It was a rolling start to the morning here at NRAAM in Indy. It’s honestly light on new products but we managed to find a few.
TS 2.5-20
U.S. Optics is adding a distance precision option to the TS line and since they are done with their move the TS-6X and TS-8X will be out of their warehouse shortly.
The new TS 2.5-20 sports a 50mm objective lense, illuminated Front Focal Plane reticle in Mil or MOA, turrets in 1/10 MIL or 1/4 MOA, and parallax adjustment down to 10 yards. That parallax focus will be most useful for anyone trying to get an initial zero on the shorter indoor ranges.
With a tag of ~$1500 it’s one I’m looking forward to topping a rifle with for a little distance. It’s a more forgiving option on the bank account than the B-Series but incorporates a fine selection of those features it appears.
The SRO is floating around outside Trijicon’s booth
The SRO has made the most waves I’ve seen so far overall, Travis will have a little more on this guy later.
The historical displays are up and dotted around the low booth #’s. NSSA had a display featuring several pieces on Vietnam tech with a few folks to answer questions, one at at least with time relevant hands on experience.
Z9 Modular “Glock” at ZRO Delta
The ZRO Delta Z9’s are just about ready to go. The alloy “build a Glocks” are an intriguing push toward boutique pick your feature race, duty, carry guns. I’m a stock Glock guy but I do want to play with these because I’m also a fan of alloy guns. We’ll see what the year brings.
Zenith has made their little Z5’s a touch smaller on both the front and back ends. The new adjustable braces and stocks have cut down on the mass and bulk of the compact 9mm’s from the larger, heavier, legacy designs.
The threaded only barrel foregoes the tri-lug but keeps threading for a flush fit suppressor. More Z5’s are coming soon according to the Zenith crew. So if you’re waiting on that roller-delay, your delay shouldn’t be much longer.
Here’s a book review of a paperback I never expected to read, but am exceedingly glad that I did. Amazon suggested this book based on my past purchases of a trio of novels by Kurt Schlicter.
Selco Begovic’s book,The Dark Secrets of SHTF Survival, published just this year, is a compilation of stories and advice based on this man’s experience as a civilian trapped in his home city during the Balkan War of the 1990’s. He was eighteen years old at the time.
Selco has had a blog presence for years and has been active in the “prepper” communities of the world – offering his advice and even offering classes based upon his harrowing experience of living through the collapse of his society.
But this is not a “how-to” book. It’s a book about how it was and what he went through, and about the misperceptions many preppers have about how things will be and how they might handle themselves. It is about what this man’s reality was for a year in a besieged city with no public water, sewage, electricity, or food supplies.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a “prepper” per se. The small amount of planning I have done is mostly for short-term scenarios like extended power outages, extreme weather situations, etc. I have planned for short-term inconvenience, not life or death survival.
But I’m also interested in history lessons – what my ancestors may have lived through, what they had to do to make ends meet or survive a tough winter during bad historical periods. I’m learning the home canning arts and about forage foods – mostly because it interests me – but also with an eye toward, “What would I do if there were a next Great Depression?”
That is the background to why I ordered this book. Selco’s voice was new to me. His voice of experience about life during the Balkan war (during my adult lifetime) lends immediacy to those who worry about their own survival if something bad should happen “here” – wherever “here” is.
It is not hyperbole to talk about “survival” in a civil war situation when all municipal services have ceased. Death stalked the streets of Selco’s city – not only from mortars and snipers, but from gangs, and starvation, and simple infection. In a situation like that a case of diarrhea can kill you.
You may not think of a simple bar of soap as a survival tool to be packed and planned for, but it became one in Selco’s world.
He covers a wide range of topics – from false media reassurance, to those who hoard gold coins to the prevalence of unburied bodies, to ways to help maintain your sanity and humanity in the midst of insanity and chaos.
This book is written in his own accented voice – dropped articles and all. (English is not his first language) The editing is done lightly so as to preserve the impression that you are hearing the stories from the man himself. The book has large print and narrow columns, so the read is quick. But if you want a chilling reality check into just how fast the civilization and convenience we take for granted can crumble into chaos, you need to read this book.
[DRGO author Michael Brown, OD has been very occupied for some while, but found time to reply to a friend of his on Facebook April 14. His description of anti-gun emotion versus pro-rights reason is instructive — as well as being able to remain friends.]
Charles: “Approximately 1.4 million people have died from firearms in the U.S. between 1968 and 2011. This number includes deaths resulting from a firearm, including suicides, homicides, and accidents. Why is there so much push back about saving these lives? These 1.4 million people just don’t fucking count?”
Thanks for asking Charles, unfortunately a truly honest answer must question the assumptions behind your question.
To start with, why lump all the types of deaths together if not to create a more emotionally charged number to score points in political debates? Each type of death has its own etiology and its own solutions. Just blaming them all on the availability of guns makes an honest person wonder about the motive behind that. Why would some politicians and their media allies want us to lump those together? Doesn’t that confuse the issues and impede progress on each one?
Next, there is an extremely important unfounded assumption behind your question and that is that gun control laws will actually make a difference. I’ve spent a lot of words and links here on Facebook explaining why they don’t. With so many different gun laws in the 50 states, it’s pretty easy to compare the results and restrictive gun laws simply don’t provide any benefit to society.
