In July 2018 a Maine State Police trooper pulled Richard Tonini over for a traffic infraction, he found 5 1/2 ounces of marijuana, $5,000 cash and two handguns in Tonini’s car.
Tonini faced two charges — unlawfully furnishing scheduled drugs and possession of firearms prohibited for certain persons. A Hancock County jury earlier this year found Tonini not guilty of the drug furnishing charge but guilty of the firearms possession charge.
Now Tonini is challenging the law behind that firearm possession charge, calling it “unconstitutionally vague” because it effectively prohibited someone in possession of marijuana — a certified medical marijuana patient who can legally possess up to 8 pounds of the substance — from possessing a firearm.
This has been the crux of several legal debates across the country as medical and recreational marijuana use becomes the standard. The ATF, FBI, and every other law enforcement agency are still bound by Federal law to give the answer ‘prohibited person’ when asked about use of marijuana and firearms.
Tonini’s attorney, Max Coolidge of Ellsworth, has appealed the conviction — for which Tonini had to pay a $350 fine — to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. In a 29-page brief filed in late September, Coolidge wrote that the law Tonini was found guilty of violating is a “vague criminal statute” that “violates due process because it fails to give citizens effective notice of prohibited conduct.”
The law in question prohibits anyone from possessing a firearm who “is an unlawful user of or is addicted to any controlled substance and as a result is prohibited from possession of a firearm” under federal law. It’s that question on the Form 4473, you answer yes, you’re prohibited. You answer ‘no’ and lie… felony.
We’re watching this and several cases moving through various courts until one finally sticks and we get a change in the classification.
Given the not guilty finding on the drug furnishing charge and Maine’s laws allowing use and possession of marijuana, Tonini’s “underlying conduct — the medicinal or recreational use of marijuana — is not objectionable to the state and does not rise to the level of a public safety concern that would justify a total ban on firearms for the affected class of persons,” MaxCoolidge, Attorney for Mr. Tonini
[Ed: I wrote the following reply 9/18/19 to an article by Liza Gold, MD, “Gun Violence and Mental Illness: It’s Time to Change the Status Quo” (8/29/19). (BTW, Dr. Gold told me she’d heard of us.) Psychiatric News editor, Cathy Brown, referred my response to their executive editor, Jeffrey Borenstein, MD, who has declined DRGO’s input in the past and did again, without comment. However, it’s always worth responding. Occasionally one gets published, which is a win.If not, publish the exchange elsewhere so the biases are recognized.]
To the Editor, Psychiatric News
I read with interest Dr. Gold’s August 28 Psychiatric News article “Gun Violence and Mental Illness: It’s Time to Change the Status Quo”. Last week, I had the great pleasure of meeting her when she gave a talk to the Genesee Valley Psychiatric Association here in Rochester, New York, about her other area of expertise, sexual abuse.
Dr. Gold’s main points are extremely well taken about how shocking and unacceptable are any violent deaths, and even more, mass murder; and that people with psychiatric problems are inaccurately and unfairly stigmatized as responsible, when only about 4% of all violent crime perpetrators had identified, treatable mental illnesses. We have a major responsibility as psychiatrists, along with our patients, to combat that stigmatization every chance we get.
Other matters are not so cut and dried. In fact, on a per capita basis, whether measured against population, the number of gun owners, or the number of firearms legally possessed by civilians here, the United States is one of the safest countries in the world. The idea that the presence of firearms in a household dramatically raises the risk of harm to family members is a canard dating back to Dr. Arthur Kellerman three decades ago.1 In fact, any such “risk” to others can be eliminated by owners’ wise decisions about storage and access.
National Instant Background Checks (NICS) have long been required for all commercial gun sales, along with state checks in many places. Many states also require them at gun shows (as does mine, New York). Requiring background checks for all purchases at all gun shows would be doable, but requiring them for private, 1:1 individual transactions is impossible and would highly complicate personal life for those who complied. Dr. Garen Wintemute found that California’s long-time universal background check requirement has had no impact on “gun deaths”, 2 nor did repeal of those in Indiana and Tennessee3, or establishing them in Colorado, Delaware and Washington.4 Too many jurisdictions inconsistently report prohibiting conditions to the NICS, allowing too many purchases by otherwise ineligible buyers. At the same time, most NICS’ denials may be false positives, wrongly denying legal purchasers.5
There would be almost nothing gained by banning “military-style assault weapons”. Retrospective analyses by the Department of Justice of the 1994-2004 ban could not “clearly credit the ban with any of the nation’s recent drop in gun violence.”6 Less than 2% of shootings employ any rifle (not just this subset)—that’s less impact than mental illness. And “assault weapon” is a made-up misnomer—these are simply semi-automatic firearms with features that make them easier to use, not more dangerous. They have become the most popular rifles of all since their appearance in the 1950’s).
Critically, overwhelming non-compliance with any bans must be assumed: in New York, Connecticut and California ((MSRs); Vermont and New Jersey (“bump stocks”); no more than 15% (and mostly less than 5%) of estimated pre-ban supplies were turned in or registered.7 These only criminalize erstwhile legal, responsible gun owners while not touching criminals at all, who obtain their firearms via theft or straw purchases and from each other.
