I know I’m far from alone in hearing absurd things while I’m visiting my LGS’s but there are certainly some diamond grade gems of wisdom floating about.
My most recent was
“What dude comes in and buys all these pink guns?”
The man was astonished to learn that they were, in fact, targeting a FEMALE gun market. He was floored to learn there was a female gun market. He finally was baffled that yes, some men do in fact buy pink guns for themselves.
If any of these were you, or similar… well now you know better. We hope you’ve learned your lesson (s).
There are three safe places for your self-defense pistol: (1) in your hand, (2) in your holster, or (3) locked in your safe. Once you’ve made the decision that a handgun will be part of your self-defense plan you must learn new habits and routines to ensure the 24/7 safety and security of that tool. The consequences for failing to do your part in ensuring that your handgun is secured from anyone and everyone that shouldn’t have access to it is always worth double checking when in doubt; it is never something you shrug and say to yourself, “well, I think I locked it.” The life of a loved one, family member, child, or innocent stranger is at risk the split second a responsible gun owner becomes lazy or complacent about his or her job.
Hand. There are times you will take your guns to the range for practice and training opportunities, after all, it is a diminishing skill that will deteriorate over time if not practiced. Your gun will be safe in your hand. There will be times you have to handle your firearm to re-locate it around the house, maybe at the end the day after carrying the firearm on your person and it’s time to get it secured for the night, maybe your dog has alerted to something at your front door, or maybe in your back yard. Your gun is safe in your hand, assuming you are following the 4 Rules of Gun Safety.
Holster. Hopefully, the majority of the time your gun is safe and secured in your favorite holster (likely not be the first holster you purchase). When your gun is in your holster, you go on about your day without touching or fidgeting with your firearm. A safe holster ensures that the trigger is completely covered to ensure an additional provision of safety. Your daily activities should not be affected much by the presence of this tool. Your holster should keep the gun stable and be comfortable for the time and activity level you need.
Safe. When you aren’t actively carrying a firearm for self-defense or using it for training, it should be secured in an appropriate safe. An appropriate safe means that the gun isn’t on a shelf, stuffed in the bottom of drawer, definitely NOT under a pillow, or anything careless like that. The market is saturated with a wide variety of truly secure handgun safes and lockable options to keep unauthorized people (young, old, and in between) away from them. Kathy Jackson did a fantastic job addressing “little hands” and there are so many things parents trust as “child proof” that kids seem to figure out when we least expect it. When you’re choosing a safe for your firearms, make sure you do it with proper diligence — and keep up with the abilities of those around you, so changes will need to happen. Your job is to keep EVERYONE (not just kids) from having access to them: it’s the AC repair person, the exterminator, the new neighbor you invited over last minute when you saw them outside, etc. It also includes our aging family and loved ones, too. Abilities grow and change, mental states ebb and flow over time, and so should your routines for securing guns around your house.
If you aren’t actively engaging or addressing the threat what is your new priority?
Reload
Run
Communicate
The face that says… “More cardio”
Reload.
Get ready to reengage the current threat when it reappears or to engage the next threat, which may be a greater one depending on your circumstances. You don’t want to be in the position of having fewer rounds in your gun when a greater number of bad guys appear or the first comes back for more.
When given time and opportunity fill that gun back up. Even your sidearm should (seriously) have a second magazine to top you off. If not though, next step.
Run.
If there is still any risk where you are, be elsewhere. Get out of the kill zone, off the X, away from the danger area, and any other cliche phrase that has you moving from where the attack just took place to an area safer for you and your’s
Get inside. Get in the car and go. Book it down the street. Harden down close by. Whatever form it may take get distance from the place where it was determined that ‘this is a good place to attack you’. There are reasons the spot was chosen and now that the fight is on, or was on, there is all the attention in the world on that spot, good and bad.
You can talk to the authorities from a place of safety and any LEO, dispatcher, or whomever would advocate you stay in a location you do not feel safe and secure is not doing you any favors. “It is not safe there/here. I am not safe there/here.” are all the encouragement they should need to start setting alternatives.
