Friday, November 4, 2016
Hoorag.com is sending me a sample!
A lady from Hoorag.com is sending me a Dark Digital Hoorag to review! Pretty stoked! Stay Tuned!
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
LOLA Advanced Assessment Stethoscope
As an EMT, one generally carries a variety of small tools for completing patient assessments, including but not limited to a stethoscope, pen light with pupil gauge, pen, clipboard with pertinent paperwork, trauma shears, oxygen wrench and a radio or phone. Seeing as how keeping one’s gear together and out of the way can be a little troublesome while moving about, taking vitals and performing other tasks such as taping patients to backboards, it goes without saying that a streamlined multi-purpose patient assessment tool would be of great use to an EMT or like-minded healthcare professional. It is this desire that the LOLA Advanced Assessment Stethoscope can fulfill.
The LOLA Advanced Assessment stethoscope is an innovative tool that combines several critical patient assessment tools into one package, namely the stethoscope, penlight, pupil gauge and ruler. Separately, these tools are generally of low quality and difficult to effectively manage. Combined into the LOLA stethoscope, one has an efficient and well-designed tool that will last a great long while.
I’ve had the opportunity to assess the quality and effectiveness of the LOLA stethoscope for a few months now on a wide variety of patients and in different situations and have been overall impressed with everything about it. To better describe this stethoscope, I will break this review down into features I find important.
1) Packaging: This stethoscope comes packaged in an attractive box that is easy to open and remove the contents from. In the box is a stethoscope with clear earbuds and a small pack containing three other pairs of earbuds and an extra battery for the light. Each pair of earbuds is unique and can be customized to fit the end user.
2) Stethoscope head: The stethoscope head is comprised of stainless steel and the tympanum is a clear plastic. The rim of the tympanum does not have a non-chill ring. The plastic is quite rugged as well.
3) Light switch: Atop the head is a push-button to activate the light. The button is a constant-on switch and light is emitted from a single LED. The button itself is rubbery and easy to activate.
4) Tube: There is just one tube for this stethoscope and it is made of a non-latex material that is rigid yet flexible. On the tube is a pupil gauge with examples of pupil sizes from 1mm-8mm. There is also a 40cm ruler printed on the tube, complete with millimeter markings.
5) Ear portions: The ear portions of the stethoscope are stainless steel and end in threads to accept a proprietary metal threaded mounting bud whereupon one can fix one of four different pairs of earbuds to make a custom fit for the user.
6) Fit: The multiple ear buds were quite useful for me in acquiring a good fit and I achieved a good level of comfort. They came in handy on two different occasions:
a. I will often watch a show on my phone while waiting for patients but I don’t want to disturb my partner and I don’t have earphones so I just use my stethoscope and keep the volume low on my phone. Works like a charm and I can stay comfortable for over 30min at a time. I couldn’t do that without some decent fitting ear buds.
b. My friend and I were sparring with rubber training knives one night and having a good time. That is, until he got a little too frisky and ended up sticking the tip of one in my right ear and leaving me with a good 3/16” cut in the inner cartilage (nothing serious, just painful at the time and funny now, seeing as how I used a tampon to help stop the interestingly profuse bleeding). In any case, I had to change out my ear buds so I could actually work without dreading the pain from using my stethoscope. Without my extra buds, I would have been in much more pain than I would have liked.
See the cut inside my ear? Yeah, that one hurt pretty bad.
7) Acoustic quality: I have compared this stethoscope’s acoustic qualities with a Littman Master Classic II, Littman Classic II SE, Littman Cardiology III and my mother’s no- name stethoscope from when she was a nurse back in the 1960s (I was a bit of a stethoscope junkie a while ago, sort of by accident) while in an ideal setting (sitting in my room, door closed, none of my sisters fighting, etc) and I found the acoustics to be equal to or better than that of the Classic II SE, Master Classic II and the no-name stethoscope, beaten only by the Cardiology III. My pulse under pressure from a sphygmanometer sounded like a hammer striking wood and my heart sounded loud as well, though not as loud as with the Cardiology III. Unfortunately, I haven’t been trained to pick up heart sounds past the normal atrioventricular and semilunar valve closures (“lub” and “dub”, respectively) so I can’t really comment on aberrant cardiac issues like clicks, rubs or murmurs. Listening to lung sounds were not a problem either.
In actual use, of course, situations are not ideal and are quite noisy. However, while performing my duties as the attendant, I never had a problem acquiring blood pressure readings and lung sounds, even with edemic patients.
8) Light quality: The light is a diffuse “cool” white color and is bright enough for finding objects about 3’ away if needed. Seeing the pupil diameter of a patient’s eye requires a closer distance though (especially in the dark) and from my use I it seems about 6-12” is the maximum distance for checking pupils diameters.
9) Pupil gauge and ruler: The pupil gauge and ruler are both painted onto the tube and are quite clear with sharp demarcations.
10) Neck hangability: This stethoscope hangs nicely around the neck and the tube material does a good job gripping cloth
11) Length of the tube: The tube length is a good 21”, which is much nicer for ease of patient care and for patient comfort than my 15” Littman Cardiology III, especially for those times when I am bouncing around in the back of an ambulance and I can’t get a blood pressure on the left arm and must reach over and use the right arm from a right-sided only ambulance. Yeah, you know what I mean.
As with all products, there are a few things that I would like to either see improved upon or tweaked by the end user to make the product easier to manage, namely:
1) I would love to see a non-chill ring on the tympanum’s rim. Sure, it isn’t necessary but it is a nice feature for better patient comfort.
2) The metal ear bud fixtures could use a little blue (NOT RED) Loctite to stay on the stethoscope without falling off. One of mine came unscrewed while I was on the job so I hijacked the earbuds off of my old Sprague and jammed them on there so I can use them while I get around to ordering new ear bud fixtures.
Bottom line: This is a very good stethoscope for the money and I highly recommend it, especially for EMTs, CNAs and the like. There are certainly many worse and useless ways to spend your money, like buying a cheap double lumen Sprague or US government bonds, whereas this stethoscope should be with you for years to come.
CARRY ON!
-N8
The LOLA Advanced Assessment stethoscope is an innovative tool that combines several critical patient assessment tools into one package, namely the stethoscope, penlight, pupil gauge and ruler. Separately, these tools are generally of low quality and difficult to effectively manage. Combined into the LOLA stethoscope, one has an efficient and well-designed tool that will last a great long while.
I’ve had the opportunity to assess the quality and effectiveness of the LOLA stethoscope for a few months now on a wide variety of patients and in different situations and have been overall impressed with everything about it. To better describe this stethoscope, I will break this review down into features I find important.
1) Packaging: This stethoscope comes packaged in an attractive box that is easy to open and remove the contents from. In the box is a stethoscope with clear earbuds and a small pack containing three other pairs of earbuds and an extra battery for the light. Each pair of earbuds is unique and can be customized to fit the end user.
2) Stethoscope head: The stethoscope head is comprised of stainless steel and the tympanum is a clear plastic. The rim of the tympanum does not have a non-chill ring. The plastic is quite rugged as well.
3) Light switch: Atop the head is a push-button to activate the light. The button is a constant-on switch and light is emitted from a single LED. The button itself is rubbery and easy to activate.
4) Tube: There is just one tube for this stethoscope and it is made of a non-latex material that is rigid yet flexible. On the tube is a pupil gauge with examples of pupil sizes from 1mm-8mm. There is also a 40cm ruler printed on the tube, complete with millimeter markings.
5) Ear portions: The ear portions of the stethoscope are stainless steel and end in threads to accept a proprietary metal threaded mounting bud whereupon one can fix one of four different pairs of earbuds to make a custom fit for the user.
6) Fit: The multiple ear buds were quite useful for me in acquiring a good fit and I achieved a good level of comfort. They came in handy on two different occasions:
a. I will often watch a show on my phone while waiting for patients but I don’t want to disturb my partner and I don’t have earphones so I just use my stethoscope and keep the volume low on my phone. Works like a charm and I can stay comfortable for over 30min at a time. I couldn’t do that without some decent fitting ear buds.
b. My friend and I were sparring with rubber training knives one night and having a good time. That is, until he got a little too frisky and ended up sticking the tip of one in my right ear and leaving me with a good 3/16” cut in the inner cartilage (nothing serious, just painful at the time and funny now, seeing as how I used a tampon to help stop the interestingly profuse bleeding). In any case, I had to change out my ear buds so I could actually work without dreading the pain from using my stethoscope. Without my extra buds, I would have been in much more pain than I would have liked.
See the cut inside my ear? Yeah, that one hurt pretty bad.
7) Acoustic quality: I have compared this stethoscope’s acoustic qualities with a Littman Master Classic II, Littman Classic II SE, Littman Cardiology III and my mother’s no- name stethoscope from when she was a nurse back in the 1960s (I was a bit of a stethoscope junkie a while ago, sort of by accident) while in an ideal setting (sitting in my room, door closed, none of my sisters fighting, etc) and I found the acoustics to be equal to or better than that of the Classic II SE, Master Classic II and the no-name stethoscope, beaten only by the Cardiology III. My pulse under pressure from a sphygmanometer sounded like a hammer striking wood and my heart sounded loud as well, though not as loud as with the Cardiology III. Unfortunately, I haven’t been trained to pick up heart sounds past the normal atrioventricular and semilunar valve closures (“lub” and “dub”, respectively) so I can’t really comment on aberrant cardiac issues like clicks, rubs or murmurs. Listening to lung sounds were not a problem either.
In actual use, of course, situations are not ideal and are quite noisy. However, while performing my duties as the attendant, I never had a problem acquiring blood pressure readings and lung sounds, even with edemic patients.
8) Light quality: The light is a diffuse “cool” white color and is bright enough for finding objects about 3’ away if needed. Seeing the pupil diameter of a patient’s eye requires a closer distance though (especially in the dark) and from my use I it seems about 6-12” is the maximum distance for checking pupils diameters.
9) Pupil gauge and ruler: The pupil gauge and ruler are both painted onto the tube and are quite clear with sharp demarcations.
10) Neck hangability: This stethoscope hangs nicely around the neck and the tube material does a good job gripping cloth
11) Length of the tube: The tube length is a good 21”, which is much nicer for ease of patient care and for patient comfort than my 15” Littman Cardiology III, especially for those times when I am bouncing around in the back of an ambulance and I can’t get a blood pressure on the left arm and must reach over and use the right arm from a right-sided only ambulance. Yeah, you know what I mean.
As with all products, there are a few things that I would like to either see improved upon or tweaked by the end user to make the product easier to manage, namely:
1) I would love to see a non-chill ring on the tympanum’s rim. Sure, it isn’t necessary but it is a nice feature for better patient comfort.
2) The metal ear bud fixtures could use a little blue (NOT RED) Loctite to stay on the stethoscope without falling off. One of mine came unscrewed while I was on the job so I hijacked the earbuds off of my old Sprague and jammed them on there so I can use them while I get around to ordering new ear bud fixtures.
Bottom line: This is a very good stethoscope for the money and I highly recommend it, especially for EMTs, CNAs and the like. There are certainly many worse and useless ways to spend your money, like buying a cheap double lumen Sprague or US government bonds, whereas this stethoscope should be with you for years to come.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Remington .40S&W UMC Target Ammo
So a nice lady named Heidi at Luckygunner.com sent me a brand spanking new box of Remington UMC .40S&W target ammunition for me to put through the FN FNP-40 pistol (will do a review on that bad boy after some more exposure time!). It took me a while to get to the range to test out this ammunition due to my various jobs (on-call EMT and party bus driver), my last finals (YES! I am edumacated now!) and various family obligations so I appreciate Heidi's patience and trust in this matter.
After testing out my Remington Model 12 on paper and putting a few rounds through the Tokarev TT-33, I chilled out enough to shoot the FNP-40. I first started with testing out my reloads at 7yd and 15yd intervals. Reloads tested were 155gr SWC lead cast bullets over 3gr of Titegroup.
