Stock SKS, an SKS has been listed as a possible rifle used in the shooting as "AK style." From descriptions, it is is an SKS, it was converted to acceptable a detachable magazine and probably more prohibited CA features. SKS's are prohibited if they have a detachable magazine.
The LA Times is reporting that the 19 year old shooter who killed 3, before being killed in a gunfight with the police at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, used a rifle. An illegal rifle to possess in California.
Originally stated to be a WASR-10, a lower cost AK variant, that description has since been updated to “an AK-47 variant” and a few sources have said SKS, which I believe given the sources of “AK variant”. Regardless of final clarity, the rifle was purchased legally in Nevada and then illegally brought to California. The shooter passed his NICS background check.
“That weapon could not be sold in California. That weapon cannot be imported into the state of California,” Becerra said in response to a question about the assault-style rifle used in the shooting.
Becerra added: “There is a very strong likelihood as we develop the evidence that the perpetrator in this particular case violated California law on top of the crimes of homicide and so forth, the crimes that we have that are meant to prevent individuals from carrying out this type of activity.” – via CNN
Pre-crime precognition isn’t a thing so… what’s to be done? California government officials have expressed sentiments along the lines of, ‘can’t defend themselves from the Second Amendment’… implying that constitutionally protected civil rights are to blame.
“I can’t put borders up … in a neighboring state where you can buy this damn stuff legally,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday morning, calling for action from Washington, DC. “I have no problem with the Second Amendment, you have a right to bear arms but not weapons of … mass destruction.”
Of course we should blame Nevada, the gun store there, the US Constitution, the NRA, who else… who else? “The shooter?”, someone would inquire from the back of the room. No, that’s preposterous! It was white supremacist rhetoric and Donald Trump! [/sarcasm]
The 19 year old shooter has been linked to a text, “Might is Right” by Ragnar Redbeard, believed to be Arthur Desmond, a late 19th century British born author, poet, and politician who espoused a dark bend of survivalist, darwinist, ‘kill-or be-killed’, the strong should rule the weak type mentality known as egoist anarchism. The text is also heavily anti-christian.
What’s it all mean?
It means that anti-2A politicians, media types, and groups are going to use the attack to further fuel their base for vaporware “common sense gun safety” legislation. It means the 3 who died and those that were wounded have become political ammo for further regulations in California and across the nation. But mostly it means making something illegal doesn’t stop it. Illegal never has, illegal never will.
Mass violence is not new. It is not unique to the United States. A killer did an illegal thing with an “illegal rifle.” Did that make the situation any better, California? The fact that it was double against the law?
No, it didn’t. But what did, ironically, were the people with guns. The officers who stopped the attack on a defenseless crowd by a lunatic with delusions of grandeur, they made things better. Perhaps most ironic, the shooter proved himself the weak one, by his own espoused ideologic theory he should have been culled.
TAMPA, FL, July 30, 2019 – Meopta USA Sport Optics is pleased to announce its Optika HD binocular line is now shipping. Available in 8×42 and 10×42, these lightweight, rugged, magnesium-alloy binoculars are encased in a newly designed shock-proof, rubber-armored exterior for a modern look and feel. The advanced HD lenses, combined with phase-correction and dielectric coatings, deliver incredible brightness, superior color fidelity, edge-to-edge sharpness and increased contrast, allowing hunters to see better in low light.
Optika HD binoculars feature Meopta’s MeoShield anti-abrasion lens coatings and MeoDrop hydrophobic lens coatings which repel rain, dust, and grease from lens surfaces.
The twist-up eyecups on the Optika HD binoculars are metal with a soft rubber exterior, making them extremely durable and comfortable while eliminating the risk of breakage in the field. They are also designed for easy removal and cleaning since eyecups often collect dirt and debris in the field. Like all Meopta binoculars, the Optika HD series is nitrogen purged and fully sealed for fogproof and waterproof performance in the most demanding conditions.
As a special launch promotion, consumers will receive an instant $50 rebate on the purchase of these binoculars through December 31, 2019 bringing their cost to under $300. In 2020, retail pricing will be $339.95 for the Optika HD 8×42 and $349.95 for the 10×42 model.
Retail Pricing through December 31, 2019:
Meopta Optika HD 8×42 $289.95
Meopta Optika HD 10×42 $299.95
Optika HD Binocular Specifications:
Model:
8×42
10×42
Magnification:
8x
10x
Objective Lens (mm):
42mm
42mm
Field of View (ft/1000 yds):
393 ft.
315 ft.
