Check out this 20/20 “Report” misleadingly titled “If I only had a gun”

This preposterous presentation presents a “study” that concludes that having a gun in a classroom shooting scenario does you no good.  They take a few college kids and “test” them on their reaction to a scenario where they have to defend themselves with a gun.  The gun skills of the test subjects range from none to range skilled.  The results?  20/20 finds and concludes that having a gun basically means you’re going to get killed.  They also find that even if you get your gun out, you won’t be able to shoot anyone.

So let’s look at what they actually did here.  They grab a few kids, most who don’t know how to use a gun and “train” them.  They put an unfamiliar weapon in their hands, let them shoot it a few times on a range and put them all in a baggy shirt.

The first guy, “Joey” isn’t used to carrying a gun.  They put a holster on his belt and position it in his front right, then put his shirt cover over the gun.  Then, AMAZINGLY when a shooter comes in (who is a firearms instructor) Joey, who has NEVER practiced pulling his gun from the position they put it in, can’t get his gun out!  Wow!  I’m shocked!  Any decent gun owner who is going to carry practices pulling his gun hundreds to thousands of times.  This kid fumbles in a shirt that isn’t his and can’t pull a gun that isn’t his from a place he’s not used to pulling a gun from.

Then they show the youtube video of the moron officer at a school that was bragging and showing off to some kids, with a LIVE round in the chamber (while showing kids!), and shoots himself in the foot.  They use this video of a guy who should have been fired immediately as a demonstration that “even officers shoot themselves”.

Then they run “Danielle” through the same scenario.  This untrained girl actually manages to get her gun out AND shoots the perp.  Problem is, she has no idea how to use cover.  She just stands up and starts shooting.  Amazingly, she gets shot!  Then they try to make a big deal about that the apparantley only shot she got off didn’t go where she thought it did.  Instead of a head shot, it was a leg shot.  Danielle actually did pretty good, with some training she might be a decent gun owner.  She needs to learn to take cover and empty her gun.

Next they show “Brian” running through the same test, only with two shooters this time.  Brian stays in his seat while he tries to get his gun out.  Amazingly they shoot him several times.  Then a cop stands their and explains that motor skills deteriorate during a tense scenario.  Duh, that’s why we train repeatedly so that our muscle memory takes over!  You can’t possibly pretend that these kids have any kind of motor skill training to deal with these situations.

Then, hilariously, Diane Sawyer shows that gun haters can’t shoot either.  Just check out her face when she’s pulling her weapon - she clearly thinks it’s a stupid joke.

Then they clearly state that without training you’re not going to react well in these situations.  Duh.  You would think that they’re point is going to be that if you want to carry a gun you NEED to get training!  Nope, it’s that it’s hopeless and pointless to carry a gun.

Next “Chris” who has a lot of range experience is put through the test.  Guess what!  Chris can’t get his gun out!  Again, not his baggy shirt, not his gun, not a weapon in a place he’s used to drawing from.  He takes cover and fights with his gun to get un-holstered.

They sum all this up by saying that you have to be trained to handle a gun properly.  But the problem is, that ISN’T their point, their subtle inferred point throughout the video is that it is useless to have a gun, you have to rely on the cops.

The next segment titled “When older kids find guns” starts off with a bunch of sad clips of kids who got a hold of guns and kill someone.  These are definitely bad situations, but what they don’t talk about is how rare they are or that it’s irresponsible gun owners that lead to these situations.

In their next scenario, they plant a couple guns in a drawer and have some kids pack them up - so they find the guns.  They are observing what they do with the guns.  These kids CLEARLY are not familiar with guns at all, and the “owners” that left two loaded guns in a drawer in their garage and told some kids to pack them up are the ones at fault here.

The first kids just dumped the guns in a box - while looking away from them as if they then wouldn’t exist!  The next set of kids FREAK OUT about them and try to clean their fingerprints off them.  The next set of old teenagers determine the guns are loaded, check for safety and then go get the adults.  One of the kids, who clearly is in awe of a gun, checks them out (he acts like he’s never seen one before).  The next idiot points it at his face while he’s checking it out.   Then they have someone come in and ask “can you tell if it’s loaded by looking down there?” and these kids who clearly know nothing about guns look down the barrel.  And on and on.

To me, the main point of this segment ought to be make SURE your kids know how to use guns, that they know how to be safe with them, that they don’t think it’s a toy. My own teenage boys KNOW how to handle guns, they know how to clear them and they know how to safely use them.  My younger kids wouldn’t be in awe of a gun if they came across them, they’re used to seeing them.

They wind it up with a kid who accidentaly shot his friend saying that he wishes the President would make sure guns are locked up, away from kids.  Well, I wish gun owners would do that, but the President certainly shouldn’t be doing that!

Here are some quick stats on causes of child deaths, notice where guns come in and consider what we’re doing to keep kids safe from drowning, suffocating and swallowing stray objects:

Here are some real numbers of accidental child deaths per year:
Cause ………………………..Number (Ages 0-14) ……Number (Ages 0-4)
Motor-vehicle ……………………………..2,591………..819
Drowning …………………………………….943………….568
Fires and flames …………………………….593……….. 327
Mechanical suffocation ……………………601………..508
Ingestion of food, object…………………… 169 ……..169
Firearms ……………………………………….86………….19
Source: Figures are for 2000. National Safety Council, Injury Facts: 2003 Edition, at 10-11, 129.

