I’m starting to research 3-gun as the “next thing to do” (isn’t everybody at this point?), so I thought I’d post some of the rules here:

• International Multi-Gun Association – Match Rules (PDF)
• USPSA-3gun-Supplement.pdf

If anyone knows of a better set of rules to post, let me know.

Finally catching up with some of the stuff I bookmarked while I was back in Kansas for Christmas.  This vid (via boing boing) provided a nice mental break:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Originally: Zombie apocalypse advice for the holiday season – Boing Boing.

honestly though, I’m not sure what I think about the kid wearing glasses at the end.  On one hand, it seems a bit too Terminator for me.  On the other hand, it doesn’t seem tactically sound either — surely the light from the Christmas tree isn’t that bright?

Once again, daily views for StoppingPower.Info videos made a new all-time high.  Daily views for 12/8/10 (as reported by TubeMogul metrics) reached 13,454.  I’m not certain what’s driving all the traffic, other than perhaps school is letting out for the fall semester?  

I’ve pasted the report from TubeMogul below.

The % increase is only related to the day before.

I’ve been thinking about starting a Ruger 10/22 project as something to keep me busy during winter.  I haven’t decided between an AR trainer or target varient to modify my 1022.  I’ve been really interested in the Nordic AR22 receiver kit since I’ve seen it written up on DemiGods site, but I hadn’t found much in the way of actual build pictures on it — until now!  Behold, a quality writeup by John Davies on getting the kit setup.

For example, note his comment:

We used a laminated or “peelable” brass shim, which was actually an aircraft part from John’s junk box, left over from his days as an aircraft mechanic. First we loosened the lower barrel bolt and moved the receiver and barrel upwards until it was perfectly centered in the end of the fore arm. Then we measured the gap below the V block – it was 0.035 inches on this gun. After trimming and peeling layers, we installed the brass shim and retightened the barrel bolt. The next time we strip the rifle, we will glue the shim in place with some adhesive so it can’t get lost.

This is information that I haven’t found any where else, and seems really helpful.

It’s impossible to show I ran across these the other day and felt the need to share:

I really like the way he’s lighting the various firearms; really stands out from a lot of the “and let’s just drop a knife in here ’cause that looks mean too!” pictures that seem to be an epidemic in certain gun magazines.

I’ve started working on a new project — a handmade longbow!  Not exactly the normal StoppingPower.Info project, but it’s not that far off the mark either.  I’ve owned the Bowyer’s bible’s for years, but have mostly used them to hold down my shelves.  I finally decided that I need to just build something, and am following Sam Harper’s Red Oak Board Build.  I’ve been pretty happy with his instructions as they’re pretty to the point with plenty of pictures.  Anyway, here we go:

Initial selection of wood

The wood selection at Lowes and Home Depot weren’t horrible and I finally found a board I wanted about 4″ wide at Home Depot.  Not a problem to rip that down to 1.5″ and 2.5″ on the tablesaw.

Initial shape to rough out

Here’s the top of with the of the side taper traced out:

Capacity indicates the number of rounds available in the firearm.  For different firearms, they are loaded differently.  For example:

Single Shot – a single round is loaded directly into the barrel.  Guess how many shots you have? (Yes, it’s just one).

Double Barrel – is a single shot with two barrels — again, guess how many shots you have? (2)

Revolver – A revolver has a rotating cylinder that contains the rounds to be fired and the casings that have been fired.  Cylinders may contain as few as five and as many as eight (or more) rounds for use, depending on the specific make and model of revolver.

Magazine fed – This is a magazine fed firearm.  This can be either:

• Semi-automatic handgun
• Semi-automatic rifle
• Bolt-action rifle
• Lever-action rifle
• Pump-action rifle

You are only limited by the size of the magazine. During the Assult Ban years, you were limited to 10 rounds in a magazine.  With that law expiring, you are limited by the manufacture of the magazine.  Both design of the firearm (how “thick” a magazine will they take) and the round (9mm is smaller in diameter than .45 ACP, therefore more can fit in the same volume) impact magazine capacity.  If you have ever watched a movie and the hero has what looks like a long magazine in the gun, there are extended mags that take up to 30 or more rounds.

Caliber is the term I use to describe the ammunition for use in various firearms.  I use this particular word instead of cartridge because it’s (a) shorter and (b) most people will know what I mean.

243 Winchester Schematic

To be clear, caliber should refer to the diameter of the bullet and the barrel of the gun.  The bullet is only part of the cartridge, which is composed of:

• the bullet
• the casing (typically brass, but steel may also be used)
• powder (the “engine” so to speak)
• and the primer (which is what’s hit by the firing pin, causing a small explosion, thereby igniting the primary powder)

Clearly an argument can be made that the armory should use the word cartridge, and maybe I’ll switch to that in the future.

The armory continues to grow and I am excited about the way it is shaping up. As a result, I’ve added a couple of new features to the armory this week.

Embedded Firearms Links

We’ve all been there; you’re looking for information on a new firearm that you’re interested in buying and google drops you off in some forum (THR is always good).  In a certain regard, StoppingPower was started as a result of me trying many searches like that.  I wanted to find info on:

• Specs - What cartridge does it take?  What guns are comparable to this one?  What’s the barrel length? How much does it weigh?
• Pictures - How’s it look?  What finishes are available?
• Videos - Are there any videos showing this gun in action?
• Etc…

I’d end up scanning forum upon forum, and end up the “answer” after all that research.  Embedded firearm links are my answer to some of that research.  If someone wants to post to a forum discussing their firearm, it would be so much handier to just embed a link (via html supplied by the Armory) to the Armory page for that firearm.   For example, for one of the AR-15 pistols you could put in:

Or if you’re a derringer guy (maybe for SASS) you could embed this:

Hopefully it’ll be easy to figure out, as it essentially follows the youtube model.

It’s always interesting to see how other countries handle gun control…

According to the Small Arms Survey, an independent research group based in Geneva, Finland has 45 guns to every 100 people. That estimate gives Finland the fourth highest civilian gun ownership levels in the world.  he government says there are too many guns in Finland and estimates its legislation would cut the number of gun licenses issued in half.Hand guns were used in all three mass shootings in Finland. It is no coincidence then that the biggest change to the countrys gun laws would be the age at which you can get a license to own one.Critics point out that the gunman responsible for Finlands second school shooting was 22, so the new law would have made little difference

via BBC News – World News America – Finland reviews its gun laws after mass shootings.