Merry Christmas

OK, so I'm not politically correct. I want to wish all my Christian and Jewish Friends a very Merry Christmas and a belated Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year. For those of other faiths out there I wish you Happy Holidays. May the Peace of God be with all of us, in this time of giving and sharing.

Second Amendment March

I am the Assistant State Coordinator in Missouri for the Second Amendment March. We in Missouri are working hard to see this March become a reality and an annual event. We have had tables at the past 2 RK Gunshows in Springfield, we have Matt Canovi, our State Coordinator, pushing it on his Saturday Morning Radio Broadcast, "The Gun Show", and also we are attending all TEA Partys we can get folks to. We pass out flyers and speak about the March. We also have a couple of other Radio talk Show Hosts speaking out for us. This March is being put on to try and save the Second Amendment, and we need all the support we can get.
Go to http://www.secondamendmentmarch.com/ and find out about you area and what you can do to help. If you are unable to help physically, donate. An effort like this is supported by donations and workers.

U.S. reverses stance on treaty to regulate arms trade

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE59E0Q920091015

American Handgunner Digital Edition Jan/Feb 2010

'Click here to go to magazine you can sign up to receive a subscription free.

Before you carry

Before you decide to carry that weapon, there are some things you need to consider. There are emotional, legal, and civil concerns that can be the aftermath of the use of deadly force.

From an emotional stand point, the decision to take a human life has to be considered, before you put that weapon on. If you are not ready to pull the trigger without hesitation, then you are a danger to yourself. The slightest hesitation on your part gives the bad guy the upper hand. The taking of a human life, is not an easy thing to live with and requires a good support system. Again, if you do not think you can cope with that, then leave the weapon behind.

Legally speaking, you are solely responsible for you actions. There is nothing I can find in any State Law that allows you to act as a Police Officer. Likewise there is nothing that says you can shoot at an unarmed suspect or assailant, or one that is trying to escape. From all the State Carry Laws, that I have read, you must be in immediate fear for you own or another’s life. This can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and you may be arrested and need to prove your case in court. The minute you pull that trigger, you cease to be the victim. Make sure you have neutralized anymore threat and secure your weapon, before the Police Officers arrive. When they arrive, cooperate fully but, request time to collect your thoughts and seek legal advice before making any statements. This is a courtesy they would extend to another Police Officer and you should be entitled to that same courtesy. Be polite and consider the fact that they are not sure what has happened, when they first arrive.

Civilly, you do not need to be found guilty or even charged to be sued for wrongful death. Remember the person you shot has a family, who cared as much for them as your family cares for you. No guilt has to be proved in a civil suit to lose the lawsuit and be bankrupted. All of us need to investigate private liability insurance, to cover us in this type of instance.

The above statements are my personal opinions and not meant to discourage anyone from using their Second Amendment Rights to Keep and Bear Arms. They are meant to be purely informational.

Town Hall

I know it has nothing to do with guns, but I attended Senator Claire McCaskill's Town Hall in Springfield, on Monday. I did not arrive in time to get in so I sat across the street with a large group of protesters. It was amazing to see how many conservative people were there. I really think we had the supporters highly out numbered. We were there with cheap homemade signs and all the Pro Obama Care folks were there with professionally printed signs. I have but one thing to say to my govt, keep your hands off my health care. I want to thank all the Patriotic Resistance members and just plain folks that wanted to be heard for showing up and Tom Martz
for being there also, with his Domestic Terrorist Tee Shirts. He sells them online@ http://www.domesticterroristapparel.com/. The Ozarks Minutemen and the Fair Tax folks were also represented. Vincent David Jericho of our local Conservative Talk Radio Station KSGF was also on hand interviewing folks. It was a good day all around.

The Gun Show with Matt Canovi

This is a good show coming up this weekend. Matt will be interviewing a combat vet. Tune in Saturday morning 7am-8am central time, 104.1 FM or 1260 AM, Those who cannot pickup the stations can go to http://www.ksgf.com/ListenLive/tabid/6028/Default.aspx and listen live in your respective time frame according to where you live. You can also download pod casts at www.ksgf.com of past shows.

Great Day

This past weekend was great. On Saturday, the 15th, we had 2 great events. I started the morning off at the RK Gun Show, at the fairgrounds in Springfield, MO. I picked up some ammo at a good price, not a great price yet but they are coming back down and are more available. Saw some old friends and we all told war stories.

