Gun & Prepping News #75

 Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:

• "Why Good Guys With Guns Don’t Aways Come to the Rescue"--The Truth About Guns. In response to the question of why "good guys with guns" don't intervene more to stop crimes, the author of this November 2023 article gives this example:

    A few days ago in New York City, a homeless man mugged a woman at a subway station. Hearing his threats and her screaming, a bystander came to her rescue. He pulled a handgun out, fired several warning shots (note: TTAG’s writers generally do NOT recommend firing warning shots), and frightened the homeless attacker away from his victim.

    What happened next was entirely predictable. The homeless man was charged with a crime, but so was the hero of the story. The charges agains [sic] the Good Samaritan? Criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a firearm, and menacing. 

And it wasn't just the prosecutor who was opposed to the general public carrying firearms. The woman that was rescued stated: "Yes, I do think he is a hero, but I don’t know, I would likely think him a bigger hero if he tried to help me without the gun. In my eyes, the gun is a little extreme." The author continues:

    Even in a pro-gun state, a person who’s carrying lawfully and uses force against a reasonable threat of death or serious bodily harm can still have their lives destroyed. All it take is one short-sighted (or politically ambitious) blue city prosecutor to put a good person through an arrest and criminal trial. That can mean losing their job, their home, and even if prison is avoided, facing years of ruinous civil lawsuits.

    With all of that in mind, you wonder why any good guys with guns decide to defend strangers. The stranger, even if they’re an ungrateful, anti-gun Karen, suffers no consequences in the aftermath, but the gun owner risks their freedom, their livelihood, and everything they own. That’s a pretty big ask. 

• Related post:  "The Dangers of White Knighting." Something to read if you think it would have been better for the rescuer, in the story above, to try to resolve the situation without a firearm. 

• I don't know where the Iran war will take us, but this article is probably worth revisiting: "Preparation for Future 'Days of Jihad'"--Active Response Training.  The article was in response to Hamas calling for a day of Jihad a few years ago, but the advice is still good should Iranian backed terrorists in the U.S. decide to take some action. Greg's belief at that time was that if anything happened, it would probably be more in the nature of lone-wolf attacks, probably with knives or firearms or vehicles. He recommended:

1. Commit to being more aware in public locations and carrying your firearm wherever you are legally able to do so. 
2. Understand what terrorist knife attacks look like and how to best counter them. 
3. Understand how to identify and respond to terrorist vehicle run-down attacks.  
4. Have a plan to defeat restraint and abduction attempts.
5. Decide in advance how you will act if you are targeted by such a terrorist attack or you happen to observe an attack on others. 

He has links to multiple articles for each of the above points to educate you on the attacks and options for responding, so read the whole thing.  

• "Marlin Model 60 - Classic Classy Rimfire"--The Firearm Blog. The Model 60 began production in 1960 and ended in 2020 with approximately 11 million sold. The author writes about it:

The Marlin generally had a better reputation for accuracy than the Ruger 10/22, historically speaking, and if you just wanted a gun to hunt with and not a gun to tinker with, the Marlin was the ticket. Read Sam’s write-ups on the rifle here and here to get an idea of what made them popular, and how they were used, and how to keep them operating well today, years after they were made. Luke also had some thoughts on the Marlin Model 60, calling it one of the three most underrated rimfires you could buy.

And, discussing why it worked so well:

 For starters, the Model 60 was a good-looking rifle, with well-balanced visual lines and handling that matched. While detachable mags rule the market today, the Model 60’s tube magazine couldn’t be lost or forgotten, and it still held a lot of rounds. The sights were pretty good. The gun didn’t have a reputation for jamming, and you could get it cheap. ...    

I doubt that Ruger--which now owns the Marlin name--will bring back the Model 60, though, because it would undercut the sale of the 10/22.  

• "Is There Such a Thing as Stopping Power?" by Craig Boddington, Rifle Shooter Magazine. The author discusses kinetic energy, momentum, and John Taylor's "Knockout Values", and the quest to find some numeric way of expressing the effectiveness of a particular cartridge. He discusses bullet shape, weight, shot placement, and all the other factors brought into play by hunters. But as to the question raised in the title:

 “100 grains in the right place are as good as ten million,” wrote WDM “Karamoja” Bell, in Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter (1923). Bell was an outspoken smallbore guy. He is credited with 1,011 elephants, almost all bulls. He didn’t kill them all with his .275 Rigby—also known as the 7x57—although that was his favorite. Prior to World War I he also used the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenauer, .303 British and .318 Westley Richards.

