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TOP 10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SHOOTING

By
A Girl and a Gun
-

The benefits of participating in shooting activities have measurable health benefits, both physical and mental. Shooting different platforms of firearms builds physical discipline, as well as increased strength, stamina, hand/eye coordination, and fine and gross motor skills. Here are some benefits of shooting that not only make you better athlete, but enjoy a healthier life:

Core Strength: Finding your center, adjusting your body weight to the balls of your feet, and remaining still in your shooting stance is great exercise for your core muscles, which supports proper posture. When the abdominal muscles are weak, the lower back holds additional pressure and weight from simple daily tasks like walking. Strengthening the abdominal muscles allows the weight of the upper body to be evenly distributed over the front and back, improving balance.

Arm Strength: Shooting a gun requires strong, sturdy arms and hands. In order to aim and shoot your target, you must hold your upper body steady. Often new shooters do not realize the arm muscles needed to hold the gun in the proper stance to shoot accurately. Experienced shooters will frequently take advantage of programs, such as the AG & AG Push-Up Challenge to improve your upper body strength for shooting sports.

Mental Processing: Efficient problem solving is a major component of shooting. It encompasses logic (the best way to make the shot), mathematics (target distance and how to adjust point of aim as well as managing the number of rounds in the magazine for targets requiring a hit), and creative thinking (“outside the box”). An old adage says that shooting is 90% mental and 10% ability. To be successful in shooting sports, an athlete must be able to first address the mental tasks at hand, and then perform the physical skills.

Adrenaline: Holding a firearm, let alone firing it or competing with it, can be an exhilarating experience. Adrenaline not only temporarily boosts your immune system, it signals your liver to break down glycogen, the substance that provides your muscles with glucose, the primary source of fuel in your body. It also tells smooth muscles in the body, like bronchioles in the lungs, to relax, which can make respiration easier.

Mental Focus: Keeping your eyes on focused on the front sight, while keeping the rear sight and target blurry, requires a lot of concentration. You also have to be aware of your trigger finger. The press and reset, managing recoil and following your sights allows you to call your shots. Focusing your mind from any other activities or distractions results in peak performance.

Stamina: Running through stages, carrying your ammunition around your waist and chest, and in some cases slinging a rifle while holding a shotgun is intense weight training. Athletes that compete in the “run and gun” shooting sports train with vigorous workouts. Not only are you preparing to compete with heavy gear, often you must navigate over uneven terrain and challenging props. Practical shooting requires fitness and stamina to run between arrays, focus on your front sight, think about your trigger press, and control your breathing.

Stress Relief: Shooting allows a person to get away from the worries of the day. You have to put aside other thoughts while you have a gun in your hand and concentrate on safety, mental processing, and physical skills. This time at the range allows an athlete to temporarily forget problems or plans and live solely in the moment. It works as a reset button to manage stress.

Vision: Exercising your eyes is very important, so that you can focus in on a front sight quickly. This a fine motor skill that can be lost if not practiced frequently. Give your eyes a break from the stress of staring at computer and phone screens all day, and do simple exercises each day to focus your eyes on objects near and far.

Mindset: Shooting can feel very scary and dangerous to some people; however, once you have taken the time to be trained properly, your sense of power is elevated and fear is reduced. You develop the mindset that you control the gun, and the gun does not control you. Learning to shoot is a great way to build confidence and courage, which will spill over to many areas of your life. The winning mindset believes that if you can accomplish shooting, you can do anything!

Discipline: Behaving responsibly is a core value of gun owners. The 4 Rules of Gun Safety are always followed on and off the range. Gun owners also cultivate a mindset of personal protection and the moral/legal responsibilities that come with it. Gun safety is a lifestyle.

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/top-10-health-benefits-of-shooting/

Non-hunting Things You Learn While Hunting

By
Dr LateBloomer
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I admit that I haven’t been a very successful hunter yet – with the exception of released hunts for pheasant and duck. Despite several seasons of effort, I have yet to bring home a deer or turkey for my freezer. Fortunately, the taking of the game isn’t the ONLY thing that happens on a hunt. 

What follows is what will hopefully be the beginning of a multi-part series. I’ve been learning a great many things while planning for hunting and scouting for hunting – but which aren’t actually “hunting”. I have learned so much new information that I thought I should break it into chunks for easier digestion.

Part One – The Edibles

I think I am the world’s most impatient person. I’m also a fidgeter. Sitting quietly while waiting for game that may or may not show up – either in five seconds or five hours – is a true test of my personal self-control. I am learning to find little tricks to distract myself while I’m waiting (that do not involve playing games on my phone). One of the distractions I’m attempting is to try to identify the plants around me.

Taking photos of plants and trees I don’t recognize – for later identification – is also something that I hope will eventually help me better understand the feeding patterns and cover requirements of the game I’m interested in.

For instance, the evening before my first Spring Gobbler hunt in early May, the “weeds” were ankle-high as my mentor and I were preparing a hiding spot under a pine tree. By the next morning after a night of heavy rain, those weeds were shin-high and sprouting flowers. I took a photo of the curious fast-growing plant and looked it up when I got home. I was able to identify this as an invasive species called Garlic Mustard. 

The really interesting factoid is that although game won’t eat Garlic Mustard, people CAN. I found all kinds of fascinating information – from how to rip out and dispose of the tenacious interloper, to recipes for how prepare it so you can EAT it out of existence!  Now that I have this valuable ecological information, I want to plan a work-party trip to the property this summer to start ripping up this alien to allow more room for native species.

Another invasive species that I ran into on the property was Autumn Olive. My forestry-major daughter informed me that this too has been labeled invasive. It is curious to me that this is now so designated, because when I was a grade-schooler in the 1970’s I distinctly remember that state conservation agencies handed out free bundles of seedlings for wildlife forage and erosion control. I even helped my dad plant some back in the day! But, ecological theories and practices change, so now it’s an “invasive”. Sigh.

When I looked up Autumn Olive at home, I discovered that it too is edible by humans – the berries at least. So, I will be keeping close watch in the late summer/fall to see if I can collect enough berries to make jam. Apparently the process of boiling the berries to make the jam kills the seeds, so they can then be safely put in the compost. More eating the invasives out of existence – and keeping the birds from pooping out the seeds everywhere.

Other wild edibles I found while I was hunting but which were native and NOT invasive include: 

Dandelion – Yep, the backyard “weed”. My grandmother used to make dandelion salad with hot bacon dressing in the spring. I’ve eaten the early leaves mixed in my regular salad greens, and one of these days I’m going to try to make dandelion jelly and dandelion wine.

Wild onion  – Yep. I’ve used this too. Pulled it right out of the ground in the spring, and put it in the salad bowl.

Cattails  –This is a “haven’t tried it but should sometime” just to say I did. 

Black cherry – There are a ton of black cherry trees on the property – pointed out by the forestry daughter. I’ll be keeping an eye on those to go along with the Autumn Olive berries.

Wild grapes  – I saw these vines along several of the deer trails, so I’ll just let these go and let the deer do their thing with them.

Wild Strawberries – These were an interesting find but it would take a bajillion to be worthwhile as more than just an interesting snack. There weren’t a bajillion, so maybe I’ll just let them multiply for a few years.

Acorns – Believe it or not, though you can’t eat them raw/green, with some processing acorns can be people food too. This is also on my list of “ought to try so I can say I did”. Apparently the pioneers used acorns quite a bit. I just haven’t been hungry enough to try.

That’s just a few entries in the wild edible olympics. I’m learning more every day. Not that I would necessarily want to dine daily on such foraged finds, but it has certainly been entertaining to learn, and helped pass the time while waiting for game animals to show up. Give them a try if you feel adventurous. It’s all interesting knowledge to have. After all, you never know when you might have to hide out in the woods for a few years – in case of, you know, zombies or something. 

HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN TO USE FORCE OR DEADLY FORCE?

By
A Girl and a Gun
-

There is a very fine line on when to use force and deadly force to protect person and property. If you read the Penal Codes of your state you will see that they are as clear as mud. It is paragraph after paragraph of what is reasonable, if this happens then you do this, or if you think this will happen you can do this. Unfortunately the Penal Codes are written in such a way we can’t really live within the rules they give us word for word, but we will be judged how we acted within their guidelines.

The most important question you can ever ask is, how will I know when it is time to use deadly force? If and when you ever find yourself in that moment of truth, here is a checklist that will run through your head. Your fight-or-flight will do a quick inventory of your options and depending on your circumstances will determine your permissible level of force.

