I just wanted to add one quick though to the previous post. It has been my experience that the most reticent people to learn better ways to shoot are cops. Even though and fortunately more and more LEOs are coming around, competing and going on to good instructors paying out of their pockets, the sad truth remains that there is an institutionalized attitude about having a badge next to the gun. They are told in training that they have to be bad-asses to take control of a situation or a perp and they are trained in many and good behavioral aspects that indeed affect the outcome in their favor. But that does not translate to the firearms training, in fact they are told over and over that they will probably never have to shoot their guns during their career and that is the programming that sits in the brain: “Do I really need that extra/advance training since there is a 98% chance I won’t ever have to shoot?”

Add to that the cockiness of another mindset: “You are the best trained police force in the (county/state/nation)!” which might be true, but that does not make you the best trained shooter in the nation. I don’t care how frigging good your training can be at the academy, if you only put rounds through your gun once a year during quals, any IDPA shooter with 6 matches under his belt will out-shoot you nine time out of ten.

And if you think I am wrong, I ask you this: “What serious training outfit (or even no so serious) offers the standard police training to its students?

Yup, you got it. There might be a reason for that, right?

I’m not anti-competition shooting, but I do find fault with most of the competitions out there. The reason being they aren’t realistic and cause the shooter to form extremely bad habits that can get them killed on the street. I realize that most gun owners will never be involved in a shooting incident, but it can happen at any moment to any of us, hence my passion to train in a realistic manner so that I am prepared as well as those I regularly train.

Police One. 5 differences between competitive shooting and combat shooting

Caught this article via a Facebook Friend and his response is Cecil B. De Mille spectacular. Please take a moment to read the original article and then come back for the brutal fisking posted below:

This article is so chock full of fail that it required some rebuttal.
Almost nothing in the linked article is actually true.

1. All targets are single shot targets

Nearly every paper target I’ve shot in IDPA and USPSA matches required multiple shots. Usually 2 shots. Sometimes as many as 6.
Steel targets are required to be knocked over. However many shots that takes.

2. Speed reigns supreme in competition.

Speed is important in IDPA and USPSA. But so is accuracy. I regularly place higher in matches than shooters that have a faster raw time than I do. I also see many targets placed behind non-threat or no-shoot targets.
The author of this piece derisively puts down techniques developed in competition, but neglects to point out that the modern pistol method using two hands to control a handgun was developed in competition.

3. There is no need to take cover.

In IDPA matches using cover is required. I’ve kneeled behind a car hood, leaned around door frames, barrels, and countless other props at IDPA matches.
Most of the USPSA matches I’ve shot are set up in a way that forces shooters to lean awkwardly around walls or other props.

4. You’re limiting your configuration possibilities.

This argument clearly shows how out of touch the author is with what actually happens at most pistol competitions.
I’ve shot strong hand only, and weak hand only in matches quite often. I’ve fallen down running from one position to another and had to get back up, or shoot from the ground.
I’ve shot on 100° days, in the cold, in the rain, with the sun in my eyes, after dark with targets in shadows.

I would have never done these things outside of competition. My local range owner would shit pink plastic kittens if I tried to do any of this stuff on his range.

5. Competition shooting breeds an environment of gizmos, gadgets, and race guns.

No shit. They call that innovation. You know all those red dot sights you see on patrol rifles, and combat rifles being used by our troops? Those were initially developed for competition. Flip up back up iron sights? Again, developed for competition.

The most common gun I see at an IDPA match fits into the Stock Service Pistol (SSP) division. At USPSA matches I see numerous folks shooting those same SSP guns in the Production division. These are guns that would be perfectly at home in a duty holster or inside the waistband of an armed civilian.
Often times I show up at an IDPA match wearing the same holster and using the same gun that I carried concealed that day.

Most regular folks won’t do anything that will better prepare them for armed self defense than practical/defensive competition. Neither will most police officers.

Come on out and shoot a match. You’ll probably find it much more challenging than what you’re doing when you rent a lane at your local range.

Shooting competitions aren’t gunfights, but every gunfight is a shooting competition.

Jay Hafemeister.

I just love that ending….My thoughts in the next post.

I am going to hell, but I laughed.

Read More

“There was some contention about a $25 fee,” Tucker said.In an attempt to clear up the dispute, the woman called her husband, who later arrived with his son. An argument ensued between the owners and the customers.”During this argument, we believe there might have been some pushing and shoving,” Tucker said. “One of the customers and one of the owners produced firearms. We don’t know who shot first.”All four men were shot. The two customers were airlifted to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, Tucker said

Source: Father and son die in shootout at Pearl River County gun shop | SunHerald

We are reality-based. Even though the evidence and stats shows our side is perhaps the most law-abiding and less prone to get in trouble, we realize that there are certain idiots that populate the air among us.

But, our dear Opposition who are supposed to be on the side of Peace, Love, respect for all things living and Non-Violence, do get a hefty chubby to see our side die in massive numbers. Oh God! How much it they wish us dead!

I always will admire their humble, decent christian souls so filled with humanity, it makes rocks cry in shame.

Pity them.

This is a very good observation:

I can understand Grant’s disappointment. I have illusions that somebody other than KelTec or Hi Point will come up with a home defense carbine in pistol caliber that is reasonably priced right under $500 for home defense/truck gun.  Alas, what you can only get is expensive AR-based carbines that go play in the $1k neighborhood.

I think that the last bastion of Gun Culture 1.0 that remains is the concept that what the military and police get, is what people will buy. If Seal Team 36 1/2 or Delta Chi Beta Boyz buy somebody’s particular gun or knife, that supposedly becomes the new standard and civilians will flock to gun stores demanding it.

That line of thought ignores what has happened in the last 5 to 7 years. It is not the big service pistol the one that has been sold like crazy to civilians but instead it has been the much hated Taurus Judge and the compact and sub compact striker-fired pistols for concealed carry, not quite abundant in the armories of any military or police department anywhere.

I will predict that the first company that starts to offer a reliable production of a decent looking semi-auto carbine without proprietary magazines, will make a boatload of money, specially if it is a take-down model or offers both.

Also, bolt-action rifle in .308 with an 16 inch threaded barrel (and with rail or tapped & drilled for it) so the buyer can play Barbie and build up his own scout rifle? Savage Axis with a 22 inch retails for $370 so don’t tell me it can’t be done.

Inertia is a hard to get it moving, even in our circles. Colt chose to ignore the public for the government buck and we have been regaled to its telenovela episodes of woe dealing with bankruptcy.

Take heed.

Tom mentioned that security was higher during this SHOT that in previous occasions.

There were private armed security as well as Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputies, in force. There were also a number of K9 teams, sometimes working in pairs.

Two British journalists from The Guardian (Pravda-on-the-Thames) were kicked out because they went off the rails. And with the intense and hateful speech coming out from groups like the Cult Coalition to Stop Gun Rights Violence, we need to make certain they don’t decide to do some dangerous stuff just because they can.

Savage did come out with something I could (more or less) consider a Truck Gun:

The Model 42, A break-down combo in .22LR on top and .410 down. Retails for $500.

So, apparently nothing really Earth-shattering a the SHOT show. You can tell because the “hot chick” was a snub-nose six shot revolver. Maybe next year we will see some innovative stuff.

I was going to make some misogynist comment about the 5.11 Yoga Pants, but I rather leave you guys with the mental picture of Weer wearing them.

The name of the artist is Amanda Rene Bussell.