My Self Defense Story (reprised)

 

This was supposed to post yesterday but I got "squirreled",  I had done a post on Friday and this was referring to the belief that those that own and use guns were cowardly.  an assertion made by limousine liberals that are protected by security and live in gated blue bubbles where they are protected from the effects of their decisions and the rest of us have to deal with the results of the decisions that are foisted in us due to the control they have on the legislative process.

The first time I had to "display" a gun to frighten off a potential Threat was in the early 90's.  I was a manager at Domino's Pizza in a town the next county over where I live at now.  A bit of background, when I got out of the service in 1991, I got a job with Kawneer as a door fabricator.  You look at the bottom center of the door, if it is a metal door, usually with glass and what not, but it will have a label that looks kinda like this:

I kept my license plate from my first F150, I snagged the logo during a break.  Well anyway, I was working Kawneer and there was a job slowdown and the entire 2nd shift was laid off.  I was pissed, we did 2 times the work as first shift, but they were union and we were not, we got the axe.  Well I had started working at Domino's Pizza as a driver and was offered a management job.  I got transferred to the store in another county because they needed an assistant manager and off I went.  Well shortly after I got there someone broke into my 1991 F150 and stole my Springfield govt model .45.  I had used it in single stack competitions in Europe.  I was pissed off, that was a good 45 and I still know the serial number.  Well for months afterward I had visions of walking out of the store and seeing the other end of my .45.  I had bought the 45 and my Ruger P89 at the Nellingen Rod and Gun Club in Germany.  Well since then I had a habit of keeping my P89 in the store with me, yes it was in violation of Company policy but I didn't care.  Well one day I had just closed the store and there was a tapping on the glass and there was one of my drivers. he was still in uniform his name was "Gus", well "Gus" was a driver that was drawing disability from the VA for having mental issues. The Store manager had hired him, we were hard up for drivers and he seemed to be ok.   well I let him in and locked the door as he came into the store while I went back to the office to close out the daily report and count the till.  Well when I sat down, I habitually took the Ruger off the desk and sat on it with the butt sticking out.  Well the driver "Gus" came into the office as I was finishing the paperwork for the day and started counting the money to go into the moneybag.  Well "Gus" was talking needing money to buy "some company" if you know what I mean, apparently he knew of a person that sold affection by the hour.  Well he was talking about getting money and visiting her, while I was counting down.  He commented that he was broke and needed some money and I commented while I was counting,"Man I can't help you, I am broke until payday."  He then pointed to the cash I was counting down and commented"What about that?" and I replied calmly..."Naaa.......That belongs to the store,"..By this time I seriously regretted letting "Gus" in to the store, I was picking up some bad vibes from him.  As he kept talking I glanced up at the shelf above my desk and looked at the "HSPP" book, it is "Hourly Sales and Payroll Percentages".  It tracks the sales from the same period last year, it is a tool used by the manager to get a rough draft for labor and sales to plan the schedule and the food.  I recall a year before where a store off Old National Hwy in Atlanta where a manager had his head bashed in with a bat by a driver who proceeded to take the till and when they found him the next day, he had smoked it away in a crack house. but the blood spatters were on the HSPP book so when the store staff got the figures, they had to deal with the dried blood spatters.  Well I was getting the "Deja vu" feeling.  I still acted calm closed up the bank bag and picked up the clipboard where I was putting the daily figures, you know the daily sales, the food percentage and the labor percentage for the day and how they impacted the weekly and monthly figures. We called it the "Daily Keys"  I proceeded to stand up, pick up the Ruger P89...