There are two instructors that brought about a renaissance for me not only as a gun owner, but as an instructor and activist for firearms education especially dealing with the law. Massad Ayoob and Tom Givens offer powerful, truthful teachings of what is waiting for you on the other side of the law. If you have the opportunity to take a class with either of them, preferably both, DO IT.

The information used in this article is from Tom Givens, Rangemaster.

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/will-know-use-force-deadly-force/

Are We Gunslinger Super Heroes?

By
Mike Westra
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Every student that takes my concealed carry class hears these two questions at the beginning of the class.

“Why are you here? and “What motivated you to take this course?”

The usual answer is ” So I can protect my family”, however not last week. The only answer that I heard was “To kill the next active shooter.”

This student’s cause is noble, however is the concealed carry class enough for someone to do what he thinks he is capable of doing? If you’re like me the news of an active shooter randomly killing helpless victims makes your blood boil. Maybe you go a step further and imagine yourself using the latest John Wick moves to end the horror and save numerous lives. But is it that easy?

Take a good hard look at yourself. How do you act under stress? When someone pulls a knife and starts charging at you, how will your brain and body react?

Your brain and body are hardwired to respond in one of five ways. You subconsciously spring into fight mode. The adrenaline ramps up, your focus becomes more intense and your brain attempts to work out your plan of attack.

Many people will subconsciously respond by running away. We call this the flight response. Other possible responses are freezing, posturing, and submission.

Do you know which is your natural response? If it’s anything but the fight response your going to be behind the curve in any fight. You may have to overcome your bodies natural instinct just to get into the fight.

The second thing to think about is how well you make decisions on the fly. Can you make a quick educated decision and be equally quick enough to know when it’s time to abandon that decision? How well do you shoot? How often do you train? At what distance can you make a precision shot with your carry gun? I know that beyond 10 yards under a little stress my groups open to 5″ to 7″.

Beyond 25 yards my group under stress is about 10″. What is acceptable, remembering we are responsible for 100% of the bullets that are fired from our firearm? What is your carry gun? How much ammo do you carry? Why does all this matter?

No matter how you imagined it in your head the gunfight is never going to happen the way you have it planned.

Enjoying a great meal with your family at the local Mexican restaurant. You asked the hostess for a seat far away from the bar area so you could enjoy a quiet meal. You hear a few screams followed by pop,pop,pop, your startle response causes you to duck down, it takes you a few moments to focus and realize its not fireworks. You see a young man with what appears to be a rifle methodically taking down the employees and patrons by the bar area. This is not the time to develop plan “A” this is the time when you tweak plan “c” and execute it. I brought this scenario up to the student to give him something to think about.

Could he be the guy to stop the next mass killing? The student was asked a few more questions. What training have you done to improve your shooting skills? Do you have any tactical skills training or background? His answer was” no, none, I plan on learning everything I need to know in this concealed carry class”.

That brings up the question, are concealed carry classes even adequate for training individuals to carry on the street? I personally do not think so. I think concealed carry classes do an okay job of assisting you in getting yourself and your family away from harm but one needs a different mindset and set of skills to run towards an attack.

Ultimately it depends on your priorities. Ten years ago I would have ducked low, and quickly made my way closer to the threat utilizing cover along the way only exposing myself as little as necessary to fire the rounds needed to stop the threat. Today I have other priorities, I am a new dad and husband. My family comes first. I am going to do my best to keep everyone in my family safe and free from harm. This means instantly upon realizing what is going on, I put my escape plan into action. If I am not seated close to a door, well I guess I throw a chair through a window and escape through the hole. If we cant escape that easily we move from cover to cover engaging the threat if necessary until we arrive at an exit point. If exit is not an option then hiding my family in a backroom or closet and protecting access to the area until help arrives. I have a clear plan. It is not specific, but an easy flowchart in my head that I can follow. My family is aware of this plan. We hope we never have to put it into action.

So if your going to be the gunslinger superhero you need to have your priorities in order. Do you get your friends and family to safety then go in and fight or do you escape with them and live to fight another day?

You need to know your strengths and weaknesses. As I stated earlier from 10 yards and closer I can put bullets accurately in the area needed but beyond 10 yards under stress my groups open up quickly.

If your plan is to be a superhero you need to start improving on your weaknesses. I know I am not as good at distance so that is where I work. Training and knowing your capabilities and weaknesses will help you build confidence when putting your plan to action. Speed is also crucial. How quickly can you get to the threat to deliver the incapacitating blow?

If you’re in a crowded place numerous individuals will most likely be fleeing and screaming towards exits and hiding places. Some may think you are the shooter. That’s right not only could you be killed by the active shooter but you risk being beaten, kicked, stabbed, or shot by those trying to escape thinking you are also a threat. You will need to act quickly and decisively before the first wave of responding police enter the room and see you holding a gun. Keep in mind the officers may specifically be looking for you. One or several of the escaping victims may have called 911 and described you as the shooter.

Stopping a mass killing is not as easy as this one may think. There needs to be clear discussion between you and your family. You should seek high quality training from well known top tier instructors. Know your capabilities and work to expand within them.

Next we need to talk about your equipment. What gun do you choose for your noble endeavor? One can’t just go into a store and ask for the terrorist killing multi-shot day saver. You actually have to put some thought into it. The little .380 you keep in your front pocket may work when your confronted in a one on one situation but we’re talking about a public place against someone who may have a rifle.

First thing I look for in a handgun is functional reliability. I want what the police, the FBI, or what our military carries. If these guns work for them they will work for me. Secondly I want a handgun that is comfortable to shoot, one that fits my hands. I look at how easily can it be concealed. If its difficult to conceal or does not fit well then I am likely to not wear it when I need it. I am also unlikely to shoot well with it. The gun needs to feel like an extension of my arm. How about caliber? Ask this question in any gun forum and you will likely get hundreds of responses. Some will tell you it needs to be a .45ACP, others will tell you a 9mm. There is not a perfect answer. These days I tend to lean more towards the 9mm as it has less recoil, allowing faster more accurate followup shots, and greater ammo capacity. In a gunfight I want my bullets to be fast, accurate, and enough of them to quickly stop the threat.

If you were to ask me how I would prepare to stop an active shooter, I would recommend carrying a rifle and body armor. Unfortunately my state does not allow for easily carrying a rifle and that’s before the social sideways glances.

Before you venture out in public with your blaster at your side you should at least have a simple plan of action in case the unimaginable happens. Have your priorities set, know your capabilities, carry good equipment, have plenty of ammo, and pray that speed, agility and luck are on your side

The Turkey Hunt that Wasn’t

By
Dr LateBloomer
-

I want to tell you a story about my second turkey hunt. Not the first one – which was a great experience with a mentor this spring, and unique in it’s own way – but the SECOND experience. Because the second experience is a better story. I’m telling you a story, because I didn’t shoot a turkey to brag about. A story is all I’ve got.

First, I have to make a bunch of excuses. Sometimes life just gets in the way. This spring was my very first attempt at a turkey season of any kind. But I also had three numb fingers due to carpal tunnel issues and had to have hand surgery because I was getting progressive nerve damage. The opening day of Spring Gobbler Season found me still with sutures in place from surgery earlier in the month. Though it was my left hand and not my trigger hand, I didn’t think that the tender sutured palm was going to hold up to supporting a shotgun in the field. Not to mention that I had very little grip strength in that hand. So that screwed the first weekend of the season, and I stayed home.

The following weekend, with the sutures removed, I WAS able to get out with my mentor and friend for a morning hunt to at least get a taste of things. We heard a few distant gobbles, but were not able to convince any Toms to come closer. The experience DID whet my appetite though, I learned a lot, and it was a fun first experience.

The weekend after that my Mother was ill, so that Saturday was spent visiting her for Mother’s Day instead of afield. I was also on-call.

The next available weekday forecast promised severe thunderstorms and quarter-size hail, so I stayed home yet again as I anxiously watched the season tick by. I contented myself with making cosmetic modifications to my shotgun, so that did help my attitude a little.

The NEXT available Saturday forecast promised heavy rain. There was due to be a few hour break in between storms, so I invited my adult daughter to come with me to check how the camera and blind had fared in the hail storm. Naturally, because I had not brought hunting gear, the weather cleared in late morning and stayed clear. Figures.

We did flush a turkey on the path through the woods though. I was armed with only a .357 and not a 12 gauge, so I simply watched as the turkey noisily broke cover and ascended on heavy wings up over the tree tops, and out of sight. I did yell “BANG” at it though, just to make myself feel better.

