Quote of the day–Alan Korwin

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Politicians, and government in general, are world economic meddlers and obstacles. They interfere with business, slow its progress, regulate its advances, tax its earnings and generally make it harder for business to thrive, saddling it with red tape, trade barriers, obstacles to entry, and eating out its substance.


Alan Korwin
December 2, 2008
Politicians Aren’t Businessmen
[Very few people will understand this once Obama has been crowned. Unless his $775 Billion stimulus plan is about cutting taxes by billions rather than spending billions he is going to fail to improve the economy. Most people believe more rather than less government is the solution to their problems. If Obama says it even if it is all lies and jest people hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Michael Gaddy

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Americans are purchasing firearms and ammunition in record numbers, not because they believe 2009 will offer unusually good duck hunting, but because they fear the fallout from the coming economic storm and the state’s reaction to that fallout.


Michael Gaddy
Buy, Buy, Buy
January 5, 2008
[H/T to Say Uncle for the pointer. There will be more QOTDs from this piece over the next few weeks and months.–Joe]

A Fine Day For Shooting

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Today (Sunday) was a beautiful sunny day, and with the drifted snow glistening like it was covered with diamonds, it was far too beautiful to stay inside.  I took Alex to the Peterson Range near Moscow, Idaho for some fresh air.


The driveway up to the shooting bays was blocked with a large snow berm.  We could have spent some time with a shovel to clear the berm, but even then I’d need chains on all fours to have any chance of driving in.  Too much bother.  Much easier to don the snowshoes and walk in.


Now this is a nice exercise in itself.  If you have your rig right there at the shooting bay, it means you can lay everything out– your shooting bag, all your ammo, gun cases, everything, even working right off your tailgate.  When you’re hiking in, you bring what you can carry.  In this case it meant leaving the range bag, most of the ammo and some of the gun cases behind.  Not a problem.  I had my .45 in in my pocket and a CZ-52 pistol in a flap holster with two mags, plus a three-mag AR pouch on by belt.  One 20 rounder in the AR and another 30 round magazine that fit in my breast pocket.  Four 15 round mags for the M1 Carbine on one belt, plus a 50 round box of Carbine ammo in another coat pocket.  With water bottles (you lose a lot of water just breathing in these conditions, so always bring water) targets and a stapler, wearing our eyes and ears, we were off for a nice afternoon of leisurely hiking and shooting in the sunshine.


Strangely, we were the only ones at the range today.


The weather could not have been better.  At around 20 degrees F, the snow doesn’t melt too much on your clothing and you stay nice and dry.  Plus when you’re hoofing around the range with a load, on snowshoes, you don’t overheat, and it’s not so cold that your lungs are stressed.  Perfect.


Here we’re testing out the steel pistol targets.  No problem, except that some trespasser had gone in and shot holes in the steel with a centerfire rifle (all members know never to do anything so stupid and inconsiderate);



Since everything around us is covered in anywhere from several inches to several feet of snow, loading the mags required a little different technique.  Holding the ammo box and the magazine in one hand, I’m stuffing the rounds in with the other.  Everything stays out of the snow.  For the rifles we brought enough pre-loaded magazines;



Here I’m sighting in the M1 Carbine.  This gun had failed on the last outing, due to a gas piston nut that had worked its way completely out of the gas block.  I am amazed that the thing never self-destructed.  Nice going on the design, W.W. II era guys!  The gas nut is supposed to be staked in place, but this more recently manufactured IAI carbine never had the nut staked.  It took many thousands of rounds of UltiMAK product testing before the gas nut finally worked its way out.  After that I had disassembled the rifle completely including a full takedown of the bolt, removed the optic and the optic mount, repaired the damaged gas nut threads and trued up the gas piston, then reinstalled the nut with Locktite (another accepted method) installed a new optic mount (to test a new lot) and reinstalled the Holosight.  After all that, the Carbine shot to POA with no adjustments at 20 yards, and then at 100.  I didn’t see any need to change the settings on this old Holosight.  No malfunctions;



If you happen to own a .30 Carbine, let it be known that the exposed lead at the base of regular FMJ bullets does partially melt, it atomizes when liquefied and it finds its way into the gas block, depositing in there, slowly reducing the volume inside the gas chamber and eventually preventing the piston from traveling all the way forward.  It forms a very hard dross that is a royal bitch to clean out.  That’s one reason why I want to try the Speer hollowpoints– they have a full copper base.  You may find similar deposits inside the AR-15 bolt carrier, back behind the bolt, which is why you need to clean it thoroughly.


