brightness that people were starting to want. It has been surpassed but today’s top optics will too. It is still a fine optical item.

Getting one used for a deal is a no brainer.

Buying one new? Up to you. Trijicon has since added a bunch of new optics with funny names in an attempt to… I don’t know, just confuse their consumers for fun. The “Credo” line are just Accupowers called ‘Credo’ now, because it sounds Latin or something. Offered in 1-4, 1-6, and 1-8 with SFP, SFP/FFP, and FFP reticle options for the respective powers they are set to be competitive in the field… If anyone knew what Credo meant or was.

Personally, I think the rebrand was a giant turd of a mistake when ‘Accupower Gen II’ would have communicated exactly what this line was to a loyal Trijicon fanbase. Nobody knows what a Credo, Ascent, Tenmile (I guess these see really far?), or Huron are (Huron is the Great Lake nearest to Wixom and I suppose is supposed to evoke Michigan deer hunting vibes), but everybody has heard that the Accupower’s are good to go scopes.

But then again, what would I know about communicating information to people?

IR.Tools Release New Powered Thermal Targets

By
Travis Pike
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IR.Tools is a company producing some interesting goods in the realm of night vision and thermal indication systems and targets. Their newest products are a series of powered thermal targets. Passive thermal targets exist but are far from perfect. A powered thermal target is a very real solution to a very real problem. As a machine gunner, I was always toting around thermal optics, but my training with them was never live.

Dry fire training and optic’s familiarization is great but live fire rules. We tried a few different things to create thermal targets and none worked. From experience, I can tell you that an MRE heater doesn’t show up on a thermal optic. A powered thermal target solves that problem.

Powered Thermal Target Advantages

The IR.Tools powered thermal targets offer numerous advantages over passive thermal targets.

  • Inside or outside use
  • Reusable Design
  • Can be seen at any angle
  • Not affected by overcast
  • Provides a realistic training approach

These targets are made from a material known as Fabroc and are powered via a 12 or 24-volt battery. They come in various shapes and sizes including a human silhouette, a coyote, and a boar.

It is a rugged and simple solution that seems promising. It gives lifelike performance for your thermal optics and doesn’t rely on external factors to create a false heat signature. Training with thermals instantly becomes more lifelike and realistic and with more people getting into thermals these seem to be an excellent training option.

Each target cost 69.00 dollars and they are available here.

Full Press Release Below.

IR.Tools, a leading provider of infrared (IR) protection for the military and law enforcement, has released a new series of powered thermal targets. The company has been known for its IR products for over a year and a half now. Tom Boyer, owner, and lead engineer, jumped at the opportunity to add powered targets to his suite of high contrast passive shooting targets.

“We now provide our optics customers a one-stop-shop for all their thermal targets,” says IR.Tools owner Tom Boyer. “Passive or Powered we will service them with a premium thermal target.”

The new powered thermal targets are heated with a proprietary Fabroc® technology that is nearly indestructible. Constructed with a rubber-like material, it has no wires to short circuit from bullet penetration. Powering up on a 12 or 24-volt battery, the integrity of this lightweight, heat-efficient target remains intact for over 500 rounds, with a consistent thermal image and no flaring to disrupt training exercises.

What makes this thermal shooting target so unique is its durability. Fort Bragg, NC, has been shooting at the same Fabroc™ targets for 9-years.

“The unmatched number of shots it takes while maintaining a clear, realistic image to shoot is incredible.” — Range Manager Fort Bragg

IR.Tools (@ir.tools) now aims to provide this stand-out IR target to the military, special forces, law enforcement, hunters, and recreational sportsmen alike.

Not only are these powered thermal targets necessary for training, but they are easy to use. Their longevity means they are cost-effective. Now you can have a safe powered thermal target that lasts during some of the more complex training options, such as shoot, no-shoot scenarios.

You can purchase the powered thermal shooting target, should you be so inclined, for an MSRP that ranges from $60.00 – $90.00 at INV PRO TECH Tools.

Established in 2006, IR.Tools, a leading provider of IR (infrared) protection for the Military and Law Enforcement, first offered a ¾” infrared patch sewn on every military uniform in the United States. They soon became a leading provider for infrared technology, with passive infrared patches, markers, and shooting targets for night vision and thermal image operations all over the world.

Protecting Those Who Protect Us is the IR.Tools mission. Its goal is to bring the men and women who risk their lives everyday home safely. In addition to advanced weapon training targets, IR.Tools proprietary IR patch, passive thermal targets, zeroing targets and thermal vehicle markers provide excellent IFF protection. Tom Boyer’s vision and passion for innovation has resulted in 21 patents. Be assured your IR.Tools protection is top-notch.

Woke Neurosurgery?

By
DRGO
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(from drgilete.com)

[Ed: Dr. Wheeler originally published this at American Greatness July 20.]

As a general surgery intern rotating through the university hospital neurosurgery service, I was immersed in learning all day and frequently all night. There was so much to learn, and my Socratic chief resident often reminded me, “that’s why the program is so long.” Six years after medical school for a neurosurgery residency, actually, and that’s not counting any additional subspecialty fellowship, which tacks on another year or two.

But now doctors in training are getting crash courses in the insistent mandates of identity politics. At the crucial stage of their long training when bedside and operating room experience is paramount, doctors are now being told what their new priorities should be—to heal society, not just individuals, and to prepare for their part in the progressive racial justice project.

Does anyone believe that turning medical schools into woke madrassas will not come at the expense of expertise in taking care of the sick and injured?

Consider a young neurosurgeon in training at Harvard who recently charged in a Forbes article that U.S. medical schools don’t meet minimum standards for “racial justice.” The author cites as her “racial justice” creds a concurrent research fellowship at Harvard’s Program in Global Surgery and Social Change and being founder and co-president of something called the Gender Equity Initiative in Global Surgery.

In years past, neurosurgery residents took so seriously the mastery of brain surgery that they disappeared into that work for six years, typically at the expense of everything else—including family life. Few even stayed current with the daily news, to say nothing of an ongoing personal commitment to political activism. Such distractions were simply unthinkable.