Finally, Extreme Risk Protective Orders are a hot topic, being used or considered in many states already, with some Congressional interest in promoting them. They may have utility in forestalling some suicides,8 although their value, beyond anecdotes, in preventing murder (mass or otherwise) is uncertain. It is known that police killed one man because of the ERPO they attempted to serve on a man surprised and angered him.9 As thus far constituted, ERPO’s have many serious, inherent deficits: they deny initial due process for the uninformed subject; any action permitted to reverse the ERPO comes at the convenience of the court and at the cost of the accused, who is considered guilty unless he proves his own innocence; and like domestic abuse allegations, ERPO’s are easily abused by angry acquaintances.
We may well learn from court challenges that ERPO’s constructed in these ways are illegal and unconstitutional. Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership wrote a position paper10 detailing what is necessary for fair, effective ERPOs, and is working with lawyers in the public interest toward promoting legislation that addresses these and other problems with them.
Overall, laws restricting legal ownership and bearing of firearms come up short. The very best recent nationwide study of trends in homicides and violent crime versus relative stringency of state gun laws shows no correlation between them.11
Plenty needs to and can be done to reduce the toll of violent deaths and injuries in the United States without barking up these wrong trees. What we can do and why would require another article, so I’ll limit this communication only to responding to these aspects of Dr. Gold’s excellent article.
Sincerely yours,
Robert B Young, MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine
Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
Executive Editor, Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership
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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.
NEWINGTON, N.H., (October 9, 2019) – SIG SAUER Electro-Optics is pleased to introduce the all-new ROMEO1PRO Open Reflex Red Dot Sight. The ROMEO1PRO is capable of mounting to any pistol with a SIG SAUER PRO slide cut, and is crafted for durability, and for use in harsh environments.
“The ROMEO1PRO is the latest evolution of the ROMEO1 sights and brings a new level of durability and performance to the open-reflex red dot sight,” said Andy York, President, SIG SAUER, Electro-Optics. “The adoption of a red dot sight on pistols is becoming the standard in the commercial, law enforcement, and military markets, and the ROMEO1PRO is the ultimate solution for fast, responsive target acquisition and accuracy combined with the easy mounting option of the PRO footprint.”
The SIG SAUER Electro-Optics ROMEO1PRO is a miniature open reflex red dot sight, available with either a 3MOA or 6MOA red dot. It comes with 12 brightness settings for a full range of lighting conditions, and the TruHold™ Lockless Zeroing System designed to endure recoil and return to zero shot after shot. The ROMEO1PRO features a molded glass aspheric lens with high-performance coatings for superior light transmittance and zero distortion, a new upgraded point-source emitter for increased brightness in day or night conditions, MOTAC, a 20,000-hour battery life, and an IPX-7 waterproof rating. The ROMEO1PRO is housed in aircraft grade aluminum to ensure corrosion resistance, includes a ruggedized steel protective shroud in the box for extreme durability, and is available in black or FDE.
SIG SAUER pistols with a PRO slide cut (rev2) include the P320 XFIVE Legion, P320-M17, P320 XFULL, P320 XCARRY, P320 XCOMPACT, and P320 XVTAC.
The SIG SAUER Electro-Optics ROMEO1PRO is currently shipping, and available for purchase at retailers nationwide and on the SIG SAUER Webstore. Complete product specs and information for the ROMEO1PRO 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.
Michael, Le Thumb Garand, has his latest review up and ready. He takes on the T36, a G36 rifle clone that here in the states was unicorn status like few others. At the same time far more famous for its sci-fi futuristic looks and inclusion in movies, games, and TV shows to that effect.
Tommy Built Tactical, has made a niche name for himself with his high quality durable turn of the century HK conversions. You want an XM8? Tommy Built. A solid UMP Clone/Conversion? Tommy Built. A Star Wars Themed badass jeep with a matching HK rifle? Yep, Tommy Built.
The Star Wars Nerd Epic Machinist Gun Maker made true headway in the space recently though when he launched the T36 receiver. Tommy broke the legendary gridlock that was German import/export law by making a G36 receiver domestically. Now full G36 clones could be built domestically from start to finish and not shucked from an SL8 for a ridiculous sum.
Introducing the TORCH™ Light Body with Integral M-LOK® Mount. Machined from aircraft grade billet aluminum with Mil Spec Type III Hardcoat Anodized finish, the TORCH is optimized for use with the ATPIAL/PEQ 15, NGAL, and other top-mounted aiming laser devices.
The TORCH bodies are optimally designed to work with other close ancillary equipment.
Featuring an integral uni-body M-LOK interface it is not only low profile, but provides the most robust M-LOK® weapon light mounting solution on the market today. Available immediately in both left and right hand variants, the TORCH 3V/CR123 is compatible with SureFire® M300 Scout bezels and tail caps. 6V/CR123 (2 Cell), 18650, and 18350 versions coming soon.
Left or right options available.
The TORCH design centers around the the core concepts of a solid M-LOK mount up, ergonomically sound and familiar light placement, non-interference with laser aiming solutions, and compatibility with Surefire and Modlight light bezels and tail controls. It takes the two, three, or even four piece light and mount solution for M-LOK and makes it one.
Less pieces, fewer available failure points, stronger total system.
