Mythbusting: The Racking of a Shotgun

In this post I want to address a myth that really grinds on my nerves. It goes like this.

"Simply racking the slide of your pump shotgun will scare away any intruders in your home."

This is complete trash, yet it is seems VERY common to hear in gun shops and on gun boards. This kind of thinking can get you killed.

When someone breaks into your house and you grab a weapon, you had better be prepared to defend yourself accordingly. A criminal who knows you have a gun may run, but it also may make them more prepared to be violent.


A good pump shotgun can be an excellent home defense weapon in skilled hands. Much more effective than a handgun if you are anticipating trouble.

You need to be prepared to surprise the BG with violent force that they may not be anticipating. If they are armed, they may feel that they have a distinct advantage which will lead them to possibly be complacent and less guarded. Use this against them. DO NOT give them time to prepare for you if possible. This gives them a tactical advantage.

Also, why wait until you are within earshot to load your weapon just so he can hear the racking effect? I can assure you that the “boom” effect will yield better results for your well-being and safety than a racking sound will.

Load the weapon as quickly as you can, if it is not already loaded. I wouldn't be nearly as worried about if the BG hears you though as I would be about being prepared to deal with the threat to your life. This includes having a weapon loaded and ready to go, as well as a mind set to take on the threat.

Once a BG is in your home, your life and those of your loved ones is in danger. It is time to stop playing games and get serious at that point. The BG may be prepared to be violent. You don't know. That is why you have to be ready to exceed his level of violence.

Prepare yourself by training or at least shooting at the range. Prepare yourself mentally to use justified lethal force when you or your loved ones life's are threatened.

It is possible that the person who started this myth meant well and was thinking that the best case scenario in this situation would be THE only scenario. That is simply not realistic.

Why take the chance that the racking sound will save you? A determined attacker will not be deterred by such a weak attempt to intimidate.

Please, do yourself a favor and NEVER repeat this kind of myth. It has been created and spread by armchair and gun shop commandos and it can get you and other innocent people killed.

.45ACP 230gr +P Federal Tactical Bonded

We tested this load the same day we tested the Federal .45ACP 230gr +P HST. I specifically wanted to test this load through a barrier to see how it performed. Test gun was a 4.25" Commander style 1911 made by Dan Wesson. I was happy with the results.



OK, above is the Tactical Bonded vs the HST (both shot at bare water filled milk jugs). The Tactical Bonded penetrated into the 4th jug, but the mushroom is less dramatic than that of the HST, which stopped in between the 3rd and 4th jug.

The Tactical Bonded round measured .73" at the widest and .68" at the thinnest. Not nearly as impressive expansion as the HST, but better penetration.



In this picture, you can see all of the TB bullets we tested. The one in the center was shot through a pickle jar first to simulate a glass barrier (may not be totally realistic, I am sure a windshield is much harder to penetrate, but it was a barrier of some sort nonetheless). You may be able to see some glass shards imbedded in the lead. The bullet was obviously much more deformed than the others but it stayed together pretty well and still expanded very well, as well as penetrating to the 4th jug.

The two bullets flanking the center JHP were both shot through into bare jugs. As you can see one of the petals sheared off of one of them. All bullets penetrated into the 4th jug. Even the sheared petal of the JHP on the left was recovered in the 4th jug as well.



Here you can see a shot of the Tactical Bonded round that was shot through the glass jar before entering the water filled milk jugs, by itself. This round measured .88" at the widest point, .71" at the least.

Conclusion: This is a very good load if you want better penetration. The downside is less impressive or consistent expansion. Reportedly does well penetrating barriers, did well with the barrier I used (glass jar).

.45ACP 230gr +P Federal HST

Here are some pictures for you to consider. If you can get your hands on Federal HST, they seem to be a pretty good defensive carry load. I got these at ammo to go for about $30 for 50 rounds if memory serves me right.



Test gun was a 4.25" Commander style 1911 made by Dan Wesson. Bullet was shot into bare gallon milk jugs filled with water from a distance of about 10 yards.



This round spalshed me pretty good with water. Here is how the bullet ended up (we moved the two jugs apart in order to take this picture).



The JHP can be seen here, where it got stuck while exiting the 3rd jug. It left a slight puncture into the 4th jug, which trickled slightly afterwards.



