DTI's Off-body Carry Instructor's Class

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.

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.

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.

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.

But I digress ...

While I learned about drawing from purses, my biggest take-aways were in how 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 good teacher.

However, watching and learning from a great 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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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).

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:

Claim Your Own Magnificence!

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.

 Thank you to Suzanne Freehauf of Ladyfire, LLC for the pictures.

Concealed Handgun Class

Back in the 90s, not long after Texas joined the ranks of states that trust its citizens to carry concealed handguns, I took the plunge and got licensed to carry along with many of my fellow Texans. I have to say, my motivation for doing so at the time was mainly because I could as opposed to any well defined awareness of the need for self defense or any other "valid" reason. I am a guy, guns are cool, and I thought "why not?"

Fast forward a couple of years, and I met the woman who would become The Queen. She grew up as a person of tremendous personal religious faith who believes that one should rely solely on God for personal protection. She is not anti-gun. In fact, she enjoys shooting as much as the next non-liberal person. She was, however, very uncomfortable with the idea of me carrying a revolver in my pocket anytime we took a late night stroll or having a gun in the car when we were out and about.  

Along about license renewal time, I was undergoing a bit of a spiritual awakening myself due in no small part to The Queen's example and God's inescapable influence. Let's just say, I have a somewhat better understanding of the Book of Jonah than the average bear. I came to believe, as I still do, that God is a far better protector than I can ever be, and my part in the defense of self and others is to be aware of my surroundings and lead us not into unsafe places. Nonetheless, I took the renewal class; however, I might as well have not bothered as I never sent my renewal paperwork into the state. 

Thus, my license lapsed many moons ago. It is a decision which I have never been given cause to regret. 

Fast forward more than ten years. I find myself married to a wonderful woman who I love dearly and starting a family through the trials and joys of fostering to adopt. The circumstances of life and money have forced me to abandon active pursuit of my first, non-marital passion, flying airplanes. Needing an outlet for my inner man child, I reverted back to a long dormant interest, firearms.

Much has transpired in the world of firearms since I was last really active in the sport. The assault weapons ban of 1994 came and went. Texas has become more firearms friendly by expanding the castle doctrine to include carrying in your personal vehicle. The polymer gun market niche has gone from the Glock and maybe the Glock to a near majority if not an actual majority of all handguns encompassing most if not all the major names in handguns including Ruger (which was into polymers before polymers were cool with the 22/45), Smith & Wesson and Sig Sauer. You can now even print an AR-15 receiver for crying out loud.

And my gun wish list has gone completely and totally out of control. 

The first thing I did when I became active in shooting again was to buy one of my long time wish list items, a 1911, and get involved in the local action pistol shooting club (mainly IDPA with some USPSA matches to boot). It also had me keeping an eye out for deals on other wish list items and setting money aside when possible to purchase some of those items. 

One of the things that has irked me the most about all this is the background checks they are required to do when purchasing from a dealer. Personally, I don't think a form 4473 and a background check should be required to purchase a firearm. I does nothing to combat criminals obtaining guns illegally, but that's a rant for another time. With The Great Firearms Buying Frenzy of 2012 following the election continuing into this year, I've been told, as recently as late February, that wait times of several days are not unheard of when requesting a firearms transfer through an FFL dealer. My last transfer went through in about 30 minutes on a weekday in the evening after work; however, that was before we all jumped off the Fiscal Cliff with Sequestration and the White House's edict to make the budget cuts are felt by you and I as much as possible. What do you bet manpower for NICS checks went under the budget axe? 

There is a ray of sunshine though. You can get around the point of purchase NICS background check (but not the form 4473...that's also a rant for another time) with a concealed handgun license. They seem to figure, rightly so, that some one who has gone through the hassle of getting a thorough FBI background check, taking a class and paying a hefty fee for a CHL will mostly likely clear an NICS check. So, why waste the manpower and resources to duplicate effort? Right? 

It makes so much sense it's a wonder the government allowed it (that too is a rant for another time).

If that weren't enough incentive, there is this. My sister...the devil started making noise late last year about getting her CHL. Around about November, I saw a Groupon deal that was almost too good to be true: CHL class for two including lane rental for $75.  This was obviously before they stopped offering firearms related deals. Around here that's about the bare minimum for a class for one person (and I've seen some places charging up to $125). 

So, I floated the idea to the family. Anyone interested in getting the class out of the way while they're giving it away for free practically? The Queen politely declined seeing no benefit or need to her which is quite alright as I am not the type of husband to force his wife to do anything she does not want to do. My sister...the devil was interested but decided to make her own arrangements despite me offering to cover the cost if necessary (me thinks she might be kicking herself now). Surprisingly, my mother expressed an interest.

