Guns, Guns, and More Gosh Darn Guns

The Keith Borders Incident: Why I Love This as a Reference

2012-02-09T23:30:00.001-06:00

First and foremost, I regret the taking of any life as I do feel that life is sacred, I feel for the wounded officer for having to take a life, I feel for Mettinger family and all those involved.

But I love this story. I've referenced this article in two sepearate posts:

An End to the Caliber Debate?
Sometimes "Center of mass" Just Isn't Good Enough...

And I want to take a little more time to address why I find this article so worth hanging onto and discussing any time I can.

It contradicts everything about "average gun fights"

Yes, this is a story about a law enforcement officer, but is it too hard to think of a scenario where this could be you against a felon inside your home with your family that is armed with a shotgun?

From the failure of the .45ACP with six (6) center mass hits (and a severed foot), to the amount of ammo expended, to the fact that a pistol beat a long gun, to the fact that an officer almost had to draw his back up gun, this story smacks down every thing that is erroneously regurgitated by the masses regarding training, prepardness, mindset, and equipment.

"Two shots from a .45 center mass will take a person out of the fight"
WRONG! This guy took 6 hits to the chest and had his foot taken off, AND NO he was not "on drugs"

"But the average gun fight is 3-5 shots"
TOO BAD! While covering and suppressive fire are seldom found in civilian shootings, it's not a far fetch to admit that it may be required. As gang activity continues to increase and the "issues with Mexico" continue to spill over who knows what some may encounter.

"I don't need to carry a spare mag, let alone two."
THINK AGAIN! This officer was carrying a Glock 21, it has a capacity of 13+1, he almost expended ALL of the ammo for his duty gun and was looking to pull his back up, a revolver holding five (5) cartridges. He fired 39 times and scored 10 hits, 7 of those hits were to vital areas.

"If the bad guy has a long gun and all you have is a pistol, you're done for"
NOT IF YOU HAVE THE WILL, AND THE SKILL TO SURVIVE. (a whole lot of luck also goes a long way)

"The basic class I took six years ago was more than enough"
FIREARMS TRAINING IS NOT A ONE TIME DEAL!

Firearms Training
Officer Borders credits his firearms training for much of his success. He scored 10 hits out of 39 rounds fired, for a hit ratio of 26 percent, and seven of his hits were to vital areas. Although a 26 percent hit ratio is only about average for a police shooting, Borders' accuracy was far better than his hit ratio seems to indicate. Besides the fact that Mettinger was often more than 20 yards away, never closer than eight yards, and moving or behind good cover for most of the gunfight, Borders also expended a large number of rounds in his successful effort to keep Mettinger from reaching the 00 buckshot stored in the back of the garage. In addition, Borders had to deal with the blood flowing into his eyes, which distracted him, blurred his vision and forced him to pause several times to wipe it away. Under the circumstances, Officer Borders' accuracy was exceptional and that kind of proficiency cannot be achieved without good training.

Did your eight hour NRA Basic Pistol Class prepare you for this? Did the on-line class you took even teach you how to shoot? How long ago was that class? Have you ever drawn from your concealed holster and fired a single shot? Have you ever performed a reload from a magazine carrier on your belt? When the gunsmoke is filling the air and people are screaming, you're not going to have a range bag on a nice tidy bench for your to fish through at your leisure.

Training is paramount.

It is also important to note that Borders is a person who is never content with just being good enough. Rather than settle for the firearms training provided by his department, as good as it was, he trained on his own as often as possible. In addition, he practiced not only his basic shooting skills, but advanced skills as well, like the ricochet shots that served him so well in this case. This is typical of winners. They recognize that police work is a serious business that exposes its practitioners to violent people in desperate situations. Rather than be frightened by that fact, they plan for the day when it may happen by training as hard and as often as possible.

Some key points from the summary of the article:

Trust your instincts when you detect potential danger signs, and always put safety first.
Consider carrying a third spare magazine and a backup gun in case you're ever involved in an extended gunfight involving the expenditure of an unusually large number of rounds. Backup guns can also be invaluable in a wide variety of other situations. Every officer should carry one.*
Gunshot wounds are seldom fatal. If you are shot, ignore the wound and focus on winning instead.**
Besides developing the skills needed to effectively counter threats, training also instills the self-confidence needed to win. Train often, and train hard.

*I do not carry three magazines, and have on occasion carried a secondary firearm, at least one spare magazine should be the bare minimum for a "civilian" conealed (or open) carrier. For any LE that may be reading, up your mags to at least three, if your agency allows back up guns (BUGs), carry one of thsoe as well.

**This works both ways, both Mettinger and Borders were hit and continued to stay in the fight. Do not expect one, two, or even three rounds to stop an attacker. I'd rather be surprised after the fact that it only took two or three than standing there in bewilderment that two didn't do the job.

In closing, "The Average Gun Fight Is..." If you're in a gun fight, the law of averages is all ready against you. The argument of the average gun fight being 7 yards or less, 3-5 shots and over in 3-5 seconds is just that, average. If you want your capabilities to be "average", you're not looking at this self defense thing the right way. Do you really want to be prepard for the "average" situation when defending your life, or do you want to be prepared for an above average situation?

Five Favotite Blogs.

2012-02-05T14:06:00.002-06:00

Thanks to A Girl and Her Gun I've been roped into a "shout out" type deal thingy... Not that I mind.

"Here are the rules:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who gave us the award
3. Pick your five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.
4. Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs. "

My five favorites under 200?

Corn, beans, spent brass, an empty page and a deadline: Frank James' blog. His book "Effective Handgun Defense" was the first book I read related to concealed carry and it's been a great learning experience ever since. My copy of that book was handed over to another new carrier that I met while living in VA.

10-8 Performance: If you're into 1911s (and M&Ps), it's a must.

Rational Gun: Another prior service Jar-head that enjoys firearms and training.

Weapons Related: Always a good dose of humor and wit...

Guns & Coffee : My 2nd Favorite Cheese-head blogger.

Sometimes "Center of mass" Just Isn't Good Enough...

2012-02-04T10:20:00.002-06:00

There's a discussion going on about XS sights, and while that topic can get kind of laborious, what I am finding interesting in this debate is that a lot of people are just regurgitating the "center mass" chant.

Well guess what, sometimes center mass just isn't good enough.

Mettinger absorbed nine rounds from Borders' .45—six of which hit him in the torso and two more of which literally severed his right foot—without any significant effect on his fighting ability. This would have been remarkable even if Officer Borders had been firing marginally effective rounds, but he was using .45 caliber Gold Dot ammunition, which is considered by many to be the best man-stopper on the market.
...
He stopped next to his cruiser's back fender, squatted there briefly as he took another deep breath and then brought the gun up to fire. His vision narrowed until he could see nothing but Mettinger's anger-laden face and his sights resting on the bridge of the man's nose. He fired, sending the big .45 caliber slug through Mettinger's left eye and deep into his brain, dropping him instantly.

Sometimes, you might just have to aim...

Economy? Recession? Who Cares?

2012-02-03T22:01:00.002-06:00

Just caught another video on the XCR-M, yet another rifle priced over $2K ($2300-$2400 @ 2:10). What the heck is wrong with these companies?

And to add insult to injury, between last year and now, Sig raised MSRP on their 716 series. 2012 MSRP $2132. I want to say that last year they were listed around $1800, just too bad they weren't available then...

Maybe DPMS isn't such a bad choice after all...

Iowa: HF 573, Stand Your Ground Bill Moves Forward

2012-01-31T14:50:00.000-06:00

HF 573 Passed committee 14-7.

The test of the bill can be viewed HERE

HK P30S: Initial Thoughts

2012-01-30T12:42:00.012-06:00

I've been wanting a P30S since HK announced their production two or three years ago, I like the idea of non-1911 pistols in 9mm that offer cocked and locked (C&L) carry, meaning that the chamber is loaded and there is a manual safety engaged.

I am a die-hard 1911 fan and have no illusions that I am done with 1911s by any means and the addition of this feature on the P30 is very appealing as I can maintain familiarity with the drawing/firing process of a C&L platform. I've been very happy with the HK45 and the addition of the P30S will allow to to shoot more for less $$$, with the cost difference between 9mm and .45, I have the cost of the gun in just a few 1K ammo orders.

I've only got a couple hundred rounds through the gun so far, but plan on running the gun in this years trip to TDI's Partner Tactics Course (another advantage of the P30S is that we don't have to order two calibers of ammunition and can stick with 9mm as the wife will be running her Glock 19) as well as some other classes and of course, IDPA. As such, I'm not going to talk about two or three hundred "flawless rounds" as I should very well hope that a gun can go three hundred +/- rounds without hiccup.

So what I cam going to talk about is what I like/dislike about the P30S.

Some may be wondering why I chose the regular length P30S instead of the P30LS, well I'm a big proponent of keeping varying carry platforms and methods as close together as possible, and my preferred carry holster is the Milt Sparks Versa-Max II which is/was not available for the P30L...so yes, I actually chose my gun in part due to holster availability but it beats buying a gun and then not being able to find a holster for it. I know without a doubt that I like the VMII, most of my primary carry guns have ridden in one so why change?


From left to right: Les Baer SRP, HK45, Nighthawk Talon-Recon, Glock 19

As for the P30, the first thing anyone will talk about is the grip. I do have to say that this is probably the most customizable handgun grip on the market with what comes from the manufacturer.

Stock Photo from HK USA Website, P30 LEM shown

Three different back straps, and three different side panels allow the user to "custom fit" the gun to their hand. I've got it set up with the large back strap and large right side panel and it almost mirrors the feel of my HK45 with the large back strap. The left side back strap is the medium and I may change it to the small to reduce friction on my side when worn IWB.

A nice feature of the P30 family is that the decocker is not operated by a frame mounted lever like the USP line, it took the de-cocker location of the P2000 and is a button located to the left of the hammer. What this means to us that use the P30S is a C&L manner, is that we don't have to worry about de-cocking the hammer by mashing down too hard on the safety lever.

Stock Photo from HK USA Website: HK P30S

The safety lever is also metal, a step up when compared to the USP and HK45 as far as I'm concerned. However this does mean that over time the safety will show the same discoloration as the slide stop levers and turn kind of a goldish bronze. Not really a big issue, but I may have the small parts Cerakoted if the wear gets too bad. Time will tell.

**Edited to add: I also like that there is a "detent ball" of sorts under the left side safety lever (will add pics later) that makes the safety much more positive in it's engagement than the the USP or HK45. One other issue, is that when carried C&L, there is a cavernous amount of open space for dirt, lint, etc. to build up in the hammer & sear components..

As much as I like the operation of the de-cocker, one issue I can see happening is that while drawing or re-holstering using the "thumb cap" method that the de-cocker may be actuated and one may end up with a double action first shot when expecting a single action first shot. This will be something that I watch for and will report back later with my findings.

The gun itself is just slightly larger than the Glock 19 which is pretty much the quintessential concealed carry gun, and for me this is good as the grip on the Glock 19 is just a hair too short for my liking and the P30 is just the right size. Despite having a sub 4" barrel, the pistol is quite accurate and like most guns, is more than accurate enough for defense and competition purposes. The one issue I have with the gun is HK's choice of sights, like the HK45, the P30S has the "luminous" sights and I personally find the three-dot arrangement too busy and will be replacing the rear sight in "6-8 weeks" with some newly produced 10-8 rear sights (not yet released but coming soon) to hopefully get a less busy sight picture.

The reset of the gun is a little longer than I'm used too, but by no means intolerable. A trip out for some action work may be in the gun's future, but as of right now I'm OK with it as is.

Additional Pictures:

De-cocker location, note "cavernous" space inside hammer channel area

Additional view of lint trap.

Metal safety levers, each pinned to hammer axle

Thumb safety, note discoloration and detent

Semi-Auto, AR-Like .308s?

2012-01-27T16:54:00.001-06:00

So I've been interested in picking up an ARish rifle in .308 and was previously looking at the Sig 716, Colt SP901, DPMS Mk12 and offerings from LMT and LWRC as well as the FN SCAR-17S. There's been a couple others poking their heads up such as the OBR and the Les Baer SWAT....

But here's the thing, I don't want to drop $3K on a rifle that I'm not going to shoot that much. Short of a little 'yote shooting and possibly some hog hunts, this rifle is not going to get shot much. Before the SP901 was revealed @ the 2011 SHOT Show, I was pretty much decided on the 716 but have been getting kind of turned off my Sig in the last year regarding some of the issues they've been having related to quality etc. So I was looking at the Colt and the Mark 12. DPMS is not on the top end of AR manufacturers and the Colt is still not available and in the mean time I saw this video from the Military Arms Channel (if you like youtube videos, check out their other vids, really good stuff)

And have to say that I am slightly intrigued by this rifle. Now there are some issues regarding the owners sensibilities or lack there of, but I'm all about the guns. With the shorter rail and light profile barrel I can stay under 9lbs, something that most of the above listed guns can not do AND use PMAGS (I need to verify this but saw some video if the gun firing and it appeared to be using them) which is what I prefer as for some reason I have half a dozen 7.62X51 PMAGs in my basement.

For once, I am even thinking about not getting a black rifle as the tan looks pretty cool.

