Polls Shouldn’t Shape Policy

By

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June 16, 2023

Polls, ladies and gentlemen, are useless.

Well, that isn’t true absolutely. Just within this context. Polls are very useful in limited scope, they can gauge general attitudes and opinions on various broad topics. That information has uses. What seems to be ignored repeatedly by those reporting on poll results though, is that the average person polled is woefully under informed on most topics about which they are being polled, and yet their opinions are still being given weight. That because they have an opinion, that opinion is informed. They shouldn’t be given that weight.

To put it bluntly, the average person being asked the question is probably too stupid to be worth asking. They don’t know, they shouldn’t be asked. This is why polling can accurately gauge prevailing attitudes but shouldn’t ever be used to craft policy. Because that poll can also, but isn’t, be used to gauge topic competence. Topic competence would ruin the validity of the poll as a leverage tool however, so we don’t ask those questions.

I bring this up for this reason. Over at the Washington Monthly they are commenting on a Nationhood Lab piece that is looking at gun violence regionally. That is, in my opinion, a good thing. We need to go beyond regional however and probably down to the county level for data and efforts to combat violence effectively to matter. The regions highlighted in the study are still far too large. The dilute the problems too much and that makes for poor and ill fit solutions.

But what kicked off this commentary was this paragraph,

Nationscape also asked respondents if they support everything from requiring universal gun purchase background checks to banning firearms. The results are encouraging—if you think the status quo is unacceptable. ]

They reference this chart on an assault weapon ban, they call the results ‘encouraging’. I want you readers to remember that. They call this result… from the public… ‘encouraging‘.

[There was near universal support in every region for background checks, with higher percentages of support in each than the proportion of Americans that believe NASA put astronauts on the moon or that the Earth is round. There was also majority support in every region for banning assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines, albeit with margins ranging from a few percent (or even a fraction of a percent) in the Far West, the Deep South, and Greater Appalachia to massive 30 and 40 point margins in the “blue” regions. (You can read the details here.)

Did you catch that.

with higher percentages of support in each than the proportion of Americans that believe NASA put astronauts on the moon or that the Earth is round.

The public, who we are polling for effective policy support, is in greater support of Universal Background Checks than believe we landed on the moon or that the earth is round. And that, is encouraging.

The public. The same public that cannot be wholly trusted to trust in a major historical event and achievement of science that happened in 1969, that’s living memory for 20% of the population, or even the basic physics involved in planetology and trust that the planet we are standing on is round… that public, we should trust their opinion on gun policy.

Because more morons support UBCs than think our space rock matches every other observable space rock in the universe in its basic fucking shape, that is encouraging.

No. Fuck off.

That’s not encouraging. That’s a giant pile of red flagged evidence that we don’t need to take the public’s opinions very seriously beyond a certain gauge of their attitudes, worries, and stresses in a very generalized sense. Because they’re stupid.

In what world can I survey someone who doesn’t understand a rule that requires any nuanced understanding about the rule and get an answer worth my time? Why would I survey all bakers about aircraft wing design, especially in so vague of terms that it amounts to ‘should we make wings better or not’? Why would I survey all chefs about their opinions regarding chemical burns and if they think chemical burns are serious burns?

Why would I survey people who don’t think we landed on the moon or that our planet is the same rough shape as every other planet and take their opinion seriously regarding the space program? Or satellites? Or the internet?

Why would I take anything seriously in polls so abysmally diluted and full of inexpert opinion that they amount to asking ‘should we be more safe or less safe?’, and then these supposed social scientists and policy drafters running around like we’ve won the Olympics with a poll result where most people picked ‘more safe’.

They using that ‘more safe’ as justification for whichever policy they can clench out from between their cheeks and claim everyone on that poll card supports it.

“But Keith,” you say smugly as a hypothetical person with a gotcha point to play, “You parrot polls that support your opinions.”

I sure do, I’m just as pessimistic about the expertise of those surveyed in those. What I’m happy about seeing in those polls is the public not buying into the unsubstantiated bullshit being peddled by the politico types promising to fix ‘gun violence’ when holding that opinion either proves their stupidity or the willful complicity into lying to the public just to keep winning their seat. Often both.

I’m so tired of popular moronism. I’m tired of us taking people like Sheila Jackson Lee seriously when they stand up in the chamber and get literally nothing right in the incoherent babbling about any topic they present as their informed testimony. I’m tired of policy makers failing ‘are you smarter than a 5th grader’ level understandings of the topics they are voting on, and then still being sat there to vote. Not just guns, everything. We have a sitting congressman, Hank Johnson of Georgia, who asked a US Navy Admiral if the US Marines were in danger of capsizing Guam… capsizing an island… that man asked that in 2010 and still has a job, the same job, where he makes decisions about things like where to put Marines, transportation infrastructure, oh yeah… and gun policy.

Dark Star Gear’s Newest Holster Line

By

The Suited Shootist

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June 16, 2023

Dark Star Gear has been one of the premier names in kydex concealment holsters ever since they came on the scene back in 2008.

One of the main reason is that Tom Kelley’s training resume is as impressive as his holsters, which lead to thoughtful designs with all the features you need and no superfluous bulk or add-ons.

His core line consists of the Orion for big guns, the Hitchhiker for small guns, the Rigel for weapon-mounted lights, and the Osiris for outside-the-waistband.

As of this year, Tom has introduced a new offering to his lineup: The Apollo.

The goal of the Apollo holster was to be an entry-level, turn-key holster for the most popular carry guns out there. Currently, the Apollos is offered for:

Glock 19/45/44/32. It will also fit Gen3 or 4 23s, but not Gen 5s.
Glock 48/43X/43.
2011s (most 2011s based on a polymer frame & square trigger guard)
Sig P365/P365XL/P365 SAS (seriously, don’t buy this one. Ever)*/P365 Spectre/P365 Spectre Comp.
Springfield Hellcat/RDP/Hellcat Micro-Compact/Hellcat Micro-Compact OSP

The Apollo is a bare-bones holster, designed to keep it as budget-friendly as possible while maintaining the quality and performance standards that Dark Star has become known for.

