Tactical Talk

I was seated in the classroom at a shooting school, listening to the experts. The topic? We discussed the pros and cons of 100-yard zero, point-blank range, twist rate, and other AR-15 related topics. Almost every serious discussion of firearms will eventually flip to home self-defense. That session was no different. The AR-style gun has a lot to recommend it. https://tactical-talk.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-ar-at-home.html The problem is over penetration. While most rifle students present were thinking of hits, I couldn't help but wonder about misses. Do enough training and you'll realize misses are the problem. The instructor proposed a solution for us. "Don't worry about overpenetration. You don't need expensive frangible rounds; use plastic-tipped varmint rounds. Those things just explode in small animals. What do you think will happen if they hit something hard?" This made sense. It'...

Commonality

Massad Ayoob explores "What Cops and Armed Citizens Have In Common" in the January 2025 issue of American Handgunner. I’d like to believe “America’s police and nation’s armed citizens have much in common…natural allies in the war on crime.” But I can’t fully accept it. In all the CCW courses I’ve taught, I stressed that your carry permit does not make you an ‘associate’ police officer or give you special powers. That’s the first big difference. While it is an attractive fantasy that during a spree shooting or armed robbery, the armed citizen would, by force of arms, stop the crime. Perhaps even apprehend the criminal for the police. I fall victim to this myself. I cannot tell you how often while watching the news I think, if only an armed citizen was present. But ask the next question. Who would I shoot? You might assume the criminal is trying to drag another ...

How Fast?

Concealed carry is always an issue. The prudent person ensures he or she doesn't print, that is, show an impression of the gun under clothing. Getting it off the strong side hip can almost magically make the gun disappear. There are options. Appendix carry is popular now. I met several NYC cops twenty years ago who carried a Glock 26 completely submerged behind their duty belt. Appendix carry isn't new. There is pocket carry in which a J-frame or other small gun in a holster is carried in a pants pocket. This works best in your weak side pocket, especially if you are used to carrying things in your strong side pocket. But you need to practice that a lot. I like ankle holsters. But they have problems and disadvantages. You can read more https://tactical-talk.blogspot.com/2014/08/long-pants.html . Training takes on a new dimension, when the targets shoot back Then there is the classic secret agent or the Mike Hammer d...

I said: Shotgun, baby!

Recently, I pulled out the shotgun for some range practice. I prefer the manual shotgun over the semi-auto I got for my wife. I, like most people, can shoot the semi-auto much faster, but I prefer the manual. Both have been reliable guns, but I modified the manual a bit. I added an extended tube magazine and matching spring to carry more rounds. I like to keep the sling rubber banded until I need it to organize the safe. Most off-the-rack shotguns marketed for hunters have a plug that prevents you from loading more than three of the possible five rounds. This is considered sporting. But for gun games and self-defense, I want to carry a few more. I replaced the magazine follower with a metal plug; the original was plastic. I thought the fore-end was too slippery and wide, so it went goodbye, and a smaller, grooved grenade-style grip replaced it. The biggest fault with a manual shotgun is the tendency to short-str...

The Cardboard Whisperer

Stay....Stay.....Easy boy!...

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