Clothing:

Lame:

PBT INOX (2 years and still going strong)
If you want a washable lame the only brand I recommend is (I use a Lean Paul Saber glove for over 2 years and it still works):
Leon Paul Lames

Mask:
Uhlmann(1 year and still going strong)
I’m looking into this one. Those who use it love it. My fav part is the removable bib.
Leon Paul X-change Mask

Glove:
Leon Paul with washable mesh (2 years and only the thumb area shows heavy wear)
Leon Paul Gloves

Body cores:
Leon Paul

Mask Cores:
Absolute but to be honest you can use any brand

Saber

Blades:
No recommendations. I’m still experimenting.

Bell Guards:

Heavy Weight Guards:
Leon Paul

Mid Weight Guards:
Absolute
Blue Gauntlet

Light Weight Guards:
Light Leon Paul
Light Absolute

Pommel nuts:
5grams: standard: Absolute, Lean Paul, Blue Gauntlet, PBT
16grams: Lean Paul
20grams: PBT

Sockets:
Leon Paul

Handle:
Uhlmann rubber

Example: If you like your weapon front heavy I’d go for a mid weight bell guard, 5gram pommel nut.

This was very general. Feel free to comment with questions I will answer as best I can.

Small calibers, such as the .22 cal, lack “Stopping Power”

Smallest to largest: .22 cal, .380 ACP, 9mm, .40 cal, and .45 ACP. The 9mm is the minimal effective bullet size for self-defense

Larger bullet diameters (.40cal, .45ACP) are more effective than medium bullet diameters (.380ACP, 9mm) at creating stopping power

BUT being able to hit your target trumps all. Therefore if you can only handle a .380ACP you should stick with a .380ACP

Regardless of what cartridges you use you still need to practice at a range

Work Cited:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080401185830AAhuke0

http://www.ar15.com/forums/board.html?b=5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartridge_(firearms)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrostatic_shock

http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Hydrostatic_shock/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_power

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081115032817AAa3Rwp

http://www.best9mm.com/

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/ammo-can/7530-best-self-defense-9mm-round-weight.html

http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/ammunition-reports/90603-9mm-ammunition-differences.html

http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/ammunition-reports/90603-9mm-ammunition-differences.html

http://www.ar15armory.com/forums/Rethinking-9mm-Bullet-W-t3663.html

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061107095652AAT5piD

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070714172754AAvtq7N

http://www.internetarmory.com/handgunammo.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow-point_bullet

http://www.northwestfirearms.com/forum/showthread.php?s=de4eba0f4f663a0c121023c1b9db2d23&p=139494#post139494

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Components and Naming (12/11/09)
Part 2: Stopping Power, Energy Transfer, Hydrostatic Shock (12/11/09)
Part 3: Weight and Fill (12/15/09)
Part 4: Generally Accepted Information (12/15/09)

Bullet Variations:

In addition to the different types of cartridges defined by their bullet diameter and casting height, there are variants within each type defined by weight and fill.

Weight:

Each cartridge type (.22 cal, .380 ACP, 9mm, .40 cal, and .45 ACP) has a weight range. As an example you can purchase 9mm in 115, 124 or 147 grains. This measures the weight of the bullet (not the entire cartridge). A grain is a united of measure that is 1/7000 of a pound. It is generally accepted that heavier bullets have greater energy transfer and create larger shockwaves, which increases the effectiveness of hydrostatic shock.

Fill:

Some cartridges are labeled with “+P” or “+P+”.

“+P” = extra pressure
“+P+” = ultra high pressure.

These cartridges use special powder that provides more force to propel there bullets. These types of cartridges should only be used in firearms that were designed for them. The higher pressure allows the bullet to be propelled forward at a faster rate. Based on our earlier equation ( F = Max times acceleration) a faster bullet leads to more force.

FMJ vs HMJ:

In regards to civilian pistol cartridges there is another class of variation.

FMJ = Full Metal Jacket
JHP = Jacketed Hollow Points

FMJ and JHP describe the shape of the bullet. FMJs are your classic dome (round) tipped bullet. JHPs have a cavity cut out of the middle (See attached picture .40cal JHP 180 grain).

FMJs retain most of there shape upon impact but will deform when they hit a solid object. The aerodynamic shape of FMJ allows them to travel faster and with more accuracy than JHP(note because of the close quarter nature of defense situations the aerodynamic shape may be negligible because all modern bullets are relatively accurate at close range). Since FMJ don’t deform in soft tissue, as found in living targets, there aerodynamic shape allows them to penetrate deeper into a target. If enough force is applied sometimes over penetration occurs and the bullet exits the target. The greatest danger in over penetration is the bullet may still have enough power after exiting to injury an unintended target. Other affects of over penetration are decreased energy transfer and decrease the effect of hydrostatic shock.

JHPs are designed to deform upon any impact. The deformation is engineered so the bullet “blossoms like a flower”. This blossoming increases the bullets surface area preventing over penetration and allowing the bullet to transfer nearly all its energy into a target. This result in greater energy transfers and increases effects of hydrostatic shock.

Studies of JHP have been done on ballistic gel and much debate surrounds the effectiveness of JHP. Critics of JHP show that when JHP are fired at cloths wearing targets the fabric from their cloths fills the cavity of the JHP causing it to behave similar to a FMJ. JHP technology has improved greatly and claims have been made that this is no longer an issue. Supporters have JHP have also suggest that according to the study mentioned above a JHP that behaves similar to a FMJ is still as affective as a FMJ therefore JHP are still superior for self defense.

Stay tuned for part four: Generally Accepted Information and my works cited page.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Components and Naming (12/11/09)
Part 2: Stopping Power, Energy Transfer, Hydrostatic Shock (12/11/09)
Part 3: Weight and Fill (12/15/09)
Part 4: Generally Accepted Information (12/15/09)

Yesterday we covered some of the different sizes and naming convention of ammo. Today we will cover the basic science behind how penetrating ballistics work.

Part 2: Science

Stopping Power:

Stopping Power describes the ability of a penetrating ballistic to incapacitate or “stop” a target where it stands. Any penetrating ballistics is capable of “stopping” a target if it disrupts the central nervous system (CNS) by causing sufficient damage to the brain or spinal cord. Damaging the CNS may cause paralysis, unconsciousness, and/or death.  Additional ways of “stopping” a target is indirectly though energy transfer and hydrostatic shock. These methods may or may not be lethal but they create an effect that is able to stop a target mid action. It is important to note that energy transfer and hydrostatic shock are theories that are generally accepted but have not been full proven.

Energy Transfer:

Energy transfer is the more controversial of the two indirect “stopping” methods. Energy transfer “stops” a target by transferring the energy (force) from a moving ballistic into an intended target.  In a very simplified example we use the formula F = mass x acceleration to calculate a moving ballistics’ energy. We apply the law of “conservation of energy”. The law states that the energy in an isolated system remains constant over time. In our example the isolated system is a moving ballistic and an intended target, for simplicity we assume the target is stationary. When a ballistic is fired from a firearm there is a force associated with it that is equal to its mass times acceleration. When the ballistic hits the intended target the ballistics stops and transfers its force into the target. The target is “accelerated” backwards at the rate of F (the force from the ballistics) divided by the target’s mass. This theory is controversial because in reality there are more variables to consider. The most important of which is that a penetrating ballistics will not stop when contact is made with the target. Instead it penetrates into and sometimes passes through the target. This penetration prevents all of the force from the ballistic to transfer to the target.

Hydrostatic Shock:

The last and generally more accepted indirect method of creating “Stopping Power” is hydrostatic shock. When a penetrating ballistic contacts a living target two cavitations are formed: permanent and temporary. A permanent cavitation is a hole formed when a penetrating ballistic travels though a living target. A temporary cavitation is the radial tearing and stretching of living tissue caused by the shockwaves formed when a penetrating ballistics enters a living target. Depending on the magnitude of the temporary cavitations the results can vary from slight bruising to blunt trauma. Blunt trauma can cause paralysis, unconsciousness, stunning, or death. The size of the shockwave is dependent on the mass and acceleration of the penetrating ballistics because of this larger cartridge types (.40cal, .45ACP) are believed to be more affective at creating hydrostatic shock.

Stay tuned for part three: the variants of cartridge types.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Components and Naming (12/11/09)
Part 2: Stopping Power, Energy Transfer, Hydrostatic Shock (12/11/09)
Part 3: Weight and Fill (12/15/09)
Part 4: Generally Accepted Information (12/15/09)

Part 1: basics

Components and how they work:

Cartridges are made up of four components: bullet, casting, powder, and primer. When a gun is fired its hammer or striker hits the primer. The primer detonates and starts a secondary detonation of the powder. The detonation of the powder propels the bullet forward. The final component, the casting, holds all the components together.

Size:

The different cartridges types are named after the diameter (caliber) of there bullets. American and English cartridges are measured in inches while European cartridges are measured using millimeters.

