The Defense Health Agency maintains a web site called Deployed
Medicine here: Deployed
Medicine -- which includes includes links to their app on
both the Apple and Android Stores.
Free.
The Deployed Medicine website includes several sections, including Tactical Combat Casualty Care , curated by (not surprisingly) The Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care. Understandably, these folks are on the cutting edge of trauma care, so this can be considered the source.That page includes manuals, videos, and reference documents.
Also, Greg Ellefritz has an excellent post up (The Best Tourniquets- A Research Review | Active Response Training) on the latest release from the CoTCCC, regarding recommended procedures, practices, and equipment for trauma care
This includes ratings of several tourniquets recommended for use in trauma care. Link to that is here: CoTCCC Recommended Devices & Adjuncts, click on the "View Book" button to read and/or download it as a .pdf.
Again, better to have it and not need it, than to need it and be waiting for the paramedics or a passing Combat Lifesaver...
Showing posts with label Safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Safety. Show all posts
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Stop The Bleed Month
May is Stop the Bleed Month. And May 23rd is National STOP THE BLEED Day.
(Yes, those seem to be "rival" web sites...)
Perhaps with that in mind, Tamara had a post yesterday (The largest window for error...) in which she linked to an article about gun safety vis à vis administrative gun handling, and said that, if you're going to carry a gun, you should have a "blow out kit" with you. (SayUncle linked, and, this being the Internet, predictably, derp ensured in comments.)
I've written about first aid and (especially) trauma care and training before, and on this very topic in The Clue Meter: Tourniquets Save Lives.
In that post I included some videos of how to apply a tourniquet, including one I reproduce here, how to apply a field expedient tourniquet:
As to which tourniquet to carry, the two standards seem to be the CAT (Gen 7+) and the SOF-T (Gen 4+); the advantages of one over the other seem be minor and due as much to personal preference of the professional you are speaking to, as well as to incremental improvements in one or the other. Similar tourniquets are likely to mimic the style or design, but use cheaper materials.
There is at least one "bargain" tourniquet that is essentially a long rubber band; in formal testing it was rated as better than nothing -- barely. (The sales pitch is cool, "Tighten until the diamonds are squares and the ovals are circles"; just doesn't seem to work as well in real application.)
Research:
You need to take classes; even if you master applying a tourniquet by watching YouTube videos, there are other things you'll need to know. So where do you find such training? After all, you might not know a handy Ambulance Driver who happens to be conducting a class on the subject.
(Yes, those seem to be "rival" web sites...)
Perhaps with that in mind, Tamara had a post yesterday (The largest window for error...) in which she linked to an article about gun safety vis à vis administrative gun handling, and said that, if you're going to carry a gun, you should have a "blow out kit" with you. (SayUncle linked, and, this being the Internet, predictably, derp ensured in comments.)
I've written about first aid and (especially) trauma care and training before, and on this very topic in The Clue Meter: Tourniquets Save Lives.
In that post I included some videos of how to apply a tourniquet, including one I reproduce here, how to apply a field expedient tourniquet:
As to which tourniquet to carry, the two standards seem to be the CAT (Gen 7+) and the SOF-T (Gen 4+); the advantages of one over the other seem be minor and due as much to personal preference of the professional you are speaking to, as well as to incremental improvements in one or the other. Similar tourniquets are likely to mimic the style or design, but use cheaper materials.
There is at least one "bargain" tourniquet that is essentially a long rubber band; in formal testing it was rated as better than nothing -- barely. (The sales pitch is cool, "Tighten until the diamonds are squares and the ovals are circles"; just doesn't seem to work as well in real application.)
Research:
- Efficacy of Pre-hospital Application of Tourniquets and Hemostatic Dressings to Control Traumatic External Hemorrhage. Opens a .pdf document from EMS.gov, a site at the National Institutes of Health.
GET TRAINING!
You need to take classes; even if you master applying a tourniquet by watching YouTube videos, there are other things you'll need to know. So where do you find such training? After all, you might not know a handy Ambulance Driver who happens to be conducting a class on the subject.
- BleedingControl.org has a Find A Class page.
- The Stop the Bleed Monthweb site does too: Find Training.
- As does the National STOP THE BLEED Day web site: Get Trained.
- FEMA also has some suggestions: Stop the Bleed | Homeland Security
- The Firearms Training Hub has a page listing Medical classes; among others, Dark Angel Medical has classes nationwide. Including one local to me next week...
- Chinook Medical Gear, Inc.
- Tactical Medical Solutions for Military and First Responders
- First Aid Kits | First Aid Supplies | MyMedic
- Adventure® Medical Kits
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Oral Rehydration -- a PSA
Hopefully, news you can't, and never will need, to use.
So while we were at the emergency communications team meeting the other night discussing Go Kits and Bug Out Bags, one of the members offered some real world observations about first aid kits, to wit, based on the "historical re-enactment" his church did for the youth group -- he's LDS, so I'm assuming he was talking about a Pioneer Trek. (The reason I know about it is that I recalled Howard "Schlock Mercenary" Taylor commented once that he was told not to call it Oregon Trail LARPing...) He was observing that the first aid kit needed blister care supplies, because kids today will get blisters if they have to walk more than a mile, since they are not used to that, and they probably have stylish, not functional, socks. (And their shoes are probably suspect, too.)
Then he made an offhand remark about how simply drinking water is not enough, you need to replace electrolytes, as well.
And that made me remember reading in one of P.J. O'Rourke's books -- All The Trouble In The World, I think -- where he was talking to some American aid official (or maybe non- or semi-official) about famine and pestilence, and the guy reaches into his desk and says that the death rate in whichever part of Africa they were in could be slashed dramatically with "this" -- "this" being a 25 cent packet of oral re-hydration salts.
Oral rehydration therapy - Wikipedia
Or, you can get fancy. Found this one researching the subject:
Or, you can buy them: Amazon.com: oral re-hydration packets. Some of these are flavored.
Now, Oral Re-Hydration Therapy such as Wikipedia is talking about is an in extremis thing, not "Been mowing the lawn in the hot sun, I need a glass of iced tea" (or whatever) in someone who is more or less healthy and well nourished. It's usually applied in cases of extreme life threatening illness, the sort that results in diarrhea, like cholera. But some folks just won't admit they're not Superman, in the course of my military career I saw more than a few people rushed to the hospital for what turned out to be dehydration.
And especially in a first aid kit that is expected to be used in true, disaster-type emergency, throwing a ten pack of these in, as well as making sure you have the recipes to make some if you need it, seems like a Good Idea.
