Stopping Power and Other Myths That Plague the Gun Industry

By

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October 24, 2023

Social media is something you should really curate to make you happy. It makes too many people unhappy. My wife taught me this valuable lesson when I learned her social media is entirely cute animals, comedy skits, recipes, and family stuff. That’s it. Since I started writing about guns, I’ve learned a ton and become a constant student. This involved following god pages online and learning from experts willing to post their knowledge and know-how. It took me away from low-information groups, well, until recently. I dived back into some low-information groups and found that the myths I thought were long gone live on.

In 2023, it’s surprising that people who own guns don’t always seek out the best information. How certain myths that have been perpetuated for decades are still around and posted publicly and not immediately shot down is beyond me. I gathered the five myths I most commonly see and decided to debunk them the best I could.

The King of Myths – Stopping Power

Stopping power is this nebulous concept that surrounds ammunition. I’ve even seen calculations that put together velocity and mass to try and deliver a scientific method to stopping power. For years, people argued that calibers like .45 ACP and 10mm had greater stopping power. Stopping power is their ability to stop a threat. Grab a 1911 build kit and you can kill anything!

In reality, the idea of stopping power is flawed. What stops a threat isn’t the speed or size of your projectile but where it hits and what that hit does. Admittedly, a round has to be heavy and fast enough to penetrate deep enough to strike something vital in the human body. We use the FBI standards to determine if the round can at least do that. This standard involves a round penetrating at least 12 inches in a block of 10% ballistic gel.

If it can do that, we know it can reach deep enough to stop a threat. The human heart, brain, and lungs don’t really care if your bullet is one millimeter larger than another. If the hit hits, it stops threats.

The Shotgun Cone of Death

There are tons of shotgun myths, and I debated between the cone of death and birdshot for home defense. I decided birdshot needs its own article. The shotgun cone of death directly relates to the you don’t have to aim a shotgun myth. Just point and shoot!

In the year of our lord 2023, even the cheapest buckshot doesn’t spread fast enough to create a cone of death. Inside of a home defense situation, your pattern is likely less than 6 inches wide. It’s easy to miss with a shotgun, so make sure you aim the thing. If you use modern defensive loads like Flitecontrol, your pattern is even tighter! Aim the guns and get a red dot!

Competition Will Get You Killed In the Street

Competition is a big world, and maybe this myth is true if you carry a handgun and the only time you ever shoot is skeet matches with a shotgun. This competition gets you killed in the street has always been silly. It’s mostly tied back to the idea of Bull’s Eye shooting styles that weren’t uncommon with law enforcement before the 1970s. The Newhall Incident, for example, showed that CHP teaching cops to shoot Bull’s Eye style wasn’t conducive to combat shooting.

However, modern competition forces you to shoot fast, shoot straight, and do it in a wide variety of scenarios. Not everything you do in competition will translate to self-defense, but a lot of the basic skills remain the same. Each elite special operations guys use competition to train. Competition shouldn’t be your only defensive shooting practice, but it certainly tests your skills.

The 22LR Bounces Around

The .22LR can be a viable defensive option for some people. It can penetrate deep enough to shut down vital organs. It’s not optimum, but it can work. With that said, there is a subset of people who believe that .22LR isn’t just viable but is the ultimate option. The reason is that it bounces around like a pinball inside the body. The bullet will bounce off bones and create chaos inside a human.

This is a huge fabrication. Can bullets bounce off of bone? Sure, but they often lose energy rapidly when it hits bone. It’s certainly not zipping around the body and creating havoc. It might deflect on bone, but it might not.

Pistol Pillow Suppressor

Okay, I’ll admit this isn’t a common myth I see all that often. However, in one month, I saw it twice. Both people said they didn’t need to get a tax stamp or an expensive suppressor when a pistol would work fine. Admittedly, they didn’t just say pillow, but also nipple for a baby bottle and a potato will both make good suppressors.

Folks, a pillow cannot suppress a gun. Regardless of what movies tell you. It just won’t work, neither will a potato or nipple from a baby bottle.

Myths Abound

The gun community needs to do better. We need to find a way to make it common knowledge that the above myths are bull honkey. The World Wide Web was supposed to make us smarter, but sometimes I feel like we’ve stalled with the general population. Let’s continue to educate others and hopefully not bully them.

Smith & Wesson® Introduces All-NewRESPONSE™ PCC

By

Keith Finch

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October 23, 2023

MARYVILLE, TN., (10/19/2023) – Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI), a leader in firearm manufacturing and design, today announces the release of its new pistol caliber carbine, the S&W® Response™.

This exciting new offering is Smith & Wesson’s first MSR-style PCC, which makes it easily compatible with many existing MSR parts and accessories. Chambered in 9mm, the Response has a 23+1 capacity out of the box and ships with two 23-round M&P double-stack magazines. The premier feature of this new carbine is rooted in its innovative and easy-to-install FLEXMAGTM System. Its design consists of interchangeable magwell adaptors that allow the firearm to operate using a variety of S&W and other manufacturer magazines. Included with the Response are two FLEXMAG kits that are compatible with either M&P double-stack or G17® /G19® magazines.