These loads were not tested beforehand and were just loaded up as
generic plinker loads. Here are the results of the first round. I did general testing on the first target (read: did some miscounting) with the following regimen:
Center: 2 test shots at 7 yards to determine POA/POI
Upper left: 1st shot DA, 3 shots SA, 7yds
Upper right: 1st shot DA, 5 shots SA, 7yds
Lower left: 1st shot DA, 5 shots SA, 15yds
Lower right: 1st shot DA, 5 shots SA, 15yds
Group sizes for target #1
Upper left: 2.1" (1.1" without the outlier)
Upper right: 2.1" (1.1" without the two outliers)
Lower left: 5.1" ( 2.1" without the gigantic outlier to the top right of the circle)
Lower right: 3.85" (no real compensation that can be granted with this one)
Target #1. Personal reloads.
The second round of shooting consisted of the Remington UMC ammunition. Course of fire was as follows:
Upper left: 1st shot DA, 5 shots SA, 7yds
Upper right: 1st shot DA, 5 shots SA, 7yds
Lower left: 1st shot DA, 5 shots SA, 15yds
Lower right: 1st shot DA, 5 shots SA, 15yds
Group sizes for this target #2 are as follows:
Upper left: 1.85" (no compensation)
Upper right: 2.6" (1.35" without the two outliers)
Lower left: To preserve my dignity, I am not going to even bother with this one.
Lower right: Dignity preservation enacted here as well. 3 bullet holes are missing.
Target #2. Remington UMC Target
After my earth-shattering performance in round two, I gave it another go in round three.
Course of fire was as follows:
Upper left: 1st shot DA, 5 shots SA, 7yds
Upper right: 1st shot DA, 5 shots SA, 7yds
Lower left: 1st shot DA, 4 shots SA, 15yds
Lower right: 1st shot DA, 3 shots SA, 15yds
Group sizes for target #3 are as follows:
Upper left: 3.225" (2.475" without the outlier)
Upper right: 2.1" (no compensation for this group)
Lower left: 1.85" ( 1.35" without the gigantic outlier to the top right of the circle)
Lower right: 1.35" (no real compensation that can be granted with this one)
Target #3. Remington UMC Target, second round.
Recoil for the Remington UMC Target ammo was moderately stout and feed and extraction in my pistol was flawless. The bullets punched cleanly through the paper, as any good target ammunition should do.
Looking at the targets and group sizes, it goes without saying that I am in need of some more practice, though at the end I was able to focus a little better and squeeze out some pretty nice groups. An exacerbating factor that may have affected my shooting ability is that I was running a very fast heart rate and high blood pressure due to an idiopathic reaction to medication I have been taking for years. The day after I shot these groups I actually had to go to the ER to get assessed and scanned. I am fine now and will be getting on some different medications here pretty soon (in case you were wondering). As some of you may know, he isnt stoked with
In addition, I have noticed that the FNP-40 seems to shoot low.
Like, really low. I don't quite know why that is but it is something I
would like to correct.I had to compensate for the drop by aiming at the 12:00 position about 3-4" high. Some of the outliers you see are from when I failed to do so.
Overall, this is a consistently loaded ammunition with good target characteristics and firm yet gentle handling characteristics. Results may vary amongst guns but I think at least the average shooter (since I am an average, if not regrettably a subpar average shooter) will find good results with this ammo.
Until next time, CARRY ON!
Sunday, August 28, 2016
First Light USA Tomahawk LE
By David De La Torre
When I first saw the First Light USA line of Tomahawks flashlights advertised in early 2010, I had a deep-down feeling that I would one day own one. I have always owned some sort of tube flashlight in my repertoire for EDC or keeping in the drawer for normal use but there was something about this particular light that made me want to experiment with a different shape. Unfortunately, the lack of related product reviews and information made me skip it for the time being and go with a Fenix instead. It wasn’t until my friend attended SHOT Show 2011 that really allowed me to check out the flashlight for myself and purchase one.
When I first saw the First Light USA line of Tomahawks flashlights advertised in early 2010, I had a deep-down feeling that I would one day own one. I have always owned some sort of tube flashlight in my repertoire for EDC or keeping in the drawer for normal use but there was something about this particular light that made me want to experiment with a different shape. Unfortunately, the lack of related product reviews and information made me skip it for the time being and go with a Fenix instead. It wasn’t until my friend attended SHOT Show 2011 that really allowed me to check out the flashlight for myself and purchase one.
Since that day, my Tomahawk and I have been inseparable. I have carried this flashlight with me on a daily basis as part of my everyday carry gear, used it for hunting small game, going on grunion runs and have even used it for patient assessments during my job as an EMT-B. Ironically, I've only used at one time to go handgun shooting at night. I need to fix that!
In the months that I have owned this flashlight, it has been knocked around, dropped against the pavement, exposed to marine conditions and everything in between and has been nothing but the light of Earendil, ever ready to light the way. Mind you, I'm not a "tactical operator” or anything like that and certainly haven’t pushed this flashlight to its maximum limit but like everything else I own it has gotten him knocked around quite a bit.. I'm often said to be a “bull in a China shop” about many things and this usually narrows down what gear sticks with me for the long haul.
Right out of the box, I noticed that construction of this flashlight has a refined feel to it. The anodizing is Mil-spec Type III, the housing is aerospace-grade aluminum, the threads at both ends of the Tomahawk’s 2x CR123A battery tube are very smooth and require little effort to manipulate while the buttons on top are rubbery without being sticky. It is a compact 3.4” H x 2.4” L x 1.5” W and has a finger loop for either middle or index finger insertion, essentially allowing the flashlight to become part of the hand.
The head is well-designed with a central lamp and a ring 12 alternating red/green LEDs around the edge. The max output for the central lamp is 120 lumens but I usually use the lowest lumen setting as that satisfies my every day needs without burning up my batteries (batteries last 2hr on the high setting, 60hrs on the low setting). The light thrown has a solid center with no annoying “dead spot” and a generous peripheral halo. I haven’t done any formal beam distance testing but I do know that spotlighting rabbits at 60 yards and shooting them from 25 yards with a pellet gun or a .22 is a rather easy proposition.
The buttons on the Tomahawk take a few minutes to get used to but quickly become second nature and provide for a wide variety of options to tailor to the situation at hand. The left button is constant on, the right button sets intensity and alternate colors and the center button is for momentary white. Here are the possible button combinations.
-Press left and right buttons together to lock or unlock the light.
-Press the central “Momentary White” for 120 lumens of light (any time, any setting)
-Press Momentary White and the right intensity/color button for a white strobe
-Press the intensity/color button multiple times to cycle through the color LED options or hold for momentary use of a colored light.
-Press the left constant-on button for constant colored light (selected previously by the intensity/color button on the right) and adjust the intensity with the intensity/color button
-Press and hold the constant-on to get a constant white beam and adjust the intensity with the intensity/color button
-Press and hold the constant-on even longer to get a multi-colored strobe.
The odd shape of the Tomahawk light is its only real detractor since without a mount of some sort (belt, MOLLE, etc) it is difficult to carry the flashlight around as carrying such an odd shape in the pocket is a little weird. Luckily, the MOLLE mount I have for it fits perfectly on my Maxpedition Versipack Fatboy S-type but when my bag is on the front seat of the rig or hanging in my room and I need my light, it gets annoying. I will probably get a belt mount for it in a little while.
Given the great ergonomics, build quality, battery life and plethora of features packed into a small package, this flashlight has taken first string in my EDC repertoire and I will be hard pressed to change that. However, its overall versatility is hampered slightly by its shape and those used to the normal tube light will need some time to get used to it.
For more information, check out First Light USA
Until next time
-David De La Torre
Sunday, July 24, 2016
DIY STEN
By Nathan Wolanyk
Of all the semiautomatic firearms that one can build, the STEN has to be the easiest to and requires the least amount of investment in both tools and time to complete
As an example, the author actually built his STEN using a carpenter’s vise bolted to a Pepper Tree stump (trimmed appropriately with a tomahawk), cut all the slots with with a Rotozip and filed everything to fit with a set of rusty files. The only expensive tool required for the process is a MIG welder. 140 Amps is recommended.
All said though, the author’s build was completed with a lot of mentoring and collaboration from his good friend bplvr (true name withheld for privacy reasons), a retired and very talented machinist with a knack for reverse engineering history. It was bplvr that lead the author into the STEN building project and selected Indianapolis Ordinance for the 80% receiver tubes, bolts, spring kits, ejectors and trunnions necessary to complete the project(s) within the scope of existing laws, both federal and state.
For the purpose of illustrating the necessary details of this build, various images from other builds will be shown. The learning process for building these guns has come from a mix of six different STEN projects encompassing multiple MK2, MK3, pistol, German MP3008, and MK2/MK3 hybrid variants. Despite the differences between these STEN variants in overall layout, the basic principles of drilling, dremeling and filing will remain the same.
While it is far quicker and easier to complete the STEN using a milling machine, this tutorial is focused on the budget-conscious builder, or maybe someone that desires to feel somewhat like a backwoods partisan behind Nazi lines. Thus, the only tools required for this build will be a dremel (or other rotary tool), a set of calipers, a set of drill bits (make sure they can cut through 4130 S/S ), thin metal blades for the dremel (.020 thick, not the .060 thick ones), a vise (wood grips inside the vise to prevent marring and crushing the tube preferred), a spring-loaded center punch and files. Try not to break the dremel blades and do not wear the blades down to nothing since as the blades wear down, the smaller diameter remnants will be needed for the smaller slots that need to be cut.
Before starting to cut all the slots, use your automatic center punch to punch six witness marks down the length of the tube at 12:00/3:00/6:00 and the 9:00 positions. You will need these when the paper is off the tube.
Next, you are going to prepare the corners to be drilled and either squared or rounded off. To do so, mark the corner diameter center lines with a center punch, drill a pilot hole and then drill a with successively sized drill bits until the slot ends are made. For instance, use a ⅛” bit to start a hole, then a 3/16”, then a 5/16”, then a ⅜” and so on. The pictures below will illustrate this point.
In these photos you will see bplvr’s notes written on the tube. Notice how in photos 1-3 that the corners have been marked with a center punch to allow the pilot hole to be drilled accurately.
Photos 4-9 show how each slot to be cut has a hole in the corner. Each hole was started with a ⅛” drill bit then increased in size so the corners were taken out in a perfectly rounded fashion.
Before you cut anything ,using your automatic center punch, punch 6 witness marks down the length of the tube at 12:00/3:00/6:00 and the 9:00 positions. You will need these when the paper is off the tube.
Start with the long charging handle slot. Run the entire length .010 deep on one spot and repeat until the whole slot is cut. The goal is to connect the ⅜”diameter drilled hole at each end of the slot and 2 x ⅜” holes for the safety slot to form one continuous slot. At this stage of the game, the slot will not be a perfect ⅜” width, but this is what drill bits and files will be used for at a later stage. The finished slot should be .375 +.010 /-.000. This slot is what determines the angle of the location of the semi-auto bolt to the ejector. (see image 10 and 11 for what the slot looks like before and after)
Next, you will cut the magazine well slot going from front to rear. The same will be done for the ejection slot. After both slots have been cut, change out your cutting blade for a fresh one and save the old one for cutting the smaller J-slots and the like. (See image 10-5 to see the J-hooks that are cut with the used, smaller cutting blades)
Next up is the sear lever slot, as seen in image 5. This will be cut in the same way as all the other slots and sized all the way down the channel with a .125-.140 drill bit.
STEN sear lever slot .125-.140 drill hole. Size with drill bit. Square or round end. Ideal width is .015 wider than the sear lever.
The dimension for the location of the sear from the rear of the tube will most likely be shown as 3.750”. It is best to change this dimension to 3.850” and file later to match your sear location.
Most STENS were made with VERY liberal hole locations, and if you cut the sear slot too short your tube is junk.
Next up are the J-slots to hold in the end cap. Use a big cutter to start the J-slots and finish the corners with a ¼” drill. Use the smaller cutting wheels saved from before to make some of the finer cuts, as there are some tight working spaces in this area. If you don’t have any small cutters, then you will have to take a big cutter and grind it down on a sacrificial piece of metal to get it small enough to get into those small slots and cut them right.
