Hello, fellow USCCA Member!

September is here, and that means brown leaves are right around the corner. Personally, I can’t wait… I love this time of year!

I’m sure you know what I mean when I say that going for walks is fun… and knowing that I’m able to protect and defend myself wherever I go makes it all possible.

Okay… Let’s get started.

Judicious Use of Deadly Force

...When would the use of deadly force by a private citizen against another human be considered judicious, sensible, prudent, cautious, careful, justified, or well thought out? ...

by Bruce eimer

From Concealed Carry Magazine:

When would the use of deadly force by a private citizen against another human be considered judicious, sensible, prudent, cautious, careful, justified, or well thought out? How can a private citizen be authorized to kill another human under his or her own summary judgment? The very simple answer is that deadly force is recognized as a last resort for when you need to use it to save your life. Here we are referring to the "doctrine of competing harms" and the "doctrine of necessity." Put very simply, you are allowed to break the law (in this instance: kill), in the rare circumstances where following the law (i.e. not killing) would cause more injury to you or other innocent humans than would breaking it. In reality, the answer is not so simple. Any time you even draw your gun, you are walking on thin ice. If you are going to keep or carry a gun for self-defense, in addition to being well trained in marksmanship and tactics, you should be well educated about the circumstances under which the use of deadly force is warranted legally and morally, so that you can be judicious. If you own or carry a gun, you must be judicious.

There is probably no one who has contributed more to our understanding of the conditions under which the defensive use of deadly force is ethically, morally, and legally justified than has Massad Ayoob. Ayoob is a prolific firearms writer, book author, master firearms instructor, legal expert, and the founder and director of the Lethal Force Institute (www.ayoob.com). In this month’s column, we will examine some of the important points taught in Ayoob’s instructional DVD: Judicious Use of Deadly Force. This DVD is an ideal companion to Ayoob’s authoritative textbook on the subject: In the Gravest Extreme. I consider this DVD to be essential study material for every citizen who keeps or carries a loaded gun. I have also been fortunate to train with Massad Ayoob, taking his Lethal Force Institute I and II courses and I consider him to be one of the best master instructors with whom I have ever studied.

Let us begin with some definitions. Deadly or lethal force is that degree of force that a reasonable person would consider capable of causing death or grave bodily harm (i.e., crippling injury). Those of us who carry a concealed handgun carry with us the power to use deadly force. This is a tremendous power. With such power, as Ayoob points out, there comes a tremendous amount of responsibility and thus, a higher standard of care. This higher standard of care demands that the armed citizen, senior or otherwise, exercise good judgment and appropriate restraint.

Good judgment includes always effectively concealing your firearm and retaining it. It entails properly securing your firearm at all times so that your weapon does not fall into unauthorized hands. Good judgment means avoiding situations that you know beforehand could turn ugly. It means you never provoke a confrontation when you are armed and that you leave the scene of a potentially escalating confrontation if you can.

Appropriate restraint means exercising appropriate self control and self discipline in confrontational situations because you are armed and you carry the power to use deadly force. It means using your head and not overreacting.

Let’s examine what Ayoob teaches about the circumstances that justify the use of deadly force:

As civilians our only obligation and right is to keep ourselves and our families from being unlawfully injured or killed. We may only use equal force in response to the application of force against us. If we are not innocent of provoking a confrontation, or we are not being immediately threatened with deadly force, we cannot use deadly force in response. This is unlike the obligation of a sworn police officer who may use necessary force to fulfill his or her duties, such as seeking out and arresting malefactors.

Ayoob teaches a formula for determining the circumstances under which we would be justified in employing deadly force. The formula is both simple and yet complex. Deadly force is justified when you are confronted with "an immediate and otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm" to either yourself or other innocents, whose innocence and situation you are totally certain about. You can’t intervene with deadly force in a situation you come upon without knowing what’s really happening. Don’t make assumptions based on what seems to be happening. The danger must be clear and present, immediate and unavoidable. This formula is based on English Common Law and Dutch/Roman Law, and it applies in all fifty states. It is determined by three criteria which can be remembered by the acronym A.O.J. Think "Administration Of Justice". The situation must meet all three criteria.

A = Ability. The person deemed to be a threat must possess the ability or power to kill or maim.

O = Opportunity. The person deemed to be a threat must be capable of immediately employing his power to kill or maim.

J = Jeopardy. This means that the person deemed to be a threat must be acting in such a manner that a reasonable and prudent person would conclude beyond doubt that his intent is to kill or cripple.

All of the above are judged by the doctrine of the "reasonable man". That is, what would a reasonable and prudent person have done in that situation knowing what the defendant knew at the time? After the fact information is inadmissible into the equation. Your defense of self-defense is affirmative if you knew all of the above at the time you employed deadly force.

Now, with that said, I would add a fourth criterion to Ayoob’s three. That is the criterion of preclusion. What this means is that you must have done everything within your power to have avoided having to use deadly force in the first place, without placing yourself or other innocents in jeopardy.

Let us now look at some caveats that Ayoob goes into in detail in his DVD and in his Lethal Force Institute training. I’ve already mentioned my fourth criterion of preclusion. This criterion does not contradict the "Castle Doctrine," or your right to stand your ground and defend yourself in any place where you have a right to be. Ayoob gives the following general rule in the DVD: If you have warning that a situation is likely to turn bad, you should not venture knowingly into it. For example, if someone says that if you show your face at a particular place (a bar, a street corner, a class, etc.) they will kill you, don’t go there! If you do go there, and then you are forced to use deadly force in self-defense, and you kill the guy, you may be found culpable. We don’t live in the Wild West although there may be some who beg to differ.

Another caveat has to do with how you size up the criterion of ability. Here we are talking about the concepts of power and disparity of force. Clearly, a person with a gun or a knife, and the ability to use it, has the power to kill or cripple you. However, you can’t shoot that person unless he has the immediate opportunity to use that ability on you, and he acts in such a manner that leads you to reasonably conclude you are in immediate jeopardy. What about if the threat does not have a gun, or a knife, or a bludgeon? There are several other factors that would fulfill the ability criterion:

One factor is force of numbers. Two or more threatening persons, even without identifiably deadly weapons, against you alone, would constitute a disparity of force. If they attack you and act in such a manner as to lead you to believe that, unless you do something, they are going to kill or cripple you, you are on solid legal ground. Against a group of attackers, each member of the group shares the same responsibility for the fear the group creates in the intended victim, and also shares the danger from the intended victim’s lawful response.

A second factor is the able bodied against the disabled. So, if you are old and frail, or physically challenged, and you are viciously attacked by a younger, more able bodied man (and the criteria of opportunity and jeopardy are in play), you are on solid legal ground.

A third factor is greater physical size and strength. If you are attacked by King Kong Bundy, you are on solid legal ground in using a force multiplier (a weapon) to avoid being killed or crippled.

A fourth factor is training or reputation. Is the attacker or threat a person known to you to be highly trained in the destructive (martial) arts? For this criterion to be considered a valid, affirmative defense for the defensive use of deadly force, you must have known about it before you resorted to using deadly force. It is not valid if you didn’t know it at the time, but learned that it was so after the fact. You will be judged based solely on what you knew at the time!

A fifth factor is male versus female. Our society assumes that females are more vulnerable and that there is a cultural predisposition for males to be more inclined than females to violent physical aggression. So, if you are female, and you are being attacked by a lone male, and the other criteria of opportunity and jeopardy are in play, you are on solid legal ground in terms of using deadly force if you have no other viable choice to avoid being killed or crippled. This would also include self-defense against rape.

Rape is violence.

No one submits to rape unless the aggressor says submit or else get murdered or crippled or maimed! Ayoob’s DVD notes that criminal justice statistics show that 79% of rapists are unarmed, but nevertheless, there is a disparity of force present–they are armed with ferocious aggression, greater size or physical strength, or strength of numbers, as in a gang rape situation. It also notes that 14% of rapists are armed with contact weapons (e.g., an edged weapon, a bludgeon, etc.), and only 7% of rapists tend to be armed with a gun.

The knife or edged weapon is a lethal threat.

Now let us briefly address the issue of being threatened by someone who has a knife. Clearly, a knife or edged weapon is a contact weapon, as opposed to a firearm which is a remote control weapon. So, a man one hundred feet across a busy street who yells and threatens to kill you with a knife is not an immediate threat. You can’t shoot him! However, that same man brandishing a firearm is an immediate threat if, by his actions, he places you in imminent jeopardy.

The knife issue merits a closer look. Here, opportunity is of special importance. The opportunity factor is a component of two things: distance and obstacles. It may not be part of the common knowledge, but a man with a knife or club twenty-one or fewer feet away from you, has the ability and opportunity to place you in imminent jeopardy. Thanks to the pioneering work in the 1980s of Dennis Tueller, a since-retired Salt Lake City Police Dept. Lieutenant and Gunsite instructor, we now know that it takes around 1.5 seconds for a person with a knife to close a gap of twenty-one feet and be on top of you! For the average trained person who is carrying a concealed handgun, it will take more than 1.5 seconds to draw from concealment, fire, and hit the target at seven yards. So, a person who is threatening you with a knife at twenty-one feet is placing you in imminent jeopardy. The original Tueller study was published in 1983 in SWAT Magazine in an article entitled, "How Close Is Too Close?"

Well, there you have it. This has been a summary of the highlights of what Massad Ayoob goes through in his DVD, and his DVD contains but a small part of what he goes through in his actual courses. I strongly recommend that, at a minimum, you get the DVD and read Ayoob’s book: In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection.

As I stated earlier, Ayoob emphasizes that with power comes responsibility, and with more power comes more responsibility and a higher standard of care. So, if you own a gun for self-defense, and especially if you carry, you had better be prepared to exercise a higher standard of care. In addition to being capable of making a bullet fly true, you had better know when you have the right to do so, and when you do not.

References

Massad F. Ayoob (1990). Judicious Use of Deadly Force. The DVD. Concord, NH: Police Bookshelf. (www.ayoob.com).

Massad F. Ayoob (1980). In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection. Concord, NH: Police Bookshelf (www.ayoob.com).

The Lethal Force Institute. P.O. Box 122. Concord, NH 03302. Tel: 603-224-6814. www.ayoob.com

© 2003-2010 U.S. Concealed Carry Association. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.

Book Review: Dealing With Danger

...For anyone who has ever witnessed or experienced deadly weather conditions, an act of terrorism, a natural or man-made disaster or a violent crime and asked themselves, “What can I do to survive?”...

by USCCA

Dealing with Danger is John Higgs’ third instructional
book on surviving life-threatening incidents. What makes Dealing with Danger necessary reading for anyone who wants
to increase their chances of surviving dangerous events is that it teaches the
reader to develop a simple system that can be applied by almost anyone to almost any threatening situation.

For anyone
who has ever witnessed or experienced deadly weather conditions, an act of
terrorism, a natural or man-made disaster or a violent crime and asked
themselves, “What can I do to survive?” the answer is right there in the
sub-title: “Be Prepared, Aware and Decisive”.

Be aware of
what is going on around you; when you see something that may become a threat to
your security prepare to deal with it by developing a simple plan; Determine
what event(s) will make you decide to put your plan into action.

In 132
pages the reader is shown:

• The three mental stages most people
  go through when put in harm’s way

• How fear may be necessary for
  survival
• The question we must ask ourselves when
  we detect a threat to our security
• Why most plans must include a Decision Point
• Threats at home, outside the home, and when it’s time to leave
• How groups of people respond to danger

You can find it at Lulu or Amazon

USCCA Partner: 4 Tactical Tips To Survive A Home Invasion!

...a home invasion requires tactical thinking BEYOND just the point and shoot reaction many gun owners have instilled in themselves from typical range training...

by Jeff Anderson

Imagine this scenario…

You’re sitting at home watching reruns of ‘The Simpsons’ (remember the one where Homer started his own religio…oh nevermind) and there’s a knock at your front door.

"Who’s there?"

"Hello, my daughter is selling girl scout cookies to raise money for military veterans and we’d like to show you her selection."

Being the real "patriot" you are, you’re tempted to open the door to "do your part"…

…but you’re not stupid either!

You look out and notice that you don’t see any little girl, but you DO notice one man standing on your porch you catch a glimpse of another one running to your back door for a sneak attack from the rear.
Which Weapon Do You Reach For?

Your .45?

Shotgun?

Claymore mine?

All are handy little weapons in the fight you recognize is about to happen, but there’s one weapon that you’d better have at the ready now that’s "go time"!

It’s your BRAIN!

A fire fight is a thinking man’s game (and woman’s ;-).

As a tried and true gun owner, your first instinct may be to start blasting away.

Start with the front door lowlife and work your way on to the next vermin, right?

But a home invasion requires tactical thinking BEYOND just the point and shoot reaction many gun owners have instilled in themselves from typical range training.

So let’s break it down a little bit further and really tap into your cranium…

Your Home Invasion Defense Plan:

First, you don’t know what these guys are going to do or even how many of them there are.

Being the smart "thinking shooter" that you are, you know…

* Your living room is NOT the best defensive position! Too many entries and exits and it’s easy to shoot through walls so you’re more likely to get shot.

* You know you have an attacker at the front and at the back and in your adrenalized state, your peripheral vision goes to hell in a handbasket.

* You have family in different areas of the house and no time to take a firing position AND coral them to safety.

So what do you do?

1. You need a "code word" for your family so that they all know how to spring into action.

Forget the Spec Ops secret code. "ESCAPE" works much better than "RED WOLF". Simple…to the point.

2. Have a "safe room" set up in your house where everyone can retreat to at the same time.

It needs to be stocked with several items to be prepared for surviving the upcoming fight.

The list isn’t all that long, but it’s longer than what can be listed here (more on that in a minute).

But you KNOW you need to have a phone to call law enforcement, right? Use it!

3. DON’T leave your safe room!

Assuming you have those you love with you, don’t be one of the idiots who puts on his cape and decides to go take the fight to the guys invading your home.

4. Create a "fatal funnel"

Hunker down in a corner to the opposite side of the opening of the door so you have maximum time to make a shooting decision and are the last thing the home invaders see when busting in.

You have the advantage in this case because they have to assess the room before making a move (is anyone in the room; where are they; recover; reorganize; act)

You just have to decide whether to shoot or not and you already know that either it’s a bad guy coming for you or the police coming to rescue you.(hint: don’t shoot the police)

Stay in place until the police arrive, even if you think the threat is gone.

But What If…

* You have a loved one taken hostage?

* You were taken by surprise and handcuffed to a railing?

* You have to leave the safe room to rescue a family member?

* You can’t get to your firearm (or don’t own one)?

* The police weren’t notified and no one knows you’ve been tied up for days while your family is tormented?

All good questions!

Look, home invasions don’t just happen in "high crime" neighborhoods!

They happen EVERYWHERE (even in rural areas where home invaders know that there’s no one around to hear your screams).

OWNING a gun isn’t the same as knowing what to do with it tactically should you ever be faced with such a violent invasion of your castle.

And I’m not just talking about "point shooting" or getting a 1" shot group between the eyes.

I’m talking about all the other sneaky tricks that support your firing skills and are even MORE important.

In fact, there’s a new program released recently that takes "home invasion defense" to an all new level.

The program is called "Home Defense Tactics" and it’s most likely the #1 selling Home Defense Manual right now because it’s getting a lot of publicity. You’ll find it at:
http://realselfdefensetechniques.com

It’s loaded with some pretty unorthodox tactics, but when it comes to defending yourself and your loved ones from a couple of sadistic predators in your home, you’d damn well better be able to stoop to their levels and take them out fast.

Home Defense Tactics is a manual + 2 CD set that’s LOADED with the real life survival strategies you need to defend against society’s most feared criminals should they enter your home.

Go ahead and check out the website and you’ll see what I mean about "unorthodox".

Again, it’s at:

http://realselfdefensetechniques.com

Enjoy the training!

USCCA Toon of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

Why We Need National CCW Reciprocity NOW

Gun Rights Roundup

by Buckeye Firearms Association

According to the The Columbus Dispatch, about 200,000 Ohioans have obtained concealed handgun licenses. But nearly 2,000 others have gotten licenses from Utah without even having to visit that state.

Why? In many cases, they are seeking the right to carry in states that do not yet recognize their Ohio license.

No matter what state you live in, your ability to travel is limited to the agreements your state’s Attorney General has made with other states. The only way to expand your range of travel within the U.S. is through a careful selection of non-resident licenses.

What does this say about concealed carry today? It says that we need passage of a national reciprocity law. If such a law were enacted, it would allow a person who possesses a valid concealed weapons license to carry a gun in every state that issues licenses. This would eliminate the need for so many Americans to play a game of "license bingo" every time they go on a long trip.

Last year, nationwide reciprocity legislation was considered in the U.S. Senate, but failed when two Republicans, including Ohio’s lame duck Republican Senator George Voinovich, voted AGAINST nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry license-holders. The resulting 58-39 vote failed to overcome a Democrat filibuster.

This brings up another reason we need nationwide reciprocity. In 2004, then-Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro began honoring Utah’s permits even though the states’ agreement requires "substantially comparable" eligibility requirements. Current Attorney General Richard Cordray interprets the rules as comparable. But who will be the next Attorney General?

The fact is that until nationwide reciprocity is passed into law, your right to carry in other states is always going to be at the whim of whoever is currently your state’s Attorney General. Even if you’re fortunate to have someone who supports your right to carry, a future election could change things dramatically.

All it would take is one successful anti-gun candidate to rise to the office of Attorney General and reverse reverse the opinions of his predecessors. If that happens, you could find yourself with fewer and fewer places where you can travel while legally carrying.

No law-abiding citizen should be forced to labor under the burdensome and expensive process of obtaining multiple licenses in order to exercise the right to carry, nor should our right be subject to the whim of whomever happens to be state Attorney General.

It is time to pass a nationwide reciprocity law to fix these issues once and for all.

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter.

Coming Up On Armed American Radio

The Official Voice of the USCCA

by Mark Walters

Coming up this week on AAR Joe Miller returns after winning the Alaska republican US senate primary!!  Joe joins me for his second appearance on AAR to take a victory lap!  Also the former navy SEAL Larry Yatch returns to AAR to finish the discussion we started last week on preparation, avoidance and awareness techniques and much more!!!  Be there!!

Don’t forget to join Armed American Radio on FACEBOOK to keep up with all of the latest, up to the minute information as we talk about freedom. Also, please visit me at http://www.armedamericanradio.org for all of the latest affiliate stations around the nation carrying the broadcast and information on where to listen to the show LIVE every Sunday. For a copy of my book, co-written with Ms. Kathy Jackson, please visit www.lessonsfromarmedamerica.com 

I’ll see YOU on the radio THIS Sunday from 8-11pm ET, 5-8pm PT 

Mark

Quote of the Week

"No law ever prevented a crime." — Anonymous

“Didja get that? ‘No law EVER prevented a crime.’” —Another Anonymous Guy

USCCA Member-Only Video Tip

Here’s this week’s premium video tip; presented for the continued advancement of the armed citizenry and the preservation of our liberty! Use it well…

Cr Williams:

Chambered or Not? Part 2

I’m doing test against a timer; chambered and not. You’ll see the difference here as I take the shots. Part 2 of 2.

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

*******************

Very Confused

The last thing in the world I want to do is call myself a "law abiding citizen" when I can’t understand the confusion of the law. I have my CCW Permit for Nebraska, but I have many important questions that I get conflicting answers to. My biggest one is carrying in my truck. With seat belt and all any kind of draw would be difficult. I would think since I have "permission" to conceal I could put it in my center console or even stick it between he seats while driving. A very unfriendly law enforcement officer told me that my license only permits me to carry on my person not my vehicle. Huh? I should lock it in the trunk while in my vehicle? Really? What about open carry? I hear its legal in Nebraska but not Omaha. I have a license to conceal carry, I can’t open carry? I mean it just doesn’t make sense.

I have looked at a handgun laws website and open carry website. I just get more and more confused. Can anyone help me out here? Is there a law enforcement officer or someone who knows one here in Nebraska to find out the truth. I just simply want to exercise my right, but certainly within the law. I’m not, nor have I ever been a law breaker. Help! I have talked with security guards who open carry and asked them what they had to do to carry. They say “Nothing, its legal here.” Huh? Same with some armored car employees and so on. Do I just go ahead and hire a lawyer just for a consultation? I honestly think that since the State Patrol controls the conceal carry licenses that our local police department isn’t up to speed on current law’s and changes. (No offense meant). Plus the actual statutes that can be read are so vague.

*******************

What about attacks on cyclists?

I’ve always loved shooting sports and have long been a cyclist. Recently, both in national and local news, there have been a number of reports of attacks on cyclists. In fact, one group I belong to is currently engaged in a campaign to ensure that police don’t dismiss incidents wherein a motorist has used their vehicle as a deadly weapon. There have been a few of this kind of violent encounters locally - in fact, I perceive that there’s a trend building.

I tried posting one suggestion on the group’s forum: to avoid if at all possible any response (like flipping the finger) at motorist’s who’ve taken some sort of aggressive (less than lethal) action. The response I got was "mixed" - with several long-standing members accusing me of siding with the aggressive motorists!

