For most of my gun owning life I have been in homes without small children. This meant that securing firearms was not of any particular concern to me. In college I got a locking steel cabinet to keep guns in because I had roommates and well, we drank a lot. Mostly I did not want some random person at one of my roomies impromptu gatherings to stumble into a gun and through idiocy or malice do something dangerous. However except those times I just kept whatever the defensive flavor of the week was out or in my nightstand.
As I have stopped having roomies and my gun collection grew I have kept weapons around the house for defensive purposes. We had a gun or two in every room we really spend time in at our place in Alabama. Fast forward a couple years and insert a toddler. The topic of guns and kids stopped being theoretical about the time he was able to move around.
Since my kid can barely shove food that is put in front of him into his mouth the odds that he could load a weapon are about 0% but I figure it is better to be cautious now while we have some time to figure out workable plans.
To me the obvious solution to firearms and small children (prior to the age where they can mentally understand firearms and be trained which, depending on who you ask is somewhere between 3 and 21) is to either lock guns up or have them under my direct control be it on my person or next to me.
I got a small lockable case for my carry pistol. Small enough to easily fit into my overnight bag if need be. The long gun that has been following me around lately is a folding stock AK. I needed a way to keep it secured. A big case would be kind of a pain as the only ones I have are 4 feet long and bulky. Though I will keep my eye out for one just long enough for my AK's new more compact folded footprint. My solution for the AK was to take a long lock and run in through the ejection port and mag well and lock the thing.
These solutions cost about $20 total. When I am back home we will need to put considerably more thought and expense into firearms security but that is a post for another day.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
PT Questions
1- Are you happy with your current level of physical fitness?
2- A-What is your current PT plan and B- are you happy with it?
3- If you are unhappy with your current plan what are you going to change to fix it?
2- A-What is your current PT plan and B- are you happy with it?
3- If you are unhappy with your current plan what are you going to change to fix it?
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Eagles Lyrics and My Ramblings
"So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key"
-The Eagles "Already Gone"
I heard this song for the first time in awhile and the lyrics stuck with me. I wish (in addition to my other personal crusades of financial and physical fitness) that I could figure out a way to reach people. They just don't see that the stuff which is driving them crazy is under their control, should they chose to do something about it.
I had the advantage of coming to a few key realizations on debt, finances, and life before doing things which would limit my choices. It is a lot more difficult to make your life simple if you come to some of these realizations a decade and a bunch of choices (maybe a house you can barely afford, a bunch of debt, a spouse who likes a certain lifestyle or whatever) and I do see that. However at the end of the day it is about choices.
We can choose to live the life we want or not. This may require hard choices which change our standards of living and maybe even the relationships we are in. The alternative is to sit around and be unhappy quietly or to whine about it.
Remember, you hold the key.
-The Eagles "Already Gone"
I heard this song for the first time in awhile and the lyrics stuck with me. I wish (in addition to my other personal crusades of financial and physical fitness) that I could figure out a way to reach people. They just don't see that the stuff which is driving them crazy is under their control, should they chose to do something about it.
I had the advantage of coming to a few key realizations on debt, finances, and life before doing things which would limit my choices. It is a lot more difficult to make your life simple if you come to some of these realizations a decade and a bunch of choices (maybe a house you can barely afford, a bunch of debt, a spouse who likes a certain lifestyle or whatever) and I do see that. However at the end of the day it is about choices.
We can choose to live the life we want or not. This may require hard choices which change our standards of living and maybe even the relationships we are in. The alternative is to sit around and be unhappy quietly or to whine about it.
Remember, you hold the key.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Warehouse Raid
While I was home I checked out the warehouse. Almost everything was just fine. A medium (not dripping) coat of oil has kept things just fine except one piece on one gun. The suboptimal piece of metal was given some TLC, oiled up and put away.
Last time I was home I had to dig all around to find mags, ammo, etc for the weapons I carry/ use while home. I decided to take an ammo container and put the stuff I want while home in it. The contents were 3 glock mags, an IWB holster, an OWB kydex holster, 2 boxes of 9mm JHP, 4 rifle mags and a few hundred rounds of ammo. It worked perfectly. I grabbed a Glock and the box and was good to go. When we went on a longer trip I loaded up a couple mags and grabbed the rifle.
I noticed that I need to add a knife to the box. Not having a normal EDC knife was kind of annoying. Sticking a knife in there would let me have one here and just grab it with the other stuff would be convenient.
If you have a cache or keep some guns with a friend or whatever it might be a good idea to put the stuff you would want to pull out first thing in a convenient and accessible location.
Last time I was home I had to dig all around to find mags, ammo, etc for the weapons I carry/ use while home. I decided to take an ammo container and put the stuff I want while home in it. The contents were 3 glock mags, an IWB holster, an OWB kydex holster, 2 boxes of 9mm JHP, 4 rifle mags and a few hundred rounds of ammo. It worked perfectly. I grabbed a Glock and the box and was good to go. When we went on a longer trip I loaded up a couple mags and grabbed the rifle.
I noticed that I need to add a knife to the box. Not having a normal EDC knife was kind of annoying. Sticking a knife in there would let me have one here and just grab it with the other stuff would be convenient.
If you have a cache or keep some guns with a friend or whatever it might be a good idea to put the stuff you would want to pull out first thing in a convenient and accessible location.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saving Big
Saving a lot of money on things takes a few traits.
The first that comes to mind is flexibility. You either need to purchase pretty common things or be flexible and look for a more broad type of good instead of something real specific. Example, buying a mid range mens mountain bike is reasonable. However you could wait a very long time for a Speed Demon 97 with a blue frame to come up on a great sale or gently used. A used 04-06 4 door Honda with reasonable miles is very different than a green 2005 with a tan interior, the VTech engine and a specific list of options.
The ability to plan ahead is next. Getting good prices often requires some time (either looking or waiting) and thus you have to be thinking about what you will need in the weeks or months coming up, not today or tomorrow. Here is an example. Let us say that I like to eat cereal every day and thus go through a box a week. If I go shopping on Saturday and have absolutely no cereal in the house I am stuck paying full price or eating something else. However if I have a few boxes because I planned ahead I can wait until the next sale to get more cereal. The same could be said of winter clothes or any other need you can forecast.
Last is cash on hand. Often deals come when you least expect them. It could be a half off sale on canned goods, a buddy who needs to sell a gun in a hurry or who knows what else. So often a deal will be missed if you have to wait for payday. Having cash to take advantage of all manner of deals is essential.
There are also two areas in which people can go wrong trying to save money.
The first big mistake is getting a "great deal" on something YOU DO NOT NEED AND WILL NOT ACTUALLY USE. This sort of bumps up against the "be flexible" but it comes down to knowing and being honest with yourself. I will talk about it in two parts.
First do you need it? Example, buying a chair or a lamp you do not need (even if it might get used) is not good economics.
Second will you actually use it? Example, I use Heinz Ketchup. It does not matter of Hunts or Walmart brand are on sale for a penny because I won't use them. If in doubt it might be smart to try one or two of something before buying 5 cases. [Note, A family member of mine does that "extreme coupond" type stuff and she donates a lot of things she gets super cheap to charity. Either this or passing it on to a friend who can use it (ideally they would do the same for you;) makes sense. Just so long as the stuff will get used.]
The second big mistake is failing to consider the investment of time and effort involved. Time is a valuable commodity as you cannot make any more if it. If you save 5 bucks by doing something but it takes 4 hours is it really worth it? I can't tell you what your time is worth (though your wages aren't a bad starting point) but you need to consider it. There is not an exact formula for this but the factors would be enjoyment, your available time and other income producing opportunities. The answer will vary depending on your currenti life situation (how busy you are, how broke you are or are not, etc all). Example, by making tortillas wifey can save a dollar (over the cost of ingredients) by making them herself. When she is working or otherwise busy that dollar is not worth it, however when she has time to spare it can be.
Another classsic fail is driving 50 miles and burning up 7 bucks in a fuel guzzling vehicle to save .75 cents on a package of hamburger. Totally misses the point, unless you buy 25 packages and combine the trip with business in that area.
I often ask myself "would I take a side job if somebody offered me this wage (the amount of savings in the time involves)?" It is a pretty good test.
I ran the ideas in this post by Wifey because she does this stuff more often and more successfully than I do. She added that a lot of people put start up money into things before they know they will use them. The most common example is spending a ton of money on equipment for a hobby to then use it twice and realize you hate it or for whatever reason will not use it. Bikes, fishing gear, etc all are common examples of this. We have found that borrowing or renting equipment to try things, or at least getting in on the cheap with basic used stuff helps with this a lot. You can always get newer, better stuff down the road and either sell the first set of stuff or keep it for backups.
A couple of recent real life examples which I believe will help to illustrate what I am talking about. We went to a big sale and got all of Walker's clothes in the next size up (well I am sure Wifey will get him a thing or two later to fill a gap or because she likes it, the vast majority of his clothes might be more accurate) for awesome prices. We got gently used shirts, onesies, and pants for an average of about two dollars and fifty cents.
We were at an outlet mall looking for something and needed to stay while and look around because Walker neeeded a break from the car. We went to an outdoor store and were idly looking at the stuff they sold. Wifey noticed name brand shell jackets on sale for $30 (retail of $110). I wasn't in the market for one but could definitely use one and at that price it would be foolish not to get it.
