Some links that may be of interest:
Buy a super safety if you already run a trigger you like; buy a full FRT if you want the most consistent forced-reset performance out of the box. That is the whole decision. A super safety (forced reset selector) replaces only your safety selector for $139 to $249.99, keeps your existing trigger and its feel, and runs on a standard carbine buffer. A full FRT replaces the entire fire control group for $275 to $450, needs an H2 or H3 buffer and a full-auto-compatible bolt carrier, and delivers purpose-built consistency because every part of the mechanism was designed around the forced reset.
- "The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier: What Guns Do The Sentinels Carry? Part 2: The Rifle"--The Truth About Guns. Last week I had linked to the first installment, which covered the handguns used by the Sentinels. This one looks at the rifles, which historically included the M1903 and the M1 Garand, but is currently the M14. The author explains why they have stuck with the M14 over the M16 or M4, including: "The M4’s pistol grip precludes it from being handled in the way required for some of the exercises the Sentinels employ." I noticed that the pistol grip can hang up when trying to quickly deploy an AR from an Africa carry position on the shoulder.
- "The Rimfire Report: Armscor Still Makes 22 Short. Is It Worth It?"--The Firearm Blog. .22 Short was the predecessor to .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle. The article relates that "22 Short dates back to 1857, when Smith & Wesson introduced it for the Model 1 revolver. It went on to help feed what would become one of the largest industries in the emerging American firearms industry. Everything from mini revolvers to Olympic rapid-fire pistols used 22 Short until the ISSF moved that event to 22 LR in 2005." "For most shooters, the answer to the question I proposed in the title is probably a resounding and obvious 'no.'" The reason listed by the author is the cost: about 1.5 to 2 times the price of .22 LR. And that is if you can find it and have a firearm that can shoot it. I will say, though, from my own experience that there are reasons that you might want some .22 Short or .22 Long, even, despite the high cost. First, I have a fairly long barreled .22 single shot rifle, and out of that long barrel, the .22 Short and .22 Long are both pretty quiet. Second, if you like plinking at cans, I've noticed that the .22 Short will tend to make the cans "jump" more when hit because instead of blowing right through them like .22 LR, it seems to impart more energy to those targets.
- On a related note, "Behind the Bullet: The .22 Long"--American Hunter. The author writes:
If we could rewind the clock to 1871, before the .45-70 Government and .45 Colt existed, and when cartridges themselves were just establishing a foothold in the shooting world, you’d find a pair of .22-caliber rimfire designs: the .22 Short and the .22 Long. Aptly named, these cartridges would survive well into the 20th century, ultimately being conquered by the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. But in certain situations, the .22 Long cartridge still makes good sense, and actually has a few specialized applications.
[snip]
What about those special applications I mentioned earlier? Well, with all the choices we have among the .22 Long Rifle cartridges—and they include subsonic loads, lighter bullet weights, heavier bullet weights, etc.—the .22 Long remains a popular choice among older houndsmen and trappers. The lighter 29-grain bullet at a modest velocity helps mitigate damage to pelts by not over-penetrating, yet still delivers more horsepower than does the .22 Short. I remember my dad, Ol’ Grumpy Pants, relying on .22 Long ammunition in his Ruger Single Six when his redbone hound would have a raccoon treed, and he’d grab a flashlight and start climbing the tree to dispatch the animal. He’d also use the Long on his traplines, in addition to .22 Short ammo.
- Another ammo article, but looking at something a bit larger: "The 8mm Mauser Family"--American Hunter. A look at the history of the 8mm Mauser and some of the cartridges that were derived or inspired by it. Including some American favorites:
Remember that .473-inch diameter case head dimension? Guess who else uses that. That’s correct, the .30-06 Springfield, its father the .30-03 Springfield, its grandfather the .30-01 Springfield, and all the cartridges which came after. That includes the derivatives like the .270 Winchester, .280 Remington and .35 Whelen, as well as the .250 Savage, .308 Winchester and all the cousins, stepkids, and ne’er-do-well brothers-in-law. In fact, a good many of our most beloved American cartridges owe a debt of gratitude to the 8x57mm and 7x57mm Mauser cartridges. So whether or not those German cartridges have any appeal to you, odds are they’ve touched your life as a big-game hunter.
