US Postal service must be really slow…

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Oleg Volk

I was told “the check is in the mail” a couple of months ago, and it hasn’t arrived from Central Florida yet.  Two weeks ago, the same folks told me that they will actually have funds to pay at the end of June. Same result. They seem to be still in business, but I learned that they owe a month or two of salary to much of their staff.

I am about to publish an overview article that covers, in part, their flagship product. Would it be safe to assume the company will be bankrupt by the time the magazine comes out?

UPDATE: And it looks like they are Chapter 11. The owner told me they will re-organize. We’ll see…

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ATF Rule 41F cometh

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Oleg Volk

In one week, new ATF rules (or whims) governing NFA trusts go into effect. I would like to recommend Matthew Bergstrom of Arsenal Attorneys for doing trust re-statements. That way, you will not risk a paperwork violation and be able to continue adding new items to the trust. He did a great job on mine. I know Matthew through joint effort on behalf of Friends of the NRA, so he’s not in it just for the money.

Posted in rkba, sound suppressor | Tagged | 5 Comments

Need introductions to political publications

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Oleg Volk

My upcoming article and two illustrations took more than three hours of otherwise billable time. Yet, while I’ve been publishing numerous technical reviews, I’ve not found a site or a print publication suitable for my RKBA articles. Any suggestions or connections to titles that would have a budget for political and RKBA commentary? Wider distribution of content is the other half of the appeal.

Posted in advice requested, civil rights, rkba | 3 Comments

The Free State of Jones, movie review

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Oleg Volk

I was pleasantly surprised by how well this film was done. Historic accuracy, near as I can judge, is pretty reasonable. Props, accents, details also seem fairly decent.

Plot: 4/5
Acting: 4/5

Both are just a little flat, but I find no actual fault with either.

Sound design: 4/5
SFX: 5/5 (other than the faces of dead by hanging being entirely too photogenic)
Visuals: 4/5 (good compositions, occasional shots with nothing in focus)
Lighting: 4/5 (realistic but a lot of spotty environmental effects)

The film is definitely engaging. Some over-simplifications of tactics,  but generally quite decent. For a mainstream movie, it’s outright amazing. The older movie Defiance, about Bielski Brothers’ guerilla band, was in the same genre, but The Free State of Jones is a much better done film. Definitely worth seeing in a theater.

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Was it worth it?

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Oleg Volk

For all that America isn’t perfect, we are alone of the former British, French or Spanish colonies to have a shot at retaining personal freedom, at least in some of the states.

 

Posted in interesting people, rkba, training, weapon | Tagged | 2 Comments

Terminology is important

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Oleg Volk

Sturmgewehr 44, the historic “assault rifle”, was a general purpose military weapon, moderately good in several roles but specialized for none. The name was an attempt to make wishful thinking become reality by raising troop morale. Since the generic term “assault rifle” has come to have a specific meaning, those who wish to disarm us have largely substituted their own: “assault weapon”. They apply that term to any item they wish restricted or banned. On the face of it, how could anyone be against banning weapons used to assault others?

We call auto handbrakes either “parking” or “emergency” brake. That’s because their regular use for one of those purposes. If somebody wanted to ban them, they could call them drift brakes and claim that they should be banned for enabling illegal turns.

Similarly, banning of camera could be accomplished by claiming they enable child porn production. Focusing on atypical criminal use and using that as an argument for banning a technology is disingenuous. A camera owners would be going against their own interests if they started referring to their equipment as “child porn makers”. Why should gun owners use the terminology of their foes?

A modern defensive rifle. It’s equipped with a heads-up display, an automatic transmission with manual override, and a muffler, just like a typical car — and for the same reasons.

By intent and by overwhelming frequency of use, our firearms are “counter-assault weapons”, but even that term is too derivative of the enemy terminology. “Defensive” or “self-defense” or “self-protection” arm are all more accurate adjectives, and less encumbered with unintentional negative connotations. The importance of defensive use is in its reluctant employment. Hunting, sports, collecting are all elective activities, while defense of self and others is an obligatory, non-elective use for a firearm.

Posted in civil rights, rifle, rkba, self-defense, sound suppressor, Uncategorized, weapon | Tagged , | Comments Off on Terminology is important

All smiles

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Oleg Volk

The joy of personal empowerment.

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Training new shooters

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Oleg Volk

Four years ago, I did a photo shoot with Ariel, 16 at the time. While she was quite convincing with a variety of arms, she didn’t actually know how to use them. We decided to remedy that shortcoming. She was joined by her friend Treasure, and later Amie and our friend Eric, a metro police officer, came by as well.

The rules for successful introductory range trips:

  1. Safety
  2. Fun
  3. Learning

We lucked into fairly decent weather. The first rifle we used as an early 1930s Winchester 60, a single short, manually cocked bolt action similar to Henry Mini Bolt and Crickett. This was an entry level model and not even serial numbered, as there was no legal requirement to do so. We shot it with Aguila Super Colibri 20 grain CB caps ammo at bullseye targets starting unsupported at 3 steps, then from up to 1o yards from kneeling. The goal was to work on the basics with minimal report and recoil.

