Because it Bears Repeating

Musings on gun safety.


Here are the Rules of Gun Safety as posted at the Fill Yer Hands zombie-proof bunker in Kennesaw, Georgia:

0. Always wear eye protection, and hearing protection where warranted.

1. All guns are always loaded.

2. Never let the muzzle cover anything which you are not willing to destroy.

3. Keep your finger OFF the trigger until your sights are on the target.

4. Always be sure of your target and what’s behind it.

5. Never try to catch a dropped gun.

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All these rules apply to Nerf and Airsoft and BB guns, too, for a couple of good reasons. First, these guns can hurt you if you don't follow the rules, and second, if you don't follow the rules with these guns, you're likely to ignore them with "real" guns, too.

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This sign is posted at the Nerf Gun / Airsoft storage area in the zombie-proof bunker:

Rule Zero: Eyes and Ears.

We also store the eyewear in the same place as the ammo for these guns. It makes it a lot easier to remember.

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When we are at the range, the first thing we do after setting up targets is go over these rules with everyone in our party. Everyone there knows they are free to call any of the others on a rule infraction. This isn't meant to be mean, it's meant to keep everyone safe.

Usually, Rules 2 and 3 are the ones to violated, but usually only once. All I have to do is yell "Muzzle!" or "Finger!" and the person gets what I'm saying.

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I find that with my son's friends, one of the hardest things to teach is to point their guns at the ground when not shooting, not in the air. Thanks a lot, Hollywood.

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It makes me feel good when I pull into the driveway in the evening, and my son is leading an assault on his backyard action shooting range, and he and the four teens with him, all armed with Airsoft or Nerf guns, are all wearing eye protection. In fact, my son has on knee pads and shooting gloves.

I am more than willing to furnish eyewear for all the shooters. And I am more than willing to banish someone who refuses to wear them.

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I recently came across this video from the NSSF that explains the Four Basic Rules very well.

Product Review - IPSC Shot Timer for Android

I've always wanted a shot timer, so I can tell if what I'm practicing is really improving my times. Until now, this has meant spending $150 or more on a "real" shot timer. But I recently upgraded to an Android smart phone, and a quick search showed - you guessed it - there's an app for that.

The IPSC Shot Timer v. 0.9.3 beta was created by Ivan Stoiliarov, and is available free at http://www.handster.com/ipsc_shot_timer.html, and through the Android Market.

This timer meets my needs, and I like it, for a number of reasons. First, the microphone is sensitive enough that I can use it while dry firing. I use it to time my draw to the first shot, and it's very good for that use. It features an adjustable lag between pressing the start button and the sounding of the buzzer to start the timing, which takes away the chance of me learning to jump the timer.

Like most timers, you can review split times and total time. You can also save strings of fire for review or download later.

Reviews of this product have complained that it doesn't work as well with live fire, because most phones' microphones are too sensitive and are overloaded. I have to admit I haven't used it in live fire yet. I will try it the next time I go to the range, and report on it then.

The Android Shot Timer is a great addition to my dry firing practice tools. And you certainly can't beat the price.

RBGC USPSA Video

Video from the USPSA Match that I shot on Saturday, July 23, at River Bend Gun Club, is now available on my Youtube channel.

Many thanks to Bruce Boudreau for shooting the video, and to his wife Staci for uploading it for me.

Bruce got video of me shooting 4 stages, stages 4, 5, 6 and 7. Here I am shooting stage 7.



I'm glad Bruce shot this, because I learned some watching the video. First, I am still shooting too upright - I'm not leaning into the shot, driving the gun. This means I'm a little off balance, at least less stable than I would be if I drive the gun better.

The Zombies Return

AMC rolled out the trailer for the second season of The Walking Dead at ComicCon in San Diego last week. Enjoy.



I have to admit I enjoy watching the show, despite some gun handling gaffes and the needless (to me) romantic back story. Living here in the Atlanta area where the show is filmed, the scenery is familiar, and I suppose that helps. In fact, for about a year I drove right by the CDC headquarters very frequently. I only wish I could have gotten off work on the days they were filming, so I might have been an extra.

For those who like the genre, I would also recommend a couple of books by Max Brooks, the Zombie Survival Guide, and World War Z. The first one is just what it says, a how-to of survival in the post zombie world. The second is a fictional account of the first five years following the zombie apocalypse, and I found it to be innovative. It is the first book I've read to consider how we might apply modern conventional war tactics to fighting the walking undead. When you think about how much of our tactics is invested in breaking the will of the enemy to fight, then think about how that would work against an swarm of enemies who feel no fear. No to worry, though, Brooks suggests some new tactics.

Why my fascination with the undead hordes? I suppose on one level, I'm drawn to suspense and action as much as anyone. But consider, too, the motto of the Zombie Squad. No, not "we make dead things deader," although I like that one. I mean If you're ready for zombies, you're ready for anything. Anything I do to fortify my house against zombies also makes it tougher for home invaders. And, learning to make 50 yard head shots with my Ruger 10/22 makes me a better shooter, which improves my competition score, as well as the number of squirrels I could take in season.

As I alluded to before, I might have to half-squint my eyes occasionally at the gun handling, like when a deputy tells another that he needs to remember to take off the safety on his Glock, but I have to do that half the time when I watch movies and TV any way. For me, the show is worth it.

Match Report - River Bend USPSA

This past weekend I returned to River Bend Gun Club in Dawsonville, Georgia, and shot in their monthly USPSA match. I had shot there before, and once again the match was well run and very enjoyable.

The match consisted of 7 stages, with 3 field courses and 4 more stationary stages. As usual, the shorter stages gave me some fits, since they usually involve things like off hand shooting.

I've also had some time to think about the match, and here are my take-aways.