Charles, I’ve tried to explain this to you many times and I think you understand what I’m saying, but you keep coming back to your emotion-based position that there must be something we can do about those deaths and it has to involve limiting access to guns. I’m really sorry that you feel so badly about that, but it’s not your fault and it’s not your job to save all those people. Humans are a violent species. They will find ways to kill and injure themselves and each other in spite of your best efforts. A man can protect his loved ones from some threats, but you can’t protect everyone from everything. Attempting to do so just leads us farther down the nanny state path which is and will be exploited by both left and right wing politicians. I suspect you can also drive yourself a little crazy obsessing over it.
If you are truly concerned about preventable deaths, you would better spend your time raising awareness of the many diseases and social problems that cause exponentially more deaths.
Perhaps you should examine your deeper motives? My theory is that liberals don’t like widespread civilian gun ownership because that makes it harder for them to impose their will on the people who don’t agree with their agenda. But obviously, that is very simplistic and I’m sure you can do better if you put some time and honest effort into it.
And finally, I want to address an important difference in our thought processes, which is illustrated by your use of profanity.
Non-liberals like me tend to make our arguments with facts, studies and anecdotes about our personal observations on the ground, so to speak. Liberals prefer to persuade by convincing others how strongly they feel about the issue. I guess they think that if they can only impress others with how really, really important something is to them, that others will be converted to their point of view.
This disconnect between our thought processes, I feel, is one of the reasons why liberals are so frustrated and we as a nation are so polarized. I’m not trying to excuse bad behavior by right-wingers, that’s just outside the scope of this post.
So Charles, you’re a really nice guy, but I don’t know what else I can say to help you understand the gun control issue. Perhaps it’s time for us to just let this issue drop?
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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.
At just 7.8 lbs the all new SAINT™ VICTOR .308 hits like a ton of bricks without the weight of a traditional AR-10. Purpose built to offer serious power in a quick handling configuration, the SAINT VICTOR in .308 features a 16″ light weight barrel, M-Lok® free float hand guard and included flip-up sights. Never a victim, always the VICTOR.
Springfield Armory is entering the AR-10 game with the latest extension of their Victor line.
15″ M-LOK FREE FLOAT HANDGUARD
All Victor models include an M-Lok Aluminum Free Float handguard with patent-pending SA Locking Tabs for unlimited customization.
NICKEL BORON COATED FLAT TRIGGER
An enhanced, nickel boron coated single-stage flat trigger ensures a grit-free pull for consistent accuracy.
SPRING LOADED FLIP-UP SIGHTS
The SAINT Victor rifle comes outfitted with SA spring-loaded flip-up iron sights that are adjustable for windage and elevation.
BRAVO COMPANY FURNITURE
The SAINT Victor is fitted with premium furniture including a BCM 6-position stock and pistol grip.
QD MOUNTS
QD mounts built into the end plate and stock offer multiple options to suit your sling configuration preference.
SA MUZZLE BRAKE
The SA Muzzle Brake effectively distributes pressure upward and outward to counter muzzle rise for faster and more accurate follow up shots.
SAINT™ VICTOR .308 – STV916308B
Caliber .308 WIN Magazine (1) 20-Round Magpul Gen M3 Barrel 16″ Lightweight Profile, CMV Melonite® Finish Internal & External, 1:10 Front Sight Spring Loaded Flip-Up Rear Sight Spring Loaded Flip-Up Muzzle Device SA Muzzle Brake Trigger Enhanced Nickel Boron Coated Single Stage Flat Upper Receiver Forged Type III Hard Coat Anodized, 7075 T6 Aluminum Lower Receiver Forged Type III Hard Coat Anodized, 7075 T6 Aluminum w/ Accu-Tite™ Tension System Handguard 15″ M-Lok Aluminum Free Float w/ SA Locking Tabs Gas System Direct Impingement Mid-Length, Pinned Gas Block Receiver Extension Mil-Spec Dimension Carbine, 7075 T6 Type III Hard Anodized Aluminum Bolt Carrier Group MPT, Melonite® Finish w/ 9310 Steel Bolt Buffer Assembly Carbine “H” Heavy Tungsten Buffer Charging Handle GI Style Butt Stock Bravo Company 6-Position Safety 90 Degree Single Sided Trigger Guard Integral to Receiver Pistol Grip Bravo Company Mod.3 Length 37.75″ Fully Extended, 34.5″ Collapsed Weight 7 lbs 11 oz MSRP $1,399
If you drop the vowel devoid STNGR name into Google right now you will find… free float handguards.
Sharp looking ones too. But those aren’t the glasses you were looking for. Never fear, you are in the correct place, just click on the STNGR Edge tab and you’ll find yourself where you originally expected to be.
The company’s new branch, STNGR Edge, is entering the ballistic eyewear market and they are proud of their product.
I recall another company using a truck and tire to demonstrate durability about 12 years ago.
I have a set of the Alpine’s, and they are among the best glasses I’ve had the chance yet to use.
The Alpine’s frame comfortably wraps around the eyes, the bridge of the nose, and with enough support around the sides of the head and ears that they won’t slip off while looking at odd angles. They sit closer and shield the eye more completely than several competing frames, important for protecting against off angle debris, slag, or fragmentation coming from a high, low, or wide angle.
Z87+
The ANSI/IESA or American National Standards Institute/International Safety Equipment Association have a book of tests and standards for an encyclopedic sized collection of safety equipment. The passages were are concerned with though are those referencing the Z87+ marking.
