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Attack gun violence by raising cost of bullets
2008-11-14 13:30:00
This idiot believes that if ammunition was more expensive ($100/a round) people wouldn’t shoot themseleves or each other. So we are going to preven suicide by making it expensive? Those people aren’t just going to switch to more economical method? I am imaging the black market manufacture and smuggling of .22LR because this proposal would make ... Related posts:Resotrative Justice I am not sure that criminals can clean up enough litter or paint over enough graffitti to repair the damage caused by their crimes. Additionally if this is just a fiscal measure, at what point do you begin outsourcing jobs to criminals as pool of sub minimum wage workers? Source:...Presence Attack Neighborhood watch groups such as this one utilize the lowest level of force: presence. It probably does deter vandals and burglars in the neighborhood in question. It doesn't do much for other types of crime, but at least people are taking some responsibility for their neighborhoods. Source: ...
More About: News , Cost , Gun Violence , Violence , Bullets

Brand New Gun Designs
2008-11-14 09:54:00
SW M&P 9mm I haven’t shot this gun and a single range report doesn’t actually say much about this particular model of firearm in the long term. According to the review: 1. Trigger didn’t work too well out of the box. This is major. Poor trigger control is one the major barriers to accuracy and a sloppy ... Related posts:The soft-sell for gun control. This piece couched in soothing tones about how nobody is going to take your sporting guns, how a little paperwork is a minior inconvience and how guns don't make us any safer anyway. Here is the thin edge of the wedge: "We may well see an attempt in Congress for...
More About: Brand , Designs

The Stop
2008-11-14 01:00:00
The term “stop” is loosely defined as the threat stops all hostile action. A stop might just as easily be a look or body posture as multiple bullets tearing through vitals. There is a tendency in firearm circles to confuse a ’stop’ with a ‘kill’, but this is incorrect. Handgun bullets do not tend to ... No related posts.
More About: Equipment , Stop

Gun Sales Up Since Election - TalkLeft
2008-11-13 16:30:00
The article isn't really news, but some of the comments paint a very clear picture of where the pro-gun rights movement is falling down. There is still a lot of noise about sporting purposes and hunting. The reason to own an AK is defend yourself and your family. Source: http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/11/12/ 15548/088 No related posts. No related posts.
More About: Sales , Election

The soft-sell for gun control.
2008-11-13 02:30:00
This piece couched in soothing tones about how nobody is going to take your sporting guns, how a little paperwork is a minior inconvience and how guns don't make us any safer anyway. Here is the thin edge of the wedge: "We may well see an attempt in Congress for more restrictive gun purchasing measures. ... Related posts:Brand New Gun Designs SW M&P 9mm I haven't shot this gun and a single range report doesn't actually say much about this particular model of firearm in the long term. According to the review: 1. Trigger didn't work too well out of the box. This is major. Poor trigger control is one the...Rush to buy guns senseless action The author is "amazed" that people think Obama will attack the 2nd Amendment. Then goes on to say that Obama wants to just get rid of Assault Weapons. Doesn't that sound like a gun ban? Here is the best bit: "...don't go out and stock your homes with arsenals and...
More About: Gun Control , Soft , Sell , Control

Solutions to gun and knife crime
2008-11-12 12:30:00
"Talk to young people" is a cop-out. If the young people are free to pick their role models from the criminal classes you will always have this problem. When did kids stop looking up to their parents? When their parents stopped spending time with their kids. Source: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php ?show=14659 Related posts:San Francisco Police Department Can’t Stop Homicides It ... Related posts:San Francisco Police Department Can’t Stop Homicides It begs the question that if a police department doesn't think it has an effect on crime prevention what exactly are they getting paid for? Source: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2008/ 11/san_francisco_police_departmen.php?ref erer=sphere_related_content...D.C. Police Use E-Mail, Text Message Alerts to Combat Crime So they can issue an SMS description of the criminal hours after the crime and citizens can call in. This sounds good until you think about the short length of SMS messages. That grant m...
More About: News , Policy , Knife

