No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.8/183 - Release Date: 11/25/2005 The Sigma Incident: In yesterday's mailing I mentioned a PDF document that details a shooting of a user's hand while disassembling an S&W Sigma. I have discovered that the material has been posted at The Gun Zone. http://www.thegunzone.com/timm-nd.html --- Speaking Of SOP 9...: Article presents an interesting account of a failed attempt at suicide-by-cop in New York City. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/nyregion/27threat.html --- Privacy Laws vs. NICS: Privacy laws in most states reduce the likelihood that mental-health commitments will make their way into the FBI's NICS database for firearm purchases. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy and Sen. Charles Schumer have introduced federal legislation to provide that information to the FBI. http://www.washtimes.com/national/20051127-122535-3102r.htm --- Tangentially Related: In the world of defensive-firearms training, students are often cautioned about the potential for "post-shooting trauma," a variant of post-traumatic stress disorder. Mental health experts dealing with military veterans have started looking at "post-traumatic growth." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10208906/ --- More From Teddy: This commentary is shared primarily for the remarks about titanium parts. http://actionsbyt.blogspot.com/2005/11/fact-vs-bs-part-6.html --- From John Farnam: 20 Nov 05 Confrontation handled well, from one of our students: "In Atlanta on Thursday, I stopped to fill my car with gas. I had just begun to dispense fuel into the tank when, as is my habit, I glanced behind and noticed a man approaching rapidly. I was also talking, via a Blue tooth, on my cell phone at the same time. I believe that is why I was selected for victimization. I was perceived as distracted and self-consumed. This mugging suspect was smart. He had waited until I was boxed in by my car, the gas pump, and the fuel hose. He approached with his hands in his coat pockets. He said, 'Give me some money,' soft enough so as not to attract attention. I immediately found my Kel-Tec 380 in my right, front pants pocket. I replied, "Sorry; can't help you, Bud," as I established solid eye contact. The guy was experienced and smart. He immediately turned to the side and said, 'It's cool. Be cool.' Without another word, he tuned the rest of the way around and hurriedly exited. When I lost sight of him, I finished fueling, got in my car, and left." Comment: Situational awareness and a solid, protective posture and demeanor, once again, prevented a violent crime. Most fights are over before they start. Some violent criminals are crazy, but most aren't. They're just opportunists looking for an easy mark. Perpetual alertness, aggressive deselection and assertive disengagement work nearly every time, but these critical skills must be constantly practiced and rehearsed, just as our gun skills are. Good show, my friend! /John 21 Nov 05 TSA Story, from a LEO friend in WA: "Detective ________ and I flew to San Diego last week to pick up a murder suspect who was caught trying to cross the border into Mexico. Getting there was no problem, but after picking up our prisoner, we went to the airport at San Diego and met with TSA people. We presented our credentials, including badges, letter from the chief, etc. We were then taken to the 'by-pass' room. The TSA guy found all our paperwork in order and then said, 'So, will both you officers be traveling armed?' I explained to him that only I was armed, and that Detective _______ was not, as he would be sitting next to the prisoner. 'So, Detective_______ does not have a gun?' was the reply. I assured him that was correct. 'Is there a problem?' I asked. The TSA guy replied, 'If he is not armed, he will have to go back through the inspection line.' 'But, we have all the paperwork here. He is AUTHORIZED to be armed!' 'Yes, but since he is not armed, he has to be inspected for dangerous items. 'But he is AUTHORIZED to carry dangerous items!" 'But, because he's NOT carrying anything dangerous, he has to be inspected.' I thought about arguing further, but I suddenly remembered that I was dealing with a federal employee. Detective _______ dutifully went through the line as I, and the prisoner, waited for him on the other side. The prisoner commented, 'This is the stupidest thing I ever heard of!' I nodded in agreement." Comment: TSA positively gets off on harassing local cops. But, the greater harm is this: Stupid "rules," enforced by mindless, anti-intellectual, arrogant government agents, degrades respect for the entire body of law and for all government agents. In doing indefensible, senseless things as described above, TSA performs no good service. /John 21 Nov 05 ACOG into the sun: "I tested a DPMS AR-15 yesterday. Rifle ran fine, but I was shooting almost directly into the setting sun. Iron sights worked fine. However, when I mounted an ACOG and attempted to continue, I discovered light spalling was sufficient to wash out the target. I could see the sighting pyramid just fine, but nothing else!" Comment: It's not just the ACOG. All rifle optics have an issue when shooting at a target with a strong light source close to it. Many have assured me that iron sights are obsolete. Not yet! /John 21 Nov 05 Info on rifle optics, from a student and operator: "Like you, I love Aimpoints, ACOGs, and scout scopes, but there is a critical weaknesses that is shared by everything with glass, and it must be acknowledged and dealt with during realistic training. Many of us carry rifles (car guns) in vehicles. When the outside temperature drops, these rifles, and their attached optics, get cold. When one must subsequently retrieve the rifle and then enter a heated building, the optics will fog instantly, rendering them temporarily useless. Moving back into the cold will cause the fog to turn to frost. Training under all foreseeable the environmental conditions will help eliminate