Loaded with features, the Response has a 16.5” threaded barrel, polymer handguard with Picatinny-style rail and M-LOK® slots, MAGPUL® MOE SL stock, flat face trigger, and an M&P® grip with four interchangeable palmswell adapters. It has an overall length of 35-3/8 inches fully extended and weighs just under 6.0 pounds.

“The Smith & Wesson Response is our solution for the PCC shooter that enjoys MSR platforms and prefers interfacing capabilities with various pistol magazines available in the market today. Its compatibility with the vast network of MSR aftermarket accessories allows the user to easily customize the Response to their specific preferences and needs. Smith & Wesson listened to the consumer and our goal was to deliver a completely versatile pistol caliber carbine that would be a perfect companion to your sidearm. This design is our response,” said John Myles, Senior Product Manager.

The new Smith & Wesson Response is built on a platform to optimize the user’s needs and breaks barriers for those looking to enter the PCC market. Embrace adaptability with the Smith & Wesson Response. MSRP $799.
For more information on the S&W® Response, visit https://www.smith-wesson.com/.

About Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI) is a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing and design, delivering a broad portfolio of quality handgun, long gun, and suppressor products to the global consumer and professional markets under the iconic Smith & Wesson® and Gemtech® brands. The company also provides manufacturing services including forging, machining, and precision plastic injection molding services. For more information call (844) 363-5386 or visit smithwesson.com
Smith & Wesson, M&P, Response, FLEXMAG, and S&W names and logos are trademarks of Smith & Wesson Inc. in the United States and other countries. © 2023 Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. MAGPUL and M-LOK are trademarks of Magpul Industries Corp. G17 and G19 are registered trademarks of Glock Inc. Smith & Wesson Inc. is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way connected with Glock, Inc. Any use of their trademark, brand, or logo with the product or product packaging is solely for the purpose of identifying the product’s capabilities and/or functions.

Revisiting the Zombie Survival Guide

By

Travis Pike

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October 22, 2023

- The Walking Dead: Dead City _ Season 1 - Photo Credit: Peter Kramer/AMC

I remember being a teenager and stumbling across Max Brook’s Zombie Survival Guide. The early 2000s was a great time for zombie fans. Zombies became everything, with movies, shows, and, of course, books. In fact, as most of us know, it even infiltrated gun culture. Hornady made Zombie ammo, zombie-themed guns were released by Mossberg, and zombie targets were the norm. Looking back, it’s a little cringy, but I do think it helped the gun industry break into mainstream pop culture.

I have no doubts the zombie fad helped drive gun sales and ammo sales. Most people prepping for the zombie apocalypse knew they needed a gat to keep things real. If we were to look for a singular point of when this whole thing started, I can’t help but think it was 2003’s Zombie Survival Guide. The book labeled itself as a real survival guide and took itself seriously til the end.

The Zombie Survival Guide – Two Decades Later

It built a world that was referenced throughout and noted fictional tactics and military responses. I remember reading it from cover to cover, but I haven’t done so since I was a teenager. I recently found my old copy and read through the old gun advice Max Brooks gave and figured 20 years later is a great time to do a retrospective.

I’m just covering the firearm’s portions. The book itself isn’t terrible, but very basic. I even credit him with creating the idea of using a bicycle when the world ends as brilliant. In reading the firearm advice, I am keeping the fact it’s written for fighting zombies. Zombies don’t react to suppression, they don’t wear armor, and they aren’t carrying guns.

That changes tactics and needs, and I’ve kept that in mind. However, how good was Max Brooks on guns? What kind of understanding did he have of firearms and how effective they are against zombies?

No Lawyers, Just Guns and Zombies

The firearm section covers nine pages of the guide and is essentially a rundown of different firearm genres and their pros and cons. Is the information great? No, not really. It’s mostly a high-level overview, and while the Zombie Survival Guide gets some stuff right, it gets a lot wrong.

Heavy Machine Guns

Everything from a SAW to a 50 cal is covered in this section.

120628-M-CV710-071 U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Andrew C. Bell loads ammunition into an M2 .50-caliber heavy machine gun while training at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on June 28, 2012. Marines conducted the training to familiarize themselves with different weapons systems. Bell is assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division. DoD photo by Sgt. Sheila Brooks, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

The guide is right about how tough machine guns are to shoot on the fly and in a standing position. It completely ignores the capability and accuracy of a tripod-mounted machine gun against a horde of zombies at well over rifle distance. They even cover a fictional scythe tactic that didn’t work. It’s a nice world-building touch.

Submachine guns

His coverage of submachine guns is pretty correct. They have to be aimed, and single shots can be accurate. He talks about how short they are and why they work well in close quarters and mentions how they fire pistol rounds with limited range.

Assault Rifles

When he gets to assault rifles, it falls apart. He seems to dislike even the option of full auto and says it’s a downfall. The Zombie Survival Guide even publishes a lot of fuddlore on how unreliable the M16 is and why the AK is so great.

Lever Action and Bolt Action Rifles

The bad information spreads to bolt actions and lever guns, which are grouped together. He loves these guns because they encourage accuracy. He also ignores how slow they are to fire, how large they often are, and how slow they are to reload. The Zombie Survival Guide never touches on how the basic operation of the guns requires two hands.

Part of the section talks about how old military rifles are great for hand-to-hand fighting, which is true, but ignores that they had to be because they suck up close.

Semi-Auto Rifles

According to the Zombie Survival Guide, the semi-auto rifle is the best zombie killer, and I agree, but select fire weapons also have a semi-auto mode. Keeping in mind the book was written before the AWB sunsetted, the author’s choices aren’t bad. Sure, AR-15s still existed in this era, but they weren’t nearly as common or affordable as they are now.

The m1 Carbine and M1 Garand seem to be beloved. They are fine weapons, but they wouldn’t be my choice for a zombie-killing gun, even in 2003. We get into the SKS, Ruger Mini 14, and Mini 30, which, at this point, would have been excellent choices.

The Shotgun

The Zombie Survival Guide is a mixed bag on shotguns. It does cover their limited range and states you can use slugs and even mentions, but why not just use a rifle? However, it goes off the deep end with phrases like ‘scattering shot acts like a wall of lead’ and ‘a good shotgun blast can send several zombies sprawling.’

Pistols

The guide gets plenty right about pistols and how hard they are to shoot accurately. A mention of laser sights increasing accuracy is tossed in, but we know how that goes. It gets it right that they are convenient to carry and mentions it being a backup, not a primary.

Rimfires

The section on rimfires isn’t bad. A mention of stopping power is cringeworthy, but ultimately, the information is mostly accurate. Where the Zombie Survival Guide really goes off the rails is in stating the .22LR will bounce around inside the skull and ‘do as much damage’ as a .45.

Bad Info, Fun Book

I still enjoy the Zombie Survival Guide. It was a fun book in 2003 and is still fun now. It’s self-seriousness and inherent world-building are great. Of course, it’s fiction, so it’s not something that’s giving actual advice. I don’t think Max Brooks is a gun guy, but I think for a non-gun-educated person, he did a great job.

Gunday Brunch 123: What’s going to happen to 40 S&W?

By

Keith Finch

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October 22, 2023

40 caliber has been on a slow decline for a while now. In this episode, Caleb takes a brief look at what he thinks the future of 40 is. It’s not bright if you love the caliber.

The sound of incoming fire

By

Keith Finch

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October 21, 2023

Garand Thumb and company posted some incoming fire informational here the other week.

Camera’s do a notoriously poor job of catching and conveying sound in that range then translating it for a viewer, and Hollywood does its best to give the viewer what they expect to hear not what is accurate. In video creative the director has and creative team need to give the audience something to interact with and take information from, this may mean using an inaccurate sound in order to convey accurate storytelling information.

PCS League – A New Competition Is On the Horizon

By

Travis Pike

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October 21, 2023

I hadn’t heard of PCS League until it swung into my local competition shooting scene. Many of the USPSA clubs in the tri-state area have moved to PCS League, or PCSL for short. I had no idea what the heck PCSL was, so I fired up my Google machine and started searching. I’m pretty sure it’s not the Pacific Championship Series. The other PCS League is the Practical Competition Shooting League.

What’s the PCS League?

The PCS League was created by Max Leograndis, a multi-national championship. The idea seems to create a league that revolves around the use of practical guns in competition. The divisions include a two-gun division, as well as handgun and PCC divisions. The League seems to be taking off quite fast, with new shooters enjoying the simplicity of the matches and rules.

I looked through the rules regarding firearms in the PCS League and was surprised by how simple the rules are. There is The Competition Division, which is as close to open as this League gets. We have Practical Irons and Practical Optics, and they are currently working on an Actual Carry Pistol division. The Divisions are refreshingly simple.

Sometimes, reading the USPSA and IDPA divisions gets quite complicated. You can use optics and a light, but you can’t use a magazine that’s a particular length unless it’s the third full moon of the year and it’s the second Tuesday. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but it’s tiresome to try and keep up with the very specific divisions. Remember when IDPA created specific rules to ban the P220 in the CD division after Ernest Langdon cleaned house? Lord forbid a gun outside of a 1911 win.

PCS League provides simple-to-read and simple-to-understand rules for your firearms. It’s easy to understand with a quick and initial read. The focus of these rules seems mostly to keep the guns practical. The whole purpose of the League is to present a competitive league that focuses on practical firearms.

A New Target for a New League

One of the notable changes was the creation of a new target. This new target features your typical A, C, and D zone as well as a K zone. The K zone is the headshot target. If I’m reading the rules right, a shooter can land one K-zone shot and kill the target or two body shots in the A, C, or D zone.

The PCS League isn’t crazy large like the other clubs and seems to be more adaptive and less set in its ways. Remember how long it took some of these older organizations to adopt optics-ready handguns? PCS League seems to be more willing to adapt as long as the change is practical.

I haven’t shot PCS League yet, but the less restrictive nature seems to make it easier to approach than USPSA and similar old-fashioned clubs. PCS League promises to provide a more straightforward competitive environment. Straightforward is good because it has the ability to attract new shooters who are turned off by the more entrenched shooting leagues. It seems like PCS League has the ability to go far!

Revenant Corps Grackle

By

Travis Pike

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October 20, 2023

Revenant Corps is the G10 knife-making madmen with a number of interesting, nonmetallic designs. They make everything from specialized Sharpies to G10 knives and even a small G10 Axe. Most of their weapons are built around the idea of low-profile, concealed carry options. The Imp and their G10 pointy Sharpie likely being their more famous options. One of my favorites is known as the Grackle.