There's a bit of a back story there that I will address shortly. Suffice it to say for the moment that Mimi (as mother is known to the grandkids) probably has the best excuse in the family for getting a CHL even if she never totes a heater in her life. I bought the deal for her and I and booked us the earliest slot that matched our calendars which was in late January. 

Of course, Murphy had a few choice words to say about that plan. I got sick the week before the scheduled class time immediately following which The Queen and newly adopted daughter M&M took ill requiring a rescheduling of plans. I was a bit concerned about this development as it was shortly after this that Groupon announced it's decision to no longer honor firearms related deals. 

Fortunately for me, the range where the class was scheduled did honor the deal. So, no harm no foul. The class was rescheduled for a week ago Sunday, March 10. My birthday, in fact, not that it matters a whole hill of beans.

But, here is my first minor gripe. I checked the range's website for the class' start time and was informed that 9:00 AM was when things got kicked off. Of course, Murphy had to screw with things yet again. This day was, as you will recall, the time change ending Daylight Savings Time (yet another rant for another time). Guess who was out until 1:00 AM the previous evening with his wife at the drive in theater? Guess who thought he had slept in too late until he remembered that his phone automatically updates the time?

Yeah. That'd be me. 

Anysnoozer, Mimi and I arrived at the range with what we thought was 15 minutes to spare...only to find out that class had been going for 45 minutes. 

Doh!! Facepalm!

Fortunately, we did not get any grief from the instructor unlike the young lady who came in a few minutes after us. I did come to her defense and tell the instructor of the website misinformation campaign. He promised to check with the range staff about that issue.  Unfortunately, there were no seats left for Mimi and I to sit together and only a couple of seats left period as the class was booked to capacity if not over capacity. Double fortunately, we had not missed anything important as he spent the first part of class going over range commands and safety.

There was a reason for that which we discovered rather promptly. The shooting portion of the class was to be done first. 

That was a little disconcerting because I had been hoping to have the lunch hour to get Mimi and I out on the range for a little warm up and familiarization. Mimi was to be using a rental gun for the test and hasn't shot handguns much and not at all in recent years. I have plenty of handgun experience, but I've been on shooting hiatus due to the situation with the foster kids which, until recently, kept my trigger time to next to nothing. Needless to say, some practice time would have been very welcome. 

In hindsight, the way they handled this makes perfect sense. This particular range only has seven shooting lanes for reasons that I have not yet figured out as they have room for double that amount. The class had so many participants that it was necessary to break the class up into five separate relays to get everyone through. The range does not open for regular business on Sundays until 11:00 AM. So, the sooner the CHL class gets run through the range, the less interference the range has with regular business.

I was in the third relay, and Mimi was put in the fourth relay at my request so that I could watch over her shoulder and provide moral support as necessary (I was not allowed to coach her at all...which turned out for the best as will be discussed shortly). 

I won't spend much time discussing my shooting. I did well enough to pass with a 248 out of a possible score of 250. I am greatly disappointed that I dropped one shot out of 50 especially when it was an "easy" shot at 15 yards with no real pressure. Two things come to mind in hindsight: 1) shooting is a perishable skill, and 2) I need to focus on my own shooting and not let the cadence of other shooters affect my own timing. 

I've always heard that shooting skills degrade over time, and I have experienced that to a certain extent in the past. However, it's something else to pick up your weapon cold after a several month hiatus and have trouble just finding the right grip. We were supposed to get a little range time in over the previous weekend. Unfortunately, Mr. Murphy saw to that be creating a little crisis that eliminated any possibility of a practice session. 

As far as letting what others are doing get inside my head and affect what I am doing, I think that too is a casualty of not getting enough practice time in. Normally, I can tune what others are doing out fairly well; however, I've always had a little jumpiness when I first get to the range. Some of that is excitement. Some is a healthy paranoia that there are people around me with guns that I neither know nor trust. After the first round or two, my jitters settle down, and I can get down to business. Add in a little performance anxiety and "I really want a perfect score" pressure, and dropping a round here or there is bound to happen. 

I've already posted a photo of my target previously, and it's pretty obvious that there was too much/too little finger on the trigger for at least 20 rounds. Most of those would have been at the 7 and 15 yard lines where shooting errors will be more apparent. Still, I can't complain about getting 30 rounds through the same, ragged, inch and a half to two inch hole. That's good enough to ruin any bad guy's day. 

Poor mom though...oy vey!

First, while waiting for our relays to begin, we did some familiarization and gun handling with rental Taurus .380. The Taurus was of decent size that a good grip was possible. Mimi learned how to operate it in short order and all was assumed to be kosher. 

