Blogger Shoot Part Deux

What a weekend. I Got to participate in the LuckyGunner.com Blogger Shoot in Lenoir City, Tennessee. Here are my thoughts and impressions from the weekend:

FRIDAY

The drive to Tennessee, and an informal pizza dinner with the whole crew. I thought I would be fashionably late. This means I was the last one there and had to squeeze into the table with Jake from LuckyGunner, and Great Satan. Well, not the Prince of Darkness himself, but the couple who run the blog of the same name. But it was okay - Reverend Kenn Blanchard was there, too.

After dinner, I chatted with the LuckyGunner staff, including Angela Degloma, who put together the whole weekend for us. A big shout out of thanks to Angela!

SATURDAY

Breakfast, rules, and a caravan to a gun nut's dream - all the ammo I could shoot, courtesy of Magtech, Sellior & Bellot, and other ammo suppliers. And if I wanted to shoot ammo for guns I didn't own - say for a MG-42 - that was okay.

I love to make lists, and here is the list of what I shot Saturday:

My guns:
Glock 17 (Bruce)
Glock 21 (The Duke)
SKS (Sergei)
Mosin Nagant (Vasilliy)
The borrowed AR

Other People's Guns:

MG-42
MP-40
AK-47
M-4
M1 Garrand
M1 carbine
Someone else's Mosin Nagant

The atmosphere was incredible. In front of us was 300 yards of reactive targets, everything from bowling pins to empty gas bottles to cars and school buses. Where I was located, under a camo field net, we stood shoulder to shoulder, and I found out that it would have been awfully annoying in the Revolution or War Between the States to have stood like this and shot AR's. My back was constantly pelted by hot spent brass from my neighbors. Did I mind? Not until one got down my collar and laid a nice burn on my back.

To my left about 30 yards away were a pair of Civil War era cannons, crewed by a battery of appropriately dressed soldiers. To my right, 75 yards away, was a German howitzer. I never really got used to the shock wave moving through the line when these artillery would go off.

The howitzer had at the school bus a while, till the cease-fire horn sounded, and out came a Sherman tank and a deuce-and-a-half sporting all sorts of belt fed weapons. They lit into the bus. It was no contest.

Shortly before lunch, the Knox County SWAT team circled the field in their helicopter, and landed. I tweeted at the time "Oh, crap, someone called the SWAT team. No, wait. They're here for lunch."

I found out a few things on Saturday:

* I can put a lot of lead down range when I want to. Full auto makes it worse. Or better.

* My guns are very reliable. I shot more rounds through my SKS and Mosin Nagant in one day than I probably have, total, up until then, with absolutely no failures of any kind. The only problems I had involved the polymer SKS magazines - the feed lips tended to spread too wide for me to be able to feed a new magazine quickly. I think I'm going to look for metal US made magazines.

* The stock on my SKS had some mold marks on it right where it meets my thumb. This was no big deal if I was shooting 60 rounds, but when I shot 360 rounds, it dug a neat furrow in my thumb knuckle. A little Dremel work on the stock when I got home fixed that.

* My gun cart worked exactly as designed. I love it.

SATURDAY NIGHT

That night was the Blogger Shoot Banquet and the presentation of the Gunnie Awards. I got to sit with M.J. Mollenhour, author of the terrorist thriller Arcturus, as well as with bloggers Robert of My Tumultuous Adventure, Sebastian from Snowflakes in Hell, SaysUncle, and WizardPC from Walls of the City. Sebastian won the Gunnie for Best Blog, Political. The rest of the winners can be found here.

I also got to meet a lot of good people, regular people, who love guns, love blogging about guns, and love their freedom.

SUNDAY

Most of my day Sunday was spent in a defensive pistol training class with Tom Givens of Rangemaster, from Memphis. Tom's teaching style is at once informal and easy to understand, while also being no-nonsense, with a very low tolerance for bull. He delivered a lot of real-world information gathered from over 30 years of Law Enforcement and LE training.

Not knowing the level of the 30 or so students, Tom began with the basics, the Four Rules of Gun Safety. He then took us through the rationale for carrying a gun in the first place - because you might run into somebody who need to be shot. Yessir, nothing politically correct here. And that's as it should be.

We then moved through the steps of an efficient presentation, to aiming, to smooth trigger press and delivery of the shot, to follow up. This was by far the part of the class I got the most out of. Follow through means consciously following the sights of the gun back on to the target, and releasing the trigger only back to the reset, in anticipation that this person will need to be shot again. As Tom said, for X shots, there are X plus 1 sight pictures required.

When we got into the actual shooting, it took me a few shots to take this follow up concept to heart, but once I did, it made a big difference in how fast I was able to deliver multiple shots. By the end of the class we were delivering shots at quarter second intervals - 4 per second - all in the A circle of an IDPA target from 7 yards. In the end of the class, my target was one ragged hole.

I found out a few things on Sunday:

* These really good gun bloggers haven't just spent their time looking at guns - they've been shooting, and shooting well. Sebastian and SaysUncle, in particular, shot very well in our training class.

* I can shoot my .45ACP Glock 21SF very well, better than I thought I could. My idea in shooting the .45 in class was kind've like using a batting donut - the heavy .45 would make my 9mm seem light and easy. Well, I found I like the .45. It makes me pay attention, and shoot with determination. I'm going to carry it whenever I can.

* Eastern Tennessee has some damn fine barbecue. Then again, Memphis has always been my bellwether, and this is the same state.

