Gun Myths 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Today is Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time).


Today's topics:

"Knockdown Power"

"A .22 will bounce all around inside you"

"You don't have to aim a shotgun"

"The shockwave from a .50 BMG can kill you" (even if the bullet doesn't hit)

"The AR15 was designed to wound, not kill"

"Knockdown Power"

Often used by "Boomers" who are debating online the efficacy of a .45 ACP vs. 9mm. Once in a Blue Moon, this person can actually shoot straight... usually not. And they have never actually seen a wound channel comparison up close. On the other side of this coin, a good friend is a Critical Care Paramedic for Nashville Fire Dept. - often crew on the busiest ambulance route in the entire nation. He tells me that unless the wound is from a .22, they cannot distinguish pistol wounds. He can often surmise when it is a .380, because the overall damage is less, but that's about it. 

"A .22 will bounce all around inside you"

This is a myth that descends from truth. A .22 round that hits a large human bone such as the skull, femur, etc., at an angle, may deflect instead of punching through. This fact became "bounces off of bones." Then that mis-stated concept became the myth of the .22 bouncing off of bones and shredding internal organs. The truth is, a .22 has great difficulty getting to the magical 12" of penetration deemed necessary by the FBI. 

"You don't have to aim a shotgun"

Seems this has been tested quite a bit. Most evaluations have come to the same conclusion: you must aim your shotgun. Box O Truth has one of the better entries. To get to 30+ inches of spread, the shotgun must be fired from a distance of 40+ yards. When shot from 12 feet and closer, the largest group was 4 inches. Still has to be aimed. 

"The shockwave from a .50 BMG can kill you."

Even Demolition Ranch has done a video debunking this one. Not sure why this myth is still floating around. 

"The AR15 was designed to wound, not kill"

Nobody who has ever seen a wound created by an AR15 has ever said this. The author has seen a couple. Nasty wounds in flesh. Not one I want to experience any time soon. If it was not lethal, the military would have found something that was lethal. But still, this myth persists. 

Thoughts?

Gun Myths 4, 5, 6, 7

Today is Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time).


Today's topics:

"I know how to shoot!"

"I've been shooting all my life!"

"Husband / boyfriend = firearms instructor"

"Military / Law Enforcement Background = Firearms Instructor"

When I mention these myths in classes, I make sure to use my most redneck southern drawl. In a mocking way. Because that is indicative of my presumption of the myth-spreader's intelligence when they spew this. The one thing all of these myths have in common is that they are spoken by phony experts. 

"I know how to shoot"

Often said by someone who means well in reply to the fact that there are classes out there. This person mistakenly believes that knowing what the trigger does means they know how to shoot. I love getting these guys on the line. The first 90 minutes of zeroing are always quite humbling. Being able to cause a machine to function does not mean one is adept at operating the machine in a useful and meaningful way. 

"I've been shooting all my life"

And this guy has been playing music all his life. Doesn't mean it is being done correctly. "I've been shooting all my life" is often used as a means of classifying one's perceived skill set with a firearm. The people who perpetuate this myth often also perpetuate "I know how to shoot." Sometimes, they will be put together: "I know how to shoot, I've been shooting all my life!" Occasionally, but not often, this person is former military or police. Usually, they are not very good. 

"Husband / boyfriend = firearms instructor"

Many of today's myths are aimed at firearms credentials that simply aren't. And this is the second worst offender. Like the videos you see of people handing their wife / girlfriend a huge gun and letting her shoot it and wind up getting hurt from the recoil... or worse. No instructor worth his salt would allow that to happen. In my classes - and most of the classes I've taken - the instructor separates husbands and wives (boyfriends & girlfriends). Because they often give the wrong advice. 

"Military / Law Enforcement Background = Firearms Instructor"

Go watch the 10th Mountain Division video and come back and try to justify that nonsense. Someone relying on that background is like a yellow belt in karate relying on that background to teach martial arts. Just not nearly enough. Even "Special Forces," "SEALs," (insert flavor of the month other team) are not firearms instructors. Even though, from time to time, some of them can actually shoot halfway straight. 

Gun Myth 3

Today is Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time). 

