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Hi Powers And Handguns: As Teddy Jacobson has been reproducing articles
lately from Stephen Camp's Hi Powers and Handguns site, I am providing a
link to it for those who may prefer to peruse it on their own. Clearly,
there is a section of articles on Browning Hi-Power pistols, one on
other handguns and an interesting FAQ section.
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/
---
From Gun Week:
Flap Erupts over Carry at New AZ Cabela's
by Dave Workman
Senior Editor
Legally-armed private citizens are allowed to carry concealed handguns
inside Cabela's retail stores, but Arizona customers who openly carry
their guns will have to check them, and that's a situation that has some
gun rights activists upset.
For a couple of days earlier this month following the new store's
opening, some Arizona activists became alarmed because the store was
posted against allowing loaded firearms, and customers were being asked
to clear (unload) their guns when they entered. This raised the hackles
of several people who consider this very unsafe gun handling.
There were a couple of unconfirmed reports from people who were there
that this practice might allow careless armed citizens to sweep the
crowd with the muzzles of their loaded firearms. Gun Week received one
report of this actually happening.
According to Joe Arterburn, Cabela's corporate communications manager at
the company's headquarters in Sidney, NE, concealed carry is really not
an issue.
"We're certainly not going to make (customers) reveal whether they have
a firearm, and then check it," he said. "This is certainly not Dodge City."
He told Gun Week that the company is actually taking a very close look
at its policies because Nebraska this year passed a concealed carry
statute, and it takes effect Jan. 1, 2007.
Arterburn said Cabela's is cognizant of the rights of armed citizens and
the company "wants to respect those rights."
"We feel pretty comfortable with where we're at," he stated.
The flap in Arizona involving open carry may not be resolved to
everyone's satisfaction, but Arterburn gave high marks to armed citizens
there who spotted the signs at the store and paid attention.
"It shows how conscientious Arizona gunowners are," he said. "They saw
the sign and figured they ought to respect it. They didn't like it (but)
that . . . brought us to where we are."
One Scottsdale resident received an e-mail from Cabela's spokeswoman
Louise Leisy, which explained the Cabela's policy on open carry.
Arterburn confirmed the contents of the note.
The note read, in part:
"We do request that when bringing in a firearm, other than legally
concealed or by law enforcement, that the firearm be checked at the
Greeter's Desk.
"1. Open carry firearms are permitted only for law enforcement.
"2. Legally carried concealed weapons are permitted into our store
locations.
"3. Firearms being brought into the retail location for repairs,
appraisals, trade-ins require being checked at the Greeter's Desk before
entering the retail area.
"The store will sell ammunition to the purchaser of a firearm. We do
'accompany' the buyer of a firearm from the store for the protection of
you and our customers."
Genie Williams, a resident of Princeton, TX, offered this reaction:
"Accompany? Escort? Give me a break. I don't need a nanny."
However, another Texas resident, Israel Rosemberg, noted, "This matches
my experience at the Ft. Worth, TX, store. Last time I was there I
noticed the sign to check guns at the desk. I asked the lady at the
front if that applied to CH licensees and their CHL handguns. I was told
that it did not apply and please enjoy my visit. Glad to see it set as a
policy. I don't see anything inconsistent with it."
Charles Heller, an Arizona-based gun rights activist with the Arizona
Citizens Defense League, told Gun Week that unloading firearms at or
near the store entrance is of great concern to members of his
organization. Signs regarding the carrying of firearms in the store have
been removed, he noted.
One customer sent an e-mail to the store, promising to never shop there
again, after having to "check" his gun at the front counter and learning
later that the firearm had not been put in a safe, but instead had been
simply put on a shelf behind the counter.
"I feel that is very unsafe," that individual wrote, "for your store
(and) if it was stolen by someone Cabela's opened their Arizona store
July 24. The signs were apparently hastily posted after customers showed
up openly carrying their sidearms, but just as quickly removed. The
concern expressed to Heller by a store staffer was about a "gun grab."
One gunowner posting on an Internet forum said that he is "looking
forward to going back, as I know I did not see everything in just one
visit."
Earlier this month, Cabela's Inc. posted a 32% net profit increase
during the second quarter, with a net income of $8.4 million, or 13
cents per share. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation,
that was better than Wall Street had expected.
Total revenue for the company, which is one of the largest mail-order
and outdoor retail outlet companies in the world, was up 12.6% to $387.3
million.
This article is provided free by GunWeek.com.
For more great gun news, subscribe to our print edition.