Then, Murphy struck again. The Taurus bit the dust with several malfunctions in the early relays, and a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 was brought in as a substitute rental. Uh oh. No bueno batman. Some of you may be asking why we rented the .380 in the first place instead of a 9mm or other suitable caliber. Two words: AMMO SHORTAGE. The range only had .380 and .45ACP in stock for rental guns. 

Anyone here think turning Mimi loose with a polymer .45 rental gun is a good idea? Neither did I. 

In hindsight, I should have begged or borrowed a solid 9mm (such as my cousin's Kahr) from someone and scrounged the ammo. Oh well. Live and learn.

Back to the shooting. The Smith may be a popular pocket pistol; but, from what I saw of it, I wouldn't spend my money for one on a bet. The sights are non-existent for one thing. The thing is super tiny for another. It makes a Glock 26 feel like a full sized gun by comparison. Next, it too suffered from several malfunctions most of which were of the failure to go fully into battery variety. I will give it the benefit of the doubt and chalk that up to Mimi's gun handling as she was having a difficult time remaining steady for personal reasons. Bottom line: caveat emptor. Don't buy one unless you have tried it personally and know that's what you want. Don't buy one for someone else unless they've asked for it specifically. 

Come to think of it, that's pretty good advice for all firearms purchases. 

I don't have a photo of Mimi's target, but I think she would agree that it looked she had dumped a couple of loads of buckshot at it from over 15 yards as opposed to aimed fire from a .380. Part of this was due to her lack of familiarity with the gun. Some due to her inexperience as a pistol shooter

Some, however, was due to the personal issues I have mentioned previously. You see, Mimi had an encounter several years ago in which she woke up at 6:00 AM to find a naked man on her balcony. She lives alone in a small, country town and this was a bit of a shock to say the least. The man was later identified as a mentally disturbed Viet Nam vet which did nothing for Mimi's state of mind.

With time, the purchase of a Ruger 10/22 for home protection (her choice after several hours at a gun show with plenty of input from unbiased sources), and a major home remodel including elimination of the offending balcony, she gradually came to relax in her own skin and home again. 

She agreed to go to the CHL class with me, as she put it, "...because I think I need to."

I took that at face value until we got to the range for the shooting portion where it became apparent that she was not completely comfortable with things. I assured her she was under no obligation to continue if she didn't want to, but she bravely soldiered on. Even when it became apparent that her shooting was not up to par. 

I will give kudos to the instructor here. He was beyond patient with Mimi, giving her pointers as necessary and helping her clear the malfunctions in the Bodyguard. His scoring of her target was...shall we say...generous. He gave her a 212 out of 250 where 175 was the minimum passing score. I'm not saying he counted some holes twice, but I'm not saying he didn't either. 

For her part, Mimi reported after the fact with a few tears peeking out of her eyes that she was surprised to have feelings from the naked guy incident bubble up during the range time. She told me, wisely I think, that she wants to take a step back and start over with a handgun 101 class and possibly some private instruction before circling back around to take the CHL class again. Even though she "passed" the class, she does not feel she is ready. And that is a decision I respect. 

After the shooting was over, it was time for lunch before the mind numbing class room portion of the class going over the minutiae of Texas deadly force and gun laws. I confess that I had a hard time staying awake and took every opportunity to get up, stretch and get fresh air. Mimi and I both passed the written test with no problems. 

It was a good experience overall. I enjoyed the mother/son bonding time. The instructor did a good job of making the class room material interesting with personal stories from his own experience as well as funny video clips to break up the monotony. 

Soon, I will have a newly minted CHL in my pocket with all the rights and responsibilities associated with that. I anticipate very little change in my current behavior. I still do not plan on carrying regularly. My main reason, as mentioned earlier, is to remove some of the hassles associated with my hobby. In addition to no more NICS checks, I can now also go to and from the range and not worry about taking my gun off if I have to stop for groceries on the way home.  

And, I can now carry a gun when chaperoning my daughter on her first date...when she turns 30. 

Firearms 101 - The Rules

I posted this over on my personal blog, Preachers and Horse Thieves, a while back before GunDiva invited to the party here. Since we are starting a new year with an imminent battle over gun rights and responsible gun ownership, I figured now was a good time to repost this here.

I originally prepared this for a friend who is interested in learning to shoot. Enjoy.

The Four Rules

1. All guns are loaded.

2. Never point the muzzle of a firearm at anything you are not willing to destroy.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and you are ready to shoot.

4. Know your target and what’s beyond it.

Memorize these four rules. They are the basis of all firearms safety. It is highly unlikely to the point of being statistically impossible to be hurt by or hurt someone else with a firearm when obeying the four rules. Further, there is no such thing as an “accidental discharge” when properly handling a modern firearm in accordance with the rules. More importantly, no matter how many safety features that are designed into a firearm, the most important safety feature a firearm can have is the trained mind of the person holding it.

