Armed American Report

I’ve got an excellent Armed American Report for you. Last week, I posed a member-question to you all, about dry fire practice, and I received some excellent responses. That gave me the idea to catalog them all onto a web-page, which I have included at the tail end in the “Ask Tim” section.

Also- last week, I told you that I was going to sit down and really go through the “SurviveInPlace” courses that I’ve been telling you about. You know- that program Dave Morris is putting on.

Okay… I have to admit that I still am not all the way through it, but guys… this is really good stuff. I mean… really good.

I’ve blown money on some stuff that I never use before (namely, about fifty different holsters), and so for what this course cost me, I really didn’t expect much. I definitely didn’t expect to get blown away.

In one of the week’s lessons for example, Dave gives some insider info about cellular networks that I had seriously never thought of. It’s pretty obvious to me that if a disaster knocked out the cell towers, our phones wouldn’t work- but I had never considered some of the potential problems Dave points out if towers actually remain active. His solution is fantastic though.

You guys know that I don’t recommend other people’s stuff very often. But… from what I’ve seen so far, I definitely wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t at least tell you guys that this is the kind of stuff that I want everyone who lives near me to read, be aware of, and prepare for.

Supporting one family in a disaster will be enough… I want people to be prepared.

So yeah… check it out. If you’re interested, here’s the link:

Dave’s Urban Survival Secrets: SurviveInPlace

Okay, hold on tight, because here we go!

== USCCA Laugh of the Week ==

See all of Chaim’s Cartoons at his website:
http://www.chaimcartoons.com/

“Defensive Shooting & Handicaps”

“…Can a man with only one hand with only two fingers and a thumb
on that hand be able to use a handgun for self-defense?…”

by Cody S. Alderson

At a combat shooting course I participated in many years ago, there was an attorney that was in charge of the qualifying test at the indoor range. Part of the qualifying at that time was to kneel and put hits on target. Some of the guys put a hand on the floor to help themselves up after firing from a kneeling position which upset the attorney to the point where he started yelling.

He was ranting about how much time would be lost in using a hand to help yourself up, and how it shouldn’t be necessary for anyone to do that. I was a young fellow at the time, but not everyone there was. I understand the position that the attorney was taking as the instructor who would passing or failing the students, but it got me thinking about defensive shooters with handicaps.

That attorney all those years ago is correct in that we should all do our best to be physically fit, but in the real world we human beings come in all sizes and shapes with varying levels of physical abilities. I’ve heard well respected instructors who teach defensive shooting actually make remarks that could easily be interpreted as rude and disrespectful, especially to fat guys like me.

I certainly hope that the comments were made out of a desire to motivate me toward more exercise and healthier living, but I must also say that such an approach just doesn’t work with civilians. Maybe it works in the military where the recruit is Government Issue, and is at the mercy of his or her superiors, but I don’t see it having much of a positive effect on the office worker who might enjoy M&M’s for a snack instead of carrot sticks.

Does that mean that fat folks or people with handicaps shouldn’t be allowed to have a gun for self-defense? I don’t think anyone in the gun community would even entertain such a thought. All citizens are under the guarantee of non-infringement that the Second Amendment promises. Criminals and the mentally incompetent don’t count under that guarantee because we, as a society, have adjudicated them to have restricted rights to protect themselves and/or other members of society.

I meet all kinds of people who ask me about owning a gun and learning how to use it. I never pass judgment on an adult person’s physical ability to use a gun for self-defense, and will try to work out a way for the person to become competent with a gun no matter what the physical handicap is. Admittedly there are some handicaps that make me currently incapable of offering any advice or instruction on how to competently use a gun, but there are many handicaps that are easy to work around.

An old man with a cane who can only get back up after falling by using something to grab onto is still a very viable candidate to be a competent civilian defensive operator. He just needs to train harder to stay upright while under attack and train to be able to fight with the gun while on the ground. If a thug whacks the old man with a bat and is preparing to wield a killing blow after the old man is on the ground, then grandpa needs to be able to get his gun out while on the ground and put holes in his attacker while on his back. If he stops his attacker with a couple of well-placed rounds from a .380 or a .45, then the police can help him up when they get there.

Okay, so that scenario could obviously go many different ways. Don’t be over thinking the specific scenario right now. Rather, think of what even a severely handicapped person CAN DO instead of what he CAN’T DO. I’ve worked for several years with the developmentally disabled. I try to get them to DO things instead of DOING things for them. Of course they will not ever be gun owners because of the mental incompetency factor, but the ideology translates well over into the world of physical handicaps and defensive shooting.

