Para Bellum - Preparing For the Worst

                                              

 

Are you prepared, gun-wise, for a societal breakdown?

By Steve Adelmann     

Have you seen the movie “Something Wicked This Way Comes?” Unfortunately, I have, but aside from bad acting, ’80s clothing, a weak plot, terrible special effects and the 94 minutes it sucked out of my life, the movie had one thing going for it: a catchy title.

 

That phrase is on my mind more and more these days, except it is not an evil (and cheesy) carnival owner who threatens us, it is genuine trouble on a global scale.                               

                                                     

A quick scan of news headlines, market trends or simply paying attention to the nearest protest yields multiple red flags. Attitudes and conversations with just about anyone tell me I am not alone in my thoughts. I have no idea how the country will be doing when this column is printed, but I am positive things will not be any better than they are as I write it. Actually, they may be much worse.

 

So what should you do about it? Prepare. In this case I am talking about preparing your firearm game plan for a sustained societal breakdown—imagine a violent mob or gang is within a half-mile of your residence, intent on taking whatever or hurting whomever they want, and then plan accordingly.

 

Like most other folks, a handgun is my go-to choice for dealing with an immediate threat in the home or at close range on the street. But, I will choose the rifle’s ability to keep bad things as far away as possible if I see them heading my way. If trouble is inevitable, make use of any warning to be as well armed as possible. Get your go-to gun out of mothball storage and have it within arm’s reach at all times. Deployed troops learn to live with rifles strapped to their bodies, always. The practice is now taught in Basic Training, which makes a lot more sense than some of the idiotic parade stuff we did a quarter-century ago. There is no handier place for your primary fighting tool than across your body or in your hands. Plop down $40 for a decent tactical sling and get used to it. Consider that gun an extension of your arms and don’t get caught without it when the heat is on.

Fodder
 

The U.S. military’s switch to the new “green” ammunition has resulted in excellent prices on surplus 5.56 NATO M855 ball ammo. M80 ball overruns have pushed more surplus 7.62 NATO FMJ ammo to the market, too. Both are good general-purpose rounds to keep on hand in case the premium stuff becomes scarce. AK ammo—particularly in 7.62×39 mm—is very cheap and still available in sealed tins. The 40 rounds of .308 Win. my local hardware store keeps in stock will be scarfed up during the first 5 minutes of a crisis, so I know better than to rely on purchasing ammo around here.

 

Several retail outlets offer bulk deals on ammunition in the most common rifle chamberings, so stock up—now—on what your rifle will digest. Be sure to store ammo in a location that is temperature and humidity controlled. Old ammo cans with intact rubber seals make good containers, but place desiccant packs inside each one, and avoid leaving them in extreme heat or cold. Buy as much spare ammo as you can afford and store safely. Some is better than none, and a lot is better than a little.

 

Properly cared for ammo will last for many years, so if things get all rosy again, have fun with it at the range or will it to your heirs. Ammunition has real value, unlike the dollar, so it will be useful for barter, too.

 

You may not convince your neighbors to have gun or caliber commonality, but consider doing so within your family. Logistics will be much simpler if your family firearms are the same—anyone will be able to pick up another’s rifle or spare ammo in a pinch. Remember to plan for spare magazines, including extras to replace those lost or damaged during a protracted emergency. Think months, not days.

 

During a protracted and potentially violent crisis, your primary arm cannot be too close. A simple, inexpensive and effective combat sling like this B-Sling from Sheriff of Baghdad will be indispensable.

 

Gun Gear

A wide variety of equipment is available to carry extra ammunition and/or magazines. Find something comfortable enough to wear for at least a few hours at a time, handy enough to get on quickly and able to carry extra personal gear like medication, a light, knife, etc. If you have never had to live in, run with or go prone while wearing a military-style assault vest, borrow one, fill it up and try these tasks before you spend a week’s pay on the latest “rack” system. Many models were designed by people who meant well, but never fought while wearing a full vest. Less bulk and greater simplicity equal more agility, comfort and the ability to wear for longer periods.

 

A spare parts kit is also a good idea. At a minimum, extra faster-wearing parts like extractors, firing pins and springs are good to have around. Maintain a set of critical parts for each rifle you plan to have in someone’s hands during a crisis. I recommend at least one spare bolt for each rifle type, too.

It will never expire, so if the worst never happens, you have a part that will be useful down the road.

 

Think about a backup plan for optics, too: iron sights, a backup scope—something that allows you to aim the rifle if your primary sighting system is damaged when there is no way to get a replacement.

 

Training

The best rifle is not worth a lick if you cannot use it fluently under stress. Practice practical shooting.

 

Shoot at partially exposed targets at or beyond the distances your house/yard/property may present. Shoot in hasty, uncomfortable positions and in low light, if possible. Learn to shoot from cover and understand the ballistic differences between cover and concealment. Ensure someone else in your family is able to implement the home-defense plan without you present—you may not be there when trouble strikes, or you may need help.

 

The concept of a zombie apocalypse used to get a passing laugh. It is no longer a joke. Such talk is now thinly veiled code for a violent, man-made catastrophe. Do not be complacent with your approach to defending your family when—not if—things turn nasty. The rifle in your hands may well become the great equalizer you need to keep bad people away from you and yours. I truly hope I am wrong about where we are headed, but I will be ready if I am right. I hope you will be, too.

Springfield Armory XD(M) 3.8 Compact

One of the newest models of the Springfield Armory XD(M) is a great choice for concealed carry.

By Dick Williams

October 25, 2011

Kits are cool. The very existence of a kit suggests you have put some serious thought into an issue, prepared a plan of action, and prepackaged the necessary tools to carry out that plan. Or, in the case of the XD(M) 3.8 Compact pistol, Springfield Armory did your thinking for you, determined what you would need to get through the anticipated crisis, and prepared a kit of key supplies you could simply grab when the need arose. Let’s back up.
The XD(M) 3.8 Compact is Springfield Armory’s latest version of the XD pistol, but with additional features as indicated by the (M) which stands for “more.” It’s a polymer frame, locked-breach, recoil-operated, striker-fired semi-automatic pistol. The 3.8 indicates the gun’s barrel length of 3.8 inches. These general characteristics are common to many of today’s polymer pistols, but Springfield has gone the extra mile on the 3.8 Compact both internally and externally. There is a loaded-chamber indicator and a striker-status indicator, both of which enable you to confirm status visually or tactilely. The magazine release is ambidextrous, and there is a grip safety, but no thumb safety. The gun can’t be fired until the proper grip has been obtained with the shooting hand (depressing the grip safety) and the trigger is pulled. Depressing the grip safety allows the trigger to be pulled and releases the slide block, and pulling the trigger clears the other internal safeties. There is no manual of arms to perform before defending yourself; just grip the pistol, obtain a sight picture and press the trigger. Yet, without the proper grip, you can’t even operate the slide to chamber a round thanks to the grip safety. Springfield calls this the Ultra Safety Assurance (USA) lockwork.

 