Further explanation of the Rules:

1. The longer version of Rule 1 is “Treat All Guns AS IF They Are Loaded.” Every time you pick up or are handed a firearm, you personally should check its chamber or cylinder to verify whether or not it is loaded before doing anything else with the firearm. If someone else is handing the firearm to you, it is not a matter of trust/distrust to verify that the firearm is unloaded. It is a signal to responsible shooters that you are not a fool who will waive a gun around indiscriminately, that you respect firearms as tools that must be handled mindfully in the same way that you would operate power tools and respect your life and the lives of others. Responsible gun owners/shooters EXPECT you to verify the condition (i.e. loaded versus unloaded) of the firearm. 
2. Rule 2 is fairly straight forward. Bullets come out of the muzzle end of the barrel. They come out fast and have a lot of kinetic energy that they are just waiting to dump into something, anything in their way. So, don’t point the barrel at anything you don’t want a bullet to hit or go through. Such as your wife and child, your car’s engine, the neighbor’s house, etc. If you would like some examples of what bullets will do, go to: http://www.theboxotruth.com/index.htm for plenty of examples with photos. 
3. Rule 3 is also pretty straightforward. If your finger is on the trigger, Mr. Firearm is no one’s friend whether it’s loaded or not. If your finger is not on the trigger, the chances of a loaded firearm discharging are significantly reduced. Most modern firearms have been designed and tested such that you can literally hammer nails or tent stakes or small children with them and still not discharge; however, smart people follow the rules religiously and don’t tempt Murphy’s Law. 
4. Rule 4 typically gives people the most fits. Once a bullet is fired, it does not stop until its kinetic energy is completely dissipated. Where and how that energy gets dissipated depends on several variables including bullet design, muzzle velocity, trajectory, target density, gravity, etc. For instance, a 230 grain .45 caliber bullet fired at 1000 feet per second (which is a typical bullet weight and speed for a 1911 style handgun) parallel to the ground at a shoulder height of 5 feet will travel approximately 156 feet before impacting the ground due to gravity assuming it hits nothing else in its path. If the bullet hits a rock at impact, it could ricochet in unpredictable directions with unknown consequences. That same bullet fired straight up at 90 degrees to the ground will climb to over 15,000 feet before coming back down. Big difference. For this reason, most firearms ranges have some sort of ballistically proven back stop material to safely dissipate the energy of a bullet and secondary measures to prevent you from inadvertently shooting someone in the next town. A huge pile of dirt works very well which is why it’s used almost exclusively at outdoor ranges. Concrete and/or ½ inch to inch thick steel works well with some caveats. Sheet metal doesn’t work too well which is why cars do not provide very effective cover in shootouts despite what Hollywood has portrayed.

Last thoughts on safety:

1. Obey the rules and no one gets hurt.
2. Disobeying the rules might get you shot and not necessarily by someone else.
3. Do not fear the firearm. It is only a tool used to hit a target in the same way a saw is used to cut wood. They are neither good nor evil. They just are.
4. If you are not sure, ask questions. There are no stupid questions.

Training Review: Two Hour Handgun 101

If you have read my bio, you know that I claim no formal firearms training as part of my background. As my involvement in the shooting sports has increased, my desire to change that circumstance has increased as well. Towards the end of August, I was perusing my daily Groupon email when I noticed a deal for a two hour handgun 101 class. One hour of classroom followed by one hour of range time with range fee, gun rental and ammo included for two people for the obscenely low price of $39.

Cha-Ching! Where do we sign up?

Yes, I said we. In my excitement at getting such a deal and my desire to share my hobby with my long suffering wife, The Queen, I signed us both up for this educational experience. Then, I told her I had a surprise for her. The Queen is no stranger to firearms, but she is not obsessed with them like I am. Once upon a time, I took her on a date during which go karts were raced and a select fire 9mm H&K MP5 was rented and fired. The Queen claimed she had a great time at said date. So, this surprise date was going to be well received too. Right?

Yeah, not so much. More on that later. Maybe.

Word of advise to husbands reading this: don't bill a date involving your hobby as a surprise to your wife who is stressed from caring for three children under the age of five and dealing your sorry hide day in and day out.

Word of advise to wives reading this: when you present your husband with the receipts from your massage/spa day/shopping spree/shooting spree, gently remind him that you didn't kill him for getting your hopes up for something romantic.

Any fail, back to our story.

Notice I am not naming names here. There are two reasons for this: 1) there is no need to publicly shame this business across the Internet for those located somewhere other than the Dallas/Fort Worth area (those in DFW can email me for names if you so desire), and 2) I don't want to discourage other businesses from offering similar opportunities via Groupon.

