Getting Trampled at the Rodeo

I live in a small town in Utah and this past weekend was the annual rodeo. Growing up outside of Washington, DC (in Northern, Virginia) didn’t give me a chance to attend too many rodeos so I jumped at the chance to go and the wife obliged.

We watched the cowboys rope calves and ride the broncos but the best part of the night, by far, is what is called the “cash cow.” Now I want you to picture this:

They make an announcement over the loudspeaker to have all 5-9 year olds gather at one end of the arena. They say they’re going to release a calf and the kids are supposed to chase the calf, which has $1 bills taped all over it.

Well, sure enough…

The kids gather and they release the calf and it runs away from all of the kids. But then it turns around and starts heading towards this massive line of about 50 kids. The calf doesn’t stop and begins to plow through the kids sending them flying.

At first, it’s the most hilarious thing I’ve ever seen, but then the calf gets angry and kicks a little girl in the stomach and the cowboys have to jump over the fence and protect these kids from the angry calf that is running them over.

Thankfully, none of the kids were seriously injured and everyone was okay, and it is still the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. I’d love to know how that brainstorming session went for the guys who came up with this idea. “Hey Bill, I’ve got a brilliant idea, let’s tape money to a 200 pound calf and have 5 year olds chase it. What could go wrong?”

The point of telling you about the craziness of the rodeo is that it’s nice to live in a place where lawyers and uptight people haven’t taken over. I remember as soon as I saw the calf running over kids, I thought to myself, “this would never happen in Northern Virginia, too many lawyers.”

It’s also nice to live in a place where people value their safety and a large majority of them carry guns. I guess what I’m really trying to say is that I get a lot of emails from people who complain about where they live, especially folks living in California.

I realize if you’ve got a job or kids in school that it’s not so simple to just pick up and relocate. However, one day your kids will be out of school, you’ll find a new job or you’ll retire. When this time comes I encourage you to get out of the cities (especially major cities) and find yourself a nice small town where people share your values.

More importantly, when the major economic collapse occurs (sometime before 2025) you don’t want to be surrounded by a huge population, the majority of whom will be unprepared and end up looting and rioting.

So maybe this week, even if it’s just for the fun of it, you should start looking for the small town you wish to live in one day, where people will compliment you on carrying a gun, instead of acting horrified.

A Home Invasion Lesson

Are you prepared to handle a home invasion?

The truth is, many people aren’t, and luckily, the gentleman you’re about to hear from didn’t have to find out the hard way. Here’s the email he sent me: (We’ll call him “C” as he asked me not to reveal his name.)

“Jason, here is a story for you about being prepared but not being ready for a home invader. The other night while going to sleep my family and I were startled by a bunch of loud noises coming from our main level, these were no ordinary noises and sounded like someone was already in the house or coming thru a window.

Thus I jump up grab my FN 9mm and head downstairs. Luckily, there was no home invader and it was my dog with his collar stuck on his cage, he was trying to get loose and in the process his cage and food/water bowl were being kicked around and making all the noise.

Now to get to the point, I was prepared by having a weapon, but I was not ready because it was locked, unloaded, and sitting in its case in the closet.

The process of me getting the case out of the closet, key, unlocking the lock, and loading a magazine (yes the magazine was full with bullets ready to go) probably added 10-20 seconds to me being ready to defend my family. If this was a real home invader he may have made it upstairs and my weapon rendered useless as it was not ready fast enough.

With 3 children aged 15,13, and 5, and a wife who was not too happy that a gun was in the house, I thought this to be best solution for storing the gun. She wanted me to keep it in the attic!!

Well after this realistic scare, I will be getting a Glock 19 (I fumbled with my safety a little while heading down the stairs so no more of that) and a wall safe within 2-3 feet of my side of the bed so the gun is locked, loaded, ready, and within easy reach.

I also now have a wife that is totally on board with having the gun and even a backup for her just in case I don't come back up the stairs!

I also have a few concerns and would like your feedback.