I spent the rest of Sunday shooting Other People's Guns, till the cease fire horn sounded one final time. The 2011 Blogger Shoot was over, and I was already looking forward to next year.

Blogger Shoot Impressions

The LuckyGunner.com Blogger Shoot is history, and I'm back home. I wanted to get some first impressions out, and I plan to follow up Monday evening with a more thorough report.

The car is unloaded, and the guns are locked in the safe, awaiting a mammoth cleaning tomorrow, although I had to at least brush out my Glock 17, in preparation for the Memorial Day Steel Challenge match tomorrow. Then there was the task of uploading video and photos, which I will share in coming days.

One big impression I have is that I learned a heck of a lot about my own guns, and about guns I had heard of but never shot. And, I got to meet a lot of really great gun people, people whose blogs I read and whose podcasts I listen to, and in whose company I am proud to be counted.

Thank you to all the Lucky Gunner people - you were awesome. Thank you to my fellow gun bloggers and podcasters, military re-enactors, and those folks who brought all the neat full auto hardware.

More to follow . . .

Lucky Gunner Blogger Shoot Day 1

It's lunch time at the LuckyGunner.com Blogger Shoot, here outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. This is being held at the same time as Bullet Fest 2011, and in addition to about 60 gun bloggers and podcasters, ther are World War II re-enactors, Civil War re-enactors, and a whole bunch of other shooters, whole families who've come out to enjoy the day.

Obviously, the highlight of the day is all the free ammo I can shoot. And it's better than that - Ammo Girls. They bring a menu by, and I pick what I want, and in a few minutes, it's delivered.

So far I've shot my Glock 17, Glock 21, SKS, and Mosin Nagant, and the AR-15 i borrowed to bring. I've also shot an M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, and a Mauser. In my sights are a bunch of other guns, including a full auto Glock 18.

Lunch included a really nice ceremony honoring current and past military personnel, including two who are here with the Wounded Warrior project.

Tonight I hope to upload some video and photos, if I can get a connection.

Thanks again to the great people at LuckyGunner.com for their hospitality and free ammo!

Memorial Day Gun Matches at Creekside Firing Range

As just about everyone knows, Monday, May 30, is observed as Memorial Day here in the United States. It is a solemn day to remember those who fought and died to give us the freedoms we enjoy.

In that vein, on Saturday and Monday my friends at Creekside Firing Range near Cartersville, GA, will be hosting several gun matches, with the proceeds going to support a family of a fallen warrior.

I will be shooting the Steel Challenge match and live tweeting it. Depending on how my weekend goes with the AR I borrowed from my buddy, I may shoot the Tactical Rifle Match as well.

If you live in the area and have the morning free, please come out and enjoy the freedom that our fallen warriors died for. I'll be he one wearing the Blogger Shoot tee shirt, so please say hello.

Off to Knoxville

I spent yesterday running a ton of errands that I would have done this weekend, if I were around. That's because I spent the rest of the day packing and getting ready for the LuckyGunner.com Blogger Shoot in Knoxville.

I am very excited to be going, since this is my first such event, and my fist event as a gun blogger. There should be power and WiFi, so I plan to live blog the event here and on Twitter as much as I can. I will also try to upload pictures and video, but that will depend on what I can get our netbook to do conectivity-wise. In any case, Monday you can expect plenty, as I will be back at home.

Gun Law Myths

I want to say I am constantly surprised by the inaccurate information that a lot of people have about gun laws, gun ownership, and guns in general. The truth is, I stopped being surprised about it years ago. Now, I just fight the urge to make a smart-ass comment, in favor of a calm five minutes of education.

Case in point. I recently found out that a family member owns an interesting pistol that he inherited from his father, and I offered to check it out, clean it, and take him to the range so we could shoot it.

"Oh, no, we can't do that, it isn't registered."

So, I took a few minutes to educate about gun registration. Only six states require registration of firearms, and Georgia isn't one of them.

"Well, what about when you buy a new gun, don't they register it then?"

No, when you buy a new gun from a licensed dealer, you are required to fill out a BATFE form 4473 and have your background checked. But the gun isn't being registered.

"Okay. But I can't go shoot it, I don't have a license."

In Georgia, no license is required to shoot a gun, or to own a gun. As long as you are not going to carry it concealed and loaded, you are fine. You can even carry it concealed in your home or business, without a license, provided you would be allowed to get a license under the law, if you chose to apply. Since my family member is over 21, not a felon, or otherwise prohibited from owning a gun or getting a Georgia Weapons License,then he's okay.

You would think this misinformation would be limited to novice gun owners. But that's not so. I'm borrowing an AR-15 to take to the Blogger Shoot this weekend, and the owner told me I needed to be careful with it in public, since it had never been registered since he bought it years ago. I asked him what he meant, and it was clear he thought Georgia had registration, too.

Plus, he said, no background check had been run when he bought it. Very hush hush, he thought, out of the back of a guy's trunk.

Turns out he bought it from an individual seller, not a dealer. No problem under the law, since he, too, is legally allowed to buy and own a gun. And individual sellers are not required to conduct any background checks.

Of course, the onus is still on the seller to know the buyer is legal. Did he give him a bill of sale? Yes. Did he copy down your Drivers License number? Yes. Smart fellow.

One of my goals with this blog is to stamp out misinformation and myth. But it's also something I do every day.



For more information, check out your state firearms rights group for the laws in your area. A great source in Georgia is GeorgiaCarry.org, whose Gun Law FAQ is here.

