August 3, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Century C308 vs PTR-91"--Marksman TV (21 min.)

The C308 appears to be a CETME C with an HK Navy lower and HK furniture, while the PTR-91 appears to be a semi-auto version of HK's G3. Note that the PTR-91 reviewed here comes with the paddle-mag release. Both come with G-3 magazines.

Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:

• Just yesterday I was talking about how it was safer to let a pistol fall than to try and catch it because of the time and effort manufacturers take to make sure their products are drop safe. And then something like this happens to contradict my warning: "P320 Recall Issued By Dallas Police | Prohibited From Duty Till Repaired"--The Firearms Blog. The DPD was informed or learned of a possible issue of the pistols discharging if dropped. 
• "Skill Set: Feint"--Tactical Wire. The author notes:

A good feint throws the threat off balance. You appear to be moving to the right, but then move left. The feint deceives the threat into thinking you're doing one thing, but then you do something different. The feint consists of a false move, immediately followed by your real move.

A good feint takes practice and skill, especially against an opponent that is skilled. If the feint does not go far enough, the opponent will see the feint for what it is, and not react to it (at least, not the way you want); too far, however, and you will throw yourself off-balance enough for the opponent to take advantage of it. This is why practice on timing and distance is so important.

• "Train Derailment in Hyndman, Residents Forced to Evacuate"--YourErie.com. Population 910. Bruce Clayton's book, Life After Doomsday (PDF), raised the issue of evacuations forced by train derailments or other industrial accidents. Even in your rural retreat, you may have to "bug-out" temporarily if you are downwind of a railroad track or highway.
• "A 41-Round Shotgun? Kel-Tec KSG-25 — Full Review"--Ammo Land. Kel-Tec couldn't sell its original KSG bullpup shotgun in Europe because of the 18 inch barrel. Since they had to lengthen the barrel to 30 inches, they extended the tube magazines as well. It now will hold 24+1 rounds of 2-3/4 inch shells, or 41 Aguila mini shells. I imagine that this would be a good area denial weapon at short range and tight quarters (e.g., a narrow alleyway or building corridor).
• "The Maneuver Support Group (Designated Marksman Role)"--Max Velocity.  He explains:

        As a CUTT [Citizen Unconventional Tactical Team], you have no support weapons. You are not equipped with the variety of weapons or external support that an infantry squad has. Your weapons are your rifles, and thus it is essential that you are skilled marksmen in the tactical employment of those rifles. ...

       In combat, you cannot move without suppressive fire. This is the fundamental principle of fire and maneuver (or fire & movement). Much that is talked about as ‘suppressive fire’ is not suppressive at all. There is almost an assumption that ‘suppressive’ fire is by definition not accurate, and is an area application. This is a misconception. In order to be able to suppress, applied rifle fire must be accurate. You are attempting to kill the enemy, and fire must be accurate enough to do this. At the least, suppressive fire, to suppress, must be accurate enough to change the behavior of the enemy. What does this mean? It means that rounds must hit to kill or wound, or at least strike or pass close enough so that the enemy is forced to take cover, to put his head down, or move position. This will interrupt his attempts to kill you and your people and allow you to maneuver. This is ‘pinning the enemy down.’ It can only be achieved with accurate fire. You can also only ever assume that you have pinned (neutralized) the enemy, rather than killed him. In the assault, the enemy will always be assumed to be alive when you reach his position. In a break contact, the enemy must be suppressed, or at least his positions covered by overwatch (potential fire), until you have broken contact over or around a terrain feature.

       In a CUTT, everyone must be a proficient marksman. This is part of the basic requirement. ... In  a CUTT, whether you are operating as a two or three team Squad, each of those teams must be able to generate accurate fire, and have the applied marksman skills to do so.

       In a CUTT, every rifleman must be able to generate accurate fire out to at least 500 meters. ....

This is why old military rifles sported sights that could be adjusted to such seemingly ridiculous ranges--sometimes over 1,200 yards. It was so, in the absence of things such as mortars, artillery or air support, a company of men could provide directed area or plunging fire--at least more accurately than you could by just guesstimating the angle of fire with a modern combat or defensive rifle. 

