American Warrior #21 2015

Loaded Secret: Glock 41: I’ll No Plan Survives: Jump For Joy: I Used To Elder Heart: Dirty Biz:
The Hodge Defense See Your 1911 The Story of Jarion Healing by Come for Using Art to Child Sex
Mod 1 AR And Raise You ... HalbisenGibbs Parachute Your Guns Never Forget Trafficking
American Warrior
THE NRA MAGAZINE FOR
THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR
WarriorWare
Tricked out and test driven: the Hodge Defense Mod 1 AR
carbine, the Glock G41 and a tried-and-true Ruger rimfire.
Virtual Warrior
Viral videos and a flood of games for the modern warrior.
WAR R IOR FEATU R ES

P R ES E N T E D BY C O LT
No Plan Survives
In one way, Jarion HalbisenGibbs’ story is the story of every
engagement: The first casualty is always the plan.
Jumping For Joy

Jumping from a perfectly good airplane isn’t for everyone,
but at this event, jumping makes perfect sense.
New York Cop Takes A Second Look

How a former New York cop who “used to come for your
guns” gained respect for the Second Amendment.
Elder Heart
Art can provide an outlet for troubled veterans—and help
beautify communities in the process.
Home Street Home

Child sex trafficking isn’t something that only happens
“somewhere else.” It’s happening right under your nose.
Are You Good Enough To Gunfight?

How do you get better at gunfighting without getting into
a gunfight?
ON THE COVER:
Master Sergeant Jarion HalbisenGibbs of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and Distinguished
Service Cross recipient. He’s put together pretty well here, but he and two fellow Green Berets got hit
hard in September of 2007 in Samarra, Iraq. They hit back harder. Much harder. Photo by Michael Ives.
THIS SPREAD:
Now in its fifth year, Jumping For A Purpose brings together warriors, their families and other supporters
with a goal of “living greatly.” Photo by Rick Stewart.
Welcome to the Warrior.

W E L C O M E T O T H E W O R
TEAM WARRIOR:
Editor
Mark Chesnut
Guns & Gear Editor

Frank Winn
Creative Director
Clay Turner
Photography/Videography Team
Dennis Azato
Michael Ives
J.R. Salzman
Rick Stewart
Writing Team
Tom “Hoser” Freeman
Chuck Holton
Dom Raso
J.R. Salzman
Rick Stewart
National Rifle Association of America

11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
Wayne LaPierre
Executive Vice President
Chris W. Cox
Executive Director, NRA-ILA
Kyle Weaver
Executive Director, General Operations
WARNING: All technical data in this publication, especially for handloading, reflect the limited experience of individuals using specific tools, products, equipment and
components under specific conditions and circumstances not necessarily reported in the article and over which the National Rifle Association (NRA) has no control. The
data have not otherwise been tested or verified by the NRA. The NRA, its agents, officers and employees accept no responsibility for the results obtained by persons using
such data and disclaim all liability for any consequential injuries or damages. No advertised item is intended for sale in those states or in those areas where local restrictions
may limit or prohibit the purchase, carrying or use of certain items. Check local laws before purchasing. Mention of a product or service in advertisements or text does not
necessarily mean that it has been tested or approved by the NRA.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL IVES

R L D
O F
T H E
P R E S E N T E D
B Y
W A R R I O R
P O N S O R >> WA R R I O R P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R >> WA R R I O R P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R >> WA R R I O R P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R >> WA R

Patriot Profile: Blood Brothers
These Arizona police officers were both partners and brothers.
Defending Our America, Sponsored by SIG Sauer
Episode 9: We’ve Gotta Do Bad Things To Bad People.
Frontlines: Stonewalled at Fort Sill

LOD correspondent Chuck Holton reports on the federal stonewall encountered
while trying to report on thousands of Central American children held at bases
like Fort Sill, Okla.
View the Defending Our America series,
sponsored by Sig Sauer on NRA Life of Duty here.
A M E R I C A N WA R R I O R
WA R R I O R WA R E
GUNS, GEAR & GADGETS FOR
THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR
There’s something special going

on at Hodge Defense. We just
wish we could tell you what it is.
B Y FRANK WINN
GUNS & GEAR EDITOR
rom what is likely the most

understated rifle-building shop in
the United States, a guy named Jim
Hodge is making our lives difficult.
The plan sounded so simple: Show up at Hodge Defense Systems
in San Antonio, pick a configuration, sit down side-by-side and build
our test rifle—an HDSI Mod 1 carbine. We’d snap a few pics along
the way. As this isn’t exactly our first Stoner-pattern rodeo, it’d be
easy, right?
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WA R R I O R WA R E
Email the Editor
Now that we’ve got it home, broken in and thoroughly

tested, we can tell you it’s a rock: straight-shooting,
superbly reliable, a does-everything-well rifle.
How it gets to be that way is “curiouser and curiouser.” Short enough to be
Certainly Mr. Hodge knows his way around an AR, but good in tight places.
where’d that knowledge come from? Law enforcement and Our accuracy tests
government contracting we could discover, but beyond that, impressed too. NRA
we just got Cheshire-catted, however politely—a knowing Whittington Center,
smile, as everything else fades away. here we come.
EF
FENSE >>>> HODGE D
>> HODGE DE
HODGE DEFENSE >>
E >>>>
GE DEFENS
WA R R I O R WA R E
Sponsor an LOD Membership
Pile o’ parts
to world-class
carbine, here
we come—with
more than a
little help.
FENSE >>
>> HODGE DE
FENSE
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WA R R I O R WA R E
Visit the Gear Channel
The master and

his student:
LOTS to learn!
AT THE We’re no fans of “parts
list” builds, even very good
ones, since a design as sound
CORE as the AR can still be botched

with ease. As HDSI themselves
point out, “There are very few
manufacturers who actually cut steel and aluminum …
We will not pretend to manufacture components when
we have a choice to exploit the best quality. …” The
point: There’s a great deal more to a fine rifle than just
snazzy (or, for that matter, merely expensive) parts.
Still, good parts help, and Hodge starts with some
of the best—a 4150 steel, cold hammer-forged, 1-in-7
twist, chrome-lined barrel, for instance. And yes, you can
argue—apparently forever—the pros and cons of these
characteristics, but (spoiler alert!) we think the range
results will suggest why we don’t.
The barrel is mated to the upper using a Geissele
Automatics 13-inch SMR and barrel nut. A fine
handguard/rail it is, too—full-length, “T” marked, 1913
Picatinny on top, and plenty
of positions for rail sections
Gorgeous as needed on the sides and
Geissele bottom. The contour fits the
handguard; hand beautifully whatever
ready for that position you prefer. There’s
assembled virtually no chance of getting
barrel upper. cheese-grated on this smooth,
10.8-ounce beauty.
Hodge hand-matches
their 7075 uppers and lower
Hodge upper, pairs, though it looked to
check; cold us like there was little need.
hammer-forged Made to Hodge-propriety
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL IVES
barrel, check; dimensions, every pair we

torqued just right saw was ideally tight. And to
on a mandrel that prevent hyperventilation, let
prevents any us anticipate two questions.
twisting of the
upper, check.
Fab the pin ...
No, “proprietary” does not mean you couldn’t use

a Hodge upper or lower with other components
(as a precaution we deliberately tested this with
complete success), but rather that Hodge specifies
dimensions to strengthen their components without
compromising MIL-SPEC compatibility.
Second is the notion of “ideally” tight. A
… set it … zero-movement upper/lower pair may secure some
bragging rights, but as a practical matter doesn’t add
as much to AR-platform performance as anecdote
suggests, however mechanically pleasing it may be.
But an über-tight fit does render some chores less
appealing by making the rifle difficult—or at least
irritating—to get into. If this obstructs, say, cleaning,
we’d argue it’s a problem—perhaps a big one. Hodge
gets this just right in our view: Satisfyingly snug, the
fit engenders confidence without de-incentivizing
what eventually must be done. This is furthered
… weld it .... by enhanced take-down pins—no more skating a
cartridge nose around.
The remainder of the small parts and
subassemblies are of similar superior quality. The
bolt carrier group and bolt are HPT/MPI in the stouter
M16 configuration run by a BCM/VLTOR charging
handle. The fire control group is another Geissele
contribution—the ALG QMS with a standard-weight
spring set. It is “GI” essentially, but with perfectly
hardened and cut engagement surfaces. The
reversible selector, ambidextrous mag catch, bolt
… and tidy up. catch and tear-drop forward assist are all forgings.
Furniture is Magpul—enhanced pad CTR stock,
MOE grip and trigger guard.
When we spec’d our build rifle with Jim, we
essentially asked to build what most customers
request. This is what principally accounts for the
barrel length and termination—14.5 inches and
SureFire “SOCOM” three-prong flash hider. Welded
on, of course.
A LOOK AT MOD 2
How many innovations do you see?

There’s all new metallurgy, too: better
forgings, better corrosion resistance, WITH A COMPANY motto like, “If you
stronger, stiffer and lighter. get it, you get it,” you’d be right in
thinking Jim Hodge may have more on
his mind than AR-15s—even great
Figure out AR-15s.
what you’re While the Mod 1 carbine is the
looking at and focus of day-to-day operations, it’s
win a Tootsie- hardly the only thing on which Jim
Roll. Or just is working.
order early. “Anybody can buy a milling
machine, source a barrel and turn
out a decent rifle,” Hodge said.
“The technology and materials are well understood. We’re thinking
about the next step, and the step after that.”
Frankly, we think Hodge Defense Systems ought to be Hodge
Design Systems, but that’s another story, maybe. But as Mod 1
obviously begs a Mod 2, we asked. And sure enough, Jim gave us a G
peek. Now you’ve had one too. HOD
>
>>>
E
ENS
F
E DE
G
WA R R I O R WA R E
Like Us on Facebook
Tim takes a look

at the verticality

of our receiver
extension: It’s just
fair, but he knows
how to fix it.
FENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE
Nice big bolt release,
We share the Hodge “off” side of ambi mag
preference for the release.
tear-drop forward
assist. Modern rifles
and ammo rarely
seem to need it, but
when you do—well,
you get the idea.
It sounds silly, but

the selector detent
feels “tuned”;
utterly unmistakable
positioning.
E >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>>
... tools sufficient to

every task, speed
where it was possible
and care at every
delicate juncture.
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The brain trust:

Jim, Tim and
Matt. Thanks
for your service

too, gentlemen.
Perilously close to a completed

> HODGE DEFENSE upper.
>>>> HODGE Get used to that
DEFENSE >>>>shamrock.
HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODG
Based on ours, you may be seeing
a lot more of them.
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THE
• • •
•WHEN • YOU
• pull up to the
Hodge
• •
Defense shop, it’s
•
SHOP
a rare person who won’t
•have• their
• “huh?” reflex
tickled,
• • •
at least a little.
As we alluded, it’s the
epitome of discrete, of
understated, of modest. Inside, that impression
is even more striking.
But by the time we left, we’d argue it’s a
still rarer sort that won’t have been impressed.
And it goes way beyond good order and a
meticulous tidiness that can, after all, be a
one-off, even a facade.
For starters, Jim Hodge and his small staff
just don’t hit you that way. They’re genial and
Texas-friendly to a fault. If you don’t feel
welcome, you brought that with you.
Second, the Hodge guys think this business
is serious, but not glum. We spent a good part
of our couple days in their house mightily
amused without ever losing sight of our goal or
wasting time. You can’t buy good attitude, nor
“spray it on” at the end.
Lastly, we spent a big chunk of a former life
in the quality business, and we think this is
the real Hodge Defense secret. We didn’t see any control charts or the like, but
we did see first-rate processes—tools sufficient to every task, speed where it was
possible and care at every delicate juncture.
The point is a simple one: If you wind up with a Hodge rifle someday, the bag it
comes in will be signed by the person who built your rifle. We think that signature
means something.
GE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>>
WA R R I O R WA R E
AT THE
Simply put, it was hellish to build the Hodge in San
Antonio and then not be able to shoot it. No tears perhaps, but
humiliatingly close. But once home, we didn’t dawdle.
RANGE
Break in for our shiny Mod 1 consisted mostly of cycling
performance, as the chrome-lined bore is so hard that barrel
burnishing takes place at a snail’s pace and heedless of us.
In other words, no shoot a couple, clean it; shoot a few more,
clean it. No abuse, mind you, but cycle it we did, with every generation of Magpuls we
could dig up, as well as with Brownells 20- and 30-round and the newest addition to our
reference stable—the Israeli-made E-Lander mags.
We shot the first 60 or so rounds with the provided iron sights, in this case MBUS PROs.
It didn’t take long to get on target, and despite an intermittently blustery, rainy session, we
were satisfied with our zero. We’ve shot the polymer Magpuls BUSs on many occasions
and found them excellent, and the all-metal PROs are from a very similar mold—trim, tough
and accurate. (In a later shooting session, we went back to these and found unrested
150-yard hits easy; apparently our zero was good).
We concede that we missed the spring-loaded deployment of the polymer BUS. That’s
childish, we know; your point would be? On the other hand, flipping apertures is easier
on the PROs, and they’re trimmer on the rail. At 150 yards, we could
pretty much hammer a 12-inch plate from a “paddy squat” position as
fast as we could press the trigger.
Optics were next. In line with our previous Aimpoint experiences,
the Comp M4s (low-mount battery compartment is the only
difference from the M4) lives up to its reputation. It’s comically easy
to get perfect gripping tension on the rail with a built-in, ratcheting
attachment knob, and easy adjustments put it on target for us in six
rounds at 100 yards. Two more sighters were needed for centered
300-yard hits to our satisfaction (a second session, and on a better
day). The 2-MOA dot had minimal flaring, even when
Hodge with Aimpoint M4s: t
turned all the way up. Yet it maintained such excellent
We shot the co-witness c
circular uniformity that these longish shots were easy.
configuration with good W didn’t measure, but groups were only slightly over
We
results too, though we d size measured in MOA. The math and optics decree
dot
removed the provided t noticeably better is just good luck, and all this was
that
Killflash filter for a clearer w merely decent M193 rounds.
with
front post. Accuracy work, such as it was, waited for our Vortex
P 1-4x in a Burris PEPR QD. As we noted, our zero was
PST
a
attempted on a tough day, and was not satisfactory. In our
third shooting session, this was easily mended.
Boy, was it mended.
Our MGM auto-reset silhouette has slightly less than
a 4x4” “head” on it. With a mediocre bipod rig, we were
getting approximately 1.5-inch groups pretty much as fast
as the optic settled and the target reset—time for decent
trigger work, but no real delicacy, and the same ammunition
as before (M193). Multiple shooters were able to easily
This group was tough to reproduce this. That’s pretty decent speed work in a mid-
measure as it was shot length gas system carbine.
on angled and somewhat When we moved out beyond 200 yards and improved
pitted steel. We erred on the ammunition (75-grain match), things tightened up
the side of caution, but considerably. Groups less than 2 inches were common, and
still: .556 MOA. our best was three in 1.28 inch, or .556 MOA. That number
is a coincidence, seriously, but still a fine group—especially
from a 14.5-inch barrel.
At this point we thought the rifle was ready for an expert, and for this we called on
NRA American Warrior contributor Tom “Hoser” Freeman. This test took the form of a
dueling tree at 100 yards, and static steel at 200 and 300. We won’t waste your time
with a labored description: Just watch. As usual, Hoser makes it all look easy.
WA R R I O R WA R E
Hard to stay away

from this combo
because it works so
well—Burris PEPR and
Vortex PST on the
Hodge Mod 1.
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
E-Lander steel magazines worked
s
particularly well with the Hodge.
s
s
s
They have good followers, and
s
s
s
maintenance is a snap—best
s
s
choice around if you’re in a
s
s
s
s
round-count jail state.
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
Another Magpul winner,
s
especially on the Hodge.

s
s
s
It yields ultra-positive
s
adjustments, and
s
s
s
aperture changes are

s
a snap.
s
s
GRIPES Without getting off the reservation—and
by this we mean getting into mere tastes and
preferences—the Hodge Mod 1 leaves us little room for maneuver.
Knowing our peril, we’ll risk a few observations.
Ambidextrous charging handles have increasingly spoiled us of late, and
while the BCM/VLTOR is an icon of the extended type with good reason,
we miss the option of right-hand-side charging.
We rarely want this facility, but when we do, we
WA R R I O R WA R E want it desperately. BCM/VLTOR has a fine one, or
Rainier’s Raptor, maybe.
The Surefire SOCOM flash suppressor is our
“fault”—but we’ve got future plans (to your benefit) for this part of the
configuration. And in fact, our reference here is an anti-gripe: We thought
we’d miss our muzzle brakes more than we did, and dust signature wasn’t a
big problem either. You might talk us into a slight buffer spring tune.
We expect a few folks may be apprehensive about the “GI” trigger, despite
the Geissele sourcing. As you can imagine, we see some good ones and
E DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEF
ARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | W

some not-so-good ones as well. Many of these help accuracy
along—or so builders hope—with light press weights. In the
right hands, they can be helpful, especially if good groups
are the aim.
But as Jim Hodge says, “It’s a professional’s rifle, with
lessons learned from doing the job in some of the most
unforgiving regions of the world.” Think as he thinks: Would
you want to be repairing/maintaining an esoteric trigger in
one of those unforgiving places, or teaching yourself to shoot
well only with those at your disposal? That gives us pause,
too—especially when, on the far side of a malfunction-free
600-plus rounds, the reliability and accuracy of the Mod 1 as
a system gave us shot-to-shot confidence that made individual
component considerations meaningless.
A big brake will keep

the rifle flatter, but
also make it a lot
noisier. The Surefire
three-prong yielded
surprisingly good
braking itself.
FENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE >>>> HODGE DEFENSE
A big brake will keep the rifle

flatter, but also make it a lotneeds

This photo noisier.
no
The Surefire three-prong yielded
caption in our opinion.
surprisingly goodLike
braking itself. says, “If
Jim Hodge
you get it, you get it.”
WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | |
Hard to leave
it lay. Have
ammo, will
travel.
WA R R I O R WA R E
FINAL
•
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ANALYSIS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
We said Jim Hodge was making our

•
work tough, and it’s still true: LIke Carroll’s

•
•
•
Alice, we’re still in over our heads. The Hodge

•
Defense warren is of a different type to be

•
sure, with no hectoring, homicidal queen. But

•
•
•
that Cheshire cat is just as mysterious. As to

•
“how,” we’re not much closer.

•
The result we do know. How about

•
•
•
“splendid?” Any more will have to wait until

•
we’re closer to 60,000 rounds than 600. OK, if

•
•
•
we must.
•
So wherever or however acquired, Jim Hodge’s

•
skills defeat our inquisitiveness. A master keeps

•
•
•
his secrets. Be that as it may, pre-finagle mode

•
for a Mod 2 visit has begun.