Packing for the Lucky Gunner Blogger Shoot

The good folks at LuckyGunner.com have arranged quite an event this weekend, and I've been invited. A bunch of us gun bloggers will be traveling to Knoxville, TN and shooting all kinds of full auto hardware, and I will be getting a day of training from RangeMaster.

Apparently there will be very large bore stuff involved, too, since the equipment list they sent me includes a recommendation of ear plugs and ear muffs, "because tanks are loud." Indeed.

With the Memorial Day weekend coming the family decided they would like a weekend by the pool, which makes sense, since I would have to pay for gas and motel any way. It will be a nice time for all, I'm sure.

I also arranged through a co-worker to bring an AR as a companion to Sergei my SKS. Then he described to me some FTE's he gets once it heats up. Sounds like a nice diagnosing job for the experts, and this weekend I may be in the best place in the country to find one.

So, apart from getting the gun cart finished, I need to make sure all my gear is clean and packed. This will be fun, for sure. Look for frequent updates this weekend via this blog, and via Twitter.

Gun Cart on the Cheap

Ah, when things were simple. Time was, I only had one pistol, and I could pull right up to the gate at the range, unload one bag with my gun, ammo, holster, and saunter my young knees over to the bench. Then, after shooting, reverse the procedure.

Now, things have gotten worse. I have more pistols, rifles, and a shotgun, and the walk from the parking area to my favorite range's shooting area is 50 yards at best. Or, if I'm taking the whole brood to the WMA (cheaper, you know) that's a 100 yard trek with lawn chairs and ammo boxes and zombie targets and clay pigeons.

I never paid much attention to the shooters at matches who pushed or pulled carts, preferring to convince myself that I was still young enough to schlepp all that gear. Besides, why spend money on something like that?

Then one day I was at the local thrift store dropping off a couch, and I stuck my head in to see if they had any good $3 Hawaiian shirts, and there it was, right up front. An all-terrain baby stroller, with a $6 price tag. My mechanical mind had it stripped and rebuilt into a gun cart in seconds. In minutes, it was in the back of my truck.

And without further fanfare, here it is:

Here it is loaded:

I removed all the baby-carrying apparatus, but left the bottom diaper sled. This fits my shooting bag, pistol bag, and an ammo box, perfectly. Across the top, I mounted a simple 1 x 2 held in place by 1/4" x 6" carriage bolts, and covered with foam pipe insulation. This holds the long guns, plus my holster and a camping chair.

Up front, the barrels of the long guns rest in a steel mortar pan, bolted to the foot rest, and lined with more pipe insulation. The long guns are held in place by bungee cords. This pan screams to be covered with gun stickers.

Simple, elegant, cheap. $16 total.

After completion I loaded it up and pushed it through my yard to test it. Nothing tipped over, nothing came loose. If it does, I can modify it in the future just as cheaply.

Where the Magic Happens

DoubleAught over at the RomeoTangoBravo blog opened the doors to his inner sanctum Saturday and showed us where he works his blogging magic. He asked me to do the same, so here it is.

My office a like a mullet haircut - business in the front and party in the back. Working from the door to my office you see my Wall of Public Fame - diploma, certifications, memberships, photos of my clients, mission statements, sales strategy. I even have a framed final exam from an organic chemistry class in college that I aced.

Then comes my desk, with the usual - computer, phone, clock, pens, calculator, lava lamps.

Working farther in, I have a Glock calendar and a photo of me with the Gunny, R. Lee Ermey. I also have the only shooting match trophy I've ever received, a wooden 1911 pistol with a shooting figure on it. Next to it is a still from the FX series Justified, that shows Raylan Givens in his office, with a wooden pistol trophy on the wall behind him. Coincidence? I think not.

Behind me is a dry erase board and a credenza with files. And a putter and putting cup. And zombie posters behind the door. Just in case.

Okay, so business and party sometimes get mixed together.

So there we have it. My inspirational hive. Enter at your own risk.

Rule 1: Always Shoot Zombies Through the Head

That is my number one Movie Rule of Thumb. (See the sidebar for a link to all of them.)

We make movies about it. We write books about it. We make TV shows about it. Even the CDC gets involved in it.

But it turns out there is a group of action shooting competitors in North Carolina and Virginia who have been practicing for it. Check out the Zombie Shooters Association of America at http://zombieshootersassociation.com/.

This group runs pistol matches and multi-gun matches against three types of targets: Zombies, Infected (bitten but not undead), and Meals (uninfected). The concept is so perfect that when I described the targets to my 14 year old son, he was able to tell me, pretty close, the rules of the game, never having seen the web site or the videos.

From the website:

1) Zombies are standard targets and need 1 head shot to kill.

2) Infected targets are also standard and need minimum of 3 body hits, at least 2 must be “Good” (“C” or better, or “Down 1″ or better) to score a kill.

3) STILL WALKIN’ (SW) is a failure on Zombie and incurs 5 second penalty.

4) CREATED A WALKER (CAW) is failure on an Infected and incurs 10 second penalty.

5) WRECKED A MEAL (WAM) is hit on living target (white) and incurs a 10 second penalty no matter how many times it is hit, each WAM target can earn penalty if hit.

There are also innovative procedural penalties such as sticking any part of your body through a port (after all, you could get bitten and become Infected yourself).

Check out the website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook. And, if you’re in the northern NC / Southern VA area, take a look. Personally, I would love it if other clubs closer to home would take up the cause.

In any case, as with a real zombie outbreak, it’s probably only a matter of time before it spreads everywhere!

