I recently purchased a contour +2 action camera to use in my video production. I bought it because it was small, durable, had an external mic jack, streamed wireless to my phone, was water proof, and had a built in GPS. So it only figures that I would do a post on a Contour Camera Review
When I got it, I found that it was oversold just a little bit – it has an HDMI out port – which they say allows it to be used as a webcam to apple computers – but the laptop I have is HDMI out only, so it will not work to tape my classes.
The video is a little jump as it has a low frame rate, and the lens makes everything look a little walleyed.
However, it comes with a waterproof case for scuba and snorkeling activities, and a bunch of different mounts – if I was using this solely as a gun cam, I would be very happy, as it is smaller and has more features than the go-pro.
Because I wanted a good quality camera with an external mic jack and I wanted to stay under $1000.00 I allowed myself to be taken by all the hoopla around this camera. I guess sionce I have a waterproof case I can finannyl start working on shooting the Glock underwater…
When I am on the range with new shooters and they have a malfunction they tend to blame the gun. I understand totally, you pay a lot for a firearm, and want to depend on it to function 100% of the time. Especially if you plan on using to defend your life.
If it keeps malfunctioning, you start to wonder if you bought a lemon.
However, it is been my experience that mechanical problems are not the leading reason most semi-automatic handguns malfunction.
There is an acronym that goes over the reasons for handgun malfunction, and it just happens to be in order or likely hood – so when you are on the range and “gun don’t work” try this first That acronym is SAMM.
The list below will show you how to begin firearm stoppage troubleshooting using SAMM.
Shooter
Semi-automatic handguns are amazing things; they are designed to contain and channel explosions, push projectiles at hundreds of feet per second, extract and eject spent casings, push fresh rounds from magazines and then chamber them in the handgun. All this has to be done with a single input of energy and timed and balanced so that everything is done.
The shooter is a variable in the design. If the shooter does not provide a steady platform for the gun to recoil against, then the laws of physics make the whole gun want to recoil equally instead of just the slide. If the slide is not able to move farther and faster than the frame of the handgun you will get failures to extract, failures to eject, double feeds, and failures to load.
In my experience with new shooters, the greatest single cause of handgun malfunctions is the shooter not holding the handgun properly.
Ammo
Ammunition malfunctions are another cause of firearms failing to function as designed. I have no issue with reloads, and done properly by a skilled individual hand loaded ammunition can function much better than factory ammunition. However, there are a lot of variables in ammunition manufacture, and reloads tend to have a greater than normal incidence of misfires, hang fires, and squib loads. Some guns (like my Walther P22) are very finicky about the ammunition it will digest, and ammunition that does not have a lot of pressure will cause the gun to double feed or fail to extract.
Remember, that with a semi-automatic, the round is part of the firearm operation, and it moves inside the firearm. If the nose of the bullet does not smoothly engage the feeding ramp then the firearm will not load smoothly. There is a reason for the recommendation that you practice with the same type of ammunition you choose to carry for defensive use.
If you have malfunction after malfunction, especially with chambering, you may want to switch ammunition brands or styles.
Maintenance
Most, if not all, ranges offer rental guns, and most of those ranges do not spend a lot of effort in ensuring that their rental guns are cleaned properly.
One range I use rents an old red label Sturm, Ruger & Co .22 pistol. I doubt that gun has been cleaned since Mr. Sturm passed in 1951. These guns are popular handguns, and known for their great design, but that particular firearm will not shoot more than 2 rounds before it has a jam. It is simply too dirty. I have thought about cleaning it myself, but I have a side bet to see if it will ever get so dirty it won’t except a magazine….
Glock’s torture test is legendary, but as their armorer course instructor said, it’s a test – not a daily routine.
Just because you CAN drop you loaded gun in the mud, let it sit for a month then fire it without cleaning doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Clean your firearm, lube it according to the manufacturer specifications, hold it properly, and feed it what it likes to eat and your gun will work 99.9% of the time
Mechanical
There is a reason Mechanical is last. Stock guns maintained properly very rarely break on the range. It does happen, and I have had front sights work themselves loose after thousands of practice draws, but it is not routine enough that it is front of my mind when diagnosing why a new shooter is having malfunctions on the range.
Typically, even most mechanical malfunctions I have seen come from shooters using aftermarket parts on their guns. If the designer wanted a titanium firing pin for a lighter quicker primer strike, why did they not put a titanium pin in the gun? It seems to me, that in today’s litigious world, especially with the competition between gun manufacturers, if a part made the gun better, faster, or stronger, the manufacturer would sell it – either in the gun or as an option.
This is just my two cents, it doesn’t butter my biscuit either way – if your gun is stock, or you hung everything but Christmas Lights on it. I am just trying to pass on what I have seen, and what I have learned through the years.
