March 12, 2019 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Does Cheap Russian JSP Expand? 7.62x39mm Barnaul 125gr Soft Point Gel Test"--AR15.com (5-1/2 min). You might remember a recent video on Herter's 7.62x39 soft point ammo that didn't expand because of the thick steel jacket on the bullet. That is not the case here. The Barnaul that is tested in this video has almost perfect expansion.

• This week's Woodpile Report has, in addition to its usual selection of thought-provoking article, a lengthy discussion by Ol' Remus on .22 rifles for survival and hunting. Be sure to check it out.
• Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home? "How to Use a Fire Extinguisher"--Modern Survival Online. This is not a short set of instructions on pulling the retaining pin, squeezing the handle, and aiming the spray at the base of the flames. Rather this article describes fires, provides a comprehensive look at the different types of fire extinguishers and, in particular, the different types of fires for which they are rated based on the chemical used in the extinguisher. He also covers the actual use of the extinguisher as well as storage. This is an important subject because, as the author points out:

Fires are serious threats, and can happen anywhere, and virtually anytime, from a variety of causes. IN 2017, there were over 1.3 million damaging fires of all kinds reported. Of those, over 300,000 were house fires. The final toll in death and damage was 3,400 dead, 14,600+ injured, and property damage totaling over $23 billion, billion dollars.

Read the whole thing.

• "CCW Training: Are We Practicing the Wrong Skills?"--Shooting Illustrated. Tamera Keel questions whether people are spending too much time on practicing reloads and speed draws with both hands down by our sides or at shoulder height. She notes that the number of civilian gun fights requiring a reload are statistically insignificant. (I would note that John Correia at Active Self Protection has reviewed thousands of surveillance video of civilian self-defense encounters and he maintains that he has never seen a video where a civilian self-defender reloaded a firearm during a fight). She also believes that the fast draws are unrealistic. She adds:

Another thing you see when people practice drawing is that every draw is to the sights and results in breaking a shot. Rarely do you see people practice drawing to a low-ready position or drawing to a challenge (on the sights but no shot). I’ve seen some footage where a questionable shooting resulted from the ostensible defender basically being on autopilot from the time his hand started moving toward the gun. Once that motion started, it was going to end in a bang no matter how circumstances changed in the interim, because that’s probably the only way he’d ever practiced.

• "TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST TRAINING CLASS"--American Handgunner. Tiger McKee has some advice for the person headed to their first training class, including that you prepare early rather than waiting until the last minute to pack up your gear. One of the most important points he raises is that unless the class calls for something different, take the handgun which you actually carry or will be carrying--otherwise, you are cheating yourself. He recommends that you take a hat, as well as elbow and knee pads if you are going to be practicing on shooting prone or on the ground. He recommends electronic earmuffs (the better to hear instructions or orders while on the shooting range). He suggests taking a notebook or notepad so you can take notes. And carry a trauma kit.
• "The 20 Dollar Pistol Brace – The Breach Brace"--Loadout Room. The author describes it as follows: "The Breach Brace is simple, its a lot like the Shockwave blade. It’s thin and rests against the arm and acts as a brace against the forearm and bicep. The Breach Brace is one solid piece of polymer and attaches to a standard AR pistol tube up to 1.25 inches in diameter. It’s a simple design, but it is effective for lower recoil weapons." He notes that it does a fairly good job of stabilizing the weapon against your arm for hand-hand shooting. But, if you decide to use the brace to shoulder the weapon, he warns that: "Because it is a blade design it will strike your shoulder with some force and anything bigger than a pistol caliber will likely be quite uncomfortable."

• "MASSAD AYOOB: GUNFIGHTING FACT VS. FICTION"--Daily Caller. Ayoob covers five myths of firearm self defense, explaining or illustrating why they are wrong. The myths are: (1) a good shoot is a good shoot (i.e., if it is an obvious case of self-defense to you, it will also be so to a prosecutor), (2) aim for center of mass, (3) he who shoots first wins, (4) if you can't do it with five or six (or whatever your gun holds) you can't do it all, and (5) your choice of gun and ammunition doesn't matter. While most of these probably don't require greater explanation for most of my readers, the aiming for center of mass probably does. Ayoob explains that, technically, the center of mass is somewhere in the abdomen, but I think most people that has studied self-defense know that "center of mass" actually means center of chest. However, Ayoob goes on:

The way to stop a criminal from shooting at you is to deliver your bullet to a part of the body he needs in order to keep shooting at you, and make that part of his body stop working. I’ve told my students for decades that they should have a copy of Gray’s Anatomy right next to their shooting manuals. Read Dr. Jim Williams’ excellent book Tactical Anatomy, which is available through the website tacticalanatomy.com. An ER physician with extensive experience treating gunshot wounds and intensive firearms training himself, Dr. Williams details the proper points of aim from various angles when the object of shooting is to render a homicidal criminal incapable of carrying out his murderous actions.