If you’re not familiar with the term, a grackle is a type of bird. Its diet consists of just about everything it can eat. It’s sort of a greedy, always-eating animal that hunts bugs, frogs, and even fish. The Grackle as a knife is a small, easily concealed fixed blade option made entirely from G10. The sheath is also nonmetallic.

The Grackle – Inside and Out

The blade design of the Grackle is interesting. It’s heavily upswept with a broad belly. This provides a large cutting edge, which is uncommon on knives designed more or less for stabbing rather than slashing. G10 isn’t commonly known for being sharp, but the Grackle is different. It has a decently sharp slashing edge that would cause some serious discomfort to anyone who happens to catch a slash.

The point of the blade is most certainly a good sticker. It’s quite pokey, and the blade features a hefty amount of reinforcement that gives it a 3D-type look on the blade. It’s thick enough to take the beating and resist breaking when jammed against some bad guy’s ribs.

The blade of the Grackle is surprisingly rough and tough. It’s a competent tool for self-defense and would allow you to strike first, strike hard, and apply an appropriate amount of mercy.

The Handle And Sheath

The Grackle has several variants. Mine is the Great Tailed Grackle. It features a Tsukomaki and ray skin handle that Revenant Corps epoxied for durability. It’s a very nice texture that’s not rough on the hands but stays locked into place. It doesn’t want to slide or scoot, and it’s aided by a slight curve in the handle and a fatter rear portion. This serves to prevent slippage, and it does quite well.

The Grackle’s handle is longer than its blade, but at 5.5 inches, it’s easily concealable. The sheath aids in concealment in a few ways. It’s not your typical belt loop design. Instead, it has a retention line and a hook. It fits behind the belt with the hook attached to the bottom of the belt. The cordage secures the entire setup to you. It’s low profile but easy to carry in nearly any position. Drawing is smooth, and sheathing should be done carefully to avoid getting poked.

Slash, Stab, Escape

These types of weapons are designed as a last resort tool. It’s not a weapon you necessarily win a fight with, but it’s a weapon you can end a fight. It allows you to create distance, resist, and hopefully escape or access your concealed carry firearm. G10 keeps the knife ultra-light but provides enough strength and durability to deal damage. You can check it out here.

Taurus USA Launches new Taurus Optics Ready Option Judge

By

Keith Finch

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October 20, 2023

October 2023, Bainbridge GA – When Taurus USA launched the first ever optics ready defensive revolvers, the 856 and 605 Taurus Optics Ready Option (T.O.R.O.) revolvers, consumers loved them. Now, Taurus launches the first extension to the T.O.R.O. revolver line: The Judge T.O.R.O. The most popular multi-caliber revolver on the market is now optics ready.

The Judge T.O.R.O. is available in four different models, all of which feature a 3 inch barrel, smooth double action trigger, and a fiber optic front sight if you don’t want to use the included optics plate. The four available models will be a stainless or matte black model with a cylinder that accepts 2.5 inch 410 shotshells, and stainless and matte black models that accept 3 inch 410 shotshells. The standard Judge T.O.R.O. and Magnum Judge T.O.R.O. optics plate accepts sights that fit the Holosun K-series or Shield RMSc footprints.

“What’s better than a Judge? A Judge with a dot on it,” said Caleb Giddings, General Manager of Marketing for Taurus USA. “The Judge is without a doubt our most popular revolver, and adding a red dot to it just enhances its capabilities.”

The new Taurus Judge T.O.R.O. is shipping now, and MSRP will start at $615.99.

For more information on the Taurus Judge family of firearms, visit: https://www.taurususa.com/revolvers/taurus-judge

About Taurus:

Taurus Holdings, Inc. (“Taurus”) and its subsidiaries continues to evolve and produce revolutionary new products. In addition, new standards for quality and efficiency help deliver reliable and affordable guns to the market. Taurus is based in Bainbridge, Georgia. Taurus is owned by Taurus Armas, S.A. which is a publicly traded company based in Brazil. Taurus Armas S.A. manufactures a wide variety of consumer and industrial products that are distributed worldwide.

For additional information, visit www.taurususa.com.

STREAMLIGHT® LAUNCHES PROTAC® RAIL MOUNT HL-X PRO

By

Keith Finch

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October 20, 2023

EAGLEVILLE, PA, October 19, 2023 – Streamlight^® Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting tools, introduced the ProTac^® Rail Mount HL-X Pro gun-mounted light, providing up to 1,000 lumens, 50,000 candela, and an extreme beam reach of 447 meters. The new light features an innovative Jack-Cap™ tail cap switch that offers both push-button or remote pressure switch operation, and also offers battery versatility, allowing users to choose between two different battery types.

The lightweight, low-profile ProTac Rail Mount HL-X Pro features a rugged, integrated rail clamp designed to rapidly and securely attach to rifles, carbines and sub-machine guns with a MIL-STD 1913 (Picatinny) or, by using the included M-LOK^® mount, to M-LOK or M-LOK compatible rail systems. It is powered by either two 3-volt CR123 lithium batteries or one Streamlight rechargeable SL-B26^® lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack. This multi-fuel option allows for use of primary disposable batteries if the rechargeable cell is out of power.