• Yes. "Should Police Officers Carry Fixed Blade Knives?"--Active Response Training. Greg Ellifritz discusses the advantages to carrying a fixed blade over a folder for a backup weapon, the primary advantage being speed and surety of deployment (i.e., it is slower to flick a folder open and there is a greater risk of dropping it or failing to fully lock the blade). If you are going for concealment, one of the primary advantages to a folder is--in theory--a longer blade in the same volume. I think most folders have too short of blades for it to make any difference. The other factor, at least for a civilian, and one for which you will need to check your local laws, is that fixed bladed knives, especially if for combat, may be restricted from carry as a "dirk" or "dagger," whereas a folding knife may not. But again, that is going to be jurisdiction specific, so check your local laws.
• Unless you've been living in a cave without any access to outside news, you've probably noticed that while overall firearm sales are still pretty strong, prices for ARs and parts have tanked. It is a currently a buyer's market, and that means it is also a good time to build or purchase an AR, or upgrade aspects of an AR you already own. A couple really good articles to guide you on such a project are:

• "The Best AR-15 For Your Budget: Complete Buyer's Guide [2017]"--Gun News Daily. I think the title to this article is unfortunate because, while it does list what the author thinks are the best deals, the real value of the article is the detailed discussion of the AR-15 and its sub- components. The author discusses the different type of AR barrels, including the pros and cons of different lengths, barrel materials and linings, manufacturing processes, contours, and testing. He gives similar treatment to gas systems. He briefly discusses handguards and bolt carrier groups (BCGs). He also lists some of the top-tier, mid-tier, and bottom-tier manufacturers as well. This is all information that I wish I'd had in one location when I first built my AR. I mostly relied on Kyle Lamb's book, Green Eyes and Black Rifles, but there have been a lot of developments since that book was published, so I also spent quite a bit of time researching different sources.

• "The Data Driven AR15: Or Why the Best AR15’s are Data Driven"--The New Rifleman. This article picks up where the prior article leaves off. While the other article gives you the foundational knowledge, the author of this article has reviewed the literature to find actual reliable testing comparing the performance of various sub-components from different manufacturers to find the best products (albeit, certainly not the cheapest in most cases). He also lists the sources for this information. 

• Pets are chattel, not children: "Your Tactical Training Scenario: Naked Man Attacks the Family Dog"--Active Response Training. Greg Ellifritz warns readers that in the vast majority of jurisdictions, it is not legal to use deadly force to protect your property, even if it is a beloved pet. If it is a coyote or bear attacking your dog, that is a different matter; if a person attacking your dog turns and attacks you, that is also a different matter. But otherwise, no.
• Big Brother is watching: "'We'll never be the same': A hydroponic tomato garden led police to raid Kansas family's home"--Chicago Tribune. I know that hydroponic gardening is an option that many preppers turn to, especially if they lack the room for traditional gardens. So, just a word of warning. This family bought a few supplies at a hydroponics store, their license plate number was collected, and, because they had shopped at that store, they wound up on a list of possible suspects for marijuana grow operations. The police conducted a couple searches of their garbage and found suspicious plant material--the remains of organic tea--and used that to get a warrant. Then the family received the full SWAT treatment.
• This is where a defensive firearm may have been appropriate: "Police say grandfather was killed by teen while trying to break up 'melee'"--MLive. A man was stabbed to death when he tried to break up a fight between his son and a group of teenagers. The teens had been there previously and caused property damage, then returned and started a physical altercation with the victim's son. The 18-year old that stabbed the man may be facing a premeditated murder charge, but that probably is of small consolation to the family. It's hard to armchair quarterback these things, but a loud declaration that the police have been called, or even an air horn blast, might have distracted the attackers from the fight long enough that they could have been effectively challenged with a firearm. 

This reminds me of an incident when I was still a pretty young kid. I was walking home from a local supermarket with one of my older brothers, when a group of 4 or 5 teens surrounded us and started to try and pick a fight with my brother. I, being at that time small and agile, dodged around them, darted through traffic to cross the street, and ran for home. When I burst through the door, my father was working on a large blackpowder pistol (a percussion version of the Tower Pistol). When I told him what was going on, he immediately charged out the door accompanied by one or two of my other brothers, blackpowder pistol still in hand. That pistol wasn't loaded, but with the stout stock and brass capped end, it made a formidable club. Needless to say, the teens pestering my brother suddenly lost interest in a fight.

• I don't think so: "If a gun fires just because it was knocked or dropped, any damage, injury or fatality is still the gun owner’s responsibility"--Robert Farago at The Truth About Guns. The incident that prompted this statement was the unfortunate death of young man while target shooting with some friends and colleagues (original news article here). 

       I disagree with this statement for several reasons. First of all, strict liability does not attach to the use of a firearm; the law only requires us to act as a reasonably prudent person, not that we be perfect. Second of all, firearms can discharge due to a number of reasons that might not involve negligence on the part of operator, including, but not limited to, manufacturing or design defects, or broken or worn parts. Third, vicarious liability only attaches in limited circumstances. If I loan a rifle to a friend, and he accidentally or negligently pulls the trigger and shoots someone, and he is normally careful and responsible in how he handles and employs firearms, how and why should his accident be my fault? 