XCR-M "Mini" with 16" "Heavy Profile Barrel"

So...still waiting for pricing on the SP901 to come out and need to do some research on the Robinson Arms and see how the weight changes with barrel profile, would rather have the heavy barrel, what the price looks like, and of course if it takes a readily available magazine.

Home is where....

2012-01-27T16:06:00.000-06:00

The heart is...supposedly.

This is the first time I've made a post about something that wasn't directly related to guns, after all the name of the place is Guns, Guns, and More Gosh Darn Guns, not Guns, Guns, and More Gosh Darn Guns plus some random crap about my day or what I had for dinner etc.

But this one was just too close to home not to share.

I'm prior service Marine Corps, and did in fact leave Active Duty as a "Terminal Lance" although that in itself is a whole other story.

There's a web-comic (also featured in The Marine Corps Times) called "Terminal Lance" and while it is geared mainly towards Marines of the '03' persuasion (it really is a persuasion and not just a job field) I follow it with great interest and down right joy. Despite being a POG (person other than grunt) I did spend a fair amount of time within an Infantry Line Company and even then not all of his strips are Infantry Specific and any Marine can enjoy his work/writings.

Today's strip had me nodding quite a bit with this block of text:

"You’ll meet new people, see new things–new worlds even; and they won’t even begin to understand it. Going home will never be the same again, and being home for too long finds you in the precarious position of wishing you were gone again. The very idea of home becomes a distant memory, because it’s never the same as it was. It’s not that home has changed, in fact it’s remained largely the same. Sure, maybe some new stores or restaurants popped up while you were gone, but it’s hardly any different."

I'm originally from Michigan and enlisted the fall after graduating high school and not much has changed, even after being out for almost 10 years. I no longer consider Michigan my home, much more now after my mother's passing. For the most part I consider Pennsylvania home, but that again is a different story.

The service, especially the Marine Corps can change your life in so many ways. I owe the Corps a great deal. It taught me a whole lot of things, landed me in my current profession, introduced me to my wife, helped me buy our first home...the benefits of that service have paid off in spades. The one thing it took from me is home, and that is one thing I gave up willfully and ultimately have no regrets over. While there are certain aspects of "home" that I miss, as a whole I have no desire to return.

Sorry for the rambling, in other news....

I've got my P30S!

HK P30S 9mm

Zombie Rush: Strawmen invade Iowa Capitol against Castle Doctri...

2012-01-25T16:04:00.001-06:00

Good deal,

Despite some attempts at fear mongering, the "Stand Your Ground Bill" has made it out of subcommittee. Hopefully it will be kept alive and make it to the House this year.

Zombie Rush: Strawmen invade Iowa Capitol against Castle Doctrine

Coffee Anyone? Support Starbucks!

2012-01-23T16:54:00.004-06:00

Starbucks' "Pro-Gun" Policy Prompts Gun Victims' Advocate Group to Launch Nationwide Boycott on Valentine's Day 2012

In light of the "Light a Candle" and it's success through the blogosphere, I'm thinking that guns & coffee pictures should be the order of the day this Valentines day. If you live in an open carry state and that's your thing, and openly display support of Starbucks lack of prohibiting guns it's all you.

I do believe I am an hour from the closest Starbucks, but may very well make the trip.

"WHY STARBUCKS? Currently, Starbucks allows guns and assault weapons to be openly carried in its stores (in 43 states) and concealed and carried in its stores (in 49 states) (See Photos). Starbucks' compliance with the National Rifle Association's Pro-Gun Agenda was exposed in 2010 when members of the "open carry" movement began meeting in popular chains, such as California Pizza Kitchen, Peets, IKEA, Disney and Starbucks openly carrying their handguns and assault rifles. (Types of Guns)
To protect their customers and employees, all of the retail chains—except for Starbucks— banned guns from being carried in their stores."

Good on 'em. And I for one will continue to drink their over priced coffee because of it.

So come Valentines day, please join me in support of Startbucks with a pictures of Guns & Starbucks coffee or other Starbucks products purchased on Valentines day. If you're like me and don't have a Starbucks within easy distance, Walmart had Starbucks brand Coffee and gift cards.

Laugh of the day....

2012-01-23T15:21:00.002-06:00

"...any product covered under an unlimited lifetime warranty will see more warranty work than any item covered under a limited coverage limited time warranty.... it makes sense to use it if you have it and conversely you cant use what you dont have ."

Said as a justification as to why most people I know that work in gun shops see more Taurus products being sent back for repair than any other brand. Sorry pal, the reason a product sees more warranty work is BECAUSE IT KEEPS BREAKING, that is what most sensible people I know call a clue.

Never mind that most of these guns are not even 3 years old when they break, and are more commonly returned within the first few hundred rounds.

One member of a forum put together this brief list...

"I've responded to a couple of Taurus threads recently, and I was asked to start a new thread that would likely become a sticky....

My dislike of Taurus is no secret. Honestly, if someone GAVE me a new Taurus, I would not keep it . One only need look at many guns on the store shelves. The quality on many of them is horrendous. One only also need look on the various forums. A high percentage of them have problems straight out of the box, or on the first range trip.

I realize that human nature is to complain instead of praise... But, the % of complaints (on all the various gun forums) about Taurus against other brands of guns doesn't even compare. And the stories of dealing with their customer service are maddening. Sometimes they send guns back MULTIPLE times without doing ANYTHING. I've seen some threads go for 18 months, where a person goes thru the Taurus "experience" in getting their gun fixed. It's just ridiculous...

I didn't start saving Taurus threads until a few months ago - so, unfortunately, I don't have some of the more depressing stories I have read. But here are a few:

Taurus Customer Service (TCP 738))

Taurus Buyer Be Warned - Glock Talk

Taurus public defender.....back from the factory and another issue... - Topic Powered by Social Strata

Taurus Disappointment - TheFiringLine Forums

Taurus 709 slim fail. help me find a new 9mm carry pistol. - AR15.COM

Another 709 slim fails.. - AR15.COM

Taurus semi-auto Quality Control going to crap? - Glock Talk

Taurus 709- Problems - THR

Bought a Taurus M44, took it home, broken right out of the box! - XDTalk Forums - Your XD/XD(m) Information Source!

Taurus Buyer Be Warned - THR

Taurus Quality: Objective Opinions...? - TheFiringLine Forums

Just bought a Taurus 85 and Im having a problem - TheFiringLine Forums

Taurus Run-Around - TheFiringLine Forums

taurus repair turnaround time?? anyone.. - TheFiringLine Forums

Taurus 709 Slim....FTEs galore!...help!! - XDTalk Forums - Your XD/XD(m) Information Source!

Taurus Frustration and Venting

Not a good showing for the Taurus 709 Slim. - TheFiringLine Forums

My Taurus 709 slim review... - TheFiringLine Forums

Taurus Warranty Work? - XDTalk Forums - Your XD/XD(m) Information Source!

Are realy Taurus gun not reliable? - TheFiringLine Forums

Here We Go Again Taurus - TheFiringLine Forums

Taurus Question - TheFiringLine Forums

Taurus 738 - TheFiringLine Forums

http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=63479

http://www.handgunforum.net/taurus/26744-taurus-changed-my-mind.html"

Yeah, these all saw service due to the lifetime of the gun warranty.

Kimber has offically lost their stinkin' mind....

2012-01-20T13:34:00.000-06:00

A Colt Mustang / Sig 238 knock-off @ $1400 (w/ Crimson trace laser grips) / $1100 (without laser grips)

Kimber Micro CDP

Hey guys, ummm maybe you should try and fix the Solo first? A Sig 238 in Kimber clothing? What could possibly go wrong?

Yes, that was a rhetorical question..

Guns & Coffee: Mossberg HerpDerp SPX

2012-01-17T13:07:00.001-06:00

Agreed.

Guns & Coffee: Mossberg HerpDerp SPX: I mean levergun SPX... Let's put it this way; I like the handguard, I can see the usefulness of rails on any rifle. Personally, I don't want them on my lever rifles, but hey. On the other hand, the rest of your gun looks like you drug it through the Tapco booth with a shit magnet on the ass-end. Stop it.

New Iowa Gun Forum: Iowa Shooters

2012-01-14T22:48:00.001-06:00

http://iowashooters.proboards.com

Stop in and check it out.

IDPA.tv: 150 round practice session

2012-01-14T09:45:00.001-06:00

<br><br><br><br>IDPA

A good practice session. I've often used the 1 Reload 2 drill and FAST in my own practices, but definitely need to include that 15 yard drill.

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction.

2012-01-12T11:56:00.000-06:00

"Hi Everyone,

First off, I know zero about guns but have a fun project for you guys and gals to think about. I have an old black 1970 fleetwood and would like to put some bullet holes in the drivers door or trunk lid. Of course these items will be off the vehicle. When the job is done I plan to paint and plug the back of them. Any idea what kind of gun to use? Bullets? Any member interested in doing this in the RI, MA area? Just want clean holes, not something that will obliterate the entire door or trunk.

Thanks in advance.

Oh yes, I did not make this clear enough. I am not going to do this, no nothing about guns, so need someone who can in RI, MA area."

You just can't make this stuff up...

Getting Started in IDPA

2012-01-10T20:15:00.000-06:00

A decent article for those looking to learn more about IDPA. It's often been said that the hardest thing you'll ever do is going to your first match and the easiest thing you'll ever do is going to your second match.

I highly advocate that everyone that carries a gun for defense shoot at least one match. As that other saying goes, "You don't know what you don't know" and a couple matches will definitely clue you in to what you need to work on and is a great way to test out your carry rig etc.

Getting Started in IDPA

Sig P238 No More...

2012-01-09T20:46:00.000-06:00

After going through all the rigmarole of getting a working P238 I found myself not carrying it nearly as much as I thought I would mainly due to some troublesome findings in one of the counties I work in. As a result of those findings I thought in beneficial to start carrying a big honkin' gun that if I were to find myself in a scrape I wouldn't be wishing for a larger handgun (wishing for a rifle or crew-served weapon is another case all together) so the P238 kind of hung out in the safe. Sure I tested it out and made sure it was a functioning model but it just never saw much use.

While making the rounds I came across a Colt Detective Special circa 1977 and it was in pretty nice shape. I move the 238 and came out bucks up to snag the Dick Special and have some $$$ left over.

Almost too nice to shoot...

Light a Candle....

2012-01-08T11:19:00.001-06:00

Against Violence.

Seriously Ruger? Seriously?

2012-01-05T15:34:00.000-06:00

Now don't get me wrong, the "Zombie thing" is a guilty pleasure of mine, not to the extent that I'm going to buy any of this goofy crap but if I were to choose a gun on it's Zombie Killing ability, a pocket ~~Kel-tec~~ Ruger .380 would NOT be my first choice of firearms.

Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke it: A Tough Year for Gun Control’s Brady Campaign

2012-01-02T11:57:00.000-06:00

I generally don't wish ill will to any particular sect, gender, club or creed, but if there's on group I'd like to see smacked down with a rolled up issue of The 1st Freedom, it's the Brady Campaign.

A Tough Year for Gun Control’s Brady Campaign

More bad news for Brady: Collating their scorecards with FBI violent crime shows that right-to-carry (RTC) states — where law-abiding citizens have broader rights to carry a concealed handgun — are becoming safer over time, compared to Brady’s “safest” states, which don’t give citizens such rights. (The graph below displays states’ average violent crime rates by RTC status, with the percentage difference in green.) As of 2010, RTC states were 35.0% safer than non-RTC states, and had a 41.9% lower murder rate, too:

Brady gave RTC states an average scorecard value of 9.0 in 2010, while non-RTC states averaged 51.3. According to Brady, non-RTC states are safer because they enforce more gun control laws such as firearm registration, waiting periods of up to 10 days before you can pick up the gun you already bought, and bans on magazines containing over 10 rounds of ammunition. In Brady’s imaginary world, the above violent crime values would be reversed.

Savvy analysts will rightfully note the above correlations aren’t necessarily significant, and that’s the point: Brady claims that guns cause violence, yet they are unable to cite one comprehensive, significant dataset to corroborate their claims. Instead, they select factoids to support their propaganda, all rendered invalid upon examining the entire source data.
This is why the Brady Campaign is losing credibility, influence, and revenues. By the end of 2009 — the latest year for which data are publicly available — Brady’s total net assets were negative $564,123. Between 2006 and 2009, Brady’s total revenues dropped from $4,636,210 to $4,004,014, including investment income and royalties.

Truth in Advertising?

2011-12-29T13:24:00.000-06:00

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.

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 tool 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

2011-12-21T13:29:00.000-06:00

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....

2011-12-17T16:36:00.000-06:00

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 +

2011-12-02T03:39:00.000-06:00

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

2011-11-13T19:00:00.000-06:00

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

2011-10-24T23:41:00.000-05:00

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....

2011-10-10T09:57:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-09-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

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

Lifespan of a Pistol Magazine.

2011-09-16T16:44:00.000-05:00

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

2011-09-15T17:58:00.000-05:00

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..."

2011-09-09T23:13:00.000-05:00

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”

2011-09-06T16:05:00.000-05:00

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

2011-08-24T11:48:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-08-22T16:53:00.000-05:00

Low Capacity Firearms and Extra Magazines.

