THREAT-MANAGEMENT.COM

Advice

2010-03-02T21:18:00Z

My life has had some rather drastic changes over the past few months, and I have decided that in the future, there's a couple of self-imposed rules that I am going to follow for the rest of my days. One is that I will never again drink alcohol. It was just stealing my time, money and sanity. So, I no longer have to worry about where I can and can't carry a gun in regard to liquor licenses, since I am not spending my time in taverns or saloons. No DWI concerns, no drunks around acting stupid. I like this first rule.

The second rule is that when a real Doctor tells me that I need to take some kind of medication, I will not try to second guess his advice. He's supposed to know, that is what I am paying him for, and if I don't like what the medication is doing or the side effects are awful or whatever, I will discuss that with him rather than just throw the medicine away and think I know more than he does. Another good rule that will keep me out of trouble and in good physical health.

The third rule has to do with advice from well-meaning friends and sometimes strangers. It seems that when your life changes drastically, everyone you know seems to have a wealth of advice based on their own experiences and preconceptions. Generally, if a trusted friend gives you advice, you'd tend to follow it. At least I used to do that. No more. My third rule is that if I am not paying a professional for advice, I will no longer listen. I am tired of hearing how some person knows what's best for me when he or she has such a messed-up life that mine looks like I am as holy as a Trappist monk, which is actually not far from the truth. Regardless, when someone starts in on me with some tale of wisdom, he or she will get one warning that I don't want to hear it. After that, I will just walk away forever. That is unless the person has the wisdom of God and a perfect life to match. Since I don't believe I will run into such a person outside of the Bible, that's not a tremendous concern.

Three rules. I think they will work just fine for me.

Of Four, Two Were 1911s

2010-03-01T18:35:00Z

After over a month of absence, I now finally have a moment to report on a somewhat startling self-realization. While in the midst of my own somewhat messy divorce situation at present and as I was leaving the large home that I lived in, I had the opportunity to grab some clothing and, of my many firearms, just four of them. The long guns and a bit of ammunition were an easy and expected choice. A folding stock AK-47 in a "sneaky bag" from One Source Tactical, since I'd recently taken the Advanced Kalashnikov Gunfighting class from none other than Gabe Suarez himself. I feel very confident with the AK, and with 5 magazines total, can take care of a problem out here in the woods where I now live. A 200 yard shot out here would be almost impossible given the timber and underbrush, and the AK is easy to have close at hand.
Next I reached for my newest firearm, a Mossberg 930 riot gun. This thing just plain works. One can pour buckshot at a problem, so I wanted it for around the little house here - thinking to use it in case of coyotes or other critters that were foaming at the mouth and wandering about in the daytime. It is not as heavy as it looks but it is somewhat large and of course, 12 gauge ammunition is heavy.
Then I surprised myself. I took my Glock 19 and appendix carry holster and threw them and the two spare magazines into my (well, soon to be her) gun safe. Instead of that pistol, I grabbed a Jackass shoulder holster rig from Galco with a Combat Commander and then my spare Colt Government model 1911 with a big handful of Wilson Combat magazines all loaded with Cor-Bon DPX ammunition. Once I had my little Jeep moving forever away from that house where I had lived the last five years of my life, I realized what I had done. The Glock I used in several Suarez International classes, the appendix carry holster I have had on me for the past three plus years, those were now gone (forever). Why had I reached in that safe and latched onto a pair of 1911s when I have not even carried the big steel guns in years?
I discussed this with "Winchester67" (on the Warrior Talk forum). He said he had also gone back to a 1911 some months ago but really didn't know why. Tradition, he speculated. Or our age - both in the late 40s - and the 1911 just kind of calls to us old guys. As I have been working around this house, cleaning and fixing it up (it had been vacant for several years), I notice that I can pack a 1911 under one arm, a couple spare mags under the other arm, and none of it gets in the way while I am working, lifting or hauling. No, it's not fast to draw from, but I'm not in a potentially dangerous area either. With the driveway here which pretty much takes a four wheel drive to navigate, it's unlikely I'll be surprised. I have quit drinking completely, so I'm not around taverns with any other stupid drunks looking for fights. I'm just out here in the quiet woods.
Why leave the Glock and take the 1911? I think because in my mind, despite what I read and study and discuss, the big 1911 in 45 ACP just works. The old cartridge just hits stuff and hits it hard. I can shoot a 1911 with its crisp trigger much, much better than I can a Glock, so instead of firing a burst of rounds at a threat, I can touch off a couple and then see whether I need to do more work or move on to the next potential problem. This is really a revelation to me, who had been convinced that Glocks were just the way to go and anything else was an antique. Can modern 9mm ammunition really do what modern 45 ACP ammunition can do? Hopefully, I will never have to find out, but I no longer have the means to compare the two anyway. The ex gets both her Glock 19 and my Glock 19 since they are consecutively serial numbered and she does very well shooting a G19. Regardless of how our life turned out together, I would always want her to have the means for proper self-defense. With two Glocks, she has that means at her disposal. I think I will just stay with the old 1911s. There is something comforting about a big heavy piece of flat steel that throws 45 caliber bullets. I am at peace with my choice and hope that if the situation arises where I have to test my choice, God will be here to show me that I made the right choice.
May God be with all of you, too.

The New Year Is Making A Difference

2010-01-26T16:34:00Z

I suddenly realized that January comes to an end on Sunday. One month into 2010. It doesn’t seem like just another year in a sequence of stagnation. This one is different for some reason. It’s very cold and windy, uncharacteristic even for this area and season. The air is damp and it cuts. The sun is rarely seen. I suppose the gray outside should reflect sadness but that’s not the case. There doesn’t seem to be sadness that I see. The little critters outside the window are not noticing anything either.

