New Defensive Pistolcraft Post

 Jon Low has published a new Defensive Pistolcraft post rounding up defensive and firearms oriented articles and videos. For those of you interested in church security, he has collected several articles and offers some nuggets of wisdom on this topic with several focusing on protecting against theft of donations from collection plates. 

    Since the LDS church has never used a donation plate within my memory (they probably did in the 19th Century), it was an interesting look into how other churches collect funds from members. Jon discusses the security arrangements with one church that essentially used strong boxes as collection boxes and arranged for an armored car to collect and deliver donations to a bank. Conversely, there is very little security against theft on a ward level within the LDS church (most people donate electronically now, but even before there was very little in the way of cash donations with most people writing checks). When I've served as a financial clerk I would always make sure to be armed when assisting with the counting and depositing of donations, but I was probably in a very small minority in that regard.

    Jon has linked to numerous articles from Tom Givens in the Rangemaster Newsletter. Be sure to check them out. 

    Jon relates:

     I am right-handed.  I wore my pistol left-handed (at 9 o'clock) and dry practiced left-handed for two months before shooting the USPSA match left-handed this past July.  Try it.  All you need is a left-handed holster.  Everything else should be ambidextrous.  If you can't operate your pistol with your left-hand, time to get an ambidextrous pistol.  A small injury will make you left-handed.  Just because you are right-handed does not mean you will be right-handed in combat.  Strange unpredictable things happen in combat.  Shooting around the left side of a barrier is much safer when done left-handed.  

     It's an experience you ought not to miss.  

It reminds me of a discussion that I had recently with a couple friends, one of whom is considering getting another small revolver for concealed carry. I was mostly staying out of the conversation but then one friend said something to the other about a semi-auto, to which the second (the friend wanting a revolver) mentioned that he hated to carry a semi-auto with a round chambered because he just thought it too big of a risk (because I had only been half listening up to that point, I wasn't sure if he was concerned of an accidental discharge or someone grabbing it and using against him or what was the concern). My thought, which I expressed, is that I didn't want to be in the position of having an injured hand or having someone grab one of my hands, and not be able to rack the slide. My point being that we may not have the use of both hands if we have to defend ourselves. Which brings me back to Jon's comment: even if you don't shoot an IDPA match with your non-dominant hand, you should practice both shooting and weapon manipulations with your non-dominant hand. And you should practice shooting and weapon manipulation with just one hand. Because you may not always be in a position to use both hands. 

    And some interesting statistics on criminals and their capabilities with firearms scattered throughout Jon's post:

• Citing Greg Ellifritz: "Nearly 40% of the criminal attackers in this study had received FORMAL firearms training (mostly in the military).  More than 80% of the criminal attackers regularly practiced with their firearms, with an average number of 23 Practice Sessions Per Year.  They conducted these practice sessions in trash dumps, wooded areas, back yards and 'street corners in known drug trafficking areas'.  What that means is that the practice sessions were taking place in realistic environments, under conditions similar to those the attackers were likely to face in combat."
• Quoting from another article: "'16 of 43 offenders had received weapons training'" Hit rate offender on officer: 68%; Hit rate officer on offender: 39%; Most common offender shooting method: point shooting.
• And from a study on the firearms capability of Dallas police officers, after noting that about half of officers could hit what they were aiming at in a gun fight: "However, on a 'bullet level' basis, they found that out of 354 shots fired, there was only a 35% hit rate. One half of all officers missed with every shot they fired, including one officer who fired 23 misses and no hits. This means that six out of every ten shots fires was a miss."

VIDEO: "Best Distance to Zero a Hunting Rifle"

 

VIDEO: "Best Distance to Zero a Hunting Rifle"--Backfire (13 min.). 

The author explains why he uses a 100 yard zero.

    For as long as I can remember, the standard advice to hunters using a scoped rifle was to sight the rifle at its maximum point blank range--"the distance over which a shooter can hold his sights dead on the center of the target and hit it"--so that there was no need to do on the fly adjustments in the field.  Or, as one author describes it: "The MPBR method is a compromise between precision shooting and getting off a quick shot, so it is not perfect, but it is a method that will help put bullets in the kill zone if you understand the method and use it within specified distances." If done correctly, you can put the crosshairs of the scope over the vitals of a deer or elk and be able to strike within the vitals, whether slightly high or slightly low from your actual point of aim, out to 250 or 300 yards. 

