|
|
It’s about that time. Yes, it’s almost the first Saturday in November when the white-tailed deer season opens in Texas and, as a visit to McBride’s Gun Shop in Austin just validated, it’s gun-buying time. You see, the firearms business can be quite seasonal, like the ski business or the boat business. The only difference is that the pivotal season for the firearms business is not weather-related—it’s mostly geared around hunting.
November 06, 2011
|
|
|
Words have power that can be used both for good and evil. Encouraging words can build a person’s self esteem, while insulting words can hurt someone for years or even decades. And commanding words can save someone’s life.
November 04, 2011
|
|
|
Normally Raven Smith leaves his gun in the vehicle before he goes into a restaurant, but something made him reconsider one evening. The concealed-carry permit holder kept his .380-cal. handgun holstered as he stepped out of the car to have dinner with his girlfriend. Before he’d taken three steps, a masked man rushed up behind his girlfriend with what appeared to be a gun. “Get down, get down!” Smith yelled to his girlfriend as he fired four shots. The suspect dropped to the ground with four gun-shot wounds and will be arrested after his release from the hospital. “I’ve only had practice doing casual shooting, as a hobby,” said Smith, an airline mechanic. “It’s completely different using it in a situation like this.” His girlfriend calls him her hero, adding, “I saw orange flashes over my head. And then my ears were ringing.” (St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, VA, 08/08/11)
The Armed Citizen Extra
(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)
A 92-year-old Ohio farmer was outside of his home feeding his cats when he saw a white Chevrolet car racing down his driveway. Upon stopping, several men exited the vehicle and began taking cooper wiring and other supplies from the farmer's barn and putting them into the truck of the car. When the homeowner called out to the men, telling them to stop, one of the suspects began charging at him, so the homeowner grabbed his .38-caliber handgun and fired a warning shot into the ground. The suspects attempted an escape, but their car got stuck in a nearby ditch. They were later charged with breaking and entering. (Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, OH, 03/31/10)
From The Armed Citizen Archives
October 1979: A barking dog and the sounds of forced entry woke Barbara Squires in her Ft. Wayne, Ind., apartment. Squires secured a .38 cal. revolver and investigated, finding a youth in the front hallway of the darkened house. She held the would-be burglar at gunpoint while calling the police. (The Journal Gazette, Ft. Wayne, Ind. 7/6)
November 03, 2011
|
|
|
Handguns can be intimidating to a complete beginner trying to get over the fear of injury that comes with handling what can be a deadly tool. After teaching him or her The Fundamental Rules of Gun Safety, it becomes time for the student to learn the operating drill for the particular handgun with which he or she will begin the training cycle. In my opinion, it is unwise to present a new shooter with more than one gun at a time. Ideally, the first gun should be a DA/SA revolver, but that is not always possible. Whatever the selected handgun is, make sure the beginner has a thorough understanding of how the gun works. Then you can move on to using the gun to its full potential.
November 01, 2011
|
|
|
Yikes, I just got a fright! Try it yourself and see if Birchwood Casey's newest zombie target sensation website doesn't make your heart jump.
October 27, 2011
|
|
|
By Iain Harrison
Since the first two seasons established a template for the finale that works, the producers seem loathe to change. So, last night we were treated to the spectacle of Mike, Gary, Chris and Dustin going head-to-head shooting dueling trees, playing HORSE and, finally, the all-in culmination of the show.
October 26, 2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last week, a 66-year-old northern California woman defended herself in a dangerous situation and proved, once again, that firearms are a great equalizer against those who prey on the elderly. And while there are certain aspects that I thought she could have handled differently, this lady did many things right in a very stressful encounter.
October 25, 2011
|
|
|
By Iain Harrison
Whoever thought up the wheel used during the competition should have taken a bow at the closing credits. Not so much for the concept, but for the ability to jury-rig that contraption out of components that were obviously laying about the back yard of some prop house, and making it safe enough that someone would willingly strap into it. Although the SP89 was a decent choice for the challenge gun, I’m sure a lot of viewers were disappointed that the show didn’t provide a real MP5K and let the shooters take it in full auto mode.
October 25, 2011
|
|
|
Alright, I need all of you to take out your red pen and cross out the “0” in the cover line “Taurus 990: 2 guns in 1” on the this month’s American Rifleman cover and write in a “2” (as illustrated below). This seems like a better solution than trying to get each and every of the 1.7 million issues of the magazine back out of your mailboxes and attempting to fix them all myself.
October 25, 2011
|
|
|
Coming to you live from Latin Quarter of Paris, the Insider is here to check out the Milipol convention, a gathering of companies large and small who specialize in all things related to security. While FN Herstal is here with sniper rifles and Trijicon is displaying its new ACOG sight, firearms are a tiny fraction of the products shown to this semi-annual display of electronic wizardry.
October 25, 2011
|
|
|
If ever you are at an NRA National Defense Tactical Rifle Match and they ask if you want to shoot, say yes. I didn’t and I regret it. I decided that taking video and photos at the first one was more important. Bad decision. The new NDM was created by NRA’s Competitive Shooting Division, and they found the right guy for the job, former Navy SEAL Trey Tuggle. The match is a speed and accuracy event designed to test a shooter’s ability to perform drills that relate to real world defensive-shooting scenarios—and best of all, it is fun. Think of it like NRA Action pistol, but using a rifle, and the targets are fired from 7 to 500 yards in three classes. You shoot prone, kneeling or standing. You have to shoot from a barricade and—horrors—you have to shoot from your weak side, too. I was fortunate to be at Camp Perry, Ohio, on August 14 and 15 for the first National Defense Tactical Rifle Match. While limited to just a rifle match at this point, this is NRA’s first match that is similar to the exciting 3-gun gaining so much attention around the country.
October 25, 2011
|
|
|
Developed in 1954 and '55 and announced in January of 1956, Smith & Wesson's .44 Mag. has been a consistent favorite of the shooting public for over half a century. It came some 20 years after the company's first Magnum revolver—the .357. This earlier gun and cartridge were enormous trend-setters and got American handgunners thinking about really powerful revolvers because the added power offered two major advantages. The first was increased practical range, while the second advantage was plain smashing power that could harvest the largest game animals at closer ranges. The .357 did all of these things, but it was the .44 Mag. that took hold of the American consciousness and never let go. It was a bread and butter gun for the Massachusetts firm, with a little help from Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry.
October 21, 2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
You always hear self-defense experts say that you should train to hit the center-of-mass so that it will be instinctive during a confrontation. I’ve said this myself many times, both written and verbally. But, what exactly is center-of-mass in a self-defense situation?
October 18, 2011
|
|
|
|
|
