Thursday, December 30, 2010

Handgun stopping power

Handgun stopping power is a subject that has been discussed, argued, and debated for many years. We are not talking about killing power, which is not the issue in mortal  defensive combat. A .22 Short through the biceps that misses major blood vessels, but has dirty lint on it may eventually kill, but chances are it will not stop a fight.

For defensive combat purposes, the first order of business is to be armed. Whether a .22 Short or a .45 Auto, if the handgun is in a safe back home, it is useless. I think very small handguns, such as the NAA mini-revolvers, deserve a place in the defensive battery, simply because of their small size. They are only .22 caliber, but can truly go discreetly anywhere that it is legal to carry a handgun. And, most people don't really want to be shot with any caliber of gun (psychological).

Stopping power can be divided into two major categories, psychological, and physiological.

Psychological
If a person is shot and thinks he is done for, he probably is, even though most handgun shootings are not fatal. On the other hand, soldiers, police officers, criminals, and determined armed citizens have sustained serious wounds and still prevailed. A person's mindset* can make a tremendous difference in the outcome of a lethal encounter.

Physiological
The physiological effects can be divided into two sub-categories, major blood loss and trauma/shock due to organ/tissue damage, and central nervous system (cns) shutdown due to a spine or brain hit.

  • Organ/tissue damage is analogous to shooting a radiator hose in a car. The engine will eventually overheat due to coolant loss and the car will stop. Likewise, as blood drains due to tissue damage, the blood supply to the brain eventually ceases, and the cns shuts down. This may take seconds or minutes, during which time an assailant can still cause significant bodily injury or death.  With an abdominal shot, the time frame may be extended to hours or days, and barring treatment, infection may eventually cause death. The upper chest center is generally recognized as the best target area, because of the organs there. There is also the possibility of hitting the spine, which should instantly incapacitate (cns hit).
  • Another target area is the left or right pelvic area. This has the advantage of possibly breaking the pelvic girdle, limiting mobility (the assailant falls down), and possibly rupturing the femoral artery (blood loss).
  • The third target area is the head. This is analogous to shooting the car's distributor or computer, which means the engine stops now. A good head shot, likewise, should cause instant incapacitation and probably death. This instantly shuts down the cns, but is the most difficult target to hit. Some law enforcement agencies teach two shots quickly to the chest, assess, and one carefully aimed to the head, (the Mozambique Drill). Even a .22 Long Rifle (LR) to the cerebellum should cause instant incapacitation and death. Thus excellent stopping power, if delivered to the cerebellum. [I had the personal experience of delivering a .22 LR to the cerebellum of a bull elk years ago. He had taken several shots from a .30-06 to the chest, and was down, but not out. He would have died soon, but, to help him along and prevent unnecessary suffering, I pulled my .22 Ruger pistol and administered the coup de grace.
There is no guaranteed one shot stop. Therefore, shot placement is very important, calling for lots of practice. I have recently gone to the 9mm because the stopping power of the 9mm with modern hollow point ammo approaches that of the .45 Auto, and the nine offers much larger capacity in similar sized handguns. If I have to shoot, I will shoot until the threat is stopped.

*See Cooper's Color Codes. If one is not caught in White, one can more likely respond quickly to an attack, mount a counterattack, and defeat his assailant.

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Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Brian Aitken's sentence commuted by Christie

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey commuted Brian Aitken's sentence today. Read David Codrea's report HERE.

It looks like Aitken will be home for Christmas, but he is not out of the woods yet. This was not a pardon. Aitken will still need to get the conviction overturned on appeal before he can get his civil rights restored.

For background information on Aitken, read my earlier post HERE.


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Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Wikileaks

I was taught in the military that two things were needed to access classified information:

1. Proper clearance level
2. Need to know

How could an Army private have the need to know all the info that has been released by Wikileaks?
Could someone further up the chain be leaking this info?
Are the inmates in charge of the asylum?
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Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Free Brian Aitken

Its too late for Brian Aitken in the PRNJ (Peoples' Republic of New Jersey), but citizens should be aware of the principle of jury nullification. All it takes is one fully informed juror to say no, and there is no conviction.

In Aitken's case, he was convicted and is beginning a 7 year sentence for not committing a crime. He did everything right, yet was arrested and convicted. The judge in the case has since lost his place behind the bench, but after grave harm had already been done to Aitken.