    The MPBR is going to vary according to different calibers, bullets and velocities, but for common hunting calibers, it is probably going to be about 250 yards if hunting deer (figuring about a 10 inch wide vital zone, allowing you to hit up to 5-inches above and below the point of aim and still strike the vitals). The normal process of determining MPBR involves verifying shots at various ranges, but because many hunters did not have access to target ranges allowing shots beyond 100 yards (or a chronograph), it became common advice to sight the the scope so you struck the target 2 to 3 inches above the point of aim at 100 yards. Today, with ballistic calculators, you can calculate your offset at 100 yards much more precisely. (Here is the link to Hornady's online ballistic calculator. A tip: sight height over the bore is pretty important. The default on this calculator is 1.5 inches, but that would be for a scoped bolt action rifle and obviously depends on your particular set-up. Other types of rifles will vary. The height over bore for an AR, for instance, using a standard height mount is in the range of 2.5 to 2.75 inches or thereabouts. It pays to measure it).

    But scopes have changed. Exposed turrets have made it much easier to adjust a scope on the fly. Zero stops make it easier to bring it back to its original zero. Reticles that incorporate bullet drop compensators or other means of adjusting your point of aim are now very common. A few companies (e.g., Leupold) even offer custom turret caps marked with the adjustments needed for specific distances for your rifle and load. 

    And that is where the author of the video above seems to be coming from. He recommends a 100 yard zero because it is more precise (i.e., less subject to the bullet being driven an unknown distance off target due to wind) than trying to sight in the rifle at 200 yards, for instance; and then adds that in the field you can quickly adjust your scope up the number of clicks necessary for taking a shot at a longer distance.

    I suspect that this is one of those issues where the proper answer is "it depends." If you are hunting in dense woodland where it is rare to take a shot over 100 or 150 yards, a 100-yard zero might be all you need. Someone hunting in open country or where the trees are not very close might see a deer or elk ambling along and have time to adjust his scope before the animal disappeared behind a copse or some brush. It might be different if you are in an area where you have longer shots, but because there is more cover, you have less time to take the shot. And, obviously, the on-the-fly adjustment isn't going to work for someone that has to unscrew caps and use a coin or screw driver to adjust their scope.

What Happens When You Break Rules On Safe Gun Storage

 Two of the top rules of gun storage is don't store your weapons in your car and don't leave a firearm unattended around a crazy person. The police in this case broke both rules:

VIDEO: "Woman escapes handcuffs while detained, fires AR-15 from patrol car that injures deputy, civilian" (5 min) (h/t Law Enforcement Today).

VIDEO: Massad Ayoob On Why You Shouldn't Use Handloads For Self-Defense

 

VIDEO: "Massad Ayoob and Bill Wilson discuss hand loading ammunition for self-defense. Critical Mas ep39"--Wilson Combat (11 min.)

New Bombs & Bants (Streamed 8/17/2022)

 

VIDEO: "Bombs and Bants Live! Ep 48" (44 min.)

John is tardy, Liz Cheney and a meteorite burn up, and lots more.

The Realist: CountryComm Titanium wrenches

Editor's Note: A hearty welcome to another guest post by The Realist.

The CountryComm 4-inch adjustable wrench, weighing 24 grams

(top), and the 4-inch forged steel wrench I have been carrying as part of my EDC

for many years, weighing 40 grams (bottom).

    Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this article were purchased by myself. I did not receive samples, evaluation models, or other compensation from any manufacturer or retailer. I have no formal relationship with any manufacturer or retailer mentioned in this article - I have only been an arms-length customer. All brand names and product names used in this review are the trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. This article reflects my unique circumstances and subjective opinions with regard to performance and other characteristics of the products being discussed. Your mileage may vary.

    If you are into emergency preparedness, I'm sure you have heard of CountryComm, a company that sells many interesting gadgets. Recently, I discovered that they were selling titanium adjustable ("Crescent") wrenches. I initially purchased their 4-inch titanium adjustable wrench (https://countycomm.com/products/adjustable-wrench-titanium-4-inch-nsn-pending). Liking what I saw, I subsequently purchased their 8-inch titanium adjustable wrench
(https://countycomm.com/products/8-inch-titanium-adjustable-wrench-nsn-pending).They also sell a 6-inch titanium adjustable wrench (https://countycomm.com/products/adjustable-wrench-titanium-6-inch-nsn-pending).