It’s even worse at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The college’s ominously named Kern Institute for the Transformation of Medical Education aims to compel students, in the words of institute director Adina Kalet, M.D., MPH, to “fac[e] . . . ‘white fragility’ to describe the disbelieving defensiveness that white people exhibit particularly when they feel implicated in white supremacy.”

Another institute staffer rhetorically asks, “how might I help to dismantle and rebuild our [school’s] accommodations and remediation systems so that they favor equity over the bias-ridden concept of ‘fairness’?” and urges a “willingness as a community to engage in conversations about structural and interpersonal racism, hostile environments, and microaggressions without being concerned about the emotional fragility or anger of those with power and control.”

An apparent prerequisite for admission to the Medical College of Wisconsin is a readiness to take part in the public self-abasement rituals of white liberal guilt. And so we have the spectacle of a second-year medical student confessing in the college newsletter “I am white and I have been complacent . . . I recall times I failed to address systemic racism. I would like to acknowledge my cowardice in this . . . .”

These confessionals are disquietingly reminiscent of the “struggle sessions” in which young people under Chinese Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong’s rule labored to outdo each other in group displays of self-denigration. The expectation is a full confession of dark, private feelings, and it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the goal is the same as it was for the youthful raging Red Guards—to destroy individuality and force unquestioning conformity to the party line.

Most medical schools now boast a dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion whose job is to advance the broad and often ambiguous agenda of racial and gender politics. These professional identity group mediators vigorously prosecute affirmative action despite its decades-long history of failure in higher education and despite its illegality in several states.

It is long past time for taxpayers, alumni, and legislators to stop the politicization of our medical schools, if not to preserve American ideals of equality and liberty, then to avert the certain sabotage of quality of the nation’s doctors.

Precious curriculum time properly spent shouldering the enormous responsibility of taking care of sick folks is being hijacked to train young doctors in the ugly tenets of identity politics. A woke neurosurgeon may not have the best surgical outcomes, but he will be able to lecture you authoritatively on your white privilege.

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Dr. Tim Wheeler

—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 

The Axeon 4-12×40 – Scope Review

By
Travis Pike
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Am I wary of budget-priced optics? Yes, I am, and that’s often because companies will over advertise what their optics are designed for. I am a true believer in the idea that cheap optics have their place and are fine if you are realistic about your expectations. That’s what drew me to be a little less wary of the Axeon Optics Hunter’s series. Axeon Optics sent me a few Second Zero systems I reviewed earlier this month, and with them, they sent me an Axeon 4-12×40 optic from their Hunting line.

The keyword there to me is hunting. Hunting is a bit different than duty, tactical, or even competition use. Hunting tends to be a little slower and a little softer on optics. Sure, some hunters go hard and disappear into the woods for several days and hike out massive elk over twenty miles of rough terrain. That 1% of hunters need different equipment than 99% of us, who hunt as more of a hobby than a lifestyle.

What it’s All About

For the rest of us, the Axeon 4-12×40 is a pretty sweet choice. As a hunter, I like something light and friendly, and my most significant demand is that it is sealed against the weather and capable of taking some bumps and bruises. The Axeon 4-12×40 fits that need by being fully water and shockproof. I tend not to hunt in the rain, but the dew is often thick, and it’s easy to get soaking wet on my way to the tree stand. The optic is also very lightweight for having a 12 power magnification. It’s a mere three-quarters of a pound.

The scope is a little over a foot long and made from a machined aluminum tube. It’s not compact per se, but very light for its size. The 40mm objective lens allows me to mount the optic nice and low, which is more comfortable for me, especially on my bizarro Ares SCR design. The low mount is necessary for a good cheek weld with this rifle, and likely most hunting rifles.

While my rifle recoils very little, the Axeon 4-12×40 does have a 3.5-inch eye relief to accommodate heavier hitting rounds like the 30-06. It’s a smart inclusion.

Parts and Pieces of the Axeon 4-12×40

As far as the moving pieces, the Axeon 4-12×40 is quite simple. The magnification ring glides smoothly and is scalloped to provide a solid grip on the ring. The turrets are a low profile design but do not require a tool to make adjustments with. The focus is adjustable as well, and that is a simple feat to accomplish.

The simplicity matches the low price of the optic. It doesn’t provide massive target turrets you don’t need for hunting, or a throw lever for the rapid magnifications change hunters don’t need. If I had to choose one thing to change, its that I would have tethered caps, and that’s my wish for all optics because I lose them often.

Through the Glass

The Axeon 4-12×40 provides a surprisingly clear picture for such an affordable optic. Dismounted from my rifle, I could easily make out a stop sign a quarter-mile away from me. I could read the words STOP clearly enough.

At half a mile, I could see a deer, but I couldn’t tell you with surety if it’s a buck or a doe. I wouldn’t take a shot at that range anyway, but it’s nice to know I could at least scout that far ahead.

The sight picture is unobstructed with its simple duplex reticle. The duplex reticle is all 99% of hunters need. If you have to start estimating bullet drop, you are likely too far from your prey to make an ethical kill. Or, if you have a Second Zero equipped, there is seriously no need for ballistic drop reticle at 300 or 500 yards.

A duplex reticle and a high magnification rating make it easy to hunt a variety of critters. From deer to tree rats or prairie dogs, the Axeon 4-12×40 will get it done. The clear sight picture and decent magnification makes hitting and seeing those small pests easy.

The Zero

The big does it hold zero question is a big one, and losing zero tends to be a major issue with cheap rifle scopes. I dismounted the scope from my rifle post zero and dropped it, dropped it again, and dropped it one more time. Reattaching it to the same position on my rifle was easy because I marked the rail with some nail polish.

I reattached, tightened it down, and hit the range once more. The zero had no noticeable shift. It stayed locked on, and with a paper target, I had no problems hitting dead center at 50 and 100 yards. Besides some minor scuffs, the scope was undamaged.

The Axeon 4-12×40 is a superbly simple optic, and simple is good. Simple often means affordable. This little fella would be a great optic on any hunting rifle outside of that crazy 1% who need a tank more than they need a scope. This might not be a fancy option, but fancy is overrated in the hunting world. Check the Axeon 4-12×40 out here.

