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From the Reloading Bench: Risks During Primer Seating and Tool Options

By
Anna Martinez
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Definitions

Before we go too deep into this, let’s go over some quick definitions when it comes to seating primers.

Primer: The entire primer assembly.

Primer Pocket: This is the part of the case that the primer seats into. Sometimes these pockets can have crimpings which keep the primer in after they were seated. Crimpings can cause issues when seating the next primer as the crimp may not be removed enough to create a wide enough hole for the next primer to fully seat.

Primer Cup: The small metal cup that the propellant and anvil are placed into.

Anvil: The anvil is the part of the primer that you will see when the primer cup is flipped upside down and ready to be seated. The anvil almost looks like a cross. This presses into the primer mixture which then detonates the primer.

Seating a Primer: Using a tool to place the primer into the primer pocket of the casing with pressure.

Primer Tray or Primer Tube: This is how the primers are fed towards the shellholder to be seated. Some tools use a tray in which you can see every individual primer side by side and it feeds down at an angle. Some use a tube and feeds primers directly down with each primer directly on top of one another.

Flash hole: The smaller hole above the primer pocket in which the detonation flows through to detonate the powder.

primer parts
When primers are being fed you should always see the anvil facing up. If you don’t see the anvil, the primer is upside down and will be dangerous to seat. Photo: Smith and Wesson Forum

What is the risk when it comes to seating primers?

Seating primers can actually be pretty dangerous. Ever remember seeing the “wear eye protection” warnings on priming tools? That has merit. A personal friend has actually had an entire tray of primers go off in his hand causing damage to his hand. If he was looking straight at the case when the primer was being seated even his face may be damaged. The story is as follows..

“Imagine two primers facing each other. The top primer gets shoved into the primer pocket misaligned. Bottom primer keeps getting pressed together with more force. The primer anvils get crushed together and almost touch. Then suddenly the primers are ripped apart and a spark or some force detonates the two primers and then chain reaction detonates the other 130 primers”. -Anonymous

What causes this to happen?

There are a couple things that cause catrostophic issues like primers blowing up.

  1. Your primer pocket can be either gunked up, or the crimp isn’t removed enough to allow a primer to seat. Thus instead of seating the primer, your actually putting pressure on the primer as it is trying to seat but has no where to go.
  2. Primers are not laying flat when ready to be seated, causing the tool to seat a primer on it’s side. Now imagine that and another primer feeding in behind it pushing on the anvil. That is exactly what happened to the person earlier mentioned.
  3. A primer get’s half seated and stuck inside of the shellholder. When this happens it is hard to remove the case from the tool because that primer is now catching the case and the shell holder together. Most will try to rip the case out of the tool and off of the shell holder without taking the time to figure out what is going on first or remove the case properly.
crimps on brass
These are examples of crimped primer pockets. A crimped primer pocket may make seating another primer more difficult and not allow it to fully seat. It is important to ensure that the entire crimp is removed from the case before seating another primer.

How do we mitigate this risk?

  1. Pay attention. If using a hand primer ensure that each primer coming out of the tool is flat and not upside down/anvil facing up. This is especially important for handheld primers as these are easy to tip.
  2. If using a priming tube make sure primers are stacked/seated properly.
  3. If a primer feels half seated and the case is stuck inside the shell holder don’t panic, but don’t just rip it out. Simply observe what is going on. You may have to remove the entire case holder from the tool gently. You could have a primer pocket issue. The big thing here is to ensure that another primer has not fed down under that half seated primer. If you give the half seated primer another press, you may actually be pressing two primers together. If you see no issues with the primer pocket go back and gently try to reseat that primer without any other primers loaded into the tray.
  4. Be gentle and follow instructions when seating. Many primer seating tools only need a small amount of pressure but want you to ensure that you are pressing all the way through. Going fast and short will often cause issues. Two hands should never be used on a handprimer.
  5. Don’t look down into the case as you’re seating the primer. There is still a flash hole in that case, if the primer ignites that goes up the case and into your face, or ignites all of the primers in the tray..
  6. Don’t have anything flammable nearby. If one goes off, it’s best to try to make this an isolated incident.

Primer Tool Type and Example

Handheld Priming Tool

This is simply a primer tool that you hold in your hand and squeeze. They are often the most inexpensive. The risk associated with these is that due to holding it in your hand, the tool can be shaken or tilted more allowing for primers to be seated back to back or flipped. Squeezes can also be inconsistent and primers may be half loaded more often. Remember, never use two hands to squeeze a handheld primer. Too much force is not a good thing.

hornady hand primer and lee auto primer
On the left is the Hornady hand primer that needs to be squeezed to seat the primer. On the right is the Lee Auto Priming tool. Mounting the primer on something stationary allows for safer priming.

