The Legislature gave final approval Monday to a bill that would require out-of-state gun owners who seek a Utah concealed-weapon permit to first obtain a permit from their home states, if available.
The Senate voted 25-0 to accept earlier House amendments to SB36 and sent it to Gov. Gary Herbert. The House changes make it clear that out-of-state residents could apply immediately for a Utah permit if their home state does not recognize Utah’s.
As I mentioned before, I like this because it’s Utah fixing Utah’s problems, so hopefully that means Texas HB 356 can be withdrawn. I am going to drop a line to Rep. Burnam accordingly.
I am now (almost*) a certified instructor in NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home (PPOTH). In short, this is the NRA’s course for teaching private citizens how to draw a handgun from a concealed holster and use it as a last resort for self-defense.
I spent Valentine’s Day weekend working on this certification, because I love what I do and I do this for those that I love. It was long and intensive – 33 hours of training in 3 days. First we take the actual PPOTH course (14 hours), then we learn how to teach the course (19 hours). It was taught by Wendell Joost and Dave Burdett, hosted at KR Training.
The stated course goal:
To develop in students the knowledge, skills, and attitude essential for avoiding dangerous confrontations and for the safe, effective, responsible, and ethical use of a concealed pistol for self-defnse outside the home.
Students are expected to already know fundamentals of marksmanship and personal defense, as NRA Personal Protection Inside the Home is a prerequisite (there is also a pre-test that can be administered to waive this requirement). PPOTH provides important foundational material such as how to select proper equipment; proper mindset for concealed carry; dealing with the physical, mental, emotional, and legal aspects of concealed carry; and fundamental shooting skills for the context. The shooting skills build from the basics of drawing from a holster, to shooting multiple targets, use of cover, different shooting positions (e.g. kneeling, squatting, turning, basic movement). Even drawing from other carry methods like a holster purse. Yes… nothing like 12 guys struggling on the firing line not with how to shoot, but with how to carry and use a purse. 🙂 But it’s good because as instructors we can encounter students that don’t fit our personal mold, e.g. a right-handed semi-auto shooter. We could have a lefty shooting a revolver (note: 99% of revolvers are right-hand biased, and not very lefty friendly), we could have a woman who wishes to carry in her purse. We need to know how to work with these things.
Overall, the material in the PPOTH course is pretty good; we were pleasantly surprised. The material is nothing groundbreaking and isn’t on the cutting edge of carry techniques (e.g. it doesn’t mention the “cheek index” flashlight technique, which is de rigueur these days), but overall what’s presented and how it’s presented is quite solid. Yes, we came to learn and understand lots of “design by committee” and internal politics that went into producing this course, so I’d have to give it a B+ rating. There are a few little nits, printing errors, and stuff you can easily overlook and forgive. There are some inconsistencies, e.g. some shooting exercises reuse the “ready” command to mean two different things, so it’s best for any prospective instructor to reconcile the instructor manual and the range drill manual AND also run through everything outside of a class and add your own notes to ensure typos and omissions don’t catch you.
One thing that really bugged me was how during instruction they say:
You should never search and assess with an empty gun. Always reload before scanning and assessing the area. (Instructor manual, page V-15)
But then all the range commands during the shooting drills have you scan then reload. The instructor manual does attempt to excuse it by saying “However, for training purposes, when you exhaust your ammunition on the last shot of an exercise, do not reload before scanning and assessing.” (V-15) But this is bad! Page II-3 of the Instructor manual says:
The way you train is the way you will react under stress. This is why you will train to develop proper habits, such as immediately seeking cover.
I agree. You will fight the way you train. I recall a story of a police officer that was killed in the line of duty. The way the police department gun range operated, you shot your revolver, then you could not drop the empty cases onto the floor: you had to dump them into your hand, put them into your pocket, then reload. Well, this officer was in the field, got into a gunfight, and was killed. When the officer was found, he had empty cases in his hand because he was fighting like he trained: wasting time with range administrative nonsense instead of getting his gun and himself back into the fight. I don’t know exactly why the NRA chose to say one thing then train another – that’s bad. They should be training that if your gun runs dry, immediately get it back into action. The gun should be ready for action before you scan. If this class is out to introduce people to concepts, if this is the first time students could be learning such concepts, then we should be setting them up for success in everything we do and teach. We should be carving those initial neural pathways with the 100% right way to do things, not cluttering them up with administrative nonsense that won’t serve to help them.
