We do not wish to disseminate information dangerous in the wrong hands. We weighed many factors before deciding upon this discourse, presented as no more than a sordid if intriguing fantasy, and came up with a number of reasons to justify it.
First, it is undeniably exciting. Even those who lambaste television for airing the tape of a KTW round penetrating several Kevlar pads could not help but be fascinated with the pure technology involved. (The same brand of intrigue underlies production and sale, with some success, of a videotape that plays out every gun-nut's most lurid fantasies: machine-gunning a shooting a gas tank to see if it will ignite;
shooting an engine block with KTW ammunition.) To say it bluntly, this species of discussion sells books.
Second, in these changing times, it is wise to be informed of threats to your own security, along with possible countermeasures. (Metal and ceramic inserts for Kevlar vests that wi II defeat along with at least one hit from military assault rifle AP ammo, are available to guard limited areas, such as the chest.)
Third, relativity, and not the Einsteinian sort, steps in to justify what was unthinkable 20 years because the world and the people in it have changed. Lt. Colonel North testified that Americans need to wake up to the fact that we live on an extremely dangerous planet. The land of Love Boat has seen and felt less immediate threat than any nation in history. That has led to a softness exploited by a tougher breed of foe. Drug lords from South America and subversives grown at home and abroad play rough. It makes sense to respond to escalating threats with appropriate measures.
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COMBAT PISTOLCRAFT
Owning a pistol and handling it effectively-even competently-are different things. Jeff Cooper's doctrine led to a proliferation of academies to teach the new ways. If you are willing to travel, buy/rent the guns and pay the fees, and do not sport a corrupt background, you can learn to handle the pistol, rifle, or shotgun to whatever level of expertise your desire and pocketbook will stand. Even so staid a figure as Cooper has not been above salting his ads with panache, telling prospective students that they could "join the ranks of the adept." Quite a draw for the snob in us all. Then again, Mr. Cooper is not known to exaggerate....
In addition to pure mechanics of gunhandling learned over a generation of Darwinian selection, one truth to emerge from study was the singular edge only competition gives. Students compete against one another. It just isn't the same, racing the clock. Ego comes into play to motivate us where the clock fails, especially when the other shooter is someone of the opposite sex.
With the rise of skill and personnel to teach what a drag that you may not be able legally to carry the heat that will become an extension of your hand, as it were. With cops gunning down kids carrying eerily realistic submachine gun/water pistols, the fat bulge of a heavy service pistol at your side is likely to spook an already nervous herd.
Which is not to say you will travel unarmed, only that getting caught without the right papers could mean a vacation in dreamland. If papers can be get them. If they cannot, be damned prudent about when and how you carry heat, and what you use it to accomplish. It is not for wowing dates or settling "Oh yeahs?" in the parking lot. Shooters trained at a proper academy understand that the time between drawing the weapon and firing it reduces to a fraction of a second. There is no point to brandishing the thing unless you have already decided to pull the trigger, and to live with the ominous consequences.
These points make themselves evident to casual students of the scene. We cannot go further with technique of the draw, aiming, firing, reloading, and so since only hands-on practice conveys useful expertise.
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RIFLES AND RIFLE AMMO
BIG BULLETS AND LITTLE BULLETS
From sometime in the 1950s until the Vietnam era the standard battle rifle of our armed forces was the M14, firing the 7.62 mm NATO round, known to the civilian sector as the .308. Ballistically the functional equivalent of its predecessor, the .30-'06, but packaged more compactly, it fired a 150 grain FMJ bullet at about 2700 fps.
No one disputes the intrinsic accuracy or power of the round, or the reliability and accuracy of the weapon. Both cartridge and weapon were and remain top-notch. Problems had to do mainly with inability of flocks of recruits to master the heavy recoil, and with the size and weight of weapon and ammo.
Those factors, coupled with a growing sentiment in some quarters that it was unnecessary to devastate a human foe with one hit in order for the assault rifle to accomplish its mission, led to adoption of the present standard 5.56 mm round.
The 5.56 is in essence a .22. In its first 20 years of service, the bullet weighed a mere 55 grains, this compared with 40 grains for the .22 rimfire ammunition you buy at the local hardware store. But it left Colt's 20-inch M16 barrel at a nominal 3200 fps (3000 fps is perhaps more realistic), which gave it adequate stopping power within those ranges where it retained high speed ••• which weren't too far. The light bullet shed speed quickly, making it less impressive at 150 yards than at 25 yards.
But stories circulated about terrible devastation this round produced on human flesh. While hydrostatic shock probably had much to do with its ballistic effect, the short, slowly spinning bullet proved unstable, prone to tumble once it struck flesh.
Then there was the weapon that fired it: Colt's M16 in military trim, known as the AR-15 in semiautomatic versions sold in the civilian market. To avoid a stink it is perhaps best to say that the weapon drew mixed reviews; yet no one denies that it remedied several drawbacks of the M14. It weighed about 7 pounds, kicked only a third as much as the 7.62 mm, and its smaller ammo meant that each soldier could carry twice as many rounds, disposing of greater firepower and/or cutting resupply problems. Troops forced to carry and shoot the weapon appreciated those qualities, particularly those who came through in the transition, and had genuine problems with the big and powerful M14.
