Have you taken a few extra steps to keep your property from the damage of vandals tonight and tomorrow? Most Halloween pranks only require a bit of cleanup. Maybe some kids will toilet paper a tree or two in the front yard, or toss some corn so it makes a loud racket against the house. Yep, they still do that in some parts of the country!
It’s a given for parents to protect their children on Halloween, but Halloween also brings out the hardcore vandals who aren’t interested in harming children. They will wreak havoc on a neighborhood slashing tires, smashing windows, setting fires, and even killing pets. Maybe relocate your vehicle if you live in such a neighborhood, and assign family members a time to be extra vigilant with the eyes and ears. Not like a soldier’s “watch” but just a specific time period to be more “on” than usual. If you have pets that stay outside, this is the time they need to come inside for a bit. Got livestock and live in an area where there is Halloween vandalism? Maybe team up with other livestock owners in the area to patrol your properties tonight and tomorrow at least.
Most people just enjoy a bit of harmless fun on Halloween. However, there are a few who get their fun out of causing harm. Then there are a small number who use Halloween as an excuse to commit irreparable harm. Just be vigilant, not a vigilante.
The Decision to Carry
“…When you make the decision to carry a gun for personal defense, you must also come to terms with this fact: Your firearm may someday end the life of another person….”
by Robert Childers
Though I’ve had a license to carry a concealed weapon for a number of years, I still remember my first training class as clearly as if it happened yesterday. Our two instructors were retired policemen and after explaining the class curriculum, they told us something about themselves. One man said that in his quarter century as a policeman, he had been fortunate in never having to use his weapon, though there were close calls. The other man explained that during his almost 30 years in law enforcement he had been forced to use his weapon twice, with one incident resulting in the death of the individual that was shot. He went on to say that despite having nearly 20 years experience in law enforcement at the time and being completely justified in his use of deadly force, it was still the most difficult thing he had ever done.
After he had finished telling us some of the details of that fatal shooting, our instructor made this statement to the class; “Kill another human being, for whatever reason or however justified, and your life as you know it is over forever.” There was complete silence for over a minute when he finished, after which he said if anyone was having second thoughts about getting a carry permit, they were free to leave before the class continued. While nobody left, the class was extremely quiet for the remainder of the evening.
When you make the decision to carry a gun for personal defense, you must also come to terms with this fact: Your firearm may someday end the life of another person. Since receiving my concealed carry permit, I have become acutely aware that I carry something capable of forever changing not only someone else’s life but my own, and there are times when it is a burden that is tougher to carry than the gun itself. Before you ever make that decision to carry a weapon for self-defense, you must first make the commitment to use that weapon - with potentially deadly consequences - if it ever becomes necessary. If you cannot make the conscious decision to shoot one human being in defense of another’s life, if you aren’t 100% sure you have the will to use it if the time comes, then you should not be carrying a weapon!
Most of us carry a weapon not because we realistically expect to ever use it, but to have it “just in case”. With very few exceptions, the need to defend ourselves with deadly force is thrust upon us with almost no warning and with only moments to react. We are then required to make a life or death decision in less time than it took us to put on the socks we are wearing today. If I am ever forced to use my gun against another person it will be because (1), my life or the life of an innocent by-stander is in immediate danger and (2), another person has both the desire and the means to end my life, and I have no reasonable alternatives to prevent it other than the use of deadly force. This possibility, as remote as it may be, is the reason I own a firearm and have a concealed carry license. It’s why I practice regularly at my local gun range and train myself how to react in a variety of scenarios. It’s also why I read magazines like Concealed Carry Magazine and watch the many videos and television shows now available dealing with self-defense.
For what it’s worth, I spent over twenty years in the military defending our country. When combined with the required classes I attended (both in the classroom and at the range) prior to receiving my license, and the training I do on a continuing basis, I believe I have both the knowledge and determination to use deadly force should it ever become necessary. However, irregardless of your age and experience, a license to carry a firearm is a serious responsibility and a responsibility NEVER to be taken lightly. The truth is that when I first started to carry a gun, I not only felt the huge responsibility that went with it but was almost overwhelmed by it. I actually had my concealed carry license for almost two years before I felt comfortable enough in both my abilities and judgment to carry a gun in public regularly. Maybe the knowledge that I possessed the power to end someone’s life with a simple pull of my finger made me aware of my own mortality and how easily - and often needlessly - life can be lost.
