(November 2006 Quips)
1 Nov 06 I apologize for taking so long on this. Our new contact in Iraq is: Gy/Sgt O’Toole MWSS 373/MP Platoon Unit # 41116 FPO AP 96426-1116 brian.otoole@acemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil He will see to it that all care packages get to the Marines who need it most. Many thanks to everyone for their generosity. Let’s not […]
(October 2006 Quips)
1 Oct 06 Today, at an Urban Shotgun Program in MA, a Mossburg 590, being used by a student suddenly went down. Normally, the Mossburg is among the most reliable of all the shotguns we see, but, on this copy, the magazine follower got stuck in the forward portion of the magazine tube, and spring […]
(September 2006 Quips)
4 Sept 06 The Graham Flashlight Method My friend and colleague, Matt Graham, president of ITC and manufacturer of ITC three-dimensional targets, have developed a new pistol/flashlight method that I like. For those of us who don’t like physically attaching flashlights to guns, particularly pistols, the Harries and Goode Techniques, along with several others, have […]
(August 2006 Quips)
2 Aug 06 Comment on my Quip last month about the Wall Street Journal article on knives in America and the “need” for more regulation (as in the UK): “Mr Farnam: … knives really are dangerous. Regulation is probably needed.” My reply: “Son, if politicians set out to regulate every ‘dangerous’ thing, our entire government […]
(July 2006 Quips
1 July 06 Details from the Johannesburg, SA shooting last week, in which a number of police officers were murdered: “They stormed the building where the gang was hiding.. Officers were armed with Z88s (Beretta 92 copy, built under license). The criminal gang was armed with Kalashnikovs. R5 patrol rifles are theoretically available, but they […]
(June 2006 Quips)
2 June 06 NTI 2006 “The reason the American Army does so well in wartime? War is chaos, and the American Army practices it on a daily basis.” -from a post-war (WWII) debriefing of a German General Yes, physical conflict, in general, is indeed chaotic, and the NTI is designed to confront each participant with […]
(May 2006 Quips)
1 May 06 From one of our Marine instructors, now in Iraq. He is teaching enlightened pistols classes there to Marines and Army troops, semi-officially: “Taught my first Pistol Class here Sunday. Fifty students, mixed Marines and Army. I only had a day with them, so we went right into movement, drawing, firing, reloading, and […]
(April 2006 Quips)
1 Apr 06 Comment on unarmed federal agents: “Please inform Mr Farnam that it is federal policy that agents keep pistols concealed while in public. Also, it is possible these SS guys were trainees.” My response: My friend whom I quoted originally is a seasoned police officer, and he is pretty sure all the agents […]
(March 2006 Quips)
2 Mar 06 Radical Islamists are now active in South Africa, the only sub-Saharan country on the Continuant with a functional infrastructure: “Rolling blackouts persist here. A hard-line, Muslim group has claimed responsibility for acts of sabotage that have caused the problem. Rumors abound. Some claim it is just a cover story by the government […]
(February 2006 Quips)
1 Feb 06 FN/SAW I had the opportunity to shoot a SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) last week. I’ve handled them before at the factory in SC where they are produced, but this was the first time I’ve actually operated a copy. The weapon gets mixed reviews from the front, but there is a lot to […]
(January 2006 Quips)
1 Jan 06 On pistol choices, from an instructor: “An interesting aspect of current, retail pistol sales is that the people in our favorite gunshop tell me that sales of 1911s have dropped off since the ban lifted. ‘Not enough capacity’ is the reason generally given. Actually that is a good trend, because for those […]
(December 2005 Quips)
1 Dec 05 Great training thought, from one of our instructors in OH: “In order to address this important area of training, we’ve instituted ‘WEAK HAND/ONE HAND’ days. Designate a single day, and do everything (except driving and other activities where there is a safety issue) one-handed. Get dressed, eat, shower, read a book, brush […]
(November 2005 Quips)
2 Nov 05 Sage advice from a friend at the front: “Comment on folding knives: Nearly all have no discernible hilt between handle and blade. The design makes for a slim profile, but, when your blade is employed to save a life, for example; persuading someone (whom it is inconvenient to shoot at the moment) […]
(October 2005 Quips)
3 Oct 05 Scandium S&W 1911 Commander: I’ve received my Scandium 1911 back from master pistolsmith, Jim Garthwaite. It subsequently received a thorough workout at long-time friend, Tom Given’s, excellent range in Memphis, TN where Tom and I put on an Advanced Defensive Pistol Class last weekend. I had a long conversion with Jim about […]
(September 2005 Quips)
2 Sept 05 … as anarchy descends: In order to address the anarchy, lawlessness, and mob violence that has spread, unchecked, throughout the entire New Orleans region this past week, LA’s governor Blanco has said of the newly-arriving NG, “They have M-16s, and they’re locked and loaded. These troops know how to shoot and kill, […]
(August 2005 Quips)
1 Aug 05 Speaking of clothing… Comments from a friend in SA: “Drawstrings and toggles on overgarments are gadgets that sell clothing without contributing to the health of the wearer. Recently, when hunting in the mountainous portion of the Karoo, I sat on huge rock. When I subsequently tried to get up in order to […]
(July 2005 Quips)
1 July 05 Comments on infantry weapons from a friend currently deployed: “I may be waxing nostalgic, but I think infantry weapons reached their zenith in 1946 with the Garand, the 1911 pistol, and the Browning MG. These represent the most powerful and longest range weapons ever issued to individual infantrymen, before or since. We […]
(June 2005 Quips)
1 June 05 Sage comments from a friend who manages a big gun store and indoor range: “Daily, I see people who have spent thousands of dollars on equipment they have no earthly use for. They’re hard to miss, as they routinely parade around the range with it. Some days, it’s dreadfully expensive competition pistols […]
(May 2005 Quips)
3 May 05 I spent the afternoon with my good friend John Milano of DSA at their facility in Illinois. New products: GTC Carbine (223). This is a gas-piston AR-15 look-alike. It has a op-rod, instead of a gas tube. This advancement on the original Stoner design has been attempted in the past, but this […]
(April 2005 Quips)
2 Apr 05 I’ve been asked to add two, desperately needed items to the list of things to ship overseas: FLY SWATTERS STICKY, ROLL FLY PAPER Again, all items are being accepted by Capt Anderson (address below) for distribution. Best way to ship is via USPO. Captain Ryan L Anderson, USMC MWSS 371 Engineer Operations […]
Gun industry legends Dave Spaulding, Massad Ayoob, Mike Boyle, and John Farnam join Fernando Coelho to dive deep into the history of the gun industry, shedding light on how firearms and firearms training have transformed over the decades. They discuss the dramatic shift from traditional print reviews to the digital age of internet forums, social media influencers, and YouTube personalities of the industry.
