Tuesday 28 June 2016
Quebec Now Has a Gun Registry
I will get straight to the point: to those of you who live in Quebec I have this to say:
1) If you want to buy a gun from me, I am in no way going to bow down to your provincial government. I will continue to respect your privacy by not recording or reporting sales information to Big Brother. (I still need to verify a PAL as per the law). You can make your own decision whether you are going to comply or not.
2) Once you do register your guns, a few years down the road they will force you to pay a registration fee like they do for cars (probably a yearly fee of $100 per gun). They will break you financially to force you to give up your hobby. It is not inconceivable that they create several registration fees, perhaps $300 for semi-autos or $400 for a prescribed list of scary non-restricted guns like the VZ58. Who can stop them from doing it? The law is in place and everything can now be done with the bureaucracy. The average gun owner owns 7 firearms…. How many do you own? What will your yearly costs be for compliance?
3) Anti-gun people are never going to be happy until your guns are destroyed and you are dead in a gas chamber. Consider that when you make decisions in the next few weeks.
4) Specter Arms continues to stand by the wrongly persecuted people of Quebec.
Tuesday 14 June 2016
The Pistol Caliber Carbine (Part 2)
Now that we have the data out of the way we can start to critically think to ourselves: Does the Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) have a place other then as a range toy?
Firstly, the projectiles fired from PCCs are typically larger then rifle rounds which mean they have increased atmospheric drag. This causes pistol rounds to lose velocity and thus momentum very quickly compared to their rifle counterparts.
Using a standard 9mm projectile, I calculated the momentum at 100m and it comes out to roughly 2.324 Newton-Seconds (air density and humidity would change this number). Compare that to our 10” barrel AR15 which would have a momentum of 2.381 Newton-Seconds. So somewhere around the 90 meter mark we see that the 10” AR15 takes over as being the more effective firearm. With a Dominion Arms AR15 (14” barrel, sold by Specter Arms) the momentum is better at any range.
Shooting at steel has taught me that 9mm carbines are 100 meter guns… that’s all. The numbers tell me that I should downgrade that figure to 90 meters.
At 100 meters the 45ACP PCC drops to 2.915 Newton-Seconds of momentum. That is a huge drop but it still beats the 14” AR15 at the same distance. Now because the 45 round is subsonic at its standard loadings, the bullet drops quite a bit faster than 9mm. If you zero for 100 meters, at 50 meters the bullet is going to be a terrifying 5.3” above your intended point of aim. If you zero at 75 meters, the rise is acceptable before the 75 meter mark (max 2.5”) but falls rapidly after. Practically speaking, the 45 PCC is a 75 meter gun.
For the sake of argument and because we have not considered 40 S&W or 10mm, we will conclude that the PCC (as a general rule) is for close ranges of 100m or less.
This in itself is not a big deal. The National Tactical Officers Association reports that the average distance that a police “Sniper” has to engage at it 76 meters. Strangely enough that is also the distance that most battles in WW2 were fought at. Most terrain in WW2 was wooded or urban so we can extrapolate that the PCC would also be effective in these areas.
Carrying Capacity
On a standard Molle vest, a pistol magazine takes up one loop of space wide by 2 tall whereas a AR15 magazine takes up two loops of space by 3 tall. As 9mm glock magazine using PCC are most common, we will consider the question of carrying capacity with those in mind.
If we consider legality, we can get 6 pistol magazines into the space we would get 4 LAR magazines (60 versus 40 rounds or 3:2). Using a legal technicality we can use 50 Beowulf magazines giving us our best ratio of 20 rounds for the PCC versus 17 rounds in the Beowulf. If we use regular capacity magazines, the ratio does not change from the first example going to 90:60 or 3:2.
Any way you look at it… Legal or illegal, the PCC gives us the ability to carry more ammo loaded in magazines and ready to use.
We lose ground when we go to 45ACP in terms of carrying capacity. PCCs that use 1911 mags typically only hold 8 rounds. There are 10 round magazines but they are 3 molle loops high versus the normal 2. In the end, carry capacity becomes about even with AR15s versus 45ACP PCCs.
For those who want to just stick magazines in a pocket or a bag, the ratio does not change. In terms of space if we consider the height, length and depth of the various magazines, the ratios stay the same... about 3:2.
In urban conflict a great deal of effort is put into logistics. It has been found in all of the great 20th century urban battles from Ortona to Grozny, that ammo consumption is a lot higher. The ability to carry more ammo becomes especially useful in urban terrain.