So while we were at the emergency communications team meeting the other night discussing Go Kits and Bug Out Bags, one of the members offered some real world observations about first aid kits, to wit, based on the "historical re-enactment" his church did for the youth group -- he's LDS, so I'm assuming he was talking about a Pioneer Trek. (The reason I know about it is that I recalled Howard "Schlock Mercenary" Taylor commented once that he was told not to call it Oregon Trail LARPing...) He was observing that the first aid kit needed blister care supplies, because kids today will get blisters if they have to walk more than a mile, since they are not used to that, and they probably have stylish, not functional, socks. (And their shoes are probably suspect, too.)
Then he made an offhand remark about how simply drinking water is not enough, you need to replace electrolytes, as well.
And that made me remember reading in one of P.J. O'Rourke's books -- All The Trouble In The World, I think -- where he was talking to some American aid official (or maybe non- or semi-official) about famine and pestilence, and the guy reaches into his desk and says that the death rate in whichever part of Africa they were in could be slashed dramatically with "this" -- "this" being a 25 cent packet of oral re-hydration salts.
Oral rehydration therapy - Wikipedia
Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is a type of fluid replacement used to prevent and treat dehydration, especially that due to diarrhea.[1] It involves drinking water with modest amounts of sugar and salts, specifically sodium and potassium.[1] Oral rehydration therapy can also be given by a nasogastric tube.[1] Therapy should routinely include the use of zinc supplements.[1] Use of oral rehydration therapy decreases the risk of death from diarrhea by about 93%.[2]Not gonna lie, I don't know what all the ten dollar words in there mean. But, really, in the documentation or inventory of your first aid kit, or even just a 3"x5" index card in there, write down "6 tsp (2 Tbl) sugar and 0.5 tsp salt 1 quart water."
...
The formula for the current WHO oral rehydration solution (also known as low-osmolar ORS or reduced-osmolarity ORS) is 2.6 grams (0.092 oz) salt (NaCl), 2.9 grams (0.10 oz) trisodium citrate dihydrate (C 6H 5Na 3O 7⋅2H 2O), 1.5 grams (0.053 oz) potassium chloride (KCl), 13.5 grams (0.48 oz) anhydrous glucose (C 6H 12O 6) per litre of fluid.
A basic oral rehydration therapy solution can also be prepared when packets of oral rehydration salts are not available. It can be made using 6 level teaspoons (25.2 grams) of sugar and 0.5 teaspoon (2.9 grams) of salt in 1 litre of water. The molar ratio of sugar to salt should be 1:1 and the solution should not be hyperosmolar. The Rehydration Project states, "Making the mixture a little diluted (with more than 1 litre of clean water) is not harmful."
The optimal fluid for preparing oral rehydration solution is clean water. However, if this is not available the usually available water should be used. Oral rehydration solution should not be withheld simply because the available water is potentially unsafe; rehydration takes precedence.
...Sports drinks are not optimal oral rehydration solutions, but they can be used if optimal choices are not available.
Or, you can get fancy. Found this one researching the subject:
- 1 quart water
- half tsp sea salt
- half tsp baking soda
- quarter tsp salt substitute (potassium chloride; can use cream of tartar instead)
- 8 tsp sugar
Or, you can buy them: Amazon.com: oral re-hydration packets. Some of these are flavored.
Now, Oral Re-Hydration Therapy such as Wikipedia is talking about is an in extremis thing, not "Been mowing the lawn in the hot sun, I need a glass of iced tea" (or whatever) in someone who is more or less healthy and well nourished. It's usually applied in cases of extreme life threatening illness, the sort that results in diarrhea, like cholera. But some folks just won't admit they're not Superman, in the course of my military career I saw more than a few people rushed to the hospital for what turned out to be dehydration.
And especially in a first aid kit that is expected to be used in true, disaster-type emergency, throwing a ten pack of these in, as well as making sure you have the recipes to make some if you need it, seems like a Good Idea.
Saturday, August 18, 2018
I did not know that.
SO, reading this article -- MRE Shelf Life and Stockpiling MREs - AllOutdoor.com, I wound up at this page: USDA -- Food Product Dating.
Where I learned that the "pull dates" on food items have nothing to do with food safety or health. (With one exception, see emphasis added below):
So the other evening at the emergency communication team meeting we were talking about "Go Bags" and Bug Out Bags. I took my Go Kit -- which is to say, my bag for CERT or ARES/RACES work, not my "Get Out Of Town" bag.
I also took my car kit in, to show a couple of thing in it. Now, my car kit is mostly a cheap packable rain suit, such as you find at a big box store, hat and gloves, reflective vest... It also has a package of Datrex Lifeboat rations. (Might have been another brand.)
And it was pointed out to me that "These are almost expired."
The packaging is intact, these are safe to eat.
"But they're almost expired!"
s*i*g*h
Where I learned that the "pull dates" on food items have nothing to do with food safety or health. (With one exception, see emphasis added below):
Does Federal Law Require Dating?Although experience says that the bread mix you found in the back of the pantry from 5 years ago may no longer have fully (or any) active leavening...
Except for infant formula, product dating is not required by Federal regulations.
For meat, poultry, and egg products under the jurisdiction of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), dates may be voluntarily applied provided they are labeled in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and in compliance with FSIS regulations. To comply, a calendar date must express both the month and day of the month. In the case of shelf-stable and frozen products, the year must also be displayed. Additionally, immediately adjacent to the date must be a phrase explaining the meaning of that date such as "Best if Used By."
Are Dates for Food Safety or Quality?
Manufacturers provide dating to help consumers and retailers decide when food is of best quality. Except for infant formula, dates are not an indicator of the product’s safety and are not required by Federal law.
What Date-Labeling Phrases are Used? There are no uniform or universally accepted descriptions used on food labels for open dating in the United States. As a result, there are a wide variety of phrases used on labels to describe quality dates.
Examples of commonly used phrases:
- A "Best if Used By/Before" indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
- A "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date.
- A "Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula as described below.
So the other evening at the emergency communication team meeting we were talking about "Go Bags" and Bug Out Bags. I took my Go Kit -- which is to say, my bag for CERT or ARES/RACES work, not my "Get Out Of Town" bag.
I also took my car kit in, to show a couple of thing in it. Now, my car kit is mostly a cheap packable rain suit, such as you find at a big box store, hat and gloves, reflective vest... It also has a package of Datrex Lifeboat rations. (Might have been another brand.)
And it was pointed out to me that "These are almost expired."
The packaging is intact, these are safe to eat.
"But they're almost expired!"
s*i*g*h
Monday, February 19, 2018
"So, how did that class go, Drang?"
Well, I'm glad you asked... sort of.
So, two weeks ago I posted Training returns to WAC Shows!
So I secured the weekend off, since I work graveyard shift these days and being able to teach a class Sunday morning would require two days... fortunately, I have leave to burn (as in, "use it or lose it.") and no one else was requesting the days.
