Gun & Prepping News #63

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

• "Do Red Dot and Window Sizes Really Matter Much?"--Handguns Magazine. The short take:

But when does size matter and why? Simply put, a larger window means a greater chance of finding the dot upon drawing even if a shooter’s grip isn’t perfect or if the pistol’s sights aren’t perfectly aligned with the shooter’s eye. A bigger dot, even if not centered, will present a blur—a hint of light—in the side or corner of the window, which makes it easier for a shooter to adjust grip in order to center the dot.

However, there are reasons for having a smaller window or dot, which the author also addresses. 

• "Should You Shoot? Self-Defense Tips You Don’t Know"--The Armory Life. A review of the elements of self defense including ability, opportunity, and jeopardy. 
• "Firearms — Tools of rural living" by Massad Ayoob at Backwoods Home. Ayoob begins by noting that while, for many, firearms are sporting equipment or collectibles/works of art, for most people they are tools. He then focuses on their various uses in a rural setting, before discussing shotguns, rifles and handguns. It's all intermixed with little anecdotes, some of other people, some personal to Ayoob, making it an overall enjoyable read. 
• Some firearm history: "Speed versus Quality: A Cautionary Tale of the M-16 in Vietnam" by Maj. Dallas Durham, U.S. Army, Military Review. The point of this article is to demonstrate that speedy weapons development and procurement can lead to quality issues, using the M-16 as an example. But for the firearms historian, it is a fairly detailed account of the development of the M-16 and the reasoning that led to its development and why it supplanted the M-14. 
• "Analysis of the Scout Rifle" (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) by Richard Mann. Mann seems to have become the primary apologist for the scout rifle concept after Jeff Cooper's death.  Part 1 discusses what is a "scout rifle"; part 2 addresses the term "scout rifle"; part 3 argues that the problem people have with the scout rifle is that we are too use to having firearms for specific tasks rather than general purpose; part 4 delves into whether or not rifles that essentially are scout rifles should be accepted as "scout rifles"; part 5 sets out a practical shooting test to determine whether a rifle can really be used in the role of a scout rifle; and part 6 is a wrap up. 
• "Air Rifle vs Rimfire Shootout: Here’s Why a Modern Air Rifle Might Be a Better Choice Than a .22 LR"--Outdoor Life.  Note that the author is not discussing pump or break-action air rifles like you may have used as a kid, but pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) airguns which "use a pressurized air cylinder or bottle to generate their power, which provides more accuracy, greater velocity, ease of use, and the ability to tune the rifle." They also require compressors that can achieve 4000 PSI to recharge the air rifle's tank. 
• Shooting basics: "How to Use Iron Sights"--The Armory Life.  This is a basic overview of how iron sights work, how to align the sights and take the shot, and why you should learn to use them. I've read that there are some younger shooters out there that have never used anything but a scope or red dot, so this article is probably mostly for them and for new shooters. I wish it had covered more about the different types of iron sights (mostly to demonstrate the different types of shot pictures). 
• "Throwback Thursday: Is the Walther PPK Still a Good Carry Gun?"--The Shooter's Log. This is a good overview of the PPK and PPK/s including instructions on field stripping the weapon. In his experience owning a half dozen models in different calibers, he found them reliable but needed more cleaning and lubrication than more modern pistol designs. On shooting the weapon:

    ... I loaded the pistol with Fiocchi 95-grain FMJ for the range work, ammunition that is reliable, accurate, and clean burning. I fired 50 rounds of the Fiocchi cartridges in rapid-fire range drills and discovered the pistol is more accurate than you would think for the size.

    The sights are a limiting factor; however, they are larger than those on many pocket pistols of the era. The Walther is fast on the draw. The double-action trigger is smoother in some examples than others. After about 5 yards, rather than attempting to stage the trigger and hope for a hit, you may as well cock the hammer for deliberate fire. In the single-action mode, the Walther is quite accurate, and it is not difficult to put a magazine into the X-ring at 10 yards in rapid fire. Recoil is controllable.  

He concludes: 

The balance of the handgun is ideal, and it carries well. It is often considered a pocket pistol and may fit most pockets well. The PPK is an easy handgun to fire accurately at close range, at least in single-action fire, and it comes on target quickly in trained hands. Overall, there is little to fault. The PPK is an iconic pistol that should be in every handgunner’s collection.