---
From John Farnam:
15 Aug 06
LA Shooting Incident, from a friend with the LAPD:
"Saturday evening, one of my two-officer, patrol units made a traffic
stop. Ageing, shabby vehicle with a headlight out. Two, male
occupants. Dealer's plates. Middle-class, residential neighborhood.
My officers planned on treating it as a high-risk stop, because of the
likelihood of it being a stolen car. However, before the suspect
vehicle even came to a stop, the front-seat passenger jumped out,
holding a stockless (wood stock had been sawed off) Kalashnikov
(7.62X39) and started firing at our patrol vehicle.
Our passenger officer already had his door open and was calling in the
stop when two rounds hit him, one in the left wrist and in the left
forearm. Both were through and through. He, of course, dropped the
microphone, but he was able to draw his G23 with his other hand and
immediately return fire.
The suspect started walking toward our patrol vehicle, shooting as he
moved. He put a whole bunch of rounds through the windshield. Some
rounds struck the passenger-side door, but were stopped by a ballistic
panel, standard now in all our cars. Glad we had them!
The suspect then ran past our unit's passenger side, firing
continuously. By this time, the driver officer was out and firing at
the suspect (SW 4506) as he ran passed the unit. One of his rounds hit
the suspect in the right thigh. The suspect abruptly dropped his rifle
and hobbled away. Driver officer was in slide lock and in the process
of reloading.
The suspect turned a nearby corner and ran through several back yards.
He went to ground under a carport. When confronted a few minutes later,
he surrendered meekly. The driver, who fled the scene when the shooting
started, was also arrested a short distance away, at about the same
time. He also surrendered without incident, claiming to know nothing.
I was the second sergeant at the scene. Both our officers are going to
be okay. One was hit directly, as noted above, but both were hit
multiple times by glass shards and other secondary, flying debris. My
officer who took the direct hits (three months left on probation) got
right back in the fight! He never lost consciousness. His vest saved
him from a nasty, secondary wound to his lower, right side. My other
officer (twenty-plus years) went on the attack without hesitation. He
kept shooting until he was forced to reload. He then, clearly and
calmly, made all of the necessary broadcasts for suspect description,
directions and perimeter set-up. A professional all the way!
Both suspects are mid-thirties, local, two-bit losers. Chronically
unemployed. Long rap sheets. But, neither are gang members, as far as
we can tell.
That was surprising."
Lessons:
I know it is a sore subject, but two-officer, beat cars really make
sense. Had the patrol vehicle been occupied by only one officer, he
would have been lucky to live through it.
Fifteen-shooters are better than eight-shooters! The driver officer
commented that he ran out of ammunition just as the fight was
starting! Yes, I know accuracy is the factor, but just being able to
keep coming, without having the necessity of a momentum-depleting reload
rearing its ugly head at an inconvenient time is desirable indeed.
An immediate, explosive counterattack is always the right answer to
unexpected, unlawful violence. Deadly, return fire will stop the attack
faster than most other things I can think of.
Never give up. Never give in!
/John
15 Aug 06
At an Urban Rifle/Shotgun course in MI last weekend, a student brought a
Garand and shot the entire Course with it. His build and height are
above average, but even he admitted that, after carrying it (and forty
rounds of ammunition) for two, long days, he can surely see the
advantage of short, light, compact rifles, with large, detachable
magazines.
He lives in Chicago, where one may not a legally own any species of
handgun, but may have a Garand and a pump shotgun. No other autoloading,
military rifle is allowed (not even M1 Carbines), and autoloading
shotguns are limited to four rounds. Even then, all firearms are
registered with the City, so the mayor can, at any time, and on any
flimsy pretext, kick in the doors of gunowners' homes and snatch them
out of their hands, leaving them defenseless in the face of (private
sector) criminals (the "Nagen Method"). If I lived in Chicago, I'm sure
I'd own several Garands!
This student is making due, as best he can, given his circumstances.
That is what I admire. Instead of spending all his time cursing liberal,
anti-gun politicians, he has found a way to arm himself formidably,
working around restrictive rules. After an arduous and exhausting,
two-day workout, few, with any kind of rifle, would be a match for him!
/John
15 Aug 06
This from a friend in the retail gun business:
"Yesterday I received an updated DOI/GSA price schedule from Winchester.
It contained the following message:
'Due to the military's growing demand for 223 ammunition, Winchester is
left with a decreased capacity to service all other customers... as a
result...we will discontinue quoting prices on all 223 ammunition...
attached, you will find a revised price list which no longer includes
223... we will, once again, provide 223... when this product can be
reliably supplied'"
Conclusion: It is anyone's guess how long this situation will continue
or how much more critical it will get. Those of us on the bottom of the
food chain need to realize that everyone will be supplied ahead of us.
