Shooting 101 - My Gun Culture

About A Gal Who Shoots .30 Cal

June 6, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Anette Wachter - .30 Cal Gal with her Jim Cloward Special

Today we’re taking a look at a different facet of the shooting sports – high-power, long-range rifle competition. While our crack investigative team was surfing the internetz, we ran across .30 Cal Gal, known in civilian circles as Anette Wachter. Anette seems to think that it’s humanly possible to shoot at targets up to 1,000 yards away using iron sights. Right. As if you can even see anything 2/3 of a mile away. On further investigation, we found that she’s actually telling the truth. Not only do she and her husband Charles shoot at targets almost over the visual horizon, they actually hit them. Frequently. Apparently scopes are for sissies.

To read the complete interview with .30 Cal Gal, see the full article on AmmoLand.com

Filed Under: Competitive Shooting, People, Shooting 101 Tagged With: competition, interviews, new shooter, women

Jesus Ain’t Gonna Load Your Gun!

May 31, 2011 By Tom 6 Comments

Rangemaster Defensive Pistol Class

So went part of our instruction at the Defensive Handgun training class taught by Rangemaster this past weekend at the LuckyGunner Gun Blogger Shoot.

The folks at LuckyGunner.com, Sellier & Bellot, MagTech, and Rangemaster partnered to host a shooting event of epic proportions. 50 or so infamous gun bloggers were invited to a top secret range for a weekend of shooting free ammunition, testing a wide variety of fully automatic weapons, and participating in an abbreviated defensive handgun class.

Tom Givens taught most of the class with assistance from his wife (and Rangemaster instructor) and a few others of the Rangemaster staff. While handling a class of 28 gun bloggers was an exercise in herding cats, especially since I was not the only one with a short attention span, the Rangemaster staff succeeded in teaching us some solid foundational principles about safe gun handling, gun manipulation under stress, dudes that need to be shot and how to avoid harm from them.

Tom is the only instructor I’ve met that has managed to make discussion of the 4 rules of gun safety both informative and funny.

I went into the class figuring that I learn something new every day so I might as well learn something new about handguns as a defensive tool. While not everything was new, the class gave me a number of things to think about.

Don’t look in the fiery death end of your gun. While SayUncle beat me to the punch on posting this, it stuck in my mind as a pretty good learning to share – again.
Store your trigger finger so that it’s in the ejection port (if you can easily reach) as it provides a tactile reminder that your finger is not on the bang switch.
When discussing the debate over whether to finger check a chamber to verify that’s it’s clear (in addition to visual checking) the question was posed – why would you ever want to clear a chamber in the dark?
Hold your semi-auto pistol with both thumbs high and pointed upwards rather than at the target. Because it helps ensure that your grip is as high as possible while minimizing potential interference with the slide lock.
A rifle is easier to shoot than a pistol primarily because the weight of the gun is more than the weight of the trigger pull (attributed to Larry Vickers)
About follow through and recovery after a shot: what you really need is another hit on dude.
You keep shooting until one of two things happens: the bad guy falls down or runs away.
It takes two sight pictures to fire one successful shot. One to aim and one for the follow through.
A partial gangsta grip can be beneficial in some situations. When shooting one handed, tilting the gun inwards about 45 degrees can help control muzzle flip – if you can deal with the weird sight picture.

Those are just a few of the more fun and interesting tidbits I picked up in the class. All in all, I love the style and quality of training and am anxious to sign my family up for the full two day course.

Now back to Jesus…

During a passionate discussion about the importance of reloading your gun during any perceived lull in the action, Tom warned against being caught in the middle of a fight with an empty gun, with the natural result of thinking “Oh, Jesus!” While He may choose to intervene in other ways, He’s probably not going to load your gun, so you might as well.

Filed Under: Shooting 101

Gun Word of the Day: Rack

May 23, 2011 By Tom 1 Comment

Gun Word Of The Day

Rack [rak]

- verb

1. To cycle the slide of a semi-automatic gun. Usually refers to the procedure of operating a handgun where complete cycling of the slide ejects an empty cartridge case (if present) from the chamber, while moving a new cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. This action basically clears the chamber of an existing empty, or full, cartridge and prepares the gun for firing a new cartridge. Repeated ‘racking’ of the slide will eventually empty the gun of all cartridges. Racking the slide is also used to clear jams or malfunctions. On the range, or in a competition, a command to rack the slide may be used in a couple of different circumstances. When a semi-automatic gun is first loaded, the slide must be racked to load a cartridge into the chamber so the gun is prepared to fire. Second, a range officer may issue a rack the slide command when shooting is finished to verify that a gun is empty.

2. Ummm. This should describe it…

Filed Under: Shooting 101 Tagged With: firearms, new shooter, pistols, terminology, word of the day

Gun Word of the Day: Caliber

May 18, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

Gun Word Of The Day

Caliber [kal-uh-ber]

- noun
1. The interior diameter of the bore of a gun barrel, usually measured in inches or millimeters.
A gun barrel with an interior diameter of .357 inches in diameter is technically .357 caliber. Caliber measures the diameter of the bullet and has nothing to do with length or weight of the actual bullet, although calibers have taken on broader meaning in casual conversation. If someone refers to a caliber of 9mm, then they are really talking about a 9mm Luger cartridge and all the assumptions that go with that.

2. A sinister plot by gun people to make things extra-confusing for new shooters.
For example, .38 caliber really means .357 inches in diameter and .380 caliber really means .355 inches in diameter. 9 millimeter also means .355 inches in diameter. To keep things plenty confusing, .40 caliber really does mean .40 inches in diameter. Same with .45 caliber - that means .45 inches. However, .44 caliber really means .430 inches. Of course, .32 ACP (caliber) really means .312 inches. .30 caliber rifle bullets are particularly easy. Some are .308 inches and others are .311 inches. Got it? See, isn’t this gun stuff easy?

