What do I need to enforce a 600 yard perimeter…and why would I want to?
Let’s answer the last part of the question first. Why would you want to establish a 600 yard perimeter around your neighborhood? Well, when the bad stuff hits the fan and your hunkered down in your basement because the streets are crawling with ”bad people” and you really need to go check on your friend , Joe, down the street – the reason for the 600 yards will become very apparent. The question is, how do you get from your basement shelter, down the street to Joe’s house without having to fight a major gun battle?
Point number one…don’t do it alone!
Organizing your neighbors into a viable defense group will be a very daunting challenge. Most will not see any need for such a response up to and including the point at which the do-do hits the fan. Denial is as strong as the emotions of Love and Hate, and our culture has done a real good job of instilling “passive neutrality” into our everyday psyche. I don’t need to expand on this, so examine your own reactions and get ready to shift gears into “defensive Mode!”
Point number two… know how to ‘patrol’ and know your terrain!
I think we’ll focus on the practical side of the “defense mode” for now and save the ‘neighborhood security recruitment’ issue for a later installment.
[One small note along those lines: Remember to get to know and include the Law Enforcement folks who live in your neighborhood! Take your time and just don’t blurt out all the details of your Home and Neighborhood Defense plan. Some police officers might take exception with what you’re doing as interloping on ‘his’ turf. Others might see your actions as some sort of ”misguided” or even “Illegal” ‘militia’ activity. When the time is right, most officers will want to participate in protecting their own families or appreciate the fact that they are being looked after so they can serve the larger community knowing that their families are safe. Also keep in mind they cannot “officially” participate or sanction your activities- this action is just a “courtesy” because they are your neighbors. This will be one of the reasons ‘why’ only a few police officers will be available for call-out in this kind of situation – I.E. Hurricane Katrina, very few will be available. – be careful doing this kind of information dissemination so it and you are not misunderstood. Any police officers in the audience, who might like to comment, please feel free.]
‘Recruitment’ will include how to employ the number of actual participants most effectively for ‘patrol’ and ‘garrison’ duties.
Point number three…type of gear and terrain familiarity.
In the installment entitled “The Long and the Short of it” we discussed the type of weapons needed for defending your home – the hand gun, shot gun and light or “short” rifle. These will be your basic tools for expanding and securing your perimeter from around your home to encompass your block and then, home by home the next block and so on, until you can ‘define’ and secure “your neighborhood.” That will be determined by a number of factors, some of which will be beyond your control. Fact is, you may not be able to secure and control all of your neighborhood due to lack of man power and/or weapons and ammunition and other factors, or the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish the task. Acquiring the needed factors to resolve your inability to act will then be your first order of business.
Assuming you have the man power and a nominal amount of fire power and ammunition, the task of securing your territory is next on the check list.
Infantry training and experience is a real plus here. If no one in your group has this kind of background you’ll have to do it the hard way – On the Job Training.
I would suggest going to JAX outdoor gear or a similar Military surplus establishment and purchasing a few military training manuals like: “The Ranger Handbook”, US Army ST 21-75-2, about $8.00, and “The Soldiers Manual of Common Tasks” Skill Level 1, about $8.00. These two books will give you the basics on weapons use and care and some basics on Squad to Platoon size patrol maneuvers (movements).
Then I would suggest going to Mike Vanderboegh’s blog, Sipsey Street Irregulars and look up the subject of ‘Patrolling’ in his archive under the sub-section of ‘Praxis’ or training. There are dozens of additional training elements at this site, including how to prepare stripper clips and bandoleers, (used in transporting individual ammo stores for a single person), that will prove to be invaluable. There are dozens of additional training manuals to look at and buy that will be needed for additional tasks, such as “The Official Pocket Medical Survival Manual” whose purpose should be obvious. Buy some and study them.
Assuming your interested enough to take my advice, read and study the material, I would suggest a little dry run practice. One can still walk the streets of your own neighborhood so go for a walk!
Following the guidance of the training manuals you purchased, draw plot maps indicating house and structure locations, building height ( 1 story/2 story), plot in distances ( a ‘Laser rangefinder” like the Bushnell Elite 1500, will be very helpful), laying out the topographical picture of “your neighborhood” will give you a graphic of the place your going to defend, so you can do ‘paper exercises,’ without disturbing the neighbors or the local law enforcement folks, in applying the issues taught in the manuals and Praxis training elements I’ve noted.
Now, call me paranoid, but you should also consider a creditable explanation for “why” you have said documents. While there is nothing ‘illegal’ about having such materials, one could argue that there ‘could be’ some potential for criminal intent, oh, like burglaries or other nefarious activities in making these plots. So, I would put together an honest explanation for having them…such as, “In the unlikely event of extended civil unrest, my neighbors and I want to be prepared, (within the limits of the law, of course), to maintain the security of our neighborhood if you, (the law enforcement community) could not render assistance. We will protect our families and homes until you can restore order.” And that’s the truth. The home and small business owners of North Hollywood, California did a very credible job of operating effectively against the forces of evil when the police couldn’t respond during the LA riots of the 90’s.