Impact rated protectors must meet the established high mass and high velocity tests, and defined, continuous lateral coverage is now mandatory. Those protectors satisfying the requirements will carry the Z87+ mark on both the lens and the frame or housing. Compliant prescription products will be marked with Z87-2+. – ANSI Z87.1
The Z87+ indicates a non-prescription high velocity impact standard and a required amount of coverage for the wearer’s eye. The tests are similar to the MIL-PRF 32432 Ballistic Fragmentation standard but the military’s has a more stringent (higher energy) standard than Z87.1.
A Z87+ set of eye protection is designed to protect against a wide variety of flying high speed hazards. Fragmentation from a steel target impact, unburnt powder, dirt, sand, spall, etc.
The Lenses
The STNGR lens selection has both mirrored and matte options. Their clarity is exceptional. From the front the glasses present a typical high quality mirrored image but from the back you can see the amber coloring in use for popular eye visibility eyewear.
Glare and brightness are reduced while detail and color acuity remain very high. Even in the reduced lighting of an indoor range, dawn, or dusk, the STNGR’s are more usable than most darkened lenses by a substantial margin.
In short, I like them.
They’re my daily riders, my range wear until it’s dark, and in the month of dropping, scratch opportunities, getting sat on, and all the other hazards a pair of glasses faces there is no sign of detrimental deterioration. No loose screws, no degrading rubber or polymer due to sweat or sunlight, no damage to lens or frame (I haven’t run them over with a truck yet, but I might.)
Short Version: USCCA will be crafting policies that cover defense in ERPO claims.
Longer version: USCCA employees in customer care were using a managerial approved response to the question about ‘Red Flag’ legal defense. These responses did not reach Tim’s level and he will be making training corrections and formulating a policy product to address coverage.
So, does USCCA support ‘Red Flag‘ laws? Their President & Founder certainly doesn’t and he is taking steps to be certain that is understood company wide.
The SA80 has had a storied history. Until the A2 iteration, with the help of H&K, the rifle had very serious reliability issues. But early in its development that actually wasn’t the case. See here, the XL60.
Before the U.S. swung NATO the way they did in small arms development the Brits were working on a bullpup that would eventually be broken enough to become the SA80/L85 first iteration. But prior to that the XL60 prototype rifles they were developing actually worked alright.
The problem with giving a bunch of good engineers an engineering problem that they have no practical experience with (IE: small arms development) is that they just do not possess the familiarity to think of the small items like ergonomics against web gear or how it will run when snow gets packed into the space behind the trigger guard.
GAT will be on the ground in sunny (hopefully) Indianapolis covering the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting 2019.
The NRA’s fallout with Ackerman McQueen in the weeks leading up to the massive trade show has shifted attentions and interests in that direction. I believe that the NRA is likely to avoid most public commentary and will keep its slugging match with Ack-Mac as quiet as the massive organization can.
That won’t keep its members from asking though and it may well see a shift in the members voting for the NRA’s Board. As we find the info we will share it, however I don’t expect to run into it on the NRAAM floor.
The NRAAM show itself will be full of products and while no one has been dropping anything super shiny (or at least that I’ve seen hinted at) we should see updates on several of the developments from SHOT.
On April 10, 2019, New Zealand MPs voted almost unanimously to pass draconian gun control laws in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shooting. As a result, “military-style semiautomatic firearms” are now banned. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardem stated she would be signing the legislation into law, claiming “these weapons were designed to kill.”
The fact is these firearms were designed for civilian recreational shooting, and the original military version of these weapons that are fully automatic (true assault rifles) were designed to wound enemy soldiers in war, which tactically is better than killing because it ties up more enemy troops.
The facts surrounding the shooting have also been plagued by misinformation and deliberate media disinformation. Here is another view based on facts that have been hard to extract from the mainstream press.
On March 15, 2019 an Australian man suffering from mass shooting derangement syndrome undertook a terrorist attack at two Islamic mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during Friday Prayer. The attack resulted in 50 dead and at least 40 wounded. Although the man has been described as a right-wing, white supremacist by the internationalist and mainstream liberal media, the reality is that the mass shooter could best be categorized as inhabiting the far left of the political spectrum.
The Islamophobic mass shooter described himself as an eco-fascist, which according to Wikipedia, places him among those who favor “totalitarian government requiring individuals to sacrifice their own interest to the ‘organic whole of nature’ and which would rely on militarism, expansionism, and possibly racism to defend the land.” Obviously, this is far-left totalitarian stuff rather than traditional conservatism or right-wing libertarian philosophy. Two New Zealand nationalist, anti-immigration groups quickly condemned the attack. Nevertheless, MI5 in Great Britain is investigating possible links between the deranged killer and far-right British organizations.
The media have also made a lot out of the killer’s alleged support for Donald Trump as a “symbol of white identity,” but it neglected to follow through with the fact that the terrorist also admitted that he did not support Trump as a leader or his policies. Be that as it may, Trump was cited as somehow being responsible for the shooting. Moreover, in the terrorist’s 73-page manifesto, the deranged killer stated that with the shooting he hoped to encourage drastic gun control laws and thereby cause a race war in America!