The Groupon portion of the experience was awesome. Paid online. Scheduled online. Printed voucher. Done. No fuss.

The classroom portion of the event was not bad. It was not great either. The classroom was long and narrow with the tables setup facing the centerline of the room instead of the front of the room. This made watching the video portions of the instruction difficult. There were about 22 to 25 people in the class with 1 instructor. Remember these numbers, they will come back to haunt us soon.

Now, here is a little pet peeve. A training class advertised to start at 7:00 should...you know...start at 7:00. Not 6:50. When we walked into the classroom at 6:55, the instructor had already started a power point presentation and was showing a video clip of Clint Smith talking about something or other, I honestly can't remember at this point.

Before moving on, let me describe our instructor for the evening. Short, overweight and wearing a Springfield XD 9mm in a Miami classic shoulder holster rig. I found it amusing that he continually muzzled the whole class with his loaded XD every time he turned around while demonstrating "proper" muzzle discipline with a revolver and a semi auto.

Back to the classroom material. I don't have a problem with an instructor inserting video clips to enhance a presentation. I've done that myself professionally. However, over reliance on video clips from others more qualified than you just highlights your own lack of qualification. Also, I don't really feel the need to pay good money to watch clips of Clint Smith or Todd Jarrett that I can see (and have seen in some cases) on YouTube for free.

The instructor did do a good job of demonstrating a solid two handed grip as well as the rationale for same. He demonstrated the Isosceles stance. I would have liked to have seen other stances covered as well, but that would have meant cutting out one of the Clint Smith video clips.

Positive take aways from the classroom portion: 1) Mag Out / Round Out for proper clearing of semi autos so that you do not inadvertently reload the chamber from the magazine, 2) you use the pad of your index finger to engage the trigger as using the first joint causes the meat of the finger to interfere with proper operation of the trigger, and 3) Todd Jarrett / Clint Smith are worth whatever money they are getting paid since our instructor felt the need to use their material instead of his own.

Now, on to the range portion. The range where the class was held is a relatively new facility with 7 pistol bays. Remember the number of students in class? Do you see where this train is about to crash? To add insult to stupidity, the range was not closed to outside shooters for the class. Those 7 bays were thus reduced to a mere 5 bays available for the shooting portion of the class. So, 1 instructor is going to run 25 students, some of whom have never touched s firearm, through a minimum of 20 rounds of ammo on 5 pistol bays in under an hour. Oh, and give quality one on one coaching in the process.

Yeah, not so much.

To add a additional level of stupid, one of the lanes rented to a non-class member was a guy trying to impress not one but two girls by shooting his .40 gangsta style. I really wanted a few quiet moments with that bonehead, but such was not to be. For what it's worth, one of the girls was a better shot than he was.

Heck, The Queen is a better shot than he was. But I digress.

The rental guns were supposed to be Smith & Wesson M&P .22s. I was really kinda interested in shooting them to see what all the hubbub with the triggers is about. Alas, when I got my chance to shoot, the lane I landed on had a Sig Mosquito for use. Apparently, one of the M&Ps was taken down by a squib round that left a bullet lodged in the barrel that need to be hammered out, and the Mosquito was pulled in as a substitute.

A word or two about the Sig: I don't like the long DA/SA trigger. I've never liked the DA/SA trigger system. Didn't like it on the Beretta. Didn't like it on the S&amW 4506 that my brother in law had. Didn't like it on the Mosquito.  Personal preference. Your mileage may vary. The sights were way high. Point of impact at five yards was about three inches low. Once I figured that out, I turned the number 8 on a standard Texas DPS silhouette target into one ragged hole which is what I expect of myself at that distance.

Watching some of the others in the class, there were clearly some newbies. One guy in front of me had the shakes so bad, I thought he was going to drop the gun. He really needed some one on one attention. Unfortunately, he didn't get it that I saw.

Range commands, though discussed in class, were non-existent on the range. I didn't notice any glaring safety issues, but that could have just been luck given the experience level in the class.

So, bottom line: when it comes to Groupon firearms events, buyer beware.

In hindsight, I should have called the provider and asked some basic questions. My self assessed experience level is higher than a basic, intro class. I wanted to take the class for the sole purpose of starting with the basics to make sure I was not reinforcing ay bad habits left over from my grandfather and also to give The Queen and I a good basis for future firearms activities. A mentioned above, I did get something's out of the class. However, I was left feeling like I should have gotten more out of it.

For the price, I can't complain too much more than I already have.

An Invite

I'd like to invite you to check out the new pages we've added.  You can get to them by either clicking the tab up top or clicking on the pictures in the sidebar to the right.

Mrs Mom started her own company, not too long ago, making paracord accessories.  Not just the bracelets that everyone sports, but also custom rifle slings and horse accessories.  You can find her stuff by clicking the "Accessories" tab.

