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Crazy Russian SF CQB Confidence Drills

May 25, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

The Unites States have one of the best well trained Special Forces unit in the world. Russia is not far behind.
Spetsgruppa “A”, also known as Alpha Group is an elite, stand-alone sub-unit of Russia’s special forces. It is a dedicated counter-terrorism task force of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) similar to the U.S. Delta Force, this CT task force is used to prevent and responds to violent acts in public transportation and buildings. It was created by the Soviet KGB in 1974. Initially, this special-purpose counter-terrorism unit was involved in delicate operations which necessitated its members have a unique skill set. Throughout the 1980s, Alpha became increasingly deployed domestically to respond to a rising number of hostage taking situations, including at least two cases which involved buildings being taken over and hostages taken by violent groups of deserters from the Soviet Army, as well as other armed organizations.A while back Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical had a chance to spend an afternoon at the Dynamo Shooting Range in Mytishchi, Russia with the Russian Special Forces Alpha team. There Larry watched the Russian SF team lead by Andre (the Rep) on several CQB confidence drills that they run their new operatives through. This sneak peak gives us an idea of the advanced skill sets of these Alpha team operatives.[embedded content]
The objective of these crazy and dangerous drills is to instill confidence and focus on the task at hand, it is another form of “Stress Fire” training on steroids. One of AmSJ staff have witnessed something similar to this method of training while stationed in South Korea and had a chance to observe the South Korean 707th SF prior to the 1988 Olympics. For the norm it is very dangerous to do.

Breakdown of the Drills1. Operator1 is wearing a protective vest, armed with a loaded pistol in side holster and stands approximately 10 yards away from a silhouete target. Second person (Operator2) armed with a pistol while holstered walks up parallel to the silhouette target and stops next to it pivots and face Operator1 and fires 3 rounds to his chest. (Note Operator2 stands offset to the target, this exposes the target partially)Operator1 responds by drawing his pistol and firing at the face area of the silhouette target, thus simulating an actual face shot.
2. Multiple Targets – Three silhouette targets in the front with three in the back offset to the side. The operator job is to shoot to a specific target given by a command from one of the trainers. The flow of the drill is one after another while being taunted and shoved around while maintaining focus on hitting the target.
3. Multiple Targets with Live Person – This drill is the same as the second, but there are 2 live people standing in the back amongst the target. Obviously, this drill requires even more focus as the live personnel represents innocent bystanders at near proximity of target.
Even the Pros have Accidental Discharge
Warning do not try this at home, please consult with a certified gun instructor.

Looking to get some Ammo, have a look below.

Filed Under: 2A, Alpha team, Industry, Just Plinking, Military, News, tactics & tips, Vicks Tactical

Barton on Utah Beach

May 18, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

D-Day through the eyes of the US 4th Infantry Division’s Commander
Story by Stephen A. Bourque“I, Bill York (Aide), and Jas. K. Richards (Driver) landed, dry footed, by ‘Snowbuggy’ from the LCT [Landing Craft, Tank]. Some artillery fire (hostile), one half-track burning, and Co. A, 1st Amphibious Engineers digging in against seawall instead of doing their job of helping my troops across the beach. I rooted them out and onto the job with my pistol and cusswords. I learned later from York and Richards, who returned to the beach, that they went right back under the seawall as soon as I left.” –Maj. Gen. Raymond O. “Tubby” Barton

Colonel Rodwell and General Barton. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

General Allen. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

Despite the massive amount of literature describing every aspect of American performance in Normandy on June 6, 1944, historians have told us little as to what the commanders of the three American divisions (1st, 4th, and 29th Infantry) were doing after General Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered “the great and noble undertaking” of that fateful day. However, thanks to the discovery of Raymond O. Barton’s unpublished war diary, supplemented by other manuscripts and interviews, we better understand how the 4th Infantry Division commander spent the period immediately before boarding ships, crossing the English Channel, and during the battle on June 6.By the time he arrived on Utah Beach, Barton had already spent 32 years in active service. He was Ada, Oklahoma’s 1908 high school valedictorian and a 1912 graduate of the US Military Academy. While at West Point, he earned the nickname “Tubby,” because of the solid build he developed on the wrestling mat and football field. It was a nickname he loved and he used it among, and when writing to, his friends. His first assignment was with the 30th Infantry Regiment, serving in Alaska, San Francisco, the Plattsburgh, New York, training camps, and the Mexican border. His World War I service was in the United States, primarily in New York and Georgia, training officers on machine gun use and employment.Joining the 8th Infantry Regiment in Coblenz, Germany, in 1919, he served as part of the American occupation force at the end of the war. The Army commander, Maj. Gen. Henry T. Allen, acknowledged his performance and potential when he selected the young major to lead General John J. Pershing’shonor guard during his Congressional Medal of Honor presentation to the French and British Unknown Soldiers in Paris and London in 1921.

The 4th Infantry Division’s headquarters staffat Portsmouth, England. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

His last act as commander of the 8th Regiment’s 1st Battalion was to supervise lowering the national flag over the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in 1923, signifying the end of American participation in the First World War. Returning to the United States, he traveled to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and attended the Command and General Staff School, turning down a teaching assignment at West Point. The War Department then assigned the new graduate as G-3 of the Seventh Corps Area in Omaha, Nebraska. Inaddition to his training responsibilities, he supervised corps relief operations during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. In 1928, he returned to the Command and General Staff School as an instructor of the two-year course, educating some of this nation’s most senior future commanders. He and his family then moved to Washington, D.C., first for attendance at the Army War College class of 1932 and then, until 1935, as professor of military science at Georgetown University.His subsequent assignments were in Georgia, first as a military liaison to the Civilian Conservation Corps and then as commander of the 8th Infantry Regiment on Tybee Island. In 1940, he became the first chief of staff of the recently reactivated 4th Infantry Division, the “Ivy Division,” at Fort Benning and chief of staff, IV Army Corps, where he was assigned when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

James Van Fleet, shown here as alieutenant general. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

During these last two assignments, he participated in the great series of prewar maneuvers in Louisiana and the Carolinas, serving with Maj. Gen. Oscar W. Griswold, who would go on to command the XIV Corps in the Pacific. After a short period in early 1942, as assistant division commander for the 85th Infantry Division, Barton assumed command of the 4th Motorized Division at Fort Gordon, Georgia, the post he had helped to design while the division’s chief of staff. After an extensive training period, the War Department directed Barton to convert the Ivy Division back to a standard infantry division organization. In February, he led the division to England and continued training until D-Day. Unfortunately, part of his command suffered casualties during the German torpedo boat attack at Slapton Sands in April, before the invasion.

Most division commanders operated in a whirlwind of activity and danger. It is not surprising that few had the time to publish accounts of their combat experience, as did senior commanders such as Eisenhower, Omar N. Bradley and J. Lawton Collins. Fortunately, historians have been able to piece together the 4th Infantry Division’s operations, using daily operations journals and detailed division after-action reports to provide a relatively accurate and complete narrative of the division’s actions. Each evening, Col. James S. Rodwell, the 4th Infantry Division chief of staff, and his deputies summarized the regimental reports and forwarded this document to the VII Corps headquarters. There, Col. Richard G. McKee, the VII Corps chief of staff, and his team prepared a corps-wide summary with these reports for Maj. Gen. J. Lawton Collins, the corps commander. He extracted appropriate portions and sent them on to First Army headquarters. At the end of each month, the division staff compiled its reports, including information on personnel, intelligence, logistics, and operations, and sent this monthly history, through the corps headquarters, to the adjutant general in Washington. Historians also have copies of the orders and instructions Barton issued to his subordinates.

[embedded content]

Although this material has been available for years, seldom mentioned is the extended letter Barton wrote to Cornelius Ryan when the latter was writing The Longest Day (Simon & Schuster, 1959).Composed 10 years after the event, it identified most of Barton’s actions that critical day, along with the occasional personal confession or vignette. Finally, Barton’s recently discovered war diary, maintained by his aide Capt. William B. York, and other personal letters and documents, augment and elaborate on the information that has been available since the 1950s. As a result, we now have a relatively accurate picture of how he spent this historic day and the following weeks.

General Barber. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

Ted RooseveltAn aspect that needs to be addressed is the relationship between Barton and Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Darryl F. Zanuck’s movie The Longest Day (1962) distorted what little the post-World War II generation knew about Tubby Barton and events surrounding this famous political and military personality.In March 1944, Collins visited the division to watch Barton’s regiments training. Such visits were not unusual, as they happened at least once a week. However, this time, Collins had another issue: what to do about Ted Roosevelt? Roosevelt, son of the former president, had a distinguished record in the First World War, after which, he helped to organize the American Legion. When World War II began, this politically connected officer rejoined the active forces as a brigadier general. He became the 1st Infantry Division’s deputy commander and served with Maj. Gen. Terry D. Allen in North Africa and Sicily. An aggressive unit on the battlefield, Eisenhower and Bradley believed it was an ill-disciplined mob behind the front lines. As a result, Bradley replaced the division’s chain of command once the Sicilian fighting ended. After his relief, Roosevelt traveled to England, where doctors forced him to check into a hospital to treat his pneumonia. Roosevelt was not happy on the sidelines, however, and lobbied with everyone he knew to get back into the field. So, Collins came down to 4th Division headquarters to tell Barton that Bradley had decided that Ted was now his and to use him as he saw fit.

Barton was not excited to get a possibly pretentious and arrogant president’s son as one of hissubordinates, but he had little choice. He already had an assistant division commander in Brig. Gen. Henry A. Barber Jr., who had been with him for several months. Also in the command group was Brig. Gen. Harold W. “Hal” Blakeley commanding the artillery.Therefore, he did not need an extra general officer in his command without a defined role. Nevertheless,on March 25, Roosevelt and his aide, Lt. Marcus O. Stevenson, reported for duty. It turned out Barton’s assessment was wrong, and his diary notes that the two became good friends within a very short time. Roosevelt had more combat experience than almost any general officer in the European Theater of Operations. By the time he reported to the Ivy Division, his awards included a Distinguished Service Cross with a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, a Silver Star with three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, a Distinguished Service Medal for World War I courage, and a Legion of Merit. Because Barber was already his assistant, Roosevelt became an extra general on the division staff.

The USS Bayfield off Utah Beach. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

In this role, he visited units daily and reported his observations back to Barton at the end of the day. Thedivision commander came to depend on the advice and mentorship this veteran could give him, and these nightly meetings became a standard occurrence in the months ahead.From the time the VII Corps staff briefed its plan, Roosevelt pleaded with Barton to land on Utah Beach with the first wave. Finally, on May 26, not on the USS Bayfield as the movie depicts, but in Portsmouth after Montgomery’s commanders’ conference, he wrote Barton a formal request. In his letter,Roosevelt, a veteran of previous landings, laid out five reasons for going in with the first landing craft.He concluded with, “I believe I can contribute materially to all of the above by going with the assault companies.Furthermore, I know personally both officers and men of these advance units and believe that it will steady them to know I am with them.” Barton had good reasons, none of them mentioned in the movie, not to allow “Rough Rider,” as Roosevelt often was called, to land at the beginning of the assault. From a practical standpoint, Col. James Van Fleet was Barton’s most experienced and competent regimental commander and would be in charge during the assault. He did not require a general standing next to him when he made decisions and gave his battalion and company commanders orders. Generals did not land with the first wave for an important reason; they had to stay out of the way while their subordinates did their jobs.

US Army plans for landing at Utah and Omaha Beaches (below)

Tubby also knew that Ted’s son Quentin was landing at the same time on Omaha Beach and did not relish the prospect of the father and son perishing during the invasion on the same day. It had nothing to do with The Longest Day’s insinuation that Barton wanted to keep him from harm because he was President Roosevelt’s son. He passed that danger threshold much earlier. If the letter had gone forward, there is little doubt that Collins, Bradley, and even Eisenhower would have supported the division commander. So, the letter, for the time being, went nowhere other than Barton’s desk, and he let Roosevelt go ashore.

Always good-natured about these things, Roosevelt respected his boss and knew Barton was trying to do the right thing. Writing to his wife on June 3, Roosevelt noted: “Most generals are afraid to battle for what they believe with superiors who hold the power over their advancement. One of the reasons I’m so fond of Tubby Barton is that he is not. He will never, wittingly, let his men down.” The following week, as he watched Roosevelt get into his landing craft, Barton “never thought he would see him again alive.”

In the ChannelThe division continued to load during the first three days of June, and Barton spent much time visiting his units, watching them load onto their LSTs (Landing Ship, Tanks) and other vessels. After a June 2 meeting at corps headquarters, he drove that evening to South Brent, England, his rear detachment headquarters. The war correspondents who were traveling with the division to France had gathered. It gave him a chance to meet personally the journalists accredited to the division, who would connect hissoldiers with their families back home.Henry T. Gorrell, the distinguished war correspondent for the United Press, would file the first report onNormandy’s invasion and later convey detailed accounts of the division’s progress across France. From CBS, Larry E. LeSueur would be with Barton and become an honorary member of the division. Kenneth G. Crawford, from Newsweek, would go ashore with Company C, 8th Infantry, and be in the heat of the fight from the beginning.

Lastly, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ira Wolfert, reporting for Reader’s Digest, would cross the channel with Barton. Tubby’s days in Omaha and with the CCC had prepared him well for working with the press. After the gathering, he then returned to the USS Bayfield for the evening. The following day, Barton continued visiting the various loading areas and talking to the soldiers and their leaders. He started on Portsmouth’s west side, at the Tamar docks, and then drove two hours east to Dartmouth, where he spoke to naval officers about the loading process. From there, he motored for an hour north to Torquay,where soldiers from the 3d Battalion, 8th Infantry, were boarding one of the transports. Already on board and crowding around the rails were soldiers from Company I. Riding with Barton and York was the former commander of that unit. When Barton arrived at the dock, he got out and moved towardthe transport. However, when the soldiers on the ship saw their former commander, they all began booing and hissing. As he later told Cornelius Ryan, he was “almost sick at this unexpected and bitter greeting. He was so hurt that he did not know what to say or do.” It was not until much later that he learned the booing was for the captain, whom the soldiers disliked.

After this painful incident, he boarded a motor launch and spent the rest of the day riding the boat among the ships that carried his soldiers: the USS Dickman, the USS Barnett, and the HMS Gauntlet, the largest. He was now feeling much better, and at each stop, he gave a little speech and wished them all luck. He then sailed over to Col. Hervey A. Tribolet’s LST and spent some time with him and his staff. Finally, he returned to land, linked up with his driver and his sedan, drove to Victoria Wharf at Queen Anne’s Battery, and turned the vehicle over to his quartermaster. He then boarded the USS Bayfield for the last time.

Because of the weather, Eisenhower and his commanders needed to delay the assault by one day, so the 4th Infantry Division spent the day onboard their ships. On June 5, the USS Bayfield hoisted anchor at 0930, moved out of Plymouth, and joined its convoy heading for France. The scale of this undertaking is difficult to imagine. Each of Barton’s regimental combat teams required 13 Landing Craft, Infantry, six LCTs, and five LSTs. Each vessel towed a barrage balloon to deter air attacks. Cruisers and destroyers protected the flanks of the moving convoy. Somewhere in the channel, an Allied fighter shot down a German plane as it approached the convoy. The Bayfield’s crew heard the report and used the public address system to let everyone onboard know that the shooting had begun. The convoy was Task Force 125, and its crossing was not without incident. The vessel carrying a battery from the 29th Field Artillery Battalion hit a mine as it approached the shore, causing its entire complement of guns and prime movers to sink to the bottom of the channel. It is doubtful that Barton noticed a young gunner’s mate, Peter Berra, performing his crew duties. After the war, “Yogi” Berra would become one of the greatest ballplayers of all time and remain a staunch supporter of service members for the rest of his life.

Although Barton would spend almost 165 days in combat, it was the first one that, in many ways, was themost important. By now, Barton had nearly two full years of training and leading the division – more than that when including his time as chief of staff and 8th Infantry commander.He had supervised its preparation for combat in extensive exercises in the Carolinas and in amphibious training in Florida and England. He knew all of the division’s senior officers and most of the company commanders personally. Few American units would be as prepared for its first day of battle as the Ivy Division. Yet, after 32 years in uniform, this was his first taste of actual combat. Barton told CorneliusRyan that he constantly fretted about becoming so afraid that he would freeze and fail as a combat leader. On June 6, he would discover which was more robust: his natural human fear, or character developed in decades of preparing for this day.

An aerial view of Utah Beach.Exit 2 is on the left. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Like almost all commanders, there was little Barton could do that night or morning. Colonel Van Fleet’s 8th Infantry Regiment would lead the assault. A football player and coach and aggressive by nature, he was the right leader to drive his troops forward to link up with the 101st Airborne Division that landed the previous evening. Next in was Colonel Tribolet’s 22d Infantry. A caring and methodological commander, Barton thought he would do well rolling up the German fortifications on the coast. Finally, the newest commander and another football coach and player, Col. Russell P. “Red” Reeder, would lead the 12th Infantry through the gap between the other two regiments to expand the bridgehead.

After Van Fleet’s troops headed to the beach, Barton watched as the 22d and 12th Infantry formed up and headed to shore. Colonel Reeder later remembered the radio call before climbing into his landing craft: “Cactus to Cargo, come in.” Reeder responded to Barton: “Come in Cactus.” Then: “Good luck, Red.”General Barber was moving slower than planned that morning and pulled up alongside the Bayfield at 0625, asking Barton if the assault waves had moved on time. The commander’s short reply was yes, and his deputy headed off to shore.

Barber would join up with Tribolet’s 22d Infantry on the right flank, moving north and through the German coastal defenses. Four companies from the 8th Infantry Regiment, hit the beach precisely at 0630. Roosevelt went in with Company B on the right and began coordinating the advance of its two assault battalions: Lt. Col. Conrad C. Simmons’s 1st Battalion and Lt. Col. Carlton O. MacNeely’s 2d Battalion. Within a few minutes on the beach, the two battalion commanders began telling Roosevelt that the actual beach terrain bore little resemblance to the sand tables and maps they had been pouring over for months. While the battalion leaders got their troops productively engaged in battle and moving forward, the brigadier had time to survey the battle area.

The veteran of previous assaults realized they were in the wrong place. He got his bearings, located where they should be, and moved from one commander to another, orienting them on their actual locations. He instructed MacNeely and Simmons to clear German troops from the strong points to their front and then head toward their original objectives. At 0915, Van Fleet arrived with the 3d Battalion, and Roosevelt updated him on the situation and his decisions. The regimental commander concurred and the follow-on units received instructions to follow the 8th onto the modified landing site. Both Van Fleet and MacNeely emphasized in their reports that Roosevelt was under machine gun and artillery fire during the entire period he was moving across the beach. They were impressed with his poise under fire and effectiveness as a leader. As the veteran among the group, he was the one who decided on the preferred course of action. Soldiers remember Roosevelt walking around the beach, poking soldiers with his cane and yelling “Get out of here! If we’re going to get killed, we’re going to get killed inland.” Unfortunately, Simmons would die in action on June 24, so we have no report from him on what heobserved during the landing.

The LandingAs a lieutenant with the 22d Infantry, Bob Walk served as a liaison officer between his regiment and division headquarters. He was on the LCT that served as the vessel for the liaison and radio jeeps and other vehicles from the headquarters command group. This cramped boat also served as Barton’s command post as the fight began. Bouncing alongside the Bayfield, Barton used the hood of Walk’s jeep as the table for his situation map. There, he listened to the reports from shore and monitored the action. According to the G-3 Journal, communications between Barton and his key leaders appeared to be excellent. Walk remembered Van Fleet’s reporting that everything was under control, and in fact the two leaders spoke at 0635 and again at 0650. Interestingly, there are no entries in the operations journal indicating that the landing location had changed early that morning. The June after-action report also says nothing about changing the location. Most likely, this veteran organization just took this friction in stride and continued to operate.

Generals Roosevelt and Barton examinemaps on Utah Beach. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

By 0904, the 22d Infantry was ashore. Barton now had three regimental commanders, two deputy commanders, and his artillery commander on the way or on the beach. He could wait no longer. Bob Walk remembers Tribolet, his regimental commander, calling in and reporting that everything was goingaccording to plan. After that report, he heard Barton say: “That’s enough for me, let’s go.” At 0900, he left the Bayfield for the beach.At 0934, he reported his arrival on the beach. As quoted at the beginning of this article, he, Jason K. Richards, his driver, and Capt. William B. York, his aide-de-camp, arrived on the shore in their M29 Cargo Carrier – he referred to it as the “Snowbuggy,” but soldiers called it the Weasel. It did not go far, as his driver mired it in the sand with a broken track. Barton jumped off the vehicle and moved to shore on foot.

Bill York directed Pvt. John Sears, driving another M29, to go back to the beach and gather Barton’s gear and maps and bring them to the general, which he did. Sears was supposed to be General Barber’s driver, but because he was late and did not land with the early waves, he had a utility role that morning.Barton later admitted he was terrified, as the sounds of weapons fire were all around him. A Germanartillery shell exploding nearby only increased his concern. He encountered the engineers behind the seawall, noted at the beginning of this article, and continued moving inland. He did not go far, but found a house with a high, brick-walled courtyard on the dunes. Most likely, this was just south of the postwar Utah Beach Museum. Meanwhile, the German artillery was increasing its fire rate, and anyone on the beach was a potential casualty, so the house gave some protection. By radio, he contacted his deputies and regimental commanders; all reported things were on track. At 1025, one of the deputies, probably Roosevelt, reported that they had landed “5,100 yards from the main objective.” This was the first note in the division reports acknowledging the change.

General Barton

Brig General James Wharton

Barton is quite open that there was little he could do at this point. His regimental commanders had a plan, and Roosevelt and Barber were on the ground making the needed adjustments. He had a reasonably good understanding of the landing’s progress and saw no need to make any changes.Barton sent out liaison officers and others to find out the situation around him. Lt. Joseph Owen remembered that at about 1100, Barton sent him toward Sainte-Mère-Église to find the exact location of the 8th Infantry Regiment. On his way, he remembered running into Roosevelt, who slowed down his jeep to yell out, “Hey Boy, they’re shooting up there,” followed by a big “Haw Haw.”One constant among 4th Infantry Division soldiers that morning was Roosevelt’s ubiquitousness. He ranged across the entire beach area without any fixed responsibilities, advising, coordinating, and keeping things moving. Owen found Van Fleet, and the colonel instructed one of his officers to mark the battle map for delivery back to Barton.

By noon, his battle staff and those who landed to assist during the early hours of the invasion beganto join him. One of the first was Lt. Col. Dee W. Stone, the G-5 (Civil Affairs and Military Government), who had found Maj. Philip A. Hart, one of his temporary staff officers, severely wounded at the water’s edge. The amphibious engineers present (under the seawall’s shelter) refused to help Stone rescue Hart from the advancing tide, but he was able to move the wounded officer to safety. Then Lt. Col. Richard S. “Dick” Marr, the G-4, and Capt. Parks Huntt, his headquarters commandant, arrived, reported, and began moving toward the planned headquarters site.Subsequently reporting in was Col. James E. Wharton, the 1st Engineer Special Brigade commander and the senior commander for the soldiers Barton encountered at the seawall. As Barton notes in his letter to Cornelius Ryan: “The colonel took the trouble to inform me that his men were not the only ones quitting their missions at the seawall but that some of mine had done the same – in the beginning that was true but Ted Roosevelt cured that.” One suspects the division commander let him know how he felt.

Troops take shelter behind the seawallon Utah Beach. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

While at the beach house, Barton says he had little idea as to what was going on: “I was in a semi fog. No contact nor communications with anyone but those present … About a mile off our planned landing point. No idea of where nor how my assault battalions were, except that I did know they had taken their beach and gone on inland.” This is not exactly true, as the G-3 Journal clearly indicates he hadreasonable communications and was in contact with his leaders. It might not have been to his standard, but he was not out of the fight. His most important contribution that morning was when commanders of the attached units found him and asked if he had any instructions. In every case, he said: “No; just go ahead on your job per plan.”

Around 1300, Barber’s aide found Barton and guided him to the temporary command post. Thisimpromptu collection of vehicles and staff officers was just south of Causeway 2, directly opposite the modern Utah Beach Museum and across from Marker 1 on the Voie de la Liberté.There, Lt. Col. Orlando C. Troxel (G-3) and Lt. Col. Harry F. Hansen (G-2) and their small staffs were atwork monitoring the combat team’s progress. Now, by early afternoon, Barton was beginning to gain control or at least good situational awareness of how the regiments were doing. Dick Marr reported that the infantry had crossed the low ground the Germans had flooded and were making good progress inland. All reports indicated that everything was generally going according to plan. There was little Barton could do; he had to let the commanders do their jobs. However, he noticed that many of the following units were backing up on the causeways and having trouble moving inland.Tubby could see that Causeway 2 (U5) was bumper-to-bumper with vehicles and not moving. Without intending to, GIs performing their assigned local duties made it difficult to get the division’s combat power forward into the fight. Engineers improving the route, antiaircraft guns, and wire teams were all making movement difficult.

Therefore, Barton and Marr went to the traffic jam, looked at the situation, and ordered everything nonessential off the road. Some vehicles also had broken down, blocking the road. Barton had soldiers move anything in the way off the trail and into the swamp. Once traffic across the causeway was flowing, troops would spend the rest of the night pulling the unfortunate broken-down vehicles out of the mire.

Troxel received reports that the division had captured Causeway 3 (T7) just to the north, and it was open for use. Nearby, Lt. Col. C. G. Hupfer’s 746th Tank Battalion was still near the landing area. Barton wanted it off the beach and to its next position near Audouville-la-Hubert. Because of the congestion in front of him, he began developing an alternate route for the armor, using the reportedly open road.In the middle of all that confusion, around 1500, Roosevelt arrived at the temporary command post. They joyfully embraced each other. Then, of course, Teddy wanted to talk. Barton later noted: “He was bursting with information (which I sorely needed) – but wouldn’t let him talk.” He was under pressure to get the tank battalion into the fight. He later noted: “Try some day to keep a Ted Roosevelt from sounding off if he wants to – but I did.”

In the middle of all of this, his aide Bill York interrupted the proceedings and notified his boss that some Associated Press photographers wanted pictures of the division commander. “Reluctantly and irritably,” he consented. It broke his chain of thought and the photographers took their time in taking the photos. Barton was “mad as hell” because the only thing he wanted to do was get the tanks on the road and talk to Ted. Finally, the photographers departed, and Barton later cherished the photographs. Hupfer got his orders and returned to his command, and now Barton and Roosevelt could catch up.

[embedded content]

The NightIt was around 1900 when Barton arrived at Blakeley’s headquarters. For the first time since leaving the Bayfield, he had good communications and could contact his regimental commanders by radio. Nearby, Capt. Parks Huntt began to establish the division’s operations center. Barton went over to see howthings were going. Huntt, who was always proper in his military bearing, came over to the general, raised his arm to render a salute, and immediately tumbled to the ground. He got to his feet, again tried to salute, and fell again. Barton, who had been extremely tense and fearful of his first combatexperience for the last two weeks, broke into laughter as artillery shells exploded around them. Apparently, one nearby explosion temporarily affected his headquarters commandant’s equilibrium and raising his arm had the effect of knocking him off his feet.

US troops under German artillery fire onUtah Beach. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

Barton helped him up and said: “Forgive me, Parks, but you looked so damn silly wheeling around that I couldn’t help laughing, why don’t you lie down for a bit.” Barton reported to Ryan that his fear of battle never affected him again. He walked over to the intersection and found Van Fleet (Combat Team 8), watching some of his troops load a soldier into an ambulance. Barton was anxious to get on with his tasks but came over to talk with his commander.

Just then, a tall, distinguished-looking Frenchman, in coat and knickers, came up to them waving a marked map and excitedly trying to tell them something. Van Fleet had to leave, and Barton remained with the civilian, whom he could not understand but turned out to be a retired army colonel. He was trying to convince Barton that a German artillery battery was close by, but Tubby had recently walked by that location and saw nothing. After politely saying goodbye, he walked over to Rodwell, who had recently joined the command post group. Just then, a report arrived confirming the French colonel’s warning.

He told his chief “to run out to the road, grab the first combat outfit he found and have it go take the hostile battery.” Rodwell found an element of an antitank battalion going into bivouac and grabbed some of its infantrymen. He was back soon with the report, “mission accomplished with ease.” Around 2100, it was still light in this northern part of the world in June.There was still little Barton and Blakeley could do to influence the battle until the command posts were operational and the staff began processing the unit reports. The infantry was settling into its evening positions, and the artillery batteries were repositioning to best support them. Therefore, Barton and Blakely decided to inspect the piece of France that now belonged to the 4th Infantry Division. With Sergeant Richards still driving the M29 Weasel, he and York headed out to visit a captured German artillery battery nearby at Saint-Martin-de-Varreville. The Ninth Air Force had done a good job taking it out, as it was in a position to have hurt Barton’s assault battalions.

Unlike the Eighth Air Force’s heavy bombers that failed to destroy the German fortifications on Omahaand the other beaches, the medium bombers of the Ninth were precise. Their accurate air attacks had prevented enemy gunners from interfering with the landings and inflicting casualties on the American troops. They drove around looking at some of the other positions, and near Causeway 4 (S9), the farthest north, Barton’s vehicle threw a track around 2330 as it was getting dark. Not able to repair it on the spot and located right along the front lines, Barton and York climbed into Blakely’s vehicle. The general assured Richards that they would send help. According to Barton, Richards did not say a word, but after the war told him, “he never felt so lonely, nor scared.”

Sometime after 2330, Barton and Blakely arrived at the headquarters at Audouville-la-Hubert, where Rodwell had the staff operating. He gave Barton an overview of his division’s status. From the beginning, the landing had gone well. Frankly, it is incorrect to say that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. An operation plan is nothing more than a scripted series of events that provide leaders with the direction for the opening phase of an operation. In this case, the nature of the region’s currents and the loss of one of the naval control vessels caused the first wave to land south of the intended landing area.It turned out to be a brilliant stroke of luck as the German defenses were weaker than the original sector. Once ashore, the leaders went about their business as if on another practice exercise. Everything that happened in those first few hours reflected on the division cadre’s high level of preparation.

Generally forgotten in most narratives is the division staff’s role in ensuring that the regiments were as prepared as possible to handle the friction of battle. Rodwell and his crew monitored the enemy situation and the infantry battalions’ progress while working behind the scenes away from photographers and journalists.They established the command post late in the afternoon and early evening and established radio contact with subordinate units. Now they could verify their situation and, if required, supply them with what they needed. First on the ground, and then by radio, they connected with the 82d and 101st Divisions and began planning to organize the beachhead. Finally, they maintained contact with Colonel McKee and the VII Corps staff, still afloat, keeping him apprised of the division’s situation and requirements.When the division commander returned to the headquarters that night, Rodwell could give him theupdate he needed to make decisions, get his guidance, and start preparing orders to guide the fight over the next few days. Writers generally ignore the chief of staff’s role in most historical accounts, but he is as vital as any regimental commander, just not as noticeable. Barton was satisfied with how things went that day. He told Rodwell that night, “things are good; I think we made it.” By nightfall on D-Day they “were ashore, well inland, an intact operational division – and now proven veterans.”

Final ThoughtsBarton’s last act of June 6 was to gather his regimental commanders outside his command post. Someone had liberated a few bottles of champagne, and the commander shared them with Rodwell, Blakeley, Barber, Roosevelt, Tribolet, Van Fleet and Reeder, so they could “drink to the health of the best division in the army.” He began the day after his commanders had arrived and by the end of the day had regained control of his division. Barton’s fears of falling in battle had not materialized. However, using a football analogy, it was only the first series of downs and it would be a long game. Over the next three weeks, the division would claw its way north, fighting intense but generally forgotten battles at Crisbecq, Montebourg, Bois du Coudray, La Glacerie and the eastern side of Cherbourg.

Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division wadethrough swamps as they move inland fromUtah Beach. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES)

By the end of June, Barton’s division had been in continuous combat for over three weeks and would have little rest before it headed south back into the bocage near Carentan. During this intense three weeks of combat, the division lost 5,400 soldiers killed, wounded or captured – almost 40 percent of its authorized strength.Most of these losses took place in the three line regiments. Only five of the rifle company commanders who had made the D-Day landing were with the division three weeks later. Fortunately, many officers and newly promoted noncommissioned officers remained to steady the 4,400 replacements who partially refilled the division’s ranks. Among those missing at the end of June were some of the division’s key leaders. Barton’s deputy, Henry Barber, had worn himself out and would soon be on his way back to England. Barton lost all three of his regimental commanders. Although a great trainer, Hervey Tribolet, failed the test of battlefield leadership, and was simply too close to his soldiers.Collins and Barton had to relieve him and send him to army headquarters. James Van Fleet received a well-deserved promotion to brigadier and a new assignment, with Jim Rodwell taking his place. Probably the most heartbreaking for Barton was Red Reeder’s wounding and evacuation after only a few days of combat. The intense fighting killed four battalion commanders: Dominick P. Montalbano (2d Battalion, 22d Infantry), Thaddeus R. Dulin (3d Battalion, 12th Infantry), John W. Merrill (1st Battalion, 12th Infantry), and Conrad C. Simmons (1st Battalion, 8th Infantry). Seven out of his 12 frontline infantry combat commanders were gone. At the same time as Rodwell’s departure to the 8th Infantry, Collins took his G-3 Orlando Troxell and moved him to the same role at corps headquarters. After only three weeks of combat, Barton lamented:“We no longer have the division we brought ashore.” Ted Roosevelt would continue to mentor him for the next five weeks before suffering a heart attack. By then, Barton was a veteran commander and would continue to lead the division until his health gave out at the end of December. For Barton, D-Day was probably one of his best days in combat.

Editor’s notes: This story appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of Army History and is reprinted with permission from US Army Center of Military History. Dr. Stephen A. Bourque retired from the US Army after 20 years of enlisted and commissioned service in 1992.He earned a PhD at Georgia State University in 1996 and has taught at several civilian and military colleges. He retired as professor emeritus from the Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies in 2017. His most recent publications include D-Day 1944:The Deadly Failure of Allied Heavy Bombing on June 6 (Osprey, 2022) and Beyond the Beach: The Allied War Against France (Naval Institute Press, 2018). The French edition, Au-delà des plages: La guerre des Alliés contre la France (Humensis, 2019), received the Grand Prize in Literature from the l’Aeroclub de France in 2020. Bourque is completing a biography of Maj. Gen. Raymond O. “Tubby” Barton.

Filed Under: 2A, General Barton, Industry, Military, News, Utah Beach

Wisconsin Trigger – Perfect for the Tactical Shooter

May 15, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

The Wisconsin Trigger Company is committed to modernizing the design while retaining the same fundamental mechanics that inspired the aftermarket AR-15 2 stage trigger system industry back in the 90’s.
My perspective is from a tactical shooter perspective. I’ll be first to tell you I’m not a traditional match shooter. I have more experiences with tactical training and tactical matches, more 3 gun than national match competition. The two disciplines share many similarities. Among them grip, posture and trigger control.
If you have experience shooting an M-16 or AR-15 / AR-10 with a GI style single stage trigger you will have noticed that the pull is very heavy and a bit scratchy. Add in the totally unknown point of hammer release and you have the recipe for poorly placed shots.
With any of the Wisconsin Trigger Company M-K II trigger systems you will have none of these problems. All of M-K II model triggers are 2 stage triggers. A 2 stage trigger has just what the name implies, it has two stages. Stage one is a light smooth pull to the point the hammer comes against the disconnecter. This is known as the wall.At this point the hammer is held back by the pressure of the disconnecter spring, with the hammer and trigger hook overlapping by just a few thousandths of an inch and requiring just the slightest rearward movement to release the hammer. The M-K II systems will do this at the exact same point every time you pull the trigger, removing any question as to when your rifle will fire unlike other triggers.
Add in hand polishing, hand honing of all the critical areas, adjustable disconnecter, multiple 2nd stage and trigger springs and you have unparalleled smoothness and control.
Here’s an image of a single stage GI style trigger . What you see is the distance the trigger travels when releasing the hammer. With this style trigger you have no indication the rifle is about to fire until it does.

With the M-K II 2 stage trigger you will notice the difference. The trigger is pulled to the “wall”. Beyond this point the gun will fire each and every time predictably.

The completed position of Stage II.
All of the Wisconsin Trigger Company M-K II triggers can be adjusted to be a super light trigger. But you don’t need to do this. Our attention to detail and commitment to quality allows you to run a heaver trigger spring and have the feel of a super light trigger without the safety problems of an over light trigger. The result is patrol rifle safety with national match feel.
For more information on WTC trigger and if you’re looking for a sponsor for your youth shooting team, please
visit the Wisconsin Trigger Company here.
Sources: Ron Albaneese, Wisconsin Trigger Company

Looking to get some Ammo, have a look below.

Filed Under: 2 Stage Trigger, 2A, Gear, Industry, MKII Stage2, News, Ron Albaneese, Wisconsin Trigger

Modern Day Gunfighting Lawmen

May 3, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

Gunslinging Lawmen of the 20th Century – that you never Heard of
First thought that comes to mind is Wyatt Earp. We’re talking lawmen from the mid 1930’s to later in the 20th century. You’ll see a common core that they all share in their survival stories – that is to be very decisive and not hesitate when it was time to pull the trigger. Maybe, this was a function of the eras during which some of these officers worked, partly the assignments they had, and partly it was just that their own natures made them particularly proactive.What stands out is that these lawmen did not use the conventional best practice way of shooting that we’re accustomed to. Such as sight alignment, grips, smooth trigger pull, sight picture, Isoceles/Weaver stances, etc… Though, these lawmen have their way of shooting or what was taught back in those days…
These lawmen were no slouch when things heated up, they fought the bad guys with grit and determination. Their high level of discerning a deadly situation and making a quick decision to act on it to save lives help in providing a safer community. Without further adieu here are some of the 20th century lawmen that you may never have heard of:
Ralph FriedmanNYPD’s Most Decorative Detective of the 70′-80’s.He was assigned to the 41st Precinct in the Bronx, known as Ft Apache. It was one of the highest crime rate areas in the country. During his career he made over 2,000 arrests. Ralph Friedman was involved in 15 shootouts in the course of which he was forced to shoot eight perpetrators, killing four.After two years on with NYPD, in 1972, he had to kill a man in the line of duty for the first time. Here is how Friedman describe this terrible experience.The following is an excerpt from Ralph Friedman book “Street Warrior”:“Muzzle blasts lit up the area. We’d passed through a short foyer adjacent to the living room and were now standing in a hallway that led to the rear of the apartment. There was a black male three feet in front of us, shirtless, gun extended, firing rapidly. Kal went down almost immediately, firing his revolver as he pitched forward. The noise of the gunfight in a confined space was ear-shattering, and I felt as if an ice pick was being shoved into my brain. I had my gun extended and was firing rounds at the guy who was shooting at us. The room was caught up in a strobe-like miasma of light, scream and curses.
“The gunman tried to get by me, but I grabbed his shoulder and we struggled, grunting and swearing, although our voices sounded muffled given the effect the gunshots had on my hearing. Everything was happening very quickly, yet it felt like slow motion. I was fighting for my life, nearly deaf from the gunshots, and wondering if I’d been hit. The shooter was about my height, medium build. A river of adrenaline was pumping through me, and I knew if I didn’t put him down, I was gonna die.I heard the approaching cavalry — the job now a rapid response ‘shots fired,’ allowing for flashing lights and sirens all the way — or thought I did. The troops were coming, and I hoped they’d arrive in time. As we fought, I pressed my gun against the gunman’s chest, hoping I still had ammo, and fired. I heard the welcome sound of a boom, no empty chamber click. The gunman went down like a dropped anchor. I found later he’d been hit a few times, but my last round got him in the heart. The three of us had fired a total of 18 rounds in what couldn’t have been more than a 10-second gun battle inside what seems like a medium-sized closet.”Here is what he learned from his gun fighting experiences:-I carried two while on duty — so why learn an entirely new weapon? Surviving a gunfight is about shot placement, not throwing numerous rounds at a target and hoping a few hit their mark. Training is the key, not necessarily large-capacity magazine.
-Carry enough guns. Carry enough gun. Sub-optimal 158-gr. SWC .38 Special rounds were issued during Friedman’s time on NYPD. Revolvers were superseded by 16-shot 9mm autos in the early 1990s, and the last .38 grandfathered as a primary duty gun left the streets of the Big Apple in August of 2018. Circa 1999, New York City cops at last got hollow point ammunition, and the 9mm Speer Gold Dot 124-gr. +P seems to have solved long standing complaints about feeble ammo from the rank and file of New York’s Finest.
-Maximum control equals maximum hit potential. Friedman told me except for when he killed the man who shot his partner, while grappling at muzzle contact, he was able to hold his .38 in both hands in all his other shootings. He also said every shot he ever fired on the street was double action.
-Have secure holsters, including off-duty scabbards that won’t dislodge from your belt in a strenuous physical fight.

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Delf A. Bryce also known as “Jelly Bryce” Jelly Bryce was an Oklahoma City policeman and an FBI agent, active from 1928 to 1958. He was significant for being an exceptional marksman and a fast draw. He survived 19 gunfights, some during the “gangster era.” Bryce was considered a master of point shooting.At the age of 22, on his second day with Oklahoma City police he confronted a thief trying to hot-wire a car. He identified himself as a police officer, after which the suspect drew a pistol; Bryce then drew his and shot and killed the criminal.On another occasion during his first year, while patrolling in a police car, he confronted two thieves attempting to break into furniture store premises. After Bryce demanded their surrender they both fired pistols; Bryce then drew and fired twice, killing both men.Jelly Bryce shooting skills were freakingly amazing and accurate. Though, he possessed natural shooting talent, he also trained relentlessly both with live fire and dry firing in front of a mirror. What sets him apart from someone in a gunfight is that Bryce can quickly assess the situation and beat his perpetrator to the punch (shoot) first while on the move.For those that knew him, Jelly Bryce was a fanatic when it came to training. Here are some of his methodology:Fast draw
Accurate point shooting
Training relentlessly with Live fire
Drawing and Dry Firing in front of a mirror daily
Being decisive in gunfights
In other words – move, draw, and shoot quickly and accurately under stress.Here’s Youtuber OrigamiAK demonstrating shooting on the move from the appendix carry.[embedded content]
Bob Stasch – Chicago PD Veteran Of 14 GunfightsHere is a 52 minute interview with Chicago PD Lieutenant Bob Stasch. He has been in 14 gunfights. Many people have big beliefs and swear on “stopping power”. Hearing Bob Stasch encounters in his LEO gunfights it seems that there is a possibility that people have a stronger will to survive beyond rational belief. I tell customers at work, that people will surprise you. They can defy physics and rationality and Bob Stasch’s example is a good one.[embedded content]
He shares his personal retort to “why did you fire?”. “I fired to live” as opposed to “I fired because i was in immediate danger of death or serious bodily harm”. It is a subtle change that still conveys the same amount of information in a short and concise method.Gunfights happens at arms length and no further than 20 feet away
Best point of aim is eye to target, eye to muzzle, emphasis on the front sight which leads to point/instinctive shooting for gunfighting.
If there were shots fired at greater distances than 20 feet, it was suppressive fire for cover
Center mass shots may not stop an attacker, head shots would need to be relied on.
His preferred practice target is a 6″ paper plate. From his experience in gunfights, he has progressed to aim for the head. If he can hit the plate, he is confident he can hit a head at combat distances.
Use of two hands while combat shooting was never used. Everything was one hand shooting.
Use of off hand were normally used for talking on the radio, putting hand out for balance while shooting
Frank Pape Chicago PDPape “sent 300 men to prison, five to the electric chair and engaged in more than a dozen gun battles, surviving without a scratch while sending nine suspects to their graves.” Pape had never fired his gun in the line of duty until his partner, Morris Friedman, was gunned down. After that, he “carved for himself a reputation for fearlessness if not ruthlessness, sometimes going after criminals with a Thompson submachine gun.‘My attitude was: If you shoot at me, I’m going to kill you if I can,’ Pape said years later. ‘Of the nine people I shot, every one of them had a gun and in every instance they had used it or were about to use it. I wouldn’t take them into custody and I don’t give a damn who criticized me for it.’”Due to the nature of Frank Pape’s nature of hazardous assignment, he was known to carry multiple pistols. Before high capacity magazine was the norm, Frank Pape needed to be armed with multiple pistols while on these raids. So Frank custom tailored his pants and coat pockets to carry extra pistols.Frank Pape was known to be armed with .38 caliber revolvers, 44 Magnum and even a Thompson machinegun when taking down robbers.Jim CirilloThe late Jim Cirillo was a member of the New York City Police Department’s Stakeout Squad (SOU), where he was forced to kill at least 11 men in the course of more than 20 gunfights during the 40-man unit’s some 250-plus stakeouts.Jim was armed with his issue Smith & Wesson M10 4-inch barrel .38 Special revolver, but he also used a matching gun as one of his back-ups, which included his personally owned Colt Cobra .38 Special 2-inch barrel and Walther PPK in .32 ACP. He was also armed with either of two types of 12-gauge shotguns – a short, double-barrel Savage or a short-barrel Ithaca Model 37—and the option to use an S&W Model 76 9mm submachine gun. In an interview conducted by Paul Kirchner a question was asked whether the use of sights during a gunfight was necessary. Jim said he did use his sights whenever he could.In his first and most written-about shootout (the second of the SOU and his first gunfight), he and “George Ballinger” (a fictitious name at the officer’s request) set up at the Old McDonald’s Farm Store on 101st Avenue in the Jamaica section of Queens, New York. Jim fired six shots in 3 to 4 seconds against threats with exposed areas no more than 8 inches in diameter at distances of 20 to 25 yards.Jim and his partner were hiding behind and slightly above the cashier counter when the three robbers entered. One confronted the cashier. As Jim rose to challenge him, the codpiece on Jim’s vest fell loudly to the floor, causing the robber to duck down behind the counter and run along its length. Jim shot him three times in the head and killed him. He then fired at the other two as they ran out. His partner also fired, using a shotgun. The two robbers were later arrested, suffering from handgun and 00-buckshot wounds. Jim said he was looking so hard at the front sight of his revolver he could see the serrations in it.What was and is still ignored are instances where he or other officers were not able to do such sighting. In these later instances, they were confined in small spaces or had to fire through small shooting ports such that they could not sight their handguns. They still came out on top with the felons either dead or seriously wounded.In my conversations with him, Cirillo further clarified what he meant, saying he knew where the sights were while he looked at the “background,” He also said his shootings were done at the subconscious level and reflected how he trained.If you have the time, favorable lighting and the need for a precise shot at some distance, take the best sight picture you can get. Conversely, if you are up close and under attack, use only as much (if any) sighting needed to make the same well-placed shot, keeping in mind Jim also found that only accurate shots, regardless of caliber, can stop a life or death fight.Looking to get some Ammo, have a look below.

Filed Under: 2A, Bob Stasch, Frank Pape, Gunfights, Industry, Jelly Bryce, Jim Cirillo, Law Enforcement, News, NYPD, Ralph Friedman

Sig P320 Subcompact Review

April 19, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

The Sig P320 Subcompact is a pistol that has gained a reputation for its accuracy and reliability, making it a popular choice among CCW carriers. This compact firearm is designed to be easy to carry, yet still deliver the same level of performance as its larger counterparts. (to a certain degree)

At the heart of the Sig P320 Subcompact’s appeal is its accuracy. The pistol is designed to be easy to shoot accurately, making it a great choice for self-defense and target shooting. Its 3.6-inch barrel provides a less print and the low bore axis helps to reduce muzzle rise, making follow-up shots faster and more accurate.

The pistol’s trigger is smooth and consistent, with a crisp break and a short reset. This makes it easy to shoot accurately and quickly, even under stress. The trigger pull weight is also adjustable, allowing you to customize it to your preferences. (5.5 to 6.5 pounds)

The Sig P320 Subcompact’s ergonomics also contribute to its handling and reliability. The grip is designed to provide a secure hold, with a texturized surface that prevents slipping. The grip angle is also designed to provide a natural point of aim, which makes it easier to shoot accurately. Additionally, the pistol’s overall balance and weight distribution make it easy to hold steady.

The pistol’s durability and reliability are also noteworthy. The Sig P320 Subcompact is designed to function flawlessly, even in adverse conditions. Its durable construction ensures that it can withstand frequent use and abuse, making it a great choice for anyone who needs a reliable firearm they can depend on.

Night Sights

The Sig P320 Subcompact’s night sights are also a plus for quickly acquiring the target. The pistol features a standard set of SIGLITE night sights, which are easy to acquire and provide excellent visibility in low-light situations. The rear sight is adjustable, allowing you to customize your sight picture to your preferences.

Slide Stop

Manipulating the slide is easy and the design is standard across most striker fired pistols. The magazine release is positioned for easy access.(ambidextrous) Some shooters have reported slide malfunctions after putting thousands of rounds down range. This has to do with the “slide stop“ on this smaller frame, this sticks out a lot more than its previous version. Meaning for some shooters their grip may cause the slide locking back mid magazine while shooting. (heads up)

The Sig P320 Subcompact also offers customization options, allowing you to tailor the pistol to your preferences. The pistol’s modular design means that you can easily swap out different components, such as the grip module, to create a pistol that is customized to what you like.

For Self-Defense, the Sig P320 Subcompact is a plus choice to have, maybe to backup your primary carry.(its up to you) Its compact size makes it easy to carry concealed which is a segway into the type of loads that you should carry that are effective for those just-in-case moments. This article isn’t about all the type of loads but here’s a quick list.

9mm Ammo On Sale

The Sig P320 Subcompact is not the best choice for target shooting but doable for maintenance and familiarization purpose. For close encounter this subcompact will do its job accurately.

Range Time – Some shooters who have run this pistol with Federal American Eagle 115 grain FMJ loads found the performance flawless, as expected had no problem handling any JHP ammo except for the slide hiccup mentioned above.

Overall, the Sig P320 Subcompact is an excellent choice for anyone. However, it’s important to make a decision based on your desired features, the gun’s attributes, tradeoffs, and your personal use and needs.

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Specs:

Action:           Double Action Striker-Fired Semi-AutoCaliber:          9x19mm (Also available .40 S&W, .357 SIG, .45 ACP)Capacity:       12+1 rds (Also available 10 rds, 10 rds, 6 rds); Magazine Catch repositions to either sideGrip Width:    1.06” (3 Glass-Reinforced Grip Modules in small, medium & large sizes))Weight:          24.9 oz. with Empty MagLength:          6.67”Height:           4.67”Barrel:            3.55”Slide:              Nitron High-Strength Stainless Steel; Front & Rear Cocking Serrations; Slide-Catch Lever functions from both sidesFrame:            One-Piece Stainless Steel Frame; Black Polymer Grip Module- Available in various sizes (Also available Flat Dark Earth & Two-Tone Flat Dark Earth Colors)Sights:           High Contrast or SIGLITE Night Sights in Different HeightsOther:             2 Trigger Lengths- Standard & Short; Removable & Interchangeable Fire Control & Grip Modules; No tools or trigger manipulation required for Take-Down; Uses Compact 15 & Full-Size 17 magsMSRP:            $628 (Black-Standard)

Filed Under: 2A, Industry, News, Pocket Pistols, Sig P320 Subcompact

Training with Tactician..

April 18, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

With deep backgrounds in martial arts and the MarineCorps, Allen Elishewitz is one of the self-defense circuit’s“best all-around trainers,” says author Paul Pawela.

It’s all about Defining Angles of Attack for Defensive and Offensive Counters with Knives and Guns.
Story and Photos by Paul PawelaIn studying the words of psychologist Jordan Peterson, one of his pearls of wisdom is to observe life’s patterns, which is a rudimentary must for success in everything life has to offer. Former Delta Force Commander Pete Blaber also reinforces this sentiment in his book The Mission, the Men, and Me. Commander Blaber points out that whether it be in combat, business or life, our mind’s ability torecognize life’s underlying patterns is our most effective weapon.Ernest Emerson, a master-at-arms and knife-maker extraordinaire, also states that criminals and terrorists follow patterns, even if only general ones. He points out some examples of a mugger, rapist, terrorist or murderer. Often, they plan to tie you up and move you from the initial attack scene. Once this happens, the odds are very high they will try to kill you once they have done what they wanted to accomplish.

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Another pattern of criminal behavior is picking the easiest, weakest, most vulnerable and most unaware people they can. They want the people who will give them little to no resistance, and they always use tactics of surprise and ambush to accomplish their goals.These patterns with regards to self-preservation have been true since the dawn of time and recorded as far back as the 1600s, when famed Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi wrote his classic book, The Book of Five Rings. Other classic books that one should read when learning and studying warlikebehaviors or counters to an enemy attack include The Art of War by Sun Tzu and On War by Carl Von Clausewitz. Modern works on the subject include On Killing and On Combat by David Grossman, Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee, The Seven Essential Skills Needed to Survive a Deadly Attack by Ernest Emerson, The Reluctant Partisan by John Mosby, and FBI Miami Firefight by Edmundo and Elizabeth Mireles.

Along with his aforementioned accreditations, Elishewitz – here with a bolo blade – is a knife-maker.

While the average citizen is determined to go about their business to provide for their families withfood, shelter and quality of life, many families don’t have a plan to defend what they love if faced with a criminal confrontation.

Elishewitz demonstrates the draw sequence for his latest custom knife

As discussed in American Shooting Journal in previous articles, certain elements must be reinforced when learning how to implement self-defense in the realm of deadly force. The key component when it comes to defensive techniques is that the basic skills are always simple, straightforward and practical, and can be applied equally to both young and old, male and female. The other important thing is finding an instructor who knows the right curriculum that applies to civilians specifically, and works on the streets and in our courts to be absolutely correct on both counts.

ONE OF THE few instructors I’ve found who offers top-notch instruction that relates to all walks of life is Allen Elishewitz. He has been on my radar for years, but not for what you may think. Elishewitz has the reputation of being one of the best tactical custom knife-makers in the world. This makes sense becausesome of the best ever to make swords or short swords (today, our modern short swords are knives) were the Japanese samurai. Since their swords were a way of life for them, the samurai sword was tested by highly specialized professionals. The sword would be fitted into a special mounting and test cuts would be performed on bodies, bundles of straw, armor and metal sheets. Elishewitz continues the tradition of testing – although with more modern technologies – which makes his knives highly desired amongst the elite counter-terrorists in the world. So it should be no surprise that Elishewitz would also be a tactical instructor, under the company banner Tactician Concepts (tacticianconcepts.com).

9mm Ammo On Sale

Elishewitz has a fascinating background. His family had traveled to different parts of the world for business, so as a child he grew up living in Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand. His travels led him to personally train in some of the most brutal martial arts in the world. He not only studied but mastered Okinawan te, Thai boxing, northern Shaolin kung fu and kali, among others. Many readers may not know what these styles are, but as previously stated, they all have commonalities and patterns. Footwork and body positions of angles of attack for both offensive and defensive purposes are essential, whether unarmed or armed with knife or gun.

Close-quarter counters defending against a knife with a gun.

In addition to his martial arts background, for over 35 years Elishewitz has trained with some of the world’s finest self-defense trainers. He has trained in precision long-range shooting, carbine and pistol with Travis Haley, Pat McNamara, Kyle Lamb, John Farnam, Gabe White, Sonny Puzikas and many others. I can personally vouch for these trainers, as I have also trained with them. However, one of the most impressive components of Elishewitz’s long and impressive resume is his solid foundation as an elite alumnus of the United States Marine Corps (remember, patterns of life’s success). While in the Marine Corps, he was well trained as a forward observer artillery call for fire scout and also as a recon team leader. Much of Elishewitz’s training history can be located on the internet.Indeed, his long, distinguished military pedigree has cemented him as being one of the training circuit’s best all-around trainers. While many great tier-one operator warriors are phenomenal in their skill sets, that does not necessarily translate to them being good instructors. The keys to being a good trainerare having confidence, being clear and audible, being a good listener, having a good reputation, having a sound awareness of how words and body language communicate, being a good observer, and being flexible, reliable and passionate. However, the most essential component of a solid instructor must be their rapport and empathy for their students.

Knives can be lethal in a counterattack in adeadly force confrontation

I WAS SURE to be there after learning that the Volusia Gun & Hunt Club in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, would host Elishewitz for four days. Elishewitz taught three different subject courses: a two-day knife/counter knife course, an intensive skill handgun course, and a course on fighting/shooting in and out of the vehicle.In observing all three blocks of instruction, the course content was very impressive, but what impressed me most was how Elishewitz was able to handle the different age groups in his class, as the students ranged from middle age to their formative years. The majority of instructors have students in the prime of their life, which is a relatively easy crowd to train. However, in Florida, there is a large population of retired people who need self-preservation training just as much as, and maybe even more than, their younger counterparts, as they are targeted by criminals more often.As previously stated, Elishewitz started with two days of knife/counter knife training. Why? First, let me state that in deadly force scenarios, there are only two options: run or fight. If a fight requires deadly force, then there are only two options: fight with an edged weapon or a firearm, period! Too many people talk about hand-to-hand fighting in “street fights,” which, from a moralistic and legal standpoint, is totally ludicrous as well as unrealistic.Gun people always tend to say, “Well, if they come at me with a knife, then I will just shoot them.” This is a stupid statement to make for a close-contact distance, as the bad guy’s weapon is already en-route before you can get to your weapon, whatever that is. Elishewitz starts off his class with that in mind by defining angles of attack for both defensive and offensive counters with an edged weapon. The handgun course follows the same type of philosophy.

More close-quarter countersdefending against a knife with a gun

ELISHEWITZ IS THE closest modern-day instructor to famed Five Rings author Musashi. However, he equally embodies martial artist Morihei Ueshiba for his philosophy in the art of peace. Ueshiba states, “In the Art of Peace, a single cut of the sword summons up the wondrous powers of the universe.That one sword links past, present, and future; it absorbs the universe. Time and Space disappear. All of creation, from the distant past to the present moment, lives by the sword [author’s note: or gun]. All human existence flourishes right here in the sword you hold in your own hands. You are now prepared for anything that may arise.”Allen Elishewitz lives by these words wholeheartedly. To attempt to describe the greatness of Elishewitz and his teaching methodology in one article is, simply put, futile. In part two, we will go in-depth into his self-defense strategy to establish why he is one of this country’s top trainers. And that’s my two cents!

Editor’s note: Author Paul Pawela is a nationally recognized firearms and self-defense expert. For hisrealistic self-defense training, see assaultcountertactics.com.

Filed Under: 2A, Allen Elishewitz, Industry, News, Tactician Concepts, training

Thoughts on the Defensive Shotgun and the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical

April 15, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

“Why is the shotgun best for home defense?It comes down to range and firepower,” writesshotgun advocate Larry Case. “The range onmost home and personal defense confrontationscan be measured in feet, not yards.”

To protect your family, a Weapon that puts out lots of Lead Fast and works well in Tight Spaces could be a Lifesaver, and here’s one that fills the Bill.
Story by Larry CasePhotos Courtesy of MossbergOne thing that has always been remarkable to me is how much gun people like to argue about things. You know it’s true. Right after the beloved 1911 pistol versus Glock debate, or what is the best cartridgefor whitetail deer, maybe no other topic consumes us more than the pros and cons of using the shotgun for home protection. Now, under full disclosure, I need to start off by saying that I am fully in the camp of using the scattergun to defend home and hearth and will not be moving from this view any time soon.

The past few years have shown us some things in the USA that many thought we would never see. Rioting in the streets, civil unrest and a pandemic that some of us think will never be over. All of this has the citizenry more focused on personal and home protection than ever before. Little wonder that gun sales have surged, with millions of new gun owners. More and more people are buying guns with one thought in mind: protecting home and hearth.

No firearm does this better than the modern shotgun. Advocates of the AR rifle platform and some pistol devotees will cry to high heaven when you talk about choosing the scattergun over their weapon of choice. But that doesn’t change the fact that the shotgun delivers more power and projectiles to rain upon your adversary.

In my time of wearing a badge and toting a gun, I saw lots of people who had been shot, including many with shotguns. Some were murders, some were intruders in homes, and a lot were hunting-related shootings, both people being mistaken for game and accidental discharges. One thing always surprisedme: how many fatalities occurred with shotguns, even with a little distance. Even though the pattern of the shot had acquired some spread, part of the shot would find its way to the victim’s vitals, and it was lights-out.

BUT REALLY, WHY is the shotgun best for home defense? It comes down to range and firepower. The range on most home and personal defense confrontations can be measured in feet, not yards. How big is your house? Unless you bought Graceland or a Hollywood mansion, your rooms are probably not overly large. If we move the fight outside, the shotgun is still the weapon of choice, as we will still be at relatively close range.

The top thing the author looks for in a defensive shotgun is ashort barrel, like on this Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical. “Reducingthe ‘wieldiness’ of a long barrel is what we are after,” he writes

If we edge closer to the 50-yard line between you and your assailant, the rifle may become more effective, but as a shotgun guy I will tell you I am just going to switch to slugs. The pistol alternative is not effective at 50-plus yards, as most of us will not be able to hit much at this distance. Firepower could be defined as how much hot lead we can bring to bear on the target in the shortest amount of time. No firearm yet invented can protect you better from someone who has entered your home uninvited and intends to bring harm to you and yours.Twelve-gauge 2¾-inch 00 buckshot loads generally contain eight or nine .33-caliber pellets per shell. If you fire three rounds at your aggressor in a home defense situation, you have delivered 24 .33-caliber projectiles in a very short amount of time. Now, we can argue the choices in buckshot and shot size all you like. Think 00 buckshot is too big? Many say that No. 4 buckshot is a better choice, with more pellets per round (anywhere from 21 to 28 pellets per shell) but still big enough to give good penetration.

The best shotgun, or any other firearm, for when things go bump in the night is the one you have available. The Remington 870 Wing master with the 30-inch barrel your dad kept in the bedroom closet (probably loaded) was his anti-burglar gun. Same for the Model 12 Winchester Grandad had behind the kitchen door (I guarantee you that one was loaded), or the Mossberg 500, or the Ithaca Model 37 – you get the idea. These were hunting guns, used for everything from ducks to deer, but when they were in the home, these shotguns became home defense weapons. Nothing really wrong with all this, but there is a better way to do the home defense shotgun and it deals mainly with barrel length and magazine capacity.

THE FIRST THING a true fighting shotgun needs is a short barrel. Reducing the “wieldiness” of a long barrel is what we are after. Combat situations can get really goofy, really fast. In the tight quarters of a residence, the 26- to 30-inch barrel on a sporting shotgun can be a big hindrance. Forget all that talk about a longer barrel being needed for ammo performance; we are dealing with very close range,remember? Having said all this, please don’t put your dad’s Wing master in a vise and saw off the barrel. There are plenty of tactical-style shotguns out there for you to choose from. If you have a shotgun that you must cut, get someone like Vang Comp Systems (vangcomp.com) to do it. If you see their Model 865 or 587 done on a Remington 870 platform, you are going to want one anyway. The basic premise here is that tight corners, small spaces and low visibility will all be navigated much easier with a short barrel.

NordicComp.com

The advantage of the extended magazine tube is obvious; more is always better when it comes to ammo. The shotgun has two disadvantages for home defense work: relatively low magazine capacity and how long it takes to load. You may not need a lot of extra ammunition if you are called upon to defend you and your family, but then again, you might. Magazine tube extensions are available for mostany shotgun out there, and are pretty easily installed. There are many aftermarket magazine tubes, different barrels, replacement stocks and other bells and whistles you can add to the shotgun you already own.

OR YOU CAN get a shotgun designed for fighting and home defense right out of the box. One choice is the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical. It features a Holosun HS407K open reflex optical sight, giving shooters the choice of purchasing the standard 940 Pro Tactical (with cover plate for when a mounted optic is not used) or a ready-for-the-range combo. Mossberg’s optic-ready 940 Pro Tactical eight-shot autoloaders are based on a cleaner-running and redesigned gas-operating system that can run up to 1,500 rounds between cleaning intervals.Like all 940 Pro shotguns, the Tactical versions have corrosion-resistant internal parts and finishes,including nickel-boron-coated gas piston, magazine tube, hammer and sear. Other features include an enlarged and beveled loading port; elongated, pinch-free elevator; and bright orange anodized followerconfigured for ease of loading. The knurled, extended charging handle and oversized, ergonomic bolt release lever provide for easy manipulation. The extended magazine tube allows for a seven-plus-one-round capacity with 2.75-inch shells, and the barrel clamp features a sling swivel stud plus dual-sided M-Lok-compatible slots for the addition of accessories.The 18.5-inch barrel features a matte finish and is topped with a fiber optic front sight. The barrel is threaded for use with interchangeable AccuChoke choke tubes (cylinder choke tube included). Completing the 940 Pro Tactical is a user-adjustable length-of-pull synthetic stock (this is important!) with a range of 12.5 to 14.25 inches and adjustability for drop at comb and cast with the use of incremental stock shims. The synthetic forend has a slim profile, and both stock and forend feature Mossberg’s signature aggressive texturing for a secure grip and black matte finish. A rear sling swivel stud is also installed.

Editor’s note: Larry Case has been a devoted outdoorsman since he was a child. He will admit to an addiction to turkey hunting (spring and fall), but refuses any treatment. He enjoys the company of gobblers and cur dogs that are loud and people who speak the truth softly. Case served 36 years as a game warden in West Virginia and retired with the rank of district captain. You can check out his podcast and other stories at gunsandcornbred.com.

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Looking to get some Ammo, have a look below.

Filed Under: 2A, Home Defense, Industry, Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical, News, Shotgun

Super Fast Pistol Shooting

April 10, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

The video below highlights some simple pistol drills emphasizing fast shooting for those that aspire to be at “Operative” level for any Tactical team. Zero is the head instructor of the Italy-based Spartan 360° Tactical Defense. Zero demonstrates some basic fundamentals in handling the pistol and works the Mozambique and One to One drill. Breakdown of drills are:
Chest Position – Hands holding pistol up to the chest and scan your area while being mindful of where the muzzle is facing.
Mozambique Drill – Standing 5 yards from the target, draw from the holster and put two rounds in the chest and one to the head as fast and accurately as you can.
One to One Drill – From 5 yards away, draw from the holster and fire one round, reload and fire one more round as fast as you can.

[embedded content]Looking to get some Ammo, have a look below.

Filed Under: 2A, Handguns, Industry, News, tactics & tips

Sig P365-380 Review

April 9, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

Kelly-Charles Armed and Feminine

When it comes to handguns, concealed carry is becoming increasingly important, and the latest micro-compact firearm to hit the market (2020) proves that size is not an issue. The Sig P365, chambered in .380 ACP, is a pocket-sized firearm that packs a punch with its impressive features. With its impressive lineage and the success of its bigger brothers chambered in 9mm and beyond, the P365’s reliability should come as no surprise.

One of the main selling points of the P365-380 is its size. It measures 5.8 inches in overall length and weighs only 17.2 ounces, making it one of the most compact firearms in its class. However, its small size does not compromise its firepower as it comes with a 10-round magazine, which is impressive given its size.

The P365-380 is built with a stainless steel frame and Nitron finish. The slide is also made of stainless steel with a Nitron finish, and the barrel is made of carbon steel. The grip is designed to be ergonomic, which makes it comfortable to hold and secure to shoot. The sights are easy to acquire, which helps with accuracy.

One of the standout features of the P365-380 is its reliability. Sig Sauer is a brand that is known for producing high-quality firearms, and the P365-380 is no exception. The firearm has undergone extensive testing and has proven to be highly reliable, even when using a wide range of ammunition.

The trigger is also notable, featuring a smooth pull that breaks cleanly, making it easy to shoot accurately. The trigger has a short reset, which allows for quick follow-up shots. Additionally, the P365-380 is striker-fired, which means it is ready to fire as soon as the trigger is pulled.

Another feature that sets the P365-380 apart is its modular design. The firearm is customizable, with interchangeable grips and sights, which enables you to personalize the gun to your preference. This feature makes it easy to maintain the firearm, as you can replace parts as needed without having to send the gun back to the manufacturer.

