Close retention is a non-standard technique that has you firing the gun from close to the body. You are not using the sights on your weapon, and are essentially hip shooting. This technique requires additional safety precautions as it is more advanced than standard. Firing from close retention is a close quarter’s shooting tactic used for threats within or nearly within arms reach.
When Would you Shoot from Close Retention?
Firing from close retention is done in close quarter’s situations. When attackers are within five yards. Hopefully, you can create more distant than that, but stuff happens and the likelihood of closer shoots is higher than distant ones. There are two main reasons to use this technique.
First, it’s called close retention for a reason. You want to keep the gun close to the body to prevent your threat from taking it from you. If it’s held close to the body where you can protect it it’s much harder to grab.
The second reason is speed. You can draw and ready the gun to fire from close retention faster than getting the gun in a proper firing stance.
How to Do So Safely
Firing close retention starts with the draw. If someone is right on top of you, you’ll need to make sure that draw is done fast, and with a great deal of confidence. When I draw a gun, I do an elbow up / elbow down technique. When I grip my weapon I pull my elbow up until the gun clears the holster, then I drive my elbow down. Driving my elbow down brings my gun upwards.
I use this technique for every draw I do, but have found it to be perfect for my style of close retention shooting. As I drive my elbow downwards, I lock it to my body. I pull it in hard enough that it functionally becomes part of my torso. Holding the gun against my torso gives me a fantastic amount of control over the weapon. I keep the muscles nice and tight. The gun is just forward of my body to avoid hitting my clothes and causing a malfunction.
I also do not tilt the gun in a direction. I feel this allows recoil to pull me off target. Straight up and down is easier to control in my experience.
I hold the weapon straight up and down and try my to get the gun right under my head. The reason being is now my arm, torso, and head are locked on a target. If I rotate my head, I rotate my torso and gun with it. This rigid structure provides control and allows me to aim the weapon with a fair amount of accuracy.
Blocking Brass
My nondominant hand is held above my gun slightly. This serves two purposes. First, it keeps the brass from being flung into my face as I fire. Second, it makes sure I’m not putting my hand in front of my muzzle.
Once I start shooting I’m not trying to be super precise. I need rounds on target. Once I get rounds on target, and I’ve halted my attacker’s momentum, I can extend into a proper firing stance and focus more on shot placement and you can create distance and reassess the situation.
When practicing take your time, slow down, and do it over and over until you have the fundamentals down. Once you can consistently
The End All Be All?
This is just one close retention technique that I use. It’s not the only technique out there, and it may not be the best for you. I have found it to be the best mixture of control, accuracy, and safety for me. Close retention is a very specific technique for specific situations but its one I like keeping in my toolbox as essential and life saving. Give it a try(safely).
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 68, Where we answer your questions, talk about new tech in the gun world, and touch base on gun industry news. Our cast for tonight is Shawn Herrin, Aaron Krieger, Jeremy Pozderac, Nick Lynch and Savage AF
For those not wanting to read the full review, the Primary Arms 1-6x First Focal Plane with the ACSS Raptor reticle is a marvel at the price point it is being offered. I tested both the 556 and 300 Blackout variants and they both performed identically. If you have a hunting rifle or a DMR type rifle that needs an optic it should be at the very top of your list of prospects. That being said I do not recommend it for home defense for one key reason that I’ll get to later in the review.
The 1-6x scope has solid optical clarity. It’s not perfect though. If you’re unfamiliar with low variable power optics the two hallmarks of quality are edge to edge clarity and how true the 1x really is. Unfortunately, I was unable to take good down the tube photos that capture the full story.
The edge to edge clarity is equal to scopes that cost 2-3 times as much as this one. There is still some “fish eye” effect towards the edges but the majority of the optic is distortion free. The 1x is also pretty good. It’s probably closer to a 1.1x or 1.2x but still allows for easy both eyes open shooting. You may experience some eye fatigue with extended use but I doubt anyone would have an issue for a 3 Gun stage or during a hog hunt. Again, this is on par with mid to upper tier 1-6x scopes that I’ve had the chance to use.
The ACSS Raptor reticle is where the magic is here. A detailed explanation of the Raptor reticle would be an article unto itself so I will not go into great detail there. I will say that the Raptor does the best job I have seen yet for giving you useful information in a simple design. I tested the 556 scope with .223 55gr and the 300 Blackout with both 123 grain supersonic loads as well as 208 grain subsonic loads. The BDC tracked well enough to be effective in combat or hunting out to the prescribed distances. I was able to take the .223 out to 400 yards and make hits on man sized targets. The 300 Blackout, I didn’t get to shoot beyond 100 yards but worked well with the subsonic at that distance. It’s not pinpoint accurate. No one will be running PRS matches with them but it is good enough to make effective hits on practical targets. The only con with this reticle is that at 1x it can get lost against backgrounds with dark features. The illumination definitely helps keep the reticle visible.
That leads me to the biggest drawback with the scope and why I cannot recommend it for home defense, the illumination system. This seems to be where the biggest cost savings were realized. The illumination was nice and bright for me though it was pretty uneven and blotchy in the donut of death. The real deal killer for me using this as a home defense gun is the battery life. For the rifle that sits next to my bed I want to be able to grab it, safety off, and be ready to fight. Having to fiddle with an illumination selector is a no go for me. I do not think home defense is really the intended use for this optic but if the battery life was there I think it would be a completely valid use case.
Other nice features of the 1-6x FFP are the little accessories included that you would not expect on such a budget minded scope. It comes with very well-built flip up scope caps and one of the side turret covers contains a compartment for a spare battery. That was a really nice touch that makes the scope feel as though it should be priced much higher.