In the old cowboy days, long guns and revolvers were often carried that matched in caliber. Being able to use your ammo in two firearms was a lot more handy then a mish-mash of rounds.
PCCs are neither lighter nor more heavy then a comparable rifle. Granted some PCCs (like the Sub-2000) are very light but for the most part, light rifles and PCCs weigh about the same.
Cost
At the low end, a new PCC will cost about $700 CAD. At the high end, about $1500. This is completely on par with the costs of an AR15 which (on the low end) costs about $700. The VZ58 is in the middle at about $1100. M305 (Chinese M14) is about $700. So speaking strictly in terms of cost of gun, there is no advantage of one over the other. They are so close in terms of prices range that we can actually discount this as a factor.
Ammo costs however are a bit different. The Vz58, offers the cheapest ammo. The 223 and 9mm are only a few pennies per round in cost from each other so they are essentially the same. 45ACP is the most expensive of the rounds mentioned. So if we are comparing a 223 rifle (like the AR15) versus a 45 PCC, the cost for the 45 PCC is greater.
Putting it all together.
The PCC is effective at close ranges. That means that the only terrain it has any value in is dense forest or urban areas where engagement ranges are close and having a firearm that is fast to bring on target is valuable. The larger bullets and atmospheric drag cause PCCs to lose velocity faster then their rifle counterparts. The PCC is a terrible choice in open or semi-open areas such as fields, mountains, roads or varying terrain.
We know from history that urban operations require a larger volume of ammo. The PCC offers that. There is a philosophy that holds that the person who runs out of ammo in a gunfight will be the loser.
The sound signature from a PCC is a lot less than a rifle. You will still suffer hearing damage from prolonged use but it will not be the stunning, deafening blast in closed spaces as a rifle would be.
With the data we have available, we can reasonably say that the PCC is more effective than a light rifle such as the AR15 in urban areas only. They are on par with each other in forest terrain but in mixed terrain or open terrain, the short range of the PCC makes it a terrible choice.
If you want a carbine that is good in a lot of places and has versatility, then the PCC should not be your choice. If you can say with certainty that in a disaster, your area of operations is going to be urban, then go with the PCC.
In the next part I will go over the various PCCs that are available in Canada.
Firstly, the projectiles fired from PCCs are typically larger then rifle rounds which mean they have increased atmospheric drag. This causes pistol rounds to lose velocity and thus momentum very quickly compared to their rifle counterparts.
Using a standard 9mm projectile, I calculated the momentum at 100m and it comes out to roughly 2.324 Newton-Seconds (air density and humidity would change this number). Compare that to our 10” barrel AR15 which would have a momentum of 2.381 Newton-Seconds. So somewhere around the 90 meter mark we see that the 10” AR15 takes over as being the more effective firearm. With a Dominion Arms AR15 (14” barrel, sold by Specter Arms) the momentum is better at any range.
Shooting at steel has taught me that 9mm carbines are 100 meter guns… that’s all. The numbers tell me that I should downgrade that figure to 90 meters.
At 100 meters the 45ACP PCC drops to 2.915 Newton-Seconds of momentum. That is a huge drop but it still beats the 14” AR15 at the same distance. Now because the 45 round is subsonic at its standard loadings, the bullet drops quite a bit faster than 9mm. If you zero for 100 meters, at 50 meters the bullet is going to be a terrifying 5.3” above your intended point of aim. If you zero at 75 meters, the rise is acceptable before the 75 meter mark (max 2.5”) but falls rapidly after. Practically speaking, the 45 PCC is a 75 meter gun.
For the sake of argument and because we have not considered 40 S&W or 10mm, we will conclude that the PCC (as a general rule) is for close ranges of 100m or less.
This in itself is not a big deal. The National Tactical Officers Association reports that the average distance that a police “Sniper” has to engage at it 76 meters. Strangely enough that is also the distance that most battles in WW2 were fought at. Most terrain in WW2 was wooded or urban so we can extrapolate that the PCC would also be effective in these areas.
Carrying Capacity
On a standard Molle vest, a pistol magazine takes up one loop of space wide by 2 tall whereas a AR15 magazine takes up two loops of space by 3 tall. As 9mm glock magazine using PCC are most common, we will consider the question of carrying capacity with those in mind.
If we consider legality, we can get 6 pistol magazines into the space we would get 4 LAR magazines (60 versus 40 rounds or 3:2). Using a legal technicality we can use 50 Beowulf magazines giving us our best ratio of 20 rounds for the PCC versus 17 rounds in the Beowulf. If we use regular capacity magazines, the ratio does not change from the first example going to 90:60 or 3:2.
Any way you look at it… Legal or illegal, the PCC gives us the ability to carry more ammo loaded in magazines and ready to use.
We lose ground when we go to 45ACP in terms of carrying capacity. PCCs that use 1911 mags typically only hold 8 rounds. There are 10 round magazines but they are 3 molle loops high versus the normal 2. In the end, carry capacity becomes about even with AR15s versus 45ACP PCCs.
For those who want to just stick magazines in a pocket or a bag, the ratio does not change. In terms of space if we consider the height, length and depth of the various magazines, the ratios stay the same... about 3:2.
In urban conflict a great deal of effort is put into logistics. It has been found in all of the great 20th century urban battles from Ortona to Grozny, that ammo consumption is a lot higher. The ability to carry more ammo becomes especially useful in urban terrain.
In the old cowboy days, long guns and revolvers were often carried that matched in caliber. Being able to use your ammo in two firearms was a lot more handy then a mish-mash of rounds.
PCCs are neither lighter nor more heavy then a comparable rifle. Granted some PCCs (like the Sub-2000) are very light but for the most part, light rifles and PCCs weigh about the same.
Cost
At the low end, a new PCC will cost about $700 CAD. At the high end, about $1500. This is completely on par with the costs of an AR15 which (on the low end) costs about $700. The VZ58 is in the middle at about $1100. M305 (Chinese M14) is about $700. So speaking strictly in terms of cost of gun, there is no advantage of one over the other. They are so close in terms of prices range that we can actually discount this as a factor.
Ammo costs however are a bit different. The Vz58, offers the cheapest ammo. The 223 and 9mm are only a few pennies per round in cost from each other so they are essentially the same. 45ACP is the most expensive of the rounds mentioned. So if we are comparing a 223 rifle (like the AR15) versus a 45 PCC, the cost for the 45 PCC is greater.
Putting it all together.
The PCC is effective at close ranges. That means that the only terrain it has any value in is dense forest or urban areas where engagement ranges are close and having a firearm that is fast to bring on target is valuable. The larger bullets and atmospheric drag cause PCCs to lose velocity faster then their rifle counterparts. The PCC is a terrible choice in open or semi-open areas such as fields, mountains, roads or varying terrain.
We know from history that urban operations require a larger volume of ammo. The PCC offers that. There is a philosophy that holds that the person who runs out of ammo in a gunfight will be the loser.
The sound signature from a PCC is a lot less than a rifle. You will still suffer hearing damage from prolonged use but it will not be the stunning, deafening blast in closed spaces as a rifle would be.
With the data we have available, we can reasonably say that the PCC is more effective than a light rifle such as the AR15 in urban areas only. They are on par with each other in forest terrain but in mixed terrain or open terrain, the short range of the PCC makes it a terrible choice.
If you want a carbine that is good in a lot of places and has versatility, then the PCC should not be your choice. If you can say with certainty that in a disaster, your area of operations is going to be urban, then go with the PCC.
In the next part I will go over the various PCCs that are available in Canada.
Tuesday 7 June 2016
The Pistol Caliber Carbine (Part 1)
The Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) is debated in terms of its practical use. Some view it as a range toy, others include this firearm as part of their survival plan. In exploring this topic we need to first look at hard data before we can really explore things like philosophy of use. In Part One of the Pistol Caliber Carbine I will explore the physics involved with this class of firearm versus the conventional SHTF rifle, the AR15.
In Part 2, we will use this data to discuss philosophy of use.
In Part 3, we will talk about common PCCs in Canada.
There are two empirical methods of assessing the terminal performance of a round
1) Kinetic energy
2) Momentum
You can skew the results in favor of your favorite firearm just by selecting a method of measurement that supports the strength of your bullet. The kinetic energy method holds that a rounds potential is based on the physics formula for kinetic energy where energy is equal to half the mass times velocity squared. With this measurement method, bullets that go fast are considered superior to those with mass.
On the other end, momentum is based on s simple velocity times mass equation. People who gravitate towards heavier calibers prefer this method of measurement.
Speaking anecdotally, real world users of light but fast bullets such as HK’s 4.7mm in the MP7, tell about having to expend half a magazine to quickly put someone down. Similar to this, Delta force operators in Mogadishu found that their heavy hitting 1911s in 45ACP were more effective then their M4 carbines in putting the drug addled Somalis down.
Secondly, if a bullet’s energy expands into an empty body cavity or it exits the body having not transmitted all its energy, then energy kinetic is not an appropriate measurement.
This is why I prefer momentum and will use this as my measurement standard for the following analysis.
In Canada, AR15 users (in an effort to look more cool) seemingly have gravitated towards the 10” barrel on their AR15s. I don’t know anyone who goes out and shoots anything other than 55grain bullets (except for me) so I will use that as my bullet weight.
Using momentum, the numbers read as follows… 2616fps (797m/s) on a 55 grain (3.56g) projectile.
Final result is 2.837 Newton Seconds.
Out of a handgun, the average 115gr 9mm projectile reads as follows… 1100fps (335m/s) on a 115 grain (7.45g) projectile.
Final result is 2.496 Newton-Seconds.
Out of a pistol, the 9mm is a lot worse than the 10” AR15.
Now if we up the barrel length to 18” on our 9mm PCC to make a non-restricted firearm in Canada our velocity jumps to 1297fps (395m/s)
Final result is 2.942 Neuton-Seconds.
Oh ho! That is better than the 10” barrel AR15!
How about your standard 230gr (14.90g) 45ACP projectile out of a 18” barrel?
Final result is 4.472 Newton-Seconds.
Wow…. The 45ACP has ballistics like a rainbow with its low speeds but at close ranges, it has an unbeatable punch to it.
Specter Arms sells 14.75” barrel AR15s. Longer than what is cool but let’s run the numbers on those…
Final result is 3.122 Newton-Seconds. At this point, the AR15 beats the 9mm PCC but still falls short against the 45ACP PCC.
So the truth is, from a physics perspective, the PCC is just as effective as a AR15 at close ranges.
Now long ranges (100m+) is where the PCC falls down. This is where we need to look at philosophy of use… but that is for the next article.
In Part 2, we will use this data to discuss philosophy of use.
In Part 3, we will talk about common PCCs in Canada.
There are two empirical methods of assessing the terminal performance of a round
1) Kinetic energy
2) Momentum
You can skew the results in favor of your favorite firearm just by selecting a method of measurement that supports the strength of your bullet. The kinetic energy method holds that a rounds potential is based on the physics formula for kinetic energy where energy is equal to half the mass times velocity squared. With this measurement method, bullets that go fast are considered superior to those with mass.
On the other end, momentum is based on s simple velocity times mass equation. People who gravitate towards heavier calibers prefer this method of measurement.
Speaking anecdotally, real world users of light but fast bullets such as HK’s 4.7mm in the MP7, tell about having to expend half a magazine to quickly put someone down. Similar to this, Delta force operators in Mogadishu found that their heavy hitting 1911s in 45ACP were more effective then their M4 carbines in putting the drug addled Somalis down.
Secondly, if a bullet’s energy expands into an empty body cavity or it exits the body having not transmitted all its energy, then energy kinetic is not an appropriate measurement.
This is why I prefer momentum and will use this as my measurement standard for the following analysis.
In Canada, AR15 users (in an effort to look more cool) seemingly have gravitated towards the 10” barrel on their AR15s. I don’t know anyone who goes out and shoots anything other than 55grain bullets (except for me) so I will use that as my bullet weight.
Using momentum, the numbers read as follows… 2616fps (797m/s) on a 55 grain (3.56g) projectile.
Final result is 2.837 Newton Seconds.
Out of a handgun, the average 115gr 9mm projectile reads as follows… 1100fps (335m/s) on a 115 grain (7.45g) projectile.
Final result is 2.496 Newton-Seconds.
Out of a pistol, the 9mm is a lot worse than the 10” AR15.
Now if we up the barrel length to 18” on our 9mm PCC to make a non-restricted firearm in Canada our velocity jumps to 1297fps (395m/s)
Final result is 2.942 Neuton-Seconds.
Oh ho! That is better than the 10” barrel AR15!
How about your standard 230gr (14.90g) 45ACP projectile out of a 18” barrel?
Final result is 4.472 Newton-Seconds.
Wow…. The 45ACP has ballistics like a rainbow with its low speeds but at close ranges, it has an unbeatable punch to it.
Specter Arms sells 14.75” barrel AR15s. Longer than what is cool but let’s run the numbers on those…
Final result is 3.122 Newton-Seconds. At this point, the AR15 beats the 9mm PCC but still falls short against the 45ACP PCC.
So the truth is, from a physics perspective, the PCC is just as effective as a AR15 at close ranges.
Now long ranges (100m+) is where the PCC falls down. This is where we need to look at philosophy of use… but that is for the next article.
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