Ideally, one would never need a firearm on a camping trip, but when things go very bad and you do need a gun, you need that gun “right now.”
Escaped Arizona prisoners Tracy Province and John McCluskey are reportedly accompanied by Casslyn Welch. Province and McCluskey broke out of a private prison in Arizona July 30 along with another man, Daniel Renwick. They kidnapped a pair of semi-truck drivers, according to the Associated Press, leaving them unharmed at Flagstaff. This manhunt is being ably tracked by KNXV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Phoenix that calls itself ABC15.
Province was serving a life sentence for murder and robbery out of Pima County, Ariz. McCluskey was serving a 15-year prison term for attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault and discharge of a firearm out of Maricopa County, Ariz.-Associated Press
Authorities have linked at least one of the bad guys to a double homicide in New Mexico. The skeletal remains of Gary and Linda Haas of Tecumseh, OK were found in a burned camper several days ago. Their truck was found 100 miles west of the crime scene, in Albuquerque. Read more
BULLETIN: Wyoming authorities announced that convicted killer Tracy Province has been captured in Meeteetse, WY about 60 miles outside of Yellowstone National Park. According to the Associated Press, authorities got a tip from a woman who actually chatted with Province on the steps of a church on Sunday, and then recognized him from a television news bulletin. When he was arrested, he was carrying a 9mm handgun and a sign that said “Casper,” suggesting that he wanted a ride to that Wyoming city. There was no immediate word on where he got the pistol.
Senator Thune quoted GOA accurately. Elena Kagan is going to be a disaster on the Supreme Court.
Our gun rights are hanging by a thread. Prior to the vote in the U.S. Senate today, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama sounded the alarm: “Most Americans are totally unaware [that] the Second Amendment hangs by a mere thread [by] two 5-4 decisions recently….”
He was referring, of course, to the two gun-related decisions over the past couple of years where the Supreme Court narrowly ruled in favor of gun rights.
With this in mind, several Senators spent almost an hour today talking exclusively about the Second Amendment, its importance to all Americans across the country, and the danger that President Obama's most recent pick to the U.S. Supreme Court poses to our gun rights.
Sadly, the Senate today voted 63-37 to confirm Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. While this is disappointing, you need to realize that we got more votes against Kagan than we have ever gotten against a Supreme Court Justice that we've opposed — more than we garnered against Justices Sotomayor or Ginsburg. (Imagine, Justice Gingsburg only received three negative votes!)
Today, we gained tremendous ground. There were Senators who voted against Kagan today who had NEVER before voted against a Supreme Court Justice. And come this November, we plan to gain even more ground when a new batch of candidates take their seats in the U.S. Senate… when we will probably be able to filibuster (and defeat) any future U.S. Supreme Court Justice that President Obama nominates. Read more
Stacey Barchenger has contacted several sheriffs demanding “information about all people with concealed handgun licenses in Marion County, including all fields that are part of the CHL applications.” (Emphasis added.)
This particular demand makes it clear that Barchenger is seeking not only names, addresses, phone numbers and references, but also the social security numbers of any license holder who disclosed it.
In Barchenger's demand letter, she says “Please understand that we seek these records for the purposes of public interest, and we hope that the spirit of openness in Oregon government will prevail.”
However Barchenger has refused to disclose the reason for the demand, and while making her demands “in the spirit of openness,” doesn't even allow people to see the contents of her “twitter” page. Read more
I just signed off on the latest edition of Tactical Gear Magazine. It leaves for the printer within the hour. Inside the edition are two stories offering OPTIONS for concealed carry. One is a discussion of shoulder holsters, the other, general interest CCW stuff. Both should give readers something to think about when it comes to where and how you pack your gun. This is good stuff. You will like it. The comments should spark some debate about the value of shoulder holsters on the street vs the love of hip holsters in a training environment. The latter of course are safer on the range.
Until you see the latest copy, you can vent your CCW comments on the forums and check out this great book by Massad Ayoob. Click on the link below to take a look.
Dave Morelli reviews the Russian-made Izhmash Saiga semi-automatic shotgun. Morelli discusses how to modify the shotgun to accept aftermarket mags and optics, plus ATF rules to consider when upgrading the Saiga. Coming soon a full article review of this tactical shotgun.
Canadian border guards feel a government policy on firearms has made their jobs more dangerous.
As the Ottawa Citizen reported, “Border guards across Canada say their lives are at risk because the federal government is refusing to allow them to carry firearms on joint operations with other police forces. Customs officers, expert in searching for drugs and other contraband, want to carry their guns when helping police forces on raids outside ports, airports or regular areas of border guard jurisdiction but their bosses in Ottawa at the Canada Border Services Agency say they must go unarmed.”