Note: I'm going to use a lot of USPSA terminology, some of which I am not going to take the time to explain. Feel free to do an interwebz search for what you don't understand, and if you still don't have an answer, leave me a comment or send me an email and I will try my best to explain.

How Division affects my stage strategy

I normally shoot in the Production Division. All Production shooters are scored as minor, and must limit magazine capacity to ten rounds. You are also allowed to start with one round in the chamber.

This means that a lot of what I worry about when I devise my strategy of how I am going to shoot a stage revolves around magazine changes. Rather than waste time on a mag change in the middle of a string of fire, I would much rather change mags when I'm on the move from one string to another.

As an example, one stage ran like this: in the first door, there was a IPSC target and a popper. The popper fell and activated a swinging target, that was accessible from both the first door and through a window where the second string of fire was. If I shot like a lot of people, I would have shot the IPSC target, shot the popper, then moved to the second window for a shot at the swinger, along with the whole second string.

If I were shooting Limited or Open, where I could have more shots available, then this made sense. But for me, it made more sense to shoot the popper first, then the IPSC target. By that time, the swinger was going, and I could lean left and shoot the swinger from the first door. This gave me 8 shots if I needed them, then change mags and move to the second window.

On this stage, there was a second swinger, that was engaged by a popper from the second window. This swinger was different, as I couldn't shoot it from the second window, only from the third.

What I need to work on

I need to work on one-handed shooting, and transition from my right hand to my left hand for one hand shooting. The problem is, practicing one-handed shooting is boring to me. I would much rather practice double taps, or transitions. I am just going to have to suck it up and do it, if I'm going to get better.

I also need to work on shooting small targets at 25 yards.

Both of these are going to take some individual time at an outdoor range, where I'm not entertaining teenagers, or paying for range time by the hour.

But it will be worth it, I know.

Gun Culture 1.99

Recently, I've come to think of myself as part of what is coming to be know as Gun Culture 2.0 - people who came to shooting in a way other than the traditional path of being handed down from father to child, usually in the form of hunting. I was never exposed to shooting as a child. In fact, I didn’t take up shooting until I was over 30 years old.

I was thinking about this recently, and I realized that there actually is some history in my family with firearms, it's just that I was never a part of it.

My youngest brother went in the Army 19 years ago, to get money for college. It turns out he’s good at it. He’s currently a Staff Sergeant with the 82nd Airborne division staff, and he’s been all over the world, seen all kinds of places, and blown up all kinds of things. It’s fun for me to just hear him tell a few stories about things that never made it to the newspapers – it makes me feel a little better about America.

When he graduated from Basic Training, back when, we were all gathered at the family home, and he was showing us all the medals and badges he had won, especially the one for qualifying as Marksman with the M16. My father looked at the badge, and then quietly went back to his bedroom. In a minute or so he came out with a cigar box.

I knew my father had served in the National Guard back in the 60’s, as a way to avoid the draft after he ran out of college money. He did his Active Duty time as a company clerk, and I earned enough there to get back in college. But he never spoke of his time in the Service, and I never asked.

This cigar box had all his mementos from his time in the Service, and he pulled out a certificate I had never seen. It turns out that my father had been the top marksman in his Basic Training class! That's when he told us about how is father and uncles had taught him to shoot. It was a whole part of him that I never knew, and I asked him why he never taught us. He didn't have an answer, other than he really never had any interest in shooting after leaving the service.

I once joked with him that I could probably bring him and M-14 and he could field strip it and inspect it, even now, 50 years later. I really don’t doubt it.

Alas, my father’s health wouldn’t allow him to go shoot with me now, although he is aware of my shooting, and asks me about it. I just wish I had been able to share that with him.

As for my brother, he’s shot all kinds of guns, as you would imagine, from the M-4 to the Barrett .50BMG sniper rifle, to just about every NATO issued rifle, and most of the third world's choices as well. I’ve enjoyed his reviews. Coincidentally, his last tour in Afghanistan he shot an M-14 with a scope, since so many of the shots in the areas he was in were in excess of 400 meters. I once asked him if it was harder to carry an M-14 than an M-4, since it is heavier, and he laughed. He doesn’t carry the M-14, he explained, he just shoots it. Rank hath its privileges.

But, whenever we get together and I invite him to the range, he declines. He says he shoots enough for a living, and it’s not fun for him. I can understand. And I hope I never get to that point.

Maybe some day I'll go shooting with my brother, who knows. Until then, I'll just think about how it might have been different if my father had kept shooting.

Have I Got a Deal For You

By now, you've probably heard of Groupon, the website where discount coupons are available for sale. The business model here is volume - the more they sell, the better deal they can give.

This is apparently the idea behind a new gun-related website, GearHog. This site went live on July 19, and sold a couple of thousand $50 coupons for Brownell's for $25 each.

Today and yesterday they've been selling $100 gift certificates to USA Ammo for $50. You may remember I reviewed this ammo some time back and found it to be very good for my needs.

Well, I decided if I could buy this ammo at half price, it would be even better, so I bit, and bought a certificate. Then I went to the USA Ammo site and bought 500 rounds of 115 grain FMJ 9mm. When I combined that with a 50% discount on shipping (enter MOREAMMO as the code at checkout), I used the certificate, and added $4 and change.

I'll report back on my experience once the ammo shows up, but so far, so good.

I'll also report on any other good deals I hear of from GearHog.





FTC Disclaimer: clicking the link in the banner to the right will get you to GearHog and will earn me a commission on what you buy. GearHog offers this to anyone who wants to post it on their blog or web site. I was not approached by anyone from GearHog or USA Ammo about this post nor was I offered any incentives.

Movie Rule of Thumb 2

Rule 2: If you find an ancient book of the dead, never read it out loud.