The first that comes to mind is flexibility. You either need to purchase pretty common things or be flexible and look for a more broad type of good instead of something real specific. Example, buying a mid range mens mountain bike is reasonable. However you could wait a very long time for a Speed Demon 97 with a blue frame to come up on a great sale or gently used. A used 04-06 4 door Honda with reasonable miles is very different than a green 2005 with a tan interior, the VTech engine and a specific list of options.
The ability to plan ahead is next. Getting good prices often requires some time (either looking or waiting) and thus you have to be thinking about what you will need in the weeks or months coming up, not today or tomorrow. Here is an example. Let us say that I like to eat cereal every day and thus go through a box a week. If I go shopping on Saturday and have absolutely no cereal in the house I am stuck paying full price or eating something else. However if I have a few boxes because I planned ahead I can wait until the next sale to get more cereal. The same could be said of winter clothes or any other need you can forecast.
Last is cash on hand. Often deals come when you least expect them. It could be a half off sale on canned goods, a buddy who needs to sell a gun in a hurry or who knows what else. So often a deal will be missed if you have to wait for payday. Having cash to take advantage of all manner of deals is essential.
There are also two areas in which people can go wrong trying to save money.
The first big mistake is getting a "great deal" on something YOU DO NOT NEED AND WILL NOT ACTUALLY USE. This sort of bumps up against the "be flexible" but it comes down to knowing and being honest with yourself. I will talk about it in two parts.
First do you need it? Example, buying a chair or a lamp you do not need (even if it might get used) is not good economics.
Second will you actually use it? Example, I use Heinz Ketchup. It does not matter of Hunts or Walmart brand are on sale for a penny because I won't use them. If in doubt it might be smart to try one or two of something before buying 5 cases. [Note, A family member of mine does that "extreme coupond" type stuff and she donates a lot of things she gets super cheap to charity. Either this or passing it on to a friend who can use it (ideally they would do the same for you;) makes sense. Just so long as the stuff will get used.]
The second big mistake is failing to consider the investment of time and effort involved. Time is a valuable commodity as you cannot make any more if it. If you save 5 bucks by doing something but it takes 4 hours is it really worth it? I can't tell you what your time is worth (though your wages aren't a bad starting point) but you need to consider it. There is not an exact formula for this but the factors would be enjoyment, your available time and other income producing opportunities. The answer will vary depending on your currenti life situation (how busy you are, how broke you are or are not, etc all). Example, by making tortillas wifey can save a dollar (over the cost of ingredients) by making them herself. When she is working or otherwise busy that dollar is not worth it, however when she has time to spare it can be.
Another classsic fail is driving 50 miles and burning up 7 bucks in a fuel guzzling vehicle to save .75 cents on a package of hamburger. Totally misses the point, unless you buy 25 packages and combine the trip with business in that area.
I often ask myself "would I take a side job if somebody offered me this wage (the amount of savings in the time involves)?" It is a pretty good test.
I ran the ideas in this post by Wifey because she does this stuff more often and more successfully than I do. She added that a lot of people put start up money into things before they know they will use them. The most common example is spending a ton of money on equipment for a hobby to then use it twice and realize you hate it or for whatever reason will not use it. Bikes, fishing gear, etc all are common examples of this. We have found that borrowing or renting equipment to try things, or at least getting in on the cheap with basic used stuff helps with this a lot. You can always get newer, better stuff down the road and either sell the first set of stuff or keep it for backups.
A couple of recent real life examples which I believe will help to illustrate what I am talking about. We went to a big sale and got all of Walker's clothes in the next size up (well I am sure Wifey will get him a thing or two later to fill a gap or because she likes it, the vast majority of his clothes might be more accurate) for awesome prices. We got gently used shirts, onesies, and pants for an average of about two dollars and fifty cents.
We were at an outlet mall looking for something and needed to stay while and look around because Walker neeeded a break from the car. We went to an outdoor store and were idly looking at the stuff they sold. Wifey noticed name brand shell jackets on sale for $30 (retail of $110). I wasn't in the market for one but could definitely use one and at that price it would be foolish not to get it.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Quote of the Day
"Someone texted me "Any chance I can get my paycheck today?" I could have told them wrong number, but went with "no ur fired" instead."
-My Brother in Law
-My Brother in Law
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Catching Up on TV
I have been able to catch up on some TV that losely relates to preparedness. Just an episode here or there but enough to get a sense of them.
Best Defense was interesting though it reeked of gun rag like product placement. This that and the other thing are super great and essential to your survival, then those guys have 3 adds that run on the breaks. Not saying the gear was bad parse but it could have been a bit lighter on the need to buy this and that.
Walking Dead was quite interesting. In terms of gear or techniques it is kind of weak but the human and group dynamics were interesting. Worth watching but more for entertainment than anything else.
I would watch Best Defense again if it happened to be on and might be willing to plan or shift my schedule to watch the Walking Dead.
Best Defense was interesting though it reeked of gun rag like product placement. This that and the other thing are super great and essential to your survival, then those guys have 3 adds that run on the breaks. Not saying the gear was bad parse but it could have been a bit lighter on the need to buy this and that.
Walking Dead was quite interesting. In terms of gear or techniques it is kind of weak but the human and group dynamics were interesting. Worth watching but more for entertainment than anything else.
I would watch Best Defense again if it happened to be on and might be willing to plan or shift my schedule to watch the Walking Dead.
Occupy This, The Future, Family
A couple folks have recently said somethin gto the effect of " if somebody doesn't do something nothing will change for the better". I don't see us magically pulling out of this or some sort of fantasy small government awakening happening. To be honest I don't see things getting better, at least by any broad measure. The best case mid term scenario I see is that we somehow manage to (likely through modest inflation, some spending cuts and some tax/ fee increases) kick the can down the road a decade. I genuinely hope that I am wrong but it will take new information to convice me that is the case.
I have been able to catch up with a lot of family and friends since I have been back. That has been great. Modern communications are far better than even 10-15 years ago but I am just not one to sit on the telephone or chatting for a long time. I get distracted and stuff. Sitting down for a cup of coffee or a meal at the kitchen table or drinks in the family room makes for a much better venue. Obviously it is nice to see everybody. The reason I am mentioning this is not to say that I saw friends and family and it was nice.
I can't say if it is my great example, positive modeling, my peer group getting real jobs (hard to prep at minimum wage) and just growing up or what but people are getting prepared. They are stashing cash as well as storing food and ammo. Those who do not own guns are planning to get them. I found myself answering some questions but positively folks were already on the right path (though possibly due to previous conversations we have had) which was great news. I do everything I can to advise, assist and encourage their efforts.
The phrase "May you live in interesting times" comes to mind.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Taking Some Time
Currently on vacation at a great place. Having a nice glass of Oregon Single Malt Whisky. Have a nice day. I have lots of thoughts but will write them later.
Enjoy your week
Enjoy your week
Random Thoughts- Common Caliber Ammo, groups, friends and mediums of exchange
I have done some reading lately and have posts on that ready for you to read shortly. I have been thinking about a few things.
Somebody once said that America has a century worth of guns and a couple years worth of bullets. I am not sure if that is true exactly or quite how to measure it. However the vast majority of Americans do not have a "buy by the case and stock it deep" kind of survivalist mentality. I once broke gun owners into 3 groups when it comes to ammo a) a box or less per gun b) a couple/ few hundred rounds or less and c) my kind of people.
I would wager that the vast majority of Americans fall somewhere between a and b. In all but the shortest term disaster if things go less than ideally folks will start to run out of bullets. This is an issue because some of these folks will be in your family, tribe or neighborhod. A gun with a person behind it that could be actively on your side, pulling guard and fighting if need be for want of bullets.
I think pistol ammunition, ammunition in gaming rifle calibers and shotgun shells would be aweful useful and .22 for practice and gaming is always useful. My observation is that folks who have semi auto rifles tend to have at least a few hundred rounds of ammo and thus I am less inclined to worry about them (unless we are talking about a longer darker scenario but that is another discussion) and I keep decent amounts of that stuff around anyway.
I take this into account in my ammunition stockage. I went to Walmart the other day to stock up on ammunition which I know some folks might need. Picked up a couple hundred rounds of .38 and a few boxes of 30-30 to put away for this type of situation and to help meet my own happy levels.
Knowing your friends and family helps here. I know a bunch of folks with .38 wheel guns and not a lot of bullets so that is a real consideration of mine.
Also you always want to have something folks want. Of course you try to have things squared away so there is no need to get anything but life never works quite that way. Best case you are trying to get something to help out a friend or develop a new group project to fill an unanticipated need. Personally I do not know what somebody might want. Having a wide variety of possible curriencies (cash, gold, silver, ammo, food, etc) gives me some options. Personally I always want the ability to do some swapping. Just some food for thought.
Somebody once said that America has a century worth of guns and a couple years worth of bullets. I am not sure if that is true exactly or quite how to measure it. However the vast majority of Americans do not have a "buy by the case and stock it deep" kind of survivalist mentality. I once broke gun owners into 3 groups when it comes to ammo a) a box or less per gun b) a couple/ few hundred rounds or less and c) my kind of people.
I would wager that the vast majority of Americans fall somewhere between a and b. In all but the shortest term disaster if things go less than ideally folks will start to run out of bullets. This is an issue because some of these folks will be in your family, tribe or neighborhod. A gun with a person behind it that could be actively on your side, pulling guard and fighting if need be for want of bullets.
I think pistol ammunition, ammunition in gaming rifle calibers and shotgun shells would be aweful useful and .22 for practice and gaming is always useful. My observation is that folks who have semi auto rifles tend to have at least a few hundred rounds of ammo and thus I am less inclined to worry about them (unless we are talking about a longer darker scenario but that is another discussion) and I keep decent amounts of that stuff around anyway.
