Government Tools in the Office and in the Voting Booth

Many people think the government always has to have the newest and bestest. Let me tell you, they are probably thinking of the feds. Maybe things are different on the wrong side of the Mississippi, but that's not the way it is at the county level in the southwest.

I snapped this picture the other day as an example of tools still in use - a microfiche reader and a wooden handled, hand cranked microfilm winder. Note that this was as I passed through the computer mapping department. These aren't old bits of office equipment gathering dust in some corner or surplus that could not be sold off. This is normal, everyday stuff. The microfiche is so important that every office has a reader, sometimes, two, and this is only one of three in our area. When I started working for the county (just passed my sixth year anniversary) I thought they were joking when they started a description of a process with, "Go to the microfiche..." Nope, not kidding.

Anyway, when you hear about another trillion thrown to Wall Street bankers or about how much money may be sunk into a black budget or about a Speaker of the House wanting her own passenger jet liner and then wonder why your roads are bad and your schools can't afford books, think of this picture. Your tax dollars are being sent outside of your area to fund pet projects run out of Washington, D.C. We pay too much in taxes, and we aren't allowed to keep enough where we live.

So, we'll continue to muddle along, hampered by politicians - left and right - whose main concern is peddling to special interest groups. THAT is something the local and federal levels have in common. We'll continue to be denied the use of a calculator with a square root button or pens that don't clump because the budget is too tight. Elected officials will pontificate about non-existent problems with the environment or about giving the vote to illegal aliens, the new don't ask/don't tell demographic. And as I search for the number to the one place that just might know what a microfiche reader is and be able to repair it, I'll wonder how we got here.
How we got here is by trusting big money media, by dumbing down our education to the point where it's just not funny anymore, by abdicating our adult responsibility to the government, and by voting for the lesser of two evils... Survivor and American Idol have not helped. I really don't think the government should have, or at least usually needs, the newest and bestest, but there is an expectation to be efficient and to stay with the times. We can't do that when the government making the important decisions is on the other side of the country instead of at city hall, county chambers, and the state capital.

Do I have an answer? Nothing that will ever catch on: be informed and vote out anyone who believes in big government and who doesn't have a ten year track record of actually defending the Constitution.

I'm done voting for the lesser of two evils. Party lines mean little to me anymore. I'll vote for who is the small government conservative. Period. Throwing my vote away? I no longer think so. Evil is evil. If you get the lesser of two evils, you still get evil. It's time to separate the wheat from the chaff and find the few good politicians out there. They may never rise above all that is stacked against them, but they certainly won't if no one is ever willing to break free from the status quo money machine and it's christened candidates.

Re-arming the Russian Bear

In a prior entry, we looked at some of the aggressive posturing of Russia and wondered what it meant for the political future of the world.

Well, Putin hasn't slowed down. On 28 June 2007, MSNBC (and most other news outlets) reported a successful test of a new, Russian nuclear missile design, the Bulava M. It will be "seaborn," has a 6,200 mile range, and carry six warheads. Of course, "seaborn" means they ride around in a submarine, silent, very difficult to find, and able to suddenly show up at your doorstep without warning.

Yes, I know what you are thinking. A new missle? Do the Russians even have a sub that runs? With all the economic turmoil in Russia, can they scrape together enough coin to build anything new? I wondered the same things and did some checking. For years now it has been assumed that everything in the Russian military has been incapable of functioning.
In a flashback to Stalinist days of choosing weapons over food for the proletariat, Putin has in fact built a brand new ballistic missile submarine, or "boomer" for those of us who grew up reading Tom Clancy. Bellona.com wrote in December of 2004 that hull testing of a new submarine had been completed at the Sevmash shipyards. The Yury Dolgoruky would be the first of a new line of submarines, the Borey class, and completion was expected to be in 2006.

In April of 2007 Defense-Update.com wrote that the launch of the Yury Dolgoruky at Svemash was imminent and sea testing would go through 2008. Considering the speed at which government works, especially communist (face it, Russia is still communist) governments, they didn't miss the 2006 deadline by too much. D-U ends their article saying another two more Borey class subs are currently in production, with a fourth in the planning stages.
Building a brand new nuclear weapon and four brand new submarines in which to stick said brand new nuclear weapon goes a bit beyond the typical saber rattling for a country as strapped for money as Russia. This is a direct and deliberate move by Putin to put teeth back into the jaws of the Russian Bear.

Russia is in a terrible situation. They have no money, they don't have the means to develop their natural resources, they are in desperate need of oil, and they feel they have lost face with the world. At one time they were a great, ok, large, empire that made other countries quake. Russia give billions in supplies and arms to their allies and were capable of such destructive power that to make a move against Russia would be signing a suicide pact. Now, the old men who once looked forward to wielding such power and living in disappointment, eager to have the stature they were promised long ago. The younger men look back on the Cold War days with nostalgia, listening to the stories of when Russia towered over the West.

On top ego and poverty, Russia is also struggling with an emptiness, a void where the soul of their people once was. No matter your outlook or view of religion, Russia stands testament as the first society who actively lived with no belief in the spiritual. The back of the people has been broken and their is no faith for them to lean on. Apathy and despondence affect almost every aspect of their lives and the birth rate has fallen past the point where researchers believe a country can maintain it's own identity.

When a man like Putin surveys a landscape as barren as Russia, the response will be a forceful one. You make the world bow down, you grab your people and your enemies by the throat and you throttle them until they do what you want. Bush can be a star crossed lover and gaze into Putin's eyes as much as he wants, but when we call such men compassionate and trustworthy, we give them opportunity and space to do what they wish unmolested.

I'll end this with another bit of information for you to chew on. On 14 July, 2007, AXcessNews.com (amongst others) reported that Russia has pulled out of a key European Union treaty limiting the number of conventional forces a country can raise. Behind the new missiles and submarines, we have a growing army. How many countries have ever built up an army without the intent to use it?

SIG P226ST in .357SIG

SIG-Sauer is well known for their line of reliable and robust combat pistols. A list of their satisfied customers include the Secret Service, Air Marshals, Navy SEALs, Department of Homeland Security, British SAS, Army CID, and the Texas Rangers.

One of their most popular models is the P226. It was originally offered as a 9mm with an aluminum frame and stamped steel slide. It set amazing standards in both accuracy and reliability. They are not cheap, but they offer target gun precision with combat reliability. Later, the .40S&W and .357SIG were added to the line up.

