tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post4282133498349890416..comments2024-02-11T01:14:21.904-08:00Comments on SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA: Reply: The Myth of Revolver Reliability and 22LR for DefenseFerFALhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578136334334588454noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-92232219451793848922011-12-12T01:12:34.538-08:002011-12-12T01:12:34.538-08:00A 62 yr. old fit grandma is abandoning autopistols...A 62 yr. old fit grandma is abandoning autopistols. She has some issues with arthritic hands, pulling back the slide is too hard after a few hours at the range. My 23 year old daughter says the same about SIL 1911. She didn't notice that so much with the Glock.<br /><br />Another 64 year old grandma had her Charter Arms revolver fall apart at the range. Kind of put me off the whole revolver reliability/ruggedness concept.<br /><br />So there are issues with revolver reliability, still some problems with auto pistols. Sure like the idea of high capacity magazines. I would have to settle for a stainless Ruger .357. Better than nothing.Grandpappyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11245092212423428366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-46621742138893377072011-12-07T09:20:16.579-08:002011-12-07T09:20:16.579-08:00To Mountainman,
It is not surprising that ammunit...To Mountainman,<br /><br />It is not surprising that ammunition performs differently at different temperatures. Firearms work via the principle of confined combustion of a fuel (in this case a solid propellant) in a manner very similar to an internal combustion engine. The bullet is essentially an unrestrained piston contained inside a cylinder (the barrel). When the propellant burns, it changes from a solid to a gas. Gases obey the following relationship (known as the ideal gas law which neglects nonideal thermodyanmics for simplicity here):<br /><br />PV=nRT<br /><br />where P is the pressure, V is the occupied volume, n is the number of moles of the substance (i.e., the amount), R is the universal gas constant, and T is the absolute temperature.<br /><br />During the combustion, you have a large change in n (since you convert solid to gas). If we assume combustion is initially much faster than expansion, then we get a very high pressure spike due to the very small volume. This pressure then pushes the bullet down the barrel increasing the volume and accelerating the bullet.<br /><br />So far we have ignored temperature. If you live in Alaska in the winter, T is going to be lower than most ammunition was designed for. The flame temperature (i.e., the temperature in the chamber) is controlled both by the amount of energy released during combustion and by the amount of energy lost to the environment -- the lower the ambient temperature, the more energy you lose. This is going to reduce the pressure in the chamber and produce less force to cycle the action in a semi-auto. Similarly, if you live in Death Valley in the summer, you will experience higher pressures than normal, and if you have a poor quality firearm with very hotly loaded ammunition, you could wind up with a kaboom.<br /><br />Some other problems you will run into in very cold environments are lubes freezing up/turning into wax and ice forming in the barrel/action if you bring a firearm inside, allow condensation to form inside, and then take it back outside.<br /><br />I hope that helps somebody. (Yes, I am a chemical engineer.)<br /><br />JonathanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-15074673402916293012011-12-06T09:24:18.725-08:002011-12-06T09:24:18.725-08:00A note on gear.
It's more of a matter of pers...A note on gear.<br /><br />It's more of a matter of personal preference and need. As I have said before, many times but perhaps not on this forum, the VAST majority of cops in the US need way less equipment. Most never use a fire arm. Most are not gun people. What the average beat cop needs is a good 4-inch 357 mag revolver with a 7 round cylinder capacity loaded with 110grn SJSP or SJHP. A further 2 to 4 speed loaders on the belt. <br /><br />Then they need a good concealable, stab resistant Level II vest with trauma inserts. The vest should be the most comfortable and protective at that NIJ rating as possible. <br /><br />All cops should carry an expandable asp and high strength pepper spray. No tazers or stun guns - they are increasingly used for extra-judicial punishment here.<br /><br />Finally, each patrol car should carry a .223 carbine, either an M-4 clone or a Mini-14 along with a chest vest with 4 loaded mags. The rifle should have a quality red dot reflex sight for CQB. <br /><br />Certain designated cops should be equipped with a Remington Model 700 .308 accurized to sniper standards. Some cops should be issued 12-gauge shottys.<br /><br />This basic set up enabled cops to deal with a wide variety of threats ranging from a domestic violence complaint to a full-fledged terrorist attack.<br /><br />The money saved from all the bullshit gadgetry would be spend on better training both classroom and tactical.<br /><br />In the US, at least, I do not feel undergunned with a good revolver.Double Tapperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02078878726746284162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-73715891061231677342011-12-05T23:19:12.434-08:002011-12-05T23:19:12.434-08:00I live in Alaska and did some winter testing on fi...I live in Alaska and did some winter testing on firearm reliability. What I found is that ammunition exposed to subzero F temps for 24 hours and more, will show a reduced power. Don't ask me why. It is especially noticeable when you get to prolonged -20 F and lower. Anyhow this reduced pressure tended to cause stovepipe jams and failure to feed in auto loading rifles/pistols I tested. I tested ARs, Garands, Mini-30s, Browning BAR, 1911s, Glock, Rugers and EAA Witness. I did the same with bolt actions, lever actions and revolvers. No doubt in my mind manual actions when are my selection for winter Arctic conditions.