Today's topic: "Resting your AR15 magazine on the ground will cause a malfunction."

As we get going, let's look at this snippet from US Army TC 3-22.9:

Came across this thread recently and it had me laughing. For real. A lot. 

For the sake of clarity, "prone supported" is prone position where an object is used to support the rifle - sand bags, ruck sack, other equipment. "Prone unsupported" can include resting the rifle magazine on the ground. 

For the record, the following major tactical schools / instructors teach prone unsupported with the magazine rested on the ground:

Thunder Ranch

Valor Ridge

Tactical Response

Front Sight

CSAT

Pat McNamara

Tactical Rifleman

Ronin Tactics

Warrior Poet

Sage Dynamics - Aaron Cowan

Now, onto the thread, and some of the entertainment. 

As one post stated, this thread really shows who does and who does not shoot their AR15's. 

THE HOPELESSLY, HILARIOUSLY WRONG (and corrections after in italics)

"I disagree that using the magazine as a support won't cause malfunctions.
I won't do it and I will advise anyone who asks against it."

Says someone who has never shot that way. Just passes on inaccurate information. 

"civilian for life but I was taught by my Father and every other class/training I’ve taken NOT to use the magazine as a monopod.
Iirc- Appleseed teaches that using the mag as a support just creates another point of contact that can throw off a shot."

Now we know where it comes from (Appleseed). 10-1 odds his father never said he should not use the magazine as a rest. 100-1 odds that all of his "training classes" are Appleseeds only. 

"I am *not* against using the mag as a support but I'd prefer to use my sling as the support because a) I know how to use it properly (thanks Appleseed!), b) I prefer 20-rd mags when I am prone anyway, because c) I don't want the mag of my rifle to be a leverage/hinge point."

Tell me you've never taken a class outside of Appleseed without saying you've never taken a class outside of Appleseed. 

"It really depends on the person. I cannot get low enough in the prone to actually touch the mag to the ground. Too much of a strain on my neck. My 19 yo nephew on the other hand, is as flexible as a noodle and can probably do it."

Has never been trained to do it. There are ways to make this possible. 

"I don't think it would be a significant source of malfunctions. It will change POI, though. I seem to recall it's fairly noticeable with AK pattern rifles."

No, it won't. No, it hasn't caused POI shift in AKs. 

"I agree with the poster that stated that if the rifle has an additional point of contact that there is more of a possibility to throw off a shot. I would NEVER use the mag for a monopod for that reason."

Has never tried it. Afraid to. Probably clears rooms by rushing into them, as well. 

Supporting with a magazine can cause malfunctions by pushing the mag too far up into the chamber. F course this depends on the rifle and the magazine. You may be able to get away with it. But then again maybe not.
You can also get a bounce similar to resting directly on any other hard surface.

No, you can't - the mag catch largely prevents this unless you ape-slam the mag into the gun. 

No, you really won't get a bounce unless you are holding the rifle more delicately than a 5 year old girl. 

I am more stable with proper sling tension, support hand placement, and firing elbow angle than getting lower and placing my mag on the ground.
I guess if I could get into a good position with a mag long enough to touch the ground then it would help, but you can form a better position while being higher than normal mags allow.

No - you really aren't more stable. You are more practiced with your 1907 sling.

There is a reason why resting the mag on the ground is not allowed in service rifle competition.

THE POSITIVES

Now, before you go on thinking this is a bashing post, realize that poster "cvtrpr" is exactly correct in everything he posts. 

"Appleseed is great but their affinity for 1907 era technology may be clouding their judgement."

"The Army's marksmanship manuals have always been a near-desperate attempt to address and correct misinformation, bad advice, and outright bad training practices that get passed on from person to person."

"The truth is that the U.S. military has loads of "institutional knowledge" that's bullshit, despite being in a profession where it's generally accepted that the consequence for stupidity may be death."

SUMMARY

Appleseed is good, but it CANNOT be the end of your training. 

Military training is better than nothing, but it CANNOT be the end of your training. 

Gun Myth 2

Today is Day 4 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time). 

Today's topic: "A Pistol is just to fight your way back to the rifle that you shouldn't have put down."

If you have a pistol, why not shoot the deadly threat with it? 

