A Round Up Of Firearms/Self-Defense Articles

 Some recent articles I've come across:

• "Weekend Knowledge Dump- November 24, 2023"--Active Response Training. Greg Ellifritz's Friday has links to articles and videos on topics as diverse as why a snub-nosed revolver excels for pocket carry, concealed carry while in a vehicle, Clint Smith's thoughts on carry guns and holsters for concealed carry, one officer's experience with trying to conceal carry while recuperating from an ankle injury, how to tell if your drink has been spiked, and more.
• And speaking of snub-nosed revolvers for pocket carry, check out Greg's own article: "The Best Coat Pocket Defensive Pistols." What he is talking about is a gun to carry in a coat or jacket pocket during cold whether when other carry methods may be slow to access because of being bundled up. His recommendation is a snub-nosed revolver that is either hammerless or uses a shrouded hammer so you can pull it from the pocket without it snagging or even, if necessary, shoot it from inside the pocket.
• "Handloads: A .45 ACP Semi-Wadcutter For Target Work"--American Rifleman. The author gives his recipe for loading 200-grain SWC from X-Treme bullets.
• "The Wyoming Sight Drifter"--The Revolver Guy. A review and recommendation of a product that combines a brass drift punch with a spring-loaded punch to give you something small enough to take to the range and gives you a bit more finesse than a hammer and punch.
• "Is .308 Better Than .30-06?"--The Mag Life. The author's conclusion seems to be "not really," but it really depends on the type of hunting you are doing. First, because of the larger case capacity, the .30-06 generally offers higher velocities for the same weight bullets, which may make a difference if you are taking longer shots (e.g., in the high country or other open terrain). Second, although the author suggests that .308 can handle up to 200 grain bullets, not all rifles will be able to accept such long bullets. 180-grain is a more realistic high end for .308. On the other hand, the .30-06 can handle bullets up to 220 grains, so it is a better option for when you need the extra penetration. But for most hunters, there is probably no advantage to one over the other.
• "Marlin Dark Series Lever Action Rifles Shipping!"--Guns America. These are a line of "tactical" or "modernized" lever action rifles able to take muzzle devices, include long Picatinny rails on the top for mounting optics or what have you, and have an aluminum front hand guard with M-LOK attachment points. Right now, the only model available is an 1894 version shooting .45-70, but a Model 336 shooting .30-30, and a Model 1894 in .44 Special/.44 Magnum are supposed to be released in 2024.
• "10 Facts About the M1 Garand: America's Favorite Battle Rifle"--The Mag Life. Not to be pedantic, but although the inventor's name, John Garand, is pronounced so it rhymes with "errand," when applied to the rifle, the name was pronounced so it rhymes with "grand" all throughout the military--by the soldiers, in training films, and so on--and up until fairly recently even among all civilians. Thus, when referring to the rifle, it is Garand like "grand". 
• "EDC Greatness: The J-Frame Revolver for Deep Cover Concealed Carry...Still"--The Truth About Guns. Key point:

    Meanwhile, small-frame revolvers excel in many ways, especially in a deep cover role. Revolver users seldom encounter malfunctions, even if you’re pressing the muzzle into the gut of an attacker (think the Trayvon Martin close quarters situation). And contact gunshot wounds usually inflict horrific damage.

    As for concealment, short-barrel snubbies with their small frame size are excellent. Slip one in a jacket or pants pocket and no one will be the wiser.

    These little wheel guns perform wonderfully when fired from a coat pocket, too. Especially those with bobbed hammers or the hammerless variety. Ditto for ladies discharging from a purse.

* * *

    Wheel guns don’t leave your brass lying all over the place. For those carrying in non-permissive environments, that can be extra helpful. Before Illinois had legal concealed carry, more than a few career armed robbers and rapists turned up dead on Cook County Forest Preserve properties over the years. Obviously their intended victims chose not to notify authorities.