As the name implies, the .357SIG was designed by SIG in an attempt to duplicate .357 magnum revolver performance in an pistol. The attempt was marginally successful, but more recent loadings have come very close to achieving the initial goal. Even if it isn't a perfect match to the magnum on paper, it is a very hot round that has wracked up an excellent record on the street and an amazing list of successes in the hunting field, a very unconventional place to find a semi-automatic pistol.
The version of the P226 you see here is one of the more unusual, though not terribly rare, is the ST in .357SIG. The “ST” designates a milled stainless steel slide, common to all current P226's, as well as a stainless frame instead of the more common aluminum one. This makes for a heavy pistol to carry, but one that is a joy to shoot. The extra weight takes the punch out of the typically snappy .357 round.

.357SIG ammo is expensive, over twice the cost of 9mm and about double that of .40S&W. Why use it, then? If you don't like the “small, light, hyper velocity” philosophy, then there probably isn't going to be much there to sway you. But, current self-defense ammo provides better hard cover penetration than the 9mm, .40S&W, and .45ACP due to it's velocity and sectional density. At the same time, it doesn't over penetrate in soft tissue, i.e. a person. If you want to use a heavy 147grn. bullet, you can push it along much faster than in a 9mm. And, if you want to go down to 115grns., 1500fps is achievable, typically faster than most manufacturers will push a 110grn. bullet out of a .357 magnum revolver. Most people and government agencies stick with a 125grn. load and find it to be a great all round choice.

Of the 125grn. offerings, the Speer Gold Dot is the most common. It uses a nickeled case to help extraction in abusive environments and the proven Gold Dot bonded bullet. Cor-Bon was the first to break the 1500fps barrier with their 115grn. Load and currently offer a 125grn. Barnes DPX bullet as their premium line. Double Tap Ammunition has a solid reputation with the 10mm crowd because DT loads to the maximum and seems to find an extra 100fps missing from other companies. And, they are some of the most reliable defensive ammo around,with fifty rounds selling for the same price as twenty from the other guy.

The P226 is one of my all time favorite designs. I have average-large hands and this SIG is a perfect fit. A person can gripe about the high bore axis, but that is typical of DA/SA autos. However, the muzzle flip that plagues guns with a high bore axis is virtually absent from all of the SIG line. Part of that is the excellent design of the grip frame, part seems to be magic, but no one complains about the result. Trigger reach is always an issue with DA/SA weapons, and here the SIG is running with the pack. The smooth trigger of the SIG (and the Beretta 92FS for that matter) are usually very smooth and light enough to be worked with precision, and not the “crunch/tick” of other designs. Think of it as more of a “slide/tick.”

You pay a premium for the stainless frame of the ST, but if you want an easy shooting gun for practice or competition, the benefits are worth it. Besides minimizing recoil, which minimizes dwell time between shots, the heavy frame should take a lot more abuse and last longer than the aluminum frames. And, if you want to explore the outer limits of handloading, the ST's are built like bank vaults.

An advantage of all .40S&W & .357SIG SIG's is that the arc of engagement for the extractor allows them to shoot 9mm, .40, and .357 simply by swapping out the barrels. In theory, this should be true for all .40 or .357 pistols with external extractors, but you will have to check out your particular model to see if it's feasible and if conversion barrels are available. For the record, you can't do this with 9mm guns because the breach face is too small.
The steel framed SIG's aren't for everyone, but if you want one, there's no reason to talk yourself out of it. They are just too nice not to like. It probably won't be your next carry gun, but then again, it might. The weight on your belt will also be the same weight that soaks up recoil and reduces that ever important dwell time.

"I think I need a gun...", Education and Training

Even world champions like Tiger Woods rely on constant training and education. Picking an instructor is important, but this won't be the last person you take a course from, so don't sweat the choice too much. The basics are just that, basic, and they are easily taught and easily learned.

When it comes to picking an instructor, start with one who is NRA certified. That doesn't mean they have a PhD in the gun, but it means that they have at least sat through a basic firearms course and taken enough interest in the subject to bother getting a certification. Second, if your state offers concealed weapons permits, find an instructor who is also state certified to teach those courses.
There are two ways to approach basic instruction. You can learn the basics of marksmanship and safety. This is the best way to learn. It sets a firm foundation for everything else. If you can't learn to hit the target safely, on the range, without the stress of someone trying to kill you, you aren't going to be successful at anything even resembling a combat drill.

The other way to learn is best reserved for those people with an immediate threat to their lives. You can quickly learn to shoot a gun well enough to defend yourself in probably 50% of the situations you are likely to occur. The sad fact is that this is the way most people approach firearms, and instructors are more than happy to take your money. A person needs to learn to walk before they can run, and fighting drills at speed is running. This approach is dangerous. A person who is just learning to handle a weapon is simply not going to handle it as safely when worried about other things.

If you are one of those people in the unenviable position of needing to learn self-defense shooting in an afternoon, there are ways to go about it. Dispense with all of the drills related to weapons malfunctions. You simply won't have time to learn and ingrain the proper responses. And, they take time away from learning how to hit your target and not shooting yourself in the process. If the gun fails, there is no way for you to know how to fix it. In all honesty, even the experts won't have the time to fix a gun in the “typical” gunfight. Things are just happening too fast. Second, forget drawing the gun. The fastest draw is having a gun in your hand. If you are surprised with the gun stored in a holster or purse, it's too late for the gun to save you. This is when knowing how to dig your fingers into an attacker's eyes pays off. Third, dispense with target shooting and focus on quick and dirty drills, nothing beyond 21 feet (7 yards), with most shooting done between 5 and 10 feet. That sounds really close, and it is. Most gun fights occur at 7 feet or less. The only other thing that should be focused on is basic weapons retention. At 5 feet, you don't want to essentially turn your gun over to your attacker, which you will be doing with the traditional, two-handed, eye level hold. That's it. Extreme close quarter shooting and fundamental weapons retention. I've spent more time on this than doing it right because few instructors understand the needs of compressed time. Most will try to fit their two day course into a few hours or show you the cool stuff they can do but that you'll never make effective in the short term.
I can't emphasize enough the importance of taking the basics first. If you want to pursue firearms as a hobby or serious pursuit, it's worth the time doing it right. And, even if this is equivalent of buying a fire extinguisher to you, you have the responsibility of learning what you need to in order to defend yourself and your family without being a hazard to anyone except your attacker.

Do I have any recommendations on who to go to for training? Yes, but these are people or schools notable on a national level. That doesn't mean you can't go. In fact, I highly recommend you do. But, unless you are lucky enough to have one of these in your backyard or live near a hosting range, it's going to require some travel.

The first, most well known, and the standard by which all others are judged, is Gunsite. Located north of Prescott, AZ, Gunsite was founded by Jeff Cooper in the 1970's. To tell you the significance that Gunsite and Cooper have had on the shooting community is difficult to encompass in anything short of a book. Every shooting school in the world – military, law enforcement, and private – teaches what they do because of the work Cooper popularized and pioneered from the 1950's and on. A person can never have even touched a gun in their life, drive through the gates of Gunsite, and leave five days later fully capable of controlling their environment and be years ahead of students who follow a more progressive approach to learning.If you can afford to go to Gunsite, don't even bother reading any further. Pay the tuition, take the time off, and go. Part of Gunsite's success is certainly due to a time tested approach of constant challenge and almost manic attention to detail. It isn't a place that those who want to dress up like soldiers are tolerated. It's not a survivalist school or a bunch of people talking about black helicopters and conspiracy theories. If you show up in fatigues, a low slung SWAT holster, spewing a bunch of military jargon without the badge or ID to show you warrant such things, you will be quietly pulled aside, explained the facts of life, and given the choice of shaping up or leaving. These are serious people and have a history of hiring those who don't suffer from the most common ailment among firearms instructors, an overinflated ego. People from Special Forces to soccer moms and everyone in between have been students at Gunsite. Don't worry you won't fit in or that it's an environment where you will be made to feel uncomfortable. I said they are serious people, and when it comes to shooting, they are. They are also polite, intelligent, and up beat who do what they do out of the love of teaching others. That sort of mindset has been critical to Gunsite's success. Another reason Gunsite works so well is that there are no distractions from the training. Even Prescott, the closest town of any size, is rather small. The student spends a week of what amounts to immersion in an environment that fosters self-confidence, safety, and control. Gunsite often says it is not a shooting school, but one that teaches a person how to resolve violent circumstances. (For those of you a bit hazy on your history, the Gunsite logo is the raven, not the German iron eagle.)

The reality here is that few people can, or are willing to, spend the money and take the time to go someplace like Gunsite. Luckily, there are quite a few good instructors and schools around, many of which take there show on the road, holding weekend classes at shooting ranges all over the country.

The biggest competitor to Gunsite is Thunder Ranch in Oregon. Unlike Gunsite which uses many instructors, Thunder Ranch is Clint Smith. Clint has had a successful career from Marine to cop to instructor at Gunsite to the head of the law enforcement program for Heckler & Koch firearms to writer to running his own school. I've never heard of anyone feeling their time spent training at Thunder Ranch was wasted.
Other names I can recommend are Gabriel Suarez, Ray Chapman, Ken Hackathorn, John Farnam, Massad Ayoob, Chuck Taylor, and Tom Givens. There are many other great instructors and many other large schools. However, be warned, those two concepts don't always go together. I could recommend against some schools and instructors, but avoiding the risk of slander, I'm just going to recommend you do a Google search of any school and instructor you are thinking of spending time and money on.
Anything you find by the instructors I've named is well worth a read if you are so inclined. The one book I think everyone should read if they keep a gun for self-defense is “In the Gravest Extreme” by Massad Ayoob. It was written specifically for the armed, average citizen. For those not trained or raised with the concept of force, or the legal fallout from it's use, this will be an eyeopener.
A basic tenant of all martial arts, and shooting is the only true American martial art, is to learn from as many people as you can, take what you can use from each, and dump the rest. Of the instructors I listed up above, each have their loyal followers and rabid detractors. Each side is probably right to one degree or another, but each instructor listed is a wealth of knowledge who has a lot to offer the motivated student.

Once you pay your money and show up for class, don't stay if you feel anything is unsafe or if the class turns into a brag session for the instructor. Depending how far you take your training, you will be doing things that now seem unsafe to you. Part of that is perception and part is that playing with the big dogs entails more risk. Don't worry, you are a long way from making those decisions. For now, if you just feel in your gut that you are being asked to do something unsafe, ask for clarification, and if it's not readily forthcoming or doesn't make sense, walk. Even if you can't get your money back, a few hundred dollars is cheap if it means you don't get hurt or killed.

At the very least, I recommend three classes, backed up by a few hours of private instruction if you feel you need more work. The first is the basic firearms class. This will teach you safety and the basic mechanics of shooting, loading, unloading, storage, and cleaning.

The second is your state's concealed weapons certification class, if applicable. Even if you don't plan on carrying concealed, take the class and get the permit. These classes usually focus on the legalities of using lethal force and very little on actually how to use your gun. Don't kid yourself, you need to know the legalities. Here, ignorance can lead to jail time. And, getting your permit even if you won't carry is good because it shows you've passed what the local government thinks you should know about using lethal force. It's hard for the government to argue in court against what the government has mandated be taught in it's certified classes.
The third thing to take is a basic combat (sometimes called tactical or self-defense) shooting course. This is where you will learn the complexities of how to manipulate a weapon at speed and under stress. Points on how to carry, how to clear malfunctions, reloading, and storage in regards to weaponscraft should be covered. This is where your real training will begin. You can follow this as far and for as long as you are willing to. Do yourself a favor, if you don't agree with an instructor, find out why he does what he does. He might have a better reason for doing it his way than you do for doing it your way. Then again, he might not. Either way, don't argue and do it his way for the duration of the class. After all, you paid to see how this instructor does things, not to get justification for doing whatever it is you are already doing. Remember, take what you can use, dump the rest.

Once you've taken the courses, you will need to keep in your practice. The first way is the most obvious – live fire. That means actually shooting the gun. And, shoot it in the way you would have to use it. Don't cock the piece if you won't be using it that way in an emergency. Some ranges will let you draw from a holster. If the range you are at will, make sure to include that in your practice. If you go out into the boonies to practice at am impromptu range, be courteous and safe. Cart it out if you cart it in, know what is going to stop your bullets and where they will end up (Rule 4!), be attentive for other shooters and where they are shooting in relation to you and you to them, and just use good sense. You've made it this far, don't screw up now.

Try to make it to the range once a month, but at least every other month. Shooting is a perishable skill. If you don't use it, you will lose it. And, this is a something that is not only fun, so it shouldn't be a burden to go, but a skill that you might have to stake your life on someday. You want to be able to do what is needed when the balloon goes up.

