Who's a sad panda who got shot during armed robbery?

Elderly internet surfer shoots armed robbers.

I love these stories. Good guys, bad guys, no moral ambiguity, or perpetrator apology. It's the kind of story you can't get from Hollywood.

Two guys wearing masks busted into an internet cafe in Florida, and demanded money from the registers and patrons. "But who would rob an internet cafe?" The imaginary liberal immediately responds. The threat of someone doing something is not lessened by your confusion at their actions.

The article, which is... strange... goes into some detail and actually has some quotes from the robbers-turned-victims.

Dawkins had a superficial wound in his left arm, but Henderson was shot in two places: his left buttock and his right hip.

They're lucky they didn't get hit anywhere vital or with anything bigger or faster than a 380 mousegun.

"I feel horrible. It doesn't feel good. It makes you think about life's decisions, and how you should live your life," Henderson said in an interview with the Star-Banner at the jail on Saturday afternoon.

Wow. That's really great to hear, I'm glad he survived to have that thought, but this revelation would have better served them both BEFORE they robbed a place at gunpoint.

Hours after his release from the hospital, Henderson, who talked about the pain he feels in his buttock and hip, said the plan was to "barge in, get the money and leave." He said "he [sic] never expected anyone to be armed."

"The gun was broken and rusty and wasn't loaded. Nobody was going to get hurt," he said, standing with crutches.

Well that makes you a pretty shitty robber. First, you bring a gun, which adds years to your charges, then you pick a gun that is dangerous to use, THEN you leave it unloaded!

Congratulations, you picked all of the risk and NONE of the benefit!



I guess it should have been ok because "Nobody was going to get hurt."

Retrieving the customers' phones was what he said was their "main priority." That way, he said, the customers could not call law enforcement officials.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Can't have the people in the cafe calling the cops! That'd ruin the whole ruse, you know, the one where you show up with an unloaded gun, and you're all like, "Alright guys, so you're getting 'robbed' *wink wink* with this 'loaded gun' *nudge nudge* anyway, y'all be chill and I'll be out of your hair ASAP."

Henderson theorizes the reason why he was caught off guard is because, when Dawkins entered the business, he busted a computer monitor with the baseball bat and "glass got into his face."

"He couldn't warn me," Henderson said.

Are...? Are you going for the sympathy? I mean, I know you're not, but pointing out how circumstances didn't go in your favor during your ARMED ROBBERY is an interesting tactic. Please, do continue...

Henderson noticed two women were behind the counter and he thought that was "fishy." Turning around to see what the women were doing, Henderson said he was shot.

Yup, there he was, minding his own business, just doing a routine armed robbery when these counter ladies started acting suspicious, and then someone shot me in the back!

"I turned around to run and my leg gave out. That was when I got shot. I hit the ground, and he was still shooting. I thought I was going to die," Henderson said.

Holy crap! You thought you were going to die? That's horrible! How would you rank the fear as compared to you sitting in an internet cafe, when two guys with masks come in and point a gun in your face? More or less? Better or worse? One or two? A or B? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Henderson said he and Dawkins drove to a house to see a woman he said "is like a second mother" to him.

Well that's great, I sounds like she's had a very positive impact on your life. I mean, some people wouldn't want to let down their mother, but you let down BOTH your mothers! Malt liquor all around!

"I couldn't breathe. I had lost so much blood. I don't know what she did, but she revived me," he said, likening the experience to coming back from the dead.

Whew! Your thrilling tale of ARMED ROBBERY had me on the edge of my seat! I sure am glad you pulled through! What an amazing experience it must have been.

Officials said Dawkins previously had worked for the cafe but had been fired.

Oh, so THAT'S why you rob an internet cafe!

Because Dawkins used to work at the cafe, Henderson said Dawkins told him there was "a lot of money there." Both of them, he said, gathered the gun and bat for the robbery attempt.

A lot of money? Honestly, how much? Enough to get dead over? Enough to risk an armed robbery charge? How much is that?

Their actions frightened the customers at the Internet cafe.

