1 May 11
We donât need enemies!
Last Wednesday, âbehind-the-wireâ in a building near the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan, eight American officers, plus an American contractor, were murdered, execution style, buy a single Afghan trainee, armed with a Beretta M9 Pistol, issued to him by (you guessed it!) the US Air Force.
This is the sixth such âbehind-the-wireâ incident that has been officially reported in Afghanistan this year. There are doubtless many more, but they were minor enough to be quickly covered-up, as per SOP.
The nine Americans murdered were all able to carry their own M9 pistols, but it is not clear how many actually did at the time of the incident. Nonetheless, the M9’s presence (or absence) is a moot point anyway, because, when âbehind-the-wire,â such pistols cannot have a round chambered, nor a magazine inserted. Thus, a weapon (pistol) that is designed and issued specifically to provide an immediate, personal protective capability to those carrying it, is rendered utterly useless for that purpose, by our own âregulations!â
Star-wearers, who write such disturbing regulations, do so mostly in order to pad their own resumes with grand and glorious âsafety records.â They love to say things like, â… and not a single AD occurred under my watch,â ad nauseam. Not difficult to accomplish when you donât ever let anyone load their weapons!
These same star-wearers donât seem particularly concerned about nine murdered Americans. And, one can only wonder how many more will be murdered in a like manner, now that our enemies know how easy it is!
Here is the solution:
Every American military officer and S/NCO needs to be required to undergo a 36-hour Personal, Defensive Pistol Course, where they are trained how to carry and effectively use pistols for personal defense. A one-day refresher every twelve months thereafter. Iâm sure we can squeeze all that in between âsensitivity training!â
Thereafter, all such qualified personnel will be expected to be armed, openly or concealed, at all times, in front of, or behind, the wire, on base and off, in uniform or not, within CONUS or overseas.
In a case such as occurred last week in Afghanistan, all so-armed American Servicemen, per standing orders, will draw and fire immediately. Not all may live through it, but we really couldnât do much worse than we do now. Could we?
For one, Iâm not going to allow myself to be murdered, while on my knees, by a radical Islamist, yelling â… Allahu Akbarâ
How about you?
âThe great enemy of truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived, and dishonest. It is rather the myth, persistent, persuasive, appealing. Too often we naively hold fast to such hollow clichesâ
JF Kennedy
/John
2 May 11
… right here in River City!
This from a friend and student in CO:
âJust one week ago, I was casually seated at a table near the bar, with my date, at a local, upscale restaurant, when I felt (more than heard) a jarring, concessive blast, coming from behind me. It was close! The blast was immediately followed by screams and commotion.
I was pretty sure it was a gunshot, but, with my ears still ringing, I did not even turn to look. Per my training, I put my arm around my dateâs waist and quickly pushed her past a paralyzed gaggle of people standing in front of us, into the main part of the restaurant, then through the kitchen, and ultimately out the back door.
During our hasty exit, I heard two more shots, along with more screaming. Only when there were several layers of brick between us and the excitement, did we pause.
Astonishingly, no one else followed behind us! I fully expected that we would be at the head of a flood of other frightened patrons. Not so!
Instead, we walked briskly past dozens of catatonic diners, who were grotesquely looking up with blank, quizzical expressions on their faces. I didnât see one even stand up!
An ashen-faced waitress finally ran out behind us. She related that a bar-patron, without a word, had precipitously produced a 38Spl snubby revolver and immediately fired a single shot at the bartender, who saved himself by diving out of the way! He then fired a second shot, again at the bartender. That shot missed also. After a brief pause, the shooter placed the pistol to his own head and simultaneously fired a third shot. He was DRT. No one else was hurt.
We learned most of those details the following day.
Two other couples eventually came out the back door. All remaining restaurant and bar patrons stayed in the building, most still in their seats, during the whole event.
When police arrived, nearly all were still there, having never moved!â
Comment: When youâve never thought about emergency exits, never even thought about emergencies, when you donât have a plan, it is unlikely youâll act decisively when you need to.