The other way to train is through dry fire. Dry fire is “shooting” the gun without any ammunition in it. All you are doing is working the action and pulling the trigger, letting the hammer or striker drop on an empty chamber, and do it again. Dry fire is great to show you how good your trigger control is and it lets you practice things such as draws and reloads in the comfort of your own home.
Dry fire practice has the potential of being highly dangerous and there are certain steps that should be taken to avoid an accident. First, you practice in the same place every time. This will avoid snap shooting at something in the house and keep you in the proper (read “safe”) mindset. Pick a spot, and that is the ONLY spot you will dry fire in. Now that you have your spot, go to another room. No live ammunition ever, every goes into your dry fire area. Pick a spot in the other room to unload your gun. Have a container for your magazines and/or ammunition. Once the gun is unloaded and you've checked it three times, literally, count the number of bullets in the container. Are there as many in there as there should be? If so, move into the other room and take up position in your dry fire spot. Check the gun three more times to ensure it is empty. Even go so far as to stick your finger into the empty chamber (or chambers, if a revolver). Never trust only your eyes. Now, commence your practice.

Your aiming point should be something which will stop your carry ammo. Bullets go through dry wall and many layers of wood. An old tube style television will typically stop a bullet and if you shoot your TV, well it's a lesson learned and you are only doing what bumper stickers have been urging for years. I don't know if the latest flat panels will stop a bullet or not, but I wouldn't trust them too. There are targets such as those from Safe Direction that are made of the same kevlar that bullet proof vests are made of. Obviously, this isn't a target you intentionally want to shoot, but it will stop a bullet if you make a mistake and your gun is loaded. They aren't cheap, but the peace of mind is worth it. You can even go so far as to laminate 16” inches of plywood together. No self-defense handgun bullet is going to penetrate that, not even close. Frankly, I would expect it to stop most rifle rounds.

The use of snap caps is a good way to prevent damage to your gun. Snap caps are dummy bullets that give the firing pin something to hit while you dry fire. Most guns can be dry fired many thousands of times on an empty chamber with no ill effects. But, a broken firing pin or burred breach face happens often enough that snap caps are a worthwhile investment. The obvious danger here is mixing up live ammunition and the snap caps. In order to avoid this, you keep the snap caps only in your dry fire area and far away from the live ammunition you unloaded in the other room.
Twenty minutes of dry fire is fine. You probably aren't going to stand doing it much longer than that anyways. Shooting is fun, but dry fire is the treadmill of firearms training. It's dull and something you just need to put your time in on.

Now comes the most dangerous part of dry fire practice, the end. Many people at this point reload their gun. Unless you are in a combat zone, allow yourself at least a half-hour of “cool down” time. What happens is that a person finishes practicing, reloads their gun, and then suffers from “one more time” syndrome. They automatically repeat what they have been repeating all along. Many, many unintentional discharges happen this way. One of the big gun writers from the 1960's accidentally killed his best friend through such a mistake. The Four Rules apply here just as much, if not more, as they do anywhere else.

As with anything you do in life, you need training and you need to keep up your skills. If your gun is only going to be a piece of safety gear to go along with your door locks, security system, smoke alarms, seat belts, and the rest, you still need to stay proficient. This may seem an undue burden, a condition put out by an obvious gun guy, but I think it's a very valid standard to hold you to. For one, if you find yourself in a position where you need to shoot a person, you need to make that shot. If you don't, you or a loved one will die. If death or grave bodily harm isn't going to occur if you miss the shot, then you shouldn't be pulling the trigger.

After a shooting, the court is going to hold you to being a responsible gun owner. Heavens forbid the worst happens and one of your shots hits an innocent bystander, the court is going to consider you irresponsible for using a gun when you didn't have the skills to do so in such a way as to not prove a danger to the public. Even experts miss, and fighting for your life is going to be the most stressful conditions under which to shoot. But, not maintaining your skills will be seen as irresponsible.

If you find an instructor you like, take a few extra courses. They will also be a good source of advice for what gun would work well for you. Getting instruction in one area where you can put in too much research. Find someone who looks good and jump in. This is the time when theory and thought needs to turn into action. If you pick wrong, then you know not to go back. If you pick right, then you found a good instructor you can use for other classes.

"I think I need a gun....", Kicking the Tires

Alright, you've now memorized the four safety rules and you have given some consideration as to how you want to employ and use a gun. The urge is to go out looking and talk some shop with the gun store guys, handle a few handguns, toss a shotgun to your shoulder, and get a bit real with this instead of only reading about it.

For the uninitiated, allow me to share a few thoughts from someone who has spent a lot of time on both sides of the sales counter.

The bad news first: at least 85% of gun store employees have no clue what they are talking about. The jobs are low paying and unless you find the true enthusiast willing to work for peanuts, you are probably going to hear a lot of baseless opinion. I said they don't have a clue, I never said they know they don't have a clue. Face it, it's a testosterone laden environment. You are going to run into plenty of posturing and gruff talk. It's not unlike a construction site or locker room in that aspect. The inherent problem is that the average American male thinks he is born knowing his way around guns, cars, and the bedroom.
Things are slowly changing. The newer and more modern shops do a better job treating the new buyer like a human being rather than someone who needs to be educated on "the way things are." I like to patronize the smaller, local shops as much as I can because I support small business. Surprisingly, you don't tend to pay more for guns and you can get some very good personalized services. The larger stores such as Cabela's and Sportsman's Warehouse get national pricing structures and so aren't able to drop prices to compete. What the little store will never be able to compete on is selection. There are so many different guns, it would be a budget buster to carry every variation. However, every store has at least one wholesaler on speed dial and they will be happy to order anything you want. Often you can negotiate a substantial savings on special orders. Hey, it's a sale they wouldn't otherwise make, it will never sit on a shelf so it will be an instant return on their investment, and shipping isn't going to cost extra if you let them combine it with their next order.

One very good thing about gun shops is that they are used to lots of people "just kicking the tires" and looking at the toys. This isn't like a car dealership where high pressure is typical and everyone coming through the doors is going to buy a car someplace. Guys like making the rounds of the local stores. Feel free to walk in and look around. Talk to some people, ask to handle a few guns (pay attention to see if the employees and other customers follow The Four Rules, I think you'll find you are already way ahead of most of the "experienced" shooters.)