Wow. Artfully noted, Austin Miller, Staff Writer for Ocala.com. I'm glad you took time out of your busy schedule playing with blocks and coloring inside the lines to write this article. Now all the other weirdness in this article makes sense.

Lets hear from a pair of would-be-victims.

The robber with the bat smashed one of the computers, the couple said. Then the robbers ordered everybody to get down on the ground and take out their wallets and whatever valuables they had.

Whoa, I think they skipped the part where the Dawkins said, "Hey guys, this is a robbery, but don't worry, this gun isn't loaded, and we're not going to hurt anyone." Telling it like that just makes it sound like a boring regular old armed robbery.

Though Henderson said he doesn't blame Williams for shooting, he takes exception with Williams shooting at him while he was down.

"I was down, and I'm not going to continue to shoot you," he said.

Oh! Did the bad man shoot you wrong during your attempted armed robbery? Lets see what I can do about that...

There we go!



It's the world's smallest violin, playing the world's saddest tune, just for you.


THIS STORY PLEASES THE SNUBSTER

The .380 gets snubbed

When I first saw the S&W Bodyguard 380, I liked it. I liked the lines, the idea of an integrated laser, the second strike ability, and I just plain liked it. At the time I resigned myself to not having one because there was little chance of S&W making a California compliant model.



Now that I'm in Kentucky though, and have access to an expanded market for firearms, I've been keeping an eye out.

I recently found someone looking to trade his Bodyguard 380 for a pocket revolver, and I had been neglecting the S&W 442, so I made the offer.



He was fielding some other offers so it took him some time to respond.



Don't look at me like that...

Did I do something wrong?

No...
Then why?
It's just that...
Am I not sexy enough? We can't all look like those polymer guns in the gun rags with doublestacked magazines!
I'm not comparing you to--
Those doublestacks aren't even real! Those fat grips are all plastic!
I know, I know, I just... It's not you, it's me.
Oh sure!
No, really, I just... My tastes have changed.
Your tastes? Like your taste for perfect reliability, 200 ft/lbs of energy, all steel construction, a firing grip inside the pocket, those are all gone?
Well, no, it's just that autos have more capacity and more firepower. They're much more reliable now.
HA! You can only call them reliable because you have a standard to compare them against. I AM that standard!
*sigh*
It wouldn't be half as bad if it wasn't for a first generation release of a 380 auto! AND with a laser that doesn't even turn on from the grip? I'm embarrassed for you. At least have some taste and leave me for a P238.
What? 380s have been out for a long time and are pretty darn reliable!
Well I'm glad "pretty darn reliable" is good enough for the gun you carry to protect your life and the lives of your loved ones.
I can have 7 rounds in the gun and two more mags for 19 rounds available AND have a quick reload!
Oh! I thought you were looking for a pocket gun, not a G26 with a 33 round magazine in it! How many shots are usually fired to end a potentially violent confrontation again? I really can't remember, how much was it?
... Zero.
OH YEAH! ZERO! Well it's ok, you can still enjoy your 19 round tacticool go-to-war mall ninja mousegun. And with all the extra rounds, you don't have to worry as much about missing! Just think suppressive fire.
That's not fair. I already carry because I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Exactly, and when you absolutely need it, you absolutely need it to put hits on a target's vitals and precipitate loss of consciousness to stop further aggression.
Exactly.
So what good is it if it doesn't shoot?
How many times do I have to say it? They are very reliable.
I'm the standard.
*sigh*
Well, I suppose it's good you'll have extra rounds then, because you'll have to make up those extra foot pounds somehow.
Look, I get it, you're powerful, you're reliable, you're small, but the 380 is smaller.
I didn't realize I was too fat for your pocket. I guess with that 380 you can drop your keys in there, and your change, and your--
Ok, I know, I'm not going to put lots of stuff in that pocket.
But what will you do with all that extra pocket space? Maybe you can cram another 380 in there for a New York reload in case of a jam! Or shoot 'em both at once John Woo style! Or maybe... Just maybe... you can carry a gun that's a little bigger, more powerful, and much more reliable.
*sigh*
Let me know when you get a .25. I'll bet you can carry hundreds of rounds of ammo with that thing!
I'm not getting a .25, the .380 is a reliable, powerful pocket auto cartridge.
Right. Of all the pocket auto cartridges, it's the best. Is that like being the tallest midget?
Are you done yet?
Nope. I have three more words.
Fine. What are they?
Five.
For.
Sure.