As I gathered up my gear this morning, making ready to go out in the dark, something made me stop and pick up my big Bowie knife in its Southern Comfort sheath. There is something stark about a big knife, like it is really threatening all on its own. A hit with it would make a difference in anything. Perhaps 2010 took a hit from the Bowie and January is getting ready to fall out of it. When the year began, it was just some more days of winter. And then, things began to change or began to happen or just began at all. Very strange when parts of life just shift and you realize that things just are not the same as they were. Events occur, people appear, thoughts are opened up and examined. Those can all be good things and do help to break some of life’s periods of ordinary. But, just in the past week, time became extraordinary.

I find myself (as usual) trying to understand why certain things happen and certain people choose to be in our lives or not. Then “it” – meaning realization – appears out of the confusion to strike with the obvious but impossible answer. Things did not just happen at random, someone didn’t just unthinkingly decide to be here, though whether they remain is of course, up to them and not yet known by me even if I hope that they do stay near. This shift in life, the events of now, the alignment of so many factors just has to have been controlled or guided by some other force. I wonder if that is God.

I have always been of the impression that God would spend His time in South Dakota, as that is where I would be if I were Him. Occasionally, He’d glance across the plains in this direction, but there really wasn’t any kind of communication going on. Life was life and God wasn’t really involved. Now I suddenly find out what happens when He is directly involved and right here right now. That is a lot more power than the aura from a big knife or the muzzle end of a large-caliber handgun.

And as I attempt to grasp this possibility, I remember that what is happening is what I once asked for. I don’t know whether the outcome will be a good thing or a bad thing, but I am responsible for it because I asked for it. Not just a different life, but a real life. And I have learned something, too: Angels have red hair. Really.

A United Nations Treaty, Gun Control & The United States Constitution

2010-01-12T21:57:00Z

Thinking that perhaps the absence of emails built on bullshit and intending to cause panic had perhaps slowed down, I see that I am wrong since a new one has jumped up of late. It seems the U.S. Senate is considering the ratification of a U.N. Treaty. According to the email, once this happens, soldiers from distant lands wearing blue berets will come and get all of our guns. Because, the writer shrieks, the Treaty will nullify the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Of course it will, as I am supposed to agree while watching a pig fly past the window.

Why anyone believes this crap is beyond my comprehension, but since we have invoked the Constitution, might as well hear what the official readers of said document have to say about Treaties. The U.S. Supreme Court “has regularly and uniformly recognized the supremacy of the constitution over a treaty.” In 354 U.S. 1, Reid v. Covert, Justice Black states in the Court’s opinion that:

"Article VI, the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, declares:

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof, and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; . . .

There is nothing in this language which intimates that treaties and laws enacted pursuant to them do not have to comply with the provisions of the Constitution. Nor is there anything in the debates which accompanied the drafting and ratification of the Constitution which even suggests such a result. These debates, as well as the history that surrounds the adoption of the treaty provision in Article VI, make it clear that the reason treaties were not limited to those made in "pursuance" of the Constitution was so that agreements made by the United States under the Articles of Confederation, including the important peace treaties which concluded the Revolutionary [p17] War, would remain in effect. It would be manifestly contrary to the objectives of those who created the Constitution, as well as those who were responsible for the Bill of Rights -- let alone alien to our entire constitutional history and tradition -- to construe Article VI as permitting the United States to exercise power under an international agreement without observing constitutional prohibitions. In effect, such construction would permit amendment of that document in a manner not sanctioned by Article V. The prohibitions of the Constitution were designed to apply to all branches of the National Government, and they cannot be nullified by the Executive or by the Executive and the Senate combined.

There is nothing new or unique about what we say here. This Court has regularly and uniformly recognized the supremacy of the Constitution over a treaty. For example, in Geofroy v. Riggs, 133 U.S.258, 267, it declared:

The treaty power, as expressed in the Constitution, is in terms unlimited except by those restraints which are found in that instrument against the action of the government or of its departments, and those arising from the nature of the government itself and of that of the States. It would not be contended that it extends so far as to authorize what the Constitution forbids, or a change in the character of the [p18] government, or in that of one of the States, or a cession of any portion of the territory of the latter, without its consent.

This Court has also repeatedly taken the position that an Act of Congress, which must comply with the Constitution, is on a full parity with a treaty, and that, when a statute which is subsequent in time is inconsistent with a treaty, the statute to the extent of conflict renders the treaty null. It would be completely anomalous to say that a treaty need not comply with the Constitution when such an agreement can be overridden by a statute that must conform to that instrument."

It seems quite clear that a Treaty cannot override the Constitution. So, I will not waste my time watching for blue berets and their wearers trying to gather up guns. Hopefully, I’ll see no more flying monkeys either.

Thanks to “Cold War Scout” for the case citation and bringing this to my attention.

HR45 And SB2099 And No, The Email Is Wrong

2010-01-07T15:52:00Z

I have had to type this so many times over the past six months that I thought I’d put it out here and just link to it. For all of you who have received the email where you have to list your guns on your tax return due to Senate Bill 2099 and get all kinds of licenses and register all your guns due to House Bill 45 (also called the Blair Holt Act), and it’s all “verified by Snopes,” the email is bullshit.

That email is worded where there are just enough pieces of truth that the entire pile of garbage in the email appears correct, too. I can’t recall where the email originated, I think with some little gun rights group that wanted to stir up some donations. If you get it, delete it. Please don’t forward it around. Everyone else has already done that.