I keep the gun upstairs in the bedroom. There are two worst-case scenarios that could happen to our family:

1. A home invasion occurs when I am not home, no one has access to the gun. I keep the lock key with me. Although I believe my teenagers/wife can use it properly in time of need (I have taken them to the range), I still get concerned that my teenagers (both boys) may want to show it off to friends and I don't want an accident. My dad had a couple of guns and I showed them once or twice to friends, I made sure they were unloaded/safe but I still did it. Should I give the safe codes/access to the rest of the family? What is your opinion?

(Answer from Jason) The only people who have the combos to my guns are my wife and I. When it comes to kids, it all depends on their maturity level and I can’t give you that answer. It’s up to each parent to decide when their children are responsible to have the combos to the safes. And again, I have no idea when that will be. It may be 15, 18, or never. 

2. I used to live in Miami where home invasions happened a lot and at all times of the day. Luckily, I live where they happen infrequently.  But, if I am sitting on the couch watching a game and a couple of thugs kick in my front door, I have no access to my gun upstairs. What is your suggestion with keeping a gun on the main level or every level of the house?

(Answer from Jason) First, I highly recommended getting a rapid-access safe. I like the Gun Vault line of safes. You need to be able to access your gun in 3 seconds or less. Personally, I keep a gun on every level of my house and each one is in a rapid access safe. As you pointed out, if somebody breaks in and your gun is two floors away from you then it won’t do you much good.

The bottom line is, “C” was very lucky it wasn’t a home intruder. I’ve had many students tell me horrible home invasion stories, which is why they ended up in one of my courses.

Also, I highly recommend doing a “dry run home invasion scenario.” For instance, while lying in bed tonight, pretend you hear your door getting kicked in. How quickly can you access your gun and your flashlight? Is there anything you realize such as your nightstand is too far away or you need a different flashlight?

I’ve done these scenarios many times and they’re well worth it, so if you don’t do it tonight, please do it this week.

Why He’s Facing Up to 10 Years in Prison

This past week, several people forwarded me the story about the Washington state man who is facing up to 10 years in prison for shooting a thief who was stealing his car. In case you didn’t see the story, here’s a quick recap…

One morning, a gentleman starts his car in his driveway because he’s getting ready to take his wife to work. He runs back into the house to get something and leaves his car running in the driveway as many of us have done before. 

When he comes back out of his house he sees a thief driving off with his car. He chases the car down the street and fires one round from his 9mm handgun at the thief. In a one in a million shot that he probably couldn’t do again, he hits the thief in the back of the head and kills him.

As I just mentioned, the car’s owner who took the shot has been charged with manslaughter and is facing up to 10 years in prison.

I hate hearing about these stories because although the car owner thought he might have been doing the right thing, he clearly has no idea what his state’s law is when it comes to the use of deadly force.

And understanding the use of deadly force is obviously one the first things you should do if you ever carry concealed. The fact is, when it comes to deadly force, Washington state law says you (the person) must be in immediate and imminent physical danger.

In other words…

Like the majority of states in this nation, you can use deadly force to protect life but not property. Clearly, when the owner of the car was chasing after his stolen vehicle he was not in any physical danger caused by the car thief and he should have immediately called the police instead of firing a round from his gun.

I do feel sorry for the car’s owner because I am sure he is a good family man and all around good person. But if I was called to be an expert witness in this case I would have to say this was a bad shooting and the shot should never have been taken.

That’s why if there is even the smallest amount of doubt in your mind as to what the deadly force laws are in your state, you should look them up right now. Simply Google “Virginia deadly force law” (or whatever state you live in) and one of the top choices should be the government website for your state.

Read over the deadly force law and if you don’t understand it, ask around or pay a lawyer for an hour of their time. As much as I dislike lawyers, if you have to spend $300 bucks so you feel comfortable with your understanding of the law, it would be money well spent in my opinion.

By the way, the owner of the car has set up a legal defense fund and is fighting his charges and it will be interesting to see the outcome of the case. But I pray all of us will study our state laws so we never have to find ourselves in his position.