from the chair and put the pistol under the clipboard as I carried the clipboard to the data entry station outside the office and proceeded to enter the "Keys".  Well "Gus" saw the pistol and freaked out, and yelled "What are you doing with a Pistol??!"  I replied as I was entering keys "The pistol is there in case someone tries to rob me when I go to the bank  after I leave the store.."  He ran out of the store.  I quickly followed and locked the door after he left.  I then went over and sat down had the shakes and knew that I was very lucky, Sure "Gus" didn't physically touch me, but I am convinced that if I didn't have the pistol, "Gus" would have attacked me to get to the store receipts.  and with him being taller than I am and crazy, I have severe doubts on how I would fare in a physical assault.  I stayed in the office for a couple of hours before I left and yes the pistol was in my hand when I locked up the store and headed to the bank and home.  "Gus" came back for his regularly scheduled shift but he avoided me after that and quit a couple of weeks later.  Well the Ruger, I had to sell her a couple of years later to pay some bills.  I regretted doing so but I was desperate to bring in some money.  This was the salad days for me and the soon to be spousal unit.    Even today, I still count myself as fortunate from that incident, it could have gone pear shaped in a hurry, and I was lucky.  I kept analyzing what did I do wrong, well what I did wrong was let him into the store, but in my defense I have done that in the past with other drivers and the company was nice while I closed the store.  I have had to pull a Pistol 3 more times doing pizza stuff in 2006/2007 after the Ford plant shut down. I had started delivering Pizza to "keep the Wolf at bay" while I look for another job. I quit when I got my job with my present employer, I didn't enjoy the pizza delivery business anymore and the customers were changing.  Way back when I delivered for the first time in 1985, if you were robbed, they just took the pizza, but in this day and age, they would rob you, take your car and kill you just for street cred.  I never had to fire my private weapons in defense of my life and I am glad. I had concerns because the robbery attempts were never in *da hood* or the apartment complex or the trailer parks, they were in the subdivisions with a large section 8 population, you know the houses that had the lawn chair furniture, expensive game systems and flashy cars out front,  and I was afraid that one day I would have to fire my personal pistol in defense of my life then get pilloried by the press and the D.A for shooting a *youth*  but Pizza boy was going home to his wife and 4 year old son.  I also am glad that I had the pistols when I did because things could have turned out differently.

Stephen King "Guns" A Notion that guns belong solely to those that lack courage""

 I saw this on Quora, I personally think King is a leftist elitist that is out of touch with reality and is shielded from reality by his personal wealth and bodyguards.  The rest of "us" don't have that luxury.  Here is some background on the "Nairobi Incident".   I have my own incidents where being armed saved me from a beating and possibly getting killed.   I will probably post that one tomorrow.

The notion that guns belong solely to those who lack courage represents a basic view. A true story reveals the incorrect nature of this belief.

Christian Craighead served as a British soldier who assisted at the Nairobi terrorist attack in 2019. Using his gun and skills, 

Through his heroics he protected numerous people who followed his direction to safety.

Fought against several terrorists

He utilized local police forces to conduct the necessary attack prevention.

During an attack on Nairobi the public named him Obi Wan Nairobi because of his heroic demeanor combined with exceptional skill as a certified expert. He received an exceptional award because of his courageous behavior.

The story demonstrates that guns function as any instrument without essential moral value. The outcome depends on how gun operators utilize their weapons. People who cause harm depend on guns as their instrument of injury to others. Gun ownership in trained hands of courageous individuals such as Craighead brings life-saving benefits through which they successfully stop terrible events.

The members of Craighead's team express their spirit with "Who Dares Wins". The events in Nairobi demonstrated how owning a weapon enables one to perform brave acts that disprove the belief firearms make individuals cowardly.

    Now in the spirit of the post, I surfed around and got information on the rifle used by

"Obi-Won Nairobi".  The sources is "The Sandboxx"

January 2019 feels like a decade ago at this point, but I’m sure many of us remember the pictures coming out of Nairobi. Five Al-Shabaab terrorists attacked civilians at the DusitD2 complex, and an unlikely hero emerged. At the time, an unnamed, masked SAS commando showed up to save lives and kick ass. His pictures became famous as he escorted civilians out and engaged the enemy. We know him now as Christian Craighead. We know the man, but about his rifle? Today we are going to break down Craighead’s Nairobi rifle.

The Nairobi rifle base gun

In contrast to the rest of the British Army, the British SAS do not use the L85 rifle, a weapon that’s arguably one of the worst modern service rifles. Instead, they have teamed up with the Commonwealth and use Colt Canada rifles. The Colt Canada C8 series rifles are essentially AR-15s, or M4/M16s at their core.

From Craighead’s Instagram

The C8 represents the carbine version of the rifle; the British call it the L119, with Craighead using the L119A2. The L119A2 takes the C8 and heavily modernizes it. The weapon features a monolithic upper receiver designed by LMT.

The rifle is produced in two barrel lengths, a 10-inch, and 15.7-inch barrel. The Nairobi rifle uses a 10-inch barrel. Monolithic uppers are very rigid, and this helps the accuracy and zeroing of both large optics and laser aiming devices.

Understandably the rifles use 5.56 and use pretty standard M4/M16/AR15 controls. There are a few changes, the most common being the larger Colt Canada charging handle and an ambidextrous safety and ambidextrous magazine release. The weapon has a safe, semi, and full auto mode.

Related: Rifles in Ukraine – Beyond the AK

The Optic – SIG Romeo4T

When the Nairobi rifle first surfaced, people were shocked to see a SIG optic. SIG’s optics are rather new, so it was a nice surprise. SIG’s Romeo4T is a compact red dot optic that’s part of their premium-grade optics. It’s got a solar backup panel, a selection of four different reticles, and an interchangeable mount.

This was not a standard-issue optic but provided for Test and Evaluation. Apparently, the SAS purchased a few more Romeo4T optics eventually.

The Stock – Magpul CTR stock with riser

The L119A2 seems to come with the Magpul CTR stock, a six-position collapsing stock. It’s a simple stock, but it’s very well made and is a proven stock platform. It’s more minimalist than several options. Craighead seems to have attached a riser to allow for a higher cheek weld when using his optic. I’m not sure if that’s just something he prefers, or if it’s standard among SAS commandos.

Related: This is what spy fiction leaves out about the CIA

The Light – Surefire M620

The Surefire M620 is distinct from the other M600 models by its mounting platform. The mounting flatform tells us it’s an M620. The M620 is a 500-lumen white light with 13,000 candelas. Surefire lights are tough as nails and have been the choice of numerous military forces across the world. Craighead seems to have an IR filter sitting on his light.

Magazine – Magpul Gen 3

The Nairobi rifle feeds from a Magpul P-Mag, specifically the Gen 3 model. Gen 3 represents Magpul’s attest effort and is their toughest, most reliable magazine yet. It’s rugged, works in the worst environments in the world, and is the standard magazine for the United States Marine Corps.

Related: The Marine Corps has a weapon maintenance problem

Sling – Proctor Rifle Sling

I could be wrong here, but it seems that Craighead used the Proctor Rifle Sling, which would be an odd choice. The Proctor sling is a 2.3-ounce minimalist design that comes ready to mount. It’s relatively easy to adjust and is simplistic but effective.

Suppressor – Surefire FA556SA

I’m not a huge suppressor guy. I love them but can’t identify most suppressors just by looking at them. So, I’m trusting some online sources that said that the suppressor on the Nairobi rifle is the FA556SA. On a 10-inch rifle, a suppressor is a godsend. It helps reduce noise which is especially valuable for shorter-barreled rifles as they tend to be on the louder side. It also helps tame muzzle rise, and reduces muzzle flash, as well as concussion.

Laser Sight – LA-5 PEQ 15

See that weird-looking box in front of the optic? That’s a laser aiming device. It’s used mostly in conjunction with night vision for aiming under night vision. However, it does have a visible laser with numerous IR options. I would say Craighead likely didn’t fight much at night with the Nairobi rifle due to the awkward placement of the device. It’s present but out of the way as well. I’m not sure why else he’d set the device up this way, but he is clearly a competent professional.

Who dares wins

Christian Craighead certainly lived up to the SAS’ motto that day. He stormed in to assist local security forces, took down at least two of the five attackers, and saved countless civilians. He did this with a mask on, a pair of Armani jeans, and his Nairobi rifle.

This event was one of the first times the L119A2 was seen in an operational capacity and showed us once more that Stoner’s gun will never die

"A Marine Sweeps the Top Marksmanship contest in all categories since 1959"

 I was reading this off "Yahoo News" and a line on this article caught my eye,  For some reason it reminded me of my friend "Old NFO" and his grayman series of books with "PaPa Cronin and Jessie" shooting and embarrassing all the highspeed shooters with all the racegear.

“I got beat by a 68-year-old man and a 12-year-old little boy,” Garcia remembers. “And that’s when it lit a fire, like, realizing that there’s so much more to marksmanship. I was a Marine who thought that he was a really good marksman, and then getting humbled up in town made me realize how much we don’t know about marksmanship.”

   Well anyway I figured it was worth a post.

   I'm not sure if the pictures will come through.   THey Did but will not let me resize*dang it*

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Payton Garcia holds up an M1 Garand rifle presented to him at the Marine Corps Championships at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, April 18, 2025. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joshua Barker.

Long before Marine Staff Sgt. Payton Garcia matched a 66-year-old Marine Corps marksmanship record last month, he was pretty sure he was a good shot.

“I did my first [Marine Corps marksmanship] match in 2021, and I did relatively well. I got a silver pistol badge on my first time,” Garcia told Task & Purpose. “Then I went to a match on the civilian side, thinking that I was, like, ‘The Shooter.’ The best ever.”

He was not.

“I got beat by a 68-year-old man and a 12-year-old little boy,” Garcia remembers. “And that’s when it lit a fire, like, realizing that there’s so much more to marksmanship. I was a Marine who thought that he was a really good marksman, and then getting humbled up in town made me realize how much we don’t know about marksmanship.”