• Related: "When Six Is Not Enough – Myths of the Self-Defense Revolver"--Lucky Gunner. Chris Baker takes a look at three myths of using revolvers for self-defense. Those myths are: (1) “Six is enough if you know how to shoot”, (2) "“Use a bigger bullet and you won’t need that many of them”, and (3) "“You can always just reload”. The article notes that if you are using a revolver for a concealed carry weapon, you might want to consider carrying another revolver as back-up. Baker writes:

       That may sound like an extreme solution to some, but it’s a proven strategy. In addition to the above example of Lance Thomas, if you carried a backup revolver you’d also be in good company with the late Jim Cirillo of the NYPD who probably survived more gunfights than any other cop in the latter half of 20th century. In Tales of the Stakeout Squad, Massad Ayoob relates that Cirillo did carry spare ammo in belt loops and speed loaders. However, Ayoob also says, “I don’t think he ever reloaded until after a firefight was over. He and his favorite partner, Bill Allard, both told me that when they ran one gun dry, they’d drop it and grab another. It was from that that I coined the term ‘New York reload.'” At times, Cirillo would carry three six-shot revolvers and a Walther PPK while on duty (though it’s worth noting that he completely switched over to semi-autos of various calibers in his later years).

      Of course, hunting thieves and killers in the slums of New York City in the 1970s comes with some job hazards that probably don’t apply to the average armed citizen. Nevertheless, we can see a track record of success for the multi-gun approach whereas the historical support for success with a revolver reload is slim.

• "What’s so Special About the .44 Special?"--Range 365. This article is from 2017 and timed to coincide with Ruger's release of a revolver in .44 Special. So, the article is a review of Ruger's revolver, as well as a history of the .44 Special and .44 Magnum cartridges. The author also discusses some of the varieties of .44 Special ammunition that was available for sale. Of course, Charter Arms has long offered concealed carry revolvers in .44 Special. The idea behind the continued use of the cartridge is to provide a round with a bullet size, weight and performance about that of a .45 ACP ... except from a revolver. 
• "Gun Review: GLOCK 34 MOS Gen 5 FS 9mm"--The Truth About Guns. The review gives it high marks. I'm not sure there is enough different to upgrade from the Gen 4, unless you are wanting to mount an optic.
• "PSA: Don’t Shine A Laser At Aircraft Especially LE Helicopters"--The Firearm Blog. Take a look at the photographs that accompany this article, particularly those showing the detail available for the thermal imaging systems and the overlay on those images of the names of streets and the house numbers.
• Gun control in action--mass shooting in Mexico: "Gunmen Kill 13, Injure 7 in Bar Shooting in Mexico"--Breitbart. Mexico has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world.
• Only professionals can be trusted with firearms: "Policewoman is shot dead by colleague in France as the pair played a 'game to see who was fastest on the draw'"--Daily Mail. The article reports:

        The 27-year-old woman and her 28-year-old colleague were standing guard at the entrance of the Paris police force's headquarters in the capital on Sunday. 

        The pair reportedly decided to start playing with their weapons and drew their guns on one another, at which point one went off by accident.

• A cautionary tale: "Family of slain black motorist weep with joy as Florida plainclothes officer who shot dead the victim is found guilty"--Daily Mail. The article reports that "Nouman Raja, 41, was convicted of manslaughter and attempted murder in the fatal shooting of the stranded black motorist, becoming the first officer in the state to be be held criminally accountable for an on-duty shooting in 30 years." How did this develop? According to the article, Raja was working undercover, "wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a baseball cap as part of an auto burglary investigation team" when he spotted Corey Jones in his broken down SUV. "Raja drove his unmarked van the wrong way up an off ramp, stopping feet from Jones' broken-down SUV." Raja also broke protocol by not donning a police vest when approaching Jones. According to the article:

      The recording shows Jones saying 'Huh?' as his door opens. Raja yells, 'You good?' Jones says he is. Raja replies twice, 'Really?' with Jones replying 'Yeah.'

     Suddenly, Raja shouts at Jones to raise his hands, using an expletive. Jones replies 'Hold on!' and Raja repeats his demand.

"No wonder," the prosecutor told the jury, "that Jones, a concealed weapons permit holder, grabbed his gun and ran." Raja contends that Jones pointed his handgun at him, and so Raja shot Jones, killing him. 

