Shooting the Precision AR brought no surprises. We tested the carbine with Black Hills 77-grain match, Engel Ballistic Research 55-grain frangible and Wolf 62-grain FMJ. There are those that disparage Wolf ammo, but we have found it to be clean, reliable and reasonably accurate. It isn\u2019t match grade ammo, but for training and informal shooting, it is excellent. Engel Ballistic Research is a relative newcomer, but their 55-grain frangible ammo delivered the best group of the day, beating out Black Hills\u2019 77-grain Sierra Match King.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
D&L Sports CQB AR is probably the most accurate rifle of its type we have ever tested. It is also probably the best constructed in the finest tradition of individual custom rifles. For the tactical team seeking a semiautomatic AR-type rifle with excellent accuracy, the D&L Sports CQB AR is an obvious choice. Whether or not the price of admission is worth it is a matter the individual will have to decide for himself, but the D&L Sports CQB AR is about as good as it gets in terms of overall accuracy for either sporting or tactical purposes at any price. For more information, visit dlsports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"D&L Sports CQB AR 5.56mm Carbine Review","post_excerpt":"Super capable carbine boasts custom details galore!","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-14 18:44:25","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-14 23:44:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2007\/09\/01\/dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96058,"post_author":"861","post_date":"2018-08-27 11:09:55","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-27 15:09:55","post_content":"\r\n\r\nAs part of range training, we usually conduct a range safety briefing. We all know that there are four rules of gun handling<\/a>. I use \u201cgun handling\u201d versus \u201crules of the range\u201d as a method to subliminally manipulate the recipient. One is tactical and one is administrative. The tactical rules appease the administrative requirements of the range.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding that semantics are involved, my No. 1 rule of gun handling is: \u201cYou, the individual shooter, must understand the status of your weapon system.\u201d In a gunfight, the weapon does not belong only to you but also to the person you are protecting or the guy who\u2019s \u201csix\u201d you are covering. If your stuff isn\u2019t up and running, you\u2019re messing everything up for those with you. I do not like the phrase \u201call guns are always loaded.\u201d\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"105166\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\nUnderstanding the Press Check<\/h3>\r\nConducting a press check prevents two things, and both are horrible. One is that we should never hear a click<\/em> instead of a bang<\/em> during a gunfight. The other is that we should never have a negligent discharge. Both can be mitigated by knowing your weapon\u2019s status. So, do you know it? The one that is on you? The one that is by your bedside?\r\n\r\nMy rule is pretty simple: If you are wearing it, it is loaded. If you are not wearing it \u2014 meaning you don\u2019t have positive physical control of it \u2014 then it is unloaded. So, habitually, when I come home and take my weapon out of my holster, I make sure that I unload it and put that previously chambered round back into the magazine. I then lock the magazine back in place. I am not paranoid, but this gun typically travels with me from room to room as I am working at home.\r\n
Press Check: Road Rules<\/h3>\r\nI normally drive with my weapon on me, but occasionally I don\u2019t. For instance, when going to the gym, it may be on the seat next to me, in the open. Once again, no physical control, so therefore, it is unloaded.\r\n\r\nIf I get pulled over by a cop, I will pull out my driver\u2019s license and CCW permit, and with my hands on the steering wheel, let the officer know that I have a gun in the car that is locked but not loaded. It\u2019s permissible to carry openly in a vehicle in my state. Understand your state laws.\r\n\r\nDo you carry a gun in your vehicle<\/a>? I damn sure do. My other EDC (everyday car) is benign. There are tons of similar makes out there. There are no gun stickers on it (no stickers or decals of any kind, in fact), it\u2019s clean inside, and visibly, there\u2019s nothing in it worth stealing. I do not want to provoke a would-be thief.\r\n
Press Check: Saving Others<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to knowing the status of your weapon systems, you must know your personal condition.\u00a0If you can\u2019t save someone else\u2019s life, or can\u2019t keep up with your partner during a foot chase, you are screwing that guy, that kid, that loved one. That life depends on whether you can keep up to ensure they aren\u2019t getting beat up in a dark alley.\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t have to be an absolute stallion, but you should put in the effort to better yourself. Make incremental gains every day. The math is simple. Ask yourself, \u201cIf I cloned myself yesterday, can I kick my clone\u2019s butt tomorrow?\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019m not paranoid, but I am also not going to get caught with my pants down when I could have done something to prevent it. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. When we do, we get experience, and experience is something we get shortly after we need it.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the July\/August 2018 issue of Combat Handguns magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"Press Check: Why Knowing Your Gun's Condition and Your Own Is Critical","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"firearm-press-check","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/27\/firearm-press-check\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96362,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-07-20 10:40:13","post_date_gmt":"2018-07-20 14:40:13","post_content":"\r\n\r\nYou should have a choke or two for a hunting<\/a> shotgun, but what about a home defense shotgun? Does the tactical set need to bother with Improved Modified or Turkey choke for their black plastic boomstick?\r\n\r\nIt's actually not a bad idea. It isn't 100 percent necessary, but there's no downside to having one in your home defense shotgun.\r\n
The Hunting Analogy<\/h3>\r\nYou see, people who don't know anything about shotguns think and say things indicating that spread is desirable at close range. It's actually not. In point of fact, you only want a little bit of spread to your patterns with a hunting shotgun, let alone a home defense gun.\r\n\r\nHuh?\r\n\r\nOkay, to explain something to the non-hunters among us: While some spread is good, too much is not. Birds are one of the few game animals that you're better off shooting in the head. The classic shot on a turkey, for instance, is put your bead on the wattle rather than over the head or covering the chest cavity.\r\n\r\nWhy? Partly because the brain guarantees a quick, clean kill. Also, the breasts are most of the meat you get off a bird. Since those are the prime cuts, you don't necessarily want to shoot the vital organs if you can help it.\r\n\r\nGranted, drums and thighs are only disdained by people who don't know what the heck they're doing in a kitchen. Learn how to braise, people!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, since a turkey's head is only about the size of a fist, you want most of your shot in a rather tight pattern. That way, there's a greater chance that a pellet will strike the brain or upper spine and a lesser chance you'll lose a tooth to a No. 5 peppercorn in the breast meat.\r\n\r\nThis is why the extended turkey choke is a thing, which puts 75 percent of a shell's pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.\r\n
Your Home Defense Shotgun<\/h3>\r\nHow does this relate to home defense?\r\n\r\nWell, human vitals aren't that big either. The chest is about the size of a watermelon, with some big bones covering the sensitive bits.\r\n\r\nThe heart, however, is the size of an apple. The lungs are bigger, of course, but only the top of the lungs are in the chest cavity; they extend into the abdomen. The tops of the lungs are about the size of two apples on either size of the heart.\r\n\r\nThe brain is about the size of a grapefruit, but the really sensitive parts \u2014 namely the midbrain, the pons, the medulla and basilar artery \u2014 are about the size of a banana.\r\n\r\nTo guarantee a hit on something that matters, you actually want your shot in a concentrated area. A little bit of spread is good, sure, but not too terribly much.\r\n\r\nLong guns are better man-stoppers than handguns, this is true. Are they a guarantee of lethality or a one-shot stop? Hardly at all. Read, for instance, the accounts of the NYPD's stakeout squad from the 1970s; there were observed instances of suspects absorbing multiple rounds of buckshot at close range (inside a room) and not going down.\r\n\r\nAs you might have guessed, this also means that a shotgun must be used accurately in order to be effective.\r\n
Do I Need a Choke?<\/h3>\r\nShot that is placed precisely is more likely to stop an attacker than used in a \"spray and pray\" fashion.\r\n\r\nGranted, spread will be minimal with buckshot in the home. In that instance, a choke isn't strictly speaking necessary. However, a Modified or Improved Modified choke (basically the best all arounders with a medium constriction) will hardly hurt. If you decide to hit the dove field or turkey woods, it'll come in handy there too.\r\n\r\nFor those intending on having a scattergun in their trunk as a car gun, a choke is actually desirable as you want a tighter pattern for all the reasons mentioned above. Since the backup shotgun is going to be used to engage a hostile target at longer distances, a Full or Turkey choke would be recommended.\r\n\r\nSo, do you need a choke in your home defense shotgun? Not especially, no ... but it's not a bad idea if you do.\r\n
About the Author<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"Does Your Home Defense Shotgun Need a Choke?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-defense-shotgun-choke-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:14","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/07\/20\/home-defense-shotgun-choke-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96830,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-05-25 09:00:46","post_date_gmt":"2018-05-25 13:00:46","post_content":"Home invasions are unpredictable in a variety of ways, that's why they're so terrifying.\n\n[in_content post=\"92308\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nSome people have ideas about being John Wick, that if home invasions occur they will spring into action and tactically shoot many bad men in a tactical fashion. They will be well-dressed, wearing black of course, and execute several helicopter kicks while shooting bad guys.\n\nNo. You won't.\n\nYou have no idea how you'll actually handle it. Some people are somewhat cool and collected, while other people panic.\n\nWhat do real-life accounts actually tell us? Well, let's go over a few.\n
Home Invasions: The Twain Thomas Incident<\/h3>\nTwain Thomas, of Pocatello, Idaho, went on a rampage in Feb. 2014. He entered several apartments in the complex he lived in, according to the Idaho State Journal<\/em>. After upstairs neighbor James Cvengros saw glass flying from a window Thomas had broken, he started filming on a video camera.\n\nAfter hearing the commotion from a downstairs apartment that Thomas was trying to enter, you can see in the video that Cvengros locks the door. He fumbles at the locks, practically shaking.\n\nAs Thomas starts to kick in the door, he gives him a verbal warning at the top of his voice to stop. When it became clear the warning wasn't getting through, he shoots Thomas three times.\n\nListen to Cvengros in the video; he isn't angry, or grimly set to the task of defending himself and dispensing bromides worthy of Clint Eastwood. Cvengros sounds like he's almost close to crying after it happens, exasperated at being put in that position. He settles down after it's clear that Thomas isn't a threat anymore, even reconciling the action with the man who just beat down his door and came at him and his girlfriend with a machete.\n\nReports state Thomas had kicked Cvengros' door in several months prior as well, leading Cvengros to buy the firearm.\n\nThomas had severe mental disturbances, possibly as a result of past traumas that induced him to his crimes. He survived the three shots to the chest and is now serving five to 10 years for attempted second-degree murder, among other crimes.\n
Home Invasions: The Cynthia Bulk 911 Call<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zbdqyw9sASU\n\nCynthia Bulk's Phoenix, Ariz., home was invaded in May of 2014 by one Michael Lewis.\n\nBulk, according to AZcentral<\/a>, was taught how to shoot by her late husband and kept a .38 Special in the home. When she heard Lewis trying to get in her home via both doors, she called 911 and asked for police to be sent to her home. The dispatcher kept her on the line while police were en route.\n\nEventually, Lewis gained access to the home and a brief struggle ensued as he began assaulting her. Bulk fired a single shot, which caused Lewis to drop. He spent a month in hospital recovering. He later received a one-year sentence in prison and several years probation.\n\nBulk's terror is palpable. She doesn't shoot until Lewis is right on top of her, hitting her with a gardening tool.\n\nLewis has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug abuse, according to reports. Bulk, as of Sept. 2014, was having a hard time. Traumatized by the incident, she found it impossible to return to work.\n
Home Invasions: The Sarah McKinley Incident<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RrGbGTrhCRo\n\nSome may remember the incident involving one Sarah McKinley, which occurred in late 2011\/early 2012 in Blanchard, Okla.\n\nMcKinley, then 18 years old, was at home with her 3-month-old infant on New Year's Eve, only a few days after her husband had died of cancer. Two men \u2014 one Justin Martin and one Dustin Stewart \u2014 tried breaking into her home.\n\nThe two men knew of McKinley's circumstances and, according to reports, were believed to have targeted the home to steal pain medication prescribed to McKinley's deceased spouse.\n\nMcKinley was on the phone with dispatchers for more than 10 minutes, awaiting first responders. She gave the baby a bottle, and armed herself with a shotgun<\/a> and a pistol<\/a>. The dispatcher told McKinley she couldn't advise her to shoot in defense of herself, but to do what she had to in order to defend herself and her baby.\n\nWhen Martin and Stewart entered the home, she fired. Martin died at the scene. Stewart was initially charged with felony murder \u2014 if anyone dies during the commission of the crime, any person committing that crime can be charged with the death even if unarmed at the time \u2014 but later pled guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, according to KOCO<\/a>.\n\n[in_content post=\"95654\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n\nStewart received 10 years, but authorities suspended the sentence as they believed he wasn't a danger to society. He was, however, placed on probation.\n\nMcKinley, incidentally, approved of the deal, as she just wanted to move on with her life.\n
Lessons From These Home Invasions<\/h3>\nThere are thousands of reports of home invasions out there; these are just three. A bit of time spent on Google can show you all kinds of things. That said, let us take a few things from these incidents.\n\nPeople act differently under stress. You probably don't know how you will act until the moment of truth. All three were emotionally distraught, to some degree, after doing so. Action heroes are only in the movies. In real life we are more complicated and certainly fragile.\n\nThe two that called 911 pleaded for authorities to arrive. In both cases, they didn't until it was all over. You cannot depend on police in these instances, unless you live next door to the police station.\n\nIn the aftermath, the man in the first example was actually able to reason with his attacker after shooting him, confirming he was justified in doing so.\n\nThe second victim was emotionally traumatized by her attacker.\n\nThe toughest of the three was an 18-year old girl from the sticks. She was logical and collected in the 911 call. She didn't even object to one of the burglars being given what many would deem a slap on the wrist.\n\nIn all instances, the actual events during which the shooting occurred were brief. The build-up, while the attacker attempted to gain access or was otherwise known to be nearby, was much longer. It's almost like a predator circling prey \u2014 the kill itself takes seconds, but the stalk takes some time.\n\nAll three only shot after a \"trigger\" of sorts; there was clearly an \"if, then\" decision made. Only after the intruder entered a certain proximity to the victim did they shoot. However, all three decided that if that person crossed a particular line, they would.\n\nAnother takeaway, therefore, is that the will to act if necessary is a component in defending yourself.\n\nAbout the author:\u00a0Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"3 Intense Examples of Why Home Invasions Are Not Like the Movies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-invasions-movies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/05\/25\/home-invasions-movies\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":17},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
![\"dlsports6.gif\"](\"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/dlsports6.gif\")
Shooting Impressions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shooting the Precision AR brought no surprises. We tested the carbine with Black Hills 77-grain match, Engel Ballistic Research 55-grain frangible and Wolf 62-grain FMJ. There are those that disparage Wolf ammo, but we have found it to be clean, reliable and reasonably accurate. It isn\u2019t match grade ammo, but for training and informal shooting, it is excellent. Engel Ballistic Research is a relative newcomer, but their 55-grain frangible ammo delivered the best group of the day, beating out Black Hills\u2019 77-grain Sierra Match King.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
D&L Sports CQB AR is probably the most accurate rifle of its type we have ever tested. It is also probably the best constructed in the finest tradition of individual custom rifles. For the tactical team seeking a semiautomatic AR-type rifle with excellent accuracy, the D&L Sports CQB AR is an obvious choice. Whether or not the price of admission is worth it is a matter the individual will have to decide for himself, but the D&L Sports CQB AR is about as good as it gets in terms of overall accuracy for either sporting or tactical purposes at any price. For more information, visit dlsports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"D&L Sports CQB AR 5.56mm Carbine Review","post_excerpt":"Super capable carbine boasts custom details galore!","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-14 18:44:25","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-14 23:44:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2007\/09\/01\/dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96058,"post_author":"861","post_date":"2018-08-27 11:09:55","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-27 15:09:55","post_content":"\r\n\r\nAs part of range training, we usually conduct a range safety briefing. We all know that there are four rules of gun handling<\/a>. I use \u201cgun handling\u201d versus \u201crules of the range\u201d as a method to subliminally manipulate the recipient. One is tactical and one is administrative. The tactical rules appease the administrative requirements of the range.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding that semantics are involved, my No. 1 rule of gun handling is: \u201cYou, the individual shooter, must understand the status of your weapon system.\u201d In a gunfight, the weapon does not belong only to you but also to the person you are protecting or the guy who\u2019s \u201csix\u201d you are covering. If your stuff isn\u2019t up and running, you\u2019re messing everything up for those with you. I do not like the phrase \u201call guns are always loaded.\u201d\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"105166\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n Lauck solved the AR magazine problem in several ways. First, he designed a completely new aluminum follower that absolutely will not nosedive or allow \u201cbolt over cartridge base\u201d failures to feed. The follower also has what Lauck designates \u201cfilter tracks,\u201d which allow dirt and dust to pass by the follower. In addition, Lauck redesigned the magazine base by locking it firmly into position using screws to retain the heavy-duty aluminum floorplate that doubles as a \u201cpull ring\u201d for withdrawing the magazine from a pouch and retaining it while reloading. It also can be used to pull the magazine from the carbine if it fails to fall free when the release is pressed. Lauck completely redesigned the 20-round magazine by incorporating a slight curve into the design in addition to the features we have already discussed. There have been earlier curved 20-round magazines, but none has all the features of Lauck\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D&L Sports CQB AR is probably the most accurate rifle of its type we have ever tested. It is also probably the best constructed in the finest tradition of individual custom rifles. For the tactical team seeking a semiautomatic AR-type rifle with excellent accuracy, the D&L Sports CQB AR is an obvious choice. Whether or not the price of admission is worth it is a matter the individual will have to decide for himself, but the D&L Sports CQB AR is about as good as it gets in terms of overall accuracy for either sporting or tactical purposes at any price. For more information, visit dlsports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"D&L Sports CQB AR 5.56mm Carbine Review","post_excerpt":"Super capable carbine boasts custom details galore!","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-14 18:44:25","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-14 23:44:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2007\/09\/01\/dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96058,"post_author":"861","post_date":"2018-08-27 11:09:55","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-27 15:09:55","post_content":"\r\n\r\nAs part of range training, we usually conduct a range safety briefing. We all know that there are four rules of gun handling<\/a>. I use \u201cgun handling\u201d versus \u201crules of the range\u201d as a method to subliminally manipulate the recipient. One is tactical and one is administrative. The tactical rules appease the administrative requirements of the range.