Since I have a copy of the accursed email here, I’ll just beat on it one point at a time. SB2099, supposedly introduced on February 24, 2009, did not and could not have existed. Why? Because in February, the Senate was only up to bill number 1600 or so. Bills get consecutive numbers as they are introduced. If one were to have done a search for SB2099 through the Library of Congress a few months ago, there would have been no record found. I know, I looked for it. There may be a SB2099 at the moment but it doesn’t matter because it wouldn’t be this particular SB2099. Remember that we are at February of last year, so it’s the 111^th congress playing. Was there a SB2099 in the past that mentioned the Internal Revenue Service and guns? Yes, introduced February 24, 2000. Then ain’t now. That old bill would have required gun registration, but it died in committee with only two cosponsors. So, looks like Mr. Email Writer kind of fucked up by about ten years.

The other bill, HR45, was introduced in the 111^th congress. I’ve heard it’s been introduced in the past, too. The bill would require licensing of firearm purchasers and a lot of other ugly stuff. Introduced on January 6, 2009 by Bobby Rush, an Illinois representative (typical of Illinois politicians, I think), the bill has no cosponsors and was referred to the “Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security” on February 9, 2009 where it has collected dust ever since. Since this bill was actually introduced in the past year and is full of anti-gun drivel, it gives the email’s author somewhere to point links that really work. The bill can be found, opened and read in screaming terror. Or, ignored.

Again, please do not copy, send or forward the email when you get it. It really needs to just go away. If you want to panic over something, there are other things out there in the world probably deserving of panic. This email is not one of them. I do not know whether the person at the top of the email, a realtor in Orlando, Florida, is actually the author of the email, but if someone happens to know who originally did write it, please shoot him.

The Past Adds Another Year

2009-12-28T18:02:00Z

Finally, 2009 is about to come to an end. A year of hearing about the government, health care, the economy, a war, terrorism and the usual other so-called newsworthy items that others think we should know about, panic over or disagree with. It sounds like any other year, actually. There seems to always be something changing within politics or the economy that is somehow supposed to be at the forefront of our attention. This year does have a difference in my case. I decided to exercise my own free will and choose how much of my attention would be captured by national or global events. I chose to skip much of all that. It seemed like one’s life can be used up by “news” and work (if fortunate enough to be employed). Get to the end of a year and look around – what happened to another year of life? Any personal growth, any accomplishments or just another year of stagnation?

Except for a couple of weapons classes this year, the term “stagnate” would be an apt description for my own accomplishment of 2009. That seems like a poor way to continue into another year; a change in attention and perception because of events that happened to me this month have led to my choice that my own 2010 will bring more than just another outdated calendar. A new attempt at making a bucket list has created possibilities instead of just things that won’t happen despite my listing them. A choice is to take the possibilities and accomplish them in the new year. There really is nothing that would stop me from any goal I set for myself, as I’d be the only one responsible for whether that goal is completed or not. I choose to reevaluate faith, what I consider important in this life, what skills I want to learn, the type of life I decide to live.

Others can give advice as to what I am doing that is right or wrong according to their own views. I can choose whether that advice will be heeded. With just a few of these choices, I have gained time in my life that would have otherwise been wasted, my attention diverted to things that only further complicate existence instead of giving a clearer view of it. I would liken this change to someone awakening from a coma, able to see what is out in the world yet realizing that years have been lost to get that sight.

Wasting years is something I choose not to do again, ever. Jack London wrote something that has stayed with me for many years and through the different experiences I have lived. I quote him below. Will your 2010 be better than your 2009? Your choice.

“I would rather be ashes than dust. I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

Threat Management - Self-Evaluation

2009-12-11T15:10:00Z

A week ago, I bought a Jeep. Yes, one of the little vehicles with the soft top on it. This one makes the fourth Jeep I have owned, but the last one was about 25 years ago. I did quite a bit of research on the new Jeeps before buying and so far, have been satisfied with the purchase. I have seen people do amazing things with Jeeps, the little four wheel drives seem to be able to go virtually anywhere. I was a passenger in one out in Wyoming when the driver decided to climb up a cliff (at least it seemed so to me). I glanced out the passenger window at a goat, who said “you can’t do that.” But, we did it, ending up on top of a bluff. The driver was the one who did it. He’d been running Jeeps off road for most of his life and was obviously very good at it. His advice was to look first and then go slow and practice a lot – don’t get in a hurry.

Since I have Jeep number 4, I should be a great Jeep driver, right? Wrong, of course. I have to either practice a whole lot or get some instruction or tips from somebody, otherwise I risk denting a lot of sheet metal. Owning something doesn’t make me an expert with it. I have a nice Bowie knife and could probably do well against the average idiot but would be in real trouble against someone who has extensively studied knife fighting. That situation is correctible, as with most other things. I’ll get some training from Suarez International on knife skills and be in a better position to use one if needed.

Please don’t be one of the many, many people who think that if you own a gun, then you are somehow instilled with all the knowledge needed to use that gun. Realistically look at your skills and then decide what needs improvement and how to best do that. Some things can’t be improved, that’s life. I’m old, my knees hurt, I am not going to run five miles every day. So, I am not planning on outrunning the bad guys. That means it’s additionally important that I have other skills because I have to offset the lack of that one.

Look at your skills. Decide what needs help. Make a plan. Go slow, don’t get discouraged. Practice. You’ll end up so far above everybody else it is just amazing. These kinds of things not only build skill, but they build confidence and that transfers into many other parts of life. It’s worth doing.

This Holiday Season

2009-11-25T18:02:00Z

I’m passing along some information from Gabe Suarez, the CEO of Suarez International, who says it’s not verified but worth considering. If he says it’s worth considering, I’d agree. It doesn’t hurt to overlook any “oh, that’s being paranoid” thoughts if it might save you from potential harm. At the least, be a bit more alert. Anyway, it seems that there is a very high potential risk for some kind of attacks at shopping malls within the United States and not necessarily only in highly populated areas. The speculation is the attackers would be, of course, terrorists of some type. I’d think Muslims, since they are the terrorists of choice lately. Nothing else is known about this risk.

