Click on the link above to read a great PDF article on keeping your AR-15 lubricated and running.
I like the MEAL acronym a lot
Magazines
A lot of rifle stoppages are caused by bad magazines
Prior to the Magpul PMAG hitting the scene, most of the AR15 magazines available were military surplus STANAG Aluminum magazines made by a wide variety of contractors. The quality varied widely.
When I worked at a gun shop, I often told customers to save themselves the drama that came from trying to pick out a good alumnium AR-15 magazine and just get the Magpul PMAGs.English: Colt AR-15 A3 Tactical Carbine. Used by counter-terrorist (CT) forces in Counter-Strike (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Extractor
Extractors can get worn out.
Keep the chamber area clean!
Ammo
Quality ammunition makes a big difference.
Lubrication
Be sure to read your owner’s manual and lubricate on all points where it is needed.
Understand the difference between oil and grease.
The same principles can be applied to an AK47, M14, or other rifles as well.
In light of the recently highlighted tragedies in which children were killed because a gun was left unsecured by its owner, we need to go over some basics of storing guns securely to the absolute best of our abilities.
Basic Safety Reminder
RULE ZERO: Treat the gun like it is LOADED and assume the gun is loaded until proven otherwise.
A Sentry Safe (model unknown), class 350-2R. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Storing Handguns
If the handgun is not used for immediate home defense, then it should be unloaded and in a safe
If the handgun is used for immediate home defense, then it should be carried in a holster on your person or in a quick access safe.
If you have kids, DO NOT try to hide the gun. They will find it.
Teach them about gun safety.
“Abstinence only” education on guns is just stupid.
Storing Rifles and Long Guns
If the rifle is not used for immediate defense, then it should be unloaded and stored.
If the rifle is used for immediate home defense, it should be readily accessible or in a dedicated safe for quick access in an emergency situation.
DO NOT STORE LOADED GUNS ALONGSIDE UNLOADED GUNS.
“But I don’t have enough money or space for a safe!”
That is a poor excuse for not securing your guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons.It is your responsibility to store a gun securely. Even in states where you will not be held criminally or civilly liable for not storing your guns correctly, the public opprobrium of being an irresponsible gun owner never goes away in the internet age.
Inexpensive safes like this one are available here.
If you are poor or simply cannot spare any space, then your options are improvised safe storage techniques. THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE for using a gun vault or safe.
Remove the magazine or (unload the cylinder) of the firearm you intend to secure
Double check the action to make sure that it is unloaded.
Keep the action open
You can also remove and store the bolt or slide of the gun somewhere else and then continue to step 4
Run a python cable lock through the action of the gun(s)
Lock the python cable lock onto something really heavy.
Ammo Storage
I like the Plano Field Boxes a lot since they are not bulky and relatively inexpensive. They also have two holes on them that allow you to run a thin python cable lock through them to secure them from unauthorized access.
When you are working at a gun shop , there are a few things you should do to improve the customer‘s experience (and make more sales). I learned these through trial and error while working at NOVA Firearms in Falls Church, VA.
DON’T BE A GROUCH!
I cannot stand going into a gun store with a clerk who treats customers like they are idiots because they are total newbies or they don’t know the lineage of some 1918 Browning vest pistol with silver engraving.
Smile at and greet everyone who comes into the store WITHOUT FAIL.
If the store is busy, just say “We’ll be right with you.”
Phone Skills
Politely greet the customer
If you are dealing with someone who want to just compulsively check prices, just ask them to come into the store as we are really busy.
Know your material.
Know the differences between common pistol and rifle cartridges.
Know how hollowpoint bullets work
Know how the AR-15 gas system works
Know how the AK-47 gas system works
Know the differences between a DA/SA Pistol, a single-action pistol, a double-action only pistol, and a striker-fired pistol.
Be able to explain why you carry your gun a particular way
If you are going to carry your gun in a Sonny Crockett style shoulder rig, be sure the damn thing is anchored to your belt and not just draped over your shoulders.
Better yet, ditch the shoulder rig.
Sell what you like
Ask the customer what they are buying the gun for.
Most will say for personal security.
Ask if it will be for home defense or concealed carry.
When making a recommendation, be forthright and bold in what you recommend because it is what you would use to defend yourself.
If you are trying to talk up something that you wouldn’t carry for yourself, then it will show through to the customer.
Knock off the Walter Mitty BS.
Don’t spout junk about the sound of a shotgun racking scaring the bad guy off or “they all fall to .45 hardball”.
It turns off new customers and makes you look like an idiot
DO NOT LIE about military service.
