My most recent edition is a black Leatherman Wave with a nylon MOLLE sheath. I mounted this tool on my training gear so I always have a Leatherman handy when I go out. The two features that made this a must have was the MOLLE sheath and the small flat head screw driver that I can use to adjust locking screws on sights and my glasses. If you have glasses and are about to lose a screw you know how important that option is.

The overall fit and finish of the black Leatherman Wave is good. It’s a little stiff at first but that goes away with use. The black finish could be better and it comes off on your hands for the first few dozen times you handle it. That too will go away after a break in period. When I was reading the reviews on this multi tool some people said as much and suggested getting the stainless steel one but you know the old adage “Once you go black you never go back.” Tongue in cheek jokes aside I’m very happy with the black version of the Leatherman Wave.

I know, it seems expensive, but it’s worth it! It helps make sure criminals don’t get your guns. This is good for you, good for society and good for gun rights. Also get a safe that’s at least twice as big as you’d expect you’d ever need. It will fill up quick.

So now you own a safe big enough to hold your long guns and you filled it with guns, papers and valuables…but…are you really using it right? Here is a summary of information I cobbled together from various sources on the internet (so it must be true!). This is not a discussion about what style/brand of safe to buy. I hope this provokes a bit of thought – additions and feedback welcome.

STATS

More than 99% of all robberies in homes with a locked gun sized safe (400lbs or larger) resulted in no loss of the contents inside the safe. The majority of the fraction left was people who stole the entire safe (mostly due to not being bolted down). Less than 0.05% were successfully broken into on location at the home or were removed when properly bolted.

Most common attack methods on safes are (in order of most to least common)

1. Attempted theft of entire safe
2. Pry bar attack on door
3. Fire ax to side of safe
4. Cutting side/back with diamond saw
5. Cutting torch

Most common damage to safe (ordered most to least common)

1. Hammered removal of dial or keypad
2. Pry marks/bent metal around door edges
3. Side/back damage

SAFE LOCATIONS BEST PRACTICES

1. Out of sight from exterior windows and doors.
2. Away from public or entertaining spaces such as kitchens and living rooms.
3. If safe is visible from outside the house, face it so contents cannot be seen when it is open.
4. Downstairs locations are ideal to lower heat from house fires. (heat goes up…unless its an inferno and the whole house comes down…)
5. Rule of thumb – the bigger the hassle to get it to that spot – the harder it will be to steal. The more stairs they have to carry it up or doorways and corners they have to navigate, the less likely it will be stolen.
6. The cheaper the safe, the smaller the space you should choose to locate it. This is to minimize attack options on the thinner metal on the sides and back.

BOLTING BEST PRACTICES

1. Ideal – concrete floor (…duh)
2. For ground floor locations over a crawl space – Drill ¼ pilot hole through pre-made holes in safe bottom. Glue a 2×6 boards to underside of the floor. Nail board ends to the support beams on each side so the pilot holes are centered. Using larger drill bit to drill all the way through flooring and 2×6. Fasten using 2 large washers and long round head bolts (aka timber bolts).
3. For upstairs locations with standard home flooring – Open ceiling under safe location and do the same as #2 above.
4. If bolting to floor is not an option, but the safe can be located in a small closet – Buy a piece of metal plate 3/8 to 1/2inch thick large enough to fit entire floor area of closet. Bolt the safe to the plate using round head bolts. Safe cannot be removed due to the oversize metal square bolted to bottom – at worst it can be tipped over onto its face through the doorway. (this method is difficult and requires 2-3 people to implement and floor must be strong enough to support this increased weight)

Note: Bolting can be successfully negated on elevated safes (i.e. with legs) by cutting the bolt between the safe and the floor with a hacksaw. Consider this when buying a safe.

