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1 743

Do you want to shoot your handgun well?

I mean do you want to shoot it fast?

And do you want to shoot it accurate?

Then, your GRIP is absolutely one of the most important parts of shooting your handgun fast & accurate. That’s why you need to see this!

You Will Never Shoot Your Handgun Fast AND Accurate With A Poor Grip!

Gripping your handgun is so important that I’ve spilled much digital ink on these digital pages about it…

How to grip a handgun to shoot fast & accurate is my classic article about how to … well … grip a handgun to shoot fast & accurate!

In that article, I dispel many myths about gripping the handgun and show you what works for me and the little tips & tricks that I’ve picked up over many hours of training/practice.

On this page, there is a video showing the “classic” thumbs forward grip preferred by almost all modern day shooters.

But today, we’re going to talk about Bob Vogel because he breaks the mold, in every way.

Bob Vogel, One of The World’s Best Handgun Shooters, Grips His Handgun The “WRONG” Way…

Bob  grips it the “Vogel” way.

And he’s been very, very successful with it.

From his website:

“… at present Robert is now a 3-time world champion and 23-time national champion across 3 disciplines of practical/combat shooting and has been all over the World competing and teaching. Besides this, he has been a Police Officer for over 13 years. Eight and a half of those years were spent as a full-time street cop while also being a member of the county’s joint-department SWAT team. During that tenure he also served as a firearm instructor for both the department and the SWAT team.“

In the following video from Panteo Productions, Bob breaks down his grip and how it differs from the standard thumbs forward grip:

Notes On The Bob Vogel Grip

1. Grip as HIGH as possible

2. Grip like a VICE grip not a monkey with primary hand

3. Support hand very HIGH, thumb higher than the slide and far forward. Upper palm.

4. Pressure from both hands turn in towards the gun pinching from both sides. Both wrists locked and cocked forward.

5. Support hand is much, much forward than traditional grip.

6. Hands meet LOW as possible so as to build the grip as soon as possible

In the video below (much worse background noise) Taran Tactical gets Bob to, briefly, explain his grip more:

How The Bob Vogel Grip Allows You To Shoot More Accurately, FASTER

In this video, Taran Tactical videos Bob shooting random stuff around this range and demonstrating how flat Bob is able to keep the gun during recoil…

So much so that all his “double taps” are almost one on top of the other on the targets (please note my tirade on double tapping still stands because Bob says “don’t shoot any faster than you can see the sights!” Obviously, Bob can see the sights much, much faster than mere mortals such as you and I)…

“Nobody Grips The Gun As Hard As Bob Vogel”

I can’t remember where I heard it … it may have been from Ernest Langdon during his pistol class … but I once heard answer the question of how hard to grip the gun with “as hard as possible, and nobody grips the gun as hard as Bob Vogel”. (Forgive me Mr. Langdon if I’m mis-quoting you – my memory fails me!)

But it’s true.

In this excellent AAR of a Bob Vogel class, there is a great writeup about Bob’s grip and pictures of how it’s different, including how hard Vogel grips (emphasis mine):

“A good grip is crucial for controlling the gun. Vogel wants as high a grip as possible on the pistol–preferably a pistol with a low bore-axis. He squeezes/pinches the pistol with his strong hand, not just grabbing it, and really gets his knuckles hard up against the underside of the trigger guard. Even more important than the strong hand grip, he emphasizes that the support hand grip is the key to fully controlling the pistol. Vogel’s support hand technique is different than anyone I have trained with. He uses the standard thumbs forward position, but places the support hand as far forward and as high up on the pistol as possible. His support hand is gripping harder than his strong hand. In addition, he is applying a strong opposing torque toward the frame with each hand. I was shocked at how much force he was applying against the pistol–he commented that he grips almost to the point where his hands begin to shake. As a result of these factors, he does not subscribe to the typical emphasis on a 360 degree wrap around with the weak hand. In fact, just the base of the support hand thumb is in contact with frame/upper pistol grip of the pistol near the slide, resulting in a gap existing between the rest of the support hand and the lower half of the pistol butt. He mentioned that this aggressive hand positioning sometimes presses against the slide release and prevents the slide from locking back on the last shot; a trade-off he is willing to accept for the faster flatter shooting this technique offers him. In order to improve his hand strength, Vogel uses the Captain’s of Crush hand grippers (http://www.ironmind.com/ironmi…captainsofcrush.html). He recommended starting with the #1 and working up to #3. He emphasized that these are not casual workouts, but that when done correctly, they are intense and uncomfortable.”

In the pictures below (that I grabbed from the same AAR) you can really see how far forward and high on the gun Bob grips it…

Should You Use The Bob Vogel Grip?

I don’t know!

Anything is worth a try. Obviously, it works very, very well for Bob and maybe it can work well for you too.

If you do try it, then report back here.