In conclusion, the 1-6x FFP Raptor scope is probably the highest value scope on the market right now. The first focal plane opens the ACSS reticle up to its full and substantial potential. The optical clarity and features on the scope punch far above its weight class. At a price tag of around $400 this scope has positioned itself as the go to carbine optic for the everyman.
It’s time for my semi-annual soapbox rant about kids and safe firearm storage. I feel like a broken record – repeating myself over and over. But the message is so important that it bears repeating – because every month we gain new firearms owners in our midst and every month experienced firearms owners bring home new little bundles of joy to the nursery. Those people need to hear this message and we ALL need to be reminded from time-to-time.
Child safety around firearms is a high-profile issue. It is the issue that the anti-gunners hang their proverbial hats upon because it elicits a gut-reaction in the general public. Although more children die by accidental drowning every year than by firearms accidents, those gun accidents become big news and are not only tragic but provide more fodder for those who seek to curtail our rights.
By now, probably, everyone in the universe has seen the viral video of the toddler scaling the “safety gate” that was supposed to make the pool ladder unclimbable. Videos like this give even the most stoic parent the willies. Just when you think your child is as safe as you can possibly make them they show you just how misplaced your smug satisfaction is.
The really shocking thing is that this is not a particularly talented toddler. Videos like this are all over the internet. This is just the latest installment in the object lesson “Never trust that your child CAN’T do that”. And THAT, my friends, includes anything to do with firearms.
People underestimate small children because their verbal skills are limited. But I warn parents all the time to not be fooled into complacency – your child may not be able to string more than three words together at a time, but the wheels in his or her head are always turning. They are watching you all the time – watching you turn handles, unscrew lids, use all sorts of tools, input the passcode into your phone– and even your gun safe. They know how to do things because they’ve watched YOU do it.
I saw a vendor at SHOT Show the other year who was introducing a trigger lock device that didn’t have a key. It relied upon the user manipulating the device in a certain sequence in lieu of an actual lock. I “passed” on reviewing that piece of merchandise, because I knew that it would take an observant 4-year old about 3 minutes to figure out the sequence. I told them as much, but I don’t think they believed me. They apparently have never seen a child open a “childproof cap” before.
The swimming pool gate video I mentioned above is particularly instructive because it illustrates the monkey-like climbing ability of some children. Some people seem to think (erroneously) that if they store their firearms “up high”, that they don’t need to lock them up. Watch that video again. Small children WILL find a way to get at what they want. They will use anything and everything as a ladder to get at the object of their desires – whether it’s a toddler using the kitchen drawers as a stairway to the cookie jar, or the four-year old scaling the closet doorframe to find the Christmas presents on the top shelf. Your gun is no different than the cookies or the Christmas presents to your small child. If he wants it, he will find a way to get to it.
Please do not trust your child’s safety to your misperceptions of his or her physical and mental abilities. Small children can and HAVE pulled double-action triggers. They have racked slides on semi-autos. Small children are descended from our cave-dwelling forebears who figured out how to turn a rock and a stick into a spear. Don’t underestimate them.
Then there are the parents who seem to rely solely on the impulse-control of their children to keep them safe. “We’ve taught our kids never to touch those guns” is a common refrain. This sounds awfully smug and confident, but would you gamble your child’s LIFE on their ability to resist temptation? I wouldn’t. Impulse-control is not a strong suit for small children or even adolescents.
Some kids might be as honest and obedient as the day is long, but others will nod their heads and say “Yes Mommy”, all the while their brain is trying to figure out how to do exactly what you just told them not to. They’re not necessarily being “bad”, they are just demonstrating immature brain development and executive functioning. Some grown adults haven’t even developed good executive function and impulse-control, so why are these people expecting this kind of neurologic maturity of their children?
Melody Lauer of Citizens Defense Research even “test-cased” her own children and wrote an eye-opening article to prove the point.I wish the smugly assured folks would read it.
Teenagers are another tougher matter. Many teens are much more responsible than their peers and are able to bear the safety burden that handling firearms requires. But given the trend in school shootings and adolescent suicides, it might be wise to allow your teens to access your firearms only under your direct supervision. That way, if an unscrupulous friend of theirs wants to see the guns or tries to pressure your teen, they can quite honestly reply that they cannot access the family firearms. That would have to be an individual call made by individual families, but it’s something to think about given today’s social pressures on adolescents.
My main focus here has been securing firearms from children, but there is another set of people from whom you should secure your firearms – houseguests or any other unauthorized persons. You don’t always know the abilities and reputation of your children’s friends, or even the plumber. Do you trust every workman who comes to your house? How about your shifty cousin Charlie who comes over for the New Year’s Party? Nosy Aunt Marlene? Those rotten sneaky twins of your cousins? Would you trust any of them with a firearm? If the answer is no, please lock them up — the firearms, not your relatives. Although you might be tempted with Cousin Charlie.
Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 254 – tonight we’ll talk about and S&W 642, Seekins Precision Stock, 450 Bushmaster, Second Call Defense, Manticore Arms, DEZ Tactical Arms, the Sonoran Desert Institute, Faxon Firearms, the Patriot Patch Company, Brownells more! Our cast for episode 254 is Shawn Herrin, Aaron Krieger, Jeremy Pozderac, Nick Lynch!
Since acquiring the dream rifle, the FN SCAR 17, the process of ‘kitting’ it has been a more arduous one than originally perceived.
Actually just one aspect of kitting it. The optic. My SCAR saw a full spectrum of optical options in a variety of price points starting with a Burris 536 and going through variables, red dots, holographics, and an ACOG.
The TA31 was a fantastic solution but it had two drawbacks that limited the ease with which I could take advantage of the SCAR’s capabilities. It was fixed at 4x power and it had a 5.56 ballistic reticle. I could, and did, work around those since the optic more than made up for those deficiencies but I knew there was a better option for the capabilities of a supremely well built 7.62 rifle.