Man. These guns are vicious.

He dropped the offer. He decided that he wanted to stick with a semi. Which is fine, because I decided I wanted to keep this old wheelgun around.

The problem with tasers

I've heard repeatedly that the problem with tasers is that they only incapacitate while they are in the process of shocking. This makes them perfect tools for cops working with backup. One shocks, the other restrains. But in a situation where you are alone? As soon as the initial shock finishes, there is nothing preventing your attacker from ripping out a barb, and charging you.

Found a good video showing a dog being incapacitated by a taser. As soon as the initial shock is finished, the dog is instantly back at 100%.


[direct link]

Might be useful to hit your attacker with the taser, drop it, and start running. I can see how it could fit in a planned escalation of force, but why dick around when your life is on the line.

Quote of that which they defend

I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.
~J.R.R. Tolkien

The reason for guns.

Quote of the that's HIS problem...

To put this in perspective, when you shoot somebody in self defense, the goal isn’t necessarily to kill them, it is to stop them. You want the bad guy to stop doing whatever it is they are doing that caused you go pull a gun in the first place. Live or die is really irrelevant. You want them to leave you alone. Sadly, the best way to make somebody leave you alone is to shoot them in their vital organs, and that often results in the bad guy’s death. But that’s his problem, not yours.
~Larry Correia

Being pushy

I'd been looking for a knife to fill a specific niche; the nasty backup.

The nasty backup is something you might carry in a questionable area (or all the time if you please) that will stay on your body, be easy to use in compromising positions, and give you enough time to escape.

Enter the Cold Steel Urban Pal, commonly available for under $20!




Small enough to be hidden easily in a boot, waistband, or on a chain around the neck. The grip is a bit thick, but that is not really negotiable for a knife such as this. It's still small enough to pass a cursory pat down. The sheath has a very good friction hold on the blade, and the holes around the edges mean you can tie, clip, or pin this wherever you want.

Ready to be pulled out in a hairy situation to turn the tables on attackers for long enough to get away.


Here are some swipes at a leather couch.

Very unlikely to be lethal, but one of these across a chest, or down an arm will probably make an attacker think twice before continuing the assault. A strike at the forehead would have no chance of incapacitating an attacker, but the tremendous amount of blood that pours from a head wound would easily blind. The beauty of the push dagger is that it doesn't require any special training to use effectively. Training can always improve, but it's pretty hard to fuck up with one. You have been using your hands all your life, and it's easy to put your fist wherever you want without having to worry about weapon retention or injuring yourself.

An edged/puncture weapon is a force multiplier in any hand-to-hand fight. Punches to non-vital areas would normally have little effect, but with the urban pal you're bringing the surprise of pain where there should have been none, and the sight of blood to an attacker who is not used to seeing his own spilled. Take advantage of the surprise, confusion, and maybe even fear, to make your escape.

The Cold Steel Urban Pal is technically a fixed blade, and some states have laws regarding push daggers specifically, so be sure to check your local laws to make sure preparedness doesn't get you tossed in jail.

The stereotypical gun tragedy that didn't happen

After a late night I was catching up on sleep around 10 am. My wife started work a few hours before, the rabbit was probably chewing on something she wasn't supposed to, and I was dead asleep.

I awoke to a banging sound. Not sure of the specifics of the sound because I kind of woke up knowing it happened without really hearing it.

I sat up in bed and looked at the closed door. Between the door and the carpet I could see the hall light was on. Did I leave the hall light on? Did I imagine the banging sound?

