Tactical Reload: Trick or Reality?

Competition is a good thing, but it isn’t training. IDPA tricks such as the so-called “tactical reload” can get you killed, says our resident curmudgeon.

By Michael Bane

Talk about your basic water-cooler conversation: I’m actually standing by a water cooler perched on the gate of a pickup, the only respite on a blistering-hot range for a Saturday match hosted by the local International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) club. A couple of new shooters are chugging the still-cool water, talking about the match and congratulating themselves for their decision to shoot IDPA rather than one of the other practical shooting sports.
“At least I’ll be ready if I ever have to defend myself with my gun,” says one.
“Absolutely,” the other newbie says. “Thank heavens we didn’t get involved with one of those sports that could get us killed.”
OK, I admit it. I giggled a little. At least I managed to keep from laughing out loud.
Despite hype to the contrary, IDPA is no closer to “tactical reality” than bull’s-eye shooting. That’s because of a simple fact pointed out to me by the great Jim Cirillo, who, heaven knows, is one of the few people qualified to comment on shooting people professionally and who happened to shoot on my squad in the first big national invitational IDPA match. “Notice anything about the targets?” Jim asked me.
“Plain old cardboard,” I said.
“That’s right,” said the old gunfighter. “Not a damn one of ‘em is shooting back.”
This is the part of the article where I tell you my credentials as a “Tactical Demon of Darkness, Kill-‘Em-All Operator Dude,” except that I don’t have any. That’s right–I’m probably one of only 10 people in the firearms business who was never a SEAL, a member of a special-ops team, an “operator” of any sort, a commander of a SWAT team, a bodyguard for royalty or at the very least a highly decorated undercover officer in narcotics/gang/any other scary-sounding venue. Sorry.

The gun comes slightly in and cants while the fully charged magazine is brought to the gun. In a speed reload, the partially spent magazine would already be on the ground.

I am, however, something of an expert in the arcane field of high-stress decision-making, a distinction I earned in more than a decade of doing relatively–and sometimes extremely–dumb things for money. Cave diving, climbing big mountains, pitching kayaks off waterfalls, river surfing (trust me, skip this one), running serious whitewater, hang-gliding, parasailing, skydiving, downhill mountain-bike racing, ice climbing–you name it. If the fee was right, I was your boy. You become very focused on your training, and your training becomes very focused on what keeps you breathing.
Yes, the “real vs. game” debate has been going on for a long time (I assume the Romans had something similar going on about sword-fighting), and it would be nothing more than angels dancing on the head of a pin except for one central problem. Recall our water-cooler conversation: “At least I’ll be ready if I ever have to defend myself with a gun.”
Unlike Baskin-Robbins, in the world of high-stress decision-making, there are only a few flavors: I know how to do this; I don’t know how to do this; I think I know how to do this but really don’t; I don’t think I know how to do this but really do.
“Do know how” and “Don’t know how” are pretty straightforward. So is the last option since in reality it’s the same as “Don’t know how.” The problem comes when, as one of my early mountaineering instructors was fond of saying, “Your mind makes bets your body can’t cover.” You think you know what you need to do and how to do it, but when the proverbial balloon goes up, you’re left wondering in those closing minutes of your life what just happened.
Well, you’ve just discovered the difference between playing a game, albeit a very fun game, and training. Let me be more specific. Let’s talk about IDPA’s greatest shibboleth, the tactical reload.

A close-up of Rauch’s finger orientation, which is very similar to making a one-handed cat’s cradle.

Ingenious Solution to a NonExistent Problem
The practical shooting sports started out practical and became less so, causing a split in the ranks. IDPA was born to guarantee a shooting sport that focused on carry guns as opposed to finely tuned “raceguns.” So far, so good. IDPA was also a reaction to the direction the other practical sports had headed–complex, athletically oriented stages with round counts in the bazillions. IDPA’s founders vowed to “keep it real.”
Now here’s where things get sticky. IDPA’s simplified, reality-based stages of fire were very good things as was its focus on truly concealable handguns carried concealed and forcing competitors to really utilize cover. However, IDPA also began filling up with all manner of flotsam and jetsam under the guise of “tactical reality.”
Enter the tactical reload. As explained in the IDPA Handbook, a tactical reload is simply topping off your blaster during a lull in the fight, retaining whatever unfired ammunition that remains in case you need it later. It’s actually one of three reloads recognized by the organization, the other two being a reload from slide lock and “reload with retention,” which IDPA defines as dropping the spent magazine into your hand and putting it in your pocket, then drawing the fully charged magazine and inserting it in the gun. The tactical reload is preferred, according to the rulebook, because it leaves the shooter with a one-shot gun for the shortest period of time.
What’s missing here is the typical “speed” reload as popularized and refined by IPSC shooters: drop empty mag, grab loaded mag, stuff new mag in gun. This omission is both intentional and considered. According to the powers-that-be in IDPA, there was “no conceivable situation” in the real world that would justify speed-loading a pistol that was not in slide-lock, empty. If you say so…

The partially spent magazine is ejected into the palm of the hand. It is held between the fingers and palm while Rauch is still holding the fully charged magazine with his thumb and index finger.

