McKinney Firearms Training offers Texas Concealed Carry (CHL) classes and Handgun Training in McKinney and Plano. Dr Sandy Keathley, Principal Trainer, is NRA- and DPS-Certified.
U.S. Sees Highest Black Friday Gun Sales in Recorded History
Though Black Friday turnout dramatically dropped this year, gun sales were higher than ever.
According to the FBI, there were more than 175,000 background checks on Friday, making it the busiest Black Friday in recorded history. But even at a rate of almost three background checks a second, November 28 was beat out by December 21, 2012, which saw more than 177,000 background checks.
The number of background checks filed on Friday represents almost three times the daily average. Since law requires background reviews be completed within three business days, 600 FBI employees worked around the clock this weekend. If the government fails to complete a background check on time, a buyer is allowed to make their intended gun purchase anyway.
Number of women getting CHLs doubles
Every other Wednesday night Red’s Indoor Gun Range in South Austin is
hoppin’. Every bay is usually taken by women.It hasn’t always been
this way.
“Every week there would be just me and then one week there would be
two of us,” said Nikki Jones who founded Sure Shots, a women’s gun club
that got its start back in 2005 when Jones moved from New York to Austin
and got her concealed handgun license.
“The difference between the amount of women who were shooting and now is just off the charts,” she said. Sure Shots now has 300-plus members, some who walk in never having picked up a gun.
“We have a few guns in the house that are in a safe, but in case I
needed to use them I thought this would be a comfortable setting since
it is all women,” said Elena who is married to a law enforcement
officer.
Elena liked it so much she recently decided to get her Concealed
Handgun License. She is not alone. As of July 31, 2014 there were
198,000 Texas women with an active license to carry.
“The reason to get a firearm should be one of empowerment and not
fear,” said Julianna Crowder, who started teaching CHL courses with her
husband eight years ago.
She also founded a Central Texas women’s shooting league called A
Girl and A Gun. They meet regularly at a new indoor range in Cedar Park
called Shady Oaks. It’s where Bettye Lane Chambliss comes to shoot.
“One day I was out working in the yard and when I came back in there
was a man standing in my house,” said Chambliss. “I was pretty much
blocked in. There was no way to get to the door.”
“The reason to get a firearm should be one of empowerment and not fear,”
Her dogs scared off the stranger, and after that she decided to get a gun and learn how to shoot.
As a CHL instructor, I see a wide variety of shooters come through my classes, ranging from police officers and other experienced shooters, to people who just bought a gun 3 days before. As is to be expected, the more experienced shooters tend to score at the high end of the scale, and the others at the lower end, although both types will sometimes surprise me. While fundamentals like stance and grip play a role in the success of these shooters, probably nothing has as big an impact as trigger discipline.
So what is that? It means mastering two aspects of the trigger pull:
Pulling the trigger straight back, so that any lateral forces (left and right) are balanced. If you have too much finger on the trigger (up to the joint), you will have a tendency to pull the muzzle right (for a right-handed shooter) as you squeeze the trigger. If too little finger, you will push the muzzle to the left. The movement may be very small, but that's all it takes. With practice, you can find the "sweet spot" on your finger. It will vary from one gun to another, because of the dimensions of the gun.
Focusing more on the action at hand than on the result. Anticipation of the shot will ruin the shot, so you must relax, clear your head, and pull back until the trigger touches the frame. Yes, the shot will break before then; pull through it,like a baseball batter swings through the ball.
You must not think of the trigger as being like a light switch, off and on. Think of it like opening a large, heavy door. Take at least 1 1/2 seconds, from the start of pressure on the trigger, to the end, or at least the minimal time required to press the trigger back without disturbing the muzzle. Even in a crisis situation, you would have 2 seconds per shot. As you get better, that time will decrease. During that interval, think only about a smooth, steady pull, and keeping the sights aligned, not where you want the bullet to hit. Better yet, think of nothing; empty your mind and get in the zone. Think the words "wait, wait, wait" until the shot breaks.
Accurate shooting should be a relaxing action, not a stressful one. The more agitated you are, the worse the shot will be. If you are stressed out at the range, what will happen in a real self-defense situation?
Relax, breathe, meditate, be surprised when the shot breaks.
Fire 10 rounds at any type of target at 10 yards or less. Can you easily count all the holes? If you can, you may be focusing on the wrong thing. Your goal should not be to just hit the target, but to hit the previous hole. Well, if it was a good shot. For marksmanship training, groups are important. Every shot that misses the Point-of-Aim (center of the target) traveled at an angle to an imaginary straight line. The further out it goes, the larger that angle, and the further off the mark. That's why people trying to improve shoot at bullseye targets instead of zombie outlines, and try to get small groups. If you put as many as 10 shots on a target, and have not shot out a ragged hole, you will be able to count all the holes. That's not a good thing.
As a Concealed Handgun instructor, I can look at a row of targets from 5 yards out and tell who has passed easily, and those who scored on the low end. I score every target manually, but I am seldom surprised. When there is a ragged hole in the middle, they will have scored 220+. If I can see all the holes, like a shotgun pattern, they will be below 220, and sometimes below 190.
That is still passing, but there is still a potential problem. It is estimated that a defensive shooter, even with training, will only perform at 50% of their ability in a crisis. Considering that many typical carry guns only hold 6 rounds, this person may well miss 3 shots entirely, and only wound with the other 3, whereas even an 8 inch, 3 shot group would likely kill or incapacitate the attacker.
That is why one needs to be an over-achiever with a handgun. Don't just hit the target; put all the bullets in a tight group.
As the election returns came in on November 4 one thing was
evident—the Second Amendment crushed gun control candidates in Senate
and gubernatorial races around the country.
In so doing, the Second Amendment annihilated the left's relentless claim that 90 percent of Americans support more gun control.
On the gubernatorial level, in Arizona, pro-Second Amendment
candidate Doug Ducey (R) beat gun control candidate Fred DuVaul (D). And
in Florida, pro-Second Amendment incumbent Rick Scott (R) beat gun
control candidate Charlie Crist. These victories were enhanced by the
fact that Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly endorsed DuVal and Giffords' gun
control PAC gave $100,000 to Crist's campaign. The Second Amendment trumped their endorsement and their money.
In Texas, NRA-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott (R) won.
In Maryland, NRA-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan (R)
won. In Alabama, NRA-endorsed Governor Robert J. Bentley (R) won. In
Wisconsin, NRA-endorsed Governor Scott Walker (R) won. In Michigan,
NRA-endorsed Governor Rick Snyder (R) won. In Nevada, NRA-endorsed
Governor Brian Sandval (R) won. In Ohio, NRA-endorsed Governor John R.
Kasich (R) won. In Oklahoma, NRA-endorsed Governor Mary Fallin (R) won.
In Wyoming, NRA-endorsed Governor Matt Mead (R) won. In Idaho,
NRA-endorsed Governor Bruce Otter (R) won. In Kansas, NRA-endorsed
Governor Sam Brownback (R) won. And in Maine, NRA-endorsed Governor Paul
R. LePage (R) won against gun control candidate Michael Michaud (D).
(Michaud was supported by Gabby Giffords.)
In Senate races, gun control Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) was defeated
by NRA-endorsed Cory Gardner (R) and gun control Senator Kay Hagan
(D-NC) was defeated by NRA-endorsed Thom Tillis (R). In Kansas,
NRA-endorsed Senator Pat Roberts (R) won. In Georgia, NRA-endorsed
Senatorial candidate David Perdue (R) won. In Arkansas, NRA-endorsed Tom
Cotton (R) won. And in West Virginia, NRA-endorsed Shelly Moore Capito
(R) won, marking the first time that state has sent a Republican Senator
to Washington DC in over five decades.
The spotlight was also on the race between NRA-endorsed Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and pro-gun control challenger
Alison Grimes (D). McConnell won handily. NRA-endorsed Senatorial candidate Joni Ernst (R-IA) also won.
Gun control advocates may have finally found a path to victory in
Washington state Tuesday, where voters approved a measure that would
expand background checks to include gun shows and private firearm sales.
Though similar laws have been passed in Colorado, Connecticut,
and Maryland, the success of Washington’s initiative 594
marks the first measure approved by ballot referendum.
Meanwhile, Alabama voters soundly passed Amendment 3 to the state Constitution,
a measure which specifies "that every citizen has a fundamental right
to bear arms and that any restriction of this right would be subject to
strict scrutiny." With nearly all votes counted, the measure prevailed
with 72.5 percent in favor.