In post 9/11 America, terrorism comes in many guises and has many faces. It can come in the form of a fanatic attempting to kill thousands by exploding a bomb in a crowded skyscraper. It may take the shape of a crazed killer walking through a shopping mall or college campus randomly shooting anyone he encounters. It could also assume the face of the burglar who breaks into your home in the pre-dawn hours and holds a knife to the throat of your son or daughter. Sadly, there are some very bad people in the world who won’t hesitate to take both your property and your life if it serves their purpose. There are also people who take pleasure in seeing others suffer as well as imposing their will on those around them… often violently.
With any luck at all, my wife and I will spend the rest of our lives shooting at nothing more dangerous than the bull’s-eye on a paper target. On the other hand, despite our best efforts there may come a time when we are forced to defend ourselves or a loved one with lethal force. It’s for those times that both my wife and I carry a gun. Like the Boy Scouts, we believe in being prepared. If the unthinkable does happen and we are someday placed in the position of using deadly force, I’m confident we have the training, equipment and where-with-all to do it.
These days, you just never know when you may be required to protect yourself or someone close to you. Long ago I decided I’d rather carry a weapon I’ll (hopefully) never use than someday need the weapon I decided not to carry. However, my advice to anyone who is considering the use of a firearm - or any potentially deadly weapon - is to be ABSOLUTELY certain you’ve made the mental commitment to use that weapon if and when the time comes. If you’re not willing to use it, then you shouldn’t be carrying it.
Bob Childers has a Degree in Theology and retired from the United States Navy in 1994. He’s a member of the NRA, Texas State Rifle Association, the East Texas Rifle and Pistol Club and holds a Texas CCL. You can find out more about him at his website: http://vchilder.home.netcom.com
USCCA Laugh of the Week
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Coming Up On Armed American Radio
The Official Voice of the USCCA
by Mark Walters
Join me for a continuation of training discussion as we welcome back to the broadcast Mr. Gabe Suarez of Suarez International. Gabe is world renowned for his exceptional force-on-force training. He will be with you tonight to continue the discussion that his appearance a few weeks back didn’t allow us to finish. On the heels of last weeks session with Tiger McKee of Shootrite, we continue the teaching process.
The second hour I will welcome Mr. Phil Van Cleave of the VCDL-Virginia Citizens Defense League. Phil has been on the program before back when we were a lonely little hour broadcasting from Atlanta to Atlanta. His voice will now boom coast to coast and Phil will join me to talk about everything under the sun regarding the grassroots efforts to fight the coming fight for our rights.
We may have another guest join the lineup so stay tuned and check back before Sunday!!
Review of the Wheeler FAT Wrench
USCCA Gear Review
Dad always said the job goes easier if you have the right tools for the job. On the other hand, the character of Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor was famous for just “eyeballing it”, and having catastrophic results. “Eyeballing it” is now a well-known expression that means to use one’s fallible human senses to try and make something exact. Whether it is guessing how long to cut that two-by-four, or guessing by feel on how tight to tighten a fastener, “eyeballing it” is the term we often hear.
Now when it comes to the art of eyeballing stuff, I’m not too bad at it. With some things the art of eyeballing allows multiple adjustments to be made until you can get it to fit, but with other things it just doesn’t work.
When it comes to cutting, I learned early on to measure twice and cut once. But of course, I’ve still had occasion to draw the line in the wrong spot or at the wrong angle. However, when I worked as a carpenter I was picked to cut rafters because I was the only one on the team who could understand what all the numbers were for on a roofing (framing) square.
So having a bunch of experience with the use of all kinds of tools, I thought at least I could get a close estimate on tightening screws to a specific tightness measured in Inch Pounds (in-lbs). Well, I was wrong.
I set the Wheeler FAT Wrench to 10 in-lbs and started tightening some screws to that level of torque using the FAT Wrench. After getting the “feel” of what tightening to 10 in-lbs felt like with the wrench, I then used a screwdriver to tighten some screws. After checking my estimated 10 in-lbs tightening using a plain screwdriver, I checked the tightness with the FAT Wrench. Every single one was under tightened.
I was being conservative since I know that I have a tendency to over tighten. My conservative tightening caused the screws to not be tight enough. If I would have tightened them like I normally do, they would all have been tightened way beyond my target of 10 in-lbs.