Returning to New Zealand, the new drastic gun control laws passed by its parliament represent a massive knee-jerk response to the shooting. New Zealand already has strict gun control laws. The single dissenter in parliament called the knee-jerk action “an exercise in political theater,” but it is much worse than that: Thousands of citizens will have to surrender their semi-automatic firearms, a characterization that could be interpreted to include just about all firearms, except for single shot rifles and shotguns. Citizens have until September to comply with the new law or face penalties that include a two to ten-year incarceration.
The deranged madman wanted to promote incendiary gun control laws in America that would result in mayhem; instead he caused drastic gun laws to pass in his own country, and they passed without any opposition [Ed: he was Australian].
We can thank our Founding Fathers for their foresight in drafting our constitution for our American Republic and warning us about the shortcomings of a mass democracy in which the passions of the majority can be aroused in the heat of the moment to pass draconian laws that trample individual rights and promote tyrannical government in the name of safety.
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— Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D. is a retired Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery and Adjunct Professor of Medical History at Mercer University School of Medicine. He is Associate Editor in Chief and World Affairs Editor of Surgical Neurology International. He served on the CDC’s Injury Research Grant Review Committee.
New Jersey is no bastion of gun rights. But, the state fees involved could have been termed as ‘modest’.
$27 would net you the firearm ID card, the permit to own, and the concealed carry license, about the cost of seeing the new Avengers Endgame movie. With my own state’s fee for the concealed pistol license being far higher I can, at the least, appreciate a state who is not taxing people out of ownership.
Governor Philip Murphy is seeking to change that in an “effort” to tackle gun violence and reduce the flow of illegal firearms…
How, precisely, changing the combined total fee on a legal purchase and carry from an inconvenient yet modest $27.00 to $550.00 is going to reduce the number of illegal firearms is beyond me.
By taxing the constitutional right beyond the reach of anyone with tight finances you are effectively encouraging people to seek options that don’t comply with New Jersey law, but that are cost effective within their means. Furthermore the Governor doesn’t appear to have the authority to earmark any money from the licenses for gun violence prevention efforts, the tax increase will be general funds.
The price to carry a conventional Glock handgun in New Jersey would double. Even at a screaming deal most handguns would become a 4 figure expenditure on anyone’s budget, with somewhere between 30-50% of those dollars going the state… not increasing the quality of the firearm, getting better training, or buying quality ammunition for protection (an already expensive prospect in NJ due to their braindead ban on hollow points), no… the state of New Jersey will take the dollars with the promise (an empty promise since the funds cannot be marked for a program) that they will be used to combat gun violence.
There is an obvious goal here, less New Jersey citizens carrying. That won’t be the result in this case, it will be less residents carrying legally. Taxing the right further and further away from the financially strapped, who also are often the more vulnerable demographic living in lower income higher crime regions, will just put more pressure on them to ignore the law as the choice becomes personal safety or cough up an extra few hundred dollars for licensing.
Perhaps the goal is elitism? Only those who can afford access to the right should exercise it, maybe? Jersey only wants the well off well armed?
“Of course it isn’t!”, I can fathom the retort. But what is the net effect?
If I place the cost of entering legally into owning and carrying a firearm so much higher than cost of the hardware and training, far above the administrative fees to process licenses, the only things I effectively encourage are a combination of elitism and legal circumvention.
What possible influence is believed to be exercised on the armed street level enforcer who didn’t care to get the licenses at $27 now that it will be $550? None. A group who does not care to be taxed or follow a rule set won’t start just because you made it more expensive.
There is an influence that will be recognized, that of far less likely legally armed targets in the law abiding New Jersey populous. Perhaps that’s Governor Murphy’s goal? If so, it’s far more likely to achieve that one then the stated.
Screen captures of conversations with the concealed carry insurance company seem to show a company policy of support for Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) or ‘Red Flag’ laws.
Direct messages from inquiring customers and prospective insurance seekers seem to indicate the company is supporting the controversial laws.
The crux of the whole issue behind ERPO legislation is that it precludes due process to the target of the ERPO. An individual targeted, rightly or not, by an ERPO must prove their innocence, not have the state prove their guilt, in order for their constitutional rights to be uninfringed.
“Take the guns first. Go through due process second.” -President Donald Trump commenting on ERPO legislation in relation to school safety
This is a startling item from USCCA, a company built on providing funding for legal defense in proper use of force situations and in protecting gun rights as a whole. In reality it is probably a more likely scenario that a false accusation is leveled and a client would need their insurance to help in their legal defense and restoration of their rights.
If an individual is to be deprived of their rights it is imperative their legal defense be properly exercised. Human beings can be spiteful and vindictive creatures, just remember back on the “SWATing” phenomenon where false serious police calls were made against gamers that competitors didn’t like, or similar petty situations.
These calls have resulted in deaths.
Now this same vindictiveness has a new avenue of attack that can circumvent a person’s legal right to their defense.
Responses from USCCA representatives are heartily in support of the laws.
“If you are not presenting to be a danger to yourself or others and are acting lawfully, there should be no reason to be concerned your firearms would be temporarily confiscated from you.” – USCCA response.
The classic “if you aren’t doing anything wrong there is no need to worry” answer.
Except that there is always a reason to worry in a situation where you have no legal recourse after a magic word is said. Someone only has to lay the claim that they ‘feel’ you are risk to yourself or others. The ERPO’s are formulated to be as immediately actionable as they can so that means immediate confiscation, for your own good. All the time, effort, reputation damage, and cost of recovering your firearms after the fact… not their problem.