Once you have said documents established and your neighbors are working with you to establish an extended “Neighborhood Watch,” let’s make sure you have the tools to do the job.
Point number four…Don’t bring a pocket knife to a gun fight and expect to survive!
In the “Long and the Short of it” we covered the weapons for Home Defense. A safety note is important here: Always remember that this is a thin-walled neighborhood, so know as best you can, what is behind your intended target! You don’t want to be responsible for killing your neighbors two year old while trying to protect your own family. This will be a daunting task under some circumstances. Pay attention and Be Careful!
The SBR or short barreled rifle, ( dually registered of course) will be accurate out to about two hundred yards for the average shooter) for shots out to 600 yards one needs something with a longer barrel, different sighting instruments and different loads of ammunition.
My choice for the longer range requirements of essentially “sniper” shooting to 600 yards is an AR platform, heavy barreled weapon with a 24” barrel and a Burris 1.5-6 power scope with a special “ranging” reticle, (cross hairs for the beginner.) The gun is equipped with a special “Magpull” adjustable butt stock and a Harris detachable Bi Pod, and eventually, it will be equipped with a registered suppressor, ( silencer) so as to maintain the secrecy of the shooting location. Stealth is an absolute element of "Sniping."
As equipped, I can place three rounds at 600 yards into less than a 5” circle with a special hand load using a 65 grain Sierra Boat Tail Soft Point Bullet that leaves the muzzle at over 3,100 FPS.
As equipped, I can place three rounds at 600 yards into less than a 5” circle with a special hand load using a 65 grain Sierra Boat Tail Soft Point Bullet that leaves the muzzle at over 3,100 FPS.
Now – why would you want such an ability. Wouldn’t most folks in times like a ‘civil war’ want to maintain their distance if they knew you were armed and intended to protect your turf? Fair question- the answer is no. If they are part of a determined criminal enterprise, they won’t keep away, they will try and take you out and remove your weapon as a threat to their dominance of the territory or if they are just drunken rabble , they’ll just want to kill you…and your family and your neighbor’s family, and so on. Therefore, teaching the bad guys to keep their distance can only be done by making their intrusions very expensive and not worth the effort and lives involved. They will understand death.
Yes, this is a very different and difficult way of thinking, but it’s based on decades of observation and hard practical experience. Your objective, after survival, should always be to get things back to a civil existence with your fellow man, but never at the expense of your Freedom or the lives of yourself and your loved ones.
Snipers work in teams. It used to be two man teams now it’s a six man team. Why sniping is a very valuable tool in this kind of environment and how it works is available in several contemporary books, one of the best is, “The Ultimate Sniper”, by Maj. John L. Plaster USAR (Ret.) and “The US Army Special Operations Target Interdiction Course – Sniper Training and Employment” both published by Paladin Press in Boulder, CO.
It takes a very special kind of personality to become a competent “Sniper.” It also takes a great deal of training in marksmanship and field craft to become a “Sniper.” Just reading the books’ does not make you a “Sniper.”…it just gives you enough knowledge to be dangerous. Knowing when to deploy a “Sniper” is another consideration and that’s why God made “Command and Control,” to keep these kinds of dangerous tools out of the hands of “children,” (rhetorically speaking) and focused where they are really needed, useful and effective.
All that being said, this all may prove useful in a situation where survival is key and defense of the good against the evil is imperative, then each of us have to make hard decisions and live with them after the deed is done.
In terms of gear for such endeavors, you’ll need an appropriate rifle and minimally your spotter/ shooter will need a similar weapon, probably the SBR type previously mentioned for the purpose of close in defense of the sniper team. A high quality pair of binoculars 8-10 power, a Laser Range Finder, a spotting scope up to 60X, a drag bag for the weapons, appropriate clothing , camo paint, comfortable boots, small radios and a lot of other ‘bit’s and pieces’ listed in the books sited.Training is imperative as is practice.
Next installment: Building a “Neighborhood Watch” that can ‘Protect and Defend’
when the guys and gals in Blue can’t.
More of those pesky questions regarding the end of the world as we know it…
With all the uncertainty in our world regarding all of these economic and political issues here’s one that is about to take place after literally years of inaction, Mr. Obama is about to appoint a new Director at the BATFE, the folks that regulate guns. I won’t offer any further editorial comment, I don’t know the nominee – he may be a great guy and then maybe not.
I find the Christian Science Monitor a very even handed reportage and I’ll let this item speak for itself. I do know some very good ATF Agents, I also know some very bad ATF agents. Think about this when you’re about to go down to the gun store and make your defense firearms purchases.
Reason Number 550 a new Director at the BATF from Chicago? No offense Chicago!
Andrew Traver: Is Obama's choice for ATF chief an 'antigun zealot'?