That expertise in searching has border guards working joint operations that target organized crime and drug gangs. But while the officers they accompany are armed, border guards are not.
“Ron Moran, president of the Customs and Immigration Union representing Canada’s 4,800 border guards, said there is no rationale for sending firearm-trained guards into dangerous situations without their weapons.”
“These people are well-trained and firearms are an integral part of that training,” Moran told the Ottawa Citizen. “If there is a confrontation they have only a fraction of a second to react. We call it empty holster syndrome and it’s dangerous.”
The situation may be resolved in upcoming weeks. Canada’s Occupational Health and Safety Tribunal will weigh in on a case where a border guard refused to take part in a joint operation with Montreal city police because he could not do so armed. Read more
Republicans lawmakers and conservative activists fear Kagan will emerge as a strong voice on the high court against gun-ownership rights.
But five Republican senators have pledged to vote for Kagan, making her a shoo-in for confirmation.
This puts the NRA in the tricky position of having to decide how much political capital to spend against Kagan.
The Senate is expected to vote on Kagan by the end of this week, after a floor debate. A senior Democratic aide said lawmakers may debate the nomination throughout the week during breaks in legislative action.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Kagan could help significantly narrow the court’s view of gun rights.
Conservative activists who focus on the judiciary say the NRA is very protective of its win-loss record in political fights and is loath to undermine its powerful reputation with a losing effort against Kagan. Read more
A recent motion from the Boulder Faculty Assembly (BFA) supports a campus gun ban — as if someone intent on killing would comply with a campus gun ban, let alone regret breaking one.
CU has banned people from carrying guns on campus since 1970. In April, a Colorado Court of Appeals ruling found that the ban violated the state's 2003 Concealed Carry Act. Hence, CU must allow those with concealed-carry permits to be armed on campus. Last month the CU Board of Regents voted to appeal the ruling the Colorado Supreme Court. This followed a motion in April by the BFA to maintain a “weapon-free campus.”
A “weapon-free” campus invites rapists and murderers to prey on defenseless victims. The “presence of firearms on the campuses is bound to increase the risk that they might be used,” claims the BFA. Of course — but a gun ban ensures that only violent criminals have guns, and that their law-abiding victims cannot use them in self-defense.
Campus gun bans did not stop mass murders at schools such as Columbine, Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech. Violent criminals — and especially school shooters — seek unarmed victims, as David Kopel documents in his Connecticut Law Review article, “Pretend ‘Gun-free' School Zones: A Deadly Legal Fiction.” Read more
Your voices have been heard! The so-called DISCLOSE Act stalled on the Senate floor today as Democrats failed to overcome a Republican filibuster of the bill. Needing 60 votes to kill the filibuster, Democrats fell three votes short (57-41).
As noted by Senator McConnell above, the DISCLOSE Act puts severe and unconstitutional limits on our ability to hold individual congressmen accountable in the weeks leading up to an election.
This was a message that was repeatedly hammered home on the Senate floor today.
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) lambasted the Democrats for trying to change election laws right before the November elections. "Some of my colleagues fear the righteous judgment of the American people this November," he said. "So they are trying to change the rules in the middle of the game."
Cornyn also tweaked his opponents, noting that the DISCLOSE Act should stand for: "Democratic Incumbents Seeking to Contain Losses by Outlawing Speech in Elections."
Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas accused Democrats of rushing this bill to the floor to protect the Majority before the fall elections. Likewise, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said the legislation was "primarily about saving the jobs of the Democratic Congress."
Several Senators also indicated their disgust with the exemptions in the bill. "The bill creates carve-outs for the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful Washington-based special interest groups — such as the NRA and the AARP," said Cornyn.
Unions would receive special protection, he added, as the DISCLOSE Act "would silence companies that receive bailout funds, but protect unions who represent those same companies' employees." Read more
BELLINGHAM – An attempted home burglary ended abruptly Thursday morning, July 28, when the intruder was confronted by the resident with a gun.
About 5:40 a.m., a man used a burglary tool to open a ground-level window at a house owned by a couple in the 4300 block of Samish Crest Lane, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. The lights in the house were on and a car was parked in the driveway.
The husband heard the burglar breaking in, Young said. Pointing his handgun, he shouted at the suspect to freeze. The burglar fled through the same window he'd come in.
No shots were fired, nobody was injured and nothing was stolen. Read more
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police said a man tried to carjack a plainclothes officer near filming for the latest Batman movie — and allegedly told him it was part of the script.