At noon I attended Patriots in the Park, at Fassnight Park, also in Springfield. Patriots was a 3 hour event to bring Conservative Patriots together for some fun and to hear from the Republican and Independant Candidates for our upcoming 7th District Congressional Seat. They all explained their positions and asked for our support. One even called in by phone from the Middle East as he is deployed at present. I met a few new people including Vincent David Jericho, our local Conserative Talk Show Host, and Skip Coryell, founder of the Second Amendment March, which is scheduled for April, 2010 in Washington, DC. While there I picked up one of Skip's books, RKBA. When I have finished my present reading I will start on that one and give a review as well. I also picked up a Domestic Terrorist Tee Shirt, now I'm officially on Janet Napolitano's short list.

At 3pm I returned to the Gun Show to find a couple of suppliers I missed in the morning. I got a new IWB custom handmade leather holster, for my XD-45. I really thought I was not going to like it due to my generous size, but actually found it comfortable and will get more used to it as time goes by. The holsters are handmade by a local company Gaunt Leather, www.gauntleatherworks.com, and their prices are quite reasonable. I wore the holster all day today and found no discomfort with it. It has drastically cut down printing of my weapon also. The next show is Oct 24 & 25. Gotta save some more money.

As a sideline, there is new anti-gun legislation in Congress that has aquired Bi Partisan support.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., has sponsored H.R. 2159, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009,
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97491
Take a moment to read up on it.

Training Update

Firearm's Courses
Greetings!
Many of our Concealed Carry students have asked about upcoming advanced training. The following are upcoming dates for the REAL Defensive Shooting Course & the Practical Handgun Course. Contact us to register for these course, as space is limited.

Sincerely,

Matt Canovi

The REAL Defensive Training Course will be held on Saturday, August 8th & Monday, August 17th. This is an 8 hour course with a cost of $225. The full 8 hours will be range/shooting time.

The Practical Handgun Course will be offered on Monday, August 3rd & Monday, August 10th. This is a 2 hour course with a cost of $135.

Details for both of these courses can be found at www.mattcanovi.com.
Call us at 417-742-3435 or email matt@mattcanovi.comto register

Ted Nugent, Upcoming Missouri Events, and a Quick Book Review

There is an interview with Ted Nugent on YouTube. Ted tells it like it is and this is an excellent example. http://biggeekdaddy.com/miscvideos/TedNugent.html


We have some upcoming training events from Canovi and Associates

Canovi & Associates LLC Events
Concealed Carry Classes
Canovi & Associates LLC
DATE: 07/25/09 or 07/27/09
LOCATION: Bass Pro Shop
MORE: All in one day classes
Canovi & Associates LLC
3711 West Farm Road 14
Brighton, Missouri 65617
417-742-3435


Another upcoming event is the 2nd Annual Patriots in the Park

It's time for the 2nd Annual Patriots in the Park! Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 15th from Noon to 2pm at Fassnight Park in Springfield, MO. All of the Republican candidates for the 7th congressional districthave been invited to speak.
Keep listening to News Talk KSGF for more information.


And now to the book review

I am reading "The Great New Orleans Gun Grab, Descent Into Anarchy" by Gordon Hutchinson and Todd Masson. I have so far finished the Prologue, Introduction, and Chapter One. I have already read enough to highly reccommend this book to any gun enthusiast. This information is scary but, fortunately some, not all, states have taken measures to prevent this from happening again. Gordon and Todd great work and keep up the fight.

You can order your copy at http://www.neworleansgungrab.com/.

Correction

I would like to clear up a statement in my "About Me" paragraph at the bottom of this blog. I can own any kind of weapon including full auto, I just cannot afford the weapon and to be honest I did not want to give any naysayers any more ammunition to fight us legal gun owners.

Now is not the time to be afraid to speak up so, yes I can own a full auto weapon if I wish to. I can also own and use a suppressor. I can carry a handgun, unconcealed, without a permit and concealed with a permit. CCW permits are issued after a training course and live fire qualification, and a background check by the local Sheriff's Office. I also can go to any dealer and purchase firearms, including handguns, without going to get a permit to purchase. The sale of personal firearms to another individual are also permitted, without going through a dealer.

As I said in one of my posts, one reason I moved to Missouri is FREEDOM.

Two Posts From My Facebook

I'm Christian, Conservative, Pro Life, I believe in the rights of Third Party Candidates, I believe in the 2nd Ammendment as written, and I believe this country is being sold out to foriegn interests and illegal immigration. OMG, I must be a potential terrorist, at least according to Homeland Security. Keep an eye on me people, I might be dangerous.

My daughter thinks I'm being bold posting things like my previous post. Well to tell the truth, I am only stating my opinion. If this bothers some of those 3 letter gov't departments, oh well. I served my country for 22 years and will never back down in my beliefs, because the current political machine may not like them. The fact is our right to have differing opinions is what makes this country great.