A 36-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday night while he was
attempting to rob an elderly couple outside a Northwest Dallas grocery
store, police say. The man, identified by police as 36-year-old Mike Angel
Carmillio, approached a man and a
woman as they walked out of a grocery store and snatched a gold
necklace from the woman’s neck, police said. The incident occurred
around 7:15 p.m. at the Aldi in the 3000 block of Forest Lane near Webb
Chapel Road.
The man knocked the woman to the ground and tried to rob her. The
woman’s husband, 71-year-old Ronnie Lummus, pulled out a handgun and
fired several shots at the man as he was attempting to flee in his car.
The man got in his car but died before fleeing, police said.
Detectives interviewed Lummus, his wife and witnesses. Lummus has a
valid concealed handgun license. He told officers that he was afraid the
man would harm him or his wife during the robbery, police said.
Lummus has not been charged with a crime. The case will be referred to a grand jury.
To start with, revolvers don't jam, barring a rare defect in the shell casing size, so let's move on to semi-automatic pistols. While the semi (or autoloader) is a very reliable device, it is complicated, and depends on several actions working together in harmony. When that harmony is disturbed, the action is subject to several types of intermittent malfunctions, described variously as Failure-to-Eject (FTE), Failure-to-Feed (FTF), stovepipe (see FTE), or just "jam". These might happen once in 100 rounds, once in 50 rounds, or once or more in every magazine. Failure-to-Eject (which may or may not be a mechanical problem) is often confused with Failure-to-Extract (which usually is). If malfunctions occur more often than once in 10 rounds, suspect something mechanical.
Possible mechanical problems
The extractor hook could be bent or damaged. In that case, you will have major feeding problems. This will require the services of a gunsmith.
It is possible for the forward lips of the magazine to be bent, causing each round to be pointed too low to properly engage the feed ramp. Just look in the ejector port after inserting a loaded magazine. The top round should be pointed slightly upward. You can usually fix that with needle-nose pliers, but a good quality handgun should not have that problem.
If the slide return spring has been replaced with the wrong strength, or has weakened over time, that can throw off the balance of the action. Unless you had previously replaced that spring, there would be no way for you to know if that is a problem, so see a gunsmith.
Barring such mechanical problems, the usual culprits are usually proper fit of the components (cheaper guns), or maintenance (any guns). To understand that, you need to understand what happens in the cycling process:
The cartridge "explodes" (burns), producing a somewhat predictable force to the rear (not all loads are the same; hotter loads produce more force, but not as much as the next higher caliber).
The force drives the slide to the rear, impeded only by friction in the rails (grooves), and by a gradually-increasing forward force from the return spring. During this time, the extractor pulls the empty casing from the chamber, ejects it, and clears the magazine, allowing the next round to pop up into place. If the casing sticks a little in the chamber, that also exerts forward force against the slide movement.
The slide continues to the rear until its dissipating force is balanced by the sum of friction in the rails, friction from extracting the casing, and the forward force of the return spring, or it hits the frame (not normal).
As the return spring reasserts itself, the slide is pushed forward again, picks up another round, pushes it to the feed ramp, and up into the chamber. The slide continues "into battery", sealing the chamber for the next "explosion".
That is how it should work. That calibration is easily thrown out of balance by increased friction in several places:
Extracting the empty casing.
The slide rails
Pushing the round up the feed ramp.
Performing proper maintenance can mitigate many of these issues:
Some cartridges are coated with lacquer, which, when heated, can leave behind a sticky residue. Using an over-sized brass bore brush chucked into a variable speed drill, polishthe chamber with J-B Non-embedding bore cleaner (blue label). Clean the chamber thoroughly with patches and mineral spirits, then with patches and solvent. A shotgun mop attachment is useful.
Always clean the rails/grooves with solvent, and lubricate with gun oil (not WD-40).
Clean the feed ramp with solvent. If the ramp is not slick, consider polishing it. A small buffing wheel on a Dremel tool is perfect for that. Use a buffing compound made for steel, like White Rouge.
The modern semi-automatic is a complex and sophisticated piece of machinery, but given enough time, it will start to fail intermittently, with results that can be either annoying or fatal. Take care of it, and it will give reliable service for years.
Practicing marksmanship is like exercising; you know you should, but you're always just so busy. However, it's more fun than exercising! Regardless, getting into a routine makes it easier to accomplish something.
Start by finding a range that is reasonably on your way home from work, and buy a membership. Yes, I know it costs a few hundred dollars. What's your life worth? I guarantee, when you realize you can go to the range for free, you won't hesitate to go. Gyms sell memberships knowing that a certain percentage of members will stop going after a few weeks. That way, they can oversell the club, and make money. Like a gym, if a range member goes frequently, the cost per trip is much less than ala carte. My range loses money on me. Don't tell them!
Try going to the range every Friday after work, just for 20 minutes. When you're not paying for each session, it doesn't matter how long you're there. That alone will improve your shooting remarkably, as that represents 45-48 sessions a year instead of once every 3 months like some people. If you have more than one gun, alternate them, or take two. You do have more than one, don't you?
Don't forget dry-firing. If that can be part of a Seal Team's routine, it can be part of yours. Most center-fire guns will not be harmed by dry-firing, but I always use snapcaps, just in case. Do two minutes of dry-firing before you start shooting, and maintain your stance and arm-extension throughout. This is a good way to improve your ability to focus your mental efforts on the muzzle, and keep it from moving. You can also do that at home. I have targets up at various places around the house, so I can practice varying distances. Guests find that odd, but what do I care? (Maybe that's why nobody visits!).
Once you start shooting for real, think about the fundamentals. Foot position. Stance. Are you bending slightly at the waist? Leaning forward? Good arm extension? Those all contribute to focus, both physical and mental, and help you be serious about marksmanship.
Defensive shooting is typically thought of as two-handed, but once in a while, try shooting one-handed, both strong hand and support hand. This is harder than it looks, because most people find it difficult to move one finger (index) without affecting the rest of the hand, which causes the muzzle to move. Musicians learn this early on, as playing an instrument requires learning how to move one finger out of 4-9 without affecting the others, but most people never have to do this. It takes a little practice. Again, dry-fire practice on this is more economical, until you have a grip on it (so to speak). Is it possible you could be in a shooting incident, and be wounded in the arm of the strong hand? Yes.
Panic drill. If you can arrange to do this where you can draw from a holster, fine, but be careful. Most people who injured themselves with a gun do so while drawing from a holster, or re-holstering. Never use both hands to draw from a holster. Most commercial gun ranges don't allow holsters, so in that case, just lay the gun on the bench, muzzle pointed downrange, in the condition in which you would carry it. That could be, no round in the chamber, safety on, decocked, or cocked and locked. Have a man-sized target in front of you, about 5 yards out. On a Go command, see how fast you can put two shots on the target. The goal is 3 seconds. Ten seconds and you're dead. This also takes practice.
After all, if you're going to spend money on a gun, you may as well be good at using it, just in case.
Many military surplus rifles from before 1960, especially WWII bolt-action rifles (Mosin-Nagant, Mauser and others) were re-arsenaled in the 1970s and put away for future wars or emergencies. As a rust preventative, they were often disassembled, the parts covered in a heavy grease called Cosmoline, then reassembled and stored for decades. After the mid-1990s, with the knowledge that those rifles were now effectively obsolete, the respective governments started selling them off to exporters who sold them to American companies for resale to collectors.
Even today, years later, these are still showing up, and new collectors are sometimes unclear on how best to clean them up to put them in shooting condition. When the stocks were either varnished or laminated, the grease is easy to remove, but if not, it soaked into the wood and made the wood tacky. While cleaning up such a rifle is tedious, it is not difficult, and treasure is sometimes found underneath!
This description of the process is based around the typical Mosin-Nagant 91/30, but should be applicable to any milsurp rifle that has been packed in grease. Start by separating the action from the stock.
Disassemble the action, removing the bolt and trigger. Disassemble both the bolt and the trigger group completely. Make notes if necessary, so you can reassemble them properly, but there are many videos online for reference. Wipe off all excess grease from the metal parts with paper towels, put them in a pan, cover them with mineral spirits, and allow to sit overnight. After the parts have soaked sufficiently, remove them, wash with soap and water, rinse, dry, then use compressed air to dry more.
At this point, many collectors will use a buffing wheel to carefully deburr any sharp edges, especially on the bolt parts, but that is optional. I also cut 4 loops off of the firing pin spring, and grind the end flat, to make cocking easier. Ammo in the 1940s required a stronger strike than modern ammo, so this won't affect anything.