Communicate.
Especially if you have anything resembling a team or persons in your care. Keep accountability, get confirmed head counts and injury checks. Check each other. Call out directions. Call out movements. Keep everyone, if not on the same page, in the same ballpark.
Start any necessary communication with authorities. Have a plan on what you are saying and how you are saying it. Necessary is very important, your focus should be the fight, not dialing 911
Communicate your needs. Ambulance, Additional Officers, Special Medical Concerns for injuries and/or conditions.
Communicate the scene, guide your help to you. Give them cardinal directions, address, land marks, description of you and your group.
Remember this is NOT the time to start talking about what happened. Your priority is getting help to you. It is not your ‘It happened so fast…’ narrative time yet, and when it is that had best be your legal counsel.
YOU and only YOU are responsible for your life and safety. One of the reasons I founded MASF – Modern American Shooting & Firearms is to spread and evangelize that doctrine and to get people to wake up, understand take ownership of their own safety. Please take heed, go out and get the education, the training you need to learn from a reputable, vetted trainer/teacher/instructor and learn how to defend your life and the lives of the people you Love and care about. Sometimes that just means paying attention and avoiding danger.
You can ultimately only count on yourself to save yourself from harm, no one is coming to save you. If you must die. then die fighting, not fleeing and getting attacked from behind…. be prepared, able and capable of fighting to the death if anyone tries to take your life or the lives of people you love.
We all want to live peacefully and happily but you must acknowledge that there is Evil in the world and people who may try to harm you for no reason. I am not saying be scared and live in fear…. I am saying be prepared so if that day comes that you must fight, you fight the good fight, leaving that fight alive and returning home to your loved ones.
Shooting and moving is an important skill to dust off every once in awhile.
Sadly it’s raining today so we will live vicariously through YouTube.
I did a variation of this early this week and I was… dusty. But by the third run the fail duster had done its job and I was shooting where I wanted to again.
Pro Tip: Just because you have done it does not mean you can do it on demand. On demand requires continual maintenance.
“Testing Armor” is a bit of a misnomer. Modern armor is a system with a series of components each doing a specified job.
In most rifle armors there are three components to the system. What we’re testing is how these function together.
-Hard Plate: Designed to take the rifle round impact on the strike face, will withstand rounds per it’s NIJ rating. This establishes the ballistic threat credibility.
-Soft Plate/Layer: Designed to distribute impact energy and soften kinetic energy transfer to the body and limit injuring effects thereof, may also be rated for shrapnel and handgun round protection.
-Carrier: Designed to hold the armor properly to form an effective protective layer.
These three form the protective system for the body’s core and are usually utilized as load bearing in order to carry magazines, trauma kits, comms equipment, and gratuitous amounts of morale patchery.
The system has to work together to accomplish that goal and be both comfortable (relatively) and convenient for the user.
In the Norse mythos the Valkyrie are female warriors who select those who may die in battle from those who may live.
In AR500’s modern carrier the Valkyrie is chosen to keep you alive. It is a modern cummerbund design securing to the front armor pocket by a Velcro flap and can optionally be converted to side buckles if the user wants to ditch cummerbund real estate of the carrier for speed and weight savings.
Unlike the older interceptor carriers that you had to self swaddle to put on and removed via a struggling Lou Ferrigno impression, the front flap of the Valkyrie wraps neatly underneath and has a nylon assist tab to help pull it open and tuck it away over the cummerbund.
The shoulder straps are adjustable, padded, and the quick release buckles are sheathed in nylon webbing, protecting against inadvertent or mischievous release and providing mounting space for a mic, a handheld, or other equipment convenient on the shoulder.
In short the Valkyrie laid out and configurable like a respectable modern carrier aught to be.
