Firearms Freedom Acts - Is Kentucky Next?: ... Recently, several states
began a pushback against federal regulation of the right to keep and
bear arms. The Firearms Freedom Act was first passed in Montana and
declares that any firearms made and retained in-state is beyond the
authority of Congress. I mentioned the legislation in a letter to
Representative James Comer. Mr. Comer informed me that there were
actually two bills in the Kentucky legislature on this issue. "My
constituents believe passionately in the Second Amendment, and I have
always been a vocal and hard fighting member of the General Assembly to
see that our gun owner rights are protected," Comer said. According to
the website a total of five states now have enacted this law with many
more considering similar legislation. In Kentucky, HB 87 specifically
states that "firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition that are made
in Kentucky, marked ... in Kentucky, and used in Kentucky... are exempt
from federal law" ...
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/03/states_seek_to_protect_gun_rig.html
---
Non Sequitur in Ohio: Ohio's adoption of a concealed-carry law in 2004
created quite a stir over what has turned out to be largely unfounded
concerns. There haven't been shootouts in the streets or on freeways.
Workplace violence hasn't increased because employees could carry guns
to work. Criminals who never follow gun laws ignore this one, too... To
us, the law has been a success thanks to its detailed nature and strict
controls on when and how people can carry loaded weapons. It has found a
balance between gun rights and common sense safety. But some state
lawmakers, including state Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, want to
change concealed-carry laws by tossing out rules for how guns must be
carried in vehicles and allowing permit holders to carry guns into
businesses with Class D liquor permits, including grocery stores,
restaurants and bars. Both are profoundly poor ideas, earning strong
opposition from law enforcement and businesses alike... (And the
evidence for this would be the chaos and mayhem in the states that lack
Ohio's strict controls on licensed CCW?)
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20100321/OPINION01/3210318/Our-Opinion-Tweaking-conceal-carry-increases-danger
---
Oops, Wrong Liquor Store: A liquor store clerk shot and killed one of
two armed, masked men who tried to rob the shop on Tully Road late
Friday night, Modesto [CA] police said today. Police arrived at the
Super Liquors store in the 1600 block of Tully Road to find one of the
robbery suspects with gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital and
died later in the night. This evening, police identified him as Kyle
Johnson, 20, of Modesto. A second suspected robber fled the scene after
struggling with a second clerk, police said. They said this evening that
the suspect, a 17-year-old boy, had been arrested and will be booked
into Juvenile Hall on charges of homicide and attempted robbery...
http://www.modbee.com/2010/03/20/1095586/modesto-store-clerk-shoots-and.html
---
Training the Handicapped Shooter: ... Who would not be moving to create
distance with their attacker? The handicapped. People with disabilities
represent approximately 20 percent of the population of our country, but
are victims at a much higher rate than the general public. Research
shows these numbers to be four to five times higher, and that is on the
conservative end. For many handicapped CCW holders the "regular"
training methods of moving and shooting are just not applicable to their
personal situation. This is where my story begins. I am a firearms
instructor for Precision Defensive Shooting School in Colorado. I was
contacted by a lady, Angie, who wanted to take a defensive handgun class
to obtain her concealed carry permit. In talking with her she was quick
to point out that she uses a wheelchair. While I have taught many
defensive pistol classes, I must admit that until this woman contacted
me, I had not had anyone in a wheelchair take a class... (This article
raises some good points. From my experience, there is not a single
answer to which holster is best for someone in a wheelchair. Some people
will feel more hindered than others in their draw stroke by the arms of
the chair. One option may be some sort of thigh holster, covered by a
blanket, folded or unfolded, across the lap.)
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36008
---
Survival Mindset: ... In a violent encounter, having the right tools
won't do you a bit of good if you don't know how to use them. If you
have the correct mindset, even the wrong tools will often make do. A cop
carries a gun on his hip at work every day. Most people who work
outdoors or in warehouses carry knives or box cutters. You're average
office worker or department store clerk doesn't carry a gun or a knife.
Many people don't carry guns or knives. In uniform I may have two or
three of each at any time. For those of you who typically don't carry
anything that is traditionally thought of as a weapon, it may be a
consideration that you wish to make. If you choose to walk around
unarmed, that's okay, as long as you're prepared to protect yourself...