•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

“It’s a professional’s rifle,
with lessons learned
from doing the job
in some of the most
unforgiving regions of
the world.” - Jim Hodge
Email the Editor
WA R R I O R WA R E
RIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORW
e careful what you wish for.
In his classic horror short story “The Monkey’s Paw,”
William Wymark Jacobs crafted a chilling cautionary tale
of fulfilled wishes and unintended consequences. Three
wishes are granted to the possessor of the grotesque but
enchanted paw: While the first seems harmless enough,
the last two are expended on increasingly grim and
ineffective mitigation.
It gives one, er, pause. Since we’ve been wishing for a
big cartridge pistol like Glock’s new G41 for a long, long
time, we’re hoping the price of fulfillment is only more
magazines and ammunition.
We take on the new

big-bore beast from
Glock: the G41
B Y FRANK WINN PHOTOG RAPHY BY

GUNS & GEAR EDITOR MICHAEL IVES
IORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE ::::
The full G41 kit:

three 13-round
magazines, mag
loader and Gen4
back straps (4).
::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORW
WA R R I O R WA R E
A MASH-UP
When rumors first began to circulate
about the G41, we concede to having had some
apprehensions. The tale that reached us through
limited official hints and lots of unofficial innuendo
was not altogether encouraging. A long slide .45 ACP
certainly appealed, but the implications were
ominous in terms of weight and maneuverability:
Simply more of the famously (or infamously?)
blocky and weighty front end of the company’s G21
seemed a high price to pay for welcome additional
barrel length and sight radius.
While we’ve had sufficient palm/finger span for
the large-frame, earlier Gen Glocks, we hoped for
a short/slim frame MBS–equipped 41. This advent
would make grip size a non-issue for all but very
small-handed shooters. For those who like the larger
grips, the 2- and 4-millimeter back straps—with
or without beavertail—would also presumably be
available. Other Gen4 goodies would be present
as well, we hoped: The versatile dual spring recoil
assembly and “rough texture” grip surface seemed
optimal for taming the big Browning cartridge, and
the reversible magazine release is a long-sought
accommodation for left-handed operators.
Still, our fears of a “mash-up” lurked: Perhaps
a well-intentioned hodgepodge of features
would remain a hodgepodge, however excellent
the marque?
:::::
ARE
Dynamic balance
ORW
and harmonics
in the slide are
RRI
maintained
WA
through a
::::::
precisely milled
internal slot.
ARE
ORW
RRI
WA
WA R R I O R WA R E
::::::
ARE
ORW
RRI
WA
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ARE
ORW
RRI
WA
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ARE
RW
RIO
We should have
A MARVEL had more confidence. When
the actual pistol emerged in
January of 2014 (AW 18),
not only were all the desirable Gen4 features present, but Glock
engineers saw fit to marry the big dog caliber with a slimmer, longer
slide. With external dimensions nearly identical to those of their
most popular competitive pistol (the 9 mm G34), the new slide took
more than 2 ounces off loaded weight, yet lengthened sight radius
to 7.56 inches—a 12 percent increase. The nose of the pistol took
on the G34/35 contour as well: A boon for re-holstering, and a
contributor in weight shaving.
Close inspection revealed other changes as well.
The slimming of the backstrap on all MBS frames
Slimmer grip implies the skinnier “tail” on the ejector assembly,
dimensions on all and the G41 is no different. If you’re a current G21
the Gen4s stem owner and like to keep this sort of spare, you need
from the shorter a different part (Brownells 100-006-226WB).
ejector block Unlike the 34/35 long slide pistols, there is no
(foreground/right). ovoid “balancing” cut in the top, forward surface
of the G41 slide. Precise management of slide
dynamics is instead accomplished with internal /////
41
machining. As Glock’s Ed Fitzgerald explained:
“The milled slot is for weight reduction and
CK
Holstering ease and weight harmonics. The slide cut on the 34/35
LO
reduction are objective would have been too large, and made the
// G
advantages of the beveled/ slide too light.”

/////
de-horned nose: Subjectively,

it looks great too. A pair of
41
after-market sight options

CK
here: AmeriGlo (G21) on the

LO
left, HiViz on the right (G41).

// G
/////
Frame
differences may
take a practiced
eye to spot (G41
bottom/right,
compared to
G21) ...
WA R R I O R WA R E
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… slide differences,
not so much. The G41
is shown below at
right, with its Gen4
recoil spring system
and thinner but longer
dimensions.
Too much upward

pressure on the
charging fin from the
top one or two rounds
in a new magazine can
complicate feeding
until spring systems
take their set—an issue
by no means exclusive
to the G41.
In light of our mash-up apprehensions, and particularly because
of the mating of the large frame with the thin-profile slide, we started at the very
beginning with our G41, rounding up magazines of as many vintages as we could
find. This was followed by the pillage of six counties in order to round up a sufficient
bunch of “ball” ammunition.
First, we tested for correct function with every round
AT THE count in the magazine, zero through 13+1. In every

case, performance was flawless—smooth cycling, and
RANGE
slide lock on an empty magazine. We also failed to
induce malfunctions with intentional limp-wristing
using one hand, both strong and weak.
Next, we moved onto testing other bullet shapes.
230-grain RN had been flawless, expectedly, and 185- and 200-grain truncated cone
and jacketed hollow-points from numerous manufacturers followed suit. We dragged
out some target wad-cutters in different weights as well, with the same excellent
results from the 1-in-15.75 twist barrel.
The need for a caution became apparent with short/radical-nosed bullets
like these. Early in our tests, they proved somewhat balky while feeding. This
appeared while charging the chamber from a full or nearly full magazine. During
actual shooting—with the slide at operational speed—there were no failures,
though a hesitation in chambering second and third rounds was sometimes
perceptible. We set the remainder of these cartridges aside, returning to
them after several hundred additional test rounds of other projectile types. As
expected, the phenomenon had disappeared.
The explanation for this is not exactly straightforward: In a new semi-auto,
recoil and magazine springs are at their maximum strengths. The recoil assembly
therefore resists opening of the action to the maximum extent, while the top few
rounds in the magazine are applying technically excessive frictional force to the
charging “fin” on the bottom of the slide. This combination slows operational
cycling slightly (causing the small hesitation we sensed while firing), but can
interfere with hand cycling to the point where failures actually occur. Challenging
bullet-nose shapes and atypical cartridge overall lengths exaggerate these
effects on available charging force, slide velocity and bullet-nose/feed ramp
collision geometry. As springs “set” to their operating range values, however, these
variations moderate and problems often disappear—as they did for us.
Keep in mind, this meant our G41 was still functioning with a bullet type
that simply will not work in many—even most—other pistols. For a stock
defensive/duty/recreational pistol to feed them at all without modification is
great testimony to the design and integration of the G41 feed ramp, chamber,
magazine and recoil assembly.
Our complete rogue’s gallery of challenging bullets didn’t make
it to the range for the G41 test. Experienced shooters may anticipate
why, but others may not. Part of the price you pay for the spectacular
barrel life of Glock factory barrels (hexagonal for most, octagonal
in the case of the G41) comes with a prohibition on shooting
non-jacketed bullets. No bare lead, in other words.
Given the .71-inch difference in barrel lengths between the G41
and various predecessors, we chronographed a few of our ammunition
samples to see if improved velocities accrued to the longer tube.
The only place a meaningful difference appeared—somewhat to
our surprise—was with lighter bullets. In the G41, these truncated
cones (TC) ran at 905 fps, versus 871 fps in our G21 (185 grain).
Perversely, our finicky-feeding 185-grain semi-wad cutters (SWC) were
just the opposite, with the shorter G21 barrel producing 39 fps more
velocity (880 vs. 841). Ball ammo (230-grain RN) was right on spec:
806 fps (original Browning/Frankford Arsenal negotiated speed was
810). Velocity variation (standard deviation) was lower in our G21,
but you’d expect this from a much-shot barrel: It averaged 15 fps;
whereas the G41 was 41 fps on average.
This last figure might be a worry if
it hadn’t disproportionately resulted
WA R R I O R WA R E from a single projectile type, the
Visit the Gear Channel SWC. We suspect a bore/projectile
mismatch here (as opposed to a
better-burnished barrel), and spent brass seemed to confirm this:
More carbon on these cases indicated a less-than-ideal gas seal. A
different lot from the same manufacturer, or a different manufacturer’s
version of this bullet would quite likely cure these variations. Good
news? In our practical tests, any accuracy fall-off was well below
threshold even at surprising distance with these rounds. Such
variation wouldn’t cut it in the bullseye game, perhaps, but that’s
almost certainly a load issue (powder/bullet combination), not a
pistol issue.
And speaking of practical exercises, this is where the G41 really
shone in our view. We shot it right out of the box in a local USPSA
match, and were edged out by our local PD range boss (now retired)
by only 1.6 percent in L10 division—and didn’t even have to swap out
our Production Division holster. We’re delighted to be within shouting
distance of him anytime, but with a brand new stock pistol? Oh yeah.
WA R R I O R WA R E
Gen4 goodies: A great defensive or duty

enhanced grip combination: Crimson Trace
texture, big Railmaster Pro on the integral
beavertail Glock 41 rail—light, laser and 13+1
installed and of .45ACP. Pretty much all the boxes
reversible checked, we’d say, including full
magazine righty/lefty friendliness. We love
release. the Railmaster!
GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 //////
WA R R I O R WA R E ... we were
starting to feel
like we could just wave that front
sight at the target and initiate.
Good hits seem to result
almost of their own accord.
// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 ////
Stock sights work fine,

especially with more
distance between them.
But given a choice, we
prefer the HiViz fibers,
which made rapid
50-yard hits a piece of
cake; 100-yard hits were
more challenging, but
readily repeatable.
It’s a delight
not to have to
re-supply on
magazines: Old
fits new, new
fits old.
We also had a green-eyed friend give us an opinion. Still serving, he has to be
discrete for obvious reasons. But suffice it to say he shot all our ammunition and gave
the pistol back a trifle mournfully.
In a similar vein, we couldn’t help but ponder Modular Handgun System applicability
for the G41 too. Just thinkin’ out loud, mind you: But given Hague Convention limitations,
.45 ACP ball could solve a lot of problems for our soldiers compared to 9 mm FMJ. As
our friend good-naturedly averred: “Even the Marine Corps is ahead on this one!”
(See AW 15)
Three brands of defensive ammunition were tested in the G41 as well. Felt recoil for
our Winchester, Remington and Speer samples increased compared to target loads, but
the difference was noticeable, not objectionable. That said, it’s not going to remind you
of any 9 mm you’ve shot. Still, the characteristic .45 “slow roll” of recoil from the pistol
through the wrists, forearms and shoulders—better managed, we believe, by the Gen4
compound recoil spring—meant even those thumpers remained very controllable. This
combined with the longer muzzle of the G41 and kept it slightly flatter than our G21,
despite its overall lighter weight.
Looking back over our fieldwork, it’s hard to overstate the benefits of the long slide on
the G41. After a few hundred rounds and at targets closer than say, 15 yards, we were
starting to feel like we could just wave that front sight at the target and initiate. Good
hits seem to result almost of their own accord. And while not generally considered a
“target” arm, there will be some Glock fans who will try
WA R R I O R WA R E it with a G41. As our experience demonstrated, the long
sight radius and polygonal rifling precision may surprise
not a few.
Hits at 50 yards and beyond were commonplace for all our test shooters. You
can also bet there is a small but dedicated bunch of long-range/hunting pistol folks
out there just about dying for a G41-like configuration in 10 mm for precisely this
(excellent) reason. Along about “G44,” say?
We expect that the G41 will cut into the popularity of earlier, large-frame guns (or
subtly discourage the use of backstraps), and this will be a shame. In a long teaching
career, we’ve seen some surprisingly small hands adapt to the large-frame guns once
proper grip architecture was demonstrated, understood and practiced. There’s a case
to be made that the Glock grip angle, while less familiar and therefore less instinctively
“comfortable,” is actually more ergonomically correct than shallower angles, and the
benefits of the difference compound as recoil increases. More grip surface is available
for absorbing recoil energy, a la the G21 and G21 SF (with backstraps), when using a
two-handed grip. Downside for the G41 is that … oh wait … never mind. Just don’t be
afraid to experiment with those backstraps: Despite the comfort of the native diameter,
you may find more grip surface area than you originally guessed is what tames the
potent .45 ACP best for you.
:::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: W
RUNNIN’ IT There are lots of potential “homes” for the G41
outside of duty, defensive and (maybe) military
use. We asked top-tier Heavy Metal Division 3-gunner Mike Payne (JP Performance
Team and Rocky Mountain 3Gun “HeMan Division” champ) to give the G41 a whirl
since .45 ACP lives there in .308/12-gauge land too. In the video, watch Mike get
within 20/100ths of a second of his “100% Single Stack USPSA classifier” with the
G41 on a steel proxy for the course of fire.”
“I’m a bit of a 1911 snob, so I was a little nervous about how I’d
acclimate to the Glock platform,” Payne said. “I’ve shot them before
and I have a couple, just because they always work. I really like the
changes they’ve made. The controls are very ergonomic and easy
to reach. The shooting characteristics of the pistol were much,
much better than I was anticipating—downright excellent. Recoil
management was easy; very soft. I could also get a good, high grip,
and it snapped right back into the target. I was able to run it at
speeds just about like my 1911, which impressed me.”
Payne added that coming from a competitive background, he thinks
the G41 could find a place there.
“In the multi-gun world, we’re pretty hard on our gear, and I’d feel
better about dumping this in an abandonment box,” he said. “We
shot some 200 to 250 rounds today, and it was 100-percent feed
reliable with two different bullet types. Overall, I was very impressed.
I think it’s on my short list for future competition use.”
Longer barrel
and slide length
differences are
clear in the Gen3
G21 SF to Gen4 G41
MBS + beavertail
comparison. Yes,
that’s a non-
standard grip
texture on the G21;
don’t call Glock
requesting it.
WA R R I O R WA R E
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Don’t automatically assume you’ll prefer the extended

slide release (at right). We do, but we know some
superb pistoleros who find that they activate them
unintentionally—never a good thing.
GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 //////
We found the G41 to our considerable liking in virtually
every respect. But we have, shall we say, some reflections?
One is based on the expectation that a substantial percentage
of G41s will make their way to competition applications, and
Glock concedes this was a design criteria. In counterpoise to this
are duty requirements—limitations of trigger press weight, training
restrictions, types of control, etc.
Glock has anticipated this with
GRIPES options for the G41. One includes

the extended slide release lever
and “light” connector, the other
a standard slide catch and connector. Neither configuration is
appropriate for all users, so be sure you understand differences
before you settle on a particular G41.
The second relates to the structural web that has long formed
the rear wall of Glock magazine wells. On small-frame guns,
the web is thick enough (measured front to rear) relative to the
extraction groove of .380, 9 mm and .40 cases that catching
one on the other is all but impossible. But on the 41—and other
large-frame pistols—it may rarely occur. The size and depth of the
extraction groove on the .45 ACP case in combination with an
incorrect magazine insertion angle can catch the extraction groove
on this web. The result is a surprisingly hard mechanical “stop” on
the reload.
Keep in mind this isn’t anything new, nor even particularly
likely. A surprising number of other pistols can have reloads
foiled in similar, purely mechanical ways. But if it occurs, don’t
suspect there is anything wrong with your new G41, magazines
or ammunition. It’s a technique issue, not a pistol problem. Hold
the pistol higher as you insert the mag and “point” to that reload
with the weak-hand index finger on the tip of the top round. The
insertion angle problem will then take care of itself.
// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 /////// GLOCK 41 ////
RE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WAR
WA R R I O R WA R E
We doubt you’ll
see many used
G41s available
for quite some
time.
RRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :
FINAL
ANALYSIS
If you visit Warrior Ware
regularly, no disclosure is necessary vis-à-vis
Glock products. For many reasons, we’re fans.
Few lines of duty-ready pistols indeed are as
affordable, reliable, maintainable and rugged,
nor offer the wide range of configurations.
These characteristics combine in the G41
to enhance and extend our appreciation. As
an exercise in wish fulfillment, the G41 could
hardly be better, and certainly our worries about
a mere mash-up of features are thoroughly,
happily dashed. Over as wide a range of
courses of fire as we could practically contrive,
the long-slide big-bore is a winner. Time will
tell the full story, but we expect to see a lot of
G41s in duty rigs and in numerous competitive
venues very soon—including our own.
Best of all, we expect the grip-friendly
dimensions of the Glock 41 to bring—or bring
back—many shooters to the .45 ACP cartridge.
After well over a century of service, it remains
a versatile masterpiece of cartridge design, and
few platforms indeed can match the G41’s
ability to access that excellence.
GOING
LITTLE
AND
WA R R I O R WA R E B Y FRANK WINN
GUNS & GEAR EDITOR
LONG
RE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE ::::
M
odern equipment presents
today’s rifleman—or woman—
dizzily varied pursuits of
excellence. The art and
practice of rifle shooting has
an astonishing number of
disciplines and scales for their measurement. Very
few, however, would argue that something other than
the long shot constitutes any sort of Holy Grail.
Indeed, the primacy of this skill predates the rifle itself by many
hundreds of years, as rifle accuracy at comparable distances needed
nearly 400 years to decisively surpass the bow and arrow. Nor is it any
surprise that technology played a huge role in this progression.
By the late 1700s, an average rifleman considered “long” (but
makeable) shots to be 80 to 100 meters, although experts made
documented precision hits at well over 200 meters (Daniel Boone,
230 meters, 1778). Three decades later, French General Auguste-
Francois-Marie de Colbert was killed at nearly 550 meters, and by
1874, famed buffalo hunter and rare civilian recipient of the Medal
of Honor, William “Billy” Dixon, had made his battle-ending 1,400-
meter shot at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls. Perhaps the most
astonishing example remains Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock’s
Browning M2 machine gun hit at 2,286 meters (a single round,
in 1967).
The long shot, therefore, is by no means a new challenge.
WA R R I O R WA R E
HARDWARE OR
SOFTWARE
Both skill and equipment contribute to those
“reach out” hits. The problem is acquiring them in
measure. We’ve all seen terrible shooting with good
equipment: Sadly, this grows more common as
machining and assembly become more precise in
the era of CNC and numerical quality control. Most
$400 rifles today will easily surpass $600 or $800
rifles of 20 years ago.
Much rarer is good shooting with apparently poor
equipment. One of two things is usually true in these
cases: Either the equipment just looks poor, or
you’ve encountered a superlative shooter making the
most of a modest kit.
These circumstances combine to make a point:
True riflecraft makes the best of either case. A
generation and more ago, hunting and informal
shooting made learning these techniques easier (and
far cheaper) than it is now, mainly for reasons that
we can see all around us—317 million Americans.
It’s simply harder to find a place to shoot
and develop the coveted skills of the long-range
marksman. Even if you have great hardware, where
do you develop your personal software?
Many of the skills it takes to hit at long ranges
with higher caliber weapons do not necessarily get
developed under those conditions. Most good long-
range shooters don’t start out this way, and many
more don’t get this way on buck-a-round (or more)
calibers and $4,000 to $8,000 rifle/optic set-ups.
They start with, or go back to, the lowly .22 LR.
Yep—rimfire.
Here’s the action
and barrel, removed
from the stock. Only a
slotted screw driver
and hex key are
needed.
50 years and
almost 6 million
rifles later,
we’ll take our
chances.
WA R R I O R WA R E
////// RUGER ////// RUGER ////// RUGER ////// RUGER ////// RUGER ////// RUGER ////// RUGER ////// RUGER ////// RUGER //////
Trigger, magazine and bolt

release components can be
replaced individually, or with
kits from several manufacturers.
Gotta love the versatility.
THE PRECISION
TRAINER
It is true that some aspects of long-range skill can’t be developed
on rimfire. A non-exhaustive list would contain things like recoil
accommodation: There’s no
way to get used to, say, .300
Winchester Magnum shooting our
proposed rifle. Another important
factor—some would argue the

most important factor—is the
ballistics of the cartridge you
plan to shoot. In all but the most
important sense, this is true. Here,
The trigger of however, technology can help (AW19, for instance). And this criticism
the 10/22 is very can at least be countered: “Fair enough; drops and drifts won’t be the
safe, but this same, but will I learn more about the nature of drop and drift, about
Volquartsen kit bullet path and flight time, about trigger press, breathing and sight
will replace the picture in 100 rounds of fill-in-the-blank, or a 1,000 of .22 LR?”
factory version We suggest the answer is 1,000, so offer the precision trainer
and improve concept.
many tolerances, From the outset, we’d agree there are many ways to skin this
especially press particular cat. AR-pattern rifles are spectacularly popular right now,
weight. and with good reason—almost any physical type can comfortably enjoy
shooting Eugene Stoner’s masterpiece. Many manufacturers also offer
.22 LR versions of these centerfire rifles, and many more companies
offer conversions of one mechanism or another. And we’ve shot ’em all.
Most are good, and some very, very good.
They have three potential drawbacks in our view, so we’ll base our
trainer on another fabulously, durably popular rifle—the Ruger 10/22.
In its 50th year of manufacture, the ~$300, rotary magazine-fed,
5-pound sporter is closing in on 6 million rifles sold. This matters
because it means there are many dozens of innovative options
available for it including stocks, internals (like trigger, bolt control and
WA R R I O R WA R E
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... there are

many dozens
of innovative
options available
... including stocks,
internals ... and
match-grade
barrels.
Robust and
reliable,
this is the
entire action,
disassembled.

