tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27998390710712058392024-03-14T08:15:28.441-07:00The GunDivasWe are shooters of varying abilities and interests.
Some of us are female, some of us are male.
We're parents, sons, daughters, wives and husbands.
We live across this wonderful country and have differing experiences, but we are united in one thing: we are all shooters.GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.comBlogger447125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-87649837281445962192021-10-30T07:00:00.102-07:002022-02-21T12:46:44.646-08:00Off-Body Carry, Part 4 - List of Instructors<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDzEOx0hnTrBt6zqGKcTXdoTxu6RVzY6hIMFI-pnig0yeJWVQTk1rffO7r-pHWMRtN4QcjCMWa7KXGo5V5UBhyphenhyphenwub2LzLZUKEfwo6qth6HGicTzu9bcv4cepjnXc4-6fcOTwUtPB32ng/s2048/2021-08-27+14.05.05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDzEOx0hnTrBt6zqGKcTXdoTxu6RVzY6hIMFI-pnig0yeJWVQTk1rffO7r-pHWMRtN4QcjCMWa7KXGo5V5UBhyphenhyphenwub2LzLZUKEfwo6qth6HGicTzu9bcv4cepjnXc4-6fcOTwUtPB32ng/w400-h300/2021-08-27+14.05.05.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vicki Farnam with Drew</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Click here for <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2021/10/off-body-carry-part-1-basics.html">Part I</a> - The Basics</p><p>Click here for <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2021/10/off-body-carry-part-2-purses.html">Part II</a> - Purses</p><p>Click here for <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2021/10/off-body-carry-part-3-reflection.html">Part III</a> - Reflection</p><p>There aren't a lot of us DTI certified instructors yet, but we're working on it. There may be other off-body carry instructor certifications out there that I don't (yet) know about. Please heed my warning from Part I that this is a completely different skill than typical on-body concealed carry, and make sure your instructor is well trained in it. Not all concealed carry instructors have any experience in this area. If you are a member of TWAW or AGAG, check with your leaders to see if they are a certified instructor, or can point you in the right direction.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Shawntel W (<a href="mailto:thegundivas@hotmail.com">thegundivas@hotmail.com</a>) and Andrew B (<a href="mailto:drew2xtap@gmail.com">drew2xtap@gmail.com</a>)</li><ul><li>Fort Collins, CO <a href="http://www.2xtapfa.com">www.2xtapfa.com</a></li></ul><li>Katie J and Kimberly K 618-931-4867</li><ul><li>Pontoon Beach, IL <a href="http://www.sts-armory.com">www.sts-armory.com</a></li></ul><li>Suzanne F</li><ul><li>Nunn, CO <a href="http://www.ladyfirellc.com">www.ladyfirellc.com</a></li></ul><li>Cindy S</li><ul><li>Galveston, TX <a href="http://www.galvestongal.com">www.galvestongal.com</a></li></ul><li>Wendi L</li><ul><li>Casper, WY <a href="http://www.wyogun.com">www.wyogun.com</a></li></ul><li>Marty R (<a href="mailto:firststeptrainingllc@gmail.com">firststeptrainingllc@gmail.com</a>)</li><ul><li>Midlothian, VA <a href="https://www.facebook.com/firststepsafetyanddefensetrainingllc">https://www.facebook.com/firststepsafetyanddefensetrainingllc</a></li></ul><li>Dee A (<a href="mailto:DAFASTRAINING@gmail.com">DAFASTRAINING@gmail.com</a>)</li><ul><li>California</li></ul><li>Gloria K 434-9423833</li><ul><li>Appomattox, VA <a href="http://www.blacktargetfirearms.com">www.blacktargetfirearms.com</a></li></ul><li>Lissa F (<a href="mailto:mrswillhike@outlook.com">mrswillhike@outlook.com</a>)</li><ul><li>Oregon</li></ul><li>Donna A 907-745-1133</li><ul><li>Palmer, Alaska <a href="http://www.pointblankak.com">www.pointblankak.com</a> </li></ul></ul><p></p><p></p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-42502167662241548312021-10-28T07:00:00.050-07:002021-10-28T07:00:00.179-07:00Off-Body Carry, Part 3 - Reflection<p>Click here for <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2021/10/off-body-carry-part-1-basics.html">Part I</a> - The Basics.</p><p>Click here for <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2021/10/off-body-carry-part-2-purses.html">Part II</a> - Purses</p><p>I realize I sounded a bit like a whiner in Part I when I was talking about how the different closure ripped up my cuticles or knuckles. I know, in the heat of the moment, I'm unlikely to feel any cuts to my hands, and the important thing is to get to my gun and get a good master grip. It might seem like a silly thing to take into consideration when looking at a purse, but it's worth thinking about. Let me explain: in order to draw effectively, you must practice. If practicing causes physical damage/pain, guess what you're not going to do? You got it, practice.</p><p>I've been on a weight loss journey for the past year, so I've shrunk out of my Hip Hugger and haven't wanted to spend the money to buy a new one, since it's likely I was going to have to replace it again. Being summer, I lived in workout clothes, which meant I wasn't wearing pants or shorts with belt loops for an IWB or OWB holster. Without a belly band that fit, I'm ashamed to say, my daily carry habit dwindled to zero. It was rare that I had a gun with me.</p><p>I've never been one to carry a purse (other than to the movie theater, to carry my 'illegal' candy), so it was a change. It's still a conscious effort for me to remember to grab my purse on the way out the door. However, I love that I not only have my gun, but I have my pepper spray, flashlight, knife, and IFAK. I like having "options between a harsh word and a gun".</p><p>Vicki pointed out that in the winter, when we carry on-body, sometimes the gun is harder to access because of all of our layers, but with a purse, we can just slip it on over our coat. Living in Colorado, it's not unusual to wear at least three layers: shirt, vest, coat. I'd always leave my vest unzipped and only snap my coat so I had easy access to my gun if I needed it. When the wind is blowing, that's not very comfortable. It wasn't something that I'd put much thought into, but I'm looking forward to being able to zip up my winter coat this year. </p><p>I intended to carry the Slim purse for a month and then switch to the bigger one (the Tour bag), but I like the Slim so well I haven't made the switch yet. </p><p>I've practiced until I'm comfortable with the Slim, but haven't spent enough time with the Tour to be entirely confident with it. It's big, but the thing that is a bit concerning to me is that the gun pocket is the middle pocket, and I've found that the zipper takes a bit more focus to find and unclasp than the Slim. If I overload the large pocket, which is closest to the body, it tends to lean outward, semi-obscuring the zipper on the gun pocket.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvfaVvXUQqe5eoapb9i9Cqo9Dgjpor6msW6ULOwEhNBJJfx1E1Qqn2MmKqG16t_a8gvZo3rQsEMFZY3aFSPc_nxS1JFWb_mv8iOPtLRzLMbL-gjGhIwbtp-LHjpnWlZqXf1qM1eXVJH8/s2048/2021-09-06+17.02.45.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvfaVvXUQqe5eoapb9i9Cqo9Dgjpor6msW6ULOwEhNBJJfx1E1Qqn2MmKqG16t_a8gvZo3rQsEMFZY3aFSPc_nxS1JFWb_mv8iOPtLRzLMbL-gjGhIwbtp-LHjpnWlZqXf1qM1eXVJH8/w400-h300/2021-09-06+17.02.45.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Part of me wants to say that I won't make the change to full-time purse carry, but a big part of me is calling myself a liar. It's just so easy, and I understand why so many women do it. I do feel more comfortable with on-body carry, but find that I am far more consistent in carrying in a purse. I don't have to dress around the gun, or make sure that I am wearing pants with a belt. Not to mention, urban camouflage is kinda awesome. No one looks twice at a woman's purse.</p><p>There are drawbacks: </p><p>1) You must keep your purse under your control at all times. This means not leaving it on your chair, or in a shopping cart, or laying about where unauthorized people can access it (not just kids, but anyone who shouldn't have access to a gun).</p><p>2) With a lot of practice, a sub-two second draw is possible. I'm not sure, as a middle-aged, unassuming woman that I look like enough of a threat to need a sub-two second draw. Though with a purse being such good urban camouflage, it is easy enough to fake as though you're getting your money/wallet/whatever out of the purse while accessing your gun.</p><p>3) Purse snatching is a thing. Carrying cross-body makes it more difficult to snatch a purse, but it also "attaches" you to the purse snatcher if they attempt it anyway. Being willing/able to fight for control of the purse is necessary. It's not just your ID and money in there, but your gun, and you must fight as hard to keep control of your purse as you would if someone were trying to disarm you while carrying on-body.</p><p>4) Kathy Jackson of <a href="http://www.corneredcat.com">The Cornered Cat</a> had a valid concern about the zipper "lock":</p><blockquote><div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My concern with locking zippers is that they are a safety issue. Not in terms of getting to the gun in a hurry (although there certainly is that) but more in terms of human behavior: people tend to leave their purse places they should not leave the purse, because “it’s locked“.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">But it might not be locked.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And there are other dangerous things inside a purse, other than the gun.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It just tends to result in people being less aware of safety than they otherwise would be.</span></div></div></blockquote><p>I've been careful to put the work "lock" into quotations to imply that it's not really a lock and does not magically turn your purse into a gun safe, but Kathy's absolutely right about using the term "lock". The two zippers that hook together should probably be called a <b>zipper clasp</b>. <i>(Clasp: (noun) a device with interlocking parts used for fastening things together.)</i></p><p>Despite the drawbacks (there is a give-and-take with any type of carry), I'm two months in to carrying my gun in a purse, and I have to tell you, <i><b>I love it</b></i>.</p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-53626966655263618112021-10-26T07:00:00.007-07:002021-10-26T11:11:43.219-07:00Off-Body Carry, Part 2 - Purses<p>Click here for <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2021/10/off-body-carry-part-1-basics.html">Part I</a> - The Basics</p><p>I left the course in the spring intending to find a good purse and give off-body carry a try, but never quite found the right purse. <a href="http://www.gtmoriginal.com">Gun Tote'n Mommas</a> purses are probably the best-known, and are really the standard among concealed carry purses. Their purses are gorgeous, but they're far more fashionable than I. I had a hard time dropping the money for a GTM if I wasn't 100% sure I was going to use it.</p><p>In the most recent class, I had the opportunity to use a few bags I'd missed the first time through. I tore up my hands during the spring class on the zipper access pockets, but didn't have the chance to try a magnet-closed pocket, so I jumped at the first chance I had. Turns out, I hated it. While it was easy to access, reholstering was a problem. I managed, but didn't like it.</p><p>I also had the opportunity to try a <a href="https://uubgear.com/">ukoala bag</a>, which I've seen good things about, but it tore me up and had no place to store a readily accessible extra magazine. It was okay to draw from, but it felt like drawing from a thigh rig, which is essentially what it is.</p><p>One of the best things to come out of sitting through the class the second time was finding the <a href="https://www.travelonbags.com/shop/anti-theft-bags/concealed-carry-collection">Travelon Concealed Carry</a> bags. I immediately fell in love, not only with them being pretty utilitarian (which fits my 'style'), but also with their access.</p><p>Travelon, being a luggage company, has put a lot of thought into the security of all of their bags, not just their concealed carry ones. The material is slash-resistant, the zippers have an anti-theft device, and they're sturdy as all get out. I don't know who they tasked to help design their concealed carry purses, but the gun compartment is excellent. The compartment is large with a good hook and loop backing to secure the included holster (not a great one, but we'll get to that in a minute) and mag carrier. The 'locking' zipper is actually pretty easy for the carrier to defeat with minimal practice.</p><p>I loved the bag so much that the day following the end of the class, I ordered two: the Slim Bag and the Tour Bag. I've linked directly to Travelon above, but I found my purses on Amazon for a fraction of the price, and I'm reasonably certain they're not knock-offs. </p><p>Since I don't usually carry a purse, I didn't have to worry about finding a purse that would carry all my daily crap <i>and</i> a gun and trauma kit. As I'm trying out this form of carrying, I find comfort in having an IFAK with me, as I've never been able to carry one in the past. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TxllEHDTT9kyP5zhMeyrdwL1Uknt6ycC2KziRxoqrOx8U04Wnjjc83BWikFNnY_xr0WxPzkZS5j4Ay8t_-CWr7CJ67RFFow7QfRaKXbVX3GO08EafNKcNf2YubJS942biyfnrgcRpBc/s2048/2021-09-06+17.05.09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TxllEHDTT9kyP5zhMeyrdwL1Uknt6ycC2KziRxoqrOx8U04Wnjjc83BWikFNnY_xr0WxPzkZS5j4Ay8t_-CWr7CJ67RFFow7QfRaKXbVX3GO08EafNKcNf2YubJS942biyfnrgcRpBc/w300-h400/2021-09-06+17.05.09.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Travelon Slim Bag</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRogqR5xMhzIk5jHjXnWxt_fnar9Cij5Sgic1QI8cc8X4MFR5x752QsUqoqAVfcBw97sXSGd9mba_MO9C5xIb8wCZSQ-AidlKFpxGdpfOE8FjzzWep0l_aQjMIeP_gHKWTWBdC7XYAfU/s2048/2021-09-06+17.05.18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRogqR5xMhzIk5jHjXnWxt_fnar9Cij5Sgic1QI8cc8X4MFR5x752QsUqoqAVfcBw97sXSGd9mba_MO9C5xIb8wCZSQ-AidlKFpxGdpfOE8FjzzWep0l_aQjMIeP_gHKWTWBdC7XYAfU/w400-h300/2021-09-06+17.05.18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Locking" zipper</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84z5ZTaFfgDXXpM5M307um_3Jhjx1912BBucHMW6b47_6vA5-cwCSlFDtm2BKCO0h1HJ042_OA6X-cLTYnMClBfFjYJheacp8i0-Rvs-Zc7EHrVBKBnpCLx2m0zCPsmssdiALCnbNMgU/s2048/2021-09-06+17.05.36.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84z5ZTaFfgDXXpM5M307um_3Jhjx1912BBucHMW6b47_6vA5-cwCSlFDtm2BKCO0h1HJ042_OA6X-cLTYnMClBfFjYJheacp8i0-Rvs-Zc7EHrVBKBnpCLx2m0zCPsmssdiALCnbNMgU/w400-h300/2021-09-06+17.05.36.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knife or flashlight pocket</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e3sLRwpEfrvDi9hB3EPozudspoLD2LX-DuuFap4TS4SETrORCW39rU2TRSh0vW_eftLx5X51tx2GQFGg8yJK1KEYJWSn1nOH8ShSTjLboJDHMDktOrTJVcpcm6mUAnbkYWC5mCwySUc/s2048/2021-09-06+17.06.09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e3sLRwpEfrvDi9hB3EPozudspoLD2LX-DuuFap4TS4SETrORCW39rU2TRSh0vW_eftLx5X51tx2GQFGg8yJK1KEYJWSn1nOH8ShSTjLboJDHMDktOrTJVcpcm6mUAnbkYWC5mCwySUc/w400-h300/2021-09-06+17.06.09.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easily fits a Glock 43x and spare magazine with included holster/mag carrier.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNlmv5BkMy2SHTEU3vMUYVnc1-Z7LF_qto1u-iDET9niVyNcDghVyOfUlIeuvrvU671j0hx6pTP9delvYh-_XmOgD_lKxjMR2EM8ctUlg7PaEZ2o_PRH6PncDMKp42LiXTBeQ3AKYSN4/s2048/2021-09-06+17.07.20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNlmv5BkMy2SHTEU3vMUYVnc1-Z7LF_qto1u-iDET9niVyNcDghVyOfUlIeuvrvU671j0hx6pTP9delvYh-_XmOgD_lKxjMR2EM8ctUlg7PaEZ2o_PRH6PncDMKp42LiXTBeQ3AKYSN4/w400-h300/2021-09-06+17.07.20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room for pepper spray, flashlight, and IFAK</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgct4X98N9TuYUMs0xmeGe2kfeyQuVPg8VYTcVW7G62xO2ULAPAogUWwk79KkCWrsiqD-5ZqN6xr5DqkLb69fwkgP_6svOFIfsRDs0v_99z7D7hKKmJSc23tzUNXlZWvTazvTmGhahEw/s2048/2021-09-06+17.02.26.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgct4X98N9TuYUMs0xmeGe2kfeyQuVPg8VYTcVW7G62xO2ULAPAogUWwk79KkCWrsiqD-5ZqN6xr5DqkLb69fwkgP_6svOFIfsRDs0v_99z7D7hKKmJSc23tzUNXlZWvTazvTmGhahEw/w400-h300/2021-09-06+17.02.26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tour Bag is bigger than the Slim</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3gwq3pt4SLSfyzxDTPEkdkvcKrTKcSwvC1a_vJjWRMUatRjTaeuLJJFmYC0ahwqRjMqQebKKPogqBDNzVEkRo4ffK3stw6nGcWlcMf_siOhfk7NZLU_l-_iMlhE1xh2ThFTKec-_O3g/s2048/2021-09-06+17.02.45.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3gwq3pt4SLSfyzxDTPEkdkvcKrTKcSwvC1a_vJjWRMUatRjTaeuLJJFmYC0ahwqRjMqQebKKPogqBDNzVEkRo4ffK3stw6nGcWlcMf_siOhfk7NZLU_l-_iMlhE1xh2ThFTKec-_O3g/w400-h300/2021-09-06+17.02.45.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gun compartment is the middle compartment in the Tour Bag</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8tx9p_GMKl3-MBzbQFy6zBPyu0rdQTjcnSm3tRjGZr3HL8PFxjcw4T1ziCYwC6wWpI3ECx52MEJAlQO0f-HMSeAYsy8XfCAMLvEQYsMIrjO0Iw7_PC6ukbbHDr-FdWR-p7opgs9io1Y/s2048/2021-09-08+17.45.08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8tx9p_GMKl3-MBzbQFy6zBPyu0rdQTjcnSm3tRjGZr3HL8PFxjcw4T1ziCYwC6wWpI3ECx52MEJAlQO0f-HMSeAYsy8XfCAMLvEQYsMIrjO0Iw7_PC6ukbbHDr-FdWR-p7opgs9io1Y/w400-h300/2021-09-08+17.45.08.