Per NJ law, Aitken had unloaded handguns in the trunk of his car to move them from one place of residence to another. But he was nonetheless convicted.

What can you do to help Aitken? Contact Governor Christie and ask him to free Aitken. You can call  609-292-6000
 email here or

snailmail him:
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625


For more information:
Brian D. Aitken
Faceebook
Guntalk



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Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Camp4u: Gun rights for jobs!

From Senator Campfield:

Camp4u: Gun rights for jobs!

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Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

Voting with their feet

In an article at the Patriot Post, Colonel Ollie North states that,
If he (President Obama) has his way, he will demolish the finest force for good in the history of mankind -- the U.S. armed forces. And he wants to make it all happen before the end of the year.
North goes on to say,
Nearly 25 percent of those now serving -- and as many as 32 percent of Marines -- said they are likely to leave the service rather than be assigned to live with and serve beside active homosexuals.
OK, I know that you just don't walk away from a military commitment, that's called desertion. But, if as many as 25 percent of our GI's leave at their earliest legal opportunity, this would significantly impact our military's war-fighting capability.

Such social engineering and destruction of our enemies seem incompatible to me.

What do you think?
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Be sure and check out the MJM Blog over at Lucky Gunner. Read his first book Arcturus, which you can find in the reading list. Look for his second book coming soon.

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Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Guns on campus, president mistaken or ?

Kilgore College President Bill Holda comments on proposed legislation to legalize firearms carry on campus in Texas. Does Holda owe Suzanna Hupp an apology?

See my Examiner article HERE.

For more about Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, visit their website HERE.
Contact: Daniel Crocker
Southwest Director
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
Daniel.Crocker@concealedcampus.org
(205) 370-9126




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Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

Monday, November 15, 2010

A brace of 9mm's - part II

UPDATE SUMMER 2012  I just could not get used to the long, double action trigger pull on the P-11. I sold it, and got the SR9-C, which is a smaller SR9 and operates exactly the same way, with approximately the same trigger pull. More on it later . . .

As I related in my previous post, gun number one of the pair is the Ruger SR9. I completed the pair with the KelTec P-11.

There are plenty of smaller sized 9 mm's to choose from, and my interest was piqued by some offerings from Taurus, and the KelTec P-F9. I have had good experience with the KelTec P-3AT, and the P-F9 is like one of those on a mild dose of steroids.

In keeping with my stated scenario of perhaps needing quite a few rounds in a defensive situation, I decided to take a look at the P-11 and compare it to the P-F9. The KelTec specifications page reveals a few facts that might not be apparent at first glance.
  • Although the P-F9 is very flat, it is only .12 inches narrower than the P-11. Slight advantage P-F9.
  • The P-F9 is the same height as the P-11. Call that a tie.
  • The P-F9 is .25 inches longer that the P-11, making it a little harder to stuff in a jeans pocket (in a pocket holster, of course). Slight advantage P-11.
  • The P-F9 holds 7+1 and the P-11 holds 10+1, or 12+1 with the optional magazine. So a magazine and a spare gives a total of of up to 25 rounds vs. 15 for the P-F9. Big advantage P-11.
If you get a Smith & Wesson Model 59 magazine as a spare, your capacity goes up further. There are some out there that hold 30 rounds.

As I stated in the SR9 article, I wanted the same manual of arms for both guns. With the P-11, it is once again, pull, point, and shoot.

The P-11 is equipped with a 'standard' magazine release button on the left side, under the thumb. This is like most modern pistols. The slide locks open when the magazine runs dry. The trigger has a long, nine pound pull. This is the only thing I don't like about the gun. Think double-action revolver. The P-F9, by comparison releases at about five. KelTec does offer a trigger shoe for the P-11 that is probably worth getting.

This gun, like the SR9 functioned flawlessly when test fired. It, too, keeps them on a sheet of copy paper at 25 yards. I like it.

So, there you have it, the second member of the brace of 9 mm's.

Where to buy? The SR9 is commonly seen at gun shows. Some dealers stock the P-11. But, I recommend that you check the Gun Genie before you buy anywhere. They have a live inventory, and you get to select a local dealer to have it delivered to. Order it online today. Pick it up locally tomorrow.And the Gun Genie has a lifetime replacement warranty.

What would you pick, if you were to pick a pair?


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Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

A brace of 9mm's - part I

I've been studying the stopping power of handgun cartridges, along with simplicity of operation . . .