How do you propose to "fight" with it until you get to your rifle? 

How do you account for "3 feet, 3 seconds, 3 shots?" 

Presuming you are not shooting the threat with your pistol, but "fighting," what are you going to do with your rifle when you get it (because shooting threats is clearly not your thing)?

Gun Myth 1

Today is Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time). 

Today's topic: M855 clones. 

So many people are "in love" with M855 ammunition. Many will reach out to me and ask angrily why I do not allow M855 at my classes. The answer simply put, is that I use steel targets, and the M855 does one thing well - penetrate steel targets. Since, in this insane idea to turn a profit, I would prefer to be able to use my $200 apiece steel targets more than once, I forbid use of M855 on them.

When I ask people why they prefer M855, they often respond with some variation of "it's better!" Better than what, you might ask? Better than other ammo choices is the insinuated answer. But is it? If so, how is it better? 

To look at this objectively, let's look at three of the most common topics used to compare ammunition: accuracy (technically, precision), affordability, and terminal performance. 

ACCURACY

Technically, precision. With US manufactured ammunition, M855 averages 4 MOA or more. Meanwhile, the M193 hovers around 2 MOA. This is a clear and distinct win for the M193. It is more accurate. The M855 *may* buck wind better at distance, but neither round is ideal at longer ranges. This data supports observations I've made in classes I've taught. 

This is a win for M193.

AFFORDABILITY

Since I have been shooting the AR15 platform, M855 has averaged 50% more expensive. When M193 was about $0.35 per round, M855 was about $0.55 per round. Currently, I can obtain M193 for $0.60 per round and M855 is $0.90.

This is a win for M193.

TERMINAL PERFORMANCE

As a rule, fragmentation of the 5.56 mm round is what causes much more substantial tissue damage. Simply put, M193 fragments much more, and much more reliably than M855.

This is a win for M193.

SUMMARY

Hmmm... all three categories are a win for M193. *If* (and it is a big "if") one uses foreign manufactured M855, then accuracy is awash - not even a win for M855. There is no discernable reason to use M855 over M193. 

Gift Funny

 Absolutely hilarious - Glitter Bomb 4.0 - for those annoying porch pirates. 

You'd think the police would want to stop these legitimate bad guys (the porch pirates). But, they must need to hit their quota. 

Gun Class Funnies

Tell me you've never been to a gun class without saying you've never been to a gun class. (or have very limited experience in them)

The author collects these from people who make inane statements. The plan is to leave them on this blog from time to time, after a sufficient number have been accumulated. For those who don't know and would like to learn, I'll leave a brief commentary or explanation in italics under each one. 

"I would like to take a rifle class. But not a pistol. I already know pistol and don't want to mess up what I know."

True experts seek to add tools to the toolbox, never resting on their laurels. If you think (or say) you know something, then you don't.

"What certifications do you get from these classes?"

There are only a handful of widely recognized certifications one can get from a gun class: NRA, USCCA, POST. My classes, like many, have a certificate of completion. 

"Why do you need to take a gun class, do you not know how to shoot?"

It is impossible to explain to a 3-year-old child why he cannot touch the stove. He cannot comprehend certain things because his mind will not allow for it. 

"I wish I could have taken that class, but finances are tight."

Always said by someone who either works a low-wage job and cannot understand why they cannot get a job making more money (despite never trying to make themselves more valuable in the workplace); or is said by a person who has social media posts buying multiple guns recently, going on a vacation recently, or otherwise spending a fair amount of money on something else. Just means they have other priorities. 

Get Attention By Being Contrary

Why do people lie?

Surely, there are a myriad of reasons. Sometimes people lie for perceived protection for themselves or others. Some habitually lie. Some are pushing an agenda. Some spread mistruths - sometimes knowingly, sometimes unknowingly. Some people are really convinced they are telling the truth, when, in fact, they are not. Some people just wish to be contrary - and that is the point of this post. 

As a young man, I remember watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie. Through the wonderment of the interwebz, I have since learned that the episode in question is named "In the Big Inning." This episode stood out to me first because it was about baseball, and I have always enjoyed watching and playing the game of baseball. The second part that stood out was a moment when the umpire advised the teams that 3 strikes is an out, 3 outs are an inning, and 6 innings is a game. One of the players protests and says "last year we got 4 outs!"

