So... any of our members here have an interest in firearms?

Apparently nothing. Certainly no being boarded by pirates, which was and still is a very real threat in that region.
During WW2 Hemingway used his private boat as a volunteer submarine patrol craft and the crew was given military arms by the US Navy.
An uncle cruised those same waters in the 1950's and he also kept a Thompson on board. A nice one in full FBI case with accessories. First gun I ever fired in fact, at the age of six. Dad held it steady and let me pull the trigger. it was at dusk so all I remember is the muzzle flash from the Cutts compensator. They were using the Tommy gun to blast locust posts level with the ground to remove the fence between properties my uncle had just bought. The fence posts were reduced to splinters by short bursts.

Ya, Colts' top of the line. As much as I like Colts and I have owned quite a few, I had a Springfield armory Trophy Match that was more accurate than my Gold Cup.

X-Ray of the inside of an AR15

Quick quiz..What does AR stand for?

Must be Latin for "anger liberals"

It doesn't really stand for anything - it's simply the model prefix used by the original manufacturer, Armalite.

Thank you for that. In addition to arms, the more desirable at least to EH was fuel for Pilar. He did like to fish. I believe the boy is his son Gregory.

Have fun
kfw

You actually had it, it stands for Armalite Rifle.

BINGO 😀

Wasted time however I like to tinker with firearms.

Sights sometimes they can be a pain in the A$$.

This morning I wasted a little over an hour fitting this rear LPA sight. It's a target sight with serrated rear. I was going to use the rear sight and match that up with a fiber optic sight.

The rear sight cut of the dove tail portion is too shallow and will not bottom out on the slide dove tail. Also the taper is not a true Novak cut to match the cut on the slide.

I filed the sight to fit but it's a sloppy fit. I wound up having about .0035 to .004 mil gap between the bottom of the sight dove tail and the bottom of the slide cut.

For me that's a no go deal. No way I can correct the sight since the taper of the dove tail on the sight is wrong anymore more file work will be in vain. If I file the base of the sight to make the dove tail longer the top of the sight dove tail will be too narrow and still not fit properly.

I could always file the top of the slide to get a perfect fit. That would be just plain STUPID. I'll contact LPA and see what they will do about the sight. Probably nothing! The Novak sights on this P229 fit perfectly so for now I'm back with the Novak sights.

IMHO special optics are unnecessary for a purely self defense handgun.
Those ugly situations call for a point and shoot. That's why I practice a simple draw and shoot at a target 5 meters down range.

Is that why they use it on pistols, shotguns, and grenade launchers as well? 😉

For close range engagements you probably do not even need sights. Speaking for myself I train at very close range up to 25 yards. I practice trigger control that is being able to pull the trigger and not move the handgun.

Drawing from the holster and point shooting. I train to improve my motor skills.

Training for self defense one needs to cover just about any scenario that can arise. When the sh!t hits the fan. You never know what to expect.
All one can do is revert to your training. Hopefully one has the skills to stop the threat. You have to expect the unexpected.

The last thing in the world I would not want to be in a gunfight. If that should happen I would trust my skills/training and do the best I could.
In reality your best defense is your eyes and ears. If I can avoid a confrontation I would if not I hope my training kicks in and I can do what needs to be done to get the job done

On the plus side when I train I enjoy being able to drill a target at 50 meters or more and for that one needs good sights

IMHO the two best things to prepare to defend yourself are discipline and training.

Miki J, I promise this is not a a ding on your post..it just struck something in my mind I want to get off my chest.

I'm going to add to this because there is one overwhelming, overriding thing that MUST be achieved before discipline and training come into play.

I was a professional trainer for many years, mostly in engineering, but the same principles apply.

The 3 essentials of learning anything:
Mindset, Skillset, Toolset

IN that order.

Mindset is overwhelmingly the most important and the rest cannot follow until the mindset is in place. You have to know WHY you are learning the something new. You have to agree with it and understand that is the sole purpose for your undertertaking.

I like to quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery (as an aside, look into his bio...fascinating man)

"If you want to build a ship, teach them to long for the immensity of the sea"

I remember decades ago when my wife and I attended our first Concealed Carry course. It was taught by the local city police. The very first thing they said to us was "If you're not prepared to take another person's life, leave now." And they then waited a very long time silently...and two people got up and left.

You see, the rest didn't matter when it came to self defense unless you had the WILL to take action when necessary. The most awesome skill and best tools matter for nothing if you're not willing to use them when necessary.

Shooting at the range and developing good control are literally nothing compared to a real life and death situation. All fine motor skills go away, and you're instincts come into play.

If your carefully lining up sights and slowly squeezing the trigger, quite frankly your just plinking at the range, training for target shooting. When you are in fear for you life you will shoot like an idiot. You won't even know what happened. The course of events will surprise you. It will not go as planned or as you imagine.

Unless you are training in high stress, you won't perform in high stress.

So then, what do you do? Prepare mentally FIRST.

The majority of my early training was about the mental side of justifying when to shoot to protect your life and the lives of others. Once you have thought that through over and over and over WHY you must use a gun to save lives, you are then beginning to become prepared. That's the instinct that is important to train.

It is the WILL above all else that matters.

I read a fantastic book on human nature and mindset. Its not longer in print but I think ebay may have a few. It's about the psychology of self protection. It's called "Equal or Greater Force" by Kit Cessna (if anyone can't find it, send me your email and I will send you a summary)

Bottom line on this...If you do not believe in your heart it is your ABSOLUTE moral, personal, and civic duty to protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your community from people who would do mortal harm, you should not own a firearm for defense.

What is a weapon in the hands of someone who does not have the will to use it? Another tool for the aggressor when he takes it from you.

When it comes down to you against them, you have a duty to survive and protect others. Its that simple.

Again, sorry for the highjack, MikiJ. I've seen so many self defense training courses over the years start and end with mechanics of shooting and then some legal ramifications. If you don't have the will to survive, the will to overcome, none of that matters.

Great comprehensive response. No offense meant nor taken.

Yes, mindset should have not only been included on my list but first on my list. I, most unfortunately, I assumed that anyone carrying a firearm has the correct mindset. If necessary, shoot to kill. If you're not mentally prepared to do that, don't carry or maybe even own one other than for target practice. Almost just as important, don't ever draw a weapon and not use it. Simply pulling a gun out as a threat, will get you killed.

FWIW: Just in case it matters, I've been in a "few" Fire-fights. That's when training and discipline is most necessary.

I assume most people carrying a firearm do NOT have the correct mindset. It takes conscious effort and serious thought to develop that belief. Most people don't think about it and go on their happy way everyday, not realizing that to use that firearm takes extraordinary nerve. It is not automatic (in fact counter to human nature) to counterattack a threat. Most people will not fight back until the last moment, and then it is too late as your flooded with adrenaline and conscious thought is gone...a slave to instinct and whatever that may induce you to do.

If you're in a profession of protection or particularly a war fighter, the training is extreme and continuous. Mindset and discipline become automatic. You are, of course, the exception as the "sheepdog" in that regard, protecting the flock. But even so, even most law enforcement never discharge their firearm on duty in their whole careers, and training is typically minimal even in that profession. That and the fact that the US Supreme Court has decided that law enforcement officers are not legally obligated to protect your life, it's even more important to be able to defend one's own.

Obviously we agree especially when it comes to most people's mindset, it just 'ain't there for most folks 🙁
I have successfully carried a hand-gun for over 4 decades 'cause I never pulled it out of it's holster 😀