LWRCi SMG 45

By
Keith Finch
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Mike “GarandThumb” released his review of the SMG 45 yesterday. One of the post expensive Pistol Caliber Carbines made by the well regarded folks at LWRCi. The LWRCi’s piston guns have an exceptional reputation in the AR circles and their DI rifles are among the highest regarded off the shelf items as well. LWRC knows how to build a gun.

But as Mike points out, the SMG 45 has an issue. Accuracy. It will (or at least some units will) throw a round wildly every few shots. Mike’s group was about a 42 MOA (42″ at 100 yards) and having an overall discussed sample size of 5 over various serial number ranges makes this highly problematic.

The tendency displayed was for a high vertical round. The grouping was rather loose comparatively also. Mike, as he states, is not an armorer and doesn’t speculate on the exact cause.

But… I am an armorer, and I will.

The SMG 45 has an innovative delay blowback system that is reminiscent of the Barrett M82/M107. The barrel recoils a short distance before the bolt carrier separates and continues reward to extract and eject the .45 ACP case. The barrel then resets forward under spring pressure and the bolt follows it with a fresh round under its own recoil spring.

The system makes for a much gentler recoiling weapon the direct blowback. Mike points out, and I can confirm, a direct blowback 9mm delivers more felt recoil than a gas operated 5.56. Delayed blowback and gas operated guns are much gentler recoiling.

The problem: Inconsistent Point of Impact

The problem comes in sporadically but consistently that the SMG 45 throws a round vertically. This to me indicates that while the bolt carrier and barrel are achieving a safe lockup for firing that an inconsistency in the receiver it allowing the angle of the barrel to change during this lock up.

It is nearly impossible to conceive the LWRC knew about this issue and released the firearm anyway, especially at the premium price point it commands, which leads me to believe that the final production prototypes did not exhibit this issue. Nor did they later develop it under high round count testing.

This leads to looking at the mass manufacturing process instead of development, where tolerance issues can creep into machines over time or a tolerance that was previously considered okay is now showing itself as being a problem. This can happen with any firearm or any firearm part. Mass use is the final test bed and there is not other way see, honestly. You can build 5 units that do 50,000 rounds each and then 75 units that each do 10,000 rounds each and say you have 1,000,000 rounds of testing.

It is incredibly expensive to build 80 guns that aren’t for sale though… and there is no guarantee that those 80 guns will show you a problem the 8 guns wouldn’t but that 8,000 actually might. The AR-15/M4 is where it is at development wise because we have millions of iteration samples over a 50 year period of evolving technology to see what works and what does not.

The SMG 45 is exhibiting a problem the LWRC knows about, and now the market does too.

So what’s next?

Data collection

LWRC now needs data. They aren’t the first to start trying to find a culprit part, tolerance, CNC machine, forge error, mold error, etc. and they will not be the last. If you have a SMG 45 that does not group, LWRCi needs that gun and serial number. If you have one that does group. LWRCi could probably use that information also if you have ammo types, round counts, etc. to a reasonably accurate degree.

LWRCi will be tracking down whether this problem seems to develop at the factory, after a certain number of rounds, at a certain number of guns through the production line, at certain serial number ranges (and the time frames involved), after they made an alteration to a part in production, or any combination of the above.

Fixing guns is like fixing a computer, you keep going down the list of things it could be, from the most basic to the minutia, until you isolate the factor or factors causing the error. For my part I’m going to stick with my theory that a tolerance error crept into the receiver or barrel assembly that allows of an angle change during barrel and bolt lock up. This makes the most sense with the vertical stringing being prominent.

But, like I said, LWRCi needs data. If you have that data, let them know. Round counts, when the issue began (out of the box or after X amount of rounds), how much is the variance, does the variance happen in a consistent direction, etc. All of the points of information will narrow the window until a solution is found and then the SMG 45 can be the sub gun we want it to be.

Pandemic Gardening Part 6 – Tomatoes and Peppers

By
Dr LateBloomer
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With writing all the other pieces on gardening, I’ve kind of kicked the can down the road a bit with this one. Everybody grows tomatoes and peppers, don’t they? There isn’t that much interesting to say is there? Thus my putting it off.

Well, screw that. Even if everybody and their brother is growing them too, I’m still having a lovely time with my tomatoes and peppers this year. I’ve had very little experience growing garden crops outdoors, so everything is still a learning lesson, as you’ll see in a minute.

Last year’s outdoor garden attempt was quite a disappointment, what with blossom end rot and deer predation taking out most of what my four whole tomato plants produced. This year it’s fun to have some apparent success for a change. But I’m still holding my breath a little waiting for some unanticipated disaster or other. I’m pragmatic/pessimistic that way.

With all that said, let me tell you about my pandemic tomatoes and peppers.

Romas in the Window

We had a pretty mild winter here, and I was getting the late winter blahs, so I started my tomato seeds a few weeks too early. It was late February (lesson learned). My goal was pasta sauce and maybe salsa, so I planted Roma seeds in the window. I like meaty “cooking” tomatoes rather than watery slicing ones. I still planted my usual window cherry tomatoes, but the Roma seeds went into toilet paper tubes in the window as well. 

They sprouted well and were promptly moved to butter tubs while I (albeit impatiently) waited for the last frost. The problem is that the weather took a turn for the colder and stayed that way until Mother’s Day.  Meanwhile my tomatoes got taller and leggier, and a few even put out blossoms – in the kitchen window. I had a veritable jungle going on behind those curtains.

I was on the verge of trying to stake the 3-foot tall plants up in the window somehow when the weather finally broke. I planted my tomato starts outside in plastic storage tubs on May 16th, but they looked pretty pitiful and were not at all happy with the hardening off and transplant process. 

They looked so bad, that I actually masked-up and bought a few starts from the local garden center. I was sure they weren’t going to make it, but they surprised me. I’ve now got four storage tubs containing about ten tomato plants. Yes, I know that’s crowded, but like I said – I was sure that several of them were going to die on me. When they didn’t, then I was stuck with the arrangement.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Happy tomato plants.