Any time you enter a restaurant, or any building, scout-out eligible exits, objects that can be used for cover, and escape routes. Have a plan for getting out of there quickly, or fighting it out from a strong position when necessary.
In light of yesterdayâs crucial historical events, Mumbai-style attacks are now more likely than ever before, anywhere they can be organized and carried off.
All of us need to immediately reassess our security routines and remain ever-prepared (including going armed), and ever-vigilant for the next âbig events,â whatever form they may take.
Many, probably most, will remain clueless (by choice), like the restaurant patrons described above. That is their personal option, and theyâll have to accept logical consequences of their own foolishness.
Donât be one of them, and donât hang-out with them!
âWe are all in a race for dear life. That is to say, we are fugitives from death.â
Theodor Reik
… and only temporary ones at that!
/John
3 May 11
What is âsuspiciousâ with regard to potential terrorist operatives?
Here is an abbreviated list, from friends in our System, and abroad:
Burn-marks on body/clothing
Missing fingers
Blood stains
Brightly-colored stains on clothing
Wires/switches dangling from clothing, backpack, hands
Large backpacks and inappropriately heavy clothing
Unusual odor
The foregoing should immediately put you on alert and looking for an exit!
/John
4 May 11
Short, light battle rifles in 7.62×51(308)!
I was on the phone today with two CEOs of rifle companies.
Both indicated they are currently marketing, or soon will be, 7.62×51 battle rifles, that are as short, nearly as light/handy, and nearly as light-recoiling as most current battle rifles chambered for 5.56×45 (223).
When the idea takes off, it may well call into question the need for âintermediate calibers,â like 6.8SPC and 7.62×39!
Outside the USA, most consumers, private and public, are far less enamored with the AR (Stoner System), than we are domestically. XCRs, FALs, SCARs, for example, have enjoyed enthusiastic receptions in foreign countries, while receiving little more than casual yawns from the Pentagon.
Gas-piston ARs continue to be plagued with âbolt-carrier-tilt,â which, under heavy use, has produced cracked lower-receivers. All manufacturers of these rifles are working hard to address this issue and keep alive the gas-piston/AR concept.
So, the future of battle rifles may be linked with the 7.62×51 round, after all! Even in short versions, it is a 500m rifle with superior penetration and terminal performance.
I have several DSA/FALs, along with SOCOMs, and PTRs that are all extremely reliable. Iâll have a copy of the XCR in 7.62×51 this summer, as well as a copy of LaRueâs OBR in 7.62×51
I might get converted!
/John
5 May 11
Another view of small-arms readiness, para-phrased from a friend on active duty, who is currently forward-deployed
âI have not seen the blatant careerism you allude to.
Here is the deal: In rear-echelon bases (Kabul, Bagram) we are overrun with untrained yahoos from every imaginable agency (State Dept, contractors, third-nation âsecurity,â et al). Local commanders in-country have no control over training (if any) to which these guys have been exposed before they arrive. A lot of the time, we donât even get to know whom they are!
They just show up in Afghanistan one day, often with overly tricked-out ARs, and, without delay, start exhibiting their incompetence… in spades!
Out on our FOBs, my soldiers carry rifles and pistols with chambered rounds. They need not circumvent any arbitrary ârulesâ in order to do this, and thus are fully-armed all the time.
Rear-areas are where we have the problem, Iâd rather fix training too. Iâm just pointing out that the motivation behind what often appears to be dangerously foolish âsafetyâ policy is usually not self-serving careerism.
Thatâs the view from my foxhole!â
Comment: Unfortunately, nine Americans are just as dead, regardless of âmotivation!â
When I deployed to Vietnam in 1968, I was issued a 1911 pistol. Our pistol training in Quantico, VA was extremely poor. Our âinstructorsâ were all naive target-competitors who didn’t even carry a gun, much less had ever fired a shot in anger. The condition of the pistol, as it is correctly carried in a war-zone, was never once even addressed!