Don't be afraid to ask questions. The guy behind the counter may not know anything, but then again he might very well be a font of untapped knowledge. I worked in one shop where almost everyone was a well educated specialist in their area of interest. I worked in another shop where everyone thought they were well educated specialists. Either way, you have nothing to lose by asking. No matter the knowledge level of the person behind the counter, the majority of them are happy to tell you their view on things.
I have to say that on average the firearms community is by far the most courteous and well mannered group of people you will ever meet. But, just like with the arrogant car salesman, sexist mechanic, and know-it-all computer geek, the gun world has that occasional person who will just cross you sideways. Egos and self-perception can get wrapped up in things. This seems to be especially problematic with instructors, something of a vaunted position with the gun shop crowd. If you do run into the bad apple who is condescending or suffers from an overblown opinion of themselves, just walk out. Don't feel bad. It's just part of the human condition that shows up in every walk of life.

Because gun shops are where the local shooting instructors work and/or advertise, ask around for opinions on introductory courses offered in your area. Look for those with NRA certification. If your state has concealed weapons permits, find an instructor who also teaches those classes.

There are a number of indoor shooting ranges around the country. I have yet to see one that doesn't offer gun rentals and at least a minimum level of retail sales. If the temptation to touch off a few rounds is jut too great to resist, rent a gun, buy some ammo, have them show you how the gun works, mutter The Four Rules to yourself, and put some lead down range.
We haven't talked about how to shoot a gun. I could write volumes on the different ways of doing things, what I think is best, and so on. But, I'm going to leave that to your instructor. You will get more from one-on-one than you will from anything you read. Once you have a bit of trigger time, you will get a whole lot more from reading than you will now. I am going to cover three very important things you should know about how to shoot and that will get you started.

First, use the sights. "Sights" plural because they consist of two parts, a rear sight which isa notch, and a front sight which is a post. If you can't figure out where they are located, you honestly shouldn't own a gun. There is huge debate about whether a person should use the sights or should point shoot, pointing the gun at the target and shooting. Point shooting can be done effectively, but it takes talent backed up by a tremendous amount of practice. We don't know if you have the first, but we know you don't have the second.
In speed matches where tens of thousands of dollars at stake, competitors all use sights. The most highly vaunted special forces hostage rescue team in the world, shooting more in a week than most people do in five years, the US Army's Delta Force, have a reputation for using the sights (though I had the tremendous luck to run into a a member who did amazing things with point shooting, how did I know he was Delta?, because all the clues fit and he would never say what he did in the Army, hint: anyone who brags about being part of a covert force isn't and never was.) Big game hunters facing down charging lions, upset cape buffalo, or a bear protecting her cubs all use the sights. What do these people have in common? They can't afford to miss the shot. Neither can you.
Second point: when using the sights, you have three different focal plains. Your eyes can only focus on one at a time. Be aware of all three, cut the target in half with the front sight, center the front sight in the notch of the rear sight, buy physically focus on the front sight. Why? Because that is directly above the muzzle and is telling you the very last part of the gun the bullet will touch while headed down range.
Third: the trick is to work the trigger smoothly. Pull straight back, don't rush things, work on keeping the front sight on target while you move the trigger without moving the gun. Slow and easy is the rule. Don't grab the gun with your whole hand. All that should be moving is your trigger finger.

You can't learn all there is to know with only three steps. Shooting is something that is easy to learn but takes a lifetime to master. Right now, you have The Four Rules memorized and hardwired into your thinking. You have a few basic shooting tips. You can safely shoot a gun and have a moderate level of success. Honestly, you will probably get more out of waiting for your first lesson, but sometimes you just want to jump to the end of the book.

The one thing I would urge you to wait on is to not buy a gun quite yet. Take a few lessons, think about what you have learned and how, if at all, it affects your initial ideas of what type of gun to buy. Then, spend the coin to rent a few guns and see what you like. You will have to eat the ammunition cost. It's the gas the gun runs on and the dealer has to cover their overhead on each piece of inventory they carry. But, the rental cost of the gun(s) can often be a negotiated item since the guns are a resource which continues to pay for itself over time. Most shooting ranges will apply the gun rental cost towards a gun if you by it from them. If they don't have what you want, remember the magic of the special order. Yes, you want to walk out with the gun in your hot little hands, but savings can be found in delayed gratification.
Have fun looking around. Don't take anything personally, apply a liberal pinch of salt to anything that doesn't sound right, and remember that this isn't a purchase that should be rushed. If you need a gun RIGHT NOW because of a specific threat, do what you need to do to survive. Realize that owning a gun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a pen makes you a novelist.

"I think I need a gun.....", Reviewing the Hardware

I do want to address some of the mental and moral issues one needs to settle before arming themselves. But, since the last entry was a bit of lecture, I thought we'd focus on the hardware today. We want to get our grubby little hands on the goods, right? Ok, so let's look at a few different options in a few different categories, and then you can decide which category you fit in. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

The perennial question is, "which gun should I buy?" Without any other information about you, your size, your experience, you needs, and you desired uses for the gun, I'll ante up with what I recommend more often than anything else: the Glock 19.
If you search through this blog, you will find a write up about the Glock 17. The G19 is the exact same gun except that the barrel and grip frame have been shortened a bit. That little bit of length takes away part of the lower swell on the backstrap, making it more friendly to people with smaller hands. And yet, people with big bear claws are still comfortably using the G19.

The Glock has a very simple and consistent manual of arms makes it easy for people to learn how to use, it holds 15 + 1 rounds (15 in the magazine, plus one in the chamber), it's small and light enough to easily carry and yet large enough to be easy to handle, it is very tolerant of user neglect, it is virtually impossible to make rust, it is one of the most reliable gun ever made, it's low bore axis helps tame recoil, the 9mm cartridge is more than adequate for self-defense and yet is easy to shoot, the ammunition is cheap so that a person will practice, and the initial buy-in to the pistol is very low when compared to other tier one fighting handguns.

Phew, that's one heck of a run on sentence, but it's exactly why the Glock 19 is so good - there are so many things that make it a good choice. If anything cab be called a volkspistol, this is it.

Now, the Glock 19 is a semi-automatic pistol. The quick and dirty definition is that it shoots once for each pull of the trigger and feeds ammunition off of a removable magazine (not "clip") that rides in the grip frame.
A double action revolver is often recommended for the beginning shooter. A revolver has a captive (not removable) cylinder which typically holds between five and seven rounds. With each pull of the trigger, the cylinder rotates, bringing a new cartridge into the firing position. Double action simply means the gun does not have to be manually cocked for each shot unlike the revolvers John Wayne used to win the west in so many movies.
The advantage of the revolver is that it's very simple and has a long, heavy trigger pull. In theory, that long, heavy trigger pull will make it more resistant to you working the trigger when you shouldn't. I'm not convinced of that. In reality what it does is make a gun that is difficult to shoot for the average beginner. With the advent of simple and reliable pistols, I think the revolver, with a few exceptions, should be relegated to the status of an advanced weapon.

