The New AARP

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H/T to my buddy Al.

So What Happened?

ASM826 ya got me going.

Smiths' and Colts' cylinders rotate in opposite directions. Holding the revolver pointing away from you, Smiths rotate counterclockwise (I checked my mod 22 just to be sure).

That means that in the rotation sequence of the cylinder, the previous cylinder never was fired. The jacketed projectile is still in the cylinder while the cartridge next in line to be fired is missing the projectile. The chamber in which the bullet was fired has been blown completely out of the cylinder.

Curious.

Now look at the exploded chamber without a projectile sticking out the end; the edges of the casing are bent out. This indicates that the cartridge had powder in it that exploded. This (plus the projectile lodged in the remains of the chamber) means that there was NO projectile previously fired that could have blocked the barrel and that whatever the cause of this catastrophic failure, it was founded in the top center chamber alone.

There were actually four photos in the email I got from Al and I did not include this one since it was so similar to the other. But I see now that I posted the wrong photo since this one shows the forcing cone of the barrel as well as the cylinder walls. The other photo didn't. My apologies.

Look at the position of the top center chamber and see how it appears to be out of alignment with the forcing cone. I thought perhaps it may be that whoever loaded the weapon did not allow the chamber to "index" properly; that is the firing chamber and the barrel must be perfectly aligned in order for the projectile to enter the barrel properly and allow the rapidly burning/expanding gases to vent quickly. The cylinder stop tab usually accomplishes this purpose.

If the firearm was operating properly I don't see how this could happen. The internal mechanism of the revolver works to prevent any misalignment. As the trigger is pulled (double action) the cylinder is rotated and locked in alignment prior to firing. The same thing happens in single action.

Of course with wear the chamber can get slightly out of alignment with the forcing cone. There are several reasons for this. But when it happens, a small portion of the projectile may be "shaved" and ejected out the side of the weapon between the forcing cone and the cylinder.

I experienced this in the police academy when we trained on 30 year old revolvers (Colt OP's)that had a bit of "slop" in the cylinder alignment. Splinters of lead shot out of the revolver being fired in the station next to mine and embedded themselves in the back of my left hand.

It stung a bit.

From the looks of what remains of the chamber wall, this weapon was more than just a little out of alignment. Yet it does not appear to be that old.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

Calling Dr. Smith, Calling Dr. Wesson

Another email from my buddy Al-

A guy came into a department the other day to ask a favor. He had a S&W 629 that he wanted to dispose of after a mishap at the range. He said there was a loud bang when he tested his new load and the gun smacked him in the forehead, leaving a nice gash. When the tweety birds cleared, this is what he saw.....

Dang. Just ...Dang.

This guy is lucky to be alive.

I'm thinking that there was a light load (perhaps no powder at all - just the primer went off) that lodged the preceding bullet in the barrel and the shooter didn't pay heed. Kaboom. Just look at the damage to the cylinder and the non-existant top strap.

Window Shopping

I went to the range today to fire my S&W Model 1917; on the way I stopped in at the gun shop down the street. They're remodeling the entire place, opening it up for more display space and putting out more stock.

They have these two items out on display now. They weren't there six weeks ago when I last stopped in.

The top one is a MG-42, a semiauto version of the German Army's belt fed 7.92 mm, 1,200 to 1,500 rpm machine gun. Yours for $3,600. The front sight is used to change the cycle rate of the gun.

Next to the MG-42 there is a wheel-mounted MG - a WWII SG-43 Goryunov - 7.62 x 54mm belt fed semiautomatic version. The shield has two dents in it that look like they were caused by gun fire. Below is a better picture of the weapon from this site.

While wandering around the shop's disarray, I picked up a used shoulder holster for my 1911.

I am also looking at a used Glock model 30. I just can't seem to stay away from the .45's.

Hey, Check Out My New...

I have done a bunch of stupid things over the years and, for the most part, I would just as soon forget I ever did them. I certainly would not choose to distribute these memories across the vast expanse of the internet. Yet that is exactly what some folk do. Like this guy. For what you are about to see, thank my buddy Al, another retired cop.


Something went very wrong here. No degree in brain surgery required, just look at the hole in the sneaker. Looks like a .45 caliber hole.

