Happy July 5th!

I am the only one in my area of the office that is actually here. Everyone else was smart enough to take off today, being that it is Friday and the day after July 4th. So today, I am cleaning my office and completeing paperwork that needs to be done. But even doing these tasks is becoming more difficult. It is just too quiet to really concentrate. I have already made a full armada of paper airplanes. Maybe now I should make an aircraft carrier out of cardboard. Anyway, have a good weekend.

What's wrong here?

Let me start out by saying that I have A LOT of respect for the Israelis. How can you not respect a people that share a border with another country that is constantly trying to kill them? And I also love the ease at which Krav Maga has been adapted and embraced by the United States. But in this video, they claim to depict "Israeli Tactical Shooting". What is shown is commonly known as the "Israeli Instictive Shooting Method". So what is so wrong in this video? 

Well for one, the Israeli Method, was developed because many pistols used back when were not drop safe and could engage the firing pin if rattled. With today's modern pistols, this has become a thing of the past.

Secondly, and I can not stress this enough, NEVER STAND IN FRONT OF A FIRING LINE!!!! I don't care how good your training or method is. You NEVER STAND IN FRONT OF A FIRING LINE!!!

Rules for firearm safety:

1. Always assume the firearms is loaded!!!

Good, I think we have it now. Enjoy the video by the way.

In Defense Of The .22 Rimfire (Part 1-1/2)

In my post yesterday, "In Defense Of The .22 Rimfire", I went through why the small .22 was not an impossible choice for a defense round. Since then, I have continued my searching for others that might have some insight on this topic.

Enter, Kirsten Weiss. Kirsten is a competetive shooter in the small bore division for Lapua originally from Pennsylvania (WE ARE... PENN STATE!!!) and a  three-time All-American in smallbore. Kirsten led the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. From there she has gone on to do many great things in the shooting sports arena. So, you could say she knows a thing or two about the .22 round.

Now, getting back to the .22 as a defensive round.The question was posed on a very popular website, The Truth About Guns. Her answer was pretty cool. Here is the question and answer:

Q: Would you use .22 for self-defense?

A: It depends on the context really. Is the .22 worth a “damn” as a defense round? One big fat absolutely! Is something bigger more suited for the task...it depends. Again, context is important. The .22 has its place as a defense weapon.

For example. Say you’ve somehow gotten yourself into a shady scenario (Robert, this means you), you’re cornered by a “bad guy”, yet the sound of a round echoing in the air would just alert more baddies to you. The .22 is perfect here. Not only can you easily silence them if needed, the un-silenced shot is often softer than common traffic noises, construction sites, etc. One or two pops from a .22 would hardly sound the alarm. [and on a more sordid note, there’s a reason why the Savage Mark II is one of the most commonly used assassin rounds. Look it up]

As far as effectiveness as a “stopping” round. Well, not to get gore-y, but the .22 is a very effective, damaging round. It tends to enter, but not have enough energy to exit. The bullet breaks apart, and bounces around, damaging bone and tissue on its pin ball-like journey. A well placed shot will be lethal.

According to videos I’ve seen, .22 rifle round will also penetrate deep enough to be effective, even at 300 yards. Whether one can shoot that distance accurately with a .22? That is the responsibility of the marksman to know his skills and his gun’s limits. Guns are tools. And tools are only as effective as their quality and the person wielding them.

.22s are also much easier to conceal than the bigger guns (especially for we puny women...haha! *eye roll*), so you’re more likely to have one on your person, when the time is needed. Or not fatigue if you have to carry it and its ammo for miles to the nearest safety point.

The most important factors in self defense though, are confidence and skill under stress. Lack either one, and you’re in for panic mode. So its important to train and know your defense tool of choice, under multiple scenarios. Get the heart rate up, get the mind working, induce as much stress response as possible. You want to train to be focused and ideally on auto-pilot, during the inevitable sensory overload.

I think its important to be comfortable with multiple self-defense tools. Including your own bare hands. So I’d encourage men and women alike, to train many tools, but know a few intimately. Knowing the .22 intimately gives you versatility with firearms. So it would be a top choice. Its good to be prepared for various scenarios, so other calibers are worth considering in addition to the .22 depending on the context (a long range shot, a thick steel penetrating shot, etc)

So, yes. I would be relieved if there was a .22 in my hands and I had to defend myself. Especially a rifle.

So, I leave you with that. Have a good day and keep firing!!!

In Defense Of The .22 Rimfire

Let me start off by giving an example of a conversation I have both heard and have had before.

Me: Sir, why do you carry a 45cal 1911?
45 Guy: Because they don't make a 46!
Me: Yeah, they do. (S&W .460)

Most of the time, like in the example above, the reasoning for owning/carrying a .45 for defense is stopping power. Stopping power is the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target, whether human or animal, enough to incapacitate the target where it stands. And I would have to mostly agree with that argument. A .45 cartridge will produce more force to the target than that of a comparable smaller caliber. But putting aside stopping power of a single shot, what of the other factors? Recoil, muzzle rise, and control are ones that immediately come to mind. What if the person needing to protect themselves from a threat is of a smaller frame? What then?

There are some guys I know that say, "Unless it starts with a 4, don't waste your time!". I on the other hand believe that anything can be used as a tool of defense. Or in the case of some crafty inmates, an offensive weapon. So, back to bullets, what is an effective cartridge for those ranging from small to extra large stature (OK, maybe not Andre the Giant)? What about the very small .22lr? I fully expect the typical response shown here, but hear me out. The .22 cartridge is the one that a lot of us started with. So why is it such a stretch to think of it for defense. Again, putting aside stopping power of one shot, the .22 is much easier on recoil (practically has none) and recovery times for follow up shots are non-existent. Both these two factors help in muzzle rise, proper shot placement, and even apprehension.

