Open Carry Movement

I live in a state where unloaded open carry (meaning a gun is visible, not concealed) is legal. This is a good thing, as there are times and places where it's appropriate and can come in handy. Even my mom carries her .38 Special with a few rounds of snakeshot in it when she goes hiking out in the California wilderness, but examples of rational open carry like that aren't the kind of thing you are going to see on the evening news. We don't live in a rational world, so the tug of war begins. An extremist from the anti-gun lobby wants to remove the right to OC, then an extremist from the pro-gunners starts an uproar. Now that there is a controversy it's shoved down the throats of everyone through news outlets and the internet, only the most vocal and extreme outlooks are shown (since the middle ground is boring and uninteresting) and what was once the 95% of the population that didn't mind one way or the other begins to split apart. This kind of thing happens on most hot-button issues, and the most unfortunate part is it's nearly always a small minority of each side that is ruining it for majority of the people in the middle. No matter what happens though everyone is likely to lose in the end, as the extremists cause a divide that isn't going to be fixed.

As it stands now, people in my state retain the right to OC. But as the Open Carry Movement seems to think, "A Right Unexercised is a Right Lost." Groups in urban areas in many OC-legal states have started this movement, which involves groups of them carrying their weapons in high profile, high traffic public areas. Under their header on the website there are 2 quotes: "There's even an organization whose raison d'etre is promotion of open carry . . . OpenCarry.org. These are the shock troops of the gun lobby. And, they are not going away." Ceasefire NJ Director Brian Miller, NJ.com, August 20, 2009, and "The anti-gun rights lobby's furor over the presence of guns near the president . . . is an attempt to somehow reverse the normalization of guns." Professor Brandon Denning, Cumberland School of Law (Birmingham, AL), Christian Science Monitor, August 8, 2009 . Their apparent message? We are going to proudly open carry and there is nothing you can do about it.


So what exactly are they accomplishing? When I ask people who participate in these meets I get mixed messages. One thing I have heard a few times is comparison to marches of various civil rights group. The difference here is the public already has the right to open carry, and in fact the Black Panther's march on the state capital with loaded weapons, as the video said, actually ended up losing us the right to carry a loaded weapon as the law was changed to unloaded only. You also hear "An armed society is a polite society" and the thought that if more people were openly carrying crimes would be prevented. In that video the OC'ers were meeting in Cupertino California, let's look at the crime statistics from that city:


With 0 murders and rapes in 2006 (the most recent year I could find) and less than 1 murder every three years Cupertino probably isn't the greatest proving ground for the magic crime prevention of the sight of an unloaded weapon. Why are these groups meeting in Cupertino Starbucks and not East Oakland or Richmond, 2 of the 10 most violent cities in the US, which are only minutes away? The man in the video's stance kind of falls apart into the same rhetoric that is often said yet never explained, and then into "people are more likely to respect you."

So what's really happening here? Groups of men are meeting in low crime areas, in coffee shops and book stores where there are likely to be people that will be shocked by the sight of a gun. Despite what the extremists will have you believe, very few people on the left are rabid gun grabbers, the vast majority doesn't care too much one way or the other. So what good does carrying your gun into a Starbucks do? You are forcing an issue on people who originally want no part in it. You see in the news the cops are called, people are scared of it, even entire blocks have been evacuated. Is this an irrational fear of guns? Of course. But this kind of thing happening isn't going to make people appreciate the right to open carry. The average suburban mom getting her latte doesn't want to see a gun, and these meets are turning people who may have been indifferent into people who may want to take away the right so they don't have to look at guns in their quaint suburbia.


When you look around online and on forums on both sides of the issue it goes from dumb to downright embarrassing. The notion that "Real gun owners carry" is the most offensive, and just gives more fodder to the liberals for the stereotype of the unintelligent, unstable gun nut. Both sides have countless, sourceless stories of an open carrier either stopping a bank robbery simply by being there or someone negligently discharging their weapon and nearly killing someone, and every story always leads back to a non-verified source that clearly has an agenda. The most unfortunate thing is the "either you are with us or against us" mentality on both sides of the spectrum. Again, extremists are always the most vocal and only seem to understand absolutes, which needlessly widens the divide even though most people don't agree with them.

Will California and other OC states keep their right to do so? Probably for a while, but not forever. What can you do as a gun owner? Don't fall in to propaganda and extremes. Show that you are smart and level-headed, and understand that there are always people that won't like guns. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion to other gun enthusiasts even if you know they aren't likely to agree. That whole system is exactly what lumps all gun owners into that stereotypical hard-headed gun nut seen by the other side. If you really want to retain your rights do and say what YOU think is the best route. And if you want your kids and theirs to be able to open carry, don't go to Peet's Coffee with an AK on your back - if you have to protest, at least don't protest a right that you already have.