Since that time, as an LEO, I’ve daily carried a loaded pistol for the last forty-three years of my life. Today, the body of knowledge is available, and we, in a short amount of time, can teach anyone of good character, and at least normal intelligence, how to carry, store, keep pistols properly.
The well-trained don’t have gun-accidents, and don’t miss! Theyâre accustomed to âhotâ ranges, and learn that loaded pistols can be carried safely, all day, and be ready for instant deployment when necessary.
That, after all, is their purpose, eh?
âNo fire was ever caused by a fire-drill. Preparedness does not encourage aggression, any more than fire-drills encourage fires!â
G Patton
/John
10 May 11
Glock Gen4
I was under the impression that Gen4 Glocks would be quickly phasing-out Gen3s, and that Gen3s were, in fact, scheduled to be dropped from production sometime this year.
However, in talking with friends within the Glock System, Iâve discovered that is not true.
Glock has numerous military/government contracts for Gen3 pistols that will not be completely discharged for at least several more years, so Gen3 and Gen4 production will continue, concurrently, for the foreseeable future. They will sit, side-by-side, on retailersâs display cases!
In 9mm, there is not enough difference between Gen3 and Gen4 about which to argue. Both are nearly equally durable and reliable. Gen4’s surface texture is preferred by some, but that is mostly cosmetics. Who currently carry a Gen3 G19 will not benefit significantly from an upgrade.
Where Gen4 improvements/updates are genuinely significant are with high-pressure cartridges, namely 40S&W, 357SIG, and 45GAP.
When the 40S&W pistol cartridge burst on the scene several decades ago, pistol manufacturers, including Glock, scrambled to get guns chambered for this new cartridge into the commercial pipeline. Most were merely warmed-over 9mm models, and all, including Glockâs, immediately began displaying durability issues, to no oneâs surprise. In fact, the 40S&Wâs nickname, among manufacturers, was (and still is) âthe gun-breaker!â
So, for those of us who like, and prefer, 40S&W power and performance, the Gen4 is definitely the way to go. Slide and frame have been beefed-up. The new recoil-spring assembly has at least three-times the life of the Gen3. Under 40S&W pounding, these pistols are designed to hold up.
Some parts are interchangeable with Gen3 pistols, but not many. The Gen4 still looks like a Glock, at least in profile, but it is mostly a new pistol.
Out of the box, the Gen4s grip is slightly smaller than the Gen3’s, but interchangeable panels are provided for those who want to restore the pistolâs grip to Gen3 dimensions, or even make it larger. For one, I welcome the reduction in grip size.
Gen4 triggers are a pound heaver, both in take-up and break, than Gen3’s, at least on the ones I shot. All my Glocks are equipped with NY Triggers anyway, so it feels about right to me.
Glock, once again, deserves a lot of credit for pushing our Art forward.
Iâm going to start carrying a Gen4/G23 shortly.
/John
10 May 11
S&W M&P Pistol Trigger
A company called Apex, located in Los Osos, CA, is currently making a trigger modification for the M&P, designed to impart a crisp and discernable break, and reset.
The M&P continues to expand its already wide following, at least within CONUS. Users like the pistolâs ergonomics, reliability, variable grip geometry, and S&Wâs top-notch customer service.
However, some have complained about the M&Pâs âmushyâ trigger. Break is indeed maudlin, and reset is slushy also. Many others think it is just fine and nothing over which one needs to obsess! Iâve carried several M&Ps, and I consider the factory trigger, while indeed azygous, still eminently useable.
However, now comes Apex Tactical Specialities (ATS). With a small parts kit, they are able to upgrade the M&Pâs trigger to a crisp break and snappy reset. Price is nominative.
They were nice enough to upgrade my M&P, and I really like it! Break-weight is not changed. It remains at a nominal five and a half pounds.
While the M&P is genuinely serviceable as it comes from the factory, for those sophisticated enough to genuinely appreciate a stellar trigger, this upgrade is worthwhile.
Call Randy Lee at 805 528 5250
/John
11 May 11
Magic Bullets in the UK!
