I’ll be on NRA News tonight at 9:40pm to talk about the Indiana Handgun Permit database issue with Cam Edwards. Check it out at www.nranews.com!
Now that's a GP100
Old but relevant to the holster post below: if you’re going to get a GP100 built into a custom gun, this gun from Grant is just about the perfect GP100. I might have linked to this before, but I don’t care because it’s so pretty.
50 round practice session
Budgets are tight, ammo is expensive, and time is more valuable than ever. Sometimes when you get to the range, you don’t want to burn 200 or 300 rounds of your precious centerfire ammo on a long, drawn out practice session. Tiger McKee offers tips for a 50 round practice session at the range:
When I get to the range I unload my weapon and practice dry, presenting my weapon from the holster and getting that one perfect trigger press. Then I’ll do the same thing while stepping left, right, or to the rear. Once I’m feeling pretty good about that I’ll start with live fire, repeating the same drills, and only shooting fifteen rounds.
It’s very good advice on how to get the most training benefit out of the least amount of ammo necessary. It’s especially ideal for shooters looking to function test a new hollow point or defensive load with their firearm, as it involves all the major firearms function drills.
Fobus GP100 Holster
I had no idea this even existed, but apparently FobusUSA makes a version of their Evolution Holster for the GP100. I haven’t used a Fobus holster for quite some time, however I have heard anecdotally that on the newer Evolution series holsters they have corrected the issue with the plastic shearing off around the metal rivets. I don’t have any knowledge of that, but it would be interesting if they had.
The advantage of Fobus holsters is that they make holsters for models of firearms that are not necessarily commonly available; that being said I don’t currently own any Fobus holsters. Fobus has never given me anything, and all the Fobus holsters I’ve ever used I bought and paid for with my own money. I’m kind of curious about the GP100 holster though, because the GP100 is such a heavy gun it might be neat to see how well it carries in the Fobus, if it can distribute the weight well.
Journalist Database update
Here at Gun Nuts Media, we are committed to your safety, which is why we’re offering this update to our Authorized Journalist Database for the Bloomington, IN area. Now you’ll be able to see on which streets journalists live, and where they congregate so that for your safety you can avoid these areas.
Obviously, we’re providing this a public service to our readers, but there’s more to it than that. You’ll notice on the map that I haven’t published street numbers (with the exception of the business address). The reason for that is that the Herald Times maintains that because they’re not publishing street numbers, that their database is safe. If you look at the map, you’ll see what a crock that is – even in Bloomington, some of the streets that have “reporters” living on them have a very small number of houses.
Contact your legislators today and ask them to support legislation that makes the permit holder database private information.
If I could get one back
Blast from the past: The one that got away.
It’s an old post, but it still rings true. In my junior year of college, not long after I turned 21, I bought a Colt Trooper Mk III in .357 Magnum for the princely sum of $250. It was a big, heavy piece of steel, but it had a great double action trigger and was shockingly accurate. I wish to this day that I had never sold it, or at least waited longer before selling it. Looking on Gunbroker, the average going price for a 4 inch blue Trooper in good condition is $500. Apparently, my Trooper was a better investment than gold.
Cadets, Crime, and databases
Those were the topics from last night’s Gun Nuts Radio – the cadets at President Obama’s speech, the appalling murders of law enforcement in Seattle and the utter breakdown in the system that caused them, and of course the Indiana carry permit database being published by a local Bloomington, IN paper.
Check out last night’s episode by clicking here, or if you’d like an .mp3 version, click here. As usual, the show is available for regular subscription and download on 
.
One of the things we talked about is the public service that we’re going to provide here at Gun Nuts for our Hoosier readers: an authorized journalist database. For every paper that publishes a list, or creates a database of concealed carry permit holders, we’ll add them to our growing list of “authorized journalists”. It’s something that we can do for the community, to let you know that there might be reporters living in your neighborhood so you can take the appropriate steps to protect your family.
Check out last night’s Gun Nuts Radio for more information!
Indiana Authorized Journalist database
As a service to my fellow Hoosiers, I felt inspired by the recent events in Bloomington; the decision of the Herald Time to create and publish their Indiana carry permit database has lead me to believe that a similar and much more important service should be offered to Hoosiers. We’ll start off with Bloomington first, and then gradually expand the database as necessary. What we would do is create a list, a “registry” or sorts, where you’ll be able to go to our web site and make sure that your neighborhood is safe. Here at Gun Nuts, we’ll provide a street listing so you can know how many reporters and editorial staff live in your neighborhood.
Please note, that all information was obtained via public records; in fact most of them were acquired by looking up certain people in the phone book.
Our first inductees into the Indiana Authorized Journalist Database or “IAJD” for short are all staff at the Herald Times, coincidentally the same paper that is publishing a concealed carry database. Here are names of the “first additions” to our database:
- Scott C Schurz, President
- Bob Zaltsberg, Editor
- Todd Davidson, Digital Media Director
- Andrea M Murray, Managing Editor
Now, our first four additions all share a common business address. So if you live in the are of 1900 S. Walnut Street, Bloomington, IN 47401 be warned. That’s the headquarters (makes it sound like a lair of villains) of the Bloomington Herald at 1900 S. Walnut Street.
