Christmas Gift Card for any Firearms Safety Course that your loved ones will remember

Why not take a little step towards building safe and happy community for our loved ones this Christmas!

Instead of buying lose tangible gifts, get your friend or family a Christmas Gift Card to any Day one Gun Safety Course and show them how much your care and want them to be safe!

Take advantage of this two for one offer to any Day one course offered on the schedule in 2014 or 2015 at Aegis Academy facility located in San Diego. Day one Course are the Firearms Safety and Familiarization Course, the Pistol, Shotgun or Carbine One courses and the introduction to edged weapons. Confidence, experience, capability and independence are what this nation is built on.




Voucher Expires Dec 31, 2015. Attendee's must attend the course together, and each voucher is good for two course seats.

Click here to purchase 2014 Christmas Special Gift Voucher to any Day One Course!

Improving your trigger control one finger at a time

Earlier this year, I added yet another part of my aging body to the list of hurts and complaints. My wrists began to feel stiff and painful, and I had to admit that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome apparently is a real thing. I am already challenged by a set of appendages that are notoriously short with rather svelte paws. I have significantly damaged both hands in my career, my left hand goes numb regularly from scar tissue and the fingers can barely turn a key. My dominant hand was broken twice and I am sure a career playing piano is not going to be in my future. You may be asking yourself why is this relevant to firearms?

Our fingers, especially their ability to smoothly pull the trigger without disturbing the sights, are hugely important in becoming accurate shooters. Unless you’re a rock climber or practicing martial arts, chances are you do not actively work out your fingers. When I complained of stiffness and pain to my yoga teacher, she gave me some great suggestions that I found improved my trigger control. A few simple exercises can help increase dexterity and isolate each of the fingers from each other. A small advantage maybe, but any advantage you get in a gunfight is one to use. I am not discussing grip itself, hand position or trigger finger placement. All of which could be articles in themselves. The goal is to isolate the trigger finger itself from the whole.

Isolating our trigger finger from the rest is difficult. Our hands are poorly designed as tools for fine motor skill, especially under stress. Those who regularly practice complicated tasks like typing (at least for me) or playing instruments already have accomplished the same idea. A few processes are involved; one is the process of Myelination, the other is the tendon sheath keeping the tendons themselves lubricated and flexible. I am not a doctor, or even a manicurist, so my explanation focuses on how the tendons affect us. To read about Myelin and how it affects motor learning, click on the link. The tendons on the back of our hands all come together at the wrist in an area called the Carpal Tunnel, and in simple terms since they are bunched together, the signals telling you to move one finger cross over to the other digits.

We like to think that our fingers are precision tools, but only in certain ways. While they work in concert with the thumb individually to hold small objects, they are somewhat less precise with each other. When we move one finger, the signals cross and the other fingers move as well. Age, injury and lack of physical exercise can compound this. Often this is caused by inflammation of the tendon sheaths surrounding each tendon. The inflammation causes lack of lubrication on the tendon and restricts flexibility. Additionally, power is generated in the forearms so if we tense there it translates to the fingers. Try this for yourself, hold your hand vertical with all the fingers extended, but slightly relaxed, Try just curling your pointer or trigger finger and see how much the other fingers move. You can also feel your forearm flex. Read More >>

 

Posted by Aegis Academy Staff

Terminal Ballistics – Part II

Welcome back to the second and final installment in the Terminal Ballistics series, which will also complete the Ballistics Series. In Terminal Ballistics I, we covered key terminology and highlighted the common goal of hunters, law enforcement, and home defenders… to incapacitate game animals or felonious assailants with as few shots as possible. We also covered the two methods that bring about incapacitation: a well aimed shot to the Central Nervous System (Medulla Oblongata or the upper spinal cord) and severe blood loss. In this article, we will cover projectile characteristics, best practices, and conclude the series.

Terminal Ballistics in Hunting and Personal Defense

 

With a wide variety of options in caliber, construction, and velocity, which combination is best? That is certainly a loaded question… pun fully intended. Short of providing overwhelming destructive force, which does not serve the hunter very well and is not typically an option for the home defender, the problem lies in having many options to address an even wider variety of possible conditions. Within these options lie a number of trade-offs. I’ll explain below.
As we’ve covered in the previous article, the most reliable method to take-down a game animal or end a felonious assault is to place an incapacitating shot into the central nervous system. In order to do this, a projectile of any caliber must possess sufficient velocity to penetrate the skin (animal or human), pass through layers of muscle and tendon, and destroy or at least interrupt the vital organs. Although it is often dismissed as an effective cartride, even a small .22 caliber long rifle projectile can accomplish this desired effect. However, as we’ve discussed at length, the central nervous system represents a disproportionately small area of the body in which this incapacitating shot can be taken. All other shots rely on severe blood loss, skeletal immobility, and shock.

All other things being equal (velocity, projectile construction, mass, etc.), penetration is essential to reach vital areas. This is where it can get confusing and the trade-offs take place. Since most projectiles are constructed with a combination of dense cores covered by softer metal jackets, small caliber projectiles will have a greater sectional density and thus require less velocity to penetrate. Robert Rinker equates this to comparing the force required to thrust both a small pin and a construction nail through remarkably pliable flesh. With greater sectional density and smaller diameter, the pin will require less force (momentum) to overcome the tensile resistance of the skin.

OK… so small calibers penetrate more easily. However, if it does not hit the small zone in which rapid incapacitation can occur, the small caliber projectile at high velocity can penetrate and pass through (often called over-penetration), leaving only a small permanent wound cavity which fosters only moderate blood loss. This can result in a lost game animal or an assailant who can continue the attack.

A projectile that expands on impact is beneficial since it creates a permanent wound cavity larger than the original caliber while maintaining the momentum of its original weight. However, rapid expansion hinders penetration.

So, both the hunter and home defender need to start with the terminal ballistic effect desired and work backward to develop a solution in terms of projectile construction, velocity, and firearm type. Hunters know their game type and relative distances from which they will be taking the shot. External Ballistics Part III introduced velocity measurements and how to calculate residual velocity at different ranges. Home defenders know that the majority of pistol shots will be taken at roughly 20-25 feet. My recent article on Handgun Velocity demonstrated the effects of barrel length and temperature on velocities.

Armed with this knowledge in mind, here are some of the differentiating characteristics of projectile construction. Read More >>

About Author - Howard Hall

 

Howard Hall "Range Master at Aegis Academy" - has served for nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps. He has served as a Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Regimental Operations Officer, and Battalion Commander. He has multiple combat tours to include serving as a military transition team member in Fallujah. He is an NRA Certified handgun instructor and holds numerous Marine Corps training credentials. An active competitor in action pistol (United States Practical Shooting Association), long range rifle (NRA F-Class), and shotgun (Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association), Howard has earned numerous accolades and medaled during DoD competitions with the 1911 platform in bulls-eye shooting.

Terminal Ballistics – Part I

Understanding Bullet Impacts

Terminal Ballistics - Part I is the first in a two-part series which will begin to conclude the Ballistics Series by introducing the principles within Terminal Ballistics and focus on the various aspects of projectile impacts on target and their immediate effects. Leveraging the key concepts of projectile flight and construction, momentum and kinetic energy introduced earlier in the ballistics series, this article will illuminate some scientific facts in regard to the terminal effect of firearm employment for hunting, law enforcement and personal defense while also debunking some commonly-held myths. In researching this topic, I've relied heavily on authoritative sources such as Robert Rinker's "Understanding Firearm Ballistics, 6th edition," and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 1989 report titled "Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness."