The holsters are offered in either a dark black, or a slightly darker black, with RCS Overhooks, and the option to add a Dark Wing and/or Muzzle Pad as needed for either traditional Inside-the-Waistband or Appendix Inside-the-Waistband carry, and can be set up for either left or right handed carry.

While the Apollo doesn’t offer quite the same breadth of color or gun options as the full Dark Star lineup, you’d be hard pressed to find a better holster at the $40 price point.

The Apollo DOES come with the same degree of construction and finishing that we’ve come to expect from Dark Star holsters. All the edges are radiused to reduce hot spots and pressure points.

These holsters carry the added advantage of being compatible with the PHLster Enigma faceplate.

_{*Seriously. I cannot stress how awful the SAS “sights” are.}

Sheila’s Expert Testimony…

By

Keith Finch

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June 16, 2023

Just… just watch…

In the words of Caboose: “Sheila, noooo!”

Sheila Jackson Lee is, like her colleagues, not someone I go to looking for doctoral level dialogue on a subject. But what we witnessed was such blathering ineptitude, that in any private sector where any liability was formed by her exposition, she would be summarily dismissed her position. Imagine a Pfizer representative or a surgeon be this blatantly wrong about how a drug worked or how the risks of a surgery were measured. Imagine an engineer being this utterly wrong about a building or road design and still be employed. But Sheila… Sheila is still employed because she ticks the right boxes on the inclusion power bingo card.

I used to joke with my father about how the meteorologist didn’t need to be right to keep their job, and that must be nice.

Meteorology has nothing on politics.

An Ode to the Mini Mauser

By

Travis Pike

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June 15, 2023

If you’ve ever flipped through the pages of Shotgun News, you’ve likely stumbled across all the ads for surplus firearms or something similar. Hell, the ads were half the fun, to be honest. You’ve probably run across the famed mini Mauser. These ads have frequented the pages of Shotgun News for decades and might still. They’ve been imported by Interarms, Century Arms, and now Zastava for decades.

I also liked the idea of an intermediate caliber bolt action rifle. Something about their short actions, lightweight, and cheap ammo draws me in. It took me years to finally find one, but I won’t lie. I’m quite stoked about my acquisition. My Mini Mauser is an Interarms Mark X. These rifles began life as Serbian barreled actions and were sent to Britain. There they were bedded and inserted into stocks.

This resulted in a rather nice rifle. The Mini Mauser varies a bit in design and finish, and the Mark X models are often considered the top dogs. The Mini Mauser features a deep blue finish with a beautiful wood stock. You might glance over at it first and see a Winchester Model 70. It certainly compares in finish to one. Most of the Mini Mauser family are well-made, accurate, and fun-handling rifles. I think they are criminally underrated among American shooters.

What’s a Mini Mauser?

Mauser created one of the most robust and widely copied bolt actions out there. It came to be in the 19th century and remains a strong contender to this day. The Mini Mauser family comes from the Mauser line of design, but it’s not for so mighty Teutonic cartridges like the 8mm Mauser. Instead, these actions are shrunk to intermediate rifle calibers. The two most common are .223 Remington and 7.62 X 39mm.

My model is the x39 model, and it’s the one I’ve always wanted. Cheap ammo, and the fact I have piles of it, guides my decision. Plus, bolt guns in x39mm are just plain cool. They provide the same ballistics as a .30-30, so they are perfectly suited for the swamps I hunt in.

The Mini Mauser design isn’t a real Mauser action, though. It’s a bit of an amalgamation of the Mauser action. The controlled feed design is gone, so we are left with a push-feed system. The action isn’t super smooth and certainly has some stiffness to it. It’s also a sporting action, so we can’t charge it with stripper clips, either. I don’t need to, but imagine this thing taking SKS stripper clips.

At the Range With The Mini Mauser

An optics mount and an LPVO from Primary Arms later, and I was ready to shoot. I mostly have the cheapest, dirtiest, most Eastern European ammo of dubious descent in my x39 stash. This stuff is AK food all day, and if it can’t work in other x39mm rifles, then what’s the point?

With that in mind, that’s what I shot and continue to shoot. When deer season comes around, we’ll do a zero for some of my Hornady loads, but until then, it’s time for the rough stuff. It all loads easily, and admittedly, you have to do the bolt gun shuffle to get the ammo in the magazine by swerving around the optic.

The steel ammo fed smoothly and chambered without a problem. It extracted and ejected with ease as well. The steel-cased ammo provided no problems for the Mini Mauser action. One of the benefits of a Serbian-made gun is that they make it for that same steel case 7.62x39mm they shoot.

The accuracy was impressive. I saw 1.2-inch groups at 100 yards with steel-cased ammo. A little brass-cased Winchester white box brought that down to elbow an inch. Even a 1.2-inch group is acceptable for hunting purposes or general marksmanship.

The recoil is a bit stiffer than I expected. I’m so used to shooting semi-auto 7.62x39mm guns that I forget the effect of recoil from a bolt gun. It’s not uncomfortable or painful, just present and a bit surprising.

Getting Mini

I’ve waited years to find the Mini Mauser I wanted, and it was well worth the wait. The Interarms Mark X proved to be a very well-made rifle. It’s good-looking, accurate, and reliable. It’s certainly not the smoothest design, but I bet it gets better the more I shoot. For me, this combination of wood and blued steel is a bit more appealing than the Ruger American Ranch rifle, and the channels that classic-style modern rifles are missing.