If I saw a highly trained S.W.A.T officer having to use a hand on the ground just to be able to get up from being on his knees, I might think that he needs to either see a doctor about the knees or back issue, or maybe spend some time in the gym doing squats. If I see a fat guy like me at the gun range wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shooting from a kneeling position, and needing to use his hand for a bit of oomph to get up, it isn’t a big deal at all.

Of course, both I and the dude in the Hawaiian shirt would be better at defending ourselves if we got in better shape. I’d be better at a lot of different things if I took more time with the subjects or issues. We read about incidents of crime every single day in the newspapers, and we hear about them constantly on TV. Still, I may live out my whole life and never need to draw my gun.

That being said, I want to promote a teaching ideology to all instructors. Don’t scare away good citizens who need some encouragement as well as fundamentals to become competent concealed carry permit holders because you want all of your students to be trained like they are Special Forces Operatives. Instead, tailor the instruction to the student and encourage those who want to progress more by taking them to each successive level at their own pace.

I would like to see a few courses being promoted as specifically for those with health issues, and those with physical issues that need instruction adapted to their needs. Grandma with arthritis might not be able to handle the 1911, but she may be able to work a 20 Gauge with a vertical foregrip. Just an example to get the creative juices flowing.

Instructors should take a course at a community college about being an educator to students with physical handicaps. Or one could volunteer some time to assist those with handicaps to learn how they adapt products and methods to suit their own needs. So much insight could be gained by just observation.

Can a man with only one hand with only two fingers and a thumb on that hand be able to use a handgun for self-defense? If you are an instructor, then work out the answer in your head and with an unloaded gun. You might be surprised at the answer. What about a man who is blind in one eye? I have a friend who is blind in one eye. He drives and really likes to shoot Glocks.

I actually though that driving would be way more difficult than shooting, due to depth perception issues. He has been blind in the one eye since birth so his brain wired itself a bit differently to compensate for the missing visual input. Someone that would suddenly lose sight in one eye as an adult would have a more difficult time learning to adapt, but it is by no means impossible.

Carrying a gun for self-defense need not be a tedious thing that we dread doing. Some instructors teach defensive shooting like it is a religion, and only their faithful end up sticking around to learn more. Then there is the opposite end of the spectrum, where training is too casual without any emphasis being put on the need for the student to take the instruction seriously to become competent. As it is in most things, there is a balance that can be reached.

I’m not a member of any S.W.A.T. Team. I’m just a guy who carries a permit and a gun in case someone is trying to maim or kill me. With it, I can at least have a hope of fighting back to save my life. I like potato chips, pasta, and fresh baked bread, but I can still run up a flight of stairs without dropping over dead. Now I’m not fit to take on Tito Ortiz or Mike Tyson with my bare hands and hope to win, but if a sociopath built like Tito or Mike suddenly wants to kill me, I bet my competency with my handgun would do okay at stopping him. And I’m glad I pursued becoming competent with a gun even though the attorney from that course so long ago made me wonder if I had what it takes to even begin to think I could defend myself.

Review of Evapo-Rust Rust Remover

written by Cody S. Alderson

USCCA GEAR REVIEW

Growing up, I got rid of rust with sandpaper and steel wool. I bought a jar of Naval Jelly once. I wasn’t impressed. I even had this attachment for my electric drill that had these stiff metal wires sticking out of a disk that was supposed to strip rust or paint. I ended up messing up some items made out of wood using the tool, and I have no idea what happened to it after that.

When it comes to a firearm that has come down with a bad case of rust, I personally wouldn’t want to be opting for the mechanical method of removing the rust if I didn’t have to. I’d prefer to have a chemical product available to me that would remove the rust and leave the good metal alone. Bruce Bannon, a reader of the Armed American Report told me about Evapo-Rust. He asked me if I had ever heard of the stuff, and what I thought about it.

I had never heard of Evapo-Rust but was curious about the claims of the product after visiting the website. The product is touted as being non-toxic either orally or on the skin, non-flammable, non-corrosive, not a skin irritant, not a primary eye irritant, no acids, no caustics, no volatile organic compounds, no solvents, and is biodegradable just to name a few of its features.

I just had to get me some of this miracle liquid to try out under conditions that could easily be duplicated by any consumer at home. I’ve heard incredible product claims before only to be sorely disappointed by a product’s performance away from the controlled environment of the TV cameras or print ads. Some things perform flawlessly on TV and in the before and after photos of the print ads, but when taken out of the package at home, they perform in an entirely different manner.

