Armslist Blog
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I am, at the moment, sitting in a relatively nice hotel room in the African city of Niamey, Niger – a francophone former French West African colony in the Sahel region, where the Saharan Desert meets the jungle. Tomorrow I’ll be training Nigerien soldiers preparing to deploy in support of peace efforts for the conflict going on in neighboring Mali, which, of course, has an Islamic terror component to it. But tonight I’ve decided to turn on my dusty little TV and tune in to the only English-speaking station available, the French news outlet ‘France 24’. Continue Reading...
created: 6/10/2017 9:28 PM -
A petition has been field on change.org (I know, change.org is gross), following the cancellation of ABC's hit comedy Last Man Standing, featuring conservative 2A supporter Tim Allen. The show was cancelled in spite of the fact that it was ABCs second most popular comedy, with a 1.2 rating and 6.4 million total viewers, according to Nielsen live-plus-same day numbers. The show's conservative lead, played by Allen, has many crying foul and pointing the finger at ABC for cancelling the show due to corporate political affiliation.created: 5/19/2017 3:53 PM -
Duh: Arguments for Basic Common Sense Policies
Part 1 – Illegal Immigration
The “Duh” series of articles will aim to provide our readers with only the finest of arguments in favor of things we all kind of used to just accept as common sense in this country. Things such as: if you’re anatomically equipped to use a urinal, you should probably use the men’s room. Also, perhaps American taxpayer dollars should be prioritized to help Americans, rather than foreign nationals living in their own countries. We’ll even explore the now-bigoted idea that if your doctor tells you you’re 200 pounds overweight, he’s not fat-shaming you, and maybe even why sticking scissors in an electric socket is a bad idea...
created: 5/12/2017 3:25 PM -
Mark Barnes, Esq., outside counsel to SB Tactical, makers of what is commonly referred to as the "Sig Brace," or a pistol brace, wrote a letter to ATF Jan. 5 2017 asking for clarification of the ATFs 2015 open letter regarding the redesign of "Stabilizing Braces" into full blown stocks when used against the shoulder. Not so good if you had it on a pistol like everyone and their mother, because now you're violating the NFA everytime the brace so much as makes contact with your shoulder. As is typical with anything ATF said or did during the Obama administration, much of the industry panicked, while others simply shrugged their shoulders at the stupidity and lack of logic the ATF continually possesses in these matters.
Dated March 21 2017, the ATF responded, reversing the 2015 open letter's opinion, stating that "...the January 2015 Open Letter implied or has been construed to hold that incidental, sporadic, or situational “use” of an arm-brace (in its original approved configuration) equipped firearm from a firing position at or near the shoulder was sufficient to constitute a “redesign”, such interpretations are incorrect and not consistent with ATF’s interpretation of the statute or the manner in which is has been historically enforced."
Long story short, I guess you can just go ahead and shoulder that SB Tactical Brace pretty safely (IANAL). I don't know about the GHW Tailhook (which looks awesome), or the Shockwave Blade, but I sure as hell wouldn't go writing 20,000 letters to the ATF asking for their permission. Let's just move along, and not write any further letters asking for clarification.
Here is a link to the letter itself: http://docdro.id/F3zaZ5bcreated: 4/25/2017 2:34 PM -
Tuesday's meeting of the PA Board of Game Commissioners legalized hunting with semi-automatic rifles in Pennsylvania, but unlike the original unanimously approved proposal, it did not include the legalization of semi-autos for big game.created: 3/30/2017 6:00 PM -
I had never attended an event anything like the CAA Train the Trainer event in my life. We did live fire drills in circumstances rarely available to the average person like me. Circumstances including complete darkness, running toward the targets, and clearing a building in a "shoot house" are just some of the things offered by CAA at this event. The facility itself is the stuff of legend as well...(Continue Reading)created: 1/25/2017 4:01 PM -
Welcome to the ArmslistMedia SHOT Show 2017 Blog. We'll be updating live from the SHOT Show floor with exciting new products the industry has to offer!created: 1/14/2017 2:56 AM -
What would you like to see from this year's SHOT Show? The ArmslistMedia crew will be on scene, live blogging what you want to see!
Sound off in the comments below what you want us to cover and we'll try our damnedest to blog it!created: 1/12/2017 12:44 AM -
A soldier from "Oketz", an elite unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), participates in a combat
exercise. The K-9 unit specialises in training and handling canines for military operations.
It’s no longer socially acceptable to admire the warrior in America. Our society doesn’t nurture fighters. The warrior mentality is shamed while the socially challenged are championed. Many have apparently forgotten that war is an inescapable condition of humanity. Much of today’s focus is on “privilege”. The real privilege is our geography and it’s turning us into a nation of daisy’s.
Settled at the crossroads of the Arab world lies one of our closest allies, engaged in a seemingly perpetual state of war. A tiny nation roughly the size of New Jersey, Israel has poured resources into a matrix of fortifications situated among mountainous terrain, arid landscapes, strategic outlets and dense communities. It’s borders are a networked perimeter of closely guarded checkpoints, secured passages, razor wire, steel, concrete, and conscripted defenders. Citadel like structures and strategic overwatch positions encircle the nation. Sentinels stand guard.