The system was designed from a military client request when the services upgraded to an M-LOK mounting system. Their top mounted laser aiming systems were still fully useable but integrating a good visible light option involved to many pieces and resulted in an awkwardly placed light.
The solution, request a light body that fits seamlessly next to the module with as little wasted spaces as possible and mounts directly into the M-LOK for the strongest unit to handguard interface. M-LOK was the superior of the CRANE tested mount systems for strength of system but that can be compromised the more layers off the M-LOK you take the light. The TORCH brings it back to direct mount, greatly reducing the likelihood an impact can break the light free.
Available now if you want to piece them together, Surefire M300 compatible parts. Full light options coming soon is the rumor.
Fort Worth, TX (October 8, 2019) – XS® Sights is pleased to introduce RAM™ Night Sights – the brightest sight options for fast and accurate shooting in bright and low light.
The RAM (radioactive material) night sights have a traditional 3-dot tritium, notch and post sight picture. The rear sight is blacked out to increase contrast against the front sight which is available in bright orange or green. The front sight features XS’s proprietary Ember™ Glow Dot technology which absorbs ambient light and glows in low light. The front tritium lamp in the RAM sight charges the Ember Glow Dot, making the front sight glow brighter than the rear, keeping one’s focus down range.
“Our high-performance night sights are purpose driven tools fine-tuned for Law Enforcement use,” said Zack Kinsley, Marketing Manager for XS Sights. “Having our own tritium license has significantly strengthened our capabilities. We now test and use raw materials we didn’t have prior access to, resulting in broader and more advanced product offerings that ensure front sight visibility at all times.”
RAM Night Sights were designed to overcome three common issues with 3-dot tritium sights:
1. Confusing the front dot with one of the rear sight dots when under stress
The brightly colored Ember Glow Dot in the RAM front sight is a much brighter color which differentiates the front dot from the two rear dots.
2. The 2-dot tritium rear sight glowing brighter than the front sight drawing the eyes there instead of towards the downrange threat.
The Ember front sight is brighter than the rear tritium lamps.
3. Tight sight pictures
RAM Night Sights use a notch that is 15% wider than the front sight, allowing more visible light around the front sight. This makes it easier to see the front sight in changing light conditions and when shooting on the move, aiding in sight alignment and increasing accuracy.
Other key features include a rear sight overhang that reduces glare in bright light for greater sight definition. The anti-reflective rear tritium lenses also reduce glare in daylight while increasing contrast against the front sight. RAM sights also have a rear sight ledge to aid in one-handed slide manipulations.
As for color choice, the orange front sight contrasts best in bright light and the green glows best in low light; however, people see color differently and eyesight issues can affect which color performs best for each individual.
The steel RAM Night Sights are extremely durable and easy to install by hand or with a sight pusher tool. All tritium sights from XS are backed by a 10-year, No-Questions-Asked Warranty. Front blade width is 0.145” (3.68 mm) and the notch width is 0.170” (4.32 mm). While height varies by model, all models fit standard holster options.
Sig Sauer® P225, P226, P228, P229, P320, SP2009 & SP2340
Smith and Wesson® M&P® Full-size & compactM&P® Shield®
Springfield Armory® XD®, XDM®, & XDS®
FNH® FN 509®
Retail Price: $100 to $120 depending on the model
For more information on XS Sights, visit xssights.com.
About XS Sights
XS Sights is known for making the fastest sights in any light. For more than 20 years, the XS team has created some of the most innovative sights on the market today for pistols, rifles and shotguns. Whether used for personal defense or hunting, these sights are designed and built to be the absolute best for their specific purpose.
Langdon is an expert with DA/SA pistols, and felt the Springfield Armory XD-E was a great platform for customizing.
Introduced in 2017 with the slogan “The Hammer Re-Invented,” Springfield Armory’s XD-E was the first pistol in the XD series to not be a striker-fired model. The hammer mentioned in the slogan is part of its double-action/single-action (DA/SA) system, and inevitably, it came to the attention of the most famous shooter of such in our time: Ernest Langdon.
But first, for those unfamiliar with DA/SA system on the XD-E, this is a pistol with a hammer-fired system and an exposed hammer. The gun can be carried with the hammer down, with the first shot being a long double-action pull that both cocks and releases the hammer. For follow-up shots, the slide cycles the action and cocks the hammer, giving you a lighter single-action pull that simply releases the hammer to fire all follow-up rounds.
On the XD-E, the manual safety can be swept downward to decock/drop the hammer safely. The pistol can also be carried “cocked and locked” with the hammer cocked and the safety in the upward “on” safe position.
And Langdon is a true expert in using these DA/SA-type pistols. Before embarking on his current career as a pistolsmith, Langdon won nine national championships and two world champion titles in various forms of combat and action shooting, all with DA/SA pistols. He prefers for a pistol to have a relatively long and heavy first shot trigger pull, and an exposed hammer which can be held in place by the thumb when holstering, especially for “appendix carry.” Famous today for his action work and other customizing on DA/SA autos, Langdon has made the XD-E his latest project.
I’ve been a fan of Landgon’s work for a long time, so when I saw his new “Springfield Armory XD-E Tactical Edition” (offered in 9mm and .45), I wanted to learn more. I reached out to him and set up an interview to get some background on the new XD-E project, and why the pistol caught his eye. Following is my Q&A with him.