I began my research as to how Evapo-Rust is supposed to do its work. It works by chelation (pronounced key-lay-shun) or more simply, grabbing onto the rust and removing it from the metal without changing the metal under the rust. Evapo-Rust grabs onto the iron oxide, but it does not grab onto the iron in the metal underneath the rust because the bonds are much stronger.

The liquid Evapo-Rust is pale yellow in color. Quite frankly, it looks like pee. Thankfully it doesn’t smell like pee! In fact, I couldn’t detect any odor coming from the raw product. The active component of the product remains active until it cannot hold any more iron oxides. If the liquid evaporates while soaking a rusty item, just add fresh water back to replace what has evaporated.

The waste material after the product is spent is only as toxic as the materials introduced into it when soaking whatever rusty metal I put in it. The product is non-toxic from the bottle, but whatever is soaked in it will transfer into the liquid.

Evapo-Rust is designed to be a selectively chelate oxides, and will leave brass, aluminum, copper, chrome solder points, titanium, steel, gold, lead, vinyl, plastic, rubber, cork, silicone, glass, and wood alone. It will remove finishes on firearms such as bluing, browning, Parkerizing, and zinc phosphate, but will leave other coatings alone as long as they are still adhering to the surface and do not contain oxides.

I thought that I would need a lot of Evapo-Rust to even get little jobs done since whatever I’m trying to remove the rust from needs to be immersed in the product. I learned from Orison, the company behind Evapo-Rust, that being a bit innovative can make a small amount of the product go a long way. One suggestion from them was to use a piece of one inch PVC tubing to soak a gun barrel in if I wanted to remove rust from both the exterior and interior of the barrel (remember though, Evapo-Rust will remove finishes like bluing). PVC tubing with one end plugged makes a perfect little container to hold most barrels with only a small amount of Evapo-Rust being required to get full immersion.

For getting rust out of just the inside of a barrel I would only need to plug one end of the barrel, put some Evapo-Rust in it, and swish it back and forth until the rust was gone. Be careful not to get any of the product on the exterior of the barrel especially if it is blued. After de-rusting the inside of a barrel, it needs to be cleaned out with patches until one comes out clean, then it needs to have a rust preventative applied.

Evapo-Rust will act as a short-term rust inhibitor if the product is reapplied after rust removal and washing of the item, but I would pick a longer lasting rust inhibitor to do the job. For guns, that would simply be your favorite gun oil. After Evapo-Rust gets rid of the rust on the metal one is treating, the metal should be cleaned. Sometimes a bit of carbon is left behind after using the product that can easily be wiped away with a cloth.

Now for you home brew types who are old timers that get nervous about new products, I want you to know that I’m familiar with the use of molasses to remove rust using the same chelation process as Evapo-Rust. After all, if molasses works as good as Evapo-Rust, then why not just use some molasses from the kitchen?

Well that’s what I was wondering too, so I mixed up a batch of water and molasses at a nine to one ratio. Nine parts water to one part House of Herbs Blackstrap Molasses. I couldn’t find any sulphured molasses made from green cane anywhere I looked. Why might that be important? Sulphur is an important component in the chelation process. Look at is as the component that has the ability of making what is doing the chelation let go of the iron oxide so it can go back and grab some more rust off of the metal surface.

I also used some of the blackstrap molasses on its own to see if it had any rust removing properties when not mixed with water. I ended up with an experiment using six rusty nails, and two rusty carriage bolts with nuts as seen in the photo below.

I submerged two nails and one carriage bolt with nut attached in the Evapo-Rust, and did the same for the molasses and water solution. I also submerged two rusty nails in the blackstrap molasses that wasn’t mixed with anything else. I removed the nails and carriage bolts and nuts twelve hours and forty minutes later. Most rust removal projects take about thirty minutes with Evapo-Rust unless the metal is badly rusted, but I wanted to give time for the molasses to work. Below are photo results of the rusty parts after their bath, and washing to remove residual product they were submerged in.

Molasses Only

Molasses and Water in a Nine To One Ratio

Evapo-Rust

Clearly the Evapo-Rust is the winner as being the most effective rust remover. The results are clearly remarkable. The molasses and water don’t seem to have done anything, and neither did the molasses by itself. Any rust that appears to have been removed from those test pieces probably came off when I scrubbed them under clear running water in the sink.

