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Once Again… it is Monday

By
Keith Finch
-
from voidspace.org and Jim Davis

Well readers Massachusetts ban on ‘Assault Weapons’ stands with U.S. District Judge William Young dismissing the lawsuit challenging the measure.

Young said assault weapons are military firearms and aren’t protected by the constitutional right to “bear arms.” Regulation of the weapons is a matter of policy, not for the courts, he said.

States can individually decided whether or not to allow the scary firearms.

Attorney General Maura Healey put out an enforcement notice in 2016 that clarified Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban and that too was upheld by Judge Young. ‘Look-a-like’ firearms were targeted extensively.

The Gun Owners’ Action League of Massachusetts and other groups that filed the lawsuit argued that the AR-15 can’t be considered a “military weapon” because it is not select fire.

Young noted that the semi-automatic AR-15’s design is based on firearms “that were first manufactured for military purposes” and that the AR-15 is “common and well-known in the military.”

So is the Remington 700, Judge Young, it is ‘common and well-known’ as a company and battalion asset. So are the COTS Barrett M82 and M107, Commercial Off The Shelf.

“The AR-15 and its analogs, along with large capacity magazines, are simply not weapons within the original meaning of the individual constitutional right to ‘bear arms,'” Young wrote.

Historians will note (hopefully) the AR-15, developed by ArmaLite in 1956, was a commercial offering first and was slowly picked up by the U.S. Air Force and Special Operations from those commercial offerings. The M-16, the military exclusive AR-15, wasn’t adopted until 1964.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Militia – a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
  • a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities, typically in opposition to a regular army. Editor’s Note: Remember folks, our Founder’s were terrorists in the eyes of the British Empire.
  • all able-bodied civilians eligible by law for military service.

But please, Judge Young, tell us more about how the AR-15 and similar weapons are not under the original meaning of the Second Amendment.

It requires no stretch of the imagination to infer that The Framers meant for the citizenry to keep and be proficient with small arms and supporting arms. In modern application the most basic applicable set up is a modern rifle, a sidearm, first aid kit, magazines, armor, and enough ammo and supplies to support a short term (3-Day) mission, action, or operation.

Whether a County Sheriff forms a posse, “Red Dawn” starts from the sky in some manner, or a monopoly of force should not be held by a corrupt government like in the Battle of Athens, the people of this nation have both the right and responsibility to rise to their defense and that of their communities.

 

Speaking earlier of the British Empire let’s check in there.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan enacts ‘knife control’ policies to crack down on stabbing epidemic.

After London surpassed the New York homicide rate for February/March knives are on the chopping block.

In response to the spike in crime, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, deployed over 300 additional London police officers to the city’s most crime-ridden neighborhoods to stop and search anyone they suspect is carrying a knife. In the U.S., such policies are very controversial and possibly violate the Fourth Amendment, but in England, police are able to stop and search anyone they suspect is carrying a knife.

The “tough, immediate” measures also ban home deliveries of knives and acid, two of the most common weapons in London today.

“No excuses: there is never a reason to carry a knife. Anyone who does will be caught, and they will feel the full force of the law,” Khan wrote on Twitter, sharing his new policies.

#LondonNeedsYouAlive: Don’t Carry a Knife

There are 653,626 teenagers in London – every one of them is important. They shouldn’t risk their futures by carrying a knife. Share this film and help carry a new message: #LondonNeedsYouAlive #LNYA -Sadiq Khan, Twitter
What a time to be alive. A man who ran on stopping ‘Stop and Frisk’ policy has embraced it and wants knife control to supplement the gun control that is working out so well.
CPRC Chart of homicide rate

Just look at that downward trend… wait a minute…

Safety and Freedom – The Parkland Lesson

By
Dr LateBloomer
-

The high schoolers in Parkland Florida returned to school this week. They returned to the scene of heartbreak and trauma, but also to new rules – rules that were put in place by school authorities in an effort to increase their safety. Unfortunately, this is also providing the students with important lessons about the cost of feeling “safe”.

Two of the measures put in place – mandatory clear plastic backpacks, and ID badges – have many students voicing complaints about being made to feel as if they are in prison, and feeling as if their privacy is being invaded. The planned metal detectors haven’t even arrived yet. One student complained aloud at the injustice of feeling as if she were being punished for the actions of another person.

American gun owners wondered if she realized the irony of her statement.

The situation in Parkland and the subsequent AstroTurf “student” protests are the perfect illustration of the trade-offs between freedom and safety and the protections of the Constitution. Those students (and the politicized adults which comprised the majority of the marchers) were “protected” in their exercise of free speech by men armed with the very tools they were protesting. It is a case of being careful what you wish for. Certainly one might be made to feel perfectly safe – but at the cost of being ensconced within a prison of one’s own making

This desire for safety is especially acute given that this tragedy involved children. As parents, we cannot abide our children being exposed to danger – especially when they are in school and out of our direct oversight.

But this is a generation which has been bubble-wrapped virtually from infancy. Many modern parents refuse to accept “any” perceived risk to their children – no matter how minute or far-fetched. This generation grew up with padded coffee table corners and obsessive dietary control, participation trophies and safe spaces. Never have children been so obsessively shielded from physical or emotional harm. The term Helicopter Parent came about because of this generation.

This obsession with the safety of children has gone so far that Utah passed a law recently, protecting parents who DON’T hover obsessively.

And yet despite all of that hovering, a crazed adolescent was able to harm these children when they were out of their parents’ control in a presumably safe environment. This attack – and the resulting betrayal of that feeling of safety – made people (especially the teenagers) absolutely insane with emotion. This emotion was then leveraged by the usual bloody shirt wavers. In their grief and rage they demanded “safety” and “protection” and expected the government to supply it. They didn’t seem to care how that safety happened, who they slandered or who that “safety” adversely impacted – as long as it wasn’t them.

They demonized an object and slandered every individual person who belongs to an organization which champions Constitutional rights – because demonization, oversimplification, and blanket accusations are easy. Changing human behavior, however, is complex and challenging.

Easy emotional solutions are what they were calling for. But it is easy emotional solutions which the Constitution was designed to protect against. The Constitution was crafted to enshrine and protect freedom – not safety.

These children were supposed to be protected by the government already. But every layer of that government – from school administrators, to resource officers, to the sheriff’s dept, to the FBI – failed those children. Despite the fact that the government failed in spectacular fashion the poor fools marched to demand even MORE government “protection” and intrusion. Except they demanded that the government intrude upon the lives of lawful firearms owners, not make their OWN lives more difficult. But that’s the problem with safety – it comes with a price tag attached.

