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LearnAboutGuns.com

Firearm related politics and information, from a pro-firearms perspective.

I hope someone can help with my question. I do not own a gun but I am definitely a supporter of 2nd amendment and NRA and gun ownership. My question concerns my neighbor who is a hunter. On 2 occassions this past summer I found undischarged shotgun shells in my yard while mowing the grass. I have also picked up a shell in the street in front of our house. I'm certain they belonged to my neighbor but I don't quite know the correct way to deal with this. If the unfired shells are not a big danger then I don't want to appear as some kind of anti-gun looney and cause poor relations with him but if on the other hand he is being irresponsible and endangering us and the children in the neighborhood then I should talk seriously with him. Can someone help put this in perspective for me?

Working at a gun shop gives me some wonderful oppertunitys to try stuff I otherwish would not have. At time I am very impressed, other times not so much. This time was both, and a learning experince to boot. I took home a brandnew Taurus 650 CIA (carry it anywhere) mine is a .357 magnum, 2' barrel, Double action only. Now I am ussaly a fan of having the option of the single action; however where I to be involved in a gunfight with this gun, I would not be using single action! So I am training myself to shoot double action, as most of the handguns I carry daily are either double action only, or double action first shot. There are rumors that DAO shooting is inaccurate, and diffcult. While it may take more concentration to fire in DA mode this is not a bad thing as it helps us to concentrate more on a consistant trigger squeze.
I like the little 2" revolvers because they tend to be there by my side when not other firearm will quite do the trick. Add to that the performance of the .357 Magnum caliber, and you have yourself a great little combo. I drive a pickup that the desighn of the seats allows me to afix a holster inbetween the drivers seat and the center consul. This is where I prefer to have a revolver. I cannot readily reach my holstered weapon the gun-in-the-seat meathod is wonderful. With the small CIA all I have to do is put the gun in my pocket when I leave the truck, which not only secures the firearm, but also provides me with a great back up gun.
Anyone reading this must note that although these meathods work for me they may not be ideal where you are. I live in Alaska, and it is simply a differant kind of enviroment. We have cold weather, animals, remote wilderness areas, and the usual assortment of drunk, vandals, and criminals. No, the truck never leaves the driveway with out at least one rifle, and one handgun. Here it is dark half of the year so it is impertive that one should learn to shoot a firearm in darkness. I think that this is a must have skill for anyone who takes their personal saftey seriously. If you think about it most crimnals will not attack you in daylight downtown, but add darkness to the picture, and suddenly the other person has concelment.
Constant darkness is one reason why I do not carry full power .357 loads in the Taurus. When testing the gun in darkness the muzzle flash from this little gun was enough to blind me to the loaction of the target for almost 3 seconds. To any of you who have been in a gun fight you will know that three seconds can very well spell life or death. I also know that it is unlikely that an assailant will stop their attack INSTANTLY after my first hit. With that in mind I choose firearms that are able to fire without essesive muzzle blast. So I carry the .38 special +P loads, and a speed loader.
Bullets do not do the shooter any good unless they impact their target. We must test our carry guns first for reliably and second for accuracy. It works. I am not going to tell you that you can hit a gopher at sixhundred meters. I was able to relably hit the head at 25 yrds on a standard size siluette target. long range is not where the real shine is though, its the personla distance shooting that will make or break the gun. I was able with very little practice shoot fist sized groups at 10 yards. These groups where all point of aim.
So on the stevedcross scale of gun testing I would give this little bugger a 6. I would have scored it higher, but there was a problem. This gun willnot work with Cor-bon ammo. I have no ideal why, it just does not work. It works with other ammo of the EXACT same power leval, but not the corbon. Now this is important to remember because had I not tested my ammo I would have been in for a rude supprise had it come time to use it. I will work on this though and let everyone know when I fighure it out. Meanwhile I would advise you not to shoot Corbon in Taurus revolver as I am not the first one to have this problem.
Good luck and stay safe
stevedcross