I shelved my Banshee in order to work with Valkyrie more. The similarities are are obvious as the Valkyrie is AR500’s in house evolution of the carrier. I will say I think the improvements are all well in place and the Valkyrie rides even more comfortably. That might have something to do with the UHMWPE plates too though…
Now the armor.
I’m running AR500’s newest SAPI, Small Arms Protective Insert, the Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) NIJ III. Soft layer is their Hybrid IIIA soft inserts. It’s a much lighter than usual ensemble.
On The Range
Moving and shooting in the carrier is very comfortable due to the room in the carrier, design of the shoulders, and aided by the lighter polyethylene armor.
Changing positions was quick, even wearing a battle belt strapped on didn’t cause any notable interference.
At 3.3lbs each, the PE Plates in the Valkyrie aid movement, but are still rated to stop rounds from that SCAR 17 I am shooting at close distances. No hate for NIJ III
The cummerbund isn’t bulky and won’t disrupt belt worn gear unless you place gear on the carrier in conflict with the belt, and that’s your problem not the carrier’s. Check your placement.
Sidearm transition to the Sig P229 Legion from the Zenith Z5
Losing 10 lbs on the move by having the UHMWPE Plates in the Valkyrie made the entire warm weather training event more pleasant.
Some off hand barrier Galil ACE
Where the system showed some welcome extra performance was in the HEAT.
The H.E.A.T.
H.E.A.T or HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer
H.E.A.T.’s are a tool utilized by the armed forces to familiarize troops with how it feels when one of their heavy high center of gravity vehicles tips over. These Egress Assistance Trainers allow the trainer operators to roll the actual vehicle body multiple times in either direction while troops are in any position in the vehicle and giving direction to the vehicle occupants on their jobs while the vehicle is rolling.
Rolling inside a vehicle isn’t fun. I’ve done so in an Impala and do not recommend it. Rolling while wearing armor and gear is rough too, strapped in and now upside down you have find a way to crawl out of the vehicle and then extract the rest of the riders/driver. Oh yeah and avoid being shot while doing so…
While running a H.E.A.T. we were short on vests for occupants so I grabbed my Valkyrie for my ride and several ANG soldiers who would follow me. What we found out during this test really had to be experienced.
Plates are usually an absolute pain while rolling, almost 9lbs each shifting up and down and being thrown around during the process and then weighing you as you hang upside down or sideways belted to the seat. You’re quite well juggled when it stops.
The polyethylene plates by contrast, combined with the range of motion of the Valkyrie, made the experience more akin to wearing a rigid air bag instead of controlling free weights strapped to you. The armor didn’t shift nearly as much and getting out of the seat restraints before moving around to find the exit was greatly simplified as a result of the lesser weight. Furthermore, if the vehicle had hit water (as is one of the training scenarios) the plates are buoyant.
As a carrier on its own the Valkyrie is in good standing. Comfortable, configurable, and bearing standard III, III+ steel or IV Ceramic plates will leave the end user plenty well equipped.
The deadliest shooting in US history was the “Wounded Knee Massacre” which occurred on December 29,1890.
On Wounded Knee Creek near the Pine Ridge agency, the Seventh Cavalry of the U.S. Army opened fire on an encampment of Big Foot’s band of Miniconjou Sioux. When the shooting ended, Big Foot and most of his people were dead or dying. It has been estimated that nearly 250 of the original 350 men, women, and children in the camp were slain. Twenty-five soldiers were killed and thirty-nine wounded.
Soldiers with the Hotchkiss guns used at Wounded Knee
The Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota were murdered by federal agents and the members of the 7th Cavalry who had come to confiscate their firearms “for their own safety and protection”. The slaughter began after the majority of the Sioux had peacefully turned in their firearms. The Calvary began shooting, and managed to wipe out the entire camp. 200 of the 300 victims were women and children.
Wounded Knee was among the first federally backed gun confiscation attempts in United States history. It ended in the senseless murder of 250 people.