- Over the past couple of weeks, I've linked to an article and a video that have argued that the 1911 is obsolete (or obsolescent). So here are a few articles arguing the opposite point of view:
Despite its age, the 1911 has many things going for that make many armed professionals prefer it to more recent designs. I have already alluded to the 1911’s well-earned reputation for reliability and lethality. But there are other factors as well. One is the natural pointing ability of the 1911 due to its grip angle that makes the pistol point like an extension of one’s hand – it is almost like pointing with the index finger. Carried as John Browning intended, i.e. Condition One (Cocked and locked), the 1911 is faster into action than any other pistol, especially DA/SA and DAO handguns and as safe as any, so long as one takes the time to learn how to properly use it.
[snip]
As my friend and colleague Colonel (Ret) Marty Fackler, MD once told me, “You need to make lots of big holes so lots of air gets in and lots of blood gets out.” No military or law enforcement cartridge has terminal ballistics to equal those of the .45 ACP, especially when the rounds are loaded with modern jacketed hollow point (JHP) bullets like 230 grain Winchester Ranger SXT, Black Hills Gold Dot, Hornady TAP or Remington Golden Saber.
- In "1911: The classic homeland security pistol," Massad Ayoob also discusses the terminal effectiveness of the .45 ACP cartridge versus the 9mm--using ball ammo--which was noted in the trenches of WWI and continued to be observed even into the invasion of Afghanistan when this article was written. Ayoob goes on to point out that "[w]ith modern American ammunition, the 9mm is perfectly adequate," listing some effective rounds used by law enforcement. The problem then, and to a certain extent now, is that some manufacturers do not sell the good stuff to the public, or its is difficult to source. However, he continues, "[t]he cheapest, most widely available 230-grain full metal jacket .45 hardball will still probably solve your anti-personnel needs." He goes on to praise the 1911 design and gives some recommendations on the modern designs he prefers: the Colt 80 series, the Kimber II series, and the post 2000 Springfield Armory 1911s.
- You don't need the fanciest one, either: "Ayoob: Why I Don’t Want a Custom 1911"--The Armory Life. There are a lot of bells and whistles you can get with a 1911, but Ayoob argues that all you actually need is encompassed in Springfield's 1911 Mil-Spec Handguns--improved 3-dot sights over the original; throated barrels in order to reliably feed hollow-points; and, as he note in the earlier article, above, it is drop safe. I would also note that these retain the arched mainspring housing which was one of the key features of the A1 model over the original military model, to correct for soldiers shooting too low--and it will make the pistol much nicer to shoot over the flat mainspring housing common to most 1911s manufactured today.
- Finally, here is a good article comparing the pros and cons of carrying a 1911 for self-defense: "Carrying a 1911 for Self Defense: Benefits and Cautions"--Safariland.
Externally, the Vent 1 looks a lot like most other silencers. It is a black metallic tube. On closer inspection, we can tell it was created through additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, as many people call it. We have covered that technology previously, but the way that it is implemented in the Vent is very unique.
The biggest headline with PTR's Vent series of silencers is the unique internal structure. These cans are 3D printed using a technology known as purposely induced porosity, or PIP. As its name suggests PIP uses varying levels of porosity throughout the innards of the silencer to control the flow rate of gases. Imagine having layers of sponge, steel wool, or pumice stone, each of which allows a different level or rate of permeation. That is a crude example, but it explains how the technology works.
PIP would not be possible in a traditional manufacturing paradigm, but like so many other things in the world of silencers, additive manufacturing is a game changer. The necessary structures, with pores and air spaces through them, can be produced essentially as easily as a solid item by the printer. Imagine trying to do this with a lathe or a mill: putting in millions of tiny channels and passages through the surfaces, rather than defined channels or flow routes, would be a machining nightmare if it were even possible at all.