For many things, it isn’t a big deal if a screw or two is under tightened or over tightened, but when it comes to the fasteners that hold the parts together on a firearm, that is a different story. Engineers design a firearm according to specifications. Notice how the word “specifications” contains the word specific? Not setting the torque properly on the fasteners of a firearm can cause results from an annoying screw that keeps working its way loose, to a catastrophic failure of the firearm.
With the Wheeler FAT Wrench in your toolbox, there is no need to guess anymore when tightening fasteners to spec on a firearm.
The FAT Wrench, or Firearms Accurizing Torque Wrench, is adjustable from 10 to 65 in-lbs. This is the wrench for everyone who would ever take a tool to a fastener on a firearm. It is especially useful in mounting a scope. No guessing if you are at 20 or 55 in-Lbs when tightening down scope rings.
The FAT Wrench has a 1/4 inch drive head that will accept the included bits, and works perfectly along with the bits in the Wheeler Deluxe Gunsmithing Screwdriver Set. The bits included with the FAT Wrench include:
Leupold / Bueheler Windage Bit
#10 Flat Blade Bit
#11 Flat Blade Bit
#32 Flat Blade Bit
3/32 Allen Bit
5/32 Allen Bit
T10 Torx Bit
T15 Torx Bit
T20 Torx Bit
Square Drive Adapter Bit
Overall the FAT Wrench is six inches long and has an accuracy level of plus or minus 2 in-Lbs. To maintain the highest level of accuracy of the FAT Wrench over time, adjust it to its lowest setting before storing it. That relieves tension on the internal parts of the torque wrench.
Oh I can hear the old timers now, “I’ve been fixin’ my guns and puttin’ scopes on ‘em for longer than you’ve been alive boy, and I ain’t never used no fancy torque wrench. What do I need one now for?” For starters, you may be able to improve accuracy by having the fasteners on that fancy scope set properly using the fancy torque wrench.
When a good product is designed and tested, it is done scientifically instead of using the hit-and-miss method. Even if a great product was happened upon accidentally, how it is exactly put together would be determined in order to repeat it on a large scale so that it can be sold to consumers.
When companies such as Leupold make a fine scope for a rifle, every component of every manufactured scope must meet specific tolerances set forth in the original design that was released for production. If each worker on the manufacturing line just twists and tightens parts until they “feel” good, then that would be a product that would not only be a miserable failure on the consumer market, but may become a liability due to catastrophic failures.
Since no company wanting to stay in business guesses at whether or not their products are being manufactured to specifications or not, you also don’t need to guess whether or not you have set the torque of the fasteners correctly during installation.
Remember, the right tool for the job. And at a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price of $69.99, the Wheeler FAT Wrench is an indispensable value. Being a Wheeler Engineering product made by Battenfeld Technologies who also make Caldwell, Tipton, and other fine products, you can’t go wrong with this tool if you intend to work on any firearm.
Check it out by clicking HERE.
Quote of the Week
“Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom. No free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue; and by a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.”
-Patrick Henry
USCCA 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!
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Do you have two-cents that you would like to add to any of the following forum posts? Well if you do, then you should join USCCA’s Members Only Forums. We learn from and share with one another. And since it is only for USCCA members, there aren’t any of the problems that can be found with some other Internet forums.
My First Case Of Tunnel Vision
Last Saturday I was at work ( my secondary job-retail store ). I was at a parts counter facing the entrance. Two customers, one to my right, one to my left. I see a young male outside walking towards the door to enter. (front wall all glass.) He was a gansgta lookin’ dude and he had his hand under his loose t-shirt at his right side. TUNNEL VISION. I zeroed in on him as he came in.
Its was kinda weird, I didn’t realize till the gangsta was gone but the customers voices and everything just faded out. I remember my next thought was to tell the two customers to hit the deck.
Gangsta came in looked at me, I don’t know if he saw my hand under my shirt or not. He asked about transmission stop leak. I showed him where it was, he looked at it and walked out.
It still strikes me as weird how intensely focused I instantly and automatically became.
I cant say if Mr. Gangsta was up to no good or not. Hopefully not.
Glad nothing happened.
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Hi guys and gals, I just thought that it may be of some help to post thoughts about some training Temposhot and I did over the weekend. First a little background info. This was Temposhot and my first face to face meeting and I have to say It was a good time all around.(i.e. He wasn’t a crazy person..hehe) The training was mainly a partner’s class. Teaching how to cooperate as a team to get the heck out of dodge.