Hornady Handheld Priming Tool

Price: $59.94 on Amazon

Bench Mounted Hand Priming Tool

Tube Fed

Primal Rights CPS Press with Large & Small Primer System

Price: $675.00 on Primal Rights

Tray Fed

Lee Auto Bench Priming Tool

Price: $44.98 on Midway Usa

Press Priming

With a lot of presses that you may use to seat bullets or resize brass there is also an option to attach an assembly to seat primers. This type of assembly will usually be proprietary to the type of press you are using.

Tweaking Your Wardrobe for Effective Concealment Part 3

By
The Suited Shootist
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photo credit: Lucky Gunner

Extra lining in your jackets: This is primarily for the hip-carry crowd. If you’re using a jacket as a cover garment, you’ll want to have an extra panel of material sewn into the coat where it rides over the gun. Doing it this way will allow you to only have to repair the panel instead of having the entire jacket re-lined after it gets shredded by the rear sights and/or cocking serrations on your carry gun.

Breakaway buttons: Generally, when a man is standing he should have his jacket buttoned. Well if he now has to access a pistol under that jacket, he has to either tear it open, unbutton it, or try to pull it high enough to clear the holster. There are some companies now that are doing breakaway buttons. Essentially, it’s a normal functioning button & buttonhole, but instead of the button being sewn directly to the jacket, it’s sewn to a snap so that it can perform normally, then in an emergency it can be pulled open without damaging the garment. I’m actually talking to my tailor now about doing this to all my suits & sport coats.

Weight in the hem of your coat: The old bodyguard trick was to keep a spare magazine in the strong side coat pocket. That way, when you went to clear the cover garment, there was enough inertia and hang-time that it would keep the jacket from floating back into the path of the draw. Personally I find a magazine in the pocket too conspicuous. I have heard of guys having weight sewn directly into the hem of the jacket under the liner to the same effect.

Beware of neckties! The fabrics that they use for ties have a pretty high tensile strength. Especially when you consider that good ties are 5 or 7 fold material. That’s a lot of fabric wrapped around your neck. If you’re not careful it can easily turn into a leash or a noose. That’s why all of the uniform neckties I’ve ever seen have been clip-on. It’s super difficult to strangle somebody with a clip-on tie…………..allegedly. I’m not suggesting you replace your Hermes ties with clip-ons, just making sure it’s something you’re aware of. Look at it critically, and ask yourself if there are any modifications you can come up with to make your neckties “safer”.

Gunday Brunch 98: Kenzie Fitzpatrick

By
Keith Finch
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Today Caleb’s joined by 3 gun shooter and firearms industry insider Kenzie Fitzpatrick also known as  @3GunKenzie  as she talks about some of the brands she represents and why 3 gun is the best shooting sport. It’s not, but whatever. – Caleb

3 gun is awesome and so is outlaw 2 gun, Caleb can stop his hateful hatery – Keith

I like the one where we rob the drug dealer! – Jack

The proceeding commentary is parody – Jack’s Lawyer

Best Military and Police Targets

By
Travis Pike
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Fast handling and reliable this is a great all around rifle.

I chase down numerous firearms qualifications shot by the military and police forces around the world. I love seeing how the blue and green sides train and what their expectations are. With that in mind, many of these police and military forces use a specific target with a specific scoring system. That requires a very specific target. With that in mind, I’ve looked at a wide variety of targets, and I’ve assembled some of my favorite military and police targets.

I’ve chosen these for a few reasons. Most are versatile targets that force proper shot placement and go behind just hitting a target and calling it a win. These military and police targets help create realistic training demands for defensive shooting skills. With that in mind, let’s dive in and look at some of the best targets on the market.

The Classic FBI Q Target

The FBI doesn’t adopt a realistic target in terms of how it looks. The Q, often known as the Coke bottle target, does create a real challenge for shot placement. The Q is vaguely person-shaped but greatly reduced to represent the vitals of a human threat. The target doesn’t post hands or arms to make the target wider. Modern versions of the Q have a chest and head target, and others have reduced the Coke bottle to just the chest and head.

The Q is easy to see and easy to score. There are no ‘did it break the line’ arguments that decide if the shot scores four or five points. It’s simple and works well for observing accuracy as well as doing things like patterning a shotgun. The Q provides a simple but useful target for all your training needs.

BT-5-EL Dorado DA

The BT-5 target series is fairly popular and consists of a vague silhouette of the chest, shoulders, and head of a threat. Inside sits several rings with various numeric characters for scoring. It’s good, but the El Dorado DA version is better. The numbers are gone. Instead, we have three colors, black, grey, and red.

