Gear Check

I just watched a nutnfancy gear check video on Youtube and thought I'd do an edc gear check on myself.  Personally I think I would get an "A" from old Nutn.  This load out is what I carry pretty much every day (i.e. I did not set this up so I could make this post).  The only thing I am missing is my lip balm, which I let my daughter use the other day and did not get back.

Flashlight - This is by far my most used item.  I doubt a day goes by that I don't use a light (particularly this one) multiple times.  The one pictured is my current favorite.  It's the Olight S15R Baton.  I prefer lights that have batteries that are easily purchased and so shy away from CR123's and the like.  The battery has a great run time and is rechargeable, but can easily be replaced with a standard AA.  The things I dig on this light are it's pocket clip (which is very strong and can be clipped to a hat bill), it's modes (several options from 1/2 a lumen up to 280 lumens), it's size (small enough for daily comfort yet big enough to be useful), and that you can lock out the on/off button so it will not be accidentally switched on in my pocket.

I honestly don't understand why anyone would not carry a flashlight when they are so light and useful.

Knife - The two things I have with me all day, every day, even when I'm sleeping, are my flashlight and knife.  The Spyderco Delica 4 is one of my favorites.  It weighs next to nothing and has an incredibly useful blade shape and size.  This gets used for everything from cutting strings off my clothing to cutting up cheese for my salad.

Multi-tool - For it's size, weight, and capabilities the Leatherman Squirt PS4 cannot be beat.  I've tried carrying bigger, more capable multi-tools but find I get tired of them weighing down my pants.  This little tool has pliers, a knife blade, scissors, screw drivers, and a file.  I mainly use it for the pliers and scissors.

Watch - I have worn a watch daily for probably thirty plus years.  I've tried other options but keep coming back to the Timex Ironman series.  Many folks use their phones to keep time but I find the simplicity of looking at my wrist easier.  I mainly use it to tell time, especially the indiglo feature at night.  I am very near sighted and this watch is what allows me to know what time it is in the middle of the night.

Handkerchief - There are two main reasons I carry a hanky daily.  One is because I have allergies and if no kleenex is available then my hanky is right there.  The other is for the possibility of wound care.  I have used my handkerchief (clean one) to help myself and others when there is blood flowing.  This is extremely helpful.

Firearm - I don't always carry a second magazine (although I should) but happened to have one today.  The gun pictured is my Glock 42 with a Crimson Trace laser, and a Pearce +1 grip extension.  This is Glock's .380 ACP.  I generally either have this or my 43 (Glock's single stack 9mm).  Many will scoff at the small firearms for their lower capacity of ammunition (6 plus one standard) but I honestly can't bring myself to carry one of my larger guns.  It is very hard to beat the 42 and 43 for concealability and comfort.  Since picking up these firearms, I went from carrying 25-50% of the time to virtually never not carrying.  I hope that I will never have to use a firearm to defend myself or anyone else.

Phone - Although not pictured (but taking the picture), I also almost always have my iPhone.  This is another important daily safety item.

There you have it.  What do you carry every day?  Are you prepared for the things that will or may happen?

~Rhyno

Light Trigger Pull Issues - The Legalities

Some helpful, knowledgeable thoughts from someone who actually knows what they're talking about.  Originally posted on the Smith & Wesson Forums (click here).

THE LIGHT TRIGGER PULL ISSUE

By Massad Ayoob

A common thread topic on shooting forums is whether a defensive handgun with a lighter-than-factory-spec trigger pull can cause problems in court. Because this is something that most people don’t have experience with, the topic is particularly vulnerable to misinformation.

On a recent thread, the original poster opened with the following link, in which instructors and lawyers mentioned several cases of too-light pulls resulting in injuries and severe legal problems: Gun Modifications, Light Triggers and Reloaded Ammunition .

It wasn’t long before someone posted to claim there had never been such a case. Others wrote in, citing cases where it had indeed been problematic; they were followed by a litany of posters parroting, “there has never been such a case.”

At that point, there was no way a discussion could meaningfully continue without posters of the latter stripe being made to feel insulted. A basic rule of internet posting, indeed of debate, is: read/listen to the other person’s argument. Partly because you can never defeat an argument you don’t understand, and partly because saying something you’ve just been presented evidence of, doesn’t exist, indicates willful ignorance at best and lying at worst.

The Scope of the Problem.

Extremely light trigger pulls are seen as “easier to shoot.” That’s the good news AND the bad news. Extremely light trigger pulls have long been associated with unintended or premature discharges, and we live in a time when both the gun culture and the firearms training industry – rightly or wrongly – have promoted the concept than any unintended discharge not caused by a mechanical defect is a “negligent discharge.”