I recently had the pleasure of taking a Defensive Shotgun class.
I wasn’t originally so excited about it – I was a little apprehensive. But I had recently rebuilt a pawnshop shotgun into a home defense gun and I needed to learn how to run it for defensive purposes (as opposed to competition or hunting purposes). The class was presented by Tom Givens of Rangemaster fame so I knew I’d get a good education – it was my own performance I was worried about, since I have recently struggled with hand/wrist arthritis issues.
I need not have feared, because this turns out to have been one of the BEST classes I have ever taken!
Though Rangemaster classes are given all over the country, this particular one was an almost ten-hour drive from home – near Nashville, TN. The classroom building was back a bunch of country roads, so after my arrival at the hotel I drove the route ahead of time to be sure I knew where I was going. (No control-freakness on my part or anything.)
When I arrived the next morning I discovered that though there was a female assistant instructor, I was the only female out of fifteen students taking the class. I’ve gotten rather used to that in my shooting history, so that in itself didn’t bother me. But then the guy sitting next to me felt it necessary to inform me that his wife had left in tears when she took the class with him last time. (Oh yay – thanks sharing THAT, dude.)
Maybe he was just trying to rattle me for some reason, because I had NO such experience. MY experience was informative, skill-building, and even – dare I use the word – empowering.
Classroom
The first half of the class (before lunch) included safety essentials, history of the shotgun, history of shell and load development, suggestions for accessory set-up, gimmicks to avoid, etc. All of it was valuable information, most of which I had not ever heard before.
I liked that this class was focused on the context of home/property defense – from the end of your driveway, through your house, and out to your back fence. Those distances are the ones we needed to pattern for and select ammo and accessories for. I have never pretended to be “Tammy Tactical”, and just because the SWAT team has some gizmo or other doesn’t mean that “I” necessarily need that for my context – including stuff like weapons lights and slings. That was really good to know. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking you need “cool guy” accessories even when you aren’t a cool guy. All that effort is better spent in actual practice with your actual gun.
I found the classroom portion to be very educational. I received a good bit of background context for why the shotgun is a good choice for home defense. I got some solid advice for how to keep my butt cuff from creeping forward, and I’m now also going to be investing in Velcro panels for a side saddle. I even received backhand confirmation of my stock choice, as Tom’s guns are also outfitted with the Magpul SGA stock, AND are 12-inch length of pull to boot.
The lecture portion dispelled a good bit of BS about ammo types too – including the ever present myth about bird shot for defense.
Tom pointed out that most game birds are not killed by the shot, they are crippled in the air (merely rendered unable to fly) and then killed by the sudden stop on the ground … or by your dog … or when you wring their necks.
Birdshot dent in a target clip.
Birdshot merely dented this target clip, and it wouldn’t have penetrated a heavy leather jacket either. Bird shot WILL still penetrate drywall though so the reasons some people give for using it do not hold up under scrutiny.
In addition to all that, CHEAP birdshot will jam your gun. One of my classmates had that exact thing happen. It can be worth a few extra bucks to buy decent practice ammo.
Super cheap shells can jam your gun.
While on the subject of loads, Tom also reinforced the importance of patterning – because you are responsible for every single one of those 8 or 9 projectiles. You can’t just shrug off a flyer – because it could kill a bystander. He then provided a real world example of that happening – 8 pellets in the bad guy, but one off-track pellet sheared off the aorta of a good guy.
After the lunch break we proceeded to the private range where we were going to do our live fire.
Range Time
Once at the range we did a good bit of dry fire first to reinforce the muscle movement, before moving on to “Load one, shoot one”, “Load two, shoot two”, etc. Then we worked on replacing what we shot – “Shoot two, reload two”, etc such that you are always topping off the gun.
All reloads were done with the support hand, so that the gun was under control of the shooting hand at all times. This is a definite “fighting gun” difference from what I have seen in competition. Fortunately, I was already a support hand reloader so I didn’t have to relearn that part, but grabbing right-hand mounted shells from the butt cuff (rather than a vest pocket or competition rig) is a new set of motor skills that I need to work on. By the end of those drills my shoulders were telling me that I needed to do more upper body weight training.
It was a work-out, but it was never arduous. I complained a little in good fun, but I was fine. We were given adequate breaks for water in the 95 degree heat and to shake out our hands and arms. My still-recovering wrists and hands performed much better than anticipated.
We spent the largest amount of time on drills for loading from the butt cuff or side saddle – not because many shotgun fights require reloads, as Tom said – but so that we could pick up an unloaded gun and quickly make it ready to shoot if we needed to. That is something that I need to continue to work on with dummy rounds at home. Those are perishable skills.
Casino Drill
After we all had the loading and shooting drills under control, we were then challenged with something called the Casino Drill. This drill was performed individually, up in front of everyone, sooooo no pressure or anything. But that was the idea – adding pressure. If somebody is kicking down your front door, you ARE going to be under pressure. Defensive gun skills don’t do a durn bit of good if you can’t perform them when you are stressed.
There was also the added pressure of a par time of 30 seconds. The drill started with 4 shells in the gun. The idea was to put one round in target #1, two rounds in target #2, three rounds in target #3 and four rounds in target #4 – reloading as needed.
