Gun & Prepping News #60

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

•  ".223 Remington"--Terminal Ballistics Research. Terminal Ballistics Research has many articles that examine the efficacy of different calibers for hunting based on the author's real word experience. The article begins by going over the history of the cartridge, its performance as a hunting cartridge, and comments about factory loads and hand loads. An excerpt:

    As a varmint or target shooting cartridge, the .223 is an outstanding performer, inexpensive and capable of great accuracy. As a medium game cartridge, the .223 is under powered if fast killing is to be expected with ordinary chest shots.

    There are however some exceptions to this general rule, though each has its caveats. Some years ago, I discovered that certain heavy weight match bullets can produce relatively good results on some species of medium game. But not all match bullets are equal and one must be mindful of poor downrange energy, limiting the effective range to about 300 yards. One must also have a suitable twist rate to launch these projectiles. I also discovered, many years ago, that tumbling FMJ ammunition had the potential to change the performance of this cartridge on medium game.
 
    A tumbling 55 grain bullet can produce violent, fast killing wounds on lighter medium game along with large exit wounds  as wide as 3”. When full metal jacket ammunition tumbles, the bullet very gradually falls to pieces due to the unsealed base of the bullet allowing jacket core separation. Because the process is gradual, wounding occurs through vitals and bone, rather than on impact resulting in adequate penetration for all but tail on shots on medium game. 

    As with match loads, FMJ ammunition has its caveats. Such performance tends to be unpredictable. The twist rate also in this case, needs to be so slow that the bullet is near the point of poor accuracy. I cannot therefore recommend such a load as being ethical. 

•  "Germany Selects the CZ P-10 C as Their New Service Pistol - the P13"--The Firearm Blog. "The P13 will replace the P8A1, the Heckler & Koch USP, which entered service in 1994," the article reports. If you are not familiar with the weapon--I wasn't--"[t]he P-10C is a striker-fired, short recoil, tilting barrel actioned service pistol, chambered in 9x19 with a standard magazine capacity of 15 rounds."
•  "Trigger Press Casualty"--Tactical Professor. Commenting on an incident where a shooter accidentally shot himself in the hand when clearing a Glock, the author writes:

    When clearing your pistol at the range, take a sight picture on some particular target and observe what the sights do when you press the trigger. When you have to press the trigger to disassemble the pistol, aim at something that will involve the least amount of “damage to property and/or injury to personnel.” Aim at a door frame or something else solid that is more likely to stop a bullet than an interior wall made of Sheetrock.

[snip]

    Establishing grip and taking a sight picture even when you don’t expect the pistol to fire reinforces good marksmanship principles and mitigates safety risks simultaneously. It’s a total WIN WIN. 

• "Rifles: Building a Rifle from a Kit"--Shooting Illustrated. The author puts a pretty positive spin on building a rifle from a parts kit. I have built several. Building an AR is pretty simple and does not require much in specialized tools. Others take more specialized tools and jigs to do a good job that can cost quit a bit on their own, although sometimes you can rent the equipment rather than having to buy it. If you are building an AK you will want to visit the AK-Builder website for tools and jigs and small parts (although they don't seem to be carrying any rivet jaws for bolt cutters). One thing I would caution you about though is the availability of receivers. Many times if you can find a good deal on a parts kit, it probably means that commercial receivers are not available for sale. Sometimes you can find receiver flats (the equivalent of an 80% receiver for rifles that use stamped steel receivers) but they will take a hydraulic press and jigs to properly fold them, and generally a bit of welding for rails or other bits. He also adds that "If we were to go strictly by the number of options on the market, we could conclude that the age of the kit rifle is at hand." That isn't really true. The age of the kit rifle was about 20 to 25 years ago when you could go to any gun show and pick up a Romanian AK kit for $70 or FAL parts kits for $200. AK kits now typically sell for several hundred dollars and FAL part kits are no where to be found. I'm not saying to not do it, but it has a steep learning curve, can be expensive if you have to buy the tools, and can be very frustrating. 
• "The Rimfire Report: Remington's "Ranch Hand" 40 gr CPRN"--The Firearm Blog.  Short take: "For better or worse, Ranch Hand seems like it is basically just a Remington equivalent of CCI Mini-Mag 40 gr Round Nose, which we have yet to cover here on Rimfire Report." The author thought that the standard deviation in velocity was too large for the ammo to be considered "good". Also:

I was able to get some decent groups out of the ammo, but given its slightly wider standard deviation, this definitely isn’t a contender for a high velocity match ammo. Those outliers that make up the extreme spread are likely responsible for some of those fliers.   

But he thought it good enough for hunting small game. 

I wouldn’t necessarily run it in a bolt action, as I saw roughly equivalent accuracy out of my 11/22 takedown, even while using just a red dot. I think for its job description, it’ll probably find itself best suited to semi-automatic guns, possibly used by ranch hands. 

• "The Lion and the Risk-Takers"--Active Response Training.  This is a guest post from Doug Deaton "a retired Texas police officer who now works as an expert witness in use of force court cases." He describes a dream of a lion being harassed by small mammals where the lion occasionally catches and eats one of the small animals without mercy or concern. 

    The lion in this dream is not evil or vindictive. It is not driven by anger or cruelty. It operates according to its nature. Overwhelming power that does not negotiate or reconsider once it is engaged.

    For private citizens in the self-defense world, the lion represents the criminal justice system after a shooting or serious use of force incident draws its full attention. Jailers taking your book-in photo. Prosecutors building a case. Judges enforcing procedure. Juries forming their own narratives. An impersonal, methodical system that becomes largely indifferent to individual intent once momentum takes hold. 

    The lion does not care how articulate your explanation is, or how sorry you are.

And, the small mammals "represent armed citizens who take unnecessary risks. People who intervene in volatile situations that don’t involve them. People who knowingly enter environments where violence is probable. Those who willingly initiate conflicts with strangers."

• "Review: Shield Sights OMSsc Red-Dot Sight"--Shooting Illustrated. I have their RMSsc which has been pretty solid. 

    At first glance the OMSsc (Open Mini Sight subcompact) stands out for two reasons: First, it has a translucent clear acrylic top, a feature that Shield Sights is quite proud of. Second, the OMSsc is one of the physically smallest open-emitter red-dot sights currently available. ...

 

[snip]  

    The OMSsc’s clear acrylic “roof” is its most eye-catching feature. Shield Sights' impetus behind this design choice is that it wanted to provide its end-users with the clearest sight picture possible, the idea being the acrylic’s clear qualities will not obstruct the view downrange, especially around the edges of the sight’s housing. I’ll admit that the OMSsc is the first time I’ve gone hands-on with any Shield Sights product despite the company’s longtime industry presence. But, the fact that it sells both the clear-top OMSsc alongside the more conventional RMSsc indicates how strongly the company feels about the split 6082-T6 aluminum and acrylic housing design. 

•  "Too big of a toolbox ?"--StraightForward in a Crooked World. This 2009 article relates:

     Over the summer I attended a morning conference on Church Security over in Illinois, after the murder of the Reverend Fred Winters back in March. The panel was made entirely of law enforcement officers which held a variety of opinions. Panel members where mainly small town police chiefs and most agreed that ultimately in a mass shooting that members of the church would be the first responders to the crisis. Given Illinois anti self-defense laws their were questions concerning what weapons could be legally carried and used.

    One local police chief went against the grain of his fellow panel members and said

    "you have to remember that this is a law enforcement matter and it is for the Police to respond to. I know you all want to carry a gun, but let me say this as a Chief of Police I don't even let my wife carry pepper spray nor do my teenage children. Any so called self-defense weapon can be taken from you and used against you and they simply aren't worth the risk."

    It was an arrogant and disgusting statement.

    For someone to say likewise that you can be over burden with to many tools is.....well absurd, because frankly I have yet to find in Sun Tsu's Art of War any quote that reads "stick with the basic levels of training and your campaign will go ok."

    Fundamentals are important, but they are the building blocks to further our mindset. We all (myself very included) should always be striving to learn more, train more, think and out think the bad men of the world.

• "Surveillance Detection"--Tactical Professor. If you have a confrontation with someone don't assume that when the parties separate that the confrontation or issue is over. In this article, Claude Warner writes:

     I had an encounter yesterday with some unpleasant people while grocery shopping. When I got back to my car, they pulled up nearby at a somewhat odd angle in the parking lot. Since I wasn’t sure if they planned to initiate a confrontation, I quickly drove out of the lot.

    After such an encounter, it’s prudent to take a Surveillance Detection Route that does not lead directly home afterward. Doing so isn’t particularly difficult but it does require a little thought at the time. You also need to use your rear view and side mirrors regularly during the process. And have a safe place to go if it turns out you are being followed.

    First of all, turn out of the parking lot in the opposite direction that you would take to go home. As you drive, look for signalized intersections to turn onto non-arterial through streets. If possible, hit the red light. Sitting at the red light for a minute will allow you to scan the cars behind you without being an inattentive driver. Make at least three turns watching your mirrors after you turn. Contrary to popular opinion, they don’t all have to be Right Turns. Sitting in the Left Turn lane at a signal will frequently give you a better scan of the cars behind you by using your driver’s side mirror than you can get through the rear view mirror. You’ll also have a slightly longer view of the traffic behind you as they turn.

    What you are looking for is vehicles that repeatedly make the same turns as you do. It doesn’t have to be the same vehicle that was involved in the initial encounter. Pairs of people often have two cars and the other vehicle might be the one following you.