I take this into account in my ammunition stockage. I went to Walmart the other day to stock up on ammunition which I know some folks might need. Picked up a couple hundred rounds of .38 and a few boxes of 30-30 to put away for this type of situation and to help meet my own happy levels.
Knowing your friends and family helps here. I know a bunch of folks with .38 wheel guns and not a lot of bullets so that is a real consideration of mine.
Also you always want to have something folks want. Of course you try to have things squared away so there is no need to get anything but life never works quite that way. Best case you are trying to get something to help out a friend or develop a new group project to fill an unanticipated need. Personally I do not know what somebody might want. Having a wide variety of possible curriencies (cash, gold, silver, ammo, food, etc) gives me some options. Personally I always want the ability to do some swapping. Just some food for thought.
Homework Assignment Of The Week
Clean your go guns and inspect your kit for them. Lay things out to make sure you aren't missing anything. If you are missing anything come up with a reasonable plan to fix it.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Quote of the Day and Discussion- Diverging Fitness Goals
"Serving two masters isn’t going to get you where you need to be. Now this doesn’t mean you can’t be in shape and be strong. But the trouble with wanting both is this:
What is strong? What is “in shape”?
I have very clear notions of what both of these mean to me. I know exactly what I think it means to be strong. I know exactly what it means to me to be in shape. But that’s just me. What is strong to you? What is in shape to you? And more important, what does being “strong AND in shape” mean to you?
Define each of these with CLEAR numbers and performances. The more specific, the better, none of this “I wanna be strong and look jacked” crap. I know I’ve started to go off on a bit of a tangent here, but you always have to know what you want and dedicate yourself to the task. Otherwise, you’re wasting your most valuable commodity: your time.
And last but not least, you better be willing to give blood to get what you want."
-Jim Wendler
Also here is another jem from him "I no longer believe in training to lose weight, gain weight or whatever. I only believe in Training to be Awesome. This means you get strong and in shape and the chips will ALWAYS fall in your favor."
I have been meaning to do a big post on fitness and seem to be nipping around the edges of the topic. Today when I was catching up on Jim Wendler's interesting and hilarious blog I saw this quote and just had to use it. Since I used it I had to do some talking.
I think it is essential to come up with tangible and quantifiable goals for fitness. These goals will do a few things for you. First the process of making them lets you think about what is really important to you. I hesitate to say exactly what should be important for you. Personally I want to be able to lift heavy, control my body weight, be fast at short to mid distance runs and have the underlying cardio to do long runs and rucks. While we might differ in some minor points I would submit to you that these goals, tapered to age and individual sitation are a darn good starting point.
The broad themes I have laid out will feed specific and quantifiable goals.
Some example goals would be:
Strength:
Bench/Squat/ Press/ Deadlift (or clean or whatever) specific amounts
Body Control:
X amount of pullups
X amount of muscle ups
X amount of handstand pushups
X amount of pistons
Running/ Endurance: Specific times
1/4 mi
1 mi
3 mi
12 mile ruck with 40lbs pack and kit.
I've got to think it over but I suspect these will be my goals (yeah I still have a bit of thinking on the pounds/reps/times). There are a few more than I would like in terms of numbers but since so many of them are single lift/ exercise benchmarks it is not such a big deal. Also the running goals overlap pretty heavily too.
As noted above you need to decide what is important to you and the goals which stem from it. Once you set goals go forth and pursue them. This means picking and choosing and not doing some thing. Picking and choosing is part of fitness for a few reasons. First you have limited time. It could be 5 hours a week or 30 but an hour spent at the weightpile is not an hour spent at the track. Next is something it has taken me years to really figure out. We don't get into better shape because we work out like a beast, we get into better shape because we work out like a beast, REST AND RECOVER. (we will revisit this topic again shortly) If you are lifting 5x a week, crossfitting 4 times, running every day and doing some other junk you are notgoing to recover enough. Also many goals are somewhat divergent. Going in 2-3 directions is not a bad thing and will lead to a well rounded physically fit you. Going in 6-7 directions is bad. This is a big killer. We either split our limited time in so many directions that we really don't get anywhere (example, what if I took the goals above, added all sort of crossfit wod goals and physical appearance goals and sport specific goals I would either be working out 5 hours a day (and not progressing and probably end up hurting myself) or not doing anything enough to make progress.)
Figure out your goals and find/ come up with (not a good plan if you are a beginner) a plan to get there. Ignore other stupid stuff. Exercise.
What is strong? What is “in shape”?
I have very clear notions of what both of these mean to me. I know exactly what I think it means to be strong. I know exactly what it means to me to be in shape. But that’s just me. What is strong to you? What is in shape to you? And more important, what does being “strong AND in shape” mean to you?
Define each of these with CLEAR numbers and performances. The more specific, the better, none of this “I wanna be strong and look jacked” crap. I know I’ve started to go off on a bit of a tangent here, but you always have to know what you want and dedicate yourself to the task. Otherwise, you’re wasting your most valuable commodity: your time.
And last but not least, you better be willing to give blood to get what you want."
-Jim Wendler
Also here is another jem from him "I no longer believe in training to lose weight, gain weight or whatever. I only believe in Training to be Awesome. This means you get strong and in shape and the chips will ALWAYS fall in your favor."
I have been meaning to do a big post on fitness and seem to be nipping around the edges of the topic. Today when I was catching up on Jim Wendler's interesting and hilarious blog I saw this quote and just had to use it. Since I used it I had to do some talking.
I think it is essential to come up with tangible and quantifiable goals for fitness. These goals will do a few things for you. First the process of making them lets you think about what is really important to you. I hesitate to say exactly what should be important for you. Personally I want to be able to lift heavy, control my body weight, be fast at short to mid distance runs and have the underlying cardio to do long runs and rucks. While we might differ in some minor points I would submit to you that these goals, tapered to age and individual sitation are a darn good starting point.
The broad themes I have laid out will feed specific and quantifiable goals.
Some example goals would be:
Strength:
Bench/Squat/ Press/ Deadlift (or clean or whatever) specific amounts
Body Control:
X amount of pullups
X amount of muscle ups
X amount of handstand pushups
X amount of pistons
Running/ Endurance: Specific times
1/4 mi
1 mi
3 mi
12 mile ruck with 40lbs pack and kit.
I've got to think it over but I suspect these will be my goals (yeah I still have a bit of thinking on the pounds/reps/times). There are a few more than I would like in terms of numbers but since so many of them are single lift/ exercise benchmarks it is not such a big deal. Also the running goals overlap pretty heavily too.
As noted above you need to decide what is important to you and the goals which stem from it. Once you set goals go forth and pursue them. This means picking and choosing and not doing some thing. Picking and choosing is part of fitness for a few reasons. First you have limited time. It could be 5 hours a week or 30 but an hour spent at the weightpile is not an hour spent at the track. Next is something it has taken me years to really figure out. We don't get into better shape because we work out like a beast, we get into better shape because we work out like a beast, REST AND RECOVER. (we will revisit this topic again shortly) If you are lifting 5x a week, crossfitting 4 times, running every day and doing some other junk you are notgoing to recover enough. Also many goals are somewhat divergent. Going in 2-3 directions is not a bad thing and will lead to a well rounded physically fit you. Going in 6-7 directions is bad. This is a big killer. We either split our limited time in so many directions that we really don't get anywhere (example, what if I took the goals above, added all sort of crossfit wod goals and physical appearance goals and sport specific goals I would either be working out 5 hours a day (and not progressing and probably end up hurting myself) or not doing anything enough to make progress.)
Figure out your goals and find/ come up with (not a good plan if you are a beginner) a plan to get there. Ignore other stupid stuff. Exercise.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Stabilize the Debt: An Online Exercise in Hard Choices
Play The Debt Reduction Game. I did it and found it pretty interesting. Well worth looking at. The rather obvious conclusion I came to is that there is not one silver bullet solution to this problem and that lots of painfull cuts are going to have to be spread around.
Opinion: Instead of Occupying Detroit, Will Lefties Take Responsibility For It?
Link here
Government is amazing because it manages to convince people that it's inability to function is a reason we should give it more power. How in the heck does that make any sense. If your cousin messes up the sidedish they are supposed to bring time after time do you then ask them to bring the turkey to thanksgiving? If an employee does not do his job is he promoted? If a business fails to meet your expectations do you increase your dealings with them? No, typically people who fail to meet expectations are given more supervision, different or fewer responsabilities. Why should government be any different?
Government is amazing because it manages to convince people that it's inability to function is a reason we should give it more power. How in the heck does that make any sense. If your cousin messes up the sidedish they are supposed to bring time after time do you then ask them to bring the turkey to thanksgiving? If an employee does not do his job is he promoted? If a business fails to meet your expectations do you increase your dealings with them? No, typically people who fail to meet expectations are given more supervision, different or fewer responsabilities. Why should government be any different?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
AK 47 Folding Stock installation
Awhile back I saw an AK47 with a wire folding stock at the range. When the owner and I got into the usual "geee that is nice" type conversation I asked about it. After getting permission I fondled it and found it delightful. He mentioned it was a WASR 10 and a Romanian side folding stock then suggested OST as a source for the stock. He also had a US Palm grip on it which I found very nice but have yet to get around to ordering (which I will rectify that eventually) so isn't really worth further discussion.