I am making a big deal out of that one because it stood out to me, but that is just one. On the whole, NRA PPOTH is a good course and is generally full of good material. Material that, with a good instructor that cares enough to make the right corrections and spit-and-polish where needed, can make PPOTH into a very good course for teaching these concepts. I find PPOTH is a good introduction to all the factors that come into play when it comes to concealed carry. Couple that, at least here in Texas, with the Texas CHL course, tests, and requirements, and someone who wishes to carry a concealed handgun should have a good start on things. I say start because I highly encourage people to seek greater, deeper, and continuing education. Obtaining your CHL is just the beginning and should open the gate for more education.
One other thing I got out of the weekend? I’m embarrassingly out of practice. 😦 I know why… the job change has me down, stress, and so on. It’s no excuse, but it is why. But I am wanting to use it as motivation to not just get more practice, but to ensure I get out and shoot more because yes, it’ll be a stress reliever. The weather appears to be improving here too (the 3 class days had perfect weather), so maybe that means soon I can be back at the reloading bench getting to work on my .223 loads… but I digress. That said, I did spend most of the weekend shooting my snub revolver, and that was fun. 🙂
I’d like to thank Karl Rehn for hosting the event. I’d also like to thank Dave Burdett for coming down from College Station, and Wendell Joost for coming out from Seattle. It was a pleasure to meet and work with both of them, and I’m sure we’ll continue to cross paths in the future. It was cool to finally meet Dave Re, and we got to talking about a project to do together (stay tuned). And finally, I’d like to give thanks to Tom Hogel, for being my snubbie brother this weekend and always being there to bust my chops. 🙂
(*almost – just a matter of paperwork and processing; all the heavy lifting is complete)
Reams of data, mountains of evidence… it’s just difficult to convey it. Especially these days because 1. people are rather impatient and want their information right now, 2. we have so much data, we just can’t sift through it all. So what better than a picture to make it all clear.
Tam linked to a blog posting where they tested various loads against drywall. The intent was to address the common myth about what can and can’t go through drywall, thinking shotgun loads will have little penetration and rifles will go right through to the next zip code.
The Box O’ Truth has covered this many times. I’ve blogged on it too. But hey, I’m not going to deny someone a fun day at a the range. 🙂 Besides, more supporting evidence is always welcome.
Their conclusion? Same as the others: rifle rounds penetrated the least. Well-designed .223 Rem/5.56×45 NATO rounds will fragment and yaw. That’s how they do their damage, but it also means a dramatic loss of energy and penetration potential (after initial impact) thus all those over-penetration concerns are addressed. Buckshot? It just keeps going and going, and where do those pellets land? A hollow-point handgun round hits drywall, plugs the cavity up, and now it’s going to act like a ball round and just keep penetrating, no expansion to help slow it down. More info here.
So really, I know what conventional wisdom is, but it needs to be updated because the data and facts support it. Kudos for CTone for helping to spread that word. 🙂
But despite that, some myth remains. One commenter on CTone’s posting, Laughingdog, said:
Honestly, a shotgun really is the ideal choice for a home defense weapon for most people, but not for the bullshit reasons so many instructors give (e.g., won’t penetrate drywall, you don’t have to aim, etc.).
You can get a good pump action shotgun for less than the cost of a good handgun, and much less than the cost of a good semi-auto rifle. That pump action shotgun is also easier to operate than most semi-auto rifles. Most people can figure out a pump-action without a lot of help.
[…]
To clarify the point I was trying to make there. The average person is not going to spend the money on a good rifle. They also aren’t going to spend the time training with that rifle. So, for that type of person, a shotgun is a good choice, but not because of the myth that it won’t go through the walls.
Laughingdog, I’m not picking on you in particular, just you happened to say what a lot of people say. First yes, shotguns generally can be obtained much less expensively, which is something in their favor. But easier to operate? I’m not so sure. Most rifles are a simple point-and-click interface. If you want to talk inexpensive shotgun, that means a pump-action. While yes most people can figure out the notion of a pump, it doesn’t magically happen — you still have to have practiced with it. And when the flag flies, are you going to remember to “point-click-rack-point-click-rack”? And if you do, to not short-shuck it? People have trouble with flicking off manual safeties when the flag flies — especially people who don’t practice — so why would they remember to rack the shotgun? And how about reloading? It’s far easier and faster to drop an old and insert a fresh magazine, it’s far more cumbersome to reload a shotgun (which has such low-capacity to begin with). Don’t think your situation will require a reload? How do you know that (and it’s not just about number of rounds fired, what about malfunctions?) Take a look at the Magpul Dynamics Art of the Dynamic Shotgun video and you’ll see how complex the shotgun weapon system really is.