My historical leaning has been toward the 1911 in .45 ACP. There are several nice things about the cartridge, It starts out big, so it is of lesser importance whether or not it expands. One cannot go wrong with that.

On the other hand, if you arrange most defensive cartridges equipped with modern high performance projectiles on a continuum, the difference between the .45 and the .380 is not nearly as great as it once was. The 9mm Luger is actually quite close to the .45.

Additionally, from a tactical defense standpoint, more and more assaults, such as home invasions, involve multiple assailants, indicating the possible need for more ammo than standard .45's carry. Nine's come in a variety of good brands and sizes, with most of the larger ones equipped with magazines of fifteen or more rounds.

Now, the1911 platform is a great gun, but its capacity is generally limited, as already stated. It also has a slightly more complicated manual of arms than the defacto standard, the Glock series of of handguns.

So, what to choose?

One would not go wrong with the Glock, but I find the finger grooves don't fit me like they should. I do like the simplified manual of arms:
  1. Load
  2. Place carefully in holster
  3. When needed, draw from holster
  4. Put finger in trigger guard only after sights are aligned on target
  5. Aim, fire
  6. Repeat as necessary
Or, as some say, just pull, point, and click.
    There are plenty of other good brands out there, but the more I looked, the more I liked the SR9 from Ruger.

    The Ruger SR9, in spite of a rough start, has grown on me. As first introduced, there were some safety concerns. As stated at the Ruger website,
    • We have determined that some Ruger SR9 pistols manufactured between October 2007 and April 2008 can, under certain conditions, fire if dropped with their manual safeties in the "off" or "fire" position. The pistols will not fire if the manual safety is in the "on" or "safe" position.
    Ruger completely redesigned the trigger group, and instituted a massive recall. Now, the SR9's trigger assembly appears  to me to be cloned from the Glock.

    The gun feels a lot like the 1911, and has a reversible back-strap, to help it fit your hand. It does not have Glock-like finger grooves on the front-strap.

    It also has a 1911 style ambidextrous  manual safety, that appears to be pretty much redundant. For on-person carry, if left in the off-safe position, it gives the same simple manual of arms as the Glock. Your choice.

    The SR9 has the advantage over the Glock of having a completely ambidextrous magazine release. Oh, and it has a neat little loaded chamber indicator on the top of the slide. Georg Luger placed his extractor in this position and labeled it GELADIN (loaded).

    See the SR9 features here.

    I find that the full size suits my taste. It is as easy to carry IWB as the Compact model, and has the 17 round magazine as standard (unless you live in a repressive state, where 10 is the maximum).

    [Now, if you believe that a defensive handgun caliber must begin with 4, Ruger has just introduced the SR40, which is less than an ounce heavier, with a slide a sixteenth of an inch wider than the SR9.]

    Upon test firing the SR9, it simply worked. No failures of any kind. It kept all shots on a sheet of copy paper at 25 yards. What more do you need? So there is item one for the brace of pistols.

    Next up was the search for a somewhat smaller handgun to complete the pairing. Number one on the list of criteria was caliber. For logistics simplification, it, too had to be a 9mm. It also had to have the simplified point and shoot manual of arms.

    The winner was the tried and true KelTec P-11. Look for my report on it in the near future here.


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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Thursday, November 11, 2010

    Happy Veterans Day!

    On Veterans Day we honor those who have served in our armed forces. Knoxville is having their annual Veterans Day Parade, like many other places. Historically, this began to be observed on Armistice Day, the day hostilities ceased on the Western Front, between the Allies and Germany.

    Today, we have many in uniform who give of themselves for the country, yet as we saw last year at Fort Hood, when they return to the States, they are assigned to gun free zones, and thus may be disarmed at the time of greatest need.

    Pray for the safety of those who are far away in combat zones; as well as those (and their families) on our 'safe' military bases worldwide.

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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Friday, November 5, 2010

    Did Tennessee Democratic Party's mudslinging backfire?

    My Examiner column quizzed some political candidates prior the recent election. Some candidates did not answer, others answered in a general manner which really did not reveal their views on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (RKBA).

    Stacy Campfield, who won the 7th Senatorial District in Tennessee, and Randy Walker, his opponent, both responded to the questionnaire, with links HERE. Campfield's answers, as well as his history in the Tennessee Legislature, indicate support for the individual RKBA. Walker's answers seemed vague to me.