The Second Amendment, the right of the people to take up arms in defense of themselves, their families and property in the face of invading armies or an oppressive government. The Second Amendment was written by people who fled oppressive and tyrannical regimes in Europe, and it refers to the right of American citizens to be armed for defensive purposes, should such tyranny arise in the United States.
Wounded Knee is the prime example of why the Second Amendment exists and why we should vehemently resist any attempts to infringe on our Rights to Bear Arms. Without the Second Amendment we will be totally stripped of any ability to defend ourselves and our families.
Trajectory, or bullet flight path, is probably one of the most misunderstood topics in firearms by firearms owners.
Bullets do not fly straight. Even when fired out of a barrel that is 100% leveled to the earth the bullet flies in a parabolic and predictable arc. We can predict this and often use optics to assist us in predicting this arc but in many cases shooters do not appreciate just how much that round travels up and down.
Sage Dynamics video here does an excellent job illustrating the real world differences in the arc of flight and the point of aim/point of impact related to various zeros.
I prefer the 50/200 and the TA44 ACSS ACOG I use on my home defense rifle is built for a 50/200. I feel confident in using that zero and using the necessary holds high close in because its the style I have the majority of my experience with. I’ve used a TA31 more than any other optic by a long stretch. Up close we held high or came up with several other tricks to get good point of impact results. Many worked, some were BS or overly confident without basis but rounds landed where we wanted to send them.
The key is knowing your equipment. No zero is superior to the others but one may make more sense in your mind and for your applications.
The shooter who knows what their equipment is going to do when they ask it too will out perform the shooter who doesn’t every time.
I googled “protecting yourself in your home from a loved one.” On the first page, nine out of ten results were based on protecting yourself from intruders. The tenth result was protecting yourself from an abusive guardianship in a legal matter. If 55% of femicides are a result of intimate partner violence, women should have more resources available to protect themselves.
As women, if no one else is going to show us how to protect ourselves against our number one killer, we need to find the answers ourselves. We must train for the unthinkable.
10 Steps to Prepare for Intimate Partner Violence
Keep your gun with you at ALL times. Keep your gun on body or within arm’s reach no matter where you are, even at home. Your gun should be readily available when you sleep, work out, take a shower, cook, etc. If a partner who you have recently separated with asks you to meet them to talk (and if you feel comfortable meeting with them), take your gun, meet in a public area, and be extra alert.
Have current firearms training. Shooting is a perishable skill. If you do not practice, you will lose it. Practice frequently with the gun you carry.
Ensure that your firearm is operational. Familiarize yourself with the mechanical features of any firearm you intend to use. Make sure that it is in working order.
Have the mindset that you must stop ANYONE who is attempting to kill you. You must be willing to shoot the father of your children, the man you slept with last night, a mentally ill family member, or the neighbor you have known for 20 years. If you do not pull the trigger quickly enough, they will kill you. Your life is worth defending!
Be aware of your situation. Ask yourself if there have been recent drastic changes in your home life, like filing for divorce, depression, excessive drinking, purchase of new firearms by your partner, or an increase in family violence and anger. All of these can be signs leading up to intimate partner violence. (Review the pre-incident indicators associated with spousal murder.)
Train to shoot at close distances with your gun, drawing from concealment. If your significant other is going to attack you, it will probably be in your house at close distance. Do you train to consistently draw your pistol from concealment and shoot 3 shots at center mass at 3 yards in less than 3 seconds at a human shaped target?
Train to protect your weapon from being taken from you. If you cannot pull the trigger in the above scenario in less than 3 seconds to stop your attacker, you will need other defensive skills to keep your weapon from being taken from you and being fatally used against you. Seek out a class in handgun retention and practice these skills frequently.
Train in multiple arenas. Take classes, like Krav Maga, knife fighting, and Kubotan, to develop other fighting skills in the case you do not have your firearm. Learn to fight from your back. Learn to disarm an attacker. Carry a backup weapon. Again, once you learn, make sure to keep your skills sharp by practicing.