What does this mean? That depends on what you want it to mean. For me, it means virtually nothing, since I don’t go to shopping malls. If you do, it might be prudent to do as Gabe suggested and carry a full-size pistol that holds a lot of ammunition and several spare magazines. Also, if a fight starts, you don’t have to get involved. Get you and your family out. You are not the police and you don’t have to stop all the bad guys. That does mean if you are in a crowded mall with your family, you’d need to have your family close to you and not all over the place where they couldn’t be quickly located. When exiting, keep your gun covered up so any police outside don’t shoot you. They won’t know you are a good guy.

Another option is to start a new “tradition” for this Christmas and either skip all the gifts and marketing altogether or order some books or something from Amazon.com, avoiding malls and crowds completely. I’ve been doing this for many years. It might be because I am terrified of a terrorist plot to attack a shopping mall. Or, it might be because rather than wade through throngs of people for hours, I’d rather sit at home with a Bourbon & Coke and push buttons on a computer for 20 minutes. I believe I know which is my answer.

Finally, you can ignore all of this. It’s likely nothing will happen wherever you go. That’s the thing about any kind of risk. It’s possible, but probably unlikely. These things float around on the internet all the time. Why pay any attention to this one? Your choice, and I’ll be home anyway.

Threat Management - Winter Travel

2009-11-16T20:55:00Z

As I am watching snow on a radar screen about 100 miles from my location, I ran through a short list of things in the motor vehicles to be sure that they are equipped for winter travel. Yes, this is a rather boring and usually ignored subject, but once you slide your car down into a ditch and have to wait hours for a tow truck, you might then reconsider whether you should have perhaps considered at least a couple of these suggestions.

First are the obvious, like having your car in decent shape, as full of fuel as possible, a spare tire, a jack, some gloves, a shovel, the basics. Then, when it’s daylight, figure out how to change a headlight bulb and get a spare bulb. These can be a pain to change so don’t make yourself have to learn it in the dark. If you carry a decent flashlight, fine. If not, get at least a Maglite for the car. If you are lucky enough to be near a “real” Army surplus store, grab a wool blanket. Wool will keep you warm even when wet. If not, you can look online or just dig up an old blanket and stash it in the car. A small container about ¾ full of water can go with the blanket (leaving some space will keep it from blowing apart when it freezes and you can thaw it out with body heat) and some kind of snacks. Just alter this list as needed if you’re driving a big 4x4 as perhaps you’d want a wagon jack and some tow chains as well. Since the whole world carries a cell phone, I’m thinking you do, too, so you’ll have some means to call for assistance.

And, while there still are good Samaritans who may stop to help you, use reasonable judgment – they may not be good, of course, and if you’re in a car, they are just not built like they were twenty years ago. There’s not much underneath that will take the strain from a big truck dragging a car. Basically, if your vehicle does not have tow hooks, use a lot of caution. Finally, be sure that when the weather is really fierce, ask yourself if where you are going is really worth the risk of going there in the first place. If at all possible, sometimes it is far better to avoid the risk entirely and just stay home.

A Gift In A Graveyard

2009-11-15T23:14:00Z

You just never know when God is going to show up and give you a very special gift. He must have decided that we needed such a gift on a summer day in an unexpected location. My wife and I had attended a small-town festival, had some food and a cold beer, and decided to head home early while there was still plenty of daylight. We left the town square and drove down a narrow paved road that eventually would come out at the state highway we would use to get one county east and home. That little road runs through the town's cemetery. Parts of the pavement have worn away, exposing cobblestones underneath the surface. As I was driving our old Dodge 4x4 diesel truck - not exactly known for a smooth ride - I was basically idling along while the big truck bounced over every imperfection in the road.

Suddenly, my wife yells "Stop!" I hit the brakes and start a much more serious scan of the surrounding terrain. Tombstones. Since I doubt we are going to encounter zombies, I turned to her to find out what she'd seen. She tells me to get under the truck. Actually, she says there is a puppy under the truck. Since I realized that it would be virtually impossible for a puppy to run under the truck and not get crushed, and since I also realized that my wife is generally right, I jump out and start moving around the pickup. About the time I get even with the transfer case, I see it. It isn't just a puppy, it is an extremely young puppy, just walking and maybe weighing a few pounds. I grab it, determine "it" is a she, and she immediately snuggles into my vest.

Back in the truck, we retrace our path to the nearest house and ask a woman there if it was her puppy or if she recognized the little dog. She didn't know the puppy but said that someone had dumped a litter of pups out in the cemetery a few days ago and thought that animal control had picked up all of them. She then said, "looks like you have a new dog." Wonderful. Like we needed another dog. We had a herd of dogs already.

We get back in the truck and head home with our new little girl. I'm thinking that I'd like to find the scumbag who would dump a litter of puppies but that search would likely prove impossible and if successful, would wear me out from beating on the asshole I found. While I am pondering that, my wife casually notes that our little puppy is absolutely covered in fleas. That was not a piece of news I particularly wanted to hear, especially when the little one is sitting in my vest. I guess it could have been worse, it could have been winter and cold - since upon arriving at home, my wife and I get to remove all our clothing outside and then give the puppy a flea bath, clean ourselves off, spray the truck interior and all the other anti-flea rituals that come with a new dog. Just part of life with dogs, and I really don't have much problem with it. The puppy, of course, was having a great time in the wash tub.

Several years have passed since that day. The puppy, named "Little Bit," is about 15 pounds now. She is a Jack Russell Terrier/Beagle mix. She plays with our deaf dog all the time, sleeps in the bed with us and has the calmest disposition of any dog that I can remember. Little Bit is a loved and happy addition to our home. We are very fortunate that God put her under our truck. He gave us a wonderful gift, and I'd have never expected such a gift, especially in a graveyard.