My memory is foggy, but I think the fastest guy was in the low 20’s with a semi-auto. I performed the drill in about 28 seconds (under par time) with my pump gun, and was very happy with that for a first effort. Reloads from a butt cuff are painfully slow. But I completed the drill, under pressure, in front of all those men and a notable instructor, with a gun I rebuilt myself, and under the allotted time. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I was elated!
Patterning
After we all got through the casino drill with birdshot (because it’s cheap for practice, not because it’s recommended as defensive ammo), we moved on to patterning our buckshot loads. As Tom pointed out, no two barrels – even off the same factory run – will pattern the same. Thus we needed to see how our own gun/ammo combo worked.
I brought Fiocchi low recoil double-aught buck because I was worried that the pump gun was going to beat me up. (I have previously been spoiled by the minimal recoil of my semi-auto Benellis). But it turns out that though the recoil was fine, at ten yards the pattern with that load started to open up a good bit out of my gun. So it would not be a good choice for actual defensive use – at least at any distance with this particular gun.
Five yards was a “head-ectomy”, but there was a good bit of pellet spread from my buckshot loads at ten yards.
Tom recommends Federal Flite Control 8 pellet double-aught, and the targets of the guys who were using that load showed why. At ten yards with three rounds some targets looked like a slug target, and with the rest you could still cover the pattern with the palm of your hand.
A couple guys offered me some of that load to try, so now I need to order some of my own.
The instructor-preferred load.
Rolling Thunder
I would be remiss if I failed to mention the “Rolling Thunder” drill. This was something we ran several times with birdshot and a final time with buckshot. We were divided into two teams for a bit of competition. We were to consecutively load and fire in the sequence of “load one, shoot one” – up to “load four, shoot four”. You couldn’t start shooting until the guy to your left had finished his last shot, and you had until that time rolled around again to reload your gun for the next string. It was supposed to sound like continuous gunfire until the end. Again, I’m a little fuzzy, but I “think” our team finished before the other team every time. If so, that means that this old gal with her rebuilt pump gun did NOT hold everyone else up. I have to take my small points of pride where I can find them, so there ya go. I was proud of myself.
Take-aways
One of the biggest take-aways I got from this class is that despite popular misconception, you still need to AIM a defensive shotgun. During live fire I was reminded at least once to “Keep that bead down, Doc”. Unlike bird or clay shooting, you want a small pattern and you want it to stay within the confines of your target – not rocket off into lawsuit-land. Remember that part about being accountable for every pellet? Proper aim keeps your hits ON target and OFF bystanders.
During one long course of fire I was starting to drift up and to the left.
Another big take-away is the importance of on-board ammo storage. Nobody sleeps in a competition belt and shell carriers. I need to make some modifications to my butt cuff and buy a Velcro sidesaddle – and then PRACTICE with them.
Thanks to this class I have newfound confidence in this pump gun and my ability to run it. I heartily recommend this defensive shotgun class to anyone who wants a solid grounding in shotgun as a home defense tool. Not only that – it was FUN, too.
Tom later noted online that ours was a “truly outstanding” class, and “ ‘that guy’ was conspicuously absent”.
Nobody ever wants to be “that guy”, and despite my initial trepidation I am pleased to report that I wasn’t him either.
Many thanks to Tom Givens, and his able assistant instructors Tiffany Johnson and Aqil Qadir. It was a great experience and I will definitely be back for another class!
NEWINGTON, N.H., (October 7, 2019) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is proud to announce the Newington, New Hampshire Police Department has transitioned to the SIG SAUER P320 (9mm), as their official duty pistol. The Newington Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the citizens of Newington and the Pease International Tradeport, home to SIG SAUER Worldwide Headquarters.
“When it comes to quality, performance and safety the SIG SAUER P320 really delivers. Our officers appreciate the modularity and having the ability to fit the pistol to their grip,” began Captain Michael Sullivan, Newington, NH Police Department. “We carry the SIG SAUER P320 with great pride because it’s the premier pistol for law enforcement, and the fact that it’s made right here in the community we are sworn to serve and protect makes it especially meaningful.”
The P320 is a modular, striker-fired pistol available in full-size, carry, compact, and subcompact sizing. The serialized trigger group makes the P320 adaptable to multiple caliber, size, and grip options. The P320 is available in 9mm, .357SIG, 40S&W, and .45ACP, with a choice of contrast, or SIGLITE Night Sights. The intuitive 3-point takedown requires no trigger pull for disassembly, and safety features include a striker safety, disconnect safety, and optional manual safety.
“On behalf of everyone at SIG SAUER, I want to thank the men and women of the Newington Police Department for their service, and commitment to the safety of our community,” added Tom Jankiewicz, Executive Vice President, law Enforcement Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc. “We are honored to be the official duty firearm of the Newington Police Department, and have the opportunity to strengthen our partnership with the department as they transition to the SIG SAUER P320.”
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.
Big Training or Big Trouble… What are you bringing?
What are the essentials, the equipment that will allow you to efficiently complete a period of personal training or guided instruction with a pistol or rifle? What are the most critical pieces you need with you in a more prolonged high threat situation?