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1 714

Cell Phones are incredibly valuable and useful, that much is sure…

Especially in a survival or emergency situation, not only can you communicate with others, but you can get access to things like maps, GPS and other important — possibly life-saving — tech you might need.

But what if the power goes out? What if the grid goes down? And the cell towers no longer work?

Well, thanks to some new technology, you can now use your cell in an “off grid” situation with no internet, no cell towers and even in the middle of nowhere. Check it out:

Cell Phones Are Useful and We All Have Them!

Before anyone gets all “grumpy old man” on me and tells me how we need to learn to live in caves and eat bushes and stuff, let’s just be real here.

Cell phones are very useful!

You can communicate with others. You can text each other. You can get GPS for navigating. You can get almost instant access to maps. Let’s not kid ourselves that they’re not useful.

The problem, for those of us who want to be more prepared, is that we all fear the grid going down.

Heck, even just being out of service with your cell phone sucks!

That’s why I think this new tech is so interesting…

This “Weird” Candy Bar Sized Stick Can Give You Cell Phone Service Even If The Grid Is Down!

GoTenna is a little stick that does something pretty cool. Actually, it is sold with two sticks to a package. You connect one stick to your smartphone with bluetooth, then connect the other stick to another smartphone you want to communicate with.

November 1, 2014 — If your mobile phone network goes down or is out of range, sending text messages is impossible. A new device, goTenna, uses low-frequency radio waves to create its own network, enabling users to exchange text messages without relying on cell towers. Graphic shows how the goTenna works.

After that, you can communicate between the two directly — no wifi, cell towers, internet, or anything else needed!

According to the company, “goTenna turns your iPhone or Android into an off-grid communications tool, enabling you to text & share GPS locations on detailed offline maps. goTenna is lightweight, weather-proof, and easy to use … goTenna devices pair to regular smartphones via a simple messaging app. Type a message, send a GPS location, and access free offline maps for the whole world via the goTenna app.”

Here’s why I think this is cool:

* Works anywhere in the world (yes, that means internationally.)

* Messaging: private and encrypted (and not stored anywhere else like cell towers, etc because it’s end-to-end and device to device only communication) 1-on-1 communication/chat plus “public” chat (not encrypted) with all other devices in the area.

* Maps: Download free detailed offline maps of any location in the world.

* Location-Sharing: Easily share and request location information with other goTenna users.

* Delivery-Confirmation of messages (Know if your messages were successfully delivered)

* Range: About half a mile in congested urban areas – up to 4 miles in the wilderness/open areas!

Obviously, This Makes Great Sense If You’re Trying To Find a Way To Use Your Cell Phone In a Grid Down Situation.

You simply need one of these sticks for everyone in your “survival group” or even just your immediate family…

I guess that’s the only real drawback.

Here is a review by a guy on YouTube from a “survival” perspective:


But when you think about it, this is actually powerful technology as it becomes more and more prevalent and more and more adopted…

This is like creating your own “private internet” off the grid.

The company looks like they have something even better too…

GoTenna Mesh Looks Even Better, Because It’s Designed To Create Your Own Mesh Network…

They had so much success, that it appears they have improved the product and are now making a product called “goTenna Mesh” – so you can create your own Off-Grid Mesh Network.

In truth, I think this is the future of the internet.

And this is especially important for preppers, etc

If everyone has a bunch of these, it’s like creating your own network.

It’s important to keep in mind, this is proven technology because the military already uses networks like these…

Thank God for the free market! Now, we’ll have access to this same type of tech. Here’s a writeup I found describing it in more detail (emphasis mine):

“The original goTenna consists of a small radio antenna that connects to a user’s smartphone via Bluetooth and an accompanying app for Android and iOS. The app allows users to send private text messages, public broadcast text messages and GPS data to other users. The distance over which this can be done varies, but when New Atlas put two of the devices through their paces in the Rockies earlier this year, we found we were able to stay in touch from over 2 mi (3.2 km) apart.

Those first-gen goTenna devices are such that communications are sent directly from one device to another, but this means that they must be within range of each other. The goTenna Mesh is able to relay communications via other goTenna Mesh devices, thereby increasing the potential range and allowing communications to be delivered between devices even if they are not within range of each other.

goTenna says the Mesh uses “military-grade mesh networking” to double or triple the range of the original device from around 1 mi (1.6 km) in built-up places to around 3 mi (4.8 km) in open terrain, with the network getting stronger with more users. The device automatically selects clear public radio frequencies over which to send communications. Despite this, and the fact that the devices of other users are used as as relay nodes, the firm says communications remain secure by way of end-to-end encryption.“

It’s worth noting, that goTenna has a “pro version” of this product on their site which they call “The world’s smallest, lightest, most affordable tactical mesh networking radio is here — and it works with any smartphone.”

You can check out more at GoTenna.com. Or click here to see the goTenna on Amazon.

The Wave of The Future – People-To-People Comms and Internet?

But overall, I think this is the wave of the future and I’m going to do more research and seriously consider acquiring some of these and doing some hands-on testing!

I also found this product called “BearTooth” which seems like it’s pretty much the same thing as GoTenna. This is good!

That means the idea works and more competition equals better products for us, the consumer, and over time — much lower prices!

What do you think?

Have you explored the idea of creating your own mesh networks or other off-grid communications like this?

I know the “tried and true” solution everyone always talks about is radios/HAM/etc… but I think tech like this should also be considered because we all already have cell phones and something like this is pretty much plug-n-play!

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5 1092

Silencers still require a $200 tax stamp to buy which sucks.

Especially when you figure most silencers cost at a minimum of $400 to well over $1,000!

Hopefully, the new laws trying to get passed will make silencers legal to buy with no tax stamp and no NFA restrictions…

But even now the silencer market is one of the fastest growing segments of firearms related businesses. That has led to a lot of innovation.

And now we’re FINALLY seeing some cheaper-priced silencers. This one costs less than the $200 tax stamp! Check it out:

Introducing The $199 AR-15 Silencer – The “Black Aces Tactical Pro Series 56 Po’Boy Suppressor”

Now for less than the cost of the $200 tax stamp you have to pay to FedGov to acquire it, you can get a silencer for your AR-15 for just $199.

That’s a pretty good deal. Sounds perfect for the first-timer who isn’t going to do a LOT of silenced shooting but just wants to have it for plinking.

For the low price, you might think it’s crap… but check this out…

I’m no silencer expert by any means. But in this video below, the guys from Black Ace run multiple magazines on full-auto through the silencer testing it out. Then you can see some of the decibal level testing showing how quiet it makes the AR-15. This looks very promising…

Here’s complete specs from the company’s Facebook page:

Pro Series 56 Po’Boy Suppressor

Features & Specs:

-134 Db tested with an average of 33 Db reduction on a 16″ barrel AR platform rifle in 5.56

-4130 Chromoly steel exterior wall/ 316 stainless interior. Incorporates dual wall integrity and highly corrosive resistant interior wall

-High heat graphite air cooled cerakote finish that withstands up to 2000 degrees

-Length 8″ Diameter 1.5″ Weight 25Oz

-Reinforced Straight stacked baffle

Our Decibel testing was done following the Mil Standard 1474 Delta. Using a 2017 calibrated Bruel & Kjaer 2209 with a 4136 microphone.

***We also took special care to ensure that we used a standard AR-15 stock wrench pattern to remove the front cap to clean out the interior and baffling after use.**

** Full auto use. The Po’ Boy suppressor is capable of handling sustained full auto fire on both long 16″ and limited short 12″ barrels.

The best part of this Pro Series 56 Po’Boy suppressor is that it is $199 for the customer!!! Less than the stamp tax!

Check it out or buy it at BlackAceTactical.com.

Silencer Technology Keeps Getting Better. The Free Market Keeps Making Prices Cheaper. What a GREAT Time To Be Alive!

This is truly an exciting time to be alive…

Since the expiration of the Assault Weapon Ban (AWB) in 2004, the AR-15 industry has grown by leaps and bounds…

What we have today is so much better than before.

And because of the free market, prices have never been more affordable…

Now we’re starting to see the same thing in the silencer industry.

If Trump can help get the pro-silencer bills in congress turned into law, and silencers become available with no tax stamp then the market is going to skyrocket even more than it already is!

Exciting times to be sure. Does a super cheap — less than $200 — silencer make you want to buy one anymore than before?

Interested to hear your thoughts…

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11 1226

The United States Special Operations Command, in conjunction with the United States Marine Corps, have issued a sources sought notice for an all new Lightweight Medium Machine Gun that could change warfare forever.

Frankly?

It’s amazing what this thing can do.

Check this out:

Introducing the .338NM Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG)

I came across this story while reading Soldier Systems Daily, and it’s quite interesting.

Apparently, America’s dismounted infantry regularly goes up against the Russian PKM machine gun with around 1,000M effective range due to its 7.62mmR cartridge.

1,000m is about 300+m longer than the effective range of the M4 rifle that all US soldiers carry in 5.56mm…

Of course, .308 (7.62 NATO) guns provide an answer to this extended range — but that adds unwanted weight and recoil.

The solution is the development of a new LWMMG with an amazing cartridge.

To quote SSD, “In short, the capability will provide a machine gun which is lighter than the current 7.62mm M240, yet offers nearly the reach of the .50 M2. However, unlike the M2, this new capability will offer pinpoint accuracy at those ranges. What’s more, with the introduction of polymer cased ammo, the weight of ammunition comes much closer to 7.62 than .50.”