All encompassing “safety” is an illusion – a pipe-dream. We used to line our babies’ beds with soft crib bumpers to keep them from hurting their heads – only to discover that our effort at “safety” was really suffocating babies in their sleep. In the same way, emotional attempts at “protecting” society has the net effect of suffocating freedom instead.

When you ask the government for safety, they give you clear backpacks and ID badges. They give you the TSA and full body scans. They take away your water bottles, your belts, your shoes, your safety pins, and your pocket knives. They give you lines to wait in like cattle. But they don’t actually give you safety. They give you the ILLUSION of safety. What they actually give you is limitations on your own freedom.

The kids at Parkland, having already been dealt a difficult lesson about life and death, now also have some new lessons to learn. When you seek to infringe upon the rights of others, you ultimately infringe upon your own. You can have safety, or you can have freedom, but you can’t usually have both.

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” – Benjamin Franklin

4 WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR HOST RANGE

By
A Girl and a Gun
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We wouldn’t have places to train if it weren’t for the partnerships we’ve built and nurtured with our host ranges, so we want our ranges to be successful! Here are 4 ways to show your appreciation to your AG & AG host ranges:

1. Speak up! Have you had the opportunity to interact with the manager/owner and thank them personally? It’s fast and free! Take a minute on your next visit and introduce yourself, shake their hands, and tell them how much you appreciate that they host your chapter of A Girl & A Gun. When you make purchases, whether a big-ticket item like a gun or even small purchases like gun cases or cleaning kits, make sure to let employees know that you can’t wait to use them for your AG & AG events.

2. Like them. Does your range have a Facebook page? Make sure to “like” their social media pages and take a few minutes to submit a favorable review. Personalize the comment if you can: “I especially appreciate the time one of the sales associates helped me understand some of the available accessories for my new pistol. They even offered to track down a custom grip I’d seen at a gun show! I always feel welcome here!” The same thing applies to Google, Yelp, even TripAdvisor. This is an easy way for AG & AG members to give the range some free marketing by helping to increase their online/social media presence.

3. Invite them. Are you having an event at another location, like a Cabela’s Ladies Day out? Tell your range about it and offer to place some of their cards/flyers/banner at your table. Give out information with the range’s hours, rates, and classes that they offer. Promoting the range ensures that they do well, so that we continue to have a range for our events. It’s win/win!

4. Appreciate them. Maybe at a Girl’s Night Out everyone can pitch in and order some pizzas or bring in some homemade brownies for the range staff. Let them know that you value their support. It’s amazing how big an impact it can have for those who are rarely thanked for doing their jobs! If your range has a store that has surveys on the bottom of their receipts, take the time to fill them out. Thank them for being an AG & AG host range.

Support Your Local Shooting Ranges

It doesn’t require a lot of time and effort on your part, but by taking a few extra steps to build our relationship with our partner ranges, we can continue to develop our reputation as ambassadors for women in the firearms community!

See our complete list of A Girl & A Gun host ranges.

Photo credit, above: Tracy Hughes, Facilitator of the League City TX Chapter, delivered dinner to the staff of The Arms Room.

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/4-ways-support-host-range/

Sunday Sermon: Move

By
Keith Finch
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Move.

Get off the X.

No one is static in a gunfight.

All of these have been shouted at me in a training environment that was usually very static.

Shooting the marksmanship tables of the United States Marine Corps. or the U.S. Army are very static events. Pistol qualifications are equally without movement. Even when movement is incorporated in some manner it comes in a very simplified and academic manner.

The live fire and maneuver (LFAM) which I was introduced to in a baptism of fire and ice was a whole different ball game (two feet of snow that fell the previous night, incomplete prior training as I was not MOS Q’d, and a half issue of gear and nearly no experience with any of it as basic in MCRD San Diego was still using Viking era hand me downs in 2007). I survived. I actually did well thanks to an observant team leader who (when handed the most boot of boots) checked the gear I did have, rehearsed with me, and corrected.

Moving and shooting is crazy. Moving and shooting with a squad is a glorious chaos pointed in a general direction. Nothing compares.

 

The vast majority of our available training and practice, due to any number of considerations, does not practice movement. Yet we need to move. How?

First though, why?

Why do most skills drills focus on static shooting? Why do we need to move?

Jeff Gonzales of Trident Concepts put it thus

The first question to answer is why is movement so important. The answer most overlooked is to simply be a moving target. If all you practice is static drawstrokes, don’t be surprised if that is all do in a real gunfight. Rather, if the situation dictates you should move aggressively on contact and not only be able to draw, but effectively engage and suppress the threat while on the move. What about those times when you are unarmed, where carrying a firearm is prohibited. Moving creates distance and distances creates opportunities. There are additional reasons to move, seeking cover, moving to a loved one or closing the distance, but think about being a hard target to hit. – Jeff Gonzales, Movement is Life

Moving gives you more opportunities to stay alive and reduces the chances of sprouting extra holes that leak.

Now why are most skill drills static? Three S’s.

Safety

Skill Set

Safe Space

From a Safety stand point, moving with a loaded firearm is extremely dangerous. Moving and shooting even more so. It cannot just be performed by the untrained and unskilled on demand without tremendous risk to themselves, others, and property. Just as with driving a motor vehicle, there are a lot of things going on concurrently and mistakes cause holes where they aren’t needed. Moving with a firearm and then moving and shooting with a firearm is a skill that takes time to develop properly and like many fundamentals it is not fun or ‘Instagram Gold’.

With Skill Set considerations there are often other fundamentals that need attention too. So then it becomes a game of time and training management where working on your draw, accuracy, trigger press, or any of the more gratifying fundamentals are easier to weigh more heavily. Restrictive training environments also contribute where movement maybe prohibited by range rules. So we rationalize movement’s lack of inclusion by focusing on other skills.

Finally Safe Space, using influences from the first two S’s shooters will keep themselves in their safe space of positive feedback. If you’re good at drawing and shooting at 3-5 yards you’ll continue to prioritize that. You’ll justify the fundamentals you are good at it over the weaker ones. This is human nature, we enjoy being good at things.

 

So how do we train to move?

The easiest method for the average shooter, in my opinion, is competition. Going to an IDPA, 2-Gun, or 3-Gun match of some variety where the stages require you to move in odd and unfamiliar ways is a simple and safe way to break the mold of a shooter’s safe space.