Secure all weapons. If you are in a family violence situation or if you are in the midst of a break up, remove all weapons from the household (except for your carry gun which is with you at all times) and/or secure all weapons in a safe with a new combination that your partner does not know.
Obtain insurance. Organizations like U.S. Law Shield, USCCA, and American Citizens’ Defensive League Network provide you with support in the legal aftermath of a self-defense shooting.
Finding Training Classes
Whether it is firearms training, self-defense training, or first aid training, seek out reputable instructors and organizations. Many well-known trainers, such as Massad Ayoob, Tatiana Whitlock, and Tom Givens, will travel to your area. Check their calendars to see if they have a class scheduled near you or invite them to your city. There are also many reputable training facilities offering these types of training across the country, like KR Training and Firearms Academy of Seattle, just to name a couple. Ask people in your community that you trust, for recommendations.
Lessons Learned
Recently a friend of mine was killed in a murder-suicide by her husband. They were in the middle of what everyone thought was an amicable divorce. Not once did she ever tell her friends or her family that she had been in any way abused by her husband or that she was scared for her life or the lives of her children. In the minds of her family and friends this violent act came out of nowhere; however, research will tell us this is not the case. There were warning signs that could have saved her life had she been aware.
In hindsight, I can now see the pre-incident indicators (PINs) from my friend’s heartbreaking death. We may never know the specifics of what happened that dreadful morning behind closed doors. Did she have her gun on body? Did he take her gun from her? Did she have the opportunity to fight for her life? My hope is that the statistics will startle you, the PINs will make you acutely aware, and the training listed above will save your life.
YOUR LIFE IS WORTH DEFENDING!
Sandra Kozero is an NRA certified pistol and rifle instructor, along with being an NRA Level 1 Shotgun Coach. She teaches Home Firearm Safety, Personal Protection in the Home, Refuse to Be a Victim and the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program. Sandy has been shooting with the San Antonio TX Chapter of A Girl & A Gun since 2011. She also dabbles in competitive shooting. She is not only the San Antonio Chapter Facilitator, but she also serves as an AG & AG National Regional Director. Tracy Thronburg assisted with this article.
To anyone who attended it was an excellent show. Great weather. BBQ everywhere. Vendors ready and eager to discuss their gear and how the year is shaping up.
In an odd twist, this simple bi-pod coming from Magpul was probably one of the coolest products coming down the pipe announced at NRAAM. I need one for the SCAR17
Manufacturers are in a stage of refinement, polishing and improving the existing product lines while looking to be predictive in the long term.
I saw several iterations of lightweight products as various companies are playing with hyper light alloys, a few sub four pound AR-15’s were out and about.
Companies like FN are well rounding the available options on their pistol and rifle lines to allow them to quickly deliver and end user or agencies requests to spec.
One of the most heartening is the increased embrace of the aftermarket.
No longer are manufacturers shying away from other people putting changes on their factory models and I saw numerous examples of aftermarket decked out models in the hands of the products original producers. FN was glowing with praise for guys like Parker Mountain Machine. IWI had several Galil and X95 rifles wearing RS Regulate hardware.
BREAKING As I write this that Oliver North, Lt. Col., is set to take over the NRA as President. Pete Brownell not seeking the seat again.
A bold move as he was convicted of selling arms illegally to Iranian rebels, convictions later over turned, but with some various obvious fodder for anti-gun forces and critics alike while a man like Adam Kraut, who had broad and visible support, did not make the board.
I have never spoken to Lt. Col North but the Iran-Contra scandal is well known and this change will certainly be taken to the woodshed by any with cause to do so.
We’ll be digging into detail on much of what was seen at NRAAM on our Facebook and here in the coming days. Stay with us!
At class time, I had held a shotgun exactly once, when Scott Jedlinski (Jedi) took me out to Baraka’s range a few weeks ago at the MASF compound to test out a few of our firearms, and I shot a few rounds with it. That was it. So the concept of walking into a class with the renowned Steve Fisher, whose name I had heard for years as being one of the preeminent firearms trainers in the country, came with a few uncertainties about being prepared.
