Quantcast
Channel: Oleg Volk
Viewing all 3086 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Firearm or weapon?

January 31, 2013, 11:29 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

NRA materials use the term firearm. That’s the correct term in the context of safety and marksmanship training. In the context of gun control, the correct term is weapon.

Gun control is all about items usable as weapons. If it wasn’t, then knives, sprays, even sticks wouldn’t be so heavily regulated. It takes more legal hoops to get a baton permit in many states than to get one for a firearm. The 1938 Nazi prohibition on Jewish weapon ownership specifically mentioned sticks and batons as prohibited items. Predators know that sticks and stones can break their bones. Exhibit one: Goliath.

The rifle in the picture above could be a single shot benchrest gun in 6mm PPC or a 4-shot .30-06 M70 of Carlos Hathcock fame or a 10-shot 50BMG from Serbu — to the foes of civilian gun ownership, all are anathema. They understand correctly that any one of these can send them to well-deserved hell. The only reason why we, the lawful gun owners, care about the details is that we value the defensive properties of small arms. An AR15 is much better for rebuffing determined close-range assaults by numerically superior foes than a single-shot Sharps. For sniping the enemies of individual freedom, almost any gun would do fine. That the gun owners of America haven’t focused on that fact speaks volumes of their patience and forbearance.

That the gun control pushers are focusing on the defensive firearms also speaks volumes of their intentions. Since Americans have no access to other short-range defensive tools, they have to rely more heavily on guns and any reduction in the availability of proper equipment becomes immediately detrimental to our safety. Not only the guns become less capable, but our training immediately becomes mismatched to the equipment and must be renewed at great cost in money, ammunition and time.

↧
Search

Great leaders with guns.

February 3, 2013, 3:48 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

Soviet leader Brezhnev. When guns are restricted, they become status symbols and the rulers pose with them. That doesn’t mean they support gun ownership for the “proles”. The first gun control on record, the 1518 prohibition on wheel locks, was authored by the Holy Roman emperor Maximilian I, an avid collector of advanced firearms for his own use.

But it hardly matters, as the photo is most likely a fake.

↧
↧

Movie Shenandoah

February 3, 2013, 7:40 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

Watching that film, I noticed that the protagonist family were all armed better than either the Federal or the Confederate armies, most having repeating cartridge carbines. The days of the regular Americans being able to match government firepower are sadly long-gone.

It’s a pretty good movie, though full of anachronisms as common with the old films. Springfield trapdoor carbine conversions in Confederate hands was just the most glaringly obvious one.

↧

Studio cat in repose

February 4, 2013, 1:35 pm
↧

The Great Leap

February 4, 2013, 4:54 pm
↧
↧

Perfect shoes for a walk in the woods.

February 4, 2013, 5:09 pm
↧

Guns as phallic symbols?

February 4, 2013, 11:32 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

The favorite trope of the prohibitionists is that guns are penis substitutes and thus should be banned. While plenty of serious rebuttals to this silly notion exist, let’s humor them for a moment and assume that guns are used to compensate for sexual inadequacy. If compensating for sexual inadequacy is somehow evil, why aren’t they also calling for a ban on Viagra and dildos?

It would be the most common fetish in the country — shared by such a great percentage of the population that it can be considered a norm. If it isn’t the norm despite the extremely high incidence, then gun owners should be considered a minority and treated with the same consideration accorded to GLBTs, ethnic minorities and other traditional underdogs.

We know that guns are tools and they are no more sexually related than cordless drills or zoom lenses for cameras. But the frequency with which Markley’s Law comes up in the anti-gun arguments makes me wonder if they are hiding some nasty fetishes of their own. Some doth protest too much! It’s no surprise that actual fetish photos showing firearms usually display ignorance of safety rules and proper handling, indicating that those who produce them aren’t gun people.

↧

Cliff

February 7, 2013, 6:29 pm
↧
Search

Left-hand AR15

February 7, 2013, 9:27 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

Just because 9mm carbines are girly, doesn’t mean that smaller bores should be neglected. Sarah gets long with the RRA .223 for southpaws just fine. Range report in a few.

Other trivia: you can see a Sykes-Fairburn dagger and clips of an SOG and a Winchester folders. One more knife is well hidden. What can be more traditionally domestic than girls and cutlery, right?

↧
↧

Rimfire AR

February 7, 2013, 11:28 pm
↧

“Only accurate rifles are interesting”

February 8, 2013, 6:42 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

I don’t actually agree with that view. A 4MOA AK clone is plenty useful for its intended purpose. But given that we the people are far behind the most probable enemy in firepower, we have two main options. The first is to close in and so avoid the enemy support weapons. That option is a loser because we are overmatched on the rate of fire, the amount of body armor, on the availability of grenades and closer quarters training in general.

