We're Going to SHOT Show!

I've been to SHOT Show in the past, with the gun shop, but this is the first time I'll be going as a "Media Professional" (squee!).  Yes, I still giggle when I say that, and I've had my credentials for months now.

When Mrs Mom and I started this little blog in April of 2010 (seems like it's been longer!), we originally called ourselves Girls with Guns.  Seemed like a good idea at the time, until we realized that Girls with Guns was actually a T&A site and we didn't want to have anything to do with that.

We changed our name to The GunDivas and added a third contributor, Tara Janzen.  Us three amigas went along happily for a while and then I made the decision to add the GunDudes.  The reason was that I had a handful of males that I could always go to for information, but I didn't want it to come off as though *I* was the source of information.

 

And I've said all of that, just to say this: We're going to SHOT Show!

 

Well, some of us are.  Jay, Mez, and I are going.  I'd love for all of us to be able to attend, and maybe that's in the cards for next year, as there are contributors who live far away and who haven't even met in real life yet.

 

So, in eight days, we'll pack up Ripley and head on out to Vegas.  The one thing I had never been able to experience when I went with the gun shop was Media Day - to say that I'm excited would be an understatement.  I've heard about how amazing Media Day is and can't wait to see for myself.

 

Mez will be attending the State of the Industry dinner and I am eager to hear what he has to say.  I feel like this is an important year for SHOT Show - for all gun enthusiasts - and want to hear what the industry has to say.

 

Other than attending Media Day and Mez going to the dinner, we don't really have strict plans for our time at the show.  We'll cover as much ground and learn as much as we can so that we can share with you.

 

And, of course, when we return, there will be give-aways, just like we've done in the past.

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.

Let's Talk Money

With all of the talk of proposed gun bans and compulsory buy-backs, I've yet to hear anyone address the economic impact.  Not that it hasn't been addressed, just that *I* haven't run across it yet, so while talking to Jay today we tried to figure it out in our noggins.

That was super hard to do in our heads, so once we got home, I started digging.  I, of course, did it the hard way.  And then, I ran across the NSSF Industry Economic Impact Report.  I don't know why I didn't think of just looking there in the first place, as I'm a member.  Colossal brain fart on my part.

First, though, let's look at the proposed "Compulsory Buy-Back".  There are an estimated 310,000,000 guns in America.  On the low end of the proposed "payment", they're talking $200/gun.  On the high end, $500/gun.

• 310,000,000 x $200 = $62,000,000,000
• 310,000,000 x $500 = $155,000,000,000

I don't know about you, but that's a whole lot of damn money.  Money that we, as a country, don't necessarily have.  But don't worry, the government will just print more. Never mind that it will further devalue our already weak dollar.

Now, let's look at the worst-case scenario - that eventually the "Assault Weapons Ban" gets passed and gradually increases to encompass all guns, so that we are a gun-free nation.  What does that do to our economy?  Obama's got to consider that, because he's already in the hot seat for our unemployment rate.

From the NSSF Report:

Companies in the United States that manufacture, distribute and sell firearms, ammunition and hunting equipment employ as many as 98,752 people in the country and generate an additional 110,998 jobs in supplier and ancillary industries. These include jobs in companies supplying goods and services to manufacturers, distributors and retailers, as well as those that depend on sales to workers in the firearms and ammunition industry. [1]
These are good jobs, paying an average of $46,858 in wages and benefits. And today, every job is important. In fact, in the United States the unemployment rate has reached 8.2 percent. This means that there are already 13,430,000 people trying to find jobs in the state and collecting unemployment benefits. [2]

That's over 200,000 people employed in the firearms-related industry.   200,000+ people who are not collecting unemployment, who are contributing their hard-earned money to help support our country.

The Economic Impact numbers boggle my mind (again from the NSSF Report):



And the taxes paid:



Looking at these numbers actually calms me down.  Why?  Because it doesn't make business sense to cripple our firearms industry.  No matter the emotions involved, I would expect that the political advisors would take into consideration the economic impact this would have for the country.  Go ahead, call me overly optimistic, but at this point, I think we need all of the optimism we can get.

Just over two weeks until SHOT Show and I can't wait to hear what Mez has to report from the State of the Industry Dinner.