Alex and I each got photos of each other with brass in the air (here’s the trick; press the shutter button part way own, into the “here’s the exact exposure I want” setting. The instant you hear the report, press the shutter button all the way– you get instantaneous shots that way.  Works nearly every time);



We had a brass catcher on the AR (a good idea when shooting in the snow) but no one seems to make one for the Carbine.  The brass comes out hot and melts the snow when it hits, so when you pick up the cases they’re encrusted in ice.  Yes, a brass catcher would be much better out here today. I wanted to bring home every .30 Carbine case because I’m going to load up a batch of hollowpoints for function testing.


All in all it was a great time.

What should I do next?

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My Modern Ballistics for the Field software is essentially completed (as long as there are a fair number of people using it software is never done). And I’m debating with myself as to whether I should start work on a Leftspeak to English conversion website or if I should work on some explosives modeling software.


The Leftspeak project would be easy and fun and only take a few days in my spare time. The explosives modeling software will probably take months but be far more useful.


Any votes?

Boomershoot photo of the day, everyday

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David has announced:



I plan to have a Boomershoot Picture of the Day every day in 2009, so check back for more!


Here are his first submissions:



If you can’t figure out a way to attend you can at least drive yourself mad with desire.

This could be interesting

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If I recall correctly predictions are that if this blows with the same sort of destruction as in previous eruptions all life within about 300 miles is likely to be killed. Areas as far away as Kansas, depending on the wind direction and duration, will get up to 10 feet of ash falling from the sky.

Modern Ballistics for the field

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I’ve fixed all the fixable bugs in my cell phone/PDA web based exterior ballistics program I announced last November and put it at it’s permanent home at http://field.modernballistics.com/.


Enjoy and let me know if you run across any bugs not mentioned on the Known Bugs page. Suggestions for improvements are also welcome. Send them to “JoeH AT modernballistics.com”.

Carry in Post Offices

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Robb posted about being irked that he can’t legally carry his firearm into a Post Office. He can carry at the hospital, shopping malls, his kids soccer games and virtually all public places. What is so special about a Post Office that he is disallowed from carrying their? Of course the answer is there is nothing special about the Post Office that should be grounds for disallowing the carrying defensive tools while picking up your mail. Just as prohibiting blacks from public swimming pools and using the same water fountains as others had no basis other than the bigotry of those making the rules. Still, spending time in a Federal prison isn’t my favorite way of standing by my principles.


That said I had looked into the guns in Post Offices before and had heard others talk of the law being somewhat ambigous. With that background I was going to point out to Robb that according to 18 USC 930, which I’m fairly certain is what I have seen posted on Post Office doors, there are exemptions to the part about fines and imprisonment for “whoever knowingly possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a Federal facility”. These exemptions are never posted on the wall of the post office:



(d) Subsection (a) shall not apply to—



(1) the lawful performance of official duties by an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof, who is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of law;


(2) the possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon by a Federal official or a member of the Armed Forces if such possession is authorized by law; or


(3) the lawful carrying of firearms or other dangerous weapons in a Federal facility incident to hunting or other lawful purposes.


Notice the last three words of (d)(3), “other lawful purpose”. Self defense–isn’t that a lawful purpose?