The Evapo-Rust crept into the area where the nut was threaded onto the carriage bolt as well. The tiny area of rust that can still be seen on the bolt is where the nut was threaded on. The encrusted rust is gone, but a little oxide is left. I left the nuts on the carriage bolt to see if the molasses solution or Evapo-Rust would do anything where the threads met. The encrusted rust on the test sample soaked in molasses and water still is encrusted with rust. The Evapo-Rust test sample only has a bit of rust where the nut was threaded on the bolt. Quite impressive results.

Evapo-Rust at $21.00 per gallon is pricier than mixing up a nine to one ration of molasses and water, but obviously only one of the products works as a rust remover. For my home rust removing projects a quart will do just fine. If I needed to soak whole engine blocks or a bathtub full of old guns, I could buy 55 gallon drums of Evapo-Rust.

The bottom line is, if I’m baking up something sweet that can benefit from the unique taste of molasses to improve the flavor I will use molasses. If I’m making a homemade barbecue sauce I will use some molasses as one of the ingredients. If I’m trying to get rust off of steel, I will be using Evapo-Rust to safely and effectively get the job done. Evapo-Rust is superior to any product or method I have ever tried for removing rust from steel.

Orison will be sending Bruce Bannon a gallon of Evapo-Rust since he was the one who made me aware of this great product. I really appreciated that kind gesture from Orison. They didn’t have to do that, but they did anyway. I’m sure that Bruce will be thrilled with how the product performs. I was.

Check out this great product as well as other products from Orison at www.orisonmarketing.com.

I would like to hear from you. Email me at: cody@uscca.us. Twitter me.

I am not writing to ask a question, I am writing to say thanks for the Beat the Ban. I thought I was ahead of the curve, but only realized I had been putting off buying what I may need and what I really wanted before the Obamanation takes place. I wanted to beat the ban.

I was going to joke and say your Beat the Ban cost more than 17.00 dollars, hell I bought a Saiga 12 Shotgun overpaid but got it anyway and to 2 RRA AR15s at retail cost due to having a gunsmith relationship. I also bought some fantastic 5.56 ammo and over 2k rounds of practice ammo.

My next purchase will probably be an SKS or AR47. I have read a great deal more about my rights to arm myself and to protect my country from a threat.

Thanks for placing me ahead of the curve and your book only cost me over 2800.00 dollars in guns and ammo. Well lets just say it was a good investment in my family’s future! Best to you and your family and may you continue with success and great health.

-Mike P.
Proud USCCA Member
Proud Member of the NRA
Proud American!

This is a DIGITAL PRODUCT on PDF and MP3, so you get this timely information instantly delivered to your inbox, so you can Beat the Ban ASAP!

== USCCA Members-Only ==
Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

I Shot Myself Today

A friend came over to my home today to test a new KelTec .380 for concealed carry. I in turn dug out an Ortgies .380 I have to shoot along.

My range is set up with a table at 7 yards for self-defense and another at 25 yds. We were at the 7 yd. table plinking at some bowling pins, flipper targets, some tin TV trays, etc.

I was shooting at a .45 cal rated flipper target with my handgun, and was getting the flipper spinning around when one shot bounced back and grazed my right side about 3 inches above my belt. It left a 1″ long crease and my buddy got a pencil lead sized nick on his neck from the same shot.

That is the second time in two years a shot splashed back at the shooter, but the first time hitting someone. The other near hit was from 25 yards with a 9mm (?). The expended round hit the dirt in front of the firing line.

I think I’ll remove the flipper target and bury it. I have another for .22 exclusively, but that doesn’t spin.
************

Long-term power generation

Generators are good, yes, but I can see that keeping fuel for more than a few days could get problematical (barring installation of storage tanks and proper use of stabilizers). What are some options for at least modest electrical power generation that could work for, say, two weeks or more?
************

Aftermath of discharge

I have a question regarding what your responsibility would be if you actually ever had to fire on someone in self defense. (forgive me if there is another thread on this subject but I wasn’t seeing it). I at least figured you’d have to remain at the scene for the police but what would happen when they get there?

Would you pretty much have to be taken into custody until the situation is sorted out? How would you handle your weapon ie. take mag out, set down etc. Btw keep in mind that Washington state doesn’t require a training course for a ccp so if they teach that I hadn’t heard it, hell all they did was give me a pamphlet on general state gun laws and told me to have a nice day.

I always thought that was awfully simplistic given that this is the left coast.

************

Cruising for a Carry Permit?