As you know, I've been doing some training with Double Tap and have added him as one of our GunDudes.  Not only is he a hell of a shooter, but he's also a hell of an instructor.  The "Training" tab will give you all of the information you need to take one of his classes.

And no sales pitch would be complete without a reminder that we only have about twenty original GunDiva shirts available.  Get them while you still can - they're great range shirts in that the collars lie flat and don't gape for hot brass to find its way inside.  I wear mine all the time.

Hold It Like You Own It

One of the biggest mistakes I see with women shooters, especially new ones, is a fear to take control of their gun.  Having a gun that fits properly is just the first step; proper grip is the second.  YouTube is full of videos mocking women shooters who have hit themselves in the head with whichever handgun their "friends" have given them to shoot.  Those videos infuriate me for one reason - with proper instruction, no one would ever get tattoo'd by their handgun.

Proper grip will allow you to control the recoil and bring the gun back on target much more quickly, which means you can get your next shot off much more quickly.

Attitude is crucial when handling guns.  If you are afraid of it, or of the recoil, it will bite you.  Tara's favorite phrase when dealing with new shooter is, "Hold it like you own it, not like it owns you."  You control the gun, not the other way around. 

A good grip starts the same way you check for fit, with the gun snugged into the web between your thumb and first finger.  Your index finger should rest along the frame of the gun, the other fingers wrapped comfortably around the grip.  Your support hand should be wrapped around the gun, covering the fingers of your strong hand, both thumbs facing forward.

Having your support hand wrapped around your strong hand helps control muzzle flip - when the gun fires, the front end of the muzzle will "flip" up.  Not controlling the muzzle flip is what caused all those women in the YouTube videos to smack themselves in the head.

It used to be popular to support the gun in a "tea cup" grip, with the support hand cupped underneath the gun, like a saucer under a tea cup.  The problem is that the gun can flip up off of the "saucer", leaving the strong hand to control the gun and bring it back down on target.  In order to avoid that from happening, people who use the tea cup grip will hold on tightly to their strong hand and pull down, which can cause their shots to dive.

Thumb position is very important when shooting a semi-automatic.  Semi-automatics are designed so that when they fire, the slide is forced backward, ejecting the fired brass and reloading a new cartridge.  If your support thumb is wrapped around the back of the gun the slide will take off skin when it cycles.  It hurts.  A lot.  Trust me on this one.  Keep those thumbs out of the way.

Having the gun tucked into the web of your hand will direct recoil back through your wrist, through your arm and into your body.  Absorbing the recoil with your body instead of your thumb (as with a poorly fitting gun) will make shooting even the biggest gun a lot more fun.

Here's a slow-motion video of me shooting; watch the muzzle flip up and notice how my grip helps to bring the gun back down on target so I can get the next shot off.  Thanks to my flabby, out of shape arms, you'll also be able to see the recoil travel from the gun to my body.




Now here's the same clip at "normal" speed.  In slow-mo, the muzzle flipped looked huge, but in this clip it's minimal.  You can also see how my support hand balances out the upward movement of the gun, simply by resisting the movement.  I don't have to muscle it down like I would if I used a tea cup grip.

Drum Roll, Please.. We Have Another Guest!

By: Mrs Mom

Ladies (and gents), it pleases me to no end to invite you all to read below, a guest post by the ever amazing Momma Fargo. What? You have not read anything by Momma Fargo? Don't mind me saying so, but I highly suggest you rectify that situation post haste! Momma Fargo- a one of a kind, witty, intelligent, talented writer is not just a Pistol Packin' Momma- oh no. Momma Fargo is also a law enforcement officer in the wilds of the north west. Her blog is filled with insight, humor, heartbreak and a birds eye view of what being a "girl" in law enforcement is about. Five star reading to be sure!

With out further ado, I present
Momma Fargo.

Enjoy! And be SURE to pay her a visit!

First, let me tell you what an honor it is to be a part of Girls With Guns! I’m so flattered I think I’m going to pee my pants! Stand by…

OK.*tap, tap* Is this thing on? Ok. I put my big girl panties on. No bladder problems…or at least I think I can, I think I can… But… I’m so excited! OOOOey and we get to talk about guns. ..and safety…and being a big girl in this world!

I was not always so excited about guns. Let me take you back to my experience. See…my dad was a tough guy…a man’s man. And well, I was the oldest. Although he wanted me to be a lady…I fished, I rode wild horses, I drove tractors, I got dirty. At 8…dad decided I was old enough to have my first gun. Mind you…I wasn’t thrilled. I mean, seriously…they didn’t even come in pink back then.

