A Pitch for Palin: ...First, Governor Palin is not merely, as Jay
describes her, "all-American", but hyper-American. What other country in
the developed world produces beauty queens who hunt caribou and serve up
a terrific moose stew? As an immigrant, I'm not saying I came to the
United States purely to meet chicks like that, but it was certainly high
on my list of priorities. And for the gun-totin' Miss Wasilla then to go
on to become Governor while having five kids makes it an even more
uniquely American story. Next to her r�sum�, a guy who's done nothing
but serve in the phony-baloney job of "community organizer" and write
multiple autobiographies looks like just another creepily self-absorbed
lifelong member of the full-time political class that infests every
advanced democracy...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071135/posts
---
Fingerprints Can Be Lifted from Fired Cases: Forensic scientists could
soon be pulling fingerprints from fired bullet casings, a technique not
unlike one used by Batman to track down the Joker in this year's summer
blockbuster...Fingerprinting dust clings to organic compounds like amino
acids and urea from skin to reveal prints. But any of those residues on
a bullet are likely to be burned away when it is fired, typically
reaching temperatures above 200�C. Now John Bond, a scientist with the
Northamptonshire Police and fellow at the University of Leicester, both
in the UK, has discovered that fired bullet casings can reveal
fingerprints. And it is the high temperatures they reach that make it
possible...
http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn14625-hot-bullet-casings-can-still-finger-the-criminal.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news9_head_dn14625
---
Flying with Firearms: List member Mark Baur has compiled several links,
both to TSA and various airlines, to facilitate travel for those who fly.
http://www.santiamballistics.com/santibal/links.html
---
From John Farnam:
25 Aug 08
Shooting details (223) from an LEO friend on the West Coast:
"A shooting incident occurred here at 4:00pm yesterday afternoon. Two
of our local gang-members were standing at an ice-cream truck, when a
vehicle, containing two rival gang-members, pulled up. During the
standard insult-exchange, a rifle barrel precipitously appeared in the
passenger window. We believe a total of four rounds were fired from the
rifle at the two victims. In any event, we found four 223 casings at
the scene. The offenders immediately drove away at the requiem
'high-rate-of-speed.'
The two victims were both struck. One was hit once. The other, twice.
Range was close. We still don't know what became of the fourth bullet.
Both shootees will apparently live through it, but their wounds were
grievous and will likely result in permanent disability, and, without a
doubt, permanent disfigurement!
One suffered a hip and leg wound. The other a single wound in the lower
leg. All but one of the bullets went through-and-through. The first
victim had already been transported by paramedics prior to my arrival,
but he was conscious and talking clearly when my guys first arrived.
When I got there, the second victim was still at the scene. The single
round entered the inside of his lower, left leg, midway between ankle
and knee. The exit wound was of particular interest. Yes, it will leave
one hell of a scar, and crater! The length of the exit wound was as
long as my stretched-out hand. I would use the term, "gaping" to
describe it. That bullet removed/vaporized a sizeable chunk of tissue,
as well as pulverizing several inches of leg bone! I was told the first
victim also had a big chunk of meat missing in the area of the exit wound!
Both victims were conscious and clear (though in pain) for ten minutes,
which is the time it took for our first patrol units to arrive at the
scene. In fact, both were still animated and talking a half-hour later
when they were transported.
At our local general hospital, both victims were immediately ushered
into surgery. The one bullet in the first victim that did not exit
showed up clearly, in profile, in an X-ray. Looks like 55gr hardball to
me! Our hospital is the place you want to go to when you're shot or
stabbed. They have a wealth of experience! Unfortunately, when all you
have is a broken leg, expect a 24-hour wait!
The two shooting suspects are still at large, but we have good
information, and we will likely be arresting both today.
Neither of the two victims were armed at the time, so neither returned
fire. It was a one-way fight!"
Lessons: (1) Unless vital organs are struck, even rifle wounds are not
immediately debilitating. When you want the fight to be short and
decisive, you must hit the body midline, above the navel, or hit the
cranium.
(2) When it is you that has been hit, it is going to hurt, but keep
fighting. In fact, it is going to hurt no matter what you do, so focus
on decisive victory and get back in the fight!
(3) When people are engaged in an aggressive, verbal confrontation, get
out of there fast! Gunshots are often heard in the midst of such
arguments, as we see.
(4) Go armed! When someone shoots at you, be in a position to return
fire instantly. Yes, also move and take cover, but get deadly-accurate
return-fire on the threat without delay. That is what will ultimately
save your life!
/John
(While 55 gr. 223 bullets are expected to tumble on impact with tissue,
other supersonic rounds can also produce nasty wounds when they exit.