It has been a long time

To my followers, I apologise for the lack of posting. I went on a 3 week trip to the East Coast that ended up lasting 6 weeks. While there I discovered some info about the Binghamton, NY shooting and was going to write about the failure of gun laws, but I have decided to leave it alone as I only have one news article to rely on. After returning, I came down with a severe case of writers block, but today I have a small article to write.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to work registration at some excellent handgun training, put on by Canovi and Associates. I own a set of Matt Canovi's training DVDs and watch them as often as possible. The opportunity to see him in action, working with students and shooting live was amazing. I highly recommend anyone that is interested check out his website, http://www.mattcanovi.com/, and purchase a set of DVDs for yourself. While there I had the opportunity to meet and make some new friends. This training was provided free to Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve members of our Military Forces, as a thank you for their sacrifices. This was not a basic CCW course, it was an advanced defensive pistol course.

Bare Naked

Well, here I am in the People's Republic of New Jersey. I feel totally naked and defenseless. I cannot carry my gun and could not even bring it with me, as I have no where to store it safely. I would like to have brought it to go to my old club and shoot a few rounds with the old gang.
Every time I come here to visit, I realize why I made the move to Missouri, FREEDOM. A person's freedom to live the way they want and to do what they want, the way they want is one of the most precious things in life. Our Second Amendment Freedom's are one of those and must be protected at all costs.
Tomorrow, I leave for Upstate New York to see my Mom and little Sis. I grew up in New York State, hunting and fishing with my Dad and Uncles. At age 21 I applied for and got a NY Permit to Carry a Pistol. I was stationed at McGuire AFB in NJ but maintained my NY Residency. Now if I was to move to NY, I probably would never be able to get a permit. On May 1st I return to Missouri and freedom.

Random Thoughts

I recently joined the Outdoor Bloggers Summit. There are a lot of good blogs on their blogroll, not just about guns but nature and conservation also. You can click on the button in the right column and it will take you there. I highly recommend their blogroll for good reading.

In his blog, The Shootist, Gordon Hutchinson has a post entitled "Paranoia is Good". The Shootist is listed in my blog list and also on the OBS list. I highly recommend reading his
articles also. Gordon has served many years in Law Enforcement and in training, he has also written two books.

Another good blog, that I recommend for those of you who are Survivalists or Preppers, is Stealth Survival. River Walker discusses many aspects of survival and has many links to suppliers, safety information, etc. Again, a link to his blog can be found on mine and the OBS lists.

Two other good gun blogs are, Home on the Range and The Breda Fallacy. The are both written by ladies who are excellent writers, and they also include some delicious sounding recipes.

On his website, Canovi and Associates, Matt Canovi offers different training courses. Matt has also spent many years in Law Enforcement and training, I consider Matt to be my Guru. I have a set of his training DVDs and even though I have not had the opportunity to do any actual training with him, his DVDs have changed my mindset and improved my shooting, greatly. A link to his site is in my Gun Information Site list.

As closing thoughts, We do not carry a weapon to kill, we carry a weapon to keep from being killed. We do not shoot to kill, we shoot to stop the threat. Force can only be overcome by greater force.

I Remember

I remember growing up in a family where guns were not only a sport but a way of life. My father and grandfather were both hunters and we lived on venison a couple night a week. My father was a Classified Courier for a company with Naval Contracts. I can remember him making a couple trips a week to Washington, DC or one of the Proving Grounds, and always with a .38 on his hip. Most of the time he drove the trip from Rochester to DC and there were no super highways in those days. Sometimes when paperwork had to be there in a rush, we would drive him to the airport and he would get on a plane, still with that .38 on his side.

I remember getting my first bow and arrows when I was nine years old. I remember shooting the family BB gun in the garage with my Dad teaching me how. I remember the first time he took me out deer hunting, I was not old enough to get a license, but I enjoyed just tagging along.

I also remember growing up in a time when punishment was swift and sure. There were no timeouts in the corner followed by a hug and kiss. There was a wide leather belt or the back of a hand. It's funny how quickly you learned right from wrong in those days. Kids did not come to school with Dad's gun and shoot a bunch of people when they had a beef, they duked it out somewhere and the beef was settled and all was forgiven. Of course when you got home, if you were on the losing end, you usually got some more.

Those were simpler times, when people who were not gun owners, did not want to take away your guns. Those were times when your hunter safety instructor was your father or grandfather. Those were times when weekend entertainment was a trip to go groundhog shooting or just somewhere to target shoot. It was a family affair with a picnic lunch.

I remember all these things, and then I think of today and wish I owned a one way time machine.

Guns and the Economy

In these days of a slow and faltering economy, seasoned gun owners and newbies alike are setting a trend. Gun and ammunition sales have rocketed, gun show attendance is overwhelming and in those free states that allow it, CCW Instructors are very busy.

