You think it's bad HERE?

I don't want to downplay the gang problem in the Tulsa area, but at least we haven't had funerals in Roman Catholic churches shot up. It seems that a fine, upstanding, young, rising music star named James Holman, age 32, died, and the funeral home rented St. Columbanus Catholic Church for the service. Unfortunately, someone at the service decided to take out some rivals. Two members of the Gangster Disciples were shot resulting in one dead and one wounded. Police recovered two guns at the scene - one from the newly dead thug and one from the wounded thug. The shooter(s) is(are) still at large.

Oh, yeah: "Holman, identified by police as a gang member, was gunned down last week at an apartment building in the Washington Park neighborhood."

Final note: Chicago will most likely have 500 murders or more this year. Last time I checked, they were up to 477 or so year-to-date. Illinois is the only state that has no provision for law-abiding citizens to carry handguns either concealed or openly, and Chicago still has the most draconian gun laws in the United States.

ECS

Well, we're qualified!

Qualification week started Monday, 22 October, and everyone did very well. We had two practice days the previous two Sundays, and turnout was excellent. People paid attention and worked hard to improve their skills.

I was in the first firing order on the 22nd and qualified with 100% on the handgun course with my S&W Model 686-6 revolver. In fact, I had the only 100% handgun score for the week, much to the dismay of the combat Tupperware® shooters. We changed duty ammunition for the revolvers to the Speer 135 grain Gold Dot Hollow Point .357 Magnum and .38 Special +P rounds, and accuracy was exceptional. Duty ammunition for the semiautomatic shooters remained Federal 155 grain JHP which has proven accurate and effective.

The best news is that NO ONE had to shoot the course of fire more than the two times required. (You get three opportunities to qualify twice on each course of fire.) I'm very proud of the hard work and dedication demonstrated by my fellows.

ECS

PS. I would have posted this earlier, but 57 hour work weeks have really interfered with my play time.

Qualification prelude

Qualification is upon us once again, and the ranges open for practice Sunday morning. There will be the usual crowd of dedicated, conscientious officers wanting to hone their skills and the guys and gals who just like to shoot for free! Of course, those two groups are not mutually exclusive. Over the next few weeks, they will fire several thousand rounds of 180 grain .40 S&W ammunition. A few of us will add several hundred rounds of 125 grain .357 Magnum, and a similar amount of 158 grain .38 Special. (Yes, there are still a few of us old-timers toting .357 Magnum revolvers with .38 Special bugs.)


Then, there are the others, those that don’t like guns, don’t like to shoot, don’t practice on their own time, and don’t even remove them from their holsters between qualifications. Those are the folks who will fail to qualify on at least one of the three opportunities on their qualification days. (A shooter must qualify on two of three chances in order to work armed. If they fail, range personnel conduct immediate remedial training and let them attempt to re-qualify. If they fail that, they don’t work until they have retrained from day one of the firearms course and re-qualify since qualification with firearms is a job requirement.)

I’ve already heard some officers whining about qualification, their issue weapons, and the likelihood that weather will be inclement. Sometimes I think they’re in the wrong career field. I heard one of them refer to his issue handgun as a “boat anchor.” I’ll be working with him personally to resolve any problems he thinks he has…

ECS

In the event of riots...

...what will you do?

I know, you're all wondering why I'm bringing up something that seems so far away timewise. It's been years since the "Days of Rage" in Chicago, the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the riots that followed the California state court acquittals of the police officers accused of using excessive force in the arrest of Rodney King. What could I possibly be thinking, right?

Two scenarios:

1. Senator Obama loses the Presidential Election. His supporters, enraged by a perception that the election was "stolen," riot.

2. Senator Obama wins the Presidential Election. His supporters, emboldened by a perception that they won the election and deserve the spoils, riot, looting and attacking anyone they perceive to be a "McCain cracker."

"Not possible!" you say. "The One wouldn't allow it!"

Really? You need to read the posts of the wingnuts on the left-wing blogs and get back to me. In the meantime, check out the following:

http://messages.yahoo.com/Cultures_%26_Community/Issues_and_Causes/Current_Events/US%255FNews/threadview?bn=7088116-guncontroldebate&tid=924437&mid=924450

http://messages.yahoo.com/Cultures_%26_Community/Issues_and_Causes/Current_Events/US%255FNews/threadview?bn=7088116-guncontroldebate&tid=923988&mid=923996

http://messages.yahoo.com/Cultures_%26_Community/Issues_and_Causes/Current_Events/US%255FNews/threadview?bn=7088116-guncontroldebate&tid=923556&mid=923558

Now, back to the riots -

How do you prepare, and what do you do when they start?