ITEM STORAGE BEST PRACTICES

1. Store breakables on bottom shelf if you safe is not bolted down. Most unbolted safes are knocked over at some point during the robbery attempt.
2. Put most valuable objects on very bottom shelf. Most attempts to pry/cut/torch/chop into a safe are performed near the top of the safe between waist and chest high.
3. If you have large amounts of ammo, store it at the top of safe. A top heavy safe is more unwieldy to steal than a bottom heavy safe.
4. Use metal cash boxes inside safe to hold cash and important papers – they will provide an additional 10-30 minutes of fire protection, plus it requires taking much more time to cut/torch a much larger hole so they can be removed. (contents are a pita to get out while the box is inside the safe unless it’s a vertically spacious shelf). Store jewelry and watches separately the same way.
5. Use a dehumidifier to prevent rust. There are many plug in models for less than $100 and less effective/less costly ones for cheaper.
6. Do not put a gun into the safe that is a dramatically different temperature physically – condensation can form and cause rust.

SAFE COMBO BEST PRACTICES

A touch pad can be coated with different things to reveal which keys are frequently used. From there a savvy burglar can make a few educated guesses before being locked out for several minutes. You should clean your keypad regularly.

1. Use 6 or more digits that are not a phone number and doesn’t form a word
2. One repetitive number is ok. e.g 567784.
3. Do not use multiple repetitive numbers. E.g 588774 – these have a slightly higher probability of being guessed if they know what keys are being used. (don’t ask me why – I ain’t a math guy)
4. Do not end the code in 0 (zero) this is the most common last digit.
5. Do not start your code with 1 since this is the most common starting digit
6. Second most common starting digit is 0 due to the usage of birth dates (e.g. 031475) as codes…don’t do that.

Lastly, doing all of the above is not help whatsoever if you leave the bypass key where it can be found. The contents of your safe is only as secure as your bypass key.

House Bills:
HR 21: NRA Members’ Gun Safety Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 34: Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 117: Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 137: Fix Gun Checks Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 138: Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 141: Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 142: Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 226: Support Assault Firearms Elimination and Reduction for our Streets Act. Referred to the Ways and Means committee.
HR 227: Buyback Our Safety Act. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 236: Crackdown on Deadbeat Gun Dealers Act of 2013. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 238: Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act. Referred to the Judicary committee.
HR 329: To amend the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to encourage States to provide records to the National Instant Background Check System.
HR 404: To enhance criminal penalties for straw purchasers of firearms.

Senate Bills:
S22: A bill to establish background check procedures for gun shows.
S33: A bill to prohibit the transfer or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and for other purposes.
S34: A bill to increase public safety by permitting the Attorney General to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of firearms and explosives licenses to known or suspected dangerous terrorists.
S35: A bill to require face to face purchases of ammunition, to require licensing of ammunition dealers, and to require reporting regarding bulk purchases of ammunition.
S54: A bill to increase public safety by punishing and deterring firearms trafficking. (“trafficking = “private sales”)

Strange bill, not sure of the intent:
HR 339: To require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to make video recordings of the examination and testing of firearms and ammunition, and for other purposes.

A bill to support:

HR 410: To provide that any executive action infringing on the Second Amendment has no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes.

I do not know how many of you are aware but NY is on the verge of becoming the first state to increase the laws/tighten the laws regarding firearms. Now, You may think that you don’t have the firearms they are referring to, or you think you are not involved, but you are.

Every NY resident is affected by this new law. Crime WILL go up. YOU will be at an increased risk of becoming a victim. That is unacceptable.

Gun owner or not, you, as a NY resident are affected. All legal gun owners are potentially criminals now with the new law. The so called ‘Assault Rifle’ determination has changed to effectively include ALL AR-15 style rifles, which are used in sporting events, and for self defense. Even some hunting rifles or shotguns can be determined to be bad. The new 7 round magazine capacity limit is senseless and mere possession of one that contains more than 7 will be a Felony.

There are some issues with they way a mental health issue is reported and handled.

ANY ammunition sale will now be subject to a NICS check AND recorded. (BATF forbids such records)

Also, the way this new law was made violated a number of basic constitutional procedures and rights, not to mention the whole process of forming a law.

