Articles by PGF

I hate the NRA, but this type of information and certifying firearms courses and instructors really is what they should focus on, leaving rights advocacy to the adults.

We hear this term bantered about a lot when it comes to ammunition. But what exactly does it mean, and how does it affect your success in the field or for self-defense?

Terminal performance is how a bullet or other projectile reacts, and the ability of it to stop a human threat or take down an animal. In other words, hunters rate a bullet’s terminal performance in how quickly a projectile kills game animals. Soldiers, law enforcement officers and responsible citizens in self-defense situations rate terminal performance on how quickly a projectile neutralizes a threat. It all relates to how deeply a bullet penetrates to reach the vital organs and cause tissue damage.

Terminal performance is often referred to as “knock-down” or “stopping” power. It is not whether the bullet kills, but how quickly and consistently. Terminal performance has a lot to do with bullet design and the ballistics of the cartridge.

Target shooters are not as concerned with terminal performance as they are in punching holes in paper. They are looking for consistent bullet placement in a tight grouping where they are aiming. Those who use a gun for hunting, and those who carry a gun to defend freedom—like our soldiers, men and women in blue, or citizens who carry for personal protection—are concerned with the terminal performance of a bullet. Remember, if you use a firearm, you have the potential to use deadly force. Using a firearm should be your last resort if you have no other option and it is either you or the assailant. Stopping a threat, whether human or animal, is done in two ways: by causing severe damage to the vascular system and interrupting or stopping the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain; or causing severe damage to the central nervous system in the brain or cerebellum.

There are three things that a bullet needs for terminal performance: bullet expansion, bullet penetration and bullet velocity. All three are related to bullet design and all must work in concert to get the required performance.

The article doesn’t present charts or graphs, which is disappointing since visuals are both a handy reference and increase learning retention. More details are at the link.

After you “just get a Glock,” what handgun do you use?

What’s the deal with single action vs double action handguns? Well, it’s all about the trigger and exactly what happens when it’s pressed. The only thing the trigger of a single action (SA) handgun does is release a cocked hammer to fire the gun. With a double action (DA) handgun, pressing the trigger cocks and releases the hammer. We could leave the explanation there, but as they say in calculus class, it gets complicated. It gets complicated because both revolvers and pistols come as either single or double action, and because within these two distinctions there are variations that require some explaining. So, here is a full breakdown of single action vs double action handguns.

I don’t care for DAO only pistols. The article covers double action, single action, and DAO pistols and revolvers. It’s good for understanding and teaching the basics; the rest is at the link.

This video provides an excellent exposition of Romans 1, which starts at about the twenty-four-minute mark. Where I agree wholesale is that all of civilization hangs in the balance. Dr. Baldwin excels in doing expository teaching as here. The beginning of the video is also good; he starts in Genesis 1, briefly setting God’s revealed purpose for His pinnacle creation. Dr. Baldwin’s continual use of the term Natural Law is somewhat distracting, but he explains it well in the context of the verses.

However, there is nothing to so-called natural law that is not written in revealed law. We’ve covered this section and verse 20 similarly; in our nature, made in God’s image, we can see His creation in us and all around us and therefore have a sense of what nature demands as right and wrong for men and women.

Romans 2:14-15 shows again what Dr. Baldwin calls natural as being revealed law written in God’s holy law. Natural Law is not unique or additional revelatory knowledge of God apart from His Law-word. And Dr. Baldwin also states that he doesn’t think the State should be in people’s bedrooms, but don’t tell him Jefferson’s Virginia criminally (not civil law) forbade such acts in the Commonwealth. This remained true as recently as my lifetime when I lived there.

This video is not available on Youtube because it violates the blasphemy laws of the New Religion. But it’s available on Libertyfellowshipmt dot com and Bitchute if this won’t run for you.

Four cases, affecting three potential controls were sent back to the lower courts; AR bans, Standard Capacity Mag bans, and Conceal Carry considerations. All of these cases have countrywide implications.

The video is 8 minutes.

Don’t worry, park staff quickly responded.

An eight-year-old girl was camping with her family at Olympic National Park in Port Angeles, Washington, over the weekend when she was attacked by a cougar, officials said.

The National Park Service said the attack happened at Lake Angeles about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The cougar fled the area after the girl’s mother screamed at it, FOX Seattle reported.

Park staff quickly responded to the area and treated the girl for minor injuries. She was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation, the service said. The area was also temporarily closed to the public.

“Due to the extreme nature of this incident, we are closing the Lake Angeles area and several trails in the vicinity,” Olympic National Park Wildlife Biologist Tom Kay said in the release. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Lake Angeles Trail, Heather Park Trail, Switchback Trail, and the entire Klahhane Ridge Trail are closed until further notice.”

Wait for it…

If found, the cougar will be euthanized and removed from the park for a necropsy. Officials said this may provide clues for why the attack occurred since cougars are rarely seen and attacks against humans are rare.

Oh, yes, another rare instance of a wild animal attack. These rare instances sure do happen often.

And via Liberty Park Press.

It has been legal to carry firearms in national parks since 2010, though an advisory from the National Park Service notes, “In areas administered by the National Park Service, an individual can possess a firearm if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm and if the possession of the firearm complies with the laws of the state where the park area is located. 54 U.S.C. 104906.”

A supplemental note at the end of the advisory adds, “Visitors should not consider firearms as protection from wildlife.”

Work that one out, ugh.

Do people still train for defensive shotgun conditions? Well, they should.

Source:

Shotgun qualifications are often an afterthought for police departments. With the reliance on the patrol rifle, the tactical and patrol shotgun is often ignored and forgotten about. It’s a very versatile tool that’s sadly ignored and seemingly forgotten about. Well, it’s almost forgotten. The folks at the Elks Grove police department put on quite a bit of training in how to use the scattergun. Today we are breaking down their course of fire, as well as their training drills.

What You’ll Need

First, we need a shotgun! The Elk Grove PD uses the tried and true Remington 870. If you want to run the drills as well as the qual, you’ll need a pistol and holster. In terms of ammo, if you want to just shoot the qual, you need 12 rounds of buckshot. If you want to run the drills and the qual, you’ll need the following:

1. 18 Rounds of Buckshot
2. 3 Rounds of Federal Flitecontrol
3. 12 Slugs
4. 34 Birdshot
5. 14 Pistol Rounds

You’ll also need something to carry spare shotgun ammunition as well as a sling for your shotgun. They don’t list a target, but I’d bring about 10 man-sized targets. Shotguns mess targets up really bad, real quick. This makes it easier to score. Don’t forget your eyes, ears, and a shot timer.

[…]

The shooting drills stress movement and loading, which is good, but there isn’t much more than that. I do like that the course of the fire starts at 25 yards and continually moves inward.

It’s a closing-on-the-target drill with reloads, both of which are good to practice, especially for a case where your access to loved ones is between you and the assailant. This one is a three drill, multi-stage qual. As always, the particulars are at the link. Read the rest.

We’ve been tracking this at TCJ (Oldest to Newest): Here, here, here, here, and here.

Now this, from Gun Owners of America:

TN, It’s Time to Double Down.

Dear friend,

Reports indicate that Rep. William Lamberth is not happy that his constituents — the hard-working men and women who elected him — are expressing their strong resistance to gun confiscation orders.

This means the pressure on Lamberth is working, for now.

Gun owners like you know that the foundational principles of our country like the right to keep and bear arms, due process, and other constitutionally-protected freedoms are cherished by Tennesseans. Gun confiscation policies have no place in the Volunteer State!

However, we cannot back off. We must keep up the political pressure to ensure no gun confiscation bill ever sees the light of day in the quickly approaching Special Session.

Don’t forget, Gov. Bill “Lousy Lee” desperately wants to pass this ineffective and unconstitutional policy. The legislators must know that gun owners won’t stand for it!

So again, I’m personally asking you to take these four steps. These actions will go a long way to protect your rights:

• First, email Lamberth with GOA’s pre-written and editable message.
• Second, follow up your message with a call to Lamberth at (615) 741-1980.
• Third, print off GOA’s Fact Sheet and mail it in to Lamberth’s office at 425 Rep. John Lewis Way North, Suite 602 Cordell Hull Bldg. Nashville, TN 37243. Better yet, if you are in Nashville, deliver it in person to his office. (Please be sure to sign the letter.)
• Finally, donate to GOA. We are running ads around the state to mobilize gun owners. The more resources we have available, the more 2A supporters we can reach.

If you have already taken one or more of these actions, then I ask you to please get a pro-gun friend or family member to speak up as well.

It’s said that when politicians “feel the heat, they see the light.” It’s time gun owners turn up the political heat on William Lamberth!

In liberty,

Jordan Stein
Certified Firearms Instructor
Southeast Region Director
Gun Owners of America

Thanks for being involved.

Psalm 15

The context of Psalm 15, with the application, is in verse 1. It’s about the man who is worthy to live in the Lord’s house, to dwell in heaven with Him, for His dwelling place has always been His throne on high.

“In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.” – Psalm 15:4

Something stands out in verse four. It’s an odd statement, seemingly unfit for a Christian to accept. “He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.” A man who is suited for heaven’s holy hill in the presence of God as His train fills the throneroom is a man who makes his covenant and keeps it, even if it hurts. God’s men don’t choose the comfort of sin in the world, knowing the eternity that awaits.

The notion behind that statement in the Psalm is entirely foreign to modern Christianity in the West. The easy path is that of least resistance and is most often chosen. But what is the covenant, and what does it mean that we ought to do?

The covenant is that which is in the blood of Christ who died for your sins and called you to serve Him. Christ found you as a bondslave on the auction block caught between two masters, and Jesus Christ won the war, making you His purchased possession through love. Indeed you are freed if you are His, and though His burden light and yoke easy, especially by comparison to the sin and death that ruled over you, you remain a bondslave nonetheless, and that to Holy God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You’re on the right side, but it’s no playground. The war between good and evil rages, and as the ever-accelerating arrival of the judgment of God upon Western Civilization arrives, Psalm 15 has some straightforward questions as to who is God’s anointed people. As we’ve said several times: simple doesn’t mean something that’s necessarily easy. The choices coming are immense; war or peace; famine, pestilence, and death loom.

The information war is becoming intense. With AI-driven narratives and false news, it’s become impossible to know for sure what’s real; this is not a mistake. Our God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). That old liar and a murderer from the start, the serpent himself, the devil, will take you captive at his will if he gets the chance. Boundaries here are critical. If you belong to Christ, birthed anew, secure in the power of His resurrection unto life eternal, in Him your final destination is set, but here we are, trouble brewing on every side.

Keeping that last sentence from Psalm 15:4 in mind, another verse that’s worth examination comes to mind. This is a favorite about wisdom.

“And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” – Job 28:28

When you see Behold in the KJV Bible, as in this verse, or verily (sometimes emphatically, twice – see John 3:3, 6:47), it means to pay attention and get this right.

But what does God say of wisdom herself? It is fear of the Lord: reverence, love, and obedience.

It’s always interesting to see a concept struggled with and defined by the godless. Some definitions of wisdom at Webster’s are the exact opposite of what wisdom truly is. But, as every Christian ought, we take our world-life view not from men or the world’s understanding but from the Almighty. Wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and when rightly applied and acted upon, a man will flee the evil that is without and purge that evil which is within. Note the action in the last clause; just like faith, wisdom is nothing, useless, if it’s not applied. And what does God say is the right action in wisdom? Departing from evil shows our understanding of the wisdom reached through fear of the Lord.

Behold, fear God; get away from evil and purify yourself within, removing corruption so that you might not sin against Him. We have a covenant in Christ’s blood and the commandments to live without sin (1 Peter 1:16). And there is the duty to fear God, keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13), and the charge in Psalm 15:4 to keep your covenant even to your own hurt: not submitting to evil, standing for Christ, by His power, we must possess our bond to God.

Being a public Christian is critical before persecution ramps up. As things get worse, it will seem necessary to do evil in the sight of the Lord. You can get all the money you want if you’re willing to sin a little on the job. You can cut a thousand corners in life thinking you’re better off, but God’s line measures by another standard. In every area, challenges are coming. Sin is easy, even fun for a time, but Moses chose not to belong to the empire enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:24-25), but rightly regarded his future and that of his people as more consequential.

Steady in the face of the fight. Jesus doesn’t call the strong but strengthens the weak and weakens the strong so that He might be our power, persevering until the end in reliance upon Him.

If you’re not a public Christian, the likelihood that you will deny Christ at a pressing juncture of testing increases significantly. When you swore your covenant to Christ, you made your place with Him as His bride; for better or for worse, changeth not. Should evil or blessings reign down, even to your own hurt, depart from evil, for in this is the fear of the Lord brought to bear through a man who belongs by faith to Christ Jesus.

Compromise with evil is a killer, but the way of Psalm 15 is that of life for God’s glory. In times of arriving adversity, you can be numbered among those that changed not, set upon the infallible foundation which is the Rock our King; the man that does these things shall never be moved.

“LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” – Psalm 15

Prior: here and here and here

Tennessee is still facing a serious threat to its civil rights in the form of a Red Flag law from the Republican super-majority. And now you know your rights are in danger because the NRA has gotten involved. Governor Bill Lee, a monied interest himself, has called a special session of the full legislature, which is a sneaky way to bring a gun control debate to the floor. If the proper committee processes were followed as occurs in a regular session, this proposed Red Flag law would never get a hearing.

Key Graph:

The National Rifle Association is calling for legislation, [Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin] Haile said, that will “take care of the individual, take them out of the equation, not take everybody else’s gun out of the equation that’s not involved in this, and that’s protecting the Second Amendment.”

It’s impossible to protect the Second Amendment and “take care of the individual, take them out of the equation.” The Second Amendment is a civil right by definition, and within the text, an individual liberty retained by each person. Taking a man’s firearms who has committed no crime is the very essence of not protecting the Second Amendment.

Also disturbing is that no text of any proposed measure has been released to the public by any party. This is all being done as smokey backroom shenanigans.

I told you this in the last entry about TN Red Flag laws here at TCJ:

There will be intense pressure and truckloads of outside money from national-level organizations and governments.

Well, the linked article here goes on:

Meanwhile, a group of residents based in Green Hills and Belle Meade called Voices for a Safer Tennessee has hired two lobbying firms, Bivens & Associates and JohnsonPossKirby, to represent it in a push for stronger gun laws in the wake of the shooting.

By “a group of residents,” it means federal money has offered these services, and they found some sympathizers to attach their name to the effort to make it appear “local,” which it is not. Oh, they even incorporated these “voices.” That would be funny if it weren’t such a serious threat.

There’s a perfect reason to be adamantly against Red Flag laws. One day soon, it will be used to disarm “objectional” sorts of men in the name of mental health wielded as a political weapon. Tennesseeans may not care about that now with a Republican super-majority, but this law will be turned against you for your political beliefs or Second Amendment position. The Second Amendment’s purpose is to remind Tennesseeans of their duty to keep and maintain the implements of war to bare against tyranny, and what greater tyranny than the potential to classify whole groups as “dangerous” where no evidence would be required to take their arms?

Some historians have softened reasons surrounding the start of the U.S. Revolution against England with talk about taxation. But the immediate cause of the war was the shot heard ’round the world when the king’s men came for the guns and powder on Lexington Green. Tennessee has embarked on a dangerous path indeed.

History is important to understanding the past, but also to understand the present and potential future changes based on past experience. But history isn’t the only thing discussed when Widener’s considers AR-15 Barrels.

Many believe the barrel is the heart of a firearm. Maybe that’s why the various AR-15 barrel profiles are so close to the hearts of many gun owners. Shooters carry strong feelings on this topic, so we’ll walk through them carefully, talking about AR barrel histories, profile variations, and the latest styles.

In these modern times, the AR-15 is among the most popular firearms worldwide. While many may think of the AR-15 as a new weapon, it’s been around since the late 1950s, and the barrels on this iconic rifle have undergone about as many changes as the gun itself. So let’s talk about the origin of the AR-15 barrel profile, why changes were made, and what type of profile is best for you.

How Barrel Profile Impacts Shooting

Your barrel’s profile is essentially the thickness of that barrel. You can find a bunch of different profiles out there for your AR-15s. Generally, thinner barrels are lighter. That’s great if you’re a hunter and you need to haul your AR-15 through the woods. You can also maneuver with thinner profile barrels more easily.

If you worry about recoil, you might opt for a thicker barrel profile. They help weigh down the gun for more stability; they can also sometimes withstand heavy mag dumps better than thin barrels. Military style shooters who fire rapidly may also prefer a heavy barrel. The heavier profile can help absorb heat and prevent the reliability issues that come up with an overheated barrel.

A History of AR-15 Barrels

The man leading the invention of the AR-15, Eugene Stoner, made strides in establishing the foundation of modern AR barrels. The first barrel on the AR-15 was made for the M16A1 — the pencil barrel.

The story goes that the military thought the barrels were “bending” under the stress of drills and off-label prying tasks. This prompted the updated “government barrel,” which has some extra stock on the muzzle end to prevent warping.

Later, some people discovered that the barrels probably weren’t bending. Instead, there was a debris buildup at the point of the gas block, called a “bent barrel.” There’s some variance of opinion on this, as the earlier pencil barrels are generally regarded as being of lower quality than today’s pencil barrels. Regardless, these earlier flubs (imagined or not) with the AR-15 barrel sparked the evolution of future profiles.

Let’s talk more about the specific barrel profiles on the AR-15 and their purposes.

The Most Notable AR-15 Barrel Profiles

In the next few sections, we’ll review some of the most common barrel profiles on the AR-15. Keep in mind that, in this guide, we’re talking specifically about the barrel profile. If you’re curious about barrel twist rate, best barrel length, or steel type, you can browse some other articles on our site. We’ve also listed some barrel diameters below for reference. These are all taken from the base (thickest part) of the barrel and may differ depending on the manufacturer.

The article continues with a discussion of several barrels.