On the other hand, we have this from Chris Baker at Lucky Gunner: "The Walther PPK Is Not Very Good." An excerpt:

But I feel duty-bound to make this video, because I know that somewhere out there, right now, someone wants to buy a handgun for personal protection or to learn how to shoot. Maybe this will be their very first firearm purchase, period. And for whatever reason, the Walther PPK is at the top of their list. If that is you, then, sir or madam, I really need to make sure you know that in the year 2021, the Walther PPK is a horrible choice for any practical purposes. Yes, that is only an opinion, but it’s one shared by just about anyone who really takes pistol shooting seriously. Today I want to talk about why. 

• "Best Covert Knives: Spyware"--Recoil. (Warning: loud ad automatically plays).  A look at some stabbing tools that don't look like stabbing tools. 
• "What Ammo Types Do You Really Need for When the SHTF"--The Truth About Guns. The author first discusses types of projectiles (e.g., FMJ/Ball, Hollow Point, Match, etc.) and what they are used for, before getting into his thoughts on what to have and how much. An excerpt:

    Now that we have all of the main types and cost comparisons laid out it is time for my recommendations as an avid stockpiler. Starting with pistol calibers I recommend stocking FMJ and Ball ammunition, it's the cheapest option as well as easily bought in bulk. ...

    Rifle calibers are where it gets slightly muddy, and I might contradict myself a bit. If you're one of the many who will carry Americas’ Rifle, the AR-15, or its variants in 5.56 I see no reason to not find a happy medium ammunition that crosses the boundaries of affordability and performance, as shown with the 77 grain OTM from AAC. Say you chose a different caliber for your main defensive rifle, 7.62x39 or 300 Blackout for example, my advice would be to just buy bulk FMJ in whatever brand works best in your rifle. Why the change in my opinion? Mainly it is due to the wide spectrum of speciality ammunition available for the 5.56 that simply isn't there for other rifle calibers, and at a cost that is still able to be had in bulk. 

    Larger hunting calibers, or simply the firearms you have decided to hunt with, I suggest to skip the FMJ and stock up on what dedicated hunting bullet performs best out of your rifle. Whether it be a ballistic tip or a soft point I will leave up to you to determine and decide. While yes practice and training with these calibers will be more costly only having hunting ammunition, a consistent drop and bullet path alleviates the need to change or remember your point of impact in relation to the reticle.

    Contradictory to this thought process though, there is the possibility that your hunting firearms could do double duty as a DMR, leading to my belief that you might consider stocking match ammo for these calibers as well. ...

• "How to Grow Potatoes"--Backwoods Home Magazine. A good article on starting into growing potatoes and preparing the soil. I will add that there is a reason that potatoes spread so rapidly through the "Old World" after Europeans discovered them in the Americas: they are generally easy to grow in large quantities even from modest size amounts of land. If you are really interested in trying to become largely self-sufficient on small plots of land, you will have to resort to potatoes or sweet potatoes or similar. 
• "Cooking on the Run – Why a Canister Stove Makes Sense in the Evacuation Kit"--Gat Daily. By "canister stove" the author means "a small burner that screws onto the top of a fuel canister." The model he uses is the MSR PocketRocket 2, but:

There are many other brands and models on the market. But they’re all fairly similar in design and operation. They’ll have arms that fold out to hold a cook pot as well as some sort of fuel control to adjust the size of the flame. When you’re done, turn it off and let it cool for a bit, then unscrew it from the fuel canister for storage. 

The reasons for using one when evacuating (bugging out) which he lists are (a) stealth (i.e., not having the light, smoke or smell of a campfire), (b) speed, (c) versatility, (d) and weight. Most of his comparisons are versus a campfire, which is unfortunate because I would liked to see some comparisons versus other types of camping or emergency stoves (e.g., a larger stove or something minimalist like a Sterno type stove). The primary issue you have to address with this type of stove is whether to have a small stove like this for each bugout bag or to have a larger stove that would serve multiple people (more useful, but larger and with less redundancy). 