Black is the majority of the target. Grey is a large portion of the chest and spine to the head. The heart area and brain area are red. It’s a visual signifier that tells you where the shots are supposed to go. Red means dead, and there isn’t a numerical score that matters if the threat isn’t down.

New Mexico Dept. of Public Safety Police Target

The New Mexico Dept. of Public Safety Police Target isn’t just one target but a series of targets. While the external difference varies, what is on the inside counts. These targets feature different prints of various people, men, and women, some obvious threats with the gun pointed at you and others less obvious with their guns pointed downward.

Inside each of these prints is a thin line that marks the various hit zones of the threat. The zones of these police targets get smaller as they get closer to the vital parts of the human body. This trains you to recognize and identify threats and helps you put rounds where it matters.

Department of Energy Target

The Department of Energy’s security forces is very well trained with everything from handguns to light machine guns. When they train, they use a specific target that I’ve grown fond of. It’s a simple green silhouette vaguely representing the outline of a person. For their training, it makes sense to learn to identify the silhouette of a threat because no one should be snooping and pooping near nukes by mistake.

Additionally, inside the silhouette sits two squares, one inside the other and one smaller than the other. In the head is a small circle. Your shots often don’t count if they don’t land inside these smaller internal targets. It’s another target that really wants you to ensure you know proper shot placement.

Wisconsin Dept of Justice Target

I love this target…not just because it’s a good target. It’s the model. He’s the most Wisconsin man I could have ever pictured. He perfectly represents the state. Beyond the mustachioed cheese head sits a very well-designed target. Most of the target is rather plain, but the chest and head feature an internal outline. Beside the guy’s beautiful mustache is a scoring key.

The outline highlights the vitals and provides a sharp accuracy standard. While visible for scoring, it’s not super visible on the range. This makes you think and relate to a real target while having to use a little vital anatomy knowledge to make successful hits. This is probably my favorite police target.

Bonus – 2013 Coast Guard Transitional Target

Finally, it’s not that I think this target is very handy for most of us, but I love it, so it’s a bonus target. Admittedly not everyone will find it handy, but as a Floridian and Miami Vice fan, I might be able to sue it. What makes it great? Well, look at it.

It’s a boat engine! Wooo, and guess what? The target even uses ovals descending in size to ensure you have proper shot placement on the target. This is a great target just because it’s so weird.

Military and Police Targets

Do you need a specific target to train? Not really. A B-8 works well for most tasks. However, using man-sized targets does help you mentally prepare to engage a man-sized target. Using properly designed silhouettes can help establish a mental game plan for engagements. When it comes to patterning shotguns, these man-sized targets really help you visualize the threat and how your gun engages that threat. I do like these military and police targets are starting to focus on proper shot placement rather than just hitting a target. It’s always nice to see the armed professionals move towards better and more efficient training.

Breaking: Preliminary Injunction Against Illinois Assault Weapon Ban in Effect.

By
Keith Finch
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In a 29 page update filed today, the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) was halted by District Judge McGlynn,

Plaintiffs have satisfied their burden for a preliminary injunction. They have
shown irreparable harm with no adequate remedy at law, a reasonable likelihood of
success on the merits, that the public interest is in favor of the relief, and the balance
of harm weighs in their favor. Therefore, the Plaintiffs’ motions for preliminary
injunction are GRANTED. Defendants are ENJOINED from enforcing Illinois
statutes 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9(b) and (c), and 720 ILCS 5/24-1.10, along with the PICA
amended provisions set forth in 735 ILCS 5/24-1(a), including subparagraphs (11),
(14), (15), and (16), statewide during the pendency of this litigation until the Court
can address the merits.

A choice piece from the injunction should put each and every state with an assault weapon ban on notice too.

It is also
uncontroverted that many of the banned modifiers, including but not limited to pistol
grips, protruding grips, flash suppressors, and shrouds, have legitimate purposes
that assist law-abiding citizens in their ability to defend themselves. The other side
is less clear – there is no evidence as to how PICA will actually help Illinois
Communities. It is also not lost on this Court that the Illinois Sheriff’s Association
and some Illinois States Attorneys believe PICA unconstitutional and cannot, in good
conscience, enforce the law as written and honor their sworn oath to uphold the
Constitution.

In no way does this Court minimize the damage caused when a firearm is used
for an unlawful purpose; however, this Court must be mindful of the rights
guaranteed by the Constitution. While PICA was purportedly enacted in response to
the Highland Park shooting, it does not appear that the legislature considered an
individual’s right under the Second Amendment nor Supreme Court precedent.
Moreover, PICA did not just regulate the rights of the people to defend themselves; it
restricted that right, and in some cases, completely obliterated that right by
criminalizing the purchase and the sale of more than 190 “arms.” Furthermore, on
January 1, 2024, the right to mere possession of these items will be further limited
and restricted. See 735 ILCS 5/24-1.9(c). Accordingly, the balance of harms favors the
Plaintiffs. –Pg. 27 & 28

No longer are courts allowing the burden to be shifted around and treat the 2nd Amendment like a 2nd class right of the people, subject to the alleged whims and greater good of anti-gun politicians. Regulators wishing to ban firearms are having to put up evidence or shut up, and they don’t have the evidence.