When I added a SCAR 16 to the lineup the theorizing on an optic for the 17 stopped and an urgent need emerged.
I migrated the TA31 to the SCAR 16 where all its advantages still apply and its two limitations are eliminated by matching the calibrated chambering, barrel length, and rifling twist rate.
This left the 17 barren. But it opened the opportunity to invest in finding a truly superior precision rifle scope that could operate in the roll of designated marksman.
The optic I had the most experience with performing in the roll was Leupold’s Mk 4. 2.5-8 MR/T. I used them on Mk. 12’s
US Marine with MK12 MOD1
These 3x (3x variable range, not 3x magnification) optics allowed the accurized M16A1 conversions to perform a little further out than the M16A2 and A4 counterparts.
These Mk 4’s have been made nearly obsolete (and discontinued) since that time. The optical enlightenment age we are currently experiencing with 6x, 7x, and 8x variable ranges, greater durability, glass clarity, and the acceptance of front focal plane have all contributed to this explosive evolution.
My primary hangup with most of the otherwise excellent options on optics for a DMR is the role of the designated marksman.
A DM is a more dynamic role than a sniper with much more emphasis on reactive precision engagement (which snipers can do too, don’t let me discount that) than on an observation asset and precision ranged weapon for a unit commander. The DM’s role really starts after getting shot at, where the sniper team is doing a ton of work and other tasks before, during, or regardless of taking contact.
Why does that matter to the optic?
Simple.
I don’t want to have to touch my optic while rounds are flying in my direction, even if I need to adjust for a hold. This is one of the reasons I hold the ACOG is such high esteem. It’s a set and forget optic, zero it and it is set.
A sniper’s optic can, and should, have more variability to accomplish a wider range of mission requirements where the DM’s optic is to more precisely and effectively return fire on contact, initiate contact, or a quicker more detailed observation. The DM’s optic, in my opinion, needs to keep features closer to the ACOG than the precision sniper optic.
While capabilities of the tools overlap the jobs are distinct. I needed an optic that fit this lane.
The B-10
U.S. Optics has been a quiet professional in the field of optics for the better part of 3 decades. They hand built custom tailored optics to customers preferences with a multitude of features. It was a premium optics buffet.
Recently however USO did a bit of market research and found that customers honed in on a few key feature sets over and over again. With this research in hand they set about designing the Bravo Series. This second generation of USO scopes takes the multitude of overlapping options and puts them into 3 categories, medium range precision, long range precision, and extreme range precision, the 3 categories their customers kept honing in on.
Looking at the B-10 specifically and contrasting it against the Leupold (which was a serious consideration, and if available certainly more economical) the USO has several key features in its favor.
Magnification range
The B-10 has a magnification range of 1.8-10 using a far more versatile 5.3:1 (approximately) magnification prism than the 3:1 the MRT has. The lower 1.8 gives the B-10 a wider observation capability and quicker reflex capability than the 2.5 MRT and the top power at 10 versus 8 gives a more precision capable performance at distance.
Front Focal Plane
Focal plane has to do with the scope’s construction, where the reticle and magnification assemblies are and how they interact. A second focal plane scope has the assemblies arranged so that the reticle appears the same size to the shooter’s eye regardless of the zoom setting. A front focal plane scope has the reticle positioned so that its size stays consistent with the target along the whole magnification range.
What the means is on a second focal plane scope any marking lines, regardless of it being a bullet drop compensation, milliradian (Mils), or minute of angle (MOA) are only accurate at one magnification level. Usually maximum magnification.
With a front focal plane like the B-10 the reticle is always true to scale. 1 Mil or 1 MOA is always accurately represented and any adjustments you need to make off or observations do not require a conversion factor based on magnification.
Light Collection
The 42mm objective lens on the B-10 allows for better collection and transmission, especially in lower light, than the 36mm.
H425 Horus Vision Reticle
This is what gives the B-10 its final edge, although it is an add on option and more money. The H425 (seen above) is this squat little Christmas tree looking cross hair assembly is visualized mathematics. If the shooter knows the performance of their ammo, the ballistics, out of their particular rifle a quick run through a decent ballistics program will give you hold over and wind drift that can be copied into any form of small cheat sheet. It’s a bullet drop compensator on steroids tailorable for whatever round you happen to be shooting.
I was using M80 ball ammo so I took the stock data for that at a 50 yard zero and ran the numbers on my ballistics app. With that zero I could make hits out to 800 yards theoretically. I confirmed this trajectory out to 300 yards by ringing a 6″ steel plate before running out of distance on the range, but the theory held as I didn’t need to adjust the optic. I was impressed. The holds were effortless to read and do once I knew what I was looking at, and I didn’t have to adjust a single click from zero.
Testing at closer distances resulted in positive results as well.
Dialing down the B-10 has a very forgiving eye box and getting on the gun and the scope was accomplished rapidly. At 1.8x the individual striations aren’t as discernible to my eyes but also at 1.8 I don’t want them to be. Instead I used the squat triangle just like the ACOG chevron to quickly settle the reticle and sent a round toward the target. The B-10 is useable low power with both eyes open in a manner similar to the Bindon Aiming Concept (BAC) from Trijicon.
I am, so far, very pleased.
The evaluation isn’t complete. However the U.S. Optics B-10 is showing it is here to stay, hitting every major bracket I wanted for the rifle optic on the SCAR 17. And of all the rifles to test the endurance of an optic, there’s none better.
Am I concerned for the USO B-10?
No, at this point the B-10 would be top of my immediate DM Optic recommendations, especially for those looking beyond the traditional LPVO 1-6x and 1-8x brackets. I’m still putting rounds under it though so a full review to follow.
