I would like to apologize that this issue a day or so later than usual...we were waiting for the resolution of the Vana Haggerty case in Illinois. This case was held on Friday the 12th, and news did not reach HGD until late Saturday. Details are in Political Aims. Thank you all for your patience. ------------------------------------------------------------ Household Gunowners' Digest Information, Tips, and Support for the Private Gun Owner ------------------------------------------------------------ January 13, 2002 Volume II, #1 ------------------------------------------------------------ Gwen S. Patton, Editor, wendy_lyn@unforgettable.com ------------------------------------------------------------ This is a FREE newsletter! Feel free to pass it along to friends, so long as you pass it along in its entirety. You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------ => Words from The Range Bag => Review: Leightning 31 Hearing Protectors by Maggie Leber => Feature: The Anatomy of Handgun Stopping Power - A Forensic Pathologist's View by Steven C. Cogswell, MD => Political Aims => News from the Home Front by Ed Monk => Useful Websites => Submission Guidelines => Subscribe/Unsubscribe information ------------------------------------------------------------ Words from The Range Bag by Gwen Patton ------------------------------------------------------------ A new year is upon us, and with it, new horizons. I was struck by something remarkable this evening, just before writing this column. My partner's daughter, who is 14 years old, has never seen "2001, A Space Odyssey", and saw the DVD on the bookshelf. She asked what it was about, and upon the description of the story, thought it sounded rather quaint and wanted to see the movie sometime. It occurred to my partner that, it being 2002, the year the movie depicts is now in the past. That story, along with 1984, and a plethora of other literary greats, is now obsolete. *We* are now the future. It is a daunting thing. It is an awesome responsibility, being the future. But it is not something we can simply deny. And our children will see that future, and will be affected by it, and by what we do. That same daughter is aware of guns in the house, and is respectful of them. She personally does not like guns, but I feel that is due to being taught to fear them, not because of a true reason to be afraid of them. They are a new thing to her, since we have only had guns less than a year, and she only visits once a week. Eventually, it will become necessary to teach her more fully how to act in their presence, so she knows how to be safe around them during her weekly visitations. As it is, she knows not to touch them, and does not. But we do not feel this is enough in the long run, because her forebearance is largely out of distaste and fear, not out of knowledge and respect. Distaste and fear do not last under the onslaught of curiosity and the specter of perceived might. Only true knowledge can stand up to such things. This is part of the responsibility we hold as gun owners -- to make certain that our children know the rules of gun safety, and live up to them for the right reasons. Too many adults assume that children, because they are young, are harmless. They do not believe that a person who is too young to drive could possibly be formidable in any sense. But I am reminded of a distinction once made in a Robert Heinlein novel -- the distinction between a man with a nuclear weapon and a black widow spider. This is the distinction between "dangerous" and "formidable". The spider is dangerous. The man with the nuke is both dangerous and formidable. The distinction is that the spider does not have any understanding of its power -- it can kill you out of sheer instinct. A child can wield power he or she cannot yet understand -- be dangerous without being formidable. We must be vigilant to prevent such a situation from taking place. Adults also have a curious blind spot when it comes to children. We have a hard time recognizing when our children achieve true understanding. They can become formidible before we know it. As the Bishop family found out last weekend. --- Gwen Patton The Range Bag ------------------------------------------------------------ Review: Leightning 31 Hearing Protectors by Maggie Leber ------------------------------------------------------------ One piece of equipment that's a must-have for anyone who's on a range, especially an indoor range, is some form of hearing protection. Many commercial indoor ranges will not permit you onto the range without hearing protection, and with good reason. The sound of handgun fire at close range will likely cause permanently damage to your hearing in fairly short order if you practice on a regular basis. Many beginning shooters try disposable earplugs, or rent muff- type hearing protectors from the range where they're shooting. With the rental running about $1.00 a session, unless you're an avid sport shooter it may seem that "buying your own ears" is an extravagance. That's how I'd felt about the matter, until an experience I had last fall. I was shooting with a group of on-line friends at a very busy range, where I was unfamiliar with the range procedures (which turned out to be rather draconian and complicated -- I won't be going