These folks have NO experience with aggressive people, they’re mostly just wanting to ride their bikes out in the country and they (mistakenly!) believe that flipping a finger at a motorist is "just the way to show their anger." Hah! Exactly the wrong thing to do, of course.

Looking around, I see no expert self-defense courses for cyclists. If these good people ever went to a self defense class like most states require for licensing to carry - they’d soon see the insanity in "taunting" someone who’s driving a ton or so of deadly force in a state of anger. Obviously - most of these people also have no intention of buying and carrying a pistol for defense (they unconsciously don’t believe it’s "necessary" I think). But I see the need: these people need some "official advice" they’ll take more seriously than they’ve taken my suggestions.

Just wondering: has anyone heard of a self-defense book or a course tailored for such people?

*******************

Vehicle Storage

I am wondering what people are doing when they have to secure their weapon in their car. I’ve been looking for a lockable safe that I can mount in the center console of a 2011 Honda Pilot. I have a small safe (Gun vault, micro vault) that attaches via a cable or screws, but it won’t fit in the Pilot. Under the front seat is not an option due to access, nor is the rear cargo area. I park in an unlit remote lot and don’t want people seeing me store my weapon. I would love to carry at work, however my employer prohibits this. Hopefully the changes in the Ohio legislature will pass soon and give me back this right. Until I can safely store my weapon, I will not carry

Video of the Week

Open Carry in Livermore, California

Most applaud the efforts of the activists who are trying to change public opinion about citizens being openly armed in public. However, there is the concern for a backlash of public outcry that will just get more legislation enacted. Notice in this video that it is repeated how open carry in California is only legal with an “unloaded” gun.

Click Here to Watch Video

USCCA Photo of the Week

All Photos of the Week are taken from Mr. Oleg Volk’s
website:
http://www.a-human-right.com/.

It is a fantastic site. Please check it out!

USCCA Self Defense Story

Every day, thousands of Armed Americans use their firearms to preserve human life. Let this section of my newsletter serve as a record of this fact!

July 28, 2010

Tulsa, Oklahoma

From: Tulsaworld.com

Homeowner shot after interrupting burglary at his home

Click on the above link to read this interesting story and learn from it. The key point in the article is where the 17 year-old burglar picked up the victim’s gun and shot him three times. Though it is not elaborated in the article, it seems to indicate that the homeowner’s gun was left unsecured in the house. Many gun owners don’t have children or any visitors that make it necessary to lock up their guns. Some gun owners live alone with all of their visitors having knowledge of gun safety rules.

How many gun owners leave one in a nightstand or another place where it can be found and easily put into criminal use by a burglar who may visit while we are away? It would be a terrible thing to come home to a burglary in progress and be shot with one’s own gun that the burglar happened upon.

USCCA Q&A

Last Week’s Question: ANSWERED.

I would like some recommendations for people who have conditions that limit their abilty to train at the range. I have sever arthritis in addition to nerve damage from a very bad auto accident. Even prolonged dry firing causes me severe pain. Thank you, Bill Stephens

RSM:

I can empathize with your problem. I’ve got some arthritis problems in my right hand, elbow and shoulder, although apparently not as bad as yours. The first question that comes to mind is “are you using the right gun?” Holding a 40oz 1911 in the normal “Weaver” position gets rather wearing for me after a while and I can’t put a lot of snappy .40 downrange without paying for it the next couple of days.

Your head and heart may be telling you “full size .45 with +P ammo” but you might be far better off with a lighter gun and a less potent cartridge. Practice equals shot placement and good placement trumps ballistics in any situation. I don’t have trouble with a DA trigger (at least not yet) so my usual carry gun is a light weight 38 snubby. Obviously you have to adapt the gun to your particular problem. If the trigger press is a big part of your pain, a DA revolver is not the solution. Think about a relatively light gun with an “easy” trigger such as a compact Glock or XD.

Another interesting option if you have both weight and trigger issues might be the new .380 SIG P238. Recoil management is one of my major discomfort issues. I carry “full-house” loads but cope with it by mostly practicing with mild “cowboy” loads (125gr @ 600fps). It also helps me to use a heavier gun such as my old Mod. 60 or even a full size “service” revolver. To expand on this, I have a J-Frame .22 with a grip similar to the one on my carry piece. In terms of dry fire practice, what seems to matter is the cumulative number of “clicks” you do, not how many you do at any one time.

10 clicks at a time, several times a day will probably be as useful as a single long practice and should be much less uncomfortable.

Anonymous:

My wife has arthritis in her right hand so bad that the “trigger” finger is deformed and won’t fit in the trigger guard. she trained her left hand , more accurately she trained her brain so that she could use her left hand, and now shoots very well left handed.

R. Shadoe :

It sounds as if your physical condition limits the length of time you can train rather than your effectiveness. As a lifelong shooter & a rehab R.N. I would recommend focusing on drills that give you maximum benefit for short periods of time as often as possible. I would highly recommend all shooters purchase the best .17 ca target air pistol they can afford, I have a 25 year old Daisy Model 717, and practice every day. I hope this is of some help.

Anonymous:

The key is going to be to train as much as you can for as long as you can. With painful conditions, that might not be very many rounds very often, but do the best that you can….. after all, that is all any of us can do. (be as well trained as our wallets, body, mind, and soul can take)

This week’s question. Have an answer? Use the “Answer a Question” form below to give an answer- I’ll share them here next week!

My question is I hear and get emails from so many supposed pro gun groups, how do you know which ones are for real? I do not want to join a pro-gun group and find out that my membership is used to support the wrong side. I’m a member of USCCA. –Stephen Feagans

Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask a Question’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!

Related posts:

1. “Dealing With Adrenaline & Deadly Force…” February 19, 2010 I want to begin by thanking everyone...
2. LCR Reviewed & Home Invasion Thwarted… January 1, 2010 Happy New Year! Let’s make 2010 one...

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Hello, fellow USCCA Member!

One of the biggest questions I get from fellow USCCA Members is, "Should I carry with a round in the chamber, or not?" Well, CR Williams has some great input on that question, which is going to help you make your decision!

As always, there’s also lots of other concealed carry goodness to be had- let’s get started

Okay… Let’s get started!

From Concealed Carry Magazine

...On the range, practice a smooth presentation from the low ready to the target...

by Kathy Jackson

At the end of a defensive handgun class, I was speaking with one of the students and suggested that if he wanted to retain what he had learned, he would absolutely need to practice the techniques and drills we’d done in class. With a downtrodden look, the student replied, "My range won’t let me."

This article is for him, and for people like him.

Please note: the drills suggested below will not take the place of live fire on a hot range, and they are not intended to do so. Nor will you be able to teach yourself how to perform any of these advanced skills from the ground up using these adaptive techniques. However, if you have already learned these skills elsewhere, preferably under the watchful eye of a competent instructor, these adaptations to restrictive ranges may help maintain the proficiency you’ve already acquired. And that’s all they are intended to do.

If your range won’t let you
Draw from the holster.

You can instead …

On the range, practice a smooth presentation from the low ready to the target.

At home, practice your complete drawstroke, including a smooth trigger press, in dryfire with a safe backstop. Watching the front sight during the trigger press is extremely important, since it’s the only feedback you’re going to receive about where the shot would have gone.

What you’re giving up …

By practicing a smooth presentation from the low ready on the range, you are effectively practicing the latter part of your drawstroke (including getting your hits) in a quick and efficient manner. By performing the complete drawstroke in dryfire at home, you are able to practice competently and safely extracting your firearm from its holster. You will need to concentrate very hard upon smoothness every time you practice the complete drawstroke, in order to avoid pausing or jerkiness at the point where the two practice systems merge.

If your range won’t let you
Rapid-fire multiple shots.

You can instead …

Practice taking each individual shot as rapidly as you can, without losing accuracy. Couple this with a rapid presentation from the low ready to simulate the end of a drawstroke.

Every time you fire, snap the firearm back onto target as quickly as you can, reacquiring the sight picture as you do so. This is what sets you up to take that next shot rapidly. Never allow yourself to fire the gun without setting up the next shot in this manner.

Place a small piece of tape over the
sights to practice pointshooting, an
essential low light shooting skill.

If you have a DA-only firearm, or other firearm with second-strike capability, load with one round only. Fire that one round rapidly, then immediately reacquire your front sight and follow up with a rapid dryfire. Bonus: if you catch your sights diving downward on the second "shot," you’ve got a flinch problem–one for which more practice using this or a similar drill is both the diagnosis and the cure.

Practice quick and efficient reloads: Load with one round only, and have a filled second magazine ready to go. When the slide locks back, immediately reload and take the next shot. No rapid-fire, but plenty of practice in making rapid shots!

What you’re giving up …

Trigger simulation techniques surrender the ability to practice handling repeated recoil. But trigger control is arguably the most important part of the multiple-shot equation, and when you practice immediately snapping the gun back into alignment after every shot, you are learning how to handle recoil efficiently.

If your range won’t let you
Shoot multiple targets.

You can instead …

Shoot multiple aimpoints on the same target paper.

What you’re giving up …

Nothing significant. The most important element to practice is the fact of moving from one definite aimpoint to another, not so much the distance between those two points.

But what if your range won’t allow rapid shots or multiple targets? Try this: using a target that has two distinct aimpoints, live fire the first aimpoint, and then dryfire the second one as rapidly as you can. If you have a revolver, you can even reverse the process, dryfiring at the first aimpoint and live firing at the second one.

Inexpensive protective eyewear can be
treated with a light layer of spray paint
to create "Magoo glasses," useful for
impaired vision drills.

If your range won’t let you
Work in low light.

You can instead …

Tape your sights to practice indexing the gun using the weapon’s silhouette.

Wear very dark sunglasses on an outdoor range at dusk, or on an indoor range anytime.

Spray paint some cheap protective eyewear to make "Magoo glasses" that you can use on an outdoor range even in broad daylight, or on an indoor range. By varying the thickness of the paint application, you can change the difficulty level and the simulated amount of light you have to work with.

Practice aiming the flashlight alongside the empty gun with the lights off during dryfire practice at home. Make sure you have a safe backstop!

After becoming proficient in dryfire at home, you can practice basic flashlight manipulations as you are shooting, even though it’s broad daylight or the lights are on at the range.

What you’re giving up …

Although it is possible to practice the physical manipulation of basic flashlight techniques in broad daylight (and you should), it’s not possible to realistically simulate aiming the flashlight at the same time you aim the gun on a live range unless you are able to turn out the lights. Nor is it possible to use taped sights, sunglasses, or Magoo glasses to simulate target identification by flashlight.

Additionally, you will not be able to test or simulate the effects of muzzle flash using any of these techniques.

Caution! All low-light and impaired vision drills entail a certain inherent element of risk. If you are not confident of your ability to practice these things safely, do not practice them. It’s just about that simple.

If your range won’t let you
Shoot while moving.

You can instead …

Practice your basic footwork with empty hands.

Practice maintaining sight alignment using a dummy gun or your own empty gun with a safe backstop during your regular dryfire practice.

Get immediate feedback about your ability to hit the target while moving by using an Airsoft gun and a pellet trap. Be sure to practice moving both away from and toward the target in every possible direction.

Sign up for an IDPA or IPSC league, and practice shooting on the move along with other skills during matches.

What you’re giving up …

It is so important to first practice your basic footwork without the gun that it’s tempting to say you’re giving up nothing at all by using the empty hands practice technique. Obviously, however, you’re giving up immediate feedback about your ability to hit the target while moving.

Airsoft guns can be used for basic technique drills such as moving while shooting just as well as they can be used for scenarios and force-on-force games. But you can’t practice recoil control with these devices, and the quality of your equipment will dictate how useful any marksmanship drills will be.

Gun games such as IPSC and IDPA are a great way to become skilled at firearms manipulation and they let you practice a lot of things your static range will never allow. Their best usefulness comes from giving you an incentive to practice sometimes-boring handling drills and providing a venue where you can use skills you otherwise won’t have opportunity to exercise. Remember that a gun game is not training, nor is it intended to be; it is simply practice.

If your range won’t let you
Shoot moving targets.

You can instead …

Program your timer for a random-delayed start, and hang it off your belt. Raise the gun and aim it at the target. Keep your sights aligned, and your finger resting on the trigger, while waiting for the start signal. When the timer beeps, immediately put one round in the center of the target as quickly as you can. This is an important trigger control drill to help you cope with suddenly-appearing targets.

You can do the same drill mentioned above if you have a buddy willing to blow a whistle or tap you gently on the shoulder to provide you with an unanticipated "GO" signal. Align your sights on target with your finger resting on the trigger while awaiting the signal, and fire immediately when the signal comes. This same surprise-start technique can also be a useful dryfire drill to help maintain good trigger control.

Bring your gun up to target level, but aimed off to one side of the target rather than at the center. Then, with your eye focused on the front sight, swing the gun from one side of the target to the other, moving smoothly past the center of the target without changing speed. Fire at the center of the target as your sights move across it.

Improvise a moving target for dryfire at home by tying a small balloon to an oscillating fan in front of a safe backstop. You can vary the amount of motion, and the difficulty of the drill, by lengthening or shortening the string connecting the fan and balloon.

Play Airsoft Tag with a willing friend while wearing the appropriate safety equipment.

Sign up for IPSC, IDPA, or other competitive game that will allow you to shoot moving targets.

What you’re giving up …

These range drills build a good foundation, but don’t let you put all the pieces together. Remember that Airsoft Tag isn’t intended to mimic real life in any way; it’s just a way to practice aligning sights on a moving target while you are also moving. Games are only games, but can be good practice.

If your range won’t let you
Shoot from kneeling or prone positions.
Shoot around cover or other barricades.

You can instead …

Practice these positions in dryfire at home. Especially practice safely and efficiently getting into and out of the ones that don’t come naturally to you, being careful not to cover any of your favorite body parts with the muzzle end of the gun as you do so.

On the range, regularly practice shooting with your non-dominant eye or your non-dominant hand so that you are readily prepared to use them around weak-side cover if necessary.

Join IDPA, IPSC, or a Bullseye league to practice these positions on a live range.

What you’re giving up …

When practicing unfamiliar positions in dryfire, you lose immediate feedback about your stability, especially stability during recoil. You also lose the ability to track important details such as whether you’re blocking the ejection port of a semi-auto or impeding the cylinder rotation of a revolver. For this reason, it’s best to learn these positions on a permissive range before you try practicing them in dryfire at home, so that you don’t drill techniques that will not work well for you in live fire.

Kathy Jackson is the managing editor of Concealed Carry Magazine. An instructor at the Firearms Academy of Seattle in Washington state, she takes special pleasure in helping other women learn to shoot. Visit her website at www.corneredcat.com.

© 2003-2010 U.S. Concealed Carry Association. This is a copyrighted article.

USCCA Toon of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

Chicago’s Gun Control Policies a Proven Failure

Gun Rights Roundup

by Buckeye Firearms Association

The Chicago Sun-Times ran an investigative report on the 59 hours of violence that took place over an unforgettable April weekend in 2008. When the dust settled, 40 Chicagoans were added to the countless victims of the unrelenting violence that has long plagued the city.

While Mayor Richard Daley blames guns and gun dealers for his inability to stop the carnage, The Sun-Times research shows that an ineffective crime prevention policy is more likely to blame.

In 2009, the vaunted Chicago Police Department, which Mayor Daley claims is among the best in the world, cleared only 18% of non-fatal shootings.

That means 1,740 non-fatal shootings went unsolved and left the perpetrator free to attack again. Such a shockingly low number should put in perspective how badly Mayor Daley has performed in his quest to rid Chicago of violent crime.

By admitting that the police haven’t been successful in prosecuting those responsible for turning Chicago into one of the most violent places in America, Daley is admitting he has failed as well. Instead, he points the finger elsewhere and uses the bully pulpit of the mayoral office as a tool to deflect blame.

Few can dispute that criminals are thriving in Chicago. They do because while Mayor Daley is spending precious city resources on taking gun companies to court, he isn’t spending them to help the police crack down on crime.

Chicagoans can only wonder how many police officers and anti-crime initiatives could have been paid for with the millions in legal fees Daley wasted in the quest to destroy private gun ownership.

During the same time period where nearly 1,740 non-fatal shootings went unpunished Mayor Daley supported putting an elderly man in jail for using a non-registered gun in self-defense. The resident in question was not only forced to shoot his attacker, he was then vilified as a criminal by Mayor Daley’s spin doctors. Such an act is devoid of any semblance of human decency or compassion.

The Sun-Times report also pointed out that even though the Chicago PD claimed an 18% success rate in solving non-fatal shootings, very few ended with a conviction. By The Sun-Times’ estimates, nearly 90% of the crimes in question went unpunished.

Considering all the facts, there is a pretty good chance the elderly man probably shot one of the criminals Chicago P.D. failed to put in jail for previous crimes.

- Gerard Valentino

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter.

Coming Up On Armed American Radio

The Official Voice of the USCCA

by Mark Walters

AAR goes ON THE ROAD to the MN State Fair!

This week I take Armed American Radio ON THE ROAD with a special broadcast from the Minnesota State Fair held in conjunction with AAR affiliate WWTC 1280 am The Patriot and local sponsor Pro Carry USA! 

I’ll be available for a meet and greet and book signing event sponsored by Pro Carry USA at the American Legion in Osseo, MN on Sunday 8-29-2010 from 2-4 pm then it’s ON TO THE FAIRGROUNDS and a LIVE broadcast from the WWTC booth from 8-11pm ET, 7-10 pm CT, 5-8 pm PT. 

My guests include the folks from Sealed Mindset training, Mike Martin, author of Concealed Carry Fundamentals and the folks from Pro Carry USA, and MORE!  If you’re in the area, come on out to the fairgrounds this Sunday!

Don’t forget to join Armed American Radio on FACEBOOK to keep up with all of the latest, up to the minute information as we talk about freedom. Also, please visit me at http://www.armedamericanradio.org for all of the latest affiliate stations around the nation carrying the broadcast and information on where to listen to the show LIVE every Sunday. For a copy of my book, co-written with Ms. Kathy Jackson, please visit www.lessonsfromarmedamerica.com 

I’ll see YOU on the radio THIS Sunday from 8-11pm ET, 5-8pm PT 

Mark

Quote of the Week

‘‘In a polity, each citizen is to possess his own arms, which are not supplied or owned by the state.’’

—Aristotle

USCCA Member-Only Video Tip

Here’s this week’s premium video tip; presented for the continued advancement of the armed citizenry and the preservation of our liberty! Use it well…

Cr Williams:

Chambered or Not? Part I

Is is better, or worse, or not much different, to carry without a round in the chamber of your gun? We’ll try and answer that question beginning now. One correction: It’s 24 feet average for the runner, not 34. My bad, sorry. Part 1 of 2.

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

*******************

Powder Storage

Need some advice once again from the knowledge of the reloading members. What is the best affordable way to store powder in a basement in the safest way possible. I was thinking a fireproof safe from Walmart. I’ve seen some powder storage boxes from Cabela’s but I don’t want to spend $250.00 on that. What are some options for me to keep the powder safely in my home?

*******************

.308 or 30-06 For Your Only Rifle?

I, like most forum members, carry a pistol for defense everyday. I have no rifle (if you don’t include my 1864 .58 cal.) I have lately gotten the itch for a scoped major caliber rifle for long distance accuracy. Due to financial restraints I am looking at Remington 700s. If you only had one would it be .308 or 30-06? How similar are the ballistics on these two? I have heard that the more exotic cartridges such as 7mm Magnums etc. would be better but ammo availability during "bad times" is also a consideration.

*******************

Mold Your Own Holster

Several years ago I was looking for a IWB holster for my CZ75 compact. Having no luck, I found one at a gun show that is molded to your firearm after soaking the holster in warm water. I still use it and it has aged well and still has good retention and looks good.

My problem is I can’t remember who made it or who I bought it from. Has anyone ever heard of this type of holster? Got a link?

*******************

Cleaning

I like to clean my guns right after I fire them. That day, if at all possible. I inspect all the sub assemblies, but not being a gunsmith I really don’t know much about what I’m looking at. After disassembly I spray it all down with an aerosol gun cleaner called "Gun Scrubber" that evaporates in about 10 seconds. I then clean the slide assembly on the underside with Hoppe’s No. 9 and wipe off as much as I can. There’s no way to get it all out of the nooks and crannies of the mechanism unless I take it completely apart (which I won’t do). Will the little bit of remaining Hoppe’s turn into a dust/dirt magnet? Should I only be using Hoppe’s on the inside of the barrel, and then use a cleaning jag to get it out?

Seems like I read somewhere that a well oiled gun is a happy one. Hoppe’s leaves an oily residue in the tiny spaces in my gun, but I wipe off any excess. Still, inside I know there is some Hoppe’s left in the moving parts. Is this good or bad? This is the way I do all my guns, but I’m mostly worried about my handguns and my AK-47.

