Governor Bill Lee, joined by several key members of the Tennessee legislature, announced today a new bill that will allow a constitutional carry law in Tennessee.
The bill will be introduced as an administration bill, however the Governor acknowledged many in the state legislature have advocated for this change as well.
What’s an Administration Bill? It is legislation proposed at the specific request of the governor by the head of that legislative body and not by a normal legislative member. It is the strongest possible support a governor can give to a potential law since it is coming at their request and with their direction to its drafting.
This doesn’t mean the original won’t be amended in the legislative process or that if the amendments go to far from the original intent the governor might veto it, but it clearly indicates to the legislature what the governor wants.
The bill would not only allow Tennessee residents the right to carry without a permit, but would also introduce stricter penalties to those who commit a crime involving a firearm. Increased penalties would be introduced for those who steal a firearm, including a mandatory minimum sentence for those who steal a firearm.
The right to carry and stiff penalties for behavior contrary to that of a good citizen. Seems alright to me. Tennessee would be the 17th state to legalize carry for residents. Permit would likely still be issued at request for reciprocal purposes, as is the case with the other constitutional carry states.
I shouldn’t be surprised by the tone of vague nebulous blame that Vox lays at the feet of “Wisconsin”. I also shouldn’t be surprised that outlets like Vox have broadened the meaning of ‘mass shooting‘ to include nearly every criminal act involving a firearm discharging at more than one person.
Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales speaks to the media following a shooting at the Molson Coors Brewing Co. campus on February 26, 2020, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images
Via Vox
And yet..
Five people were killed Wednesday when a shooter opened fire at the Molson Coors beer company complex in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
According to local police chief Alfonso Morales, the shooter, a 51-year-old former employee of the brewery, also died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
I will give Vox props for not adding the dead shooter into the victim count to inflate the number from five to six, Everytown will though so don’t worry about him being forgotten. That’s about all good I can grant them though, the claim about 45 mass shootings is coming up oh so swiftly…
For those unsure of their newsworthy orientation on this one, we are talking about the Molson Coors employee who, while still employed as far as I can find at this moment, killed five of his co-workers and then himself. I don’t know what work stresses or home stresses lead to the violent snap but we know the company was going through a lot of changes internally. I suspect either a change in his employment status was imminent or he had reached a social breaking point with one or more of the victims.
I don’t know, but the facts as seen right now seem to indicate this was workplace violence. This was not terrorism, a heist or greater crime against the company, or anything else so complex. This was a man who took his anger out on his place of employment and those he worked with.
This doesn’t make the crime any better or worse, it just frames the motivating factors… a subject that ideologues love to obfuscate to fit the narrative they’ve ascribed to.
Nidal Hasan always comes to mind during conversations on ‘workplace violence’ because of the mental cartwheels needed to fit that descriptor in the place of terrorism. If Major Hassan had left a note that had basically said, “Fuck the Army and just the Army and especially Colonel Fuckface.” before the shooting, it would have been one thing. That would have fallen clearly under the motivational sphere of workplace violence. But, while the official report states workplace violence, Hasan’s motivations fell solidly under the sphere of terrorism too as his contact with Anwar al-Awlaki supports. Al-Awlaki would be later killed in a drone strike by President Obama for his role as an Al-Qaeda recruiter and was the first U.S. Citizen killed by drone and extra-judicially as a terrorist.
But back to the article.
It was at least the 11th mass shooting in Wisconsin since 2004. There have been 45 mass shootings in the US since the beginning of 2020.
There.. it.. is..
There have only been 11 mass shootings in Wisconsin in the last 16 years but there have been 45 mass shootings in the past 59 days? Wisconsin is feeling pretty safe. Yet reports like MAPS listed only 27 incidents in the whole of 2018. Numbers aren’t adding up.
And just hours before the shooting, Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called on lawmakers to push forward legislation aimed at tightening the state’s gun laws.
I’m sure if the Wisconsin legislature had just immediately given into Gov. Evers call for whatever generic box of gun control that was called for, that the shooting at Molson Coors could not have happened. At least that seems to be Vox’s direction.
Of course it is not stated which law would have prevented this shooting. There was either a failure of current under-enforced systems, if the employee was a prohibited person, or there was no background to criminally pick up on. A new rule wouldn’t change these realities, it cannot change them.
In response to Evers, “Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, made it clear that Wisconsin’s gun laws would not change under a Republican-controlled Legislature,” USA Today reported, “reminding voters of the longstanding divide that all but ensures deadly incidents like Wednesday’s aren’t going to spur new gun policies anytime soon.”
And there is the blame game, for everyone except the man who chose to kill his co-workers. It is actively mind-numbing how palpably gun controllers believe in their solutions, as if belief alone will carry the policy to success. The fundamental logical disconnect, that these policy drafters are actively engaged against the free wills and physical freedom to act of other human beings seems to completely escape them.
Shed Hunting. No, not garden sheds – deer antlers that have been shed.
When I first heard about this activity, I was like… what?
I had honestly never thought about the fate of last season’s deer antlers before. But combing the woods in search of deer antlers dropped when the rut is over is an actual thing. It is called shed hunting and I was intrigued. I set about educating myself. What follows is some of what I learned.
What is Shed Hunting?
The short answer to the question “What is shed hunting”, is that this is the practice of walking through woodland and field areas frequented by deer with the express purpose of trying to find antlers that have fallen off the heads of bucks who survived the most recently completed hunting season.
The “why” is a little more complicated. Let’s start with a short biology lesson on antlers. So what are antlers anyway?
Antler Biology
Antlers are actually bone (they aren’t “horns”, which are biochemically different and more akin to fingernails). Like skeletal bone, antlers are made up of calcium and phosphorus. Except unlike skeletal bone, antlers are grown and shed annually in male deer-type species in response to testosterone levels, thyroid hormone, and other influences both biochemical and environmental (like the amount of daylight in the season).
Although influences such as genetics and age control the ultimate size of antlers, antler growth is also heavily dependent upon nutrition. So a well-fed buck with a nice rack is essentially advertising his health and vitality to female deer and male breeding rivals (and also to trophy hunters).
After the breeding season (the rut) is over, testosterone levels drop. In response to that signal, osteoclasts (cells which break down bone) act at the site where the antler connects to the pedicle on the skull. The bone connection is gradually broken down, connective tissue invades, the antler loosens, eventually falls off, and is left wherever it fell. One article said that deer behavioral study suggests that there may be some pain involved in the shedding process. I never thought about that before.
If the antler stays where it is on the ground, it will be eventually gnawed upon and eaten by rodents and other woodland creatures as a source of calcium and phosphorus. It doesn’t go to waste.
Why Shed Hunt?