I put on the electronic earmuffs I keep on my nightstand and turned them all the way up. I picked up the AR I keep bedside, (almost automatic once the earmuffs go on) and held it at a loose shoulder pointing about 6 feet in front of the door. I listened... Nothing. No low talking, no TV running, or even discernible footfalls. It seemed too quiet.

I thought about the situation. There is only one person with a key who would enter without notifying me, my wife, but I couldn't think of any probable scenario where she would come home so early. Would an intruder turn on the lights when there was enough ambient light to see? Drawing the shades makes it pretty dark, and seems like something you'd do if you didn't want to be observed...

I didn't feel like I was in danger. But is that how people feel before they find themselves neck deep? It didn't seem obvious what was going on, one way or the other. Every thought seemed to have a counter-thought, I wasn't sure if I was rationalizing or not. I was still groggy.

I checked my phone and saw no missed calls or text messages. I considered calling my wife, but she can't answer at work. Maybe I'd hear the ringing from outside the room. But what does it really mean if I don't hear ringing outside? What if she answers? Do I hang up on her? Would she call back and give me away?

This was a very strange feeling because different circumstances somehow made it both likely and unlikely there was an intruder in the house.

Wait. Stop. Ok. I can't decide what to think, but that doesn't matter, because I've nothing to lose if I assume an intruder and it's my wife, and I have everything to gain if I assume intruder and find intruder.

I carefully stand and switch my AR to right-handed, because I need to go around a U-shaped corner that curves left. My right hand is not as strong as my left, (note: need to fix that), so I need to put the buttstock in my armpit to hold the gun on target when I open the door. Target being a few degrees to the right of the door jamb. The safety is on, my thumb is resting on it, and my finger is not on the trigger.

How do I open the door? Fast or slow? I opt for medium, figuring slow might make a door squeak too early before I can see the area, and fast might make me fumble or shoulder the door or jamb.

I open the door, and move through it and round the corner, the direction of my barrel trails a few feet behind where I can see next as I round the corner.

I almost immediately see my wife in the next room. "Hi, [my name]!" I lower the AR, and return to the bedroom. I turn off my earmuffs and put them back on the nightstand, and return the AR to its post.

A very odd experience.

---

I wasn't afraid of accidentally shooting anybody because the four rules of firearms safety prevent me from doing so.

Rule 4: Be sure of your target, and what's beyond it.

It's as simple as that. You don't shoot through doors or objects, you don't shoot at shadows or shapes, and you don't shoot at things you have yet to identify. At no point did my muzzle sweep my wife or anything I hadn't had a quarter-second to look at.

I found it interesting that I wasn't hyped on adrenaline or in fight-or-flight mode, probably because I just didn't know for sure. Despite the fact that I was more confused than scared, that situation really could have gone either way. If there really was an intruder, I probably would have just been startled into disbelief. But at least I would have been startled with the upper hand.

Also of note; every once in a while, I practice clearing the house when no one is home. Without that practice I probably would have caught the barrel on the edge of the door or doorjamb (as I did during the first few practices), shouldered the rifle left-handed, or opened the door with the barrel pointing where I was still identifying things.

She later said that when she heard the door open, she thought she should say something because she figured I'd have a gun. She asked if I had anything because she didn't see me well enough to see if I was armed (practice pays off!).

Why it pays to know a bit about guns

To know when the gun pointed in your face will actually be able to shoot you.

Looking into the cylinders of a revolver will tell you if it's loaded or not.

Noting the position of the slide of a semi-automatic will tell you if it's in battery or not. (an out-of-battery gun is jammed, and will not fire)

There are other things, like being able to note if a safety is on (red dot means safety is OFF), noting a loaded chamber indicator (not all guns have them), or a dropped hammer on a single-action pistol (they must have the hammer cocked to fire). A few trips to a local range to shoot and familiarize yourself with some common pistols would go a long way.

I'm not saying you should take a guess that the gun in your face is unloaded, or incapable of firing in its current state, but knowledge is power.