Once we got that figured out, we switched to a suppressed .22 AR15: a Taccom upper with 1.5x compact ACOG. Originally, it was mounted on a Cav Arms lower, but I tried Tennessee Arms Company lower for the length of pull adjustability. We ended up using several different lengths, so having the tele stock was a definite win.

Turned out that subsonic ammunition wouldn’t re-cock the hammer even though it reloaded properly, so switched to CCI Mini Mags and everything was reliable, if slightly noisier, from there on. Mini-Mags are my go-to load for training new shooters with semi-auto guns: they have been consistently reliable and accurate in a variety of rifles and pistols. Ear plugs were plenty to shut out the bullet flight noise. With full power ammo, we did more marksmanship practice, then switched to 3D humanoid targets designed by Tatiana Whitlock, just to put the practice into perspective of possible practical use. I will check performance with standard velocity ammunition: this lower might need a lighter buffer for rimfire shooting.

We practices a little of side-stepping combined with firing, failure to stop drills, then called it a wrap for the first day. Total time at the range: less than two hours. Total amount of ammunition expended: 30 rounds of Super Colibri, 80 rounds of Mini-Mags. One new shooter got the basic training and three current shooters got refreshers. And everyone had much fun. Fun is important. Making the initial learning stages simple and achievable also helps.

Note, that this photo was taken later. For the actual range time, eye protection and long pants were used to avoid mosquito bites and other environmental hazards. In the future, I will most likely use CZ455 rifle with a sling instead of the Winchester 60, just to be able to illustrate hasty sling techniques.

 

 

Posted in ammunition, rifle, training, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Новости глазами иммигрантов

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Oleg Volk

http://stas.livejournal.com/1048089.html

http://arbat.livejournal.com/870840.html

Такое впечатление, что людям совсем не хочется опять жить при совке, даже и на территории Америки.

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The real reason for shooting back

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Oleg Volk

battle_9545_FotoSketcher

In military actions prior to the Crimean War, the ratio of dead to wounded was usually around 1:1. After the 1850s, medical corps were formed and more of the wounded survived. By WW2, 1:2 ratio was common, and modern US army is closer to 1:4. In other words, people hit by military weapons are still far more likely to survive than to die. The factors contributing to survival are usually protective gear, good physical condition of the troops, and prompt medical attention.

In modern times, we know that people shot with handguns have an 85% chance of survival, provided they get medical treatment. The chances are far lower with shotgun or rifle, but even then modern medicine can accomplish near miracles. Given the proximity of most mass shootings to urban medical centers, how do we end up with statistics reflecting dead:wounded ratios opposite of the military numbers? How is it possible that a single person with a hand-held weapon could produce more deaths than non-fatal injuries? The answer is simple: control of the scene.

A murderer who has the crime scene to himself can take the time to shoot or stab every victim again, just to make sure they are dead. That’s been the typical mode of operation for the killers: shoot a group of victims, then backtrack and shoot everyone in the head. The other factor is the exclusion of medical emergency response personnel from the scene, meaning that the victims bleed out before anyone reaches them. Those two factors, combined with fear-driven compliance and resulting close-range shots on non-evading victims (likely the reason why the school attack in Newtown had 27 deaths to one injury), are the reason why murderers with seemingly light weapons are so efficient. Given control of the scene and lack of resistance, a 1770s regular soldier with a musket, bayonet and sword would have killed as many, primarily with the blades.

The emphasis on shooting back comes not only from the likelihood of stopping mass murderers dead before they can harm more than a few victims, but also because even suppressive fire distracts them from the initial quest. In all recorded incidents, attackers who came under fire — even when the return fire was ineffective — stopped what they were doing and either hid or tried to fight the responders. As a result, the wounded had much better chance of survival.

first_responder_DSC2589_FotoSketcher

Immediate armed response is also important for avoiding friendly fire. A person present at the start of an incident are much more likely to know who the aggressor is than would responding cops.

 

Posted in holster, pistol, rifle, rkba, self-defense, shotgun, training, Uncategorized, weapon | 18 Comments

Three classic designs

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Oleg Volk

Who wouldn’t smile when holding an M1911A1?

Ithaca M37 is ambidextrous

M1 carbine is fun!

All three are Inland Mfg. repros.

 

Posted in pistol, rifle, shotgun, weapon | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Rocket’s red glare?

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Oleg Volk

Quest for fire.

Water park of Lilliput.

Red Icee.

Finger food.

Each successful Independence Day celebration brings out more kids. Some of my friends are taking self-replication seriously.

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Should California conservatives and libertarians move?

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Oleg Volk

I think, yes. The state is beyond electoral salvation, and moving out would deprive California government of tax revenues and would, after the next Census, reduce the electoral weight of the state relative to others. Further, continued exposure to CA laws would increase the probability of being charged and convicted of some crime with lifetime prohibition on voting, gun ownership and other civil rights. The same applies to non-leftist residents of New Jersey and New York.

