The Gilroy Garlic Festival in gun control heavy California was the scene of an armed attack last night when a gunman cut his way through a fence around the festival grounds and open fired.
5:41 p.m. local time a man said to have been wearing a green shirt and a bandana over his face open fired with what has been tentatively identified as a rifle.
“It appears as though they (the suspects) had come into the festival via the creek which borders a parking area and they used some sort of a tool to cut through the fence,” Smithee said. “That’s how they got into the festival area itself.” – Via CNN
Police recovered a firearm and rifle ammunition from the shooting scene, a law enforcement source told CNN.
The three people killed include a 6 year old boy attending the festival with his family.
Shooter & Motive
The identity of the suspect is known to police but has not been released at this time according to authorities. An accomplice of some sort is also a possibility and may be the reason for withholding the name while the investigation continues.
No motive for the attack has been released officially although there is a report the shooter shouted, “I’m just angry.” or something of the like.
The Situation
Gilroy is a small town of 58,000 and holds the Garlic Festival annually with an expected attendance of around 100,000. It’s a huge event for Gilroy and is a mainstay family gathering.
The police were able to respond quickly to the shooting, reports indicate somewhere between 1 and 5 minutes until officers had engaged the shooter. Multiple social media videos captured the fleeing crowd as shots rang out.
California, a state known and proud of its gun control policies as some of the most restrictive in the nation, is a non-permissive state for concealed carry. The concealed carry permit rate for Santa Clara County, where Gilroy resides, is 1:14,300 or 0.007%. The national average is 8.63% when you drop California and New York from the mix. No one was ready for an attack.
Political Response
President Trump has responded with praise for law enforcement and first responders, condolences and support for the victims, and a message of defiance towards those who would do evil in the world.
“We reaffirm our national will to answer violence with the courage, determination and resolve of one American family,” he said. “We will continue to work together as communities and as citizens to stop evil, prevent violence and protect the safety of all Americans.”
The usual suspects didn’t waste a moment, calling for more gun control and actions to prevent gun violence in our nation. Beto O’Rourke trotted out the 40,000 number, the one that continues to count suicide in the same column as murder. I’m sure you’ll see the tweets and hear the repeat cookie cutter laments for the President and Congress to “do something” next to a list of nonviable security nonsense.
They predictably don’t acknowledge they’re calling for more regulations in the one of the most regulation heavy states in the nation. Full of neutered firearms and unviable laws on firearms tech like microstamping, California is supposed to be the state where this can’t happen, right?
Shotgun classes and by association teachers of the shotgun are becoming a bit of a relic. Something that everyone from police agency’s to civilians are disregarding as either unnecessary or difficult to teach. Fortunately, there are some people out there still teaching the “Gospel of the Gauge”. Lee Weems of First Person Safety is one of the standouts.
Lee has been an officer since 1999 and has served in several law enforcement roles, most recently Chief Deputy. He is a certified general topics and firearms instructor by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. His personal training resume includes Rangemaster, Shivworks with Craig Douglas, Ken Hackathorn as well as State and Federal firearms training.
Class started Saturday morning with a brief intro, some of Lee’s credentials and the days subject matter. Afterwards, Lee started with a brief history lesson on shotguns and its adoption as a defensive tool. He described the shotgun as a “snowflake.” No shotgun being exactly the same, and different from most other common firearms.
Lee was very comprehensive during this, for lack of a better term,”classroom” portion. Before anyone picked up a firearm we went over safety rules and a medical briefing.
Getting Started
Manipulation started with everyone receiving a number of “dummy rounds” that Lee provided, and we began drilling several administrative tasks specific to our individual shotguns. Lee went through general loading and unloading of the shotgun, then more specific loading and unloading depending on brand or type. It was at this point I gained a nice nugget of information on my Beretta 1301and administrative unloading. I had been struggling with administrative unloading since I disengaged my shell dump with an Aridus Latch and Shroud, and I had not known there was another quicker and safer method.
After going over loading and unloading, Lee began to run us through some simulation fire drills. Pumps had an easier time with this drill since my semiautomatic required a round being fired to cycle. Lee had an answer for this, too. I had to run this drill by pulling the trigger would cycle action, and return to shooting position as if a round were fired. Once I had all shown a reasonable amount of proficiency, the live fire portion of the day started.
Rounds Down Range
Live fire began with working the same administrative drills as before, but this time with live ammunition. The first under pressure drill consisted of 4 shots, then an emergency reload and one additional shot. I ran this a number of times and then moved on to more complex drills. One of which was a load one, shoot one, load two (emergency reload, then one in the tube), shoot two, load three, shoot three.
One of the last of the drills we do was a version of “Rolling Thunder”. Everyone having to perform the previous drill one person at a time until the previous person completes their part. This added some stress as everyone was counting on everyone else.
Patterning
With manipulation drills over, it was time to pattern our shotguns with our specific buckshot loads. This is very important to a defensive shotgun as, because every shotgun will pattern differently. Knowing exactly how your personal shotgun patterns with your personal loads is paramount to accurate hits at distance. Patterning my shotgun was done at 7, 15, and 25 yards with Lee examining what my shotgun was doing at each. Patterning marked the end of the class.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion Lee’s take on the shotgun was very comprehensive and very enjoyable. His extensive knowledge experience with the shotgun was easy for me to see. I both hope and look forward to taking more classes with Lee in the future.