Also, this might very well be the first time you have had absolute autonomy of your own personal equipment. You’re building your kit. Not your unit’s or department’s, yours.
Think about it. If this is for your job it will be with job related equipment. Gear will (or should) be issued and used in standard operating layouts based on SOPs. This does two things, allows you to use the daily setup in an active training environment and identify weaknesses in that gear layout so they can be corrected. If you aren’t verifying and testing equipment layout vs SOP you’re risking a lot. Please don’t, test how your gear performs.
But back to talking about your personal gear? What do you need to bring to get the most out of your range drills for a handgun or carbine? What do you need to be able to throw onto your person, very short notice, in order to increase your ability and survivability?
The cornucopia is the Horn of Plenty. The copia magazine carrier… will carry a magazine so you have plenty of rounds. One for rifle, one for pistol. Or two and one, one and two, whatever layout you need to carry spares and reload your firearm on training or situational demand.
Why do you need this?
You are practicing efficiently manipulating your firearm or you’ve just shot an entire magazine in a fight. Reload. That needs to be with you, on your body, and useable how you stand at that moment. You could have 10 magazines you grabbed in a ‘go bag’ but if not one of them are usable they’re just dead weight, or weight helping make you dead.
The reasons having gear like this matters and how it matters will have direct relation to the specific skill and drill you are doing, the common denominator will be having enough ammo to make it worth the time. Having one or two magazines on body smoothes out your time and equipment efficiency with less time jamming rounds into a single magazine. Less down time, more time on the gun. Better range spend.
The same applies to these critical pieces helping you survive a gunfight. You have what is ready. More convenient ready equipment equates to a higher on demand/short notice situational readiness.
Why not more?
You don’t need to load yourself down with magazines and ammo, its fatiguing, time consuming, and thus counterproductive. It’s also highly unrealistic in any scenario outside of active military/paramilitary/police active shooter site response operations. This is the short situation grab. The space between a concealed carry pistol solving the problem and full on patrolling in armor with a team.
Example – Everything for my home defense gun is on my home defense gun. Rifle, sight, light, D60, and sling so that I grab one thing in the middle of the night. Any piece of equipment beyond that is an equation of available time vs. the benefit of grabbing more equipment.
This is where the Copia’s come in handy. Fitting to the body, allowing more ammo to comfortably come with you means more reps or more convenient ammo on hand in a time is life situation. More reps better engrains the skill development. More ammo allows more chances to solve the life threatening situation which prompted grabbing the gun. Less pieces, lower cost, easier to grab, all lend themselves to the convenience factor which ups the odds of you bringing it.
Never discount what people pay for convenience. Look at fast food. Use our tendencies to our advantage when it comes to emergency prep.
The “Light” Loadout.
Goes on whatever belt, at whenever time, for whichever reason. Two to three spare magazines. Just rifle in this case, during a Sentinel Concepts Critical Carbine Course.
The light loadout concept is twofold, one is operationally based, the second and by far most important for us is convenience based.
It consists of a pistol magazine carrier, rifle magazine carrier, a TQ or small trauma kit, a holster, and the slung rifle. These pieces, on body, enable solving just about any kinetic problem that could arise or has arisen. You have a primary and secondary reload, a method to treat critical injury, and methods to safely stow/carry your firearms. This covers your essentials in a training or active environment.
A proper layout of a plate carrier is equipment intensive, expensive, and heavy. Putting a good useable system on your belt involves far fewer pieces and covers most of the pieces you need for training or active use. Setting up a full ready belt is much more cost effective and has a lower price of acquisition than a proper plate carrier.
The Copia (Copias? Copii?) make this even easier by going on just about any run of the mill belt from Duluth, Kohl’s, wherever. It means your full belt rig can be tossed conveniently in any bag and put on in about a minute. Holster, med bag, mags, all with the old Mk1 belt loop attachment. Training or real world, you have plenty of equipment at your disposal and readily accessible.
The Convenient Loadout
Convenient. That convenience factor cannot be overstated. Transporting large and heavy gear sucks, you end up leaving it behind, the risk isn’t worth the daily grind. The light loadout means you don’t leave it behind. Convenience of carry equals more likely to be carried.
Two Copia’s, a TQ/Med pack, and my holster (already being worn) can go in any everyday bag I use. Backpack, laptop bag, you name it. Those pieces can go onto any belt I wear. This equates to me carrying a useable two layer system instead of any number of theoretical ‘better’ systems that are too much hassle to bother with.
In closing, thank you RCS, for indulging not only my need for a gear quality solution but circumventing my, and humanity’s, slothful tendencies.
Virginians have the opportunity soon to vote for candidates for all of the seats in the General Assembly—both Delegates and State Senators. Millions of dollars are pouring in from out-of-state in a shameless attempt to hijack the election and shift the political orientation of the Commonwealth from red to blue. Second Amendment infringements1 hawked by confiscationists2 are at the top of the list of issues presently.
It was in this political frenzy that I had the opportunities, first, to have an email exchange, and then a live conversation, with a well-meaning but deeply misled incumbent Republican State Senator. Shockingly he’s in the “race of his life” against a candidate that might as well be running as a socialist.
The focus of our conversation was his support for “red flag laws”. His mailed flyer highlights a talking-point about “keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people”, which apparently is the code phrase for those in the know for “red flag laws.”