In a self-defense shooting, both prosecutors in criminal cases and plaintiffs’ counsel in civil cases know that justified protection of self and other innocent victims is a very strong defense…but there’s no such thing as a “justifiable accident.” Whatever opposing counsel deems “their theory of the case” is customarily treated in court as if it could be every bit as plausible as the truth in a true self-defense case. However, if the issue of negligence can be raised, the hill they have to climb to convict you or win a large monetary judgment from you is much less steep. The element of negligence can sustain a Manslaughter charge in criminal court, and a Wrongful Death verdict in civil court.

Taking a criminal suspect at gunpoint with a “hair trigger gun” that “no police department would allow an officer to carry” feeds directly into their theory of negligence, now applied to YOUR case.

Institutional History

Before the last quarter of the 20th Century, and long before I did my first case as an expert witness, the nation’s third largest municipal police force – LAPD – had ordered all service revolvers modified to double action only (DAO). OIF2, a gun-savvy LAPD vet on the Smith & Wesson Forum, pegs the date of the change at 1971.

Before the sea change from the service revolver to the semiautomatic police service pistol was complete (more than 20 years ago) many other agencies had gone DAO. NYPD and Miami Police Department, among others. It was not a phenomenon limited to the USA; in Canada, the Montreal Police Department did the same. One reason for the Glock pistol’s rapid ascendance to dominance during the changeover was that early on, BATF declared the Glock to be a double action only semiautomatic pistol. (Miami went to the Glock with an 8-pound connector; NYPD famously went with DAO SIG P226 and S&W 5946, and the Glock 19 with the NY-2 trigger system created especially for that department with an 11 to 12 pound trigger pull.) When Chicago PD, our second largest department, first authorized semiautomatics, they didn’t allow even Glocks: only double action ONLY S&W, SIG, Beretta, and Ruger pistols were initially authorized. The US Border Patrol, our largest Federal law enforcement agency, adopted the Beretta 96D DAO as their first issue auto pistol in the mid-1990s, and went to the DAO HK P2000 (LEM trigger system) circa 2006.

Why the change? Because of the so-called “hair trigger” effect that was created when the hammer was cocked. Sometimes, under the tense conditions in which guns are drawn for defensive purposes, cocked guns DID go off unintentionally with tragic results. And, also, because if the gun COULD be cocked, an opening was created for opposing counsel to falsely claim that it WAS cocked and then negligently discharged.

Large police departments have a significant number of shootings, all of which are thoroughly investigated and most of which result in some sort of lawsuit. These incidents become parts of those agencies’ institutional history, and are considered when those agencies determine what guns will be approved or issued in the future.

Common Misconceptions

When this topic is discussed in gun forums, certain themes predictably arise. Let’s discuss them now.

“They won’t know I had a light trigger.” MISCONCEPTION. Of course they ‘ll know. It is routine procedure for every firearm recovered after a shooting to be sent to the crime lab, where it will be intensively examined by a professional Firearms and Toolmark Examiner who is likely to be currently certified as an armorer with most common handguns. Trigger pulls are routinely weighed and cross-checked with manufacturer specifications to determine if they are within spec. All safety devices are checked. (The reason, among others, is to preclude a criminal from claiming that a murder weapon was defective and went off by itself.)

“I’ll just say I shot him intentionally, and that will be that.” MISCONCEPTION. News flash: if everyone was accepting what you say, even if you speak the truth, you wouldn’t be in court. I would expect the opposing counsel’s opening statement to include something like, “The defendant is so reckless and arrogant he can’t admit he made a deadly mistake. He’ll probably tell you something like ‘I, like Inspector Clouseau, meant to do that.’”

“That’s only a concern if you shot someone by accident.” MISCONCEPTION. All they have to do is ALLEGE that you fired by accident due to the hair trigger effect. A classic example is Florida v. Luis Alvarez, where the cornerstone of the state’s case against the officer was that he had (A) cocked the hammer of his Smith & Wesson, which (B) had two coils removed from the trigger return spring. Yes, he was ultimately acquitted…after a fourteen-month ordeal that included an eight-to-nine-week trial. A detailed account of this case can be found in the autobiography of one of his attorneys, Roy Black, titled “Black’s Law.”

“I always keep my booger hooker off the bang switch, so this will never be an issue for me.” MISCONCEPTION. First, even if you HAVE kept your finger off the trigger until you intentionally fired, remember the point made earlier: you can’t count on what you SAY in court automatically being BELIEVED in court. Second, a seasoned cross-examiner would simply reply, “We all know you’re supposed to keep your finger off the trigger until you’re in the act of intentionally firing…AND WE’RE SAYING THAT YOU DIDN’T! WE CONTEND THAT YOU MADE A MISTAKE! Are you telling this jury that you’re an absolutely perfect human being who is INCAPABLE of making a mistake?”