At a well organized match each and every stage will have Range Safety Personnel (usually traveling within your competitive group) and they, the other shooters, and your observation of the other shooters can give you more relevant experience with moving than just about any other method available.

A more valuable method still would be attending a course where movement is a specific part of the curriculum. Learning when and how to move, how to move with a firearm, when to move and shoot, how to move and shoot, and how to decide whether it is appropriate to move and shoot, shoot, or just haul ass moving under guided instruction will inform your attitudes and future practice methods better than any other single event.

 

So readers, get moving.

IS .40S&W DEAD?

By
Mike Westra
-

The .40S&W was developed because of the actions of William Russell Matix and Michael Lee Platt. Platt and Matix both served in the United States Military. Matix was an MP while Platt was an Army Ranger in Vietnam. When both of their wives died from mysterious circumstances they moved to Miami, Florida and started a landscape business. Over seven months they managed to steal two vehicles by killing their drivers and commit several burglaries including an attempted robbery of an armored truck. The pair finally got the attention of the FBI after they robbed two more armored trucks and two banks.

Acting on a tip the FBI did a rolling stakeout to look for the two suspects. The car they were driving was spotted and a short police chase led to one of the most famous shoot outs in History.

Eight FBI agents converged on the two suspects who opened fire on the agents. The incident lasted less than 5 minutes and over 145 rounds were exchanged two FBI agents were killed and six others suffered injuries. The FBI went up against two highly trained, motivated individuals and got their butts kicked.  Concluding the 9mm round their agents carried was not enough, they decided they needed something with more stopping power.

The .40S&W was born.

My love affair with the .40S&W started in 1998 when I was issued a Glock 22 and started my career in law enforcement. When asked why we were issued the .40S&W the department trainers told us we should carry the largest caliber we could shoot. I asked about the .45ACP, it was larger and more powerful in my mind. The department’s response was “The 45 was to inhumane, We don’t want to kill them, we just want to stop them.”

So based on the FBI recommendation my department issued the .40S&W instead of the weaker 9mm. The first time I shot the .40 I noticed it was a little snappier than the 9mm however it was not unmanageable. Departments around the country were having success with the .40. It gave us greater stopping power over the 9mm, we had larger capacity than firearms chambered in .45ACP, and it was more “humane”.

After 17 years of trusting my life to the .40S&W, I am now told that .40 is outdated and 9mm is the way of the future. Departments all over the USA are dropping the .40 and going back to the 9mm. What is causing this change?

The FBI drove this change of thought, they gave birth to it and they killed it, but is it really dead?

In 2014 the FBI training division published a report on handgun effectiveness. The researchers found the single most important factor in stopping a threat with a handgun was penetration. The bullet should penetrate 12 to 18″ in ballistic gel, a tissue simulant the FBI developed.

The study also found that law enforcement officers typically miss 70 to 80 percent of their shots during a shooting incident. Why such a high miss rate? Recoil, and stress.

The study found that having less recoil equated to better accuracy. If we miss 70 to 80 percent of our shots then ammo capacity comes into play. We need to carry more ammo. The FBI concluded the 9mm allows us to do the same job we did with less recoil, and larger capacity in the same size firearm. With this new information both federal and local law enforcement started ditching their .40’s.

I now carry a 9mm Glock at work, however I am not ditching my .40 without a fight. I had to see for myself if 9mm is truly better. I took both out to the range and fired several mags through each gun to make sure my test would be fair.

My first test was to draw and put 5 rounds on the target as fast as I could. The 9mm performed very well, in 3.17 seconds I drew and put 5 rounds in a 1.5″ group. Not bad for an old guy like me.  Now it was time to see what the .40 could do. same drill, same holster, surprisingly my time was also 3.17 seconds.

To my amazement the .40 was not any slower however my group size did suffer. In fact my group had opened up to 4″. Is a 4″ group unreasonable? No, a 4″ group is great most people would be lucky to get a group that small. A 4″ group is acceptable in a life or death situation.

The larger group due to the snappier recoil of the .40 really shines a light on the benefits of 9mm especially if you have to shoot with your support hand only or you are a new shooter. The FBI is right, the .40S&W is much more difficult to shoot accurately with great speed.

Is the .40 still a viable option, yes but thanks to the diligent folks at the FBI we know there are now better options that allow for higher capacity and more accuracy on follow-up shots.

I will never ditch my .40. As long as ammunition is available I will still shoot my trusty Glock chambered in .40S&W. If you’re new to shooting, or have a family member who will also be using your gun I would recommend starting with a 9mm.

The .40 is not dead but it is barely treading water.

CMMG “CONVERTS” ME TO .22LR

By
A Girl and a Gun
-

I should preface this post by pointing out that I am by nature a “multi-use” kind of gal. I built as much flexibility into my home as possible – like folding doors to hide kid mess when guests come. I love sofa-beds to pull out when guests come, I also have a handcrafted kitchen “stool” that folds open into an ironing board. I have a day pack that folds down into its own pocket. I appreciate items that are versatile, reversible, reusable, and reliable.

Thus, it was with great interest that I read about the CMMG 5.56/.223 to .22LR Rifle Conversion Kit.

This is a drop-in bolt adapter (no tools or gunsmithing experience needed!!), which comes packaged with a special .22LR magazine designed to fit a standard AR mag well. Being the “multi-use” kind of gal that I described above, I was intrigued by the possibility of being able to expand the uses for my existing AR15 rifles, so I decided to see if CMMG would let me try one out.

The CMMG Conversion kit arrived on my front porch by UPS. The kit is only “gun parts” so I didn’t need an FFL or any kind of “expert/pro” stuff to be able to try it.

The packaging and directions were pretty self-explanatory. All I did was make sure my AR was relatively clean, lube up the adapter well, pop the rear AR pin, slide out the existing bolt carrier group, slide the adapter in, and close the gun back up. That was it – yes really.

I also needed to find some .22LR Ammo, as I’d never shot this caliber before. Thanks to Greg at Second Amendment Sports and Defense for the help selecting various kinds of ammo to try. For my testing purposes, I ran:

Remington 22 Golden Bullet – plated round nose, 40 gr, 1255 fps
Remington 22 Golden Bullet – plated hollow point, 36 gr , 1280 fps (bucket o’bullets)
CCI Mini-mag 22LR – plated round nose, 40 gr, 1235 fps
Winchester 222 Rounds – plated hollow point, 36 gr, 1280 fps
Winchester SuperX – plated hollow point, 40 gr, 1280 fps

My only criteria for selecting ammo was that (1) I didn’t go with low velocity rounds, as I understand that they don’t cycle the bolt well, and (2) I stuck with plated bullets, as .22LR is inherently “dirty” as it is, and I didn’t want to deal with lead-fouling on top of that.