Posted in civil rights, rkba | 15 Comments

Moriah Combs shoots Origin 12

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Oleg Volk

Full power slugs fired from this shotgun feel much like shooting an AK47. Low recoil and rifle-like manual of arms make it my top choice among shoothbores. Moriah Combs runs it like a pro.

Today, about 1400 Brenneke slugs arrived, so I will be putting my Origin 12 and several other shotguns through a workout.

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The dirty air of yesteryear

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Oleg Volk

It’s hard to make photographic masterpieces like those of Fan Ho. Besides the amazing eye he had for composition and light, three technical factors gave his images the characteristic glow.

Two of them, the imperfect lens coatings and orthochromatic film, are easy to replicate. Blue-sensitive emulsions exaggerated atmospheric perspective. The third one requires Denver or Salt Lake City during cold weather atmospheric inversion.

The blue haze is all smog. Visibility on the ground was 150 yards, and it’s a miracle only a third of the population has respiratory problems. If you look at Fan Ho’s photo above, you will see visibility even lower than that: combine coal heating and charcoal cooking adding up to a lot of particulates despite Hong Kong being a windy island.

I think people underestimate just how much coal saved civilization, followed by oil, and then by nuclear fuels. At the time coal became available, wood was becoming scarce within reasonable range from human dwellings. Each next bundle required more of a trip, and meanwhile erosion would set in. Coal, while dirty and often hazardous to mine, provided much more concentrated energy. At the same time, it was no better than wood in generating smog, which is why tuberculosis patients were counseled to go up into the mountains, where cleaner air more than offset the reduction in available oxygen.

Oil burned much cleaner than coal and was far safer in use, also easier to deliver and dispense automatically. Nukes are even cleaner and more likely to provide sufficient energy. And trees can re-grow, not being chopped by people who just want to get through the winter unfrozen.

Posted in camera and lens | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Jard J67 bullpup: new on American Shooting Journal

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Oleg Volk

A very unusual and effective 9mm carbine.

Posted in ammunition, rifle, weapon | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Waiting patiently

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Oleg Volk

Czech vz24 Mauser, 8mm.

Posted in rifle, weapon | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Get a signed print of your choice

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Oleg Volk

If you are able to help my friend Dawn, I will reward you with a signed print of your choice from my gallery site. Any donation of $50 and up gets you a signed print (in the US, I’d have to send you a file for printing abroad due to the cost and uncertainty of international shipping) of increasing size.

  • $60+ 8″x10″
  • $120+ 16″x20″
  • $180+ 20″x30″

Help Dawn for the sake of doing the right thing. Let me know. Get a signed poster print to remind you of having done it.

Posted in art, interesting people | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A dear friend needs help!

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Oleg Volk

One of the most loving, supportive couples I know.

I want to introduce my friend Dawn Faust Bibby. She and her husband of John have been my close friends and staunch supporters since 2013. We met when John replied to a request for models during my work at Kel-Tec in Florida. Since then Dawn and John have been my models, talent scouts, advisers, hosts and most wonderful company. They have hosted photoshoots in their homes for people they didn’t know, except through me. Dawn even cleaned and organized my home in Nashville one weekend, while John and I went to Kentucky for a photo shoot!

Dawn is a survivor. This photo was taken a day or two after surgery to remove brain tumors.

Now, Dawn and John are among my closest friends. They have consistently helped me, often knowing what assistance or a resource was needed before I knew it. I reciprocate, but this time their situation is beyond my resources.

Dawn just has had a major recurrence of her breast cancer. John went above and beyond with research and support, making Dawn’s survival possible. Her insurance company has twice refused to pay for a surgery she needs to survive. They think she’s already dead. That’s the same pronouncement two specialists made two years ago, when she had brain tumors. The third one muttered something uncomplimentary about incompetents with expensive diagnostic equipment, then removed the tumors with almost no side effects.

Dawn can beat this cancer with radiological surgery. The problem is, she must now pay cash. She and John have raised $22,500 in ten days, but that’s only 10% of what they need. I contributed, but my savings can’t stretch far enough to make a significant dent in the problem. Please help them for me!

Dawn has a GoFundMe page. If you can, please donate. Even a modest contribution will help — Dawn will know how many people care and that will cheer her up. If you can give more, please do.

Please help me amplify this appeal. Re-posting and letting more people know about her situation will help almost as much as making a donation. This world will be diminished if Dawn dies ahead of her time, and for such a correctable reason as the lack of funds for timely medical aid.

Posted in interesting people, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Open Office loses a file?

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Oleg Volk

I wrote a review article about six months ago. I had it open this week for updating. Apparently, Open Office Writer crashed and the article somehow disappeared. “Recent Documents” list doesn’t contain it. I looked for it on my two hard drives and can’t find anything with the required title or the keywords…any other suggestions for how I can search? This is all under Windows 8.

I can re-write, but would rather not do that.

Posted in advice requested | 4 Comments