Guns

Flip it to the right

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

I’ve watched a lot of people manipulate semi-automatic handguns. When having to perform a manipulation that involves working the slide (e.g. unloading the gun), I see something that doesn’t work too well.

People flip the gun to the left.

This does assume a right-handed shooter, but it’s more about how the gun is made. Look where the ejection port is. Semi-automatic pistols eject on the right side of the gun (relative to the muzzle as the front). So if you flip the pistol to the left, where is the ejection port? Facing up at the sky. What’s the problem with this? Gravity works against you. The round/case to be ejected may not fly up and out of the gun… it might remain in the gun, if you’re unloading and have removed the magazine it may drop down the magazine… all sorts of issues. I’ve seen more than enough “fumbles” due to tilting to the left. Whether you’re shooting in competition or to save your life, can you afford a fumble?

What should you do? Tilt to the right. Now where is the ejection port? Facing down. Why is this good? Gravity works in your favor. What does it also do? It points the magazine well towards your left hand, which may be bringing up a fresh magazine for a reload. If you’re going to be reloading sure, you could tilt to the right, but you’ll have to tilt to the left for the reload… why add the wasted motion of tilting to the left? No advantage. Again, left-handed shooters have a slightly different set of issues to deal with, so they’ll have to adjust accordingly.

So why do people flip to the left? Some that I’ve seen do it because they feel they can operate the slide more effectively with a left flip. Most of those that I’ve seen do this are using the slingshot method of manipulating the slide. This is yet another reason to move to an “overhand grip” method of working the slide. Kathy Jackson has a great set of pictures and explanation on how to rack a slide. In fact, notice in her first picture on the slingshot technique what happens? Tilt to the left, ejection port up.

The simpler we can make things, the better. The fewer movements we have to memorize and condition ourselves to, the better. Tilt to the right, manipulate the slide with an overhand grip. These basic motions will apply to many things that you do with a semi-automatic handgun. Keep it simple and go with them.

What from Ruger?

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

So all the gun bloggers are getting excited wondering what big thing Ruger is going to unveil on Friday.

Of course, Tam’s snark is always good for a chuckle.

What do I think? Who knows. It does seem Ruger is sheding their controversial past. I mean, the Mini’s are now “tacti-cool“, you can buy factory 30-round magazines, so maybe it’ll be some sort of EBR like their entry into the AR market, tho I don’t know what they could really offer there that’s new/unique/compelling for the market. Michael Bane mentions a “big ole Ruger box” so I’d want to think that if we both define “big box” the same way it’s going to be a long-gun, not a 1911-style, not even a big-ass revolver, an LCP or LCR type gun… heck, shouldn’t be anything like that since those are fairly new, so they need to hit another part of the product line.

So if I’m going to predict anything, I’ll say something that breaks the mold, politically, for Ruger. e.g. an EBR.

Updated: Sebastian has a possible teaser? If it’s accurate, I’m good in my prediction. We’ll see tomorrow.

Updated 2: Steve at The Firearm Blog has an analysis of the Ruger situation. Given what he says there, it makes it even more likely to be an AR-style rifle.

Guns in National Parks amendment

/ hsoi

Yesterday the US Senate backed an amendment to allow people to carry concealed handguns into national parks.

On the surface, I’m pleased with this. Evil by definition doesn’t follow the rules. We good, well-intended folk might draw a line somewhere and say “sorry, you can’t cross this” and other good, well-intended folk will obey that… but evil won’t. When people go hiking in the backwoods of our national parks and risk running across people engaged in illegal activity (e.g. illegal drug operations, such as marijuana cultivation), those criminals tend to shoot first and ask no questions at all. Why should we good folk be disadvantaged, and forcefully so, by the laws that we cherish and obey?

If the measure becomes law “it would not only put park visitors and wildlife at risk, it would change the character and the peaceful and safe atmosphere in our parks,” [Bryan Faehner, associate director of the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group that opposes guns in parks] said.