So with ammo, and my gun with new adapter in hand, I loaded up the car, and headed to the range. I am spoiled, in that my gun club is only 2 miles from my house, and there is rarely anybody there before noon on weekends or during the day on weekdays. I had ALL the ranges to myself to do with as I pleased!

I started with sighting-in the older red dot that I had dug out of storage for this trial. I got my zero on paper at 25 yards, and then started plinking away. The sound of the ringing steel at the 50-yard berm was very satisfying. I was hitting it easily both at the bench and offhand. Then I moved over to the bays and the plate rack.

The 25-yard plate rack was giggle-inducing with this set-up. I’m not kidding. Shooting rapid strings on that rack with .22LR was more fun than middle-aged women should be allowed to have all by themselves! I ran that thing over, and over… and over. It didn’t matter what kind of ammo I used either. The CMMG conversion adapter cycled all of my choices equally well.

During this first session, the only hang-up I experienced was around the 150 round mark. The adapter bolt itself ran like butter, but the magazine spring started hanging up for some reason. When I got home, I took it apart to clean and inspect it. I didn’t find any spring kinks, or burrs on the follower, so I reassembled it and took it back out the following day for another 75 – 100 rounds. It ran fine then, and has continued running fine ever since. It must have been just a fluke, but I wanted to mention it anyway.


(After the initial hang-up, the magazine ran fine.)

Those were the first and second test sessions. For the third session, I again had the range to myself, so I went “longer” this time. I decided to test the CMMG conversion kit, and my older eyesight, with the non-magnified red dot, on 6-inch hanging steel at the 100-yard berm. This was a little more challenging. Even so, I was still getting good hits. This was a pleasant surprise to me, as I knew that my 1 in 7 twist AR barrel was not ideal for .22LR distance accuracy. I even videoed some of this session. (Gotta love a freestanding iPad.)

Given all of the above, I was completely tickled at the sound of ringing steel at this distance with “only” a conversion kit.


(This video screen shot shows the open CCMG bolt and a smudge of ejected brass.)

Now, a little about the equipment I was using. It is important for me to note that this Smith & Wesson M&P15 was my first “evil black rifle”. I had carefully researched the purchase about six years ago, and used it as my learning tool for the AR platform. This was the gun that I learned to field strip on my living room floor – on an old mattress pad, so I could find all the little pieces. This is the gun that I hit my first 200 yard target with, and learned to shoot 3-Gun with.

The gun has sentimental value – we were bonded, she and I. But she had been hanging around as a neglected safe-orphan ever since I won another rifle, tricked out specifically for 3-Gun, in a raffle a couple years ago. I had started to revamp her a little last year with a prize-table stock, and new trigger, but she was still kind of superfluous, and looking for a “purpose”.

This clever little CMMG adapter has allowed me to give new life to my old AR friend. She isn’t a safe-orphan anymore. She is now a ridiculously fun little plinker, which will get much more use in monthly steel matches than the other gun does in thrice yearly 3-Gun. And shooting .22LR in club Steel/Rimfire Challenge is a lot more affordable than shooting 5.56 in 3-Gun. If I wanted to I could even swap the adapter over to my 3-Gun rifle for some cheaper practice, and then swap it back for Rimfire Challenge.

The Tru-Glo red dot sight which I mounted, was given to me “used” by a friend a few years ago, for use on a deer rifle. But once I discovered that my older eyes really needed a scope for those distances, the red dot began also sitting around, neglected, in my safe. Now it too has found new plinking life! For me the red dot is the perfect optic for the short distance, rapid target acquisition that I need with steel matches.

The best part with all of this is that I didn’t have to buy a whole new gun! The CMMG conversion kit gave me good accuracy at the distances I was interested in – 25 to 50 yards. Even using an unmagnified red dot with older eyes, it was quite acceptable out to 100 yards – with my pretty standard AR set-up – even though my barrel twist rate is 1 in 7″. Usual barrel twist for .22LR is 1 in 16″.

In the future, if I should decide that I want a more accurate, dedicated .22LR upper for say – varmints, then CMMG makes all of the parts necessary to complete my conversion to the .22LR dark side. I was told by a design engineer at SHOT, that the adapter bolt can, with the easy tweak of removing the chamber adapter, be used as a dedicated bolt for a dedicated .22LR upper, with just the addition of barrel collar, and a CMMG .22LR barrel. They even sell the collar and barrel together as a set for this very purpose!

That sounds quite economical to me, as I STILL wouldn’t have to buy a whole new gun! (Not, that I don’t LIKE buying guns, but sometimes a piecemeal approach is a little more budget-friendly, and many gals shoot within a tight budget.) To top it off, CMMG provides a lifetime quality guarantee.

I think this set-up would be perfect for a variety of women (and men too, of course), such as:

-Recoil-sensitive women (or even juniors) who might be interested in getting started in rifle shooting, but who are reluctant to make an investment in an entire firearm until they are sure they are comfortable. These women would be able to drop the CMMG .22LR conversion kit into a friend’s or spouse’s AR15, in order to get a feel for the platform in a lighter-recoil setting.

-Budget-minded women who already own an AR- style rifle, but who want to practice “on the cheap.” .22LR ammo is much less expensive for practice than .223/5.56. The unit would pay for itself after only a few sessions of practice, while allowing such women to reinforce habits with their own familiar rifle.

-Practical women (such as myself) who want to expand our horizons into other areas of competition (such as Rimfire Challenge), but still squeeze as much use as possible out of the guns we already own.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with this little conversion kit.
The bolt adapter itself had zero issues, right out of the box. It ran flawlessly through hundreds of rounds – from sighting in the red dot optic, to ringing 50-yard, and then 100-yard steel, to rapid strings on the 25-yard plate rack.
I LOVE this CMMG conversion kit. It’s a keeper!

Now I just need to go buy some more magazines, so I can shoot a club steel match next month!

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/cmmg-converts-22lr/

A Grand A Day for Your 2A Rights, Deerfield Illinois

By
Keith Finch
-
Image From Blue Lives Matter

Fines up to $1,000 a day for residents of Deerfield Illinois who do not comply with the new ‘Assault Weapon’ and ‘High Capacity Magazine’ ban.