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding that semantics are involved, my No. 1 rule of gun handling is: \u201cYou, the individual shooter, must understand the status of your weapon system.\u201d In a gunfight, the weapon does not belong only to you but also to the person you are protecting or the guy who\u2019s \u201csix\u201d you are covering. If your stuff isn\u2019t up and running, you\u2019re messing everything up for those with you. I do not like the phrase \u201call guns are always loaded.\u201d\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"105166\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n Dave Lauck even designs his own 20- and 30-round magazines. Original magazines have always been problematic in terms of reliability, especially given that they were originally designed to be used only once and then discarded. Needless to say, the military considered this to be wasteful and so magazines were retained and reused, causing feeding issues. During the Vietnam unpleasantness and afterwards, we loaded only 18 rounds into 20-round magazines, and 28 rounds into the 30-rounders to enhance reliability and feeding. The green followers with a longer front bearing surface to prevent \u201cnosedives\u201d and enhance feeding was only partially successful and prudent shooters continue to load 28 rounds into MILSPEC 30-round magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lauck solved the AR magazine problem in several ways. First, he designed a completely new aluminum follower that absolutely will not nosedive or allow \u201cbolt over cartridge base\u201d failures to feed. The follower also has what Lauck designates \u201cfilter tracks,\u201d which allow dirt and dust to pass by the follower. In addition, Lauck redesigned the magazine base by locking it firmly into position using screws to retain the heavy-duty aluminum floorplate that doubles as a \u201cpull ring\u201d for withdrawing the magazine from a pouch and retaining it while reloading. It also can be used to pull the magazine from the carbine if it fails to fall free when the release is pressed. Lauck completely redesigned the 20-round magazine by incorporating a slight curve into the design in addition to the features we have already discussed. There have been earlier curved 20-round magazines, but none has all the features of Lauck\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D&L Sports CQB AR is probably the most accurate rifle of its type we have ever tested. It is also probably the best constructed in the finest tradition of individual custom rifles. For the tactical team seeking a semiautomatic AR-type rifle with excellent accuracy, the D&L Sports CQB AR is an obvious choice. Whether or not the price of admission is worth it is a matter the individual will have to decide for himself, but the D&L Sports CQB AR is about as good as it gets in terms of overall accuracy for either sporting or tactical purposes at any price. For more information, visit dlsports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"D&L Sports CQB AR 5.56mm Carbine Review","post_excerpt":"Super capable carbine boasts custom details galore!","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-14 18:44:25","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-14 23:44:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2007\/09\/01\/dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96058,"post_author":"861","post_date":"2018-08-27 11:09:55","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-27 15:09:55","post_content":"\r\n\r\nAs part of range training, we usually conduct a range safety briefing. We all know that there are four rules of gun handling<\/a>. I use \u201cgun handling\u201d versus \u201crules of the range\u201d as a method to subliminally manipulate the recipient. One is tactical and one is administrative. The tactical rules appease the administrative requirements of the range.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding that semantics are involved, my No. 1 rule of gun handling is: \u201cYou, the individual shooter, must understand the status of your weapon system.\u201d In a gunfight, the weapon does not belong only to you but also to the person you are protecting or the guy who\u2019s \u201csix\u201d you are covering. If your stuff isn\u2019t up and running, you\u2019re messing everything up for those with you. I do not like the phrase \u201call guns are always loaded.\u201d\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"105166\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n Dave Lauck even designs his own 20- and 30-round magazines. Original magazines have always been problematic in terms of reliability, especially given that they were originally designed to be used only once and then discarded. Needless to say, the military considered this to be wasteful and so magazines were retained and reused, causing feeding issues. During the Vietnam unpleasantness and afterwards, we loaded only 18 rounds into 20-round magazines, and 28 rounds into the 30-rounders to enhance reliability and feeding. The green followers with a longer front bearing surface to prevent \u201cnosedives\u201d and enhance feeding was only partially successful and prudent shooters continue to load 28 rounds into MILSPEC 30-round magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lauck solved the AR magazine problem in several ways. First, he designed a completely new aluminum follower that absolutely will not nosedive or allow \u201cbolt over cartridge base\u201d failures to feed. The follower also has what Lauck designates \u201cfilter tracks,\u201d which allow dirt and dust to pass by the follower. In addition, Lauck redesigned the magazine base by locking it firmly into position using screws to retain the heavy-duty aluminum floorplate that doubles as a \u201cpull ring\u201d for withdrawing the magazine from a pouch and retaining it while reloading. It also can be used to pull the magazine from the carbine if it fails to fall free when the release is pressed. Lauck completely redesigned the 20-round magazine by incorporating a slight curve into the design in addition to the features we have already discussed. There have been earlier curved 20-round magazines, but none has all the features of Lauck\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D&L Sports CQB AR is probably the most accurate rifle of its type we have ever tested. It is also probably the best constructed in the finest tradition of individual custom rifles. For the tactical team seeking a semiautomatic AR-type rifle with excellent accuracy, the D&L Sports CQB AR is an obvious choice. Whether or not the price of admission is worth it is a matter the individual will have to decide for himself, but the D&L Sports CQB AR is about as good as it gets in terms of overall accuracy for either sporting or tactical purposes at any price. For more information, visit dlsports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"D&L Sports CQB AR 5.56mm Carbine Review","post_excerpt":"Super capable carbine boasts custom details galore!","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-14 18:44:25","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-14 23:44:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2007\/09\/01\/dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96058,"post_author":"861","post_date":"2018-08-27 11:09:55","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-27 15:09:55","post_content":"\r\n\r\nAs part of range training, we usually conduct a range safety briefing. We all know that there are four rules of gun handling<\/a>. I use \u201cgun handling\u201d versus \u201crules of the range\u201d as a method to subliminally manipulate the recipient. One is tactical and one is administrative. The tactical rules appease the administrative requirements of the range.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding that semantics are involved, my No. 1 rule of gun handling is: \u201cYou, the individual shooter, must understand the status of your weapon system.\u201d In a gunfight, the weapon does not belong only to you but also to the person you are protecting or the guy who\u2019s \u201csix\u201d you are covering. If your stuff isn\u2019t up and running, you\u2019re messing everything up for those with you. I do not like the phrase \u201call guns are always loaded.\u201d\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"105166\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n D&L\u2019s barrel is a Krieger, heavy contour stainless, 16 inches in length with Lauck\u2019s proprietary integral muzzle brake. This brake is a nine-port design with six side ports and three ports on top. There are no bottom ports because this reduces dust signature when shooting from prone or from a foxhole, while at the same time minimizing muzzle rise, thereby enhancing rapid-fire accuracy. Although felt recoil from any 5.56mm carbine is low, Lauck\u2019s design effectively reduces felt recoil to practically nil. Another barrel note is that Lauck chambers his barrels to 5.56mm NATO dimensions. Space prevents details, but the bottom line is that .223 ammunition can be fired from rifles chambered to 5.56mm dimensions, but not the opposite because .223 chamber dimensions are slightly less than those of 5.56mm, resulting in potentially dangerous chamber pressures if a 5.56mm cartridge is fired from a .223 dimensioned chamber<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dave Lauck even designs his own 20- and 30-round magazines. Original magazines have always been problematic in terms of reliability, especially given that they were originally designed to be used only once and then discarded. Needless to say, the military considered this to be wasteful and so magazines were retained and reused, causing feeding issues. During the Vietnam unpleasantness and afterwards, we loaded only 18 rounds into 20-round magazines, and 28 rounds into the 30-rounders to enhance reliability and feeding. The green followers with a longer front bearing surface to prevent \u201cnosedives\u201d and enhance feeding was only partially successful and prudent shooters continue to load 28 rounds into MILSPEC 30-round magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lauck solved the AR magazine problem in several ways. First, he designed a completely new aluminum follower that absolutely will not nosedive or allow \u201cbolt over cartridge base\u201d failures to feed. The follower also has what Lauck designates \u201cfilter tracks,\u201d which allow dirt and dust to pass by the follower. In addition, Lauck redesigned the magazine base by locking it firmly into position using screws to retain the heavy-duty aluminum floorplate that doubles as a \u201cpull ring\u201d for withdrawing the magazine from a pouch and retaining it while reloading. It also can be used to pull the magazine from the carbine if it fails to fall free when the release is pressed. Lauck completely redesigned the 20-round magazine by incorporating a slight curve into the design in addition to the features we have already discussed. There have been earlier curved 20-round magazines, but none has all the features of Lauck\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D&L Sports CQB AR is probably the most accurate rifle of its type we have ever tested. It is also probably the best constructed in the finest tradition of individual custom rifles. For the tactical team seeking a semiautomatic AR-type rifle with excellent accuracy, the D&L Sports CQB AR is an obvious choice. Whether or not the price of admission is worth it is a matter the individual will have to decide for himself, but the D&L Sports CQB AR is about as good as it gets in terms of overall accuracy for either sporting or tactical purposes at any price. For more information, visit dlsports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"D&L Sports CQB AR 5.56mm Carbine Review","post_excerpt":"Super capable carbine boasts custom details galore!","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-14 18:44:25","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-14 23:44:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2007\/09\/01\/dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96058,"post_author":"861","post_date":"2018-08-27 11:09:55","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-27 15:09:55","post_content":"\r\n\r\nAs part of range training, we usually conduct a range safety briefing. We all know that there are four rules of gun handling<\/a>. I use \u201cgun handling\u201d versus \u201crules of the range\u201d as a method to subliminally manipulate the recipient. One is tactical and one is administrative. The tactical rules appease the administrative requirements of the range.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding that semantics are involved, my No. 1 rule of gun handling is: \u201cYou, the individual shooter, must understand the status of your weapon system.\u201d In a gunfight, the weapon does not belong only to you but also to the person you are protecting or the guy who\u2019s \u201csix\u201d you are covering. If your stuff isn\u2019t up and running, you\u2019re messing everything up for those with you. I do not like the phrase \u201call guns are always loaded.\u201d\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"105166\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n D&L\u2019s barrel is a Krieger, heavy contour stainless, 16 inches in length with Lauck\u2019s proprietary integral muzzle brake. This brake is a nine-port design with six side ports and three ports on top. There are no bottom ports because this reduces dust signature when shooting from prone or from a foxhole, while at the same time minimizing muzzle rise, thereby enhancing rapid-fire accuracy. Although felt recoil from any 5.56mm carbine is low, Lauck\u2019s design effectively reduces felt recoil to practically nil. Another barrel note is that Lauck chambers his barrels to 5.56mm NATO dimensions. Space prevents details, but the bottom line is that .223 ammunition can be fired from rifles chambered to 5.56mm dimensions, but not the opposite because .223 chamber dimensions are slightly less than those of 5.56mm, resulting in potentially dangerous chamber pressures if a 5.56mm cartridge is fired from a .223 dimensioned chamber<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dave Lauck even designs his own 20- and 30-round magazines. Original magazines have always been problematic in terms of reliability, especially given that they were originally designed to be used only once and then discarded. Needless to say, the military considered this to be wasteful and so magazines were retained and reused, causing feeding issues. During the Vietnam unpleasantness and afterwards, we loaded only 18 rounds into 20-round magazines, and 28 rounds into the 30-rounders to enhance reliability and feeding. The green followers with a longer front bearing surface to prevent \u201cnosedives\u201d and enhance feeding was only partially successful and prudent shooters continue to load 28 rounds into MILSPEC 30-round magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lauck solved the AR magazine problem in several ways. First, he designed a completely new aluminum follower that absolutely will not nosedive or allow \u201cbolt over cartridge base\u201d failures to feed. The follower also has what Lauck designates \u201cfilter tracks,\u201d which allow dirt and dust to pass by the follower. In addition, Lauck redesigned the magazine base by locking it firmly into position using screws to retain the heavy-duty aluminum floorplate that doubles as a \u201cpull ring\u201d for withdrawing the magazine from a pouch and retaining it while reloading. It also can be used to pull the magazine from the carbine if it fails to fall free when the release is pressed. Lauck completely redesigned the 20-round magazine by incorporating a slight curve into the design in addition to the features we have already discussed. There have been earlier curved 20-round magazines, but none has all the features of Lauck\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D&L Sports CQB AR is probably the most accurate rifle of its type we have ever tested. It is also probably the best constructed in the finest tradition of individual custom rifles. For the tactical team seeking a semiautomatic AR-type rifle with excellent accuracy, the D&L Sports CQB AR is an obvious choice. Whether or not the price of admission is worth it is a matter the individual will have to decide for himself, but the D&L Sports CQB AR is about as good as it gets in terms of overall accuracy for either sporting or tactical purposes at any price. For more information, visit dlsports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"D&L Sports CQB AR 5.56mm Carbine Review","post_excerpt":"Super capable carbine boasts custom details galore!","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-14 18:44:25","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-14 23:44:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2007\/09\/01\/dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96058,"post_author":"861","post_date":"2018-08-27 11:09:55","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-27 15:09:55","post_content":"\r\n\r\nAs part of range training, we usually conduct a range safety briefing. We all know that there are four rules of gun handling<\/a>. I use \u201cgun handling\u201d versus \u201crules of the range\u201d as a method to subliminally manipulate the recipient. One is tactical and one is administrative. The tactical rules appease the administrative requirements of the range.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding that semantics are involved, my No. 1 rule of gun handling is: \u201cYou, the individual shooter, must understand the status of your weapon system.\u201d In a gunfight, the weapon does not belong only to you but also to the person you are protecting or the guy who\u2019s \u201csix\u201d you are covering. If your stuff isn\u2019t up and running, you\u2019re messing everything up for those with you. I do not like the phrase \u201call guns are always loaded.\u201d\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"105166\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n D&L CQB carbine upper and lower receivers are fitted with no discernable \u201cplay.\u201d The lower receiver is forged 7075-T6 aluminum, while the upper is 6066-T6. The trigger is a single-stage unit with absolutely no creep or backlash and breaks like snapping a glass rod at just under 4 pounds, although the trigger feels as if it were lighter. We were actually surprised when we measured the average pull weight. Lauck\u2019s selector switch is yet another enhancement. The switch has been lengthened and widened slightly to facilitate high-speed operation, even with gloved hands. The switch is available in both right- and left-handed versions. Another improvement is Lauck\u2019s anti-walk trigger and hammer pins, which like much else on this carbine, differ from any others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D&L\u2019s barrel is a Krieger, heavy contour stainless, 16 inches in length with Lauck\u2019s proprietary integral muzzle brake. This brake is a nine-port design with six side ports and three ports on top. There are no bottom ports because this reduces dust signature when shooting from prone or from a foxhole, while at the same time minimizing muzzle rise, thereby enhancing rapid-fire accuracy. Although felt recoil from any 5.56mm carbine is low, Lauck\u2019s design effectively reduces felt recoil to practically nil. Another barrel note is that Lauck chambers his barrels to 5.56mm NATO dimensions. Space prevents details, but the bottom line is that .223 ammunition can be fired from rifles chambered to 5.56mm dimensions, but not the opposite because .223 chamber dimensions are slightly less than those of 5.56mm, resulting in potentially dangerous chamber pressures if a 5.56mm cartridge is fired from a .223 dimensioned chamber<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dave Lauck even designs his own 20- and 30-round magazines. Original magazines have always been problematic in terms of reliability, especially given that they were originally designed to be used only once and then discarded. Needless to say, the military considered this to be wasteful and so magazines were retained and reused, causing feeding issues. During the Vietnam unpleasantness and afterwards, we loaded only 18 rounds into 20-round magazines, and 28 rounds into the 30-rounders to enhance reliability and feeding. The green followers with a longer front bearing surface to prevent \u201cnosedives\u201d and enhance feeding was only partially successful and prudent shooters continue to load 28 rounds into MILSPEC 30-round magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lauck solved the AR magazine problem in several ways. First, he designed a completely new aluminum follower that absolutely will not nosedive or allow \u201cbolt over cartridge base\u201d failures to feed. The follower also has what Lauck designates \u201cfilter tracks,\u201d which allow dirt and dust to pass by the follower. In addition, Lauck redesigned the magazine base by locking it firmly into position using screws to retain the heavy-duty aluminum floorplate that doubles as a \u201cpull ring\u201d for withdrawing the magazine from a pouch and retaining it while reloading. It also can be used to pull the magazine from the carbine if it fails to fall free when the release is pressed. Lauck completely redesigned the 20-round magazine by incorporating a slight curve into the design in addition to the features we have already discussed. There have been earlier curved 20-round magazines, but none has all the features of Lauck\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D&L Sports CQB AR is probably the most accurate rifle of its type we have ever tested. It is also probably the best constructed in the finest tradition of individual custom rifles. For the tactical team seeking a semiautomatic AR-type rifle with excellent accuracy, the D&L Sports CQB AR is an obvious choice. Whether or not the price of admission is worth it is a matter the individual will have to decide for himself, but the D&L Sports CQB AR is about as good as it gets in terms of overall accuracy for either sporting or tactical purposes at any price. For more information, visit dlsports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"D&L Sports CQB AR 5.56mm Carbine Review","post_excerpt":"Super capable carbine boasts custom details galore!","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-14 18:44:25","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-14 23:44:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2007\/09\/01\/dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96058,"post_author":"861","post_date":"2018-08-27 11:09:55","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-27 15:09:55","post_content":"\r\n\r\nAs part of range training, we usually conduct a range safety briefing. We all know that there are four rules of gun handling<\/a>. I use \u201cgun handling\u201d versus \u201crules of the range\u201d as a method to subliminally manipulate the recipient. One is tactical and one is administrative. The tactical rules appease the administrative requirements of the range.