Rules of Gun fighting

1 Have a gun.
2 Bring your friends who have guns.
3 If it’s worth shooting, it’s worth shooting again, and again, etc.
4 Only hits count. Front Sight Squeeze; Repeat as necessary
5 Any hits count for something.
6 If they are throwing mortars at you, shoot them! (see rule #3).
7 If you can see them you can shoot them; So do it ( personal experince)!!!
8 Proximity negates skill.
9 Always Cheat.
10 If not shooting you should be communicating, reloading and/or moving.
11 Someday, Someone may kill you with your own gun, but they will have to beat you to death with it because; it will be empty.
12 Have a plan.
13 Have a back up plan because the main plan will fail.
14 Flank them, don’t get flanked.
15 Be aggressive.
16 The faster you finish the fight the less chance you have of getting shot.
17 Tactical reload, as soon as possible.
18 Be polite, be paranoid.
19 The only things that matter are you living and them dying.
20 Bullets go through walls
21 Bring extra ammo.
22 Women and children can and will shoot you. Trust NO One!
23 If you do get shot, shoot back, relax, and don’t panic.

This is not original to me, just figured that I would share, pass it along, some I have added from personal experience, but again I am not the first person to say this. Add some of your own, and we can try and get the 50 best or something. So comment and I will edit the list to include good ones.

SO they come out with a new gun and they tout how it is so safe and one of those "safe" features is a loaded chamber indicator. This really annoys me, I mean what really does this do? Have we all forgoten that all guns are to be treated as loaded? If someone (IE not a "gun" person") picks up this gun that does not know the "All guns are loaded" rule, do you really expect them to know what a loaded chamber inticator is, and how to use it?
As for the gun savey population, they should know that the gun is loaded, or at least how to properly check the weapon. Now If you where to say to me that it is for "operators" to be able to feel instantly if their weapons are loaded, well missy let me tell you that I an't gonna belive some little tab to tell me if I have a weapon ready to go into leathel combat. First off those little things can get a little grit on them and then they stay "loaded" all the time. So if the indicator says that there is a round in the chamber does that mean I still have to check it before going out to check something going bumb in the night>?
I belive that it was said that somethings are brilant soultions to non-exitent proplem. This fits in that cadogery. Some Airforces did something simular, in that they painted a false cockpit on the underside of the aircraft. well it seemed like a great idea, until people had an ephiny and said "hey if they are close enough to see it, then they are close enough to not be fooled by it.
As far as gun safety, its really easy. Most Americans memorize many many numbers, phrases, and such in their lives. How had then is it for a persom to learn a few very simplE rules about gun handeling,
1 EVERY GUN IS LOADED!!!!!
2 DO NOT POINT A GUN AT ANYTHING YOU DO NOT WISH TO KILL/DESTROY!!
3 WHEN BEING HANDED A FIRARM FROM SOMEONE ELSE, YOU FIRST CHECK THAT THE WEAPON IS UNLOADED.
So I belive that if a person cannot learn, and abide by those rules, they should be taken to a group home where they help those with limited mental assets.

Iowa Hunter Shot By Dogs

A Tama, Iowa man is recovering after being shot when hunting dogs stepped on his gun Saturday afternoon.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports 37-year-old James Harris was pheasant hunting north of Grinnell when someone in his group shot a bird.

When Harris went to retrieve it, he put his gun on the ground and as he crossed a fence, hunting dogs stepped on the gun, causing it to fire.

Harris was struck in the lower left leg and was treated at Grinnell Medical Center before being transferred by helicopter to University Hospitals in Iowa City.

Sorry, bro, but that's what the safety's for.

This is stupid

PRODUCT WARNING AND RECALL NOTICE: WINCHESTER® WILDCAT® 22 & WINCHESTER® XPERT® 22

Here's the Winchester press release

There's more information there, including lot numbers affected and shipping/refund information, but here's the reason:

Through extensive evaluation Winchester has determined the above lots of WILDCAT® 22 and XPERT® 22 ammunition may contain double powder charges. Double powder charge weight ammunition may cause firearm damage, rendering the firearm inoperable, and subject the shooter to a risk of personal injury and/or death when fired.

Thanks to Kim du Toit.

Here's an article on what should be taught in school. Here's a good bit:

I, for one, believe that it is a lack in education and of knowledge of our young in the proper handling and use of guns that contributes to these senseless acts of violence. For many of them, the only experience they have had with a weapon is through video games, television, and movies where they are used to kill the bad guy with little thought of what real life consequences of such actions entail. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not blaming any of these mediums, because no matter what children are exposed to, it comes down to proper education to be able to distinguish reality from fantasy.