Since I got back one of the preparedness oriented things I did want to do is install a folding stock on my rifle. I got out the stock and the rifle which was a good first step. Next I opened a bottle of Heineken. After initial inspection the stock had a little bit of rust on it. I took that off with some sandpaper (yeah I don't care about the finish at all a reason AK's are awesome, it will get touched up with spreay paint) easily enough. When I was in the garage I also picked up a phillips screwdriver from the garage when I was out there. Consulting the wire side folding stock I was it had two screws. One was exposed on the stock and the other was on the inside (take off the top cover and pull out the working parts, it is in the back). I removed them easily enough with the screwdriver. I grabbed the stock and gave it a tug. It did not come off. I looked to confirm it was not attached anywhere. Then I grabbed a flat screwdriver to pry with (AK's are great, who cares if I scar the wood a little bit) and stock it through the small hole in the receiver where you can see the end of the stock and gently pried. It came out easy enough. Old stock off.
Now to put the new stock on. I looked at it and upon getting it ready to install noticed it had hex bolts. I could not find a hex key anywhere (not my residence) but found a screwdriver which would work using the redneck method of finding a screwdriver that just barely fits and can turn the bolt. I went to slide it the stock in and it wouldn't quite fit. I took the combination outside and gently bumped the butt of the extended stock into the concrete patio. Two bumps later it and the stock slid right in. I put the screws in and it slid right into place. I tightened the bolt, put the working parts back in and it was good to go.
I am lazy and did not take pictures but thanks to the power of google I still show you. Here is what the new stock looks like, this is what the rifle looked like and this is what it looks like now.
The butt as it hits my shoulder is almost identical. The lockup is rock solid both when extended and collapsed. The sling swivel already atttached is a great touch. The rifle folds up pretty darn small also. It could easily fit into a medium sized duffel bag or a rucksack. Somebody makes a nice backpack that just happens to fit this setup.
What uses does this have? Well discrete transportation is obvious. Being able to carry a rifle to or from my residence, outdoors or wherever is just convenient. No point in scaring the sheeple. It could also be very helpful in numerous darker scenarios. Also collapsible stocks are great for handling a rifle in and around vehicles, etc, or just comfortably carrying a rifle in situations where you want it but the odds of actual contact are low.
This was truly a "drop in" part change. I am thrilled with it.
The next steps in project AK will be a more intentional sling and a us palm grip. After that I have some other ideas but will talk about them later.
Since I got back one of the preparedness oriented things I did want to do is install a folding stock on my rifle. I got out the stock and the rifle which was a good first step. Next I opened a bottle of Heineken. After initial inspection the stock had a little bit of rust on it. I took that off with some sandpaper (yeah I don't care about the finish at all a reason AK's are awesome, it will get touched up with spreay paint) easily enough. When I was in the garage I also picked up a phillips screwdriver from the garage when I was out there. Consulting the wire side folding stock I was it had two screws. One was exposed on the stock and the other was on the inside (take off the top cover and pull out the working parts, it is in the back). I removed them easily enough with the screwdriver. I grabbed the stock and gave it a tug. It did not come off. I looked to confirm it was not attached anywhere. Then I grabbed a flat screwdriver to pry with (AK's are great, who cares if I scar the wood a little bit) and stock it through the small hole in the receiver where you can see the end of the stock and gently pried. It came out easy enough. Old stock off.
Now to put the new stock on. I looked at it and upon getting it ready to install noticed it had hex bolts. I could not find a hex key anywhere (not my residence) but found a screwdriver which would work using the redneck method of finding a screwdriver that just barely fits and can turn the bolt. I went to slide it the stock in and it wouldn't quite fit. I took the combination outside and gently bumped the butt of the extended stock into the concrete patio. Two bumps later it and the stock slid right in. I put the screws in and it slid right into place. I tightened the bolt, put the working parts back in and it was good to go.
I am lazy and did not take pictures but thanks to the power of google I still show you. Here is what the new stock looks like, this is what the rifle looked like and this is what it looks like now.
The butt as it hits my shoulder is almost identical. The lockup is rock solid both when extended and collapsed. The sling swivel already atttached is a great touch. The rifle folds up pretty darn small also. It could easily fit into a medium sized duffel bag or a rucksack. Somebody makes a nice backpack that just happens to fit this setup.
What uses does this have? Well discrete transportation is obvious. Being able to carry a rifle to or from my residence, outdoors or wherever is just convenient. No point in scaring the sheeple. It could also be very helpful in numerous darker scenarios. Also collapsible stocks are great for handling a rifle in and around vehicles, etc, or just comfortably carrying a rifle in situations where you want it but the odds of actual contact are low.
This was truly a "drop in" part change. I am thrilled with it.
The next steps in project AK will be a more intentional sling and a us palm grip. After that I have some other ideas but will talk about them later.
Quote of the Day
"Great individual warriors will be utterly destroyed by mediocre warriors with good teamwork."
-American Mercenary
-American Mercenary
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Wall Street Occupiers, Crony Capitalists and Shoulder Holsters
Our good friend Hermit left a couple of comments which I feel like replying to on the main page. It also brings us to other points worth talking about.
This whole Occupy Wall Street protest thing. I am completely ambivalent about it. Moreso I think some of the regional spin offs are just stupid. Instead of standing around and bothering productive people they should do something to better their own circumstances.
To this recent post "Quote of the Day" Hermit said "I was thinking I'd like to go throw some molotovs at Goldman Sachs myself. The more I think about getting screwed in 2008, the more I think I should start learning the words to "The Internationale"."
I can definitely see his point. This is one of those times where there are multiple complaints which can be logged against a group from different angles. I do not think they are bad people because they make a lot of money like the protestors do. However it is quite apparant to me that at least some folks involved knew what was going on and were "Shooting the Moon" so to speak. Like Enron but on a massive scale. I think there are/ were some issues of crony capitalism, fraud and such going on. I don't know much about securities and banking laws but to me it is pretty apparant that some bad stuff was going on. Lots of people should probably go to jail.
There is a saying that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" and sometimes (if just temporarily) that is true. However other times the enemy of my enemy is also my enemy. To me this whole Wall Street protestors thing falls into that scenario. I am not a fan of crony capitalism and the fraudulent practices which it leads to but the last thing we need is more government involvement (which breeds more crony capitalism) and socailist redistribution. I do want change but not the change these protestors are advocating, if they can form a cohesive enough message to even say what they want.
On my recent post about Appendix Carry Hermit asked if I prefer it to a shoulder holster. The simple answer is yes. I carry IWB because it lets me wear a normal shirt (albeit a loose one) and conceal a compact sized pistol comfortably. This lets me wear a slightly modified version of my normal attire and carry.
Shoulder holsters require a relatively heavy (not a light shirt) over garmet like a windbreaker, vest or a warmup jacket if not a coat for concealment to work. I could go for a vest but for somebody my age (as Hermit has noted older men in the south wearing vests is common) a vest, particularly a 5.11/ photographers type vest screams I am concealing a gun. They do have a place in my book as they bring a couple of benefits. First they do not require pants with a belt to use. This is an advantage sometimes as you can just toss one on, cover it up and be discretely armed. Also they are particularly good for long drives and carrying particularly heavy handguns.
Thoughts?
This whole Occupy Wall Street protest thing. I am completely ambivalent about it. Moreso I think some of the regional spin offs are just stupid. Instead of standing around and bothering productive people they should do something to better their own circumstances.
To this recent post "Quote of the Day" Hermit said "I was thinking I'd like to go throw some molotovs at Goldman Sachs myself. The more I think about getting screwed in 2008, the more I think I should start learning the words to "The Internationale"."
I can definitely see his point. This is one of those times where there are multiple complaints which can be logged against a group from different angles. I do not think they are bad people because they make a lot of money like the protestors do. However it is quite apparant to me that at least some folks involved knew what was going on and were "Shooting the Moon" so to speak. Like Enron but on a massive scale. I think there are/ were some issues of crony capitalism, fraud and such going on. I don't know much about securities and banking laws but to me it is pretty apparant that some bad stuff was going on. Lots of people should probably go to jail.
There is a saying that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" and sometimes (if just temporarily) that is true. However other times the enemy of my enemy is also my enemy. To me this whole Wall Street protestors thing falls into that scenario. I am not a fan of crony capitalism and the fraudulent practices which it leads to but the last thing we need is more government involvement (which breeds more crony capitalism) and socailist redistribution. I do want change but not the change these protestors are advocating, if they can form a cohesive enough message to even say what they want.
On my recent post about Appendix Carry Hermit asked if I prefer it to a shoulder holster. The simple answer is yes. I carry IWB because it lets me wear a normal shirt (albeit a loose one) and conceal a compact sized pistol comfortably. This lets me wear a slightly modified version of my normal attire and carry.
Shoulder holsters require a relatively heavy (not a light shirt) over garmet like a windbreaker, vest or a warmup jacket if not a coat for concealment to work. I could go for a vest but for somebody my age (as Hermit has noted older men in the south wearing vests is common) a vest, particularly a 5.11/ photographers type vest screams I am concealing a gun. They do have a place in my book as they bring a couple of benefits. First they do not require pants with a belt to use. This is an advantage sometimes as you can just toss one on, cover it up and be discretely armed. Also they are particularly good for long drives and carrying particularly heavy handguns.
Thoughts?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Quote of the Day
Quote of the day “I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.”
- Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Archibald Stuart, December 23, 1791
- Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Archibald Stuart, December 23, 1791
Appendix Carry- Day One
While I have been overseas I have thought about a lot of things in a more abstract fashion. Appendix carry is definitely one of the things I have came to see the benefit of. It makes for a very fast draw and has retention benefits also (particularly in concealed carry, open is another discussion). Today I tried it for the first time.
