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Pipe Hitters Union Announces 2016 Calendar Featuring World-Class Female Shooters, Veterans And Weapons Enthusiasts

October 24th, 2015

Pipe Hitters Union Announces 2016 Calendar Featuring World-Class Female Shooters, Veterans and Weapons Enthusiasts
Michelle Vicusi, Amanda Furrer and More Round Out the Calendar’s All-Star Lineup

Texas-based lifestyle apparel company Pipe Hitters Union (PHU) may be known for its ultra-masculine aesthetic and roots in the Special Operations community, but it is decidedly not for men only. The outfitter proved as much when it announced the pre-release of its 2016 calendar, which features some of the military and weapons-enthusiast community’s most powerful and best-known female figures.

With backgrounds ranging from combat veterans to an Olympian shooter to survivalists and fitness pros, the women of the PHU 2016 calendar are not the typical “gun bunnies” usually seen modeling weapons and tactical gear. The lineup includes: Michelle Viscusi (U.S. Army vet, owner of Defensive Depot and professional shooter for GLOCK), Amanda Furrer (Olympian—USA Shooting Team), Jacqueline Carrizosa (U.S. Navy Vet, competitive shooter and Motocross racer), Brittany Paus (U.S. Air Force vet and Wishes for Warriors Ops Coordinator), Danielle Harris (avid shooter and owner of Dragon Fire Armory), Giselle Falla (owner of Redback One, fitness professional and Labrada Nutrition spokesmodel), Tawny Lynn (avid shooter and survivalist), Alex Rogers (competitive shooter and fitness professional), Breanne Ryan (avid shooter and spokesmodel), Leah Hill (U.S. Army combat vet and fitness professional), Jill Hensley (avid shooter and brand ambassador), and Rachel B (avid hunter and firearms enthusiast).

We’ve pulled out all the stops and flipped the script on what has come to be the standard tactical female calendar. The PHU 2016 calendar IS NOT chalked full of half-naked gun bunnies that look awkward and out of place who wouldn’t know the difference between a butt stock and muzzle device. In true Pipe Hitter style, we’ve teamed up with Straight 8 Photography to produce a calendar worthy of the Pipe Hitter name and have loaded it with strong, beautiful, badass women from across the industry, said PHU president Lincoln Osiris.

Fans can pre-order the calendar by visiting the PHU website, www.pipehittersunion.com.

Tags: Pipe Hitters Union
Posted in Morale, Press Release | 17 Comments »

AAF Makes The DD-214 Blanket A Reality

October 24th, 2015

We’ve all seen this meme posted on social media every time some new form of military buffoonery is announced.

Thanks to the folks at AAF, you can now make it a reality. It’s available as a blank version or you can even customize it with your own DD-214.

www.aafnation.com/products/dd-214-blanket

Tags: America As Fack
Posted in Morale, Veterans | 7 Comments »

Gunfighter Moment – Pat McNamara

October 24th, 2015

Flat range mindset is a sticking point with me during training. Too often, when I set up drills that require kinetics, guys are hesitant to move in varying directions, with a gun in their hands. The administrative need to orient it downrange overrides the necessity to move naturally with a weapon system in hand.

I often ask those, with whom I am training, “How do we run with a pistol or a rifle?” To which I will answer, “The same way we move without a pistol or a rifle.”

If we are switched on, this can easily be accomplished while staying within the parameters of safe gun handling, while mitigating the IPSC style of nutty antics of running in one direction, while orienting our weapon system in another…..downrange.

A compressed ready, for instance, with a pistol, or a football carry with a rifle, will allow us to move naturally and provide us with the mobility necessary to get where we are going. The objective, when moving, is to get to where we are going. Mobility equals survivability. Train like you fight.

Patrick McNamara
SGM, US Army (Ret)

Patrick McNamara spent twenty-two years in the United States Army in a myriad of special operations units. When he worked in the premier Special Missions Unit, he became an impeccable marksman, shooting with accurate, lethal results and tactical effectiveness. McNamara has trained tactical applications of shooting to people of all levels of marksmanship, from varsity level soldiers, and police officers who work the streets to civilians with little to no time behind the trigger.