International Crime Database
2008-11-12 12:30:00
What is being proposed would be a tough job to get done. The EU doesn't all speak the same language and I am sure that their police forces are not structured in the same way. Data sharing sounds good, but it would also allow neighboring countries to data mine the crime data of neighboring countries. Source: ... Related posts:D.C. Police Use E-Mail, Text Message Alerts to Combat Crime So they can issue an SMS description of the criminal hours after the crime and citizens can call in. This sounds good until you think about the short length of SMS messages. That grant money could have been better spent. Source:D.C. Police Use E-Mail, Text Message Alerts to Combat Crime...Information vs. Data "James" commented on my previous post Police Use Text Message Alerts to Combat Crime so I thought I would expand a little on my "money better spent" remark. Information is data in context. The number "10" doesn't mean anything by itself. Once I say "10 is then number of...DEKALB COUNTY: C...
More About: News , International , Policy

A question for the Judo guys
2008-07-05 08:32:00
So in the unarmed combatives system that I am currently practicing/teaching there is a shortage of throws and takedowns. I feel that this is something that the system should be addressed because quickly and efficiently dropping people has some significant tactical advantages in some situations. My question is that given a seminar format program, rather than a dedicated school, what throwing techniques would you include into the system? Because of the format of the training course we must recognize that we cannot depend upon strength, speed, timing, or finesse. Additionally we need something that is semi-safe to practice when the participants are not particularly good or familiar with (Ukemi) Break Falls. The (Kazushi) breaking of the opponents balance needs to be the rear or rear obliques, and cannot include any (Sutemi) Sacrafice throws as primary technique, in fact I am biased against most the sweeps, reaps, and hooks because of the compromise of balance. read more
More About: Question , Martial Arts , Guys , Skill , Judo

The Heller Decision's Impact on the Workplace
2008-07-02 01:52:00
I read Bearing Arms in the Workplace written by an employment law specialist. We have gone back and forth in the comments for a few exchanges and I am posting the latest round here. I do not believe that Mr. Phillips is anything other than ignorant. I don't believe that he fully understands the issue from the practical side, and while I am not a lawyer, I think some his legal reasoning is faulty. This is exactly the sort of person that the firearms community should be engaging with, as we all have the same goals of personal safety and security - but we differ on the implementation. I am ignorant of the legal liability of allowing employees to be armed, or simply not having a weapons policy. I would like to see some common ground and improvements that will actually keep people safer. read more
More About: Commentary , Gun rights

The Will To Fight
2008-06-27 08:22:00
I talked about psychological stopping in this post: The Stop. In a recent discussion with a close friend we came to agree that wars are won in the will. The military talks about "imposing your will on the battlefield" but I don't know that most people really get it. You have to deprive the enemy of the will to fight. This fundamental truth is applied in all forms of human conflict. It is a matter of dissuading participation, and raising the cost of failure. read more
More About: Equipment , Fight , Skill , Communications , Mindset

Sorry for the minimal posting
2008-06-27 05:59:00
I have been distracted by some other issues at the moment and haven't had much time or focus for blogging. Update: So I came back from two months overseas to needing to move and to a blown power supply in my main machine. Most of the moving is finished and the computer is in the shop. I have a few new products to review, and some other items to discuss as I find time between packing and/or unpacking. It is odd that I spend much of the year living out of a duffel bag and I still seem to have acres of stuff at home.
More About: Minimal

The Reset Button
2008-06-16 09:41:00
Jed has a post about the Reset Button and while I don't really have a lot in the way of answers I do have some expansion of the question. First, without organization any sort of reset will be a cascade of individual actions, snowballing into anarchy. Simply look to other countries in the world that are teetering on the edge of 'revolution.' Unless there is some kind of leadership that is compiling a laundry list of grievances against the current government, people act when they feel like they must or when they think they can get away with it. read more
More About: Politics , Commentary

