Gun & Prepping News #24

 Some more linkage from around the Internet: 

• First up, Active Response Training has a new Weekend Knowledge Dump including some great articles on:
• Concealed carry inside a vehicle: problems or issues that can arise, as well as a quick pro v. cons of different methods of carry. Greg Ellifritz notes that his favorite method for carrying when driving long distances is using a fanny pack.
• Lockpicking as a skill for preppers.
• An author that has switched to carrying a J-frame snub nosed revolver discusses some basic tenets of self-defense particularly applicable to the J-frame, but frankly should be applied no matter what type of defensive pistol you use.
• Michael Seeklander argues that lack of trigger control is not what is making you miss--he contends, instead, that "if you are gripping the gun hard and increasing the pressure in the controlling fingers while you pull the trigger, you will be moving the gun. Switch that to gripping and THEN pulling (while maintaining the pressure) and you will fix your issue. The main reason is that you would not have much movement left in the control hand fingers if they are already clamped down on the grip."
• Some advice for surviving a panicked crowd.
• Testing contact shots on ballistic gel. The author's conclusion is that if you are using contact shots thinking it will dramatically increase damage, you may be disappointed. Of course, then there are people like me who thought contact shots were to make sure you didn't miss your target.
• Some philosophy on the conflict in us between our lived lives and our unlived lives (essentially, our unrealized potential). This is significant to modern men, since most men want some form of adventure and daring do which isn't met by working 8, 9, 10 or more hours per day in a cubical farm or office. 

• "Firearms Vs. Shotguns"--Shooting Illustrated. The author tests the difference in recoil control (by measuring the time between shots) and patterning between a Mossberg Shockwave "firearm" and a standard Mossberg 590 shotgun. Recovery after a shot took about 1.5 seconds longer with the Shockwave. The shot patterns were very different, but that was because he was shooting 8 pellet FliteControl 00 from the shotgun and a low recoil round from the Shockwave. When he tried the FliteControl rounds from the Shockwave, "it delivered very similar results at that distance to the full-sized shotgun." He also discusses what he finds useful about the Shockwave: that it provides discrete shotgun-like capabilities outside the home.
• Related: "Mossberg Shockwave 590S"--Guns Magazine. This is the model designed to shoot the shorty shotgun shells.
• Related: "Gimmick To Game-Changer: Cheek Shooting with the Mossberg Shockwave"--David Faubion, Firearm News. Discussing the techniques developed by Rhett Neumayer of Demonstrated Concepts to turn the Shockwave into a serious fighting firearm. It will also take a couple pieces of gear to make it work: a strap to go on the Raptor grip (which Neumayer sells) and a red-dot sight.
  
• "Federal Feud! HST vs Punch Ammo"--Ammo-to-Go.  These are not just two different packaging of the same bullet, but two different bullet designs. Boiling down the article (and several videos I've seen on the topic), the HST is intended for law enforcement and to pass all elements of the FBI standards for handgun ammunition including penetration of hard barriers and windshield glass. The Punch is intended for the civilian defender, so it emphasizes expansion and penetration against softer targets over hard barrier penetration. I would note that the article is from 2023 and, apparently, both rounds featured nickel plated brass at that time; but the Punch now ships with just plain brass cases--at least in the 9mm version I find locally. 
• "Reproduction M1 Carbines: We Test Auto-Ordnance and Inland Manufacturing Models"--Gun Tests. Given the price of genuine M1 Carbines from the WWII and Korean War era, someone wanting one for actual shooting may end up opting for one of the reproduction models. Which is where this article comes in.
  
• "The Glock 17: The Gun That Started It All"--The Mag Life. A bit of history and an overview of this perennial favorite. 
• "The Modern Allure of the .32 ACP"--The Truth About Guns. The author begins:

 Now that we live in a post-handgun-stopping power world, I’ve opened my eyes to a variety of cartridges that have fallen out of favor or never been taken seriously for self-defense. A handgun projectile does one type of damage, direct contact with flesh, and admittedly, a larger bullet can create more damage, but it isn’t needed to win the fight. I don’t want to completely rehash any caliber debates. I want to share my findings and information that I feel is valuable. Today’s cartridge of choice is the .32 ACP. 

I wouldn't say that we live in a "post-handgun-stopping power world" but that we have a better understanding of ballistics and (generally) better bullet designs that can allow us to do with smaller calibers what used to require a caliber that starts with 4. Nevertheless, better bullet designs can only go so far, and apparently they are still a bridge too far for the .32 ACP, at least in a pocket pistol. The author recommends hot loads like Fiocchi 73 grain FMJs unless you are carrying  the Beretta 3032, as the pressure exceeds the manufacturers recommendations and could crack the frame.

• Related: "Powering Down"--Massad Ayoob. The author presents his arguments against going too small: i.e., .22, .32 or .380.
• Related: "Straight Talk: Snub Not the Snub-Nose"--Sheriff Jim Wilson. Key part: "I think it is still one of the most practical defensive handguns, especially for deep concealment." And:

In the past, I have called the modern snub-nose revolver an “Always Gun” because it is virtually always on me and properly concealed. I have an older Colt Detective Special as well as a smaller Model 442 Smith & Wesson. Each take turns with such duties, both in .38 Spl. When loaded with standard-velocity loads, they do all that I expect from the small revolvers and both are about as reliable as any man-made object. They are my always guns.

