223 Shooting Details

25 Aug 08

Shooting details (223) from an LEO friend on the West Coast:

"A shooting incident occurred here at 4:00pm yesterday afternoon. Two of our local gang-members were standing at an ice-cream truck, when a vehicle, containing two rival gang-members, pulled up. During the standard insult-exchange, a rifle barrel precipitously appeared in the passenger window. We believe a total of four rounds were fired from the rifle at the two victims. In any event, we found four 223 casings at the scene. The offenders immediately drove away at the requiem 'high-rate-of-speed.'

The two victims were both struck. One was hit once. The other, twice. Range was close. We still don't know what became of the forth bullet. Both shootees will apparently live through it, but their wounds were grievous and will likely result in permanent disability, and, without a doubt, permanent disfigurement!

One suffered a hip and leg wound. The other a single wound in the lower leg. All but one of the bullets went through-and-through. The first victim had already been transported by paramedics prior to my arrival, but he was conscious and talking clearly when my guys first arrived.

When I got there, the second victim was still at the scene. The single round entered the inside of his lower, left leg, midway between ankle and knee. The exit wound was of particular interest. Yes, it will leave one hell ofa scar, and crater! The length of the exit wound was as long as my stretched-out hand. I would use the term, "gaping" to describe it. That bullet removed/vaporized a sizeable chunk of tissue, as well as pulverizing several inches of leg bone! I was told the first victim also had a big chunk of meat missing in the area of the exit wound!

Both victims were conscious and clear (though in pain) for ten minutes, which is the time it took for our first patrol units to arrive at the scene. In fact, both were still animated and talking a half-hour later when they were transported.

At our local general hospital, both victims were immediately ushered into surgery. The one bullet in the first victim that did not exit showed up clearly, in profile, in an X-ray. Looks like 55gr hardball to me! Our hospital is the place you want to go to when you're shot or stabbed. They have a wealth of experience! Unfortunately, when all you have a broken leg, expect a 24-hour wait!

The two shooting suspects are still at large, but we have good information, and we will likely be arresting both today.

Neither of the two victims were armed at the time, so neither returned fire. It was a one-way fight!"

Lessons: (1) Unless vital organs are struck, even rifle wounds are not immediately debilitating. When you want the fight to be short and decisive, you must hit the body midline, above the navel, or hit the cranium.

(2) When it is you that has been hit, it is going to hurt, but keep fighting. In fact, it is going to hurt no matter what you do, so focus on decisive victory and get back in the fight!

(3) When people are engaged in an aggressive, verbal confrontation, get out of there fast! Gunshots are often heard in the midst of such arguments, as we see.

(4) Go armed! When someone shoots at you, be in a position to return fire instantly. Yes, also move and take cover, but get deadly-accurate return-fire on the threat without delay. That is what will ultimately save your life!

/John

6.8/SPC

25 Aug 08 =20

6.8/SPC Issues:

In their enthusiasm for capitalizing on what they sincerely hope will be the successor to the military 5.56X45 cartridge, Remington went through several consecutive updates of original 6.8/SPC chamber specifications before submitting the final (and current) specifications for the new cartridge toSAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute) for its official acceptance and induction. Without a blessing from SAAMI, any new cartridge will quickly become an orphan, and this fact is well known by all ammunition manufacturers.

The process for the 6.8/SPC took over a year. During that time, other ammunition manufacturers, not willing to wait, started making 6.8/SPC, and much of it does not conform to the final set of specifications for the cartridge. Likewise, some gun companies made rifles chambered for this new cartridge,but on a stale set of specifications. These developments are not atypical fora new cartridge, but, as a result, some ammunition will render poor accuracy in some rifles, and, more of a concern, some rifles may experience pressure spikes with some ammunition, resulting in split cases and blown primers.

By now, all manufacturers of rifles chambered for 6.8/SCP should be using Remington's final, and official, set of specifications. Likewise, ammunition manufacturers. Accordingly, all currently-produced rifles will run with acceptable accuracy and chamber-pressure with all currently-produced ammunition.