The NRA "smears" Obama?
2008-06-08 19:19:00
NRA Smears Obama 's Stance on Gun Ownership. Barack Obama is trying to walk a fine line between protecting the right to bear arms guaranteed under the Second Amendment and clamping down on more than 30,000 deaths from firearms that happen every year in the United States. ... The laws Barack Obama supports that the NRA are vehemently against include sensible acts like: * Mandatory waiting periods to purchase a gun * Requiring citizens to actually register their firearms * Mandatory micro stamping of guns to aid tracing weapons * Banning inexpensive handguns that make it easier for criminals to acquire * Limit gun purchases to one gun a month * Require training for gun owners * Restrict gun ownership to citizens 21 and older * Eliminate right to carry concealed weapons read more
More About: Politics , Commentary , Gun rights , Gun Control

Minor Emergency Preparedness
2008-06-06 20:34:00
Emergency Lifehacks:Plan Ahead I am all for people making any level of preparation for emergencies. This is kind of a brief, novice level kind of disaster kit. The problem is that the thinking is kind of shallow. As an example CPR is good training if you can get the person to medical attention. The people that are 'saved' by CPR don't jump to their feet and live long happy lives, they are carried by ambulance to the ER. There isn't much value in have a giant first aid kit that you don't know how to use. It would be better to have a number of first aid kits full of stuff that you can actually operate. read more
More About: Commentary , Survival , Emergency , Minor

Homeowner Shoots Intruders
2008-06-06 17:24:00
Via SayUncle and KDT: Homeowner fired to protect his wife during invasion So we have two 19yr old adults, one with a prior criminal history, and one carrying a weapon, put on masks and break into a 70 yr old mans home and he shoots them both. read more
More About: Crime , Mindset , Intruders , Shoots , Decision making

Updates coming in a few days
2008-06-02 17:05:00
Those of you who wish you could travel more for work do not know the joys of flight delays and missed connections especially when the best case scenario is about 30 straight hours of travel. I'll get back to posting in a couple of days.
More About: Updates , Days

Tom Elben and Appeasment Strategy
2008-05-29 13:07:00
I am sure many of you have seen this on a number of other sites:NRA's slippery slope full of holes Again we get to the "reasonable controls" and "intelligent compromises" without actually statement of what these phrases mean. The short answer is a new red-tape hassle that doesn't solve the underlying problem, and stands to create new criminals rather than punishing the ones we already have. Consider a person who has some prohibited weapon, a magazine that is too big, a serial number that is too high, a caliber that is too scary, a grip that is too pistol-like, or some other qualifying feature. Depending on where this person lives this is either a serious crime or a big fat nothing. read more
More About: Commentary , Strategy , Gun Control

Unorganized Militia Propaganda Corps - This Is Misguided
2008-05-28 16:09:00
Unorganized Militia Propaganda Corps I don't know why anyone would want to associate themselves with propaganda when the truth is on their side. Propaganda has the connotation of 'lying to win' despite of the quoted definition: 1. The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause. 2. Material disseminated by the advocates or opponents of a doctrine or cause: wartime propaganda. This says nothing about empirical truth, but simply the dissemination of opinion. Propaganda is a lever for ignorance. We have seen it used by the gun-banners because they don't have facts on their side. read more
More About: Commentary , Gun rights

Legal Community Against Violence
2008-05-28 12:03:00
Not just gun grabbers, these gun grabbers are lawyers. If you want a look at the future of gun control advocacy this is it. These guys want to nibble around the edges, attacking hunting regs, local ordinances, and the like.
More About: Commentary , Community , Legal , Violence , Gun Control

Grand Jury Indicts Father in Killing of Motorcyclist
2008-05-28 11:54:00
From all I have read about this it seemed like a bad shoot. Out of all of the options available to the father he made the wrong choice. I agree with his intent to protect his daughters but his methods were poor.
More About: Commentary , Crime , Father , Grand , Motorcyclist