Unfortunately, while we had training materials, and a venue, and instructors, we had no students sign up.
Well, it was pretty short notice, too short to fully advertise.
There's a show this weekend at the Puyallup Fairgrounds, but this is the month when it is bumped from the usual "Showplex" facility to the "Pavilion"--and that raises a critical question...
The NRA Home Firearms Safety class involves teaching people safe gun handling, including how to "unload and make safe" the major types of hand- and long guns.
This, obviously, requires manipulating firearms.
Therefore, one of the requirements to conduct the class is that you have a "safe direction", per Rule 1 (NRA Version). This means that the classroom must have at least one wall that is constructed of a material that will stop a bullet.
(Yes, NRA bans all live ammo from classroom training, even classes like Refuse To Be A Victim that do not involve actual firearms.
(So?)
We were unable to ascertain whether the Pavilion has a classroom facility that meets the requirement for a safe direction, therefore, no class this weekend.
March's Puyallup show is in the "Agriplex" which is barely big enough for the usual table-holders, does not have room for a separate class, and does not have a safe direction. (There is no show in March at the fairgrounds in Monroe.)
So it looks like the next class will probably be at Puyallup in April. Well, should be plenty of time to advertise, kinda wonder if we'll need to do one class both days...
Again:
By the way: Part of dues, and of the non-members entry fee for the show, goes to the Building Fund, which is earmarked to be used to purchase a permanent home for the WAC offices and shows. There have been issues with finding a large enough piece of property that wasn't zoned against firearm-related activities.
I ass-you-me that, if we ever find a suitable property, that the gun shows at alternate facilities will not cease. (That is, if it's in the south end there will still be several shows a year at the Monroe fairgrounds.
(The idea of having a couple of shows a year in Eastern Washington has also been mooted, but I don't know how far those plans have gone, or even if they got to the planing stage. I think maybe one a quarter or so, in, say, Spokane, Pasco, and Ellensberg, might be beneficial. But I'm just blue-skying here.)
So, two weeks ago I posted Training returns to WAC Shows!
So I secured the weekend off, since I work graveyard shift these days and being able to teach a class Sunday morning would require two days... fortunately, I have leave to burn (as in, "use it or lose it.") and no one else was requesting the days.
Unfortunately, while we had training materials, and a venue, and instructors, we had no students sign up.
Well, it was pretty short notice, too short to fully advertise.
There's a show this weekend at the Puyallup Fairgrounds, but this is the month when it is bumped from the usual "Showplex" facility to the "Pavilion"--and that raises a critical question...
The NRA Home Firearms Safety class involves teaching people safe gun handling, including how to "unload and make safe" the major types of hand- and long guns.
This, obviously, requires manipulating firearms.
Therefore, one of the requirements to conduct the class is that you have a "safe direction", per Rule 1 (NRA Version). This means that the classroom must have at least one wall that is constructed of a material that will stop a bullet.
(Yes, NRA bans all live ammo from classroom training, even classes like Refuse To Be A Victim that do not involve actual firearms.
(So?)
We were unable to ascertain whether the Pavilion has a classroom facility that meets the requirement for a safe direction, therefore, no class this weekend.
March's Puyallup show is in the "Agriplex" which is barely big enough for the usual table-holders, does not have room for a separate class, and does not have a safe direction. (There is no show in March at the fairgrounds in Monroe.)
So it looks like the next class will probably be at Puyallup in April. Well, should be plenty of time to advertise, kinda wonder if we'll need to do one class both days...
Again:
- Cost:
- Admission to WAC Gunshows is free for WAC members
- $10.00 for non-members. (Refundable if you join at the show.)
- Target audience:
- Those wishing to learn or review the basics of safe gun handling.
- No minimum or maximum age, but the "final exam" involves safely demonstrating "unloading and showing clear"
- Depending on turnout, students who do not have the strength or dexterity to demonstrate safe gun handling may be allowed to "audit" the class, but no certificate will be issued. (I.e., those too young, arthritis or hand injuries, etc.)
By the way: Part of dues, and of the non-members entry fee for the show, goes to the Building Fund, which is earmarked to be used to purchase a permanent home for the WAC offices and shows. There have been issues with finding a large enough piece of property that wasn't zoned against firearm-related activities.
I ass-you-me that, if we ever find a suitable property, that the gun shows at alternate facilities will not cease. (That is, if it's in the south end there will still be several shows a year at the Monroe fairgrounds.
(The idea of having a couple of shows a year in Eastern Washington has also been mooted, but I don't know how far those plans have gone, or even if they got to the planing stage. I think maybe one a quarter or so, in, say, Spokane, Pasco, and Ellensberg, might be beneficial. But I'm just blue-skying here.)
Monday, February 5, 2018
Training returns to WAC Shows!
This coming weekend, NRA Home Firearms Safety Classes return to the Washington Arms Collectors gunshows.
These had ceased due to the fallout of I594, about which I had a thing or two to say. Current interpretation is that, as long the firearm does not leave the training venue, a "transfer" has not taken place, so it has been decided to start classes again.
Current plan is to have at least one HFS class a quarter; we'll probably start doing Refuse To Be A Victim classes, too.
These had ceased due to the fallout of I594, about which I had a thing or two to say. Current interpretation is that, as long the firearm does not leave the training venue, a "transfer" has not taken place, so it has been decided to start classes again.
- Date: Sunday, February 11th
- Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
- Location: Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA, in the "Log Cabin".
- Cost:
- Admission to WAC Gunshows is free for WAC members
- $10.00 for non-members. (Refundable if you join at the show.)
- Target audience:
- Those wishing to learn, or review the basics of safe gun handling.
- No minimum or maximum age, but the "final exam" involves safely demonstrating "unloading and showing clear", so if the student does not have the strength and dexterity to do so, no certificate will be issued.
Current plan is to have at least one HFS class a quarter; we'll probably start doing Refuse To Be A Victim classes, too.
Friday, February 2, 2018
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Tourniquets Save Lives
Lest it be lost in all the leftist blood-dancing over the attempted assassination of Representative Scalise, note that his comrades worked to save his life, including improvising a tourniquet.
Wow: Colleagues Rushed to Save Scalise’s Life - Cortney O'Brien
Since you can't count on having a veteran combat surgeon handy if and when the unthinkable happens, you should consider adding a trauma kit to your carry preparations.
PDF: Optimizing the use of Limb Tourniquets in Tactical Combat ...
tourniquets save lives at DuckDuckGo
Buy one, or more, and learn to use them.
I have a bunch of SOF-T Wide models, because group buy.
