So here I am in North Florida right now, battening down the hatches as Tropical Storm Fay makes her approach. According to the Weather Service predictions, the small community where I am is right in Fay’s crosshairs. They’re speculating that she might have achieved Hurricane status by the time she arrives.

Most folks are preparing as usual. The last of these storms that hit this part of the state was more of an adventure than a disaster for me and those I hang with. Generators, food, chainsaws et al were in place and ready to go. They are this time, too.

Some folks overlook less common preparations until it’s too late. Have extra cash and keep it on your person. I like it folded into secure ZipLoc bags in a money belt. When power goes out, so do credit card machines, and many of today’s generation of moneychangers don’t seem to know how to process a charge card other than electronically. Stock up on bleach. Yes, it can be used to purify water in a pinch (retch!) but mainly, there are cleanup issues. Floods tend to accompany hurricanes, and floods float sewage everywhere. Friends who were in New Orleans for weeks after Katrina reported sometimes being chest-high in water that was brown with feces. Bleach is a most effective field decontaminant. Stock up on pre-moistened towelettes, a.k.a. “baby wipes.” They’ll seem worth their weight in gold when the water stops running.

My corner of the Backwoods Home bailiwick is the gun room. When emergency services are stretched to the breaking point by natural disaster, the Bad Guys know they are more likely to be able to literally get away with murder. Ask Miamians about the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, or New Orleans survivors about what happened after Katrina. In such situations, I would be keeping a semiautomatic .223 carbine close to hand at all times. Where I’m posting from right now, that sort of thing is low on my list of concerns. In time of disaster, the back-country folks here come out in force, but to help others, not to plunder.

Greater concerns are suddenly-homeless dogs that go desperately feral…large livestock maddened by terror sufficiently to attack humans after escaping from blown-down fencing…and, here, venomous water moccasins that get very temperamental when flood waters move them unwillingly from their swamp to your front yard.

Every piece of equipment you deploy is going to face a ruinous hostile weather environment. My fancier sporting guns with their deep blue finishes and Circassian walnut stocks will stay in their (dessicant-filled) gun safes. On my hip will be a Glock 31 pistol with polymer frame and Tenifer finish. The cops who worked Katrina told me that the Glocks were the only firearms among them that didn’t rust in constant exposure to that environment. It will be in a synthetic holster on a synthetic belt: the septic environment you face in floods will ruin leather, but the pathogenic filth can be wiped off plastic and machine-washed out of heavy duty nylon. The G31 holds 16 .357 SIG cartridges – powerful, likely to penetrate deeply enough into large animals, flat-shooting enough for long shots – and will be backed up with its subcompact 10-shot baby brother in the same caliber, a Glock 33, where my other hand can reach it. The smaller gun will take the 15-shot spare magazine for the larger.

For any serious shooting needs, my “hurricane gun” is an old beater 12-gauge pump shotgun, a Remington 870 traded in by a police department on AR15 rifles. Mechanically perfect on the inside, it has enough pitting on the outside that I no longer worry about what will happen to it in the rain or the muck. One-ounce 12-gauge rifled slugs at about 1400 feet per second should take care of any large, “hard target” that requires emergency shooting.

As they like to say at the police Street Survival© Seminars, it’s about “preparation, not paranoia.” The longer I’m alive, the more experience confirms for me that bad things are most likely to happen to the people least prepared for them.

Mas loads a well-worn Remington pump gun with Remington 12-gauge rifled slugs, with spare shells attached to the stock in a butt cuff. Glock .357 pistol rides in Kydex holster by FIN on nylon mountaineer belt by Jack DeShong.

1 COMMENT

  1. Hey Mas, good to read another of your postings. My acquaintance/friend (by now) Dan Wilson sends me your links all the time.

    One of these days I have to take your LFI course.

    My first employment was with Jim Hoag, the .45 smith in SoCal. He had shot with Cooper all those years ago as one of the original “Bear Valley Gunslingers,” I learned to smith the 1911 (to a point) back in 1980, and did my best to learn to do it to his standards.