(Those familiar with my book and my website know that I place mental
"software" above hardware in priority. This article is linked as a good
refresher on the concept of mental preparedness to fight back, not as an
argument for going unarmed.)
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/03/survival_mindset_being_ready_f.html
---
Lance Thomas Interview: At the end of his Friday column, David Codrea
has embedded a video clip of an old interview with Lance Thomas, a Los
Angeles watchmaker who prevailed in a series of gunfights with robbers.
Most people who've read Paul Kirchner's The Deadliest Men list this the
Lance Thomas chapter as their favorite, probably because Kirchner
actually got to interview him. Thomas chose to place handguns at
intervals around his store, rather than rely on one in a holster. I
can't say that I agree with his choice to place different types of guns
at different locations or his implication that one must attain a high
level of training in order to qualify for a carry permit. It's difficult
for me to tell if he truly believes that, if he says it as a sop to the
agency that issued his CWP or if he says it mostly as a caution not to
rely on the pistol as a talisman that will ward off evil. In any case,
the video is worth watching, to hear Thomas's version of mental
preparedness.
http://www.examiner.com/x-1417-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m3d19-Toledo-Blade-warns-against-selfdefense
---
Finnish Sniper Killed Over 700 Russians: Ensconced in the snow, his
white camouflage suit rendering him invisible to the invading Soviet
soldiers he stalked, Simo H�yh� steadied himself to fire. During the
1939-1940 Winter War, in temperatures as low as -40 �C, the Finnish
sniper undertook a killing spree that saw him single-handedly take the
lives of at least 700 men in less than 100 days. Over 500 of these he
shot using a standard, bolt-action rifle with non-telescopic sights. Is
it any wonder he earned the nickname The White Death among his enemies?
Meet the man who would take Rambo to the cleaners... (I doubt that he
really did his sniping with a bayonet mounted as that is likely to
affect the point of impact.)
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/white-death-simo-hayh/20951
---
NRA-ILA Alerts: List members are encouraged to check the alerts for the
week, posted on the NRA-ILA website.
http://www.nraila.org/GrassrootsAlerts/read.aspx
---
From John Farnam:
14 Mar 10
XD Popularity!
We just completed a Pistol Course in TX. Out of eighteen students,
fourteen brought SA/XDs and XD/Ms! Most were 9mm. The remaining four
pistols were two Glocks, a SIG/229/DAK, and a Kimber 1911.
We were surprised so many, both men and women, preferred XDs. Reasons
included price, reliability, excellent customer service, ergonomics, and
nice accessories supplied with the pistol.
All ran fine for the entire weekend.
The XD, particularly the XD/M, is coming on strong!
/John
(At the upcoming IALEFI conference I intend to renew my armorer
certifications for Glock and S&W M&P pistols and to add the Springfield
XD. I will not spend the time to renew my certification for the Beretta
PX4. While it struck me as a fine pistol, I have not seen one since I
took the armorer course for it in 2007. However, a few former and
potential students own XD's.)
18 Mar 10
9mm resurgence?
I've noticed, this year particularly, a clear majority of students
coming to our Courses with pistols chambered for 9X19. Formally, it
looked as if the 40S&W was taking over American Pistoldom, and it
largely did, at least in the police market, but now cruel economics is
causing many to reconsider!
We're currently also seeing a surge in sales of "AR-15s," chambered for
22LR, for the same reason.
There is little debate that acceptable skills maintenance requires
shooting on a regular basis. All pistol ammunition is up in price from
a year ago, including 9mm. But, shooting 40S&W, 357SIG, 45ACP, and
45GAP has become prohibitively expensive for many.
So, in the near term at least, 9mm in king once more! Happily,
ammunition manufacturers have provided us with high-performance
ammunition in that caliber that is vastly superior to what was available
only a few years ago.