So, with this new LWMMG — troops will be able to hit targets at extended distances like a .50 BMG — out to 2,000 meters — but it will only weigh as much as the current 7.62/.308 machine guns like the M60!

General Dynamics developed it and they say it:

* Eliminates the gap between 7.62mm and .50 caliber weapons, the LWMMG utilizes the highly efficient .338 Norma Magnum cartridge to offer unmatched accuracy and lethality while extending the battlespace out to an impressive 1,700 meters.

* The LWMMG features General Dynamics’ revolutionary recoil mitigation system that offers a recoil profile similar to a 7.62mm NATO machine gun, but utilizing the much more powerful .338NM cartridge.

* At 1,000 meters, the LWMMG is capable of defeating Level III body armor and incapacitating soft skinned vehicles by delivering over 1,900 foot pounds of energy to the target – more than four times the terminal effect of the 7.62mm NATO cartridge.

* Weighing less than 24 pounds and featuring a fully collapsible stock, the LWMMG offers superior mobility and portability in both mounted and dismounted operations.

* The LWMMG features a quick change barrel with fixed headspace and timing as well as integrated MIL-STD-1913 rails, allowing the use of a variety of optics, lasers and accessories.

The .338NM Is One Heck of a Round!

Take a look at the picture above and notice the size difference in this round compared to the other common NATO rounds of 5.56 (Rifleman’s M4 carbine), the 7.62 (the M60 machine gun) and the .50 cal (speciality sniper rifle and other uses).

Then realize this .338NM is accurate out to a reported 1900 meters and at 1000 meters delivers 5 TIMES the energy of the 7.62!

That’s pretty insane.

Essentially as you can see in the slide below, this new LWMMG weighs the same as the current 7.62 machine gun but goes about 1000 meters further and packs more of a punch at all ranges!

Weapons technology keeps getting better and better.

This is the first time that I’ve seen wholesale adoption/planning to use the polymer cased ammunition–I didn’t realize the technology was that trusted already and being used to develop more effective weapons with lighter weight. Pretty neat.

What do you think?

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1 552

The biggest cyberattack in history hit the world starting on Friday May 12, 2017 and has continued to spread to computers around the world.

Part of being prepared is protecting the important things.

Today, your computers and your digital life are every bit as important as your real life.

Don’t get hacked!

The Largest Cyberattack In History

Friday May 12, 2017 a cyberattack started that spread to thousands of computers. The unprecedented attack initially infected over 200,000 computers in at least 150 countries.

The attack locks people out of their computers and encrypts their files, demanding they pay up to $300 in bitcoin — a price that doubles after three days — to receive a decryption key or risk losing their important files forever.

This type of hack/cyberattack is called “ransomware” because it asks for a ransom to end the attack.

Worse, this particular malware also behaves like a worm, potentially infecting computers and servers on the same network.

This Malware Was Allegedly Developed By The National Security Agency (NSA)

The software behind WannaCry was allegedly developed by the National Security Agency (NSA) to penetrate computers using certain versions of Windows.

According to several documents released by the Shadow Brokers’ hacking group, the NSA used this (and many other) Windows hacking tools to target several banks, including the SWIFT banking system.

Microsoft’s president and chief legal officer, Brad Smith, compared the hacking of the NSA software to the “U.S. military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen.”

Fun thought isn’t it?

Our government using our tax dollars to create/exploit computers and then “losing” those powerful weapons to God-knows-who.

This Cyberattack Shut Down Hospitals and Public Services

These types of cyberattacks are dangerous to not only your personal files, but could also trigger a SHTF event…

This cyberattack was crippling to some hospitals, utilities, businesses and government agencies.

In Britain, computer systems across the National Health service (NHS) were paralyzed by the malware…

More than 40 healthcare trusts across Britain reported outages after the attack. These outages left thousands of doctors unable to access patient data, emergency rooms were shut down and ambulances re-directed. Some hospitals were forced to cancel crucial x-ray, MRI and CT scans while others were forced to treat patients without access to radiology test results or information about blood-types.

People were warned not to use some hospitals unless it was an absolute emergency.

Imagine the breakdown of our own healthcare system. Scary stuff!

As you probably know by now, our entire Power Grid runs on computers… I could see something like this easily bringing it down.

It was Russia which was hit the hardest by the attack, WannaCry crashed Russian banks, telephone operators and even IT systems supporting transport infrastructure.

China was also hit hard by the attack too — a reported 29,000 organisations in total fell victim to Wannacry.

3 Ways To Defend Yourself From Wannacry Ransomware

The absolute best guide I’ve found to explain the important steps you can take to protect yourself is this guide from CNet.com.

But what you want to do in total is:

1. Make Safe & Secure Backups

Because this ransomware encrypts and holds your files hostage, you’ll want to continually backup your computer.