Tactical Medical Solutions | Training Resources
Here's one on improvising a tourniquet with a triangular bandage:
Another:
NOTE: It is highly recommended that you DO NOT limit your training on these essential items to watching a couple of YouTube videos, even if they are posted by an unimpeachable source.¹
In addition to TacMed, other good sources of equipment and information include Chinook Medical Gear, Inc and Imminent Threat Solutions.
Training is available through Insights Training: Tactical First Aid Training and Dark Angel Medical, among others.
Previously on The Cluemeter²:
1. Not that I consider myself unimpeachable on this sort of thing.
2. As I typed this I heard it in the voice of the announcer for the Adam West Batman series...
Wow: Colleagues Rushed to Save Scalise’s Life - Cortney O'Brien
Since you can't count on having a veteran combat surgeon handy if and when the unthinkable happens, you should consider adding a trauma kit to your carry preparations.
PDF: Optimizing the use of Limb Tourniquets in Tactical Combat ...
tourniquets save lives at DuckDuckGo
Buy one, or more, and learn to use them.
I have a bunch of SOF-T Wide models, because group buy.
Tactical Medical Solutions | Training Resources
Here's one on improvising a tourniquet with a triangular bandage:
Another:
NOTE: It is highly recommended that you DO NOT limit your training on these essential items to watching a couple of YouTube videos, even if they are posted by an unimpeachable source.¹
In addition to TacMed, other good sources of equipment and information include Chinook Medical Gear, Inc and Imminent Threat Solutions.
Training is available through Insights Training: Tactical First Aid Training and Dark Angel Medical, among others.
Previously on The Cluemeter²:
1. Not that I consider myself unimpeachable on this sort of thing.
2. As I typed this I heard it in the voice of the announcer for the Adam West Batman series...
Monday, April 17, 2017
Fight the derp!
I have a t-shirt, black with red lettering saying "D.A.R.E"! It looks familiar, except in small letters it says "Derp Abuse Resistance Education". It was a limited edition at SKD Tactical, a Todd L Green memorial of sorts, raising money for Tod's Rampage For The Cure. I wore it at MAG40 last summer, and at the Langdon Tactical class.
Then I learned that there were reports of the locking mechanism getting jammed. "Well", I says to myself says I, "I've heard Internet rumors about this problem but not met anyone who saw it happen, and I'm not planning on wearing these things on a deployment or rolling around in the dirt while wearing them..."
Well, apparently it doesn't take rolling around in a bear pit to jam the mechanism, and I've now read too many eye-witness accounts of having to retrieve a gun from one of these with a pair of tin snips to want to risk it.
Plus, there's the whole "Using your trigger finger to activate the release" thing.
Now, when I first heard these particular concerns raised I did some "dry practice" draws, and concluded that the Serpa locking mechanism positioned my trigger finger along the frame of my Combat Commander where it belongs.
Trouble is, well, here's a video:
Note that Mr. "Only a fool can't use a Serpa safely" has his trigger finger inside the trigger guard pretty much during the whole draw stroke.
So in last week's Weekend Knowledge Dump Greg Ellifritz linked to a post Why NOT SERPA | Stuff From Hsoi which included a video of a Serpa jamming up hard during a self-defense training session. (Which also links to a Facebook post that includes the video I just embedded.)
Fortunately, Kathy Jackson (smooth segue, huh?) has just completed a six-part series on holsters:
The Best Self-Defense Ammo, Voted by You, and One Takes Home 45% of the Vote
Contemplate this. (Did you say that in James Earl Jones' voice, and continue with "...on the Tree of Woe?" 'Cuz I did while typing it...)
Anyway. They crowd sourced what everyone thinks is the best self-defense ammo!
There are decent loads on this list.There are loads on this list that have been off the market for over two decades. There are loads on this list that were hot stuff three decades ago but are now, shall we say, passé. And there are loads on this list that are pure derp.
If one has questions about what round to carry, the standard advice is to carry whatever the local constabulary carries. If one still has questions, the best bet is to start your research with the "sticky" threads on this page: Ammunition -- Pistol-Forum.com. Note that a couple of those stickied threads have to do with ballistic gelatin testing and wound ballistics. Minimal research will tell you that one does not simply walk into one's local Safeway and buy ballistics gelatin (do we need a Boromir meme for that...?) so when that YouTube celebrity says he was using clear Knox gelatin for his test, well...
Mind you, the qualitative difference between the three Franklin gun and the five Franklin gun may be greater than between the five and the ten. All other things being equal, an all-metal gun is almost certainly going to cost more than a polymer gun of equivalent size and quality. Do your research, and determine what you are giving up by going with, say, the Kel-Tec P3AT versus the Ruger LCP, S&W Bodyguard, or Glock 42.
Ideally, read those ammunition threads I just linked to and buy a 9mm instead of a .380...
Since I mentioned Pistol-Forum.com, one of the members has put together what is shaping up to be a pretty useful tool, which he calls the Firearms Training Hub. Looking for a specific type of class? Or classes in a specific area? Here you go. Mind you, the trainers have to let him know that they're available to include, so it is not necessarily 100% as to what is scheduled where, but it's certainly a good place to start.
And a few tagged Training as well.
Holster Derp
You still see people using Serpa holsters, or imitations. I have a couple myself. I bought them because they're reasonably priced, and retention seemed like a Good Idea.Then I learned that there were reports of the locking mechanism getting jammed. "Well", I says to myself says I, "I've heard Internet rumors about this problem but not met anyone who saw it happen, and I'm not planning on wearing these things on a deployment or rolling around in the dirt while wearing them..."
Well, apparently it doesn't take rolling around in a bear pit to jam the mechanism, and I've now read too many eye-witness accounts of having to retrieve a gun from one of these with a pair of tin snips to want to risk it.
Plus, there's the whole "Using your trigger finger to activate the release" thing.
Now, when I first heard these particular concerns raised I did some "dry practice" draws, and concluded that the Serpa locking mechanism positioned my trigger finger along the frame of my Combat Commander where it belongs.
Trouble is, well, here's a video:
Note that Mr. "Only a fool can't use a Serpa safely" has his trigger finger inside the trigger guard pretty much during the whole draw stroke.
So in last week's Weekend Knowledge Dump Greg Ellifritz linked to a post Why NOT SERPA | Stuff From Hsoi which included a video of a Serpa jamming up hard during a self-defense training session. (Which also links to a Facebook post that includes the video I just embedded.)
Holster Non-Derp
Last week I found myself trying to explain why you really do need to expect to spend more than a Jackson* on a holster. All too often we see someone dropping five hundred or more on a pistol, just to carry it in what Tamara calls a "sausage sack"; a soft nylon holster that collapses on the draw and that might, even if it covers the trigger guard, might not do a good job of protecting it.Fortunately, Kathy Jackson (smooth segue, huh?) has just completed a six-part series on holsters:
- Holster Conversations | Cornered Cat
- A Better Holster, Part One | Cornered Cat
- A Better Holster, Part Two | Cornered Cat
- A Better Holster, Part Three | Cornered Cat
- A Better Holster, Part Four | Cornered Cat
- A Better Holster, Part Five | Cornered Cat
- A Better Holster, Part Six | Cornered Cat
- Protects the trigger,
- Holds the gun securely, and
- Allows the user to access the gun when they need it.
Ammo Derp
Speaking of Greg Ellifritz, in the same Knowledge Dump I referenced above he links to a poll of the Best Self-Defense Ammo...The Best Self-Defense Ammo, Voted by You, and One Takes Home 45% of the Vote
Contemplate this. (Did you say that in James Earl Jones' voice, and continue with "...on the Tree of Woe?" 'Cuz I did while typing it...)
Anyway. They crowd sourced what everyone thinks is the best self-defense ammo!
There are decent loads on this list.There are loads on this list that have been off the market for over two decades. There are loads on this list that were hot stuff three decades ago but are now, shall we say, passé. And there are loads on this list that are pure derp.
If one has questions about what round to carry, the standard advice is to carry whatever the local constabulary carries. If one still has questions, the best bet is to start your research with the "sticky" threads on this page: Ammunition -- Pistol-Forum.com. Note that a couple of those stickied threads have to do with ballistic gelatin testing and wound ballistics. Minimal research will tell you that one does not simply walk into one's local Safeway and buy ballistics gelatin (do we need a Boromir meme for that...?) so when that YouTube celebrity says he was using clear Knox gelatin for his test, well...
Guns
You get what you pay for. The $500 (new) gun is better than the $300 (new) gun, and the $1000 (new) gun is better than the $500 (new) gun. (Granted, there may be exceptions, including lucking into a Steal of a Deal.)Mind you, the qualitative difference between the three Franklin gun and the five Franklin gun may be greater than between the five and the ten. All other things being equal, an all-metal gun is almost certainly going to cost more than a polymer gun of equivalent size and quality. Do your research, and determine what you are giving up by going with, say, the Kel-Tec P3AT versus the Ruger LCP, S&W Bodyguard, or Glock 42.
Ideally, read those ammunition threads I just linked to and buy a 9mm instead of a .380...
Training
"Derp Abuse Resistance Education"...Since I mentioned Pistol-Forum.com, one of the members has put together what is shaping up to be a pretty useful tool, which he calls the Firearms Training Hub. Looking for a specific type of class? Or classes in a specific area? Here you go. Mind you, the trainers have to let him know that they're available to include, so it is not necessarily 100% as to what is scheduled where, but it's certainly a good place to start.
Archives
I've written a few posts on the subject of derp, using the tag DerpitudeAnd a few tagged Training as well.
***
*AKA an "Irony". If that puzzles you, research Andrew Jackson's relationship with the US Bank, and extrapolate to the concept of the Federal Reserve. One must assume that Andy J would be fine with having someone else's face on the $20, although how he would feel about being replaced by Harriet Tubman I refuse to speculate.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
GOAL Alert 2017-2
Another one.
Sounds like things are moving fast in Olympia.
Hopefully, only the "good" bills will move...
***
TO: undisclosed recipients
SENT: Tue 1/24/2017 12:47 PM
SUBJECT: GOAL Alert 2017-2, 24 January 2017
Another short-fused heads-up.This was sent to me by an activist in Oly, calling on gunnies who are available to attend a public hearing in Olympia on Thursday, 26 January in the House Education Committee.
The hearing is on HB 1174 (among other bills) requiring the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop and offer an elective gun safety and/or hunter education course at the high school level.
Our children are being brainwashed to fear guns and stay away from them. These are the next generations’ anti-gun voters. Proper and safe firearms education will go along way to refuting the propaganda they hear on a nearly daily basis from “the establishment.”
Our youth are our future.And the future of the Second Amendment.
If you can attend, please do. If you can’t, please contact your legislators and ask them to support the bill.
Joe Waldron, Chairman, GOAL
I just received this information earlier today. I recognize that this is short notice. See other information below.
As noted, this hearing is scheduled for 8 AM, on Thursday, 26 Jan 2017, location as follows:
*Subject:*FW: Sponsor Notification of Education Meeting.
*Good news. HB 1174 is scheduled for a public hearing on Jan. 26 at 8AM in HHR A.*
**
*Education*
House Full Committee
House Hearing Rm A
January 26, 2017
John L. O'Brien Building
8:00 a.m.
Olympia, WA
*Public Hearing: *
1. HB 1115 - Concerning para-educators. (Bergquist/Megan Wargacki)
2. HB 1174 - Requiring the superintendent of public instruction to develop an elective firearms safety and hunter education course for high school students. (Muri/Ethan Moreno)
3. HB 1208 - Concerning charter school students participating in inter-school athletics and extracurricular activities. (Johnson/Ethan Moreno)
4. HB 1235 - Assessing physical education practices in public schools. (Riccelli/Ethan Moreno)
Also, here is great information on giving public testimony:
http://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx. Parking information is on the right hand side of the page, too.
------------------------------------
Posted by: GOAL WA <goalwa@cox.net>
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Ernest Langdon Tactical Pistol Skills AAR, Take 2
The Kent, WA, Police Department hosted Ernest Langdon for his two-day Tactical Pistol Skills course at their indoor range on October 24th and 25th. (And again on the 26th and 27th.)
Unusually for a class sponsored by a law enforcement agency, it was open enrollment; after securing authorization from the CFO I signed up. (And almost had to cancel, but the Salt Mines decided they didn't need me to help clean up after Hurricane Matthew after all.)
There were twelve students in the class: 2 Kent PD officers, 3 Federal Way PD officers, and one each from Auburn, Seattle, and the King County Sheriff's department. Most or all of the cops were firearms instructors, SWAT team members, or both.
Besides myself, the "civilians" included a Microsoft engineer, a heavy equipment operator in the logging industry, and a gun 'riter.
10 of the students were shooting Glock 17s or 19s; Rick (logger) was shooting a 1911 in 9mm, which meant That Guy was the only one shooting a full-size 1911 in .45 ACP.
At least 3 of the SWAT officers had RMRs on their Glocks.
The Kent PD's indoor range is located at the Kent Fire and Emergency training complex; I was surprised, because despite the fact that I had done my CERT training up there, had been a member of the Kent Emergency Communications team which meets up there, and that Mrs. Drang and I helped the Kent PD's Public Information Officer teach a Refuse To Be A Victim class there, I no idea there was a range on the premises.