back *there*). I found myself ready to walk out onto the firing line having neglected to rent a pair of protectors. "No problem", I thought to myself "I have a pair of disposables here in my range bag that will do for one session. I put them in my ears, and got out onto the line. What I hadn't anticipated was that this range had no visible sound-deadening material on the walls, and was not divided up into bays; it was just one large warehouse-like expanse with concrete walls, with only minimal sheets of plexiglass protecting one shooting position from the next. The noise level was *nasty*. And by the time I left, my ears were ringing...a ringing that continued for some time after leaving the range. This experience scared me. I value my hearing, and my ability to fly depends on being able to pass a hearing test every two years. I'm careful to always wear noise-reducing radio headphones while flying, because the cockpit of my airplane is a noisy environment too. I was determined not to repeat this experience, and decided it was time to invest in some good hearing protection gear of my own to keep in my range bag, even if it cost a few bucks more than renting. The measure of effectiveness of noise protection is the NPR number, an OSHA-standard test, since noise-protection gear is mandated by OSHA regulations in high-noise work environments. This makes comparing the effectiveness of various forms of protection pretty easy, with the other factors being comfort, price, and the ability to carry on a conversation while wearing the protection. The outcome of my shopping was the Leightning 31 (with an NPR rating of 31) from Howard Leight Hearing Protection (billed as a "comfortable maxiumum attenuating ear muff". http://www.howardleight.com/SportGoods/leightning.html You'll find them in the shops somewhere in the range of $30. For me, they're extremely comfortable to wear, noticably more so than my multi-hundred dollar David Clark aviation headphones (which by necessity are quite a bit heavier, having two speakers, a microphone boom and an emergency light). They're subjectively quite effective at reducing the noise of nearby gunfire, but conversations with people your're on the line with (for the purposes of instruction or simply shooting the bull) are rather difficult. You'll end up shouting, or moving one muff slightly off on ear...something you should only do if you're reasonably certain there won't be much nearby shooting while you do. You can find high-tech earplugs, or muffs that use electronic noise-cancelling (a technology that's all the rage in aviation circles) that have higher NPRs or allow more normal conversation, but you will end up spending significantly more money. I have found that the Leightning 31 hits the sweet spot for me, and your editor-in-chief got a pair as a gift over the holidays this year, too. (Editor's Note: A good rule-of-thumb for shopping for non- electronic hearing protection is a price-point of about one dollar per unit of NPR rating...and you don't want to use hearing protection below 24 if you are shooting handguns. There are 20's and lower out there, but those are mostly for use while shooting shotguns on the skeet range, not for handgun use...and I *still* recommend a higher value for full safety. I love my Leightning 31's I got for the holidays! - The Range Bag) ------------------------------------------------------------ Feature: The Anatomy of Handgun Stopping Power - A Forensic Pathologist's View by Steven C. Cogswell, MD ------------------------------------------------------------ I am a Forensic Pathologist and avid shooter with a particular interest in gunshot wounds. After 15 years and literally thousands of autopsies, I have come to some conclusions about the business end of shooting people. I have, however, never shot anyone, nor been shot, nor even had to draw my gun. Take my thoughts for whatever you think they are worth. The sad fact is that *all* handguns are underpowered. This has caused many theories and scientific studies on stopping power to be advanced and debated at length, mostly because it sells shooting magazines. Ive reviewed them all, including Hatchers RSP, NIJs RII, Marshall and Sanows definitive studies, the so-called Strasbourg Tests, etc. All of the theories are, by definition, unproved. All of the studies share one common trait: they are at best junk science; at worst, total fraud. In the real world, all of the theories and science and statistical rankings for one shot stops are meaningless. Some people will soak up an amazing amount of lead and continue to wreak havoc, others will drop like a rock from a relatively trivial hit. Statistics and percentages dont mean a thing in *your* individual case: for you, its either 100% or 0%. From a medical standpoint, there are only a few mechanisms by which people are rendered incapable of purposeful action (stopped). Many are stopped when shot anywhere on their body, by any bullet. This cannot be predicted by any formula or theory; it happens when it happens. Leaving aside these unpredictable cases of psychological stops, there are only 2 reliable ways to achieve a physiological stop, defined as rendering your assailant physically incapable of further action. Both ways require good bullet placement. Both of these are also fatal, something