So tell me how visitors are not already at risk? Tell me how evil is already warded off and parks are 100% safe havens. And wildlife will be at risk? How? This law only permits lawful concealed carry of a handgun by a segment of the population that are statistically more law-abiding that your average citizen. So now they’re going to break hunting and other game laws? I mean, you can hunt in national parks, per hunting laws, which means wildlife isn’t any more or less at risk because of this. How is this going to change? Oh that’s right… once you put a gun in someone’s hand they turn into bloodthirsty killers bent on shooting everything they see. The law no longer applies. We’re above the law! MUHAHAHA!  That’s right… I forgot. Silly me. 🙄  Gosh, and you’d think that with all the years of data we have regarding concealed carry would mean something… the fears of OK Corral shootouts and how the streets would be flowing with blood… gosh, none of that has yet come to pass; in fact, violent crime went down. Golly gosh jeepers, what to do.

But while I’m happy to see this, I’m not happy to see how it’s being done. It’s being attached as an amendment to a credit card reform bill. This is a bill that many feel needs to pass into law, given our current economic climate. So attaching this amendment — which has nothing to do with the bill — really doesn’t fly with me. The bill is one that needs to become law and likely will, which is part of the (sneaky) strategy in putting the amendment on this very bill. This strategy is sneaking the concealed carry stuff in through the back door, with a high chance that will allow it to become law (no line-item veto, so we’ll have to see how it fairs in committee when House and Senate reconcile). Folks, we bitch when people do this about things we don’t favor, so we need to bitch even when they do things in our favor. We can’t like the backdoor when it favors us and dislike it when it doesn’t.

Updated: Yea! It’s nice to see another gun blogger with mixed emotions over this one. It’s really interesting to watch most of your “pro gun blogs” out there, that bitch and moan about such legislative tactics, but now that the tactic is favoring them are oddly silent on the tactic and all happy to see legislation favoring them.

Springer Precision Firebird PMAG Coupler Review

/ hsoi / 3 Comments

TXGunGeek has a review of Springer Precision‘s Firebird PMAG Coupler.

I’ll let Mr. Gun Geek’s review do most of the talking. I’ve seen and gotten to play with the very same couplers he reviewed. They weren’t too bad. I was concerned about how they’d affect balance of the rifle in your hand, and they really didn’t have an adverse affect that I could feel.

Will I get them? Probably not, only because I’ve been looking for something else. I want to have more ammo on the rifle but not necessarily coupled together. Something like the Boonie Packer Redi-Mag may fit the bill. Yeah, TXGunGeek has an older version of the Redi-Mag on his AR. I was considering the Redi-Mag long ago, and being able to play with TXGunGeek’s has helped prod me in that direction, but I still haven’t made my decision.

That said, Springer’s Firebird PMAG Coupler is still a pretty cool thing. If that’s the sort of solution you’re after, like all things Springer Precision does it’s high quality and you should be satisfied.

It’s precisely a safety issue

/ hsoi

Louisiana is a step closer to allowing concealed carry on campus. Here’s hoping it makes it.

“Guns and campuses simply do not mix,” [Higher Education Commissioner Sally Clausen] said. “This is not a 2nd Amendment right; this is a safety issue.” 

It’s exactly a safety issue. If being safe is a matter of keeping people from harm, please tell me how “gun free zones”, such as college campuses, keep people from harm? There’s no invisible shield surrounding the campus keeping the evil out. We’ve got years of data showing that once you allow concealed carry, violent crime goes down. Where’s your data showing otherwise? We’ll be waiting.

Cops don’t believe in gun control??????!!?!?!

/ hsoi

Or at least, this 25 year veteran cop doesn’t. (h/t to Linoge)

Pens and pencils don’t make you misspell words; cars don’t make you drive drunk, run red lights or speed; and, no, not even a “morning star” can swing itself.  

The logic behind banning firearms in order to lower crime is as ridiculous to me as banning cars because so many people are injured and killed every year in accidents and drunken driving crimes. It is not the car that is at fault; it’s the driver who is at fault. And, by the same token, it isn’t the gun … It is the criminal who commits the crime and it is the criminals who need to be addressed and dealt with, not any device they use in the commission of their crimes.

As our government steadily changes more and more to the Left, gun control and outright gun ban issues will become very hot topics. So, I think it’s imperative Americans use some common sense in this area and realize gun control is in no shape, form or fashion crime control.  