But as I was doing my research on the topic, just to make sure, I ran across this post from a lawyer which says that 18 USC 930 isn’t the controlling law. 39 USC 410 says (emphasis added):



(a) Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, and except as otherwise provided in this title or insofar as such laws remain in force as rules or regulations of the Postal Service, no Federal law dealing with public or Federal contracts, property, works, officers, employees, budgets, or funds, including the provisions of chapters 5 and 7 of title 5, shall apply to the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service.


(b) The following provisions shall apply to the Postal Service:



(1) section 552 (public information), section 552a (records about individuals), section 552b (open meetings), section 3102 (employment of personal assistants for blind, deaf, or otherwise handicapped employees), section 3110 (restrictions on employment of relatives), section 3333 and chapters 72 (antidiscrimination; right to petition Congress) and 73 (suitability, security, and conduct of employees), section 5520 (withholding city income or employment taxes), and section 5532 (!1) (dual pay) of title 5, except that no regulation issued under such chapters or section shall apply to the Postal Service unless expressly made applicable;


In the Postal rules I found that bringing a firearm onto the property is a rule violation but apparently it is not a felony:



  (l) Weapons and explosives. No person while on postal property may carry firearms, other dangerous or deadly weapons, or explosives, either openly or concealed, or store the same on postal property, except for official purposes.


…


  (p) Penalties and other law. (1) Alleged violations of these rules and regulations are heard, and the penalties prescribed herein are imposed, either in a Federal district court or by a Federal magistrate in accordance with applicable court rules. Questions regarding such rules should be directed to the regional counsel for the region involved.
(2) Whoever shall be found guilty of violating the rules and regulations in this section while on property under the charge and control of the Postal Service is subject to fine of not more than $50 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or both.


Further reading of the rules revealed you give up your Fourth Amendment rights once you set foot on U.S. Postal Property (232.1 (b)):



  (b) Inspection, recording presence. (1) Purses, briefcases, and other containers brought into, while on, or being removed from the property are subject to inspection. However, items brought directly to a postal facility’s customer mailing acceptance area and deposited in the mail are not subject to inspection, except as provided by section 274 of the Administrative Support Manual. A person arrested for violation of this section may be searched incident to that arrest.


I am not a lawyer. You are receiving this legal review for free and my own personal entertainment. It’s probably worth every penny you paid for it.

Quote of the day–Lazarus Long

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What are the facts? Again and again and again what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what “the stars foretell,” avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the “unguessable verdict of history” — what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future, facts are your single clue. Get the facts!

 

Lazarus Long
The Notebooks of Lazarus Long by Robert A. Heinlein pages 16 and 17.
[According to some the Brady Campaign may have a reality awareness moment when pursuing their lawsuit against the changed rule on carry of firearms in National Parks. I would like to think so but I have enough experience in court to know that facts and the truth only play a minor role in the proceedings. Still, the facts are what drive things like my Just One Question and I think it is the proper philosophical principle to demand our opposition adhere to. It is our ace in the hole. Even if they don’t play by the rules and cheat at every opportunity it is still our one of our greatest weapons against the forces of darkness and evil.–Joe]

Plotting Hitler’s Death

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Barb and I just finished watching Valkyrie. It was a good movie. Barb buried her head in my shoulder for a few scenes but it was interesting and to the best of my knowledge historically accurate.


More historical details and information on numerous other plots to kill Hitler can be found in the book Plotting Hitler’s Death which I highly recommend.


See also this post for more information on the content of this great book.

Quote of the day–Milton Friedman

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The most important single central fact about a free market is that no exchange takes place unless both parties benefit.


Milton Friedman
[As opposed to a government run market where exchanges take place at the point of a gun.–Joe]

Where does the bullet go?

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I have worked with the mathematics of exterior ballistics for so long that I sometimes forget the general nature of the path of a rifle bullet to it’s target is not mind boggling obvious. I was reminded of this by an email I received today:



Need a answer: I was told that when shot a 30 cal. bullet goes up and makes an arc to the target, when held level. What happens, say at 100 yards.?


This email caused me to have a flashback to when I was in grade-school (yes Kris, firearms had been invented by the time I left grade-school).