As someone who has had to pick up a firearm from law enforcement (stolen and recovered) it is not a process that is quick, painless, or costless. It’s an enormous undertaking and the indication from USCCA’s messages is you are on your own if you get ‘flagged’.
While the messages from USCCA’s staff say one thing the President, Tim Schmidt, has a differing response.
ERPO ‘Red Flag’ Defense — I’ve recently discovered that some USCCA members are concerned with the recent passing of ‘Red Flag’ or Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) laws. I’ve also seen responses from USCCA / Delta Defense staff to social media posts & inquiries regarding these laws.
Needless to say, ‘Red Flag’ & ERPO laws make me very nervous. I’m sure these laws are designed to protect innocent people. But in my opinion, they allow for the confiscation of firearms without adequate due process and force citizens to prove their innocence rather than forcing the state to prove that a person is guilty. Furthermore, it would be far too easy to abuse these laws. Imagine losing your right to own a gun because someone with an axe to grind simply claims that you’re a danger.
It is for these reasons that I want every USCCA member to know and understand that we will always have your back if you’re ever in an unfounded ‘Red Flag’ or ERPO situation. As responsibly armed Americans, we will always be under attack from the forces of evil who wish to take guns away from ALL law-abiding Americans.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Timothy J. Schmidt Sr. President & Founder – USCCA
Tim indicates the laws make him “very nervous” but he is sure the laws are designed to protect innocent people.
ERPO ‘Red Flag’ laws do have good intentions, but there’s an old saying about a road paved with good intentions… and that road’s destination.
In the USCCA President’s opinion the law does not provide adequate due process. “…I want every USCCA member to know and understand that we will always have your back…” is all well and good as a comment but it is not consistent with the company’s response to questions about the insurance policy that USCCA offers.
In a follow on post responding to comments continuing to ask questions, Schmidt has indicated he intends to offer greater detail. Whether this will result in specific provisions and inclusions within the policies offered by USCCA to its customers is unknown, but I would venture a guess as likely.
I was recently scrolling through 3 year old photos and came across this one.
Pediatrician Coming Through
It reminded me of the time I DNF’d a 3-Gun match. For those not familiar, DNF stands for “Did Not Finish”, and it is the acronym which stands in place of one’s score at the end of the match.
There are many and varied reasons that competitors may DNF a match. Sometimes there is catastrophic equipment failure. Sometimes there is injury. (I know people who’ve blown out knees and ankles running around obstacles in 3-Gun). But my reason was … I Quit.
Yep. I was a Quitter, and I have no regrets about it. Let me tell you the story of my being a quitter.
For competition I’ve been mostly a pistol shooter. I was not a huge 3-Gunner, but had shot maybe 6 matches previously – a couple of which were set up specifically to get more women into shooting these matches. I drove by myself to Iowa, to Kentucky, to Atlanta and to Louisiana all to shoot 3-Gun.
I had paid about $150 to register for this particular match. Like most of these matches, it was not local to me and thus required that I take a Friday off work for travel and also required that I spend several hundred dollars in hotel and travel expenses. I am not a sponsored shooter. I wear a T-shirt, not a jersey, and I pay out of my own pocket. I’m including this information so that you know that there is powerful motivation to continue the mission when there is significant financial outlay like that.
The match was seven stages long in one day. Anyone who has shot 3-Gun knows that seven stages in one day is pretty ambitious. There is a lot of time spent in re-setting between each shooter. There is often a par time for each stage that you can’t go over, in order to help keep things moving, but it’s still a slow process and there is often a wait between stages.
This day was very hot and humid with temps in the 90’s (in Pennsylvania, not Georgia). My squad was on its fourth stage of the day, but was over five hours into the match and we hadn’t gotten our lunch break in the shade yet.
I had drained the three 24-ounce bottles of water that I had packed. But I hadn’t needed to use the portajohn in five hours. I ate a granola bar I had packed. I used a wet bandana on my face and neck. But I still started to feel woozy and “out of it” while waiting for my turn on the stage.
My doctor brain and common sense finally prevailed. I was experiencing heat stress and dehydration and knew I had to remove myself. I hated to. I had spent a buttload of money to shoot this match. There were a bunch of younger people than me that I kinda wanted to prove that I could keep up with. I had my personal pride and my pink trimmed rifle to stand up for.
But I felt like crap, and regardless of financial investment and personal pride issues, safety still came first. I told the RO that I was withdrawing due to the heat and to DNF me. I was so disappointed I wanted to cry. But I figured that would be a waste of perfectly good body water content.
Certainly training and preparation are important components in making sure that one is ready for competition. Making sure your gear is maintained, zeroing with the right ammo, practicing at match distances are examples of such preparation.
But heat… Heat and humidity are not always conditions one can train for. Those of you who worked long hours in desert conditions courtesy of Uncle Sam understand the concept of hydration. I’m a physician. I thought I did too. I packed what I thought was an abundance of water. It wasn’t enough. I’m an over-fifty age female, and not exactly in top physical condition, so that probably didn’t help either.
I had already paid for my lunch ticket as part of the match fee, so I packed up my gear and dragged my wagon back to the lunch pavilion. I got a plate and some more bottles of liquids and sat in the shade.