Damn skippy.

Well, another shooting at a school. When are people going to learn? Now, everybody's going to be yelling more gun controll and we need better gun laws. ever woundered how a single person can walk into a room and blow away 30 people? What do you think would have happened if he walked into class and shot the teacher and then turned and looked at the class only to see most of the class was pointing a gun at him just before they blew him away. IF YOU WANT MORE GUN CONTROLL, HAVE EVERYONE BUY A GUN AND KEEP IT ON THEM AT ALL.I think the good people who go by the law far out numbers the bad people. Then it would be just a matter of time before all the bad guys are done in. I do know this, You would never hear of anyone killing 30 + people. I know that after they shot one person, SOMEBODY is going to shoot them. Think about it? Woodzman

By woodzman

Over in one of the forums I'm active in - MissouriCarry.com a member recently posted a very nice piece on "Things CCW Has Taught Me". With his permission I'm cross-posting it here to get it a wider audience.

Saiga308 is the author, I'm just the delivery guy. If you want to let him know what you think about this, click here to go to the thread over at MoCarry.

-----------------------

Things CCW Has Taught Me

After almost 3 years of continuous carry of a Glock 19 or 26 on my body except for sleeping (in a safe next to the bed), showering (in the shower on a nail), or at work, here are a few of my own random observations.

1) CCW is not just putting a gun on your hip….it is a lifestyle. A lifestyle that changes how you dress, and what you look for in your clothing. You plan your day out every morning when you put your clothes on. What are your activities that day? Where you are going to be, and what is the best method of concealment? Am I going to be at a friends house with small kids wanting to wrestle and play? Am I going somewhere that has “huggers”, or am I going to be going to a store only and then home.

2) People like to doubt the actions of anyone who is armed, whether it be police, or military, a CCW holder or Uncle John out in the back 40 with his deer rifle. There is a tendency to automatically question their actions if a firearm is involved. The pressure is always there to make sure that your actions each and every day are safe and legal.

3) As a CCW holder you are more aware of what is going on around you for the simple fact that someday your actions maybe questioned in a court of law, and since nobody wants to end up in that situation, awareness of your surroundings might give you a heads-up to avoid the problem all together.

4) The pistol is only one of the tools you carry everyday, the others include a cell phone, folding knife, mace, wallet and keys. Each items will have its own pocket that it stays in, whether in your coat or jeans or vest.

5) More important than what kind of holster you have or what brand of belt or smartcarry (as long as they are well made) is that you wear it the same way every time. If the first rule is to have your pistol, then the second rule should be that it’s in the same place on your body as it was the last time. When you need it is not the time to think , “Where did I put it today?”.

6) Gun Magazine writers are about as honest as a used car salesman.

7) .380, 9mm, .40 S&W, 45ACP, .45GAP, .357SIG, .357mag……They all hurt, and I don’t want to get hit by anyone of them, I am guessing that the Bad guys feel the same.

8) A good tactical pistol class (or two) are worth their weight in gold. Take good notes, because if it was done right you find yourself looking back at them again and again. There is so much info that you end up thinking about the class for months after.

9) I have ended up with a 3 holster system. An Avenger style OWB, a CTAC IWB (set up to place the handle at the exact same spot as the Avenger), and a Smartcarry for deep concealment. I use a G26 and G19 because the mags are interchangeable and my better half also carries a G26. That way what we carry can support each other. I carry a Double mag holder OWB always, and have a G17 and G19 mags loaded with the same ammo. So far I have never had any problems with this setup, I am by no means saying that it is perfect or better than anyone else’s, but so far this has worked fine for me.

10) This is the last thing that I have noticed, CCW Holders are for the most part educated, opinionated, fiercely loyal and independent at the same time. They are the type of folks that you want answering the door when its 11PM, and your car breaks down out in the boonies, and you walk to the nearest home for help. Because by their very nature, they will try to help, no strings attached (unless you have a Hilary 2008 sticker on your bumper!). The world needs more of them, and I am proud to count myself in their ranks.