that should be immaterial: if he was enough of a threat that he needed shooting, then deadly force was justified. Some gun owners haven't quite grasped this concept, something for another discussion. The most certain way to achieve a stop is to disrupt the central nervous system. Sufficient damage to the midbrain, brainstem, or upper cervical spinal cord causes all purposeful activity to cease instantly. These lie in the lower portion of the skull below the level of the eyes. Ideally, your bullet would enter the skull just above where it joins the spine. From the front, the target area is the triangle formed by the eyes and bottom of the nose. Much more easily said than done, however, as the head tends to move about a bit. The other way is to so damage the vascular system that blood flow to the brain effectively ceases. This is best done by hitting the heart or its great blood vessels. The heart is more centrally located than is commonly thought. The target area (from the front) is the center of the chest. The problem is that the brain has an internal oxygen reserve of approximately 15 seconds before it shuts down. Totally destroy a mans heart, and he can still run a hundred yards or continue to shoot or stab you for another 10-15 seconds. Still, the target area is significantly bigger and less mobile than the head. This is core of true Stopping Power; everything else is voodoo. Shooters under stress tend to shoot high. If the shots are laterally centered, stringing them upward may also hit the carotid arteries and cervical spine, both good targets. The ideal target area is, therefore, a 2-3 inch wide band running upward from the solar plexus to the eyes. Some have taken these facts and developed something they term the Zipper technique: Aim at center of mass and fire multiple shots as rapidly as possible, letting recoil string the shots upward. Much has been made of the superiority of one cartridge or bullet type over another. In truth, everything larger than the .32 ACP works pretty much the same. A more powerful cartridge gives you *a little* more margin for error, but the basic truth remains: Only good hits count. Stopping Power is really quite simple, once you know the critical anatomy. Use the most powerful gun you can control and get out and practice! Steven C. Cogswell, MD ------------------------------------------------------------ Political Aims ------------------------------------------------------------ VANA'S VICTORY - SHE WINS BIG...DO GUN SHOWS LOSE? -------------------------------------------------- By John Birch, President Concealed Carry, Inc. PO BOX 4597 Oak Brook,IL 60522 630 660-3935 PICTURES AT: http://www.concealcarry.org/vanavictory.htm It does not get any better for the rights of Illinois gun owners than the dismissal of fanny pack carry charges on Thursday and the acquittal of Unlawful of Possession of a Weapon charges on Friday. Vana was found guilty of selling Brass Knuckles and I think State's Attorney's argument that Vana's paperweights "quacked like a duck" were persuasive. This case took 5 Months and 6 days to complete. You can imagine the emotional toll it took on Vana. All because one State's Attorney was too stubborn and prideful to believe fanny pack could possibly be legal. Well come the date of the trial, he got religion and dismissed the charges as we predicted ever since Vana was tossed into the county hell hole for no reason. The more onerous charge in the Vana case turned out to be the charge of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon on land that is publicly funded or partially publicly funded. Please take a moment to read this law: 720 Illinois Compiled Statues 5/21-6 makes it a class A misdemeanor to possess or store any weapon on property "supported in whole or in part with State funds or Federal funds administered or granted through State agencies without prior written permission from the Chief Security Officer for such land or building." Under this Statute, weapon is defined as including "a handgun, sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, any other firearm small enough to be concealed upon the person, semiautomatic firearm, or machine gun...any other rifle, shotgun, spring gun, other firearm, stun gun or taser as defined in paragraph (a) of Section 24-1 of this Code, knife with a blade of at least 3 inches in length, dagger, dirk, switchblade knife, stiletto, ax, hatchet, or other deadly or dangerous weapon or instrument of like character...a bludgeon, black-jack, slingshot, sand-bag, sand-club, metal knuckles, billy or other dangerous weapon of like character." Do you realize a street is publicly funded? Do you have a tire iron in your car? If so do you have permission from each and every county sheriff to possess this dangerous weapon? Vana's excellent defense counsel, Dick Carey made the point that just to go fishing with a filet knife you have to get multiple permissions from county and state under this law. His impassioned argument to reason was so good the jury "nullified the law" as Vana was clearly guilty of violating the 720 ILCS 5/21-6. But maybe so are you guilty? Read on... IS THIS THE END OF GUN SHOWS? How many of us go to gun shows? If you pick up a weapon there do you have written permission from the sheriff to possess it on land