In fact, the whole definition of “reload with retention” is designed to keep competitors from doing the obvious and fastest thing, which is speed-reloading the gun, dropping the partially loaded magazine on the ground, then picking it up when leaving cover. Also, by making the “reload with retention” clunky and slow, it makes the tactical reload look better. Not surprisingly, the tactical reload behind cover has become the preferred–i.e., specified–reload in IDPA competition. Here’s how it is supposed to work, courtesy of Walt Rauch’s book Practically Speaking: An Illustrated Guide to the Game, the Guns and Gear of IDPA:
“Method A. When I bring the fresh magazine to the gun, I eject the partially filled magazine into my off-hand and capture it with my palm and last two fingers (then stow it in a pocket to retain the remaining rounds).
“Method B. Some schools teach that when you have the replacement magazine at the gun, you shift this magazine so that it is now protruding from between your middle and third fingers. Then you catch the partially empty magazine with your palm, forefinger and middle finger and insert the fresh magazine.”
Now that we know how it’s supposed to work, let’s take a look at the tactical reload through the eyes of our ever-present companion, the Inner Monkey.
MEET YOUR INNER MONKEY
We are truly the children of the ancient killer apes, blessed with an “operating system” that has quite literally given us the world. Our operating system, that set of software routines and their associated actions intended to keep us alive, was designed for a very different world than the one we live in now. Our original predators had really big teeth and us on the dinner menu, and our primary stopping-power issues revolved around the best hardwood for bludgeons. Despite a change of milieu, our Inner Monkey–IM, for short–is still peeking around the corners of our mind, looking for sabre-tooths and dire wolves, and we have the appropriate set of hard-wired reactions for just such problems.
For example, when threatened, we focus on the threat, our IM jumping up and down and pointing at the thing that wants to kills us. In this case, focus means much more than “pay close attention to.” A whole series of mental and physical reactions crank up; all our senses narrow down, focusing on the threat. (You know about tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, the “slowing” of time effect, etc., right? If you carry a gun, you’d better.) We lose fine motor control as a whole pharmacy of drugs is launched into our bloodstream to better prepare us to either run like hell or attack.
Ralph Mroz, author of Defensive Shooting for Real-Life Encounters and one of the most thoughtful commentators on the current state of self-defense training, calls this the “startle effect.” We monkeys startle. Which leads us to the first rule of training for high-stress decision-making: You can’t beat the operating system, the IM. Not ever.
At its best, the tactical reload is a Rube Goldberg collection of fine motor movements. Don’t believe me? In the course of your average day, how many things do you catch by grabbing with your palm and last two fingers? Or with your palm, forefinger and middle finger? The short answer is none.
Tell yourself over and over again that you’re going to catch a ball using only your palm and a couple of fingers, practice as much as you want, then have someone throw a Nerf ball at your face, really hard. Your IM overrides your conscious thought, and you catch the ball with your entire hand because that’s what the hand is designed to do, and it’s what we’ve been doing for the last million years or so.

Rauch finishes the reload, almost. He’s sliding the fully charged magazine into the magazine well. If this were a speed load, the whole maneuver would be long completed, and Uncle Walt would be back in the fight.

The more any action runs counter to our design parameters, the more we have to think about that action in order to accomplish it. The common answer to this is practice more; heck, there are even people who juggle running chain saws, so anything is possible. Two points here from my experience: In training for dangerous, potentially lethal situations, one of the biggest challenges was to never train an action that went directly against our IM because that training would fail under stress. Instead, we learned to break down an activity into its component parts, break down those component parts even further to their fundamental actions, then train from the ground up. Fundamental actions can be defined as “things monkeys do.”
A quick, simple example: I did some dives on deep wrecks, outside the bounds of recreational scuba. Several of those wrecks were covered with old fishing nets, making them death traps for both sea life and visiting divers. So the prudent diver always carried a knife, which the prudent diver practiced getting to from constrained positions.
And was that knife a big, honking thing strapped to my ankle like in James Bond movies? Nope, my knives were small, razor-sharp blades designed to cut webbing and zip-tied to my scuba harness just below shoulder level. A reflex, high-stress reaction–crossing my arms over my chest–puts both hands on the knives.

