SIG P365XL Spectre

By

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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

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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.

Gavin Newsom Proposes a 28th Amendment… It’s an Assault Weapons Ban

By

Keith Finch

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June 8, 2023

Newsom_React_Shootings — California Governor Gavin Newsom shares his reaction to two mass shootings over the weekend in Texas and Ohio during a press conference, Monday, August 5, 2019, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. On his left is Mark Ghilarducci, the director of Cal OES and on his right is Xavier Becerra, Attorney General of California. Image via Sacramento Bee, SacBee.com

In what I can only assume is a bid for attention and to deflect from California spiraling, Governor Gavin Newsom has tweeted the following moronicism,

NEW: I’m proposing the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution to help end our nation’s gun violence crisis.

The American people are sick of Congress’ inaction.

The 28th will enshrine 4 widely supported gun safety freedoms — while leaving the 2nd Amendment intact:

1)… pic.twitter.com/ZJ7fyfH0Cf
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 8, 2023

It reads in full,

NEW: I’m proposing the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution to help end our nation’s gun violence crisis. The American people are sick of Congress’ inaction. The 28th will enshrine 4 widely supported gun safety freedoms — while leaving the 2nd Amendment intact: 1) Raising the minimum age to purchase a gun to 21 2) Universal background checks 3) A reasonable waiting period for gun purchases 4) Banning the civilian purchase of assault weapons

Gun Safety Freedoms is a bold choice of words. A regulation is by definition a restriction, not a freedom. It limits what you can do, it does not limit what the government can do to you as the 2nd Amendment does, so his ‘leaves the 2nd Amendment intact’ line is just perfunctory fluff in that he technically didn’t repeal the 2nd to pass the 28th.

The government could barely pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was a thunderous nothing burder to placate the doing something crowd. It has been trumpted by Biden as a resounding success and the greatest gun control victory in recent history while also being said to have done absolutely nothing because they still need to pass and assault weapon ban. I’m sure a constitutional amendment will do it Gavin, good job. This isn’t a distraction or attention grab. Couldn’t be, California is doing so well right now you’d want to emphasize those success right?

Right?

California man who pummeled, shot at female deputy found not guilty despite video of attack

Terrific.

The State vs the Amish (Part Deux)

By

Dr LateBloomer

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June 8, 2023

https://www.tribdem.com/news/photo-gallery-amish-crew-builds-barn-on-somerset-county-farm-where-johnstowns-founder-once-lived/article_c401b784-3e9f-11ec-b882-cb4aaee84bc8.html

Remember that time the ATF was dirty-dealing an Amish farmer over firearms?

Yeah, well now Democrats in the state of Pennsylvania are seeking to do some related dirty deeds. Click on the link to check out this blog post by a 2A supporting attorney in PA.

You may recall that many Amish purchase firearms via personal sales and not through an FFL because their religious faith prohibits photographs of their faces – even for a photo ID. You may also recall that an FFL dealer may NOT sell firearms to someone without said photo ID. That leaves only private sales – which are not currently illegal.

Except Democrats (and even some Republicans) in the Pennsylvania State General Assembly are seeking to do just that – make private sales illegal – via House Bill 714.

Apparently this includes ALL sales outside of an FFL, so this impacts non-Amish Pennsylvanians as well, but the average PA citizen already has photo ID. It’s the Amish who will be the most adversely affected – because not only will the government be infringing upon their Second Amendment rights, it will also be infringing on their First Amendment rights.

If you live in Pennsylvania, you need to contact your state senators NOW in order to keep this unconstitutional disease from spreading from the House to the Senate.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” ~ Edmund Burke

The 1R1 – Ditch It

By

Travis Pike

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June 8, 2023

If you’ve ever done any amount of training, you’ve likely done the famed 1R1. What’s the 1R1? It’s the shoot one, reload, and shoot one. Plenty of us are used to this drill and have likely done over and over. It’s become a bit of a training foundation, and with that said, I really think we should ditch it, at least with magazine-fed rifles and handguns.