    A Democratic Party mailer quoting the "Knoxville Examiner Gun Rights Questionnaire" as their source, stated,

    Campfield wants to let anyone carry a gun. He'd let convicted rapists and child sex predators carry concealed guns into churches, playgrounds, and even child care centers and schools.
    While mudslinging ads are to be expected in most elections, this one was just over the top. Anyone with reasonable intelligence could not draw that conclusion from Campfield's answers.

    And, in case you have been sleeping like Rip Van Winkle since 1968, you would know that convicted rapists and child sex predators are felons, and have no right to own a firearm; no, not even a single bullet.

    Democrats lost many other races in Tennessee, in a historic move to the right by the electorate. Even the Governor-elect, Bill Haslam was smeared by the Tennessee Democratic Party.

    It seems to me that their mudslinging seriously backfired.


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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Monday, November 1, 2010

    TFA October meeting features General Dennis Jackson, USA, Ret.

    There were ten million land mines when we got there.
    Said General Dennis Jackson, as he addressed the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA). Jackson was referring to mines that were laid during the ten year occupation of Afghanistan by the (now defunct) Soviet Union, which some say was the Soviet's Vietnam War.

    The United States, along with a coalition force of 67 nations, invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 to overthrow the Taliban. Jackson was the logistics officer of the operation. At issue today, according to Jackson, is the risk of a failed state.
    . . . but, sooner or later, we will grow tired of being there. Our current national objective is Afghan self-determination, but after a while, we've got to leave.
    He contrasted Soviet action in Afghanistan, primarily Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT), with current U.S. forces actively patrolling in the countryside.

    Jackson states that Afghanistan is a nation smaller than Texas, with a population close to that of California. Much of the society is debilitated by drug use. Lots of lithium has been recently found there, which could have a significant impact on the economy.

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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Saturday, October 30, 2010

    Frank Cagle says 'State Gun Advocates Pushing Too Hard'

    Read his MetroPulse article HERE, and read my comment at the bottom of that page.

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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    TVA contacts needed

    In an earlier post, I wrote about the fact that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has held out against lawful carry of defensive firearms in certain TVA areas. This is in contrast to other Federal areas such as National Parks and Forests. (LINK)
    Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) member David Borum has been in contact with TVA, and here is a request from him:
    Subj: TVA Firearm Presentation
    I met with the TVA Senior Vice President over Recreation today and presented him with the TVA Petition that we all signed and gave a presentation on the carry permit and the people that have them.  I also included a presentation that showed TVA compared to all the other Public land managers in the State and their policy’s’.  The meeting went very well and they now have a better understanding of permit holders and program.  With your help, we are looking for a policy to change TVA’s rule to reflect the same policy of the National Park Service.  This will make federal lands and state lands more consistent across this state and other states TVA manages lands.   They could not give me any time lines but they do want input.  Right now the best thing to do is to go to the www.TVA.gov  website and find the contact page.    Once you are there briefly and POLITELY ask TVA to change their firearm rules on Firearm Carry Permit Holders to reflect the same policy as the National Park Service on TVA “undeveloped” AND “developed” lands that are open to the public. You do not have to be a Tennessee Resident to comment.

    IMPORTANT:
    Include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and ask them to “Please add your comments to the public record”. 
    Thanks
    David Borum
    Please follow up on Borum's request, and contact TVA with your thoughts.

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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Friday, October 29, 2010

    Tennessee Firearms Association Knoxville Chapter


    THE NOVEMBER MEETING WILL BE HELD ON

    TUESDAY EVENING November 2, 2010

    Our guest speaker will be TFA member David Borum who will speak on ongoing efforts with TVA to allow permit holders to carry on TVA lands. David will also give some insight on letter writing to politicians and organizations such as TVA.

    Meetings are held at the Gondolier Restaurant in South Knoxville just off Chapman Highway, behind the iHop, in the Lowe’s plaza, the gratuity will no longer be added to your check. A pre-meeting social hour is from 6 PM to 7 pm during which you may wish to eat dinner. The meeting will begin at 7 PM and end at 8 PM. Participation by those in attendance is always encouraged. Firearms are permitted in this restaurant, pursuant to current law.