• Related: "Pocket Pistols: The Case For Pocket Poppers"--Tamara Keel. Some reasons why you may need to use a pocket pistol.
• Related: "Best .380 Pistol Options For Deep Carry [Tested]"--Gun Digest. 
• Related: "Bersa’s Thunder Plus .380 – “Everyman’s” PPK?"--The Truth About Guns. The author notes a certain similarity between the Bersa and the PPK, but that is probably because back in the 1980s, Bersa's pistols were pretty much copies of the PPK/S. The Bersa Thunder is a somewhat larger handgun with a magazine capacity of 15-rounds which puts into the same category as the Beretta 84 or 80X pistols--what I think of as full sized for a .380 round.

• Some firearm history: "Remington Six-Guns" (Part 1) (Part 2) by John Taffin. Part 1 covers the percussion cap era--basically through 1863 models. Part 2 covers the post Civil War cartridge conversion models. It seems there should have been a part 3 covering the 1875 model, but I could not locate one.
• "Handguns: Fully Charged Battery"--Shooting Illustrated. "Battery" is one of those words that has been around so long, it has collected a multitude of meanings. But the ones that concern us are "any large group or series of related things" and "a group or series of similar articles, machines, parts, etc." In this regard, the author notes that a person may build up and use a variety of handguns for different situations and threat levels. For instance, for most of his limited errands and walking about in his neighborhood, a snubby revolver or pocket pistol work fine. But back when people were getting keyed up before the election, he opted to carry a compact 9mm because it offered more firepower. But he also keeps a larger pistol with red-dot sight and weapon light for home defense or if he is planning on going to a large, crowded venue with dim lighting. And he keeps a lightweight revolver for carrying in coat pockets in the winter. 

So, there’s the difference between a rotation and a battery of specialized and appropriate tools. In the former, you’re changing your carry gun at random to match your mood or your socks or whatever. While it’s a free country and you can do that if you want, it’s not a thing I’d advise.

Of course you can go overboard on the whole "battery of firearms" thing, which I discussed a long time ago in a short piece "Some Thoughts on a "Battery" of Survival Arms--Part I".

• A reminder why you might want a weapon with 20 or 30+ round magazines: "Dozens of vicious bike-riding teens gang up and beat LA driver ‘in broad daylight’: video"--New York Post. 

The assault, consisting of “20 to 30 bicyclists” between the ages of 16 and 18, started after the victim got out of his car to confront some of them after they “struck and kicked” his vehicle on Saturday in central LA, the Los Angeles Police Department shared in a press release Monday.

• Drone defense: "Russians Erect Mesh Net ‘Tunnel’ Over A Mile Long To Counter Ukrainian FPV Drones"--The War Zone.
• "The Cheapskate Contrarian’s Guide to Prepping – Fitness"--Jerking The Trigger. This appears to be the first of a series (fingers crossed) of posts from the author on prepping. As the title suggests, the author has tips on getting fit (including building strength) without spending money on expensive equipment.
• "How to Knife Throw: An Essential Guide to a Very Cool Skill"--Field & Stream. It's fun. It could be useful. 

    Skeeter crawled from the timber as far as he dared and stood, hoping he would not be spotted. The sentry’s back was still toward him. Skeeter threw the knife with a high trajectory, aiming about three feet above the sentry’s head. The knife turned silently over and over in its long, downhill pinwheel flight. The sentry dropped without a peep face down in the snow.

    Considering the distance thrown—later measured at 87 feet—it was probably the longest successful throw in battle in the annals of knife throwing.

• "What Ancient Romans Used Instead of Toilet Paper"--Nautilus. 

In the same way that we use an American-style toilet, a Roman user would sit down, take care of business, and watch number two float blissfully away down the sewer system. But instead of reaching for a roll of toilet paper, an ancient Roman would often grab a tersorium (or, in my technical terms, a “toilet brush for your butt”). A tersorium is an ingenious little device made by attaching a natural sponge (from the Mediterranean Sea, of course) to the end of a stick. Our ancient Roman would simply wipe him- or herself, rinse the tersorium in whatever was available (running water and/or a bucket of vinegar or salt water), and leave it for the next person to use. That’s right, it was a shared butt cleaner. (And of course, there were other means of wiping as well, such as the use of abrasive ceramic discs called pessoi.)

• "How to Stop a Runny Nose Fast, According to Doctors"--Self Magazine. A look at what causes a runny nose and how to stop it. An excerpt:

To get immediate relief for a runny nose, Dr. Ren suggests first blowing your nose gently to clear excess mucus. Then apply a warm compress to the outside of your nose to help loosen mucus. Finally, use an over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray or oral medication that’s meant for relieving congestion—we’ve got some specific recommendations for those below.

The medication recommendations vary according to whether the runny nose is the result of a viral infection or allergies. For those not wanting to use medicines, the article also suggests a saline nasal spray, nasal irrigation system, or simply increasing the humidity to help.