Detective Robert DiGiacomo was in an unmarked vehicle at about 7:15 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Walnut and Ivy Street in Shadyside, looking for a suspect in an assault.
That's when police said a man who matched the suspect’s description opened the car door, sat down and told the officer to get out.
The officer drew his gun and ordered the suspect, Micah Calamosca, 21, out of the car. He said the suspect told him he was part of filming for “The Dark Knight Rises” and that taking the vehicle was in the script. Read more
The famous S&W Model 1917 pioneered the use of half moon clips to allow firing rimless pistol cartridges in a revolver. PHOTOS BY JAMES WALTERS AND BUTCH SIMPSON
S&W continued to produce the Second Model after World War I. Once again, the most popular caliber was the .44 Special with the .45 ACP a distant runner up while smaller numbers were produced in .38-40, .44-40, .45 Long Colt and .455 Webley. Another variation, the .44 Hand Ejector, Third Model was produced in 1926 on special order from the Wolf & Klar Company, a firearms distributor in Fort Worth, Texas. It was basically a .44 Special caliber Second Model with an ejector rod shroud and proved popular enough that limited numbers were produced up until 1950.
In 1937 the Brazilian government placed an order for 25,000 Second Models in .45 ACP. Known as the Modelo 1937 they were – except for the fact that some were fitted with checkered rather then smooth grip panels – identical to U.S. issue M1917s.
The Performance Center Model 625 took honors for handling and accuracy. PHOTOS BY JAMES WALTERS AND BUTCH SIMPSON
During World War II the army and USMC issued M1917s once again. While primarily used by military police and support troops, quite a few turned up in combat where they again gave a good account of themselves. In addition, large numbers were supplied to our British and Chinese allies.
Production resumed after World War II as the .45 Hand Ejector Model of 1917. In 1950 S&W began offering two slightly updated revolvers, the .45 Hand Ejector Model of 1950 with fixed sights and the .45 Hand Ejector Model of 1950 Target with a ribbed 6.5-inch barrel and adjustable sights. The latter was superseded two years later by the heavy-barreled .45 Hand Ejector Model of 1955 which, after 1957, was known as the Model 25.
Lest we get too far ahead of ourselves and become confused, let us backtrack for a moment. The post-World War I years saw a massive switch by U.S. police to medium-frame revolvers chambered for the .38 Special cartridge, and S&W’s .38 Military & Police soon became the “standard” revolver in the holsters of most police officers in the Western hemisphere.
The 1920s and 1930s were times of great social change and economic unrest which led to the rise of a new breed of violent criminals. The proliferation of the automobile, combined with poor communications and lack of coordination between police agencies, provided these lawbreakers with the means to commit crimes, escape quickly, and elude pursuit. In addition, the heavy gauge steel auto bodies of the day provided excellent protection for these highly mobile banditti.
Gunfights between police and automobile-mounted robbers led to a call for a handgun cartridge capable of defeating auto bodies. In response, several ammunition companies loaded the .38 Special with a 200-gr. lead bullet at a velocity of 730 fps for 236 ft/lbs. of energy. Often referred to as “Super Police” or “Highway Patrol” loads, they nevertheless proved inadequate. Also, medium-frame revolvers tended to loosen up or go out of time when fed a steady diet of them.
The Model 327 TRR8 was designed for police service and has the ability to mount many different types of lights, optical sights and lasers. PHOTOS BY JAMES WALTERS AND BUTCH SIMPSON
In 1930 S&W came to the rescue with a revolver that, over the years, has been known by several names: .38/44 Heavy Duty, .38/44 Hand Ejector or .38/44 Super Police. It was in fact, little more than the fixed-sight .44 Hand Ejector rebarreled and chambered for the .38 Special and fitted with an ejector rod shroud. It proved to be a rugged, no-frills handgun capable of digesting a unlimited diet of heavy-bullet .38 Specials and became especially popular with rural sheriff’s departments and Highway Patrol agencies in the western and southern states.
In 1931, Remington developed a high-performance .38 Special loaded with a 158-gr. hardened lead bullet which, when fired from a 6.5 inch barrel, attained a velocity of 1175 fps, producing an impressive 460 ft/lbs.of muzzle energy. While Remington called it the .38/44 S&W Special Hi-Speed, it quickly became known simply as the “.38/44.” It was also available loaded with a 150-gr. metal pointed bullet at the same velocity, a round that had no trouble whatsoever penetrating auto bodies, walls and the primitive bullet proof vests of the day. [This .38/44 load is not to be confused with the earlier, similarly-named .38-44 S&W, a special target cartridge chambered in a variant of the S&W Model 3 large-frame, top-break revolver. –DMS]
That same year, S&W offered a second version designed for sportsmen and target shooters. The .38/44 Outdoorsman came with a 6.5-inch barrel, a fully-adjustable rear sight and a patridge front sight. The .38/44 revolvers retained their popularity throughout the 1930s and ‘40s although production ended in 1941 so S&W could concentrate on war orders. Production resumed after the war and in 1957 the .38/44 was rechristened the Model 20 while the Outdoorsman became the Model 23. But the increasing popularity of the .357 revolver led to declining sales, and manufacture of both ceased in 1967.