The SOLIS is an outside-the-waistband (OWB) concealment holster built around Safariland’s ALS, short for Automatic Locking System. Safariland describes it as combining the security of ALS with the release speed and draw simplicity of an open-top design. In plain English, you don’t have to do anything to lock it. You holster the pistol, and the system engages on its own. Pricing runs from $97 to $102, depending on configuration.
The difference between this over their other OWB holsters that use the ALS system, like the Model 6378 (which I have some experience with and like) appears to be that this model works with some of the smaller handguns like the Glock 43X MOS and 48 or Sig 365.
Looking for shortwave radio frequencies to listen to in North America? I’ve put together a printable PDF listing shortwave stations, their frequencies, and scheduled broadcast times.
The list includes U.S. shortwave stations, international English-language broadcasts aimed at North America, and foreign radio programs carried by transmitters here in the United States.
You’ll find two ways to look up broadcasts. One list is sorted by frequency, while the other is sorted by UTC starting time. That makes it easier to find stations either by tuning frequency or by what’s scheduled to be on the air.
The greater yam (Dioscorea alata) is so easy to grow that it GROWS ITSELF! This root crop beats all others in Florida and the Gulf States. Over 100 years ago, yams were recommended by the USDA as a great new crop for the region – but somehow they got lost. In my latest video, we look at how easy it is to grow true yams and we see them growing almost wild in my garden and food forest – and we also discuss this fascinating “lost bulletin.”
The warning comes from volcanologist Professor Bill McGuire, who has been monitoring Cumbre Vieja, a vast volcanic ridge stretching roughly 12 miles and towering nearly 6,400 feet above sea level on La Palma, one of Spain’s Canary Islands off northwest Africa.
A worst-case computer model outlined in McGuire’s BBC Science Focus article suggests waves roughly 65 feet high could reach Florida just nine hours after the collapse.
The scenario involves a massive section of the volcano’s western flank breaking away and plunging into the Atlantic, displacing an enormous volume of seawater.
Near the collapse site, the model predicted an initial dome of water almost 3,300 feet high, which would fall back to generate waves that overwhelm La Palma and neighboring islands before spreading across the ocean.
Other estimates suggested waves reaching the US East Coast could be around half the height predicted for Florida, at approximately 33 feet.
While scientists continue to debate the scale of the destruction such a tsunami could cause, McGuire's worst-case model illustrates the potentially catastrophic consequences for the US East Coast.
I've a fairly detailed post on this threat that I wrote back in 2012, including links to a couple videos that model how the tsunami would propagate across the Atlantic. In any event, the article adds:
Concern centers on the volcano’s steep western flank, which McGuire said became partly detached during an eruption in 1949.
'During the 1990s, my research team confirmed that this huge mass of rock, adding up to [hundreds of billions of cubic yards] in volume, was creeping slowly seawards, at perhaps [0.4 to 0.8 inches] a year,' he wrote for Science Focus.
'I expect this part of the flank will eventually crash into the North Atlantic, launching a megatsunami in the process.'
McGuire also pointed to huge boulders in the Bahamas that some researchers believe were deposited by ancient tsunamis originating in the Canary Islands.
That interpretation would suggest destructive waves can survive an Atlantic crossing, although he acknowledged that the proposed origin of those deposits remains disputed.
A flank collapse generates a tsunami by suddenly forcing a huge volume of rock into the water, displacing the sea and sending waves spreading outward from the impact.
McGuire explained that a volcano does not have to be erupting for part of it to give way.
Gases seeping through the rock can weaken its interior, allowing a section of the flank to break off and become a fast-moving landslide.
Evidence of enormous prehistoric waves can also be found around the Canary Islands.
According to McGuire, ancient tsunami debris has been identified almost 980 feet above sea level, pointing to at least five megatsunamis over the past million years.
In the Cape Verde islands, deposits about 900 feet above sea level have been linked to an ancient collapse of Fogo volcano.