When viewed from the outside in, the 1R1 seems like an efficient low ammo-cost means to practice your reloads. In reality, it sets us up for failure and doesn’t really teach us how to reload in a practical matter. While it appears to be an efficient means of training, it’s setting us up for failure.

Why the 1R1 Sucks

The main problem with the 1R1 drill is that it doesn’t accurately represent what happens when a reload occurs. The 1R1 doesn’t provide a realistic scenario for a reload to occur. You know that as soon as the drill starts, you will be shooting one, reloading one, and shooting one again. You’re creating a specific scenario that had no randomness to it and really no realism to it.

It becomes more of a rehearsal than an actual piece of training. You know that as soon as the beep occurs, you will reload. There is no surprise to it. There is no oh crap moment you need to process prior to a reload mentally.

The 1R1 also tends to focus more on the reload than the two shots fired. What occurs is someone trying to beat the timer and not paying attention to two key components. First, there is a lack of accuracy focus. Where are those two rounds going downrange? It doesn’t often matter as long as you’re reloading fast, right?

Second, what are you doing while you reload? Are you taking cover? Cause in most cases that seems to be a very important step prior to reloading an empty gun. However, that kills that fast time. Sure, in some situations, you won’t have a chance to use a cover or concealment, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t train to use cover.

Another issue comes down to the fact you are only firing one round. What’s the likelihood you will assume a good firing stance and grip if you only have to fire one round? In real life, you might need to fire several rounds and to keep control of those rounds. You’ll need to assume a good stance and grip.

With that said, only a Sith deals in absolutes, right?

When the 1R1 Works

The 1R1 can be a decent beginner’s step to familiarize yourself with the weapon and its reloading process and manual of arms. A CZ Scorpion reloads a lot differently than an AR-15. You might need to just learn the manual of arms of the firearm.

It also works with guns like lever action rifles and shotguns. They have the tubular magazines where you can always just top the gun off, and it’s good practice to do so. Keeping the weapon loaded is a good habit with either style of weapon.

An Alternative

Obviously, the easiest alternative is to load more rounds and do 3R3s or beyond while also occasionally practicing with cover and movement. That will cure a few of the problems with the 1R1. Another is to have someone else load the magazines so you have no idea how many rounds are loaded. This way, unpredictability is part of the training.

A dry fire solution I like to is to set a timer for 45 seconds up to two minutes and then do my normal dry fire practice. When the timer goes off, I conduct a reload. This way, there is some unpredictability to the whole thing. You can do this with a shot timer as well and set the parameters to random and a time minimum and maximum. That tends to be easier and less disruptive than dealing with a phone alarm.

The 1R1 isn’t all bad, and it won’t get you killed in the streets. However, I don’t believe it gives you the most bang for your buck. If better training options exist, why shouldn’t we use them?

Traveling With Firearms ft. Tim Herron

By

P.E. Fitch

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June 7, 2023

For many of us who are about this life, getting to a point where we’d end up flying with firearms is probably inevitable. Whether we’re taking business trips, going to a specific class or even going to a serious level match–at some point, if you’re more than a casual gun hobbyist, you’ll probably end up having to fly with a firearm. This is a topic ripe with horror stories, fuddlore, bullshit and everything in between. My friend Tim Herron wrote about the topic, and what he wrote is worth your time.

–PE Fitch

From Tim Herron,

Flying With Firearms In The Domestic US

The Check-In Process

There always seems to be a lot of speculation, worry and apprehension regarding flying with firearms.

The check in process is actually quite easy. I’d like to share a process that ensures ease of travel with little hassle and fewer worries.

First, depending on the airport you’re departing from, you’ll want to arrive at least a full hour or more prior to your scheduled flight. Larger airports will always have longer lines and more passengers filtering through security, so add more time accordingly. When you arrive at the airport, you’ll go to the ticket counter to check your bags. At the counter, you’ll hand your ID to the agent and let them know you have __ number of bags to check. This is also the time to let them know you need to “declare a firearm.”