“A few years ago,” confesses Craig Brownell, “my wife and I were on a cruise vacation and I saw a bunch of people doing business meetings aboard the ship. I instantly thought, ‘Wow! What a great idea!’ They got a nice vacation and got some work done too.”

Thus the idea of a Cruise with Class was born. Craig, a certified firearms instructor, teaches students what they need to know to be qualified to carry in no less than 33 states. As the ship –Carnival Spirit – cruises the scenic waters of the beautiful Alaskan Inside Passage, Craig offers three short class sessions presenting the concealed-carry basics to his students. He provides all paperwork and helps students get their applications prepared to submit.

The ship docks for one day each in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Sitka. In Sitka, a brief range session completes the requirements for the firearms classes. Since firearms are not allowed in Canada or aboard the cruise ship, the range provides all necessary equipment including firearms.

Meanwhile, students and their families enjoy the visit to a world where bald eagles are as common as city pigeons, and where seals and whales frolic in the waves alongside towering cliffs and scenic fjords. Participants can trek into Alaska’s historic settlements, or spend a day cruising Prince William Sound and College Fjord or even spend a day aboard a crab fishing boat. Aboard the ship, vacationers awaken to buffet-style breakfasts, linger over lunches on the Lido Deck, and feast on gourmet meals in the dining room. Meals and room service are included in the cost of the cruise. The ship boasts a fitness club, gourmet coffee shop, wine bar, casino, pools, spas, and nightclubs. Two free Vegas-style shows play in the on board theater every evening. For those with children, there’s Camp Carnival, which provides age-appropriate activities for kids from 2 to 17.

Already mentally packing your bags? For specific price information (prices change rapidly as the departure date nears), call The Cruiseman at (800) 889-7683 and mention Cruise with Class. For more information, visit www.mnpistolclass.com online, or phone (651) 649-4878.

== Video of the Week ==

USCCA VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Click here to go to this week’s Armed American Report and see the video of the week.

== “Tim-spiration” of the Week ==

USCCA PHOTO OF THE WEEK

All Photos of the Week are taken from Mr. Oleg Volk’s
website: http://www.a-human-right.com/. It is a
FANTASTIC site. Please check it out!

USCCA QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Sometimes a good quote will inspire or motivate you. Sometimes, they’ll just put a smile on your face! Here is the quote for this week…

“If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That’s ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid about?”

-Clint Smith

Self Defense Story OF THE WEEK

Every day, thousands of Armed Americans use their firearms to preserve human life. Let this section of my newsletter serve as a record of this fact!

” San Antonio, Texas”

From the May 27, 2009 San Antonio Express-News:

An attempted robbery at a North Side pharmacy turned deadly Wednesday morning when the business owner pulled out a gun and shot the suspected robber.

No other injuries were reported at the incident that happened about 10 a.m. at Babcock Square Pharmacy, located at the intersection of Babcock and Huebner Roads.

Police Chief William McManus said the suspect handed an employee behind the counter a note that demanded the narcotic drug OxyContin. The chief said the employee was somehow able to alert the pharmacy’s owner, who retrieved his gun and confronted the suspect.

“The suspect saw his gun, and said, ‘Let’s get it on,’” McManus said.

The owner, who saw a cocked revolver in the suspect’s hand, pointed his gun at the suspect and shot him point-blank, McManus said. Only the owner, his wife, an employee and the robbery suspect were inside the store at the time of the shooting, according to authorities.

The chief said no charges would be filed against the owner, who was not immediately identified.

“He was in fear of his life, so this appears to be justified,” McManus said.

Closing Thoughts

From: Patrick Kilchermann, USCCA Team Member

For the past two days, I set the stage for this: The FINAL part in the ‘Marine Recon’ adventure: the story of how I almost died when I was 13.

In case you missed the last two emails, please go HERE to read the first one from Monday, and HERE to read the second one from Tuesday to get caught up.

Okay… here goes. I want to apologize for two cliff-hangers in a row. I would have felt kind of bad sending you a 3/4 mile long email on a Monday morning.

*********************

We walked through the woods for most of the morning. Every once in a while, Cody would look down at his father’s antique compass to make sure we were on a South-West course.

At first, we tried to act like Marine Recons- we used hand signals, and we frequently “checked the trees for Charlie”.

After an hour of walking through the woods though, we were just conversing as normal.

The scenery was beautiful. There were no roads or houses in sight. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and the humidity had lifted completely. It actually felt like a rainstorm might be coming, but it didn’t matter. We were FREE.