The Model 327 TRR8’s eight round cylinder can be loaded with loose rounds or full moon clips. PHOTOS BY JAMES WALTERS AND BUTCH SIMPSON
One of the more notable events in firearms history occurred in 1935 when S&W’s Philip Sharpe, in cooperation with Winchester’s Merton Robinson, introduced the .357 S&W Magnum cartridge. Based on the venerable .38 Special case lengthened by one-eighth of an inch, the original load propelled a 158-gr. bullet to approximately 1500 fps (from an 8-3/4-inch barrel), qualifying as the most powerful handgun cartridge of its era. (Note: the velocity of factory-produced .357 ammunition was later reduced to the 1200-1300 fps range.)
The first revolvers available chambered for the .357 were based on S&W’s N-frame and were dubbed, appropriately enough, the .357 Magnum Hand Ejector. S&W’s new Magnum revolver was a deluxe item featuring the highest levels of craftsmanship and finish. All .357 Magnums were custom-made and were fitted with a fully adjustable rear sight while the buyer had the options of seven different front sights, any length barrel from 3-1/2 to 8-3/4 inches and several different styles of grips.
In an obvious attempt to attract the attention of the law enforcement community, S&W’s president presented revolver serial #1 to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover on May 10, 1935. But while the .357 Magnum was beyond the budget of most 1930s police agencies, the cartridge’s performance quickly earned it an enviable reputation and in pre-World War II years it became a status item among both civilian shooters and law enforcement personnel.
And while some affluent agencies issued them, many more were purchased with private funds by officers wanting the “best.” In the post-war years .357 Magnum Hand Ejector production continued and in 1957 it was rebaptized the Model 27. (It’s worth noting that the first 5,500 .357 Magnums were registered to their original purchasers. Today these guns are called “registered Magnums,” and their value is somewhat higher than non-registered Magnums of the same vintage, all other factors being equal.)
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After the major case prep is done the reloading only needs some minor prep for the next loading. I like to clean out the primer pocket again with the uniformer. This will get the dirt and any brass that has stretched down into the pocket from firing. When looking into the pocket of a fired case there should be shiny brass marks where the anvil of the primer rested against the pocket floor. This indicates the primer is seated in a uniform pocket. HOW CLOSE TO the rifling should the ogive of the bullet be for the best possible accuracy? This is open to debate, but we can agree that distance should be consistent, once we find the sweet spot, for shot-to-shot accuracy.
First off, you all should know that the ogive is, simply put, the spot where the bullet begins to curve to a point.
Using my Remington 700 .308 rifle the OAL (Over All Length) recommended in the loading books gave good accuracy. That accuracy improved as I moved the bullet closer to the rifling. This became apparent when I was fire-forming some new brass and I set the bullet right up to the rifling so the brass would form as concentric as possible. These fire-forming loads gave improved groups. With a little experimentation I found that setting my bullet back about .005 of an inch was the best for the rifle and load I was using. But how does a handloader best achieve the proper setback consistently once the measurement is established?
The OAL suggested in the reloading manuals will fit in every factory rifle out there. Moving the bullet forward for accuracy might jeopardize the ability to load rounds into the magazine. Thus you limited in your OAL to the size of the magazine. If accuracy is more important than quick follow-up shots you can get the bullet closer to the rifling, but you may end up with a single-shot rifle. This is one thing to think about if you are building a rifle. I like to cut the chamber as short as I can or build the magazine a bit bigger so I can have the best of both worlds.
The first thing I do is figure out what the length of my cartridge is with the ogive right up against the rifling. I do this by neck sizing a fire-formed die to my chamber and start the bullet in part way. I will size the neck so a bullet will slide in easily but not move once in place. I then stick it into the chamber of the rifle and slowly close the bolt. Of course I do this with an unprimed case. The bullet is against the rifling with the bolt closed and may be jammed in slightly depending on how much resistance the seated bullet exerts. I don’t worry about this very much because the actual distance the bullet is set back isn’t as important as achieving the exact same distance every time once the most accurate distance is found.
The container of tiny balls hold the dry lubricant to apply on the case necks. Poke the neck in and give a couple twists and the lube is transmitted to the neck.