Mossberg 930 SPX

2009-11-15T00:06:00Z

After waiting 11 months, I finally received one of these shotguns from my distributor. It’s the model with the full-length pistol grip stock, Mossberg’s number 85370. I’ll be adding to this as I learn more about this shotgun but thought others might benefit from what I’ve picked up so far.

As received, the forend is slightly loose, as is the magazine extension. Some people on internet forums have installed a Scattergun Technologies (Wilson Combat) sling mounting plate between the magazine extension and the forend to remove the excess space and thus tighten up the forend. That works. The mounting plate for a Remington 870 is the correct fit, and the plate has a detent ball staked into the plate since a Remington needs a detent ball to secure the magazine end cap. Others are drilling a hole into the Mossberg’s forend for the detent ball. Instead, look at the plate and note which side Wilson Combat staked the ball in place, then turn the plate over and just drive the ball out with a punch since it’s not needed. Remove the magazine extension – note that the spring is incredibly long inside the tube – drop the plate in place – reinstall the extension and tighten the extension in place by hand. At this point, the excess play will be removed from the forend. The sling plate takes a 1 ¼” sling. Mossberg doesn’t include a rear swivel with the gun, so you’ll need a sling and one swivel if you’re adding a sling. And, Blackhawk’s big tactical sling that holds 15 rounds of ammo will not fit – the clips on the sling are too big to go through the swivel mounting hole in the buttstock (and that’s too much weight on a sling anyway).

To keep the magazine extension in place and prevent it from moving or becoming damaged if it encounters a door frame or other object, a clamp is needed between it and the barrel. Nordic Components has determined that the Mossberg is the same dimensionally as the Remington 870 in this respect also, so any Remington 870 clamp will work. I like Nordic’s clamp as it’s the most secure I have seen, so that’s what I installed. At this point, the front of the shotgun is absolutely solid.

The stock bolt handle is about the size of a pencil eraser and has several deep slots cut in it, making it adequate for its intended purpose. I wanted something larger so that I could reach over or under the shotgun if needed. Choate Machine and Tool makes an oversize (though not “too” oversize) bolt handle that proved to be just right. Their instructions say to just pull the stock bolt handle out. Mossberg’s manual says the same thing. You may find that pulling does not yield the desired result. At the end of the bolt handle (inside the bolt) there is a notch for a detent pin (or some such device) that holds the handle in place. Grasp the bolt handle, pull it to the rear and out in one motion. If that doesn’t work, then try forward, rear and out so that the pin is dislodged from the notch. When installing the new handle, slide it all the way in and then shake it back and forth so that the pin will catch in the notch.

The current opinion is that these shotguns need about 250 rounds to break in. That I do not know yet, but I have 250 rounds of buckshot and will add my results together with anything else I discover about these semi-automatic 12 gauge guns and report here as soon as possible.

Decided To Get The Best Axe

2009-11-13T18:03:00Z

After years of cutting firewood, I decided that I was just tired of taking the little tiny limbs off of trees with a big chain saw. Perhaps I’m older and wiser or older and weaker, but I don’t want to reach all over the place with that saw anymore. I walked up into the woods with a 36” axe that has about a 4 pound head and played around with limbing some downed trees with it. That was too much axe. It worked well at felling, but took too much effort to get rid of some branch the size of a pencil. Off I go into the internet world, where I find that of course, I know nothing of axes and there are many more choices that what I would have anticipated based on availability at the local farm supply store. This research project began to look like it might have a rather expensive outcome.

When I learn that there are specific, specialized axes for particular uses and that hand-forged axes are much preferred over any other types, I know this will be expensive. Yet after reading reams of material, opinions are virtually unanimous – a rare find in internet land – which leaves me convinced that I’m going to get the “best” axe.

Drifting over to the Swedish company that was continually mentioned, Gransfors Bruks, I find their website has a wealth of information about their products and uses. Interesting, because it’s rare to see such a niche market company with so much product knowledge. And, all of the information is downloadable, so their diagrams on stacking firewood in a circle, something I’d never seen before, I could get for free. I determine which of the axes is designed to take limbs off, the Scandinavian Forest Axe, and I can then find a dealer there or wherever I wish. I wish most companies had websites that were as user friendly.

Spending six times what a 36” hardware store axe costs to get a 25” axe with a 2 pound head seemed to be a bizarre gamble. How good can these things be? It knocks off branches. I’m rarely impressed by tools (or much else) but me writing this gives away my position. This little axe shows up and it is amazing. This is craftsmanship at its best. It’s not an axe as much as it’s a custom knife edge with a handle, it is absolutely as sharp as most hand-made knives I have seen. The usual hardware store axe has an edge like a chisel, this axe is like a razor. Someone will say this edge won’t hold up to chopping. Really? I’d have said that, too. I’d have been wrong. It seems that most things tend to be mediocre and that’s expected. How unexpected to find something as common as an axe can be so uncommon. Excellence can be encountered when least expected.

Threat Management - Now It's Dark

2009-11-12T20:37:00Z

Once again, daylight savings time has ended and we end up arriving home in the dark. Despite several large flood lights, some type of flashlight becomes a necessary tool to move around outside, if for nothing else than to avoid whatever gift one of the dogs might have left for me to wander across. Lights have come a long way from the old big 6 D cell Maglites of 20 years ago and I won’t presume to advise anyone on what to purchase, since the current lights are much smaller, more efficient and exponentially more expensive. There is plenty of information available to make an informed decision, which may well result in a trip to a home supply store for the aforementioned sturdy Maglite (that still makes a fine baton if needed).