When I was about the fourth grade a friend of mind, Verl (yeah, kids had strange names back in those days), insisted that the bullet would rise after it left the barrel of a rifle. I didn’t believe it and asked how long it took before it when into orbit (or some such thing that pointed out the absurdity of his claim). He didn’t know but asked his dad and came back to school and explained it went up for a while then came back down. My knowledge of and ability to articulate the physics of gravity and moving objects was limited and although I was profoundly unsatisfied with this explanation I couldn’t refute his assertion that it was true.


Later I made sense of it and eventually I wrote a computer programs that accurately predicts the path of a bullet as it leaves the muzzle. I am now much more capable of articulating the physics and will now attempt do so.


If you were to go to the range and instead of shooting the bullet you were to drop it from your fingers you would correctly expect the bullet to immediately accelerate toward the center of the earth and pick up speed at the rate of about 32 feet per second for each second it is in the air until it hit something. It doesn’t rise for a while then start falling. If you take a carpenter’s level to the range and line up the bore with the level such that the bore was horizontal and fire the gun the bullet will drop, relative to the horizontal, from the instant it leaves the barrel. It does not rise and then fall. It also does not fall at the same rate as a bullet you dropped from your fingers but that is another, much more complicated issue that is beyond the scope of this post.


Because the bullet immediately starts falling as it leaves the barrel in order for the sights to predict the impact point they are not aligned exactly parallel with the bore. They are aligned such that when you view the target they line up where the bullet will actually hit after bullet has dropped by whatever amount on it’s travel to the target. If the bore is horizontal the sights are pointed slight down. If the sights are horizontal then the bore will be pointed slightly up. In other words there is an angle between the line of sight and the bore of the gun. I call this angle the “Sight Angle”.


As far as I know I am the first to use the phrase “Sight Angle”. I use this to simplify the setting of the scope for long distance shooting. Most long range shooting instructors refer to your gun having a “Zero” that depends on the altitude, temperature, bullet velocity, and ballistic coefficient of the bullet. This is wrong. The gun is constant with respect to the environment. The drop of the bullet changes, not the scope setting.


Knowing the distance to the target and the drop the bullet makes when it goes this distance we can compute the proper angle the barrel should be with the horizontal to hit a target that is the same distance above the ground as the muzzle of the barrel. This angle is the proper angle required to have the gun exactly compensate for the drop of the bullet on it’s way to the target. This angle is not the sight angle because there is another complication–the height of the sight above (almost always but not necessarily) the bore. For a typical scoped rifle the line of sight through the scope is about 1.5 inches above the center of the bore. I call this the sight height. Using some trigonometry the sight height and proper angles can all be number crunched into a single number that you can dial into your scope such that for any give range and bullet drop you can dial your scope to the proper angle and you have precisely compensated for the drop of the bullet such that where you line the sights up that is where the bullet is going to go (minus bullet inaccuracy, wind drift, and shooter error). This “proper angle” is my Sight Angle. If you know what the environment is and you know the angle of the scope (and its height) relative to the bore you will know where the bullet will hit for any given range.


So, the email asked for what happens at 100 yards. Here are the graphs (generated with Modern Ballistics, which I wrote).


First the drop for a bullet fired with the bore of the gun horizontal. This is for a .308 Winchester shooting Federal match 168 grain bullets at “standard conditions” (59 F, sea level). Yes, I know this graph is confusing. It is not the path of the bullet. This is the distance the bullet has dropped as it traverses from the muzzle to the target. The drop increases the further it travels:



By the time the bullet has traveled 100 yards it has dropped nearly 3 inches. If you point the bore up at a slight angle (4.23 Minutes of Angle to be exact) compared to a scope mounted 1.5 inches above the center of the bore, aim the scope at a target 100 yards the bullet will start out 1.5 inches below the line of sight of the scope. Because the barrel is pointed up slightly as the bullet travels forward it will rise as it travels to the target. The distance from the line of sight through the scope to the bullet at any given range is called the height of the bullet at that range. Hence at the muzzle the height is -1.5 inches. And since the proper angle for a 100 yard zero was dialed into the scope the height at 100 yards will be 0.00 inches as seen in this graph:



So, from the viewpoint of the scope the bullet does rise and then fall. Of particular interest is that there are actually two zeros for this scope setting. There is a “Near Zero” at 49.8 yards and there is the normal or “Far Zero” at 100 yards. At what is called the Midrange, 75.1 yards in this case, the bullet is at its maximum height of 0.2 inches above the line of sight.


So that is the path of the bullet for a 100 yard shot.


It is just my opinion but I don’t think shooting at 100 yards is very interesting with a rifle. The errors involved for temperature changes, air pressure, wind drift, and bullet velocity variations just don’t stack up enough to amount to much at that kind of range. For a .30 caliber rifle I don’t find things particularly interesting until we start shooting targets at 500 yards and beyond. I’m not going to get into all the interesting details because 99.9% of the people will find what I think is fascinating as mind bogglingly boring. But here is a hint of 500 yard shooting. A graph of the height of a bullet, again relative to the line of sight of the scope, for the same rifle and cartridge as above but for a 500 yard target:


Quote of the day–Tom Palmer

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I know people who don’t understand why anyone would have a gun. They don’t have guns, they didn’t grow up with them, and they assume people who did must be some sort of primitive barbarians.


Tom Palmer
Page 30, Gun Control On Trial by Brian Doherty
[Just like gays in the 80’s Silence = Death. We need to come out of the closet if we want to survive as a free people.–Joe]

Quote of the day–Alan Gura

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Look at their literature. About all they say is ‘guns are bad, they kill children and other living things.’ Look at their website. It clearly posits gun ownership as a social evil. He can say what he wants; I like Dennis, and I’ve never had a negative interaction with anybody with his group, but sorry, that’s a bunch of crap. His dream is dead; the idea of prohibition is dead. They need to tell their constituents to find something else to do with their lives, go be productive members of society, stop attacking our individual rights.


Alan Gura
From Gun Control On Trial, page 114.
[First off I would like to +1 Gura’s experience with the gun grabbers. All of the paid and even volunteer staff of the gun-grabber organizations that I have talked to have been nice people. I believe they were sincere and truly had no wish for anything other than the well-being of innocent people. They may not have been very smart or very well informed but their intentions, however misguided, always seemed to be congruent with mine–the protection of innocent life. They just had a problem with data collection and processing.


But on to my main reason for the quote.


I love the last sentence of Gura’s. Gura was referring to the Brady Campaign (and Dennis Henigan) but it could just as well apply to 98% of our politicians. Especially this year–the year of the coronation of the Light Bringer. It’s going to be rough times ahead for freedom and individual rights. We don’t have enough Alan Gura’s and friendly courts to protect us. If only we could enforce a declaration such as Gura’s.–Joe]

Another book reference

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I’m spending New Years Eve reading Gun Control On Trial by Brian Doherty. I previously mentioned a direct reference to me in the book from a quick scan I made. A few minutes ago I found another reference on page 53 which almost for certain is about me (and others) and Boomershoot:

I talked to lots of people in the “pro-gun” community, from those who enjoy detonating explosives with semiautomatic rife fire to dealers in highly regulated states like California.

I find it interesting that I am placed on the extreme end of the spectrum. I suppose it is fitting. And it reminds me of two quotes:

Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.

Thomas Paine

And:

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

Barry Goldwater

Update (23:15): I finished the book a few minutes ago. I found my name in the index too.

Also of possible interest to some is that my friend and Boomershoot promoter Stephanie Sailor was mentioned in the acknowledgments. It was via her encouragement that Doherty contacted me.

I’ll have more on the book tomorrow. And I have a great quote for the first day of the new year from the book.