If there is any appreciable time between the final rinse and reassembly of the bolt, give the parts a light coating of Rem oil, as these parts will rust quickly. If not, reassemble the bolt. Some people coat all parts with gun oil, but I have had good results with high-temperature Silicone wheel bearing grease. A little trigger oil or grease at the trigger-to-sear interface is also a good idea. Put those parts aside.
Put the receiver end of the barrel into a bucket of mineral spirits and allow to stand for awhile, then pour some down the barrel. Dry as much as possible, then dry with compressed air. Do not wash the barrel. Put the barrel in a padded vise so you can get to the chamber. This is the part many people miss: any cosmoline left in the chamber will, under firing conditions, turn into a hard, sticky residue that will cartridge insertion and extraction very difficult, or impossible. Use an oversized brass bore brush chucked into an electric drill to polish the chamber, using J-B Non-Embedding Bore Cleaner (blue label). A shotgun mop is useful for cleaning out the residue. Follow this with J-B Bore Bright (red label), and the mop again. Now clean the bore and chamber as usual, with solvent and patches.
If the stock is in good shape, reassemble the rifle. If the action is supposed to be shimmed in the stock, make sure those are in place, so you can torque down the action properly.
If, however, the stock is bare wood (Chinese Mosins frequently are), and grease is soaked in, you have more work to do. Using a paintbrush, paint the wood in small sections with mineral spirits, wait just a few minutes, then wipe clean with shop rags or paper towels. You should see grease coming to the surface. Repeat as many times as necessary. If it is summer, and hot outside, lay the stock in the sun, or in a black trashbag, and sweat out the grease. Wipe down, then repeat. This is very tedious, but the wood will never look good or feel good otherwise.
Once you are satisfied with the condition of the wood, you can do one of these to protect it:
Paint the wood with Howard's Feed-n-Wax. Let dry, repeat twice.This will be invisible.
Use Boiled Linseed Oil to create a new but period finish.
Use Tung Oil or other finish products to create a nice but non-period finish (only if you are not a collector. Among collectors, this is called "bubba'ing").
A shooting topic not often discussed is follow-through, probably because it is so simple. Well, simple in theory, but in the greater scheme of things, harder to prioritize than aiming and trigger work. It doesn't actually happen until after the shot breaks.
In general, follow-through means to continue the fundamentals of stance and grip all the way through the shot, in the same way that a golfer or batter swings through the ball. If they relax at the moment of contact, the result will not be as good.
Shooters also use the term in a more specific way, meaning to continue to pull the trigger after the shot breaks, until it hits the frame of the gun. Granted, some triggers break very close to the frame, so there is almost no perceptible overtravel. This is generally a good thing, but either way, continuing to pull back until the trigger stops moving forces the shooter to maintain a certain discipline. Otherwise, there is a tendency to react suddenly to recoil, and that can impact the POI (point of impact) negatively. I see student's fingers jumping off the trigger as the shot breaks. There is no way that can be good.
The next time you go to the range, try moving this up your list of things to remember as you shoot. It may take some practice, but it will help.
Baylor University students want the right to protect themselves while
on campus. As most universities in our country, students of Baylor
University are required to submit their right to defend themselves
against an attacker to the university administration and campus police.
Even though it has been proven many time, with the lives of other
students, that campus police and university “no gun” polices put
students in danger, school administrators seem more concerned with
politics than safety.
In 2013 the Baylor Young Conservatives pushed for a Texas state bill
that would have mandated that all university campuses allow concealed
carry on campus. The bill never made it through the Texas legislature,
but since Baylor is a private school they have the right to decide if
students who are licensed by the state to carry a concealed weapon can
carry on campus.
This week the Baylor Student Senate passed a bill that would allow students to carry concealed weapons on campus. Senior Gannon McCahill the author of the student senate bill said,
“As student senate, we do our best to provide for students,”
He acknowledged the expertise of the Baylor Police Department, but expressed concern for classroom situations.
Dr. Dwight Allman, associate professor of political science and
member of the Faculty Senate, said he’s not at all persuaded by the
threat of an attack on campus calling for concealed carry.
“I don’t think there’s a need for this,” he said. He suggested
reliance upon the already instated safety institutions such as the
Baylor Police Department.
Even thought the bill passed the student senate there is no guarantee
it will be approved by the university administration. In the mean time
students at Baylor University remain defenseless.
People new to shooting (and some not so new) are often confused by the bewildering array of descriptions of handgun ammunition available now (don't get me started on rifle ammo!). Full Metal Jacket, Total Metal Jacket, Hollow Point, Round Nose, Frangible, Boat Tail, Steel Core, Steel Case, Aluminum Case, Sub-Sonic, +P, +P+, etc.
Let's simplify this a little. Some of the terminology above relates to specific purposes like hunting or target shooting.If that is your interest, join a forum of like-minded people so you can learn more about those specifics. If your interest is more along the lines of basic marksmanship at 25 yards or less, or self defense, then your options come down to two:
FMJ / TMJ (Full Metal Jacket / Total Metal Jacket)
HP (Hollow Point)
Full Metal Jacket and Total Metal Jacket are similar enough to be called essentially the same. These both contain lead bullets coated with a copper or zinc alloy, but with minor differences in the manufacturing process that have little impact on the average user. FMJ/TMJ bullets are less expensive than HP, so they are typically used as range and training ammo, and have greater penetration than HP (sometimes too much).
Hollow Point bullets expand after leaving the barrel, and expand more on striking something. The point is not to cause greater damage, but to minimize over-penetration, which could be a danger to innocent bystanders. A side benefit is greater surface damage to tissue, which translates to greater stopping power. In a defensive situation, a high-powered caliber like .40 or .45 in FMJ could pass right through an attacker and injure/kill someone else. I have a Soviet military pistol that would go through two people and the wall behind them. However, smaller calibers like the .380 might not have enough penetration to even injure someone if they were wearing heavy winter clothing, so some people suggest using FMJ for these smaller calibers.
Both of these types of ammo are also available as Frangible ammo, which disintegrates on contact with anything harder than itself. This eliminates the possibility of ricochets off concrete walls.
Some mention should be made of +P and +P+ rated ammo. These are pressure ratings, indicating that these cartridges generate more force (+P) and much more force (+P+) than normal cartridges of the same caliber. Think of it as steroids for your gun. If the manufacturer of your gun specifies that your gun is approved for those higher pressures, then use them if you want, but only if the gun is made to handle it. Note that there is no industry specification for .380 +P, so these should not be used for that caliber, even if it is available (which it is).
Keep in mind these points about ranges and ammo:
Some ranges do not allow uncoated lead bullets, as a possible health hazard.
Some ranges do not allow steel-cased ammo, simply for economic reasons. They recycle brass casings, and do not want to sort out the steel.
Most ranges do not allow steel core ammo, as it may throw off sparks in the bullet trap and be a fire hazard.
Pretty much all ranges disallow tracer ammo, as it is definitely a fire hazard.
A range is generally the cheapest place to get ammo, unless you need something special, so I always buy extra when I go, to keep an inventory for the next run on ammo.
Knowing what to buy, and what not to buy, can save you both money and aggravation.
Lately, I've had several women in pistol classes, and found that some of them had great difficulty in racking the slide on a semi-automatic. That is not surprising; as a general rule, women tend to have less grip strength than men, especially when those women are small-boned, older, or generally not inclined toward athletic activities. Certainly, this is not a problem for many women, especially younger ones, many of whom participate in competitive shooting (or athletics), and hold their own against men.
However, that difference in grip strength should not preclude a woman from being able to have protection at home. With that in mind, here are some thoughts on guns that all women would be able to safely and reliably operate.
Semi-auto:
The force required to rack the slide is not the same for all models. It depends on the design, and the quality of manufacturing. As always, you get what you pay for. Go to a gun show, and test every 9mm you can. You will find that some are easier than others. Unfortunately, cheaper ones will tend to be harder than more expensive models. I specify 9mm because larger calibers will tend to have
stronger slide return springs. A 9mm is generally thought to have the
minimum required stopping power. You might find that a .380 is much easier to rack, but that may not have enough stopping power to stop a home invasion. Keep reading.