The Argument for the 5.7x28mm Handgun

By
Travis Pike
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The ole 5.7x28mm gets a lot of flack. Some of it was valid, some not. Yet, it seems to only be growing in popularity. PSA, Ruger, FN, and now S&W make some form of 5.7x28mm handgun, and Diamondback, FN, CMMG, and Ruger also make carbines for the caliber. It’s certainly one of the more interesting rounds on the market and falls into that odd category of not really a pistol round and not really a rifle round. 

While some may claim it’s just an expensive .22 Magnum, I think we are all capable of firing up the Google machine and seeing that that’s not true. At the same time, those folks are right about ammo price. That crap is expensive. In a realm where the 5.56 and 9mm rule, it can be easy to toss 5.7x28mm aside due to the price alone. What’s the purpose of such a caliber in the civilian world? 

Everything has a niche, right? The 5.7x28mm turns out to be a great gun for urban areas and specifically for property defense. Most 5.7 handguns are fairly large because they need a good bit of barrel to make the round worthwhile. They tend to be tough to conceal, but for business and home defense, they can be just right. 

The great debate between rifles, shotguns, and handguns for home defense has no winners, just educated users. It’s easy to see why the handgun wins sometimes. It’s lighter and smaller, well suited for close-range fights. It’s easiest to use with one hand, and that might be a serious consideration. If you are considering a handgun for home defense, then you’ve discovered a niche that the 5.7x28mm handgun fits well. 

Where the 5.7x28mm Fits 

Plenty of rifles and carbines exist in 5.7x28mm. These guns are great for home defense, but unless you suffer from a disability that makes an AR in 5.56 too heavy, you’d likely be best suited with an AR in 5.56. With handguns, the main weapon of choice is likely a double stack 9mm. That’s a great choice, but for some, the 5.7x28mm might be a better choice. 

I’m not trying to say 5.7x28mm from a handgun is better than 9mm on a ballistic front. Both calibers can reach the proper depth of penetration to matter. The 9mm does offer substantial expansion, but the 5.7’s advantage comes from overpenetration, or the lack thereof. 

One of the big reasons we like 5.56 for home defense is that the light but fast projectile tends to lose a lot of speed when it hits a wall, even drywall. This limits the round’s potential to over-penetrate. 5.7x28mm uses the same fast-moving, lightweight projectile, and when it strikes drywall, it also loses energy rapidly and tumbles. 

This makes it a great option if you choose to use a handgun for home or even business defense in a densely populated area. If you live in the suburbs, or an urban apartment or condo, then the 5.7x28mm is a great choice to prevent overpenetration. The same goes for your work environment. We are often crowded in these environments, and if you can tote a big 5.7x28mm pistol, it might be worth the stress. 

Additional Benefits of the 5.7x28mm Handgun 

The 5.7x28mm’s benefits do not end at a reduced penetration through walls. There are numerous benefits to the round. One of the more important benefits is a higher overall capacity. The little rounds are rather small, and 20-round magazines are standard, with slightly extended magazines offering substantially more ammo than most handguns of a similar size. 

While the round is quite loud from a handgun, the recoil is minimal. It’s a very smooth shooting system. The S&W M&P’s gas-operated variant is the smoothest of the three I’ve fired and likely the smoothest overall due to smart design. 

Finally, most of these guns are also really easy to rack. If you have reduced hand strength, these might be a great solution for you. 

This is a niche use case, and it’s not like that’s the only reason to have a 5.7x28mm handgun. They are certainly solid little guns that are flat shooting and very fun to shoot. If ammo prices were to drop, I bet we’d see a substantial increase in ownership of these handguns. Don’t disregard the 5.7 as an expensive .22 Magnum. It’s quite capable and has its own advantages. 

Tweaking Your Wardrobe For Effective Concealment Part 2.

By
The Suited Shootist
-
photo credit: Lucky Gunner

Pant rise is important: For those unfamiliar, “rise” is the distance from the waistband to the crotch of a pair of pants. “Wait, you mean to tell me they’re not all the same?!?!?”. Well no, in fact they’re not, nor is one type universally effective. Depending on your build and the length of your torso, standard (high) or mid-rise pants might be more appropriate for you. The most common mistake that most guys make (again, especially those with the “successful lifestyle body”) is that they wear their pants too low. This can negatively impact your concealment by causing the gun to ride too low and/or create hot spots and discomfort. Your natural waist is typically at the level of your belly button, possibly down an inch or two. Most guys wear their pants on their pelvis, which is too low. The other issue is that wearing pants with the wrong rise too low can impede movement. The crotch of the pant is now lower than it should be, which means your legs are joined further down than they are naturally.