2011-08-21T11:47:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-08-15T09:41:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-08-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

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

2011-08-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-08-10T13:52:00.000-05:00

Re: Gun Viloence & Gun Control

2011-08-08T16:06:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-08-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

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

2011-08-04T01:12:00.001-05:00

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....

2011-08-03T11:16:00.000-05:00

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.

2011-07-31T21:02:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-07-29T23:14:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-07-29T11:07:00.000-05:00

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?

2011-07-24T20:49:00.001-05:00

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
Magpul Dynamics
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

2011-07-23T23:16:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-07-23T09:21:00.000-05:00

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

2011-07-20T20:19:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-07-20T18:21:00.000-05:00

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

2011-06-16T21:19:00.000-05:00

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.

Pistols I, II, & III are offered by themselves, or as a three day class. I chose to skip day one as it took place on Friday and was mostly entry-level stuff. Originally I was only going to take Pistol III and my wife was going to take Pistols II and III so that we could take their Team Tactics Course later in the year. Turns out my wife is currently carrying our second child and it was probably for the better that she not attend this go around in order to prevent lead / noise damage to the baby, as the class was all ready full, I took her Pistol II slot. I’m glad I did. Initially when conversing with Greg Elefritz regarding classes he said that everyone who has taken Pistol II (regardless if they “needed” it or not has enjoyed it and come away learning something new and this is indeed the case. After our next child arrives my wife will be attending Pistols I, II and III as after a few months of not shooting she’s going to want the Pistol I refresher. I plan on taking II and III (and possibly I just to see what I missed) again as it was a great experience.

Pistol II:
We started Pistol II with a discussion on TDI’s variation of OODA – Loop, ODE-Loop which is as I recall Observe, Detect/Decide, Engage, repeat (loop) this is pretty much standard in your defensive classes these days and is simply the thought processes involved in staying aware of your surroundings, not going to go into much detail on that.

We then went into a lecture given by Bill Posey regarding home owners insurance and things you can do to strengthen your policy to help protect you in the event that you shoot and wound/kill an intruder. It was interesting to receive this information from a lawyer and I do intend to follow up with him for a refresher of the items he reviewed in class. It’s often not discussed in the self-defense world and something that should be considered.

Next on the agenda was a discussion / video on a police officer and two shootings that he was involved in. In the first shooting his partner was killed and the assailant took an incredible volume of hits including a head shot before he was stopped. The recreated video of this deadly brawl was eye opening to many in regards to the ability of the human body to sustain such damage and keep going and very well illustrated that you better expect to have to fire as many shots as you can in order to stop the fight. If you would like more information on this you can look up “Steve Chaney: Ultimate Survivor”. After the narrative of the first shooting is complete there is interviews with Chaney regarding the after effects of his shooting including his feelings of survivors guilt and coping with killing another human being. It highlights the need for professional counseling / discussing your mental state with those who’ve been there. At the time of the fist shooting (early 70’s if I recall) the mental health profession was ill equipped to deal with such matters and even if they were “men didn’t talk” about their feelings. Officer Chaney eventually did find camaraderie with veterans of Vietnam who had both killed aggressors and lost comrades.

Eventually Chaney found himself in a similar incident to his first shooting but being better prepared was able to end a deadly force encounter with an armed aggressor with one well placed shot without hesitation.

To say it was an interesting story would be to say the least.

The lecture then turned to Police training and politics related to police agencies, keep in mind that most of the instructors at TDI are prior or current law enforcement. They reviewed your basic patrolman’s weapons training, 9-1-1 response times from various Ohio agencies etc. The point of this lecture? That you are on your own until they arrive, after they’ve been called, a time ranging from 7 to 45 minutes. And then they do arrive they may not be well enough equipped to do you any good. It was amazing to see the eyes of the students widen at this realization, especially hearing this from long time law enforcement officers. It was good to see some of the reactions.

Somewhere around here we got onto a “bunny trail” and started talking about attackers with knives and the Tueller drill, a brief discussion on getting off the “X” and angles of movement then ensued. Lesson learned? MOVE!

From there we took a break and adjourned to the upper range, I was lucky in that I took off to the range first and managed to snag a spot under the covered portion of the rain when told to line up with a target (big hint, if it’s raining you should probably do the same, be up close to the firing line during the range brief) we reviewed your basic safety rules and began our first exercise, prior to shooting we did dry fire drills with “roped” guns (A length of yellow cord/wire through the muzzle and out the magazine well) on the two methods of trigger re-engagement by using the sear reset point or the full travel of the trigger to it’s original starting point. Walking the line the instructors would cycle students slides and allow us to maintain a firing grip and find our reset points on our guns. Once that was complete we proceeded with live fire drills.

The range was probably about 5 yards and we were doing your standard “5 spot” drill where you have a target with 5 targets on one piece of paper.

Spot 1 received one shot from high ready, Spot 2 received 2 shots, Spot 3 received three shots….Spots 4 and 5 were multiple targets, transitioning from one or two shots on Spot 4 and one shot on Spot 5. During these drills you would reload on your own and refill magazines at your own pace. We probably shot close to 150-200 rounds on 5-spot drills which may seem a bit much but if gave the instructors plenty of time to walk the line of 24 students and make corrections, diagnose trouble points, and instruct the students. I was please to see them making DA/SA shooters and 1911 shooters either decock or engage the safety when going back to the ready. It also made me want to get a big piece of masking tape and write “HK: Cocked and Locked” across my shoulders, but hey there aren’t that many polymer guns carried in that fashion and the instructors were just doing their job. After about the third instructor down the line asked about the carrying method of that gun the other instructors would inform them for me and save me from having to explain it again. It was a little annoying but that’s OK it was nice to see them paying equal attention to everyone and make sure we were doing it right. I fired a lot of rounds and this was a great set of drills for me as I was still getting acquainted with the HK45 (I will talk more about my gear used in class at the end as it’s not the point of the review but is peripheral) While this may be a little too repetitive for some more experienced shooters, being able to do those repetitions was superb for getting a better feel for the gun and I didn’t mind them one bit.

After the 5 Spot Drills were finished they broke us into squads to cover “Smooth Draw”, malfunction clearing, and reloads.

First up for our squad was smooth draw. TDI teaches what is pretty much standard, the 3pt draw. Support hand to chest while you pull from the holster straight up and rotate the gun out orientated at the target to a high retention position, that’s step 1. From there you join the hands at centerline for a high, compressed ready, that’s step two. From there you extend your arms in a press out until you’re extended and sighted in, that’s step three. Re-holsering is the exact opposite, bring the arms back to a high, compressed ready, they will naturally split on your chest, and the strong hand follows the same path back into the holster. Repetitions of this weren’t over done and as we were broken down into smaller groups it was easier for the instructors to see what we were doing right and what we were doing wrong. After some dry practice we went back into the 5-Spot drill working from the holster.

This is where I first started having some issues. I was stuck in a little bit of a drill mentality rut, all the talking about search and access (I’m not sure where this was introduced in class, it may have been introduced during the first 5-spot drill or introduced when smooth draw started) went in one ear and out the other and I was pretty much getting the gun back into the holster almost as fast as it came out…in case anyone missed it, there is a “Tactical” in TDI. With a little bit of coaching I was getting my head right and out of competition mode and slowing down a bit ensuring that I was checking my surroundings prior to re-holstering.

From smooth-draw we rotated over to another area of the range where we were practicing malfunction clearing. The process taught for clearing jams was…..Tap, Rack, Bang. Sometimes the simplest procedure really is best. Of course with double feeds etc. some more in-depth procedures are required and those were covered as well. For the malfunction drills we just used empty cases off the ground (I didn’t say deck, I’m so proud of myself) that the instructors loaded into our magazines.

Moving on we went to reloads starting with your “emergency” or slide lock reload. One thing I really liked about the reloading practice is that TDI advocates stripping the spent magazine from the gun to ensure that mags don’t hang or stick. They also advocate the use of the sling/shot – push/pull method for returning the slide to battery, however I’m very used to using the slide stop, or in the case of the HK45, the slide release (Look in the manual, it’s a release per HK) it works for me, the instructors saw that and did not harp on me to conform to their favored techniques. +1 for TDI.

For “tactical reloads” or what would be referred as “reload w/ retention” they advocated on the same mag procedure of stripping the magazine from the firearm but only adding the retention of the magzine in some place other than on the belt prior to inserting a full magazine. I like this approach much more than trying to come up with a full mag prior to the ejection/strip of the partially spent magazine as it’s just simplier to manipulate and shares the same basic movements as the “emergency” reload and prevents botching the reload as they have seen students re-insert the partially spent magazine or just flat out try to insert magazines prior to ejecting the partially spent magazine. Now while the tactical reload process of bringing a full mag up prior to removing the partially spent magazine can be learned and properly executed with practice, the basic reload with retention is easier to teach, for most new students, easier to do well. The amount of “down time” for the gun really isn’t any less than the traditional tactical reload.

Next up was shooting on the move. We had a small lecture on keeping your feet where they need to be without tripping over objects or getting your legs tangled up. Then on to the range. We did your basic paths of movement, starting forward, then moving left, and then back. Then the other way starting forward, then right and back. Movement to the obliques must be in Pistol IV or V.

From there we went into a brief discussion regarding “Getting off the X”, for those that may not be familiar with the term, “X” marks the spot where you’re standing when everything goes wrong and you realize you need to draw your gun against a threat. Moving off that spot is imperative. Greg Ellifritz did a quick down and dirty study with some “salty” TDI students and Airsoft guns, the study was actually published in a magazine but here’s the abbreviated results. Movement equals a 10% loss in accuracy but reduces your potential to take hits by about 50%. Results were pretty close regardless of moving laterally or forward, however movement direct to the rear was no good and in cases where people turned their back to the “threat” while moving were hit 100% of the time.

From there we had a brief regarding the shoot houses and what to expect from them during Pistol III.

TDI’s Pistol III class started on a drizzly day which for this kind of training I actually prefer as it forces students to work from concealment or get wet. Our first drill was a “time in” exercise where we were shooting steel (With the exception of the shoot houses, all shooting during Pistol III was on steel) on the clock from a high compressed ready on a single target a and then on three targets. I don’t recall my times on time in. next time around I may log the times but I really didn’t deem it important at the time. From “time in” we went to working strong hand to weak hand transitions using a “swipe & press” technique which was kind of cool and it grows on you and ensures that you have maximum surface contact between your off-hand and the grip area of your firearm. After working the transition exercise we went into strong & weak hand only (SHO and WHO) shooting.

After doing the transitions and SHO/WHO shooting we broke back down into squads and my squad was under the instruction of Clay Smith. We were taught “proper” maneuvering around corners via the TDI methods of slicing the pie, and dropping out from cover. All I can say is that this portion of the class was well worth the class cost and travel & lodging. They ask us not to go into too much detail regarding their methods, as it is somewhat proprietary. A little anecdote regarding their methods is that a couple of their instructors attended a DOD anti-terrorist training session and wiped out the competition including the instructors using the TDI procedures. Do I believe it? Yes I do. What was/is being taught at TDI went far beyond anything I learned at Combat Town at Camp Pendleton, although I do freely admit that it was a long time ago and things may be more up to speed by now given the last ten years of combat…regardless the techniques taught at TDI are highly effective. You can see a little of the technique in the video previously linked featuring Greg.

There was also a brief exercise on maneuvering through doors to get maximum visibility of the areas on the other side(s) of door openings etc.

From there we went to shooting from barricades to simulate shooting around corners etc. which also incorporated some more TDI specific procedures.

It’s important to understand that when broken into squads we would rotate through different exercises and different instructors. It was a very unique experience to get so many different teaching styles / back grounds under one roof and it keeps you on your toes and keeps you from standing around waiting for something to do.

Next on the list of activities was the “Furtive movement” class by Bill Posey. This was done with “roped guns” and was basically a brief one on one…ok maybe two on one… Force on Force class. We went over what it looks like when someone is drawing a gun from all angles, surprisingly enough, sometimes drawing a gun looks like going for your wallet or keys. We took turns being accosted by Bill until we were forced to shoot. None of the scenarios were outlandish. Some did well, some did not but I think we all learned a lot.

From here we broke down into groups again and went to the shoot houses for some room clearing exercises. TDI has three Life Fire Houses (LFH-1-3), initially you go in groups of two. The first shooter goes through with the instructor and then goes through as a spectator with the other student. This gives one the ability to see things from different perspectives. The second shooter waits for the next group and then follows a student. What was my Live Fire House experience like? It was pretty damn cool. Despite the house having some wicked tricks that may have resulted in my untimely demise I put accurate shots on target including one shot just above the eye socket of a dirt bag that was holding my paper wife as a target.

Lots of students shot the hostage. The student that ran the house after I did "center punched" his wife (in this case the hostage target). In another house, five out of eight students shot the hostage, two students did not take shots citing that they didn’t know if they could make it or not and there’s nothing wrong with that. I bet the guys that shot their hostages wish they had done the same. Interestingly enough it was two ladies that did not take shots, I wonder if lack of a male ego/trying to impress the instructor had anything to do with it? I would say the odds of that are pretty good.

Did I execute my movements through the house perfectly? No, but that’s what I was there to learn.