For some people shed hunting is just an excuse for a late winter/early spring walk in the woods. For other people it can be considered part of the scouting and patterning process. Woods walking and shed hunting can help in the learning curve of understanding buck habits in the area you hunt. That can help to better predict future activity for subsequent hunting seasons.
In addition to the use of game cameras, shed hunting gives landowners a way to assess the health and rack production of their local herd in the off-season, since a buck would have to survive the hunting season in order to shed in the spring.
State Laws Vary
Check your state game law before you go, though. In some areas it is technically illegal to posses a part of a game animal that you didn’t kill yourself. (Stupid, I know). Some states require a permit or training class (yes, really). Some states say you cannot take antlers if they are still attached to a skull. This article outlines some of the state laws from 2018. Some of the weird ones are being addressed by state legislatures.
Where and When
Through my reading I’ve learned that prime spots for shed hunting include: Winter bedding and feeding areas, south-facing slopes, evergreens (which can provide the deer thermal cover and shelter from snow), water sources, and obstacles such as fences or streams (where jumping might cause a loose antler to fall off). Prime time to do this is late December through March or even April depending upon your geographic area.
Uses for Antlers
-Dog chews – Because antler bone is formed differently than skeletal bone, antlers apparently don’t splinter like skeletal bone and are thus safer for your dog to chew on.
-Home decor
-Buttons
-Jewelry
-Knife handles
Be aware however that antler cannot legally be sold in some states.
Deer antler – whether shed or on the hoof – is big business. Because of this, there is a huge and growing market for deer feeds and supplements so that hopeful landowners can grow trophy bucks.
I found this all very interesting, and may try looking for antlers on my next woods traipsing. Maybe I’ll get an idea of what’s out there that I didn’t catch on my game camera. And maybe I’ll have better luck hunting something that doesn’t run away!
Due to the new situation regarding the spread of the corona virus, NürnbergMesse has decided to postpone IWA OutdoorClassics 2020 from the planned date of 6-9 March 2020 to a date in 2020, which has yet to be determined.
We hope you will understand the decision taken. The aim of every trade fair must be to create a special experience for exhibitors and visitors alike and to facilitate the diverse establishment and expansion of business relationships. Unfortunately, this goal cannot be achieved under the current circumstances.
This is the latest update on the IWA Show held in Germany. Due to infection concerns they are calling it for now. Many vendors had already voluntarily expressed they didn’t want to go as trade shows are infectious hives. They are great way to get sick and spread the sickness to a bunch of people in close contact.
There it is. Even the CDC is admitting that it’s not “if” but “when” for widespread disease caused by the novel coronavirus in the U.S. And even the CDC is telling us to “prepare” because there may be “significant disruption”.
Yep. Even the CDC is telling us to prepare. They have had plans in place for pandemic flu for years and are hanging the COVID-19 preparations and advice on that framework. Links to that information can be found here, and here.
I talked about this already earlier in the month, but I’m going to talk about it again. Although the overall risk may still be low, it pays to be prepared ahead of time.
Do you have food supplies enough to get through a quarantine? There may even be supply chain interruptions in our “just in time” store inventory world. Even if you can get to the store, are you ready for supplies to not even be on store shelves?
Do you have basic home sick care supplies enough to last through several family members becoming ill? We’re talking fever reducers, cough syrups, a thermometer, oral electrolyte solutions, tissues, disinfectants, soap and hand sanitizer? Don’t forget comfort food care items like bullion cubes, crackers, jello, popsicles, soup, etc.
Masks and gloves are a consideration, but may be hard to come by at this point. If you are handy with a sewing machine, you could consider sewing some masks yourself. Although these won’t be as good as N-95 masks, they may be better than nothing, especially if you are already immune compromised (or have a family member who is).
Sewing your own mask.
If your place of work is closed because of a public health order, can you get by financially for awhile? Does your office have a work-from-home option? If they close schools, do you have childcare fall backs? These are all things to consider and plan for.
All of that said, basic hygiene and infection control practices still apply.
WASH. YOUR. HANDS.
Try not to touch your face.
Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hand.
If you must use your hand, use a tissue, and wash immediately.
Try not to touch potentially contaminated public surfaces and disinfect home surfaces regularly, especially if a family member is ill.
If you are sick, STAY. HOME.
Did I mention WASH. YOUR. HANDS?
Hopefully, this will all turn out to be over-preparation and the virus will remain well-controlled here in the U.S. But as Benjamin Franklin advised in 1736, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
That axiom is as true today as it was 280 years ago.
Late last year 5.11 Tactical sent a
care package of ladies clothing. We found all of the items ran true to size. My
partner in crime wears a 6 pants and medium in tops. None of the items bound or
fit like a second skin. The jackets allowed for layering without sacrificing
comfort. Since she travels for FEMA, she liked the fact that there was minimal
shrinkage when things were washed and tossed in the dryer.
One of the hardest things of
clothing to find is a versatile long lightweight coat that you can layer under.
The Atlas is 5.11’s newest outerwear option to help correct that. In medium,
from the collar to hem it is 32” long or more practically speaking on a 5’4”
frame it comes to the upper thigh. This protects your bum when sitting down and
from rain dripping off an umbrella. It also ensures if you are carrying an
outside the waistband holster it is totally concealed.
You can add a morale patch on the left sleeve if you so choose, thanks to the hook and loop patch.
5.11 paid great attention to all the
pockets. The chest pockets have double hook and loop closures and the bottom of
these pockets is 4” below the seam and bottom closure. This ensures items like
a phone, keys, etc. will not fall out. The large zipper similarly designed.
Inside of these pockets is a zippered pass through so you can readily access
your firearm, pepper spray, wallet, etc.
Comfort is further enhanced using
polyester/elastane fabric. This fabric “stretches” in all directions so you do
not bind when moving. While not waterproof, the material is highly water and
wind resistant so will not get soaked if you get caught in a sudden downpour.
At $129.99, this jacket is a good buy and will serve you for years to come.
The shorter sibling to the Atlas is
Emma full zip. This jacket can be worn as a standalone piece or layered under
the Atlas or other heavier duty rain gear. With its lay flat hood, the Emma is
an ideal year round jacket. Like the Atlas this jacket uses what 5.11 calls a
scuba knit. This fabric gives you true full range of motion stretch and will
not bind when worn inside rain gear.
The small chest pocket is large enough for your ID, cash, etc.
While stylish, the Emma is all about
function. The full length zipper makes the jacket easy on/off with quick access
to a holstered pistol or belt carried cell phone. The sleeves are cut to give
you full range of motion without them rolling up. To ensure the sleeves don’t
slide up and to keep your hands warm(ish) each sleeve has a thumb hole placed
to protect the entire palm.
Thumb holes keep the sleeves in place when the Emma is worn as a base layer.
