Truth in Advertising?

I actually posted this elsewhere about a year two years ago, why I never posted it here I don't know....I came across something on Kel-Tec's website regarding one of their folding carbines and it got me thinking of this post:

Is there any?

So in another thread I read about how Springfield Amory isn't even "the real Springfield Armory" or something along those lines...No kidding tell me something I don't know. Sure they boast "The oldest name in American Firearms" and that's true, it is the oldest NAME. Hell, they tell you right on the website that they purchased the rights to the name and that the original armory was closed. Anyone doing any real amount of research will find that out in 10 minutes on the website.

Lets take a look at Smith & Wesson's Military and Police line. Tell me, what Military is currently using these guns?

How about Taurus "Putting terrorists on notice" HOW? Are they sending them bills? If Taurus is putting terrorists on notice, I'm going to get that Federal reciprocity bill passed with Obama's signature. Or how about all the custom features that they put into the PT1911? Half of those are standard these days by almost every manufacturer worth their salt. "Standard features worth over $2100 on a custom gun" Yet I didn't even pay half that for my Les Baer TRS and don't even try to compare the two, I'll laugh myself to death.

How about Sig Sauer? "To hell and back reliability" Is anyone expecting Sig to take a trip down below for hi temp testing?

How about FN's "Built for them. Built for you" ad? If anyone hasn't noticed, what's being built for them, isn't being built for us.

Don't even get me going on any ad that has the words "Special Forces" or "Tactical" in it, I don't care how tactical your gun is, if you don't know how to shoot, that picatinny light rail and threaded barrel aren't going to do squat for you.

How about Kimber? "CDP pistols are powerfull, accurate, and absolutely dependable" ...after that little 500 round break in...if you're lucky. "The choice of America's Best" except for almost every police dept. there is and rumor has it that Marine Force Recon was not as thrilled with the Warrior models as Kimber made them out to be.

How about Stag Arms? "Stag carbines have fast become the bar by which all others are measured" Afraid not, that is STILL Colt and if you actual look at "The chart" you'll find the Stag is not that top of the line and not what I would use to measure all others against.

I like this one...

Ruger "The AR platform redefined" this is regarding the SR556, OK did they just miss every other piston driven AR on the market?

Or how about "Excellence at an affordable price" That's from Nighthawk Custom referring to their GRP and GRP recon....$2350 and $2550 respectively.

I'd keep going, but it's getting late. The bottom line is don't believe everything you read, take some time, start a thread, ask some questions, even use the search feature if you're feeling real dangerous, just do some research and don't get butt-hurt when you find out that those silly ads in the gun magazines aren't really true.

New addition:

So what did I see on Kel-Tec's website?

How about this for a good laugh:

The "Delta" model rifles are intended as a personal weapon for non-infantry military personnel, special operations, SWAT law enforcement, and civilians in high risk environments. The SU-16D is especially suited for low intensity urban combat...

 Yeah, I bet that when SEAL Team 6 took that holiday to Pakistan they were all toting Kel-Tec SU16Ds. Har dee har har... Designed for Special Ops my foot.

An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power

For those that haven't seen this yet, this is a pretty good read from Greg Ellifritz who readers of this blog should know from the TDI After Action Reviews posted elsewhere.

An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power

Dropping a gun....

Is never a good thing, while most newer firearms have "drop safeties" that are supposed to prevent a discharge as a result of a drop/fall, you can never count on a "safety" to do it's job as some times, things break or just don't work right from the factory.

One poster on a forum kind of stepped in it by citing that (allow me to paraphrase)...."ALL guns made after the GCA of 1968 are drop safe and dropping a gun is nothing to worry about"

Now without getting into the folly of that statement regarding handguns of domestic manufacture, lets look at a couple of things.

Even if a gun IS drop safe, a lot of people will try to catch that gun and that's when they blow hole in an unintended object/person. Guns such as your Glock, M&P, etc have that nice little trigger safety that works great until you try to catch a falling gun, as you are clutching with your hand and stand a pretty good chance of getting a digit inside the trigger guard and breaking a couple of firearms safety rules.

NEVER TRY TO CATCH A FALLING GUN!

Second, sometimes manufacturers just don't get things right, take into account the previous recalls on the Ruger SR9 and LCP

Ruger - LCP® Product Safety Warning and Recall Notice

Ruger has received a small number of reports from the field indicating that LCP pistols can discharge when dropped onto a hard surface with a round in the chamber. We are firmly committed to safety and would like to retrofit all older LCP Pistols. The retrofit involves installation of an upgraded hammer mechanism at no charge to the customer.

http://www.ruger.com/SR9Recall/index.html

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.

We will retrofit all affected SR9 pistols (those with serial number 330-29999 or lower) with these parts at no charge to our customers. In order to ensure correct fitting, the new parts must be installed at our Ruger factory in Prescott, Arizona. We will remove the old parts and install the new trigger group promptly, at no charge, and will return the pistol to you. The old parts will not be returned.

So, regardless of age, or newly incorporated whizbang safety implements, never count on a dropped gun to not go off, and in the event that you should drop a gun, never try to catch it.


Edited to add: If you're about to drop your gun into a lake etc. it may be worth catching and long guns are a different story...

Cental / North East Iowa IDPA Update +

So in some previous posts I mentioned some upcoming changes in IDPA in the Waterloo area.

Wolf Creek IDPA appears to be a no-go for 2012, but Blackhawk Pistol Club (BHPC) has decided to take on IDPA in addition to USPSA monthly shoots.

I've been approached to help out and will initially be acting as match director for a few matches, maybe the whole season but hopefully we'll get some of the new shooters from 2011 up to speed  and willing to step in.

There will be a lot of familiar faces from past USPSA and IDPA shoots and it will be good to see those folks again. We're entertaining the idea of holding matches on Saturday instead of Sunday, or maybe just a few Saturday matches throughout the season to see how they do.

There's  a bunch of us looking to obtain the IDPA SO Cert. so hopefully that will help us run the new club.

There's sure to be some hurdles to overcome, but it will be a fun and enjoyable shooting experience as BHPC has been doing a great job with USPSA this last year and it's sure to only get better. Talk of a 2013 Iowa State IDPA Match is also floating around as the range where BHPC holds it's shoots is being expanded.

In other news, it's 03:26am and my wife is NOT in active labor like we thought she was, the house remodeling is almost finished...one year+ into a 9 week job and work has been hectic, so please excuse the lack of content over the last few months.


If you'd like to learn more about the BHPC, there is an active segment at the Iliowa (Illinois/Iowa) Practical Shooters Forum

In other news, I'm shoring up my training calendar for 2012 and it looks like the wife and I are in for a good time.

I'll finally be attending a Suarez Intl. Point Shooting Progressions Class with Roger Phillips, this is a class I've been wanting to attend for a while, don't let the title fool you, there's more to it than just point shooting.

The wife and I will be attending TDI's Partner Tactics Course, yet another course we've been wanting to take forever, we would have done this last year but her pregnancy interfered with those plans.

I'm also wanting to attend Todd Green's Aim Fast / Hit Fast in Indianapolis in Oct of 2012, but it's not open for registration yet.

Suarez Intl. Point Shooting Progressions - Searsboro, IA

I've been wanting to take this class since I lived Back East, something always came up when these were being held but Roger is coming to Iowa and I'll finally get the opportunity to take this class.

 Hope to see some familiar faces there. Click the link below for more information/registration.

 

April 21-22, 2012 - Point Shooting Progressions - Searsboro, IA

Instructor: Roger Phillips

Experience has proven beyond any argument that the traditional shooting range methods are simply not suitable for reactive gunfighting. In this course you will learn the "Fight Continuum" detailing exactly when point shooting is suitable, how far to extend the pistol to the threat, the various visual indexes, the combat draw and other life saving skills that will have you shooting at speeds previously considered impossible. This material is comprised from material from virtually every threat focused shooting system in existence and refined to fit into a simple progression of instruction. This course distills it all into one well thought out and extremely applicable system that dovetails neatly into the regular Close Range Gunfighting matrix, presenting the full aspect of the integration of sighted and unsighted fire at CQB distances.

We must point out that THIS COURSE IS NOT FOR THE NOVICE SHOOTER. If you have not received basic instruction, or have a question about your skill level, please call us first.

DURATION:	2 Days
TIME:	8:00AM to 4:00PM
PREREQUISITES:	NONE
AMMUNITION:	Appx 700 rounds (Minimum); Bring more if you want to shoot more
YOU NEED TO BRING:	Spare clothing appropriate to the weather, lunch/snacks and water (minimum of 1 gallon per person) for the entire day, baseball or other style hat, sun screen, bug repellent, allergy medication (if needed), chair (if you have a problem with sitting on the ground, note taking paper/pen/pencil and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape)
REQUIREMENTS:	Pistol, Carry Holster, 3 Magazines and Magazine pouch and Range Safety Gear
LOCATION:	Big Springs Shooting Complex 4945 Highway 146 Searsboro, IA 50242 641-593-6635 http://bigspringsrange.com
DIRECTIONS TO RANGE:	From I-80 E or W: * Take Grinnell Exit, Exit 182. * Turn South on hwy 146. * Bear left to stay on Hwy 146 at junction with County road F62, approximately 8.7 miles from I-80. * Stay on Hwy 146 for 1.2 miles. * Range will be on your left. NOTE: Using Google Maps and searching for the address 5015 Highway 146, Searsboro, IA 50242, will get you a pointer right by the range gate. It’s not the correct range address, but using the correct address, of course, doesn’t work on Google Maps or in most vehicle GPS systems.

 

Changes in IDPA

For those that have been following my goings on regarding Wolf Creek IDPA etc. I am no longer maintaining the webpage, Facebook page (both have been deactivated) or other forms or actively posting match announcements on the various forums. The Wolf Creek October match was canceled, no word on if the November match is a go or not. I've been shooting with Central Iowa IDPA out of Ames/Boone. The Ames matches are a little less costly but have a lower round count than WC.  If you haven't been getting Dan's emails regarding what's going on with Wolf Creek, let me know and I'll fill you in as best I can.

If you're looking for other places to shoot, the Illiowa Practical Shooters Forum as some good info.

Linn County IDPA is holding another classifier the first Weekend of November and I plan on making that match to finish out the season.

A Right Unexercised is a Right Lost....

Will never have the same ring to it again after this:
http://news.yahoo.com/calif-gov-enacts-ban-open-handgun-carrying-103104438.html

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown's says he has signed a measure that bans the open carrying of handguns in California.
The law, AB144, makes it a misdemeanor to carry an exposed and unloaded gun in a public place.
The governor's office made the announcement in a statement early Monday morning. Brown has been rushing to sign dozens of measures sent to him by lawmakers.
Top California law enforcement officials supported the legislation.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Brown said he had "listened to the police chiefs."
Supporters say the only person who knows whether the gun is loaded is the person carrying the gun. Opponents say the bill is one of many assaults on the public's Second Amendment rights.

After open carry advocates began going out and promoting open carry (which in CA required "Conditon 4" Carry) the ninnies got scared and started crying about it. I've always been on the fence on open carry, I've done it a few times, and it's just never really fit my needs that well. In states where concealed carry is legal I see no reason to carry openly, that's just me. In CA however, the may issue system for permits to carry concealed is severely broken, worse than it was here in Iowa prior to shall issue and I can understand those open carrying in order to promote the absurdity of CA's laws regarding this.

Hopefully this will open the door for lawsuits regarding CA's stance on carry and the right to defend yourself abroad which may very well finally bring "The Carry Issue" to the Supreme Court should it have the opportunity to get there and be heard.

Words Fail Me...

Seriously? I mean SERIOUSLY? What the heck has happened to Sig?

Lifespan of a Pistol Magazine.

From Todd Green's Pistol-Training.com website:

The pistol suffered another “slide over base” stoppage during the class. It was a different magazine than previous but it seems likely the mag springs are giving up the ghost. Almost all of my shooting has been done with six dedicated training magazines each of which has seen 5,000+ rounds so far. All six magazines are getting replaced. While the problem would most likely go away with a simple mag spring change, it’s always been my personal policy that a bad mag is a Bad Mag and needs to be destroyed. When mag springs go bad, followers and feed lips and floorplates may not be far behind. Unless you live in a state where your pre-ban standard-capacity freedom-loving magazine tubes are irreplaceable, the best approach to fixing a problematic magazine involves crushing it and then replacing it with a nice new magazine.

I've met a few  shooters that think of their mags as a one time investment but they are really  a disposable commodity with what often times is an unknown service life. I know it's a hard thing to do, but eventually you will most likely have to just flat out replace the whole dang magazine. The magazine if the life-blood of a semi-auto pistol, if it's having issues you don't want to hope the problem has been fixed. Pending on firearm type or more specifically the construction of the magazine, you can do more harm to your gun trying to diddle with fixing magazine tubes.

Bottom line, if you have problems you believe to be mag. related, ditch the mag. Have a good numbering scheme for your magazines, or groups of magazines and once mags start diving you issues, get them out of rotation ASAP. Some like to keep them for range use to induce random failures, if that's your thing find a way that makes them visually different than all the others that is a little less subtle than simple numbering, blaze orange floor plates etc. are a good idea. 

Some More Range Practice w/ the SRP

I took the SRP out for an IDPA match last Sunday with Central Iowa IDPA in Ames, did pretty well. The gun fired every time like it should, the cut of the 10-8 grips is a little sharp, didn't bother my firing hand much but my support hand was felling a little irritated but that was probably be being too loose with my grip.

Overall impressions of the SRP are favorable so far.

"My gun is shooting to the left..."

More often than not, most threads regarding guns not putting shots where the shooter wants them starts just like that: "My gun is shooting to the left", or some variation, high left, low left etc.

The first remedy they ask about is "how do I adjust my sights.


The first such thread on this topic I read this week was from someone shooting 6-8" left with their Sig P238. The manual for the P238 states the following:

Change windage by moving the rear sight either to the left
or right in its dovetail. When you do this, follow the rear sight
rule: Move the rear sight in the direction you want the group
to go. Moving the rear sight 0.020” in the dovetail changes
the point of impact by approximately 3” at 25 yards.

So...I asked this poster at what distance they were shooting....


The answer was seven yards. Without breaking out a slide rule, calculator and some paper and pens I'm going to just go ahead and wager that for a rear sight to be off enough to result in 6-8" of error it would have to be hanging off the slide.

Here it is folks, most people are right handed and when you jerk the trigger or have too much or even too little finger on the trigger, your jerk shots to the left or right...if you have a flinch you'll drop shots low. When you combine the two you get low left, low right etc. the list goes on and on. There's a handy diagnostic target out there on the web that give some helpful hits, but it can't cover all the possibilities of error combinations.

What one needs to do to determine if it's them or the gun, is either properly shoot the gun from a rest in attempt to remove as much shooter error as possible, or let someone that knows how to shoot test fire the gun, preferably both. If after such testing the gun is still shooting left, consult your user's manual regarding how to properly adjust sights, if you are not mechanically inclined, and do not own appropriate sight adjusting tools...like a Ameriglo Rear Sight Tool, you may just want to ask around at your favorite local gun shop & range and see if they have one and are willing to adjust your sights for you. DO NOT TRY TO USE A SCREW DRIVER AND HAMMER!

And maybe, just maybe if your gun is shooting straight from a rest or in someone else's hands, you may just want to check around for a basic marksmanship class.

Glock Gen4 Recoil Spring Assembly “Exchange Program”

 Read the following info over at Pistol-Training.com, great news indeed.