There’s more but I think this is enough for now.

I’m sick of “news” segments that take tragic gun scenarios and spin them into anti-gun garbage.  How about some responsible reporting advocating that gun owners be RESPONSIBLE!  We insist on our 2nd Amendment RIGHT, but with all rights come RESPONSIBILITY!  Including the right of the free press!

Here’s a great article about this video from Gun Owners of America.

In the last couple weeks I’ve had several friends ask me for advice about what kind of gun they should get - they’ve never or do not currently own one. I’ve thought about writing this post a few times but I’ve hesitated because I don’t consider myself even close to an expert on guns, I’m just an enthusiast. I got asked again this morning though and realized that even my limited knowledge is more than some of my friends have. So here it goes, first gun suggestions for those who don’t have a gun but feel the need to get one - from a simple enthusiast, not an expert. Incidentally, if you’re an expert (Jayce) please add commentary to this post!

The first thing I ask back at my friends is this:

What do you want a gun for? There are a couple answers and they affect recommendations. Here are the basic categories:

Home Protection:

Concern about home invasion is often one of the primary motivators to arming yourself. The best weapon choice for this (in the authors opinion) is a shotgun in tactical configuration. This means having an 18 inch barrel with a pistol grip. Tactical config isn’t required, but it makes the weapon more maneuverable and useful in a combat situation.

Why a shotgun? First and foremost there is a good chance that when you’re defending your home, especially if it’s against an intruder that is in your house, your going to be doing some dangerous shooting. The walls of your house will prevent shot from passing through and killing someone on the other side whereas a bullet has a good chance of punching right through two layers of sheetrock and hitting your kid who’s sheltering in their room. Secondly, one of the most recognizable and frightening sounds in the world is a shotgun caulking - especially if you don’t know where it’s coming from - psyops at its finest. You can also load a round into the chamber by hand without making a sound if stealth is needed. Third, with the wider pattern that a shotgun provides, you have better odds in a heated fast moving situation of acquiring and hitting your target. With a pistol you have to be much more accurate which can be difficult with adrenaline pumping in your veins and your target dodging you.

The other, often overlooked issue with a shotgun is ammo. With a pistol you’ve got a clip with x rounds in it and you can easily have a few spare mags with you. With a shotgun you basically have a pocket full of shells. If you’re fully loaded you’ll have 3-8 rounds in your weapon depending on choke configuration, you should have a side saddle mounted on your shotgun that will hold another 5- 8 rounds as well. Beyond the 8 - 16 rounds you’re carrying in/on your gun, you either have to fish rounds out of a pocket/bag or use the weapon as a club. I strongly recommend that you purchase a bandoleer or two. You can get them for about $10 bucks and they hold 50 shells each. I personally have two bandoleers that are loaded with shot shells and a 25 shell belt that is loaded with slugs as a critical part of my home defense arsenal.

When it comes to purchasing ammo for a shotgun there are lots of choices out there - most of them are for bird hunters. I don’t bird hunt and I don’t have any idea what size shot you use for what. I buy copious amounts of the cheapest shells I can find. Right now that means a box of 25 at Wal-Mart for $4.67. The other ammo I use for my shotgun is a rifled slug. These babies turn your shotgun into a monster weapon. A slug is a reverse hollow chunk of lead shoved into a shotgun shell. It’s solid on top and hollow in the back, it’s one huge chunk of lead. Slugs run about a buck a piece unless you can find them on sale.

If you’re able to get more than one gun for home defense, a pistol is definitely next in line. A pistol is generally more accessible and regardless of what I said above, reaching for a pistol is better than scrambling to get your shotgun and ammo. If you’re able to arm yourself with both a pistol and a shotgun during a home invasion, the pistol gives you a much cleaner kill shot than the shotgun. Use the shotgun to enable the kill shot.

Personal Defense (out of the home):

I think most people know the answer to this one - it’s a pistol. The real question is what caliber do you get? Unfortunately that is a very personal answer. I personally prefer a 45 with a 380 as backup. The best way to learn what you want to use is to contact your local shooting ranges and find one that rents weapons. Go there and spend the money to be able to try out several different weapons and find the one that you like - then go buy it. If you’re in Utah, come out to one of our shooting events - even if you don’t have a gun yet - and try out several different guns. You can be assured that almost everything will be represented there!

Hunting:

The clear answer here is a rifle. The unclear answer is which caliber to get (again). There are a couple ways of looking at it. If you’re standing on a hill full of good armed folks, what caliber rifle will be most represented? In other words, what is the most commonly available bullet? There are differing opinions on this - some say 30-30 others say 30.06. I think either way you’ll be covered. I’m going to recommend a 30.06, but a 30-30 will do just fine. Both these rifles are capable of taking down pretty much anything. Once you’ve got your basic rifle covered, you may want to branch out into other calibers.