    Gun owners, persons involved in the shooting sports, Second Amendment supporters and interested public are urged to attend, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO ATTEND. For more information contact:
    Bill Noll; wsnoll@comcast.net 865-688-0321 or
    Charlie Thoms; Cthoms43@aol.com 865-233-4561
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    TFA Websites:
    http://www.tfaonline.org/memberforum - open to the public. Good discussions
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    That the citizens of the State have a right to keep and bear arms for the common defense, but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime.” Tennessee Constitution, Article 1-Declaration of Rights, section 26


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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Tuesday, October 26, 2010

    Tennessee Governor's race, the final week

    Last year, Bill Haslam met with the Knoxville Tennessee Firearms Assocation (TFA) group, and indicated he was in the learning mode. Many were skeptical, including this writer. He went on to recommend to the Knoxville City Council that they keep their 1962 parks ban in place. Indications were that he had not learned enough at that time.

    More recently, however, Haslam has addressed the Nashville area TFA group, and his statements indicate he has learned. At that meeting, he indicated that he would sign a permit-less (Constitutional) carry bill if it was sent to him by the Legislature(video). And today's News-Sentinel story has him in favor of parking lot carry.

    In contrast Mike McWherter, indicates his elitist disregard for the rights of Tennessee firearms owners. He thinks that we hillbillies can't be trusted to use good judgement, and therefore: 1) should not have had the restaurant carry bill passed this year, 2) surely can not be trusted with carrying a firearm until after we get our permission slip from the state, and 3) states his opposition to keeping a defensive firearm in a parking lot at one's place of employment. See his comments in the News-Sentinel links above.

    Here's a quick look at the three issues I raise with McWherter - -
    1. Restaurant carry: It is now law in Tennessee. No gunfights reported as a result. Lawful citizens are still good citizens, even when they are packin' heat.  Just like in the many other states where this has been law for years (handgunlaw.us).
    2. Constitutional carry: Vermont has had this for decades. Alaska and Vermont now have it. And vehicle carry is legal in most states contiguous to Tennessee without a permit required (handgunlaw.us). Open carry (not concealed) on the person without a permit is lawful in five states contiguous to Tennessee(opencarry.org).
    3. Parking lot carry: First, you must come to grips with the idea that a disgruntled employee will not be stopped or slowed down by a no guns policy in the building or the parking lot. Second, to prevent an employee from having the means to self-preservation available (under the guise of property rights) is unconscionable.
    In conclusion, we can hope that Haslam has learned. And it is obvious that McWherter, in a typical leftist stance, opposes individual gun rights, and wants to keep as many impediments as possible limiting the right to keep and bear arms.

    Vote Haslam!


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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Wednesday, October 20, 2010

    Accidental firearms discharges

    Tonight, CNBC is doing a piece of the Remington 700 rifle. There are allegations that it is unsafe. If that is the case, I just wonder how Remington could have avoided serious legal judgments over the years. Anyway, the truth will eventually come out.

    Closer to home, a Knox County jailer is reported by the Knoxville News-Sentinel to have accidentally shot a friend in the hip. The story goes like this. The friend didn't like guns, the jailer attempted to clear his gun in the confines of the back seat, and fired the gun, striking the friend in the front seat.
    The friend was treated and released.

    The jailer is now back at work, but can never be a bonded deputy in Knox County.
     __________________________________
    You will have an accidental discharge!
    said Bob W, my instructor when I got the mandatory training for the Tennessee handgun carry permit. I had been shooting for nigh on forty years when I took that class, but had yet to have the dreaded accidental discharge (AD). But, my time was coming.

    It was several years after that, and I had finished a session at the range. I cleared the ancient Ruger pistol, and pointed it at the ground in front of me, downrange. I pulled the trigger to drop the hammer, and instead of hearing a click, I heard a BANG!

    Bob was right. I had now had my AD. Eventually, my heart slowed down, and I learned a lesson.

    This jailer's event reminds us that we should never deviate from Cooper's* four fundamental rules of gun safety:
    1. All firearms are always loaded.
    2.  Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy.
    3. Keep your finger off the trigger unless your sights are on the target.
    4.  Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
    It appears from the newspaper reports that he violated rule two, and maybe rule three. But, not to add to his misery, we should all take a lesson from his experience. You see, we are all by virtue of being human, imperfect. So, if we faithfully attempt to follow all four, there is some redundancy built in . . .  and if we miss one, the other three may keep us from a regretful experience.