The Emma is 24” long from hood to
that bottom hem which will lie just below your hips. Unlike many jackets the
hem of the Emma is wide, nearly 5”. This helps it to lay flat and not to
“print” if you are carrying and because it is double layer, it will not roll.
If you like a good sweatshirt, the
Emma Full Zip ($79.99)will meet and exceed your needs. I was told to share some
advice on sizing; the Emma runs snug, if you plan to layer buy the next size
up.
The Victoria is a traditional
sweatshirt on steroids. The polyester/jacquard blend is 54% poly/46% cotton
keeps its shape after numerous washings and warm as well. If you wear the
Victoria to workout in this blend will wick moisture and dry quickly.
There are zippers on either hip of the Victoria so you can access anything on your belt.
The Victoria will set just below
your belt/waistline. It is a full body cut so it is not form fitting. You will
find angled zippers in front of each hip allowing you to wear the Victoria
while shooting a pistol match and not have to take it off for easy access to
your magazines and pistol. At $49.99 the Victoria is competitively priced
against any name brand athletic apparel.
If you prefer a comfortable casual
shirt, the Cheyenne ($59.99) flannel is just what you are searching for. While
this shirt is flannel, it is not cotton flannel. 5.11 uses a 64% polyester/34%
viscose/2% elastane which will wear better and not shrink or bunch.
The Cheyenne is a modern version of the classic check flannel shirt.
Since this shirt is built for ladies
who carry concealed, 5.11 uses their Rapid Draw placket. Instead of buttons,
5.11 installs snaps that look like buttons. A quick tug on the shirt tails
opens your blouse giving you access to your holstered handgun. These are not
lightweight snaps that pop open every time you brush against something so you
do not have to worry about a wardrobe malfunction.
The snaps look like buttons but open quickly should you need to access a handgun or other personal protection gear on your belt.
The last item looked at was the
Wyldcat pants. They look fashionable yet have belt loops that are properly
sized and spaced to accommodate holsters. For comfort in all activities they
are made from cotton/polyester/elastane stretch sateen with Microsand finish
which is stain resistant. These pants fit like a glove, yet they allow for
virtually unrestricted movement.
The Wyldcats look good, but they
were built for function. Properly place pockets securely carry your cell phone,
wallet, and other stuff without fear of these items falling out. Concealed just
above and at the leading edge of the pocket are AR magazine pockets sewn into
the contoured waistband.
The rear pockets of the Wyldcat allow you to carry a magazine, wallet or cellphone.
Front slash pockets too are deep
enough to carry a clip-it knife, money, ID without fear of losing your stuff.
The lower slash pockets will readily carry pistol magazines or your cell phone
without the bulk of a cargo pocket.
What sets these pants apart from
other ladies “tactical pants” are the legs. They are taper cut to tuck into the
tops of a fashion ankle boot. When you look closely at the outer seam, you will
notice a zipper from knee the knee to the cuff. This allows the pants to become
a boot cut pant for freedom of movement if you wear the Wyldcats as a range
pant. The added room will allow you to zipper the legs over a riding/western
style boot.
Leg zippers allow for easy on/off of the Wyldcat.
5.11 Tactical has listened to their beta testers and pro staff to create a growing line of clothing specifically for women. You will find everything from outerwear to workout clothing as well as belts and a vast array of other accessories so you are ready for travel, range or just going out to the store. Look for more items in the future.
I’m not a snob about guns, and while I make a few ‘Poors’ jokes here and there I don’t mean it. However, after many years of wanting and waiting I finally pulled the trigger and bought one of my dream guns, the Benelli M4. I had fired the Benelli M4 just a bit in the Marine Corps. It was just a familiarization fire, not active training, but I fell I love with the gun. The Benelli M4 was developed for the USMC and became the M1014 Joint Service shotgun.
The M4 was developed because the Marines wanted a semi-auto shotgun they could attach optics to. Specifically, they wanted the ability to attach night vision optics to the gun. These optics are typically larger and heavier than your traditional day optic. Benelli made their name on their inertia driven guns. The M4 was their first gas-operated gun and it was purpose-built. The downside to inertia guns is that when you apply weight to them they are prone to malfunction. Gas operated guns have no such problem.
Attach all the optics to it
The M4 utilized the ARGO system, which stands for Auto-Regulating Gas-Operated system. The ARGO system uses two pistons that directly impact the bolt to cycle the weapon. The gas is drawn from further down the barrel than most and this results in a cleaner and hotter gas. The cleaner gas means less fouling and less likely the gun is going to malfunction after hundreds or even thousands of rounds.
The ARGO and the Benelli M4
The biggest benefit to the ARGO system is the reliability it offers semiauto shotguns. The Benelli M4 set a standard that a lot of companies have only recently reached in the name of quality and reliability. When the Benelli M4 premiered 20 years ago it changed the game. It showed the effectiveness of semi-auto combat shotguns.
Gas-operated guns can be a little finicky. To illustrate my point the new Mossberg 940 JM Pro was recently bragging that it has a cleaning interval of 1,500 rounds. That’s a gun released in 2020. The Benelli M4’s ARGO system gives you that same level of performance at a minimum. In fact, it’ll go a lot longer than that and still run.
Better yet, the gun is built for military operations. This means the gun is designed to operate in the worst conditions possible. It’s meant to perform after firing hundreds or even thousands of rounds. Or after it’s been bouncing around an MRAP for convoy after convoy, or after a sand storm, or in a jungle, or wherever else duty calls.
You can say it’s built for every clime and place you can bring a gun.
Breaking down the M4
The Benelli M4 comes in a few different configurations. This includes a fixed stock with pistol grip, a fixed straight stock, and a fixed version of their collapsible stock model. The collapsible stock and 8 round tube model are available to LEO and to those willing to fulfill the 922R requirements to make it so.
Ain’t she photogenic?
Every model comes with an optic’s rail that’s perfect for any red dot you can toss on it. Additionally, the gun is equipped with a durable set of ghost ring iron sights that make the use of slugs very accurate out to 100 yards. With buckshot its quite precise and easy to get on target as well. Buckshot is a little more forgiving, but the ghost ring sights keep it precise with loads like 00 Flitecontrol.
The front sight is AR-style and quick and easy to pick up. The forend is long enough for a variety of shooters to obtain a good grip. The loading gate is nice and wide and this makes loading rounds quite easy. The ejection port is also nice and long and wide that it’s easy to do a port load with if you run the gun dry.
The Benelli M4 I have has the fixed faux collapsible stock and it provides an excellent cheek weld. It’s rock solid and extremely stable. You can get right behind the sights and comfortably let off your most powerful shotgun loads without the pain of a typical collapsing stock.