He had me open it up...all wrapped pretty…a shiny Remington .22 rifle. A brick of .22 shells to boot. Weak smile…”thanks, dad”…and in brown. At 8…PINK was my world. Oh…I was a tomboy..but I loved pink. Later, I would learn that brown and green are my favorite colors…such as in …camoflauge. YEAHUS!

Oh...it didn’t stop there. Dad took me to the haystack where he was so excited for me to shoot my first round. I imagine I had a trench from the house to the haystack where he shoved me in my boots all the way there, toting the .22 rilfe and tiny shiny bullets.

I remembered he put some tin cans up on some bales…Olympia beer type to be exact…his beer of choice which later turned into Miller. But that’s a different story. I digress. Back to the gun thingy. “A lady has to know how to defend herself”, he always said...”besides you can start practicin’ by shooting all those gophers that are playing hell with my irrigation ditches.” Call me a naysayer…but protect myself against gophers…prairie dogs…what? It was 1975 for Pete’s sake. ..not like the age of crime these days. What? Was the grain man going to rape me in the wood shed? I thought dad was on crack…although at 8 I didn’t even know what crack was…unless it was that stuff plumber’s were made out of.

So…days of Ward and June…you didn’t argue with your dad…or your mom who was always wielding a fly swatter as her weapon of choice next to flying her broom. You did as you were told. I did as I was told. I think I was sweating bullets.

All I really remember about that day after the first fire…was I fell down. Not from the kick of the gun mind you…afterall, it was just a .22 long gun. No kick. I was so scared that the big “boom!” …ok it was more like a pop…frightened me to the ground…causing me…to throw the gun forward like a hot potato. And it was the devil. Dad was none too proud of that one…but he laughed hysterically…and like a good father would…GIT BACK UP ON THAT HARSE! Damn the luck. I had to do it again and again and again. If I didn’t like it…I had better fake it that guns were a girls’ best friend. Dammit. Where’s my Barbies?

In fact…I still sit here today wondering when they are going to have a gun totin’ Barbie? Come on!

I had the best father in the world. Even though he was rough and tough like John Wayne, he had a heart of gold and taught me many valuable lessons in the world. He still is my voice of reason... although he has been gone since I was 21.

Sgt. Downtown Brown and I took out my first .22 rifle just the other day…oiled it up…and shot it off the back deck like a couple of hillbillies. It still works…like a charm. Oh…I’ve added a scope and a bigger magazine..a girl’s gotta have a little fun, right?

I have come more accustomed to shooting since I became a cop. I still have a lot to learn…and I can’t own enough guns or have too much ammunition. Thanks, Dad.

So with that…I would tell any woman out there who is thinking of carrying or shooting a gun…

(1) Do it at least once. If it scares you…get a good trainer and practice. Be familiar with it. Be comfortable…it might save your life one day. Be the gun!

(2) If you can’t like it or can’t get comfortable…don’t pack it. You are a danger to yourself and others. Get a dog. And make it a mean one and walk it. In public.

(3) Buy it in pink. Guns with sparkle farkle are cool. Trust me. My daughter has a pink .22 rifle. I tried to steal it… once. Just once. She squealed like a good girl should when someone tries to steal your gun.

(4) Take a safety course. Do it! Even if you don’t like guns or want one. (Are you crazy? Guns rock!) Actually, you might have to take it away from someone someday. Don’t be without knowledge.

(5) Don’t ever let your gun collect dust. Practice, practice.

(6) Clean it like you do your hoohah. Clean barrels make sharp shooters. Yes, I’m talking about the guns.

And that leads to safety awareness. PAY ATTENTION! Do I need to preach this? Don’t be distracted. Walk tall. Carry yourself with confidence. Scan your surroundings. Pack your heater (not a frickin’ Lennox stove) and know when you need to grab it or your pepper spray (not for cooking) or both. Take a self-defense class and a shooting class. Arm yourself with knowledge! And remember one thing….if the hairs on your neck go up…it’s for a reason…even if you don’t see a threat. Don’t ignore what is naturally born in us. Be a woman…and a strong woman…wherever you are.

Socker games are deadly, ladies! Trust me! Ok…maybe a little over the top on that one…but you never know…that was the point I was making.

Thank you to the GIRLS for letting me guest post. It has been a HUGE honor! Keep up the fantastic work!

"Die In The Parking Lot" by Tara Janzen

Yep, that was my motto way back when, BG, Before Guns came into my life. It all came about because of a college girl in my town. She worked at a clothing store in the mall. One night, I went into her store with a little extra cash to buy the coolest new outfit in the latest style – layering. Remember back when it first became cool to wear two shirts at the same time? With the under one showing via rolled up sleeves and an extra unbuttoned button at the throat? It was all too cool, and I wanted two shirts to wear together. The clerk was marvelous, spending all the time in the world with me to make sure I had just the right two shirts. The underneath one was a hot pink T-shirt material, and the on top one was a purplish, bluish plaid. I looked so cool when I walked out of the mall that night, got in my car, and went home. Safely.

