What Really Matters In The Times We Live In

There is serious need for Americans to be capable with firearms

and you will be the one to build up their abilities and confidence

It's only a matter of time until you will need to trust others with firearms -

because one day they will be the only ones who can watch your back

What will happen when an entire city or county will have to take care of themselves?

Catastrophic natural disasters, complete power and utilities failure, acts of terrorism -

Everyone will face reality and may discover too late just how important it was to be prepared

in every way possible; have basic necessities, gritty survival capability, firearm familiarization

 

Now is the time to learn and build up accelerated ability in defensive firearm usage.

Learning properly and using training opportunities efficiently is important

- what's next takes much more time and requires a serious commitment!

Simply having a gun is not adequate when a civil / national crisis occurs

Physical exertion and combatives training is vital, especially if unarmed!

 

Merely owning many firearms will not save you and loved ones. Physical ability will be crucial.

"Waiting until you're ready" is too late. Get started now!   Combatives Smith TKD Training

 

Firearm priorities

Best defensive firearm category that the majority of people can use: Handgun
Firearm retention/controllability/portability is unequalled for handguns versus rifles or shotguns.

Best caliber selection for the masses in a defensive handgun: 9mm
Ideal balance of power, controllability and availability anywhere in the country or around the world.
Respectable power and capacity when kept in perspective. Shoot the threat and make hits count.
Peripheral hit with larger caliber is still a peripheral hit. Ventilate vitals and body functions will fail.

 

Important and valuable 9mm: if you can't/don't want to use all kinds in your gun

then that gun wasn't the best choice. (or just be willing to use any 9mm ammo!)

Best type of handgun choice between revolver or semiauto pistol: Semiauto pistol
Awkward position/attitude of body: difficult and much slower to keep revolver up and running.

Loading/reloading revolvers is gravity dependent, requires smooth ability most never achieve.
Upside down, one handed? Semiauto pistol much easier: insert mag, run slide. Gun is loaded.

   

Best operating system / simplest manual of arms in a semiauto pistol: Glock
Proven track record. Insert mag, run slide. Gun is loaded. Reload? Remove mag, insert mag, run slide.
No control levers to lower hammer; no external hammer. No manual safeties to engage or disengage.
No two different trigger pull distances or weights, no sharp edges or protrusions anywhere on gun.

Proven rifles that make sense to procure and maintain in your lineup of firearms
.223 or 5.56mm ammunition is common and controllable in firing for majority of shooters.

Hollow point (HP) or soft point (SP) bullets make best sense in a variety of surroundings.
Due to high velocity they flatten, break apart and slow down faster than handgun calibers.
Appropriate HP or SP rifle cartridges disrupts what needs to be disrupted very efficiently.

7.62x39 borders on excessive energy, requiring HP/SP usage in populated surroundings.
.308cal (7.62x51) has tremendous power; using .308 in populated areas is irresponsible.

Majority of .308 - too excessive recoil management/muzzle blast/overpenetration energy.

 

 

Your valuable rifle will not operate properly or be of much use without mags and ammunition!

Don't procrastinate on securing these items and spare parts for repair; yours or others' guns!

Spare parts, mags, ammo are incredibly important and will be top currency in extreme crisis.

Best choice between AR and AK for proven semiauto rifles: AR-15
Proven track record for decades (even amidst exaggerated claims and stories in recent years)

and easily learned, intuitive system. Very consistent shooting chararcteristics, easy to work on.

Modular and seemingly endless array of switchable / upgradable items make the AR-15 system

the most sensible and capable semiauto rifle in the world. Parts interchange easily among brands.

Original design evolved quickly to flattop receiver that allows easy optic enhancement additions.

 

While the AK platform continues to have its share of accessory and furniture developments,

any desired addition of optics still requires extra considerations; takes a back seat to AR-15

shooting consistency even if paying for higher priced/'better loaded' ammunition for any AK.

 

 

[Spare part requirements for AK pattern rifles do vary even in common 7.62x39 systems!!]

[Spare bolt assemblies are not all the same even if comparing one 7.62x39 AK to another!]

Defensive firearm that fewer people can wield and operate easily: Pump shotgun

Over-stated shotgun expectation/dependency misses facts just on system weight and system length;
tough for many who are of lesser upper body strength and truthfully weren't comfortable with guns.
Shotgun's power/controllability/system weight/system length/capacity is not in balance at all.
Any awkward position/attitude of body = extreme difficulties keeping a shotgun up and running.
On ground, upside down, one handed? Far tougher to load or top off vs semiauto mag-fed rifle.
Loading and keeping shotgun topped off while maintaining firing grip to maintain readiness
requires more strength and well-rehearsed ability than lighter, quicker pistol or semiauto rifle.

If insisted, pump shotguns are simpler to operate and are less costly than semiauto shotguns.

Easiest taught/learned/utilized shotgun system whether from left or right side: Mossberg 500

   

Controls: Safety is top rear of receiver. Right or left handed, firing hand thumb accesses safety.
Action Bar Release rear trigger guard. Right/left handed, firing hand middle accesses release.
Sadly, too many shooters never train themselves to be fluidly capable both left and right side.

For any handgun/rifle/shotgun - everyone should be ambidextrous under highest stress, which

requires much more genuine training than what's accepted by the majority of firearm owners.

 

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Price, Perception, Practicality

FN Five Seven in proprietary 5.7x28 caliber has some merits (secure grip, low recoil, modern design)

yet for $1,400 retail it may be better to get two 9mm handguns: Glock 19 and G17 both for $1,200!

Sure, FN's pistol is neat. Unique cartridge ($30ret/50rds) will take justifying. (9mm better @$15/50rds)

Glocks are simpler, have 30+ year successful track record and using 9mm ammo is still a viable choice.

While many get excited with visible flames from muzzles, note that these pictures below are in daylight,

with factory 5.7x28 ammo. Imagine what the blinding flash would be in low light or no light conditions.

How does that characteristic get omitted from enthusaistic claims that this handgun-cartridge combo

just might be the ultimate defensive handgun? Pistol selection process should consider flash signature.

 

While Glock 21 ($650 ret) and Kriss V ($1,500 ret) are both in .45acp caliber and use same mags, Kriss V

is a costly carbine that's like any other pistol-caliber carbine: a glorified pistol. Far better to spend ~$1,500

on an AR-15 (in 5.56) and a Glock (in 9mm), have easier access to the most important commodity: ammo.

Forgo the 'coolness' of having shared magazines and calibers. There are few situations where combos like

these may be useful or of serious necessity; just remember they are few indeed and useful range is limited.

If one is on a budget, 'coolness' does not equip you and others with a versatile supply of arms, ammo, etc.

 

HK USP Tactical ($1,300 ret) and Kimber Tactical Entry ($1,490 ret) are both popular .45acp pistols.

Anyone tempted to purchase of one or both of these touted as "incredible defense handguns" should

consider these factors: price, size, parts complexity / availability, weather / rough handling situations.

They're bulky/heavy and exhibit recoil. There are other choices that are more sensible; cost efficient.

 

Simple and proven Glock 19 or 17 9mm ($600) makes sense. Even an upgraded Ruger 10/22 .22 utilized

primarily for target shooting (even splurging $900) gives utmost confidence in control and shot placement.

These would be better expenditures and enjoyment instead of one high recoil/high cost/large caliber pistol.

Efficiency in packaged ammunition - and how many do not know ammo

   

Foreground: two boxes of  Hollow Point defensive ammunition: Hornady, Winchester. Back: 50rd FMJ.

Hornady's smaller box contains 25 rounds, $25/box. Winchester's larger box has 20 rounds, $23/box.

Classic example of 'bigger not always better'. Hornady is still one of the best deals in defense ammunition.

   

Sellier & Bellot 9mm in close-packed 50 round box exhibits the best efficiency for storage space concerns.

Once again, typical American thinking 'bigger is better' creates 'bigger-waste-of-space' boxes for ammo.

Sellier & Bellot and Blazer brands are consistent-shooting 9mm FMJ ammo at $14~$15 per 50rd box.

They aren't 'dirtier or cause malfunctions' any more than other mfgs. Stubborn shooters pay $18 or more

per box for some brands of 9mm. The majority that try to save brass for reloading never get around to it.

If going to a static range to fire defensive handguns, shoot with a purpose and be done within 50 rounds.

Simple answer to the caliber debate and stopping power

Why do so many tell me how much they know guns, have preferences for this or that brand of hollowpoint,

and when I hand them a box or two for purchase, they proceed to open the box and stare at the bullet?

Nothing screams rookie louder than that example. In the end, what does it matter how the projectile looks?

Use hollowpoints when available, hit what must be hit until threat is no longer capable of further action.

Missing a shot is still a miss. In the end it simply does not matter what caliber missed or hit a vital area.

Horrible yet simple truths: May need more than one shot. If chest hits don't work, send bullets into the face.

Shoot several into the neck as well. 9mm, .40cal, .45acp, .38special, even .22LR - will do serious damage

and caliber won't matter at that point when considering the important and fragile anatomy in the neck area.

Techniques that make the difference...

Loading and chambering ammunition in a semiauto pistol incorporating slide stop/release lever

 Loading sequence: index finger points the way to insert mag into magwell, palm will seat mag positively,

support hand thumb decisively presses down slide release, complete proper two handed grip of handgun.

Even if the strong hand thumb has a percieved reach to slide release, a positive 'first time, every time'

release is accomplished by support hand thumb, especially when having to deal with various pistols.

Different pistols' slide releases may have varying locations fore or aft for the slide release lever

(some don't have any at all). Do not let yourself or anyone else complete a two handed grip

with support hand thumb ending up behind slide of auto!! It may be struck by slide's cycling.

The advantage when using support hand thumb to decisively press the slide release -

it gives it a task, then take position alongside the frame, under strong hand thumb.

Far less likely for the support hand thumb to end up in wrong place behind slide.

Chambering ammunition in semiauto pistol by running slide; no searching for slide stop/release lever

          

If slide stop is too small or out of reach, a simple insert of mag and tug of slide will send slide forward

successfully - better than trying to swipe the slide stop repeatedly or trying to maintain a firing grip

AND hit the slide stop with right thumb. 'Positive insert and rack' movements are the same as

movements needed to clear 'failure to feed' or 'failure to extract' malfunctions.

 

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Understanding decocking lever on Sig and decocking tab on HK

 

Sig system involves decocking lever on left of frame. HK system involves decocking tab at rear of slide.

 

Sig: utilizing example of a left-hander, trigger finger becomes controlling factor for decocking handgun.

HK: As decocking tab is at rear of slide - left of hammer - it is easier for right-hander to decock hammer.

 

Sig: Left-handed shooter brings lever down simply by using trigger finger, pushing decocking lever down.

 Sig: Right-handed shooter in two-handed grip would push the lever down with left (support) hand thumb.

HK: Right-handed shooter thumbs the serrated tab down and hammer will lower down into hammer slot.

 

Hammer postitions on pictures above show the Sig and HK hammers in 'down and decocked' positions.

These will have traditional double action longer & heavier first shot trigger pull, then go into single action.

Neither have manual selectable safeties. No defensive handgun 'needs' such items. Safety is by gun user.

Bottom line - it does make it tougher to be uncannily proficient with these; and in an emergency situation,

imagine attempting to explain to someone (who isn't gun comfortable) all the above in 10 seconds or less

- making sure they have trigger finger discipline and muzzle direction discipline... Simpler guns are easier.

 

Springfield XDs - grip safety must be depressed when locking slide to rear

   

The grip safety in the original XD design must be depressed to allow the slide to run fully rearward,

 while a strong push upward on slide stop with thumb will lock slide to the rear.

(while being conscious of muzzle direction and keeping finger off of the trigger!)

Recoil spring tension in XD is heavy; this requires one to get used to the recoil spring's resistance

when locking XD slides to rear. Springfield Armory claims this grip safety makes this gun 'safer'.

Shouldn't the operator be the ultimate answer to safe firearm handling??

The truth is, the XD trigger has a rather light resistance to being pressed, of which

without the grip safety function, could result in inertial firing of the gun if it was dropped.

Therefore, XD pistols had to have this so-called 'safety feature'. It's a necessity, not design ingenuity.