Ooops. First the front.

Then the back.

I think that bit o'white neath the nail is bone.

Rules For A Gunfight

I have seen this before but I just like it a bunch and it bears repeating. The pictures come from the original thread at Freerepublic.com.

DRILL SERGEANT JOE B. FRICK'S RULES FOR A

GUN, KNIFE, BASEBALL BAT OR FIST FIGHT

1. Forget about knives, bats and fists. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns. Bring four times the ammunition you think you could ever need.

2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammunition is cheap - life is expensive. If you shoot inside, buckshot is your friend. A new wall is cheap - funerals are expensive

3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough or using cover correctly.

5. Move away from your attacker and go to cover. Distance is your friend. (Bulletproof cover and diagonal or lateral movement are preferred.)

6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a semi or full-automatic long gun and a friend with a long gun.

7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running. Yell "Fire!" Why "Fire"? Cops will come with the Fire Department, sirens often scare off the bad guys, or at least cause then to lose concentration and will.... and who is going to summon help if you yell "Intruder," "Glock" or "Winchester?"

9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.

10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

11. Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

12. Have a plan.

13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work. "No battle plan ever survives 10 seconds past first contact with an enemy."

14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible, but remember, sheetrock walls and the like stop nothing but your pulse when bullets tear through them.

15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

16. Don't drop your guard.

17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees. Practice reloading one-handed and off-hand shooting. That's how you live if hit in your "good" side.

18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. Smiles, frowns and other facial expressions don't (In God we trust. Everyone else keep your hands where I can see them.)

19. Decide NOW to always be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.

20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet if necessary, because they may want to kill you.

22. Be courteous to everyone, overly friendly to no one.

23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.

24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with anything smaller than "4".

25. Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. "All skill is in vain when an Angel blows the powder from the flintlock of your musket." At a practice session, throw you gun into the mud, then make sure it still works. You can clean it later.

26. Practice shooting in the dark, with someone shouting at you, when out of breath, etc.

27. Redardless of whether justified of not, you will feel sad about killing another human being. It is better to be sad than to be room temperatire.

28. The only thing you EVER say afterwards is, "He said he was going to kill me. I beleived him. I'm sorry, Officer, but I'm very upset now. I can't say anything more. Please speak with my attorney."

Finally, Drill Sergeant Frick's Rules For Un-armed Combat.

1: Never be unarmed.

2: If you have your hands, your feet, your mind and your Spirit as an American Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine or Coastie, you are never unarmed.






H/T to Charlie the Chicago cop.

The Duke Was Right

Look at the following photos and see if you can guess what happened.

Hint:
Deer season .......... check
New rifle .............. check
Bore sight ............. check
Live ammo ........... check
Inattentiveness ...... check

Oh! One more item.
Unsympathic bystander with a camera ......... roger that!

"Life 's tough......It 's even tougher if you' re stupid."
- John Wayne

H/T to my brother.

A New Addition To The Armory

Today at Gander Mountian I traded my Beretta for a .45 Kimber Custom stainless. I'll go to the Sheriff's Department on Monday to amend my CCW permit and bring it home.

I compared the Kimber to a stainless Colt Government pistol - both exactly the same price. I was surprised that there was a BIG difference in the quality of the machining; parts of the Colt looked slipshod and crude when compared side by side with the Kimber.

Your New Best Friend

This is truly awesome firepower. A fully automatic, 300 rpm 12 ga tactical shotgun.



H/T to Charlie the Cop

Celebrating the 2nd Amendment

Today all of us went to the range for a three hour session of flintlocks, percussion rifles, shotguns, assault rifles and handguns. Oh, and I forgot the cannon. And the mortar.

Kabooom! It shoots golf balls. The owner, a 74 year old black powder enthusiast, made it himself. His friend brought along a hand made mortar (I thought I took a picture but I didn't, rats!) that fires a cement cylinder the size of a frozen juice concentrate container. It was a hoot watching these field pieces fire projectiles with bright orange streamers attached. The streamers didn't do anything for accuracy of course, but you could watch the cylinder in flight. Five hundred feet up and a hundred yards down range.

