9mm in Revolvers
#wheelgunwednesday
Reposted from the Snub Noir https://snubnoir.com/ Facebook page.
One of the issues with 9mm in a revolver is that the very characteristic that makes it reliable in autoloaders, its taper, works against it in revolvers. The 9mm cartridge tapers 10/1000ths of an inch over a case length of .500. Its taper gives it a high probability of extracting cleanly from the chamber of an autoloader immediately after firing. However, we don’t want revolver cartridges to extract immediately from the chamber. In fact, we want the exact opposite to happen. If the cases self-extract (move backward) far enough, they bind against the recoil shield. When binding occurs, the friction interferes with cylinder rotation. This is a problem.
The .38 Special, like most 19th Century revolver cartridges is cylindrical (.379) down its entire case length. The taper of the 9mm cartridge allows it to move backward in the chambers much more easily than a cylindrical case will.
Using moon clips mitigates this to a certain extent because the friction of all the chambers is exerted on the one cartridge that fires. It’s not a guarantee though, it’s ammunition dependent.
Moon clip .45s work pretty well because the .45 ACP has very little taper to it. Its taper is only .003 over the .650 case length, so it’s almost cylindrical like the .38 Special.
Dolled Up Defenders Match
#wheelgunwednesday
A few weeks ago, The Complete Combatant http://www.thecompletecombatant.com/ held the Dolled Up Defenders event. Part of it was a match for real deal carry guns. Here’s my Patreon post about the match. This post is available for everyone not just Patrons.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/74194384
AAR – Reactionary Zones
#mindsetmonday
I recently had the opportunity to attend REACTIONARY ZONES, a 3 Hour Online Session with Shelley Hill. This is an online class conducted via Zoom. This is my After Action Review of the class.
http://www.thecompletecombatant.com/online-reactionary-zones.html
One of the glaring holes in Personal Protection training is accessible training that goes beyond the gun itself. While there are various Force on Force exercises available, some good and some not so much, they still require travel to a training site, involve a significant time commitment, cost more than most people want to pay, and are intimidating to those new to the concept of training. Reactionary Zones is designed to address these issues.
As the saying goes, this class can be taken “in the comfort of your own home.” The cost is nominal ($39.95) for a highly interactive experience. Images are heavily used in the class as training props to introduce the clients to the idea that situations will require some degree of reaction for a successful outcome. Images are a part of the class but the emphasis is more on understanding timing aspects of Personal Protection.
A major benefit of the class is that it introduces the concept of spatial relationships and time requirements into Personal Protection thinking. This can be a difficult aspect of self-defense for many people, not just beginners, to grasp in a concrete manner.
Shelley has a very interactive style in the class despite it being Zoom based. It is definitely NOT a boring Zoom lecture. She engages the clients, poses a progression of situations, and requires the clients to learn problem solving. It was obvious a lot of learning was going on by those who attended. This is a thinking and reacting class not just note taking.
For those who are just beginning the journey into understanding Personal Protection concepts, whether armed or not, this is a great starting point. Even for experienced practitioners, there’s a good deal to be learned in the class.
FTC disclaimer: I had significant input into the content of this course. Shelley is a good friend of mine and invited me to take the course gratis. However, I receive no compensation for this review nor commission for anyone who signs up because of my review.
Negative Outcome from Holsterless Carry
“A man has died after a gun accidentally discharged while in the pocket of a sweatshirt”
Brown County Sheriff’s Office
https://www.wlwt.com/article/brown-county-ohio-accidental-gun-discharge-death/41854707
The man was found dead by his girlfriend in the backyard with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. That single wound resulted in his demise.
“Authorities say a 9mm handgun was found in Hauser’s front sweatshirt pocket, with a single shell casing found in the same pocket of the sweatshirt. Officials added that fabric from the sweatshirt was found to be lodged in the [ejection port] of the firearm and the gun appeared to have gone off while inside the pocket of the sweatshirt.”
I have carried double action revolvers using a Barami Hip-Grip with an uncovered trigger guard for many years without incident. As my colleague Chuck Haggard has noted, both the trigger and cylinder have to move through a relatively long cycle to make the gun fire in that configuration. Striker Fired Autoloaders are a completely different story. As Massad Ayoob noted many years ago:
“What’s the good thing about a Glock? It’s easy to shoot. What’s the bad thing about a Glock? It’s easy to shoot.”