If you absolutely refuse to train with your gun, then a revolver is a good choice. You can leave it loaded for decades, pick it up, and it will go bang. Now, you shouldn't buy a gun if you aren't going to take the time to learn how to use it, but some people are going to do what they want to do no matter what someone else says. Smith & Wesson and Ruger make the best revolvers, Taurus wheelguns aren't too bad and are cheaper than the Smiths and Rugers.

You say you won't be carrying the gun, that it will only be used for home defense, and you want something that is easy for your wife to use when you aren't there? Easy: buy a shotgun. Long arms - rifles and shotguns - are much easier to hit with than a handgun. Don't believe the old adage of "you can't miss with a shotgun." You most certainly can. When fired, the shot pellets progressively spread once they leave the barrel. But, at room distances, they are only going to have opened up to the size of your fist. What makes them easier to shoot accurately is that the gun is mounted to the shoulder and you are looking right down the barrel.

There's no need to go with the biggest and baddest when it comes to shotguns. A 20 gauge will do everything a 12 gauge will at combat distances. (The smaller the number, the more powerful the shotgun). Buckshot, a loading with a few very large pellets, is the traditional fighting choice for shotguns. But, it's going to go through lots of walls if you miss and, frankly, you don't need that much punch. You aren't in the military hunting down people in a jungle and you aren't a police officer trying to stop a bank robbery. Darn near anything that goes bang in a shotgun will work for the homeowner. The one caveat is if you live in very cold climates, regular birdshot might not make it through a heavy winter coat. In that case, I would recommend some of the smaller buckshot like a size "4" - don't worry the guy in the gun shop will know what you are asking for.
Do not buy one of those mean looking shotguns that only have a pistol grip. You want something with a full stock. Pistol grips are for people who want to look cool or experts who have a specific need for the shortest shotgun they can get. You want a full stock that you can put into your shoulder.

I am a big fan of the youth sized 20 gauge shotgun for home defense. The shorter stocks and barrels make them easier to use inside a home, they are more than powerful enough, and they don't look like something Delta Force carries around Baghdad. If you are pushed to the extreme and forced to shoot someone, you will be spending some time in court no matter how justified you were. That wood stocked, small shotgun is going to look very benign to the judge and jury. Forget the facts, perception counts a great deal in any legal proceeding, and no one spoiling for a fight picks a child's gun, right?
A pump action is the cheapest and has a bone-chilling sound with the action is worked. Everyone knows that sound and countless lives have been saved by the bad guy simply turning and running away when he knows a shotgun has just been added to the equation. I was about 13 when, home alone with my little sister, a man tried to break into our house. Dad's shotgun came out of the closet, a few shells hastily shoved into it, and I went out to confront the home invader (not the best tactics, but I've always been aggressive and I was 13, so give me a break). I waited until the guy saw me, pumped a round into the chamber, and he disappeared like a ghost. Impressive stuff.

A semi-automatic shotgun takes a bit more care to keep lubed and more attention in choosing the ammunition because, like a semi-auto pistol, requires enough recoil to work the action. Semi-auto shotguns are also more expensive. Once up and running, they recoil less and are easier to shoot.

You want to carry concealed, want a full powered gun, but don't want to carry around a boat anchor? For "full powered," the starting point is 9mm. We'll cover calibers and ammunition later, but if you want to search the web and look at stuff, stick with pistols in 9x19mm, .40 S&W, .357 Sig, .45 ACP, or 10mm.

Well, we've already covered the Glock 19, still a great choice, but Glock makes lots of other guns, anyone of which is a good choice, so check out their website.

There is an entire slew of 1911 style pistols to choose from. These are basically updated versions of the pistol used by the US military from 1911 (hence the name) until 1985. 1911's have a cult following because they are usually chambered in the all American cartridge, .45 ACP, and because they are so easy to hit with it's almost magic. Sadly, this cult status has tended to allow manufacturers to not pay as much attention to quality control as is needed to sell other designs. Guns from Smith & Wesson, Les Baer, and Springfield all have solid reputations. Beware, the 1911 is on the expensive side of things. Personally, I wouldn't even consider one with less than a 3.5" barrel, even better, nothing under 4". Less than that and the physics just work against a person and the guns tend to be very finicky about working properly.
Sig Sauer is a personal favorite manufacturer of mine. The US Secret Service, Air Marshals, Texas Rangers, Department of Homeland Security, and Navy SEALs can't all be wrong. A medium sized Sig is the P229 and their small, thin offering is the P239. Either one will serve you well.
This is a good point to address how a lot of manufacturers address the carry gun market. They take a fullsized model and chop a lot off the barrel and a lot off the grip in order to shorten everything up. Done in moderation, as with the Glock 19 or Colt Commander 1911, this can tidy things up and make a nice carry gun. However, some manufacturers go overboard. There is no real point in shortening a barrel other than to shift the balance rearwards. If you carry a gun on your belt as 99.99% of those who carry do, the barrel is riding parallel to your leg. It's not difficult to hide and shortening things up too much can cause a gun to be prone to malfunctions. Shortening the grip frame makes more sense as that is what will "print" or push against your clothing. There is a trade off to be made here. The shorter the grip, the better it hides. The longer the grip, the easier the gun is to draw and shoot quickly and accurately. Beretta and Heckler & Koch are both notorious for shortening things up far too much.
Kahr Arms makes small, thin pistols and has an excellent reputation for quality. They come with either steel frames or plastic frames. The steel recoil less because they are heavier, the plastic is easier to carry because it's lighter. You will have to decide which is more important to you. I'm intrigued by their new line of .45's, but haven't had a chance to get any actual trigger time on them. Hmmmm, do I sense another gun purchase coming on?
Smith & Wesson makes many types of pistols and revolvers. Their 1911's are some of the best of the bread, but they also make series of pistols that are aimed more at police. Their new line is the M&P, which stands for Military and Police. They are a competitor to the Glock and coming in late to the game, they have the advantage of seeing what people wanted and how the design could be improved. They M&P line still has to prove itself in extreme duty situations (think commando teams covered in mud - in other words, not either of us), but they are some of the most comfortable guns around. The "compact" M&P's are slightly smaller than a Glock 19 and all M&P pistols have interchangeable backstraps so they can be tailored to fit anyone's hand. I'd carry one in a heart beat and think they are one of the most interesting new guns on the market.
Springfield Armory, already mentioned as making 1911's, also has a Glock competitor. Theirs are the XD's, made in eastern Europe, but have a sterling reputation for both reliability and durability. Many shooters love the way they fit in the hand. Personally, they don't work for me, but give them a look, they may very well work for you.
There are other guns you can choose from, but those are the main players without going to full-sized service pistols or to tiny pocket guns.