No matter what you use to defend yourself, I think we can all agree that, you must practice the motions for when SHTF so you will be ready physically, emotionally, and most important mentally. With that being said, I wouldn't advise giving a small framed person a Glock G36 as their first, out the gate, firearm. Not because it is a bad weapon, but because the probability of them practicing becomes slim due to apprehension, fear of recoil, and the fact that they probably won't be that accurate. This is the reason many of us started with the extremely modest .22lr then worked our way up. Now, what does someone the size of Snooki (Why the hell do I know this!), who measures a towering 4'8" in height do if they have limited time, limited budget, and need to defend herself NOW do?

(Side Note: I referenced Snooki. If for some reason you do not know who Snooki is, look her up on Google... On second thought, don't Google her! Your life is better not knowing.)

Why not the .22lr rimfire? Because it has no stopping power? Because it does not start with the number 4? Because you are just going to piss off the attacker/criminal? Because it has never been used effectively for a defense round? If all this is true why then, have some of the most high profile, and low profile for that matter, used the small "ineffective" round to cause rifts in our history. Let me give you a few examples...

1. June 5, 1968 - 22-year-old Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan, shot Robert Kennedy with a .22 after he had just won the Presidential primary. Robert Kennedy died a day later.
2. March 30, 1981 - John Hinckley, Jr., attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. President Reagan was hit once lodging the bullet 1" from his heart. White House press secretary James Brady, was paralyzed in the attack along with member of the Secret Service being injured. Hinckley used a .22.
3. Between 1968 - 1985, The Monster of Florence terrorized Italy by killing 16 victims. Many were couples. All killed with a .22.
4. 1989 - 1990 - Aileen Wuornos killed 7 men in Florida. Her weapon of choice? A .22 pistol.

Now, I know what can be said, all of these were at close range. And you are correct, but most personal defense is close range. Forbes magazine did an article based on a case study done of randomly picked incidents between 2003 and 2011 (link here). In this study, many were home invasions and close quarter confrontations. Unless you live in a Beverly Hills mansion, your home is not an open space palace. So again, this raises the question; why not a .22 as a possible defensive round?

I, for one, have never been shot at. I hope I never am shot at. But if a person IS shot at, will their mind say, "Is that the sound of a Desert Eagle or a Ruger Mark II?" Or will they think, "OH S**T, I'M BEING SHOT AT!!!!" Unless the criminal has had extensive training in knowing the sounds of specific firearms, I believe the latter thinking would prevail. So why not a .22 for defense? It's lighter, quicker, more accessible, less intimidating for the shooter, smaller frame gun, good for all ages, better accuracy, faster recovery, etc., etc., etc.

In closing, I don't believe the .22 is the end all be all when it comes to a defense round. There are plenty of bigger, more robust rounds that can stop an attacker in his tracks. But using a .22 isn't inconceivable either. It may have less, one hit, stopping power (odds are you are going to keep firing until the threat is stopped, as well you should). But isn't the power to stop the attack what we are looking for, and not the power to kill. No sane person wants to kill another human being; but will if forced to. Protection of yourself and your loved ones is key. Why not do it with the best weapon you have at the time? Even if it is a little pipsqueak .22.

JC

*P.S. Here is a defense story. since I posted a few criminal cases, I thought a good use of the .22 was in order (Link Here). Also, another great article on the ".22lr for self-defense".

Why Gray Room?

The photo you see above is the "Gray Room" at the Heckler & Koch facility in Virginia. In my mind, if I was to design a conference/meeting room, I would design it just like this. So that is why I titled my blog "the Gray Room". Welcome to my office.

Mi Casa Es Su Casa

So, a few weeks ago I was given the privelege of being approached by Roger Casanova to assist him in being an administrator for the CASA Group on Facebook. CASA stands for, "Community Advocates for a Safer Austin", and has grown exponetially since it came into fruition in January of 2012. CASA is essentially, in my opinion, a centralized place that neighbors from the surrounding area can come together for common good. That being the safety of our neighborhoods and families. In the words of our founder Roger Casanova:

"The CASA group is about people and communities being the “eyes” and “ears” (and voice) of Austin, looking out for one another, keeping each other informed about events (related to crime, crime prevention and community events)."

For me, the reason I joined CASA was due to the one night that my wife and I were getting ready for bed when we heard 3 to 4 pops come from outside. Both of us were 99% sure they were gunshots. So there I go, running to listen to the police scanner. Little did I know that a car jacking had just happened just minutes from my front door. I stayed awake most of that night listening in and ensuring that the trouble did not travel my way.  A few days later, I saw a news report on this exact incident that can be found here. I thought, "wow, what an amazing idea for the community." from that point I joined up and began posting and re-posting items and stories that I believed would help others around me.

I am happy to say that the CASA Group has grown to encompass more than just South Austin. It has expanded to reach more people and more communities. Recently I found out that we have members from as far as Boston, MA. With such a growing number of people looking for a sense of community, I see this group as modern town square. A place where neighbors, friends, and family can come together and discuss the things that go on in our neck of the woods.

I hope you will join us and be a part of this great community. We are always up for meeting new people and learning new things.

***CASA Blog***

Happy Couple

So here is the Happy Couple. It's an old picture, but one of my favorites.