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Applying For A New Jersey Firearms Purchaser Identification Card: Within
this biased article are some insights about the hoops through which
law-abiding citizens must jump to purchase a firearm in New Jersey.
(And, yes, Monica, your colleague should be able to outfit a legitimate
militia with a single swipe of the company credit card, so long as the
company wants to foot the bill.)
http://www.topix.net/content/kri/4123411672258811559533265684773899998320
---
Watch Those Ricochets: Three NYPD officers suffered graze wounds from
what were most likely ricochets of bullets fired at dog that was
attacking an officer.
http://ww2.wpri.com/Global/story.asp?S=5185541
---
Pause For Thought: Dean Speir presents a medley of photos of kaBooms! in
Glocks. Clearly these do not occur in every other Glock pistol and, as
far as I know, only one has occurred in a 9mm Glock. My personal
opinion? I would accept a gift of a Glock in another chambering but
would not spend the money on a Glock in other than 9x19mm.
http://www.thegunzone.com/glock/greatest_hits.html
---
From Force Science Research Center: Preliminary findings in a study
involving pursuit driving suggest that more training improves response
and memory in high-intensity encounters (Newsletter #49).
http://www.forcesciencenews.com/home/current.html
---
From John Farnam:
17 July 06
Comments from a frustrated friend who owns an indoor gun range:
"... invariably the ones with chronic gun problems are Frankengun
owners, who have stuffed their guns chock-full of after-market parts and
endless accessories. I want to reach across the counter and grab them
by their scrawny necks, while screaming:
WHEN YOU HAVE RELIABLE IGNITION AND FUNCTIONING, DON'T "FIX" IT. LEAVE
IT ALONE!"
Comment: Again, we only deal with serious guns for serious purposes.
Thus, "recreational" guns, like "recreational" food, don't interest me,
nor do I have patience with those who keep getting the two mixed in with
each other!
/John
(There is a difference between "accessorizing" a gun and functional
improvements, such as a professional action job and better-fitting grip
stocks. Night sights may also be a reasonable option.)
17 July 06
At recent Urban Rifle courses, we've encountered several AR-15s equipped
with the after-market "Accu-Wedge," a wad of rubber that is jammed
between the lower and upper receivers. It is supposed to improve
accuracy. What it does mostly is preclude the gun from functioning
normally!
The extremely limited effective range of the 223 cartridge does not
justify any "accuracy enhancements," any more than such things would be
advisable on an M1 Carbine. Making believe your rifle is something it
is not is, at once, injudicious and delusional!
/John
17 July 06
On fighting, from a security specialist in TX:
"As I was making rounds last night, I noticing a disheveled customer on
the main floor. He was yelling incoherently at our DJ. It was obvious
this person was both intoxicated, and geared up for a fight.
I confronted him with my usual, 'House security, sir. Is there a
problem here?' He straightaway responded with a fusillade of vile
curses as he, apparently losing interest in the DJ, began moving
aggressively toward me. His fists were clenched.
When close enough, I precipitously struck him in the chest with a double
palm-heel. The blow took him by surprise. It knocked the wind out of
him and sent him stumbling backward. Seizing the initiative, I closed
the distance, swept him to the floor, and, after tense moments of
serious wrestling, managed to get him cuffed. When I caught my breath,
I summoned my uniformed guards. During the entire affair, which lasted
only a few seconds, among all the other patrons, no one offered to
assist or even call for help. That is what we've come to expect here!
When things go south, as was the case here, usually within seconds, one
must be able to quickly size up the situation, make a plan, and then act
at the critical moment. Minds chronically filled with 'clog and
clutter' are seldom able to transition to action soon enough.
Sometimes, that clutter is actually generated by too many choices!
Even when fairly clanking with weapons, from guns to impact tools, one
still needs be well versed in plain-vanilla fighting, seamlessly
escalating and de-escalating as circumstances dictate. The 'ultimate
advantage' is not this weapon or that, this caliber or that. It is
clear thinking and the ability to move from thought to action directly
and smoothly. The notion that, to be successful, one must be equipped
with this or that weapon is self-deception and constitutes little more
than an excuse to lose. I've seen many such losers, all with too much
faith in their equipment and too little in themselves!
(1) Mind and Spirit, (2) Technical Superiority, (3) Icy Determination,
and (4) Superiority of Purpose, all combine to bring forth personal
victory. The rest is just commentary!"
/John
(Abraham Maslow said, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend
to see every problem as a nail." This dictum is evident in the above
advice to "be well versed in plain-vanilla fighting." Take into account,
however, that the commentary comes from a bouncer in a bar in Texas, who
may stand on different ground legally than the average citizen on the
street.)
18 July 06
I just got off the phone with a good friend who is Rangemaster with a
large, metro PD in the Midwest. The topic was rifles in beat cars, used
by patrol officers.
His department is equipped with Beretta Storm/CX4 Carbines in 9mm, and
they are delighted with them! What he likes most is the fact that the
Carbine shoots the same ammunition as his department pistols, and both
weapons use the same magazine! Practice is pleasant, and officers, even
small ones, consider recoil and muzzle blast eminently manageable.
Their qualification course requires reasonable accuracy out to fifty
meters, and the little Beretta Carbine delivers in spades. Several
carbines assigned to the range have now logged in excess of 20,000
rounds. On several, maintenance has been minimal, including
deliberately not lubricating them (as a test). Even so, there have been
extremely few stoppages, all corrected on the spot. So far, they've broken
one extractor.
I now have my own copy of the CX4, in 40S&W, and I'll be using it over
the next few months. I must say it is short, handy, and light, easy to
maneuver, even inside of a car. The cross-bolt safety button may be an
issue with left-handers. I'll get a reading from by left-handed
students as to how big an issue it actually is.