In a news article today, the BBC laments that London Metro Police (the few of them who are actually armed) will now be issued âunsurvivableâ hollow-point ammunition, âoutlawed in warfare under the Hague Declaration in 1899.â
As a side note, you wonât find the term âhollow-pointâ anywhere in the 1899 Hague documents. The actual language vaguely describes small-arms bullets which âeasily expand.â Curiously, during the 1899 debate on the subject, it was in fact, the British themselves who defended the use of such ammunition!
In the often-incorrectly referenced âGeneva Conventionsâ of 1864, 1906, 1929, and 1949, the subject isnât even mentioned. Those discussions concerned themselves mostly with treatment of prisoners and non-combatants.
âMuch more energy is being imparted into the victim,â continues the article. Of course, said âvictimsâ are violent criminals, so adored by the media, there and here.
Not a word, of course, about the way this ammunition will make injury to officers, innocent citizens, and bystanders far less likely. After all, who cares about them?
Gotta love those Brits! Theyâve now âadvancedâ from seventy-five years behind-the-times to a mere thirty years behind-the-times.
Whatâs next, shotguns in beat-cars?
Anyone care to wager whether Home Office security details, that protect politicians, have been using âexpanding ammunitionâ for quite some time, in all of those German MP5s they carry around?
/John
12 May 11
âNothing is too good for our men…â
From a friend at a large, American military base:
âI have organized and attended at least a dozen âWarrior Send-Off Missions,â all in an attempt to show these heroes our sincerest appreciation. We have a small ceremony, as these lads shove-off for foreign shores.
Soldiers (in uniform) take their individual small-arms with them for the trip from the base to the airport, but all magazine wells (pistols and rifles) are empty, and most M4 dust-covers are open. Such âsterileâ weapons are routinely handled carelessly, like toys. I see it every time! No one has ammunition, nor even empty magazines. No bayonets, knives, nor personal weapons of any kind!
These outgoing, uniformed soldiers, with their sterile weapons, are then transported over public highways, via contract buses, to a military airport terminal, with no MP escort, no security at all!
Should any of these busses be attacked by armed VCAs, defenseless soldiers would be massacred, and all those empty weapons, stolen.
Another Ft Hood? Iâm surprised it hasnât happened!â
Comment:
Meanwhile, glib, gun-phobic bureaucrats continue to write ever-more restrictive âsafety regulationsâ that make THEM âfeel safe,â Iâm sure. Helpless, dead victims are always preferable to live, self-reliant heroes!
This consuming apathy for the safety of these brave men and women, combined with implicit and contemptible distrust, are a sure sign of a declining civilization!
Milwaukeeâs Chief of Police said today, during a debate on the stateâs impending CCW law, âI am so concerned regarding victims of violent crime in Milwaukee, that I am willing to consider any law that empowers our citizens to become stewards of their own safety, and private affairs.â
Wow, what about our Soldiers and Marines too?
/John
16 May 11
Pistol Magazines in Pockets:
My friend and colleague, Frank Sharpe of Fortress Defense (fortressdefense.com) pointed this out to me during a Defensive Pistol Course we jointly conducted last weekend in IN:
Often, beginning students show up at our Courses with gaps in their equipment repertoire. Despite our sincerest attempt at specific instructions, students sometimes fail to bring critical items. The one most often so-overlooked is a spare-magazine carrier. Consistently carrying a spare pistol magazine on the same place on the belt (usually on the opposite side from the pistol itself) makes smooth, quick reloading far more likely than when the spare magazine is casually thrown in a pocket.
However, when a student neglects to bring a suitable magazine carrier, we sometimes have no choice but to allow him to use a pants-pocket, even though, as noted above, that method represents a poor substitute.
Last weekend, a student did just that, and, during a tactical drill involving movement, he was unable to complete a reload, despite repeated, enthusiastic attempts! The new magazine (when he, at long-last, finally fished it out of his pocket) refused to lock into place within the pistol.
A close examination revealed the issue: A single dime, that had been sharing the same pocket occupied by the spare magazine, had wedged itself between the top round and the feed-lips. How it found its way into that exact spot is a continuing source of mystery, but it somehow managed, and the anguished result was a magazine that adamantly refused to fully insert!