    Another lesson, too - If you have a friend that dislikes guns so much that they want you to disarm, maybe you should find new friends.

    *For more info: Jeff Cooper


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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Sunday, October 17, 2010

    Wisconsin knife decision affirms Second Amendment

    Last week, Circuit Court Judge Jon M. Counsell ruled that the Wisconsin statute that bans concealed carry of a weapon, sec. 941.23 -
    ...is unconstitutional on its face as overly broad in violation of the Second and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.
    This ruling was made in the case of a person arrested for having a knife under his shirt. The judge did not limit his decision to knives, but included firearms, as well. You can read the original PDF of the ruling HERE.

    This is the second such thing to have come out of Wisconsin recently, the first being a decision by Wisconsin DA Gerald R Fox that he will not prosecute certain gun cases. You can read my previous column on that decision HERE.

    Counsell states that people in Wisconsin
    ...are faced with a Hobson’s choice—go unarmed (thus not able to act in self defense), violate the law (and risk jail/fines) or (as some would argue) carry openly.
    Of note to those of us in Tennessee, if you don't have a (costly) Handgun Carry Permit issued by or recognized by the State of Tennessee, you have one less choice than the Cheeseheads - go unarmed or violate the law. A Hobson's choice indeed!

    Worthy of note is the fact that Open Carry (OC) is legal in Wisconsin, but citizens find themselves being prosecuted for disorderly conduct for doing so, as reported HERE.

    Remember, the Second Amendment is not about duck hunting; and it is not just about guns.

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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Monday, October 11, 2010

    Bring home the M1's

    The State Department has banned the return of M-1 Garand's and M-1 Carbines from Korea. These guns were sold (given?) to Korea years ago to provide them with infantry weapons, as we upgraded our infantry arsenal with the M-14 and M-16.

    M-1 Garand Images from CMP website
    Now, Korea is seeking to sell these to U.S. collectors and shooters, to provide funding for upgrading their arsenals. But the State Department is attempting to block the return of these war heroes' weapons to their homeland.

    According to Fox News, a State Department spokesperson said:
    The transfer of such a large number of weapons -- 87,310 M1 Garands and 770,160 M1 Carbines -- could potentially be exploited by individuals seeking firearms for illicit purposes,"
    This statement just doesn't ring true, considering that retail purchasers of these rifles and carbines would have to go through the same FBI background check (or a state alternative) as a person who purchases one of these rifles now from the Federal inventory, at the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

    So on the one hand, State says, "Bad, we can't import," and on the other hand, CMP has been delivering them to Knoxville citizens' doors for decades.

    You can read more about the congressional attempt to alter this course of action by Hillary Clinton's forces HERE. Don't forget, it is Clinton's party that brought us the Goldilocks gun ban in 1994, as well as other laws that limit citizens' right to keep and bear arms; while doing nothing to effectively eliminate crime.

    Remember this when you vote in 22 days.

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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.

    Monday, October 4, 2010

    The Book of Two Guns


    Learning to use a firearm effectively requires time and training. There are many good schools, such as Gunsite in Arizona, Thunder Ranch in Oregon, and classes taught everywhere by Massad Ayoob. Closer home to Tennessee, just down in Langston, Alabama, is Shootrite Firearms Academy, run by Tiger McKee.


    Tiger teaches a variety of courses, including handgun, carbine, and precision rifle; and will also customize courses to his students' needs. He teaches everything from NRA basic courses to advanced techniques with the firearms.

    Now, suppose you are interested in Tiger's teaching, but can't yet make the trip to Alabama, then you should get his book, The Book of Two Guns. I just finished reading this unique, excellent book.

    Unique in that it is all hand written, and full of sketches.

    Excellent in that it covers many techniques that can save your life in a lethal encounter.

    • Did you ever wonder how to pie a corner? Tiger tells you how. 
    • What if your strong hand is injured, and you need to draw from your right side with your left hand? Tiger tells you how.
    Illustration from Shootrite website
    You can hear Tiger in interviews with Tom Gresham on Guntalk HERE. And The Book of Two Guns is available at Amazon by clicking HERE.

    Nothing substitutes for training with a real live instructor, but you can still learn a lot by reading and practicing the techniques taught in this book.


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    If you find this article to be informative or interesting, please share the link with your friends. Feel free to share the entire article, including this link back: http://goodhillpress.blogspot.com/
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    Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gun rights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.