The new FBI qualification course

Every government agency likes to think they’re the best. So whether or not you’re a fan of the FBI, there is one thing the Bureau is good at… and that’s keeping statistics on shootings.

Over the years, the FBI has documented and studied thousands of shootings, and in January of this year the FBI changed its qualification course based on the feedback of these shootings.

In short, the old course involved shooting at far distances as much as 50 yards, but the new course focuses on close quarters shooting since the majority of gunfights occur at seven yards or less.

So if you’re looking for a good course of fire and want to see if you have what it takes to join the FBI, I’ve included the FBI’s new qualification course below:

Target used is the QIT-99
Course consists of a total of 60 rounds
Each round counts as one point

Any hits inside the target area count

You must draw from concealment for every string of shots
Passing score for Agents is 48 out of 60

Stage 1: 3 yard line

-3 rounds in 3 seconds using your strong hand only

-3 rounds in 3 seconds using your strong hand only

-3 rounds using strong hand only, switch hands, 3 rounds using support hand only all in 8 seconds

Total of 12 rounds for Stage 1

Stage 2: 5 yard line

(From here on out, all shooting is done with two hands)

-3 rounds in 3 seconds

-3 rounds in 3 seconds

-3 rounds in 3 seconds

-3 rounds in 3 seconds

Total of 12 rounds for Stage 2

Stage 3: 7 yard line

-4 rounds in 4 seconds

-4 rounds in 4 seconds

-Have two magazines loaded with four rounds each. Fire four rounds, reload, fire another four rounds in 8 seconds. 

Total of 16 rounds for Stage 3

Stage 4: 15 yard line

-3 rounds in 6 seconds

-3 rounds in 6 seconds

-4 rounds in 8 seconds

Total of 10 rounds for Stage 4

Stage 5: 25 yard line

(This stage involves the use of a barricade/cover)

-Move to cover and fire 2 rounds standing, then 3 rounds kneeling all in 15 seconds

-Move to cover and fire 2 rounds standing, then 3 rounds kneeling all in 15 seconds

Total of 10 rounds for Stage 5

Later this week I plan to go to the shooting range and shoot this new qualification, and the next time you go to the range, consider giving it a try as well. 

Judge reminds us of the #1 reason we own guns 

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is known for being extremely liberal. And it should come as no surprise that many of the Ninth Circuit districts are in the state of California.

In fact, when I was in the police academy years ago I had to take many legal classes to learn the law. I remember the lawyer teaching these classes calling the Ninth Circuit “the circuit where all the idiot decisions get made.”

One of those decisions was made years ago. The Ninth Circuit ruled that the Second Amendment did not grant an individual the right to bear arms. Thankfully, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that it does.

But here’s the reason I tell you about the Ninth Circuit:

As the Court majority ruled that individuals did not have a right to bear arms, here is what one of the judges wrote in dissent. 

“All too many of the other great tragedies of history – Stalin’s atrocities, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Holocaust, to name but a few – were perpetrated by armed troops against unarmed populations. Many could well have been avoided or mitigated, had the perpetrators known their intended victims were equipped with a rifle and twenty bullets apiece, as the Militia Act required here. If a few hundred Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful of weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars.

My excellent colleagues have forgotten these bitter lessons of history. The prospect of tyranny may not grab the headlines the way vivid stories of gun crime routinely do. But few saw the Third Reich coming until it was too late. 

The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed – where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once.

Well, there’s not much to say after that. The judge said it brilliantly. I enjoy shooting just as much as anyone, but I don’t forget the real reason I have firearms. And after reading the Judge’s words it still amazes me there are people in this country who are anti-gun and who think “it could never happen here.”

Maybe the next time you run across one of these people you should give them a copy of the Judge’s words… or you should tell them to thank you because it’s your guns and mine that keeps intact their freedom to spout their opposing views.

Eyes open or closed?

Depending on which firearms instructor you talk with, you’ll either hear insistence that you’re supposed to shoot with both eyes open or that it’s alright to shoot with one eye open while the other eye is closed. So who is right?