• "New Mexico’s Democrat Governor Signs Bill to Criminalize Private Gun Sales"--Breitbart. There is a lot of dissension over the bill. The article reports:

       On March 2, Breitbart News reported that 21 of New Mexico’s 33 counties had declared themselves “Second Amendment Sanctuaries,” to indicate they would not be enforcing the gun control. Moreover, on February 10, Breitbart News reported that 29 of New Mexico’s 33 sheriffs signed a statement against the gun control. And the New Mexico Sheriff’s Association also made clear it planned to sue the state if the new gun control was enacted.

       Grisham ignored the sheriffs’ concerns, tweeting, “A few law enforcement officers in this state have been making noise about how they won’t enforce gun safety measures because they don’t like them. That’s not how laws work, of course, and it’s not how oaths of office work either.”

Unfortunately for her, the oath of office likely includes some reference to upholding the Constitution.

• Related: "8 Colorado Counties Revolt Against Gun Control"--Big League Politics. The article reports that "Custer, Fremont, Kiowa, Montezuma, Otero, Weld, Moffat and Rio Blanco have become '2nd Amendment sanctuaries' after a 'Red Flag' gun confiscation bill was passed in the Colorado House." This seems like a weak response, since the counties are only indicating that they won't provide funding for storing the firearms that are seized.

• Related: "Lindsey Graham: Democrats, GOP Can ‘Come Together’ for Gun Confiscation Law"--Breitbart. From the article:

       Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says firearm confiscation laws portend a way that Democrats and Republicans can “come together.”

       CNN reported that Graham has long supported red flag laws, which allow a court to issue firearm confiscation orders for individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.

There is a reason that conservatives refer to the GOP as the party of stupid.

"The 'Asian Network': China's Sprawling Diaspora Control"--Black Pigeon Speaks (8-1/2 min.)

• The wages of sin socialism: "Looters take to Venezuela's streets as blackout enters its FIFTH day killing 15 kidney patients as under-pressure president Maduro claims the power cut was caused by an 'imperialist' electromagnetic attack from the US"--Daily Mail. Instapundit, however, had linked to Twitter posts from a reporter, Anatoly Kurmanaev, who has been trying to track down the cause of the outage. He reports that the San Geronimo B substation, which is the primary electrical transmission hub for the country, has no current flowing through it, and workers were sent home last Friday. (Other substations have also been closed due to the lack of electricity). The substation is down because it is not getting any power from the Macagua hydro plant near Guri.  One source told Kurmanaev that the Guri station was shut down because of a brush fire, but there are no skilled operators left that know how to restart it. However, other sources believe that Guri is down because its turbines have been damaged. There is no money or skilled people to replace damaged turbines. In any event, the Daily Mail article reports:

        Some Venezuelans have taken to looting supermarkets in Caracas during the fourth day of blackouts, which have paralysed the country. 

       Pictures reveal that some supermarkets in the capital have been left ransacked by desperate residents as they struggle to find food. 

      Security forces detained a number of people who were caught looting on Sunday, with some pictures showing looters being piled onto waiting trucks. 

      Armed men were seen forcefully escorting young men and women to the trucks. 

The AFP, meanwhile, reports that Venezuela is on the verge of loosing food that has been stored in freezers.

• Related: "Caracas Goes Thirsty as Power Crisis Shuts Down Water Plants"--Bloomberg. "Lack of maintenance means backup power plants at dams around Caracas don’t work, Bausson said. Distribution systems in states like Zulia in the west, centrally located Cojedes and Aragua and Anzoategui in the east depend on the national electricity grid, which went down last week." The article also notes that the military controls access to clean, fresh water, and makes money off the few that can afford their "tax." Others are now resorting to using water from the river or from broken pipes.

• Related: "After Nationwide Power Cuts and Looting, Venezuelans Regret Giving Up Their Guns Even More"--The Truth About Guns. The author notes: "It’s a shame Venezuelans surrendered their guns not so long ago. Because now, only two groups have guns: the lawless and the government. In Venezuela it’s increasingly difficult to tell the difference. Especially in the dark."

• Speaking of socialism: "Finnish Government Collapses Due to Rising Cost of Universal Health Care"--Washington Free Beacon. The prime minister and cabinet resigned after the parliament failed to pass reform measures intended to cut administrative costs for the system.
• The Guardian has published an article entitled, "China database lists 'breedready' status of 1.8 million women" in which we learn that it is leftists who really want to enact the world of The Handmaid's Tale. From the article:

        The database, whose server is in China, included fields labeled in English for sex, age, education, marital status, as well as a column titled “BreedReady”, which could be a poor translation of Chinese terms to describe whether a woman has children or is of child-bearing age, observers noted. It was taken down late on Monday afternoon local time, according to Gevers.