Close Focus (ft):
8.2 ft.
9.8 ft.
Twilight Factor:
18.3
20.5
Interpupillary Distance (in):
2.2 in. – 2.9 in.
2.2 in. – 2.9 in.
Diopter System:
Right diopter ring
Right diopter ring
Dioptric Correction (D):
± 4
± 4
Height (in):
5.43 in.
5.43 in.
Width (in):
5.00 in.
5.00 in.
Depth (in):
2.17 in.
2.17 in.
Weight (oz):
22.9 oz
22.9 oz
Lens/Prism Coatings:
Fully multi-coated
Fully multi-coated
Phase correction
Phase correction
Dielectric
Dielectric
Hyrdophobic Coating:
yes
yes
Anti-scratch Coating:
yes
yes
Waterproof:
yes
yes
Nitrogen Purged:
yes
yes
Fogproof:
yes
yes
Shockproof:
yes
yes
About Meopta
Meopta has been producing high-end European optics for over 85 years. Meopta is a leading manufacturer & partner to many of the world’s finest optical brands. Meopta conceives, develops and manufactures precision optical and electro/optical systems for semiconductor, medical, aerospace and military industries as well as for consumer markets.
MAPS (Mass Attacks in Public Spaces) is a report completed by the US Secret Service that studies the incidents of mass casualty violence inside the United States. The report for 2018 was recently brought to me attention via an opinion piece on The Hill, the report was published this month.
While the opinion columnist uses it to make an impassioned plea for gun control I wanted to look into the compiled data for myself. The considerations section at the end is especially worthy of note.
Like the year before, 2018 saw incidents of mass violence impact the places where we work, learn, worship, or otherwise conduct our daily activities. Consistent with previous research from the Secret Service, these attacks were found to be motivatedby a variety of goals, grievances, and ideologies. The attackers varied widely on demographic factors, and while there is no single profile that can be used to predict who will engage in targeted violence, focusing on a range of concerning behaviors while assessing threats can help promote early intervention with those rare individuals that pose such a risk. [emphasis added]
Mental health and mental wellness
Mental illness, alone, is not a risk factor for violence, and most violence is committed by individuals who are not mentally ill.
Two-thirds of the attackers in this study, however, had previously displayed symptoms indicative of mental health issues, including depression, paranoia, and delusions. Other attackers displayed behaviors that do not indicate the presence of a mental illness, but do show that the person was experiencing some sort of distress or an emotional struggle. These behaviors included displays of persistent anger, an inability to cope with stressful events, or increased isolation.
Out of 27 Incidents, 2018
A multidisciplinary approach that promotes emotional and mental wellness is an important component of any community violence prevention model. For example, a robust employee assistance program (EAP) can help to promote mental wellness in the workplace, whether that involves facilitating mental health treatment or assisting with other personal problems, like substance abuse, financial struggles, or problems in a personal relationship.
The importance of reporting
Since three-quarters of the attackers had concerned the people around them, with most of them specifically eliciting concerns for safety, the public is encouraged to share concerns they may have regarding coworkers, classmates, family members, or neighbors.
Such reports could be made to workplace managers, school administrators, or law enforcement, as appropriate. While over-reporting is not the goal, a reasonable awareness of the warning signs that can precede an act of violence may prompt community members to share their concerns with someone who can help.
Systems can be developed to promote and facilitate such reporting, and people should be encouraged to trust their instincts, especially if they have concerns for someone’s safety. For example, several states have recently developed statewide reporting infrastructures that allow students and others to utilize a smartphone app to submit anonymous tips to a call center staffed by law enforcement. This type of program can facilitate not only a law enforcement response to reported threats, but also a community-level response to reports of bullying, suicidal ideation, self-harm, or depression.
“…Do Something”
Since 2010, the Department of Homeland Security has effectively promoted the “If You See Something, Say Something®” national campaign, originally developed by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which encourages the reporting of suspicious activity.
In many of these cases from 2018, members of the general public successfully performed their role in the “See Something, Say Something” process, by reporting their concerns to someone with a role in public safety. At that point, the responsibility is on the public safety professionals to “Do Something,” namely assessing the situation and managing as needed.
By adopting a multidisciplinary threat assessment approach, that standardizes the process for identifying, assessing, and managing individuals who may pose a risk of violence, law enforcement and others are taking steps to ensure that those individuals who have elicited concern do not “fall through the cracks.”
Law enforcement partnerships
While law enforcement has a key role to play in the prevention of community violence, intervening with individuals who may pose a risk is not the responsibility of law enforcement alone. Particularly in those instances where a concerning individual has not broken a law, the relationships between law enforcement and other community resources become paramount.
Law enforcement personnel are encouraged to continue developing close partnerships with the mental health community, local schools and school districts, houses of worship, social services, and other private and public community organizations. The mission of law enforcement in the United States is public service oriented, and that mission will be most effectively executed through multidisciplinary and collaborative community efforts.
Targeted violence has a profound and devastating impact on those directly involved and a far reaching emotional impact to those beyond. Because these acts are usually planned over a period of time, and the attackers often elicit concern from the people around them, there exists an opportunity to stop these incidents before they occur.
Threat assessment is one of the most effective practices for prevention. Many of the resources to support this process are already in place at the community level, but require leadership, collaboration, and information sharing to facilitate their effectiveness at preventing violence.
Threat Assessment
The Importance of Threat Assessment
“Threat assessment” refers to a proactive approach to violence prevention. It is an investigative model originally developed by the U.S. Secret Service to prevent assassinations, but has since been adapted to prevent all forms of targeted violence, regardless of motivation. This includes K-12 school shootings and acts of workplace violence. When implemented effectively, a threat assessment generally involves three key components: Identify -> Assess -> Manage
Research indicates that the majority of perpetrators of targeted violence elicit concern in others prior to the attack. We rely on those people who observe such concerns to identify the individual to law enforcement or to someone else with a public safety responsibility.
In educational settings or workplaces, concerns may be reported to a multidisciplinary threat assessment team that works in conjunction with law enforcement when needed. The responsible public safety entity is then tasked to assess the situation to determine how they can manage any risk of violence posed by the individual.
With a focus on early intervention, this systematic approach is an important component of any safety plan. It allows communities to respond appropriately to a broad range of situations, from those individuals who are displaying a low-level concerning behavior to those who may pose an immediate and imminent risk of violence.
It is never suggested that a public ban on any firearm type would be a useful step in reducing mass violence. It’s lack of inclusion suggests the strategy was found wanting and ineffective in the goal of preventing attacks. Were it an effective solution or a method of execution viable for impacting mass casualty events it would be included.
Like the gun ban, a capacity ban on magazines for firearms is not listed under the considerations for limiting mass casualty attacks. Again like the firearm ban, a public prohibition on magazines of above an arbitrarily picked number of rounds would not realistically prevent attacks or reduce casualties. Just as banning certain methods of injury while leaving others available would not suffice nor significantly alter outcomes, altering a firearms capacity wouldn’t influence method of injury enough to make mass casualty less likely in any viable way.
Yes the considerations recommend reporting and intervention on a personal, professional, medical, or legal means as necessary but the key factor in the recommendation, as opposed to the legal framework of most ‘red flag’ legislation, is early intervention to help in place of just a confiscatory action. Red Flag legislation seems to have that goal in mind but crafting the framework to minimize abuse and protect the rights of persons who may be under suspicion (rightly or wrongly) is not high among the priorities of lawmakers.
“Red Flag” legislation, in brief, sounds good. On the surface it seems like a good plan. The devil is in the details, as the saying goes, and the lack of legal protections for the “flagged” can make the law, designed for safety, into a weapon too easily.
Final Thoughts
While public mass violence is a very open and therefore terrifying spectacle and steps must be taken to safeguard against it, it is not a cause for rash overreactions and drastic changes in law.
Mass violence accounted for 91 deaths and 107 injuries across the nation in 2018. By comparison, Chicago is sitting at 296 homicides right now, including an 8 victim shooting incident where 3 died. But because that was “city violence” associated with established criminal activity it doesn’t get the attention that an incident like Gilroy does.
There are things we can do. There are steps we can take. A ban isn’t among the effective ones.
I like CZ for a lot of reasons. I like DA/SA hammer-fired guns for one, I like the affordable price, I like the designs they incorporate. Best of all I like the fact that they listen to their customers. The Scorpion was released a few years ago and the customization machine fired up. One popular mod was the Scorpion K models. These guns featured shorter barrels and handguards making them a compact Scorpion. CZ must’ve had their ears perked up because a few years later they premiered the Micro Scorpion EVO 3 S2. This replicated most of the Scorpion K model changes, but with few flairs. CZ showed it at 2018 and now it’s finally reached store shelves.
What’s Changed with the Micro Scorpion?
The CZ Micro Scorpion incorporates a few major changes to the original Scorpion pistol. First, you get the PDW brace that was made as a culminating effort between Manticore Arms, CZ USA, and SB Tactical. This is brace collapses down to a very small size overall and can be deployed with just a pull of the brace.
The next change was trimming the barrel from 7.71 inches to 4.12 inches and the barrel is topped with the NoOsprey faux suppressor from SilencerCo. This faux suppressor means there is plenty of room for adding an actual suppressor underneath the handguard. Speaking of, the handguard is a short M-Lok model similar to the models you find on the Scorpion rifles. Lastly, there are only two sling points versus the several for the standard Scorpion.
Deep Dive Into the Micro Scorpion
The Micro Scorpion is a 9mm, semi-automatic, blowback-operated pistol. Yep, it’s very PCC like, but legally, of course, it’s a pistol. It’s quite compact and measures only 16 inches with the brace fully collapsed. The brace has a single setting for length. The weapon is almost entirely ambidextrous. It features an ambidextrous safety, an ambidextrous magazine release, and you can swap charging handles from left to right.
There is also a bolt release accessible to righties. The control that collapses the brace is positioned in the center of the base for the brace. The Scorpion comes with two 20 round magazines, but 30 rounders are also available. These magazines are very affordable, often available for 20 bucks or less. On top of that Manticore Arms makes magazines, and soon Magpul will be releasing some.
The gun comes with a set of awesome sights. These sights feature an AR-style front point with 4 rear aperatures. The sights are all metal and very well made. They are easy to adjust and all-around very awesome for such a gun. Lastly, as we mentioned there are two QD sling points on the base of the brace.
The Micro Scorpion in Action
The Micro Scorpion is a hefty little gun that weighs 5.5 pounds. It looks like it should be lighter, but its a solid and dense gun. The charging handle is placed beside the barrel and is very HK like in its positioning. You can even lock the charging handle upwards and give it the ole’ HK slap. The pistol grip is very large, and you can actually adjust it to change the distance from the trigger. The standard position is fine for me.
Ergonomically the gun is extremely well done. Everything is easy to reach and manipulate. The only downside is that damn safety. Everyone has complained about the safety since the very first CZ Scorpion. The ambi safety digs into the trigger finger and it gets old fast. At this point, they should include a safety delete that allows owners the choose which side they want a safety lever.
The magazine release is perfect and can be used via the thumb when you grab the magazine, or by the trigger finger for a speed reload.
The CZ Micro Scorpion is quite short and very handy. Moving from target to target feels very natural. Moving through a home or close quarter’s environment is very easy and the short little gun is a CQB dream. Solid Snake would love it.
The barrel is short, as is the forend. The inclusion of a hand stop prevents your hand from drifting in front of the barrel and causing a little pain, and very little fun. With a gun this short holding it by the mag well is most comfortable to me.
Accuracy and Range
The barrel is short for a gun this big, and sure a Government 1911 has a longer barrel so what’s the point? Is there any advantage between this gun and a standard handgun?
Ballistically no, but in terms of how the gun handles and shoots there certainly is. With the brace in mind, it’s much easier to fire this gun at longer ranges. You can really reach out and touch a target with the Micro Scorpion easier than any handgun. You can peel someone’s wig at 50 yards with absolute ease. In fact out, to 100 yards you’ll still be hitting man-sized targets.
Not only that, but the Scorpion weighs a lot more than a pistol so recoil is nearly nil. It’s controllable and you can rapidly fire and still maintain excellent accuracy on target. It has tons of advantages over a standard handgun, this includes the speed of reloading and malfunction fixes.
The PDW Brace
The included brace is very comfortable wrapped around the arm. It tightens down easily enough and it gives you enough slack to move your arm back and forth for different positional shooting. It allows you to better balance the front-heavy weapon with a two-handed traditional grip.
If you choose to misuse the CZ Scorpion’s brace and place it against your shoulder you’ll find there is very little support. However, it’s a 9mm sub gun so you don’t need a lot of support to comfortably and accurately fire it.
Downsides
CZ needs to go back and really refine this trigger. It’s long and spongy. HBI makes an upgrade that cleans up the trigger very well, and CZ should make that stock on these guns. It costs 9 bucks and is an awesome improvement. The safety as I mentioned above gets annoying and can be fixed by purchasing a safety delete or via dremel tool.
There isn’t a lot I don’t like about this gun. It’s a blast to shoot and very easy to control. The small size and relatively lightweight makes it popular among my non-shooter friends. It’s got looks that kill and is dead nuts reliable.
If CZ made a few tweaks it’d be a 10/10 gun, but 9/10 ain’t so bad.
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.
(from amazon.com)