I started to feel a little better, and as my squad mates dribbled in for lunch after they finished that stage I started feeling like a wimp and a whiner. They managed to handle it, why couldn’t I?
But I made the right decision for my own health and well-being, and the safety of others. Pushing on until I passed-out with firearm-in-hand would have been an extremely bad move. Better to feel like a wimp than to need the EMS squad or to endanger others.
This is TMI but, I still didn’t need to pee until I got back to the hotel about two hours later, and it would not have passed the Gunsite bathroom color chart test. I was dehydrated and there was no two ways about it.
An Example of a Urine Color Chart
With Summer approaching, this is my gentle reminder that using firearms requires a clear head in order to maintain safety. One should never handle firearms while impaired in any way and that includes physical illness, heat stress, emotional turmoil, or anything else that means that your head isn’t entirely in the game.
Because absent a war zone it IS a game – only a game – and your safety and the safety of everyone around you is more important than a mere score or a prize table walk. If you don’t feel right, swallow your pride and take yourself out. Inform someone else about how you are feeling so they can keep an eye on you if needed. Find shade or an air conditioned car. Pound water and electrolyte solutions until you have to pee. But for the love of all that is holy, please do not keep on shooting. Know your limits.
Thanks for listening.
*Drags soapbox back to the corner and sits back down*
If you haven’t seen the story, various elements of the media are between scratching their heads or complete hysterics, as they wonder just how a “teenager” of 18 years could purchase a shotgun in Colorado.
If you read that and are saying to yourself, “Because she’s 18 and has no disqualifying record.” you would have used a basis of logic that seems to escape many.
For context, the story we are discussing is that of Sol Pais, a Florida teen with a published digital trail concluding on a dangerous obsession with the Columbine school shooting.
The conclusion arrived at by authorities was that she was a high risk of commiting a copycat shooting and had possibly set out to do just that.
She made her way to Colorado, purchased a shotgun at a dealer (NICS check and all), and by all current reports then took her own life instead of commiting the attack authorities feared.
Schools were secured in the region until the clear was given.
So what’s the kerfuffle about?
How was a 18 year old Floridian girl able to buy a shotgun in Colorado, because Florida changed its age requirement to 21?
No, not ‘how come the fears of her probable copycat attack could not be flagged in NICS after, say, examination by a judge?’ It is how could an 18 year old buy a shotgun out of state when her home state requires her to be 21.
This has since become a game of finger pointing. Some of the inquiring body are referencing a passage stating that an out of state dealer must comply with their state laws and those of the purchasers residency as well.
Generally, a firearm may not lawfully be sold by a licensee to a nonlicensee who resides in a State other than the State in which the seller’s licensed premises is located. However, the sale may be made if the firearm is shipped to a licensee whose business is in the purchaser’s State of residence and the purchaser takes delivery of the firearm from the licensee in his or her State of residence. In addition, a licensee may sell a rifle or shotgun to a person who is not a resident of the State where the licensee’s business premises is located in an over–the–counter transaction, provided the transaction complies with State law in the State where the licensee is located and in the State where the purchaser resides. [Emphasis added]
Last Reviewed September 10, 2015
The passage seems to indicate the burden of knowledge is on the seller to be up to date on all 50 states various gun laws.
The ATF, however, have declared the transaction was legal and that the FFL in Colorado is not at fault in any way. Reasonable, in my opinion.
Florida’s law appears to effect only its residents while in state. They will apparently sell long guns to persons 18-20 who are not Florida residents and thus Florida residents purchasing out of state may not be subject to the in state restriction, just the normal federal ones.
It is entirely unreasonable, in my view, for an FFL to be the accountable entity for the legislative quagmire that constitutes the mass of the entire nation’s firearm regulations. That burden should be on the FBI and their NICS system or the equivalent state systems to flag noncompliance with the law and form the basis, when necessary, for arrest, prosecution, or any other intervention.
The FFL should be accountable for accurately transmitting the provided information for the check and on their recognizance for the warning signs of criminal activity, especially per any information that they get from local LE organizations, the ATF, or the FBI. They are not legal experts on the intricacies of interstate firearms law on the state by state level, they are federal dealers.
In short, the overly complex, overregulated, and poorly meshed layers of legalise make it a nightmare to navigate the rules and try to remain in the right of them all while trying to conduct business and check due diligence.
So who’s fault is it a disturbed eighteen year old, a legal adult who can vote, drive, purchase, make medical decisions, and has all the adult self sovereignty an eighteen year old legally possess to include buying a firearm, bought a firearm?
Hers.
Ultimately the responsibility for her actions was hers. If anyone else holds a degree of liability for what might have happened, it would be those who manage the information system designed to warn FFL’s of those persons who should not be buying a firearm.
The 1980s were a wonderful time for guns. Something was different back then. It was an odd time when we were transitioning from WW2 designs to the modern guns we see now. I wanted to gather some of my favorite guns of the 1980s. I looked at both pop culture and actual use by police and military forces and gathered my Top 5!
Beretta 92 Series
There are several models of the Beretta 92 and I’m including the entire series. From the 92S to 92F and 92FS and so on and so forth. The life of this series started in 1975 and continues to this day with the Beretta M9A3. The Beretta has a very distinct appearance and the design helped usher in the age of the wonder 9.