Now here are the major streets we’ve discovered that have authorized journalists.
- East Dekist Street: 1 journalist
- East Pine Lane: 1 journalist
- East Sheridan Drive: 1 journalist
- East Davis Street: 1 journalist
Now, since we didn’t publish names and house numbers, there’s no danger right? I mean, that’s what the Herald Times said about their database. By their logic, there is just NO POSSIBLE WAY my database could be abused for nefarious purposes, because I made sure to not link any names to specific addresses.
The point of all of this is to show the HTO that the knife cuts in both directions. Carry permit holders are law abiding citizens, and to treat us like sex offenders by putting us in some “carry permit database” that you stick in the “Crimes” section of your website is not only insulting, it’s reprehensible. So Herald Times, as they say: tit for tat. If you don’t like what you see here, then just pull your registry down.
Update: The Indiana Authorize Journalist Database is now interactive! See in Google Maps which streets in your neighborhood have dangerous and uncontrollable “journalists” on them. Is your street safe? Find out here!
Calculating lead on moving targets
One of the most challenging stages of the Bianchi Cup for newcomers to the sport is the Mover – I wrote about the Mover extensively last year in my run up to the match. One of the biggest concerns people have about the mover is “how much” is enough lead at what distances. Thankfully, all the distances in Bianchi Cup are known quantities, so it’s easy to calculate the approximate amount of lead you’ll need, as long as you know the velocity of your round.
The target on the mover is a standard NRA AP-1 target, which on the mover will travel 60 feet in 6 seconds, meaning it has a lateral speed of 10 feet per second. The dimensions of an AP-1 target are a 4 inch x-ring, an 8 inch 10 ring, and a 12 inch 8 ring with the rest of the target being the 5 ring (see image link). I’m going to run these calculations assuming that your bullet’s speed is 850 fps, which is fast enough to make the power factor using 158 grain (for .38s) or 147 grain (for 9mm and Super). If your bullet is going 850 feet per second, it will cover the 10 yards to the target in 0.035 seconds. In that 0.035 seconds, the target will have moved 0.35 feet, or 4.2 inches. That means at the 10 yard stage, you’ll need to hold in the area between the 10 ring and the 8 round to “aim” for the x-ring.
A couple of caveats before I get into the longer ranges: these are approximate amounts of hold. I’m not taking into account the bullet’s loss of velocity over distance, nor am I taking into account the angular distance between shooter and target when the Mover is at an angle to the shooter. Because of other uncontrolled variables such as recoil, wind, and shooter error, the goal of this post is to provide the shooter with a “point of aim” when they’re engaging the Mover at Bianchi Cup. Each measurement is a link to a picture of the point of aim.
- 10 yards – Bullet flight time: 0.035 seconds. Amount of lead: 4.2 inches
- 15 yards – Bullet flight time: 0.053 seconds. Amount of lead: 6.4 inches
- 20 yards – Bullet flight time: 0.071 seconds. Amount of lead: 8.5 inches
- 25 yards – Bullet flight time: 0.088 seconds. Amount of lead: 10.6 inches
Savvy shooters just noticed that at 850 FPS you’re going to be holding off the paper at 25 yards, which could present a problem in “hold” since you’ve lost your concrete aiming point. One of the best tricks I’ve heard for this is to hold the width of your front sight off the target at 25 yards.
In the linked images, the “hold points” are only on one side of the target – when it’s moving from right to left, use the ones in the links. When the target is going from left to right, hold on the other side of the target in the same spot. To decrease the amount of lead necessary, use a faster projectile. At 25 yards, upping your bullet speed to 1100 FPS decreases the amount of lead to 8 inches, which means that you’re again holding “on the paper”. A 115 grain bullet at 1100 FPS makes power factor and covers the 25 yards 0.068 seconds, which is noticeably faster than the projectile at 850 fps.
The purpose of this is give yourself an idea of where to hold on the target during the Mover. The rest is up to you as a shooter to have smooth follow through and clean trigger pulls!
Threat to ammo supply
From our friends at NSSF:
Threat to Ammunition Availability – Action Needed
As demand for ammunition continues to outpace supply, it is critically important that an amendment authored by Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) to a seemingly obscure hazardous material bill (HR 4016) be attached to the legislation during consideration on the House floor. When the bill passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Graves secured a commitment from Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to allow a vote on this amendment. The amendment being pushed by Graves will help protect the shipment of materials necessary for the manufacturing of ammunition. Without the Graves Amendment, the rate of production will slip, perhaps precipitously. In-turn, decreased production of ammunition will lead to decreased availability. This will lead to an increase in ammunition prices directly affecting consumers. Given the current high demand for ammunition, passage of the Graves Amendment should be considered critical to gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Floor action on the bill is anticipated within the next three weeks.The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry – is encouraging all hunters and sportsmen to contact Rep. Oberstar and urge him to support the Graves Amendment. Chairman Oberstar intends to bring HR 4016 to the floor prior to the end of the session (most likely between Dec. 8 and 22), so time is of the essence.
Congressman Oberstar can be reached at: (202) 225-6211