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It holds the M&P 2.0 nicely. The mag carrier, though, is a bit tight for a double stack.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The included holster and mag carrier are okay, in fact, I like them better than the GTM ones because the mouth of the holster stays open, which allows safer reholstering. It's sufficient, but I decided to order holsters from <a href="https://www.crossbreedholsters.com/modular-systems/purse-defender.html">CROSSBREED</a> that would hold my guns more securely. The beauty of their modular system is that I can move my holster from purse to purse, or from purse to get-home bag, or to one of their belly bands.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZqBthMSmUu8EtSyAxJQM1MEYpRjd6R3aYZMTGiHr7WVVh-bpUwRX7urJhbjOtC7pUgFIGflXDp7saqou3ak9Usu37pK6V46ItF3JD7tpEerLBSzAAUSiTOoZscJzwmdU9VBknQ5HEWU/s2048/2021-09-08+17.40.45.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZqBthMSmUu8EtSyAxJQM1MEYpRjd6R3aYZMTGiHr7WVVh-bpUwRX7urJhbjOtC7pUgFIGflXDp7saqou3ak9Usu37pK6V46ItF3JD7tpEerLBSzAAUSiTOoZscJzwmdU9VBknQ5HEWU/w400-h300/2021-09-08+17.40.45.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ordered a holster for the Glock 43X and my M&P 2.0</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLySmcWm24WddalbYvBkVPQ3YrrBQVSv1jaaBXDoGZWE3lGchoQcoOmdpst8QboCiDqaDUlo-yQJVXui2QBYlSqjjeaxlpaskq_OedQn7Y0sj_clUvdje90QXbb1ukpH36qmzPCWYkiVY/s2048/2021-09-08+17.43.01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLySmcWm24WddalbYvBkVPQ3YrrBQVSv1jaaBXDoGZWE3lGchoQcoOmdpst8QboCiDqaDUlo-yQJVXui2QBYlSqjjeaxlpaskq_OedQn7Y0sj_clUvdje90QXbb1ukpH36qmzPCWYkiVY/w400-h300/2021-09-08+17.43.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The CrossBreed modular system is a perfect replacement for the Travelon holster</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I fully intend to utilize my Instructor's Certificate and teach off-body carry, but felt like I needed to have some more experience with <i>actually</i> carrying in this manner, so I've spent the last couple of months carrying in a purse. Part III of this series will be a reflection on my change to purse carry.</p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-55439006912449353662021-10-24T13:21:00.000-07:002021-10-24T13:21:32.669-07:00Off-Body Carry, Part 1 - The Basics<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tNJtLKZgDQppGRjYRF4uhrSKLqCyWBg7rFh_vFiEXgR_IWkv70woz0pUiRWMkPROZq2wzs7dCbqCeLvf1mbvbwG5JJBk40PokqP7dFXNzWifEllNCBnoeczlgdATo1sXAXNXy0rWmgU/s1080/2021-04-04+20.32.46.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tNJtLKZgDQppGRjYRF4uhrSKLqCyWBg7rFh_vFiEXgR_IWkv70woz0pUiRWMkPROZq2wzs7dCbqCeLvf1mbvbwG5JJBk40PokqP7dFXNzWifEllNCBnoeczlgdATo1sXAXNXy0rWmgU/w400-h300/2021-04-04+20.32.46.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DTI's spring Off-Body Carry Instructors' Course</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Last spring, I stepped outside of my comfort zone and attended <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2021/05/dtis-off-body-carry-instructors-class.html">DTI's Off-Body Concealed Carry Instructor's course</a>. While I have never been one to tell students to never carry off-body, I knew there was more to it than "just throwing it in your purse". I learned a lot and had my eyes opened during the first class; I became much more comfortable with the practice of off-body carry. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit through the course again and learned even more. With the huge increase in new gun ownership, and a great number of those new gun owners being female, I feel it's important to share.<div><br /></div><div>If I had to distill down everything I learned in class it's this: <span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">off-body carry is a far more complex and advanced skill than most people believe.</i> </span></div><div><br /></div><div>Please, if you are going to off-body carry, take a course from someone certified to teach it. It is a skill that not many concealed carry instructors have. I believe there are (currently) approximately 20 of us certified by DTI (a list will be provided in Part 4).</div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>Having said that, it's doable. Just like any other form of concealed carry, it takes education and practice. I found that there were more things to take into consideration with off-body carry than with on-body. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a list of 10 things you must take into consideration prior to making the decision to carry in a bag:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>You must be aware of your bag <i>at all times</i>. When your bag is on your body, it is a holster. When you remove it from your body, it is a storage device, and a terrible one at that. If you must take your bag off and leave it somewhere, lock it up! Having a mental lapse can have catastrophic consequences - do not leave it at your chair in a restaurant when you run to the bathroom, don't plop it down in the shopping cart and step away from it, don't allow children to rummage through it. It seems that every year we hear of children who either shoot themselves or someone else while digging in mommy's purse.</li><li>The gun compartment must only contain your gun and an extra magazine. Nothing else. A holster is still required - the compartment does not count as a holster. Remember that a holster must meet the following criteria:</li><ol><li>It must protect the trigger and prevent it from being pressed inadvertently;</li><li>It must securely hold the firearm;</li><li>It must provide a secure and consistent draw.</li></ol><li>The gun compartment location and access in each bag is slightly different. When inspecting the gun compartment, make sure that there is room for both the holstered gun and for you to obtain a master grip.</li><li>Take into account how the compartment is held closed. Zippers, magnets, snaps, or the quick-release loops (designed to yank open a zipper pocket). I found that some zippers tore up my cuticles, the magnets closures ripped up my knuckles, and the quick-release loops often were more trouble than they were worth.</li><li>Additionally, the gun compartment should have a sheet of hook and loop (Velcro) to hold the holster in place. Make note of where the hook and loop is, you'll want it to be on the side closest to you to ensure a good master grip.</li><li>"Sticky" holsters are not adequate, your holster needs to be held securely in your bag.</li><li>Cross-body carry, with the bag hanging on your strong side, is the safest and most effective. Cross-body, with the bag hanging on your support side is the least safe (hello, muzzling everyone around you) and should be avoided.</li><li>While inspecting the bag, prior to buying it, make sure there's a place for a spare magazine that you can reach with your non-dominant hand.</li><li>Find and take a class from a qualified instructor. This is an entirely different skill than on-body concealed carry, so make sure your instructor has taken a good, quality instructor's course. Safely drawing from a bag can be quite complicated - but doable - it takes training and practice to master it, just like learning to draw from concealment.</li><li>Use a blue gun or a triple-checked unloaded gun and practice, practice, practice. Be aware of your muzzle at all times - it's much easier to muzzle yourself when drawing from a bag than from an on-body holster.</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-47910734433549606382021-08-25T07:00:00.003-07:002021-08-25T07:00:30.895-07:00GunDude Robbie: Hunting with My Little Buddy<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pvtMCn6qIJ-L9w2Dds_w7q1KrPqKWUmTEHkjKFCOlv8VXbk3PjoEaiy4dec83w32_2lD2o-H7_8FZ6ACLs0n5nqX7a2NAXaCc4JicQS7y7mWUWlJ38hkhX0SEobUZM2h_QXPI_ln8V0/s1334/IMG_4521.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pvtMCn6qIJ-L9w2Dds_w7q1KrPqKWUmTEHkjKFCOlv8VXbk3PjoEaiy4dec83w32_2lD2o-H7_8FZ6ACLs0n5nqX7a2NAXaCc4JicQS7y7mWUWlJ38hkhX0SEobUZM2h_QXPI_ln8V0/w225-h400/IMG_4521.PNG" width="225" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">In November of last year I had a hunting license for an buck deer in unit 9 in Colorado. I was a bit hesitant to go because of a recent knee surgery, but my son had been asking me if I would take him out for his first hunting trip. Of course I couldn’t say no to him; he was so excited that he was big enough to go with me.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">For the first couple of days, he and I would just glass around not far from the parking area, as I wasn’t able to do a lot of walking. After a little while looking through the binoculars, he would inevitably say there was nothing there and promptly fall asleep. After he slept for a couple of hours he would wake up and we would head home.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">On the third day, after he said there was nothing out there I spotted a nice three point buck and he perked right up. After not seeing it at first, he finally followed my directions and was able to see what we had come to find. We slowly made our way to a good shooting location (me hobbling and him doing his best to mimic my movements) just under 300 yards from the deer.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As I lay down and got myself in a good shooting position, my son, Mikey, sat down against my left leg and was telling me exactly what the deer was doing. I asked him if he was ready for me to shoot, but he didn’t answer ( he was wearing ear plugs and ear muffs). I looked back and asked him again if he was ready, this time I got a big smile and a thumbs up. Now the pressure was on to shoot properly, ie a good heart and lung shot to make sure that the deer didn’t suffer.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I took the shot and heard him shout that the gun was so loud! I asked him if he saw the deer go down, and he replied that the shot had startled him and couldn’t say. I could plainly see the deer but Mikey was unable to find it. I told him that was ok because we would go to where we last saw it and look for signs of a hit or miss. I can honestly say that I don’t think I have seen that boy move faster in my life!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">As I very slowly made my way up the hill side I was cheered on by my son a few yards away. After about 45 minutes of climbing I stopped and asked him if we were near where the deer was before the shot. To my surprise and delight he pointed to the rock that was behind where the deer had stood, and said it should be over there. 20 more yards of walking and my son started yelling that he found our deer.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After taking the required pictures of him and “his first deer” he grabbed the antlers and started to drag the deer down the hill. He tried his best but the brush was extremely thick and so I put two lengths of rope on it and helped him drag it the rest of the way down. Once down, I asked him if he wanted to help me field dress it. And of course he said yes. I told him to grab one front leg and one back leg and hold them up. As I was gutting it he was asking a lot of questions; what’s that, and what about that? And of course the inevitable what’s that smell? After it was properly dressed , he picked up a stick and started poking around the gut pile and going “oh that’s gross”, and I couldn’t help but laugh. After telling him what organs were each was, he pointed at the stomach which had blown up like a balloon and asked what it was and if he could pop it. I warned him that popping it would stink and it probably wasn’t a good idea, but he insisted so I let him pop it. He just looked at me and turned green. I’ll give him credit, he didn’t loose his lunch but the look told me that he understood why I told him that it wasn’t a good idea to do that.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">On our way home he asked me if he could put the rack up in his room and when I said yes you would have thought I had given him the moon.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">I must say, if you are ever given the chance to take a kid out hunting, DO IT!! There is no better satisfaction than to take a kid out into nature and show them the beauty of the outdoors while making memories that will last a lifetime for everyone.</span></p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-40464158909908068862021-05-10T07:00:00.158-07:002021-05-10T07:00:00.271-07:00DTI's Off-body Carry Instructor's Class<p>Due to the 'Rona, I got moved from DTI's February Instructor Development course to their Off-body Carry Instructor's Course. While I was disappointed to miss the chance to learn under both John and Vicki Farnam, I jumped at the chance to take Vicki's Off-body Instructor's course.</p><p>I don't think I've ever been the instructor who says, "NEVER carry off-body". I've always tried to be aware that there is a time and place for it, and that additional thought and training needs to occur. I'd been meaning to sign up for Vicki's straight off-body carry course, but hadn't gotten around to it. Getting moved in to the instructor's course was a happy side effect of catching Covid from Jay and having to miss the February class.</p><p>It was immediately apparent that this was going to be a completely different class than anything I'd ever taken before. Vicki runs her classroom range with a compassionate, but firm, hand. I've only previously trained under men before, and it was striking to see the difference between her teaching style and others. There was no hand-holding, or patting on the head. She set standards and held us to them. It was refreshing. If she had to lay the smack down on someone, she did, but it was never personal.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsm8dh-zXCLuC_u47ei6Uf8H70dT8YL42wBcWsUsCnI1Jlq7OFUFP2jirvSOteduxEQT9NYKeXpxz2LdNLdEi2urAL2HWoJD7i2pSddqehyphenhyphencFH3XuQVLj0HNWxXzktmyYThFc8lGgaTs/s960/168600689_10214889247144587_3855217479806282594_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsm8dh-zXCLuC_u47ei6Uf8H70dT8YL42wBcWsUsCnI1Jlq7OFUFP2jirvSOteduxEQT9NYKeXpxz2LdNLdEi2urAL2HWoJD7i2pSddqehyphenhyphencFH3XuQVLj0HNWxXzktmyYThFc8lGgaTs/w400-h300/168600689_10214889247144587_3855217479806282594_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Don't hate me too much for this analogy, but the way she corrected people was very similar to the way a good horse trainer corrects a horse. The correction is concise and immediate, then it's back to business as usual. No personal judgements or feelings involved, just a mild correction (or not so mild, if the initial correction didn't take). Incidentally, Vicki's daughter is a horse trainer, and if she learned this correction technique from her mother, she's probably a very good horse trainer.</p><p>But I digress ...</p><p>While I learned about drawing from purses, my biggest take-aways were in <i>how</i> to teach. In my past life, I was Associate Dean of a career college, and spent fifteen years teaching professionally. The skills I learned teaching adults in a career college have crossed over nicely to teaching adults in the firearms industry. I'm a <i>good</i> teacher.</p><p>However, watching and learning from a <i style="font-weight: bold;">great</i> teacher was a gift. I've always been a believer in teaching "baby steps", but Vicki breaks it down a bit more. We started learning the skills with blue guns, then practiced with dry (unloaded and verified) guns, before transitioning to live guns. We took copious breaks that allowed us to decompress and discuss what we were learning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXdxZaSl1QgloyzmEBbE9o-2V-2o6DZpF0XEGYboOqs0JM47vRI9qZftobhppmS6f65zQcGmWtcVIrd4qM1BBe-dZ3bEaDBbsy62IvokBAhd6g6N9_KV_4SDPIXvXXVP41OJRLDyXC24/s960/168925422_10214900211698694_9064148605221408177_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXdxZaSl1QgloyzmEBbE9o-2V-2o6DZpF0XEGYboOqs0JM47vRI9qZftobhppmS6f65zQcGmWtcVIrd4qM1BBe-dZ3bEaDBbsy62IvokBAhd6g6N9_KV_4SDPIXvXXVP41OJRLDyXC24/w400-h300/168925422_10214900211698694_9064148605221408177_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Her co-instructor, Gloria, was a wealth of information regarding the Gun Tote'n Momas (GTM) bags, and which accessories worked best with them. Rather than telling us which bag was best and why, Vicki and Gloria gave us some things to think about, and then allowed us to come to our own conclusions about whether or not a bag was going to work for us and why. </p><p>Research shows that we learn more from failing than succeeding the first time out the gate (or even the second or third time), so by letting us fail using the blue guns, and then trusting us to figure it out with some gentle guidance went a long way. Often, instructors (myself included) tend to jump in and "help" someone who is struggling instead of just letting them work through the problem. When I jump in, it's not because I don't think they can do it, but rather to keep the class on track. However, in doing so, I'm robbing the student of the opportunity to gain confidence in their problem solving abilities. And, as we know, being able to confidently handle a gun is one of the keys to using one successfully in a defensive encounter.