High Exposure

I am a little confused. By your title, you had an unfired round (cartridge) stuck in the chamber, but by your description of the malfunction you had a case (spent brass from a fired round) in your action. Did you have a failure to extract - meaning the spent brass case (cartridge being an entire un-fired round, case being just the fired brass) was stuck in the chamber (the most common meaning behind stuck or sticking) or did you have a failure to eject, where the case was pulled from chamber but was not ejected from the action. Assuming we are using the same words for the same parts, If the ejector was on the wrong side, that means the extractor was opposite the ejection port and the bolt was attempting to "throw" the spent case against the sidewall of the action after unlocking and extracting the case. If assembled in that way your bolt will most definitely not eject rounds properly. You should not be able to install a mils-spec bolt into a mil-spec carrier backwards like that. The cam pin hole in the bolt should be tapered to preclude that from happening. If you can install the bolt 180 rotated, I would contact the maker and find out why. In the meantime, assuming we are on the same page and you had good extraction and a weird attempt at ejection, installing the bolt the correct way in the carrier should alleviate the issue. If you are not sure, look at the bolt throught the ejection port. The extractor should be on the same side as the dust cover.

Topics drift just like conversations do, they are organic and follow strange paths sometimes. Regardless, we got here because someone recomended a SERPA as a holster that may fit the needs of the OPs request. How is the subsequent discussion regarding the merits and shortcoming of that peice of gear not relevant to the discussion? Should we all be so clinical and simply answer with our suggestion to the OP with no discussion? Nothing was said about going to war and dodging land mines. Obvious, relevant, and factual shortcoming of a holster were brought to light. Nothing else. Apparently in your neighborhood the need to draw your CCW from its holster only happens on bright sunny days where cottonball clouds float across an impossibly blue sky above rivers of chocolate and trees that give beer. No one ever gets dirty, falls over, or is taken to the ground. I need to move Regarding Bellybands - In my experience bellyband type holsters suck except for a very few very specific examples where they "may" be necessary to accomplish your concealment needs. Jogging is most definitely not one and a bellyband would be one of the last types of holsters, just after an ankle holster, that I would use for that purpose. The elastic does a very poor job of keeping the firearm secure to your body and it flops all over. With the right belt, a secure quality non-paddle OWB holster in kydex or leather would be a significant improvement over a bellyband type holster. That being said, I don't think a standard OWB type holster is the "A" answer either. I think a fanny pack would make the most sense, and if I ever start running outdoors again I will use that or one of the most excellent Hill People Gear's Runner's Kit Bags: http://www.hillpeoplegear.com/Products/tabid/762/ctl/ProductDetails/mid/1916/ProductID/16/Default.aspx Or you can be like this stud from 19th SFG that ran the SLC marathon in plates with an M9 and a dip in: I am sure following the pink shirt didn't hurt his motivation either. Scenery does help the suck-factor to be less noticeable.

You are right Shane! I didn't think of that.

Gents, we have a sloooow learner Detail man DETAILS!

Just as an FYI to the membership, daytime burglaries in nicer neighborhoods are happening more and more frequently. I wonder if this guy meant to do a HI or if this was an intended burglary that become a HI of "Opportunity" when the perp realized there was only a woman and child home. These burglaries are typically happening during weekday days when victims and potential witnesses (neighbors) are most likely out or at work. The MO is as follows: They are never alone. One of them will knock on the front door a few times. If someone answers they will ask for "Tom" or "John" or "whomever" and give an excuse for why they may have the wrong address before leaving. If this happens to you, call the local Police as soon as they leave and give a good description and direction of travel. If no one answers the door after a couple of knocks they will go to the backyard and smash a window/kick in a door then hide someplace with a decent view of the area of the house they just vandalized and wait for 10-15 minutes. If no one comes to investigate the broken door/window, no cops come, etc... they will then enter the residence and take what they want. Protect your home with an alarm, motion sensing lights, and a dog if possible. Keep valuables away from wondows and out of view of the deont door if possible. Lock your doors regardless of how "safe" you block/neighborhood/town is. Be alert to strange cars and people in your neighborhood. Watch for your neighbors and ask them to do the same for you. Call the Police if anything seems off. Trust your gut. Most people have a decent "Spidey Sense" but few act on it when it tingles until it is too late. If I had a dollar for every time I heard "I knew that guy was up to no good" or "I thought it was strange that car was parked there" I could have retired a millionaire a long time ago. I know I am happy to come and speak to any homeowner in my town who calls and try to find anyone reported as suspicious and investigate. I have grabbed quite a few good arrests following up on "Suspicious Persons" calls and have been able to lock up a couple of burglars with proceeds/property still on their person. You would be surprised at the very few number of surfaces in your home that will actually retain prints and how few of those you can actually lift them back off of. Doorknobs are particularly hard because they have so many sets of prints stacked on top of each other. It is almost impossible to isolate and lift just one print from all those layers of older prints below. Even if they can get prints off that surface and he isn't in the system the prints won't help catch him, but they may help convict him.