       Another reason that I fault this statement is because it was made without knowing the facts of what happened. In this case, the firearm purportedly jammed while being used for target shooting. The operator and another person were working to clear the malfunction. The the victim walked around a truck to try to provide his assistance when the weapon discharged, killing him. And that is pretty much all we know. There is no information as to the type of weapon, the type of malfunction, why the weapon "jammed" or what the two were doing to try and correct the problem. So whose fault is it? How can we tell from these facts? Perhaps the weapon was pointed in an otherwise safe direction, and the victim is at fault because he walked in front of where the muzzle was facing. Perhaps no one touched the trigger at the time of discharge, but the discharge was due to a mechanical defect or a cook-off. There just isn't enough information to automatically blame it on the owner of the firearm. 

Other Stuff:

• The Swamp Strikes Back: "Special Counsel Robert Mueller Impanels Washington Grand Jury in Russia Probe"--Wall Street Journal. From the article:

       Special Counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in Washington to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, a sign that his inquiry is growing in intensity and entering a new phase, according to people familiar with the matter.

       The grand jury, which began its work in recent weeks, signals that Mr. Mueller’s inquiry will likely continue for months. Mr. Mueller is investigating Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election and whether President Donald Trump’s campaign or associates colluded with the Kremlin as part of that effort.

         A spokesman for Mr. Mueller, Joshua Stueve, declined to comment. Moscow has denied seeking to influence the election, and Mr. Trump has vigorously disputed allegations of collusion. The president has called Mr. Mueller’s inquiry a “witch hunt.”

It also relates:

       Grand juries are powerful investigative tools that allow prosecutors to subpoena documents, put witnesses under oath and seek indictments, if there is evidence of a crime. Legal experts said that the decision by Mr. Mueller to impanel a grand jury suggests he believes he will need to subpoena records and take testimony from witnesses.

  * * *

       “This is yet a further sign that there is a long-term, large-scale series of prosecutions being contemplated and being pursued by the special counsel,” said Stephen I. Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas. “If there was already a grand jury in Alexandria looking at Flynn, there would be no need to reinvent the wheel for the same guy. This suggests that the investigation is bigger and wider than Flynn, perhaps substantially so.”

       Thomas Zeno, a federal prosecutor for 29 years before becoming a lawyer at the Squire Patton Boggs law firm, said the grand jury is “confirmation that this is a very vigorous investigation going on.”

        “This doesn’t mean he is going to bring charges,” Mr. Zeno cautioned. “But it shows he is very serious. He wouldn’t do this if it were winding down.”

The article also mentions that another high-power attorney, Greg Andres, has joined Mueller's legal team. Andres is the eighth member of the team that is also Democrat donor; his wife is a federal judge who was appointed by Obama. And, in a further indication of how serious the Swamp is taking this, a bipartisan bill has been introduced in Congress that would limit Trump's ability to fire Mueller. 

• "Italy impounds German NGO migrant rescue ship, lawmakers boost support for Libyan coastguard"--Deutsche Welle. The slavers NGO was a group called "Jugend Rettet" (youth to the rescue). It is one of several NGOs which have refused to sign a new code of conduct by the Italian government covering migrant rescues in the Mediterranean. An Italian investigator stated his belief that the NGO was motivated by humanitarian concerns, but "he also alleged that there were 'contacts, meetings and understandings' between the boat's crew and the smugglers." The article also reported that "[o]n Wednesday, Italy's parliament authorized a limited naval mission to Libyan waters aimed at supporting the country's coastguard in the fight against human traffickers who overload unseaworthy boats with paying migrants and send them toward Europe." Well, the boats--generally fairly new inflatables--are only intended to get the "migrants" the few hundred yards from shore that is necessary to justify the slavers NGOs picking them up. 
• I'm shocked ... not really: "Google Manipulates Search Results to Conceal Criticism of Islam and Jihad"--PJ Media. "Google’s first page results for searches of terms such as 'jihad', 'shariah' and 'taqiyya' now return mostly [so-called] reputable explanations of the Islamic concepts."
• Religion of Peace: "Ladies' Home Jihad: Burqa Cover Model Graces Magazine Telling Women to Grab Grenades"--PJ Media. The article relates:

       The kids' column, "Come Let's Do Jihad with Little Muhajid Omar," is purportedly the voice of a 6-year-old who vows "when I will grow up I will do jihad like my father, I will fight kuffar" and says he's currently learning English at his madrassa.