R
// RUGER ////
/
R //// RUGER /
UGE
/ RUGER //// R
//
WA R R I O R WA R //R/ / RUGER /
E
UG E
UGER ///theRGear
/Visit
R //// R Channel
UGE
magazine releases) and match-grade barrels. Not that you must buy any
of these accessories: Ruger offers literally dozens of variants (we counted
70-plus model numbers), ranging from tack-driving, heavy-barrels and
AR patterns to slick takedown models. It’s nice to have all those choices
whichever way you go, but especially if you already have one you don’t shoot
much any more. Get it out!
It’s this variety of retrofit and upgrade parts that illuminate the three
disadvantages of the AR-style rimfires—triggers, grips and barrels. Most
.22 LR ARs have polymer uppers and lowers, and the trigger kits they can
accept cannot routinely produce what we’d call “match” quality presses
without a reliability compromise. The polymer construction also means they
cannot—generally—be re-barreled. Finally, their form factor only caters to
shooting pistol grip-style rifles. The Ruger can give you any of these features:
astonishing barrels and triggers, and either a gripped or conventional stock
(and many variations thereupon). The feel can be much like a Remington 700
or 783, Winchester Model 70, or Savage Model 10, 11 or 12—then in about
5 minutes be all tac’ed up in an AR-like grip and stock system.
Our precision trainer base rifle is a nice but no-frills model, the stainless
steel carbine. Why do we call it a “base rifle?” Stick around.
IO
Above: Two TAPCO stock

options for an AR-like feel.
Below: A third from TacStar,
which is relieved to free-float
either the factory profile
barrel or a bull barrel.
:: W
IORWARE ::::
R E :::::: WARR
WA
:::::: WARRIOR
E
WAR R IORWAR
::::::
R IORWARE
R E :::::: WAR
ORWA
RUGER //// RUGE
WA R R I O R WA R E
UGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER ////
The rear flip up notch sight

didn’t quiiiiiite fit under
our rail. A brass drift and a
few taps took care of that.
If this was really ours,
we would have ground
the underside of the rail
instead and left the “iron”
sight on as a back-up.
AT THE Having owned many 10/22s
through the years, we’ve found
RANGE
basic quality surprisingly good,
especially for a mass-produced
rimfire designed, if not exactly/
exclusively for entry-level
shooters, then at least to meet an entry-level price point. As
a result, even though we plan some modifications, it pays
to see what “stock” performance is like. Sometimes factory
barrels are very accurate indeed, and don’t need to be
replaced. This leaves budget for other improvements.
We found ours to be a middling performer. With decent
ammunition and the factory iron sights, we shot 10-shot
groups at 50 yards. After a 100-round break-in, these
averaged slightly over an inch for five groups; the best was
.937, the poorest 1.665. In each of the groups we tossed
out the worst shot.
We also use these first few hundred rounds to get used to
the trigger of our particular 10/22. Generally, press weight for
factory triggers is about 6 pounds and not famously crisp—that
is, as you draw the trigger to the rear, you can sense velocity
changes. In fairness, this is no surprise in a $300 rimfire: A
truly excellent trigger system alone can cost this much, and we
generally expect to change them out. Ours was smoother than
normal (a somewhat subjective notion, we concede), but also
slightly heavier. It will definitely go.
Next, we removed the barrel band from the rifle. The little
Ruger uses this band to provide a second secure attachment
Volquartsen mount point between the stock and rifle/action, but it can also have
gives us a little a surprising effect on accuracy, and rarely a good one. That’s
more beef for the because the band can dampen the natural flex of the barrel/
Vortex scope and action system asymmetrically as the shot is fired. In the
rings. A good thing, parlance of precision, the barrel is not free-floating. Removal of
considering this is the barrel band doesn’t make our barrel truly free-floating as
somewhat heavier there is still barrel stock contact forward of the action.
than a normal rimfire
optics suite.
ORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE :::::: WARRIORWARE ::::::
While heavy-walled or otherwise stiffened barrels damp this motion, it is

difficult to eliminate completely, and impractical to try. In all calibers, the
most accurate rifle will generally be the one where bullets exit the bore at the
same point in this flex pattern. Ideally, this is at either the top or bottom of the
pattern because this corresponds to the least “whip” motion over the longest
time and accounts better for slight velocity variations and the barrel dwell
time differences that result. (This is why hand loading so often produces huge
accuracy improvements in centerfire rifles: It “tunes” both whip and dwell time
to the mechanical harmonics
of an individual barrel/action
For this project, system. This effect is also why
some rimfire ammunition is
we have a astonishingly accurate in some

rifles and not in others. The
whip/dwell relationship works in
spectacular optic the first case(s), and not in the
others.)
at our disposal: In our rifle, we couldn’t find

any obvious difference with the
band removed, which is slightly
The new Vortex unusual in our experience
Next, we added a scope to the
Viper HS LR. rifle. It may seem curious to have

waited, but there is a practical
explanation. First, in the unlikely
event that something was
seriously wrong with the rifle, there is no point in having mounted the scope
and rings during what is essentially action break-in and barrel conditioning.
While this is unlikely, it’s not unknown. Another practical upshot follows for the
Ruger (and other rifles in this class): The receiver is aluminum. We prefer to go
as easy on the rail mounting screw holes as we can. We haven’t stripped a set
of threads to date, but why test our luck?
For this project, we have a spectacular optic at our disposal—the new Vortex
Viper HS LR. In many cases, this may seem a gross over-specification, and
we understand. Here’s the rationale: Since our goal is to develop genuine
long-range skills, we’ll be shooting .22 LR well beyond 100 yards. At 2.5-10x
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WASponsor
R RanILOD
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Precise
adjustments
and superb
Yankee Hill
Machine 30 mm
rings will take
us a long way.
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WA R R I O R WA R E
Barrel swaps are a

cinch on the 10/22, just
don’t over-tighten the
steel screws in the
aluminum receiver:
10-15 inch-pounds is
usually plenty.
.22LR AS WITH centerfire rifles,
there are different schools
of thought on breaking in a
BREAK-IN rimfire barrel.

Due to the slower
velocities and lower
pressures of .22 LR, the wear and tear (abrasion) of the bullet on
the steel of the barrel is vastly less—so much so that there is very
little of the micro-deburring effect seen in centerfire cartridges
and barrels. This makes the early life of your barrel much easier
on you; no shoot a few, clean, repeat.
Also, remember that even .22 LR bullets that look copper-colored
are not jacketed. These projectiles are essentially “washed” with
copper to slow or limit the sloughing of lead, which makes up the
whole projectile. This thin coating also makes cartridges cleaner to
handle, and marginally cleaner in the gun.
Many experienced .22 LR accuracy gurus seldom clean
their barrels, as the cleaning process can remove desirable
“conditioning” of the barrel from both micro particles of lead and,
atop that, the lubricating wax found on many .22 LR cartridges.
Only when accuracy degrades does a brush or solvent get
anywhere near their barrel.
There is also another reason for this caution: It’s easy to
damage either the leade or the crown of a .22 barrel because rod
and barrel dimensions are so close. Any flex in your cleaning rod
is a threat.
An excellent plan for.22LR barrel care can be found on world-
class barrel-maker Lilja’s website, www.riflebarrels.com. / RU
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Best of all, it’s a
scope you can
migrate to a
centerfire rifle ...
We’re ready,
we think. MGM
Targets—a
Spinner and a
Dueling Tree—
beware.
//// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER //// RUGER
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magnification, we’ll have enough optic. Last but not least, the LR gets us
into the FFP or first focal plane game. If you haven’t shot one of these
scopes, seriously consider it. Tactical shooting has been moving in this
direction for several years, and FFPs offer some
tangible benefits, including a horus or Christmas
tree-style reticle. Best of all, it’s a scope you can
PHOTO COURTESTY OF VORTEXOPTICS.COM
migrate to a centerfire rifle—having learned how

to use it in detail on your precision trainer. How’s
that for, if you’ll pardon the expression, bang for
the buck?
As you might expect, our precision improved
noticeably with a magnifying optic. We shot five
more groups of 10 at 50 yards, and averaged .911
inch, though this was a more difficult day. Again, we
tossed out the worst shot.
For the moment, that’s it. We’ve got a good start:
The rifle is shooting well (and very reliably, too), and
Because the Vortex reticle we know what we’ll change. First, will be the trigger.
is in the first focal plain, For that, we’ve got the Volquartsen drop-in kit.
MOA values remain the We’ll try the stock variations next time too, some
same at all magnifications, of which get rid of all contact except on the action.
unlike the second focal Also, we’ll vary our ammunition to see if we find a
plain where they are only better tune. Last, we’ll start moving out the targets,
correct at the highest and change to MGM reactive steel.
magnification. Long-range simulation, here we come.
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WA R R I O R WA R E
QUICK STRIKES
It doesn’t just
haul stuff; it’s
also a great work/
maintenance
surface—or even a
back-up
shooting mat.
M RC may be
camouflage to
some, but their products
are well known to others.
Mayflower Research and
Consulting’s assaulter,
sniper and observer kits, as well as armor, pouches,
bags and chest rigs are widely regarded as some of
the best in the world. That’s with good reason.
Now Travis Rolph and Jim Hodge (yes, that
Jim Hodge) have teamed up to bring you the
MRC-Hodge Defense Universal Case. If your first
impulse is: “So what,” good. That leaves more for
us. Once folks figure this one out, they’ll be hard
to find for quite a spell.
First, the color. Knowledgeable friends tell us
gray is the new black, tactically speaking, to which
we holler “hooray.” Our motives are practical, not
merely aesthetic: If you’re not sick of hunting
stuff up in black-hole bags or cases, you will be
someday. They swallow up light like Moby Dick
does whalers. Plus, black is arguably conspicuous
now, essentially through over-use. We’ve been
using one of these cases for a couple of months,
and it shows virtually no dirt or wear. We also
carried it around in some unusual settings too,
drawing nary a glance.
Designed for a 16-inch or shorter barrel
carbine, it can accommodate a much longer arm
in a pinch by allowing (barrel or other) extensions
out of either or both ends, yet be securely
restrained by partial closure of the heavy zippers.
“J” hooks hold the flap snuggly closed.
The back of the case has another clever touch—supplementary attachment loops
that aren’t all at right angles to the case axis. Slung on a shoulder or hook, cases
never hang vertically, and neatly orthogonal attachment points either take more stress
than needed, or apply it to you. Either way, they are weaker. These are doubly clever—
left shoulder, or right, and rigged to be flat-slung, too.
Inside are a couple of pouches: One for documents, another with hook-and-loop
closure that is perfect for a can or tac light. An AR-pattern rifle will normally be
strapped heavy-side down, which conveniently keeps the case from flopping over
every time you set it down. While this means you’ll likely de-mount your optic, the
unwelcome tinkle of a broken objective won’t ring in your ears, either.
A better place for optics is provided: two ITW Nexus QASM Picatinny RAMP
sections on a single row of PALS webbing are stitched to the inside spine. We
had room for an Aimpoint dot and the Vortex/PEPR. The outside spine has an HK
hook-terminated strap on two “D” rings—strong as can be, and in a pinch it’d rig up
fine as a back-up sling.
WA R R I O R WA R E
QUICK STRIKES
Pick your
poison:
HK hooks or
Quick-detach.
S peaking of slings: How about the real
thing? In the Mayflower Rifle Sling, we
think MRC and Hodge have another winner.
(Any questions about Jim Hodge being well
on his way to
“design house”
status, and not just
a great rifle guy?
We, neither.)
The key is a piece of cleverly woven webbing. The bulk of the sling is
1-inch wide, but without a seam or joint, it transitions into a 1.5-inch
width for better weight distribution at the shoulder or around the arm.
Did you catch the crucial part there? There is no hardware of any
sort, no seam, no joint; in fact, no thickness change whatsoever—just
a smooth transition from narrower to wider and back to narrower.
There’s nothing to get hung up on other gear, or to come apart. It has
an absolute minimum of component parts. The strap for the Universal
Rifle case is the same—narrow, wide, narrow. It lacks only the center
length adjustment.
As MRC says: “The primary idea was to produce a solid sling
devised under the K.I.S.S. principle … the intent was to eliminate any
needless failure points or unnecessary hardware.”
At only 5 ounces and available in Coyote Brown with either HK
hooks or QD button attachments, we’d say, “Job well done.”
Again.
View Patriot Profiles
WA R R I O R WA R E
QUICK STRIKES
PHOTO COURTESY MTM
The MTM Predator

watch is tough,
attractive and quite
possibly deadly. A
wolf in, er, wolf’s
clothing?
T he word “watch” doesn’t quite
correlate with the reality of the
MTM Predator. Sure, it’ll tell
you the time, and in stygian depths
and darkness. But if you’re coming
back from there—Hell, that is—the
The Predator is cut
from a solid block of
316L stainless. The case
surrounds a Swiss Quartz
Chronograph movement
driving tritium-illuminated
hour and minute hands,
as well as three auxiliary
Predator looks and feels equipped dials (for what Americans
to help in other ways too: Namely, often call “stop watch”
to beat your way out. functionality), all sealed
in with an anti-reflective,
scratch-resistant, sapphire
MTM PREDATOR crystal. All three stems
feature screw-down
WATCH sealing. Water resistant to
660 feet? We believe it.
A couple of things
struck us about the Predator. First, you’ll play heck messing up the band. Made
of the same tough stainless as the case, the band’s width is well matched to
the mass of the watch (8 ounces), and renders it much more comfortable than
you’d expect.
Second, the band is surprisingly easy to adjust for length using the provided
tools. Gross adjustments are made by removing links and fine adjustments by
more traditional pins in the clasp (but stay away from the decorative screws on
the top of the case). That clasp, by the way, is clever and very secure. It doesn’t
just press-fit and latch—it locks on a binding post internal to the clasp. We
made several attempts to sabotage the clasp by catching it on clothing and
any convenient edge, but didn’t get close to opening the band.
Much of the manual is dedicated to chronograph operation, which is
sophisticated. Start/stop are child’s play, but that’s hardly the end. An “interval”
stop is available, as well as making up of measured time (wherein time keeps
running in the background while the interval is read, recorded, etc.) and then
the indicators “catch-up” to elapsed time.
The Special Ops Black Predator isn’t (just) a handsome geegaw in wristwatch
configuration. Rather, it has all the hallmarks of a finely crafted tool based on a
quarter century of MTM experience. There’s also a good reason we didn’t test it
to destruction. Short of the utterly obvious, we weren’t sure we could.
WA R R I O R WA R E QUICK STRIKES
Granted, you might

want a remote switch
if you fitted a TLR-2
on a rifle, but it
worked just fine this
way for us.
WARNING: Technical data and information contained in NRA American Warrior are intended to provide information based on the limited experience of
individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They do not detail the comprehensive training procedures, techniques and safety precautions
absolutely necessary to properly carry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimer on the contents page. Always consult comprehensive reference
manuals and bulletins for details of proper training requirements, procedures, techniques and safety precautions before attempting any similar activity.
I f you want a great example
of why capitalism works, take
a look at tac lighting gear.
You’ll find big companies
and little, foreign and domestic—in
short, competition. There are lots
of products to choose from, and a
Bad news is, Streamlight
is beating up on a lot of
them, and the TLR-2 IRW
is a good example of why.
Joining several other “2”
series tactical rail lights
(the “2” designating light +
laser), you may deduce that
ferocious amount of innovation. the accompanying laser
That’s the good news. is in the IR spectrum. This
matches the IRW well with a
host of night vision devices,
and hence is reasonably
of interest in the LE/MIL
community. We had a
chance to test the light on
several handguns, as well
as an AR pattern carbine, and it performed like a champ.
The TLR-2 IRW looks like a handgun-configured system, but we tried it on both
short and long guns. On both, we got a bright, precise aiming point outside the
visible spectrum. On the AR, the laser gave us a perfectly usable aiming point out
beyond 200 yards for our test optic. Endurance in the eye-safe laser mode is 45
hours for the two 3-volt CR123s.
Light mode is no slouch, either: 12,000 candela (a measure of brightness at
distance), 300 lumens (a measure of “raw” brightness) and 2.5 hour endurance
from Streamlight’s C4 LED technology. Strobe mode is also available with a
double-tap of the momentary-on switch position.
As part of the TLR series, many great accessories are available for different
configurations, including two types of remote switches, filters and shotgun or rifle
mounts. But if you’ve got a Glock or 1913-style rail, you’re almost home anyway,
and ours demonstrated excellent return-to-zero. It’s not quiiiite up to what’s
needed for true precision rifle shooting, but much closer than we expected—
especially on a pistol.
The TLR-2 IWR is a sub-5-ounce jewel in aluminum, polymer and glass that
won’t let you down.
UP TO
45% THE GEAR YOU