/John
(John does not discuss that confidence in today's high-performance ammo
has allowed many police departments to go back to 9x19mm pistols, simply
because a significant proportion of their officers can shoot them
better. I observe this with some of my students, particularly with some
of the one-handed techniques I teach for close-combat. A list member
recently pointed out that the USBP still teaches an unrealistic
two-handed technique for use a 1 � yards, most likely because so many
BPA's need two hands in order to manage the sharp recoil of the issued
155 gr. .40 S&W JHP's. While there are data to suggest that handgun
loads that generate at least 500 foot-pounds of energy may have a
greater chance of being effective, they are also harder to shoot under a
wide variety of conditions. For reference, I generated this small table
of muzzle energy claimed for different loads with similar-weight bullets:
* Federal 125 gr. standard-pressure .38 Special Nyclad HP - 191 f-p
* Winchester 125 gr. +P .38 Special SJHP - 248 f-p
* Winchester 115 gr. standard-pressure 9x19mm JHP - 383 f-p
* Winchester 110 gr. .357 Magnum SJHP - 410 f-p
* Winchester 125 gr. .357 Magnum SJHP - 583 f-p
Many shooters do not realize how much more energy a standard-pressure
9mm round generates than a +P .38 Special. When time allows, I let some
of my students fire similar S&W K-frame revolvers with three-inch
barrels so that they can compare the recoil from .38 Special, 9mm and
357 Magnum loads. Most are surprised to note how much more recoil there
is from the 9mm than the .38 Special)
18 Mar 10
.. while we're on the subject of ammunition costs:
FN's little P90 is a rifle I didn't want to like. I'm still not sure I
like it, but I have to say:
It runs! We can't get them to hiccup. You can clean it if you want,
but it doesn't seem to make any difference. It runs just fine, either way.
50-round magazines are handy! Having that much ammunition at your
disposal without having to reload surely expands opportunities. The
durability of the P90's magazines still concerns me, but we haven't
managed to break any yet. Their shape is inconvenient for carrying, but
that may just be a function of the current generation of accessories.
Accuracy is acceptable, and point of impact doesn't vary in the
slightest when brands and types are changed. They all shoot to exactly
the same point!
Recoil is non-existent! For some students with shoulder injuries and
other issues, even a short AR is too heavy and too unpleasant to shoot.
Those same people have no problem shooting the P90.
The 5.7X28 round is, of course, way too lilliputian to qualify as a
main-battle rifle cartridge, but it may suffice for domestic and
rear-area defense. Maximum range is 100M, and, naturally, the little
bullet won't penetrate much.
When I first saw this little rifle, I said to myself, "On no, not
another needle-shooting toy!" However, I've since had the occasion to
soften my opinion. The rifle is short, light, handy, reliable, and
deadly accurate (within the 100M it commands). One can carry it in a
small, nondescript bag, and rarely draw any attention to himself.
With all its limitations, the P90 still may be an acceptable choice for
city-dwellers and others for whom profile is a sensitive issue, as well
as the infirm and short-statured.
One final comment: Currently, 5.7X28 ammunition is available at
$0.35/round, significantly less expensive than 223 and 7.62X39, and
vastly less expensive than 308.
Economics makes hypocrites of us all!
/John
(The 5.7x28mm round is the same one used in the FN Five-seveN pistol
that was used in the Ft. Hood massacre. While the armor-piercing rounds
in this caliber are highly restricted, that fact is generally ignored by
the American news media, making its use a potential post-shooting
liability. Anyone persuaded by John's argument, particularly on the
basis of shoulder injury that precludes the use of more conventional
calibers in long guns, needs to be prepared to educate local officers,
prosecutors and media on the difference between the AP and non-AP rounds
- I'm thinking in terms of carrying copies of catalog pages showing the
difference. Further, as in my recommendation to those who may have
sought the economy of the 5.45x39mm round, purchase a lifetime supply
now, while the stuff is still available. Personally, I'd go with a
lever-action carbine in a common revolver caliber. The recoil of a .357
Magnum is barely noticeable and that of the .44 Magnum is not much
greater. If disabilities preclude manual operation of the lever, perhaps
your jurisdiction still permits ownership of a 9mm carbine.)
20 Mar 10
Happy ending, from a student in PA:
"I was confronted yesterday by an aggressive panhandler, in my own
neighborhood, while out walking my dog!