After my trip through the house I was back to the lower range where we were then fell in where there was room on two firing lines. We started doing an exercise under Dave Bowie again and this one was kind of slick, especially after coming back from the LFHs. This was a close range, accuracy driven exercise. From about 5 yards your goal was to pick a spot on a target and put a series of shots through the same hole. Starting freestyle (two handed), shoot one shot. Take note of that shot’s relation to the sights and try to place all subsequent shots in the same hole. The next shot is SHO, then WHO, if you happen to be named Dave Bowie, then you shoot the gun up-side down, if you’re not named Dave Bowie you go back to free-style and go through the process for one magazine. I did pretty well, but not Dave Bowie well. Just coming back from the LFH I was a little amped up still as it is kind of intense and this drill helps to do two things. Force you to focus on accuracy while your heart rate is up, and two bring you back down by focusing on breathing and the other fundamentals of shooting. Despite the close distance, it’d harder than it sounds.

While I was doing this drill, another group of shooters was on the steel line doing a walk back and some other drills. I was able to take a pretty good break after shooting two of the accuracy drills waiting the squad shooting the steel to be done. With some jerky and water down the hatch I was ready to get back to shooting. We were running short on time so the rest of us did not get to do a walk back (John Benner won that by the way) but we did do our “time out” drill and while I don’t recall my time on shooting three targets, my time on a single target from a high compressed ready was around .42. Started off around .6 and started shaving time by getting friendly with the press out and going a little broad with sighting by using the profile of the slide as my sights. If the slide was coving the plate I knew I’d get my hits. It was my first time really using that technique and it worked out pretty well.

There was a little shoot on your own time where you could work different drills and then back into the classroom for dismissal.

But wait! There’s more….

So, what did I learn from my two days at TDI?

I learned that even though you may not need to take a class because you have all ready attended similar courses, you can always benefit from more training, a good refresher is never a bad thing and I don’t think I would have done as well at Pistol III without the warm-up provided by Pistol II.

I’ve often heard some people speak out against USPSA/IPSC while promoting IDPA because “USPSA will get you killed” etc. As an IDPA shooter and dabbler in USPSA I can say that IDPA is just as likely to get you killed as anything else when it comes to real use of cover. What I see at IDPA matches that passes for proper use of cover is a joke. IDPA and USPSA are what they are, they are games and yes they can build overall shooting skill, when it comes to tactics they are poor providers do don’t get hung up on the “tactical” aspect of IDPA.

I got much more familiar with using “slide profile” sighting on the steel, however that was not a topic covered during Pistol II or III but I brought it with me and was able to apply it. I learned how to properly use cover and some new techniques on shooting from cover, as well as clearing certain while solo (something I hope I never have to do) I learned a lot of valuable lessons while in that shoot house, I’d like to go into details, but I’d be giving away some secrets to future students and would probably “cheapen” their experiences. I also learned that my time spent competition shooting has left some “training scars” as some things that make perfect sense in competition are not good for real world tactics. Now don’t get me wrong I still plan on shooting in competition as the trigger time, shooting under stress, and varying levels of stage complexity are good and good for you, I’m just going to make more of an effort to not get hung up in the competition aspect of it and try and slow down and do things right. That includes not running down hallways but still move briskly, and keep the elbows in so they aren’t telegraphing my approach through doorways.

Some things I’d have liked would have been more use of concealment garments, but remember that this was not a Concealed Carry specific course, it was / is a PISTOL course. TDI does have an Advanced Concealed Carry Course and this was not it. We had the option to use concealment garments, some chose to stick with them even when it wasn’t raining and some shed their jackets as soon as possible. So if you wanted to work more from concealment, you were able to.

I would have liked another trip through a different shoot house, but I understand why we only get one trip. One reason for that is time, it would take a lot of time to run students through two houses and the other is that while some students would do better with another trip, some may not and the possibility of a secondary negative experience exists. Did I ask to go through another house? No and had I asked they probably would have let me. So keep that in mind should you attend.

What are the things I liked the most?
First and foremost I liked the instructors and the instructor / student ratio. They were all top notch at what they do and I’d be comfortable taking may classes from TDI (and I do) as well as recommending them to friends, family and even my own students. There wasn’t much ego, if any and I did the only slant (if you could even call it that) regarding type of firearm(s) was related to the XD line and that “they” typically don’t recommend it as it requires the grip safety to be pressed in for the slide to cycle which could be problematic while doing malfunction clearing drills. Other than that I heard no discouraging remarks about make, model, or caliber. It was refreshing to not have to deal with that. All students were treated with professionalism and courtesy.

The facility is nice. The classroom is nothing fancy, but it is functional, clean and close to the lower range and provided all that was necessary, a fridge for lunch as time is tight enough so that you probably shouldn’t go out to town & eat do and are better off brown bagging it. I opted from bringing a sandwich from Subway and lots of water; two restrooms, electricity, tables and chairs, coffee in the AM and a small pro-shop. You don’t need much else. The ranges and Live Fire Houses were all in good repair as was the overhead on the lower range.

Map of TDI's Grounds, Photo(s) Courtesy of TDI's Website

Covered Portion of Lower Range, Photo Courtesy of TDI

Steel Target Range (part of lower range) Photo Courtesy of TDI

I really liked shooting the steel as you do get that instant feedback when shooting and there’s no pressure from trying to shoot a tight group or anything and it saves time by not requiring pasting or hanging fresh paper.

As for the curriculum, not much I could add, it's pretty solid.

In summary, TDI offers a well rounded class for those that are just getting into pistol shooting and those that know their way around a gun etc. You don’t need to be an expert shooter to attend I-III and even if you are an expert, you should still attend Pistol II. I / we plan on going back for Pistols IV-VI and their “FIST” course as well as Team Tactics. The Mrs. Wants to take Enhanced CQB and Impact Weapons so we’ll probably be vacationing in Ohio for the next couple of years.

As for the gear I used for the class, I brought my newly acquired HK45 riding in a Cane and Derby (CDI) Pardus OWB holster. The holster rides nice and close and performed well, I’m pretty happy with it but will be replacing it with a different CDI Pardus in chocolate brown with 5 degrees of cant. I’m normally a leather guy when it comes to holsters but I do try to experiment with new things and while I went a hybrid route with my previous venture into the polymer world, I figured I’d give a genuine Kydex rig a try and I’m glad I did. For magazine carriers I was using a Galco double mag carrier and two Blackhawk! CQC single carriers, I like the singles as they are a little more versatile and the CQC carriers while a little bulky are actually pretty nice and you can get them off the shelf at various stores. For ammunition I was using something new, I generally prefer Remington ammunition and recently they’ve been offering it in a 230gr nickel cased FMJ at Bulkammo.com they’ve got various coupon codes out there, price was OK and the ammo was super. All in all I was happy with my gear & firearm. One issue I had was with my eye protection, the portion of the frame where the nose pads are is very thick on my Wileys, and in certain positions while shooting from cover I’d actually have a huge blind spot from the nose piece of my glasses, so I’ll probably be shopping around for a new set of eyes.

In closing, if you’ve ever thought about attending a class at TDI, you should definitely go. As stated we plan on going back, hopefully we’ll see some of you there.

I hate quoting movies, but for some reason quotes from FightClub keep popping into my head, quotes like "You weren't alive anywhere like you were there. But Fight club exists only in the hours between when fight club starts and when fight club ends." TDI exists past my participation there, and knowing that it’s there is taunting me, my want to go back is like a kid waiting for that 1st day of summer,vacation, or that long weekend after working months straight, it’s like months full of nights before Christmas…

So yeah, I’m a TDI fanboy now, enough so that every now and then I start looking at jobs in Ohio just to be able to cut travel costs to attend classes. I look at their course line up and keep thinking that if I lived closer I’d take every class they have. But we’re getting pretty deep roots here in Iowa so my dreams of weekending at TDI will have to wait.

1500ish Rounds Through the HK45 So Far...

2011-06-11T20:42:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-06-07T23:53:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-05-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

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?

2011-05-30T19:38:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-05-21T23:07:00.000-05:00

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....

2011-05-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

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

2011-05-17T21:25:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-05-17T10:04:00.000-05:00

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....

2011-05-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-05-05T13:18:00.000-05:00

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

2011-05-02T21:39:00.000-05:00

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."

2011-05-02T21:32:00.000-05:00

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

2011-04-28T23:53:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-04-20T23:18:00.000-05:00

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

2011-04-18T10:32:00.000-05:00

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

2011-04-15T13:15:00.000-05:00

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...

2011-04-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

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

2011-04-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

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.

While there are more makers of autos than you can shake a stick at, the number of quality revolver makers is much smaller, in this piece I am only going to cover four of them, while there are others, these four probably make up the bulk of defensive revolvers in use today. Smith & Wesson, Taurus, Ruger, and Charter Arms are pretty much your only real options. While a Colt revolver is a fine piece, they are no longer currently produced and in keeping with Part 1 I'm only covering this on the perspective of buying a new current production gun. Sure many still carry them, but they are getting harder and harder to find. Rossi is another name that keeps popping up from perspective buyers, Rossi is not what I would consider to be of decent enough quality to use in a defensive role where you will be counting on that gun with your life. I have heard many, many accounts of lost timing, broken firing pins and other issues.

What size gun do you need?

Revolvers come in four general frame sizes, small, medium, large, and ludicrously large. Along with frame size you have to take barrel length into account.

• Small Frames: Unlike autos, barrel length has not as much to do with size category. You can have a small frame revolver with a longer barrel, this must be kept in mind when making decisions about what make and model to purchase. You’re small frame revolvers generally hold five cartridges, although some small frame revolvers in “lesser” chamberings such as .22LR, .22 Winchester Magnum etc. will hold more cartridges. Generally speaking a small frame revolver is chambered in .38 Spcl. Or .357 Magnum and is the easiest to conceal due to the smaller cylinder and short grip frame.

• Medium: You’re medium frame revolver generally holds six cartridges although there are some models that hold seven to eight rounds. Medium frame revolvers can be found in a wide range of chamberings. While larger than the small frame revolver, the medium frame revolver is not impossible to conceal and prior to the wide acceptance of the semi-auto for police work, the medium frame revolver was the primarily issued sidearm for Police and Military. A good medium frame revolver with a 4” barrel is a solid platform for use as home defense gun for those unable to operate a semi-auto (or for those unwilling to learn)

• Large Frame- A large frame revolver is generally a .45LC, .44Spcl, .44Magnum, etc. It has to be big to accommodate it’s payload of six huge cartridges. These can still be carried for defense, but they are not as widely used due to risk of over penetration, size, and cost of ammunition.

• Ludicrous Frame- I use this term jokingly, different manufactures have different names for this size class, most notable is the S&W X-Frame revolvers chambered in S&W 500 Magnum and .460, while there are some short barreled versions of these models, to carry one for self defense against two-legged critters just isn't sound judgment in my opinion. The cost of ammunition is severely high, the recoil while manageable is unlike anything I’ve felt in a handgun of that type and the risk of over penetration is high.

Like anything, revolver size pros and cons are about the same pending on point of view. A smaller gun is easier to conceal, but a smaller gun in a harder hitting caliber is going to be harder to shoot rapidly with accuracy, not that it can’t be done, it just can’t be done by many simply due to lack of practice to become proficient in doing so. A larger gun will absorb more recoil, and while we’re on the topic of recoil, it should be mentioned that revolvers will recoil a little differently as there is no reciprocating slide and recoil spring to absorb some of the energy during firing. While a revolver may be chambered in a smaller caliber, it can have more felt recoil than a larger caliber semi-automatic as all the energy is being transferred in whole to the shooter. As always, felt recoil will differ from one gun/caliber to another and differ between shooters. As previously mentioned, barrel size can differ within the size class. The differences in barrel length spawns different names to go along with revolvers, most commonly are “Snub-nose” and “Service.” A snub-nose or “snubby” generally has a barrel length of 3” or less while a service revolver has a barrel length of 4”- 6” in length. There are revolvers with longer barrel lengths, but do to the size they are not as popular for on body carry.

Like semi-automatics, there are some areas of debate regarding revolvers

•Caliber / Knock Down Power and Capacity

•Frame Material

•Trigger Type

•With or Without External Safeties

•Reloading

•Common Revolver Myths

•Carrying a Revolver

1: Caliber/Capacity:

Caliber:

Again, when it comes to handgun calibers for general carry, none of them are guaranteed instant man-stoppers and with modern hollow points the gaps between calibers are a little smaller. .38Spcl is generally the smallest caliber recommended for self defense use (and also the minimum in IDPA); however there are many chamberings available for revolvers and some revolvers are offered in what are normally semi-auto firearms. The new revolver caliber on the block is the .327 Federal Magnums which makes it possible to increase capacity in revolvers. In the small frame category this means that it is still possible to have six rounds on board instead of the normal five. It’s been around a couple years now and has a mild fan base. Revolvers come in any thing from .22 to .500. A lot of people still favor the .357 Magnum and in the right platform it is very effective. In the wrong platform it is pure misery to fire.