Within minutes though, Steve’s larger than life and affable personality put everyone at ease, and his straightforward and practical training style set just the right tone for a class filled with novice ladies there to learn a new skill.
This inaugural Mothers / Wives Shotgun Home Defense Class was a private, by invitation only event that was the brainchild of Baraka James and his wife Kyung James. Kyung’s desire to learn to handle a shotgun on her own provided the impetus, and once Baraka mentioned the thought to his friend Steve Fisher of Sentinel Concepts, the class concept quickly fell into place to include close friends.
The introductory course’s primary objective was to familiarize students with their shotguns, ensuring a solid degree of comfort with operating one upon completion. Steve also wanted to remove “the great fallacies” and “big scary monster myths” about shotguns, which he quickly did. It was an intense day of theoretical study beginning in a home classroom setting, followed by practical application on the range.
Kyung James of MASF
To get the day started right, we enjoyed a relaxed, informal coffee gathering, and ended it with a delightful barbecue as Steve commandeered the grill and served up incredible steaks, and Kyung provided a delicious buffet. But the real work took place from 10 am to 4 pm as we moved into a classroom setting for individual introductions, and then Steve delved into the theory portion of the class. Most of the women were there for self-defense training, and I think I was the only one there more for the sport of it. As soon as we finished the lecture, everyone grabbed their gear and headed out to the range where the action began.
In Attendance:
11 female students, most having never worked with a shotgun prior to the class, took part in this unique opportunity for in-depth education in a smaller, more personal setting. Bill Thomas of Triple Bravo was on hand to capture an extensive photographic perspective of the day.
Event Logistics:
The one-day entry-level course was held at Baraka and Kyung James’ home and adjacent MASF outdoor range in Lovettsville. Eleven students and five helpful husbands worked together to carry equipment, guns and supplies; prep the range; staple targets; set up the canopy; clear the range and pack up. The heat and humidity were on, but everyone stayed focused, hydrated and attentive.
Class Breakdown:
The class covered a fairly comprehensive list of topics in just one day, including:
· Safety plan
· Medical brief
· Proper choice and placement of gear
· Different options and accessories
· Effective shooting stance
· Proper weapon grip
· Recoil control
· Sight alignment
· Sight picture using iron sights and electronic optics
· Use of body supported shooting positions
· Trigger control
· Speed reloads
· Tactical reloads
· Malfunctions of the shotgun
· Preferred shooting positions
Equipment:
Fairly simple equipment needs were required:
· Functional and practical shotgun chambered in 12 or 20 gauge
· Clothing suited for outdoor range use
· Hearing protection (electronic preferred)
· Wraparound style eye protection
· Baseball style hats recommended
· A minimum of 200 rounds birdshot #71/2-8, 10 rounds buckshot
Key Learnings:
· If we have ever heard that we just need to point and shoot a shotgun, forget it – that’s patently false. This was emphasized during a practical exercise toward the end with shotguns placed at our waist; just pointing and shooting resulted in wide misses, so we must aim for our target.
· We need to understand what the pattern of the shotgun is and it is also dependent on the type of ammo being used.
· Make sure our shotgun is loaded, properly stored and ready to go in case of need.
· Take away those “big scary monster myths” like recoil. Honestly, the recoil was far less than I expected and I think everyone found it less intimidating than previously thought. When I did not quite have my stance right, I felt it more; when my stance was on point, I had a great handle on it.
· While most shotgun confrontations end with two rounds fired, our shotguns should always be fully loaded and ready to go.
· Shotgun safeties differ widely and often have unergonomic positioning (while others have safeties only via the mechanics of the gun), so learn ours and get comfortable with them.
· The white light is for positive identification; we must see it first and identify it before engaging or acting on the potential threat. Bad guys like the dark and the bright white light will help buy us time and put them off guard.
