Good reads for gals... and guys

A gal recently asked me if I could recommend some books about guns and concealed carry as she is somewhat new to firearms and is thinking about getting her concealed carry license here in Ohio.  I looked through some of the possibly hundreds of firearm-related books the gals and I have collected and pulled a few off the shelves.

The Cornered Cat: A Woman's Guide to Concealed Carry by Kathy Jackson is a great book that is thorough, yet an easy read, and specifically covers things from a woman's perspective.  Gila Hayes' Personal Defense for Women goes beyond handguns and discusses both rifles and shotguns too.

Three other books I grabbed deal more with background information and mindset for someone who's interested in self-defense with a firearm and concealed carry.  If you're not sure that you need to be armed to defend yourself or your family and the ramifications of the choice to be armed... I think that Lessons from Armed America by Kathy Jackson and Mark Walters or Thank God I had a Gun by Chris Bird will provide a good overview of reality and things to consider while exercising your second amendment rights and the God-given right of self-defense.

The Concealed Handgun Manual (with a new/different cover if you're looking for it) by Chris Bird is a comprehensive book that covers everything from what to carry and how to carry to legal considerations and mindset.  I really think as you read through it, he does a great job providing a good, unbiased look at many aspects of selecting, carry, and staying alive while carrying a concealed firearm.

Two other books that are very well done are the NRA Guide to the Basics of Pistol Shooting and Gun Proof your Children by Massad Ayoob.  The best way to pick up the first is by taking an NRA Basic Pistol Course instructed by an NRA Certified Instructor such as myself.  The latest addition is updated and really does a thorough job discussing the basics of safety, shooting, and maintaining your pistols.

We may have every book ever written by Massad Ayoob.  I picked up Gun Proof your Children at least twenty years ago.  While the book design and text could use a bit of updating... the basic philosophy, information, techniques, and mindset about children and firearms are still on target.  If you have kids, you should gun proof them... not hide your firearms and pretend they don't exist... 'cause the kids will cross paths with guns at some point in their lives.

So if you know a gal, or anyone thinking about firearms and self-protection or concealed carry... while there are many other good books out there, these are just few good reads for gals... and guys.

I love mechanical things...

Anything mechanical has always fascinated me.  From the age of three, mom says I tried to disassemble everything I could, studying it, trying to figure out how it worked, trying to improve or fix anything that wasn't functioning at an optimal level.

Guns, tractors, cars, trucks, motorcycles... I love doing my own work... fixing, maintaining, improving.  Wrenching on farm equipment, tractors, engines, motorcycles, guns, and working in the barn or shop seems to be where I find a lot of relaxing enjoyment.  The wife thinks my favorite manly fragrances are Hoppe's, WD40, Diesel, and Valvoline.

I've done a lot of amateur gunsmith work over the years and I've been toying with the idea of working my way through one of the NRA short-term gunsmithing schools so I might one day move on to a second career or at least have more refined skills and a small machine shop in place before TEOTWAWKI.  I just wish I lived closer to one of the schools.

The new Ruger SR1911 has hit the 1,000 round mark without a single malfunction.  Due for a good cleaning... it was disassembled, cleaned, looked over carefully, lubricated, and reassembled.  John Browning's design still amazes me, especially considering that the basic design is now over 100 years old.  Although it is a good design, some 1911s I've used in the past have been a little finicky and they always seem to need some attention and adjustment over time.

I'm starting to think the good ol' folks at Ruger might have made a gun that won't need me as much as the other 1911s have in the past.  There are some basic wear marks on the rails and in places where metal runs against metal, but nothing that looks unusual.  Actually, there seems to be less wear than many of my other semi-autos visibly show after that many rounds.

As much as I enjoy shooting... I also enjoy taking the guns apart, keeping each one in top shape, even improving them when needed.  What else can I say...

I love mechanical things...

Guns and Motorcycles and Mindsets...

You couldn't ask for a better fall day to go for a ride than today.  Sixty-five degrees, sunny, a light breeze... these are the some of the few great fall days left for riding, but my riding today wasn't just for fun... it's time to fill up the gas tanks, add the fuel stabilizer, and put the two-wheeled machines into hybernation to avoid Ohio winters and the man-made snow we call road salt.