• "America is a country of doomsday preppers"--Vox. An interview with Robert Kirsch, an assistant professor at Arizona State University and the co-author of Be Prepared: Doomsday Prepping in the United States. 
• "‘People were buying crossbows faster than I’d like’ – how prepping went mainstream in Britain"--The Guardian. After noting the differences between the UK and strategies adopted by  Canadian and American preppers (e.g., the British can't own firearms and there isn't enough space to live off the grid or have a bug out location) the article continues:

    And yet the same geopolitical weather is hitting us all, and there are common themes haunting people and spiking sales of prepper products.

    During Covid, it was “freeze-dried food, and a lot of people started looking into things a bit deeper,” Jones says. “I’ve had retired GPs buying off me; I’ve got vets buying off me. It’s completely opened up – it’s not the old Rambo nuts.”

    When Russia invaded Ukraine, Jones continues, “we sold out like mad on gas masks, nuclear protection stuff, potassium tablets. We did a month’s trade in a day and a half. It’s all military-grade – we don’t sell the stuff that’s 30 years old.” They’re not cosplaying preparedness, in other words.

    Shehzad cautions respect around survivalism – preppers are not hysterical, they’re very informed, she says. Or maybe the second leads to the first. “They have a range of worries – geopolitical, economic, climate. International politics, also. They’re very well-read, much more interested in what’s happening around them than others.” 

• "Meet Ireland’s survivalists: ‘One bunker takes 150 people and has its own water source’"--The Irish Times. After briefly going over how other European countries are encouraging their populations to prepare, the article continues:

    For a growing group of men and women around Ireland, however, stockpiling supplies and preparing for global threats that could wipe out everything from communication links to food access is already a given.

    Among this group, there are two distinct skill sets: “prepping”, where months of food, water, and medical supplies are stockpiled, and two-way radios tuned and ready for maritime, aviation and first-responder communications; and “survivalists” who can hunt, gather and live comfortably off grid and without any creature comforts. 

•  "Survival In Japan"--The Prepper Journal. A 2015 article, but interesting. From the article:

    The Japanese government, like FEMA in the United States, does recommend bugging in and waiting for aid to come to you. In a country that has frequent earthquakes many Japanese people do have a very basic emergency kit. The kit usually consists of a light, a pair of simple work gloves, a small amount of rope, emergency radio, emergency blanket, several bottles of water and dried goods such as ramen noodles, crackers or long life survival biscuits. All of which is cased in a fireproof backpack. This comes usually as a set pack with additional items that can be bought separately.

    After my second year in Japan, I myself bought several of these items and began my journey into the world of prepping. Many supermarkets and discount stores here have a dedicated emergency section for such goods. However, comparing with other countries such as the United States or the U.K, the selection and variety of long-term survival goods is somewhat poor.

•  More: "How to Make a Survival Kit for Emergencies in Japan"--Gaijinpot. 

The Japanese government wholeheartedly encourages citizens to prepare emergency survival kits. The official line is that just one item, a simple flashlight or bottle of water, can be life or death in an emergency. Moreover, Japan’s geography is varied. As such, local governments suggest different kinds of survival kits. For residents in Tokyo, these are the basic recommended items for your survival pack:

•     Flashlight
•     Portable radio
•     Helmet
•     Protective hood
•     Work gloves
•     Blanket
•     Batteries
•     Lighter
•     Candles
•     Water (remember to replace every few months)
•     Food (instant noodles, canned food, protein bars, etc.)
•     Can opener
•     Knife
•     Extra Clothing
•     Baby bottle
•     Cash
•     First-aid kit
•     Your bankbook
•     Your hanko (personal seal)

Also, consider things like prescription medicine. The government also suggests preparing smaller individual survival kits if you have children. This not only means you can pack more items but also provides an opportunity to discuss with your kids the importance of being prepared in the event of a disaster and what to do should one occur. 

The article also addresses some popular pre-made kits you can order online and how to put together your own kit. 

    A note on the hanko (personal seal): The Japanese don't sign their names, as we do, but use a stamp with a seal having their name upon it. They can be quite generic and mass produced, or custom made. But it acts as your legal signature. 

•  More: "EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR U.S. CITIZENS IN JAPAN"--U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan. Information on the Japanese emergency alert system, disaster survival tips, putting together your own kit, including a check list for both a go-bag and a stay-bag.