Be Prepared, Part 4 - The Zombie Apocalypse

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is always looking for ways to get people to think about worst case scenarios, and take plans for their family's safety. Yesterday, in a much publicized campaign, they issued a post describing how to prepare for the coming Zombie Apocalypse.

Their contention, which I share, is if you're ready for zombies, you're ready for anything. I thought the post was well done, and it drives home the need for a personal and family emergency plan. They even explore the various kinds of zombies - undead, infected, rage virus, and so on. Of course, they end with the conclusion that you need to have a plan and provisions.

My only beef is that the post totally ignores the obvious advice of what weapons would be best to combat the undead horde. So, where do we turn for that kind of practical advice?

Fortunately, there is another group who has had the same goal for a lot longer - the Zombie Squad. They started in 2008 as a zombie fan site, and found that they kinds of things their members talked about in the forums to fend off the zeds, worked just as well for emergencies that were less civilization-ending, such as hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes.

The Zombie Squad Forum makes for very interesting and thorough reading on the topic of surviving just about any level of emergency. The sections on survival equipment - including weapons - is especially useful. I recommend you take a look, spend some time there, and heed the advice that fits your situation.

Then, make your plans and get your provisions ready. No matter what your motivation, none of it works without action.

Sixteen and One

Photo by Julie Golob, courtesy of USPSA

As long as they had been having them, Rob Leatham had won the US Single Stack Nationals. Founded in 1994 as a way to keep the spirit of the classic, single stack 1911 pistol alive in competition, Leatham won the first 16 matches they held.

Then came last Saturday, as Dave Sevigny bested Rob and over 350 other top shooters, in Barry, Iliinois. You can read a complete report of the match here.

One of the nice things about pistol competition is that the sport is very accessible. I have had a chance to meet and talk with a lot of the major champions in the sport, including Dave. He is a regular at GSSF's Annual Shoot at the South River Gun Club in Conyers, Georgia, every September, and I've spoken with him quite a few times, and shot quite a lot of video of him, Randi Rogers, and former team member Jessie Abbate, as they demonstrated their skills. (Should I scan and post my autographed photos?)

When I first read about it on Twitter, my first thought was "Wow, Dave won." Then "A Glock won." Then "Wait. Glock doesn't make a 1911 . . ."

In fact, Sevigny has won almost all of his national championships using a Glock. But this time his gun was different. As he says on his Facebook page,

The pistol is a custom Springfield 1911-A1, .45 ACP. Square trigger guard w light-rail dustcover, short/flat trigger, ambi-safety, Schuemann barrel, TGO Tech Well, Mil-Tac G10 diamond grips, Warren Tactical Series-Sevigny Competition sight, over size mag release and Ion Bond DLC finish.

Nice rig.

I haven't gotten to meet Rob Leatham, but I want to. After all, he may have lost this one, but he's far from done. If anything, this just proves he's human.

What's the Best Gun for Self-Defense? Part 2

Today I was talking with a colleague at work, and he mentioned he was planning to buy his wife a gun for self defense. I waited for him to ask my opinion, but he didn't, so I asked what kind of gun he was planning to buy.

"Oh, a .22, of course." He then went on the explain that it was perfect for his wife - lightweight, low recoil, inexpensive to buy and to practice, and deadly.

"After all, there was that woman in Duluth last week who used one to kill that home invader."

He was referring to this story, which I wrote about last week. It's probably been the most talked about shooting topic for me with non-shooters, in the past week.

What I wanted to say was, "Okay, that worked for her, because it was the one she had at the time, but it's not the one I would pick, if I could pick ahead of time, which is what we're doing." But I didn't.

Instead, we talked about the best way to make a .22 a viable self defense weapon. Whoever uses it has to be able to deliver a lot of shots to vulnerable areas of the attacker's body. We're probably talking about 8 or 10 shots to center of mass. Or being willing to make head shots.

I left him with the task of finding out if his wife was willing to do what it took to make a .22 work. Could she make head shots, or would she be able to hold her ground and make multiple shots to other areas, like the pelvic area?

Thanks to a woman who did what she had to do, I've changed the way I see self defense handguns. Would I pick a .22 for myself as a self defense gun? Probably not. But, if I'm ever in a situation where my Buck Mark is the only gun I have to use, at least I know what to do. And, more importantly, I know it can be done.

Glock Torture Test

Last weekend, Double Aught over at RomeoTangoBravo put 1000 rounds of .40 S&W through a Glock 23 with no lasting effects, unless you count scars.

I love torture tests, especially ones like this that are not beholden to anyone to report favorable results. Check this one out here.

2011 Gunnie Awards

LuckyGunner.com is sponsoring the 2011 Gunnie Awards, to recognize the best gun blogs, podcasts, and websites.

While I am not nominated for any award, you may want to go their website and vote for your favorites.

2011 Gunnie Awards

I will be at the awards ceremony Memorial Day weekend, and I look forward to meeting my favorites in person.




Disclosure: I will be attending the LuckyGunner.com Memorial Day Blogger Shoot in Knoxville, TN, but nobody has asked me to advertise for them.

Oh No, Not Another Tombstone Discussion

Why am I drawn to the movie Tombstone?

Tombstone is the story of larger than life people. The two main characters, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, are heroes, full of courage, strong of soul. Yet, they are fully human, not classic movie heroes at all. They have faults, fears, misgivings, and their actions aren't always heroic.