Bombed out Egged bus terrorism terror attack 311 (R) 2.
(photo credit:Israel Defense Forces)
Despite the security measures, a cloud of potential violence hovers over the region. The possibility of terrorist attacks from within is a daily concern. In 2016, Israel saw 88 killed and 329 injured in 117 terrorist attacks. If the terrorism in America were equal to Israel, America would have seen 3,500 terrorism related deaths in 2016 when adjusted for population.
Analyzing the sheer number of attacks last year in Israel, America would need to experience well over 4,600 attacks to equal the incidence of violence, over 12 per day. This rate would resemble a war zone. To bring these numbers further into perspective, 2,392 US troops have died in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. During the same time frame in Israel, 1,379 people died. Not abroad, not overseas, just in Israel.
Much of this is because of geography. Israel is much closer to societies scapegoating western culture for their problems. In 1967, Arab neighbors banded together in an attempt to force Israel into the sea. Unsuccessful, Israel took the opportunity to bolster strategic positions, seizing the Gaza Strip, the West Bank from Jordan, the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the Golan Heights from Syria. This seizure of land was in the best interest of Israel. It’s important to remember, a nation will always do what’s in its best interest strategically. It is afterall a game of chess.
Hostile nations surround Israel today. Relations with Jordan are recently cooperative, and at times have included strategic coordination, but the relationship is strained by a history of war. Syria considers Israel part of historic Syrian lands. Egypt seeks a united Arab Republic, necessitating a takeover of Israel. Saudi Arabia actively tries to prevent Egyptian expansion, in an effort to protect its own interests and monarchy.Couple regional tensions with the likelihood of Iran gaining access to a nuclear weapon in the next decade, and the result is a security situation unparalleled in western culture. One can imagine how twelve terrorist attacks nationally per day would affect the life of the average American. Not to mention the consolidated presence of sworn enemies just a short drive away. A scenario like this is hard to relate to but would undoubtedly affect the psyche of every US citizen. Priorities would shift in favor of security. The culture of political correctness would sway to one admiring the warrior.
LTC (Ret.) Mikey Harman demonstrates the Israeli method using “5 points of contact”.
The support side forearm and magazine establish the 4th contact point. @mikeyhartman
Between 4th and 6th centuries BC it was commonly believed that one Spartan was as good in combat as several men from any other state. The Spartan legislator Lycurgus referred to Sparta as having a "wall of men, instead of bricks". Israel is a modern day warrior culture. Although the security situation in Israel is not desirable, the Israeli mindset can be admired. Though small, Israel has a very streamlined approach to training a conscripted military. Resource scarcity has forced the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) to improvise, adapt, and improve. Basic training for an Israeli infantry soldier is around 7 months after which he will immediately begin working in high threat areas. In Israel, preparation for warfare is a methodical approach to mental and physical toughening, where instructors are allowed to strike recruits and Krav Maga guides the mindset.
Garret Macrine “Machine” @garretmachine
I’ve worked with former IDF soldiers including Garret Macrine (https://www.facebook.com/cadre.machin) (above) and more recently, 23 year IDF veteran LTC (Ret.) Mikey Hartman (https://www.facebook.com/mikey.hartman) (below). Garret was a member of the anti terrorism unit Duvdevan while Mikey Hartman trained over 500,000 members of the IDF within a 17 year period. Born in Memphis Tennessee, Mikey moved to Israel and joined the IDF at the age of 18. An incredibly gifted shooter, he climbed the ranks quickly and gained influence among the relatively small nation. Mikey was eventually tasked with completely rewriting the IDF’s shooting doctrine. In 1993 he was put in charge of the new shooting school for the entire Israeli military. He revamped the marksmanship, the tactics, and the weapons of the IDF. Mikey’s influence was critical in turning the IDF into a truly formidable force.LTC (Ret.) Mikey Hartman @mikeyhartman
The life or death situation in Israel encouraged innovative techniques and products. Mikey would go on to invent his own optic, the MH1 Hartman reflex sight (http://hartman-il.com) (pictured above), modeled from his personal combat experiences in Israel. He is now the CEO of CAA (https://usa.caagearup.com), an Israeli based weapons developer and tasked with expanding the CAA market here in the United States.
If Israel ceased to exist tomorrow, a massive power vacuum would ensue. Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Egypt would erupt into violent skirmish. Tremendous casualties would occur on all sides. In this way, Israel acts as a powerful stabilizer in the region.
But Israel isn’t just a stronghold of soldiers and citizens. It’s also a bastion of Western values. A trove of Western ideals and beliefs loosely clinging to a bit of substrate at the very intersection of Arab geopolitics. It’s not just the relative importance of Israel that appeals to my inner warrior. It’s the grim circumstances, the looming threats on the horizon, the “underdogness”. It’s the appeal of defending a like minded ally. It’s the fact that Israel still admires the warrior. The soldier in me says, that’s worth fighting for.
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A Turkish Police officer fatally shot and killed Russian ambassador to Turkey Andre Karlov Monday, yelling "Don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria!" And everyone's favorite terrorist slogan, "Allahu akbar."
Head over to the AP report here.
PS. Anyone recognize the handgun used by the assailant? Canik perhaps???created: 12/19/2016 10:57 PM