DON’T SMELL LIKE S**T!
Wear a good quality cologne, especially if you are a smoker
Wear a clean shirt.
Be clean-shaven or have a well groomed beard.
Chew any sort of gum.
I like Dentyne Fire and Dentyne Ice.
You are not a lawyer and do not play one on TV
Advise customers to check their state’s self-defense laws.
Rule of thumb is that lethal force may be merited if you are in a situation in which you are in fear of being murdered or raped.
It is not about making the sale.
The moment all that you think about is “making the sale” or “pushing” a gun is when sales will be much harder to make.
The guns will sell themselves, your job is to guide the customer to the right gun.
Your goal is to determine what is right for the customer, here is how to do it.
Ask if the gun is for home defense or concealed carry.
If it is for home defense, show a semiautomatic rifle or a full size polymer framed modern striker-fired pistol (Glock/Springfield/S&W M&P)
The problem with home defense shotguns, is that significant others often find shotguns uncomfortable to shoot.
If it is for concealed carry, ask how they plan on carrying it and then make your recommendations for carrying it.
If the method of carry they propose is something really stupid, then be able to politely articulate “you might want to consider this way instead”.
If the customer doesn’t have all the IDs needed…
If a customer gets grouchy over not having the right IDs on hand, you need to politely emphasize that you do not make the rules, the state/feds make the rules.
Offer to have the customer put the gun on account, they pay now, then come back with their IDs to fill out the paperwork.
Dealing with a prohibited person
During the course of conversation with a customer, the customer mentions something about going to jail, smacking his girlfriend around, or getting arrested for dope or smoking weed, then you need to immediately and politely state “I’m sorry sir, because of what you just told me, I’m not allowed to sell you a gun or ammo and it would be best if you leave.”
I often discuss this case with my students to help them understand the sort of evil that they may face in a home defense scenario.
This happened on July 23rd, 2007 in the quiet suburb of Cheshire. Connecticut. Hayley Petit, Michaela Petit, and Jennifer Hawke-Petit were raped and murdered and William Petit was the only one who lived.
Summary
Please watch the above video from Mojopin12 on Youtube. It provides an excellent summary of what happened.
Here is a transcript of the confession from Joshua Komisarjevsky.
Here is the audio of the confession.
One of the more disturbing things about the audio confession, is how nonchalant Joshua Komisarjevsky is about what he has done to this family.
Perpetrators
Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The two monsters (Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky) had extensive criminal histories dating back to when they were teenagers.
If you read Stanton Samenow‘s Inside the Criminal Mind, you will notice that these two share a lot of traits with other criminals in the prison system and on the outside in that their crimes will escalate over time.
People such as this take no responsibility for their actions.
Even while on death row, the Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky have demonstrated no remorse for their crimes.
Observations
Hayes and Komisarjevsky show that bad guys come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and COLORS.
Bad guys travel in packs and escalate crimes while in a pack.
This is part of why capacity in a firearm magazine is important.
Dr. William Petit was asleep on the outside porch when the home invaders struck.
There was a baseball bat left in the front yard that the Hayes and Komisarjevsky used on Dr. William Petit.
Steven Hayes was armed with a pellet gun.
It is important to understand the visual profile of a pellet gun or BB gun from the perspective of having one pointed at you.
BB gun used in the crime. Notice the cap on the bottom of the grip of the gun, that gives it away as a BB gun.
Robberies carried out with BB guns happen more often than we think
Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Michaela Petit were scouted out by Joshua Komisarjevsky while in a grocery store and were followed home.
Jennifer Hawke-Petit and Michaela Petit at the grocery store where Joshua Komisarjevsky spotted them
When you are out shopping, be mindful of anyone looking at you with a hard stare
Be mindful of anyone whose movements are starting to mirror yours.
If you think someone is following you while you are driving, then do not take a direct route back to your house.
Make a U-Turn as well as turns that you would not normally make while traveling home.
Do not underestimate the savagery of an assailant.
Do not put yourself at the mercy of people who have none.
Go with an Arsenal SGL-21 in 7.62×39 and save yourself the drama that can come with a Century Arms, IO, or other parts kit built gun.
Why 7.62×39?
Ammunition and magazines in 7.62x39mm are more common in the USA than for 5.45×39.
Magazines
Surplus steel magazines and Bulgarian “Circle 10″ polymer magazines are the ones I recommend as of this blog post.
The Magpul AK mags look very promising though.