It takes very little to make a Striker Fired Autoloader go off. Holsterless carry with them is foolish. Numerous manufacturers make trigger guard covers for SFAs. If you need a minimalist carry option, at least use one of them.
Shooting in the leg
Investigators say Marquez claimed the shooting was self-defense and that he only intended to shoot his brother in the leg after his brother assaulted him during a fight. Instead, Marquez shot his brother in the stomach.
Bad decision. The brother died.
Marquez was arrested and booked into jail. He is accused of multiple charges, including second-degree murder.
This was a Serious Mistake that resulted in a Negative Outcome. To purchase my book about Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make, click the link below.
https://store.payloadz.com/details/2617872-ebooks-true-crime-serious-mistakes-gunowners-make.html
Decision and Determination
“The document details how [Michaela aka Micky] Shunick fought back against her attacker by spraying him with Mace, stabbing him several times and fighting relentlessly until he ultimately shot her in the head.”
ABC News
Synopsis of the incident
- The Culprit intentionally hit Shunick’s bicycle
- Insisted that she enter his truck
- He put her bike in the bed of his truck
- The Culprit was in possession of a knife and a semi-automatic handgun
- When Shunick attempted to grab her cellphone to call for help, the Culprit threatened her with his knife
- She sprayed Mace [or some other chemical weapon] into the Defendant’s face
- Micky fought off the Defendant who succeeded in wrestling the chemical weapon from her
- She grabbed the Defendant’s knife and proceeded to stab the Defendant several times in what would later be called life threatening wounds
- The Culprit tried to grab the knife from Shunick, which caused him to cut tendons in his hands
- Micky struggled with the much larger and stronger Culprit
- He succeeded in taking the knife from her
- The Culprit then stabbed her at least 4 times and she fell over
- Micky lay motionless and the Culprit was unable to detect a pulse
- The Culprit then drove her motionless body to a secluded area 40 minutes away
- He planned to dump her body there
“Suddenly, Micky jumped up [after having been initially rendered unconscious], with the Defendant’s knife she had regained possession of and lunged at the Defendant stabbing him again in the chest, the court document said The Defendant pulled his semi-automatic handgun, which he had armed himself with, and shot Micky in the head, killing her instantly.”
That was one tough and courageous woman. She decided to make the crime as hard as possible for the Culprit. She had the determination to fight as long as she could, even after initially being rendered unconscious. I give her a lot of credit. We can all learn something from her example.
The Culprit pleaded guilty to her murder and to the 1999 murder of another woman, Lisa Pate. He was sentenced to life in prison, where he has proven to be a less than model prisoner. https://www.katc.com/news/around-acadiana/2018/10/25/convicted-murder-brandon-scott-lavergne-disciplined-often-in-jail/
Don’t Get Tied Up
“When they get the duct tape [or zip ties] out, it’s time to make your move, ready or not.”
The Most Dangerous Man in the World
A tragic story from California. An entire family kidnapped and murdered. Even their 8 month old baby was not spared.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/worst-fears-kidnapped-baby-parents-uncle-found-dead-91088353
“Surveillance video showed the suspect — later identified as Salgado — leading the Singh brothers, who had their hands zip-tied behind their backs, into the back seat of Amandeep Singh’s pickup truck. He drove the brothers away and returned several minutes later.”
Back in the 1980’s, Evan Marshall, a now retired DEEtroit POlice sergeant, laid out his plan if he got caught up in a store robbery while off-duty.
“As long as all they’re doing is taking money from the register, I’m going to act like a CPA from Akron and be a good witness. But if they start searching people, making customers get on the ground, or herding people into a back room, my wife knows to get away from me because I’m going to start shooting.”
While I know of a few incidents where a kidnappee didn’t come to physical harm, they’re few and far between. When a criminal intends to tie you up, they’re not after stuff, they’re after YOU. Nothing good is likely to come of that. Whether you’re armed or not, it’s time to start fighting. Even if you get killed in the process, the chances your baby won’t be left outside to die of exposure become much better.