When it comes to ammo, rifle ammo is some of the most expensive. 30.06 ammo runs about $12-$25 for 20 rounds. I suggest stocking up at least 500 rounds for a TEOTWAWKI situation and plan to be very careful with them - if possible, stock up a few thousand rounds - those bullets could represent your ability to eat properly one day.

Militia:

Lots of people are thinking about community protection these days, mostly protection from roving gangs in a TEOTWAWKI situation. So, what weapon is best for militia participation? It depends on several factors. If you’re budget conscious, you’re probably going to want to look at a weapon that uses a 7.62 class of ammo. This includes the AK-47, SKS, and several other rifles. AR-15’s are sexy but they’re expensive and commonly use the more expensive 223 ammo. An SKS will serve you well and can be had for $200 - $500. An AK-47 will also serve you well and can be had for around $450 - $800. An AR-15 will start at around $1,000.00. Then of course you can get into the bigger weapons like AR-30’s and the BMG .50 - all of which will run you a lot more money.

Accessories and other common questions:

With each of these weapons and protection classes, you need to also think about several other things.

How will you carry ammo? For ammo in magazines, how will you carry magazines? One excellent solution to this is to purchase a combat vest. You can get them in dozens of configurations, but look for ones that will hold magazines and for your weapons and has other accouterments that meet your combat preference. A fully prepped combat vest with a holster built into it will provide you with one stop grabbing in a tight situation. A clip on belt prepped with your holster and a magazine holder will work as well.

Magazines - how many should you have? The common answer among enthusiasts is “as many as you can get”. I would strongly recommend having at least 3 for each weapon. This allows, if your in an in-place combat situation, for someone to be reloading your magazines for you - hopefully quicker than you are emptying them.

Ammo - how much to get and how to store it? Most military surplus stores carry ammo cans, these are excellent for storing your ammo in. If you buy ammo in bulk, it will usually come loose in an ammo can already. Ammo cans are easy to grab, hold lots of rounds and will keep your ammo dry.

Safes - What do I do about storing my weapons? The answer to this question has several variables. Are you trying to protect from theft, destruction? How many guns do/will you own? And several others. Safes can run from $100.00 to $10,000.00. For me personally, I have a gun safe merely to keep my kids out of the guns. It is a simple keyed safe that I got from Wal-Mart for $100 bucks. There are drawbacks to this but I would rather spend my money on more guns than on a place to anchor them. Again, that’s just my preference.

Scopes - Do I need a scope for my gun(s)? If you are intending to use your rifle for hunting, you better have a scope on it. Without one you’ll probably just waste all your ammo on not killing anything. You’ll also probably want to scope your militia weapon. We’ll have to do a scope review in a later post.

Cleaning - What do I need to clean my guns? A weapon is an investment. If you don’t/can’t take proper care of it you’ll need the government to bail it out and that probably won’t happen. You’ll need to have bore brushes for each caliber weapon you have and a bore cleaner to go with it. You’ll also need gun oil and rags to clean everything. Wal-Mart has a great wooden box basic cleaning kit for $35.00 that will get you started. From there you’ll need to add to it. I suggest keeping a separate set of tools with your gun cleaning kit so you don’t have to hunt for them when you need them. To keep your wife happy, buy a drop cloth to clean on, it makes an oily mess! You can find step-by-step video instructions for breaking down, cleaning and re-assembling almost any gun on youtube. When I buy a new gun I always first completely dis-assemble it while watching a video tutorial on youtube. This gets me familiar with my weapon and lets me make sure I have any specialty tools for that weapon in my kit.

Ownership - You’ve got to OWN your guns. This means being completely familiar and comfortable with them as possible. Go shoot regularly (come with us) just to remind your body what it feels like to fire each weapon. Be familiar with all the mechanisms in your weapons so you’re able to repair and clean them when needed. When you NEED your gun is not the time to be trying to remember what steps you have to take in order to enable it to fire. Range time doesn’t need to eat up your whole day. Grab a gun after work or on the weekend, go to a range, fire off a few mags and come home. This isn’t target practice, it’s familiarization. But you’ll need to target practice too

Conclusion:

These are answers to the questions I get asked a lot, if you have other questions, please ask in the comments - I and the other active shooters on this site will be happy to help! Right now, our future ability to purchase and own firearms is in question - if you don’t have one yet, get a gun while you can! Don’t be embarrassed about not knowing what you need/want - we enthusiasts are all too happy to dump our opinions on you!

There are two Appleseed events coming up for Utah.  Nephi on April 19th, and Cedar City May 17th.

For those not familiar, check out the site.  Appleseed events are a great chance to really learn how to use a rifle, and meet with other people who can help improve your skills.  Post up if you are interested in attending an event.

I am one of those people who has long meant to get his CCW, but until now has never found the time. However I am determined to remedy that. There are many people that advertise group CCW course rates, and a few friends and I have been planning on setting up a one. What other local geeks would be interested in this, and do you have an instructor that you prefer?

On the KSL ads, I often see rates around $25 per person, including fingerprinting and all paperwork.