If you’re not going to train (and that’s a whole other matter), you really need the simplest manual of arms possible. When you eliminate the commonalities between a rifle and shotgun (e.g. both require flicking off a safety, both have to be aimed), the rifle is going to be simpler, in theory. I say in theory because the rifle could have some of its own issues, like holdover. But the decision of what tool to use is not as simple as “oh this one is better because of X Y and Z”. You have to choose the right tool given the context. That right tool could be a shotgun, that right tool could be a rifle, that right tool could be a handgun, that right tool could be something else. The best you can do is talk frankly about all weapon systems, give people information, then let them make the best decision that fits them. Corollary to that is if you then find out your decision wasn’t right, fix it; don’t be afraid to admit mistake or fix a problem or upgrade your situation… your life hangs on it.
I will say tho, Laughingdog did make an excellent case to use to dispel another horrible myth of defensive shotgun use.
I’m just glad I’ve gotten all of the other instructors at the range, as well as about half of the salesmen downstairs, to accept that bird shot is not acceptable self-defense ammo. Even the stubborn ones finally cave when I say two words to them to describe why bird shot sucks for that purpose: “Dick Cheney”.
Certain lots of recently manufactured 45 Auto ammunition may contain an incorrect propellant charge. Use of product from these lots may result in firearm damage and possible serious injury.
DO NOT USE PRODUCT FROM THE FOLLOWING LOTS:
38X628 through 38X765
38T491 through 38T414
If you have in your possession any 45 Auto with the following brand names and part numbers, check to see if your ammunition package contains the above lots: American Eagle (AE45A, AE45N1, or AE45A250), ChampionTM (WM5233), GoldMedal (GM45B), Hi-Shok (45C, 45D) and Federal Personal Defense (C45C, C45D).
THIS WARNING APPLIES ONLY TO THE LOTS LISTED ABOVE.
If you possess ammunition from any of these lots, or have questions concerning this warning, please call at 1-800-831-0850 or 1-800-322-2342 and ask for Product Service. Federal will provide replacement product and will cover the cost of returning the affected product.
Magpul Dynamics: The Art of the Dynamic Shotgun is a set of 3 DVD’s with over 5 hours of footage about how to run a shotgun in a combative context (i.e. this isn’t about shooting skeet, 3-gun, or duck hunting, tho some of this certainly could apply to those contexts).
This is the first Magpul Dynamics video I’ve watched. I’ve of course heard lots of hype and good reviews about the other Magpul DVD’s, so when this was released I knew I wanted to check it out. While I’m primarily a handgunner and didn’t care much for shotgun, over the past year I’ve found myself more interested and more drawn to shotgunning (skeet, dove hunting, personal protection). And while I appreciate sport such as skeet or hunting, my primary focus with firearms is for self- and home-defense. Thus, this DVD seemed right up my alley. Previously I looked at Rangemster’s Defensive Shotgun DVD; that is a good DVD, and I think it serves well for anyone considering a shotgun for defensive purposes. Magpul Dynamic’s DVD goes further.
NB: I purchased this DVD with my own money. There’s no gift, no payola, no kickback, no affiliation with Magpul other than being a customer and consumer of their products. So this review is my own.
What You Get
I purchased the 3-DVD set (it’s also available on Blu-Ray). The first two DVD’s are the meat of the production, with the third DVD providing supplemental material. Disc 1 covers foundational material such as zeroing, patterning, grip & stance, reload techniques, and how to do slug changeovers. Disc 2 covers transitions, positions, movement, and then provides numerous scenarios for LEO, gaming, home-defense. Disc 3 provides quick reference to the various drills and skills taught on the first two discs, discussion of hardware, and also outtakes and promotion of other Magpul Dynamics products.
Given the sheer amount of information (almost 6 hours) it took me a few sittings to watch it all the way through.
General Impression
Overall I’m left with a positive impression of the production.
The production values are high. Yes, sometimes it seems Chris and Travis are rambling and ad-libbing. That’s somewhat good because it shows there’s no rigid script (tho obviously there’s planning) and thus they have to be knowledgeable on the topic in order to produce this video. But sometimes I found myself wondering if they left something out, or maybe they could have spoken about something in greater detail.
That’s actually my biggest beef with the production: did things get left out? Granted, there’s already a huge amount of material here and to cover any more in any greater depth would be a monumental task. But did I miss it? No, because I already know what’s going on. What it says to me is this DVD set is not for a beginner. If you don’t know what a “red dot” scope is and what “dot size” is all about, this DVD will not explain it to you; Chris and Travis discussed the issue, but they didn’t define the issue. That sort of thing happened throughout the video: they’d mention a concept, or they’d touch on X, but never really go deeply into it. If you already know about X you can figure out how it applies to this context, but if X has never been defined or explained to you, you’re just going to have more questions. So I’d have to classify this DVD set as useful for people who grok guns, maybe you’re a handgunner or rifle guy, you understand a lot of what’s going on and what’s out there, but maybe you just haven’t used a shotgun much and want to learn more. Thus you’ve got background, just not specifically into this area.
If you want a good DVD on beginning shotgun, check out Rangemaster’s Defensive Shotgun DVD. Tom Givens does a great job of taking you from square one up to a point of basic proficiency. He touches on a lot of things that Magpul’s DVD does not, things that are essential for a beginner to understand (especially about patterning and knowing your shotgun and ammo). I would say if someone was a true beginner, first pick up the Rangemaster DVD then move to the Magpul DVD.
Oh… speaking of production? If you’re a pretty lady, you get a lot of attention from the instructors and a lot of camera time. 😉
Skill Impression
For me, the best thing I got from this DVD was their reload technique. Since I became interested in shotguns, I have searched for a good reload technique. I’ve seen so many different techniques, so many different justifications. But trying any of them, I still felt like I was fiddling and fumbling around. What Chris and Travis present here, especially their “combat reload”, I really liked. They presented a few flavors of that reload, but the “over the top” and keeping your hand in that position and overhand racking the foreend back into position? I liked that, a lot.
The Magpul guys were big on economy of motion and making sure everything logically worked and fit. They would demonstrate numerous approaches and technique because they understood that not everyone was in the same context or bodies would work the same way. Yes, they had their preferences and made those clear, but ultimately it’s about you and your situation and what works best. You must take this instruction for what it is, but really spend the time on the range to find out what truly works for you.
I also liked their “slug changeover” setup. Notice tho the inherent bias in that technique (at least in name). The general assumption is that your shotgun is going to be loaded with not-slugs, that buckshot is your primary, slugs are your secondary. Either way, the changeover technique was interesting. This was a time that really brought out the differences in shotguns, be it action type or brand. For instance, the Benelli M1 vs. the Remington 1100 were slightly different techniques. The Mossberg 500 vs. the Remington 870 were also slightly different techniques. In the end it’s mostly the same, but it shows that all gear is slightly different and you need to know your gear. If the gear doesn’t work change it for something else.
Aside: That mattered to me because I have leaned towards Mossberg shotguns. Main reason is they are more ambidextrous-friendly than the Remington, and that matters in my household. Justin T. Huang has written up a comparison of the 870 vs. the 500 and he raises a lot of additional good points for the Mossberg and where the 870 has problems. The Magpul DVD demonstrated one downside of the Mossberg in the slug changeovers. I also know Mossberg’s don’t have quite the aftermarket as Remington’s or Benelli’s. But this is the joy of the market: that we have so many choices and options. Don’t be a fan-boi and buy what the Magpul guys use because they use it. Find what works for you and fits your needs and context.
Back on topic… I like what they did with Disc 3, having the skills broken down so you could easily index to them through DVD menus and watch just the technique you were interested in. Full speed, slow motion, it was useful and saved you the trouble of having to dig around on the main DVD’s to find them. Buy yourself some dummy rounds and practice those reload techniques. One tidbit they added in that area was one-handed manipulations, which wasn’t really discussed in the main DVD’s.
Conclusion
Overall I liked the DVD. I think it provides a good foundation for combative shotgunning touching on fundamentals such as knowing your gun and ammo, pattering and zeroing, reloads and ammo manipulation, and so on. Yeah, some stuff might be questionable (I really don’t find myself wanting to shoot and move backwards), but generally content is good.
It’s no substitute for proper instruction from a live teacher.
It has made me want to reconsider some of my gear. I mean, getting a Vang Comp setup, maybe a Nighthawk Tactical shotgun… things like a rail for a red-dot, some irons for better shooting with slugs, a SureFire foreend, magazine extensions. There’s just so much! Gear does matter and can make a difference. But then, part of the appeal of a shotgun is that you can buy one for just a couple hundred bucks and you’re good to go. I think for now I’ll keep it simple and just continue my exploration.
Cabela’s is having their NRA weekend starting tomorrow (Friday Feb. 4) through Sunday.
I’m trying to find details on what will be going on, because they make it sound like there will be events and activities. Unfortunately I can’t find any specifics. *sigh*
I do know there are some discounts for NRA members. And if you’re not an NRA or TSRA member, I’m pretty sure you can sign up this weekend. You really should.
I need to head there myself. Got a few things to pick up, including some more 12 gauge dummy rounds. Started watching Magpul Dynamic’s “The Art of the Dynamic Shotgun” and I want to work on their reload techniques.
But Texas senators, still a bit edgy about whether security at the domed Statehouse is tight enough, huddled behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss what else can be done — even after several million dollars have been spent making the Capitol secure.
“I’m not a big supporter of having metal detectors at the Capitol,” said Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen . “If someone wants to shoot a senator or a lawmaker or someone else, they can do it after we leave the building at night. All this security is more of an inconvenience to the general public than anything, in my opinion.”
NB: Sen. Hinojosa has an A+ grade from the NRA — not all Democrats are anti-gun. And he’s right: what good is all this security at the Capitol building? What happens when you leave the building?
And that’s a key thing to consider. Why is there security at one building? What are you supposed to do outside that building? You know…. like the rest of us citizens. What makes those people within those walls worthy of greater protection? Why is their life more important than the life of my child?
…questions linger about the new Capitol security, which allows anyone with a concealed handgun license to bypass security screening at the doors.
Because guns are allowed in the Capitol for the first time, some senators have questions about what their staffs should do if someone with a gun comes into their office. What should lawmakers do if someone pulls a gun in the gallery during a session?
The interesting thing is the article demonstrates the ignorance of the lawmakers. They didn’t know about the cell phone alert service, they didn’t know about the buttons in the committee rooms that can summon assistance… and it’s obvious they don’t know that CHL-holders are good, law-abiding people. Yes, any group can have a bad apple, but on the whole CHL-holders are more law-abiding than the rest of the citizenry (yes we have data, search my blog because I’ve posted it numerous times before).
So what do you do if someone with a gun comes into your office? Well, where is that gun? If it’s like most CHL-holders, we’ll have it in a holster, on our belt, and hidden away. You’ll never know, and so what you can do is just go about your business like you do every day.
But if someone opts to go crazy well…. you could consider shooting back. I know many lawmakers have CHL’s and carry on the legislative floor. Or, you could be like the rest of the sheep and cower and wait to die. Fight or die, your choice.
The Capitol building should be like any other public ground: open and free, equal to all. It doesn’t have any special powers to ward off evil. Evil can happen there just like it happens in parking lots and sidewalks. If you care about your personal safety, take responsibility for yourself and be pro-active in what you can do about it.
I turn to Mossberg’s website; I see nothing there addressing the matter.
I turn to Google. A mixed bag of results where the only the conclusion is: no one knows but everyone thinks they do. It also makes you realize that no one took the time and effort to go to the horse’s mouth and find out. Well, I found one guy that did, but he sent an email, didn’t word it right, and due to that wording he didn’t really get the question answered.
Time to pick up the phone.
I sat on hold for a while. A long while. Man… their hold music is… terrible. 🙂
But once I got someone on the phone, I asked if their shotguns are drop safe. Yes they are. All of them, across their entire line. I asked “so I have one in the pipe and drop it on the concrete from 3-4′ up and it’ll be fine? won’t fire?” “Yes, sir”.
So there you go. At least today, according to the rep that I spoke with on the phone, all Mossberg shotguns are drop safe.
There are a lot of good articles in this one, especially the in-depth article about gun fit and ensuring you pick a gun that fits your hand best. The notion of “finger bicep” is a good one… read the article to know what that refers to.
I wanted to reprint one article from the newsletter:
On Christmas Eve in Memphis, a man whose initials were CB (name withheld for family’s sake) brought a semiautomatic pistol to the kitchen table. Apparently intending to clean it, he ejected the cartridge from the chamber, then removed the magazine, and put the gun on the
table. His wife, who was also in the kitchen, told him to put the gun away. In the process of picking it up, he swept his wife with the muzzle, which prompted a sharp response from her.
He protested that he had just unloaded the gun and it was therefore harmless. He said to his wife, “If it was dangerous, would I do this?” He then put the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. Of course, since he unloaded it incorrectly, it discharged, killing him on the spot. His funeral was Monday, Dec 27 in Halls, Tn.
I would be willing to bet a week’s pay that CB had never had any formal training with handguns, but “grew up around guns”. Here at the school we hear that constantly from ignorant people who don’t know how much they don’t know. If you have friends and relatives who own handguns and have “been around guns all their lives” urge, cajole, and berate them into getting some formal handgun training. This type of incident is entirely preventable.
Stuff From Hsoi 