No Gun Signs – What They Really Mean

Almost everyone has seen these signs at one point or another, either at a restaurant, retail shop or other establishment.

To some, it’s a “feel good” measure and they get some sense of safety from this sign. After all, it says guns aren’t allowed, kudos to the person who put that there, great idea!

Truth is, I’m not sure this line of thought could be any more incorrect.

What this sign should tell you, is that the owner of the establishment does not wish to allow LAW ABIDING citizens the ability to protect themselves and their loved ones. This sign has 0 chance of stopping a person who has decided that today is the day they are going to ruin some lives, in fact they seem to be targeting places that have no guns policies.

Schools, malls, movie theaters… all major targets of mass shootings because they provide a victim rich, low risk atmosphere to do as much damage as possible in very little time.

Oddly enough, once these cowards are confronted with a good person with a gun (legally armed citizen, law enforcement), they stop their attack and either turn themselves in or take their own life.

At the time of this posting, Minnesota law has a specific requirement for no gun signs to be compliant, however even ones like the image above serve as notice. In order to be in violation of Minnesota law, you must be notified (either verbally or visually (the sign), and asked to leave. Only after you refuse to leave may you be charged with a petty misdemeanor, in which case you’ll receive a $25 fine.

Why Carry A Spare Magazine?

Your new carry gun has a nice size magazine that holds 19 rounds, why on earth would you need to carry a spare!?

Valid question, as most civilian gun fights are under 10 rounds according to our scientific research (aka, Google-Fu). So a magazine with a capacity of 19 rounds should be more than enough.

Maybe.

But that’s not the most important factor to consider.

What is the most important reason? Magazines fail, it’s just how it is – and Murphy’s Law can come into play when you need your firearm the most. Broken feed ramps, worn springs, dirt/crud in the magazine (possibly during a scuffle, etc). Magazine issues are one of the most common reasons for handgun failure, why rely on just one when it’s so easy to carry a backup?

If you don’t carry a spare magazine, carry a spare gun (aka New York Reload).

The .22 For Self Defense

The .22LR, one of the most popular rounds for plinking, small game hunting and Appleseed.

But is it a good round for self defense?

First, I want to emphasize that I feel there are much better choices than the .22LR for self defense, and that with proper training you could most likely shoot a larger caliber quite well. In some circumstances however, it may be but one of a few options you have available.

Some will argue that the .22LR is not adequate for self defense purposes because it lacks ‘knock down power’. In all honesty, most handgun rounds are under powered, which is one reason hollow points are popular. Realistically, the .22LR has been successful in self defense and is perhaps the only available choice for those who can’t handle a larger round as the recoil is very light and manageable.

The biggest issue with the .22LR, besides being very small, is the fact that a lot of the ammo is not reliable. If you are going to use it for self defense, it would be wise to purchase quality ammo and make sure it functions flawlessly in your firearm.

You might think I’m saying the .22LR is as good of choice as any for self defense, that’s not the case. I feel almost any round is a better choice, but as I discussed in our ‘What handgun is best for carry‘ article, the ‘best‘ is the largest caliber you can shoot well, including follow up shots.

In the end, the gun you have with you is better than the one you left in the safe because you’re not comfortable with it.

Whatever you carry, make sure you safely practice with it, and carry responsibly.

If you like this article, please share it. I would also like to hear your ideas for future articles.

The Gun Show Loophole

There’s been a lot of talk about ‘the gun show loophole’ in the media and it’s about to spike again.

What is it?

The gun show loophole is a made up phrase that some politicians and the media use to scare people into thinking gun shows offer a way around background checks.

This simply isn’t true.

While private party to private party sales do not require background checks, all businesses that sell firearms are required to do so regardless if they are sold at their retail store, at a gun show, the internet, or anywhere else. There is no loophole for businesses that sell firearms at gun shows. You must still have a permit to purchase or permit to carry (for a handgun or so called “assault rifle”), and… pass a background check where form 4473 is filled out and called in.

Every. Single. Time.
Not doing so is in violation of the law.

So what are ‘universal background checks’?

Universal background checks are simply a way to disguise gun registration, since there is no way to know whether or not a gun was sold by a private party without registration.

What’s the big deal?