There is something about freedom and the sight of three of my daughters firing a Bushie M4.

God bless America.

40 Reasons To Arm Yourself

I saw this over at Militia Jim's site and couldn't control myself, I just had to steal it.

40 Reasons to Ban Guns

1. Banning guns works, which is why New York, DC, Detroit & Chicago cops need guns.

2. Washington DC's low murder rate of 69 per 100,000 is due to strict gun control, and Indianapolis' high murder rate of 9 per 100,000 is due to the lack of gun control.

3. Statistics showing high murder rates justify gun control but statistics showing increasing murder rates after gun control are "just statistics."

4. The Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban, both of which went into effect in 1994 are responsible for the decrease in violent crime rates,which have been declining since 1991.

5. We must get rid of guns because a deranged lunatic may go on a shooting spree at any time and anyone who would own a gun out of fear of such a lunatic is paranoid.

6. The more helpless you are the safer you are from criminals.

7. An intruder will be incapacitated by tear gas or oven spray, but if shot with a .357 Magnum will get angry and kill you.

8. A woman raped and strangled is morally superior to a woman with a smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet.

9. When confronted by violent criminals, you should "put up no defense - give them what they want, or run" (Handgun Control Inc. Chairman Pete Shields, Guns Don't Die - People Do, 1981, p. 125).

10. The New England Journal of Medicine is filled with expert advice about guns; just like Guns & Ammo has some excellent treatises on heart surgery.

11. One should consult an automotive engineer for safer seat belts, a civil engineer for a better bridge, a surgeon for internal medicine, a computer programmer for hard drive problems, and Sarah Brady for firearms expertise.

12. The 2nd Amendment, ratified in 1787, refers to the National Guard, which was created 130 years later, in 1917.

13. The National Guard, federally funded, with bases on federal land, using federally-owned weapons, vehicles, buildings and uniforms, punishing trespassers under federal law, is a "state" militia.

14. These phrases: "right of the people peaceably to assemble," "right of the people to be secure in their homes," "enumerations herein of certain rights shall not be construed to disparage others retained by the people," and "The powers not delegated herein are reserved to the states respectively, and to the people" all refer to individuals, but "the right of the people to keep and bear arms" refers to the state.

15. "The Constitution is strong and will never change." But we should ban and seize all guns thereby violating the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendments to that Constitution.

16. Rifles and handguns aren't necessary to national defense! Of course, the army has hundreds of thousands of them.

17. Private citizens shouldn't have handguns, because they aren't "military weapons'', but private citizens shouldn't have "assault rifles'', because they are military weapons.

18. In spite of waiting periods, background checks, fingerprinting,government forms, etc., guns today are too readily available, which is responsible for recent school shootings. In the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's,anyone could buy guns at hardware stores, army surplus stores, gas stations,variety stores, Sears mail order, no waiting, no background check, no fingerprints, no government forms and there were no school shootings.

19. The NRA's attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign about kids handling guns is propaganda, but the anti-gun lobby's attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign is responsible social activity.

20. Guns are so complex that special training is necessary to use them properly, and so simple to use that they make murder easy.

21. A handgun, with up to 4 controls, is far too complex for the typical adult to learn to use, as opposed to an automobile that only has 20.

22. Women are just as intelligent and capable as men but a woman with a gun is "an accident waiting to happen" and gun makers' advertisements aimed at women are "preying on their fears."

23. Ordinary people in the presence of guns turn into slaughtering butchers but revert to normal when the weapon is removed.

24. Guns cause violence, which is why there are so many mass killings at gun shows.

25. A majority of the population supports gun control, just like a majority of the population supported owning slaves.

26. Any self-loading small arm can legitimately be considered to be a "weapon of mass destruction" or an "assault weapon."

27. Most people can't be trusted, so we should have laws against guns, which most people will abide by because they can be trusted.

28. The right of Internet pornographers to exist cannot be questioned because it is constitutionally protected by the Bill of Rights, but the use of handguns for self defense is not really protected by the Bill of Rights.

29. Free speech entitles one to own newspapers, transmitters, computers, and typewriters, but self- defense only justifies bare hands.