These tomatoes seem to be doing very well so far, and I’ve harvested some already to my amazement. Although I’m trying to do compost and “natural” fertilizer as much as possible, I did add some Jobe’s plant food spikes to the containers since the plants were so crowded.

My first tomato harvest of the season!

If the blossom end rot stays away, I should be up to my elbows in Romas when they all ripen. I’m ready to can them into pasta sauce and salsa if/when that happens. (The cherry tomatoes will be frozen and dehydrated as before.)

And just to prove to myself that this is all worth the effort – the local farmer’s market FB page just listed tomatoes at three dollars – each! WHAT??!!

Jalapeño peppers

I’m not a huge “hot” food fan, but do like a little “zip” in my salsa, pepper jelly etc. To that end, I started four jalapeño peppers from seed in the window – also in late February.

Like the tomatoes, I started too early and my peppers got taller and taller in the window while I was waiting for the the weather to break. Again I was unsure of survival because the plants looked so pitiful upon transplant outside into tubs. So also like the tomatoes, I added two more starts from the garden center.

That gave me six jalapeño plants! Since they all survived I may have more pepper jelly than I originally planned for. But that’s the beauty of home canning and dehydrating – you can always preserve the extra harvest for later. 

Happy jalapeños.

Speaking of which – I just canned a batch of pickled cabbage/coleslaw last week from my container-grown cabbage, so that was a pandemic garden win, too.

Now for a little side story.

How can you tell that I’m an outdoor garden novice? It’s because I found two really fat green caterpillars on one of my pepper plants a few days ago and had to ask social media what they were. (D’oh!)

Turns out they were “Hornworms”. The biggest one was almost 4 inches long and like half an inch in diameter. That sucker would have made a disgusting pop if I had killed it.

Disgusting or Cool caterpillar – depending on your point of view.

Yes, I said “if I had” – as in I didn’t. Despite exhortations from all quarters to send these gardener’s nemesis hellspawn to their squishy graves, I relented.

See, the problem is that I have an adult daughter whose hobby is bugs – particularly moths. This offspring’s first polysyllabic word was “Calerpetter”. It turns out that hornworms (which are really caterpillars, not worms) are the larval stage of really interesting Lepidopteran family called Sphinx Moths or Hawk Moths. 

Sphinx and Hawk Moths have the longest tongues of any moth or butterfly in the world. And the Moths themselves run pretty big, too. The adult moths are important pollinators of native plant species. But their accomplishments are ignored and reviled because the caterpillars denude people’s tomato and pepper plants.

I’m never so happy as when I’m learning nerdy things, so I felt an obligation to learn more about these critters before just squashing them. My daughter was out of town, so I jury rigged a bug house to try to keep these larvae alive until she gets back. Right now I’m using it as an excuse to “prune” my tomato plants. I didn’t know that you are supposed to trim off excess branches below the fruit, so I’m doing it now and feeding the trimmings to the captive “Calerpetters”.

The bug barn.

Now – I swear I’m not completely soft-headed. If I find any more of these beasties, I will happily drown them in soapy water rather than sacrifice my hard work in the garden. Had this been a REAL Apocalypse TM, rather than a practice run, I’d have had a scorched earth policy regarding garden pests. 

But these two for now have been granted a reprieve – at least temporarily. Because I’m nerdy and have raised nerdy offspring, and it’s a pandemic year, and what else is there to do this summer but learn nerdy things about garden bugs? 

On top of that, my local gun club just cancelled all matches for the remainder of the year. That includes IDPA, Steel, and Sporting Clays. Fortunately, UPS informs me that the plinking array I ordered is on the way. I’ll be trying to get out with the small caliber rifles and bringing my daughter with me. At least I won’t have to worry about the range being closed for matches on the weekends. What a year!

If I haven’t bored you to tears yet, stay tuned for the last piece or two of the Pandemic Gardening puzzle!

Believe It or Not, Gun Laws Change Nothing

By
DRGO
-
(from-nbcconnecticut.com)

We routinely castigate lousy research by prejudiced academics who make their careers publishing poorly designed, illogically interpreted studies claiming that guns are bad and that widely restricting their ownership will solve society’s problems. We get tired of it, like anyone would covering the same fake news over and over. So it is really refreshing to review the rare study that gets it right from start to finish.

“Effect of firearms legislation on suicide and homicide in Canada from 1981 to 2016”  was published June 18 in PLOS One by DRGO member Cailinn Langmann, MD. PLOS One is an open access but peer reviewed on-line journal. Dr. Langmann has reviewed a number of others’ work for us, correcting their misattribution and bringing light to the world. Here, he takes them on with his own work.

I encourage you to go to the article itself, but here’s the summary. Canada has “progressively” taken the lead over the U.S. generally in piling up increasing restrictions on gun ownership, notably in federal laws from 1991, 1994 and 2001. Dr. Langmann looked at homicide and suicide rates from 1981 through 2016, which gave unequivocal before, during and after comparisons. The results: “No associated benefit from firearms legislation on aggregate rates of . . . suicide” was found for either males or females, though there were increases in rates of hanging suicide and poisoning. “No beneficial association was found between legislation and female or male homicide rates.” On the other hand, “an increased association with suicide rates was found with rates of low income, increased unemployment, and the percentage of aboriginals.”

All his data is public and readily available online, unlike the common problem with other researchers generating data but unwilling to share it in order for others to confirm its validity and appropriateness. There is no researcher-defined case control nonsense here—Langmann analyzes his data as a whole, over time (including sub-sections defined by the three points of new laws), and by age groups and sex. He chooses his topics for regression analysis well, uncovering significant associations with unemployment, poverty, pre-existing high suicide rates, and prevalence of Native Canadians.

The approach is important, too, because its validity underlies the results’ validity. Biased researchers focus only on the rate of use of firearms in suicide and homicide. And (surprise!) “gun deahts” decline with less availability of guns. But they pay no attention to the only changes that matter, overall suicide and homicide rates because of all the ways people can choose to end their lives or others’.