After all the slots have been cut, it is time to file everything (and I mean everything) to fit. For all the channels and slots, you should use the shank (the non-drilling portion) of an appropriately sized drill bit to size the slot from one end to the other. Wherever there is a snag, examine the area and determine which direction one needs to file. Before filing cut some long pieces from a soda bottle and slide them into the tube. This will keep the file from dinging the inside of the tube. All file strokes should be spread out and not concentrated into one part, as this will cause issues with unevenness. The easiest way to tell is to look at the paper glued to the tube and see where the black lines are. The black lines should disappear with the right amount of metal removal, assuming that they don’t catch fire first.
Deburring the inside of the slots is also critical, as the bolt won’t ride in a tube full of obstacles. File down the inside of the tube at an angle to get rid of all those burrs on the inside.
Next article: Trunnions, welding
Good luck and enjoy your build!
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Gear Review: 5.11 Tactical Stryke pants with Flex-Tac
When I think of tactical pants, I pretty much only think of pants from 5.11 Tactical; they are versatile, durable, and I can go anywhere in them and use them for anything. I am no stranger to the other 5.11 brand products. I used the 5.11 Select Carry pack as my LUCC (Locked Unloaded Concealed Carry)* bag until it was stolen and I regularly wear a pair of the less “tactical” and more streamlined 5.11 pants to go to semi-formal events like church, work or even weddings. All of these clothing items have been nothing but exemplary in quality and they fulfilled their designated roles quite well. But after trying out the new Stryke pants, the same can be said for them!
(Please excuse the wrinkles, I just took them off when this photo was taken)
When I first got my pair of Stryke Flex-Tacs, I was rather impressed with the quality of construction and materials. All the seams are double stitched, there aren’t any rough stitching spots that could annoy one’s skin and the fabric is a low-maintenance rip-stop fabric consisting of 41% Flex-Tac® polyester, 24% polyester and 35% cotton (don’t quite know what Flex-Tac® is myself but it seems to work well!). As many people already know, a poly/cotton blend doesn’t require ironing (if hung straight away from the dryer) and doesn’t require extra work to eliminate tougher stains like oil. Add on the ability for polyester cotton blends to stretch, dry quickly and respire, and you get a pair of pants that can be used for just about anything.
Pocket flap detail
When I tested them out for a few hours just around the house, I noticed several very cool features that aren’t typically seen on run-of-the mill pants, at least in my experience. For one, I noticed that I didn’t have to adjust my nether anatomy quite as much, if at all (one of my greater annoyances). I came to find out that is because instead of a normal crotch where the seam runs the entire middle of the pant, the Stryke pant is “gusseted,” which adds breadth to the fabric and breaks up the seam, making the garment just… well, fit better. You will notice in the photo below what I am talking about. This might not be a completely revolutionary idea but it is something I haven’t come across at all in all my clothes and it makes the fit really, really comfortable.
Another thing that got me stoked about these pants are the pockets. The back pockets are deep and practical and are attached with Velcro, making access quicker than normal buttons and more comfortable than snaps. The leg pockets have Velcro closures as well and have internal pockets or dividers for tidily holding important objects like magazines and cell phones. There are even pockets in the front for magazines. If someone were to get frisky enough to need it, you can literally pack six 30rd magazines in these pants, with two in each leg and two in the front. Of course, at over one pound per loaded magazine, things could get annoying rather quickly. Trust me, I drove 60 miles and went to a shooting range with four fully-loaded 30rd AR-15 magazines in my leg pockets and while I accomplished it in relative comfort, it was interesting slinging around that much weight on the legs for a few hours. I think it is safe to say that these pants aren’t necessarily for long-term transport of magazines; for tactical drills or real-life scenarios, it would be just fine. The side pockets are standard fare but there is a reinforced area for knife clips in the lower corner, which is always appreciated for those that use knives with the “wave” feature like the Spyderco Endura 4 Wave or some of the Emerson blades.
A hidden but welcome feature of these pants is the pair of hidden kneepad insert pockets. Being hidden, you can’t get to them from the outside so you have to turn the pant leg inside-out to gain access these pockets. I didn’t have a chance to utilize this feature during my review but for those that kneel or slide around a lot, I can see this feature as being really convenient and even necessary. What I appreciate most about them though is that there isn’t a zipper or other unseemly fastener to cause irritation in the knee area.
Like my “dressy” 5.11 Tactical pants, the Stryke pants have a sort of elastic harness system that fits the pants to your waist. Seeing as how every once in a while I do go off the caloric deep-end and binge (my garden has been quite prolific so I have been experimenting), the stretch feature is really nice for giving a bit room for weight variation that tends to occur in normal day-to-day life. The only downside to this elastic feature is that sometimes your undergarments can show through the side pockets so keeping your weight to the lighter end of the spectrum and your waist closer to your true size will prove to be more comfortable.
Some other small features of these pants that I appreciated are the bilateral badge holder slots (I used my EMT badge for pictorial purposes), the wide belt loops (up to 1.75” belt!) and the sturdy snap for front closure. The belt used below is my Simply Rugged Real Man's Belt (1.5" wide)
Overall opinion: These pants are well-made, comfortable, and above all, very functional, practical and easy to maintain. I haven’t owned these pants long enough to say anything about their durability but being a 5.11 Tactical product it is backed by an excellent reputation so I cannot imagine anything these pants as being less than durable.
Click here to see some tactical pants
Click here to see more tactical gear.
CARRY ON!
-N8
*For the uninitiated, LUCC is a concept that is, as far as I know, unique to California. It basically allows us peons to carry a firearm with us anywhere a firearm isn’t otherwise prohibited as long as it is unloaded and in a locked case.
(Please excuse the wrinkles, I just took them off when this photo was taken)
When I first got my pair of Stryke Flex-Tacs, I was rather impressed with the quality of construction and materials. All the seams are double stitched, there aren’t any rough stitching spots that could annoy one’s skin and the fabric is a low-maintenance rip-stop fabric consisting of 41% Flex-Tac® polyester, 24% polyester and 35% cotton (don’t quite know what Flex-Tac® is myself but it seems to work well!). As many people already know, a poly/cotton blend doesn’t require ironing (if hung straight away from the dryer) and doesn’t require extra work to eliminate tougher stains like oil. Add on the ability for polyester cotton blends to stretch, dry quickly and respire, and you get a pair of pants that can be used for just about anything.
Pocket flap detail
When I tested them out for a few hours just around the house, I noticed several very cool features that aren’t typically seen on run-of-the mill pants, at least in my experience. For one, I noticed that I didn’t have to adjust my nether anatomy quite as much, if at all (one of my greater annoyances). I came to find out that is because instead of a normal crotch where the seam runs the entire middle of the pant, the Stryke pant is “gusseted,” which adds breadth to the fabric and breaks up the seam, making the garment just… well, fit better. You will notice in the photo below what I am talking about. This might not be a completely revolutionary idea but it is something I haven’t come across at all in all my clothes and it makes the fit really, really comfortable.
Another thing that got me stoked about these pants are the pockets. The back pockets are deep and practical and are attached with Velcro, making access quicker than normal buttons and more comfortable than snaps. The leg pockets have Velcro closures as well and have internal pockets or dividers for tidily holding important objects like magazines and cell phones. There are even pockets in the front for magazines. If someone were to get frisky enough to need it, you can literally pack six 30rd magazines in these pants, with two in each leg and two in the front. Of course, at over one pound per loaded magazine, things could get annoying rather quickly. Trust me, I drove 60 miles and went to a shooting range with four fully-loaded 30rd AR-15 magazines in my leg pockets and while I accomplished it in relative comfort, it was interesting slinging around that much weight on the legs for a few hours. I think it is safe to say that these pants aren’t necessarily for long-term transport of magazines; for tactical drills or real-life scenarios, it would be just fine. The side pockets are standard fare but there is a reinforced area for knife clips in the lower corner, which is always appreciated for those that use knives with the “wave” feature like the Spyderco Endura 4 Wave or some of the Emerson blades.
A hidden but welcome feature of these pants is the pair of hidden kneepad insert pockets. Being hidden, you can’t get to them from the outside so you have to turn the pant leg inside-out to gain access these pockets. I didn’t have a chance to utilize this feature during my review but for those that kneel or slide around a lot, I can see this feature as being really convenient and even necessary. What I appreciate most about them though is that there isn’t a zipper or other unseemly fastener to cause irritation in the knee area.
Like my “dressy” 5.11 Tactical pants, the Stryke pants have a sort of elastic harness system that fits the pants to your waist. Seeing as how every once in a while I do go off the caloric deep-end and binge (my garden has been quite prolific so I have been experimenting), the stretch feature is really nice for giving a bit room for weight variation that tends to occur in normal day-to-day life. The only downside to this elastic feature is that sometimes your undergarments can show through the side pockets so keeping your weight to the lighter end of the spectrum and your waist closer to your true size will prove to be more comfortable.
Some other small features of these pants that I appreciated are the bilateral badge holder slots (I used my EMT badge for pictorial purposes), the wide belt loops (up to 1.75” belt!) and the sturdy snap for front closure. The belt used below is my Simply Rugged Real Man's Belt (1.5" wide)
Overall opinion: These pants are well-made, comfortable, and above all, very functional, practical and easy to maintain. I haven’t owned these pants long enough to say anything about their durability but being a 5.11 Tactical product it is backed by an excellent reputation so I cannot imagine anything these pants as being less than durable.
Click here to see some tactical pants
Click here to see more tactical gear.
CARRY ON!
-N8
*For the uninitiated, LUCC is a concept that is, as far as I know, unique to California. It basically allows us peons to carry a firearm with us anywhere a firearm isn’t otherwise prohibited as long as it is unloaded and in a locked case.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Esco cops don't like bows either...
A small blog post for the sake of some humor...
So I spent today in Escondido with my older brother while his truck got fixed over on Escondido Blvd. Knowing that it would be a while, I brought along my bow and some arrows so I could walk over to Willow Creek Archery to get some new fletchings and a peep tube. The distance from the auto shop to WCA is about 3.2mi, so 6.4mi round trip.
During the whole time walking (4hrs) we saw about 10-12 cops. On the return trip, I noticed one cop look out his window like he just saw Mila Kunis in a mini skirt. Knowing this would probably initiate a contact not directly related to tea and crumpets, I turned on Cop Recorder 2 on my phone (If you do not have this app, get it. One of the best apps ever.)
Sure enough, about 2min later, the cops rolled up about 30' behind me. Here is how it went:
Officer: Sir, SIR! You with the arrows!
*I turn around*
Officer: Can we talk with you for a second?
Me: Am I under arrest?
Officer: No.
Me: *Salute* See ya!
These two cops followed me for a few blocks, probably radioing frantically to dispatch trying to figure out how to stop someone in possession of even a college campus legal weapon. After we passed them near Peterson's Donut Corner ( or maybe it wasn't... in any case, the reference alone is hilarious!) they turned back north and left us alone.
I have audio of the encounter but they were too far away to be picked up by my phone so it is just me with my two lines.
So yeah, that's my story for the day.
CARRY ON!
-N8
So I spent today in Escondido with my older brother while his truck got fixed over on Escondido Blvd. Knowing that it would be a while, I brought along my bow and some arrows so I could walk over to Willow Creek Archery to get some new fletchings and a peep tube. The distance from the auto shop to WCA is about 3.2mi, so 6.4mi round trip.
During the whole time walking (4hrs) we saw about 10-12 cops. On the return trip, I noticed one cop look out his window like he just saw Mila Kunis in a mini skirt. Knowing this would probably initiate a contact not directly related to tea and crumpets, I turned on Cop Recorder 2 on my phone (If you do not have this app, get it. One of the best apps ever.)
Sure enough, about 2min later, the cops rolled up about 30' behind me. Here is how it went:
Officer: Sir, SIR! You with the arrows!
*I turn around*
Officer: Can we talk with you for a second?
Me: Am I under arrest?
Officer: No.
Me: *Salute* See ya!
These two cops followed me for a few blocks, probably radioing frantically to dispatch trying to figure out how to stop someone in possession of even a college campus legal weapon. After we passed them near Peterson's Donut Corner ( or maybe it wasn't... in any case, the reference alone is hilarious!) they turned back north and left us alone.