· Do not challenge yourself with a shotgun sling which can be cumbersome in an emergency of home situation where timing is of the essence.
· It’s our gun and our responsibility.
· “Don’t do stupid stuff with your gun and stupid stuff won’t happen.” Roger that.
· “Guns are just tools – they are not empowering.”
· Once on the range, know where our med kit is – and always have a med kit.
· Muzzles up, pointed in a safe direction always.
· Targeting the face can often produce more immediate incapacitation (hitting the brain box, spinal column or blinding target) vs. shooting the heart. There is also a three-dimensionality factor that comes into play in that your threat is always moving.
· “Do not take the gunfight” to the space we want to protect (be it kids, spouse, other family members). While our immediate reaction might be to move toward our loved ones, do not go to that space unless the problem is there; the best thing we can do is move the threat in the opposite direction away from that area.· “No one is coming to save you.” We hear this all the time, but Steve drove home the truth. In the event of a home invasion, it may be up to us to save our lives and those of our loved ones. If there’s a widespread catastrophic event, the emergency systems and medical facilities might be overwhelmed (or even incapacitated should there be a terrorist incident).
Event Successes:
I went into this class with very realistic expectations. Was I perfect? Of course not, that would be weird. However, I was pretty darned pleased with my performance and my aim was quite good for a first-time effort. I also want to give a shout out to Leanna and Jimmy at F3 Tactical, Inc. for hooking me up with effective new EarPro; I have very sensitive hearing and it really made a big difference in me being able to concentrate and relax on the course.
Overall, the inaugural event was a great success for several key reasons:
· Launched a new class format for MASF
· Well planned and organized
· Everyone followed instructions provided in advance and arrived prepared
· Locally based event with little travel needed for participants
· Steve’s good-humored and reassuring training style put everyone at ease
· Fantastic sense of teamwork
· All the ladies left with a greater sense of knowledge, comfort and confidence
· New friendships were formed and existing ones were strengthened
Closing:In summary, it was a fantastic day for all! I feel very confident about what I took away from the course, and know that all the participants gained a great deal in one very thorough day. For me, I really took advantage of the opportunity to learn in an intimate setting and did my best to absorb everything that Steve told us and showed us. Now, I have to make sure I get regular practice to put that knowledge to work, smooth out the process, and become more of a natural at shotgun handling and shooting. Huge thanks to Baraka and Kyung for hosting us, to Steve for being the best and most fun instructor on the planet, and to my fellow participants for making it a great and memorable time for all!
When a shooter has a poor grip on her pistol, she may experience a malfunction or difficulty achieving target accuracy. The grips shown are not dangerous per se, but they are techniques to avoid. They are often seen in movies and typically reflect the lack of real firearms training.
Grips to avoid include:
Tea Cup
Low Grip
Non Trigger Finger Grip
Wrist Brace
A proper grip helps better manage recoil and muzzle rise, and helps a shooter with accuracy, speed, and retention. The hands should be as high on the gun as possible. The pistol should fit in the hand to be straight like an extension of the shooter’s arm. The support hand’s fingers should wrapped around the front of the strong hand, so that all four fingers overlay the three lower fingers of the strong hand. While the strong hand squeezes the pistol with front-to-rear pressure, the support hand clamps pressure from the sides. This gives 360-degree pressure on the pistol providing a stable grip.
Congratulations! You have decided to become your own first responder, what now? The simple answer is that you need to go get trained up. The reality is not so simple; knowing where and how to get good training can be overwhelming, time consuming, and become very costly. The good news is it doesn’t have to be if you have a well-balanced training roadmap.
Just like a road map gives you driving directions from point A to point B, advises you on rest stops and roadblocks, and gives you an estimated time to our destination, a training roadmap can be your tools to navigate your journey of training. It guides you from an introduction to firearms, to gained confidence, being an informed consumer, and then long-term participation in the industry.
Your roadmap is guided by your willingness to:
Create a habit. Make a new normal, it takes repetition for several days to form a habit.
