I was looking for a new project so I got my .357 magnum Ruger SP 101 out and wondered what I could do to make it a bit cooler looking and smooth the very difficult double action into a smooth shooting revolver.  I started by replacing the black, plastic, factory grip panels with a set of new hardwood panels.  Next, I tore it completely down and hand-filed & stoned every part of the trigger, cylinder, and hammer assemblies per the IBOK directions.

Next, I decided to get that double action working better, since the pistol is deadly accurate, when cocked in the single action mode. After smoothing the mechanisms described above, I purchased a “Shooter’s Pack” of lighter springs from Wolff and installed them before reassembly.

I installed the 10# mainspring as my replacement. The kit from Wolff comes with 9# & 12# springs as well, but I decided to stick with the 10# first. The trigger spring they sent with the kit is an 8#’er and too light IMHO, so I stayed with the factory 11# trigger spring after giving it all a thorough clean-up and lubrication.
 
When I put it back together I dry fired it a few hundred times over the course of a couple days.  The SP 101 can be dry fired without any harm so I put it through the paces until it felt buttery smooth. 

Finally, I went out to the woodpile in back of our barn, which serves as my pistol range. I set up a bag full of Power-Ade bottles, filled with water and fired five fast rounds at 35 ft – all “double action” and exploded them 5 for 5, 100% in rapid fire! 

I found that the polishing of the internals and lighter mainspring helped tremendously in target acquisition and follow through.  The front sight never moves with a strong grip and the new action – turning out to be a satisfying project with great results.

 Today we’re posting  answers to the last five, of our top ten most frequently asked pepper spray questions.  I hope they’ll help some of you, so here they are:

Q. Which pepper spay do you recommend for me to use against dogs?

A. Mace makes a canine blend for use on dogs called Muzzle. This is a good choice against dog attacks and uses stream delivery. Actually, all pepper sprays will work just fine against a dog but with loyal, loving pet owners that regard their dogs as family, court issues may be an outcome of your decision to spray a dog. In this case, having the Mace “Muzzle” canister that was used, could definitely carry the day in the courtroom, proving that you used an approved canine defense spray and did not use excessive force against the neighbor’s dog.

Q. Which pepper spray do you recommend for me to use? My dog keeps getting attacked!

A. If you’re a pet owner who walks their dog in a neighborhood where there have been attacks on you and/or your dog, by unrestrained neighborhood dogs, then the issues become slightly more complicated. First and most paramount is YOU – you must protect yourself in a dog attack, which can be quite fast and furious. Razor sharp teeth can do a lot of damage to both you and you pet. Your pet could even become confused and accidentally bite you. In these situations (legalities aside), I think that a full strength pepper spray with stream or gel delivery should be chosen, to pinpoint the attacking dog and offer the opportunity to defend against the attacking dog only, while avoiding the “fall-out” contamination from a mist pepper spray that may affect your dog or yourself. Political correctness be darned – if there are “tough dogs” that occasionally or regularly roam in your neighborhood, and menace people and pets – I for one am going to call the Police and alert them to the situation (cover my backside) then purchase a full strength, red hot pepper spray with stream or gel delivery.

Q. What is your favorite pepper spray and what others do you recommend?

A. My favorite, bar none, is Mace pepper gel.  It covers every base and does so exceedingly well. I can find no faults with this product for self defense applications. My second recommendation, for self defense use, is WildFire 18 percent OC pepper spray. It’s available in every variation that you could imagine, from smaller keychain models to 1 pound canisters with pistol grips – for the serious minded consumer. Wildfire is super hot stuff and can be delivered in stream, spray/mist and the large models have high capacities, delivering up to 75 large bursts, which will blast out a cloud of hurt. Definitely a product that will break up any gathering of thugs or other miscreants, if they’re dumb enough to hang around!

Q. How long will my pepper spray last?

A. Opinions vary as to how much of a decrease in potency there is as time passes. Some opinions I’ve read state 2 to 4 years, but that’s kind of ambiguous. Personally, I swap out my family’s pepper spray about every 18 months.  When purchasing pepper spray, the product comes with an expiration date on the canister. I would definitely replace it by that date. You can take your old stuff out and practice with it, using it to sharpen your skills.

Q. Where should I pepper spray an attacker to obtain the best results?

A. You should always aim to hit the “mask area” of the face, as we call it in martial arts parlance. More specifically, you would target the eyes, in order to blind them and escape. I watched a professional police instructor teaching a course on the use of pepper spray and he instructed, that one “should aim at the mouth and sweep up to the level of the eyes.” I thinks that about covers it! I would add that smaller keychain pepper sprays don’t have the same range as say a pocket, personal or police model. When selecting your pepper spray look for the range that’s advertised, as well as double checking it upon arrival. For point blank range shots where your life is actually at risk, just let the attacker have it repeatedly, square in the eyes and mouth.