Quote of the kevlar gumdrop

Yes, I cry at happy endings in zombie movies but when the things get difficult I can be as tough as a kevlar gumdrop.
~Brigid

You may not know it, but I'm a big softie. I'll tear up with annoying regularity at so much as an emotional credit card commercial. I'm a serial empathetic. But the few times I've gone to condition orange there is nothing in my mind except the threat, and my swift reaction to the threat. There is nothing but awareness, and preparation. The trick is being able to switch between the two quickly.

The rest of her post is brilliant, and worth your time.

OPSEC FAIL

Crisis spurs spike in 'suburban survivalists'

SAN DIEGO — Six months ago, Jim Wiseman didn't even have a spare nutrition bar in his kitchen cabinet.

Now, the 54-year-old businessman and father of five has a backup generator, a water filter, a grain mill and a 4-foot-tall pile of emergency food tucked in his home in the expensive San Diego suburb of La Jolla.

Somewhere in San Diego, someone is writing this name down in a little black book of people who have supplies, and cleaning his gun.

Operational Security (OPSEC) is relatively important when talking about preparations for hard times. Try not to think of your friends coming to you, crazed with hunger, try to think about friends of friends who barely or don't know you, who need food or a quick buck. This is how most crime takes place, not on random targets, but targets they've been able to feel out directly or indirectly.

But ignoring regular crime for a bit; I talk to a lot of people about prepping for emergencies like earthquakes and the like, and I need to take my shoes off to count the people who've said all they need to survive is a revolver with 6 shots, (or a shovel or an axe) and a keen eye to spot the people who have prepared well.

These are good people, friends even, who claim they would have no problem icing some 45 year old father of two to take his stuff when survival was at stake.

Buy a handgun, buy a shotgun, buy a rifle, buy more than one to arm any family members who are old enough to be armed, shoot them to know they're reliable guns, train with them until you can hit man-sized targets at ranges you find around your home; across the street, down the street, in the back yard, in the living room.

When no one has had power for five days, don't fire up your generator.

When people you don't know come to your house begging for food, offer them half a can of expired something, and say you can't spare any more.

When the government sets up a cheese line, show up. (as long as it's safe)

Don't bring attention to yourselves, and make sure your kids don't either.

And when you recommend someone prepare for an emergency, and they say they'll just pick on someone who has prepared; tell them that plan only works when the prepper hasn't already shot five others with similar plans.

Those guys with their little black books are out there. They will be looking for you. Be ready for them.

I called 911 and all I got was this lousy garbage can

Cueball posted a link in the IRC channel to this story. Toledo police lay-offs are causing more private citizens to get firearms and firearm training.

Money quote:

"People are panicking, they're figuring the only way they can protect themselves is for them to protect themselves," says Urbanski. "So yeah, my business is booming."

This in itself is not really something I find postworty, only because you can't swing an reality-challenged politician without hitting a county making cuts to essential services in favor of non-essential services. (The trick is to threaten the safety of the people just enough to get them to pay more taxes!)

What I did find interesting was the t-shirt one of the people in the video was wearing. It captures the above paragraph much better than any of my inexpert snark.

The t-shirt read;
I called 911 and all I got was this lousy garbage can

After a bit of searching, I seem to have found the story behind the shirt;

The city just finshed spending a bunch of money on a new garbage collection system. To ensure compatability with the trucks, residents are issued a garbage can.

Meanwhile, they're cutting police due to budget constraints.

There you have it folks.

I called 911 and all I got was this lousy garbage can

We could make one for California, but it would probably run out of space before it listed all the non-essential services that got money while firefighters, police, and emergency services were cut.

Maybe you could do it on a multiple shirts.

(list continued on shirt 2/3)

The gray area turns white

From Robb, comes this bit of idiocy.

Man is threatened with a knife on school property, he retrieves a gun, situation diffused. He is charged with having a gun on school property. Judge says he should have pointed the gun at the guy to prove he needed the gun for self defense.

I immediately thought of a comment I left at Marko's place.