Preparation requires having a plan. Cowering in your bedroom under the covers may be your plan, but it doesn't appeal to me. We're talking about planning to survive the riots with your life, your property, and your dignity/sacred honor intact, so we plan. Actually, we have two plans: one if you and your family is home, and another if you're scattered to the four winds. A contingency for the second one is if you have to leave your home to retrieve/rescue a family member.

Let's make a list of essentials needed to execute these plans. Remember, riots are deadly things.

First, we need a secure place for the family. A safe room might be great for tornadoes and hurricanes, but it won't be worth a tinker's dam if someone is intent on burning your house down around it. A storm shelter might be good option if it has a secure, hidden entrance, or two. We don't want to get trapped inside one while folks pour gasoline down the air vents. That pretty much means that we must secure the house. (I'm not going to discuss apartments, because by their nature they cannot be secured.) A brick-sheathed house is better than a frame house; a concrete block house is better than a brick-sheathed house; a solid brick house is better than a concrete block house, and a poured concrete house is better than just about anything else. However, it's a bit late to be looking for a new house. (See why planning is important?) Therefore, we'll need something to block the doors and windows from unwanted entry and to stop bullets. That means sandbags or furniture (several layers of either one).

We'll need food and water for how ever many members we have in our family for at least a week with additional supplies for unexpected guests (people stranded at our house). We don't want to try to go grocery shopping in the middle of looting season. In the event of power failure we'll need a way to cook, heat, and light the house. That means gas stoves, lanterns, heaters, flashlights, generators, and fuel and batteries. Batteries and the generator will also be needed for a minimum of a good AM/FM radio and a police scanner.

The next need is a way to defend your house and stuff. Ladies and gentlemen, there isn't any way around this: we're talking about guns..., and more. That means at least one rifle or shotgun per able-bodied, responsible member of our family; at least one handgun, ditto; and sufficient ammunition. (You'll have to decide what "sufficient" means.) I would really like to have some concertina/razor wire stashed in our garage as well, but it's almost impossible to get. Ironically, some of the most effective defensive long guns for the price are former Warsaw-pact weapons: SKS carbines, semi-automatic AK-47s, Mosin-Nagant rifles and carbines (M38/M44), and Makarov 9mm handguns. At least people who might riot know what they look like and the damage they can do. A decent repeating shotgun can be had new for well under 200 dollars (Maverick 12 gauge pump by Mossberg) and with slugs, buckshot, or duck hunting shells can be devastatingly effective. Just about any decent quality handgun, or even "bargain" handguns will do.

As in the "Rodney King riots," a show of force, or willingness to use force, can prevent rioters from approaching an otherwise unprotected area. The Korean shopkeepers kept their businesses safe by being seen armed on the roofs and around them. I recommend coordinating with our neighbors, if possible, to defend our neighborhood, our street, our block. This sort of effort prevented looters from going into some neighborhoods in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The important thing is that we must be prepared to use those guns to defend ourselves and our families. I'm not talking about shots over rioters heads or in the dirt at their feet. We must be prepared to shoot to stop any threat. That means holding center mass of the target. We'll discuss this again.

If we are away from home, we and our families must be prepared to reach a place of safety and/or home. This means we must have emergency supplies in our vehicle and the means to defend ourselves. Our family members should also have the same sort of supplies and armaments. Water, blankets, jacket, rain gear, first aid kit are bare minimum requirements. Handguns, either carried legally concealed, or secured in our vehicle, are most portable, but , if we have a secure way to store them in our vehicle, a compact long gun such as a "coach gun"-type shotgun, a lever action carbine, or an SKS or M-1 Carbine would be an excellent choice. For the vehicle or concealed carry, we will, ideally, have a decent quality handgun, but the important thing is to have a gun of adequate caliber. If all we can afford is a HiPoint 9mm, that's what we go with.