    Additionally, these small revolvers also conceal well in the hand. Remember, a lot of deadly force encounters take place in low-light or no-light conditions. An attacker usually can’t see any better than you can. Again, let them experience the shock of their lifetime as they experience the bark and flash of your snubbie discharging at bad-breath distances.

    You can also hand one off to someone who has never shot before in an emergency and it can save their life. Even rank novices can figure out how to make a revolver work. As a close friend and retired FBI agent I know loves to say, revolvers are the ultimate point-and-click interface. ...

• "Cool New Colors for the Springfield Armory Hellion Bullpup"--Guns America. Now available in Desert FDE, OD Green, and Gray.
• "How To: Packs And Pistols"--GUNS Magazine. Some thoughts on carry methods when also using a daypack or backpack. The author finds that a fanny pack or belt pack for a handgun work well if you are using a daypack. For more serious hiking with a backpack, the author tried and discarded several methods before deciding that carrying in the middle of the chest was the practicable solution. His pick is the Hillpeople Gear Original Kit Bag or--if hunting, fishing or hiking in grizzly-infested territory where speed is of paramount importance over concealment--a chest holster.
• On a related note: "Wide-Open Carry"--GUNS Magazine. This author also recommends chest holster for "anyone backpacking, hiking, fishing in streams with bears present, riding a horse, cruising around the farm in a Polaris Ranger, or doing farm chores on a tractor," but, strangely, not for handgun hunters. He discusses a good handful or more of various chest holsters from different manufacturers. 
• "Training Tips for the AK-47"--Scattered Shots. A brief overview of tools for adjusting the front sights, the basic manual of arms, accuracy expectations, and some accessories to consider (although lacking in specific recommendations or reviews).
• No. "Empty Chamber Carry: Is It Worth It?"--The Mag Life. The author--Travis Pike--discusses various excuses given for carrying on an empty chamber (speaking of modern semi-autos and not your SAA revolver) and why the arguments are invalid. I would prefer to discuss why empty chamber carry was even a thing for semi-auto pistols. 

    It pretty much boils down to one reason: just like the old revolvers, the hammers of early semi-autos rested on the firing pin when decocked leaving open the potential of an accidental discharge if the weapon was dropped or the hammer struck a sharp blow. 

 

    Revolver technology improved with the benefit of rebound hammers (making sure that the firing pin did not rest against the primer) and various ways to block the hammer unless or until the trigger was pulled, and now the more common technology of employing some sort of transfer bar system. So, while it is highly recommended to carry a Single Action Army revolver with an empty chamber under the hammer, it would be laughable for someone to suggest that you should carry a modern revolver with an empty chamber under the hammer.

    Similarly, modern semi-auto pistol designs incorporate various features to make sure that they are drop safe, including firing pin blocks and, in many DA/SA models, a rebound hammer set up. Even older designs, such as the 1911, have been updated with firing pin block mechanisms starting with the Series 80 (and, besides, 1911 style pistols incorporate a grip safety and are generally carried cocked and locked so that the hammer isn't resting on the firing pin in any event). 

    Military procedure with older style semi-auto pistols eschewed carrying cocked and locked, but the hammer was to be down while the pistol was being carried in a holster. And that is why militaries would require such pistols be carried with an empty chamber. To the extent that any military today continues such practice, it is a hold over from using pistols designed in the early 20th Century, and doesn't reflect modern pistol designs or use. For instance, the Israeli military (which I am picking on because so many people will point to them as an excuse for carrying with an empty chamber--in fact, it is sometimes referred to as "Israeli carry") long used the Browning Hi-Power which lacked a firing pin block, but insisted (like other militaries) that it be carried with the hammer down. I don' know whether Israel's continued insistence on carrying with an empty chamber is because they still issue Hi-Powers (I don't know if they do or not) or some sort of administrative inertia. Perhaps they do it because they have always done so, having forgotten why they did so in the first place. 

     But whatever the reason, carrying on an empty chamber is obsolete and has no place in world of civilian carry and use of modern handguns.