Source: just about every mummy movie made. The example below is from The Mummy.

Lesson: when you know something you’re going to do will have a bad consequence, don’t do it. This especially applies to things that have always resulted in bad results. Remember how Einstein defined insanity – doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Don't be insane.

If you want to see this rule violated the most, go to just about any gun forum and look for the members with the least number of posts. It also seems like forum trolls have whole libraries of Books of the Dead.

Examples:

Debating .45ACP versus 9mm.
Giving in to terrorist demands
Asking which is better training for the real world – USPSA or IDPA
Asking what would be the best handgun to carry in bear country
On a New York subway, asking “Mets or Yankees?”
For me, asking my son “So, when are you going to cut the grass?”

UN Small Arms Treaty Response from Senator Saxby Chambliss

Last month I wrote about the UN Small Arms Treaty, which you may have read some about in other outlets, and probably got an email or two about.

I wrote my Senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, as well as my Congressman, Dr. Phil Gingrey.

I received an email from Senator Chambliss this morning that I'd like to share.

Dear Mr. L:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the United Nations Small Arms Treaty. It is good to hear from you.

On December 6, 2006, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 89, which is aimed to promulgate a new international treaty on the global trade in conventional arms. The resolution, "towards an arms trade treaty; establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms," was adopted without the support of the United States, under the Bush Administration; however, the Obama Administration recently reversed this decision, and announced that the United States would support negotiations on the condition they were, "under the rule of consensus decision-making needed to ensure that all countries can be held to standards that will actually improve the global situation."

Currently, there are preparatory committee meetings taking place in anticipation of a 2012 conference to finalize the treaty. In response to these meetings, Senator Moran (R-KS) sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary Clinton expressing strong concerns with the treaty. I joined him on this letter, and I will continue to closely monitor this situation. Should legislation come before the full Senate, I will keep your thoughts in mind.

If you would like to receive timely email alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e-newsletter, please sign up via my web site at: www.chambliss.senate.gov . Please let me know whenever I may be of assistance.

As I said in my original post, there are enough pro-Second Amendment Senators that I doubt any such treaty would be ratified. I will keep in touch with him on this.

I await a response from the others but I will, of course, share them as they come in.

Podcast of the Week - The New Shooter Podcast

As you know, I'm always on the lookout for gun podcasts to make my 1-hour-plus commute tolerable. A new one I recently came across is the New Shooter Podcast, on the interwebz at www.newshooterpodcast.com, and on Twitter at @newshootercast.

Nick is the host, and he is what he says, a new shooter. He came to shooting recently, and decided to share that experience with the rest of us through the podcast medium.

So far, Nick has posted five episodes, and I've enjoyed all five. He starts, as a lot of gun podcasts, with a list of what he's done with guns (an admitted homage to the Gun Dudes), news, and email feedback, then he moves into a main topic.

Topics have been varied. The first episode was a very interesting interview with a documentary filmmaker about her latest project, a film called A Girl and a Gun. Other topics included how to teach first time shooters, and the Zombie Shooters Association, which I reviewed some time back.

Nick's style is easy and enjoyable. He presents a good amount of information on his topics. His interview style isn't as polished as a TV new anchor, but he's as good as most other podcasters, and I like it.

The New Shooter Podcast is a welcome addition to my iTunes subscription page, and to my commute. Thanks, Nick!

GunUp

I just got word that this blog is now part of the GunUp Blogger Network.

GunUp was started earlier this year as a gathering place for shooters of all backgrounds. In my mind, the site took off with the addition of Caleb Giddings as the Director of Community Relations. Caleb was a competitor on the first season of Top Shots, and runs Gun Nuts Media, the home of the Gun Nuts blog, and Gun Nuts Radio podcast.

In the words of CEO Dan Hall,

We believe that gun ownership transcends demographics. GunUp is not tailored to any one particular group of gun enthusiasts - if you like guns, we like you and you will be welcome at GunUp. One of our goals is to build a community that provides resources and education to prospective, new, and experienced gun enthusiasts in a safe and supportive environment.

It sounded like my kind of place, and I'm proud to be a part of it. Check it out.

Today's Safety Class - Negligent Discharge

Good day, class. Please settle down.

First, for those of you who asked, YES, there will be a quiz. Every day. But you won't know when it is. And if you fail, you may not know it.

Second, for today's class, I have brought in a guest speaker, a man named Derek "Tex" Grebner. Please pay attention to his video.

Someone please get the lights.



Okay, okay, okay. Settle down.

Lots of lessons to learn here, students.

First, never attempt a new pistol technique with a loaded weapon. Especially the first time. Or probably for the first 10 times. Do this very slowly, with a training partner, until you are both sure you can do it without any problem. Then do it another 20 times before you load up. Then do it s l o w l y.

To me, the second lesson is that this is why I don't like holsters with retention devices on them. This whole thing happened, admittedly, because the first holster he used - with another gun - had a retention device that was in the same place as the thumb safety on a 1911. Bad design, no matter what. Your mileage my vary, but I won't own one.

Third, if you don't have a first aid kit in your range bag, get one. You should have one with you every time you go shoot. If you look on your syllabus, we will cover First Aid next week. Those of you who get queasy looking at blood, get over it.

I'm glad he came out of all this safe. And I'm sorry he's going to spend the rest of his life serving as a warning to the rest of us. But that's the risk we all take.

Class dismissed.

Oh, hey, please look out for the quiz later.

But the Grip Angle is Wrong . . .

Video courtesy of Dave Sevigny

In honor of Gaston Glock's birthday today . . .

By now you know that one of my crusades in life is against the pre-conceived notion, the entrenched opinion. I try to apply this to myself as much as anyone else.