It was April 8, 2015, when I was awakened in the night by my 5 year old. She had a bad dream and came into my room, and as she walked around the foot of our bed she lost her balance and fell hard against the wall. I sprang from the bed to comfort her while my husband raced for the light switch. I could tell by the look on her face that something was wrong. Terrifyingly wrong. I called 911.
My voice and body were trembling as I asked EMS to come. I hung up the phone and could already hear distant sirens from the fire station 0.7 miles away. In 7-8 minutes my bedroom was full of first responders. My daughter’s vitals were normal so they left. We learned the next day through an already-scheduled MRI that her brain was herniating due to a massive brain tumor and she would endure many surgeries and chemotherapy sessions in the years to come. At the time, however, I was helpless and terrified.
I share this story because it is important to me that you know that I want my children safe and healthy. It is also important that you know that I am a mom of a cancer kid (who subsequently went blind), so prayer and preparedness are vital in my life. Our family has an emergency plan and I have had many conversations with my children about safety. We have also been forced to have hard age-appropriate conversations with our children about cancer, disability, fear, and death.
I have come very close to losing my daughter. I have friends who have buried their children and I cannot bear the thought of being without my daughter or my sons. If it means having hard conversations, purchasing safety equipment, and attending training classes, then I am “all in” to give my kids the tools they need to stay safe and healthy.
One of those hard conversations circles around recent school shootings. It is heart breaking to talk to kids about such heinous crimes, just as I hate talking to my kids about creepy grownups who may be in public restrooms or traffickers that may kidnap them from department stores. In those scenarios I am nearby and will fight to protect them; at school they are away from me, which makes it 1,000 times scarier. It is infuriating that our schools are a target of mass murderers, but that is outside the scope of this article.
It can be very difficult to talk to children about a potential school shooting without scaring them. Psychologist Lisa Damour suggests that kids age 6 and under should be shielded from violent or extremely upsetting news coverage because they are too young to understand it. For kids ages 7 to 11, Damour recommends asking children if they have heard about an incident and if they have questions. For kids age 12 and over, she says it is important to keep the conversation going. Making them aware of basic safety concepts and first-aid skills will go a long way to keeping them safe.
With my children, we have talked about their school lock-down drills. We have had age-appropriate discussions about RUN – HIDE – FIGHT and AVOID – DENY – DEFEND, the pros and cons, and their options as students. They have ballistic plates in their backpacks, so they can use their backpacks as shields to protect their vital organs in the event of an active shooter. I have talked with my blind daughter about potential safety spots for her, and made sure that she knows how to get to them on her own in case her sighted guides flee in chaos. I have encouraged local teachers and administrators to take school safety/active shooter training courses. We have tackled the subject head-on, but there is more to learn.
My middle son is starting middle school in a few months and we decided that it was time for him to attend a formal training class. He and I recently attended a ‘Stop the Bleed’ basic class. He learned that an injured person will bleed to death in 2-6 minutes. Let me repeat that — if your child is injured on a playground, car accident, or shooting, you may lose him or her forever in 2-6 minutes.
It took only 8 minutes for EMS to get to my house from 0.7 miles away, and that would have been too late if there was life-threatening bleeding. In the case of a mass murderer, EMTs would not be able to aid victims until after police clear the scene, so even if help arrives on the scene immediately they would not get to my children in time. Death from blood loss is preventable with the right equipment and training; my children may be able to stop the bleeding until EMTs can get them to a hospital. This realization positively reinforced my decision to enroll my son in the class, and he happily accepted this basic information.
The class material was from BleedingControl.org, an initiative of the American College of Surgeons and the Hartford Consensus. The program was created using a variety of private and nonprofit partners to help prepare an individual to render aid in an act of terrorism, violence, or accident with life-threatening bleeding. The class was presented by an experienced combat medic and a trauma nurse, with support from other EMS professionals. There was a straight-forward PowerPoint presentation with handouts, followed by time for hands-on instruction of tourniquets and wound packing.
My son enjoyed the class. He said, “It was cool to learn things you could do to potentially save someone’s life one day.” He appreciated the tourniquet training to practice applying it to himself and me. He understood the different reasons to deploy a tourniquet or hemostatic gauze, and most importantly, he grasped the urgency needed. We aimed to apply it in under 12 seconds (per Caleb Causey of Lone Star Medics, one of our National Conference instructors) and my son accepted the challenge. He feels more knowledgeable of how to respond if he encounters a medical emergency. He is comfortable carrying a trauma kit in his backpack in middle school.
This is parenting in the modern age: educating our children about a variety of threats and giving them tools and skills to stay safe. Whether it is pool safety, cooking safety, stranger danger, or active shooter, parents must provide age-appropriate information. We prepare our children for different scenarios and give them tools to succeed. They know STOP – DROP – ROLL, and have fire drills and tornado drills to educate them on how to stay safe in those situations. Schools have an automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in case of heart trauma and many are now stocking trauma kits to stop life-threatening bleeding.
I pray that our kids are safe and that the skills learned are never put into action. As a precaution, however, I will provide my children reinforced backpacks and personal trauma kits. If a $69 item buys my son precious time and equips him to come home to me at the end of the day, then a trauma kit will be among his school supplies.
Michelle Pickett’s entry into the world of firearms began like so many women we know. She was scared to death of guns. She had children and believed the old societal myth that guns are bad, no one should have guns in the house, especially if they have children.
When she met her husband, he and his brother owned a local gun shop (Pickett Weaponry), and he wanted her to learn about guns as well. “I was scared to death but he was gracious and kind,” she reminisces. That was over 20 years ago.
Then about 15 years ago, Pickett was sitting in on a class her husband was teaching, and when she looked at the faces of some of the women there she realized they had questions, but didn’t want to ask them. As she moved out onto the range with them and started helping them they got more comfortable. “That’s when I realized I needed to start a ladies only class,” she says.