Smith & Wesson’s Folding Pistol Caliber 9mm Carbine

By

V. Caldwell

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June 14, 2023

Firing around cover and under vehicles isn’t difficult

When testing the new S&W FPC carbine among my strongest impressions is that this is a fun gun to fire and use. The FPC has few sharp edges, is reliable, more than accurate enough, and affordable. The safety features are good. This is a formidable emergency firearm. The Smith & Wesson Military & Police FPC 9mm carbine neatly checks every box in the home defense checklist. I enjoyed the FPC so much I put a dent in my supply of 9mm ammunition. The FPC for area defense of a hardened location such as a bank or school building. A carrying bag supplied with the FPC would allow a business owner to carry the FPC back and forth from home and work with little unwanted attention. Unfortunately quite a few folks are upset by the sight of a firearm. The carrying bag resembles an apparel bag. If properly understood and deployed the FPC is a great defensive tool.

The FPC weighs five pounds. It is 30.3 inches long. Folded the piece comes in at 16.3 inches. This is compactness! In the bag are compartments for accessories and magazines. The FPC’s blowback operation works fine. The FPC 9mm is supplied with a single 17 round flush fit magazine and two 23 round extended magazines. These are compatible with Smith & Wesson 9mm M&P handguns. The Folding Pistol Caliber 9mm features the obligatory ½ x 28mm threaded barrel. The 16.3 inch barrel is covered by an M Lok handguard. The upper receiver features an 1913 rail. The receiver is hinged at the front to allow pressing a robust latch to rotate the handguard and barrel to the left side of the carbine. The rifle folds horizontally rather than vertically. This prevents optics from taking a bump. The FPC cannot be folded with a chambered cartridge. Yes, we are not idiots but yes idiots exist. No sights are provided.

The ejection port is generous. Administrative unloading is simple enough. While a carbine is a carbine and a pistol is a pistol I enjoyed using the M&P pistol type grip. The optional inserts were not changed as handfit was fine. This grip is the Military & Police compact grip frame allowing use of the full run of S&W magazine sizes. The FPC features ambidextrous bolt releases a reversible magazine release and a cross bolt safety. I cleaned the FPC and make a number of dry fire runs. The trigger breaks cleanly at just over five pounds. The charging handle is behind the receiver. This handle reciprocates as the weapon is fired. A rule is to keep your cheek and chin out of the way of the cocking handle while firing. It will not cut your but will slap you and beards beware.

**The FPC 9mm is a reliable and useful carbine.**

The FPC is much easier to shoot well than a handgun. Practical accuracy is greater than a handgun and velocity somewhat better. Accuracy at even 100 yards is sufficient to rip the center out of a target. The FPC carbine allows a shooter with a minimum of training and marksmanship skills to put a lot of hits into a threat quickly. The stock features a secure carrier allowing deployment of two spare magazines. Some practice is required to quickly release magazines. This ammunition reserve is good to have handy on the firearm not the belt. The fits most shooters well. I mounted the SIG Romeo 7 red dot sight for testing. I lubricated the bolt- about the only maintenance the FPC will need- and began firing. The red dot was easily sighted in. Firing impressions were good. The FPC carbine has some momentum but recoil is light. The trigger features a sharp reset. Ammunition was fired in combat drills extending to 25 yards with good results. The FPC will put five shots into less than an inch at 25 yards from a solid benchrest. More importantly the FPC is a joy to fire and use in offhand fire. The X ring suffered!

I like this carbine a great deal. There were no failures to feed chamber fire eject in firing at of this date well over four hundred cartridges. It is friendly to use and has advantages over the handgun shotgun or rifle in many situations. I recommend the FPC for anyone needing a measure of authority they may not find in another type of firearm. If you don’t have time to master the pistol for home defense and the shotgun kicks too much, a common complaint of the occasional shooter, the FPC is a good answer to the question of home defense.

**A stock acting as a magazine carrier is a good feature.**

Smith & Wesson M&P FPC Specs

Type: Blowback-operated, semiautomatic
Caliber: 9x19mm
Capacity: 17- and 23-rd. S&W M&P pistol magazines
Barrel: 16.3 in.
Overall Length: 16.3 in. (folded), 30.3 in. (fixed)
Weight: 5 lbs.
Stock: Tubular steel with 13.2 in. LOP
Finish: Blue
Trigger: 5.5 lbs.
Sights: none, MIL STD 1913 Picatinny rail
MSRP: $659
Manufacturer: Smith & Wesson, Inc.

Velocity testing Beretta 92 FPC

Blazer 115 gr. FMJ: 1150 fps 1199 fps
Fiocchi 124 gr. XTP: 1168 fps 1280 fps
Federal 124 gr. HST: 1161 fps 1233 fps
Federal 147 grain HST: 1080 fps

The Red Nine – A Different Kind of Mauser

By

Travis Pike

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June 14, 2023

Of all the early automatic pistols out, the Mauser C96 design has to be one of my favorites. Just the aesthetics of the thing are eye-catching. Compared to the modern spartan black and blocky nature of handguns, the C96 is a joy to look at. The C96 was one of the most reproduced pistols out there and was used across Europe in the hands-on men like Winston Churchill all the way to the hands of Mexican military officers. Hell, one recently popped up in a photo in use by a Ukrainian family. One of the rarest variants and most interesting was known as the Red Nine.

I love reading authors that have a knowledge of firearms. One of my favorites is Stephen Hunter, the writer of Point of Impact. Point of Impact later became both a show and movie called Shooter. He drops names and guns often, he mentions a Red Nine, and it’s stuck with me since. My attempts to acquire one have been largely in vain. I continue to be fascinated by the Mauser C96 and the history behind the Red Nine.