Rauch has the magazine in the gun, but notice how he’s inserting it. Will it seat properly? It probably will because this is Rauch’s vintage Armand Swenson 1911. Most of us, however, would feel better, and have better luck, slamming the magazine in.

The major reason that speed reloads have been taken to amazing levels–sub-one-second reloads!–by top competitors is that the speed reload is built on a “monkey” movement of bringing the hands together. Try it: Close your eyes, and attempt to applaud. Wow! If you’re like most primates, you were able to do it the first time. The speed reload builds on that fundamental movement.
BUT WAIT, IT GETS WORSE
OK, the tactical reload is a bio-mechanically unsound technique, utilizing a nonfundamental series of fine motor movements that are virtually guaranteed to fail under high-stress conditions. But the tactical reload has even more problems. For a start, as Walt Rauch notes in his excellent book, the tactical reload probably won’t work if you have small hands or are using a double-stack magazine.
That’s right. It’s a technique designed for guys with big hands who shoot manly 1911 single stacks, which pretty much describes all the “world-class instructors” who teach the technique. What it doesn’t describe is women. Which brings us to the last three nails in the tactical reload’s c
offin:
1) It is slow, sometimes achingly so. At the very time when you want your gun refilled as fast as possible, you’re fumbling around trying to remember which fingers catch what. On Brian Enos’ excellent Internet forum, good shooters have reported their baseline times on a tactical reload are in the two- to three-second region when “everything goes right.” Yeah, that happens a lot! Compare that to a one-second speed reload, the basics of which can be taught in less than five minutes.
2) The tactical reload is now responsible for the bulk of firearms malfunctions at IDPA matches. Failure to properly seat the magazine can leave you with a gun that doesn’t go bang and a magazine on the ground, something of a worst-case scenario in one of those pesky real-world situations. When we started seriously competing in IPSC matches in the early 1980s we learned very quickly to slam the magazine in place (those plastic magazine bases used to be called “slam pads” for exactly that reason).

His gun reloaded, now all Rauch needs to do is spend another few critical seconds fumbling around to place the magazine with rounds back in his pocket.

I observed this for myself at the match referenced in the beginning of this article after being given a heads-up by Tom Judd, the match director. Tom and I started Front Range IDPA simultaneously with the national organization cranking up; our IDPA membership numbers are among the first 10 issued. Tom, a veteran firearms and tactical instructor, was and is concerned about the increase in “failure to seat” malfunctions driven by tactical reloads.
“Are we teaching a technique that leads to malfunctions at a time when the person can least afford them?” he asked. I saw numerous failures to seat, including magazines dropping onto the ground. I also saw even more shooters taking extra time to make sure the magazine was seated after a tactical reload, pushing the average reload time into the five- to 10-second arena.
3) Because the tactical reload is based on nonfundamental fine motor movements, it requires more mental attention to have any hope of accomplishing it in an expedited manner. That means during the course of the reload, the shooter’s focus is off the threat. Setting aside the issue of whether this is even possible given that a million years of evolution and a screaming IM demand that our attention stay on what’s trying to kill us, you’ve now turned your attention away from your attacker for at least a couple of seconds. We know from the Tueller Drill that a determined attacker can cover 21 feet–seven yards–in 1.5 seconds. We also know that the overwhelming majority of civilian gunfights happen inside seven yards. While you’re behind cover playing with your gun, your assailant is moving, getting into a better position to whack you. In the five seconds it’s likely to take you to reload, your assailant could relocate his or her whole family into the neighborhood and probably erect a tent. Five seconds is forever.
I had occasion to spend some time with an Israeli security specialist, military sniper and top firearms instructor a few months back. He was conversant with the shooting sports, and although his name can’t appear in this article, I think his comments are germane.

Where is that pesky pocket?

“We stopped teaching tactical reloads,” he told me, “because the people who tried to do them kept getting killed.”
So what do you do if you’re trapped in Condition Black and you have a chance to reload? Speed reload the gun! Drop the partially used magazine on the ground, ram the full magazine in hard, and continue with what you were doing as quickly as possible. If you’re kneeling behind cover when you do the reload and there’s time, by all means pick up–another fundamental monkey move–the partially charged magazine, and stuff it somewhere.
And if you’re worried about not having enough ammunition in a firefight–even though no civilian gunfight that I could find reference to has been decided on round count–do what my Israeli friend suggests: “Carry more magazines.”
And for IDPA, c’mon guys, it’s past time for a little tactical reality check.