Pickett originally started her group, called “Girls and Guns,” through their local Wild Turkey Federation. “Outback Steakhouse donated all the food, we [the gun store] donated all the guns and equipment needed. We charged $15 to participate and then all the proceeds went to different gun groups,” she explains
The ladies then joined another women’s group but decided it wasn’t a good fit for them. Then they found out about AG & AG and moved to it. Pickett explains why. “I love that AG & AG puts their heart and soul into it. They care about every individual person. You can see it in their face and in the way they are. What you do is more important than what you say.”
Now with a chapter of about 94 women and eight A-Team (facilitator’s team of assistants) members, Pickett mainly trains women for self-defense. “I bring in great instructors every other month to talk to ladies or train with them,” Pickett explains.
Many in her chapter are already planning to go to A Girl & A Gun Conference next April in Texas. “A couple of us went to conference first to check it out and find out what it was. I don’t like to send people to something without knowing more about it. And I fell in love with it,” Pickett beams. This year nine members attended, and the group has already reserved a house for next years’ conference. She’s also excited that she and several of her members will be going to the Rangemaster Tactical Conference training in New Orleans in March of 2019,
While she doesn’t teach about competing, there are members who attend competitions, including one who attended AG & AG Fall Festival in Kentucky and will be speaking to the group about it. “We want ladies to start attending more competitions, to get outside of what we do,” she explains.
Often times when talking with women about joining AG & AG, Pickett says women will respond, “I’m not sure, I’m not good with big groups of women.” That’s understandable as so many women remember the “mean girls” from high school. “But I tell them, “It’s not what you think, it’s very different.” When we get together, everyone is on the same playing field. You’re as good as the person next to you. Even the pro shooters are sweet and gracious to everyone.”
“Just try it. Jump in with both feet and try it,” advises Pickett. “Be adventurous. It will make a world of difference in your life, emotionally and personally. It’s amazing.”
While there are a wide variety of self defense handgun rounds for your common 9mm’s, .40 S&W’s, and .45 ACP’s, the market of defensive designed 5.56 rounds is a much smaller field.
Conventional 5.56/.223 commercial options like the M193 (55gr lead core), M855 62gr mild steel core, and 62gr lead core all perform to certain standards based on their designs. These designs are for longer distances.
These rounds are designed for 16-20″ barrels of the conventional 5.56 rifles and carbines.
With the increased popularity and use of AR “pistols” as defensive carbines with shorter barrels a round that performs well at defensive distances out of those shorter barrels is highly desirable.
Sage Dynamics took out Hornady’s 75gr SBR HD, a round advertised as being exceptional in shorter barrels for self defense.
It’s a longer video but there is a tremendous amount of information about the 75gr round and ammunition performance in general. Since I personally just picked these up for use in my home defense rifle I’m glad to see Sage Dynamics putting in effort to give people solid information.
WASHINGTON DC – The DC Project completed its annual trip to the nation’s Capitol this past week (June 26). More than 50 women and girls in 11 teams met with members of Congress over 4 days. This marks the third year for the women to meet with their legislators to reveal their stories and safeguard their Second Amendment rights.
The DC Project is a nonpartisan initiative to bring 50 women, one from each state, to Washington to dispel common myths and garner support for gun rights. The project is the brainchild of Dianna Muller, retired law enforcement officer turned professional 3-gun competitor, who just represented the USA in the IPSC World Shotgun match, where she brought home individual silver and team gold medals. In 2016 Muller met with her legislator and wanted to encourage other women to do the same, so she asked colleagues in the shooting community to join her.
Robyn Sandoval, Executive Director of A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League, has joined Muller on all three trips to DC. “When women and students make demands against our freedoms, it is important that our legislators know that those protestors do not speak for everyone,” says Sandoval. “We have more women than ever before wanting to exercise their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves and their families. We have youth who are dedicated to their marksmanship sports. Our lawmakers need to know our stories.”
Each DC Project delegate funded her own trip in this truly grassroots initiative. Participants’ schedules included meetings with Senate and House members and staffers, networking gatherings, and a rally on the U.S. Capitol grounds, featuring legendary advocate Dick Heller, 16-year-old Beth Walker of Indiana, 15-year-old Chloe Deaton of Florida, and Virginia House Delegate Nick Freitas. The schedule also included two range days for members of Congress and staff to meet with DC Project instructors to experience the culture of the shooting community and learn more about firearms.
A Girl & A Gun (AG & AG) is a membership organization whose events have been successful stepping stones for thousands of women into the shooting community and fostered their love of shooting with caring and qualified instructors to coach them. AG & AG breaks barriers for women and girls in the area of self-defense and in pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooting sports by welcoming beginners to learn the basics of safe and accurate shooting and providing experienced shooters with advanced-level opportunities. The club has more than 5,500 members in 48 states and hosts recurring Girl’s Nights Out at more than 160 ranges throughout the nation.
After doing a series of articles on different PDWs I thought I’d revisit the subject on how to carry these guns. Obviously, your main goal is to be as discrete as possible and to carry quietly. There are tons of gun bags on the market, but a PDW bag must be low profile and discrete. It also needs to be capable of safely carrying a firearm. I have a few purpose-built options I’d like to share with you guys today.
Vertx Commuter
Vertx makes some extremely high-quality bags and clothes. The Commuter is one of my all-time favorite bags. First off it’s discrete with no tactical tells that I can see. It’s a sling bag that’s quite large in scale, but comfortable to carry. It has 4 pockets with tons of hook and loop potential, and internal pockets for organizational potential.
The largest pocket is perfect for storing a variety of PDW sized guns. It fits my AR pistol when it’s broken down, my Kel Tec SUB 2k when folded, as well as a KPOS with Glock and folded brace. It also has a small compartment that’s designed to accommodate an armored panel. The Vertx Commuter is an outstanding PDW bag.
Sneaky Bags Nautilus
The Nautilus by Sneaky bags is another large sling bag that can accommodate a variety of PDWs very well. This includes the KPOS style systems, broken down AR pistols, side folding rifle style pistols, and a variety of braced handguns.
The bag has three pockets, but one is hidden. The main compartment is massive and inside is a healthy dose of MOLLE straps as that are hook and loop ready. You toss in a gun, and plenty of pouches for extra ammo, or even soft body armor. The hidden pocket is perfect for an armor plate, or a handgun that needs to stay discrete. The Nautilus is a well designed PDW bag that can fulfill a variety of applications.
Blackhawk Diversion Bag
The Blackhawk Diversion bag isn’t a small bag, but it is discrete. It looks like a boring old gym bag, but inside it’s a well-constructed piece of kit. Inside it has a built-in divider that allows you to separately and easily store two guns, or guns and gear.
The Diversion bag also has two side pockets that allow you to reach into the bag discretely and retrieve gear, or even your firearm depending on the type and size. This bad features oversized zipper tags, a thick carrying strap, and a lot more. It perfect for AR pistols, the KPOS, and even PGO shotguns. The Blackhawk Diversion bag is a great little PDW bag that’s insanely discrete.
Elite Survival Systems Covert Operations Case
My newest PDW bag comes from Elite Survival Systems. The Cover Operations case is made in a variety of sizes and this particular model is their smallest and it’s designed for the covert carry of SMGs.
It fits smaller pistols with side folding braces perfectly and the simple velcro strap system holds the gun in a supported position well. The bag comes with an internal detachable three magazine pouch and a padded divider to protect the gun.
The outside has a very large pocket that can accommodate a variety of gear, including an armored panel. This PDW bag comes in a variety of sizes to accommodate everything from an MP5K sized weapon to a full-sized M-16.
These are four purpose-built PDW bags designed to discretely carry a PDW sized firearm. Their design and profile make then inconspicuous and easy to tote. As always recognize state and federal law when carrying a gun. These bags just make things a lot easier when it comes to discretely move your PDWs from car to home, to hotel, or just traveling in general. A good PDW bag is a small investment in the purchase of discrete security.
Responsible citizens who own firearms understand that this decision comes with the enormous responsibility of knowing that this chunk of metal and springs can cause serious injury, if not death, to living things. Some people own firearms to harvest animals for food. Some people own firearms to defend themselves from others who intend to harm them. Some people own firearms for sport and recreation. Regardless of why people own firearms, guns absolutely MUST be safely secured from the underaged, the uniformed, and the unlawful (minors, people who do not know how to safely operate firearms, and criminals). This article is aimed at protecting our children – all our children – yet the same techniques can also be used to secure firearms from other unauthorized access.
In Texas, the law is basically stated, “It is unlawful to store, transport, or abandon an unsecured firearm in a place where children are likely to be and can obtain access to the firearm.” Children in possession of firearms have either been given one or been given access to one, knowingly or not, by an adult or have procured them illegally. No child should be allowed unsupervised access to any gun.
“Where Do Kids in School Shootings Get Their Guns?
Two-thirds of students who used guns in violent acts at school got those guns from their own home or that of a relative. (United States Secret Service and Department of Education, 2004.)
• from a shelf in the step father’s closet –Benton, KY 2018
• from the father’s gun safe which the shooter knew the combination – Rockford, WA 2017
• from the father’s dresser drawer after the shooter failed to obtain a rifle from the father’s gun safe – Townville, SC 2016
• from the grandfather-figure’s house stored unloaded in a cookie tin with a box of ammunition – Lake Worth, FL 2000
• from a shoebox in the uncle’s bedroom – Mt. Morris Township, MI 2000
• from the grandparent’s home hanging on display on the wall after the shooters were unable to obtain rifles from a steel safe – Jonesboro, AR 1998
• from a neighbor’s garage – West Paducah, KY 1997″
If you have a gun in your household or if your child visits friends who have guns in their household (depending on the source, about 40% of American households have at least one gun) teach your child about gun safety. If you cannot do this yourself, ask your Facilitator or local range about youth programs. Enroll them in an Eddie Eagle GunSafe program. At an appropriate age based on your assessment of their maturity, let them handle a gun, shoot a gun, and learn about gun handling rules in a safe environment.
If you have guns in your household, lock them up when not physically on your body. With the exception of the gun you carry and the one you use for home self-defense, all guns should be unloaded with the firearm locked in one area and the ammunition locked in another.
Money and space should not be an excuse to not secure your gun. Many manufacturers supply locks with their firearms. Use them and keep the key with you, not hidden near the gun. Given enough time and space, children will find these hiding spots and have free access to your firearm. Many police stations also give away free locks through National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Project ChildSafe. Sporting goods stores have a variety of relatively inexpensive options for locking the mechanisms of your gun. You can purchase locks that protect the trigger from being squeezed. You can also purchase locks that prevent the firing pin from being able to contact the bullet.
If you still can’t afford these locks, take your gun apart to make it inoperable, place the parts in different labeled Ziploc bags to make reassembly easier, then store the parts and pieces in different places. If you do not know how to field strip your gun, you must learn. Clean guns are consistently reliable. Ask your local gunsmith for educational resources on this topic.
Safes come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and price points to lock up one gun or multiple guns. Wooden display cases with glass fronts, even if they can be locked, are not appropriate as security measures. Safes can be locked by a key, a combination, your fingerprint, or some other electronic access and are made from metal. They can be relatively easy to access for your home self-defense gun or a veritable Fort Knox. For individual guns, you can place a safe under your bed, in the night stand, bolted to the wall. Make sure that these smaller safes are somehow permanently attached to a heavy piece of furniture, wall or floor, so that they cannot be moved to another place where unauthorized people can then take their time to break into it.