A bullet comparator will help make more accurate measurements of loaded bullets or the model (unprimed uncharged seated bullet to correct size) that I like to create for a reference point. The comparator fits over the loaded round and will give a flatter measuring point than the tip of the bullet. It will usually seat on the ogive which is the point that will contact the lands. By using calibrated competition seating dies, like the ones available from Redding, the shooter can set up the die with the model up to the rifling and then adjust it in whatever increments of set back is desired. Once the best setback is discovered on the range it can be recorded and duplicated. The size can be confirmed accurately with the comparator.
One thing I like about Redding Competition Dies is the adjustment on the sizing die. Achieving the same headspace when sizing brass is important for accuracy also. Once the brass is fired to the chamber I don’t like pushing it back too much when resizing. Whatever push back I give it, I like that I can repeat it with the Redding dies. It also comes in handy when sizing the brass for the first time setting the shoulder right with the chamber. The neck-sizing die has a bushing that can be changed in increments of .001 to get precisely the same tension on the bullet. The standard for the proper size bushing is .001-.002 inches larger than the loaded outside neck diameter. I use a dry lube from Redding to keep the friction down when sizing. It is easily applied with a container of small balls that hold the lubricant.
Another way to get the depth of the rifling is with a Seating Depth Gage from Sinclair International. Measurement is accomplished by dropping a bullet, point first, into the unloaded rifle and inserting the gauge for the first measurement, then doing the same thing with a fired cartridge case. The measurement between the two stops can be measured with a caliper for an accurate length.
Redding also makes a measurement tool called the Instant Indicator. It is a die that has an adaptor for a dial indicator. Dial Indicators are machinist’s measuring devices accurate to the nearest thousandth on the lines and to the nearest half thousandths cutting between the lines. The indicator also measures from the ogive which should be the most consistent part of a quality bullet. The ogive is the part on the bullet where it comes to the bore diameter. By changing the bushing in the Instant Indicator other calibers can be measured. I have two presses set up side-by-side on my bench. I use them to do two functions at once without using a turret press. When seating competition loads I can instantly check the length while waiting for the power measure to dump another charge. On a turret press it would even work out easier.
I make a model round with the bullet set right out to the lands as mentioned above for a reference point. I set up my seating die to this model and, by using the adjustment, seat the bullet to whatever depth I want to start with. Once the depth is right, the Instant Indicator will affirm that the bullet is precisely the same as the last to the nearest half thousandth. You can also use the Instant Indicator to measure shoulder setback for accurate and repeatable headspace. It is a neat little tool and one of the things it taught me is the most precise tools will have a couple of thousandth variances for a variety of reasons. The Instant Indicator is set up right next to the seating dies. I use an RCBS Powder trickler and scale so I can check my set back right after seating while waiting for the next charge to dump. It also comes in handy for measuring shoulder setback and headspace. I found that the measurements were off a bit when I went to a fresh box of bullets. I was instantly informed of this and made the necessary adjustments to correct the setback. I also found that the dial indicator is so accurate that the shell holder needs to be tighter tolerances. I was using a run-of-the-mill shell holder and sometimes had a couple of thou variances until I put in a tighter holder. Redding makes their shell holders in a variety of sizes to tighten up this area.
Sometimes the shape of the bullet past the ogive to the tip is inconsistent from bullet to bullet just by a little bit. If the seater contacts the bullet in one of these areas it will seat a couple thousandths off perfect. The length to the ogive is what is important so it can be corrected as soon as it is seen in the indicator. The indicator measures off of the ogive. I don’t know if a thousandths is enough to make a difference, but if it can be perfect, why not make it perfect?
Consistency is the key to precision and nowadays there are tools that can give the reloader more precise measurements and repeatability. Depending on the level of precision that is needed to each shooter there is a tool to achieve his or her goals. I find that I enjoy being as precise as I can when measuring critical areas of cartridge reloading. It sure takes hold when the groups relate the effort. If you think it isn’t doing much for your groups at 100 yards, send a few out to 700 yards or better. Some of this fussiness has reduced my long-range groups from a minute to less than one-half minute. GDTM
This article appeared in the July 5, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine. Click here to learn more about this issue. Click here to load up on a subscription.
POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A Polk County homeowner fought back against armed home invaders and may have killed one of them.
Investigators say three men with bandanas over their faces kicked in the front door and tied up the four residents on Sunday.
The homeowner freed himself, grabbed a gun and opened fire on the crooks.
Thesuspects fled the scene, but 30 minutes later Osceola County deputies received a call about a body in front of a vacant home in Kissimmee. Read more
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