Read more: http://www.handgunsmag.com/tactics-training/tactics_training_treload_061604/#ixzz3tQwDitYg

Lets Call it For What it Is – Another Attack by Radicalized Muslims

I was not surprised when Obama and Hillary both started calling for more “gun control” within minutes of the shooting in San Bernardino, California being reported… They didn’t even wait until the victims bodies were cold, before using the tragedy to push their agenda of disarming law-a-biding Americans…
They and the anti-second amendment mainstream media are like vultures circling the dead bodies of the victims, while salivating with thoughts of furthering their agenda, and that is the total disarmament of law-abiding Americans. It’s a sickening display but one I’ve came to expect.
Obama’s main objective is to be to ban the sell of any firearm to anyone on their “watch list” no judge, jury or conviction. Just a secret list that anyone can get on for any reason without notice, charges or conviction for any crime.
What happened to innocent until proven guilty? What happened to a fair trial? But as we’ve seen the Obama regime could not care less about the law or the rights of American citizens. And once such a law is passed what would stop him from putting his political enemies, or the whole country on the “watch list” effectively nullifying the second amendment?
But then aren’t we all already being watched and listened to throughout every aspect of our daily lives?
What they fail to mention is that the state of California has the strictest gun laws in the country, including universal background checks, a ban on so-called “assault rifles” and magazines of over ten round capacity… Yet the mass shooting yesterday in San Bernardino, California happened, and the strict California gun laws and out-right bans did nothing to stop it…
And let’s not forget the recent mass shooting in France where over 120 people were murdered by Muslim extremists despite the fact that french guns laws are some of the most restrictive and limiting in the world. And yet those laws only severed to disarm law-abiding French thus making them easy targets for their killers.
According to the The Guardian:

The country has extremely strict weapons laws, but Europe’s open borders and growing trade in illegal weapons means assault rifles are relatively easy to come by on the black market.
Military-grade guns are banned in France, and even people who want to own a handgun or hunting rifle have to go through strict checks on their background and mental health.
But in recent years a black market has proliferated. The number of illegal weapons has risen at a rapid rate – double-digit percentages – for several years, according to the National Observatory for Delinquency

So it should be obvious to anyone with even an ounce of commonsense that more gun laws and restrictions only restricts law-abiding citizens and, makes them an easy target for mass shooting attacks.
It was also reported by CNBC that police found 12 pipe bombs at the attackers’ home:

The suspected San Bernardino attackers left behind 12 pipe bombs and more than 2000 rounds of ammunition at their home, San Bernardino City Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said Thursday.

So even without guns they would have been able to attack and murder their victims, and probably would have taken more lives in the process…
But the rhetoric spewing out of the mouths of Obama, Hillary, and the media isn’t really about protecting anyone it’s about furthering their agenda. If they really cared about the safety of Americans, then there would not be a wide open southern border, nor would they be demanding that we ship in and pay for hundreds of thousands or new radicalized terrorists, refugees to the United States…
Also as expected the Obama regime and their controlled media have been jumping all around the obvious that it was  another act of terrorism on U.S. soil that was carried out by radicalized Muslims, instead, I keep hearing reports of “a possible case of workplace violence” and to early to say if it was “terrorism related” I call bullshit.
Let’s look at the facts, the male shooter Syed Farook, identified himself on his dating profile on Arab Lounge dot-com as Allah fearing and looking for a girl who would wear a hijab. He had also made several trips to the middle east. He had also spent several weeks in Saudi Arabia in 2013 on the Hajj, the annual pilgrammage to Mecca and eventually he brought the other shooter Tashfeen Malik (his wife at the time of the shooting) back to the U.S. in July 2014.
Enough of the “politically correct” B.S. already, lets call it what it was and that is another attack by radicalized Muslims. I’m also wondering what happened to the third suspect that eyewitnesses reported seeing?

No, Mr. President, the NRA is not to blame: Chris Cox

California has the strictest gun control in the nation, so Obama's politicization of San Bernardino rings sickeningly hollow.