Here is the final product. The mushroom was impressive and it expanded very uniformly, and measured .86" wide at the widest point and .77" at the smallest.

Testing the Legendary Reliability of the AK

Thanks to some good folks who have posted these videos on Youtube.

Much has been made over the years about AK reliability. It is a great weapon system. I am not posting this as a knock on the AK or their owners. This is simply for educational purposes.

I get tired of hearing people claim that they can dump a handful of sand into their AK and it will keep on truckin'. I wonder how so many people who make these claims have actually tested it like this. My guess, not many.

The claim seems to have originated from Kalashnikov himself.

"Reliability depends on a variety of factors. First: A short locking distance of the firing chamber. Second: All moving parts are installed with more space between them. All designers sought to tighten them up, while I, on the contrary, let them hang with absolute freedom. You take a handful of sand, throw it in the rifle, retract the bolt and fire!"

I have heard people repeat similar lines more times than I could possibly remember.

Internet myth, meet reality.



Here is another similar example with a different AK variant in 5.45.



It is quite obvious that the AK design has a flaw in that with the safety off, junk can really stop up the whole system because of the large gap left exposed. This creates a big problem in the fire control group and can lead to other problems with mags and the weapon not going into battery.

End result, these AK's really need to be completely cleaned before they will be fully functional again. What this test shows is that the exaggerations made by many on the internet and in gun shops ("You can dump sand into an AK and it will still run") in regards to the AK is simply not true.

For those that think the AR15 would fare worse in a similar test, here are the results for it.



As you can see, despite the many flaws the AR15 is accused of having, it fared much better with this test. It had 2 stoppages (which were fixed promptly and without stripping down the weapon) and ran through more ammo without problems in this test.

These are extreme conditions, unlikely for anyone to see in combat.

Bottom line, well maintained guns simply function better and ANY machine can and will fail, especially when they are abused and misused.

The AK still has a well deserved degree of reliability. This is not to bash the AK. I just wanted people to come back down to earth a realize that it is not flawless. It can and will fail.

Some people out there are under a false impression that the AK is so inherently reliable that it will take excessive abuse. People like to exaggerate flaws of the guns they don't like and attributes of the guns they do like. The truth is somewhere in between much of the time.

The AR and AK endure these types of absolute statements in arguments on message boards every day. Reality is, both systems are combat tested and proven.

People need to focus less on the weapon, and more on training, tactics, and survival!

Choose a weapon system that is well made and that you like and take care of it, and you will increase your chances of survival.

Kel-Tec P32

Kel-Tec has a mixed reputation. It has it's followers and it's haters, like most guns, but some guns and brands are more controversial than others. This is one of those brands.

I can't say that I am their most loyal follower, but I am far from a hater. My experience with Kel-Tec is somewhat limited, as I have only fired a handful of Kel-Tecs. However, most of them have been P32's, and I can say that I like these guns.

In fact, I own a Kel-Tec P32 with a chromed slide and it has been very good to me.



I have put roughly 600 rounds through this gun and it has been flawless.

The sights are not very good and do not allow you to reach out too far, but I am still able to qualify with it for concealed carry without any problems.

The trigger is long, as would be expected in a "BUG" (Back Up Gun) type of gun that lacks a safety. Recoil is very light and manageable though.

It is an ugly gun in my opinion.

I am not in love with the caliber, .32ACP. It leaves a lot to be desired in a self defense caliber. On top of that, I carry FMJ in this gun because I don't trust any of the JHP's in this caliber to penetrate deeply enough to hit vitals.

Some people complain that JHP's don't feed well in theirs. I wouldn't know. I don't even think it is worth my time to find out as I have no interest in a JHP in this caliber.

That said, it's a great size. Carrying it is so easy and although I don't carry it often, it is good to have something rather than nothing. It is so light at times I can forget that I am carrying it.



Here you can see how it compares to my Glock 27 (my primary carry gun).



You can see how it compares for thickness.

I installed a "clip" on mine so that I can carry it inside the waistband without a pocket or holster. I don't like to carry it that way in general, but there are times when it is necessary.

Although the caliber is weak and I don't relish the thought of having to engage bad guy's with this gun, it's still lethal when shots are put into the right spot. This little round actually "started" the first World War when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a man using a Browning pistol chambered in .32ACP.