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding that semantics are involved, my No. 1 rule of gun handling is: \u201cYou, the individual shooter, must understand the status of your weapon system.\u201d In a gunfight, the weapon does not belong only to you but also to the person you are protecting or the guy who\u2019s \u201csix\u201d you are covering. If your stuff isn\u2019t up and running, you\u2019re messing everything up for those with you. I do not like the phrase \u201call guns are always loaded.\u201d\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"105166\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n D&L CQB carbine upper and lower receivers are fitted with no discernable \u201cplay.\u201d The lower receiver is forged 7075-T6 aluminum, while the upper is 6066-T6. The trigger is a single-stage unit with absolutely no creep or backlash and breaks like snapping a glass rod at just under 4 pounds, although the trigger feels as if it were lighter. We were actually surprised when we measured the average pull weight. Lauck\u2019s selector switch is yet another enhancement. The switch has been lengthened and widened slightly to facilitate high-speed operation, even with gloved hands. The switch is available in both right- and left-handed versions. Another improvement is Lauck\u2019s anti-walk trigger and hammer pins, which like much else on this carbine, differ from any others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D&L\u2019s barrel is a Krieger, heavy contour stainless, 16 inches in length with Lauck\u2019s proprietary integral muzzle brake. This brake is a nine-port design with six side ports and three ports on top. There are no bottom ports because this reduces dust signature when shooting from prone or from a foxhole, while at the same time minimizing muzzle rise, thereby enhancing rapid-fire accuracy. Although felt recoil from any 5.56mm carbine is low, Lauck\u2019s design effectively reduces felt recoil to practically nil. Another barrel note is that Lauck chambers his barrels to 5.56mm NATO dimensions. Space prevents details, but the bottom line is that .223 ammunition can be fired from rifles chambered to 5.56mm dimensions, but not the opposite because .223 chamber dimensions are slightly less than those of 5.56mm, resulting in potentially dangerous chamber pressures if a 5.56mm cartridge is fired from a .223 dimensioned chamber<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dave Lauck even designs his own 20- and 30-round magazines. Original magazines have always been problematic in terms of reliability, especially given that they were originally designed to be used only once and then discarded. Needless to say, the military considered this to be wasteful and so magazines were retained and reused, causing feeding issues. During the Vietnam unpleasantness and afterwards, we loaded only 18 rounds into 20-round magazines, and 28 rounds into the 30-rounders to enhance reliability and feeding. The green followers with a longer front bearing surface to prevent \u201cnosedives\u201d and enhance feeding was only partially successful and prudent shooters continue to load 28 rounds into MILSPEC 30-round magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lauck solved the AR magazine problem in several ways. First, he designed a completely new aluminum follower that absolutely will not nosedive or allow \u201cbolt over cartridge base\u201d failures to feed. The follower also has what Lauck designates \u201cfilter tracks,\u201d which allow dirt and dust to pass by the follower. In addition, Lauck redesigned the magazine base by locking it firmly into position using screws to retain the heavy-duty aluminum floorplate that doubles as a \u201cpull ring\u201d for withdrawing the magazine from a pouch and retaining it while reloading. It also can be used to pull the magazine from the carbine if it fails to fall free when the release is pressed. Lauck completely redesigned the 20-round magazine by incorporating a slight curve into the design in addition to the features we have already discussed. There have been earlier curved 20-round magazines, but none has all the features of Lauck\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D&L Sports CQB AR is probably the most accurate rifle of its type we have ever tested. It is also probably the best constructed in the finest tradition of individual custom rifles. For the tactical team seeking a semiautomatic AR-type rifle with excellent accuracy, the D&L Sports CQB AR is an obvious choice. Whether or not the price of admission is worth it is a matter the individual will have to decide for himself, but the D&L Sports CQB AR is about as good as it gets in terms of overall accuracy for either sporting or tactical purposes at any price. For more information, visit dlsports.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","post_title":"D&L Sports CQB AR 5.56mm Carbine Review","post_excerpt":"Super capable carbine boasts custom details galore!","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-14 18:44:25","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-14 23:44:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2007\/09\/01\/dl-sports-cqb-ar-556mm-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96058,"post_author":"861","post_date":"2018-08-27 11:09:55","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-27 15:09:55","post_content":"\r\n\r\nAs part of range training, we usually conduct a range safety briefing. We all know that there are four rules of gun handling<\/a>. I use \u201cgun handling\u201d versus \u201crules of the range\u201d as a method to subliminally manipulate the recipient. One is tactical and one is administrative. The tactical rules appease the administrative requirements of the range.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding that semantics are involved, my No. 1 rule of gun handling is: \u201cYou, the individual shooter, must understand the status of your weapon system.\u201d In a gunfight, the weapon does not belong only to you but also to the person you are protecting or the guy who\u2019s \u201csix\u201d you are covering. If your stuff isn\u2019t up and running, you\u2019re messing everything up for those with you. I do not like the phrase \u201call guns are always loaded.\u201d\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"105166\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\nUnderstanding the Press Check<\/h3>\r\nConducting a press check prevents two things, and both are horrible. One is that we should never hear a click<\/em> instead of a bang<\/em> during a gunfight. The other is that we should never have a negligent discharge. Both can be mitigated by knowing your weapon\u2019s status. So, do you know it? The one that is on you? The one that is by your bedside?\r\n\r\nMy rule is pretty simple: If you are wearing it, it is loaded. If you are not wearing it \u2014 meaning you don\u2019t have positive physical control of it \u2014 then it is unloaded. So, habitually, when I come home and take my weapon out of my holster, I make sure that I unload it and put that previously chambered round back into the magazine. I then lock the magazine back in place. I am not paranoid, but this gun typically travels with me from room to room as I am working at home.\r\n
Press Check: Road Rules<\/h3>\r\nI normally drive with my weapon on me, but occasionally I don\u2019t. For instance, when going to the gym, it may be on the seat next to me, in the open. Once again, no physical control, so therefore, it is unloaded.\r\n\r\nIf I get pulled over by a cop, I will pull out my driver\u2019s license and CCW permit, and with my hands on the steering wheel, let the officer know that I have a gun in the car that is locked but not loaded. It\u2019s permissible to carry openly in a vehicle in my state. Understand your state laws.\r\n\r\nDo you carry a gun in your vehicle<\/a>? I damn sure do. My other EDC (everyday car) is benign. There are tons of similar makes out there. There are no gun stickers on it (no stickers or decals of any kind, in fact), it\u2019s clean inside, and visibly, there\u2019s nothing in it worth stealing. I do not want to provoke a would-be thief.\r\n
Press Check: Saving Others<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to knowing the status of your weapon systems, you must know your personal condition.\u00a0If you can\u2019t save someone else\u2019s life, or can\u2019t keep up with your partner during a foot chase, you are screwing that guy, that kid, that loved one. That life depends on whether you can keep up to ensure they aren\u2019t getting beat up in a dark alley.\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t have to be an absolute stallion, but you should put in the effort to better yourself. Make incremental gains every day. The math is simple. Ask yourself, \u201cIf I cloned myself yesterday, can I kick my clone\u2019s butt tomorrow?\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019m not paranoid, but I am also not going to get caught with my pants down when I could have done something to prevent it. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. When we do, we get experience, and experience is something we get shortly after we need it.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the July\/August 2018 issue of Combat Handguns magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"Press Check: Why Knowing Your Gun's Condition and Your Own Is Critical","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"firearm-press-check","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/27\/firearm-press-check\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96362,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-07-20 10:40:13","post_date_gmt":"2018-07-20 14:40:13","post_content":"\r\n\r\nYou should have a choke or two for a hunting<\/a> shotgun, but what about a home defense shotgun? Does the tactical set need to bother with Improved Modified or Turkey choke for their black plastic boomstick?\r\n\r\nIt's actually not a bad idea. It isn't 100 percent necessary, but there's no downside to having one in your home defense shotgun.\r\n
The Hunting Analogy<\/h3>\r\nYou see, people who don't know anything about shotguns think and say things indicating that spread is desirable at close range. It's actually not. In point of fact, you only want a little bit of spread to your patterns with a hunting shotgun, let alone a home defense gun.\r\n\r\nHuh?\r\n\r\nOkay, to explain something to the non-hunters among us: While some spread is good, too much is not. Birds are one of the few game animals that you're better off shooting in the head. The classic shot on a turkey, for instance, is put your bead on the wattle rather than over the head or covering the chest cavity.\r\n\r\nWhy? Partly because the brain guarantees a quick, clean kill. Also, the breasts are most of the meat you get off a bird. Since those are the prime cuts, you don't necessarily want to shoot the vital organs if you can help it.\r\n\r\nGranted, drums and thighs are only disdained by people who don't know what the heck they're doing in a kitchen. Learn how to braise, people!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, since a turkey's head is only about the size of a fist, you want most of your shot in a rather tight pattern. That way, there's a greater chance that a pellet will strike the brain or upper spine and a lesser chance you'll lose a tooth to a No. 5 peppercorn in the breast meat.\r\n\r\nThis is why the extended turkey choke is a thing, which puts 75 percent of a shell's pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.\r\n
Your Home Defense Shotgun<\/h3>\r\nHow does this relate to home defense?\r\n\r\nWell, human vitals aren't that big either. The chest is about the size of a watermelon, with some big bones covering the sensitive bits.\r\n\r\nThe heart, however, is the size of an apple. The lungs are bigger, of course, but only the top of the lungs are in the chest cavity; they extend into the abdomen. The tops of the lungs are about the size of two apples on either size of the heart.\r\n\r\nThe brain is about the size of a grapefruit, but the really sensitive parts \u2014 namely the midbrain, the pons, the medulla and basilar artery \u2014 are about the size of a banana.\r\n\r\nTo guarantee a hit on something that matters, you actually want your shot in a concentrated area. A little bit of spread is good, sure, but not too terribly much.\r\n\r\nLong guns are better man-stoppers than handguns, this is true. Are they a guarantee of lethality or a one-shot stop? Hardly at all. Read, for instance, the accounts of the NYPD's stakeout squad from the 1970s; there were observed instances of suspects absorbing multiple rounds of buckshot at close range (inside a room) and not going down.\r\n\r\nAs you might have guessed, this also means that a shotgun must be used accurately in order to be effective.\r\n
Do I Need a Choke?<\/h3>\r\nShot that is placed precisely is more likely to stop an attacker than used in a \"spray and pray\" fashion.\r\n\r\nGranted, spread will be minimal with buckshot in the home. In that instance, a choke isn't strictly speaking necessary. However, a Modified or Improved Modified choke (basically the best all arounders with a medium constriction) will hardly hurt. If you decide to hit the dove field or turkey woods, it'll come in handy there too.\r\n\r\nFor those intending on having a scattergun in their trunk as a car gun, a choke is actually desirable as you want a tighter pattern for all the reasons mentioned above. Since the backup shotgun is going to be used to engage a hostile target at longer distances, a Full or Turkey choke would be recommended.\r\n\r\nSo, do you need a choke in your home defense shotgun? Not especially, no ... but it's not a bad idea if you do.\r\n
About the Author<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"Does Your Home Defense Shotgun Need a Choke?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-defense-shotgun-choke-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:14","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/07\/20\/home-defense-shotgun-choke-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96830,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-05-25 09:00:46","post_date_gmt":"2018-05-25 13:00:46","post_content":"Home invasions are unpredictable in a variety of ways, that's why they're so terrifying.\n\n[in_content post=\"92308\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nSome people have ideas about being John Wick, that if home invasions occur they will spring into action and tactically shoot many bad men in a tactical fashion. They will be well-dressed, wearing black of course, and execute several helicopter kicks while shooting bad guys.\n\nNo. You won't.\n\nYou have no idea how you'll actually handle it. Some people are somewhat cool and collected, while other people panic.\n\nWhat do real-life accounts actually tell us? Well, let's go over a few.\n
Home Invasions: The Twain Thomas Incident<\/h3>\nTwain Thomas, of Pocatello, Idaho, went on a rampage in Feb. 2014. He entered several apartments in the complex he lived in, according to the Idaho State Journal<\/em>. After upstairs neighbor James Cvengros saw glass flying from a window Thomas had broken, he started filming on a video camera.\n\nAfter hearing the commotion from a downstairs apartment that Thomas was trying to enter, you can see in the video that Cvengros locks the door. He fumbles at the locks, practically shaking.\n\nAs Thomas starts to kick in the door, he gives him a verbal warning at the top of his voice to stop. When it became clear the warning wasn't getting through, he shoots Thomas three times.\n\nListen to Cvengros in the video; he isn't angry, or grimly set to the task of defending himself and dispensing bromides worthy of Clint Eastwood. Cvengros sounds like he's almost close to crying after it happens, exasperated at being put in that position. He settles down after it's clear that Thomas isn't a threat anymore, even reconciling the action with the man who just beat down his door and came at him and his girlfriend with a machete.\n\nReports state Thomas had kicked Cvengros' door in several months prior as well, leading Cvengros to buy the firearm.\n\nThomas had severe mental disturbances, possibly as a result of past traumas that induced him to his crimes. He survived the three shots to the chest and is now serving five to 10 years for attempted second-degree murder, among other crimes.\n
Home Invasions: The Cynthia Bulk 911 Call<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zbdqyw9sASU\n\nCynthia Bulk's Phoenix, Ariz., home was invaded in May of 2014 by one Michael Lewis.\n\nBulk, according to AZcentral<\/a>, was taught how to shoot by her late husband and kept a .38 Special in the home. When she heard Lewis trying to get in her home via both doors, she called 911 and asked for police to be sent to her home. The dispatcher kept her on the line while police were en route.\n\nEventually, Lewis gained access to the home and a brief struggle ensued as he began assaulting her. Bulk fired a single shot, which caused Lewis to drop. He spent a month in hospital recovering. He later received a one-year sentence in prison and several years probation.\n\nBulk's terror is palpable. She doesn't shoot until Lewis is right on top of her, hitting her with a gardening tool.\n\nLewis has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug abuse, according to reports. Bulk, as of Sept. 2014, was having a hard time. Traumatized by the incident, she found it impossible to return to work.\n
Home Invasions: The Sarah McKinley Incident<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RrGbGTrhCRo\n\nSome may remember the incident involving one Sarah McKinley, which occurred in late 2011\/early 2012 in Blanchard, Okla.\n\nMcKinley, then 18 years old, was at home with her 3-month-old infant on New Year's Eve, only a few days after her husband had died of cancer. Two men \u2014 one Justin Martin and one Dustin Stewart \u2014 tried breaking into her home.\n\nThe two men knew of McKinley's circumstances and, according to reports, were believed to have targeted the home to steal pain medication prescribed to McKinley's deceased spouse.\n\nMcKinley was on the phone with dispatchers for more than 10 minutes, awaiting first responders. She gave the baby a bottle, and armed herself with a shotgun<\/a> and a pistol<\/a>. The dispatcher told McKinley she couldn't advise her to shoot in defense of herself, but to do what she had to in order to defend herself and her baby.\n\nWhen Martin and Stewart entered the home, she fired. Martin died at the scene. Stewart was initially charged with felony murder \u2014 if anyone dies during the commission of the crime, any person committing that crime can be charged with the death even if unarmed at the time \u2014 but later pled guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, according to KOCO<\/a>.\n\n[in_content post=\"95654\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n\nStewart received 10 years, but authorities suspended the sentence as they believed he wasn't a danger to society. He was, however, placed on probation.\n\nMcKinley, incidentally, approved of the deal, as she just wanted to move on with her life.\n
Lessons From These Home Invasions<\/h3>\nThere are thousands of reports of home invasions out there; these are just three. A bit of time spent on Google can show you all kinds of things. That said, let us take a few things from these incidents.\n\nPeople act differently under stress. You probably don't know how you will act until the moment of truth. All three were emotionally distraught, to some degree, after doing so. Action heroes are only in the movies. In real life we are more complicated and certainly fragile.\n\nThe two that called 911 pleaded for authorities to arrive. In both cases, they didn't until it was all over. You cannot depend on police in these instances, unless you live next door to the police station.\n\nIn the aftermath, the man in the first example was actually able to reason with his attacker after shooting him, confirming he was justified in doing so.\n\nThe second victim was emotionally traumatized by her attacker.\n\nThe toughest of the three was an 18-year old girl from the sticks. She was logical and collected in the 911 call. She didn't even object to one of the burglars being given what many would deem a slap on the wrist.\n\nIn all instances, the actual events during which the shooting occurred were brief. The build-up, while the attacker attempted to gain access or was otherwise known to be nearby, was much longer. It's almost like a predator circling prey \u2014 the kill itself takes seconds, but the stalk takes some time.\n\nAll three only shot after a \"trigger\" of sorts; there was clearly an \"if, then\" decision made. Only after the intruder entered a certain proximity to the victim did they shoot. However, all three decided that if that person crossed a particular line, they would.\n\nAnother takeaway, therefore, is that the will to act if necessary is a component in defending yourself.\n\nAbout the author:\u00a0Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"3 Intense Examples of Why Home Invasions Are Not Like the Movies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-invasions-movies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/05\/25\/home-invasions-movies\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":17},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