      The data breach is alarming in the context of official concerns over China’s falling birthrates. Women rights advocates and critics of China’s use of strict family planning rules worry about how far the government will go to encourage more women to have children.

       It is not clear whether the database is related to a dating app, a government registry, or another organisation or company. Gevers, who also identified a database maintained by a surveillance company tracking at least 2.5 million residents in Xinjiang, said he was still taking samples and working on verifying the data.

• "France: Yellow Vests March Against Macron for 17th Weekend Straight"--Breitbart. 
• "Captain Marvel rakes in $153 million during its opening weekend as Brie Larson makes history in the lead role"--Daily Mail. That is $153 million for just the United States. My three sons went to see it. The oldest thought that the film was good, but was upset with how the characters had been treated,  and was amused by Captain Marvel having to tell refugees that they couldn't stay on Earth. The middle one thought that the film was great. The youngest thought that the film was just okay.
• Not our best, nor brightest: "Actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are among 50 people charged in massive college entrance exam cheating scandal in which parents paid up to $6M in bribes to get their kids into elite schools like Yale, Georgetown and Stanford"--Daily Mail.
• "A Trip Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Sprawling, Embattled Compound in Hawaii"--Gizmodo. The reason it is "embattled", according to the article, is because: 

... his property is peppered with more than a dozen smaller parcels of what are called Kuleana lands—land that was awarded during the 1850s and has been passed down for generations by local families. For the last several years, these lands Zuckerberg doesn’t own have been the source of simmering conflict with the community, as he has taken aggressive steps to buy or otherwise control a part of Kauai.

The article explains that "[t]he Kuleana lands were meant to be passed down to descendants of the grantees forever." The consequence is that individual heirs now own only small fractions of these parcels, and can force the other owners into a "quiet title" action in order to force the land to be sold so they can collect the money for their share. And this is where Zuckerberg showed his hand:

In late 2016, Zuckerberg owned intermediaries, which had acquired small stakes in the outstanding parcels within the bounds of his property, filed quiet title lawsuits. When news broke that he was using shell companies to launch what could be an expensive legal battle against people who didn’t necessarily want to sell their land, there was a public outcry, and Zuckerberg apologized, acknowledging in an op-ed that his strong-arm tactics were perpetuating a process that had led to the loss of land for Hawaiians. He promised to drop the suits.

He didn't, however, but is apparently working through an individual who claims ownership of the lands.

         Note that this is the same property where Zuckerberg angered neighbors by building a rock wall nearly a mile long, making it impossible to see the ocean from the road. The article also notes that Zuckerberg has posted "No Trespassing" signs all around his property.

• Flashback from 2016: "Zuckerberg criticizes Trump's call for border wall at F8 conference"--USA Today.

• Palestinians are throwing a tantrum (as well as Molotov cocktails) at the temple mount after Israel's Interior Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan vowed that there was never going to be a second Mosque on temple mount and expressed a desire that Jewish worshipers someday be allowed on the site.
• "Nuclear rockets could open up solar system and help settle space. And NASA is interested."--Glenn Reynolds at USA Today. He explains:

Generally, the problem with rocket engines is that you can either make them highly efficient but with very low thrust (like ion drives) or give them powerful thrust with low efficiency, like a chemical rocket. The only way to have both at once, high efficiency and high thrust, is to go nuclear. Nuclear thermal rockets are about  twice as efficient as the best chemical rockets.

Even around Earth, a higher impulse rocket would be useful. The only way we are going to be able to get ahead of China will be through seizing the high-ground, i.e., space.

• "Research team ‘wakes up’ mammoth cell nuclei"--Japan Times. From the article:

        New findings indicate that the resurrection of mammoths is not a fantasy, a research team including members from Kindai University is saying, after cell nuclei extracted from the 28,000-year-old remains of a woolly mammoth were discovered to retain some function.

       When placed in the ova of mice, the nuclei developed to a state just before cellular division, according to a paper published Monday in the British journal Scientific Reports.

      The team includes researchers from Japanese and Russian universities. It has been working for about 20 years on a project to use cloning to resurrect mammoths, an animal that has long been extinct.

• A reminder that we live in the 21st Century: "Modern Policing: Algorithm Helps NYPD Spot Crime Patterns"--AP. From the article:

       The software, dubbed Patternizr, allows crime analysts stationed in each of the department's 77 precincts to compare robberies, larcenies and thefts to hundreds of thousands of crimes logged in the NYPD's database, transforming their hunt for crime patterns with the click of a button.

      It's much faster than the old method, which involved analysts sifting through reports, racking their brains for key details about various crimes and deciding whether they fit into a pattern. It's more comprehensive, too, with analysts able to spot patterns across the city instead of just in their precinct.