Before we head to our house, we need to get as much information as we can about where the riots are taking place and what the traffic is like. We take a route that avoids riot areas as much as we can, and we do not stop if someone attempt to block our path or run us off the road. We don't get out of our vehicle as long as it is operational. If rioters try to get us to stop by running out in front of us, well, that's their problem. I need to address something else, right now. We can't be trying to do this in one of those tiny little cars. If that's all we have, we stay put or go way out of our way to get home if we can get there without going any where near the riots. We need to have, at the very least, a mid-size car, SUV, or pickup truck, and we need to ensure we always have at least a half tank of gas. This is a case where bigger is better. Remember Reginald Denny? He was driving a 14 wheel dump truck with a load of sand, but he stopped and was dragged from his cab. To be fair, he didn't have a radio in the truck, so he didn't know about the riots, but we don't go anywhere with our doors unlocked, do we? We don't get out of our vehicle to try to reason with anyone. We are in a two-ton vehicle, and we will use it.

If we can go straight home, that's what we do. If a family member is in a secure place we may need to leave him/her there until order is restored or it's safe to retrieve him/her. If that family member is in an insecure place and can't get to his/her vehicle safely, we may have to do an extraction. We stick to major streets, and we don't stop until we get to the family member's location. Then, we do a stop-and-go, even if we have to drive right up to the door. If someone shows a gun in a threatening manner, we get down, go, and prepare to return fire. If someone points a gun, we shoot.

Over dramatic? Maybe, but my family and I will not be victims. Racist? Not at all. I don't care what color someone is if they are trying to harm me or my family. The important thing is to have a plan.

Questions?

ECS

Getting back to guns

In 1929 at the Tula Arsenal in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, this 1895 Nagant 7.62x38R came off the assembly line. It wasn't finely finished, and it's design was admittedly obsolescent, soon to be supplanted by the Tokarev but not replaced. The arsenals that built these revolvers continued to churn them out through the end of World War 2 in 1945. Under the old Soviet system, when a gun was in production, it stayed in production.

My brother, formerly a Russian linguist/specialist for the USAF, told me that as late as the 1980's some Soviet police still carried this gun. In a country where the odds of a полицейский facing an armed criminal or citizen were miniscule, the mere threat of a gun may have been enough.

I just wanted one. Surprisingly, it feels very good in my hand. The trigger pull, both single-action and double-action are heavy but manageable. The finish shows some tool marks through the almost black bluing. This is not a "shiny" gun, but the wood grips are very nice with checkered wood inlays in the front and back straps.

The Nagant action is interesting in that as the hammer moves back the cylinder first rotates, then moves forward to surround the forcing cone of the barrel. At the same time, the recoil plate also moves forward to support the base of the cartridge lined up with the barrel. Using the unique ammunition with the bullet buried below the mouth of the casing, when the gun fires the extended case mouth expands, sealing the cylinder gap. This makes the Nagant the only revolver, contrary to what we've seen in the movies and on TV, that works with a suppressor. Releasing the trigger allows the cylinder to retract and reset. On the down side, all the movement when the trigger is pulled in double-action is what make the trigger pull heavy.

The gun came with a fake-leather fabric holster with a double ammunition pouch that holds 14 rounds. (Did I mention that the Nagant is a seven-shooter?) There may have been a cleaning rod and lanyard with it originally, but they are long gone.

The 1895 Nagant holds the record for service-handgun production and service. While there's no way of knowing if mine saw active service, I'm happy owning a piece of history.

ECS

Concealed Carry Thoughts 2

I prefer revolvers for concealed carry in the main. If I thought I was going into combat, my choice would be different due to the differences between self-defense and combat, and I probably wouldn't be too concerned about concealability. Since personal self-defense generally doesn't involve laying down a base of fire or suppression, I don't need what some commentators refer to as "firepower." What I need is something that works every time, is concealable and has sufficient power to stop an attacker. What I want is something that works just like every other gun I might carry. My solution is revolvers.

The big questions are, "What kinds of revolvers? What caliber revolvers? What barrel length/frame size revolvers?"

As much as I love single-action revolvers, concealing one tends to be a problem especially since most of mine are .45 Colts. So, that leaves double-action revolvers. While I really like Colt Detective Specials, they have moved into the realm of collectibles. That leaves any number of other makes. Since Smith & Wesson and Taurus use the same basic system of cylinder release (push forward on the latch), that's what I elected.