Have that decision made ahead of time and act on it without hesitation if the need arises.
RIP Singh family.
Awareness saved my life
For many years, in every one of my classes I have commented to the class that the typical middle class person is more likely to become a casualty at the hands of a motor maniac than from a criminal.
Yesterday was nearly the day for me. Fortunately, being aware of my surroundings kept me from getting killed or seriously injured. As Tom Givens says:
“Who is around me and what are they doing?”
On my daily walk, I crossed a four lane local street. There’s no intersection nearby so I had to cross the street where I could. A rape/murder van https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rape_van (beat-up full size van with no windows) was approaching so I waited for it to pass and then crossed behind it. Although those vans usually have rear windows, this particular one was even worse since the driver side rear window had been replaced with plywood.
As I crossed behind it, the driver immediately stopped, threw it into reverse, and hit the gas. Because I had my head up and was paying attention, I saw the white backup lights come on. This was a clue to me that I had better quickly move out of the way, which I did by sprinting to the other side of the street.
Then as I quickly walked down the sidewalk, the maniac continued to back up the street in the same direction I was going. Starting to think it was some Central American assassin coming to make amends, I got my hand on my pea shooter under my shirt but didn’t draw it quite yet.
Finally, he stopped and turned into the driveway of the shopping center on my side of the street. Then he drove into the drive-thru of the Burger King and ordered something. I proceeded on my way after visually verifying that he wasn’t an assassin but was actually just a moron like Joe Biden. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron_(psychology)
The incident is a good example of why I never wear ear buds to enjoy distractions on my cell phone when I’m walking. Further, I follow Bill Rogers’ advice to ramp up my awareness when the situation changes. Crossing the street is a situation change.
“When you’re driving and you see the first few raindrops on your windshield, it’s time to stop daydreaming and pay more attention to what’s going on around you.”
I was only a few feet behind the van and had, at best, two seconds to get out of its way. If I had been distracted and not acted instantly, I would have ended up under his wheels.
After surviving all the health issues I have over the past four years, getting killed by a fool in a motor vehicle who’s only thinking about a Bacon, Sausage & Ham Fully Loaded CROISSAN’WICH https://www.bk.com/menu/picker-picker_4740 would have been a real tragedy. But I’m in one piece because I pay attention to what’s around me.
As a general protocol, I stay as far away from those vans as I can. If there’s one in a parking lot, I drive to the other side of the lot to park, regardless of how far I have to walk.
This post is also an opportunity for me to plug the idea of taking a Defensive Driving Class, which is the point of my comment in my firearms training classes. The last time I took it, I was the only one in the class who wasn’t there because a court made them. That’s sad.
Some things take time
I’ve always accepted that some things take time. In some cases, ideas are like time bombs and take a while to go off.
Many many people, not just gun people either, would greatly benefit from it.
An outline of the principles, called Dale Carnegie’s Secrets of Success, is available as a free download. I have a hard copy and refer to it regularly.
https://www.dalecarnegie.com/en/resources/dale-carnegies-secrets-of-success?
I receive no commission or other remuneration from recommending it, it’s just a wonderful resource for me that I like to share.
Weaponized math!
Legendary Lawman Chuck Haggard sent me a video on Facebook showing an interaction between an individual and a car. His comment was:
People don’t realize how violent even low speed cars can be
Being a math nerd, I wanted to quantify this so I calculated the kinetic energy (KE) of a typical sedan of 1000 kilograms going 5 miles per hour. Then I calculated the energy of a 158 grain .38 bullet going 750 feet per second.
The comparison came out like this:
- car @ 5 mph KE = 2,498 Joules
- 158 gr bullet @ 750 fps KE = 267 Joules
So a barely moving car creates ten times the KE of a bullet. Let’s keep that in mind.
I’m not sophisticated enough to capture the video but these screencaps should give you an idea of the interaction.
Dude literally got scraped out of his shoes. My guess is the he will be spending some time in the hospital.
It’s a great example of don’t f8ck around in traffic, reach into another car in a hostile manner, etc…
Chuck
tacticalprofessor 
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