The agent will ask you to put the particular bag containing the firearm(s) on the scale to check them in. They will then hand you a firearms declaration card for you to complete with all of your pertinent information (name/address/date/travel info/etc). You’ll have to sign this card and declare that the firearm(s) are unloaded, clear of any ammunition and in safe condition.

The agent will ask you to open your bag in order to visually and/or physically inspect your firearm case to ensure it is locked and inaccessible. Sometimes, gate agents might request that you open the container with the firearm itself. This is okay, don’t freak out and DO NOT handle the firearm. Once they inspect it, they’ll have you secure your case and they will insert the completed declaration card inside the suitcase or the firearms container before locking it up again.

The agent will give TSA a quick call or send them the bag directly for inspection. Follow any and all directions for any other bags you need to check and any and all other specific airport or gate procedures. Once the bag and firearm has been inspected by TSA, you may receive an “all clear” or perhaps be directed to your gate after check-in.

Flying With Ammunition

I personally recommend packing ammo in a suitcase separate from the firearm. Keep in mind that most airlines have an 11-lb weight limit for ammunition, but some do not. Your best bet is to call them ahead of time and see their policies. Rounds are usually best off left in their factory packaging. Sometimes, I travel with cartridges stored in plastic MTM or Berry’s boxes and I’ll add some blue tape around the edges to protect them. While certain airlines might allow you to fly with loaded magazines, most generally don’t and it’s a crap shoot to guess incorrectly and find out the hard way. Honestly, I don’t recommend doing this to avoid wasting your time. Interestingly, there is no federal/TSA weight limit for ammunition. Technically, you also don’t need to declare it. It’s why I recommend traveling with ammo separate from the firearm in a different bag. Keep in mind that ammo does need to be in “checked baggage” but not declared or inspected by the airline. This allows you to circumvent the 11-lb limit and fly with extra rounds.

My Choice Of Cases And Containers

Above is a photo of the hard case I recommend as well as the firearms case I used to secure my handguns. The large case is a Pelican 1615 Air and has 5 latches (2 are TSA approved locks). Inside, I pack my range bag (with all things needed for range work), my belt/holster, trauma kit, marker cones (for range), and a firearms case containing pistols and empty magazines. My firearms specific case is a Pelican V200. I secure the V200 with two NON-TSA approved padlocks with the shortest shackle length I can get away with. This way, no one else has access to that locked case. I fly with a second Pelican 1615 Air that contains all my other travel and teaching essentials like ammo, rain gear, boots/shoes, extra jacket, gloves, notebook, etc. This case does get locked with TSA Approved locking latches for ease of inspection and security. Both of these cases have everything I need for a weekend class or match. Both end up weighing around 46-48 pounds. This is enough to avoid any overweight bag fees. For my own assurance, peace of mind and tracking of my luggage, I use Apple iTags in each case as well too. I highly recommend them.

PS…

I prefer hard cases like the 1615 Air due to the immense amount of travel and handling they’re subjected to. These cases are extremely durable and they keep all of my stuff safe. I’ve used soft suitcases and less rugged luggage in the past, but they don’t last the way these hard sided Pelican cases do. The biggest piece of advice and most important recommendation I can give you is…BE NICE! Being an impatient and inconsiderate passenger will make you trouble. You’d be amazed at how just having a pleasant attitude and accommodating demeanor will smoothen your travels. (Trust me, I know ;-) )

–Tim Herron

Tim Herron is a nationally acclaimed firearms instructor and competitive shooter. He is a USPSA Grand Master in both Single Stack and Limited division, a Master Class CDP shooter in IDPA, and has experience in defensive shooting, IDPA, Steel Challenge, bullseye and target shooting, Bianchi, and the occasional trick shot. Please visit his website to learn more about what he does and what he teaches.

Point Shooting – A Misunderstood Method

By

Travis Pike

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June 7, 2023

There are a wide variety of tactics and shooting techniques of the past that were completely valid for that period. They worked then, and while some may work now, as tactics, gear, and guns evolve, things change. Every so often, things do get stuck in the greater cultural zeitgeist. One of the things that has stuck around has been point shooting. Point shooting is a bit of a controversial tactic. Some advocate that’s the only defensive shooting you should do. Others seemingly understand its niche concept.