If you’re threatened from a distance you may want to take the range of your pepper spray model and it’s delivery system into account. This may be at issue with wind or when a certain amount of distance lies between you and your assailant.

One last consideration is that, you should be familiar with your pepper spray and its delivery system. If there’s a safety lock that must be flipped up or slid to the side, then practice arming and aiming it a few times until you’re comfortable with it.  I don’t mean to make this sound too complicated. Consider how simple it is to use a squirt gun right?  This “ain’t rocket science” as the old saying goes.  Stay safe!

*Disclaimer* This material is offered as advice and not to be taken as a specific recommendation for your situation. We offer this as a teaching guide and “we assume no liability for your decision of product choice, usage or courses of action!”

We get many questions such as which pepper spray is the best, which is the strongest, which delivery system is best and many more. I’ll provide a brief overview of some of the most common issues that customers consider when purchasing pepper spray for self defense. Today we’ll tackle the first five of our top ten questions.

Q. Which pepper sprays are better, a mist or stream spray?

A. The last thing an attacker will wonder is what delivery system it was that has caused his eyes and face to feel like they’re on fire or why he’s choking for a breath of fresh air. He won’t be wondering about the ratios of OC pepper, thermal units, if it was gel, foam, mist or stream. The paramount thought on his mind will be stopping the pain, loss of vision and how to regain his breath again.

Q. Is pepper spray the only product I need to defend myself?

A. This is a loaded question and the honest answer would be yes and no. Defense sprays such as Mace, WildFire and PepperShot brands are all similar, while each having a unique proprietary blend. Your defense spray should be considered at the least, to be a painful distraction weapon which allows you to escape to safety, mount an effective counter-attack or call the police.

Q. What’s the difference between foam and gel pepper spray products?

A. Mace pepper foam and pepper gel products are great for home use. They’re a great work-around in resisting contamination of the rest of the dwelling space. They both affect the target who’s been sprayed and both are very effective self defense products, causing immediate pain, diminished vision and breathing difficulties. Pepper gel has a much better “size to capacity” ratio than pepper foam, which is a plus and it’s far more sticky than foam. Pepper gel also has pin-point accuracy at ranges of up to 18 feet – almost double the range of foam.

Q. What’s the difference between Mace and other self defense sprays?

A. “Mace” is a brand name for defense spray, made by the company: Mace Security International. They blend various chemicals like CS tear gas, OC pepper and UV marking dye, to make defense sprays that use these chemicals in a variety of concoctions such as sprays, gels, foam and animal deterrents. Mace Security International offers a variety of delivery systems, (some are mentioned above), plus they also offer their products in stream and mist delivery as well. The name “Mace” is often used to refer to other self defense sprays but it’s actually a unique product line, made by one company. Their products have been around the longest, I’d venture to say, so naturally I recommend them as a “proven” self defense spray.

Q. What defense spray should I get for my daughter who’s in college?

A. I have one answer that I always give to this question – Mace Pepper Gel! If someone tries to barge into an apartment or becomes aggressive at a party or gathering, Mace Pepper Gel will take them out immediately with no harm done to any other members inside a dwelling or outside, for that matter. If someone jumps into her vehicle to cause any type of grief – paste them in the face with pepper gel and she won’t be affected in the least by any cross contamination. I can’t speak highly enough about this product – follow the link posted above to get the product! My daughter is in college and carries it as well as her friends.

*Disclaimer* This material is offered as advice and not to be taken as a specific recommendation for your situation. We offer this as a teaching guide and “we assume no liability for your decision of product choice, usage or courses of action!”

I’d like to post regarding a Shorin Ryu karate practitioner who I feel not only teaches solid traditional karate but also displays great devotion to martial arts and to the students that have passed through the doors of his dojo.

Mark Day, owns and operates the Academy of Traditional Martial Arts, located at 118 West Main St. South Amherst, Ohio. Mr. Day is highly skilled in both Okinawan karate and Chinese Kung fu. Whether it’s Sensei Mark or Sifu Mark – either title denotes his stature as a highly skilled teacher of Japanese and Chinese martial arts.

Mark has devoted himself to martial arts since his early teen years and has never stopped training with top-notch Instructors in the “greater Cleveland Ohio” area. If you enter his website which is linked above, you can find his lineage, which outlines his journey in the pursuit of martial arts expertise and diversity.

We share the honor of being students of Master William C. Duncan, who currently resides in North Carolina. Master Duncan is an 8th Degree Black Belt in Shorin Ryu Karate and is a 5th Generation Master Instructor of Yang Ch’eng-fu T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Sun Lu Tang Hsing-I and Pa Kua Ch’uan.

It’s been my pleasure, on many occasions to “hang out” with Mark at various tournament competitions, ceremonies, promotion boards, and recognition festivities. I’ve also been a guest at his dojos for scheduled classes, personal training sessions and various karate related functions. Mark Day is the “real deal” and it’s always been a lot of fun to spend time with him training, or just talking about martial arts.