Video of the Week

Drive Safely

This is a graphic video that is mostly dramatized. There are some segments that seemed to be from news footage and security cams that are interspersed into the dramatic sequences. It is an admonition to drive safely. The point for the concealed carry crowd is this is a reminder that you are not invincible. Slow down and treat every moment behind the wheel or near any sort of motor vehicle traffic as a serious risk situation that can result in death with only a fraction of a second’s notice.

Somebody asked once why fast German engineered cars don’t have cup holders. The person who answered advised that due to the capitulates of the automobile and the Autobahn, the concentration needs to be on driving. That holds true for minivans too!

Click Here to Watch Video

USCCA Photo of the Week

All Photos of the Week are taken from Mr. Oleg Volk’s
website:
http://www.a-human-right.com/.

It is a fantastic site. Please check it out!

USCCA Self Defense Story

Every day, thousands of Armed Americans use their firearms to preserve human life. Let this section of my newsletter serve as a record of this fact!

October 6, 2009

Phoenix, Arizona

From: ABC News

Family Suing After Phoenix Cop Shoots Homeowner Instead of Intruder

Click on the link above to read a story about how easy it is to make a mistake. This starts out as an attempt by a man to defend his family from a gun-wielding intruder. The 911 call makes it clear that the officer realized he shot the wrong guy, and what is worse is that there are words recorded on the 911 call that can be construed as making plans for a coverup.

USCCA Q&A

Last Week’s Question: ANSWERED.

While I am a rather good range target shooter (mostly Xs and 10s with both, right or left hands)I did poorly (actually terrible) in my first effort at IDPA Match shoot. Many misses, long time and 3 procedural errors. Any suggestions of how to improve at this type of shooting? Thanks, Gary

Anonymous:

Practical competition is entirely different from bullseye competition and requires a different kind of preparation. In IPDA, you don’t know what the course of fire is until the day of the match. It is worthwhile to think about how you will approach the “problem” before you begin to shoot. Defenseive use of any firearm is a form of problem solving. Your best weapon is between your ears. In my experience, you need to strive for first round hits and overall smoothness. As your experience level increases, you will become faster as training and “muscle memory” come into play. Make no mistake, the skills learned in bullseye are very important, like trigger control and sight picture. Practice your draw-aim-fire stroke. Practice it a lot. Use a tight grip, so that your muzzle whip is minimized. That leads to faster follow-up shots. Learn economy of motion, and work on getting the shot off as soon as you see an acceptable sight picture and alignment. David Tubb wrote, “See the shot, take the shot.” Don’t fool around. Bill Jordan was even more direct. He said, “Take your time, but quickly.” You need to put that first round on the target, each and every time. Speed will come. Have fun and be safe!

Jeff Jones #A33464:

Helo Gary and welcome to IDPA. One piece of advise I can give is to shoot more matches. Once you get use to the buzzer going off and the commands and also get more familiar with the rules you will see improvement. Another thing is to search out the top shooters at the matches you are attending and get on their squad and pay attention and start asking questions. Most shooters are very helpful because we want you to be safe first and to have fun second. I am expert in ESP and SSP and I am very lucky to have a couple Master shooters to learn from myself. We all started where you are today so don’t get discouraged and most of all have fun.

From Another Gary :

I do not shoot IDPA but do shoot IPSC errors are kept to a minimum by our great refs. I have found that I shoot better when I move faster not so fast that I feel careless. The 100K rounds of experience through my .45 kicks in when I don’t think about it. Keep safety in the forefront always,like the front site. Remember the fun don’t get giddy but always enjoy your shooting. Joy gives you the warm fuzzy feeling of confidence, disipline and safety make you rock steady. Then you can work on your speed.

Eben Fowler:

Tim: Responding to Gary’s concern about his performance at his first IDPA match, first I’d tell him to not be discouraged…just keep at it. We all have good days, as well as bad days at matches. I’ve been shooting IDPA for about a year and a half, and at the last match I took out a no-shoot target! IDPA tends to induce a certain amount of stress, which makes us do funny things, but that’s part of the value of participation. So Gary, just keep at it and don’t be too concerned. And once you get to know a few of the folks you’re shooting with, ask them to watch you and give you pointers. We should all have a "teachable" mindset and not be afraid to ask for advice.

This week’s question. Have an answer? Use the “Answer a Question” form below to give an answer- I’ll share them here next week!

I would like some recommendations for people who have conditions that limit their abilty to train at the range. I have sever arthritis in addition to nerve damage from a very bad auto accident. Even prolonged dry firing causes me severe pain. Thank you, Bill Stephens

Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask a Question’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!

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Hello, fellow USCCA Member!

A couple matters of business before we get rolling:

First, someone asked me last week where to buy accessories for GLOCK pistols. "There are a ton of sites out there that SEEM to sell accessories," they said, "but are the reliable? Have you ever used any of them?"

Friends, one that I’ve used a lot and have been very satisfied with was allglock.com. They seem to always have the best brands in stock, but they usually also have a couple other options to choose from. Everything is rated and reviewed, so you know what you’re getting. I guess I trust them because they really seem to know GLOCKs. Here’s their URL if you want to visit:

http://www.allglock.com/

It seems like they’ve got experts on every gun. They have accessory sites for
Walther, H&K, Bersa, XDs… and tons more, really! I’ll see if I can dig up a complete list of their sites next week. It’s always good to have a place like that book-marked.

Secondly: A few weeks ago, we reviewed a minimalist holster by Dale Fricke. It was a great device, but in the review we said that Dale invented it. Well, that wasn’t the case! Turns out these guys were making the thing 13 years ago! http://www.glocktech.com.

Okay… Let’s get started!

From Concealed Carry Magazine

...There is a huge debate over whether off-body carry of a firearm is viable and safe..…

by George Harris

(CCR Editor’s Note: There is a huge debate over whether off-body carry of a firearm is viable and safe. Off-body carry is carrying the firearm secured in containers not attached to the body as a holster would be such as a handbag, briefcase or the man-purse as some so eloquently refer to any bag a man carries. Retention is the most often touted concern with such concerns voiced as, “If they take your purse, they got your gun.”)

As we work our way through everyday life, we find ourselves having to be flexible with our concealed carry options simply due to the individual lives that we lead and our changing circumstances. Most firearms professionals like myself will be quick to tell you to be consistent with your carry options. This, of course, is to enhance your proficiency when an unexpected encounter causes the subconscious mind to take command of your response, and it increases the likelihood of your success in a given situation. However, the reality is that many of us lead active lives that require various options of concealed carry in order for us to maintain our level of self protection throughout our busy days.

For example, a reader might work in a downtown office environment during the day, exercise at the gym after work, and then eat a casual dinner with clients or friends before turning in for the evening. On the weekends, a retreat to the beach or out to the countryside would be a strong possibility for the city dweller. Conversely, those who live in rural areas often want to trek to the more populated areas in their time off for a change of pace, and perhaps entertainment. The beach, providing the weather is agreeable, is a common place to visit for all of us not averse to the sun.

As I think all will agree, a point of concealed carry is to carry without attracting undue attention. Each of the venues suggested above, as well as the many variants peculiar to each individual, creates a need for more than one means of carrying concealed. As always, we should strive to practice with each method, and make every effort to be as proficient with one method as the next.

Off body carry is commonly thought to be primarily for women, but men can effectively use this method as well. Considerations for off body concealed carry are the same as on body methods: Ease of access is a must in the event of a surprise confrontation. Retention is important in a similar situation in that a surprise attack could easily relieve you of your carry medium if not maintained securely by your arms and hands. The ability to return your weapon of choice to the carry location once you have escaped danger or overcome your adversary is equally important. The fewer people that see that you have a weapon means the less attention that you attract to yourself, and the less likely that you will be considered the bad guy.

In the next few paragraphs I will make a few suggestions of what has been known to work in a variety of situations for myself and some of my associates. Nothing is perfect, so take the objective-based approach of what will best serve you in your specific situation. Use these suggestions in addition to your own individual needs and you should be in good shape to accomplish your mission.

Over the shoulder carry is a highly recommended method. Provided the carry device has a specific carry location such as a fitted internal holster and a substantial strap with attachments, it affords access, retention, and recovery so that it can’t be easily ripped out of your control by a surprise attacker. A purse, document bag, or soft side briefcase are most likely to be used for shoulder carry. For some applications a fanny pack draped over the shoulder rather than around the waist may be appropriate. In most cases the carry device needs to be carried high under the arm somewhere between the elbow and the armpit. One reason for this is retention. The arm can simply clamp down on the carry device if a take-away is attempted. Another is the draw and recovery stroke, particularly if the access point is in the end of the carrier and not on the top. A rarely considered advantage of this method is escape. It is a whole lot easier to run with something high under your arm than with something dangling at your waist or lower.

Hand carry via an evening purse, daily planner, small document carrier or the increasingly popular "man purse" may get the call in certain applications. If at all possible buy one with a wrist strap for retention and recovery of the weapon to the carry location after the need for the weapon has ceased. Be careful with the means of accessing the weapon with these devices in that complicated or small zippers may require too much time and fine motor skills to get to your gun. Velcro or a similar material is highly recommended in this application. One favorite and very effective hand carry purse/holster has the carry strap attached to the gun so even if the purse is lost in the scuffle, the gun is not.

There are lots of other carry methods that could be fabricated and used that have limited application but are necessary for specific events. I’ll mention a few of the more innovative ones that I have been aware of over the years. One of my favorite federal agencies found the need to attend gyms and sporting events in their investigations, so they fabricated gym bags and racket ball cases to carry and have quick access to their hand guns and submachine guns. Another agency secreted their weapons in their fishing gear when investigating a sport fishing operation that was doing more in their "side business" than their fishing business. Back to the civilian side of things, one of my all time favorites was when a fellow and unnamed gun writer friend of mine who specializes in executive protection landed a job protecting a family who were practicing nudists. He was up to the challenge and managed to maintain a low profile (get your minds out of the gutter) by fabricating a holster out of a folded towel, in order to never be without his sidearm when visiting the beach.

Even though off body carry requires a little extra thought, it can be quite effective in carrying concealed. Choose a method that matches what you are doing when carrying concealed that also allows quick access and recovery as well as retention and you should be all set to meet the challenge. Simple Is Good!

USCCA Toon of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

The Prejudice Against Guns

Gun Rights Roundup

by Buckeye Firearms Association

There was a time in this country when owning guns was considered normal. It was about the same as owning tools, furniture, or clothing. It was just part of everyday life.

Today, owning guns is considered by many to be suspicious. If you have guns, you must be up to something. After all, since guns are bad, only bad people own guns. Right?

Recently, in the early morning hours, a Rockford, IL, home was burglarized. The 67 year old homeowner was out of town, so his neighbors called the police to report the crime. When they arrived, they found about 300 firearms.

They considered this suspicious. Less concerned about the fact that the man’s home had just been invaded by a criminal, the police began an investigation of the homeowner. They found that he had a legal Illinois FOID card and all the guns were registered. Yet, still suspicious, the police began removing the victim’s legal firearms, his personal property, from his home and taking the entire collection into their custody.

Even the man’s neighbors became suspicious. One said, “Even if he’s a registered gun owner or not, that just seems like its too many rifles." Another said, “It’s just un-real to see this many guns involved a regular residential neighborhood.”

When asked why the police were seizing the man’s property, the Deputy Chief said, "At the current time we’re taking the firearms for safe keeping as evidence until we can further investigate this."

So far, the police have not charged the homeowner with any crime.

Does this disturb you? Does it worry you that your home could be burglarized and when the police arrive, they seize your personal property because they think it looks suspicious? That they know it’s legal, yet take it anyway? That they launch an investigation and assume you must be guilty of something just because you own *gasp* guns?

Even after all the victories, after all the pro-gun laws passed and the anti-gun laws defeated, even after the politics of guns have changed to the point where few candidate or elected officials even want to talk about guns, we still face a serious problem.

Prejudice is defined as a preconceived, usually unfavorable idea, an opinion held in disregard of facts.

If you own guns, you are suspect. Why? Because other people use them to do bad things. Every gun owner faces this prejudice. All are judged by the actions of a few. And that is a problem that we still face. It’s a problem will will undoubtedly face for many years.

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter.

Coming Up On Armed American Radio

The Official Voice of the USCCA

by Mark Walters

Running for U.S. Senate in Alaska, pro-gun candidate, Mr. Joe Miller makes his first appearance on AAR!  Also I’ll be focusing heavy on guns, survival, drills and training with renowned trainer Mr. Rob Pincus plus The AAR Roundtable and your calls and emails.  This is “don’t miss” radio!  Don’t forget, I’ll be broadcasting LIVE from the Minnesota State Fair with affiliate WWTC on Sunday August, 29th.  Come on out to the fair!

Don’t forget to join Armed American Radio on FACEBOOK to keep up with all of the latest, up to the minute information as we talk about freedom. Also, please visit me at http://www.armedamericanradio.org for all of the latest affiliate stations around the nation carrying the broadcast and information on where to listen to the show LIVE every Sunday. For a copy of my book, co-written with Ms. Kathy Jackson, please visit www.lessonsfromarmedamerica.com 

I’ll see YOU on the radio THIS Sunday from 8-11pm ET, 5-8pm PT 

Mark

Quote of the Week

‘‘Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? … If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?’’

—Patrick Henry

USCCA Member-Only Video Tip

Here’s this week’s premium video tip; presented for the continued advancement of the armed citizenry and the preservation of our liberty! Use it well…

Cr Williams:

Driving the Gun III

Here are a couple of things for when the range rules limit what you can do.

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

*******************

Squib

I had a squib yesterday at a USPSA match. No one noticed it by the sound. The lead stopped just past the chamber so that the new round was stopped short and the gun would not go into battery. I was being told that I wasn’t seating the magazine. Well I quit and on the next stage I could not make ready. Then I discovered the squib and cleared it.

This was WHITE BOX WINCHESTER factory ammo off the shelf from WALMART. I have the lead and it had no powder residue on it. It measured .354 inches in diameter. A very close call with what should have been dependable ammo. Okay guys, beat me up for not catching it sooner. That’s okay. How do I notify Winchester or should I even continue using their stuff? This makes reloading my own look like the way to go.

*******************

S&W J-Frame Lock Hole

It seems to me that the hole for the lock on new S&W revolvers would be an open invitation for all the "crud" in the world to get into the lock works. Has anyone come up with a better solution than putting a bit of tape over the hole? (Solves the problem but won’t last more than a week or so in my experience.)

*******************

Scope Rookie

I would like to learn about scopes / optics where do I start,? I know this is primarily a handgun forum, but would like some input on a great scope for an AR15. I was sure I could get some input here.

*******************

Prevented a robbery without even trying!

Not hypothetical. Let me set the scene. I was running a meeting with local EMS & LEO tonight. I was wearing my "official Fire Dept Medical Director" shirt, that has the Maltese Cross in fancy gold embroidery over my left chest. As it is a polo shirt, I left it untucked, to cover my CCW weapon(s). I was also wearing 5.11 pants and tactical boots. All not too unusual for me.

On the way home from the meeting, I stopped at a gas station/convenience store. I went inside to pee, and buy a soda. As I came out of the restroom, I noted a shirtless Latin thug pretending to get coffee. I walked past him, and only glared at him a little (honest!). I walked to the other side of the store to the soda cooler. I then heard running footsteps and the thug ran out of the store. He hopped in a car that already had a buddy in the driver’s seat, and they zoomed away.

The clerk was confused at first. I laughed, and told the clerk I had saved him from a robbery. He then understood, and quickly figured out the thug mistook my EMS/Fire shirt for a cop shirt, and ran away.

Seems like he could have at least given me my Diet Dr Pepper for free after that!

Video of the Week

Nail Gun Accident

Following the logic purported by society toward firearms, this video is proof enough that nail guns should either be banned outright or heavily controlled with legislation imposing severe criminal and civil penalties if they are used without proper training or permits. One should have to apply at his local sheriff’s office and undergo an extensive background check before a nail gun use permit is granted.

The local home centers should charge a fee to do a background check before one can be purchased. Anyone who leaves one in an unlocked toolbox should go to jail. Not reporting this shooting should land everyone who made the video in front of a judge! In fact, if a person isn’t a carpenter then he or she shouldn’t even be allowed to own a nail gun period!

Click Here to Watch Video

USCCA Q&A

Last Week’s Question: ANSWERED.

I’m looking for an all leather in the waist band holster that mostly hides my s&w 40. I’ve searched the web many times and cannot find anything that looks comfortable, but yet concealing. Do you have any suggestions?

ChefBob:

Choosing a comfortable all leather IWB holster can be both time consuming and expensive. If you’ve got friends who carry IWB, ask to try on their rigs even if they don’t carry the same type pistol that you do. At least you’ll get an idea as to how the type of holster rides. The most comfortable rigs I’ve found are of 3 types: 1- Milt Sparks Versa Max II - 2 attachment points, fore and aft of the holster body. Takes up a lot of "real estate" on the belt, but spreads the weight of the pistol across a wide area.

They’re expensive, and the last time I checked Sparks had a 6 month wait for one, but there are many imitators out there. 2- Milt Sparks Summer Special II - Belt loops are placed over the center of the holster adding to the width of the package on the belt, but still very easy to carry. Again, many makers have similar designs. 3- Andrew’s Leather McDaniel II - Attaches with 1 belt loop aft of the pistol. Holster can move slightly on the belt, but some feel this adds to the comfort. And again, there are similar designs by other makers. All 3 of these use leather loops with "one way snaps" to attach to the belt, making them easier to put on and remove.

There are other ways to attach to the belt (clips etc.) but I find the leather loops are the most stable. Check out the above makers websites to see the styles, then check other makers sites to find similar, often less expensive, alternatives. And remember - a good quality stiff gunbelt is necessary to ease of carry. For something not completely leather, check out the "Answer" from Tucker Gunleather and the Super Tuck from Crossbreed Holsters.

These are similar designs that have a leather back plate with Kydex shells attached that are molded to the gun for great comfort and retention. Again, if you can, try on as many types as you can from friends before purchasing. It’s real easy to accumulate a drawer full of holsters before you find what works for you. Regards.

Anonymous:

GO TO www.theholsterstore.com, they custom build holsters and they are very reasonable. Top quality. I have 3 of their holsters and swear by them.

Anonymous:

I believe the best IWB holster ever made is made by Nate at www.ubgholsters.com. He has the Striker with clips as an IWB, the Canute with loops as an IWB and for those that still like one clip, the "Becker" and the Nassar are available. For OWB, he has the Bonneville, Phaetos and the Regulator. Belts and mag holders are produced to match. Right now his turn around time is about 4 weeks out. Every holster is hand made with grade a quality leather and has a body shield to protect those sensitive skin areas around the waist. If you want to avoid that "drawer full of holsters, check out Nate’s website.

Anonymous:

I do not carry the S&W but do carry a Berreta 40 cal Storm in a system that should also work for the Smith. I use the Super Tuck Deluxe (no dye since my skin is sensitive). This holster allows different placement and you can change the cant to find that perfect sweet spot. In addition, I will wear an undershirt for the leather to ride against (skin thing plus protection for the holster and gun), a nice wide sturdy belt, and a set of suspenders (over the undershirt but under the outside shirt) to carry the weight of the loaded gun and extra magazines. It also helps to have pants with a loose fitting waist. In this way I can carry and be comfortable all day long.

This week’s question. Have an answer? Use the “Answer a Question” form below to give an answer- I’ll share them here next week!

While I am a rather good range target shooter (mostly Xs and 10s with both, right or left hands)I did poorly (actually terrible) in my first effort at IDPA Match shoot. Many misses, long time and 3 procedural errors. Any suggestions of how to improve at this type of shooting? Thanks, Gary

Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask a Question’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!

Related posts:

1. Gun Reviews & Squirt Gun Accidents… Hello, fellow Armed Citizen. These Armed American Reports just...

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Hello, fellow USCCA Member!

Have you ever wondered if you were alone in carrying concealed? I hope not- I hope you’ve got supportive friends and family who carry as well. All too often for too many people though, carrying concealed is a lonely road.

That is exactly
why we have a "CCM Profile" in each issue of Concealed Carry Magazine. In them, we interview somebody who carries concealed. We’re not super heroes… We’re not cop-wanna-bes. We’re just concerned, responsible citizens who are doing what over 10 Million people in the USA do: Taking reasonable measures to defend ourselves with the most common-sense tools available: firearms.

This week, I’ve included a CCM Profile in the Concealed Carry Report.

Okay… Let’s get started!

CCM Profile: David Dyer Bennett

...A change of mind can happen in an instant. For me, that moment came in 1994 at the home of David Dyer-Bennet. An undergraduate student at..…

by Oleg Volk

(CCR Editor’s Note: In addition to being packed with articles all about concealed carry, each issue of  USCCA’s Concealed Carry Magazine has an in-depth profile of someone who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Contrary to the belief of some, us concealed carry folk are just normal guys and gals who assume the defense of self as a personal responsibility. Please enjoy this CCM Profile)

A change of mind can happen in an instant. For me, that moment came in 1994 at the home of David Dyer-Bennet. An undergraduate student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, I had recently befriended David through rec.photo news group. Seeing a curious clock on his desk, I asked David if he owned a gun. He brought out a Model 1911 and showed me how to clear it. While I was taking photos of it, he brought out another pistol, a Glock 17.

