I have four guns now, a Glock 17 9mm with night sights, a Kel-Tec P32 .32 caliber, a Glock 27 .40 caliber, and a Glock 26 9mm.  I'm sure you have your favorite, but unless you're offering to buy, I'll stay with mine.  

And if you thought I was opinionated about bikes, wait until you hear what I think about firearms.  For starters, I have a gun because I like to shoot.  Paper.  I won't hunt.  I have nothing against hunting or eating meat (although I'm not a big fan of venison and cows just aren't sport) I just don't like shooting anything that bleeds.  I find the process relaxing.  If you don't understand, I can't explain, just like I can't explain why I like lima beans and not brussels sprouts.  However,  you're not going to change my mind about hunting, lima beans, OR brussels sprouts.

Follow this link to a page with some great articles.  My personal favorite is Car Control.

Mindset is the most important factor in carrying a weapon.  If you're ever in a position when you need to pull your gun, you've already screwed up.  Probably several times.  The best way to avoid a gunfight is to not be there.  Pay attention to your surroundings and your instincts.  Don't worry about being rude.  Bad guys don't care and good guys will get over it.  And if being polite is more important than your personal safety, you've got messed up priorities.

Next in importance is tactics.  The more options you have at your disposal, the more likely you are to get out of a bad situation alive.  Being confronted by a bad guy is not the time to start thinking of a way out.

After that is your skill set.  "You can't miss fast enough."  Skill comes from practice.  Therefore, you have to practice.  Enough said.

The least important factor is your tool set.  If your gun is reliable - will fire consistently, then you're all set, no matter what it is.  Argue calibers and bullets and all that crap, but if you're missing the first three factors, it won't do you much good anyway.  A person can live up to 20 seconds after their heart stops beating.  And a bad guy can do a lot of damage before keeling over, so don't count on any handgun to finish the fight. 

• Exposure is either through breathing or ingesting.  Ingesting is worse.
• Lead salts are more dangerous than elemental lead (ie. nothing but lead)
• Highest risk is poorly ventilated indoor ranges.
• Symptoms of lead poisoning are headaches, memory loss, IMPOTENCE, joint pains, diarrhea, and other less than pleasant things.
• Many of the dangerous lead salts come from the primer, which is vaporized when the  round is shot.
• Reloading (since it involves primer) is another high-exposure activity.
• You can limit exposure by doing the following:
  • Don't eat at the range or until after you've washed at least your hands
  • Blow your nose (just before washing your hands ;^) )
  • Use handi-wipes if soap & water aren't available.
  • Shoot outdoors, if possible.
  • Wear a mask or respirator if in a poorly ventilated indoor range.
  • Get rid of mini-blinds and crayons manufactured in China.

There are so many other things we can worry about, but this particular hazard is easily avoided.  So why take the risk?

This picture is from the Tactical Pistol course I took from OPS.  We were 'lent' the skills necessary to survive in the real world.  Lent because those skills only become ours with practice.  Real world because normal range practice won't do you much good unless your bad guy is willing to stand still in front of a safe background and not shoot back. (good luck...)

Topics we covered were reloading, malfunctions, moving while shooting, one-handed shooting, weak handed shooting, kneeling, lying, shooting around objects (or in my case, through objects), and a plethora of tactics were we no longer able to fire the gun.  

I had a great time, learned a lot, and am so sore.  As you can see, I ended up wearing gloves because of my girly hands.  What you can't see are the bruises on my knees or the welt from the paint rounds in the simunition or the bruises on my right side (you'll just have to guess what those came from).  

The certificate is from the bodyguard class I took recently.  No career change in sight (unless I get to be the target) but I did learn a lot.  It does take a certain type of person for that type of work (well, if you wanna be good, that is).  You're supposed to watch everything and see any threat coming, but not look like you're looking.  You're supposed to be obvious, but not intrusive.   You're supposed to provide a shield but not be in the way.  You're supposed to know your client, but not get too close.  And that doesn't even include the preparations or weapons handling or the weapon-less combat.  Oh, and you also have to be willing to step into the way of danger.

And, of course, the CHL cert.

Here's the latest - knife fighting from PTG.  Very good class, but I think I'm going to stick to non-contact training from now on.  Beyond the fact that it really hurts getting hit, the bruises are getting harder to explain at work.  

Look, another one.  This is for the Intensive Handgun Skills (oddly enough) that I took in July.  Note to self: no more outdoor shooting classes in the summer.  

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