One that particularly gets my ire is the 1911 aficionado who completely dismisses the Glock because "the grip angle is wrong."

In defense, I call witness Dave Sevigny.

As I reported before, Dave became the first person to beat Rob Leatham in the US Single Stack Championship, shooting a 1911.

For those who don't know, Dave is also Captain of Team Glock. He's used a Glock to win just about every National Championship there is, in USPSA and IDPA. You can watch him shoot some amazing strings anywhere on Youtube, including my channel.

Yet Dave was somehow able to overcome the grip angle that has been such a stumbling block to so many.

So, maybe the grip angle of the Glock (or is it the 1911?) isn't wrong, maybe it's just different. Maybe the steps to shooting a gun are present the gun, align the sights visually, smoothly press the trigger until the gun goes off, and follow through. Maybe there's nothing in there about grip angle.

All sarcasm aside (shock!), I would challenge those who say a particular gun feels wrong to deliberately set out to master that gun, for two reasons. First, you should never be limited by hardware, or more importantly, your perception of hardware. And second, you never know when that gun will be the only one available for you to use to defend yourself or your family. And that is more important than any championship.

Match Report

Photo courtesy of River Bend Gun Club Action Pistol group

Saturday July 16 was quite a shooting day. I had planned on shooting the GSSF match at the River Bend Gun Club in Dawsonville, Georgia, and I found out late in the week from Staci Boudreau, a fellow shooter on Twitter, that the club's monthly Action Pistol match was also held that morning. So I met Staci and her husband Bruce at RBGC for a full day of shooting.

The River Bend Gun Club, RBGC, is a very well kept and well run club located a few miles off I-575 about 50 miles north of Atlanta. I first shot there as a guest of a co-worker a few years ago, and it's only gotten better since. I've shot GSSF and USPSA there, and now Action Pistol.

The RBGC Action Pistol match is very much like the matches I first shot in Alabama 18 years ago. It's not affiliated with any organization like USPSA, which gives them a lot of freedom in stage design, gun classifications, and the like. I shot Production class, because that's what I shoot in USPSA, and I wanted to keep the more frequent magazine change as a part of the test. Oh, I was tempted to shoot Limited, since I could have loaded my magazines to 19 and blazed away. Maybe next time.

First, I think the safety briefing that was given was about the best briefing I have ever had. He went over all the rules of the match, and all the safety points. Nothing was glossed over, that there was no assumption about anyone's previous shooting experience. It was presented with ease, and no one seemed anxious to move on. Very refreshing.

Also refreshing - literally - was the weather, around 75 degrees at the start of the match, and drizzling most of the time. Shooting a Glock, all I had to do was wipe off my grips before shooting. The weather started to dry up by the end of the match, though.

There were three stages, and each tested different shooting skills. The first stage was all steel plates, either classic round plates, steel bowling pins, pepper poppers, or steel IPSC targets. You either hit or not, and it all came down to time. The second stage was classic run and gun, with an added twist - the last series of targets included one target that had a badge around its neck, representing an undercover policeman, and the ROs changed which target was the LEO before each run. At least one shooter in our squad shot the cop.

Stage 3 took advantage of the non-USPSA rules, in that it only required shooters to neutralize the targets, which was defined as one shot in the A area, or 2 in the B and/or C area. Shots in the D range just made the target angry. There were several shots around barricades, and if you aimed center of mass and saw an A hit, move on.

There were unpleasant surprises, though, as some shooters received Failures to Neutralize, because they assumed a single headshot was a neutralizer, not seeing that they had actually hit the B area in the head.

After that, we enjoyed a great hamburger and hotdog lunch, then headed up the hill to the Cowboy range, where the GSSF match was already under way.

After signing in, we shot the three stages I talked about last week. I shot a very good match for me, with zero misses except one steel plate left standing. My score was 121 seconds and change, which is a 15 second improvement over my personal best.

Bruce shot a lot better than I, with a score of 83. Well done.

I arrived home about 4:30, after leaving the house at 7 AM. A quick peak as I cleaned out the car revealed that my Glock didn't really need cleaning. I just brushed out the trigger group, ran a rod brush through the barrel, and put him away. The Glock 19 I took as a backup got the carry loads back in, and went in my waistband.

The GSSF scores will be posted later today, Monday, and in a few weeks, the prizes will be awarded. But believe me, before then, we'll be back on the range.

Love The Smell of New Podcast in the Morning

Smells like . . . victory.

The Rimfire Podcast was my morning drive today, and I was impressed. Host Ken Kowalski dispensed with the whole "this is why I started this podcast" explanation, and even the "this is what a rimfire cartridge is," and jumped right into a meaty subject, .22LR caliber AR-15 conversions. He covered two options, a .22LR bolt swap, and a complete dedicated .22LR upper. You'll have to listen to his podcast to find out which one he recommends.

You can listen online at http://therimfirepodcast.com or subscribe via iTunes. The podcast has a Facebook page as well.

I look forward to future installments.

Epic Selector Win

I came across this while I was doing a search for new Twitter avatars.

It came from the Flickr account of Mike Fett.

Okay, he admits it's shooped, but if someone can make a real AR lower like this, with the second word spelled "YER," please email me.

Seriously.



Photo courtesy of Mike Fett.

Gun Control by Executive Order

Nothing to see here. Step around.


In the last few days there has been a lot of blog and Twitter chatter about President Obama issuing new Executive Orders instituting new "gun safety rules," or as it is known in the Real World, gun control.

I have some strong feelings about this issue, and I've tweeted about them, but 140 characters doesn't do it justice, so here goes.

The whole idea of legislating new gun control by Executive Order is a steaming pile of BS. Don't be distracted. Just walk around it.