Shoe selection matters! Dressier shoes tend to have leather soles. Leather soles tend not to have the best traction. Traction is kind of important if you’re having to physically manage another person. You’re probably thinking “Well that’s an easy fix. I’ll just wear nothing but rubber soled shoes then!”. While that will work, I’ve yet to see a rubber soled shoe that actually looked like it belongs with a suit or dress pants. Thankfully there are some hybrid options out there, where rubber studs or sections are built into a leather sole, giving you better traction without looking like you’re wearing orthotic shoes or a uniform duty oxford.

Get friendly with your tailor: Most clothing off the rack doesn’t really fit anyone all that well, it just fits a lot of people okay enough that they’ll buy it. A good tailor can help tweak and adjust any garment to serve a specific purpose for you, and make sure your clothing is working for you instead of against you. And, speaking of tailors, there are a few specialty adjustments you can have your tailor make to your wardrobe:

Reinforcing your waistbands: Most of us carry guns and other support gear on the belt line. Other than work wear and denim, most slacks and suit pants are more delicate and not well suited to supporting weight. Having your tailor reinforce the waists of your pants will help to prevent sagging, and have the added benefit of more material that will keep your holster clips and other gear from wearing holes in your pants.

Extra belt loops: Along the same line as a reinforced waist, you may find it beneficial to have extra belt loops added to your trousers. This helps more evenly distribute weight across your belt, and prevent the waistline of your pants from sagging. Very important for any tools carried along the mid-line or in the pockets.

Sunset of the Tavor SAR? – Administrative Results

By
Keith Finch
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I liked my Tavor SAR, I miss that rifle. I know Administrative Results enjoys his also, he says as much.

What people confuse though when the look at the SAR and call it dated is when the rifle was developed compared to when it came to the US market. The rifle’s development starts in 1995 and production in 2001. Our views on service rifles has changed a great deal since 1995. They’ve changed since 2007 when I first picked up an M16A4. The SAR came here in 2013. So to say that the features on the SAR are a bit dated makes sense, they are. Over a decade of war time experience made for changes.

But dated platforms still do work. The FAL, the AK, a 20″ AR-15 with fixed stock, and yes the SAR can all be efficiently run and serve their intended purposes. But they are going to fall short on some efficiencies that later platforms capitalize on. When I started service, an “ambi” gun was considered unnecessary. Today ambi is standard. For 1995 the SAR was very forward thinking, as were the ACR and SCAR developed near that time period, but by 2015 our wants on rifles had changed. While the SAR joining the market was a great thing the desirable performance envelope had moved on.

Thus the X95 quickly joined the market offerings with several improvements. The US market has several preferences that differ from the international market and the aftermarket pushed the SAR and X95 along too. The X95 has had several in unit production upgrades and if you have an older rifle, the parts will be different than on newer models.

We have two distinct versions of the Tavor that grew out of updated needs. We saw several iterative improvements to both of them. At a certain point in time it becomes time to shelve a design. SIG has shelved two MCX versions already and that rifle started in 2015.

Do we see the Tavor continue to evolve?

Yes. We still are in the aftermarket currently with places like Manticore and BLK LBL continuing to add options and aesthetic.

The “Old” SIG 556

By
Keith Finch
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The SIG 556 was one of SIGs early post-AWB attempts at entering the exploding 5.56 STANAG rifle market. M4’s were in. M4’s were hot. But the market was and is still fairly hungry for non-M4’s. We here in the US love variety, we love choice. We like a wide variety of foods, booze, entertainment, so naturally firearms too.

The 556 also swung at the desire to reinvigorate the 55X series of rifles which had a popular following and small batch of owned models here in the states from the very limited import. They were considered sophisticated and premium, despite their performance envelope being on par with other rifles of the era, including the M16.

What we got instead was… not what we had hoped for and SIG eventually shelved the line in favor of their M400 and M516 AR’s and developed the MCX line as a forward looking venture. The MCX met with far greater success than the 556 or the 2nd attempt at the 556, the 556xi. That one didn’t go anywhere either and was very quickly shelved too. The MCX was their gun and they’ve had three variants in its 8 year history.

But, we do like our retro looks these days. Here’s 9-Hole reviews talking SIG 556. Give it a watch an avoid work for 35 minutes.