High capacity magazines are defined as having a capacity over 10 rounds. Assault weapons are defined as semi-auto rifles and handguns that can take these magazines. AR’s, AK’s, SKS’s, etc. Fairly typical AWB langauge.

Deerfield, IL – The Deerfield Village Board ordered a ban on “assault weapons” on Monday night, and said they planned to implement a hefty fine on residents who refuse to comply.

The board unanimously voted to ban certain semi-automatic firearms, which they considered to be “assault weapons,” WLS reported.

The ordinance included semiautomatic rifles with fixed magazines capable of holding over 10 rounds of ammunition, and shotguns with revolving cylinders, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Rifles capable of accepting “large-capacity magazines” and a multitude of other features were also included in the ban, according to the paper.

The ban also hit some semiautomatic pistols, which primarily seemed to be targeting pistol variants of rifles and submachine guns. The ban covered pistols with off-hand gripping areas, barrel shrouds, or stocks.

“Large-capacity magazines” were defined as magazines that hold more than 10 bullets.

The amendment to the village’s gun ordinance also eradicated citizens’ rights to possess the magazines, WLS reported.

 

But of course no one is coming for your guns.

They just become a $365,000/year expense on June 13th in Deerfield.

WHAT IS AN OVER-USED CARTRIDGE?

By
A Girl and a Gun
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When manipulating your everyday carry, vehicle, or home-defense firearms, you may unknowingly be damaging your ammunition. Avoid creating an over-used cartridge by paying close attention to how you rotate your ammunition.

If you carry or store your defense firearms in condition hot (round in the chamber), you probably carry a full magazine of defensive hollow point ammunition. Because hollow point is expensive (compared to FMJ practice ammo), you are probably ejecting out the hollow point round from the chamber and reinserting it at the top of your magazine, so when you are done practicing with your FMJ ammo, you can easily reload your gun and secure it back into your holster or preferred storage method.

The problem is that every time the slide is sent forward to chamber the round, the cartridge is taking a beating. The tension on the recoil spring causes wear and tear on the baseplate of the cartridge, which protects the primer, a sensitive and necessary component. It is also possible for the bullet component of the cartridge to be compacted further down into the casing.

Chambering the same cartridge over a 3-6 month cycle will probably not result in damage that could lead to a malfunction, and some people manipulate the same cartridge for extended periods of time with no damage. However, it is responsible to avoid possible malfunctions and establish good habits. Therefore, if one hollow point cartridge seems to get loaded every single time, rotate it down to the bottom of your magazine.

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/what-is-an-over-used-cartridge/

YouTube HQ: What We Know. What We Suspect. What We Should Do.

By
Keith Finch
-

Tuesday at around 12:45 in San Bruno California a middle aged woman, Nasim Najafi Aghdam, attacked and wounded 3 employees at YouTube headquarters. A fourth employee was injured while fleeing but not shot. Aghdam shot and killed herself, ending the attack.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/04/03/breaking-multiple-shots-fired-injuries-reported-at-youtube-headquarters

That is what we know.

 

Aghdam had a channel(s) on YouTube that was apparently being flagged and restricted in a manner similar to what firearms industry channels have been experiencing. She was a ‘Vegan Bodybuilder‘ of Iranian decent who appears to have a large social media footprint and used it extensively for business. Videos on other platforms, appearing to be Adhdam, level harsh criticism against the online video giant for the new policies silencing her voice and her platform for business.

“There is no equal growth opportunity on YOUTUBE or any other video sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to!!!!!” one post reads. “Youtube filtered my channels to keep them from getting views!” –CNN report

So the motives appear to be related to YouTube’s policies. No direct connection to any of the wounded appears to exist. Her family has stated they warned authorities of her vendetta against the company. A report of police making contact with Aghdam, sleeping in her car after being missing for 2 days, is also circulating.

If anyone believed only the firearms industry was experiencing the squeeze of YouTube’s new policies in some grand Anti-2A crusade… well…

 

Our support should be with the folks at YouTube HQ, no matter their corporate policy and changing platform. They were attacked. Aghdam shot three people who had never raised a hand against her in a building of 1,100 people who didn’t know her name and held her no ill will, they were just doing their jobs.

To anyone who believes that the employees in San Bruno in some way earned this fate because ‘YouTube had it coming’ as I’ve begun to see around the online space…

Check yourselves, immediately.

 

4 COMPONENTS OF A CARTRIDGE

By
A Girl and a Gun
-

There are several different words used to describe ammunition: bullets, shells, projectiles, rounds, shot, slugs, cartridges, munitions, etc.  In reality anything can be used as ammunition, whether it be a stone you are throwing or words you are using in an argument. In the world of firearms it is most commonly referred to in the informal context as “ammo.”  Many people call them bullets, which to some is like nails on a chalkboard because the correct term for firearms ammunition is “cartridge.” Here is a quick reference for you:

The 4 components of an ammo cartridge are the case, primer, powder, and bullet.

Casing: The container that holds all the components together. The case can be made of brass, steel, or copper for pistols and rifles. Shotgun “shells” are a plastic case, with the base covered in a thin brass covering.

Primer: The primer is an explosive chemical compound that ignites the gunpowder when struck by a firing pin. Primer may be placed either in the rim of the case (rimfire) or in the center of the base of the case (centerfire).

Powder: The gunpowder is an explosive consisting of a powdered mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal.

Bullet: The projectile typically made of metal containing lead, cylindrical and pointed, that is expelled from the barrel.

Courtesy of NRA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/4-components-of-a-cartridge/

Review: The Desantis SL Raptor, IWB/OWB Carry and Level II Retention

By
Keith Finch
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The majority of Kydex holsters use a tension retention system. Manufacturers, using a variety of methods, provide an (usually) adjustable level of retention on the firearm to hold it inside the holster during carry and keep it from being lost unintentionally.

It is the most common method and it works well but like all systems it has limitations and draw backs.

Level I retention (tension) relies on pressure around the firearm from the holster and the wearer for proper use. I’ve seen several strange methods for ‘testing’ retention levels. Wildly shaking the holster up and down by hand so your gun flies somewhere into space or doesn’t but is impossible to remove from the holster without a pry bar and Crisco were impressively scientific.

