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It’s back to school all over the U.S., but at S.W.A.T., school’s in session all year round, just without the boring parts. At S.W.A.T. we strive to fill each issue with relevant, accurate, useful and interesting information. The September issue of S.W.A.T. is now on sale at newsstands nationwide. What would you like to learn about this month?
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The Briefing Room:
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Shoot ‘n’ Save
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by Denny Hansen
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Street Smarts:
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The Little Things
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by Brent T. Wheat
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Against All Odds:
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Bug-Out Bags
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by Terrill Hoffman
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Frontline Debriefs:
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Working with the Better Half
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by Scott Reitz
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Enemy at the Gate:
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D.C. v. Heller: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
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by Stewart Rhodes
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Training & Tactics:
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Shake, Rattle ‘n’ Roll
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by Louis Awerbuck
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| Mail Room: |
| Letters from our Readers |
| Staff |
| Lawful Carry: |
| Blade-Tech Tactical Light Holster |
| Flint Hansen |
| Long Guns: |
| Tactical Mirror Sight |
| Leroy Thompson |
| Offbeat: |
| Fenix Lights |
| Scott Oldham |
| The Cutting Edge: |
| BLACKHAWK! XSF Punch Dagger |
| Leroy Thompson |
| Gear Locker: |
| New Products and Accessories |
| Staff |
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| Advertisers’ Info |
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Previous tables of contents and featured articles can be found in the Archives ...
check it out >>>
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Click on the cover
image for an larger
view of the
October 2008 Cover |
SHOOT ‘n’ SAVE
Olympic Arms’ Dedicated .22 LR Upper Receiver
Anyone who does even a modest amount of shooting has undoubtedly noticed the rising cost of ammunition. And this situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. Over the next several months, S.W.A.T. plans to run numerous articles to help shooters shoot more without taking out another mortgage on their home. This is the first such article.
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by Denny Hansen
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ADVANCED DEFENSE SYSTEMS
New AR Manufacturer With A Different Twist
A brief internet search shows there is no shortage of AR manufacturers. Vendor websites advertise a dizzying assortment of AR variants. Sometimes sorting through the noise is maddening, especially when all you want is a quality AR made to actual military specifications. Given all this, do we really need another AR manufacturer in the mix? When the resulting products are as good as those from Advanced Defense Systems, the answer is a definite “Yes!”
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by Tony Albaceli
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LAMB UNIVERSAL SLING ATTACHMENT
Multi-Function Solution to Sling Mounting Problems
Mounting slings is a subject that may be as controversial as slings themselves. Preferences in location and method of attachments vary with mission requirements and personal inclination. Enter the Lamb Universal Sling Attachment, designed to alleviate the problems that exist in units when faced with mounting different slings to different weapons.
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by Patrick A. Rogers
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Select the image to the right for a larger view of the October 2008 Table of Contents
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VEHICLE TACTICS
Vital Skills in a Perilous World
Two of the things that cannot be foreseen in preparing for a lethal attack are where it is going to happen and what the threat is going to look like. However, there are likely places an attack can occur. In addition to so-called gun-free zones, attacks occur in higher numbers around vehicles and in parking lots. This doesn’t mean we have to avoid parking lots, but we should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages they offer and how to maneuver around vehicles—yours and the surrounding ones.
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by Dave Morelli
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BATTLESIGHT ZERO
Who Has It Right?
Per both the Marine Corps and Army field manuals, a proper battlesight zero will allow a Soldier or Marine to engage an enemy threat without adjusting the elevation of their iron sights from point blank range or zero yards/meters out to 300 yards/meters. However, the Army and Marine Corps differ in how to set the BZO on a rifle or carbine. To add even more confusion, numerous well-known shooting schools and private trainers teach a different method for placing a proper BZO setting. Additionally, a certain special operations unit advocates and teaches a 100-yard zero. Who is right? Which method is best? Why?
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by Lt. Col. Freddie Blish, USMC (Ret.)
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POWERFUL BUT NOT PERFECT
Ruger’s 6.8 SPC Mini-14
Ruger introduced the Mini-14 AC 5.56mm back in 1974. Its primary market at that time was law enforcement who wanted an inexpensive alternative to the AR-15, but this quickly spilled over into the civilian marketplace. Chambered for the popular .223 Remington, this little rifle was a compact, lightweight version of the M14. It has been a long time since the Mini series has seen upgrades, but mid-2007 saw Ruger introducing its all-weather model chambered for 6.8 SPC Remington. Quality ammunition suitable for plinking, hunting and self-defense modes now provides this Mini-14 some clout at extended ranges with 110- and 115-grain bullets.
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by Steve Malloy
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BRINGING A KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT
Knives And Handgun Retention
One approach to handgun retention that has become increasingly popular is the idea of using a knife as an auxiliary weapon. Basically, when the bad guy grabs your gun, you draw your knife and cut the bad guy off of your gun to regain control over the situation. Although this may sound simple, there’s a lot more to it than that. This article takes a step-by-step look at what’s really needed to employ a knife effectively as a weapon-retention tool. In the process, you’ll build a sound system of workable tactics.
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by Michael Janich
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DOGMATIC DOCTRINE
Where Do You Stand?
Here we are in the year 2008 and, except for small pockets of reality, we, as tactical trainers and shooters, really haven't progressed very far in the last 20 years. What is it about us as teachers and students that cements our position? What is it about us gunmen that makes us unwilling to change? The Earth is not flat and the world we fight in isn't 180 degrees either.
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by James Yeager
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SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
LFI’s Deadly Force Instructor Class
Every lethal force encounter passes through two stages. The first stage encompasses the practical physical methods of surviving a criminal assault. The second stage is dealing with the aftermath of the event, including interacting with witnesses and the police at the scene, coping with personal and social repercussions, and safely navigating through the legal system after a shooting. Many firearms schools focus on teaching students how to survive and win stage one, but very few concentrate primarily on helping people survive stage two. The premier school addressing this second critical aspect is the Lethal Force Institute, which since 1981 has been educating gun owners about the legal parameters of using deadly force in self-defense.
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by Kathy Jackson
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WHAT IT REALLY TAKES TO HIT!
Point Shooting Debate Continues
What will it take for you to hit and stop your assailant in a deadly force encounter? Will the assailant be under the influence of extreme rage or drugs and hard to stop? Will one shot drop the suspect or will it take an entire magazine—or more? What will that encounter look like? Will it be at close range, 50 feet or even farther? Will you have a front, back or side shot? Will he be moving toward you or laterally or standing still? Will you be moving “off the X” as you shoot? All of these intangibles—and many more such as adverse lighting, innocent civilians in the background, etc.—must be prepared for in your training.
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by Kevin R. Davis
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