9mm NATO is definitely not the most potent self-defense round, but, in contemporary loads, most would deem it a more than adequate SD round. Its chief benefit, IMO, lies elsewhere, though. Until NATO adopted its standardized version, it was known only, AFAIK, as the 9mm Parabellum, invoking the wise attitude, “Si vis pacem para bellum.” Hence, I will always and ever think of the round as the 9mm Parabellum, a round made for the ethos that says, “Enforce peace,” because, in this world, one cannot rely on civil government to (even attempt to) perform its primary function of sowing fear in the hearts of evildoers.
Gun Control
The principle applied to limiting a right that government has specifically been put on notice as “shall not be infringed” should be: “How much raw sewage do you want in your glass of milk?”
Licensing, taxing, or in any other way limiting a right is infringement, therefore, the “middle ground” in gun control should be selling the ATF to a group bent on establishing a chain of convenience stores selling alcohol, tobacco, and firearms.
Nice!
*huh* .32 H&R snake shot: a legitimate use for an oft-neglected caliber handgun (hiking, backyard work after high creek waters—water moccasins, etc.). Limited usefulness (maybe rats, other very small varmints), but seems a decent use to put a collectible (~100-year-old) firearm designed and built for modern propellant that is in excellent condition. Otherwise, it’s pretty much just a plinker.
Just for Fun
One fun thing about so-called “instinctive shooting” (pointing/aiming a firearm as a simple extension of one’s hand, like pointing a finger) is practicing peripheral vision target acquisition. Oh, it’s not really a practical shooting, urm, practice, but it’s fun to acquire a target out of the corner of one’s eye, fire, and check one’s accuracy. Do note, however, that is is ESSENTIAL to determine in advance where EVERYTHING one does not want to harm is NOT accessible to one’s fire. ESSENTIAL. BEST to practice such fun stuff on a well-defined and well-regulated range, and ONLY acquire targets that are located in a safe direction as defined by the range master (if such exists).
Of course, I have only taken up “instinctive shooting” practice because of my ageing eyes—mine are uncooperative with the iron sights on handguns—making “IS” practice. . . practical. For me. Surprisingly (or perhaps not), as far as handgun practice goes, the techniques have actually seemed to markedly improve my accuracy for mid-to-short range handgun use.
Whatever. It’s fun for me. YMMV.
Better Practice
Practice does not make perfect. it does end to make permanent, though. So, whatever you practice, do it with as proper a form and content as possible.
Still, practicing some things can be dangerous. Practicing knife fighting skills pretty much requires a skilled sparring partner, but knives are inherently dangerous tools/weapons. So: rubber knives with the same form, weight, and balance as one’s primary edged weapon can make for Good Practice.
Similarly, dry fire exercises with firearms can help hone one’s grip, aim, and trigger skills, but dry firing revolvers is generally disrecommended. So. . . dummy rounds. But dummy rounds can make other firearms practices safer, as well. For example, practicing reloading revolvers using speedloaders. It’s just that wee tad safer.
I was glad to find some dummy loads for a wee lil revolver that were S&W “longs” instead of the more easily-found ACP dummies, since they more accurately replicate reloading the preferred round for that lil revolver (it accepts and safely fires either the ACP—”short”—rounds or the “long” though it was built for and functions better with the “longs”).
Sadly, the only company I could locate (only 40 miles away!EIGHTEEN DAYS for USPS to lose/find/lose/find/HOLD/lose/find and finally deliver it.
*smh* That is why I send packages via UPS. It’s just. . . Good Practice. *heh*
Making New Habits
Apropos of nothing in particular, I am greatly encouraged that “instinctive shooting” works the same for me whether I shoot right- or lefthanded. Nice. . . as long as my right eye (dominant eye) remains good and my left eye stays pretty much in the same relation, between them, my binocular vision allows me to acquire my target well w/o focusing my sight on the. . . urm sights, just by focusing my eyes on my target and maintaining a proper grip alignment. It’s the latter that’s a bit more difficult for my lefthanded shooting. Just needs more drill. So, drill, baby, drill. *heh*
Good Practice. . . and Fortuitous Discovery
Demands on time and $$ have pretty well dictated limited range time. VERY limited range time. *sigh* Therefore,
Dry fire practice does aid in target acquisition and training for best handling, though only live fire can really lock skills in definitively. Still, when needs drive. . .
On a side note: I discovered that a lil antique (well, according to the standard, RW definition of “antique”—more than 100 years old—though not the stupid ATF definition) firearm I was given quite some years ago, can easily and very safely accommodate more powerful ammunition than that which came with it. In fact, it was designed and manufactured for more powerful ammunition, and has checked out as being in top condition. So. . . graduating from plinking and small game to small-medium game. Now, I just need to get to the range. . . *sigh*
I had wondered for years about the chamber length as opposed to the ammunition I was gifted to use with it. . . Been using the “wrong” (though perfectly safe and usable) stuff for years. No wonder there was so much chamber fouling. (Not a bad thing, really, since I like the aroma of Hoppes. ?)
Quick Mini-Tip
Lil mini-tip: So, ya reached for a pencil to mark your cut and. . . where’d the dang thing go?!? Oh, well, either waste time looking for it, or pull a round from one of your speedloaders or mags and mark that board. Simple, right? A nice lil time-saver.
YW.
Handy Tip
You know how you can tell a so-called “conspiracy theorist” is “carrying concealed,” don’t you? Yeh, you cannot see their weapon, therefore it is concealed, right? *heh*
YW.
2nd Amendment Stuff
For those of y’all who are willing to spend several hundred dollars for a good suppressor and pay protection money to the criminal ATF to simply possess it, BUT, for whatever reason, do not want to modify a perfectly good firearm to accept a suppressor, this may be an option for you:
Custom Clamp-On Threaded Adapter
Maybe not so easily used on many pistols, but it looks as though it would be quite easily installed on rifles.