The whole issue is a smokescreen to distract attention from the ongoing Fast and Furious / Project Gunrunner scandal, which is probably going to take down the Attorney General, if not others in the administration.

Why do I think this is meaningless? Consider:

First, as far as I can find, there was only one story reporting this prospect. A Google search I did failed to find any other stories corroborating this report. All the other stories quoted the original story. (And all the gun forum posts quoting this one story didn't help the search any.) The only deviation was a story in March suggesting this was in the works, but again, no follow up other than quotes of this one story.

Second, as I said about the Fast and Furious investigation, the current Congress is sufficiently pro-Second Amendment that any attempt by the Administration to circumvent not only US law but the Constitution itself would be met and fought.

Third, Executive Orders do not have the force of law, in the absence of other legislation directing the President to take action. Executive Orders are almost always used to carry out things that are already written into law, but are in the form of a direction to the President and the Executive branch to carry out. They are also used to organize the Executive branch by establishing working groups and positions that don't need Congressional approval.

An Executive Order that created a new regulation out of thin air*, would certainly by unconstitutional and would be fought almost immediately, both by the Congress, and by organizations like the Second Amendment Foundation and the NRA. In addition, trying to change the terms of an existing law would be unconstitutional, and would be blocked.

One example that's been given of the latter is that a "paper trail" would be kept of NICS background checks done from firearms purchases. The problem is, the NICS law as written specifically states that records of the NICS check will only be kept for 90 days, then destroyed. So, any attempt to change this by Executive Order would be fought as aggressively as it was in 2009 when attempts were made to change the law to allow longer retention.

So personally, I would ignore it. Molon labe.

Here's the kicker though.

Obama knows all this. He is just trying to distract us and make us commit limited resources to a fruitless fight against nothing. Then he and his gun control cronies can point to us reactionary, trigger happy, gun nut zealots, and make some headlines in the Washington Post about us all being right wing nut cases. And then the whole thing will disappear overnight, like Congressman Weiner.

I, for one, refuse to listen any more. I am concentrating my attention on the many more real threats to our rights. There are certainly enough.






* Yes, an Executive Order was used to establish the Japanese Internment Camps during World War II, which was not previously authorized by law, and which was almost certainly unconstitutional. However, even a casual study of history shows that the climate in the nation at that time prevented anyone from seriously disputing FDR's authority to do so, and the Congress at the time lacked the courage to question it as well. Fortunately, that condition does not exist today.

Getting Used to New Magazines

This past weekend I was practicing magazine changes with my new Glock magazines. These FML mags will replace my old NFML mags. For now, only Magazine 2 has been completely retired, and Mags 1 and 3 will continue to be used.

Since most of the magazine changes I do are during competition, and I almost always compete with Bruce, the G17, with magazines that have "plus 2" extenders, I didn't anticipate how much the lack of the extenders would affect how the magazine changes felt. Granted, I did have a preview of this during my last training session, Memorial Day weekend, using the Duke, my G21SF, but that experience was limited.

What the lack of the extenders means is that it feels to me like I have to push the magazines in farther than I used to. I didn't think an inch or so would make that much difference, and it doesn't really, when I'm using the full size guns, the G17 and G21, as long as I push until they stop and click in place.

But when I did a few practice runs with Liberty, my G19, which does not have extenders on its magazines either, I found that the shorter grip of the gun meant my the heel of my left hand, pushing the mag in, impacted the heel of my strong hand, which really felt awkward. This means there's a chance I won't fully seat a mag so that it latches, and I will end up dropping the full mag on my foot as soon as I return the gun to the shooting position.

I know where this heads. First it means I need a lot more practice time with the new magazines, and with my other guns. I'm going to have to practice until seating the magazine is a sure thing, no matter which gun I'm using. A few 10 minute practice sessions each night will go a long way to that.

Second, it means I probably need to budget for a lot more extenders. Eleven of them, at $9 each. Ouch. And no, the extenders from the NFML mags will not work on FML mags - I tried them when I first bought mags 4, 5, and 6, and got a rain of cartridges in return as the extender popped off.

Of course, the up side is that I will also gain 2 more rounds per magazine. You never know when that will come in handy.

It's always something.

Glock Sport Shooting Foundation

I am surprised when I talk with fellow Glock owners who are unaware of the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation, or GSSF. I then realized I hadn’t done a full post explaining what this organization was or how to join. Let’s correct that today.

The GSSF is owned and operated by Glock, Inc., out of their US headquarters in Smyrna, Georgia. They organize and run about 36 matches a year, all over the country, with the much appreciated assistance of a lot of people at local host ranges. The schedule can be found at the GSSF website, www.gssfonline.com. Joining GSSF is just $35 for the first year, and $25 to renew, plus $25 per match for each pistol you compete with. (More on that later.)

But the bounty comes with the prize packages. In addition to awarding Glock pistols for winners, and cash for other high finishers, they also award a lot of cash, complementary membership renewals, and free pistols at random to competitors. In the 15 years I’ve been competing, I have only won a prize once for my finish – I won $100 for taking second in my class. But I’ve also won $100 once, $50 twice, two annual renewals, and – YES – a brand new Glock of my choice. (That’s where Libert, my G19, came from!)

GSSF is open to any Glock shooter, regardless of age or experience. There are different classifications for shooters, ranging from Amateur Civilian (which would include most of us), to Guardian (for police and military) to Master (for those who are ranked Master or Grand Master in other groups). All you need is a Glock pistol and at least 4 magazines, plus 104 rounds of ammo. And, if you have more than one pistol, you can enter more than one classification, which increases your chances of winning a random prize.