YOUR NRA LOD MEMBERSHIP QUALIFIES YOU F
% OFF
U NEED MOST
FOR DISCOUNTS FROM THE BELOW PROVIDERS:
V I R T U A L WA R R I O R
MAXIMUM STRENGTH APPS, VIDEOS, GAMES
FLEET
FEET
It's Neymar Jr. vs.
Ken Block in this epic
battle pitting soccer
player against rally
car driver. Who will be
OR ///// the winner?
/ VIRTU
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RTUA L WARR
YOUTUB
E //////
YOUTUB
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U
SHOOT
'EM IF
YOU GOT
'EM
High-flying missile
action you won't
want to miss.
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Judging from the + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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new weapon system.
UNITY
IN REAL
LIFE
Previewing
Assassin's Creed
Unity, coming to a
game store near
you on Oct. 28.
UFC
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uge knockout shots, crushing takedowns and
bone-bending submissions have arrived for the
PS4 and Xbox One in EA Sports UFC, the latest
+
contender from the makers of the Fight Night
franchise. Running on the new Ignite Engine created
+
specifically for Electronic Art’s nextgen sports titles, the game will
impress with the level of detail in the textures for the arena and in
the character models.
+
The roster of available fighters weighs in at a hefty 97 playable fighters before
including the DLC options. It features a good selection of retired veterans and
up-and-coming fighters from every men’s division and the women’s bantamweight
+
division, giving you plenty of styles to try before you even get in to the character
creator, where every punch and kick you throw can be customized before you step
into the octagon.
+
Unfortunately, the actual fighting is where EA Sports UFC stumbles somewhat.
Even after the mandatory intro tutorial just to play the game, and the
secondary tutorials through the career mode, you will need to spend some
time in Challenge Training if you want to remember all of the separate
+
controls for standing, clinching and grappling. Striking controls
are mostly straightforward, although there are some button
combos and flicks of the analog sticks for more complicated
+
punches and kicks. But the clinch and grapple controls can
be a labyrinth of shoulder buttons combined with very
particular rotations of the analogs to reach the position
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you want or attempt a submission.
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The hit detection between the character models feels frustratingly stacked in favor
of the computer controlled enemies—to the point where it seems you can land multiple
heavy hits before one connects enough to deal the damage that the AI will dish out in
one devastating punch. A clinch or grapple will give both fighters the chance to recover
most of their health, buying you time to decide whether to continue the brawl or take a
shot at forcing a submission.
While submissions can end the fight quickly, successfully entering the submission
mode activates a mini-game where the aggressor has to match the direction that the
defender moves his right analog stick, until a chance to tighten the hold appears, then
tighten the hold by flicking the left analog stick in a certain direction. This has to be
UFC: Be Bruce Lee
completed multiple times. Missing your chance, or letting the defender fill the meter in
any of these stages, can end the grapple completely, freeing your opponent with all of
his health and stamina back.
Rewarding the players who play defensively and pick their chances carefully makes
this cater more toward a strategic fighter, similar to Fight Night, where the overuse of big,
heavy punches can get you parried and knocked out in the first round. Less technical
fans who crave the short fights between powerhouse fighters throwing everything they’ve
got and dislike a fight that goes to the judges might be bored by EA Sports UFC. But
for those fans who keep track of the points at home and can take the time to learn the
controls, this game will keep your console busy for a long time.
GAMES
UFC: Feel the Fight
////// VIRTUAL WARRIOR ////// VIRTUAL WARRIOR ////// VIRTUAL

... this game will
keep your console
busy for a long time.
UFC: Be The Fight
WARRIOR ////// VIRTUAL WARRIOR ////// VIRTUAL WARRIOR //////

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estiny is an offering that may

revolutionize the multiplayer game
universe on consoles—only time will
tell. Game maker Bungie mixed its
experience from the long popular Halo franchise with
the ubiquitous World of Warcraft and the result is,
well, astonishing.
The graphics alone are next-gen in every sense, from the cut
scenes to the actual game play. But the steps forward don’t end there.
For instance? There are two game modes in the beta, PvP and
Campaign (notice: we did not say “single player”), and this is where
the genius of Bungie shines
GAMES through. You are allowed
to explore through an open
world and play the game in a
semi-linear style. Missions can
be completed solo or you can
meet players in the game
The graphics alone and create a “Fireteam” to
work toward a common
are next-gen in every goal. Destiny will also
sense ... . But the steps search out members for
your team if the mission
forward don’t end there. requires them. At times
you may even receive
some unexpected help: We were getting owned during a
solo mission until a nearby gamer noticed our plight and
became a welcome ally. That’s just one intriguing benefit
of having all gamers occupy a common game space.
Crucible is the PvP game mode in Destiny. In • • • • • • • • • • •
this sense, it’s what you would expect from a FPS • • • • • • • • • • •
environment—multiple game modes and multiple

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Crucible helps you level up your campaign mode player and vice versa. In addition to
your level carrying between game modes, your armor and weapons do so as well.
Weapons are another strong suit in the beta: “cornucopia” or “plethora” comes
to mind. Available arms cover a spectrum from plasma rifles to rocket launchers.
You’ve got variety, variety and, yes,
Your character is allowed to variety. Your character is allowed to
carry three weapons at a time: one
carry three weapons at a time: primary, one special and one heavy
weapon. Carting this firepower around
one primary, one special, and brings you to some great vehicles
to satisfy your need for speed and
one heavy weapon. mayhem too. The vehicles definitely
conjure visions of Halo.
Overall, we rate this gaming experience as exceptional: From storyline to the
graphics, from weapons to vehicles, it’s simply outstanding. In the beta we were only
allowed to get to Level 8, so full version (Sept. 9, 2014 release), here we come!
DESTINY
GAMES
Destiny: The Law of the Jungle
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33.3250° N, 44.4220° E
A new supply of downloadable content is

dropping on the market. Character designs,
game modes, weapons and more.
GAMES
DARK SOULS 2
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DROP
USGS/NASA LANDSAT
ULTRA STREET FIGHTER 4
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DIABLO 3
que pelligeni occat

GAMES
The 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo gave

us a look at the onslaught of games coming
to market over the next two years.
ME RELEAS
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ME RELEAS
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EVOLVE
KNIGHT
RAINBOW 6
ARKHAM
BATMAN
MORTAL KOMBAT X
HALO 5
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MASS EFFECT 4
STAR WARS
BATTLEFRONT
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ASSASSIN'S
CREED
UNITY
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CALL OF
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WELCOME TO
NRA Life of Duty members and readers of NRA American Warrior know that firearms
are more than just tools of the trade. Guns are cool, and the new NRA Freestyle online
channel celebrates that fact.
This isn’t your typical gun website. NRA Freestyle, presented by our friends at
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In one way, Jarion HalbisenGibbs’ story is the story
of every engagement:
The first casualty is always the plan.
O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N H A L B I S E N G I B B S O P E R AT I O N C H R
OMIUM | JARION HALBISENGIBBS O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N H A L
by F R A N K W I N N
t’s difficult to imagine what an 18th

century, Danish-born master strategist
of the Imperial German Army might
have in common with a 21st century,
Midwestern-born Green Beret.
One studied Carl von Clausewitz and Napoleon, and during
a 69-year career in four armies changed the way virtually every
Western nation fought their wars. He was Generalfeldmarschall
Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke.
The other joined the U.S. Army at 21. He’s as American as Jeeps
and homemade jam. A mechanically minded, genial family man, he is as hard
working a Michiganer as may be, barring—perhaps—that Ford fella. He is Master
Sergeant Jarion HalbisenGibbs, 10th SFG (A).
Both sergeant and feldmarschall served their nations with distinction. But
across thousands of miles and more than 110 years, any other nexus seems
unlikely—or so it would seem, but for a moonless September 2007 night in
Salah ad Din Province, Iraq. Then, the timeless distillation of von Moltke’s martial
scholarship became a resonating, life-and-death imperative for HalbisenGibbs: No
plan survives contact with the enemy.
The Badlands of Samarra Samarra was a rough town by the time Operational
Detachment-Alpha 083 reached there in March 2007 to gather intelligence and
train Iraqi National Police personnel. Situated nearly in the center of the Sunni
Triangle, the ancient city’s 350,000 inhabitants perch mostly on the east bank of
the Tigris River, 78 miles north of Baghdad on Iraq’s Highway 1.
Evidence of strife in the city was plain: The famed gold dome of the al-Askari
Mosque already lay shattered in the wake of a February 2006 bomb attack; the
resulting riots claimed hundreds of lives. Two minarets and a clock tower remained,
but these were attacked and destroyed in the summer of 2007. Particularly in the
last two attacks, al Qaeda insurgents were suspected.
Virulent sectarian and anti-government violence had grown in Samarra as
insurgent al Qaeda groups like the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) fled Baghdad, where
the Surge was having the desired effect. Iraqis were stepping up to form their own
Right: Generalfeldmarschall von Moltke
Below: SSG Jarion HalbisenGibbs,

10th SFG (A), circa 2007
O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N H A L B I S E N G I B B S O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JARION HALBISENGIBBS
O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N H A L B I S E N G I B B S O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U
Above: ODA-083 and their Iraqi counterparts

prior to an air assault
PHOTO COURTESY OF JARION HALBISENGIBBS
UM | JARION HALBISENGIBBS O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N H A L B I S E
Right: Sergeants Mike Lindsay and Jarion

HalbisenGibbs on a bettter day
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National Police, and Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence was declining. Al Qaeda was

looking for easier pickings in suburban Baghdad and more rural areas of
Iraq, and for new havens in which to regroup, train, cache weapons and
finance their operations.
In this sense, Abu Obaeideah was one of ISI’s best, and “Minster
of Defense” in Salah ad Din province. His specialties of kidnapping
for ransom and intimidation—or the outright murder of—candidates for
policemen and their family members, were prized by al Qaeda. He operated
essentially unfettered, his organization using “day jobs” as cover for their
other activities. With little in the way of coalition force activity in the area,
many operatives even lived in their own homes. By September 2007,
Obaeideah had been on the intelligence “radar” for a year, becoming a
high value target.
In response, ODA-083 had been planning “Operation Chromium”—the
broad strokes of an operation to capture and detain Obaeideah—for more
than a month. They’d been thwarted in classic fashion: Their target never
stayed longer than a few days in a single location. On Sept. 6, they caught
a break. A friendly tribal contact reported Obaeideah northeast of Samarra
in a farming area called Al-Jalam, where he had commandeered a house.
The team put this intel right to work. Air assault execution details were
fleshed out based on the hard location. Blocking positions and inner
cordon were identified and assigned. Progressive breaching—it was unclear
which of three closely spaced buildings Abu Obaeideah would actually be
in—was laid out. Med evac and quick reaction force were on standby, the
latter a worrisome 50 minutes away.
In the end, the plan called for ODA-083 to assist 17 Iraqi
National Police personnel on the early morning raid. At 2 a.m.
on Sept. 10, three heavily loaded UH-60s left the team HLZ in
Samarra for a 20-minute hop to the target.
Chromium Loses Its Shine The plan called for the helicopters

to land the entire assault force in a field adjacent to the three-building
compound, close enough to allow for a rapid deployment and establishment
of a perimeter, but not so close as to arouse immediate alarm and
provide time for escape. Courtesy of the feldmarschall, there was just one
problem—their landing zone was under water.
The idea of setting 20,000-pound Blackhawks down in the planned

location was a non-starter with pilots and commanders alike. This alone
would have been reason enough to scrub the mission, but also to lose a
precious—and perhaps irreproducible—opportunity. Instead, the landings
were split. Bird 1, carrying Capt. Matthew Chaney, Sergeant First Class
Michael Lindsay, Staff Sgt. Jarion HalbisenGibbs and their INP counterparts
would land “on the X,” within 30 yards of the first building. Bird 2 angled for
O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N H A L B I S E N G I B
Below left: SSG HalbisenGibbs inventories captured al Qaeda
kit after contact in Samarra. Below right: April, 2007: The dome
of the famed al Askari mosque is gone; Minaret and clock tower
were destroyed sometime later. Bottom: A Blackhawk flies over
the outskirts of Samarra.
O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N H A L B I S E N G I B B S
O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N
the next closest safe landing zone—roughly 300 meters from the compound.
Bird 3 stayed aloft as an aerial quick reaction force.
As they left Bird 1, Chaney, Lindsay, HalbisenGibbs and their INP force
were about to engage the enemy, but with only a third of the planned
strength, and essentially blind in a rotor-wash sandstorm.
On a night already unusually dark (10 percent illumination), the lack
of visibility proved challenging for the police troops who were supposed to
lead the assault. Instead, they froze. The Green Berets were equipped with
night-vision gear, and Chaney made a decision.
“… I saw no other option but to move quickly towards the enemy
and destroy them,” he said. They moved on the smallest and closest
building, which proved to be a shed. HalbisenGibbs quickly cleared
it, and the Green Berets moved on—and stepped right into contact.
As they moved toward the remaining buildings, movement
appeared at the third building 25 to 30 meters away. In the nearest
HALBISENGIBBS
doorway, a shape resolved—a man with a rifle, raised to fire. As he tried to

reach another doorway further along the building, HalbisenGibbs engaged
him with his M4.
More intense gunfire quickly filled the compound. Clearly, there was
no uncertainty on the part of the defenders, so Chaney, Lindsay and
HalbisenGibbs redoubled their efforts. Rather than regroup and rally the
INP—which they feared would give Obaeideah’s men a chance to attack
either their own helicopter or the about-to-land second UH-60 with RPGs
(or worse, to detonate a suicide bomb)—they bypassed the second building
JARION
as machine gun fire opened up from the third.

The bulk of Obaeideah’s bodyguards had now joined the fight in earnest.
Several stepped into the courtyard with AK-47s, firing as they came. The
Green Berets returned fire, killing them all. The second Blackhawk had
now landed on the far side of the compound, but brought with it another
|
rotorwash cloud.
Chaney, Lindsay and HalbisenGibbs had reached the door of the third
CHROMIUM
building—the most likely to contain Abu Obaeideah. Chaney gave the signal
to enter. HalbisenGibbs, on point, fired through the cracked-open door and
followed his shots with a fragmentation grenade, waited for the detonation,
and pushed into the room. He ran into a hail of gunfire: His night vision,
communication equipment and dominant hand were hit. Chaney and
Lindsay followed close behind, and both were also hit—Chaney in the pelvis,
O P E R AT I O N
Lindsay in the throat and abdomen—but both kept firing into the room. In
only seconds the Green Berets had neutralized multiple insurgents, but not
before one mortally wounded enemy dropped the hand grenade he was
preparing to throw—von Moltke again.
The resulting explosion launched Lindsay and Chaney back through
the building’s door. HalbisenGibbs, partially entangled in the feet of a
dead bodyguard, was thrown into the corner of the room, landing atop a
still-resisting foe. Only feet from the grenade’s detonation, it took several
seconds for the room to clear sufficiently for HalbisenGibbs to regain his
bearings and assess “the now chaotic structure,” all while subduing the
fighter beneath him.
HalbisenGibbs was
HE SHOT HALBISENGIBBS WITH A then hit by more
HANDGUN FROM ABOUT 12 FEET gunfire, this time in
AWAY, STRIKING HIM JUST BELOW the right foot.
Chaney and
HIS CHEST PLATE. Lindsay continued
to engage outside,
but both were now seriously wounded. Lindsay, too weakened by blood loss
from his wounds and the resultant vomiting and hyperventilation to hold his
M4, nevertheless drew his sidearm and continued to fire. Chaney, crawling
due to his fractured pelvis and broken tailbone, found scant cover and
engaged a remaining Obaeideah bodyguard who was firing from a second
entrance to the building. Killing him, he continued to cover the doorway. The
second assault force had now arrived from their more distant landing zone,
and Chaney directed them to clear the second structure, which they had
bypassed in their initial assault.
HalbisenGibbs had finished clearing the main room of building three by
now, despite his compromised night vision, and emerged to check on his
comrades. Chaney was against an outer wall and at least slightly secure
in his position. “Mike was out in the middle of the courtyard, and making
sounds you never want to hear from your brother,” HalbisenGibbs said.
As he approached Lindsay, however, the shade of von Moltke rose again.
A last enemy materialized in the second doorway of building three, but
out of Chaney’s line of fire. He shot HalbisenGibbs with a handgun from
about 12 feet away, striking him just below his chest plate.
“I think the guy was actually shooting at Mike but hit me,” he said. “Still,
it’s a perfect example of how your training takes over, how muscle memory
kicks in and all the range time truly pays off. The bullet felt like an electrical
shock going through my guts and then my hip popped out. I did a reflexive
fire drill and was able to eliminate the threat to both of us with my M4.”
BIRD TWO LZ PLANNED LZ
(300 M FROM TARGET) (SUBMERGED)
TION CHROMIUM | JARION HALBISENGIBBS O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A
HOW A PLAN DIES: BIRD ONE LZ
OPERATION
(30 M FROM TARGET)
CHROMIUM
6
9 11 2
5 3
10 8
7 4
BUILDING 3
BUILDING 2
1 Chaney, Lindsay and HalbisenGibbs and Iraqi National
Police (INP) to Building 1; HalbisenGibbs clears, exits; Team
turns toward Building 2.
2 Team heads toward Building 2, second brown-out
begins, stalling INP due to poor visibility.
RION HALBISENGIBBS
3 Al Qaeda bodyguards begin firing, unclear from where,
armed bodyguard appears at closest door of Building 3 and
) is engaged (KIA) by HalbisenGibbs.
4 More al Qaeda bodyguards emerge from the closest
door of Building 3; Lindsay engages the first (KIA), second
(KIA) by both Chaney and HalbisenGibbs.
5 HalbisenGibbs preps a fragmentation grenade and
throws it through the door; after detonation, HalbisenGibbs,
Chaney and Lindsay enter Building 3.
6 HalbisenGibbs, Chaney and Lindsay are immediately
heavily engaged and return fire. All are hit: Lindsay (throat,
abdomen), Chaney (pelvis), HalbisenGibbs (master hand).
Al Qaeda grenade detonates, Chaney and Lindsay blown
back out through doorway, HalbisenGibbs thrown to the
corner of the room; hit again (foot), recovers and finishes
clearing the room (9 al Qaeda KIA), exits Building 3.
1 7 HalbisenGibbs returns to courtyard, verbally updates
Assault Team 2 (comms, half of NOD lost in grenade
detonation). Chaney’s and Lindsay’s injuries are obviously
severe. Chaney is engaged from second doorway of
Building 3, returns fire, al Qaeda KIA.
8 Chaney crawls to limited cover of Building 3 wall.
HalbisenGibbs goes to Lindsay to get him to cover,
engaged from second doorway. Hit in abdomen, returns
BUILDING 1 fire (al Qaeda KIA).
9 HalbisenGibbs reloads despite damaged hand, rallies
INP into courtyard.
10 Chaney and Lindsay attended by medic.
11 HalbisenGibbs reports to Team 2 again; takes out-facing
security position, awaits evac and medical attention.
Finally taking cover to reload, HalbisenGibbs rallied the INP personnel
and got them back in the fight. They, and the remainder of the assault team
from the second Blackhawk, finished securing the objective.
Generalfeldmarschall von Moltke, apparently, was finished with ODA-083
for the morning.
End Game Captain Chaney, Sergeant First Class Lindsay and Staff Sergeant
HalbisenGibbs received emergency care for their wounds on the Blackhawk
as they were evacuated, and later at Balad. Their injuries were serious
enough, however, that all three went to Landshtul, Germany, and then home
to the United States for completion of their treatment and recovery. All
eventually returned to active duty as members of Special Forces.
Operation Chromium remains a major success in the annals of
10th Group and Special Forces, despite the severity of the injuries to
members of ODA-083. Abu Obaeideah and 10 bodyguards or cell members
were killed (Obaeideah himself was among the nine killed in the main
room of building three), and they could no longer kidnap for al Qaeda
fundraising, nor harass, intimidate or kill members of the Iraqi National
Police or their families in the area.
The terrorist cell had a considerable weapons cache as well—five
rocket-propelled grenade launchers (with 20 rounds/grenades), three
PKM machine guns, 23 AK47 rifles (90 full magazines), 20 hand grenades
and other stolen or salvaged kit. Also captured was $104,000 of local
currency—a considerable “operational” resource for a group like this, and
evidence of their success in the kidnap-for-ransom game.
Three additional cell members were discovered in the second building,
along with a kidnap victim who was subsequently returned to his family.
Al Qaeda lost a “safe house”/kidnap detention facility and three vehicles.
And while Iraqi National Police were challenged in the operation’s early
stages, their presence combined with the release of the hostage helped
generate significant support from the local population. The lessons of
Operation Chromium not only paid dividends down the road in Salah ad
Din province but have also been widely disseminated through the Special
Forces community—to the benefit of many, and well beyond Iraq.
It takes no imagination whatsoever to assess the value of the efforts
of Chaney, Lindsay and HalbisenGibbs in the eyes of their peers. For their
Right: For their actions, SSG Jarion HalbisenGibbs