Overview

Whether for recreation, competition, training, hunting or personal defense, this ballistic series has focused on the myriad of aspects that affect a projectile's flight to target in order to provide a better understanding and help you choose the right firearm/ammunition combination to safely and consistently place your shots on target and achieve the desired ballistic effects. From the mechanical interactions internal to the firearm to the atmospheric and physical conditions that affect projectile flight, this series has provided information necessary to harness mechanical precision into shooter accuracy. Now, we will discuss projectile impacts on target.

Since recreational and competitive shooters are primarily focused on measuring the effectiveness of their skill and technique by scoring shots on paper, cardboard, or interactive targets, terminal ballistics is simply a factor of hitting the target for score. For hunters, military/law enforcement, and personal defenders, on the other hand, the projectile's ultimate effect is eminently important since it is the sole reason for weapon employment. Although the conditions for weapon employment are much different in these latter cases, the desired result is the same… rapid incapacitation with as few shots fired as possible!

This rapid incapacitation is a factor of shot placement combined with velocity, kinetic energy, projectile weight, projectile shape and construction, caliber, and range to target as well as the nature of the target itself. In order to move forward with the discussion, we need to first discuss some terms and concepts common to both hunting and personal defense.

Terms and Concepts

• Caliber - diameter of a projectile
• Mass - in the most general terms, this is the weight of the projectile
• Velocity - this is the instantaneous speed at which the projectile is moving. Projectiles exit the firearm bore with an initial velocity which immediately begins to slow down due to air resistance and drag.
• Ballistic Coefficient - based on the shape and construction of the projectile, this number describes how well the projectile travels through the air and preserves its velocity. Read More »

About Author

Howard Hall - Range Master

Howard has served for nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps. He has served as a Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Regimental Operations Officer, and Battalion Commander. He has multiple combat tours to include serving as a military transition team member in Fallujah. He is an NRA Certified handgun instructor and holds numerous Marine Corps training credentials. An active competitor in action pistol (United States Practical Shooting Association), long range rifle (NRA F-Class), and shotgun (Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association), howard has earned numerous accolades and medaled during DoD competitions with the 1911 platform in bulls-eye shooting.

Children, Guns and Education

This morning we woke up to the news that a 12-year-old was shot by police over an airsoft gun for failing to follow their instructions and display his hands. Initial reports are that this gun had been modified to remove the orange identifier from the barrel. We have seen a number of children with toy guns shot over the years by police who were responding to a report of a person with a firearm. Typically it is a kid in the 10 – 14-year-old range. Older teens seem to have the common sense to know that walking around with a replica is going to cause some real problems. Younger kids with no exposure to guns other than what they see in the movies are the ones at risk.

We have a responsibility to make children safer, and education is the key. Children, guns and education is not really and option, its a moral imperative. A twelve-year-old is certainly capable of understanding the risks a firearm can pose. The real barrier is the education systems desire to wish guns away from our society. Their pursuit of some alternate universe where guns don’t exist is ignorant, irresponsible and quite frankly causing the deaths of between 250 and 300 kids a year, who simply didn’t know any better. We have more guns than cars in this nation, and children will be exposed to them. We can control that exposure through education, or continue to roll the dice and hope they figure it out on their own.

By the time a kid is 10 years old, he or she has seen literally tens if not hundreds of thousands of irresponsible role models on TV and in the movies. These tend to depict unrealistic, unsafe and / or poor safety practices. The fact that we are not providing education on firearms in our schools as part of the curriculum is insane. While the education system is busy suspending five-year-olds for making finger guns, about 275 of their peers will die in 2016 because the education system fears that which it does not understand.

Like it or not, your irrational fear of an inanimate object does not trump the basic human right to self-defense in this nation. The concept that we should ban firearms from the education system is about as effective as assuming Hollywood will adequately teach our kids to cross the street and to drive safely. Banning guns in the name of safety is not, has not and will not work. Education is the key to solving a number of social problems and the preventable deaths of young kids is no different.

Next are the parents. Toy guns are a great tool to teach responsible ownership practices, but you cannot treat them like other toys. What parent in their right mind would allow a child to modify a fake gun to make it look more realistic, and then allow them to take it to the park to play with it? I understand kids will do irresponsible things, sometimes without their parent’s permission. If you are going to allow your kids to own replica guns, they should be locked away with the real guns. Otherwise, you run the risk that your child will go to the park with it, be too nervous to comply with police commands, and be shot. When and if that happens its as much or more your fault then the child’s. Misdemeanor, if not felony child endangerment comes to my mind when I hear about things like this happening.

The police cannot differentiate between a real gun and a replica at more than contact distance – especially if it has been modified. In the age of mass murders, we do not want the police to respond to cases of individuals waving guns around with anything other than clear instructions and lethal force if those instructions are not followed. More than 80% of teen firearm-related deaths are gang related. The vast majority of those deaths occur in the 12- to 19-year-old age range. The concept that a twelve-year-old is not a potential threat is simply not the reality of the world we live in, no matter how badly we want it to be otherwise.

Police cannot fix this problem. Smart parenting and education can. If you love your kids, do your part. These tragedies will not stop until we as a nation demand education in our schools. While you may choose not to own a firearm in your house, the chances are that several of the parents of your child’s classmate’s do. Failing to give your son or daughter the education to make a responsible choice is putting them at risk.

This is a problem with a simple “common sense” solution.

Author ~ Patrick Henry

 

Patrick received his operational training and experience from the U. S. Government, 22 years of which were spent in the Marine Corps where he served in the Reconnaissance, Infantry and Intelligence fields. During his active service, he spent more then seven years deployed overseas in combat, operational and training assignments. After the military, Pat worked as a contractor and as the Director of Operations at a private paramilitary firm, specializing in training special operations forces and providing protective services to select private clients. His education consists of an MBA from the University of Southern California (USC), and a BS from San Diego State University with an emphasis in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology and a minor in Psychology. He holds an extensive list of security and training related qualifications from a variety of government and nationally recognized entities. He currently sits on the advisory committee at USC’s Master of Veterans Business Program, and is an active member of Infraguard and the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS). He has been a guest speaker at ASIS, the FBI's Infra guard, New York City's Mobile Trauma Unit and other private organizations on physical security, travel security, and competitive intelligence collection counter-measures.

Originally Published at Aegis Academy

Everytown for gun safety and the Impact of Social Media

The Impact of Social Media on Social Change

Everytown for Gun Safety hired Jeremy Heimans’ company Purpose to promote its cause of restricting Americans Second Amendment rights via local legislation. The message they push is reducing gun violence. Mr. Heimans is a social media expert, and a liberal activist. He opposes war, guns, anything remotely anti-gay and actively supports the LGBT rights movements and the delivery of aid to Syrian fighters on both sides of the conflict. Jeremy’s company is doing a very effective job leveraging social media to create awareness, but I am not sure he has cracked the code on converting that to social change, yet.

I was watching him speak about “New Power” vs. what he calls “Old Power” which he presented publicly at a TED talk in Berlin last month. You can watch the presentation below. The concept of social movements has been studied in depth in a variety of educational departments; history, economics, sociology and others I am sure. Jeremy’s supposition is that there is power in large groups. Using Occupy Wall Street as one example of the power of social media, he makes a bit of a leap in extrapolating awareness to what he calls "New Power", but he readily admits that "New Power" may not be effective.

Awareness is step one

When we look at social change and the impact of successful social movements, women’s suffrage, the civil rights movement, or the Indian independence movement, they share some commonalities. They created awareness, built consensus, established specific, identifiable goals and converted on social popularity to enact governmental change. The Tea Party is a good example of a social movement that is still struggling to identify its unifying and specific objectives. Despite the lack of specific objectives, they have managed to drive some measures of change in the Republican Party.