The Red Nine – Behind the Name

It’s apparent where the name comes from the moment you see one. The broom handle grip has a massive nine carved into it, and that nine is often paint-filled red. This was done to distinguish the guns as 9mm. The 7.63 Mauser cartridge was far more common at the time, and it was easy to confuse which gun was which. It should be noted not every 9mm Mauser got the big red nine on it, but most did.

The reason the gun exists is because of World War 1. Germany was entrenched with the Luger, but this was a big war. They needed all the guns they could get. Germany contracted with Mauser to produce 150,000 9mm Mauser C96 pistols in 1916. The war ended before the full delivery was made, but enough was produced that they stuck around until World War 2.

The initial order called for not only the C96 but also a leather carrying harness, a takedown tool, a spare magazine spring, and a wooden device that acted as both a holster and a stock. The Red Nines are a bit large and ungainly for handguns, but the stock made it something akin to al a light rifle. I imagine the C96 would be a much lighter, easier to use, and faster firing option for trench clearing and made much easier to shoot with a stock.

Was the Red Nine Successful?

The Red Nine did offer a high capacity than the Luger by two rounds, and it wasn’t necessarily a bad gun. The fixed magazine required stripper clips to reload, which isn’t optimum. The 9mm round was no heavy recoiling round, especially in this time frame. It was certainly fine but was admittedly a bit dated even by World War 1. Handguns with removable magazines were becoming the norm. By the time World War 2 came around, this certainly wouldn’t have been a soldier’s first choice for combat.

The pistol is notoriously slow to disassemble and clean. As mentioned, it requires a takedown tool. It’s certainly not optimum for rough field conditions. It’s an awkward pistol due to its odd design, but it was functional and quite reliable. A reliable semi-auto for the era was a rare thing. The Mauser C96 and Red Nine Certainly hit the upper limits of turn of the country.

As A Collector’s Item

The Mauser Red Nine, and other C96 models, are quite popular with collectors. The Red Nine is often popular because the ammo for them is still widely available and easy to find if you have a working model. The ATF has the ability to remove certain firearms from the NFA as curios and collectibles. They used to do it fairly often, but sadly I don’t think that list has been updated in a decade.

Pistol, semiautomatic, Mauser C96 ‘Red 9’. AF*37857. Shown with stock, AF*37857A.

Luckily, they did remove Mauser C96 with the stock/holster from this list. Keep in mind it has to be an original gun and holster/stock. I do not believe that reproductions are allowed but check with a knowledgeable source of credible legal information for more clarity.

The Mauser C96 and Red Nine series are currently at the top of my list for collectibles. It’s a fascinating batch of pistols from a very successful line, and it’s most certainly a part of living history.

The Legend of the Ka-Bar

By

Travis Pike

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June 13, 2023

It’s always been fascinating to me how two things can become inexplicably tied together for decades and decades. My favorite example is the Ka-Bar and the United States Marine Corps. Call it my own time as a leatherneck, but it is fascinating how long the Ka-Bar has stuck around the Marine Corps. I remember being at a working party in the armory, and we had piles of Ka-Bar knives there. The armorer said they used to issue them to SAW gunners, but now everyone got a bayonet. My love of the Ka-Bar and the Marine Corps has led me down a road to uncover the origin of this fascinating relationship.

Ka-Bar – What’s In a Name

The story about how the Ka-Bar became Ka-Bar is pretty fascinating. It has some slight changes depending on who tells it. The basic story goes like this; the Union Cutlery Co. received a letter from a fur trapper sometime in the early 1920s. A bear attacked him, and his rifle malfunctioned, and he reverted to his Union Cutlery Co. knife. He slayed the bear, and in his letter, it was spelled K, a bar.

Some say the fur trapper was mostly illiterate. Others say the letter was damaged; whatever the real reason seemed confusing. The end result is that the phrase ka a bar meant to kill a bear, and Union Cutlery Co. ran with it. The phrase Ka-Bar wasn’t tied to the knife we associate with the Ka-Bar these days.

It was a ricasso stamp on a wide variety of knives, including tons of automatic folding knives. The knife used by the trapper wasn’t the famed Ka-Bar used by the Marine Corps. In fact, that knife wouldn’t come to be until 1942.

A Call To War

Any fighting done with knives today is extremely rare. However, in World War 2, it wasn’t exactly outside of the realm of possibility. The last world war saw plenty of melee combat, which spawned the Mark 1 Trench knife. The Mk1 was interesting but had issues. The blade was ultra-small land prone to breakage. It wasn’t useful as a utility knife. The brass knuckle fingerguard was expensive to make and forced a certain grip.

While that knife worked fine for WW1, the Navy, and Marine Corps needed a new knife. The Raider stiletto was great for fighting, but they wanted a tool that also acted as a utility knife. The Navy and Marine Corps looked at the market for fighting and utility knives and asked for submissions.

Colonel John Davis and Major Howard America (yep, that’s his name, meaning at one point he was Captain America.) began working with Union Cutlery Co to make improvements to the Western Cutlery Co. L77. The L77 was already a popular purchase among Marines heading to war, so it was a natural place to start.

From there, they lightened the blade, made it longer and stronger, used a pinned pommel, added a straight crossguard, and a stacked leather grip. This became known as the 1219C2 for some reason, and eventually would become known as both the US Navy Utility Knife Mk2 and the USMC Mk 2 Combat knife.

Into the Breach

Mk2 hit the Marine Corps with widespread acceptance. It became a weapon that they were quite fond of and became the standard amongst Marines. The raiders turned in their stilettos for Ka-Bars. The knife became famous for its utility and usefulness as well as its prowess in a fight.

The long blade made it easy to hit something vital from any angle and added good reach to the Marines’ thrust and slash. The “Knife, Fighting Utility” lived up to its name and then some. The Mk2 eventually just became known as the Ka-Bar. Then famous Ricasso stamp found its way onto a ton of the knives being produced.