    To this day I remain a 1911 adherent, though I also have an M9 just for less expensive practice sessions. I’ve shot Glocks and wish they’d shoot a tad more accurately, a recent trip to the range with a 21 at 25 yards I couldn’t keep all the shots in the head of an IPSC target, while I’d have NO problem doing same with either of my own two pistols. I don’t think it was the trigger, either.

    Yes, a bit of a stunt, but I figure if I shoot on a well lit range, slow fire, and that’s the best I can do, how will it be under stress?

    Yes, I have read StressFire. 😉

    Warm Regards,

    David Tong

  2. Dear Mas,

    You’ve mentioned carrying the Glock 31 in .357 SIG in several of your articles I’ve read,so I take it your a fan of the cartridge.One thing that concerns me with the .357 SIG in the Glock is that it is a high pressure round and the Glock doesn’t have a fully supported chamber. Does your G31 have a aftermarket barrel or you do you feel perfectly safe & content with the factory one?
    I have a Glock 17 & 19 and have been contemplating getting one in a larger caliber,but have been fearful because of Kabooms/Kb’s horror stories.
    I was also wondering if your G31(or other Glocks)has a manual safety such as the one that Rick Devoid installs on Glocks over at Tarnhelm Supply Co.Inc.? Some people feel the Glock doesn’t need a manual safety,but I just feel a little more reassured having one.

    Respectfully,
    Dan W.

  3. David, please give Jim Hoag my best. I haven’t seen him in many years, but he was always a true artisan.

    Dan, I was leery of the .357 SIG cartridge for many years, after early problems with case neck separations. The ammo industry seems to have worked that out pretty well.

    I’ve never run across a blow-up with a factory Glock in this caliber, and most of the blow-ups in other calibers have involved handloads that “went over the top.” I’ve monitored several departments that have had the Glock 31 for some time, and none have ever reported a blow-up.

    best to all,
    Mas

  4. Hi, Mas.

    I love your blog and all the articles you have posted here.

    I know this is off topic, but as a police officer, I thought you might have an opinion.

    I came across this other blog yesterday where one of the entries was named “I miss the police.” The thing was real short but he was saying how the police he remembered when he was young have turned into LEOs, and why he didn’t like it.

    I thought it would be interesting to hear what a real policeman had to say about it if you have time.

    Here is the link to that entry
    http://in.somnia.us/blog/2008/08/17/i-miss-the-police/

    Thanks for answering if you can.

    Larry

  5. I am sitting in the eye of Fay right now in Daytona Beach. On duty I have my issued Beretta but the Baby GLOCK 26 in near and for my ride home I will have a KelTec Sub2000 in the car that uses the same GLOCK magazines as my Pistol.

    I too have looked hard at the .357 SIG caliber. I tried it in a SIG 229 and was happy with the results but not the pistol and not the price or availability. Now that Wal-Mart is carrying the .357SIG round I guess a GLOCK 32 might find a home with me soon.

    I live in Orlando so having a Bushmaster carbine in the closet is a bonus but my 870 w/mag extension is behind the door. That and a side saddle with six more rounds and a bandoleer in the closet makes me a bit more comfortable after the storm clears.

    Looking forward to shooting with you again at the CFRPC matches on your next visit.

    Long live Honda Generators! I need some more bleach!

  7. Hey, Larry…

    I see the point of the writer whose short essay you included the link for. When I was a kid, folks did indeed know “the cop on the beat.” One of the joys for me of working with small town police departments is that this tradition continues there: the citizens are more likely to know their public servants and vice versa. There is a strong push in law enforcement to go back to this — the Community Oriented Policing (COP) concept — but the same increased demand for response to emergency services requests that took foot patrolmen off the beat and put them in patrol cars gets in the way of that.