I live in a classic 'low-crime' area. City Hall, and our main
police-station, are ten blocks to the west. Pennsylvania State Police
Barracks is just five blocks to the north. A good, working-class
neighborhood borders on the south. There is a subsidized-housing area
five blocks to the east.
Yesterday morning was sunny, but cool. I put a pistol in my jacket
pocket, and out the door I went, clad in sweat-pants, with my dog on a
leash.
I immediately noticed a slovenly young man, in his twenties, across the
street. No one I knew, nor had ever seen before. He was walking
slowly, holding a pop-can. He wore only a grimy T-shirt and ragged
jeans, and I remember thinking that he must be chilled. Upon making
eye-contact, he immediately changed directions and walked across the
street toward my position, clearly trying to get in front of me.
He then said, actually yelled (way too loud for the distance between
us), 'Ah, Sir... I need to find an ATM... Is there a convenience store
around here?... I really need to find one... Do you live around here?...'
I remember thinking that there were too many things 'not right' about
this guy: dressed inappropriately for the weather, talking way too loud,
asking too many questions of someone he didn't even know, trying to get
too close, and blocking my path.
I switched the dog's leash to my left hand.
'No!' I responded.
'... but I just need to find a convenience store.' He was now only ten
feet away.
I assumed an interview-stance and thrust my right hand into my
jacket-pocket, obtaining a grip on my pistol (which remained in the
pocket and out of sight).
He was now only five feet away, still jabbering a never-ending string of
questions, and trying to get even closer. Way too close! Only friends
and family get that close.
'I'm sorry sir. I can't help you' I shouted in my best command voice
while moving laterally, off the line of force.
At once, his eyes went to my right hand. He precipitously went silent,
turned, and abruptly walked away, never saying another word.
I immediately put distance between us. When I looked back, I saw him,
once more walking down the sidewalk slowly, aimlessly. Apparently, he
didn't need an ATM very badly!
Was he dangerous? Harmless? Disoriented? Lost? Mentally ill? I'll
never know, nor do I care!
Lessons learned/relearned/confirmed:
(1) A 'bad neighborhood' is coming to a place near you! Violent
predators are everywhere. Bad things can happen anywhere.
(2) Stay alert and keep your head up, no matter where you are. Don't
allow trivial distractions to inordinately command your attention.
(3) Be immediately suspicions of incongruent circumstances. When
something is 'not right,' straightaway look for more things that are
'not right.' You'll likely find them!
(4) Get off the 'X!' Disrupt his plan. Don't stand flat-footed in one
place.
(5) Don't answer questions! Even saying, 'No,' will be interpreted as
an invitation to more questions. Abruptly (but politely) dismiss him
and his unwanted queries with, 'I'm sorry Sir. I can't help you,' no
matter what he says or asks. Repeat as necessary.
(6) Don't wait for him to complete his sentence, pause, change subjects,
nor stop talking. Break right in with the above tape-loop.
(7) Speak authoritatively, clearly, and with an uncluttered
command-voice, loud enough to be heard by witnesses.
(8) Take advantage of his hesitation. Disengage and separate without
delay, while he dithers.
(9) Finally, be prepared to instantly escalate, going 'all-the-way' when
necessary!"
Comment: My student made good use of his training. He was alert and
prepared. As such, he avoided victimization.
Pay close attention to his conclusions. He really "gets it." You
should too!
/John
(Maybe I've got a guardian angel riding on my shoulder but I've always
had good luck with a reply of "No thanks," in a conversational voice, to
requests for financial aid; the incongruity of it seems to throw the
requestor off stride. When people I don't know approach to ask for the
time, I reply, "Sorry, I don't have a watch." Most people will look down
to read a wristwatch, creating an opening for an attack. I tend to go
with the philosophy of "Greet everyone you meet with a smile but have a
plan to kill them all." Unless the initial body language is hostile or
the gap is closing too quickly, I tend not to go to command voice until
my initial reply is ignored. The nice thing about carrying a handgun in
the left, front pocket is that the hand can go to it without drawing
unwanted attention and without precluding most normal activities of
social interaction.)