Revolver:
I personally think this is the ideal home defense weapon. True, it only holds 6-7 rounds, instead of the 10-18 of a full-size semi, but if you need more than 6, you have other problems, anyway. It is idiot-proof; you don't have to remember how to work it, whether or not there is a safety, which way to take it off safety; just point and pull, and it never jams. The problem for a revolver is that it has much more recoil than a semi, but that is mitigated if the gun is all-steel, has a long barrel, or both. Revolvers intended for concealed carry are painful to shoot, but an all-steel Colt or Smith & Wesson with a 4-6 inch barrel is an easy shooter, very accurate, and can be managed by anyone. If the trigger pull is hard, just cock it with your left thumb. If you break into my house, and get past my dogs, that is what you will face!
If that is too big for you, consider a revolver in .22 Magnum. It is much more powerful than a normal .22, in a small package. A .22 may be lethal, but may not be lethal fast enough to save you. However, it is better than nothing, and a .22 Magnum will get their attention.
Zippering:
Here is a novel solution; a high-capacity .22. During WWII, in places like France, Italy, and Poland, partisan guerillas took out sentries at Nazi locations like railway stations and ammo dumps with small caliber pistols like .22 or .32. They were quiet and drew no attention. They were short on stopping power, but the partisans "zippered" the guards. Instead of shooting 3 times at the same place, they shot them 6-10 times in a pattern from the upper chest to the lower abdomen. Even when it wasn't fatal, the guard was in serious trouble, as he was bleeding from multiple locations, and could not stop the bleeding, even with two hands.
Several manufacturers, like Ruger and German Sport Guns, make .22 pistols in a large form factor, like a 1911 design, with a capacity of 10-14 rounds. These target pistols are very easy to shoot, and very accurate at 25 yards or more. The recoil is so little, and the sight-picture reacquisition so fast, that you can hit a burglar 10 times in under 4 seconds. Stopping power is not an issue when he has 8-10 wounds.
Even more solutions: IF there are no children in the house, get a semi-automatic rifle. S&W makes a .22 rifle with a 25-round magazine. Talk about zippering! These are even easier to aim and shoot than the pistols. If you want more stopping power, get a rifle chambered in .223 (or 5.56). Despite the odd numbering system, this is nowhere near a .22; this is a true combat rifle. The .223 has less recoil than the 5.56, but is still manageable, and has all the punch you could ever need.
There are many solutions to the home defense problem, and the Internet can give you much information to maximize your self-defense plan. Just search. Write me with questions.
While it might not seem that this is a suitable topic for a blog on shooting tips, it actually is. It doesn't make much sense to practice accurate marksmanship, only to have the gun fail to work in a defensive situation. The issue is not so much the cleaning of carbon from the chamber and bore, but lubricating the moving parts. Revolvers are much less affected by this, but semi-automatics have a delicate balance between the backward force imparted by the cartridge firing, the forward force of the return spring, and the friction in the slide channels. That balance is easily upset, by using a low-powered cartridge, the wrong return spring, or allowing dirt buildup around the slide.
Cleaning kits can be bought inexpensively at all gun stores and outdoors/hunting stores (Cabela's, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, etc.), or online. They will generally include solvent, gun oil, patches of various sizes, a T-handle cleaning rod, and a selection of rod ends for pulling patches through the bore. Not included are the brushes (brass or nylon) used for cleaning the bore, as these are caliber-specific, and need to be bought separately.
Revolver. This one is easy. Swab each of the chambers in the cylinder, and the entire bore (barrel) with a patch soaked in solvent. Run the proper-sized brush through each several times, then follow with patches until they no longer show discoloration. Wipe down both ends of the cylinder, and any other places inside the frame you can reach. Revolvers require very little lubrication, but you can put a drop on the ejector rod and one where the cylinder revolves in the yoke.
Semi-auto. These must be broken down a little. The first step, of course, is to remove the magazine and clear the chamber. When you hear that someone said "I was just cleaning my gun, and it went off", they are lying. They are trying to explain why they shot someone. You can't run a bore brush through a chamber that has a cartridge in it. Duh! Don't be an idiot.
The next step requires your manual. If you don't have one, they can be found online. The process for breaking down the gun is similar for most guns, yet different enough that you should not try it unless you have the manual, or your gun is identical to another with which you are familiar. Once you know the trick for removing the take-down lever (pin), the slide will come off. The main part of the gun can be put aside. Remove the barrel from the slide. You will be cleaning the grooves in the slide, and the inside of the barrel, just like with the revolver. On reassembly, be sure and oil the grooves in which the slide moves. Instead of gun oil, you can also use gun grease; that is just a personal preference.
Once reassembled, rack the slide several times to test the action. If you did anything wrong, you will find out now. If it passes, put it away, and you are now good for another two or three range trips.
Well, not exactly new. In keeping with my collection of Soviet-bloc Cold-war weapons, I recently acquired a 1953 Romanian TTC military sidearm. It is a semi-automatic, chambered in an unusual caliber: 7.62x25, the so-called Tokarev round. This cartridge, and the pistols that fire it, were developed in 1930 by a Russian engineer named Fedor Tokarev to replace the aging Nagant revolver. The Tokarev cartridge contains a .30 caliber bullet (smaller than a .32), but is much longer than a 9mm. The result is a bullet that develops a muzzle velocity of 1500 FPS, which is considerably more than a .45, and comparable to a .357 Magnum. I wouldn't recommend shooting a burglar in your apartment with this beast, as the bullet would go through the burglar, and probably through the adjoining wall!
Those of you who have studied wound ballistics will know that the most important factor in stopping power is not the size of the bullet (caliber), but the speed it travels. That's why a .357 Magnum has greater stopping power than a .45, even though it is considerably smaller.
After WWII, with the new political alignments in Europe, the Soviets "encouraged" their partners (including Romania, Poland, Hungary, and later, China) to build their own weapons, but using Russian models. The Romanian TTC is an exact copy of the Russian TT-33. The Romanians wanted to chamber it in 9mm, as that had become the de facto standard, but political factors forced them to adopt the Soviet standard, 7.62x25 (Russian combat rifles had used the 7.62x54 for decades). Tokarev ammo generally can't be bought off the shelf, but it is still made by some major European manufacturers (Sellier & Bellot and Prvi Partizan), and is readily available by mail and at specialty dealers.
This pistol is incredibly loud, and has significant recoil, as it essentially fires a small rifle round from a pistol, but the long, all-steel gun balances that recoil well. The accuracy is very good, and it fired 30 rounds flawlessly, but the gun will require a lot of break-in, as it has been arsenal-refurbished, and the trigger pull is very stiff. This would have been a very stout officer's sidearm, and lethal at a considerable distance. It came with a 1950s leather holster, with space for an extra magazine.
POCATELLO, Idaho — Derek Sommer carries a concealed handgun almost
everywhere he goes these days, including onto the campus of Idaho State
University — an illegal act until recently.
Under an Idaho law that took effect July 1, nearly 3,000 Idaho
residents with enhanced concealed carry permits — people like Sommer —
can bring their guns on college campuses. Sommer no longer leaves his
gun at home or in his car's locked glove compartment.
Idaho became the seventh state to allow "campus carry" in a movement
gaining traction across the country, despite the often strenuous
opposition of other students, faculty and campus administrators.
Spurred by recent high-profile campus shootings, grassroots groups
like Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) are pushing for the right to
carry weapons on campus, sometimes with the backing of larger gun rights
groups like the National Rifle Association.
For Sommer, 23, a computerized machining student who founded Idaho
State’s SCC chapter, carrying his handgun means protection for himself,
his wife McKinley, and their 7-month-old daughter, Andi.
“It makes me angry; it really does,” he said. “I don’t like the fact
that there are places where it’s considered OK to tell somebody, ‘You
don’t have the right to protect yourself.’”
For others, like Boise State University student Angel Hernandez, the
new law means less focus on learning and more on worrying about who's
packing a gun on campus.
“I went to Boise State to get an education; I didn’t go to Boise to go to a gun show,” he said.
Opponents of campus carry laws have saw mixed success of late.
Arkansans Against Guns on Campus got state lawmakers to exclude students
from a law letting faculty and staff bring concealed guns on campus if
their college grants permission. Attempts to start a Colorado referendum
to end campus carry there ended in failure.
Groups like SCC, meanwhile, have active chapters in at least 30
states, mobilizing as many as 30,000 students and faculty to support
laws and court cases favorable to the cause, said group spokesman Kurt
Mueller.
The group occasionally makes local headlines when members gather to wear empty holsters to promote campus carry — from Washington state to Michigan to Florida.
