editorial

The 2nd Amendment guarantees an individual right to own guns

Posted on by Caleb

Despite my better judgement, I want to engage in a thought exercise this morning. I think we can all agree that the 2nd Amendment guarantees an individual right to the people to keep and bear firearms for basically whatever reason they want. That’s fine. That is the launching point for this mental exercise. From there, we have to acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that just because a person has a legal right to own a gun doesn’t necessarily mean that they should. This stems from the fact that owning a gun requires a person to be at least marginally responsible, because hey, it turns out that guns are kind of dangerous when used irresponsibly.

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In our current situation, it is functionally impossible to restrict the access of stupid but otherwise law abiding people to guns without also unfairly restricting the access of reasonable people. So here’s the thought exercise: if it was possible to restrict dangerously irresponsible people from having guns without infringing on the rights of reasonable folk, should we? Would the potential benefit in reduction of accidental shootings outweigh the potential infringement on the Constitutional rights of someone who hadn’t yet broken the law?

You can make convincing arguments in both directions. On the one hand, stupid, dangerously irresponsible people actually damage the right to keep and bear arms. Whenever someone leaves a loaded gun laying around and a kid shoots another kid with it, that leads to more irresponsible legislation. Whenever Bubba shoots Cleetus in the chest with a gun that “isn’t loaded”, Michael Bloomberg gets a chub at the thought of restricting gun rights. There are very good reasons from our side to restrict certain person’s access to firearms, quite simply because it would be better for us in general to clean up our ranks a bit.

The counter argument of course is that it is wrong to remove someone’s Constitutional rights without due process; and the Constitution doesn’t care if you’re stupid or smart. Which is all true, and something that I agree with in principle. In fact, while it’s a simplistic rebuttal, it is incredibly effective because it’s 100% correct.

But that’s not the point – the question that I’m posing to you, the thought exercise is twofold. If it was possible (which it is not and I don’t see how it could be), would you support restricting the access of idiots to firearms? Assume for the moment that the method which makes this possible is 100% flawless and would never restrict a reasonable, safe person’s access. Additionally assume that people aren’t penalized for simple accidents, but only for willfully negligent behavior.

Would you do it?

holsters

Safariland 5377 GLS Outside Waist Band holster review

Posted on by Baxter

This review is about the Safariland 5377-83 GLS OWB (Outside Waist Band) holster for Glock 17s (Glock 19s and 26s will fit as well).  There is a paddle variant of this holster, denoted as the Safariland 5378 and a clip model, the Model 5379.   This model is also known as the “GLS” or Grip Locking System.  The holster is classified as a Level I retention holster in that it can withstand active attempts to remove it for at least five seconds without the safety/retention device enabled.

This holster was generously provided for review by my friend Chris Abernathy of XS Sights.  Since reviewing this, I made sure to purchase one as a gift for my brother, who is now a full time cattle rancher and prefers a retention OWB holster he can rely upon when a’horseback.

The holster is typical Safariland quality, in that it’s (excuse the pun), nearly bullet proof.  Heavy duty plastic, felt lining (not thick felt though), and a sturdy belt slide which is adjustable for cant, three positions.  You may adjust the tension of how securely the weapon is retained with a hex key.  The holster is compatible with all of the Safariland three hole mounting systems.

 

Adjustment for cant is accomplished using one of the three holes at the bottom

Safariland bills this as a concealed carry holster but that is most certainly not the case in real life.  This is the holster to have for anyone considering OWB (outside waist band) carry that doesn’t want a slow draw but does want Level I retention.  The GLS is noticeably thinner than the industry standard (and standard for many police and military) ALS.

 

The GLS and Dark Star Gear OWB compared.  The GLS is much more bulky due to design.  Note the release button on the GLS.

Views showing the weapon inserted and comparison shots.


The silver hex head is how you adjust tension with regards how securely the pistol is held in the holster

Using the GLS is easy and…..instinctive.  Simply bump the button with the knuckle of your middle finger as you draw.  It took me roughly ten dry fire draws before I was drawing and dry firing without thinking about hitting the button.  Reholstering is similarly easy and instinctive but you do have to shove the weapon down into the holster until you feel the retention device engage.

