Hey teachers: quiet in the schools, please!

Hey Teachers: quiet in the schools, please!

Since the tragic events at Sandy Hook elementary many people have requested that teachers be armed. I fully support this since I have young children and want them to be safe. Like millions of other parents, we send our kids off to school each day knowing they are safe and hope they have a good day each and every time we send them off. School shootings are nothing new. Back in the 1990’s, President Bill Clinton wanted to have armed guards in the schools to keep the kids safe. The NRA has a program called The Shield Program to arm the teachers. Many have flocked to get their concealed carry permits.  Many have been on the news to publicize the fact they are concealed carry holders and carry in the schools.

It’s awesome that so many teachers are carrying concealed or looking to earn their permits. There is just one issue I have with the media frenzy over this. By going on the local and national news outlets you just lost your tactical advantage to carrying concealed and could yourself become a target of an active shooter. If there is an active shooter planning a shooting at the school where you teach and they are familiar with your school, they now know where a threat resides and could target you and your students first. Do not give any reason to stand out!

The news media outlets are a good deterrent to use for sure. However, let others be the name and face for the media. The less the public knows about you, the better. Let the district public relations group, second amendment advocates, shooting groups or another party be the spokespeople for this topic. By remaining anonymous you will gain the tactical advantage and will keep the element of surprise against an active shooter.

Think of it this way, when you see a “hyper tactical” individual that looks like they are going on a safari in Wal-Mart or a person wearing a shirt that says “Keep Calm I Carry”.  What’s the first thing that comes to mind? That person is armed and carrying a firearm should be the answer. What about the person who is in plain, everyday casual wear, not advertising anything out and about with their family? I dress this way and I’m always carrying concealed! I try to blend in and not stand out as best as I possibly can. Would this make me a target for the criminal element? It may or may not, but if so, then I am prepared for an encounter. Are you?

Let’s cover the topic of training and what should be considered by all teachers and school district employees that carry in the schools. Most school districts require the employees to have a certain amount of hours of training and they need to keep the firearms on their persons at all times. In my opinion the training should these courses: The NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course, Concealed Carry Permit Course, Personal Protection Inside The Home and Personal Protection Outside The Home (both the basic and advanced course). This will provide an estimated total of 36 hours of both classroom and range time instruction. It will also provide the school district employees with the knowledge/skills necessary to counter any threat they encounter in both their personal and professional lives. Ideally this should be on a volunteer basis for the school district employee and not mandated by the state.

Due to the political climate, there are some that believe an armed teacher is a bad idea. This is just pure ignorance at its worst! Teachers who are well trained and carry are the best line of defense for their classrooms. Keep in mind; if there is an active shooter, the teachers are not going to run out into the halls with guns blazing. Just the opposite! In an active shooter situation the concealed carry holders should barricade and in a safe location, behind cover, protect themselves and those in their immediate area. If all the students are locked in the classroom with an armed teacher, the active shooter does not have a target rich environment and the AS is in fear of kicking in a classroom door because of the armed teacher, a tragedy can be avoided. The first responders will have the situation resolved shortly after they arrive.

So teachers, how do you feel about the tactical advantage of keeping your names and faces out of the press? I think it’s a great idea! The bad guys don’t know your name, they won’t recognize your face and you are in total concealment. Now that’s the best tactical advantage to protect our precious little ones we entrust in your care every day.

For those who live in Utah and are interested in the courses we offer, please visit our website at Utah CCWTraining.  For those who live outside of Utah and are looking for NRA courses, please visit the NRA Courses site.

 

Chambered vs. Unchambered

Chambered or Unchambered?

 

 

Do I carry with one in the chamber or not? That is the question a ton of concealed carry and self-defense advocates are debating. There are those that claim "you might as well carry a club instead of a gun if you don't carry with one in the chamber". There are some that say it's safer to carry without. The main question here is, “how do you feel”? We will cover a few of these areas in-depth and you will need to decide for yourself which is better for you.  Safety is the main concern!

Unfortunately, concealed carry classes are the very first organized firearms course many people take.  In some cases, this might be the only course they ever take.  This is unfortunate!  Everyone should take a firearms related course at least once every year or two.  It might not always be in the budget or hard to find the time for it.  However, if you carry a concealed firearm, it is your responsibility to become as proficient with the firearm as possible.  Both with the draw and shot placement!!!

With an unloaded firearm, how often do you practice your draw?  Is it a fluid motion or do you hit a few snags?  Here is a tip:  When you have some “me time” pick out an area of your home where you can practice the draw.  Be sure to verify your firearm is unloaded and you do not have any ammo in the area with you.  If you are using a semi-auto I would recommend to not have a magazine inserted while practicing (even after you have verified the firearm is unloaded).  Practice the draw in front of a mirror and see how it looks and feels to you.  Where was your trigger finger when you drew?  Did it slip from the frame on to the trigger?  If so, then you need to practice a lot more with drawing an unloaded firearm before you carry with one loaded!  There is no such thing as accidental discharge.  They are all negligent discharges (aka ND) because the firearm owner did not take the time to train or practice safety.