I urge you to do a few things.

First: read the actual text of the law. Educate yourself and know what it says.

http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S2230-2013

Then, start informing everyone you know about this. Pass along the link to them as well. Be informed, have aplan of attack. Do it the right way so that you have an effect on this.

Now, go here to educate yourselves on some other details:
http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/an-opinion-on-gun-control/

Also, read the following:
Someone is starting to take action:
Lawyer : Jim Tresmond, Attorney in Buffalo, New York. Attorney phone is 716.202.4301

Successfully represented clients in the past on Second Amendment issues in NYS Supreme Court. This case is pro-bono for all the gun owners of New York. According to Mr. Tresmond the new ban is illegal as it is an ex-facto law taking away previously owned property and he intends to file this action in Federal Court.

We are looking for as many as possible to add to CLASS ACTION CASE:

SEND Your Name and EMAIL ADDRESS and phone number to:

psacco1@twcny.rr.com
WE ARE COLLECTING AS MANY AS POSSIBLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE!!

If you sat back and thought: “nah, this can’t happen here” You were wrong. It IS happening.

Contact your state and local representative and talk to them about it. Some food for thought: they swore an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States and NY State. if they voted yes, they just violated that oath.

Hold them accountable!

Here’s a link to email them: (Link provided via Ruger) http://www.ruger.com/micros/advocacy/takeAction.html

There are other resources. Use them all and make yourself heard.

THIS WILL NOT STOP OR GET FIXED UNLESS YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

January 19 is being called Guns Across America and Gun Appreciation Day. Here’s a link to one sort of event.

https://www.facebook.com/events/144639815690301/?ref=22&suggestsessionid=18218565131357271463

Basically, you need to do something now before you are unable to – later.

NYPD’s SOP 9 study of 6,000+ Police Combat Cases

NYPD SOP 9 – ANALYSIS OF Police COMBAT

In 1969, the Firearms and Tactics Section of the New York City Police Department instituted a procedure for the in-depth documentation and study of Police combat situations. It was designated Department Order SOP 9 (s. 69).

Data gathering began in January 1970, and over 6000 cases were studied during the 1970s. The study results and findings were released in 1981. The following sets out many of those that focus on shooting situations and shooting techniques.

Since the results became available, pistols have replaced revolvers in most agencies, and the results are dated. However, based what one reads in the literature, and sees in Police videos, the elements and conditions of shooting situations have changed little over time. As such, the results can be expected to prevail today. At a minimum, they form a solid and scientific basis for self defense training and action until new study results and findings come along.

Also, it is likely that the results are applicable most anywhere, as New York City, in addition to tall buildings, has numerous suburban communities, beaches, large parks, remote areas, highways, rivers, ocean fronts, etc.

All of the results and findings applicable to Police combat situations, are not provided here. Hopefully, the snippets below, will serve as a spur to those in need of that information, to get, study, and act on it.

SHOOTING DISTANCES

From Sept 1854 to Dec 1979, 254 Officers died from wounds received in an armed encounter. The shooting distance in 90% of those cases was less than 15 feet.

Contact to 3 feet … 34%
3 feet to 6 feet …… 47%
6 feet to 15 feet ….. 9%

The shooting distances where Officers survived, remained almost the same during the SOP years (1970-1979), and for a random sampling of cases going back as far as 1929. 4,000 cases were reviewed. The shooting distance in 75% of those cases was less than 20 feet.

Contact to 10 feet … 51%
10 feet to 20 feet …. 24%

LIGHTING CONDITIONS

The majority of incidents occurred in poor lighting conditions. None occurred in what could be called total darkness. It was noted that flashlights were not used as a marksmanship aid. Also, dim light firing involves another element which is different from full light firing, muzzle flash.

WEAPONS

Firearms accounted for only 60% of the attacks on Police. However, in the 254 cases of Officers killed in an armed encounter, firearms were used in 90% (230) of them, and knives in 5% (11).

