Gun & Prepping News #50

 Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful:  

• "Weekend Knowledge Dump"--Active Response Training. First, I want to thank Greg for his link to my recent compendium of articles on weapon retention. One thing I will note is that if some of these topics interest you, be sure to save or print out the articles because they can disappear. I had originally compiled those articles about a year ago but, for some reason I don't remember, had not immediately published the post. When I got ready to publish it, I discovered that several articles had been "retired"--the links were dead and searches did not pull up the titles. Moving on to Greg's Weekend Knowledge Dump, it has lots of great links, as always, but here are few that especially stood out to me:
• An article about shootings at houses of worship noting 379 such incidents in the 2000 to 2024 time frame. Since most of these attacks actually occur outside the building, the author has suggestions on focusing on countering threats early on.
• An article on prepping an apartment or suburban home for riots and civil unrest. One of the points raised is be prepared for fire. This is always a concern, not just from rioters throwing Molotov cocktails or setting things alight, but also generally in survival situations because fires can start from overturned candles of lamps (e.g., the Great Chicago Fire).
• On a related note, there is an article on the 10 best ways to defend yourself against civil unrest with some tips on how to avoid getting caught up in a protest and some tips if you do get caught out in the open.  
• An article from the Revolver Guy blog on rethinking the tactical reload for revolvers, recommending that you just dump the whole cylinder--fired and unfired rounds--and reload from a speed loader rather than try to pick out the two or three empty cases and reload with loose rounds. 
• Running CPAP machines off portable power sources.
• Preparing to defend yourself against vehicle attacks--i.e., when someone is trying to run you down with a vehicle. 
• An article on the legal implications of using a sap or blackjack. 

And more, so be sure to check out the whole thing.  

• "The Marlin Model 60: A True Workhorse Semi-Auto .22"--Guns Magazine. For a long time, this was the most popular model of .22 semi-auto rifle out there, and certain gave the Ruger 10/22 a run for its money with 11 million sold before Marlin ceased production of rimfire rifles in 2020. The article gives some history of the rifle, including various improvements over the years. An excerpt:

 A big part of the Model 60’s reputation comes from Marlin’s micro-groove rifling. Instead of a few deep grooves like typical rifling, Marlin cut a greater number of very shallow channels into the bore. The idea was to gently grip the bullet and stabilize it without the deformation that deeper lands can cause on the soft lead .22 bullets. The result—especially in a ballistically-forgiving cartridge like the .22 LR — is consistently good accuracy. The Micro-groove rifling was also much cheaper to manufacture, as fewer passes of a rifling tool are required. It was truly a win-win situation for this mass-market-appeal rifle.

•  "Parking Lot Tactics"--Tactical Professor. This article was prompted by a piece written by Greg Ellifritz, to which Claude Werner wanted to expand on a couple points made by Ellifritz, with the first being that you should walk against the traffic:

     Every time you go into a parking lot, you will see people who simply cannot put their cell phones down for ONE Minute between their cars and the store. As soon as they get out of the car, they start texting or talking, completely obvious to the two ton homicide machines moving all around them. When they leave the store, they continue blabbing even while they’re backing out of their parking space and driving down the lane.

    The title of Colonel Rex Applegate’s most famous book Kill Or Be Killed comes to mind. Such people are ready and willing to kill you as they distractedly put their manslaughter machines in motion or they’re ready to be killed while yapping about something of no importance.

    By walking against the traffic, you’ll have more chance to see the distracted driver before they run you down and then say “I’m so sorry” while you’re leaking and being loaded in the ambulance aka ‘amber lamps.’ https://youtu.be/53Bx5PLrOIk?si=zCk8BcJyDLOVFUS0&t=173 Note: in the first part of the video there “may be strong language used by those shown in the video. Viewer discretion is advised, especially for young children and sensitive viewers.”