Quite simply put, registration eventually leads to confiscation. It’s not tinfoil hat talk either, it’s actually happening right here in the United States, most recently in New York. It just so happens that the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, heads up the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns and is spending a lot of money this year promoting universal background checks. New York has some of the toughest gun control legislation on the books, and now law abiding citizens are being stripped of their rights and firearms even further, due in large part to gun registration. They know what you have, and if they don’t like it, they’re coming to take it away.

This group isn’t against illegal guns, they are against citizens owning guns, and are doing their part to make all guns illegal.

While law abiding citizens who obey laws become restricted or even disarmed, criminals will continue to rule the streets and target those areas in which they are the least threatened, this just so happens to be the very same places that gun control is highest, such as these so called ‘gun free zones’, or more realistically called, ‘victim rich zones’  which include where our children attend school.

You’ll notice a pattern if you pay attention, these mass shootings occur in places that we aren’t able to protect ourselves, “gun free zones”. These violent criminals do not want a challenge, they want to do as much damage as possible in a small amount of time. Once they are confronted with opposition they either turn themselves in,, commit “suicide by cop”, or take their own life.

So, what is the gun show loophole? A non-existing problem that doesn’t need a solution. The media and anti-rights activists want you disarmed, but don’t take our word for it – watch what happens in New York, and watch the Bloomberg bus when it comes to your town.

Why Carry A Gun?

You live in a quiet neighborhood, nothing ever happens in your town or places you visit, why would you want to bother carrying a gun? If anything should happen, the local police will handle it.

Right?

If you feel this way, don’t feel bad – most people do. Unfortunately, those are the type of people you first hear about on the nightly NEWS because they were brutally beaten or murdered in their own home, on their way to work, or just out for a walk.

You are 3 times more likely to be the victim of a violent encounter than to have a house fire, yet every household has at least once smoke alarm, an evacuation plan, and has been trained in what to do in case of a fire. If you are 3 times more likely to be violently attacked, why wouldn’t you want to be just as prepared?

Just because you carry a gun does not mean you have to use it, nor does it mean it has to be your only means of defense. Our carry class shows you ways to avoid becoming a victim in the first place, as well as alternatives to using your firearm. But when all else fails and there is no other means available to preserve your life, you have the right to defend yourself, including the use of deadly force if necessary.

It could be your life, your spouse, or your kids.

When you get in your vehicle you buckle up, and make sure your kids and/or other passengers are buckled. Is it because you plan on getting into a serious car crash, or just because you want to be prepared in case something should happen?

Wouldn’t you rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it?

If I go the rest of my life without using my firearm to defend a life, that’s the best thing I could hope for, but if I ever need it I’ll be glad I had it. I can’t imagine a loved one being brutally raped and/or murdered and not be able to do anything to stop it but call 9-1-1 and wait for an average of 8 minutes for help to arrive.

It’s probably taken you less than a minute to read this article up to this point, can you imagine how much damage can be done in 8 minutes, or longer?

Think about that, then ask yourself why you don’t carry a gun.

Carrying a gun is certainly not for everyone. If you feel you are just not ready or capable, you feel you would be unsafe with a loaded firearm, or you just don’t feel it’s for you, by all means don’t carry. It’s a big responsibility and comes with some inconveniences.

If you can see yourself defending your life or the life of a loved one with deadly force if necessary, please do yourself a favor and consider getting your permit. At a minimum you owe it to yourself to find out what it’s all about, what to expect, and what you need to do or not do in order to carry, the decision could save a loved ones life.

If you like this article please share it, I would also like to hear your thoughts and ideas for other articles!

Our next class is January 11th, you can always view our upcoming classes here: http://civilresponse.net/classes/

What To Expect When Carrying A Firearm

Ever wondered what it would be like to carry a firearm? Are you new to it and not sure what to expect, or if what you are feeling is normal?

Carrying a loaded firearm has both psychological and physical challenges associated with it.

