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Friday, May 22, 2020

A Quick Run Around the Web (5/22/2020)

"How to Shoot Through a Glass Windshield with Kyle Lamb"--5.11 Tactical (2-1/2 min.)
The video demonstrates shooting multiple shots through a windshield from the inside. As would be expected, the first round went high. But note that the subsequent rounds shot low.

  • "Fundamentals of Shooting Through Glass"--Dr. Tindall. This is a good reference that you might want to download or print up for future reference. It looks at shooting through different types of glass, both flat pieces such as on windows, as well as windshield glass from the inside and outside of the vehicle. It also discusses what effect the glass will have on the bullet and bullet energy. For instance:
Some of the consequences of shooting through glass are deformation of the bullet. For example, a soft nose or hollow point bullet, especially from a pistol, will generally result in excessive deformation, which will have a detrimental effect on bullet stability in flight. This effect on stability will affect any and all subsequent penetrations of the bullet after it has passed through the glass. Consequently, jacketed or solid bullets seem best at shooting through most types of glass. Also, loss of energy and momentum of a bullet after passing through glass is greatly affected. As an example, the work expended by the bullet as it punctures the glass results in a direct loss of energy that increases significantly with the thickness of the glass. This loss of energy, combined with bullet deformation, reduces the over-all effectiveness of the bullet. Because of this, a bullet diameter that is equal to or greater than the thickness of the glass you intend to shoot through is recommended.
Also, something I previously did not know, is that changes in glass manufacturing means that modern window glass reacts differently than older plate glass:
A new process that uses molten tin to create the surface of a glass sheet was developed in the late 1950s. The glass, in liquid form, was poured onto the tin causing the lighter glass to float. The resulting product, “float glass,” had an extraordinarily smooth surface. Today, glass for commercial use is almost entirely float glass, and plate glass is used only in rare cases. Depending on the thickness of the float glass, it will shatter apart when shot into larger pieces than tempered glass. However, older plate glass will leave a hole much like laminated glass although, with a much larger disturbed area, i.e., fracture lines, around the hole.
Read the whole thing.
      Consider the glass itself. It can be 1/8-inch, soda-ash glass in an old urban house, so brittle a BB gun would penetrate, or a multilayered, half-inch, laminated door at a supermarket. A car windshield's safety glass is a sandwich of glass holding a layer of Butacite PVB, yet the same car's side windows are thin safety glass that shatter to bits when struck by a bullet. Newer snowbelt homes have double-layer glass windows with the space benveen filled by inert gas as an insulator. Then there's tempered glass, heat-treated to make it stronger, which also gives it a harder surface. And how about so-called, "bulletproof" glass, made from Lexan polymer? All these can have varying thicknesses, too.
         Here's the first rule of thumb in glass penetration: do not plan on using a hollowpoint, match bullet. Many tests have been conducted—including my own tests at Gunsite and shots I've observed with the Minneapolis Police Department—that leave no doubt that this round is not suitable because it's likely to break up or deflect due to its bullet design. The 168-and 175-grain BTHP Match bullets offer superb accuracy, but they were never intended to penetrate glass or barriers.
           I used to advise the same when it came to glass shooting with any .223 bullet, but the fielding of new penetration ammo has persuaded me otherwise. I've personally tested the Federal .223 Tactical Load at the factory, live-firing it through a windshield into a gelatin block at 100 yards. As shown in the accompanying photos, this 55-grain bonded bullet retained 99+ percent of its weight (54.5 grains) and deflected less than 1 MOA when fired 90 degrees into the windshield. My second shot, fired at a more ballistically challenging 45 degrees into that laminated glass, retained 29.5 grains, then penetrated a gelatin block some 10 inches.
              Both Federal's .223 load—also available in a 62-grain version—and its bigger .308 Tactical Load use a special bullet that's molecularly bonded to the jacket so that, even though it mushrooms, the lead corc remains nearly whole after impact.
          There are several things you should think about before you find yourself confined to the inside of your vehicle when an armed confrontation arises. First, if at all possible, you want to drive away – through/over the perpetrator if you can! Two actions to avoid are ducking for cover inside the prison of your vehicle or trying to back away from your assailant. These tactics will in all probability hasten your demise rather than prevent it. The remaining options, which are the topics of this article, are how to return fire while confined to the interior of the vehicle.
            I would note that there is some disagreement whether to back up or not, and it is going to depend on the situation. Obviously, if your "assailant" is unarmed or armed with something like a knife, if you can back up and get away, that is, from a legal perspective, probably a better option than running over the perpetrator. Second, from a book on keeping aid workers safe in third world countries, the author noted that if you come under fire at a road block to back up at high speed for 100 meters or so, before turning around and driving back the way you had come.