Multiple companies produced the knife under contract during World War 2. Union Curley Co. wisely stuck with their markings, and this allowed their trademark to become an unofficial name for the famed Mk2. It’s the Kleenex of fighting knives.

The Ka-Bar Today

In 2023 the Ka-Bar is still associated with the Marine Corps. It’s become a symbol that is just part of the Corps’s work and will likely be forever intertwined with the Corps. When I was in the Ka-Bar was a common purchase by Marines.

It served through Korea, Vietnam, and the Global War on Terror. Marines carried the Ka-Bar nearly as often as they carried rifles. When we talk about fighting, the Ka-bar isn’t really a star of the show, but it’s not completely unheard of. In Vietnam, James Stogner killed several NVAs with a Ka-Bar after his rifle was disabled. In Fallujah, a marine met an insurgent on a stairway and started a brawl. They tangled with each other and were so close they couldn’t use their guns, but the Marine had his Ka-Bar.

The Ka-Bar still serves most as a utility knife. It’s a tough knife that can be used to cut, pry, hammer, and dig if necessary. It’s also an affordable option for the young Marine who doesn’t have a huge paycheck.

To this day, the bayonet issued to the Marine Corps is inspired by the Ka-Bar. It’s modified to be a bayonet with a slightly longer blade, and the serration comes on every model. The OKC-3S isn’t a standard Ka-Bar, but it’s undoubtedly influenced by the design. The blade design and handle are very Ka-Bar-like, and it’s easy to mistake one knife for another.

SIG P365XL Spectre

By

V. Caldwell

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June 13, 2023

When SIG introduced the P365, a sub compact ten hot 9mm handgun, they had an immensely popular product. The P365 has been well received. A favorite variation is based on the P 365 XL series. The XL types are SIG pistols with a longer slide and barrel and slightly taller grip. The SIG P365 XL is a larger and slightly heavier handgun but still a perfect size handgun for concealed carry. The P365XL Spectre is concealable but easier to shoot well than most pistols. The Spectre also boasts attractive custom grade features. An interesting feature is a battle worn or distressed finish. With the frame treatment and overall quality this is a distinctive pistol with a lot of eye appeal. The texture is a result of tumbling after the slide is finished. After it exits the tumbling media each slide is unique in appearance with no two being quite the same. In common with other XL pistols the P365 XL is a product of the SIG custom works shop. The slide features a cut out that is a stylized X just behind the front post sight. The slide is stainless steel under the battle worn finish. The slide is relatively smooth with no sharp edges as it should be for concealed carry. The pistol features both rear and forward cocking serrations. oading, racking the slide, unloading or making the pistol ready isn’t a chore. The pistol is fitted with SIG XRAY sights. XRAY sights were familiar to me from long use with my first P365 9mm pistol. These sights feature a fluorescent circle around the bright front sight and two dots in the rear sight. Radioactive tritium makes for true twenty four hour sighting ability. If the need arises you may rack the slide by using the wedge type rear sight.

The frame is also distinctive. A polymer receiver holding the stainless steel chassis has also received special treatment. The grip tang is extended for better feel and recoil control. Grip texture provides an ideal balance of adhesion and abrasion. Once you have affirmed the grip the pistol isn’t going anywhere whether the hand is wet, cold, or sweaty. The grip treatment includes recesses in the grip that give the shooter greater purchase than that the standard P365. The trigger is an interesting development. The trigger is flat and promotes straight to the rear trigger compression. Trigger break is clean. Riding the trigger to the break and then catching the reset results in very good fast shooting. A number of sub compact pistols cramp my average size hand and trigger finger. The P365 XL Spectre treatment feels much better than most- in fact any other sub compact I have fired. The pistol is supplied with two twelve round flush fit magazines. This gives the shooter two more rounds than the ten shot P365. A word of warning- the magazine springs are very strong as they must be. It is asking a lot to feed twelve rounds in such a small magazine from full compression to almost no compression. It takes considerable effort and a magazine loader to load the magazines to full capacity. After the initial range session and break in period the magazines became slightly less difficult to load.

This is a well made and attractive handgun.

Firing the pistol is a pleasure. I used Blazer brass 9mm, Federal American Eagle 124 grain and also the Federal Synetch 9mm. The pistol never failed to feed, chamber, fire or eject. This is a 21 ounce pistol so there is recoil energy. The pistol isn’t as comfortable to fire as a SIG P320 but recoil isn’t sharp or painful. Firing at man sized targets at 5 and 7 yards the Spectre proved effective in taking out the X ring. Most hits were in the X ring a few in the 8 and 9 ring. Aim, press the trigger, allow the pistol to reset in recoil and fire again. For testing absolute accuracy I fired the Federal 124 grain HST and Speer 124 grain Gold Dot. I fired from a solid benchrest position at 15 yards. Firing five shot groups I managed a number of five shot 2.0 inch groups. The P365 is a reliable handgun and easy enough to use in combat drills. It is more accurate than I expected and has a certain eye appeal and pride of ownership that make the pistol enjoyable to own and fire.

Shivworks Edged Weapons Overview (EWO)

By

The Suited Shootist

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June 12, 2023

Craig Douglas has several pillars in the Shivworks curriculum.

Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC) is the flagship course, described on the website as “a multi-disciplinary approach to building functional, combative handgun skills at zero to five feet”.

There’s another, slightly lesser-known class, called Edged Weapons Overview. As the course name suggests it’s a more blade-focused curriculum, and is often described as “ECQC with Knives”.

Honestly, I think that description does a bit of a disservice to the course and the expectations that it sets for potential students.

There is certainly some overlap in terms of the stand-up grappling, as well as the blocks on pre-assault indicators and managing unknown contacts (MUC).

Where the courses diverge, in my opinion, is in the evolutions.