Lessens learned
1. Make sure the gun you carry is loaded with live rounds! Tempo arrived to our campsite thinking that he had a Loaded .357 snubbie and when he unloaded it to show me the gun. He came to a funny yet terrifying realization, The gun was loaded–with empty brass that he was using earlier to practice dry firing. (Sorry Tempo I had to….lol)
2. Generally speaking you cannot out draw a drawn gun. During a force on force exercise, with AirSoft guns, every one was seated and I was the bad guy walking up to them. I had instructions to be as nasty as possible, to have them give me something of value and to execute Temposhot as soon as I got to them. (which I did with extreme pleasure!) On my approach I had my gun hidden in my hoodie front pocket, when I was about 15-20 feet I drew and yelled for them to show me their hands, a cop tactic that I am learning in school (they will kill you with their hands) every one put their hands up as I grabbed Tempo and executed him point blank. The two people directly in front of me started to draw and I killed both with double taps before they could even clear the holster. then I turn to the rest who have started to draw and long story short I got a piece of everyone (5 people total) the last two were able to return fire and hit me but the evidence is clear, at least in this situation, if you draw you will get hit.
3. Confidence is key! John Bailey was our instructor and He was big on showing that the gun is more than capable of 30 yard head shots and we were able to do so. Not with the crazy precision he did, but with more training we would be able to. After class we broke out the rifles for some fun and we backed up about 100 yards, one of the guys had some 9mm mags that he wanted to shoot so he offered to let me shoot and I was able to hit near a sand bag (which would have been center mass on a target) I was definite happy with my new confidence.
4. You fall back to your training in a time of stress. We did a force on force Teuller drill and I had pre- planed to get of the x fast and to the right. Well, Tempo rushed me and a series of small drawings mistakes had me back peddling as fast as I could and I only could get of about one shot.
5. 20 rounds of 9mm is better than 9 rounds of .45. Now I know a lot carry 1911’s and I want one too some day. but after seeing the limitations in a multiple opponent situation I won’t carry one for self-defense.
6. When you learn that there is fresh bear poop 20yrds from your tent, it is time to load the ak47!
Well that is all I can think of right now, I will post later if I think of something new. Hope you all are have a good day!
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Local School Children Advised To Fight Back
Our local school system, Rutherford Co Schools in Middle TN, was on the 6;00 PM News last evening. The Sheriff’s Department did a training seminar and the subject was, “School Invaders.” They even talked about armed intruders coming into the school and suggested 3 different actions that were options for one to take.
One of the actions they advised was, if all else fails, fight back. He told them, “Don’t just stand there and be injured but fight back, if you have any opportunity.” He told them some may be injured, or even killed, but they, possibly, could lessen the effect of someone intent on doing evil.
The deputy was interviewed and he said, on the news, that he told the students if they were in eminent danger, even from an armed intruder, to seize any chance that presented itself and pile on the intruder and subdue him/them until help could arrive.
“Bully” for our Sheriff Department. It is about time that the truth was told to our young. This pacifist stance, that has been taught for the past few years, simply does not work for many. Just like on the airliner in Pennsylvania on 9-11, the lesson is clear. If the chips are down you should fight with all you have in you.
The News also interviewed a man (father) and he would not let them show his face. He whined for 3 minutes and you could tell he would be one that had the mentality of a “Sheep”. He said he didn’t want his face shown because he was in fear that his daughter might be retaliated against. My opinion of him was that he wouldn’t lift a finger to help himself or anyone around him. I think he is one who lives in fear, every day of his life.
I am looking forward to reading the paper this morning. I am going to call the Sheriff and thank his department for teaching truth. I think it is great.
Video of the Week
Michelle Hall who was injured in a traffic accident is alone at home when a home invader ignores the dogs, kicks in the door, and tries to rape her. He was so big that the cops could hardly get the cuffs on his wrists.
911 Caller Without Gun in Home Invasion
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 Self Defense Story
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!
October 24, 2009
Ironton, Ohio
From: The Columbus Dispatch
Great-Grandmother Who Shot Robber Says ‘God was with me’
When an armed robber barged into a North Side motel room Wednesday night and ordered the six people there to the floor, he put a 70-year-old woman closer to her handgun.
The great-grandmother knelt between the beds, reached into her purse on the floor and pulled out her .357 Magnum pistol.
She fired one shot at the robber, who staggered from the room, collapsed in the parking lot and died.
“It’s a wonder she didn’t shoot us all,” said her 51-year-old son, who was preparing to hand over his cash when he heard the gunshot. “She’s the worst shot in the world.