Quote of the day–Walt Kelly

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If you wants to get elected president, you’se got to think up some memoraboble homily so’s school kids can be pestered into memorizin’ it, even if they don’t know what it means.


Walt Kelly
The Pogo Party
[Apparently, with todays public education, the memorization task has been simplified to remembering just two words; “hope” and “change”.–Joe]

A Report on Recent Days from Inside Israel

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I’ve posted some of Howard’s letters in the past.  He’s a journalist living in Israel, a lawyer, an IDF sniper trainer and counterterrorism specialist.  Here’s a list of his communications from the last several days.  I’ll preface them by pointing out that the Kassam rockets, mortars and etc., have been fired into Israel from the Gaza strip ever since it was ceded to the Palestinians, “ceasefire” or no “ceasefire”.  This makes the news only when the Israelis get around to shooting back.



Dec. 17, 2008


Friends:
 
What isn’t reported are the Kassams that continue to rain on my daughter’s college down south despite the fake cease-fire about to end (sorry, very sorry not a joke) in 48 hours.
 
Howard


===========================


Dec. 21, 2008


Friends:
 
We are in the Christmas and New Year’s home stretch.  Hanukah starts tonight.
 
My friends in local ERT units have been ordered to turn there IDF issued M16s back to the IDF.  They were given something like 72 hour notice.  The Israeli government only arms Fatah and allows Hamas and Hezbollah to arm themselves unhindered.
 
Have a good week.
 
Howard


===========================


Dec. 22, 2008


Friends:
 
Here is the latest.  So far still no significant effort to stop the rain of rockets!
 
\\\Howard


===========================


Dec. 24, 2008


Friends:
 
Traffic around the Old City and in the direction of Bethlehem was already clogged at 13:30 despite the cold, raw weather.
 
Down south the Gaza terrorists are setting a new record for the number of Kassam, Grad and mortar bombs being fired into Israel.  The reach of the rockets get farther and farther.  Only heaven knows if the Israeli government will act to stop the attacks.
 
Have a Merry Holiday.
 
Howard


===========================


Dec. 25, 2008


Season’s Greetings


=========================


Dec. 27, 2008


It has started.
 
Howard
—– Original Message —–
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 12:23 PM


Subject: CORRECTION: IDF SPOX ANN: IDF Targets Hamas Government Terroris Infrastructure In The Gaza Strip 


Dec 26th, 2008


IDF SPOKESPERSON ANNOUNCEMENT


Israeli Air Force aircraft, attacked a short while ago, a series of Hamas targets and infrastructure facilities, in the Gaza Strip. All Israeli pilots returned safely to their bases. The IDF will continue its operations against terror in accordance with constant state assessments held be the IDF Chief of General Staff. This operation will be continued, expanded and intensified as much as will be required.


The Air Force activity came as a result of the continuation of terror activity by Hamas terror organization from the Gaza Strip, and the duration of rocket launching and targeting Israeli civilians.


The targets that were attacked were located by intelligence gathered during the last months and include Hamas terror operatives that operated from the organization’s headquarters, training camps and weaponry storage warehouses.


The Hamas government leaders and operatives, which activate terror from within civilian population centers, are the sole bearers of responsibility for Israel‘s military response. This response is crucial for preserving Israel‘s security interests.


The IDF Spokesperson wishes to emphasize that anyone sponsoring terror, hosting terror in his house, housing terror in his basement and sending his wives and children to serve as human shields- is considered a terrorist.


The IDF will continue its activity against terror activities according to operational assessments held by the Chief of the General Staff.


The IDF is ready to widen and deepen its activity against all terror organizations in the Gaza Strip, as long as it is necessary.


In addition, the Homefront Command and emergency authorities, took all necessary measures for preparing the civilian population.


=========================


Dec. 29, 2008


Friends:
 
Israel only hit the terrorists after they fired 60 rockets into Israel proper in one day.  No one, the UN included said a word. 
 
Thousands of calls are placed to the cellular telephone of the civilians in the area of an impending strike before it takes place telling then to get out of harm’s way!!!
 