Admittedly, GSSF seems like a rather low-intensity competition, when compared with USPSA or IDPA. There are no reloads or movement during the stages, and the stages start at low ready, rather than being drawn from a holster. This is perfect for the new shooter, but don’t think it makes matches a cake walk for experienced shooters. This just shifts the emphasis from transitions to accuracy.

To level the playing field, and to account for the restrictive gun laws in some states, all magazines start with 10 rounds, and you are allowed one in the chamber. There is an exception for the Glock 36, which only holds 6 rounds to start, in a class called Heavy Metal, and if you shoot another .45ACP or 10mm Glock, you can enter that class as well, and self limit your magazines to 6 shots each, plus one in the chamber.

Scoring is based on time, with penalties assessed for errant shots or misses. The match uses three kinds of targets - the NRA D-1 target, also called the Tombstone; steel pepper poppers; and 6 inch steel plates.

For the metal targets, scoring is easy. If you knock the popper or the plate down, there is no penalty. If you leave one standing, you add 10 seconds. Ouch.

For the Tombstone targets, all shots in the A or B area incur no penalty. Shots in the C area add 0.5 econds for each, and shots in the D area count for 3 extra seconds each. Complete misses add 10 seconds. Ouch.

Every match I’ve been to has included the same 3 stages, and they are run just about the same everywhere. I tried to find some good examples of these stages, but the best ones are actually on the GSSF website itself, which I liked above.

5 to Glock:

This stage is five Tombstone targets, spaced from 5 yards out to 25 yards. Sometimes these are in a straight diagonal, and sometimes they are staggered. The point here is to test transitions from target to target, and to test your ability to make the longer shots as well as the close shots.

This stage is shot three times. At the end of the stage, all three times are added up, and each target is assessed. There should be 6 shots on each target, and penalties are added accordingly.

Glock M

The stage is named for its similarity to the letter M. From left to right, there is a Tombstone target at 7 yards, a Tombstone at 15 yards, 3 pepper poppers at 11 yards, then another 15 yard Tombstone, and a 7 yard Tombstone. This stage is also shot three times, with only one popper being shot on each run through.

Here’s where a little strategy comes in. I generally shoot all the Tombstone targets, left to right, 2 each, then shoot the pepper popper. This means I’ve shot 8 shots, leaving me three shots to knock the popper down. If I leave a popper standing, then it’s my fault, but I’ve never left a popper standing.

Glock the Plates

This is the simplest stage of all – just 6, 6 inch steel plates, at 11 yards. Knock them all down in the shortest time. This stage is shot four times.

But, as is often the case, the simplest stage is not necessarily the easiest. I have probably left more plates standing in my GSSF career than any other. For me, this stage embodies all the fundamentals of good shooting – sight picture, trigger control, and follow-through. When I get all these where they should be, and my shot cadence is right, I clean this stage. My technique is to shoot each plate in order, whether I hit it or not, then come back and take the ones I miss.



GSSF can be an excellent entry into competitive pistol shooting, and it is also a great complement to other shooting games for more experienced shooters. If you own a Glock, give them a look. For that matter, sign up, and come shoot with me next Saturday, July 16, at the Riverbend Gun Club in Canton, Georgia.

Movie Rule of Thumb 1

From Night of the Living Dead


I love movies. I'm one of those guys who will quote a movie line to you whenever the situation is appropriate. If you know the movie, and continue the dialog, we can be friends.

Those who follow me on Twitter probably cringe when you see that Tombstone is on.

Some time, long ago, I started accumulating some rules for life, that were based on things that happened in movies. I few years ago, I wrote them down, and I've added and edited them a couple of times.

These are my Movie Rules of Thumb.

Over the next few months I will share with you my rules, where they came from, how they apply to movies, how they apply to Real Life, and how they've been important to me.

It all began with

Rule 1: Always Shoot Zombies Through the Head.

(Sometimes including the follow-up phrase, "Don't waste ammo on body shots.")

Source: Night of the Living Dead and every zombie movie since then.

Lesson: Don’t waste your time doing things you know aren’t going to matter. Consequently, if you try something you think is going to work, and it doesn’t work, believe the evidence. Try something else.

Rule 1 obviously applies to just about every zombie movie. It also applies to a lot of other movies. If you don't have a silver bullet, don't even shoot at a werewolf. The same thing goes for vampires, if you don't have a wooden stake, although I have to admit, I have paid zero attention to Twighlight and other recent vampire movies and TV shows, so I can't say whether this still applies.

Interestingly, I did a Youtube search and came across this test of zombie killing effectiveness. Apparently, it's a good thing my shotgun is back in action. Enjoy.



Rule 1 has lots of applications in Real Life as well. Because of Rule 1, I don't use sarcasm with the TSA agent at the airport. I always go ahead and give my dog his treat when I let him in. I don't argue about visiting my mother-in-law. I tip the bellman at the hotel.

Self-defense lesson: Never shoot someone to wound, or fire a warning shot, or shoot to get their attention. If you pull your gun, be prepared to shoot until the threat stops. That means shooting center of mass, with follow up shots to other areas as appropriate.

And yes, that might be a head shot.

My Shotgun, Reborn

One spring day, not long after I had bought my first gun, I was at work, talking with a truck driver, while he was waiting for his trailer to be loaded. The conversation turned to guns. After all, it was spring, we were men, we were in Alabama, and I was a Gun Newbie. After a while, the truck driver mentioned that he happened to have a used shotgun for sale. Would I like to see it?

Sure.

It was a very nice pump shotgun, a 12 gauge. The wood was in good shape, and while some of the bluing on the barrel was worn, there was no corrosion. And the pump action was as smooth as glass. It had only one minor defect - a former owner had written his name on the barrel with a power inscribing tool.