Pew Pew With the Benelli M4
Speaking of, shooting this thing is a dream. The ARGO system does a great job of reducing recoil and keeping the gun nice and comfortable. The gun offers a very light recoil, especially if you start blazing away rapidly. Speaking of, the gun cycles extremely fast and you can throw five rounds out before the first shell hits the ground. Well, you can once you get a little trigger time in.
The Tiny Button Sucks
The ghost ring sights make putting both buckshot and slugs on target very precisely. With a normal shotgun load a bead does perfectly fine, but if you use slugs or even Federal FliteControl loads the ghost ring sights really allow you to reach out and precisely hit a target. With ghost ring sights and Federal Flitecontrol I could take hostage targets at 10 yards with complete confidence.
With slugs I could step back to 75 yards and hit the chest of a man sized tagret. At 25 yards I was making three leaf clover patterns in a headshot target. For me the gun was nearly dead on and adjustments were minimal.
I found the LOP of the stock to be perfect. It’s 14 inches and that’s about a quarter inch shorter than most. It’s comfortable and my big arms do make this just about perfect. Smaller shooters would likely prefer a 13.5 inch LOP and I most certainly could see why.
WOOOO
I can drill five rounds of Flitecontrol into a chest sized target in about 3 seconds from a low ready with complete control. The scene in John Wick where Mr. Wick fires three rounds into a single target quite quickly. That scene is not just Hollywood magic, but a very capable feat with this gun. The Benelli M4 is the king of combat shotguns for a reason.
Hail to the King, Baby
This boomstick would most certainly have made quicker work of the Deadites than S-Marts top of the line 12-gauge double barrel Remington. The M4 is a rapid cycling, fast firing monster of a shotgun. It’s insanely reliable and more than accurate enough with it’s ghost ring sights available optic’s rail. The Benelli M4 is also quite expensive and that often leaves the gun to collect dust on the racks of gun stores. However, if I firmly believe the juice was worth the squeeze.
The United States has twice now designed a single shot pistol meant for partisans and enemies of freedom, democracy, and apple pie. The first being the legendary Liberator, a 45 ACP pistol meant to be dropped to partisans in France to kill Nazis. The second being the Deer Gun, a gun designed for the CIA to drop to help kill communists. Both were simple little single-shot handguns and the Altor follows in their footsteps in many ways. It’s a 9mm or 380 ACP single-shot handgun with a unique design and trigger.
The Altor single-shot pistol isn’t designed to be dropped behind enemy lines, but to be a reliable, and extremely affordable pistol designed for utilitarian purposes. Is it the best self-defense firearm out there? No, of course not, but for the 109 dollar street price, it’s a very affordable pistol. If we ignore self-defense for a moment and focus on the utilitarian aspects of the pistol you can start seeing a lot of value in that 109 dollar price tag.
The Value
First off in some situations a gun that hardly looks like a gun is valuable. Some people panic at the sight of a firearm and the Altor’s design allows it to hide in plain sight without causing a commotion. It looks like a hot glue gun to me personally.
Second, single shot guns can be suppressed very well. The barrel isn’t threaded but it easily could be and others have already done so. B&T Famously makes a single shot silenced pistol aimed at veterinarians and the Altor could sever the same role as a much cheaper and easily available option.
Third, when loaded with rat or snake shot it’s a very small and effective pest destroyer. Smaller than a .410 and more effective than a 22 Loaded with snake shot.
Keeping it Simple
This is all great and dandy but it doesn’t matter if the gun doesn’t work right? Well, the gun seemingly works rather well. The simplistic design is unbeatable and to me it’s rather fascinating. The gun only has six parts. That’s it. One freaking spring and that’s all.
The frame is made from polymer and the rest from stainless steel so water and corrosion aren’t a major issue. You could toss it on a tractor, an ATV, or other outdoor’s vehicle and always have a handy little snake popper on hand. For the small price tag, it’s more of a tool and less of a weapon.
The sights are molded into the frame and are black on black. A little paint would help add contrast to the front sight and that’s an easy fix. Loading it requires you to twist the barrel off and slide a case onto the cartridge holder. Screw the barrel back on and you’re ready to rock and roll. You can do the entire process without putting your hand in front of the barrel.
Does the Altor Work?
Shooting it was slightly challenging when I began. The trigger is odd, it doesn’t pull and break like any other gun. You simply pull it to the rear and it slides into the frame. Once it’s full slid into the frame your finger loses its grip and it flies foward firing the weapon. It somewhat slam fires, but not really. Once I learned the trigger I figured out how to accurately shoot the little gun and stay within the 9 ring at 10 yards. If you decide not to fire slowly let your finger go foward and it’s completely decocked and safe.
The gun has a decent bit of recoil and will tire your hand out within fifty rounds or so. It’s the nature of a lightweight gun without a reciprocating slide to absorb some of the recoil. Getting through those fifty rounds takes a good deal of time due to the single-shot design so you won’t be finished quickly.
At the end of the day, I have several 9mm handguns of varying sizes but the Altor will remain a part of my stable because I like the design. It’s so simple that the concept itself intrigues me. This little 9mm is impressive as what I can only think of as the simplest handgun on the market. It’s reliable, and very well made. The fit and finish is spot on. You can likely find a gun for a hair more money in a semi-automatic design, but I’m betting it won’t be as high material quality as the Altor.
It always goes bang and it’s super lightweight. My personal use will be as a kayak gun in which I can dispatch poisonous snakes, invasive critters, and not worry about rust or reliability in a harsher environment.
NEWINGTON, N.H., (February 25, 2020) – SIG SAUER Electro-Optics is pleased to introduce the ECHO3 Thermal Reflex Sight. The ECHO3 is a direct view thermal sight, utilizing SIG SAUER BDX technology, with the capability to capture images and record video in eight different color palettes.
“The ECHO3 is an ultra-compact, lightweight direct-view thermal sight,” said Andy York, President, SIG SAUER Electro-Optics. “The innovative direct-view thermal display on the ECHO3 is a massive improvement over traditional eyepiece style thermals which induce eye fatigue and force the shooter to look through the sight. The ECHO3 allows the shooter to sit back and view the thermal display and when targets are identified, the new BDX reticle technology allows for exact aiming solutions in real time.”
The SIG SAUER Electro-Optics ECHO3 is a compact thermal reflex style sight available in a 1-6x or 2-12x magnification, equipped with Ballistic Data Xchange (BDX 2.0), the ECHO3 can be used with 9 different onboard SmartBDC™ ballistic holdover reticles or it can be paired with any KILOBDX rangefinder. The ECHO3 features a motion activated MOTAC™ display that powers up when it senses motion with over 6 hours of continuous runtime, and offers video and image recording in eight color palettes, and six brightness settings. The ECHO3 Includes a quick disconnect mount, with an easy to adjust zoom lens with throw lever attachment.