It is a pretty impressive facility, for all that it's unassuming on the outside; the soundproofing is excellent, so that those who usually double-up on ear protection in an indoor range didn't need to. The air system was also over-built ( I believe they told us to three times what is required) and the filters are changed every three months.
The range is set up with six firing positions at the"near" end, but they are built to easily open up and provide minimal obstruction, making one large open bay; the target system seems to use the newer digital controls so that you can precisely control the range. The range is a full 25 yards long, allowing meaningful training with rifles and shotguns.
Unfortunately, health and safety rules completely prohibited food and drink inside the building, which made staying hydrated awkward, to say the least.
Course Description from Langdon Tactical's website:
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Gun Skool (Pugetopolis Edition) Update
Realized a few days ago that, when I listed local shooting schools in the area (in post The Clue Meter: Gun Skool Thoughts, Part I -- Pugetopolis), I left one out.
Norpoint Shooting Center is far enough north that I forgot about it, but one of the owners was one of my instructors in the FAS Defensive Shotgun Class I took last year. Some co-workers (who have a simply insane commute) have taken multiple classes there and give it two trigger fingers up.
Looking at the course catalog, I may be enticed to make the trek up that way myself...
Norpoint Shooting Center is far enough north that I forgot about it, but one of the owners was one of my instructors in the FAS Defensive Shotgun Class I took last year. Some co-workers (who have a simply insane commute) have taken multiple classes there and give it two trigger fingers up.
Looking at the course catalog, I may be enticed to make the trek up that way myself...
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Short Takes
Things I feel like I ought to have something for, but not a lot...
Now, a 20 year old Turk living in America for years may or may not be a Muslim, or a devout one,at any rate, but I can just picture the meeting where some brasshat vetted the APB and said "Yeah, so what does 'Levantine' mean again? Yeah, that's what I thought, no."
At least the warnings against "backlash" don't seem as severe as usual. Or even the media are getting tired of them.
OTOH, I haven't been watching the press conferences because every time they come on there's Governor Inslee hinting at gun control to come...
Even if all he had was what looks like a Ruger 10/22. Damned Fudd guns.
BTW, that mall which is said to have been posted, I am told that only the theater there is posted. Like many states with licensed carry, IF every public entrance is clearly posted, then you can be asked to leave if caught; if you return armed, or refuse to leave, you can be charge with misdemeanor trespass.
LAPPL - Los Angeles Police Protective League: Police Commission tells officers to run away, or else
***
Burlington: How many heard the shooter described as "Hispanic-looking" and thought "Oh, bioy here we go again"?Now, a 20 year old Turk living in America for years may or may not be a Muslim, or a devout one,at any rate, but I can just picture the meeting where some brasshat vetted the APB and said "Yeah, so what does 'Levantine' mean again? Yeah, that's what I thought, no."
At least the warnings against "backlash" don't seem as severe as usual. Or even the media are getting tired of them.
OTOH, I haven't been watching the press conferences because every time they come on there's Governor Inslee hinting at gun control to come...
Even if all he had was what looks like a Ruger 10/22. Damned Fudd guns.
BTW, that mall which is said to have been posted, I am told that only the theater there is posted. Like many states with licensed carry, IF every public entrance is clearly posted, then you can be asked to leave if caught; if you return armed, or refuse to leave, you can be charge with misdemeanor trespass.
***
Charlotte: Looks to me like, even if he didn't have a gun in his hand, the police had every reason to believe he was going for one.
And even if they were wrong, burning down the city is not a good way to get your point across. Look what it did for my hometown...
Also, blocking the Interstate is not a good idea, especially when you ar doing it in such a manner as to give motorists reason to believe that you are threatening them with grave bodily harm.
You might then give them reason to believe that their best course of action will be to put it in drive (or maybe "low") and move forward.
Note that "drive on" is not meant to mean "deliberately run people down." But is they are pounding on your car, yelling threats, throwing rocks, trying to rock it and overturn it, well, they're playing stupid games, they should be prepared to win stupid prizes.
***
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners has determines that the proper response of Los Angeles' Finest to armed suspects should be to... run away.LAPPL - Los Angeles Police Protective League: Police Commission tells officers to run away, or else
The officers didn’t run away. The Commission, armed with video and their own political agenda broke down the footage frame by frame to determine that in the course of seconds, the first officer whose “position initially provided Officer C with a position of tactical advantage” lost the advantage as the suspect charged him. They wrote, “this advantage rapidly diminished as the Subject continued her advance, leaving him with neither distance nor effective cover as the Subject approached the space between two parked vehicles by which Officer C was located.”Hmmm, I wonder how the mayor would feel if his protective detail yelled "gun!" and...ran away?
Suspect charging from the front. Vehicles on either side. Where do you “redeploy?” Run backwards. This is absurd and it’s dangerous. What happens if the officer loses his footing with a charging suspect? What happens if the suspect runs into a nearby home or store and confronts its occupants with her weapon? What if the suspect also had a concealed gun? What is created when an officer turns tail and runs away is a large target. It’s called a back. The officer would put their lives in further jeopardy by running away if the suspect had a gun. At this close range, running away would create a self-caused danger to the officers and the public.
Chief Beck, who has absolutely no problem finding fault with officers, agreed with these officers’ actions. The Commission, with a grand total of zero years of experience in law enforcement, overruled the Chief’s decision. The Commissioners created an alternative set of facts that acknowledged that the officer was right to believe his life was in jeopardy but found fault with the officer shooting the knife-wielding suspect because the officer should have run away.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Gun Skool Thoughts, Part II
So, when talking to folks who have never been to formal training that did not involve everyone wearing the same clothes and addressing others as "Sergeant" or "Sir", I've found some... odd ideas.
When you are reading the course description, make sure you read the part that says what to being with you.
There are several reasons for this:
When you are reading the course description, make sure you read the part that says what to being with you.
- Some schools will provide it for you -- read "sell it to you" -- if you make prior arrangements, but usually the only ones that provide ammo are also providing guns.
- Check the expected round count and take extra.
- Try to figure out what works best on your gun(s), don't just go for the cheapest bulk pack.
- Ask me how I know that last...
There are several reasons for this:
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Gun Skool Thoughts, Part I -- Pugetopolis
As word got out at work that I had attended MAG40, I started being queried about going to a shooting school. Not surprising, I guess.
One of the things I was asked (including online) was "Where can I go for classes?"
I have personal experience with two sources of instruction:
Another local source of training which is highly reputable but which I personally have no experience with is InSights Training Center, which conducts it's classes locally at West Coast Armory and West Coast Armory North.
A training operation which markets itself heavily (they have a booth at the state fair!!!) but whose instruction I have no experience with is Friday Harbor Gun Runners.