"If you’ve been following the tale of gen4 Glocks, you know that in just over a year the company has tried a variety of different recoil spring assembly (RSA) variants trying to alleviate various problems users have experienced. Adding to the trouble has been the need for different RSAs for guns with and without a properly counterbored spring box (aka, “nose ring”).
Finally, they’ve got it all figured out and Glock is announcing a free “exchange program” for any gen4 Glock owner.  There is now just one RSA per model, regardless of whether the slide was counterbored for the RSA or not. As someone who owns two non-counterbored Glocks, I can tell you that is good news because finding the non-counterbored-only spring (0-2-1) is almost impossible.
All you need to do is contact Glock at 1-877-745-8523 with your serial number and model number. They will send you a replacement spring and a pre-addressed envelope to return the old one. For details, you can visit TeamGlock.com.
Tip of the hat to pistol-forum.com member hvd229 for initially posting the info!"

The Les Baer SRP

Les Baer SRP

 "Ultimately, everyone who needs to carry a pistol for tactical use or who keeps a pistol for self defense wants something that's completely reliable, uncannily accurate,powerful enough to deal with any situation, and familiar as an old shoe. That was a tough bill to fill until Les Baer introduced his 1911 S.R.P., an uncompromising single stack performer. 

Features include:
Baer steel NM frame • Baer steel NM slide with front and rear serrations • Slide fitted to frame • Baer NM barrel with stainless match bushing • Baer deluxe fixed combat sight • Baer dovetail ramp type front sight • Lowered and flared ejection port • Baer checkered slide stop • Baer extended ejector • Baer tactical style ambi safety • Baer speed trigger • Baer checkered flat mainspring housing • Checkered front strap @ 30 lpi • Fitted and tuned extractor • Beveled mag well • Complete tactical action job • Baer beavertail safety with pad • Baer deluxe Commander hammer and sear • Tritium night sights installed front and rear • Deburred for tactical carry • DuPont® S coating on complete pistol for maximum corrosion resistance • Baer Premium Checkered Cocobolo grips • Tuned for total reliability • Test fired with Federal 230 grain Hydra-Shok ammo and Remington Sabre 230 grain H.P. ammo and guaranteed to shoot 21/2" groups at 50 yards • (3) 8-round premium magazines • Special wooden presentation box with glass lid."

 This is basically what Les & Co spec'd out for the FBI SWAT ( not to be confused with the FBI HRT ) pistol, that contract ended up going to Springfield Armory, but needless to say, the SRP is one heck of a gun.

This SRP is not 100% stock and the mag catch lock is buggered up, but I like the exisitng mods so far. The rear sight is a 10-8, I will probably remove the S&A magwell and re-install the original main spring housing that was included. Haven't shot it yet but plan on running it this weekend if the opportunity presents itself.

The presentation case is the older one that doesn't have the glass lid, the gun came to me with some G10 grip panels from either VZs or Mil-Tac (think of the factory grips on a current TRP) and Torx grip screws. The stocks on there now came from my other Baer and the slotted grip screws were floating around somewhere. I will probably replace the wood with more mild textured G10 panels from 10-8 and will be ordering some Dupont S grip screws along with the catch lock from Les Baer...

Range report to follow

Squashing the gun bug...

Low Capacity Firearms and Extra Magazines.

While I am more than fond of the 1911 platform and several other lower capacity firearms such as the HK P7, Sig 220 and even the Kahr line of pistols, the lack of capacity of a firearm can not be compensated for by simply carrying another magazine.

While carrying a spare magazine is wise and prudent, gun fights are typically won or lost with what's in the gun and while it never hurts to have additional ammunition on one's person, it will NEVER be as good as having more ammunition IN the gun to start with.

Regarding the Situation Across the Pond...

There's been plenty said about the rioting in the UK, all I have to say is this:

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety"


Should the anti-gun movement ever get their way in the US they would have us in the same boat...without so much as a paddle.

Be Cool, Don't Shoot Your Tool...

Seto, 27, was tucking the little gun – reportedly a Taurus 380 Compact Pistol into his waistband as he walked toward the store with his girlfriend, Cara Christopher.
The gun went off. The bullet hit Seto's penis and continued through his left thigh.

Article HERE

Always, always, use a holster.

That is all.

Sig Sauer P226 *German*

While browsing Sig's website and looking at new products I came across this:

Sig P226 German

The standard by which all contemporary sidearms are measured, The P226 became the most esteemed full size, high-capacity pistol from the moment it was introduced. Time has only enhanced its reputation. The P226 distinguishes itself in the hands of special forces, law enforcement professionals, and discriminating
citizens with uncompromising performance when it counts the most. The P226 German is manufactured in Germany. Features a black oxide carbon steel slide and anodize alloy frame.

Well that makes sense, I wonder if this is a result of slipping in their QC practices / other shortcomings of late here in the US? I also wonder of more German made guns will be finding their way into the US??

When "Gun People" Make Cookies...

Re: Gun Viloence & Gun Control

Shamelessly stolen from someone else...

"Trying to keep criminals from committing acts of gun violence by placing restrictions on normal law abiding gun owners--
Is like trying to keep drunk drivers off the roads by
making it harder for non-drinkers to buy cars."

Back from the 2011 WI State IDPA Championship...

I missed bringing home a plague by just shy of seven seconds. I placed 4th in CDP/Sharpshooters. Overall I placed 43rd out of 90. Had 3 penalties, one failure to neutralize, and one hard lesson learned. ALWAYS check your magazines before stepping up to the starting position. I left a stage with partials in my mag carrier and did not swap them out for fresh mags, cost me about 10 seconds.

Overall did pretty well, expect for the stages where I picked up the penalties I was within 2 or 3 seconds of the 1st place CDP Sharpshooter who is a regular at the Ames/Boone IDPA matches. The HK45 ran well and I made some good shots.

NEVER PUT PARTIAL MAGS IN YOUR MAG CARRIER!

Justifiable Use of Force and You

Recently here in Iowa, in the town where I work and spend a heck of a lot of time, a man has been charged with assault and going armed with intent after chasing a trespasser off his property, had that been all there was to it, no problem. But the homeowner before chasing off the trespasser retrieved a handgun from his home and confronted the trespasser. The trespasser fled and the homeowner gave chase, left his property and then fired a warning shot at the trespasser after he had failed to adhere to commands to stop.

Here's where things get nasty.

In Iowa, you are allowed to use reasonable force to protect property, reasonable force includes deadly force. However the following bits of Iowa code apply.

704.1 Reasonable force.
“Reasonable force” is that force and no more which a reasonable person, in like circumstances, would judge to be necessary to prevent an injury or loss and can include deadly force if it is reasonable to believe that such force is necessary to avoid injury or risk to one’s life or safety or the life or safety of another, or it is reasonable to believe that such force is necessary to resist a like force or threat. Reasonable force, including deadly force, may be used even if an alternative course of action is available if the alternative entails a risk to life or safety, or the life or safety of a third party, or requires one to abandon or retreat from one’s dwelling or place of business or employment.
[C51, §2773; R60, §4442; C73, §4112; C97, §5102; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §12921; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §691.1; C79, 81, §704.1; 81 Acts, ch 204, §2]
“Dwelling” defined, see §702.10

704.2 Deadly force.
The term “deadly force” means any of the following:
1. Force used for the purpose of causing serious injury.
2. Force which the actor knows or reasonably should know will create a strong probability that serious injury will result.
3. The discharge of a firearm, other than a firearm loaded with less lethal munitions and discharged by a peace officer, corrections officer, or corrections official in the line of duty, in the direction of some person with the knowledge of the person’s presence there, even though no intent to inflict serious physical injury can be shown.
4. The discharge of a firearm, other than a firearm loaded with less lethal munitions and discharged by a peace officer, corrections officer, or corrections official in the line of duty, at a vehicle in which a person is known to be.
As used in this section, “less lethal munitions” means projectiles which are designed to stun, temporarily incapacitate, or cause temporary discomfort to a person without penetrating the person’s body.