ECHO3 Thermal Reflex Sight Specs:
Sensor: 320×240 12UM VOX LIWR Core Magnification: 1-6x or 2-12x Adjustment Increments: 0.5MOA Objective Lens Diameter: 23mm (1-6)/ 40mm (2-12) Illumination Settings: 6 Brightness Settings Color Palettes: 8 Color Palettes – Red, Red Hot, Black Hot, White Hot, Edge, Tyrian, Iron and Fire Overall Length: 4.1 in (1-6) / 4.7 in (2-12) Overall Width: 2.6 in.Overall Height: 3.1 in (1-6) / 3.6 in (2-12) Weight: 14.5 oz. (1-6) / 16.6 oz. (2-12) Waterproofing: IPX6 Battery Life: Greater than 6 hours of heavy usage utilizing two (2) CR123 Lithium Batteries Total Elevation Travel: 150MOA x 150MOA Assembled In USA
MSRP (1-6x): $3,899.99 MSRP (2-12x): $5,199.99
The SIG SAUER Electro-Optics ECHO3 Thermal Reflex Sight will be available this spring for purchase at retailers nationwide and on the SIG SAUER Webstore. Complete product specs and information for the ECHO3 are available at sigsauer.com.
About SIG SAUER, Inc.
SIG SAUER, Inc. is a leading provider and manufacturer of firearms, electro-optics, ammunition, airguns, suppressors, and training. For over 150 years SIG SAUER, Inc. has evolved, and thrived, by blending American ingenuity, German engineering, and Swiss precision. Today, SIG SAUER is synonymous with industry-leading quality and innovation which has made it the brand of choice amongst the U.S. Military, the global defense community, law enforcement, competitive shooters, hunters, and responsible citizens. Additionally, SIG SAUER is the premier provider of elite firearms instruction and tactical training at the SIG SAUER Academy. Headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire, SIG SAUER has almost 2,000 employees across eight locations. For more information about the company and product line visit: sigsauer.com.
The United States Marine Corps is staying with the Wixom, MI based optic company, who they’ve purchased their fleet wide ACOG RCOs and SDOs, going forward.
The SCO is likely a tailored variant of the incredibly tough VCOG and is the first large force adoption of a Low Power Variable Optic. The selection makes sense when looking at the mounting requirements to keep the optic level and allow it to quick mount.
This is a big win for Trijicon as the USMC was the most visible user of the aging ACOG and they will be buying thousands of new scopes from the well regarded manufacturer.
I’m looking forward to seeing the USMC SCO be released and the SKU become available, I’ll likely get one for my M16 just to keep it (mostly) Corps compliant.
In the dark ages of the 80s, the CZ75 was as rare as a unicorn here in the U.S. This was because it was built behind the Iron Curtain in the U.S.S.R. occupied country of Czechoslovakia. Very few found their way here and they commanded ridiculous prices.
I was fortunate to get one from a friend who was assigned to a unit in West Berlin. Until last year it sat in my vault, because it was a traditional DA/SA. It was built years before decocking levers were installed pistols. It also had sights that were as useless as those on early 1911s and Hi-Powers.
Since I am not a fan of “safe queens”, this past year I decided it was time to upgrade the CZ. With the front sight being machined into the slide, a new one would need to be machined in and an appropriate height rear sight would be needed. The pistol would need to be converted to single action only as well.
Without a mill, this job was out of my skill set. The obvious choice for work on a CZ was the CZ Custom Shop (czcustom.com). After all CZ pistols is what they specialize in. After a few emails to exchange FFLs, she was off to Arizona. The work order was simple; new sights with a fiber optic front and convert her to single action only with a new hammer and flat trigger.
This is the original front sight of the pre-B CZ75. It is hard to see and needed changed.
A few months later I received notice the CZ was ready to ship. When the big white FedEx truck arrived, I was thrilled. It was like getting a brand new pistol, but at a substantially cheaper price.
The sights are awesome. The rear is a Novak style with square notch that mated perfectly with the fiber optic front. I was amazed; there was a visible front sight. I knew this would make the pistol instantly more user friendly and bring out the accuracy CZs are known for.
CZ Custom installed these Novak-ish sights which aided in accuracy and made them more user friendly.
I then realized the tang hammer was gone, replace by a “commander-esque” one. Also the long curved trigger was replaced by the flat trigger I wanted. CZ Custom also replaced the trigger pin. Apparently the original was had broken and the troops replaced it with an appropriate sized Allen wrench cut to fit. As instructed the trigger pull was four pounds to match my other single action pistols. I know many folks who run and gun prefer them much lighter, but I am not a fan of two poundish pull weights.
The flat single action trigger greatly reduced the distance to the trigger and made the pre-B CZ75 feel like a 1911.
Installing this commander style hammer gave the pistol better lines. CZ Custom did a trigger job that rivaled custom 1911s.
The pistol needed one more item, good looking functional grips. The Hogue rubber grips were serviceable but that was it. When I perused VZ Grips (vzgrips.com) there a pair of blue and black Diamondback G10 grips on clearance that were perfect. A few days later they arrived and fit like a glove. To finish the grip, I applied anti-skid tape to give a secure grip in any weather condition. These additions are visible in the photos throughout the article.
With blue and black grips, the all black pistol needed a new look. Thanks to Duracoat (duracoatfirearmsfinishes.com), the CZ would soon sport a blue and black camo finish. I know this will not set well with diehard traditionalists, but I wanted my pistol to be unique. This finish would do that and protect it from the elements as well.
The finished CZ Custom CZ75 with its test ammunition. Biker Buillets were a limited edition from Super Vel for Sturgis’ Bike Week.
A good looking improved pistol is all well and good, but it has to shoot well too. It was time to head to the range and check the accuracy. I gathered up mixed loose factory ammunition to test the reliability and several boxes of factory ammunition. Test ammunition included Black Hills (black-hills.com), Federal (federalrpemium.com), Hornady (hornady.com), Remington (remington.com) and Sig Sauer (sigsauer.com). Bullet weights ranged from 100 grains to 147 grains and included BHA’s Honey Badger, full metal jacket and various hollow points. This mix would cover ammunition for practice, competition and self-defense.
Not surprisingly the CZ had no feeding or extraction issues. I had not expected any issues since it never had any reliability issues before. What surprised me is the accuracy. Having functional sights dropped the 11 shot group from 4” at 25 yards to 2 ½”. I shot 11 because that is the maximum capacity in some progressive socialist states. When I shot 5 shot groups they were all sub 2 ½”, for a beat up old GI that’s about as good as it gets.
Firing off hand at ranges from 7 yards to 25 yards it was easy to keep all rounds in the A zone of a USPSA target. The all steel pistol with the perfectly executed beavertail kept the pistol on target and the new sights quickly settled where I wanted they needed to be for accurate shots.
If you find an older used pistol, be a CZ75 like this or GI style 1911; do not overlook them. You can build a pistol to fit your needs and for a fraction the cost of a new custom pistol. When you get that new rebuild, get out to the range and shoot safely, accurately and have fun.
The Meprolight Foresight snuck up on me at SHOT Show 2020. I had heard nothing of it until a friend of a friend started talking about it in the Media Room at SHOT. That drove me to go give it a look, and I was impressed enough to pick one up. What sets the Foresight apart from other red dot is its compatibility with your average smartphone and the internal features. The Meprolight Foresight is a complete heads up display that is more than just a weapon sight.
What’s a Smart Optic?
I call the Meprolight Foresight a smart optic, but Meprolight calls it an augmented sight. Built into the sight itself is a reticle of course, as is a compass that utilizes degree readings and a sight leveler. Additionally, the right side of the optic will show you the Bluetooth connection to your smartphone, the battery meter, and the brightness level. The latter three disappear after showing up when the optic is turned on, or when any button is pressed.
The Meprolight Foresight also links to your smartphone via Bluetooth. This allows you to zero the weapon just using a scale on the application. It’s quick and quite convenient and really nice. Just dial in your adjustments and sync the app to your optic and it automatically makes the adjustment for you.
The app also allows you to choose which five reticles you want from the twenty provided. The reticles are diverse and different reticles make sense for different weapons. Some are better suited for rifles, others, for shotguns, and some for CQB on any PCC or subgun.
The optic can also be updated and the next update will even have a round counter that will allow you to track the rounds left in your magazine.
Be Creative
You can also create up to 10 unique zeroing profiles. The more creative you are the more you’ll enjoy this optic. Of course, you can just have ten different guns setup with the optic. However, why not set up a profile for the ammo you use for training and another the ammo you use for home defense or duty use?
My girlfriend absolutely loves the CZ Scorpion, but our zeroes are slightly different. I have one saved for her and a separate saved for me. I have two AR 15s saved on the gun, one with a typical 16-inch barrel and another with a 7.5-inch barrel. Similar weapons, but the zero is very different for both weapons.
Shotgunners will appreciate a zero for bird, buck, and slugs as hunters and this optic makes it easy to do so. The more creative you are the more you will like this optic.
About the Foresight
Outside of the app, the optic can be zeroed in a menu built into the optic. This isn’t as fast or as convenient, but it’s doable. The optic also runs off of a rechargeable system. You can’t swap batteries on the fly. Instead, the optic uses a USB C cord that plugs into the wall. The downside would be the inability to swap batteries in the field, which keeps this from being a military optic.
For home defense, hunting, police use, and plinking the Foresight is perfectly suitable. The battery seems to last forever. I used it for roughly 3 hours today on and off and the battery is still at 97%. The length the battery will last will depend on the reticle design and brightness level. Also, there is a low battery mode that eliminates everything but the reticle. Simply hit the middle button once to switch to low battery mode.
The Foresight at the Range
I’ve zeroed the optic to a ton of different weapons. This includes the Benelli M4, the Tavor TS 12, the SAINT Victor AR 15, a CZ Scorpion Micro, and a homebrew 7.5 inch AR 15 pistol. The Scorpion was zeroed twice, once for me, once for my girlfriend. Zeroing everything is very easy to do and takes hardly any time. The app is very convenient and it makes zeroing quicker than turning turrets.
The 9 levels of brightness make it able to be used during the middle of the night and in the brightest part of the day. The different reticles are quite handy and for the most discerning shooter, you can choose your favorites for each weapon. For example, I like a box style reticle for my shotgun in which I can pattern my chosen buckshot load inside and use to estimate the spread at various ranges.
The optic attaches with ease and uses two QD style mounts that are adjustable for tightness. The optic comes with a wrench to make the adjustments. I made slight adjustments for a nice tight fit.
Pew Pew
The optic switches zeroes and weapons without issue. I swapped between several zeroes and weapons without losing a step. To make sure the optic was always mounted on the same point between weapons I used a dab of fingernail polish to mark the spot.
It takes a few seconds to switch between profiles, but once you are switched you are ready to go. You can swap between your five reticles with the left and right buttons and your brightness levels with the up and down buttons.
Predictably it holds zero perfectly and is quite precise. It’s fun to use, co-witnesses with AR 15 height sights and interacts perfectly with my Android phone. It swaps between weapon profiles and reticle setups with ease.
The green reticle is also a battery sipper and very pleasing to the eye. It’s quick and easy to get on target and the square-shaped window does give a less interrupted sight picture. The Foresight delivers a seamless, and wide field of view. With both eyes opened you have a crystal clear sight picture and an easy to read Heads Up Display.
My only complaint in terms of use is the fact that the reticle that is just a dot is super tiny and hard to see. A good 3 MOA dot would be a bit better than that tiny 1 MOA dot.
The Foresight Future
I think the Foresight could potentially be the future of optics. It’s an early concept that’s not perfect, but the ability for software updates to an optic could be invaluable in the future. It’s an interesting concept and I hope Meprolight keeps pushing it forward.
Done in their succinct and quality styling, a hallmark of their channel, 9-Hole covers the Vortex Razor HD Gen II second focal plane optic. The LPVO by which by all are measured and many are found wanting.
I don’t need wax poetic on the Razor, but the video itself is top notch and worth the 10 minutes to enjoy.
I must however, disagree with them on one point. I don’t think Gen II prices across the board are going to take that steep of a dive, certainly not on the new market, since the Gen II and Gen III occupy two differing niches.
While a few are going to dump their II’s for quick cash to fund a III I think in more cases the II’s will get pushed to a secondary rifle but retained. The II’s and III’s have overlap since the III is designed to cover more than the II did and be a generational hardware upgrade.
However, with the price point shift combined with the capability increase I suspect we’ll see a 4 tiered system emerge in the Vortex LPVO lineup.
Budget Tier
The Vortex Strike Eagle(s).
Screen grab via YouTube
Loved for its price, accepted for what it is.
Base Tier
The Vortex PST Gen II 1-6
Viper PST via YouTube Screen
Whenever someone asks if the Razor HD Gen II comes in black the answer is… kind of. The Viper PST line has been around as a less expensive alternative while not giving up too much in durability and material quality.
“Good enough” for many users and actually meaning it in active, serious, sustained use.
‘The Standard’ Tier
You guessed it… YouTube Screen Grab
This is where the Razor Gen II is going to reside for a long time. Prices may slowly drift lower but there won’t be a dramatic change. The as we (as an whole body of shooters) dig into it we’re seeing that 1-8 and even 1-10 aren’t going to invalidate what the 1-6 can offer a shooter.