“This newest addition to the ProTac family of weapon-mounted lights is the ‘whole package,’” said Streamlight President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Sharrah. “It not only functions as a high lumen light, but with its 50,000 candela and long beam reach, it also puts more light on a target at a distance. This makes it a powerful tactical tool for law enforcement professionals, military personnel and other first responders as they perform room clearing, search operations and other maneuvers under low-light conditions. Its innovative tail cap switch provides switch redundancy, offering both a push-button switch and a port for a remote pressure switch. And users can choose between rechargeable and disposable batteries, depending on preference or availability.”

The new light mounts to a broad range of weapons safely and securely by means of a one-handed, snap-on and tighten interface that permits users to keep their hands away from the gun muzzle. The light’s multi-function, push-button tail switch offers momentary and latching constant on operation; the optional remote switch is available in momentary only and momentary/latching versions. Both allow for one-handed operation of the light’s momentary, constant on or strobe modes. The light is also TEN-TAP^® programmable to allow for selection of three different programs: high/strobe (factory default), high only, or low/high.

The ProTac Rail Mount HL-X Pro uses the latest in power LED technology for extreme brightness. When using the SL-B26 battery pack, the light delivers 1,000 lumens, 50,000 candela and a 447-meter beam distance on high. On low, it provides 60 lumens, 3,100 candela, and a beam distance of 111 meters.

When using CR123A batteries, the new light runs for up to 1.25 hours on high and 21 hours on low. With an SL-B26 battery pack inserted, the light’s run time is up to 1.75 hours on high and 24 hours on low. The run time for the strobe feature is up to 3.5 hours depending on the type of battery used.

The new light is fabricated from 6000 series machined aircraft aluminum with Type II MIL-Spec anodized finish. It measures 5.43 inches in length and weighs 6.6 ounces with two CR123 batteries and 7.2 ounces with the SL-B26 rechargeable battery pack. When using the standard push-button switch, it is IP67-rated for waterproof operation to one meter for 30 minutes, and is IP54-rated for water-resistant operation with the remote pressure switch installed. Extensively live-fire tested, the light is impact-resistance tested to two meters.

The ProTac Rail Mount HL-X Pro is available as a Light Only or as a System, which includes a remote pressure switch, Jack-Cap tail switch, remote retaining clips, double-sided tape, zip ties and a M-LOK^® mount.

It has an MSRP that ranges from $210.00 to $266.00 depending on the configuration and includes Streamlight’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

About Streamlight
Based in Eagleville, PA, Streamlight, Inc. is marking 50 years of manufacturing high-quality, durable flashlights designed to serve the specialized needs of professionals and consumers alike. Since 1973, the company has designed, manufactured and marketed high-performance flashlights, and today offers a broad array of lights, lanterns, weapon light/laser sighting devices, and scene lighting solutions for professional law enforcement, military, firefighting, industrial, automotive, and outdoor applications. Streamlight is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company. For additional information, please call 800-523-7488, visit streamlight.com or connect with us on facebook.com/streamlight; twitter.com/Streamlight; instagram.com/streamlightinc; linkedin.com/comp any/streamlight-inc./; and youtube.com/streamlighttv.

BREAKING: California Assault Weapon Ban Ruled Unconstitutional, State Has 10 Days to Appeal

By

Keith Finch

-

October 19, 2023

Firearm Policy Coalition is posting that the US District Court has found the the California AWB to be unconstitutional and will be vacated. The state of California has 10 days to file their expected appeal, but the foundation is falling. Magazines and regular firearms are likely soon to be back on the available list for every law abiding person nationwide.

From FPC IG,

FPC WINS!!!

The District Court in our Miller v. Bonta “Assault Weapon” Ban Lawsuit has STRUCK DOWN the ban, deeming it UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

However, there will be no freedom week, YET, as the judge has put his order on hold to give California 10 days to appeal.

Stay tuned as we process the full opinion.

We look forward to the incoming tears of unfathomable sadness from Gavin Newsom and the anti-rights narcissists nationwide.

You can find the opinion at AssaultWeaponLawsuit.com.

Tree ID Class For Foragers

By

Dr LateBloomer

-

October 19, 2023

Recently I had the pleasure of attending an outdoor workshop that was extremely interesting and useful, so I’m here to tell you about it.

The name of the workshop/class was “Tree Identification for Foragers”, presented by Adam Haritan of Learn Your Land. And the workshop was hosted by Erik Kulick of True North Wilderness Survival School.

Our instructor Adam was incredibly enthusiastic about his topic.

Anyone who has read my scribbling here at GAT knows that I am interested in food growing, food preservation, and also food foraging. With foraging thus far I have learned a bit on my own, and a bit by osmosis from my forestry-major daughter. This workshop was my first formal instruction on the topic. I use the term “formal” loosely because the workshop was very open to questions and inquiry and was not at all a stiff classroom environment. It was nonetheless very valuable to me.

The location for this outdoor workshop was a 600+ acre park in suburban Pittsburgh called Hartwood Acres. Many of those acres are wooded, which provided many examples of the trees that we learned about during the day.

The focus of the workshop was not “just” tree identification, but how this identification can tell you so much more about the soil, landscape, and ecology of the land in which it is growing. It was a sort of “holistic” approach which I found very interesting.