This Forbes article says it’s the “Single Biggest Protection Against WannaCry And Other Ransomware“.

In short, if you keep your computer updated, then a-best-case-scenario is you just lose a few hours wiping your computer and re-loading all your files. It’s best to avoid this though…

2. Update Your Operating System (and keep it up to date)

The WannaCry Ransomware apparently affected only older versions of Windows because those older versions aren’t supported these days.

Microsoft went out of its way to add some patches for older versions of Windows because this attack was so bad, but like this Cnet article says, update your OS.

And keep the Windows Updates on to keep getting patches/etc

3. Don’t Download Things You Don’t Trust, etc

Of course, avoid downloading attachments or clicking on links found in e-mails from senders you don’t recognize.

Only open files and attachments from people you know.

If it looks suspicious, don’t take the risk.

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7 1389

You know what’s wonderful about technology?

The rate of change and pace of innovation almost ALWAYS outpaces the speed of regulators and dictators that want to oppress the people!

Here is today’s case in point:

Military Arms and The “NFA Nut Kicker!”

The guy from MilitaryArms talks about how the NFA is not only and infringement on our rights, but also COMPLETELY outdated because of today’s technology. He shows an AR-15 pistol with a short barrel, brace, and Echo trigger plus silencer. The only registered item on the gun is the silencer. Check it out:

With Modern Technology, You Can Get Basically a “Full Auto” Trigger in Your AR-15!

There’s now a number of these triggers.

Apparently, how they work is they fire when you pull the trigger AND they fire when you release the trigger.

Iraqveteran8888 says they can be best described as a mechanical “response” trigger, firing one round on the pull and one round on the release in the third position. I didn’t know this was paintball tech before it was real gun tech!

FosTech Echo Trigger

In this video, he reviews the FosTech Echo Trigger that was seen in the NFA Nut Kicker AR-15 …

Franklin Armory Binary Trigger (BFS III)

In this video Hank Strange tests/demos the Franklin Armory Binary Trigger (BFS III) in three different AR-15’s. Guns used in this video are the Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22 (22lr rifle) Stag Arms Model 9T (9mm Carbine) and the Stag Arms Model 3T-M (223 Rifle). (The 9mm rifle was the only one that had any reliability issues)

If You Want To Go Full Auto Without Spending $10,000 Or More On a “Machine Gun” These Triggers Are Your Best Choice!

The fact is that full-auto guns are super expensive.

These triggers that simulate full-auto are much, much less expensive and can do pretty much the same thing.

My only question — as always — would be reliability. But it looks like they’re pretty reliable.

What do you think?

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12 820

There have been some unique changes to our world since President Trump was elected…

One of those is the rise of left-wing “resistance” movements.

The truth is, I’m pretty puzzled by the whole thing, but it’s very, very troubling because I sincerely believe they’re more dangerous than ISIS.

What Is Antifa?

I’m not going to even pretend to be an expert here, but “Antifa” is the name of left-leaning groups of people that claim they are “Anti-Fascist” – that’s where the name comes from.

Clever huh?

After doing some research, it appears this was an actual historical movement from around WWII times in Germany/Italy, mostly made up of communists who opposed the fascist regimes of Mussolini and Hitler.

Today though?

Everyone and everything these extreme progressives don’t like is now a “Nazi” or a “fascist.”

The term “alt-right” is now being applied to anyone to the right of Karl Marx (despite the fact that nobody really knows for sure what “alt-right” means).

To these militants on the left, Donald Trump, every single person who voted for him, anyone who opposes any component or increment of left-wing politics, and anyone who disagrees with a liberal on social media is an alt-right bigoted homophobic transphobic Nazi racist fascist KKK member.

They rose to prominence in our popular culture after one of them got famous for punching white nationalist Richard Spencer. “Nazi Punching” they called it. And they were praised everywhere. Here’s the problem …

Why Are They Dangerous?

In short, because in their mind they believe their violence is justified.

And you’re a target.

No matter how deeply you believe you are not a Nazi, this does not matter to an antifa thug, an anarcho-communist, or a liberal political activist.

He or she believes you are a Nazi, that you are “alt-right,” that your disagreement makes you a racist. In his or her mind, you have already been dehumanized, and thus you have no rights.

Marginalizing conservatives and conservative political positions as wrongthink has long been a tool of the Left… but now it carries with it potential physical attack.

Check Out Some Of Their Lovely Memes…

I think if you’re reading this blog, you can appreciate the DTOM (Don’t Tread On Me) flag and where it comes from in our American history.

Here’s what Antifa thinks:

 

And there’s more…

 

Why Are They More Dangerous Than ISIS?

Because they’re actually a threat, and the mainstream media largely embraces them and — let’s face it — takes their side when reporting news stories involving them.