A valuable side-result of work that does, like Langmann’s, is to substantiate the societal reality of means substitution. Yes, the degree of lethality of methods matters a great deal at the decisive moment—it is important to find just ways to separate suicidal individuals from guns (and high places, etc.) when there is an acute risk. Each life counts, and saving one is a great thing. But on a population basis, there is no difference with or without firearms over time. Rational thinkers know this anyway, because there are other countries with little civilian gun access in which suicide rates dwarf ours.

Add to this finding the fact that violent crime does generally rise in the absence of firearms owned by civilians and their consequent inability to defend themselves.  Just look at the United Kingdom, or any of a number of long-time Democrat-controlled American cities where gun control has resulted in too many (criminal) guns on the street versus none in victims’ hands. Guns owned responsibly are not a cause of suicide, homicide or other violent crime.

Let’s wrap up with Langmann’s own conclusions:

  • It’s true “gun control methods to reduce suicide by firearms may have benefits”—but only in reducing suicide by firearms, not overall.
  • “No associated reductions in homicide with increasing firearms regulations suggests alternative approaches are necessary to reduce homicide by firearm.” These would include:
  • “Steps to reduce youth gang membership and violence through diversion and educational programs”;
  • “[C]ommunity based suicide prevention programs such as training of family physicians in the detection and treatment of depression and [non-judgmental] discussions about firearms, campaigns aimed at increasing awareness about depression, and follow-up of individuals who attempted suicide”; and,
  • “Outreach to groups for which access to care may be a particular issue, such as Aboriginals”.

The truth is out there, for those who have eyes to see it. Just follow the science—the good science, like this.

.

.

Robert B Young, MD

— 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

The Recover Tactical 20/20

By
Travis Pike
-

Don’t we all love pistol braces? They have been an excellent addition to the world of guns and made many clumsy pistols fun to shoot. They’ve also made some not so awkward guns a little handier. Glock brace kits are nothing new, but the new Recover Tactical 20/20 kit is different from any other brace on the market. Like many, it attaches around the Glock and utilizes different points of contact around the gun. 

The main difference is the minimalist nature of the brace system. It’s superbly light and small and guess what? It’s even compatible with a holster system that has pretty clever design. The Recover Tactical 20/20 has a folding tail system that also makes it very compact as far as these systems go. Compared to kits like the Roni or KPOS, the 20/20 is much smaller and slimline in design. 

The high impact polymer shell feels well made and constructed. The system opens up to accept the Glock smoothly and efficiently. The brace folds with ease and then locks in the folded position. The end of the brace features a robust little strap thats adjustable and fits my big forearms easily enough. 

Package Variations 

The package comes in a great variety of different options. You can choose which options work for you, and at the same time, the price is determined by the package. The cheapest package runs only 100 bucks. This also makes it one of the more affordable Glock stabilizing kits. Here are the kits as follows: 

  • 20/20B – Stabilizer Frame, Brace w/Strap, UCH & GCH17 Charging Handles 
  • 20/20S – Stabilizer Frame, Brace w/Strap, UCH & GCH17 Charging Handles, Sling, Picatinny Side Rails
  • 20/20H – Stabilizer Frame, Brace w/Strap, UCH & GCH17 Charging Handles, Sling, Picatinny Side Rails, G7 holster w/Pistol Adapter (Can be used without the 20/20 stabilizer brace)
  • 20/20MG – Stabilizer Frame, Brace w/Strap, UCH & GCH17 Charging Handles, Sling, Picatinny Side Rails, G7 holster w/Pistol Adapter (Can be used without the 20/20 stabilizer brace), MG9 Angled Mag Pouch For Glock Magazines

Strapping it Together

The installation is not toolless, so it’s not an instant install, or something you can do on the fly. It takes a moment and requires an Allen wrench, but it is easy enough. You can choose either a low or high charging handle. Guns with optics have to use the low charging handle. You can attach optional side rails with an Allen wrench and call it a day. Compatibility is only with stock Glocks and the system is not compatible with Polymer 80 Glocks. 

There is a third rail at the bottom, and this bottom do-hickey allows the gun to be holstered with the included system.

This holster is a paddle design with a weird vice-like construction that clips onto the bottom of the rail and goes up high enough to cover the trigger guard to make the entire setup safe to carry.  

The holster is surprisingly supportive and comfortable. The gun stays put and is also very easy to draw from. I don’t think I’ll be concealing it, but I can live my poor man’s Post Malone open carry fantasy. 

To The Range, We Go 

Installing your Glock into the Recover Tactical 20/20 is easy, the system is quite minimalist in design, and the setup feels good. Let’s do the fun part and strap it on and take it to the range. 

The forearm covering strap tightens down easily, and the brace is angled to accommodate your arm. The brace design is ingenious and does allow for you to hold the weapon a lot less awkwardly than most braces. You can rotate your arm and achieve a good hold on the gun and commit to full extension. 

Firing with the brace is very comfortable, and it doesn’t rub you raw or cause any pain. The brace does extend what’s basically a third arm from your body, and this allows you to increase your control over the gun. The Recover 20/20 acts like the biggest beavertail in the world. It increases your leverage on the gun and gives you some real control over the muzzle flip. 

Should the brace accidentally touch your shoulder, the little bit of polymer at the back of the brace won’t provide a lot of shoulder support. It’s also somewhat short, so I imagine shooting it from a shouldered position will feel a little short. 

The Recover 20/20 changes the gun’s handling ergonomics a bit. Using the slide lock to drop the slide is difficult to get used to slingshotting it. Using the slide lock to lock the slide sans magazine isn’t as easy as flicking it up. Racking it from the charging handle is the only actual way to rack the slide as well. The changes aren’t too significant, but worth noting. 

The Recover Tactical 20/20

Overall the product doesn’t interfere with the operation or cause reliability issues. It’s seemingly one of the most affordable, yet quality pistol brace kits. It’s a handy tool and a fun kit that can increase the functionality of a pistol. It’s certainly worth a look and is a worthy competitor to similar kits, but at what is likely a lower price point than most. The Recover Tactical 20/20 brace was provided by YRS for test and review go click the link to give them a look. 