I was impressed with the triggers on the two XD(M) 3.8s I tested, and I’m not a fan of triggers on striker-fired guns. On the .40 S&W, trigger pull ran slightly more than 6 pounds while the 9 mm was right at 7 pounds. The difference felt greater because the .40’s trigger seemed considerably smoother. Even more noticeable was the short, distinct trigger reset.
I’m notoriously sloppy during rapid fire of any semi-automatic—letting my trigger finger flop everywhere between shots—but firing the XD(M) 3.8s, I was very aware of the triggers resetting after a very short forward movement. Under stress, it’s likely I would resort to my well-developed bad habits, but the XD’s crisp reset should prove a big help to shooters trying to shoot fast and build good habits. When making precise, longer-range shots at a more leisurely pace, I found the smooth triggers very beneficial.
Earlier Springfield XD models have a different-shaped slide than the newer XD(M)s. They’re wider at the bottom of the slide, with a distinct reduction in width about halfway toward the top. The new slides have a slightly trapezoidal shape being narrower at the top, but without the distinct step. With the angled serrations on the front and rear of the new slides, it’s much easier to perform a chamber check.
Grip shape and texture of the new model grip frame is also much improved. Instead of the smaller-size checkering and stippled-like surface, the newer grips have large waffle-shaped sections that facilitate controlling the gun during firing. This made a noticeable difference when stepping up from the 9 mm to the .40 S&W. Also, both sides of the grip have been dished out where the trigger finger enters the trigger guard. Whether shooting right or left handed, I liked the increased clearance between trigger finger and frame.
Getting back to that “cool kit” thing, Springfield XDs and XD(M)s come in a lockable plastic case, like most handgun boxes in which new guns are delivered these days. The distinction is the Springfield box contains a complete kit. In addition to extra magazines, there is a holster, a double-magazine pouch and a magazine loader. All accessories are polymer, which means light weight, and their dimensions are kept to a minimum to facilitate concealed carry.
With two double-stack magazines in the pouch, you have 38 extra rounds of 9 mm ammo to back up what’s in your gun. The holster is a paddle-type, so it’s relatively quick to slip on and off, depending upon where you’re going and what the CCW rules are for that destination.
I consider a magazine-loading tool absolutely essential for any high-capacity handgun, and including one in the kit delivered with the handgun is a superb idea. Also, the kit contains two extra backstraps that slightly change the size and contour of the XD(M)’s grip frame, enabling the shooter to make adjustments for different size hands.
Finally, let’s talk about my favorite feature of the XD(M) 3.8 Compact; it’s ability to transition from compact to full-size semi-automatic simply by changing magazines, while maintaining proper ergonomics for it’s new identity. The grip frame is considerably shorter than that of a full-size XD(M), including the original 3.8. This makes it a relatively compact CCW pistol by utilizing a shorter magazine that holds 13 rounds in 9 mm and 11 rounds in .40 S&W. Springfield provides short, polymer sleeves that have the same external contour as the XD(M)’s grip frame. These sleeves slide over a full-size XD(M) magazine all the way to the bottom and rest against the base plate. When the magazine is inserted into the frame of the 3.8 Compact, the sleeve matches the contour of the frame, extending that configuration to the base of the magazine. So while the 3.8 Compact is more easily concealed and holds fewer rounds, inserting a new, sleeved magazine gives you a full-size handgun holding 19 rounds of 9 mm or 16 rounds of .40 S&W. With the full-size gun, you’re able to get all three fingers of your shooting hand on the grip, as opposed to just two with the compact. And due to the ergonomics, your hand doesn’t know you’re working with a non-standard, full-size firearm.
Shooting sessions revealed a couple of interesting things. First, the 3.8 Compact’s sights are large, quite visible and solidly mounted in dovetail slots both front and rear. My test guns had the three-white-dot pattern, but there are other setups if you prefer. Given the gun would probably be carried with the 13-round magazine, I would probably install an XS Sight Systems Big Dot or at least a tritium insert up front for low-light conditions. That said, both guns shoot quite well with the three-dot, square sight setup. I wasn’t looking to achieve bullseye accuracy, but groups stayed pretty well centered on the 6-inch steel gong at 20 to 25 yards with the various loads I ran through both guns. And, the 6-inch falling plates dropped like flies as long as I didn’t pretend I was Rob Leatham. I always have some difficulty shooting rapid fire with polymer .40 calibers, and while I wasn’t exactly greased lightning with the 3.8 Compact, I had better control of the Springfield than I normally do with a .40. Could it be practice really does make you better?
I was using up a mix of leftover ammunition, and I probably didn’t put more than 200 to 250 rounds through each gun. The good news is both guns ran 100 percent error free.
The loading tool required a little retraining on my part, probably because I’ve spent so much time with single-stack magazines in the last few months. Make sure you rest the magazine base on a solid surface, particularly when you near full capacity. And don’t worry—the tool will load all 19 rounds in the full-size 9 mm magazine and 16 rounds in the .40 S&W.
Be careful when inserting a magazine into the gun. My palm extends below the base of the short frame, and when I would slap in the magazine, I pinched myself a couple of times—once vigorously enough to blister.
I don’t normally choose increased-capacity, wide-body handguns to carry concealed, but I do keep one for a bedside gun. I have also attended a couple events at Gunsite where both compact and full-size wide-bodies were used. I like the simplicity of “point and shoot,” and it has great merit, particularly for a concealed handgun. A wide body is an excellent choice when concealment is not an issue or when you can wear a larger covering garment, as long as the gun fits you. If you’re just going to have one handgun that will be used for all things including concealed carry, take a look at Springfield Armory’s XD(M) 3.8 Compact. Except for ammo, you get everything you need in one box.

9MM or .223?

9mm vs .223

 By Paul Markel.

Find out how your home-defense hardware stacks up against today’s criminal element.

When trouble comes through the door, the savvy homeowner is fully armed with the proper hardware, information, and self-defense training. Ichiro Nagata Photo
Prudent homeowners understand that the best form of defense for themselves and their families against assault is a firearm. I was privy to a conversation at a local gun shop where a man was pondering the purchase of a long gun for home protection. He had just about convinced himself to buy an AR platform carbine, but was having second thoughts about the .223 Remington cartridge and whether or not it was “safe” to use inside a home. Specifically, he was worried about over-penetration. He was considering an AR carbine chambered in 9mm instead of .223.
To the casual reader this might seem like a very reasonable compromise. Surely the 9×19mm pistol cartridge would represent a reduced over-penetration hazard when compared to the .223 Remington centerfire rifle round. My goal in this review would be to compare the two from a ballistic standpoint, as well as provide a realistic downrange damage assessment.
The Contenders
For this review it seemed logical to secure both a 9×19mm carbine and nearly identical version in .223 Remington. CMMG, Inc. of Fayette, Missouri, happened to have a near matching set in both calibers.
Presented for your consideration are M4 style carbines with 16-inch barrels. One model chambers the 5.56mm/.223 Remington round and the other the 9×19mm round. Both have flat-top receivers, 4-way rail aluminum forearms, and retractable stocks.
The free-floating 5.56mm barrel has 1 in 7 right hand twist rifling. The 9mm version used 1 in 10 rifling. Both barrels were capped with a NATO-style birdcage flash suppressor. Also, each carbine used a Picatinny rail gas block.
As for operation, the 5.56mm model was CMMG’s new gas-piston carbine and the 9mm version used a straight blowback, recoil-operated mechanism. All external controls for both carbines were standard AR configuration, including the bolt catch, magazine release button, manual safety lever and trigger.
Lower receivers varied in that the 5.56mm model used a standard AR configuration and was fed by all AR style magazines. The 9mm lower was a dedicated receiver, not a plugged or modified AR-type. Metalform 32-round stick magazines fed the 9mm carbine.
For sights, I installed the new EOTech XPS3 HWS on each one. The XPS3 uses only one CR123 Lithium battery and is more compact than older models. The dual “circle and dot” reticle was used. These sights were zeroed a practical range of 50 yards.
The ammunition for this review would be that specifically designed from personal protection. Training and target ammunition are great for the range, but when it really counts we need to spend the cash on high quality ammo designed for the task at hand.

Both CMMG carbines that were tested use four-way aluminum rail systems.

.223 Remington
Hornady has been offering their TAP (Tactical Application Police) defensive line for some time now and it has seen success in real-world encounters. Featured herein would be their 60-grain TAP load chambered in .223 Remington. When fired from my CMMG rifle, this loaded averaged 2,855 FPS (feet per second) over a Shooting Chrony F1 chronograph.
Benching the rifle, once I had the EOTech optic properly zeroed, I put some test patterns downrange. The resulting groups were predictably tight. A tight 1.17-inch three-shot cluster at 50 yards proved the carbine and ammo combination could be counted on.

9×19mm
For the 9mm pistol ammunition side, the new Winchester PDX1 brand was tested. This ammunition line is specifically marketed for personal protection. The load in question was a 147-grain bonded JHP. If this bullet looks familiar it is because the copper-colored projectile is the heart of Winchester’s Ranger LE ammunition line.
Over my chronograph, this load averaged 1,140 FPS from the 16-inch barrel. Again, from 50 yards I fired several test groups on paper. The best group was right at 1.25 inches.

Entry holes: 9mm (upper left) and spectacular .223 wound cavity.

Real-World Test Conditions
This review is about much more than guns and ammo—it’s about performance. I needed to construct some realistic test barriers and bullet-capturing devices. Up first would be an interior wall façade. This barrier was built using two layers of half-inch sheet rock and a single layer of quarter-inch plywood. This would represent a standard interior wall construction, minus 2×4 studs. An additional portion of the “wall” would include two 2×4 boards combined with the original sheet rock and plywood construction.
Capturing the fired bullets would be accomplished through the construction of a bullet trap of sorts. This contraption was more of a rectangular trough made of wood with an open top. Into the bullet box I place thick squares of waxy ballistic media.
First up was the 9mm carbine. After placing the wallboard material in front of the bullet trap, I took aim. From a distance of 7 yards, I fired a single round of the Winchester ammunition. The bullet passed completely through and entered the waxy media.
Step two was to fire the .223 cartridge from Hornady. Same scenario, shot through the wallboard into the wax media at 7 yards. On the front of the wallboard was an unimpressive .22 caliber hole. However, on the other side, the results were a bit more spectacular. The projectile did its job very well and expanded violently. A hole nearly three 3 inches across and as deep was left in the wax media.
Next on the agenda was to fire both carbines into the 2×4 and wallboard material. This would represent nearly 6 inches of common building material found inside normal interior walls. Both the 9mm and .223 Remington rounds passed completely through.
Taking a moment to closely examine the bullet box, I pried apart the layers of wax media and found that the .223 TAP round had penetrated just shy of 8 inches. At that depth I discovered several bullet fragments. The projectile had come apart completely.
Moving on, we found that the 9mm projectile had traveled a full 15 inches into the wax media after passing through the wall façade. It had not deformed and looked almost good enough to be reloaded.

One round of 9mm fired through a car door. Note the mild fragmentation.

We Report, You Decide
As for our initial conversation, was the 9mm carbine less likely to “over-penetrate” than the .223? Based upon our experiments, I believe we can see how this is not necessarily the case at all. Both rounds easily passed through the basic wallboard material and then through the thicker wall and double 2×4 target. What was most impressive was the fact that the .223 round deposited 100 percent of its energy into 8 inches of wax media. Consider that the torso on most human attackers will be anywhere from 10 to 15 inches, depending on the angle and human variables. It would seem that the purpose-designed .223 Remington load would be less likely to pass through an attacker and continue on through an interior wall than the 9mm fired from the same platform.
Before we completely discount the 9mm carbine, it does have some positive attributes. If you own a 9mm handgun commonality of ammunition is a plus. Also, 9mm FMJ training ammunition costs about half the price of .223 FMJ training ammunition. That’s twice the trigger time for the price.
From a practical, household standpoint, both platforms provide ample accuracy and few felons would want to be shot with either gun. The bottom line is that a pistol cartridge, even when fired from a carbine, is still going to perform like a pistol cartridge. The carbine platform has the advantage of being easier to control, aim, and hit your target with. Carbines or rifles are more imposing than handguns.
When it comes to defending your life with a firearm, base your choices on fact, not supposition. Secure some professional training and practice. Keep shooting straight and shooting safe.