Rugged, durable and warm, Carhartt makes some of the finest working-man jackets on the market. However, if you ask the New York Police officers involved in the recent shooting of a knife-wielding man, they might say it’s too rugged. The New York Post reported earlier this week that officers fired nine shots at the man, four of which failed to penetrate his Carhartt jacket, raising the question, is Carhartt bulletproof?
But before you go grab your jacket from the closet, YouTuber ShootingTheBull410 put a new coat to the test with disappointing, but unsurprising results. So why the ammo failures with NYPD? Well, the Post has since reported the department is looking into malfunctioning ammo.
Got any ideas about what could explain the NYPD bullet failures? How does ammo malfunction to the point that it won’t penetrate a work jacket? Wrong powder charges?
On his YouTube page, NightHawkInLight built a tasty conveyance for firing high-speed cheese balls at a rapid rate. He said, “I tried a few different designs until I landed on one using a leaf blower,” he said. The other major components are PVC pipe, some of which is shaped to take advantage of a peculiarity of fluid dynamics, and an an original high-capacity cheeseball container. You will be amazed at how far downrange cheese balls can be fired.
This is a specially-adapted excerpt from the forthcoming book, “Top Grade Ammo,” by author Glen Zediker, owner of Zediker Publishing. Click here to order from Midsouth.
by Glen Zediker
Most reloaders are going to invest in a powder meter. And, right off, it is a meter, not a “measure.” Meters don’t measure. My preference would be to most accurately call a “powder measure” a “dispenser.” That’s what it really does. The “measure” is comparing a meter hopper volume to a weight on a scale. This may seem tediously technical, but I think it’s important to really understand what we’re doing when we use a powder meter. It’s a volume, not a weight. The volume corresponds to a weight, that we arrived at through adjusting the meter volume.
Here’s a Culver. All Culver mechanisms are the same in that they have the same values; there can be differences from model to model in the steps between whole rotations, but each whole rotation is the same. It’s like comparing a ½-moa back sight to a ¼-moa back sight.
If you plan on relying on a meter to throw charges, and not weigh each one, you best get a good meter. If the meter is only a starting point, where you are then going to use a powder trickler to top off a scale-weighed charge, meter quality is of no real concern. A powder trickler is a device that delivers propellant a kernel at a time.
So what’s a “good” meter? Good question. The very best have Culver dispensing mechanisms. Named for Benchrest pioneer Homer Culver, these precision-made mechanisms click, just like a back sight. Each click, of course, either expands or contracts a void that the propellant fills. The only Culver-equipped meters I know of are produced by smaller shops, and they are more costly. But unlike most of the major-player meter designs, a Culver setting cannot change. There are no set-screws or rotating micrometer stems or barrels. A lot of folks give advice to “check the meter each 10 throws….” Meaning, check to see if it’s still throwing the desired weight (by the way, that would be a pretty bad meter). My experience, which has come from a whopping lot of testing, showed me that my scale was going to change before a Culver would change.
The author is adamant about following this process to set a meter: Don’t throw and weigh single charges to adjust the meter. Throw and weigh 10-charge portions, with the scale set, of course, to 10-times the desired single-charge weight. The author does not recollect one time when the meter adjustment did not change following this process from what he first arrived at weighing single throws. Here’s how he sets it to adjust for a 24.0-grain throw.
If you look at how a meter works, there’s a volume-adjustable cavity that rotates in position under the propellant supply, fills with propellant, and then rotates back, to dispense the propellant through an outlet. When it rotates, the granules contained in the meter are struck off, fixing and sealing the amount of propellant in the “hopper,” I call it.
A few things: One is that the smaller the granules, the more precise each fill can be. Longer-grained kernels have more air space and “stack” more than smaller-grained kernels. It’s also clear that the higher degree of precision on the internal sliding surfaces, the more “clean” the strike-off will be. It’s also clear that meter operation has a lot to do with the consistency of filling the hopper. Just like tapping a case bottom settles the propellant to a lower fill volume, same thing happens when filling the hopper in a meter.
Not too heavy, not too light. Work the handle the same each time, and have it come to a positive stop. “Thunk. Thunk.” Focus on a consistent speed. This has a huge effect on how consistent the throws will be.