Only in Russia

Review: Primary Arms M3 Clone, 3x Magnifier, and FTS Mount

Back in town and it's finally not raining so I'll be trying some new stuff out at the range in the next few weeks. First up is the optics setup I picked up a bit ago from Primary Arms. When I got my AR there were a few different setups I wanted to check out. I like the idea of quick adjustable magnification, and there are several options. My choices ultimately came down to a fixed magnification (ACOG) along with a small Docter red dot mounted either on top or on the side or an EOTECH/Aimpoint style sight with a flip-up magnifier. The unfortunate part is both of these setups cost well over $1000 bucks with top of the line mounts. I had never used a red dot with a magnifier and I was interested, but dropping a grand to test one out was less than ideal. My friend pointed me towards Primary Arms, and at about 210 bucks for the whole setup (barely more than a LaRue flip-to-side mount alone) I figured as long as it doesn't disintegrate in my hands it would be a good deal.

I ordered just the M3 Clone and mount at first since the flip-to-side magnifier mounts were out of stock. It arrived and I was surprised how nice it looked. It's not a literal clone like a lot of the airsoft/cheaper ones, there are no Aimpoint markings and no attempt to make the adjustment knobs identical, but dimensions and designwise it is the same as an M3. The glass is a bit bluer than an Aimpoint but isn't noticeable with both eyes open. The 4MOA dot is bright and clear, I found the "5" setting to be about right for a sunny day. I got the cantilever type mount for a 1/3 cowitness with my AR front site. The mount looks pretty cheap, but it is solid. It all went together very nicely on the flat-top of my AR, and a few days later I headed to the range.


First order of business was to zero it at 25 yards. First few shots landed nearly on top of each other a few clicks low and to the right. The adjustment on the sight is easy, just unscrew the covers which are held by the rubber piece on top of the sight and turn the knobs with a flathead scewdriver. I get it zeroed and back the target up a bit. First shots were right on, but then they start climbing upwards. As the day progresses this type of thing keeps happening, it's clear the sight is not holding zero. Checking it out, I realize the 6 screws holding the sight in the mount are loosening as I shoot. Unfortunately I don't have the torx screwdriver handy so the day is over for this rifle.

When I get home I take the mount apart and liberally apply blue Loctite to all the screws. The flip to side mounts also became available so I went ahead and ordered one along with their Gen 2 Magnifier. When they came I had about the same impression as with the M3 Clone, the glass on the magnifier is surprisingly good, and the mount looks a bit cheap. I put on the mount so the magnifier flips to the right as I am right handed, this way it stays out of the way when flipped down and I am using both eyes with the red dot only. It's a little stiff to pull back and flip down, but you can get a good grip on the outside of the magnifier so it's not a problem. It also sits higher than the M3 clone, even with it in a high cantilever mount. The dot sits below center when looking through the magnifier, it's not noticeable while shooting but I don't think it would work with a "low" style mount up front. The eye relief is also very short, and the way it's mounted on my rifle makes it impossible to run a backup iron sight. It's also very close to the face, not a problem on a 5.56 AR, but if I was shooting a large caliber I would be a bit concerned, especially with safety glasses on, as the bridge of them just about touches the magnifier with a good cheekweld and clear sight picture.


I made sure to Loctite this mount as well and head out to the range. I re-zero it at 25 yards and this time it goes easily and stays zeroed. I shoot a few hundred rounds between 50 and 100 yards with and without the magnifier, and it's nice. Without the magnifier the target acquisition is fast and you have a complete field of view with both eyes open, the large appeal of reflex sights. It takes about 2 seconds to flip the magnifier and re-acquire the target, but you have all the benefits of a fixed magnification scope. The red dot remains 4 MOA (4" at 100 yards). Some people prefer the 1 MOA dot of the EOTECH, but since the dot on the M3 clone isn't completely opaque it frames the 1" black dots on my target nicely. For less defined targets I would lean towards the EOTECH reticle. The first picture is some groups shot standing at 25 and 50 yards. At this range for accurate shooting I would prefer a smaller dot as the red dot of the M3 is very large. For practical shooting though it still excels, it's not a problem to shoot a fast 3" group.


At 100 yards unsupported my grouping didn't change much whether I was using the magnifier or not which I found interesting. Keep in mind the dot covers the same amount of the target regardless if it is magnified or not. When I shot prone though the magnifier started to make a difference. With the rifle steady you can see the target through the dot much easier, and I was able to get some 5 shot groups within 2 inches.


All in all this setup is a really good deal. Is it as nice as a real Aimpoint/magnifier in a set of LaRue mounts? No, but it certainly isn't 6x worse for being 6x cheaper. If you are on a budget or just want to try this type of setup without breaking your bank Primary Arms is a good choice. As far as the red dot/flip up magnifier in general, I still rather have a fixed magnification scope with a separate small red dot mounted on top or up front, but this setup still does the job and is a bit less bulky. I'll be taking it out to 200-300 yards in the near future and will continue to put a lot of rounds through it without tightening anything so there will be some updates. For now though along with the Millet DMS-1 I'd say this is one of the better deals in budget optics available, just make sure to use Loctite.