I was carrying a Glock 19 in a Bianchi 100 professional holster with a generic probably worn out rigger belt. I liked it a lot. [It is worth noting that folks who carry appendix seem to wear their pants a bit higher than I normally would. This puts your piece more in your abdomen than all around your hips and legs and private parts. For this style of carry to work pants need to be right about belly button height not 2-3 inches lower where they naturally fall on my hips.] I enjoy that my handgun is in front of me and easy to conceal yet ready to quickly draw if need be. Previously I was carrying at 6 oclock in the small of my back which is easy to conceal but makes for a sucky draw and poor control.
With my pants a bit higher than normal for me this method of carry was reasonably comfortable. I found it better to have it at 1230 (think of your body divided up by clock hours where 12 oclock is belly button and 6 oclock is butt crack) where things were soft instead of out to the side where there were more bones involved. Sitting was not uncomfortable as my handgun was bumping against soft tissue, only bending down to pick something up past a 75-90 degree angle was mildly unpleasant.
Don't buy into the myth that you need to have a tiny waistline to carry this way. I am certainly not morbidly obese but you are also not going to see my stomach oiled up in a magazine advertisement any time soon. In that regard I probably fall into the average range. Unless your gut is huge if you buy pants and a belt that fit this should be a viable carry method.
I like this method for concealed carry because I think it has a lot of advantages. I may post more thoughts on this subject later. Hope you have a nice day,
-Ryan
I was carrying a Glock 19 in a Bianchi 100 professional holster with a generic probably worn out rigger belt. I liked it a lot. [It is worth noting that folks who carry appendix seem to wear their pants a bit higher than I normally would. This puts your piece more in your abdomen than all around your hips and legs and private parts. For this style of carry to work pants need to be right about belly button height not 2-3 inches lower where they naturally fall on my hips.] I enjoy that my handgun is in front of me and easy to conceal yet ready to quickly draw if need be. Previously I was carrying at 6 oclock in the small of my back which is easy to conceal but makes for a sucky draw and poor control.
With my pants a bit higher than normal for me this method of carry was reasonably comfortable. I found it better to have it at 1230 (think of your body divided up by clock hours where 12 oclock is belly button and 6 oclock is butt crack) where things were soft instead of out to the side where there were more bones involved. Sitting was not uncomfortable as my handgun was bumping against soft tissue, only bending down to pick something up past a 75-90 degree angle was mildly unpleasant.
Don't buy into the myth that you need to have a tiny waistline to carry this way. I am certainly not morbidly obese but you are also not going to see my stomach oiled up in a magazine advertisement any time soon. In that regard I probably fall into the average range. Unless your gut is huge if you buy pants and a belt that fit this should be a viable carry method.
I like this method for concealed carry because I think it has a lot of advantages. I may post more thoughts on this subject later. Hope you have a nice day,
-Ryan
Monday, October 10, 2011
Avoiding Violent Encounters
One of the things I have missed (talking blog not life, this would be like #39 on the combined list) being deployed is being able to read something and write about it, then hear your thoughts. This is one of those times. Gabe Suarez's excellent blog is one I keep up with. You may or may not like some of their ideas but it is certainly worth checking up on regularly. They put out a whole series Dealing with PESTS ( A comprehensive structure for Pre, Mid and Post Fight Issues). It is 3 posts and since they have a blog the first one is down aways, followed by the second and third.
This is going to come together as a sort of combination clift notes and my own thoughts. To try and get some structure we will talk about reoccuring themes, violence at home and away then random violence and crime.
As Gabe Suarez so elloquently put it "Don't do stupid things, in stupid places, with stupid people". This covers a lot of ground but is really intuitive stuff. Don't hang out in bad neighborhoods late at night, especially if you are not of that neighborhoods prominent ethnicity. Don't go to isolated ATM's at 3am. Don't flash a lot of cash around. Don't hang out with criminals, harmful idiots or (for the sake of this discussion lets leave out marijuana) druggies. We know what the right answers are here.
Also something to consider. Everybody has heard the joke that you don't need to outrun the bear, just your fattest slowest friend. I think you should strive to be the hardest target possible but you don't have to be tougher than every criminal out there, just tough enough to convince them to bother somebody else.
As discussed in the post that inspired this one (and elsewhere) home invasions/ robberies are usually not random. Somebody knows or thinks they know something of value is in the house. Typically something that is relatively compact and easy to deal with like cash, drugs, etc all. Minimize your vulnerability to this and keep quiet about the stuff you do chose to keep at home.
For most rational people there is a cost to benefit assessment in most things. I don't think crooks are very different. Example, banks are a pain to rob and high risk but have lots of money. Convenience stores are very easy to rob but don't have much money. Both get robbed regularly and are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Nobody would rob a bank if they could only get $85 and all the cigarettes they could carry. If you are publicly known to be in a cash business (a friend of mine got targeted by a home invasion team because of this) or are relatively afluent for your area then additional preparations should be made.
In closing on the topic of robberies and home invasions don't let people know you have stuff worth stealing and it so the nut is not worth cracking. If people know you have good stuff take extra precautions.
Now we come to outside of the home. To me it breaks logically into two parts, random violence and crime.
In my experience random violence is increadably easy to avoid. Do not drink to excess in public or stay out late. I could count the times I have seen sober people get into fights on one hand. Typically they can deescalate or get out of there before things go there. Next do not be out in public late at night. You could debate the exact time but it is probably not much later than midnight. Of course context is a factor here with bars and places drunk people go (Waffle House, Dennies, etc all) becoming problematic earlier than more benign ones like a late showing of a movie. I can't recall every personally seeing a sober person in a fight during the day or evening (prior to 10 or 11 at night).
Criminal encounters are slightly more complicated. Repeating the "don't do stupid things, in stupid places with stupid people" point is worthwhile. Use well lit ATM's during the day. If anybody has EVER been robbed at the ATM inside a Barnes and Noble at 2 in the afternoon I would be suprised.
Guys who look like Tank Abbott, or Jim Wendler don't get robbed strongarm style very often. File that under DUH. In terms of physical appearance as a method of avoidance via intimidation there just isn't that much you can do. Gender, size and frame are serious limiting factors here. It doesn't matter if a small frames woman or man works out like crazy, they are still not going to intimidate any goblin into moving along.
Being physically fit (particularly STRONG) is a significant factor in fights (after violence of action and skill). Of course you need endurance and such for other reasons but I have never seen a nonorganized (boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, mma, etc) fight where cardio was a factor. Real world violent encounters are fast enough that cardio is not an issue. Strength improves your capabilities and lets you execute techniques in the less than perfect enviornment which real fights occur in.
However physical fitness is also important for something untangible, confidence. That you ran 5 miles this morning and got two PR's (personal record, in this context typically used for big lifts such as bench, squat, deadlift, clean, press, etc) this week doesn't show to a goblin. What does show is that your head is up strait and you are ready. When you look like you are waiting for an excuse to open up a can of whoop ass a goblin will go elsewhere. Having a sort of vibe that says "leave me the heck alone" goes a long way to avoiding trouble.
Being aware of your surroundings is essential but easier said than done. Minimizing electronic distractions is a darn good start, especially in busy urban areas. This means not running or walking with mp3 players, etc. Save those for the gym.
Crime is a pretty darwinian business. Strongarm robbers who hang out outside MMA clubs, armed robbers who choose doughnut shops by police stations, and other idiots either fail to make a living, go to jail or are quickly injured/ killed. Sort of how gays have gaydar (just one example, other non typical lifestyles people might want to keep quiet apply equally) crooks can probably sniff out a good victim and somebody to avoid.
I believe a lot of violent criminal encounters are stopped in progress by being alert and ready. A confident looking person, even if they are not a beheamoth wearing a shirt from Ninja Fighting School of killing, who is alert and notices a criminal as being somewhat out of the ordinary is often probably enough to get them to move on. With the rare exception of deranged psycho's crooks do not want to have to hurt anyone and especially do not want to get into a fight. You don't even necessarily have to be tougher than the crook (though that helps;) just tougher than the next guy who is going to walk by.
I am not quite sure how to close this but please do check out the posts that inspired it.
This is going to come together as a sort of combination clift notes and my own thoughts. To try and get some structure we will talk about reoccuring themes, violence at home and away then random violence and crime.
As Gabe Suarez so elloquently put it "Don't do stupid things, in stupid places, with stupid people". This covers a lot of ground but is really intuitive stuff. Don't hang out in bad neighborhoods late at night, especially if you are not of that neighborhoods prominent ethnicity. Don't go to isolated ATM's at 3am. Don't flash a lot of cash around. Don't hang out with criminals, harmful idiots or (for the sake of this discussion lets leave out marijuana) druggies. We know what the right answers are here.
Also something to consider. Everybody has heard the joke that you don't need to outrun the bear, just your fattest slowest friend. I think you should strive to be the hardest target possible but you don't have to be tougher than every criminal out there, just tough enough to convince them to bother somebody else.
As discussed in the post that inspired this one (and elsewhere) home invasions/ robberies are usually not random. Somebody knows or thinks they know something of value is in the house. Typically something that is relatively compact and easy to deal with like cash, drugs, etc all. Minimize your vulnerability to this and keep quiet about the stuff you do chose to keep at home.
