When practicing with the .223 Remington/AR-15 combination, I am always on the lookout for quality practice ammunition. While I handload, I do not always have time to keep up with the demand made in testing rifles, practice, and teaching. Most of my practice loads are my own handloads put up in reclaimed brass and topped by some type of 55-grain FMJ.

I know the Shooter’s Log has many readers that carry. Perhaps it is because your state allows open or constitutional carry or maybe you have taken the time to enroll in a class, pass a test and then apply for a license. Others served in the military and received firearms training—perhaps combat experience. Then, of course, we have our law enforcement officers who have their training and life experiences due to their position.

For the purposes of this article, let’s start off by defining “fleeing felon” as a person who is running away after coming a violent crime. An example might be that upon entering your home, you see an attacker raping your wife, or someone stabbing your husband in the midst of a fight. Once the assailant hears you approach, he runs past you and bolts out the door.

A few years ago, a local agency approved officers to carry AR-15 rifles in the patrol car providing they were of good quality, the officers qualified at their own expense, and the rifles proved reliable during the qualification. Another regulation was that if the officer mounted a red dot sight, the rifle had to have co-witness iron sights. This was a great move forward and many officers took advantage of the program.

The SIG P229 is a proven handgun—among the most reliable handguns in the world—and among the most accurate. A new version of the SIG P229 is an optic equipped pistol with much to recommend. This isn’t a competition handgun but a pistol designed for duty, personal defense, and tactical use.

Ammunition manufacturers have made great strides when it comes to hunting and self-defense ammunition. Training ammunition however, has (or had) progressed little. Oh sure, your can buy steel case ammunition or remanufactured ammunition at a decent price, but I am talking about training ammunition that still maintains its price point, but offers a technological advantage. Federal offers a practice load that, surprisingly, to few shooter’s have experienced or understand the advantages of. The American Eagle Syntech is well worth your time and effort to obtain and use.

If you are ever in the unfortunate situation of being in a lethal force encounter, your body will be in a heightened state of alarm and will react with chemical and physiological changes. When sensing danger, Body Alarm Reaction (BAR) subconsciously takes over. Under perceived threat, the body, using its natural instinct to survive, produces an adrenal dump that causes increases in pulse rate, blood pressure, and breathing. It also amplifies strength and situational concentration. While those reactions are good for the physical body, they create various physical consequences, which can be distracting and harmful if you don’t know that they are imminent. The good news is that by understanding them, you can counteract them and fight through them.

In order to make the amount of time I spend in and around my truck more comfortable, I keep a few items tucked in the storage compartments to help me handle whatever situation might arise while I am trudging about. This may eventually require a part two. However, here is my pick for five items you probably should have in your vehicle.

I have never hammered a steel plate with a hammer, but I have hammered steel targets for more than 20 years. The sound is loud and rewarding. Steel targets are an aid in gaining proficiency with firearms, particularly handguns. We use paper targets for sighting in, ensuring our sights are properly zeroed. We also use paper targets when stressing decision making. But on my own time and my own dime, I would rather shoot steel than anything.

Among the most powerful and useful cartridges for self-loading handguns is the 10mm Auto. With a long reach and flat shooting characteristics, the 10mm is an accurate number in the right handgun. The original 10mm load, generally rated at 200 grains at 1,200 fps, proved to be too hot for both 1911 and CZ 75-type handguns. Today, we have loads that offer 1,180 to 1,200 fps with 150- to 180-grain bullets and 200-grain bullets at 1,100 fps.

The choice of holster is as important, if not more important, than your choice of firearm. A good gun in a bad holster can be compared to a racecar with lousy tires. What may initially seem insignificant is actually a vital part of your safety equipment.

Glock introduced two exciting, and well designed, pistols at the 2019 Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. Glock, as much or more than any manufacturer, understands that concealed carry is a very important part of the market. history has show that Glock’s service pistols are renowned worldwide for reliability and combat ability. The Glock 17, Glock 19 and other models are widely respected. In concealed carry, the search was on for a viable improvement over both the Glock 19 and the Glock 43.

The 10mm Auto cartridge is being rediscovered. There is new ammunition being manufactured in velocities the 10mm was originally intended for, such as the newer SIG Elite Performance ammo. Firearm manufacturers such as Glock, Rock Island Arsenal (RIA), and SIG Sauer have all answered the call with platforms well suited to this powerhouse cartridge. Which would you choose?

Some people worship at the altar of the .45 ACP, as it is the biggest pistol bullet. “I would carry a .46 except they don’t make one. The .45 doesn’t just stop the bad guy; it kills his soul…” and the list of trite sayings goes on and on. Other people proudly proclaim their heresy and pack 15-20 rounds of Euro pellets in their plastic fantastic. “The Army switched from the .45 to the 9mm, so it must be great. The only time you have too many bullets is if you are swimming or on fire. I can miss 2/3 of the time and still get as many hits as your 1911…”

Henry has supplied us with excellent quality .22 rifles at a fair price for some time. These lever action rifles are made in America and priced so working folks can afford them. While Henry offers a diverse number of rifles, it is best known for lever action rifles. Henry offers distinctively-styled rifles in calibers from .22 to .45 Colt. Offerings include stainless steel, blue, case-hardened and brass-frame rifles. One of my favorites is a .30-30 version.

If you have heard them once, you have heard them 1000 times: the Three Rules of Gun Safety. In fact, originally there were 10. Written by Col. Cooper, their numbers have been reduced over the years for ease of remembering them. But, confusingly, a quick look online and you will find lots more than three rules and a quite a few variations of them to boot.

Looking at firearms in use, it is pretty evident that plenty of gas, unburned powder, and oil droplets are in the air. Add ejected cartridge cases from your firearm (and those of people around you), possible ricochets… and it’s a bit of a wonder that many shooters make it to old age with their vision intact. The relative infrequency of eye injuries comes from the widespread use of protective glasses.

Are you aware that several states have laws in place to circumvent your Second, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights, relating to guns. Are you aware that in most of those states it only takes one person to declare you as a danger to yourself or others to have your legally-owned firearms confiscated. After the declaration and with no chance for consideration or rebuttal, the firearms are removed from your possession. Often, this is done with a surprise, no knock raid in the pre-dawn hours.