“Ghost Busting” in the New York Senate

By
Keith Finch
-
I will forever show this absolute imbecile when talking about 'ghost guns'

The Democrat-controlled New York State Senate approved S.7763-A/A9903 on a 43-17 vote on July 23rd. The measure ‘aims to create tough new statewide laws on firearms without serial numbers such as those commonly built by hobbyists in the comfort of their homes‘. Further, it would make the act of fitting together the component parts of a firearm a crime for anyone who is not a licensed gunsmith.

No more AR builds, no more 80% builds. No more Glock Kits. Hell, depending on how strict this is, no more cleaning your own firearm. That may constitute ‘fitting together components’ since the Senate is far from filled with geniuses. They gave us the S.A.F.E act after all. [I checked, that is actually specifically exempt in the bill… good for them, I guess. But don’t replace a part on your own! Bad New Yorker! Felony for you! You unlicensed gunsmith!]

State Senators in the Empire State (Empire is right) called it the toughest ban on so-called “Ghost Guns” in the country. Cool story… it certainly hasn’t stopped the criminally inclined people before, but surely it will this time around.

The bill had been floating around for almost a decade in one form or another but was consistently foiled while Republicans held narrow control of the Senate. New York’s state government has one-party rule, with Dems in the driver’s seat today so that impasse is over. ‘Ghost Guns’ will be banned. Long live serial numbers! No one has found a way to do crime with serialized guns yet, right?

“Ghost guns have been a scourge for years, and that is why I first introduced legislation to regulate them back in 2013,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat.

Just because they make you wet yourself doesn’t make them a ‘scourge’ Linda. A scourge would be a multi-year drought or a state-wide wild fire. A scourge would be a warlord setting themselves up with several blocks of your city cut off, freedom of travel restricted and lives threatened with violence for noncompliance (ask your west coast friends about it). A scourge is a tyrannical dictation of power from the perpetually safe elites, who need not abide by the measures of the masses, to arbitrarily declare what is safe and unsafe based on political gile, not factual analysis.

The new rule defines a “ghost gun” under state law as any firearm that isn’t serialized and registered, with no provision for grandfathering of guns already in circulation. Currently, federal law allows anyone legally able to possess a firearm to build one for their personal use. Serialized and registered. No word on how they plan to sweep the state clean of any offending firearms of a “ghostly” disposition yet. Funny that…

Under S.7763-A, the manufacture or otherwise assembly of a firearm, rifle, or shotgun would be banned by anyone other than a licensed gunsmith. With that, it would also be a crime for anyone except a gunsmith to possess a firearm without a serial number. In the case of “unfinished frames or receivers” in the possession of such a smith, they would have to be serialized and registered with the State Police. Elimination of the DIY industry despite its complete Federal legality.

Illegal possession of a ghost gun, under the proposal, will be a Class D felony. Class D felonies include robbery and certain types of manslaughter and carry a penalty of as many as 5 years in prison… for having a piece of metal or plastic without a number the State has somewhere in a book. Unlawful production of a ghost gun would be a Class C felony, making it a parallel crime to assault and drug distribution, and spending up to 10 years in prison. For building a firearm without the vaulted permission of the State Presidium and registering it with the state and only as a licensed gunsmith may you do so.

Shall not be infringed indeed… Constitutional scholarly skills, or even those of simple language, are a little thin in the atmosphere of the Empire… State. Empire State.

National anti-gun groups approve of the measure.

“New York is a nationwide leader on gun safety and we applaud Senators Hoylman and Kaplan for their leadership on this critical public safety issue in the NY Senate and urge the NY Assembly to swiftly pass these life-saving pieces of legislation,” said David Pucino, Staff Attorney at the Giffords Law Center.

A Critical. Public. Safety. Issue… COVID-19 in New York has killed 32,413 of the total 158,000 deaths nationwide attributed to the respiratory malignation and yet making sure a piece of metal or plastic has a number on it is the ‘Critical Public Safety Issue’… Because GUNS BAD!! Or some other lukewarm IQ garbage.

Monday News Round-Up

By
Keith Finch
-

It’s been a weekend… I don’t know how else to put it. It was a weekend across the nation as places like Portland and Chicago continue to experience violent crime and unrest. Media outlets continue to try and spin riots as peaceful protests with just a side of violence and arson and people in general just seem to be over it…

Louisville Kentucky: The Not F*cking Around Coalition F*cked around and found out with 3 injured in a negligent discharge.

300 Members of NFAC, the Not F*cking Around Coalition (no, seriously that is their name) marched armed through Louisville in another protest demanding justice in the wrongful death of Breonna Taylor. Breonna was killed in a no-knock SWAT raid that was at the wrong address.

No-knock raids have come under incredibly harsh scrutiny and how police officers conduct other checks on private property has too as several officer involved killings have been highly publicized. Breonna Taylor’s case and that of her lawfully armed boyfriend (who was taken into custody with pending charges but later released and all charges dropped) bring back memories of Atatiana Jefferson, a 28-year old Fort Worth woman who was shot and killed by an officer doing a check on an open door.

Atatiana had gotten her handgun when she saw movement she didn’t recognize outside her house. The officer saw the handgun and fired, killing Atatiana in front of her 8-year old nephew who she she was playing video games with at the time. The officer later resigned from the department and was indicted for murder, he had only 18 months on the job and his record indicated supervisors though he suffered from “tunnel vision” and trouble communicating with the public.

But back to the incredibly ironic NFAC march. Which was described as “tense but peaceful” as members of III% Militia also showed up in support of police. The only injuries reported were the three who got hit by the negligent discharge. The fact the little movement has been seen to address the Taylor case remains a point of high contention since it seen as just more proof that officers can get away with making a lethal mistake and be held to no consequence. Even if this is a department level screw up the details on who is to be held accountable are far from clear or if anyone at all will be held accountable for the no-knock raid. A practice considered by many to be wholly unconstitutional under nearly all possible circumstances.

Americans across the nation have armed up in the wake of COVID and the riots on all ends of the political spectrum as they are shown the limits of what public law enforcement can do for their individual safety. Gun ownership among the Black community and Black gun groups are growing in number. This is far from a bad thing but as we see from NFAC, the four rules still apply to everyone. Virginia’s 2A rally was a perfect example of the fact it can be done.