My father took his CCW class a couple years back and related to me the story of a friend of his trying to qualify with a Smith & Wesson Scandium J-Frame in .357. The poor guy touched off two rounds and was not too enthused with his choice of firearms. I read one account where the author claims that while trying out his new .357 Airlite revolver that his hand started bleeding during the range session. This masochist then admitted that he kept firing the rest of the box of fifty cartridges. Now I can speculate that this narrative was maybe a little less than truthful, but the fact is that super light guns in hard hitting calibers are not range guns and that if you plan on really practicing this with this gun you should be wise in what you select.

Another advantage of revolvers regarding caliber is that in some cases you can shoot two different calibers in the same gun. With a .357 Magnum you can also shoot .38Spcl, .38Spcl +P. With a .44Magnum you can also shoot .44Spcl. With a model that shoots 10mm you can also shoot .40S&W. Going into larger revolvers there are some that will allow .460, .454 Casull, and .45LC. There are some things that need to be addressed with this, shooting the lesser cartridges will leave build up in the chamber walls that can inhibit extraction of the longer cartridges.

Capacity:

This is another debate that is unwinnable; there is no right answer to this. Some people feel comfortable with a five shot snub-nosed revolver, others favor six, and some will make accommodations to carry a larger gun that holds seven or eight cartridges of .357Magnum. I will say that the “average” gun fight is supposed to be three to five shots fired. That is average, some or more, some are less. If you have a five shot revolver, expect to have to fire the gun empty. Some revolver shooters advocate carrying two revolvers and refer to them as a “New York Reload”, rather than try a more complicated reload, just draw another firearm.

2: Frame Material

Revolvers can be found in a variety of materials:

Steel, aluminum alloy, scandium alloy, and now polymer hybrids that have steel frames coupled to a polymer grip frame. The main differences are of course weight. A small frame, steel revolver is not the lightest package available and if one desires to carry via the pocket or ankle holster a lighter alternative may be the better choice for those applications. Be advised that with the decreased weight, felt recoil will increase exponentially. I’ve had two light weight revolvers, a S&W 642 (Aluminum frame, .38Spcl, DAO) and a S&W 360PD (Scandium Alloy, .357Magnum, DA) and let me tell you that while the 642 with +P loads was no slouch, the 360PD with a full power, hard hitting magnum load is a handful and NOT the most fun thing to shoot as well. Anecdotes range from bleeding hands to failed CCW courses due to “the lack of respect” shown to the feather weight models of increased caliber. If you plan on shooting your carry gun often, I would suggest sticking with aluminum or better yet, the steel framed option.

3: Trigger Type: Commonly referred to as “Action” this identifies the way the trigger setup of the gun works:

Single Action Only (SAO or SA):"Western" revolvers" such as the Colt Single Action Army (SAA), Ruger Blackhawk etc. are examples of a single action revolver. The hammer must be manually cocked in order for the gun to fire. Pulling the trigger causes one action, that of the hammer to fall and make contact with the firing pin. Looking at this example, the SA revolver must be cocked manually for every shot. The cocking of the hammer rotates the cylinder, pulling the trigger releases the hammer.

Double Action: When used to describe a revolver, the term means that the revolver can be fired solely by trigger manipulation or by the manual cocking of the hammer followed by the pulling of the trigger.

Double Action Only (DAO): DAO guns can not be manually cocked; they are cocked and released by trigger manipulation, often referred to as “hammer-less” as some revolvers of this type have the hammer enclosed to prevent snagging from the draw. Not all DAO revolvers feature enclosed hammers.

4: With or Without External Safeties: This is almost a moot point, there are very, very, few revolver models that incorporate an external safety as it is widely viewed that the long, stiff trigger pull of a DA revolver is a more than adequate measure of safety. The number of guns available with this option is extremely limited. To my knowledge, the only current offering (Remember I don’t cover used/out of production guns) that has an external safety is the S&W model 42 which has a long lever of sorts on the rear portion of the grip frame that must be pressed in for the gun to be fired.

5: Reloading: With an auto the reloading process is rather straight forward and easy to accomplish with your “weak hand” or non-firing hand, simply drop the spent magazine, insert new magazine, close slide if needed and proceed to fire. Revolvers on the other hand are a little more complicated. Most revolvers have cylinders that swing out to the left; the spent casings need to be ejected from the cylinder using your left hand, then one must hold the firearm by the cylinder while reloading the cylinder by a variety of methods/devices. There are some left handed revolvers and the procedures is the same, just reverse what hand is doing what procedure.

There are half moon clips, full moon clips, speed loaders, speed strips, and manually loading loose cartridges. The half and full moon clips are mainly used in revolvers chambered in a caliber usually reserved for a semi-auto, as there is no rim to rest on the ejector, the cartridges are inserted in a metal clip and that clip containing the cartridges is ejected. I like moon clips as they can provide a straight forward, less complicated reload and are mechanically simple. No springs, no latches, a little less bulky and fast. Moon clips can be used on regular revolver cartridges, but the firearm must have a cylinder capable of accepting the clip either from the factory or from a gunsmith. Speed loaders come in a variety of types, from a couple different makers, most popular seems to be the HKS model speed loader for their size, they are not too large, and not too small (Depending on caliber of course) and are sold in almost every gun store I’ve ever been to. These have a rotary release knob, the cartridges are held in place by a mechanism that is released into the cylinder when the knob is turned. Other models such as the Safariland Speed loaders are available with different size knobs or a larger spring loaded version.

I have also recently been made aware that another type of speed loader, the S.L. Speed loader which is reportedly one of the best on the market. I plan on picking some up in the near future and seeing how they perform. At first I was a little put off on the price, but in retrospect a good 1911 magazine costs more than this speed loader and if the quality is as good as they say it's worth it.

My best advice if you choose to use a speed loader type device is to get a couple different types and see which you like better. Also be advised that certain grip types may need to be replaced with a pair that has a relief cut to allow the speed loader a smooth path to the cylinder. A speed strip is kind of a poorly named device in my opinion, they are not that speedy, but can be with practice. A speed strip is a piece of flexible urethane that holds a given number of cartridges all in a row, they earn points on being easy to conceal but are not as fast loading as a speed loader as you have to manually load each chamber but are much better than carrying loose cartridges in your pocket. A variety of carriers are available for the different types of loading devices. Shop around and try different options or at a bare minimum just buy a pack of speed strips or the newer “Tuff Strips” and just work on your reloading skills with those methods.

6: Common Revolver Myths

Just like everything else in the firearms industry, there are plenty of myths surrounding the revolver, the largest one being that “Revolvers don’t jam.” Revolvers can and do jam, and when they do it’s usually a very bad thing that could require a gun smith to fix. One problem or jam is the result of a “High primer”, this is when either as result of using improperly reloaded ammunition or even an out of specification cartridge from a box of new factory ammunition, if the primer of a cartridge is not fully seating it can lock the cylinder in place rendering the gun useless. Another issue is if during shooting a projectile of a yet to be fired cartridge separates from the case “noses out” past the cylinder preventing the cylinder from being able to rotate. Other circumstances can lead to a mechanical failure as well such as a bent ejection rod. All man made devices can and will fail eventually if certain circumstances occur.

“Get her a J-Frame .38” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this and it makes me cringe. For some unfathomable reason some men just can’t believe that their spouse, girlfriend, or daughter can handle an automatic and decide that what their lady needs is a “hammerless” revolver. What they don’t take into account is the heavy trigger pull, stout recoil, stubby sights and it’s not a very fun gun to shoot. The accuracy issues born of a new shooter mixed with a stiff DAO with tiny sights is one of the most discouraging things I’ve ever come across. You want new shooters to be confident and enthused. Guys, do yourselves a favor and do not just go out and buy your wife a J-Frame and expect her to either fall in love with it and become Annie Oakley. Now some ladies do prefer a revolver but let them choose it on their own.

7: Carrying a Revolver

One of the arguments made about the revolver is that the wider cylinder will make it uncomfortable for carry in an inside the waistband (IWB) holster which is what many consider to be the most concealable method of carry. This may or may not be the case; I’ve often carried a J-Frame IWB with no real issues. This is a person to person issue and may or may not be a factor. The center of gravity of a shorter barreled revolver is nice and centered instead of in the rear of an auto where the center of gravity usually is. This makes for a nice carry set up, in my limited experience with revolver carry I will say that it doesn’t seem to shift around as much, and if you decide that an ankle holster is the choice for you, you won’t be disappointed in the way a light revolver carries. Also, the round shape of a revolver doesn’t leave as many sharp corners or edges to poke and prod one in various places and makes for a good appendix carry gun, especially for women in the hollow of the pelvis point of the hip.

As mentioned earlier, I’m only going to cover four makers of revolvers.

Charter Arms: Currently Charter arms has a decent reputation for a lower cost revolver and has an attractive offering for you persons of wrong handedness aka left handed, a revolver made for left handed operation. Previously Charter Arms did not have a stunning reputation for quality; however in the last few years they have cleaned things up a bit and by all accounts are making pretty good guns. They are available in .32, .38Spcl, .44Spcl., .327 Federal Magnum, and .22 in different frame materials. They also offer some very “unique” color schemes that you won’t find elsewhere.

Smith & Wesson: Of those listed here S&W is generally the most popular among gun enthusiasts looking for a revolver. Of the manufacturers covered in this piece, S&W has been around the longest and offers a fine product. While S&W has a good reputation, there are some things to be aware of when selecting a S&W revolver. Frame material. As previously mentioned there are several available frame materials if you don’t plan on carrying the gun, I would suggest an all steel gun as if will handle better in learning hands. If you do plan on carrying the gun I would suggest the aluminum framed option if available.

While S&W offers three different materials, not all three are available across all frame sizes. While there are aluminum options for carry in the small frame (S&W lists theses as J-Frames) category as well as stainless steel and scandium, these options may not be available in the medium frame (K&L Frames), large frame (N Frame) or insanely large frame (X Frame). There are some scandium options in the K & L Frame category but as I have mentioned, the felt recoil characteristics of a hard hitting caliber like .357Mag, .45ACP, or .44Mag in a scandium framed revolver are not user friendly and are not the best choices for new shooters to learn their pistol craft on. Moving forward, some time ago S&W began incorporating a keyed locking mechanism just above the cylinder release latch, in the higher caliber scandium revolvers there have been instances of these locks failing while firing and rendering the gun useless. S&W does offer new run models minus the lock, but they are few and far between and are highly sought after when available and they tend to sell fast.

When it comes to S&W revolvers, I prefer the older models that don’t have the lock. I don’t like a lot of added extras on a revolver that can render it useless in a time of need. In most cases a new in box (NIB) S&W will cost more than the other brand covered in this piece. The model numbers for S&W products can be daunting, your best bet during research is to pick up a catalog and see what is available in the different configurations.

Ruger: If I were looking for a revolver for carry or home defense, I’d have a real hard time not buying a Ruger. Ruger offers two materials for revolvers, steel and a polymer framed/steel/aluminum hybrid (the first to do this I might add and is now being copied by S&W and Taurus). While Ruger makes single action revolvers as well, we are going to stick with DA revolvers as the SA revolver is not what I would consider to be a serious self defense piece, sure some people carry them but I see no reason to carry a SA revolver when DA revolvers are available. Ruger’s three main lines of DA revolvers are the SP101, GP100, and Red Hawk/Super Red Hawk. The SP101 is a smaller framed revolver similar to S&W’s J-Frame and is available in three calibers; .38Spcl, .357Mag, and .327Federal and is available in two action styles, DA and DAO and are available in several barrel lengths.

The next category, the GP100 is a six shot (seven if chambered in .327 Federal) midsize revolver chambered in .357Magnum and .327 Federal. The GP100 is probably one of the top two .357 Magnum revolvers, competing against the S&W 686 for the top spot. It’s built like a tank and comes with a full under-lug barrel somewhat helps to reduce muzzle climb and you don’t have to worry about the gun being worn out by heavy loads. Of course with all this durability comes a drawback…weight. The GP100 is a couple ounces heavier than the 686, usually an ounce or two doesn’t matter, but these are not light guns to begin with. Personally, I find the GP100 to have the better trigger out of the box, but a well broken in or smithed S&W is a sweet thing to behold. The lasted innovation from Ruger was their Lightweight Compact Revolver (LCR) which is the polymer framed hybrid revolver I mentioned earlier on, but don’t get too excited, it’s still about the same weight as an aluminum or scandium S&W J-Frame, but as Ruger does not offer an aluminum or scandium model, it’s a great option for those that are put off by the price of a S&W. the LCR is new, but getting good feedback.

The other lines from Ruger, the Redhawk, Super Redhawk and Alaskan are a little on the large side for carry in my opinion, but if you’re looking for a big bore carry gun, the Alaskan and 4” Redhawk .44Magnum or .45LC are good choices, I’ve been lusting for the 4” Redhawk for some time now…why I don’t have one yet is a mystery to me, I think I need to correct that. The Alaskan is available in .44Magnum and .454Casull which will also fire .45LC. The Super Redhawk is more of a hunting gun with a long barrel and given the large projectile and high velocity of the .44Mag, I would not use one for home protection.