The price wasn't bad. I bought it used from my dad for $200 with 3 mags and a couple hundred rounds of ammo.

These P32's are great little guns in my opinion. The few samples I have seen have done very well. I know I said it was ugly, and it isn't much to look at, true. However, there is beauty in this little gun.

Have you taken a new person shooting lately?

Recently, a friend of my younger brother and I who had been out of the country for the past 2 years as a missionary returned home from Japan. He had turned 21 earlier this year.

We decided to take him shooting and try to do some converting of our own with this young man. He had an interest in guns, but didn’t feel particularly compelled at this time to buy a firearm. He had even had experiences in the past with firearms, all positive. Luckily for us, the ground work had been laid already.

We took him out and decided to give him a baptism by fire with an assortment of guns to peak his interest. IT WORKED! He was able to sample everything from a AR15’s and an M1 Garand, to a shotgun, an AK, and several pistols.



He immediately expressed interest in buying a handgun and taking a class to get his concealed firearm permit, as well as getting more involved in shooting, etc in general.

I was amazed at how fast this young man picked up the hobby and ran with it. He has been taught gun safety and terminology and picked it up very quickly.

In just a couple months, he now owns two guns and has finished his concealed carry training and certification. He now has his CCW. I would trust him to handle any of my firearms.

Now, I have taken out new shooters on many occasions. In fact, since I got married to my wife, my father in law and 3 of my brother in laws have bought self defense pistols. Some of them owned various guns, mostly for hunting purposes, but none of them had owned self defense pistols until just a few years back. They have all gotten their concealed carry permits. I take some credit (although not all) in getting them into shooting and being an influence for good in this regard. During one family reunion early on, I took it upon myself to get as many members of the family who were interested in shooting to go to the range together.

I also helped my sister and my brother in law purchase their first gun recently. This is a small sample though. I have helped many friends and family, including my wife (who was indifferent about guns when I met her) learn about shooting and firearm safety.

I am not really mentioning this to gloat as much as I am trying to demonstrate the amount of influence one or two people can have on others.

I’ve been heavily influenced by some people in my life to get into shooting. My older brother and a former Scout Master were tremendously influential to me. As a young Boy Scout, one of my leaders was instrumental in getting us to get our hunting licenses and taking us to the range.

I credit my oldest brother with getting me a decent education about firearms as I was coming of age.

The best way we can preserve our 2nd amendment rights is to share our knowledge with good people. The more good, armed law abiding citizens there are, the safer world we live in, and the stronger we as gun owners become.

The Legendary AK-47

The AK-47 is arguably the most successful “Assault Rifle” in history. Some estimates put the AK at about an unprecedented 80 MILLION AK’s worldwide, making it quite ubiquitous. This design, created by a Russian Tank Commander, is robust, reliable, and quite simple. It has often used by the enemies of our great country in wars in the time since it’s invention, including but not limited to the Soviet Union, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, as well as many terrorists and enemy combatants.

It is commonly thought of as “the bad guy gun”.

Mikhail Kalashnikov began working on developing a rifle in the 40’s after he was injured in battle. The end result was the AK-47 (short for “Avtomat Kalashnikova model 47”), which went into service for the Russians in 1947 and has remained in service (at least in variations, including the AK-74 among others) since that time.

I intend to write about the AK-47 clones (primarily all semi-autos) that we see here in the US, none of which are “assault rifles” by definition. Many here though refer to the AK-47 clones out there as AK-47’s or simply AK’s, or even AKM’s. AK-47’s are chambered in the Russian cartridge 7.62x39, which is usually a 123gr bullet traveling at about 2300-2400fps.



Here you can see the tapered case of the 7.62x39 round (bottom) compared to the 5.56 (top) which aids in the reliability of the rifle by making it easier to chamber and extract rounds (less friction).

It also adds to the extreme curvature of the magazines.

This is a pretty effective round at ranges inside of 400 yards. It also hits plenty of power and usually does a good job of turning “cover into concealment” as it will smash through mild or thin steel, glass, cinder blocks, wood, and many other common barriers. It’s drawback is that the round is fairly heavy to carry (compared to a 5.56) and experiences some decent amount of bullet drop after 300-400 yards.



A USMC Capt. models with an underfolder AK-47 in Afghanistan. Not my favorite stock for the AK. They look good, and they get the stock out of the way when they are folded, but they are uncomfortable for me. I prefer the fixed stock and the side folding stocks.