Several years ago a list member shared with me some Polaroid photos of a
couple of East L.A. gang members who had been shot, respectively, in the
upper arm and leg, at close range, with FMJ loads from an M1 Carbine,
which should have left the muzzle at approximately 1,900 fps. The exit
wounds were both fist-size. John makes an interesting point about
"midline, above the navel." Some of us believe that the lateral pelvis
also makes a good target. If you look at the illustration at
http://www.spw-duf.info/emperor.html#pelvis%20shots, you will notice
that the major blood vessels split and move laterally right about the
level of the navel.)
25 Aug 08
Rifle-Sling Issues, from an LEO friend in the Mid-West:
"We were called to a 'shooting-in-progress' at a local, sleazy bar last
week. I was patrolling on a motorcycle, and I was the first officer on
the scene. As I dismounted, I retrieved my Kel-Tec SU-16, 223 Rifle
(the only rifle I've found that is small enough to fit in my
saddle-bag), extended the stock, chambered a round, and entered the
bar. I had to fight my way through the stream of people trying to get out!
I could smell the gunpowder, and I saw one victim laying on the floor,
bleeding, and several other bar patrons standing over him. I didn't see
any guns, but I pointed my rifle at the first one I encountered in the
vicinity of the victim and ordered him to get down on the floor. He
complied immediately.
I then turned my attention to the second one and issued the same order.
He said nothing, but it was obvious from his body language that he had
no intention of complying. So, I grabbed his collar with my left hand
and jerked him off his feet, forward and down.
It all worked fine, until, in a panic, he extended both his arms in
order to break his fall. One of his arms threaded its way through my
rifle sling, and, as he fell forward, he jerked my rifle, and me, toward
him. He hit the floor, and I fell right on top of him, with my rifle
sandwiched between the two of us!
It consumed most of the following minute, and the concerted assistance
of several other officers, to disentangle me, and the suspect, from the
sling, and recover control of my weapon.
We made our arrests without further incident, but the whole episode was
surprising and embarrassing to me! I never thought that sling loop
dangling under the barrel would ever cause difficulty. How wrong I was!"
Lesson: When transiting a rifle from a carry (slung) position to a
confrontational position (depressed-ready), we need to make it a habit
of "arresting-the-sling," that is, pulling the forward portion of the
sling under our support-side hand as our hand grasps the rifle's
forend. This practice eliminates the dangling loop of sling that caused
the difficulties described above.
"Arresting-the-sling" needs to become a habit!
/John
(Among other issues, this account emphasizes why the home-defender is
generally better served with a one-hand gun if he is forced to leave the
safe room, such as to round up other family members for escort back to
the safe room. Among those who favor the use of two-point slings, some
like the ones made of bungee cord. These both facilitate
shoulder-to-shoulder transfer and reduce the risk of being pulled off
balance if an assailant manages to lay hands on the long gun.)
26 Aug 08
Another "Sling Story:"
"Earlier this year, another patrol officer and I responded to an
armed-robbery call. The single suspect had fled, first on foot, and
then in a vehicle. We spotted a vehicle matching the description and,
between the two of us, performed a classic, high-risk traffic stop.
My M4 was in a copy of the ever-popular Big Sky, overhead rack. The
sling was wadded up alongside the rifle. I unlocked the rifle and
pulled it down on my lap. The sling, of course, came down with it. As
the suspect vehicle pulled over, I grabbed the microphone to update
dispatch. In the process, I inadvertently pulled the microphone cord
up through the sling, and then, not realizing what I had just done, put
the microphone back in its holder.
As I then exited my beat-car, the sling, now tangled in the microphone
cord, refused to permit the rifle to come out of the car with me! I
tugged frantically before I finally figured out what was hanging it up.
In the process, I wasn't much help to my partner! In frustration, I
finally dropped the rifle and defaulted to my pistol.
Happily, the driver was not our suspect, so the whole incident ended
quickly, and without incident.
However, I learned a critical lesson about not permitting a loose sling
to become ensnared in the furniture, at inconvenient moments! I now
keep the sling neatly folded, and taped to the rifle stock. That way,
it will rapidly deploy when I need it, and not when I don't!"
Comment: Some eventualities are foreseeable, but many are not. Mostly,
we learn our, often painful, lessons from operational experience. I
thank this officer and colleague, and the one who volunteered the
information for the last Quip, for sharing these valuable, sometimes
embarrassing, lessons with all of us.
Let's not keep making the same mistakes!
Remember: "There are things that you cannot imagine, but there is
nothing that may not happen!"
/John
(Easily broken tape, such as masking tape, or a rubber band is an
inexpensive but valuable measure to reduce the risk of snagging a sling,
particularly on a long gun that is being stored in some sort of rack.)