A key to good throws is working the meter handle consistently, and also settling on a contact force when the meter handle comes to a stop in the “fill” direction. It should bump but not bang. I wish I could be more clear on that, but it’s a feel that must be developed. Don’t go too slowly and gingerly take the handle to its stop, and don’t slam it there either. You want a positive, audible “thunk” when the handle stops. If it’s the same each time, fill consistency will improve. I have found that focusing on operating the handle at a constant rate of speed teaches this. It’s a positive movement that, for me, takes about one second to lift the handle.
The author recommends longer drop tubes, whether it’s for a meter or a funnel. The longer tube has the same effect as tapping the case to settle the propellant. This helps when loading stick propellant into small cases, like .223 Rem. A dryer sheet rubber-banded around the propellant container eliminates static influence, which indeed can be an influence, especially in the Western regions. And do not leave propellant in a meter! Return it to a sealed container when you’re done for the day. This setup is a Harrell’s Classic with a Sinclair stand.This is a Harrell’s Premium. Its accuracy is astounding and is the author’s choice. With H4895, the “10-throw” test is within a tenth of a grain, for the whole pan-full.
In the ruling, Judge Richard J. Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia concluded that the district’s law is likely unconstitutional and that the plaintiffs who are challenging it in court would be severely harmed if the district were allowed to continue to enforce its ban while the lawsuit went forward. The judge held that the district’s “overly zealous…desire to restrict the right to carry in public a firearm for self-defense to the smallest possible number of law-abiding, responsible citizens” unconstitutionally flouted the Second Amendment.
The lawsuit was filed last year by Matthew Grace, the owner of four legally registered handguns, and Pink Pistols, a shooting group to which he belongs. In the suit, Grace said that he had no special reason for needing to carry a gun on the street, beyond the usual worries about street violence, but that the gun law violated the Second Amendment right to bear arms for self-defense. The Pink Pistols calls itself “the world’s largest GLBT self-defense organization,” with the motto “Pick On Someone Your Own Caliber.”
In 2008, the Supreme Court struck down a D.C. law banning most citizens from possessing handguns at all, reasoning that such a ban was inconsistent with the individual right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment. The district continued to enforce its ban on carrying firearms in public even after that ruling, however, and a federal district court struck that separate ban down in 2014.
The district responded by enacting a new “licensing” scheme that only allowed its residents to carry firearms in public if they could show a specific, documented need for self-defense—for example, by proving that they had been attacked or were receiving death threats. The city issued a minuscule number of licenses, and the scheme had the practical effect of a full ban.
The ruling prohibits law enforcement from enforcing the concealed carry ban temporarily while the constitutionality of the ban continues to be argued in court.
“This is a victory for Second Amendment rights and has real implications for the safety of law-abiding citizens,” said Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. “The Supreme Court has held that the Second Amendment protects the core right of self-defense in the home, but as the District Court reaffirmed, that right is just as important to ordinary citizens commuting to work or shopping for groceries in an unsafe neighborhood.”
Have thoughts on this case? Tell us what you’re thinking in the comments section!
Shooters may have seen media coverage regarding the “cellphone gun,” which is a cellphone look-a-like that transforms into a firearm. The maker, IdealConceal.com, says, “The ground breaking Ideal Conceal is a carefully engineered double barreled .380 caliber people can safely carry in their purse or clipped to their side. Ingeniously designed to resemble a smartphone, yet with one click of the safety it opens and is ready to fire.”
IdealConceal.com’s cellphone look-a-like transforms into a double-barreled .380 caliber firearm.
As it begins to enter production, many are asking, “Is it a legal handgun?”
To get these questions answered, we picked up the phone and shot some questions to Michele Byington, an attorney at the law firm of Walker & Byington in Houston.
“The main concern for this firearm is essentially whether or not it is a NFA regulated item,” Byington said. She elaborated that under the NFA (National Firearms Act), there are certain weapons that are felonies to possess without properly registering it with the ATF, and receiving a tax stamp.
A tax stamp is, according to Byington, “a special piece of paper the ATF gives you to prove you suffered through their registration process.”
One such item that must be registered is an “AOW,” or “Any Other Weapon.”
“But don’t freak out,” Byington says, “‘Any other weapon’ is not what it sounds like.” She went on to explain that the phrase AOW was sort of a catch-all category; the definition states that an AOW is “any weapon or device capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the energy of an explosive.”