This phenomenon is surely not common, but, as we unhappily discovered, it will happen on occasion, with potentially fatal results!
The lesson here could hardly be clearer. Donât carry spare magazines in pockets, rattling around in the bottom of handbags, nor other inappropriate places, where coins, paper-clips, lint, stale french-fries, and other objects that may be sharing the same place will find their way into the magazine in such a way as to make a hash of your next attempt at a rapid reload!
Use a dedicated magazine holder.
Life sucks already. Donât make it any worse!
/John
16 May 11
Curious âMemorial,â from a friend in-Country:
âImmediately after nine of our troops were murdered, execution-style, in April, while âbehind the wireâ in Afghanistan, we were all suddenly (and oh, so benevolently!) allowed to carry our individual pistols and rifles in âCondition Amber (see below),â for all of eighteen days.
Now, we are, once again, required to carry in âCondition Greenâ (at least those among us who pay any attention to this intelligence-insulting nannyism).
This âbenevolent recognitionâ comes out to two days, per murdered American!
A touching âmemorial,â donât you think?â
Comment:
In current military parlance, âCondition Greenâ means pistols and rifles are all carried devoid of any ammunition. A single, charged magazine is permitted âsomewhere on the person.â Any kind of immediate response is, of course, impossible. Back here, we call this âStorage Mode.â
In âCondition Amber,â a charged magazine is inserted, chamber still empty, and the manual safety is âon.â The Pentagon insists on calling the M9 Pistolâs manual decocking-lever a âsafety.â Actual manual-decocking, via this lever, is an unknown concept among these people!
We call this âTransport Mode,â with the exception that, for the manual safety to be âonâ at this point would be a ridiculous, and demeaning, redundancy, so we leave it âoffâ
The theory here is that the pistol can be drawn and a round chambered (with the assistance of the support-side hand) with relative expediency. Of course, this means your life depends upon your support-side hand being available at the time! And then, you still have to find the time to push the decocker âup.â
In addition, after a round is chambered and the Operator subsequently needs to go hands-on, what does he do with his loaded pistol then? He has not been trained to decock it, nor has he been trained to carry it loaded in a holster. Does he demand a pause in the fight, so he can unload it before returning it to his holster?
In âCondition Red,â a charged magazine is inserted and a live round is chambered. Manual safety is still âon.â We call this âCarry Mode,â except that carrying the M9 Pistol with the decocker in the âdownâ position is, again, a silly, and dangerous, redundancy. The pistol is properly carried, with the decocking lever âup.â
Of course, since precious few troopers have any experience actually carrying in âCondition Red,â it is predictable that, during an emergency, pistol carriers will rack the slide anyway before attempting to fire, ejecting the live round and chambering another, altogether negating any time advantage inherent with carrying the pistol with a round chambered!
Apparently, there is no named condition where the manual safety may be âoff.â In fact, one sees endless admonitions, in printed material and warning signs, to the effect that, â… manual safety is to be âonâ at all times,â presumably even when youâre shooting! Reminds me of the ubiquitous â… this door to remain closed at all timesâ signs, so common in military offices.
No pistol, nor military rifle, should ever be carried on the person in any condition other than what we call âCarry Mode.â This translates to âCondition Red,â except that the M9’s decocker is properly âup,â as noted above. No weapon should ever be carried, anywhere, that is not immediately useable. Anything less is dangerously delusional!
Overseas, much is made of âthe wire.â Youâre either behind it, or in front of it. This is largely institutionalized self-deception, as Aprilâs incident so starkly demonstrated!
Back here, where weâre not officially even in an area of active fighting, youâre either âarmed,â or youâre not! We make no distinction with regard to (1) where you are, (2) nor are our guns, when carried on the person, ever in any condition other than immediately useable, nor (3) do we have arbitrarily-designated âsafeâ places.
Who do are fools!
/John
19 May 11
Incompatible Sights!