Looking for news on Century Arms, International

Anybody got anything for me

I've recent been reading up on UK law on B.B. Guns/Imitation Guns and I am really confused as to the real situation... I see different views on the situation:

B.B. Gun Advice from Bedfordshire Police:

"There is no law relating to the posession of toy guns, including BB guns, in public but if someone carrying one puts other people in fear or causes distress, then that person is committing a criminal offence. They also run the risk of injuring themselves or anyone around.

If the police are called, they have to react as if the firearm is real - and anyone brandishing any type of gun (real or not, loaded or not) is putting themselves in danger.

So don't take the risk... don't carry a gun of any type in the street or in a public place."

B.B. Law according to Derbyshire Police:

"... under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, which was introduced in January this year, it is an arrestable offence to carry an imitation firearm in a public place without permission, whether or not it is capable of discharging a shot or a bullet. Carrying an air weapon in public, loaded or not, is also an offence. The maximum penalty is six months imprisonment."

Anyone know what the real case is? I'm looking at creating an organisation to run B.B. War events in the UK and need information as to exactly what is legal and what is not... Also what requirements there would be to create such an organisation.

Any help would be really appreciated!

As we all know by now, Col. Jeff Cooper passed away yesterday.

Never Yet Melted has an excellent biography.

Kim Du Toit has a couple good "Cooperisms"

Publicola has some links and a nice song.

It may be hard to find words befitting such an important man, but Michael Bane does a great job. Better than I could ever do.

Now this is stunning in it's complete lack of intelligence in design. I caught this at Bruce Schneier.

Safety catches do not always prevent firearm accidents and even newfangled biometric guns, which check the identity of a user by their fingerprint, cannot stop thieves from using stolen ammunition in other weapons.
The way to make firearms really safe, says Hebert Meyerle of Germany, is to password-protect the ammunition itself. Meyerle is patenting a design for a modified cartridge that would be fired by a burst of high-frequency radio energy. But the energy would only ignite the charge if a solid-state switch within the cartridge had been activated. This would only happen if a password entered into the gun using a tiny keypad matched one stored in the cartridge.

When they are sold, cartridges could be programmed with a password that matches the purchaser's gun. An owner could set the gun to request the password when it is reloaded, or to perform a biometric check before firing. The gun could also automatically lock itself after a pre-set period of time has passed since the password was entered.

The system would undoubtedly cost more than a conventional gun, but many firearm enthusiasts would surely pay a premium for such added security.

Yeah, there's intelligent design. Let's make the gun even more impossible to get ready in an emergency.

I have to love the comments to the blog entry on this one though.
TOMBOT stated:

I have a better idea. Mount a retina scanner below the barrel. If the retina scan doesn't match the owner of the gun and bullets, it fires.

And Bob:

Amazing, what an inappropriate use of technology. This would take getting a "blue screen of death" to a whole new level. I hope they subsidise them for purchase by criminals and terrorists; cops arent going to go anywhere near these things.

And@nonymou5:

Hmmm, what trade-offs do we have?

1) Add extra cost to the firearm and ammunition to have a firearm that might not fire when I need it to do so.

2) Add complexity to a situation where I may need to react in a very short period of time.

3) Possible increase my safety if I was in a situation where the firearm would be removed from me and used against me. Let's see if I am in a situation where the attacker can get physical possesion of my firearm then I am going to be harmed. The attacker may not use the bullets from my firearm but at this point the attacker could use any number of way to harm me. So the idea is to prevent the attacker from disarming me. Which would require me using a firearm that was proven reliable over time and have been reviewed by experts. The Colt 1911 style sidearm standard-issue handgun for the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_1911
A reliable firearm like the Colt 1911 is also very simple compared to the weapon described in the article. Hence what is the more secure weapon? Does anyone have a solid set of trade offs to promote "Password-Protected Bullets" as more secure? Also for "who" would "Password-Protected Bullets" be more secure.

Interesting that some in the security field get it.

What a day of good fortune it is! The media is making this too easy. Observe these two stories:

•Father charged in the death of boy who found gun
•RUC officer cleared over Co Armagh girl's gun death
Note: Use 'junkola223@yahoo.com' and 'chadepecha' (username and pass) to access this story.

The first story is pretty self-explanatory. Guy has gun in house. Kid finds gun. Kid shoots gun and kills himself. Guy gets a “4-year felony” charge.

