University of Alabama Birmingham professor Timothy Kraft, PHD is developing a new gunsight design using his experience as competitive marksman/shooter and Retinal Electrophysiologist. Dr. Kraft is a member of the Vision Science Research Center in Birmingham, AL and has trained with the US Olympic Shooting team.
According to UAB Magazine Kraft “is developing a new kind of gunsight that relies on a trick of the eye to improve a shooter’s aim.” Little information is available about the new sight but trails are expected soon. The sideshow below from the UAB Magazine provides some insight into the groundbreaking new weapon sight.
The video below shows Tim Kraft demonstrating and talking about the new gun site at the very same range I practice.
As new information becomes available I will post and keep you up to date. I look forward to seeing more of the sight. I especially like to see great innovations coming out of a great University in my home town.
Today I received an e-mail about how the XDm functions and thought I would pass on the same information.
e-mail Body:
I enjoy reading all your stuff, all the talk about the xdm makes me wanna go out and replace this 1911 .45 with a new age pistol. I have read and read and havent heard much talk about these new actions out and to be specific the one in the new xdm. I dont understand how it works, its a double and a single? Does the gun have a decocker? when its decocked you can pull the trigger like a double action? im not sure how it works if you could clear this up that would be grand. Thank you for your time and keep up the good work
Now I admit that I am not an expert on the differences between “new aged pistol’s” and pistols of yester year but can answer the basics.
I don’t know if you can actually replace the 1911! There is a reason the 1911 is still popular today and the preferred style of competitive shooters. It works great! As far as the cocking and firing mechanism works… The XDm is a single action (technically pre-set or striker fired) which Wikipedia defines as:
A single-action trigger, sometimes single-action only, performs the single action of releasing the hammer or striker to discharge the firearm each time the trigger is pulled. Almost all rifles and shotguns use this type of trigger. Single-action semi-automatic pistols require that the hammer be cocked before the first round is fired. Once the first round is fired the automatic movement of the slide cocks the hammer for each subsequent shot. The pistol, once cocked, can be fired by pulling the trigger once for each shot until the magazine is empty. The M1911 is a single-action pistol that functions in this manner.
Pre-set hammers and strikers apply only to semi-automatic handguns. Upon firing a cartridge or loading the chamber, the hammer or striker will rest in a partially cocked position. The trigger serves the function of completing the cocking cycle and then releasing the striker or hammer. While technically two actions, it differs from a double-action trigger in that the trigger is not capable of fully cocking the striker or hammer.
After answering the readers e-mail I decided to make a video showing some of the different actions…
So occasionally you will find someone that is brave enough to human test a bullet proof vest! Imagine as part of an interview if you had to be shot with a .38 special round wearing a Bullet Proof Coat?
Today when I was cruising The Firearm Blog when I stumbled across a video of someone testing a Miguel Caballero Jacket, the designer of”bullet proof” fashionable clothing. According to the Firearm Blog Miguel “requires all new employees to be shot while wearing one of his ballistic vests!” If that isn’t nuts the next video is even worse.
Don’t get me wrong I am intrigued by body armor and know very little about it or the testing. But the next video is just down right dangerous no matter how you slice it. Pay no attention to the people on screen and just watch it. I also learned about this video from the Firearms Blog when a guy gets “Shot at Point Blank with .308 and 44 Magnum“.