Here in the USA, the AK has a strong loyal following. That is not surprising, given the reliability, simplicity, and longevity of this design. They are fairly easy and inexpensive to mass manufacture. Most AK’s here in the US not surprisingly are imported as whole rifles or made from parts from AK’s of various origins including but not limited to Russia, China, Romania, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Eqypt, and a whole host of other communist and former communist states, Muslim, and third world countries.

Another upside to the AK is that they tend to be fairly inexpensive to buy for most people who are seeking a battle carbine for themselves, especially on a budget.

Magazines are plentiful and also fairly inexpensive.

The reliability of the AK is a result of it’s loose tolerances and large gas piston. However, these two factors also hurt the AK in the field of accuracy. Many think of it as no more than a “spray and pray” type weapon. Others have found that the accuracy claims are usually greatly exaggerated or can be helped by using quality ammunition and buying a higher quality AK.



This is my Hungarian SA-85.

There are other drawbacks to the design though, and they include it’s lack of modularity, lack of an easy, quality scope/optic mounting ability, bad iron sights, and lousy ergonomics.

Let me say that, of all of the battle carbines out there, the AK really does have the worst ergonomics I can think of, particularly when it comes to reloading.

For starters, the bolt handle is on the wrong side (if you are a right hander) because to manipulate the bolt, you must take your hand off of the pistol grip and pull the bolt all the way back and let it go. Your support hand should do this but trying this with your support hand as a right hander is awkward.



Secondly, there is no bolt hold open on the last round. Imagine shooting your last round in a firefight without knowing it only to pull the trigger and hear the dreaded “click” instead of “bang”. Not good. In addition, when reloading, you must cycle the action like I mentioned above, instead of just letting the bolt slam home on a loaded mag.

Lastly, and going along with the whole reloading aspect, the position of the magazine release and the way in which you remove and insert the magazine is strange and requires a rocking motion which takes practice to get right quickly. And even with practice, reloading takes about twice the time for a magazine change with an AK than with something like an AR15.



An upside about the magazines when compared with the AR15 is that the magazines, although heavy are rugged.

Many people make a big deal about the safety, but that aspect of the AK doesn’t bother me as much as it does to some critics of the AK. In fact, I have discovered a way to make the most of the placement of the safety, thanks to some folks online who have shared it.



Although the ergonomics are not very good and hurt you the most during reloading, I don’t think this a deal breaker.

The AK-74 is a variation now in use by the Russians that uses a 5.45 round as oppose to the 7.62x39. It may be a better round but finding ammo, magazines, and other replacement parts tends to be much harder than for a 7.62x39 AK. If you are particularly fond of the 5.45 and have access to plenty of ammo, mags, and spare parts for it.

I do like the 5.45. Many people will point out that Kalashnikov himself did not like the 5.45 and opposed it's adoption. However, I fail to see how that is very relevant. Kalashnikov was not a ballistics expert. He didn't design the 7.62x39 cartridge. He likely designed the original AK in that caliber simply because that is what he was told to build it in.

Overall, I think the AK is a fantastic weapon. It’s not my first choice, but it is still an excellent choice regardless. There are good reasons that it has been mass produced on the scale that it has been and price is not the only reason. There is a lot to be said for it’s simple, inexpensive, reliable, robust design.

Advantage Arms .22 Glock Conversion

Having been upset with the way my Walther P22 turned out, I wanted to try something different in a .22 pistol. I like the idea of training for cheaper since ammo prices have gotten out of control recently. Since trigger control and sight picture are the real keys to good shooting, this is a great way to obtain or maintain some degree of skill and familiarity with the Glock pistol.

They claim on their website that "You will have paid for your ADVANTAGE ARMS, INC. conversion kit after shooting 1000 rounds of .22LR."

I guess it depends on how much you are paying for ammo... Nevertheless, they make a point if you shoot a lot and are looking for a cheaper alternative.

I got a conversion to work with my Glock 27 and it turned out well for the most part. They are available for several models of the Glock as well as the 1911, two of the most common and well known pistol designs out there. The Advantage Arms .22 Conversions have been around for a while and they go for about $250 or so for the one I got.