I have audio of the encounter but they were too far away to be picked up by my phone so it is just me with my two lines.
So yeah, that's my story for the day.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
July 4th Fun!
Went out OCing with firemark and we had a day with pretty much no issues. We also met a photojournalist and his girlfriend who followed us around the boardwalk taking photos for the Beach and Bay Press.
Here is the highlight of the whole day.
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=453630
CARRY ON!
-N8
Here is the highlight of the whole day.
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=453630
CARRY ON!
-N8
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
SHOT Show!
I will be at the SHOT Show from the 18th through the 20th. If you see me, come say hi!
CARRY ON!
-N8
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Source of AB1934
I've had to hold this in for almost two years but now the case is settled so I'm free to post. The city of San Diego coughed up $35,000, which is a shame since all I wanted was for them to instruct their officers that mere presence of an open carried gun was not necessarily indication of a crime, and that there had to be SOMETHING, ANYTHING additional to provide reasonable articulable suspicion that a crime had been, was in the process of, or was about to be committed before they could draw their weapons and wave them around screaming like lunatics. They refused, so we proceeded. I believe that following the arrest and my claim against the city of San Diego, some factions at SDPD conspired with Saldana to cobble together AB1934, (a so-incredibly-unConstitutional piece of legislation that it boggles the mind) which spectacularly failed at the last minute.
It's kind of ironic that, as I mentioned to the federal judge during initial talks, that 1. if we're really that concerned about officer safety, we ought to be stopping and searching every person who is NOT open carrying, because any one of them could have an illegally concealed weapon and 2. the only people waving guns around threatening to shoot innocent civilians that otherwise peaceful November day, was the police.
It wasn't all bad though. Some cops got educated, Saldana got put in her place, and best of all The Responsible Citizens of California ( responsiblecitizensofcalifornia.org )was founded.
Here's what happened, written the same day:
I made an appointment to meet my friend Dennis at the Coaster Saloon in Mission Beach for breakfast. They have terrific steak and eggs. We’d agreed to meet at 9:15. I arrived and parked in the Belmont Park lot at 9:07 right across the street from the Coaster. Then I got out of the truck, and slipped on my glock 17 on my right hip and my magazine holster with 2 loaded magazines on my left hip. Then I strolled out to the boardwalk to check out the waves since I hadn’t surfed that day. The water was nice and glassy and there were some fun-looking small waves coming in. The lifeguard was getting set up further down the beach. I leaned against the sea wall and called another friend of mine and got caught up with him while I wandered around waiting for Dennis.
Then Dennis appeared in his Mercedes, parked, and greeted me and just as we were about to cross the street to the Coaster, up pulled two patrol cars. I figured they’d probably contact me and do a 12031 weapons check. I strolled nonchalantly towards the street and suddenly heard, “You in the kilt! Freeze! Don’t move! Get your hands up! Keep them where I can see them! On your knees!”
As I heard this I turned and saw two officers, one partially hidden behind a palm tree, with guns drawn and pointed right at me coming at me from two different angles. I had my hands up of course, and turned away from them as ordered and got on my knees. They were yelling from my buddy Dennis to get back away from me. There was a lot of yelling and super-testosterone charge in the air. “Hands on your head! Lace your fingers!” I was calm as could be. Next thing I knew my hands were tightly cuffed, first my left then my right, left inside of wrist to right back of wrist.
Both officers were behind me so I couldn’t see what they were doing, but next officer Knisley was on my right side tugging at my Glock. He was having trouble pulling it out of the holster. “How does this comes out?”
“Just pull straight up. It’s not loaded. I assume you’re doing a 12031 loaded weapon check?”
He pulled it out and drew the slide. “Do you have identification?”
“Yes but I’m not required to provide it unless I’ve committed a crime. Unloaded open carry is legal.”
“Do you have a permit for this?”
“There is no permit required. I am not carrying concealed.”
“Where is your identification?”
“In my wallet in my back pocket but again I am not required to provide it because I haven’t committed any crime.”
Then I felt the officer fishing around in my pocket for my wallet. He took it out and at this point they hauled me to my feet.
“Why do you have a gun? What’s the idea?”
“I’m a citizen and a human being and I’m carrying a gun for protection. As long as it’s not concealed and not loaded and I’m not a minor or a felon and not knowingly carrying within 1000 feet of a k-12 school, it’s perfectly legal. Open carry is legal in California.”
Much grumbling from the police.
“Do you have any warrants for your arrest? Do you have any felony convictions?”
“No, I don’t. But you can’t do a check on me unless I’m being accused of a crime. Am I under arrest?”
“No, you’re being detained while we determine if you’ve broken the law.”
“Well, yeah but detainment is just a term of art. If I were just being detained, I wouldn’t be in handcuffs.
“I understand that you have a job to do officers, and under California law I’m telling you you can contact me to determine if I’m carrying a loaded weapon. That does not normally include either handcuffs, brandished weapons or an identification check. You’re violating my Constitutional rights, specifically the 2nd amendment, and now you’re going further with a 4th amendment violation of my right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. Your searching of my pockets and subsequent ID check I see as a 4th amendment violation.”
More glowering from the police.
“Why do you have a gun?”
“I already answered that. I don’t have to have a reason. I am a citizen and I know my rights and I’m sure you’ve seen that we are slowly losing our rights in this country. If we don’t start exercising the little we have left, we’re going to go fully fascist and it’ll be a mess.”
Cop nods.
“What’s your social security number?”
“I don’t give that out. Am I required to provide it? Am I being charged with anything?”
“What’s your phone number?”
“I don’t give that out either, unless I am required.”
“Don’t you have a cell phone number or something? Can’t you just give me that?”
“No. Not unless I have to.
Glowering from police.
“You just can’t walk around with a gun. Especially down here.”
“I understand you don’t like it and that’s totally up to you. You don’t have to like it. That doesn’t change the fact that I haven’t done anything wrong and you are illegally detaining me. I don’t expect you to know every nuance of the penal code, even though I am required to know it as a citizen, so I don’t mind educating you guys on open carry. I am loosely affiliated with an open carry group that has done a few lunches at the El Indio Shop on India street. 30 or 40 guys show up, strapped, and we have lunch and hang out. They love us, we tip about 60%. Anyway, first time the police stopped by and checked everything out, after that they left us alone. I thought there was a memo that was supposed to go out. Didn’t you get it?”
“No.”
Well, I appreciate you guys have a job to do but I also know that the Supreme Court has ruled that the police are not required to give protection to any individual person but only to society as a whole. If some thing goes down where I’m at, I understand that you’d like me to dial 911 and hope to God you guys get there in time. But you and I both know that you’ll probably only arrive in time to file a victim’s report. Sorry, but I’m not going to rely on you guys for that. I’m not going to trust you to defend me from whatever real criminals there might be.”
“Well, you can’t carry a gun, especially down here.” At this point I was being searched, my pocketknife unclipped from my pocket and put on the hood of the car, other pockets rifled through. Car keys removed, cell phone found but left in pocket.
“We’re going to have to agree to disagree on that, since it seems I can’t change your mind by showing you the facts. I understand that you don’t want someone running around on the beach, waving a gun and shooting people. Nor do I. But if that did happen in my presence, I’d rather rely on myself than on you guys. You are making a mistake, I’m telling you, and you’ll figure it out sooner or later that I have not committed any crime.
“So what do you carry?”
“Sig-sauer.”
“Sig is a nice gun.”
“It’s never jammed on me.”
“My Glock has never given me any trouble either. What’ve you got, 17 rounds?”
“15.”
“Oh. Have you had any other interesting calls today?”
“One where a guy escaped from the sheriff, jumped out a window or something. We’re looking for him in the area.”
“Oh, is he armed?”
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t either. But if I met up with him, I’d be glad I had my gun, wouldn’t you?”
No comment from Knisley.
“So did this dude escape from a bus or something?”
“All we know is he jumped through a window. Plate glass. Headfirst.”
“Oh, so he’s probably all cut up?”
“I imagine so.”
Pause.
“So let me ask you something. As an officer you took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, right?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever read it?”
Scoffs. “Yes, of course.”
“So you know that the second amendment protects from any infringement the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Do you know what ‘infringement’ means?”
“No. I’m not a lawyer.”
“That’s ok. The great thing is, the Constitution was written for regular guys like you and me to easily understand, not for lawyers.” I indicated with a glance the 5-feet of space between us. “If I took half a step in your direction, that would be an infringement of your personal space. I don’t have to charge at someone or bowl them over or physically contact them to infringe on their space. Same thing with our Constitutional rights. An infringement is any licensing, any restriction, any erosion. I’m sure you’d agree. Now you know we’re going fascist or socialist in this country, especially in the last several years, and you guys are supposed to know better. There shouldn’t even be any concealed carry permits or anything of the kind. And you certainly shouldn’t be charging out of your car with gun drawn screaming at a citizen who is exercising what’s left of his Constitutional rights.”
Other officer was checking my ID for warrants or priors. “Are you still at this address?”
“Yes. You found that I have no priors, right? I’m just lily-white!”
“Yeah, no priors. But what were you thinking? I’m a cop and I can carry off duty and even I don’t do it.”
“Well, that’s your right and you can choose to exercise it or not. And I should be free to do the same. So am I being charged?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Any chance I could get out of these cuffs in the meantime? Obviously I’m the calmest guy here and reasonable and pose no threat to you.”
“No. They are on for your protection and ours. But you can lean against the car if you want.”
“No, I’m OK standing. But could you push my sunglasses back up on my nose? They’re bugging me and of course I can’t reach them.”
Knisley complied. What a relief.
Another car pulled up. I thought this must be the duty sergeant and he’d have a better grasp of the penal code. I should have known better. He talked to officer White, then approached me. I smiled and said good morning as the sergeant, Kries, walked up.
He didn’t like that. “What’s with the smirk?”
“I beg your pardon? I just said good morning.”
“What’s with the gun? Do you have a permit?”
“No permit is necessary. It’s not concealed.”
“What about your buddy? Is he carrying a weapon?”
“Not that I know of. I doubt it.”
White goes to hassle and search Dennis. I didn’t see or hear that exchange.
“You have to have a permit to carry a weapon capable of being concealed.”
“No, you’re wrong. You have to have a permit to conceal a weapon capable of being concealed.”
He gets in my face. “Are you trying to tell me the law?”
“Look, obviously if I’m walking around with a gun on my hip I’d know the law forwards and backwards. The code reads that it is unlawful to conceal without a permit a weapon capable of being concealed.”
“Why are you carrying a gun?”
“I already explained that to these other two officers.”
“Well, tell it again to me. I want to get it right from the horses mouth.”
“I’m carrying because I want to. I’m an American citizen and a human being and I have the right to self-defense and I’m within the limits of the law and you know I’ve done nothing wrong. I believe that we have to exercise our Constitutional rights because I’m sure you’d agree we’re losing them and the country is on the slide because of it.”
“I still don’t get it. Why do you feel you need a gun? You’re a big guy.”
“That’s irrelevant. I could say the same thing about you, and you carry a gun.”
“I’m a cop. We’re supposed to stop people like you from having weapons.”
“No, you’re supposed to support and defend the Constitution and bust criminals. I am not a criminal. I am not carrying loaded or concealed, I am not a felon, I am not a minor, I am not within 1000 feet of a k-12 school.”
“What, is this some political thing?” Kries sneered. “Is that it? You’re making a statement and trying to get arrested so you can have the ACLU defend you?”
“No.”
“What about the NRA? Think they’ll help you?”
“Ha! No chance. The NRA is the biggest gun-control organization on the planet.”
“Well, you have to have a permit to carry a weapon capable of being concealed.”
“No, you don’t. You’re mistaken. You’re misreading the statute.”
Now cop is getting angry. “Are you trying to tell me the law?”
“I’m trying to tell you you’re making a mistake. I don’t expect you to know every nuance of the law, even though I as a citizen am required to, but I would expect that you had heard of the open carry group active here in San Diego. We’ve been having open carry lunches fairly regularly at El Indio on India Street and I’ve been open carrying myself for a while now. There was supposed to be a memo that went out to SDPD. Didn’t you read it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You have to have a permit to carry concealed.”
“It’s not concealed. It’s unloaded and visible from three sides. The magazines are visible from three sides and are on the other hip. You’re telling me this is concealed?”
“I’m telling you you have to have a permit.”
“Look, obviously we’re going to have to agree to disagree.” Big pause. Pregnant pause. The morning sun slid further across the sky. A couple waves crested and broke. “So now what happens?”
“Have you ever been to jail?”
“Never.”
“Well, you’re going. You’re under arrest for carrying a concealed weapon.”
Ah, time for a logic break. The only way they knew I had a weapon was because someone saw it and called it in. They knew it was me because they could see it. So how could it be concealed?
Officer White started getting me ready to transport. He took off my rings, emptied my pockets of whatever else I had, took off my holsters, and removed my belt. “This is a brand-new belt. Did you buy it just so you could carry a gun?”
“No. You’re making a mistake.”
“You’ll get all your stuff back after you post bail. Do you think you’ll be able to post?”
“Depends on how much it is. When do I get my phone call?”
“After you’re booked.”
I was now towards the rear driver side of the patrol car, Knisley and Kries were at the front passenger corner examining my weapon and magazines. Kries cries, “Hey, this is a 17-round mag! You can’t have this! These are law enforcement only!”
“They are no longer legal to purchase or offer for sale in California, but pre-ban magazines already possessed are legal. I’ve had that one for years. It’s legal.”
“No, you can’t have this, this is another violation.”
“Ok, again we’re going to have to agree to disagree and let the courts sort it out.”
Kries to Knisley: “Can you believe this guy? He’s got a 17 rounder with 13 rounds and a 10-rounder with 8.”
As if it’s inconceivable that I would actually deign to carry bullets, of all the horrible things.
They sorted out all my stuff and figured out who was taking me where, and then it was Knisley and I in his car headed downtown, after they loosened the cuffs a little bit since my hands were swelling. Apparently I was to be processed with some paperwork then taken to jail. I heard Kries smugly claim that “We’ve got him now, the rest of his day is shot.”
Knisley and I drove off towards our destination. We talked a bit, and I could sense his hesitation about the whole thing. I said, “Look, officer, you know I didn’t break any laws. Why your sergeant had such a hard-on for me is a mystery to me but you know you’re making a mistake.”
“Well, I have to do what he tells me to do.”
“Well, I guess I can’t change your mind. But I’m one of the good guys and it doesn’t matter whether or not I’m carrying a badge. As one American to another, I’d defend your rights and you as a police officer have a greater responsibility than to enforce laws that you know are un-Constitutional or misapply laws that you know are not relevant. You know I wasn’t carrying a loaded weapon or a concealed weapon and you know your sergeant is wrong.”
“Well, we have to stop and get your paperwork done and then take you downtown to jail. You’ll get a receipt for your weapon at the jail.”
Then I sat back and relaxed. There wasn’t much else I could do. Those cuffs and seats sure aren’t built for comfort.
We ended up downtown on broadway I think, in some underground park-and-process area. I was told that I would have to remain in the car while paperwork was done and my stuff inventoried. I asked Knisley to loosen my right cuff again, and he was nice enough to do it because my hand was starting to swell again. Then I sat and mentally prepared myself for jail.
After 20 minutes or so Knisley had gotten to the point of his report where it was time to count out the cash in my wallet. He took me out of the car and sat me in a chair at a desk. He sat opposite. Some dark-haired officer at the next table looked over and sneered, “What were you thinking?”
“That’s beside the point. I was not carrying a concealed weapon.”
“Well, you’re going to jail.”
“Look, I understand you don’t like that I was carrying. You absolutely don’t have to like it. But you not liking it does not make it illegal.”
Knisley started peeling off hundreds from my wallet, then 20s, 5s, and ones. $564 in all. I said, “Hey, you know, this is kind of silly. I mean, you’re counting this out so I can be sure no one took anything. But my wallet has been passed around between 3 cops so to do a count an hour and a half later seems a little ridiculous.”
He finished the paperwork he was working on, put the sheet in front of me and asked if I was right or lefthanded.
“Right.”
“OK, I’m gonna uncuff your right hand so you can sign the inventory sheet.”
“OK.”
Right hand released. Again, what a relief. “Let me have a look at this. $564, three rings, glock, mags, iPhone, belt, all appears to be in order. Can you hold the sheet down?” He did. I signed. “ What am I being charged with?”
As he’s recuffing me, “Um, 12020 and 12025. Carrying concealed weapon.”
“Can I read the code sections?
“Sure, let me get the book.”
The book is produced. 12020 turns out to be a definition. He was trying to cite me for a section that defined what a gun is. There was no violation listed in that section. So he scratched that one out and we went on to 12025, which of course read, “…carrying concealed a weapon capable of being concealed” blah blah blah.
I had him turn back and forth from that to 12031 which lists carrying a loaded weapon as an offense. I said, “Officer, look, if it was illegal to carry a weapon capable of being concealed, concealed or not, then we wouldn’t need 12031 which makes a distinction between loaded and unloaded carry. I mean give me a break here. I know what your sergeant said but he is obviously wrong. I wasn’t carrying concealed, I wasn’t breaking the law. That’s why a concealed carry permit is called a concealed carry permit, instead of just a carry permit.”
At this point I noticed another officer standing nearby, who seemed to have taken an interest beyond the rest of the ‘don’t mess with me, I’m THE MAN’ officers in the room. He drew Knisley off to the side and had a conversation with him. I kept sitting in my chair, reading the code sections and trying to turn the pages with my nose. I have to laugh at myself now.
Knisley disappears into a back room. I keep reading, and engage the new officer in conversation as we both read the penal code. We covered legal possession, concealed carry, loaded vs unloaded, high-cap mags, everything. Knisley reappears and announces that they “got clarification” and proceeds to tear up the arrest sheet.
“Great. Now get these cuffs off me.”
“Um, we need to have you sit in the patrol car.”
“Fine.” I get in the car, and Knisley goes around to the other side to remove the cuffs. Third great relief of the day. I ask to exit the car but he says, “We’re taking you back right now.”
The door closes and I’m back in the little back seat prison. So I wait. A lightbulb goes on in another officer’s head, as it is determined that the magazines were loaded. Here we go again. Another 5 or 10 minutes passes while they try desperately to figure out a way to arrest me. No dice. I call out to dark haired bad attitude officer to let me out of the car. “Hey, I’m not under arrest. I haven’t done anything wrong. Let me out of the car until we’re ready to go.”
“No I can’t do that. This is a secure area.”
“I’m not even supposed to BE HERE!”
“I can’t do anything. Just wait.”
Unfortunately I didn’t get that officer’s ID number.
Finally Knisley reappears, gets in the car and we head out.
“Officer, you know what really sucks? You guys just spent 2 hours trying your best to get something to stick, when you all knew damned well I hadn’t done anything wrong. Especially your sergeant. He was the worst. He was totally trying to screw me over and he lied to do so. All because I was exercising my Constitutional rights. I of course want the contact information for you, the other officer and your sergeant.”
“Oh, yes, you’ll get all of that when I drop you off.”
For the rest of the ride, we talked politics, gold standard, the economy, the bailout, the war (he’d just gotten back from Iraq, 20 years in the navy) and the fallen and ignored Constitution. I put in his head that he’d better buy some gold and silver and that he has a responsibility to not enforce laws that he knows are un-Constitutional. He was pretty much in agreement with everything, and we were on a first-name basis by the time we were halfway back. He apologized several times, and pulled the old, “Well, we get a weapon call, we don’t know what to expect” routine.
“I understand, but here’s how you ought to do it. Walk up, say hello, ask to check if the weapon is loaded. I’ll comply, present you my hip, you do your check and wish me good day. That’s it. No drawn guns. No screaming. No handcuffs. No ID check unless I’m being accused of a crime, an actual crime.”
“Well, I don’t know if you’re legal or not. I don’t know who you are. I get weapons all the time off guys who are felons.”
“Yes, Jody, I’m sure you do, but I’ll bet you a million dollars you’ve always found CONCEALED weapons- without a permit- while doing a legal body search AFTER contacting someone who has committed another crime. No crook in his right mind is gonna open carry. So therefore the very fact that I’m open carrying means I’m one of the good guys. Right?”
“Yeah…”
“You know I’m right. Do me a favor and read up on the Constitution again and remember that you have a responsibility to not enforce laws that you know are illegal, and you have a responsibility to stand up to your sergeant when you know he’s wrong.”
With that, Knisley gave me all my gear back. I got re-assembled, put the rings and belt back on, the holsters, checked the chamber and the mags, knocked the bullets back in the mags and slipped everything into their proper places. I got the badge numbers for White Knisley and Kries and an incident report number and Knisley apologized again. We shook hands and we parted.
9:15-11:15 am 11/21/08.
Officer Kries, even though during your deposition you repeatedly lied under oath and said we never even talked that day, I'm going to take this opportunity to say once and for all, YES, I AM TRYING TO TELL YOU THE LAW. To me, you are just a state-sanctioned thug and as such, you hate an armed populace for the same reason every other tyrant does- it's a threat to your power. I have zero respect for you either as a police officer or as a human being and I'm sure that if I someday end up dead under suspicious circumstances, it'll be because of you or one of your thuggish contemporaries.
Officer White, while I think that you suffer from some of the same poisoned thinking as Kries, you aren't nearly as far gone as he is. There is hope. I appreciate the fact that you told the truth in your deposition while the other two lied their asses off. However, if your answer under oath to the question, "if there is a live round in the chamber and the safety is off and you pull the trigger, will the gun fire?" is "I don't know, I'm not a firearms expert," then maybe you ought to rethink your career choice.
Officer Knisely, I hope you took to heart my advice to stand up to your superiors when you know they are wrong. I doubt you did though, judging from all the CYA lies you told in your deposition. You probably also ignored my recommendation to buy gold and silver. Gold that day was about 818 and silver 10.27. Today they are 1311 and 21.94. It's not too late though, since most of what the rest of the world believes about investing is lies, I still say get in while you can.
See you all on the street.
It's kind of ironic that, as I mentioned to the federal judge during initial talks, that 1. if we're really that concerned about officer safety, we ought to be stopping and searching every person who is NOT open carrying, because any one of them could have an illegally concealed weapon and 2. the only people waving guns around threatening to shoot innocent civilians that otherwise peaceful November day, was the police.
It wasn't all bad though. Some cops got educated, Saldana got put in her place, and best of all The Responsible Citizens of California ( responsiblecitizensofcalifornia.org )was founded.
Here's what happened, written the same day:
I made an appointment to meet my friend Dennis at the Coaster Saloon in Mission Beach for breakfast. They have terrific steak and eggs. We’d agreed to meet at 9:15. I arrived and parked in the Belmont Park lot at 9:07 right across the street from the Coaster. Then I got out of the truck, and slipped on my glock 17 on my right hip and my magazine holster with 2 loaded magazines on my left hip. Then I strolled out to the boardwalk to check out the waves since I hadn’t surfed that day. The water was nice and glassy and there were some fun-looking small waves coming in. The lifeguard was getting set up further down the beach. I leaned against the sea wall and called another friend of mine and got caught up with him while I wandered around waiting for Dennis.
Then Dennis appeared in his Mercedes, parked, and greeted me and just as we were about to cross the street to the Coaster, up pulled two patrol cars. I figured they’d probably contact me and do a 12031 weapons check. I strolled nonchalantly towards the street and suddenly heard, “You in the kilt! Freeze! Don’t move! Get your hands up! Keep them where I can see them! On your knees!”
As I heard this I turned and saw two officers, one partially hidden behind a palm tree, with guns drawn and pointed right at me coming at me from two different angles. I had my hands up of course, and turned away from them as ordered and got on my knees. They were yelling from my buddy Dennis to get back away from me. There was a lot of yelling and super-testosterone charge in the air. “Hands on your head! Lace your fingers!” I was calm as could be. Next thing I knew my hands were tightly cuffed, first my left then my right, left inside of wrist to right back of wrist.
Both officers were behind me so I couldn’t see what they were doing, but next officer Knisley was on my right side tugging at my Glock. He was having trouble pulling it out of the holster. “How does this comes out?”
“Just pull straight up. It’s not loaded. I assume you’re doing a 12031 loaded weapon check?”
He pulled it out and drew the slide. “Do you have identification?”
“Yes but I’m not required to provide it unless I’ve committed a crime. Unloaded open carry is legal.”
“Do you have a permit for this?”
“There is no permit required. I am not carrying concealed.”
“Where is your identification?”
“In my wallet in my back pocket but again I am not required to provide it because I haven’t committed any crime.”
Then I felt the officer fishing around in my pocket for my wallet. He took it out and at this point they hauled me to my feet.
“Why do you have a gun? What’s the idea?”
“I’m a citizen and a human being and I’m carrying a gun for protection. As long as it’s not concealed and not loaded and I’m not a minor or a felon and not knowingly carrying within 1000 feet of a k-12 school, it’s perfectly legal. Open carry is legal in California.”
Much grumbling from the police.
“Do you have any warrants for your arrest? Do you have any felony convictions?”
“No, I don’t. But you can’t do a check on me unless I’m being accused of a crime. Am I under arrest?”
“No, you’re being detained while we determine if you’ve broken the law.”
“Well, yeah but detainment is just a term of art. If I were just being detained, I wouldn’t be in handcuffs.
“I understand that you have a job to do officers, and under California law I’m telling you you can contact me to determine if I’m carrying a loaded weapon. That does not normally include either handcuffs, brandished weapons or an identification check. You’re violating my Constitutional rights, specifically the 2nd amendment, and now you’re going further with a 4th amendment violation of my right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. Your searching of my pockets and subsequent ID check I see as a 4th amendment violation.”
More glowering from the police.
“Why do you have a gun?”
“I already answered that. I don’t have to have a reason. I am a citizen and I know my rights and I’m sure you’ve seen that we are slowly losing our rights in this country. If we don’t start exercising the little we have left, we’re going to go fully fascist and it’ll be a mess.”
Cop nods.
“What’s your social security number?”
“I don’t give that out. Am I required to provide it? Am I being charged with anything?”
“What’s your phone number?”
“I don’t give that out either, unless I am required.”
“Don’t you have a cell phone number or something? Can’t you just give me that?”
“No. Not unless I have to.
Glowering from police.
“You just can’t walk around with a gun. Especially down here.”
“I understand you don’t like it and that’s totally up to you. You don’t have to like it. That doesn’t change the fact that I haven’t done anything wrong and you are illegally detaining me. I don’t expect you to know every nuance of the penal code, even though I am required to know it as a citizen, so I don’t mind educating you guys on open carry. I am loosely affiliated with an open carry group that has done a few lunches at the El Indio Shop on India street. 30 or 40 guys show up, strapped, and we have lunch and hang out. They love us, we tip about 60%. Anyway, first time the police stopped by and checked everything out, after that they left us alone. I thought there was a memo that was supposed to go out. Didn’t you get it?”
“No.”
Well, I appreciate you guys have a job to do but I also know that the Supreme Court has ruled that the police are not required to give protection to any individual person but only to society as a whole. If some thing goes down where I’m at, I understand that you’d like me to dial 911 and hope to God you guys get there in time. But you and I both know that you’ll probably only arrive in time to file a victim’s report. Sorry, but I’m not going to rely on you guys for that. I’m not going to trust you to defend me from whatever real criminals there might be.”
“Well, you can’t carry a gun, especially down here.” At this point I was being searched, my pocketknife unclipped from my pocket and put on the hood of the car, other pockets rifled through. Car keys removed, cell phone found but left in pocket.
“We’re going to have to agree to disagree on that, since it seems I can’t change your mind by showing you the facts. I understand that you don’t want someone running around on the beach, waving a gun and shooting people. Nor do I. But if that did happen in my presence, I’d rather rely on myself than on you guys. You are making a mistake, I’m telling you, and you’ll figure it out sooner or later that I have not committed any crime.
“So what do you carry?”
“Sig-sauer.”
“Sig is a nice gun.”
“It’s never jammed on me.”
“My Glock has never given me any trouble either. What’ve you got, 17 rounds?”
“15.”
“Oh. Have you had any other interesting calls today?”
“One where a guy escaped from the sheriff, jumped out a window or something. We’re looking for him in the area.”
“Oh, is he armed?”
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t either. But if I met up with him, I’d be glad I had my gun, wouldn’t you?”
No comment from Knisley.
“So did this dude escape from a bus or something?”
“All we know is he jumped through a window. Plate glass. Headfirst.”
“Oh, so he’s probably all cut up?”
“I imagine so.”
Pause.
“So let me ask you something. As an officer you took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, right?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever read it?”
Scoffs. “Yes, of course.”
“So you know that the second amendment protects from any infringement the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Do you know what ‘infringement’ means?”
“No. I’m not a lawyer.”
“That’s ok. The great thing is, the Constitution was written for regular guys like you and me to easily understand, not for lawyers.” I indicated with a glance the 5-feet of space between us. “If I took half a step in your direction, that would be an infringement of your personal space. I don’t have to charge at someone or bowl them over or physically contact them to infringe on their space. Same thing with our Constitutional rights. An infringement is any licensing, any restriction, any erosion. I’m sure you’d agree. Now you know we’re going fascist or socialist in this country, especially in the last several years, and you guys are supposed to know better. There shouldn’t even be any concealed carry permits or anything of the kind. And you certainly shouldn’t be charging out of your car with gun drawn screaming at a citizen who is exercising what’s left of his Constitutional rights.”
Other officer was checking my ID for warrants or priors. “Are you still at this address?”
“Yes. You found that I have no priors, right? I’m just lily-white!”
“Yeah, no priors. But what were you thinking? I’m a cop and I can carry off duty and even I don’t do it.”
“Well, that’s your right and you can choose to exercise it or not. And I should be free to do the same. So am I being charged?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“Any chance I could get out of these cuffs in the meantime? Obviously I’m the calmest guy here and reasonable and pose no threat to you.”
“No. They are on for your protection and ours. But you can lean against the car if you want.”
“No, I’m OK standing. But could you push my sunglasses back up on my nose? They’re bugging me and of course I can’t reach them.”
Knisley complied. What a relief.
Another car pulled up. I thought this must be the duty sergeant and he’d have a better grasp of the penal code. I should have known better. He talked to officer White, then approached me. I smiled and said good morning as the sergeant, Kries, walked up.
He didn’t like that. “What’s with the smirk?”
“I beg your pardon? I just said good morning.”
“What’s with the gun? Do you have a permit?”
“No permit is necessary. It’s not concealed.”
“What about your buddy? Is he carrying a weapon?”
“Not that I know of. I doubt it.”
White goes to hassle and search Dennis. I didn’t see or hear that exchange.
“You have to have a permit to carry a weapon capable of being concealed.”
“No, you’re wrong. You have to have a permit to conceal a weapon capable of being concealed.”
He gets in my face. “Are you trying to tell me the law?”
“Look, obviously if I’m walking around with a gun on my hip I’d know the law forwards and backwards. The code reads that it is unlawful to conceal without a permit a weapon capable of being concealed.”
“Why are you carrying a gun?”
“I already explained that to these other two officers.”
“Well, tell it again to me. I want to get it right from the horses mouth.”
“I’m carrying because I want to. I’m an American citizen and a human being and I have the right to self-defense and I’m within the limits of the law and you know I’ve done nothing wrong. I believe that we have to exercise our Constitutional rights because I’m sure you’d agree we’re losing them and the country is on the slide because of it.”
“I still don’t get it. Why do you feel you need a gun? You’re a big guy.”
“That’s irrelevant. I could say the same thing about you, and you carry a gun.”
“I’m a cop. We’re supposed to stop people like you from having weapons.”
“No, you’re supposed to support and defend the Constitution and bust criminals. I am not a criminal. I am not carrying loaded or concealed, I am not a felon, I am not a minor, I am not within 1000 feet of a k-12 school.”
“What, is this some political thing?” Kries sneered. “Is that it? You’re making a statement and trying to get arrested so you can have the ACLU defend you?”
“No.”
“What about the NRA? Think they’ll help you?”
“Ha! No chance. The NRA is the biggest gun-control organization on the planet.”
“Well, you have to have a permit to carry a weapon capable of being concealed.”
“No, you don’t. You’re mistaken. You’re misreading the statute.”
Now cop is getting angry. “Are you trying to tell me the law?”
“I’m trying to tell you you’re making a mistake. I don’t expect you to know every nuance of the law, even though I as a citizen am required to, but I would expect that you had heard of the open carry group active here in San Diego. We’ve been having open carry lunches fairly regularly at El Indio on India Street and I’ve been open carrying myself for a while now. There was supposed to be a memo that went out to SDPD. Didn’t you read it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You have to have a permit to carry concealed.”
“It’s not concealed. It’s unloaded and visible from three sides. The magazines are visible from three sides and are on the other hip. You’re telling me this is concealed?”
“I’m telling you you have to have a permit.”
“Look, obviously we’re going to have to agree to disagree.” Big pause. Pregnant pause. The morning sun slid further across the sky. A couple waves crested and broke. “So now what happens?”
“Have you ever been to jail?”
“Never.”
“Well, you’re going. You’re under arrest for carrying a concealed weapon.”
Ah, time for a logic break. The only way they knew I had a weapon was because someone saw it and called it in. They knew it was me because they could see it. So how could it be concealed?
Officer White started getting me ready to transport. He took off my rings, emptied my pockets of whatever else I had, took off my holsters, and removed my belt. “This is a brand-new belt. Did you buy it just so you could carry a gun?”
“No. You’re making a mistake.”
“You’ll get all your stuff back after you post bail. Do you think you’ll be able to post?”
“Depends on how much it is. When do I get my phone call?”
“After you’re booked.”
I was now towards the rear driver side of the patrol car, Knisley and Kries were at the front passenger corner examining my weapon and magazines. Kries cries, “Hey, this is a 17-round mag! You can’t have this! These are law enforcement only!”
“They are no longer legal to purchase or offer for sale in California, but pre-ban magazines already possessed are legal. I’ve had that one for years. It’s legal.”
“No, you can’t have this, this is another violation.”
“Ok, again we’re going to have to agree to disagree and let the courts sort it out.”
Kries to Knisley: “Can you believe this guy? He’s got a 17 rounder with 13 rounds and a 10-rounder with 8.”
As if it’s inconceivable that I would actually deign to carry bullets, of all the horrible things.
They sorted out all my stuff and figured out who was taking me where, and then it was Knisley and I in his car headed downtown, after they loosened the cuffs a little bit since my hands were swelling. Apparently I was to be processed with some paperwork then taken to jail. I heard Kries smugly claim that “We’ve got him now, the rest of his day is shot.”
Knisley and I drove off towards our destination. We talked a bit, and I could sense his hesitation about the whole thing. I said, “Look, officer, you know I didn’t break any laws. Why your sergeant had such a hard-on for me is a mystery to me but you know you’re making a mistake.”
“Well, I have to do what he tells me to do.”
“Well, I guess I can’t change your mind. But I’m one of the good guys and it doesn’t matter whether or not I’m carrying a badge. As one American to another, I’d defend your rights and you as a police officer have a greater responsibility than to enforce laws that you know are un-Constitutional or misapply laws that you know are not relevant. You know I wasn’t carrying a loaded weapon or a concealed weapon and you know your sergeant is wrong.”
“Well, we have to stop and get your paperwork done and then take you downtown to jail. You’ll get a receipt for your weapon at the jail.”
Then I sat back and relaxed. There wasn’t much else I could do. Those cuffs and seats sure aren’t built for comfort.
We ended up downtown on broadway I think, in some underground park-and-process area. I was told that I would have to remain in the car while paperwork was done and my stuff inventoried. I asked Knisley to loosen my right cuff again, and he was nice enough to do it because my hand was starting to swell again. Then I sat and mentally prepared myself for jail.
After 20 minutes or so Knisley had gotten to the point of his report where it was time to count out the cash in my wallet. He took me out of the car and sat me in a chair at a desk. He sat opposite. Some dark-haired officer at the next table looked over and sneered, “What were you thinking?”
“That’s beside the point. I was not carrying a concealed weapon.”
“Well, you’re going to jail.”
“Look, I understand you don’t like that I was carrying. You absolutely don’t have to like it. But you not liking it does not make it illegal.”
Knisley started peeling off hundreds from my wallet, then 20s, 5s, and ones. $564 in all. I said, “Hey, you know, this is kind of silly. I mean, you’re counting this out so I can be sure no one took anything. But my wallet has been passed around between 3 cops so to do a count an hour and a half later seems a little ridiculous.”
He finished the paperwork he was working on, put the sheet in front of me and asked if I was right or lefthanded.
“Right.”
“OK, I’m gonna uncuff your right hand so you can sign the inventory sheet.”
“OK.”
Right hand released. Again, what a relief. “Let me have a look at this. $564, three rings, glock, mags, iPhone, belt, all appears to be in order. Can you hold the sheet down?” He did. I signed. “ What am I being charged with?”
As he’s recuffing me, “Um, 12020 and 12025. Carrying concealed weapon.”
“Can I read the code sections?
“Sure, let me get the book.”
The book is produced. 12020 turns out to be a definition. He was trying to cite me for a section that defined what a gun is. There was no violation listed in that section. So he scratched that one out and we went on to 12025, which of course read, “…carrying concealed a weapon capable of being concealed” blah blah blah.
I had him turn back and forth from that to 12031 which lists carrying a loaded weapon as an offense. I said, “Officer, look, if it was illegal to carry a weapon capable of being concealed, concealed or not, then we wouldn’t need 12031 which makes a distinction between loaded and unloaded carry. I mean give me a break here. I know what your sergeant said but he is obviously wrong. I wasn’t carrying concealed, I wasn’t breaking the law. That’s why a concealed carry permit is called a concealed carry permit, instead of just a carry permit.”
At this point I noticed another officer standing nearby, who seemed to have taken an interest beyond the rest of the ‘don’t mess with me, I’m THE MAN’ officers in the room. He drew Knisley off to the side and had a conversation with him. I kept sitting in my chair, reading the code sections and trying to turn the pages with my nose. I have to laugh at myself now.
Knisley disappears into a back room. I keep reading, and engage the new officer in conversation as we both read the penal code. We covered legal possession, concealed carry, loaded vs unloaded, high-cap mags, everything. Knisley reappears and announces that they “got clarification” and proceeds to tear up the arrest sheet.
“Great. Now get these cuffs off me.”
“Um, we need to have you sit in the patrol car.”
“Fine.” I get in the car, and Knisley goes around to the other side to remove the cuffs. Third great relief of the day. I ask to exit the car but he says, “We’re taking you back right now.”
The door closes and I’m back in the little back seat prison. So I wait. A lightbulb goes on in another officer’s head, as it is determined that the magazines were loaded. Here we go again. Another 5 or 10 minutes passes while they try desperately to figure out a way to arrest me. No dice. I call out to dark haired bad attitude officer to let me out of the car. “Hey, I’m not under arrest. I haven’t done anything wrong. Let me out of the car until we’re ready to go.”
“No I can’t do that. This is a secure area.”
“I’m not even supposed to BE HERE!”
“I can’t do anything. Just wait.”
Unfortunately I didn’t get that officer’s ID number.
Finally Knisley reappears, gets in the car and we head out.
“Officer, you know what really sucks? You guys just spent 2 hours trying your best to get something to stick, when you all knew damned well I hadn’t done anything wrong. Especially your sergeant. He was the worst. He was totally trying to screw me over and he lied to do so. All because I was exercising my Constitutional rights. I of course want the contact information for you, the other officer and your sergeant.”
“Oh, yes, you’ll get all of that when I drop you off.”
For the rest of the ride, we talked politics, gold standard, the economy, the bailout, the war (he’d just gotten back from Iraq, 20 years in the navy) and the fallen and ignored Constitution. I put in his head that he’d better buy some gold and silver and that he has a responsibility to not enforce laws that he knows are un-Constitutional. He was pretty much in agreement with everything, and we were on a first-name basis by the time we were halfway back. He apologized several times, and pulled the old, “Well, we get a weapon call, we don’t know what to expect” routine.
“I understand, but here’s how you ought to do it. Walk up, say hello, ask to check if the weapon is loaded. I’ll comply, present you my hip, you do your check and wish me good day. That’s it. No drawn guns. No screaming. No handcuffs. No ID check unless I’m being accused of a crime, an actual crime.”
“Well, I don’t know if you’re legal or not. I don’t know who you are. I get weapons all the time off guys who are felons.”
“Yes, Jody, I’m sure you do, but I’ll bet you a million dollars you’ve always found CONCEALED weapons- without a permit- while doing a legal body search AFTER contacting someone who has committed another crime. No crook in his right mind is gonna open carry. So therefore the very fact that I’m open carrying means I’m one of the good guys. Right?”
“Yeah…”
“You know I’m right. Do me a favor and read up on the Constitution again and remember that you have a responsibility to not enforce laws that you know are illegal, and you have a responsibility to stand up to your sergeant when you know he’s wrong.”
With that, Knisley gave me all my gear back. I got re-assembled, put the rings and belt back on, the holsters, checked the chamber and the mags, knocked the bullets back in the mags and slipped everything into their proper places. I got the badge numbers for White Knisley and Kries and an incident report number and Knisley apologized again. We shook hands and we parted.
9:15-11:15 am 11/21/08.
Officer Kries, even though during your deposition you repeatedly lied under oath and said we never even talked that day, I'm going to take this opportunity to say once and for all, YES, I AM TRYING TO TELL YOU THE LAW. To me, you are just a state-sanctioned thug and as such, you hate an armed populace for the same reason every other tyrant does- it's a threat to your power. I have zero respect for you either as a police officer or as a human being and I'm sure that if I someday end up dead under suspicious circumstances, it'll be because of you or one of your thuggish contemporaries.
Officer White, while I think that you suffer from some of the same poisoned thinking as Kries, you aren't nearly as far gone as he is. There is hope. I appreciate the fact that you told the truth in your deposition while the other two lied their asses off. However, if your answer under oath to the question, "if there is a live round in the chamber and the safety is off and you pull the trigger, will the gun fire?" is "I don't know, I'm not a firearms expert," then maybe you ought to rethink your career choice.
Officer Knisely, I hope you took to heart my advice to stand up to your superiors when you know they are wrong. I doubt you did though, judging from all the CYA lies you told in your deposition. You probably also ignored my recommendation to buy gold and silver. Gold that day was about 818 and silver 10.27. Today they are 1311 and 21.94. It's not too late though, since most of what the rest of the world believes about investing is lies, I still say get in while you can.
See you all on the street.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
You gotta buy this.
AN UNBELIEVABLE OFFER!
Read on:
As you may know, I just got back from defensive handgun training at Front Sight in Nevada. I have been a liberty junkie for as long as I can remember, and history shows that unarmed people end up slaves. Or worse. Therefore, I've always been a big proponent of firearms in the hands of the common man.
In April, Front Sight was offering a 4-day defensive handgun class, plus a one-day 30-state concealed carry class, plus a stainless steel knife, a belt, hat, shirt, training manuals, armorers mat etc, for 1199. Plus, you got a free new-in-box Springfield XD pistol in 9mm, .40sw or .45. The gun alone is $600 anywhere you go and it comes with a speedloader, a holster and two magazines with their own holster. So it seemed like a pretty good deal to me for 1200 bucks so I bought it.
The gun is absolutely terrific (I got it in .45) and the training was the best I've ever seen. I graduated #1 in my class of 36, ahead of SWAT team officers and active duty and retired police officers. Mind you, I'm no gunslinger but the training was that good.
That course and gun offer is now on their website for 1500 bucks. https://www.frontsight.com/free-gun.asp
On Monday, Front Sight sent out an email offering anything you've purchased from them for half price. That's right, I can buy those gun and training deals for $600! The gun ALONE goes for six hundred dollars! If you've never fired a gun before, once you train you will be totally competent and knowledgable. If you have some experience but haven't been to Front Sight, you will be amazed at how much you didn't know that you didn't know. If you think you're a pretty good shot but haven't been to Front Sight, I bet I'm better than you. So go get trained!
Anyone who wants in on this deal, it has to go through me. I'm not getting anything out of this but a better armed better trained citizenry, which I already stated is key to a free and safe society. Plus, the knowledge that I am pissing off socialist par excellence Obama and the rest of his statist pals.
Contact me if interested and hurry up because Front Sight said they can pull the offer at any time.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Nevada pit stop
this is really just a poke at Lori Saldana and her hysterical claims. Just a video of me on my way to FreedomFest, safely across the border in Nevada, WITH A LOADED GUN oh my GOD the humanity!!! ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=338PHqGL8KE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=338PHqGL8KE
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Catfish Club Debate
Just thought I would let you all know that I will be a panelist for a debate over AB1934 at the Catfish Club this coming Friday. The details are in this link.
http://www.catfishclub.net/LuncheonCalendar.html
CARRY ON!
-N8
http://www.catfishclub.net/LuncheonCalendar.html
CARRY ON!
-N8
Thursday, July 15, 2010
FUD at Turner's Kearney Mesa
So I stopped by Turner's in Kearney Mesa today to see if anyone decided to pawn off any cool rifles that I could snag on the cheap. While there I chatted with a sales associate about my 5.11 Select Carry pack. I told him about it, showed him the Makarov I was LUCCing in the chest pocket and when I told him about Lori Saldana's goons at the Lafayette debate, things began to go downhill. I am just going to itemize the FUD that he spewed forth.
1) He said that the cops in Lafayette could have demanded ID from me. This sparked a $100 bet on whether or not California has a stop-and-ID statute. More details on this later.
1) He said that if you drove somewhere in a car, got out on foot and were stopped by an officer that the officer could compel ID.
2) He said that my LUCC'd Makarov was a violation of the law and store policy. He only mentioned this after he had Googled the law for a few minutes, went into the back room to discuss something with a manager then got all huffy when leaving to attend another customer. I had to let another guy check my Makarov (it was cool, it sparked a talk on Makarovs for a bit). Also, I do not feel that I violated store policy and neither do the other sales guys. I will be asking corporate tomorrow.
3) He said that there is a length limit on knives in California. Another $100 bet was levied on this but I believe he backed out of it.
4) He said that his buddy down in Harbor Patrol has "run the OCers out of his area" and that he would do the same to me if I showed up in the Harbor area. Looks like I have a new challenge and yet another way to spend by Thursday nights (while single)
5) He challenged me to give him my license plate number so that he could call his SDHP friend and harass me while I was LUCCing/UOCing a pistol. It just keeps getting better.
6) He tried to school me on private property law and how he was a nice guy for not telling me to leave. Yeah...
As for the bet, I left him my email address so he could Gunpal the money when he figures out that he the loser. I am not holding my breath though, he looks as dishonest as the day is long.
On the bright side, I got recognized by a guy in the store whose brother was inspired by the Reader article and OC'd his shotgun in San Bernadino for a school project. He ended up getting detained for 1.5 hours, having his gun disassembled to check for loaded status (even though he had a safety lock through the action) and was eventually let go. Not necessarily a good story, but kind of a cool school project.
I also educated the same guy on concealing fixed blade knives. He showed me his two fixed blades under his jacket and I quickly corrected 10 years worth of misinformation. I also gave him advice on covering his rear legally in terms of reading and knowing the law.
Such was my day at Turners. If anyone stops by there at all, feel free to nag him about the bet. I don't know his name but he is a late 30s-early 40s guy with gray hair and moderate build.
Back to Anatomy.
CARRY ON!
-N8
1) He said that the cops in Lafayette could have demanded ID from me. This sparked a $100 bet on whether or not California has a stop-and-ID statute. More details on this later.
1) He said that if you drove somewhere in a car, got out on foot and were stopped by an officer that the officer could compel ID.