received the Distinguished Service Cross; SFC
Michael Lindsay and CPT Matthew Chaney
received the Silver Star.
O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N H A L B I S E N G I B
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valor, Captain Chaney and Sergeant First Class Lindsay received the Silver Star.
Staff Sergeant HalbisenGibbs was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
In retrospect, however, HalbisenGibbs (now Master Sergeant) speaks pointedly.
“It was truly humbling to be honored with that award,” he said. “Warrior culture
reveres the sacrifices of our forefathers and the lessons passed on from generation
to generation, but we are only able to accomplish what we have by standing on the
shoulders of giants.
“Unfortunately there tends to be a ‘more’ or ‘less’ perception when it comes to
awards and actions on the objective, but combat doesn’t work like that. None of us
would have survived without the others. We were all seriously wounded, but still did
what we had to do to win. The Team is what mattered, and the Team is what carried
the day.”
Which brings us back, just maybe, to where we started.
Many plans did not survive contact that September night. But the worst by far
was for those who did not reckon on the Green Berets of ODA-083.
O P E R AT I O N C H R O M I U M | J A R I O N H A L B I S E N G I B B S

Jumping from a perfectly good airplane
isn’t for everyone. But at a recent Jumping
For A Purpose event celebrating those
who have honorably served our country,
jumping made perfect sense.
Story and Photos
JUMPING
By RICK STEWART
J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > JUMPI

G FOR JOY
I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > JUMPING FOR
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Jason Redman,
Retired Navy SEAL
and founder of
Wounded Wear
J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > JUM

JUMPING FOR JOY
ast spring, I parachuted into the Arizona desert

just outside of Sedona with my daughter. This
tranquil little slice of terra firma with its red
rock monolith formations, teeming cacti and
beautiful sunrises is a sight to behold, even
at ground level. But you haven’t truly seen
Sedona at its best until you’ve launched
yourself from a plane and captured
its tranquil beauty from a birds-eye
perspective while floating in lazy circles
above the earth.
I shared images of that jump with family and friends, only to hear
what those who jump often hear: “Who in their right mind jumps from a
perfectly good airplane?” To which I responded: “Those who love life and
want to experience every exhilarating minute of it!”
Those thoughts came rushing back to me recently when good friend
and courageous former warrior Jason Redman invited me and the NRA
Life of Duty/NRA American Warrior team to witness “exhilaration” on a
whole new level in an event called Jumping For A Purpose.
Redman founded his non-profit, Wounded Wear, to support the
heroes and families of warriors from every conflict coping with the loss
of life and limb. A retired Navy SEAL and purple-heart combat veteran
whose face and body sustained disfiguring injuries from the night he
nearly died in Iraq, Redman knew from the moment he awoke in a
hospital bed at Bethesda Naval Hospital that self-pity was not an option
for him. And he realized that life moving forward must involve ways of
supporting those impacted by war’s cruel fate.
PI NG FOR JOY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > JUMPING FO

Kimberly Perry
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of The Band Perry
entertains the crowd
with a high-energy
performance.
While still in that hospital bed, Redman handcrafted a sign for his
door that even caught the attention of President George W. Bush and
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. It read, in part:
“Attention to all who enter here, if you are coming into this room
with sorrow or to feel sorry for my wounds, go elsewhere. The wounds
I received I got in a job I love, doing it for people I love, supporting
the freedom of a country I deeply love.”
Having endured nearly 40 surgeries, months of rehab and
From quad achieving his goal of returning to active duty, Redman is not just the
amputees to figurehead of another 501(c)3 organization helping warriors. He is a
walking, talking real-life success story who is using his experiences to
catastrophic make a difference in the lives of others.
burn victims, Jumping For A Purpose is now in its fifth year. This year’s event
nearly every was conducted in cooperation with the USO’s Patriotic Festival in
Virginia Beach, Va.—a celebration that featured an air show, military
imaginable demonstrations and entertainment from chart-topping entertainers
injury was like Little Big Town and The Band Perry. Jason and his team at
Wounded Wear secured a hangar at a nearby airport and invited
represented at warriors, their families and 71 participant jumpers from their ranks
this event. Yet, from all over the country to jump together for the purpose of “living
greatly” and remembering those lost to war. Jumpers included
it wasn’t a pity parents, children and siblings of fallen heroes, as well as warriors who
party by any were injured, disfigured and debilitated by the loss of limbs or sight.
From quad amputees to catastrophic burn victims, nearly every
stretch of the imaginable injury was represented at this event. Yet, it wasn’t a pity
imagination: party by any stretch of the imagination: It was a celebration of life itself.
Shelby-Grace Arnette, the sister of Army Staff Sgt. Jason Russell
It was a Arnette, was on hand to honor her brother, who was killed by a
celebration of roadside IED in Iraq in 2007. Nearly seven years since she lost her
brother, Arnett said this was the first time she had been invited to
life itself. an event made up of others families like hers, or warriors who could
relate to her brother’s service and sacrifice.
“Having suffered alone in many ways,” Shelby said, “those back
home, if not Americans in general, have a tendency to move on. This
is the first time I have been around other families that have lost loved
ones or were wounded themselves in conflict.”
JUMPIN
J U M PI NG FOR JOY >
JUMPING FOR JOY
J U M P I N G F O R J OY >
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Wounded Wear
Founder Jason
Redman adjusts
his altimeter as
he readies himself
for another jump.
Shelby-Grace
Arnette is all
U.S. Marine David Bixler smiles as she
enjoys the festivities at prepares to jump
this year’s Jumping for a in honor of her
F O R J OY >
Purpose event. fallen brother,

Army SSgt Jason
Arnette.
JUMPING
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . . Triple amputee Marine
. . . . Cpl. Tyler Southern rocks
. . . . his Captain America hat
. . . . and a super hero grin
. . . . as he is fitted with his

parachute harness; his
. . . . wife, Ashley, and their son
pose for a picture before
watching Tyler jump.
Former Army Ranger
Michael Schlitz gives a
“two hooks up” sign of
approval as he heads for
F O R J OY >
the awaiting jump plane.

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JUMPING FOR JOY

It proved to be a safe place for her emotions. Everyone gathered,
in one way or another, had experienced loss at some level.
“I didn’t know any of these people before I got here,” she said,
“but in many ways it feels like I have known them a long time. I
met other Gold Star sisters, and it’s been an amazing blessing. I no
longer feel alone.”
For Arnette, jumping from an aircraft for the first time was
not only a way to face her own fears but also a way to honor her
brother’s sacrifice by jumping in his place. Yet Schlitz’s
“I know he’d be proud of me,” she said. “I know he’s watching.”
Two of the wounded warriors on hand—Army Sgt. 1st Class identity now is
Michael Schlitz and Marine Cpl. Tyler Southern—are men who clearly visible
Redman holds in highest regard for their service and sacrifice.
Both men are ambassadors for Wounded Wear because of their to others by
contagious smiles and positive outlook on life. the size of
Schlitz is a former Army Ranger who served with the 75th
Ranger Regiment. Riding in a Humvee looking for IEDs in Iraq,
his heart,
Schlitz and his team came across an IED/EFP made from two his can-do
artillery shells attached to a propane tank. The incendiary projectile
went through the vehicle, taking off both of his arms below the
spirit and the
elbow before igniting the inside of the vehicle, killing every other daily courage
soldier on board. Schlitz, on fire, was thrown from the vehicle and
suffered burns over 85 percent of his body.
he exhibits
He lost his ears, nose and most of the facial features we in never
associate with identity. Yet Schlitz’s identity now is clearly visible to letting what
others by the size of his heart, his can-do spirit and the daily courage
he exhibits in never letting what happened to him define his days happened to
moving forward. He is simply inspiring. him define his
Southern was only 20 years old when he stepped on an IED while
serving in Afghanistan. The blast cost him both legs above the knee days moving
and one arm above the elbow. He almost lost his other arm, retaining forward. He
just three fingers.
“Tyler Southern is the epitome of ‘the overcoming spirit,’ and is simply
lives life everyday with a purpose that doesn’t look back to what inspiring.
could have been, but what is,” Schlitz said of his friend. “He does
not let his wounds or disabilities define him.”
After Southern’s injuries, a high school friend came to help as
his non-medical attendant so his father could return to work. Ashley
fell in love with Southern’s spirit for living and married him, never
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G FOR
> JUMPIN
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OY >
G FOR J
> JUMPIN
M P I N G FOR JOY
> JU
R JOY
PING FO
Group hugs turn into a group

photo op for the jumpers and their
supportive family members.
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> J
P I N G F OR JOY
> JUM
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considering his visible appearance and physical limitations. She looked

upon his heart, and she saw the man within. They not only wed, but they
have since had a son.
“I can’t change May 5, 2010,” he said. “But I have a lot to say about
what happens in 2014, 2015 and beyond.”
Southern’s outlook is a pragmatic one. He knows all of life won’t be
rosy, but he also realizes that pushing forward is the best option.
“There is a part of you after a tragedy like this that wants to convince
you that your life is over and done,” he said. “But it is events like Jumping
For a Purpose that help you realize that life has no limits, other than
those you impose upon yourself.
“It’s easy to buy into the notion that there will be no joy again—there
will be no thrills again—but it’s not true. But keeping it real, life will always
be a roller coaster for all of us. Things will suck again on this roller coaster
we all call life, with highs and lows, victories and defeats. But they can
all be managed for each of us by the way we choose to live forward
through them.”
Shelby-Grace As our camera crew roamed the two-day event speaking with families,
Arnette and Michael wounded warriors and event sponsors, it became clear there was
Schlitz give each something different about this event. First, there was a genuine focus on
other congratulatory giving every jumper the experience of a lifetime. Yet there was also a very
hugs after purposeful effort made to provide every family member or friend on the
completing their ground a safe, relaxing environment where they could share.
jumps.
Colorful canopies The longer the current conflicts have continued—and the bigger some
filled the sky all organizations that support wounded warriors have grown—not all have
day as planeload represented these warriors and their families in the most ethical of ways.
after planeload of Several of the warriors and their families shared experiences they have
healing jumpers fell had with organizations that seemed centered around guilt and the “woe is
toward earth and the me” aspect of the wounded warrior.
applause of waiting “We need America’s help and continued support,” one wounded vet
friends and family. explained, “but we are not looking for anybody’s pity. Commercials that
use wounded warriors and their wounds to guilt people into giving are
some of the worst at actually doing anything for the folks who need it.”
Most Americans respect the military and want to help. But as war
drags on, and now as it winds down, the general public tends to move on,
lose focus and finally forget. But for those who have served—those who
lost loved ones, lost limbs, were burned, disfigured or otherwise disabled
by conflict—life does not continue on as normal.
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M PI NG FOR JOY >
JUMPING FOR JOY

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JUMPING FOR JOY
J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY >

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“Limbs won’t grow back,” Redman said. “The scars—both physical

and emotional—may fade, but will never completely go away. The
invisible wounds of war, the nightmares and emotional issues suffered
by warriors, don’t magically vanish when the bullets stop flying.”
Those touched by Wounded Wear events like Jumping For A
Purpose see Redman as one who really “gets it.” They know Jason
is a wounded veteran himself, and has experienced their journey
and sufferings. They also know that everything related to wounded
warriors, veterans and their families cannot be solved by the Veterans
Administration or shouldered by government, alone.
Redman believes that all events and organizations that support
veterans should be built around certain important principles or “pillars.”
“Support on any level should stand or be self-supported by the
pillars that Wounded Wear is built upon—the principles of pride, power, He used the
purpose and peace. People need to belong, need to be empowered,
need to have reasons for moving forward and need to come to terms awkward look
with their life moving forward. Nothing less really works.” we gave him
On the event’s second day, we again caught up with Redman—this
time looking a little out of place at his own jump event. He was walking over the tux
around in a tuxedo and a pink tutu—not his preferred method of dress, and tutu to
but taking one for the team.
During another recent Wounded Wear event, Redman needed
explain the
to loosen the wallets of some of the attendees. He realizes how adjustment that
expensive it is to host these kinds of events and make them special. most who have
That night he stood up in the room and asked them to give, promising
that if they would collect a certain amount of money before evening’s been scarred
end he would jump in a tux or a tutu—their choice. The attendees
raised that money and then some, so they decided he should wear
by war must
both. True to his word, he made one of his many jumps that day in make.
that attire.
Of course, having people stare at him is nothing new to Redman.
He used the awkward look we gave him over the tux and tutu to explain
the adjustment that most who have been scarred by war must make.
Southern has also come to terms with those who sometimes stare
at his injuries, which are impossible to hide.
“Shortly after the incident, one of the hardest things to deal with
was the stares and comments by kids,” Southern said. “They see this
oddly shaped individual and just blurt the words that come to them.
They don’t mean harm—they are just kids being kids.”
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OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY > J U M P I N G F O R J OY >
He has learned to embrace his injuries and now

encourages parents to let their kids come forward and
ask him questions. He doesn’t give the kids the gruesome
details. But he does share that, despite what’s missing, he
has the two most important body parts for living—his heart and
head. He also likes to feed them an occasional tease, holding
out a nub and saying something like, “See I should have eaten my
vegetables like Mom said.”
In fact, his demeanor, smile and laughter are contagious. He is
not afraid to don a silly hat or roll up to a crowd of kids and let them
examine his wounds and ask any question they want.
“Let’s help every veteran gain closure and come

to know that life is still out there and that they
can live a blessed and full life, despite their
injuries and setbacks.”
“My goal,” he says, “is to touch as many lives as possible. If my smile makes
you smile, life is good. If my smile makes another person smile, then it hasn’t
been a wasted day.”
In fact, smiles are what make Redman feel satisfaction without the need for
people to pat his back or tout the success of his events.
“Don’t give the wounded an excuse to bail,” he said. “Let’s keep finding ways
to give them all a reason to live. Let’s help every veteran gain closure and come
to know that life is still out there and that they can live a blessed and full life,
despite their injuries and setbacks.”
As we stood on the ocean shore that night in Virginia Beach, The Band Perry
was taking the stage and American heroes were launching themselves from
perfectly good airplanes toward the thousands of spectators below. Some were
missing parts. But none—even those watching—missed the point.
A giant American flag unfurled and descended with the jumpers. Oh, how
beautiful is that flag and this nation we live in—all made possible, and kept that
way, by the blood and sacrifice of heroes just like those floating our way.
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JUMPING FOR JOY