(Photo: Evan Vucci, AP)

Just when we think that politics can’t sink any lower, President Obama once again proves us wrong by politicizing the tragedy in San Bernardino before the facts were even known. What we do know is that the American people are heartbroken by these horrific crimes — and despite what the president would have us believe — America’s law-abiding gun owners are heartbroken by these horrific crimes as well. At the same time, we are sick and tired of this president suggesting the men and women of the National Rifle Association are somehow to blame.
The National Rifle Association is not to blame. Neither is our Second Amendment freedom. An act of evil unfolded in California. President Obama used it not as a moment to inform or calm the American people; rather, he exploited it to push his gun control agenda. Policy discussions should be intellectually honest and based on facts, not politics. And the fact remains that California has already adoptedPresident Obama’s gun control wish list: "universal" background checks, registration, waiting periods, gun bans, magazine bans and an expansion of prohibited gun categories. But those laws did nothing to prevent this horrific crime from taking place. Nothing.
Here's another fact: the president’s failed foreign policy has made us less safe. And his domestic gun control agenda would jeopardize our safety even further. In California, President Obama had what he wanted — the strictest gun control in the country — and it did not prevent this evil act. The plain truth is that the president cannot keep us safe. And his policies would leave us defenseless. That's why our Second Amendment right to defend ourselves must be protected. It’s not just a constitutionally guaranteed freedom. It’s a natural, God-given, human right.

POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media
Unlike the president, regular citizens are not surrounded by armed secret service agents wherever they go. When we find ourselves under attack, no one is there to protect us. That responsibility is ours and ours alone. The American people — including law-abiding gun owners — are scared these days, and for good reason. As a nation, we sit helpless and watch as innocent and defenseless people are slaughtered. President Obama's response is not one of unity, but rather a condescending lecture that we need more laws to restrict us from defending ourselves. Enough is enough with the self-righteous and self-serving demagoguery.
The NRA is calling on the president to stop exploiting tragedies to push his failed political agenda. It's shameful. Given the reality that he's unlikely to listen, however, we will continue to stand and fight for law-abiding gun owners who are both disgusted and heartbroken by these heinous acts — whether committed by madmen, gang members or terrorists. The NRA will neither accept the blame for the acts of murderers, nor apologize for fighting for our right to defend ourselves against them.
Chris Cox is the executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action.

Following Paris Attacks, Police Challenge NFL No Gun Policy

When attacking the Right-to-Carry, gun control advocates often cite what they view as a lack of sufficient training requirements for permit holders, contrasting these requirements with those placed upon police officers. For instance, in a document criticizing the Right-to-Carry, the Brady Campaign (then-Handgun Control Inc.) noted, “in stark contrast to the lack of CCW applicant training, police officers receive hundreds of hours of training in marksmanship and non-violent conflict resolution, including role-playing real-life scenarios, to ensure that their firearms are carried safely and not fired carelessly.” Similarly, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) laments on their website, “[t]raining requirements-if there are any for permit holders-are no more rigorous than a single day-class in instruction.” However, as it turns out, many in the gun control community aren’t actually concerned with the amount of training an individual receives before exercising their Right-to-Carry, but are opposed to anyone exercising this right at all; as evidenced by the fact that they don’t want highly-trained police officers to go around armed either.
Late last month, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) National President Chuck Canterbury sent a letter to National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell requesting that the league change a 2013 policy prohibiting the lawful carry of firearms by off-duty and retired law enforcement officers at NFL facilities. The letter pointed out that terrorists select targets “based on the amount of death and injury they can inflict,” including, “[w]ell-attended venues and areas,” and that the current disarmament policy “weakens the safety and security of NFL players, personnel and fans.”
This move by the National FOP has been followed by actions taken by local affiliates and other police unions. As reported by the Detroit News, the Detroit Command Officer’s Association, Police Officer’s Association, and Lieutenants and Sergeants Association have signed a letter asking the NFL to rescind the ban. The letter explained, “[l]aw enforcement officers often carry a weapon while off duty not only for their own personal protection but to provide a critical response when circumstances call for immediate police action,” citing that, “acts of terrorism we have recently experienced, only add to the desirability of having readily available armed law enforcement officers even if they are not officially ‘on duty.’”
Similarly, the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio sent letters expressing their concerns to Cleveland Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam and Cincinnati Bengals President Mike Brown. The letters note, “[w]e know that deranged individuals will select their attack where no uniformed and armed law enforcement is located as the success of their mission is gauged on body count,” and that “[h]aving more trained law enforcement officers, even though off duty, will only enhance everyone’s safety that is in attendance at your stadium.”
The recent letters are only FOP’s most recent actions against this unwise NFL policy. In September 2013, following formation of the policy, FOP sent a letter to Goodell expressing their opposition to the new rules. In it, Canterbury pointedly noted, “[l]aw enforcement officers, which you employed to protect teams and the stadiums in which they play, do not suddenly become a security risk if they attend an NFL game on their day off or after they retire.”
Despite the fact that these groups are merely requesting that trained law enforcement professionals be allowed to carry at NFL events, gun control supporters have attacked their position. Rather than consider the substance of the police organizations’ position on this matter, in an interview with Fox News, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Director of Communications Ladd Everitt dismissed the idea of armed individuals halting terrorist violence, and called the FOP’s concerns, “gun lobby-inspired tripe.”
NRA has long recognized the benefits of off-duty and former law enforcement officials carrying in defense of themselves and the general public. That’s why in 2004, NRA worked with our allies in Congress to enact the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, or LEOSA. The law provides that qualifying current and retired law enforcement officers may carry firearms throughout the country. Alleviating any concerns about diminishing proficiency, retired officers are required to maintain a certain level of competence with firearms in order to qualify.
While armed off-duty and retired law enforcement have the potential to protect the public from a wide variety of criminal behavior, their potential to combat mass violence is particularly important. No less an authority than former-Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble has suggested that an armed population could be an effective means for battling extremist attacks. Speaking on the topic in a 2012 interview with ABC News following a terrorist attack at a mall in Nairobi, Kenya, Noble stated, “[s]ocieties have to think about how they're going to approach the problem.... One is to say we want an armed citizenry; you can see the reason for that.” Noble went on to say, “[a]sk yourself: If that was Denver, Col., if that was Texas, would those guys have been able to spend hours, days, shooting people randomly? ... What I'm saying is it makes police around the world question their views on gun control. It makes citizens question their views on gun control. You have to ask yourself, 'Is an armed citizenry more necessary now than it was in the past with an evolving threat of terrorism?'”
Current NFL policy does not respect the life-saving potential of properly equipped off-duty and retired law enforcement officials, provides a less-than-optimal security environment for fans, players, and employees, and should be rescinded. In addition, the anti-gun community’s reflexive response to the police organizations’ statements reveals the extent of their objectives. Restricting the rights of the general public is simply not enough for these zealots. For them, everyone, regardless of training or professional status, should be prohibited from carrying arms for self-defense unless operating in an official state capacity.