... Of interest is the fact that in some states, the only level of response to a threat you are afforded is the final level. Similar to warning shots, anything short of “I feared for my life” response can be interpreted as unlawful activity. If I have a gun and a bat, and a man approaches to attack me, and I decided to use the bat, it could be argued that I was not in fear for my life, and simply wanted to take the opportunity to beat someone up. Similarly, use of a paintball gun when I had a gun nearby could mean I wasn’t in fear for my life, and therefore unlawfully discharged a gas-powered projectile launcher within city limits, and perpetrated animal cruelty (a felony in Ca.)

In such cases, it makes legal sense to go straight to self-defense level force.

It’s unfortunate that the laws are such that we have limited non-lethal options, but no one seems to be in any rush to stop civil and criminal lawsuits where people chose not to use lethal force. The gray area has been turned into a white area, leaving the only sensible action in the black.

Kinda sucks.

Nightmares and kitchen doors

I just awoke from a bad dream. I used to have nightmares of monsters and horrible things, but I'm not afraid of them anymore. Since I got serious about self defense and the defense of my family and loved ones, my nightmares are situations in for which I fail to prepare.

In this case, it was an evening like any other, joking with my fiance as we got ready to go somewhere, when there was a knock at our kitchen door (none exists in real life). I walked past the front door, and around the corner into the kitchen. I was just going to take a peek through the peephole, I think we were expecting someone.

I looked through the peephole, and saw blackness, it had been blocked. At that moment, around the corner, the front door opened, and someone entered the short hall after the door.

The front door area was where I kept weapons handy, and it was between the kitchen and bedroom my fiance was getting ready in.

Simple misdirection put me in a place where I wasn't prepared, and my expectations of the situation kept me mentally unprepared.

I could see the shifting bulk of the intruder in the reflection of a glass picture frame on the far wall. I got a debilitatingly powerful pit in my stomach. He had split us up, and I was unarmed. I had failed so completely that the dream ended there. Nothing more needed to be implied. I knew what happened next, and didn't need to be shown. I wasn't afraid of horrible things; just not being able to stop them from happening.

I awoke with the same debilitating pit in my stomach. As I lay awake contemplating the dream, I realized that the AR that rode bedside was in the closet, awaiting reattachment its flashlight, and the XD was just assigned another duty. While I never really sat down and thought; "Going just a few days unprepared should be ok." I know that's exactly what I was thinking. I was unarmed and didn't even realize it. Well, part of me realized it.

In reality, all the ports of entry to our home have reliable firearms nearby. The kitchen door was imagined. My lack of preparedness as I slept was not.

Ghetto AR Ambi Light

I wanted to move my AR to bedside duty, and that meant it needed a light.

I had a few requirements;

1. Light use is completely ambidextrous
2. No exposed cables.
3. Light must be able to activate in a firing grip.

After playing around with a rail, a Surefire G2, and a raised scope mount I had lying around, I actually came up with something acceptable.




By moving the button right next to where my hand would be in a magwell grip, I can activate the light by pushing my ring finger forward slightly.



It's low enough to light the target area without being shaded by the underside of the gun, though the shade of the barrel remains. The scope mount locks solidly enough to be handled like the handguard. The only thing it needs is a click lock so I can push to temporarily activate, and push harder to permanently activate.

Quote of the Barbarism

Barbarians cannot feign civil for long. You can feign barbaric as needed.
~Ride Fast

Quote of the most advanced alarm system known to man

In the comments of the post about the problems with most alarm systems, DirtCrashr reminds us of the most advanced alarm system known to man.

I've often heard that a mobile alarm system that has teeth, fur, and a particular emotional bond with the alarmee has yet to be improved.

Too true.

Satellites, thermal imaging, motion detection, cellular backups, battery power, redundancies for redundancies, and almost any dog picked up from the local pound can be trained to be more effective.

Funny how that works, huh?