For most rational people there is a cost to benefit assessment in most things. I don't think crooks are very different. Example, banks are a pain to rob and high risk but have lots of money. Convenience stores are very easy to rob but don't have much money. Both get robbed regularly and are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Nobody would rob a bank if they could only get $85 and all the cigarettes they could carry. If you are publicly known to be in a cash business (a friend of mine got targeted by a home invasion team because of this) or are relatively afluent for your area then additional preparations should be made.
In closing on the topic of robberies and home invasions don't let people know you have stuff worth stealing and it so the nut is not worth cracking. If people know you have good stuff take extra precautions.
Now we come to outside of the home. To me it breaks logically into two parts, random violence and crime.
In my experience random violence is increadably easy to avoid. Do not drink to excess in public or stay out late. I could count the times I have seen sober people get into fights on one hand. Typically they can deescalate or get out of there before things go there. Next do not be out in public late at night. You could debate the exact time but it is probably not much later than midnight. Of course context is a factor here with bars and places drunk people go (Waffle House, Dennies, etc all) becoming problematic earlier than more benign ones like a late showing of a movie. I can't recall every personally seeing a sober person in a fight during the day or evening (prior to 10 or 11 at night).
Criminal encounters are slightly more complicated. Repeating the "don't do stupid things, in stupid places with stupid people" point is worthwhile. Use well lit ATM's during the day. If anybody has EVER been robbed at the ATM inside a Barnes and Noble at 2 in the afternoon I would be suprised.
Guys who look like Tank Abbott, or Jim Wendler don't get robbed strongarm style very often. File that under DUH. In terms of physical appearance as a method of avoidance via intimidation there just isn't that much you can do. Gender, size and frame are serious limiting factors here. It doesn't matter if a small frames woman or man works out like crazy, they are still not going to intimidate any goblin into moving along.
Being physically fit (particularly STRONG) is a significant factor in fights (after violence of action and skill). Of course you need endurance and such for other reasons but I have never seen a nonorganized (boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, mma, etc) fight where cardio was a factor. Real world violent encounters are fast enough that cardio is not an issue. Strength improves your capabilities and lets you execute techniques in the less than perfect enviornment which real fights occur in.
However physical fitness is also important for something untangible, confidence. That you ran 5 miles this morning and got two PR's (personal record, in this context typically used for big lifts such as bench, squat, deadlift, clean, press, etc) this week doesn't show to a goblin. What does show is that your head is up strait and you are ready. When you look like you are waiting for an excuse to open up a can of whoop ass a goblin will go elsewhere. Having a sort of vibe that says "leave me the heck alone" goes a long way to avoiding trouble.
Being aware of your surroundings is essential but easier said than done. Minimizing electronic distractions is a darn good start, especially in busy urban areas. This means not running or walking with mp3 players, etc. Save those for the gym.
Crime is a pretty darwinian business. Strongarm robbers who hang out outside MMA clubs, armed robbers who choose doughnut shops by police stations, and other idiots either fail to make a living, go to jail or are quickly injured/ killed. Sort of how gays have gaydar (just one example, other non typical lifestyles people might want to keep quiet apply equally) crooks can probably sniff out a good victim and somebody to avoid.
I believe a lot of violent criminal encounters are stopped in progress by being alert and ready. A confident looking person, even if they are not a beheamoth wearing a shirt from Ninja Fighting School of killing, who is alert and notices a criminal as being somewhat out of the ordinary is often probably enough to get them to move on. With the rare exception of deranged psycho's crooks do not want to have to hurt anyone and especially do not want to get into a fight. You don't even necessarily have to be tougher than the crook (though that helps;) just tougher than the next guy who is going to walk by.
I am not quite sure how to close this but please do check out the posts that inspired it.
Quote of the Day
-A guy I know (the picture I got from him also)
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Gmail Bankrupcy
Hi All, I've been catching up on a few admin tasks here. I am officially declaring email bankrupcy on my gmail account. I switched to the yahoo (theotherryan@yahoo.com) some time ago and tried to keep up with the gmail also for awhile. In any case I am not going to even try to sift through the 1k plus emails most of which are junk. If you need to contact me please do it via theotherryan@yahoo.com. Thanks,
To Kip Or Not To Kip
Kipping pull-ups are one of the more hotly debated traits of crossfit. Kipping is a leg and hip swing that generates motion which makes it easier/ faster to do pull-ups. First I think this is because they are in stark contrast to how most people look at the exercise. Second and more importantly I think too many people spend too much time arguing about stuff on the internet.
One side says that kipping is a natural (from climbing a wall to a kid trying to get up on a tree branch) movement and is thus more authentic. The other side’s primary argument seems to be that it looks funny and then that it is cheating. Having done plenty of both I find the debate stupid and here is why.
Pullups are by far the dumbest exercise to argue over. Close hand, wide grip, palms facing you or away, kipping or not just grab the bar, hang from it and then raise your body until your chin is over the bar. Do lots of them in many different ways.
I think kipping has a couple benefits. First it lets you do more pull-ups faster and get better at them. For most people, because they are fat and or weak pull-ups, which should be a primarily endurance exercise are far more of a max strength exercise as they can just do a few of them. Most people are not willing to do the endless sets of 2 or 3 pullups required to really improve at them. Kipping seems to help people be able to keep going and thus train more and get into better shape. It seems to get people out of a stall of mediocrity when it comes to pull-ups. Also it is a good core exercise.
The kip is just a variation of the exercise, sort of like a push press is to the standard military press. You will need to adjust volume accordingly. A factor of 1 strict pull-up to 2 kipping pull-ups will probably get you into the ballpark. This brings us to one point worth discussing. Kipping pull-ups definitely carry over to strict pull-ups. Also the crossfit people who get made fun of by idiots in videos can almost surely crush those idiots at strict pull-ups. A competitive crossfit athlete who can do 50+ kipping pull-ups can probably do 30 strict ones and a novice who can do 25+ kipping pull-ups can likely bang out a respectable 15-20 strict ones.
Personally I do both types of pull-ups. I also do weighted pull-ups and chin-ups. I tend to keep kipping pull-ups for crossfit style circuit type training where you are doing high volume pull-ups while tired. Do whichever type you like but do a lot of them.
One side says that kipping is a natural (from climbing a wall to a kid trying to get up on a tree branch) movement and is thus more authentic. The other side’s primary argument seems to be that it looks funny and then that it is cheating. Having done plenty of both I find the debate stupid and here is why.
Pullups are by far the dumbest exercise to argue over. Close hand, wide grip, palms facing you or away, kipping or not just grab the bar, hang from it and then raise your body until your chin is over the bar. Do lots of them in many different ways.
I think kipping has a couple benefits. First it lets you do more pull-ups faster and get better at them. For most people, because they are fat and or weak pull-ups, which should be a primarily endurance exercise are far more of a max strength exercise as they can just do a few of them. Most people are not willing to do the endless sets of 2 or 3 pullups required to really improve at them. Kipping seems to help people be able to keep going and thus train more and get into better shape. It seems to get people out of a stall of mediocrity when it comes to pull-ups. Also it is a good core exercise.
The kip is just a variation of the exercise, sort of like a push press is to the standard military press. You will need to adjust volume accordingly. A factor of 1 strict pull-up to 2 kipping pull-ups will probably get you into the ballpark. This brings us to one point worth discussing. Kipping pull-ups definitely carry over to strict pull-ups. Also the crossfit people who get made fun of by idiots in videos can almost surely crush those idiots at strict pull-ups. A competitive crossfit athlete who can do 50+ kipping pull-ups can probably do 30 strict ones and a novice who can do 25+ kipping pull-ups can likely bang out a respectable 15-20 strict ones.
Personally I do both types of pull-ups. I also do weighted pull-ups and chin-ups. I tend to keep kipping pull-ups for crossfit style circuit type training where you are doing high volume pull-ups while tired. Do whichever type you like but do a lot of them.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
At Home
I am safely back in the wonderful PNW. The trip was a few days long and while uneventful left me totally confused in terms of time, sleep, etc. Slept like a rock last night exept one wakeup where I spent 30 seconds sitting up in bed figuring out where the heck I was.
Got to see Walker this morning (got home late last night and he as already asleep) which was pretty darn cool. He is huge and very active. Quite a change between a 4 month old and a 1 year old. Being able to drink good coffee and watch Fox News this morning was really nice. Spent a lazy morning playing with Walker and then ran around doing some errands.
I don't have many big plans for leave. Going to spend a lot of time with Wifey and Walker and try to see friends and family as much as I can. As for preparedness type goals I am going to do some gun cleaning, give the blog a facelift and that is about it.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. I know I am going to.
-Ryan
Got to see Walker this morning (got home late last night and he as already asleep) which was pretty darn cool. He is huge and very active. Quite a change between a 4 month old and a 1 year old. Being able to drink good coffee and watch Fox News this morning was really nice. Spent a lazy morning playing with Walker and then ran around doing some errands.
I don't have many big plans for leave. Going to spend a lot of time with Wifey and Walker and try to see friends and family as much as I can. As for preparedness type goals I am going to do some gun cleaning, give the blog a facelift and that is about it.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. I know I am going to.
-Ryan
Friday, October 7, 2011
Preparewise Giveaway
The folks over at Preparewise are doing a giveaway for a three month supply of stored food. Check it out here. Good luck!
Thoughts on Insurgencies- What Made the Mujahedeen Successful
Thoughts on Insurgencies- What Made The Mujahedeen Successful?
I am going to try to discuss some of the reasons the Mujahedeen were so successful in Afghanistan against the Soviet’s. Some might draw parallels to the US experience here and I would say they have a case in some areas, though not in others. In no particular order here we go.
• Rural Afghan’s are, particularly in the South and East of the country, strongly tribal in nature and very militaristic. When not fighting outsiders the tribes seem to, almost without exception, fight each other. It is about the closest thing to a cultural pastime as this country has.
• They started out reasonably trained in small unit and individual tactics. Why, well I think consistent tribal warfare is the answer. This was probably the most helpful in the beginning because if you take anybody and toss them into a guerilla war after a year, should they be alive, they have some skills and knowledge.
• They fought to their strengths and as such avoided their enemy’s strengths. Knowledge of local terrain coupled with hitting weak targets and vanishing worked pretty well. It helps when you can use the same hill Grandpa used to fight the British coming along the same road. This leads back to my last comment about training and knowledge.
• Physical fitness. Between their rough lifestyle, reliance on foot transportation, moderate calorie intake and lack of medical care (that meant the sick and crippled were either useless in the village or dead) Afghan’s of military age were physically fit. They could haul butt up the side of a mountain carrying a medium machine gun after an ambush and leave the soviet’s panting at the bottom.
[In my opinion physical fitness is the most lacking trait of American militia/ guerilla wanna be’s (I don’t mean “wanna be” in a derogatory way, just that since we don’t have a guerilla war going on it is kind of just a self imposed label instead of a title). Seriously if these guys spent half as much time exercising as they do arguing about what pouches to have on load out gear or which rifle to use in internet forum’s they would be much better off. I get particular amusement when somebody who is a disgusting fat body and probably hasn’t ran a whole mine this year talks about being a “light fighter” and using “hit and run tactics”. Many of these individuals are good, well meaning people and I probably poke too much fun. I hope that if any of them read this instead of taking it personal they look inward. If this side rant is hitting too close to home I recommend that you get onto a reasonable but ambitious physical fitness program and exercise some self control at meal time to get into fighting shape. ]
• A proliferation of small arms, particularly rifles. Every military aged male did not have a rifle but a heck of a lot of them did. Eventually they started capturing weapons and getting them shipped in by foreign backers but for awhile it was just rural Afghan’s and their rifles.
• A cohesive and resolute group vision. Rural Afghan life is very traditional and tribal, especially in the Pastun areas to the South and East, and its values stood in stark contrast to what the Afghan communists and their Soviet backers sought to impose. They were, and the Soviets never quite got this, absolutely unwilling to compromise and would rather just fight.
• There are probably more but a couple of these are already more generic of all guerillas than is my intent. Now let us not forget the two factors which had a massive impact on events and were largely outside of the Muj’s control.
• Safe haven’s. In particular the ability to seek medical treatment, shelter their families, train, plan and recover in Pakistan had a direct and immeasurable effect on the war. The Soviet’s launched a few rockets and probably a few raids but in the big picture the Muj were safe to recover and plan in Pakistan and parts of Iran.
• Outside Aid. Despite some fantasy ideas to the contrary it is difficult to keep a force fielded without feeding and equipping them. While guerilla logistics are pretty simple and light they still need weapons, bullets to shoot, explosives and food to eat. Being able to keep at least part (this improved as the war progressed) of their force through the whole fighting season was essential to building up cohesive organizations and conducting significant operations. Even if you want them really bad guns, food and bullets don’t just appear. Also as these wars go on for years stocking enough of anything except maybe shoe laces to get you through one is wishful thinking.
• A long term vision. In a sound bite and paragraph quote world they thought in terms of seasons and years. The Muj were never going to win in a sense where they militarily forced the Russians out. They could however continually make it uncomfortable for the Russians to be here (I am in Afghanistan as I write this, oh irony) until their government decided it was time to throw in the towel.
I am going to try to discuss some of the reasons the Mujahedeen were so successful in Afghanistan against the Soviet’s. Some might draw parallels to the US experience here and I would say they have a case in some areas, though not in others. In no particular order here we go.
• Rural Afghan’s are, particularly in the South and East of the country, strongly tribal in nature and very militaristic. When not fighting outsiders the tribes seem to, almost without exception, fight each other. It is about the closest thing to a cultural pastime as this country has.
• They started out reasonably trained in small unit and individual tactics. Why, well I think consistent tribal warfare is the answer. This was probably the most helpful in the beginning because if you take anybody and toss them into a guerilla war after a year, should they be alive, they have some skills and knowledge.
• They fought to their strengths and as such avoided their enemy’s strengths. Knowledge of local terrain coupled with hitting weak targets and vanishing worked pretty well. It helps when you can use the same hill Grandpa used to fight the British coming along the same road. This leads back to my last comment about training and knowledge.
• Physical fitness. Between their rough lifestyle, reliance on foot transportation, moderate calorie intake and lack of medical care (that meant the sick and crippled were either useless in the village or dead) Afghan’s of military age were physically fit. They could haul butt up the side of a mountain carrying a medium machine gun after an ambush and leave the soviet’s panting at the bottom.
[In my opinion physical fitness is the most lacking trait of American militia/ guerilla wanna be’s (I don’t mean “wanna be” in a derogatory way, just that since we don’t have a guerilla war going on it is kind of just a self imposed label instead of a title). Seriously if these guys spent half as much time exercising as they do arguing about what pouches to have on load out gear or which rifle to use in internet forum’s they would be much better off. I get particular amusement when somebody who is a disgusting fat body and probably hasn’t ran a whole mine this year talks about being a “light fighter” and using “hit and run tactics”. Many of these individuals are good, well meaning people and I probably poke too much fun. I hope that if any of them read this instead of taking it personal they look inward. If this side rant is hitting too close to home I recommend that you get onto a reasonable but ambitious physical fitness program and exercise some self control at meal time to get into fighting shape. ]
• A proliferation of small arms, particularly rifles. Every military aged male did not have a rifle but a heck of a lot of them did. Eventually they started capturing weapons and getting them shipped in by foreign backers but for awhile it was just rural Afghan’s and their rifles.
• A cohesive and resolute group vision. Rural Afghan life is very traditional and tribal, especially in the Pastun areas to the South and East, and its values stood in stark contrast to what the Afghan communists and their Soviet backers sought to impose. They were, and the Soviets never quite got this, absolutely unwilling to compromise and would rather just fight.
• There are probably more but a couple of these are already more generic of all guerillas than is my intent. Now let us not forget the two factors which had a massive impact on events and were largely outside of the Muj’s control.
• Safe haven’s. In particular the ability to seek medical treatment, shelter their families, train, plan and recover in Pakistan had a direct and immeasurable effect on the war. The Soviet’s launched a few rockets and probably a few raids but in the big picture the Muj were safe to recover and plan in Pakistan and parts of Iran.
• Outside Aid. Despite some fantasy ideas to the contrary it is difficult to keep a force fielded without feeding and equipping them. While guerilla logistics are pretty simple and light they still need weapons, bullets to shoot, explosives and food to eat. Being able to keep at least part (this improved as the war progressed) of their force through the whole fighting season was essential to building up cohesive organizations and conducting significant operations. Even if you want them really bad guns, food and bullets don’t just appear. Also as these wars go on for years stocking enough of anything except maybe shoe laces to get you through one is wishful thinking.
• A long term vision. In a sound bite and paragraph quote world they thought in terms of seasons and years. The Muj were never going to win in a sense where they militarily forced the Russians out. They could however continually make it uncomfortable for the Russians to be here (I am in Afghanistan as I write this, oh irony) until their government decided it was time to throw in the towel.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Mushy Middle and Keeping Going
In survivalism (or preparedness whichever slightly different philosophy or label you prefer) the initial flurry of purchases, adaptations and skills is easy to quantify and makes you feel far more confident in your ability to survive. It could be debated where this stops but for most people it is being reasonably well prepared for a significant regional disaster lasting several weeks. You’ve gotten plenty of food, batteries, fuel for your lanterns and stoves. Also you have acquired a few guns as well as a decent supply of ammo (not cut and dry but you are probably starting to measure in cases not boxes) and keep some cash on hand. You may have even put a few bucks into precious metals in case things get really weird. Of course you have done numerous other small things that fill out your setup.
Then things start to slow down and become harder to really get excited about. Once you reach that first initial goal (and don’t get me wrong it is a worthwhile one covering you for most realistic scenarios) other goals become a lot bigger and more conceptual. How they really affect your preparedness becomes more and more remote. It is easy to let complacency set it.
I have kept plodding on over the last couple years because well, I am crazy and that is what I do. Time goes by and things get accomplished an order of this here, that there, practicing some skills and refreshing some kits now and then.
Now don’t get me wrong we have made some big strides, it is just hard to see them in isolation. A little at a time I have set back a decent stash of ammo and spare parts. No longer am I one of those Americans with plenty of guns and hardly any bullets. Also got spare parts for our important guns to keep them running. Picked up all kinds of small but necessary electrical stuff, batteries and a charger plus a Berkley water filter. Also slowly but surely our stash of PM’s is adding up.
We saved an emergency fund and got out of debt. Now as our family has grown and our expenses have changed a little bit we need to give the emergency fund a boost. Not a pressing need just something we will do over the next year or so.
Keeping motivated is essential. Some people have long term visions and know exactly where they want to go and just work towards it. That keeps them going. I am not so sure I have those for survivalism. There are just so many variables in our lives. However I do know what I want to accomplish in broad terms over the next couple of years. Maybe I will write another post about that.
Then things start to slow down and become harder to really get excited about. Once you reach that first initial goal (and don’t get me wrong it is a worthwhile one covering you for most realistic scenarios) other goals become a lot bigger and more conceptual. How they really affect your preparedness becomes more and more remote. It is easy to let complacency set it.