The March F "Shorty" is highly representative of the direction LPVO's are moving. Mounted in a ScalarWorks ring originally designed for the Aimpoint PRO
It’s everywhere. Across every blog, YouTube channel, and newsletter. LPVO “El Pea Vee Oh” is yet another acronym in our acronym heavy hobby. The four letters describe an optic category that isn’t new. In fact, this theory started to emerge for rifles like the M16 and M4 in the mid 90’s and low power scopes were in common use on combat/sniper rifles in WWII.
While it is not a new theory, today is certainly its mainstream golden age.
The “first” LPVO might be considered the Schmidt & Bender Short Dot or Gen I CQB Short Dot, developed in response to the after action findings of Gothic Serpent. Better known for the book and movie Black Hawk Down, Gothic Serpent highlighted the limitations of both iron sights and red dot sights (also not “new” tech) for identifying targets at distances 100 yards and beyond amongst the chaos of an urban environment.
The S&B Gen I CQB SD came from the identified needs of shooters in SOCOM/SFOD and were tailored to those needs. Red dot CQB versatility, the ability to take longer shots on partially exposed threats in cover, and the clarity to positively ID threat/non-threats in that same environment.
Why did it take 25 years for the general population to catch up on LPVOs?
Market demands, legal obstacles, nobody knew, and the “Big Army” tech base.
The carbine LPVO was SOCOM’s baby and they only needed a few hundred. Those few hundred were built by a company whose primary market was high end hunting scopes. They didn’t need to throw the Short Dot into every hunting magazine and hope to sell a bunch commercially too.
Legally this was the era of the Clinton Crime Bill and the oh so epic a piece of nothing that was the Assault Weapon Ban. So with the AR15 all but neutered out of the market an optic for that same rifle wasn’t in high demand. No mass market demand, no mass market buy. In 2004 the ban sunset and the AR market began to wake up again.
Ok, but that was still 15 years ago… why no LPVO’s then?
Indeed. The LPVO had been around for a decade in a small circle of shooters who had asked for it, but the civilian market for the AR was very slowly reawakening. That market had been stymied for that decade where the Short Dot emerged and during that time three other optics came to be, and in far greater numbers. The Aimpoint RDS, the EOTech HWS, and the Trijicon ACOG. With the Army, Marines, and Special Forces taking on the missions of GWOT with those three (and lots of cool pictures too), LPVOs again didn’t see any heroic limelight.
Then Magpul dropped “The Art of the Tactical Carbine” around the end of 2008 and the private training market exploded. So did the market for anything and everything AR/M16/M4… except LPVO’s. Colt was still the gold standard of AR15’s and the smaller, now well known names, weren’t around. It was a different time. Hell, Bushmaster was a respected AR name.
Then in 2011 Leupold releases the MK8 CQBSS and the public consumption of the LPVO began in earnest. Thanks to the internet, Gun Owners Gen 2.0, video game exposure, and GWOT veterans entering the training and public sphere more and more.
The CQBSS also made it into the video game market as a rifle accessory for shooter games like Ghost Recon, Battlefield, Call of Duty, etc. Image via Amazon.com
That was still 8 years ago…
Yep, it was. LPVO’s were either old tech to the guys who had been using them since the 90’s, or are very new and very expensive tech to the guys and gals learning about them for the first time. The Leupold TS30-A2 Mark 4 MR/T 2.5-8×36 and NightForce NXS 2.5-10×24 had both come to light in conjunction with the Mk12 SPR/DMR, but those were not seen as carbine or service rifle optics. The variable optics were for Designated Marksman rifles and they were treated with kid gloves, seen as incredibly fragile.
Long(er), heavy(ier), “fragile”, regular scope rings were too low and kept the scope too far back for good eye relief, and the tactical optic trio were still the kings. For people wanting to spend “big money” or “smart money” on a tactical rifle optic LPVO’s still had ground to make up before for wide market acceptance would occur.
The Razor’s Edge
The most recognizable optic, the one that finally crossed all the right boxes, is the Vortex Razor HD Gen II. It was 1-6 power and that was cool. It was “tan” and that was really cool. It was used by SOCOM on M4’s and Mk18’s and that was really really cool!
And… It didn’t cost twice what your rifle did.
It was/is an LPVO with the “Operator” stamp in reasonable dollars distance from the tactical trio, especially the ACOG which was most comparable capability wise. It was still longer and heavier, by a factor of about two, than the trio but we had broken into commercially viable territory. With glowing recommendations on the Razor Gen II’s performance LPVO’s were beginning to lose their “fragile” and “unobtainable” descriptors.
The three major arms of the US Military conducting ground combat operations, SOCOM, the Army, and the Marines, have all solicited for or selected LPVO optics to enter their inventories starting in the next couple years. The Squad Common Optic (SCO) will replace the RCO (a TA31 ACOG) and SDO (a TA11 ACOG) in the hands of US Marines, for example. Indications are that, budget willing, the optic will go fleetwide starting with infantry/combat arms units.
The lessons brought home in the 90’s by the Delta guys and Rangers of Gothic Serpent have permeated the collective. Combined with steady continual increases in tech base capabilities and the mass information flow, evaluation, and exchange of ideas provided by the internet the LPVO has gained a hold in every market segment of the shooting community.
The LPVO Future
Now that the barriers of knowledge and price have crumbled away (you can find a Nikon 1-4 for $199, new) the only two remaining detractor considerations are.
Size
Weight
Those are rapidly vanishing too.
March F 1-8×24 “Shorty”
Pictured (and in the title image) is the newest glass I purchased from March Optics, the March F 1-8x24mm Shorty. At only 8.4″ long and 17.1oz the scope is among smallest on the market, especially in the 1-8x category.
Probably the most radical departure in design I’ve seen so far is the single ring mounting. Every other variable optic I’ve dealt with, unless it has an integral mount (Elcan, VCOG), used two rings.
The March design is such that it must use a single 30mm ring, and with a market base that supported the Aimpoint 30mm sights and their clone/derivatives, several excellent mount options exist. I grabbed up a ScalarWorks LEAP PRO and it’s working perfectly so far. But when I asked ScalarWorks and Geissele both if their mounts would support a variable scope they both responded, “We’ve never tried that…”
So ScalarWorks and I made an educated guess upon the evidence and said,
It’s designed for one ring
It’s only 6 oz heavier than the Aimpoint PRO
Screw it, let’s do it live… For Science!
March compared to a TA11
Immediately, although not an issue on the SCAR its riding on, the mount placement eliminates a lot of the inflexibility of positioning scopes for eye relief on the top rails of AR-15s. The March F’s size and that small footprint on the rail lends itself greatly to being an exceptional SBR option. With the ScalarWorks LEAP it’s 19.6 oz total, quick detach, 1-8x, Front Focal Plane.
Smaller, lighter, more durable, more flexible in more roles, the LPVO tech base is probably the most fun to follow in the industry at present.
The Leupold Mark 4 3-9 compared to the March F 1-8. Old standard vs. newest tech.
Review on the March F to follow. But with the emerging feature sets of it, and scopes that will compete against it, for defense and action shooting sports roles (worlds that have become closely linked) I am ecstatic to keep following and testing this.
One of my favorite things in this world is when I get a new gun. A very close second “good day” is when I buy a new optic for one of my rifles, because that means I get to mount it and zero the gun in.
Optic Options
When selecting an optic for an AR pattern rifle, I first decide what I will be using the rifle for (i.e., competition, plinking, hunting, or self- or home-defense). This “purpose” usually dictates which type of optic I put on the rifle.
The choice pretty much comes down to a variable-power scope or a red-dot optic of some type. Over the last few years, I have preferred and mounted small, one-power red dots or low-power variable scopes, such as a 1-4x or 1-6x.
(That specification, 1 to 4x/6x refers to the magnification of the scope, if you were wondering.)
A quick detour: I won’t go into the minutia of mounting an optic, as there are so many different types of mounts and rings on the market. I’ll just advise you to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. (And, yes, you should actually read the instructions first.)
A Great Day
When my FedEx driver recently delivered my SAINT rifle with the free-float handguard, I could not get it out of the box fast enough, because it’s an even better day when I get a Springfield Armory gun to test!
I must say that I am very impressed with the factory fit and finish. And though there are only a few enhancements as compared to the original SAINT, they are good ones. The most obvious additions are the free-float handguard and the A2-style front sight being replaced by much-preferred (IMO) low-profile, flip-up (front) dual-aperture sights.
(Stay tuned for more from me on this topic in a future article!)
Range Time
As with any new rifle, the first thing I did after installing the red-dot sight, and then disassembling and lubricating my new SAINT, was to take it out to my backyard (don’t be jealous, Rob) and shoot it.
Living off the grid and having a shooting range on my property makes it super easy and enjoyable to sight in/zero my guns. I’m pretty spoiled, and I love the fact that I can quickly set up and shoot targets at any distance as far as 200 yards. I sure don’t miss having to do this at public ranges.
So, after putting a few rounds through the rifle as a function check – ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, I then moved right into zeroing.
In a concealed carry world where the Glock 19 is the reining compact champion finding a pistol I actively like more is… well… like trying to beat the champion. You can do it, but it isn’t easy. Sig P320 XCompact, enter stage right.
I like the G19. The favorite is the G19X, the Glock that lost to the P320 in becoming the M17/M18. Now, I like the P320 also. I originally bought a Nitron “Longslide” Compact when a run of those hit the market and it shot very well. I sold it to someone who wanted one right-now-in-a-hurry thinking I would replace it in short order.
I didn’t replace it.
I am very glad I didn’t… because Sig ran the XFive guns.
P320 XFive Legion. Latest in the XFive line
Originally meant as their “race gun” variant, similar to the P226 X-Five, this P320 variant was a victim of its own success.
The XSeries guns looked good, performed so well, and had a forward thinking feature set that built on the P320. They started getting picked up as duty pistols in their own right.
So Sig expanded the line. Now it encompasses the XFive, XCarry, XCompact, and XFive Legion. All of them with the sharp looks of the XFive frames, flat blade triggers, and optic ready slides.
P320 XCompact vs. G19
The XCompact drops itself into the optics ready compact category. It’s message is simple. Glock isn’t the only game anymore.
Dimensionally the Sig differs, it isn’t trying to be the G19, it’s trying to provide a superb quality alternative that fills the pistol requirements and then some. Still all Sig for the Sig fans.
“Taller” grip
The XCompact’s grip is longer than the G19’s, it has available thicker or thinner modules from Sig but, in my opinion, the (M) medium frame is more comfortable to me than the unaltered G19X frame (my Glock preference) and it I wouldn’t change it.
The P320 XCompact has a pronounced molded in beavertail to protect from slide bite. The 3.6″ barrel compared to the Glock’s 4.02″ makes for a shorter slide and I must say the rebalancing that dimension produces is much more enjoyable than I thought. Of note, you can see the top loaded chamber indicator which doubles the visual and tactile verification of the extractor on the XCompact.
The rear sight/optic plate is something I have a love/hate theory with. It’s easy out of the gate to put the Romeo1 RDS on the XCompact and with available aftermarket plates the most popular dots can be mounted no problem. But…
The rear sight housing is… thicK.
A lot of metal on those wings, but the X-Ray sights are nice.
Not a deal killer. Not a real issue when I shoot either. The rear sight just blocks a little more periphery than other rear sights and it is noticeable.
The X-Ray night sights themselves are a favorite of mine though. High visibility front sights are on all my Sig pistols, with the exception of my Legion P226 running an RMR. Tritium lamps front and rear with a high visibility front.
Ultimately if you like Glocks best this is not changing your mind. But if you’re a Sig fan or were looking for a Glock alternative… you might want to pull the trigger here.
On the range the P320 XCompact proved its mettle by bringing in a failureless performance. I wasn’t expecting any differently, the P320 has had plenty of vetting time by several individuals, agencies, and the various branches of the US Military. It’s always nice to see that you don’t have a QC quirk though. It shot fine.
The trigger press and reset are comfortably comparable to the SRT inside the P229 Legion. The trigger, grip angle, and size all lend itself to further endearing me to the Sig P320 XCompact. Having the lighter, similarly profiled polymer gun running like my favorite carry pistol made for a familiar shooting experience. Even the much improved Gen 5 Glock trigger doesn’t roll through and break as smoothly
The XSeries grips are some of my favorite stock. From the comfort standpoint the length on the XCompact fits right in that sweet spot of not too long, not too short. Also, they’re polymer… stipple and laser and whatever else you want to “custom” on your grip to your heart’s content.
The Sig P320 XCompact has the benefit of compatibility on the market. The P320 has been out long enough for solid accessory market penetration. Holsters, spare magazines, optic adapters, aftermarket you-name-its, it’s a well established gun and XCompact is compatible with the P320 Carry, XCarry, Compact, and M18 ancillary pool.
In the Perun it rides comfortably no issue for range use or OWB concealed carry under an overshirt, vest, jacket, etc. RCS has become my “casual” range/training gear goto, for making life easy and getting to the range to train RCS works. That’s another post though.
Conclusion
Easy, I like it. I’m going to shoot it. I’m going to carry it.
I have never shot Glock pistols as well as the Sig P226/229 and because of that I carry the Sigs. The Gen 5 G19X shifted things back in favor of the Glock but the Sigs were still the more comfortable . The P320 XCompact combines the feature sets I like from the G19X (lighter polymer frame and grip length) with those of the 226/229 (trigger press, reset, and grip angle).
NEWINGTON, N.H., (July 23, 2019) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce the new P365 BB Pistol is now shipping. Modeled after the award-winning SIG SAUER P365 everyday, high capacity, micro-compact, concealed carry pistol, this CO2-powered, semi-automatic BB pistol features realistic blowback action and is an exceptional training tool for personal defense.
The P365 BB pistol is designed to fit in available P365 holster systems for easy practice of efficiently drawing from concealment. The 12-round magazine holds 4.5mm (.177 cal) premium steel BBs and also houses the 12gr CO2 cartridge for fast reloading.
The P365 BB Pistol shoots up to 295 fps; however, velocity results may vary depending on temperature and altitude.
Get Social: follow SIG SAUER on Facebook,Twitter,Instagram, and YouTube for the latest news, product announcements, events, and updates.
About SIG SAUER, Inc.
SIG SAUER, Inc. is a leading provider and manufacturer of firearms, electro-optics, ammunition, airguns, suppressors, and training. For over 100 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 – a world class, state-of-the-art, 140-acre training facility. SIG SAUER is headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire, and has more than 1,700 employees across eight locations, and is the largest member of a worldwide business group that includes SIG SAUER GmbH & Co. KG in Germany. For more information about the company and product line visit: sigsauer.com.
Monday the New Zealand Prime Minster, Jacinda Ardern, doubled down on the gun control slippery slope she is placing the nation upon. Adding to the semi-automatic ban and confiscation order the New Zealand government passed in the wake of Christchurch, the PM is implementing a second wave of changes.
The changes, which include a mandatory gun registry and a ban on gun purchases by foreign visitors, will “enshrine in law that owning a firearm is a privilege” rather than a right, Ms. Ardern said. [emphasis added]
Arms are not a privilege, they are a right of all free persons. But for those who disagree that owning the tools for self defense is a right, that you in fact have the right to be secure in your person and property, this is music to touch their misguided or authoritarian hearts.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she thinks the vast majority of New Zealanders disagree with the U.S. model under which gun ownership is seen as a constitutional right and is interpreted by many to be a defense against potential government overreach. –AP
Says the overreaching government…
Ardern said that growing up in a rural farming area, she always understood New Zealanders had a practical need for owning guns.