Well, it all depends on you. Just like every one of us has different size hands, fingers and bodies, each of us also has different vision. You see, the majority of people are right eye dominant and right handed or left eye dominant and left handed. This means they’re more likely to be able to shoot with both eyes open because their dominant eye is on the same side as their dominant hand.

However, there are a small percentage of folks…

Myself included, who are cross-eye dominant. For instance, I am right handed but left eye dominant. And when you try to shoot with both eyes open and you’re cross dominant you’ll see double, which doesn’t exactly make it easy to hit the target.

This is why I close my right eye when I shoot and (very) slightly tilt my head to the right so I can align the sights. It doesn’t affect my accuracy and if you’re cross-eye dominant I recommend that you tilt your head too.

I’ve heard many times before that the reason you don’t want to shoot with only one eye is because it narrows your field of vision. Yes, that is true, but it narrows it for only a split second. You see, I don’t walk around with my right eye closed all day long, I only close it when I’m about to take a shot.

And in the times in my life when I had to draw my gun, I remember getting on the threat and closing my eye and not having any problems at all. Thankfully I didn’t have to shoot and I obviously quickly opened my right eye when the threat was over.

So don’t worry too much about whether you shoot with one eye open or two.

Figure out what works best for you and then worry about hitting the targets. If I were a betting man, I’d say there are plenty of people who shoot much better with one eye closed than folks who shoot with both eyes open.

And don’t forget, if you’re still wondering which eye is your dominant eye, here is the simple test you do: Hold your hands up (palms facing out) and lay one hand’s fingers and thumb on top of the other hand’s fingers and thumb, making a small triangle with your thumbs and index fingers.  Your arms should be fully extended and the triangle should be in the middle of your body.

Slowly bring the triangle towards your face and whatever eye the triangle gravitates towards is your dominant eye. Trust me, this works, and if you don’t already know which eye is your dominant one figure it out today and then figure out if you want to shoot with one eye open or two.  

A “survival item” to store with your gun

If the “stuff” ever truly hits the fan there’s more that you will need than just food, water, guns, and ammo. It’s the reason I write this letter to you each week and it’s probably the most important thing you need of all – I’m talking about knowledge. Yes, I know that’s a cliché, but don’t worry, I’m not going to start getting all philosophical on you.

Instead, I’m going to tell you about a book you should consider buying. If the power grid goes down and riots break out in the streets your knowledge and this simple book sitting on your shelf may make a huge difference in your survival. And notice I said “sitting on the shelf.” You want a physical copy of this book (and all survival books). You don’t want a copy sitting on some device that could run out of battery and will likely have no service when everything goes down.

The book I’m referring to is Gunsmithing the AR-15 by Patrick Sweeney. In my opinion, the AR-15 is the best overall “survival gun”, and if you don’t already own one, I wouldn’t wait too much longer. Even though none of the gun laws have passed, it’s still dangerous to wait, because you don’t want to be one of the millions of Americans who realizes they need one when it’s too late.

The reason I recommend getting the Gunsmithing the AR-15 book is because it’s a good reference guide to keep on hand. I’m certainly no gunsmith and I don’t know every little nuance about the AR. However, this book covers almost every maintenance and repair topic you’ll likely ever need to know.

At times, the book can be dry…

But I promise you, if your rifle breaks and you need some Gas Rings for it, that section of the book will likely turn into the most exciting reading of your life. 

But don’t get just the AR-15 book. You should have reference guides for every gun you own. I realize right now many people get online and simply search for help when they need to disassemble a gun or when they need to do some minor repairs.

However, you should prepare right now, just in case you don’t have the Internet or your smart phone when you need it. Simply get online today, and print off the directions or repair information you need for your guns or buy the various books.

Then put these directions or books in a waterproof Ziploc bag and store them in your gun case. You may never need them but at least they’re close by. Plus, if something happens to your gun while at the range, you can look in your gun case and start troubleshooting right there.