So far today (16:10) approximately 35 rockets have been fired into Israel.
 
Howard


==========================


Dec. 30, 2008


Friends:
 
Israel already has its back to the wall being attacked in the media worldwide.  Hamas is never mentioned.
The phone calls I told you about, being placed to civilians to get out of harm’s way, was reported on Israel radio network “B” at 06:00 today as having reached 90,000.  I called the IDF Spokesman’s Office and asked for confirmation of the report.  Rather than answering my question I was challenged as to who I was and for who I reported.  Send an Email I was told.  That was 6 hours ago.  So far no response.  And they can’t figure out how  winning the fighting on the ground doesn’t result in winning the war.
 
Howard


==========================


Dec. 31, 2008


Friends:
 
Not reported is today’s Israeli Supreme Court decision in favor of the Foreign Press Association permitting reporters access to Gaza.  It was forbidden since Nov. 24th. 
 
“What are you hiding,” was on the lips of those whose written and broadcast words and images[.  They] lose Israel its war despite victory on the battlefield.  How to make friends and influence people. 
 
Howard


==========================


I find the whole thing surreal.  I recently heard U.S. reporters haranguing one of Bush’s people in Crawford, demanding to know when Israel was going to stop the violence.  No matter how many times he told them that it depended on Hamas stopping their rocket and mortar attacks, they kept asking the same questions, over and over, merely rephrasing them.

Get your sex questions answered

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Jenny Block is looking for questions to answer for her sex column.


I considered, and still might, submitting some questions. But the obtaining the answers would probably entail graduate level research studies.

Posted in Sex

ATF Special Agent explains “Weapons of Choice”

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ATF Special Agent in Charge Jim Needles explains “Weapons of Choice” for the Mexican drug cartels.



ATF Special Agent in Charge Jim Needles


See also this news story built around the video interview above.


“Weapons of choice” include semi-auto FN FALs (a popular sport and hunting rifle), AK-47’s, and 1911 style handguns. It appears the news reporters also visited a gun shop and took pictures of AR-15’s as well.


The demonization of ordinary firearms for the next “assault weapon” ban is picking up steam with the help of the ATF.

The answer is yes

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Someone wants to know if a .50 caliber round can penetrate a Mercedes Guard Pullman:






























































































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Country  :  United States  (Facts)
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The answer is yes.


The Mercedes Guard Pullman is built to level B6/B7:



High-Protection vehicles, engineered to the European B4 resistance level, resist large-calibre revolver ammunition and offer particularly good protection against the increasing threat of drug-related and violent street crime.

Highest-Protection vehicles, engineered to resistance level B6/B7, provide effective protection against the threat posed by terrorist attacks. Their armour is designed to resist rifle-launched projectiles from military weapons which have a velocity almost twice that of bullets fired from a revolver. They also offer resistance to shrapnel from hand grenades and explosive charges.


According to this page the resistance levels are as follows:



  • B1 rifle .22 lr RN/Lead 10m

  • B2 hand gun 9mm Para FJ2)/RN/SC 5m

  • B3 hand gun .357 Magnum FJ3)/CB/SC 5m

  • B4 hand gun .44 Magnum FJ4)/FN/SCP 5m

  • B5 rifle 5.56mm x 45 FJ4)/PB/SC 10m

  • B6 rifle 7.62mm x 51 FJ2)/PB/SC 10m

  • B7 rifle 7.62mm x 51 FJ4)/PB/BC 10m*

The 7.62mm x 51 is .308 Winchester equivalent. Which means that even a .300 Win Mag (a common hunting rifle for those people in the Brady Campaign reading this) is not something they designed for. A .50 BMG should be able to punch through as well.




*If someone knows what the FJ4)/PB/SC etc. designations are I would appreciate being clued in. I presume it is the bullet type, like Full Metal Jacket, etc. PB might be lead (Pb is the chemical symbol), SC might be Steel Core. But that is all speculation on my part.


Thanks.