“But at the same time I don’t think that extends to this view that every New Zealand citizen has the need and right to generally arm itself,” she said. “We’re a society that I think has always drawn that very clear distinction.”
New Zealand, are you a free society or not?
Are your rights… your civil rights… your natural rights… are they yours or are they privileges from the government? If they are privileges then that is not a free society and you are not free, just well taken care of at the moment.
Ardern listed the differences between New Zealand society, their policies and procedures policing, and their societal attitude toward firearms being less impassioned than here in the United States but that does not change two things.
These changes will not prevent another massacre. It won’t even drastically change the chances of the event or the methods by which casualties can be caused.
There will be a level of disobedience and the individuals who want to cause havoc will happily work within that framework to accomplish their ends.
Ardern can shout the fact that New Zealand police generally don’t patrol with guns all she would like, but policing practices shift to meet threats. Just look at the UK quietly increasing armed patrol officers to counter violent crime.
Let’s also quietly pass over the fact that a madman in Japan killed 34 with arson. It didn’t take a gun. Banning a gun doesn’t stop mass casualty attacks. Nice, France folks…
I’m just beating the drum and shaking my head… maybe actually beating the drum with my head. Why must we jump to bad reactionary policy after every horrific event? Why are the opinions of experts discarded because the true answer of, “We can’t prevent this.” is summarily rejected?
Why am I harping on the legislative decisions of a foreign country?
Easy, the legislative anti-gunners here want to use the same arguments to the same end here and the successes there will be used as leverage.
IWI X95 SBR and IWI Masada. These I can own, I can keep for my use and my protection. The acknowledgement of my right to do so is a rare thing, and politicians here want to make it rarer still.
Nope, not the ill fated rifle Magpul gave to Bushmaster back in the day. The Masada is the new striker duty pistol joining IWI’s firearm line-up.
But let’s let IWI give the notice before I jump back in.
Middletown, Pa. (July 24, 2019) – IWI US, Inc., a subsidiary of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) Ltd., is excited to announce it has begun shipping the ALL NEW MASADA Optics-Ready Pistol today.
The IWI US MASADA 9mm polymer framed striker-fired pistol was developed in order to provide an advanced solution to the modern battlefield requirements. This pistol takes user preferences to a new level, with each feature carefully selected based on input from military personnel, law enforcement officials, and gun enthusiasts alike. The MASADA is ergonomically designed with fully ambidextrous controls and three interchangeable back-straps, enabling the MASADA pistol to fit a wide variety of hand sizes. The MASADA was designed with a low bore axis for reduced perceived felt recoil. Overall, The MASADA was engineered to endure all elements while maintaining IWI legendary attention to detail and reliability.
The frame is made of high strength, impact resistant fiberglass reinforced polymers. Like all IWI firearms, it is built to withstand and endure all types of military use and abuse in extremely harsh environmental conditions.
MASADA utilizes a modular, serialized, high-grade steel trigger mechanism housing that can be easily removed, allowing simple and easy disassembly and maintenance.
The trigger was designed to enhance the shooter’s accuracy and safety. The MASADA trigger has an average pull of 6 pounds with a clean, crisp break and a positive reset. Featuring a built-in trigger safety, the pistol will not fire unless the trigger is pulled.
The MASADA is out-of-the-box OPTICS READY and includes interchangeable mounting plates for the Trijicon RMR, Leupold Delta Point, Sig Sauer Romeo 01, and Vortex Venom.
“This is our first entry into the striker fired pistol market and we are very pleased with the results. The MASADA incorporates a milled-slide which provides a secure and convenient place to mount an electronic sight for quick and easy target acquisition. This, combined with an extremely competitive retail price, makes the MASADA a serious contender for civilian and government customers,” Jeremy Gresham, Director of Sales and Marketing of IWI US stated.
The MASADA has an MSRP of $480.00. Additional information can be found at the IWI US website, here
Okay, back to me
I first got hands on this guy back in 2018 at Tavor II, but the internet being the internet I couldn’t talk about it yet. That was sad because I really really really wanted to talk about it.
Author with Masada Prototype
First Impression – This was the best trigger I’d felt in a striker gun since the PPQ. A touch on the light side but IWI thought that too and made the press a touch heavier for production.
The dovetail sights are Sig cut so the aftermarket options are already abundant for your favorite set. This is an Optics Ready Duty gun for $480! Steel magazines like Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, CZ, Etc. Rail mount for your favorite WML (which gives it immediate holster compatibility IWB and OWB)
Choosing how to carry your concealed pistol is kind of like choosing a favorite movie. There are certainly a number of movies that could be your favorite and many reasons why you might pick that movie. Your buddy also has a favorite and can tell you all the reasons that his movie is better than yours.
This is exactly how the discussion on the best way to carry a concealed pistol goes. Person A likes this or that, while Person B does not agree with Person A’s logic and prefers something completely different.
Carrying your pistol concealed is definitely not a one-size-fits-all decision.
So, what are the best ways to carry concealed? Well, that depends on what gun you choose to carry, how you are planning to dress and what kind of activities you intend to engage in while carrying.
Pistol Preference
The first decision to make is what gun you are going to carry, and again, we all have our personal preferences. Gun make and model may dictate how you concealed carry.
It would be difficult to carry your full-size 1911 TRP Operator with a full-length accessory rail and an attached, pistol-mounted light on your ankle, under your skinny jeans.