The flyer was disingenuous on many levels. The bill contemplated in Virginia doesn’t define what constitutes dangerousness. Studies so far indicate that up to 20 confiscations are needed to stop one suicide,3 which means that in addition to the one dangerous person, 19 non-dangerous people (and the families they protect) are rendered defenseless. There isn’t any solid evidence that any homicides were prevented by the law first implemented in the late 1990s.
I emailed the Senator this information, as well as my contention that these bills are as yet untested before the Supreme Court, but have multiple Constitutional deficiencies, chiefly a complete lack of due process. He replied that his edits to the bill remedied these problems, and that “red flag laws” are supported by large swath of the electorate and the National Rifle Association. Additionally, and even more shockingly, he contended that since these bills are modeled after warrants and domestic violence protection orders, they have to be Constitutional by association.
Fortunately I had the opportunity to meet with the Senator in person. I reiterated my objections to the bills, and pointed out that the NRA actually drafted what reads like a mental health civil commitment statute that secondarily considers firearms –nothing remotely similar to current and proposed “red flag laws.” The forces behind “red flag laws” specifically want mental health left out of them, both for fear of stigmatizing the mentally ill, and wanting to facilitate confiscation from a much larger group of gun owners.
As for popular support, most polls ask “Do you support legislation that would keep dangerous people from accessing firearms?” Most people who are not familiar with the details of these bills reply “Yes”. I suggested that respondents might answer differently once they’ve read the bills. Finally, given that these bills infringe on an inalienable right, I found the “Constitutional-by-association” concept wanting.
After listening, he replied in the end “You’d be worse off with the other candidate.” This earned him an election “red card”— immediate ejection from the game.
His reasoning seemed to be that since I’d be worse off with the other candidate I should compromise and accept his proposed infringements. Not a chance. That logic leads to a gradual, steady and entirely unacceptable erosion of our inalienable rights. Although plenty of political issues are up for debate, chiseling away at rights I was born with is not one of them. If that renders me a “single-issue” voter, so be it. That “single-issue”, the inalienable right to defend myself, is absolutely necessary to defend all my other rights.
This candidate forgets that voting isn’t a forced-choice exercise: I can stay home, and demonstrate that the “winner” “won” with less participation, and begin shifting my efforts to the other two branches of government. I can write in a candidate, to demonstrate my dissatisfaction with the political machinery in play. I’m not a captive voter, and it’s disturbing that this candidate doesn’t understand that.
This appears to be an early manifestation of a systemic malady, “Potomac Fever”. It begins with assertions of government power over the governed, replacing the consent of the governed with the coerced acquiescence of the governed. It can progress all the way to end-stage “Potomac Fever”, characterized by tyrannical outbursts such as calls for confiscation of weapons by police, taxation, and overreaching Presidential executive orders.
If caught early enough, it can be managed in the voting booth, along with the checks and balances built into our Constitutional form of government. Our Founders recognized that the right to bear arms is a critical deterrent of and a fail-safe remedy for tyranny, and therefore made sure that this inalienable right “shall not be infringed”.
In the 1700s “well regulated” meant “in good working order”, imbued with the qualities needed to function well. The militia of the people wasn’t conscripted, but freely chose to participate in becoming well-trained. At the same time, the system of checks and balances should ordinarily right things. The people’s ultimate ability to resist tyranny provides the means to take back the government and return it to a “well regulated” condition if those checks and balances fails. And our uniquely durable experiment in self-government gets regulated by the voters with each and every election.
To all my fellow gun owners, I bid thee: “Stay well regulated” this election season!
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NOTES:
1 I refuse to use phraseology from the 1984 Newspeak Dictionary. Gun control describes trigger discipline and the related physical handling of firearms. “Gun control” in common usage today means infringing on my rights and so I refer to it directly as such.
2 Politicians, “public health” officials, and well-meaning but uninformed citizens who want in some way or another to come between law-abiding citizens and the possession and use of their self-selected firearms are “confiscationists”, regardless of how they self-identity.
3 The researchers used an ad hoc statistical measure to arrive at this number, so the actual number of confiscations to prevent one suicide could be even greater.
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–Dennis Petrocelli, MD is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist who has practiced for nearly 20 years in Virginia. He took up shooting in 2019 for mind-body training and self-defense, and is joining the fight for Virginians’ gun rights.
Ever wonder why the F-16 is the F-16? Or why the F6F Hellcat is what it is? What do those letters and numbers mean?
Well it turns out, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the old designation and new designation systems. In 1962 the Armed Forces went to a universal naming system so that no matter which branch was using an airframe design it was universally recognized. This resulted in all in service planes being renamed to meet the new scheme. At the time there were actually 3 different F4’s.
Remember all things called an M1? Yeah. It got nuts. In short the old name scheme was based on manufacturer more than differentiating the plane. While you or I or any other service member might not be able to distinguish what F4 was being talked about, the full name code would tell a maintenance crew what they were working on. But only the maintenance team and only if they knew. Even if the plane was in multiple service branches the Navy and Air Force used different systems. 1962 changed that.