For instance, in his first scene in the movie, Doc Holliday gets in a fight over a card game (in which he may or may not have been cheating), stabs a man, and robs the casino on his way out, skipping town and leaving his belongings in the room lest his enemies ambush him there.

The movie’s greatest hero, Wyatt Earp, has his light side and dark side. When Curly Bill Brocius shoots Marshall Fred White in a drunken stupor, Earp makes it a point to capture Brocius alive and protect him from a lynch mob. Yet, later after the Cowboys ambush Wyatt’s brothers, he shoots Frank Stillwell in the back with a shotgun.

And, as in real life, allegiances can change. Sherman McMasters, Texas Jack Vermillion, and "Turkey Creek" Jack Johnson are all Cowboys in the beginning of the movie, but they side with Earp and Holliday in the end. And Sheriff Behan deputizes Curly Bill and other Cowboys later, as they go after Earp’s bunch.

Probably the thing that draws me most to Tombstone, is the well written dialog. The movie is full of memorable lines, made better by strong performances by Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday and Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp.

One excellent example is Wyatt Earp’s first encounter with Billy Bob Thornton as Johnny Tyler, the Faro dealer.

TYLER: For a man that don't go heeled, you run your mouth kinda reckless.

WYATT: Don't need to go heeled to get the bulge on a dub like you.

TYLER: That a fact?

WYATT: Yeah. It's a fact.

TYLER: Well I'm real scared.

WYATT: Damn right you're scared. I can see it in your eyes. . . . Go ahead. Skin it. Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens.

TYLER: Listen Mister, I'm getting' tired -

WYATT: I'm getting tired of your gas. Jerk that pistol and go to work. . . . I said throw down, boy. You gonna do something or just stand there and bleed? No, I didn't think so.

Yes, there is the famous gunfight at the OK Corral, and it is given a fair accounting, from what I've read. But rather than focus on this one fight, the movie is mostly the story of the aftermath - the Clantons' retaliation against Virgil and Morgan Earp, and Wyatt's vendetta against the Cowboys.

Then there is the feel of the movie, the visual. I love the scenes in the wild west, the open spaces. I lived in the panhandle of Texas for a while, and it reminds me of the land there, the land of the Lonesome Dove cattle drive, the land of Red River. It reminds me of rugged individualism, of men who are their own masters.

Are there things wrong with the movie? Yes, of course. But, I will leave that discussion for another time.

And, perhaps thankfully for my Twitter followers, that discussion will stay off line.

Movies as a Teaching Tool

Last night we were discussing our favorite movies, and the reasons why they were our favorites. This led me, as a recovering engineer, to look for a way to at least qualify, if not quantify, what makes a movie my favorite.

I thought about ways to classify my favorite movies. One way was whether I owned it on DVD. The problem here is that I own a lot of movies I don't necessarily like a whole lot, and there are a lot of movies I love that I don't own. (Take note, Hollywood.)

After some thought, I arrived at three categories of movies that define my favorites.

Class 1 - any time this movie is on TV, and I come across it, I stop looking for something to watch, and I put down the remote. It doesn't matter much if I've seen it recently, or if I come in half way through.

Class 2 - if see this movie is going to be shown on TV, I will watch it from the beginning, provided I haven't seen it in a few days at least.

Class 3 - I want to watch these movies at least once a year, from the beginning.

I will list my favorites in another post, soon.

So, you ask, why is this in a gun blog?

Because there is a fourth class.

Class 4 - these are movies I find are worth watching for their portrayal of firearms or firearms owners.

I use Class 4 movies as teaching tools as well. Well, let's be honest - I criticize a lot of movie gun handling, and turn that into "you kids don't do that!" If the gun handling is good, I point it out, too, but positive examples are not as common as negative ones.

Just like using the movies to teach us about anything else, learning gun safety or gun handling from them requires someone who knows what they're doing, because there are a lot of bad habits to be learned if you're not careful.

So, here are my Class 4 movies, in alphabetical order:

3:10 to Yuma (2007)
Bonnie and Clyde
Buckaroo Banzai and His Adventures Across the 8th Dimension
Die Hard
Full Metal Jacket
Heat
Last Man Standing
Miller's Crossing
Pulp Fiction
Saving Private Ryan
The Big Red One
The Longest Day
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Shootist
Tombstone

The discussion on each one is different. For instance, 3:10 to Yuma is on the list because of the varied types of guns used, from 1871 Single Action Army revolvers, to break top Schofields. Buckaroo Banzai is on there because it turns out that just about every character in the movie is carrying concealed.

Over time I figure I'll talk about my favorite movies, and you're welcome to comment or email me. If you follow me on Twitter (@FillYerHands) then you already know my favorite movie on the list. In fact, you may have already unfollowed me because you're tired of reading the dialog every time it comes on, since it's also a Class 1.

If so, well, bye.

Really, I Don't Have a Holster Problem

A few weeks ago I was rearranging the closet, and I decided to lay out my collection for a photo. My wife came in and counted them. Thirteen holsters. She said, “13 holsters for 4 guns. Looks like someone has a Holster Problem.”

I tried to put on my best “how many purses do you own?” face, and explained my collection.

Because of its unique shape and size, the Buck Mark has a dedicated holster, a nylon belt holster that I had to modify to hold the red dot scope.

My Glock 17 and Glock 19 can share holsters, and for them I own a Glock factory polymer holster, a leather belt holster, a leather IWB holster, and two Kydex paddle holsters, one black and one painted tan. I also have an ankle holster that both will fit, but honestly, I would only carry the G19 in it.