Presentation of the firearm can be a hazardous time for the shooter in a self defense situation.  Stress will be high and the adrenaline is pumping!  It’s not the same cushy environment where you were practicing your draw technique feeling ridiculously like Harry Calhoun.  In a stressful self defense situation the last thing you need is a self inflicted wound from your own ND.  How ridiculous do you feel practicing that draw now?   The draw and presentation need to be practiced with an unloaded firearm as often as possible!  Be sure you know your holster and what type of retention you are using.  If you are using an outside the waistband holster you may have a snap, thumb, or trigger finger release.  Use caution with the Serpa style holsters and make sure your trigger finger does not hook back into the trigger during the “pull-chest” and “rotate-chest” positions.  Keep that trigger finger on the frame until you are on target and have made the decision to fire. 

Take a look at the video below.  Was there a ton of time between the chambered vs. unchambered? 

 

Yes, this was a long amount of time to draw, rack the slide, aim and shoot compared to carrying with one in the chamber.  This amount of time could have been the difference between life and death in the event you had to escalate to use deadly force.  Train as you fight and expected the unexpected.  Nothing will be as you plan or hope for.  What you can plan for is that you have properly prepared yourself for the unexpected situation you may find yourself in some day.  I pray to God this day never comes for my family, friends or my students but if it does we know the laws and how to act accordingly. 

*The primary causes of firearm accidents are carelessness and ignorance.  Remember to learn, train and educate correctly.  Find an instructor in your local area or join a local IDPA league in your area.  For those in Utah, feel free to contact us at any time for training.  Whether its defensive shooting, Concealed Carry Courses, Hunter Education, NRA Courses or AR-15 classes, we do it all.  Contact us at Utah CCW Training.

 





Choosing a rifle

If the handgun area isn’t for you and you are looking into the rifle arena, the same principles apply. The .22lr is the caliber of choice for the Hunter Education Programs for a good reason. They are a great starting point for shooters to learn and master the fundamentals of shooting. Everyone has to start somewhere and this is a good opportunity to learn. Do not let ego get in the way of your skill development and growth as a shooter. Who cares what others say or think? Most of them couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn anyhow!

When choosing your first rifle, I would recommend a bolt action in a .22 or a .17. The bolt actions will slow you down each shot so you can go over the fundamentals for each shot. Use the iron sites that came with the firearm. Spending a ton of money on the added little extras for a practice gun wouldn’t be wise. It would be better to use that money for ammo or save the money for your next higher caliber firearm. Remember, this gun is a teaching tool and that’s what it should be used for.

After you have learned how to shoot with the lower caliber and you are looking to advance to a larger caliber, ask yourself what the intended use will be. Will it be for hunting? If so, what type of hunting? What game will it be used for? Is its sole purpose just for recreational shooting? Will  you be getting into competition shoots? Will it be just for plinking with friends? Research the calibers that are recommended for the type of game you wish to hunt. See what the rules and regulations might be for any competition shoots you might be interested in. If you are just looking to plink or shoot recreation, shop around and gauge what the price and availability of the ammunition is. Since this is a fun hobby, you really don’t want to break the bank.

 
Once you have decided what caliber you are set on and what activities you will be involved in, it’s time to learn about rifle products and what’s out there for your intended sport. I’ll use hunting as an example. Say I want to hunt elk and mule deer in the mountain west states. I have decided to go with the .30-06 since its affordable, plentiful and less kick than some of the larger big game calibers. Do I go with a bolt action or a semi-auto for hunting? Both have pros and cons to them for sure. The bolt action is more accurate and reliable. The semi-auto is fast and you could have a quicker follow up shot than a bolt action if needed. However, if you do not perform the proper maintenance on a semi-auto, you could have malfunctions while hunting.

 
So you weighed the pros and cons of both and have decided on what type of action you will look for. Now it’s time to look at a few more things before you hit the stores shopping. Do some research on different manufactures and see which one offers the best product for what you are looking to do with it. Then look at the price and start to stare and compare. Be sure to check out the specs on the rifle such as the twist rate, weight and the length of the rifle to be sure it’s not too big or too small for you. Narrow it down to about 3-4 rifles and then go check them out in the store to see how they feel for you.

Now that you have decided which rifle you want, make sure it’s a fair price for it. Remember, it also depends on the time of the year you are making a purchase. There are some great sales before and after the hunting seasons, so be sure to shop around. Watch out for some of the used, online firearm sales companies or private sales. Some of these do not offer much of a discount and if you find a great price on one, check the shipping and FFL fees. If you are making a private purchase, a sale between you and another person instead of a dealer, be sure you are both aware of your state laws prior to making the purchase.

