Gun & Prepping News #4

 Just some articles that caught my attention for one reason or another:

• "Can You Use 9mm Pistols as Handgun Hunting and Trail Guns?"--American Hunter. The author notes that "the answer to the question of 9mm pistols for handgun hunting appropriate game is a resounding yes." Take note of the "appropriate game" part. He goes through some of the hunting or bear defense rounds available, but warns that your state's game laws may not allow 9 mm for hunting. I think it is a mistake to confound a hunting weapon with a trail gun. The 9 mm can be used for defense against vicious animals up to and including bear, although it may take multiple shots and bullets capable of deep penetration. A hunter, however, strives for "one shot, one kill," and the 9 mm seems a little weak for that in medium size game or larger. It may be capable of taking medium game but can it do so reliably? 
• "Why More Bullets Are Better Than Less"--Tactical Anatomy. The author, James Williams, explains:

Ammunition is dissipated amazingly rapidly in a gunfight. If you don’t put your adversary down, and I mean down, with your first 2 to 5 rounds, you’re almost certainly going to be dealing with incoming fire. Which means you’re going to be moving to cover, and your adversary is going to be moving, too. Hit ratios drop into the low single digits when both fighters are moving, the statistics show. And you know you’re going to be firing while moving to cover, because you want to keep your enemy off-balance so he can’t draw a good bead on you while you do so. 

He also relates: "When I was still an active member of my county’s SWAT team in Wisconsin, on my armor vest I carried 9 single-stack magazines for my SIG P220 service handgun (72 rounds), and five 30-round magazines for my M4 carbine (150 rounds). Most of the rest of the guys on the team were similarly kitted-out." Of course, that would be too much for someone carrying a handgun concealed (at least if they wanted everything to be concealed) but Williams suggests that the armed citizen use a high capacity handgun as a primary weapon and carry at least one spare magazine. 

The issue of how many rounds you should carry has been debated. I have discussed this before, as well as going over arguments by Massad Ayoob and John Correia on the issue (see "Whether To Carry An Extra Magazine").

Related posts:

• "Ayoob: The Necessity of High Capacity Magazines"
• "Guns Mag.: 'Why Not Pack A Pair?'"
  

• "Handgun RDS Failure? No Dot, No Problem"--Guns America. The author goes over using backup iron sights, preventative maintenance, and why a red dot might crap out, before going over a few techniques:

1. "Guillotine- The name comes from the curve on top of a Trijicon RMR. The top of the optic (i.e. guillotine) is held at the target’s neck putting the window on the chest.  If the window appears smaller than the chest, the target is in range for this technique."
2. "Man on TV- This is similar to Guillotine. You look through the body of the optic to line up the front and rear windows of the RDS. barrel. This works best with closed RDS."
3. "The Crown- Used for headshots, the top of the optic sits on the target’s head like a crown. ... [T]he optic covers the target’s head and the top of the optic forms a crown (or owl’s horns with the Trijicon RMR) on top of the target’s head. If the window is obscured, you may have to hold a little lower to see the top of the target."
4. And although this is not so much a technique as an alternate type of backup sight, "Stripe and Dot- Use a paint pen to put a stripe on top of the optic and a dot on the back. This is almost as effective as BUIS for lining up the pistol and target."
   

He includes some photographs so you get a better idea of what each looks like.

• "Guns Of The Professionals"--National Rifleman. A look at the rifles and calibers used by three famous African big game hunters: Harry Selby, John Kingsley-Heath, and Wally Johnson. The article relates that Selby initially used a Rigby .470 Nitro Express double rifle, but after the rifle was damaged, was forced to use was a bolt-action chambered in .416 Rigby ... and he never looked back. Kingsley-Heath's weapon of choice was a Westley Richards double rifle chambered in .470 Nitro Express, although he also used a Westley Richards bolt action chambered for the .425 Westley Richards cartridge. Johnson often used a Winchester Model 70 in .375 H&H Mag. Although the .375 is considered small for African big game (too small in some countries), "[i]t was the .375’s versatility that endeared Johnson and so many others to this all-around cartridge."
  