Starting with F1 and going to… F35, the Lightning II made by Lockheed Martin
So, in short, we went to a chronological model designation system in 1962 and we have had 35 models come through since. The letter designations indicate different iterations or different job types and roles.
Sig Sauer’s P365 micro-compact pistol line has added an SAS member.
No not the Special Air Service of the UK or Australia. SIG Anti-Snag. The slide is completely dehorned of grabby edges to reduce the likelihood it gets hung up on the draw.
The new variant of the P365 uses a flush-fit rear-mounted Meprolight FT Bullseye sight with a combination fiber optic and tritium insert embedded into the slide, alleviating the need for a front sight post. This in essence gives a battery free “dot” type optic.
“This exciting new technology eliminates the need for a front sight, leaving no snag points and with the assistance of fiber optics during the day and tritium in low light, the user can now obtain a crystal clear high-visibility bullseye sight picture at real-word engagement distances faster than ever before,” notes the company.
Personally, I’m not sold on the sight choice.. I’m not totally against it either but I didn’t have the greatest success with the Glock variant when shooting for accuracy.
The SAS treatment itself is available in several mid-size and compact pistols from Sig’s line, like the P238, P938, and P229. The all feature machining to flush slide catches and takedown levers with rounded sides to reduce snag points. The SAS P365 modification also added a ported slide and barrel allow for what Sig describes as a 30 percent reduction in muzzle flip. In this regard the new sight actually makes sense, the front sight blade can’t be darkened by muzzle fouling since their is no front sight.
The P365 SAS is the same size as the standard P365. No change there, no new holsters, all the same goodies from the accessory pile. And their out in the wild, go check them out.
Washington, and Seattle especially, deep dove into the gun control rabbit hole last year. One of the most public facing laws was Seattle’s ‘Safe Storage’ requirement. The 2018 law was supposed to stop children from accessing firearms and hurting themselves or others. A noble goal to be sure but… like the chart above shows. It doesn’t look like it was a problem.
Kids (of course it’s the kids) that this sweeping rule and accompanying fines and convictions for noncompliance were protecting didn’t have any 2017 deaths, remember this was passed July 2018. And only 1 injury of a minor was recorded. So why was this needed?
What was the safe storage law?
Seattle residents face penalties if they do not safely store their firearms or report lost and stolen guns.
Seattle’s safe storage regulation, and the rules on reporting lost and stolen guns, state:
Safe storage: Guns should be stored in a locked container, and rendered as unusable to any person other than the owner or authorized user.
Unauthorized access prevention: It will be a civil infraction if a minor, at-risk, or prohibited person obtains a firearm when the owner should have reasonably known they would have access to it.
Violation of the safe-storage law, or the unauthorized access regulation could result in a fine between $500 and $1,000.
If a prohibited or at-risk person, or a minor obtains a firearm and uses it to commit a crime, injure or kill someone (including themselves), the gun owner could be fined up to $10,000.
If a civil case results from prohibited access, it will be “prima facie evidence” that they are negligent. That means it is immediately a fact, unless proven otherwise.
A safe, gun safe, gun case, gun cabinet, or lock box is required to have and/or be.
(a) designed to fully contain firearms and prevent removal of, and access to, the enclosed firearm; (b) Is capable of repeated use; (c) May be opened only by a numerical combination consisting of the entry of at least three variables entered in a specific sequence on a keypad, dial or tumbler device; key, magnetic key, or electronic key; or by biometric identification; and (d) Be constructed with such quality of workmanship and material that it may not be easily pried open, removed, or otherwise defeated by the use of common tools.
The reports are still coming in, and will be for awhile, despite a numbers reporting requirement in the law that was very poorly designed with the lag in data collection. That is where these numbers come from. It will be very interesting in a year when we have numbers to compare these to. Again, these are pre law numbers. So this was the ‘dangerous’ Seattle that needed a safe storage law threatening residents with thousands of dollars in punitive fines.
My favorite bit is the fact that you automatically become guilty of the crime of improper storage if you get sued civilly, you then have to win the suit and prove you weren’t negligent instead of the state proving you were.
I don’t know why it is named the Dirt Squirrel. Frankly I don’t care that much either, I just laughed and clicked on the video.
The 9-Hole crew put together an 8″ 300 BLK Palmetto State Armory and takes it to the practical accuracy challenge with some Sig Sauer 125gr.
Watch for yourselves guys and give the a follow while you’re at it but the short answer is it doesn’t do too shabby for such a low cost gun. There is some talk in the video of an issue they had that they don’t get into detail but even accounting for a part failure and getting a replacement the gun did alright.
The most interesting datapoint is the visible rapid fall off of the 300 BLK, especially as it passes the 300 yard mark. The hold over needed for hits at those ranges is extreme and it illustrates just how much the window of a round’s ‘practical’ trajectory matters.
Practical trajectory?
Yes, the distance which a rounds trajectory keeps it within about 30″ of vertical travel, or a torso, so that point of aim has a high likelihood of generating a point of useable impact. An MP5 for example as about 200 yards. Mid velocity rifles like the 7.62 AK, 300 BLK, and 30 Carbine have about 300 yards. High velocity rifles can stretch it a bit further because the round is reaching further in the given time. Gravity is gravity and bullets are all falling at the same speed. Faster will get you a further practical trajectory given similar conditions.