Shooting Impressions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shooting the Precision AR brought no surprises. We tested the carbine with Black Hills 77-grain match, Engel Ballistic Research 55-grain frangible and Wolf 62-grain FMJ. There are those that disparage Wolf ammo, but we have found it to be clean, reliable and reasonably accurate. It isn\u2019t match grade ammo, but for training and informal shooting, it is excellent. Engel Ballistic Research is a relative newcomer, but their 55-grain frangible ammo delivered the best group of the day, beating out Black Hills\u2019 77-grain Sierra Match King.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstanding the Press Check<\/h3>\r\nConducting a press check prevents two things, and both are horrible. One is that we should never hear a click<\/em> instead of a bang<\/em> during a gunfight. The other is that we should never have a negligent discharge. Both can be mitigated by knowing your weapon\u2019s status. So, do you know it? The one that is on you? The one that is by your bedside?\r\n\r\nMy rule is pretty simple: If you are wearing it, it is loaded. If you are not wearing it \u2014 meaning you don\u2019t have positive physical control of it \u2014 then it is unloaded. So, habitually, when I come home and take my weapon out of my holster, I make sure that I unload it and put that previously chambered round back into the magazine. I then lock the magazine back in place. I am not paranoid, but this gun typically travels with me from room to room as I am working at home.\r\n
Press Check: Road Rules<\/h3>\r\nI normally drive with my weapon on me, but occasionally I don\u2019t. For instance, when going to the gym, it may be on the seat next to me, in the open. Once again, no physical control, so therefore, it is unloaded.\r\n\r\nIf I get pulled over by a cop, I will pull out my driver\u2019s license and CCW permit, and with my hands on the steering wheel, let the officer know that I have a gun in the car that is locked but not loaded. It\u2019s permissible to carry openly in a vehicle in my state. Understand your state laws.\r\n\r\nDo you carry a gun in your vehicle<\/a>? I damn sure do. My other EDC (everyday car) is benign. There are tons of similar makes out there. There are no gun stickers on it (no stickers or decals of any kind, in fact), it\u2019s clean inside, and visibly, there\u2019s nothing in it worth stealing. I do not want to provoke a would-be thief.\r\n
Press Check: Saving Others<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to knowing the status of your weapon systems, you must know your personal condition.\u00a0If you can\u2019t save someone else\u2019s life, or can\u2019t keep up with your partner during a foot chase, you are screwing that guy, that kid, that loved one. That life depends on whether you can keep up to ensure they aren\u2019t getting beat up in a dark alley.\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t have to be an absolute stallion, but you should put in the effort to better yourself. Make incremental gains every day. The math is simple. Ask yourself, \u201cIf I cloned myself yesterday, can I kick my clone\u2019s butt tomorrow?\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019m not paranoid, but I am also not going to get caught with my pants down when I could have done something to prevent it. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. When we do, we get experience, and experience is something we get shortly after we need it.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the July\/August 2018 issue of Combat Handguns magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"Press Check: Why Knowing Your Gun's Condition and Your Own Is Critical","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"firearm-press-check","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/27\/firearm-press-check\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96362,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-07-20 10:40:13","post_date_gmt":"2018-07-20 14:40:13","post_content":"\r\n\r\nYou should have a choke or two for a hunting<\/a> shotgun, but what about a home defense shotgun? Does the tactical set need to bother with Improved Modified or Turkey choke for their black plastic boomstick?\r\n\r\nIt's actually not a bad idea. It isn't 100 percent necessary, but there's no downside to having one in your home defense shotgun.\r\n
The Hunting Analogy<\/h3>\r\nYou see, people who don't know anything about shotguns think and say things indicating that spread is desirable at close range. It's actually not. In point of fact, you only want a little bit of spread to your patterns with a hunting shotgun, let alone a home defense gun.\r\n\r\nHuh?\r\n\r\nOkay, to explain something to the non-hunters among us: While some spread is good, too much is not. Birds are one of the few game animals that you're better off shooting in the head. The classic shot on a turkey, for instance, is put your bead on the wattle rather than over the head or covering the chest cavity.\r\n\r\nWhy? Partly because the brain guarantees a quick, clean kill. Also, the breasts are most of the meat you get off a bird. Since those are the prime cuts, you don't necessarily want to shoot the vital organs if you can help it.\r\n\r\nGranted, drums and thighs are only disdained by people who don't know what the heck they're doing in a kitchen. Learn how to braise, people!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, since a turkey's head is only about the size of a fist, you want most of your shot in a rather tight pattern. That way, there's a greater chance that a pellet will strike the brain or upper spine and a lesser chance you'll lose a tooth to a No. 5 peppercorn in the breast meat.\r\n\r\nThis is why the extended turkey choke is a thing, which puts 75 percent of a shell's pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.\r\n
Your Home Defense Shotgun<\/h3>\r\nHow does this relate to home defense?\r\n\r\nWell, human vitals aren't that big either. The chest is about the size of a watermelon, with some big bones covering the sensitive bits.\r\n\r\nThe heart, however, is the size of an apple. The lungs are bigger, of course, but only the top of the lungs are in the chest cavity; they extend into the abdomen. The tops of the lungs are about the size of two apples on either size of the heart.\r\n\r\nThe brain is about the size of a grapefruit, but the really sensitive parts \u2014 namely the midbrain, the pons, the medulla and basilar artery \u2014 are about the size of a banana.\r\n\r\nTo guarantee a hit on something that matters, you actually want your shot in a concentrated area. A little bit of spread is good, sure, but not too terribly much.\r\n\r\nLong guns are better man-stoppers than handguns, this is true. Are they a guarantee of lethality or a one-shot stop? Hardly at all. Read, for instance, the accounts of the NYPD's stakeout squad from the 1970s; there were observed instances of suspects absorbing multiple rounds of buckshot at close range (inside a room) and not going down.\r\n\r\nAs you might have guessed, this also means that a shotgun must be used accurately in order to be effective.\r\n
Do I Need a Choke?<\/h3>\r\nShot that is placed precisely is more likely to stop an attacker than used in a \"spray and pray\" fashion.\r\n\r\nGranted, spread will be minimal with buckshot in the home. In that instance, a choke isn't strictly speaking necessary. However, a Modified or Improved Modified choke (basically the best all arounders with a medium constriction) will hardly hurt. If you decide to hit the dove field or turkey woods, it'll come in handy there too.\r\n\r\nFor those intending on having a scattergun in their trunk as a car gun, a choke is actually desirable as you want a tighter pattern for all the reasons mentioned above. Since the backup shotgun is going to be used to engage a hostile target at longer distances, a Full or Turkey choke would be recommended.\r\n\r\nSo, do you need a choke in your home defense shotgun? Not especially, no ... but it's not a bad idea if you do.\r\n
About the Author<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"Does Your Home Defense Shotgun Need a Choke?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-defense-shotgun-choke-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:14","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/07\/20\/home-defense-shotgun-choke-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96830,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-05-25 09:00:46","post_date_gmt":"2018-05-25 13:00:46","post_content":"Home invasions are unpredictable in a variety of ways, that's why they're so terrifying.\n\n[in_content post=\"92308\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nSome people have ideas about being John Wick, that if home invasions occur they will spring into action and tactically shoot many bad men in a tactical fashion. They will be well-dressed, wearing black of course, and execute several helicopter kicks while shooting bad guys.\n\nNo. You won't.\n\nYou have no idea how you'll actually handle it. Some people are somewhat cool and collected, while other people panic.\n\nWhat do real-life accounts actually tell us? Well, let's go over a few.\n
Home Invasions: The Twain Thomas Incident<\/h3>\nTwain Thomas, of Pocatello, Idaho, went on a rampage in Feb. 2014. He entered several apartments in the complex he lived in, according to the Idaho State Journal<\/em>. After upstairs neighbor James Cvengros saw glass flying from a window Thomas had broken, he started filming on a video camera.\n\nAfter hearing the commotion from a downstairs apartment that Thomas was trying to enter, you can see in the video that Cvengros locks the door. He fumbles at the locks, practically shaking.\n\nAs Thomas starts to kick in the door, he gives him a verbal warning at the top of his voice to stop. When it became clear the warning wasn't getting through, he shoots Thomas three times.\n\nListen to Cvengros in the video; he isn't angry, or grimly set to the task of defending himself and dispensing bromides worthy of Clint Eastwood. Cvengros sounds like he's almost close to crying after it happens, exasperated at being put in that position. He settles down after it's clear that Thomas isn't a threat anymore, even reconciling the action with the man who just beat down his door and came at him and his girlfriend with a machete.\n\nReports state Thomas had kicked Cvengros' door in several months prior as well, leading Cvengros to buy the firearm.\n\nThomas had severe mental disturbances, possibly as a result of past traumas that induced him to his crimes. He survived the three shots to the chest and is now serving five to 10 years for attempted second-degree murder, among other crimes.\n
Home Invasions: The Cynthia Bulk 911 Call<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zbdqyw9sASU\n\nCynthia Bulk's Phoenix, Ariz., home was invaded in May of 2014 by one Michael Lewis.\n\nBulk, according to AZcentral<\/a>, was taught how to shoot by her late husband and kept a .38 Special in the home. When she heard Lewis trying to get in her home via both doors, she called 911 and asked for police to be sent to her home. The dispatcher kept her on the line while police were en route.\n\nEventually, Lewis gained access to the home and a brief struggle ensued as he began assaulting her. Bulk fired a single shot, which caused Lewis to drop. He spent a month in hospital recovering. He later received a one-year sentence in prison and several years probation.\n\nBulk's terror is palpable. She doesn't shoot until Lewis is right on top of her, hitting her with a gardening tool.\n\nLewis has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug abuse, according to reports. Bulk, as of Sept. 2014, was having a hard time. Traumatized by the incident, she found it impossible to return to work.\n
Home Invasions: The Sarah McKinley Incident<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RrGbGTrhCRo\n\nSome may remember the incident involving one Sarah McKinley, which occurred in late 2011\/early 2012 in Blanchard, Okla.\n\nMcKinley, then 18 years old, was at home with her 3-month-old infant on New Year's Eve, only a few days after her husband had died of cancer. Two men \u2014 one Justin Martin and one Dustin Stewart \u2014 tried breaking into her home.\n\nThe two men knew of McKinley's circumstances and, according to reports, were believed to have targeted the home to steal pain medication prescribed to McKinley's deceased spouse.\n\nMcKinley was on the phone with dispatchers for more than 10 minutes, awaiting first responders. She gave the baby a bottle, and armed herself with a shotgun<\/a> and a pistol<\/a>. The dispatcher told McKinley she couldn't advise her to shoot in defense of herself, but to do what she had to in order to defend herself and her baby.\n\nWhen Martin and Stewart entered the home, she fired. Martin died at the scene. Stewart was initially charged with felony murder \u2014 if anyone dies during the commission of the crime, any person committing that crime can be charged with the death even if unarmed at the time \u2014 but later pled guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, according to KOCO<\/a>.\n\n[in_content post=\"95654\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n\nStewart received 10 years, but authorities suspended the sentence as they believed he wasn't a danger to society. He was, however, placed on probation.\n\nMcKinley, incidentally, approved of the deal, as she just wanted to move on with her life.\n
Lessons From These Home Invasions<\/h3>\nThere are thousands of reports of home invasions out there; these are just three. A bit of time spent on Google can show you all kinds of things. That said, let us take a few things from these incidents.\n\nPeople act differently under stress. You probably don't know how you will act until the moment of truth. All three were emotionally distraught, to some degree, after doing so. Action heroes are only in the movies. In real life we are more complicated and certainly fragile.\n\nThe two that called 911 pleaded for authorities to arrive. In both cases, they didn't until it was all over. You cannot depend on police in these instances, unless you live next door to the police station.\n\nIn the aftermath, the man in the first example was actually able to reason with his attacker after shooting him, confirming he was justified in doing so.\n\nThe second victim was emotionally traumatized by her attacker.\n\nThe toughest of the three was an 18-year old girl from the sticks. She was logical and collected in the 911 call. She didn't even object to one of the burglars being given what many would deem a slap on the wrist.\n\nIn all instances, the actual events during which the shooting occurred were brief. The build-up, while the attacker attempted to gain access or was otherwise known to be nearby, was much longer. It's almost like a predator circling prey \u2014 the kill itself takes seconds, but the stalk takes some time.\n\nAll three only shot after a \"trigger\" of sorts; there was clearly an \"if, then\" decision made. Only after the intruder entered a certain proximity to the victim did they shoot. However, all three decided that if that person crossed a particular line, they would.\n\nAnother takeaway, therefore, is that the will to act if necessary is a component in defending yourself.\n\nAbout the author:\u00a0Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"3 Intense Examples of Why Home Invasions Are Not Like the Movies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-invasions-movies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/05\/25\/home-invasions-movies\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":17},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
Shooting Impressions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shooting the Precision AR brought no surprises. We tested the carbine with Black Hills 77-grain match, Engel Ballistic Research 55-grain frangible and Wolf 62-grain FMJ. There are those that disparage Wolf ammo, but we have found it to be clean, reliable and reasonably accurate. It isn\u2019t match grade ammo, but for training and informal shooting, it is excellent. Engel Ballistic Research is a relative newcomer, but their 55-grain frangible ammo delivered the best group of the day, beating out Black Hills\u2019 77-grain Sierra Match King.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstanding the Press Check<\/h3>\r\nConducting a press check prevents two things, and both are horrible. One is that we should never hear a click<\/em> instead of a bang<\/em> during a gunfight. The other is that we should never have a negligent discharge. Both can be mitigated by knowing your weapon\u2019s status. So, do you know it? The one that is on you? The one that is by your bedside?\r\n\r\nMy rule is pretty simple: If you are wearing it, it is loaded. If you are not wearing it \u2014 meaning you don\u2019t have positive physical control of it \u2014 then it is unloaded. So, habitually, when I come home and take my weapon out of my holster, I make sure that I unload it and put that previously chambered round back into the magazine. I then lock the magazine back in place. I am not paranoid, but this gun typically travels with me from room to room as I am working at home.\r\n
Press Check: Road Rules<\/h3>\r\nI normally drive with my weapon on me, but occasionally I don\u2019t. For instance, when going to the gym, it may be on the seat next to me, in the open. Once again, no physical control, so therefore, it is unloaded.\r\n\r\nIf I get pulled over by a cop, I will pull out my driver\u2019s license and CCW permit, and with my hands on the steering wheel, let the officer know that I have a gun in the car that is locked but not loaded. It\u2019s permissible to carry openly in a vehicle in my state. Understand your state laws.\r\n\r\nDo you carry a gun in your vehicle<\/a>? I damn sure do. My other EDC (everyday car) is benign. There are tons of similar makes out there. There are no gun stickers on it (no stickers or decals of any kind, in fact), it\u2019s clean inside, and visibly, there\u2019s nothing in it worth stealing. I do not want to provoke a would-be thief.\r\n
Press Check: Saving Others<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to knowing the status of your weapon systems, you must know your personal condition.\u00a0If you can\u2019t save someone else\u2019s life, or can\u2019t keep up with your partner during a foot chase, you are screwing that guy, that kid, that loved one. That life depends on whether you can keep up to ensure they aren\u2019t getting beat up in a dark alley.\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t have to be an absolute stallion, but you should put in the effort to better yourself. Make incremental gains every day. The math is simple. Ask yourself, \u201cIf I cloned myself yesterday, can I kick my clone\u2019s butt tomorrow?\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019m not paranoid, but I am also not going to get caught with my pants down when I could have done something to prevent it. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. When we do, we get experience, and experience is something we get shortly after we need it.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the July\/August 2018 issue of Combat Handguns magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"Press Check: Why Knowing Your Gun's Condition and Your Own Is Critical","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"firearm-press-check","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/27\/firearm-press-check\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96362,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-07-20 10:40:13","post_date_gmt":"2018-07-20 14:40:13","post_content":"\r\n\r\nYou should have a choke or two for a hunting<\/a> shotgun, but what about a home defense shotgun? Does the tactical set need to bother with Improved Modified or Turkey choke for their black plastic boomstick?\r\n\r\nIt's actually not a bad idea. It isn't 100 percent necessary, but there's no downside to having one in your home defense shotgun.\r\n
The Hunting Analogy<\/h3>\r\nYou see, people who don't know anything about shotguns think and say things indicating that spread is desirable at close range. It's actually not. In point of fact, you only want a little bit of spread to your patterns with a hunting shotgun, let alone a home defense gun.\r\n\r\nHuh?\r\n\r\nOkay, to explain something to the non-hunters among us: While some spread is good, too much is not. Birds are one of the few game animals that you're better off shooting in the head. The classic shot on a turkey, for instance, is put your bead on the wattle rather than over the head or covering the chest cavity.\r\n\r\nWhy? Partly because the brain guarantees a quick, clean kill. Also, the breasts are most of the meat you get off a bird. Since those are the prime cuts, you don't necessarily want to shoot the vital organs if you can help it.\r\n\r\nGranted, drums and thighs are only disdained by people who don't know what the heck they're doing in a kitchen. Learn how to braise, people!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, since a turkey's head is only about the size of a fist, you want most of your shot in a rather tight pattern. That way, there's a greater chance that a pellet will strike the brain or upper spine and a lesser chance you'll lose a tooth to a No. 5 peppercorn in the breast meat.\r\n\r\nThis is why the extended turkey choke is a thing, which puts 75 percent of a shell's pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.\r\n