It operates with little funding, relying instead on volunteers and
social media for recruitment and chapter operations, Mueller said.
“We don’t have professional lobbyists,” he said. “We don’t pay
anybody to lobby. People do it for free because it’s what they believe
in.”
Victory in the West, Battles in the South
A News21 analysis of on-campus shootings found 87 of them, or 60
percent, have happened in the past decade. Campus carry supporters
nationwide said in interviews that the increase in shootings partly
influenced their desire to bring concealed guns on campus.
SCC formed after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, the deadliest mass
shooting in U.S. history. Mueller argues an armed student could’ve
stopped the shooter without waiting for police to arrive.
“The confrontation would have ended a lot sooner,” he said. “Lives would have been saved.”
Campus carry supporters point to the legal doctrine of preemption,
which says only the state legislature can regulate guns in the state. No
other government in the state, such as cities and counties, can make
gun rules. Many states exempt K-12 schools and some public buildings
from concealed carry of guns.
Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Mississippi and Wisconsin — and now
Idaho — have laws on the books that allow students to conceal weapons on
campus.
The first state to finalize campus carry was Utah in 2006. University
of Utah continued banning guns on campus despite the state’s 2004 preemption
law. Two years after the law passed, a lawsuit against then-state
Attorney General Mark L. Shurtleff led to colleges allowing concealed
guns.
A 2011 lawsuit by a division of the Oregon Firearms Federation led to
a state court striking the Oregon state education board’s ban against
guns on campuses.
The victories are not complete. As in other campus carry states,
Oregon universities insist they can limit guns in buildings, and the
Oregon state board bans guns in event centers, classrooms and dorms.
In Utah, students may ask not to live with gun owners in dorms, and universities can ban guns from certain meeting rooms.
Kansas' 2013 campus carry law included an optional four-year delay
before licensees could bring concealed guns on campus. Arkansas’ law
allowing only faculty and staff to carry requires colleges annually
renew any on-campus bans.
The laws on campus carry in other states vary, from letting students
store guns in their cars to leaving policy decisions to the schools.
Colorado courts sided with SCC in 2010 and 2012, ruling the state’s
public universities and colleges must allow concealed weapons permit
holders to bring guns on campus. The courts said college gun bans
violated a 2003 state law giving the legislature sole gun regulation
control.
Colorado colleges still regulate guns in dorms, dining halls and
event centers. University of Colorado, Boulder, designated dorm space
for gun owners, but no students have requested it, said campus spokesman
Bronson Hilliard. In Colorado, concealed carry licensees must be at least 21.
SCC’s focus next year is Texas, Mueller said. As of September,
students could store guns in cars on campus. The group plans to have
members write and call state lawmakers to demand more places on campus
that allow concealed guns.
The law shouldn’t block licensed gun owners — including college
students — from carrying on campuses, Mueller said. In some places,
crossing the street could mean a law-abiding gun owner is now on campus
and breaking the law.
“If you’re responsible off campus, you’re going to be responsible on
campus,” Mueller said. “Likewise, bad people don't change. They’re bad
off campus, and they’re bad on campus.”
“We’re not interested in every college student carrying,” he said.
“There might be a lot of people who might never want to use or bring
their firearms. If that’s the case, that’s cool. We don’t think anyone
should have to exercise rights they don’t want to. But on the other
hand, we don’t think they get a veto over the rights of others.”
Encouraging students to own guns raises questions for some firearms researchers.
Crime research consultant Tom Gabor said he believes letting students
possess guns in more places is too risky and goes against dozens of
public health and criminal justice studies.
People in the 18- to 24-year-old age range are more impulsive and at
greater risk for suicide, said Gabor, who taught criminology at the
University of Ottawa for 30 years and studied firearms for 20 years.
Gabor cites statistics from a 1986 New England Journal of Medicine article —
an article contested by gun rights groups — that said for every one
time someone shoots and kills another in a home in self-defense, about
43 other home gun deaths result from suicide, murder or accident.
“People will thwart an attacker, but I imagine many more reports of death and disabling injuries,” he said.
He sees campus carry as a gun industry move to gain customers.
“It’s very mercenary, in my view, to profit at any cost and put young
people at risk in school,” Gabor said. “More people carrying, bringing
guns on college campuses, in public venues, grocery stores, makes people
feel more afraid than providing them security.”
Capitols and courts
Marion P. Hammer calls opposition to campus carry “nothing more than
an attempt to make gun-free zones, where murderers come on campus and
kill kids."
Hammer, a former NRA president and the organization's longtime
lobbyist in Florida, said that NRA will use the state’s preemption law
to push state legislators to authorize concealed carry on campuses.
“Students can't (carry) right now, but we’re going to fix that," said Hammer, one of 76 NRA board members.
On July 30, the Florida Carry lobby lost its suit against the
University of Florida over the university’s guns-in-cars policy and
whether colleges must let guns in campus-owned housing statewide. The
lobby will appeal, according to its website.
Florida Carry, which is unrelated to SCC, has a reputation for using
the preemption law to successfully sue cities, counties and colleges
over their gun bans. Last year, the lobby successfully sued the
University of North Florida to get guns allowed in cars on college
grounds.
The NRA led the campus carry effort in Idaho, where the NRA state
lobbyist was a regular at bill hearings. Though the NRA has been a major
player in Idaho and Florida, it usually takes a supporting role on
campus carry, NRA board member and former lobbyist Todd Rathner said.
“The NRA is a huge organization, and second to none in protecting gun
rights. It gets spread thin,” Rathner said. “There’s a need for these
(single-issue) groups. They help maintain focus.”
SCC and a grassroots group called Ohioans for Concealed Carry cited
Ohio's pre-emption law in a July lawsuit against Ohio State University
that seeks to allow campus carry there. The trial is expected to start
next year.
SCC has also threatened to sue Georgia after a letter from the state
attorney general’s office declared campus carry still illegal, SCC
Southeast Director Robert Eagar said.
The groups say campus carry is allowed by Georgia’s Safe Carry
Protection Act, which critics have called “guns everywhere.” The law,
which took effect July 1, allows permit holders to bring concealed guns
into K-12 schools, bars, churches and more.
Colleges fight back
For Hernandez, the Boise State student, campus is no place for guns.
“School should be a place where you learn, where you make something
better with your life," said the 24-year-old Hernandez, who wants to
teach civics when he graduates in two years. "It shouldn’t be a place
where you deal with the stress of a gun in the classroom.”
He is a member of the student government who joined other Idaho students to protest the campus carry law.
The students and other Idaho activists received guidance from Andy Pelosi, who challenges campus carry on a national level.
Pelosi, who is not related to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, started the anti-campus carry group GunFreeKids.org in 2008.
A series of campus carry bills following Virginia Tech and the 2008
Northern Illinois University shootings — in which 27-year-old former
student Stephen Kazmierczak killed five people and wounded 18 — caused
Pelosi to focus on higher education.
His group focused on Idaho and Georgia this past legislative year, he
said. Next year, he expects to help coordinate resistance to campus
carry in Texas.
Colleges that side with Pelosi fear on-campus gun theft, threats with guns and accidental shootings, he said.
“We really believe that college campuses are safe environments,
certainly safer than places off campus,” he said. “The educational
environment is very different than people’s homes, and that’s not a
place that guns should be carried.”
In Idaho, students and faculty who protested when Gov. C. L. “Butch”
Otter signed campus carry into law, said lawmakers ignored them and
listened instead to lobbyists and Idahoans who don’t work and live on
campus.
Boise State student body
President Bryan Vlok said he faced an uphill battle fighting campus
carry. Still determining what the law means for Idaho students, he joked
about putting bulletproof vests in the student government budget.
Student leaders organized a rally at the state Capitol, arranged
automated phone calls across the state and met with the governor’s staff
to say students overwhelmingly fear campus carry.
The new law only applies to holders of enhanced concealed carry
permits, not regular permit holders, who require less training and can
be 18 to 21 years old. But Vlok believes the requirements to get the
enhanced concealed carry permit are not enough to make someone
responsible or accurate.
Created last year, the license requires applicants take an eight-hour
class on gun use and fire 98 rounds in front of an instructor.
“The sad reality is … you don’t have to be accurate,” Vlok said. “In a situation like that, police officers are only 30 percent accurate in shooting. What does that make us? What does that make a student?”
Ross Perkins, a Boise State associate professor in educational
technology, criticized the campus carry movement in an opinion piece for
a local newspaper. He recalled witnessing the aftermath of the shooting
at Virginia Tech, where he worked and studied for about nine years.