Standard military small arms ammo almost exclusively carries the moniker, "ball." For this we have no explanation other than tradition. Ball ammo for rifles usually means a lead core covered with a copper or brass jacket, with rifle bullets configured to end in a fairly sharp point.
As noted, 55 grains is light for the .22 caliber. Fast out of the gate, the round lagged in the stretch. In plain talk it wasn't worth much, either in accuracy or penetrating power, at long range. ("Long range" is a nebulous concept dependent on many variables. Here we mean longer than 250 yards.)
Though some quarters called for the adoption of a round intermediate between the unwieldy 7.62 and the unsatisfactory 5.56, that latter round has become the United States and NATO standard, so attention turned to fixing its perceived flaws.
The new standard 5.56 mm bullet weighs 62 grains (at least the U.S. version; NATO has adopted the Belgian-designed SS109 at 63 grains; both embody the same basic design changes); is longer than its predecessor and sports a tapered "boat tail," a feature that improves stability in flight; and incorporates a steel insert tip as standard to help ensure penetration. It sacrifices muzzle velocity in the trade, but this has not been cause for concern of military planners. A cutaway diagram, modeled after one printed in Advanced Technology Warfare, shows the internal design. If you plan to use this ammo, note that it requires a barrel with a 1-in-7 twist, this compared to the slower 1-in-12 twist of older 5.56 mm weapons.
Believe it or not, there is a trend toward smaller bullets still. The Soviets have used a 5.45 mm round in Afghanistan, and a 5.56 mm sabot round fires a bullet only 4.5 mm in diameter.
HYDROSTATIC SHOCK AND PRECESSION
FMJ rifle bullets fired from military weapons produce fearsome tissue damage through what has come to be known as hydrostatic shock. A bullet traversing flesh at speeds in excess of, say, 2200 feet per second sets up an extremely violent fluid wave, sufficient to disrupt structure and function in tissue far distant from the path of the projecti Ie. We see Iittle need in mil itary rifle ammunition for the varied shapes and materials found in pistol bullets simply because a pointed, FMJ design has proven optimum to the task.
But there may be more to this than velocity alone would explain. Students of this phenomenon (would you believe that the Government report that discussed this back in the early fifties bore the name of future cardiac surgeon Michael DeBakey?) have commented that such a bullet may leave tiny entry and exit holes, yet puree' the tissue between them.
In addition to hydrostatic shock, precession has been proposed as one mechanism to explain this. Rifle bullets spin with the axis at right angles to the direction of travel. This stabilizes them, like tiny gyroscopes, but subjects them to a second type of spin, known as precession. The bullet "wobbles" about some point, usually its center of gravity. As a point of comparison, note that the Earth turns one revolution every 24 hours. This corresponds to passage of day and night and to spin of a bullet induced by the lands in the barrel. But our planet also undergoes change of seasons due to the fact that it precesses, or wobbles.
If the rifle bullet wobbled much its accuracy would drop quickly; but it spends most of its flight in the low- density medium of air. Flesh possesses far greater density than air, a key fact, since precession is propor- tional to the density of the medium the projectile traverses. Thus, a bullet with no visible precession in air may gyrate wi Idly in transit through the body, rending and tearing what it would otherwise spare if it held true. Pistol bullets rarely reach velocities required to bring hydrostatic shock and precessive effects into play.
As a rule, modifying factory loaded ammunition creates some risk of malfunction that could harm the experimenter. Off-the-shelf stuff is mean enough. Those who would experiment with altered ammunition or design their own should go in heavily with professional machinery. And run a patent search. It's probably been done.
AUTOMATIC WEAPONS?
Sound arguments have been made for eliminating the automatic firing mode from the M16 because, in the heat of battle, troops have shown a tendency to spray areas thought to harbor enemy, rather than waiting until they have spotted targets and taken aim.
If the mi Iitary has considered taking machine guns out of the hands of most ground troops-a need will remain for automatic weapons in the hands of those specifically trained to apply them effectively-what earthly use have you for a machine gun? Apply a practicality analysis to the breed in light of your objectives:
First, these weapons are verboten in some states. BATF will let you buy them, but if you reside in The Wrong State, you're out of luck.
Second, add a fat tax to the cost of the weapon.
Third, what tactical situations do you plan to engage that controlled fire would not better serve, as opposed to hosing areas-which is about all that untrained persons can do with automatic weapons?
LetIS admit that machine guns are good for a fine rush and plenty of envious looks down at the range when you cut loose with a 30-round magazine in one long burst that shreds the target and throws up a cloud of dirt and debris. Whooeee! Load up and do it again!
But how many thugs have assaulted you at the range? Where is your automatic weapon likely to be when an
attack comes? (As a "safety" measure, many owners keep the bolt or the parts that make the weapon automatic, in a safe deposit box until they plan actually to take out the weapon and fire it.)
Finally, with all the files that B.B. has on you already, do you need another, one with a red flag on that says you own a NFA weapon?