In the United States, the gun was extremely popular, especially with police and military forces. The Beretta 92 was adopted by the LAPD, INS, the Border Patrol, and most famously the United States Armed forces as the M9.
In fiction, the gun was everywhere. My earliest memory of it was the film Kuffs, where the main character requests, “a really big gun that holds a lot of bullets.” That little movie is nothing compared to its appearances in massive blockbusters like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. These films made the gun a legend.
Colt Python
The Colt Python was created all the way back in 1955 and it remained a staple of Colt’s revolvers for decades. The guns now fetch a premium due to the fact Colt hasn’t produced them in forever. The gun has always been popular and in the 1980s it was THE revolver. The Florida Highway Patrol, the Colorado State Patrol, and Georgia State Patrol all notably issued the gun throughout the 1980s.
The Colt Python was also notably a status symbol in the LAPD before being replaced by our already listed Beretta 92. The Python is an aggressive looking revolver with a big ribbed barrel. It was and still is a finely crafted precision gun.
The Colt Python was and is a cultural icon too. Back in the day, it was immensely popular in films likely due to its aggressive looks and how distinct it was. We saw John Candy carry one, as well as Burt Reynolds, Judge Reinhold, Don Johnson, and even Roddy Piper rocked one in They Live. As far as guns of the 1980s go I couldn’t leave a revolver off the list.
UZI
The Uzi is another series of weapons that come in a variety of sizes and configurations. This covers all of them because in the 80s they were everywhere. The Uzi is a 9mm submachine gun developed domestically for Israeli defense forces. However, the SMG was widely exported in the 1980s and adopted around the world. The Uzi was originally adopted in 1950, but it made the 80s roar. IMI, who owns the Uzi, has made over 2 billion from its exports.
One of the most famous photos out there is a Secret Service Agent covering Press Secretary James Brady, after an attempted assassination, with an Uzi. The Uzi has been produced in full size, compact, and micro variants. There are also semi-auto carbines and pistols out for the civilian market.
Courtesy of Guns.com
In films and media, the Uzi has been everywhere. The Uzi was wielded by Arnold as a robotic killing machine, as well as Chuck Norris in Delta Force and dual-wielded Uzi pistols in Invasion USA. It made appearances in Lethal Weapon, RoboCop, Miami Vice, Magnum, P.I., and dozens of other tv shows and movies of the 1980s. This makes the Uzi one of the premier guns of the decade.
Mini 14
The Mini 14 is a totally 80s rifle. It was created in 1973 and saw its heyday in the 1980s. As a semi-auto 223 caliber rifle, the Mini 14 featured a wooden stock traditional rifle design. In function, it was similar to the AR15 rifle, but the wood stocks made its appearance far more conventional. The Mini 14 is interesting because it found itself on both sides of the law often in the 1980s.
Courtesy NBC
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department adopted the Mini-14 after a shoot-out that claimed a Deputy’s life. In France, the Mini 14 has been adopted by federal police forces and still serve to this day. The Mini 14 was later adopted by forces in Brazil, Haiti, and Bermuda. The Mini 14 was also used in the deadly 1986 Miami Shootout with the FBI.
In film and television, the Mini 14 was famously wielded by the A-Team, to effectively miss everything they shot at ever. The gun was also seen in Death Wish, Commando, and Mad Max 3. The Mini-14 survives today for those who want a wood stocked AR alternative.
MP5
THE choice for Gun of the 80s is the MP5. To me, the Cold War was defined by two weapons, the AKM and the MP5. The MP5 was produced at just the right time. We saw a rise in terrorism and therefore a commensurate rise in counter-terror teams. These teams needed a lightweight, low recoiling, easy to handle submachine gun.
At that time the selection of SMGs consisted mostly of bulky, heavy, and open bolt. Open bolt guns have compromised reliability due to the design and conventional wisdom says open bolts don’t breach doors. The MP5 comes along with its closed bolt design, lightweight, and plenty handy. Who can forget the photos of the SAS lads breaching the Iranian Embassy armed with MP5s.
In the 1980s the MP5 took root everywhere. Almost every Federal Police service issued the gun, as well as hundreds, possibly thousands, of SWAT teams around the country. Additionally, the MP5 is in use by over a dozen different countries. The gun was everywhere, and of course made it to Hollywood.
“Ho, Ho, Ho, Now I have a Machine Gun,” an immortal phrase from an immortal movie that starred both the Beretta 92 and the MP5. It was a little flick called Die Hard. The gun also found itself in Lethal Weapon 2, Tango and Cash, and dozens of other films in a number of different configurations. The MP5 by HK earned its place as one of my favorites and a true gun of the 1980s.
Notable Contenders
If this was an article based solely on pop culture use two guns would reign supreme, the MAC series and the TEC 9. Both were heavily used in movies and TV shows of the time, often the choice for the bad guy and their henchman.
These guns ruled the airwaves and gave Diane Feinstein nightmares. However, the extent that was used for crime is difficult to actually know. The MAC was used in a few high profile crimes, as was the TEC 9 and its derivatives. According to the NY Times, the vast majority of weapons seized during the Cocaine wars were MAC style guns, however no information on exact numbers in provided.
These sub guns absolutely dominated TV shows and movies, and to an extent, this has shaped their perception in both popular media and the gun world. As far as guns of the 1980s go it loses out only because of its rare use in real life.