The following weekend was Memorial Day Weekend and my LAST opportunity to act as if I really were a turkey hunter. There is no Sunday hunting in that state, so Saturday was my big opportunity, and is where my second hunt story begins.

The property is over two hours away. It takes  a bit of pre-planning to hunt up there, especially if you want to be there before dawn. When I got home from work that Friday evening, I was exhausted. I was also on-call again, but it was the last weekend of the season, so I thought I’d chance it. I didn’t want to overpay for a hotel up there on a holiday weekend just so that I could already be there in the morning. But I was too tired to load up the gear and sleep overnight in the car.  So I packed a cooler-ready picnic lunch, pre-loaded the Subaru, and went to bed early.

The alarm went off at 3:30 AM. Yeah, that was my reaction too. I did manage to slowly drag my sorry butt out of bed, but it was ugly. To say I was moving slowly would be an understatement. I think I felt every joint in my body creak. Despite my best intentions and a cooperative coffee pot, I didn’t leave the house until after 5 AM – which got me to the property gate about 7:30 AM. Obviously well after dawn. Not an auspicious beginning.

On the road to the gate I met a ruffed grouse. While it was in fact a grouse, it did its best imitation of a squirrel, as it darted into the road, stopped in the middle, feinted as if to go right, then took a few steps left, and stopped in the middle again. I was forced to bring the car to a full stop while the bird made up its mind. In retrospect, this little tableau was a foreshadowing of my whole morning.

After Mr or Ms Grouse made it safely to the side of the road, I unlocked the gate, pulled the car into the clearing and popped the back hatch. I decided to walk the half-mile or so through the woods to the spot I wanted to go, so I hitched on my Walmart Turkey vest, made sure I had calls and shells and a water bottle (the temp was already over 70 degrees), shouldered the gun and away I went. Except a couple hundred yards down into the woods I realized that I had forgotten Henrietta the Decoy.

Heaving a sigh, I trudged back up to the car, flung the bag containing Henrietta over my shoulder and started back again. I was already breaking a sweat in my full body camo and I hadn’t even gotten started. When I closed the hatch I could have sworn I heard a gobble in the far distance behind me, but “behind me” was way off the property. It turns out that was the only gobble I heard all day. 

I took my time quietly working my way down the path through the trees, noting with annoyance that there were new ATV tire tracks in the mud since the previous week. A pox on teenagers with ATVs. I understand that the machines are useful as farm equipment and as often necessary transportation when setting up a blind or hauling out a harvested deer. But I absolutely cannot abide trespassing joyriders tearing up the landscape.

It had rained overnight. In truth it had barely stopped raining all month – there were literally tadpoles in the mud puddles for crying out loud. My trip down the path was accompanied by the sound of water dropping off the leaves of the trees, and the the “Bung-glung” of a bullfrog over in the marsh. The birds were busy with their morning jabber while the mist started rising into the sunshine. If nothing else, it was a beautiful morning.

As I approached the meadow along the muddy access road, I heard a noise I hadn’t heard up there before. There was a whooshing noise coming from the gas well across the meadow. Approaching cautiously, I ascertained that the noise was indeed coming from the well equipment, and decided that I’d better call the gas company guy. 

That was phone call number one. I left a voice mail, but decided not to stick around too close, in case there was really something seriously wrong. I worked my way back down the road to a spot under a pine tree that looked promising, and seemed a safe enough distance away from the well. About ten minutes later my phone buzzed on my belt. It was the well guy calling back. He said he’d be there in about 20 minutes. That was phone call number two.

I had tried my slate call a few times during all of this, but had gotten no response. While I peeked over the weeds and wondered whether this day was going to get any better, I heard engines revving in the distance. The sound got closer until I saw two ATV’s emerging from the trees on the access road coming toward me. Now I was mad. I stood up from my hiding place and strode over to the dirt road – still in full body camo, with my 12 ga in the crook of my arm – and stood there waiting for them. I pointed to the spot in front of me, indicating that I wanted them to stop. 

“This is private property, guys”, I announced to the two young men, over the noise of their infernal machines.

“Oh, we’re sorry ma’am, we didn’t see any signs.” Which I knew was a lie, because I’d been posting for two months, but I let it slide. “You won’t see us back here again” they assured me.

They were polite, but I’ll believe it when I don’t see them again. I advised them to turn around and go back the way they came, as I didn’t have a key to the upper gate. At least they did as I requested. By the time I sat back down under my tree, I was all stirred up. Hopefully word will gradually get around that this isn’t an absentee owner property anymore, and the signs mean what they say.

Ten minutes after that little episode, the gas well guy arrived in his pick-up. He grabbed a big wrench and made some adjustments which made the whooshing stop. It turns out that I wasn’t just being paranoid after all – there was a legit pressure problem – and he thanked me for calling.

Five minutes after the well guy left, my phone buzzed on my belt again. I was being paged with a baby formula question. That was phone call number three. *Sigh* – Three strikes and you’re out. I gave up on getting any hunting done that day. I figured no self-respecting turkey would be within miles of my location after all of that activity, and I might as well just pack it in. What a cluster.

I was pretty disgusted with myself and the situation by that point and was not at all quiet or careful on my walk back to the car, so naturally I kicked out a hen on my way back through the woods.

That has been the really frustrating thing. There ARE turkeys there. The tracks are all over the place in the mud puddles in the road, and I caught several of them on trail cam. I just didn’t manage to have a gobbler show up when I had a shotgun in my hands. And honestly, I really don’t have enough experience to know what I’m doing yet.

When I got back to the car I was in a pretty foul mood. I stripped off my gear, hopped up into the back and tucked into my lunch from the cooler. As I was chewing, a THIRD ATV trespasser showed up. He saw me hop down from my tailgate, and probably saw the .357 on my hip, because he didn’t even have the courtesy to stop and talk to me. He just turned around and headed back out to the main road. There IS a locked gate, but the damned ATVers have created their own off-road entrances, so it’s not like they don’t know this is private property – they just don’t care. That’s the part that really bunches my bloomers.

So, my first attempt at a solo turkey hunt without a mentor was a complete cluster. With all of that drama, I was both cranked-up and let-down all at the same time.  I just felt defeated. My season – that I had worked so hard for and so eagerly anticipated – was over.

I brooded over it for awhile, but I finally realized that I was looking at the situation all wrong. When viewed in a different light, although my game bag was empty, I was still a fair badass. 

I did months-worth of turkey learning, cam scouting, and property hiking on my own. Then with only one day of working with a mentor under my belt, and dealing with a post-op gimp hand, I was willing to at least TRY to venture out by myself. I got my own sorry butt out of bed at an ungodly hour and drove my own durn self two-plus hours to a different state. I humped my own gear to the hunt location, found a problem when I got there, addressed that problem, and still continued to try to hunt. I dealt with each new issue as it arose, and even handled not just one, not just two, but three trespassers all by my own self as a frumpy middle-aged woman alone. And to top it off, I had packed my own homemade lunch with homemade bread, homemade beef jerky and homemade fruit leather. If all that doesn’t earn me at least a self-sufficiency badge and a modicum of self-pride, I don’t know what would.

So, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. I’m disappointed but I’ll get over it. I’ve got the whole summer now to camp-out and pattern deer (I already found a bunch of trails and caught a young buck in velvet on cam), and I hear there’s such a thing as Fall Turkey Season. Hmmm, I wonder what THAT’s like …

5 REASONS YOU DON’T WANT FREE TRAINING

By
A Girl and a Gun
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When a new shooter is passionate about learning to shoot, he or she looks for training opportunities everywhere. Unfortunately shooting is an expensive hobby and it can break the bank to buy guns, gear, and ammo. As you’re looking for places to cut corners, don’t skimp on a training budget. Even if you’re tempted to solicit firearms instructors to let you audit their classes, here are five reasons you don’t want free training:

1. Mooching Is Disempowering

If your purpose for taking firearms training is to take responsibility for your personal safety, improve your skills, and grow in confidence, but you asked for free training, then you just sabotaged yourself. You have to have skin in the game, so invest your energy and resources into training that you see as valuable. Getting a free ride doesn’t make you empowered; it makes you co-dependent.

2. You Get What You Pay For

You want to take a class from instructors who are highly trained at ranges that are clean and safe. By expecting a free class you are devaluing their product. Whether you realize it or not, you are saying, “I like what you have to offer, but not enough to pay you for it.” If you choose specific instructors because they are reputable professionals who offer quality programs, pay them. If the instructors or training raises red flags, then it’s not a class you want to take anyway.