Plus, there’s a LOT of people in America that openly support them…

And let’s face it, they’re comfortable with violence and they’re practicing. This is a video from Antifa in Arizona that created the John Brown Gun Club:

And the movement is getting more violent around the world.

Antifa is even in Paris, where on May 1st – a communist holiday — they hit french police with molotov cocktails. Here’s a video:

 

Take a look at this picture:

 

Keep Your Head Up

These people are willing to do violence.

They’ve started training.

They definitely have access to guns…

They’re more than willing to use violence with their hands or any weapon against people they claim are “Nazis”.

And the main stream media is giving them a free pass. So don’t ignore them.

Keep preparing. Carry your gun. Get in shape and keep training. Things will probably get worse before they get better…

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11 2428

Recently, a video has been making its way across the internet of an armed robbery at a Jimmy John’s restaurant.

It’s become viral because the employee being robbed doesn’t seem very intimidated and/or he seems bored.

More importantly, I think it’s a learning opportunity for everyone because the armed robber appears to be using a malfunctioning gun!

Even if he wanted to shoot his victim, it doesn’t look like he could do it. Check it out:

Jimmy John’s Employee Looks Bored During Robbery

Here’s the (what appears to be a security cam) video of the entire robbery caught on tape.

Note at 0:34 in the video the bad guy goes to rack the slide on his handgun…

He makes the common beginner mistake of riding the slide forward instead of letting it go, which actually causes the gun to malfunction (Luckily, the bad guy looks pretty nervous and doesn’t notice his gun is useless at this point).

How To Identify An Empty Or Malfunctioning Gun

At about 0:46 in the video, you can see the bad guy threatens someone behind the employee at the counter (off screen) by shoving the gun in the direct eye-line of the employee:

The yellow arrow is the employee who has a clear view of the bad guy’s gun.

If you look at the bad guy’s gun there are at least three things that you can see that tell you the gun is out of battery/malfunctioning:

  1.  The slide is locked back, hanging over his hand
  2.  The ejection port/chamber is open – you can see the feeding malfunction and what appears to be brass.
  3.  You can see the shiny barrel sticking out from underneath the slide of the handgun, because the slide is locked back.

These are all three things you can look for to identify a malfunctioning/empty/out of battery gun. Take a look at this picture here:

You can see the same thing in my demonstration, the slide is locked back — hanging over my hand, you can see into the chamber, and the barrel is visible–sticking out from under the slide. This is because the slide is locked back, the gun is empty or malfunctioning or it’s out of battery for some reason.

You should be able to identify what a functioning gun looks like and what a malfunctioning gun looks like instantly.

If you’re a regular gun shooter, then this is not news to you. For other people, this could save your life.

How This Can Save Your Life

The robbery you just watched ended fine, the victim complied and the bad guy didn’t kill anyone. Everyone was lucky.

If the bad guy is already killing people or isn’t so nice, the best opportunity you might have to attack him to defend yourself is when his gun is malfunctioning.

Greg Ellifritz over at Active Response Training once wrote an article about weapon malfunctions in an active shooter event. Surprisingly, they are quite common!

“Take a look at some of the active shooter events in recent history. The shooter had a malfunctioning or empty gun in every one…

1988- Atlantic Shores Christian School. Shooter subdued by a teacher after his gun jammed.

1999- Columbine High School- Two shooters reloaded several times each

2007- Virginia Tech. Shooter reloaded several times

2009- NVCC Woodbridge College. Shooter’s gun jammed after 2 rounds

2009- Bridgeville fitness club. Shooter reloaded at least twice

2009- Fort Hood Army Base. Terrorist reloaded several times

2010- University of Alabama Faculty meeting. Shooter’s gun jammed and she was locked in a closet by coworkers until police arrived.

2011- Tucson Shooting. Shooter had to reload and had a jammed gun

2011- Norway shooting. Multiple reloads

2012- Chardon High School. Shooter fired 10 rounds with .22 pistol and then ran out of ammunition

2012- Oikos College. Shooter reloaded several times”

During a weapons malfunction or when the gun goes empty and the killer attempts to reload are both times when they can’t shoot anyone, and give you a moment of opportunity.

Long Arms (Rifles/Shotguns) Can Malfunction, Jam, or Go Empty Too

In Greg’s article, he also notes that the infamous Aurora Colorado Movie Theater shooting was cut short because Holmes’ AR-15 malfunctioned and that the AK-47 used by the terrorist on the Paris train attack also malfunctioned and that’s what gave the defenders the chance to take him out.

Rifles/shotguns jam, malfunction, or go empty too.

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to identify a rifle malfunction as it is a handgun malfunction.

I think the best strategy here, if facing a bad guy armed with a rifle is to wait for a stop in the shooting…

If you can then get visual confirmation that he’s messing with the gun trying to get it to fire again — that would indicate he’s experiencing a malfunction and would be an opportunity to attack/flee.