We need to find a way to individually stock up, while we still can.
Readiness is a personal responsibility!
/John
15 Aug 06
Important lessons learned at last weekend's Urban Rifle/Shotgun Course,
from an observant student:
"CONFIRM SERVICEABILITY OF GUNS AFTER ANY MODIFICATION. Even when 'just
replacing a recoil spring,' you can unknowingly render your weapon
inoperative. We saw this with a Garand. A replacement recoil spring
was too long, and it thus prevented the rifle from being loaded. The
clip could not be inserted
properly. The owner was astonished, to say the least!
'CUSTOM GUNSMITHING' DOESN'T INSURE FUNCTIONALITY. In fact, exactly the
opposite is the usual case. We had one Kalashnikov with a bad case of
hammer-follow. It had just been 'accurized.' It had to be taken off
the line as unserviceable. With service/utility rifles, four-inch
groups at 100m is just fine!
ENLARGED/EXTENDED SELECTORS, CHARGING HANDLES, AND OTHER CONTROLS ARE A
CAN OF WORMS! Most of these after-market accessories and flimsy,
precariously attached, and create more problems than they solve. One
AR-15 had an enlarged selector lever that was both flimsy and not
attached securely, which caused the operator to be unsure of its
position. Keep your serious equipment close to stock. Stock guns work
best!
RUN YOUR GUN, HARD AND OFTEN! Beat it up. The place to discover and
replace poor equipment is the range. The operator is more important
than the
equipment. Trust in your individual competence is always our goal."
Comment: Every rifle has issues. None are perfect. When you are familiar
with your rifle's strengths and weaknesses, you will be able to keep it
running under a wide spectrum of circumstances.
Field-strip it often. Learn it inside and out. Clean it regularly. Keep
it handy. Train with it every chance you get. It is not merely a vehicle
for ego-massage, although the shallow and self-centered treat it that
way. It is the savior of your life!
/John
16 Aug 06
Horrible situation in SA, getting worse:
"A friend in the Eastern part of SA (well known for farm attacks) called
yesterday. Several days ago, his elderly neighbors were attacked in
their own home by a gang of thugs. The attackers were armed with R4,
military rifles. South African citizens are not allowed to own these.
Guns used by these criminals had been stolen from the police.
The thugs tied the woman up and repeatedly raped her. She was also
beaten so badly she was barely recognizable. Her husband too was tied
up and beaten. They then boiled cooking oil and forced it through a
funnel down his throat. He has since died of internal burns and bleeding.
The wife eventually managed to get to a panic-button, linked to other
farmers in the district. My friend, Jim, was one of the neighboring
farmers who responded. He took along a Norinco bolt gun in 7.62x39.
When the thugs saw him approaching, they fled.
Jim then checked the house and helped the woman and her husband (still
alive at that stage). The woman indicated at least one attacker was
hiding in a shed. Jim approached the shed and ordered the suspect to
come out. The suspect complied, shooting wildly. One, carefully-aimed
shot from Jim's rifle ended this slug's criminal career on the spot. He
was hit high in the chest and was DRT within seconds.
Local police finally arrived four hours later. They seemed only
distantly interested! So nice they were able to fit this crime into
their day.
This incident is not isolated and is far from the worst. In SA, you're
on your own!"
Comment: When societal controls over violence fail, as they failed for
Jewish people during WWII and are currently failing these pitiable
farmers in SA, reverting to private violence may be the only way
survive. Ask yourself is you are willing to watch your family die
horribly at the hands of merciless thugs, just so naive grasseaters
will speak well of you after you're all dead!
None of the situational training we subject ourselves to: skillful use
of cover, concealment, movement, speed, "situational awareness" et al
will make the enemy fall down! Only accuracy kills.
/John
17 Aug 06
Oops!
"I was practicing drawing and deploying my Cold Steel Vaquero Grande
yesterday. Like you, I consider a good blade vital, but useless if you
don't practice. On completion, I folded the blade, but did not visually
check that it was indexed completely inside the handle. Of course, the
inevitable happened. I stabbed myself in the meaty part of my left palm
just below the thumb, sinking the point to the bone. Man, those Cold
Steel knifes are sharp!
This injury has emphasized important points:
When handling weapons, don't disengage your brain while your body is
still in motion! In other words, don't relax too soon. This not only
counts for tactical encounters, but for every time you handle weapons.