There's something very dangerous about an animal. Something primal in humans that flips your brain switch from "Most advanced being on the planet" to "Practically defenseless against most predators." Most robbers are just robbers. Most don't even carry a weapon more than a screwdriver or crowbar so they can avoid weapons charges. They're not looking to kill or maim, they just want to break in, and steal some stuff to sell. They're usually not particularly violent unless cornered. If given the opportunity to avoid a house with a big dog, they probably will. Emphasis on probably. Layers of security, folks. Oh yeah, make sure you train your dogs not to accept food from strangers.

JD has a question for you.

JD from Ballistic Deanimation has an important question for the times in which we live.

Go find out what it is, and answer it for yourself.

Got your answer? Good.

Even if you live in some socialist hell-hole that doesn’t recognize your right to defend yourself, like me, take a good long look at the issue and decided if the ability to defend yourself is worth it or not.

It's a valid point, and one that some gun bloggers don't seem to grasp. They carry with a permit because they are taking responsibility for the lives of themselves and their loved ones, but balk at the idea of someone carrying without a permit.

"Stuff and nonsense!" They say, "Breaking the law casts all gun owners in a negative light, and is counterproductive to our fight! If you can't get a permit where you live, it's as easy as renting a u-haul truck."

Clearly some gunnies still have a problem differentiating between malum in se, and malum prohibitum.

Lets focus on the main point here. You either believe that one should carry to be ready to stop violence wherever one goes, or you do not. The rest is really inconsequential when we're talking about what could be the difference between your life and your death. Or worse, the death of a loved one when you knew you had the training, skill, and ability to carry, but choose not to because you lacked a piece of paper.

As they say in certain places;

Concealed means concealed.

---

I am reminded of a post by Blackfork about Outlaws.

We need to stop this kind of gun violence!

Without violence like this, a robber would still be alive.

Won't someone think of the robbers?!

Hat tip to Uncle

Quote of the Scientia Potentia Est

Wanna play a game?

You can take away everything I own and know and I'll still have my mind and many many books I've read and memorized, not even counting many many years in the fabricating trades.

Knowledge is power.

Quite literally.



Fill your mags, but also, fill your head.
Your future may depend on it.

Sitting down with first time shooters

A friend of mine had been working up the nerve (and the nerve of his wife) to buy their first gun. I, of course, offered my services, and offered to introduce them to firearms, and most of what firearm ownership involves.

This weekend was set for an introduction to handguns, and a trip to the range.

I showed up with my XD-9 (the firearm I had planned on recommending to them), and my GP100. We were going to go over the function of both, but we didn't make it to the revolver.

I began by covering the four rules of firearm safety, and we discussed why they were what they were. They already had a good idea of the rules from previous times when we'd spoken about this, so we moved on to function.

I took to heart the input of my first students, and resolved to remove Springfield XD-9's totemic handgun status, by explaining exactly how it works, and reducing it to the collection of springs, hunk of polymer, and machined steel that made up this misleadingly simple machine.

We covered basic function, and then I field stripped it, and explained how everything worked. I identified all the important parts, and explained how they work, and what they do. They were very interested in how it worked, and weren't shy about asking questions. I explained and demonstrated the safety features, and why they were in place. They both were surprised that it was so simple, yet did so much.

I explained what it would be like to shoot it, and reassured them that the human body does not want to shoot. Your nervous system wants to react when there are small explosions nearby, and you have to get your body used to shooting before you can expect to be able to use a handgun in self-defense.

I had them practice using the controls to ensure they were able to operate them. This was important specifically because one of the new shooters had limited use in one hand. I showed them how to use the sights, and they dry-fired a few times.

Because they were planning on purchasing their first firearm for defense, I talked to them about the legalities of self-defense shootings, and what they should consider and say. (especially, "I though he was going to kill me. I feared for my life. I want to speak to my lawyer) We talked about why it is inadvisable to issue a non-urgent statement to the police. If the assailant escaped, it is important the police get a description as soon as possible, but any other statements can be issued through a lawyer. Unintentional self-incrimination is very dangerous.

All in all, I'd say it was a success. People fear what they don't understand, and by reducing a handgun to a simple collection of springs and metal, I took away the fear.

We had to cut it short because of other obligations, but keep mentioning that we need to complete our discussion.