Likewise, a pause in the shooting could indicate that the bad guy is out of ammo and needs to reload, also giving you an opportunity to make your move.

In the video on this page, you can see a student that fights back against an active shooter with a shotgun. He fights back at the perfect time, coming up behind the shooter when he is in the process of reloading his shotgun.

Make Sure You And Everyone You Care About Can Identify A Loaded/Unloaded Gun

This is an important safety tip even for people you know who aren’t into guns or don’t want to train with them.

Be sure to share it with everyone you care about.

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AR-15/AR-10 technology has come a long way in the last couple years.

But there’s hardly anything “new” that you see.

Well, I’ve NEVER seen this before!

This is a FOLDING AR-15/AR-10 design that debuted at the NRA 2017 show (and NO, it does not fold at the stock!). Check it out:

Introducing the XAR folding rifle platform by F&D Defense

F&D Defense bills this design as “the fastest deploying and most reliable compact rifle system available”.

From the looks of it, they might be right.

It comes in a nice carrying case …

You take it out and it’s in the folded position:

Then you simply unfold it, and the upper receiver locks in place:

And then it functions like any other AR-platform rifle!

Here’s the guys from the Firearm Blog checking it out at the NRA show where they show you how it works:

F&D Defense XAR Invicta Takedown AR Accuracy Review (Ringing Steel at 300yds!)

Iraqveteran8888 does a shooting review and the rifle holds zero in these intitial tests (he’s ringing steel at 300yds with no problem):

What Do You Think?

I’m really excited by these “takedown” AR-15 platforms and this may be one of the most unique designs of the type I’ve seen because it looks very durable.

Then again, I’m never too keen on someone changing the AR-style design too much because you usually run into reliability problems.

Time will tell!

What do you think? Do you like it?

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If you don’t know, there are some INSANE laws from 1934 that govern much of what is “legal” in the firearms world.

They’re known as the National Firearms Act (NFA) laws.

And they suck.

It’s the reason you can’t buy silencers & short barreled rifles off the shelf. A short barreled rifle is anything under 16″.

Well, there is one way around the NFA laws on short barreled rifles. If you do it right, you can legally own an AR-15 with a short barrel rifle without paying for a $200 tax stamp and waiting for approval by the ATF. Check it out:

How To Get A “Short Barrel” AR-15 Without Paying An NFA $200 Tax, etc

In short, you need a pistol …

The AR-15 platform can be had in either a “pistol” or “rifle”.

You want to buy the “pistol” type (or build it yourself, if you know how to do it legally).

What’s the ONLY difference between a pistol AR-15 and the rifle version?

Very simply, the pistol AR-15 can NOT have a buttstock of any kind. And it must NEVER have had a buttstock of any kind attached. The actual lower receiver is bought/transferred into your name as a pistol lower, not a rifle lower.

(In other words, if you bought an AR-15 rifle with a buttstock and then took the buttstock off, while it may look EXACTLY like an AR-15 pistol — the ATF still considers it a rifle.)

 

Image source: AR-15 pistol PDW

Why You Want an AR-15 Pistol

Here’s the reasons you want an AR-15 pistol …

1. It’s legally a pistol. That means with your concealed carry permit, you can legally carry it concealed in public just like you would any other pistol (like a Glock, etc). That’s important because a lot of states say you can’t carry a loaded rifle/shotgun around with you or in your car, etc. They have different rules for pistols.

2. As a pistol, you can have a short barrel (less than 16″) on it without it becoming a “short barrel rifle” which is a NFA weapon. An NFA weapon is illegal to have without paying a Tax Stamp to the ATF and getting their permission to own/build it. Obviously, you’ll want a shorter barrel because it makes it easier to conceal.

By The Way, There Are Now Multiple Pistols – Not Just AR-15’s …

L to R: Sig MPX, HK MP5, KRISS Vector, AR-15, Scorpion EVO, Uzi – all with SB Tactical Braces

You can now buy pistol versions of the following rifles, including (but not limited to):

* AK-47’s
* .308 FAL’s
* CZ Scorpion EVO
* KRISS Vector
* IWI Uzi Pistol
* HK MP5, HK53, MP5K’s, etc
* Sig MPX

The Invention Of The “Stabilizer Brace”


AR-15 pistols used to be considered “range toys”, but sometime in 2013 SB Tactical started selling something called a “stabilizing brace” for AR-15 & AK-47 pistols.

It took the market by storm and was very popular.

It’s important to note that they got approval from the ATF for making these braces way back in 2012. The agency said:

“the submitted brace, when attached to a firearm, does not convert that weapon to be fired from the shoulder and would not alter the classification of a pistol or other firearm. While a firearm so equipped would still be regulated by the Gun Control Act … such a firearm would not be subject to NFA controls.”