This term includes quite a few things, but the most important for this discussion includes the classification of cane guns, umbrella guns, and pen guns as AOWs. In other words, the term AOW includes items that seem like they come straight from a James Bond movie.
Byington said that, at first glance, this gun disguised as a cellphone could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with items such as umbrella guns, pen guns, and the like. “The only problem is that, when asked for clarification, the ATF stated that they waiting until the gun was actually manufactured before determining its classification.”
This means that if you bought the gun, and later the ATF ruled it was an AOW, you would be violating federal (and most likely, state) law until you registered the gun. “This isn’t a quick process either; the ATF’s turnaround time right now is between six and nine months, which is a long time to hope no one finds out you’re committing a federal felony,” Byington said.
Byington pointed out that it was equally possible the ATF could declare the cellphone gun not to be an AOW; but at the moment, no one can say with any certainty how this specific weapon will be viewed under the law, so it may be worth putting the purchase of a cellphone gun on hold until the gun’s status has been decided by ATF.
How do you think ATF will rule: Is the cellphone gun a regular old handgun, or the much-heavier-regulated AOW? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
The 2016 Bianchi Cup is scheduled to run through May 28, 2016 at the Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club in Hallsville, Missouri. It is one of the crown jewels of shooting competition, and since its inception in 1979, the event has changed the landscape of competition shooting forever. First prize money in 2016 is $12,000, $2,250 for 2nd place, and $1,500 for third. Here are a few more fast facts about the Bianchi Cup:
1) Two men are primarily responsible for creating the Bianchi Cup: Ray Chapman and John Bianchi. The latter is the better known of the two, with Bianchi’s name long established as a holster maker, law-enforcement officer, and Hollywood cowboy. But as a law-enforcement officer and IPSC champion of the 1970s himself, Chapman was likewise integral in the creation of the event. Chapman passed away in 2008. The current shooting site at Green Valley Rifle and Pistol Club was formerly called the Chapman Training Academy.
2) The Bianchi Cup course of fire is a mixture of IPSC, Police Pistol Combat, and NRA Conventional Bullseye pistol-shooting styles. In 1984, the formal name of the event became the NRA Bianchi Cup, National Action Pistol Championship.
3) Citizens of any country may win the MidwayUSA & NRA Bianchi Cup Championship, except by those whose countries restrict participation and winning their championship to their own citizens.
4) The first of the four match sections is the Practical Event, followed by the Barricade Event, the Falling Plate Event, and the Moving Target Event.
5) Competitors are cautioned not to pick up dropped firearms unless under the direction of a tournament official. Dropping of an unloaded firearm and subsequently picking it up creates two safety violations and is reason for disqualification. Dropping an unloaded firearm is not sufficient reason for disqualification by itself, so competitors should contact a tournament official before picking up a dropped firearm.
To see results of this year’s competition, click here.
Scoring consistent hits on targets at long distances takes more than chance. Bryan Litz, founder and president of Applied Ballistics LLC., chief ballistician at Berger Bullets and champion rifle shooter, says accuracy at any range is a science. Litz shares how he got his start in long-range shooting and why he’s so passionate about the science of accuracy. For those interested in learning more about the science of long range shooting, Applied Ballistics will hosting several seminars throughout 2016. Enter promo code ABSEM100 during checkout and to save $100.
Blowback is becoming fierce on the makers of a new Katie Couric documentary on gun violence because those producers deceptively edited an interview between Couric and members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League in an apparent attempt to embarrass the activists.
Couric can be heard in the interview asking activists from the group, “If there are no background checks for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from purchasing a gun?”
The documentary, called Under the Gun, then shows the activists sitting silently for nine awkward seconds, unable to provide an answer. It then cuts to the next scene.
Stephen Gutowski of the Washington Free Beacon wrote, “However, raw audio of the interview between Katie Couric and the activists provided to the Washington Free Beacon shows the scene was deceptively edited. Instead of silence, Couric’s question is met immediately with answers from the activists.”
And now other media outlets are joining in. At the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple Blog, the author writes, “An apology, retraction, re-editing, whatever it is that filmmakers do to make amends — all of it needs to happen here.”