Groovy! I did not know that about the M&P. Thanks.

Good to know. Thanks for the info. I have been looking for a .40 one that takes Glock mags for quite a while.

But... But... But... this is Millburn, a safe place! This can't happen there! I only need to be prepared to protect myself in Newark or Camden! At the very least I pocket carry in my house when I am in my home, mowing my lawn, walking my dog out front or playing outside with my kid. I have responded to/investigated these instances enough to have no illusions regarding "safe towns" or "it can't happen here". Violent crime that involves true victims (vs A-hole on A-hole crime or OTH/NHI crimes) is unpredictable. It can happen anywhere, any time, and with a quickness that will astound most who have never experienced it. These are the types of stories that make me wonder when people say "I only carry in bad neighborhoods" or "I don't need to worry here because my town is a safe place with virtually no crime."

Details man!!! What a tease

Correct... Kinda Striker fired pistols are technically considered "Double Action" (Personally, I feel that striker fired pistols should be in their own category - Single Action, Double Action, and Striker Fired) as when you press the trigger you are completing two mechanical tasks: 1) Completing the cocking action (as the cycling of the action will pre-cock the striker to a degree) 2) Releasing the firing pin/striker to impact the primer and detonating the round There are differences in how much of the cocking is completed by the trigger press in different guns. If I remember correctly, when pressing the trigger on a Glock, you are completing about 40% of the cocking mechanics with every trigger press while the XD and M&P are close to 90% pre-cocked requiring you to complete only ~10% of the mechanics of cocking the striker. I am not sure on how much the Kahr is pre-cocked but I believe it is closer to the Glock than the XD/M&P. This makes the Glock closer to a double action type pistol and the XD and the M&P are closer to a true single action type trigger press.

Good question and I don't know. I have limited experience with S&W M&P, Kahr, and Springfield XD. I know that the author is specifically referencing Glocks as that is what he primarily carries and uses. Striker fired pistols seem to all operate in a similar fashion but I would take this as info specifically for Glocks and as general knowledge for all other striker fired pistols keeping in mind that they aren't Glocks and will have slight differences.

It's really not a bother I use BAD levers. I have then on all of my carbines and I like them. But, to use them as intendedyour finger absolutely has to be off the trigger to manipulate the device to lock the bolt back or to let it go home. Not trying to start an argument, little or otherwise - Just a point of order. People that have no experience with these items and are seeking information may choose to use, or not to use them, based on what they read here. Trigger finger discipline is paramount to firearms safety. As an instructor you should know that. When you teach your classes are you as cavalier regarding what constitutes finger on/off the trigger when instructing and reinforcing Rule 3?

Yeah ya do.

gotcha

I am in!

I have acquaintances in "interesting" places He gave permission to share but not to officially source, so take that for what it's worth as well.

How are you IBTL on your own topic? What am I missing?

The "you are going to shoot yourself" issue is only part of the issue with the SERPA - and I admit, after watching a lot of shooters on the line with these holsters (they are authorized by my PD and are issued to plain clothes Officers) I think it is a valid one. Frankly I am surprised it hasn't happened yet. The bigger issue, one I have witnessed numerous times and have experienced firsthand, is when the release mechanism on the SERPA gets fouled and you can't get the gun out without tin snips to cut the holster off the pistol. I have seen it enough times that I now carry snips in my training box when teaching or qualifying. I have seen snow, mud, sand and rocks all warm their way into the release during drills and defensive tactics training, and once I saw sim rounds lock a SERPA up solid. I have also seen the belt attachments break off during defensive tactics and weapon retention drills leaving the red-gun and holster in the "aggressor's" hands and the "good guy"scrambling for his BUG, which thankfully had been secured prior to training. No bueno. The USMC has put out memos stating that they are no longer to be used, and many reputable shooting schools are starting to ban their use in their classes. In my line of work, I refer to these occurrences as "clues". You can get a Safariiland ALS holster in the STX finish for around $10 more. It is more secure, better made, just as fast on the draw with less chance of an ND, better belt attachment options, and can get models for pistols that have a light other than that stupid BLACKHAWK! offset garbage. There is no reason to consider the SERPA as a viable option any longer IMO.

Dupe: http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php/topic/57417-pork-its-the-other-white-meat/?hl=pork

Let me know where you got your crystal ball and "no crime here" maps. Apparently I need some so I can ditch the extra mag I carry everyday. That extra mag isn't just in case of more bad guys than bullets in the gun. It is in case of a bad mag, bad ammo, dropped mag, etc... Being "comfortable" is not a level of acheivement. Either you are trained to do it or you are not. Being comfortable conducting a speed reload in a fight for your life is not the same as being able to do it at the Unconcious-Competence level. I get it, I am not trying to change your training program, your carry style, or start anything. I am just throwing out something to think about if you decide to honestly examine your training regimen and carry setup. Something I do constantly. I don't always change anything, but I am always taking a good hard look at my choices and the basis for them.

Thought this would interest some of the Glock shooters here. It was written by a pretty experienced dude attached to a "special" unit of the US Army with a lot of time on Glocks and also a lot of time teaching shooters to become Shooters. The info about trigger upgrades/trigger jobs is pretty cool and all, but what I found more interesting is the in-depth explanation of the trigger as a total system. I am a Glock Armorer and conceptually I know how everything works and what needs to move what and in which order to make it go bang, but this is so much more. I found this to be the most thorough description of the parts and their relationship to each other from the perspective of the trigger and how it feels that I have seen.

Vlad, I know you carry a sub-compact Glock in PA regularly right? So, when you are not wearing a chest rig where do you keep your pistol reload? Why would you change the placement of life saving equipment when you carry for real to where you train to retrieve it?

Unless you are going to be spending an inordinate amount of time in a vehicle, keep your blaster on your hip. Better weapon retention, more ingrained procedural memory, faster draw, faster transitions, and the repetitions you get in training will be worthwhile vs. training with it up high on the rig or in a crossdraw, then carrying it on your belt line anyway whenever you do carry (at home, out of state with a CCW , etc...) And you may want to ditch the SERPA. Not trying to start a "SERPAs suck" discussion. Just letting you know that I think they are PNG in EAG classes as well as quite a few other reputable training schools now. You can get a Safariland ALS for $40-$50. Make the investment, save a training headache, or a foot/leg ache as it were. Keep your belt (first line) for fighting with your pistol and your chest rig (second line) for fighting with your rifle. You can cross load a bit, for example 1 extra rifle mag on your belt and 1 or 2 pistol mags on your chest, but more than that is unnecessary. Simple and effective while remaining light and maneuverable. I strongly recommend 3 or 4 single cell rifle mags on your second line with only 1 or 2 pistol mags set to the support side of the rifle mags. You can use the pistol mags on your chest rig to backfill the pistol mag pouches on your first line. Designate one of the pistol mag pouches on your first line as your emergency reload pouch. Prioritize keeping that one backfilled first. Also, keep an emergency reload rifle mag pouch on your first line with 1 M4 mag (I like to put this right on my hip where a holster would be if I was a lefty) Keep this as your dedicated "go-to" pouch for speed reloads with the rifle. Like the pistol mag pouches, you can backfill the emergency reload pouch with mags from your second line whenever that pouch is empty and you have a moment to regroup. It is important that the pouches you dedicate as your emergency/go-to pouches are kept for speed reloads/emergency reloads only. Tac-loads should come from the 2nd line pouches whenever possible leaving the go-to pouches full for the "Oh $hit!!!" reloads. Ammo management is an art unto itself. With a little exposure to how it works it quickly becomes second nature. As you see how your body reacts to the procedures you train to for, and how the training breeds efficiency and effeciency then translates into speed you will see how important a setup that flows and works for you really is.

What else do you want in the front? That's where your mags need to be. Stacking much else on top of your mags/centerline and prone becomes a problem. My armor has an ATS 3 cell mag pouch with 10 speed M4 pouches mounted to cell 1 & 3 with a tourniquet mounted to cell 2. I use the single 10 speed pouches to carry extra random gear - breaching charges, NFDDs, smoke, extra radio batteries, or extra mags if I think I need them. I have a small utility pouch mounted to the strong side and a pistol mag and flashlight mounted to my support side.

When it's all said and done, you will be right around the same price as the 10 Speed rig. Just sayin' I did the same thing. I had an ATS chest rig, one from Diamondback Tactical, 2 from Eagle Industries, an HSGI Warlord, an SKD version of of the Eagle LE chest rig, one from SOE. I sold them all when I got the BFG. So, what pouches are you looking at?