Tell us how you’re going to answer that, without sounding like the personification of reckless arrogance the cross-examiner is portraying you to be?

Second, you can expect opposing counsel to discover the European study found HERE Force Science News #3: Can You Really Prevent Unintentional Discharges? in which it was discovered that even well-trained cops did not realize their fingers were touching their triggers in high-stress simulated danger situations. It’s called “trigger affirmation” by training expert Tom Aveni, and also “trigger confirmation” or “trigger verification.” And it can happen even with the most highly trained personnel.

“There has never been a conviction resulting from the hair trigger allegation!” MISCONCEPTION. Here are two, just from my personal experience. NY v. Magliato, where Frank Magliato unintentionally discharged the cocked revolver he had pointed at his assailant, killing him. Sent to prison originally for Depraved Murder, the appellate court reduced the conviction only to Manslaughter, with the majority opinion holding that it was reckless and negligent to aim a gun with such a light trigger pull at a man one obviously did not intend to shoot at that moment. (The minority opinion held that doing so did indeed constitute Depraved Murder under NY law.) And in Canada there was Crown v. Gossett, a criminal trial involving a cop whose service revolver probably was cocked when it unintentionally discharged, killing an unarmed suspect. Gossett was convicted of Manslaughter in his first trial, but thankfully, acquitted in his second trial.

“I’ll just tell the Court that I had the light trigger so I wouldn’t miss and hit an innocent bystander.” MISCONCEPTION. Whether you say that in a gun forum discussion or in court, you can expect the opposing side to say, “So, you ADMIT your competence with a gun was so poor that you realized EVEN BEFOREHAND that you were likely to hit an innocent bystander instead of your intended target if you didn’t have your special ‘orthopedic trigger’? Why weren’t you honest enough to admit that you weren’t ready to be carrying or even keeping a loaded gun for self defense in public yet?” That argument HELPS anyone trying to paint you as incompetent and negligent.

What Exactly Constitutes a ‘Hair Trigger’?

That will generally be determined by manufacturer spec for “duty trigger” pull weight, and “common custom and practice” WITH THAT PARTICULAR FIREARM. With the popular Glock, the manufacturer’s position is that the nominal 5.5-lb. pull weight of the standard model is minimum for duty. Pistols like their Tactical/Practical G34 and G35 come standard with 4.5 pound triggers, but are also listed in the Glock website and catalog under “sport” (i.e., “target”) pistols rather than law enforcement or self-defense guns. When ordered by police departments, it is Glock policy to install the 5.5-lb. trigger in those models. (The 3.5/4.5-lb. connector is factory approved for serious use only in conjunction with the NY-1 trigger module, which brings pull weight up into the 6-lb. range.) On the other hand, with the 1911, a pistol equipped with thumb safety and grip safety, the 4.5-lb. trigger is much more defensible. NRA’s minimum pull weight on a 1911 in the Distinguished match is 4.0-lb. This seems to be the minimum pull weight for a duty 1911 recommended by most of its many manufacturers, including Colt.

A cocked double action revolver is generally seen as having a “hair trigger,” and was presented as such in trial or at grand jury in Florida v. Alvarez S&W Model 64, NY v. Magliato (Colt Detective Special), Michigan v. Chase (S&W Model 15), Georgia v. Crumbley (S&W Model 686), and Crown v. Gossett (S&W Model 10) among others.

In Conclusion

This writer is speaking as a police firearms instructor since 1972, a trainer of law-abiding armed citizens since 1981, and more than four decades of researching why police make the firearms training decisions they do, and how they investigate shootings. Those decades include 19 years as chair of the firearms/deadly force training committee of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, 11 years on the advisory board of the International Association of Law Enforcement Trainers Association, and 35 years as an expert witness in weapons/use of force cases. Having been involved personally in several cases involving lighter-than-factory-spec triggers presented as “hair trigger cases,” including the Alvarez, Gossett, and Magliato cases mentioned above, I think that the collective law enforcement experience in countless such cases speaks to the wisdom of keeping “factory ‘duty spec’ trigger pulls” on any firearm one is likely to use for self-defense purposes.

Respectfully submitted,

Massad Ayoob

Rhyno's Emergency Survival Kit

I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring of the Bug Out Bags and Survival Kits.  There are tons of lists out there but here's mine culled from personal experience and research.

Rhyno’s Emergency Survival Kit:

ü  Water Containers – Kleen Kanteen w/nesting cup & stove ring & Nalgene
ü  Food: granola bars, freeze dried, candy bars, oatmeal, etc…
ü  Water purification: Sawyer filter & iodine
ü  Knives – fixed blade and folding
ü  Multi-tool - Leatherman
ü  Stove & fuel -
ü  First Aid Kit
ü  Fire: lighter, ferro rod, matches, fat wood, petroleum cotton balls,
ü  Map
ü  Compass
ü  TP
ü  Tarp
ü  Poncho
ü  Gloves - leather
ü  Lights – headlamp and flashlight w/extra batteries
ü  Firearms – Glock 19 or 23 w/2 mags & .22 pistol & rifle w/mags (holsters)
ü  Ammo: Full box of each
ü  Saw – e.g. Sawvivor or Bahco Laplander
ü  Duct tape (esp. gorilla)
ü  100’ paracord
ü  Signal mirror
ü  Fishhooks & line
ü  Space blanket
ü  Whistle
ü  2x 55 gal. trash bags
ü  State I.D.
ü  Bandannas (2 min.)
ü  Notepad
ü  Carpenters pencil
ü  Spork
ü  Carmex
ü  Hat – sun & warm
ü   

Possibles:

ü  Change of clothes
ü  Radio & batteries
ü  Tent
ü  Sleeping bag
ü  Ground pad
ü  Cash
ü  Coffee
ü  Snare wire – brass 60 – 90 cm, 2-3 feet (preferably pre-made snares)
ü  WD-40
ü  Dental floss
ü  Heavy duty space blanket
ü  Large needle
ü  Sharpener
ü  Sling shot band
ü  Glow sticks
ü  Wool blanket
ü  Shotgun w/ammo

Get out there!

~Rhyno

Five Cs of Survival

I gained these from Dave Cantebury. Enjoy!

5 C's of survival

1. Cutting tool

2. Combustibles

3. Cover

4. Container

5. Cordage

A run down of the concept - the basic 5 are carried on your body at all times. With these 5 items you should, with a little skill and knowledge, be able to effect your personal survival in an emergency. You will be able to create a shelter, start a fire, boil water, and then go about securing food.

The most important pieces in your 5C's are your knife and ferro rod.

The 5C's in order of importance

*1 cutting tool knife, quality, 4-6" blade used for all cutting tasks

*2 combustion device - i.e. ferro rod 

*3 cover  - tarp, wool blanket or poncho

*4 container  - metal container (32oz preferred) used for carrying, boiling, purifying water

*5 cordage - 100' paracord or 470' bank line

10C's adds another 5 to the basic 5 (actually adds 7 in the updated kit)

*6 cargo - day pack or haversack

*7 compass - self explanatory, learn how to use it properly.

*8 candle - meaning lighting, a small LED head light and spare batteries

*9 combo tool - multi tool, SAK or folding saw

*10 cloth - 3'x3' 100% cotton bandanna, great for bandages, pre-filter for water filtration, general use.

*sail needle

*duct tape

The 5 redundancy's

*2nd cutting tool (back up to your primary knife)

*redundant container (dixie cooker with snap on lid)

*iodine - wound care as well as water purification

*sharpener (diamond rod)

*sling shot band

Top Ten Survival List

Be prepared if the grid goes down, the lights go out, or we enter a time of WROL (Without Rule Of Law).  One way to consider building your survival kit is to keep in mind the "Rule of 3's."  That is you can go three minutes without air; three hours in harsh environmental conditions and exposure; three days without water; and three weeks without food.  This list is built with the idea of being able to survive for the first 72 hours of disaster.  Here is one version of a top ten list...

1. First Aid - lots of ways to put this together.
2. Water - a good, inexpensive method is five-gallon containers from Wal-Mart.
3. Food - can food or freeze dried or ... - stick with the types of things you already eat.
4. Emergency radio - helps you to know what's going on around you.  Get something quality that can run on hand-cranking and/or AA batteries.
5. Flashlight - couple of quality lights.  AA and AAA are probably best since the batteries are readily available.
6. Security - i.e. pistol.  Keep an extra magazine and at least 100 rounds of ammunition.
7. Cash - if electricity is out then credit cards will be useless.  $100 is optimal and keep the bills under $20.
8. Fire starter - lighter, fire steel, water proof matches, tinder.
9. Fixed blade knife - get a good quality one.  Multiple uses: cutting, prying, self-defense, chopping...
10. Cooking - camp stove with gas.  From boiling water for purification to cooking food.

This is not an all-encompassing list, but rather one way of looking at the top ten things to consider when beginning to prepare yourself and your family for what may come.

~Rhyno