Innholdsfortegnelse for #226 i Personal Defense World

BEFORE working on this issue of Personal Defense World, I strapped myself into a jet-powered supercar and attempted to singlehandedly break the land-speed record while eating a ghost pepper burrito. I also took part in a nighttime HALO jump off the coast of Panama to brave the jungle and pet pygmy three-toed sloths for inspiration. Once back home, I ran some “El Presidente” range drills with my 34 highly trained dogs, who are nailing down center-mass hits but need to work on their tactical reloads. You can read about all of my exploits and more in this “Egotistical Maniac” edition of PDW. Just kidding. None of that is true. To put together this magazine, we rely on expert contributors around the country. These are the guys and gals you’ll want…

I have carried guns for more than a decade now using the same types of holsters. Sometimes it’s hard to accept change, especially when you get very comfortable doing things the way you have always done them. When it comes to holsters, I have always worn an inside-the-waistband (IWB) rig with a single belt clip on my strong-side hip. This has always worked for me. So when I saw the Black-hawk TecGrip Junk Drawer holster, I pretty much laughed it off. “I would never trust a holster that doesn’t clip to my belt in some way,” I said. However, I’ve learned to keep an open mind in this industry, and decided I needed to at least give it a shot before I knocked it. WHAT IS IT? “The Junk Drawer…

■ There are many ways to carry a knife for defense, from your front or back pockets to inside a boot and other methods. I personally prefer to carry in my front pocket with the tip up. This way, when I draw the knife, it’s already oriented correctly in my hand for opening and presenting the blade in a given scenario. When drawing the knife, keep your support hand forward and your drawing hand back. This will prevent the aggressor from being able to foul your draw, which could be devastating when staging your defense. Then, once you have presented the knife, keep it forward and trained on your assailant. Slash at anything that comes your way. Unless you have a lot of training, don’t worry about different grips. Just…

The world can be a violent place. One minute you’re minding your own business, and the next, you’re face to face with an aggressive attacker out to take your money or possibly even your life. Because of this, numerous self-defense weapons are readily available. From handguns to knives to batons, your choices to inflict physical damage to the “bad guys” are diverse. However, not all situations require the level of force that these weapons bring. In fact, when the dust settles, you may be the one in hot water for using excessive force on your attacker. But there is a solution to this dilemma in the form of “electrical” weapons, which can stop an attacker dead in his tracks without long-term physical damage. Best of all, they are simple for…

At long last, the world seems to have grown weary of zombies. They had their day in the sun, to be sure, but we are an undeniably fickle mob. The allure of the undead has grown, shall we say, putrid over time. But what of other improbable potential threats? What if Genghis Khan’s hordes somehow fell through a wormhole and found themselves marauding about your tidy cul-de-sac? To make things even worse, what if they were in possession of soft body armor to boot? These guys don’t play. They’re coming for your family and your stuff. What weapon will you grab? A battle rifle, by definition, is a full-power, autoloading, magazine-fed firearm suitable for infantry use. Not too long ago, if you wanted a legit battle rifle, there was the…

If you can’t carry a baton due to your location’s restrictions or the clothes you’re wearing, the kubotan is a great alternative. This is a 6-inch length of hardwood or steel that can be attached to a keychain and used for striking or pressure-point manipulation. This diminutive self-defense aid can add power to precise strikes to your opponent’s vital areas, including the eyes, throat, temples, ribs and nerves that lie just beneath the skin. With the kubotan, the element of surprise is with you because the weapon is so compact. It’s easy to conceal as you walk to your car at night or down a dark street in a bad part of town. As with all weapons, even those as seemingly easy to use as the kubotan, training is a…

Lots of neophytes and even tactical gurus proclaim the shotgun as the best home-defense weapon. Shotguns are certainly lethal at close range, but they kick hard, making them uncomfortable to shoot. I own a few shotguns because I like to hunt crows and sometimes shoot things out of the sky. But when it comes to personal protection at home, I prefer an AR-style carbine. Sure, I have a handgun within reach at all times, but as the saying goes, the purpose of a handgun is to get to your rifle. Not long ago, I had an opportunity to conduct some extensive testing of the new .300 HAM’R cartridge from Wilson Combat. Because it duplicates the external ballistics of the .30-30 Winchester, and since Wilson Combat offers a wide array of…