Congratulations! You have made your purchase and have your brand new prize just waiting to be fired. Just one catch! You need a good optics on that baby!! Big game does not just walk up and pose for you within the limits of the .22 or .17 you’ve practiced with. If they do, then I’ve been doing it wrong for a very long time! Now it’s time to learn about the different verities of scopes and what you can use them for. There’s no shortage of scopes to select from. There are a ton of options you can decide from. Keep it simple on your first scope and make sure you don’t get more scope than gun or caliber. Meaning you don’t want a scope that will give you the false impression that your caliber will have the same distance of flight as you have of sight.

Use the same method to buy a scope as you have with the selection of which rifle you wanted. It’s just as important to have a good scope to go with a good rifle! Again, think of what you will be using it for and what you will be putting it through. For hunting, I like a good reliable, durable scope that is both fog and waterproof. The reticle depends on personal choice, but use caution, you do not want a ton of distractions inside the scope. Bullet drop compensators (BDC) can be a good tool to use for hunts and will help you quickly gauge your shot. However, some of the lower end scopes might not have a reliable BDC on them. I recommend a basic duplex cross-hair for new shooters.

Once you have decided on which brand and type of scope will best suit your needs, it needs to be mounted on the rifle. It’s usually a good idea to have this done professionally at the store you purchased it from, a gunsmith or a trusted friend or member of the family. A lot can go wrong if you do not know how to mount a scope properly. If you are having the scope mounted professionally, be sure to request to have them bore sight it for you before you take it home. It will save you a ton of time, ammo and frustration when you sight it in for the first time.

 
Now you are all set and ready to go shooting! A few tips that you need to keep in mind prior to popping off the first shot: 1.) READ THE OWNERS MANUEAL before you shoot. There might be some initial cleaning the manufacture recommends prior to sending a bullet down the barrel. 2.) A bench rest would be a good idea to either buy or barrow. These can help reduce frustration while sighting in and can save you money on ammo. 3.) Go to the range with a knowledgeable shooter. It will help in a ton of areas! If you think you are doing something wrong, it gives you a person you trust to ask. It will also give you a second set of eyes to help get you dialed in at the range. 4.) Always shoot with the same type of bullet you sight in with. The grain, bullet weight, can off set your zeroed in sight and your shot will be off. Practice shooting with the same bullet type you will be hunting with!

Now that you have fired your rifle for the first time and you’re all jazzed up about it, you’re still not done. That puppy needs to be cleaned! Be sure to clean the firearm to the manufactures specifications in the owner’s manual. Be sure you clean it in a well-ventilated area and you do not have any live ammunition in the same room with you. The little gremlins have a way of getting bullets near or in the gun while cleaning it. It’s just an extra safety measure to take! Once the gun is cleaned and no longer in use, be sure to keep it in a safe, lockable location. Safes and metal gun cabinets are the ideal location.

Now that you are a gun owner, have fun with it and please be safe with it. There is no such thing as being too safe with a firearm!

 

 

starting calibers

Like many other firearm owners, I love all calibers! I know what works for me and how to use the shooting fundamentals with every shot. This took years of practice and training. I can't really say it was ever hard work because I enjoy it so much. As an instructor, I recommend to my students to find what caliber works best for them and not for someone else. Of course they should still experiment and try different types. Once a person decide which caliber works best for them there are plenty of firearms for them to choose from.

The main question I here is: "How do I know which caliber will work best for me?” Well the answer is simple, have someone experienced teach you how to shoot or take a class to learn the shooting fundamentals. Learn the basics first and build from there! I recommend to students to start with a .22 caliber pistol or rifle to get the fundamentals down. Talk with friends, family or instructors on what they use and why. Ask them what the pros and cons are for each one.


Start small and work your way up. Do not start off with a caliber that is too much for you to handle. It will only put you off from shooting sports if it’s not enjoyable. The .380 ACP is a decent round to start with and I know a ton of people that use the .380 hydro-shok for self-defense. Watch out for the macho types or the hyper-tactical crowd (you know, the ones that look like they’re on a safari in Wal-Mart) who belittle the round and say it’s not enough for them. Watch a ballistics gel test video on the .380 hydro-shok and see the damage in inflicts. Watch how the temporary wound cavity expands and creates a ton of damage and does not over penetrate. It's an ideal caliber and nothing wussy about it!!

The 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP are all great rounds, but they are not for everyone. I love the .45 ACP and I shoot great with it. The same can be said about the .380 ACP, 9MM and .40, but it’s just a personal choice for me. My advice to the beginners, go shooting! Go to the range! Find out what caliber works best for you and stick with it!

Stay tuned for more blogs!!