“She said to me, ‘God was with me tonight. You know I couldn’t have done that myself.’”
None of the family members, who live in Ironton, wanted to be identified, fearing retaliation; and the woman didn’t want to be interviewed. They have moved to a different room in the motel.
“She’s torn all to pieces,” her son said. “Who would ever want to shoot someone?”
Wayne Winston, 25, died of a single gunshot wound in the chest, Franklin County Coroner Jan Gorniak said yesterday. Police listed his address as “streets of Columbus.”
The woman has a permit to carry a concealed gun, her son said, and carries the gun she inherited from her late husband.
Asked to describe his mother, he said, “Religious. She’s always been my hero.”
The family was staying in a first-floor room at the Continent Inn, near I-71 and Rt. 161, while attending the All-American Quarter Horse Congress. The son said he was in the room with his mother, his wife, his daughter and son-in-law and a family friend.
The door was partially open so the adults could stay within earshot of two girls, ages 12 and 17, in the room next door.
The son said the door flew open shortly after 9 p.m. and they found themselves confronted by a man who pointed a black handgun at them and said, “Everybody here knows what the game is.” He told them to get on the floor and began demanding money from the son and his son-in-law, who were closest to the door. The gunman seemed angry that the son-in-law had only $14.
“I was going into my pocket for money” when a shot rang out and the gunman ran from the room, the son said. “I thought I was shot. I didn’t realize my mother had shot him. It was mass chaos.”
He still wasn’t sure what had happened when he went outside and saw the intruder’s body in the parking lot. Then he heard a second shot. His mother, the gun at her side, had tensed up and “squeezed off another shot into the floor,” he said.
Columbus police don’t expect to file charges against the woman but said the case probably will be presented to a Franklin County grand jury as a routine procedure. The son said the officers who met with his family were “extremely supportive.”
He has a horse farm and is attending the Quarter Horse Congress to watch his 21-year-old daughter compete and to support others who train at his farm.
Word of the shooting spread quickly yesterday among those attending the event, which is in its third and final week at the Ohio Expo Center.
“That’s a hell of a woman,” said George Wyeth, 63, of Claysville, Pa. “I don’t blame her a bit. You pull a gun on someone, you ought to get shot.”
“I give her a lot of credit,” said Beverly Hicks, 77, of Perrysburg in northwestern Ohio, who doesn’t know many people her age who carry guns. “I’d be afraid to carry a gun.”
Police Sgt. Ken Tischler, a community liaison officer, said armed robberies of motel guests near the Continent are rare, but he had warned people attending the Congress about a rash of vehicle break-ins at motels in the I-71 and Rt. 161 area - 102 thefts from autos between mid-August and late September.
Closing Thoughts
Tim, I am fairly new to the CCW world. I’ve read so many articles and talked with countless police officers, gun store owners, dealers, etc. that obviously each have their own preferences. I think I have narrowed my searches down to 1911’s or a newer j-frame revolver. I would love to get some time behind several of each and find out which suits me better. How would you recommend doing this without selling the house? Thank you so very much for the information you’ve provided and the service to all of us who take the 2nd amendment seriously. –Matthew
Friend, this is a VERY good question. The problem is like you say, you need to:
A) Try as many guns as possible before selling on one.
while
B) Not spending thousands of dollars buying them all.
If you have friends who own different kinds of handguns, that’s obviously going to be a big help… but that’s not very realistic, and you definitely can’t count on it. Here’s something that you usually can count on, though:
Most gun stores are usually aware of this problem facing potentially armed citizens, and if they have indoor ranges, they will usually have “gun rental” policies. For example, it may cost $15 to rent a handgun for a half hour for their indoor range, plus the cost of ammunition.
Yes, $15 per gun can definitely add up, but nowhere near as fast as even one gun purchase that you’re not happy with. If $15 each is hard to pull off, maybe you can set a goal to try a different gun every week, or even once per month if you have to.
Matthew- you are wise to have narrowed your search down, and I encourage you to try both (at least 100 rounds each!)- but I also suggest that after you try both, you try a gun that is completely different than either a ‘1911-frame pistol’ (shown here) or you j-frame revolver (shown here).
Just pick something that looks concealable and FUN, and just give it a try- you never know!
I hope this helps!
Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask Tim’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!
Tim Schmidt
Founder - U.S. Concealed Carry
http://www.usconcealedcarry.com
Comments? I’d love to hear from you!
E-mail me at: cody@uscca.us
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