He remained a smallbore advocate, but in 1913 he ordered a pair of .416 Rigby rifles. He took one of them when he returned to Africa after World War I, along with a .400 Jeffery double. His bullet weights ranged from 160 grains in the 6.5x54 to 410 grains in the .416, and respective energies ranged from about 1,740 ft.-lbs. to 5,100.

In the same paragraph from his book I just referenced, he also wrote, “It seems to me that you cannot hope to kill an elephant weighing six tons by ‘shock’ unless you hit him with a field gun”—as in artillery.

But after his discussion of what drops an animal and various rules of thumb on energy and so forth, Boddington adds the following anecdote:

 One time, professional hunter Mike Payne, hunter Chad Allen and I crossed a dry sand river in the Zambezi Valley—with them and the tracker in front. Across the river there were three tall palm trees. As we approached, a lone buffalo bull rose from the shade, shook his head once, and launched into a full-out charge from 25 yards.

Our unarmed tracker dove out of the way, opening up a shot. Coolly and calmly, Payne said, “Chad, take him. Take him now,” as the buffalo closed on the pair. They were carrying .470 double rifles. Chad shot, Mike shot, then they both shot again, pairs of shots almost simultaneous. The first two turned the bull; the next two stopped him and dropped him.

Weighing maybe 1,500 pounds, that buffalo received 20,000 ft.-lbs. of energy in two seconds. All shots were chest/shoulder. Forward progress was arrested, and the buffalo was down eight yards in front of us. That’s “stopping power,” but it was the equivalent of Walter Bell’s field gun. That much energy cannot be harnessed in a single shot from a shoulder-fired rifle.

• "Skills Check: Rifle Standard Gold"--American Rifleman. 

The Rifle Standard Gold or Mini-Navy Qual is a short, but demanding test of rifle control, reload discipline and marksmanship fundamentals under time constraints. It’s a modification to the highly popular Modified Navy Qual shot at 50 yards. This version pushes shooters to balance accuracy with pace, rewarding smooth mechanics over rushed reactions at closer ranges. Every action—from mounting the rifle to breaking the final shot—matters. 

• "Hybrid IWB Holsters Explained: Where Comfort Meets Retention"--The Firearm Blog.  The author relates how initially when starting to conceal, one of his favorite holsters was a hybrid holster. But:

Like most concealed carriers, I moved away from strong-side carry and embraced appendix carry as that came into vogue. But after several years of carrying appendix, I found myself spending my days almost entirely at a desk. The life of an office-dweller is short on hazards, but discomfort from a gun worn on the front of the waistband while sitting down is one of them. This took me back to strong-side carry.

And that has brought him full circle back to an IWB hybrid holster. He reviews a particular model offered by Falco, but has some pointers on what to look for in a quality hybrid holster. I haven't actually ever used a hybrid--I guess I saw too many articles discussing out the backing can fail--but I have ordered one and hope to put it to the test soon.

• Speaking of holsters: "Is the Obscura Sling Bag the Best CCW Pack of 2026?"--The Truth About Guns.  The author, Kenzie Fitzpatrick, seems to think so. I found the three security modes to be interesting: apparently there is a clip that can be attached in such a way to allow easy access to a firearm but which is disabled when the clip is detached; and a third option making it even more onerous to access the firearm. It also is supposed to be fully ambidextrous. There is no MSRP mentioned in the article, but it appears that Scheels has it for about $90. 
• And in a similar vein: "A Few of our Favorite Soft Rifle Cases for the Range and Field"--Guns & Ammo. 
• "The 'Dreaded Dry-Fire' Training Talk"--American Rifleman. 

    The uncomfortable truth is impossible to ignore. Talk to the best shooters in the world—Grand Masters, national champions, professional instructors—and you will hear the same story: the majority of their skill development did not happen on the range with ammunition. It happened in living rooms, garages, basements and hotel rooms. 

 [snip]

    The reason elite shooters rely so heavily on dry fire has nothing to do with how good it feels. It has everything to do with developing efficiency and control. Dry fire builds skill. Live fire tests that skill.