              ... The dot must be driven to the target instead of slowing down as we get close to the desired impact point. We must stop violently on the target, which is key. If you are slowing the movement of your carbine as your dot arrives near the target, you will be slower than the shooter who drives the dot aggressively to the target and then abruptly stops. Once the throttle is shut down, we have to use our dot discipline to make the minute dot correction before the shot is fired. The key to success in driving to another target is having your eyes already prepositioned on the intended target. If your eyes are there, the carbine can be abruptly stopped with precision as the dot arrives at the target. If your eyes are on the dot as you drive the carbine, you will more than likely over-­swing the intended point of impact.
              In order for aerobic bacteria to thrive, composting toilets must:
              • Keep waste oxygenated: Typically, the waste chamber will also be rotated so that oxygen can reach all waste. An exhaust fan will also assist in blowing air on the waste.
              • Maintain carbon-nitrogen balance: Urine contains huge amounts of nitrogen. If urine is allowed to get in the compost chamber, anaerobic bacteria will get out of control.  Thus, almost all compost toilets will have urine-diversion devices.  As for the carbon, a bit of peat moss, coconut fiber, or saw dust are added to the chamber.
              • Reduce moisture content: Fecal matter is about 75% to 90% liquid by volume. Aerobic bacteria do not thrive in high-moisture environments. However, they do need some moisture to survive. So, compost toilets will have a fan which helps most (but not all) moisture evaporate from the solid waste.
              • Regulate temperature: In order for aerobic bacteria to thrive, temperatures must be kept at around 60 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Compost toilets will not work in very cold or freezing weather.  Some advanced models of compost toilets have temperature-regulating devices.
                       ... Every small town has some kind of rinky-dink little coffee shop or restaurant where folks gather.  ... I started noticing that every time I drove by there were a couple of LEO vehicles (PD and SO) parked there.  So I took the plunge a few months back and started popping in.  I knew a couple of guys that frequented there so it didn’t take long till I gained the trust of most of the regulars.  That trust is invaluable.  Note during all of this I always maintain one rule for myself – at no time do I ever initiate any talk about SHTF, the .gov, POTUS, etc…  I stay as “gray man” as possible in the place.  John Deere hat, Wal-Mart camo windbreaker, the works.   I always open any kind of conversation with very recent info that has come out in the news (be it TV or the local rag).  I’ve pretty much figured out around here (as with any small town or rural community) the Weather is about as common a topic to open with as anything. EVERYONE has an opinion on the weather.  Agreeing with that opinion opens the door.
                       So big deal, right?  Read on.  Well Monday mornings is when a local ritual takes place.  The majority of the LEOs in the area grab a cup of coffee and rub elbows with the State troopers that run the section of Highway that runs through this little town.  And not only LEOs but also our County Department of Emergency Management guy (a real blabbermouth good ol’ boy).  ...
                    He goes on to discuss how he gets the real scoop on local conditions.
                            Violent encounters don’t happen at random. Attacks follow a cycle. This cycle is broken down into six stages: target selection, observation of the target, attack planning/training, execution, escape, and exploitation. The six stages fall into three phases: Pre-Attack, Attack, and Post-Attack.
                             There is no set time frame for an attacker to complete the cycle, and it is the attacker who chooses when to move forward or backward in stages. The time it takes to complete each stage will greatly depend on a number of factors, such as, type and goals of an attack, experience of the attacker and the victim, to name a few. For example, a snatch and grab robbery may go through Pre-Attack and Attack phases within seconds, but domestic violence may stay in the Attack phase for years.
                        • "Concealed Carry Corner: Top 4 Carry Myths to Avoid"--The Firearm Blog. The first of the myths is carrying on an empty chamber. The concept of carrying on an empty chamber arose in the days of the Single Action Army which required it as a safety precaution because the firing pin would otherwise have ridden on the primer and could have set off a round if the hammer were struck or the gun dropped. Other early revolvers also had this problem. And this is still a concern if you have a modern reproduction of the SAA that is faithful to original. But outside of those exceptions, it has not really been an issue since the invention of rebound hammers and is completely irrelevant to modern designs using transfer bar safety systems or hammer block systems. (I would also note that these older revolvers could still be safely carried fully loaded if the holster employed a strap to fit between the hammer/firing pin and the frame of the revolver--although that also meant that you had to cock or pull back the hammer in order to draw it from the holster since it also acted as a retention system).
                                It also might have had some relevance to early semi-auto designs (e.g., the Model 70 or earlier 1911 pistols) but is largely irrelevant with those designs incorporating firing pin block or safety of some sort. And even with older designs, such as the 1911 pistols, you could carry the weapon chambered but with the hammer half-cocked or fully cocked-and-locked with the safety on.
                          "Archiving Useful Skills Offline"--The Contingency Plan (4 min.)
                          This video looks at the why and how of archiving useful information (with a particular emphasis on YouTube vidoes) off-line in the event of a major disaster, including mentioning a downloading service for the YouTube videos. If you go to YouTube, he has links to the products and the downloading service in the description.

