Posts Made By: Thomas Holst

Michael Sandy said:
Do you have any gun safety nightmare stories (I’d call those lessons learned at work) to share from your personal experience that might be helpful for others to learn from?

I spent 25 years in law enforcement and have lost track of how many accidental shootings, suicides and homicides to which I had to respond, but there was one incident early in my career that sticks in my mind.

On a summer Saturday afternoon, I was called to a shooting at an old rented house which was occupied by a single mom and her baby. The mom kept her "home defense weapon", a loaded Ruger .22 semi-auto pistol, in a holster/gun belt hanging from a nail on the wall - right above the crib in which her 14 month old baby slept.

The baby woke up, somehow managed to get the pistol out of the holster and shot himself through the foot. Fortunately it wasn't a life threatening wound, but I was appalled by the mom's irresponsible placement of a deadly weapon.

Amazingly, in spite of all the effort I put into the investigation, the prosecutor's office refused to charge the mom with child endangerment or anything else, claiming that she had "learned her lesson". Wrong! She should have known that it was an incredibly stupid thing to do and the prosecutors office only reinforced her right to be stupid and endanger her child.

(Note: The purpose of prosecution is not always to put people in jail. In many cases like this one, its purpose is to get the offender to understand that he/she did something that was unacceptable and to take steps to make sure it doesn't happen again; child care counseling, firearms safety class, etc.)

The first step toward ending all war would be to eliminate all religion.

Well, it's about friggin' time! I guess "W" reserved the full pardons for those with absolutely NO redeeming qualities.

Lee Spain said:

What are your favorite military surplus rifles?

My choice would be an original US made M14 with full-auto selector and a bipod (if you can find one that the government hasn't cut in half).

The M14 (chambered for the 7.62 NATO/308 Win.) is more efficient and has greater magazine capacity than rifles chambered for the 30.06, while providing nearly the same ballistics. It also has considerably more power and range than the SKS/AK-47 (7.62 x 39 cartridge). The M1 carbine isn't even in the same league.

Lastly, the M14, without lubrication and full of dirt, will keep firing until the barrel glows a dull red in the dark and the stock catches fire - literally.

Lee Spain said:
...What do you guys think about pistol caliber carbines? Ruger PC-9, Hi-Point 995, Marlin Camp-9, etc.

I think a 9mm carbine would be pretty good for plinking and scaring whistle pigs / rock chucks, but not much else. The main advantage is that the 9 mm cartridge would be the cheapest centerfire ammo to shoot. I don't think it's an inherently accurate round and it doesn't have enough power for medium/large game.

When I think of useful handgun cartridges in a small rifle, I'm more inclined toward the .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum. I also lean toward the Winchester and Marlin 1894 lever action models in these chamberings, as opposed to the semi-autos. Still, the little Ruger 10/22 is one of the most fun rifles to shoot.

Also, regarding the article on long guns for home defense and bullet penetration, I still think the most appropriate weapons for indoor use are handguns. My personal choices are a .45 auto and two .45 Long Colt revolvers for a one shot stop.

Lee, please elaborate on the "firing pin issue".

Chris Nisbet said:

...Anybody else seeing this in their area of the country?

I was doing a little shopping at Sportsman's Warehouse in Boise, Idaho today, remembered your post and checked on the ammo situation. You're right. There was no 9mm or .45 Auto be found at all, and little of the less common calibers. Upon asking the gun counter clerk, he informed me that he didn't think there was even one box of 9mm for sale anywhere in the entire town.

Lee Spain said:

Do you guys have any suggestions for good 9mm home defense rounds?

Federal Cartridge 9mm Tactical HST3, 124 grain Plus-P. (You would probably have to be friends with a local LE officer to get your hands on some.)

Our problem in this country is that the people coming up with these restrictions and rules for dealing with enemies and terrorists have never been in a position where they actually had to deal directly with someone who plays by no rules whatsoever, nor were they ever inclined to put themselves in that position.

When it comes down to the survival of either us or the bad guys, I'll vote for us every time and will support anything it takes to come out the winner. Harry Truman and his advisers understood this and provided us with the luxury of debating his decision to drop the bomb for the next 64 years.

Peter Glus said:
A pinpoint bright star should have the same "size" perception as a point just like a dim star, right? But why do all astrophotos show brighter as bigger? Is it because the camrea film or CCD detectors bleed the image outward with brightness?

Although I have very limited experience with astrophotography, I've been into regular photography for over 30 years. I believe the assumption in your last sentence is correct. When a pinpoint of light strikes the emulsion side of film, which is made up of millions of tiny crystals, the light is bounced around and tends to bleed into otherwise unexposed emulsion. (If the exposure is long enough, it will fog the entire film frame.) I would guess that the same is true for the surface of CCD chips. There will also be a little diffused light around the pinpoint light rays, caused by the lenses and atmosphere.