Using sand, Virginia dirt, and talcum powder; I was not able to disable this holster’s locking mechanism (anything can be disabled with enough dirt, I concede).  Adults were not able to wrench the unloaded weapon out of the holster when I was wearing it.  My body was literally pulled and twisted around as folks tried to (in testing) to wrench the pistol out of my holster.

Using my shot timer, I was not able to register a statistical nor perceived difference between the GLS and my “go to” OWB holster; the outstanding Dark Star Gear OWB.  However, using one made me miss the other:

  • Using the GLS made me miss exactly how well the Dark Star Gear OWB hugs my hip.  I really don’t think OWB holsters are “concealed” for the most part but the Dark Star Gear OWB is the best OWB in my “box o’ holsters” for concealment with an untucked shirt.
  • Using the Dark Star Gear OWB made me yearn for the simple, intuitive, and secure GLS retention system.  Once you use it, you “get” the need for it.  You understand WHY? people like retention holsters.

  In the past, I’ve written about a certain trend in the Open Carry movement; that of using the junk SERPA holster or a SERPA knockoff.  Open Carry folks, please consider the GLS.  It’s a whopping fitty bucks or so shipped and at that price, it is worlds better than the SERPA or Uncle Mike’s you normally carry.  It’s even made for the Open Carry movement’s pistol of choice: the Springfield XD.

  Law enforcement personnel, if a Level I retention holster is mandated by your department; This.  Is.  It.  Just get one.  The draw speed is such that you can take your retention duty holster to your local IDPA/USPSA gun games and not miss a beat as you compete with your duty gear.  Hikers, folks who work outdoors, get you one of these.  It’s the ideal retention holster when concealment is not an overriding priority.

  Safariland knocked this one out of the park.  Now if they can follow up on their success and make a true CCW friendly GLS; that would make many gun owners very happy.  Ditch the requirement for the three hole Safariland mounting system capability and just give the holster two belt loops.  It’s OK to make CCW only holsters, Safariland.  Also, Safariland…..please consider working on your website’s layout and navigation.  It’s in desperate need of a refresh. 
I would like to note that I received the GLS holster as a loan and am sending it back to Chris at XS Sights.  The Dark Star Gear OWB was bought and paid for by myself.
IDPA

2013 IDPA Nationals Stage 7

Posted on by Caleb

As I prepare for the 2014 IDPA Nationals, a big part of that is reviewing previous stages from previous matches. Here’s stage 7 from last year’s Nationals:

That was actually a pretty good run for me, I finished 4th overall on the stage. This stage, like many in IDPA, puts a heavy premium on accuracy. With only 12 shots, a single down -1 hit can have a dramatic affect on your stage time. I shot the stage in a raw time of 16.64, but dropped three points for a final stage time of 18.14. The shooters who beat me on this stage dropped 1 point. I gave it away by not pushing for more accuracy on a stage where most of the shots were pretty easy.

revolvers

Lights and lasers on defensive revolvers

Posted on by Caleb

As we continue our discussion of adding lights and lasers to your defensive firearms, the topic of revolvers is bound to come up. Regardless of the rise in popularity of semi-auto pistols, there are still approximately 1 jillion revolvers out there in holsters and nightstands. For HD/defensive handguns, the hierarchy of needs as I see is: 1) white light, 2) laser, 3) night sights in that order.

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We’re immediately presented with a problem, because mounting a white light on a revolver is tricky at best. If your defensive revolver looks similar to the Taurus 82 pictured, it probably doesn’t have a dovetail rear sight, and it probably doesn’t have a rail on it for mounting a light either. Unless you have one of the 8 shot N-frame S&W Performance Center guns with the rail on it, options are limited. Obviously, you could just use duct tape to attach the light to the barrel of the gun, which wouldn’t be ideal, but in a pinch it would probably work. I’ve seen stranger things. If your gun has a full length underlug, you could have it drilled and tapped and have a strip of rail added to it for a light, but then that creates holster issues.