If someone commits a crime with a gun, follow the law and punish the person, but leave the Second Amendment alone, it is in the Constitution for a reason.   

Ammo ban? Perspective.

/ hsoi

Howard Nemerov provides some perspective on the rumors of an ammunition ban.

Bottom line: Buyers help keep prices high because of concerns over what might happen in the future. As prices spiral and demand clears the shelves, people worry about getting ammunition in the future. Add a few rumors, people worry more and demand goes up even more. It may be best to stop stockpiling ammunition for now to reduce demand. Instead, spend your energy on convincing Congress that the civil right of self-defense is an idea whose time has come.

The NRA is running a promotion where you can join free for one year.

If you live in Texas, you should also join the Texas State Rifle Association. If you don’t live in Texas, you should join your equivalent local/state organization.

If you choose to do neither, at least be politically active. With the Internet, it doesn’t take long to find your Congresscritters and send them a quick email. When you contact them, keep it polite, respectful, to the point.

Love your children? Teach them.

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

David Codrea at the National Gun Rights Examiner has an article titled “Love your children? Teach them how to safely handle guns.” The point of the article is to say that the solution of avoiding guns, hoping they disappear, and keeping yourself and your children ignorant about guns tends to be what leads to tragedy.  Instead, the better solution is to teach your children how to handle a gun, the safety rules, how the gun works, and so on “[a]nd if you’re incapable of doing any of these things, you’re being negligent on a basic parental responsibility and need to get yourself trained without delay.”

I don’t disagree with Mr. Codrea’s basic premise, but I do disagree with how he presents his case and what he specifically asserts is the sole solution to the problem. He is correct in saying “we are better prepared to deal with things–all things–if we have become educated about them.” But what level of education we undertake for ourselves and our children is up to you. I do believe there are different levels of “gun knowledge” that one can have.

I believe the NRA’s Eddie Eagle program is the bare minimum knowledge that all people should have regarding guns. “Stop. Don’t touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult.” While aimed at children, it’s sound reasoning for everyone as a bare minimum of knowledge. This requires no gun handling, yet aims and succeeds at keeping people safe around guns. Whether you have a gun in your home or not, your children have potential to come across a gun. 

The next step up from this would be something like the NRA’s Home Firearm Safety Course. This is a gun-handling but non-shooting class that aims to educate about the basic rules of gun safety, different types of firearms, parts, actions, how they work…. and how to safely unload and store them. This is a good course for people that maybe inherited a large collection of firearms from grandpa, don’t shoot, but want to ensure safe storage of the firearms. This is good for school administrators or other people that may be around children and firearms, so they can know how to identify and render a firearm safe, but don’t need to know how to shoot.

Continuing up the ladder, the NRA’s First Steps courses or Basic courses in Pistol, Rifle, and/or Shotgun go a step further and actually teach you how to shoot. And there are certainly vast training opportunities out there for people that wish to go even further in their gun handling skills.

What level of knowledge you care to have is up to you. You can graduate from high school, undergrad, graduate, get a Ph.D., get multiple degrees. The level of education one undertakes regarding firearms is no different than the level of education one cares to pursue in anything in life. Without question, the more you know the more you can do, and ignorance will serve you the worst.

So Mr. Codrea, while we agree that ignorance is the worst policy, we’ll have to disagree on to what extent one must be educated. To know Col. Cooper’s rules is great if you’re going to handle a gun, but some do choose to never handle a gun and who am I or you to tell them they’re wrong in their choice? There’s still things folks can know that can keep them and their children safe, without having to compromise their stance or level of comfort regarding firearms. Not everyone likes to dive into the pool head-first… some people like to dip a toe in to check out the water. I figure as long as folks are willing to get even a little wet, that’s OK.

HB 1893 and SB 1164 updates

/ hsoi

As of today, SB 1164 has been left pending in committee. Not too thrilled about that.

But, earlier today HB 1893 was considered in Calendars and placed on the General State Calendar for Monday (May 11). So that’s a good sign.

We’ll see what comes of it all.