SOP9 Expanded Commentary
2008-05-27 13:04:00
First I should begin by saying I have not seen the orginal SOP9 document (if anyone has a link to it I would like to get a hold of it.) So my comments are based on the analysis done here NYPD SOP 9 - Analysis of Police Combat The bulk of this article is an endorsement of point shooting. Much of the SOP9 material here is used as a justification of point shooting. I am not a point shooting advocate, and I don't see any evidence here to change my mind. We would like to see granular data that gives a picture of the hit rate for officers using a crouch in low light conditions at some particular distance. What we have instead is a mixture of point shooting and aimed fire under a range of different conditions. read more
More About: Commentary , Tactics , Equipment , Firearms

Homeland Security Charter School
2008-05-24 13:19:00
I suppose this is simply a police themed high school. It is an interesting idea, but I think it depends mostly upon the teachers and the cirriculum as to what the end product will be.
More About: Security , Commentary , Police , School , Homeland Security

The Top 10 Self Defense Myths
2008-05-22 13:21:00
The internet is full of "common sense" tips, regurgitating the same old information with out any real analysis or insight. I suspect that many of these tips originated from police departments who didn't want to go on record as endorsing active resistance or private citizens being armed. As these tips continue to make the rounds they become more like dogma, and less like doctrine. read more
More About: Tactics , Myths , Defense , Myth , Self-Defense

Rising ammo costs pinch gun owners
2008-05-22 01:09:00
I suggest starting to 'bulk buy' with groups of friends before reloading. Reloading is only cheaper if you count your labor as being 'free' or you shoot some exotic cartridge. Geting a .22LR conversion kit makes a lot of sense.
More About: Commentary , Costs , Owners

Possible limits on ATF "letter rulings"
2008-05-22 01:03:00
This could be good news (for once.) The idea that the ATF is basically able to create de-facto laws has always been troubling. An ATF letter is another example of bad-policy being worse than bad law.
More About: Commentary , Police , Letter , Limits

Adventures in Police Professionalism
2008-05-21 14:49:00
Radley Balko rounds up a few of the most severe bits of recent police misconduct. I don't know if these incidents are happening more frequently, or if I am just aware of more of them. I suspect both. I think law enforcement is due for an overhaul.
More About: Commentary , Police , Adventures

Pro-Gun Demographics
2008-05-15 15:50:00
This is some spot on commentary: Eating our own First and foremost is getting behind the constitutional right of the 2nd Amendment, because gun control needs to become a non-issue. If the constituencies of both parties reject these inane assaults on our liberties and safety then we can move on to disagree about the other issues. The NRA and other gun rights groups need to shed the image of fat white guys in cammo. The population of rural farmers is not growing as fast as that of urban minority groups. As a practical matter rural farmers are less likely to be targeted for crime and oppression than members of minority groups living in the inner cities. read more
More About: Commentary , Gun rights , Demographics

Reforming Forensics
2008-05-15 13:03:00
I can't see anything wrong with the idea of competing forensic labs. I am not sure how it would be funded, but I think defendents having independent experts looking at the evidence wouldn't be a bad thing.
More About: Commentary , Crime , Forensics

California city gets video surveillance fever
2008-05-15 11:50:00
I guess they haven't learned that the cameras don't reduce crime. London's experiment has not been successful. This is a $1.8m boondoggle with a service contract. That kind of money buys 36 man/years of increased security guards or police.
More About: Video , Commentary , California , Crime , Surveillance

Five-seveN Gun Blows Up In Owner's Hand
2008-05-14 10:26:00
Apparently the FN Five Seven will fire out of battery. The owner here was using reloads, but I don't think a double charge was the issue. The forum suggest that it is a manufacturing defect.
More About: Commentary , Hand