The service revolver was used in 60% of the cases. The authorized smaller frame civilian clothes revolver was used in 35% of them.

In all cases reviewed, an unauthorized or gimmick holster (ankle, shoulder, skeleton, fast draw, clip-on etc.) was involved when the revolver was lost, accidentally discharged, or the Officer was disarmed.

Unintentional discharges averaged about 40 per year. This number is relatively small given: the size of the force (28,000), that all Officers are required to be armed at all times when they are in the city, and that 4,000 non-Police firearms are processed each year.

SIGHT ALIGNMENT

In 70% of the cases reviewed, sight alignment was not used. Officers reported that they used instinctive or point shooting.

As the distance between the Officer and his opponent increased, some type of aiming was reported in 20% of the cases. This aiming or sighting ran from using the barrel as an aiming reference to picking up the front sight and utilizing fine sight alignment.

The remaining 10% could not remember whether they had aimed or pointed and fired the weapon instinctively.

QUICK DRAW

65% of the Officers who had knowledge of impending danger, had their revolvers drawn and ready.

This is proper tactically for several reasons, the first being that holsters which are designed with the proper element of security in mind, do not lend themselves to quick draw. The old bromide, “Don’t draw your gun and point it at anyone unless you intend to shoot” is a tactical blunder.

Situations in which rapid escalation occurred, were most often activities considered routine, such as car stops, guarding, transporting or fingerprinting prisoners or handling people with mental problems.

Family disputes did not prove to be high on the Police danger list. Sniper and ambush incidents represented less than 1% of the cases reported.

Reports on incidents involving Police death revealed that the Officer was alone more often than not and that he was confronted by at least two people.

COVER

The element reported as the single most important factor in the Officer’s survival during an armed confrontation was cover.

In a stress situation an Officer is likely to react as he was trained to react. There is almost always some type of cover available, but it may not be recognized as such without training.

POSITIONS

In 84% of the cases reviewed, the Officer was in a standing or crouch position (supported and unsupported) when he fired.

(The training doctrine developed for use in an exposed condition involves use of the crouch/point shoulder stance. The feet are spread for balance and the arms locked at shoulder, elbow and wrist. The body becomes the gun platform, swiveling at the knees. Multiple targets can be fired on with speed and accuracy through an arc of 140 degrees without moving the feet.)

STRONG HAND OR WEAK HAND

Officers, with an occasional exception, fired with the strong hand. That was the case even when it appeared advantageous to use the weak hand. The value of placing heavy emphasis on weak hand shooting during training and qualification is subject to question.

SINGLE AND DOUBLE ACTION

The double action technique was used in 90% of the situations and used almost without exceptions in close range, surprise, or immediate danger situations.

WARNING SHOTS

A warning shot may set off chain reaction firing.

Accurate fire from handheld weapons from a fast-moving vehicle is almost impossible, even by a highly trained Officer.

Firing while running changes the situation from one where skill has a bearing into one in which the outcome depends on pure chance. It endangers the Officer unnecessarily by depleting his ammunition supply, and increases the chance of shooting innocent persons who may be present.

RAPID RELOADING

The average number of shots fired by individual Officers in an armed confrontation was between two and three rounds. The two to three rounds per incident remained constant over the years covered by the report. It also substantiates an earlier study by the L.A.P.D. (1967) which found that 2.6 rounds per encounter were discharged.

The necessity for rapid reloading to prevent death or serious injury was not a factor in any of the cases examined.

In close range encounters, under 15 feet, it was never reported as necessary to continue the action.

In 6% of the total cases the Officer reported reloading. These involved cases of pursuit, barricaded persons, and other incidents where the action was prolonged and the distance exceeded the 25 foot death zone.

BULLET EFFICIENCY

During the period 1970 through 1979, the Police inflicted 10 casualties for every one suffered at the hands of their assailants.

In all of the cases investigated, one factor stood out as a proper measure of bullet efficiency. It was not the size, shape, configuration, composition, caliber, or velocity of the bullet.