Beretta may have something here! Get hold of my friend Craig Turner at
Beretta at 321 777 5453. He has all the details. More later.
/John
(Pistol-caliber carbines enjoyed a flurry of popularity in law
enforcement about a decade ago, perhaps as a coattail effect of the MP5
fad. It was noted, however, that pistol bullets out of carbine barrels
tend to have greater penetration of common building materials than 55
gr. .223 bullets and that the latter will penetrate soft body armor
while the former won't. Just as many special-response teams have gotten
rid of their MP5's in favor of M4's or other weapons chambered in .223,
many agencies have opted for .223 patrol rifles. Pistol-caliber carbines
fill a niche, particularly for people of small stature who may not be
dedicated shooters. Personally, I carry an M1 Carbine as a truck gun and
readily admit that it offers ballistics comparable to that of a carbine
in .357 Magnum. I own more M1 Carbines than AR-15's and can more readily
afford to lose one of the former.)
19 July 06
As we were concluding an Advanced Urban Rifle Program in WY last
weekend, one of my students was having a terrible time passing our test,
which required him to switch shoulders as he engaged multiple, steel
targets. I consider the ability to shoot rifles "left-handed" a
critical skill. In the end, he was unable to pass, despite heroic
effort. He is Jewish, and his personal lineament was wounded, though he
hid it well.
During our closing ceremony, he asked to briefly speak to all of us.
Permission was, of course, instantly granted. He indicated that his
family had come to this Country from Russia several generations ago,
like so many, fleeing religious persecution. Many Jewish families never
made it! He told us about the
"knock-on-the-door-in-the-middle-of-the-night," which portended the
murder of so many. He went on to say that his ancestors, the few who
survived and the many who didn't, were mostly unarmed and, more to the
point, had no practical weapons skills. They, like so many other
betrayed innocents, were defenseless and helpless when remorselessly
murdered.
"Since in America," he went on, "my family and I have made it a personal
mantra to be well armed, well skilled, and fundamentally unapologetic
about refusing to be victims of criminal violence. The
'knock-on-the-door-in-the-middle-of-the-night' may be coming for all of
us, and maybe sooner than any of us imagine possible. I may have missed
here this afternoon during my test, but I won't miss then, nor will I
hesitate!"
Tears flowed down his cheeks as his voice trailed off. The rest of us
stood in silence as we were all reminded that moment of what this
Country stands for. America is a shining beacon, a ray of hope to
billions who live in virtual slavery and whose lives are routinely and
casually snuffed out at the insouciant whim of thoughtless potentates.
In ancient times, each warrior was known by the unique design on his
shield. During close-quarter fighting, it became virtually impossible
to know friend from foe without an intimate knowledge of shield
designs. For example, all shields carried by Spartan Hopolites bore the
Greek symbol Lambda, (^) or "L," which stood for Laconia, the area in
southern Greece where, in the Tenth Century BC, their ancestors (and
ours!) had settled and founded the city-state of Sparta.
Derived from the Semitic letter, "Lamedh" (ox-goad), lambda is the
eleventh letter in the Hellenic Alphabet and the basis for our letter
"L." Originally a picture-symbol for scales, the letter eventually took
on the abstract meaning of "balance." Lacedaemonians (Spartans) painted
upper-case Lambdas on their shields, symbolizing not only their fierce
unity but also their belief that the demands of the state must never
interfere with the freedom and independence of the individual citizen.
Thus, it is, even today, the upper-case lambda ( ^ ) that is painted as
chevrons on our armored vehicles, representing warriors who balance
duty with honor and freedom.
Let us never forget that we Americans bear the onus of our proud,
Western Heritage, so nobly earned in 480 BC at the pass of Thermopylae
by King Leonidas and his Army of three-hundred Spartans. Because of
their bravery, audacity, and determination, and that of many others in
generations since, the "knock-on-the-door-in-the-middle-of-the-night"
has not been part of our lives, at least not yet!
/John
22 July 06
Observation from a friend in SA:
"Last week, we shot in the middle of a typical Cape Town winter rain.
This place is not known as the 'Cape of Storms' for nothing! We all got
soaked.
Water had no effect on the operation of our CZs, but it did on Glocks.
Glock magazines, when soaked, hang in the weapon. My shooting partner,
who usually dumps used mags out as fast as I can blink, had to manually
rip mags out in order to reload. Nearly all other Glock shooters
experienced the same problem. This is the wettest it has ever been while
we have been shooting, and it is the first time I have noticed water
having this effect on Glock magazines. It is, of course, no problem for
those of us who have trained properly, but it confused quite a few."
Lesson: Our training routines must address situation like these, which,
though rare, like sand traps at the golf course, lie in wait to confound
the unwary.
/John
(I began my US Army Basic Combat Training in December 1969 at Ft. Lewis
WA. Anyone who knows the area will understand why that is where I was
first exposed to the dictum, "If it ain't rainin', you're not trainin'."
Unfortunately, in my current neck of the woods [literally; I live in
Arizona at 6,300 feet above sea level, in a forest of juniper and
Ponderosa pine, with a few Gambel oaks for variety], rain usually brings
an unacceptable risk of lightning strikes, leading me to avoid
conducting training in the rain. Nevertheless, one of my biggest
frustrations as an instructor has been the occasional student who has
had a weakness in his equipment revealed during my range exercises and
has chosen to regard it as a personal insult rather than a learning
experience. As an aside, my one Glock pistol is coming back from a grip
reduction by Robar this week. When I carried it in, I was asked if I
wanted the new back strap to fill in the scallop that is uncovered when
the original back strap is ground off. I hadn't thought about it in
advance but did not hesitate in my decision to leave the scallop in
place - it may be needed for better access to rip out a stuck magazine.)
--
Stephen P. Wenger
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