704.4 Defense of property.
A person is justified in the use of reasonable force to prevent or terminate criminal interference with the person’s possession or other right in property. Nothing in this section authorizes the use of any spring gun or trap which is left unattended and unsupervised and which is placed for the purpose of preventing or terminating criminal interference with the possession of or other right in property.


704.7 Resisting forcible felony.
A person who knows that a forcible felony is being perpetrated is justified in using, against the perpetrator, reasonable force to prevent the completion of that felony.


702.11 Forcible felony.
1. A “forcible felony” is any felonious child endangerment, assault, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, arson in the first degree, or burglary in the first degree.
2. Notwithstanding subsection 1, the following offenses are not forcible felonies:
a. Willful injury in violation of section 708.4, subsection 2.
b. Sexual abuse in the third degree committed between spouses.
c. Sexual abuse in violation of section 709.4, subsection 2, paragraph “c”, subparagraph (4).
d. Sexual exploitation by a counselor, therapist, or school employee in violation of section 709.15.
e. Child endangerment subject to penalty under section 726.6, subsection 6.
f. Assault in violation of section 708.2, subsection 4.

713.3 Burglary in the first degree.
1. A person commits burglary in the first degree if, while perpetrating a burglary in or upon an occupied structure in which one or more persons are present, any of the following circumstances apply:
a. The person has possession of an explosive or incendiary device or material.
b. The person has possession of a dangerous weapon.
c. The person intentionally or recklessly inflicts bodily injury on any person.
d. The person performs or participates in a sex act with any person which would constitute sexual abuse under section 709.1.
2. Burglary in the first degree is a class “B” felony.
3. For purposes of determining whether the person should register as a sex offender pursuant to the provisions of chapter 692A for violations of subsection 1, paragraphs “a”, “b”, or “c”, the fact finder shall make a determination as provided in section 692A.126.

724.30 Reckless use of a firearm.
A person who intentionally discharges a firearm in a reckless manner commits the following:
1. A class “C” felony if a serious injury occurs.
2. A class “D” felony if a bodily injury which is not a serious injury occurs.
3. An aggravated misdemeanor if property damage occurs without a serious injury or bodily injury occurring.
4. A simple misdemeanor if no injury to a person or damage to property occurs.

702.16 Reckless.
A person is “reckless” or acts recklessly when the person willfully or wantonly disregards the safety of persons or property.

708.1 Assault defined.
An assault as defined in this section is a general intent crime. A person commits an assault when, without justification, the person does any of the following:
1. Any act which is intended to cause pain or injury to, or which is intended to result in physical contact which will be insulting or offensive to another, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act.
2. Any act which is intended to place another in fear of immediate physical contact which will be painful, injurious, insulting, or offensive, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act.
3. Intentionally points any firearm toward another, or displays in a threatening manner any dangerous weapon toward another.
Provided, that where the person doing any of the above enumerated acts, and such other person, are voluntary participants in a sport, social or other activity, not in itself criminal, and such act is a reasonably foreseeable incident of such sport or activity, and does not create an unreasonable risk of serious injury or breach of the peace, the act shall not be an assault.
Provided, that where the person doing any of the above enumerated acts is employed by a school district or accredited nonpublic school, or is an area education agency staff member who provides services to a school or school district, and intervenes in a fight or physical struggle, or other disruptive situation, that takes place in the presence of the employee or staff member performing employment duties in a school building, on school grounds, or at an official school function regardless of the location, the act shall not be an assault, whether the fight or physical struggle or other disruptive situation is between students or other individuals, if the degree and the force of the intervention is reasonably necessary to restore order and to protect the safety of those assembled.

708.8 Going armed with intent.
A person who goes armed with any dangerous weapon with the intent to use without justification such weapon against the person of another commits a class “D” felony.

To make a long story short, The guy saw someone trespassing, which is not 1st degree burglary, grabs a gun, goes out to confront him with a gun, the buy bolts, the home owner gives chase leaving his property, and then fires a warning shot into the ground when someone almost 7 yards away "takes an athletic stance"

At no point was he A: Defending property. B. Defending himself or another. C. Acting to prevent a forcible felony.

The trespasser at no time demonstrated ability, or opportunity to put the home owner in jeopardy from a reasonable person's perspective of the situation. Going armed with intent will probably be dropped as he will probably plea down to the assault charge which if the article (which I think made a mistake as "aggravated assault" does not appear in the Iowa code) is correct in the chain of events.

I'll ask around and see what the deal is with this, I'm actually surprised I didn't hear about this sooner....

As to the intent of the trespasser, I doubt he was looking to pick flowers, but as someone who recently went looking for a lost pet in the neighborhood...stuff happens and sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

We'll see how this one pans out but it doesn't look good for the homeowner.

The Gun Bug....

No, not Back Up Gun...the bug that bites you and starts the gears turning about that next purchase. I've got it bad. There's four guns on my want list right now. I've been shopping around for an AR in .308 for a while and have pretty much settled on the Colt SP901 once it's available (barring any serious issues with the gun of course), but I've been wanting to add a single action revolver, preferably a .45LC/45ACP Ruger Blackhawk Convertible to my collection for use in NRA classes, but then there's the deal I found on a Les Baer SRP that's honestly too good to pass up, and of course there's the HK P30S /LS that I've been wanting for about two years...

So...what's the gun bug got you going after?



On a side note, I've started clearing out the holster crate and have raised almost $300 to go to my next gun purchase. That's pretty close to the price of the Ruger .45 I saw over the weekend and almost half way to the HK, but not quite 1/4 of the Colt or the Baer. Gotta' give it more time I guess.

Was Able to Check Out a HK P30S Today.

TBefore I was really interested in the Hk45, I was wanting a P30S or P30LS, today I was able to get my hands on a P30S and I really like the feel of the gun. It's almost half an inch greater in height than a Glock 19 but has the same capacity of 15+1. I've always been a fan of .45s but when you get into the .45s with the capacity of a 9mm, you're looking at one chunky handgun. Even with the more svelte lines of the Hk45, the P30 felt down right nimble in comparison. Might have to get serious about adding one to the stable...

Offically a NRA Training Counselor!

I logged into the NRA website tonight to look at some materials and lo and behold "Training Counselor" is listed in my ratings. So what this means is that I can teach instructor level classes that I hold ratings for, and any new classes I take, such as rifle or shotgun, will automatically be added to those classes I can teach instructor classes for. Now I just need to get Personal Protection Inside the Home done to get my Personal Protection Outside of the Home cert. taken care of.


The NRA is also working on a "Defensive Pistol" class that will be a little more in depth than the current offerings, and oddly enough the word is that training outside of the NRA's curriculum will be a requirement, to say that my curiosity is peaked is an understatement. Needless to say I'll fight tooth and nail to get into that class once it becomes available.

From Idaho with Love...

Ordered this back in February, the previous OWB I had ordered for the Nighthawk just didn't meet my expectations after some use. It wasn't as rigid as I liked and the holster and the Ion-bonded slide of the Bob-Rail did not get along and there was an issue the the gun "dragging" on the holster. I could have added a wax or something but with the fit/function of my VMII being awesome, I figured I might as well go with Sparks on an OWB as well. I've always preferred straight drop OWB holsters and this should meet/exceed my needs nicely.

It features the steel reinforced band like my VMII, Sparks always does a good job of covering the band, some "copies" don't always do as well of a job in that area. The sight channel is very spacious, stitching, dye, and overall fit are superb. I don't know how they do it, but the way the gun locks into that leather almost sounds like Kydex without that big dimple in the trigger guard area. Initial fit was a little snug, but in about 30 draws it it feels about perfect.

Got Training?

A common theme I've seen on several gun forums is that some members wear their training resumes like a badge of honor for all to drool over in awe, it gets kind of old.

Now all that being said, while I will not fall over myself over one's training history, I will give them kudos for getting out and getting it done. Most permit holders in states that require training will seek out the bare minimum and call it good.