It didn't like bulk Federal .22LR ammo but it did fine with the Remington bulk stuff I have tried in it, which by the way is the same ammo they recommend for plinking with. Although the accuracy is not excellent with it. They say to try "CCI MiniMags or Federal Automatch" for better accuracy, which I never tried, since I have had a hard time finding anything other than Bulk ammo lately.

Overall, I was impressed with it. The upside is that I get to train with a pistol that feels just like a Glock but in .22 and that it will take at least some form of bulk ammo. The downside is that for about the price they charge you can get a complete pistol in many cases, and it can have a hard time with some bulk ammo, outside of Remington.

Are You Part of The Militia?

According to US law, if you fit this description, you are part of the militia.

Sec. 311. Militia: composition and classes

(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are -
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.

Unfortunately, the term "militia" in some cases carries with it negative thoughts and feelings associated with extremist groups thanks in part to some of these militant anti-government groups, government organizations themselves, and various media outlets. However, in the US, we have had a militia since the days of the Revolutionary War. In those times, the militia was absolutely crucial in helping to support and supplement the standing army we had.

Today, you don't hear all that much about the militia, at least not in a positive way.

The militia may not be used very often recently, but there will surely come another day when the able bodied men of our country will be needed to help our armed forces defend their country from enemies, both foreign and domestic.

"What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty.... Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins." (Rep. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, spoken during floor debate over the Second Amendment [ I Annals of Congress at 750 {August 17, 1789}])

Dan Wesson CBOB 1911 - Range Report

I was lucky enough to get to take my new 1911 .45ACP Commander Bobtail (CBOB) out shooting today. I had shot it in the past, but I didn't have enough ammo to shoot it as much as I had wanted.

This 1911 is widely believed to be the best value Custom 1911 on the market right now. I paid less than $1K shipped to my FFL.



It is a series 70 Commander (4.25" barrel) 1911 with a bobtail. It utilizes many Ed Brown components, a sure sign that they are trying to make a high quality weapon.

First impressions are, I LOVE THIS GUN! Recoil is manageable, and this 1911 is capable of some serious accuracy.

The trigger is clean and breaks very nicely. The Trijicon night sights are very nice as well. Considering that most gunfights take place in low light conditions, they will likely be very nice to have if you ever need to use this weapon to save lives.



I got a chance to run about 100 rounds through it and experienced no failures except for two that I can without a doubt blame on the Metalform magazines that failed to properly feed the final round in the magazine.

I feel pretty good about it so far though, considering that these require a little bit of a break in period. It may have helped that I had cycled the slide probably close to 1000 times since I bought it. I had also field stripped it and lubed it well.

Ammo used today was 230gr Federal FMJ that I bought at Wal-Mart for about $16/box. The few Speer Gold Dots I have tried so far worked fine on previous outings.

My stock Dan Wesson mags performed flawlessly to this point. I am going to be investing in some Wilson Combat magazines pretty soon though. I have been loading the mags to 7 rounds just because when I load a magazine with 8 rounds when the slide isn't locked back, the top round in the magazine gets dinged up a little and the magazine doesn't lock into place quite as easily. This might make tactical reloads difficult I am thinking.

This is a picture of my first 7 shot group from 7 yards. Those two shots in the lower left were all me. It was very windy and I just hadn't settled down enough.



I wasn't very happy about that group, so I tried 7 rounds again and had better results. It was one big hole in the target.



Interestingly enough, when I looked behind the particle board that we used to shoot that last group with, I was able to find 6 of the 7 rounds I had fired with ease. They were still quite warm when we excavated them out of the dirt where they couldn't have penetrated more than an inch or so.



I was impressed with the accuracy. I could easily hit targets as far away as 20-25 yards away as long as I did my part.

Here is a picture of the fit between the slide and receiver. This attention to detail is one of the reasons that Dan Wesson (owned by CZ) is making such a good reputation for themselves.



I bought a leather OWB holster for it from Don Hume (The Colt Commander model they make) and have been pleased with it to this point. The bobtail makes carrying this gun more comfortable than I imagine it would be otherwise. It should also help with concealment as well.



I plan on shooting this gun quite a bit more. I have also found some good .45ACP defensive loads that I want to do some of my own personal testing with and will report on in this blog sometime in the future.

I am grateful to many of the members of various gun boards (namely 1911 Forums) that helped me discover the value of this 1911 as well as locate one for me to purchase.

COTEP!