First, I’d like to talk about the psychological aspect.
Carrying a loaded firearm in private or in public is definitely something you don’t take lightly, and the first few times you do it you’ll feel very self conscious. It will seem as though everyone’s eyes are focused on your firearm, the truth is, almost no one will notice, even if you are carrying openly. People go about their day, checking their phones, reading email, posting on Facebook, etc, they aren’t concerned about you or the gun you now have on your hip. For most people, if they see someone with a holstered gun they are going to assume you are some sort of law enforcement, they simply don’t realize the general public can legally carry. It’s no surprise since it’s not advertised or promoted by the media outlets.

Once you’ve carried for a while it becomes normal, and you feel naked without it. You start buying your clothes to accommodate your firearm, and acquire various holsters and belts for different outfits or styles of dress, it’s part of you. At this point you are more comfortable knowing that your gun isn’t going to go off by itself, you keep it properly holstered to ensure this, and you know people aren’t staring at your gun everywhere you go. If you get invited to an event, you start thinking about which gun you’ll carry and how you’ll carry it, then you decide what you’ll wear to go with that choice.

Though most people will be oblivious to you carrying, it’s almost unavoidable that someone will notice and either ask you about it, or call the authorities. Some people are genuinely curious, and may have an interest in carrying themselves. Please exercise courtesy when asked why you carry. While “Because it’s my right! or “None of your business!” may be true, it’s best to be polite and remember that you are in the minority, your action speak for every person carrying. We’re not asking you to be a spokesperson, but please do your best to positively influence the community.

If someone calls the authorities you’ll just have to roll with the punches. Law enforcement is required to investigate a man with a gun call, it’s just the way it is. You will be inconvenienced, but the best way to minimize this is to obey their orders. They will be nervous, they don’t know you, and you have a gun. Now isn’t the time to play lawyer, it’s time to be polite, let the officer know you have a permit to carry and will comply with their demands. They do have the right to disarm you during their investigation, some will, some won’t. This is the main reason why many people with a permit to carry choose to carry concealed, it’s not because they have to, but because they’d rather not deal with the public’s opinion or encounters with man with a gun calls.

The physical aspect.
Walking with a loaded gun inside your waistband, on your belt, etc is noticeable. I don’t care how small it is, it’s there and you will know it. Even so, when you first start carrying you’ll have the uncontrollable urge to make sure it’s still there every 15.3 seconds, and if carrying concealed, you’ll be checking your cover garment to make sure your firearm isn’t exposed at the same time, try to resist the urge to do this.

If you have a proper holster, your gun isn’t going anywhere without you knowing it. Checking for it and re-covering it 3 times a minute just makes you look, well, suspicious.

Other aspects you’ll notice if you carry:

Inside your waistband:
Pants fit tighter! You’ll need larger pants and a larger belt. Get a good belt made for carrying guns, there are lots of varieties out there to suit anyone’s needs, from Velcro to leather and about any color combination you can dream up.

In your pocket:
You are now short one pocket, because the only thing in that pocket should be your properly holstered firearm! Do no put your keys, change, phone, or any other item in the same pocket as your firearm, period.

Over your crotch:
Yes, they make holsters that you wear under your pants and over your crotch, and they are quite effective for deep concealment. The main drawback here is a slow draw and finding the right position to carry it there that is comfortable to walk and sit.

On your belt:
One of the most comfortable ways of carrying, and also allows for a fast draw. However having your gun on your belt absolutely requires a good gun belt, that’s a lot of weight on one portion of your belt, so don’t try to get by with the Walmart belts here, get yourself a good gun belt that distributes the weight better and doesn’t sag.

We covered many methods of carry here, and there are certainly many other carry options out there, such as purse, shoulder, ankle and thigh carry. Perhaps we’ll cover more of those in another post, as we could certainly go on and on about different ways to carry, holster materials, their advantages, and disadvantages, etc.

As you can see, there are a lot of changes, both mentally and physically that you encounter when you decide you are going to carry, but they are minor and you will adjust to suit your own tastes and lifestyle.

Please feel free to leave your comments, or if you have ideas for another article!

What Handgun Is Best For Carry?

Today I’d like to talk about the best handgun for carry. Many people ask this question, and rightfully so – handguns aren’t cheap and you don’t want to make the mistake of buying one that just doesn’t work for you and your situation.

Here’s the answer:
Whichever one meets your carry requirements, in the largest caliber you can shoot well, including follow up shots.