The second option is to sniper from stand-off distance. While that makes us vulnerable to indirect support weapons as well as to vehicle mounted stabilized machine guns and cannon, it gives some chance of escape without detection. Absent sufficient explosives to make an ambush count, that means relying on the first shot hit against distant, armored and possibly moving foe. The cost in inaccuracy isn’t in the ammunition but in the risk of detection and in the the exposure to return fire. In that sense, only accurate rifles with good ammunition and very, very competent shooters are interesting.

My fondness for the mfour-22 shown is that it is MOA accurate. That allows realistic training with much of the ultimate effectiveness being in the skill of the shooter. Now, it is possible to conduct ambushes with inaccurate weapons. For example, a sniper would open up with a single round and much closer shooters on the opposite side would fire once the noise of the return fire masks the reports of their lower power short range arms. But body armor is likely to make tactic that less effective than it would have been during WW2.

But that’s all silly talk. Nothing bad is coming up in the near future and the main purpose of this mfour-22 is fun. A day out on the range is good for the mood and for the physical health also — especially if you jog to the 100 and 200 yards backstops when changing targets. You don’t get as much cardiac exercise while playing shooter video games.

↧

A note to aspiring models.

February 12, 2013, 3:36 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

I work with a wide variety of models, professional, amateur and accidental (friends who happen to fit some idea of mine). This is directed primarily towards the amateur models who are interested in becoming professional.

The crucial qualities for a successful model are the following

  1. Reliability: if you aren’t at the shoot when you promise to show up, then it doesn’t matter how good you are. Be reliable and prompt. Communicate any delays or changes as far in advance as possible.
  2. Amiability: be personable and friendly. Irritable or standoffish personalities make for unpleasant and unproductive photo shoots. The reason I like working with my friends is that this issue is automatically resolved.
  3. Skills: any additional aptitude — such as riding on horseback, fencing, gymnastic, making historic costumes or playing a musical instrument — make a model much more useful. Acting ability is the most useful skill of all — can you be convincingly stern, puzzled, angry, scared or entertained on cue?
  4. Assertiveness: know what you like and don’t like. Communicate that information readily and clearly. I want my models to be comfortable and happy but need input of what makes them comfortable and happy.

Avoid tattoos, scars and other permanent modifications to your face and body. Such modification are seldom relevant to the topic of the photo shoot and drastically reduce model’s usefulness for my projects.

Stay in good physical shape. I’ve had to quit working with several models whose age caught up with them mainly for lack of exercise aggravated by overindulgence in alcohol. They were aged 20 to 29! On the other hand, one of my all time favorite models is 58 and most are over 35.

I love working with military veterans. Most of them are easy-going and show commendable initiative whenever problems come up. They also know proper uniform details better than I do.

I like working with kids, too. Most of my friends home school and raise really well socialized, bright and personable children. Those qualities make for great photo shoots.

“Good looking” and “photogenic” are not synonyms. Some people are both, some are neither — but most are one or the other. I am always looking for fresh faces, both for variety and to replace those models who move to other states.

↧

True definition of an “assault weapon”

February 13, 2013, 7:48 am
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

Assault is legally defined as “an act intended to cause an apprehension”. Weapons used to intimidate innocent people would be, by their actual use, “assault weapons”. Curiously, all the proposed gun control laws specifically exempt the people who already use their guns to intimidate and sometimes to murder innocent civilians.

↧
↧

Reactive steel targets: a shout-out for a friend

February 13, 2013, 9:10 am
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

My friend Brad is running a sweepstakes for a reactive steel target system.

The stands can be adjusted to fall from a single shot or require multiple hits. “Live” area can also be adjusted by varying the plate size and position.

The steel is sprung to reduce the wear on the supports.

Anyway, you can win one of these but you’ll have to hurry. The sweepstakes end 4pm CST on Valentine’s Day.

↧

Keeping a low profile.

February 13, 2013, 6:30 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

In Tennessee, openly carried pistols and obvious long gun cases don’t get much attention. In other states, discretion is a good idea because of government agents and other thieves. Some people carry pistols in diaper bags on the assumption that nobody would want to steal those. Others improvisations abound. If you want a bag that doesn’t scream “gun within, steal me!”, this Comp-Tac might be just the thing.

Almost half of my models are left-handed, so I am always interested in left-hand firearms. Rock River .223 is a true leftie, with all controls and ejection reversed from the usual. It fits the Projan Horse bag with a 30rd magazine already inserted.

↧
Search

Red and Pink

February 13, 2013, 6:48 pm
↧

Independent women.