Taurus: In the previous piece on selecting an automatic, I said that I would not recommend Taurus (much to the dismay of some), and that still stands. This piece is on revolvers and I am only slightly less leery of Taurus if you are looking for a decent revolver, they would not be my first choice. They are modeled after S&W and according to Taurus’ website:

“…Smith &; Wesson had been purchased by a conglomerate named Bangor Punta. In 1970, Bangor Punta also purchased 54% of Taurus. Thus, the two companies became "sisters". Smith &; Wesson never owned Taurus. They were both independent companies. However, during the next seven years, a great deal of technology and methodology was passed between the two. What may come as a surprise to some is that more of what was "right" in Porto Alegre was sent to Springfield than was sent from Springfield to south of the equator.”

They are generally a good gun for the money however the S&W models appear to be cleaner in terms of fit and finish and materials. While Taurus has a better reputation for their revolvers, it’s still not the best reputation as their customer service is not well known for expedience in fixing a problem if one exists.

Taurus, like S&W has multiple frame sizes and materials to choose from and has such a wide variety to choose from in terms of models/packages/features that I will not cover them in detail. The few items I will talk about are some of the newer “fad” guns that some are showing interest in. I see lots of people asking about the Judge as it will shoot .410 shotgun shells (*Note .410 is not a gauge, it is the actual diameter of the projectile. Spread the word) and the .45 LC. I will say the following regarding this gun; If you want a .45LC, buy a .45LC. The .410 even at shotgun velocities has trouble taking out squirrels and small mammals let alone a determined attacker. If you are worried that much about snakes that you want a shot load, just get some snake shot and load your first and maybe second chamber of your revolver with snake shot and load the other chambers with a good defensive load. The Judge has a long cylinder increasing the sized of the gun; I am of the opinion that the increased size would be better suited if applied to barrel length where it would do some good in terms of recoil reduction and sight radius. Like S&W, Taurus has more model numbers and packages than you can shake a stick at, if you’re interested in a Taurus, check out their website or get a catalog from your local firearms retailer.

In summary, the revolver is not in moth balls yet and should not be overlooked in selecting a handgun and for some may be a better choice than an auto, but they are not necessarily the best choice available right out of the gate. While they do have a role to fill, in my opinion their shortcomings of low capacity and a more complicated reload process makes autos the better choice for those willing to put in the work to proficiently operate an automatic.

Sig P238 Update

2011-04-08T22:46:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted much on my P238HD lately, in all honesty since receiving the Nighthawk it's been sitting in the safe a bit, the cooler weather of early Spring has allowed for the carry of the big gun.

However, as my last range trip with the P238 yielded a couple more out of round case mouths I've been kind of leery about taking it back out. Yesterday I contacted Sig Customer Service and requested a flat recoil spring which is rumored to be the greatest thing since toast (come on, it's sliced bread that's been heated almost to the point of burning...it has to be better than sliced bread alone) and they're sending one out to me so when it arrives I'll do another test of 100 more rounds on the old spring and 100-200 rounds on the new flat spring and see what happens.

Most Asinie Post of the Month Goes To...

2011-04-05T23:30:00.000-05:00

Regarding the Jimenez J.A. Nine...

Posted by Deltaforcepolice <-----big hint right there.

For All those that are saying the unreliability of the jimenez arms janine is was discontinued and is now based off of a lugar it is a good starter gun and I own and carry mine as a duty weapon. It is reliable if you take care of it just like any firearm I have put over a 1000 rounds throu mine and haven't had a jam. They are ammo picky and only work the best with federal rounds

Deltaforcepolice? Jimenez as a duty gun? lugar? And I'm pretty sure the JA9 is still in production, much to the dismay of many, particularly those that have bought them.

This is so rich that it deserves it's own label. With a name like deltaforcepolice, you knew it was going to be good, which leads me into another pet peeve, retarded internet gun forum screen names, to be addressed later. I have to go change a diaper that is as equally full as the quoted post above.

Wolf Creek IDPA: Wolf Creek IDPA - April Match - Saturday, April 9t...

2011-04-04T18:18:00.000-05:00

Wolf Creek IDPA: Wolf Creek IDPA - April Match - Saturday, April 9t...: " This just in from Jarrod, This month we have five stages requiring at least 86 rounds. You'll want at least 100, more is bett..."

Armed and Pregnant

2011-04-01T17:36:00.000-05:00

No, not me but my wife is expecting another little one and this time she's documenting her armed journey into motherhood..again.

Her new blog on this is Armed & Pregnant.

Want to watch me fumble a reload w/ retention?

2011-03-29T22:18:00.000-05:00

Here ya' go....

For being the first match of the year and not really practicing all winter I did OK, I fumbled two reloads throughout the match and totally blew on stage by initially forgetting to put head shots into four targets but picked them up due to a very gracious RO that reminded after asking me if I was done...Head shots? What head shots? Oh, those head shots...crap.

All that being said, I came in 5th, if not for those three screw ups I would have been in 4th, maybe third, not bad for shooting CDP against the SSP crowd.

The Nighthawk ran as expected, I do like the 10-8 gen II slide stop and will probably keep going with it.

And yes, I should have just let the mag go as I almost missed my window of opportunity on that mover, surprisingly I was only down 1 on that stage.

CIDT Iowa Permit to Carry Class - April 30th - Traer, IA

2011-03-28T07:31:00.001-05:00

This class is on our class listing as "Basic Carry Class" but after reviewing the class we're now calling it Iowa Defensive Pistol.

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.

This class incorporates both lecture and range instruction. It is designed to educate the Iowa Permit to Carry holder on the mindset, equipment, tactics, law, and handgun safety associated with carrying a firearm every day for self defense. Learn where you can and cannot legally carry your firearm, the best means of carry, in what situations the use of a firearm may be justifiable and the best tactics involved in deploying your firearm in a self defense situation. Range portion will include working from the holster (if applicable), acquiring multiple targets and shooting at different distances.

This class is for those with a comfortable, working knowledge of their firearm. If you have never fired your firearm before or are not comfortable with its operation we strongly recommend taking the NRA Basic Pistol or Developing Pistol classes before enrolling for this class.
This class will take place rain or shine so be prepared for all weather conditions.
Training Prerequisites:
NRA Basic Pistol or Equivalent, Carry Permit or Relevant Experience

What To Bring:
Center fire handgun in good working order (rentals available)
A strong-side belt holster (Not required but strongly recommended)
Minimum 200 rounds of ammunition
Preferably 2 magazines or speed loaders and carrier(s)
Note taking material
Weather appropriate clothing
Ball Cap (Not required but generally recommended)
[b]Eye protection
Ear protection[/b].
Water or other soft drinks.State ID

What Is Included:
CIDT student handout
CIDT certificate of completion

This course meets Iowa requirements as well as Florida requirements for their nonresident Concealed Weapons License, if you are interested in applying for the FL permit, inform us at time of registration and we will provide the FL application packet.

Cost: $60 + $10 range fee ($50 + $10 range fee for returning CIDT students)
Maximum of 12 students.

Sign in will start at 08:30 and class will run till 17:30. Students may bring a lunch (bring your own cooler) or adjourn to Traer for lunch.

See our website for registration information.

A bit chilly....

2011-03-27T18:38:00.000-05:00

But otherwise a great day at the range, a quick guess would be 6-8 new shooters at today's match. I bolted early as the wife was ill and didn't get to see any of the precision rifle side match but the pistol portion was pretty good.

I will admit I was "rustier" than I thought as I fumbled to reloads with retention and totally whiffed on a stage firing the course correctly....except that each target got 3 shots, not two so there was a time gap where the RO was just "Ummm, the head shots?" to which I said head shots? I got my shots in but don't even want to guess at my time.

NRA Basic Pistol Class - Marshalltown, IA - April 16th, 2011

2011-03-26T21:21:00.000-05:00

CIDT will be holding our next NRA Basic Pistol Class on April 16th, this will be the last Basic Class before we raise costs in June.

Details can be viewed at the Iowa Firearms Coalition discussion forum. For other upcoming classes/schedule, see our website, Centraliowadefensivetraining.com.

Know What You Have...

2011-03-24T23:05:00.000-05:00

Before you start sanding on it...

"thought you guys might like to see what ive done to my gun i havnt owned for a week.....i know some purists are going to hate it but i thought i would like the bead blasted and black it was from factory but after shooting it and cleaning it i hated it.....so being an all stainless gun i took it apart and started sanding on it...i love the brushed stainless look but i left the grooves and the entire top of slide the blasted look.....what do ya think....be kind now........lol....a few before and after pics"

"Did you know that your gun was a Limited Edition special run and not a standard model ever offered by Kimber? It was one of the few guns Kimber made in two tone with a stainless frame.....key word being "was." CUSTOM DEFENDER II (2001): 290 produced. Two tone stainless frame and slide. Black oxide coating on frame, slide natural stainless. Fixed low profile rear sight, double diamond rosewood grips. Sold only through stores affiliated with National Buying Service. 38 oz. MSR: $839

I'm no big fan of Kimber, but I almost want to shed a tear over this one. Where's a good fail poster when you need one.

Edited to add:

So it gets better, apparently the happy sander was well aware that this was a special edition and that when he was buying it "everyone" told him that it was worth no more than any other Kimber and that Kimber made special editions all the time etc" That's true, Kimber does make special editions every now and then, ant currently they don't cost any more than any other model they have (generally speaking of course) that does not mean that long term value will stay along the lines of non-special edition Kimbers. The thing about value is that right now when items are plentiful they are not as valuable, but later on down the road who knows. My father-in-law was the proud owner of a GTO Judge that be bought brand new off the show room floor, he drove it like a regular car....because that's what it was back then, a regular car. He later traded it for a washing machine and $200 after he got married. That car today ~~is worth quite~~ or rather would be worth (the guy who bought it painted it purple and wrapped it around a telephone pole within three months) a bit more than a Maytag.

Bottom line is that you can't see the future and maybe it's not such a good idea to take sanding paper to your special edition gun. Yes it's your gun and you can do whatever you want to do with it, but we can all still call you a bonehead for it.

"BEEP!"

2011-03-21T15:38:00.000-05:00

I'm at work and there's this strange beep that keeps going off that sounds identical to a shot timer going off, every time it goes off I feel a tingle at the back of my neck and want to draw and do a Bill Drill etc. into my monitor....

Pavlov would be so proud...

First IDPA match of the season this Sunday.

On the subject of the 1911 and "Clinical Unreliabilitry"....

2011-03-18T22:52:00.000-05:00

I have to throw the BS flag. There's often a lot of talk about the 1911 being unreliable, finicky, requiring gunsmith attention before it's ever fired, or needing an abundance of user end maintenance.

Some of this is true, some of it isn't, and some of it's just flat out regurgitation without comprehension. Too many times I see people quoting bits and pieces of quotes and snippets from sources that are in the know and either try to pass it off as their own point of view or don't give any additional information on what's formed their viewpoint. I don't mind if someone quotes a "Somebody" provided that they give accreditation to the source in it's entirety

Getting back to the topic:

"So, I know this is going to start a firestorm...but frankly in my 31 years if there's one thing I've learned about 1911's is that they are without question the most beautifull class of handgun, but are tempermental by nature to the point of extreem annoyance. I've owned 3 1911's in my lifetime and now I am a die hard fan of my Sig p220 SAO. It does every thing the 1911 does but better except the pretty thing. I like to think of my sig as my more even tempered cute brunette. Like red heads I've sworn off 1911's. To trust one to run with your life, you better have spent the better part of 2 grand. The worst of the 3 was a SA "loaded model." What a load of crap...I spent $900 on a beautiful 1911, get it home and take it apart only to discover it's full of tool marks, then I notice it's an embel frame made in brazil! A $900 sig would never let you down. You know what they say, 1911's have been keeping gunsmiths in business since...1911. thoughts?"

My thoughts? Remove your head from your rear.

Now I'm no old time gunsmith of famed repute, I'm 31 myself but I've had sixteen 1911s ranging from Llama to Nighthawk and have spend a heck of a lot of time researching the genre after living my own horror stories of unreliable 1911s from a certain manufacturer. I asked the original poster (OP, but you better not call him that or you'll hurt his feewings) What the end result with the Springfield was, and he never replied, nor did he answer any of my other questions regarding his background with 2K guns, his experiences with his other two pistols or anything else for that matter other than to whine about me insulting him for not knowing that Springfield have been made in Brazil since the current production, and by current I mean going back to mid 80's and that he bought a gun with visible tool marks and that while Springfield should be held accountable for a gun with such marks if you're not smart enough to look the gun over before buying it, you're going to have a hard time getting me to feel bad for you.

I'm sorry, but if you buy a car with a flat tire and then complain about the shoddy ride, don't waste your time complaining to me, as for the gun it's clearly marked Fi Brazil on the frame....every time I hear this complaint my blood pressure rises. I know Springfield has a really good marketing campaign with their "Oldest Name in America" line but seriously, it's on the gun, granted you'd have to do something silly like look at the underside of the gun to look for any defects before buying it, but hey who would do such a thing?

Now regarding the Sig comment, if you've read this blog for any amount of time you've probably read about my P238 issues, if not you can click on the P238 link on the sidebar and read about my Sig's three trips to New Hampshire. The bottom line on this is that all makers have lemons, some more than others. I've had issues with Sig, Smith & Wesson, and GLOCK, no maker is free of trouble guns. You can hedge your bets by going with some makers over others and that includes makers of 1911s.