Today I want to address the folks who have the idea that point shooting is the end-all, be-all of defensive shooting. If I can’t reach those people, I can at least talk to others who might here them and persuade them to think differently. Let’s dig into point shooting.

The Reputable Origins Of Point Shooting

Point shooting as a tactic wasn’t always a niche tool for the box. During the days of Rex Applegate, William Fairbairn, and Eric Sykes, point shooting became the go-to tactic. The Shanghai Municipal Police were involved in hundreds of shootings, with officers often engaging drug and human smugglers, petty criminals, thieves, and organized crime in sporadic gunfights.

This is where the idea of point shooting first came to be and to be categorized as a defensive shooting technique. It started when Fairbairn began accompanying patrols, and over nine years, he observed how the men fought and how they shot their weapons. They were not using their sights in these urban gunfights. This led to the concept of point shooting being institutionalized into doctrine.

This concept is often where the point-shoot cultists point to as proof it works. Without a doubt, the Shanghai beat was a rough one. These men were engaged with a variety of violent personalities and in gunfights seemingly every other day. In a twelve-year period, there were 666 gunfights in one city, with 260 criminals killed alongside 42 police officers.

The Fairbairn tactics became part of his book, Shooting to Live, and spread to numerous Western military and police forces across the globe. While this is certainly evidence that the point-shooting method can work, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

The Guns Of Point Shooting

Gear and guns drive tactics and vice versa. When we talk about point shooting and the Shanghai Municipal Police, we also have to discuss the guns of the era. They used a variety of automatics, including the M1911 and M1903/08 series handguns. Have you ever seen the sights on these guns?

They are ultra-small. Hell, they are tough to see in bright daylight. Imagine being in a city at any time near sundown or sunrise and in the shadow. The men didn’t use their sights cause it was likely suicide to do so in a gunfight. Pausing and trying to find these ultra-small sights was taking to long in a fight.

Also, keep in mind this port city was incredibly dense, and everything was shoved together. It was claustrophobic. They were often shooting at incredibly close ranges as well. At this time period using reflexive shooting made a lot of sense.

Modern sights are massive, easy to see, and easy to engage with. Your basic three-dot sights are a hundred times better than the sights of the old Colts. These days the conversation has changed even more with red dot sights that allow for a target focus shooting style.

Does It Work?

Sure, at any range where you are so close to your threat, you can’t extend your arm point shooting works. Close retention or at the arm’s reach is about the limit to point shooting. Modern handgun sights allow you to get at least get the front sight on your threat. Point shooting has a place, and that place is those close-range, point-blank, seemingly no-miss situations.

Beyond that, use your sights, and use them as designed.

The LTT Grip Anchor

By

The Suited Shootist

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June 6, 2023

There is no end to the variety of aftermarket add-ons offered for Glock pistols. Many of them are of questionable value, and come from folks without the necessary perspective to design something useful.

Neither of those things is the case with the Grip Anchor from Langdon Tactical Technologies. Ernest Langdon has had the reputation of being the pistol whisperer for years, sprinkling his magic on Berettas and HKs, and has added Glock to the lineup recently.

When Mitchell Booth joined the team, he helped develop the Grip Anchor. This insert fills the void at the back of the grip while giving the shooter several distinct advantages.

First, it extends the rear of the backstrap to further fill the hand and allow the shooter to exert more leverage at the bottom of the gun.

It also claims to make the gun more concealable “by smoothing the rear corner of the magazine and frame that tends to print or poke”. Personally, that was not my experience. Here’s my Gen 3 Glock 19 in a Dark Star Gear Apollo holster, both with and without the Grip Anchor, worn under a performance fabric henley.

I didn’t really see it print less or more, it just changed the location of the pokey corner that has to be addressed. Mitch is a very svelte guy, and routinely manages to effectively conceal a full sized gun on him without having to wear circus-tent sized clothing, so on this front your mileage may vary.

One thing that it does exceptionally well is keep from pinching the crap out of yourself during the reload. Previously I had put a Magpul magwell on this gun after a training session that left me with a very nice blood blister, and this certainly protects my hand in the same way.

It also does help ramp the magwell of the gun without adding to the overall bulk of the gun. From that standpoint, it certainly helps keep the gun more concealable.

So if you’re running a stock Glock, and are looking for a minimalistic upgrade and the benefits are appealing, it’s definitely worth checking out.

The sample Grip Anchor was provided by LTT at no cost to me.

The Weird World of Palm Pistols

By

Travis Pike

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June 6, 2023

If you think we get plenty of weird guns now, you should have been around in the late 1800s. Something about the advent of metallic cartridges spurned a ton of innovation, and with innovations comes a dose of weirdness. One of the weirder pistol concepts is the palm pistol which rose to prominence in the 1880s and remained somewhat popular until about 1910.

Palm pistols remain an interesting fad due to their tie to concealed carry. They are purpose-built concealed carry firearms that often attempt to provide a disguised and extremely compact pistol for self-defense. These ultra-small firearms would be easy for the average gentleman to carry. The appeal was simple and easy to see. A palm pistol could be nearly concealed just inside your hand.

Let’s say you were a gentleman about town. You visited the pub, went to see a show at the theatre, and you’re heading home for the evening. You notice a few rougher-looking men follow you as you leave town and begin to feel suspicious. A discreet reach in your pocket transfers your palm pistol to your hand. The weapon’s small barrel is the only thing visible in your hand, and no one is paying attention to you. You refuse to be Bruce Wayne’s dad tonight!

Regardless of what happened next, the palm pistol was present and ready. It could be carried discreetly, even in the hand. They were incredibly small and compact, especially for the era. Remember, in 1880, there was no Vest Pocket pistol. Your option was basically a derringer if you wanted something ultra-small and convenient.

What’s a Palm Pistol Exactly

As the name implies, it fits in your palm. The grip and design of the gun are meant to be almost completely concealed in your palm. The only thing that stood outside of your hand would be the barrel poking between your fingers. This gives palm pistols a rather unusual appearance. They do not look like standard guns in shape or size.

The most famous of these palm pistols is the Protector Palm pistol from 1882. This ultra-small and very unusual-looking firearm is actually a revolver. The round portion in the center holds seven or eight rounds, depending on caliber. Calibers included the .32 Extra short, the .25 ACP, and a .41 caliber, which I assume is a .41 Rimfire. The trigger is in the rear and is fired when the gun is squeezed.

Other Palm Pistols included the Shattuck Unique pistol, which was designed by Oscar Mossberg of Mossberg fame. This was a four-barrel pistol with a rotating firing pin. The same design would later likely inspire the Mossberg Brownie. There is also the Gaulois Palm Pistol, which used the .32 Extra Short, but interestingly used a drive round box magazine.

The most conventional of these guns, and arguably the earliest, was the Little All Right Firearms Company Palm Pistol. This gun premiered in 1876. This was a micro revolver with a squeezer trigger at the top of the gun. This meant that you got a little blast from between the cylinder and barrel, but it fired .22 Short, so there wasn’t much blast.

Ahead of Its Time

These little guns were micro-sized and easy to conceal, as well as repeating firearms. They were somewhat unique and complicated in design as well. They were a bit ahead of their time but somewhat doomed to fail. Palm Pistols were hard to aim and were only useful as belly guns.

They also tended to fire fairly weak cartridges like .32 Extra Short. They were anemic and, as rimfire cartridges, not always reliable. What really killed these guns was the advent of small automatics. The Colt vest Pocket guns, the FN M1910, and Baby Brownings were not only small but more conventional and fired centerfire cartridges.

These days palm pistols are interesting collector’s items. A company called Palm Pistol promised to create both a single-shot pistol and even a palm-fired carbine, and while the website still exists, I’m not sure if they ever got off the ground. These were certainly interesting firearms and were creative examples of what a concealed firearm can be.