The Range Buddy – An App For Training

By
Travis Pike
-

I’m the type to fully embrace the future or whatever amalgamation of it presents itself. This includes the field of firearms. I love tech and how it can be implemented into the firearms training world. With that in mind, this morning, I discovered an app called The Range buddy. You can find it on the Google Play store, and there are a few apps using the phrase Range Buddy. Look for the one developed by Atriarch Targets. 

The premise is simple. The app is free to use and free to download. You can choose to subscribe to donate a thing or two to the developer. The plans are 99 cents a month, 2.99 a month, or 8.99 a year. I went with the 8.99-a-year program because I’m not a cheapskate and like supporting our community. If you choose not to donate, you can use the entire app for free, but you’ll get the pop-up every time you start up the app. 

A small price to pay, in my opinion. If you have Netflix or Hulu, or whatever, you can afford to support this app if you choose to use it. 

What’s the Range Buddy 

I’ll get off my high horse now. The Range Buddy is an app that catalogs various shooting drills and programs from a wide variety of sources. The drills are quite varied and range from classics like Jeff Cooper’s El Pres and Mozambique to more modern drills like the Herron Bill Drill. There are a ton of drills in the system, and the app creator is promising to add more. 

There are even several police quals, and I might reach out to the developer to send more. I have an entire Google Doc I’ve used to catalog dozens of police quals from Fed, State, and municipal police forces. I even have some security guard quals if they want them. The app catalogs these drills in various ways. 

The most obvious is that it divides the drills up by target offer IDPA, USPSA, Homemade, steel targets, and more. Select the target you have or are using, and it will give you several drills and how the target is used for those drills. Obviously, most of these drills can be modified to use whatever target you have, so if you’re new here, don’t feel stuck to one type of target. 

Speaking of being new, you can also look at drills in accordance with their difficulty level. You can search for beginner, intermediate, and advanced drills, as well as drills that require movement to achieve. You can also just use the search function to find the drill you are looking for. 

Using the Range Buddy 

Once you find the drill you want to shoot, you give it a click to get a detailed summary of the drill. A small preview will give you the range and rounds required. A click gets you deeper information. The in-depth overview gives you the basics, the target type, and a small explanation of the purpose of the drill. 

From there, it dives into how to setup up the stage, and the requirements, alongside the course of fire. Finally, we have scoring and related drills if you want to do something similar to the drill you fired. You can use the next page to keep track of your shooting. You can enter time, accuracy, gun type, and notes and even upload a video and picture. 

There is even a leaderboard to drive competitive shooters to keep trying and getting faster and faster. The video verification will certainly help regulate some of the more obvious crazy claims that will surely pop up. 

The Range Buddy is a super neat app that has a lot of promise. There are a few bugs that are being ironed out, but it’s just got released. By the time this is published, they might be gone. I hope to see it supported and to see more development. While plenty of websites list tons of drills, the Range Buddy provides a range-friendly option to quickly look up drills and to spend more time shooting and less time reading. 

Tweaking Your Wardrobe for Successful Concealment Part 1.

By
The Suited Shootist
-
photo credit: Lucky Gunner
  1. Avoid clothing that’s too tight: This one should be pretty obvious. Over the last couple years the trend seems to thankfully be moving away from overly fitted, almost painted on looking clothing. I don’t think much needs to be said on why this would be detrimental to concealment. We all like to joke about the guy in his shmedium Grunt Style t-shirt trying to hide a duty sized pistol in a hip holster. If your clothing hugs every curve and contour of your body, then any additions made to those curves & contours, be it a firearm or tacos, will be immediately apparent. That being said, I doubt this one will be a real issue for a majority of the people that read my posts.
  2. Avoid clothing that’s too loose: There are actually 2 major reasons for this one. Firstly, baggy clothing tends to look sloppy or careless. This can set a negative impression, and is unflattering. Aesthetics might not be the top priority, but that’s not to say it isn’t important. The second aspect is a little counter-intuitive. Baggy clothing can highlight a concealed firearm almost as easily as tight clothes can. How is that? Baggy clothing means there’s a lot of extra fabric flapping around, so your daily bending, twisting, and moving can result in that extra material settling on the shelf that’s created by the grip of your pistol. If one side of your shirt is bunching and gathering unnaturally, that’s the type of irregularity that can invite further scrutiny.
  3. Belt selection is critical: Typically when you’re dressing up, that means a tucked in shirt, which in turn means your belt is visible. Even if you’re wearing jeans, a “tactical” belt like the Wilderness Tactical Instructor belt or the Ares Gear Ranger belt will look out of place. Even something lower profile like the Mastermind Tactics (formerly Graith) Specialist is too conspicuous in my mind. Ares Gear tried to get around this with the Aegis, but it’s still scuba webbing. Typically dress(ier) belts mean leather. Just make sure the leather you select is appropriate for the environment. If, for example, you’re in a button down shirt with jeans & boots, a beefier leather gun belt like the 1/4″ thick offerings from Mean Gene, but if you’re in chinos, slacks or suit pants, you’ll need something that doesn’t look like work wear. You may have already read my article where I compared the Kore Essentials and Slidebelt, which are my previous and current go-tos.
  4. Your pants play into the concealment of an IWB holster! Most dudes, especially dudes that have a less than athletic build like myself will be inclined to pick pants that are less constricting because that’s more comfortable. This unfortunately creates a problem. You want your waistband to help snug the gun up against the body. Additionally, I’ve found that pants that are a little more fitted in the crotch, seat, and thigh tend to keep the holster body in place and prevent shifting. I’m not suggesting that the waist of your pants needs to be so tight that it’s cutting into you and leaving marks or red spots, but there should be at least some notable level of pressure from the waistband against your body.