Master skills. Tune up your auto pilot, create muscle memory.
Make room in your budget. Allocate funds for formal training and quality gear.
Carve out time. Easily incorporate training every week, if not every day.
The majority of people cannot train with live-fire every day, even every week. Unless shooting is your full-time job, factors like finances, range availability, and time are all roadblocks. The circumstances are different for everyone, but you can take steps with a training roadmap to ensure that you maintain your skill sets, enjoy recreational shooting sports successfully, and be better prepared should the unthinkable happen where you need to defend your life or the life of a loved one.
Here are some of the practices and tools that you can use as part of the AG & AG roadmap to help you get you where you want to go:
Mindset
Physical ability
Live fire
Dry fire
Classes
Clinics
Matches
Supervised practice and coaching
Practice sessions
Recreational shooting
Virtual learning
Videos
Articles/Blogs
You can find ideas and resources for each of these through AG & AG. Some examples include:
A Girl & A Gun supports you throughout your journey. Whether you want to learn the basics of marksmanship or are looking for advanced skills, you will find support each step of the way.
From the floor here in Dallas there’s a flurry of activity as vendors and member discuss the newest additions and classic renditions in their line up.
We’ve been live a few times on our Facebook page but most of the off screen conversations have shown us a very steady as she goes theme to this NRAAM.
One stand out is the campaign of Adam Kraut. Adam is looking to make the board and swing the organization back to a direction associated with full restoration of the constitutionally protected rights of the people.
More offline conversations show steady product development into custom fields by several previously mainstay entities and others polishing their items getting them ready for release.
IWI is closing in on dates for the Tavor 7, TS12, and X95 SBR
Zenith is launching several initiatives, one of the coolest by far is their own internal custom shop. Yes they do triggers.
The NRAAM has a feel this year about providing buyers what they are looking for, furthering the communication towards making that a faster process. I’m looking forward to how all that begins to shake out.
Shooting steel is fun! You hear the “ping!” when you hit the target, and can often save you time and money from shοoting paper targets. However, shοoting steel can be dangerous if you use the wrong caliber or shοot at the wrong distance.
Follow these six guidelines to stay safe:
1. Grade: Steel targets should have a Brinell hardness number (BHN) of at least AR500 or AR550.
2. Quality/Age: Do not use a steel target with any cratering, pitting, cracking, or an uneven surface because it can cause dangerous ricochets.
3. Distance: Shοoters should maintain a 15-yard minimum distance from steel with handguns, and a 100-yard minimum with rifles. Always check manufacturer’s guidelines.
4. Design: Quality steel targets are designed for predictable splatter. There are never any exposed bolts, clamps, or brackets on the shooting surface, and the target leans forward slightly to dissipate some of the bullet’s energy.
5. Caliber: Check manufacturer’s guidelines for approved uses. Some targets may be rated for rimfire or standard pistol calibers only. Others may be rated for specific rifle calibers.
6. Ammo: Never shοot green-tiρ or bi-metal bullets at steel.
When it comes to your safety, don’t settle for the advice of your local welder or do-it-yourselfer, who thinks he can fabricate a steel target for you. Shooting on poorly designed targets made of inferior steel can cause severe bodily harm.
Remember, at the range we are all Range Safety Officers. If you see something iffy or unsafe, speak up!
Steel targets are so much fun fun — and one of the greatest tools for firearms training and competition — if they are manufactured correctly. For more info, check out our AG & AG target sponsors: Red Stitch Targets, Gunfighter Targets, and Action Targets.
On Wounded Knee Creek near the Pine Ridge agency, the Seventh Cavalry of the U.S. Army opened fire on an encampment of Big Foot’s band of Miniconjou Sioux. When the shooting ended, Big Foot and most of his people were dead or dying. It has been estimated that nearly 250 of the original 350 men, women, and children in the camp were slain. Twenty-five soldiers were killed and thirty-nine wounded.