• "Spur Of The Moment" by Dave Workman, Guns Magazine. Workman discusses the hammer spur on revolvers, including some reasons you want them: for learning to shoot revolvers; and better accuracy for longer range targets. In fact, he notes, Elmer Keith recommended cocking the hammer and shooting single-action even in law enforcement situations when engaging more distant targets. 
• "Best 5.56 Suppressor: What to Buy and Why"--The Firearm Blog. Some recommendations on suppressors for 5.56 rifles for different features and barrel lengths.  I will note that except for the budget option, the ones listed probably cost as much or more than your rifle. 
• "Things That Don’t Suck: Otis Pro+ AR-15 Lock Block Upper Receiver Vise Block"--The Truth About Guns. It fits into the barrel extension instead of over the aluminum upper receiver--supposed to be more secure and prevent marring of the receiver's finish. 
• "5 Ways to Level a Riflescope"--Rifle Shooter Magazine.  Tips and a brief review/explanation of some tools to use. 
• "Casting Hollow-Point Slugs with MP Molds"--Guns Magazine. Someday I'm going to try casting my own bullets. 
• "Troubled Times" (Part 1) (Part 2) by Sheriff Jim Wilson, Shooting Illustrated. These articles are from a few years back, but have some good advice for dealing with trouble. Part 1 has some random tips for organizing and staying out of trouble. For instance, this bit of advice from Part 1:

Finally, I would not go out with a thought to helping law enforcement unless law enforcement specifically asked me to. It is simply too easy to become part of the problem instead of the solution. Often times, the best help that we can give law enforcement is to just be a good witness or simply stay out of their way. It is far easier to tell the good guys from the bad guys when the good guys just aren’t there.     

Part II has some thoughts for preps beyond just guns and ammo.  

• "Run Your Generator Several Times a Year – How Long – Tips"--Modern Survival Blog.  The author explains:

Generator maintenance at a minimum, involves simply running your generator from time to time. Why?

•     To keep its internal parts lubricated with oil
•     Charge the battery (if it has a battery)
•     To be sure the carburetor isn’t gummed up
•     Put it under load to verify output
•     To make sure that the generator actually works (before you ever need it for an emergency)

He recommends running your generator for about 20 minutes every three months, but at a minimum at least twice per year. He has other tips so be sure to reach the whole thing.

• "How Much Pool Shock to Make Household Bleach Strength?"--Modern Survival Blog. The author points out that "[h]ousehold bleach is usually 5% to 9% sodium hypochlorite, while pool shock is calcium hypochlorite. But as a practical preparedness method, this gives you a bleach-strength chlorine solution that can serve as a practical bleach-strength substitute for preparedness use when needed." The mixture to use with ~ 68% to 70% calcium hypochlorite is:

•  Small batch: 3 level teaspoons in 1-1/2 cups of water
• 1 gallon batch: 11 tablespoons per gallon of water

The author has a lot more about pool shock, including storage, how he calculated the recipes, the particular type of pool shock to use, and so on, so be sure to check out the full article if this is something that interests you.

• "Emergency Rations Test #1: The Survival Tabs"--Blue Collar Prepping. The author notes that The Survival Tabs (TST) were originally developed for NASA; contain 100% of the recommended daily allowance of 15 vitamins and minerals, with an emphasis on the B vitamins; and have a shelf-life of 25 years. Amazon sells them in various quantities. Looking at the quantities and the number of days they are supposed to provide, it appears that you would need to eat 12 tabs per day. The article mentions that "[t]he instructions were to 'eat' one tab every hour for 12 hours to get what you need for a day." It looks like they are available in a few different flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, but the article also mentions a butterscotch flavor. Here is the important part:

As you can see, a day's worth of TST (12 tabs) only provides 240 calories. That's great if you're trying to lose weight, but nowhere near enough to sustain an active adult. They claim a person could live for a month or more on nothing but their tabs... which isn't saying a whole lot, since you can survive about three weeks without any food at all. This was the first indication that these were a poor choice. 

The author also notes that these are "milk solids" that generally overwhelm the flavor (he said the strawberry was the only flavor he could taste) and stick to dental work and leave a residue in the mouth that must be at least followed by water to wash down. The author concludes that "for the everyday prepper they're almost worthless," and recommends a good quality multivitamin if you are worried about vitamins. I would see them as something to throw in a "get home" bag or a bug-out bag where you would be relying them for a few days. They would probably be useful for a fall out shelter for the two-weeks you have to stay inside as you wouldn't need to be moving around much and would want to minimize dealing with solid wastes--exactly the same reasons NASA sought them for use with the space program.