I have kept plodding on over the last couple years because well, I am crazy and that is what I do. Time goes by and things get accomplished an order of this here, that there, practicing some skills and refreshing some kits now and then.
Now don’t get me wrong we have made some big strides, it is just hard to see them in isolation. A little at a time I have set back a decent stash of ammo and spare parts. No longer am I one of those Americans with plenty of guns and hardly any bullets. Also got spare parts for our important guns to keep them running. Picked up all kinds of small but necessary electrical stuff, batteries and a charger plus a Berkley water filter. Also slowly but surely our stash of PM’s is adding up.
We saved an emergency fund and got out of debt. Now as our family has grown and our expenses have changed a little bit we need to give the emergency fund a boost. Not a pressing need just something we will do over the next year or so.
Keeping motivated is essential. Some people have long term visions and know exactly where they want to go and just work towards it. That keeps them going. I am not so sure I have those for survivalism. There are just so many variables in our lives. However I do know what I want to accomplish in broad terms over the next couple of years. Maybe I will write another post about that.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Teach Your Boy To Sew
The other day my roomie, a guy I’ve known for awhile now asked if I knew anybody here who can sew. I asked what he needed done and it turned out he had a couple pair of torn pants. I asked if they were clean and then to see them. Realizing it was something I could fix I said I would get to it when I could. Just strait holes worn at points of stress so it was easy. (On an unrelated note I think the cloth used for Multi Cam is lacking in durability. Also the addition of zippers to the ACU model of uniforms sucks. You can’t fix a zipper in the field for love or money but a small sewing kit and a few buttons can keep a pair of BDU’s (even the summer ones are much more durable)in serviceable condition almost indefinitely. End rant on how these uniforms are lacking.)
In any case everyone needs to know how to sew, at least at a functional level. I don’t sew things that are nice like a dress shirt but can patch a rip or put on a new button to a pair of work clothes or a field uniform. This skill has let me keep a lot of stuff workable for prolonged time periods.
Sewing is a skill everybody should have.
In any case everyone needs to know how to sew, at least at a functional level. I don’t sew things that are nice like a dress shirt but can patch a rip or put on a new button to a pair of work clothes or a field uniform. This skill has let me keep a lot of stuff workable for prolonged time periods.
Sewing is a skill everybody should have.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
SERPA Holsters
I mentioned SERPA holsters in a post about equipment soldier’s use and got a couple comments about them. They more or less matched up with some relatively recent reporting of people having negligent discharges when using the holsters. So here are my thoughts.
When I first saw them I thought it was a gimmicky idea and would be a flash in the pan. Man I got that one wrong, I totally missed the pulse of a community I am a part of. Before anyone asks personally I do not like SERPA holsters. Maybe it is for the best that I do not buy individual stocks. The reason I do not like SERPA holsters is that they have a method of retention that uses the index finger. I am used to thumb break and open top friction type retention holsters. I have a lot of muscle memory in thumb breaks and just pulling the darn thing out is pretty much as easy as it gets. My personal experience is that in times of stress and fatigue we revert back to muscle memory. I can’t get over visions of myself trying to pull the darn thing out and pressing random stuff with my thumb only for it to stay fast in the holster. They work fine I guess but I see no reason to stray from what I am used to. That sums up my strictly personal opinion on the matter.
As to the SERPA and negligent discharges I find little to no reason to buy into it. Sure you have to extend your finger to draw the weapon but personally I draw that way anyway as it puts my hand where I want it. I index my finger along the frame above the trigger until I want to shoot something. If you don’t stick your bugger picker into the trigger guard and go flopping it around wildly the darn gun probably will not go off. That is strictly a software issue (in your darn head) not a hardware issue, at least in the way you might think.
It reminds me of when a couple of big PD’s (back east, NY I think) switched to Glock’s some time back and had a few embarrassing high profile negligent discharges. Those Glock’s were not faulty in any way. They fired when some cop stuck his finger into the trigger guard and pulled the trigger, intentionally or not. The reason is that the new hardware (the Glock’s) exposed a weakness that had always existed in those shooters. Those cops grew up on double action revolvers (and had maybe spent a short period using DA/SA auto’s but let’s not get sidetracked from our current side track). Not that you should but one could walk around with their finger on the trigger of one of those old DA duty guns all day long, about no way you could fire it off by accident. Now a Glock is another matter as they have a substantially lighter trigger pull than a DA revolver. I sort of see the same thing with SERPA holsters in that a new piece of technology is exposing weaknesses in shooters fundamental weapons handling.
Without doing a ton of research I suspect two things are involved in this supposed chain of ND’s. First after people hit the release button instead of immediately indexing their finger they unintentionally keep it bent and are applying pressure onto the holster as they draw. When the weapon clears the holster this pressure brings their bent finger into the trigger guard with disastrous results. The second (which I suspect is the root cause) is folks who are trying to proverbially run when they should be walking or jogging. I would bet that if the same shooters (prior to these ND’s) were asked to draw their pistol and then fire 3 rounds at a target in no particular hurry they would be fine. However if they are out of breath, trying to run while shooting at 3 targets simultaneously and be cool like Quick Draw Delta Dan or Speed Shooting SWAT Jimbo you can get disastrous results. As for why they are SERPA holsters part of it is probably that they are immensely popular with the “I’m going to go to super cool guy class” types. Also the training issues we talked about before. At least that is what I suspect.
As to classes banning SERPA’s I bring you the 8 pound NY trigger AKA avoidance instead of training. NY decided that too many cops were having ND’s so they got a substantially heavier trigger made. Banning SERPA’s is avoidance of hardware that may be less forgiving of a particular weakness than other hardware.
I have never seen, though have heard of from 1 reputable source (fanboy’s in forum’s do not count) about a SERPA holster locking mechanism jamming. I have never seen an ND which was related to a SERPA holster.
In closing if you own and like the SERPA holster then by all means keep using it, just don’t stick your trigger finger into the trigger guard unless you mean to. No hardware will solve that problem.
When I first saw them I thought it was a gimmicky idea and would be a flash in the pan. Man I got that one wrong, I totally missed the pulse of a community I am a part of. Before anyone asks personally I do not like SERPA holsters. Maybe it is for the best that I do not buy individual stocks. The reason I do not like SERPA holsters is that they have a method of retention that uses the index finger. I am used to thumb break and open top friction type retention holsters. I have a lot of muscle memory in thumb breaks and just pulling the darn thing out is pretty much as easy as it gets. My personal experience is that in times of stress and fatigue we revert back to muscle memory. I can’t get over visions of myself trying to pull the darn thing out and pressing random stuff with my thumb only for it to stay fast in the holster. They work fine I guess but I see no reason to stray from what I am used to. That sums up my strictly personal opinion on the matter.
As to the SERPA and negligent discharges I find little to no reason to buy into it. Sure you have to extend your finger to draw the weapon but personally I draw that way anyway as it puts my hand where I want it. I index my finger along the frame above the trigger until I want to shoot something. If you don’t stick your bugger picker into the trigger guard and go flopping it around wildly the darn gun probably will not go off. That is strictly a software issue (in your darn head) not a hardware issue, at least in the way you might think.
It reminds me of when a couple of big PD’s (back east, NY I think) switched to Glock’s some time back and had a few embarrassing high profile negligent discharges. Those Glock’s were not faulty in any way. They fired when some cop stuck his finger into the trigger guard and pulled the trigger, intentionally or not. The reason is that the new hardware (the Glock’s) exposed a weakness that had always existed in those shooters. Those cops grew up on double action revolvers (and had maybe spent a short period using DA/SA auto’s but let’s not get sidetracked from our current side track). Not that you should but one could walk around with their finger on the trigger of one of those old DA duty guns all day long, about no way you could fire it off by accident. Now a Glock is another matter as they have a substantially lighter trigger pull than a DA revolver. I sort of see the same thing with SERPA holsters in that a new piece of technology is exposing weaknesses in shooters fundamental weapons handling.
Without doing a ton of research I suspect two things are involved in this supposed chain of ND’s. First after people hit the release button instead of immediately indexing their finger they unintentionally keep it bent and are applying pressure onto the holster as they draw. When the weapon clears the holster this pressure brings their bent finger into the trigger guard with disastrous results. The second (which I suspect is the root cause) is folks who are trying to proverbially run when they should be walking or jogging. I would bet that if the same shooters (prior to these ND’s) were asked to draw their pistol and then fire 3 rounds at a target in no particular hurry they would be fine. However if they are out of breath, trying to run while shooting at 3 targets simultaneously and be cool like Quick Draw Delta Dan or Speed Shooting SWAT Jimbo you can get disastrous results. As for why they are SERPA holsters part of it is probably that they are immensely popular with the “I’m going to go to super cool guy class” types. Also the training issues we talked about before. At least that is what I suspect.
As to classes banning SERPA’s I bring you the 8 pound NY trigger AKA avoidance instead of training. NY decided that too many cops were having ND’s so they got a substantially heavier trigger made. Banning SERPA’s is avoidance of hardware that may be less forgiving of a particular weakness than other hardware.
I have never seen, though have heard of from 1 reputable source (fanboy’s in forum’s do not count) about a SERPA holster locking mechanism jamming. I have never seen an ND which was related to a SERPA holster.
In closing if you own and like the SERPA holster then by all means keep using it, just don’t stick your trigger finger into the trigger guard unless you mean to. No hardware will solve that problem.
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