TED Talk Why I chose a gun from Peter van Uhm

Shooting: The M6 Scout is One of the Best Homestead Rifles
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Why I chose a gun is a TED talk from Peter van Uhm the former Chief of Defense of the Netherlands’.  However his job does not mean he is pro-war. At TEDxAmsterdam he explains how his career is one shaped by a love of peace, not a desire for bloodshed — and why we need armies if we want peace.

I have some TED talks I use in teaching, and have learned a lot from them, but they do have a very noticeable liberal bias and rarely have videos that show a pro-gun sentiment.

I do have some questions on his soldier’s lack of familiarity with the manual of arms on the M-16 and her poor marching skills, but there is a lot of useful thought in the video.

Not everyone is familiar with or even likes guns.  However, how many people do you know who dislike what guns protect.  Guns protect people – families – kids.

My gun protects life.  Mine, my loved ones, and the lives of those in my community and nation.  My gun is for defense.  From protection against bad guys that use guns for offense.

General van Uhm tells a story about his father’s inability to stop the Nazi advance due to poor equipment.  He describes how that inability marked him for life.  The General speaks on why he joined the military to stop evil.

Why I chose a gun is a pro gun story from a guy that does not like guns.

How to Replace a CETME Roller

How to Replace a CETME Roller

 

CETME Roller Replacement
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In previous articles we talked about the importance of bolt gap on delayed roller blowback rifles like the CETME or the HK G3s.

We even touched on how to increase bolt gap by adding oversized rollers to correct wear of internal parts.

What we did not do is give instructions for replacing the rollers.

Now, as I have said before, I am not a gunsmith, but I will present an easy way of changing rollers.

You don’t need much in the way of tools – a pair of pliers, a roll pin punch (I used a nail) and a hammer.

Procedure:

  • First ensure you have NO ammunition in the room. This is imperative to make a habit whenever you are cleaning, working on, or dry firing your firearm.
  • Next strip the rifle (we have an article on that)
  • Remove bolt assembly by twisting – you probably can do this without tools if you have decent hand strength
  • Remove Bolt head from Carrier (twist and pull)
  • On the top of the bolt head you will see a small hole with a roll pin. Using a small punch tap out the roll pin, I did not have a punch nearby that was the right size so I used a small finishing nail. Retainer plate and rollers will now slide out the side
  • Shake bolt head until the roll pin falls out.
  • Insert your plus sized rollers on the retainer plate (one side of the roller ill have a small divot in the center. This divot corresponds to a tip on the retainer plate.
  • Slide retainer plate and rollers back in the bolt.
  • Reinstall pin (may take a tap on the punch with a small hammer)
  • Reassemble firearm function check to ensure you put everything back properly
  • Check bolt gap (it should have increased) If it has not or it is still out of specification you may have to consider getting the barrel repressed – there are not a lot of gunsmiths that are willing to do this, but luckily I found two in my area.

Resources for CETME Parts

(I have no connections to any of these companies, but I have been their customer)

I buy my rollers from RTG International Surplus Parts in Arizona

And for barrel work, I use wither Dave’s Gun shop in Cookeville TN (I’ve been in firearms classes with Terry their gunsmith – great bunch of guys)

Or Lock Stock and Barrel in Franklin TN (sorry no website)

Don’t Waste. Be Frugal, Learn to Make Do, or You May Have to do Without

Prepper Precepts #26 Don’t Waste. Be Frugal, Learn to Make Do, or You May Have to do Without

 

27 Prepper Precepts #26
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My adherence to this prepper precept causes fights at my house.  It is Don’t waste. Be frugal, learn to make do, or you may have to do without.

You can’t always run to the store for parts and new stuff – learn to make do with the old.  By being frugal and eliminating as much waste as possible you will become a better steward of your resources and will not only need much less, but you will save more.  Turn it into a game and it will be much easier.

You will be surprised on how much you actually need once you learn and practice frugality.

Rules of Civility: The 110 Precepts that Guided Our First President in War and Peace

These precepts are my creed, and having prepper precepts guides me when I face tough choices.  A wise man once told me that when facing a moral problem, the right choice is usually the action you don’t want to take.

I am not a pollyanna person that is wishy washy or blindly follows rules, heck I have a little rebellious streak and love to know the WHY of rules, but I do respect and understand the need for law and know how vital it is for a society to have a moral code.

By knowing what I believe in you can know how I will act. This is very important in times of stress.  If you don’t want to read these precepts one by one, the completed list can be found here: Completed 27 Prepper Precepts.

Handgun Scenario #2 Bank Robbery

 

Handgun Scenario #2
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This video is a handgun scenario clip from the old TN handgun permit video, it is being used under the fair use doctrine.

This video will show a brief encounter that a legally armed citizen will face.

Please watch it and then think about what you would do in this situation.

An armed citizen generally has an extremely compressed window in a use of force situation. If you have not spent some time seriously considering what would cause you to use force and the implications (Physical, Legal, Moral, Psychological, and Sociological) then you are setting yourself up for failure.

Consider your gut reaction and what you immediately think you should do. Then think about the implications of those actions and see if it changes your mind on what you should do.

Answer these two questions:

  • Would I have taken same action as the armed citizen in the video?
  • If I had, would it have been legal?

What was the “legal” response…

I think this kind of what would you do training is invaluable to preparing a person to carry a gun for self defense.  If you never work on handgun scenario training you will have to work through the situation when it occurs – this will waste precious seconds and may cause you to do the wrong thing.  Please look at the post on OODA loop for more information.

Go to the Next Page to See the Discussion Answer

Ayoob on Shooting Aftermath

Ayoob on Shooting Aftermath
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Knowing how to deal with what comes in a shooting aftermath – especially if your the armed citizen that fired a handgun, I can think of no better instructor than Massad Ayoob.

According to Wikipedia Massad Ayoob is an internationally known firearms and self-defense instructor. He has taught police techniques and civilian self-defense to both law enforcement officers and private citizens since 1974.

He was the director of the Lethal Force Institute (LFI) in Concord, New Hampshire from 1981 to 2009.  Ayoob now directs the Massad Ayoob Group (MAG).

More than that bio Mr. Ayoob writes some of the best firearm books on the subject of the legal aftermath of a self defense shooting.  I widely quote his work in my classes,  and recommend his books courses and videos to my students.

I like to say I can teach anyone to shoot well, teaching the fundamentals of shooting is easy.  It is the teaching of when to shoot and how to shoot when people are shooting back is what is hard.  Special concern needs to be given to what happens AFTER a shooting.  Dealing with the shooting aftermath is pretty important in its own right.  After all you don’t want to go to jail for saving a life – not do you want to deal with grief, guilt or other emotional issues for it either.