Your Home Defense Shotgun<\/h3>\r\nHow does this relate to home defense?\r\n\r\nWell, human vitals aren't that big either. The chest is about the size of a watermelon, with some big bones covering the sensitive bits.\r\n\r\nThe heart, however, is the size of an apple. The lungs are bigger, of course, but only the top of the lungs are in the chest cavity; they extend into the abdomen. The tops of the lungs are about the size of two apples on either size of the heart.\r\n\r\nThe brain is about the size of a grapefruit, but the really sensitive parts \u2014 namely the midbrain, the pons, the medulla and basilar artery \u2014 are about the size of a banana.\r\n\r\nTo guarantee a hit on something that matters, you actually want your shot in a concentrated area. A little bit of spread is good, sure, but not too terribly much.\r\n\r\nLong guns are better man-stoppers than handguns, this is true. Are they a guarantee of lethality or a one-shot stop? Hardly at all. Read, for instance, the accounts of the NYPD's stakeout squad from the 1970s; there were observed instances of suspects absorbing multiple rounds of buckshot at close range (inside a room) and not going down.\r\n\r\nAs you might have guessed, this also means that a shotgun must be used accurately in order to be effective.\r\n
Do I Need a Choke?<\/h3>\r\nShot that is placed precisely is more likely to stop an attacker than used in a \"spray and pray\" fashion.\r\n\r\nGranted, spread will be minimal with buckshot in the home. In that instance, a choke isn't strictly speaking necessary. However, a Modified or Improved Modified choke (basically the best all arounders with a medium constriction) will hardly hurt. If you decide to hit the dove field or turkey woods, it'll come in handy there too.\r\n\r\nFor those intending on having a scattergun in their trunk as a car gun, a choke is actually desirable as you want a tighter pattern for all the reasons mentioned above. Since the backup shotgun is going to be used to engage a hostile target at longer distances, a Full or Turkey choke would be recommended.\r\n\r\nSo, do you need a choke in your home defense shotgun? Not especially, no ... but it's not a bad idea if you do.\r\n
About the Author<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"Does Your Home Defense Shotgun Need a Choke?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-defense-shotgun-choke-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:14","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/07\/20\/home-defense-shotgun-choke-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96830,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-05-25 09:00:46","post_date_gmt":"2018-05-25 13:00:46","post_content":"Home invasions are unpredictable in a variety of ways, that's why they're so terrifying.\n\n[in_content post=\"92308\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nSome people have ideas about being John Wick, that if home invasions occur they will spring into action and tactically shoot many bad men in a tactical fashion. They will be well-dressed, wearing black of course, and execute several helicopter kicks while shooting bad guys.\n\nNo. You won't.\n\nYou have no idea how you'll actually handle it. Some people are somewhat cool and collected, while other people panic.\n\nWhat do real-life accounts actually tell us? Well, let's go over a few.\n
Home Invasions: The Twain Thomas Incident<\/h3>\nTwain Thomas, of Pocatello, Idaho, went on a rampage in Feb. 2014. He entered several apartments in the complex he lived in, according to the Idaho State Journal<\/em>. After upstairs neighbor James Cvengros saw glass flying from a window Thomas had broken, he started filming on a video camera.\n\nAfter hearing the commotion from a downstairs apartment that Thomas was trying to enter, you can see in the video that Cvengros locks the door. He fumbles at the locks, practically shaking.\n\nAs Thomas starts to kick in the door, he gives him a verbal warning at the top of his voice to stop. When it became clear the warning wasn't getting through, he shoots Thomas three times.\n\nListen to Cvengros in the video; he isn't angry, or grimly set to the task of defending himself and dispensing bromides worthy of Clint Eastwood. Cvengros sounds like he's almost close to crying after it happens, exasperated at being put in that position. He settles down after it's clear that Thomas isn't a threat anymore, even reconciling the action with the man who just beat down his door and came at him and his girlfriend with a machete.\n\nReports state Thomas had kicked Cvengros' door in several months prior as well, leading Cvengros to buy the firearm.\n\nThomas had severe mental disturbances, possibly as a result of past traumas that induced him to his crimes. He survived the three shots to the chest and is now serving five to 10 years for attempted second-degree murder, among other crimes.\n
Home Invasions: The Cynthia Bulk 911 Call<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zbdqyw9sASU\n\nCynthia Bulk's Phoenix, Ariz., home was invaded in May of 2014 by one Michael Lewis.\n\nBulk, according to AZcentral<\/a>, was taught how to shoot by her late husband and kept a .38 Special in the home. When she heard Lewis trying to get in her home via both doors, she called 911 and asked for police to be sent to her home. The dispatcher kept her on the line while police were en route.\n\nEventually, Lewis gained access to the home and a brief struggle ensued as he began assaulting her. Bulk fired a single shot, which caused Lewis to drop. He spent a month in hospital recovering. He later received a one-year sentence in prison and several years probation.\n\nBulk's terror is palpable. She doesn't shoot until Lewis is right on top of her, hitting her with a gardening tool.\n\nLewis has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug abuse, according to reports. Bulk, as of Sept. 2014, was having a hard time. Traumatized by the incident, she found it impossible to return to work.\n
Home Invasions: The Sarah McKinley Incident<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RrGbGTrhCRo\n\nSome may remember the incident involving one Sarah McKinley, which occurred in late 2011\/early 2012 in Blanchard, Okla.\n\nMcKinley, then 18 years old, was at home with her 3-month-old infant on New Year's Eve, only a few days after her husband had died of cancer. Two men \u2014 one Justin Martin and one Dustin Stewart \u2014 tried breaking into her home.\n\nThe two men knew of McKinley's circumstances and, according to reports, were believed to have targeted the home to steal pain medication prescribed to McKinley's deceased spouse.\n\nMcKinley was on the phone with dispatchers for more than 10 minutes, awaiting first responders. She gave the baby a bottle, and armed herself with a shotgun<\/a> and a pistol<\/a>. The dispatcher told McKinley she couldn't advise her to shoot in defense of herself, but to do what she had to in order to defend herself and her baby.\n\nWhen Martin and Stewart entered the home, she fired. Martin died at the scene. Stewart was initially charged with felony murder \u2014 if anyone dies during the commission of the crime, any person committing that crime can be charged with the death even if unarmed at the time \u2014 but later pled guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, according to KOCO<\/a>.\n\n[in_content post=\"95654\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n\nStewart received 10 years, but authorities suspended the sentence as they believed he wasn't a danger to society. He was, however, placed on probation.\n\nMcKinley, incidentally, approved of the deal, as she just wanted to move on with her life.\n
Lessons From These Home Invasions<\/h3>\nThere are thousands of reports of home invasions out there; these are just three. A bit of time spent on Google can show you all kinds of things. That said, let us take a few things from these incidents.\n\nPeople act differently under stress. You probably don't know how you will act until the moment of truth. All three were emotionally distraught, to some degree, after doing so. Action heroes are only in the movies. In real life we are more complicated and certainly fragile.\n\nThe two that called 911 pleaded for authorities to arrive. In both cases, they didn't until it was all over. You cannot depend on police in these instances, unless you live next door to the police station.\n\nIn the aftermath, the man in the first example was actually able to reason with his attacker after shooting him, confirming he was justified in doing so.\n\nThe second victim was emotionally traumatized by her attacker.\n\nThe toughest of the three was an 18-year old girl from the sticks. She was logical and collected in the 911 call. She didn't even object to one of the burglars being given what many would deem a slap on the wrist.\n\nIn all instances, the actual events during which the shooting occurred were brief. The build-up, while the attacker attempted to gain access or was otherwise known to be nearby, was much longer. It's almost like a predator circling prey \u2014 the kill itself takes seconds, but the stalk takes some time.\n\nAll three only shot after a \"trigger\" of sorts; there was clearly an \"if, then\" decision made. Only after the intruder entered a certain proximity to the victim did they shoot. However, all three decided that if that person crossed a particular line, they would.\n\nAnother takeaway, therefore, is that the will to act if necessary is a component in defending yourself.\n\nAbout the author:\u00a0Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"3 Intense Examples of Why Home Invasions Are Not Like the Movies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-invasions-movies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/05\/25\/home-invasions-movies\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":17},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
Magazines<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Shooting Impressions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shooting the Precision AR brought no surprises. We tested the carbine with Black Hills 77-grain match, Engel Ballistic Research 55-grain frangible and Wolf 62-grain FMJ. There are those that disparage Wolf ammo, but we have found it to be clean, reliable and reasonably accurate. It isn\u2019t match grade ammo, but for training and informal shooting, it is excellent. Engel Ballistic Research is a relative newcomer, but their 55-grain frangible ammo delivered the best group of the day, beating out Black Hills\u2019 77-grain Sierra Match King.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstanding the Press Check<\/h3>\r\nConducting a press check prevents two things, and both are horrible. One is that we should never hear a click<\/em> instead of a bang<\/em> during a gunfight. The other is that we should never have a negligent discharge. Both can be mitigated by knowing your weapon\u2019s status. So, do you know it? The one that is on you? The one that is by your bedside?\r\n\r\nMy rule is pretty simple: If you are wearing it, it is loaded. If you are not wearing it \u2014 meaning you don\u2019t have positive physical control of it \u2014 then it is unloaded. So, habitually, when I come home and take my weapon out of my holster, I make sure that I unload it and put that previously chambered round back into the magazine. I then lock the magazine back in place. I am not paranoid, but this gun typically travels with me from room to room as I am working at home.\r\n
Press Check: Road Rules<\/h3>\r\nI normally drive with my weapon on me, but occasionally I don\u2019t. For instance, when going to the gym, it may be on the seat next to me, in the open. Once again, no physical control, so therefore, it is unloaded.\r\n\r\nIf I get pulled over by a cop, I will pull out my driver\u2019s license and CCW permit, and with my hands on the steering wheel, let the officer know that I have a gun in the car that is locked but not loaded. It\u2019s permissible to carry openly in a vehicle in my state. Understand your state laws.\r\n\r\nDo you carry a gun in your vehicle<\/a>? I damn sure do. My other EDC (everyday car) is benign. There are tons of similar makes out there. There are no gun stickers on it (no stickers or decals of any kind, in fact), it\u2019s clean inside, and visibly, there\u2019s nothing in it worth stealing. I do not want to provoke a would-be thief.\r\n
Press Check: Saving Others<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to knowing the status of your weapon systems, you must know your personal condition.\u00a0If you can\u2019t save someone else\u2019s life, or can\u2019t keep up with your partner during a foot chase, you are screwing that guy, that kid, that loved one. That life depends on whether you can keep up to ensure they aren\u2019t getting beat up in a dark alley.\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t have to be an absolute stallion, but you should put in the effort to better yourself. Make incremental gains every day. The math is simple. Ask yourself, \u201cIf I cloned myself yesterday, can I kick my clone\u2019s butt tomorrow?\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019m not paranoid, but I am also not going to get caught with my pants down when I could have done something to prevent it. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. When we do, we get experience, and experience is something we get shortly after we need it.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the July\/August 2018 issue of Combat Handguns magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"Press Check: Why Knowing Your Gun's Condition and Your Own Is Critical","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"firearm-press-check","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/27\/firearm-press-check\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96362,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-07-20 10:40:13","post_date_gmt":"2018-07-20 14:40:13","post_content":"\r\n\r\nYou should have a choke or two for a hunting<\/a> shotgun, but what about a home defense shotgun? Does the tactical set need to bother with Improved Modified or Turkey choke for their black plastic boomstick?\r\n\r\nIt's actually not a bad idea. It isn't 100 percent necessary, but there's no downside to having one in your home defense shotgun.\r\n
The Hunting Analogy<\/h3>\r\nYou see, people who don't know anything about shotguns think and say things indicating that spread is desirable at close range. It's actually not. In point of fact, you only want a little bit of spread to your patterns with a hunting shotgun, let alone a home defense gun.\r\n\r\nHuh?\r\n\r\nOkay, to explain something to the non-hunters among us: While some spread is good, too much is not. Birds are one of the few game animals that you're better off shooting in the head. The classic shot on a turkey, for instance, is put your bead on the wattle rather than over the head or covering the chest cavity.\r\n\r\nWhy? Partly because the brain guarantees a quick, clean kill. Also, the breasts are most of the meat you get off a bird. Since those are the prime cuts, you don't necessarily want to shoot the vital organs if you can help it.\r\n\r\nGranted, drums and thighs are only disdained by people who don't know what the heck they're doing in a kitchen. Learn how to braise, people!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, since a turkey's head is only about the size of a fist, you want most of your shot in a rather tight pattern. That way, there's a greater chance that a pellet will strike the brain or upper spine and a lesser chance you'll lose a tooth to a No. 5 peppercorn in the breast meat.\r\n\r\nThis is why the extended turkey choke is a thing, which puts 75 percent of a shell's pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.\r\n
Your Home Defense Shotgun<\/h3>\r\nHow does this relate to home defense?\r\n\r\nWell, human vitals aren't that big either. The chest is about the size of a watermelon, with some big bones covering the sensitive bits.\r\n\r\nThe heart, however, is the size of an apple. The lungs are bigger, of course, but only the top of the lungs are in the chest cavity; they extend into the abdomen. The tops of the lungs are about the size of two apples on either size of the heart.\r\n\r\nThe brain is about the size of a grapefruit, but the really sensitive parts \u2014 namely the midbrain, the pons, the medulla and basilar artery \u2014 are about the size of a banana.\r\n\r\nTo guarantee a hit on something that matters, you actually want your shot in a concentrated area. A little bit of spread is good, sure, but not too terribly much.\r\n\r\nLong guns are better man-stoppers than handguns, this is true. Are they a guarantee of lethality or a one-shot stop? Hardly at all. Read, for instance, the accounts of the NYPD's stakeout squad from the 1970s; there were observed instances of suspects absorbing multiple rounds of buckshot at close range (inside a room) and not going down.\r\n\r\nAs you might have guessed, this also means that a shotgun must be used accurately in order to be effective.\r\n
Do I Need a Choke?<\/h3>\r\nShot that is placed precisely is more likely to stop an attacker than used in a \"spray and pray\" fashion.\r\n\r\nGranted, spread will be minimal with buckshot in the home. In that instance, a choke isn't strictly speaking necessary. However, a Modified or Improved Modified choke (basically the best all arounders with a medium constriction) will hardly hurt. If you decide to hit the dove field or turkey woods, it'll come in handy there too.\r\n\r\nFor those intending on having a scattergun in their trunk as a car gun, a choke is actually desirable as you want a tighter pattern for all the reasons mentioned above. Since the backup shotgun is going to be used to engage a hostile target at longer distances, a Full or Turkey choke would be recommended.\r\n\r\nSo, do you need a choke in your home defense shotgun? Not especially, no ... but it's not a bad idea if you do.\r\n
About the Author<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"Does Your Home Defense Shotgun Need a Choke?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-defense-shotgun-choke-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:14","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/07\/20\/home-defense-shotgun-choke-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96830,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-05-25 09:00:46","post_date_gmt":"2018-05-25 13:00:46","post_content":"Home invasions are unpredictable in a variety of ways, that's why they're so terrifying.\n\n[in_content post=\"92308\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nSome people have ideas about being John Wick, that if home invasions occur they will spring into action and tactically shoot many bad men in a tactical fashion. They will be well-dressed, wearing black of course, and execute several helicopter kicks while shooting bad guys.\n\nNo. You won't.\n\nYou have no idea how you'll actually handle it. Some people are somewhat cool and collected, while other people panic.\n\nWhat do real-life accounts actually tell us? Well, let's go over a few.\n
Home Invasions: The Twain Thomas Incident<\/h3>\nTwain Thomas, of Pocatello, Idaho, went on a rampage in Feb. 2014. He entered several apartments in the complex he lived in, according to the Idaho State Journal<\/em>. After upstairs neighbor James Cvengros saw glass flying from a window Thomas had broken, he started filming on a video camera.\n\nAfter hearing the commotion from a downstairs apartment that Thomas was trying to enter, you can see in the video that Cvengros locks the door. He fumbles at the locks, practically shaking.\n\nAs Thomas starts to kick in the door, he gives him a verbal warning at the top of his voice to stop. When it became clear the warning wasn't getting through, he shoots Thomas three times.\n\nListen to Cvengros in the video; he isn't angry, or grimly set to the task of defending himself and dispensing bromides worthy of Clint Eastwood. Cvengros sounds like he's almost close to crying after it happens, exasperated at being put in that position. He settles down after it's clear that Thomas isn't a threat anymore, even reconciling the action with the man who just beat down his door and came at him and his girlfriend with a machete.\n\nReports state Thomas had kicked Cvengros' door in several months prior as well, leading Cvengros to buy the firearm.\n\nThomas had severe mental disturbances, possibly as a result of past traumas that induced him to his crimes. He survived the three shots to the chest and is now serving five to 10 years for attempted second-degree murder, among other crimes.\n
Home Invasions: The Cynthia Bulk 911 Call<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zbdqyw9sASU\n\nCynthia Bulk's Phoenix, Ariz., home was invaded in May of 2014 by one Michael Lewis.\n\nBulk, according to AZcentral<\/a>, was taught how to shoot by her late husband and kept a .38 Special in the home. When she heard Lewis trying to get in her home via both doors, she called 911 and asked for police to be sent to her home. The dispatcher kept her on the line while police were en route.\n\nEventually, Lewis gained access to the home and a brief struggle ensued as he began assaulting her. Bulk fired a single shot, which caused Lewis to drop. He spent a month in hospital recovering. He later received a one-year sentence in prison and several years probation.\n\nBulk's terror is palpable. She doesn't shoot until Lewis is right on top of her, hitting her with a gardening tool.\n\nLewis has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug abuse, according to reports. Bulk, as of Sept. 2014, was having a hard time. Traumatized by the incident, she found it impossible to return to work.\n