"Why do you have two of the damn things?" I asked.

David explained that the two designs differed in form and function.

"But wouldn’t running away from confrontations be better?"

"Yes," he said patiently. "But a day may come when I am too old and slow to run fast enough."

That’s when my mind finally grasped the concept of armed self-defense. I had never been a hoplophobe, but my attitude towards guns had been ambivalent–until David showed me unambiguously how they are essential to a civilized society. He had an ally in the cause, a certain Robert Heinlein. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress borrowed from David further set my mind on the path to a pro-freedom attitude.

David is a left-libertarian, favoring a limited government that still succors the needy. Over the years, I have been fascinated by how much we agreed on the guns, and yet managed to diverge on other topics. Eventually, hoping to understand David better, I asked how he arrived at his present views.

A professor’s son in a double-college town, David was not raised around guns. His knowledge of the gun and self-defense issues came from science fiction and fantasy books. He owned a bow, never gaining proficiency with it. He was a little better with slingshots. However, a Swiss Army knife and a hunting knife were always with him. David did take advantage of the rare opportunities to shoot with friends, firing a .22 rifle and a cheap .25 pistol once or twice.

David read all of Heinlein’s books. Much of his basic thinking was set by books like Tunnel in the Sky, where high school students get sent to another planet for the final exam in their wilderness survival course. The protagonist’s sister explains to him that if carrying a gun makes him feel ten feet tall, it will kill him. She’s in the military, and is giving her younger brother good advice.

As influential, Edward E. "Doc" Smith’s scientist hero Dr. Richard B. Seaton and his scientist villain Dr. Mark C. Duquesne were competitive pistol shooters, and put that skill to good use when attacked by aliens. And of course Lensmen were expert with all weapons, and invented new ones as needed. David’s license plate reads "LENSMAN."

In high school, David tried Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu, and found that it was fun. Attending the hometown college, he continued the training. He fenced with foil. The Chinese unarmed system and the western sport system turned out to have a lot in common, based on the basic physics. Redirection is easier and faster than brute force opposition, a close miss is as good as a mile, circular movements are what a rigid bone anchored to a multi-directional joint can do well, and touching an opponent provided orientation by proprioception.

David moved to Minneapolis after graduation, and found two friends in the local science fiction community who were shooters. That gave him the opportunity to get serious with firearms. The friends taught David well: when getting certified as an NRA instructor in various disciplines, he didn’t have to relearn much. He bought a Ruger .22 pistol and a Security Six .357 revolver, and was helping his friends reload and even cast bullets. David could have been carrying legally during that time, but he did not know that. He was vaguely aware of the "carry permit" concept, but ordinary people didn’t get them. In retrospect, he realizes that Minnesota didn’t much restrict carry before 1978. David continued to shoot intermittently through the years, and added a Colt .45 and a Glock 17 to his collection.

Around the same time David and I met, he also met Joel Rosenberg, a science fiction author. Joel had only a small interest in firearms, but he and David made an occasional trip to the range together. When Joel acquired a sender of anonymous death threats, he was one of very few people in Minnesota who managed to get a carry permit for personal defense. So he was carrying for about six years before the shall-issue law passed, and was one of the activists who helped bring Minnesota’s shall-issue carry law into effect–the second time over the objection of a lower court. Joel wrote the book on Minnesota carry, Everything You Need to Know About (Legally) Carrying a Handgun in Minnesota (ISBN 0974148008). He also became one of the leading trainers in Minnesota (see www.twincitiescarry.com).

David applied for the carry permit the morning of the first day that applications were being accepted, and then started teaching carry classes. He attended public hearings, helped organize and document the birthday party for the shall-issue law in 2004 and co-authored the Beginner to Carry course with Joel Rosenberg, as well as the combined Minnesota & Utah course.

Carrying changed his gun collection. Two full-size Glocks now live in lockboxes at home for emergency use, and David purchased more small guns: two Kahrs in .40 S&W, a Taurus 85 with a bobbed hammer, a Taurus 445 in .44 Special, a Kel-Tec P3-AT. He also acquired the obligatory drawer full of holsters before settling on three favorites. Though out of time for teaching carry courses to others, David keeps up his own practice.

David Dyer-Bennett

I asked David how he reconciles his own liberal views with his support for the individual rights.

"When I grew up, liberals supported individual rights, and conservatives opposed them. Naturally, I grew up as a liberal. LBJ forced the Civil Rights Act and the even more important Voting Rights Act through Congress against desperate conservative opposition. The Civil Rights movement, before and after this, was one of the proudest moments of my generation. Liberals opposed the draft. Liberals passed legislation to reduce pollution from factories, farms, and automobiles. Liberals protected our sea-coasts from oil spills (though not well enough; too much money in oil). Liberals gave women control of their own fertility, giving them the beginnings of a chance to be first-class citizens for the first time ever."

As a libertarian liberal, David sees the risks of abuse of government power. However, in his formative experiences many worthy goals were accomplished by the use of government power. "That’s why we have a government," says David. "Government is how we come together to solve problems too universal to tackle individually. So here I sit, a solidly pro-self-defense liberal. Don’t try to tell me I’m impossible!"

Was there a specific incident that caused you to carry a gun?
Not really; at least not of the form of "I wish I’d had a gun when … " It does, however, flow pretty directly from Joel’s getting his permit.

Have you ever had to use your firearm in a defensive situation?
No, happily.

What training methods do you employ?
Not enough range time, and quite a lot of mental rehearsal. I discovered in martial arts training that rehearsing things in my head was surprisingly effective in preparing me to do them with my body, and even when I don’t get to the range, I find time to run through scenarios. Besides, it’s hard to find a location to practice complex, realistic scenarios.

Do you have any recommendations?
Know your gun. I’m amazed how many people fumble with their semi-autos when qualifying for their permit. Those people don’t know their guns well enough to use them in a real emergency! Consider revolvers, they’re much simpler to operate, unless you get a lot of practice, including jam-clearing drills.

How long have you carried a concealed weapon?
Since June 25, 2003.

What weapons do you carry?
Currently, a Kahr K40 Covert. Before that, mostly a Taurus 85; it’s currently getting the front site blade repaired. I’ll carry a Kel-Tec P3-AT in my pocket sometimes if I might otherwise have gone out without anything at all.

What type of ammunition do you carry?
Black Talon, Federal EFMJ, Cor Bon Pow’Rball. I very much like the filled-hollowpoint designs, but haven’t upgraded the .40 carry ammo yet.

What concealment holsters do you use?
Don Hume clip-on IWB for the Kahr, the one sold through the Kahr shop. Also a double magazine carrier from Mitch Rosen. For the Taurus, a Fist IWB. I like the double belt attachment very much; it keeps the position much more stable.

What do you do for a living?
I write computer software.

Do you have any advice for our readers?
Keep out of trouble; not getting in a fight is far better than winning a fight.

USCCA Toon of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

Why ALL Elections Matter, Even the Little Ones

Gun Rights Roundup

by Buckeye Firearms Association

When there is a close race for president or there is a controversial issue on the ballot, voter turnout increases. But for midterm elections and elections for smaller offices, voter turnout drops.

That makes sense. People vote for the big things and tend to ignore the small things.

But what you may not realize is that the small things matter. ALL elections matter. Why? Because the people running for “entry level” offices today are the crop of candidates who will run for major offices tomorrow.

If you’re like most people, you will vote “top of the ticket.” That means, you’ll vote for the big names at the top of the ballot, and likely ignore candidates for offices such as judge, city council, clerks, and other offices.

But this is a mistake. If you don’t vote for minor offices, it’s possible for anti-gun candidates to sneak into the system. As they gain experience and popularity, they become candidates for major offices, such as governor, senator, or president. And by that time, it’s often too late.

Sure, there are good third party candidates you can vote for, but in the present two-party electoral system, these candidates almost never win. You almost always will have a choice between two viable candidates. If both are bad on gun rights, there’s nothing you can do about it. You can only vote for the lesser of two evils. That’s just the reality of things. 

What would happen, though, if all gun rights advocates voted with the same care and enthusiasm in every single race on the ballot? What would be the result of demanding that every elected official, from the lowest city clerk to the governor of your state right up to the president, vowed to protect your Second Amendment rights?

You would create a pool of good candidates. And when you went to the ballot box, instead of voting for who you think would do the least harm, you could vote for who you think would do the most good.

That’s why elections matter. Not just the big ones, but the small ones as well. ALL elections matter.

Think about this in November. Do your research before you vote. Make good choices ahead of time. Write down your choices and take a “cheat sheet” with you to the polls.

If you vote for solid Second Amendment candidates now, you’ll have far better choices in future elections.

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter.

Coming Up On Armed American Radio

The Official Voice of the USCCA

by Mark Walters

Occasional sidekick Jim Irvine of Buckeye Firearms Association joins me along with author and all around gun guy Mr. Alan Korwin who makes his much anticipated second appearance on AAR plus The AAR Roundtable and your calls and emails.  This is “don’t miss” radio!

Don’t forget to join Armed American Radio on FACEBOOK to keep up with all of the latest, up to the minute information as we talk about freedom. Also, please visit me at http://www.armedamericanradio.org for all of the latest affiliate stations around the nation carrying the broadcast and information on where to listen to the show LIVE every Sunday. For a copy of my book, co-written with Ms. Kathy Jackson, please visit www.lessonsfromarmedamerica.com 

I’ll see YOU on the radio THIS Sunday from 8-11pm ET, 5-8pm PT 

Mark

Quote of the Week

"The burden of the militia duty lies equally upon all persons."

—Representative Williamson (member of the first Congress of the United States)

USCCA Member-Only Video Tip

Here’s this week’s premium video tip; presented for the continued advancement of the armed citizenry and the preservation of our liberty! Use it well…

Cr Williams:

Driving the Gun II

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

*******************

Cleaning your firearm - fun, or necessary evil?

Was thinking about this, as I’m on a break from cleaning my firearms after a trip to the range. As for me, I love being "up close and personal" with my weapons, being able to inspect for wear, seeing if anything might be close to breaking, so on and so forth. It lets me rest easy, knowing the condition things are in. I know to some, it’s tedium, but you do it to ensure your weapons keep functioning. So, I thought I’d post a poll on it, and see what y’all think about this.

*******************

EMP Vehicles

Now that the other EMP thread has gone more "organic" than I’m looking for, what exactly am I to look for? Is it based on year? Pre-80? Other defining features? I know minimum electrical, but how minimum? I’m thinking an old Land Cruiser to be specific.

*******************

What THREE CCW’s would give you the “most coverage”?

Used to be if you had a MN, FL, and UT CCW’s that you were covered in like 33 states. I have noticed that since AZ has changed its "qualifications the you must go through" on our AZ CCW that some states no longer have reciprocity with us. So, what 3 states permits would give me the coverage in the highest number of states? TIA Bob PS. I already have AZ CCW (only)

Video of the Week

The Founding Fathers on the 2nd Amendment

Click Here to Watch Video

USCCA Q&A

This week’s question. Have an answer? Use the “Answer a Question” form below to give an answer- I’ll share them here next week!

I’m looking for an all leather in the waist band holster that mostly hides my s&w 40. I’ve searched the web many times and cannot find anything that looks comfortable, but yet concealing. Do you have any suggestions?

Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask Tim’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!

No related posts.

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Hello, fellow USCCA Member!

To kick off this week’s Concealed Carry Report, I want to tell you about a great self-defense course put on by a friend of mine, Matt Canovi.

I first met Matt when he invited me to be a guest on his radio show, to discuss who the USCCA is, and what we do. After talking to him, I found out that he runs a successful firearms training business.

The course that really caught my attention was one that he does for executives who want to live their lives more prepared and aware. The course is for "VIPs" who are likely targets, but you’re probably already ahead of me in that each of us could benefit from a course like that as well.

After all, keeping yourself, a home, and a family safe is about the same as living the ‘high profile’ life as an executive. If you’re interested in reading more about Matt’s class, here is the URL:

www.ExecutiveSurvival.com

Okay… Let’s get started!

Dying…Is Not An Option!: A Review

...Read it through..…

by CR Williams

Here’s what you should do after you buy this book (and yes, I do recommend you buy this book):

Read it through.

Practice as you can and are inclined to the techniques Cope Reynolds describes and illustrates in this book and begin your preparations for possible bad times.

At the same time you do that, look up other references to prepping and survival as Cope recommends and refer to them for in-depth study and reference. While you do that—

Put this book into your bugout bag or vehicle for immediate reference and to prompt your memory in the event you have to use any of the techniques and practices that are covered in it.

This book is not an exhaustive resource to prepping and survival. It is not meant to be, and Cope Reynolds is quite clear that he does not mean it to be. It is instead a handful of things you can do quickly if you need to without much more help than the descriptions inside the book, and a pointer to a larger world of self-reliance and independence.

And it’s a very handy pointer indeed. I don’t know if it was deliberate, but one of the neatest things I see about this book is that you can lay it flat open without breaking the spine and maybe wrecking it like you would a normally-bound book. This allows you to have the book open and both hands free while you do the things necessary to survive while being able to instantly refer back to how to do those things as you need the reminders. Some are step-by-step methods; others are overviews of subjects that Cope hopes you will continue on to study in further depth. Throughout, there is this message: You can get through this. It may not be easy to, it may not be comfortable, it may not be fun, but it definitely is possible.

And you can do it.

Final word? Recommended reading.

19.95, available at www.SouthwestShootingAuthority.com.

USCCA Toon of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

Are You a Fair Weather Friend of the Second Amendment?

Gun Rights Roundup

by Buckeye Firearms Association

Suppose you had a dear friend. Someone you’ve known for years and who has stood beside you every step of the way.

Then one day, you say or do something this friend doesn’t agree with. It’s not a personal insult. You haven’t cheated them or assaulted them. You just have an honest disagreement about something.

Suddenly your friend tells you it’s all over. They won’t be your friend anymore. They don’t want to hear from you or support you ever again. And they start talking to others about this, encouraging them to abandon you too. They insult you, call you names, start working against you.

What kind of friend is this? Were they ever your friend to begin with? What sort of mature person acts like this?

In the world of gun rights, this sort of thing happens all the time. When you run a pro-gun organization like the NRA or Buckeye Firearms Association or USCCA or any group that speaks out and takes action, you’re bound to encounter this situation.

People support you. Then they throw a tantrum and start working against you. You hear it all the time on forums where people curse an organization, withdraw their support, and encourage others to do the same because of one disagreement about something the organization has done.

Why does this happen? Why are people so quick to abandon or even sabotage organizations whose employees and volunteers spend their lives working to protect our rights?

In recent years, the pro-gun movement has made giant leaps forward, passing concealed carry laws, instituting castle doctrine, winning two major Supreme Court cases, and rolling back anti-gun laws coast-to-coast. Even the Democratic Party has backed off from openly supporting, or even talking about, gun control.

And yet, despite all this success, despite all the hard-won victories, there are Second Amendment supporters who spend a great deal of time complaining about and working against the very organizations who have brought them these victories.

It’s a shame. Because there are between 90 million and 150 million gun owners in America. This country is ready to turn the corner on its perception of guns. Vast majorities believe in personal gun ownership and self-defense. If all gun owners could work together, we would be an unstoppable force for change.

It is at this point in history that all of us need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we’re helping or hurting the pro-gun cause. We need to look deeply into our hearts and ask, “What sort of Second Amendment supporter am I? Am I a loyal supporter or a fair weather friend?”

Your answer could determine the future. 

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter.

Coming Up On Armed American Radio

The Official Voice of the USCCA

by Mark Walters

I am proud to announce two more affiliate stations joining AAR THIS WEEK.  KTIP 1450 AM in Porterville, CA and KUOA 1290 AM in Siloam Springs, AR. WELCOME to listeners in BOTH areas!!

This week I’ll be discussing the commercial driver.  That’s right, the truck driver who wants to carry a gun for self-defense.  Life on the road is tough and a driver certainly has more risk than most of us face every day while out on the open road.   I’ll be speaking to driver Allen Smith of www.askthetrucker.com Also we’ll keep the politics going with more primary winners!

Don’t forget to join Armed American Radio on FACEBOOK to keep up with all of the latest, up to the minute information as we talk about freedom. Also, please visit me at http://www.armedamericanradio.org for all of the latest affiliate stations around the nation carrying the broadcast and information on where to listen to the show LIVE every Sunday. For a copy of my book, co-written with Ms. Kathy Jackson, please visit www.lessonsfromarmedamerica.com 

I’ll see YOU on the radio THIS Sunday from 8-11pm ET, 5-8pm PT 

Mark

Quote of the Week

"The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable."

—Sun Tzu, The Art of War

USCCA Member-Only Video Tip

Here’s this week’s premium video tip; presented for the continued advancement of the armed citizenry and the preservation of our liberty! Use it well…

Cr Williams:

Driving the Gun I

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

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Disbanding the Police Department

A recent news report regarding a small NC town disbanding their Police Department in order to save money started a Internet research project. 

I was surprised to see how many small to medium sized municipalities are choosing to disband their PD. In rural areas that leaves an understaffed Sheriff’s Dept to cover large geographic areas. That means no “protection” from violent crime.

Are we getting back to the Wild West? I am more worried about vigilantes and “posse’s” than I am about bad guys (sort of).

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5.56 or 7.62 which is better

My question is which is better to have a 5.56 or 7.62 what ar the pros and cons of the two. Which has more choices of ammo to choose from. Which one has better barrier penetration, which one would you choose for self defense

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Safety on or off?

I carry a Taurus Millenium Pro .40 cal. I love it. It feels so much better than a Glock in my hand. It shoots very reliably as well. The only problem is since it has an external safety, I feel inclined to use that safety. The only problem is I’m a leftie and it’s built for a righty. To click it off shaves probably a whole 1 second off my presentation time. Several times in practicing and firing live trying to awkwardly flip it with my forefinger, which is my trigger finger, has left me feeling that in a real situation, I would be a dead man. I also tried using my thumb, flipping around the back of the gun to the other side, then back to where it belongs. Anything I do trying to un-engage the safety compromises my grip on the gun, totally a bad thing.

Should I just carry with the safety turned off?

My owners manual states that there is 2 redundant mechanisms that block the firing pin unless the trigger is fully pulled back so as to not fire if the gun is dropped. I carry in a IWB kydex style holster that completely covers the trigger area. Isn’t this pretty much how a Glock operates?

Then again, what if I get used to carrying safety off, and it gets bumped “on” sometime “unbeknownst” to me and suddenly the SHTF?, ….I pull the weapon and fire…but, oh no, the safety was “ON”! No bang.

Do I then tell the bad guy…”one moment please”….

Video of the Week

Right to Carry Arms Reduces Crime?

John Stossel defending the right to carry.

Click Here to Watch Video

USCCA Q&A

Last Week’s Question: ANSWERED.

I have a Ruger LCR as CCW. This makes a great gun for me, easy to conceal and fun to shoot. I have a CT laser on it which also works great. My question is how to carry additional ammo. There is no speed loader for the LCR, that I know of. What methods do other wheel gun owners use to carry ammo? Right now I carry 5 rounds in the coin pocket of my jeans.

Anonymous:

How to carry extra ammo ?? I had a extra cell phone case that I got at Lowe’s for about $15. Black cordoba, velcro closure, snaps on belt, holds 2 extra 7 round mags for my Keltec PF9. I love it and no one knows I’m carrying extra ammo. Even if noticed, they might think I have 2 cell phones.

Anonymous:

Since I carry a 2nd J-frame as a BUG, I simply carry 5 loose rounds in my right-hand pocket with NOTHING ELSE in that pocket. With both J-frames, that gives me a total of 15 rounds. According to statistics, that’s plenty.

Anonymous:

Regarding the speed loader for the LCR revolver. The same speed loader that fits the Ruger SP101 will work with the LCR. I have both and have used the same speed loader in both with no issues. The one I have is an HKS 36-A. Any other brand that works with the SP101 should work as well but I only have experience with HKS.

Anonymous:

To carry spare ammo for a CCW revolver, I’ve been using the Bianchi Speed Strip for what seems like a substantial part of forever. You can load two at a time fairly quickly, but don’t expect to do a "combat reload" as fast as you can with a real speedloader. Realistically anyway, you have 5 or 6 shots with a revolver; plan on hitting your target. "Spray and pray" isn’t an option. I made a "slipcase" out of an old sock to keep dirt and lint off the ammo and hide the outline of the cartridges. Usually I carry one strip (6 rounds) in the left pocket of my jacket or pants. I figure that if I haven’t "solved the problem" with 11 or 12 rounds, I’m probably dead meat anyway.

Anonymous:

With like any revolver your ammo carry capabilities are limited. First you could carry speed loaders or moon clips (would have to find type to match LCR). Otherwise Bianchi Speed-Strips or a dump pouch would be your other options. Carrying the rounds loose in a pocket could lead to problems. The ammo could become damaged, dented, lint covered etc. However you decide to carry your spare ammo, practice, practice and more practice will be very important. If you ever have to load a snubbie-revolver under stressful conditions your fine motor skills will go out the window.