During the four hour workshop I took almost nine pages of notes in my “field notebook” that I purchased at Ollie’s the day before the class. (Yes, I’m cheap.) I’ll have to go back through those notes to type out complete sentences and connect info that I strung together with arrows, and clarify some spelling and things that I sort of scribbled as I walked. I would have taken more notes, but I also wanted to examine the specimens, taste them, take photos, and listen more closely, and it was challenging to juggle all of it at once.

One of the first things we learned was the framework to use to be able to identify trees. I think the first he mentioned was having a basic idea of what grows in your area. That way you don’t have to plow through hundreds of things in the guidebook that couldn’t even be a possibility based upon your location. Then we learned about leaf branching arrangements (opposite vs alternate vs whorl) and leaf structure (simple vs compound), which informed a flow sheet approach for identifying the tree you are interested in. That was just the first trickle from the fire hose of information which followed.

There were several highlights of the day for me, one of which was the introduction and sampling of “Nannyberry”. This was something I’d never heard of before in 60 years of living in the East. I found a nursery online that carries them and I may have to have a couple for my yard as they are native and I don’t yet have any late fall berries for my attempt at a multi-season foodscape. Nannyberry is also listed as fairly deer resistant, which I definitely need. Though they have a large pit, Nannyberries are sweet and taste a bit like raisins. I’m going to have to keep an eye out for them in the wild as well.

But the biggest highlight was seeing not just one, but two surviving American Chestnut trees in Hartwood Acres! As you may or may not know, American Chestnut has been all but wiped out in the last hundred years by a fungal pathogen which arrived from Asia in the early 1900’s. It used to be a key species in America for not only hardwood harvest, but also abundant nut production for both human and wildlife consumption. Many old barns have huge main beams that are American Chestnut. Its niche has since been supplanted by oak and hickory, but neither are as prolific nut producers as American Chestnut was historically.

There were multiple other learning experiences throughout the day. One such learning experience came when I stabbed a finger on the spines of a Spanish chestnut husk. Thereafter I used a stick to get at the nut while protecting my digits (d’oh!). I also learned how to tell the difference between a toxic, inedible horse chestnut or “buckeye” and an edible “sweet chestnut”. According to Adam, the edible varieties have a starburst pattern on the nut, and the inedible types do not.

Flip flops are not recommended in chestnut country!

See the starburst pattern on the right? That one is edible.

Additionally I learned that Hawthorn fruits look like rose hips. Hawthorn is technically a type of apple and apples are in the rose family. So that explains that – who knew? I also learned there was such a thing as “Pignut Hickory”, which was historically made into a nut milk by native tribes and settlers.

I cannot recommend this class enough for those who are interested in learning more about the trees and landscape around them. I hope at some point there might be a “Level 2” to this course. In the meantime I need to keep working on and polishing my skills!

For those with long memories, True North was where I had planned to take a Basic Land Nav course last year, but then didn’t feel well and had to cancel. So now that I am retired, that class is back on my agenda for the coming year.

Learn Your Land offers an online “Trees in All Seasons” course which I also plan to sign up for in the coming months.

If you are interested in learning more about the outdoors and/or survival, taking some instruction from either of these organizations would be well worth your while.

My personal learning curve continues!

Pennsylvania’s MPOETC Quals Rule

By

Travis Pike

-

October 19, 2023

The Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission, or the MPOETC, is the organization in Pennsylvania that creates and oversees the training required for law enforcement in Pennsylvania. This includes the firearms quals the police must pass. I’ve looked at tons of police officer qualification shoots, and the MPOETC always stands out as having the best firearm quals out there. Their handgun, rifle, and shotgun quals are tough to beat.

With that in mind, why don’t I share the MPOETC quals I love so much with you? You might not be a police officer, but the quals present you with a unique training opportunity. If you want to go to the range with a plan, these quals provide you with several types of drills and challenges that will spice up your training routine. As far as police quals go, these can be a real challenge and are worth a spin.

The MPOETC Daylight Patrol Rifle Qual

The MPOETC Patrol rifle qual is more or less designed around an AR-15. It’s the most common patrol rifle. However, you can get away with using any of the semi-auto rifles with a detachable magazine. You’ll need at least two magazines and 50 rounds of ammo. A shot timer is also required because each qual has a time limit and accuracy standard.

The range goes out to 100 yards, so you’ll need at least that much range. Part of the qual involves an instructor yelling headshot, so if you have a friend, they can help make the qual all the better.

The MPOETC Shotgun Qual

Most police shotgun quals are at the bottom of the barrel. The MPOETC stands out as one of the best. It involves both slugs and buckshot phases. The qual requires a repeating shotgun, be it a pump or semi-auto. Shooters will need five slugs and eight rounds of 00 buckshot.

You’ll need up to 50 yards of range and a barricade to use as cover. Pay close attention to the condition of the shotgun during a stage.

The MPOETC Handgun Qual

The handgun qual is probably the most relevant for most people. It’s designed for a duty rig and gun, but why not shoot it concealed for more of a challenge? The qual requires a handgun, two magazines, and sixty rounds of ammunition. You’ll need something to act as cover as well. The qual goes as far as 25 yards, so you’ll break out of that seven-yard mindset. Don’t forget a holster and shot timer.

Why Are These Quals So Good?