Maryland Deputy Attorney General: “we should ban guns altogether, period”

As if enduring eight years of the rabidly anti-gun Martin O’Malley in the Governor’s Mansion weren’t enough, Maryland gun owners are now contending with at least one avowed gun prohibitionist in the state Attorney General’s Office. Undercover video of Maryland Deputy Attorney General Thiruvendran Vignarajah, shot by Project Veritas while he was attending a national conference of state attorneys general in New York City, reveals the supposed-public servant’s deep disdain for your rights.
Speaking with an undercover journalist, when asked about what type of gun control regime he would impose, Vignarajah replied, “[m]y complete answer, off the record, is that we should ban guns altogether, period.” Elaborating, Vignarajah stated, “[i]f you want to go practice with a gun, you can go to the gun range, pick up your gun at the gun range, fire it there, and then you leave it there and you go home.” Vignarajah then goes on to explain a scheme under which he might allow individuals to keep a firearm in the home, subject to an “extensive licensing scheme,” taxation, mandatory insurance, and “fingerprint trigger locks.”
Vignarajah’s comments might prompt one to contemplate the extent to which his radical anti-gun positions permeate the entire Maryland Attorney General’s Office. After all, his boss, Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh, has been a staunch advocate for gun restrictions since the 1980s. In 2013, while chairman of the Maryland State Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Committee, Frosh pushed O’Malley’s sweeping gun control package to final passage. A Washington Post article from the time called Frosh, “O’Malley’s key ally in the Senate.” And Frosh’s work on the issue earned him the praise and support of billionaire gun control bankroller Michael Bloomberg. Specifically, Bloomberg said of Frosh, “[n]o one has done more in Maryland than Brian Frosh to lead the fight against illegal guns and protect citizens from incidents of gun violence.”
If you wish to share your opinion of Vignarajah’s positions with his office, or that of his superiors, contact information for the Maryland Attorney General’s Office can be found at the following link: http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/08conoff/attorney/html/06ag.html

Skill Builder: Using a Muzzleloader

Skill Builder: Using a Muzzleloader

You get only one chance to shoot with this primitive but satisfying gun.

By Robert Ramirez

There are two reasons that compel hunters to pick up the humble muzzleloader: simplicity of operation and the “one-shot challenge” that forces hunters to get close to their quarry.
A muzzleloader, not surprisingly, is a firearm that is loaded from the muzzle. While not all Texas counties have a special season for this firearm, some do, and muzzleloaders can be used during the general hunting season as well.

Pour the measured black powder into the barrel.

