Lift yer glasses!

From Tam, a blogger I follow:

How many gun designers in the history of the planet have had, say, five completely different, commercially successful weapons to their credit?

The answer is "one".

Go. Read it. Lift yer glasses.

Gear, Updated

A while back, I posted here for the curious about the gear we wear on the street. As anyone with a military background can tell you, gear changes. You realize something or another just isn't fulfilling its purpose well enough, or some brand-spanking new thing comes out that you just have to have, even though what it replaces was working just fine. The ALICE gear we had when I first went in the Corps gave way to LBV's, then MOLLE gear, then various iterations of MOLLE gear, and now I've been out for quite a while so I'm not even sure what they're using now except that it's still a PALS-based system.

Some people seem to think they have to have the latest and greatest, just 'cause they like it. These are the same people who get a new car every time their lease runs out, a new computer every year or two even though all they use it for is the Internet, and probably keep up-to date on the developments in the fashion world as well.

Then there are the people who try to use gear as a substitute for knowledge and training. You'll see them decked out in Multicam or ATACS at the range, trying in vain to hit a target 10 yards away with their H&K uber-pistols.

And also, there are those who see no need to ever update their gear. The old stuff is working, so they leave it at that, and refuse to see how some new gear could really enhance their abilities.

Most of us are somewhere between the two extremes. When something new comes out, I take a look and see if I thing it would actually work better for me than what I'm using, and if so I buy it. Likewise even without new gear, I constantly evaluate how my gear is working for me, the way I do things, and if something is sub-optimal I look for something better. New techniques and better training often obviate old gear.

All that said, here's my setup as it currently stands:

(1) is my blow-out kit. Standard contents; look up "blow-out kit" or "trauma kit" anywhere on the Net and you'll find lists galore.

(2) is a .308 AR magazine pouch, which happens to be a great iPhone carrier.

(3) is the same, but carries cuffs.

(4) are, of course, 1911 magazines.

(5) is a GP pouch carrying various necessities.

(6) is an admin pouch with a flashlight holder.

(7) are a couple of these beautiful things. They hold 8 12-gauge shells per side, though in the single AR magazine pouches they're in I can only fill one side. Dummy-corded in, they pull out and can just be dropped after removing the shells.

(8) holds 12 12-gauge rounds.

Also, behind (2) and (3) are two more single AR magazine pouches. One holds a multitool and one holds my radio.

The vest is an armor carrier from Condor Tactical.

Range Day

Today was a great day of training for the 3EIFRU crew. Coordinated by Chris Dunn from Covered Six, at a semi-local range, it was nothing ultra-high-speed, but some good re-familiarization for me. Some of it was new to the new guys, but all took to it like ducks to water and moved right along. Everyone needs a little polishing on something, of course.

Then, Sensei's bike conked out and we had to load it in the back of my pickup to get it back to L.A. Finished off the day with some training at the dojo, then back home for a well-deserved evening off.

Filming promo material

Third Echelon FRU spent yesterday filming in Elysian Park. Interviews, closeups of gear, some informal stuff of us all telling stories, and things like that. This is to add to other footage we shot a few months back and put it together into something to show the network executives to sell the show.

It was a bit irritating to be directed. None of us are actors, or want to be, and having to redo things to look better for the camera was a pain. We all agreed in about a half a heartbeat that there will be no direction from the producers when we're on the street.


Anyway, we had a good time, got some good footage, and Redneck came home with a red neck (and face).

Newbs make good

Sensei took Viper and Beast out today and made an arrest on a file we just picked up last night. Third arrest for the new guys. Great work!

In other news, 3EIFRU is filming interviews tomorrow for the show. Watch for it!

Update

It's been busy lately and I haven't been updating this as much as I'd like to, but here's some of what's happened lately.

- I did a solo arrest on a guy down in Norwalk who didn't want to go. We wrestled a bit and he gave in - but it was too late to make it easy on himself, as someone else had already called the Sheriff's Department. They bum-rushed him, choked him, slammed him into the wall, and put my flex-cuffs on him a lot tighter than I would have. And as a result he went to jail with no shirt and no shoes. He's wearing a T-shirt in the pictures because one of the bondsmen standing outside the jail couldn't pass up the chance to get some free advertising inside the jail.

- We lost Jester and Fox, and added Remy, Viper, and Beast to the team.

- Beast and I arrested this one:

- Viper and I arrested this one:

- Sensei, Remy, Beast, Viper, and I arrested this one:

whose original charge was forgery. He had a passport in another name, but luckily we had a good picture from the bondsman. Without the picture (yeah, I'm talking to you, Mr. Don't-bother-to-get-all-the-info-and-a-pic-of-the-damn-defendant. You know who you are), we would have had to leave him there.

- Then we lost King. So the team as currently composed is Ronin, Sensei, Redneck, Remy, Viper, and Beast.

And that was just last week!

Bounty Hunting in the News

First, from Wilson Quarterly. This one starts off with a terrible example, as the guy is an idiot and the case they highlight got him arrested and jailed. And then skipped bail himself! Nonetheless, it'll be informative to anyone outside the industry.

Then, a more scholarly (and a bit drier) article from George Mason University, comparing public (police) and private bail enforcement.

Enjoy!