that is publicly or partially publicly funded? Do the exhibitors have such written permission? Under 720 Illinois Compiled Statues 5/21-6 all it will take is some citizen or politician who hates gun owners to call the police and tell them to go down to any local gun show and arrest the vendors and anyone else they find there with a gun. We never heard of this law before, but it seems to be the perfect legal tool to shut down almost any gathering of gun owners you can think of. Though Vana beat her charge because they "nullified the law," you can be a jury further north would not be so sympathetic. Remember, it's not enough that the gun show have permission from the sheriff, no sir! Each and every person possessing weapons at that show must have prior written permission. I think this has the potential to bring chaos to the lives of gun owners. When a cop stops us and can't find anything else to charge us with, then possession on publicly funded land is the ticket to a Class A Misdmeanor charge. In the next CC NEWS I'll have a letter you can cut and paste and send to your sheriff to get his "prior written permission" to possess weapons on publicly funded land. Even if you think the jury will acquit you if arrested, it will cost you thousands to get that acquittal. Besides, think of the fun of sheriff's getting a few hundred letters requesting permission to have weapons? WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Fanny Pack carry is the law in the state of Illinois, but you can bet there are many other State's Attorneys out there who will still arrest and we will have to defend them. This is NOT over. Our strategy: 1. We will establish enough money as a membership organization to be a rapid response team to anyone arrested. Members will be our priority to service in emergencies. 2. We will work with the Champaign County Rifle Association to establish a permanent legal defense fund with a board to oversee the expenses. You have responded magnificently to emergencies in the past, but now that we know we are going to be arrested on technical gun law charges, we need to prepare. The I$RA and the NRA are NOT going to bail you out, so this is the ONLY game in town. At Concealed Carry, Inc. we believe that one gun owner is arrested, ALL GUN OWNERS ARE ARRESTED! Think about it...you are rotting in jail...you have one call. The I$RA or Concealed Carry, Inc. Who do you call? I think Vana made the right call and you will too should that dark day come. Vana, you are a brave woman. You stood tall and you never let them see you sweat. You are an inspiration of courage to gun owners throughout the state of Illinois. Finally, to all of you who packed that courtroom yesterday... THANK YOU. It was a display of solidarity that gun owners are long overdue in showing. You are too be commended for your sacrifice in undertaking such a long drive on behalf of someone you never even met. Vana has the best friends in the world! --- John Birch TAG, You're IT! ---------------- by Gwen Patton The FAA has put syrup on the waffle, and is asking for public comments on the issue of weapons on commercial aircraft. It has been the law of the land for years that the FAA had the final say on allowing pilots to carry guns, but they never "approved" the training courses that would allow them to do it. Now, the Congress has passed a law that would "allow" the FAA to "allow" it AGAIN. So, instead of simply saying "go ahead", the FAA is sticking the Eggo in the toaster YET AGAIN and asking for "input" from the public. Do you want the pilots to... Have a gun on their persons while in the air? Have a secured weapon on the flight deck? Have only non-lethal weaponry such as stun-guns, pepper spray and tasers on board? Should the pilot in command be allowed to dictate whether the rest of the crew can carry weapons if HE doesn't agree with the policy? The window for commentary is only open until February 14th. Mail comments to: Public Docket Office Department of Transportation 400 Seventh Street, SW. Room PL-401 Washington, DC 20590-0001 Or you may enter your comments electronically at: http://www.faa.gov/avr/arm/proc.htm The webpage is rather confusing. The docket you want to access is the one entitled "Firearms, Less-Than-Lethal Weapons, and Emergency Services on Commercial Air Flights". Then you can choose the "ES Submit" button to enter your own comment. The process is a little laborious, but it does work. Make a note of the docket number, you will need to enter it when you put in your comment. It is, after all, a government-written website, and they don't know what docket you are commenting on automatically. You have to tell them. But please do! --- Gwen Patton Ohio Gun Carry Ban Struck Down as Unconstitutional: Hamilton County Joins Vermont in Allowing Unlicensed Gun Carry --------------------------------------------------------------- News Release Second Amendment Foundation 12500 NE 10th Place Bellevue, WA 98005 (425) 454-7012 | FAX (425) 451-3959 | www.saf.org Ohio's ban on carrying concealed firearms has been struck down as unconstitutional in a landmark ruling. Within Hamilton County, law-abiding, mentally competent adults can now carry guns concealed and have loaded guns in their vehicles without fear of being arrested and prosecuted for exercising their rights