Obama's nomination of Andrew Traver to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reignites concern that the White House wants to whittle away at gun rights. The last time that happened, Americans armed up.
Andrew Traver, special agent in charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, displays an assault weapon, on Feb. 28, 2007, in Chicago.
Atlanta
ATF special agent Andrew Traver, who last year let a TV reporter fire an AK-47 from her hip to demonstrate the weapon's lethality, is set to become America's chief firearms inspector. But Mr. Traver, currently the Chicago ATF chief, faces a tough nomination battle as gun-rights groups amass their forces in opposition.
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The nomination of the Naperville, Ill., native to be top gun cop is applauded by gun-control activists, who say the 5,000-employee ATF has lost ground in its regulation of the $28 billion US firearms business, having labored under interim directors since 2006.
But the idea of an ATF director who hails from Chicago, a city without gun shops, and who has conflated black market automatic weapons with legal semi-automatic "assault-style" rifles is causing Second Amendment defenders to worry that President Obama intends to blast away at gun rights by force of bureaucracy, if not law.
"This is a demonstration that Obama has ... the same attitudes about Second Amendment rights now as he did [when he was an Illinois state senator], which is quite hostile," says Dave Kopel, research director at the Independence Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Golden, Colo., that promotes free-market ideas. "He's picked a strong anti-Second Amendment person for an administrative job that has far more influence over the practical exercise of Second Amendment rights than any other job in the country."
Obama's election in 2008 touched off a run on guns, because gun rights advocates perceived him to hold antigun views. Americans spent $11 billion more in 2009 than in 2008 to buy guns, ammo, and gear – even in the face of recession.
Among the estimated 80 million gun owners in the US, many apparently didn't believe Obama when, on the 2008 campaign trail, he said : “I believe there is a Second Amendment right. I think it is an individual right. I think people have the right to lawfully bear arms.”
After it became clear that the new administration wouldn't propose, for example, reinstating the lapsed assault-weapons ban, and after US Supreme Court rulings that buttressed Second Amendment rights, the gun-buying frenzy tapered.
(FBI reports show gun violence in the US has declined, surprising those criminologists who saw the combination of the 2009 gun run and high jobless rates as a recipe for a spike in gun crimes and violence.)
The National Rifle Association and gun rights bloggers panned Traver's Nov. 17 nomination, saying his role as an adviser to an antigun-violence conference attended by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley proves that he's an "antigun zealot." Traver is also involved in the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which lobbies for tougher firearms laws to decrease urban gun violence.
"You might as well put an arsonist in charge of the fire department," Chris Cox, a National Rifle Association spokesman, told the NRA-sponsored radio show "Cam & Co.”
But Traver also has pluses as a nominee. He has a moving personal story about surviving a serious illness and returning to duty, a recovery helped along by Ken Bennett, who served as director for then-Senator Obama's Illinois office. Gun smuggling on the border, especially the flow of arms from the US to cartels in the Mexico drug wars, has also piqued concern about the ATF's effectiveness.
Traver has appeared on TV to raise awareness about gun violence – in one case helping a TV reporter rapid-fire bullets from a machine gun that is not legal to sell in the US. His main legacy, perhaps, is his work giving final approval to gang sweeps in the Chicago suburbs. He treated gangs "as criminal organizations rather than loose affiliates of neighborhood thugs," writes the Chicago Sun-Times.
Former ATF special agent William Vizzard, now a criminologist at California State University, Sacramento, says Traver's nomination is unusual in that ATF leadership has tended toward Southern and rural, not Northern and urban.
"The real heart of this is, it doesn't really matter that much who the director of the ATF is, given the current state of the law," says Mr. Vizzard. "If you look at the pattern over the last 10 years, [pro-gun groups] won the Heller case [at the Supreme Court], they've gotten permissive carry [rights] in most states, there's no major gun legislation floating around anywhere. And they're still paranoid."
ATF is the lead agency regulating more than 200 million privately owned firearms. It has been involved in some of America's deadliest homeland conflicts, including the incidents at Waco, Texas, and Ruby Ridge, Idaho in the early 1990s, both of which were cited by Timothy McVeigh as motivation for bombing the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.
The big question now is whether the Senate will hold confirmation hearings or whether Obama makes Traver a recess appointment after Congress adjourns, meaning Traver would take office but would face a later Senate confirmation.
But even if the Senate were to vote Traver down, the White House doesn't necessarily lose, says Mr. Kopel at the Independence Institute. Traver's nomination by itself is a "way to improve [Obama's] standing" among campaign donors who strongly favor gun control, he says.
The nomination comes as the NRA is pushing Congress to pass the ATF Reform and Firearms Modernization Act, which would, among other things, force the ATF to ease up on defendants who say they didn't knowingly violate gun laws.
Opponents say the measure would weaken the ATF's ability to prosecute corrupt gun dealers and to stem the flow of black market weaponry. In that light, "this long-needed appointment is welcome news,” said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, in a statement.
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