• "Range vs Carry"--Tactical Wire. Using the Glock 19 and Glock 43X as examples, the author notes that they are roughly the same size, but the Glock 43X better lends itself to concealed carry because it is thinner; but the G19 is much easier to shoot. He also maintains that for concealed carry weapons, the speed of the first shot is more important than split times; and to work on shooting at a distance. For more on the latter topic: "Editor’s Notebook: The Distance Issue."
• "Optimizing the Small Frame EDC Revolver"--Shooting Illustrated. Another piece from Claude Werner. One of the biggest things you can do with a small frame revolver is to improve the visibility of the front sight. If you do not have a front sight which can be replaced, this limits you to painting the sight. Werner recommends using either nail polish or modeling paint (like the Testers model paint). He doesn't say it, but I will: the paints that you see for sale for painting sights are more expensive and don't seem to hold up over the long run. In any event, he recommends applying a white base coat and then adding a second coat with the high visibility color you are using. He goes on to discuss switching the stocks (grips) on the weapon. 
• More: "Optimizing the J Frame EDC Revolver"--Tactical Professor.  This article is to supplement the foregoing Shooting Illustrated article by adding some photographs that didn't make it into the Shooting Illustrated article.
•  "Revolver Reliability"--Shooting Illustrated. While revolvers can be extremely reliable, not being subject to feeding issues or problems from "limp wristing" the gun or shooting with less than ideal holds, Tamara Keel reminds us that there are things that can go wrong. For instance--and this is one I've experienced myself--higher recoiling rounds can actually start to pull the bullets out of cases where there has been insufficient crimp and binding the cylinder. She also mentions problems with moon clips and ejector rods backing out (the latter has also happened to me). And, although not mentioned in the article, I've also bits of grit get into the groove/opening where the cylinder hand extends and bind things up.
• "A Handgun is No Longer Enough: The Evolving Standard for Armed Self-Defense"--Ammo Land.  I'm including this article despite not fully agreeing with it. The author is correct when he points out that a handgun is a poor weapon to be using against a terrorist or mass shooting with a rifle and body armor. But I would point out a couple of things before you start packing around a small AR weapon system as the author recommends. First, if the terrorist is wearing hard body armor rated for rifles, you will still need to aim for vulnerable areas just as with a handgun. Second, if police are looking for one or more persons shooting a rifle, do you really want to be carrying a rifle? I suspect that your better option if you are worried about this situation is to carry a handgun capable of making longer range shots and then practice taking those longer range shots. 
• For you hunters, a reminder that you don't need the latest and fanciest rifle calibers: ".30-06 Springfield: Is it Still the Best All-Around Big-Game Hunting Cartridge?"--American Hunter.  Within 700 yards (and let's be honest, most hunters will probably never take a shot over 300 yards) the author believes that the .30-06 is still the best all-around big game cartridge due to its ability to launch big bullets (when needed), its versatility (i.e., it can shoot light weight bullets for varmints), better magazine capacity than some of the newer cartridges with fatter cases, and can easily reach out to 700 yards. And, perhaps most important, is its availability--you can pick up .30-06 at pretty much any place that sells ammo. The way I look at it, if you hand load, the .30-06 can do everything the .308 can do, but just a little bit better because you have the extra case capacity to bump up the muzzle velocity and it can handle heavier bullets for larger game.
• More: "This Is Why The Popular .30-06 Still Rules"--Petersen's Hunting.  
• "Mushroom picker, 70, has his head torn off in bear attack"--Daily Mail. This incident was in Japan, but a reminder that unless you have a firearm, bears are the apex predators. 
• "Morakniv Garberg Stainless Steel Knife is a Prepper’s Must-Have"--Modern Survival Blog. The two main differences I see with this knife versus some other offerings from Morakniv is that it is full tang and the sheath is set up where you could mount it on MOLLE webbing. The MSRP is about $110, but Amazon currently has it for $87. 
• "Neighbors, Friends and Enemies"--Survival Blog. A woman's experience in a rural setting where she generally gets along with her neighbors, but notes that recent events have really brought out the worst in some of her liberal neighbors. An excerpt:

 My neighbors are a sweet, older, couple.  They have a particular set of beliefs, obviously not Christian, and obviously more liberal than my own.  But they live a clean, quiet, productive life, and have a good reputation in the community.  Their families have been in this community for generations.  I am the newcomer.  Other than avoiding political discussions, I do not consider them a threat.  Would I keep them in my inner circle of friends?  No.  Do I want to keep good relations with them?  Yes.

While the aforementioned neighbors turned out to not be Christian and used a derogatory term to refer to MAGA supporters, she goes on to recount how another of her neighbors apparently had a complaint filed with the health department out of spite because that neighbor had organized a prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk's family. 

•  Since it is hunting season in most parts of the United States: "7 Serious Field-Dressing Mistakes"--RealTree. Some common mistakes. Most of them deal with not quickly locating and gutting the deer so the meat will quickly cool down. 
• More: "Pro Tips for Better Gutting Your Deer "--Meat Eater. A few tips for making the experience easier and get better results. One of them:

     For avoiding contamination, Terry Drury, of Drury Outdoors, recommends one more slightly customized tool to help with this job.

    “Take a good pull saw and round-off the end of it on a grinder, along with about two inches of the teeth to dull them. You can now use this to cut the pelvis bone and sternum without running the risk of puncturing or grabbing anything that might contaminate the meat.”

• "Dressing for Subzero Weather"--Mossy Oak.  This article is from the perspective of someone hunting from hunting stands. The author notes:

Most people believe that your outerwear is your best defense for cold weather. However, I am totally convinced that the base layer is far more important than the outer layer to capture and hold heat. On top of the base layer, I wear Nomad gear, which is a Harvester coat and pant. With those two types of clothing, I can hunt for about four hours without getting cold. I have learned that after four hours, a strong wind can cut through those two layers. So, now I carry a sleeping bag with me, and when I start to get a little cool I get inside that sleeping bag and zip it up. The sleeping bag is also washed in scent-free soap and stored in a scent-free bag. 

• One of the key factors underlying civil unrest according to Peter Turchin is popular immiseration--the economic decline of the general population. Something like this: "Only 48 Percent Of U.S. Adults Under The Age Of 30 Have A Full-Time Job?"--Citizen Watch Report. The article outlines some economic trends that suggest that it will only get worse.