Aero Precision joins the fight against Washington AWB

By
Keith Finch
-
From Thunder Ranch, The Aero Precision Media Event. August 9-12 2019

Aero Precision, the well known AR component manufacturer housed in Washington State, has joined the growing and energized list of plaintiffs who have filed against Jay Inslee’s new law.

From Aero,

Tacoma, WA – Due to the passage of House Bill 1240 by the Washington Legislature and Governor Jay Inslee signing it in to law on 4/25/23, Aero Precision has filed a lawsuit in conjunction with several other plaintiffs to combat this overreaching legislation, seeking temporary and permanent injunction based on the unconstitutionality of this law.

The case was filed on 4/25/23 in the Eastern District of Washington, U.S. District Court. Plaintiffs include Aero Precision LLC , Amanda Banta (2012 Olympian Sport Shooter), Sharp Shooting Indoor Range & Gun Shop, The Range LLC, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The complaint is filed against defendants Robert W. Ferguson, Attorney General of Washington State, and John R. Batiste, Chief of the Washington State Patrol. “We do not agree with this law and we do not think it is constitutional,” said Scott Dover, CEO of Aero Precision. “HB1240 bans some of the most common firearms and parts available. It impacts the lawful ownership of products we manufacture and sell to thousands of our customers in the State of Washington. It also restricts the rights of the individuals, Aero Precision employees, who make these parts. We will fight this law in the courts and are confident in the outcome given the clear rulings in multiple Supreme Court cases, including Heller and Bruen.”

About Aero Precision

Aero Precision is a firearms manufacturer based out of Tacoma, WA. Aero Precision has been in business in Washington since 1994, originally starting in the Aerospace industry. Today, Aero Precision is the largest firearms manufacturer in Washington, employing roughly 650 employees in Washington and over 200 in other areas around the US. Aero Precision manufacturers AR Parts and Components, Bolt Action Rifles, Suppressors and more.

Read the full text of the suit here.

Limited Optics, Coming Soon To A USPSA Club Near You 

By
P.E. Fitch
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USPSA Club Match

Starting on May 1st 2023, the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) will be adding a new provisional competitive division to its categorical lineup: the Limited Optics division. This means that a 9mm Luger Staccato P cut for a slide mounted red-dot sight is now kosher at a local match without having to be under Open division. For slightly more serious Level 2 events, it would depend on the specific match whether to allow them or not for the duration of 2023. For Level 3 matches, this new division will not be open until next year, in 2024.

The biggest and most obvious difference between the regular Limited division and the new Limited Optics division is the fact that slide mounted electronic red dot sights are allowed. (Having an optic on a mount fastened to the pistol’s frame would still require it to compete under Open division).  In other words, this new division is basically Carry Optics meets Limited. All guns will be scored as minor guns and all guns will still be subject to the 141.5 millimeter magazine length restrictions. 9mm Luger is the minimum allowed caliber, and basically the only logical choice given its extreme popularity these days. With all guns being scored as minor and having magazine length limits be the same as Limited or Carry Optics, this new division just sounds like Carry Optics with extra steps.

This Staccato XL 2011 Pistol with that mounted Holosun RDS would qualify under the new Limited Optics Division

It’s no doubt that the new crop of NRA B-8 shooting double stack 1911/2011 owners have been the butt of some jokes that poke fun at this new USPSA division. However, the fact of the matter is that 9mm Luger chambered double stack 1911 style pistols have surged in popularity and are becoming reliable and durable enough for everyday carry and duty use. The same goes for slide mounted red dots, these are more popular than ever before, with the industry catering to shooters at every price point and sophistication level (exactly like double-stack 1911s). I can entertain the fact that excluding these new guns “in common use” from the Carry Optics realm and forcing them to compete solely against 9mm Major Open race guns is maybe silly. On the flip side, with the sophistication available in non 1911 high performance designs, like the CZ Shadow 2 series or many of the new metal framed striker guns–could it be that the line between high performance 1911 type pistols and their non 1911-style counterparts has become very blurry? Maybe it doesn’t even matter that much. It’s the Indian, not the arrow, right? As for me, I plan to keep shooting Limited or Carry Optics until I can afford a double-stack 1911. 

