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Found on the internet, provenance unknown.

Neat picture, though.

For a long time now, some companies in the finance industry have been refusing to process credit card payments for firearms.  This essay from 2013 discusses one such case, but it has been going on longer than that.

Keep in mind that these transactions are perfectly legal, and are even under heavy scrutiny by federal and local law enforcement to ensure that they remain on the up-and-up.  Even so, an increasing number of banks and financial transaction companies are refusing to process these sales.

So what to do?

One solution is to start a company specifically to handle credit card transactions from the firearms and sports industries.  Behold!

So there is a company that fills a need that other companies will not.  Good idea!  But why am I talking about them?  My efforts are charity, all paid for by myself.  There are no payments to process.

Tactical Payments has a podcast called Tactical Pay Radio where they interview people in the firearms industry, and they decided to feature me in one of the podcasts.  The host is Brett Grayson, who insists that he is not related to the more famous Grayson.

Why did they approach me as a guest?  Haven’t the foggiest, really.  I suppose it is because this blog has been around, in one incarnation or another, since 2002.  If one talks loudly and long, eventually people will start to notice.

Anyway, just in case you happen to be interested, the segment where I talk about stuff can be found here.  Two of my old posts are mentioned in passing, and just to make it a bit less confusing they are Confessions of a Deathbeast and A Day In The Life.

Tactical Payments was started by Adam Carlson, and I wish him the best of luck.  As mentioned previously, there is a definite need for a service like this.

I want to show you something.  Take a look at the picture below.

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What the heck is that?  A picture of 87 different calibers. All handgun cartridges.  Except for a few exceptions, you would need a different gun to shoot each cartridge.  And it is hardly an exhaustive list.

Anyone just starting out with armed self defense might just despair of ever getting it right.  All these different calibers!  All these different gun designs!  Which one to choose?  Guns are expensive, costing about as much as a major appliance like a washing machine.  A lot of people only have enough money for one gun, so they have to get something that will work on the first go without any hidden problems.  Which is pretty much what people think when they buy a washing machine.

Don’t panic, we can get through this.  All we have to do is narrow the list.  What we need to do is concentrate on handgun calibers that are proven to be effective in a self defense role, and that are popular.

Why only popular calibers?  Because that means there are plenty of choices in ammunition and gun options.  More choices means it is easier to find something that suits your particular needs, and competition between manufacturers keeps the price down.  Best to start with boring and effective.  You can get something exotic and exciting after gaining some experience.

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I just received a heads up about a new product on the market from long time reader Greg.  (Thanks, Greg!)    It appears to be a shotgun shell loaded with cotton wadding and, perhaps, a solid disk of wax.  Load a shell, fire it in your shotgun, and the bore inside the barrel is buffed nice and clean.

The product is offered by a company named Huntego, which you might have guessed by the picture above.  These shells were reviewed by The Firearm Blog back in 2017, and they certainly seem to think they work.  Of course, there is no reason why they shouldn’t.

The idea of using a projectile to clean the bore of a firearm is certainly nothing new.  It was a subject of some interest back when black powder was being used as a propellant.

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See all that white smoke?  That is propellant residue, and it coats any gun that uses black powder with every shot fired.  If one is using traditional black powder, it doesn’t take too many bangs before the inside of the barrel starts to get heavily encrusted.  This shrinks the bore size, making it difficult to ram a bullet down the muzzle.

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Found on the internet.  Click for bigger.

They don’t actually play Dungeons and Dragons there!

From a cemetery in a small town in West Texas.

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That coffee service costs more than the cabin where I live.

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Get involved in any martial art and there is an endless debate as to which is the best.

Karate?  Krav Maga?  Boxing?  If you think differently than me, you’re wrong!!!

The main criteria is what someone is good at.  Boxing champion thinks karate is foppish prancing about.  Karate black belt thinks Krav Maga is just rolling around and yelling at people.  Krav Maga black belt thinks boxing is an exercise program for incompetents who can’t handle the stresses of Krav Maga.  And so on.

What about people who agree that armed self defense is a good thing?  What do they have to argue about?  Mainly the gear.

Sure, we all say that it is best to have a firearm at the ready when a violent criminal attacks from the shadows.  But what firearm?  Revolver?   Autoloader?  What manufacturer?  Glock?  Colt?  Smith & Wesson?  The chances to have unreasonably vicious discussions about reasonable personal choice are endless!

The one subject about armed self defense that seems to get everyone really riled up is caliber choice.  Which caliber is the best to end a violent criminal attack?  Everyone has an opinion, and no one is willing to listen to opposing views.

What is my personal opinion?  That anything at least as powerful as a .380 ACP is necessary to be effective, and after that shot placement is the most telling factor in armed self defense.  After learning how to accurately shoot under the stress of terrifying aggression, and if you equip yourself with a .380 ACP or larger multi-shot handgun, then you’ll do just about as well as with any equipment.

Below is a Youtube video from someone who is interested in prepping, or choosing the stuff you will carry when the world comes apart in order to keep yourself alive.  He uses a large study of real-world shootings.  You can object to his data or his conclusions, but I think he makes a good case.

Why did I link to the video here?  Mainly because it perfectly reaffirms my own conclusions.  And always remember that anyone who disagrees, no matter how logically, is just plain wrong!!

(Just kidding.)