painful, operational surprises!" Comment: Once again, none of these issues are shared by iron sights. /John 24 Nov 05 A Thanksgiving Day Story, from a friend and student in Country: "For the second time since I've been in Country, a first sergeant approached me today in the Thanksgiving-dinner chow line, put his arm around my shoulder, and stated, 'I notice there is a magazine in your pistol, soldier. It's not actually loaded, is it?' I calmly informed him I'm a CID agent, that my pistol was 'actually' loaded, and 'that's just the way we do things.' He backed off, put his palms up, and replied with the customary loser's self-justification, 'I don't make the rules,' to which I retorted, 'You're part of the problem, top. We're standing in an active combat zone, and I'm the only one in this entire room with a gun that will actually shoot!' My reply flew over his head, of course, but it was a sad reminder of how shamefully emasculated our armed forces have become, even in an area of active fighting. I wasn't issued ammunition until eight days after I arrived in theater. Fortunately, per your advice, I brought my own. There is no excuse for such casual disregard for the personal safety of troops. Unfortunately, I'm not holding my breath that our commanders, or our politicians, will do anything that will push this floundering system in the right direction." Comment: We are fighting decades of gun-phobia, which has made its way into every corner of our civilization, even our "armed" forces, and even when they are deployed to a combat zone and actively engaged in a war! /John 25 Nov 05 Comments on military readiness, from a student currently assigned overseas: "Ain't it the truth! In an hour my shift starts. My unit guards this base's entire ammunition supply, and we're located in a not-especially-friendly, foreign country. I have no guns with me now, nor do any of us where we're not technically on duty. Shortly, I will be issued a dirty M9 pistol, with two magazines and twenty rounds of dirty, 9mm hardball. Our orders are to carry the pistol in a flap holster, with all flaps fully secured, so drawing with one hand, or quickly even with both hands, is not possible. The weapon is to be carried with a magazine inserted, an empty chamber, and the safety 'on' (decocking lever down). As you might say, we're little more than cannon fodder here! Clearing barrels litter this facility like horse crap. Those few weapons that are carried, even by active-duty soldiers, are always unloaded and universally treated with the utmost cavalierly. I have never seen firearms so casually thrown about with such contemptuous disregard to unsafe directions in which they are incessantly pointed. I so much miss the comradery of your class where real gunmen bear arms proudly, with true safety, honor, respect, and professionalism. It has yet to filter down here!" Comment: I'm disheartened when I receive notes like this. The True Way has yet to shine forth at this remote outpost, and many like it. The thing I regret most is that, with all our effort, we have (obviously) accomplished so little. /John 26 Nov 05 Counterpoint, from a young lad in Country: "Mr Farnam, I witnessed a negligent discharge in a mess hall over here. The culprit was, of course, the mishandling of weapons. It is not uncommon. Thus, here is the other side of the argument: My unit deployed to Iraq on short notice, with little additional arms training. We have eighteen-year-olds walking around with 9mm pistols, who have only touched them on one previous occasion, and that was a paltry ten rounds of familiarization firing just prior to departure from CONUS, and under the tutelage of instructors who knew precious little more about the weapon than did their students! Lack of muzzle consciousness is, by far, the biggest problem over here, and the lamentable affliction makes no distinction with regard to rank or age! Accordingly, unit commanders will not allow the carrying of loaded weapons inside camps. The rational is that there is little reason to carry loaded inside a guarded area." My reply: Thanks for your note, son, and I understand the hesitancy of you and your colleagues to be "hot" all the time, even if it were permitted. "Guarded area," huh? The fact that you're drawing"combat pay" should be a hint to both you and your hesitant and naive commanders. When in Vietnam thirty-seven years ago, OUR "CAMPS," SURROUNDED BY WIRE, JUST LIKE YOURS, GOT OVERRUN ALL THE TIME! With any luck, that phenomenon will not become a big part of your life over there, but it only has to happen once for a lot of hapless and unarmed men to be wretchedly massacred, because they cannot shoot. YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN CAN BE TRAINED TO SAFELY CARRY LOADED PISTOLS ON A REGULAR BASIS. In our Marine Programs, we teach them to do it in two days! We've never had an ND, and our students come away as competent gun handlers, as well as fast and deadly-accurate shooters. They think of themselves as professional gunmen, and they carry hot, proudly and confidently. The problem with the "no-gun" policy, common in CONUS, is that it creeps into our daily routine, even in areas of active fighting, where you now find yourself. Shifting gears becomes more and more indecisive and incomplete. Some are even hesitant about carrying hot OUTSIDE the wire! When will we stop being afraid of ourselves? You better understand something about warfare, lad: Active war is going to be a continuous part of world landscape for the remainder of your lifetime. On behalf of my generation, I apologize to you and your colleagues for the hash you've inherited from us. With that said, you better get used to a pitilessly indifferent world, and YOU BETTER DECIDE RIGHT NOW TO BE A SERIOUS, DANGEROUS, HARMFUL HEAVY-HITTER, and that you're going to be in a high state of readiness, all the time, no matter were you are, regardless of "rules." I pray you make that decision while you still can! /John -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .