I completely agree with you. I am terrified, but will channel my terror into training. I've been away from the gym for over a year---weight lifting and cardio---I will get back to it, and to healthy eating. Also, getting back to the gun range to be ready for home defense if need be. I live in the beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia, the Mother of Presidents. I am nauseated by the radical takeover of Virginia.
Every republican and freedom lover out there: Get healthy, get strong. Strong, healthy people are harder to kill. Thank you for verbalizing what I have been feeling since Charlie Kirk's murder.
I am just remembering Peter Grant on his blog commenting that the medics he spoke with said many people survived .38 special and 9mm wounds...the same couldn't be said for .357 Magnum.
It really doesn't matter what you carry if you cannot make reliable & repeatable hits with it.
Also, name any caliber, and there's plenty of stories about people surviving hits- including full power rifles & shotgun rounds. There are no magic bullets that turn marginal hits into instant kills.
With 9s and .38s (or anything else for that matter) the bullet is critical. Shot placement goes without saying but in addition, if you’re shooting ball ammo, you’re a lot more likely to have to do a mag dump. And with .38s, for defense use +p or +p+ which have similar stopping rates to the .45acp.
Evidence has proven that: there's not much difference between handgun ammo in "stopping power" (quality hollowpoint loads) also rifles and shotguns are much better "stoppers".
You are right about shot placement. I am more concerned about the person who can fill my face with 22 lr than the one with a 44 mag that can hit only 1 of 6.
I think the ballistic gel tests are fairly good proof of the difference between ball and the defense bullets. For sure a rifle or shotgun is more final and I’ve always seen a handgun as a tool to shoot your way to your long gun. When the Miami FBI Shootout happened, it was the guys shot with the nines who killed the agents. The two agents with 4” revolvers loaded with the FBI 158 grain loads worked just fine.
Yes to shot placement - and keep shooting until the threat stops. Bad guy running away counts as "stopped" but just remember, said bad guy might have come as a pack. Good training will help both with the shot placement, and with tunnel vision etc.
It's a fun round, and seems effective; unfortunately not too many companies make guns in that cal these days. However, if you have a .40 S&W, there's a good chance you can get a conversion barrel, and that's all you need - mags and springs are usually the same.
The 357 SIG is expensive and problematic to reload. Even brass is expensive. The bottleneck case is why.
In the midbore semi-auto cartridge lineup; I'd pick the 9mm+P. Much less expensive as loaded ammo, readily available, load data is easy to find, and components are much less expensive. Shooting ammo like what you carry will help develop skill.
Loaded ammo cost for defensive rounds is roughly on par for .45 ACP for defensive loads, e.g. Gold Dot at around $0.60/rnd just now on AmmoSeek for both .45 ACP and .357 SIG, vs $0.50 for 9mm+P - so yes, a little more but not dramatically so. If you're patient you will occasionally find a good deal on range ammo.
The bottleneck is supposed to make feeding a little more reliable, for what it's worth.
I don't reload, myself, so can't speak to that aspect and will defer to your expertise.
.357 is more than enough in my view, revolver fan here. Ideally I would like to be trying the .327 Magnum but the ammo prices for that caliber make my wallet hide under the couch.
Just a thought: I just got my white Freedom hoodie. I'm going to wear it EVERYWHERE this winter and may order a few more. What if EVERYONE would wear a FREEDOM hoodie or T-shirt EVERYWHERE we can, EVERY TIME we can? Freedom hoodies/t-shirts as far as the eye could see. Who's with me?
Exercise is good, but carrying a firearm regularly is better. Buy a gun and ammo. Get training. If you live in one of the 25 "Constitutional carry" states, then start carrying your concealed firearm wherever and whenever you can. Get a "License to Carry", or "Carry Concealed Weapon" certificate. I live in Texas, where an "LTC" certificate is inexpensive and easy to obtain if you're a law-abiding citizen.
More importantly, remain sober and maintain your situational awareness; the crazies almost always make it obvious that they're about to go crazy. Stay clear of crowds.
Maybe a byrner....they're non lethal, but still debilitating...just a thought....for those of us not so comfortable with lethal force....I appreciate lethal force, just not confident in my use of it.
Yes. I just took my second tactical shotgun class from https://www.citizen-defender.com/ in Culpeper yesterday, and I've taken a couple of handgun classes and a Mas Ayoob class from them before. Great instruction.
I had the honor of attending a MAG-20 taught by Massad himself locally in WNY. Damn good course and highly recommended to everyone. Unfortunately, the venue did not include a range; so no shooting was done.
The next time John Murphy teaches locally; I'm attending. I missed a John Holschien course locally 2 months before he passed.
Amazon sells a device called a "Pain Pen"; a small electrical shock device, sort of a mini-cattle prod. The problem with those is that they are a hand-to-hand distance device, and I don't want threatening people to get that close.
I'm an old man; 75 years old, and never been a jock. I'm not that quick, and definitely not strong enough to deal with an angry stupid person. I'd rather be "Judged by 12", and not "Carried by 6".
Here in South Texas, I have some guns, and a "License to Carry" them concealed. And I don't go to places where it's likely that violence might erupt. Like loud bars, crowded concerts, or the Texas State Fair - which doesn't allow weapons. (Although criminals never follow such laws anyway.)
Sorry; I'm north of 75, and have never been in great physical shape. If I ever need to go hand-to-hand with a thug, I'll lose. My 9mm handgun is the best equalizer. But I do have a few other interesting toys....
I'm going to wear my FREEDOM hoodie EVERYWHERE this winter, and I may order more in different colors. What if we all wore FREEDOM hoodies/t'shirts EVERYWHERE, every time we could! FREEDOM hoodies/t'shirts as far as the eye could see. Think that would freak the freaks a little bit? Who's with me!!!
What's funny is the exact same people who vote for these cretins accuse their opponents of being Nazis, and wonder how what happened in Germany in the 1930's could possibly happen here. I guess they were asking for pointers rather than speculating on how to prevent it.
Not to mention their cheering the spiritual successors of the original Antifa, who contributed to making the Nazis look better in comparison.
Not because the Sturmabteilung was any less prone to violence (in the way water is prone to being wet), but the SA was a LITTLE more selective in the targeting for said violence than the OG Antifa (who, as today, were using "anti-fascism" as a cover for trying to install a commie government).
You have to be a really [excrement] person to make Nazis look good in comparison.
A lot of Germans had family connections in Russia, and knew quite well what horrible things that the Soviets were doing- and for dang sure didn't want it repeated there.
Sadly, they got it and worse, because they thought they could use tyranny to protect themselves from tyranny.
Endurance is pretty rewarding. I do believe low cardio for 3 hours every so often on top of normal cardio is very valuable. A brisk walk in a park or the easiest way a 20 mile bike ride
A bit of reality that applies to everyone, regardless: No matter who you are, what background you have, or what you believe- there's people out there that think the world would be a better place if you were relieved of your life, liberty, and property.
Some of whom are supposedly on 'your side'.
Never surrender your liberty to either side for temporary security, as old Ben used to warn.
Much good advice offered here. Act on it! Yes, make a commitment to yourself and your loved ones to become more active. Learn to eat healthy foods; maybe learn to cook and make nutritious, tasty meals for you and yours. If you can, start growing your own produce; its good exercise and you learn what real produce tasts like.
Acquire some reliable, decent quality firearms and plenty of ammunition. Learn to use them, acquire skill and shoot often enough to maintain it. Obtain and learn to use some less lethal options; pepper spray (personal and crowd control size), also canes for cane defense. The neat thing about a cane is that its a mobility aid, a medical device; until you need it to be a self-defense tool.
A skill thats really valuable to you and others is learning first aid beyond putting a band-aid on a boo-boo. Stop the Bleed and basic CPR/AED skills are great ones to have; if you can get training in Wilderness First Aid, it will be valuable to you and your community. Then put together a First Aid Kit to support those skills. It ain't a bad idea to learn how to use a fire extinguisher as well. Keep a few in your house, even in your vehicle.
If you got this far; go the whole Prepper route. The more accountability you take for your safety, security and well being you take upon you and your close loved ones and associates, the better off you are. Build confidence in your ability to address come what may.
Remember this: Government ain't your friend. When the bad people come to bother you, no one's coming to save you. You are your own first responder.
Excellent! I have carried a cane when traveling for a long time, though I don't need one to motigate. But it will go through airport security, courthouse security and on and on. It may not win the day, but I will go down trying.
Might I take this opportunity to mention we bring in some of the best firearms instructors in the country, have a great facility, and I am not too bad at training people in firearms etc myself :D
Training isn't cheap and if it is it might or might not be good training, but regardless of where you are there are likely solid instructors within driving distance of you. :)
As much as I disike the idea, I'm forced to conclude there's no way this ends without a very bloody civil war.
Seems quite reasonable to prepare for it, in all capacities and capabilities. That rucking thing just may turn out to be something one should be very, very good at. Start now if you haven't already, and embrace the uphill portions.
I'd LOVE to be able to walk any distance. Due to kidney etc. issues... well, if you feel like you GOTTA GO all the time... guess how many long walks you go on?
Well said, sir.
I completely agree with you. I am terrified, but will channel my terror into training. I've been away from the gym for over a year---weight lifting and cardio---I will get back to it, and to healthy eating. Also, getting back to the gun range to be ready for home defense if need be. I live in the beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia, the Mother of Presidents. I am nauseated by the radical takeover of Virginia.
Every republican and freedom lover out there: Get healthy, get strong. Strong, healthy people are harder to kill. Thank you for verbalizing what I have been feeling since Charlie Kirk's murder.
Keep yer powder dry, an' yer head on a swivel...
Time to upgrade from .38 Special to .357 Magnum...
A .38 Special is enough gun - IF you're hitting your target. Practice more to make sure that your shots will count.
I am just remembering Peter Grant on his blog commenting that the medics he spoke with said many people survived .38 special and 9mm wounds...the same couldn't be said for .357 Magnum.
It really doesn't matter what you carry if you cannot make reliable & repeatable hits with it.
Also, name any caliber, and there's plenty of stories about people surviving hits- including full power rifles & shotgun rounds. There are no magic bullets that turn marginal hits into instant kills.
With 9s and .38s (or anything else for that matter) the bullet is critical. Shot placement goes without saying but in addition, if you’re shooting ball ammo, you’re a lot more likely to have to do a mag dump. And with .38s, for defense use +p or +p+ which have similar stopping rates to the .45acp.
Evidence has proven that: there's not much difference between handgun ammo in "stopping power" (quality hollowpoint loads) also rifles and shotguns are much better "stoppers".
You are right about shot placement. I am more concerned about the person who can fill my face with 22 lr than the one with a 44 mag that can hit only 1 of 6.
And to git gud with a handgun, you got to shoot it on a regular basis.
If your gun is too expensive to feed, you won't shoot it often, so it's going to be hard to git gud with it.
If it has excessive recoil & you develop a flinch while shooting, same.
I think the ballistic gel tests are fairly good proof of the difference between ball and the defense bullets. For sure a rifle or shotgun is more final and I’ve always seen a handgun as a tool to shoot your way to your long gun. When the Miami FBI Shootout happened, it was the guys shot with the nines who killed the agents. The two agents with 4” revolvers loaded with the FBI 158 grain loads worked just fine.
Yes to shot placement - and keep shooting until the threat stops. Bad guy running away counts as "stopped" but just remember, said bad guy might have come as a pack. Good training will help both with the shot placement, and with tunnel vision etc.
Or perhaps .357 SIG if you prefer a semi-auto.
It's a fun round, and seems effective; unfortunately not too many companies make guns in that cal these days. However, if you have a .40 S&W, there's a good chance you can get a conversion barrel, and that's all you need - mags and springs are usually the same.
The 357 SIG is expensive and problematic to reload. Even brass is expensive. The bottleneck case is why.
In the midbore semi-auto cartridge lineup; I'd pick the 9mm+P. Much less expensive as loaded ammo, readily available, load data is easy to find, and components are much less expensive. Shooting ammo like what you carry will help develop skill.
Loaded ammo cost for defensive rounds is roughly on par for .45 ACP for defensive loads, e.g. Gold Dot at around $0.60/rnd just now on AmmoSeek for both .45 ACP and .357 SIG, vs $0.50 for 9mm+P - so yes, a little more but not dramatically so. If you're patient you will occasionally find a good deal on range ammo.
The bottleneck is supposed to make feeding a little more reliable, for what it's worth.
I don't reload, myself, so can't speak to that aspect and will defer to your expertise.
.357 is more than enough in my view, revolver fan here. Ideally I would like to be trying the .327 Magnum but the ammo prices for that caliber make my wallet hide under the couch.
Just a thought: I just got my white Freedom hoodie. I'm going to wear it EVERYWHERE this winter and may order a few more. What if EVERYONE would wear a FREEDOM hoodie or T-shirt EVERYWHERE we can, EVERY TIME we can? Freedom hoodies/t-shirts as far as the eye could see. Who's with me?
Exercise is good, but carrying a firearm regularly is better. Buy a gun and ammo. Get training. If you live in one of the 25 "Constitutional carry" states, then start carrying your concealed firearm wherever and whenever you can. Get a "License to Carry", or "Carry Concealed Weapon" certificate. I live in Texas, where an "LTC" certificate is inexpensive and easy to obtain if you're a law-abiding citizen.
More importantly, remain sober and maintain your situational awareness; the crazies almost always make it obvious that they're about to go crazy. Stay clear of crowds.
Maybe a byrner....they're non lethal, but still debilitating...just a thought....for those of us not so comfortable with lethal force....I appreciate lethal force, just not confident in my use of it.
It may help to seek professional training in defensive tactics. There is/was good training organizations in VA. IIRC, Culpepper area.
These folks are serious and no one's coming to help.
You - we all - need to be our own first responder.
Yes. I just took my second tactical shotgun class from https://www.citizen-defender.com/ in Culpeper yesterday, and I've taken a couple of handgun classes and a Mas Ayoob class from them before. Great instruction.
I had the honor of attending a MAG-20 taught by Massad himself locally in WNY. Damn good course and highly recommended to everyone. Unfortunately, the venue did not include a range; so no shooting was done.
The next time John Murphy teaches locally; I'm attending. I missed a John Holschien course locally 2 months before he passed.
Amazon sells a device called a "Pain Pen"; a small electrical shock device, sort of a mini-cattle prod. The problem with those is that they are a hand-to-hand distance device, and I don't want threatening people to get that close.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCMKF2N6?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1
I'm an old man; 75 years old, and never been a jock. I'm not that quick, and definitely not strong enough to deal with an angry stupid person. I'd rather be "Judged by 12", and not "Carried by 6".
Here in South Texas, I have some guns, and a "License to Carry" them concealed. And I don't go to places where it's likely that violence might erupt. Like loud bars, crowded concerts, or the Texas State Fair - which doesn't allow weapons. (Although criminals never follow such laws anyway.)
You need a firearm AND a fitness routine. It's not either/or, my friend.
Sorry; I'm north of 75, and have never been in great physical shape. If I ever need to go hand-to-hand with a thug, I'll lose. My 9mm handgun is the best equalizer. But I do have a few other interesting toys....
I'm going to wear my FREEDOM hoodie EVERYWHERE this winter, and I may order more in different colors. What if we all wore FREEDOM hoodies/t'shirts EVERYWHERE, every time we could! FREEDOM hoodies/t'shirts as far as the eye could see. Think that would freak the freaks a little bit? Who's with me!!!
What's funny is the exact same people who vote for these cretins accuse their opponents of being Nazis, and wonder how what happened in Germany in the 1930's could possibly happen here. I guess they were asking for pointers rather than speculating on how to prevent it.
Not to mention their cheering the spiritual successors of the original Antifa, who contributed to making the Nazis look better in comparison.
Not because the Sturmabteilung was any less prone to violence (in the way water is prone to being wet), but the SA was a LITTLE more selective in the targeting for said violence than the OG Antifa (who, as today, were using "anti-fascism" as a cover for trying to install a commie government).
You have to be a really [excrement] person to make Nazis look good in comparison.
A lot of Germans had family connections in Russia, and knew quite well what horrible things that the Soviets were doing- and for dang sure didn't want it repeated there.
Sadly, they got it and worse, because they thought they could use tyranny to protect themselves from tyranny.
Hey, calling Trotsky a fascist worked for Stalin.
Endurance is pretty rewarding. I do believe low cardio for 3 hours every so often on top of normal cardio is very valuable. A brisk walk in a park or the easiest way a 20 mile bike ride
A bit of reality that applies to everyone, regardless: No matter who you are, what background you have, or what you believe- there's people out there that think the world would be a better place if you were relieved of your life, liberty, and property.
Some of whom are supposedly on 'your side'.
Never surrender your liberty to either side for temporary security, as old Ben used to warn.
By the time TEOTWAWKI or SHTF kicks off it'll be too late to stockpile, get fit. Be the ant, not the grasshopper.
I've been feeling this way for at least a year now. I won't stop preparing, and hoping I'll never have to use that training.
Expect the best, train for the worst.
Much good advice offered here. Act on it! Yes, make a commitment to yourself and your loved ones to become more active. Learn to eat healthy foods; maybe learn to cook and make nutritious, tasty meals for you and yours. If you can, start growing your own produce; its good exercise and you learn what real produce tasts like.
Acquire some reliable, decent quality firearms and plenty of ammunition. Learn to use them, acquire skill and shoot often enough to maintain it. Obtain and learn to use some less lethal options; pepper spray (personal and crowd control size), also canes for cane defense. The neat thing about a cane is that its a mobility aid, a medical device; until you need it to be a self-defense tool.
A skill thats really valuable to you and others is learning first aid beyond putting a band-aid on a boo-boo. Stop the Bleed and basic CPR/AED skills are great ones to have; if you can get training in Wilderness First Aid, it will be valuable to you and your community. Then put together a First Aid Kit to support those skills. It ain't a bad idea to learn how to use a fire extinguisher as well. Keep a few in your house, even in your vehicle.
If you got this far; go the whole Prepper route. The more accountability you take for your safety, security and well being you take upon you and your close loved ones and associates, the better off you are. Build confidence in your ability to address come what may.
Remember this: Government ain't your friend. When the bad people come to bother you, no one's coming to save you. You are your own first responder.
Excellent! I have carried a cane when traveling for a long time, though I don't need one to motigate. But it will go through airport security, courthouse security and on and on. It may not win the day, but I will go down trying.
Might I take this opportunity to mention we bring in some of the best firearms instructors in the country, have a great facility, and I am not too bad at training people in firearms etc myself :D
Training isn't cheap and if it is it might or might not be good training, but regardless of where you are there are likely solid instructors within driving distance of you. :)
As much as I disike the idea, I'm forced to conclude there's no way this ends without a very bloody civil war.
Seems quite reasonable to prepare for it, in all capacities and capabilities. That rucking thing just may turn out to be something one should be very, very good at. Start now if you haven't already, and embrace the uphill portions.
I'd LOVE to be able to walk any distance. Due to kidney etc. issues... well, if you feel like you GOTTA GO all the time... guess how many long walks you go on?