What Others are Saying while Running this PistolAt a standard defensive distance of 15 yards, the Sig P365 was put to the test for function, reliability, and accuracy. Other gun hobbyists have reported similarly impressive results, with group sizes averaging between 1.5-2 inches when shooting Hornady Critical Defense 90gr FTX, Browning BXP 95gr, and Federal Punch 85gr ammunition. The only malfunction that occurred during testing was always operator error which affected their accuracy. Nonetheless, even under less-than-ideal conditions, the groupings were impressively small, which is reassuring in a life-or-death situation. Overall, the P365 has proven to be a reliable and accurate firearm that performs well under various conditions.Sig Sauer P365-380 Specifications

Caliber: .380 Auto
Mags Included: (2) 10-rd. steel
Sights: SIGLITE night sights
State Compliant: CO / CT / HI / IL / NJ
Pistol Size: micro-compact
Overall Length: 5.8 in. [148 mm]
Overall Width: 1.0 in. [26 mm]
Height: 4.2 in. [107 mm]
Barrel Length: 3.1 in. [78 mm]
Weight: 15.7 oz. [445 g]
Sight Radius: 4.9 in. [124 mm]
Accessory Rail: SIG Rail
Trigger Action: striker
Trigger Type: standard curved
Grip Type: polymer
Grip Color: black
Barrel Material: carbon steel
FCU Material: stainless steel
Slide Finish: Nitron
Slide Material: stainless steel
Manual Safety: no
Optic Ready: yes

Last thoughts, the Sig Sauer P365-380 is a reliable and customizable firearm that is perfect for women who may struggle with recoil and controlling the pistol. Its small size and lightweight design make it comfortable to carry all day, while its manageable recoil and comfortable grip make it easy to shoot accurately. The P365-380 is an impressive handgun from a trusted brand that is suitable for both experienced and novice female shooters alike.Youtuber sootch00 did a really good review on this Sig P365-380.They got into showing the differences in the felt recoil while shooting the 9mm as well while hitting steel. Even talked a bit about running it one handed if needed. It is a long video but if you want to skip to where the action is go to 13:00. They’re pouncing lead with Hornady Critical Defense load.[embedded content]

Filed Under: .380ACP, 2A, Industry, News, Pocket Pistols, Sig P365-380, Sig Sauer

Sig P938 Review

April 7, 2023 by contrib1 Leave a Comment

(Lucky Gunner)

The Sig P938 has been around for a while, just never came up on our radar until recently while out on the range. Figured we do a quick review on this. This pistol is a 9mm compact handgun designed for concealed carry. It’s a single-action pistol with a 6+1 capacity and a lightweight aluminum frame. One of the most attractive features of this gun is its size – it’s small enough to fit in your pocket or waistband, making it ideal for everyday carry.

The P938 has a sleek, modern design and is made with high-quality materials. It features a stainless steel slide, black anodized aluminum frame, and checkered G10 grips that provide a comfortable and secure hold. Additionally, the slide serrations and beavertail grip provide added control and comfort while shooting.

The P938 has a 3-inch barrel and an overall length of 5.9 inches, making it one of the smallest 9mm handguns on the market. Despite its small size, it’s an accurate and reliable firearm with a smooth trigger pull and low recoil. It’s also easy to operate, with a simple thumb safety and slide release.

Overall, the Sig P938 is an excellent choice for anyone who needs a compact and reliable firearm for personal protection. Its small size and quality construction make it ideal for everyday carry, while its accuracy and reliability ensure you can trust it in any situation.

Ergonomics – Yes, every shooter will say if the gun feels good then its for me. Most of it is true, for this P938 if you have large hands and think the grip is small, you can have a new fatter grip install to suit your needs. But, remember this was design for concealment (no printing) so keep that in mind.

RecoilWeb

Accuracy – a quick word on this – pistol barrel with 3 inches will not be as accurate as a full size pistol. You’re giving up velocity and power for concealment. So being effective with the short-barrel pistol means your shot placement really counts. Don’t be running it just to make noise. One of the features on this P938 is that it sports the tritium night sights that allows you to see the sights in dim lighting. In practical application just means getting on target quickly. To be more efficient it would be nice to black out the rear sights. This will help train the shooter to use that front sight. Another feature that some have commented when comparing it to the Glock43 is the trigger. This Sig P938 has a short single-action trigger mechanism when combined with the tritium night-sights sending that round off is smoother than the G43. With the advancement in ammo technology there are some good choices out on the market even for a short-barreled pistol.

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9mm Ammo – There are many manufacturers that produce quality 9mm ammunition, and the choice of which one to use often depends on personal preference and the intended use of the ammunition. Here are a few reputable manufacturers of 9mm ammo that you may want to consider:

Federal Premium – Federal Premium produces a variety of 9mm ammunition for self-defense, range use, and competition. Their HST line is a popular choice for self-defense due to its reliable expansion and penetration.

Hornady – Hornady is known for producing high-quality ammunition across all calibers, and their Critical Defense line of 9mm ammo is a top choice for personal defense. It features a patented FTX bullet design that provides consistent expansion and performance.

Speer – Speer’s Gold Dot line of 9mm ammo is another popular choice for self-defense. Its bonded core technology and hollow-point design provide reliable expansion and penetration.

Winchester – Winchester produces a range of 9mm ammunition for various uses, including self-defense, range shooting, and competition. Their PDX1 line is a popular choice for self-defense due to its consistent expansion and penetration.

Remington – Remington’s Ultimate Defense line of 9mm ammo is designed for personal protection and features a brass-jacketed hollow-point bullet for reliable expansion and penetration.

Just a note these are your 9mm norm that we show because we just want you to be aware of what’s available out there at the gun store and the internet. I know what everyone will say, this P938 is a short barrel. Thanks for calling this out, these two manufacturers offers these loads and the 16″ that you see below is the penetration and the expansion on the HST was .60, these were run from a Glock43. This was tested by Chuck Haggard of Agile Tactical.

9mm 124 grain Hornady Tap FD- 16″

Muzzle velocity: 1110 fps Muzzle energy: 339 ft/lbs 9mm 124 grain Federal HST- 16″

Muzzle velocity: 1150 fps Muzzle energy: 402 ft/lbsYou may want to check out other ammo manufacturers to see if they make the same type of loads, these two above standout due to their quality. It’s important to note that the specific type of 9mm ammunition you choose should be based on your specific needs and preferences, as well as the capabilities of your firearm. Be sure to consult your firearm’s owner’s manual to ensure that you are using ammunition that is compatible with your firearm. So there you have it, the P938 is small and was made for concealment armed with the correct loads for its purpose then you’re set. Below is a take from Guns.com with their experiences with this compact 9mm.

Guns.com did a video take on this sometime ago, have a look.[embedded content]Here’s the Excerpt from Guns.com video above:

A few months ago, I took a look at the Sig Sauer P238 and since then I’ve been inundated with requests to take a look at another Sig sibling – the P938. Chambered in 9mm, the P938 is yet another entry into the micro compact Sig lineup but I was curious how it stacked up next to the .380 ACP Sig P238. Luckily, we here at Guns.com happened to have a used Sig P938 in our Vault ready to be tested.

The P938 adopts a micro look and feel, measuring just 5.9-inches in length with a 3-inch barrel. Weighing in at 16-ounces, this handgun sports a capacity of 6+1. This particular model, found on Guns.com, came decked out in a nice FDE/black aesthetic featuring a black metal slide and controls with FDE frame. Similar to the P238, the P938 opts for SigLite night sites and a manual safety.

The SigLite night sights offered a brighter approach to traditional irons. Easy to acquire, the SigLite sights draw your attention to that ever-important front post so it’s easier to get shots on target. If you’ve followed my reviews for any length of time you know that my usual gripe is that I can’t stand manual safeties. This gun hasn’t changed my opinion. The manual safety added an extra step to my shooting process and as someone who routinely carries without one, it took some time to retrain my brain. That being said, if you are a manual safety fan – rock on.

This gun has a functioning one and it’s located in a good spot, easy to flick on and off with the thumb. If you’re like me, however, and prefer your guns without manual safeties, you might want to pass on this particular model. This gun featured a few upgrades such as a rubberized grip for a more comfortable shooting experience and a Sig branded laser attached to the trigger guard. Lasers are great tools for those learning to aim as well as gun owners looking for bedside guns; however, in the daytime, the laser proved less useful. Shooting at an average of 7-yards, the laser was nearly impossible to see with the sun overhead. During twilight hours and at night, I had better luck seeing it.

The first thing I noticed was the size of the gun. Offering an extremely small stature, the Sig P938 definitely works for concealment. Primed as a backup gun, the Sig P938 seems comfortable nestled in a deep concealment holster or ankle rig; but the trade-off to a super small gun is in its recoil. After shooting the P238, I knew that the larger 9mm round would bring a little more oomph to the table and I was right. Over the course of shooting, I routinely adjusted my grip as the recoil impacted the placement of my hands.

I found myself tightening down more and more to compensate which led to some fatigue. This isn’t much of a surprise as most compact guns chambered in 9mm or above tend to kick a little more due to their smaller stature. Let’s be honest here, though, this gun isn’t made for long days at the range or repetitive shooting in gun courses. It’s better suited as a backup gun that you break out once a month, throw a few magazines worth of ammo in, and call it a day. Speaking of ammo, the Sig did well in terms of reliability. I loaded my mags with Hornady Critical Defense, Federal Train + Protect, Winchester White Box and Remington UMC with no hiccups. I even mixed some ammo up to see if that would trip a malfunction and it did not.

The P938, by all accounts, functions as intended. In comparison to the Sig P238, the P238 is a smoother shooter by far but that’s like comparing apples and oranges. The small frame of the P238 paired with the .380 ACP cartridge is, of course, going to feel better to shoot than the similar framed P938 with a bigger bullet; but where this gun excels is in that 9mm chambering. For those specifically searching for a 9mm round in a super-compact gun, the P938 is a winner. With a bevy of models to choose, the Sig P938 makes for a decent backup or deep concealment gun. The Sig P938 is priced around $700 but street prices and, even better, used prices tend to hover below that. Also, don’t forget the benefit of going used is the gun often comes with extras like spare mags and a nice, hard-sided case.

Looking to get some Ammo, have a look below.

Filed Under: 2A, 9mm, Handguns, Industry, News, Pocket Pistols, Sig P938

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