What I will pass along is that no matter which light you purchase, from some small penlight to the newest and fanciest “tactical” whatever, it won’t do you much good if it’s too big to carry with you. I know this because I have often exited my vehicle and then thought of the latest retina-piercing light that is sitting inside the house because I became tired of carrying it. That means I, not the light, am not too bright. Definitely something to consider. And, despite all the marketing to the contrary, it’s really not likely that you’ll be needing some incredible beam of light to illuminate the surroundings while you search for your adversary. If so, what you’ll do is give your adversary something to shoot at, which is your light. That isn’t a healthy situation for you to be in.

Most of the time, the light you will be carrying will just be a tool to see things in the dark, not something for S.W.A.T. team assaults. If you are seeing muzzle flashes directed at you, it sure is not time to be trying to identify whatever that is with your light. Instead, just shoot back. A lot. You can go see what it is later. Rather than buy a dozen big lights, be smarter than I was and consider something small enough to carry easily with long battery life. Then if you want a flame thrower, by all means grab one of those, too, keeping in mind you probably won’t have it with you and it will be too bright to use inside a structure – but they are nice to see what’s going on all the way across a street. Despite what the manufacturers claim, lights are just tools, they are not weapons, so please choose them just as you would any other tool.

Fighting Rifles

2009-10-09T13:08:00Z

Credit for this line of thinking goes to Gabe Suarez, since his observations started this commentary. There was a discussion on his forum about lever guns and he said that they were really not fighting rifles. What does that mean? There are several types of rifles that one could pick up and use in an altercation, starting with muzzle-loading black powder guns of the Revolutionary War era through single shot rifles that require a new cartridge is individually loaded after each shot, to lever rifles, where cartridges are loaded into a tube below the barrel and then as the rifle is fired, a lever is rotated forward and back to move a cartridge from the tube to the chamber (if you’ve seen a John Wayne western movie, you’ve seen one of these rifles), and then finally some modern semi-automatic rifle that is fed from a detachable magazine that sticks out below the rifle’s receiver. Lever guns are widely available, generally used for hunting, can hold 10 or more rounds of ammunition, have a short overall length, are fast shooting and easy to handle. I like them.

Why are they not a good fighting rifle? They are if that’s all you have. So is a stick. But, as Gabe pointed out, they are not good if there is a better choice. If at all possible, choose the best choice since it’s your life that depends on it. The better choice is the more modern choice, and rifles like the AR-15 and AK-47 will easily outperform any lever action rifle in a typical fight situation. The more modern rifle holds 30 rounds in a detachable magazine, so multiple magazines can be carried and changed quickly instead of attempting to feed cartridges one at a time into the side of the lever gun. If there is a jam or other malfunction, it’s easier to get inside a semi-automatic to get the problem cleared up and get back in the fight. Lever guns do jam, and when they do, it often means disassembling them to get them fixed. While lever guns can be fired quickly, they absolutely cannot put out the sustained rate of fire that a semi-automatic rifle is capable of producing, and the situation may dictate that necessity.

While I have focused on lever guns in particular, this can be applied to other types of guns, even bolt action rifles. Yes, they are accurate and can be fired quickly, and they do have their particular usefulness in battle. In an unknown fight situation, however, I think the outbound fire capability of an AK-47 will give a greater edge toward winning the fight. Of course, if you get to choose the location of the fight and you are the ace shot and you can pick off the enemy, then it is your call and I, too, would be taking a hard look at my 308 bolt gun. But, for “something’s happening about 75 yards out and I don’t know what it is,” I’m grabbing my AK and a pouch full of magazines. I’m not picking up a Winchester 92 lever gun and a box of cartridges. Just some thoughts for your consideration.

The Sheep Will Think You Are Crazy

2009-10-07T17:02:00Z

As I was getting ready for another upcoming class that will teach me how to better kill people in a hurry while not getting shot, I was deciding on which rifles, which handgun, which type magazines, what ammunition to take, all of the usual decisions I make before a class. Whatever makes a person average is what makes that person not make these kinds of decisions. They’d be shocked that anyone would even consider such things. Their world doesn’t include violence or threats or self-preservation or self-sufficiency. If yours does include those things, then you by default are a lunatic. If you do manage to find a sheep who actually might listen to some advice, that attention span can be measured in seconds. Sheep don’t want to hear. Regardless of what’s said, you’re still crazy. How you look at the world is just too foreign for them to grasp.

What that means is when you dig yourself very deep into the skills and the mindset where you’re operating as a wolf, don’t expect that a lot of people are going to like you very much. It’s not that you will turn into something evil. You may become a lot more patient, actually. But, not to sound like I am throwing out some kind of Zen magic wisdom or other crap, I do think it is due to the aura that you will project out to others. I have touched on this last winter a time or two and it’s worth repeating. Stronger, better skills, more focus and self-assurance in your abilities all mean much more powerful self-confidence and that is exactly what wolves have. Others will feel that and they won’t like it. They will feel uncomfortable. What they do with that feeling is they will figure something must be wrong with you, you’re crazy.

What do you do with that? I don’t do a thing. If this is something that will cause you concern, though, then you should give it due consideration as needed. The kinds of skills and actions that I discuss tend to grow on some people and when you find that 10 years from now you are the one who is busy with classes on how to shoot people and you’re picking out ammunition like others choose pencils, it will be a bit late for introspection. If you choose to let the sheep think what they will about you, then enjoy thinking independently as a crazy paranoid lunatic, since that is what the sheep will think of you. Yet, when a situation does arise, you alone will be able to take care of the problem and continue with your life. I think standing around bleating is a crazy response, not shooting bad guys.

