Gun & Prepping News #103

 Some links that may be of interest: 

•  "How Many Self-Defense Shots Are Too Many?"--The Armory Life. Exploring the line between needing enough shots to stop the threat but not shooting after the threat has ended, and why there is no definitive answer. The article concludes:

    The most important takeaway is that there is no “approved” number of shots because every self-defense incident has its own facts and its own unique issues. Whether one fires once or 10 times, the actions must be based on sound reasoning, in response to an imminent threat, and proportionate to the threat.

    “Once the threat is neutralized,” said Hamby, “Further shots create a risk that you can be faced with criminal and civil liability.”

• "Pistol vs Rifle Cartridges: There is a Difference"--Shoot On. The author looks at the odd behavior he has seen in law enforcement of relying on the handgun or PCC to deal with a problem more appropriately addressed with a rifle. An excerpt:

    What we see and have seen is that, despite the ballistic reality that a long gun is a superior fight-stopping tool when facing a deadly threat, there is also a very real, if subconscious, belief that handguns are for close combat and long guns are for distance shooting. Even people with education and experience tend to fall into that mindset.

    Yes, many deadly force scenarios are unexpected, and you might only have a handgun available at that moment in time. But what about the times when you have the option to grab a long gun?

    We should all understand that a deadly force scenario is deadly serious. Our goal should be to stop the deadly threat as rapidly as our tools and time will allow. Given the ballistic superiority of a long gun chambering a rifle cartridge, one or two shots from a rifle are far more likely to incapacitate the threat versus a historically less-than-effective tool launching pistol bullets.

    Just recently, during a discussion of “truck guns,” a person offered that if the distance was close, 25 to 50 yards, a pistol-caliber carbine could be just as good of a choice or better than a rifle.

    From where does this thinking arise? 

• "What Will Make Your Gun Fail (and Why)?"--The Armory Life. Some warning signs to look for telling you that your weapon is too dirty, the springs are weakening, extraction and ejection issues. An excerpt pertaining to the latter issue:

    Here’s another area where a shooter can usually see warning signs before the gun begins to present major problems. In tandem, the extractor and ejector work to get fired cases out of your firearm. Usually, the extractor is the culprit, since it depends on both geometry and spring tension to do its job (whereas the ejector is so often just a piece of metal for the brass to ram into under recoil).

     When something is amiss, you may first notice inconsistent ejection patterns and angles. If brass cases are dribbling out of the gun or coming straight back at the shooter, it often indicates that the extractor claw isn’t maintaining consistent and strong tension on the rim of the cartridge. It may only be a matter of time before the problem progresses into stovepipe malfunctions or double-feeds. These stoppages are annoyances at the range, but could be deadly serious if you need your firearm in that moment to defend yourself or your loved ones.

    The easiest fix is usually to brush out any gunk. Carbon fouling can stick onto and under the extractor claw and accumulate in the recesses of the breech face. There, the detritus changes the way that cartridges are held in place. Fouling in the chamber itself can also make it harder for the extractor to maintain grip and clear fired brass. Note, however, that if your gun has to be run totally clean for it to work at all, something more serious could be at play. 

    While you have the gun apart, it’s prudent to look for geometry changes to the extractor and ejector. Do these parts look like they should, or are there any chips, cracks, or rounded-over edges? If everything looks fine, it could be a sign that the extractor spring is weakening and needs replacement.

• "Marlin 30-30: Why I Learned to Embrace the Marlin 336 and Forget the 94 Winchester"--Breach Bang Clear. A lot of history of the .30-30 generally, and the Marlin 36's background and history, the introduction of micro-grooving; as well as his review of the particular Marlin 336 he bought. And in explanation of why the author went with the Marlin 336 over the Winchester 94 (despite the Marlin weighing more) the author relates:

The Marlin 336 was immediately appealing thanks to its stronger action and the retention of the 1893’s side ejection port. Winchester rifles ejected their hot brass skyward, ideally over your head and, wrongly, down your shirt. Side ejection also let the shooter mount an optic on top of the receiver. The first Marlin 336 rifles were not tapped and drilled for a Weaver mount, but that addition was quickly implemented. Curiously, until recent production, the 336 featured two plug screws on the left side of the receiver that allowed the shooter to mount a Williams-style peep sight, a feature immediately familiar to shooters used to the M1 platform of rifles from the war.

I've had a few opportunities to shoot a Marlin 336 and liked it well enough that I'd thought about getting one. I don't particularly like how the 94 drops the bottom of the receiver when operating the lever. I know that is what allows it to get away with using a shorter receiver, but it also seems another path for dirt or moisture to get into the action. But I don't have any experience with the 94 (other than handling them a few times at a gun store) so perhaps it isn't the issue I think it is. 