My wife was talking with a contractor working on our house and some how the topic of carry came up and the contractor revealed that he was a "carrier" and my wife informed him that we offer some intermediate classes etc. to which he replied "school's out" and went on talking that he didn't need any more training as he's "got his" and that's good enough... State mandated training is a check mark, not a bench mark and the bare minimum is probably not "good enough" if you think there's even the slightest chance you may have to use your firearm. In some states there is no training requirement and those that carry have no training what so ever.

I will not go into the argument regarding training requirements as there is a fine line in my opinion regarding sensible requirements and an actual infringement of one's rights regarding bearing arms etc.

Any way, a forum member recently asked where we find out about all these training classes etc.,  if you're looking for an intermediate to advanced class, here's a list to start with, start clicking and bookmarking:

APC Applied Protection Concepts, Inc. Training Specialists/Consultants
Defense Training International, Inc.
F.I.R.E. Institute
Gunsite
Dynamic Shooting Systems
Firearms Academy of Seattle
Grey Group Training
I.C.E. Training
InSights Training Center - Gun and Combat Training
Vickers Tactical
Langdon Tactical Inc.
LMS Defense
Massad Ayoob Group
Midwest Training Group
Pistol-training with Todd Green
Rangemaster
Sig Sauer Academy
Suarez International
Tactical Defense Institute
Thunder Ranch
U.S. Training Center
Viking Tactics

This is nowhere near a complete list of what's available, but it's a darn good start.

Closing in on 3K with the HK45

Since April, between various range trips, three USPSA matches, two IDPA matches and two days at TDI I'm quickly approaching the three-thousand mark on the HK45. The gun has seen little cleaning and has ran without incident. Sometime during the first major cleaning I noticed that the O-ring on the barrel was a little frayed and replaced it. I'm unsure of the round count as the gun was used and the previous owner was active in IDPA/USPSA as well, but the gun doesn't show that much wear even though it's seen draws from Kydex and leather.

The added ambi safety is wearing in nicely as well are my hands, I'm getting calluses in some new spots, most noticeably on the middle finger of my right hand where the mag release rubs a little funny. The gun carries well and It's been primary carry for a couple of months now and rides great in the Milt Sparks VMII. Since shooting the gun I'm improved my points down on the IDPA classifier from 51 to 37, I need to go over the stages and compare my times/pts down to the last two classifiers etc. to see where my times have changed, what's neat is that I also made match most accurate and second most accurate in the last two IDPA matches which I had not done prior to running the HK45, to put it simply the gun and I agree with each other.  The reloads are getting smoother, but I still need to work on them more and USPSA is really good for getting reloading practice.

I'm probably going to replace the trigger return spring in the near future, as robust as the HK design is the one part that has a history for going out is that spring. As I'm  unsure of the round count and seeing that I'm averaging around 700+/- rounds a month (the TDI course is skewing that average big time) and plan on shooting two more matches this month I figure it's better safe than sorry regarding the replacement of the spring.

The gun has digested mainly nickel cased Remington UMC 230gr FMJ but at two matches I burnt through some of the older defensive ammo, mixed batches of 230 gr samples of the following:
Speer Gold Dots, Hydra-Shoks & HSTs, and a ton of Remington Golden Sabers. Again, zero failures of any sort, the gun came with nine magazines and all seem to work well, even when slightly caked with mud.

Overall I couldn't be happier with this gun, the one thing I don't particularly like is the blued magazines, the finish of the slide may be very durable but the magazines were getting a little rusty, but then again with the rampant humidity and my lack of cleaning magazines of late, I suppose it's excusable. I'm torn on the idea of having the mags refinished in Cerakote etc. as magazines are a consumable commodity when it comes to pistols, eventually they are going to have to be taken out of service and replaced.

Beware the Desert Eagle...

Or better known as the "D'eagle", my wife has a thing about movies, if the people aren't doing anything on the cover, it's probably not going to be that good.


The same can probably be said of any cover or trailer that features anyone with a Desert Eagle, the only exception to that rule was probably "The Rundown" as the Desert Eagle was only featured in about the last five minutes of the film and "Snatch"

Prime example  of what I'm talking about...

Will Farrel and Marky Mark (I just can't stop referring to Mark Wahlberg as that) in a movie with Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson and it totally bit the dust, above you see dual wielded Desert Eagles.

For a list of movies that you can probably safely avoid, all one has to do is visit Magnum Research's own website where they have a "In the media page". Surprisingly there's a few not so bad movies listed there such as:

The Crow

The Boondock Saints

Desperado

The Game 

Get Shorty

Gone in 60 Seconds...

But then you have movies like:

If Looks Could Kill

Robocop III 

Tremors III

Crank

Charlies Angels

And many, many others where the D'eagle has had a better film career than some of the main actors. Every time I see a Desert Eagle pop up on screen it spurns a mild groan and in some cases a death knell for the movie.

July '11 Sig P238 Update

So for the last few months I've been geeking out on the Nighthawk and the HK45 but I finally managed to dig the P238 out and try it with the new "flat" recoil spring. I only had 100 rds. of Remington UMC .380 on hand and initially I was still having a couple of crushed case mouths but was able to narrow that down to one of the older generation magazines. I had a 6rd mag with one of the earlier followers, and a six and seven round magazine with the newer style followers and was only getting the crushed casings with the older mag.

The extractor shows no signs of clocking so far, but only time will tell if the gun truly runs well.

Central Iowa Defensive Training: NRA Basic Pistol Class - Marshalltown, IA - July 3...

Central Iowa Defensive Training: NRA Basic Pistol Class -

Central Iowa Defensive Training: NRA Basic Pistol Class - Marshalltown, IA - July 3...:


This course is at least 9-hours long (8hr class / 1hr lunch) and includes classroom and range time learning to shoot revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. Students learn NRA’s rules for safe gun handling; pistol parts and operation; ammunition; shooting fundamentals; range rules; shooting from the bench rest position, and two handed standing positions; cleaning the pistol; and continued opportunities for skill development. Students will receive the NRA Guide to the Basics of Pistol Shooting handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure, Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification booklet, take a Basics of Pistol Shooting Student Examination, and course completion certificate.


For more details, see Central Iowa Defensive Training

Finally...Tactical Defense Institute (TDI) Pistol II & III After Action Review

TDI Pistols II & III After Action Review. May 15th-16th 2011

Before I get into the review of the class, I want to talk a little more about what TDI is and who makes it that way. TDI is currently ran by John Benner who is the president and chief instructor of the Tactical Defense Institute. He is a 37-year veteran police Lieutenant and Vietnam Veteran and spent 25 years with the Hamilton County Police Association Regional SWAT Team, serving for 20 years as team Commander, he has received several prestigious awards including Contribution to Law Enforcement, Police Leadership and Officer of the Year. Mr. Benner is certified to instruct and a guest instructor for the Ohio Peace Officer’s Training Council (OPOTA). John is a member of and presenter for the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI). John is the co-author of the nationally used CQPC Program.


Most of the doctrine at TDI has come from John’s lifetime of experiences, he’s basically been going into harms way while armed for his entire adult life and he’s still here to talk and teach about it, so I found it very wroth while to perk up my ears when he was speaking, regardless of the topic. John freely admits that most if not all things TDI is 49% him, and 51% his instructors, and they aren't slouches either.

Most of us have probably heard of or read content regarding Bowie Tactical Concepts, what we get a glimpse of on the website is Dave’s background as a SWAT officer. Dave Bowie has been an instructor at TDI for 18 years and has worked as a prosecutors office investigator, a deputy sheriff and has been on SWAT for 10 years as a team member then as team leader and has now commander for the past two and half years.

Dave also was a competitive shooter in USPSA and was a master class shooter until TDI got so busy that he could no longer attend matches. Dave is a NRA certified pistol and rifle instructor and has been a guest instructor for the Ohio peace officers training academy and for the international association of law enforcement firearms instructors and is also a member of the Ohio and national Tactical officers association.