Perkins can picture the school’s grounds that day. He felt the heavy
wind, heard the sirens and watched as responders rushed the first
victims out of Norris Hall. He was 38 at the time.
About once a year, he said, he visits the Virginia Tech memorial at night, when it’s quiet. He walks the semicircle of Hokie Stones,
rocks mined from Blacksburg quarries, reading the names of the 32
people murdered. He tells each person his or her life mattered.
“It’s also important for us never to forget, not just the names, but
the individuals who are behind those names and understand who they could
have been; who they were,” he said. “It’s something we all need to take
account for every day, just to remind us that life is a precious thing,
and for whatever reason it can go away.”
“I hope that it never happens again. But I said that in 2007, and how
many incidences can we now count that have happened since then,” he
said. “It’s stunning.”
But supporters of campus
carry say the Idaho opposition is a vocal minority led by Boise State
administrators. Idaho state Rep. Judy Boyle, a Republican and one of the
law’s sponsors, hopes to amend it to stop the university from exempting
the student union building.
“We’re talking about a Second Amendment right, a right to protect
your life or the life of someone else,” Boyle said. “That’s why we felt
it was important to give someone that ability.”
Now that Idaho State student Derek Sommer has that ability, he said
he wonders if he could use his weapon should someone attack him.
“In my dream world, we could help these individuals before anything
like this ever happens,” Sommer said. “Would I ever want to draw a gun
on somebody? I would hate that. I don’t know if I could live with myself
if I ended up taking somebody’s life, especially if it was somebody
troubled.”
While some people buying a first handgun may have learned to shoot without owning one (in the military, with family, or just taking a pistol class), it is likely that the majority of people shopping for their first gun are new to this world. The challenge for them is deciding what to buy, from the thousands of models available. They read articles, ads, and reviews online until they're cross-eyed, go to a gun shop or a gun show, and talk to friends. Everyone they ask, friend or dealer, has a different opinion. The dealer may recommend what he has in stock; the friend will recommend what he shoots, but he may not have shot that many pistols. They are all different; all have upsides and downsides. What to do?
Why do you want a gun? Many people will recommend that you first decide the purpose for a gun. Common answers are "home defense", "car/truck gun", "concealed carry", or even "protect sheep from wolves". One lady told me she liked to hike in rough country, where she might encounter wolves or even bears. Those are mostly good candidates for a handgun. Protecting sheep from wolves, not so much. I would get a stout 30 cal bolt-action rifle with a scope for that. Actually, I would use a 1943 Soviet sniper rifle, but that's just me.
Leaving that aside, the other reasons would steer you (or me) to different guns: a .357 Magnum revolver for the hiker, a 9mm or .380 sub-compact semi-auto for concealed carry, a .45 for the home, etc.
Learn to shoot first. I'm going to offer another, perhaps controversial, opinion. Small guns are more difficult to shoot for a beginner, for a variety of reasons. Light-weight guns, ditto. Larger calibers, like .40 cal or above, same answer. I would rather see someone get a full-size, fairly heavy 9mm pistol, maybe a 1911-style, one that is easier to shoot well. Learn to shoot it well, then, if the size is not appropriate for your purposes, get another. Does that mean getting two guns? Eventually, yes, I'm afraid so. The fact is, very few people have just one handgun, and many of the ones who do, have the wrong one (for them).
Over-achiever. Call me an over-achiever, but being able to hit a man-sized target at 5 yards is not good enough for me. My goal was to hit a paper plate at 15 yards, and a man-sized target at 25 yards. Once there, with longer guns, then time to reset that goal with shorter guns.
Larger guns help smaller guns. Having recoil problems with your pocket .380? The best answer is to borrow or rent a .45 for an hour. Then the .380 will seem easy. That is the whole point of this essay. Learn to shoot first, with a gun that helps you, even if it is not suitable for your purposes. Then leverage that experience on to a gun that is. You will find it a much flatter learning curve.
Texas is one of the more gun-friendly states in America (despite not having open carry), and the laws are probably very similar to many other states, but it may be useful to the traveler from outside Texas to have a quick synopsis of things of which you should be aware.
1. Weather
In the summer, it can be very hot. 105 is not unusual, and temperatures above 110 have been recorded. In 1980, Dallas had 40 days in a row that hit over 100 degrees. Wearing a suit or coat is insane, so have a backup plan for concealment. In the winter, you might expect (and get) temperatures in the 20-30 range, yet even in Feb you might see a sudden unseasonable warm spell of 75 degrees. When traveling, always have a backup plan.
2. Vehicles
Texas does not require a license to carry a gun in a vehicle, but with or without a license, it must remain out of sight. It does not have to be in a lock-box, but out of sight.
3. 30.06
This curiously numbered statute is the part of the Penal Code that allows any private business to declare themselves a gun-free zone. As to why anyone with a brain would do that is beyond me, but they exist. Almost all hospitals and surgery centers do post this notice, as well as Cinemark Theaters, Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, and a few others. Otherwise, it is not really common. Signs are sometimes seen that do not contain the exact verbiage required by the statute (sometimes not even close), but it is not well-advised to try to split hairs with police over this. Due to the way the law is written, you will probably still go to jail, at least overnight. Note: gun shows are almost always posted.
4. 51%
Any business that receives 51% of their revenue from the sale of alcohol for on-premises consumption must post this sign. Carry is forbidden there, whether or not you are drinking. This is mostly bars. Some restaurants fall under this category, but most do not. Note that liquor stores, grocery stores, and convenience stores also do not, as their sales are not for on-premise consumption. They have to post a sign stating that unlicensed carry is a felony, etc., etc., but that does not apply to a license holder.
5. Off-limits by statute
These would be locations that are automatically off-limits, with no posted notice required. Some are mandated by Federal law, while others are state law. This includes
All schools and colleges, all levels (except parking lots, for non-employees)
Any location where school athletic events are staged, all levels
Federal buildings and Post Offices
Courthouses and court rooms (state or Federal)
Secure areas of airports
Places of execution (on execution days)
Voting locations (on election days)
Horse/dog race tracks that allow pari-mutual betting
Sporting events
Note that facilities owned by state and local government (other than courtrooms) CAN NOT be off-limits (the State Capitol, convention centers), except that government meetings can be posted by request.
Like most communities of like-minded individuals, the gun community has its own rules of protocol and accepted behavior. For obvious reasons, much of that revolves around shooting, much of which occurs at shooting ranges. While a range will always have a list of its rules for visitors to read, the legalese doesn't always translate well to the standards of behavior expected by many more experienced shooters. Range etiquette is not just rules, but behaviors that will help you avoid the disdainful glances from other shooters. After all, there are many things that are not illegal, yet are considered gauche.
There are some differences between indoor and outdoor ranges, so let's look at standards that are common to both, then break out the variances.
Always point the gun downrange.This is Job 1, but it's not always clear what it means. Of course, point it downrange when shooting, but also when not. Treat the muzzle like a needle on a compass that always points to magnetic North. Never allow the muzzle to point anywhere else, even when casing, uncasing, loading, unloading, racking, etc.
Keep your finger off the trigger. The big one. I see people at the range all the time (not just new shooters), racking the slide with their finger inside the trigger guard. That is dangerous, and perhaps the biggest mistake on the range. It can get you ejected.
Bring the gun to the range unloaded and cased. It won't go off in your range bag, but a mistake while uncasing a loaded gun could be a tragedy. Wait until you are on the line to load it.
Always use eye and ear protection. If you think this needs explanation, you are not ready to go to a range.
Keep all your stuff near you. If your range bag is several feet behind the line, you may end up carrying a gun to or from the bag. See the next item.
Never carry a gun away from the bench uncased. If trading guns with someone, leave the guns and trade lanes. In case of a malfunction, clear and case the gun before leaving with it. People do not want to see someone wandering around the bay with a gun at their side.
Never draw from a holster. Some ranges have special facilities for this, but most don't allow it. It can be dangerous, especially when re-holstering. Go out in the country to practice that.
Never shoot at someone else's target.Does that really have to be said? Evidently so.
Never shoot at the device that holds the target. Ditto. Paying for those repairs makes range fees go up.
Never bring to the range tracer ammo or ammo with steel cores.These are fire hazards, and have started major fires at ranges. Many Safety Officers check for this, but sometimes they get busy. Don't be an idiot.