Home Invasions: The Sarah McKinley Incident<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RrGbGTrhCRo\n\nSome may remember the incident involving one Sarah McKinley, which occurred in late 2011\/early 2012 in Blanchard, Okla.\n\nMcKinley, then 18 years old, was at home with her 3-month-old infant on New Year's Eve, only a few days after her husband had died of cancer. Two men \u2014 one Justin Martin and one Dustin Stewart \u2014 tried breaking into her home.\n\nThe two men knew of McKinley's circumstances and, according to reports, were believed to have targeted the home to steal pain medication prescribed to McKinley's deceased spouse.\n\nMcKinley was on the phone with dispatchers for more than 10 minutes, awaiting first responders. She gave the baby a bottle, and armed herself with a shotgun<\/a> and a pistol<\/a>. The dispatcher told McKinley she couldn't advise her to shoot in defense of herself, but to do what she had to in order to defend herself and her baby.\n\nWhen Martin and Stewart entered the home, she fired. Martin died at the scene. Stewart was initially charged with felony murder \u2014 if anyone dies during the commission of the crime, any person committing that crime can be charged with the death even if unarmed at the time \u2014 but later pled guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, according to KOCO<\/a>.\n\n[in_content post=\"95654\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n\nStewart received 10 years, but authorities suspended the sentence as they believed he wasn't a danger to society. He was, however, placed on probation.\n\nMcKinley, incidentally, approved of the deal, as she just wanted to move on with her life.\n
Lessons From These Home Invasions<\/h3>\nThere are thousands of reports of home invasions out there; these are just three. A bit of time spent on Google can show you all kinds of things. That said, let us take a few things from these incidents.\n\nPeople act differently under stress. You probably don't know how you will act until the moment of truth. All three were emotionally distraught, to some degree, after doing so. Action heroes are only in the movies. In real life we are more complicated and certainly fragile.\n\nThe two that called 911 pleaded for authorities to arrive. In both cases, they didn't until it was all over. You cannot depend on police in these instances, unless you live next door to the police station.\n\nIn the aftermath, the man in the first example was actually able to reason with his attacker after shooting him, confirming he was justified in doing so.\n\nThe second victim was emotionally traumatized by her attacker.\n\nThe toughest of the three was an 18-year old girl from the sticks. She was logical and collected in the 911 call. She didn't even object to one of the burglars being given what many would deem a slap on the wrist.\n\nIn all instances, the actual events during which the shooting occurred were brief. The build-up, while the attacker attempted to gain access or was otherwise known to be nearby, was much longer. It's almost like a predator circling prey \u2014 the kill itself takes seconds, but the stalk takes some time.\n\nAll three only shot after a \"trigger\" of sorts; there was clearly an \"if, then\" decision made. Only after the intruder entered a certain proximity to the victim did they shoot. However, all three decided that if that person crossed a particular line, they would.\n\nAnother takeaway, therefore, is that the will to act if necessary is a component in defending yourself.\n\nAbout the author:\u00a0Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"3 Intense Examples of Why Home Invasions Are Not Like the Movies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-invasions-movies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/05\/25\/home-invasions-movies\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":17},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
Magazines<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Shooting Impressions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shooting the Precision AR brought no surprises. We tested the carbine with Black Hills 77-grain match, Engel Ballistic Research 55-grain frangible and Wolf 62-grain FMJ. There are those that disparage Wolf ammo, but we have found it to be clean, reliable and reasonably accurate. It isn\u2019t match grade ammo, but for training and informal shooting, it is excellent. Engel Ballistic Research is a relative newcomer, but their 55-grain frangible ammo delivered the best group of the day, beating out Black Hills\u2019 77-grain Sierra Match King.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstanding the Press Check<\/h3>\r\nConducting a press check prevents two things, and both are horrible. One is that we should never hear a click<\/em> instead of a bang<\/em> during a gunfight. The other is that we should never have a negligent discharge. Both can be mitigated by knowing your weapon\u2019s status. So, do you know it? The one that is on you? The one that is by your bedside?\r\n\r\nMy rule is pretty simple: If you are wearing it, it is loaded. If you are not wearing it \u2014 meaning you don\u2019t have positive physical control of it \u2014 then it is unloaded. So, habitually, when I come home and take my weapon out of my holster, I make sure that I unload it and put that previously chambered round back into the magazine. I then lock the magazine back in place. I am not paranoid, but this gun typically travels with me from room to room as I am working at home.\r\n
Press Check: Road Rules<\/h3>\r\nI normally drive with my weapon on me, but occasionally I don\u2019t. For instance, when going to the gym, it may be on the seat next to me, in the open. Once again, no physical control, so therefore, it is unloaded.\r\n\r\nIf I get pulled over by a cop, I will pull out my driver\u2019s license and CCW permit, and with my hands on the steering wheel, let the officer know that I have a gun in the car that is locked but not loaded. It\u2019s permissible to carry openly in a vehicle in my state. Understand your state laws.\r\n\r\nDo you carry a gun in your vehicle<\/a>? I damn sure do. My other EDC (everyday car) is benign. There are tons of similar makes out there. There are no gun stickers on it (no stickers or decals of any kind, in fact), it\u2019s clean inside, and visibly, there\u2019s nothing in it worth stealing. I do not want to provoke a would-be thief.\r\n
Press Check: Saving Others<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to knowing the status of your weapon systems, you must know your personal condition.\u00a0If you can\u2019t save someone else\u2019s life, or can\u2019t keep up with your partner during a foot chase, you are screwing that guy, that kid, that loved one. That life depends on whether you can keep up to ensure they aren\u2019t getting beat up in a dark alley.\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t have to be an absolute stallion, but you should put in the effort to better yourself. Make incremental gains every day. The math is simple. Ask yourself, \u201cIf I cloned myself yesterday, can I kick my clone\u2019s butt tomorrow?\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019m not paranoid, but I am also not going to get caught with my pants down when I could have done something to prevent it. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. When we do, we get experience, and experience is something we get shortly after we need it.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the July\/August 2018 issue of Combat Handguns magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"Press Check: Why Knowing Your Gun's Condition and Your Own Is Critical","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"firearm-press-check","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/27\/firearm-press-check\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96362,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-07-20 10:40:13","post_date_gmt":"2018-07-20 14:40:13","post_content":"\r\n\r\nYou should have a choke or two for a hunting<\/a> shotgun, but what about a home defense shotgun? Does the tactical set need to bother with Improved Modified or Turkey choke for their black plastic boomstick?\r\n\r\nIt's actually not a bad idea. It isn't 100 percent necessary, but there's no downside to having one in your home defense shotgun.\r\n
The Hunting Analogy<\/h3>\r\nYou see, people who don't know anything about shotguns think and say things indicating that spread is desirable at close range. It's actually not. In point of fact, you only want a little bit of spread to your patterns with a hunting shotgun, let alone a home defense gun.\r\n\r\nHuh?\r\n\r\nOkay, to explain something to the non-hunters among us: While some spread is good, too much is not. Birds are one of the few game animals that you're better off shooting in the head. The classic shot on a turkey, for instance, is put your bead on the wattle rather than over the head or covering the chest cavity.\r\n\r\nWhy? Partly because the brain guarantees a quick, clean kill. Also, the breasts are most of the meat you get off a bird. Since those are the prime cuts, you don't necessarily want to shoot the vital organs if you can help it.\r\n\r\nGranted, drums and thighs are only disdained by people who don't know what the heck they're doing in a kitchen. Learn how to braise, people!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, since a turkey's head is only about the size of a fist, you want most of your shot in a rather tight pattern. That way, there's a greater chance that a pellet will strike the brain or upper spine and a lesser chance you'll lose a tooth to a No. 5 peppercorn in the breast meat.\r\n\r\nThis is why the extended turkey choke is a thing, which puts 75 percent of a shell's pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.\r\n
Your Home Defense Shotgun<\/h3>\r\nHow does this relate to home defense?\r\n\r\nWell, human vitals aren't that big either. The chest is about the size of a watermelon, with some big bones covering the sensitive bits.\r\n\r\nThe heart, however, is the size of an apple. The lungs are bigger, of course, but only the top of the lungs are in the chest cavity; they extend into the abdomen. The tops of the lungs are about the size of two apples on either size of the heart.\r\n\r\nThe brain is about the size of a grapefruit, but the really sensitive parts \u2014 namely the midbrain, the pons, the medulla and basilar artery \u2014 are about the size of a banana.\r\n\r\nTo guarantee a hit on something that matters, you actually want your shot in a concentrated area. A little bit of spread is good, sure, but not too terribly much.\r\n\r\nLong guns are better man-stoppers than handguns, this is true. Are they a guarantee of lethality or a one-shot stop? Hardly at all. Read, for instance, the accounts of the NYPD's stakeout squad from the 1970s; there were observed instances of suspects absorbing multiple rounds of buckshot at close range (inside a room) and not going down.\r\n\r\nAs you might have guessed, this also means that a shotgun must be used accurately in order to be effective.\r\n
Do I Need a Choke?<\/h3>\r\nShot that is placed precisely is more likely to stop an attacker than used in a \"spray and pray\" fashion.\r\n\r\nGranted, spread will be minimal with buckshot in the home. In that instance, a choke isn't strictly speaking necessary. However, a Modified or Improved Modified choke (basically the best all arounders with a medium constriction) will hardly hurt. If you decide to hit the dove field or turkey woods, it'll come in handy there too.\r\n\r\nFor those intending on having a scattergun in their trunk as a car gun, a choke is actually desirable as you want a tighter pattern for all the reasons mentioned above. Since the backup shotgun is going to be used to engage a hostile target at longer distances, a Full or Turkey choke would be recommended.\r\n\r\nSo, do you need a choke in your home defense shotgun? Not especially, no ... but it's not a bad idea if you do.\r\n
About the Author<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"Does Your Home Defense Shotgun Need a Choke?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-defense-shotgun-choke-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:14","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/07\/20\/home-defense-shotgun-choke-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96830,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-05-25 09:00:46","post_date_gmt":"2018-05-25 13:00:46","post_content":"Home invasions are unpredictable in a variety of ways, that's why they're so terrifying.\n\n[in_content post=\"92308\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nSome people have ideas about being John Wick, that if home invasions occur they will spring into action and tactically shoot many bad men in a tactical fashion. They will be well-dressed, wearing black of course, and execute several helicopter kicks while shooting bad guys.\n\nNo. You won't.\n\nYou have no idea how you'll actually handle it. Some people are somewhat cool and collected, while other people panic.\n\nWhat do real-life accounts actually tell us? Well, let's go over a few.\n
Home Invasions: The Twain Thomas Incident<\/h3>\nTwain Thomas, of Pocatello, Idaho, went on a rampage in Feb. 2014. He entered several apartments in the complex he lived in, according to the Idaho State Journal<\/em>. After upstairs neighbor James Cvengros saw glass flying from a window Thomas had broken, he started filming on a video camera.\n\nAfter hearing the commotion from a downstairs apartment that Thomas was trying to enter, you can see in the video that Cvengros locks the door. He fumbles at the locks, practically shaking.\n\nAs Thomas starts to kick in the door, he gives him a verbal warning at the top of his voice to stop. When it became clear the warning wasn't getting through, he shoots Thomas three times.\n\nListen to Cvengros in the video; he isn't angry, or grimly set to the task of defending himself and dispensing bromides worthy of Clint Eastwood. Cvengros sounds like he's almost close to crying after it happens, exasperated at being put in that position. He settles down after it's clear that Thomas isn't a threat anymore, even reconciling the action with the man who just beat down his door and came at him and his girlfriend with a machete.\n\nReports state Thomas had kicked Cvengros' door in several months prior as well, leading Cvengros to buy the firearm.\n\nThomas had severe mental disturbances, possibly as a result of past traumas that induced him to his crimes. He survived the three shots to the chest and is now serving five to 10 years for attempted second-degree murder, among other crimes.\n
Home Invasions: The Cynthia Bulk 911 Call<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zbdqyw9sASU\n\nCynthia Bulk's Phoenix, Ariz., home was invaded in May of 2014 by one Michael Lewis.\n\nBulk, according to AZcentral<\/a>, was taught how to shoot by her late husband and kept a .38 Special in the home. When she heard Lewis trying to get in her home via both doors, she called 911 and asked for police to be sent to her home. The dispatcher kept her on the line while police were en route.\n\nEventually, Lewis gained access to the home and a brief struggle ensued as he began assaulting her. Bulk fired a single shot, which caused Lewis to drop. He spent a month in hospital recovering. He later received a one-year sentence in prison and several years probation.\n\nBulk's terror is palpable. She doesn't shoot until Lewis is right on top of her, hitting her with a gardening tool.\n\nLewis has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug abuse, according to reports. Bulk, as of Sept. 2014, was having a hard time. Traumatized by the incident, she found it impossible to return to work.\n
Home Invasions: The Sarah McKinley Incident<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RrGbGTrhCRo\n\nSome may remember the incident involving one Sarah McKinley, which occurred in late 2011\/early 2012 in Blanchard, Okla.\n\nMcKinley, then 18 years old, was at home with her 3-month-old infant on New Year's Eve, only a few days after her husband had died of cancer. Two men \u2014 one Justin Martin and one Dustin Stewart \u2014 tried breaking into her home.\n\nThe two men knew of McKinley's circumstances and, according to reports, were believed to have targeted the home to steal pain medication prescribed to McKinley's deceased spouse.\n\nMcKinley was on the phone with dispatchers for more than 10 minutes, awaiting first responders. She gave the baby a bottle, and armed herself with a shotgun<\/a> and a pistol<\/a>. The dispatcher told McKinley she couldn't advise her to shoot in defense of herself, but to do what she had to in order to defend herself and her baby.\n\nWhen Martin and Stewart entered the home, she fired. Martin died at the scene. Stewart was initially charged with felony murder \u2014 if anyone dies during the commission of the crime, any person committing that crime can be charged with the death even if unarmed at the time \u2014 but later pled guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, according to KOCO<\/a>.\n\n[in_content post=\"95654\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n\nStewart received 10 years, but authorities suspended the sentence as they believed he wasn't a danger to society. He was, however, placed on probation.\n\nMcKinley, incidentally, approved of the deal, as she just wanted to move on with her life.\n
Lessons From These Home Invasions<\/h3>\nThere are thousands of reports of home invasions out there; these are just three. A bit of time spent on Google can show you all kinds of things. That said, let us take a few things from these incidents.\n\nPeople act differently under stress. You probably don't know how you will act until the moment of truth. All three were emotionally distraught, to some degree, after doing so. Action heroes are only in the movies. In real life we are more complicated and certainly fragile.\n\nThe two that called 911 pleaded for authorities to arrive. In both cases, they didn't until it was all over. You cannot depend on police in these instances, unless you live next door to the police station.\n\nIn the aftermath, the man in the first example was actually able to reason with his attacker after shooting him, confirming he was justified in doing so.\n\nThe second victim was emotionally traumatized by her attacker.\n\nThe toughest of the three was an 18-year old girl from the sticks. She was logical and collected in the 911 call. She didn't even object to one of the burglars being given what many would deem a slap on the wrist.\n\nIn all instances, the actual events during which the shooting occurred were brief. The build-up, while the attacker attempted to gain access or was otherwise known to be nearby, was much longer. It's almost like a predator circling prey \u2014 the kill itself takes seconds, but the stalk takes some time.\n\nAll three only shot after a \"trigger\" of sorts; there was clearly an \"if, then\" decision made. Only after the intruder entered a certain proximity to the victim did they shoot. However, all three decided that if that person crossed a particular line, they would.\n\nAnother takeaway, therefore, is that the will to act if necessary is a component in defending yourself.\n\nAbout the author:\u00a0Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"3 Intense Examples of Why Home Invasions Are Not Like the Movies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-invasions-movies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/05\/25\/home-invasions-movies\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":17},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
Barrel<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Magazines<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Shooting Impressions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shooting the Precision AR brought no surprises. We tested the carbine with Black Hills 77-grain match, Engel Ballistic Research 55-grain frangible and Wolf 62-grain FMJ. There are those that disparage Wolf ammo, but we have found it to be clean, reliable and reasonably accurate. It isn\u2019t match grade ammo, but for training and informal shooting, it is excellent. Engel Ballistic Research is a relative newcomer, but their 55-grain frangible ammo delivered the best group of the day, beating out Black Hills\u2019 77-grain Sierra Match King.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstanding the Press Check<\/h3>\r\nConducting a press check prevents two things, and both are horrible. One is that we should never hear a click<\/em> instead of a bang<\/em> during a gunfight. The other is that we should never have a negligent discharge. Both can be mitigated by knowing your weapon\u2019s status. So, do you know it? The one that is on you? The one that is by your bedside?\r\n\r\nMy rule is pretty simple: If you are wearing it, it is loaded. If you are not wearing it \u2014 meaning you don\u2019t have positive physical control of it \u2014 then it is unloaded. So, habitually, when I come home and take my weapon out of my holster, I make sure that I unload it and put that previously chambered round back into the magazine. I then lock the magazine back in place. I am not paranoid, but this gun typically travels with me from room to room as I am working at home.\r\n
Press Check: Road Rules<\/h3>\r\nI normally drive with my weapon on me, but occasionally I don\u2019t. For instance, when going to the gym, it may be on the seat next to me, in the open. Once again, no physical control, so therefore, it is unloaded.\r\n\r\nIf I get pulled over by a cop, I will pull out my driver\u2019s license and CCW permit, and with my hands on the steering wheel, let the officer know that I have a gun in the car that is locked but not loaded. It\u2019s permissible to carry openly in a vehicle in my state. Understand your state laws.\r\n\r\nDo you carry a gun in your vehicle<\/a>? I damn sure do. My other EDC (everyday car) is benign. There are tons of similar makes out there. There are no gun stickers on it (no stickers or decals of any kind, in fact), it\u2019s clean inside, and visibly, there\u2019s nothing in it worth stealing. I do not want to provoke a would-be thief.\r\n
Press Check: Saving Others<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to knowing the status of your weapon systems, you must know your personal condition.\u00a0If you can\u2019t save someone else\u2019s life, or can\u2019t keep up with your partner during a foot chase, you are screwing that guy, that kid, that loved one. That life depends on whether you can keep up to ensure they aren\u2019t getting beat up in a dark alley.\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t have to be an absolute stallion, but you should put in the effort to better yourself. Make incremental gains every day. The math is simple. Ask yourself, \u201cIf I cloned myself yesterday, can I kick my clone\u2019s butt tomorrow?\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019m not paranoid, but I am also not going to get caught with my pants down when I could have done something to prevent it. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. When we do, we get experience, and experience is something we get shortly after we need it.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the July\/August 2018 issue of Combat Handguns magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"Press Check: Why Knowing Your Gun's Condition and Your Own Is Critical","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"firearm-press-check","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/27\/firearm-press-check\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96362,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-07-20 10:40:13","post_date_gmt":"2018-07-20 14:40:13","post_content":"\r\n\r\nYou should have a choke or two for a hunting<\/a> shotgun, but what about a home defense shotgun? Does the tactical set need to bother with Improved Modified or Turkey choke for their black plastic boomstick?\r\n\r\nIt's actually not a bad idea. It isn't 100 percent necessary, but there's no downside to having one in your home defense shotgun.\r\n
The Hunting Analogy<\/h3>\r\nYou see, people who don't know anything about shotguns think and say things indicating that spread is desirable at close range. It's actually not. In point of fact, you only want a little bit of spread to your patterns with a hunting shotgun, let alone a home defense gun.\r\n\r\nHuh?\r\n\r\nOkay, to explain something to the non-hunters among us: While some spread is good, too much is not. Birds are one of the few game animals that you're better off shooting in the head. The classic shot on a turkey, for instance, is put your bead on the wattle rather than over the head or covering the chest cavity.\r\n\r\nWhy? Partly because the brain guarantees a quick, clean kill. Also, the breasts are most of the meat you get off a bird. Since those are the prime cuts, you don't necessarily want to shoot the vital organs if you can help it.\r\n\r\nGranted, drums and thighs are only disdained by people who don't know what the heck they're doing in a kitchen. Learn how to braise, people!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, since a turkey's head is only about the size of a fist, you want most of your shot in a rather tight pattern. That way, there's a greater chance that a pellet will strike the brain or upper spine and a lesser chance you'll lose a tooth to a No. 5 peppercorn in the breast meat.\r\n\r\nThis is why the extended turkey choke is a thing, which puts 75 percent of a shell's pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.\r\n
Your Home Defense Shotgun<\/h3>\r\nHow does this relate to home defense?\r\n\r\nWell, human vitals aren't that big either. The chest is about the size of a watermelon, with some big bones covering the sensitive bits.\r\n\r\nThe heart, however, is the size of an apple. The lungs are bigger, of course, but only the top of the lungs are in the chest cavity; they extend into the abdomen. The tops of the lungs are about the size of two apples on either size of the heart.\r\n\r\nThe brain is about the size of a grapefruit, but the really sensitive parts \u2014 namely the midbrain, the pons, the medulla and basilar artery \u2014 are about the size of a banana.\r\n\r\nTo guarantee a hit on something that matters, you actually want your shot in a concentrated area. A little bit of spread is good, sure, but not too terribly much.\r\n\r\nLong guns are better man-stoppers than handguns, this is true. Are they a guarantee of lethality or a one-shot stop? Hardly at all. Read, for instance, the accounts of the NYPD's stakeout squad from the 1970s; there were observed instances of suspects absorbing multiple rounds of buckshot at close range (inside a room) and not going down.\r\n\r\nAs you might have guessed, this also means that a shotgun must be used accurately in order to be effective.\r\n
Do I Need a Choke?<\/h3>\r\nShot that is placed precisely is more likely to stop an attacker than used in a \"spray and pray\" fashion.\r\n\r\nGranted, spread will be minimal with buckshot in the home. In that instance, a choke isn't strictly speaking necessary. However, a Modified or Improved Modified choke (basically the best all arounders with a medium constriction) will hardly hurt. If you decide to hit the dove field or turkey woods, it'll come in handy there too.\r\n\r\nFor those intending on having a scattergun in their trunk as a car gun, a choke is actually desirable as you want a tighter pattern for all the reasons mentioned above. Since the backup shotgun is going to be used to engage a hostile target at longer distances, a Full or Turkey choke would be recommended.\r\n\r\nSo, do you need a choke in your home defense shotgun? Not especially, no ... but it's not a bad idea if you do.\r\n
About the Author<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"Does Your Home Defense Shotgun Need a Choke?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-defense-shotgun-choke-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:14","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/07\/20\/home-defense-shotgun-choke-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96830,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-05-25 09:00:46","post_date_gmt":"2018-05-25 13:00:46","post_content":"Home invasions are unpredictable in a variety of ways, that's why they're so terrifying.\n\n[in_content post=\"92308\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nSome people have ideas about being John Wick, that if home invasions occur they will spring into action and tactically shoot many bad men in a tactical fashion. They will be well-dressed, wearing black of course, and execute several helicopter kicks while shooting bad guys.\n\nNo. You won't.\n\nYou have no idea how you'll actually handle it. Some people are somewhat cool and collected, while other people panic.\n\nWhat do real-life accounts actually tell us? Well, let's go over a few.\n
Home Invasions: The Twain Thomas Incident<\/h3>\nTwain Thomas, of Pocatello, Idaho, went on a rampage in Feb. 2014. He entered several apartments in the complex he lived in, according to the Idaho State Journal<\/em>. After upstairs neighbor James Cvengros saw glass flying from a window Thomas had broken, he started filming on a video camera.\n\nAfter hearing the commotion from a downstairs apartment that Thomas was trying to enter, you can see in the video that Cvengros locks the door. He fumbles at the locks, practically shaking.\n\nAs Thomas starts to kick in the door, he gives him a verbal warning at the top of his voice to stop. When it became clear the warning wasn't getting through, he shoots Thomas three times.\n\nListen to Cvengros in the video; he isn't angry, or grimly set to the task of defending himself and dispensing bromides worthy of Clint Eastwood. Cvengros sounds like he's almost close to crying after it happens, exasperated at being put in that position. He settles down after it's clear that Thomas isn't a threat anymore, even reconciling the action with the man who just beat down his door and came at him and his girlfriend with a machete.\n\nReports state Thomas had kicked Cvengros' door in several months prior as well, leading Cvengros to buy the firearm.\n\nThomas had severe mental disturbances, possibly as a result of past traumas that induced him to his crimes. He survived the three shots to the chest and is now serving five to 10 years for attempted second-degree murder, among other crimes.\n
Home Invasions: The Cynthia Bulk 911 Call<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zbdqyw9sASU\n\nCynthia Bulk's Phoenix, Ariz., home was invaded in May of 2014 by one Michael Lewis.\n\nBulk, according to AZcentral<\/a>, was taught how to shoot by her late husband and kept a .38 Special in the home. When she heard Lewis trying to get in her home via both doors, she called 911 and asked for police to be sent to her home. The dispatcher kept her on the line while police were en route.\n\nEventually, Lewis gained access to the home and a brief struggle ensued as he began assaulting her. Bulk fired a single shot, which caused Lewis to drop. He spent a month in hospital recovering. He later received a one-year sentence in prison and several years probation.\n\nBulk's terror is palpable. She doesn't shoot until Lewis is right on top of her, hitting her with a gardening tool.\n\nLewis has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug abuse, according to reports. Bulk, as of Sept. 2014, was having a hard time. Traumatized by the incident, she found it impossible to return to work.\n
Home Invasions: The Sarah McKinley Incident<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RrGbGTrhCRo\n\nSome may remember the incident involving one Sarah McKinley, which occurred in late 2011\/early 2012 in Blanchard, Okla.\n\nMcKinley, then 18 years old, was at home with her 3-month-old infant on New Year's Eve, only a few days after her husband had died of cancer. Two men \u2014 one Justin Martin and one Dustin Stewart \u2014 tried breaking into her home.\n\nThe two men knew of McKinley's circumstances and, according to reports, were believed to have targeted the home to steal pain medication prescribed to McKinley's deceased spouse.\n\nMcKinley was on the phone with dispatchers for more than 10 minutes, awaiting first responders. She gave the baby a bottle, and armed herself with a shotgun<\/a> and a pistol<\/a>. The dispatcher told McKinley she couldn't advise her to shoot in defense of herself, but to do what she had to in order to defend herself and her baby.\n\nWhen Martin and Stewart entered the home, she fired. Martin died at the scene. Stewart was initially charged with felony murder \u2014 if anyone dies during the commission of the crime, any person committing that crime can be charged with the death even if unarmed at the time \u2014 but later pled guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, according to KOCO<\/a>.\n\n[in_content post=\"95654\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n\nStewart received 10 years, but authorities suspended the sentence as they believed he wasn't a danger to society. He was, however, placed on probation.\n\nMcKinley, incidentally, approved of the deal, as she just wanted to move on with her life.\n
Lessons From These Home Invasions<\/h3>\nThere are thousands of reports of home invasions out there; these are just three. A bit of time spent on Google can show you all kinds of things. That said, let us take a few things from these incidents.\n\nPeople act differently under stress. You probably don't know how you will act until the moment of truth. All three were emotionally distraught, to some degree, after doing so. Action heroes are only in the movies. In real life we are more complicated and certainly fragile.\n\nThe two that called 911 pleaded for authorities to arrive. In both cases, they didn't until it was all over. You cannot depend on police in these instances, unless you live next door to the police station.\n\nIn the aftermath, the man in the first example was actually able to reason with his attacker after shooting him, confirming he was justified in doing so.\n\nThe second victim was emotionally traumatized by her attacker.\n\nThe toughest of the three was an 18-year old girl from the sticks. She was logical and collected in the 911 call. She didn't even object to one of the burglars being given what many would deem a slap on the wrist.\n\nIn all instances, the actual events during which the shooting occurred were brief. The build-up, while the attacker attempted to gain access or was otherwise known to be nearby, was much longer. It's almost like a predator circling prey \u2014 the kill itself takes seconds, but the stalk takes some time.\n\nAll three only shot after a \"trigger\" of sorts; there was clearly an \"if, then\" decision made. Only after the intruder entered a certain proximity to the victim did they shoot. However, all three decided that if that person crossed a particular line, they would.\n\nAnother takeaway, therefore, is that the will to act if necessary is a component in defending yourself.\n\nAbout the author:\u00a0Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"3 Intense Examples of Why Home Invasions Are Not Like the Movies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-invasions-movies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/05\/25\/home-invasions-movies\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":17},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
Barrel<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Magazines<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Shooting Impressions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shooting the Precision AR brought no surprises. We tested the carbine with Black Hills 77-grain match, Engel Ballistic Research 55-grain frangible and Wolf 62-grain FMJ. There are those that disparage Wolf ammo, but we have found it to be clean, reliable and reasonably accurate. It isn\u2019t match grade ammo, but for training and informal shooting, it is excellent. Engel Ballistic Research is a relative newcomer, but their 55-grain frangible ammo delivered the best group of the day, beating out Black Hills\u2019 77-grain Sierra Match King.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstanding the Press Check<\/h3>\r\nConducting a press check prevents two things, and both are horrible. One is that we should never hear a click<\/em> instead of a bang<\/em> during a gunfight. The other is that we should never have a negligent discharge. Both can be mitigated by knowing your weapon\u2019s status. So, do you know it? The one that is on you? The one that is by your bedside?\r\n\r\nMy rule is pretty simple: If you are wearing it, it is loaded. If you are not wearing it \u2014 meaning you don\u2019t have positive physical control of it \u2014 then it is unloaded. So, habitually, when I come home and take my weapon out of my holster, I make sure that I unload it and put that previously chambered round back into the magazine. I then lock the magazine back in place. I am not paranoid, but this gun typically travels with me from room to room as I am working at home.\r\n
Press Check: Road Rules<\/h3>\r\nI normally drive with my weapon on me, but occasionally I don\u2019t. For instance, when going to the gym, it may be on the seat next to me, in the open. Once again, no physical control, so therefore, it is unloaded.\r\n\r\nIf I get pulled over by a cop, I will pull out my driver\u2019s license and CCW permit, and with my hands on the steering wheel, let the officer know that I have a gun in the car that is locked but not loaded. It\u2019s permissible to carry openly in a vehicle in my state. Understand your state laws.\r\n\r\nDo you carry a gun in your vehicle<\/a>? I damn sure do. My other EDC (everyday car) is benign. There are tons of similar makes out there. There are no gun stickers on it (no stickers or decals of any kind, in fact), it\u2019s clean inside, and visibly, there\u2019s nothing in it worth stealing. I do not want to provoke a would-be thief.\r\n
Press Check: Saving Others<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to knowing the status of your weapon systems, you must know your personal condition.\u00a0If you can\u2019t save someone else\u2019s life, or can\u2019t keep up with your partner during a foot chase, you are screwing that guy, that kid, that loved one. That life depends on whether you can keep up to ensure they aren\u2019t getting beat up in a dark alley.\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t have to be an absolute stallion, but you should put in the effort to better yourself. Make incremental gains every day. The math is simple. Ask yourself, \u201cIf I cloned myself yesterday, can I kick my clone\u2019s butt tomorrow?\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019m not paranoid, but I am also not going to get caught with my pants down when I could have done something to prevent it. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. When we do, we get experience, and experience is something we get shortly after we need it.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the July\/August 2018 issue of Combat Handguns magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"Press Check: Why Knowing Your Gun's Condition and Your Own Is Critical","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"firearm-press-check","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/27\/firearm-press-check\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96362,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-07-20 10:40:13","post_date_gmt":"2018-07-20 14:40:13","post_content":"\r\n\r\nYou should have a choke or two for a hunting<\/a> shotgun, but what about a home defense shotgun? Does the tactical set need to bother with Improved Modified or Turkey choke for their black plastic boomstick?\r\n\r\nIt's actually not a bad idea. It isn't 100 percent necessary, but there's no downside to having one in your home defense shotgun.\r\n
The Hunting Analogy<\/h3>\r\nYou see, people who don't know anything about shotguns think and say things indicating that spread is desirable at close range. It's actually not. In point of fact, you only want a little bit of spread to your patterns with a hunting shotgun, let alone a home defense gun.\r\n\r\nHuh?\r\n\r\nOkay, to explain something to the non-hunters among us: While some spread is good, too much is not. Birds are one of the few game animals that you're better off shooting in the head. The classic shot on a turkey, for instance, is put your bead on the wattle rather than over the head or covering the chest cavity.\r\n\r\nWhy? Partly because the brain guarantees a quick, clean kill. Also, the breasts are most of the meat you get off a bird. Since those are the prime cuts, you don't necessarily want to shoot the vital organs if you can help it.\r\n\r\nGranted, drums and thighs are only disdained by people who don't know what the heck they're doing in a kitchen. Learn how to braise, people!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, since a turkey's head is only about the size of a fist, you want most of your shot in a rather tight pattern. That way, there's a greater chance that a pellet will strike the brain or upper spine and a lesser chance you'll lose a tooth to a No. 5 peppercorn in the breast meat.\r\n\r\nThis is why the extended turkey choke is a thing, which puts 75 percent of a shell's pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.\r\n
Your Home Defense Shotgun<\/h3>\r\nHow does this relate to home defense?\r\n\r\nWell, human vitals aren't that big either. The chest is about the size of a watermelon, with some big bones covering the sensitive bits.\r\n\r\nThe heart, however, is the size of an apple. The lungs are bigger, of course, but only the top of the lungs are in the chest cavity; they extend into the abdomen. The tops of the lungs are about the size of two apples on either size of the heart.\r\n\r\nThe brain is about the size of a grapefruit, but the really sensitive parts \u2014 namely the midbrain, the pons, the medulla and basilar artery \u2014 are about the size of a banana.\r\n\r\nTo guarantee a hit on something that matters, you actually want your shot in a concentrated area. A little bit of spread is good, sure, but not too terribly much.\r\n\r\nLong guns are better man-stoppers than handguns, this is true. Are they a guarantee of lethality or a one-shot stop? Hardly at all. Read, for instance, the accounts of the NYPD's stakeout squad from the 1970s; there were observed instances of suspects absorbing multiple rounds of buckshot at close range (inside a room) and not going down.\r\n\r\nAs you might have guessed, this also means that a shotgun must be used accurately in order to be effective.\r\n
Do I Need a Choke?<\/h3>\r\nShot that is placed precisely is more likely to stop an attacker than used in a \"spray and pray\" fashion.\r\n\r\nGranted, spread will be minimal with buckshot in the home. In that instance, a choke isn't strictly speaking necessary. However, a Modified or Improved Modified choke (basically the best all arounders with a medium constriction) will hardly hurt. If you decide to hit the dove field or turkey woods, it'll come in handy there too.\r\n\r\nFor those intending on having a scattergun in their trunk as a car gun, a choke is actually desirable as you want a tighter pattern for all the reasons mentioned above. Since the backup shotgun is going to be used to engage a hostile target at longer distances, a Full or Turkey choke would be recommended.\r\n\r\nSo, do you need a choke in your home defense shotgun? Not especially, no ... but it's not a bad idea if you do.\r\n
About the Author<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"Does Your Home Defense Shotgun Need a Choke?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-defense-shotgun-choke-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:14","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/07\/20\/home-defense-shotgun-choke-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96830,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-05-25 09:00:46","post_date_gmt":"2018-05-25 13:00:46","post_content":"Home invasions are unpredictable in a variety of ways, that's why they're so terrifying.\n\n[in_content post=\"92308\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nSome people have ideas about being John Wick, that if home invasions occur they will spring into action and tactically shoot many bad men in a tactical fashion. They will be well-dressed, wearing black of course, and execute several helicopter kicks while shooting bad guys.\n\nNo. You won't.\n\nYou have no idea how you'll actually handle it. Some people are somewhat cool and collected, while other people panic.\n\nWhat do real-life accounts actually tell us? Well, let's go over a few.\n