    Best,
    Mas

  8. Help! Help me please. Spot is on the loose with a Yorkshire Terrier and is circling the house. Get out the dog biscuits, no the Glock 31 that is on your hip. “I’ll teach those raging K9’s a lesson they will never forget!” Oh my God!!!! Moo Mooo “Put the children in the basement! Now!”…. Daisy is on the loose and that enraged Holstein is about to attack, trample, and graze us alive……….. Quick get the baby wipes…… I just pooped my pants in fear and can’t figure out which hand to wipe my bottom with…..E coli are attacking me…..Gasp,…… Ethel I think this is the big one..”Roger that” There is that dastardly cow almost a quarter click across the pasture….Steady now….Where is my custom .338 Remington sniper rifle? Darn! It’s with the H&H Doubles locked in the vault. Can I hit it with the one ounce slugs in the old Remington? Darn, it has that ancient brass bead and round barrel, I knew I should have put on the Ghost Ring Sights…Run for the hills!!!!! ……………. Mas, give me a break!

    Massad. Stop this kind of post. And I mean NOW. I respect you too much as an instructor, firearm competitor and all around knowledgeable authority of respect and responsibility of firearm ownership and carry.
    who gives a darn that the 870 is pitted or not when going after enraged cows and vipers? the most expensive museum piece is going to be reached for in a true emergency. I don’t think enraged cows and family pets and a few snakes are exactly an emergency. Don’t have a blog and fill it with garbage cuz you haven’t posted in a few weeks and have nothing to say. Respectfully, George Preston.

  9. George, thanks for injecting a little levity. The point I was trying to make was that when folks arm for these things, they’re picturing armed looters when, in rural areas, they’re more likely to need guns for critters than for criminals in times of natural disaster. Y’all can dress for hostile weather environments with Brooks Brothers and Holland & Holland gear if you want, but clothing (and equipment) I can afford to have ruined make more sense to this old man.

    best,
    Mas

  10. I’d like to respond to Mr.George Prestons comments if I may.

    First,if you don’t think K9’s can a pose serious threat to your health and well being,then your sadly mistaken.We hear of a Child practically every week on the news getting mauled or even killed by a pit bull,rottweiler etc. because somebody failed to secure their dog or the parents were too complacent because “it’s just a harmless doggy”.I have a pretty sizeable scar on my left thigh I got as a kid from a Collie I was told “didn’t bite”.I learned a lesson from that and I plan on preventing that(or worse)from happening to my Child.
    My parents own a ranch and used to own a rather ill tempered bull named “King” who practically crippled one ranchhand and tried to do the same to anyone who got near him.King would try to run to through barbwire,electric fences or just about anything in his way to try to get to you.So don’t believe that “Daisy”is harmless.That ranchhand who now walks with a pretty prominant limp nevers goes near cattle without his S&W .44 Mag strapped to his hip.
    Since Mas is in Florida,there is also a little animal called a Alligator,which won’t hesitate to wander up into your yard.My parents have a Winter home in Florida and I’m very familiar with Gators their tendency to come onto your property.
    I live in Illinois and we had a earthquake a while back.Nothing too severe,but a water line did rupture on my street and we didn’t have water for a day and a half as a result.I think those wet wipes came in pretty darn handy.A couple of years back we had a pretty severe storm and the power was out for 5 long,hot summer days.I’m really glad I puchased those battery powered fans and was stocked up on batteries.I’ve since acquired a generator for just such occasions. In these situations,Flashlights are just as important ” defense tools” as a firearms.
    The fact is natural disaters & power outrages are great opportunities for criminals & looters to employ their expertise.Remember a little thing called Katrina? Also,this Blog is on BackWoods Home,not Gunsite or Thunder Ranch or even LFI,so I think it appropriate for Mas to address a diverse array of concerns and integrate it with his firearms knowledge.In fact,his ability to see the big picture as compared to most defense/firearm Instructors has always been his greatest attribute IMO.