Sales of the Gen II are going to diverge more than drop off as users pick up the Gen III for certain new rifles. But I can see several circumstances where a user might own a single Gen III or a couple Gen III’s for certain rifles where a greater number of Gen II’s might top the ‘second string’ or those with shorter barrels or any number of individually chosen distinctions.
II’s aren’t going anywhere and will reside here with the comparable 1-6 and 1-8’s
‘Cutting Edge’ Tier
The Razor Gen III’s are going to live here, with their competition (whenever those begin to hit the market), as the best of quality glass up to this point. These are the very pinnacle of developed optic tech able to be commercialized at this juncture.
Winter turns to Spring. Spring turns to Summer. Summer turns to Fall. Fall turns back to Winter. There is a rhythm to the seasons and the earth. It’s rather comforting in its regularity. It’s so regular, that once you get used to the rhythm you can start paying attention to what’s going on around you in your little corner of the world.
In my little corner of the world when I started paying attention, I noticed plants and foods I didn’t notice before. In a survival situation this can be an invaluable skill. It is a skill I am working on cultivating, and you can too.
We don’t think about it these days when we can skip on down to the Kroger for groceries whenever we feel like it, but spring could be a hungry time for our ancestors. Newly planted crops wouldn’t produce for months. But by spring the winter food stores were almost exhausted, getting monotonous, and/or starting to go bad. People were starving for fresh foods (or just plain literally starving).
Fresh wild spring greens and pot herbs were a welcome treat to break up the monotony, fill empty bellies, and help stave off nutritional deficiencies like scurvy until the new crops came in.
The wild plants our ancestors used for food in the spring were not esoteric deep woods stuff. I’m talking about “weeds” you probably already have growing in your yard (and that you’ve been previously trying to kill off). I live in a subdivision, on a third of an acre lot, in the Appalachian region, at about 1200 feet of elevation, and this free food is in my own yard. So it’s probably in yours too.
It’s important to note that I don’t use herbicides or pesticides in my yard (or fertilizer for that matter). I also don’t have a dog, so whatever grows on my property is unlikely to be contaminated with “stuff” (except around the edges where neighbors walk their own dogs – ARGH) So be careful where you choose to forage for ground-based edibles and be mindful of potential contaminants. Of course in a true survival situation you may not have the luxury of being choosy.
My lawn such as it is, is not a grass monoculture, but rather a mishmash of some grass and some of whatever popped up from the cow pasture that was here 30 years ago. So far the HOA hasn’t complained as long as I keep it mowed. In the early spring, that set of circumstances allows a variety of non-grass edibles to pop-up into my green space.
So, what are some late winter/early spring edibles in this particular environment? And how do we identify them? I started with internet searches and photographs, and then my daughter gave me a wild food book for Christmas last year.
Obligatory Legal Disclaimer:
I am not a professional plant biologist. I am passing on information about identification and edibility from seemingly reliable internet articles and published books. But pick and consume anything at your own risk! I am not your mother or your lawyer (or your doctor for that matter). So let’s all be responsible adults.
Hosta
Let’s start with the most surprising entry. Hosta is a shade-tolerant ornamental that appears in many people’s landscaping. But did you know you can eat it? I didn’t. Well, let’s be specific in that it’s edible for HUMANS. It is toxic for dogs and cats however.
Although they are considered ornamental landscaping in the U.S. , Hostas are purposely grown as food in some parts of Asia. I don’t have any Hostas in my yard, but I may covertly scope out some of the neighbors’ yards.
Apparently if you cut the shoots very young, they will start over and grow back. So you aren’t actually ruining someone’s yard (or your own) by harvesting Hosta and eating it. This article recommended a quick sear of the cut shoots for a taste between lettuce and asparagus. Some Asian recipes do them with tempura. The flowers are edible too, in addition to the early tender shoots.
So even if your neighborhood gets depopulated in the Zombie Apocalypse, you can know that though your neighbors themselves were useless, you can at least survive on your neighbors’ landscaping for awhile.
Purple Dead Nettle
This one gets my vote for most intimidating name. I found this pretty little weed in my own yard last spring, looked it up in my book, and then ate some as a salad garnish just so I could say I did.
Purple Dead Nettle in my own yard last spring.
The “dead” part of the name just means that its hairs don’t sting (UNlike stinging nettle – although that is edible too). This weedy member of the mint family is actually quite pretty from a distance as it produces tiny purple-pink flowers and the leaves are also dark purple-ish. Purple Dead Nettle can turn a brownish patch of spring lawn into a colorful and interesting display in the early season, and it can also brighten up your window garden salad as a garnish.
Some people also use Purple Dead Nettle as a tea or in smoothies as it is reported to be high in Vitamin C. I didn’t personally find the flavor to be much above dirt (technically described as “earthy”), but if one is starving one eats what one can find. It is free in the yard and it IS a pretty garnish.
If I can stick a finger in the HOA’s eye by calling this survival weed a “decorative ground cover” I’m gonna do it.
Purslane
Purslane is another “weed” that is highly edible. It shows up in lawns, gardens, and disturbed soil by about mid-spring. It has a small, paddle-shaped succulent leaf, grows wild in flat mats, and produces tiny yellow flowers in mid summer. It has been cultivated on purpose as a food crop in past centuries.
Purslane is noted to be high in Vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids. It is also rich in beta carotene, Vitamin C, and several other minerals and trace nutrients.
Purslane leaf, stem, and flowers have a slightly tangy flavor and can be eaten raw in salads and cooked in soups. One reference even recommends it blended as part of a wild green goddess salad dressing.
So before you grab the chemicals to kill that weed in your sidewalk – check to make sure it isn’t Purslane. Maybe that weed is really a nutritious survival food that you’ll want to keep around!
Red Clover
Speaking of yard weeds – let’s talk about Red Clover. Most people think of Red Clover as mere animal fodder (if they think of it at all). But Red Clover has been a nutritious “people food” for centuries – if not millennia.
The flowers seem to be the most popular portion of the plant because they are slightly sweet. But young leaves harvested before flowering have a mild green pea-like flavor and seem to be popular in a variety of fresh greens applications, in addition to being cooked in soups and teas.
Red Clover contains vitamin C, niacin, thiamin, calcium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals. It also contains isoflavones. So don’t overlook this “weed” as a source of hard times nutrition, either.
Wild Onion/Wild Garlic
I don’t think I know anyone who hasn’t seen these “weeds” pop up in the early spring grass – generally standing taller than the grass at least temporarily. And if you haven’t seen them, you’ve undoubtedly smelled them on the first grass mow of the season. This is Wild Onion and Wild Garlic.
My Wild Onion harvest along with Purple Dead Nettle.