I Am Done Hiding

For years, unconsciously, I 'caved' to the anti-gunners by defending my gun ownership under the guise of 'sporting'.  I'm certain I'm not the only gun owner who has opted out of the anti-gunners' arguments by not engaging in a discussion, by simply saying, "you know, I compete with my gun".

I've been open here on the blog about the reason why I own my guns, about the reason why I train the way I do.  But I haven't been so honest in my daily life, mostly because I don't want to be perceived as a "gun nut" or "paranoid".

You know what?

Screw that!

I'm a gun owner because it's my Constitutional right.

I'm a gun owner because shooting is fun.

I'm a gun owner because I am 5' 1/2", female, and not physically strong enough to overpower someone bigger and heavier than I am.

I compete with my gun, not for sport, but because it's the best way I know to practice with my gun.  Standing at a line and shooting in a bay at paper targets is not practice for self-defense. 

Defensive pistol matches - THOSE are excellent practice for self-defense.  Or as close as you can get for practice.  Moving, drawing from concealment, learning to use cover and concealment. Engaging multiple targets while not "killing" any good guys, learning to distinguish between shoot/no-shoot targets.  (The best practice ever would be to train regularly with simunitions, but that's difficult training to come by, at least in our area.)

So the next time, in real-life, someone asks why I own guns, they're going to get the honest answer, not the politically correct one: I use my guns in "sport" to practice for self-defense.

Merry Christmas!

Colorado is getting one heck of a Christmas present according to my friend, Southern Belle.  She emailed me a couple of weeks ago about a new range that's going to be opeining up.  So, like I did to Daddy Hawk, I gave her an official "GunDiva Assignment".

Without further ado, here are Southern Belle's thoughts on the new range.

“Come on let’s go to the gun show.”  My husband was standing over me.  I looked up at him with total exasperation, “I can’t.”   I was in the middle of four projects and as a wife and mom the time to get things done is few and far between.  Don’t get me wrong, throw the word gun into any activity and I’m always going to be down for it.  I gave my husband about ten different reasons why I couldn’t go but he wanted out of the house for a little bit.  I set everything aside and we headed out to The Ranch.  Same ole,  same ole was what I kept thinking as we walked around, but it was time together away from the kids and the house.   Then I saw a banner on the back wall about a NEW World Class Range. 

Grabbing my husband we immediately went over to investigate.  I need to say, I love my range time.  I hate that the only gun club that had openings when we moved here wasn’t exactly close or convenient to the house.  Hey you do what you have to do, right? 

Walking up to the table we were greeted by Ron and Bob from Second Amendment Firearms Experience (S.A.F.E).  In talking to them we found out that in the very near future (summer 2013) they are opening a gun range that is unlike anything I have seen.  (I need to add here that they talked to my husband and I equally.  There is nothing that upsets me more than men who talk down to me just because I am a woman in the world of firearms.  Especially since I’ve had a gun in my hand since I was five.)  

The more we talked the more I wanted to hear.  This was going to be a fully covered range that can be used year round.  “Indoor?”  I asked Bob.  “No, it’s outdoor with a cover” was his response.  He pulled up their website so that I could get a better handle on what we were talking about.  This thing is going to be massive, seven complete shooting bays with more than 80 shooting positions.  All of it outside completely bermed, but with the cover they will be shielded from the elements.   It is going to be 65,000 sq. ft. with short 15-25 yard bays all the way up to 50 yards.  They are talking about the ability to run over 150 shooters at a time with a variety of target types (stationary and moving).   There will be 25-100 yard uncovered outdoor bays with longer ones in the works.  This facility will serve both Law Enforcement as well as the public.  I asked Ron if we were looking at having times blocked out that the public couldn’t shoot due to possible law enforcement trainings.  His answer blew me away, “No, we are going to set up two of everything so that our members won’t have to work around blackouts.”  Are you kidding me?  I was pumped.

Then Bob and Ron started speaking my language.  A 6,000 sq ft club house, with classes, and a Law Enforcement Training Simulator that runs over 700 different scenarios.  Classes, camps for kids, then throw in the FFL dealer operation, pro shop, gunsmith, and coffee bar.  It’s a country club for gun owners!  I was doing the happy dance.  (I wish I could say figuratively here….it wasn’t pretty)

After going home and checking out their website www.second-amendment.com we pre-registered for a family membership.  I did the math; we would come out way ahead on money and time by going to the S.A.F.E. range verses our current one.  Pre-registering doesn’t obligate us, and there was no money down so why not?  This is going to be a place where men, women, youth, beginners to advanced can come together to train and develop safe and effective skills.  If this turns out even half as good as it looks then we are looking at something pretty special.  If you have questions I would encourage you to drop them an email.  I hope to see y’all at the range!