Charles Cooke of National Review wrote, “Let’s be clear, here: This is lying. It is dishonesty. It is, in a disfavored word, propaganda.”
The 16.12-inch tensioned barrel features a 1/2″-28 threaded muzzle and is fitted with a thread cap, which can be removed to allow for the use of muzzle accessories.
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.’s Ruger 10/22 Takedown Lite combines the attributes of the 10/22 Takedown line with a new, lighter weight barrel and the Ruger Modular Stock System.
This new barrel configuration consists of a cold hammer-forged alloy steel barrel mated with a 6061-T6 aluminum alloy sleeve. The barrel nut is torqued to precise factory specifications to optimize performance.
Taking a page from the Ruger 22/45 Lite, the 10/22 Takedown Lite’s aluminum alloy barrel sleeve is ventilated, resulting in the lightest-weight 10/22 target barrel yet from Ruger. The barrel and sleeve are torqued to an optimum setting to provide outstanding accuracy both at ambient temperatures and when heated by long strings of fire or by employing a sound suppressor.
The aluminum sleeve is manufactured with an array of small diameter, circular ventilations that not only provide a striking look but also aid in heat dissipation during extended use.
The 10/22 Takedown Lite weighs 4.7 pounds and is 34.50 inches long when assembled; each subassembly is less than 20.25 inches long. Disassembly is a simple matter of pushing a recessed lever, twisting the subassemblies and pulling them apart. The 16.12-inch tensioned barrel features a 1/2″-28 threaded muzzle and is fitted with a thread cap, which can be removed to allow for the use of muzzle accessories. The 10/22 Takedown Lite also incorporates the Ruger Modular Stock System and comes with both low and high comb and standard length-of-pull modules.
The rifle is shipped in a convenient carrying case, which provides ample storage with extra pockets and magazine pouches. Multiple attachment points for the padded, single shoulder strap offer a variety of carrying options.
The Ruger 10/22 Takedown Lite Models include Model 21152, which has a black receiver and a list price of $659; the Model 21153 with a blue-anodized receiver and blue aluminum sleeve; the Model 21154 with a red-anodized receiver and red aluminum barrel sleeve; and the Model 21155 with green metal treatment.
For a rifle of its age, Lawton’s Winchester 1886 #1 was in “Excellent” condition at the time of its sale in April. The barrel and magazine retained 95% of the original blue finish. The receiver shown here retained 90% of the original case colors. Photo courtesy of Rock Island Auction Company.
A Model 1886 Winchester rifle presented to Henry Ware Lawton, a U.S. Army captain widely credited with capturing Apache leader Geronimo, is now the most expensive single firearm ever sold at auction after drawing $1.26 million at Rock Island Auction Company’s April sale.
According to Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC), other guns have sold higher as a pair, but no other single firearm surpasses this new world record.
The Winchester Model 1886 Sporting Rifle (serial number 1) was presented to Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Capt. Henry W. Lawton by fellow Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, friend and influential firearms designer and noted friend of the Browning family Lieut. George E. Albee. The rifle and a gold pocket watch were presented to Capt. Lawton by the “Cattlemen of Central New Mexico” as a token of their appreciation for his service in the capture of the Apache Indian Chief Geronimo and his band in 1886.
“It is an honor to be entrusted with an American treasure,” said Rock Island Auction Company President Kevin Hogan. “Being serial number one and possessing such outstanding condition would alone be enough to draw six figures at auction. When you add one of the most famous names in the history of the Old West you have a huge crossover appeal and set the stage for something special to happen.”
In the summer of 1886, a force under the command of Capt. Lawton and Capt. Charles Gatewood pursued Geronimo and other hostile Chiricahua Apaches into Mexico and the Arizona territory. In September 1886, Gatewood and Lawton found Geronimo and negotiated the surrender of the last band of hostile Apaches to the U.S. Army. Lawton and Gatewood escorted the Apaches to San Antonio for holding before the band was transferred to Florida.
Albee, a friend of Lawton’s from the Civil War, worked for Winchester and was able to secure serial number “1” of the company’s newest rifle design in 1886. He presented it to his old war buddy and lifelong friend to commemorate Lawton’s remarkable achievement.
Watch the video below for more about this remarkable rifle. Or click on the links below to read a detailed account of the men involved with the rifle.