This just happens to be something different for each individual.
Choosing a handgun is a personal choice, and one that can only be made by you.

That said, here are some tips to help you pick the right one!

• First, you have to realize you may need more than one handgun and/or holster. Don’t let that overwhelm you though, you’ll know what you need as you carry more.
• Consider how and where you will be carrying, this is crucial to helping you decide what will work. Are you going to be carrying in large metropolitan areas, in the country, a little of both? What type of clothing do you typically wear (dress, casual, sweats, loose, tight).
• Are you more comfortable carrying openly or concealed? Does your style of dress allow for your preference?
• Do you need to be able to remove your firearm easily? For example, you want to carry to and from work, but cannot carry into your office do to company policy, or you have to remove it to pick up your kids from school or daycare, etc.
• Have you considered alternative methods to belt carry, such as ankle holsters, thigh holsters, shoulder holsters, SmartCarry or Thunderwear, Flash Bang bra holster and pocket holsters?
• What caliber are you comfortable shooting?
• What is the largest caliber that you can shoot well?
• Is weight a consideration? Remember, it’s going to be on you often.
• Consider single stack vs double stack, a single stack handgun is usually thinner, but carries less rounds, while a double stack is usually wider but carries more rounds.
• Have you thought about carrying an extra magazine? (You should.) How are you going to carry the extra magazine?

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider here and we’ve hardly touched on the actual firearm itself.

You want to choose a firearm that is from a manufacturer known for reliability, some examples are (in no particular order):

• Springfield Armory
• Smith and Wesson
• GLOCK
• Ruger
• Rock Island
• Walther
• Sig Sauer
• H&K

All of these (and many more) have many various models to choose from. Single stack, double stack, pocket size, sub-compact, compact, full size, revolvers, pistols, single action, double action, single action/double action, etc.

Some of them will also be somewhat adjustable by changing the grips width or length or even slides to make them longer or shorter.

What not to do:

• We do not recommend asking someone what gun you should buy, then blindly go out and buy it. It may be a very good recommendation, but may not be best for your particular needs or abilities.
• Do not buy a gun from any manufacturer and start carrying it right away thinking it is reliable out of the box. No matter what brand you buy you will need to buy various ammunition for it and find out what it likes. Just because someone you know has the same make and model and it shoots ‘x’ brand of ammo well, doesn’t mean yours will – however it’s usually a good place to start. Be prepared to buy a few different brands of both target (full metal jacket) and defensive (hollow point) ammunition. Go to the range and see what both you and the gun shoot well. That is, after you follow the manufacturers instructions on cleaning it first, usually guns are coated with lube to prevent rust.
• Lastly, we do not recommend purse carry. If that’s all you can do then by all means, go for it. However, if your purse is snatched there goes your handgun. If you are going to purse carry, then please practice best methods to retain your purse, and always remember to be aware of your surroundings.Of course, this applies to all methods of carry.

Whatever you choose, carry safe, carry often, and remember to practice, practice, practice!

If you need your permit to carry, or just want to see what it’s all about – take the first step and attend one of our classes! We typically have at least one per month and would love to have you join us.

Some popular carry guns:
S&W 642, S&W M&P Shield, S&W M&P Compact, Springfield Armory XD/XD-M, Springfield Armory XD-S, GLOCK 19, GLOCK 26, Ruger LCP, Beretta Nano, Kahr CM9/PM9, Taurus TCP, Sig Sauer 938/238, 1911 variants.
Most of which are available in various calibers with different model number designations (GLOCK 21, GLOCK 36 for example).

First class is scheduled for December 14th!

If all goes as planned we should be ready just in time for our first class on December 14th, provided nothing gets lost in shipping that is. 🙂

Please help spread the word, we have room for 15 students at this location (Dodge Center Sportsman’s Club), and the cost is $65 plus range fee ($20 for the entire year).

Sign up here!
http://civilresponse.net/?event=110

Hope to see you there!
Chris

Getting things ready…

The past week or so has been pretty crazy with getting everything set up and ordered for the upcoming classes.

Really looking forward to it though and I think it will all be worth it soon enough.

Feel free to stop by to check on the updates and find out when our first class is going to take place, hope to see you then!