As for "Keeping gunsmiths in business since 1911" that's kind of like blaming cars for the creation of mechanics. No kidding something that's been around for 100 years is going to need some work every now and then. Now I am fully aware that he meant something totally different and I'll talk about that too.

Back in the day if you wanted a 1911 with high profile sights, no sharp edges, a custom finish, beavertail grip safety and elongated safety, you had to take it to a custom smith and have the work done. You took your Government profile gun to the smith, came back in "X" weeks and had your blaster all decked out the way you wanted it, or rather the way the big names in IPSC had them. The only problem with that is that not all smiths are created equal and instead of having an Armand Swenson, ROBAR, Pachmayr, etc is that you have Joe Bob, Billy Bob, and Bo Bob working on guns. They used to take 1911s and squeeze the slide in a vise to tighten slide to frame fit...it aint' like that these days. Back then you had a choice of Colt or contract gun from WWI & WWII, now you've got well over two dozen named manufacturers making 1911s and who knows how many individual shops & smiths out there. A lot of that old time "take it to the smith first" mentality still exists in two formats, the old timers working at hole in the wall gun shops and those that go the route of buying a GI format pistol such as the Springfield GI or Rock Island GI and then have it built up over the years.

I've seen a number of guns that have been worked on by pros, I've seen even more guns worked on by idiots. I will say that most of the guns I've seen fail have either been in the hands of a novice, a Kimber, Taurus, or something else smithed by who knows. The guns I've seen run like champs have been from what I consider to be reputable makers, have been left mostly if not all stock where it counts, and have been well maintained.

Now take into account the 30+ makers of 1911s, the number of smiths out there and the number of people that try to fix guns themselves with a Dremmel, haven't even fired the gun and take it somewhere to get "fixed." These are usually the same people that will obsess over which gun has "the best trigger."
Is it any wonder that some may have problems? And this is even before we get into the actual maintenance portion of the equation...

So here's where some of the 1911 myth is true. To be done right, most of the parts should be hand fit, mostly because of all the different makers doing their own thing. If you have a GI Spec pistol, your can get away with doing more yourself. Yes maintenance is a little more labor intensive as the gun is a little harder to take apart, but other than that the average maintenance required is simple spring changes and cleaning. Unless you're shooting a huge number of rounds per year, think minimum 5K a year over constantly you probably won't have to worry about replacing that many parts, if you buy smart and buy a gun with a lifetime warranty, you don't have to worry about replacing the parts at all as they'll do it for you.

When the pros talk about 1911s from a maintenance stand point, they're mostly talking about Military/LEO serviceability and support, for the average gun owner/carrier all you have to do is replace your springs and keep an eye out for any defects...just like any other gun. If you find something wrong, send it back to get fixed and carry something else. I don't think I've ever met a gun carrying individual that only had a 1911 and no other guns. Yes there are some maintenance issues one should probably be aware of, such as how to check extractor tension etc. and no the manufacturers don't do a very good job telling you about these things, but what gun maker does? What most gun makers expect is for you to shoot the gun till it breaks and then call them to fix it. Why should the 1911 be any different?

My biggest gripe about the 1911 genre is magazines, but again this isn't the 1911s fault, it's the people making them. For the most part the mags that come with a 1911 are worthless. It's been getting better of late as I've been seeing a lot of ACT Mags in new guns hitting the market but it's something to keep in mind.

A 1911 pattern pistol, when built right should run like any other gun. If a 1911 doesn't run right there's something wrong with it and you should send it back to the manufacturer.

For a more elaborate users guide to the 1911, check out the 10-8 Articles and look for the 1911 Users' Guide, if you'd like to have something in print, check out Stephen Camp's website for the 1911 Shooter's Guide

Currently Reading....

2011-03-06T22:22:00.000-06:00

Stressfire II: Advanced Combat Shotgun, so far I'm digging it and as an added bonus there lots of mention of the Benelli M1 121 which is what I purchased back in December so I might get to learn a few tips and tricks on my own chosen platform...of course it also means that my choice in shotguns is a little outdated, but that's OK by me for the time being.

There weren't that many books, on "tactical" shotgunning, I also ordered the Suarez book, The Tactical Shotgun: The Best Techniques And Tactics For Employing The Shotgun In Personal Combat.

Up until know most of what I know about "tactical" shotgunning has been read on gun forums....IE half to three-quarters is crap so when I decided that I wanted to delve deeper into it before heading out for an actual honest to goodness shotgun course I decided to hit the books.

Anyone can spout off BS on the internet, it takes a lot more clout to get an actual book published. Don't fear dead tree media.

Central Iowa Defensive Training Presents: Iowa Basic Carry Class - April 30th

2011-03-03T01:47:00.000-06:00

To be held in Traer, IA (the Wolf Creek IDPA range), 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.

This class incorporates both lecture and range instruction. It is designed to educate the Iowa Permit to Carry holder on the mindset, equipment, tactics, law, and handgun safety associated with carrying a firearm every day for self defense. Learn where you can and cannot legally carry your firearm, the best means of carry, in what situations the use of a firearm may be justifiable and the best tactics involved in deploying your firearm in a self defense situation. Range portion will include working from the holster (if applicable), acquiring multiple targets and shooting at different distances.

This class is for those with a comfortable, working knowledge of their firearm. If you have never fired your firearm before or are not comfortable with its operation we strongly recommend taking the NRA Basic Pistol or Developing Pistol classes before enrolling for this class.

This class will take place rain or shine so be prepared for all weather conditions.

Training Prerequisites:
NRA Basic Pistol or Equivalent, Carry Permit or Relevant Experience

What To Bring:
Center fire handgun in good working order (rentals available)
A strong-side belt holster (Not required but strongly recommended)
Minimum 200 rounds of ammunition
Preferably 2 magazines or speed loaders and carrier(s)
Note taking material
Weather appropriate clothing
Ball Cap (Not required but generally recommended)
Eye protection
Ear protection
Water or other soft drinks.
State ID

What Is Included:
CIDT student handout
CIDT certificate of completion

This course meets Iowa requirements as well as Florida requirements for their nonresident Concealed Weapons License, if you are interested in applying for the FL permit, inform us at time of registration and we will provide the FL application packet.

Cost: $60 + $10 range fee ($50 + $10 range fee for returning CIDT students)
Maximum of 12 students.

Sign in will start at 08:30 and class will run till 17:30. Students may bring a lunch (bring your own cooler) or adjourn to Traer for lunch.

See our website for registration information.

My Range Bag Can Eat Your Range Bag...

2011-02-27T19:09:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for the BEST range bag for not a whole lot of $$$, look no further than the Midway Competition Range Bag, regular price is $69.99 but I don't think I've ever not seen them on sale for $39.99 except for when the green bag first came out. This thing has got to be one of the nicest bags I've ever seen. Here's the pics.

Here's the black one that a range buddy has...

It also comes with two gun rugs and a draw string bag. Not bad at all for the price. I like the OD green because I can label the pouches w/ just a Sharpie.

For the money I don't see how you can beat it.

A little disgruntled...

2011-02-27T15:04:00.000-06:00

So the wife and I have been NRA Certified to instruct in Basic Pistol for almost four years, we're going to get our cert. for the NRA Basics of Personal Protection Outside of the Home (PPOH) this spring and we're looking around for "Train the trainer" type classes.

Lets be honest, "NRA Certified Instructor" is almost as non-impressing as a Cracker-Jack diamond ring. I've met good and bad NRA Instructors so you would think there would be available venues for instructor development out there. While there are some, there aren't many that accept non LE/Military personnel. What I've found so far that doesn't require you to be LE/MIL is Range Master in Tn that offers an instructor course and the Sig Academy appears to take us normal fold in their Instructor Development Courses, the Sig Academy is also GI Bill friendly, so it looks like next year we'll be off to NH to increase our skill set. There were one or two others, but they want you to go through "X" amount of their classes before offering an instructor type class, that's cool and makes sense that you want to have some basis of proof that it's not Joe Blow walking into your door wanting to be a trainer, but it would be nice if there were more options to aide in self improvement.

Iowa Permit to Carry Classes, NRA Basic Courses, and Private Instrution

2011-02-26T18:59:00.000-06:00

We have ventured in to our own training entity, Central Iowa Defensive Training and are offering the NRA Basic Pistol Course, and two Iowa specific carry classes covering open and concealed carry. We will also be expanding our curriculum this Summer to offer the NRA Basics of Personal Protection Outside of the Home and a women's only course covering everything from empty hand to armed defense. We are also providing private instruction for those needing / wanting more specific instruction.

We will still be conducting classes in Traer and hopefully this summer we will also have the Marshall County Izaak Walton League as a hosting venue as well, if that works out well we will make efforts to bring in outside talent such as InSights Training, Suarez Intl., I.C.E. Training, and possibly an Aim Fast Hit Fast series of courses.

We are also able to provide live-fire qualification for permit renewals in accordance with SF2379.

We look forward to serving Marshalltown, Ames, Grundy Center, Waterloo and surrounding areas in providing good quality handgun training at a fair price in our your own back yard.

Came Across a Nickel HK P7 Today....

2011-02-24T17:09:00.000-06:00

...And had to have it. It's on lay-a-way (up to a year with no interest) until I can sell another item to ease the transition of coming home with another gun this soon after the arrival of the Nighthawk. Gun comes with two mags and is not marked as the recent re-furbs that hit the market a while ago. Both mags are refinished as well, should make a nice "discreet carry" firearm and I may end up passing the P238 over to the wife as she's been eye-balling it of late.

A minor rant...

2011-02-19T22:59:00.000-06:00

"It's out of my price range" when applied to a gun that's maybe $200 more than the other model someone is looking at when that someone all ready has a decent collection of firearms.

Now I can see price range and budget being an issue for a first gun where one has nothing to fill a role with and they "need" a gun sooner rather than later. But if you have a stable of handguns, is saving a couple more months for something a little nicer that may fit your wants/needs better really that much of a burden? If you've got three pistols all ready, is the cost difference between a Sig and a Glock really that big a divide? Or the difference between a Sig and a HK? or a Springfield MILSPEC vs a Loaded? Now obviously there are some guns out there that are outrageously priced and I wouldn't scoff at someone telling me I'm nuts for shelling out what I did for my Nighthawk but it's not like we're talking about putting off a Taurus to save for an Ed Brown where the cost difference is more than 100%. For the most part, mid tier guns of similar design are all within a couple hundred of each other. I think people just are in too much of a hurry for self indulgence and the "but I want a new gun now" wins out over rational thought.

Officially jumping n the 10-8 bandwagon

2011-02-19T12:25:00.000-06:00

I've referenced material from 10-8 before, and read/forward their articles to many, so I might was well do it here as well.

If you own a 1911 you owe it to yourself to check out this stellar reference site: 10-8 Articles, also of interest is their blog. I recently picked up one of their Armorers blocks and it's proved useful in the short time I've had it. Just the other day their Gen 2 Slide Stops were back in stock and I decided to get one as my Nighthawk was not consistently locking open on empty with Wilson ETMs, so far it seems to work as advertised, the pad is nicely oversized without being overly large. I also picked up some 10-8 Lube and some Armorers Tools. We'll see how this slide stop performs now that IDPA is getting to start back up as well as some scheduled training this Spring. The wife and I are heading back to TDI for Pistols II & III to fill the prerequisites for Team Tactics.

I totally spaced during my ordering process as I meant to get some of their nifty slotted screws designed to work with a .45ACP casing, oh well, there's always next time. If the slide stop works well for me I'll probably order another for my Springfield.

100 Years of the 1911

2011-02-14T22:42:00.000-06:00

On this day today in 1911, the M1911 was patented.

Now say what you will about the 1911 and it's perceived and legitimate short comings, you have to admit that for a basic handgun design to still be in use, largely in it's original form for 100 years says something about the genius and ability of the design. From new gun owners to Military and Police hi-speed / low drag types, to gun collectors, carriers, competitors, the 1911 fills the hands of many of shooters and is still thought of in some circles as "the" handgun to have.

It's no secret that I'm a 1911 fan, and this year is being hailed as the year of the 1911, every maker under the sun is offering a commemorative 1911 celebrating the 100 year anniversary.

Kimber, Remington, Para, Colt, Ed Brown, Les Baer, Nighthawk Custom, and many others are all offering something special for this year. Colt is even roll marking models with "100 Years of Service" on the slides of 1911s made this year on top of their commemorative models. The two models I'm most interested in this year are the Colt ANVIII an the Ed Brown Executive Elite Centennial Edition . When you look at the likes of the Kimber and NHC model that Ed Brown isn't too outrageous compared to their other models.

Most likely I'll be ordering a Colt ANVIII, but those Browns sure look nice. Maybe an ANVIII and another Colt with the roll mark are in order...

Most likely going with Sig for the new rifle.

2011-02-07T17:06:00.000-06:00

While the Colt SP901 is pretty temping, so is a gas piston AR 10 made by Sig.

From Sig's Facebook Page

All ready has the ACS stock I want and may be a little lighter than the Colt sans the monolithic upper. How did I miss this at SHOT?