</p><p>For years, I would have never considered carrying off-body. Yes, it was a choice, but it wasn't the right choice for me. However, after spending three days learning the ins and outs, I can now honestly say, it's an option I wouldn't have considered for myself previously. There are pros and cons to each method of carry, but I'm now confident that I can present a gun safely from a purse. Can I do it as fast as from midline IWB? Not yet, maybe not ever. But, there is an advantage to the urban camouflage of a purse. Also, there are a lot of things I just flat-out don't carry as part of my EDC load-out, because it's cumbersome. I usually have my gun and a knife with me. Should I have a spare mag, pepper spray, trauma kit, etc.? Yes, but I don't. There's just not enough real estate to store all of that, and girl jeans are stupid with stupid pockets. Most days, the gun and a folding knife are all I have with me.</p><p>But ... man, the advantage of being able to carry a full EDC load-out in a purse? Now that's worth thinking about. Since I don't carry a purse, I'm not in the habit of living out of one. It wouldn't be a huge stretch to just fill my purse with the trauma kit and pepper spray, and just leave enough room to throw my phone and car keys in. It might even make it more likely for me to have my gun with me for quick trips to the gas station or grocery store without having to put on my belt and holster and make a big production out of getting ready.</p><p>The beauty is that Vicki and Gloria allowed me to come to that conclusion all on my own. They didn't tell me I had to carry in a purse, they didn't tell me to never carry in a purse. They said, "it's an option, you need to know how to do it safely, and you need to make up your own mind about it" (obviously paraphrased).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9TMQ7nTwti8b4_ukoGyQSOvThu6YTpUHwMpuwJoHomVaaSxIxR3bdHsnSis3Q7WcwWjcwoWRCcODXncN7e8UQZTeIs-TT9sZZEZpZSaBv4p9opvocvD5iItaBrWQy1jp5W47MANoXlo/s960/168068083_10214889247504596_3304592501060111741_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9TMQ7nTwti8b4_ukoGyQSOvThu6YTpUHwMpuwJoHomVaaSxIxR3bdHsnSis3Q7WcwWjcwoWRCcODXncN7e8UQZTeIs-TT9sZZEZpZSaBv4p9opvocvD5iItaBrWQy1jp5W47MANoXlo/w400-h300/168068083_10214889247504596_3304592501060111741_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1ib6UFn_Py7oqE5hfnWWvZlARSskzO9GF5ttxtnmLO-2pfYXeQuItUdCNlguy3YtkRxZNulMw14UIiRVRfoOUPKVJ8fRp_grKxUAdW9Qq6J2dAL5NNJBVihFM8ZPHBn5XEcG8qz7ibM/s960/168369834_10214889247704601_8251667043139971114_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1ib6UFn_Py7oqE5hfnWWvZlARSskzO9GF5ttxtnmLO-2pfYXeQuItUdCNlguy3YtkRxZNulMw14UIiRVRfoOUPKVJ8fRp_grKxUAdW9Qq6J2dAL5NNJBVihFM8ZPHBn5XEcG8qz7ibM/w300-h400/168369834_10214889247704601_8251667043139971114_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV4PUirmOVtuzeYppOOZNcq-QxAPw6GDuyF0RQm0gb4P3bxRksgGaAENWb8zARt7XhCeOoI9cKAP2_cmOiJjvDUIWwMMJ60lIcFeSfipdHHMyzNE_sZfBCWhjCVhiNjCAmVVe9j8jwGc/s960/168600689_10214889247144587_3855217479806282594_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV4PUirmOVtuzeYppOOZNcq-QxAPw6GDuyF0RQm0gb4P3bxRksgGaAENWb8zARt7XhCeOoI9cKAP2_cmOiJjvDUIWwMMJ60lIcFeSfipdHHMyzNE_sZfBCWhjCVhiNjCAmVVe9j8jwGc/w400-h300/168600689_10214889247144587_3855217479806282594_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavy3z2nczqnDd-i7srH5zXDXqvT94KSNJ4aK-hi6UcH44Sn5fEUjwG1fdvo-uPfQED3m9X4ebjs64Au2P77yA8lBSalFrT9JBkEJoSZwt85-6K7urQPZCryKJ2C_Nzqxdc0LwAeAIlpo/s960/168892437_10214889247984608_3959988477531477877_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavy3z2nczqnDd-i7srH5zXDXqvT94KSNJ4aK-hi6UcH44Sn5fEUjwG1fdvo-uPfQED3m9X4ebjs64Au2P77yA8lBSalFrT9JBkEJoSZwt85-6K7urQPZCryKJ2C_Nzqxdc0LwAeAIlpo/w400-h300/168892437_10214889247984608_3959988477531477877_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFE9SYpZWmqlcEKhPneUEkLadRHo6A2x5o9bPoabKRO2-aV5LsAd70Zo-YOay9Sqv2BhyphenhyphenJUZZjweg-0ouN77iZgNpcFYlWF5tm0-Jx0X6dg8yo5fd1qTJIFY4_lndoz5Bl2gDR6Tc_qU/s960/169369433_10214900212778721_4457894373998067310_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFE9SYpZWmqlcEKhPneUEkLadRHo6A2x5o9bPoabKRO2-aV5LsAd70Zo-YOay9Sqv2BhyphenhyphenJUZZjweg-0ouN77iZgNpcFYlWF5tm0-Jx0X6dg8yo5fd1qTJIFY4_lndoz5Bl2gDR6Tc_qU/w400-h300/169369433_10214900212778721_4457894373998067310_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>By the end of the weekend, my head was swimming with new content and teaching tips, but my biggest take-away from the entire class was Vicki telling us:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Claim Your Own Magnificence!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm not a motto-type girl, I'm not one who needs daily mantras or any of that touchy-feely stuff, but I left feeling prepared and eager to claim my own magnificence.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwaPP-guhrK7MqX8GYhwkK5KOjjSfAWHwJGk9ZkDwpQkbvtL6YbTLoZ_HQeeNiZmZZkYMaHuv6Zyqanuj3sQjpcTUmS-xU-IyVeQdfWBkrAZf1D5FhI8xeOTmbw9RaUqCrNyQCyYe1nw/s1080/2021-04-04+20.31.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwaPP-guhrK7MqX8GYhwkK5KOjjSfAWHwJGk9ZkDwpQkbvtL6YbTLoZ_HQeeNiZmZZkYMaHuv6Zyqanuj3sQjpcTUmS-xU-IyVeQdfWBkrAZf1D5FhI8xeOTmbw9RaUqCrNyQCyYe1nw/w400-h300/2021-04-04+20.31.48.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycWCXGTUHwsjTKelS41DjVxAmY3jt6_oQSh3DUJ5XK6YcZZADy0NLqBN0GD3r3NSmhjy8XyJdFvJ9fsG9t0hUyWnyGhi3FxSmQSg8wWM4YfOSEz7OvavaYtlZGwoL3ezdv9hR7FcXtOE/s1080/2021-04-04+20.32.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycWCXGTUHwsjTKelS41DjVxAmY3jt6_oQSh3DUJ5XK6YcZZADy0NLqBN0GD3r3NSmhjy8XyJdFvJ9fsG9t0hUyWnyGhi3FxSmQSg8wWM4YfOSEz7OvavaYtlZGwoL3ezdv9hR7FcXtOE/w400-h300/2021-04-04+20.32.46.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sWa4RSzUdtI8HvdRgeAERbvL8zI1Zc1oPL84OnBYnPH08C4fsE6r67S3MmcRZa8LbCjCyDqt3pQPuNFVhaXAhorvl4IiZl443J0SvzNEHMrgTxwk8KqoCvj2CfkJs62ge1Bd2jqlfz8/s960/169063664_10158239851912654_7128091792163734244_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sWa4RSzUdtI8HvdRgeAERbvL8zI1Zc1oPL84OnBYnPH08C4fsE6r67S3MmcRZa8LbCjCyDqt3pQPuNFVhaXAhorvl4IiZl443J0SvzNEHMrgTxwk8KqoCvj2CfkJs62ge1Bd2jqlfz8/w400-h300/169063664_10158239851912654_7128091792163734244_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><i> Thank you to Suzanne Freehauf of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LadyfireLLC">Ladyfire, LLC</a> for the pictures.</i></p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-51868097823905251902021-05-09T07:00:00.096-07:002021-05-09T07:00:00.209-07:00Dave Spaulding's Kinetic Combat Pistol Class<p>In January, 2021, GunDude Mez and I packed up and headed down to Arizona to take Dave's Kinetic Combatives course. We met up with GunDude Drew, who flew in, and spent the weekend in absolute crap Arizona weather. I wish I was kidding about that.</p><p>Unlike my classes in 2020, which Drew kindly gifted to me, I actually paid for this class. In fact, I loved the Adaptive Pistol class so much, that as soon as I finished up, I started looking for open slots in Dave's 2021 schedule. I tried for the Kinetic class in Laramie, WY, but that already had a waiting list (and it's not even scheduled to run until September of this year), then I found a class in Arizona that still had space. My plan was to drive down and stay at my brother's place. Mez missed out on the Adaptive Pistol class, but I managed to talk him into joining me for Kinetic Pistol.</p><p>I was excited for January in Arizona; I thought I'd get out of the Colorado cold and enjoy a few days' worth of shooting. Winter chose to visit Arizona that week, and we were cold and wet for the entire class. Luckily, I am a Colorado girl, and while I bitched about shooting in shitty weather, I've done it plenty of times in the past.</p><p>The skills learned in this class were different from the Adaptive class, which makes sense, since Kinetic means movement. We did a lot of learning to move with and around our guns, how to divert our muzzles as we moved, actual pivots to check our 360. </p><p>We started with dry runs of the drills, so that corrections could be made by the instructors, before we went live.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZ9fe0Z9wTqupn2tqK2NOOCTJ7LGbNEkCl9tVoD9-Cy0fuRDamTuY6E_xcEuludkCRRbM8REezNgdmJCBFYkr80C-mtGQOzHK3Ujzql154JMYdysxzHFQPbZK-onNZsxxJbZpy4qPKhk/s2048/2021-01-23+14.09.26.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZ9fe0Z9wTqupn2tqK2NOOCTJ7LGbNEkCl9tVoD9-Cy0fuRDamTuY6E_xcEuludkCRRbM8REezNgdmJCBFYkr80C-mtGQOzHK3Ujzql154JMYdysxzHFQPbZK-onNZsxxJbZpy4qPKhk/w300-h400/2021-01-23+14.09.26.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Draw, move, shoot. (Dry running it)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Dave broke everything down into bite-size pieces, so that we'd get a handle on one skill before we moved onto the next. I love learning in "baby steps" like that, and often teach my classes the same way. From moving and shooting, we started in with explosive movements. This is where I am lacking. Between the Adaptive course and the Kinetics course, I'd lost about 20# and was in much better shape. However, I'm still not fast. Some people are high speed, low drag. Me? I'm more no speed, all drag.</p><p>In fact, the feedback I got from Dave was that I could shoot okay, but man was I slow. Yep. Gotta work on that speed thing. The good news is, that I am getting better, more explosive off the line in any direction.</p><p>Despite the small setback I had in the <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2021/05/dave-spauldings-adaptive-pistol-course.html">Adaptive course</a> with my holster breaking and having to change to an entirely different set up, I found the Kinetic course much more challenging. Certainly the caliber of student was much higher in the Kinetic course than in the Adaptive course, so I had to work harder to hold my own. I mean, when the class is headed up by Dave Spaulding, and assisted by Rich Nance, you're gonna attract a different caliber of student than a regular class. It was like the who's who of the shooting world for the weekend and I was just honored not to be run off the range.</p><p>With Dave retiring next year, I'm glad to have been able to take at least two of his courses. He's doing only two classes in 2022: one at his home range, and one in Colorado. I've got my money set aside ready to enroll the second that class opens up in June. It'll be worth every dime (and with the cost of ammo, it's really a big investment).</p><p>Gratuitous class photo dump:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXE9_jUkY_VQPI0kfXhQraHitQCgRKQ60J0HZE_4m0lrcG_EY9Z3MKCpirmJSIgRBbo1-MBnWzqfSXrnTfzzCJ9n9qGStmBT1kHUtpTSh5jY4EK8NlJzn9Le8eSCFX0wEwJk-dFTSpsI/s2048/2021-01-23+14.09.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXE9_jUkY_VQPI0kfXhQraHitQCgRKQ60J0HZE_4m0lrcG_EY9Z3MKCpirmJSIgRBbo1-MBnWzqfSXrnTfzzCJ9n9qGStmBT1kHUtpTSh5jY4EK8NlJzn9Le8eSCFX0wEwJk-dFTSpsI/w300-h400/2021-01-23+14.09.25.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6fUUrxQbK1RPu4RNd4NwTPwWdZNmy2_dxRI5UpmTPPnuXrvZ9OLsbwuW4OaaLrrP_ET10m4i8Btz6a43nFf7tuc9_lMml6kh7LxA0DPo_wwNBwyEHoOXxvB80wCnmJGJarz7x25YNpI/s2048/2021-01-23+14.09.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6fUUrxQbK1RPu4RNd4NwTPwWdZNmy2_dxRI5UpmTPPnuXrvZ9OLsbwuW4OaaLrrP_ET10m4i8Btz6a43nFf7tuc9_lMml6kh7LxA0DPo_wwNBwyEHoOXxvB80wCnmJGJarz7x25YNpI/w300-h400/2021-01-23+14.09.26.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakpu5qu-NvSepKiPNzTrHXD_g8F9iEGtsL_pYRcLGplFZAQBEhfK7T3qDJUu4yMjR6qzCvSSwkyWmlKxOVbJRdGWu2DzoVosQ8_dl74l8n6c1U78feAcPEcWroGAWNzUy7GuqqmhjULs/s2048/2021-01-23+14.09.27-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakpu5qu-NvSepKiPNzTrHXD_g8F9iEGtsL_pYRcLGplFZAQBEhfK7T3qDJUu4yMjR6qzCvSSwkyWmlKxOVbJRdGWu2DzoVosQ8_dl74l8n6c1U78feAcPEcWroGAWNzUy7GuqqmhjULs/w300-h400/2021-01-23+14.09.27-1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh740JSCykz4I4st0eZNlcxIZeMWH5VEDrcZ3lpeL1eXGTRQp-P9SGvmMeSYpVrm_6iQc_pqnSO5wXsYU1scdzxAD5z3E952IHV9L-L4zLJ4UQnvoMS0vqaxaDWTo-Wh-Mg9PJOKCeWlMs/s2048/2021-01-23+14.09.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh740JSCykz4I4st0eZNlcxIZeMWH5VEDrcZ3lpeL1eXGTRQp-P9SGvmMeSYpVrm_6iQc_pqnSO5wXsYU1scdzxAD5z3E952IHV9L-L4zLJ4UQnvoMS0vqaxaDWTo-Wh-Mg9PJOKCeWlMs/w300-h400/2021-01-23+14.09.27.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9xNKffwxRYLGDQFKP8WW_KBCUClgwKqMLtr8grxzejMPgFJSzPtGORCPGBKs5ROhVsNi-IePsYcYukhQqH_IVDjunPi-IJZVs6s_SXdQYkmX5rg_GiMJKBprHAaxjkjNPEiGsI172gs/s2048/2021-01-24+13.44.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9xNKffwxRYLGDQFKP8WW_KBCUClgwKqMLtr8grxzejMPgFJSzPtGORCPGBKs5ROhVsNi-IePsYcYukhQqH_IVDjunPi-IJZVs6s_SXdQYkmX5rg_GiMJKBprHAaxjkjNPEiGsI172gs/w400-h300/2021-01-24+13.44.31.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The biggest surprise of the week came on the trip home. As we were headed up through Payson, Arizona we got snowed in!! 22" of heavy wet snow delayed our trip home by three days.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnzga6sRnKrxxipnSbkWVKJZywC_-qCUJXp54lAV2JHcV88CFcJTVGRlNfr_5SzEYxzTKiOY_B7u2IjhJJZfMG1fFDfRWVd-RhdMqAz21cHP1fOr2UBuYUrvkemJLIyhPT0mxRG49GkU/s2048/2021-01-26+11.55.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnzga6sRnKrxxipnSbkWVKJZywC_-qCUJXp54lAV2JHcV88CFcJTVGRlNfr_5SzEYxzTKiOY_B7u2IjhJJZfMG1fFDfRWVd-RhdMqAz21cHP1fOr2UBuYUrvkemJLIyhPT0mxRG49GkU/w300-h400/2021-01-26+11.55.02.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>Our three day delay wasn't quite long enough. While I was in Arizona with Mez, Jay was at home suffering from Covid. His symptoms came on after we left for Arizona, and peaked the day I got home. If we'd been delayed just one more day, I would have missed his infectious period and been able to attend the class I had scheduled two weeks later.</p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-20710384673076047992021-05-08T07:00:00.050-07:002021-05-08T07:00:00.220-07:00Dark Angel Medical's Direct Action Response Training (D.A.R.T.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMs3wvvrYVdW8k5nLzsaSf8NjZC5H-hkJTrAxCaYaQnoD1YAovAFNaC66yIlT_P5zXkSMo4icI-PHbDsdOJAd03b9Ye_92ybe74bLHOmV4fLk085avJOQO57LZ6gZOPNt2g4Kgsyz3HyQ/s1080/Dark+Angel+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMs3wvvrYVdW8k5nLzsaSf8NjZC5H-hkJTrAxCaYaQnoD1YAovAFNaC66yIlT_P5zXkSMo4icI-PHbDsdOJAd03b9Ye_92ybe74bLHOmV4fLk085avJOQO57LZ6gZOPNt2g4Kgsyz3HyQ/w400-h400/Dark+Angel+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Another class I was lucky enough to have gifted to me from GunDude Drew was Dark Angel's Direct Action Response Training. I had been coveting this class for <i>years. </i>You all know my passion for getting TQ training to the masses, but the <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2018/04/what-i-did.html">class I teach</a> (Advanced Bleeding Control through American Safety and Health Institute) is like kindergarten compared to the grad school-level education that Dark Angel offers.</p><p>The Dark Angel curriculum is fast-paced, but very well laid out and easy to follow. Though I've spent 30+ years working in the medical field, fifteen of that <i>teaching</i> in the medical field, I still learned a lot, and honed my skills. Back in 1989, I took my EMT-B course. It was a semester-long course, so about sixteen weeks, and I learned the basics of life-saving. In 16 <i>hours</i> with Dark Angel, I learned the same. Now, we didn't learn how to auscultate blood pressures in Dark Angel's course, but we learned the nitty-gritty of saving lives. I loved every damn second of class.</p><p>Our instructor, Ross, was funny and knowledgeable as he lead us through the basic anatomy and physiology of the body and its responses to trauma. Not one boring second, and everything he had to say was immediately applicable to the subject at hand. I had talked GunDude Mez into taking it with me, and as my rocket scientist friend, he has a basic knowledge of the body and how it functions, but not nearly the same background as I. Because the curriculum is laid out so well, and Ross was so informative, Mez was able to follow along pretty easily and pick up on some pretty tough topics.</p><p>This was not your basic Stop the Bleed class, it was, as I mentioned earlier, the grad school version that took us from the body's alarm responses to safety and situational awareness to assessment and treatment of various injuries including: bumps and bruises, fractures, blast injuries, gun shot wounds, blunt force trauma. Like I said, it was essentially a basic EMT** course taught in sixteen hours. </p><p>We spent enough time doing hands-on activities that we all became comfortable with using the equipment provided. It's one thing to hear about how to use a piece of equipment, but completely different to actually use said equipment.