Don’t Mess in Texas.

Garrett Foster.

Masked and carrying an AK at a BLM protest in a now internet famous interview, he said if he ‘uses it against the cops he is dead.’ Later that evening he proved that wasn’t the only way to die when he approached a vehicle that had been surrounded by protesters. Five shots are heard as Garrett was shot by the driver.

Garrett is seen in the crowd shouldering something, presumed to be the AK (not the quadruple amputee in a wheelchair he was photographed with earlier in the day and alleged to have been pushing along instead at the time of the shooting, by some sources. Reported to be his fiance.) and approaching the drivers window when the first five shots rang out. Several shots are heard a few seconds afterward as a protester shoots at the vehicle. The driver then called 911 to report the incident.

As Garrett approached the vehicle with the AK at low ready the driver decided he wasn’t going to get Kilt in da Streetz, and also this is Texas. He provided ballistic deterrence to the hostile masked man in the hostile crowd pointing an AK at him. The later shots heard are then the individual in the crowd allegedly opening fire on the driver, which could potentially make that person a criminal accessory in Garrett’s death. How? A manner similar to one or more members of a home invasion being killed and the remaining participants are held liable for the death.. because it was a collectively lethally dumb idea.

Garrett’s famous last words on camera calling people who were “against them” (Them being the Fort Worth BLM Protest) out as “too big of pussies to do anything about it” will remain perhaps as legendary an irony as the Dallas Federal Courthouse ‘Almost‘ Mass Shooter.

Foster f*cked around and found out, just like Brian Clyde before him. He leaves his family and fiance behind because he approached a detained and besieged vehicle with a rifle at the ready.

Pro Tips: Don’t entrap vehicles. Don’t muzzle drivers with your AK like you intend to shoot or detain them against their will. Don’t mess with Texans.

Guess who Chicago’s Mayor Blames for the Rise in Violence?

Go on.

Guess.

Survey says…

Yes, the Mayor of the Windy City (and the Zombies) is once again blaming their neighbors for flooding the streets with guns… other things like that. Apparently, “The fact of the matter is our gun problem is related to the fact that we have too many illegal guns in our streets — 60% of which come from states outside of Illinois. We are being inundated with guns from states that have virtually no gun control, no background checks, no ban on assault weapons,” Mayor Lightfoot said.

She must be including the rest of Illinois in her tirade (there’s another 40% after all) because the state doesn’t ban ‘Assault Weapons’ or magazines, but they are prohibited in Cook County.

President Trump has promised to make up to 75,000 Federal Officers of various agencies available to assist these cities in their law enforcement plans but Mayor Lightfoot says what they really need is…

Bet you can’t guess.

GUN CONTROL. Because of all those states like Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Iowa just flooding the state with unbackground checked guns. Because none of the states has background checks or gun laws, virtually.

It couldn’t be that the viral pandemic and riots have everyone on a short fuse and opportunistic criminals out in force could it? It couldn’t be violent gangs murdering each other and reprising slights with cut back on police enforcing due to medical and social pressure? Nope, guns. Totally the guns according to Lightfoot.

And that was the weekend. 2020 continues to 2020.

Pandemic Gardening Part 5 – Herbal/Medicinal

By
Dr LateBloomer
-

Continuing with the gardening theme, I would be remiss if I didn’t include an article on herbs in this pandemic garden series. I have so far only grown herbs for culinary purposes, but several of these also have purported “medicinal” properties. If you are planting for the Apocalypse you may want to consider an herbal plot for both kitchen and medicinal use.

If I’m going to talk about “medicinal” properties of plants, bear in mind that a lot of this is “traditional” medicine and has not been supported by double-blind placebo controlled trials, nor even screened for safety. Thus, I hesitate to “recommend” any of this with an MD after my name. 

Add to that the very nebulousness of most herbal medicine claims. I own several books about foraging and growing medicinal plants, and they are filled with poorly-defined terms such as “detoxify” and “supports”. As a scientist by nature I am bothered by the lack of precision and true research.

That said, my feeling is that if you can eat it as a food, then it “should” be safe to try some teas, topical poultices etc from the same edible portions of the same plants. That’s as far as I’m going to go with this, and as always, proceed at your own risk. If you have a genuine medical problem you need to consult your own physician. Bear in mind that  “All natural” does not necessarily mean “nontoxic”. And even Tylenol can be toxic to your liver and even kill you if taken in too large doses. We are all adults here and responsible for our own choices.

Lavender (Lavandula species)

I’ve always loved the smell of lavender. Real lavender, not the purple-colored non-descript floral garbage that air fresheners and hair products label as lavender.

Several years ago I decided to see if I could grow my own. I had seeds I bought as souvenirs of my visit to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Apparently lavender can be tricky to grow from seed, but based on a couple videos, I refrigerated it for a few weeks first, and then it germinated – tada! 

It grew in my window in peanut butter jars until early summer and then I transplanted it outside. Three years later I have a lovely section of lavender in my flower bed and it even needs to be thinned and spread out a little at this point. It has thrived and I am so pleased! 

Besides smelling lovely and being used to for sachets and potpourri, Lavender is purported to have many other uses, from the culinary to the medicinal.

Lavender with a peek of Chamomile in my garden.

I have even used my dried lavender flowers soaked in 181 proof grain alcohol to make a pleasant-smelling “hand sanitizer” that doesn’t have the slimy and chemical aspects of commercial sanitizer.

This lavender variety is cold hardy in my growing zone and has survived two winters so far.

Chamomile (Chamaemelum species)

Chamomile is another herb that I grew from seed I got at Monticello. I started it in the same season as the lavender, and it has been just as prolific. I love the “happy little daisy” look of these summer flowers and just brushing up against them emits a pleasant fragrance. 

Seeds as Souvenirs.

I planted chamomile so I could make tea, but it too has many other purported uses which are generally recognized as safe. But do look up the few safety recommendations as it can sometimes interact with other medications you are taking or produce allergic reactions in a few susceptible individuals.