I say it was a defect, but in fact, it was a blessing, because the person whose name was on the shotgun barrel happened to be the plant chief operator, and he was on shift that day. So I went and asked Lee about the shotgun. He told me of the large number of whitetail deer who were prancing in the fields of heaven because of that gun.

Was it worth $100?

Lee said he thought so, because that's what he had sold it to the truck driver for, 3 years before.

So, at lunch, I went and cashed a check (these were the days before the ATM, friends) and the shotgun was mine. And I named it Lee.

Now, I had no idea what brand of shotgun it really was, and neither did Lee. The brand name on the gun is Revelation, sold by Western Auto. I tried taking it apart, but knowing nothing about shotguns, I didn't get far.

The next day, my copy of American Rifleman arrived, and the monthly section on gun schematics and disassembly instructions featured the Mossberg 500 12 gauge shotgun. Everything looked the same as mine, and it came apart and went back together just like in the magazine. So, Lee was really a Mossberg 500. Thank you, Lord.

+++++++

A couple of years later, after I had moved away, I went back to my old plant for a visit, and Lee (the operator) asked about the shotgun. He then told me that he had been approached by the truck driver, to try to sell him the gun back, and he had steered him to me.

Again, thank you, Lord.

+++++++

Fast forward a number of years, and a lot of trap shooting, later. Now, the bluing on Lee had gotten a little more worn, so I decided I would like to re-blue it. I bought a re-bluing kit at the gun store, read the instructions, and completely de-blued the whole gun. I sanded all the pits and corrosion out, and - no offense - I used my Dremel to erase Lee's name. Sorry, man.

Then I decided to search the Internet for info on how to re-blue guns, and I was confronted by tales of woe. It turns out that the Mossberg 500 has an aluminum receiver, which doesn't take bluing well. So I decided I needed a little more experience in gun finishing before I gave it a try.

Fast forward a little more. Okay, probably 5 years more. The shotgun sat unfinished, all that time, while I periodically thought about refinishing, and stopped, because it made my head hurt. To assuage your fears, the barrel and steel parts were well oiled, and stored in a firearms sock in my safe. The small parts were stored in a plastic shoe box.

At last, thanks in part to the false sense of optimism this blog has given me, I decided to finally refinish Lee.

After a bunch of Internet research I decided to use Duracoat firearm finish, and a Hogue rubber overmolded polymer stock, to make Lee look like his Glock brethren.

++++++

The refinishing process began with the fitting of all the parts onto the new polymer stock, to be sure I didn't need to do any gunsmithing to make it fit.

Everything fit perfectly.

I then laid all the parts out to get ready. In addition to the Duracoat with sprayer that I bought, I also bought painters tape. I also remembered back when I was researching bluing, and they told me to fill in all the holes in the receiver with Silly Putty, so the finish wouldn't get in the holes, and make them smaller.

I also got some 600 grit sandpaper for the final sanding, and some nitrile gloves to protect my hands.

I then went over all the metal parts with the 600 grit sandpaper, per the Duracoat instructions.

Here's the trigger group taped off below the parts that will show in the final gun assembly:

I filled in all the holes with Silly Putty, and taped all the threads and other parts that I didn't want to spray. I then sprayed the whole gun with the degreaser spray provided in the kit.

Here's the receiver, hanging and ready to spray.

I then mixed the paint and the hardener in the glass sprayer bottle, and shook it all for the time they told me to. Spraying with a smooth even motion, I laid down the first coat:

I also sprayed the barrel:

Three even coats, and all was done.






Sounds easy, right?



Ha!

First - the sprayer that Duracoat sold with the paint tended to sputter periodically. At random. Leaving some parts sprayed smoothly and evenly, and some running and dripping.

Actually, I'm surprised the paint stayed on, with the amount of cursing that I applied to the sprayer. I guess I'm glad the cliche isn't really true.

So, instead of letting it dry five minutes between coats like the instructions said, I let it dry fifteen minutes, and tried to sand out all the drips.

Stupid idea. All I got was rolled up drips.

Eventually, my curse vocabulary exhausted, I managed to get it sanded well enough to get three coats on, and it not look like I had welded all the parts together.

Lessons learned:

First, I won't use the sprayer that Duracoat sells again. Instead, I will invest a little more money in an airbrush sprayer and compressor.

Second - while it may work for bluing, I found that Silly Putty makes water bead up. This means it also repels paint, so that all the pin holes had halos around them, free of paint. I need to find something else to use, maybe just balled up paper.

So, while trying to sand out the drips, I also had to take out all the Silly Putty, and use the degreasing spray again. Then I could spray.

Third - in retrospect, I would not have Dremeled Lee's name off the barrel. I now think it would have lent a sense of history, which I am trying, in a small way, to preserve here.

After drying overnight, I put the whole thing together. Of course, I had to watch a Youtube video, because I hadn't done anything with this gun for 5 years. But the action is still smooth as glass, and it looks mean.

Behold, Lee, the Mossberg 500:

Fast and Furious Update

The day I decide to air my thoughts on the Fast and Furious scandal, comes word that Acting ATF head Ken Melson took it upon himself to come to Congressman Issa and Senator Grassley, and testify, without a lawyer, and without anyone from the Justice Department present.

On the Fourth of July.

I will let you read what he said here. Just let me say, it looks like the American System I talked about yesterday is working.

Fast and Furious

Sometimes I wonder whether to post about things that so many other bloggers are covering. But I would be remiss if I didn't air my thoughts on the Fast and Furious scandal.

What if the Canadian national drug enforcement agency told pharmacists there to ignore Canadian law, and sell drugs to people they knew were going to smuggle those drugs into the United States? What if hundreds of Americans were killed by people high on this drug, and no one did anything until a Canadian investigator was killed? We would be calling for heads to roll.