under the Ohio Constitution. The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), a leading national gun owner rights organization, funded the lawsuit. "This is one of the greatest victories for the Second Amendment Foundation and the citizens of Ohio," stated SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb. "Not since SAF forced the city of Los Angeles to begin issuing concealed carry licenses have we earned such a clear win, and it feels great to strike down a gun control law using the Ohio Constitution." SAF's lawsuit exposed the current scheme as a violation of the Ohio Constitution (Article 1, Section 1 [inalienable rights to defending life, liberty and property], Article 1, Section 4 [bear arms for defense and security], Article 1, Sections 2 [equal protection] and Article 1, Section 16 [due process]). In addition, as Judge Ruehlman found in his decision, the current law treats people as if guilty until proven innocent! The Ohio laws in question, R.C. 2923.12, bans all concealed carry of firearms with felony penalties for any violations while R.C. 2923.16 bans loaded guns in a motor vehicle. Only after a person is caught violating either of these provisions, and the person incurs the costs and stresses of a criminal trial, does the current law allow the possibility of an "affirmative defense" to be made. It was for this reason that the law was struck down. Plaintiffs include Pat Feely, who was previously arrested and tried under the gun carry ban scheme. Both the prosecutor and the judge in that case stated that the law should be changed or repealed. While Feely was acquitted at trial, he risked the same charges again if found carrying a concealed firearm in the future. The threat and costs of repeated prosecutions was only one of many reasons the current law was declared unconstitutional. Mr. Feely carries large sums of cash as part of his employment. Feely, private investigator Chuck Klein and businessman James Cohen sought to have their right of self-defense restored with several pro-gun rights groups like Ohioans for Concealed Carry, Peoples Rights Organization and the Second Amendment Foundation. This decision does NOT mean that criminals, juveniles and other prohibited persons can carry firearms since many other gun laws remain enforceable. This was made clear in the court's ruling and if there are any questions about this fact, please call the numbers above or visit our website at http://www.saf.org/Ohio.htm "This lawsuit is about restoring the right to bear arms to law- abiding adults under the Ohio Constitution, and does not benefit criminals in any way, shape or form," said Gottlieb. "The hysterical gloom-and-doom rhetoric from the other side highlights that they have not studied the successes in vast majority of states that allow concealed carry." Nationally, 42 states specifically allow the carrying of concealed weapons or firearms with a license or permit. This could rise to 43 states if New Mexico's new concealed carry law is upheld. Vermont allows the carrying of concealed firearms without any license/permit because of a court decision, State v. Rosenthal, (1903). Of the remnant 6 or 7 states, Ohio is unique with its affirmative defense and on who the burden of proof is placed. The Second Amendment Foundation is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 600,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners. Current projects include several concealed carry lawsuits, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers & an amicus brief & fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right. --- Second Amendment Foundation ------------------------------------------------------------ News from the Home Front ------------------------------------------------------------ UNTAPPED POTENTIAL By Ed Monk I am an NRA handgun instructor and recently hosted a women-only handgun familiarization course in my small community. It was a great success, and I hope other instructors, gun clubs and gun ranges will decide to do something similar on a regular basis. Not only did I have a great time hosting it, but this type of training event has many benefits. It promotes firearm education, which increases safety. It provides a positive example of gun owners, ranges and firearms instructors. It introduces new people to the shooting sports, showing them that shooting is not only not evil - it's down-right fun! Some of these students will become gun owners and active shooters. Below I explain how I went about planning, advertising and executing this training event. Feel free to take what I've done, change anything, and try it in your area. I sensed that there were many women out there that would jump at the chance to attend a basic familiarization course on handguns if it were offered free, convenient, and for women only. Many women had told me they would like to know more about guns once they found out I was a "shooter" or firearms instructor. Others told me they had fired a handgun in the past but didn't enjoy it, either because they were "introduced" to handguns on one with a heavy recoil, or were instructed by an arrogant, abrasive, super- macho, know-it-all man. Those of us that spend time shooting, selling or instructing guns know the type. Some women had said they have a gun in the