The ability to "touch" a million or a billion people is certainly an interesting proposition. Flash mobs, occupy Wall Street, and Iranian social disturbances provide us some example of the short-term impact that social media can have. The question I was having a hard time rectifying is what did these movements accomplish? If the goal was social awareness, well then social media is clearly a win as it reduces the amount of time it takes to raise awareness. If the goal is social change, then I am having a much harder time finding effective parallels. The supposition that awareness drives change is inaccurate (and not one that he directly makes in his presentation). The real interesting point to me is how and what do we need to do to establish an effective conversion rate that equates to change?

Awareness does not equal change

Change takes work. Existing, entrenched power structures "Old Power" as Mr. Heimans likes to call it, is unlikely to simply turn over the keys to the kingdom because "New Power" yells loudly. There has to be incentive to change, specific objectives or demands, and ultimately it has to be legitimate cause. It’s not enough to be angry, you also have to be unified and specific in your demands, and ultimately right – or the movement falters and dies.

The million-man march was orchestrated by Louis Farrahkan, the African American Leadership Summit, The Nation of Islam and the NAACP. The march was largely orchestrated in response to the Republican 1994 congressional victories, which left the black minority community feeling vulnerable to exploitation. The March took place on October 16, 1995, nearly a year later. Ultimately, it pushed for “opportunity in the black community”, and nearly 20 years later, most will estimate that its loosely defined goals remain largely unattained. The black community certainly suffers a higher proportional share of social ills then other groups in society, but being right was not enough. What did “opportunity” consist of – specifically?

Conversely, the Occupy Wall Street movement resulted in millions of people globally taking part over the course of about 3 months of intense activism. The real spark was the Hacker group Anonymous promoting the cause in New York. The resultant global change was much like the million man march, beyond a short term flash point and media attention, not much… Occupy Wall Streets’ demand; End Consumerism! I suppose it is specific, but it’s simply the wrong goal. Do you really believe people can simply stop purchasing and go back to a barter system, trading in only what we need to survive? What is impressive about Occupy Wall Street was that it was organized in a few short months and sparked global actions. People did more than simply click the like button, they showed up.

Migrating Awareness to Commitment

What technology and social media enables us to do is tap into a wider range of people. People like to be angry, and stomp their feet over the social injustice. The problem, is in the past it was social injustice of the century or the decade and the time and effort to organize forced organizers to distill the ideas to a simple understandable goals that busy people could commit to. Now it’s more like the social injustice of the week, and next week, most of the crowd will have moved on. Awareness is no longer the issue, its now converting awareness to commitment that becomes the crux.

Back to Jeremy’s social campaign to drive Everytown for Gun Safety forward. Largely, like most of Mr. Bloomberg’s anti gun campaigns, this too is failing. It is not failing due to a lack of awareness. It is failing because it is simply a bad idea promoted under demonstrably false pretenses. The question we need to ask is why is society largely unaware of the facts surrounding gun ownership, yet so willing to become aware of the fabrications? The answer is Mr. Heiman’s theory of “New Power”. If the packaging of the message is marginal, you can expect a marginal response – regardless of the quality of the message. If the packaging is done right, people will pay attention to even falsehoods.

As we saw in the last election cycle, packaging and spending is insufficient to drive change. People are still capable of discerning facts from nonsense. No matter how you package bull-shit, it takes more then a slick wrapper to make a nation of free people consume it. That is what happened to Bloomberg’s Gun control candidates and propositions in 2014. The reality is social value is still defined by a relatively discerning population, and they know when they are being lied to.

While we can complain about the fact that John Lott is largely ignored, but that is largely our fault. The messaging is not reaching the people we need it reach. We have failed to define a socially supportable cause that connects with the masses. I have heard from some of my colleagues state that those people are unreachable, too ignorant to understand, or not worth our time. My response is that attitude is lazy, ineffective and exactly what keeps the perception that gun owners are cave dwellers alive. Touting the Second Amendment is simply not reaching a large enough percentage of the population. We have facts, the law and social welfare on our side. The only thing limiting the Second Amendment movement is the packaging.

The NRA has made leaps and bounds in pushing quality images, content and using social media much more effectively in the past three years but we can still learn a lot from Jeremy Heimans and Purpose. Just imagine what Jeremy could accomplish if he chose to support a legitimate cause… Imagine what we can accomplish if we simply package the truth in a socially popular format!

Stay safe, and stay engaged!

About Author

Patrick Henry - President and Firearm Trainer

Patrick Henry received his operational training and experience from the U. S. Government, 22 years of which were spent in the Marine Corps where he served in the Reconnaissance, Infantry and Intelligence fields. During his active service, he spent more then seven years deployed overseas in combat, operational and training assignments. After the military, Pat worked as a contractor and as the Director of Operations at a private paramilitary company, specializing in training special operations forces and providing protective services to select private clients. His education consists of an MBA from the University of Southern California (USC), and a BS from San Diego State University with an emphasis in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology and a minor in Psychology. He holds an extensive list of security and training related certifications from a variety of government and nationally recognized entities. He currently sits on the advisory committee at USC’s Master of Veterans Business Program, and is an active member of Infraguard and the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS). He has been a guest speaker at ASIS, the San Diego Industrial Security Awareness Council and other private organizations on physical security, travel security, and competitive intelligence collection counter-measures.

First Published at Aegis Academy

A Veteran’s Reflection on Veteran’s Day

Today, as our Nation pauses to honor its veterans, some Americans are enjoying a day off of work… some are cashing-in on some internet and retail sales presumptuously named after the federal holiday… and others are actually reflecting on what this day means to our Nation and her veterans.  While I don’t claim to speak on behalf of all veterans, I’m not soliciting for any charity or cause and I’m not prodding anyone to go out of their way to “thank a vet.”  After 20 years of serving our Nation, however, I feel compelled to share a few thoughts on Veteran’s Day from the perspective of just this one veteran.  I believe the veteran’s story is a compelling one that is worth sharing… for our veterans are both a product of and protector to the families, schools and communities that raised us.  In the following paragraphs, I will tell you about the history of Veteran’s Day, a very brief history of the American Veteran, and share an inter-generational message among veterans.



The story of the American Military Veteran is both unique and inextricable from the story of the United States itself.  Since 1775, there have been over 49 million Americans who have served in our armed forces.  This includes 31 of 44 Presidents. (Click here to view the list)

However, the impact of the American Veteran goes far beyond numbers and titles alone. Today, I would like to discuss the role and impact of the veteran on the freedoms that we enjoy.  I would also like to pass a message from the current generation of veterans to those who have preceded us and those who will follow.
But first, I believe that it is important to study the importance of Veteran’s Day in the context of history.

Veteran’s Day draws its roots to the close of the First World War… when the Armistice was signed on the 11^th Hour of the 11^th Day of the 11^th Month in 1918.  It was first celebrated by President Woodrow Wilson on November 11, 1919, and continued through Congressional Resolutions and Presidential Proclamations every year until May 13, 1938, when it was formalized by an act of Congress which defined November 11^th as: “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’.”  On June 1, 1954, the act was amended to replace “Armistice” with “Veterans.”  It has been known as “Veteran’s Day” ever since.

While eminently important, Veteran’s Day is eclipsed by the impact of the veteran in American history.  We can trace the importance and impact of the American Veteran all the way back to the very formation of our country.  The seeds of bravery, selflessness and common purpose were sown by the first patriots throughout the original 13 colonies who chose “service” above “self.”  They left the relative comfort of the status-quo and made the tough decision to fight against what they called “intolerable acts,” and thus rose in active rebellion against the Kingdom of Great Britain.