Parts.  As with any firearm there are three basic parts: the stock, the action and the barrel. The stock is the part that holds the barrel. It is usually made from wood, but synthetic materials are being incorporated with modern versions as well. The barrel has a breech and a muzzle. The breech end on a muzzleloader is identified with a breech hook or a breech plug, with screw holes to attach it to the stock. The muzzle is the end where the projectile comes out, along with the smoke (more on that later). The action in a muzzleloader is referred to as the lock. The lock is a mechanism that holds the hammer before the trigger assembly sets off the firing sequence.
Yes, the commonly heard expression “lock, stock and barrel” comes from a muzzleloader. Typically, this phrase is used as a reference to a complete deal or package.

Place the bullet in the muzzle.

Firing materials. The basic components to fire the muzzleloader include: the appropriate black powder or black powder substitute, patch material for the bullets, patch lube and round lead bullets and caps or pan powder for flintlocks. These components vary with the type of muzzleloader that is to be used, but we will focus on the traditional flintlock and percussion rifle muzzleloaders for simplicity. Make sure you match your caliber with the game you are pursuing. For small game (rabbits, squirrels), .32-.45 caliber will work. For big game (deer, hogs), .50-.58 caliber is recommended.
Black powder and black powder substitute are the only gunpowders that should be used in a muzzleloader; don’t use modern smokeless powder in a muzzleloader. For example: Pyrodex, a black powder substitute, is labeled for muzzleloader use only. Always read and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the muzzleloader. Black powder granulations are described as “F” granulations — the “F” stands for “fine.” The granulations range from Fg (cannons), FFg (rifles), FFFg (pistols) and FFFFg (pan ignition on flintlocks). Pyrodex granulations are designated as P for pistols and RS for rifle/shotgun.
Patch material is typically cotton ticking and requires lubrication. The round bullet is smaller than the barrel caliber, and the patch seals the gases caused by the ignition during the firing sequence and engages the rifling of the barrel. This increases the accuracy of the projectile. The lubricant allows for easier loading of the patch and ball. Conical bullets can be used for muzzleloaders and do not require patch materials, but also need to be lubricated for ease of loading.

Get the bullet started into the barrel with a bullet starter.

Tools and gadgets. Muzzleloader hunters need an array of tools and gadgets to keep their gun functioning for a safe and enjoyable hunt. This gear is contained in a “possibles bag” that the hunter carries at all times while using a muzzleloader. The basic items include a powderhorn or flask, powder measure, ball starter, bullet bag, patches, caps or pan powder flask, a variety of ramrod tips for loading, cleaning or clearing a barrel and a carbon dioxide discharger to unload the muzzleloader safely.
Safety.  As with any firearm, the No. 1 rule in safe gun handling is to make sure that you point the muzzle in a safe direction at all times. Once you have the firearm in a safe direction and an upright position, check to see if it is loaded by placing the ramrod down the barrel. Each muzzleloader comes with a ramrod that is specific to the barrel length. When inserted, the ramrod will almost disappear in the barrel. Once you confirm that the barrel is not loaded, mark the ramrod to ensure that in the future you can easily identify the status of the muzzleloader.
Loading. With the gun butt placed firmly on the ground and the barrel facing away from you, follow the loading sequence.
Swab the barrel to clear any oil. Properly stored guns will have a light oil film on and in the barrel.
Measure the powder charge from the powder flask.
Charge the barrel with the powder.
Place the lubricated patch on the barrel with the round ball. (Remember, conical bullets need lube but no patch.
Start loading the projectile with a bullet starter.
Seat the projectile firmly against the powder charge with the ramrod.
Prime the gun. Use percussion caps for cap locks and FFFFg black powder for the pan on flintlocks.

Use a ramrod to push the projectile down until it is seated on the powder charge.

Cleanup. Once you fire your gun, it is important to clean your muzzleloader to keep it functioning properly. Black powder and black powder substitutes are very corrosive, so follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning your gun. Most black powder is water soluble and can be cleaned with warm water.
Make sure that you dry and oil the metal parts of your gun before storage. I have found that a three-day follow-up is advisable to swab and wipe the barrel and safely eliminate any possibilities for corrosion.
The next time you feel ready for the one-shot challenge, give the muzzleloader a try. You’ll experience an instant connection to the rich hunting history and heritage these primitive firearms have to offer.

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Doomsday dating sites: 'Don't face the future alone'

One Survivalist Singles member, Mtexplorer2, says "a woman wearing a backpack in her profile picture is an automatic 10."

 -- For people who spend every day preparing for disaster -- whether it's a 2012 apocalypse, a nuclear meltdown, an economic collapse, a hurricane or a tsunami -- it can be hard to find a compatible partner.
Canning venison, shooting firearms, living off the grid and creating manure from human waste just aren't traditional interests many people look for when browsing mainstream dating sites like eHarmony or Match.com.