Truth be told, I can’t think of a good way to mount a white light to a wheelgun. There are some gimmicky rail attachments out there, some really silly stuff. Honestly, the best thing to do is get a good handheld flashlight and practice with it. Two things on light selection: make sure it’s a light with a permanent on/off switch, not one where you have to maintain continuous pressure to keep it on. I like the Terralux TT 1 as my go-to light. It’s small enough to fit easily in a pocket, provides tons of light on its brightest setting, and has a selectable strobe on it as well. Because it’s small, you can use a modified Surefire grip on it, just click the tailcap to turn it on, then click the tailcap to turn it off. I’ve personally used the TerraLux on low and no light stages at IDPA Indoor Nationals, and it works great.

The laser issue is easily solved. Get some Crimson Trace Lasergrips for your revolver. Especially if you’re carrying a J-frame or any wheelgun with those gutter (is a tool) sights on them. Seriously, gutter sights are pretty terrible for serious shooting activities, so put some sweet beams on there.

Night sights…can be a problem. Most revolvers don’t come with dovetails for replacing the factory sights. If you have an adjustable sight S&W revolver, you can replace the rear sight with the C&S Extreme Duty, which are pretty great. There are also XS front sights available for both Ruger and S&W revolvers, and you can get those with night sights. But the truth is that night sights are hard to get. A good option is a fiber optic front sight, because those will collect ambient light very well in low-light, and will definitely collect the light from your flashlight.

But the easiest way to get a defensive light on your revolver is to go buy a semi-auto pistol and and put gear on that. However, I love revolvers, so I’m always looking for ways to bring them into the 21st Century.

Uncategorized

Gun Nuts Movie Reviews: Battle: Los Angeles

Posted on by Caleb

I’ll get right to the point. Battle: Los Angeles is a great movie. Not because it’s well written or well directed, but because it’s 100% honest about itself. It’s also a far better war movie than The Hurt Locker or Zero Dark Thirty. While we’re on that topic, can someone tell me why we keep letting Kathryn Bigelow direct war movies? The Hurt Locker sucked, and Zero Dark Thirty Sucked. Sure, Point Break was epic and amazing, but that was 23 years ago.

But back to Battle: LA. It’s great. According to my friends from the Marines, it manages to be just the right amount of moto, not too much and not moto enough, but right on point. Aaron Eckhart nails the crusty Marine sergeant, and the rest of the characters are pretty well done, right down to the inexperienced butter bar who manages to HTFU and make a decent end of himself. Sure, Michelle Rodriguez shows up playing the same character she always plays, and no they don’t let women work as 1C4X1 in the Air Force, but we can skip over that.

onesheet

Here’s the basic premise of Battle: LA. Aliens attack earth, and a platoon of Marines needs to help evacuate survivors. It promises you one thing: aliens fighting Marines. It delivers. It also delivers the best rifle to pistol transition I’ve ever seen in a movie during the pretty sweet final battle scene between the embattled Marines and the bugs. The movie has all right notes, it’s fun, there are explosions, gunfights, and solid action. But what’s really great about the movie is how it’s actually a sneaky throwback to the moto war movies of the 40s and 50s.

It’s not cool in Hollywood to make war movies that show American servicemen and women kicking ass and taking names. The last movie I can think of about the American military kicking ass is Black Hawk Down, and even that’s fairly ambiguous. The Kingdom would qualify, but the protagonists are FBI agents, not US troops. To put it plainly, Hollywood doesn’t like to make movies about Americans winning wars. They like moral ambiguity and Jeremy Renner crying in the shower. So if you want to make an unapologetic pro-Murica Moto War Movie, you have to make the bad guys aliens. Because they can’t be Islamic extremists, someone might get offended. We even pulled the Chinese out of the miserable Red Dawn reboot, and replaced them with the extremely unlikely North Koreans.

Battle-Los-Angeles-14

Battle: Los Angeles does it right though. They do get rid of the human villains in favor of faceless communist bugs, but the movie itself is exactly what I describe above. Pro-Murica Moto Shoot Badguys in the face. Sometimes when you’re sitting on a plane flying cross country, you don’t want to watch a serious film reflecting on the horrors of war. Sometimes you just want to watch America kick some ass. If you do, pick up Battle: Los Angeles on one of the various streaming services. Don’t believe me? Let Terminal Lance convince you.

politics

Thoughts on ISIS

Posted on by Caleb

You can’t reason with a group like ISIS/ISIL. Regardless of the surface trappings, violent extremism like that can’t be stopped with humanitarian aid. History is a cruel teacher, but it’s shown us time and again that the only effective resistance for wanton cruelty and violence is the precise, targeted application of violence by a relatively just nation.