At great peril to themselves, they set in motion the establishment of a new and sovereign nation based on liberty, freedom and self-government.  Realizing that the fledgling nation would not survive without a means of defense, the Continental Congress created the Continental Army and Continental Navy in 1775.  And thus, the American Military Veteran was borne.
From the opening salvo of the American Revolutionary War at the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775 through all conflicts at home and abroad… in the fields of Europe, in the Pacific, in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan through today’s fight in countless other areas, our Veterans have exhibited that same bravery, selflessness and common purpose every time they have been called to be the “MOST READY” when the Nation was “LEAST READY.”  The American Veteran always has and always will stand a vigilant watch.

I believe that we, as a Nation, need to routinely view our current liberty, freedom and prosperity through the lens of history.  In doing so, we can clearly see the important role the veteran has played in both establishing and guaranteeing our freedoms… and will preserve it for generations to come.
There is no doubt that our current generation of veterans consistently exhibit the enduring virtues of honor, courage, commitment and selfless service as they have volunteered in a time of war and have been very successful in combating a complex enemy network in the most challenging environments.  I believe it is important to also view the current successes through the same lens of history and recognize that our current generation of veterans did not “create success,” we inherited a legacy of steadfast devotion to duty and unfailing mission accomplishment from the generations of veterans who preceded us… and we have a solemn obligation to both preserve this legacy and pass it on to the next generation of veterans.

By taking pause to celebrate Veteran’s Day, we are simultaneously connecting the generations of veterans with each other and, more importantly, with the citizens whom we serve.



Try as we may, few of us could communicate the inextricable link between the veteran and our Nation’s freedom better than former President and fellow veteran, Ronald Reagan, who said:  “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”  I believe it is eminently clear that the American Veteran has been at the forefront of this fight, sacrificing to preserve our freedoms, and passing them on to the next generation.

On behalf of today’s generation of veterans, I want to convey a heartfelt “thank you” to the veterans who’ve preceded us… for the service that they have provided this Nation during their time in uniform… and for their continued service in their communities.  Those of us who serve today recognize that our responsibility is not only to win our current battles and preserve our freedom; we also have the solemn responsibility to maintain this tradition of excellence by developing the next generation of leaders.

Please accept a heartfelt thank you from this veteran for taking the time out of your day to read this article.  As we all go back to our daily routines and the busy lives we lead, please never forget that “Freedom Is Not Free!”  It comes at a cost… and it is the American Veteran who has willingly paid the price for this freedom from 1775 through the current day… and always will…

About Author

Howard Hall - Range Master

Howard has served for nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps. He has served as a Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Regimental Operations Officer, and Battalion Commander. He has multiple combat tours to include serving as a military transition team member in Fallujah. He is an NRA Certified handgun instructor and holds numerous Marine Corps training credentials. An active competitor in action pistol (United States Practical Shooting Association), long range rifle (NRA F-Class), and shotgun (Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association), howard has earned numerous accolades and medaled during DoD competitions with the 1911 platform in bulls-eye shooting.

First Published at Aegis Academy

Product Review: GunVault MVB500 (Micro-Vault Biometric) Security Container

While current and prospective gun owners’ motivations for owning firearms range from personal defense, hunting, recreation, competition and heirloom collection… all bear the legal and moral responsibility to learn how to both operate and store their firearms responsibly.  In my article on Gun Safety – Secure Storage, I highlighted these legal considerations and covered a variety of methods to securely store firearms.  In this article, I will review one particular model of Portable or Specific-Use Containers, the Micro-Vault Biometric, or MVB500 by Gun Vault.

A “Typical” Progression

 

As a long-time gun owner, I believe that I may have gone through the “typical” phases of firearm security.  When I had owned only a few pistols, I kept them locked in their individual cases and in a relatively secure location in my residence.  As the collection grew, it became more difficult to manage the growing number of keys for these different locked cases.  At one point in my less-experienced days, I felt rather creative and modified a rifle case to secure a dozen pistols.  While this certainly secured the pistols from unauthorized use, I realized that I just made a convenient “carrying case” for a low-life thief to run away with my prized possessions and use them in any number of crimes.

As I added rifles and shotguns to my collection, I “stepped up” to a portable gun cabinet.  I chose the gun cabinet over a traditional safe since I moved every two or three years and wanted something that would be easily transported.  Gun Cabinets are only moderately effective against intrusion and if they aren’t secured to the floor or a wall, they can become another type of convenient carrying case for criminals.  So, I reached the point in professional and financial stability where I purchased a traditional gun safe.  The size and weight of the safe precluded positioning it where I could quickly access a firearm for home defense.

In order to accommodate this arrangement, I would draw a weapon from the safe and place it on the nightstand each night and then return it in the morning before leaving for work each morning.  While this was a bit tedious and introduced the opportunity to “forget” to either draw the firearm at night or return it in the morning, it was acceptable until my daughter arrived.  With a child in the house, I needed to take more active and consistent measures to maintain firearm security.

The Search

 

Satisfied with the anti-intrusion and overall security of my collection in a quality gun safe, I evaluated a variety of portable or specific-use security containers.  A number of manufacturers make small firearm security containers with a variety of access options, such as keys, magnets, dial combinations, keypad combinations, and biometric fingerprint readers.

I had determined that I wanted a small security container that could hold a full-size .45ACP firearm with laser/light attachment.  I also determined that I needed the following features: (1) must be able to access in complete darkenss; (2) must be accessible only by me or my wife while absolutely prohibiting access to anyone else; and (3) must be portable but able to secure to another object by bolt or cable.  With these parameters in mind, this excluded any containers activated by keys, magnets, or dial combinations… leaving only a choice between keypad or biometric fingerprint readers.

Gun Vault offered the widest variety of keypad and biometric security containers at a reasonable price.  Two choices remained, top or front access, and keypad or biometric?  Since I intended for this to be placed in a nightstand drawer, I needed a top access container.  In regard to keypad or biometric, I read a number of reviews on the Gun Vault site as well as many other sites.  While some users had expressed exasperation with the fingerprint readers, the majority clearly had favorable experiences.  After personally evaluating a number of Gun Vault fingerprint readers at local gun shops and gun shows, I became confident enough to favor the biometric fingerprint reader.

After an exhaustive search, I chose the Gun Vault MVB500 (Micro-Vault Biometric)

The Review

The specifications for the GunVault MVB500 list it is ideal for home and travel with its fast entry, 15 finger print memory, and 20 gauge steel construction.  It included a braided steel cable, 4xAA battery pack, and two spare keys.  The retail price was just under $250.00.

I purchased this unit in 2011 and have been very impressed ever since.  In my opinion, it has functioned exactly as advertised.  With a very easy-to-understand instruction manual, programming fingerprints into to the system was simple.


In less than 10 minutes, I was able to program three fingers from both my wife’s and my hands into the system.  We even tested the system to ensure that the biometric lock would reject unauthorized fingerprints, which it consistently did.


I was able to secure it into the nightstand drawer with simple wood screws and anchored the unit at an angle that would be easily accessible with both my wife’s and my right and left hands.  The unit is large enough for me to secure a Sig P227 with an extended magazine inserted and light/laser attached to the rail.  The original batteries have lasted for over three years now and I only replaced them to ensure that they would not fail when most needed.

Cons

 

There is a little bit of “training” required to ensure that you “drag” your designated fingers along the biometric reader in the same manner each time.  As you can see in the photos, there is a “channel” that “guides” your finger across the reader.  However, it is easy to alter the speed and angle which will result in a false reading.  A little practice can ensure that each “swipe” is successful.  Also, wet or dirty fingers can lead to false readings.
My other negative observation is that the biometric fingerprint reader is the single point of success or failure.  If the fingerprint reader fails, or user fails to properly “swipe,” then there is no way to gain access without digging out the key to open the unit.  “Hiding” the key near the unit for rapid nighttime access can defeat some of the utility of the unit in the first place.

Conclusion

 

In my opinion, the utility and overall positive aspects of the GunVault MVB500 far outweigh the negative aspects.  No system is fool-proof.  This product performs exactly as advertised and has satisfied my requirements for over three years.  This product does require a little bit of training to ensure consistent access.  I do not see this as a problem since I believe that the key to an effective response to a home invasion is continued situational awareness, response plan development, and response rehearsals.  Please see Planning to Fail, for more information.

Aegis Academy espouses the principles of Fit, Function, and Finances in selecting firearms.  I believe the same concept can assist in selecting firearm accessories, such as safety devices and security containers.  In this case, the GunVault MVB500 was the right size to fit in the nightstand drawer and could secure a full-size .45ACP; the function satisfied my requirement for quick access in complete darkenss by only me or my wife while excluding all others; and while a bit pricey, the financial commitment was worth the functionality.  In the end, I highly recommend the GunVault MVB500 for anyone with similar interests and requirements for firearm security.

Stay safe and shoot straight!

Disclaimer: This product was reviewed objectively by the author only and does not constitute an endorsement by Aegis Academy.  I have no financial or personal connections with GunVault, I have not been compensated in any way by GunVault for this review, and I independently purchased this product at full retail price.  This review is provided for your information and consideration only.  

About Author

 

Howard Hall - Range Master
 
Howard has served for nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps. He has served as a Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Regimental Operations Officer, and Battalion Commander. He has multiple combat tours to include serving as a military transition team member in Fallujah. He is an NRA Certified handgun instructor and holds numerous Marine Corps training credentials. An active competitor in action pistol (United States Practical Shooting Association), long range rifle (NRA F-Class), and shotgun (Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association), howard has earned numerous accolades and medaled during DoD competitions with the 1911 platform in bulls-eye shooting.

About Author

Howard Hall - Range Master
 

Howard has served for nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps. He has served as a Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Regimental Operations Officer, and Battalion Commander. He has multiple combat tours to include serving as a military transition team member in Fallujah. He is an NRA Certified handgun instructor and holds numerous Marine Corps training credentials. An active competitor in action pistol (United States Practical Shooting Association), long range rifle (NRA F-Class), and shotgun (Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association), howard has earned numerous accolades and medaled during DoD competitions with the 1911 platform in bulls-eye shooting.


First published at Aegis Academy

External Ballistics Part IV – Deviation, Gyroscopic Drift and Wind Deflection

Thank you for your continued interest in ballistics: the science of shooting! We have covered a lot of ground throughout this series in order to build to this last set of concepts and principles that will help you accurately and consistently place your shots on target. We will finish our discussion on External Ballistics by discussing Deviation, Gyroscopic Drift and Wind Deflection.

Deviation

 

The dictionary defines deviation as the difference between an expected and observed outcome or as the difference between the average outcome and a particular outcome. For our purposes, the “outcomes” are projectile impacts on target and a deviation is the difference between the point of aim and the point of impact or the difference between one particular impact and the rest of the group.

I first introduced the difference between mechanical precision and shooter accuracy in Part II of our discussion on Internal Ballistics. If you recall, mechanical precision describes the capability inherent to the ammunition/firearm combination and their ability to consistently place projectiles in close proximity to one another, or in a tight group. Accuracy, on the other hand, describes the shooter’s ability to harness the mechanical precision and place a tight group focused within the intended area of the target.

While the Internal Ballistics Series focused primarily on mechanical precision and how to produce tight groups, External Ballistics has analyzed factors that affect the projectile’s flight to target. Whether it is a matter of precision or accuracy, the definition of deviation is applicable.

In regard to deviation, the most common measurement is Minute of Angle (MOA) to describe the distance between shots on target. I’d like to take a little time to discuss MOA to set the foundation for measuring deviation and better understanding Gyroscopic Drift and Wind Deflection.

Minute of Angle (MOA)

 

Any forces that affect a projectile’s flight become more pronounced the further the projectile travels. Stated differently, a small error will have little effect at close range, but a greater effect at a longer range. So, how do we characterize this in consistent terms? Since we are trying to measure the difference between terminal impacts from the same point of origin, this difference can be described as an arc, or more succinctly as an angle.

A full circle can be divided into 360 degrees, and each of these degrees can be divided into 60 minutes. Without taking you on too much of a tangent, this terminology came from the ancient Sumerians in the 3rd Century, B.C.. In order to track the distances or movements of celestial bodies in the night sky, they developed the sexagesimal system of measurement. Using this “base 60″ system, they subdivided each of a circle’s 360 degrees into a subdivision of 60 minutes per degree and this system is still in use today. Talk about longevity!

Many of you who have heard that 1 MOA = 1 inch at 100 yards; 2 MOA = 2 inches at 200 yards, and so on. This is MOSTLY true. Let’s take a closer look and start with calculations at 100 yards.



If the distance from the shooter to the target is 100 yards, then 100 yards is the Radius of a circle from which we must base our calculations. Converting 100 yards into inches, we get 3,600″. Since Diameter is 2*pi*Radius (2*3.14579*3,600), we get 22,619.462″. This is the numerator. Now, we need to define the denominator, which is 360 degrees multiplied by 60 minutes, which equals 21,600 minutes. So, to calculate the deviation of one minute of angle at 100 yards, we divide the numerator of 22,619.463″ by the denominator of 21,600, which ultimately equals 1.0472 inches. Now you know the mathematics behind calculating minute of angle and you can see that while it is not EXACTLY 1 inch at 100 yards, it is close enough for all intents and purposes.

Applicability: Mechanical precision is determined by the aggregate quality of the firearm components and ammunition. An “average” hunting rifle should be expected to consistently shoot within 3MOA. This equates to roughly a 3 inch group at 100 yards, 6 inch group at 200 yards, etc. More precise rifles consistently shoot between 1.5 and 1MOA whereas Precision rifles are capable of shooting “sub-MOA” groups. Aegis Academy teaches the principles of Fit, Function, and Finances when it comes to selecting a firearm. Only an individual shooter can determine if the “function” of 3MOA or sub-MOA is worth the corresponding “finances.” As a competitor and student of ballistics, I prefer rifles and home-made ammunition capable of sub-MOA precision. For example, in the photo you see a three-shot group at 100 yards. The extreme spread is just over 1/2 inch and the group size is just under 1/2 inch, so this is sub-0.5MOA. This was shot from my Remington 700, chambered in .308, with a 26″ heavy barrel using Sierra Match King 175gr Hollow Point Boat Tail bullets averaging 2,762 ft/sec initial velocity.

Let’s continue the discussion for pistol shooters. How much precision do you need with a pistol? Again, this will depend on its intended use and the shooter’s personal calculus of fit, function, and finances. Most pistol manufacturers correctly focus their manufacturing and advertising on the reliability of their products instead of intrinsic precision. So, it is difficult to gauge how “precise” most pistols are. 1911 enthusiasts recognize the name Wilson Combat as a manufacturer of high quality (and expensive) pistols. I mention Wilson Combat only because their advertising includes guarantees of precision as a specification for each pistol. For example, the Close Quarters Battle (CQB) model lists an accuracy guarantee of 1 inch at 25 yards (click here). From what we just learned… a 1 inch group at 25 yards translates roughly into 4 MOA… all for just under $3K. Wow! While that may seem alarming, consider that bulls-eye matches only shoot out to 50 yards and defensive pistol shots would probably take place within 3-5 yards. I’ve shot a lot of pistols over the last 20 years, and I don’t believe that there have been any that couldn’t maintain a semblance of a group out to 15 yards. For most pistol uses, reliable function is more important than precision.