Mark Day’s students always perform very well in competitions including forms (Kung Fu and Karate), weaponry and free-fighting. Students range from youngsters to adults older than Mr. Day, and they all show great progress as well as a recognizable fondness for their teacher. This is, no doubt prompted by the great care that he takes in nurturing each student regardless of their age or skill level.

Mr. Day actively competes when he’s so inclined and never fails to place highly in the top levels of martial arts competitions. He has won many competitions more recently, but a very notable showing was at the “Arnold Classic Martial Arts Festival” in Columbus, Ohio, held on March 2nd, 3rd & 4th, 2007.  This annual event draws thousands of competitors and spectators from the body building, athletic and martial arts communities and is hosted by the Governor of California himself.
 
Having received his 5th Dan in Shorin Ryu karate in November 2006, Mark entered the Masters’ Divisions (ages 36-50) in breaking and forms.  In very rigorous contention with Nationally and Internationally recognized masters, Mark placed third in breaking and won silver medals in Southern Chinese empty hands forms and weapons forms, demonstrating Toy Gar technique.

There are many people that I’ve encountered in 36+ years of formal, martial arts training and teaching. Mark is one of the few, that are at the top of my short list of martial arts pals. His dedication to perfecting his arts, the quality of his performance, and the ability to instruct others, are all top notch.

There’s lots of good reasons to recommend a karateka like Shihan Mark. After putting all of his qualifications aside, he’s a down to earth, easy to know person, who never puts on “airs” and is always open-minded. He’s a lot of fun in training sessions and a guy you can just sit down and shoot the breeze with.

If you’re looking for a martial arts training center in the Cleveland OH. area that offers a wide variety of traditional martial arts with a great atmosphere and instruction – then by all means stop and visit Mark Day at the Academy of Traditional Martial Arts!

First, as in a new TV series, I think it’s really cool that people keep on experimenting with this stuff. Today we have convenient and high quality self defense products that are available at affordable prices. In past centuries 98% of these were not even invented and certainly none, in their modern form.

Some of us martial arts practitioners were discussing this stuff and the topic shifted to karate and agricultural implements against the katana or rattan sticks against Spanish swords. The destructive ability of someone with many years of martial arts training is truly a formidable factor to consider in anydiscussion of this sort.

One guy related:

I was thinking about Okinawan weapons and how they really couldn’t be very good against a Samurai with a katana. So – I got all of my stuff out – sword (hair splittingly sharp) and all Okinawan weapons and waiting for my son to get home and swing the sword at me and see what would transpire.

I was able to easily defend myself with all weapons (at training speed, reduced for “live” blades). The best to worst were: Eskrima sticks, (nunchaku – weren’t tested due to lack of control issues but my guess is #2), sais and kama I experienced extreme timing issues to get metal on metal deflections, the tonfa was miserable to handle, I couldn’t find a block that wouldn’t risk a “cut-through” and death but my son suggested that I hold them upside down – so I did and they worked much better with the t-handle as a hand protector – but still kind of lame.

We figured that even basic agricultural weapons were better than none, given the plight of the Okinawan farmers against trained Samurai. Plus, we deduced that the Samurai – would be closing more distance and swinging at speeds, that were some crazy exponential of the speeds we were using. Also, we realized quickly, that I was able to avoid getting hurt by sheer virtue of years and years of training compared to my son taking one step and a soft swing (with a mind for pulling it) if things went wrong on my end. All the while realizing – that a Samurai would keep coming like a Tasmanian Devil. I feel like Angel Cabales may have been right on, in saying: “give my opponent an 18 ft spear and I will defeat him with 18 inches of rattan.”

Our Instructor weighed in at this point and gave us some more food for thought:

Naturally, your ability weighs heavily when you try primitive weapons against an armed, unskilled person or your student for example, even when he has a katana in his hands. BUT…..the same thing was true in Okinawa 200 – 300 years ago. A young hotshot samurai, even trained from childhood, unexpectedly finding himself in a life or death fight with a 30 year karate man with a stout set of kama or sais. He could have gotten his ass handed to him, and anyone seeing it would have remembered it and talked about it. And that’s how karate got its serious reputation.

He went on to relate – “I recall doing sai training with a 2nd Dan when I was a 4th or 5th. We did drills back and forth for a half hour or so, in a room full of other black belts, under the direction of our Master Instructor. First, one guy would attack and the other defend, across the room, and then we would trade roles. At the end of the half hour I was dismayed to see that my training partner was badly marked up all over his forearms because his blocks had been off just enough, often enough, for my sais to tag him. I hadn’t been touched. I’m not mentioning this to brag, but to point out the difference, a decade or so of training makes. If we’d been defending against a sword, he would have died. I wouldn’t have.

This was just my observation, and I would NEVER minimize the seriousness of going up against a live blade, particularly something like a katana in trained hands.”

So, the consensus was that in absence of guns, Tasers, stun guns and such – Martial Arts training is definitely of great value for self defense in any situation.