Gun and ammunition purchases can vary from very expensive to relatively inexpensive. 6 months ago, I purchased a Jimenez compact 9mm, manufactured in the US. It came with a Lifetime Warranty, 2 10rd magazines, and loaded chamber and cocked indicators. I also purchased 500 rounds of Russian 9mm Ammunition and a small holster. The gun was $140, the holster was $18, and the ammo was $84. To date, I have had no problems with any of it. I also own an XD45, that is an excellent weapon in the $500 range.

The Russian ammo is available in many calibers, at reasonable prices under the Wolf and Bear Brands. It is good ammo for everyday shooting and practice, however it is not reloadable due to the steel cases. I do recommend the higher priced US manufactured, high expansion, hollow points for CCW and home defense. My personal preference is the Federal Hydra-Shok or Remington Golden Sabres, but there are many others put out by the other manufacturers that are just as effective.

Buy now, while you still can and help our economy.

Get Your Warfaces On

War has been declared on our Second Amendment Rights and our guns. HR 45 was introduced on Jan 6th, just prior to Barack Obama taking over. It was introduced by one of his Illinois Democratic Cronies.

We cannot and should not standby and watch our rights be eroded one by one. It is time to rise up and declare our own war on the liberal politicians. We need to fight with our votes, our mouths, and our pens. Here in SW Missouri we have a petition going around, to send to our Congressional Representatives and Senators urging their support in this fight against the gun grabbers. Similar action needs to be taken all over at the local level.

The Second Amendment March, scheduled for next year, needs to be preceded by State Marches to show our State Governments where we stand. We are trying to put one together
in our State Capital, Jefferson City.

Reach out and touch someone. Start local letter writing campaigns, get your gun clubs involved.
Start petitions in your own local areas, have rallies in public places, where people can see we are fighting for every one's rights.

Remember, no matter which of the original Bill of Rights falls, the others then become vulnerable also and then we live in a Dictatorship not a Free Society.

Keep up the fight

As gun owners and sportsmen and women, we need to step up to the plate and fight the good fight. Our 2nd Amendment Rights are in more jeopardy, now, than ever before in history. This Administration is more determined to undermine our rights, while at the same time trying to convince us that they believe in and support the 2nd Amendment, than the Clinton Administration.

So what can we do? If you are not an NRA member, now is the time to join and help them keep up fight. If you are a current member, upgrade your membership status. The fight takes a lot of money and commitment. Start writing to your Senators and Congressmen, and also your State Representatives to voice your opinions on the current bills in Congress and State Legislatures.
Write letters to the editor of your local newspapers. If you have a local talk radio station, call in and voice your opinions also. Locally in Springfield, MO, we have KSGF 104.1 Talk Radio. Every Saturday morning from 7-8 am, Central Time, they have the Gun Show with Matt Canovi. If you can't pick up the station you can go to http://www.ksgf.com/ and click on listen live, also you can download Podcasts of previous shows. There are many avenues of support you can join in on. Get active and save our rights. There is a Second Amendment March scheduled for 2010, they want to put 1,000,000 Gun Owners in Washington, DC for a peaceful march in support of our rights.

National Rifle Association of America http://www.nra.org/ http://www.nraila.org/
United States Concealed Carry Association http://www.uscca,us/
Second Amendment March http://www.secondamendmentmarch.com/index.htm
Law Enforcement Alliance of America http://www.leaa.org/

Current Legislation

Presently there is a Bill in Congress to require licensing
of all persons involved with guns. Not only dealers and
manufacturers, but collectors and private citizens also.
There will be no Grandfather clause, if you own a
weapon you will be licensed or a felon. Private sales
between friends and neighbors will be out, as you will
need to be a dealer to sell or trade a weapon. Also there
will be mandatory records keeping of all sales and
transfers, by the Federal Government. This Bill HR-45
is a serious blow to our 2nd Amendment Rights. We all
need to be in contact with our Senators and
Congressmen about this threat to our freedom.

There are also two other Bills in now, HR-17 and
HR-197 that are Pro-Gun and they need our
support also. Contact your Representatives and let
them know where you stand, regardless of their party
affiliation. I have links to all three bills in the right
column of this blog.

Gun Nuts

The first myth that I would like to debunk is the term, Gun Nuts.
We as shooters, hunters, and gun collectors, have been demonized
for years as threats to society, crazed killers etc.
We are none of these things, the truth is we are ordinary people
with a hobby we are passionate about. I prefer to call us
Gunfighters, because we will use any and all legal means to protect
our Second Amendment Rights. If some yuppie, politically correct
person wishes to put names on us, then they should stick to their
political correctness and call us Firearms Discharge Engineers.
I, for one, am proud of my heritage and if I have to be a Gun Nut,
I will do that proudly.