    For several years, I have been searching for a light-weight adjustable wrench that could go into my emergency get-home bag. Some may argue with my desire to have a wrench that large in my get-home bag, but I have carried a 4-inch adjustable wrench on my key chain since I was in drivers education in high school - a long time ago. I have used that wrench innumerable times to perform various tasks. It has been almost as useful as a pocket knife. Seeking a larger adjustable wrench reflects my desire to overcome some of the limitations I have encountered with the four-inch wrench.

    CountryComm says their wrenches are made from grade 4 titanium. Grade 4 titanium has excellent corrosion resistance, and is commonly used in aerospace, industrial and medical applications where high strength is required. (https://continentalsteel.com/titanium/grades/cp1-grade-4/) CountryComm also says their titanium wrenches are machined from a solid billet of titanium. My careful examination of the wrenches indicates that is true. While the wrenches are well finished, with a matte grey appearance, there are many little details indicating they were indeed machined, with the outside edges being laser cut.

    The wrenches are completely non-magnetic. Even the pin that holds the thumb screw in place is non-magnetic, and it looks to also be titanium.

    The fit and finish of the wrenches is excellent. I see none of the minor/cosmetic defects I see with traditional forged steel wrenches. My only complaint is that the moving jaw on each wrench is a little looser than I like. However, given the overall excellent fit and finish, the looseness of the jaw is probably by design. A loose jaw is less likely to jam or bind with dirt or other crud during normal use.

    The 4-inch titanium wrench weighs 24 grams (0.85 ounces), and the jaws open to 14.03 mm (0.55 inches). In comparison, the 4-inch forged steel wrench I carry on my key chain weighs 40 grams (1.4 ounces), and its jaws open to 14.67 mm (0.58 inches - a little larger than a 9/16 inch bolt).

    The 8-inch titanium wrench weighs 130 grams (4.6 ounces), and the jaws open to 28.81 mm (1.13 inches). In comparison, the traditional forged steel 8-inch adjustable wrenches I have weigh from 200 to 315 grams (7.1 to 11.1 ounces), and the jaws open from 24.9 to 33.0 mm (0.98 to 1.30 inches).

    These titanium wrenches are not for everybody given their price. At the time of this writing, the 4-inch wrench sells for $64.95, the 6-inch wrench sells for $119.00, and the 8-inch wrench sells for $174.95. However, CountryComm frequently has discount codes available that can be applied to take a little bit of the pain out of the price.

The CountryComm 8-inch adjustable wrench, weighing 130

grams (top), and the 8-inch Lobster forged steel adjustable wrench, weighing 175

grams (bottom).

Lighter Weight Affordable Alternatives

    If you feel $175 is a little much for one wrench, but you like the idea of a reduced weight wrench, there is a forged steel Japanese adjustable wrench that weighs 175 grams (6.17 ounces) - 45 grams more than the 8-inch titanium wrench. This wrench is the Lobster UM30X available at the time of this writing from Amazon for $21.39 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00762IKEI). The Lobster wrench has a thinner profile than most forged steel wrenches combined with a skeletonized handle to achieve its reduced weight. The one downside of this wrench is that the jaws cannot close completely - no closer than 6 mm (0.24 inches). This may not be a problem if you happen to put a 4-inch wrench on your key chain. The jaws open to a maximum of 31.3 mm (1.23 inches). For the record, this wrench is very high quality - much better quality than the name-brand wrenches sold at the big-box stores.

    If you shop carefully, you should be able to find an 8-inch forged steel wrench weighing 200-220 grams. The defining characteristic of the lighter weight wrenches is a thinner handle.

    Manufacturers have started making the handles thicker on many of their wrenches, which dramatically increases the weight. For example, the current made-in-China Craftsman 8-inch adjustable wrench weighs 290 grams (10.2 ounces), compared to 200 grams (7.1 ounces) for a 1980s vintage 8-inch made-in-USA Craftsman wrench.

Conclusion

    I am constantly amazed by the light weight characteristics of titanium items. These wrenches are no different - amazingly light weight.