Finally, at about mid-day, we came to the river.

At this point, I was already growing physically tired. My huge LaCross Burley boots weighed a ton and were hard to walk in- especially in the early-summer heat. Plus, the backpack I was carrying weighed at least 20 pounds.

I’m not going to lie- I thought about telling Cody and Seth right then and there that we MAY want to just call it a day. I honestly felt like even turning around and walking the mile back to his house would be tough- I couldn’t fathom going another five or six miles along the river, all the way to town.

BUT- Cody and Seth were tough, and I was already coming from a ‘wussy’ background, in that I cared deeply about my grades, I was tall and thin (they were shorter and stocky), and I wasn’t a big fan of some of the more rebellious stuff they did- and I let them know it.

So… I kept my mouth shut.

Seth decided to go for a quick swim, and he started walking out into the river- tennis-shoes and all.

“Hey,” he called from the middle of the river. “It’s only up to my waste- let’s just walked down the river- it won’t be so hot, and we can go a lot faster!”

I didn’t like the idea of going in over my boots, but again- I didn’t want to wimp out in front of my friends.

…So, even though it didn’t feel right at all letting the water pour in over the tops of my knee-high boots, I followed them in.

……..

The first… I’d guess four miles were amazing. I forgot about being wet, and I was incredibly comfortable half-walking and half-floating down the river.

Before I had got in, all I could think of was nasty craw-fish, leeches, and mud. But you quickly bond with the water, and before too long, I actually felt dirtier getting OUT of the river.

The current was fast, and it was easy to take big steps and travel an extra three or four feet each time- almost as if on the moon.

We goofed around, trying to see who could stand still in the current the longest, and we saw a LOT of nature.

There were huge sand-hill cranes, fish, and tons of great rolling hills up and down either side of the river.

We even saw an old moldy-looking cabin at the top of one of the hills, and we promised ourselves that we would go explore the cabin sometime, and maybe even make it our own secret hiding place.

At some point, it had started thunder-storming, but I either forgot about the whole “don’t wade in a river beneath tree during a lightning storm” thing, or I didn’t care. The rain pouring into the river created an almost magical effect.

Best of all, we talked. Cody, Seth and I were pretty good friends already, but unlike my other circle of friends, our relationship never included talking about our feelings or our fears.

Out there on that river though, there was nothing to hide, and we talked freely.

……..

We walked/waded all afternoon, and by 5pm, with the looming storm clouds, it seemed to be getting dark. We knew we had a few hours of light left, but we decided that we had better pick up the pace if we wanted to avoid spending the night in the woods.

We had been in the river for hours, and by this time, being completely soaked totally totally normal. We were as natural in the river as we were out of it.

Still, I was VERY tired- more than I realized. When I would climb out onto the bank for one reason or another, it would hit me hard.

My soaked jeans, shirt, jacket, and backpack weighed a ton. Not to mention my waterproof, rubber LaCross Burley knee-boots which were continuously full of water.

Cody and Seth had both opted for tennis-shoes instead of boots, and had lighter jackets on. Because of this, they could ball themselves up and float, whereas I had to walk along the river bed. If I tried balling up, I would just end up with my butt dragging on the river bed and my head barely out of the water.

So after we picked up the pace, they both became a solid 40 or 50 yards ahead of me.

We were so focused on getting home at this point that I wasn’t worried about missing out on any conversation- we were all too tired to talk anyway.

Remember the whole “me almost dying” aspect of this story? Well, here it comes.

After another hour or so, I was almost in a trance-like state. It was all I could do to shut my mind off and just keep walking/floating in the waist deep, muddy water. I was SO tired.

I knew we’d get to town sooner or later- I just had to keep going.

That was when I got one of the most terrifying feelings I’ve ever had.

As I was walking along in the fast current…. suddenly the river deepened… and my footing gave out.

I was taking such big steps that in one stride, the water was at my belt buckle, and the next it was at my chest.

In a panic, I tried to stop and walk backwards- or at last hold my ground, but in an instant the strong current pushed me over the brink.

…..

My friends had been floating to conserve energy, and had never noticed that the river had gone from 2-3 feet deep to ten feet deep.

…..

As I felt the ground disappear beneath my feet, I screamed. “HEEEELP!”

Except I don’t even think I got that much out.

My knee boots full of water, and my water-logged clothes, coat, and backpack were so heavy that I immediately sank to the bottom- my boots were touching the river bed, but I was completely underwater.