Do the springs in a magazine lose their strength if you keep it loaded?

No. You have likely heard many myths associated with this, and it seems like the majority of people have bought into the myth to some degree. You often hear things like "well look at an old car, the springs sag from the years of weight on them" and whatnot. As counter-intuitive as it may be, it simply isn't true, the spring will not lose it's elasticity with a full mag any more than an empty or half-full one. I found this article from 2003 that sums it up very nicely, I'll quote the meat of it here but check out the link for some more info.

To put this one to rest, you have to understand creep. Creep is the slow flow of a non-ferric metal like copper, brass and lead under force. At temperatures outside of a furnace, steel doesn't have any appreciable creep. Under most conditions, steel flexes and then returns to its original shape. When pushed past its elastic limit, steel will bend and not return to its original shape. All designers of well-made magazines make sure the spring never approaches the elastic limit when the magazine is fully loaded. Honest. This means the spring will not weaken when the magazine is fully loaded -- not even over an extended time. Like 50 years. American Handgunner recently ran a story about a magazine full of .45 ACP that had been sitting since WWII and it ran just fine on the first try. So there you go.


Now that the light of truth is leaking out, lets talk about what is causing failures to feed. The only way to weaken a magazine spring is to flex it past its normal range (elastic limit). If this is happening, somebody is trying to overload a magazine or has "adjusted" it by bending the spring. Both of these could cause feed failures. Shame on you if you're a spring bender.

Carlton Nether, Customer Service for Beretta USA, tells us keeping a pistol magazine loaded for an extended period doesn't cause magazine spring failure, however, failures to feed can result. He says, "The ammo will 'roll' in the magazine. If the mags are kept loaded and moved around a lot -- say on a cop's belt -- the rolling action can, over time, cause creases in the cases. These creases can cause malfunctions. Also the top bullet will roll against the magazine lips and creasing can occur there as well. Just check old ammo that's been bouncing around in a magazine for a long time.

We tell police officers if they keep loaded magazines, take a few seconds to "cycle" the ammo. Periodically unload the mag and reload it in a different sequence. This movement will allow the bullets to be in different parts of the magazine and help eliminate creasing.

At STI, Dave Skinner, President and CEO says, "Personally, I rotate my 'under the bed' and 'under the seat' mags about every six months. I always empty them the 'fun' way and have never had a failure." Given what we learned above, this sounds like a good idea. Smith and Wesson customer service also says magazines can stay loaded indefinitely without hurting the spring.


As we add force onto a spring, it will displace the same amount for each amount of force we add. This is true until the spring passes a certain point called the elastic limit. Robert Hooke discovered this theory back in 1660. Hooke's Law states: "If the applied forces on a body are not too large, the deformations resulting are directly proportional to the forces producing them." Which means, in actual human being language, if we load a spring past its elastic limit, it permanently deforms. It still provides a force against the load but the force is no longer proportional. If this happens, when we unload the spring (such as when we empty a magazine that has been over-loaded) the spring never returns to a state where it can provide the same load for the same amount of displacement.

Trust Us

When a magazine manufacturer designs a spring, they plan for a preload. The spring is already compressed some in the magazine. On the curve below, this would be Point A. The spring compression would be designed to be below the Elastic Limit. When fully compressed, the spring would be at Point B. If the spring is ever compressed past the elastic limit, say to Point C, it won't ever behave the same. Like a recalcitrant lazy Uncle, it will have a lower spring force for each amount of displacement. On the drawing, the spring would now cycle between points D and E. This means that -- particularly with the last bullet or two -- the force pushing the bullet up would be less and lo-and-behold, a mis-feed might occur.

When somebody stretches your spring to "fix" your magazine, they are trying to get you back on the original curve. They may get pretty close, however, it's unlikely the spring will ever perform to its original design. The elastic limit is now shifted lower and your magazine spring may fail to perform fairly quickly.

Having said all this, if you have a magazine that isn't feeding right, what should you do? First, disassemble the magazine and clean it thoroughly. Then try it with new, factory ammunition in a freshly cleaned gun. This takes away some of the possible causes. If you are still having feed problems, send it back. Even the low cost, after-market magazine manufacturers will fix the problem at no cost to you other than shipping. If it's a magazine from the gun's manufacturer, let them troubleshoot and repair the problem. Otherwise, toss the mag. It's not worth risking your life to save a few bucks. And that's the truth.

Thing You'll Need When SHTF of the Month

Sorry for the slow week, got some stuff on concealed carry and a few product reviews coming soon. Before I remove the standard sight tower on my AR in favor of a low profile one to go under a free-float tube, I thought I might screw around with a bayonet while I still had the mount. Since it won't serve me much purpose anyway, I figured I may get the most absurdly large one I could find, and while searching for one I found this...

First specimen on a Saiga 12 with drum mag and all:


The second on an AR:


And the second in action:



Via AR15.com and The Firearm Blog