For those who don't know, this happened, only it was guns instead of drugs, and it was the United States instead of Canada. The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (the ATF) decided at some point and at some level in its management that it would be okay to allow gun dealers in Arizona to sell guns to people who would have otherwise be prohibited, despite the legitimate protests of the gun dealers involved. The ATF then watched those guns, and tracked them with GPS chips, as they were smuggled into Mexico and used by the drug cartels there.

One of these guns was used to kill a US Border Patrol Agent, Brian Terry. After that, some ATF agents decided to break ranks and come clean. After some persistent reporting by a few gun bloggers, the story finally got picked up by the main stream media.

Of course, there is much speculation as to the ATF's motives. Whatever they were, since they led to the deaths of innocent victims, they are irrelevant. But, those motives are not my point today.

My point today is this: this scandal is a test of the American system. Forgive me if this sounds melodramatic, but if we fail this, my feelings are we are in a decline from which this country may not be able to recover.

Our System - law enforcement, Congress, the media, and the people - must see this through to the end. We have to make sure that those involved are discovered, flushed out, and dealt with. Those who lived through Watergate as I did (or who have studied it) know that this is likely to be a long and painful process. I'm not afraid of the long process, only that we will give up, or give in.

There are those who try to blame this all on lax US gun laws, or gun shows, or any of a dozen reasons. The truth is that Fast and Furious is about an out of control US government agency. My hope is that those who insist otherwise sound as lame and pathetic to the other parts of the System as they do to me, and they won't be believed.

Granted, it's sad that those diversionary excuses are brought up, because it exposes those who bring them up for who they are, people who would see the Second Amendment dashed at all costs. And that is the central point of all this.

To me, the Second Amendment is the linchpin of the Constitution, and if it goes, there is really nothing stopping anyone who wants to trample the rest. So, if the System fails, or refuses to work, by one or more parts of the System becoming convinced that the ATF's reasons were legitimate, or by us accepting a scapegoat, rather than dig for the ultimate culprit - then I mourn for us. In my mind, decline is inevitable.

Time will tell. Meanwhile, I pray for the family of Brian Terry, for Congressman Darrel Issa, Senator Chuck Grassley, and the others involved, as much as I pray for our military and political leaders. They must stand strong, and we, the rest of the System, must stand with them.

Tying Up Loose Ends

Well, I didn't get to shoot any over the Independence Day weekend. There was a Steel Match I had penciled in, but I didn't get to it. But that doesn't mean I didn't get to do anything with guns.

First, I finished Lee, my Mossberg 500 shotgun. It feels good - I now have a functioning shotgun in the safe. I got a wild hair a couple of years ago, and stripped the bluing off my shotgun, before I read up on how hard it was for a dabbler like me to do a goos job bluing. I will post a more detailed report of the work I did, but overall I am satisfied with the results. I learned a lot about using Duracoat, and I would do it again, just with different spray equipment, Again, more later.

Second, I spent some time dry firing and practicing magazine changes. In particular, I spent some time changing magazines without looking at my gun, to test whether this was a viable reason for the changing my magazine orientation to "bullets forward" in the mag pouches.

My conclusion: after probably 3 dozen repetitions at various speeds, with my magazines oriented so that the bullets faced to the rear, I didn't find that I had a difficult time changing magazines without looking. In fact, it was easier to do with my eyes closed than it was with my eyes open when I changed the orientation to "bullets forward." I did find that I needed to slow down a little to make it smooth, but that's probably not a bad thing.

For me, it is all about muscle memory, and I think that supports my original observation.

However, I think that when the time comes to teach someone else how to change magazines, I will tell them to orient the bullets facing forward. The idea of using the index finger on the nose of the bullet, to guide it to the magazine well, is valid and can be used effectively. No surprise, since much better teachers than I have been teaching it this way for a long time.

Thought for the Day

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.


(signed)

John Hancock
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Podcast of the Week - the Gun Dudes

Carl, Stan, Tom, and Travis are four UPS drivers in Utah who share a love of shooting. They get together once a week and share that love with us as the Gun Dudes Podcast. For me, they are my Tuesday drive to work.

Imagine four good friends at a barbecue, eating meat sandwiches, cutting up, and talking about guns. That’s what this show is like, a sometimes irreverent mix of serious talk and general horsing around. Along the way they share some really good information, things they have used and they know work.

Now, I admit that this podcast took a while to grow on me. Sometimes the fooling around almost gets in the way of the real show, but they always come back to the topic. Somebody is almost always fiddle with a gun, and you can hear them racking the slide, working the cylinder, or handling the guns some other way. Sometimes there is a secondary topic going on with a couple of the guys. And there is always sarcasm and endless needling of each other, especially of the one or two of them who aren't on this week's show.

Because there are things they always do right, I keep coming back. They all shoot IDPA so there is a recurring focus on competition, training, and practice. Some of them are Glock guys, and they actually published the first Gen4 to Gen3 conversion chart I could find. They are also involved in Scouting so they talk a bit about training new shooters.

The show starts with the question, “What did you do this week with guns?” and each of them tells about their week. Then there are segments with news, emails to the show, and “Missfire Awards,” a round-up of miscues and gaffes, usually ending in a bad guy captured or worse. They always urge listeners to join the NRA, Second Amendment Foundation, and US Concealed Carry Association.

In addition to the regular segments, there is always a topic of the show. Some topics have included dry fire practice, IDPA competition, becoming an IDPA Safety Officer, taking new shooters, and various training classes they’ve taken. They also publish some videos of segments on the podcast, and they maintain a Facebook page as well.

I get a lot out of this podcast, and yes, I find myself laughing at a lot of what happens, and wincing at some of it. But despite the shenanigans, there is a lot of good information in this hour, and it’s time well spent for me.