That's why a site called Survivalist Singles has entered the online dating scene, catering specifically to this niche community of "preppers," "survivalists" and "doomsdayers."
Survivalist Singles, which officially launched in 2010, boasts the slogan, "Don't face the future alone." Its ranks are growing -- quadrupling to about 1,640 members from around 400 at the end of 2010.
Members of the site range widely in their doomsday beliefs, said Andrea Burke, a 45-year-old middle school art teacher from Montana who took over the site from its previous owner last summer.
"Most will agree that something is brewing that may change life as we know it, whether it be a collapse of the economy, an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) or other natural or government disaster," Burke said.

The site is free for now, but Burke is planning to charge a $5 monthly membership fee so she can generate income from her project. She is considering using a slogan like, "Find love for less than the price of a box of bullets" to draw in paying members.
For female preppers interested in finding a man, the site is a dating goldmine. There are currently about two men for every woman on the site (which is a big disparity compared to a site like Match.com, where there's a roughly even split), and the average member is over 50.
The most popular book among members is James Wesley Rawles' "Patriots," about a group of Christians who must survive an economic meltdown that throws the country into complete chaos and leads to a second civil war. "SHTF" (When s*** hits the fan) and "TEOTWAWKI" (The end of the world as we know it) are common acronyms members include on their profiles, said Burke.
One user, who goes by the screenname Mtexplorer2 but preferred that his real name not be used, said he tried many mainstream dating sites but was always turned down by potential matches as soon as they found out he was a survivalist. Survivalist Singles lets him put everything out in the open, he said, and women only contact him if they have similar beliefs or appreciate his lifestyle.
"It's hard to connect with someone who doesn't have a similar mindset. You can't explain why your truck is packed like you're always ready for an expedition -- they don't get it," he said. "But when you meet another survivalist, you start talking about all this stuff and the women look at you like you have a million dollars in the bank."

His profile lists many conventional hobbies and interests like hiking, camping and eating Mexican food. But it also mentions his "extensive background with firearms for defense and hunting." And that he has an alternative water source, likes to go to thrift stores to find gadgets that don't use electricity, and cans venison so he'll have meat "if the grid goes down and there are no freezers."
His idea of an attractive woman is someone who is physically fit and loves the outdoors. "I'm not looking for someone wearing a designer dress and purse -- I want someone who looks wholesome, and a woman wearing a backpack in her profile picture is an automatic 10," he said.
Because he lives in the mountains of Montana, distance has been a problem. He has met only one woman face-to-face out of more than 20 he has corresponded with on the site. After she visited him in Montana, they decided to just remain friends.
Distance is one of several issues cited by another member, Larissa Kama, 42, who goes by the screenname nwredhead. Kama has a "bug-out bag" full of gear near her front door in case disaster strikes, but she considers herself less "hardcore" than many of the men she has encountered on the site.
"I've come across a lot of freaks who live in a hole in the ground, who message me and say, 'Run, run to me -- I'm a mile underground in the middle of Nebraska," said Kama, who lives in Portland, Ore. "I don't want to hide down in a bunker for the rest of my life. I'm really okay with the outside world -- we're not facing any end-of-world scenario yet, so I want to live in this moment."
Some members, though, have already found love on the site. Nate Tammaro, whose screenname was Iron Ranger, found his soul mate, or "twin flame," only two days after joining Survivalist Singles. They live six hours away from each other so they have only met in person twice, but Tammaro plans to move to Missouri to be with her this summer.
"When we met, we immediately knew there was no one else for us -- it was the sentence-finishing type of love," said Tammaro. The relationship has changed his outlook on prepping: Tammaro now believes his calling is to help others find their way once the "end of the world as we know it" arrives. "I'm optimistic about the future now that I've found love," he said.
Others on the site aren't just looking for love. A 44-year-old female user with the screenname Arnold, for example, states on her profile that she is looking for a survival group in addition to a man. One skill she would bring to the table, she noted, is making "humanure." This involves converting human excrement into fertilizer -- which may be necessary in case a disaster strikes and there is no running water.
Aside from Survivalist Singles, several other dating sites are popping up for preppers. PrepperDating.com was started last year and has about 70 members. And Kwink.com, a site that lets singles join niche dating communities, like "health nuts" and "Jesus freaks" is also advertising a community for "doomsday preppers" and "doomsdayers."
"Spend your remaining days with someone that shares your instinct to prepare and survive the end of the world as we know it," Kwink's site says. "Don't use those generic dating sites that can't cater to your core trait. The Doomsday dating community is your place to connect, share and grow with similar people.