There are three basic causes of a negligent discharge (ND):
Finger on trigger, Finger on trigger, and Finger on trigger
But for those that want to know the three mechanisms that cause that errant finger to pull the trigger they are:
Startle, Stumble, Sympathetic Grip
Startle Response
The first reason your finger may tighten on the trigger when you did not consciously will it to is due to the fight or flight response. If you have ever been startled, or (guys) snuck up and “goosed” your partner, you will recognize that when startled the natural reflex is to make a fist and bring your hands up to protect your head. If your finger is on the trigger when startled it is highly likely you will have a ND.
Stumble (Imbalance Discharge)
This is very similar to the startle response in that it is your body reacting in a protective mode. Whenever you suddenly falls, your arms automatically flay out to catch try to catch something to arrest your fall. The hands grasp at whatever they can to stop the movement. If one hand grabs then the hand holding the gun will also tend to tighten. Basically this is both the startle and the sympathetic responses caused by falling.
Sympathetic Muscle Response (inter-limb reaction)
The next reason is also part of you autonomic nervous system. We have a sympathetic reflex built into our body. It is very hard to squeeze with your whole hand without also squeezing your trigger finger. Not only that, but it is also nearly impossible to apply pressure with one hand without unconsciously tightening your grip in your other hand. This is the reason good law enforcement training teaches to always holster your firearm before going “hands on” with a suspect. If you have your dominant hand gripping your firearm, and begin to fight with your non-dominant hand you may end up squeezing both hands and causing a ND.
No matter the cause of the negligent discharge, the mitigation activity is the same.
Never point your weapon at something you don’t intend to shoot
Keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to shoot
Never go hands on with someone in an attempt to gain compliance while gripping your pistol, obviously this is for situations where lethal force is not justified, but force is needed. This really is more of a LE/Security issue, but it something an armed citizen needs to be aware of.
Today’s post is on checking new duty ammo. Generally I don’t have all that strong attention to detail – I play the averages; however, when it comes to my carry guns I am a little pickier. Looking at the odds I will ever have to use my gun to defend myself or a loved one, I have to admit it would be a rare day. But when I apply risk management to the odds, I see that while it might be rare, it would also be catastrophic.
I take the extra steps to ensure my gun is well cared for, my duty ammunition is quality, my training is up to date, and my skills have not atrophied through lack of practice. Because if I ever have to use my gun, I have already been on losing side of the odds – I cannot afford to be on the losing side of the fight – it’s already a bad day, it would be worse if I expected a bang and heard a click…
With that said let me tell you about a 2 minute routine I go through with my carry/duty ammo.
Ammo is made in huge lots by machines – I like machines, and they make things easier, but I don’t trust them, they are made and maintained by people – and a lot of us are lazy. I have seen several rounds that made it past quality control that were obviously deformed.
Probably the most common factory ammunition defect is an upside down or sideways primer. This will also make “gun don’t work”. To mitigate this, since I cannot prevent it, when I open a box of ammo (either carry or practice) I take a quick scan to make sure the primers all look the same.
If its self-defense ammo I bend down to look across the top of the cases to look for raised primers – You could run a ruler or something across them, but that runs the risk of hearing a bang that you are not expecting it.
Next, I take a quick second to visually inspect each round, as I do this, I have pulled the barrel out of my carry gun, and after I inspect the round, I drop it into the barrel’s chamber to ensure that the round is not bulged out and will fit in the gun.
I know that may be a little anal retentive, BUT it only takes a few extra moments, and my life is worth that.
It is like visual AND physically checking the chamber, or saying out loud “I am done dry firing my gun” when you are dry firing to prevent that “one last practice shot” that kills your TV, or removing the ammunition from the room when you clean. Its extra, its overkill, but no one is hurt by the overkill, and several have been hurt by not going the extra step.
I am not posting a full article with his handgun ammo video.
This is an experiment making videos using my class PowerPoint presentations. I did feel the need to be a little more brief in my explanations of the slides than I normally am in class, but that’s because in class, with me jumping around and passing around training aids it takes me about 45 minutes to an hour to describe the concepts I posted here. I don’t think I can keep a YouTube Audience interested for an hour long handgun ammunition video.
As always, these videos do not take the place of live interaction with a qualified instructor. This is just another attempt to use a new medium to help give a new shooter a starting point in their training so they may feel a little more comfortable in a formal class.
I enjoyed the process of taking presentations I use in my handgun classes and turning them into YouTube videos – however, it is hard taking slides that are for a 8, 11, or 17 hour class and cutting them down to 3o minutes or so.
I left out a lot, and since I have no way to gauge understanding, then there is no way this video (or any like it) takes the place of a real class.