How a former New York cop who
N
“used to come for your guns” gained
respect for the Second Amendment.
B AT T L E S
BY JOH N J. CAR DI LLO

former NYPD officer
ot long ago, I wrote a Never did

column for TheBlaze I expect the
overwhelming
website about my support I received
time with the NYPD and how it was the catalyst for my from current and
Second Amendment evolution. retired police
and military personnel. My inbox was flooded with email upon email from
people who felt exactly the same way. Many grew up pro-gun, so to them I
was preaching to the choir. Yet many, like me, didn’t. And like me, they also
worked in agencies that were notoriously anti-gun, yet they experienced a
similar evolution.
Encouraged by this newfound support, I decided to dig a little deeper.
One of the points I found most interesting was the correlation, albeit non-
scientific, between cops who worked in the worst areas later becoming the
strongest pro-gun advocates.
I’m talking about guys like retired NYPD Detective Anthony Agnelli,
a veteran of Bronx Patrol and Manhattan North Narcotics, who nicely
explained to me why he is pro-gun.
“In all my years as a city detective, I never encountered a law-abiding
gun owner using a firearm in a negative way,” Agnelli told me. “I’ve been in
several shootings. I was stabbed in the chest. I’m also not anti-knife.”
I’m talking about guys like me.
In the 1990s, I was assigned to the NYPD’s 46th Precinct in
B AT T L E S the south Bronx. Our command was known for having a high
violent crime rate, especially armed robberies and assaults. Our
command was even called “The Most Dangerous Square Mile in America” by
Time magazine, and “The Alamo,” by those of us who worked there.
Crime in New York City was at an all-time high back then. During Mayor
David Dinkins’ time in office, murder and violent crime rates were off the
charts. And, just as it is today, the city made it nearly impossible for private
citizens to carry a firearm for self-defense. Even obtaining a permit to
simply own a handgun was, and is, a burdensome task.
While Rudy Giuliani did a great job of reducing crime after his 1993
election, he left the draconian gun laws in place. I suspect the city would
have been, and still would be, even safer had he made it easier for good
people to buy firearms.
As a rookie cop who grew up in
I SUSPECT THE CITY WOULD NYC, I was conditioned to believe
HAVE BEEN, AND STILL that gun control and strict gun
WOULD BE, EVEN SAFER HAD laws reduced crime and protected
people. Politicians sponsoring gun
HE MADE IT EASIER FOR control measures presented logical
GOOD PEOPLE TO OBTAIN enough arguments to me. Why
FIREARMS. would I want criminals to have easy
access to guns? Gun laws were
good things, weren’t they?
As ashamed as I am to admit it, at the time I didn’t give any thought
to self-defense. I was an armed cop, woefully out of touch with unarmed
citizens in terms of personal security. Regretfully, I didn’t understand just
how important the Second Amendment was back then.
My mindset was one of, “We are the cops. We have guns. You don’t need
one. We will protect you.”
I would soon find out how wrong I was.
I quickly learned in both the academy and my rookie field training that
|AN
A N N YC C O P TA K E S A S E C O N D LO O K
the police rarely get there in time to stop a crime. A 9-1-1 call is reactive
to either a crime in progress or a past crime—meaning a victim is being, or
has already been, created.
Shortly into my first year on patrol,
my Second Amendment evolution
began. I began to question what I had
been taught. Here I was, a kid in his IF CRIMINALS DON’T
early 20s, permitted to carry a firearm CARE ABOUT KILLING
unrestricted, 24/7. But people far
more mature and responsible than me
COPS, THAT MOM
were prohibited from doing the same.
DROPPING HER KIDS
They didn’t have the same ability to AT THE SCHOOL BUS
protect themselves and their families DOESN’T STAND A
as I did. Yet, the bad guys had all the CHANCE.
guns they wanted.
Suddenly, restrictive gun laws
stopped making sense.
|
After a shooting incident in 1994, things began to crystallize even
further. I started to think, “If these criminals don’t care about killing cops,
that mom dropping her kids at the school bus doesn’t stand a chance.
She needs a gun.”
That 1994 incident was the first of several in which I had to either fire
my gun or was fired upon. It was an unusual tour that I didn’t at least have
to draw my weapon as a precaution.
After seeing victim upon victim, I began to realize how different things
would have been for many of them had they been armed. The very few legal
NYC gun owners I came across had won their confrontations with criminals.
When the person with the gun often emerging as the winner in
confrontations becomes a common denominator, the logical conclusion
isn’t a stretch: Criminals don’t follow gun laws. If an attacker has a gun and
you don’t, he will most likely win. If the good guy has a gun, the outcome is
usually much better than when only the bad guy is armed.
But gut feelings and opinions don’t shape public policy. Things like
history, facts and expert testimony do. My mission became finding those key
people and elements needed to win the gun debate.
Dr. Adam Dobrin and Dr. Benjamin Dobrin are identical twin brothers,
college professors and reserve deputy sheriff and reserve police officer,
respectively. They gave me one of the most interesting perspectives I’ve
heard in support of the Second Amendment.
B AT T L E S “As we are both graduates of the College of William and
Mary, we are both familiar with the Williamsburg Gunpowder
Incident of 1775, and understand that oppressive governments disarm
their citizenry, while a free nation is founded upon an armed populace,”
they told me.
Wait a minute—Ph.D. college professors who are also cops and pro-gun
academics? Yes, they exist,
and there are others like them.
But you won’t hear about them
I DON’T CARRY A GUN DAILY in the “mainstream” media,
BECAUSE I WAS A COP. I CARRY because people like the Dobrin
brothers, and their credentials,
A GUN DAILY BECAUSE AS A terrify the anti-gun left.
COP, I SAW WHAT HAPPENED Another interesting data point
TO VICTIMS WHO DIDN’T. I’ve been observing—and that
the anti-gunners try to bury
with groups like those backed
by Michael Bloomberg—is the
growing trend of women purchasing firearms for self-defense and obtaining
concealed carry licenses.
This is a proven trend, yet data points are static and one-dimensional. So
I talked to some real women to find out why they were pro-gun.
“As a single mom raising my daughter, I never realized how vulnerable we
were,” Mom and retired NYC Police Officer Elizabeth McGrory Manning told
me. “Living without power for eight days after Hurricane Sandy in a secluded
area left me scared and worried. Someone siphoned the gas out of my
car in my driveway. It was the first time I truly realized how important the
Second Amendment is.”
McGrory Manning said it isn’t about the gun; rather it is about the ability
to protect life and property.
“It has been said time and time again, but guns do not kill people,” she
said. “And as a retired police officer, I can speak with authority. Killers with
guns kill people—most often, illegal guns. My choice may not be acceptable
|AN
to someone else, and that is OK. Differences make the world go round.
“But don’t let your choice affect the safety and well-being of my family. I
do not want to live in a world where only the bad guys have guns. I do not
want to feel vulnerable ever again.”
I heard similar remarks—again rock-solid logical—when I spoke with
Heather Lynn Marchese, founder and CEO of 1 Million Moms Against
Gun Control.
“We empower Moms to protect their families,” Marchese said. “It’s why
we formed the organization. It is baffling to us how a state like New York
penalizes nine rounds in a magazine more severely than they do certain
sexual offenses against children. When the government chooses to impose
more severe penalties on us than on those who would seek to hurt our
families, we as Moms must stand up and be heard.”
Comments like those from McGrory Manning and Marchese clarify why
gun-ban proponents become hysterical every time pro-gun rights groups
have the opportunity to speak out. They fear having no logical retort to
these impenetrable arguments—arguments not from those they love to call
|
“gun-nuts,” but from Moms who just want to protect their kids.
With my law enforcement career behind me, when I now ponder ways
to best protect Americans, certain choices are quite clear. Find more guys
like the Dobrin brothers and get them in front of legislators. Support groups
like the NRA and 1 Million Moms Against Gun Control. Write columns like
this one to advocate and act on behalf of the Second Amendment and the
rights of Americans to protect themselves and their families.
I’ll close with my favorite piece of advice that I hope you will take
to heart.
I don’t carry a gun daily because I was a cop. I carry a gun daily
because as a cop, I saw what happened to the victims who didn’t.
John J. Cardillo is a former New York City police officer

and the founder and CEO of PsyID, the leading provider
of actionable social media intelligence and analytics. He is
a regular guest lecturer to criminology students at Florida
Atlantic University. Follow him on Twitter @johncardillo

The battle for your firearm freedom rages
every day. Here’s how to enlist in the fight:
B AT T L E S
NRA’s Institute for

Legislative Action
can keep you updated on
the fight for freedom here at
home, no matter where duty
takes you. Visit the
NRA-ILA website to
register to vote, write
your lawmakers or
to sign up for email
alerts detailing timely
political and legislative
information. And come
back often—there’s always
new information of interest.
NRANews.com offers live daily

programming featuring the latest
Second Amendment news, as well as a
bevy of new, young commentators who
offer a unique take on the right to
keep and bear arms. Find the latest
from Cam Edwards, Ginny Simone,
and NRA Commentators Colion
Noir, Dom Raso, Natalie Foster
and Billy Johnson at NRANews.com.
HOW TO GET IN THE
FIGHTON THE
HOME
FRONT
Art can provide an outlet for
troubled veterans—and help beautify
communities in the process.
PHOTO BY RYAN WELCH/AO CREATIVE
ELDER H
HEART
ELDER
HEART
20-foot sculpture of 22 leaves stands

in the center of Nashville, Ind.,
impossible to miss by those passing
by. But its significant meaning—and
the significant connection to the
hands that built it—also should
not be missed.
The piece was sculpted and assembled by veterans
who served America with honor and distinction. Its 22 leaves
symbolically represent the 22 veterans who take their own
lives each day, on average, in this country. It is a work of
remembrance and sacrifice, yet also a work of hope
and healing.
The two-story-tall sculpture is not a piece that proclaims
the accomplishments and heroic feats of the veterans who
crafted it, but rather the far too silent afflictions of those who
are suffering—and the tragic end of those who can no longer
speak for themselves.
It is the work of heroes connected to a non-profit
organization called Elder Heart, a group that is touching
hearts in far more ways than one.
EART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///
The sculpture’s
22 leaves signify the
mettle and decorated
nature of the
22 veterans a day
on average who
tragically take their
own lives.
Tom Spooner of
Elder Heart speaks
with local sculptor
Jim Connor at
the presentation
ceremony in
Nashville, Ind.
PHOTOS BY RYAN ROSSMAN /AO CREATIVE
HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART /
Former Special Forces soldier Magnus Johnson mingles with the
local kids during one of his many deployments.
The Elder Heart leadership team, all former Special Forces Green
Beret, during various deployments (right to left): Magnus Johnson
blending in; Mike Kissel and Magnus Johnson rolling ATV style; and,
Tom Spooner aboard a helicopter.
ELDER
HEART
A GROWING PROBLEM
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 22 veterans take
their own lives each day—the highest suicide rate among veterans
in recorded American history. That staggering number topples the
number of warriors, on average, killed each year in actual combat.
More warriors dying at their own hands than at the hands of our
enemies, suggests that not all enemies are foreign, and that the
methods we are using to treat Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) need serious attention.
What’s even more shocking is that the

number represented in the 22 deaths
comes only from the 21 states that
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAGNUS JOHNSON AND TOM SPOONER
are willing to share that data with the

government, and doesn’t even include
states like California, Texas and Illinois.
What’s even more shocking is that the number represented in
the 22 deaths comes only from the 21 states that are willing to
share that data with the government, and doesn’t even include states
like California, Texas and Illinois. That’s a likely indicator that the
number of suicides among our veterans each year is almost certainly
significantly higher.
There are many reasons for these high suicide numbers, but likely
none stronger than the perceived stigma attached to warriors who are
considering seeking help. Reprisal, retribution, ridicule and removal
are real deterrents to any open-door solution. Most warriors don’t
want to be removed from the frontline, tip-of-the-spear callings that
they have dutifully earned should they admit to any shortcomings,
physical weaknesses or psychological challenges. No warrior wants
to fly a desk, lose a rating, be pulled from their team or be added to
a list that might restrict a security clearance, operational readiness
classification or even access to firearms all together.
ELDER
HEART
I have a significant number of friends currently serving within the most
elite units and teams of our military who willingly admit to me their real fear
for what doctors and psychologists might unveil if they voluntarily, or even
involuntarily, allowed themselves to be evaluated.
There has to be a better way of connecting veterans with the resources
and help they need before their problems result in death or injury to
themselves. Yet not every veterans
organization, non-profit or other
Elder Heart is an well-meaning endeavor created to support
excellent example of a our soldiers and vets can provide the
necessary end-all solution for stopping this
veteran-owned, veteran- horrific trend, in part because there is no
based organization that one-size-fits-all solution to the problem. The
needs, treatments, help and answers are as
is making a significant diverse as the individuals suffering.
difference in the lives Hundreds of organizations—501(c)3
and others—now exist that provide
of veterans looking retreat, relaxation and even challenging
for ways to express opportunities for wounded/suffering
veterans. Their merit, benefits and even
themselves with as few measurable success is not in question.
words as possible. But many veterans living among us are
suffering from wounds and afflictions that
can’t be seen. And many are falling deeper
and deeper into the depressions of their own internal hell because they
can’t, won’t or don’t know how to express their personal issues and needs.
“I would drive away from my house and become lost,” one warfighter
told me. “I couldn’t remember where I was going or why I left in the first
place, let alone how to get home. It was frightening that I could will myself
through any challenge needed to become a piece of this elite military
organization I was a part of, but I couldn’t will myself through this. I wasn’t
manic, suffering from flashbacks or dangerous to others, I just wasn’t firing
on all cylinders all the time. And I couldn’t figure out why.”
HELP THROUGH ART

Elder Heart is an excellent example of a veteran-owned, veteran-based
organization that is making a significant difference in the lives of veterans
looking for ways to express themselves with as few words as possible. Like
EART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART //
A veteran
and project
volunteer uses
a power sander
to “take the
edge off” one
of the many
leaves.
PHOTOS BY RYAN WELCH/AO CREATIVE

ELDER
HEART
Jim Connor teaches
a volunteer how to use
the torch while cutting
through steel.
Elder Heart Treasurer

and former Special
Forces soldier Mike
Kissel cuts a leaf from
a 500-pound piece of
PHOTO BY RYAN ROSSMAN/AO CREATIVE
steel.
ER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELD

DER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELD
Click the photo below to view

the build slideshow.
ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// E
ELDER
HEART
ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART /////
Jim Connor, Mike Kissel and a volunteer metal smith

a piece of steel that will become the stem of a leaf.
ELDER
HEART
ER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELD
Taking a break to take in their accomplishments and labor

are (right to left) Magnus Johnson, a project volunteer and
sculptor Jim Connor.
DER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELD

This page and right: Many hands make light
work. Magnus and his team of vets start
to assemble the leaves outside the Brown
County visitor center in Nashville, Ind.
T ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART /////
ELDER
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ELDER HEART
HEART PHOTOS BY RYAN WELCH/AO CREATIVE
many of the quiet professionals in need of such opportunity, Elder Heart

is not a drum-banging, chest-pounding entity. Quietly, the organization
administers love and opportunity for healing in the expressive form of art.
“We had a Vietnam vet contact us about being a part of the sculpture
project we were doing in Nashville,” said Magnus Johnson, CEO and
founder of Elder Heart, “He was adamant that he needed to be involved
so we invited him in to help. He welded, banged metal and cried as he
contributed to the project as a labor of love. Only he will truly know how it
helped him on his emotional journey, but it did.”
Elder Heart was formed earlier this year by veterans for veterans as
a means of helping those in need to connect, express and even interact
with the communities where they live by creating works of art that speak
to their service and provide a lasting testimony to their sacrifice, service
and time in uniform. The group describes its mission as follows:
“Our hope is simply this: Let’s raise interest in our communities and local
artisans. Let’s pay respect to our warriors and be the change we need in our lives
by taking action, by making steps and by having something that recognizes our
belief in ourselves and the members of our home. We will take responsibility for
ourselves and our lives. Elder Heart is just a facilitator of what we already are
and want to be. We will create works of public art for the purpose of healing our
community and empowering our veterans through the experience of creating art.
It is false to think that the pain of war is a veteran’s problem. It is a cultural and
human problem that affects everyone. We are here in order to create a healing
experience for others, we need to experience it for ourselves as well.”
The group’s three founders all served in Special Forces units and elite
capacities within the military. President/CEO Magnus Johnson is a former
Special Forces Green Beret with eight years of service and three combat
tours (two in Afghanistan, one in Iraq). His own personal re-integration to
civilian life and the first-hand encounters of fellow warfighters choosing to
end their lives compelled him to act.
“I was angry with some of the stuff going on with the treatment of
returning veterans, and veterans in general,” Magnus said. “But I was
ELDER
HEART
also forced to confront my own words and feelings about what a
government’s role is. We can’t just keep blaming the government for
everything or expecting the government to solve all our woes. We need
a grassroots, bottom-up solution to the issues facing our veterans, as
well as the government’s top-down approach.
“This should never be a right-left, liberal-conservative type issue.
America sends its sons and daughters off to war. Whether you are
pro-war, anti-war or somewhere in-between has little to do with our
responsibility to help those who served us. I knew I couldn’t just sit
there and be angry about the VA or the 22 veterans killing themselves
each day—I had to get off my laurels and do
something. And that something was Elder Heart.”
Whether you Tom Spooner, the vice president of Elder Heart,
are pro-war, is a 21-year combat veteran who served in the U.S.
Army Special Operations Command as a Green Beret
anti-war or for 15 years, including 40 months of direct contact
somewhere operations. Diagnosed with severe and chronic
PTSD and TBI, he has sought help and continues to
in-between has work through his own personal battle with both. He
little to do with knows that it takes veterans to help veterans, and is
incredibly sensitive and acutely aware of the needs
our responsibly to help our veterans without labels, stereotypes and
to help those one-size-fits-all solutions or labels.
Which is exactly what the creation of art does.
who served us. Today federal, state, municipal and even corporate
leaders have made the arts an important segment of
their growth and development. Cities, universities, public schools and
private companies are all increasingly mandating the use of public
and private dollars to expand art, in its various forms of expression, for
social value and growth.
Those at Elder Heart believe that art is a perfect vehicle and
fantastic mechanism for connecting veterans with their communities.
Art is expressive on so many levels, but can be accomplished without
dividing people along political, social or any other lines. Magnus and
the others at Elder Heart knew that they could create works of art that
transcend all of that, and that speak to everyone in the community.
The Nashville, Ind., sculpture is a perfect example. Each year,
thousands of tourist travel through the community just to experience
ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER PHOTO BY RYAN WELCH/AO CREATIVE
Jim Connor welding

one of the 22 leaves in
place.
Left to right: Painter

Larry Webb, Sculptor
Jim Connor, Tom
Spooner, Magnus
Johnson, and JD
Potynsky strike a pose
in front of the finished
“Soaring” sculpture
during the dedication
ceremony.
//
ELDER
HEART
the beauty of fall color. So when community leaders reached out to Elder
Heart and agreed to let them create a sculpture in the center of town, what
could be better—for both the community and participating veterans—than
the beauty represented in the changing seasons and the significance of the
22 leaves?
City leaders provided Elder Heart a fantastic piece of real estate and
had the vision to see how a project like this could draw the community,
veterans and visitors together,
with everyone blessed by the
process. As Elder Heart got
busy raising money for the
project, companies joined in
to help support them with
materials. The results exceeded
all expectations.
Of course, art is just
the mechanism—but it is a
powerful one. Most veterans
are reluctant to share their
exploits of war (good or bad)
and are incredibly humble
about their service, sacrifice
and contributions. They went
off to war of their own volition;
they weren’t looking for praise
Click the or ticker tape parades on their
photo above return. All they truly want is to know that their countrymen care about them,
to view the that their service is appreciated and that the sacrifices they made were
dedication worth it.
slideshow. And with the help of Elder Heart, some are finding just the creative
outlet to help them begin the healing process that is so necessary for many
of our veterans trying to return to civilian life.
this new venture
our veterans, visit

www.elderheart.org.
dedicated to helping
To learn more about
/ ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER HEART ///// ELDER
H O L LY S M I T H
C H I L D S E X T R A F F I C K I N G S U R V I V O R / V I C T I M A D V O C AT E
J U LY 2 0 1 4
CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX T

PHOTO BY PAMELA LEOPOLD
THE HORRIBLE EPIDEMIC
OF CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING
ISN’T SOMETHING THAT ONLY
HAPPENS “SOMEWHERE ELSE.”
IT’S HAPPENING RIGHT
UNDER YOUR NOSE.
RAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING

H
“NOBODY EVEN CARED ENOUGH TO
SAY I’M A RUNAWAY?” SHE ASKED.

By J.R. Salzman
CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX
olly Austin Smith met Greg for the

first time at a New Jersey shopping
mall. She was only 14, between the
eighth and ninth grades. Greg was
cool looking, not at all scary. Their
first exchange was brief and to the
point: “Don’t forget this number.”
Holly and Greg spoke on the
phone for the next two weeks. From the get-go, he gave her the attention she
craved. He showered her with affection and told her how attractive she was. He
enticed her with tantalizing stories of hanging out in clubs with famous musicians
and traveling around the country. Suffering from depression and the psychological
effects of a troublesome home life, Holly was especially vulnerable.
Greg could tell. That’s why he had picked her out in the mall. Greg was a pimp,
and this was merely part of “the game.”
***
THERE IS THE INCLINATION TO THINK that child sex trafficking and prostitution only
happen in other places to other people—to bad people who make bad decisions.
Many think it’s the kind of thing that only happens in faraway places, like Nigeria or
Cambodia, not in America.
When Sgt. Byron Fassett started as an officer with the Dallas Police Department
33 years ago, he didn’t look at prostitutes as victims, and he certainly didn’t think
there were any children involved. That reality didn’t strike him until years later when
he found that not only are there many children involved in the sex trade, it’s much
worse—and much more complex—than he had ever imagined.
“Most people don’t see this because it’s designed for people not to see it,”
Fassett told me.
STUART WONG
H O L LY S M I T H
X TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING
Child sex trafficking occurs in every state and nearly every community
across the nation. Unfortunately, few—including many in law enforcement—
recognize or understand the root of the epidemic.
In 2002, Fassett realized that the methods being used to battle child
sex trafficking were ineffective because officers simply didn’t understand
the dynamics behind the child sex trade. So in 2003, he pulled 51 case
files and started looking for similarities. His ultimate goal was to answer two
questions: Why do some girls get into this horrible situation, while others
don’t? And how can these girls be spotted before they end up in child sex
trafficking?
“The commonality we saw is that 80 percent of these kids have run
away four or more times in a 12-month period,” Fassett said.
***
BEFORE TURNING 10, HOLLY WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED on a regular basis by
an older cousin who was supposed to watch her while her parents were off
drinking. She didn’t find the courage to tell her mother about it until she
was in the fourth grade. After her mother cut off contact with the cousin,
Holly was simply told to never talk about it again.
By age 14, Holly was depressed and had already run away from home
twice. The summer she met Greg, her mother was diagnosed with breast
cancer and given a 50 percent chance of survival. Holly’s parents thought
they were doing her a favor by not including her in the treatment or updates
on her status. She was given little supervision and allowed to regularly
spend the night at other people’s houses.
Holly was very afraid of transitioning from middle school to high school
after hearing horror stories of other students getting beat up. Like many
14-year-olds, Holly was impulsive. She regularly hid from the school bus
so she could hitchhike to school with random CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHIL
strangers. She now realizes it was all a cry for
attention and help.
***
ACCORDING TO THE DOJ’S National Incidence
Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and
Throwaway Children, there are nearly 1.7 million
instances of runaways every year. The vast majority
of them are age 13 to 17, and only 21 percent
are ever reported to the police as missing. A large
number are deemed “throwaways”—a name given
to children who were forced out of their home
or who ran away and were not allowed to return.
Most reported some type of trauma or unstable
situation at home.
With thousands of missing, trauma-inflicted,
emotionally vulnerable children ending up on the
streets each year, pimps have a plethora of easy
targets. One of the saddest nights Fassett recalls
occurred when he was dealing with a young sex
trafficking victim who kept telling him she was a THERE ARE NEARLY 1
ONLY 21 PERCENT AR
runaway. He repeatedly checked the system, but
couldn’t find her listed. Upon learning that no one
had ever reported her missing, she broke down
and cried.
“Nobody even cared enough to say I’m a
runaway?” she asked.
The main commonality between all the victims
isn’t race or socioeconomic status, it’s prior
trauma that forced a child to run away. Fassett
learned that children aren’t actually running to
something, they’re running from something.
“You’d be surprised how easy it is to see that H O L LY S M I T H
cause and effect,” Fassett said. “It is our belief that sex
trafficking of children is a symptom. And I’m not trying
to minimize it, but it’s a symptom, and is generally a
symptom of prior trauma.”
Oftentimes the underlying problems are sexual abuse,
physical abuse, neglect, poverty or other effects of a
broken home. The ultimate root of the sex trafficking
problem is trauma that has not been dealt with—or not

dealt with properly.
PHOTO BY TOM HUSSEY
LD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING
SGT. BYRON FASSETT
DALLAS POLICE DEPT.
J U LY 2 0 1 4
1.7 MILLION RUNAWAYS EVERY YEAR ...

RE EVER REPORTED MISSING.
Fassett’s mission:
Rescuing child sex
trafficking victims.
Smith’s focus:
Advocating for girls
trapped in the trade.
CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING
In a line of work commonly driven by protecting victims, the emotional

argument to allocate funding to help those sometimes seen as criminals
rather than victims can get little traction. Fassett had to show his
department what it was costing the City of Dallas and Dallas P.D. to not
deal with the problem of child sex trafficking. By measuring and monitoring
the economic impact, his group was able to acquire the necessary
resources to put their new strategy to battle child sex trafficking into effect.
Dallas P.D. developed a unit within their Child Exploitation Squad
that concentrates solely on child sex trafficking, or “high-risk victims” as
Fassett labeled them. In most departments, prostitution—including child
prostitution—is handled by the vice squad, where cases often end up at

the bottom of each stack below higher priority
ones. By co-mingling child sex trafficking with
other vice cases, children could easily fall through
the cracks.
Fassett, however, realized that his officers’
sole focus needed to be on victims of child sex
trafficking. His justification for such a narrow
focus is simple.
“If one of these kids is found dead, you only
have to look to one place to chop a head off, and
that’s my unit,” he said.
When dealing with victims of child sex trafficking, there is a
perception that cops can arrest their way out of the problem. But the first

measurement of success for police, according to Fassett, should be the
number of victims recovered, not the number of johns or pimps put in jail.
Every month Fassett and his team make a list of recent runaways in
Dallas. Children who have run away four or more times in a 12-month
period, and who are currently listed as “runaway” status, are flagged as
highest risk. If officers pick up one of the flagged children anywhere in the
country, it triggers a phone call to Dallas P.D.’s high-risk victims unit.
Afterward, each rescued child is assigned to an officer in the unit.
Officers have to change their entire police work mindset for this job because
until that individual turns 18, she is their responsibility.
“You’ve got to be a cop, you’ve got to be Mom, you’ve got to be Dad,
you’ve got to be a confidant,” Fassett said.
By having officers act as advocates for the children, they not only
demand that the system operates the way it is intended and the child
CHILD SEX TRAFF
gets help, but they document every step of the process. The job requires
a 24/7/365 commitment, and Fassett readily admits that it can be
exhausting. It’s not a job for everyone, and some officers burn out.
Fassett said getting everyone within Dallas P.D. on board with these
new strategies for rescuing child sex trafficking victims was no small
undertaking. All 3,800 officers in the department underwent training in
understanding the dynamics involved and new procedures for rescuing
victims—a process that took two years.
And while it was a massive undertaking, the efforts have paid off. The
department went from finding only 10 to 12 girls per year through vice
arrests to 100 to 150 per year using the new method.
Fassett stressed that the increase wasn’t because of increased sex
trafficking. The methods simply proved to be more effective, and helped
officers better understand the dynamics of high-risk victims.
“I use the phrase, ‘making the invisible, visible,’ because in this whole
thing of sex trafficking, oftentimes the victims don’t see themselves as
victims,” he said.
“WHAT PIMPS TAUGHT ME IS ‘SELLING

THE DREAM.’ BUT THE PROBLEM IS THE
VICTIMS HAVE TO LIVE THE NIGHTMARE.”
***
AFTER HOLLY RAN AWAY FROM HOME and met Greg at a different shopping
mall, her already-troubled life devolved into a nightmare very quickly. After
a whirlwind shopping tour, she found herself in a hotel with a beautiful
woman named Nicki. Craving attention and friendship, Holly looked up to
Nicki and wanted to please her. So when Greg told Nicki to “get her ready,”
Holly went along with it, despite not knowing what that actually meant.
Nicki helped Holly dye her hair and put on skimpy clothes. When Greg
told her “the rules,” he never mentioned the word “prostitution.” But he did
drive home the point about not telling the police about him. “I will never
go back to jail again,” he said, pounding his fist into his hand and then
pointing at her face.
Before Holly knew what was happening, she was in a cab to Atlantic
City with Nicki, then in a hotel room with her first john. It all happened so
quickly she didn’t even have time to process it all.
***
WHEN A PIMP FIRST FINDS A CHILD on the streets, he overwhelms her with
love, affection and attention. Pimps try to sell the “Pretty Woman” fairy
tale—a dream lifestyle of freedom, adventures and riches.
“What pimps taught me is ‘selling the dream,’” Fassett said. “But the
problem is the victims have to live the nightmare.”
TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHI
The nightmare starts with complete isolation—cutting the girls off

from all support mechanisms so they are psychologically, emotionally
and financially dependent on the pimp. The pimp employs intermittent
reinforcement, constantly dangling a carrot to keep the girl doing what the
pimp wants. Sometimes the girls are plied with drugs or alcohol, or claims
that they have a debt to be paid off.
Physical abuse is a standard tool of the
trade. Fassett warned not to let terms
like “finesse pimp” or “guerrilla pimp” VICTIMS ARE
fool anyone, because, “All pimps are
going to beat you.”
Fassett sums up the entire nightmare
TYPICALLY REQUIRED
as a constant feeling of hopelessness
with no way out. Once the girls have TO HAVE SEX
been brainwashed into believing what
the pimp has ingrained into them, he WITH EIGHT TO 15
CUSTOMERS A NIGHT ...
has complete control. Because they
are under complete psychological
control, girls often describe their pimp
as godlike and all-powerful, even if they
could actually overpower him physically. As one pimp told Fassett in street
vernacular, “You f*#k her head; her body is gonna follow.”
Once the girl is reliant on the pimp for all her needs, the pimp “turns
them out,” or forces them to sell themselves. Victims are typically required
to have sex with eight to 15 customers a night on “dates,” a term used
to give the impression of legality. Girls must meet their quota or face
additional abuse from the pimp. Customers come in all shapes, sizes and
smells, sometimes forcibly raping and physically abusing the girls. By now,
“the dream” has become a 24/7 nightmare from which girls feel there is
no escape.
***
AFTER HOLLY’S FIRST NIGHT of being “turned out” on the streets of Atlantic
City, Greg picked her up and brought her back to the hotel. The two were
alone, as Nicki had been arrested for prostitution the night before. After
sleeping for a few hours, Holly awoke to find Greg climbing onto her cot. He
proceeded to rape her, despite her begging him to stop. It was only then
that Holly realized she had absolutely no control over the situation. She
then blamed herself for the ordeal, thinking she deserved it for running
away with Greg.
ILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING
***
IF IT’S THE CHILD PREDATOR WHO STEALS a child’s innocence,
it’s the pimp who steals their soul. “To do what they do—and I’ve literally
talked to hundreds of them—they’re psychopaths,” Fassett said.
Pimps view girls as nothing more than a product to be sold, like bootleg
DVDs or an ounce of weed. But unlike an ounce of drugs that can be sold
only once, a girl can be sold all day and night, every day of the week. To do
what pimps do requires a severe emotional detachment from their victims.
Fassett said pimps may have as few as one girl or as many as 20
spread across multiple cities. In Dallas, the average is two to three girls.
A federally funded study of prostitution in eight major cities released in
March of 2014 showed the average income of pimps in the Dallas area
was $12,000 per week. In Atlanta and Denver, the amount was nearly triple
that, at roughly $32,000 per week. The majority of the girls Fassett has
encountered over the last two decades are 13 to 15 years of age. While the
risk of a compelling prostitution charge is not small and can bring decades
in prison, younger girls bring pimps a higher dollar. The business is lucrative,
and society seems to have no problem turning a blind eye to the issue.
Fassett sees sex trafficking in general as largely cultural—an issue that
has been built up and seems to be largely accepted by society.
“Now, ‘pimp’ is almost a term of endearment,” he said.
Whether it’s song lyrics or popular movies, there’s no shortage of
glorification of pimps in popular culture. With the advent of the Internet,
many videos and books are available to teach anyone the tricks of the
trade—even message boards where pimps discuss how to avoid scrutiny
from the IRS.
Fassett believes American society needs to adopt a zero-tolerance policy
against pimps. If society has put pimps on a pedestal, then society can
knock them back off that pedestal.
“We need to go back to the ‘Starsky and Hutch’ days and see pimps
for the buffoons and animals that they are,” Fassett said. “We need to put
pimps back in the category that they came from.”
Unfortunately, if Americans have a problem with sex trafficking and
pimps in their own backyards, they aren’t showing it.
In early 2012, officers with Dallas P.D. noticed the street-level aspect of
child sex trafficking begin to dissipate. In truth, child sex trafficking wasn’t
decreasing; “the track” was simply moving from the street to the Internet,
which allows the johns, pimps and girls to be anonymous.
With the advent of Internet-based prostitution, it is no longer
necessary for those seeking sex for sale to drive to the shady part of town.
CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING
THE AVERAGE INCOME OF PIMPS IN THE DALLAS AREA WAS

$12,000 PER WEEK. IN ATLANTA AND DENVER, THE AMOUNT
WAS NEARLY TRIPLE THAT, AT ROUGHLY $32,000 PER WEEK.
H O L LY S M I T H , J U LY 2 0 1 4
Smith’s personal experience as a victim

of child sex trafficking has made her a
much more effective advocate for other
victims today, leading to her new book,
“Walking Prey.”
Learning what child sex
trafficking victims have in
common—namely former trauma
and abuse—helped Fassett
develop a much more effective
system for rescuing girls.
CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CHILD SEX TRAF
S G T . B Y R O N F A S S E T T , D A L L A S P O L I C E D E P T . , J U LY 2 0 1 4
PHOTO BY TOM HUSSEY

CHILD SEX
Girls can be found from anywhere with a

computer or a smart phone. A simple scan of
the “escorts” section of Backpage.com shows

prostitutes are available not only to meet at
a hotel, but even to show up at your home,
sometimes faster than a pizza delivery. And
it’s not just in Dallas. Whether Bozeman, Mont.,
St. Louis, Mo., Williston, N.D., or any other
place in America, prostitutes and child sex trafficking victims are readily
available via the Internet, 24 hours a day.
Since “the track” had moved to the Internet, Dallas officers realized they
had to police the web just like they would a street or a neighborhood that had
a high crime rate. Their shift in tactics spawned Operation Brick-And-Mortar
in 2012. One of the operation’s objectives was to show the pimps, johns and
victims that just because they went to the Internet doesn’t mean they’re out
of reach of Dallas P.D.
Through this operation, officers contact girls via Internet ads and offer

them help to escape prostitution. Also, johns are arrested through fake ads
put up by Dallas P.D. The department utilizes technology to its maximum
potential to contact as many girls in the ads as possible. They’ve found
that for every 10 ads they contact, they find one child—a 10 percent rescue
rate. During the NCAA tournament, that increased to 20 percent, and they
rescued four children. It boils down to simple math—the more ads they
contact, the more children they find.
One of the big challenges of battling child sex trafficking is dealing with
the victims. Historically, there has been a tendency in law enforcement to
blame the prostitutes, not the pimps or those who pursue their services.
Girls who are forced into prostitution at a young age are often treated like
criminals instead of victims. No one would ever accuse victims of child
molestation of bringing it on themselves, yet many forced into prostitution
through child sex trafficking find themselves treated as criminals.
***
HOLLY’S LIFE ON “THE TRACK” ENDED just 36 hours after it began, on her
second night on the streets of Atlantic City. The arresting officers who picked
up Holly called her a “whore” and a “hooker.” Instead of treating her like
a 14-year-old child, they treated her like an adult prostitute. One officer
threatened to put her in juvie if she didn’t cooperate.
When her mother showed up and asked the arresting officer what she
should do, the officer simply yelled, “I’m not a babysitter. Get her the hell
out of my station.”
***
FASSETT USES THE PHRASE, “Easy in, hard out” to describe child sex trafficking.
It’s easy to get into “the game,” but very hard to get out, since most victims
don’t know how to escape, or don’t think they can trust the police. Traditional police
models of talking to and dealing with victims of sexual trauma and abuse were
largely ineffective.
The problem is psychological, Fassett said, and requires the officers to
essentially take the role of a pimp and beat them at “the game.” Now when officers
rescue a young girl, they act in many ways the same as a pimp. Girls are offered
sweats to change into, feminine hygiene products and a good meal, no matter what
time of day or night it is. It’s a battle of power and control—the pimp’s negative
control versus a cop’s positive control.
Once a girl is picked up by Dallas P.D., only 25 percent of the investigation
deals with the prostitution aspect. The rest of the investigation is spent working
backward toward the initial trauma that drove the girl to run away. According to
Fassett, this root of the problem must be determined.
“If you don’t deal with that, it doesn’t matter what you do with this kid; she’s
going right back out again,”
he said.
THE ARRESTING OFFICERS

By learning where their
lives began the downhill
spiral, children can better
understand the root of
their problem and get WHO PICKED UP HOLLY
the treatment they need.
Unfortunately, even with
the proper treatment, the
CALLED HER A “WHORE ...”
standard assistance from
social services only lasts 30 days. And for most, a lifetime of issues cannot be
solved in 30 days of therapy. Children involved in sex trafficking go through severe
psychological and physical trauma, leaving many afflicted with Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) that also needs to be treated.
***
FOUR DAYS AFTER HOLLY RETURNED HOME she tried to commit suicide by downing
a bottle of ibuprofen. It was only then that she was offered services and some form
of treatment.
Even then, her therapists were not trained in sex trafficking, so she did not
get the treatment she really needed. She endured emotional and psychological
trauma for years, was chastised through high school and often struggled with
substance abuse.
***
FASSETT STRESSES THAT THE FOCUS in helping the girls is not on teaching

them to get over their trauma, but rather to help them get through it. A 30-day
treatment program only begins to scratch the surface, especially if it does not
deal with the root of the problem—commonly some sort of prior abuse. The
expectation that a child will learn to work through a lifetime of abuse in
30 days is simply unrealistic. Officers must be cautious to not blame
young girls who are not “healed” in a month since, when it comes to PTSD
and severe trauma, victims feel the effects differently. The one-size-fits-all,
top-down method of treatment simply doesn’t work for everyone.
While the Dallas P.D.’s high-risk victims model has proven effective and is
being adopted in many other cities—even other nations—it is not without its
critics. Much of the criticism revolves around arresting the girls when they are
brought in.
Fassett explained that they don’t arrest them to be punitive; they do so as

a therapeutic detention. The object is to detain them long enough to mandate
treatment. When the girls become adults, the charges are wiped from their
records. And walk-in treatment centers have been found to be ineffective
because the girls simply leave and go right back out on the street.
While many disagree with this methodology, some girls have later said the
mental slap in the face that came with their arrest made them realize they needed
to change. It’s a choice: Get treatment, which will in turn help them realize they
are a victim of prior trauma and get more treatment; or continue down the path
they are on and be prosecuted. In all the years Fassett has employed this method,
he can only recall one time they went ahead with prosecution.
***
AFTER STRUGGLING TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL and having multiple brushes with
law enforcement and substance abuse, Holly realized only she could help herself.
CHILD SEX TRAFF
She enrolled in college and graduated with a degree in biology and a minor in
writing, with a 3.6 GPA. Despite these accomplishments, she was still haunted by
the memories of her past and still battled the cycle of substance abuse.
Meeting her husband and becoming an outspoken advocate for victims
of child sex trafficking has helped to change much of that. Holly met other
WALKING PREY Holly Austin Smith’s new book, “Walking Prey,”
was written to help others understand her experience with child
sex trafficking and how young girls are increasingly vulnerable to
becoming victims. It details how middle-class suburban communities
are becoming the new epicenter of sex trafficking in America. The
book is full of resources for victims, parents and law enforcement,
and includes Dallas P.D.’s high-risk victims model.
“Walking Prey” is available on Amazon.com. Click here to order.
survivors, and began networking and speaking out as an advocate. She

advocates for immediate aftercare for victims and additional training for law
enforcement into the dynamics of child sex trafficking.
Holly recently wrote a book titled “Walking Prey” (available on Amazon)
to help others understand what happened to her and the dynamic behind
THE EXPECTATION THAT A CHILD WILL LEARN