This week’s question. Have an answer? Use the “Ask Tim” form below to give an answer- I’ll share them here next week!

I’ve read a little (precious little) about the Taurus 740B. I’ve been thinking about getting a slimmer and lighter 40cal than my M&P subcompact 40. Has anyone given the 740B a good workout with a report on it? I don’t want to go to a 9 or 380. - Paul

Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask Tim’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!

Related posts:

1. “When Running Away Is Not An Option…” February 12, 2010 I want to begin this week’s Armed...

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Hello, fellow USCCA Member!

My favorite aspect of Concealed Carry (aside from how many innocent lives it saves!) is the way that it instantly makes someone a responsible citizen.

The media always paints a picture
of how we’ll turn into ‘The Wild West’ the moment concealed carry becomes legal in a new state or city, but it never happens… and out of all the people who I’ve seen decide to begin carrying concealed, every single one of them goes about it in a responsible manner.

It’s like the trust they feel with that handgun on their belt compels them to do things to learn: like joining the USCCA and taking training courses. It’s very remarkable, and it makes me even more proud to be part of this group.

Okay… Let’s get started!

Red-Dots? On A Carry Pistol? Some Questions and Some Answers.

...The following Q & A is a result of that inquiry and my own brief testing of a Trijicon RMR sight which was provided to me for temporary use by the company..…

by CR Williams

It may seem like a new idea, but it’s not. Red-dot sights, now all but universal on military and law-enforcement rifles, have been small and robust enough to mount on handguns—daily-use fighting guns, mind you, not competition specials—for years, and both operational fighters and those who teach them have been running them for years. Kelly McKann, an instructor who has taught such operators around the world, has had a Dokter sight on his personal handgun since at least 2003. There are law-enforcement and military units who are putting them on duty weapons and using them somewhere right now. Besides that, Fabrique Nationale has this year released a .45 ACP handgun that is set up from the factory for a red-dot to be installed if the owner wishes it.

Credit for the recent jump in interest in the set-up and use of red-dot sights on carry weapons has to go to Gabe Suarez for his recent experiments and development of the practice and technique of integrating the red-dot sight onto a carry pistol and into a holster near you. Reading about his development of the hardware and use of this new-old sighting system led me ask the membership of the USCCA Discussion Forum about what they wanted to know about putting a red-dot sight on a defensive pistol. The following Q & A is a result of that inquiry and my own brief testing of a Trijicon RMR sight which was provided to me for temporary use by the company.

Note that I was only able to test the sight using the rear-sight replacement mount and adapter which allows the RMR to be mounted without milling of the slide. For a far better evaluation of the milled-slide mounting option, refer to Gabe Suarez’ writings on that subject in the WarriorTalk forum and in his newsletters, available from the Suarez International website.

Here are the USCCA member questions (in italics) and my answers:

My first question is how much bulkier it makes the gun. I want to do this with my Sig, but don’t want to mill the slide. I’m very interested at how it conceals.

It’s going to add over an inch in height if you use the dovetail rear sight replacement mount as I did. It will add not much more than 3/4 inch if you have the slide milled for it. This won’t matter when carried in the appendix position, but may be a factor in other locations.

This from Trijicon: "In the future, Trijicon will offer RMR specific mounts that will allow the RMR to sit much lower."

Second question is whether the front site being so low in the optic is a distraction since you’re so used to looking for it.

It’s a training issue that is dealt with pretty quickly. I ran the sight less than an hour and had some issues picking up the dot at first. I was doing much better by the end of the test shooting.

Finally, I’d like to know how much effort it takes to move the optic. I’ve been a little worried about how solid it would be if not milled-just seems like it could be an issue.

The milled slide mounts appear to be very solid and robust. I did not have a milled slide for these tests.

What impact would turning it on have when trying to respond to an aggressor.

The Trijicons are always on. The battery-powered version that I mounted has a battery life of over a year. Most people change the batteries once a year and don’t worry about it otherwise. There are red-dots that have on-off switches that will fit on pistols as the RMRs do. I do not recommend them for duty/carry guns because of the chance that they would be switched off when you needed them not to be.

How easily does the dot come to the eye (or the eye find the dot)? Some of these types of sighting systems are just plain easier to use than others.

Once you get the hang of it it works pretty well. I did not run the sight long enough to get as automatic on it as I do regular sights, but I can see that it won’t take long to make the adjustment.

How easy is it to see in bright light? How easy is it to see in low light (building shadow, hallway, unlit alley)?

No problem picking up the dot on a bright sunlit day, no problem picking up the dot indoors in the dark.

How is the durability, especially for every day carry? Seems like they’d take a beating riding a slide on a semi-auto a lot.

Obviously I couldn’t do destructive testing. But they will work and they will continue to work, as McKann’s Dokter has proven. (Think how many rounds he puts through his pistol in a year.) Suarez has run by now many-many hundreds of rounds through his without ill effect to the sight.

I’m guessing you’re getting both the red LED and the amber Dual
Illuminated. Which do you like better after trying them both?

I only tried the LED version. It’s a bit brighter than the DI model. At this time, I will go with the LED when I’m able to purchase one for personal use.

Do you leave the LED model on at all times and if so, how’s the battery life? I think the Trijicon site says 35,000 hours, is that reasonable? In a defensive situation, I’d hate to have to fumble with it to turn it on.

There’s not a switch; it’s on all the time.

Please note which MOA versions you’re reviewing and if you think the larger/smaller MOA version would be better (in your opinion).

I looked at the 7 MOA LED red dot, 8 MOA Dual-Illuminated. I tried those based on recommendations by others. Consensus is smaller won’t work as well for pistols as it will for rifles. 7-8 MOA seems to work best at this time for most people.

How durable/scratch resistant does the lens seem?

Hard to say, but this is the same sight that is put on rifles and it’s been out a long time. I assume good durability and scratch resistance until proven otherwise.

Does it affect the fit of the gun in your current carry holster or is a new holster needed?

I think it depends on the holster. Some won’t fit a gun with the RMR, some will. Kelly McKann uses an unmodified Comp-Tac holster with his Dokter-mounted gun, if I see it correctly. Others would have to be modified. Dale Fricke makes an AIWB holster specifically for guns with red dots now. Others, I think, will follow on that or modify current models as the idea catches on.

How much does it affect "printing"? Is it any/much more noticeable than without it?

It’s going to depend on where you carry. At 10:30-1:30 approximately, likely not. Other positions, more likely to.

Does it affect your draw?

Unable to check that, but no, it would not have affected the draw. I don’t see how it would do that.

Not sure how many rounds you’ll be able to put through your weapon with them mounted, but do the elevation and windage change after a lot of rounds?

Not many rounds myself, but others have run thousands through. No changes in POA/POI relationship reported.

What exactly is required to mount the Trijicon RMR to the glock? The author (Gabe Suarez) mentions a melted low mount. Not sure what that is. Are any special tools needed? Is this something best done by a gunsmith?

Either a mount that replaces the rear sight, or a milled slide. For the dovetail-sight-mount and adapter, no special tools. For the milled slide, best to have a smith or machinist handle that.

What is the effect of recoil on the sight? Seems to me there would be extreme punishment to the sight.

RMRs and other pistol red-dots have been ‘in the wild’ for some time now. They’ve handled the stresses without problems so far as I know.

I would like to know what the pros and cons of the RMR vs. laser sights such as Crimson Trace Laser Grips.

RMRs:
You can see them in bright sunlight.
You can use them at longer ranges than a laser.
They appear to get ‘on sight’ for you more quickly and naturally than a laser.
They are not as noticeable as a laser to the target. (This could be good or bad, depending.)

Lasers:
Less expensive.
Allows for ‘off-axis’ aiming.
Can be integrated into the gun more easily.
Available for more types and models than the RMR is.

RMR has longer battery life in my opinion, but I don’t know what the usual battery life on a given laser system is, so I may be mistaken on that.

What potential situations would an average CC’er encounter that would necessitate the need the higher supposed accuracy of an RMR?

Longer shots than usual and precision shots at normal defensive ranges, the same as you use the iron sights for, actually. Seems to be easier and quicker getting ‘on’ target than with iron sights, once you get used to it. Close-in and firing fast, you don’t use it, just like you’re unlikely to use the irons you have now.

Will you be using a tall front sight along with the RMR frame for a Ghost Ring sight picture as a BUIS (Back Up Iron Sights) if the RMR fails or will you be using a secondary rear sight?

No, standard front sight and no rear sight (RMR replaces that in the dovetail-mounting). If the dot went away, I’d act like had the big Ghost Ring.

What is the battery life expectancy for the LED sight? Is it always ON?

Something like three years, IIRC. Yes, it’s always on.

What type of battery does it use? How expensive is the battery?

Some type of standard watch battery. Likely can scoop them up for a buck or two apiece max. It’s not a proprietary battery; you can get them anywhere.

Accuracy of 4 MOA vs 8 MOA sight. Ease of use 4 vs 8 MOA?

For pistols, 8 MOA is mo’ bettah’. I did not have a 4 MOA sight for use in this test.

How well does it co-witness with the iron sights?

Dovetail mount, it doesn’t at all. Milled slide mount, you can get what are basically sights for use with silencers that will co-witness.

Comparison between their Dual illumination model vs their LED model?

Same size, 1 MOA difference in dot sizes. DI dot not quite as bright. Given the brief look I had, I prefer the LED model at this time.

What modifications are required to the handgun to be able to install it?

Either an adapter that replaces the rear dovetail mount–not
recommended–or a milled slide that makes it more a part of the gun. Until somebody evaluates the new adapter Trijicon is coming out with, save up for the milled slide if you’re going to do this.

Can the RMR sight be installed on other guns beside Glocks?

Yes. So far, One Source Tactical’s Technical Services Division has completed initial work on integrating the RMR with S&W M&P pistols. They are working on other brands and models as well; inquire there to determine if your weapon is on that list. Also, FN, as noted in the introduction, has one that will be going into the retail stream soon if it’s not already there. Doubtless, other companies are working this up now, but that’s all I’m familiar with at this time.

A final note: If you really mean to try this on a gun that you will depend on to save your life, get your slide milled and have the sight integrated into it. I cannot and will not tell you to trust the rear-sight replacement mount after the testing I did with that.

Many thanks to Trijicon Inc. for use of the RMR in this evaluation.

USCCA Toon of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

Officials Tell Citizens to “Arm Up”

Gun Rights Roundup

by Buckeye Firearms Association

What happens when you’re faced with violent crime and the police can’t protect you? Do you cower in fear and hope for the best? Or do you arm yourself and do what you have to do?

Some people think this is a fantasy scenario. After all, we live in America don’t we? Who needs guns? It’s crazy to think that citizens would have to defend themselves today. And an armed population will just create anarchy!

Really? This very scenario is happening right now. Here, in modern America.

In Oakland, CA, the police chief has publicly announced that officers will not respond to a long list of crimes if they have to lay off cops.

In Hudspeth County, TX, Sheriff Arvin West told citizens to arm themselves. In Ashtabula County, OH, Judge Alfred Mackey gave the same advice. Back in April, the judge is quoted as saying, "Be very careful, be vigilant, get in touch with your neighbors, because we’re going to have to look after each other."

Last year, King County, WA, Sheriff Sue Rahr told county residents she would “have a gun” if she was faced with burglary or a home invasion.

Also in King County, Sgt. John Urquhart has said that if his agency can’t get more funds, they will have to eliminate 48 positions from their patrol staff, which would represent a 20 percent reduction. In addition, they will have to cut 16 positions from their regional police force.

Over the years, too many public officials have tried to create a Utopian era by introducing new public programs based on so-called social justice or the latest sociological fad. But in fact, basic public needs, such as safety, have taken a back seat to these do-nothing projects that have squandered tax dollars.

The result is that in many areas, police are overworked and understaffed, and they’re simply not responding to “minor” crimes. This will certainly embolden criminals to up the ante and see what they can get away with. The good news is that perhaps citizens will rediscover the true meaning of self-reliance.

When faced with violent crime, it makes perfect sense to call the police if you have the time. But that is often not the case. And now with budget cutbacks, not only are police likely to show up after the crime has been committed, they’re likely to not show up at all.

Your choice is this situation is simple: submit or fight back.

For those who view this situation as uncivilized, perhaps they should reconsider the meaning of the Second Amendment and the recent rulings that affirm citizens’ right to own a gun. An armed society does not mean a violent society. Quite the opposite. The whole point of bearing arms is to create a greater level of domestic tranquility.

Instead of anarchy, an armed citizenry ensures that no matter what happens to the police and other public servants, we can enjoy a degree of control, order, and civility in our own neighborhoods.

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter

Coming Up On Armed American Radio

The Official Voice of the USCCA

by Mark Walters

This week’s featured guests:

I am proud to announce two more affiliate stations joining AAR THIS WEEK.  KTIP 1450 AM in Porterville, CA and KUOA 1290 AM in Siloam Springs, AR. WELCOME to listeners in BOTH areas!!

This week’s lineup is still building but will be absolutely awesome as we continue the march of freedom across America!  Make sure to join me and my special co-host, Rob Pincus of Best Defense, seen every Wednesday on the Outdoor Channel.

Don’t forget to join Armed American Radio on FACEBOOK to keep up with all of the latest, up to the minute information as we talk about freedom. Also, please visit me at http://www.armedamericanradio.org for all of the latest affiliate stations around the nation carrying the broadcast and information on where to listen to the show LIVE every Sunday. For a copy of my book, co-written with Ms. Kathy Jackson, please visit www.lessonsfromarmedamerica.com 

I’ll see YOU on the radio THIS Sunday from 8-11pm ET, 5-8pm PT 

Mark

Quote of the Week

"One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree that ‘violence begets violence.’ I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure — and in some cases I have — that any man who offers violence to his fellow citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy."

—Jeff Cooper

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

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Tactical Tim’s .45 reviews

Tim recently did a shootout with seven of the small .45s, and sent out an email about the tests.

Part One Here

Part Two Here

His two part review is not an in depth study. As I’m a caliber snob, and prefer the big old .45ACP, his quick shoot and overview is worth a look.

I’m probably biased, in that I’ve been carrying a Kahr PM45 for a few months now, and mostly agree with Tim’s impression of that little shooter. I too found the slide serrations leave a little to be desired, but soaped-up my hands, to simulate blood or sweat, and found I could still get the slide back, so I’m OK with it. I’ve got big hands, so carry it with the extended 6-round magazines. It fits and shoots like a dream. Unlike Tim, I find the factory sights quite suitable. Maybe Tim needs glasses. Just kidding. And, of course, like all of my carry guns, I added a CT laser to the Kahr.

Yes, 18.5 ounces of .45ACP on my person gives me a warm and comfortable feeling. Tim, thanks for the positive reinforcement to my recent choice to purchase the PM45.

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What do you need a gun for?

That quote is one that most of us have heard over and over from friends, family, and coworkers when it may have been discovered that either we carry a gun or that we promote the carrying of firearms."

As it has been said by USCCA about when we hear that quote, "Do you have a powerful and appropriate answer?" You should have a quick answer that will get them to think and not just dismiss your answer, and you should have the facts for an in-depth conversation that may then result.

What do you do when someone asks, What do you need a gun for?

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Open Carry = Amazing

 Hello friends!

 I realize I haven’t posted since we moved. I’ll fill you all in on that later. It’s going great, and I’m loving the new town (Except for all the homeless people. I’m kidding! Well, kind of anyway).

We went out with my close friend and his fiance for a walk last night in the dark, and I decided for the first time ever to open-carry since it is legal here. It was exhilarating! I chose to carry my Glock 26 in my nicest holster which is a Bianchi leather at strong-side 3:30 position.

After walking on a trail for a while, we cut back through and walked through a section of down-town. A cop waited at a crosswalk as we crossed the street, and he never reacted. Later, we had to pick up a third friend from the airport. I was still open-carrying, and when we stopped to eat at about 11:30 pm. Everyone encouraged me to stay open carrying. I did, and it was fantastic. An extremely liberating feeling indeed!

Video of the Week

Major Home Security Issue

Can your home locks be bumped? Do you even know what lock bumping is?

Click Here to Watch Video

USCCA Photo of the Week

All Photos of the Week are taken from Mr. Oleg Volk’s
website:
http://www.a-human-right.com/.

It is a fantastic site. Please check it out!

USCCA Self Defense Story

Every day, thousands of Armed Americans use their firearms to preserve human life. Let this section of my newsletter serve as a record of this fact!

July 26, 2010

Colton, California

From: Mercurynews.com

Elderly man shoots, kills burglar in Colton home

A 79-year-old man has shot and killed a burglar climbing into his Southern California home.

Colton police Detective Jack Morenberg said Saturday that Richard Contreras shot and killed 37-year-old Fidel Escanuelas Thursday.

A police news release says Contreras saw a car back into the driveway of his Colton home, heard a noise in a bedroom, found Escanuelas climbing through a window and shot him once in the shoulder with a handgun. Escanuelas died at the scene.

Police say two other men, 24-year-old Trinidad Amador and 25-year-old Albaro Amaya, fled on foot. Amador was quickly caught and arrested on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy, and Amaya was arrested Friday.

Morenberg says he doesn’t anticipate that Contreras will face any charges, but the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office will decide.

USCCA Q&A

Last Week’s Question: ANSWERED.

I’m new to CCA and own a Taurus Judge and have been looking for a good holster for this weapon I really don’t see a lot being offered. Am I looking in the wrong places?——Cliff

Anonymous:

Regarding the Taurus Judge holster question: I have found that taking the weapon to a gun shop or two and determine what fits it there. It is likely that a holster designed for a different weapon will fit the “Judge.” I had to do this with my Taurus PT840.

Cork:

To any interested in a quality leather holster for your Judge. I purchased one off Ebay. You can see the information below on the sellers Ebay acct name and his personal email address. I contacted him first before posting this information. Dennis Alexander to 84cork@gmail.com 12:22pm Cork Glad you are pleased. As to contact info this is my email address or they can do a seller search for shootist274 on eBay. Thanks for the plug. Dennis For me, this was the answer I was looking for. I could give a review of his work but you have only requested this basic information. If you care for more information you may contact me at: 84Cork@gmail.com I hope this helps - It definitely was a long and difficult search

Fred:

Cliff, I use a local company in Springfield, MO, Gaunt Leather works. I have tried a lot of holsters for my XD45 and finally bought an IWB from them and consider it the best I have ever used. It is easy to draw from but secure in retention. All of his holsters are hand made. They are no more expensive than some of the other holster manufacturers. They are also custom made to the model you request. I highly recommend Gaunt. www.gauntleatherworks.com.

Dr. Don (Mt Jackson, Virginia):

Your choice of holster depends largely on what you intend to do with it. For true concealed carry, your choices for the Judge are limited. ProTech offers some shoulder holsters in nylon that will fit the Judge (both vertical and horizontal carry), but not everyone likes a shoulder rig. However, if you simply want a solid OWB belt holster, I like the plain leather holster from the Hunter Company, model number 1170. It is available from Cabela’s (their stock number is XA-228863 (for the 2 1/2″ cylinder, 3″ bbl Judge)for $59.95. It fits up to a 3″ belt, and once broken in, fits very well. It is intended to be more of a field holster than for concealed carry. For the true Judge affictionados on an unlimited budget, you can get an amazing custom-made leather shoulder holster from Frontier Leather Works. They offer a variety of colors and finishes, and will custom-engrave your initials, a logo, or whatever. Can be a bit pricey (up to $300 or so), but I guess you get what you pay for

This week’s question. Have an answer? Use the “Ask Tim” form below to give an answer- I’ll share them here next week!

I have a Ruger LCR as CCW. This makes a great gun for me, easy to conceal and fun to shoot. I have a CT laser on it which also works great. My question is how to carry additional ammo. There is no speed loader for the LCR, that I know of. What methods do other wheel gun owners use to carry ammo? Right now I carry 5 rounds in the coin pocket of my jeans.

Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask Tim’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!

No related posts.

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Hello, fellow USCCA Member.

Just a bit of house-keeping before we get started: There are a lot of people who sent me emails yesterday, very interested in renewing or extending their membership so they wouldn’t miss out on any of the special reports that we’re releasing free to members each month.

There are already eight of them ready for members in our USCCA Member Download Center, and in August I’ll be releasing one called "Legal Defense: After You Defend Your Life, Be Prepared to Defend Your Freedom.

Since you’re a member, you can get all your reports here:
http://www.usconcealedcarry.com/members/1731.cfm

Be sure not to miss out on any of the reports we’ll be coming out with - renew today if your membership expiration date is nearing!

Renew Here: http://www.usconcealedcarry.com/2010renew/

Okay… Let’s get started!

Tactical Tim - The .45 ACP Shootout

by the USCCA

Tim Schmidt gives his review of the Glock 21. This full sized .45ACP handgun might be a bit too large for some people to comfortably conceal, but find out if it’s the right handgun for you when Tim gives it the No B.S. review it deserves. When you finish watching the video, go to http://TacticalTim.com to download the Non-Sponsored Spec Sheet.