2) He said that my LUCC'd Makarov was a violation of the law and store policy. He only mentioned this after he had Googled the law for a few minutes, went into the back room to discuss something with a manager then got all huffy when leaving to attend another customer. I had to let another guy check my Makarov (it was cool, it sparked a talk on Makarovs for a bit). Also, I do not feel that I violated store policy and neither do the other sales guys. I will be asking corporate tomorrow.
3) He said that there is a length limit on knives in California. Another $100 bet was levied on this but I believe he backed out of it.
4) He said that his buddy down in Harbor Patrol has "run the OCers out of his area" and that he would do the same to me if I showed up in the Harbor area. Looks like I have a new challenge and yet another way to spend by Thursday nights (while single)
5) He challenged me to give him my license plate number so that he could call his SDHP friend and harass me while I was LUCCing/UOCing a pistol. It just keeps getting better.
6) He tried to school me on private property law and how he was a nice guy for not telling me to leave. Yeah...
As for the bet, I left him my email address so he could Gunpal the money when he figures out that he the loser. I am not holding my breath though, he looks as dishonest as the day is long.
On the bright side, I got recognized by a guy in the store whose brother was inspired by the Reader article and OC'd his shotgun in San Bernadino for a school project. He ended up getting detained for 1.5 hours, having his gun disassembled to check for loaded status (even though he had a safety lock through the action) and was eventually let go. Not necessarily a good story, but kind of a cool school project.
I also educated the same guy on concealing fixed blade knives. He showed me his two fixed blades under his jacket and I quickly corrected 10 years worth of misinformation. I also gave him advice on covering his rear legally in terms of reading and knowing the law.
Such was my day at Turners. If anyone stops by there at all, feel free to nag him about the bet. I don't know his name but he is a late 30s-early 40s guy with gray hair and moderate build.
Back to Anatomy.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Monday, July 5, 2010
St. Bridgid's Parish
I carried during mass at St. Bridgid's Parish on Cass Street after my Independence Day activity. I had one gentleman ask me if I was an off-duty cop and the two people with him were all smiles when I told them "Nope, I'm just an ordinary guy" and "Happy Fourth!" No one else in church seemed to care.
Let freedom ring.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Let freedom ring.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Sunday, July 4, 2010
FOURTH OF JULY!
Happy 4th of July!
We are heading into some dark times but I trust that the flame of liberty will not perish.
That said, despite dire predictions on behalf of some Calguns members, today was pretty much just another day in the neighborhood. Here is how it went...
Since most people had other plans for the 4th, we had a very small group of individuals carrying today. We started out at Kono's for breakfast. Kono's is very popular and the hour-long line was halfway down the block. While waiting, my group spoke with two very nice Nevada residents and discussed the nuances of Nevada and Kalifornia gun laws. It turned out that they were pro-gun but not carriers but we helped them realize what a privilege shall-issue concealed carry is, and they said' they'd apply for their permits. Hopefully, they preserve that lovely Nevada "outlaw" culture.
After breakfast, we strolled the boardwalk, taking in the view. As we walked we were stopped by a promoter for Shen Yun and we had a good but slightly disheartening chat with him. Here is the recording. Immediately afterwards, we were accosted by two police officers. I have to laugh at the opening line; it was like asking if the sky was blue.
We then decided to put to rest Lori Saldana's hysterical claim that open carriers, obviously the most law abiding people in Kalifornia, are somehow a drain on police resources. So to test that theory, Sam called in a "man with gun" call on himself via the non-emergency SDPD line.
The dispatcher did not seem concerned, correctly assuming that the OC'ers (us) were legal. We waited a while, and eventually went on our way. Both our internal and external information sources were monitoring the police airwaves and promised to alert us to any MWG calls. No notification ever came, just as no police ever arrived. We can safely assume that our phone call ended with dispatch.
Lori is lying again. \sarcasm\ Who would have thought it possible? /sarcasm/
After wandering about for 3.5 hours total, we all went home.
Now, a debriefing.
1) There was A (singlular) firecracker the whole day and it sounded like one of those Mexican jumping beans. No one freaked, no one laid down suppression fire, no cops pulled their weapons.
2) No one ran around accusing us of shooting our guns off.
3) There were three cops that we saw THE ENTIRE TIME. Only two contacted us and only one made the mistake of opening his mouth.
4) We heard A LOT of positive comments and support.
CARRY ON!
-N8
We are heading into some dark times but I trust that the flame of liberty will not perish.
That said, despite dire predictions on behalf of some Calguns members, today was pretty much just another day in the neighborhood. Here is how it went...
Since most people had other plans for the 4th, we had a very small group of individuals carrying today. We started out at Kono's for breakfast. Kono's is very popular and the hour-long line was halfway down the block. While waiting, my group spoke with two very nice Nevada residents and discussed the nuances of Nevada and Kalifornia gun laws. It turned out that they were pro-gun but not carriers but we helped them realize what a privilege shall-issue concealed carry is, and they said' they'd apply for their permits. Hopefully, they preserve that lovely Nevada "outlaw" culture.
After breakfast, we strolled the boardwalk, taking in the view. As we walked we were stopped by a promoter for Shen Yun and we had a good but slightly disheartening chat with him. Here is the recording. Immediately afterwards, we were accosted by two police officers. I have to laugh at the opening line; it was like asking if the sky was blue.
We then decided to put to rest Lori Saldana's hysterical claim that open carriers, obviously the most law abiding people in Kalifornia, are somehow a drain on police resources. So to test that theory, Sam called in a "man with gun" call on himself via the non-emergency SDPD line.
The dispatcher did not seem concerned, correctly assuming that the OC'ers (us) were legal. We waited a while, and eventually went on our way. Both our internal and external information sources were monitoring the police airwaves and promised to alert us to any MWG calls. No notification ever came, just as no police ever arrived. We can safely assume that our phone call ended with dispatch.
Lori is lying again. \sarcasm\ Who would have thought it possible? /sarcasm/
After wandering about for 3.5 hours total, we all went home.
Now, a debriefing.
1) There was A (singlular) firecracker the whole day and it sounded like one of those Mexican jumping beans. No one freaked, no one laid down suppression fire, no cops pulled their weapons.
2) No one ran around accusing us of shooting our guns off.
3) There were three cops that we saw THE ENTIRE TIME. Only two contacted us and only one made the mistake of opening his mouth.
4) We heard A LOT of positive comments and support.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Friday, June 18, 2010
Lafayette Memorial Debate on AB1934
Wow, it has been a long time. Unfortunately, not much has really been happening so I will spice things up a bit with a new blog post.
So I drove up to San Francisco to attend the debate between the Responsible Citizens of California , the Brady Campaign and Lori Saldana, the author of AB1934 (the "Anti-OC" bill) but due to extraneous circumstances (getting lost in San Francisco and dealing with the HORRENDOUS traffic), I was only able to catch the last 1/2 of the debate.
Despite the fact that I missed most of the debate (will catch up on the broadcast in a bit), I did have a few morsels of laughter at the expense of the police officers in Lafayette. Here is the story...
Since there is a school within 1000' of Lafayette Memorial Hall and I would be damned if I did not show up without a gun, I decided to LUCC (Locked Unloaded Concealed Carry) my Browning Hi-Power to the debate. The problem was that as I was about to enter the Lafayette Memorial Hall, I noticed that no ammunition was allowed in the building per building policy (must have been just for this event). Since I had a loaded magazine in my backpack and I didn't want to be in violation of building policy, I went to my car and put it away. Because of my honesty, I had to deal with two police officers before entering into the debate room. Here is a recording of my encounter with Lafayette PD and a member of Saldana's security detail.
A couple of things that I could have done better or should not have done at all.
1) I was tired from a whole day of dealing with San Francisco traffic and I let my guard down to procure some cheap, tired laughs (albeit internal laughs.) DON'T DO THAT! I should have NEVER offered info to those cops, even though I was completely in the legal clear. My shenanigans caused this conversation to be about 4x as long as it should have been.
2) Sam and I have discussed the usage of asking "Am I legally required to answer that question?" to an official and we are of the opinion that it is not really a good idea to ask that in a conversation, reason being that these cops probably don't know the law anyways so they will just automatically just say "Yes." In addition, it prolongs the conversation unnecessarily, which increases one's chances of tripping up, etc.
Instead, asking these three questions...
Am I under arrest?
Am I being detained?
Am I free to go?
...are your best phrases for getting out of dealing with the police.
3) I didn't get a name or badge number, that is no bueno. I must not forget to do that in the future.
On a side note, it was very funny to see these officers tracking my every movement inside of the debate room. If you look in this video at 2:18, you will see one of the officers that I dealt with standing directly behind me. He apparently had his hand on his gun for a good portion of the time as well. Seems like that may be brandishing but then again...
Sam and I REALLY need to start making some more videos to expound on the BUSTED video (a MUST SEE and an EXCELLENT primer to your Constitutional rights.) I will get on him about that next week.
Chicago v. McDonald is coming out within 11 days. Keep your fingers crossed and get ready for a wild ride.
CARRY ON!
-N8
So I drove up to San Francisco to attend the debate between the Responsible Citizens of California , the Brady Campaign and Lori Saldana, the author of AB1934 (the "Anti-OC" bill) but due to extraneous circumstances (getting lost in San Francisco and dealing with the HORRENDOUS traffic), I was only able to catch the last 1/2 of the debate.
Despite the fact that I missed most of the debate (will catch up on the broadcast in a bit), I did have a few morsels of laughter at the expense of the police officers in Lafayette. Here is the story...
Since there is a school within 1000' of Lafayette Memorial Hall and I would be damned if I did not show up without a gun, I decided to LUCC (Locked Unloaded Concealed Carry) my Browning Hi-Power to the debate. The problem was that as I was about to enter the Lafayette Memorial Hall, I noticed that no ammunition was allowed in the building per building policy (must have been just for this event). Since I had a loaded magazine in my backpack and I didn't want to be in violation of building policy, I went to my car and put it away. Because of my honesty, I had to deal with two police officers before entering into the debate room. Here is a recording of my encounter with Lafayette PD and a member of Saldana's security detail.
A couple of things that I could have done better or should not have done at all.
1) I was tired from a whole day of dealing with San Francisco traffic and I let my guard down to procure some cheap, tired laughs (albeit internal laughs.) DON'T DO THAT! I should have NEVER offered info to those cops, even though I was completely in the legal clear. My shenanigans caused this conversation to be about 4x as long as it should have been.
2) Sam and I have discussed the usage of asking "Am I legally required to answer that question?" to an official and we are of the opinion that it is not really a good idea to ask that in a conversation, reason being that these cops probably don't know the law anyways so they will just automatically just say "Yes." In addition, it prolongs the conversation unnecessarily, which increases one's chances of tripping up, etc.
Instead, asking these three questions...
Am I under arrest?
Am I being detained?
Am I free to go?
...are your best phrases for getting out of dealing with the police.
3) I didn't get a name or badge number, that is no bueno. I must not forget to do that in the future.
On a side note, it was very funny to see these officers tracking my every movement inside of the debate room. If you look in this video at 2:18, you will see one of the officers that I dealt with standing directly behind me. He apparently had his hand on his gun for a good portion of the time as well. Seems like that may be brandishing but then again...
Sam and I REALLY need to start making some more videos to expound on the BUSTED video (a MUST SEE and an EXCELLENT primer to your Constitutional rights.) I will get on him about that next week.
Chicago v. McDonald is coming out within 11 days. Keep your fingers crossed and get ready for a wild ride.
CARRY ON!
-N8
Monday, March 15, 2010
France24.com Open Carry Interview
Hey everyone!
I was asked to do an interview for France24.com on the issue of Open Carry but I had to hand it off to my brother, Sam, because of finals week down here at UCSD. Apparently, a lot of French people are curious about American gun rights and the right to keep and bear, especially since this most recent Starbucks flareup.
Click here to see the France24.com news segment!
CARRY ON!
-N8
I was asked to do an interview for France24.com on the issue of Open Carry but I had to hand it off to my brother, Sam, because of finals week down here at UCSD. Apparently, a lot of French people are curious about American gun rights and the right to keep and bear, especially since this most recent Starbucks flareup.
Click here to see the France24.com news segment!
CARRY ON!
-N8
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