</p><p>Unfortunately (or fortunately), I was having so much fun in class that I didn't think to take any pictures. I will say, though, if you're on the fence about dishing out the money to take this class, just do it. It's amazing and you'll learn so much. In fact, I believe I'll budget for it and take it a second or third time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfn69XoZvBQ5jxDLCX1Nuvs35jYSOkb9XDIlkBZnAs-NxJaHNN3Rc3JCk0kpER84jZ6JnJ1VaV0bEycRZlhFFNoLrYIAUYnZByqwIRQcfegWrUgk5_ve1Jb8_uIvkqeDSpxgZI24Z6Ac/s1080/Dark+Angel+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfn69XoZvBQ5jxDLCX1Nuvs35jYSOkb9XDIlkBZnAs-NxJaHNN3Rc3JCk0kpER84jZ6JnJ1VaV0bEycRZlhFFNoLrYIAUYnZByqwIRQcfegWrUgk5_ve1Jb8_uIvkqeDSpxgZI24Z6Ac/w400-h400/Dark+Angel+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><i>**My words, not theirs. Don't want anyone getting in trouble for false advertising.</i></p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-91825384173141819802021-05-07T10:37:00.002-07:002021-05-07T10:37:13.242-07:00Dave Spaulding's Adaptive Pistol Course<p><i>A huge thanks to GunDude Drew, who gifted this class to me. He hosted Dave and knew how much I wanted to do this training. I don't know that I've said much about GunDude Drew yet, but he's our "training whore", and the newest member the GunDiva/GunDude family.</i></p><p>In July, 2020, GunDudes Drew, Double Tap, and I spent the weekend training under Dave Spaulding. It had been a while since I took a shooting course. The last one I took was my POST Handgun Instructor's course in 2018. I wasn't sure what to expect, except that it would be "awesome" according to Drew, who has taken all of Spaulding's classes.</p><p>To my happy surprise, I was not the only female in class. There were three of us: one had trained under Spaulding before; one was game, but in way over her head; and I was new to Spaulding, but able to hold my own. Since Jay bought me my Mantis for my birthday, I'd done a bit of dry fire training with that prior to Dave's class; between training with the Mantis and all of the Dot Torture I shoot, I was fairly confident I could shoot decently.</p><p>This was an excellent class to help refine some things I learned long ago, and to brush up on skills I haven't used in a long time. It was also an excellent way to pressure test my gear. In fact, by noon the first day, I'd already broken one holster trying to rack my gun off it. I didn't have another holster that fit my 43x with the rail on it, so at lunch, I switched to my M&P 2.0 and my duty belt.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8lN4EsEvE6zAi7DBxgMtXnyGlr1udCCOieNH1CWJk7E3uq_WF815LqV928iXwaFuZnX-6v5e8QWmTWReAdA2rKRqQfgoAhq1zW-MX7HlPpvQMUKAhV5LOI6ipkFAiPjywEB29LUZQ9Q/s1080/116429150_4106654822739080_6515418338329207557_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8lN4EsEvE6zAi7DBxgMtXnyGlr1udCCOieNH1CWJk7E3uq_WF815LqV928iXwaFuZnX-6v5e8QWmTWReAdA2rKRqQfgoAhq1zW-MX7HlPpvQMUKAhV5LOI6ipkFAiPjywEB29LUZQ9Q/w400-h400/116429150_4106654822739080_6515418338329207557_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This drill, right here, killed my first holster.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>At first, I was disappointed in having to change gear. I felt like my 43x and I were really clicking well and getting to know each other even better. I'd already been happy with how we got along, but spending the morning doing remediation drills (one and two handed), shooting strong and "stupid" handed, really reinforced that the 43x was the correct carry choice for me.</p><p>Like I said, changing to the M&P was a bit of a disappointment, but by the end of the day, I was happy I did, because I learned some things I could take back to my reserves. The most surprising thing I learned during our "Around the World" drill was that I couldn't shoot from the right fetal position while in my duty belt. The kydex holster (made by <a href="https://www.lsholster.com/">Long's Shadow</a>, and an excellent holster) prevented me from being able to roll up onto my right hip. Now, someone with longer arms, who could leverage themselves up, or someone using a belt kydex holster instead of a big duty retention holster wouldn't have had the same problems.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPXhMzMZPjnYKGBHzP2qJVyxuCQlivzzKXN3u3TrezyY07BdMXzGdzXC5t_qzVPJaVTRoGsgALEjj_W_Dva-MsOVJRq-9KgIrK4knQ64ydfvy4ezJPvYdQwKuRwHqNxDW0yePF25Q7Sk/s1080/116796134_4106654366072459_8553783510043246694_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPXhMzMZPjnYKGBHzP2qJVyxuCQlivzzKXN3u3TrezyY07BdMXzGdzXC5t_qzVPJaVTRoGsgALEjj_W_Dva-MsOVJRq-9KgIrK4knQ64ydfvy4ezJPvYdQwKuRwHqNxDW0yePF25Q7Sk/w400-h400/116796134_4106654366072459_8553783510043246694_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the fetal right position.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I liked the "Around the World" drill so much, that I took it back to my deputies and made them shoot it during our Q3 training. If you've not done the drill, it's shooting from various positions: standing, one knee kneeling, two knees kneeling, sitting, supine, fetal left, fetal right, sitting, two knees kneeling, one knee kneeling, standing. </p><p>The other big, for me, thing I took away from class immediately improved my one-handed shooting. I felt like I was pretty good one-handed prior to class, just because I practiced so much, but by taking Dave's advice and moving my thumb up from the standard thumb-forward position was a game changer.</p><p>By angling my thumb upward, it forces the gun deeper into my hand, making it easier to manage recoil and get back on target more quickly.</p><p>Just like spending the morning shooting the 43x solidified that I'd chosen the correct EDC gun, being forced to finish out the remaining day and a half of the class shooting my M&P was good for me. I could always shoot it okay, but I wasn't in love with it. I'm still not deeply in love with it, but I can shoot it much more competently than I could before and I'm far more comfortable. Since I bought the M&P so that I would be working with the same gun as most of my reserves, I am thankful that I spent so much additional time with it. The last time I shot the M&P that much was during my POST Handgun Instructor's course.</p><p>I came away from the Adaptive Pistol class with a lot more knowledge and skill for my own use, and that I could pass on to both students and my reserve deputies.</p><p>Additionally, I came away from the class with a determination to continue taking classes. I read voraciously, but it's not the same as getting out there and rolling around in the dirt, putting what you learn into practice.</p><p>Gratuitous class pictures to follow:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YDQyhwNtmO8KCgrCcsot-Celk8nvXSy9PET3xntXCcsgDkg82hkDybZKT7On-nNdneY1YF6M586gXpQ5L_2_udtHyBIOzRMD53PtXy1p_CLbhWMgZYmMDaflxw0cFJbJZE5edRdl3WE/s2016/115823429_4095802990490930_5607037948382777060_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="2016" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YDQyhwNtmO8KCgrCcsot-Celk8nvXSy9PET3xntXCcsgDkg82hkDybZKT7On-nNdneY1YF6M586gXpQ5L_2_udtHyBIOzRMD53PtXy1p_CLbhWMgZYmMDaflxw0cFJbJZE5edRdl3WE/w400-h225/115823429_4095802990490930_5607037948382777060_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7ohu9k299PpBSDbvjYx3-3A_ue633X3lIsF2faZZ8WygeamALy5JRAiqVuLl5ZZxGnoy4_eFol3pbxXycWWL_9YmdZqxRLYbypkatf60yecLXUAK3nO1ETq9cvJ7qWTWxYfEzwsiUJg/s2016/116201342_4099169560154273_1936828540640689199_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="2016" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7ohu9k299PpBSDbvjYx3-3A_ue633X3lIsF2faZZ8WygeamALy5JRAiqVuLl5ZZxGnoy4_eFol3pbxXycWWL_9YmdZqxRLYbypkatf60yecLXUAK3nO1ETq9cvJ7qWTWxYfEzwsiUJg/w400-h225/116201342_4099169560154273_1936828540640689199_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmkEn5m1dJ_DQXIHlMZ-ZK56Cl6haeMLJd0WtH6K2QKVbQHCBBwJRmKT8SH6-cU97TnPN1YBe-w-CwJ1ofj5mWSWdGOV8u16JWtjzsngwYqyNXbh6sQ3MTKL5tQ1mcGCEz0kMm_M86LI/s1080/116264457_4106654536072442_5412603990111240102_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmkEn5m1dJ_DQXIHlMZ-ZK56Cl6haeMLJd0WtH6K2QKVbQHCBBwJRmKT8SH6-cU97TnPN1YBe-w-CwJ1ofj5mWSWdGOV8u16JWtjzsngwYqyNXbh6sQ3MTKL5tQ1mcGCEz0kMm_M86LI/w400-h400/116264457_4106654536072442_5412603990111240102_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MHN-RA5S4bD5xFulaBTdxTfz-Nx7ps78SMBc5_rOtW8cgnRrPv2Bh8DDcYlzT9S14lIjyfRo0eyZCHZrxe6F6XcDEgZbuMgNljKFeEGu6l4ulPLfhTzfrxlAU-tRH7xmdGV2OqMIHAQ/s2016/116343369_4101229459948283_4896258993047560675_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="2016" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MHN-RA5S4bD5xFulaBTdxTfz-Nx7ps78SMBc5_rOtW8cgnRrPv2Bh8DDcYlzT9S14lIjyfRo0eyZCHZrxe6F6XcDEgZbuMgNljKFeEGu6l4ulPLfhTzfrxlAU-tRH7xmdGV2OqMIHAQ/w400-h225/116343369_4101229459948283_4896258993047560675_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZiepoMRni-r9_Z7ITE295mToeyhT0Yqx7dmTibjsCTkPZit2T17KOIB7bPFdTiUBfwiwRVl0xrLdPGJFqWUeeDBvjouoRve1tLNCfduC6iowNO5YbBXn-zAeOvytOQytc-BCgQR0Pvk/s2016/116413537_4101228676615028_946236997470149195_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="2016" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZiepoMRni-r9_Z7ITE295mToeyhT0Yqx7dmTibjsCTkPZit2T17KOIB7bPFdTiUBfwiwRVl0xrLdPGJFqWUeeDBvjouoRve1tLNCfduC6iowNO5YbBXn-zAeOvytOQytc-BCgQR0Pvk/w400-h225/116413537_4101228676615028_946236997470149195_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHWQokcVqpMG3uIDPWGWxsXorWBe9y1B-W_sDesKkZdAQRvYytjrr8j8HHl7KMRdrT-cRUeDlVu9hgA_mpSuwPcT0bKFqvnKGBRUWqRwN39TFKJbUKjGx-GN-2bMkvdCP-xonf-LgfJs/s2016/116563479_4101230019948227_882493783749484727_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="2016" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHWQokcVqpMG3uIDPWGWxsXorWBe9y1B-W_sDesKkZdAQRvYytjrr8j8HHl7KMRdrT-cRUeDlVu9hgA_mpSuwPcT0bKFqvnKGBRUWqRwN39TFKJbUKjGx-GN-2bMkvdCP-xonf-LgfJs/w400-h225/116563479_4101230019948227_882493783749484727_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCeUCzbnpo1PJ8b8PoVJbHZwlUwT-r5940QiX1ghKdasLkXO35CfzMn1f6s48BCuocluNZlgEJyH_iBYfD_JQrLNu1maCR20iIGQ6Bf6KUZxtlDmwY5LIlwkwNRo1BiRugmfFEw9l9LM/s720/116578768_4106654909405738_1905233851020553625_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCeUCzbnpo1PJ8b8PoVJbHZwlUwT-r5940QiX1ghKdasLkXO35CfzMn1f6s48BCuocluNZlgEJyH_iBYfD_JQrLNu1maCR20iIGQ6Bf6KUZxtlDmwY5LIlwkwNRo1BiRugmfFEw9l9LM/w400-h400/116578768_4106654909405738_1905233851020553625_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9he250yvefX8m_LVLmJ6Y-j1VAI1UB1a9_jdMXss1eGWxXMYkJrut5UJKCt-WGR8tJETfxSZN1sBRrbaU7rTYcgMt_bRAWGFt14DeUJ876DCmh-7561Og5agUAoRcH64gGUPau5dsQXM/s1080/116697300_4106654679405761_3535173044392808849_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9he250yvefX8m_LVLmJ6Y-j1VAI1UB1a9_jdMXss1eGWxXMYkJrut5UJKCt-WGR8tJETfxSZN1sBRrbaU7rTYcgMt_bRAWGFt14DeUJ876DCmh-7561Og5agUAoRcH64gGUPau5dsQXM/w400-h400/116697300_4106654679405761_3535173044392808849_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvV8Orm5Oq3OfA5XwdZxOV2TQnG2DRD_u5mZ4x6rieQmXXpQh0bUItnyZeD0SsAGmgJJxveoyaSsT4CZU8HX632ACw0zzWeADCyNhCni9D__wY6D4gLxZwo9UPrhbLamfjXXgc3kbcesw/s720/116353677_4106654256072470_243070015208559532_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvV8Orm5Oq3OfA5XwdZxOV2TQnG2DRD_u5mZ4x6rieQmXXpQh0bUItnyZeD0SsAGmgJJxveoyaSsT4CZU8HX632ACw0zzWeADCyNhCni9D__wY6D4gLxZwo9UPrhbLamfjXXgc3kbcesw/w400-h400/116353677_4106654256072470_243070015208559532_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2XTAP family picture with Dave: Drew, Ben, Dave, me, DoubleTap</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-19119005543590540242021-03-17T07:00:00.004-07:002021-03-17T07:00:07.285-07:00Snowy Day ActivityPutting together/updating Get Home bags, and hiking day packs has been on our to-do list for quite a while, so it seemed appropriate for us to do it while a big storm was raging outside. Nothing like inclement weather to provide incentive to get other "preps" done. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKjzMe_ZaHYqg90IS2AOZeOM6ognzHT8Zxh4WgTpnfuXKHuIOUmMhroMeK86Nj6jcDqft_hHTEolawK3ZinDr-kbx6I50xoeO7XcvXAd0d7vztqTx9t6Ddcca8K6hO4CRE4QMYiDJxIs/s2048/20210314_114305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKjzMe_ZaHYqg90IS2AOZeOM6ognzHT8Zxh4WgTpnfuXKHuIOUmMhroMeK86Nj6jcDqft_hHTEolawK3ZinDr-kbx6I50xoeO7XcvXAd0d7vztqTx9t6Ddcca8K6hO4CRE4QMYiDJxIs/w400-h0/20210314_114305.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9g0nqgaC9pR7DXpnAYByAE3KZUSoOexCpkK2CjjsHshgaotFFnNfy6NxcGGObysvWjcb7h5P7oPQxbJegqQaneKa5OoITdG4qmPiA9HF4yDxdVaGEbEGboVR8SBZP9ja71mswNu1RMds/s2048/20210314_114305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9g0nqgaC9pR7DXpnAYByAE3KZUSoOexCpkK2CjjsHshgaotFFnNfy6NxcGGObysvWjcb7h5P7oPQxbJegqQaneKa5OoITdG4qmPiA9HF4yDxdVaGEbEGboVR8SBZP9ja71mswNu1RMds/w400-h300/20210314_114305.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>We've spent the last couple of weeks making a list and assembling everything we wanted in our Get Home bags and hiking day packs. Not surprisingly, a lot of the items overlapped.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I had a little Get Home bag in my car that had a boo-boo kit, an oh shit kit, extra magazines, utility knife, flashlights, extra mags, etc. I found I've been stealing that bag out of my car when I was overseeing students at the range, because it was easier to carry around than my range bag.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also had a Go Bag with stuff in it for my Posse duties. The contents were much less: my slicker, hazard vest, blanket, some snacks, flashlights, and the like. Both of my bags got an overhaul.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Jay got to build his Get Home bag from scratch, which is always fun. It's tempting to try to think of every scenario you might come across and try to pack for those, but then your bag gets incredibly heavy, so we tried to go bare-bones.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our Get Home bags have first aid kits and medication (Stop the Bleed kits are on order), supplies for fire making, extra magazines, assorted knives, food, collapsible water containers and life straws, lights, pens/paper, a small solar panel for charging devices, and the most important thing - TP! There are a few other lightweight things in there that I forgot to list, I'm sure. We tried to keep in mind that these are not Bug Out Bags, they're <i>Get Home</i> bags. We might have to walk quite a way to get home, so we had to balance the equipment we wanted against how much weight we could carry for extended distances.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even keeping that in mind, our bags weigh in at right about 12#. There are a couple of other things we're waiting to have delivered, but I think we'll manage to stay less than 15#. To make sure we can haul them around when we need to, we'll start wearing them on walks around the farm road. That way, we can address any rubbing or weight distribution issues in advance (in addition to building the muscle strength required to carry that weight for extended distances).</div><div><br /></div><div>Our hiking day packs were a lot easier to pack, but had some very similar supplies: first aid kit and meds, Stop the Bleed kit, blister care, food, toilet paper, plus cheap rain ponchos, and a water bladder. We don't expect to spend more than a few hours on the trails, so we cut back on the "survival" gear, though we do each have solar blankets in case we have to hunker down. The water is going to be the heaviest part of our hiking packs, so just like with our Get Home bags, we'll wear those around the farm roads to check for rubbing and to make sure we can carry them easily.</div><div><br /></div><div>The little Get Home bag I mentioned earlier got stripped down and will be my dedicated range emergency kit. I moved a lot of supplies to my "big" bag, and kept just the boo-boo and oh shit kits, along with extra magazines, and a "get back" knife. With its decreased weight, it'll be a lot more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time on the range. It'll still live slung over the passenger seat in my car, within easy reach, but its primary job is now for the range.</div>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-74573729254173899282021-03-16T14:02:00.000-07:002021-03-16T14:02:44.468-07:00Baloo Update<p> I decided my new bow needed a name, so Baloo Bear it is. Now let's see if I can manage to not sing "Bear Necessities" every time I take him out for a range trip.</p><p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/08NlhjpVFsU" width="560"></iframe><br /></p><p>Just being generous and sharing the ear worm. Enjoy :)</p><p>Anyway ... let's get back on track.</p><p>Before the storm arrived over the weekend, Jay and I went to the archery range. I wanted to get Baloo sighted in, and Jay wanted to dress his bow up. While his bow was getting his accoutrements, I did my best to get my bow sighted in.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5TgOR1E9WYK96hThGAYE0IluHPegYo5HXdF37oL6bvRj4ZCRv5w9iQLdsLhl7MJUyUMnztvcsRhzBEIiqf67YgPCWz3V3sPL_vXzKn1h-sXhtztuydQ3xomxgDl6Dd5Tj8Fd-lR_tsc/s2048/20210313_143636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5TgOR1E9WYK96hThGAYE0IluHPegYo5HXdF37oL6bvRj4ZCRv5w9iQLdsLhl7MJUyUMnztvcsRhzBEIiqf67YgPCWz3V3sPL_vXzKn1h-sXhtztuydQ3xomxgDl6Dd5Tj8Fd-lR_tsc/w313-h400/20210313_143636.