20 Mar 10
Fratricide! From an Instructor in SC:
"In training the security detail at our church, I discovered a defect
last weekend that surprised even me:
After a session of standard, live-fire, square-range exercises, I
individually put each of our agents (most of whom are themselves police
officers, and also members of our church) through a live-fire, scenario
drill, similar to what we do at the NTI. A single agent is summoned to
a classroom. All he knows is that an unspecified life-threatening
situation has developed, and that he will have to respond immediately,
by himself. No additional details.
We use a building mock-up on the range, and targets, along with
non-targets, are all three-dimensional mannequins, all dressed (Good
Will is always glad to see me!) I explain to each agent that there are
no 'trick questions.' Everything is exactly as it appears.
When our agent arrives at the classroom doorway, gun drawn, scanning
reveals a person to the right who is holding a pistol in one hand and
pointing it at the far opposite corner of the room, which cannot be seen
from where our agent is standing. The person holding the pistol is
wearing a police badge around his neck. I arranged it so that the badge
is clearly visible.
On the far corner of the classroom is a VCA holding a teacher at
gunpoint and using her as a shield. However, as noted, the entire
hostage situation cannot be seen until our agent actually enters the room.
In the briefing beforehand, I remind all agents that other police may be
present, and therefore, when they see a badge, they may assume it is
genuine.
To my unhappy surprise, and in spite of all my careful briefing, my
agents arrived at the doorway, saw the man holding a gun, and fired at
him without delay! Afterward, they indicated that they never saw the
badge nor once even considered that he might be another police officer.
So, I repeated the scenario with the next group, this time with the
badge of the cop's belt, again conspicuously visible. Same result!
When I equipped the cop with even bigger badges, I got the same result!
No one used verbal commands. They just saw the gun and fired immediately!
Of course, the second and third times through, my guys did much better.
But, we were all disappointed with my first-responders' 'first response!'"
Comment: At the NTI, I have personally committed this same blunder, more
than once!
For one, I become overloaded, and my body's ability to respond with
deadly force quickly outruns my brain's ability to process information!
I remember vividly in 2009's event finally recognizing the word
"security" (in large letters) on the uniform shirt of the person into
whom I'd just put four or five well-placed bullets! In the debrief, I,
too, was astonished at the fact that it took so long for me to really
"see" what was going on.
Risk-exposure, and the requirement for precise information-processing,
will always be mutually antagonistic. No solution is ever "perfectly
right" nor "perfectly wrong." There will always be things you could
have done better, and things you could have done worse!
In the end, it is your call. There is never going to be a risk-free
solution, and we had better all resign ourselves to the fact that there
will never be a "happy ending" either! Even "doing nothing" is far from
risk-free.
That is why we need to train constantly, always exposing ourselves to
increasingly-difficult challenges.
And, when the Moment comes, adhere to Farnam's First Rule of Tactics:
(1) Do the best you can!
/John
(Originally named the "National Tactical Invitational Match," NTI is an
annual laboratory for the study of the tactical use of firearms. Back
when I taught police officers on a fairly regular basis, I was amazed
that most felt that the tactics my partner and I taught to minimize the
risk of being shot by responding officers did not apply to them, even
when I sought to point out that they could become involved in off-duty
incidents. The concept seemed clear enough to the supervisor of most of
those officers, who himself holds a medal of valor from his department
for prevailing, single-handedly, against three Los Angeles-area
gangbangers in an off-duty shootout. In fact, most of those tactics
originated with the NYPD, in response to repeated incidents of
"fratricide." A related area in which I continue to encounter argument,
particularly in one of the three forums I frequent, is the importance of
using a holster that allows you to reholster one-handed, without having
to take your eyes off the threat. I advise doing this, after moving, as
soon as the threat no longer appears to be active, albeit maintaining
the firing grip on the holstered gun. As soon as you get any indication
that officers have arrived on the scene, both hands go as high as they
can reach into the air. Don't end up being one of these object lessons -
if people like John Farnam and other high-level instructors can make
these mistakes, what do you expect from the run-of-the-mill patrol officer?)
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
The tactics and skills to use a firearm
in self-defense don't come naturally
with the right to keep and bear arms.
http://www.spw-duf.info