A few years ago, I had just swung the leg over and off one of the motorcycles in a parking lot outside a grocery store and was taking my helmet off when a elderly lady walked up.  Without even a "howdy-doo", she told me, "You know what they call those at the hospital? Murder-cycles! My neighbor's son was killed on one of those a couple of years ago, you'll never see me on one, they should outlaw all of them."

I smiled and politely said, "I know what you mean, ma'am... one of my best friends was killed in a car crash back in high school, you'll never see me get in a car... they should outlaw all of them!"  She looked at me, stared for a second or two, then turned and went back to her car.

I fancy myself an amateur student of human nature and I've seen a lot of different mindsets in my lifetime.  It is difficult to figure all of them out.  The outcomes and conclusions various people have come to are obvious, but the road to the get there is often a mystery.

I have yet to meet a state legislator over the years that rides a motorcycle and favors mandatory helmet laws, but a lot of those who don't ride prefer mandated brain buckets for everyone who rides.  One gal gets robbed at gun point and wants to ban all guns... while another gal robbed at gunpoint wants to get a gun, learn how to use it, and carry it with her.

Often, I surmise in my philosophical musings - the deepest of which usually occur while riding motorcycles or John Deere tractors - that there are basically two primary mindsets... those who want to take care of themselves and those who want taken care of.  All subsets of mindsets probably fall under one of those two categories... at least in my mindset.

So what are your thoughts on guns and motorcycles and mindsets?

Guns don't kill people...

There have been a lot of good folks stop by since this little ol' blog began about four months ago.  I've become friends with some and even met a few of you... and it's nice to be in good company and know that there are still a lot of God fearin' and patriotic Americans out there.  I had joked with my main gal that if I hit 5,000 views before the end of the year, I'd make some t-shirts... well 5,000 views and a couple of dozen t-shirts went by faster than a moly-coated .300 Winchester Magnum.

The fall is now upon us, deer season is here for bows with gun season just around the corner, and I'm still enjoying blogging more than ever.  My gals get a chuckle out of me as I work at putting posts together.  I decided that there were a lot of great blogs doing original work, quick posts, and re-blogging of other stuff already... I wanted to write about what I enjoy... and that's what I do. 

So with that being said... and now that our local football season is over and the homecoming dance is done, I just thought I would provide a little safety reminder for those who might run across some father's gals... 

Guns don't kill people...

Fathers of teenage daughters kill people...

Just like the good ol' days...

Sometimes amidst all the pundits, political nonsense, and 'round the clock news that ain't news coverage... I see reality slowly turning back the clock.  The anti-freedom and anti-gun folks on the east and west coasts, in New York, Chicago, California, and inside the beltway around Washington D. C. seem to have forgotten or maybe selectively edited out the rest of the country.

In the last twenty-five years we've seen the onset and sunset of the assault weapons ban, and we've seen our country go from just a couple of states with concealed carry to forty-nine with some type of concealed carry... with the state of Chicago... er... I mean Illinois... being the only one left without gun rights for the average citizen to protect themselves... but things seem to be changing.

The first gun that was actually mine was a gift from my Pappy at age eleven.  I still have the box with a $59.97 K-Mart price sticker on it.  I remember buying .22s at the local hardware store and looking at guns at Sears.  Most younger folks probably don't even remember the Sears catalog coming in the mail with with all the guns, hunting, and shooting supplies sporting Ted Williams' signature.  I even ordered a scope once from the Montgomery Ward catalog.

While more income then I care to admit still ends up at Cabela's and I purchase a lot of accessories and ammunition online these days, in addition to a couple of gun dealers in the county... our local chain-store retailers around here seem to be hanging onto the good ol' days.

Now I've met a lot of folks that seem to have political or social issues with Wally World, but unless I'm driving almost an hour or so, the only major retailers around here are Walmart and a Lowe's Home Improvement store.

Our local Walmart has a pretty good stock of ammunition on hand in a large variety of calibers, even if the range of brands is somewhat limited.  You can't by a brick of .22s for $5 any more, but fifty rounds of 9mm for less than $12 or .45ACP for under $19 is about as good as you'll find anywhere.

You can even pick up some 100 and 250 round value packs of your favorite rifle or pistol cartridges for those zombie encounters in the cornfields.