One of TDIs assets  Greg Ellifritz, I was first introduced to Greg though my wife who attended the TDI Defensive Knife Course, through her reviews, and video of the class which can be viewed HERE.
Greg Ellifritz is a 16-year veteran police officer, spending the last 11 years as the fulltime tactical training officer for his central Ohio agency. In that position, he is responsible for developing and instructing all of the in-service training for a 57-officer police department. Prior to his training position, he served as patrol officer, bike patrol officer, precision marksman, and field training officer for his agency.

He has been an active instructor for the Tactical Defense Institute since 2001 and a lead instructor for TDI’s ground fighting, knife fighting, impact weapons, active shooter, and extreme close quarters shooting classes.

Greg holds instructor, master instructor, or armorer certifications in more than 75 different weapons systems, defensive tactics programs, and law enforcement specialty areas. In addition to these instructor certifications, Greg has trained with most of the leading firearms and edged weapons instructors in the country.

Greg has been an adjunct instructor for the Ohio Peace Officer’s Training Academy, teaching firearms, defensive tactics, bike patrol, knife defense and physical fitness topics. He has taught firearms and self defense classes at the national and international level through the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, The American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers and Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. He has a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management and has written for several publications including: ‘The Firearms Instructor”, “Ohio Police Chief”, “Combat Handguns”, “Concealed Carry Magazine” and “The Journal of the American Women’s Self Defense Association”.

What my wife and I both like about Greg is that despite the list above, he is very approachable and easy to dialogue with regarding almost any topic related to self-defense. On top of being a physical fitness instructor Greg is also an avid foreign traveler, which brings a unique perspective regarding improvised weapons of opportunity. Greg also teaches Field Emergency Medicine.


Another unique part of the TDI team is instructor Bill Posey, Bill has only been shooting for about four and half years but was directed to TDI early on and started in the right direction. After two years of intensive training at TDI, approximately 35 days in his first year, he obtained NRA instructor's certifications in Pistol, Home Firearm Safety, and Personal Protection in the Home. John Benner then invited Bill to join the staff at TDI as an adjunct, volunteer, instructor. Bill views his helping out at TDI as his "give-back" to the community of people interested in self defense and willing to obtain competent instruction. He is in his third year of instructing at TDI.

Bill has been a practicing trial lawyer since 1979, having litigated product liability and other cases in more than 35 states. As part of his responsibilities at TDI he gives the brief lecture on home insurance considerations and handles questions that may arise relating to personal liability in self-defense situations. Bill ran the "furtive movement" part of the Handgun 3, which will be covered in more detail later in this review.

Not all of TDI’s instructor cadre is SWAT Police or lawyers. Clay Smith’s day job is in the 401k business. His shooting background started young with his father who was a competitive trap shooter for most of his life, around the age of 18 he picked up an interest in handguns, and other firearms of a "defensive" which eventually led him into pistol competition sports including IDPA and USPSA and led him to seek out professional training. Clay began attending TDI in 1997 and began instructing there in 2003. Clay has also attended NRA Instructor Certification, Glock Armorer's Certification, training from Tactical Response in Tennessee, and Bob Vogel, and will also be attending the Roger's Shooting School in Georgia this year. Clay still shoots in competition at the local level when his schedule permits.


Two other instructors mentoring me while there were John Motil and Forest Sonewald. John is a retired Air Force Master Sergeant and Forset is a twenty year veteran of his police department in Northern Ohio and has served as their firearms instructor and as a SWAT team member. He's been teaching at TDI for around six years.

That is not even the entire list of instructors that were there during Pistols II and III, if you’ve ever felt that the staff at a shooting class was spread too thin and if you’ve ever been shooting well enough not to warrant the attention of an instructor as others need more help, you will NOT feel that way at TDI as there were 12 instructors in all including John Benner. With a class of around 24 you get a 2 : 1 Student to Instructor ratio which in this industry is outstanding! Not only will you get time with an instructor, you get time with 11 or 12 different instructors, that’s a lot of viewpoints that look at different things and give different feedback on your performance. When you look at the cost of training classes TDI is not that expensive and it is money well spent as you will get time with an instructor regardless of how well you’re doing and as outlined above the instructors are top notch.

Now we’re going talk about the class.

1500ish Rounds Through the HK45 So Far...

I got the gun at the end of April and so far between a couple of range sessions, one IDPA match, one USPSA match, and a couple of classes have shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500+ rounds as of today. I polished off the remaining 1200 rds that I bought to take to TDI and was able to shoot some after a class today. The gun continues to wow me, it hasn't had much of  a cleaning, the mags got nice and muddy this afternoon working reload drills as that is the one area that's still giving me a little grief but I'll get there.

The ambi safety from a USP Compact is still working well with both right and left hand manipulation. ill probably do a good once over on the gun and detail clean the magazines to get the mud and little chunks of grass out of them and will be running the gun tomorrow @ the Blackhawk Pistol Clubs monthly USPSA match.

Really Digging the HK45...

After my trip to TDI I told myself I was going to not be as serious about competing in IDPA and not rush so much to get through the stages. I placed 4th overall in our June 5th match, 2nd place in CDP, and for the first time, match most accurate with 11pts down.  I've been division most accurate a time or three, but never the whole dang thing.

I've made some mods to the HK45, it is now a Variant 9/10, which means that is is no longer equipped with the decocker, a Variant 5/6 detent plate is what is needed to make the change, and can be ordered from HKParts.net. I also managed to snag a USP Compact ambi safety and was able to mate it to the HK45 with a little patience and an Exacto knife.

The gun now agrees with me all the more better as previously I was mashing down on the safety lever too much and would start to decock the gun and every now and then I'd fully decock it and I could feel the muzzle dip. The ambi safety is purely for IDPA and classes where we work off-hand shooting quite a lot. Some don't like it, some could take it or leave it, but I'm starting to prefer them.

Here's the HK45 wearing the USPc ambi safety.

And here are two pictures from a target @ TDI, range was only about 5 yards or so, but the drill was shooting one round free-style, one round strong-hand only, one round weak hand only, repeat for one magazine and it was right after I got done at the Live Fire House and was still a little amped up.  The goal is to have one hole. I need a little work, but over all I was pretty happy with the results of the second attempt. Both pictures are are 10 shot groups.

HK45-TDI-Accuracy Drill-1-10 shot group (inset @ bottom right is of actual target)

HK45-TDI-Accuracy Drill 2-10 shot group (Inset @ upper left is of actual target)

I'm finding I don't mind the factory sights as much as I though I would, but I need to replace at least the rear as I just can't stand the rear dots.


The after action review of TDIs Pistol II and III classes is almost done, I've never had a review take this long to write but it's been a hectic couple of weeks.

I spent the one weekend @ TDI, the following weekend was spent at the NRA PPOTH-I Course, and then Fri, Sat, & Sun of Memorial Day weekend I found myself at a NRA Training Counselor Workshop and am currently awaiting the paperwork to clear and be appointed and NRA Training Counselor....add into that IDPA, work, and being a dad & husband and it makes for a busy time.

Hopefully I will get the TDI review done Friday evening after setting up the classroom for Saturday's Iowa Defensive Pistol Class

In Passing...

Stephen Camp, author of the blog(s) Hi Powers and Handguns passed over the weekend. I have often referred people to his site to review information on both the 1911 and the Hi Power as well as many other firearms.

Stephen was a fantastic writer, very knowledgeable and conducted himself in a manner we should all aspire to emulate.

He will be missed my many and his passing truly saddens me.

"Gunkid" Returns?

For those active of firearms forums, you've probably heard of the infamous GunKid,  he resurfaced on a forum all ready as he was recently released from prison.