When you say to yourself, 'Whew; glad that's over,' watch out! It ain't.
A robust and seriously sharp blade is a must. That's why my first choice
is Cold Steel. This blade entered my skin with just the barest
pressure. Had I been fighting in a weakened state, or with a poor attack
angle, my razor-sharp blade would have made the difference between a
glancing blow and a ruinous, fight-winning cut.
Sharp blades cause copious bleeding! This wound bled and bled, and then
bled some more. Causing your attacker to bleed profusely, even from a
minor wound, can grievously impair his will to continue fighting, which
is one of the 'four Ds.'
When working with blades, expect to be cut, sooner or later! Be prepared
for that stinging feeling and the rush of blood. If you're not
unconscious, it means that you can still fight."
Comment: My friend is absolutely right! As with guns, blades will bite
you when you're careless. However, for warriors, they are an inexorable
part of our lives and very being. The risks associated with having
serious weapons around must be balanced against the risks associated
with not having weapons around. Life is meant to be exciting, not relaxing!
/John
19 Aug 06
Enlightened comments from a eminent and well-known gunsmith:
"I agree! The vast majority after-market add-ons, particularly
expended/enlarged controls, have no serious, or even legitimate,
purpose. But, some do. For example, you and I both strongly recommend
the installation of Mack Gwinn's D-Ring on all serious AR-15s, the
precipitous removal of magazine safeties from all serious pistols, and
replacing underpowered recoil springs on many autoloading pistols,
particularly 1911s.
Other observations:
The ubiquitous 870. We see more broken ones in our shop than any other
shotgun. Weak points are the ejector, wood forend, and magazine
follower. Old-style, wooden forends typically crack down the center,
and the halves fall off. We routinely replace broken, wooden forends
with plastic ones, which are far superior. When the ejector breaks, it
is a major job to replace, as it is riveted onto the receiver. In
addition, the old-style magazine follower needs to be replaced with the
new one, as the old one will predictably hang up on the joint between
the end of the magazine tube and the beginning of the magazine-tube
extension. In fact, magazine-tube extensions are a perpetual problem.
I don't recommend any of them.
Remington's ever-popular M700 bolt gun. We see many of these too! The
extractor is weak and breaks often. The first thing nearly all
military/police snipers do to the 700 is replace the factory extractor
with one from Sako or Harris. Like the 870, the 700 was never designed
for military purposes. It is a strictly a sporting arm, and always will
be. The classic, Mauser action is found on all military, bolt guns.
That is my preference. When you need a serious, bolt gun, have your
gunsmith set you up with a Mauser or 1903 Springfield.
The point is that we gunsmiths have a knowledge and experiential base
far in excess of that of most armorers. I concede that many in my guild
cater to the kiddy/competitive market, but I don't. I, and many others,
confine our practices strictly to serious guns for professional gunmen,
who, like you, carry guns for serious purposes as a regular practice.
Our guns work!"
Comment: Armorers and gunsmiths both play legitimate roles. Many times,
the two functions are combined into the same person. At the end of the
discussion, serious guns need to be eminently suitable to a particular
job and work dependably. On a daily basis, lives are depending on
them! Non-serious guns are of no interest, at least to me.
/John
19 Aug 06
This afternoon, in rural OH, I shot a groundhog at sixty meters with
Cor-Bon 223 DPX (53gr), out of my EOTech-equipped RA/XCR. The bullet
went through and through, but the exit wound (after five inches of
penetration) was spacious, and a large wad of entrails trailed out from
it when we found the animal. He was DRT, dropping in place after being
hit. After exit, the bullet continued downrange and kicked up a wad of
dust behind the animal. However, I definitely heard the "thwock" of the
initial impact.
Of course, my XCR is set up as a people gun, not a varmint gun, but I
had the opportunity to take this hog out, and I wanted to see how DPX
performed on living tissue. It did just fine! My riflesmith, Colby
Adler, saw to it that the combination of the EOTech and the XCR were
dead nuts at forty meters, which is MPBR (Maximum Point-Blank Range). It
sure was!
/John
(There is room to debate whether something like the plumbing complex
enclosed inside a human chest is analogous to a groundhog standing free.
The usual caution about "downrange signature' is offered about devices
such as the EOTech sight, with which I'm not familiar. Maximum point
blank range normally refers to the range of distance within which the
bullet will still strike a target of acceptable size without adjusting
the elevation of the sights, such as 20-110 meters. I believe John means
that his rifle was zeroed at 40 meters to obtain the desired MPBR.)
--
Stephen P. Wenger
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