A few weeks later, that beautiful, wonderful, precious college girl who had helped me was dead. Her picture and story was front page news in our local newspaper. She’d been kidnapped leaving work one night while walking across the mall parking lot to her car. They found her body someplace else.

You know the awful details. We all do, and I have read similar stories too many times since, local stories about a girl who lived two blocks from good friends of mine, another girl who went to junior high school with my children, a woman whose home in our town was burglarized twice before she was killed by the thief on his third foray into her home.

At the time of the college girl’s death, I swore to myself that I would die in the parking lot before I let anybody take me anywhere. That I would fight to the death, either my attacker’s or mine, before I would let myself be terrorized, raped, burned, beaten, mutilated or anything else. The list of atrocities is endless. Death I could handle, but not the rest of it, not without a killing rage welling up inside myself that screamed “FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE OR DIE TRYING.”

Then along came the Steele Street boys. They had guns, lots of guns, and they knew how to use them. As the author of these operators, I figured I should get to know guns. I’d never even held a handgun, so I figured that would be a good place to start. I was right, and it was while shooting a Springfield 1911 that I had a life-altering epiphany: “There is nothing like a semi-automatic .45 caliber pistol to level the playing field. Any playing field.” To hell with dying in the parking lot.

Now, after years of shooting and training (TRAINING IS IMPORTANT!!!), I am still amazed that owning a gun and knowing how to use it for my own self-defense never crossed my mind before I started writing the Steele Street novels. The fact astounds me. Unless you really are Skeeter Bang or Red Dog, a woman is at a severe disadvantage in a physical struggle with an attacker. A .45 or a .38 or a 9mm changes the odds, drastically and in your favor, if you are willing to learn and train and step up. Let me repeat that last part: STEP UP. That’s right, step up and take responsibility for your personal safety.

A woman I know lives alone up in the mountains and thought maybe it would be a good idea if she got a gun, but her friends (friends????) convinced her that if someone broke into her home, they would only take her gun and use it against her. I could only stare, slack-jawed, at the mountain woman while she was telling me this story. When she finished, I said, “Well, they won’t take your gun and use it against you if you shoot the bastards first.” Duh. This is called Tactical Thinking, and I highly recommend it, especially when it comes to personal safety.

As for the woman who was killed by the thief, I still wonder why, in the very least, she didn’t get a big dog. The burglar only stole her underwear, which is so creepy, and ended up being deadly for her. She, of course, reported the incidents to the police, but even if you’re married to a policeman, he’s not going to be with you 24 hours a day. We all need to be responsible for our own safety – that’s the prime directive.

Until next time, GunDiva and I will be out there, practicing, practicing, practicing, putting those rounds downrange, armed and in charge.

F.A.T.S. Training

In less than two weeks, I'm headed to the Writer's Police Academy in North Carolina.  One of the additional things I signed up for was FATS Training (Firearms Training Simulator).  Friday, I received this in my inbox...

Greetings, Recruits GunDiva and OtherRecruit. You have been assigned to a violent crimes task force. The officer in charge of this assignment is Commander JC, a certified Firearms Training Simulator instructor.


You both are commanded to appear at the entrance to the FATS training room (GTCC campus) on Saturday September 25, 2010 at precisely 10:15 a.m. You must present your FATS pass to the officer guarding the perimeter before entering (passes are included in the WPA registration packet). No pass, no entry. You will remain on deck as an observer of the preceding team until your shoot time of 11:00 a.m.

Remember, all suspects inside the FATS training area are considered armed and extremely dangerous, and they are not afraid of law enforcement. You are authorized to use deadly force to save your life and/or the life of others. The decisions are yours to make, but please spare the innocent. Not everyone is a bad guy! You'll have a split second to decide to shoot, or not, so use that time wisely.

--Lee Lofland

Being the GunDiva, I saw the FATS training as an option when I registered and signed up without even knowing what it is.  I saw the words "firearms training" and immediately thought simmunitions training (NLTA - non-lethal training ammunition); it wasn't until I got the email that it dawned on me that the last word was "simulator".

I looked up FATS and it is, indeed, simulation utilizing a giant screen and real guns loaded with computer chips that interact with the software.  At first I was disappointed that I wouldn't get to "really" shoot someone with NLTA, but then I breathed a sigh of relief, because it also meant that even if the bad guy shoots at me, I'm not going to end up with welts and ouchies from the impact of the round.  I think I'm going to have a ball with FATS.

Has anyone ever utilized FATS training, and if so, what did you think about it?