His current screen name is/was "Buckler" and his IP addresses were:

166.128.11.235
166.128.182.173
166.128.214.131
166.183.112.13
166.183.161.156
32.176.220.218
32.176.7.130
99.73.39.7

The .99 address traces back to OK where "gunkid" resided prior to his incarceration, the other IP addresses were through Cingular/AT&T

Edited to add: In true from, he rejoined after being banned and admitted to being "Gunkid"
User name "pugilist" ip address 166.183.54.80

The HK45 Does It Again...

At the end of the range session of Day 1 of the NRA Basics of Personal Protection  Outside of the Home....geez that's a long title...we'll just call it PPOH from here on out. Anyway, at the end of the range session the instructors placed some "reactive" targets on two backers, they were about 2" x 2" squares that combusted when struck. it took a couple of tries but when we were all (class of 10) on our third time up my wife got the first square on her second attempt with the HK45 having never shot it before and I got the other one soon after. We probably would have gotten them sooner but for some reason we were having a disconnect on why we were shooting high, switching to a 6 o'clock hold did the trick and we wiped out the squares.


As for the PPOH course itself, I'll comment on that later, like after I have my credentials in my hand later.

TDI Review....

Is still in the works, off to the NRA Basics of Personal Protection Instructors Course tomorrow and have been trying to study up on that and have been busy doing other things.

I'm slowly but surely getting the background info on TDI and the instructors and will hopefully have some time on Sunday to get this all put together.

Wolf Creek IDPA: May IDPA Match w/ Shotgun Side Match -Moved to June 4th

Wolf Creek IDPA: May IDPA Match w/ Shotgun Side Match - May 22nd: "Here is the official match notice: We shall be shooting our regular monthly match this Sunday, May 22. Jesse is our Match Director."

Click on the link above for more details.

Match has been moved to June 4th

Back From TDI...

Returned home from TDI later than I planned last night, will be reviewing notes and doing a little follow up work with a couple of the instructors prior to writing up the AAR for the class.

For now all I can say is that if you've ever thought about having to clear a room and what it entails, you need to go to TDI's Pistols II & III. The price(s) are exceptionally reasonable for the quality of training obtained, the instructor to student ratio is outstanding and the facility is superb.


Look for the full review in the next couple of days.

Oh, the HK45 and I performed very well, just shy of 1200rds down range, zero failures and great performance.

Going to Gun School....

Heading to the Tactical Defense Institute in Ohio for level II and III Handgun this weekend. I'll be taking the HK45 along for this class to increase my familiarity with it even more.

The weather forecast for West Union Ohio is not fare and sunny, but calls for thunder storms and showers on both Saturday and Sunday. Most top end classes don't have rain outs so having proper rain gear is a must. I still have some left over Gortex wear from my time in the service as well as some Sealskinz waterproof socks, I'm out of luck in the footwear department but that will be taken care of tomorrow evening, but this will be a good time to talk about other gear that probably needs to be taken to classes.

• Sunscreen: Even if the weather calls for clouds and rain, we all know that the weather can change quickly.
• "Chapstick": While I'm not chapstick junky, I'm not a fan of cracked, burning, burnt mummy looking lips either, while it pains me to do so I do use chapstick on the range....and no, it's not cherry flavored.
• Bug spray: There I said bug spray and not "bug juice" thank you Marine Corps for damaging my vocabulary to the point where I say stupid things like "bug juice" and "bulkhead"... I think this one is self explanatory.
• Water, start drinking lots of water starting at least one or two days before hand, your body will thank you. I neglected hydration prior to last falls Langdon class and paid for it that night after dinner. 
• Note taking materials: Even your hard-corps shooting classes will contain little tid-bits of knowledge that you will forget if you don't jot it down. I saw one fellow student with two not taking books, a larger one for actual lecture, and a small pocket sized book for taking quick notes on during reloading breaks. Want to jot down some notes on that cool drill you just did? Good luck remembering it later. Have a pocket book for notes.
• Eye and ear protection: This is standard, but I will also advise to bring spare eyes and ears, especially if this is a multi-day class. 
• Range friendly snacks: Beef jerky, pretzels etc. Nothing with too many crumbs or that will leave hands sticky. If you are a candy bar guy I like Paydays as there's no chocolate to melt, if your into the power/energy bar thing, those are good too.
• Water: Yes, this is getting listed again, as Camelbak says, "Hydrate or die" 
• Hat: I generally bring a ball cap and "boonie" hat, have I ever used the boonie? I don't think so but it's there if I need it.
• Rain gear: Be ready to shoot rain or shine, if you've never thought about how your gear will work under rain gear, you might want to take the time to think about it.
• Cleaning gear: You'll want at minimum your basic cleaning kit and tools/parts pending on your make/model of gun
• Spare gun: If you don't want to mess with fixing a downed gun, bring a backup.
• Holsters & magazine carriers: Bring your holsters and mag carriers for you main and backup gun, make sure you are certain that your holster is allowed to be used at the class, most places have a holster policy stating a strong-side, rigid holster. If you only have cross-draw and shoulder holsters you may be out of luck if that's what you show up with.
• Extra magazines: Magazines are probably the number one cause of failures in pistols and even if your mags are good now, they may not be half way into the class. Where there's multiple students doing mag changes and movement, there are mags getting stepped on. If your back up gun takes different mags, make sure you have both sets.
• Ammunition: I know, you'd think this is a no-brainer but I've almost left the house to go shoot without my ammunition.
• Any keys etc. If you are using a locked case make sure you bring your keys, I was lucky in that I was able to get a gun case open as I had two different locks and forgot one of the keys. 
• Method of payment: Did you remember your checkbook, card etc?
• Photo ID and Carry Permit etc.: Some schools require a photo ID AND carry permit or letter of good standing from a law enforcement entity.
• Any prescription medications: If you need your pills, take them with you.

 If you want to be over organized, make up a check list and have it laminated and attach it to your range bag etc. My range bag is labeled for items but not for all the stuff I have listed.

Will post class update(s) later next week.

Central Iowa Defensive Training: CIDT Iowa Defensive Pistol Class - June 11th - Tra...

Central Iowa Defensive Training: CIDT Iowa Defensive Pistol Class - June 11th - Tra...: "This course is cousin to the Wolf Creek Carry Class offered last fall, it is an Iowa specific carry class detailing Iowa code and the fundamentals of carrying and using a pistol for self defense. An excellent course for those looking to further their knowledge base having taken other less informative classes or for those looking for information regarding the recent changes in Iowa law or those looking to renew their permit."

HK45 Update

Ran the HK45 a little more this weekend including my 1st USPSA match. Overall I really like the gun, it carries better than most every other full size pistol I've owned and I run it a whole lot better than the Glock 21SF. I'm slowly but surely getting the hang of the gun. I need to work more on tracking the sights during rapid fire. As for the USPSA match, shooting the HK45 for the third time from an IWB holster I managed to place 14th out of 30 and beat out the other guy shooting limited 10 to take 1st in division, beat all but one guy shooting production... Seems like I can run the gun OK. Most everyone else was running open and limited guns in speed holsters.

Initially I had some issues with reloads it was a bit chilly out for the first two stages and my fingers/thumbs seemed to not want to work too well. Seems like my initial shots were usually A's but I was dropping my follow up shots. I don't think I was taking the time to get proper sight picture.

I'm loving the Milt Sparks as usual. For a mag carrier I picked up a Galco Double Mag Carrier (DMC) and it's working out well, for a third mag I was using a single mag carrier from UBG that was made for something else but fits the HK45 mag rather well.

"Kimber quality has come to micro-compact pistols."

The above is the slogan associated with Kimber's new Solo, and apparently it's true. This was posted at Handgunforum.net

 Solo range report (posted 3-26-11)

It ain't good. Couldn't get it to shoot more than two rounds before it ejected the mag. Kept thumbs far away from the mag release to be sure I wasn't causing the problems. Nope. Tried 5 times to get it to finish a mag, no luck. I say "finish a mag" which isn't really accurate, as after forcing the 5th cartridge in, couldn't get the 6th to begin to go in all the way. Opened the mag, checked floorplates, (there's two, one bottom plate, and one above it with a protuberance to hold the bottom plate in place), spring, follower, etc, no luck. Tried banging the 5 loaded rounds on the counter to seat them, no luck.