 If you think someone is following you, he advises that you don't go home, but go somewhere safe. Although most people think "police station," he actually suggests going someplace where you can be sure to find first responders: fire stations or emergency rooms at hospitals. Read the whole thing.

• "Nitecore EDC27 Flashlight Review: EDC Pocket Light?"--Option Grey. A flat light which would probably be easier for everyday carry. It is rechargeable and produces up to 3,000 lumens (but only for 8 seconds--but that would probably be enough to disorient an attacker). 
• "How to Siphon Gas Out of a Car? Mastering Fuel Extraction"--SHTF Preparedness. He covers (i) the traditional siphoning method (assuming no anti-siphon valve), (ii) using a fuel transfer pump, and (iii) siphoning from a car with an anti-siphon valve (including an embedded video). 
• "Aqua Tainer 7 Gallon Water Jug With Spigot"--Modern Survival Blog. These come in 4 and 7 gallon sizes, can be stacked, and have spigots which make them easier to use. As for the spigot, "[i]t uniquely fits inside the cap for storage. This prevents it from becoming lost while also being protected from damage when in storage or transit." There were other features that the author liked.
• "How To Clean Berkey Filters The Right Way"--Modern Survival Blog.  He has other information like how to tell when it is time to clean the filter(s) and how to clean the filter housings. But as for the filters themselves:

     Use cool or cold water.

    “Never use warm or hot water or freeze the Black Berkeys as this will likely damage the integrity of the compressed carbon and proprietary impregnated media.” says Berkey.

    Don’t use soap.

    Simply let the water run over the filter while gently or firmly scrubbing the surface area. You might use a type of nail cleaning brush or a slightly abrasive pad like a Scotch-Brite pad.

He has lengthier instructions for cleaning them in a sink and cleaning them in a bucket.  

• "Dental Care After the End of the World"--Urban Survival Site.  Discussing preventative care, recommendations for stockpiling dental hygiene items (toothpaste, brushes, etc.), some herbs to grow that can be used for dental care, how to make some toothpaste substitutes, and some tools and medicines for home emergency dental care. 
• "Disease Vector Awareness and Action, by K.B., M.D."--Survival Blog.  Disease vectors for typhus, dengue, malaria and leprosy. 
• "Tactical vs. Hiking Backpacks: What are the Differences?"--Modern Survival Blog. My first thought was in SHTF, one makes you look like a relatively harmless refugee and the other will get you shot. But what the author notes is that "the hiking backpack is made of lighter weight material," which makes the hiking backpack overall lighter weight. But the tactical backpack is (or should be) more durable:

    This is because the materials they are made from are thicker, more abrasion resistant, more difficult to puncture and less likely to come undone when they are damaged.

    Conversely, the thinner and more delicate the material that an average hiking backpack is made from can be easily damaged from a slash or scrape, and is highly likely to get worse quickly.

    Of course, manufacturer procedures and quality control makes a big difference here: a top of the line hiking backpack will probably prove to be more durable overall than a “flea market special” tactical pack. 

    The reverse is also true, with very cheap hiking packs proving to be shockingly frail, and top of the line tactical packs being almost impervious to damage. 

Another difference he notes is color differences with tactical backpacks using subdued colors or even camouflage patterns in order to avoid attention, whereas hiking backpacks are generally brighter or lighter colors and might be bright enough to draw attention and potential rescue (although I've noticed that hiking backpacks do seem to be more subdued than they were even 5 or 10 years ago). Other difference he notes are that tactical backpacks have more attachment points (e.g., MOLLE) and internal compartments while hiking backpacks tend to be more water resistant. 

• "The Urban ‘Doom Loop’"--American Renaissance. The author begins:

    American cities are in a “Doom Loop.” Quality of life collapses, residents flee or stay home, and cities fall into economic decline. As the economy falters, even more locals flee, and the cycle repeats. Cities may stabilize into something like Detroit or St. Louis.

    Crime is central to the decline, but newspaper headlines and statistics don’t capture it. Statistics may not even be credible, because crime can be “eliminated” by misclassifying it or not enforcing the law. Less obvious but more consequential in the long run, is fear of crime. ...

This fear, the author continues, can be due to large numbers of minorities, numerous homeless people and vagrants. 

Compounding this dread is the ever-diminishing prospect of help from bystanders or even the police. High-profile incidents such as the arrest of would-be Good Samaritan Daniel Penny when he intervened to stop a likely felony-in-progress in the subway are a powerful deterrent, not to mention hesitant police officers in the post-George Floyd era. You’re on your own. 

He concludes:

 Reversing the Doom Loop is about defending civilization. The United States spends billions on exotic high-tech weapons to defend against foreign enemies but refuses to let police stop bands of “youths” headed to Nordstrom to steal Gucci handbags. We now have a Space Force, but elected leaders won’t let Walmart stop shoplifters. Stopping the Doom Loop is not about therapy for crazies or homes for winos; it is about therapy for those who refuse to defend their own civilization.