My first instinct was to try to swim to the top. I tried this for a split second before I realized that it was doing no good- my feet would rise off the bottom an inch or two with each stroke, but they would quickly return to the river bed.

My next instinct was to take off my backpack, but as I clawed for my jacket’s zipper, I began panicking in a serious way:

Having sunk so suddenly and off-guard, I didn’t have time to get a good breath of air, and I used what air was in my lungs to try to shout for help.

And now, I was screwed.

Taking my boots off was not an option- these boots were designed to seal around your feet, and taking them off even in a warm hunting room was hard enough.

Swimming was not an option, and my only chance was to get rid of my backpack and try to swim again. But I couldn’t find my coat zipper, and in the pitch-black world beneath the surface of the river, my panicking, clammy hands couldn’t find the straps of the pack within the folds of my field jacket sleeves.

Thoughts raced through my head. My friends- IF they had even heard me over the rain and river sounds- were 40 yards ahead of me in a SWIFT current.

They probably hadn’t heard me, and they would simply realize later that I was no longer behind them, and assume I was playing a trick.

I literally remember thinking how mad at me my parents would be when he found out I had lied about everything, and then wound up dead at the bottom of a river.

I have no idea how much time passed from the time I went under until all these thoughts rushed through my head… it was probably less than 20 seconds.

All I remember is that colors started flashing in my eyes, and my lungs felt like they were going to explosde… when all of a sudden…

Suddenly, something was grabbing me around the shins. Then, it was pushing me up!

My head broke water, and I gasped for air. I mean, I GASPED for air. I couldn’t believe I was breathing fresh air!

I was looking down the river to see Cody rushing upstream toward me, and I realized that Seth had heard my cry for help, swam back to me, and had somehow found me under water, and was now standing on the bottom of the river, holding me up.

I felt myself sinking again, and then Seth appeared above the surface next to me, now holding me up with one arm around my chest, and the other arm paddling water as hard as he could.

“SWIM HARD!” He yelled, and together we made it to shore.

Seth had saved my life.

…..

I never re-entered the river that day. Cody and Seth floated the next to me, while I used my machete to cut my way down the bank parallel to them.

After only a half hour or so, we reached the old rotten bridge which signified the north edge of town.

Cody and Seth told me they were going to float further down and go spend the night at another friend’s house.

I remember saying to Seth, grinning of course, “Hey, thanks again man.”

“Well, your dad would probably have killed me if I didn’t save you… so….”

I just laughed, and I walked the last half mile or so from the rotten bridge to my dad’s house.

…..

I kicked my boots off on the back porch, and took my socks off. My jeans and jacket had largely dried out, as it had stopped raining at some point earlier.

When I walked in, my dad and his girlfriend were making dinner.

“I thought you were going to stay the night at Cody’s?” he asked me.

“Well, we actually got bored and followed the river all the way to town, and I decided to come home afterwards.”

“You did?? Holy cow, that’s awesome! Man, I used to do stuff like that all the time as a kid.”

And, that was it.

It would be almost ten years before I would ever tell my parents how close I was to not making it back that night, and by then, even the story I have just shared with you was just something to shake our heads and smile about.

……..

Well, that’s it… I hope you enjoyed the story. If not, don’t worry, we’ll be back to our

I’d like to invite you to leave a comment about this story, or better yet- post your own story- on the Armed American Report Blog.

In case you’re not sure on how to leave a comment on our blog, here’s a short video:

http://deltamediallc.com/videos/comment.html

–

Patrick Kilchermann
USCCA Team Member
New Member Info

P.S. - Do you know anybody who would JUDGE you for carrying a concealed weapon?

I do… nearly the entire world.

When I first began carrying, I heard a story about someone who had the cops called on him because his gun showed.

I’ve come to learn that this is pretty rare, but it’s such a shame that we have to live in fear of being judged instantly this way.

Here’s what got me thinking about this:

On the USCCA forum today, I saw a thread where someone asked “How many spare magazines is it normal to carry”.

When I read this (and all the kind replies) , I realized that there is no “normal” here, and we don’t judge.

We don’t think you’re weird for carrying one, two, or three guns, and you can carry as many spare magazines as you want.

We understand the armed mentality.

Our community would be a better place with you in it, friend. I hope you’ll join as a full USCCA member today!

Please use the link below to find out more about how to become a member of this family:

=> Become a Member of our Community…

From Patrick Kilchermann, USCCA Team Member:

I’ll warn you ahead of time: This has nothing to do with carrying concealed weapons, but it has everything to do with friendship and camaraderie- which is exactly what the USCCA is all about.