Guns of the 1980s
The 1980s were an fascinating time in both guns being issued and how guns were being portrayed in the media. The result in part was a constantly changing firearms law landscape. They were the cutting edge and now a nostalgic reminiscence.
I’m a cautious person when it comes to buying guns, or at least first generation guns. Something happens when a good gun concept reaches mass production, somehow little fairies come in and ruin things. I usually wait a minute and see what is what. This has kept me from buying IO AKs, the R51, and the CZ P10 C. Until now anyway.
I love CZ firearms and own several and constantly suggest CZs to my friends and family who are looking for something new. I was cautious with the P10 C for a few reasons. Outside of just being a new gun the P10 C was a striker fired gun that is coming from a company known for hammer fired guns. I waited until this year to finally purchase one after ready nothing but good reviews.
I found the CZ P10 C Suppressor Ready Model for a screaming good deal at my local gun store. The gun features a sand colored frame CZ Calls Urban Grey, an extended and threaded barrel, 17 round extended magazines and suppressor height night sights.
The P10 C isn’t the first striker fired CZ. I’m sure some of us remember the CZ 100, but many do not. It failed with very few people wanting a true DAO striker fired design. It’s certainly their most successful.
The P10 C Specs
The CZ P10 C is basically the Glock 19 of CZ firearms. The C stands for compact and as we’ve seen the there is now a Full sized and Subcompact model. The gun has the following specs:
4.61-inch barrel
Overall Length 8 inches
Weighs 26 ounces
17 round capacity
MSRP 559.00
It’s very Glock 19 in size, but the threaded barrel adds a little more to the gun. It will fit the majority of Glock 19 holsters and I found this true with my NSR Appendix holster.
P10 C Ergonomics
If CZ is renowned for one thing its ergonomics. Their guns are ergonomic powerhouses and the P10 C is no different. The P10 C has an excellent grip angle and a well-rounded grip overall. The P10 C is an incredibly comfortable gun and CZ has always been a master of making great grips.
The grip itself is aggressively stippled and you will start to feel it after a short period of shooting. The stippling is not painful, but present.
It’s best described as aggressive.
It’s almost like CZ saw all those bubba’s defacing Glock grips with stippling and said, “We don’t want any part of that.” So they gave us aggressive stippling from the get go.
The rear beaver tail is more of a shelf. Kinda like Glock, but extended like the 80 percent lower Glocks from Polymer 80.
CZ Also went and made all the control ambidextrous. This is truly ambidextrous and not just a magazine release that can be switched back and forth. Both your magazine release and slide lock are ambidextrous.
Both the magazine release and the slide lock are very small. The magazine release is also very stiff and requires some force to activate. Hopefully it will smooth out over time. I personally wished they went with the same slide lock on the P09/07 series.
This model is placed more rearward and my thumbs sit on top of it, this results in the slide failing to lock after the last shot is fired due to my thumb placement. The slide lock is super skinny and hard to press downward overall.
The slide features aggressive serrations on both the front and rear of the slide. They are nice and easy to grip and the slide itself is much larger than previous CZ’s. CZ abandoned the slide in frame design with the P10 C which is an interesting decision.
The gun also includes two extra back straps to customize the gun’s size to your hand.
The Trigger
The trigger is a semi-flat design and is placed pretty far rearward. This makes it easy to reach for people with small hands. The design incorporates a trigger safety that is pinch-free so far.
The trigger pull is short, concise, and light. The trigger breaks very crisply and has an ultra short reset. This is one of the finer stock trigger on the market, surpassing other plastic fantastics from Glock and SIG. It’s nearly on par with the Walther PPQ, a gun which i consider to have the finest trigger of all polymer striker fired guns.
The trigger is excellent and very comfortable. The short reset makes it easy to fall into a fast pattern of fire, regain sight picture, fire, etc. It’s easy to dump a magazine into one ragged hole. The trigger pull comes in at about 4.5 pounds and it’s consistent.
Range Time
As you’d expect this 9mm has very little recoil and is quite controllable. On my first outing, I found myself surprised how quickly I adapted myself to the gun. Before the first magazine was empty I was backing up further and further to see how far I could consistently ring steel.
My small popper was the perfect target. I got back to 60 yards and was still ringing steel more than I was missing in a standard standing position. The sights are excellent and the front sight is very thin and makes it possible to still see a small target at this range.
The gun is very enjoyable to shoot and from round 1 I was hitting exactly where I was aiming. It’s a well put together design that incorporates a number of design features that meshes together very well.
The trigger, the sights, and the cold hammer forged barrel make this a very accurate gun. The grip helps with recoil control and you can easily make one ragged hole very quickly with little practice.
I was able to shoot the iHack drill clean with the 3 second par time on my first day with this gun. If you don’t know that drill requires you to shoot 3 shots, on 3 targets, in 3 seconds. The iHack is a modified drill of the Hackathorn head shot standards. This uses 2 inch circles as targets and can be quite challenging.
Admittedly I didn’t get the par time down until the third time I ran the drill. Still, for my first day with the gun I was quite pleased with it.
Final Thoughts
The CZ P10 C is a fantastic little gun and one that I am admittedly impressed by. CZ has found a way to go against their typical grain with a successful striker fired design that isn’t just good compared to similar guns, but surpasses them in many ways. Right now these guns seem to be selling at a low price to make room for Optic’s ready models so I’d jump on one if you can.