My Glock 21 has a dedicated leather belt holster and a Kydex paddle holster.

All three Glocks can also share a thin leather IWB holster that I keep in the car, and a flap holster I use for open carry when I’m camping or hiking. (Is that a can of worms I smell?) They can also share a cheap shoulder holster I admit I have never used, and a holster with hook and loop on it, that I use inside fanny packs.

I suppose I should include the nylon belt holster that I got for the G17 when I first bought it. My son uses it for his Airsoft pistols, but we still have it.

Finally, I have a Bladetech double offset drop holster that I use for competition. I use it for the G17, but it fits the G19 right now, and the G21 with some adjustment. I also have a Kydex belt holster that I can use for IDPA.

So, there we are: 17 holsters for 4 guns, an average of about 4 each. Each has its purpose, its history, and a valid argument for owning it. No problem.

My wife shook her head and left. The day was mine.




Now, I’ve heard a lot of good things about these new IWB holsters . . . .

What's the Best Gun for Self Defense?

The one you have.

A woman in Gwinnett County, Georgia, used a .22 caliber pistol early this morning to kill a home invader who was armed with a knife. You can read the story here.

The keys to this woman's survival: a combination of commitment to the fight, and multiple shots. Whatever caliber you use, or even if you don't use a gun, you have to go into the fight with abandon. Give it your all. And don't stop until the threat is stopped.

No, a .22 would not be my first choice for self defense. But the next time someone insists it can't be used, show them this story.

Michael Bane had an excellent podcast a few weeks ago on the topic of the .22 as a self defense gun, and making the best of whatever gun you have. He explains it much better than I can. Give a listen.

Open Carry - Does it Help or Hurt?

I just read another posting on an online forum from someone who was openly carrying his pistol legally in a large city, and was given a really hard time about it by the police.

I don’t think you should open carry, in most cases. Here’s why.

If the laws where you live allow, it is your right to carry a gun openly at any time. I don’t disagree with that. It’s not about whether you have the right to open carry. If anyone ever tries to take away our right to open carry, I fight it with everything I have.

Instead, to me it’s about what happens when you open carry – the reaction of people you encounter, the reaction of the police you encounter, and the kind of message those reactions send about responsible gun ownership.

Why do we care what the average person thinks of us as gun owners, or for that matter, what the police think? Because we have to live in this country and the time may come when we will need those people for their support to keep our rights from being taken away. And if you don’t think rights can be taken away, you are naïve or ignorant or both.

In a worst-case scenario – think Katrina or Japanese tsunami aftermath – I would rather my local police and citizens think “Oh, good, here comes someone with a gun,” rather than “Oh, no, here comes someone with a gun.” And if the governmental climate ever shifts toward the antis, I want the average citizen standing in their way, not supporting them because they’re fed up with my rantings.

So, unless I’m in an area with a strong tradition of open carry (like Arizona), or I’m at an event where it’s welcome and encouraged (like the NRA convention), I will carry concealed, rather than openly. Heck, I live in Kennesaw, Georgia, with its famous ordinance requiring gun ownership, and I don’t open carry here. I’m just as well protected when I carry concealed, and I don’t need to show my gun to prove any point.

Match Report - Steel Challenge at Creekside Firing Range

On Saturday May 7, 2011, I traveled to Creekside Firing Range in Taylorsville, Georgia, a little way outside Cartersville. This range is owned and run by Joe Harris, a former US Army Ranger sniper, whose penchant for his former vocation is reflected in the 600 yard rifle range and the monthly long range rifle tournaments, and periodic 2-man sniper tournaments. It has a very nice covered pistol range, and covered 50 yard and 100 yard rifle ranges. During our match there was a tactical rifle class going on at the 50 yard rifle range, so there were a lot of people there, but it was not crowded at all.

This day I shot their Steel Challenge match. This does not follow the standard Steel Challenge format, nor are they members of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association, but in my experience it was every bit as fun, and I had a great time.

The match was shot in four stages on the same range, which gave the shooters the advantage of not having to move equipment from one bay to another. Time between stages was spent setting up the next stage, reloading magazines, and chatting with other shooters. There was no moving required, which allowed for shooters of all physical shapes to compete, valuing shooting skill over running speed.

There were 18 competitors, and they seemed to range in age from a college grad student to a couple of retirees. A quick equipment inventory (done by watching people shoot) showed 2 SIGs, 2 Smith & Wesson M&Ps, a Ruger, a Walther, a revolver, and 11 Glocks. From the brass on the ground it was clear the prevailing caliber was 9mm. I was surprised there were no 1911’s. Chatting with the shooters I found that the cost of ammo was on concern, but magazine capacity turned out to be a big reason, as we will see.

Stages consisted of a number of 3 inch steel plates, 4 inch steel silhouettes, mini steel poppers, and a Texas Star, in various orders, plus a 4 inch steel stop plate, and shooting ranged from 10 to 17 yards. Scoring was all time, since all the targets could be knocked over. The match was also kept interesting by requiring mandatory reloads or limiting the number of rounds in the first magazine used. This also had the effect of leveling the playing field for the revolver competitor and his 8 shot Taurus.

Here’s what we shot:

Stage 1: First magazine limited to 8 rounds, then unlimited rounds. I loaded 19. (Oh, yeah.) 1 popper, Texas Star, 1 silhouette, then the stop plate.

Stage 2: 8 rounds in 2 magazines, then unlimited. 3 plates, 1 popper, mandatory magazine change, 3 plates, then the stop plate.