(Not gonna lie: I hate the name, and I hate the pirate logo. But if their marketing is successful, I guess my personal taste counts for nothing.)
(OTOH, their training operation is actually and formally Northwest Safety First with an Eagle-and-Flag logo, which is nice and responsible sounding, but I had to research this post to learn it...)
Most or all of the local indoor ranges and clubs have classes of some sort. Other than my "local" noted above, I cannot speak to the nature of the training.
Indoor Ranges:
Listed in no particular order:
By the way, Microsoft and Boeing both have active gun clubs for employees; Boeing used to have a corporate indoor pistol range, the backstop of which it gave to the club ("Get this out of our storage or we'll sell it for scrap!") , which donated it to a new indoor range in exchange for membership privileges.
Since I had at least one query for "My brother lives in the Puget Sound region and he wants to know where to go for training", I welcome any additions to this list that others may have. Leave a comment or shoot me an email at the address over there on the left side of your screen and I'll add it. Thanks!
EDIT TO ADD: I suspect the paucity of classes listed at the clubs is due to the effects of Initiative I-594 a couple of years ago, which made it illegal to hand a gun to someone not your relative without a background check. The training exemption makes it legal to do so if the gun remains at the range full-time. Not a lot of help...
Note this well, you who live in states considering similar "common sense regulations."
One of the things I was asked (including online) was "Where can I go for classes?"
I have personal experience with two sources of instruction:
- The Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc.. This is where I attended MAG40, and the Defensive Shotgun Course I took last October. Training here is excellent. If you are taking a multi-day class, unless you live very close you might want to stay in town. (They do have provisions for camping: "Set up camp over in that flat area under the trees.")
- Classes at Federal Way Discount Guns. I took several classes here (Basic, "Progressive" or Intermediate, and "Urban Defensive Tactics"). At this time they only show two courses in the "catalog", Basic Handgun and "AR-15 Rifle Tactics." They also do private instruction by arrangement.
Another local source of training which is highly reputable but which I personally have no experience with is InSights Training Center, which conducts it's classes locally at West Coast Armory and West Coast Armory North.
A training operation which markets itself heavily (they have a booth at the state fair!!!) but whose instruction I have no experience with is Friday Harbor Gun Runners.
(Not gonna lie: I hate the name, and I hate the pirate logo. But if their marketing is successful, I guess my personal taste counts for nothing.)
(OTOH, their training operation is actually and formally Northwest Safety First with an Eagle-and-Flag logo, which is nice and responsible sounding, but I had to research this post to learn it...)
Most or all of the local indoor ranges and clubs have classes of some sort. Other than my "local" noted above, I cannot speak to the nature of the training.
Indoor Ranges:
- The Marksman, Puyallup, WA
- Champion Arms, Kent, Washington
Listed in no particular order:
- Paul Bunyan Rifle and Sportsman's Club Home Page
- Tacoma Rifle and Revolver Club
- Tacoma Sportsmen's Club
- Renton Fish and Game Club (Only lists Hunter's Education; they have a heavy match schedule.)
- Snoqualmie Valley Rifle Club. No classes currently scheduled, which is a shame, I helped run a couple of classes there.
- Kenmore Shooting Range.
- Cascade Shooting Facilities (FKA Cascade Rifle & Pistol Club.) Currently only lists a woman's handgun course. Pretty extensive range facility, out in the country far enough that they should have a few years before they feel urban sprawls encroachments, unlike most of the other clubs listed.
By the way, Microsoft and Boeing both have active gun clubs for employees; Boeing used to have a corporate indoor pistol range, the backstop of which it gave to the club ("Get this out of our storage or we'll sell it for scrap!") , which donated it to a new indoor range in exchange for membership privileges.
Since I had at least one query for "My brother lives in the Puget Sound region and he wants to know where to go for training", I welcome any additions to this list that others may have. Leave a comment or shoot me an email at the address over there on the left side of your screen and I'll add it. Thanks!
EDIT TO ADD: I suspect the paucity of classes listed at the clubs is due to the effects of Initiative I-594 a couple of years ago, which made it illegal to hand a gun to someone not your relative without a background check. The training exemption makes it legal to do so if the gun remains at the range full-time. Not a lot of help...
Note this well, you who live in states considering similar "common sense regulations."
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Stop the derp!
So, elsewhere on the Internet, in a discussion of defense training for folks in the education business, someone trotted out the hoary chestnut "Just keep a can of wasp spray on your desk!"
I didn't like that advice the first time I heard it, on the basis that spraying folks with nerve agent seemed like a bad idea. If you need a less than lethal option, OC spray or Mace, or even one of those crappy stun guns they sell everywhere, would seem like a better idea.
Why? Because the label tells you not to use in an enclosed space, or to evacuate an enclosed space before use. Because these products generally have a warning that says something like "Illegal to use in a manner inconsistent with this labeling" as part of the safety precautions. Because of the possibility of some lawyer standing up in a courtroom and reading the label of the can, and challenging any suggestion that it was "less than lethal". Since you gave and/or took advice that this was useful as a self-defense tool, the issue of liability is greater than I was comfortable with.
Mind you, if you're attacked by a gang while spraying that wasp nest in the back year, it's what you have and they have it coming, but deliberately arming yourself with a bug bomb seems questionable.
I suppose the reason that wasp spray specifically gets recommended is that it shoots what seems to be a powerful stream for a relatively long range, and the target will curl up and drop when hit. It's a (relatively) little bitty bug, hit by a stream that is powerful relative to it's size, and formulated to it's biology.
So when someone said "Wasp Spray", I mentioned that I thought it was a bad idea, and sat back with a metaphorical bowl of popcorn and waited for the experts.
They did not disappoint:
Wasp spray for self defense? This myth just won’t die! – www.GrantCunningham.com
You should read the whole thing, but:
Plus, this video:
So, spraying wasp spray on a news crew filming the news in a public area put them in such distress they thought it was... windshield washer fluid.
Can we please stop the derp?
I didn't like that advice the first time I heard it, on the basis that spraying folks with nerve agent seemed like a bad idea. If you need a less than lethal option, OC spray or Mace, or even one of those crappy stun guns they sell everywhere, would seem like a better idea.
Why? Because the label tells you not to use in an enclosed space, or to evacuate an enclosed space before use. Because these products generally have a warning that says something like "Illegal to use in a manner inconsistent with this labeling" as part of the safety precautions. Because of the possibility of some lawyer standing up in a courtroom and reading the label of the can, and challenging any suggestion that it was "less than lethal". Since you gave and/or took advice that this was useful as a self-defense tool, the issue of liability is greater than I was comfortable with.