Setting Level I retention is a ‘small adjustments’ process of gradually moving tension levels up and down. The firearm should not freely exit the holster while it is worn but also not be difficult to draw. If you trip and fall or your body moves in an unexpected way your pistol should not fly free however the grasp of the holster on the firearm should not be so drastic that you pull the holster, pants, bag, bra, etc. along for the draw stroke too.

Setting this involves putting the holster on correctly with belt and any/all other devices set for tension and practicing drawing the pistol. Note: You should do this anyway even if you are not setting tension as it is necessary dry fire practice. Followed by removing the holster and making incremental adjustments to the tension to set it in the sweet spot. Goldilocks testing “Just Right”. Time necessarily spent.

The drawback is if you change belts, pants, carry location, or anything else that changes the tension on the holster the draw pressure and retention capability are altered. This isn’t an issue if you double check and adjust accordingly if necessary.

It’s also not an issue if you are using Level II Retention (mechanical).

DeSantis’ SL Raptor has a conventional layout for close carry Kydex holsters. Two panels held together with a gentle contour to form around the hip. The outer panel is shaped to case the firearm while the inner is designed to hug nearly flush to the body.

It resembles every other quality Kydex holster I’ve seen.

Except…

It’s a thumb break.

The DeSantis SL Raptor utilizes Level II retention. The SL ‘Self Locking’ aspect of the Raptor retains the pistol at the trigger guard by a mechanical lever that moves out of the way when the thumb button is pressed. Tension on the holster is not a factor in pistol retention.

Having your belt a little more loose for comfort doesn’t risk loss of your sidearm.

The SL Raptor was the first level II holster I’ve gotten my hands on beyond the infamous SERPA. Personally, I experienced no issues with the SERPA design but the thumb break used by DeSantis has some distinct advantages.

The thumb break is quicker and utilizes muscles in your hand that aren’t nearly as involved in pressing the trigger. It is a smoother and safer draw design than from the SERPA.

In the outside the waist (OWB) configuration the SL Raptor can be set for a 1.5″ or 1.75″ belt. The ride height has about a .25″ adjustment up and down.

Set it for your belt size and on the hip it goes. Sitting with a very slight forward cant. Comfortable.

Even OWB under a T-Shirt the holster does well concealing, in the spring weather wearing jackets and sweatshirts carrying concealed OWB is no challenge.

 

The inside the waistband IWB configuration is not overly bulky. Utilizing the belt snaps the SL Raptor sits securely and still does not alter the draw pressure required to pull your sidearm.

Drawing my Glock 19 exhibited none of the drag characteristic of level I retention holsters. It felt far too loose and easy clearing the pistol in all actuality. But deliberately avoiding the thumb release resulted in a very (appreciably) stuck Glock. I was unable to get the pistol to release in any manner that doesn’t actuate the thumb break.

Both outside the waistband and inside the waistband required an easy but deliberate actuation of the thumb release. In the event you can’t reach the release with your thumb, pressing the grip of the pistol firmly into your body while drawing also actuates the release.

The included IWB mounting belt loops were less than ideal with my belts, I don’t like the loop mounts anyway and these were more of the same. However many users prefer this method and it makes perfect sense for DeSantis to include them. If your preferences are like mine however you and I are far from out of luck as most aftermarket mounting hardware can be added to the Raptor to customize to the fit to your exact preference. I modify everything anyway, the SL was not exempt.

The SL Raptor adds a capability rarely found in a concealable holster with positive mechanical retention. The added benefit of a very smooth draw stroke and the option to configure IWB or OWB gives this DeSantis offering a rare and welcome flexibility.

Discoveries of an Anti-Gunner: My Conversion to the Other Side

By
A Girl and a Gun
-

In 1651, Thomas Hobbes wrote that free people consent to give up their individual rights in order to establish a political community, i.e., civil society, which establishes laws so that everyone can enjoy security. Although simplistic, this theory supports the following arguments for gun control:

  1. Private citizens should give up the right to own military-style weapons, so that a violent person cannot get one to use on innocent people. In our First World society, we have police, sheriffs, constables, SWAT teams, reservists, military, Special Forces, and a variety of teams that can respond to an emergency at a moment’s notice. If military weapons are needed, a cadre of weapons can arrive with expertly trained professionals.
  2. Citizens who want guns should give up the right of privacy so that they can be vetted to keep guns out of the wrong hands. If you don’t have anything to hide, you should submit to a background check. The government can keep a registry so that if a gun is passed to a new owner it can be tracked so that it is not used unlawfully.
  3. Gun owners should give up the right to buy large quantities of ammunition, so that a violent person cannot obtain thousands of rounds of ammo. Similarly, gun owners should use smaller magazines to limit the round count so that if someone uses a gun unlawfully there may be fewer fatalities.
  4. Lastly, it doesn’t support Hobbes’ theory, but this argument often accompanies the previous ones: The NRA should be universally recognized as a heartless political engine that is funded by firearm manufacturers for profit and it mocks the deaths of innocent people.

I spent many years making these arguments in support of gun control. I cried out, “Enough is enough!” when another senseless murder happened because of a gun. I reviled politicians who were in the NRA’s pockets. I didn’t let my kids play with toy guns. I wanted to end America’s obsession with destruction and start a new generation of we’re-all-in-this-together, rational human beings.

Then I bought a gun.

After a 10-year conversation weighing the pros and cons, my husband and I bought a handgun. I was suddenly on the other side of the mountain and what I discovered was very surprising:

  • Surprise #1: Gun owners are some of the most family-friendly, kind-hearted people I’d ever met. They welcome newcomers and are willing and happy to teach anyone who wants to learn. It is common to find veterans, active military, and law enforcement men and women at the range. This isn’t solely because of the enjoyment for shooting itself; rather it is the culture of people who enjoy shooting sports. Many shooters grew up in 4H or scouting programs that emphasize good citizenship and working together for the common good, and they’re raising their children in the same values. From a young age children are taught gun safety, responsibility, and accountability, and family times at the shooting range or deer lease create lasting memories and traditions.
  • Surprise #2: On my very first trip to the range the first thing I had to do was watch a video that reviewed NRA’s safety guidelines. I discovered that lobbying is only one facet of the NRA. A primary role has always been marksmanship education and safety, but you wouldn’t know that if you’ve never been to a shooting range. At a range you’ll see that most firearms instructors have taken NRA classes to become certified and many shooting ranges offer NRA classes to new and advanced shooters. The NRA also has the Eddie Eagle program to teach gun safety to young children, and it hosts a variety of shooting competitions that can lead a youth shooter to college scholarships and Olympic dreams.
  • Surprise #3: It is socially unacceptable in the shooting community to use a firearm irresponsibly. Post a picture on social media of you at the range without ear protection? Prepare for ridicule. Share a picture of your child holding a toy cap-gun with her finger off the trigger? People will comment just as much about her trigger discipline as her cute smile. They hold each other to a higher standard of safety, so when a senseless tragedy happens gun owners are the first to yell, “Enough is enough!” They want to know why it happened, how it could have been prevented, and solutions to complicated problems. They continue to model responsible behavior with firearms and value safety and accountability.
  • Surprise #4: A “military-style” rifle is actually the same as any other rifle. They can look scary because you see them in war movies and video games, but the body style makes them lightweight and easy to hold and customize so that it fits your body correctly. Having a rifle that is the right size for you makes it more comfortable to shoot and therefore more accurate and safer. The rails look tactical, but that allows you to safely attach flashlights or other accessories. Once you learn about them, they are really not scary at all and are fun to shoot! By the way, automatic weapons are already illegal for (most) private citizens to own (see comments, below). You can’t make them extra-illegal.
  • Surprise #5: Although it is a big responsibility to have a firearm that scared me at first, I feel safer with it. I’ve seen cities be hit by natural disasters that become opportunities for crime, and I know that if we lose power or communications I can keep outsiders from looting our home. I watched mothers in a Nairobi mall beg gunmen for their children’s lives, and I feel safer knowing that we can find shelter and have a fighting chance. I’m not anything close to the female-equivalent of Jason Bourne, but I continue to take training classes and practice so that I model responsible behavior and can protect my family if the need arises.

We can see Thomas Hobbes’ social theory at work in our society because we frequently give up rights in order to have order and security. Some examples are speed limits, drinking ages, and showing ID before you can buy Sudafed. However, the first thing you must know about Hobbes’ theory is that it only works if everyone is on board.

Remember when I said that shooters are often veterans and law enforcement? They sacrifice their lives to protect the common good, but also recognize that not everyone is good. Many gun owners believe that using a gun to protect their loved ones is not only a constitutionally protected right but a moral obligation. I championed for gun control for a long time, but I found that once I became self-reliant for my personal security, the arguments no longer made sense. Here are the reasons why:

  1. There is a saying that regardless of species the most dangerous place is between a mother and her young. If my family is threatened and I have the training and tools to protect my children, it is my right and duty to do so. If I have nonlethal options I will use them — and part of good training is knowing if I do. If I can call 911 and wait for help I may do so. The problem with relying on law enforcement is that they respond after you call them. If someone is assaulting you or breaking into your home, you’ll be toast before the cadre of professionals arrive.
  2. More than anybody, the good guys want to keep guns out of the hands of bad guys. Many law-abiding gun owners understand the reasoning for background checks before buying a gun, and many have conceal/open carry licenses that require background checks plus fingerprinting. The problem is that 38 states submit less than 80% of their felony convictions to the database for background checks, so more than 7,000,000 felons aren’t in the system. This is another example of trying to make something extra-illegal: it is illegal for convicted felons to have guns, so we don’t need more laws about it. We need all of the names entered into the background check database, so that when they try to buy a gun they can be arrested for it.While the background check database holds names of those who should not have guns, it makes gun owners very nervous when you talk about “registries” of good guys. It sounds like paranoia to anti-gun people, but this is an era of intense religious and racial tensions, with polarizing, far-left and far-right politicians. Gun owners do not want a list that could be used to identify them for the simple fact that guns are expensive and they don’t want anyone knowing what they have, in addition to a “gun round up” or any other dramatic possibilities. They feel safer being anonymous knowing they can personally protect their families in case of a widespread information or communication outage, terrorist attack, or natural disaster.Also if the government intends to track every gun that passes hands it can only log the transactions of people who go to the office and file the paperwork. I’ve never seen a movie of a fugitive getting a duffle bag of passports and pistols that he takes to the state office to file. Similarly, I am carded to buy a box of Sudafed, but the bad guy doesn’t show ID when he steals a case of it for his meth lab. Laws like these are meaningless because only good guys adhere to them, and that creates a registry of good guys. That does nothing to keep guns (or large quantities of ammunition) away from criminals and crazy people.
  3. Another example of going after the good guys is limiting magazine capacity. When I was anti-gun, this sounded pretty serious; however, now I know that it takes less than 2 seconds to change a magazine. It doesn’t slow anybody down, and more importantly, it doesn’t solve the problem of bad guys getting guns in the first place. Focus on the stuff that matters.
  4. As for the NRA, when I wasn’t a gun owner I hated “them” passionately. I began to appreciate the training programs, publications, and other services, but dragged my feet on joining. The acceptance of the NRA was my final step into the gun culture. Now I support the NRA because it fights for *me*. I like the security (and enjoyment) that my gun gives me and I want to keep it. If you aren’t a gun owner you just won’t understand that.

If we truly lived in a Hobbes society where everyone was on board and accountable, then there would be no need for gun control. It seems easier to control guns than human behavior, just like it is easier to take all the markers away when your toddler writes on the wall. As a long-term strategy, however, we need to address the root of the problems: the irresponsible parent that didn’t keep it locked in a safe away from a child, or the gang member skirting background checks, or the teenager struggling with mental instability, or the domestic or international terrorist with a plan to get on the evening news. These behavior problems are much harder to address, but allocating resources to our law enforcement, criminal justice, and mental health systems is a good place to start.

We don’t need more laws to monitor what good guys are doing, or gun control laws that make things extra-illegal. We need we’re-all-in-this-together leaders to get to the root of these complex problems and develop rational policies so that all law-abiding Americans can enjoy the security of a civil society.

I used to wish that the government would get rid of all the guns and then everyone would be safe, but I discovered that the utopia in my mind was actually a society with no bad guys. It was never about guns at all.

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/discoveries-of-an-anti-gunner-my-conversion-to-the-other-side/

The Ethical Imperative for Small Arms in Private Hands.

By
248 Shooter
-

“Real men don’t need guns” is the mantra of many prohibitionists. They envision strong, fit men holding off armed foes like the characters of Hollywood superhero films. To them, the strength of the body and skill in (unarmed only) martial arts are worthy of admiration, but the same martial arts skill augmented by a weapon, be it a sword or a rice flail, is not. They give no thought to the dependence on men this requires of women, most of whom are not world-class kickboxers. Is it unethical to enable women to step into the world without a strong male to keep them safe?

