This just in from a friend in the UK
17 Apr 99 This just in from a friend in the UK: âAn elderly pensioner accidentally killed his best friend with a shot from an âantiqueâ pistol, which he knew to be loaded, but with what he believed were âdeactivatedâ cartridges. John Smith, 66, was fatally wounded in the right chest at point-blank range by […]
From a friend in the âbusinessâ
16 Apr 99 The Lesson from Kosovo: âIn âThe Lord of the Fliesâ a group of children fleeing German air raids on London during WW II are marooned on an island after their aircraft crashes. They are without adult supervision. Societyâs restraints are soon lost and the strongest organized group (the Choir) quickly becomes dominant […]
Gun Safety
16 Apr 99 Another way of looking at âgun safetyâ This from a good friend who is a physician: âAny garden-variety idiot can do surgery WITHOUT complications. The unmistakable mark of the master surgeon is his ability to deal effectively with the complications that are inexorably associated with surgery. No matter how masterful you are, […]
Some news from a friend in the South
15 Apr 99 Some news from a friend in the South: âLast week, an inexperienced customer was shooting in a booth (commercial, indoor range), without supervision. His weapon was a K-frame, S&W revolver. His ammunition was full-house, 357mg Federal hollowpoints. He was handling the gun in full, flowing ” Roy Rodgers” fashion, raising it completely […]
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14 Apr 99 This just in from a friend in the correctional business: “The State does not provide us with firearms training which is, by any stretch of the imagination, adequate. Inmates have more rights than we do. They get TVs and weight-lifting equipment. We don’t get training. It’s not hard to see whose support […]
More from the Philippines
2 Apr 99 This just in from a friend in the Philippines: âIn countries like ours, where you may have legal access to only one or two guns for ALL your shooting pursuits, an equipment failure, even during training, may leave a person unarmed for months, while paperwork is processed. This is why we put […]
Trigger Shoes
2 Apr 99 I conducted an Urban Rifle/Shotgun Course on the East Coast last weekend. One of my students, an excellent and competent shooter, brought an H&K 91 in 308 Win. The trigger on his rifle was equipped with a trigger shoe, one designed and marketed by H&K themselves. It’s call the “PSG-1 trigger modification.” […]
Keepers of the Warrior Ethos
1 Apr 99 Some have heard me say this already. This is a quotation from the May-Aug 1998 Issue of Infantry Magazine. It is taken from the “Commandant’s Notes” section and is authored by Major General Carl F Ernst, Chief of Infantry, US Army. “We are the keepers of the Warrior Ethos. Our disposition and […]
Comments on Car Penetration
1 Apr 99 More comments on the car test: “I liked your friend’s experiment on the car penetration experiment — I can speak from some experience that Sov 30 cals do a good job. Tell him that if he gets the car moving even at 15 MPH he will be even more shocked to see […]
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29 Mar 99 This from a gunsmith friend of mine offshore: âStainless barrels are the most frequently damaged ones over here. I’ve seen premium-grade barrels, from major US manufacturers, crack at the lower, lug area (1911 Colt). This is odd since all were fitted by reputable, local smiths who knew what they were doing. Curiously, […]
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25 Mar 99 From a friend in a Midwest police department: âIn late 1992, during the test and evaluation phase (of the Glock pistol), the department had two unintentional, negligent discharges about a week apart, both in the cleaning room in the basement range at the City-County Building. Happily, there were no injuries as a […]
Incident on the West Coast
25 Mar 99 This just in from a friend on the West Coast: Klamath Falls, OR, (population 40,000): Christine Tisdel was sitting at the dining room table in her Spring Lake Road home reading a magazine when she heard the squeal of tires on the road outside. A black Jeep Cherokee skidded to a stop […]
Incident in Africa
23 Mar 99 A friend in Africa forwarded this. It involves two of our students: âA local private security officer responded to a âpanic-button complaintâ at an occupied residence. He greeted the complainant and, upon subsequently searching the premises, found a single intruder, who was trying to hide. Our officer drew his handgun (which should […]
Observations on Gunshot Wounds from the ER
16 Mar 99 This from a friend who works in an ER. His comments on handgun bullet wounds: âI have much observed evidence that shot placement is THE critical factor in quickly disabling a human target. Multiple hits is also an important factor. I saw wounds with all calibers, to all regions of the body. […]
Shooting Sports, from the Philippines
14 Mar 99 This from a friend in the Philippines with regard to a recent IDPA Orientation Match there: “The orientation shoot just ended today, and we had thirty-six shooters, mostly IPSC and some PPC guys. We relaxed the rules on equipment, so that everyone could get an idea of what IDPA and defensive handgunning […]
Fatal Training Incident
10 Mar 99 âA Nebraska state trooper who shot and killed a fellow trooper in a training exercise had forgotten that he had reloaded his weapon during a break, authorities said Friday. Trooper Mark Wagner, 37, a 12-year State Patrol veteran, died as a result of a single, unintentional, gunshot wound to the chest. During […]
More on .357 Sig
3 Mar 99 From a friend who does a lot of training: “The .357 Sig thing is interesting. I’ve seen a dozen or so at _______, and all the Sig brands had problems feeding, case head separations, cratered primers (very common) and pierced primers. One pierced primer flowed back into the firing pin orifice and […]
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28 Feb 99 This just in from a friend in the Federal System in response to my last: “Our gun toters in the — had some 127 grain +P Winchester (9mm), and I’m not sure what else. Secret Service is currently using 115 gr +P+, but going to the 357 SIG. Customs uses the 115 […]
Copy of a letter to my colleague, Dave Spaulding
28 Feb 99 Copy of a letter to my colleague, Dave Spaulding: “Dear Dave Thanks for your letter. I’ve just returned form Africa, and I apologize for this response taking so long. With regard to your upcoming article and questionnaire, let me below lay out my thoughts in text. I hope the following adequately answers […]
Latest from Africa
28 Feb 1999, (Sun) 10:11am As you know, Iâve just returned from South Africa. Let me tell you what I found: In conjunction with my colleague of long standing, Henk Iverson, I conducted two Rifle/Shotgun courses while there, one in Capetwon and one in Pretoria. Our students were local cops, farmers, and other non-police. They […]