Now a member of the Marine Corps Shooting Team, Garcia may still not be “the best ever,” but his performance in April at the Marine Corps Championships — the top annual marksmanship competition for Marines across the service — was so dominant officials had trouble finding a historic equivalent.

Shooting against 80 Marines and competitors from other services and nations, Garcia won both the rifle and pistol categories, a sweep that no shooter had pulled off since 1959. He also won the competition’s multi-gun contest, an event added in recent years.

“We were curious about that during the actual conduct of the match, and we dug through all of our history books and records,” said Capt. John Bodzoich, the shooting team commander. “And what we found is, in the 124 years the team’s been around, and since the establishment of all these matches, Sgt. Garcia is the second Marine in history to do a clean sweep of the championships. So of the thousands of Marines that have come through, he’s the second one ever to win both high rifle, high pistol, and high overall [score].”

Garcia’s path to the top marksmanship awards in the Marine Corps, he said, traces directly back to getting smoked by a senior citizen and a grade schooler.

“One of the biggest things that went into my improvement was actually learning how to train,” Garcia said. “Actually sitting down and deep-diving into the fundamentals of shooting.”

Shooting against civilians and absorbing non-military training techniques, he said, was different than traditional Marine marksmanship training.

“Just like any other sport, there are build-ups to each one of those fundamentals that you need to do,” he said. “Structuralizing training and isolating skills that I’ve learned from those local matches, and realizing that it’s not all just about shooting. There’s a lot of mental aspects that go into shooting, where you’re competing at any level, realizing that you need to be in the right headspace.” 

Trained as a fuel specialist rather than in combat arms like infantry, Garcia says he’s often asked if competition-style shooting is applicable in the field. 

“You ask me what my MOS is, and I answer, I’m a bulk fuel specialist,” he said. “I don’t know much about tactics, but I do know that putting rounds as accurately as possible on a target as quickly as possible will translate to the tactical world. ”

The Marine Corps Shooting Team was established in 1899 to bring together top shots who would compete with elite shooters of all kinds, then share what they learned with Marines in the fleet. Based at Quantico, Virginia, the full-time team members spend about half their time training for and sponsoring competitions, and the other half training and working with marksmanship instructors and experts inside the Marines.

Marine Staff Sgt. Payton Garcia moves towards a firing line at the Marine Corps Championships marksmanship competition in April 2025. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Daniela Chicas Torres.

Garcia said his success demonstrates that marksmanship can be taught to almost anyone. Growing up in Lawrence, Kansas, he said, he had virtually no exposure to firearms beyond a few unsupervised moments that would probably terrify a Marine instructor.

“Before I joined the Marines, I had just shot a pistol or a rifle into a dirt berm or the trash with no target,” he remembers. “It was more for fun.”

The annual Marine Corps Championships, held in Quantico, is a culminating event among shooters who advance through qualification competitions at major bases like Camp Pendleton in California and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Across 30 events, shooters face scenarios that the shooting team has dreamed up based on their experience in civilian practical shooting competitions. This year’s stations included shooting lanes from boats, from a balance beam, and even with a mandatory bench press set before shooting.

In one event, Garcia said, they created a shooting lane in which Marines had to shoot around a barricade while balancing on one leg with a 45-pound ruck on. In another, shooters arrived on a station that appeared to be a trash pit, with tires, ammo cans, pallets, wheels and other debris. From that, they had to build a barrier up to a preset level to shoot from. 

They also shot a wide range of weapons. “We were able to shoot the M1 Garand, the M1014,” Garcia said in a Marine Corps press release. “We shot M16A2s, a lot of iron sights, and it was such a breath of fresh air.”

The competition covered eight days.

“I went into this year with the expectation that I just wanted to make it difficult for someone else to win,” Garcia said. “I’m going to shoot my match and support anybody that I can.”

As the top shooter, Garcia was awarded a historic trophy: his own M-1 Garand rifle, the same kind used by Marines in World War II.

He didn’t keep it and instead gave the rifle to Sgt. Kai Byrom, the highest-scoring first-year competitor, a mortarman and marksmanship coach with Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Parris Island. 

“I thought it was more important to isolate and kind of award the next generation of Marines,” Garcia said. “So I thought it was important to spread marksmanship knowledge and to light a fire under some of the newer guys by awarding or deferring the M1 to that Marine. It’s more important for the next generation, and not about us.”

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Payton Garcia holds up an M1 Garand rifle presented to him at the Marine Corps Championships at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, April 18, 2025.

Matt White

May 29, 2025 at 8:00 AM EDT·

6 min read