The Shoulder Holster Draw

By
Travis Pike
-

Maybe it’s because I’m a Florida man, and maybe it’s because I love Miami Vice, but I love shoulder holsters. I go back a long way with them. As a teenager, I was known to rip and tear through the family property with an ATV, and an Uncle Mike’s nylon shoulder rig secured the water mocassin killing machine that was my Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider. I still occasionally carry with a shoulder holster, which forces me to occasionally practice my shoulder holster draw. 

Recently my kids had spring break, and we headed over to St Augustine, Florida, to see how the Eastern Florida folk live. It was several hours’ drive, and I put on my Galco Miami Classic 2 and my SIG P365 for the road trip. Say what you will, but driving with a shoulder holster is 1000% more comfortable than driving with an appendix rig. As a big guy in a small car, it’s also much easier to draw. 

As I practiced my dry fire draws with my chosen rig and gun, it occurred to me that most people might not know the skinny on shoulder holsters and a safe draw. Shoulder holsters aren’t popular these days and are quite niche. Most education and information around seems to come from movies and TV, and trust me when I say they get it wrong. Let’s dissect the shoulder holster draw. 

The Shoulder Holster Draw – Safety First 

Let’s break down what it takes to wear a shoulder holster as a concealed carrier. You need one that fits properly and is easily hidden under your arm. A cover garment is always necessary, and then we seemed to spring back into winter this year. It wasn’t an issue. A light shirt does it. To effectively draw the gun, you need to defeat the garment. 

 

That’s nothing new in concealed carry, but the method you do so can be tricky. For waist carry, you can typically grab the top of the shirt and yank upward. With the shoulder holster draw, it’s wise to reach higher on the cover garment. I reach right below above the gun sits. I’m reaching just above my red dot sight to draw the gun. 

If you watch movies and tv, the shoulder holster draw is just as easy as reaching into your coat. That doesn’t work well, so clear the garment and grab the gun. When you clear the garment, you want to pull it upward. How high? Well, higher than ever. Have you ever seen one of those Jersey Shore dues show his abs? Pull your arm up that high. 

Up To the Neck 

Literally, pull it up nice and high toward the neck. It might not quite be neck high, but close. You want the elbow in line with the wrist. The idea is that when you draw your gun, you aren’t flagging yourself as you turn the gun and point it at the threat. This is where most people get the draw wrong. They seem to forget they are flagging themselves on the draw. 

The same goes for when it comes to reholstering the gun. Although, you don’t have to reholster it quickly, so you can take your time, get the gun out of your way, and holster the gun. When you practice the draw, I suggest exaggerating the elbow going up and getting it higher than necessary. I always think of it as a chicken wing, and I’m in a fight-or-flight situation. 

The thing is, a chicken is a flightless bird, so I’m flapping one wing while the other moves to fight. 

Governor Inslee Signs Washington Assault Weapon Ban

By
Keith Finch
-

Washington becomes the 10th state to restrict semiautomatic possession through a stupid feature list.

The House concurred with a floor amendment to House Bill 1240 that was added in the Senate, voting 56-42 to approve it on April 19. The amendment will allow gun manufacturers to sell inventory already in stock prior to Jan. 1, 2023, and only to out-of-state clientele for 90 days after the bill goes into effect. So vendors aren’t totally hosed, just mostly.

The bill does not ban the possession of assault weapons and allows for ownership by law enforcement and military service members, with an exception in cases of inheritance. So the guns already there can apparently stay, meaning the risk profile in the state doesn’t change at all.

In state and national organizations like the NSSF have vowed to challenge the bill in court, arguing the ban violates the second amendment. The Second Amendment Foundation filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday challenging the ban, asking for preliminary and permanent injunctions. Assault weapon bans are still under federal scrutiny in the courts and with federal court momentum who knows how long this will remain enacted. Illinois is currently facing several suits and its fate is unknown too, the Chicago led state passed theirs in January.

“The state has enacted a flat prohibition on the manufacture, sale, import and distribution of many types of firearms, inaccurately labeled as ‘assault weapons,’ which are owned by millions of ordinary citizens across the country,” Second Amendment Foundation founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb said in a prepared statement. “In the process, the state has criminalized a common and important means of self-defense, the modern semiautomatic rifle. The state has put politics ahead of constitutional rights, and is penalizing law-abiding citizens while this legislation does nothing to arrest and prosecute criminals who misuse firearms in defiance of all existing gun control laws. It is absurd.”

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