When it comes to hot weather and casual clothes, pocket carry has a lot to offer. You will be going down in power and size, but a .38 in the pocket beats a .44 mag back at home. Being so small, they tend to be much more difficult to shoot, but at halitosis range, you have bit of leeway. I'll be dedicating a column in this series on different aspects of carrying concealed and we'll go into more considerations at that time.

In the pocket gun category, the all time champ and reigning king is the Smith & Wesson J-frame revolver. They are most often found as five shot, .38 Specials, but other cartridges are available. This is the biggest exception to my "don't start with a revolver" rule. The advantage of the revolver for pocket carry is in the arching design of the grip frame. Stick your hands in your pocket and that arch makes it come up to greet your hand and be the first thing you touch.
Taurus makes similar revolvers for those on a tighter budget.

When it comes to small, full power pistols, there are only two worth considering: Kahr and Kel-Tec. The Kahr is a much better made piece of equipment, but the Kel-Tec is much cheaper. You will have to decide how much you want to spend on life-safety in order to protect you and your family. The Kel-Tecs do work. Usually.
That's the gambit for most people concerned with self-defense. Don't worry about all that ammunition jargon, you'll pick it up with time and I'll address it shortly on the blog. If you are worried about how to carry and how to safely store your guns in order to keep the little ones in your home safe, don't worry about it. Think about it, but don't worry about it. You aren't the first person with these concerns and I'll go over some of the most common and effective solutions.

Now, keep reviewing the four rules of gun safety, because they always come first, no matter what gun you pick.

"I think I need a gun.....", The Four Rules

I never meant for this blog to be a place to introduce beginners to a few of the more important things in life, but then I never meant for it to be a place that only experts would be able to comprehend, either. As it is, pretty much every thing posted so far has been of an introductory nature, because those are the questions that friends and family have asked. And, I think that's great. In fact, I think that is going to help out a lot more people than breaking down the dynamics of different shooting stances or looking at the voodoo science of wound ballistics.

So, for one reason or another, you feel that now is the time to buy a gun. This always starts with the same question, "what gun should I buy?" This is, to put it mildly, putting the cart before the horse. For one thing, you haven't said what you want a gun for. There are all types of guns for all types of activities. Bird hunting, small-medium-large game hunting, practice, plinking, uniformed duty, wilderness defense, urban carry are just a few different things requiring a gun and they all need a different gun. Yes, there are shades of grey there, but just accept the point that a user needs to be specific about what the end use will be.

As my background, training, and experience is predominantly in the individual, civilian, non-law enforcement use of the firearm, that's what most of the inquiries have been about. So, let's assume you are Joe Average Guy and you want a gun that you can use to defend yourself and your family. Ok, now we have an end goal in mind - making you a responsible, armed citizen (which is exactly what the Second Amendment embodies, I may add.) Photo from Garrity's Gunleather
Cool, so when do we go look at guns? You want to do this right, right? If not, you probably should stop right here, because I'm fairly rigid about safety, knowledge, and training. You don't say, "I want to SCUBA dive, what regulator should I buy?", or "I want to sky dive, what parachute should I buy?" Of course you don't say such things, that would be foolish. You'll end up killing yourself if you simply strap on a air tank or parachute and step into the blue. You have no knowledge or skills and you are going to be undertaking a rewarding journey, but one that is dangerous if you mess up.

In fact, not messing up is the very first thing you need to learn. This is also called "gun safety." Learn it, live it, breath it. You had to learn how to drive a car and work with power tools, you have to learn to do this and that takes time. That's ok, don't sweat it, will get through this together.

When you buy a gun or read a list of gun safety rules put out by the local game and fish department, the lists go on and on. I've seen lists that have surpassed forty items. That's crazy. Memorizing and implementing all of that would be like working for the French government, onerous and ineffective. In fact, all of those rules have been distilled down to just four. Anyone can learn and use four rules. These rules were made up by men who dedicated their lives to teaching others about firearms, from beginner to advanced, from civilian to Special Forces. A man named Jeff Cooper hammered these four rules home for decades and they are law.

You will find those rules at the top of my page. They are so important that if anyone only glances at my blog, at least they will see the rules. The rules are self-explanatory, but we'll cover them in a bit more depth.

Rule 1: All guns are always loaded. This can be taken literally or figuratively. An unloaded gun is going to be about as much use as a car without gas. For a gun to be effective, it has to be loaded (we'll cover safe storage farther along in this series.) But, what this rule really means is that all guns you see, no matter the context, are loaded until you have it in your hands and personally make sure it is empty. A gun shop sales person takes a gun out of a display and hands it to you, you check it. Well, it was in a display, of course it's unloaded, right? I've personally come across two guns that were loaded in the case without the staff knowing. A customer had slipped a round into the chamber as a joke, the sales man hadn't noticed and hadn't checked it before returning it to the display. Photo from The Martialist
The sales man violated Rule 1. The first thing you do with a gun is check to see if it's loaded. If that gun leaves your hand for one instant, you check it the next time you are in physical possession of it. You see another person check to see if it's clear and they hand it directly to you, what is the first think you do? That's right, you check it.

Even if you pick up a gun you want to be loaded, you check it to make sure it's loaded and in a ready condition. I had been traveling in a state where a gun could have a loaded magazine, but not be chambered. Upon entering a more friendly state, I slipped the gun in my waistband and went on my business. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I hadn't chambered a round. Why hadn't I? Because to me the gun was loaded, but I didn't check it's state of readiness. I assumed something and I was wrong. We all do it, but learn from others so that you make fewer mistakes.

Rule 2: Never point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy. This has been described as imagining a laser beam coming out of your gun. Don't let that laser hit anything you wouldn't be willing to have vaporized. This rule is a bit misunderstood and some people become rather dogmatic about it. The fact is, your gun will cover things you don't want destroyed. In a holster, it's pointed at your body. While drawing, it's pointed at your feet. When handling it, it's going to be pointed at something in the room.