    Respectfully,
    Dan Wilson

  11. The .357 Sig seems like an interesting cartrige, and I’ve considered getting a pistol in one. With the .357 Mag. paper ballistics the round seems like a potent one too, and the FMJ’s would be useful for penetrating light chance barriers or car bodies. How far out is the 125 gr. JHP effective as a manstopper?

    Does anyone make a carbine in this caliber?

    jim

  12. Jim Hunter:

    A .357 SIG 125 grain bullet that starts at the muzzle in the 1350-1450 feet per second velocity range should still be over 1000 foot-seconds at 100 yards. For perspective, a .38 Special +P load with the same bullet weight would be doing 1000 foot-seconds or less at the muzzle. I don’t know of anyone manufacturing a carbine in .357 SIG.

    best,
    Mas

  13. Mas,

    I am new to your writting, but I am very pleased I found it. I read a post off of an old forum board, and one of the posters mentioned your name along with the Ruger P90. I am looking into purchasing a .45 auto, and was recommended the Ruger by my bro-in-law who is also a LEO. I was leaning more for the Glock 21, but the $200 price difference just doesnt seem worth it. Thanks for the info.

    BTW: Great article up-top. As a former NY’r turned Floridian, now Tennesseean, critters can be almost as pesky as criminals when they are dissplaced…maybe a case for ” shoot to eat ” heh…Keep up the good work.

  14. Hi John,
    Thanks for the kind words. The Ruger P90 (aluminum frame), Ruger P345 (polymer frame), and Glock 21 (polymer frame) are all accurate, reliable, durable “.45 automatics.” A lot of it is how they fit your particular hand. The G21 has the highest capacity, 14 rounds, but the 9-shot P345 conceals better. All are good values, and all will get you through the night. Fit, and the different features they offer, will be your big deciding points.
    Best,
    Mas

  15. Dear Mas,

    You mention that Police told you that Glocks were the only firearm that didn’t rust in constant exposure to the harsh environment after Katrina.

    Did that include Stainless Steel firearms?

    I have a couple of Glocks and I’m well aware of the durability of the Glock Tenifer. I’m wanting to get a Springfield Armory XD,but I’m not sure if the XD’s “Melonite” finish is as good as the Glocks Tenifer even though I’ve read where some people claim they are same thing(some say they are a little different).

    Stainless Steel is an option in the XD,so I’m wondering what would have the most Rust/Corrosion resistance in the XD,Stainless or Melonite.

    Did you hear of any “field reports” about how the XD’s handle harsh enviornments?

    Thank you,
    Dan W.

  16. Hi Dan:

    From what I’ve seen of Melonite thus far, it’s good, but not quite so rust resistant as Tenifer. Just my $0.02.

    The XD wasn’t yet getting into mainstream police use three years ago when Katrina hit, but Glocks had long held 2/3 or better market dominance in the police sector. Thus, while many Glocks were tested during Katrina, I don’t personally know of any cops who were carrying XDs there.

  17. Mas,

    Thanks for that answer.

    What do you think would be my best bet in terms of Rust/Corrosion prevention in the XD,The Stainless or the Melonite?

    Respectfully,
    Dan

  18. Dan, I haven’t seen or done a comparative hostile environment test, but over the years, I’ve seen more brown stuff on stainless than I have on Melonite and similar finishes. For what it’s worth, all my XDs have the Melonite, and I’ve never had a corrosion problem with any of them.

  19. Mas,

    Sorry to keep harping on this same issue,but ……

    You said that you’ve seen “more of the brown stuff”(Rust)on Stainless Steel firearms vs Melonite and similar finished guns over the years.

    I’m not doubting that,but I’m trying to figure out how that possibly could be true.Conventional Wisdom(at least mine)has taught me that most Stainless Steel objects are virtually rust-proof except in very extreme circumstances.

    for example……The Gateway Arch,The Chrysler Building,most kitchen knives,pot & pans,my 25 year old kitchen sink. All Stainless Steel and all exposed to the elements and/or wet/moisture.