Do ask for help.If you have a malfunction or jam, trouble with the target trolley, or just need to ask something about how your gun works, range personnel will always help. More than that, the shooter on the next lane will probably help. Gun people are very willing to assist others, to the extent that they can. By the same token, don't be offended if another user points out that you are doing something dangerous. Everyone needs to watch out for others on the line, in the absence of a Safety Officer.
Outdoor ranges.
While indoor ranges typically have targets that can be moved individually, on a trolley system, outdoor ranges generally have targets that have to be moved or replaced manually, by going ahead of the firing line. For safety, you must wait until the RSO (Range Safety Officer) calls a periodic cease-fire. At that time, you are expected to remove magazines, lock the action open, lay the gun down (pointed downrange) and step back several yards while the RSO inspects each weapon. Once that is done, the range will be declared "cold", and you can move downrange to replace or move targets. On returning, you have to stay away from the bench. When everyone is back, the RSO will declare the range "hot", and firing can commence. It is important to follow the RSO's instructions carefully and literally, else you will be corrected. That is embarrassing.
Range etiquette not difficult, and it is part of the discipline that is required to shoot safely among a group of people, and have fun at the same time.
I had a pistol class the other day. We spent time learning about handguns, how they work, safety rules, ammo, loading, cleaning, stance, grip, etc. After some dry-firing, we went to the range. There was a young woman in the class, who had never even held a gun, much less fired one, but she was given a semi-auto for her birthday, and wanted to learn about it the right way. I give her credit for that, as many people just go to a range, point, pull the trigger, and hope for the best.
Her gun was a polymer 9mm, so muzzle-flip was expected, especially for a new shooter. She was nervous, and intimidated by the range noise (indoor range). I was right at her elbow the whole time, and that helped. The first time she fired, she almost jumped out of her skin. The next few shots were trepidatious, and she was ready to go home. I let her sit out while someone else shot, then made her shoot again. The third time she came up, I gave her a choice of shoot one more time, or go home. She said "let's shoot!".
By the third time, she could shoot a 6-inch group at 3 yards, which, in my view, is pretty good for a brand new shooter.
She left feeling pretty good about herself, excited by the experience, and wanting more. Her comment, though, common for new shooters, was, "it wasn't what I expected." I told her, it's not like it looks on TV.
Thinking back on it, I can see how intimidating the first range experience can be. It was busy that day, crowds of people, some of whom knew where they were going. You have to go through several doors to get into the shooting bays. It was dark in there, and hot, and very loud. People were hammering away with all kinds of guns, brass was flying, the floor was littered, there were no RSOs evident. I'm surprised anyone would go to a range the first time without a guide to show them the ropes.
If you are a shooter, you know that shooting a gun is very empowering. It requires responsibility, and accurate shooting requires controlling all those factors that would distract from the goal: stance, grip, control, breathing, visual focus, mental focus. When you get all those ducks in a row, you feel that you have succeeded in controlling a device of unimaginable power, like defeating the dragon. With a high like that, who needs drugs?
A federal judge in the District of Columbia on Saturday overturned
the city’s total ban on residents being allowed to carry firearms
outside their home in a landmark decision for gun-rights activists.
Judge Frederick Scullin Jr. wrote in his ruling in Palmer v. District
of Columbia that the right to bear arms extends outside the home,
therefore gun-control laws in the nation’s capital are
“unconstitutional.”
“We won,” Alan Gura, the lead attorney for the Second Amendment
Foundation, told Fox News in a phone interview. “I’m very pleased with
the decision that the city can’t forbid the exercise of a fundamental
constitutional right."
Gura said he expects the District to appeal this decision but added, “We’ll be happy to keep the fight going.”
The decision leaves no gray area in gun-carrying rights.
Judge Scullin extensively referenced the Supreme Court decisions in
District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. Chicago (2010) to
concluding “there is no longer any basis on which this court can
conclude that the District of Columbia's total ban on the public
carrying of ready-to-use handguns outside the home is constitutional
under any level of scrutiny.”
The court ordered the city to now allow residents from the District and other states to carry weapon within its boundaries.
Judge Scullin wrote that the court “enjoins Defendants from enforcing
the home limitations of [D.C. firearms laws] unless and until such time
as the District of Columbia adopts a licensing mechanism consistent
with constitutional standards enabling people to exercise their Second
Amendment right to bear arms.”
The defendants are the city government and Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier.
This case has dragged in the courts for five years. Gura has twice
asked the federal appeals court to force Judge Scullin to issue a
decision. The five plaintiffs filed in 2009, and the case was argued
twice, most recently in Oct. 2012.
George Lyon, a D.C. resident and registered gun owner is one of the plaintiffs in Palmer.
“I am gratified that after a long wait our right to protect ourselves
and our families has been vindicated,” Lyon, a lawyer, said Saturday.
He urged Mayor Vincent Gray, a Democrat, and the Democrat-controlled
City Council to “swiftly enact a concealed carry law that protects the
rights of law abiding citizens to protect themselves.”
Gray did not respond to request for comment.
A 20-year-old Dartmouth student says she may have to give up her Ivy
League dream and drop out of school because the prestigious college
won't allow her to carry a gun -- to protect herself against a predator.
Taylor Woolrich, a junior, says Dartmouth administrators told her
they won’t let her carry a gun on campus, even though she lives in fear
of a man who has been stalking her since she was a high school student
in San Diego.
“It’s absolutely unfair,” Woolrich said about her attempts to have
the school make an exception to its weapons ban. “It’s one of the
hardest things I’ve had to deal with.”
She filed a restraining order, but it did little to keep Bennett
away. Woolrich says he constantly harassed her during her first two
years at Dartmouth, stalking her on social media and sending messages in
which he “promised” to fly across the country to see her at college.
“I thought they were empty threats, but when I came home from school
last summer, he was at my front door within eight hours of my plane
landing,” she said. “That’s when I realized how serious it was.”
Woolrich and her family called the police, and Bennett was arrested. A
search of his car uncovered a slip noose, a knife, gloves and other
items.
Bennett is currently in jail in San Diego County, accused of
violating the restraining order and felony stalking, as well as other
charges. His next court date is Aug. 20. If convicted, his maximum
sentence would be four years.
Woolrich says she inquired about obtaining a permit to carry a
concealed weapon in California and learned that the minimum age to get
one is 21, though exceptions can be made under special circumstances.
She says the Sheriff’s Licensing Division told her she could qualify,
and she learned the same exception can be granted in New Hampshire,
where Dartmouth is located.
But Dartmouth administrators told her she was “absolutely not”
allowed to carry a weapon on campus. She says she tried to plead her
case and was told to speak with several campus officials, all of whom
provided little to no help.
“There’s no option. There’s no one to go to. They don’t want to hear my case,” she said.
Many colleges across the country have banned guns on campus to
prevent mass shootings and accidental shootings by irresponsible or
inebriated students. But the pro-gun rights Crime Prevention Research
Center, in a study published
on Monday, said there have been no reported problems or issues with
college-age permit holders on campuses in the nine states – Colorado,
Florida,Wisconsin, Utah, Pennsylvania,Oregon, Mississippi, Kansas and
Idaho – whose laws mandate that students and others be permitted to
carry concealed handguns on public college grounds.
“There’s this fear about the possibility of students causing
problems, but people talk about these things without actual examples,”
the center’s president, John Lott, told FoxNews.com. “By far, the safest course of action is to carry a gun for protection, especially for female victims.”
“[Woolrich] has legitimate concern,” he added. “There’s only so much a restraining order can do.”
Shooting a pistol accurately requires not only practice, but the right kind of practice. The fundamentals (stance, aiming, breathing, trigger work) still apply, but the type of target is also important. Any bullet that misses the exact bullseye is traveling at an angle to the desired plane; the further out the target, the greater the arc of that angle, and the greater the error. In basketball, a person might shoot better from the 3-point line than from the free-throw line, but that doesn't work with firearms. It is necessary, instead, to master the fundamentals at a short distance, and achieve consistently small shot groups, then move the target a little further out and repeat.
I often see shooters (sometimes new, sometimes not) at a range, shooting at a large zombie target at 5 yards. They put 20-30 holes in the target, and never have one closer than 3 inches to another hole. It looks like a shotgun pattern. They're having fun, and that counts for something, but the only thing they're getting better at is spending money.
If your goal is home or personal defense, then realize this: the odds of you ever having a crisis requiring a gun are slim, and if it does happen, it will only happen once. When and if that time comes, nerves, fear, and adrenalin will cause you to only perform at 70% of your ability, perhaps less. If you doubt that, ask any musician about their first recital! And that wasn't a life-or-death situation (although it seems so).