First, they challenge real-world firearm handling skills. They make use of cover, range beyond the norm, and challenge the shooter in a variety of ways. They have tight times and good accuracy standards. They all use the TQ-21 target, but you can obviously use your own and make it work. These are not checking a box quals like the State of Texas’ shotgun qual. These will be challenging, and if it’s challenging, it’s fun. These quals will help you build skills shoot straighter and faster at the same time.

What’s not to love?

PCC’d Handguns, a good idea? Well, depends…

By

Keith Finch

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October 18, 2023

Mike Jones, THE Garand Thumb, did a video on the SEAL adopted Flux Raider P320 variant. Cool video, watch it when you have a 30 minute break to enjoy.

But my discussion here isn’t about the Raider, per se, it is about the concept of turning a sidearm into a PCC.

Are there advantages?

Absolutely.

When done correctly, with a special attention paid to the goal(s) of the firearm, it is a light, compact, and highly viable personal protective option. But let’s dispel some ideas I’ve seen floated around about this concept and get into why.

Conversion on Demand

Toss the idea of turning your sidearm into a carbine under stress. Get rid of it. It’s gone, done, burn it in the dumpster fires of mount dumb. The PCC’d pistol is now a carbine, if you want a sidearm you need another pistol.

PCC and sidearm, yes same caliber, yes different use. No I do not want one to need to transform into the other one.

If you need a gun, the last thing you want to be doing is taking a functional gun and making it non-functional in order to turn it into an unzeroed carbine. Use the pistol you have in working condition and may the odds be ever in your favor.

I don’t know how many places I have seen the idea of stripping your working firearm down and throwing it into a chassis like some kind of tactical transformer game where it now gains a +2 stat boost, but that isn’t how these things work in real life. If your pistol is in a chassis and zeroed, it stays in the chassis. We’ll get to chassis’ in a minute too. Not all are created equal.

Treat the chassis’d pistol like a separate carbine, it is no longer the carry gun you once had.

Chassis

Your.

Chassis.

Must.

Hold.

Zero.

The easiest way to assure this is use one that uses the sights on the slide, like the Flux Raider. Another is if it uses just the fire control/lower of the pistol and locks it into an independent upper that is part of the chassis.

If the chassis locks around the whole complete pistol but isn’t using the pistol sights, red flag. Hard stop. Pause.

No. Bad. Stop. Only good for SciFi movies.

Your sights must have a fixed relationship with your barrel and firing mechanism. Full stop. End of discussion. If your sights do not have a fixed relationship with the barrel and firing mechanism, like in the RONI where its attached to the polymer light rail and can flex independently, then that chassis is at best a toy. It should not be used for serious purpose as you can significantly disrupt the barrel’s relationship with the sights and hit something you didn’t intend.

We’re talking magnitudes more deflection than you get off of pressing on an M4 barrel against a VTAC barricade, several inches in either direction at 25 yards. Say goodbye to that “hostage” shot.

“Keith, lasers stay zeroed on the rail.”

Yes, because you aren’t grabbing the laser. You aren’t putting pressure onto the gun and into your shoulder with substantial leverage and mechanical advantage via the laser. You are doing that with these types of chassis systems.

Just say no, with the exception of just for fun.

Should you invest in a converted PCC?

Maybe.

The good ones have very significant size and weight advantages, being just a bit more real estate intensive than their duty pistol counterparts. They also feed from the same magazines giving you both ammunition and magazine compatibility with your sidearm (potentially). They are going to fit in some of the smallest bags for carry and even a few holsters if your situation and use case allow for them.

The downside is you are limiting (potentially) the amount of other advantages a carbine can give you in ancillary gear and handling characteristics. That may not matter, the possession of a shoulder fired solution with a red dot and a light might be all the extra edge that you need. However the magazine compatible options like Glock pattern ARs or the APC9 Pro also offer a strong hybrid of the capabilities of the converted pistol PCC with the additional ancillary and functional advantages of the carbines.

So, do those advantages and limitations fit your use need?

1903 Was a Great Year For Guns

By

Travis Pike

-

October 18, 2023

Man, 1903 was a crazy year. The Teddy Bear was invented that year. Some guys electrocuted an elephant in New York City, the Wright brothers took flight, and it was a damn fine year for guns. I’ve gotten into old guns recently. Call me bored with M-LOK and polymer frames. I just noticed the year 1903 constantly came up and decided to look at what made 1903 such an interesting year for firearms.

Notable Firearms of 1903

Plenty of firearms wear the 1903 moniker, and I’m guessing it’s easy to guess which guns made the list. The most obvious being the Springfield M1903, which served the United States from 1903 til 1949. This rifle was very much a product of its time, and its time meant a bolt action design, heavy wooden furniture, and a long bayonet. It was a rifle, a club, and a spear in different instances.

Another of the more popular weapons produced in 1903 was the M1903 Pocket Hammerless. This John browning design produced for Colt chambered the little .32 ACP and provided a direct blowback semi-auto pistol for concealed carry. It was an instant hit, served with numerous police forces, and was a General Officer’s pistol.

There was a not-as-popular Colt Pocket Hammer 1903, which was John Browning’s first short recoil handgun and chambered the forgotten .38 ACP. This gun would go on to become the COlt M1911, which needs no introduction. The 1903 Pocket Hammer was the compact variant in a family of .38 ACP guns that included the M1900 and M1902 Sporting.

