November 13, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Personal protection: 9mm vs. .357Magnum"--Paul Harrell (17 min.). One of the interesting comments that Harrell makes is that muzzle velocity of the .357 Magnum out of his snub-nosed is greater than the 9 mm. The revolver he mentioned was had a 2.25-inch barrel. I've noted that on snubbies, it is questionable as to whether .357 Magnum gives enough extra benefit to warrant the recoil and muzzle flash. This was based on my graph based on averages of muzzle velocities from data collected by Ballistics By The Inch (see here for my graph--click on the graph to enlarge). At 2 inches, the average muzzle velocity of .357 was just over 900 fps; that of the 9 mm was higher, although still less than 1,000 fps. At 3 inches, this has changed dramatically: the .357 now has a velocity right at 1,400 fps, while the 9 mm is still under 1,100 fps. While the Ruger SP101 has a barrel length of 2.25 inches, the S&W J-Frame Model 360 has a barrel length of 1.875 inches. Although this is small difference in barrel length, it will have a substantial difference in the velocity of the .357 Magnum.

• "From Hymns To Gunfire In A Country Church In Texas"--The Captain's Journal. Herschel notes some additional facts about the shooting from a Washington Post article, including the fact that the shooter initially circled the church for about 2 minutes, shooting through walls, until he finally entered the building. As Herschel notes, if anyone had been carrying, that 2 minutes would have given someone in the congregation that was armed to have shot back or at least taken a position that would have allowed him/her to shoot anyone entering through the doors. Herschel then comments:

         Does your church have a security plan?  No, I’m not talking about calling 911 or relying on the police.  Do men in your church carry weapons?  Have the men in your congregation met and worked together to discuss, train on and execute your security plan?  Does the security plan include men stationed throughout the property and physical plant?  No, I’m not talking about police.  I’m talking about the men in your congregation.  Do the men in your congregation meet on a regular basis and train with weapons?

         The American church had better wake from its coma before it’s too late.  You’re a target.  Learn and understand that.  With a confined space, men, women and children sitting with people to the front of them and people to the back of them, limited means on ingress and egress, and all attention focused in one place, we’re sitting ducks.  Wise up, folks.  Do not run to call 911.  It will be too late for the police to do any good.  You are your own protector and the protector of your own congregants.  God expects it.  He demands it.

I don't have any idea how many people carry in my congregation. We have a retired Sheriff's deputy, but I don't think he carries. There is a woman that is a detective with one of the local law enforcement agencies. She always has a large purse, so I presume that she carries, but I don't know. I carry. But, as I've noted, the LDS Church forbids concealed carry in its churches in Utah, and I've never seen or heard any discussion of concealed carry elsewhere, or of any security plans for that matter. 

• The total number of plague cases in Madagascar have increased, but the number of new cases has been declining since mid-October. 
• "Credit Brave Armed Citizens"--Ron Borsch at Active Response Training. Armed citizens do make a difference in an active killer situation.
• "Two SEAL Team Six members 'murdered Green Beret who uncovered their slush fund theft in Mali' - and 'were busted after claiming his death was a drunk accident when autopsy found he was SOBER'"--Daily Mail. I've referenced this event in a prior post. This article provides more details on the motive for the killing: specifically, that the Green Beret had discovered that the two SEALs were embezzling money from an intelligence fund, and was murdered in an attempt to cover it up. 
• The fifth wave seems to be breaking over Spain: "A Million People Mass In Spain For Catalan Independence"--Anonymous Conservative. 
• "Spaceplane meant to resupply the space station pulled off a successful glide flight this weekend"--The Verge.
• "The Hate I Learned from the New York Times"--Dr. Helen Smith at PJ Media. The author browsed through a recent edition of the New York Times and noted stories that were particularly hateful toward Christians and men.

• Related: "'Can My Children Be Friends With White People?'"--Michael Walsh at PJ Media. Walsh examines a New York Times editorial by Ekow N. Yankah, who concludes that "I will teach my boys to have profound doubts that friendship with white people is possible," and "[m]y heart is unbearably heavy when I assure you we cannot be friends."