It’s like a rabid dog. You don’t kill it because you enjoy killing, you kill it dispassionately and professionally; by killing it you make the community safer.

Tl;dr – some folk just need killing.

Uncategorized

Media hypocrisy

Posted on by Caleb

In Ferguson, a white cop shoots a black teenager that was in the process of assaulting said cop. Media outrage, riots ensue.

In New Jersey, a white prosecutor is throwing the book at a single black mother of two who committed a victimless crime. No media coverage whatsoever. Why isn’t the media covering Shaneen Allen’s case? Because she’s not exploitable, because she’s a gun owner. You haven’t heard of the Shaneen Allen case unless you’re involved in the fight to protect our right to keep and bear arms.

Shaneen Allen is a law abiding citizen; and like many citizens and an increasing number of women, she recently purchased a handgun for self-defense. As a single mother of two, she’s responsible for her own safety and the safety of her children. She followed the laws for the purchase, passed a NICS check, and acquired a PA concealed carry permit. Shaneen now faces up to ten years in prison. Her crime? Crossing a line on a map.

ShaneenAllen

Shaneen was pulled over in New Jersey; and in ignorance of NJ’s draconian gun laws, informed the officer who pulled her over that she had a gun, and a permit to carry that gun. Because New Jersey doesn’t honor her PA LTC, she was arrested. Under NJ’s terrible gun laws, she could face up ten years in prison and a felony conviction…for trying to do the right thing. The prosecutor in Shaneen’s case could absolutely have exercised his discretion and not filed charges. Instead, he chose to throw the book at her, simply for the crime of being honest.

Think about that for a minute. The laws of New Jersey encourage you, if you’re accidentally in violation of them, to lie. To be dishonest. Imagine if you’re driving a car, and by crossing an invisible line on a map, you’re suddenly committing a felony that you’re not aware of. That’s what happened to Shaneen Allen, and now she’s fighting a terrible legal battle to remain free. But there’s no media outrage. No riots. Jesse Jackson isn’t there, Al Sharpton isn’t there. Shaneen doesn’t fit the media’s desired narrative.

AR15

SB15 Pistol build update

Posted on by Caleb

A while back we built an AR15 pistol up using an Aero Precision lower, DPMS complete upper from our friends at Brownells, and of course the Sig SB15 brace. Unfortunately, there were some feed issues with the gun, as demonstrated below:

After some testing, it was determined that the cause of the issue was likely the BCG. This was tested by putting the BCG in another gun and watching it double-feed like a champ all day long. So, the pistol has been upgraded. Here’s the new look, and new hotness.

SB15 with 40 round Pmag

Still the same handguard and fixed front sight post, but the bolt carrier group has been upgraded to a Colt 6920 BCG that was sitting around the office. The charging handle was upgraded to a Rainier Arms Raptor because of reasons, and then I stuck a 40 round PMag in it because reloading is stupid. It’s going to the range tomorrow to see how it works. Sharp eyed readers will also notice the Crimson Trace Railmaster Light/Laser combo mounted on the side of the gun, and there’s a good reason for that. This gun is actually a really neat platform for an HD gun, but to really fill that role properly it needs sweet beams. So we put the best laser on the market on it, because anything less than the best is a felony.

Of course, what it really needs to be perfect for HD is a suppressor. Luckily it’s already wearing an AAC flash hider, so now I just need to come up with 1,000 bucks and wait 9 months for the paperwork to get approved. Oh, and make sure the gun actually works.

Kimber

Kimber 1911 Slow Motion Recoil Comparison

Posted on by Caleb

One of the interesting things about slow-motion video is how much it lies to the senses. At 480 FPS, the difference in muzzle flip between the aluminum Crimson Carry and the steel Desert Warrior looks considerable. But from behind the trigger in real time, I would have said there’s not much difference at all. Having a solid grip and good stance brought the guns back on target in about the same amount of time. I do have to say, after shooting it at M3GI Media Day, I really want one of these 5 inch aluminum guns in 9mm. That’d be the heat.