Drift

 

A key theme highlighted in the External Ballistics series has been that the moment the projectile departs the bore, many forces act on that projectile and affect its travel to the target, causing varying degrees of deviation. A key take-away from this principle is that the longer the projectile is in the atmosphere traveling to the target, the more susceptible it is to external ballistic effects.

Many shooters associate the effect of wind on a projectile as drift… calling it wind drift. This is technically incorrect. I’ll attribute wind’s effect on projectiles in the section that immediately follows this one. Drift is more accurately attributed to a projectile’s side movement caused by gyroscopic spin and precession. Yes, I dug that one out again.

If you recall our discussions from External Ballistics Part I, precession is a force exerted on an object as a result of air resistance reacting to the object’s rotation and exerts this force at a 90 degree angle in relation to said force. Since the bore axis is angled “up” in relation to the sight axis, the projectile departs the bore slightly “nose up.” This creates additional air resistance under the nose of the rotating projectile. Precession causes the nose to begin to angle down in relation to the ballistic trajectory which keeps the nose of the projectile oriented on the target.

For longer shots which keep the projectile traveling in the air for longer durations, the atmospheric resistance acting against the projectile’s rotation causes additional precession and alters the projectile’s path in the direction the projectile is spinning. This is drift! A projectile fired out of a rifle with a right-hand twist barrel will spin clockwise (to the right). The longer that projectile is in the air, the more likely precession will cause it to drift to the right… even in the absence of wind. The opposite is true for a left-hand twist barrel.

Applicability: In Internal Ballistics Part III, we covered bullet drop at different distances. Now, we see that at greater distances, we also need to compensate for gyroscopic drift. How much compensation will depend heavily on the range to target, projectile weight, ballistic coefficient, and velocity. Rifle shooters engaging targets over 500 yards need to know their barrel’s direction of twist and add the appropriate of elevation to compensate for drop as well as adjust the windage to compensate for drift. Pistol shooters do not need to be concerned with gyroscopic drift due to their projectiles’ exceptionally short periods of flight.

Wind Deflection

 

Since we now know that Gyroscopic Drift is caused by precession to air resistance acting against a rotating projectile, we can tackle the challenge of Wind Deflection. Even when all aspects of mechanical precision can be harnessed by proper sight alignment, sight picture, and refined shooting technique… ubiquitous wind deflection can change everything.

Assessing and correctly adjusting for wind has been my personal nemesis for as long as I’ve been shooting rifles. What makes wind deflection so difficult is that assessment and compensation must be made for both wind speed and direction. Exacerbating the problem at longer ranges is that speed and direction are not necessarily consistent and can change. I’m sure that any of you who have been on long range shoots have been confounded by seeing wind flags pointing in opposite or alternating directions along the length of the range. Which flags should you pay attention to: those closest to you where the projectile velocity is the greatest, or further down range where velocity is lower? Thinking back to our discussion on deviation, any force, including wind, will affect the projectile the most in the proximity of the shooter. Remember, any influence close to the shooter will immediately alter the projectile’s path and exacerbate the deviation down range.

Since we’ve established the wind’s profound effect on projectile travel, let’s discuss how we assess and correct for wind.

Estimating Wind Velocity: Again, the wind closest to the shooter will have the greatest effect on the eventual path of the projectile. Hand-held anemometers can provide precise wind velocity readings (and even rudimentary wind direction) at the firing point. These cost anywhere from $50 – $200 depending on the additional features included. While these are “nice to have,” they are by no means necessary. Shooters have been estimating wind by evaluating range flag angles (when present) or simply observing the environment around them. According to Robert Rinker, author of Understanding Firearm Ballistics, “A wind speed of 1 or 2-mph is calm and can be disregarded. From 3-mph up to about 6 is a light breeze, noticeable but not a problem to hold a match or a paper.” The Millet Sight web page includes an article that further describes winds as follows: “Winds from 5-8 mph will agitate leaves on trees. 8-12 mph winds raise dust. 12-15 mph winds sway small trees and water begins to whitecap at 17mph.”

Estimating Wind Values

 

Now that we can gauge wind speed, we need to evaluate how wind direction affects projectile flight. Instead of discussing the 360 degrees of a circle, it is more effective to superimpose the image of a clock over the shooter in the very center.



Winds approaching from 12 or 6 o’clock (directly in front or behind) are considered “No Value” winds and require no windage adjustments. Winds from 1-2, 4-5, 7-8, and 10-11 o’clock (oblique angles) are considered “Half-Value” winds and require moderate compensation. Winds crossing perpendicular from 3 or 9 o’clock are considered “Full Value” winds and require the greatest compensation.

Correcting for Wind Deflection

 

OK… now that we can gauge wind speed and determine wind values by direction, we need to apply the appropriate adjustment on our rear sights or scopes. There are two things to remember here. First, we must adjust the sight/scope to move the projectile impact in the opposite direction of the wind. Second, for adjustable iron sights, we move the rear sight in the same direction that we want to move the projectile impact. If we calculate a full value wind from 9 o’clock (left to right), we want to move the impact of the projectile to the left (against the wind) and therefore, we want to move our rear sight to the left as well. Both iron sights and rifle scopes should indicate how many MOA each “click” is worth.

Although there are many methods to compensate for wind deflection, I have used the following two to varying degrees of success.

Kentucky Windage: This colloquial term best describes not necessarily adjusting the sights, but adjusting the point of aim to compensate for the wind. After each shot, I gauge the impact and further adjust the point of aim to try to score a hit. While I know a few very experienced shooters who have mastered Kentucky Windage, I am most definitely not one of those shooters and do not recommend this method as a primary marksmanship tool.

Using Wind Drift Data: Most manufacturers either provide specific wind deflection data for their load or their web site includes a ballistic calculator from which you can calculate wind deflection for your load. For my primary .308 cal load, I used the Hornady Ballistics Calculator, entered the bullet data, and calculated wind deflection for a 10 mph full value wind. See the chart below and note the text in the upper left-hand corner, recommending that you tape this “cheat sheet” to your gun.



This chart tells me that if I am engaging a target at 300 yards in a 10mph full value wind from 3 o’clock (right to left), I can expect my projectile to be deflected by the wind (even though Hornady calls it drift) 6.1 inches to the left, so I need to add 1.9 MOA of windage to the right. Since my scope is 1/4MOA per click, I need to round up to 2 MOA and apply “8 clicks” of right windage to my scope.

Well that’s great if I encounter a 10mph full value wind. What if the wind speed is, indeed 10mph, but it is coming from one of the obliques? Easy… since the obliques are considered half-value winds, the deflections and corresponding corrections are simply half of those listed on the chart. The same is true of wind speed. A 5mph full value wind would also be only half of what you see on the chart. These charts are very useful.

What about pistol shooters? Although the pistol projectile’s travel to target takes an exceptionally short time, it is not immune to the effects of wind. Again, using Hornady’s Ballistic Calculator, I entered the data for my 230gr full metal jacket .45ACP ammunition with a ballistic coefficient of .205 being fired with an initial velocity of 772 feet per second at a target 100 yards away with a 10mph full value cross wind.



As you can see in the chart, the wind will deflect the 230gr .45ACP projectile 0.2 inches at 25 yards and 0.6 inches at 50 yards. The average adjustable rear sight on a pistol measures 1MOA per “click adjustment.” So, if I was shooting National Match Slow Fire at a 50 yard target in these conditions, I would only adjust my rear sight one click “into” the wind.

Those of you who have shot pistols in high winds would agree that the wind has a far greater effect on the shooter than the projectile.

Conclusion

 

We have certainly covered a lot of ground with three articles dedicated to Internal Ballistics and four dedicated to External Ballistics. If you have the time and the interest, please review or catch-up on the series in order to set the stage for our upcoming series on Terminal Ballistics where we study the transfer of energy from the projectile to the target as well as the terminal ballistic effect of those projectiles on different targets.

Please click the following titles to review past articles in the series.

• Introduction to Ballistics
• Internal Ballistics Part I – The Cycle of Operation and Firearm Function
• Internal Ballistics Part III – Ammunition Characteristics and Safety
• Internal Ballistics Part III – Ammunition Characteristics and Safety
• External Ballistics Part I – Physics, Projectiles, and Transitional Ballistics
• External Ballistics Part II – Flight to Target
• External Ballistics Part III – Understanding Trajectory

Until next time, stay safe and shoot straight.

About Author

Howard Hall Range Master
Howard has served for nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps. He has served as a Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion Executive Officer, Regimental Operations Officer, and Battalion Commander. He has multiple combat tours to include serving as a military transition team member in Fallujah. He is an NRA Certified handgun instructor and holds numerous Marine Corps training credentials. An active competitor in action pistol (United States Practical Shooting Association), long range rifle (NRA F-Class), and shotgun (Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association), howard has earned numerous accolades and medaled during DoD competitions with the 1911 platform in bulls-eye shooting.
Source : Aegis Academy

The Beheading of Colleen Hufford – Workplace Violence or Terrorism?

Alton Nolen is the man accused of beheading 54-year-old Colleen Hufford at Vaughn Foods. By accused we mean shot by the CEO (who is also a reserve Oklahoma County Deputy) as he was in the process of stabbing a second victim. He had recently been fired from a separate Vaughn foods store in the local area. The initial classification of the crime is as a workplace violence incident, which it is. The local police have requested the assistance of the FBI due his relatively recent conversion to Islam, but officially we have yet to call this a terrorist act.

Alton Nolan is exactly the type of person ISIS and Muslim terrorist recruiting efforts are focused on. He is grossly uneducated. This lack of education makes him incapable of discerning a logical argument from a fanciful one. He is on the outskirts of mainstream society (due to his extensive criminal past) and therefore desperate for acceptance. He is exploitable, as he has little alternatives in society. He certainly became more convinced that he understood the tenants on Islam over the past year. That said, this does not appear to be an attack conducted in accordance with the campaign of terror ISIS or Al-Qaeda or their affiliates are pursuing.

What we see here the combination of a semi-radicalized Muslim and an angry black man lashing out at anything and everything on which he can blame his problems. Were he acting in support of terrorist objectives we would see a string of justifications for his actions based on the treatment of Muslims blaming the American government. Instead what we see is a man acting largely in response to his termination from his employment. While his method certainly goes beyond what we typically see in workplace violence incidents, this probably falls well short of what we should consider a terrorist attack.

Who is Alton Nolan

 

Mr. Nolan served time in the Oklahoma Prison system for drug and assault charges. While in prison in 2011 (convicted after roughly ten arrests over the previous five years), he converted to Islam and began referring to himself as Jah’Keem Yisrael. His Facebook page claims he graduated from high school in 2003, and Langford University (an all Black College in Oklahoma) in 2007 with a degree in Business Management. There is no evidence he attended, let alone graduated from Langston or any other university. He posted a photo “Tooken by Shariece Pettiss at LU – 2009” (SIC) as his opening photo to his Facebook page, which is now listed under the name of Jah’Keem Yisrael.

There are a few gaps, however he is “JST GETN OFF WRK..FINST 2 HEAD 2 DA BEL TO SEE DIS PRETTY LIL GURL SHAWTY SAY IZ MINE…1 DWN 1 TO GO LOL” which means, in my best translation from Idiot to English – he is going to meet a woman and her child whom she claims is his daughter. Throughout 2010 we see a number of religious posts referring to the lord blessing him. Of note he indicates his mother attends church weekly. There is another gap during which he was incarcerated and on August 23, 2011, he claims (in the same grammar and spelling consistent with the complete lack of education he has displayed in nearly all of his posts) that he has been released from prison and is going to the halfway house. Throughout 2012 and part of 2013, his posts consist of relatively innocuous and irrelevant commentary on work and football.

His last post without reference to Allah was made on April 16, 2013. “Feel Like Lil Wayne Wish I Kld Fuk EveryGurl N DA World If Thinkin Bout Her Beautiness And Is A Sin Then Lrd Why Mke So Pretty Of Gurlz lol Yung Kuntry Niccccca!!!!” (SIC). The approximate translation is “I want to sleep with pretty girls because god made them pretty and I don’t understand why that is a sin”. He follows that up later with acknowledgement that the referenced behavior may in fact be considered a sin.

Alton Nolan was simply a grossly uneducated product of the prison system who found Islam as means of coping with his incarceration. Religion is quite frequently the last refuge of a scoundrel. He has no apparent goals in life save self gratification and displays no real concern in any of his posts for anything other than his plight or his personal opinions. He is simply an ignorant, somewhat arrogant narcissist.

Was he a radicalized Muslim?

 

From April 28, 2013, his post frequently reference Allah, the appropriate or inappropriate behavior standards for women and some significant historical revisionism about the Moor’s, the presidency, and plight of the black man in America. On October 31, he made his first post denigrating Christians and other religions, and from this point forward, his posts start to take a much more pro-Muslim tone, and begin to focus on racism referencing out of context historical references to neo-Nazi’s, Jews and Whites. He consistently attempts to make a historical connection to blacks as the “True Jews” and indicates their suffering was due to their abandonment of Islam.

The bulk of his posts are at this point typical of a Malcolm X interpretation of Islam, where the white man is evil and is the root of all oppression of the black man. In 2014, his posts become more frequent and, anti any religion save Islam, and he seems fixed on converting Christians. Interestingly enough his spelling and grammar have improved significantly between 2013 and his final posts. That would indicate to me that someone, somewhere was working with him. His posts start to take on a more international flavor and his historical misinterpretations start to appear to be a combination of southern prison system Islam with a sprinkling of Middle Eastern extremism.

In February 2014, he begins to end all his post with a signature “****InfoFromAMuslim****”. His photos all contain the skullcap and beard commonly associated with conservative Islam at this point. Despite his frequent racial posts, it would appear he claims to have guided a white youth to the Islamic faith on May 30. In addition, his lifestyle and posts begin to take a more eastern theological approach to Islam. Throughout Ramadan (a Muslim holy period), he appears to be proud of his adherence to Islamic principles of fasting and has posted photos of himself at social outing and at a mosque with Moroccan Muslims.

Why Behead Colleen Hufford

 

Undoubtedly, his exposure to international Muslims would have peaked his interest in the events in Syria, Iraq and around the world. His inability to intellectually make sound judgments, and desperation to be a part of something make him highly susceptible to suggestion. Beginning in July and August he begins to post quite frequently about the misdeeds (as he see’s it) of women. Early in September he begins to reference Muslims requirements to do their work to avoid hell. His final public post is on September 23 warns about masturbation and it being a sin.