    If you live or work in an urban or suburban environment, a light weight wrench might be a worthwhile addition to your get-home-bag or EDC gear. I have carried a 4-inch wrench for many years, and have found it to be extraordinarily useful. The limitation of the 4-inch adjustable wrench is that its jaws do not open much beyond a half-inch. It is my opinion that an 8-inch adjustable wrench, whose jaws can open to over an inch, adds to my ability to improvise or fix things in an emergency situation. Titanium and reasonably light weight forged steel wrench options exist and should be considered.

    Note: The manufacturers' specifications are generally more conservative than the measurements taken from my samples. The one exception I have encountered is the weight of the Lobster wrench, with my sample being 5 grams heavier than the manufacturer's specification.

Mini-Review Wheeler Upper/Pic Rail Vise Block and Tipton Ultra Gun Vise

I built a lightweight AR10 earlier this year. I had been out shooting it a few times, but recently, when out shooting it, the accuracy suddenly all went to crap, and it was because the barrel nut had loosened.  I suspect that it was because I had sufficiently torqued down the barrel nut: what with the supply chain issues and such I hadn't been able to find an AR10 vice block in stock and had resorted to (carefully) clamping it in a vise with padding and trying to be careful with it. This time around, although I couldn't find anything local, Primary Arms was carrying the Wheeler Upper/Pic Rail Vise Block which they sell for $34.99 (but I got on sale for $31.99).

    This is a hefty bar of steel milled out so that the pin blocks on the upper receiver fit down into a slot, and then two included pins slide through holes to hold the upper in place. There are holes to fit either the AR15 or AR10/DPMS uppers. It worked great and I didn't have to worry about applying to much force to the sides of the receiver to hold it in place. 

    Although Wheeler recommends using this with a bench vise with at least 6-inch jaws, my vise with 4-inch jaws held it just fine. Since the forces I was applying were perpendicular to the jaws (z-axis), I didn't expect any issue. Perhaps it would have made a difference if I had been applying a linear force parallel to the direction of the jaws (x-axis) or one straight up or down that could push one side of the block up or down (y-axis). 

    The slot in the block, in addition, is also milled so that you can slide a Picatinny rail into the top of it if you need or want to work on the upper with it upside-down, which came it handy when tightening down the screws for the gas block (if you are not familiar with the AR platform, you have to remove the gas block and gas tube to work with the barrel nut).  

    In short, this block was worth every penny I spent on it. And since I'm sure to have additional AR projects, it will be used again.

    Another relatively recent purchase is the Tipton Ultra Gun Vise, which I picked up through Amazon. This is not a replacement for a bench vice--at least not for heavy duty work. Rather, it is just to hold your rifle (or shotgun or what have you) while you perform maintenance or minor assembly. It has padded, textured feet so you can use it on the kitchen table or counter without worrying about marring the table- or countertop. Nice if, like me, you would rather work in a temperature controlled environment like a kitchen or dining room instead of in a hot (!) garage in the summer time. 

    In the past I have used a pretty basic gun cleaning stand (something very similar to this one) to hold a rifle while working on it: something that has a couple of "forks" with large, rubber padded V-notches that are a fixed distance apart and fixed height and you just sort of scoot the rifle around until it is somewhat steady. It works well enough for cleaning, but it a little more problematic for other tasks like holding the rifle while trying to mount a scope or bore-sight said scope, or anything else where you need to keep the weapon absolutely steady.

    I saw a review a couple months ago on the Ultra Gun Vise and decided to pick one up. The heart of the system is a pretty stable base with two parallel metal tubes, held together with a couple braces, that fold over on the ends to accept the adjustable feet. You can then clamp to the tubes a couple pieces that hold risers/arms and a piece with a magazine block for an AR. All of these pieces can be moved around (or removed) as needed and, of course, clamped into place. In addition, there are two plastic trays that clip over the tubes to hold small parts or whatever. Again, you can move them or remove them as you wish.

    The risers to vises with rubberized or soft plastic jaws. The risers can be adjusted up and down and locked into place. Each jaw can be tightened separately, and each jaw is fitted over a ball allowing it to angle or rotate as needed to better conform to the shape or angle of an object. Furthermore, there are thin strips of the same padding material below the jaws on the riser so you won't scratch your firearm if it were to contact the riser. The bases for the risers, the risers, and the jaws are made of a heavy duty ballistic type plastic. The blocks holding the risers and the risers themselves are reinforced with thick sheet steel fittings. So, all in all, the vise is pretty sturdy (and it feels that way--it is no lightweight). 

    So far I've used it to hold a rifle while installing and leveling a scope and it worked as needed. I was able to level the vise so it didn't rock on the table. I was able to adjust the risers to hold the rifle as needed and tighten down the vise jaws to keep the rifle from moving as I installed the scope rings and scope. I didn't need the trays or the piece with the magazine insert, so I removed those before starting on my project (which also allowed me to move the risers pieces closer together). So, all in all, a good piece of kit. 

    Now, I will point out that this is not for holding a rifle or receiver when applying a lot of torque to it such as installing a barrel or muzzle device. For that, you will need something like the Wheeler vise block discussed above. And it is not a substitute for a shooting rest. But it holds a rifle or shotgun steady for maintenance and cleaning tasks. 

    I've read some of the negative reviews at Amazon on this product, and I suspect a lot of the problems are people applying too much force: either overtightening the various clamps and jaws, or putting too much force on a firearm or crossbow on which they are working--i.e., some job that is probably better suited for a bench mounted vise. And perhaps it is the user's expectation that is the problem. I bought this as an upgrade for my gun cleaning stand, not as a substitute for a bench vise.

New Bombs & Bants (Streamed 8/10/2022)

 

VIDEO: "Bombs and Bants Live! Ep 47" (52 min.)

We needed a break from the doom and gloom, so in this week's episode we talk about television shows that we are watching or just recently finished watching.

Trigger Finger Positioning And Accidental Discharges

    Some of you may remember a 2017 incident involving an off-duty police officer who was attempting to restrain a black/Latino kid who had trespassed, when other black youths attacked him and tried to pull the kid away from the officer. The officer then drew a handgun, but in the ensuing tussle, was pulled so that he fell into some shrubbery and discharged his handgun. Greg Ellifritz had commented at the time that the officer had probably unintentionally clenched his hand due to "interlimb interaction", leading to the discharge, and linked to several articles on the subject, including a 2012 article he had written on the subject. (I thought at the time that it was maybe related to the officer clenching his hand as he fell).

    Anyway, long story short, Greg has republished (or updated and republished) his 2012 article. In the article, he relates the story of a firearms instructor that had accidently shot himself in the leg while reholstering his Glock handgun while at the same time grabbing the target in order to demonstrate how to use the off-hand defensively. This grabbing apparently elicited a sympathetic response from his firing hand resulting in a discharge. The instructor had apparently rested his finger on the front of his trigger guard so the reflexive clenching of the hand brought the trigger finger straight back, actuating the trigger.

    As Greg explains, this clenching can result from three main causes:

1) Postural Imbalance.  When the shooter loses balance or trips, his hands will clench.

2) Startle Effect.  When the shooter is under stress and surprised, there will often be a hand clench.

3) Interlimb Interaction.  Under stress, when the non gun hand closes violently, the gun hand will clench,  spontaneously duplicating the actions of the non-gun hand.

The obvious solution is to rest the finger higher, along the frame or bottom edge of the slide. Greg offers a few options: First, "[t]he one I use and teach is to place the trigger finger as high as possible on the slide without disturbing the grip." Second is that taught by Massad Ayoob: "placing the finger fairly high on the frame with the trigger finger bent or curled.  The bent position causes the finger to curl onto the frame if the hands are clenched.  This position also gives the shooter a little more strength to resist a gun grab attempt." Third is a combination of both. He includes photographs in his article showing the different positioning, so check them out. 

    I don't really like Ayoob's placement because I find it awkward to get the finger back down into the trigger guard and I believe that it actually loosens my grip a bit. Like Greg, when using a Glock, I tend to rest my finger over the slide release nub--it seems a natural place to rest the finger and provides some tactile feedback. On a revolver, I will keep my finger extended and resting along the frame above the trigger and against the bottom of the cylinder. (See below).

New Bombs & Bants (Streamed 8/3/2022)

 

VIDEO: "Bombs and Bants Live! Ep 46" (48 min.)

A mix of the serious and fun about Russia, China (including Pelosi's visit), the death of Lt. Uhura, and more.