27 Aug 08
Rifle comparison, from a friend and Instructor:
"I have now run 2,000 rounds of Wolf and Chinese steel-case 223 through
my Sig/556. Not a single hiccup! I mostly use MagPul's P-Mags.
Utterly reliable. My 556 is equipped with Samson BUIS, as iron sights
that come on the rifle are poor. Like you, I have removed the
right-side lever of the ambidextrous manual safety.
This is a great rifle, but pricy. Total retail for rifle and
accessories was $2,000.00, and, unlike you, I don't have an expensive
optic, like a Micro-Aimpoint or EOTech!
For comparison, I purchased a Romanian Kalashnikov (7.62X39) with a
half-dozen Chinese magazines. So far, I have 1,500 rounds of assorted,
foreign, trash ammunition through it. The rifle effortlessly digested
it all with no burps. It came with an sling that is not fancy, but
surely adequate.
Rifle, plus magazines, cost $500.00!"
Comment: There are many wonderful choices in serious rifles, from
relatively inexpensive to really expensive! Stick with good equipment,
take reasonable care of it, and it will serve you well, even the lowly
Kalashnikov!
Nearly every American can have a legitimate, functional, and reliable,
fighting rifle. No reason not to!
/John
("BUIS" = "Back-Up Iron Sights." As I have said before, those who opt
for Kalashnikov or SKS rifles in 7.62x39mm or 5.45x39mm are advised to
purchase a lifetime supply of the relatively cheap ammo while it is
still available - I would expect a Democratic administration to ban its
further importation. In the event of a Republican victory, it will
simply be available for more training.)
29 Aug 08
Comments on slings and rifle handling, from my Professional Hunter in
Africa:
"Optical sights simplify the sighting process, but they break, and
despite claims by manufacturers, fog up as well. The same dilemma
applies to slings. The are handy, but they get in the way, sometimes
afflictively! From years of hunting dangerous, African game, I've learned:
Over here, when in the bush you use a sling to carry your rifle when in
condition-yellow. When you move into condition-orange, you remove the
sling, pocket it, and thereafter carry the rifle in high-ready. The
low-ready position you like is seldom used in African bush, since
forcible disarms are not normally a concern, and your main occupation is
keeping the front sight at eye level and the muzzle away from anything
that might snag/clog it, like tall grass, termite heaps, spider webs
(African spider-silk is akin to cable!), etc.
You must be prepared to get on target quickly, while in lateral motion!
When Cape Buffalo, Lion, Rhinoceros, and Elephant decide to charge,
moving off the line of force while simultaneously mounting and picking
up your front sight is a skill that had better be well practiced, as
charging, albeit dead, animals kill hunters here every year!"
And, these sage comments from master holster-maker and Instructor, Brian
Hoffner:
"I recommend single-point slings for my Urban Operators. They are
clean, simple, and disinclined to snag, nor hinder a reload. You wear
the single-point sling as part of your tactical uniform. Time to deploy
the rifle? Grab it, and hook it up. Done!
Next time you take a commercial fight, count how many times the carrying
strap from someone's bag gets hung-up on an arm-rest. Now imagine a
forced entry, and all the door knobs, hand rails, window cranks, et al.
Next thing you know, you're pulled to the floor, and your entire team is
falling on top of you! A rather inauspicious way to begin a raid, I
think you'll agree!"
Comment: Among my friends, I count advocates for two-point slings,
one-point slings, and no sling. Interesting that I've found no one to
speak, at least in favorable terms, about three-point slings!
/John
(Those who have read Jeff Cooper's The Art of the Rifle will recognize
that his preference for muzzle-up carry of the rifle stems from the
hunting field, not urban operation. A few years ago I read an account of
a British SAS veteran who had been an advisor to indigenous Afghani
forces in their fight against Soviet occupation. He stated that the
first thing they did was to instruct their advisees to remove the slings
from their rifles. First, this ensured that they would have their rifles
in hand if ambushed, Second, this eliminated the sound signature of the
sling buckles swinging against the rifle when it was in hand. In this
case we are talking about simple carry slings. Nowadays we tend to talk
of more tactically oriented slings, a trend that probably began with
HK's now nearly abandoned three-point sling system, most commonly seen
on the MP5. On a home-defense carbine, I favor the single-point sling,
particularly when it can be combined with TangoDown's PR-4 mount
(
http://tangodown.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=40), on
a telescoping stock, for greatest ease of shoulder-to-shoulder
transition. Those who prefer two-point slings seem to do so because they
see a need to secure the rifle more firmly to the body while engaging in
a broader range of activity. Shooting slings, which are used to enhance
stability for precision shots, when the support elbow is braced on the
ground or on a part of the body, such as the knee, are normally in a
different class.)
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