I was using 147gr ammo, as suggested for break-in, (124 to 147). Shot fine, when it shot, but two rounds then no mag is not acceptable. I'll call Kimber next week to wee what their answer is, I'll keep ya'll posted. I was so hoping what I'd heard about Kimbers was an anomaly, as this is my first Kimber.

Updated with...

Well, just called Kimber about the Solo. They've had it for a month now. It puked the mag out after one or two rounds. Every time.
They said they're waiting for a redesigned mag catch. That's frustrating, but I don't wan't it back until it's right. So much for finally buying a Kimber. The Customer service guy said "well, it's a completely new design, you know." So...I'm the test department? Don't they usually do that at the factory, before the new model ships? Silly question, I know. Obviously we're the beta testers for their pistols. So why then am I paying for this pistol, instead of them hiring me to do new design testing for them?

Other issues have been reported elsewhere

Getting Acquainted with the HK45

Ever since the P30 was unveiled I've been interested in having one, especially when the P30LS was revealed on HK's website, I still want one but I don't know if or when that's going to happen. Since the same time, I've been eyeballing the Hk45 I'd been lusting over the P30 before I saw the PT endurance testing and the results of the HK45s test just pushed me over the edge. I fondled one on display at Shot show and was really impressed with it's feel compared to some other double stack .45s and the LEM trigger on the demo gun really was something...

 ...So I had the opportunity to help a friend out and bought his HK45 with nine mags and a VMII (oddly enough I sold him the VMII last year when I decided to opt out on getting HK45 after snagging the VMII on eBay for a pretty good deal, cordovan with black shark) So now for the last couple days I've been dry-firing and doing dry-reload drills till my hands have gotten raw.

I got to put a few rounds down range the other day and I'm pretty happy with the gun, I like it a heck of a lot more than the G21SF I just sold. This weekend I'm instructing an Iowa specific course and I will probably be using the HK45 for my demonstrations and hopefully getting some holster time in with it and will probably be taking the pistol to TDI in May.

The pistol is a V1 which allows for cocked and locked carry and for the time being that's probably how I'll be carrying it but a conversion to LEM is probably on the horizon as that when I do dry drawing practice I have a hard time getting the grip right with proper placement of my thumb over the safety, we'll see how it works out, it may be just growing pains.

For holsters I've got the VMII and with some of the left over $$$ from the Glock package sale I ordered a Kydex OWB from Cane and Derby, and just in talking with them on the phone all I can say is that I can't wait to get this holster in my hands. If the product is a good as the people making it this will be the best piece of Kydex on the planet. Their product is similar to the likes of Raven Concealment but their turn around time is about 20 days for non-standard items.

So now back to the gun...

I've blacked out the rear sight as I dislike rear dots, eventually a set of Heinie sights will find their way onto the gun just like I have on my Hi Power and two 1911s. The trough in the trigger guard is annoying as all get out but doesn't seem to irritate my finger that bad, but we'll see what a high round count does for that, odds are I may drop the gun off at Bowie Tactical while I'm at TDI and see what he can do with it.

The gun comes with two backstraps, one small and one medium. I've found I prefer the medium as it seems to fill my hand much better and gives me a more consistent grip. I was always skeptical about the magazine release but I'm actually beginning to warm up to it. I really like the ambit slide lock/release and the feel of the gun in the hand is just amazing, I always loved the grip of the P2000 and the HK45 comes pretty close to it. 

So far my only gripe is that trough, I don't know what HK was thinking when they put that on the gun. Your basic field strip is very user friendly, I was able to change out the back strap without using a hammer and punch. The gun holds 10 in the magazine which is down three from the Glock but up two from a 1911, that's 25% more ammunition which is OK, but I'd rather have the 12rds in a USP45 but some concessions had to be made to get the contours of the HK45.

More to come as I get more trigger time on the gun.

The one thing that really surprises me is how well this gun carries and hides given it's size.

HK45 and Milt Sparks Versa-Max II

The Ruger SR1911...

Just in case you haven't heard, Ruger released their 1911 the other day. Surprise, surprise, another gun maker introducing a 1911 in 2011.

Now that being said, I would probably buy a Ruger 1911, they have a very good reputation as far as their guns are concerned, however that's usually after a recall or two.

The gun looks clean and crisp and in stainless which I generally prefer. the gun features everything you would expect in a mid-grade 1911, but at a $799 MSRP, figure average retail to be around $650-$700 and I think it will be one great seller.

The plunger tube is integral to the frame which is a nice touch, but the frame is CNC machined from a casting. Some people are anti cast frames, I really don't have an opinion on the matter. What does concern me is that somewhere I read that they (Ruger) has claimed to "improve" the extractor....many others have tried this, such as Kimber (failed miserably), Sig and Smith and Wesson (mixed results) and Para with their PXT (mixed results), and maybe one or two others that I'm looking over. While most of the above were ventures into the external extractor, Ruger has stuck with the internal extractor.

Given Ruger's previous recalls on the SR9, LCP, and one other "P" Series Pistol and the news that they are mucking with the extractor, I'll be letting someone else guinea pig this one.

It comes with one seven and one eight round magazine, no word yet on if they are made in house or are of the Checkmate, Metalform, Mecgar variety or something else. Will definitely be watching these. If they perform well, they very well could replace Springfield Loadeds as my "go-to" recommendation for a decently priced and equipped 1911.

Central Iowa Defensive Training: Permit Renewal Shoots

Central Iowa Defensive Training: Permit Renewal Shoots: "Iowa code requires one renewing their Iowa permit to carry weapons to either take another class or 'qualify' on the range with either a law ..."

Central Iowa Defensive Training (CIDT) Blog

We're rolling out an additional site for Central Iowa Defensive Training to compliment our main website, you can check it out @ cidt-news.blogspot.com

Guns & Coffee: Almost peed myself...

Guns & Coffee: Almost peed myself...: "It's for the children."

Those dang blasted assault clips will do that every time...

Selecting a Handgun for Defense Pt. 2: Revolvers

Selecting a Handgun for Defense Pt. 2: Defensive Revolvers

I've been working on this for a while so it may be a little dated as I have not reviewed or entered 2011's product offerings. I received a lot of positive feedback on Part 1 of this covering automatics and some have been asking for Part 2.

Let me say that I am not a revolver guru and my opinions here are based on a good working knowledge of revolvers and firearms in general and are not that of an expert in the area of revolvers.

When it comes to revolvers, the options are much simpler than when looking at automatics. While current trends seem to favor semi-automatic pistols for self defense use, the role of the revolver is still alive and well for defensive purposes. Some may lack the hand strength to properly manipulate the slide of an automatic which is necessary function in making the pistol ready and clearing a jam should one occur. Along with being able to manipulate the slide one must have the needed hand/arm strength to keep a firm grip on a semi-auto to ensure proper function. A poor grip/muscular control will lead to what is referred to as “limp wristing”.


Limp wristing is when the grip frame of a semi-auto pistol is not firmly grasped and/or the wrist is not “locked’ and allows the hand to travel in a manner that allows the gun to shift during recoil in a manner that will prevent the slide from fully cycling to the rear resulting in a feed jam of the firearm. If one lacks the hand strength to properly handle or manipulate an auto, a revolver should be the preferred handgun of choice. While some shooters may have the hand strength to manipulate an auto, some just may want something simpler. No reciprocating slide, no magazines to come loose, not as complicated to clean etc. A revolver is pretty basic in terms of use and care. About the best reason for carrying a revolver that was recently brought up by a Deputy friend is that when shootings take place in very close quarters, the slide of a semi-automatic can get snagged and jam and slides can be pressed out of battery etc., for revolvers this is a non-issue.