Once terminated from his job, Mr. Nolan was likely to act out. He chose to act out against two women, as that was the focus of his recent fixation as part of his pursuit support of the Islamic faith as he understood it. He chose to behead Colleen quite likely because of the attention given the recent actions of ISIS and his interpretation that is how Muslims punish the guilty. What we have here appears to be a criminal act influenced by a grossly ignorant interpretation of Islam.

As indicated earlier, Alton Nolan is exactly the type of person ISIS and Muslim terrorist organizations are trying to recruit for their lone wolf attacks. He is uneducated and therefore incapable of discerning a logical argument from a fanciful one. He is on the outskirts of mainstream society, desperate for acceptance and susceptible to suggestion. He has limited social options, and can easily be sucked into a cell like structure and segregated from the rest of society. In this case however, they probably got to him too late to make him an effective tool in their strategy.

Alton Nolan was not a terrorist yet, in my opinion he was simply a murderer. Certainly the culture of violence that surrounds segments of Islam played a significant role in his behavior. That is what we need to focus on eradicating. There are simply elements of Islam that are incompatible with basic humanity, and although those same references exist in many religions, it is Islamists that frequently act on them. You can find more on the extremist culture of Islam in the article Is ISIS the future of Islam?

Stay Safe.

About Author

 

Patrick Henry - President and Firearm Trainer

Patrick Henry received his operational training and experience from the U. S. Government, 22 years of which were spent in the Marine Corps where he served in the Reconnaissance, Infantry and Intelligence fields. During his active service, he spent more then seven years deployed overseas in combat, operational and training assignments. After the military, Pat worked as a contractor and as the Director of Operations at a private paramilitary company, specializing in training special operations forces and providing protective services to select private clients. His education consists of an MBA from the University of Southern California (USC), and a BS from San Diego State University with an emphasis in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology and a minor in Psychology. He holds an extensive list of security and training related certifications from a variety of government and nationally recognized entities. He currently sits on the advisory committee at USC’s Master of Veterans Business Program, and is an active member of Infraguard and the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS). He has been a guest speaker at ASIS, the San Diego Industrial Security Awareness Council and other private organizations on physical security, travel security, and competitive intelligence collection counter-measures.

First Published at Aegis Academy

The History of Electronic Red Dot Optics

Red Dot Optics

To understand how Red Dot Optics became the must have, high speed-low drag accessory for your weapon, we first must understand the shortcomings of traditional iron sights. Iron sights have been around since the very beginning of firearms, but the biggest drawback is the shooters ability to quickly find the target and align both sights with his eye, manipulate a mechanical safety/trigger system and engage, this is usually done with your non-shooting eye closed. Works great at longer ranges with time, but add a much closer or moving target and low light into the mix and it gets very hard without years of proper training. As the modern battlefield became much more urbanized and Close Quarter Combat (CQC) became the norm, it was obvious that old school iron sights would not lend themselves to the new tactics being developed for this type of combat. The optics would have to advance with the tactics and the Special Mission Units drove most of this in the ‘70s and ‘80s, plus competition shooters saw how much faster and accurate they could be with these types of optics. Some of the earlier versions were a bit large and heavy, but by the mid-eighties technology started to catch up with the operators and just putting a flashlight on a weapon did not meet muster. I know, I had a MP-5 sub-gun with a Maglite on it in 1985 and thought I really was high-speed, low-drag. How things have changed since then is quite fascinating for anyone who has a passion for modern weapons and the training need to survive in today’s sometimes hostile environment.

Again, some background on what electronic sights do and how they work will enable the shooter to choose the best Red-Dot system for his or her application. An Electronic sight is not a scope…it does not magnify the image at all; it simply projects a Red Dot on a single lens that can be superimposed on the target. This eliminates all the alignment issues with iron sights and it has virtually no parallax, meaning the dot is in constant alignment with the barrel of your weapon. With this new type of optic, operators could engage moving targets in low light conditions, at close to medium ranges with both eyes open giving the shooter a full field of view and allowing for much more situational awareness (SA) on the battlefield. Having the target and the Red Dot in the same focal plane is huge, you simply have to put the dot on your target and manipulate the trigger correctly. These types of optics became the norm for all Special Mission Units by the early ‘90’s and have been adopted by most specialized law enforcement units as well.

The two main types of electronic sights are the reflex sight and holographic sight. Both use different technology to accomplish the same task. A reflex sight system simply reflects the aiming reticle forward from a point behind the objective lens; this can be done with battery power or a fiber optic system that gathers ambient light. With a holographic sight system a sighting reticle is superimposed by way of a laser transmission hologram and this reticle is projected back towards the shooter onto an objective lens. Same result done quite differently and with modern LED diodes and lithium batteries, these optics can run for 10,000 hours on a single battery. However, in a Maritime environment I still prefer the fiber optic solution simply because anything and everything can get compromised with moisture.

The reticle you will see on many of the objective lenses on either system is a simple red dot (Aimpoint) of any size that works for your eyes, usually 5-20 MOA depending on your use, or a red dot in a circle (EO Tech). Most of the 3-gun competitors have gone to a fully independent electronic Red Dot systems on a cantilever mount to the outboard side of their Carbine and a scope system on a rail right above the upper receiver. Giving them the ability to use the magnification of the scope at longer ranges, then cant the weapon inboard to expose the Red Dot sight for close to medium ranges 7-75yards. This system keeps the mechanical offset reasonable and is extremely quick in transition from near, to far distances and is very simple to use. Some competitors are now putting a Ruggedized Miniature Reflex (RMR) sight on the rear of their pistol slide and getting great results in IPSC events. I’m going to mount a RMR system on the top rail of my Benelli shotgun just to see how much faster than iron sights it really is, should be great for close ranges and very accurate for longer slug targets, this type system sells for approximately $500 so it is not cheap, but has proven to be very durable and reliable, stay tuned for a full report very soon.

This brings me to the next topic which is the co-witnessing of both your Red-Dot sight and your iron sights. Done properly your iron sights will have almost the same Battle Sight Zero (BZO) as your electronic sight and can be used as an emergency back-up sighting system if your battery doesn’t function when needed. A hasty co-witness can be done in minutes by simply using the same cheek-weld for your iron sights and adjust the red dot so it sits right on top of your front sight post. Start with your iron sights and shoot your irons, confirm and/or adjust your zero, then repeat the process with your Red-Dot and adjust as necessary. Always confirm using your near and far zero to ensure you have the best co-witness possible if you have the time and range space. Be careful to remember that the amount of adjustment will be different going from one sighting system to the other. If done properly you will have an almost exact point of aim (POA) and point of impact (POI) with both systems on your weapon. Depending on the size of your dot and type of ammunition used. Always try to shoot with the same or similar ammo that you used for your co-witness BZO to eliminate any possible changes in your near/far zero, it’s usually the shooter, not the ammo. In a future article we will discuss the newer Tactical Rifle Scopes and their development in the modern era.

About Author

 

Chris White ~ Range Master 

Chris White is 20-year veteran of the United States Navy (SEAL Teams) where he retired as a Chief (SO7). He has multiple combat tours and was assigned to three different SEAL teams as well as Naval Special Warfare Development Group during his active duty service. His key billets include: Assault Team leader, Platoon Chief and Platoon LPO at Development Group. He spent 6 years in instructor and training assignments during his career. Since his retirement, he has worked as an instructor and contracted operator at numerous high threat security providers in the Middle East and Africa. He continues to deploy in support of contingency operations and high threat protective details spending approximately 120 days a year overseas. He holds an extensive list of Department of Defense and Special Operations Command certifications and qualifications.

First published at Aegis Academy