Mind you, if you're attacked by a gang while spraying that wasp nest in the back year, it's what you have and they have it coming, but deliberately arming yourself with a bug bomb seems questionable.
I suppose the reason that wasp spray specifically gets recommended is that it shoots what seems to be a powerful stream for a relatively long range, and the target will curl up and drop when hit. It's a (relatively) little bitty bug, hit by a stream that is powerful relative to it's size, and formulated to it's biology.
So when someone said "Wasp Spray", I mentioned that I thought it was a bad idea, and sat back with a metaphorical bowl of popcorn and waited for the experts.
They did not disappoint:
Wasp spray for self defense? This myth just won’t die! – www.GrantCunningham.com
You should read the whole thing, but:
The concentration of pyrethrins in a typical wasp spray isn’t all that high, but the amount of material in the stream which hits the insect may weigh as much as it does; even in a small concentration, the insect will get a huge dose of the poison relative to its weight. The distillates which serve as the carrier are selected to get past the bug’s exoskeleton and deliver the poison very rapidly. The result is the effect described above: the insect loses its ability to control its muscular functions in mid-air and drops to the ground, where it rapidly dies.Mr. Cunningham also links to an American Preppers Network article with a detailed discussion of the chemical make-up of wasp spray, and of the differences between OC for humans and for bears, as well as a link to a news item about a couple who tried unsuccessfully to use wasp spray to "repel boarders" during a home invasion.
When directed at a human, I can tell you from experience this doesn’t happen. As I said at the top, several years ago I managed to spray myself in the face with some wasp spray as I attempted to snuff out a large nest. I wasn’t looking at the can as I shifted my grip to get the spray into an difficult place, and I was wearing gloves so that I couldn’t tell where the button was pointed. Instead of hitting the nest the spray hit my face!
I was in no way incapacitated and had no problem walking into the house, cleaning myself off, and checking the manufacturer’s website for first aid procedures. I did notice some tingling and my vision was a little blurry in one eye for a bit, but that was about the extent of it.
Plus, this video:
So, spraying wasp spray on a news crew filming the news in a public area put them in such distress they thought it was... windshield washer fluid.
Can we please stop the derp?
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Well, we feel better now...
As I related in my lengthy, mostly-photo post about our Mexican Riviera cruise, the trip home was a bit bouncy. Waves were hitting 17 feet, making it a bit of a challenge to walk steadily. I think we all knew it could have been much worse.
Much, much worse.
Passengers on Storm-Ravaged Cruise Ship Return to NJ, Describe 'Cruise From Hell' | NBC New York
Much, much worse.
Passengers on Storm-Ravaged Cruise Ship Return to NJ, Describe 'Cruise From Hell' | NBC New York
And of course, a congresscritter is calling for a government investigation...The ship, carrying more than 4,500 passengers and 1,600 crew members, departed Saturday on a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas. But the 1,141-foot vessel sailed on Sunday into a major winter storm.The captain asked passengers to stay in their cabins as powerful 120-mph sustained winds and waves as high as 30 feet tossed the vessel around beginning Sunday afternoon.
Friday, November 20, 2015
WSJ: "Tourniquet Use Urged in Public-Safety Push"
Tourniquet Use Urged in Public-Safety Push - WSJ
(To read a WSJ article without having to subscribe, Google the article title.)
Don't read the comments...
ADDITIONAL: How First Aid and Emergency Response Can Combat Terrorism - The Atlantic
That's the URL, but the title on the age is "Fighting Terrorism With Tourniquets", although there seems to be an alternate of "Fighting Terrorism With First Aid".
.
LATE UPDATE: That Atlantic aticle includes a link to a two-year-old WSJ item that is of related interest: Tourniquets Gain New Respect - WSJ
Also, if you do a Google search for the WSJ article by title, several other sources of the same article show up -- including a link to this blog post. I made the front page of Google!
(To read a WSJ article without having to subscribe, Google the article title.)
Don't read the comments...
ADDITIONAL: How First Aid and Emergency Response Can Combat Terrorism - The Atlantic
That's the URL, but the title on the age is "Fighting Terrorism With Tourniquets", although there seems to be an alternate of "Fighting Terrorism With First Aid".
.
LATE UPDATE: That Atlantic aticle includes a link to a two-year-old WSJ item that is of related interest: Tourniquets Gain New Respect - WSJ
Also, if you do a Google search for the WSJ article by title, several other sources of the same article show up -- including a link to this blog post. I made the front page of Google!
Friday, October 23, 2015
Hearing Protection Act
ASA ANNOUNCES HEARING PROTECTION ACT: A BILL TO REMOVE SUPPRESSORS FROM THE NFA
As many have said ( I believe Tamara said it first) suppressors are a safety device and should be sold in blister packs displayed by the cash register.
Frankly, I'd like to see the various gun rights organizations go after gutting the entire National Firearms Act of 1934; most of the limitations under it are arbitrary and serve no demonstrable purpose. As a compromise, since the hoplophobes are so fond of the word, Uncle Sam can keep charging a fee on items like suppressors and short barreled rifles and shotguns, say $50.00, which is to be collected at the point of sale. The idea that these things are so inherently evil that charging a larger tax and making law abiding citizens jump through various regulatory hoops is going to reduce their use in crime is absurd, and reducing the bureaucratic burden would probably result in such an increase in revenue as to be a net gain, not to mention all the bureaucrats who could be reassigned to more productive work.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Suppressor Association (ASA) is pleased to announce the introduction of the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) by Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05). This historic piece of legislation will remove suppressors from the purview of the National Firearms Act (NFA), replacing the antiquated federal transfer process with an instantaneous NICS background check. The HPA also includes a provision to refund the $200 transfer tax to applicants who purchase a suppressor after October 22, 2015.At this time there is no information posted to GovTrack or OpenCongress, or eve Representative Salmon's official House of Representatives web page about this bill, including a bill number. All the info out there is on blogs and fora, although guns.com does have the text of the bill as introduced. (Goes directly to .pdf file which will open.)
As many have said ( I believe Tamara said it first) suppressors are a safety device and should be sold in blister packs displayed by the cash register.
Frankly, I'd like to see the various gun rights organizations go after gutting the entire National Firearms Act of 1934; most of the limitations under it are arbitrary and serve no demonstrable purpose. As a compromise, since the hoplophobes are so fond of the word, Uncle Sam can keep charging a fee on items like suppressors and short barreled rifles and shotguns, say $50.00, which is to be collected at the point of sale. The idea that these things are so inherently evil that charging a larger tax and making law abiding citizens jump through various regulatory hoops is going to reduce their use in crime is absurd, and reducing the bureaucratic burden would probably result in such an increase in revenue as to be a net gain, not to mention all the bureaucrats who could be reassigned to more productive work.
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