Home Invasions: The Twain Thomas Incident<\/h3>\nTwain Thomas, of Pocatello, Idaho, went on a rampage in Feb. 2014. He entered several apartments in the complex he lived in, according to the Idaho State Journal<\/em>. After upstairs neighbor James Cvengros saw glass flying from a window Thomas had broken, he started filming on a video camera.\n\nAfter hearing the commotion from a downstairs apartment that Thomas was trying to enter, you can see in the video that Cvengros locks the door. He fumbles at the locks, practically shaking.\n\nAs Thomas starts to kick in the door, he gives him a verbal warning at the top of his voice to stop. When it became clear the warning wasn't getting through, he shoots Thomas three times.\n\nListen to Cvengros in the video; he isn't angry, or grimly set to the task of defending himself and dispensing bromides worthy of Clint Eastwood. Cvengros sounds like he's almost close to crying after it happens, exasperated at being put in that position. He settles down after it's clear that Thomas isn't a threat anymore, even reconciling the action with the man who just beat down his door and came at him and his girlfriend with a machete.\n\nReports state Thomas had kicked Cvengros' door in several months prior as well, leading Cvengros to buy the firearm.\n\nThomas had severe mental disturbances, possibly as a result of past traumas that induced him to his crimes. He survived the three shots to the chest and is now serving five to 10 years for attempted second-degree murder, among other crimes.\n
Home Invasions: The Cynthia Bulk 911 Call<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zbdqyw9sASU\n\nCynthia Bulk's Phoenix, Ariz., home was invaded in May of 2014 by one Michael Lewis.\n\nBulk, according to AZcentral<\/a>, was taught how to shoot by her late husband and kept a .38 Special in the home. When she heard Lewis trying to get in her home via both doors, she called 911 and asked for police to be sent to her home. The dispatcher kept her on the line while police were en route.\n\nEventually, Lewis gained access to the home and a brief struggle ensued as he began assaulting her. Bulk fired a single shot, which caused Lewis to drop. He spent a month in hospital recovering. He later received a one-year sentence in prison and several years probation.\n\nBulk's terror is palpable. She doesn't shoot until Lewis is right on top of her, hitting her with a gardening tool.\n\nLewis has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug abuse, according to reports. Bulk, as of Sept. 2014, was having a hard time. Traumatized by the incident, she found it impossible to return to work.\n
Home Invasions: The Sarah McKinley Incident<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RrGbGTrhCRo\n\nSome may remember the incident involving one Sarah McKinley, which occurred in late 2011\/early 2012 in Blanchard, Okla.\n\nMcKinley, then 18 years old, was at home with her 3-month-old infant on New Year's Eve, only a few days after her husband had died of cancer. Two men \u2014 one Justin Martin and one Dustin Stewart \u2014 tried breaking into her home.\n\nThe two men knew of McKinley's circumstances and, according to reports, were believed to have targeted the home to steal pain medication prescribed to McKinley's deceased spouse.\n\nMcKinley was on the phone with dispatchers for more than 10 minutes, awaiting first responders. She gave the baby a bottle, and armed herself with a shotgun<\/a> and a pistol<\/a>. The dispatcher told McKinley she couldn't advise her to shoot in defense of herself, but to do what she had to in order to defend herself and her baby.\n\nWhen Martin and Stewart entered the home, she fired. Martin died at the scene. Stewart was initially charged with felony murder \u2014 if anyone dies during the commission of the crime, any person committing that crime can be charged with the death even if unarmed at the time \u2014 but later pled guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, according to KOCO<\/a>.\n\n[in_content post=\"95654\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n\nStewart received 10 years, but authorities suspended the sentence as they believed he wasn't a danger to society. He was, however, placed on probation.\n\nMcKinley, incidentally, approved of the deal, as she just wanted to move on with her life.\n
Lessons From These Home Invasions<\/h3>\nThere are thousands of reports of home invasions out there; these are just three. A bit of time spent on Google can show you all kinds of things. That said, let us take a few things from these incidents.\n\nPeople act differently under stress. You probably don't know how you will act until the moment of truth. All three were emotionally distraught, to some degree, after doing so. Action heroes are only in the movies. In real life we are more complicated and certainly fragile.\n\nThe two that called 911 pleaded for authorities to arrive. In both cases, they didn't until it was all over. You cannot depend on police in these instances, unless you live next door to the police station.\n\nIn the aftermath, the man in the first example was actually able to reason with his attacker after shooting him, confirming he was justified in doing so.\n\nThe second victim was emotionally traumatized by her attacker.\n\nThe toughest of the three was an 18-year old girl from the sticks. She was logical and collected in the 911 call. She didn't even object to one of the burglars being given what many would deem a slap on the wrist.\n\nIn all instances, the actual events during which the shooting occurred were brief. The build-up, while the attacker attempted to gain access or was otherwise known to be nearby, was much longer. It's almost like a predator circling prey \u2014 the kill itself takes seconds, but the stalk takes some time.\n\nAll three only shot after a \"trigger\" of sorts; there was clearly an \"if, then\" decision made. Only after the intruder entered a certain proximity to the victim did they shoot. However, all three decided that if that person crossed a particular line, they would.\n\nAnother takeaway, therefore, is that the will to act if necessary is a component in defending yourself.\n\nAbout the author:\u00a0Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"3 Intense Examples of Why Home Invasions Are Not Like the Movies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-invasions-movies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/05\/25\/home-invasions-movies\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":17},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
BROWSE BY BRAND
Upper & Lower Receiver<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Barrel<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Magazines<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Shooting Impressions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shooting the Precision AR brought no surprises. We tested the carbine with Black Hills 77-grain match, Engel Ballistic Research 55-grain frangible and Wolf 62-grain FMJ. There are those that disparage Wolf ammo, but we have found it to be clean, reliable and reasonably accurate. It isn\u2019t match grade ammo, but for training and informal shooting, it is excellent. Engel Ballistic Research is a relative newcomer, but their 55-grain frangible ammo delivered the best group of the day, beating out Black Hills\u2019 77-grain Sierra Match King.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstanding the Press Check<\/h3>\r\nConducting a press check prevents two things, and both are horrible. One is that we should never hear a click<\/em> instead of a bang<\/em> during a gunfight. The other is that we should never have a negligent discharge. Both can be mitigated by knowing your weapon\u2019s status. So, do you know it? The one that is on you? The one that is by your bedside?\r\n\r\nMy rule is pretty simple: If you are wearing it, it is loaded. If you are not wearing it \u2014 meaning you don\u2019t have positive physical control of it \u2014 then it is unloaded. So, habitually, when I come home and take my weapon out of my holster, I make sure that I unload it and put that previously chambered round back into the magazine. I then lock the magazine back in place. I am not paranoid, but this gun typically travels with me from room to room as I am working at home.\r\n
Press Check: Road Rules<\/h3>\r\nI normally drive with my weapon on me, but occasionally I don\u2019t. For instance, when going to the gym, it may be on the seat next to me, in the open. Once again, no physical control, so therefore, it is unloaded.\r\n\r\nIf I get pulled over by a cop, I will pull out my driver\u2019s license and CCW permit, and with my hands on the steering wheel, let the officer know that I have a gun in the car that is locked but not loaded. It\u2019s permissible to carry openly in a vehicle in my state. Understand your state laws.\r\n\r\nDo you carry a gun in your vehicle<\/a>? I damn sure do. My other EDC (everyday car) is benign. There are tons of similar makes out there. There are no gun stickers on it (no stickers or decals of any kind, in fact), it\u2019s clean inside, and visibly, there\u2019s nothing in it worth stealing. I do not want to provoke a would-be thief.\r\n
Press Check: Saving Others<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to knowing the status of your weapon systems, you must know your personal condition.\u00a0If you can\u2019t save someone else\u2019s life, or can\u2019t keep up with your partner during a foot chase, you are screwing that guy, that kid, that loved one. That life depends on whether you can keep up to ensure they aren\u2019t getting beat up in a dark alley.\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t have to be an absolute stallion, but you should put in the effort to better yourself. Make incremental gains every day. The math is simple. Ask yourself, \u201cIf I cloned myself yesterday, can I kick my clone\u2019s butt tomorrow?\u201d\r\n\r\nI\u2019m not paranoid, but I am also not going to get caught with my pants down when I could have done something to prevent it. We do not plan to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan. When we do, we get experience, and experience is something we get shortly after we need it.\r\n\r\nThis article is from the July\/August 2018 issue of Combat Handguns magazine. Grab your copy at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong>","post_title":"Press Check: Why Knowing Your Gun's Condition and Your Own Is Critical","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"firearm-press-check","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-31 10:43:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/27\/firearm-press-check\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96362,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-07-20 10:40:13","post_date_gmt":"2018-07-20 14:40:13","post_content":"\r\n\r\nYou should have a choke or two for a hunting<\/a> shotgun, but what about a home defense shotgun? Does the tactical set need to bother with Improved Modified or Turkey choke for their black plastic boomstick?\r\n\r\nIt's actually not a bad idea. It isn't 100 percent necessary, but there's no downside to having one in your home defense shotgun.\r\n
The Hunting Analogy<\/h3>\r\nYou see, people who don't know anything about shotguns think and say things indicating that spread is desirable at close range. It's actually not. In point of fact, you only want a little bit of spread to your patterns with a hunting shotgun, let alone a home defense gun.\r\n\r\nHuh?\r\n\r\nOkay, to explain something to the non-hunters among us: While some spread is good, too much is not. Birds are one of the few game animals that you're better off shooting in the head. The classic shot on a turkey, for instance, is put your bead on the wattle rather than over the head or covering the chest cavity.\r\n\r\nWhy? Partly because the brain guarantees a quick, clean kill. Also, the breasts are most of the meat you get off a bird. Since those are the prime cuts, you don't necessarily want to shoot the vital organs if you can help it.\r\n\r\nGranted, drums and thighs are only disdained by people who don't know what the heck they're doing in a kitchen. Learn how to braise, people!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, since a turkey's head is only about the size of a fist, you want most of your shot in a rather tight pattern. That way, there's a greater chance that a pellet will strike the brain or upper spine and a lesser chance you'll lose a tooth to a No. 5 peppercorn in the breast meat.\r\n\r\nThis is why the extended turkey choke is a thing, which puts 75 percent of a shell's pellets in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards.\r\n
Your Home Defense Shotgun<\/h3>\r\nHow does this relate to home defense?\r\n\r\nWell, human vitals aren't that big either. The chest is about the size of a watermelon, with some big bones covering the sensitive bits.\r\n\r\nThe heart, however, is the size of an apple. The lungs are bigger, of course, but only the top of the lungs are in the chest cavity; they extend into the abdomen. The tops of the lungs are about the size of two apples on either size of the heart.\r\n\r\nThe brain is about the size of a grapefruit, but the really sensitive parts \u2014 namely the midbrain, the pons, the medulla and basilar artery \u2014 are about the size of a banana.\r\n\r\nTo guarantee a hit on something that matters, you actually want your shot in a concentrated area. A little bit of spread is good, sure, but not too terribly much.\r\n\r\nLong guns are better man-stoppers than handguns, this is true. Are they a guarantee of lethality or a one-shot stop? Hardly at all. Read, for instance, the accounts of the NYPD's stakeout squad from the 1970s; there were observed instances of suspects absorbing multiple rounds of buckshot at close range (inside a room) and not going down.\r\n\r\nAs you might have guessed, this also means that a shotgun must be used accurately in order to be effective.\r\n
Do I Need a Choke?<\/h3>\r\nShot that is placed precisely is more likely to stop an attacker than used in a \"spray and pray\" fashion.\r\n\r\nGranted, spread will be minimal with buckshot in the home. In that instance, a choke isn't strictly speaking necessary. However, a Modified or Improved Modified choke (basically the best all arounders with a medium constriction) will hardly hurt. If you decide to hit the dove field or turkey woods, it'll come in handy there too.\r\n\r\nFor those intending on having a scattergun in their trunk as a car gun, a choke is actually desirable as you want a tighter pattern for all the reasons mentioned above. Since the backup shotgun is going to be used to engage a hostile target at longer distances, a Full or Turkey choke would be recommended.\r\n\r\nSo, do you need a choke in your home defense shotgun? Not especially, no ... but it's not a bad idea if you do.\r\n
About the Author<\/em><\/h3>\r\nSam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"Does Your Home Defense Shotgun Need a Choke?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-defense-shotgun-choke-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:14","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/07\/20\/home-defense-shotgun-choke-2\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96830,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-05-25 09:00:46","post_date_gmt":"2018-05-25 13:00:46","post_content":"Home invasions are unpredictable in a variety of ways, that's why they're so terrifying.\n\n[in_content post=\"92308\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\n\nSome people have ideas about being John Wick, that if home invasions occur they will spring into action and tactically shoot many bad men in a tactical fashion. They will be well-dressed, wearing black of course, and execute several helicopter kicks while shooting bad guys.\n\nNo. You won't.\n\nYou have no idea how you'll actually handle it. Some people are somewhat cool and collected, while other people panic.\n\nWhat do real-life accounts actually tell us? Well, let's go over a few.\n
Home Invasions: The Twain Thomas Incident<\/h3>\nTwain Thomas, of Pocatello, Idaho, went on a rampage in Feb. 2014. He entered several apartments in the complex he lived in, according to the Idaho State Journal<\/em>. After upstairs neighbor James Cvengros saw glass flying from a window Thomas had broken, he started filming on a video camera.\n\nAfter hearing the commotion from a downstairs apartment that Thomas was trying to enter, you can see in the video that Cvengros locks the door. He fumbles at the locks, practically shaking.\n\nAs Thomas starts to kick in the door, he gives him a verbal warning at the top of his voice to stop. When it became clear the warning wasn't getting through, he shoots Thomas three times.\n\nListen to Cvengros in the video; he isn't angry, or grimly set to the task of defending himself and dispensing bromides worthy of Clint Eastwood. Cvengros sounds like he's almost close to crying after it happens, exasperated at being put in that position. He settles down after it's clear that Thomas isn't a threat anymore, even reconciling the action with the man who just beat down his door and came at him and his girlfriend with a machete.\n\nReports state Thomas had kicked Cvengros' door in several months prior as well, leading Cvengros to buy the firearm.\n\nThomas had severe mental disturbances, possibly as a result of past traumas that induced him to his crimes. He survived the three shots to the chest and is now serving five to 10 years for attempted second-degree murder, among other crimes.\n
Home Invasions: The Cynthia Bulk 911 Call<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zbdqyw9sASU\n\nCynthia Bulk's Phoenix, Ariz., home was invaded in May of 2014 by one Michael Lewis.\n\nBulk, according to AZcentral<\/a>, was taught how to shoot by her late husband and kept a .38 Special in the home. When she heard Lewis trying to get in her home via both doors, she called 911 and asked for police to be sent to her home. The dispatcher kept her on the line while police were en route.\n\nEventually, Lewis gained access to the home and a brief struggle ensued as he began assaulting her. Bulk fired a single shot, which caused Lewis to drop. He spent a month in hospital recovering. He later received a one-year sentence in prison and several years probation.\n\nBulk's terror is palpable. She doesn't shoot until Lewis is right on top of her, hitting her with a gardening tool.\n\nLewis has a history of mental health problems, homelessness and drug abuse, according to reports. Bulk, as of Sept. 2014, was having a hard time. Traumatized by the incident, she found it impossible to return to work.\n
Home Invasions: The Sarah McKinley Incident<\/h3>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RrGbGTrhCRo\n\nSome may remember the incident involving one Sarah McKinley, which occurred in late 2011\/early 2012 in Blanchard, Okla.\n\nMcKinley, then 18 years old, was at home with her 3-month-old infant on New Year's Eve, only a few days after her husband had died of cancer. Two men \u2014 one Justin Martin and one Dustin Stewart \u2014 tried breaking into her home.\n\nThe two men knew of McKinley's circumstances and, according to reports, were believed to have targeted the home to steal pain medication prescribed to McKinley's deceased spouse.\n\nMcKinley was on the phone with dispatchers for more than 10 minutes, awaiting first responders. She gave the baby a bottle, and armed herself with a shotgun<\/a> and a pistol<\/a>. The dispatcher told McKinley she couldn't advise her to shoot in defense of herself, but to do what she had to in order to defend herself and her baby.\n\nWhen Martin and Stewart entered the home, she fired. Martin died at the scene. Stewart was initially charged with felony murder \u2014 if anyone dies during the commission of the crime, any person committing that crime can be charged with the death even if unarmed at the time \u2014 but later pled guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, according to KOCO<\/a>.\n\n[in_content post=\"95654\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\n\nStewart received 10 years, but authorities suspended the sentence as they believed he wasn't a danger to society. He was, however, placed on probation.\n\nMcKinley, incidentally, approved of the deal, as she just wanted to move on with her life.\n
Lessons From These Home Invasions<\/h3>\nThere are thousands of reports of home invasions out there; these are just three. A bit of time spent on Google can show you all kinds of things. That said, let us take a few things from these incidents.\n\nPeople act differently under stress. You probably don't know how you will act until the moment of truth. All three were emotionally distraught, to some degree, after doing so. Action heroes are only in the movies. In real life we are more complicated and certainly fragile.\n\nThe two that called 911 pleaded for authorities to arrive. In both cases, they didn't until it was all over. You cannot depend on police in these instances, unless you live next door to the police station.\n\nIn the aftermath, the man in the first example was actually able to reason with his attacker after shooting him, confirming he was justified in doing so.\n\nThe second victim was emotionally traumatized by her attacker.\n\nThe toughest of the three was an 18-year old girl from the sticks. She was logical and collected in the 911 call. She didn't even object to one of the burglars being given what many would deem a slap on the wrist.\n\nIn all instances, the actual events during which the shooting occurred were brief. The build-up, while the attacker attempted to gain access or was otherwise known to be nearby, was much longer. It's almost like a predator circling prey \u2014 the kill itself takes seconds, but the stalk takes some time.\n\nAll three only shot after a \"trigger\" of sorts; there was clearly an \"if, then\" decision made. Only after the intruder entered a certain proximity to the victim did they shoot. However, all three decided that if that person crossed a particular line, they would.\n\nAnother takeaway, therefore, is that the will to act if necessary is a component in defending yourself.\n\nAbout the author:\u00a0Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0Tedder Industries<\/a>.<\/em>","post_title":"3 Intense Examples of Why Home Invasions Are Not Like the Movies","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"home-invasions-movies","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/05\/25\/home-invasions-movies\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":17},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_23"};