3. Small Business Is a Big Deal

Teaching is more than just giving pointers at the range. A good instructor has studied adult learning principles, crafted curriculums, and planned activities. He or she has invested in numerous classes, travel, time commitments, cost of gear, range fees, ammo, insurance, etc. By asking them to give you training for free, you are dismissing the value of their investments in their businesses, and more importantly you are taking time from their paying clients. You’re essentially stealing from the people who support them. That’s how entrepreneurs go out of business.

4. There’s a Going Rate

Take a little time to research similar training classes with comparable instructor experience and amenities. Professional services from babysitting to accounting have hourly rates or service fees. It doesn’t matter if other instructors charge slightly more or less than what your instructors are asking, the point is that there is a standard cost for this type of service, and it’s rarely (i.e., never) free.

5. Respect Is a 2-Way Street

Invite people into your life that support you and value your worth, and treat others the way that you want to be treated. Don’t attend a class with the attitude that you deserve a handout, or you know the material already, or looking to market your product, or network for your own business or endeavor. When you attend a class with an open mind and willingness to learn, you create a positive experience that empowers your journey. You not only earn the respect of the instructor and other participants, you will respect yourself. As Margaret Mead said, “I learned the value of hard work by working hard.”

Attending an ‘A Girl & A Gun’ Girl’s Night Out is a great way to get pointers and learn about upcoming training opportunities. You may discover that local or national instructors have classes scheduled at your range, or you may want to attend AG & AG’s National Conference or Girl’s Getaways. You may even find that an instructor is offering a discount on an upcoming class because he or she is passionate about the course and wants everyone to have access to the material. Allow instructors to extend discounts or gratis classes at their discretion and don’t expect or request free training. Remember that they do this for a living, and so you can’t expect good instruction to be free. In fact, if it’s good, help them stay in business — the industry needs to support good instructors. In turn, you’ll also be making a valuable investment in yourself.

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/5-reasons-dont-want-free-training/

Trigger Management and Rule Three

By
Annette Evans
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A sub-second draw doesn't require getting on the trigger early.

Most all of us can parrot the rules of firearm safety, but they can get a little harder to follow as shooting becomes more complicated. This is especially true for what Jeff Cooper termed as Rule Three:

Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.

Human hands like to make fists, and it’s so natural to want to put that finger inside the trigger guard when picking up a gun. A bit of practice and attention gets most people past that tendency for regular handling. Adding stress makes an awful lot of people slip back to bad habits. And when those hands clench with the trigger finger not firmly on the frame or slide of the gun…premature bangs happen.

It becomes even easier to cheat this rule when the shooter is trying to pick up speed by getting onto the trigger earlier and earlier – sometimes with disastrous results. That’s not to say that one must have a perfect sight picture before putting a finger on the trigger, but there’s a definite point before which it’s problematic to do so.

Take a look at this slow-motion video of a shooter attempting to start running his heavy double-action trigger early in the draw. While you can see his finger in the trigger almost as soon as the gun comes out of holster, the hammer doesn’t start moving back and indicating pressure on the trigger until he is nearly to full extension. What, then, did he gain by getting on the trigger early and risking shooting in an unsafe direction?

Having your finger on the trigger is barely a step from actually firing the gun. That means it’s important for your muzzle to be pointed in a safe direction first. Rather than using a coarse definition of safe direction like “down range” or “not pointed at your body,” the Cooper rule gives you something more definite: wait until your sights are on target.

Your sights might be aligned on the target quite early in the process of drawing your gun from a holster or coming from a ready position, even if your eyes aren’t behind them yet. It’s at that point that putting your finger on the trigger becomes less risky because if you fire any time between then and having a refined sight picture, your shot will land somewhere on the target you intend to shoot.

In fact, sometimes that’s the preferred effect.

For defensive shooters, there’s a concept called shooting from retention or shooting “from two.” Essentially, that means that as the gun comes out of the holster and the muzzle turns toward the bad guy, you can index the gun to your body and shoot. You aim by using the physical relationship of anchoring gun to body parts and body to target, instead of by using your eyes. It’s a useful skill when your attacker is close and you don’t have room to get your gun to full extension so that you can see the sights. Shooting from retention means rounds on target earlier in the draw, and less opportunity for your gun to be knocked around or wrestled away from you. You just need to be careful that the muzzle is oriented at the target before you start pressing the trigger.

In the technical marksmanship realm, whether for defensive or sport applications, there’s a concept called “prepping the trigger.” For our purposes here, it involves beginning to put pressure on the trigger as the gun is presented, so that as soon as the sights are properly lined up to each other and the target, the shooter finishes the shot. That allows the shooter to do most of the work of firing while the gun is still in motion, so that she can shoot sooner. Prepping the trigger is not necessarily a commitment to fire the shot, but because it gets you most of the way there, it starts after the muzzle points at the target and after the decision to shoot has been made.

The trick is to wait until that moment when your sights are on target, however you’re defining that. Later is better than earlier, when the consequences of too early can mean putting a bullet into something or someone that ends up between you and your target – and that could mean yourself.

Just because you’re fast ninja shooting doesn’t mean that you sacrifice safety. As you can see, even these types of techniques can and should be performed with attention to the rules. Yes, you’re getting on the trigger sooner with them – but still not before the sights are on target.

PRACTICE YOUR EMERGENCY PLAN

By
A Girl and a Gun
-

This past weekend there was a local match (not AG & AG) where a negligent discharge resulted in a gunshot wound to a competitor. On the “load and make ready” command, a male shooter, who had been competing with the local club for about 6-8 months, got the zipper from his concealment vest into the holster as he was reholstering. The round entered and exited his thigh, and the wound was fortunately minimal.

This local club had a detailed emergency plan. At every stage there was a trauma kit attached to the stand that houses the water cooler and stage briefing. At the shooter brief prior to the match, the first aid kit was announced and a volunteer was requested to be the range medic. For this particular match there was not a designated volunteer range medic, so responsibility defaulted to the match director.

Moments after the incident, fellow participants flagged down the match director as others began tending to the injured competitor. The match director took immediate control of situation by directing one person to call 911 and another person to wait at entrance of the range to direct police and EMS to the location of the patient. He gave first aid directions, as well as kneeled over the firearm, which had fallen on the ground and was still loaded. He also directed an individual to bring a full trauma kit to have more appropriate first aid items for the wound. As soon as the match director saw a designated Safety Officer (SO) that was not on the squad of the injured competitor, he directed that SO to take possession of the firearm, safely unload it, and maintain control of it. EMS arrived in 25 minutes.

Observations from the Match Director

When he arrived in the bay he saw three people around the competitor. One was trying to cut his pants with a pocket knife, and one was trying to work with a tourniquet. Other squad mates were standing around. There was a lot of noise and confusion.

As soon as the match director took command and started to give orders, the situation quickly came under control.
• He had to direct someone to call 911.
• He had to direct someone to flag down first responders.
• He had to direct people to back up and give space.
• He had to direct them to look for entry and exit wound before applying a tourniquet, which was determined to be unnecessary.

Human Response

The injured competitor and the three people rendering aid are all nurses with varying levels of trauma care experience. When asked why they started a tourniquet without identifying entry and exit wounds, one said that in the moment of panic it wasn’t normal work. Because this was their friend and they were in a place that didn’t have the tools they were used to using, they became flustered. Once the match director arrived, they didn’t look up (just heard his voice), but his firm and clear commands helped them focus. Then they were able to remember their training and use the tools they had available to them.

After Action Knowledge

The biggest takeaway from this incident is the reminder to slow down. While there may be times a shooter may have to quickly draw a pistol, reholstering should be done slowly and deliberately. It is a good practice to look at the holster when reinserting the gun. Competitors are not on the clock for the “make ready” and “show clear” commands, so it is important that the shooter slows down and watches the gun in and out of the holster. They should never compromise safety by trying to be cool and eject the round and catch it. This incident is a stark reminder of how a mistake can have dire consequences.

Secondly, match directors and/or instructors that organize any shooting event should follow these key safety guidelines:

• You must have an emergency action plan.
• You must talk about the emergency action plan EVERY TIME at every event.
• You must have trauma kits immediately accessible.
• Your Safety Officer, Range Officer, or A-Team must have hands-on experience working the emergency action plan.
• Your team should conduct a practice drill of what to do at your range, location, etc.
• Your team must be empowered to activate the emergency action plan until you are made of aware of the crisis and take control.

It took EMS 25 minutes to arrive. Knowing this response time allows the club to modify its emergency plan to include instructions for transporting a seriously injured participant towards the city to meet EMS instead of waiting on them.

In this situation, the injured competitor had a minor wound that was able to be dressed quickly with minimal blood loss, shock, and risk of infection. However, if the wound been worse, or if there not been trauma kits immediately available, the competitor could have died. This underscores the importance of having a detailed emergency plan, rehearsing it, and discussing it at every event.

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/need-practice-emergency-plan/

Control Them With Taxes.

By
Mike Westra
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“SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED” seems to be a misunderstood phrase in the United States Bill Of Rights. What does the word infringed mean? Well, according to the internet dictionaries infringed is to “wrongly limit or restrict”. In the case of the 2nd Amendment our legislative branch has been trying for years to wrongly limit or restrict firearm use. The latest attempt is a bill introduced into Congress called “Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act of 2018, or more commonly known as H.R 5103.

On the surface preventing gun violence and making our communities safer sounds like a great thing. HR5103 however has no provisions for making neighborhoods safer or preventing gun violence. HR5103 is simply a tax levied on firearms and ammunition. The tax is earmarked for grants to help study gun violence. Rep Danny K Davis of IL wants to add a 20% tax on to every gun purchase, and a 50% tax on every box of ammunition. Have you thought about purchasing an NFA item like a suppressor or short barreled rifle? The $200 tax on those will be raised to $500 if Rep Davis has his way.

HR5103 is at its roots a form of gun control. Walk into any gun store and you will find hundreds of guns on the shelf, some are very expensive while others are pretty affordable. I recently looked into purchasing the new Glock 19x. My local gun store had one on the shelf for $710. When I buy a new gun I also need to buy several boxes of ammo for breaking it in, practicing, and also for protection. with the purchase of 4 boxes of Federal RTP and 2 boxes of Hornady Critical Defense my purchase after Michigan’s 6% sales tax comes to a whopping $866. That is a hard bill to swallow for many families. I am a strong believer on not purchasing the cheapest gun I can get so I knew my purchase would take a little time to save up for. If I HR5103 becomes law that same purchase would have cost me $1062. My budget can’t handle an expense that big and I have a pretty awesome job that pays decent money. What about those less fortunate than me? Rep Davis’s bill basically removes the ability for many to exercise their 2nd amendment right to protect themselves and their families.

America and the media tend to ignore bills like this, but what if this same tax was put on the other provisions in the Bill of Rights? How about paying a tax to the government to read your news, your favorite magazine, or book. What if you had to pay $100 to speak your mind, or pay a 20% tax to have a shirt, a car, a haircut different than everyone else? Lets apply it to the 4th Amendment. The 4th Amendment says you have the right against unreasonable search and seizure. Imagine the outcry if you have to pay a 20% tax based on the value of your home and possessions to be exempt from unreasonable search and seizure. How about a tax on your right to vote?

A tax on firearms and ammunition is simply another form of gun control. It removes the ability for many Americans to own and enjoy firearms for sport, hunting, protection, or any reason they so choose. HR 5103 is unlikely to become law at this time, however we shouldn’t take it lightly.
Anything that limits or removes a right should send up huge red flags for everyone. The government of the United States is “for the people by the people”. Don’t let others be your voice, get educated on your choices and get out and vote. Exercise your rights before they disappear.

Tactical Ice Cream

By
Mike Westra
-

One of the things that stood out from my time in the police academy was the tactical pause. The idea was that before getting out of the car we would take a moment to calm ourselves to prepare for our next call.  The tactical pause was used after a stressful situation, a bad car accident or a gruesome murder/suicide scene. To employ the tactical pause one simply breathes in slowly for the count of 10, breathe out for the count of 10, hold for the count of 4 and start over.  Repeating these steps several time sends a calmness through your body.

Law enforcement officers are not the only ones who utilize the tactical pause, firefighters, military, even sports teams utilize their own versions. Trident Concepts describes the military tactical pause as  “A tactical pause is just a really cool way of saying slow the hell down, take a good look at what is in front of you. There can be an overwhelming amount of stimulus in a tactical scenario so how do you sort out the important stuff?”

Does the tactical pause have a place in the civilian world or family life?

It most definitely does, however in family life the tactical pause has not been as effective.  This is most likely because that family issues are not just easily forgotten or swept away by a few breaths. Family problems can be especially difficult to deal with, so to combat this I have morphed my tactical pause into what I call “Tactical Ice Cream”.

I have found over the years that it is difficult to stay mad, depressed, or even frustrated if you’re eating ice cream.  Just the thought of ice cream probably makes you think of some time in your childhood when you enjoyed an ice cream cone on a super hot day, or when you fell off your bike and to calm your crying eyes mom gave you ice cream.  Ice cream works, however it helps if it is smothered in hot fudge, or caramel.

Not everyone likes or can eat ice cream so in this case a different type of tactical pause could be utilized.  A couple friends head out for a mile or so run to clear their heads.  My neighbor spends time in his garage working on his old car or motorcycles.  Gardening, fishing, and kayaking are also great examples of activities that help you clear or reset your brain.  For me I will stick with the ice cream, and by the looks of the mirror I might need to go run a few hundred miles with my friends to burn off some of those extra calories.

SANDY’S ADVENTURES AT 2018 NRAAM

By
A Girl and a Gun
-

Just two weeks after the A Girl & A Gun National Conference and before I could fully recharge my introvert batteries, I was convinced by a friend that I should attend the NRA’s 147th Annual Meeting (NRAAM) because it was “so close” to my hometown this year, so close being a 4-hour drive which included additional unplanned stops at the Buc-ees in New Braunfels AND Temple (the best restrooms in the world), and a missed exit in Waxahachie which added 20 minutes on to our trip.

My friend and I arrived first thing on Saturday morning after staying overnight just south of Dallas. Our GPS took us straight to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and, after just a few minutes of discussion, found parking under the convention center for only $15, which is a steal compared to event parking in San Antonio. We worked our way up two levels and were thrown into a well-organized, but enormous, 15 acre playground of all things guns. Since registration was free to NRA members, this made our parking fee our only event expense.

I love traveling with my friend. She has (from what we learned at the AG & AG National Conference using the B.A.N.K. Personality Training System) a “blueprint” personality. She likes things to be planned out, so we made our way to one corner of the exhibit hall and started in an orderly, zig zag fashion walking, and walking, and walking. With probably more than 80,000 other NRA members, we walked for nine hours with a short break for lunch and another for smoothies. Even though I knew I had dozens of friends there at the same time based on their Facebook posts, I only actually came across a handful. But after a full day, we were proud to say we walked past every exhibitor in the hall.

On top of meeting with A Girl & A Gun’s leadership team of Julianna Crowder, Robyn Sandoval, and Tatiana Whitlock, I was thrilled to get an opportunity to talk with other top female shooters in the industry. I went fangirl crazy over Kim Rhode and Julie Golob. Kim is one of the most decorated female shotgun shooters in the sport having won 6 Olympic trap and skeet medals in 6 consecutive Olympic events, plus numerous other international competitions. I had a chance to talk with her at the Winchester Ammunition booth. We discussed her favorite Olympic medal – her first – and her grueling competition schedule. I then found Julie Golob at the Smith and Wesson booth. Julie has won numerous World and National pistol events, including World Steel Challenge, US IPSC, and USPSA ladies championships. Not only did we talk about her nonstop shooting schedule, we also chatted about raising children in competition shooting. Both of these women have been fabulous role models in an industry that has been traditionally male dominated. Because of their hard work and dedication at the national level, it has given me opportunities to enjoy my hobby and be accepted as a shooter at a local level.

I would be negligent in my writing duties if I left off the fact that I also saw Lena Miculek, Kay Miculek, Eva Shockley, Michelle Cerino, Dianna Muller, and Becky Yackley meeting with attendees and walking around at the convention. I heard rumors that Missy Gilliland, Candice Horner, and Annette Evans were also in the building. In hindsight, I can’t help but realize how lucky I am to belong to the NRA as they embrace women shooting sports and then give us an opportunity to actually meet our role models.