The second story may have some skeletons in the closet, but at the very least, an officer is exonerated when a girl is shot with the officer’s gun in the officer’s car. The police say she killed herself (which is in doubt), but even if that’s true, how did she gain control of the officer’s weapon?

You see the contrast between the two stories. Regular guys are responsible for the lack of secure storage and eventual misuse of their firearms, while the boys in blue apparently are not. I guess it’s true: They’re like me and you, only better.

Uncle, it's nice of you to start this, especially since blogspot seems to be KIA today.

Some Basic Safety Rules for Firearms

1. Always point the firearm in a safe direction.

This should be the most religiously followed rule there is. If you are constantly aware of where the muzzle is & make certain it is pointed in a direction where it'd do little or no harm if it were to discharge, then you dramatically decrease any chances of serious injury because of an accidental or negligent discharge. The other rules are important, but this is the one you should never neglect to follow.

2. Never point the firearm at anything you're not willing to destroy.

Not quite the same as No. 1. If you follow No. 1 religiously then following No. 2 might not be a problem. However some people get in the bad habit of aiming at things they do not intend to shoot, even though it is in no danger of injuring anyone. A good example of this is using a scope as if they were binoculars (i.e. seeing what's across the field by using the scope to look & subsequently pointing the rifle at the object). So unless you're absolutely certain that you want to put a hole in an object with a great amount of force, then do not point at it with a firearm.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

Despite what you see in movies, keep your finger off the trigger. In stress filled situations this is probably the number one cause of accidental discharges. It's really more of a negligent discharge than accidental, because there is very little reason to place your finger inside the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot. Placing your finger on the trigger & pulling it takes a very small amount of time. Keeping your finger on the trigger is dangerous because you may slowly tense up, applying more & more pressure untill the gun seems to 'go off' when in fact it just operated as it should by firing when enough pressure was applied to the trigger. Conversely keeping you finger on the trigger can lead to discharge by a sudden tensing. Ever get startled so bad you jumped? Now imagine if you had your finger on the trigger when you jumped. The gun would probably fire. Also if you trip or bump into something it can cause an involuntary tensing which would fire the gun.
It's best to keep your finger along the outside of the trigger guard - even when you feel there is danger - until you are ready to shoot.

4. Assume that every firearm is loaded.

If you treat every firearm as if it were loaded then the chance of accidental (negligent) shootings goes down drastically. In fact treat a firearm that you know is unloaded as if it were loaded. No reason not to.
There are some situations which you would treat an unload firearm as if it were unloaded, such as crossing a fence with one or performing routine maintenance such as cleaning. But it is imperative that you check & double check to make sure the firearm actually is unloaded. & just because a firearm is unloaded is no reason to ignore any of the other rules.

5. Before firing make certain you have a safe backstop behind the target

Bullets can travel a very long distance. They can travel a very long distance after reaching their intended target. When you're out shooting always make sure that nothing lies behind your target that you wouldn't want a bullet to slam into. Never shoot on a relatively flat area unless you know for certain that nothing that could be damaged is within several miles of you. If you find an area with a hill or cliff stay far enough back so that you lesson the chances of a bullet hitting a rock & coming back at you. & never shoot over water, as the bullet can skip on the surface for quite a ways farther than you'd think.

6. Always use eye & ear protection.

Most firearms are safe to operate. Only a very small minority will ever cause any sort of injury to its user. But the chance does remain that something could go wrong. In that event wearing eye & ear protection won't seem like such a hassle - if you are wearing them.
Ear protection is essential. A firearm reaches a decibal level that will cause damage to your hearing. You won't notice it at first. maybe not that day. But soon. & for the rest of your life. Even .22 rimfire cartridges produce enough sound to damage your hearing. So always wear ear protection.
Eye protection will keep hot gasses & brass particles out of your eyes should a case head rupture, & they may keep larger chinks of unfriendly material out of your eyes should anything worse happen. If you value your eyesight, wear eye protection while shooting.