Bullet placement was the cause of death or an injury that was serious enough to end the confrontation.

HIT POTENTIAL IN GUN FIGHTS

The Police Officer’s potential for hitting his adversary during armed confrontation has increased over the years and stands at slightly over 25% of the rounds fired. An assailant’s skill was 11% in 1979.

In 1990 the overall Police hit potential was 19%. Where distances could be determined, the hit percentages at distances under 15 yards were:

Less than 3 yards ….. 38%
3 yards to 7 yards .. 11.5%
7 yards to 15 yards .. 9.4%

In 1992 the overall Police hit potential was 17%. Where distances could be determined, the hit percentages at distances under 15 yards were:

Less than 3 yards ….. 28%
3 yards to 7 yards …. 11%
7 yards to 15 yards . 4.2%

THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN RANGE MARKSMANSHIP & COMBAT HITSMANSHIP

It has been assumed that if a man can hit a target at 50 yards he can certainly do the same at three feet. That assumption is not borne out by the reports.

An attempt was made to relate an Officer’s ability to strike a target in a combat situation to his range qualification scores. After making over 200 such comparisons, no firm conclusion was reached. To this writer’s mind, the study result establishes that there is indeed a disconnect between the two.

If there was a connection between range marksmanship and combat hitsmanship, one would expect the combat hit potential percentages, to be well above the dismal ones reported. That is because the shooting distance was less than 20 feet in 75 percent of the 4000 encounters studied.

The US Army recognizes that there is a disconnect. Its training manual, FM 23-35 Combat Training With Pistols & Revolvers (1988), calls for the use of Point Shooting for combat at less than 15 feet, and when firing at night. It does not call for using standard and traditional range marksmanship techniques.

“The weapon should be held in a two-hand grip and brought up close to the body until it reaches chin level. It is then thrust forward until both arms are straight. As the weapon is thrust forward, the trigger is smoothly squeezed to the rear. The arms and body form a triangle which can be aimed as a unit.” For shooting at 5 to 10 yards, a modified version of the technique is used.

Various Point Shooting techniques are available for use. They are simple, direct, easy and quick to learn, and effective. With appropriate emphasis and training time allotted to them, one can expect a better future than the past.

Target Focused shooting is taught to the CHP. It is similar to the shooting methods of Fairbairn, Sykes, and Applegate, in that the sights are not used in Close Quarters aiming.

There was an extensive write up of the system in the Oct, 2001 issue of Guns & Weapons For Law Enforcement. Louis Chiodo is the developer of the method. His site is Gunfighters Ltd., and the URL is: http://www.gunfightersltd.com

Another innovative approach to Point Shooting is the C.A.R. or the Center Axis Relock Method of Gunfighting. C.A.R. is a strong, stable, and flexible platform that allows for quick target acquisition and rapid fire bursts of 4 shots to COM in under 1 second with standard pistols. It also can be used effectively in small spaces and vehicles. It provides maximum weapon retention, and also serves as a practical and effective base for contact fighting.

Paul Castle is the developer of the C.A.R system. His site is Sabre Inc. The URL is: http://www.sabretactical.com

Instructor
Chris Costa

Class length
3 Days

Class Description
This course is designed to give the beginner, intermediate or advanced shooter the proper Shotgun fundamentals. Starting with mindset, the class focuses on the core foundation of proper manipulation and function of shotgun employment to include the use of Slugs, 00Buck patterning, and ammo change overs. This course will leave the shooter with a proper shotgun foundation in manipulation.

Ammo (minimum amount, I brought about 20-30% more than recommended)
600 rds for handgun, and 400rds 00Buck, 100rds Slugs, 100rds Bird.