Heavy floor or cabinet style safes should also be secured to a wall or floor so that they cannot be tipped onto a child who may be crawling on it. Keep the combinations confidential and do not write them down on a piece of paper that is hidden near the safe. Just like keys, kids will find this combination. I would recommend that you do write down all your combinations and provide this to a trusted third party or place it in a bank safe deposit box to retrieve in case of emergency.
You can also purchase safes (and individual gun locks should be on the market soon) that send messages to your cell phone every time the door has been opened. This will provide additional safety so that you can inform the police quicker in the case of unauthorized access.
The bottom line is:
Regardless that you think your children would never touch one of your handguns without permission – “from the father’s dresser drawer” Townville, SC 2016;
Regardless that you do not have any children in your household – “from the grandfather-figure’s house stored unloaded in a cookie tin” Lake Worth, FL 2000;
Regardless that it may take slightly more time to get a locked gun in case of an emergency – “from the father’s gun safe which the shooter knew the combination” Rockford, WA 2017;
for your children, your grandchildren, your nieces and nephews, your neighbor’s kids or any other child who may gain access to your home with or without your permission, please lock your guns securely at all times and please pass this message to others.
Sandra Kozero is an NRA certified pistol and rifle instructor, along with being an NRA Level 1 Shotgun Coach. She teaches Home Firearm Safety, Personal Protection in the Home, Refuse to Be a Victim and the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program. Sandy has been shooting with the San Antonio TX Chapter of A Girl & A Gun since 2011. She also dabbles in competitive shooting. She is not only the San Antonio Chapter Facilitator, but she also serves as an AG & AG National Regional Director.
Newington, N.H. (July 19, 2018) –SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce the limited release of the M17-Commemorative Edition of the U.S. Army’s M17 official service pistol, a variant of the SIG SAUER P320. The M17-Commemorative pistol shares the same components, coatings, and markings as the firearm that was awarded the U.S. Army contract for the modular handgun system (MHS).
Only 5,000 M17-Commemorative Edition pistols have been produced for sale, and each SIG SAUER M17-Commemorative pistol is serialized M17-0001 through M17-5000 and includes the Army’s required unique identifier (UID). The M17 is sold in the same cardboard packaging as delivered to the U.S. Army. From the pistol to the packaging, the M17-Commemorative Edition is identical to the U.S. Army’s official M17 service pistol.
“The U.S. Army’s selection of the M17 earned the SIG SAUER P320 a place in history. It’s regarded as one of the world’s most influential firearms as it enters service with America’s Armed Forces across the globe,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, SIG SAUER, Inc. “The M17 is the culmination of SIG SAUER’s steadfast commitment to providing the military with the very best, and our determination to never settle. We are excited that collectors and civilians have an opportunity to participate in this history.”
Upon registration of the M17-Commemorative pistol the purchaser will receive an official certificate of authenticity and commemorative challenge coin, both with serial numbers matching the purchased M17-Commemorative pistol.
The M17-Commemorative is a 9mm, striker-fired pistol, and comes with two 21-round magazines and one 17-round magazine. The pistol features a coyote-tan PVD coated stainless steel slide with the same optic cut as specified by the MHS contract, coyote-tan colored controls just like the original pistols shipped to the 101st Airborne, and a manual safety. The M17 is equipped with a SIGLITE front night sight and removable Night Sight rear plate. The M17-Commemorative comes with a coyote-tan carry-length grip module.
The M17-Commemorative Specs:
Total length: 8”
Barrel length: 4.7”
Weight (incl. 17-rd magazine): 29.6 oz.
Height: 5.5”
Width: 1.3”
Sight radius: 6.6”
MSRP:$1,122.00
The M17-Commemorative is shipping to stores in August 2018.
To compliment the M17-Commemorative, an exclusive M17 Collector’s Case is available for purchase separately atsigsauer.com/store. The case is a solid cherry box, with dark mahogany stain, a tempered glass top, a brushed nickel latch, and a keyhole back for optional wall-hanging. The M17 Collector’s Case features a slate-grey flocked foam insert with an affixed US Army logo, and precision laser placement cuts for the M17 pistol, the official serialized M17-Commemorative Certificate of Authenticity, and the serialized M17-Commemorative Challenge Coin.
About SIG SAUER, Inc.
SIG SAUER, Inc. is a leading provider and manufacturer of firearms, electro-optics, ammunition, Advanced Sport Pellet (ASP) 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.
We’ve been hearing quite a bit lately about the looming generational “cliff”, which will bring with it a consequent drastic drop in hunters over the next decade or two. Conservation societies and state game agencies are scrambling to find ways to recruit and retain hunters. I propose that one way that states could encourage new hunters is to make the licensing process less cumbersome. Some of these state systems are absolutely Byzantine.
Take for instance the state of Pennsylvania. I have lived elsewhere for over 25 years, but I was born in PA and we have family property there. Because of these roots, I have bought an out-of-state hunting license for PA for the past several years.
It is possible to at least apply and pay online, but they snail-mail the yellow license to you in a big envelope, rather than allowing you to simply print it out from your home computer. That seems like a huge waste of money and resources to me, but I have accepted it nonetheless.
This year I decided that I wanted a tag for antlerless deer. In my current home state, you can take an antlerless deer during archery season with no special provision other than the standard license and for rifle season the antlerless license is an extra ten dollars added to your online cart with everything else. But not in Pennsylvania – Big Nope.
In PA, you have to wait to receive your out-of state license package by snail mail, and then apply for an antlerless permit directly to the county treasurer of the county you want, specifying which Wildlife Management Area, using paper applications sent to you by snail mail in your license package.