Finally A Few Hours Awake

2009-10-05T17:02:00Z

It seems like over the past months, by the time the work week is finished, all the weekend is used for is sleeping, as I’m too tired to do anything else. Not very productive but once the point of exhaustion is reached, there’s really not much that can be done about it. All the weekend projects get pushed to the following weekend, meaning the list of those ends up so long that they won’t ever be completed. Activities are just dropped, not worth the effort if the effort were even available at all. Not sure what is causing this condition and too tired to give it much consideration. I suspect it is just a lot of life catching up with things that have happened to me.

Regardless, yesterday for some reason God stopped by and I enjoyed a few hours awake. Once I recovered from the shock of just being among the living, I was determined to take advantage of it. I ran my long, long list of things I needed to do through my mind and settled on the top priority – check the sights on a pair of AK-47 rifles that I plan to use in a class coming up in November. Grabbing them out of the safe, I locate magazines, ammunition, a couple slings to hook on them and some other shooting gear and head out to my shooting bench (a picnic table).

Twenty-five yards down the hill from the picnic table is an old fishing dock jutting out about 12 feet out into our lake. One corner has collapsed into the water, most of the boards are rotten and it needs to be dismantled but I have been too tired to even begin that project. So, until then, it has served as the unofficial target when some firearm has needed testing for one reason or another. At the far end of the dock stands a 4” wide steel beam, reaching about 3’ above the wood surface of the dock. I pile all my toys on the picnic table, go put the dogs in kennels so they are a bit protected inside rather than be out with the noise (except the little furry deaf dog who doesn’t care in the least) and start loading magazines.

Firing the first rifle at the far side of the dock results in bullets zipping through the dock and large geysers of water flying up behind the point of impact. I fire at the steel beam a couple of times and consider that rifle good to go, it’s hitting where I’m pointing. Half a dozen shots and one rifle is finished. Picking up the second, I figure these guns are probably both fine, so I just shoot at the steel beam and get three center hits. Then, I shoot at the near side of the dock. The bullet goes through the dock, hits the water and the water blasting up blows an entire piece of wood completely off the dock. Interesting, I think, as I load up a magazine and open up on the near side of the dock in a concerted effort to disassemble the dock. Wood is going in all directions. I am really doing a lot of work taking that dock apart, yet I don’t feel particularly tired. This really must be the way to do a job correctly.

Eventually, I decide I have done enough manual labor for the day. I clean the rifles, put everything away, let the dogs back out and have a beer. The dock isn’t quite finished, but I do have a riot gun that I need to work on. If I can wake up next weekend, I believe that testing the riot gun on the old dock will be a fine undertaking. Good, honest labor. I bet I would not be so tired if I did this kind of work all week.

Threat Management - Other People's Dogs

2009-09-23T20:06:00Z

A recent topic on a forum was what to do when around other people’s dogs. The discussion seemed to be dog-centered, that is the advice was based on observing the dog and then depending on what it was doing would determine what you should do. After thinking about that for a while and after considering what our nine dogs act like at home, I’m not sure that I would suggest that course of action. One would have to be able to predict dog behavior through visual signals while at the same time having no direct influence on the dog that would change the dog’s behavior. Otherwise, the dog will react faster than it may be possible to defend against. No, I do not mean shooting the dog or clubbing it, but merely getting out of the way can be challenging when the dog gets the first move.

Rather than have a meeting between you and an unknown dog be based on the dog, I think it should be based on you. If you are inherently afraid of dogs, that’s fine. React accordingly and that reaction would be to refuse to be around the dog. The dog will know your fear anyway, so why put yourself in that situation? If you can handle dogs but the dog is already visibly agitated, then you can be upset with the owner, who should either be in control of the dog or you can control your part in the situation – again, by leaving the situation. If the dog is not on a leash, you can tell the owner to put it on a leash. Off-leash dogs are only controlled by owners who are very, very good at training dogs. After over 20 years of training dogs, I do not have our dogs off-leash around strangers. Perhaps I am a good dog trainer, but I am not going to risk someone getting bitten by a big German Shepherd because the Shepherd thought that a person was a threat and I was unable to stop the charge. Off-leash dogs are loose, obviously. Loose dogs are fair game. Where I live, loose dogs get shot if they are the least bit threatening.

The important point here is that you control the situation, not the dog’s owner and not the dog. If there is anything making you uncomfortable at all, then remove yourself from the cause of that discomfort because the dog is absolutely going to pick up on how you feel and react to it. Unless you can stand your ground against a dog that does not know you and decides that you have become some kind of threat to its owner, you may find yourself in trouble. Unfortunately, just having a big knife and a gun and whatever other gear doesn’t help with you standing your ground, it all has to come from what is inside you and what you are projecting out to the dog. I think it is one of the things we love about dogs – their incredible instincts – that can also be a problem for us when interacting with them. A dog will see right through the external. If you can’t project that you are the wolf, or at least way up in the sheep world, then the chances are good that the dog will try to prove that it is. As always, it is your choice. Please make the choice that leaves you with no bite marks.

Tattoo: What's Your View?

2009-09-18T17:40:00Z

While watching a discussion spiral out of control and into the realm of illogical, emotional word-fighting, it struck me that this spectacle started from one person mentioning some tattoos he had on his arm. Had he said that he had a scar on his arm, no doubt someone might have asked to see it, a few people may have commented, asked how it happened, and the conversation would then have drifted off to other things. Not so with the seemingly much stronger and more powerful word “tattoo,” since it elicited such a barrage of opinion. There wasn’t a central theme for the dislike of tattoos. I picked out a few recurring statements: tattoos are permanent, you can’t get a job if you have tattoos, your body is sacred and shouldn’t be marked up, only low-life trash have tattoos, tattoos are disgusting, you’ll get infected by the tattoo needles. All these from people who (of course) don’t have any tattoos and don’t know anything about tattoos. That’s the important part – they don’t know anything about tattoos, only what little they have heard from others who also don’t know anything either.