I could write for days on the 800+ exhibitors at the event. My favorite new gun is the Sig P365 with 12 round extended magazine. I can’t wait to try it at the range. It has a slim feel for a compact gun that holds a double stack magazine. The extension on that magazine allows me to get all my fingers wrapped around the grip which is a great feature in a small carry gun. I am still shopping for my first 1911 and CZ USA has a product that is in the running with the CZ 75 Shadow 2. I am also drooling over the CZ SCTP Sterling over and under shotgun. I got to speak with Dave Miller, competitive shotgun shooter and world record holder for the most sporting clays shot in one hour (3,653), about the unique features of this shotgun that make it a fantastic fit for women with longer necks and slender faces. I also enjoyed speaking with Andrew Finn and Juli Brayton from Troy Industries about creating ARs and accessories with women in mind. Their SOCC series seems like a winning rifle straight out of the box for women shooters. When it came to gun accessories, I fell in love with the Surefire G2ZX Combatlight. With 600 lumens, the flashlight has just enough power, but not overwhelming power, to find my way in any nighttime situation. Using their convention discount code, I made that online purchase before I left the building. I stopped and talked with Vickie Hoffman at Tru-Spec. They are working on a more complete women’s line of clothing starting with 24-7 Xpedition Pants in women’s sizes 2-14 coming this summer. Product surprise for the day was the Black Rifle Coffee Company. I loved their Just Black coffee and came away with a beautiful, black coffee mug too. Looks like I’ll be joining their coffee club on Monday.

I also had the opportunity to talk with some fabulous representatives from companies that I have purchased products with in the past and who went above and beyond for me in answering additional post-sale questions. Safariland helped me make sure I got the most out of my 578 GLS Pro-Fit Holster. Crossbreed found the perfect magazine holster to accompany my Mini Appendix Carry holster. Shotlock showed me how to adjust my Shotgun Solo-Vault to make sure that my loaded self-defense shotgun could not be fired while secured in the vault.

A convention would not be a convention if I did not talk about the swag. My favorite swag undoubtedly comes from Leopold. For providing your email address, they in turn gave you a blank rubber patch and escorted you to their laser engraver. After entering your name in their magic machine, they created a custom patch with the Leopold logo and your name. Then they did it again. This patch went on the Velcro wall where they pulled for prizes later in the day. At the end of the day, you got to keep your second customized patch. Bass Pro Shop/Cabela’s was handing out a pen, knife, bottle opener, flashlight multitool. In exchange for a $1 donation to Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program, EAA gave me a thick rubber gun cleaning mat with compartments to keep your gear from rolling away. I literally stumbled upon a box of TASCO indoor Frisbees/fans that fold up neatly, like the car sun shields that you twist and pancake. This will fit nicely into my range bag for the hot summer Texas heat. I was also amused with the shotshell shaped shot glass from Gearfire.com.

With all the recent anti-NRA movements, one would think the only thing the NRA does is push its legislative issues. The fact is that NRA’s Institute of Legislative Action (ILA) is just one aspect of the organization. The NRA is the leader in civilian firearm education with over 125,000 certified instructors who train more than 1,000,000 gun owners a year in a variety of disciplines, including the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program and Refuse to be a Victim. The NRA Foundation raises millions of dollars annually to fund gun safety and educational projects that benefit the general public, like youth and women’s programs on both a national and local level. To be able to produce an outstanding project the size of this year’s NRA Annual Convention for their members takes the community support of hundreds of volunteers and exhibitors. Their dedication to this event shows their commitment to the continuing education of their members.

As I crash into bed after my full day of hiking, my mind still hears the low rumble of the crowd and my thighs burn numb. I am glad that my friend convinced me to attend the convention. Next time the NRAAM is within a 5-hour drive of San Antonio, you can bet that I will be there, not for just one day, but for the entire 3-day event.

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.

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/adventures-at-nraam/

AR-15 cleaning and lubrication myths

By
MASF
-

By: David Sugg, Owner FireClean– MASF Member

Originally Published in MASF Quarterly Online Magazine Fall 2015 issue

Having inspected numerous firearms over the past few years, it is fair to say that there are still myths and misconceptions about what is required to make a good firearm function reliably.  In this article we will focus on the AR-15 as there are myths that still persist about its function and reliability.  When we think about firearms operation, we think about timing.  If you consider an engine, whether it’s a lawnmower’s or a car’s, it runs roughly when there is a glitch in the timing.   The same goes for a firearm.  If you have a failure to feed, eject, or cycle, certain parts are not doing their job when they are supposed to.  This can be caused by weak springs or carbon fouling on bearing surfaces.

The AR-15:   the sunset of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban in 2004, combined with daily images of this iconic platform in Iraq and Afghanistan, led to a massive increase in interest and ownership, which created a demand for new products.  Innovations such as mid-length gas systems, the VLTOR A5 buffer system, and Magpul’s PMAG® and other new magazine designs allowed it to function more reliably.  One area, however, that didn’t see much improvement is the time and effort required to clean it.  If there’s one thing that shooters dislike, cleaning is generally at the top of the list; when people don’t enjoy something, they tend to avoid it.  For this reason, many shooters neglect their AR-15s.  Too many shooters underlubricate their ARs before shooting, and then overlubricate once they are at the range.  This presents a problem based on the weapon’s design.  Excessive lubricant can trap fouling, which acts as a base for more fouling.  Carbon molecules have a very strong bond with other carbon molecules (think diamonds).  As the shooter pulls the trigger, more and more carbon is deposited into the firearm’s action.  Due to the tighter tolerances of the AR-15, carbon fouling can cause the action to get “sluggish”.  This will eventually lead to failures to feed (when the bolt carrier goes forward) or failures to eject (when the bolt carrier goes back).  Metal on metal friction is a reality of any semi-automatic firearm.  Some platforms, such as Glock® pistols and Kalashnikov rifles, are more forgiving with carbon initially, but they will ultimately stop running when the resistance caused by the impacted carbon fouling on bearing surfaces (such as the slide and frame interface, or piston/gas block interface) outweighs the strength of the recoil.  If you think of carbon fouling as “hook and loop” (Velcro®), you get the idea.

In addition to being able to deal with the carbon fouling, a weapon lubricant also needs to be able to deal with heat.  The military specification for CLP oil, MIL-PRF-63460E, calls73289_353705344724738_752885938_n for a minimum flash point of 150°F.  We have heard personally heard stories from Iraq veterans of having to relubricate their M-4s several times during a patrol, even when no shots were fired.  This combination of 120°F ambient temperature and continuous, direct sunlight on a black weapon caused CLP to evaporate off the weapon.  Because of this low heat threshold, you will see many popular oils smoking during rapid strings of fire.  When oil begins to smoke, it is breaking down at the molecular level.  This creates varnishes that are hard to remove, and adding more oil to an oil that has already started smoking really isn’t going to help.  You don’t want your gun to look like it’s coated with molasses.  If you are seeing that, or seeing your oil smoke off within a couple of magazines, you should look for a high-performance alternative.

When time comes to clean the weapon, many AR-15 shooters focus on the wrong end of the bolt.  The bolt tail (behind the gas rings) does not rub against the inner surface of the bolt carrier during operation.  As a result, carbon deposits on this small surface will not impede operation.  On the other hand, fouling on the bolt locking lugs, and the corresponding surface of the barrel extension, can cause friction during the firing and unlocking process.  This can lead to failures to eject, broken bolt lugs, and other issues.  If there’s one area that is neglected, the chamber is at the top of our list.

DSCF5483 RESIZED

Mixing oils is another area where shooters can see problems.  While water may be water, “lube” is not “lube.”  Due to different composition, viscosity, weight, it is best to strip the weapon of existing lubricants before you change brands.

While some shooters have turned to synthetic motor oil as a “cheap” solution, we have not found it to be an effective solution.  Modern engines are full of sensors, pumps, coolers and run much cleaner than a firearm.  Motor oil “bathes” the parts; you don’t have an oil pump in your AR-15.  So you need something that will stay in place and resist heat and carbon fouling.IMG_0270 RESIZEDPiston-operated ARs need cleaning and lubrication also.  They simply get dirty in different places, and you will have to spend time and effort on the piston, whereas the tail of a direct-impingement bolt doesn’t require the same degree of persistence.  On a recent trip to the range, we had a new 7.5” piston upper go “bolt action” until lubrication was added to the bolt carrier and locking lugs.