I have chosen the XD-S 3.3″ as my primary carry gun and consider it to be one of the most versatile pistols for concealment. I can use virtually any concealment technique with this pistol, as it is has both a short barrel and a short, thin grip, but it is still very shootable.
Clothing Choice
What are you going wear? This also has a major impact on what concealment technique you are using. Knee-high black socks and your 1970s pro basketball short shorts, though a good look, are definitely not the best combination for a thigh holster.
If you are wearing a polo shirt and slacks, you will likely choose a different concealment technique than you will If you are just in a casual pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt. I have, on more than one occasion, changed my clothes just to accommodate being able to conceal my pistol better.
Sitting in a place of honor on my bookshelf is a copy of The Best Defense, written by Robert Waters in 1998. This classic describes fourteen cases where ordinary citizens used guns to save their lives from violent attackers. I’ve kept it around as a reminder to stay vigilant and to occasionally loan to friends who don’t think guns are ever used for self-defense.
Waters’ new book is Guns and Self-Defense, which he co-wrote with his son Sim Waters, who has a degree in criminology. This time, he chronicles twenty three dramatic tales of armed self-defense.
(from amazon.com)
Like the now nearly extinct crime reporters of the newspaper era, he combines information from police reports and court records with victim interviews to tell the entire story in an engaging short form. He always lists the types of guns involved, how many shots were fired, how many scored hits and even where misses ended up.
Unlike the mainstream media I often ridicule, Waters is not a prisoner of the 24 hour news cycle. The information he collects, sometimes several years after the fact, has had plenty of time to crystallize into an accurate record that includes trial results, prison terms and the lasting effects on victims.
Waters does not have to add the drama, the stories are so intense that he can stick to a matter-of-fact style and you will still find yourself obsessively flipping the pages.
Only one of these twenty three incidents made it to the national media, it was one of two in the book that involved armed citizens coming to the aid of police officers who were being beaten to death by a crazed criminal.
Looking at the other twenty one stories, it’s easy to see patterns that might be of use to the average citizen contemplating self-defense or to those involved in the gun control debate.
Almost all of these attacks on unsuspecting people involved substance abuse in some way. Either the attackers were flying high on drugs like alcohol, cocaine and meth, or they were trying to get money to buy drugs.
Criminals can be extremely vicious and care nothing about the damage they inflict on others. Many of the victims suffered life-altering injuries as well as lasting emotional trauma.
Violent criminals, much like predators in the animal world, prefer easy prey. Most of these victims were women, elderly or physically handicapped people at home. The few who were not tended to work in convenience stores or high value targets like stores dealing in jewels and precious metals.
All guns involved were handguns, except for a shotgun wielded by a woman home alone.
Many of the handguns used for effective defense were cheap weapons that are accessible to low wage earners and have sometimes been targets of gun control efforts.
Since most of the assailants were drug-enhanced and were only shot with handguns, they often had to be shot more than once. So if you have time, reach for a long gun.
Few of the defenders had much training, if any. Yet they all survived, and did not shoot any innocent bystanders.
None of the guns used for defense were locked up. Due to the speed, shock and ferocity of the attacks, the victims would have been unable to deal with locks.
Violent predators often work together in armed gangs that may require defenders to fire many shots to end the attack.
All but one of the attackers had a long criminal history marked by repeated prison terms with early release. Some were on parole or on bail awaiting trial at the time.
The underlying explanation for these violent assaults is that society does not deal effectively with the three main causes: drugs, gangs and mental illness.
Criminals choose the time and place of their attack both to achieve surprise and avoid law enforcement, so prudent citizens must be prepared to defend themselves anytime, anywhere.
Anyone who is interested in keeping a gun for protection would do well to read this book while keeping some things in mind.
The commonly accepted theory is that most criminals will flee at the sight of a gun, but Waters understandably selected only incidents in which victims actually shot their attackers and lived through the experience. While this doesn’t give a statistically accurate picture, it serves as an excellent reminder that you had better be mentally prepared in advance to shoot to save yourself and your loved ones. Just displaying a gun is not always enough.
Another thought is that criminals who actually need to be shot are likely the most unhinged and violent examples of the species and will probably need to be shot more than once. Some of the most dangerous hunt in packs. Owning a gun with a large magazine seems like a common sense choice and owning more than one if you can afford it is probably a good idea.
It almost goes without saying that you should make a household emergency plan, practice with your firearm(s) and seek training as possible.
After reading Guns and Self-Defense, the wise reader will likely wonder why compelling and inspiring stories like this so rarely make it into the national news stream. I believe they are suppressed because they belie the standard media narrative that ordinary people have no need for defensive firearms. Why else would such riveting, life-and-death dramas be ignored? Almost any of them could be easily turned into a profitable made-for-TV movie or at least a 60 Minutes segment if our media were not so biased and agenda-driven.
After reading this book, I discovered another in this series published just a few months earlier titled: Guns Save Lives that includes 22 events. If you follow defensive gun use news on the internet, you know there is an inexhaustible supply of such stories.
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—Dr. Michael S. Brown is a pragmatic Libertarian environmentalist who has been studying the gun debate for three decades and considers it a fascinating way to learn about human nature and politics.
Former Democratic state House candidate Elizabeth McCarthy confessed to a state investigator that she liedabout being a medical doctorand about treating victims of the 2016 Pulse massacre in Orlando. – FloridaPolitics
Well isn’t that refreshing. Lying “for the good” of the people. Because guns bad! Believe her, she’s a doctor. Except she is not.
I don’t know what this is a case of honestly. Lying for ‘the cause’ or just a case of self aggrandisement where McCarthy thought she could make these lies stick and gain a position to influence legislation, power, and money out of it.
Standing behind the lectern at a March town hall hosted by Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) in Orlando, she described working as an emergency room doctor on June 12, 2016 — the night a gunman opened fire at the Pulse nightclub, killing 49 people in what was, at the time, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Performing triage that night had been one of the hardest moments of her career, she told the audience, adding that when she wheeled bodies into the morgue, she could hear the victims’ cellphones ringing as their loved ones desperately tried to get in touch.
“That night, because I’m gay, it struck me even harder,” she said. “Because these were my people.”
Dressed in a black suit and flats, McCarthy paused frequently, seemingly overcome with emotion. The other panelists, including a sheriff and a survivor of the Pulse shooting, looked on, rapt, as she described the nightmarish scene that had unfolded in the operating room. When McCarthy said that she had personally removed 77 bullets from 32 people, the audience gasped. – Washington Post
Fake doctor throwing the victim card for political clout on the bodies of 49 people… classy.
DoH Medical Quality Assurance Investigator Rafael B. Aponte questioned McCarthy, whose full legal name is Catherine Elizabeth McCarthy, on July 9. He filed his report and the cease-and-desist order on Wednesday. McCarthy could not be reached Wednesday to comment.
With costs, she is being assessed a total penalty of $3,094.95. She has 30 days to dispute the investigation’s findings and seek a hearing, if she decides to do so. $3,100 for utilizing the deaths of 49 people for her own gain.
Rep. Darren Soto had originally described McCarthy as a friend and long time medical adviser who “showed her mettle” on the night of the attack. Apparently Soto and his staff don’t believe in proper credentialing but when the whole storm came to ahead Soto disavowed McCarthy and basically said he’d been bamboozled into the belief by the local DNC.
What won’t anti-gunners do to wave the bloody shirt? False doctorates and heroics aren’t the line apparently. Soto’s disavowal is nowhere on his website, but his Gun Control Town Hall still lists “Dr.” McCarthy as a panelist. I’m certain the “good doctor” had a great many things to add with her vast fabrication of medical expertise and removing some 77 completely imagined bullets from patients she never treated.
GAT Daily is a Proud Partner with The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and we are happy to help announce the 20th year of Project ChildSafe, an NSSF initiative.
Project ChildSafe Marks 20 Years as America’s Leading Firearms Safety Program
NEWTOWN, Conn.–The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) this year marks the 20th anniversary of its Project ChildSafe program, which has increased awareness of safe firearms handling and storage practices among millions of gun owners, helped reduce accidental firearms deaths to historic lows and become an indispensable firearms safety education resource for partners in every state and the U.S. territories.
“The number one objective of Project ChildSafe has always been saving lives by urging gun owners to store their firearms responsibly when not in use, and giving them the tools to do it,” said NSSF CEO Steve Sanetti.
Those tools include educational materials and more than 38 million free gun locks that have been distributed by a network of thousands of partners from law enforcement, fish and wildlife agencies, conservation groups, firearms retailers, gun ranges, the faith community, tribal organizations, Boy Scouts of America chapters, 4-H and other groups nationwide.
Project ChildSafe has made a meaningful impact on safety nationwide. Annual reports from the National Safety Council show fatal firearms accidents are trending toward the lowest numbers since data collection began, and recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show fatal firearms accidents represent less than half of a percent of all accidental deaths in the U.S.
Further evidence of the program’s value can be measured in the ongoing demand for the gun locks, which currently outpaces supply by almost five-to-one. Equally compelling are the qualitative assessments from the National Safety Council, GAO and RAND:
In a 2017 report, the GAO concluded that providing free locking devices positively influenced behavior to store firearms more safely.
In 2019, the RAND Corporation (conducting research for the National Institute of Justice), noted that Project ChildSafe is the only program that offers freely available gun locks at a national level, and in the context of the GAO findings, concluded that Project ChildSafe is a “noteworthy component of national efforts to improve safe storage.”
Project ChildSafe, which originally launched as “Project HomeSafe” in 1999 in five cities across the country, has marked a number of other successes over the years, some of which can be viewed in annual reports on the Project ChildSafe website, under the Resources section.
Joe Bartozzi, who became NSSF’s President in 2018, says these results are a good start and certainly not the end of the Project ChildSafe story.
“While we can look back proudly on 20 years of tremendous results, we’re also looking to the future and ensuring that the number of accidental firearms deaths keeps declining and that responsible storage is synonymous with gun ownership,” Bartozzi said. “I’ve always been a huge supporter of Project ChildSafe and look forward to continuing that work.”
That “work” on keeping firearms out of the wrong hands includes building on current partnerships with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Veteran’s Administration to help address firearms and suicide, and working with other partners to help curb firearms thefts, especially from vehicles. “Nearly two-thirds of all gun deaths in the U.S are suicides, and when you look at crimes involving guns across the country, the vast majority of them involve stolen guns,” Bartozzi said. “The importance of storing firearms responsibly as a means to help prevent suicide and gun crime cannot be overstated.”