house, so ought to know how to use it. An increasing number have expressed interest in acquiring a gun for self-defense, but don't know where or how to begin buying a gun or getting training. And some women are just curious. For all those reasons and more, my hunch was confirmed. There are many women out there, everywhere, who want this type of training. It' up to us shooters, instructors, clubs and ranges to offer and provide it. These women represent a huge untapped potential for shooting sports and gun rights, and provide a positive public image for both. So I decided to set-up, advertise, and teach a women-only handgun familiarization course. I discussed the idea with the manager of a local shooting range. He loved the idea because it supported all the right things, and it brought him new business that had the potential for repeat business. He agreed to allow me to use his classroom facility, TV, kitchen, and to reserve 2 shooting lanes for my instruction. I contacted the NRA's Women on Target® program (800-861-1166) for advice and sponsorship. This is a new NRA program designed to introduce and foster women's participation in the shooting sports. I explained my idea and estimated cost. They agreed to sponsor my event. Women on Target provided goody-bags for all participants, assistance with advertising, and reimbursed the expenses of conducting this training, including range fees, ammunition, eye protection, and refreshments. I originally planned to have one class on a Saturday, and if there was enough interest and the students responded positively, I might plan another. The response greatly exceeded my expectations. I capped the class at 10 participants for safety and quality of instruction. I provided a public service announcement to two local papers (1 daily; 1 weekly). The PSA included that the course was free, was a women-only event, was designed for women with little or no experience with handguns, would be taught by a certified instructor, and required that attendees call and reserve a seat in the class. Both papers printed the announcement in their "Community Events" sections. My phone started ringing about 7:30 AM the morning the first paper printed the PSA. By 2:00 PM that day, my first class was full. By the end of the next day I had 12 additional women that had called wanting the training. I quickly checked with the range and NRA's Women on Target to see if they would support a second class on Sunday following the first class. Both agreed. So I started calling the women on my "waiting list" and slotting them in my 2nd, Sunday course, which I filled before the 2nd newspaper printed the announcement of the event. As these women called to sign up or inquire about the course, I took their name and phone number. If they signed up for the class I ensured they knew how to get to the range. I asked each to verify that they were 21 and had no felony or domestic violence convictions. I asked each if they intended to bring a gun. If so, I asked what type and was able to tell them if the range sold ammunition for it. I also requested that they bring the owner's manual for their gun. Two nights before the course, I called to re-verify that each lady was still planning on attending the training. For each day's course, I had one lady cancel because something came up. I easily filled this slot with a lady off my waiting list. I made fliers to advertise the training event. I posted them at various locations including women-only gyms, women's locker rooms at coed gyms, hair & nail salons, tanning bed establishments, libraries, coffee shops, day-care businesses, school teachers' lounges and sporting goods departments of stores. I mailed fliers to women's clubs and organizations. I also created a PSA for radio stations, but response was so sudden and overwhelming from the newspaper announcements, I never mailed the PSA to the radio station. Women called for weeks after the classes were complete because they misplaced the paper, forgot, or someone told them about it later. I still have a waiting list of over 20 ladies. I will run another course in the spring when the weather is nicer because I use an outdoor range. I set up the classroom the day before the first class. I arranged the tables and chairs, prepared a sign-in roster, made nametags, stuffed the Women on Target goody bags, tested the TV/VCR, made target stands and prepped the coffee pot. The morning of each class, I set out the refreshments, arranged the guns and dummy ammo for the class (used my own guns), and placed a hand-out/note-taking guide and feedback sheet on each participant's chair. The handout was PowerPoint slides that outlined and covered what I discussed in class. It was printed 3-slides-per-page with room to write notes on. Topics I covered in the classroom included: -Introduction/Administrative announcements -Ammunition -Safety Rules for Gun Handling (NRA) -Types of handguns and actions -Handgun parts & features -Safe storage options -Maintenance & cleaning -Fundamentals of shooting -Gun Handling practical exercise (clear, load, unload, decock, dry-fire) -Where and how to buy a handgun The feedback form asked each participant to provide anonymous comments on their impression of the training. All comments from all students were overwhelmingly positive. Some