The old men and women, or those who aren’t physically perfect need not apply. At 84, this man won’t be demonstrating any feats of empty hand martial prowess. The same man can be a credible defender of self or family with something as little as an 8-ounce .380 pocket pistol. What’s so unethical about giving the aged the independence of being able to live without bodyguards to shadow their every step?

Keep in mind that self-defense doesn’t just involve interactions with hostile humans. Feral dog, coyotes, pumas, bears and snakes are real threats to the outdoorsmen — and have been known to attack people and pets in suburbia. What’s so ethically superior about becoming puma poop instead of using a firearm to drive off or kill the predator.

The best feature of any tool is the ability to perform a task competently without devoting a lifetime to specialized training. A person can learn to turn screws by hand over years of practice and building calluses, but using a screwdriver is more efficient. Nobody claims moral superiority in doing daily tasks the hard way by choice. Why would anyone claim the ethical high ground for using bare hands for self-defense — spending uncounted hours of productive time in training — when better results may be achieved with less training and more appropriate tools? At issue is not just effectiveness but also efficiency: most criminals would flee if presented with a gun muzzle, but require the same victim to actually fight if resistance is offered empty-handed.

Nobody claims that drawing is the only real art due to the level of difficulty and that cameras should be banned. Few people would call moving heavy objects on the back morally superior to using a wheelbarrow or a truck. Why try to present armed self-defense as inappropriate, unless it is to claim a monopoly on defensive services through brute force? “You don’t need a weapon, I will protect you” is the creed of both individual and institutional domestic abusers. That’s a good warning sign and a conclusive litmus test for bad intentions.

This also explains the special hatred the prohibitionist have towards small, concealable handguns. To them, these low powered but eminently useful tools represent both the loss of control over the safety of others and the unpleasant, often fatal surprise should they themselves turn predator.  Cui bono — the Latin inquiry meaning “who profits?” — has long been a basic step of identifying perpetrators of crimes. Making other people defenseless is a moral crime, and those most guilty of it are usually predators in disguise.

The ethical imperative in making effective small arms and training available stems from personal independence and self-determination being better than abject dependency and incapacity. As a car makes a person better able to make use of the freedom of movement than government-run trains, so do personal weapons give people the freedom to go places without fear of predation being the overarching limiting factor.

 

Why I Carry…Everything I Can

By
Annette Evans
-
The author, in purple, attempting to fend off two attackers.

I’m a little late to the #WhyICarry party, but I’ve been busy, learning more about the realities of violent encounters. Having lived a safe, quiet, rural and suburban, upper-middle class, white collar life, the closest I’d physically been to an actual fist fight before last weekend may have been in some particularly brutal police body cam video. I’ve learned a lot about violence in theory, but I know my life is insulated. So why would I carry a gun, or any other weapon?

It seems obvious that being involved in a hands-on violent encounter would likely be a bad experience. This isn’t a mystery to most – it’s not pretty watching people getting fists and weapons driven into their faces and bodies even on grainy LiveLeak video. But like lots of people, I haven’t experienced it for real or even in a training or other not-for-realsies context.

I fixed that recently by taking Shivworks Edged Weapon Overview from Craig Douglas. I spent much of my time in class grappling with men of all sizes using fists and (trainer) knives. Coming from zero, it was hard and most of what I learned reinforced that while I can do a lot to avoid confrontations, once I’m in one, I cannot rely on just my body and skills to be enough to fend off my attacker.

The author, in purple, attempting to fend off two attackers.

Even with more training and practice time, I will have a very, very difficult time ever coming out ahead unless I have a force multiplier like a knife or gun available. It’s several days after class and not all of my bruises have finished showing up yet, even though my training partners all scaled appropriately so that I could learn and practice against reasonable, yet still difficult, opponents.

As we progressed to higher speed, higher intensity sparring sessions and training evolutions, it became abundantly clear to me how much even small men outweigh and outmuscle me. They were faster than my untrained self, hit harder, had longer reach, and were stronger overall.  While the guys didn’t go easy on me, they did hold back. It was still an all-out battle for me to keep up and try to hold my own in the faster, harder evolutions.

The author, in purple, being stabbed while trapped in a knife fight with her only weapon tied up by her attacker.

One major outcome of the weekend for me was the ability to articulate more clearly why going hands-on with pretty much ANY adult-sized man is easily a potentially deadly event for me and one that justifies my use of lethal force in self-defense. Bare hands are, in fact, enough to kill me, and I can speak now to my reasonable and objective fear of immense physical harm even under controlled conditions.

And that means knives and guns, carried on me, are a necessity. A knife, because it’s more flexible to get to and use, and a gun because it’s more effective at physiologically stopping a threat.

A knife can do the job of discouraging an attacker and ending a violent encounter, but it still takes a certain physicality – strength, speed, the ability and willingness to hit hard. One can be used to keep an attacker from closing in, but it still generally requires being within arm’s reach. Not really where I want to be and stay if I don’t have to. Regardless, a blade is unlikely to get the attack to stop in the moment instead of after I am already injured or dead.

A gun, though. If I can get that gun out, I might be able to hold off an attacker from further away. I can stop him from hurting me more quickly and with more finality than a knife because a gun is more able to injure an attacker in a way where he physically can’t attack me anymore. I don’t have to just change his mind and make him decide that he didn’t want to hurt me after all.

That physical stop is easier with a gun, yes, and that’s not a bad thing. The faster a violent encounter ends, the less time I’m under attack, the more likely I’ll escape without major injury. It’s true that I may not be able to get to my gun, but that doesn’t make it a less effective equalizer when and if I can during a violent encounter.

The circumstances of my life are safe. Statistically, it is unlikely I will be the victim of violent crime. That doesn’t mean it can’t happen, however, or that my life won’t change. And besides, as John Hearne says, “It’s not the odds, it’s the stakes.” If I draw the unlucky short straw one day, I’d like to have the best and most effective tools available to fight on for another day.

The author, on the left, uses a training knife to escape an entangled fight.

Because in the end I consider owning the tools of self-defense, including guns, getting the training to use them effectively and having the willingness to employ them if necessary to be the most feminist statement I can make. That I and only I have the right to determine, by force if necessary, who can touch or affect my body.

We Like Shooting 238 – Lawyers Guns and Money

By
We Like Shooting
-

Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 238 – tonight we’ll talk about Guy in a Garage, Vortex Optics, Faxon Firearms, Second Call Defense and more!

Source: https://welikeshooting.com/show/238/

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