It’s why I love being a member, and why this story popped in my head the other night.

I think you’re going to enjoy my story…. I’m calling it, “How I almost died when I was 13“.

We’ve all got crazy stories from our childhood. Having grown up in a tiny Irish village in mid-Michigan, I’ve probably got a few more than most people.

The town was founded in the 1840s around an old flour mill which utilized the river that cut through the middle of town for an unlimited supply of power.

The mill was abandoned some time in the early 1900s, and it burned down when I was a kid.

All that was left was a market, a hardware store, a post office… and a tavern. This tavern might as well have been called the community center- seven days out of the week it was packed with familiar faces and host to many a fist-fight.

It was painted green, complete with leprechaun and shamrocks. I’m chuckling remembering the little 1-foot tall door that was built next to the real door, supposedly for leprechauns.

With only 400 residents in this little village, as kids, we were always having to cook up our own entertainment.

Looking back, some of the things we did were pretty dangerous, but these ‘activities’ always served to bring us closer together in the end.

Let me tell you about one of these ‘activities’…

From ages 12-15, I spent most of my time with a friend named Cody. We eventually grew apart, but the years we did have as friends were some of my most adventurous and memorable.

Cody lived out in the middle of nowhere, about five or six miles north of town. He had two much older brothers, and his father (also named ‘Pat’) had served as a combat Marine for 15 months in Vietnam.

Pat was a tall, thin, stout- almost scary looking man with a huge grey beard… but he was one of the nicest guys I ever knew, and for some reason, he always liked me a lot. I recall well the way his eyes would shine when he’d arrive home from his factory job to find that I was spending the night.

He was half the reason I looked forward to going to Cody’s house, and I eventually referred to him as ‘Uncle Pat’.

Uncle Pat would rarely talk about the war, and I knew better than to ask too many questions- but he loved the Marines, and I loved sitting and listening to his stories about the friends he had made and all the crazy stuff he had to do during boot camp and in the times before the war.

He let me wear his old marine ‘cover’, and he even let me wear his old helmet once when Cody and I played paint ball- I’m not sure if even Cody ever got to wear it.

I’ll never forget the story he told me about how one of his friends had spent hours and hours rubbing boiled linseed oil into the stock of his M14 to create a mirror finish, and when his friend shipped home, he swapped him stocks before the rifle was turned back in.

I’m getting off track, but all that is all to say that after a heavy dose of Marine-Corps stories, Cody and I were itching to get out in the woods and do something crazy- something other than what we usually did, which was play Play Station games.

That was when Cody, another friend named Seth, and I came up with the top-secret “Marine Recon” plan which would end up almost costing me my life.

Obviously though, I lived to tell about it, and the experience bonded Cody, myself, and Seth together for life. No matter how far apart we grow, whenever we see each other, we always shake our heads and grin at each other in silent understanding.

This email is already getting kind of long though, so I think I will save the story for tomorrow.

Sorry to leave you in suspense, but please stay tuned, because I think you’re going to love it.

Patrick Kilchermann
USCCA Team Member
New USCCA Member Info

P.S. - Did you ever have a crazy adventure as a kid?

Going into our ‘Marine Recon Adventure’, we didn’t care about how difficult our plan was- we believed in each other, and that was enough.

We knew that no matter how much we angered our parents, or no matter how rough the path became, we would be able to handle anything that came our way.

That’s why I love the USCCA, and that’s why I’ve been a proud member since 2005.

Nobody else understands why I think it’s important to carry a gun everywhere I go like my friends at the USCCA. The mainstream media even goes as far as to paint peaceful folks like you and me into blood-thirsty maniacs.

But not the USCCA.

The USCCA believes in my core values, and they believe in them no matter what. If someone commits a mass shooting, we don’t rethink our decisions to go armed- we ask WHY there wasn’t an armed citizen there to stop the shooter.

We’re more than just a gathering of people who share a common belief- we’re a community.

We at the USCCA stick together- because each of us believes in our individual rights to life and self defense- and we believe in each other.

To the outsiders, we all stand together and say: Don’t tread on us!

Friend, I’d like to invite you to join us here at the USCCA.

The bigger our family is, the stronger it is. And I know that YOU would be a great addition to it.

I have been a member for four years, and I have never believed in anything like I believe in the USCCA.

Please use the link below to find out more about how to become a member of this family:

=> New USCCA Member Information