• "The Revolver Can Fail"--Guns Magazine. The revolver's reputation for reliability is based on (i) its ability to tolerate neglect better than a semi-auto, and (ii) that fact that it doesn't rely on the recoil impulse to cycle the action. The author of this article also notes:

    One of the great virtues of a revolver is its mechanical simplicity. There aren’t many external parts the shooter has to think about, and when something goes wrong, the solution is wonderfully simple: pull the trigger again.

    This is the primary reason revolvers have earned such a reputation for reliability. There’s no magazine to seat (or become unseated), no slide to cycle and, in most circumstances, no complicated malfunction drill to perform. If one cartridge doesn’t go bang, there’s another one waiting in the cylinder — just pull the trigger.

But that doesn't mean that nothing can go wrong. This article discusses some of the common and uncommon issues that can come up with revolvers: everything from not letting the trigger fully reset to broken parts. The problems I've personally experienced are: not letting the trigger fully reset when shooting double-action a bit too quickly, bullets pulling out under recoil and locking up the cylinder, a broken trigger spring, and some trouble with a new revolver where it would sometimes not turn the cylinder that I never was able to diagnose but want away after shooting a box of ammo through it. 

• "Galco's Combat Master 2.0 Lands for the Glock 17"--The Firearm Blog.  The Combat Master is a pancake style holster. The updated version includes a cutout for optics, but, the author adds: "Galco says the cutaway also allows 'the pistol to clear leather even faster,' which the company credits with promoting a quicker, smoother draw for shorter-waisted shooters."
• For those wanting to use wood furniture for an AR build: "WOOX Introduces New Vigilante Beavertail Walnut Grip"--The Firearm Blog.  From the lede:

WOOX has introduced the Vigilante Beavertail Grip, a handcrafted AR-platform grip combining premium walnut with an integrated polymer beavertail. The grip is handcrafted in Italy from American Claro walnut and features laser-engraved grip texture. The beavertail extension is engineered from high-strength technopolymer and provides an integrated reinforced design for control, stability, and comfort. The grip maintains an ambidextrous, symmetrical design compatible with AR-15, AR-10, M4, and M16 platforms. 

• "How to Survive a Riot"--Bone Tactical.  The author begins:

 I’m Greg with Bone Tactical, and I’ve lived through real civil unrest... rioting, looting, roadways blocked with burning barricades, and prison yard chaos. What I’m about to share is a simple, repeatable system that keeps you alive, keeps you out of jail, and keeps you anchored to your values. The goal is not to “win.” The goal is to go home.

Obviously, the first advice he gives is "don't be there." But you don't always have that option. A couple more points:

    Fourth principle: protect your people. If you’re with family, you’re the shepherd. Assign roles before you move: you lead, the strongest adult brings up the rear, kids in the middle, hand-to-shoulder chain, not hand-to-hand so grips don’t break. Use short commands: “With me.” “Left.” “Stop.” “Go.” Do not argue with the crowd; your energy belongs to movement, not debate.

    Fifth principle: if you’re grabbed or encircled, break the ring, don’t wrestle the crowd. Pick the thinnest seam, burst through it decisively, and don’t stop until you’re clear by half a block. If you are physically detained, being assaulted, and capable of using a weapon, this is the time to do so. ... 

• "Putting Leupold’s Storm Warden Rain Gear Through the Wringer"--The Truth About Guns.  The author relates:

Straight out of the bag, the Storm Warden set feels more like technical mountaineering gear than typical hunting rain wear. The 70D nylon-spandex face fabric has some heft to it without feeling stiff, and the four-way stretch is immediately noticeable when you move your arms overhead or take a big stride over a downed log.

Also:

    My first real test came on a late winter coyote hunt where the forecast called for scattered showers and instead delivered a genuine downpour by mid-morning. I set up on a fence line overlooking a cut cornfield expecting to be miserable within the hour. Instead, the StormShield membrane in the jacket did exactly what Leupold claims it does.

    Water beaded and ran off the shoulders and hood rather than soaking through, and I stayed dry through nearly four hours of calling and glassing. The two-point adjustable hood was a nice touch, since I could cinch it down enough to keep rain off my face without losing peripheral vision, which matters a lot when you’re watching the tree line for a coyote working in on a call.

• "Californians flee for off-grid safe houses in Montana and Idaho with doomsday bunkers"--New York Post. The article begins:

    Fed-up Californians fleeing the state are buying homes in safer states offering open rural spaces that come with underground doomsday-style bunkers stockpiled with weapons and ammo for added security.

    Relocation consultant and former US Marine Todd Savage told The California Post 80% of his clients are from the Golden State as they seek to escape “high taxes, high crime, low freedom and blue-haired liberals.”

    The 55-year-old said: “They are tired of it, so they are voting with their feet. My clients want to raise children in a city where people don’t get kidnapped and murdered, with drugs and all kinds of lawlessness. They say let’s go somewhere where we’re treated as a citizen and not a subject. 

Unfortunately, once they get here, they immediately start trying to make it more like California.