Of course, one of the obvious ways to fire a pistol with one of these things attached is by using the brace as a makeshift “stock” on your shoulder …

Something you can already do with the built-in buffer tube of an AR-15 pistol. In fact, in the below pictures from an article by Gabe Suarez on the M4 Pistol concept, you can see the two primary ways of running the M4 Pistol – either the cheek index for CQB or when greater accuracy is needed — obtaining a fourth point of contact by bringing the end of the buffer tube back into the shoulder.

Gabe Suarez demonstrating two ways to fire an AR-15 pistol using either cheek support only or also getting a fourth point of contact on the shoulder. Obviously, shouldering a regular AR-15 pistol does not magically make it a rifle … right?

Obviously, this does not somehow magically turn an AR-15 pistol into a rifle, just because you “shoulder it”.

The ATF agreed, because in March 2014 they said this in a second letter,

“for the following reasons, we have determined that firing a pistol from the shoulder would not cause the pistol to be reclassified as an SBR: FTB classifies weapons based on their physical design characteristics. While usage/functionality of the weapon does influence the intended design, it is not the sole criterion for determining the classification of a weapon. Generally speaking, we do not classify weapons based on how an individual uses a weapon.”

Things were wonderful in AR-15 pistol land – people finally had a cost effective, good looking, potentially useful accessory to put on their AR-15 pistols to (arguably) make them easier to handle and everything seemed great.

The ATF issued a third letter just before SHOT Show in January 2015 that resulted in panic in the firearms industry. The letter stated:

“the pistol stabilizing brace was neither ‘designed’ nor approved to be used as a shoulder stock, and therefore use as a shoulder stock constitutes a ‘redesign’ of the device because a possessor has changed the very function of the item.”

In other words, by simply shouldering an AR-15 pistol with a stabilizing brace attached, you have magically “redesigned” it into a short-barreled-rifle and you’re now a felon.

Which, of course, makes no sense because if you take it out of your shoulder pocket does it magically “redesign” back into a pistol if you fire it with your arms extended like one?

Fire it with two hands like this, and does it magically redesign itself back into a pistol? But then you shoulder it and it magically redesigns itself into a rifle?

Either way, these letters from the ATF are basically law, so everyone was cautioned to not shoulder any pistol with a brace attached.

Which brings us to modern times …

ATF REVERSES Opinion On Pistols With Braces (AGAIN!), Now Says Pistols Are Still Pistols, Even If You Shoulder Them

Recoil Mag posted a letter from the ATF that has reversed the earlier reversal to the earlier reversal letter … or whatever.

The latest letter from the ATF is here.

And here’s what SBTactical had to say about it.

“… The new clarification of opinion letter states, “an NFA firearm has not necessarily been made when the device is not reconfigured for use as a shoulder stock – even if the attached firearm happens to be fired from the shoulder. To the extent that the January 2015 Open Letter implied or has been construed to hold that incidental, sporadic, or situational “use” of an arm-brace (in its original approved configuration) equipped firearm from a firing position at or near the shoulder was sufficient to constitute “redesign,” such interpretations are incorrect and not consistent with ATF’s interpretation of the statute or the manner in which it has historically been enforced.”

SB Tactical, along with the law offices of Mark Barnes & Associates, have worked tirelessly for more than two years to correct what they believed to be an inaccurate interpretation of “redesign,” related to the Pistol Stabilizing Brace. “It has always been our belief that the addition of our Pistol Stabilizing Brace benefits shooters, both disabled and able-bodied, and that neither strapping it to your arm nor shouldering a brace equipped pistol would constitute ‘redesign’ of a pistol to a NFA firearm”, said Alex Bosco, inventor, founder and CEO of SB Tactical. “We are strongly encouraged by the ATF’s reversal of opinion and commend their willingness to continually review policy, including their own opinions, to ensure public safety and the fulfillment of their mission.”

Both SB Tactical and Mark Barnes & Associates are proud to be at the forefront of protecting and preserving the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. Mark Barnes echoed Bosco’s praise of the ATF’s new guidance and stated that “it’s clear that the Bureau has no intention or desire to prosecute law abiding citizens using SB Tactical Pistol Stabilizing Braces. Their decision to act should be commended.”

So It Looks Like You Can Shoulder A Stabilizing Brace Now, Just Don’t Modify It!

Of course, the entire internet will be in a roar telling you that if you do ANY modifications to a stabilizing brace then you’ve redesigned it and you’ll go to jail.

That may or may not be true.

The REAL issue here is that these are outdated laws from 1934 that should have neve been passed in the first place and the entire NFA needs to be repealed because it’s just silly.

First silencers need to be legal, and then the NFA needs to get repealed. Until then, enjoy shouldering your pistol braces without fear of an ATF hit squad busting down your door and shooting your dog!

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