A bit of an aside, in the Shivworks lexicon, evolutions are the culmination of the day’s techniques into a practical exercise that pressure tests (and hopefully validates) the methodology. (Craig puts it a bit more concisely, but I’ve done my best to paraphrase)

In the 2-on-1 evolutions (evos) of ECQC, there’s a bit more opportunity to work the verbal agility, and the scenarios presented can be a bit more ambiguous. They tend to be more MUC oriented. How they unfold is dependent, at least in part, to how the defender chooses to act.

In EWO, the evolutions are much more fight oriented. There’s no pre-assaut cues, it starts with the understanding that you’re going to fight.

I think that’s an important distinction.

If, like me, you’ve managed to go through life without ever really being hit in the face, you’re likely carrying around at least some doubt about how that experience is going to affect you.

Even after having taken ECQC in 2017, and subsequent years of BJJ and various combatives, I still had that nagging doubt eating away at me.

Fast forward to Dec. 2022 when I finally had the chance to take EWO. I set out a couple of personal goals for the course, and walked away with a more confident outlook.

While you’re not getting hit in the face per se, having a training knife jabbed into the face panel of your FIST helmet is a pretty jarring experience. I haven’t been in a real fight to compare the experiences, but I certainly understand what people mean when they say EWO is the most physical class Shivworks offers.

Whether you’ve taken ECQC or not, you’ll get something new and different out of this class. It’s definitely worth taking.

The Detective Hi-Power

By

Travis Pike

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June 12, 2023

The Argentinians have a real fondness for Browning-designed handguns, or at least they did in the 70s and 80s. They issued their troops a locally produced variant of the M1911, and when they realized it was time to upgrade, the Hi-Power caught their eye. Unlike a lot of countries, they licensed and worked with FN to produce domestic Hi-Powers for their police and military forces. Interestingly enough, mixed in with the standard Hi-Power was something that became known as the Detective Hi-Power.

The Compacta Modelo Detective, as it was called, was a Hi-Power clone that aimed to be a bit smaller and friendlier to carry. The name comes from the traditions of detectives typically carrying the smaller version of the current duty pistol. Guns like the Colt Detective model weren’t much different from the Colts the uniform officers carried.

The Detective Hi-Power wasn’t a subcompact variant but merely a model with a trimmed barrel and slide. Everything was cut to 3.9 inches, making it very compact and reportedly well-balanced. The question one might have to ask is, were these actually issued to detectives?

The Detective Hi-Power

By the name, it would seem that some Argentinian Detectives clearly packed these pistols. Maybe intelligence agents or something similar? Well, it certainly doesn’t seem so. In fact, it appears while they produced a compact model, the Detective Hi-Power was more of a label applied by importers and exporters to capitalize on the sensationalist name.

After the Falklands War, there was a bit of upheaval in Argentina. The economy was in shambles, and the military government was ousted. This led to industries find new ways to make money, and guns were a commodity worth selling. Hi-Powers were a fantastic but expensive pistol.

Argentina began exporting more and selling them for less. While these guns were nice and robust, they weren’t always up to FN standards. The Detective variant was quite unique, and no one else had ever made a compact Hi-Power. These pistols were imported and named Detective models to likely generate sales of this unique pistol. They sold for less than 250 dollars, so they were quite the bargain.

While plenty of full-sized FM Hi-Powers were imported, only limited numbers of the Detective models made it to American shores. At the time, there didn’t seem to be much demand for it. However, they are now considered valuable collector’s items and are a hot seller in the BHP communities.

Why No More Compact Hi-Powers?

I think the main reason comes down to popularity and gun culture across nations. The Hi-Power was never superbly popular in the United States, especially in a post-War world. The M1911 ruled, as did designs from S&W. The ole BHP was never a mainstay of American gun culture. Additionally, the revolver really clung to American police use.

Across the pond, it was a military pistol. Europeans also had an affinity for smaller pistols, but they wanted those small pistols in small calibers. This includes the Walther PP series in .32 ACP and .380 ACp, the various Mauser handguns, and plenty of FN guns that made use of smaller designs and calibers.

No one ever thought shrinking the Hi-Power would matter. Until now, anyway. The great reinvigoration of the Hi-Power design has been an interesting thing to watch. Girsan and EAA have teamed up to produce the MC P35 PI, a modern take on the Detective Hi-Power. Modern and affordable, and I’m honestly excited to try one out.

Gunday Brunch 104: Book Club

By

David Reeder

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June 11, 2023

We are talking about books, guys. The kind you read. Mostly. Well and listen to.

Best case (for them) of 9% efficacy and $51 million saved – Looking at the ATF’s brace rule amnesty results

By

Keith Finch

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June 10, 2023

255,169…

That seems like a lot.

The ATF certainly considered it a lot if we look at their speed of Form 1 approvals dropping dramatically during the time period.

However compared against the conservative (meaning realistic low end) estimate of the number of braced firearms that were ‘required’ to be registered during the amnesty.

That number was 10,000,000. At the least. ATF said as low as 3,00,000 but the chances of they cooked that number are absurdly likely and it doesn’t even bring their efficacy into double digits.

Now, this is a win in two ways.

First, it means the ATF’s rule change was bafflingly, hilariously, absurdly useless because I can guarantee those braces are not destroyed or removed in enough quantity to remotely be called a success. I could probably surmise that double the amount of people who registered during amnesty didn’t even here about the rule change and be fairly accurate.

Second, it means that those folks who probably wanted SBRs anyway saved $51 million in extortion fees that were expressly designed to discourage gun ownership. Now I’ve seen some speculation that if the 2021ATF-08F gets rolfstomped by the courts, which is reasonably likely, that suddenly those guns won’t be on the NFA register anymore, and to that speculation I ask: In what world does the ATF want to lose those guns? In what world are they going to try and compound this abysmal policy failure and get closer to risking the closure of the entire NFA register? What action could they take that makes this better for them?