What Every Gun Owner Needs to Know About Self-Defense Law

...if you intentionally use a gun against another person and that person dies, you have fulfilled the elements of the crime of murder or manslaughter and can be arrested and tried. Only at trial, do you have the opportunity to claim and proffer a defense of self defense.…

by Marty Hayes, J.D.

Part 3

Defending Self Defense

Earlier in this series we discussed circumstances that justify using deadly force in self defense and some of the pitfalls that befall armed citizens who do not have a clear understand of the laws about self defense. This time, we will outline some of the concerns that arise when you need to show a judge and jury that your self-defense actions were justifiable. Let’s start by understanding the crime you could be charged with after using your gun to defend yourself.

The Section 210.1 of the Model Penal Code, which is the basis for the majority of murder and manslaughter statutes in America, states:

 “Criminal Homicide. (1) A person is guilty of criminal homicide if he purposely, knowingly, recklessly or negligently causes the death of another human being. (2) Criminal homicide is murder, manslaughter or negligent homicide.”

What is glaringly absent in the above definition is any mention of self defense. Thus, if you intentionally use a gun against another person and that person dies, you have fulfilled the elements of the crime of murder or manslaughter and can be arrested and tried. Only at trial, do you have the opportunity to claim and proffer a defense of self defense.

However, if you have a legitimate claim of self defense, many prosecutors or district attorneys won’t prosecute because they know that it is a waste of taxpayers’ money. Unfortunately, some will and do prosecute clear-cut cases of self defense for political reasons. If their community leans towards an anti-gun, anti-self defense bias, then a politically-savvy district attorney or prosecutor is likely to pursue any gun case in their jurisdiction. As gun owners, this is the reality we face, especially in self-defense cases that are not black and white, but like life in general, have a lot of shades of grey.

Whatever the motivation, if you are prosecuted or sued after a legitimate act of self defense, you and your attorneys will need to prove to the jury, by a preponderance of the evidence, that you were justified in your act of self defense.

In a typical criminal prosecution, a prosecutor must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and the burden is on the prosecution to bring forth evidence to prove the charges. That means they must prove the elements of the crime. If you are tried in a state that follows the model penal code, it isn’t too tough to show that your actions were the same as those spelled out in the crime of murder or manslaughter, because the evidence will easily show that you purposely used a firearm to shoot and kill the deceased.

If you plead self defense, the burden of proof shifts to you and you are required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence (51% or greater) that your self-defense act was reasonable under the circumstances because you legitimately feared death or crippling injury and that the force you used was not greater than what was reasonable and necessary.

Because this small series only addresses deadly force issues common to all 50 states, we cannot advise you on specifics of your state’s law. In addition, statutory law and case law are subject to change, so again, it is incumbent upon you, the reader, to look up and study the laws of your area or consult with a local attorney who is well-versed in self-defense law, to make sure you fully understand the laws in effect where you live.

Proving Your Claim of Self Defense

The armed citizen who has been forced to shoot in self defense faces a conundrum. You see, after a shooting, the police will be called (either by you or another person) and when they question you, anything you say can be used in a court of law against you. If what you say or don’t say raises suspicions that you were not justified in shooting, you will probably be jailed until you can get a preliminary hearing in front of a judge. Conversely, if the officers believe you legitimately shot the attacker in self defense, you will more likely than not sleep in your own bed that night. Thus, the question is, how do you explain to responding officers what happened, but still invoke your right to remain silent? The answer is, you cannot. You must make a decision whether to keep silent or to explain what happened. Let’s evaluate the pros and cons of both so you can make an informed decision.

If you refuse to talk to the responding officers, it is extremely likely that you will be arrested—maybe not 100% of the time, but often enough that you should plan on spending the next several days, or perhaps weeks or months in jail. While that’s pretty bad, at least you didn’t incriminate yourself by your own words. That is about the only upside to keeping silent, but please understand that if you live in a jurisdiction that is rabidly anti-gun and anti-self defense, you may likely be arrested anyway, so sometimes a decision to remain silent might make sense. It is your choice.

On the other side of the coin, though, discussing the incident with law enforcement might keep you out of jail and out of the courts, if you explain to the police officers why you felt shooting in self defense was necessary. This requires that you be a good witness and clearly explain the attacker’s actions, telling the responding officers what the attacker or attackers were doing that convinced you that your life was in danger. It means identifying for law enforcement anyone else in the area that saw the incident. It also means pointing out any evidence that the officers might overlook in their investigation. For example, if you knew that the attacker’s buddy grabbed his weapon and threw it in the bushes, it is probably a good idea to tell officers that the weapon is in the bushes, and how it got there.

If you are going to claim self defense at trial, this approach is necessary because the police need to know what happened that caused you to shoot.

However, being a good witness doesn’t require explaining every minute detail about your act of shooting. When you were attacked, you were likely under extreme stress in survival mode and the fight or flight instinct kicked in. Physio-psychological effects known to occur during stressful incidents make you a poor witness about the facts and specifics of the attack. These physio-psychological effects include distorted perceptions of time and distance, plus tunnel vision and auditory exclusion, any one of which can result in an inaccurate report of the event if you try to report specific details.

Instead of going into detail when speaking with responding officers on the scene, I recommend briefly explaining what the attacker did to precipitate your self-defense actions plus pointing out evidence that could be lost or overlooked and identifying witnesses to the event. Next, state that you would like the counsel of an attorney before you give a formal statement, a written statement or even a tape-recorded statement. Once you’ve said that, keeping your mouth shut is likely the best approach. You have been a good witness and cooperated with the police. You have reported the crime committed against you, and frankly that is as far as you need to go at that time.

Gun Owner Rights and Responsibilities

We live in interesting times! As I write this series, examples of the good and the bad trends affecting self-defense gun owners come to mind, and while both are from the state of Arizona, these are not the only ones I could mention.

In the spring of 2010, the governor of the State of Arizona signed a bill allowing law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed handgun for self defense without state licensure, unlike most other states, which require a state-issued license to carry. Gun owners all across the U.S. applauded Arizona’s enlightened stance toward guns for self defense.

This occurred not so long after the Coconino County Prosecutor’s office prosecuted a retired school teacher, Harold Fish, for shooting an attacker, and a jury found Mr. Fish guilty of murder for what most people believe was a justifiable homicide. It was only after spending three years in prison, winning an appeal for a new trial, arguing prosecutorial misconduct among other things, that Mr. Fish was released from prison. A second trial was avoided when the prosecutor agreed not to pursue the matter. Mr. Fish incurred over a half a million dollars in legal fees for his defense, according to the website dedicated to this incident.1

In many jurisdictions, predicting whether a shooting will be considered self defense or a criminal act entails judging the political winds, and this is true not just in Arizona, but across the country.

If any aspect of an act of self defense brings into question whether or not the attackers possessed the elements of ability, opportunity and jeopardy, or if a shadow of a question about the reasonability of choosing to shoot exists, it opens the door to an unmeritorious prosecution. Though you were justified to shoot to prevent losing your life, you will now face a legal fire storm as the prosecution, judge and jury analyze your self-defense actions from the safety of the courtroom. As gun owners, if only for our own best interests in avoiding prosecution after legitimately defending ourselves, we owe it to ourselves to have a clear and complete understanding of the laws about self defense and the legal system that will enforce those laws.

A few words about the
Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC

With these facts in mind, the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC also makes this information available in booklet form free of charge to armed citizens across the country, hoping that the information contained herein will help them take the correct action when faced with a possible criminal attack.

Founded in 2008, the Network is a membership organization comprised of gun owners, firearms instructors and attorneys who are also gun owners. Awareness of cases in which citizens who legitimately used guns in self defense were prosecuted raises concerns among Network members that they, too, could be caught up by a relentless legal system so bent upon prosecuting any gun use that it cannot recognize victims who, with no remaining options, used a gun to prevent death or irreparable injury at the hands of a violent criminal.

Too often the gun owner lacks the financial resources for a vigorous legal defense, or may lack a clear understanding of their laws and legal system. These gun owners may make mistakes or fail to take actions to protect their legal rights during the aftermath of a self-defense shooting. Too often, they are bankrupted or even incarcerated during or following protracted litigation.

The Network takes steps to prevent such errors with educational initiatives like this series, as well as a series of educational DVDs sent to all Network members. A portion of membership dues funds a non-profit foundation in which monies are set aside for the defense of Network members. For further details, we invite you to visit the Network website at www.armedcitizensnetwork.org or call for 360-978-5200 for information.

We invite the reader to join the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC to further protect their rights after a legitimate act of self defense.

Footnote:

1           http://www.haroldfishdefense.org/

About the Author:  Marty Hayes is the President of the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network,LLC. (www.armedcitizensnetwork.org), along with being the Director of the Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc.  He has a law degree from Concord Law School, and serves as an expert witness in homicide and self-defense cases, having done so for over 15 years.  A former police officer himself, he well knows the legal morass an armed citizen can find him or herself in after a lawful self-defense incident.  To help counter that problem, in 2008 he started the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC. a self-help, self-reliance association of armed citizens, legal experts, instructors and attorneys, who have joined together to help protect each other from unmeritorious legal action.  The stated purpose of the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC. is to aid and assist its members if they are being wrongfully prosecuted or sued for a legitimate use of force in self-defense, along with a strong educational component.

USCCA Toon of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

Gun Control Doesn’t Work

Gun Rights Roundup

by Buckeye Firearms Association

If firearms were indeed as inherently dangerous as gun control advocates suggest, there should be millions of crimes, murders, suicides, and accidents involving firearms each year, and those numbers should be escalating since the total number of firearms and firearms owners have risen substantially over the past few years.

In reality, numbers of firearms related crime and accidents have steadily dropped while gun sales have gone through the roof and more states have liberalized laws dealing with the carry of arms in public.

Independent, peer reviewed studies show that firearms are used 5 times more often to stop crime than to commit crime – and that doesn’t count police use or the deterrent factor of criminals knowing their intended victims might be armed.

Guns are used by private citizens to stop criminal activity some 2.5 million times each year and rarely do they even fire a shot doing it. Recreational shooters fire billions of rounds each year, but firearms injury accident numbers keep going down and are at record lows.

Gun control laws only impact those who obey them – the law-abiding. There is no logic – or evidence – to support restrictions on the good guys.

In the early 1970’s, when Neal Knox was editor and publisher of Rifle and Hand loader magazines, he created a bumper sticker that posed the question, "Where Has a Gun Law Reduced Crime?" He knew that the answer to the question was "Nowhere."

Every credible study has reached that conclusion and that answer was borne out yet again in 2003 and 2004 respectively when the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and the National Academy of Science both attempted to settle the issue once and for all.

The CDC and NAS each set up panels of experts who conducted comprehensive reviews of all of the available research on gun control laws with the objective of identifying which specific strategies were most effective at reducing "gun violence" in crime, suicide, and accidents.

The two groups independently concluded that available data was insufficient to prove that any gun control laws, alone or combined, are effective at reducing criminal misuse of firearms, suicides using firearms, or firearms related injury accidents.

The truth is, gun control doesn’t stop crime. Gun control IS the crime.

This is an excerpt from an article by Jeff Knox. Click here to read the whole story.

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter.

Quote of the Week

"You can say ’stop’ or ‘alto’ or use any other word you think will work but I’ve found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone’s head is pretty much the universal language."

—Clint Smith

USCCA Member-Only Video Tip

Here’s this week’s premium video tip; presented for the continued advancement of the armed citizenry and the preservation of our liberty! Use it well…

Cr Williams:

Other Hand Access III

We’ll look at complimentary-side access from the crossdraw position. Part 3 of 3

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

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Reloading 40 cal ammunition

I reload 9mm and 40cal ammunition. I just bought a Lyman 40cal casing gauge. I already have a 9mm gauge and use it all the time and it works very well for me. I have discovered that Federal cases with the 40cal fit just fine into the gauge after crimping, but Winchester cases do not go completely down into it like they are suppose to. My question is has anyone had this problem with the sizing of Winchester brass in the 40 caliber, and what advice you could give me to correct this problem?

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How can I securely store ammo?

I have ammo cans full of ammo and want to store them securely.
I don’t want to put them in a gun safe so I’m trying to find an alternative.

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How do I clean old .22lr rimfire unfired ammo?

Is there any reason why I should nor tumble clean old bulk ,22 ammo? I seem to have stockpiled way too much .22 bulk ammo, now when I examined it, most has a soft almost sticky feeling to them, I’m certain they will fire, but I’d certainly prefer a shiny clean brass casing. Especially now that I have a new S&W MP15-22. Would a tumble in my brass cleaning tumbler with new corn cob mix be safe? or perhaps another method would be preferable to clean/shine up these cartridges?

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Took My Wife to the Range!

A half dozen years ago I went to the range with my wife and another couple who were good friends. Indoor range, others were there shooting "loud" revolvers which intimidated my wife. And I made the mistake of having her shoot a .38 snub with factory ammo. She did not like the recoil. At all. Bad memories for her. But I remembered she did like shooting my friends .22 rifle.

Well here we are years later, and "For My Birthday", the only present I wanted was for her to go shooting with me. So a lot of planning and thought went into this to make it as enjoyable as possible! .22s only, but the opportunity to shoot the Beretta M9 if she wanted to. And more importantly we shot at an outdoor range. We covered the Basics on gun safety (4 Rules), Electronic earmuffs (to hear each other in spite of doubled ear protection), eye protection, Dirty Bird Targets to see the shot results right after the trigger pull, dirt pile backstop and ability to shoot at a white bottle in the distance, and to watch the dirt fly up. Instantaneous results! She enjoyed herself very much. Only shot the .22s by her choice. Overall success!

Patience seemed to be the biggest factor in waiting for her to be ready to go shoot. Over 6 years! She was nervous at first, but soon gained confidence. And wanted to be hands on in reloading the magazines/cylinders. Wanted to know how/why the round ejected from the semi-auto (remember to keep it very basic here as I tend to go into way too much detail). Then lunch afterward to complete the trip! I made it a nice day! Now she said she won’t ask me to go shooting but I can ask her to go again when I go. It’s a start!

Video of the Week

Major Home Security Issue

Can your home locks be bumped? Do you even know what lock bumping is?

Click Here to Watch Video

USCCA Photo of the Week

All Photos of the Week are taken from Mr. Oleg Volk’s
website:
http://www.a-human-right.com/.

It is a fantastic site. Please check it out!

USCCA Self Defense Story

Every day, thousands of Armed Americans use their firearms to preserve human life. Let this section of my newsletter serve as a record of this fact!

July 22, 2010

Monroe, North Carolina

From: Carolina News 14

Clerk kills robber at Monroe convenience store

Police are investigating a shooting inside of a convenience store on Thursday. A clerk shot and killed a man who tried to rob the Sunny Food Mart on Walkup Avenue in Monroe.

Police say they were dispatched to a hold up alarm at the Sunny Food Mart at 10:17 p.m. Another 911 call said that shots were being fired and a man was shot.

According to police, 23-year-old Robert Christopher Young entered the convenience store, brandished a handgun and demanded money from the two clerks, brothers Sophia and Sopea Pich. Gunfire was exchanged between Young and Sopea Pich.

 “He was yelling give me the money, give me the money,” said Sopea Pich. “I didn’t have time to think, and I shot him.”

Young ran out of the store and was found a couple of blocks away. He later died at Carolinas Medical Center. The two store clerks who were there at the time were not injured during the shootout.

Monroe Police Chief Debra Duncan says that although she does not expect Pich to be charged with anything, that decision is now in the hands of the District Attorney.

“We have to look at all the the underlying, anything that’s going on, any of the facts and evidence, and we have to analyze that,” said Duncan.

Monroe police are still investigating the incident.

USCCA Q&A

Last Week’s Question: ANSWERED.

What is the proper lubrication to use on a semi-auto and where (location) if you carry and where if it is to be stored. Re: Oil vs. Grease Thank You

Mark Marshall:

Oil vs. grease: Oil can de-activate primers! It also tends to “run” and does not stay where it needs to be to provide proper lubrication and corrosion resistance. I used to use Shooter’s Choice High Tech grease which is neither inexpensive nor easy to find but it stays where it’s put and is supposedly impervious to temperature extremes. I have since switched to a product I found at Wal*Mart labeled “Super Tech Extreme Pressure Multi-Duty Complex Hi-Temp Grease”; both are a red synthetic and I cannot tell any difference. It’s easy to apply with a toothbrush and cotton swab and keeps moving parts moving smoothly. I coat all internal parts with it for lubrication and corrosion resistance and wipe down external metal parts with a particular rag after applying it to keep a very light coat on the finish. I also run a lightly greased patch through the bore after cleaning. I am particularly careful to wipe down areas such as revolver recoil shields, magazines and near firing pins prevent any buildup which could come into contact with primers. I have had consistent good results with this method for fifteen years.

Anonymous:

I am currently using a light coating of ATF (automatic transmission fluid) on my carry guns. The metal protective additives seem to do the trick up to about 500-600 rounds fired before cleaning.

Anonymous:

Good questions! Use a light oil specifically made for guns, and apply lightly (one small drop is sufficient) to the contact surfaces between the slide and frame. You can tell where, from the spots where metal-on-metal contact has worn through the blue. Elsewhere, as on outside of frame and slide, and in the barrel, a VERY light coat will help prevent rust, a real consideration in humid climates. By light, I mean don’t squirt the oil onto the pistol, put a drop or two on a soft cotton cloth (old T-shirt), and then use that cloth to wipe on a very thin coat of oil. Don’t over-apply, as too much oil will collect dust and debris, and too heavy an oil will congeal in cold temperatures. You will not want to oil the trigger housing group, as unless you disassemble it, you will be unable to wipe off excess oil, and the grit it collects. Also avoid getting lubricating oil on wooden grips, it will soften the wood. If your grips are dry and cracking, you can use linseed oil instead.

This week’s question. Have an answer? Use the “Ask Tim” form below to give an answer- I’ll share them here next week!

I’m new to CCA and own a Taurus Judge and have been looking for a good holster for this weapon I really don’t see a lot being offer. Am I looking in the wrong places?——Cliff

Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask Tim’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Hello, fellow Armed Citizen.

I was contacted by a very vigilant Concealed Carry Report reader earlier this week that said he was on a mission to convince Omaha Steaks in its Desert Ridge store (Yuma, Arizona) to remove it’s "no weapons allowed" sign.

I want to thank this man for working so hard to politely change the rules, because I believe that if we are all as dedicated as Tom is down in Arizona, America will just keep becoming freer and freer. Great work, Tom!

Okay… Let’s get started!

Tactical Tim - The .45 ACP Shootout

by the USCCA

USCCA President "Tactical" Tim Schmidt gives his Springfield XD45 Compact review. How does the Springfield XD45 compare with a Glock? Find out when Tim gives it the No B.S. review it deserves.

What Every Gun Owner Needs to Know About Self-Defense Law

...Even if ability, opportunity and jeopardy were present in the altercation and it was reasonable to believe your life was in danger, if you use deadly force in self defense you could still be convicted of a serious crime.…

by Marty Hayes, J.D.

Part 2

In the first part of this three-part series on self-defense law, we outlined circumstances and elements that would justify using your gun in self defense. Now let’s delve more deeply into the law, and identify some additional concerns that you must address if you use your gun to defend yourself or your family.

The Initial Aggressor Rule

Even if ability, opportunity and jeopardy were present in the altercation and it was reasonable to believe your life was in danger, if you use deadly force in self defense you could still be convicted of a serious crime. This could occur if you were the one who originally started the altercation. Even if the altercation was not a deadly force situation at the beginning, if it escalates to the point where you actually need to use deadly force to prevent serious bodily injury or death, you will still likely be arrested, prosecuted and probably convicted of the crime of manslaughter.

The initial aggressor principle is not likely to be mentioned in statutory law, but it is contained in most if not all of the common law1 of the individual states. It is seen as a public policy issue, and the Justices of the state appellate courts are pretty much in agreement that the one who starts a fight should not get off scot-free if they kill someone, even if at the end, that killing constituted legitimate self defense.

Issues about the initial aggressor come up in prosecutions for assault if the person survives or in murder or manslaughter cases if the person dies. If the judge trying the case believes that you started the altercation, he or she is allowed by law to withhold a self-defense instruction to the jury. The jury then does not get to decide if you were justified in using deadly force. If you are claiming self defense and the judge refuses to give a self-defense jury instruction, you are pretty much sunk, at least for that trial and subsequent conviction. You might win a new trial upon appeal, but that will likely take several years, during which you will be in prison.

There is one thing that will restore your right to self defense even if you were the initial aggressor, and that is withdrawing from the altercation. Your claim to self defense can be restored if you can show evidence that you reasonably withdrew from the altercation, and then the person you shot came after you and started a new altercation.

Up until now, this series has only addressed the use of deadly force in self defense. Now, we are going to discuss defending others. The right to use deadly force in defense of other people comes from the common law of England, where it primarily addressed a man’s defense of his family. Of course, times have changed, and now the logical need to defend other innocent people out in public in addition to family members, is certainly a distinct possibility. There are two legal issues at work here, one based on the common law, and the other based on statutory law, including the model penal code.

The Common Law Approach

In most states, this bit of common law developed over the first two centuries of America’s history and came into existence when judges decided whether or not a third person was justified in using deadly force in the defense of others, under the legal concept of “standing in the shoes” of the person you are defending. This means if the people who you were defending were legally allowed to use deadly force to defend themselves, then it is legal for you, as well, to intervene with deadly force on their behalf, to save them from suffering great bodily injury or death.

In a real world scenario, the armed citizen needs to know enough about the situation in which they intend to intervene to understand whether the person they propose to protect has a legal right to use deadly force in self defense. In other words, if the intended victims had been armed and able to use deadly force to defend themselves, would their actions have been legally justifiable? For example, if you are shopping at the local suburban mall, and someone pulls out an AK-47 rifle from underneath his overcoat and starts shooting innocent people, you would be legally justified in shooting him to stop his murderous attack on the other shoppers.2 That response would be legal because it is never justifiable to shoot innocent people in a shopping mall, and so a decision to intervene is easily justified.

Let’s change the scenario and suppose that you are walking down the street in an urban setting and you come across two people beating up a third person. All three are strangers to you. If you immediately intervene, perhaps by pointing your gun at the people you believe are assaulting the third individual, you might be found guilty of assault yourself, because you didn’t really know enough about the situation to stand in the third person’s shoes. Do you know if he started the fight? What if a knife is now hidden beneath his body, and moments before you stumbled upon the scene he had threatened the others–the people you are now holding at gunpoint? Depending on locale, this would likely be prosecuted as a case of second degree assault or assault with a deadly weapon, because the guy on the ground who you thought was an innocent victim is actually the one who started the altercation. He does not have a right to use force in self defense under the initial aggressor rule, which we covered a bit earlier.

Under the Model Penal Code

Alternatively, many states have adopted the Model Penal Code as their guide to statutory law, and in these states, the right to defend others is simply predicated on what a reasonable person believed the situation to be, and what amount of force a reasonable person would employ. There, it is unlikely that you would be prosecuted for pointing your gun at the two, because you reasonably believed you were stopping an aggravated assault.

Intervening in situations containing unknown factors is complicated. When defending others, the best strategy is one that combines requirements from both common law and statutory law into a workable plan in which you intervene only if it is legal for you to use deadly force if you stand in the shoes of the person you are defending and at the same time reasonably believe that the other person’s life is in grave danger. Realistically, this means defending only your loved ones or other people about whom you know enough to be sure they are innocent, unless the situation entails an obviously heinous act, like a shopping mall mass murder.

As we close out this topic, let me emphasize that it behooves you to learn about the system of law under which your state operates. Knowledge is power, and when you decide to use a gun in defense of others, the more knowledge you have, the more likely you are to avoid mistakes.

The Castle Doctrine and the Duty to Retreat

During the late 1990s and into the 21st century, a dramatic shift in U.S. self-defense law has occurred. Many states have passed laws permitting citizens to carry concealed handguns, as well as strengthening laws allowing use of deadly force in self defense. These include what are sometimes called “Castle Doctrine” laws and “No Duty to Retreat” laws. In general, these laws state that a citizen has no duty to retreat from an altercation and if self-defense actions are warranted, citizens can stand their ground and defend themselves. Before this trend, common law in many states required retreat if it was possible without incurring further risk. Additionally, many states have and others are strengthening the right to defend against criminal attack inside one’s home. For example, in 2007, Texas passed what some call a “Castle Law,” which in part indicates that the homeowner may presume the use of deadly force is allowed in defense against anyone committing a burglary to an occupied dwelling.

Additionally, some states have even written a provision into their statutory law that releases citizens from civil liability for acts committed in lawful self defense.

Of course, there are practical limits within each different law, so it is imperative that you, the gun owner, research and understand statutory law and case law as it pertains to your individual state. If you cannot do this by yourself, I recommend contacting an attorney who is knowledgeable on this subject and paying for an hour of his or her time to discuss these issues and their specific application within your own city and state.

Footnotes:

1           Common law, also called case law, is created by judges when deciding individual disputes or cases. Thus, it is written into the judicial findings and is not published as is statutory law when a state’s legislative body passes a law.

2           Tacoma (WA) Mall Shooting, Nov. 20, 2005
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Mall_shooting

The Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC does not assume any responsibility for the use or misuse of information contained in this book, nor does any of the educational information in this book constitute legal advice. Please understand that the information contained herein is simply one person’s opinion on these matters. It does not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of any person other than the author. The reader is encouraged to pursue additional study of the gun laws of their state with a qualified instructor or a knowledgeable attorney.

USCCA Toon of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

More guns means less crime? That’s CRAZY!

Gun Rights Roundup

by Buckeye Firearms Association

You know it’s true.

But when anti-gun people hear it, they flip out. It’s the phrase you’ve heard over and over …

“More guns means less crime.”

John Lott studied the issue statistically and published a book titled “More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws.” In the book, he shares solid and overwhelming evidence that what most people think about guns is wrong.

More guns don’t create more crime. Quite the opposite. More guns actually reduce crime.

Why? Because when law-abiding citizens are armed and able to protect themselves, criminals tend to change their behavior. They are more afraid to break into a home and more careful about selecting their victims because the risk of getting shot is higher.

Common sense, right? But the gun control crowd thinks that’s crazy. They assume that guns themselves cause crime. They make no distinction between ordinary people who have a gun and criminals who have a gun. Their reasoning is that if you take away the guns, you take away the crime. And they are so invested in this idea, they simply don’t believe the statistics.

But just talk to a resident of England, where guns are all but banned for private citizens. They have seen crime increase as the gun laws have become more strict. They know criminals don’t think twice about breaking into a home because odds are the residents don’t have a gun. Or if they do have a gun, it’s disassembled and locked away, making it useless for self-defense.

Here in the U.S., we’ve seen crime go down in every state that has introduced concealed carry. Criminals don’t know who is carrying and who is not. So in the back of their mind they’re wondering, “Hmm. That guy probably doesn’t have a gun, but I can’t be sure. If I jump him, I might get shot.” It’s just enough to deter a crime that might otherwise have happened.

Is it a coincidence that every mass shooting happens in a no-gun zone? Of course not. Bad guys intent on harm select defenseless victims. They’re looking for body count. And they know that can’t happen if somebody starts shooting back.

The gun grabbers will never admit it because it destroys decades of false thinking. It turns their world upside down. But the evidence is clear. More guns means less crime.

It’s an idea that is starting to catch on. Recently on Fox Business Channel, John Stossel devoted an whole show to this issue, with John Lott, the Vice President of the Brady Campaign, and shooting victims who learned the hard way why being defenseless can be tragic.

Click here to watch the Stossel show video.

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter.

Coming Up On Armed American Radio

The Official Voice of the USCCA

by Mark Walters

This week’s featured guests:

This is a special week here on AAR.  I am proud to be joined by my special guest co-host IN THE AAR STUDIO for three full hours…the Master of Self Defense, Mr. Massad Ayoob.  Also joining us in the studio will be a special winner of a Georgia Carry. Org sponsored member contest.  The winner will join Massad and I in the studio for the entire AAR national radio broadcast.  Other grassroots groups sponsored AAR guest contests coming soon!

Also, Massad Ayoob and I welcome for the first time, editor and publisher of American Handgunner magazine, Mr. Roy Huntington to Armed American Radio!  Don’t miss the show this week as we defend freedom and talk about YOUR right to keep and bear arms!

Don’t forget to join Armed American Radio on FACEBOOK to keep up with all of the latest, up to the minute information as we talk about freedom. Also, please visit me at http://www.armedamericanradio.org for all of the latest affiliate stations around the nation carrying the broadcast and information on where to listen to the show LIVE every Sunday. For a copy of my book, co-written with Ms. Kathy Jackson, please visit www.lessonsfromarmedamerica.com 

I’ll see YOU on the radio THIS Sunday from 8-11pm ET, 5-8pm PT 

Mark

Quote of the Week

“To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.”

—Richard Henry Lee, 1787

USCCA Member-Only Video Tip

Here’s this week’s premium video tip; presented for the continued advancement of the armed citizenry and the preservation of our liberty! Use it well…

Cr Williams:

Other Hand Access II

We’ll look at complimentary-side access from the appendix position. Part 2 of 3

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

*******************

Awareness is a Must!

One day not long ago I was in Walmart and had just gotten in a short check out line and while waiting my turn, I saw a lady in the next isle use a check to pay for her goods and she was getting a lot of cash back as a result. I stood there as the clerk counted her cash back to her in the amount of over 400.00!

She then took the cash and placed it inside her open purse sitting on the top of the shopping cart where you sometimes see little children sit. She proceeded out of the store, alone! I checked out so I thought I would watch from a safe distance to see if she got to her car safely. I was amazed that she had no idea of who was around her or what was going and that I, and maybe others saw her receive over 400.00 in cash that was inside her open purse.

She never closed the purse! She walked a good distance up the parking lot. I could not believe what happened next. She started putting all her food items inside her van from the side sliding door and many times was halfway inside the van herself getting the bags situated while leaving her purse on the shopping cart outside with all that cash!

Any bad guy watching would have had an easy pick. I waited until she was in the van and started it up and started to pull out before I got in my truck. How stupid! We all need to be much more aware of our surroundings! I will add that most likely she was not carrying because from what I have seen and heard, people who carry are much more on top of their surroundings then this lady.

*******************

Short review of Gabriel Suarez’s Close-Range Gunfighting vol. 1 & 2

I watched CLOSE-RANGE GUNFIGHTING: Reality-Based Firearms Training for Realistic Situations, Volumes 1 & 2 with Gabriel Suarez. Michael Tan already wrote about this in a USCCA article online titled The Big Training Secret That Should Not be a Secret. I agree with his thoughts about the video, it’s an invaluable piece in your training library. It covers so much topics/drills condensed in an hour and a half such as:

* Force on force
* Multiple assailants
* Shooting in a vehicle
* Use of cover
* Drawing from concealment
* Gun manipulation with an injured hand (including my fav racking the slide with only one hand)

The video starts off with the fundamentals then progresses into the more difficult drills, so you really have to start the video from the beginning or already have this type of training to understand what Gabe Suarez is teaching. The content covered in these videos are a good primer for taking the actual courses through a gun school or a refresher for those who have already been trained in these subjects.

*******************

Team Tactics

(CCR Editor’s Note: This is a simple and absolutely fantastic idea.)

I just read an interesting idea from another forum. It was referencing that when you are out with your better half to call them by their middle name if you see something that could be a threat. I found this to be a great idea and was wondering what other tactics people use when out and about with a fellow armed citizen?

Video of the Week

Web cam captures home invasion

It’s nice that the criminals shown in this video were caught. However, still having a doggy door in 2010, especially after being robbed once doesn’t make much sense.

Click Here to Watch Video

USCCA Photo of the Week

All Photos of the Week are taken from Mr. Oleg Volk’s
website:
http://www.a-human-right.com/.

It is a fantastic site. Please check it out!

USCCA Self Defense Story

Every day, thousands of Armed Americans use their firearms to preserve human life. Let this section of my newsletter serve as a record of this fact!

July 6, 2010

Macon, Georgia

From: Macon.com

Armed robbery suspect in critical condition after gun battle at Macon store

A suspected armed robber is in critical condition after a gun battle erupted when the gunman started shooting at a Macon store clerk Monday night.

Rashan Lateel Jordan, 29, is undergoing treatment for a chest wound at The Medical Center of Central Georgia, according to hospital sources.

 The gunman started shooting at a female employee at Expert Wireless at 3795 Mercer University Drive, according to a news release from the Macon Police Department. The 26-year-old worker fired back and wounded Jordan, who ran out of the store and tried to flee in a 2000 black Infiniti Q45. Jordan hit a curb and was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries, the release stated.

It’s not clear if anything was taken from the store, as police have not released any further details.

USCCA Q&A

Last Week’s Question: ANSWERED.

I am new to the CCW world. I’m living in central Florida I have been retired for many years and am looking for my first weapon, probably a 9mm. I’m in casual dress most of the time which limits the selection . Any help/suggestions would be appreciated. I will seek professional instruction once my choice has been made. Thanks

JD in Texas:

To the gentleman in Florida seeking a CCW. I wish I had asked this question when I first started carrying. I went out and purchased what I thought was a good “fit” for me having never fired it before my CHL class here in Texas. Luckily I passed the shooting portion of the class and sold the gun afterwards. The best advice I can give you is go to the range, even if you don’t have a gun, and ask around. I walked into one of my local ranges and talked to the guy behind the counter. He suggested that I hold the guns they had for rent and shoot the ones that felt good while in my hand. He told me that the weapon needs to “feel like an extension of your body” and he never mentioned caliber until I was done. It just so happened that while I was on the range there were a few guys in the bays next to me that overheard me talking to the sales guy. They offered for me to shoot what they had brought for a little more experience with weapons that I could not rent. This was the best day I had ever had at the range. I invested about $100 bucks that day renting different guns and the ammo to feed them but the information and experience I had was worth the investment. I am now an informed, responsibly armed citizen that knows how to use the tool strapped to my side. So my suggestion is go to a range and talk to the people there not just the sales people but also the customers. I have never met a “responsible citizen” like ourselves that was not willing to help me. Good luck to you. JD in Texas

Anonymous:

For the question regarding selection of a 9mm carry weapon, I am in a similar situation here in Tennessee. I recently received my Handgun Carry License and am almost always in casual clothing. I selected a Walther PPS for my warm weather carry weapon. It is available in either 9mm or .40 S&W and is the lightest, smallest semi-auto pistol I could find. It also has received great reviews since it was introduced about two years ago. I’ve fired my 9mm a few times on the range and its reliability has been 100%. Since it’s a fairly new product you may have some difficulty identifying a holster, but I have found that the holster manufactures have generally included the PPS in their sizing charts but many retailers haven’t updated their information to reflect the PPS. A little extra homework on your part to identify the holster model number you need should solve the problem. I have found the DeSantis SuperFly pocket holster, the DeSantis Tuckable IWB and the Crossbreed IWB all work very well. Good luck and be careful out there.

Anonymous.:

I don’t believe there is any “one” weapon for all. Size, shape, function of the firearm along with your size, shape and ability all determine the weapon for you. The main thing is to get a weapon that you are comfortable with and will always have on you (that’s the only way they work). Suggest going to your local firearms dealer and ask them to help “fit” you for your best choice. Here in Phoenix we have a firearms store with a range and they allow you to try different weapons

Steve, Council Bluffs Iowa :

Any firearm you choose, should be practiced with relentlessly until you are extremely proficient with it. Here in my county, I could qualify with up to 3 different calibers (this ends Jan 1st 2011 when we go to a shall issue) and I was asked why would I want 3? Just pick one and get very good with it. I experimented with numerous types and finally decided on the .357 sig. Extremely flat trajectory and very accurate in my Glock 27. I was concerned with over penetration but soon realized that there are some excellent ammo makers that have a nice selection of JHP’s. I use magsafe, but Glaser and Extreme shock are also viable. Do your own research and go out and shoot them. You’ll find your favorite

Anonymous:

Regarding concealed carry, I advocate for carrying as powerful a gun as one can reasonably conceal under casual clothes in a “hot” environment. As a general rule, the flat construction of the semi-automatic pistol conceal better than revolvers of the same size. If one selects a compact or sub compact semi-auto, he or she can conceal that weapon beneath an untucked polo or T-shirt. There are two important keys to successful cary under this situation. First, buy clothes that are a bit bigger than you would normally wear. This allows your clothes to cover the gun better when you move or reach. Secondly, the selection of a quality holster is essential. The best concealment holsters are the inside-the-pants holsters and the tuckable holsters. The carry holster should have a reinforced top so that the pistol can be re-holstered one-handed. It is also important to have a separate magazine holder and at least two spare magazines. To become proficient in concealed carry defense, one should practice drawing with an unloaded pistol until drawing from concealment is instinctive. Finally, it is very important to use a dedicated pistol belt to support your holstered gun and ammo carrier. The belt should be tight enough to pull the pistol close to the body. This allows the wearer to take advantage of the natural curves of the human anatomy

Anonymous:

To the person in central Florida new to CCW. I to am retired, live in a hot climate and am in casual dress 99% of the time. My favorite carry weapon is a Glock model 36 in an inside the waistband (IWB) holster. I leave my shirt outside my pants or shorts and have no problem with printing. At times I carry my Glock model 21sf the same way without a printing problem. Depending on your body shape you may have to buy shirts a size larger then you normally would to avoid printing. Having the extra weight on your belt takes a little getting used to but after a while it becomes a part of you. What ever weapon you select, buy a good strong belt and as the rest of us have had to do, try holsters until you find one that is comfortable for YOU

Anonymous:

I’m retired also, and have been licensed to carry here in Texas since 2004. My primary carry gun has always been a Kahr PM9. It has been perfect since new, weighs just a pound unloaded and is easy to conceal in both pocket holsters and in belt holsters. I spend most of my time in cargo shorts and a tank top or t-shirt. I love the ease of pocket carry the PM9 offers. It costs a bit more than others of similar size, but it is a beautifully made weapon, shoots a major caliber, is extremely accurate, easy to take down and clean and has been failure-free since new. Kahr makes a variety of easily concealed handguns in a variety of calibers and IMHO you can’t go wrong choosing one

This week’s question. Have an answer? Use the “Ask Tim” form below to give an answer- I’ll share them here next week!

What is the proper lubrication to use on a semi-auto and where (location) if you carry and where if it is to be stored. Re: Oil vs. Grease Thank You

Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask Tim’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!

Related posts:

1. LCR Reviewed & Home Invasion Thwarted… January 1, 2010 Happy New Year! Let’s make 2010 one...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Hello, fellow Armed Citizen.

Get ready to sink your teeth into a topic every armed citizen should stay in tune with: the laws of self defense. We’ve got a 3-part series from resident expert Marty Hayes, J.D. coming up, and this week is the first big chunk. Get your pencils and note-pads out, because this will be note-worthy.

After getting a formal brush up in self defense law, please support our friends at the JPFO. They are looking to create another edgy video to help combat gun control, this time called No Guns for Jews- but they need some help. Go here to learn about it: http://www.jpfo.org/filegen-n-z/ngj-promo.htm

Okay, enough chatter… Let’s get started!

Tactical Tim - The .45 ACP Shootout

by the USCCA

"Tactical" Tim Schmidt reviews 7 different .45ACP handguns. Find out which Tim thinks is best for concealed carry, which is best as a full-sized .45ACP, and which one gives you the best "Bang for the Buck!" Make sure you watch Part 1 and Part 2!

What Every Gun Owner Needs to Know About Self-Defense Law

...With firearms ownership comes serious responsibilities. These responsibilities take several forms, including.…

by Marty Hayes, J.D.

Part 1

Introduction

With firearms ownership comes serious responsibilities. These responsibilities take several forms, including–

1.  Responsibility to ensure that your firearms do not fall into criminal hands, due to carelessness or neglect.

2.  Responsibility to ensure that a child does not get a hold of your firearm, resulting in a tragedy.

3.  Responsibility to ensure that when you are handling your guns, your actions are safe and responsible.

4.  And finally, it is your responsibility to understand the laws regarding use of deadly force in self defense and to be aware of what happens within the legal system when a citizen uses deadly force in self defense.

Let’s briefly address the first three areas of responsibility before going on to the fourth, which is the main topic of this series. The first two responsibilities require safe, secure storage of your firearms any time they are not in your immediate possession.

Next, the National Rifle Association and hundreds of private trainers and firearms schools all across the nation teach gun safety and firearms responsibility to hundreds of thousands of people every year. Obtaining training from these folks is how you fulfill the responsibilities in the third concern listed. The Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC urges you, the gun owner, to seek out and attend competent training, both to assure that you understand how to meet your responsibilities, and to document your training and knowledge about gun safety and responsibility. Documented training is part of the antidote to post-shooting accusations that you acted without regard for your responsibilities to society.

This series is designed to introduce you to the fourth area of concern so you can begin to understand your legal rights and responsibilities when using deadly force in self defense. The information in this series should not be considered the sum total of your legal education, but instead, you should think of it as a starting point.

The High Cost of Self Defense

Deciding to carry a gun or to arm yourself for home defense is a choice that should be made only after thorough consideration. Many people buy guns with little thought of getting training and without investigating what the legal aftermath may be if they use a gun for self defense.

While a clear-cut case of self defense normally results in no arrest, no prosecution, and no lawsuit, please understand that many, many cases of self defense simply are not clear cut. For example, what if someone a little larger and stronger than you picks a fight with you? Can you shoot him? At what point in the altercation would you have a right to shoot?

What if three people, perhaps pan handlers obviously involved in aggressively begging, surround you and demand money? When you feel threatened by their insistence, can you draw your gun to stop their aggression?

What if someone threatens your life, so you shoot him, but at the instant you determined you had no other choice but to shoot, he twisted or turned away, so one or two of your shots hit him in the back? What if one of the shots in the back is the fatal shot? Do you think you might be prosecuted?

The history of armed self defense is chock-full of incidents in which law abiding citizens legitimately used a gun for self defense and ended up in prison or were bankrupted because they were wrongfully prosecuted or sued. Let me explain how the aftermath of a legitimate act can go so wrong.

First, if you are arrested after an act of self defense, you will be provided a public defender or you will have to foot the bill yourself for your legal defense. Most people scoff at the idea of a public defender, but I have met and worked for some very good public defenders. It is very likely that a public defender will be well-respected and well-liked by the courts. That’s the good news. The bad news is that in the typical case, there is not much of a budget with which to hire expert witnesses, crime scene reconstructionists and investigators who may be able to track down that one witness who might tell your side of the story. In addition, it is also unlikely that your public defender, or for that matter, a private criminal defense attorney, will have much experience handling legitimate cases of self defense. This is true because most acts of self defense are not prosecuted.

When a legitimate case of self defense (as opposed to a claim of self defense that is offered purely as a legal strategy) comes before the court, it can become pretty expensive, not only in dollars, but also in time and psychological and sociological impacts. For example, if you become the subject of your local newspaper’s headline news, your neighbors, your kids’ friends and even your professional contacts will likely pass judgment long before a jury does. Your kids may have to face accusations from their playmates that their father or mother is a killer, business associates may avoid working with you, and your neighbors may voice hurtful, ignorant opinions about the actions you took to survive. You might even lose your job because it is pretty hard to work if you are locked up in jail for murder if you cannot raise bail money. Do you think that losing your job and facing mounting legal bills might disrupt your family life, too?

These are only some of the reasons gun owners must understand when it is justifiable to use deadly force in self defense, as well as learning what to expect from the legal system if they are left with no viable alternatives and must shoot an attacker.

Internationally-recognized self-defense expert Massad Ayoob states it best when he explains, “Deadly force is justified only when undertaken to prevent imminent and otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm to the innocent.”1

If you memorize and live that one sentence, you should never be found guilty of a crime involving use of deadly force. While nuances of self-defense law differ from one state to another, all states allow the armed citizen to use deadly force against another human being when their life or the life of a loved one or another innocent person is in imminent danger. It is not that simple, however, and several aspects of using deadly force can still land you in court. While one concern entails understanding when circumstances merit using deadly force, the second is making sure law enforcement, the prosecutor’s office, and if necessary, a judge and jury understand that you reasonably believed your actions were necessary to protect innocent life.

The Reasonable Man Doctrine

The standard against which your use of deadly force in self defense will be measured is called the standard of the reasonable person. This criterion asks, “Would a reasonable person under the same circumstances, knowing what you knew at the time, likely have used deadly force in self defense?” If you can convince the jury that they would have done the same thing, then you will walk free. On the other hand, if the members of the jury say to themselves, “No, I wouldn’t have pulled the trigger under those circumstances,” then the verdict will probably not be in your favor.

How do we convince a jury that we acted as a reasonable person would have acted?

The Elements of Ability, Opportunity and Jeopardy

For decades, police officers have been taught that they can employ deadly force only under circumstances in which the elements of “ability,” “opportunity” and “jeopardy” are present. The same method of teaching justifiable use of deadly force has been employed in the civilian sector for at least three decades. You won’t see any of these terms in the law books and court decisions, however. Instead, you will see something like the following, which is taken from Revised Code of Washington:

RCW 9A.16.050 Homicide­—By other person­—When justifiable. Homicide is also justifiable when committed either: (1) In the lawful defense of the slayer, or his or her husband, wife, parent, child, brother, or sister, or of any other person in his presence or company, when there is reasonable ground to apprehend a design on the part of the person slain to commit a felony or to do some great personal injury to the slayer or to any such person, and there is imminent danger of such design being accomplished; or
(2) In the actual resistance of an attempt to commit a felony upon the slayer, in his presence, or upon or in a dwelling, or other place of abode, in which he is.

The laws of your own state probably have similarly complicated language, requiring several readings to really understand what the law requires. Still, a careful reading will show the parallels between the complex language of most state statutes and the more easily understood terms of “ability,” “opportunity” and “jeopardy” that give us clearly understood language with which to discuss and articulate why we had a reasonable belief that our life was in danger.

For example, in explaining a decision to use deadly force in self defense, you might say, “Well, because he had a gun in his hand, which I know is a deadly weapon, I knew he had the ABILITY to cause my death. I also knew from my training that a person within close proximity was near enough to shoot me with that gun, in other words he had the OPPORTUNITY to shoot me if he so desired. Because he said he was going to kill me, I also believed that he meant to place my life in JEOPARDY.”

Would a reasonable person, hearing that statement, conclude that your actions were those of a reasonable person? Likely so.

Now, let’s do a better job of putting into context the three elements of “ability,” “opportunity” and “jeopardy,” as used to justify using deadly force in self defense.

Ability

Ability means that the attacker possessed a weapon capable of causing death or grievous bodily harm. The object in question could be a make-shift weapon, like a beer bottle, a baseball bat, pool cue or even folding chair, if used to inflict a blow. Generally speaking, charges brought against someone for defending themselves or another innocent person rarely center on whether or not the attacker possessed the ability to cause death or serious injury, with a couple of glaring exceptions.

The first exception is when the attacker you shoot does not have a weapon or an object capable of being used to inflict serious bodily injury, but you thought he did. For example, in my home state of Washington a few years ago, a police friend of mine shot and killed an assailant who was armed with a couple of spoons. That’s right: spoons. The prosecutor did not press charges against my friend because under the circumstances of the shooting he reasonably believed the spoons were a knife. The critical issue is the reasonable perception that the attacker possesses a weapon.

A related exception is found in the furtive movement shooting, in which an individual is shot when he reaches for something that the defender honestly and reasonably believes is a weapon. Under most circumstances, if the perception is found to be a reasonable one, the defender’s response will be ruled justifiable.

The second exception, and the one that lands people in jail time and time again, crops up when the defender uses deadly force against an unarmed attacker, or even to fend off multiple unarmed attackers. This happens with surprising frequency, and more often than not, the defender ends up paying a high price legally. The issue involved is called “disparity of force,” and it is a critical one.

When a legitimate self-defense shooting ends up in court, many times the civil litigation or criminal prosecution hinges on the question of disparity of force. After all, if a prosecutor knows the attacker had a deadly weapon and was in fact attacking, he is likely not going to prosecute the self-defense shooter. But, what happens when the defender is being stomped to death, choked to death, or otherwise believes a deadly force attack is imminent or underway? And, what if that defender shoots one or more of his assailants, but they claim that they were only beating him up, not trying to severely injure or kill him?

Legally speaking, likely it was lawful for the defender to use force in self defense, but in court the claim is made that he or she used excessive force. Under these circumstances, the defendant will need to show the jury, or a judge if the case is heard at a bench trial, that they had a reasonable belief that the attackers possessed the ability to cause death or serious physical injury. For the exact parameters of laws of your local jurisdiction, consult the criminal statutes and the self-defense case law of your own state or consult a local attorney who is knowledgeable about self-defense law.

Opportunity

In addition to showing that the attacker or attackers had the ability to cause your death or inflict serious physical injury, you must also show that they had the opportunity to carry out a deadly force attack. This usually entails showing that they were close enough to use their ability against you.

For example, if the attackers simply have their hands and feet with which to attack, they would have to be very close: close enough to control you and hit and kick–typically within arm’s reach. But does that hold true for what is called a “contact weapon,” a knife, or another object make-shifted as a weapon, like a beer bottle or a baseball bat?

In the 1970s Dennis Tueller, a Salt Lake City police sergeant, did a study comparing how long it took an officer to draw and fire a handgun with how long it took an average person to run at them from a distance of seven yards and inflict a fatal wound. The times for both drawing and firing and running 21 feet averaged out to about 1.5 seconds. In law enforcement training, that meant the officers should draw their weapons much sooner than had been commonly thought when faced with a person armed with a contact weapon. Knowing that a person can close a distance of 15 to 30 feet in one to three seconds should be part of your mindset, too, and before you decide the person possesses the opportunity to use their ability against you, you need to work out how distance and proximity play into the “opportunity” factor, combined with the unique circumstances of the incident.

Jeopardy

If the elements of ability and opportunity are both present in an altercation, you must still convince a judge or jury that it was reasonable for you to believe that your life was in jeopardy. The element of “jeopardy” is also sometimes identified as the element of “intent.” Was the attacker or were the attackers intending to carry out an attack? Was your life in jeopardy?

Usually, this issue comes up in cases of unlawful display of a weapon or “brandishing.” To successfully defend against a charge of brandishing, you will need to give sufficient detail about the actions of the attacker or attackers to show how their behavior would lead a reasonable person to believe that they were preparing to attack.

Footnote:

1           In The Gravest Extreme, by Massad Ayoob, ISBN 978-0936279008

The Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC does not assume any responsibility for the use or misuse of information contained in this series, nor does any of the educational information in this series constitute legal advice. Please understand that the information contained herein is simply one person’s opinion on these matters. It does not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of any person other than the author. The reader is encouraged to pursue additional study of the gun laws of their state with a qualified instructor or a knowledgeable attorney.

USCCA Toon of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

A Battle is Won. The War Goes On.

Gun Rights Roundup

by Buckeye Firearms Association

After way too many years, the day of liberation for Chicago’s law-abiding citizens is finally at hand. In a long-anticipated ruling, the United States Supreme Court struck down the long-standing Chicago ban on firearm possession and returned a fundamental right to the citizens.

Unfortunately, Mayor Daley and his anti-gun cohort are unlikely to simply roll over and give up their plans to keep Chicagoans disarmed. Surely, he will devise an onerous process to license guns owned in the city, and will likely make it nearly impossible for anyone to bring a new gun home.

Most likely, Daley will hold press conferences full of shrill cries that Chicago is about to enter another Al Capone-type era with bullets flying everywhere. The local newspapers and other media will most likely buy into Daley’s ravings because the establishment media loves stories about guns. They know it will drive ratings and circulation, and that the more outlandish the claims by Mayor Daley, the more likely people are to watch and read. But, in the end, his sideshow is just that – a sideshow.

Due to a willingness to win politically at all costs, the early firearms owners in Chicago are likely to end up squarely in Daley’s crosshairs. He is not only likely to make it nearly impossible for a law-abiding citizen to pass whatever licensing scheme the administration conjures, but Daley is sure to force the Chicago Police into using whatever tactics are necessary to prove guns in the hands of the law-abiding equals more mayhem.

The sad fact is Mayor Daley has too much to lose if this script plays out as it did in Washington D.C., where the city’s murder rate dropped to a 40 year-low after their gun ban was overturned. Even if the drop wasn’t caused solely by the ban being overturned, more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizen in Washington D.C certainly didn’t lead to more crime. Even a small drop in gun crime after the Chicago ban is overturned will expose Daley’s anti-gun fraud.

Our excitement over winning, yet again, and the return of a God-given right to the people of Chicago is tempered a bit by the knowledge that there are countless law-abiding victims of the gun ban. Nobody will ever know how many Chicagoans spent their last moments in fear and agony because they lacked the one tool that could have saved their lives. We will also never know how many women were raped, how many families were brutalized or how many people were robbed because Mayor Daley’s polices disarmed them.

To that end, we now need to turn our attention to not only returning the right to bear arms to Chicagoans in their homes, but also giving them back the right to legally carry a gun in a far more dangerous setting – Chicago’s city streets.

Click here to read the full article.

Gun Rights Roundup is a joint venture of Buckeye Firearms Association and USCCA. We will keep fighting until every American enjoys their natural right to carry and self-defense. For more news on pro-gun law, politics, and events, click here to subscribe to Buckeye Firearms Association’s FREE Newsletter.

Coming Up On Armed American Radio

The Official Voice of the USCCA

by Mark Walters

This week’s featured guests:

Alan Gura, lead attorney for McDonald v Chicago joins me this week among others. We will be discussing guns and gear, current events and the dumbest Boneheads of the week…Yes the anti-gunners say some pretty stupid stuff, don’t they!

Don’t forget to join Armed American Radio on FACEBOOK to keep up with all of the latest, up to the minute information as we talk about freedom. Also, please visit me at http://www.armedamericanradio.org for all of the latest affiliate stations around the nation carrying the broadcast and information on where to listen to the show LIVE every Sunday. For a copy of my book, co-written with Ms. Kathy Jackson, please visit www.lessonsfromarmedamerica.com 

I’ll see YOU on the radio THIS Sunday from 8-11pm ET, 5-8pm PT 

Mark

Quote of the Week

“There are hundreds of millions of gun owners in this country, and not one of them will have an accident today. The only misuse of guns comes in environments where there are drugs, alcohol, bad parents, and undisciplined children. Period.”

—Ted Nugent

USCCA Member-Only Video Tip

Here’s this week’s premium video tip; presented for the continued advancement of the armed citizenry and the preservation of our liberty! Use it well…

Cr Williams:

Other Hand Access I

It’s not always going to be like it is on the range, and you’re not always going to have everything you’re used to to fight with, including your normal shooting hand. In Part One, we begin an examination of ways you can access the handgun when you don’t have the hand you’re used to drawing it with…handy. Part 1 of 2

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

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Maverick Instructor?

When I seek advanced training I look for instruction in the widely accepted and proven methods. Virtually all of the big name instructors and big name schools teach these same widely accepted and proven methods with some variation. Examples of some of these include front sight press, point shooting, sight shooting, etc…. when these methods are combined with the various different "stances" & different ways to hold a firearm, you eventually get a good understanding of the different schools of thought. Basically you can choose what works best for you, and then practice your proficiency.

And then there is this one instructor who basically dismisses everyone else, and teaches his own "magic bullet" method. He claims that you don’t need practice, and his system is the best. He is the only instructor, that I have found, teaching this method and we have tangled several times over the efficacy of throwing out all the knowledge that is taught by everyone else.

What are some of your opinions regarding advanced training techniques?

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Instructing Those That Learned Wrong Stuff

A recent development in another thread got me to thinking about instruction. A challenge that I have encountered is dealing with those students that come to you with bad habits already established. This could be anything from grip, to stance, to flinching, to you-name-it.

What are some of the things you may have encountered as an instructor, and what technique/drill/method did you use to get past that previously learned incorrect behavior?

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FN Five seveN - Why?

Earlier this month, I had too much time on my hands, and there was an article in a magazine I had about the FN Five seveN. I read the article, and it left me wondering why they even bothered marketing this gun to us civilians.

The round and weapon was developed for military and police forces (mainly for counter-terrorism applications,) for its ability to penetrate body armor, due to the fact that it essentially fires a shortened rifle round (5.7×28mm - .224 caliber,) using rifle projectiles, rather than what we’re used to seeing in pistols. However, the armor penetrating rounds aren’t (and won’t be) available to us cake-eating civilians (although I guess if you make your own ammo, you could probably work around this.)

The question I’m left with is this: What possible use would your average shooter have for this weapon, aside from having an oddity in your collection? I can see a niche market for those who do long-range pistol shooting competitions, but beyond that - why? If I wanted a "souped up .22," I’d rather just buy a .22 magnum, and I could shoot a heckuva lot cheaper.

P.S. (Wikipedia article on Five seveN HERE)

Video of the Week

LLumar Window Film Smash & Grab Lab Test

Wow! Who wouldn’t want some of this installed on their vehicle if it really works this good? No, they aren’t paying us to show this. We just thought this product might deserve some more investigating to see if it is all they say it is. Have a look.

Click Here to Watch Video

USCCA Photo of the Week

All Photos of the Week are taken from Mr. Oleg Volk’s
website:
http://www.a-human-right.com/.

It is a fantastic site. Please check it out!

USCCA Self Defense Story

Every day, thousands of Armed Americans use their firearms to preserve human life. Let this section of my newsletter serve as a record of this fact!

July 5, 2010

Houston, Texas

From: KHOU

Intoxicated Man Shot After Attempting to Enter Wrong Home

Precinct 4 deputies said an intoxicated man was shot early Monday after he attempted to force his way into the wrong home.

It happened in the 25500 block of Twister Trail at Falcon Trail in northeast Harris County.

Deputies said a man mistakenly went to the wrong house around midnight and began banging on the front door. The homeowner told the man to leave, but the man refused, saying it was his girlfriend’s house.

The man then went to the back door and tried to force entry, according to deputies. That is when the homeowner retrieved his gun and shot once through the door, hitting the man in the stomach.

The man was taken to Ben Taub hospital in stable condition.

USCCA Q&A

Last Week’s Question: ANSWERED.

Ok, I have made the decision to carry and went and got the Utah state concealed permit. My Wife and I both got the permit and I vowed to carry as much as I can. My wife seen me putting my pistol in my iwb holster and she said “I don’t want you to carry a gun in town” I calmly explained to her in town is the place I would need it the most to defend you and the family. She said I don’t mind you carry it in the truck, but not on your person. This is a very touchy subject…How do I make her understand how important it is to carry ALL the time, not just when she’s comfortable. I’m at a loss on what to do from here. I absolutely believe it’s important to carry all times possible. Has anyone out there had this experience?

Anonymous:

To the man whose wife doesn’t want him to carry in town: It sounds as if your wife is in fear of something specific. She can’t fear the gun because at times, like in your truck she is fine with it! Is she afraid it will go off with people around? Someone might see it? Women are sometimes very attuned to “what people think”. Find out what her fear is and start there. It may be something simple that further education will fix.

Anonymous:

For the guy with the nervous wife. I asked a female friend of mine for her vision on this and this is what she thought. “Hi Kent - I personally believe in conceal carry. I would rather have a concealed weapon then one out in the open. On changing her mind - well, this is how I view it. If I had the opportunity to carry my firearm (which I think should be allowed in all states!) and I had not done so, and something happened to one of my loved ones I would never forgive myself, in thinking I might have been able to help. She might also want to think…. If something happened to her husband, how would she feel, if the gun was in the truck, and he died because he did not have the chance to actually protect himself. I know with my husband his G23 is like an appendage, but I also know that he will use great judgment when it comes to defending himself and others. I myself carry the Taurus 24/7 (looking for something smaller)… but when I have my children out and about, I would hope that if something ever was to happen, that I would be able to help protect them. I think he needs to rationally lay out for his wife why he wants to carry a firearm. I also, believe that she has some safety issues she is fearful of, so he would need to address them with her. Many woman who do not shoot have a genuine fear of guns, so maybe getting her to shoot would also help. I hope this helps in some way.”

Anonymous.:

Here is quick story to share with your Wife. I recently attended a Level II pistol class at RangeMaster in Memphis and learned the following: In the past 14 years between 2500 to 3000 students have trained there every year. Over the years Tom Givens, the owner has received letters and reports from 54 former students (11 women) who trained there and were involved in violent confrontations that involved firing their guns to defend themselves. All 54 prevailed and none were hurt or killed. There were two fatalities however. Two former students were killed by their attackers….they had left their guns at home.

Tom, Oklahoma :

Understanding and accepting the responsibility associated with carrying concealed can be daunting to some people, but I would remind your wife that if you leave your gun in your vehicle when you are in town, and need it to protect your family or yourself, you may have no chance to retrieve your gun…In other words, why do you have a concealed carry license, if you don’t CARRY your weapon every time you go anywhere?? Finally, I would encourage you to understand your wife’s attitude …perhaps she really doesn’t want to accept the possibility that you might be placed in a situation requiring the use of lethal force…My wife doesn’t expect that to happen either, but she is confident I am prepared to do what is necessary to deal with a deadly threat. Keep talking…

Anonymous:

I would have her read the stories, posted in this forum and in most of the gun magazines, that tell stories of innocent, law abiding citizens who have used their weapons in self defense. This may help her to see that you may be called on to protect yourself and family at any time and any place.

Anonymous:

Does the gun-shy wife believe in fire extinguishers? Homeowner’s insurance? Life insurance? Health insurance? Does she believe in the old adage; "Fortune favors the well-prepared"? Does she know that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away? Remember, a fire extinguisher, a hammer, a broom-handle, baseball bat, golf club, I could go on and on….Are all deadly weapons in the hands of a sociopath or nut-job. You only carry to protect yourself, your family or others who are threatened with imminent death or serious physical harm. Tell the wife (I’m sure she already knows) to fear the bad guys, not the good guys.

Anonymous:

I’ve read on this forum that there will only be two places you will be attacked. At home, and away from home. It was also stated by another that IF anything were to happen that requires you to face a prosecutor, If asked when do you carry and you state only sometime, then they can pose the argument that you were looking for trouble on THAT day. But if you state that you ALWAYS carry, then where is the argument? You will never know when or where. Just be ready.

This week’s question. Have an answer? Use the “Ask Tim” form below to give an answer- I’ll share them here next week!

I am new to the CCW world. I’m living in central Florida I have been retired for many years and am looking for my first weapon, probably a 9mm. I’m in casual dress most of the time which limits the selection . Any help/suggestions would be appreciated. I will seek professional instruction once my choice has been made. Thanks

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