The amount of accessories that you have available to choose for your firearms is simply astounding... Every gadget, do-hicky, thingamabob, and gizmo is available for handguns, rifles, and shotguns- and all tout their advantages and the reasons that you "need" them. Hmm.... "Need" is an interesting word... Do you need all of these accessories? Let's take a look. (Note that this article is written with civilians in mind, as mission-specific gear would always be recommended for Law Enforcement and Military applications.)
Target Acquisition and Identification
It is important to be able to acquire a fast and properly aligned sight picture in order to get accurate hits off quickly. It's equally important to be able to do this in low-light environments for both safety and tactical advantage. With the right tools and training, you can make sure that this is plausible for you to accomplish with predictable and repeatable results. In order to speed this process up, some people will make modifications to their firearm which aid in some or all of the steps in presenting a firearm. For instance, one might add a red-dot optic to their handgun in order to pick up the dot faster than aligning the three posts of the front and rear sight. Another way is to add a laser with a grip activation system to your firearm. Another common method is to add a large, brightly colored front sight. All of these modifications have their advantages and drawbacks, but there is one on this list that has often been a source of controversy in our training courses... The Laser...
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After the shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge Louisiana, I have been asked to provide some insight as to what my thoughts are regarding the legalities surrounding the circumstances of this event which unfortunately ended in death. A cell-phone recorded video of his death (shown below) captured a blurry and obscured view of the events that unfolded as Alton Sterling was shot and killed during an arrest. During this video, one could argue that police did in deed have control of Alton and that he was executed as the officer produced a .40 caliber handgun and shot Alton four times from "compression" distance.
(Viewer Discretion Advised)
A second video shows a better view of the encounter and does seem to portray Alton as having gone for his weapon, a revolver which was located in his pocket. It later shows the Officer retrieve the firearm from Alton's pocket and place it away from him as Alton appears to expire. Caution: this video does capture the actual death of Alton Sterling.
(Viewer Discretion Advised)
From this angle, it would appear the Officer closer to the legs of Alton Sterling would have had a very upclose view of not only his hands, but also of the firearm. You can actually hear that Officer announce that Alton has a gun, which is when the Officer towards his head draws his weapon. In full transparency, it is not entirely clear if one Officer fired all four shots. I would think that the Officer towards Alton's head fired the first two shots from compression distance. As he retreated, I would think that the second Officer had drawn his firearm and engaged him with the second set of shots. I do not know this, but judging from the video- that is my assumption. Also keep in mind that I am not an attorney, nor am I privvy to any additional information or evidence regarding this case.
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When the liberal members of Congress talk about an "assault weapons" ban, they indicate that they are introducing legislation in an effort to curb violence and murders. How effective would that be? Well, in an effort to shed some light on a "best case scenario" outcome of an all-out "assualt weapons" ban, we wanted to see just how many lives would be saved according to the statistics. We went over to the FBI's website, and we fould a great statisitical analysis of Murder Victims by weapon from 2010 - 2014. Keep in mind that for this discussion, we are focusing on "assault rifles" (which no liberal can seem to define), specifically the AR-15. Note that the AR-15 is just one type of semi-automatic rifle, so it will fall under the "RIFLE" section below.
Here's how it breaks out...
| Weapon Used: |
2010 Total: |
2010 %: |
2011 Total: |
2011 %: |
2012 Total: |
2012 %: |
2013 Total: |
2013 %: |
2014 Total: |
2014 %: |
| HANDGUN: |
6,115 |
46% |
6,251 |
49% |
6,404 |
50% |
5,782 |
47% |
5,562 |
47% |
| RIFLE: |
367 |
3% |
332 |
3% |
298 |
2% |
285 |
2% |
248 |
2% |
| SHOTGUN: |
366 |
3% |
362 |
3% |
310 |
2% |
308 |
3% |
262 |
2% |
| OTHER GUN: |
93 |
1% |
97 |
1% |
116 |
1% |
123 |
1% |
93 |
1% |
| UNSPECIFICED GUN: |
1,933 |
15% |
1,611 |
13% |
1,769 |
14% |
1,956 |
16% |
1,959 |
16% |
| Knives or Cutting Instrument: |
1,732 |
13% |
1,716 |
13% |
1,604 |
12% |
1,490 |
12% |
1,567 |
13% |
| Blunt Objects (club, hammer, etc.): |
549 |
4% |
502 |
4% |
522 |
4% |
428 |
3% |
435 |
4% |
| Personal Weapons (hands/fists, feet, etc.): |
769 |
6% |
751 |
6% |
707 |
5% |
687 |
6% |
660 |
6% |
| Poison: |
11 |
<1% |
5 |
<1% |
13 |
<1% |
11 |
<1% |
7 |
<1% |
| Explosives: |
4 |
<1% |
6 |
<1% |
8 |
<1% |
2 |
<1% |
6 |
<1% |
| Fire: |
78 |
1% |
76 |
1% |
87 |
1% |
94 |
1% |
71 |
1% |
| Narcotics: |
45 |
<1% |
33 |
<1% |
38 |
<1% |
53 |
<1% |
62 |
1% |
| Drowning: |
10 |
<1% |
15 |
<1% |
14 |
<1% |
4 |
<1% |
14 |
<1% |
| Strangulation: |
122 |
1% |
88 |
1% |
90 |
1% |
85 |
1% |
89 |
1% |
| Asphyxiation: |
98 |
1% |
92 |
1% |
106 |
1% |
95 |
1% |
96 |
1% |
| OTHER (not stated): |
872 |
7% |
858 |
7% |
802 |
6% |
850 |
7% |
830 |
7% |
Note that the average percent of rifles (again, of which "assault rifles" are just a mere fraction) average out to be the weapon of choice just 2% of all murders in the USA. Subsequently, we'd be 3 times better off by banning hands, feet, and fists; and we'd be twice as well off by banning hammers, clubs, and baseball bats. Alternatively, we would be somewhere between 6 and 7 times better off by banning knives and cutting instruments than by banning all rifles combined.
Contrarily, handguns are used in about half of all murders in the United States, and almost another 25% are attributed to knives, fists, or hammers/bats. Think about that... 25% of the murders in the USA include a knife, a bat, or just ones hands and feet, compared to just 2% that include any type of rifle.
Perhaps we're focused on the wrong issue?
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The USA has, by far, the highest per capita gun ownership in the world. Progressives will tell you that this is what makes America the Murder Capitol of Planet Earth. But we're not, and in this devastatingly effective Firewall, Bill Whittle shows why the center of Gun Nut Nation is in fact one of the safest places in the world.