<br /><br />Just my .02 cents.Mountainmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-53518207522541634572011-12-05T20:22:26.566-08:002011-12-05T20:22:26.566-08:00That revolvers are more reliable than semi automat...That revolvers are more reliable than semi automatics was somewhat accurate 30-40 years ago. Lots of those old semi auto's sucked though good name brand milspec type 1911's and HP's were on the good end of the auto spectrum. This is the same school of thought where a .45 is clearly vastly superior to a 9mm. In a time when either lead round nose or FMJ ammo was all that was available it was right, but that was a long time ago. <br /><br />In terms of user friendliness the proliferation of DAO semi automatic pistols like Glocks, XD's and the S@W MP series go a long way to leveling the playing field. No worries about hammer down, halfcock or cocked and locked. No safety on or safety off like the old DA guns. Load them and pull the trigger.<br /><br />The biggest advantage of revolvers is that the "failure drill" is to just pull the trigger again. No tap, rack, bang, no unload, clear, reload. Just pull the trigger again. Usually it will go bang. If it doesn't then it is empty or totally broken and you have the choice to throw it at someone and run away or use it as a club. <br /><br />The downside is that when revolvers break they really break. The saying goes that fixing an auto (particularly a Glock, XD, etc) is as close as the nearest spare parts and fixing a revolver is as close as a qualified gunsmith. Something to think about.<br /><br />I own both types of guns but the revolvers are mostly for fun.<br />-TORAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-42877313704737476752011-12-05T18:02:05.035-08:002011-12-05T18:02:05.035-08:00Just out of curiosity Ferfal, I was wondering if y...Just out of curiosity Ferfal, I was wondering if you heard anything about this:<br /><br />http://www.zerohedge.com/news/tensions-escalate-argentina-19-years-after-falklands-war<br /><br />Argentina has blockaded the Falklands? I never knew this.<br /><br />Is there any sabre rattling about the Falklands in the Argentinian press?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-30752803679693658422011-12-05T15:35:32.191-08:002011-12-05T15:35:32.191-08:00Ferfal,
An anonymous commenter (not me) left an i...Ferfal,<br /><br />An anonymous commenter (not me) left an intersting comment on November 29 about practical home security upgrades. This seems like very useful information for the average American. Do you think these measure would be effective?<br /><br />Merry Christmas and best wishes to your family.<br /><br />---<br />Like so many Americans, I live in a suburb, in a tract, semi-custom house. That means the structure is fairly sound, but the little things - like the windows and doors, have not been installed in the best manner. Only expensive custom homes seem to have the little things done right. <br /><br />Following a rash of burglaries, I had a company assess our security. One of the cheapest and best upgrades was to have the doors re-hung, this time running steel screws into the studs, not just into the door frames, upgrade the locks to commercial grade, add heavy striker plates affixed to studs, and upgrade all other related hardware. While not the security level of steel euro framed doors (about $4,000 for a typical double door entrance in a US home), we vastly upgraded the time involved for a home invader to make it through this first layer. Per my security consultant, the fire department and police can get in with a ram and two or three men, but it will take them a little while. Same for any bad guys. By that time I'll have an appropriate weapon pointed in the right direction. We also installed 3M 14 mil film on all the windows and sealed that film to the frames with Dow Corning 995 sealant. Likewise, one can get in through the glass, but it will take some time, and severe lacerations are likely. Finally, we added a CCTV system as a part of the doorbell/intercom system to better identify anyone at the door without having to open the door. And of course, a standard hard wired burglar alarm system with battery back up.<br /><br />Just following the common sense rules that security is performed in layers. If most people did this the number of burglaries, let alone home invasions would drop. And in the grand scheme of things, a few thousand dollars for this level of prevention is priceless. All of my defensive weapons are useless without a passive defense to buy me time in the event of disaster.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8939666320943790100.post-81933183328758269952011-12-04T17:47:39.702-08:002011-12-04T17:47:39.702-08:00finally, FerFal...you post something with which i ...finally, FerFal...you post something with which i strongly disagree. Revolvers Rule! (given that we are comparing Smiths to Glocks or *quality to quality*) here's why: for those willing to spend the time and the money to practice and train, the semi-auto would work best. for the other 80% of handgun owners, the revolver is best for them. it's like the difference between a chainsaw and an axe. in an emergency, your 10-year-old can instinctively swing an axe, but not start a chainsaw.<br />in our handgun training, we have<br />a scenario whereby we must use a<br />'wounded' police officers' gun to<br />stop the bad guy. the revolvers<br />win this competition since the<br />semis are so slightly different<br />from each other. bottom line:<br />if a new handgun will most likely<br />never be shot 1000 times, then the<br />best choice is a revolver.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com