His military experience quickly taught him that there is more to tactical marksmanship than merely squeezing the trigger. Utilizing his years of experience, McNamara developed a training methodology that is safe, effective and combat relevant and encourages a continuous thought process. This methodology teaches how to maintain safety at all times and choose targets that force accountability, as well as provides courses covering several categories, including individual, collective, on line and standards.

While serving as his Unit’s Marksmanship NCO, he developed his own marksmanship club with NRA, CMP, and USPSA affiliations. Mac ran monthly IPSC matches and ran semi annual military marksmanship championships to encourage marksmanship fundamentals and competitiveness throughout the Army.He retired from the Army’s premier hostage rescue unit as a Sergeant Major and is the author of T.A.P.S. (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting). He also served as the Principle of TMACS Inc.

Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Alias Training & Security Services. Each week Alias brings us a different Trainer and in turn they offer some words of wisdom.

Tags: Alias Training and Security Services, Pat McNamara, TMACS Inc
Posted in Gunfighter Moment | 2 Comments »

You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up

October 24th, 2015

A friend of SSD competes in the WERA Grand Nationals. Got get ’em bro!

Posted in KCRF | 2 Comments »

5.11 Tactical – Apex Pant Infographic

October 23rd, 2015

Click to view .pdf

5.11 Tactical produced an Infographic on their new Apex Pant. It’s quite a bit larger than the image above, so you’ll have to click it to see whole thing.

www.511tactical.com

Tags: 5.11 Tactical
Posted in Clothing | 31 Comments »

Speaking of Blackwater

October 23rd, 2015

Looks like the Va Beach sportsplex needs to update their sponsorships.

Tags: Blackwater
Posted in WTF? | 1 Comment »

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Receives Safety Equipment Grant From The Spirit Of Blue Foundation

October 23rd, 2015

Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn (left) accepted the Safety Equipment Grant at a ceremony held at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters in Rochester, NY. Presenting the grant was Ryan T. Smith, Executive Director of the Spirit of Blue Foundation, and Abbey Celeste, Field Marketing Manager from Dunkin’ Brands.

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK – October 21, 2015 – The Spirit of Blue Foundation announced today that it has awarded a Safety Equipment Grant to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) for the purchase of 100 Individual Patrol Officer Trauma Kits (IPOK), valued at $4,497.00. The kits will allow deputies to provide immediate self-care if injured while on patrol or in training, in addition to providing care to other deputies or members of the general public who are injured and in need of immediate medical attention. The IPOK’s, manufactured by North American Rescue, feature their C-A-T Tourniquet, Z-Fold Gauze, 4-inch emergency trauma dressing and a pair of sterile gloves, all inside of a vacuum-sealed pouch.

“I would like to thank the Spirit of Blue Foundation for their generous gift awarded to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn. “The Individual Patrol Officer Kits (IPOK) are a welcome addition to our patrol vehicles. This equipment will provide an extra margin of safety for staff and the public we serve, when addressing critical incidents.”

Funding for the grant was provided by a generous gift from The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation (DDBRCF), a nonprofit organization of volunteer Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchisees and Dunkin’ Brands employees that ensure the basic needs of the community are being met in areas of hunger relief, children’s health and safety. In total the DDBRCF has enabled Spirit of Blue to make 17 Safety Equipment Grants throughout New England with a total value of more than $100,000 in 2015. Spirit of Blue also announced that donations from the community, pledged by texting “KIT” to 41444 and received by November 1st, would be used to purchase additional IPOK kits for the Sheriff’s Office.

“A tremendous leap forward has occurred in the area of tactical emergency medicine,” commented Ryan T. Smith, Executive Director of the Spirit of Blue Foundation. “With the right equipment, such as a tourniquet, and the right training on how to use it, those who are injured in the line of duty have a much higher survival rate than before. These kits can help stabilize a deputy with a severe extremity wound, for instance, long enough to get the proper medical attention to save their life.”