The more convoluted this mess gets the more courts can’t ignore how absolutely absurd the NFA is. There are so many avenues to press for reduction and removal of the NFA and the more common both SBRs and “braced firearms” become the more legal leverage exists to hammer that point home.

Several large customer and membership bases are protected (date dependent) from the brace enforcement already by injunction, and the ATF trying to press the issue is going to once again highlight the absurdity of the notion in the first place. So the ATF is existing in this Catch 22 zone of having regulated to close to the sun and ended up in an emperor has no clothes situation. The less they do to highlight the total inefficacy of their efforts the better it might end up for them. They pick the wrong case, pick up the wrong person with a braced firearm, or amnestied SBR, or something that was said by the director versus. the official guidance, or really anything of the sort and a defense attorney is going to have an absolute field day with it taking them to the entrapment woodshed.

It, from a strategic standpoint, certainly isn’t shaping up to be a question of “Does the ATF win or lose?” It is instead, “How does the ATF lose?” In what order does this nonsense coming crashing down as they are forced to recon with reality?

Make sure subscribe to VSO and Gunday Brunch while you’re on YouTube readers. Thanks!

The Final Evolution of the Mosin Nagant

By

Travis Pike

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June 10, 2023

Did the Mosin-Nagant fade from service into the world of military forces just like every other bolt action rifle from the World War 1 era? No! The Mosin continues its service, and in one way, it’s sad and, in one way, fascinating. The sad way is the fact ill-prepared Russian conscripts are carrying Mosin-Nagants in Ukraine. The fascinating way is in the Tkiv 85. Tkiv 85 is short for Tarkkuuskivääri 85, which I cannot pronounce. However, according to Google Translate, it stands for Precision Rifle 85.

The number ties to the year it entered service. That service is with the Finnish military. The Finnish might not have been Soviets, but they made some wonderful Mosin-Nagant rifles. The rifle made sense for Finnish forces, who were neighbors with the Russians. Men like Simo Häyhä used the rifle in the Winter War. It was fairly standard for their forces. Finnish rifles were produced by Sako, and Sako still produces some wonderful weapons to this day.

Among them is the Tkiv 85.

The Tkiv 85 – A New Sniper Rifle

The Tkiv 85 began its service in 1984. The rifle was designed to provide Finnish forces with a cost-effective sniper rifle. The Tkiv 85 uses Mosin-Nagant receivers and actions, sometimes using antique actions. Valmet modified the old rifles into precision designs. They rebarreled the guns and modified them extensively to provide the most accurate rifles possible.

This includes precision bedding and a free-floating barrel. The Fins use a fairly long 27.5-inch barrel. The Tkiv 85 uses a specially modified stock that is all wood and fairly simple. The stock has a pronounced cheek rest for a good cheek weld and a solid height for using an optic. The stock has an integrated bipod system. The optic appears to be a Zeiss with a 1.5 to 6x magnification range.

The entire system weighs a little over 15 pounds making it a hefty rifle. The internal magazine holds five rounds, and a bent bolt allows for easy optical enhancements. The design makes for a fairly standard sniper rifle. It might not blow the industry up with innovation, but it’s fairly solid and likely a very affordable option for the Finnish military.

One Weird Cartridge

The Tkiv 85 uses an odd system. One might expect it to use the standard 7.62x54mmR round. The Fins use that same cartridge in the PKM and Dargunov, but not the Tkiv uses an odd offshoot known as the 7.62x53mmR. The Fins created the round after the Finnish civil war. They had piles of Mosins, but the barrels were worn out and ineffective.

The Fins also didn’t have any 7.62x54mmR lying around. They began loading .308-sized 7.62 projectiles versus the .311-sized projectiles used by the 7.62x54mmR rounds. The slight case difference was likely to help prevent loading the longer 7.62x54mmR rounds into the new rechambered Mosin Rifles.

In the 1930s, the Fins went back to the 7.62x54mmR rifles. It turns out it’s easier to steal ammo from the Russians, and they were a valuable source of resupply. The 7.62x53mmR was basically out of service until the Tkiv 85 came into play. Sourcing precision .308 caliber projectiles was likely easier than the Russian alternative.

The Last Mosin

The Mosin Nagant rifles certainly served long passed their shelf life. The Tkiv 85 shows that the old warhorse had a few tricks in its bag. In fact, the Tkiv 85 are likely some of the oldest service rifles in existence. It’s possible some of these receivers came from 1890. Unlikely, but possible. The Tkiv 85 is actively being replaced as of 2020. The old gun is being replaced by the Sako M23, a bit more modern and modular and likely a much lighter sniper rifle. The Tkiv 85 was the final evolution and last ride of the Mosin Nagant.

The L66A1 – An Undercover 22LR

By

Travis Pike

-

June 9, 2023

The little .22LR is mostly known for being a plinker’s cartridge. It’s a light recoiling, cheap, and fun round. Perfect for training new shooters and providing cheap fun to more experienced shooters. It’s not common for any serious duty role, but it’s been used more than once by military forces. Today we are talking about one of those rare duty roles where the .22LR served. Specifically, the gun served with the Ulster Defence Force during the Troubles in Ireland. That specific gun is the L66A1.

What’s an L66A1? It’s the official designation given to the .22LR version of the Walther PPk adopted by the British Ministry of Defence. This little gun has an interesting history, and more questions have been asked than answered in regard to its adoption and use. Today we are going to explore what we know, what we’ve heard, and what we can assume.

The L66A1 and the Ulster Defence Force

The Ulster Defence Force was an infantry regiment of the British military that existed from 1970 to 19992. It was a controversial unit that recruited men from Northern Ireland to help police the country during the Troubles. The men recruited often lived in the cities and towns they patrolled and secured. This made them easy targets for the IRA.