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br /><p>It's opposite of sighting in a rifle, so I had to think a bit each time. I was told to "chase the arrow", so after my first three shots were down and to the right, I had to move my sight to the right. Still seems backward to me. </p><p>It didn't take too long to get the windage correct, by just moving the sight a bit at a time. As long as I paid attention to my form and release, I did okay, but there were times when I screwed something up and had a flyer.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU3L-rXOpliGqpCNQ22CcoGP2VpVBekmAHWPiQUHygAP9UGZg8eY_ENDncoOTMWqshqLo2JryA5zc_TU6ICDsWhYOjYyqmGLsX1drKQT13nKLTlmqX-bqT-A9jMd2eEMkwUa-o70nxH4/s2048/2021-03-13+14.29.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU3L-rXOpliGqpCNQ22CcoGP2VpVBekmAHWPiQUHygAP9UGZg8eY_ENDncoOTMWqshqLo2JryA5zc_TU6ICDsWhYOjYyqmGLsX1drKQT13nKLTlmqX-bqT-A9jMd2eEMkwUa-o70nxH4/w300-h400/2021-03-13+14.29.13.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom left arrow? Flyer.<br />Holes in the black and blue? Flyers.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I'd like to say that the ones in the yellow were intentional, but I think that was dumb luck, as I was just beginning to adjust elevation. I didn't do a ton of shooting, only about 20 at this point, but shoulder fatigue was starting to set in.</p><p>I wanted to dial in elevation just a touch more, so let fly another few sets of three. One set was freaking awesome! Unfortunately, it highlighted that I might be consistent, but not accurate (yet). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLLupKNIJAnmSSl5A18vSrfKyyABG9nMizLjhcyCIuRB3PRn66hC3kYawXi5WIxFLwmFPSekYnFSQGbod7q-lrLrWAaXuuITfrWX7q7TrGdLkdGlwrTsouIm18EQjAnZpXCYVZW0S-3k/s2048/2021-03-13+14.31.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLLupKNIJAnmSSl5A18vSrfKyyABG9nMizLjhcyCIuRB3PRn66hC3kYawXi5WIxFLwmFPSekYnFSQGbod7q-lrLrWAaXuuITfrWX7q7TrGdLkdGlwrTsouIm18EQjAnZpXCYVZW0S-3k/w300-h400/2021-03-13+14.31.39.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6UtZWj7EiFVOXB7RSD86LDDKMhWEcFt2-HMmdbt0nlUM15KcCbtGJV0uUPHU9e-xLWhjrlm8u5wfO7mps8xmZFe1o_LZpewzSccRgrFyfuCUcWWgzZ_AbZpM997wVP7GS997mkdUSBAs/s2048/2021-03-13+14.31.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6UtZWj7EiFVOXB7RSD86LDDKMhWEcFt2-HMmdbt0nlUM15KcCbtGJV0uUPHU9e-xLWhjrlm8u5wfO7mps8xmZFe1o_LZpewzSccRgrFyfuCUcWWgzZ_AbZpM997wVP7GS997mkdUSBAs/w300-h400/2021-03-13+14.31.49.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjj5FEwgX8AleylaLoM0KIF_pmZvN67hWHuU3C6vTlK9NC3tmXlP7nKIdgL2igh-qUbwICYQ_eE9S5MU4Cvq0zji_iNrwNWhpycDCclgttduIJnZAa8G4n5qKBQ14J2Ujy7ia2sc2mfy0/s2048/2021-03-13+14.31.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjj5FEwgX8AleylaLoM0KIF_pmZvN67hWHuU3C6vTlK9NC3tmXlP7nKIdgL2igh-qUbwICYQ_eE9S5MU4Cvq0zji_iNrwNWhpycDCclgttduIJnZAa8G4n5qKBQ14J2Ujy7ia2sc2mfy0/w300-h400/2021-03-13+14.31.52.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>I couldn't duplicate this if I tried! Love me some beginner's luck. About that time, Jay's bow was ready and my arms were shaking, so I thought it'd be a good time to wind up. I'm not sure if my elevation is correct or not. There are some decent shots in the yellow, and I felt like I was pretty steady on those three, but could have been dropping them due to muscle fatigue.</p><p>One more trip to the range with fresh shoulders should get us dialed in. </p><p>I'm excited to join Jay at some of the nearby outdoor ranges this summer!</p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-57271710922332719602021-02-28T19:28:00.002-08:002021-02-28T19:28:28.446-08:00I Adopted A Bear<p>Sort of. </p><p>It's a Bear Cruiser G2 compound bow, but still.</p><p>A few years ago I bought GunDude Jay a bow for his birthday and kind of played around with the idea of eventually getting one of my own. Yesterday was "eventually" and we went to an amazing place, Rocky Mountain Archery in Fort Collins. The staff was incredible, not only with me, a complete novice, but with the kids who were in and out. There were <i>so many</i> families and children in the store and the range. Every single employee who interacted with a young 'un treated them with respect, looked them in the eyes, explained whatever they didn't understand, and never once seemed impatient. They treated the kids the same way they treated the adults, they did not talk down to them, or talk around them. The kids were their customers and were treated as such. Even if I hadn't planned on buying anything yesterday, I would have, just to support such a great company.</p><p>Speaking of treating people with respect and showing patience, the gentleman (I think his name was Colin?) who helped me spent a lot of time helping me to not only find the bow that fit my needs, but he took the time to *literally* fit the bow to me. I am a rank novice with archery. The last time I played bows and arrows I was in Girl Scouts some 40 years, and I used a recurve bow.</p><p>He didn't just help me find a bow and send me on my way, he took me to the range and gave me a quick lesson on how to stand, how to draw, etc. My only criteria was that my new bow couldn't be pink. Yet, one of two that we thought would work for me was pink, so I sucked it up and tried it out.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFBSEDwyZCh7f2VxV1WnIa1W85ebTgc9WLH7G18G2YA_SyvXpYRghkyhoDo5qBp-OL0sDKZQxUo2xbJoNgVSiqnY2J0lMGcGqIYBaK8zlMTKqpUYM5myk98VcYrGL-Z6Jqxhjwz1ZFOQ/s2048/20210227_161202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFBSEDwyZCh7f2VxV1WnIa1W85ebTgc9WLH7G18G2YA_SyvXpYRghkyhoDo5qBp-OL0sDKZQxUo2xbJoNgVSiqnY2J0lMGcGqIYBaK8zlMTKqpUYM5myk98VcYrGL-Z6Jqxhjwz1ZFOQ/w300-h400/20210227_161202.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmcfIlrLek3fCIrgdVBlgSxA6l6c2Tv7Sdad_UG3NJs5PaZqQXtP8NeGIaoTJzrpTqG7xd7EuByYCWIEx3sVcYrGHnauJSa9n830Fd0vx_ReETUu8Uclh83ENVmwTeRO4LOoJ48nBLHA/s2048/20210227_161252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmcfIlrLek3fCIrgdVBlgSxA6l6c2Tv7Sdad_UG3NJs5PaZqQXtP8NeGIaoTJzrpTqG7xd7EuByYCWIEx3sVcYrGHnauJSa9n830Fd0vx_ReETUu8Uclh83ENVmwTeRO4LOoJ48nBLHA/w300-h400/20210227_161252.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It did match my lavender shirt, though.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Unfortunately, the not-pink bow wasn't going to work. He couldn't adjust the pull weight low enough (safely) for my wimpy arms to draw it. I started to try to talk myself into the pink bow, but before I'd convinced myself to just suck it up and buy it, a co-worker reminded him of a different bow that might work.</p><p>That's when he broke out the Bear. Not only not-pink, but adjustable enough to fit me. As I get stronger and more comfortable with my bow, we can increase the pull weight if necessary, but we didn't have to decrease it so much that it became unstable like we would have with the other not-pink bow.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGXmyCICCb2vAgtqrhHyb3iO9kzOGZXesZMv5u0Fqv7MLjgjQOeRn8qgKeSZe3TVcktpvsoLdbexTMjLTN1fvX6srgzI8XLktP0vaWJmYIBVPQXtAjg7NX9FMQd0lxbMAy5DkReBuGXs/s2048/20210227_162731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGXmyCICCb2vAgtqrhHyb3iO9kzOGZXesZMv5u0Fqv7MLjgjQOeRn8qgKeSZe3TVcktpvsoLdbexTMjLTN1fvX6srgzI8XLktP0vaWJmYIBVPQXtAjg7NX9FMQd0lxbMAy5DkReBuGXs/w300-h400/20210227_162731.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FS6o9_dKuIbppUqfgbhb3RLa-WuJlSnv1vWcDw8bGtBdxZH865Ba5jms1bopDfe2sMQnWUggWDF5o_HzPeS9OHzxX2qrOfJFUMhIYoAnSFnS1PMwhWMESvA8Ue5Wv8Q6JodMONr2ZIs/s2048/20210227_162643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FS6o9_dKuIbppUqfgbhb3RLa-WuJlSnv1vWcDw8bGtBdxZH865Ba5jms1bopDfe2sMQnWUggWDF5o_HzPeS9OHzxX2qrOfJFUMhIYoAnSFnS1PMwhWMESvA8Ue5Wv8Q6JodMONr2ZIs/w300-h400/20210227_162643.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>Once we decided the Bear was going to work for me, he then spent time helping adjust the peep sight and explaining how it worked. He explained everything thoroughly, from how to adjust my sights, to caring for my bow strings, to arrows (sticks) and tips. </p><p>Sadly, I've never had such great customer service in a gun shop. And, sadly, while I thought I gave good customer service when I worked at the shop, I was nowhere near this good. We're talking Chick-Fil-A level customer service.</p><p>I still have to figure out how to <i>actually</i> sight in my bow, but I know if I go back and use their range to do so that they'll help me out and not make me feel stupid for not knowing.</p><p>I'm excited to step out of my comfort zone and learn a new skill. And I'm not gonna lie, something about my new Bear makes me feel like a total badass.</p><p>(Oh! I almost forgot! I can mount my Mantis to my bow and it can help analyze what I'm doing right or wrong - I think it'll be helpful to have a coach in my phone.)</p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-34729616675591904822021-02-08T07:00:00.120-08:002021-02-08T07:00:04.738-08:00KORE Essentials belt<p> A little problem back in December had me looking for a new belt. The problem? I'd lost enough weight that when I put my usual belt on, the tongue overlapped too much and I couldn't tuck it in under my magazine carrier. Normally, I don't wear an external magazine carrier, so hadn't noticed my belt had gotten too big. Luckily, that day, my velcro under-belt for my duty belt stepped in and saved the day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyT6H_I1CPOcKPVfYzcw3aIXoNCzvlsTBTAOBlK89U2mn9y5bZ__RasB72OeC8DyMOhQm9wxTJzd9YOQn6xnfwnMxiDjBmqSbQMoRrx45AYwn8g7BasC-NYxABM-xWwcX-DRoXcnedQ8/s1080/Too+big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyT6H_I1CPOcKPVfYzcw3aIXoNCzvlsTBTAOBlK89U2mn9y5bZ__RasB72OeC8DyMOhQm9wxTJzd9YOQn6xnfwnMxiDjBmqSbQMoRrx45AYwn8g7BasC-NYxABM-xWwcX-DRoXcnedQ8/s320/Too+big.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>I knew I'd have to buy a new gun belt, but had no idea what I wanted. I have a couple from GunGoddess and I love them, but they're Western-styled and I'm not always about wearing my Wranglers and boots. I wanted to find a quality gun belt that I could wear with regular jeans and tennis shoes. As I was whining to Jay about it, he told me he'd just ordered a belt from <a href="https://www.koreessentials.com/">KORE</a>.</p><p>Now, as you know, I'm hardly a girly-girl, so the fact that it's KORE Essentials For Men didn't bother me one bit. All I needed was an EDC belt that didn't look like my old 5.11 training belt. While I like my 5.11 belt, it is not for every day wear. At least not for me. I looked through the options and found a belt that looked like it would work. I don't think it's overly "manly", and it doesn't really scream "gun belt" to me.</p><p>I had Dave Spaulding's Kinetic Pistol class looming and knew I needed a good quality belt for class and that my current belts weren't going to work, so I placed my order.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwWgJO-7lXP-gBuX0rtCOXojWb7R-4uMyubAm2B8NpwNwA_r7WGlTR5CsLYltJ9gmrGKxnR4VWQ4Snw7OHBCcqa2j8Z68Yeg2VgsRztFJ4rHZkF3iFxb9YQXWIfBuXsCq3I-UZ-Tc6c8/s2048/2021-02-06+16.49.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwWgJO-7lXP-gBuX0rtCOXojWb7R-4uMyubAm2B8NpwNwA_r7WGlTR5CsLYltJ9gmrGKxnR4VWQ4Snw7OHBCcqa2j8Z68Yeg2VgsRztFJ4rHZkF3iFxb9YQXWIfBuXsCq3I-UZ-Tc6c8/w400-h300/2021-02-06+16.49.12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbKDhAl9U-sVm-DV172_qBf_kqoWsD3ufhPDYafS0qFHC9I0d4uKHbLcPHDsTvYq3vFaRWLtQCDk-PjkcbMH4kxLX0Q24jSBsecFGJdoS0TXP-F5U5AGho1Xx1bbrifiYftHCCWjlDSc/s2048/2021-02-06+16.49.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbKDhAl9U-sVm-DV172_qBf_kqoWsD3ufhPDYafS0qFHC9I0d4uKHbLcPHDsTvYq3vFaRWLtQCDk-PjkcbMH4kxLX0Q24jSBsecFGJdoS0TXP-F5U5AGho1Xx1bbrifiYftHCCWjlDSc/w400-h300/2021-02-06+16.49.07.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Weirdly (for me, at least), you don't order the belt by size. You choose the belt and the buckle you want and they send it to you, and it's up to the customer to cut it to size. They include instructions for determining the correct length to cut it down to, dependent on whether you are planning to OWB or IWB. </p><p>This might be fairly straightforward for men, but it was a little trickier for me. Women's pants are stupid. Some ride just below the waist, some ride just above the hips. And I'm not talking just jeans, even my 5.11 pants ride differently. One pair is at my waist; one pair just above my hips. Depending on a woman's build, the difference between the waist and hips can be inches. Because of that, finding the right length to cut the belt down was difficult. It took me a couple of tries to find a length that worked with all of my pants, OWB and IWB.</p><p>I managed to get it cut down to the right size a week or so before I left for Phoenix, for Dave's class. I knew using the belt in a two-day class would make or break it for me - by the end of class I was either going to love the belt, or hate it.</p><p>One of the cool things about it is that there aren't any holes for a belt buckle, so you can adjust it in 1/4" increments instead of the traditional 1" increments. It makes finding "just the right" tightness easier. I'd worn the belt for a few days before class and knew it was comfortable and that I liked it, but was looking forward to putting it to the test in class.</p><p>For two days, the belt remained comfortable and distributed the weight of the gun and extra magazine very well. I did find that if I wanted to wear my mag carrier as close to centerline as possible, that I had to clip it onto my pants first, and then run the belt through it, but that was an easy solution. It probably had more to do with the tight clasp of my mag carrier than the belt.</p><p>Before I got my KORE belt, when I wanted to IWB appendix, I had to almost wear my gun in a cross-draw position. The larger belt buckle of my go-to gun belts meant that I couldn't easily carry my gun on the right side (about 12:15) and ended up having to carry it on the left (about 11:45). That wasn't super comfortable, so I was extremely excited to be able to move my gun back to where it was most comfortable. </p><p>Prior to taking Dave's course, I'd worn the KORE belt with an OWB holster in class to teach with, and was pleasantly surprised that when I had to use the bathroom, the holster didn't slip. With all of my other gun belts, as soon as I buckled to unzip, the weight of the gun would pull on the belt, threatening to flap over. With this belt, the holster and gun didn't even think of moving. It was like magic. </p><p>As far as EDC belts go, this one was worth the money. It's sturdy enough that if I had to rack my gun off of it I could do it without a problem. It's comfortable enough to wear all day. And it's adjustable in 1/4" increments, so if it becomes necessary to loosen it, it's easy to do. And I've mentioned that with OWB, I don't have to worry about my gun/holster flapping around.</p><p>If you're looking for a good EDC belt, and you're not worried about finding a belt for women, this was a great investment.</p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-61322594718012155042021-02-07T15:24:00.001-08:002021-02-07T15:26:32.391-08:00Mantis Blackbeard<p><i>I feel like I should just remind everyone that with very, very rare exception, everything that we review on this page is something we've purchased ourselves. This allows us to be very honest in our opinions. I think the last free item I received for review was several years ago, and - oh boy, did I upset some people. When I review something and I love it (or hate it), I really do love it (or hate it). We make no money running this blog and our views are not "bought".</i></p><p>Now that that's out of the way - the Mantis Blackbeard ...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1RM6kKFhLI6t690aMv3jF3yv8eTzSPeOk1ZxUP9pA-sG8E-KfX3axZKA-KvOeBqcQW2dNnu2HdCh8lLf738G787V3FDs86wtr6oSs8xUlfCjubxfbAdrPXz7QbaA4hH91hysVWUME-g/s2048/2021-02-06+16.02.32.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1RM6kKFhLI6t690aMv3jF3yv8eTzSPeOk1ZxUP9pA-sG8E-KfX3axZKA-KvOeBqcQW2dNnu2HdCh8lLf738G787V3FDs86wtr6oSs8xUlfCjubxfbAdrPXz7QbaA4hH91hysVWUME-g/w400-h300/2021-02-06+16.02.32.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uRw7UgDKMKQhgq_iBNJQAXXCRUQmpg7xjrYy1wbQXSipd6hbdbHdPE57PtG2eJVhpKilxXOWVwYnqEvNrF1GHfn7OLWzh3QdLPI8oeY1avpTWD6kPQ4ubXTvINj1_MRjvCL_HAVrk8M/s2048/2021-02-06+16.04.33.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uRw7UgDKMKQhgq_iBNJQAXXCRUQmpg7xjrYy1wbQXSipd6hbdbHdPE57PtG2eJVhpKilxXOWVwYnqEvNrF1GHfn7OLWzh3QdLPI8oeY1avpTWD6kPQ4ubXTvINj1_MRjvCL_HAVrk8M/w400-h300/2021-02-06+16.04.33.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Jay really opened Pandora's box when he got me the <a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/2021/01/mantis-x10-elite.html">X10 Elite</a> for my birthday last year. He knew I was a training junkie, but neither of us realized I was also a data junkie. </p><p>At the end of December, we had an "Instructor Development" day with our ARs and after only three hours I was gassed. I can shoot a pistol all day long, but shouldering that rifle took more work than I'm used to. I vowed to do more dry fire with it at home so I could build up the core muscles needed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKrrQQ6HemR_uJ8xq3vtzxRbxOw-sALBlJ4M57EiZJJHUakt6B-16G02EBekYlKJ2hmEX_3n-SVwGvODs6BNmVUWGoCN2BjtNdA3XuIO384YStgJ2_ofb4RM1E1doE0zaIJ78D6H26d0/s2048/2020-12-27+12.48.46.