Let's Protect Our Children

Just in case you missed the podcast by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, take some time (an hour), settle in and listen to this.  It is excellent and well worth the time spent.

Listen to internet radio with The Shooting Channel on Blog Talk Radio

Some Thoughts from Mrs Mom

 **This was originally posted on my other blog, Oh HorseFeathers.
~MM


This post is probably not going to be what most of you were expecting from me.

I am not going to fire away on the increasingly heated debates flying back and forth over our Second Amendment Rights. For those of you who understand the phrase, MOLON LABE and know what the three percenters are, you already know my stance. No further words need be spoken.

I am not going to dabble in the ever deepening waters of the conspiracy theorists either.

I am not going to ask why the incident in CT happened. Nor the one in Portland, nor any of the other events spaced over the years. 

I am going to TRY to provide you with some education. Note the *try* part there please, as one will only learn what one wishes to.

I am going to point out some facts.

And I am going to try and help you understand how to protect yourself and your loved ones. And no, I am not going to jump up and down screaming that you need to run right out and purchase a firearm- that is a decision that only YOU can make for yourself.

For your initial consideration, I'd like to point out that Cain slew Abel with a rock.

Yes- once again I have brought up religion. I know- horrible, isn't it?

The point though, is that Evil Resides In The Heart Of Man. Not an inanimate object. It takes the hand of man to make the inanimate object perform his desired task. If Man has designs to hurt, maim or kill you, he will. End of discussion. We do not, nor do I think we ever will, know or understand what drives some people to cause such drastic, horrible harm to others. Dwelling on that seems to be an exercise in futility. Instead, grieve for those we have lost in recent times and times gone by. Pray for those affected by this latest tragic act.

Next on the list for your consideration, I offer this:
Pertaining to the CT incident ONLY:
- Glock is NOT an assault weapon. It is not an automatic. They do not offer an automatic option, nor do they make a rifle platform.
- Sig-Saur is not an assault weapon. It is also not an automatic, and they also do not offer a rifle platform.
- The .223 caliber round is a small round, generally intended for hunting small game.  The Bushmaster used was not an assault weapon.
 It is also NOT an automatic. 


An automatic firearm- in layman's terms- is one that when you press the trigger, the firearm will continue to fire until you either run out of rounds or you remove your finger from the trigger.

A semi-automatic firearm requires the trigger be pressed for each shot.

The amount of screaming by people I have witnessed recently classifying all of the above as "assault weapons" and automatic weapons is sickening. Yes, yes, you most surely do have the right to express yourself-- but please, you might wish to educate yourself before spouting off. (The worst offenders? Politicians. Of course.)

The next bit is a question that is being asked over and over. I have been asked countless times in the past several days- that being, "What do we DO if something DOES happen?"

The answer, for the most part, is simple. 
Run.
Hide.
Fight.
(A video can be found here: Run. Hide. Fight. It is a bit cheesy, but you will get the point.)

Look, not everyone out there has the Sheepdog mentality.
Not everyone is willing to carry a firearm, and some that do carry are not willing to use it.
But I don't know very many people who wish to stand like a deer in the spotlight and be handed up for the slaughter.
Which is where RUN, HIDE, FIGHT comes into play.

Your responsibility is to stay safe and protect your loved ones. Parents, when you are out with your children, your duty, in MY opinion, is to keep them safe. Period. The kids MUST Be Safe.

If you are out, and if an incident occurs where you know there is an active shooter, RUN. Haul ass and get out of the danger zone. Once you are clear, and you and those with you are safe, call for help. 

If you can not run, you HIDE. 

If you can not run and are discovered where you have hidden, DO NOT GO GENTLY INTO THAT GREAT NIGHT.
You Fight.
Fight for all you are worth. Throw things, use a pocket knife, use a pen, use anything and everything in reach- but you FIGHT. Never give up.



This post could have gone in any number of directions- but its intent was to teach. If you wish to discuss things further in a different vein, please feel free to email me.

Until next time, when hopefully my heart will be lighter and we can move back to discussing horses and happy times like Christmas, I say to you:

MOLON LABE.

~Mrs Mom