Gear Brought to Class
Remington 870 Express Tactical with Magpul forend, adjustable stock, and sling swivel
Magpul MS3 sling
Tacstar Sidesaddle mounted on 870
S&W M&P9 VTAC with Apex DCAEK trigger kit installed and 4 extra magazines
VTAC Brokos belt with VTAC cobra inner belt
Mounted on the belt above was a Bravo Concealment pistol kydex holster, Bravo Concealment pistol magazine pouches, 3 California Competition Works 4 round shotgun shell holders, Maxpedition dump pouch, Dark Angel Medical Pouch and leatherman

Thoughts
The class was three days long. On the first day we did strictly pistol and we went through about six hundred rounds going over our basics and one handed pistol drills.

On the second day we sighted in our shotguns and went over accessories and the importance of using blue loctite on every screw on your shotgun. I found this out the hard way on day 3 when I lost two screws from my 870 XS Frontrail sight, my extended magazine tube started causing FTE’s because it was loose and my sidesaddle was wobbling around which made feeding the gun more difficult.

One of the most eye opening lessons on day 2 was the use of good 00 buckshot ammo. I was using Federal Premium Self Defense 00 buck  also known as Federal Premium Law Enforcement Ammunition TACTICAL (Fed Tac) during the 00 buck patterning portion of the class. Firing this ammo through my stock 870 tactical barrel I was getting very tight groups in the chest up to 15 yards and the performance was passable out to 25 yards. Several people next to me were using 00 buck made by Remington and Sellier & Bellot. Their patterns were wider and inconsistent the further back we went. The patterning was so wide that the lesser quality 00 buck was not usable past 10 yards without running the risk of hitting bystanders. Almost everyone at the class agreed that the Fed Tac 00 buck which also happens to be low recoil was the best one to use.

Another great lesson learned on day 2 was how to properly hold and fire the shotgun. I found this very useful since before this class I would come away with a bruised shoulder when firing a shotgun. Costa taught us how to fire the shotgun without getting bruised. It’s all about using the push pull method when firing. Here is a video by Rob Haught demonstrating how it works.

When I took the shotgun home and did a postmortem on the gun I found that failure to ejects were caused by a loose factory two round extension tube. The Remington factory extension tube is two pieces. The extension tube is screwed into magazine cap. The magazine cap with extension tube is then screwed down to keep the barrel in place. On earlier models of 870′s you would have a magazine cap detent and magazine cap detent spring to keep the collar from shaking loose. My temporary solution for preventing this is to use blue loctite the extension tube into the magazine cap so it handles as one unit and then screw it down against the barrel as hard as I can. This part will be replaced so I don’t run into this issue in the future.

Issues Encountered

• Stock plastic ammunition tube follower sticks when loading ammo quickly
• FTF’s and FTE’s caused by the barrel not being seated in the receiver properly due to the stock Remington extension tube coming loose
• Tacstar sidesaddle came loose even with repeated use of blue loctite
• Stock to cheek weld needs to be improved

Upgrades to fix Issues
Scattergun Technologies Magazine Tube Extension to fix the follower and FTF and FTE issues
High Speed Gear Shot Shell Tray to fix the wobbly sidesaddle issue and to increase speed of reloading
MagPul SGA Low Cheek Piece Riser Kit to fix the cheek weld issue

Final Words
I went in feeling that the shotgun was my weakest link and left very confident in my ability to use a shotgun to defend my home and family. I completely recommend taking any class that Chris Costa is offering. The class was great.

Here are websites with contact info for your representatives, senators and the White House

Congress http://www.house.gov/,
Senate http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

If you don’t want to write in then at a minimum donate to:

NRA https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/donate.asp
Second Amendment Foundation http://www.saf.org/default.asp?p=safdonation

Sample Letter/Email Below

Subject: Protect the 2nd Amendment

I vote in every election and donate and support my local candidates. I want you to know that I support no change to the 2nd Amendment as it stands and I do not want you to support any further gun legislation restricting ownership of any type of firearm. This is a very important matter to me.

Sincerely,

John Q. Public
123 Mocking Bird Lane
Anywhere, WA 12345
123-456-7890
john@qpublic.com