        "I everyday do physical exercise so that I can become a good, brave mujahid. I also serve mujahideen in my spare time. My mother cooks meals and I take it to mujahideen in hujra (man’s sitting room). I feel very happy when I look after mujahideen because it makes Allah pleased with me," Omar writes.

      He says of his jihadist father, "At night I asked Baba that why do we do jihad? Baba told me that we do jihad so that there remains no fitna on Allah’s earth, bad people can be removed from earth and we can live peacefully under law of Allah and that is sharia."

• How long until this behavior crosses the border? "Jalisco New Generation Cartel reportedly makes new members eat flesh of victims"--My San Antonio. From the article:

       According to El País, an international publication, two teenagers confessed to authorities that they were forced to eat the flesh of their victims as an initiation into the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in Mexico earlier this year.

       The publication reported that the 16- and 17-year-olds told officials in Tabasco, a Mexican state on the southern tip of the country, some flesh-eating occurred in May during an incident involving the CJNG.

       Cartel members, the publication reported, busted into a car dealership in Tabasco on motorcycles, decapitated five people and left a signed note on May 22.

• "Majority of incoming Harvard University class is non-white for the first time in the Ivy League school's history"--Daily Mail. This is the pool from which future government and corporate leaders will be drawn. And what can we expect from them? Well, the left already publicly discuss whether white men should have the right to vote. Tucker Carlson, a CalExit leader, dropped the mask a couple of days ago, and said it was good thing that the Middle-Class was fleeing California to make way for new immigrants. Recently, Judge Andrew Napolitano closed the question and answer period following a lecture by saying "he saw dark clouds coming for the country and warned the students that some of them may die in government prisons by standing faithful to first principles" such as the freedom of speech and the Fourth Amendment.

• Related: "Bridal Shop Refused to Sell to Lesbians, Now Getting Threats"--US News & World Report. "Police Chief Roger Van Loan says the alleged threats ranged from a prank moving van sent to the store to threats of bodily harm. Police are investigating."

• Terrorizing the terrorists--a lesson for us? "MS-13 doesn't fear Trump, rival gangs or the police - but they are terrified of La Sombra Negra"--Fox News.  The article relates:

       MS-13 doesn't fear prison, President Trump or even death. But there is one thing that scares the hell out of tattooed members of the murderous Central American gang: La Sombra Negra.

        Spanish for "The Black Shadow," La Sombra Negra is a mysterious paramilitary organization that is part death squad, part vigilante group, and dedicated to responding in extreme kind to MS-13's ruthlessness. MS-13 members captured by La Somba Negra purportedly have been sexually tortured and dismembered before being dispatched with a bullet, their bodies left to be discovered by family or fellow gang members.

        While La Somba Negra, believed to be made up of police and military members, is not active in the U.S., where President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have declared war on MS-13, they have proven a major deterrent to the gang's activities in its homeland [of El Salvador].

The article continues:

       In January 2014, a group of armed men – dressed in dark uniforms and carrying M-16 assault rifles – entered a home near the colonial-era town of Suchitoto, where seven gang members were watching a movie, and opened fire. While three of the gang members were able to escape, four others were beaten and left with La Sombra Negra’s signature – a bullet to the head.

       “Most of the victims were blindfolded, their hands or thumbs tied behind their backs, and they had received tiros de gracia (a coup de grâce), shots to the base of the skull at close range by weapons such as assault rifles and machine guns,” a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services report  on the group’s tactics noted.

       A few days later, flyers began to appear in towns across El Salvador, signed by “La Sombra Negra,” that warned of a list of names of gang members and adding that “nothing will stop us.”

As the article explains, the tactics have worked. When the group has been active, murder rates have declined, and MS-13 members will take to removing or hiding tattoos and stop using gang signs.

• Some more background on the brewing tensions between India and China over Bhutan:

• "India's Uncompromising Stand Against China in the Himalayas Is Backed Up With Hard Power"--The Diplomat. 

• "India-China Doklam Standoff: A Chinese Perspective"--The Diplomat. 

• Heh. "California secession finds unlikely ally in Utah conservative"--Salt Lake Tribune. Utah Rep. Paul Ray has begun drafting a resolution that would offer support for California to secede from the Union and "which would recommend tariffs on California, if it became its own country, for the energy and water it uses that come from Utah...." I suspect that the Colorado River Compact would become null and void, and California might stand to lose a substantial amount of its fresh water. I'm sure Phoenix wouldn't mind getting the water that goes to Los Angeles.