Listed from smallest to largest are some of the more popular pistol cartridge types: .22 cal, .380 ACP, 9mm, .40 cal, and .45 ACP. Each cartridge type has a history and many alternate names. For example the 9mm can be referred to as: 9x19mm, 9mm Nato, and 9mm Luger. In the name 9x19mm the “9” is the measure of the diameter of the bullet in millimeters, while the 19mm refers to the height of the casting. 9mm NATO cartridge is the official cartridge adapted by NATO and is considered an overpressure variant of the 9x19mm. The 9mm Luger is named after Georg Luger, the original designer of the 9x19mm. There are some exceptions to the naming rule; the .380 ACP is good example of this. The .380 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) was designed by John Browning and introduced by Colt in 1908. Even though you’d expect the .380 ACP’s diameter to be .380^th of an inch it is actually .355 of an inch (9mm).  The number “.380” was most likely selected for marketing reasons. The dimensions of the .380 ACP are: 9mm bullet diameter and 17mm casting height. Alternate names for the .380 ACP are: .380 Auto, 9mm Browning, 9mm Corto, 9mm Court, 9mm Kratak, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Scurt, 9mm Short, and 9x17mm.

Please stay tuned for part 2 the science behind “Stopping Power”.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Components and Naming (12/11/09)
Part 2: Stopping Power, Energy Transfer, Hydrostatic Shock (12/11/09)
Part 3: Weight and Fill (12/15/09)
Part 4: Generally Accepted Information (12/15/09)

There are three methods to get Window’s software to run on a Mac:

1. Dual booting – this is done via bootcamp

2. Parallels/virtualization – this is done via VMware or VirtualBox

3. Compatibility Layer software – this is done via Crossover

Description

1. Dual booting: is having multiple Operating Systems (OS) installed on the same computer. You can only use one OS at a time. You can decide which OS to use when you turn on your computer. Each OS installed on the computer can be thought of as a separate machine.

2. Parallels/virtualization: running two operating systems (in my case Mac OS and Windows XP) simultaneously on one computer. Mac OS will be your primary OS. You secondary OS will be launch once you run your Parallel/virtualization software.

3. Compatibility Layer Software: Is an emulator that allows you to run Windows software on a Mac. It is the only method that does not require a full version of Windows.

Tools:

1. Dual Booting:

• BootCamp (free)
• Full version of Windows XP with service pack 2+ or Windows Vista
• If you are a full time college student check with your university. You may be eligible for a free copy Windows

2. Parallels/Virtualization:

• VMware ($80) or Virtualbox (free)
• For most users I recommend Virtualbox. Virualbox is an Open Source software that is very light and quick. It has similar features to VMware.
• Full version of Windows XP or Windows Vista. I recommend using Windows XP for this method. Vista requires more processing power than XP.

3. Compatibility Layer Software:

• Crossover ($40)

Pros and Cons:

1. Dual Booting:

• Pros: Runs all programs natively (You turned your Mac into a PC running Windows). 100% Compatible with all Windows program.
• Cons: You have to partition/divide your hard drive into two. When running the PC side you cannot access anything on the Mac side but  while running the Mac side you can access files from the PC side (see special note at bottom). You have to setup all network settlings twice.

2. Parallels/Virtualization:

• Pros: You can access both Mac and Windows files at any time without having to restart your system. Should be 100% Compatible with all Windows Programs.
• Cons: Since your running two operating systems at the same time this method requires a lot of system resources such as Ram and CPU. If you are going to use this method I suggest having at lest 2 gigs of Ram. Since this method is already taxing your system I do not recommend this method if you intend to run Window’s games.

3. Compatibility Layer Software:

• Pros: Does not require a full version of Windows. Works many popular Window’s software, see website for full listing.
• Cons: Will not work for all software

SPECIAL NOTE FOR DUAL BOOT:

There is a way to access your Mac file while you are in PC mode. You can buy ($40) a software called Macdrive.

LINKS:

VMware

http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/

Virtualbox

http://www.virtualbox.org/

Crossover

http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/

Macdrive

http://www.amazon.com/CSDC-MD70-E0WR-Macdrive-7/dp/B000O39YGE?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1178408433&sr=8-1

FINAL NOTE: I started this post because my statistic class required us to install an Excel plug-in called PHstat2. PHstat2 will only work on a Window’s version of Excel. In you intend to install PHstat2 on your machine, Compatibility Layer Software will not work.