Accessorizing
Furniture
Stock
Polymer solid stocks are always a good choice
I don’t really care for the wood furniture since it adds weight to the rifle
Folding Stocks
Avoid anything that requires you to take a dremel or hacksaw to the receiver to get it to fit.
ACE Folding stocks are notorious for requiring the user to cut the tang of the receiver to fit the stock.
If you are going to get a MAKO stock, then get the side folder model.
The TAPCO Galil style folding stocks are a bit cheap in both price and durability.
The Soviet paratrooper wire folders are not that comfortable to shoot
Pistol Grip
It is a matter of personal preference, but I really like the Hogue Grips
Magpul and US Palm make good pistol grips as well
Sling
Keep it simple with a two point sling
I don’t like the surplus slings with the leather buckles, the leather is often worn out or weather-beaten.
Optics and other accessories
The Ultimak gas tube rail mount is really the only scope mounting solution I recommend for an AK
The Aimpoint micro is the best red dot out there in terms of being able to tolerate heat and maintain zero. Like many good optics out there, it is not cheap.
Don’t try to turn your AK into a combination CQB and Sniper weapon. It will do neither well.
The Haley Strategic Thorntail SBR mount works great in combination with the Ultimak mount and a Fenix TK-21 flashlight.
It is important to be able to practice your draw from concealment and trigger control even if you cannot make it out to the gun range. It is also important to be able to practice wearing clothing that you are most likely to find yourself having to deploy your firearm in a defensive use situation.
Safety
Remove any live ammunition or live weapons away from the training area
Double check your magazine pouches
Make sure that your magazines are empty if you are going to practice reloads
Triple-check your pistol to ensure that there is no live ammunition in the chamber
Pocket Pistols
As a refresher pocket pistols are often defined by the following traits
Small Frame
Single stack (all the cartridges are in a straight line as opposed to being staggered) magazine to ensure a thin profile
Usually chambered in .380 ACP or 9mm.
The following models of pocket pistol are generally good to go when it comes to this category of handgun
Smith and Wesson Bodyguard .380
The double-action only trigger means that you will not have to rack the slide to dry-fire the gun again.
Ruger LCP
The double-action only trigger means that you will not have to rack the slide to dry-fire the gun again.
Beretta Nano
I like striker-fired guns a lot but you will need to rack the slide each time to reset the trigger after dry firing the gun which means that you run the risk of developing bad habits from training.
Things you will need
The LaserLyte Pistol Training Target
The LaserLyte Reaction Tyme Target set
A Laserlyte Pistol Training Cartridge
Here is one in .380 ACP
Here is one in 9mm
Configuring your pocket pistol for dry-fire training
Drop the magazine from your gun
Make sure that there is no live ammunition in the magazine
Check the chamber of your gun by racking the slide back with no magazine in the gun
AGAIN Check the chamber of your gun by racking the slide back with no magazine in the gun
Insert your .380 ACP or 9mm LaserLyte cartridge into the chamber
Pull back and rack the slide into battery
Insert the EMPTY magazine into the gun
Training Drills
This is where it can get really fun!
Be sure to incorporate the following elements into your training drills. You can set up drills for yourself that focus on one particular element or set up drills that incorporate all elements
Drawing your firearm from a belly band holster
Drawing your firearm from a bag or purse
A sudden signal to draw your firearm
Targets placed in unpredictable and irregular spots by your training partner
Fast and explosive movement from one spot to another
360 degree awareness
This means placing targets at opposite angles of attack
Irregular shooting positions
Seated, On your back, On your side, etc.
Reloads or a transition to a secondary weapon
Escaping the area
Conclusion
DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Dry fire practice, movement, and weapons manipulation are far more important to developing defensive skills than just popping off rounds at the square range.
This is a tragedy that was completely preventable. I put the blame squarely on the parents for this. Unsecured in the corner of a room is not an acceptable place to store a gun At bare minimum, a $10 cable lock through the opened action is needed. There was no excuse for not clearing the gun prior to “storing” it in the half-assed manner the parents did. In my opinion, five years old is a bit young for a kid to have their first gun, let alone have one unsupervised. Related articles Taking Our Rights Away, One Tragedy, One Terror Attack at a Time (theseatonpost.com) Newtown mother: Don’t let our tragedy become your tragedy (tv.msnbc.com) Guns in America (hatboxsoapbox.wordpress.com) Floridians encouraged to report neighbors who ‘hate government’ (sott.net) Kentucky Toddler’s Shooting Death: A ‘Natural Consequence’ Of Gun Culture? (huffingtonpost.com) Reader POV “Would any recent tragedies have been prevented if…” (ivoter.com) Share this: