Guns

So it’s dead…. but not gone

/ hsoi

Looks like Feinstein’s pet legislation is dead.

They know it’s polarizing, they know it won’t get through, so the “bigwigs” are basically nixing it.

So folks… please stop hoarding ammo. Those of us that actually want, need, and use ammo would like to get some. Classes are hard to teach without it. 🙂

But this isn’t the end of the road.

First, we don’t know what Reid will actually try to present on the floor. But he believes they will be proposals that will gain more support. So I guess the question remains: who is still willing to sell us out? None of these proposals will make any difference towards achieving their stated ends.

One proposal that keeps coming up that they think could gain traction is a ban or restriction on “high-capacity magazine clips” (quote from the above article… *sigh*.

“Families in Newtown and across the country deserve a robust debate on efforts to reduce gun violence,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said in a statement. “While the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 is an incredibly important part of this debate, I continue to believe that a more targeted ban on high capacity magazines is an equally effective way to reduce casualties in episodes of mass violence. I believe we need to have a separate floor vote on a high capacity magazine restriction, and I look forward to working with other senators in the coming weeks to develop a reasonable restriction on large volume magazines that can gain bipartisan support.”

Newtown… “won’t someone think of the children, because we’ll make you look like a heartless beast that wants children to be slaughtered if you oppose us”.

But the reality is, it won’t affect casualties. So many of the mass shootings have been slow and methodical. They will casually reload, and keep shooting. If they won’t reload, then they’ll just have more guns and reload by picking up another gun. And if not another gun, there’s far many more ways to inflict mass death and damage that doesn’t involve guns at all. So tell me, apart from making you feel good because you’ve “done something”, what are you actually doing towards solving root problems and not just taking a lozenge for the symptoms?

Here’s some irony out of the article.

“Our nation’s law enforcement officials know better than anyone what it takes to protect our communities from gun violence, and they know that background checks help save lives,” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, said in a statement. “They have dedicated their lives to protecting the public, and as Congress debates our nation’s gun laws, their voices deserve to be heard.”

Yes, the LEO’s know. And that’s part of why LEO’s want “high-capacity magazine clips”. It’s part of why LEO’s are constantly exempted from these sorts of bans and restrictions. If putting 10-round or 7-round limits on gun capacity directly correlates to a reduction in gun violence, then it should apply to LEO’s as well. Else, what’s your real motivation behind such a ban and restriction?

Background checks save lives. Maybe, maybe not. I think to some extent the system has worked, because I’ve spoken with a lot of guys behind the counter and heard some crazy stories about people who have tried to buy, filled out the 4473, got called in for a background check, and then had such a rap sheet that they dispatched police to come pick the guy up at the counter. So yeah, it can work.

But do you really think that background checks are going to keep guns out of the hands of people bent on death and destruction?

I mean, consider Sudafed. Look at what Grandma has to do to get medicine for her cold. But exactly how much meth production has been stopped by this “background check”? So do you think Joe Gangbanger selling a stolen gun out of the trunk of his car is going to do an NICS check? Tell me how this will do anything useful.

And folks… one thing to remember about a lot of Police Chief’s. They are politicians. They are many times the puppet of the city council and mayor. They aren’t elected, so they tend to serve who put them there. This is why you often find the Sheriff more favorable, since they were elected by the people. It’s been quite interesting to watch the past some months and see how police chief’s come out in favor of bans and restrictions, and sheriffs are not and in fact many have flat out stated they will defy orders to do things like confiscation.

So folks….

It’s the same old story. And it won’t go away any time soon.

It’s evident things are fading, and that’s good because it shows what people really want in this world: real solutions to our problems, not political agendas.

But it’s not gone. It’s not done. There’s still stuff on the Federal level, and there are still states trampling on freedoms with their emotional appeals and knee-jerk reactions. So, we cannot let up. We must still fight the fight.

But please, stop hoarding. 🙂  That way we can hold more classes, and bring more people into the fold. Teach them right, teach them well, teach them safely, and allow them to go to the range to practice. This is the sort of advocacy that will benefit us most in the long run. As Jim Scoutten says, “Shoot often, shoot safely, and share your sport!”

 

 

KR Training March 2013 Newsletter

/ hsoi

I’m a little behind in posting about the KR Training March 2013 Newsletter.

Schedule through the end of summer is posted, and I’ll say this… if you are contemplating taking a class, sign up now. Literally, now.

The current climate has had much impact upon things. Classes are filling up at an unpredicented rate. What classes are being offered is being greatly driven by demand; it normally is, of course, but not like this. It shows what’s on everyone’s mind. I’m not suggesting “sign up now” out of “fear drive”, but rather, reality of scheduling. For example, the April 20 classes weren’t full when I looked a couple days ago, but writing this post this morning, now they’re full. Truly, it’s just high demand for limited slots, so if you want to get one, you can’t dawdle.

The realities of the present climate have also had some other impacts.

NRA Instructor courses are being offered this summer (usually a January thing).

Numerous classes have had round-count adjustments. For example, there’s a new Defensive Long Gun – Essentials that’s a modified version of the regular DLG class, but since shotgun ammo is highly available, the class will be a little more shotgun-centric. We also had to raise the price of Basic Pistol 1 to help cover the rising cost of ammo.

Of course, just being summertime, other adjustments were made as well — such as starting classes at 8 AM. Please be sure to arrive before class starts so we can start on time. 🙂

Oh… and apparently now I’m lead instructor on some classes. Whee!

Pretty Swirls

/ hsoi / 5 Comments

At the end of a recent DPS1 class, we were doing the extreme-close-quarters drill. As I walked the line I noticed something different on one student’s target.

Click to embiggen

You’ll want to click on the picture to embiggen it and see the detail.

He said he was shooing Blazer (I guess Blazer Brass). And at that “contact distance”, the bullet was spinning (hooray rifling!), thus the air around was being spun, all the unburnt powder was coming out… and there you go.

Pretty nifty looking, eh?

 

AAR – KR Training 2013-03-09 – DPS2/AT-2/AT1-A

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Ah, the “big weekend”. KR Training can only do this twice a year due to the logistics of daylight, and it’s always a long but satisfying day.

We ran Defensive Pistol Skills 2, AT-2: Force-on-Force scenarios, and AT-1A Low Light Shooting. Had lots of severe rain threats, and while it was windy and cloudy all day, the rain didn’t happen. How typical. 🙂

I’m pleased to see more women seeking advanced training, with about 1/4 to 1/3 of the students in each class (depending upon class) being women. Ladies, do not fear force-on-force – it’s where you’ll get some of your best knowledge and training. It was cool to see Mr. & Mrs. Groundhog again, a few other familiar faces and friends, and also meet some new folks too!

All in all, the classes ran as these classes tend to run, so I will  address some specifics for the folks in those classes.

Move Fast(er)

Y’all need to move faster. The intent of these classes and these skills is to keep you alive in a life-threatening situation. If you were one of the people that stayed all day long, remember how quickly everything unfolded in the AT-2 scenarios? Once it was time to move, it was over in seconds. If it’s time to start shooting, you do NOT have time to waste. You need to move (off the X) quickly. You need to get your gun out fast. But then yes, slow down just a bit so you can ensure acceptable hits.

Watching y’all shoot throughout class, I know you have the skills to shoot really well — I saw it all morning long. When it came time to shoot the “3 Seconds or Less” drill, there were too many shots coming in more than 3 seconds. So y’all are close, and now you know what to work on. Yes, you still have to remain accurate enough (use a 6″ paper plate as a target, and hits on that plate are acceptable), you just need to move faster.

There’s a few specifics here:

Get out of the holster

Get a shot timer. If you have a smartphone, there are apps out there for this, so grab one.

Set the timer to go off at a random time (e.g. somewhere between 2 and 5 seconds after you press the “start” button). When the buzzer goes off, MOVE immediately and quickly to draw and present (i.e. all 4 steps of the draw). Don’t be sloppy, don’t throw the gun out there, be sure to acquire a good (enough) sight picture. You want to do it right. Start out doing it right, even if it’s slow, and work to bring up the speed.

Use the timer app and set a par time; that’s where there’s a second beep. The drill we ran had a par time of 3 seconds, so you can start there. On the start beep, draw and present, and get it done before the second beep goes off. If you cannot get it done in time, bump the time up and find out how long it takes you. If you can get it done, drop it down and find where you cannot do it any more. The point is, never rush it, always do it right. You are trying to find out how long it takes you to react, draw, and present — it’s just not easy to have something stop the timer (e.g. no “shots” to pick up, and it’s not good enough to have a second person watch and hit the stop button because their reaction time factors in). Once you know how long it takes you, work at that pace for a little while. Then drop it down a tenth of a second, and keep going. You must push yourself to go faster, and you may surprise yourself that you can go faster than you thought you could. Keep working from there. As Karl mentioned, a 1.5 second draw from concealment is great.

Another thing to help on time? slowing down to go fast. Click/tap, read.

Get rid of your crappy holster

Gear matters. You need good holsters, good magazine pouches, good belt, good gear helps. Bad gear hinders.

When in doubt, try Comp-Tac. They aren’t the only game in town, but if you’re not sure what else to try, try them, especially since they have a wide variety and fairly quick turnaround time.

Play the “what-if” game

For those that ran scenarios, be sure to play the “what-if” game. Start to create your rolodex of situations and responses, and remember that everything isn’t a nail.

Remember, maximize enjoyment of beer and tv.

Get rid of your crappy flashlight

You never cared or thought much about flashlights, until now. 🙂

Surefire, Streamlight, Fenix. There are others, but these will give you a good place to start. My current EDC is a Surefire E2D.

Anyways, a long but good day. We’ve all got some homework to do (including myself). Thank you all for coming out and spending your day with us. Hope we served you well, and we look forward to serving you again in the future.

I think you have it backwards

/ hsoi / 3 Comments

Tom Diaz at the Washington Post asks:

Why are the First, Fourth and Fifth amendments subject to erosion in the name of homeland security, but the Second Amendment is beyond compromise in the name of saving innocent lives?

and then he spends 2 pages railing about the need for gun control to save the lives of “won’t-someone-think-of-the-children”.

I’ll agree with him on one thing:

Our perception of the relative dangers of terrorism and gun violence is distorted. We don’t know it, and our leaders don’t bother to tell us.

And he’s right. Our perception of the relative dangers is vastly distorted, because when you have non-stop media coverage about a single event, it impresses strongly on your mind. But when you step back and look at the numbers, you find there haven’t been all that many people killed in mass shootings. Statistically speaking, more children die from accidental drownings and car accidents — but there’s no media outrage, no 24/7 coverage, and so yes perception is distorted.

So Mr. Diaz, are you saying “the media” is ‘our leader’? Because the mass media isn’t bothering to tell us either. They are taking no responsibility for providing a clear, logical, rational, and sound picture. Do they have to be so responsible? No, but then if you want such a proper picture, turn off the TV (and perhaps write for another newspaper).

I really think you mean ‘our leaders’ are our politicians.

They are not “our leaders”. They are our servants, only they forget it, never learned it, or because people keep referring to them as “our leaders” instead of the proper label of “our servants” they keep believing they are in charge of us and are supposed to tell us what to do and we’re supposed to blindly follow them.

Are they supposed to present us with a clear and proper picture? I’d say they have a greater responsibility to do so, and it seems Mr. Diaz thinks so as well. But I am constantly amazed at people that shocked at the corruption of politicians, then turn to the same corrupt politicians expecting them to help and have their best interests at heart.

What bothers me more, however, is I think Mr. Diaz has it backwards.

He is right that there’s something wrong with allowing the 1st, 4th, and 5th Amendments to degrade in the name of “security”. What bothers me most about his article is he is calling for the 2nd to be just as or more degraded. All in the name of “leveling the playing field” of “equality”.

You know how you can also achieve this same end?

By upgrading (or rather, restoring) the 1st, 4th, and 5th Amendments.

I too think it’s horrible that we’re destroying our Constitution in the name of (false) security. But instead of calling for further destruction, we should be working towards restoration… else we just continue down the path we’re already going down.

Take a Newbie Shooting Day

/ hsoi

There’s a new movement – Take a Newbie Shooting Day

It happens this Saturday, March 9, 2013.

What’s the purpose? From their website:

My goal is to first organize a nation-wide “take a newbie shooting” day where new shooters can feel welcome to come learn about guns and how to safely enjoy the shooting sports as much as us current gun owners, and then provide a framework where those interested in becoming a firearms owner can connect with someone in their local area for an introductory range trip.

A laudable goal for sure.

All the details can be found on their website.

KR Training: AAR – BP1 & DPS1, 2013 March 02

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

This past Saturday was another fine day at KR Training. This time we held Basic Pistol 1 and Defensive Pistol Skills 1. It’s a bit of an unusual combination for a single day, but demand for classes has been high, especially these two classes.

Karl was at the 2013 Rangemaster Tactical Conference and Polite Society Match along with some others, but John, Tom, Greg, and I stayed behind to hold down the fort.

The hard part about both classes? The current run on ammo makes it hard to do things. We had to restrict BP1 students to fewer rounds, merely to ensure we had enough to go around. It’s a hard time to be getting into guns. 😦

Apart from that, Basic 1 went over as it usually does. I ran a station with “small guns” like a Kahr CM9 and an M&P Shield. I also had a full-sized M&P. In the end, it seems the point was made clear: small guns have a point, purpose, and place, but they are not a beginner gun. At this point you are trying to learn how to shoot, so why learn on something that’s harder to shoot? why fight the gun while you learn the fundamentals? Get a full-sized gun, learn to shoot. Once you can shoot, then you can learn a more difficult platform.

Otherwise, BP1 ran pretty smooth.

DPS1 had a few hiccups… the biggest of which was as soon as we got on the line and started shooting, one student’s gun broke. I’m not 100% sure what went wrong, but he couldn’t seat the magazine into his Bersa Thunder. Upon inspection, there were springs inside the mag well, one side grip panel had become detached from the side of the frame. It was gunsmith time. Not sure how it happened, it was nothing obvious, but it was total failure. Honestly, I’ve not been all that impressed with the Bersa’s we’ve seen in class, and that trend continues. I admit I’m seeing a small sample, but I also see small samples of other guns like H&K’s and Sigs and large samples of guns like XD’s, M&P’s, and Glock’s, and just don’t see the same track record as I have with Bersa’s.

At least he found out about it here, instead of when his life mattered.

We offered to let him borrow our M&P Shield (the most similar gun we had), but he said he didn’t feel comfortable making the switch and such, instead opting to reschedule for another time. Fair enough.

Otherwise, class was class. Eyes were opened, old habits died hard, and people got an introduction to what it’s really like and what skills are really needed.

Weather was great. Life is good.

Should ignorant people be allowed to make laws and policy?

/ hsoi / 6 Comments

I have a serious question.

Should ignorant people be allowed to make laws and policy?

I’m sure to some it seems like a stupid question to ask. But I have to ask it, because I see so many people permitting the ignorant to make laws and policy, and I don’t understand why.

Noted firearms specialist and personal-safety expert “Shotgun Joe” Biden continues to dole out firearms and personal safety advice:

I said, “Well, you know, my shotgun will do better for you than your AR-15, because you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door.”

Full story (h/t TexasCHL). Emphasis added.

There’s more to the transcript, but I want to focus on the last part of Mr. Biden’s statement.

I’d like to hope one doesn’t need to understand the fundamental rules of firearm safety to understand how dangerous, reckless, careless, and potentially tragic Mr. Biden’s suggestion could be. If you have no idea what’s on the other side of that door, you have no business shooting through it.

Right now we have a terrible shooting story in the news, of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius being accused of killing his girlfriend. Apparently he shot through a closed door without knowing who was behind it.

*sigh*

There’s tons of other things wrong with Mr. Biden’s comments, both the current ones and ones he’s made in the recent past. I’m at a point where I just don’t know if Biden is that ignorant of firearms and personal safety, or if he’s that smart and is trolling.

Either way, is this a person that should be in charge of making policy? That should be in charge of writing laws? Even if he is that smart and is trolling, is that how a politician should behave?

There are those who claim men cannot speak about abortion because, as men, they cannot understand women’s health issues. There are those who would find it ludicrous for climate-change deniers to set our environmental policy. Or that fundamentalist Christians should have any say over public school science curriculum. If such demonstrable and obvious ignorance on a topic is so unacceptable, why is it acceptable here?

If we seek true experts, people truly knowledgable in the field, when it comes to solving problems… why aren’t we doing that here? I don’t think Mr. Obama nor Mr. Biden has called Massad Ayoob or Tom Givens. Why would that be? Why wouldn’t actual public safety experts be consulted here?

Just because the end may wind up meeting your agenda, I cannot see how you can condone the means for getting there. For if you set the precedent that it’s OK for the ignorant to mandate policy when the policy serves you, just remember… karma’s a bitch.

Gun Control = Elitism ? racism? classism?

/ hsoi / 7 Comments

In some areas, ordinary people of the wrong color, people who live in the wrong neighborhood and have the wrong kind of job — well, those folks are out of luck, and cannot legally own effective tools they might use to protect themselves and their families. They are priced out of the concealed carry market by abuses of “may issue” laws, or by the cost and difficulty of meeting the law’s training requirements, or by high bureaucratic fees. A fee that seems reasonable to a middle-class individual often falls far outside the reach of someone below the poverty line. A training requirement that can be easily met by someone with a high-status, 9 to 5 weekday job might be utterly impossible for a single parent working erratic hours at a low-status job. To put it bluntly, I oppose “reasonable” restrictions in this area because every law that increases the regulatory burden on good people, also creates unavoidable racist and classist effects in actual use.

– Kathy Jackson, on “reasonable” restrictions

It’s curious because many of those who seek “reasonable restrictions” and other sorts of “gun control” tend to also be those that are against racism, classism, and other sorts of social divide.

Then they promote it, through measures like this.

If there’s any one thing I value it’s consistency (which overlaps with integrity). I really don’t care what your political leaning is, your social leaning, just as long as you’re consistent about it. I don’t like bigotry, but I can respect a consistent and honest bigot more than someone who is selective, holds double-standards, and denies or is blind to their own bigotry. Yes, we all want answers, we all want solutions, but you have to think things through else those “unintended consequences” will bite you in your ass.

Why Colin and why not Evan?

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Colin Goddard was shot four times during 2007 Virginia Tech massacre that left 32 people dead. He now works with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Full Story

We are supposed to listen to and revere Colin Goddard because he survived the Virginia Tech massacre. That because he survived, he’s now to be considered an authority on gun violence and his opinion and angle is to be given (more) weight. Because he survived.

Evan Todd survived Columbine.

Why isn’t he considered an authority, especially since he was there at the watershed?

Why isn’t his opinion given weight?

Evan Todd and Colin Goddard are both survivors of similar horrific events. A big deal is made out of the appeals of survivors. So why is Evan Todd’s appeal ignored? And does that perhaps speak louder about the mainstream media and many politicians? Do they really care about the survivors? or do they only care about what they can leverage for their agenda?

FWIW, the above link to Colin Goddard came from the HuffPo, because it was a top result in the Google search. I plugged “Colin Goddard” into HuffPo’s local site search and received hundreds of results. I plugged “Evan Todd” into the HuffPo’s site search and received zero results.