Happy little chamomile flowers in my herb garden.

Like the lavender, chamomile is a perennial and also self seeds, so you do need to separate and thin the clumps every few years.

There are two main types of chamomile – Roman and German – which have some differences. But both are considered “ medicinal”.

Bee Balm (Monarda species)

Bee Balm is another herb that I started from seed in my window. Finding these things as pre-started plants in nurseries can be a challenge and additional expense, so I went the cheap route and planted seed in toilet paper tubes in my window.

Bee Balm doesn’t bloom until the second season, so some patience is required.

There are a couple different species of Monarda, with varied colors and reportedly varied concentrations of “medicinal properties“ I planted Monarda fistulosa which tends towards pink or purple flowers, and has a very oregano-like flavor, but I’m now ordering Monarda didyma, which tends toward red flowers and has a fruity scent/flavor, so that I have both.

Another name for Bee Balm is “Oswego Tea”. It is reported that some colonial citizens followed the Native American practice of cultivating and drinking Bee Balm as a tea. This was rather a finger in the eye to British tea taxes. It is said that Monarda didyma has a flavor similar to Earl Grey, resulting in another somewhat misleading name of “bergamot” – which is the name of a completely different plant that is used to flavor real Earl Grey Tea.

Bee Balm blooming in its second season.

Bee Balm is a member of the mint family, so be careful where you plant it. The mint family is notorious for spreading everywhere and taking over a garden plot, so plan accordingly, or just keep it in pots to keep it under control. I personally don’t care if it takes over the whole hillside, so I’m not restraining mine.

Yarrow

The Yarrow I have in my yard is a bit of an accident. When we built the house 20 odd years ago there was an embankment that needed to be seeded promptly to avoid erosion. I spread a bag of “wild flower mix” around and hoped for the best. 

The only thing that has survived after all this time and hasn’t succumbed to the mower or been crowded out by grass or clover is Yarrow. This year I’m going to move some to the bed with the Bee Balm so I can keep my “medicinals” in one place.

Yarrow that I’ll be transplanting shortly.

Yarrow too has many purported benefits. According to this link it is generally not considered toxic. Though pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid unless under advice from their doctor. Likewise people with bleeding disorders.

In addition to the above, I’m growing the usual more common culinary herbs like basil, oregano, mint, rosemary, and thyme that are also said to have various healing properties. Time and space preclude their addition here, but if you are genuinely interested, books and internet sites abound.

The only “medicinal” use of any of the above I can admit to having done myself is hot mint tea with a splash of bourbon during a headcold. But hey – there isn’t any medicine that makes a cold go away faster anyway, so why not. At least it tasted good and I slept well.

Ready for some herbal tea!

These herbs in addition to being edible and purportedly useful medicinally, are also pretty, colorful, smell good, and are pollinators that make the bees and butterflies happy. With all that going for it, why wouldn’t you plant an herb garden?

The Modern Samurai Project Standards

By
Caleb Giddings
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T​he Modern Samurai Project Standards are a straightforward test of your shooting ability. High performance on these standards shows a high level of shooting skill, and a fast draw. Today we’re going to take a look at the standards, and the different levels of skill required.

T​o understand the Modern Samurai Project Standards, we have to understand where they came from, and that’s the mind of Scott Jedlinski, the owner of Modern Samurai Project (MSP). Scott is a lifelong martial artist, USPSA Master Class shooter, FAST Coin holder, and all around good dude. He created the MSP Standards as a way to benchmark students in his classes against certain baseline measurements.

T​he Modern Samurai Project Standards are composed of four tests of shooting skill. The rules are simple: four drills must be shot in order, with certain par times in an MSP class to earn a Black Belt patch. As of this writing there are 8 Black Belt Patch holders, making the MSP Black Belt patch one of the toughest feats of marksmanship to complete. The “pure” way to run these drills is from concealment or an ALS style duty holster. Running them from a competition holster incurs a time penalty. In addition to the Black Belt patch, Scott has broken down the MSP standards into three other categories, based on the Brazilian Jujitsu belt system. There’s blue belt, purple belt, brown belt, and of course the aforementioned black belt.

First up is the 3×2 drill, which on the surface seems simple. Draw, fire 3 shots to the body and 2 head shots at 3 yards. The par time to beat for a black belt patch is 2 seconds, and let me tell you that is no joke. It’s easy on this drill to go too fast because you’re so close to the target and end up missing one of the body shots, or worse miss a head shot. I tend to miss the head shots because I’m rushing the transition to the head box.

N​ext on the Modern Samurai Project Standards we move to 7 yards, and fire one shot to the center mass of the target. Black belts have to do this under 1 second. A 1 second first shot from 7 yards is sort of the gold standard for a concealment draw, and no matter how hard I battle I’ve never been able to consistently hit that number. It’s a shame, because a “slow” draw makes the next drill even more difficult: the Instagram famous Bill Drill. Draw and fire six shots, that’s it. Black belts don’t get a lot of time, they have to be under 2 seconds.

Last, we move to 25 yards, and fire one shot center of mass. 1.5 seconds is the par time on this stage of the Modern Samurai Project standards, and that’s no joke. Lots of people can’t even hit a center or mass hit at 25 yards with no time limit, much less with the tight times that the MSP Black Belt patch requires.

Before you get bummed out that you’ll never be able to hit these standards, here are the rest of the breakdowns for the drills.

Blue Belt: 3 second 3×2, 1.5 second 7 yard 1 shot, 3 second Bill Drill, 2.25 second 25 yard 1 shot Purple Belt: 2.5 second 3×2, 1.3 second 7 yard 1 shot, 2.5 second Bill Drill, 2 second 25 yard 1 shot Brown Belt: 2.15 second 3×2, 1.1 second 7 yard 1 shot, 2.15 second Bill Drill, 1.65 second 25 yard 1 shot

Take a look at those numbers, and see where you fall. If you don’t know, maybe it’s time to buy a shot timer, take some training, and find out where your skill level is actually at? Because the real point of the MSP Standards is being able to measure performance on demand. What can you do when the chips are down and you have to perform? The only way to find out…is to put yourself to the test.

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