There's also a "Precision Marksman" version with a longer rail and 20" barrel, specs show less than two pounds of difference, 9.3 vs 10.6 lbs. But I'd have to buy the ACS stock anyway and eBay the PRS from the Marksman model. The ACS is less clunky with no funky wheels and stuff, has a cleaner look and a better ~~spot~~ (a'hem "cheek") weld than most of the other stocks I've felt. I wonder if an extra 4" of barrel and longer rail is worth the weight, it's not like I'm going to he hiking in Afghanistan with the thing and some moderate range coyote hunting may be in my near future.

Guess we'll wait and see how the pricing between the Cotl SP901 versions the Sigs compare.

Don't Shoot the Messenger: Another Reason to Not Endorse Kimber...

2011-02-06T19:15:00.000-06:00

ALE's pricey guns prove unreliable.

"ALE Director John Ledford said the Kimber pistols repeatedly suffered such problems as rounds jamming during training exercises, broken sights and the weapon's safety button sometimes falling off. He made a deal with a local firearms dealer to swap the pricey pistols for less expensive handguns without spending any additional money."

I'm sure that those guys are just haters and gun snobs and that there's really nothing wrong with the guns...

Oh, my favorite part.

"In an effort to fix the problems, Ledford contacted Ralph Karanian, the chief operating officer of Kimber America of Elmsford, N.Y. Karanian promised to fix the problems, and the company replaced a key spring on the pistols, according to the memo. Agents also fired as many as 1,500 rounds with each pistol on the suggestion they needed to be "broken in.""

If you buy crap, don't be surprised at the stink.

Back from SHOT...

2011-01-23T23:55:00.000-06:00

Going to be writing up a more elaborate piece later in the week, but off the top of my head some items of interest are:

Colt's RAIL GUN in black Cerakote, I didn't know this at the time but the rail guns have National Match barrels, kind of a nice upgrade for not a whole lot more money. Colt is now using genuine Novak rear sights and a beaver tail that is made in house. All the XSEs, Rail Guns, Gold Cups, Delta Elite, and Combat Elite will have the beaver tails. The when the re-issue of the Colt Mustang goes into production it will have dove-tailed sights to better compete with the Sig P238, if my 238 continues to give me grief, I may just get a new Mustang. No word yet on other Mustang variants.

Colt also has a new rifle coming out, an AR in .308 that will accept 5.56 uppers (MILSPEC of course) and with an adapter kit take 5.56 magazines. The rifle has a monolithic upper and came with a ~~MAGPUL stock...I don't recall which right now~~, The stock is a VLTOR IMOD if I'm not mistaken.
~~it's been a long week, I'll scan the flier later on this week.~~

Galco finally listened to customer demand and is now carrying a dual offset loop IWB called the V-Hawk, it looked like a pretty good holster, reinforeced mouth, body shield and adjustable height which will also allow for switching out loops for clips etc. Should be a good choice for an "off the shelf" rig, the cost may be a little high, but Galco is pretty good stuff.

I'm still torn about the Kimber Solo carry, going to see what kind of reviews the get in the next few months, if I do decide to axe the P238 the Solo may be it's replacement. The running for the replacement is looking like this:

Kahr K9
NAA Guardian (.380)
Colt Mustang
Kimber Solo Carry

I saw lots of interesting knives, SOG has a Spec Elite Micro? that looked very promising and CRKT has a smaller Hissatsu folder that will probably be finding it's way to my door. Spyderco had some nice offerings as well.

More to come later in the week. Need to review some catalogs, finish a course curriculum, and get back to work at my main job, a week off sure was nice but I'm probably going to be behind the 8-ball for the next couple weeks because of it.

Also, if you're ever in Vegas, you need to see the Blue Man Group

Shot Show

2011-01-20T09:56:00.001-06:00

Sorry guys, we're not here on media passes so no pics for you....

I plan on taking my time today and tomorrow and writing up some details on some products of interest.

I talked with some Colt people about the rail guns, the Cerakoted Rail Gun looks pretty sharp and of interest is that they are bringing back the Mustang Pocketlite. I'll be taking a deeper look at the Colt booth today as well as dropping in on Nighthawk and VZ Grips.

Overall, I'd say the most interesting item to me so far is the much talked about Kimber Solo Carry, provided it goes relatively problem free I plan on eventually getting one.

Sig P238 Update: 1-7-11

2011-01-07T07:16:00.000-06:00

So I went out and started testing the extended magazine for the P238, I fired about 60+ rounds, didn't have much time to do more, and wasn't tracking every round like my previous testing. All seemed well until I started picking up casings and found three or four badly crushed casings.

The extractor doesn't seem to have moved so now I'm wondering if I've all ready worn out the recoil spring with my test efforts. On a good note the gun itself ran well with the new magazine with no feed issues and the gun is extracting spent cases. Probably going to order some Wolff replacement springs and see if there's any change. If there's no change it will be time to call Sig (again) and rain on their parade some more.

Rounds fired yesterday consisted of Black Hills 100gr FMJ (Factory new) and some handloads a friend made up.

Permit Insanity....

2011-01-04T22:55:00.000-06:00

So on 1-1-11, Iowa became shall issue, having not been present in any of my previous states of residence when the change took place I can't relate to what happened then but some of what's happening know is just ridiculous.

1: Sheriffs requiring instructors to verify their credentials - turning down apps until those credentials are proven and not being willing to verify them via the NRA Instructor Website. Really? Come on, they were even giving your their ID and zip code so you could log in and verify their creds.

2: "There's a 30 day waiting period" BS, state law says you have 30 days to issue or deny a permit or the person is able to carry, that's not a waiting period, that's a grace period for issuing authorities to have some breathing room if they get swamped or to keep some from dragging their feet on the issuance. So what does this one particular Sheriff's Office (SO) do? Calls it a waiting period and stone walls the applicants for the whole 30 days (Or rather has implied as such), gee Sheriff, that's really mature now isn't it. Why not stick your tongue out at them as they're walking out the door?

3: Petty complaints from "our side" as well. "They are only accepting application on these days at certain hours"...boo hoo. Guess what, they're not Seven Eleven and have other jobs to do other than issue you a permit. Maybe they are doing this to reduce back log and get people permits to them in a more timely manner by having a buffer to run all the NICs checks? You're going to get your permit, chill out.

4: On the topic of training certificates, one SO is requiring all certificates to have some sort of reference to "Handgun Training" on them, this one is somewhat palatable as the law does specify in part that applicants need to have gone through "handgun training" but seriously? Tel me you're not trying to be a jerk.

There's other instances of "wrong doing" I'm not going to list them all as it's nearing the end of the day for me.

Most of these instances are counties not known for fair issuance practices prior to 1-1-11 so is it any real surprise that they're being jerks about it now?

On a happier note, my Sheriff who was not fond of carry was very pleasant to deal with this morning and while I overheard him on the phone with an applicant discussing training I gave him some cards for my NRA Classes and he even asked if I had a flier to for them to post at the SO. This is a big change from when I talked to him prior to moving to Iowa. I for one am kind of proud of him as I know how he feels about carry but is not making waves and is complying with state law without being a burden to the people.

My new permit should be in the mail box by the end of the week, my SO had a little bit of a wait time as they apparently got swamped yesterday. As it's a smaller department, the dispatcher is the one doing the permits as there is not a dedicated admin staff and it's fine with me if I have to wait a while, she has more important things to do like dispatching police, fire and EMS to their calls.

On a side note, if you're looking for a good belt, check out the 5.11 Casual belt, I all ready had one in 1.75" for my competition holster and liked it so much that I bought two 1.5"ers for carry, one brown and one black. Not a bad belt if you ask me.

Just in Time for Shall Issue...

2011-01-04T00:48:00.000-06:00

A brand spankin' new Milt Sparks Versa Max II for my Nighthawk Bob-Rail that appears to have been made by the man himself.

Much thanks Tony K, I still have to give the VMII "Best" (if there really is such a thing) IWB holster available. I ordered this just after I ordered my Nighthawk in June, while I wish I would have had it before now I understand backlog and lead times. Besides, it's not like a VMII for a railed 1911 is a stocking item anywhere.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the Sheriff's office to renew my neutered permit to carry and will hopefully have my unrestricted 5yr permit in hand when I leave.

Good times.

AAR: InSights Training Center: General Defensive Handgun

2011-01-01T00:11:00.000-06:00

This is a review from our class with Greg Hamilton of InSights Training back in September of '07, some details of the class may have changed since we took it, but it was and I'm sure still is a fantastic class for those new to defensive shooting.

My wife and I took this course a couple of weeks ago. For the $300 per student it was a damn good class. The lecture was superb, the shooting portion was a little fast, but when you have only two days to learn and shoot, you will feel rushed. One thing that I was not happy about was that the class description quoted 600 rounds as being required and we went home with ammo, I'd guess that the class was probably a 60/40 lecture/shooting ratio.

While I didn't really get anything out of the lecture regarding mindset and tactics, for newer shooters looking to carry concealed who haven't thought about a lot of things, this was a great class. As for actual shooting related topics of discussion I finally got a solid answer on the one thing that has been driving me nuts for over a year, mainly how do deal with my left eye dominant/right handed issue (I'm not going to get into this as that's a whole other story) the important thing is that it helped me out.

On the range I learned a good deal about the finer points of stance, drawing, and reholstering as well as doing lots of "tactical" reloads, clearance drills, and speed reloads. My wife and I are pretty much self taught shooters when it comes to pistols, so a lot of the finer points of how to do shoot a pistol better were new to me and made perfect sense.

Again this is just be being picky, and you'll probably find this at any class you'll ever go to, but if your on the skilled side of the class, the odds of actually getting any help on what you're doing wrong is pretty slim as there will be plenty of others that need the help more than you.

The lectures focused on disparity of force, threat escalation, holster selection, proper sight alignment / sight picture and the difference between the two. Also covered were a lot of the shooting basics and safety rules that are part of every class.

In the course description it says " If you have never shot or wonder how your gun works this class is not for you." and I would have to agree, this is a course for people that know how to shoot, know how to handle their gun, but want to improve. I was very pleased to see a lot of students from PA in this class, I would also agree with the course description stating that "This course should be considered a minimum for anyone who owns or is considering carrying a handgun for self-defense." In PA there is no training requirement to obtain your license to carry a firearm but it was VERY nice to see a number of people wanting to increase their skills and knowledge level.

The class was held at the West Shore Sportsmans Association south of Harrisburg and the range and class room was more than adequate for the class.

I would also like to add that the instructor was the perfect balance of good teacher / funny character who totally shattered the saying "Those that can, DO. Those that can't, TEACH." He can do both.

For my wifes write up (much better than mine) you can see her review HERE
For more information see InSights Training Center

Over the Last Year All My "EDC" Has Changed...

2010-12-31T23:23:00.000-06:00

Looking over my last few posts, I've come to realize that almost all my carry gear has been replaced / upgraded.

I've replaced my Colt Mustang with the Sig P238, I've replaced my main carry/competition gun, the Les Baer TRS wit my Nighthawk Bob-Rail, my SOG Spec Elite & CRKT Hissatsu have (or rather are going to be) replaced by a Benchmade Griptilian (this reminds me, forget those Kudos to SOG, my replacement belt clip still hasn't shown up) and the KA-BAR TDI ankle knife. The Streamlight PT1L is a new addition and has all ready proved useful both while at work and abroad.

I have not been in the habit of carrying a light for the last couple of years, not for lack of interest, just lack of a nice compact light that had a high output. I wanted a Surefire E1B, but didn't want to pay that kind of money for a light. The PT1L has "better" features and is a fraction of the cost of the E1B. I can honestly say that the PT1L has left the house with me every day since it's arrival from Brownells.

Regarding the knives, the Griptilian or whatever folder I happen to be carrying is primarily for utility purposes while my fixed blade is primarily for defense. I'm very happy with the Griptilian thus far, once I get a proper sheath for the TDI it will probably be a favorite.

Now don't think for a minute that I carry ALL of this stuff at once, I don't. For the most part I'm a one gun guy but I do generally carry two knives and the light.

About the only thing that has remained constant is my choice in holster makers, Milt Sparks, UBG, HBE, and DGL are still my go to guys for leather. Hopefully my Milt Sparks Versa Max II (VMII) for my Nighthawk will be done this month and pending on certain variables, I will probably be replacing my Alessi PSS with a UBG Regulator or other OWB. The PSS is nice and all, but it's starting to lose it's overall rigidity and not holding up as well as I'd hoped, meanwhile my wife's Regulators are taking a licking and still look fantastic and cost about half what the PSS does.UBG really does make a great product for less $$$ than you'd expect to pay. I'm actually kind of kicking myself for paying $150 for that PSS only to turn around and replace it with a $75 holster after using it in only two matches and gentle carry. I'm starting to have a real hard time suggesting any other holster makers than UBG and DGL, while I still feel the VMII is the best IWB out there, if you can't wait six months, Nate and Rhome will definitely take good care of you.

Also, stay tuned in for scoop from SHOT Show, that's right, JD & Lima are heading to Vegas!

I've been compiling a list of vendors to visit, if there's anything in particular you want info on, don't be to shy to ask.

Some items of interest all ready are going to be the Ruger MK77 Gunsite Scout Rifle, the Colt 100yr Anniversary models, and of course I need to go to Nighthawk and shake all their hands as the Talon continues to wow me at every range trip.

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.