• Going to the opposite extreme: ".32 ACP: The Round that Made the Auto Pistol"--The Mag Life. A history of the .32 ACP, why it has hung around, and an examination of whether there is still any place for this cartridge. The cartridge appears to excel in the role for a very small handgun, particularly if it is a simple blowback pistol. The problem is that very few handguns are manufactured for this cartridge and they are all (other than the KelTec) old designs that make use of metal frames and, for that reason, are too heavy for the size of the weapon.
  
• "Hickok’s Mistake"--Shooting Illustrated. Sheriff Jim Wilson reminds us that "Wild Bill" Hickok was killed when his murderer came up behind him in a gambling saloon and shot Hickok in the head. That is, Hickok was not paying attention to his surroundings.
• "Winter is Coming: Are We Running Out Of Gunpowder?" by Robert Sadowski, The Truth About Guns. The author notes that "[g]lobal instability with wars in the Middle East and Ukraine is draining the market of gunpowder." Meaning, production has shifted to meet military needs. Supplies of large rifle primers, which must also be imported, have likewise tightened up.
  
• "10 Mistakes Newbie Fire Builders Make" by Tim MacWelch (republished from Outdoor Life). Note the first two especially: picking material up from wet ground; and using rotten wood. 
• "How to Hike Downhill Safely and Comfortably" republished from Popular Science. The first two points raised in the article have to do with footwear (including a suggesting as to lacing a boot for a decent) and picking a route, but the article also discusses the biomechanics involved, the technique involved, and training/exercises to help with downhill hiking.
• "Stock Up For Survival: Essential Food Storage Tips For Emergencies"--Zero Hedge. The author is writing in the context of having 72-hours of food and water in the aftermath of a disaster, but also suggests planning for two weeks or even a month if your budget and storage space allows. As the author notes, "Whether facing natural disasters like flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, or chemical spills—or personal emergencies—such as illnesses, accidents, or losing your job, having food, cash, and other necessities tucked away can mean the difference between thriving and surviving." He then briefly goes over the amount of water you might need, selection of foods, storage strategies, cooking without electricity, food spoilage, common mistakes, and mentions extension offices as an additional resource for those interested in food storage.
• More: "Home Prep Guide: What You Need To Last 2 Weeks In An Emergency"--The Epoch Times.  Advice (and a nice graphic which you can download) on prepping for a natural disaster, including topics such as a family communication plan, evacuation plan, and a shelter in place plan. The graphic also goes over food and water storage, health and hygiene needs, shelter and tools, communication and power preps, and financial preps and important documents to have on hand. 
• "Mountain House math at CostCo"--Commander Zero. A closer look at the Mountain House "Just In Case" (get the pun?) 5 day meal kit. Short take:

So keeping an eye on those calories-per-serving and servings-per-container, you can see that if you add up the entire caloric value of this box you get…an average of 1488 calories per day. Thats about 75% of your daily 2000 calories. And thats 2000 calories for just sitting there doing nothing. Factor in chainsawing downed trees, hanging looters, hauling supplies, etc, etc, and you’ll see that 1488 calories is better than nothing but you better plan on adding a few notches to your belt.

Or, the author recommends, adding some extra canned or packaged foods to the mix. 

• "Gear for the Hard Times: DIY Water Purification for your Family"--The New Rifleman. The author states that "[a] good water system will be a) portable, b) reliable, and of course c) potable." But, he notes, while the Berkey filters generally check the boxes, they are expensive. He wanted something cheaper and that could be easily constructed and/or repaired. Thus, he provides instruction for constructing something similar in size to the larger models of Berkey filters using a couple 5 gallon food grade buckets, a ceramic dome filter, and adding a water spigot.