We see the problem with AR-15 cleaning and lubrication compounded even more by the increasing use of suppressors.  From what we have seen, suppressors foul an AR-15 six to ten times faster than the same setup without a suppressor.  The shorter the barrel, the more it will foul.  Everyone loves shooting suppressed weapons until time comes to clean them.  Many ARs will require different springs and buffers to operate suppressed, and adjustable gas blocks are another alternative.  You will have to lubricate a suppressed AR more than an unsuppressed one. LMT before after high res(2) RESIZEDSo how should you clean or lubricate an AR-15?  We recommend cleaning everything between the bottom of the receiver extension and the muzzle device, with the exception of inside the gas tube.   A light coat (an amount that you can barely spread with your finger) is all that you should really need for effective lubrication.  Be sure to clean and lubricate the back of the bolt lugs.  On the charging handle, firing pin, cam pin, gas key, inner and outer surfaces of the bolt carrier, and bolt, clean them thoroughly and use a light coat of oil (again- barely spreadable with a finger or QTip).  You should also clean all of the nooks and crannies in the upper receiver, as well as the action spring, buffer, receiver extension, hammer, trigger sear, and trigger pins.  It is easier to lubricate a stationary object (upper receiver) than a moving object subject to G forces (bolt carrier group) so be sure to use a light coat of oil in the upper receiver also.IMG_3201(1) RESIZEDUltimately your AR should cycle smoothly and quietly when you pull the charging handle back and forth.  Audible or tactile “grit” means that your action is dirty and/or underlubricated.  If you follow the steps in the previous paragraph, use quality components, ammunition, and cleaning/lubrication products, you should notice a significant increase in reliability, ease of cleaning, and confidence in your AR’s ability to perform on demand.

SOURCE ARTICLE: http://masf.co/2016/02/08/ar-15-cleaning-and-lubrication-myths-2/ 

Got Light?

By
Mike Westra
-

It’s a dark, rainy Saturday evening. My family is all secured in the car as we head downtown to the hockey game. Our car, a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix, looses power and sputters to a stop.

I steer it to the side of the road, we are not in a great area so I am thankful I have my Glock 19 by my side. Being the man of the house it is my responsibility to get out in the wet cold air and attempt to fix the car.

The hood of the car provides little shelter from the cold rain and blocks most of the ambient light. I can’t see well enough to fix the problem and the only light I have is mounted to my Glock. Hmmm, not a great option but currently my only option.

No one is going to stop and help if they see I have a gun in my hand. Law enforcement will probably be alerted and show up with their weapons drawn. Not an ideal situation. I need an every day carry flashlight. Weapon mounted lights are cool and have a specific purpose, however most of the time I just need a light not a gun.

Ten years have passed since that dark wet night and I have gone through several small flashlights looking for the perfect one, I am not sure if what I want exists.

I was talking about my issues with flashlights with a good friend, he then handed me an ASP Dual Fuel Tungsten. I was familiar with the ASP brand as I had used their batons for years in my career as a Sheriff’s Deputy. I could not take his so I waited patiently for mine to arrive.  When It arrived I didn’t even wait until I got home to open the box. The ASP Duel Fuel Tungsten is a small handheld rechargeable flashlight with the ability to also use two CR123A batteries.

Opening the box I was surprised at everything the light came with. Not only do you get a carrying case, you also get a wall charger, cigarette lighter adapter, retractable USB chord, and a case for the rechargeable battery when your using the CR123A batteries. The clip allows you to carry it light up or light down however you choose. I typically like to carry mine in a pocket with the light facing down so I can quickly put it into use without fumbling with it.

“Warning, do not purposely look directly at the beam as it is blindingly bright” should be printed on the box. The Tungsten puts out a lot of light. A light that bright is awesome when searching a large outdoor area at night. It lights up every bad guy hiding area perfectly, however I am not always searching for bad guys. Occasionally I need a light while inside the house, or in the car when checking some paperwork real quick. In these cases a lower lumen light is better suited. Luckily the Tungsten gives out a moderate 450 lumens. It is bright enough to light up a small area yet not bright enough to blind you permanently when you use it in a small confined space.

Features:
• Body offers a secure grasp with the spiral grooves
• Durably built from Aerospace Aluminum
• Light is O-ring sealed for maximum protection against water
• Reversible and detachable pocket clip provides multiple ways to carry your flashlight
• Includes ASP’s Limited Lifetime Warranty
• Package Includes:
o 1 x 18650
o Battery Storage Case
o Retractable Charging Cord
o Wall Adapter
o Car Adapter
o Removable Pocket Clip
o Zippered Ballistic Travel Case
Specifications:
• LED: CREE XPG2 LED
• Power Source: 1 x 18650 (Included) or 2 x CR123A
• Brightness Outputs (Using 1 x 18650):
o 425 Lumens with a 2.5hr run time
• Impact Resistance: 2 meters (6.56 ft.)
• Dimensions:
Length 5.75″ 146 mm
Diameter .91″ 23.11 mm
Weight 4.24 ounces 120 grams
(with batteries)
System 3.4 volt

I am tough on my equipment.  To make sure this light would stand up to my lifestyle I froze it in my meat freezer for 48 hours.  I was awe struck when it performed flawlessly.  The ASP Duel Fuel Tungsten has earned its spot as my every day carry light.

Peltor Ear and Eye Protection

By
Dr LateBloomer
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I first encountered the Peltor Sport Range Guard model electronic ear muffs,  and Peltor Sport Secure Fit safety eyewear at Range Day of SHOT 2018. 

I had a bit of a discussion with the reps, as I was interested to see if I could find electronic ear protection that would be useful both on the range AND in the hunting field. Thus far I have worn my own “range” ear protection in the field, because that’s all I had. While it was effective, it was magenta camo colored, and thus not so hot for a camouflage situation. It was also bulky and not always ideal for using a shotgun. I generally do not like earplugs as an alternative, as the crinkle sound drives me crazy, and I want to be able to hear my surroundings and game calls. I don’t like having my awareness all stuffed up – especially when I am in the woods. These Peltor electronic muffs however, are neutral colored and low profile. They are designed to work with long guns in the field. Thus I was eager to give them a try.

Features of the hearing protection include:

21 Decibel noise reduction

Outside access battery door

Audio input jack, and cord

These muffs also use two AAA batteries – no weird hard-to-find battery sizes when your ear protection goes dark at an away match or on a hunting trip. A definite “plus” in my book.

Features of the eye protection include:

Three-pack of clear, amber and gray glasses

Polycarbonate Impact resistant lenses

Absorb up to 99.9% of UV 

Flexible temples

Anti-fog coating

I first wore my trial set of the Peltor Range Guard earmuffs and glasses at a local club clays match. It was March, and the high temperature was 45 degrees in the sun. The earmuffs kept my ears nice and warm, while not being in the way of my shotgun mount. The cups were roomy enough to allow me to tuck my earrings up inside for a good seal. The low profile allowed a good cheek weld on the shotgun without pushing the muffs out of place. The glasses were equally comfortable and provided a good field of vision.

I next wore the Peltor Range Guard ear muffs and glasses while assisting with teaching an NRA Basic Pistol course. That was the kind of situation when it was important to be able to hear the students’ questions. The microphones and noise-cancelling worked well for conversation in this atmosphere. I only wish some of the students had similarly functioning ear protection as I often had to shout instructions in order to be heard.

As for the safety glasses – the lighting changed a bit through the course of the day, but the clear, yellow and dark glasses in the pack served me well. The temples of the glasses were very flexible, so I didn’t find them uncomfortable under the earmuffs. Some of my other safety glasses dig into my scalp and give me a headache after a long day on the range. I didn’t have this issue with the Peltors.

I next took my trusty AR15 out for a test run with this earmuff and glasses combo to see how they fit with my rifle set up. Everything again worked well and quite comfortably. However, despite the listed claim of an anti-fog coating, I did have an issue with the glasses fogging in the humidity of the range. In their defense, I also deal with the hot flashes inherent to women in my demographic – which challenges the best of fog coatings. I have this problem with all my other glasses as well, so It’s a “me” thing, not necessarily a failure of the product.

One REALLY interesting capability of this hearing protection that I forgot to mention is the four hour auto-shutoff. I discovered the utility of this feature when I pulled the Peltor muffs out at the range, only to discover that I had forgotten to turn them off after my last use two weeks beforehand. Because of the auto shutoff feature, they were still useable and did not have dead batteries. That is a definite win from my perspective.

After thorough testing with pistol, rifle and shotgun I can say that I am very satisfied with the fit and performance of both the Peltor Range Guard ear protection and the Peltor Secure Fit safety glasses. Although I have not yet had the opportunity to wear them hunting, they meet all of my criteria, and I can see no reason why they wouldn’t perform well in that environment as well. Both products performed as advertised, and are very budget-friendly, with retail prices of $38.70 and $14.57 respectively on Amazon Prime.