Stage 3: 2 poppers, 1 plate, the Texas Star, then the stop plate. The first magazine is limited to 8 shots, so there is a quasi-mandatory reload. I see what you did there . . .

Stage 4: 3 poppers, 4 plates, and the stop plate. No limit on the rounds loaded, and I shot this one in 10.4 seconds for my fastest stage.

The match lasted a little over 2 hours, and was very enjoyable. I ended up coming in fifth, with a total time around 75 seconds. First place went to the Walther-shooting grad student, second to a Cobb County policeman shooting his own Gen 2 Glock 17, and third went to the only semi-pro in the group, who was sponsored by the gun shop he works for. His Glock was the closest to a race gun, with a ported after-market barrel and flared mag well.

This was a very enjoyable format, and it was run very efficiently. A couple more stages would have been welcome, but I could probably say the same of any match with less than 10 stages. As with any good match, there was a continuous emphasis on shooter safety, and as a result there were no incidents.

Creekside Firing Range was definitely an excellent host. While the range doesn’t offer a fancy clubhouse or pro shop, for someone in the north Atlanta area looking for a nice outdoor range that doesn’t cost a great amount, I think it more than fits the bill. I will definitely be back next time.

Check them out at www.creeksidefiringrange.com.

Match Prep

I have a match to shoot this weekend, and it got me to thinking about my preparations. Since my goal in 2011 is to improve as many aspects of my competition as I can, I thought I would begin at the beginning.

Assuming I have done the work in practice, there is still a lot of things I do to get ready. Before now, I just did them, but now I have my checklist.

Since it's already starting to get warm, I have been drinking water all day today, to get my body ready.

Here's what I will do tonight:

> Detail strip my Glock 17 (Bruce) and inspect all parts

> Change the factory connector for the (-) connector. (Bruce does double duty as a home defense gun and my competition gun. I keep the factory trigger connector in for home defense, so the trigger pull matches my other Glocks. Changing the connector to a (-) connector lowers the trigger pull about a pound.)

> Brush out but don’t clean unless it is very dirty

> Clean the fiber optic front sight with water only

> Lubricate the gun, using grease on the rails and connector

> Re-assemble the gun and dry fire it and practice drawing. Fix any problems

> Check mags – for damage, springs, followers

> Check holster and mag pouches - make sure that everything is adjusted correctly

> Load all my magazines to 10 rounds

> Make up some sports drink in plastic bottles, and put one bottle in the freezer

> Check my hearing protection and eye protection

> Make sure I have a clean towel in my shooting bag

> Make sure my knee pads, hat, and spent shell bag are in my shooting bag

Finally, make sure I have directions to the range, since there are about half a dozen ranges in the Atlanta area with USPSA or GSSF matches.

Tomorrow is a Steel Challenge match at Creekside Firing Range. I will try to live tweet it at @FillYerHands, so "stay tuned."

Georgia Scores 8 on the Brady Scorecard

The Brady Campaign's 2010 state gun law rankings are out, and my home state of Georgia scored an 8 out of a possible 100. The lower the score, the less restrictive the gun laws, so a zero would be the perfect place to live. I'm sure if they scored Kennesaw, where I live, we would get a lower score that 8.

You can see an interactive map here. The People's Republic of California scored highest with 80.

Too bad even the Brady Campaign can't answer just one question.

Great Blog Post About USPSA

Here's a great blog post on USPSA shooting at The Truth About Guns:

Competition Shooting 101: USPSA / IPSC

A Good Encounter

My 14 year old son and I were at the movies last fall, standing in the lobby, waiting for our show. I can’t remember exactly how we got on the subject, but we got around to discussing full auto weapons. As the bill-paying adult of the group, I thought that maybe a rifle that shot 3 round bursts would be just as fun as full auto. My son then asked if a gun with 3 round bursts still fell under a Class 3 license.

I said I didn’t know, and as quick as that, out of the corner of my eye up walks a tall uniformed police officer, and said “Say what?”

“Excuse me?” I answered.

“My ears perked up when I heard ‘Class 3’.”

Having nothing to hide, I told him what we were talking about, and he cleared it up for us.

First, a “Class 3 license” refers to the dealer who sells automatic weapons. The owner doesn’t have to have such a license, but still has to go through a lot of paperwork. Yes, 3 round bursts require a Class 3 dealer license. Yes, the Acworth, Georgia, police department issues M4’s and he shoots his at least once a month. They practice out to 100 yards, but mostly closer than that. He said their use of the M4 in most cases would be as suppressing fire, in a hostage standoff or other situation. He didn’t really see the point of a civilian owning a full auto gun. It wasn’t from a Second Amendment point of view, it’s just that tactically it wouldn’t make sense.

Ah, but it would be a lot of fun.

“Well, yeah, there is that. I guess your specs are a little wider than mine.”

We chatted a little while longer, and my son even got involved. But after a while our movie was seating, and we said thanks, and went in.

More than the information we got about the NFA and the weapons of the local police, it was great to talk to him. For one thing, it was definitely a teachable moment for my son. We’ve talked about it many times since, and he has a very good view of the police.

Now, whenever we are at the movies, and that policeman is there, I make it a point to say hello. I suppose if I ever get that full auto, I’ll tell him about it. Maybe we’ll get an invite to come shoot.

Practice for Competition, Part 3 - USPSA

Photo by P. Erhardt, courtesy of USPSA

Last time I talked about how to practice for GSSF competition. Today I’m covering how to practice for a USPSA match.