It’s also noteworthy that while NSSF is leading the effort with Project ChildSafe, it’s getting plenty of help.
“It’s the support from the entire industry – manufacturers, retailers, gun ranges and hunting and shooting organizations, that drives the Project ChildSafe message,” said Bill Brassard, NSSF Senior Director of Communications, who has been with the program since its inception. “In just the past five years, more than 9,000 organizations have signed on to help Project ChildSafe emphasize the importance of safe storage to gun owners.”
In addition to the firearms industry funding the program over the last two decades, NSSF has been the recipient of numerous federal and state grants, special contributions from industry companies and public giving to expand Project ChildSafe’s messaging on gun safety. To help the program meet demand for its safety materials in the future, the Project ChildSafe Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity, was formed to accept donations in support of Project ChildSafe’s firearms safety efforts.
About NSSF: The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.
Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey signed S101 into law to take effect early next year. S101 will mandate that New Jersey firearm retailers, who already have an onerous burden of regulation to comply with the state laws, must have at least one “Smart Gun” on their store shelves.
What comes next? They must sell so many smart guns per month or year in order to stay licensed?
The bill that Murphy signed states, “[The bill] requires firearm retailers to have available for purchase at least one personalized handgun approved by the commission and listed on the roster as eligible for sale.”
Approved lists for guns. Similar in scope to California’s laws which have effectively stopped all new firearms, at least handguns, from being approved for sale in that state due to their microstamping requirement. Will the board approve any firearms? Can that board, in good conscious, sign off on any current generation smart gun as safe and reliable?
If the board won’t sign off on any smart guns will that force New Jersey FFL’s to cease operating?
If there are two technologies in the firearms space that are the pipedream of pipedreams of sci-fi ignoramus gun controllers they are Smart Guns and Microstamping.
Biometrically or digitally locked “smart” firearms are taking a simple safe firearm and introducing a highly complicated biometric or wireless comm component in order to reduce the likelihood it is used by an unauthorized person. It’s a fantasy out of science fiction that we are nowhere close to having as a viable technology base.
Think about it. It uses exiting pairing and or smart security tech. No device is tested on those more than… our phones. But how many times does your bluetooth fail to pair up or the biolock take several attempts and a reset to enable?
All. The. Time. It happens daily and it slows down the usability process on a device that is needed immediately to save your life. Imagine if a seatbelt required you to biometrically release it in order to get yourself out of car that’s on fire? Imagine if an AED required a bluetooth pairing in order to use? Imagine any other piece of emergency equipment that required a spotty, only works sometimes or under good conditions, unlock to use.
We have a developed, and honestly purposefully encouraged, fundamental disconnect into what a firearm is for. A firearm is an on demand life saving tool and when you need it, it MUST be there. Smart Guns are dumb. Smart safes, vaults, security boxes, and anything that isn’t immediate access required are fine. Smart guns… are dumb.
During the signing ceremony, Murphy said, “Even though there’s more to do, we must take great pride in what we are doing today. These new laws will send the message we take gun safety and the safety of our communities seriously.”
By mandating an unreliable technology? By requiring retailers to spend their own money to carry this proven unreliable tech at their own expense just to stay in business? What happens if they can’t because no company is willing to build an unreliable weapon just to meet a legal requirement? Does every store in NJ just fold?
Low hanging political points to pander to a bunch of smart technology neophytes. These same people are just as ignorant on firearms technology and can’t see the forest for the trees. They stop at how good the tech sounds and not how well it actually works.
The supermajority of all supermajorities of smart tech interactions we have on a daily basis are under non critical conditions. So when my bank app or Spotify won’t open its just annoying. If I needed that phone to open in a split second to save my life I would not carry it.
Smart guns are dumb!
If me having sweat or dirt on my hand can cause a failure in this device it isn’t ready. If being around certain other electronics can cause a failure it isn’t ready. If being inside a building with a certain composition affects connectivity and causes failures it isn’t ready. If being wet can short the system it isn’t ready.
Smart tech is nothing more than the illusion of added safety for the cost of real world loss in reliability. Just like with microstamping, the tech doesn’t exist right now to make this what it needs to be. It will provide no real world benefit. But it sure looks great on an election campaign highlight real…
From Springfield Armory’s acclaimed line of XD-S Mod.2® comes their newest, most concealable offering yet. The XD-S Mod.2® in 9mm is a less than one-inch wide pinnacle of reliability. 25K rounds without a stoppage and an integral grip safety for total peace of mind when carrying.
The XD-S Mod.2® ships with two stainless steel magazines: a
7-round mag with a pinkie rest and additional flush floor plate for carry and
one 9-round extended magazine – perfect for home defense. An 8-round extended
magazine is also available for purchase.
Available in models with Tritium, Fiber Optic, and Viridian Laser.
XD-S MOD.2® 9MM W/ TRITIUM – XDSG9339BT
Caliber 9mm
MSRP $586
Barrel 3.3″ Hammer Forged Steel, Melonite®
Sights Ameriglo Pro-Glo Tritium Front / Tactical Rack Rear
Frame Black Polymer w/ Enhanced Grip Texture
Slide Steel, Melonite®
Recoil System Dual Captive Recoil Spring w/ Full Length Guide Rod
(from amazon.com)