Generally speaking, if it smells like garlic or onion, it IS garlic or onion and is edible. These members of the Allium genus all have that spiky green foliage that is familiar to garlic and onion lovers. There are a few toxic look-alikes, but they don’t have the characteristic smell, so let your nose lead the way.
All parts of the wild onion/garlic plant are edible, so feel free to use it from bulb to tip, in any recipe where you would use the domesticated variety.
Dandelion
Finally, no survival food list would be complete without the much maligned Dandelion.
Picking Dandelion flower heads to make jelly.
Believe it or not, Dandelions were actually introduced into North America. They originated in Eurasia and didn’t grow here naturally until Europeans brought them. Dandelions are remarkably tenacious and prolific. Anyone who has blown the seeds away from a mature puffy dandelion flower can see how easily the plant spreads. In addition, individual plants can live for 5-10 years!
But the payback for the longevity and spread is that virtually every single part of the Dandelion is edible.
Greens – In early spring, the greens can be harvested for salads, smoothies, etc. The leaves are best before the plants flowers, after which they become more bitter, but they remain edible even after the flavor deteriorates.
Young Dandelion leaves plus Wild Onion ready to make a spring salad.
My grandmother served spring dandelion greens with a hot bacon dressing, but they can also be used in pesto, soups, frittatas, etc.
Like other dark green leafies, Dandelion leaves are high in Vitamin K, so don’t eat boatloads of it if you on a blood thinner such as Coumadin/warfarin. Other nutrients include Vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium and iron.
Flower heads – Last spring I made dandelion jelly out of the flower heads, and then baked dandelion cookies with the leftovers. Flower heads can also be battered and fried, or even made into wine. Yes – wine. Now I’ve got your attention, don’t I?
Roots – The taproot of the dandelion – when dried, roasted, and ground – has been used as a coffee substitute by numerous of our ancestors. The roots can also be cooked like carrots or parsnips, or added to soups like any other root vegetable.
It’s a bit of work, but given all of that, why not surrender your lawn battles and learn to make friends with the Dandelion?
So – right here on this page are six very good reasons to put away your herbicides and pesticides and get to know the “volunteers” in your own backyard.
When managing your green space, the bottom line lesson is – humans can’t digest grass. So pay attention to what is already around you and prepare accordingly!
When this book came out in 2017, I was eager to read and review it. David Kopel is a colleague whose work I have admired for years. This is his magnum opus (so far anyway). No one knows more about the legal aspects and history of the Second Amendment and the natural rights that underpin it. I said I’d review it then, so this is a promise greatly deferred but finally kept.
The Morality of Self-Defense and Military Action is a history of moral thought and belief. That may sound esoteric, but these are precisely the factors that most motivate self-defense advocates. DRGO, John Lott, Gary Kleck and many other research experts spend our time refining the scientific case for general civilian self-defense right on outcome bases. But we do that because we believe in the fundamental right of each person to possess the best tools with which to exercise that right.
Most ethical thought in Western civilization has scriptural bases (Old and then New Testament) with strong influence by Classical philosophers. This is what Kopel surveys, in depth, in 400+ pages with surely a thousand footnotes.
There is no doubt that the ancient Hebrews believed in the sanctity of both defense and offense in order to conquer their promised lands. But their might eventually failed to keep those lands, when the Assyrians eliminated the northern Hebrew kingdom of Israel (whose 10 tribes disappeared to history) then the Babylonians captured and removed the two remaining southern tribes of the kingdom of Judea (from which “Jew” derives). The right of defense guarantees nothing in a world with strong enemies.
This principle has been taken up in the Christian world as belief in “just war”, which Kopel thoughtfully analyzes. Generally, offensive wars are condemned while defensive wars are accepted as unavoidable and necessary. Throughout the ages, peoples have migrated and found their place in lands new to them by defeating and displacing previous residents. By the 20th century, the idea that one’s people deserve more lebensraum at the cost of others’ freedom had passed its prime.
But defining the difference can be tricky. How recent must the provocation be to justify defensive action? The Middle East offers classic examples. The peoples that the Hebrews displaced are long gone, but does their early presence and ethnic continuity validate their displacing Arabic speaking Muslims who established their dominance centuries following the Jewish diaspora? Were the Crusades aggression as depicted by Muslim chroniclers, or were they righteous attempts to recover long Christian lands that were earlier overrun by Mohammed’s followers?
Underlying the degree to which civilizational and national defensive war is moral is the eternal question about when personal, individual self-defense is valid. Again, the ancients found little question about this. The Mosaic Ten Commandments include an injunction to “not murder”, not to “not kill” in accurate translation. The Hebrew Bible and Torah include a number of examples showing when one is not just entitled, but has the duty to defend oneself, one’s home and one’s people. The rules can get complicated (you can kill an intruder at night, though not necessarily during the day) but cover the most salient circumstances.
As Christianity became dominant, with its repeated divisions over the past two millennia, we see more pacifist interpretations of Scripture develop. There seemed to be more support in the New Testament for this than the Old. From Gnostics to Quakers (with their rich contribution to American life) and even Presbyterians and Methodists, “purity pacifism” is a strong tradition influencing significant strains of political thought. Spreading the Gospel was at first a more peaceful program than later conjoined conquests of Christian powers over indigenous and of Arabs carrying Islam through much of the old Roman Empire. Christianity’s many martyrs literally testified to that. Nor did it work out well for non-Christians, for example, the Maororis of the Chatham Islands or the Arawaks versus the Caribs.
“Pragmatic pacifism” has more widespread influence. To “turn the other cheek” to an aggressor is one thing, and forgiving “seventy times seven” is a great deal—yet is still a limit (Matthew 5:38 & 18:21). Taking the Good News to all still may require that the messengers carry a sword” (Luke 22:36)—but for what, if not self-defense? In his introduction, Kopel describes how William Jennings “Bryan asked [famous pacifist] Tolstoy what Tolstoy would do if he saw a criminal about to rape and murder a child.” That is the same question that the slightest curiosity about the parable of the Good Samaritan raises. What should the Samaritan have done if he had come across the victim as he was being assaulted?
Philosophies of non-violence may or may not admit of self-defense, with adherents on both sides. Gandhi was a pacifist through and through, while Martin Luther King, Jr., who was inspired by Gandhi, still found self-defense fully justifiable. Non-violent action has clearly been more effective in achieving societal and political change than individual security.
All this is to say that this is an enormous subject, one that Kopel examines thoroughly, in great detail yet very readably. If you appreciate learning from an expert discussion despite the ultimate ambiguity necessitated in respecting different interpretations of historical premises, you’ll want to read this through. If you want to know everything there is that supports a position in favor of the ideals of principled, pragmatic self-defense, you’ll really value this.
There is nothing else out there as authoritative and extensive as Kopel’s Morality of Self-Defense. It is, simply, without compare. Learn, and enjoy!
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— 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.
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