    I don’t believe they are constantly wiping down the Gateway Arch with CLP or Oil to keep it free of Rust.I know I don’t do such things on my Stainless Steel Kitchen sink and I’ve never seen a speck of rust on it . So,why would/are Stainless Steel firearms rusting?

    I was lurking over at the XD talk forums and some posters had several comments & pictures of XD Stainless Steel slides that has rust on them(one guy claimed to not even carry it and always wiped it down after handling,but it still rusted)

    I’ve read “torture tests”(some 30 years ago) of S&W Stainless Revolvers,where someone would bury it,dig it up a YEAR later,hose it off and it would be rust free.

    Any idea’s?

    Respectfully,
    Dan

  20. Mas,

    Is modern day Stainless Steel used on firearms different than it used to be or different than is used on other things besides guns?

    I’ve read stories of Stainless S&W revolvers being buried and dug up a year later then hosed off with water and still be rust free.

    The Gateway Arch is covered in Stainless Steel as is the top of the Chrysler building,most high quality pots & pans,knives and my 25 year old kitchen sink. All are exposed to the elements or wet environments and they all stay rust free without constant maintenance(that firearms usually receive).

    I’ve read some reports over at the XD talk forums of Stainless Steel XD’s getting rust on them.One guy said he never carried it and wiped it down with CLP anytime he handled it. Conentional Wisdom(at least mine)has taught me that Stainless Steel is rust-proof for the most part unless subjected to the most severe abuse & neglect.

    So,why would these Stainless Steel Guns be rusting so easily?

    Thank you,
    Dan

  21. Mas,

    I have a quick question regarding bullet calibers, if you don’t mind.

    I’m a fan of the .357 Magnum and have found IME for it to not be “over-penetrative” in regards to urban self defense scenarios with the selection of a “proper” load. Does the same hold true for the .357 Sig?

    I would hate to have to use my gun and have my bullets go through the badguy and end up hitting a child in a stroller down the sidewalk.

    Besides the .357 Magnum I sometimes carry a 9 MM loaded with either Corbon 115 Grain +P DPX JHP’s or 115 Grain +P+ JHP’s. Am I correct in thinking that the +P+ load is pushing in to the .357 Sig territory?

    Did you select the .357 Sig because you may have to deal with four legged targets as well as two legged? Or, was there another reason?

    Thanks for your time Mas. Take care and stay safe.

    Biker

  22. I’d had the same concern in the early days of the cartridge, Biker. In gelatin, the 125 grain .357 Magnum generally penetrated less than a foot with a wide damage track, while the 125 grain .357 SIG was seen to pierce more like 16″. In the field, however, the SIG load appears to have been every bit as effective as the Magnum. I spoke with the chief instructor for Richmond PD a while back, and with approximately 15 shootings of dangerous offenders with SIG Pro duty pistols and Speer Gold Dot 125 grain .357 SIG duty ammo, they’d experienced no stopping failures. They told me that the spent bullets were normally recovered from the opposite side of the offender’s body, or his clothing on that side, or on the ground a few feet behind the point where he fell.

  23. I hear a lot about ghost ring sights on pistols and revolvers. Are they effective or just a gimmick? I’m 56 and am having a little trouble with the blurred rear sight, will ghost rings help?

    jim

  24. Jim, I haven’t seen too many people who had good luck with ghost rings on handguns, though they work GREAT on iron-sight rifles and shotguns. Big as it is, the aperture is just too far from the eye to have the true “ghost ring” effect.

    What works WONDERFULLY from what I’ve seen of it, particularly for us geezers with fading vision, is the HALF-Ghost Ring. It was pioneered by Gary Paul Johnston with Wayne Novak at Novak’s .45 Shop in West Virginia. It’s simply a ghost ring rear sight cut in half horizontally. The rear portion acts as a gigantic U-notch with a conventional sight picture. Very fast, and remarkably accurate.