                                A former Judge of Elections in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been charged and pleaded guilty to illegally adding votes for Democrat candidates in judicial races in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
                                  On Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges against former Judge of Elections Domenick DeMuro, 73, for stuffing the ballot box for Democrats in exchange for payment by a paid political consultant.
                                   The charges, and guilty plea, include conspiracy to deprive Philadelphia voters of their civil rights by fraudulently stuffing the ballot boxes for specific Democrat candidates in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 primary elections and a violation of the Travel Act.
                                      South Carolina election ballots reportedly ended up in Maryland this week, after mail-in voting for the Palmetto State’s June 9 primary has already begun, according to local news reports.
                                       South Carolina election officials may cut ties with the company they used, Minnesota printer SeaChange, over the mix-up after about 20 Charleston County absentee ballots were found outside the state, the reports say.
                                         Election officials say this isn’t the first absentee ballot issue they’ve had with the company, which prints and mails ballots for 13 South Carolina counties.
                                           Some voters in Greenville County received the wrong absentee ballots when the Democratic presidential primary and the special election for sheriff were held just 10 days apart, Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire told the Post and Courier. Voters in Charleston received ballots that were folded in a way that made them tough to read by scanning machines.
                                      • "D.C. Circuit Orders Judge Sullivan to Respond to Flynn Mandamus Petition"--National Review. As I've described in earlier posts, in the face of the DoJ wanting to drop charges against Flynn, Judge Sullivan decided that it was his responsibility to ensure proper prosecution. Flynn's attorneys filed a petition for a writ of mandamus with the Circuit Court to request an order (mandate) that Sullivan dismiss the case and/or appointing another judge. That the Circuit Court has ordered Sullivan to respond to the petition suggests that the Circuit Court is taking the matter seriously, or at least wants to appear that it is taking it seriously.
                                              The First Pentecostal Church of Holly Springs in Mississippi burned down early Wednesday morning. The congregation had been in a legal battle to continue holding services despite the novel coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown orders.
                                               The building went up in flames between 2-4 a.m. Investigators said the church was spray-painted with graffiti before an explosion blew out the front of the building, according to Fox 13.  Maj. Kelly McMillian of the Marshall Count Sheriff’s Department confirmed the fire to be a criminal act of arson.
                                                  Thomas More Society senior counsel and lawyer for the church, Stephen Crampton, spoke with Fox News about the fire and said the perpetrators spray-painted a message that read, "I Bet you stay home now you hypokrits."
                                            I'm becoming more and more convinced that the reaction to the Kung Flu pandemic--whether growing anger at the shutdowns or continued panic about catching the disease--may be a basic method to distinguish between conservative "wolves" and liberal "rabbits." Case in point: "Doctor Who Threatened to Shoot People Not Wearing Masks Resigns From School Board"--The Truth About Guns. In that instance, Pennsylvania physician and school board member Dr. Jennifer Rager-Kay had posted on social media a threat to shoot anyone not wearing a mask who approached her or her family.
                                                     Coronavirus lockdowns have 'destroyed millions of livelihoods' but failed to alter the course of the pandemic given many US states have seen lower infection rates after easing restrictions, a JP Morgan study has claimed. 
                                                      The statistical analysis has raised questions about the effectiveness of the lockdowns put in place across much of the United States two months ago to stop the spread of COVID-19. 
                                                        It suggests that the lockdown measures have not only resulted in economic devastation but could have also resulted in more COVID-19 deaths. 
                                                          Politically-dictated lockdowns and prohibitions have recently destroyed tens of millions of American jobs. Politicians have effectively claimed a right to inflict unlimited economic damage in pursuit of zero COVID-19 contagion. The perverse incentives driving the policy have multiplied the harm far beyond the original peril.
                                                            Almost 40% of households earning less than $40,000 per year have someone who lost their job in recent months, according to the Federal Reserve. The Disaster Distress Helpline, a federal crisis hotline, received almost 900% more phone calls in March compared to a year ago. A recent JAMA Psychiatry analysis warned that stay-at-home orders and rising unemployment are a “perfect storm” for higher suicide rates. A California health organization recently estimated that up to 75,000 Americans could die from “despair” as a result of the pandemic, unemployment, and government restrictions.
                                                             In the name of saving lives, politicians have entitled themselves to destroy an unlimited number of livelihoods. Politicians in many states responded to COVID-19 by dropping the equivalent of a Reverse Neutron Bomb – something which destroys the economy while supposedly leaving human beings unharmed. But the only way to assume people were uninjured is to believe their existence is totally detached from their jobs, bank accounts, and mortgage and rent payments.
                                                               Politicians have vaccinated themselves against any blame for the economic carnage by touting experts who said it was all necessary. Over the past 90 days, government bureaucrats have become a new priesthood that can sanctify unlimited sacrifices in the name of the public health. 
                                                            And the money quote: 