OK. You must have one. How do you get one legally?
check state and local laws. If you doubt your ability to so competently, hire a lawyer to find out and report to you in writing (this makes him liable for the consequences of his advice; you might tape pertinent conversations with him). Do not ask the cops. The author phoned police departments in three large cities in his state of residence, asking about permits to carry concealed firearms. All told him there was no such thing. State law says different. If the police do not know about concealed weapons, chances are they don't know about machine or would try to jerk you around by flatly denying your right to own one.
Assuming you clear local hurdles, review the questions on the BATF form. You cannot buy automatic weapons if you're an use dope and suffer psychosis, abuse chocolate, etc.
choose your weapon and your dealer. If he is not in your state of residence, you will have to have him ship the NFA weapon to a local dealer in conventional firearms.
Fourth, file the necessary forms with and wait. Assuming approval comes through, send your papers to the dealer and collect your weapon. And may God have mercy on your soul ••••
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SILENCERS
A catchy silencer, but one reserved for amateurs. The operative word is "suppresser" or "moderator," since these engines mute and alter the blast of a but do not silence it.
Firearms generate noise containing multiple elements: mechanical noise of hammerfall and primer ignition, "pre-blast"-the sound made by air pushed ahead of the projectile before it leaves the barrel; the blast of propellant gas as it discharges from the muzzle; in the case of supersonic projectiles, a sonic crack. In semi-automatic and automatic weapons we must contend also with sound of the mechanism cycling.
In any practical sound suppressors help mute only the blast of expanding propellant gas as it is discharged into the air around the muzzle. Fortunately, this is the loudest and most objectionable noise.
How loud? Military assault rifles can generate speak sound levels of 168 dB at the muzzle. Anyone who has fired an M14 or sporting rifle of comparable caliber understands the frightful intensity of the report. Recall that a decibel is a unit of measuring sound and electrical power. It is an exponential function in which power doubles or halves with slight steps in dB.
Good suppressors typically achieve sound reductions on the order of 20-30 which means that they reduce the peak acoustic power by a factor of roughly 10 to 30. that still leaves us with a peak of well over 100 decibels. Music that loud would break your easy. But a report lasts a fraction of a second, and there is a difference between the way the brain processes impulse noise compared to its handling of continuous sound. As a vital point about suppressors, realize that they muffle sound enough to alter the tactical role of the weapon by making it extremely difficult to locate or even detect by its sound.
A BIT OF THEORY
Humans perceive brief or impulse noise in a different mode from continuous noise. Take the sound of rainfall. We hear yet we not due to some change in hearing sensitivity, but by the way our auditory processors operate. And those same processors, through some devious subterfuge yet unraveled, let us slumber through the most violent thunderstorm, a symphony of heavy impulse noise. Yet they awaken us from
sound sleep to the barest creak of the stairs, instantly alert, certain that Jason has returned for his hockey mask.
So there appears to be some threshold at which any type of noise, impulse or continuous, prompts us to attend it. In firearm reports we deal with an impulse that overwhelms all but the loudest background noise, and by its identifiable nature, with the danger impl icit, turns us to seek the source immediately.
To illustrate the point, let us sayan unsilenced firearm generates a peak muzzle blast that measures 135 dB 15 feet from the muzzle. It lasts only milliseconds, yet overwhelms ambient sound. Its intensity and signature tell us: gun report.
Now attach a suppressor that mutes the report to about 110 dB-and alters its signature. That, as much as the reduced intensity, may explain the sonic camouflage effect of silencers. Even on television, the sound of machine gun fire at, say, 80 decibels instantly identifies the source.
Mental exercise: Record the sound of a pistol blast. Assuming extremely sophisticated and unbel ievably powerful equipment, we could play back the sound at the same intensity it was recorded. Now turn down the volume 30 decibels. You will still hear a seemingly loud gunShot, instantly recognized and calling forth that automatic alerting response gunfire evokes. The same does not happen when a suppressed firearm shoots because suppressed firearms do not sound like firearms with the volume cranked down.
Fourth factor: Eardrums are equipped with muscles to soften the sounds of low and high frequencies. Many people can activate them voluntarily (in anticipation of a loud sound; it makes a rumbl ing sound in your ears). Loud noise activates them automatically through pathways still obscure, but it's a safe bet that sounds that do not activate them stand less chance of drawing attention than those that do. The multiple actions of suppression probably prevent that complex but obscure combination of events.
Intensity aside, the sound configuration or signature of suppressed weapons is foreign to the hearing experience of all save experienced (and cagey ones at that, to have survived silenced assassination attempts). For that reason, it fails to alert us to danger, despite a peak impulse of well over 100 dB. That same awful sound level of raucous music would prompt a hassle for disturbing the peace.
Silencers, genuinely effective ones, date back to Hiram Maxim (the machine gun family). In the 1960s, the Frankford Arsenal tested the Maxim silencer marketed in the early 1900s and found it to be among the more effective of all devices studied, despite its ancient vintage. As seen from a diagram of its internal construction, it not only places a series of baffles in the path of the expanding propellant gas, but the baffles are angled back so as to cause an outward vortex that draws the gas to the edge of the suppressor (i.e.,