Consequently, your training needs to lead you to be an over-achiever. Use a bullseye the size of a paper plate, and work to get a small, consistent 3-5 shot group at 3 yards. Start there every time, then move out to 5 yards, 7 yards, 10 yards. That should be enough, but keep going anyway, to 15 yards. Once there, move the goal again, to 25 yards.
Why? If the biggest room in your house is 21 feet across, why would you need to be able to hit a 9-inch zone at 45-75 feet? Because if you can do it at all, then even under pressure, 21 feet will be easy. It's all about training.
I have said before, that many homeowners buy a gun (often without knowing what they need), shoot it twice at the range, then put it in a drawer and leave it for a year (or three). They think they are ready for an emergency. They're not.
If that SHTF (look it up) moment ever arrives, you have to have the attitude, and some of the training, of a combat soldier. That means automatically taking the stance, aiming quickly, squeezing, and taking multiple shots, without thinking too much about it. If you follow this training plan, you will be there. It's not a matter of days, but months, but you will be there.
I was going to write about target shooting today, but came to realize that today, gun owners are the targets. Consequently, I will have to stray off-topic again.
An editorial writer in the New York Times today suggested that, 100 years ago, the automobile (or horseless carriage) was a major public safety issue, and that the problem was mitigated not by banning cars, but by making them safer. Speed limits, driver's licenses, driver training, seat belts, and air bags all came into play to make cars safer through regulation. He would think that; liberals always want more government interference in our lives.
I am reminded that the great political philosopher Charles Krauthammer said, "liberals are in favor of letting you do whatever you want, as long as it is mandated."
The NY Times writer believes that making guns, like cars, safer, only requires benign actions like
requiring a type of background check that will, of necessity, require national registration
trigger locks
"smart" guns, that only respond to the owner's thumbprint
and, inevitably, home inspections by a Federal police
Here is my suggestion for additions to the Penal Code:
PC 101.635{5}{c} Upon suffering a home invasion, the homeowner or legal occupant of the premises will loudly announce to the alleged criminal(s), in both English and Spanish, the following disclaimer (verbatim):
You have illegally entered my domicile. Please wait while I find the key to my trigger lock. At that point, we may both begin to shoot. As you are the visitor, you may go first. What the editorial writer seems to have missed from his 9th grade Civics class, is that the Founders gave us the right to be armed, not primarily for self-defense, or even hunting, but as a defense to a government gone wild. They had already gone through that, with a British government that was out of control, led by a King who was widely believed to be mad (late in life, King George III did, in fact, descend into literal madness). Anyone who reads the history of the Constitutional Convention, and/or the Federalist Papers, will understand that the American colonists would never have ratified the 1787 Constitution unless it included a safety valve against government over-reach. That safety-valve was, in fact, the existence of an armed population. That has never been necessary, and I hope it never is, but it cannot be dismissed out of hand as a deterrent to an out-of-control Executive branch (don't get me started on the current administration).
I don't expect to ever have to take up arms against the government, simply because they reasonably believe there to be 100,000,000 guns in America, and they don't know where they all are.
In Germany, in the 1930s, the government asked for gun registration, "so we will know where they are in case of a national emergency." Once they knew where they were, they confiscated them in midnight raids. That was followed by making Jews wear a star so they could be identified. That was followed by putting them on trains to the death camps.
Every country in world history that has enacted gun registration has followed that with confiscation, so that only police, military, and criminals had guns. Look up Australia, Canada, and Cambodia.
The 2nd Amendment is not now, nor has it ever been, about hunting or sport. It is about keeping freedom.
This is rich. A lunatic pulls a gun in a hospital in Philadelphia; kills a social worker and wounds a doctor. Said doctor retrieves his own gun and shoots the active shooter, saving his own life and probably several others. Now the doctor could lose his medical license for having the gun in the hospital, as they had a policy against it. Somehow the lunatic missed the memo.
Can this possibly be real? I feel like Alice in Wonderland. Do these people not understand that the bad guys don't read the signs?? That's why we continue to have school shootings, and Israel doesn't.
Students for Concealed Carry
is a national, non-partisan, grassroots organization comprising over
43,000 college students, professors, college employees, parents of
college students, and concerned citizens who believe that holders of
state-issued concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same
measure of personal protection on college campuses that they enjoy
virtually everywhere else.
The group will hold its third
Students for Concealed Carry Conference at the National Press Club in
Washington, D.C., on August 5, 2014, from 12:00 noon--5:00 p.m.
The event will feature many distinguished speakers, including author
and scholar John R. Lott Jr., a panel of women speaking of their
experiences in gun-free zones on college campuses, an academic panel for
legal analysis, military and police trainers, and state legislators
from across the country.
Students for Concealed Carry has a
limited number of travel vouchers and hotel rooms for this event.
Previous events have been well attended and were a great success. Book
your tickets soon to get the best deals! Because of the limited number
of vouchers, the group needs to know in advance that you are coming.
For more information or to register for the event, please email Michael Guzman (michael.guzman@concealedcampus.org) to confirm your attendance.
Beretta U.S.A. Corp. announced on Tuesday
that it plans to move its entire U.S. manufacturing operation from its
current location in Accokeek, Maryland, to Gallatin, Tennessee, due to a
fear of gun control legislation that may pass the Maryland Legislature
in the future.
“During the legislative session in Maryland that resulted in passage
of the Firearm Safety Act of 2013, the version of the statute that
passed the Maryland Senate would have prohibited Beretta U.S.A. from
being able to manufacture, store or even import into the State products
that we sell to customers throughout the United States and around the
world,” Beretta General Manager Jeff Cooper said in a statement.
“While we were able in the Maryland House of Delegates to reverse
some of those obstructive provisions, the possibility that such
restrictions might be reinstated in the future leaves us very worried
about the wisdom of maintaining a firearm manufacturing factory in the
State,” he added.
Cooper said the gun manufacturer initially planned to use the new
Tennessee facility only for new equipment and production of new product
lines, but the company decided that it is “more prudent from the point
of view of our future welfare” to move the full manufacturing operation
to the new facility.
The new Beretta facility in Gallatin, Tennessee, is scheduled to be
opened in mid-2015. Beretta U.S.A. is expecting the new location to
involve a $45 million investment in building and equipment as well as
the hiring of around 300 employees in the new few years.
The Pistol Learning Curve is my term for the amount of time (or rounds) required for a new shooter to acquire moderately good control and consistency with a given handgun. My definition of moderately good is the ability to hit a paper plate 8 out of 10 times at 7 yards, or 3 out of 4 times at 10 yards. That is hardly an expert marksman, but someone who is competent with a gun, and could defend themselves or family at typical self-defense distances.
The sight-radius, by the way, is the distance between the front and rear sights on a gun. Compare a typical concealable-sized .380 with a .22 target pistol (above) and you will see the difference.
The question at hand is, to what extent does the sight-radius affect the learning time? Note that, in the first sentence above, I said a "new shooter". An experienced shooter already has a flatter learning curve, due to the experience shooting other guns, and their ability to compensate for the observed differences. The new shooter has no such experience by which to make adjustments.
A longer sight-radius, i.e., longer barrel, makes accuracy easier, because the minute differences in sight alignment become less critical. An alignment error of 1mm on a longer gun has much less impact on accuracy than the same difference on a short gun. New shooters can start hitting that paper plate much sooner with a longer barrel, than with a pocket gun.
Consider this typical scenario:
John Doe is 26, married, with a new baby. He has either never shot a gun, or shot one a few times on his grandfather's farm when he was 16. He feels the need to provide protection for his growing family. He also has to carry cash sometimes for his company, so it makes sense to get a Concealed Handgun License (CHL) at the same time. He doesn't want to invest in two guns, so he buys the smallest gun he can find, maybe a .380, or a small 9mm. He reads a few articles online, reads the manual for his gun, then goes to a range and teaches himself. It doesn't go well. He is overlooking some fundamentals, so by the time he can pass the paper plate test, and feels confidant to take the CHL class, he has spent more money on ammo and range fees than it would have taken to buy a second, longer gun in the first place.
My advice would always be for new shooters to start with a full-size pistol for learning. If a concealable gun is desired later, and the finances are tight, then sell the first gun to get the second. It will then be much easier (quicker, cheaper) to learn the smaller gun. I just wish someone had told me this when I was younger!