February 13, 2013, 8:11 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

In my long quest for a mate, I found that only independent women are interesting. Those who were wards of others — either incapable of independent judgement, or of feeding, sheltering or defending themselves — were not only uninteresting but a source of danger. A person who is either beholden to a third party or has no choice but to parasite off you isn’t a very good romantic partner. A symbiont is a littler better but the relationship then blends romance and survival too closely for comfort.

Sharing skills that a prospective partner lacks makes them more independent. That, in turn, makes the relationship more honest. A person who doesn’t strictly need you for a meal ticket or protection but chooses you anyway is more likely a true love. By contrast, politicians need dependent voters and foster learned helplessness with their policies. In case of self-defense, their attitude is like that of the British officers in the film “Lawrence of Arabia”, discussing their Arab allies:

Dryden: Are you really going to give them artillery, sir?
Brighton: I was wondering that, sir. Might be deuce difficult to get it back again.
Dryden: Give them artillery and you’ve made them independent.
Allenby: Then I can’t give them artillery, can I?

Only with the American politicians it’s not a matter of giving artillery or anything else, but that of merely not hindering the acquisition of defensive small arms by lawful people. Many of them won’t do even that little because it directly interferes with their personal interests. Independent people have little need for intrusive governments, while weak and dependent populace does.

“You don’t need a weapon, I will protect you” is the creed of both individual and institutional domestic abusers. That’s a good warning sign and a conclusive litmus test for bad intentions.

On Valentine’s Day, it’s also a good benchmark for your chosen one — would you trust your mate’s judgement and intentions enough to arm him or her? If not, run now. Firearms are the most obvious defensive weapons but almost anything can be used offensively and probably would be in the long run. If your mate, in turn, doesn’t trust you — deeming you either reckless or evil — ask yourself if that apprehension is reasonable. If not, you can try to dispel the misconception or find somebody more appreciative. If the concern is reasonable, consider what you can do to improve.

↧
↧

Holster for teaching.

February 13, 2013, 8:48 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

Later this week, I will be instructing a friend in the use of handguns. She is over 60, has small arthritic hands and has never used a firearm before. She’s taking her required carry course over the weekend. Her loving husband procured a mint S&W Model 12 revolver with a 2″ barrel for her. That’s a 14.5oz gun chambered in 38Special. She has not fired it yet.

She cannot pull the trigger with one finger and has to use both hands in double action. She cannot cock the hammer either. The recoil is likely to be quite painful as well.

I plan on introducing her to guns with a .22 first. The lightest and simplest would be a Keltec PF9 with a Twisted Industries conversion kit. No external safety, same trigger pull on the first and subsequent shots, robust magazines, fiber optic sights available. Picatinny rail provides an option to mount a laser. I will also bring a Walther P22, an M&P22 and a P11 conversion. Once she masters one of those, I will bring out a 32ACP “mini-1911″ and see if that has low enough recoil.

M&P22 uses the same holsters as the M&P9, and I have a holster for the Walther. I didn’t have a PF9 holster that wasn’t a deep concealment design — until yesterday, that is. That’s when the Comp-Tac paddle arrived and I plan on using that. It doesn’t require a very sturdy belt, has a Velcro-like patch that keeps it from shifting in the waistband and allows tensions adjustment. Being able to holster safely is always a concern for new shooters — Kydex allows doing that one-handed and without covering self with the muzzle.

↧

Hit the gym!

February 14, 2013, 10:43 am
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

Besides the obvious health benefits, more muscle means you can operate heavier toys. This DSA FAL is hefty — a heavy barrel, a 100rd Beta drum and a 2.5-10x optic do add up — but also capable of keeping up a high volume of cover fire for your friends.

There’s also that fringe benefit of looking good for the prospective mate. Might be a consideration given today’s date.

↧

First time at the range.

February 15, 2013, 7:42 pm
$
0
0

Originally published at VolkStudio Blog. You can comment here or there.

Two grocery bags ware put on a stick and rotated freely in the wind. As a result, they got hit from all sides with several .22 and .32 pistols. Revolvers didn’t work out — double action triggers were too heavy and the recoil of .38Spl in an alloy K-frame too harsh. The overall winner was the Star 60S. Since I can’t find any additional magazine son it and the sights aren’t much, I’d like to find a modern equivalent.

What modern production pistol in 32ACP (or locked breech 380ACP) has a single action trigger, thumb safety and decent sights? Sig P238 and Colt Mustang are the only two that come to mind and they may be a bit too small for easy handling. All the other options I see are SA/DA or DAO and have a heavy trigger pull for the first round.

↧
Viewing all 3086 articles
Browse latest View live
Search