  25. Thanks, that’s just what I need!

    Incidently, while looking over some old Russian Noisen-Nagant’s I noticed that the rear sight notch is wider than those found on their other rifles. With these, I can get a much better sight picture and more quickly too.

    jim

  26. Mas,

    Thank you for your reply. Maybe next year, “She who must be obeyed” will let me get a Glock 32/33 combo. I think she’s getting me a 26 to go with my 19 for Christmas, at least I hope she is.

    Biker

  27. Hi, I know I’m a bit late on this but I just stumbled across the blog. My comment is for Dan W. regarding rust on stainless firearms.

    I’ve held a somewhat similar outlook as you for many years. I did feel that stainless was not absolutely immune to rusting but thought of it as at least highly rust resistant, especially with regular maintenance.

    My opinions changed drastically this summer after I went to a deeper form of carry with my stainless Kimber Pro Carry. I was carrying it inside the pants shielded from my body only by a very light under-shirt. I’m residing in Illinois where summers get fairly hot and humid, plus I tend to run hot myself which means I sweat plenty. I was unpleasantly surprised one day to find light surface rust had formed in quite a few spots where the gun rested against my body. I was further dismayed to find that daily wipings with different rust preventatives did not stop the rust from returning.

    I switched to carrying a chrome plated Les Baer with similar results. It was obviously my body chemistry at work here but it showed me how vulnerable stainless was. On a good note I experimented until I found a product that seemed to really do the job at keeping the rust at bay.

    Now I’m back to outside carry again but I’m having that Kimber finished in Melonite for next summer’s deeper carry. I have another pistol finished in Melonite and I’ve found it to be fantastic. seemingly on par with the Tenifer on my department’s issued Glock pistols.

    Best wishes for whatever you decide to go with.

    Russ

  28. Dear Mas,
    Excellent article. I am in the catastrophe adjusting business and routinely get a first hand look at mother nature’s love. In addition I am a landlord who buys vacated, repossesed homes and often have to inspect them accompanied by my unarmed realtor. Carrying a weapon in both careers is smart and we actually had an adjuster killed during Katrina when someone was unhappy about his insurance settlement. Based on your excellent articles, I daily carry a S&W 637 with the FBI load and have been deciding on an auto to carry. Your comment on Glock’s finishes sealed the deal for me as I also plan to carry these guns in the gulf coastal areas where I work as an adjuster and will expose them to nasty environments routinely.

    My question is this – in your earlier work, you loved the G30 .45. I see now you carry the .357 sig. Was it simply because that’s what your department changed to or do you prefer the Sig cartridge?

    Tim

    P.S. To the folks who were asking why “stainless” steels rust it is often due to microscopic impurities that were introduced into the steel during the manufacturing process. Don’t forget that these steels are all poured, forged and cut by non-stainless, high carbon, often rusted steel tooling.

  29. Hi Tim:
    My department still issues the .45, and I still think it’s a great police service caliber and all-around handgun round. Lately, I’ve been carrying the Glock 31 in .357 SIG a lot because, on my rural property, it gives me a flatter trajectory for longer range shooting and offers ample power.
    So many good guns…so little time…
    best,
    Mas

  30. Dear Mas,
    Thank you very much for taking the time to respond. I went to the local shop today and held the 30 and 31 side by side. I decided to go for the 31. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that it weighed only 9 ounces more than my airweight. Thank you again sir.

    Tim

  31. Mas,

    Just wanted to say hi. I’ve taken several of your LFI classes and just saw this blog. It’s good to hear your thoughts and opinions again. Over the years, I’ve found your writing and your opinions to be well thought out, relevant to real people, and generally spot on for useful information.

    I hope to see you in more classes soon. Take care.

    Fred Marks

  32. Hello Mr.Ayoob, thanks to yours articles about 357 Sig, I will buy a Glock 32! It s a litlle bit more expensive than 9mm and hard to find ammo, here in Romania, but it s ok. My service weapon is a Glock 17, but I want the best cartridge for me and my family!All regards!

  33. Hello again, I just bougt a brand new G31 in Ianuary!Like yours. Great gun, deep penetration in steel and glass! Good luck!