John Browning also invented the FN M1903 for the Belgians. This is a semi-auto pistol firing the 9mm Browning Long. It was similar to the Colt M1903 but larger and more capable. It became a service pistol with the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Swedes, and many more.

Finally, Winchester produced the Model 1903, which was the first successful commercially offered semi-auto rifle. It was a .22 Winchester Automatic, which is a rimfire round, and it used a simple blowback action. The rifle used a tubular magazine and was designed by T.C. Johnson.

Why 1903?

Isn’t that the magic question? These firearms were all fairly successful and innovative and even impacted modern gun design to this day. Some answers are easy. The Springfield M1903 was a .30-06 rifle produced in the wake of the Spanish-American War. The Spanish used the Mausers, which outclassed American Krags. America needed to keep up and built the M1903. The United States would later pay a small sum for every rifle produced to Mauser. At least until World War 1 started.

What about all the semi-auto firearms? It’s worth noting that 1903 was right dead in the middle of the Technological Revolution. This period is also known as the Second Industrial Revolution. It would culminate in World War 1, where tanks and machine guns left millions of European boys dead on bloody battlefields.

The early 1900s were one of massive industrial expansion. Mass production as we know it now was just starting to arrive. While it still took talented, skilled workers to produce firearms, the time it took was being cut drastically. The first semi-auto handgun was created in 1893, and a mere decade later, they’d rule the market.

Firearm technology was quickly evolving with the rise of autoloaders. They were becoming easier to produce, and in 1900, Browning invented the first automatic pistol with a slide. Automatic loaders seemed to be the future, and plenty of companies were willing to put money behind them.

We mentioned Browning, and it’s worth noting that while he was working, he was always innovating. He was responsible for three of the famed 1903 pistols, which were all autoloaders.

The Next Revolution?

These days, every modern handgun and rifle seems to have fairly standard construction. We know what works. In 1903, they were more or less figuring that out. Guns like the Pocket Hammerless and the FN M1903 shaped the way handguns look and function to this day. The Winchester rifle wasn’t much different than any other semi-auto .22 rifle. It’s fascinating how much has changed but also how much it’s stayed the same.

Weapon Integrated Lights – The Past and Maybe the Future?

By

Travis Pike

-

October 17, 2023

The integration of accessories into firearms has always fascinated me. It tickles that cyberpunk itch I have with firearms. Certain accessories integrate better than others, and lights are seemingly one of the more popular choices for weapon integration. We typically add lights to handguards and rails, but what about building them into the rifle? True integration of light and firearm. Integrating a weapon light isn’t a new idea. In fact, it’s kind of an old idea we’ve gotten away from.

The OGs of Integrated Lights

Surefire was one of the first when they were still Laser Products Corporation. It wasn’t a light necessarily, but a laser that was integrated into the tube of a Remington 870. When Surefire became Surefire, they continued to integrate weapon lights and accessories. They built the integrated shotgun pumps that really defined weapon lights for pump shotguns.

They went on to design handguards for the MP5 that integrated a weapon light and followed up with the M4 handguard that did the same. This was before Picatinny Rails and certainly well before M-LOK became the star of the show. These systems used built-in buttons and allowed the user to control the lights in a rather ingenious way.

With the rise of M-LOK and rails, most of these faded away. Shotguns are one of the few platforms that still commonly use integrated lights. The main problem with these older lights was a lack of customization. You could change their orientation or place the button right where you want it. This poses a problem because we are a people who right like to customize and control the crap we stick on our guns.

Modern Integrated Lights

I’m using modern to describe any light system from 2010 til now or so. We’ve seen a few rail systems integrate lights. The Merklight X Series handguards integrated 8 LEDs into a handguard and apparently had 740 lumens of power, but I’m betting the candela and range were rather low. Another option was the Luma Shark, which offered 1,150 lumens of light from two integrated lights that sat on the bottom of the M-LOK handguard.

One of the more impressive examples of integration comes from the Taurus Curve. I know what you’re thinking, but I’ll give credit when it’s due. The Curve was the first time I ever saw a handgun with a light built into the frame. Sure, it was dimmer than the light on my keychain, but it was a step forward.

The only successful integrated weapon lights still come from shotguns. This includes the TL Racker, the Surefire DSF series, and the oft-forgotten Steiner Mk7. Due to the specific needs of a pump shotgun, these lights excel at their role and are widely fielded.

What the Future Could Hold

I don’t think weapon lights integrated into rifles will gain any real acceptance anytime soon. People like being able to place their lights in a way that better interacts with the other gear on their rifle rails. Shotguns are covered, and I really think the future of integrated weapon lights comes in the form of handguns.

The Curve had it right. With handguns, we have one place to stick the light, and it’s under the barrel. With handguns like the P320 and the Echelon using these removable fire control groups and chassis, the advent of a grip with a built-in light can’t be too far off. The smart idea would be to use interchangeable switches and replaceable heads that match something like the Surefire X300 series.

It could save bulk and weight from a fairly bulky combination. SIG has done a laser grip module for the P320, so someone is thinking about it. It would be interesting to see the integration and how big or small lights could be with integration, and potentially other avenues or battery integration. As long as the current standard for power can be met, I’d love to see light integration become an option with particular frames and designs. Hopefully, we don’t have to wait too long on the future.