In February of 2013, Beth Alcazar was reading messages from her neighborhood Facebook group when she saw the following: “There’s an armed gunman at Chelsea Middle School holding five young girls hostage in the locker room next to the gym.” Beth immediately wondered if her 14-year-old daughter, Jaden, one of her three children, was safe. She also wondered what she could do to protect Jaden and the other children if she had been at the school herself. The answer? Nothing. If a gunman held Beth captive, how could she survive? She realized she might not. Her mind raced to the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre of 20 children and 6 adults on December 14, 2012. “In a Facebook message, one of my close friends explained that she was very…

It all started in California. The gentleman in question has a name, but for ease of storytelling, we’ll refer to him simply as “This Guy.” It turns out This Guy inadvertently cracked open a most fascinating can of worms. The Golden State is renowned for its draconian gun laws, which are arguably the most restrictive in the country. It’s actually a point of pride for many California politicians. Those freedom-loving Americans who happen to dwell in this oppressive space are therefore forced to be fairly careful about exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights. The commercial sale of firearms, particularly those that might look scary, is relentlessly regulated in California. The California DOJ maintains a list of proscribed guns that may be sold in the state, and earning a slot on that…

SPRINGFIELD M1A SOCOM 16 CQB CALIBER: 7.62mm NATO / BARREL: 16.25 inches / OA LENGTH: 35.5-38.5 inches WEIGHT: 9.3 pounds (empty) / STOCK: Collapsible / SIGHTS: XS front, ghost-ring rear, Vortex Venom ACTION: Piston-operated semi-auto / FINISH: Matte black / CAPACITY: 20+1 / MSRP: $2,420 PERFORMANCE SPRINGFIELD SAINT VICTOR .308 CALIBER: 7.62mm NATO / BARREL: 16 inches / OA LENGTH: 34.5-37.75 inches WEIGHT: 7.69 pounds (empty) / STOCK: BCM Gunfighter / SIGHTS: Flip-up front and rear ACTION: Direct impingement semi-auto / FINISH: Matte black / CAPACITY: 20+1 / MSRP: $1,399 PERFORMANCE Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best five-shot groups at 25 meters.…

■ When it comes to optics, most American shooters know about Leupold, Burris, EOTech, Vortex and others. But few have ever heard of Meopta, and even fewer have experience with the excellent optics that this company manufactures. Meopta is a Czech company that manufactures various optical products. The American division, Meopta U.S.A., manufactures and assembles optics for consumers as well as industrial and military markets. Meopta optics are highly regarded by European shooters and those in the U.S. who have used them. Over the years, I’ve tried a variety of Meopta riflescopes and sights and thought the 1-6x24mm MeoStar R2 riflescope with the 4C reticle would be a perfect match for the Wilson Combat Protector Carbine. If you’re going to have a magnified optic on a home-defense or personal-protection carbine,…

In extreme close quarters, submachine guns and short-barreled rifles (SBRs) are tactical game-changers. This is why they’re employed by military and police agencies around the world. These handy, compact guns are undeniably sexy, fun to shoot and the solutions to your worst-case home-invasion scenarios. Fortunately for the bad guys, genuine select-fire guns are pricey and virtually unavailable outside the military and law enforcement. However, thanks to Sig Sauer’s outstanding MCX Rattler Canebrake and MPX Copperhead pistols, evildoers may be in for an unpleasant surprise, and you can have the next best thing to nourish your inner commando. Because of the BATFE rulings permitting arm braces on pistols, many manufacturers now offer semi-auto c models that look and handle very much like regulated SBRs and sub-guns, but at a fraction of…

When the Original Zev 9mm, or O.Z-9, hit the market, it became an instant success. In all honesty, it was a bit of a sure thing. It was based on more than a decade and a half of Zev Technologies’ custom gun work with volumes of end-user information to work from. Add to that some sexy design features, and the gun instantly became a hit. While I could pontificate extensively about the generally unforgiving and demanding nature of the firearms industry, I’ll just summarize and say that, while the masses were pleased with the O.Z-9, they immediately wanted more. Zev had already begun work on competition versions as well as separate grip units that would allow a shooter to change the gun’s size or color. That’s because the heart of…

At CQB K-9, we understand protection and the capabilities a well-trained dog can bring to that consideration. There are many options—and sometimes confusing interpretations—of what makes a true “protection dog.” It all begins with selecting the best dogs from knowledgeable and dedicated breeders who breed from high-quality, reliable bloodlines. The dog needs to be athletic with a decent build and in the best of health with up-to-date vaccinations, all while being fed the very best dog food. Intelligence is also a requirement, and the animal must possess the particular drive required for play and hunting as well as offensive and defensive work. We often look at 25 dogs and select only one we feel is suitable for the training and eventual work. It’s very helpful in this preliminary selection process…

IN THE WORLD OF EXOTIC SHOTGUNS, one of the most unusual models is the Witness Protection 870. The WP870 gained its name from its adoption and use by the U.S. Marshals Service. My friend and fellow gun scribe Chris McLoughlin outlined the origins of the WP870 in 1984. According to McLoughlin, three prototypes were built by Gene Thompson, Lynn Jordall and Jim Wilson. This was a collaborative effort, with each man working on a specific feature to produce the most effective platform. The result was a cut-down Remington 870 with a 14.5-inch barrel, a custom-built hand stop and an ergonomic grip. Other modifications included a unique sling system and a slotted shell lifter to assist in clearing a short-stroke-induced double feed. In his 1984 article, McLoughlin reported that some 240…

AT the 1950 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference held in Colorado Springs, Smith & Wesson introduced a new compact revolver. Called the Chief’s Special, it is arguably the most iconic snub-nose revolver ever produced. Based on the new J-Frame, it was chambered in .38 Special and had a five-shot capacity with a 1.88-inch barrel. The Chief’s Special was eventually renamed the Model 36 and evolved into an entire family of J-Frame revolvers. In 1952, to celebrate Smith & Wesson’s 100-year anniversary, the company introduced the Model 42 Centennial. Designed for pocket carry, the Centennial featured an aluminum alloy frame and a completely enclosed hammer as well as a grip safety. Later that year, S&W introduced the Model 40, which was a steel-frame Centennial. The Centennials were in…

Many shooters have come to embrace the idea of mounting reflex or red-dot sights on top of their pistols. Still, some people lambaste using such sights for anything outside competition, but that dogma is quickly fading. Hyperbole is being replaced with experience. Properly used, a high-quality reflex sight can be a true lifesaver. The trick is in wading through the hearsay while maintaining realistic expectations. THE EXCUSES You might hear people say, “But red dots break!” Well, in more than 40 years of shooting, I’ve seen every conceivable level of pistol fail, from cheap polymer guns to works of machining art. I’ve seen front and rear sights fall off, or lose their tritium or fiber-optic inserts. Firearms are mechanical, failure is inevitable, and “indestructible” is a marketing ploy, not reality.…

SIG SAUER MCX RATTLER CANEBRAKE CALIBER: 300 Blackout / BARREL: 5.5 inches / OA LENGTH: 21-29.25 inches WEIGHT: 6.5 pounds (empty) / BRACE: Folding / SIGHTS: None /ACTION: Piston-operated semi-auto FINISH: Cerakote / CAPACITY: 30+1 / MSRP: $2,897 ■ PERFORMANCE Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best five-shot groups at 50 yards. SIG SAUER MPX COPPERHEAD CALIBER: 9mm / BARREL: 3.5 inches / OA LENGTH: 14.5-19.75 inches WEIGHT: 4.5 pounds (empty) / BRACE: Collapsible / SIGHTS: None /ACTION: Piston-operated semi-auto FINISH: Cerakote / CAPACITY: 20+1 / MSRP: $1,835 ■ PERFORMANCE Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best five-shot groups at 25 yards.…

“As good as this gun is right out of the box, with a couple of upgrades, it will become your new best friend.” There was a time when it was normal to sleep or leave your home with the doors unlocked. Crimes really only seemed to happen in urban areas, or in certain neighborhoods. But those days are long gone. Whether the crime rate has actually climbed in some locations or we just tend to see more crime news on the internet, one thing is certain: There is no such thing as a truly safe place. A threat can arise anywhere at any moment. When it comes to our homes, it’s ultimately our responsibility to protect them. If a threat is determined to invade, bypassing any security measures you have…