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKrrQQ6HemR_uJ8xq3vtzxRbxOw-sALBlJ4M57EiZJJHUakt6B-16G02EBekYlKJ2hmEX_3n-SVwGvODs6BNmVUWGoCN2BjtNdA3XuIO384YStgJ2_ofb4RM1E1doE0zaIJ78D6H26d0/w400-h300/2020-12-27+12.48.46.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I did follow through on my vow to practice dry fire. For one session. I mounted the Mantis to the rail and got to work. Turns out that having to cycle the bolt after every shot was as tiring as mounting the rifle. Probably really good for building muscles, but frustrating and time-consuming. </p><p>About that time, I started seeing ads pop up about the <a href="https://mantisx.com/pages/blackbeard-ar-trigger-resetting-system">Mantis Blackbeard</a>. I didn't really know what it was about, so last week I decided to go to the website and dig into it. I watched a couple of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUGX2rZuLdo&feature=emb_imp_woyt">videos</a> and became more intrigued.</p><p>An system that auto-sets the trigger? A system that doesn't require me to cycle the bolt and have to re-shoulder the rifle after each round? Oh, hells yes!</p><p>I sat on it for about a day before I decided to just give them my money. I initially intended to buy the one without the laser, because my plan was just to put my Mantis X10 on my rifle and use them together. However, the system with the laser was only about $20 more and gave me the option of utilizing their Mantis Laser Academy. I have no idea what the Mantis Laser Academy is, but since I'm in love with all things Mantis, I'll probably find out sooner rather than later.</p><p>When I placed my order there was a warning that because of a large volume of orders, mine might be delayed up to 30 days. I sighed, but with ammo what it is, I figured I could wait another 30 days. Imagine my surprise when it arrived on my doorstep less than a week after I ordered it!</p><p>I immediately pulled the "magazine" out of the case and plugged it in to charge. My plan was to use today to try out the system. It is as easy as they say: remove your charging handle and BCG, replace with the system's polymer one, slap the 'magazine' in and you're ready to rock and roll. In seconds, my rifle went from a fully functioning, live-fire rifle to basically an inert training gun.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzUv_2yr_BvyUT_Mf1Bf3t2GY_E0BkXJ6XBRuTrIEW3cs4-IM-qhKMGj-HUiAPlBR7I5-j5BKtr3JzZGZquYYe8Y44qB86H0TlwlYTejHaEbhvhfvgBNUIn0iwKVQb2OE67VOTCyCOKE/s2048/2021-02-07+10.59.22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzUv_2yr_BvyUT_Mf1Bf3t2GY_E0BkXJ6XBRuTrIEW3cs4-IM-qhKMGj-HUiAPlBR7I5-j5BKtr3JzZGZquYYe8Y44qB86H0TlwlYTejHaEbhvhfvgBNUIn0iwKVQb2OE67VOTCyCOKE/w300-h400/2021-02-07+10.59.22.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>Since I didn't plan on using the laser, I left it alone and didn't bother zeroing it in. However, since it is set to fire with every trigger press, I can see that it is pretty well zeroed right out of the box. If you do intend to use the laser with your training, remember height over bore when you're zeroing it.</p><p>It took me exactly five rounds to fall in love. I didn't even hook up the Mantis, I just put the system in my gun, aimed at my 3"x3" sticky note on the wall and pressed off five quick rounds. Holy cow! Not having to cycle the bolt after every round is so lovely.</p><p>Jay had purchased some <a href="https://runnermounts.com/">Runner Mounts</a> a few months ago and was kind enough to put one up for me. Our rifle storage is a bit ... cluttered ... and hard to get to, so being able to slip my rifle onto one of the mounts when I'm not using it is handy. <i>A word of caution: the Runner Mount is not secure storage and will not protect your rifle from unauthorized users.</i> However, since my rifle is inert and incapable of firing live rounds right now, having it readily accessible for dry fire training is wonderful. Since we don't have young kids around the house, I'm comfortable with this 'storage' solution for us.</p><p>With the rifle accessible for training, I slipped the Mantis on the rail and put the Blackbeard magazine in my gun. I only managed about a hundred rounds and can immediately see that I've got work to do.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIQQug49hPsyfwWykjZOQZwNbqcQTIBVTqXVvhoIqFSypa5rtJWdq22ycRzY2btv9Qyqlj5soVNNrYZD4EbDeE0AfayPXDdfZ1GAqkmTb0NNWCtVyP5I-rI2KzWuWqA0iReeszrOu9EU/s2400/2021-02-07+15.06.45.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIQQug49hPsyfwWykjZOQZwNbqcQTIBVTqXVvhoIqFSypa5rtJWdq22ycRzY2btv9Qyqlj5soVNNrYZD4EbDeE0AfayPXDdfZ1GAqkmTb0NNWCtVyP5I-rI2KzWuWqA0iReeszrOu9EU/w180-h400/2021-02-07+15.06.45.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p>The work I have to do is not only with my trigger manipulation, but with building my core strength. After only 100 rounds, my right SI joint is sore. Sadly, I see planks in my future, along with really focusing on having a good, solid stance. </p><p>My first impression of the Blackbeard is that it does work as advertised. It does take only seconds to install the system. The automatic trigger reset is awesome (and it makes a cute little noise with every reset that makes me giggle), and I love being able to practice with the same gun I shoot with. After 100 rounds, I'm in love with the system and give it two thumbs up! It is well worth the $219.00 (+ S&H and tax) I spent on it, and it'll pay for itself in about another 100 rounds.</p><p>Side note: one thing I noticed was that when I changed my settings in the Mantis app to rifle, it opened up a whole new file of different training options, specific to rifles. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisk1E-leYedjMLkQEmC-3xNxoX3lq9wHstm3yJ4FZQV0kvSow0O3vkrVLPA_D4h1IKY4dSGRwILhQKZTX8nkazmFhjT60xkZzjZsCgiA0S6qZjub5iWj3p4GZ0kgjerSofZvu8d81rOIQ/s2048/2020-12-27+12.48.46.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisk1E-leYedjMLkQEmC-3xNxoX3lq9wHstm3yJ4FZQV0kvSow0O3vkrVLPA_D4h1IKY4dSGRwILhQKZTX8nkazmFhjT60xkZzjZsCgiA0S6qZjub5iWj3p4GZ0kgjerSofZvu8d81rOIQ/w400-h0/2020-12-27+12.48.46.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-65896021694347537032021-02-03T15:58:00.001-08:002021-02-03T15:58:13.526-08:00Suicide PreventionIn December, 2020, I had the opportunity to take a class called "At the Intersection of Guns and Mental Health: The Introductory Course".<div><br /></div><div>It was an excellent course which introduced me to <a href="https://walkthetalkamerica.org/">Walk The Talk America</a>. WTTA is, in their own words, "bridging the gap between mental health and safe gun ownership". I think it's an important thing to acknowledge that suicide by firearm is a big problem, and also that gun owners tend to avoid seeking help for their mental health due to the fear that they will have their guns taken from them.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the coolest things WTTA does is offer a <a href="https://walkthetalkamerica.org/love/">free, anonymous mental health screenings</a> for multiple mental health issues. They're also working with educating mental health professionals on how to talk to gun owners. Though we may not think of gun owners as a "culture", it truly is, and mental health professionals should be well-versed in how to help those of us in this culture.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't do WTTA justice here, so do yourselves a favor and click on over to their <a href="https://walkthetalkamerica.org/">site</a> to explore. </div>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-7839983697108477132021-02-03T15:18:00.001-08:002021-02-03T15:18:28.134-08:00Books!In each class I teach, I take a handful of books that I recommend to students. I firmly believe that learning should not stop with just one class. The fact is, many students never go on to take another class, so I like to give them other resources. I'm a complete book nerd, so I share books with them that I find useful.<div><br /></div><div>During my last class, I had a student who asked if I had my recommended books posted on the blog and I realized I'd overlooked doing do. I've since rectified that. You can find my book recommendations under the "<a href="http://www.thegundivas.com/p/gundivas-teaching-library.html">GunDiva's Teaching Library</a>" tab on the home page.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you're interested in discussing self-defense books, or are looking for recommendations, check out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1122066591599426">GunDiva's Book Club</a> on Facebook.</div>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-496871583180661822021-01-30T15:44:00.001-08:002021-01-30T15:44:56.527-08:00Mantis X10 Elite<p>Back in July, GunDude Jay gave me a <a href="https://mantisx.com/products/mantis-x10-elite">Mantis X10 Elite</a> for my birthday. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw0yl2J7yfoSS4gZFTXyr9tTjfEOUnvv-KhrRjgsD5m28XEO91CDbvLkOWKcwTDlqY68n6dCQmRm_mBby9AJvbe1w9RI0Lm0NKzJoHSM5FJWsFl_M84ioiint3jsZwafRLT6lm5JRC7M/s2048/2020-07-16+17.17.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw0yl2J7yfoSS4gZFTXyr9tTjfEOUnvv-KhrRjgsD5m28XEO91CDbvLkOWKcwTDlqY68n6dCQmRm_mBby9AJvbe1w9RI0Lm0NKzJoHSM5FJWsFl_M84ioiint3jsZwafRLT6lm5JRC7M/w225-h400/2020-07-16+17.17.58.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5i5eemHczP-SNKg1Pp7AR3o4QkCjx2f2XJ3KcnA5DkTRqqX6OyCcIfgB-D3vGbcv9KwwBjdQmX2DbWaMqsfMfLv_qQMtfp7jvyHQ9t8s4UoD8NDzrU0YItkV7xcsxwoUkk_aIjxyOv-s/s2048/2020-07-16+17.18.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5i5eemHczP-SNKg1Pp7AR3o4QkCjx2f2XJ3KcnA5DkTRqqX6OyCcIfgB-D3vGbcv9KwwBjdQmX2DbWaMqsfMfLv_qQMtfp7jvyHQ9t8s4UoD8NDzrU0YItkV7xcsxwoUkk_aIjxyOv-s/w225-h400/2020-07-16+17.18.51.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><p>I had recently invested in a couple of <a href="https://www.dryfiremag.com/">DryFireMags</a> to use in classes to teach trigger reset. While it doesn't give an exact trigger reset, it's a great way to teach the concept to newer shooters. When I wasn't using the mags in class, I was using them at home for dry fire practice. They are great for what they are and I don't regret investing in them at all.</p><p>However, the Mantis ... Wow. If you follow our Instagram or Facebook page, you've likely seen several posts about the Mantis. To say I love the product would be an understatement. I never much thought of myself as a data girl, but it turns out I'm incredibly competitive with myself and comparing my scores from one shot to another is addictive.</p><p>I did find, after owning both the DryFireMags and the Mantis, that you can buy a DryFireMag with an integrated Mantis. However, since I already own each individually, I'm not going to drop the money to buy an integrated one.</p><p>Back when I first started shooting, I was diligent about dry fire practice. Sort of. I was really working on my draw stroke, and finishing with one shot. I can't say that I did any focused dry fire practice for more than a shot or two. If I found I was flinching, I might stick a dime up on my slide and do a few trigger presses, but that was about it.</p><p>This Mantis has been a game changer. I immediately put it on my M&P 2.0 and tried it out. Five "shots" in and I was in love. Included in the X10 Elite is a course to help familiarize you with the system, and three courses to increase accuracy. I whipped through the introduction course and couldn't wait to get more. The Basic Marksmanship and the Advanced Marksmanship went pretty quickly - just a couple of days for Basic and a week or so for Advanced. The Compressed Surprise Break is my nemesis.</p><p>The system quickly found my weaknesses (hello, Compressed Surprise Break). I can be accurate, or I can be fast, but so far, I can't be both. My goal is to work on combining the two. When I get in a hurry, I tend to slap the trigger. When I'm trying for accuracy, I slow down way too much. It can take me seconds to press the trigger.</p><p>I did manage to fight my way through my mental block with the Compressed Surprise Break and earn my Advanced Marksmanship patch.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MjmWuKElnQ4fEzBa1563oqaTZHoPypGW8JyRF7PrIlfg4ltzSPXRgtCze_OfbMfQnLCns-yS5r_-2ZhcuCHDVx0R_0FowVdeMILx_UAyEBn5Fo_IQ2fCuXUR_a-CwRla6ZXpRIv76gQ/s2048/2020-09-08+17.29.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MjmWuKElnQ4fEzBa1563oqaTZHoPypGW8JyRF7PrIlfg4ltzSPXRgtCze_OfbMfQnLCns-yS5r_-2ZhcuCHDVx0R_0FowVdeMILx_UAyEBn5Fo_IQ2fCuXUR_a-CwRla6ZXpRIv76gQ/w225-h400/2020-09-08+17.29.39.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm currently working on the Elite Marksmanship badge, and I tell you, if I could stop over-thinking everything, I would have finished it already. But, I'm female and over-thinking is what we do.</p><p>The feedback from the system can be brutal, but it's completely objective. I can choose to pay attention to the data, or I can continue to suck. I thought I was doing pretty well with my dry fire, so I decided to take my show on the road and see how I did live fire. Boy, was that a hard pill to swallow.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAZ3BQsNwMdRTlbqLsWc-yj-3VimmS0FDh9py_bxL2zNkK1wKZ75LvlCdRL6sz5Lhz_CUbgGyPcF2YsaOttM6y3Ivo7adFl6Es476UNZpkGaaXEbjgObWc5DArNc8VjvflahVoa1ec4U/s1920/2020-09-02+15.57.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAZ3BQsNwMdRTlbqLsWc-yj-3VimmS0FDh9py_bxL2zNkK1wKZ75LvlCdRL6sz5Lhz_CUbgGyPcF2YsaOttM6y3Ivo7adFl6Es476UNZpkGaaXEbjgObWc5DArNc8VjvflahVoa1ec4U/s320/2020-09-02+15.57.36.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvvs6r8ajwQeiRWqJChre6WBd4HUiOzOaMicYwztOYgKdbkXlfHm2Xuo24rbQ1dDy-0VaPHAN0P0eZcknFO4PDy16VAwyDV7FdzKJd-fuonjMF9xVGCJToHGoK8euKNKYd0XduqrBnZ0/s1920/2020-09-02+15.57.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvvs6r8ajwQeiRWqJChre6WBd4HUiOzOaMicYwztOYgKdbkXlfHm2Xuo24rbQ1dDy-0VaPHAN0P0eZcknFO4PDy16VAwyDV7FdzKJd-fuonjMF9xVGCJToHGoK8euKNKYd0XduqrBnZ0/s320/2020-09-02+15.57.58.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uSzLc_UFlKskD3TpmZ-hzP1DYKH3BTdtjfwtm6yb7U4U3tiFinXRLfzvv71Kbur_Cd0xaHCqnvFadgBxAHqNOoXQaHiELJy6k0BKU4i0FTvTjiv9jCu115wBfkqoGnYbMuwx0DuekMA/s1920/2020-09-02+15.58.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uSzLc_UFlKskD3TpmZ-hzP1DYKH3BTdtjfwtm6yb7U4U3tiFinXRLfzvv71Kbur_Cd0xaHCqnvFadgBxAHqNOoXQaHiELJy6k0BKU4i0FTvTjiv9jCu115wBfkqoGnYbMuwx0DuekMA/s320/2020-09-02+15.58.29.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOK6qPzvmSCIMm6vhQBzd17916zIr9kgfxYK9OjCqjo5RDwry4ZqK0Wz-OkgFq_UohP2jyhm-wh-vFKgeyElwzdF0D1WzcxIeJY7m2Amuh3TFG4zXA73Fx7hr3r24e3dyfO3ZusjyYAo/s1920/2020-09-02+15.58.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOK6qPzvmSCIMm6vhQBzd17916zIr9kgfxYK9OjCqjo5RDwry4ZqK0Wz-OkgFq_UohP2jyhm-wh-vFKgeyElwzdF0D1WzcxIeJY7m2Amuh3TFG4zXA73Fx7hr3r24e3dyfO3ZusjyYAo/s320/2020-09-02+15.58.42.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>I definitely had stuff to work on with live fire, and the Mantis showed me in black and white where I was screwing up.</p><p>However, there are moments like this (dry fire at home):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Yj_WIZB32uWona_9LOU2ZJLmgPye_hqcC0U4EbWPfyGxJtPbIx4Btc6EitnC2rRCT9uixjZ0v4S8hx5_RInIWPoCKhK-qUF6Uw5fwfQRtVdSj0Nz_9seyRepLpF_hsMs3EfNRBW1wLE/s1920/2020-12-21+16.23.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Yj_WIZB32uWona_9LOU2ZJLmgPye_hqcC0U4EbWPfyGxJtPbIx4Btc6EitnC2rRCT9uixjZ0v4S8hx5_RInIWPoCKhK-qUF6Uw5fwfQRtVdSj0Nz_9seyRepLpF_hsMs3EfNRBW1wLE/s320/2020-12-21+16.23.41.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7GDINKnwHyXPfneIVoV2XFkNaa8wyTXfPiVlDOSO-iYrIKpb32btVdnWv-pCigIdzY2qta2CrZC9-RVX1N592hPOQwHEfab4myrW3wec6bukfbq9caBXRjn0BhH7EsCWf7oL8qoB45U/s1920/2020-12-21+16.25.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7GDINKnwHyXPfneIVoV2XFkNaa8wyTXfPiVlDOSO-iYrIKpb32btVdnWv-pCigIdzY2qta2CrZC9-RVX1N592hPOQwHEfab4myrW3wec6bukfbq9caBXRjn0BhH7EsCWf7oL8qoB45U/s320/2020-12-21+16.25.38.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7rlOxwRtOUpHdDwmW_K8P03pDW3m7zVnzCCgnYSzPAUc4bxv5sGj6VzLUiRQZOUr4WTQdmubsSTmxmPViy32k879lbOQbf0ssz3Xqi-66-DpnkaxMOH93etC2qbZVfcfMhOu6mYzApA/s1920/2020-12-21+16.30.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7rlOxwRtOUpHdDwmW_K8P03pDW3m7zVnzCCgnYSzPAUc4bxv5sGj6VzLUiRQZOUr4WTQdmubsSTmxmPViy32k879lbOQbf0ssz3Xqi-66-DpnkaxMOH93etC2qbZVfcfMhOu6mYzApA/s320/2020-12-21+16.30.37.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcBGYikVjZ7ymItnt3Q8uReHDB6Rw5a0n9UDHqGyDRlFEOu2N-W_RlYf3qR8e1HmvEApf-3AQVy8b0M6l_eiW4Tnhp9dn9fOG7H2UXaO1EJVJ0CDKtW4hh88SkdH28MJM8AviBDfM4LU/s1920/2020-12-21+16.33.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcBGYikVjZ7ymItnt3Q8uReHDB6Rw5a0n9UDHqGyDRlFEOu2N-W_RlYf3qR8e1HmvEApf-3AQVy8b0M6l_eiW4Tnhp9dn9fOG7H2UXaO1EJVJ0CDKtW4hh88SkdH28MJM8AviBDfM4LU/s320/2020-12-21+16.33.51.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>To say using the Mantis for dry fire practice is addictive would be an understatement. I've "shot" 3,017 rounds, which is a huge ammo savings. The fact that I can use my Mantis for both dry and live fire, on my pistols, rifles, and shotgun makes me love it even more.</p><p>My Glock 43x doesn't have an accessory rail, and to be honest, the stick-on accessory rail that came with the kit was crap, so I bought a <a href="https://www.recovertactical.com/">Recover Tactical</a> accessory rail that went on to my Glock in seconds. It holds the Mantis nicely, though I had to have a friend mold a holster to accommodate the rail and mounted Mantis.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopXcqzNxvXPMEKP7a9c2tYctyY-dzNVM4pM3_9x8zLLKIFCS81wCQYBxY9yKhHXA-UC_eUU0ibCx3yB4sjddRz-XAW7LymbJZkQ_2Tx-hNGdgo9sZdvlZK3lJrIXCwURfzCNghyphenhyphenH7LeU/s2048/2020-07-22+20.40.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopXcqzNxvXPMEKP7a9c2tYctyY-dzNVM4pM3_9x8zLLKIFCS81wCQYBxY9yKhHXA-UC_eUU0ibCx3yB4sjddRz-XAW7LymbJZkQ_2Tx-hNGdgo9sZdvlZK3lJrIXCwURfzCNghyphenhyphenH7LeU/w225-h400/2020-07-22+20.40.45.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6rU1c4iN5p8mcaU6Xdf5U9iGfNywS9agqFNyNz2fA4kQ6W3lEXh6OdTHdYjPj3Pnnn3plto6a9MRwO4Fo55TSxal5M14_hheYY1qB77XG7ZyQgxOWGqsE7xWb9bcpyfoS2ClqTHVFTA/s2048/2020-07-22+20.50.21-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1615" data-original-width="2048" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6rU1c4iN5p8mcaU6Xdf5U9iGfNywS9agqFNyNz2fA4kQ6W3lEXh6OdTHdYjPj3Pnnn3plto6a9MRwO4Fo55TSxal5M14_hheYY1qB77XG7ZyQgxOWGqsE7xWb9bcpyfoS2ClqTHVFTA/w400-h315/2020-07-22+20.50.21-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Since the 43x is my EDC and I only had one OWB holster for it, I eventually used my teaching money to purchase a second 43x for practice purposes. I can now carry my EDC 43x in all of my 'normal' holsters, and practice with the other one. All I can say is thank goodness for the students who are willing to pay to take classes so I can buy 'training aids'.</p><p>In talking to someone who also has the Mantis, I found that I could buy baseplates for my magazines that I could attach the Mantis to without having to have special holsters for drawing practice. Since I am 100% drinking the Mantis Tech kool-aid, I bought a baseplate for the 43x and for my M&P 2.0. Now I can practice my draw stroke from any of my holsters with either gun.</p><p>I have seen the<a href="https://mantisx.com/collections/all-items/products/blackbeard-the-auto-resetting-trigger-for-ar-15"> Blackbeard</a> for the AR system on Active Self Protection's FB page and went looking for that. I desperately need more practice with my AR, but hate cycling the bolt every time. I was pretty excited about the Blackbeard system until I saw the price. I need to teach a few more classes before I can throw out another $199.00 plus shipping and tax. However ... I found the TRT Tap Rack system for a 9mm for only $8.99. Guess what went into my cart?</p><p>With the ammo shortage what it is, I cannot recommend the Mantis system enough. You can purchase the MantisX 10 Elite for way less than a case of ammo and it will pay for itself is around 400 'shots'.</p>GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-60781348005817237162021-01-02T18:40:00.006-08:002021-01-02T18:40:47.554-08:00New Year: Time to tune up the gear!<p> Greetings Gundivas, Happy New Year!<br /></p><p>Its a new year. 2020 has turned 21 and is probably on its way to start a wild year of blackout binge drinking. (Not like it hasn't already been doing that)</p><p>Since that is not my cup of tea, I decided to shake off the cabin fever and take a couple of my target rifles out to tune them up and verify all is well. You should do this if your firearm hasn't been used in a long while or if you change something (mount a new scope, change triggers, etc)</p><p>It was a good day. Both rifles are doing great by the end of the session. One was spot on with no adjustments needed, the other was off. It was 3 inches low and required fine tuning. This is why you need to verify your gear before you hit the field.</p><p><b>First up was the Remington 700 LTR.</b></p><p>- Stock Remington 700 LTR (medium weight barrel)<br /></p><p>- .308 Winchester</p><p>- 20 inch barrel</p><p>- KRG X-ray Chassis</p><p>- Burris XTR II 4-20 Scope</p><p>- Thunderbeast Ultra 7 Silencer</p><p>- Shooting Federal Gold Metal Match 175 grain</p><p>The Remington was still on and required no additional adjustment. It pulled a little low. I think this was bad trigger control on my part than the rifle itself. The Remington is good to go to the next match or class. All groups were inch and better.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtX6OPi7szaDLgUo_Afa0l585mDEu7ZsrE8Ypum6cIBc-VYhL0iNYHqfG-Gt5S5T6pruA4PAS0hnGkMhUdXIUuFr2bSre4EU1EDmn_cJyJPneBJsQ6wYARVd5tYmZ_slocY8gShKJqxGA5/s2048/1499B3C3-3FE6-4420-BAAD-0F127EC78A7C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtX6OPi7szaDLgUo_Afa0l585mDEu7ZsrE8Ypum6cIBc-VYhL0iNYHqfG-Gt5S5T6pruA4PAS0hnGkMhUdXIUuFr2bSre4EU1EDmn_cJyJPneBJsQ6wYARVd5tYmZ_slocY8gShKJqxGA5/w300-h400/1499B3C3-3FE6-4420-BAAD-0F127EC78A7C.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1xmIQf0hyphenhyphenJ6DOAvrzbrsQ32-Sj4qHmeVjIZOxZefArD5kLuZfdFw7PQY4t24gOldsMWexEZ69d0DsDUKhIErykNO-xv7frUQQ98ABg2oG8Sy5t4LjAe0rMzpmBQqmV0Z75v_seg-xkOk/s2048/F382EF07-8019-4570-8277-1D992E199335.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1xmIQf0hyphenhyphenJ6DOAvrzbrsQ32-Sj4qHmeVjIZOxZefArD5kLuZfdFw7PQY4t24gOldsMWexEZ69d0DsDUKhIErykNO-xv7frUQQ98ABg2oG8Sy5t4LjAe0rMzpmBQqmV0Z75v_seg-xkOk/w300-h400/F382EF07-8019-4570-8277-1D992E199335.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xkjiFR5on3-L9nIAUtraLixk-39Ey6WkUUf8pTQJrQq-9oMcRug5fS_cG9ysWF1ygindg6hJXtMxqPYF5mAKJbyiSvD6POpwQr0v6irxwrZcRcuMA8Jpn6AG9_ee6C7W_W5RNFP8SDqg/s2048/E5F38AB7-294C-4192-81E0-C072A4BF068D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xkjiFR5on3-L9nIAUtraLixk-39Ey6WkUUf8pTQJrQq-9oMcRug5fS_cG9ysWF1ygindg6hJXtMxqPYF5mAKJbyiSvD6POpwQr0v6irxwrZcRcuMA8Jpn6AG9_ee6C7W_W5RNFP8SDqg/w300-h400/E5F38AB7-294C-4192-81E0-C072A4BF068D.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8-fwfy3TsdFCc0HFtcUju1veyA06A-nLUIneYHJBK7RHcw5aogeBW9SZTaEw8gpk05-RfPAmvDKcMklSmobE06yXosUWys6Ur2w0rNthyp-LxiBQUvIIDPzqM-dnTBCzKx5Kxbj_iZ1T/s2048/A5743DC9-6624-4043-B710-77E219DE307E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8-fwfy3TsdFCc0HFtcUju1veyA06A-nLUIneYHJBK7RHcw5aogeBW9SZTaEw8gpk05-RfPAmvDKcMklSmobE06yXosUWys6Ur2w0rNthyp-LxiBQUvIIDPzqM-dnTBCzKx5Kxbj_iZ1T/w300-h400/A5743DC9-6624-4043-B710-77E219DE307E.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p> </p><p><b>Next up is the Tikka T3X.</b></p><p>- Stock Tikka T3X CTR (medium weight barrel)</p><p>- 6.5 Creedmoor</p><p>- 20 inch barrel</p><p>- KRG Bravo Chassis</p><p>- Steiner T5Xi 3-15 Scope</p><p>- Thunderbeast Ultra 9 Silencer</p><p>- Shooting Hornady 143 ELD-X Precision Hunter</p><p>As you can see, the Tikka started out 3 inches low at 100 yards and needed a little fine tuning. I'm not sure what caused the zero to shift. Maybe switching from the Ultra 7 to Ultra 9 silencer did it. Or I did something the last time before I put it into the safe. I don't know. All groups were inch and better. (After adjustment)<br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUOa5eooSxmARS-EZS-qP3UXgXJEHDKldVWKDhIoCCxQKE9XetnrF2t35WbiuNxvqJo4Stdm_mzUrhrqROrw9eYIFI_vpBSh6lo6EKEkX7eohtGBH1tSTpO6kkRRi76tq-7xzZqPEoXuy/s2048/D92E6D14-1181-4ADA-883B-B57F14C43741.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUOa5eooSxmARS-EZS-qP3UXgXJEHDKldVWKDhIoCCxQKE9XetnrF2t35WbiuNxvqJo4Stdm_mzUrhrqROrw9eYIFI_vpBSh6lo6EKEkX7eohtGBH1tSTpO6kkRRi76tq-7xzZqPEoXuy/w300-h400/D92E6D14-1181-4ADA-883B-B57F14C43741.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmDx74EeXSe-IMZCAgrY3oX46qqNgsn5WTpW1dAOoGwN83BYZhH-qHDH85DpAzOs_kP5Om2mXhZpztf6g_lmGXK2kokCxW1eo_zvsfelvIWQK_iiKr5pgX2FFtY5OEN327Z5lhM38okKR/s2048/BD982D9B-81B9-4628-88A0-AA2ED0CBE646.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmDx74EeXSe-IMZCAgrY3oX46qqNgsn5WTpW1dAOoGwN83BYZhH-qHDH85DpAzOs_kP5Om2mXhZpztf6g_lmGXK2kokCxW1eo_zvsfelvIWQK_iiKr5pgX2FFtY5OEN327Z5lhM38okKR/w300-h400/BD982D9B-81B9-4628-88A0-AA2ED0CBE646.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8CWS68GEJB-YefvAYEtmeNZCqPwLQ7NUXP8JnBgEKYA0gudi77txDTP64ylcJXFvS9CvIFM_frpuB9VR0dWvUdxHLx5kXF6ZRGUKBs920pTNU0EFsAwA3WYz-amU0OKIYS8tra7jTvGa/s2048/C694A62E-92C4-4E04-A0A3-DE622CBB0AD6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8CWS68GEJB-YefvAYEtmeNZCqPwLQ7NUXP8JnBgEKYA0gudi77txDTP64ylcJXFvS9CvIFM_frpuB9VR0dWvUdxHLx5kXF6ZRGUKBs920pTNU0EFsAwA3WYz-amU0OKIYS8tra7jTvGa/w300-h400/C694A62E-92C4-4E04-A0A3-DE622CBB0AD6.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p> </p><p>This is why you verify your gear before you hit the field. </p><p>Let's make 2021 a great year. Get out there, verify your gear is good to go and let's go shooting. (If we can find ammunition)</p><p><br /></p><p>-Gundude Mez</p><p>January 2021<br /></p>Mezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07675746578750657283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-19375338724149205602021-01-01T20:47:00.000-08:002021-01-01T20:47:05.180-08:00Challenge Yourself<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eevw6lfnLqajA0V8h-J18XQBSPicAJIlCrH4wt9MpN_TCppQ3sFrTv1B-NKY0zS6h3WFhM8WEJIt0KSgTDpuy52YtPNjkUQij1oIsEVAAoDa6y9HXFgkoU0tlMR56SW00zpBZxKx7S7e/s2048/IMG_9514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eevw6lfnLqajA0V8h-J18XQBSPicAJIlCrH4wt9MpN_TCppQ3sFrTv1B-NKY0zS6h3WFhM8WEJIt0KSgTDpuy52YtPNjkUQij1oIsEVAAoDa6y9HXFgkoU0tlMR56SW00zpBZxKx7S7e/w400-h225/IMG_9514.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I didn't realize until it was posted on Facebook that my best friend had taken the above photo of me shooting his Stacatto (formerly STI) C2 9mm 2011 at a range of about 55 yards. We were out at his property for the first get together since too long before COVID came along and ruined everyone's year shooting a little bit of everything. He brought along his brace of very nice 2011s (3 Stacattos and a Chambers Custom), and I brought along some .22s and my Glock 30. We had been shooting mostly at 10-20 yards just knocking the rust and cobwebs loose. Somewhere along the way, he decided to walk things back a good bit. I decided "Why not?" I had never, to my recollection, attempted serious target shooting with a handgun at ranges beyond 25 yards. <p></p><p>Much to my surprise, I was ringing the green, half sized, steel silhouette target without any real trouble at all with both my Glock and his Stacatto. To be honest, getting hits with a commander sized 9mm 2011 can be done more consistently and easier than with a compact .45 ACP Glock, but it CAN BE DONE! Even though I have had access to ranges longer than 25 yards for many years, it had never occurred to me to practice at distances longer than that. I mean, I've read articles about it. It just never dawned on me to give it a try for myself. </p><p>So, why would anyone in their right mind want to try and shoot a handgun at that distance or further? Well....1) 'cause 'Merica dang it, 2) as far as 55 yards sounds, it's still close enough to be "in imminent danger and in fear of your life" in the self defense context should someone point a weapon in your direction with intent to do you harm, 3) handgun hunting is a thing or so I am told, 4) smoke...noise...do the math.</p><p>I think shooting on public ranges (indoor or outdoor) tends to ingrain certain limitations on our perceptions about what is/is not possible with a certain firearm. So, this year, I intend to make a concerted effort to step outside my comfort zone and stretch the boundaries of my thinking and abilities when it comes to firearms. I may never have a chance to drop a deer at 600 yards with a ,44 Magnum (as Elmer Keith claimed to have done), but it'd be nice to be able to say that I COULD make that shot if it presented itself. </p><p>What are your goals for the new year (besides finding ammo)?</p>Daddy Hawkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01386749814126280114noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-43083511385845420952020-07-18T20:42:00.001-07:002020-07-18T20:42:55.415-07:00Student Account of 7/12/20 Basic Pistol class<br />
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<i>(GunDiva note: this was written by a student in our Basic Pistol class. I've been doing this long enough to know that I'll get some hate about her wanting a .22 for self-defense. A .22 that she can shoot well and confidently is better than no gun at all. My first carry gun was a Beretta Bobcat in .25 cal; as I got more confident, I moved up in caliber. <b>If you can't say something nice in the comments, don't say anything at all.</b> We're about welcoming and empowering students of all levels, not scaring them off.)</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">So
there I was in February 2020, minding my own business, letting the cobwebs grow
on my Glock 45 9 mm. I’d had a conceal carry permit in 2014, never used it and
stopped going to the gun range to shoot. This is what GunDiva refers to as a “perishable
skill.” Oh, it perished all right. If a thief had broken into my home in the
last six years, I would have grabbed my Glock and thrown it carefully at his
head before begging for my life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">This
is not the life I aspire to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Then
the so-called pandemic hit. Then the shutdown of entire states happened, along
with businesses closing, people losing jobs, losing homes, losing money. This
tends to make humans a tiny bit irritable. People started wearing masks
everywhere. I couldn’t tell if they were smiling or getting ready to bite me. Riots
happened. People were killed. Police politely suggested we might want to know
how to defend ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">So,
I visited Rocky Mountain Shooters Supply and traded my Glock for a Smith and
Wesson: M&P 9 Shield EZ (I had to go look that up just now). And since I
didn’t want to protect myself by throwing my M&P at a burglar’s head, I
signed up for Double Tap’s Basic Handgun tactics class. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">There
were 11 of us in a room all day learning basic handgun tactics. What could possibly
go wrong? Well, nothing actually, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t prepared for
an errant bullet or blood spatter by lunch. Before going to class I inventoried
what gun paraphernalia I actually owned: holster, head phones, a couple of magazines,
bullets, shell casings (???), 2 different gun cleaning sets which were also
gathering dust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I
sat up front in class as we went over gun safety, the NRA golden rules and
watched a video of a cop shooting himself in the foot. (Ha! errant bullet!). We
learned the difference between revolver and single action and double action
semi-automatics (cylinder vs. magazine), we went over ammunition (powder
charge, primer, bullet, case) and how 9mm ammo is hard to get right now due to panic
buying. I imagined buying a reloader and setting up my backyard studio shed as
a reloading operation. I could pass pleasant afternoons listening to gun
podcasts and making bullets. There are worse ways to spend your day. (“Are
there though?” asked a friend).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I
learned the difference between bullets that penetrate and those that expand.
(Full metal jacket vs. hollow point). I scribbled a note to myself: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">build my own gun</i>. Reader, I’m nothing if
not ambitious. I learned that while I own a holster, a belly band for conceal
carry might be more appropriate for me. And DON’T GET AN ANKLE HOLSTER! It’s
the slowest, worst draw. We discussed the OODA Loop when responding to a
threat. I know you know all about that. Who doesn’t know about the OODA Loop? (“Like
loop the loop what airplanes do?” asked a friend. No. Not like that.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It
was disheartening to discover there are more than 20,000 laws relating to
firearms. If you can’t prove the attacker had ability, opportunity and intent
to harm you, you could end up in jail for defending yourself. I imagined myself
in the prison crafts center, chatting with other felons about how we had shot someone
in self-defense and ended up sharing a cell with an inmate named Bertha. We’d
rail against the system, exchange lawyer’s names, I’d tell them about my
backyard reloading operation and then we’d go stand in line for our
institutional dinner. If I spent as much time speaking to my neighbors as I do
practicing imaginary conversations in prison craft centers, I’d have more
friends. Obviously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">A
simulator was used in the afternoon. These are video simulations that we could
participate in and practice how we’d react in a real time scenario. The first
one involved a bank robbery where the criminal shot the teller in the head.
(Ha! Blood spatter!) Classmates successfully shot the bad guys which was
comforting. And the last exercise of the day was to shoot different guns at the
gun range. I discovered that I loved the .22 I shot and was good at it and
hated the larger guns, including the revolver. I plan on using my M&P for
home defense and buying a .22 for conceal carry. And to go to the gun range
faithfully, several times a month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">And
that, dear reader, is how a woman and her unused Glock joined the shooting
community in Colorado. You might be too young to remember this, but there once
was a time when nobody used the word “pandemic” and masks were only used by
surgeons in hospitals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I
know. Right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">(Deborah
Coyote is a local psychotherapist who lives with her rescue dog and her albino
parakeet who has an excellent vocabulary. Her parakeet’s favorite mimicked
phrase is: “Oooops! Sorry!” ergo the need to take gun safety training.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-75741540428550958972020-05-25T15:15:00.001-07:002020-05-25T15:15:44.134-07:00VR80 - After market stock issues<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a follow up on our initial reviews of the VR80 semi-auto shotgun from <a href="https://armscor.com/firearms/ria-imports/shotgun-series/shotguns-mag-fed-series/">Rock Island Armory. </a></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few readers had a question about wether aftermarket stocks would fit or not. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately the short short answer is no. Not without modifications.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The saving grace is, the VR80 shotgun does have a mostly standard carbine style buffer tube under the factory stock, and you can slip on a standard carbine stock if the factory stock is not to your liking. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is a short video to show why aftermarket stocks may not fit your VR80 shot gun.</span><br />
<br />
YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf1VJsyGjeM">VR80 - Aftermarket stocks</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
-Mez<br />
May 2019<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Mezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07675746578750657283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-54040306504341429372020-04-05T15:29:00.001-07:002020-04-05T15:29:12.146-07:00Open letter to first time gun owners!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here we are, 2020 with a new
global disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone is freaking
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no toilet paper to be
found anywhere and everyone is buying guns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The month of March saw the largest amount of guns sold in any single
month ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not even the panic buying
under the Obama years matched the quantity of guns sold in the past month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What made this different
from previous years was not the volume of firearms sold, but that approximately
70% (maybe as high as 80% in some areas) were first time gun buyers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is unusual to see this many first time
gun owners at one time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We the gun community,
welcome you to the wonderful world of gun ownership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are several things you must know
and understand now that you have chosen to own a firearm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you see in the Hollywood movies does not
prepare you for firearm ownership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">First up, understand that a
gun is not a magic talisman that will ward off evil because you possess
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A gun is just an inanimate object
that does nothing unless you the operator take action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Just having a gun does not
make you safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just pointing a gun at
evil may or may not make evil go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, evil does exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And sometimes
evil comes wrapped in the package of a true psychopath who has no fear of you
or of your gun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to mentally,
physically and emotional prepare yourself that you may actually need to use
your gun as intended, as a deadly weapon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Which brings me to my next
point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because a gun is a deadly weapon,
this means the use of a gun falls under the category of a martial art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You do not become skilled at any martial art
by watching Hollywood movies or YouTube videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And no, shooting the .22 down on Grandpa’s farm a few times when you
were a kid does not count either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In order for a gun to truly
be useful, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">YOU MUST GET PROFESSIONAL
TRAINING!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes, you can self teach, but
you will be better and safer in the long run with professional training.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I know obtaining training
now is difficult as everything is shut down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So in the mean time, do the following;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(this should include everyone age appropriate in your household)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Read the
instruction manual that came with the gun you purchased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will teach you how to correctly operate
your firearm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">If you didn’t
receive an instruction manual, most manufacturers have them posted on their
websites that you can download.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Learn the safety
rules and live them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guns are not toys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Treat every
firearm as if it is loaded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Do not point
your firearm at anything you do not want to destroy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Keep your finger
off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Be sure of your target
and what is beyond it. (Yes, bullet do go through walls)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Use the power of
the Internet and research and learn as much as you can about your specific
model of firearm and even on how to use your firearm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes, I know I
said YouTube is not a substitute for hands on training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But giving the current circumstances, it may
be all you get until we get past this issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Start dry fire
practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">In short, dry
fire practice is where you practice aiming your firearm at a target and
pressing the trigger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is done while
the gun is unloaded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>i.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">DO NOT USE LIVE AMMUNITION FOR DRY FIRE
PRACTICE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t even have it in the same
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>ii.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">The use of plastic Snap Caps is acceptable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">To wrap this section up, you
must learn how to correctly and safely use your gun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go get professional training as soon as you
are able.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not stop at reading books,
Internet articles or YouTube videos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Next I want to cover some
miscellaneous topics that you may not be aware of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Do you have a
place to lock up your firearm when not in use?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A heavy safe or locking steel cabinet that is bolted to the wall?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes, your gun
came with a simple cable lock if you purchased it new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it can still be stolen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go buy a safe or locking cabinet you can bolt
to the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">There are now
biometric lock boxes you can bolt to the wall yet have rapid access to your gun
and keep the curious from accessing it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Did you buy a
cleaning kit to clean and lubricate your firearm?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Guns are
mechanical objects that must be cleaned and lubricated from time to time to
work properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of it as changing
the oil in your car on a regular basis. (You do change your cars oil regularly
right?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Your owners
manual will teach you how to clean and lube your firearm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or someone has made a YouTube video about it.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Did you buy
proper safety equipment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Specifically eye
and ear protection?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is important to
protect your hearing and eyesight when practicing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Have you found a
shooting range near you that you can practice at?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Along with
training you need to practice the skills you learned regularly to keep your
skills sharp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">If you bought
your gun to be carried concealed outside your house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Do you have the
proper permit?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many states require a
permit and there is a process for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your local Sheriffs office can help with this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Did you buy a
good holster?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The $20 nylon gun sock is
not adequate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do spend the money for a
quality holster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Do you actually
know how to properly draw your gun from the holster?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one area where professional training
is a great idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">Are you aware of
the laws of when you can lawfully shoot someone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial;">If you purchased
your firearm for self-defense this is important to know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You cannot just shoot someone because you
felt scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need lawful just cause,
which can vary from state to state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Finally, the political side
of guns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately when you talk
about guns, you get a large barrel of politics to go with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I hope everyone of the first
time gun buyers have learned a little bit about why the gun community fights so
hard against more gun laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That most of
the guns laws are stupid and unnecessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">That no, you cannot just buy
a gun off the Internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, you cannot
pay extra to waive the 10 day waiting period before you take your new gun home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That background checks already exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, these are real questions asked by some
first time buyers who where shocked these laws existed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I guess politicians and anti-gun
political activist don’t always tell the truth do they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Remember, when you felt the
need to buy a gun for protection, politicians shut down many guns stores were
sued by the gun community to reopen them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I hope this experience has
opened your eyes on why more gun laws are not needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And many of the existing laws need to be
repealed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I hope you change your
voting habits and stop voting for more gun laws and the politicians that try to
take away your rights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I’ll wrap this up with the
following.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Again, welcome to the gun
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope it is a positive
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That you get the training
you need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That you enjoy the shooting
sports and maybe find a competition you enjoy and participate in as part of
your practice sessions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Welcome to a whole new
world, I think you will enjoy the gun community and gun culture. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">-Gundude Mez<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">April 2020 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07675746578750657283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-21108216946793898792020-02-16T07:43:00.001-08:002020-02-16T07:43:49.815-08:00Trying Something NewEach night after SHOT Show, the GunDudes and I did a brief Facebook Live video. I've had deaf and hard of hearing friends most of my life, so I try to be inclusive when I can. I knew my friend Rachel would want to watch the videos, but wouldn't be able to because I didn't know how to close caption a live video.<br />
<br />
I texted her with a crazy idea and she supported me, so I'm going to try something new. From now on, all of our videos (including FB live once I figure that business out) will be closed captioned (CC is not the crazy idea) and I'll be signing (<i>that's</i> the crazy idea). She was very supportive, which gave me the courage to really step out of my comfort zone.<br />
<br />
We don't post a lot of content on our YouTube page, but from now on, any video I make will be done in sign, along with CC. My hope is to make shooting more accessible to my deaf and HoH friends. Maybe, with enough practice, next year's SHOT Show end-of-day videos will also be done in sign.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NCvrRN7D22A" width="560"></iframe>
GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-24887712097306117142020-02-09T16:47:00.004-08:002020-02-09T16:47:41.870-08:00Industry DaySHOT was difficult for me this year. As usual, I looked forward to the trip, to seeing the new products, and to seeing people I only get to spend time with once a year. But I just couldn't muster much enthusiasm. If you watched out live feeds, it was readily apparent that my heart wasn't in it this year.<br />
<br />
For the life of me, I can't figure it out.<br />
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Nonetheless, I had a good time and got to put my hands on some really cool things.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNvVZCTWmIkRCZx29NHdECN5gxm7K1F_ZAbHvJ7dOnhMBNXsT7k9qPqnD4Wjz-g7x4SXi2lHPgV-r_MYRbuPKzrDzUsS_DS_SC9Kkw-fBEvFwh0qFM3qgPPUswrvFUwb3Sd3je1YzXNA/s1600/2020-01-20+08.11.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNvVZCTWmIkRCZx29NHdECN5gxm7K1F_ZAbHvJ7dOnhMBNXsT7k9qPqnD4Wjz-g7x4SXi2lHPgV-r_MYRbuPKzrDzUsS_DS_SC9Kkw-fBEvFwh0qFM3qgPPUswrvFUwb3Sd3je1YzXNA/s400/2020-01-20+08.11.15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GunDudes Jay and Mez, me, and GunDude Robbie</td></tr>
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Industry Day started out nicely, as I got to shoot the new Mossberg 940 JM with none other than the Master himself, Jerry Miceluk.<br />
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I'm not gonna lie, I fell in love with the shotgun. But it is a bit out of my price range. It's well-thought out and Mossberg is doing a good job of listening to the Miceluk family as the end users. 3G folks are going to be falling over themselves to pick up this shotgun.<br />
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We also shot the much talked about Glock 44. I wanted to hate it, because I feel like Glock has been resting on their laurels when it comes to innovation. They were ground breaking in the 80s, but haven't been doing much in the way of innovation since. Yes, what they had worked, and changed the gun industry with their fantastic plastic. But ... they haven't done much since. They were very slow to market with single stack versions (G42 and G43), despite people clamoring for them. To be so late to turn out a .22 trainer is almost unforgivable, so I really wanted to hate this gun.<br />
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Turns out. I kinda liked it. A lot. Maybe not enough to buy one yet, but I do see that it has a place in my gun safe as a teaching gun. There have been some reported issues with the polymer on the slide cracking, and some feeding issues, but I'm not convinced it's as big a problem as some writers would like you to believe. I'll wait until this has been on the market a year or so before I made a definite decision whether or not to buy one.<br />
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Another highly anticipated gun was the Colt Python. I loved it. So much fun. However, my carpal tunnel syndrome did not like it. At all. We were only shooting .38 Specials, so nothing that I shouldn't have been able to handle, but after only ten rounds my carpal tunnel was flared up for two days afterward. I also managed to tweak my thumb and am now suffering from tendonitis. I think between the carpal tunnel syndrome and the tendonitis in my thumb, it's a clear indication that this gun does not fit my hand and isn't the gun for me.<br />
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The trigger was so nice and smooth. I'm not an expert in revolvers, but I know that pretty much every revolver I've shot has had a "crunchy" trigger. This new Colt did not. Other than the flaring up the carpal tunnel and giving myself tendonitis, I had so much fun shooting this gun.<br />
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Despite my love for fire power, I have an almost equally deep love for crossbows. GunDude Jay bought me one a few years ago for Christmas and I do love that crossbow.<br />
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It's awesome, but there's one itty, bitty problem with my Christmas Crossbow: I'm both too short and too weak to cock it. I've been threatening for years to buy an aftermarket crank, but those things are expensive!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkcb15wJaOGZ7u7L6gfKepOLBp_81b3u1itMWYmpdRnA0lddoGVgVhjuuqmeqHiAZjUdtvQSnTkZw_Sljcnde5tX1mghBDu2cOTm1hBlM2QSJY4IsPUd1pUBNRgrNzeAcJNx0fJ-ZNV4/s1600/Can+not+cock+the+Christmas+Crossbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkcb15wJaOGZ7u7L6gfKepOLBp_81b3u1itMWYmpdRnA0lddoGVgVhjuuqmeqHiAZjUdtvQSnTkZw_Sljcnde5tX1mghBDu2cOTm1hBlM2QSJY4IsPUd1pUBNRgrNzeAcJNx0fJ-ZNV4/s400/Can+not+cock+the+Christmas+Crossbow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Luckily, GunDude Jay loves me and would do the heavy lifting when I wanted to shoot, but that's hardly being self-sufficient. Imagine how happy I was to see the Mission Crossbows Sub-1 Lite. Not only is it compact and light-weight, but I can run it by myself without an issue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxLly-tH76UM3y5Q9xOrhkmIHlS0MZ69QeolhZXUn-pISlIaRVDvU5T0HIm3qJm3aG-A2VMypy9aiQk3RLIYZAlCqY5TRwycBOnQsaHQVbysMAnzJNmm28Q4XTrAUgkslUtEH0gkxGDo/s1600/2020-01-20+13.11.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxLly-tH76UM3y5Q9xOrhkmIHlS0MZ69QeolhZXUn-pISlIaRVDvU5T0HIm3qJm3aG-A2VMypy9aiQk3RLIYZAlCqY5TRwycBOnQsaHQVbysMAnzJNmm28Q4XTrAUgkslUtEH0gkxGDo/s400/2020-01-20+13.11.00.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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With a price tag of $1,399.99, it's going to be a while (or never) before I can afford one of these beauties. I can buy a lot of personal training sessions to get strong enough to use my Christmas Crossbow for $1,399.99. 😂<br />
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Of course, I had to go by the knife/axe/shovel/star throwing (AKA Buckmaster) tent and throw pointy things, something I also really enjoy. I had left the boys to at whichever booth piqued their interest and wandered over to throw sharp, pointy things, so unfortunately I don't have any pictures, but I do have some fond memories.<br />
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Being Industry Day, we shot so many guns they've run together in my mind. Mez took good notes about each gun he shot, but I only jotted down notes on the ones I was interested in, so this is what you get from me.<br />
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Eventually, everyone else will get around to posting their impressions of what we saw at Industry Day.GunDivahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02965363044411500380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2799839071071205839.post-38784849168527526702020-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:002020-01-13T08:00:04.716-08:00Classics<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I have a confession to make. I’m counting down
the days until my odometer flips over the half century mark. That means I grew
up and came of age in a time when revolvers and steel framed semi autos were
still king. Heck, I took my driving test with a state trooper who was carrying
what looked like, to my young eyes, a HUGE Smith & Wesson revolver. I
couldn’t tell you which model it was, but it could have been anything from a
Model 19 in .357 to a Model 25 in .45 Colt. It was all deep blue steel, walnut
stocks, stuffed into a well-worn but cared for leather holster. He was HUGE
too. It was my sixteenth birthday, I was a painfully skinny 6’4” and, at time,
barely 145 pounds soaking wet. He was at least a couple of inches taller not
including the Trooper Stetson and had 100 pounds of muscle on me easily. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Yes, sir. No, sir. Did I pass, sir?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">It’s really a shame that kids today don’t have to
take all or nothing driving tests sitting next to a humorless state trooper who
is, in fact, armed and willing to defend him/herself if necessary from some
snot nosed kid’s feeble attempt to commit vehicular homicide. I digress though.
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I have written before about my love for the
shooting sports and guns in general. After about 40+ years of exposure to the
hobby in one form or another, I have reached an epiphany of sorts. It’s nothing
earth shattering really, but I’m a sucker for the classics. I love revolvers
and lever guns and 1911s. Before anyone gets their Underoos in a tizzy, I have
nothing against the modern polymer semi-auto pistols or the somewhat long in
the tooth AR-15 rifle platform. I have owned and/or currently own both. Each
has their place and fill a niche. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I will readily grant credit where credit is due:
the AR-15 is about as close to a do it all firearm as has ever been invented.
It can do everything from door kicking combat to home defense to precision
target shooting to plinking to hunting and a lot of other tasks in between. It
can be a pistol or a rifle. It can be a .22LR plinker all the way up to a .50
Beowulf thumper. If you can dream it, someone has probably already tried it. If
I could only have one gun, it would be an AR with an assortment of uppers to
cover as many options as I could ever foresee. That’s cheating just a little,
but the ATF defined the terms. So, it’s all fair as far as I’m concerned.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">That’s not to say I don’t have a few hang ups
with polymer pistols and the AR rifle platform. The main two are aesthetics and
legality. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Aesthetics are really a deeply subjective issue.
I’ve seen some really cool looking ARs and some that look worse than a hot mess
of dog vomit. Even the really cool looking ARs all share the same bones which
is lots of rails and angles and pins and buttons and lions and tigers and bears
oh my. Functionally, it’s great. It’s one of the most ergonomic rifles I’ve
ever handled. It’s just about infinitely adjustable for shooters large and
small. But, put it next to a nicely stocked lever action, and suddenly it’s the
ugly stepsister. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The same could be said of the (insert the name of
your favorite polymer semi auto here). Up until recently, you could get them in
any color you wanted as long as it was black. Now, you can pretty much get any
polymer gun to look like anything you want. Heck, people are even customizing
HiPoints. Want a red dot? Factory optics ready, gunsmith slide cut or dovetail
mount? Lights and lasers? There’s someone that makes it. Caliber conversions?
What do you want to shoot? To be fair, there are a few other pistols that can
do some of those tricks (Sig P22x, EAA Witness, etc). But, it’s hard to beat
the modularity of the modern polymer pistol (or the AR) except on a purely
aesthetic level. A deeply blued 1911 or Smith revolver with a nice set of grips
is a beautiful work of art. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The other hang up I have with ARs and polymer
semi autos is legalities. This is normally a non-issue for me here in Texas,
but that is not true for everywhere. Further, the changing demographics in Texas
along with the constant drumbeat for more and harder gun control means that you
can’t assume that won’t change. No one (so far) has threatened to ban revolvers
and lever action rifles. But, magazine restrictions and “assault weapon” bans/restrictions
are a thing in several states. We like to travel as a family, and I really don’t
want to have to be concerned about committing an instant felony just crossing a
state line while carrying a gun that is legal for me at home. The Constitution
is supposed to address this, but over a hundred years of spineless
jurisprudence has made it confusing at best to navigate the country while
exercising your God given right to keep and bear arms. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">In the grand scheme of things, my hang ups are
really minor and do not outweigh the value and utility that ARs and polymer
semi autos bring to the table in the slightest. Having said, that I have an irrational
attachment to classics like the Smith & Wesson and Ruger revolvers, 1911s
and lever action rifles. Put a Glock 21 next to a 1911, and I will pick the
1911 almost every time. Ditto for the AR next to a Marlin 1894. Likewise, I
will generally take a .45ACP pistol over a 9mm pistol and a .357 Magnum or .44
Magnum lever rifle over a .223 AR. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Why? The Glock and AR are objectively better in
almost every way over their classic counterparts (though the 1911 generally has
a better trigger than the Glock). Glocks and ARs have more capacity, are easier
to reload, are at least as accurate if not more accurate than the classics. In
a word, “because”. Because I like them. Because I prefer bigger bullets over
smaller bullets. Because I’m too old to go kicking in doors or play Cowboys and
dead terrorists in the sand box. Because I like my guns like I like my wife:
beautiful with curves in all the right places. Because ‘MERICA!!!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">None of this means I don’t have a
use for a Glock or an AR. I generally shoot Glocks better than most other
pistols. For a woods walking gun that you don’t have to worry about getting
scratched up, it’s hard to beat a Glock 20 in 10MM for a balance of
shootability, power and capacity. The AR was originally developed as a target
rifle which makes it very accurate and suitable for a wide range of applications.
Like the Glock, you can carry an AR in the woods and not worry about the finish
getting dinged. These, to me, are tools. Function over form. The classics are
also tools, but they are tools which form and function have been carefully blended
into mechanical art. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">If high speed/low drag is your thing, knock
yourself out. Long range gnat shooting float your goat? There’s plenty of
options to suit your tastes. Cowboy action or fast draw gives you the giggles?
Good for you. The gun community has never had it so good in terms of
manufacturers willing to fill so many niches. You do you, I’ll do me, and we
can all nod in appreciation that we all enjoy the same hobby in different ways.
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<br />Daddy Hawkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01386749814126280114noreply@blogger.com3