observations are below: The majority of students said they would NOT have attended the training if it were not women-only. All but one student listed self-defense as a reason she sought this training. All said they thoroughly enjoyed the training and that shooting was fun. Many said they really appreciated my patience. ¼ brought their own gun (husband's; left to them; bought 30 years ago and never touched); 2 were unreliable and this event allowed the women to see this. They appreciated the free training. They appreciated the refreshments. I was surprised at the number of questions from the ladies throughout the training. Most everything was new to them. Once they saw I would patiently answer each question, more followed. I expected the classroom portion to take about 2 hours, but it went beyond 3 hours due to the questions and each lady doing the practical exercise. Many came with ingrained media myths (cop- killer bullets; assault weapons; guns can "go-off" setting idle; gun show "loopholes", etc). I spent some time discussing these. Nametags allowed the students (and me) to know each other's names. After the classroom portion, we took a break and went to the firing line. I explained that no student had to fire if she did not wish to, but every student wanted to fire. I used 2 firing lines but only let one lady fire at a time to ensure proper safety and adequate supervision. I started each lady with a .22 and let them fire a revolver and semi-auto in that caliber. Then I let each fire a .38 and 9mm, and/or fire the gun they brought with them. I had them fire at very short range (15 ft.) at very large targets to ensure hits. It was fun to hear the ladies cheer each other on during the handling practical exercise and live-fire. Most asked to keep their targets. Some final recommendations. You have to be calm and patient with new shooters, and especially ladies, if you want them to have fun, ask questions and continue the sport on their own. Had I barked orders, or jumped down their throats when they made a safety infraction (as new shooters will do) they would have clammed up and had no fun. I will try to have an assistant instructor next time. This will allow the handling practical exercise and live fire to go much faster. If I instruct such a class alone again, I will cap the class at 6 to reduce waiting time. OK, time to get busy. Instructors link up with ranges and gun clubs and start to schedule, advertise and execute your first event. Instead of bitching about the "slanted media's" effect on the public and how fewer people are shooting, here is one way to encourage new shooters and demonstrate directly to the public how fun and safe shooting really is. If you build it, they will come. Get busy. --- Ed Monk Editor's Note: Ed's package of PowerPoint slides, including a sample flyer and PSA, in both Powerpoint and HTML format, are available on the HGD website. The URL is: http://revolutionearth.wmnsnetbiz.com/gunslides.zip If you do not have access to the Web, please feel free to ask for a set from HGD, by emailing: editor@revolutionearth.wmnsnetbiz.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Useful Websites ------------------------------------------------------------ http://thearmedcitizen.com This page, maintained by Mike Guffey, is a good resource for anyone interested in firearm ownership. It has good, concise information for both the newbie and the experienced gunowner alike. ------------------------------------------------------------ Submission Guidelines ------------------------------------------------------------ Household Gunowners' Digest is intended for the person who owns a firearm for personal protection, or for the protection of their family or loved ones. We are always looking for feature articles that address the needs of the everyday person who owns, or is looking to own, a personal firearm. We are not looking for articles geared towards hunting, law enforcement, or military applications. For complete guidelines, please see http://www.voicenet.com/~ardrhi/hgd-submit.html ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 2001 Gwendolyn S. Patton, Jeffersonville, PA. All Rights Reserved. Newsletter may be freely shared between individuals, provided that it is shared in toto. For reprinting of individual articles, please contact the editorial staff. ------------------------------------------------------------ To subscribe, send an email to: hgd-home-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To unsubscribe, send an email to: hgd-home-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Or subscribe through our home page at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hgd-home HGD has an open discussion group. All subscribers are welcome to participate. To subscribe, send an email to: hgd-discuss-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Or subscribe through our home page at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hgd-discuss ------------------------------------------------------------ Household Gunowners' Digest is a publication of: Revolution Earth Press 163 N. Whitehall Rd Jeffersonville, PA 19403 610-630-9862 Editor-in-Chief: Gwendolyn S. Patton wendy_lyn@unforgettable.com Assistant Editor: Margaret S. Leber maggie@voicenet.com http://revolutionearth.wmnsnetbiz.com