                                                              Shutting down entire states, including vast uninfected rural swaths, is the economic equivalent of burning witches or sacrificing virgins to appease angry viral gods. Because politicians have no liability for the economic damage they inflict, they have no incentive to minimize the disruptions they decree. 
                                                              • "SO WE’RE ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISTS’, IS THAT IT?"--American Partisan. The author responds to Hillary Clinton's recent comments equating protesters carrying arms as "domestic terrorists." Besides observing her blatant hypocrisy as to the actual use of terror, he observes the general contempt for Americans: 
                                                                To these ‘people’, the folks in fly-over states or not in the halls of power are irrelevant. Relics of the antiquated ideas of property, liberty and the Lord, standing in the way of progress. For them we’re an apostate to the religion of Reason, with its chief prophets Hegel and Marx. I guess antifa storming state capitols and burning the flag doesn’t count, nor does threats for them to burn our once-great cities to the ground. Perhaps its the criminals they’ve deemed ‘non-violent’ only to run wild in the streets, or even better, feed off their propaganda.
                                                                One well-placed source told CIS that Alsahli drove up to the gate wearing an Arab head-wrap garment and blaring Arabic language music from a vehicle stereo. Arabic-language writings were found inside the vehicle. Although these details could not be independently confirmed, the FBI stated at a press conference later Thursday that Alsahli's attack was "terrorism-related". A linkedIn page for Adam Alsahi of Corpus Christ contains only one bit of biographical information, which is that he is a "student at Umm Al-Qura University" in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
                                                                        But as they were about to pedal away, the cougar returned, Sgt. Ryan Abbott of the King County Sheriff’s Office said. It jumped on Isaac M. Sederbaum, putting its mouth around his head and shaking him. It released him and chased after the other cyclist, who had started to run. The authorities identified that cyclist as Sonja J. Brooks.
                                                                         As Sederbaum, who had been bloodied but survived, rode away from the scene, he could see the cougar dragging Brooks into the woods, Sergeant Abbott said. ...
                                                                      Reminds me of the joke about the two hunters being charged by a bear, and one telling the other that he doesn't need to outrun the bear, he only needs to outrun his buddy.
                                                                      • So what's going on in other parts of the world?
                                                                               However, what is more puzzling is that is that the anomaly has grown and moved westward at a pace of around 12 mph.
                                                                                In addition, the team found that in just the last five years a center of minimum intensity has formed southwest of Africa, suggesting the South Atlantic Anomaly could split into two separate cells.
                                                                                  The shift doesn't happen just overnight, but slowly occurs over the course of a few hundred or even thousand years.
                                                                                    And when this happens, multiple north and south magnetic poles pop up all around the Earth.
                                                                                      One theory for the weakened field is that the Earth may be heading into a pole reversal, which has happened in the past and the researchers say 'we are long overdue,' as it takes place 'roughly every 250,000 years.'
                                                                                       The last time the poles reversed was some 780,000 years ago and then the event nearly happened 40,000 years back.
                                                                                          A secretive military space plane will soon test the idea of using microwave beams to send solar power to Earth from space. The U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane is expected to launch into orbit Saturday (May 16) with an experiment onboard that tests the possibility.
                                                                                            The Photovoltaic Radiofrequency Antenna Module Flight Experiment (PRAM-FX) represents the first orbital test of such a sci-fi technology since the 19th century — solar satellite power. Build a big solar array in orbit, the idea goes, and it could collect enough sunlight (unfiltered by atmospheric effects or clouds,) to generate a powerful beam of microwaves. A collection station on Earth would then convert that beam into useful power. Launch any satellite into a high enough orbit and it will receive a near-constant stream of sunlight, with only brief passes through the Earth's shadow. A whole constellation of solar arrays might offer uninterrupted 24/7 power.
                                                                                      By at

                                                                                      2 comments:

                                                                                      1. John WilderMay 27, 2020 at 5:19 PM

                                                                                        Maybe. Look at Minnesota. It's going to be a long, hot summer.

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                                                                                        Replies
                                                                                        1. DocentMay 29, 2020 at 11:20 AM

                                                                                          Imagine what will happen if Trump is re-elected.

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                                                                                      Kurt Schlichter Gives "Civil War" Movie Two Thumbs Down

                                                                                      Kurt Schlichter gives his review of the movie "Civil War" over at Townhall . His first criticism is that that the film is racially...