In fact, the IRA would identify and target UDR members in their off time. Many were part-time soldiers who had families and daily duties in their communities. The IRA would locate and target the men at work, home, and elsewhere. Kidnappings were common, and a good portion of the casualties of the UDR came from these off-duty attacks.

This led to the requirement to arm the UDR when off duty. The Ministry of Defense placed an order with Walther for 3,000 Walther PPs in .22LR. These became the L66A1 and were issued to the men of the Ulster Defence Force as off-duty personal defense weapons. While .22LR is plenty lethal, it is an odd choice for a personal defense weapon.

We do know that at least once, a UDR member fought off several attackers after being shot seven times in the legs. He killed two and wounded two more. Although the new stories aren’t specific with what gun he used, it is listed as his issued carry gun.

Why the L66A1

Choosing the Walther PP wasn’t a tough choice to make. Walther handguns were rock-solid designs. They were also the compact carry pistol of the day. They were small, thin, and easy to conceal. Easier than the Hi-Power the troops carried daily. Walther firearms were reliable as well, and the blowback action worked for all its problems.

The Walther came in both .32 ACP and .380 ACp as well, which do seem to be a better choice for personal defense. They offer a centerfire cartridge that has fewer reliability issues and would likely penetrate better, especially with thick clothing as a factor.

That leads us to ask, why the .22LR? Sure, it’s light recoiling and easy to handle. I don’t know much about gun culture in North Ireland, but it’s likely a common cartridge. The .22LR can reach deep enough to hit the vitals, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for defensive shooting.

The best guess I can make is if the gun is stolen or captured. It’s just a .22LR. It seems to pose less of a risk to UDR soldiers if captured by the IRA. The rimfire round is certainly less likely to penetrate the soft fragmentation vests worn during this era. However, it is still an odd choice, and eventually, the Brits recognized that.

They replaced these guns with 9mm Walther P5s.

Unofficial Conspiracy Theory

The Troubles were an interesting time for public perception. Two English-speaking European forces were engaged in a muddy knife fight. They both had public relations campaigns, and it wasn’t uncommon for smears and lies to be told to shift public perception. This leads to conspiracy theories.

One included that the Brits gave the UDF .22S for assassinations. They were quieter guns, but even so, it doesn’t hold water to me. A .22LR pistol is quite loud. While it might be quieter than a 9mm, a train is louder than a semi, but you can hear both coming at you a ways away.

The L66A1 was an interesting service pistol for an odd and unusual role. Interarms imported somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 L66A1 handguns into the United States, and they pop up on auctions fairly frequently. If you want one, they are out there and quite distinct in their markings.

Taurus TX 22 Compact

By

V. Caldwell

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June 9, 2023

The Taurus TX 22 is an optics ready handgun.

I have enjoyed excellent results with the full size Taurus TX 22 for several years now. I obtained one of the first. Those in the know, working at gun shops, handling returns, and those working public ranges know the lick on reliability. Quite a few handguns the popular press drools over would never be trusted by this shooter for personal defense. Many shooters have commented that they wish all Taurus handguns were as good as the TX 22. I agree. The Taurus TX 22 is a well designed handgun with good features. The TX 22 is an ergonomic rimfire handgun that has proven reliable useful and affordable.

The newest TX 22 is a compact version. The short slide compact features a 13 round magazine versus the full size pistol’s 16 round magazine. Both the slide and the frame are shortened. The result is a remarkably well balanced handgun. The new pistol features a 3.6 inch barrel. Overall length is a compact 6.7 inches. The TX 22 Compact is an especially well balanced handgun. Balance is a high point of the pistol’s design. The pistol features stylish modern features. Lightening cuts in the slide make for a lighter slide. The aluminum slide features forward cocking serrating. The slide is anodized aluminum while the frame is polymer. At 4.9 inches tall the pistol is a nice size for constant carry. In this straight blowback design the barrel remains stationary while the slide blows off the barrel during firing. The barrel is supplied with a 1×28 TPI thread pitch barrel adapter in addition to the supplied thread protector if you decide to mount a suppressor.

The single action TX 22 pistol features dual safety levers for right or left hand use. I especially like the sights. The three dot system features an adjustable rear sight and a white dot front. The sights may be replaced with Glock sights from TruGlo or other makers. Many inexpensive .22 pistols are supplied with a fiber optic front sight. Some prefer the white dot of the TX 22. The trigger action breaks clean. The pistol is optics ready and features a light rail for easy mounting of a combat light. Two thirteen round magazines are supplied. The grips features a good balance of adhesion and abrasion.

The DeSantis Vengeance holster, molded for the Glock 19, is a good choice for the TX 22 and combat light.

The pistol’s take down is interesting. Most .22 rimfire handguns feature a fixed barrel. The slide is released and pulls off the barrel. The Taurus makes things easier. Pull a take down lever located in the trigger guard and the slide pulls upward. The recoil spring guide and barrel are easily removed from the slide. While field stripped like a centerfire pistol the TX 22 is a blowback operated handgun. The barrel remains stationary. This takedown makes cleaning and maintenance easy enough. The magazines are easily loaded and proved reliable in operation. I lightly lubricated the pistol before firing. The TX 22 Compact is a pleasant handgun to fire and use. There were no failures to feed chamber fire or eject. The pistol has been fired extensively with good results. Most loads fired for accuracy would put five rounds into two inches or less at 15 yard. The TX 22 Compact is a neat and useful pistol. The primary goal is marksmanship training. Keeping pests and reptile from invading the property is a proper chore. Many like to have a quality rimfire on hand when hiking and this is a good choice. As for personal defense- I don’t want to use a rimfire for defense but if this is all I had I would have a reliable accurate handgun easy to use well.