2015 statistics released by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund show that 102 law enforcement officers have already lost their lives this year, an increase of 17% from the same period in the prior year. Of those deaths, 32 were firearm-related, and an average of 56 firearm-related fatalities occur each year. The reality of these statistics, and the increasing number of underfunded law enforcement agencies across the country, fuel the Spirit of Blue safety grant initiative.

The Spirit of Blue Foundation actively encourages the public at large to honor and appreciate law enforcement officers who serve to protect our communities. By supporting the Spirit of Blue Foundation, the public can make an impact in the lives of law enforcement officers every day. To learn more about the Spirit of Blue, or make a donation, visit www.spiritofblue.com.

Tags: The Spirit of Blue Foundation
Posted in Press Release | 1 Comment »

ASA Announces Hearing Protection Act: A Bill To Remove Suppressors From The NFA

October 23rd, 2015

For too long we’ve seen legislation move closer and closer toward banning firearms. It’s great to see the American Suppressor Association take the opposite tack and move the goal posts toward less regulation. In particular, the classification of suppressors as NFA items is particularly shortsighted considering their value in protecting the hearing of gun owners and bystanders alike. And let’s not forget our pets and working animals who may be exposed to shooting.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Suppressor Association (ASA) is pleased to announce the introduction of the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) by Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05). This historic piece of legislation will remove suppressors from the purview of the National Firearms Act (NFA), replacing the antiquated federal transfer process with an instantaneous NICS background check. The HPA also includes a provision to refund the $200 transfer tax to applicants who purchase a suppressor after October 22, 2015.

“The American Suppressor Association believes that citizens should not have to pay a tax to protect their hearing while exercising their Second Amendment rights,” said Knox Williams, President and Executive Director of the ASA. “The removal of suppressors from the National Firearms Act has been our ultimate goal since day one. For months, we have worked alongside Rep. Salmon’s office and the National Rifle Association to craft this legislation. Although we recognize that introducing this bill is the first step in what will be a lengthy process to change federal law, we look forward to working with Rep. Salmon and the NRA to advance and ultimately enact this common-sense legislation.”

Also known as silencers, suppressors are the hearing protection of the 21st century sportsman. Despite common Hollywood-based misconceptions, the laws of physics dictate that no suppressor will ever be able to render gunfire silent. Suppressors are simply mufflers for firearms, which function by trapping the expanding gasses at the muzzle, allowing them to slowly cool in a controlled environment. On average, suppressors reduce the noise of a gunshot by 20 – 35 decibels (dB), roughly the same sound reduction as earplugs or earmuffs. In addition to hearing protection, suppressors also mitigate noise complaints from those who live near shooting ranges and hunting lands.

Unfortunately, suppressors have been federally regulated since the passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934. The NFA regulates the transfer and possession of certain types of firearms and devices, including suppressors. Currently, prospective buyers must send in a Form 4 application to the ATF, pay a $200 transfer tax per suppressor, undergo the same background check that is required to purchase a machine gun, and wait months for the ATF to process and approve the paperwork. In stark contrast, many countries in Europe place no regulations on their purchase, possession, or use.

Rep. Salmon’s Hearing Protection Act will fix the flawed federal treatment of suppressors, making it easier for hunters and sportsmen to protect their hearing in the 41 states where private suppressor ownership is currently legal, and the 37 states where hunting with a suppressor is legal. This legislation will remove suppressors from the onerous requirements of the NFA, and instead require purchasers to pass an instant NICS check, the same background check that is used during the sale of long guns. In doing so, law-abiding citizens will remain free to purchase suppressors, while prohibited persons will continue to be barred from purchasing or possessing these accessories.

www.AmericanSuppressorAssociation.com

Tags: American Suppressor Association
Posted in 2A | 20 Comments »