At a recent Urban Rifle Course in the Midwest, a student brought a SIG/556 (223) that he had purchased new, from a local dealer. The rifle itself ran fine for the weekend. SIGs always do!
But, his sight set-up gave him, and us, fits:
The rifle was equipped with an H&K-style (rotary) rear sight (mounted on a rail), and a masted front sight (mounted on SIGâs proprietary base). Halfway in-between was SIGâs copy of Aimpointâs H1, also mounted on the rail.
As thus set-up, the iron-sight sighting track went right through to top portion of the opticâs housing, so the iron sights were unusable, as one could not see the front sight through the rear-sight aperture! The optic was too low, and thus in the way.
The gun-shop clerk who sold him the rifle indicated that he should disregard (look over) the rear sight, and use only the optic. Interesting suggestion, because, as we were zeroing his rifle, we discovered that, in order to get on target, we had to move the red dot down so far that it was superimposed over the front sight post, half-way down!
Thus, as the rifle was sold, neither optic, nor iron sights, were useable! The front sight could neither be folded down, nor removed, so the iron-sight/optic combination was permanently self-contradictory! We had to take the optic off and go with iron sights alone, which worked fine for the duration. SIGâs optic is not compatible with LaRue mounts and risers (a real faux-pas on SIGâs part), so it will never be possible to get the optic high enough to co-witness.
In any event, we got the rifle zeroed, and the student was able to get an acceptable hit percentage with his iron sights. But the point is, how can dealers sell such unusable rifles, to unwitting consumers, all with a straight face?
I would rather they just sold the rifle alone, without sights, and let the new owner put on any sights, or combination of iron sights and optics, he wishes. At least, without any sights, the rifle, as sold, is obviously unserviceable! When âequippedâ with an unusable sighting-system combination, it is not so obvious!
/John
25 May 11
Accident?
I just finished testifying (as an expert) at a high-profile murder trial. A G22 Pistol was involved, and the issue was:
Was it an accident, reckless conduct, or murder?
What struck me was the lack of sympathy this jury had for the defense team, who claimed the incident was purely an accident. Iâm not sure how âtypicalâ this jury was, but they took only two hours of deliberation to convict the accused of murder! The juryâs gender-mix was such that women represented a slight majority.
The lesson was clear to me:
When someone has an âaccidentâ with a gun, and someone else is killed or seriously injured as a result, they shouldnât expect much sympathy from the police, the local prosecutor, nor a jury! As far as theyâre concerned, when you canât handle guns safely, you shouldnât own one!
Traffic wrecks are parallel in the eyes of police. The policy within most departments is, âWhen there is a wreck, someone is getting a ticket!â
Similarly, when a person is injured via gunfire, with a few specific exceptions, someone is going to jail!
I remind my students that the most significant thing they will be learning in our Class is how to handle, keep, and carry guns safely. That portion of our training is notable for its lack of glamour, but it is, by far, the most important topic.
Just about everyone is going to take a dim view of one who has âgun-accidents,â no matter the circumstances.
Donât be âthat guy!â
/John
27 May 11
âNemo Curat?â
From an LEO friend in WY:
âSeveral weeks ago, we had a shooting at a local movie theater.
An industrial-sized, young, violent, male offender was in the process of tuning-up his girlfriend (physically), as other patrons looked on.
A middle-aged man, who had been standing in line, stepped forward and commanded the offender to stop. The offender instantly turned on this person and started striking him with his fists.
According to witnesses, the man being beaten repeatedly told the offender to stop, with no results. At some point, he told the offender that he had a gun and that he would shoot if the offender did not stop. The offender told the victim that he would â… take your gun and shove it up your ass!â
The victim then produced an NAA Pistol (22LR) and fired two rounds into the offender at close range. Both struck him in the groin. It is not clear if the point of impact was inadvertent or intentional. Either way, it worked! The offender immediately stopped his attack and backed off.
The offenderâs wounds are not life-threatening, but he will likely suffer permanent disfigurement and disability!