While I thought it was my imagination, I even saw an AR15 in the case not too long ago and if you hurry... you can pick up toilet paper, milk, a new flat-screen TV, and this standard Ruger Mini-14.

 

Our local Ace Hardware store has a lot of friendly, home-town folks working there that can help you pick out some new paint for the bedroom, some rubber washers for the leaky faucet, or nice shotgun for fall hunting.  They've been very supportive of our 4H Shooting Sports club and host the gun our club raffles off each year to buy supplies and ammunition.

Ace always seems to have a well-stocked display of long guns, ammunition, and accessories, but unlike Walmart... they also carry...

Nothing like a good selection of handguns to keep nose prints on the glass.  Maybe you're in a hurry so you grab a few light bulbs, a rake for those leaves in the yard, and an M&P40.  Need a little more kick, you might want to check out that Springfield Armory 1911.  Too much in your cart already and you need to keep it light, maybe grab that Ruger LCR or Smith & Wesson Body Guard on the top shelf.

Those who love freedom and the second amendment need to be diligent in taking the fight to the those who don't, but one thing I've been noticing... there are signs of things around here that make me think it's going back to just like the good ol' days.

Monday Musings... Contemplating range changes.

We've been fortunate to have a place to shoot right here at home for quite a few years now... but due to a variety of reasons, the gals and I have been contemplating some changes for the shooting range.

Seems that with the majority of shooting we do at home being more pistols and .22s with occasional shotguns and rifles... we've thought about reconfiguring our 50-yard range to a 25-yard range.  A little Photoshop magic allowed me to simulate a 25-yard shooting berm with "wings" cupped towards the line of fire.  This might be better suited for defensive, concealed carry, cowboy-action, and steel target shooting.

We still have the local gun club just a short ten-minute drive away with rifle and pistol ranges from 25 to 200 yards along with skeet, trap, and five-stand ranges.  The change would probably wait until dry weather late next summer, with fall planting of cover foliage and grasses to reduce erosion.  That's a long way off, but it gives us time to contemplate changes to the range.

ResQMe Keychain Rescue Tool

The gals and I try to be prepared for the curve balls life throws our way.  Sometimes life throws you an inside pitch that about takes your head off while driving your car or truck.  I've been in several accidents while driving over the last thirty or so years and it doesn't matter how careful I was... as none were my fault.

Sometimes the unexpected happens and tragedy strikes... like it did for three college students our neighbor knew while attending Dickinson State in North Dakota back in 2009.  I once managed to sink an Allis-Chalmers tractor and loader while moving rocks around the edge of a stone quarry when I was fifteen years old... a stone quarry that had long ago filled about twenty-five feet deep with water.  Almost drowning with a tractor that wasn't even green, to say the least, was a life-altering experience.

The point is, no matter how careful you are or how prepared you try to be... good ol' Murphy and his law will sneak up on you when you least expect it and a ResQMe Keychain Tool would have been nice to have in the cold water of the quarry that fall day long ago.

We have ResQMe Keychain Rescue Tools zip-tied to the sun-visor post by the a-pillar in each of our vehicles.  We also have some to carry on our keychains, man-bags, and purses.  Until you've been upside-down in an overturned vehicle and can't get the seatbelt released, trapped when the doors of your wrecked vehicle won't open, or worse yet... under water only to find your electric windows and locks are no longer working... you'll never know who valuable these inexpensive tools are.

The ResQMe tool unsnaps from its keychain holder with a firm pull.  It has ridges that make it easy to hold and you can get them in a variety of colors.

The razor-sharp blade will slice through the seat-belt... I even tried them on an old seat-belt a couple of years ago.

A spring-loaded punch breaks tempered and laminated glass when pressed against a window.  ResQMe recommends protecting your eyes and punching glass windows in each corner instead of the center.

There are a lot of seat-belt-cutting-window-breaking tools on the market, but considering the size, quality and fact that you can purchase a pair for under $20 online or for a single unit for $15 at Ace Hardware, you should pick some up for you and your gals or family too... maybe even your mother-in-law.

It's hard to pass up the peace of mind you'll get knowing you have an escape plan in place for your vehicle with easy access to a ResQMe Keychain Rescue Tool.