30. The ACLU is good because it uncompromisingly defends certain parts of the Constitution, and the NRA is bad, because it defends other parts of the Constitution.

31. Charlton Heston, a movie actor as president of the NRA is a cheap lunatic who should be ignored, but Michael Douglas, a movie actor as a representative of Handgun Control, Inc. is an ambassador for peace who is entitled to an audience at the UN arms control summit.

32. Police operate with backup within groups, which is why they need larger capacity pistol magazines than do "civilians" who must face criminals alone and therefore need less ammunition.

33. We should ban "Saturday Night Specials" and other inexpensive guns because it's not fair that poor people have access to guns too.

34. Police officers have some special Jedi-like mastery over handguns that private citizens can never hope to obtain.

35. Private citizens don't need a gun for self- protection because the police are there to protect them even though the Supreme Court says the police are not responsible for their protection.

36. Citizens don't need to carry a gun for personal protection but police chiefs, who are desk-bound administrators who work in a building filled with cops, need a gun. (My personal favorite)

37. "Assault weapons" have no purpose other than to kill large numbers of people. The police need assault weapons. You do not.

38. When Microsoft pressures its distributors to give Microsoft preferential promotion, that's bad; but when the Federal government pressures cities to buy guns only from Smith & Wesson, that's good.

39. Trigger locks do not interfere with the ability to use a gun for defensive purposes, which is why you see police officers with one on their duty weapon.

40. Handgun Control, Inc., says they want to "keep guns out of the wrong hands." Guess what? You have the wrong hands.

Welcome To The Job

There are times when a cop wishes that his badge is literally as big as a garbage can lid. Two days ago Officer Stuart Ingram of the NYPD experienced this.

NEW YORK — An emotionally disturbed man driving his car on a sidewalk nearly ran over a nun on Thursday before trying to stab a rookie policeman in the chest and breaking his knife on the officer's shield, authorities said.

Talk about the Provenance of G-d. Most of the time an attack like this would have the blade slide off the metal and go into the officer's soft body armor. Bullet resistent ballistic panels are not meant to stop knives and do a very poor job of protecting against puncture wounds.

The unusual string of events started in Queens about 5 p.m., when the man left the scene of an accident and started barreling down a sidewalk where the nun was walking, police said.

Another man pushed the nun out of the way of the oncoming car, which struck a tree and a wall before coming to a stop, the New York Police Department said. When the driver tried to run away, two people tried to stop him, but they backed off when he threatened them with a kitchen knife, police said.

Much more of this and you'll be fingerprinted and issued a license before you can pick up a set of Ginsu's.

Two responding officers confronted the driver, who then tried to stab one of them, Stuart Ingram, in the chest, police said. Ingram said later he told the man repeatedly to drop the knife but the man lunged at him with it. He said the knife hit his badge and shattered.

Ingram said he struck the man with an expandable baton and, with the help of a civilian, subdued him. "That's when we apprehended him," Ingram said coolly at a news conference.

My personal preference would be that Officer Ingram struck him multiple times with a .45 caliber hollow point, but hey, I wasn't there. BC, Imperial Torturer of the Rott also recommends the .45 Goblin Stopper. But in any respect, we're all thankful that Officer Ingram walked away from this encounter. Nice grab!

There seems to be a bit more knife work out there. From the UCR reports I know that there has been a small uptick in the percentage of aggravated assaults committed with a knife, from 18.6% of all agg. assaults in 2004 to 18.9% in 2005. In 2006 the preliminary UCR for NY State shows a 3% increase for agg. assault, but no weapon distribution as of yet.

My read on this is that people have been offing one another since Cain slew Abel. And you can bet your ass he didn't use a Glock.

If a gun is not available, a knife will do. If there isn't a knife handy then a baseball bat certainly is useful. If the sporting goods store isn't open yet, then that broken chunk of cinder block will do the trick. No construction materials laying about? Well, go to it with fang and claw.

Weapons are only instruments that reflect human intent. As long as human intent is evil, the laws that ban one type of weapon or another are useless. Virtually anything can be used as a weapon or dangerous instrument. Sugar-free or not, even a big bowl of strawberry jello (I prefer raspberry) is deadly if you cram someone's head in it.