Tagged: firearms

Andrew Tuohy: What Impact Does Bullet Setback Have on Function?

Andrew Tuohy of Vuurwapen Blog:

I have been conducting experiments relating to firearms for a number of years, some of them quite mundane and others rather unorthodox. Many of the unorthodox experiments have never come to light, either because nothing of value was learned, or because I had decided to compile their results over a long period of time before releasing the data.

One series of tests which falls into the latter category relates to what, exactly, makes guns blow up. We’ve all seen photos of exploded firearms and bloodied hands or faces that result from a “kaboom,” or catastrophic failure of a firearm or the ammunition it fires. As a result, a lot of people exercise an overabundance of caution relating to any ammunition that “looks funny” to them – even going so far as to discard cases with tiny dents in them, for fear of causing an explosion.

While it’s always a good idea to err on the side of caution when working with items that contain 1,000 times more pressure than a car tire, it’s also a good idea to have an understanding of what can really cause a catastrophic failure. And my experimentation has shown to me that the common knowledge relating to this topic is entirely wrong…

Continue reading…

This is a clickbaity sentence, but the results seriously surprised me. Amazing what happens when you actually test things.

Working With Disabled Students

The NRA’s Disabled Shooting Services has a “Disability Awareness” document about working with disabled students. (For those not on the firearms side, the NRA is primarily a training and shooting competition organization.) There’s some gun-specific stuff in there, but it’s mostly practical info applicable to coaching and etiquette.

We all know we shouldn’t yell at blind people, but many people do not know what to say or how to behave when they meet someone with a disability. It is not uncommon for people to be apprehensive when meeting people with various physical disabilities. The important thing to remember is that despite the use of a wheelchair, canes or crutches, or the loss of a limb the individual is just like you.

Many people with disabilities have college degrees, are working professionals, have families and share other life similarities. Although each individual story is different, many of their dreams and goals are the same. One major goal that we all have in common is to be treated with respect.

Each person is different. There are some who will find working with people with disabilities easy and others who may be uncomfortable. We have compiled some basic information about working with people with disabilities that may help ease individuals’ concerns…

Download PDF

Firearm Teaching Tool: Boom Box Expanded Hollow Point Example Set

We’re excited to announce our newest product! The Boom Box Expanded Hollow Point Example Kit. In the handy box (8 1/4″ X 5″ X 1 1/4″), we include fifteen different expanded hollow point bullets.

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Expanded hollow points included in the kit, each with one 9mm Luger, one .40 S&W, and one .45 ACP:

  • Barnes TAC-XPD all copper bullets
  • Federal Premium Ammunition HST bullets
  • Hornady XTP bullets
  • Sig Sauer V-Crown bullets
  • Speer Gold Dot bullets

We carefully control the process to get expansion results that match published data. Each expanded bullet has a label on the base, indicating the caliber, bullet type, and weight. They’re also clear coated to keep the exposed lead covered and looking great for years. However, remember to wash hands after handling them.

Price is $69.95. Check it out here at Bullet Bouquets.

Greg Ellifritz: Coaching the Struggling Shooter

Greg Ellifritz of Active Response Training:

I’ve known for a long time that the words we use when coaching a shooting student can affect how quickly that student grasps a certain concept.

One important concept I’ve used over the years is to express all of my coaching cues as positive statements.  If you use negative statements, the brain doesn’t process them well and will often focus on the very habit you are trying to eliminate.  An example of this is when a coach says “Don’t jerk the trigger.”  The brain tends to focus on the last part of that statement (“jerk the trigger”) and negate the negative.  The student is programmed to think about jerking the trigger and the problem gets worse…

Continue reading at Active Response Training

 

Annette Evans: How To Handle A Medical Emergency At The Range

Annette Evans of Beauty Behind the Blast:

Accidents and injuries happen on shooting ranges, though fortunately they are normally minor or no different than you might see in any other outdoor setting.

Most often, people get hurt in ways that can be fixed by a “boo boo kit” or a quick trip to an urgent care facility or regular doctor’s office. Whether it’s a cut from a staple or a target stand, a mild burn from hot brass, or a rolled ankle from uneven ground, a little common sense and basic first aid are all that are needed for these types of common outdoor activity injuries.

However, more serious medical emergencies can also occur, including weather-related illnesses such as dehydration, heatstroke, hypothermia, and frostbite; individual crises such as anaphylactic shock, blood sugar problems, and heart attacks; and the most feared for many of us, a gunshot wound…

Continue reading at Gun Carrier

 

Is Ammunition Safe to Store At Home? Over 400,000 Rounds Burned & Abused to Find Out

Ever wonder what would happen to ammo stored in your home in a house fire? So did SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, who burned, blasted, drove into, ran over, ground, and shot other bullets at over 400,000 rounds of handgun, rifle, and shotgun ammo to find out.

Nick Grossman: Flashbang Bra Holster – First Impressions From A Male Instructor

Nick Grossman of Bolt Defense (and the Instructor Development Journal):

A few weeks back there was a discussion among a few instructors about whether the Flashbang bra holster was safe to allow in classes. I’ve played with one a few times with guidance from Kathy Jackson of Cornered Cat, who first taught me to use one in an instructor development class of hers last year. Haven’t done all I’d like or am planning to with it yet, and there’s plenty that I simply can’t, but here are a few notes so far:

All holsters can be used dangerously. Not all can be used safely…

Continue reading at Bolt Defense…

Photo courtesy of Tamara Keel

Melody Lauer & John Johnston on Curriculum Development

Melody Lauer talks with Ballistic Radio host John Johnston about curriculum design for defensive handgun in Ballistic Radio episode 159. (Podcast, free MP3 download.)

John is stressing JackJack out with more time travel. John talks to Melody Lauer about curriculum development and some of the challenges instructors face when wanting to branch out and create their own curriculums. Melody gets to turn the tables on John and ask him what it was like to work on his first curriculum as well as some of the difficulties along the way. Where do newer instructors go wrong when developing their classes? What kind of instructor development is out there for civilians? What is missing in modern instruction? All questions pondered on this week’s episode.