Now, bear in mind that WMA’s don’t go by county. There seems to be no geographical rhyme or reason for the boundaries on WMAs. The one I wanted contains pieces of four different counties. I had to page through the guide several times to figure out which WMA the property was in. I also found out as I was reading the fine print that there is a separate pathway to an antlerless permit for property owners, but that has to happen BEFORE the time period opens for the regular application process, so I was out of luck there. And since the property isn’t in my personal name, I might still have been out of luck.
Once you figure out your WMA then you then have to fill out the application “properly” including a second stamp for the tear-off return part in which the treasurer is supposed to send your license. That is, if the license number allotted for the WMA hasn’t already been reached and you have to specify a second or third choice. To make it even more confusing, you “can” send up to three applications in the same envelope, but there is no guarantee that everyone in your party will all actually GET a license. To top it off, when you make out the check to send along, you are supposed to make it out to “County Treasurer”. NOT “Union County Treasurer, NOT “Fayette County Treasurer” – just “County Treasurer”. I had to void a check before I figured that one out.
Are you confused yet? I sure was. How many advanced degrees does it take to figure out the application process for one antlerless deer license? There should be a less cumbersome way to deal with this. We do live in the computer age after all.
I also have hunting licenses for West Virginia and Maryland, due to wanting to hunt with friends on their property. I count the cost as “entertainment money” rather than “meat/grocery money”, and can justify the expense that way. I thus have first-hand experience with the licensing processes of three different states and can safely say that PA is the absolute worst of the three.
It seems to me that if they are truly interested in increasing the number of hunters one of the first things they should do is make the hunting license process less cumbersome. I do understand that conservation and management of the species comes “first”, but c’mon.I don’t mind the money so much as I know it goes toward conservation, but I spent $166 including postage for a non-resident Adult Hunting Permit, a non-resident Archery Permit, and (hopefully) an Antlerless Deer Permit, all for the privilege of hunting on my own family property. You’d think for that amount of cash every year they would be working harder to make it “easy” for me to give them my money. It certainly doesn’t sound like a way to encourage more new hunters.
Low-Powered Variable Optics (LPVOs) are exploding in popularity. They provide serious advantages when speed up close and precision at distance are equally important. When these advantages mean the difference between winning and losing a match–or between life and death–every little bit helps.
I’ve used a handful of LPVOs over the years. I find them the most inclusive option for general use carbines and competition rifles. At distance they give all of the advantages of a traditional higher-powered scope and at close range they’re red dot agile. The only real limitation is the eye box, it is dependant on head positioning. In real world use the advantages easily outweigh that limitation in my observation.
1-6x LPVOs have become all but ubiquitous at 3-gun matches and have seen military use abroad. Today, 1-8x scopes are taking over… and they’re becoming more affordable.
I have been evaluating this entry-level LPVO for several weeks. It’s a second focal plane model available for $550 MSRP at the time of review. The mil-hash reticle and passive ranging can be used with any rifle and ammo.
The locking turrets with adjustable index provide the option for dialing-in range and windage adjustments if you have the time. The clear, unobtrusive milliradian subtensions are easy to use when the day calls for speed at distance. To take advantage of either, the R-Mil also features passive rangefinder that stays out of the way until you need it.
The scope weighs under 19 ounces (without a mount). The included absolute height mount is a nice touch. It attaches easily and securely. My preference is for the much higher 1.93” scope mounts, but it’s a great inclusion. And at this price, it’s easy to justify a change if you want it.
On The Range
My primary test rifle and ammo are capable of sub-MOA performance and the bright clear sight picture at 8x made it almost easy. The initial zeroing day was more of a pleasure than I expected. The range I used had electronic targets with a very detailed display for monitoring hits. By the end of the first magazine, I was shooting 5 round groups at 0.7 MOA at 100 yards. That performance did not change and the zero did not shift in my testing.
The glass itself is remarkably clear for it’s price point. Whether I shot it at 400 yards or 4 yards it showed me what I wanted, gave me the information I needed, and otherwise got out of my way.
There’s not a lot more you can ask of an optic. A longer throw lever would be a nice touch, but there are aftermarket options available.
Shepherd Scopes claims that the Rugged 1-8 R-Mil will handle the recoil of a .50 cal. I didn’t have a chance to test it on one, but it easily handled my abuse.
For what it’s worth, I don’t believe in hard rifle cases except in checked baggage and I don’t baby any of my gear. Over several range trips and competition focused training sessions it held zero and showed no real signs of abuse aside from cosmetic scratches. What I call normal use has destroyed some very nice optics. The Rugged 1-8 R-Mil has performed to the point that I trust it to work when I pick it up.
Illumination
The Shepherd is a second focal plane optic, like all design decisions this implies some trade-offs. What this means is that the reticle subtensions and rangefinding features are only accurate at 8x, every other magnification involves conversion math. I mostly use LPVOs at 1x or their maximum magnification so it wasn’t a problem. Even at only 100 yards, the field of view is plenty at 8x (14.5 feet).
The illumination of a second focal plane reticle is much brighter than first focal plane scopes. In my testing the Rugged 1-8 R-Mil was easily daylight bright in both green and red.
Speaking of the green illumination, the option of changing the color is missing from many scopes, especially on the higher-end. If you have remotely normal color vision your eyes are most sensitive to green, making it easier to distinguish a green reticle from anything downrange.
The 5 brightness levels are well-spaced and work from low light to bright daylight; I never found myself hunting for a setting or wishing I could set it in-between them.
Like all LPVOs, the battery life is nothing to write home about, and leaving the optic on all the time will drain it. Fortunately, the etched reticle is still crisp and usable without the illumination.
The Bottom Line
The Shepherd Rugged 1-8 R-Mil is as fast as any LPVO I’ve come across up close, has a very clear sight picture, and covers the useful effective range as far as my rifles and ammo can perform. Bright both in terms of light transmission and illumination, and a fantastic value at it’s MSRP.
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