OVERCOMING GUN PHOBIA

By
A Girl and a Gun
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The word phobia is defined as an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. You may or may not identify yourself as having a true gun phobia, maybe just a fear of the unknown, nervous because you don’t know anything about firearms or what to expect the first time you fire a gun. If your only exposure to firearms is what you see on TV and movies, which has created a perception and understanding that guns are bad and scary, that is a reasonable fear. Or you may 100%, no doubt about it, have an overwhelming fear brought on by a subconscious or conscious life experience. Either way we are here to address the unknowns of firearms, learn how to anchor the fear and anxiety you may be feeling, and turn this into an empowering moment in your life. It is just a piece of machinery, a tool if you will. When you learn how to control the tool, the tool no longer controls you.

Identify Your Level of Fear

We’ve all heard the regular advice – things like ‘be well prepared’, ‘relax’, ‘remember to breathe’ – and all this advice is great if you only have mild anxiety.

But if you are experiencing real FEAR – that overwhelming feeling of anxiety or nervousness that makes you sick to your stomach – you are experiencing an ‘unwarranted automated fear response’ which no amount of trying to relax or breathing will help.

What makes people afraid?
• Have been embarrassed by someone, usually a family member or close friend.
• Witnessed someone making a fool of themself or being unsafe, and you think “I will never put myself in that situation.”
• Stems from lack of opportunity during adolescence to develop self confidence.
• Product of your environment. If you were not raised around guns, you are less likely to appreciate them.

How we create fear – and every other emotion

The first thing to understand is how we create fear in the human nervous system. The way you feel at any moment in time is a direct result of two things: Focus and your Physiology.

Focus is the way you are using your mind: your beliefs, what you are thinking about, and the language you use inside your head to describe things to yourself.

Physiology is the way you are using your body: your posture, your breathing, and even things like how tired you are and whether you have been drinking lots of coffee (very bad) or water (very good).

Every feeling you ever have is a result of the precise strategy composed of the different elements of Focus & Physiology you are using at that moment. The good news is that you can change the recipe almost instantaneously if it is one that causes you anxiety.

Anchoring

The Simple Subtle Powerful Strategy for Overcoming Phobias and Fears

Whenever something unique happens and you are in an intense emotional state (good or bad), your nervous system creates a link between the two and it creates a snapshot to remember.

For example, the first time you fell in love, there may have been a song that you heard on the radio. At the time that unique song played over and over again, you were in the intense emotional state of being in love, and now whenever you hear that song that feeling of falling in love comes back.

Anchoring is tapping into the very same part of your nervous system that is causing the gun phobia/fears in the first place. The quickest way to stop fear in the short term is to quickly and radically change what you are doing. If you are sitting still thinking what will happen if it all goes wrong, remember a time when you felt incredibly powerful, centered, and strong. Your feelings could change immediately or over a short period of time.

The questions we ask ourselves will open the door to conquering our fears. A question like, “What will happen if this all goes wrong?” will generate answers that feel terrible and you are less likely to participate in the activity and unfortunately making an anchored negative emotional response stronger. Instead ask, “How can I make this incredible?” or “How will others benefit when I overcome this?” This is life-changing and can shift how you feel in a heartbeat, changing the anchored response to a positive.

Change the Physiology and the Focus, and immediately the feeling changes. I compare it to a German shepherd (or any working dog) that are naturally programed to do more than sit around all day because they NEED to work. They can get bossy or destructive if their needs for physical and mental activity are not met with walks or time at the dog park. Our brain can be compared to a working dog. It needs to have a job. If you have a fear of guns the brain automatically assumes its job is to protect you from the experience of shooting: The loud noise, the recoil. You close your eyes, you flinch. But, if you give your brain a job by putting it to work by focusing on your sight picture, concentrating on your trigger press and holding your position for the follow through, you will find that you can quickly overcome anything from major anxiety to simple marksmanship mistakes. Remembering to breath and oxygenate the body will help you to control these fine motor skills.

In both cases the same thing happened: your mind created a link and a snapshot – an anchor – between a powerful feeling (love or firing the gun) and a unique stimulus (the song or the sensation of the recoil).

The way to use anchoring to transform your gun phobia is to create a deliberate link between some kind of unique stimulus – one you control and can initiate whenever you want – and a powerful mixture of the kind of calm, confident emotions you want to experience instead of gun phobia.

Then, and this is the magical part, you simply apply the stimulus while thinking about firearms and your mind will build a new map of the emotions that belong with firearms. Literally, your mind will create new neural pathway attaching the new positive emotions in place of the old.

The job here is to bundle together a collection of overwhelmingly positive powerful emotions you can call up whenever you want. Now when you are in a situation in which you would previously have been afraid, you are feeling confident.

What to expect

Stage Fright
After your instructor has covered the safety rules, showed you how to operate the firearm and done some dryfire drills, it is time to load up and take that first shot. You may find that you get in and out of your stance, grip and re grip the gun, take a few breaths, put your finger on the trigger, start to press and then – stop. It is ok. Remember give your brain a job to do – focus, breathe, and press.

Tearful Moment
It is not unusual for a person to take their first shot and experience a tearful moment. These tears are produced in response to that strong emotion you have experienced from stress, pleasure, relief, anger or sadness and are released the moment you pull the trigger. Tears contain a natural painkiller, called leucine enkephalin – perhaps, part of the reason why you might feel better after a good cry.

Gain Confidence
As you continue in the process, repeat with the same level of attention and dedication to the each time. Make sure you are recording the experience in your subconscious brain correctly. As you gain muscle memory you will start to move a bit faster, more confidently through the process and want to challenge yourself for what’s next!

The instructor makes all the difference.

Having the experience to associate firearms with exhilaration and empowerment while breaking and overcoming your gun phobia or fear is critical. Here are 7 tips for creating a positive range experience:

1. Talk to others. Talking to others about their experiences will help normalize what you are thinking and feeling. Often times we think that we are alone, that no one else has ever felt the way we feel.

2. Find the right Instructor. Take time to research instructors in your area. Talk to family and friends to find out if they have a favorite instructor. Ask if they would send their daughter or mother to the same trainer and why.

3. Meet the Instructor before you sign up. Ask if you may audit a portion of class before you actually attend. This gives you the opportunity to and see how the instructor interacts with others and if you will be comfortable in his/her presence, and review their teaching philosophy. Keep in mind that the instructor may not be accustomed to letting “non-paying” observation of their class, so make sure you say you only want to observe about 20 mins and will not interfere with the class in progress.

4. What to expect from your Instructor. The instructor should take the time to find out what level you are at ensuring the correct class for you, or can adjust instruction. Make sure your instructor is open minded to make physical adjustments as you need them, won’t yell if you aren’t doing it right, and will make sure you are ready for the curriculum. Keep in mind any safety violations can result in extremely firm tones and statements. The instructor’s job is to keep you safe, no compromises there. But at all times you and the instructor should have mutual respect.

5. Schedule a Private Lesson. The ideal learning environment is 1:1. Especially if you are feeling any level of anxiety. This will allow time and space to ask your questions and work at your own pace. 1 hour is sufficient time for a private lesson learning just the basics of marksmanship. After the initial lesson you can decide if you want to join a group class or continue with private lessons.

6. Tell the instructor your story. Your story is unique, but at the same time your story is similar to so many others and chances are your instructor has dealt with your situation before. It may be you are fearful of the noise or sensation of the recoil, it may be you have been a victim of gun violence or been affected by a traumatic incident. This will help your instructor be prepared to appropriately deal with your specific needs during class and be prepared for your physical and psychological reactions.

7. Bring a friend. When women are stressed about everyday life things they often turn to girlfriends to vent, talk, problem-solve, and get support. We know that they won’t judge us and feel safe being vulnerable.

Girl’s Night Out

For many women who are fearful of guns, it is beneficial to attend one of our Girl’s Night Outs (GNOs). AG & AG has GNOs at over 130 ranges across the country. All of our GNOs are hosted by certified instructors, so women of all experience levels can attend and get quality information as well as meet other women. Many women find the AG & AG community experience invaluable because it is not only casual and welcoming, but it is a judgment-free zone where women can ask questions about shooting, conceal carry, safe storage in the home, and other concerns.

With weekly #TrainingTipTuesday emails, AG & AG members receive information on shooting techniques and personal safety. Members are a part of an enthusiastic and knowledgeable community of women who offer support and encouragement. AG & AG currently hosts national, regional, and local events at over 130 ranges. If there is not a chapter near you, you can join at the national level, start a chapter in your community, or utlize the AG & AG Shooting Journal, which serves as a virtual personal instructor to teach you safe gun handling, with monthly live-fire, dry-fire, and journaling drills that not only document your improvements in marksmanship but track how your empowerment on the range affects every area of your life.

AG & AG has more than 5,000 members nationwide. Join us today at www.AGirlandAGun.org!

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/overcoming-gun-phobia/

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