Within a few days, our local prosecutor cleared the shooter of any wrongdoing. Civil litigation is possible, but none has been announced yet.
This is the âConservative West,â but there were still a number of angry letters written to local papers, calling for the immediate recall of the prosecutor! They referred to the shooting as âvigilante justiceâ and continued with â… no one should be able to take the law into their own hands.â In other words, no one should ever be allowed to do anything!
The ârecallâ demand never gained traction, and the case has since fallen off the radar.
Still, I never thought I would see such a response to a self-defense shooting like that âhere.ââ
Comment: A tongue-in-cheek slogan we sometime use at DTI is the Latin âNemo Curat.â Literally translated into English, it comes out to âNobody Cares.â
The long version of the translation is, âDonât become a victim of unrealistic expectations.â
Voluntarily involvement in any situation, that has the potential of resulting in a lethal response on your part, carries with it enormous risks. Of course, itâs your call, but, no matter what happens, donât expect:
(1) To be thanked
(2) To be hailed as a âheroâ
(3) That anyone, even friends and family, will âunderstand,â and sympathize with, the desperate, life-threatening position in which you found yourself
In fact, donât be surprised when youâre:
(1) Criticized, ridiculed, and denigrated in the media, and by others who werenât there.
(2) Indicted by an over-zealous prosecutor who hates guns and everyone who owns one.
(3) Sued by the shootee/decedent, or his âestateâ/family, for âwrongful death,â et al
Nemo Curat!
/John
27 May 11
Small-Arms Training,
From a colleague in UT:
âAt our monthly training clinic, a new member showed up last week. She is an Air Force Reserve Nurse, a lieutenant.
She tried various military rifles we had there, including a PTR/91. She dealt with the 7.62mm recoil pretty well, but the rifle was clearly too big for her. So, I handed her an M4, figuring it would be familiar to her.
I was wrong! She did not have a clue how to get it running. She said she had never seen, much less handled nor qualified with, an M16, M4, nor any other species of AR!
We were all stunned! She said the Air Force indicated that they would get her that training when she deployed overseas. My retort was, âwhat happens when the enemy comes here?â
Good for her for showing up and training on her own time. Her family saw to it that she got to know her own Countryâs service-rifle, even when her Country just cannot seem to find the time to teach her.
Amazing!â
Comment: Donât expect state-of-the-art training from any large institution. They donât lead the way. We in the private sector do, and many active-duty military people are now coming to us, on their own dime, just for that reason.
/John
31 May 11
Gelatin Tests:
At an Urban Rifle Course last weekend in PA, my friend and colleague, Mike Shovel from Cor-Bon, was, once again, on hand to host one of his now-famous Gelatin Tests.
Mike invited all my students to shoot the FBI Gelatin Routine, which he had set up on the pistol range, with whatever load they carried in their rifles and pistols.
I carry DPX (5.56mm) in my NGA/X7, in my Gen4 G23, my Kahr PM45 and P380, and my S&W Scandium Snubby. So, I shot it all into Gelatin. We also shot Vickiâs M1 Carbine w/100 gr DPX.
Out of my 16″ X7, 62gr DPX does 2800 f/s, plus change. Out of the M1 Carbine, DPX does just over 2000 f/s.
Even when having to first penetrate four layers of denim, all DPX rounds expanded normally and subsequently penetrated between ten and fourteen inches of gelatin. Out of my Gen4 G23, 135gr DPX (40S&W) clocks at just under 1200 f/s. It would be hard to imagine a better defensive handgun load!
All other conventional brass/lead pistol hollow-points expanded to some degree, but expansion was often minimal, frustrated by the layers of denim. Into bare gelatin, they do much better- the so-called ânudist-colony test.â
5.56 Federal Tactical performed nearly as well as DPX.
It was obvious to all that DPX is hard to beat. No conventional hollow-point pistol bullet does as well over such a wide spectrum of conditions.
Cor-Bonâs new entry, the âDRTâ round, introduced with much fanfare at the SHOT Show in January, has since been dropped. Didnât live up to expectations!
/John