Outside of a dropped 3rd strike leading to a runner getting on base, or some similarly odd situation, my Google-Fu yielded no entries to the possibility that there have ever been 4 outs to an inning. Maybe prior to the formalization of the game? Nevertheless, the player on the show was simply being contrary for the sake of being contrary. And I wondered as a lad why he would say something so patently false. Here is a link to the video - the moment mentioned happens at the 31-minute mark. 

Later in life, I had a friend in High School who was very contrarian like this. Naturally, he grew up to be a Democrat. He would say something against the grain, just to be against the grain. It didn't matter whether the statement was true. A number of modern Dems are just like this. 

This idea came up because in a prepping group on social media, I witnessed a person say that dryer lint does not light on fire. He gave the caveat of lint from a dryer where dryer sheets were used. In my observation, lint is very flammable - regardless of the use of dryer sheets. While I'm open to the fact that perhaps not all dryer lint catches fire, in my observation, the only time I've seen it fail to catch fire was when it is completely soaked in water. I realized very quickly that this person was a contrarian. In my observation, people like this are just seeking attention in another way. 

Naturally, someone might hold a single thought or opinion that is contrary to the mainstream. That is not what this post is about. This post is about those who intentionally take an often ridiculous stand on something patently false, for the sake of garnering attention. Griefers and trolls would also fall into this categorization, in my estimation. 

Thoughts?

What Makes a Training Class?

 Quite possibly, one of the most prevalent misconceptions about firearms is this thought:

"The handgun carry permit class is a training class."

As a handgun carry permit instructor, I wish I could put this one to bed, once and for all. Since that seems highly improbable, here is an important reminder. 

The carry permit class is NOT a training class.

Even the State of Tennessee recognizes this fact. At this link:

"...you must attend a Tennessee handgun safety course." (emphasis mine)

The Critic

 From a reader: "How do you not let all the criticism get to you?"

First, it is important to point out, for every critic, I have 10 people say they appreciate what I am doing. Furthermore, I get a LOT of repeat business. That speaks volumes. 

Second, it is important to understand that they are only haters because they aren't doing as well and because they are jealous. Remember: haters are just confused followers. 

Never once have I looked at a firearms school that was not doing as well as I am and thought and said: "YoU'rE dOiNg It WrOnG!!!" To be fair, I've not looked at firearms schools doing better than I am and thought the same, either. 

On more than one occasion, I have thought "how can I adopt that and put it into my school?"

And that's why I'm doing better than many, and offering a high quality product. 

And that's why I am more content. 

Gun Class Humor

By reader request, here is "tell me you've never been to a gun class, without saying 'I've never been to a gun class'."  My thoughts in italics below the interesting comment.

"Half of the class will be FEDS."

Haven't had one "FED" yet. 

"Anyone charging to teach small unit tactics right now is suspicious."

Anyone giving that information away for free is even more suspicious. 

"No one in the  photo has a decent position, and 1 person in the kneeling photo might have bone support. this is somewhat surprising since the instructor lists Appleseed expert rifleman in his qualifications."

- I've attended 4 Appleseeds - have seen kneeling demonstrated one time - never have we shot from it in the Appleseed class. So not only has this person never been to a class, but they have also never been to an Appleseed, yet rely on the reputation of Appleseed. 

- I know of at least seven different kneeling positions - high kneel, double, lean left/right, braced, forward lean, standard, half-sitting. Only three use bone support. How do you know the person was not doing precisely what they were being instructed?

"You're doing it wrong!" (moving with a rifle in high-port position). 

Every major tactical school in the US teaches that position. 

"One of the best ways to make the FBI watch list... is to sign up for any weapons training."

<<eyeroll>>

"Avoid formal training. The government surely gets updated rosters from them."

The only rosters I make or send to the government are those for the Enhanced Carry Permit Class, as this is required by the State of Tennessee and is desired by the student so they can get their carry permit! 

"I know how to shoot. Don't need to pay to learn."

Yep. You're right!