I don't know about you, but I really don't own anything that I'm dying to put a hole in, ergo the gun will be pointing at something I don't want destroyed. What this rule really means is to practice muzzle discipline. The muzzle is the end of the barrel where the bullet comes out. Even if you have followed Rule 1, the gun should never, ever be pointed at someone. That goes for sick jokes as well as carelessness. If you wife (or husband!) is in the kitchen peeling potatoes and you are cleaning your gun, it should not be pointed at your culinary disposed spouse for even a moment. To allow a muzzle to swing across a verboten object is termed "sweeping." Talking with friends and doing some show and tell, the guns never are pointed at a person. If that means doing weird contortions with your hands and wrists, then you do so.Rule 3: Keep your finger off the trigger until you gun is pointed at something you are willing to destroy. This is The Golden Rule. Break all of the others, and nothing bad will happen if you follow this one. Despite what television has taught you, a properly maintained gun will not go off if it is dropped. The one and only way to make a gun fire is to make it's trigger move backwards when a round is chambered. "It was an accident" or "I didn't mean to" hold absolutely no water. What is the first thing people do when they pick up a gun? Nope, they don't follow Rule 1. They put their finger on the trigger, because, gosh darn it, that's what the triggers there for, right?The best way to teach yourself this is to reprogram your brain. Tell yourself that the default position for your index finger is straight along the side of the gun. It should take a conscious effort to make your finger go onto the trigger. Heck, sit down with your gun in your hand and watch the evening news. Never let go of the gun and make sure that for thirty minutes your finger is rested flat along the side of the gun. Don't allow your finger to touch the trigger at all. Consider the trigger guard like double yellow lines on the road - you aren't going to cross either unless you have an immediate and life threatening reason.

It's almost impossible to emphasize this rule enough. In advanced training you will learn to split the seconds to exactly when to put your finger on the trigger, and you will learn to expand the situations where you can do it. But, that is called "advanced" for a reason, so don't concern yourself with that right now. For this level, "don't put your finger on the trigger until you are ready and willing to fire" will work. Photo from Gullyblog
Rule 4: Positively identify your target and what is beyond it. Originally, there were only three rules, but a fourth was added as a way to address and issue that seems like common sense but that most people won't think about in a moment of stress. This concept can best be illustrated by two true stories.

The original impetuous for this rule came after a tragic accident due to mistaken identity. A man lived in an area that was suffering from ever increasing crime. He had been hassled by the local thugs and thought he had better buy a gun so that he wouldn't become a victim. He found a gun that worked for him, he got the right training, he practiced, and late one night, he saw the handle to his front door moving as if someone were trying to pick the lock. The man retrieved his gun, saw the door handle still moving, yelled for the would-be robber to go away. The door handle still kept moving. Thinking he would be a lot safer if the crook never made it into the house, the man shot through the door. Upon opening the now ventilated door, he found his son lying dead on the door step. His son was enlisted in the Navy, had received an unexpected leave, and thought he would surprise his father. The son didn't know the father had had the locks changed or that he had bought a gun. The man had followed Rule 1 - he knew his gun was loaded. He had followed Rule 2 - he wanted to destroy the person on the other side of the door. He had followed Rule 3 - he had deliberately put his finger on the trigger and pulled. What he hadn't done was confirm what he target actually was. He had assumed when making a life-depriving choice.The second story is one I heard in a concealed weapons class I was auditing. One of the students related his own near-disaster. He awoke one night to find a large man at the end of the hallway. Armed, the student pointed his gun at the intruder and yelled at the man to turn around and leave the house or he would be shot. Finger on the trigger and about to send bullets flying, Rule 4 broke through the fear and adrenaline. He stopped his trigger pull, reached behind him, found the light switch and turned it on. The "intruder" turned out to be a Greek grandfather. He was in the country for his granddaughter's wedding which had been held earlier that day. The reception was at the house of the girl's parents, which happened to be right next door to the student. Drunk, not speaking a word of English, and lost in a sea of cookie cutter homes, the man had walked around for a breath of fresh air and was confused on which house he belonged in. He had picked the wrong house and had almost died because of it. Needless to say, the student had tucked his pistol away and, knowing about the girl's wedding, understood what had happened. He guided the old man back to the right house, went home, and had a beer of his own to calm his shaking hands.

When you are undertaking an action that can easily end in a person's death, you owe it to them and yourself to make sure you have the facts and aren't guessing. Photo from Stressfire by Massad Ayoob
The second half of Rule 4 - "and what is beyond it" - is simple. Any bullet you fire is going to keep going until it has traveled it's entire flight path unobstructed, at which point it will fall to the ground. Or, it's going to keep going until some object stops it. If you miss the target or your bullet goes through the target and out the other side, be sure you know what is going to stop it. Those living in dense, urban areas have more of a concern than those living in rural areas. Know your gun, know your ammo, and understand what it is capable of. A regular self-defense round will easily penetrate eight and very often more, layers of dry wall. That means if you start in the room you are in, it will go through a minimum of four other rooms if it doesn't hit a stud. If it hits a stud, take away a couple of layers of drywall. What is on the other rooms? Is someone there? How about if the bullet exits your house, or you are accosted on the street and have to shoot? Are cars passing behind the thug? A busy restaurant?

I was hard pressed in deciding whether I should cover the basic safety rules or the morality of self-defense first. Both are very important to know before a person even signs up for an introductory class. I chose the safety rules because everyone should know them and understand what it takes to handle a firearm properly. If you were actually here, we could cover the rules in just a few minutes and head to the range for some fun. After that we could have a serious discussion about the moral end psychological implications of owning a deadly weapon.

This might have seemed a bit dull, but this is a subject that should be approached in a very careful manner. Real life isn't the movies and owning a gun doesn't turn a person into gunslinger. Nor should it.This was safety. In further parts to this series, we'll address not only the moral choices to make, but training, different types of guns for different situations and needs, safe storage of firearms, some legal issues (but remember, I'm not a lawyer and am not dispensing legal advice, just giving my opinions and observations after having worked and lived in this world for a very long time), as well just how to have some fun.

Now, write down the four safety rules, and make them a mantra to repeat over and over, each day. If you're Catholic, just quietly substitute them in for all the Hail Marys your priest gives you.

Photo by Oleg Volk