Caliber is a subject where everyone has an opinion. My primary defensive caliber is .357 Magnum with 125 grain jacketed hollow point (JHP) bullets. My reasoning is that not only do the Evan Marshall and Ed Sanow statistics from Handgun Stopping Power: The Definitive Study show that round to be right at the top and whenever a new defensive pistol round is introduced the developer compares it to the .357 Magnum, but this powerhouse is available in readily concealable handguns. My secondary defensive caliber is .38 Special +P with a 125 grain JHP bullets. It isn't the powerhouse that the .357 Magnum is, but it is adequate and can be used in .357 Magnum revolvers. It is also more controllable for someone who isn't a dedicated pistolero.

While there are those people who can conceal N-frame Smith & Wesson or Colt New Service revolvers, I'm not one of them. The choice for me is a K-frame Smith & Wesson or smaller. In particular the Model 13/65. My preferred barrel length is three inches. I can conceal a three inch Model 13 easily, and it doesn't get in my way performing normal movements like sitting in my truck or riding my scooter.

So we come to my concealed carry battery: (1) a .357 Magnum S&W Model 13 with a three inch barrel and Bianchi Lightning grips, (2) a .38 Special Taurus Model 85SSUL* with a two inch barrel, and (3) a .32 ACP Kel-Tec P32 (Okay, it's an automatic.). When away from the house I carry the M13 IWB on my right side, the 85SSUL IWB on my left side, and the P32 in my pocket. At home, carry the M85SSUL strong side and the P32 in my pocket. If going somewhere where the revolvers would be too intrusive (a rare occasion), the P32 goes it alone. The biggest change comes during the winter when my four inch S&W M681 replaces the M13 on my right side in a Bianchi #7. That moves the M13 to the left, and the M85SSUL moves to a coat pocket.

You may have different requirements and different solutions, but that's what freedom is all about.

ECS

*(Stainless Steel Ultra-Lite)

Concealed Carry Thoughts

Thanks to the great State of Oklahoma, I have a Concealed Handgun License. While I would rather not have the state involved at all in how and when I carry a gun, at least Oklahoma is a "shall issue" state, and the regulations are not onerous. So, I figure to live with 'em.

When it has come up in conversation (rarely), I have had otherwise reasonable and intelligent people ask me why I carry a gun. They ask me if I'm afraid or if I see myself as some sort of Rambo or vigilante. Or, they tell me they are afraid of guns. They then pontificate on the evils of guns, all the damage guns do to "our society," and how, if it were in their power, they would ban guns.

Well, for the record, I'm not afraid (most of the time) of anything (almost), nor do I see myself as Rambo or a vigilante. I carry guns (Yes, I typed guns.) for the same reason I wear a seat-belt; for the same reason I wear a helmet, armored jacket, boots, and gloves when I ride my scooter; for the same reason I have insurance on my house, car, truck, and scooter. If you need any of these, you're going to need them right now. I, for one, don't want to be looking for something to protect myself if someone attacks me or a member of my family, especially since I'm what they call a high-mileage model. (Hand-to-hand combat training was a lot of miles and a lot of wear'n'tear ago.) I'm not looking for trouble, but I intend to be as ready for it as I can.

For those people who are afraid of guns, my mother included, I can only ask if they are afraid of kitchen utensils, tools, cars, and their hair dryers. A gun is a tool. It won't go off by itself. It won't turn the person holding it into a slathering, wild-eyed, murderous monster bent on wreaking havoc amongst his family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. It has no motivation, morals, or ability of its own. That is not to say that a gun should not be respected, but a gun can't make anyone do anything.

(My mother has acknowledged that her fear of guns is irrational, but, when a woman down the street from her house was murdered in cold blood after surprising burglars in the middle of the day, she insisted that either my brother or myself, with our guns, come stay with her until the police apprehended the killers. This we did, because that's what family does.)

As for guns damaging our society, I would say that criminals damage our society. Criminals don't obey laws. Banning guns won't change that because criminals won't obey the laws banning guns, leaving the law-abiding defenseless. The gun banners, when I ask them what to do if threatened by an attacker, say that I should let the police handle it, "That's what we pay them for." They get a bit flustered when I say that their response to an immediate threat is to hope that people with guns come to their aid in time to save them. They get more flustered when I tell them that the police have no legal responsibility to protect any individual who doesn't have a pre-existing relationship with the police, i.e. a snitch...excuse me, a confidential informant.

It is a sad commentary on our "society" that people abdicate their responsibility for their safety, for their families' safety, and for their very lives to others.

So, I will continue to carry concealed handguns.

ECS