7. Make sure anyone around you is at least a few feet away from you & behind the muzzle of the firearm before you shoot.

This is to make sure that A: they don't wander in front of your muzzle just as you pull the trigger & B: they aren't hurt by empty cartridges flying from your firearm as you go for a new 3 shot record. Plus if anything does go wrong & your firearm decides to deconstruct itself, the person right beside you will probably be hurt worse than you are. Most firearms are designed to come apart a certain way with the protection of the shooter in mind. Someone standing forward or directly beside the shooter would not benefit from the designed protection. & there is that noise thing: someone standing beside you without the proper hearing protection will have their hearing damaged as you shoot. Best to keep spectators back.

8. Never carry a loaded gun across an obstacle, such as a fence.

This is because there is always the chance of you losing your balance. Not a good thing with a loaded gun. Also the trigger could get snagged on part of the obstacle as you cross which is also not good.
The only two exceptions are if you have a handgun properly & securely holstered & if whatever is motivating you to cross said obstacle will do more harm to you than your firearm would if it discharged while crossing (i.e. running from someone who's shooting at you.)
It seems a hassle but it only takes a minute & is much safer.

9. Read the owners manual (or similar instructions) for any firearm you have before you shoot it.

It is a good idea to understand how your firearm works & what the recommended instructions for operation & maintenance are for that particular firearm. Even if it is a copy of a firearm you are familiar with there may be something different that you should know about.
If you purchase your firearm used & no instruction manual is provided, you can write the company that made the firearm & they'll send you a copy of the owners manual usually (but not always) for free.
If the company is out of business then try looking for info on the web, or seek a brief tutorial from a qualified gunsmith. After all, if they can fix them they can probably exlain to you how it should be cleaned & what ammo to use.
If none of those methods work for you write to me & I'll try to help.

10. Only use the specific kind of ammo that is marked on the firearm you intend to shoot.

Some ammo can be used in firearms that are not marked for it. A .38 Special cartridge will work in a .357 Magnum revolver for example. Some will not work safely, such as a .308 Winchester in a .30-06 Springfield. Others will work safely a majority of the time but risk a catastrophic failure should the fates not smile upon you, such as using 7.62x51mm NATO ammo in a .308 Winchester.
(The gun nuts hate me for bringing that up as they tend to disagree, but the cartridges have a different headspace as do the respective chambers. I'll try to get to a more detailed post on that subject in the future.)
To be safe, it's best to use only the ammo that your gun says it will handle. Which can be confusing as some cartridges have different names.(for example .380 ACP, 9mm Kurtz, 9x17mm are all the same cartridge & are safe in any guns so marked). There will be a cartridge name stamped into the firearm someplace, usally on the barrel, but possibly on the receiver or the slide. Unless you know for certain that a different cartridge is the same as the one marked on your firearm, then only use cartridges named identically to whatever is marked upon your firearm.

11. Always make sure the bore is free of obstruction.

Water & most liquids are not compressible. A drop or two of oil or rainwater in your barrel can create a serious & dangerous situation should you decide to send a bullet through it. It's best to always use a cleaning rod & a dry patch to make sure the barrel is dry & free of any other obstructions. Snow, mud, dirt, etc.. can cause the barrel to blow up if it's lodged in there when you fire. Again, it may seem like a hassle at the time, but it only takes a second & is not as time consuming as replacing a barrel &/or your limbs.

12. If you experience anything abnormal with your firearm, stop shooting until the problem is identified & solved.

If the firearm fires before you pull the trigger, or if it fires more than one time when you pull the trigger, stop shooting, unload it & take it to a qualified gunsmith. It very likely indicates that something is not functioning as it should in your firearm & could become dangerous.
If you experience abnormal recoil, stop shooting untill you can diagnose the problem. If there's more recoil than normal, double check your ammo, then make sure the chamber & bore are clear of obstructions. Better yet, clean the chamber & bore as sometimes powder residue will cause internal dimensions to be tighter than they should.
Lighter than normal recoil could mean that you had a round with insufficient force to expel the bullet. Firing a gun with a bullet still in the bore is not a good thing. So check to make sure that the bore is clear of obstructions.
Never force anything. If firm gentle pressure won't operate the firearm then something is wrong & needs professional attention.

This is an incomplete list, as there is much to learn about firearms. But follow the rules listed above as they are the basics that all who own & use arms should follow.

Originally Posted Tuesday, July 22, 2003 6:17 AM on Publicola