There are some differences between GSSF and USPSA that add to what we need to practice. However, everything we did to get ready for GSSF will apply to USPSA. Here are the extra things we need to practice, in what I see as the order of their importance to our success in the sport:

* In USPSA the shooter reloads when the ammo runs out, or as the course of fire dictates. In GSSF there are no reloads.
* In USPSA the shooter moves between targets. In GSSF the shooter is stationary.
* In USPSA the shooter starts each stage from a draw, or with the gun on a table or other surface. GSSF starts from low ready
* In USPSA each stage is different. GSSF uses the same three stages for just about all matches.

RELOADS

To me, one of the biggest things I can do for USPSA matches is practice reloads until they are smooth and almost reflexive. The difference between a good reload and a bad reload can be a few seconds. A terrible reload – dropping the magazine, for instance – can add not just time, but can also be a big demoralizer.

So, with an unloaded gun and unloaded magazines, put one magazine in your gun, and the rest in the mag pouches on your gun belt. Then, practice reloads. From a shooting position, first bring the gun up to eye level, and in a little. Drop the mag from the gun, and at the same time, grab a mag from your belt and bring it up to the gun, and insert it smoothly.

Repeat these as many times as you need until you are comfortable. I find that 10 or 15 minutes is about right for me.

Variation: start with the slide locked back to simulate an empty gun reload, and at the end of the reload, drop the slide. For me, the best way I have found is to start the gun back to the shooting position, grab the top of the slide with my off hand, and push with the gun hand while pushing the slide back with the off hand. Yes, there are other ways, and I leave it to the reader to find the way that works best for you. I admit, I’ve changed the way I release a locked slide several times in my life, so I can’t tell you any one way is best.

One piece of advice - make sure your gun is in great working order before you go to a match. In one USPSA match I watched a Master class shooter spend several stages watching the magazine drop out of his 1911 every time he fired a shot. It turns out he had changed the magazine catch spring in his gun the night before, trying to fine tune his gun. He had even practiced reloads, and was confident it would work. But, he didn't factor in the shock of recoil. He finally had to curl his off hand under the grip just to complete the match.

MOVING BETWEEN TARGETS

Sorry, but the best way to practice this by doing wind sprints, almost like in football practice. Good general physical condition is the best way to be prepared for moving, and I don’t pretend to be any expert here. I generally limber up (remember Rule 3 from Zombieland) and then spend ten or fifteen minutes dashing around the back yard. I usually do this without my gun, but I think the neighbors wouldn’t mind either way.

Be sure to practice starts and stops, and work on controlling your breathing during the stops so you don’t upset your target picture.

DRAWING

Don’t over-do the drawing practice. After all, we only draw once in each stage. It’s like golfers I know who spend their whole practice session hitting drivers, when they are only going to use the driver 14 times in a round of golf, versus maybe 40 or 50 putts. So, still put your time in practice starting from low ready, as we did practicing for GSSF. That’s because every time you move from one target to another with your gun lowered, your next shot is from low ready. This is going to happen a lot more in every stage.

To practice drawing, start with an unloaded gun, and start slow and smooth. Bring the gun up into your sight, then push toward the target,as we did when starting from low ready, so you avoid the oscillation when the sights are on target. Work up to full speed over 2 or 3 minutes, then draw for 3 to 5 minutes more.

PUT IT TOGETHER

Now, use your imagination. This can be done inside or outside. First, use some painters tape to tape some of the 1/3 size USPSA targets from GlockFAQ to walls or trees. (Or, since it works for Navy SEALs, use 3x5 index cards.) Then, start with the gun in your holster with an empty magazine, and run a stage. Go from target to target, counting shots, and changing magazines as you go. Be sure to keep your muzzle down range and your finger off the trigger as you move. When your stage is through, unload and show clear, reholster, then pick up your mags, and do it again.



I would love to hear your USPSA practice regimen!

Preparedness Tested

Sunday evening, my wife and I were watching a movie on TV. I was making my usual observations about gun handling. Kudos to the sound people for not inserting some kind of cocking or safety clicking noise when Gerard Butler drew his Glock, since they don't have external safeties, and don't need to be cocked. Gerard Butler's trigger discipline left a lot to be desired, though, especially since he was supposed to be playing an ex-cop.

Then I decided to check my Twitter feed, and my threat level went from Yellow to Orange about as quickly as it takes you to read this. My timeline was full of people telling me to switch to CNN, because President Obama was going to announce that Osama bin Laden had been killed. You all probably saw the same thing I did, as we waited an hour for the President to confirm.

About five minutes into the wait my daughter texted us from her dorm room. After a couple of exchanges, my wife asked her if she was all right, using a specific series of words, and my daughter responded she was okay, using her affirmative code word.

Each member of my family has a specific question that the others may ask, and we have a positive code word to show that we are okay and not being coerced, and we have a negative code work. The negative code word is actually a positive word that can be used without anyone else being alerted, but it tells the others that they are being help against their will or being forced to do something they wouldn't otherwise do.

Am I paranoid to do this? I don't think so. The world is a dangerous place, and our lives take us places where we might not always have family members available for support. If we get the chance to communicate, a call for help might just make things worse.

My wife told me later that as soon as I put down my Blackberry and changed to CNN, she thought from the look on my face that there might be something going on that would require me to drive to my daughter's dorm and bring her home. Yes, there are scenarios where that is my plan. That's why I keep my car gassed and my things ready. I pray I won't ever have to do it.

But we have a plan, and sometimes it gets tested.