TO WORK THROUGH A LIFETIME OF ABUSE IN
30 DAYS IS SIMPLY UNREALSTIC.
child sex trafficking. The book is full of resources for victims, parents and
law enforcement, and includes Dallas P.D.’s high-risk victims model.
***
DESPITE THE DANGER OF BECOMING too personally involved in a case,
Fassett believes that the difference between a good detective and a great
detective is that a great detective allows victims to touch him emotionally—to
not put up a barrier. He acknowledges going home many nights with tears
in his eyes. Numerous times he has thought that there was no way he could
continue. Yet each morning he gets up and does it all over again.
While officers must move on from girl to girl as the victims of sex
trafficking cycle through the system, many of the rescued girls remember
them. Sometimes officers receive handwritten letters from girls years after
their rescue, thanking them again for getting them out. They even receive
notices of graduation announcements and other life events. These are
prized awards, even if officers refuse to admit it.
“This has been, in my 33 years as a cop, the most rewarding part of it,”
Fassett said.
| WHAT THE ACADEMY DIDN’T TEACH YOU | WHAT THE ACADEMY DIDN’T
How do you get better at gunfighting

without getting into a gunfight?
PHOTO BY TOM HUSSE Y
Rich Donaghe
Albuquerque, NM,
Police Dept.
TEACH YOU | WHAT THE ACADEMY DIDN’T TEACH YOU | WHAT THE ACAD
By Tom “Hoser” Freeman
MSgt USAF and USPSA Grand Master
| WHAT THE ACADE
W
EMY DIDN’T TEACH YOU | WHAT THE ACADEMY DIDN’T TEACH YOU | WH
hen I was a kid, I

was able to watch
a friend of the family shoot his Police Academy But even back
final qualifications. His duty weapon was a blue then—in the late
steel revolver in .38 or .357, and I remember how 1970s—I wondered
why officers would
impressed I was that the targets would suddenly just stand there
appear, the recruits would shoot a bunch, and then behind a vertical 4x4
without warning, the targets would turn and disappear. like Dirty Harry and
blast away.
H TO
GUNFIGHT?
Several years later, Uncle Sam gave me my first taste of pistol training.
The instructors beat into us the importance of the cup-and-saucer grip,
and how critical the Weaver stance was in keeping us alive. I thought the
cup-and-saucer idea was silly but went with it anyway. And the Weaver
ARE YOU GOOD ENOUG
stance looked cool. I did exactly what they said—after all, these guys did
this for a living. I was just some flight suit-wearing hack who shot smallbore
rifle silhouette in my off time, rarely shot pistols, and I was in their house.
Fast forward to the mid 1990s when I decided to try my hand at
competitive handgun shooting. “Dynamic shooting” was a buzz phrase, and
there were lots of nearby International Practical Shooting Confederation
(IPSC) matches. I plunked down a fistful (or three) of per diem and flight
pay to get going. My first IPSC pistol was a Para P-14 in .45 ACP. The max
length magazine would hold 17 rounds, which was cutting edge back then.
My first match did not go well at all. I made lots of mistakes, and
thought I probably looked like a fool. Everyone I shot with said I shot pretty
well—I just needed to learn how to shoot while moving, learn some sort of
ammo management strategy and be able to come up with a plan and stick
to it. That made a ton of sense to me. But it’s easier said than done.
PHOTO BY STUA RT WON G

WHAT
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Many of the shooters I shot with those first few years were military
| or law enforcement. The general consensus was that Uncle Sam or their
departments didn’t give them enough range time, so they had to get it on
DIDN’T TEACH YOU
their own. Again, that made sense to me.

What did not make sense, I thought, was the complete lack of tactics at
an IPSC match. Nobody hid behind cover, no “slicing the pie” and so on. I
asked a SWAT team member why he shot this game, when his life and the
lives of his fellow team members depended on completely different tactics.
“This sport makes me handle my pistol faster and safer,” he replied. “It
also teaches me how to shoot more accurately when I’m under stress. I also
learn how to clear a malfunction in a hurry while being timed.
“Tactics evolve and are always changing. Knowing how fast I
can shoot and move is key to survival. They don’t teach you that
WHAT THE ACADEMY
in the Academy.”
That short conversation profoundly affected how I began to view all the
shooting sports, prompting me to compete in several different disciplines.
Here’s a rundown of some of the competitive disciplines that are available
that can help you build your skills for when the chips are down.
USPSA The big brother and old man on the block is IPSC, or United
States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) as it is known in the United
States. For the most part, it is a semi-auto handgun event with paper and
steel targets. If you own a pistol in 9 mm or larger and have a few magazines
for it, you can find a division to compete in. You might find yourself at a
|
match shooting your bone stock Glock 19 and factory ammo standing right
next to a professional shooter with a full-blown Open Division race gun
WHAT THE ACADEMY DIDN’T TEACH YOU
chambered in .38 Super. While you are both competing in the same match,
your pistol and gear put you in different divisions. It’s pretty cool—and very
instructive—to see how a person shooting 10-round magazines might plan a
stage differently than someone shooting 6-, 8- or 29-round magazines.
USPSA doesn’t impose any set tactics on shooters. But that doesn’t
mean you can’t figure out a way to shoot a stage with a more tactical flavor.
Sometimes, no cover of any type is available, and all you can do is go fast.
After all, speed is a tactic. More often than not, there are plenty of walls,
barrels, barricades and hallways that you can use for cover.
For the most part, USPSA stages encourage thinking. A good stage often
goes like this: Begin by standing in the start box and, at the buzzer, shoot
the targets as they become visible. Sometimes it might be faster to shoot
a target farther away rather than run up close. Sometimes you might find
yourself shooting while backing up. Sometimes you might be forced, or
strongly encouraged, to shoot one-handed. You just never know. That is a
huge reason why I like this game so much—it’s never the same.
You’ll certainly see some cutting-edge equipment at a match. Remember
when dot scopes were new to the police and military? IPSC shooters had
|
WO NG
ARE YOU GOOD E
NOUGH TO
GUNFIGHT?
PHOTO BY STU ART
Craig Calkins, Colorado Springs, CO, PD
TACTICS EVOLVE AND ARE

ALWAYS CHANGING. KNOWING
HOW FAST I CAN SHOOT AND
MOVE IS KEY TO SURVIVAL. THEY
DON’T TEACH YOU THAT IN THE
ACADEMY.
ARE YOU GOOD ENOUGH TO

GUNFIGHT?
WHAT THE
been using them—and working out the bugs—for years. How about the
ultra-small scopes on handguns? Again, IPSC shooters looking for an edge
embraced them long ago.
|
USPSA matches have several basic pistol divisions—Limited, Limited-10,

Single Stack, Production, Revolver and Open. Limited is an iron sight-only
division with no scopes; Limited-10 is the same, but you can only use
10-round magazines. Single Stack division means you are driving a
Single Stack 1911 with iron sights. Production division is for mostly
stock double-action or safe-action pistols with 10-round mags. Revolver
division is just what it sounds like. And Open division is where scopes,
compensators, big 170 mm long mags, etc. are allowed.
You might have heard about the rulebook issue. Yes, the
rulebook is thick, and it seems like there is a lot to learn.
However, everything is covered in the rules so there is no subjectivity
involved. I like that about the sport—no gray areas. I had been shooting for
a couple years before I became a range officer and actually got to know the
rules in depth. Until then I just focused on knowing the safety rules and did
just fine.
After a while, the association will rank you nationally, ranging from
D Class to Master or even Grand Master. The Master and Grand Master
classes comprise only the top ~7 percent of shooters (5.7 percent and
1.4 percent respectively); there aren’t that many out there. If you go to a
match, pay close attention to the Masters and Grand Masters, even try to
shoot on the same squad with them. That’s a good way to learn a lot.
|
IDPA International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) is an offshoot of

IPSC. IDPA was formed by some IPSC heavy hitters who, in the late 1990s,
became disenchanted with the sport’s direction. They didn’t like the lack of
tactics, the rulebook changes and how equipment was evolving.
IDPA uses paper and steel targets just like IPSC, but the stages are more
reality-based and more defensive than offensive. You won’t find more than
18 required shots on a stage. The equipment limitations are much stricter,
too. There are two divisions where the .45 ACP is king—Custom Defensive
Pistol and Enhanced Service Revolver. The other divisions are pretty much
9x19, .40 and .38 Special. Stock Service Pistol is where most DA/SA
and safe action pistols play. Minimal modifications are allowed. Enhanced
Service Pistol is where your Glock with a trigger job and small mag well, or
your 1911 in 9x19 are allowed to compete. Stock Service Revolver is where
your revolver chambered in .38 Special and speed loaders find a home.
The IDPA rulebook is a quick read, with most of it focusing on
equipment rules. Much like USPSA, you can get nationally ranked in IDPA.
To do this, you shoot a 90-round classification course of sorts. It can be
boring, but it’s a very good test of shooting skills. Classes range from
Novice to Master and Distinguished Master.
|
ARE YO
GUNFIG
U GOOD
ENOUG
HT?
H TO
Rich Donaghe,
Albuquerque, NM, PD
REMEMBER WHEN DOT

SCOPES WERE NEW TO THE
POLICE AND MILITARY? IPSC
SHOOTERS HAD BEEN USING
THEM—AND WORKING OUT THE
BUGS—FOR YEARS.
EY
TOM HU SS
PH OTO BY
WHAT
As far as training for IDPA goes, you can shoot things as “tactical”
| as you want. IDPA does have some restrictions on how they want you
to do things using their version of tactics. Some make sense and some
DIDN’T TEACH YOU
don’t. If you run into a situation where you feel IDPA tactics are negative
training for you, grab the match director and explain your situation to him.
You might end up shooting the stage or match for no score, but some
shooting is better than no shooting. I have also seen people shoot the
stage following all the rules, then they go back and shoot it how they
want. A huge benefit of this is you can learn from mistakes and make
changes to how you might do things.
Steel Challenge For those looking to get their feet wet

in competitive shooting and not spend a lot of money, Steel
WHAT THE ACADEMY
Challenge might be the answer. There are no paper targets, and the name
of the game is pure speed. You know that whole 21-feet rule about getting
your gun out? Shooting a steady diet of these matches will not only make
you a much better shooter, but the time it takes you to clear leather will
rapidly improve.
The targets are static steel that do not fall when hit. This will teach
you to call your shots a bit better than with paper targets. Each stage is
shot several times, back-to-back, with your worst time thrown out. Pistols
are drawn from the holster each time, and you are allowed to shoot at a
target until you hit it. There is minimal thinking/planning/tactics involved,
but you can actually learn things about your shooting that you can’t at a
|
USPSA or IDPA match. Is it quicker to draw to a hard target and finish on

an easy target? Do you shoot faster going left to right, or right to left? You’ll
absolutely find out shooting Steel Challenge.

Shooting steel all these years, I have learned I shoot a semi-auto
faster from left to right, but with a revolver, I’m faster right to left. That is
something I never would have figured out at a USPSA or IDPA match. Some
clubs, like mine, also have some different divisions—Rimfire Rifle, Pistol
Caliber Carbine and shotgun come to mind. We see a lot of AR-15 with .22
conversions, MP-5s and 870s being driven by various military and LE types.
Check with the match director to see if your duty gear will work. As long as
it won’t tear up the metal targets, chances are really good you can use it.
Of all the different games I shoot, I see the most LE and military at
Steel Challenge matches. There is a lot of shooting in a small amount of
time, not a lot of standing around and a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere that
tends to make them feel more at ease.
If you want to shoot Steel Challenge with a .22 pistol and .22 rifle, look
up National Sports Shooting Foundation (NSSF) or Ruger Rimfire matches.
Those are pretty much Steel Challenge with a .22 rifle and pistol. NSSF
Rimfire matches are huge fun, a very affordable way to train and a great
way to introduce younger shooters to competitive shooting. Until the
|
H TO
T?
OUG
FIGH
P H OT
O BY
JA ME
S P. M
D EN
A SON
GOO
GUN
YOU
ARE
Greg Jordan, Harford County, MD,

Sheriff’s Dept.
YOU KNOW THAT WHOLE

21-FEET RULE ABOUT GETTING
YOUR GUN OUT? ... THE TIME
IT TAKES FOR YOU TO CLEAR
LEATHER WILL RAPIDLY
IMPROVE.
WHAT
.22 ammo shortage hit last summer, the .22 divisions were the most
|
DIDN’T TEACH YOU popular divisions at local Steel Challenge matches.
3-Gun Currently, the big surge in action shooting is 3-gun. I have been
shooting 3-gun matches since the late 1990s. In my view, it provides the
best shooting and training that military and law enforcement personnel can
expose themselves to short of force-on-force training.
3-gun is simply USPSA with a pistol, rifle and shotgun. On some stages
you’ll use a single gun, some two and sometimes all three. I’m partial to
stages that use all three, as they are often very difficult and require you to
think more. Sometimes just having enough room on you for all the
ammo/mags/etc. to complete such a stage can be a challenge.
One of the best things about 3-gun is the variety of targets. I’ve seen
WHAT THE ACADEMY
slug shots out to 100 yards for shotguns, and targets out beyond 400 yards
for AR-pattern or similar rifles. You might shoot static clay birds with a rifle or a
shotgun. Or maybe a stage will require you to use 00 buckshot at a target
partially covered by a facsimile of hostage. Again, the training aspects are there.
3-gun also can help shooters learn a lot about using long guns in
confined/tight spaces. Many people have a shotgun in the house but have
never tried to clear a room/house with one, much less keep it loaded when
under stress. On the other end of the spectrum, lots of shooters like to use
their AR-15 at short range but have never shot it past 25 or 30 yards. Rifle
distances found at 3-gun matches vary widely and can range from bad
breath distance to a quarter mile or more.
|
Different 3-gun divisions include Tactical, Limited, He-Man and Open.

Tactical is the most popular. You use an iron-sighted pistol, semi-auto
shotgun and you are allowed one optic on your rifle. Limited division
is restricted to iron sights on everything, except your rifle is allowed a
non-magnifying optic, like a red dot. He-Man is the same as Limited, only
you must use a .45 pistol, 12-gauge pump shotgun and a .308 or .30-06
rifle. Open is the only division where your pistol and shotgun are allowed to
have scopes and porting, and your shotgun can use magazines instead of a
tube. It is also the only division where your rifle can use a bipod.
Be aware that there are a few different 3-gun organizations with their
own versions of rulebooks and divisions. So if you decide to try this sport,
be sure you know what rules the club is using before heading to a match.
One thing I’ve learned over many years of competitive shooting is that
the only thing harder than finishing your first match is showing up for that
first match. People often say, “I’m not good enough yet,” or “I don’t have time.”
Those aren’t good excuses, as everyone who shoots competitively had a first
match at one point and was able to overcome these same limitations.
In truth, the quality of training you get out of a match is completely up
to you. You owe it to yourself, your family and teammates to get out there
and get better. Your life, and their lives, might someday depend on it.
|
M AS O N
JA M ES P.
PH OTO BY
Daniel Horner, Army Marksmanship Unit
H TO
GHT?
ENOUG
GOOD
GUNFI
[3-GUN] PROVIDES THE
OU
ARE Y
BEST SHOOTING AND TRAINING
THAT MILITARY PERSONNEL
CAN EXPOSE THEMSELVES TO
SHORT OF FORCE-ON-FORCE
TRAINING.
BEFORE YOU GO! TEXT
”PATRIOT ”
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Loaded Secret: Glock 41: I’ll No Plan Survives: Jump For Joy: I Used To Elder Heart: Dirty Biz:

WAR R IOR FEATU R ES

Jumping For Joy

New York Cop Takes A Second Look

Home Street Home

Are You Good Enough To Gunfight?

Welcome to the Warrior.

Guns & Gear Editor

National Rifle Association of America

PHOTO BY MICHAEL IVES

P O N S O R >> WA R R I O R P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R >> WA R R I O R P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R >> WA R R I O R P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R >> WA R

Frontlines: Stonewalled at Fort Sill

There’s something special going

rom what is likely the most

PHOTO BY MICHAEL IVES

Now that we’ve got it home, broken in and thoroughly

PHOTO BY MICHAEL IVES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The master and

CORE as the AR can still be botched

barrel, check; dimensions, every pair we

No, “proprietary” does not mean you couldn’t use

How many innovations do you see?

Tim takes a look

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL IVES

It sounds silly, but

... tools sufficient to

Visit the Gear Channel • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The brain trust:

for your service

Perilously close to a completed

Hard to stay away

especially on the Hodge.

aperture changes are

ARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | WARRRIORWARE | | | | | | | | | W

A big brake will keep

A big brake will keep the rifle

flatter, but also make it a lotneeds

We said Jim Hodge was making our

work tough, and it’s still true: LIke Carroll’s

Alice, we’re still in over our heads. The Hodge

Defense warren is of a different type to be

sure, with no hectoring, homicidal queen. But

that Cheshire cat is just as mysterious. As to

“how,” we’re not much closer.

The result we do know. How about

“splendid?” Any more will have to wait until

we’re closer to 60,000 rounds than 600. OK, if

So wherever or however acquired, Jim Hodge’s

skills defeat our inquisitiveness. A master keeps

his secrets. Be that as it may, pre-finagle mode

for a Mod 2 visit has begun.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL IVES

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL IVES

We take on the new

B Y FRANK WINN PHOTOG RAPHY BY

The full G41 kit:

advantages of the beveled/ slide too light.”

de-horned nose: Subjectively,

after-market sight options

Chromium Loses Its Shine The plan called for the helicopters