The 6.8/SCP case was specifically designed to feed reliably in automatic, military weapons and, unlike the 5.56X45 it is anticipated to displace, it is big enough, and has the adequate range and penetration, to function as a legitimate main-battle cartridge. It is just what we've been needing for forty years!

The 6.8/SPC will adapt to the current AR-15 platform more readily, with fewer modifications, and with fewer durability issues than any other eligible cartridge. The issue with the Stoner System is, and always will be, tiny, inherently weak locking lugs and a weak cam-pin. Both crack and eventually break more often than on most other military rifles. By contrast, the XCR's bolt and bolt-carrier are much stronger and vastly superior.

Since 5.56X45 represents a military adaptation of the previously-existing, civilian 223/Remington, we're permanently stuck with two sets of chamber specifications that are similar, but not identical. However, the 6.8/SPC began life as a strictly military round. Thus, a "civilian version" of the 6.8/SPC, and all the toxic issues that invariably attach, should never see the light of day!

I've hunted pigs, deer and other animals with my XCR (Cor-Bon DPX), chambered in 6.8/SPC, and I really like the cartridge. It has a bright future if someone at the Pentagon will move forward with it.

I like Cor-Bon, mostly because they do not, in a cynical attempt to attract the patronage of non-serious shooters, make wimpy ammunition, in any caliber. When you use Cor-Bon ammunition, it is always going to be hot, high-performance stuff. Not recommended for use in "play" guns! The president of Cor-Bon is a voting member of SAAMI, so he is always current. There are many other fine domestic ammunition manufacturers, but Cor-Bon is solidly, consistently at the top of the list.

I also like courageous American gun-makers, like Robinson Arms, DSA, SabreTech, Krebs (and others with whom I am less familiar), who don't apologize for making legitimate, military rifles. DSA, RA, SabreTech, and Krebs rifles are all designed from the beginning as serious, rugged, battle weapons, the only kind I want when I'm fighting for my life, an activity in which we may all be participating sooner than we think!

When the Test comes, pray you and your Crew have robust, reliable weapons and effective ammunition, not glib, impotent toys that were never designed to do the Job, nor bear the strain!

/John

Rifle-Sling Difficulties:

25 Aug 08

Rifle-Sling Issues, from an LEO friend in the Mid-West:

"We were called to a 'shooting-in-progress' at a local, sleazy bar last week. I was patrolling on a motorcycle, and I was the first officer on the scene. As I dismounted, I retrieved my Kel-Tec SU-16, 223 Rifle (the only rifle I 've found that is small enough to fit in my saddle-bag), extended the stock, chambered a round, and entered the bar. I had to fight my way through the stream of people trying to get out!

I could smell the gunpowder, and I saw one victim laying on the floor, bleeding, and several other bar patrons standing over him. I didn't see any guns, but I pointed my rifle at the first one I encountered in the vicinity of the victim and ordered him to get down on the floor. He complied immediately. I then turned my attention to the second one and issued the same order. He said nothing, but it was obvious from his body language that he had no intention of complying. So, I grabbed his collar with my left hand and jerked him off his feet, forward and down.

It all worked fine, until, in a panic, he extended both his arms in order to break his fall. One of his arms threaded its way through my rifle sling, and, as he fell forward, he jerked my rifle, and me, toward him. He hit the floor, and I fell right on top of him, with my rifle sandwiched between the two of us!

It consumed most of the following minute, and the concerted assistance of several other officers, to disentangle me, and the suspect, from the sling,and recover control of my weapon.

We made our arrests without further incident, but the whole episode was surprising and embarrassing to me! I never thought that sling loop dangling under the barrel would ever cause difficulty. How wrong I was!"

Lesson: When transiting a rifle from a carry (slung) position to a confrontational position (depressed-ready), we need to make it a habit of " arresting-the-sling," that is, pulling the forward portion of the sling under our support-side hand as our hand grasps the rifle's forend. This practice eliminates the dangling loop of sling that caused the difficulties described above.

"Arresting-the-sling" needs to become a habit!

/John