Am I making a false assumption that these people don’t know anything about having ink in skin? I don’t think I am, and I base that on seeing exactly the same kind of reaction from people if I were to take the conversation and just change one word. Remove “tattoo” and replace it with “gun.” Those who don’t know anything about firearms will have no shortage of reasons why guns are bad, nobody should have them and a host of other commentary. The same emotion-based responses originating from a lack of real knowledge about some object that can’t do anything in and of itself as those directed at a tattoo. Granted, a tattoo can’t be used to shoot someone, though with the level of hatred some people have toward tattoos, it almost seems like they think tattoos can do some kind of damage to others. Any object, though, that has strong societal ideas attached to it and is then brought up before someone with a lack of knowledge about that object is bound to elicit an equally strong response. My point with equating guns and tattoos is I wonder whether that lack of knowledge might just make people irrationally afraid. Knowledge about guns is something I try to cover elsewhere. So, maybe some knowledge here about tattoos might give a less disjointed response about them. At least if you are going to dislike them, have an informed dislike.

The practice of tattoo has been around for thousands of years. It depends on which culture, and in what time period in that culture, whether having a tattoo would be considered a good thing or a bad thing. Tattoos seem to go in and out of favor, like various fashion trends. A tattoo is ink forced under a few layers of the skin by some kind of sharp instrument. It is intended to be permanent. It is costly and very difficult to remove. At present, if one gets a tattoo to look like a rebel, then one is going to look like all the other rebels out there, since tattoos are currently in fashion, so a lot of people have them. Whether a body is sacred and shouldn’t be marked is a personal religious view that really shouldn’t be forced on anyone else, at least I would not push my religious views on others and would suggest the same. If you have tattoos all over your face, you will probably be limiting your employment prospects, but since tattoos are so widespread, some design on your arm likely won’t be noticed at all. Given you have chosen a reputable tattoo artist who is using correct sterilization techniques, the chances of getting an infection are no greater than when getting a blood test at a doctor’s office.

“Tattoos are disgusting and only low-life trash have them.” That’s one view, and if it’s yours, then you are entitled to have it. Please note, though, that the “low-life” with the tattoos may well not think you are anything special, either. I’d suggest perhaps a bit more relaxed view of others and you might find a bit of common ground. Any kind of judgment not based on fact is never appreciated. Personally, I dislike listening to some clown running on at the mouth about how people just don’t need to carry guns and only paranoid people have guns and on and on. Obviously, Mr. or Ms. Clown has never really needed a gun, so he or she has no position from which to decide that I a paranoid. A similar person has no position from which to judge that because a person has a tattoo, that makes he or she a “low-life.” Whether or not one sees a tattoo as disgusting is a personal matter and maybe if it’s your opinion, it’s best kept a personal one. As always, you have free choice and can make your own decisions about life and tattoos and what you think about them. Some years ago, I heard a tattoo artist say that “people who have tattoos don’t care whether you do or not,” and that may be the best view to have on the entire subject.

Threat Management - Refuse To Be A Victim

2009-09-17T16:41:00Z

The title is a program developed by the National Rifle Association. Here’s part of the introduction from their website: “Experts agree that the single most important step toward ensuring your personal safety is making the decision to refuse to be a victim. That means that you must have an overall personal safety strategy in place before you need it. Through a three to four hour seminar…you can learn the personal safety tips and techniques you need to avoid dangerous situations and avoid becoming a victim.”

This sounds like it would be a good program to attend. In fact, a couple friends of mine became certified to teach the program and offered to do so for anyone interested in attending the class. They put some notices up where they work (being careful not to obscure some other notices of an upcoming red cross blood drive) and started preparing for their seminar. Today, the human resources department removed all the notices for both the Refuse To Be A Victim program and the blood drive, stating that there was no written procedure in place to post notices.

I have a name for that non-procedure. It’s called bullshit. What the human resources people did was attempt to keep the employees in the condition of victims rather than allow them to gain some knowledge about self-protection. I suppose that was a typical response from anyone in human resources, a department generally made up of politically correct sheep, though I wouldn’t have expected it in this particular company.

Hopefully, the people there will find out about the program anyway and attend – and then realize that there are many ways to be a victim. One of them is to be denied access to information. You can always choose what you do with information you get, but you damn sure should get it. That is theoretically what living in the United States is supposed to be about.

If somebody tells you there’s no “procedure” to let you know something, go find out anyway. Like the name of the program says – refuse to be a victim – no matter what kind of victim.

Nine Again

2009-09-16T17:07:00Z

Our little blind Boston Terrier “Zoe” has been spending the past few days visiting with a doggie friend of hers, but tonight she comes back home to snort around, walk into things and snore at night. It seems odd that with the usual pack of nine dogs, having one go away would be so noticeable, but even the other dogs changed their behavior in her absence. The kennels have not been such a big mess when we get home, nor is there near the level of howling and barking, leading me to conclude that Zoe must be somewhat of an instigator during our absence. Of course, when we are home, she is cute and precious and some other endearing words.

What I particularly noticed while Zoe has been gone was the lack of what I normally noticed so much – her snoring at night. Without her rumbling away on my pillow or in the middle of the bed, it has been hard to sleep. The other furry people in bed are always quiet. She’s the noisemaker. And, she’s last out of bed, too, slowly making her way downstairs, needing some sound guidance at each step until she gets to the bottom and can trot out to the kennels and go crashing through the dog door and outside.

When Zoe does get home tonight, all the other critters will sniff her while she snorts around looking for a tennis ball to attack. She will shake it with enough fury that it will fly away, forcing her to begin a new hunt for it again. She seems to never tire of that game. But it does make her tired, and once upstairs in bed, she will find a spot and be snoring in moments, sound asleep. I suspect I will be, too.