Filed Under: Shooting 101 Tagged With: ammo, ammunition, bullets, satire, vocabulary, word of the day

Concealed Carry Clothing for Women | Shooting Illustrated

May 13, 2011 By Tom 1 Comment

Shelley Rae has a great article on the state of concealed carry for women at Shooting Illustrated. And her recommendations do not include tactical pants with untucked button down shirts…

Concealed Carry Clothing for Women | Shooting Illustrated

Filed Under: Concealed Carry, Crap Shoot Tagged With: ccw, women

Defensive Decolletage

May 3, 2011 By Tom 7 Comments

The Looper Flash Bang Bra Holster

One of my more embarrassing moments at the NRA Annual Meeting was interviewing Lisa Looper of Looper Brand, makers of the new Flash Bang line of ‘naughty holsters.’ By the way, ‘naughty holsters’ is my description, not hers!

I’m a happily married guy, and here I am talking to Lisa, closely examining a mannequin of a woman’s breasts, complete with a pink brassiere. With hundreds of tough lookin’ NRA dudes staring at me. It got a lot more interesting when Lisa had to ask a group of women examining the new Flash Bang Bra Holster to step back so I could take some close up photos.

Things completely broke down for me when Lisa, who is very pregnant, asked me to see if I could spot the gun she was carrying. Ummm. Nope! I think that was the right answer, because I was not about to stare inappropriately trying to spot it! Lisa’s husband was working in the booth by the way. And he was probably carrying. I’m not entirely stupid you know.

The things I do for loyal My Gun Culture readers… I’m such a giver.

Split-Bottom Kydex Secures the Gun

Anyway, the basic idea, as shown by the included photos, is that an open-bottomed kydex mold is made for specific gun models like snubbie revolvers, Kel-Tec‘s, Ruger LCP‘s, Sig P238‘s and similar guns. The leather strap with a metal snap attaches the kydex assembly to your (or her) existing bra, and the whole mess kind of tucks up underneath the, umm, chest area. When the gun needs to be accessed, the user simply pulls downward on the grip and the gun snaps out of the kydex holster. Nifty. And quick. And sexy.

Those of you who are quick on the uptake will now understand the product line name: Flash… Bang! For those of you that scored less that 600 on the SAT’s, you lift up your blouse, flash your attacker, create a moment of shock and awe, then… bang!

If I had seen this before we published our Mothers Day Gift Guide, it certainly would have been included!

We’ll try one out soon and post a full review here. Actually ‘she’ will test it out. Although I am rapidly gaining weight, I do not yet have adequate man boobs to conceal my Glock 32 under the Flash Bang setup. Maybe after a few more pizzas.

Filed Under: Concealed Carry, Holsters, NRA Annual Meeting, Reviews Tagged With: bra holster, holsters, nra, personal protection

My New Carry Pistol

May 1, 2011 By Tom Leave a Comment

.45/70 from Super Six Classic.

Need to find a good IWB holster.

Bang.

Filed Under: Concealed Carry, NRA Annual Meeting

Review: CrossBreed SuperTuck Deluxe Holster

April 25, 2011 By Tom 4 Comments

The Good

Really, really comfortable.

The Bad

J Clips can become detached from your belt on occasion.

The Ugly

It’s certainly not shiny and attractive like some of the premium brand offerings. Not currently offered in Crocodile or Emu.

Our Rating

Four Nuns! (although nuns probably don’t need to carry inside the waist band)

Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe IWB Holster

Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe Holster

Approximate Retail Price: $69.75, $79.75 as tested

www.crossbreedholsters.com

The Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe ended the escalation of the holster race taking place in a box on our closet floor. The model tested was sized for a Glock 32 and represented the 7th holster tried for this particular gun.

Why?

It’s the comfort dummy! Traditional IWB (Inside The Waistband for any gun rookies out there) holsters are made for the gun’s comfort – not yours. You’ll notice that the interior of most any quality holster is perfectly sized and finished to gently support every nook and cranny of your gun. You’ll also notice that not a moments thought appears to be given as to how the holster will dig into the side of your body. We think using a traditional IWB holster is somewhat like stuffing a brick in between your belt and that soft love handle skin for the day. The brick comes out fine, but your gut not so much.

There are two secrets to the Crossbreed SuperTuck’s comfort and concealability:

Huge leather support panel. On the model for our Glock 32, the leather panel measures about 9″ wide by 6″ tall. That’s about 54 square inches of comfort and love to distribute the weight of your firearm. It helps stabilize the weight and keep things from moving around. There is even some leather that extends upwards to provide a shield between the gun’s grip and your body. This is the only IWB holster that we’ll wear without an undershirt. Did I mention that we really like the huge leather back panel?
Kydex gun sheath. While one side of the gun rests on the huge leather backing, the other three are covered by molded kydex. The big benefit here is the overall thinness of the holster. When you’re carrying an already large gun inside of your belt, every millimeter of thickness really counts. Of course, kydex is infinitely moldable and the Crossbreed SuperTuck is superbly shaped to your specific gun model. Our Glock 32 snaps in securely and doesn’t move once in place. If you want to tighten or loosen retention pressure, a little hair dryer heat and finger pressure will allow you to tweak the shape of the kydex sheath just a bit.

SuperTuck Clip Options

The SuperTuck Deluxe. now offers three choices for belt clips:

V-Clip – Intended for deepest concealment, the V clip slips over your pants only and does not go over the outside of the belt. Upward movement of the holster is prevented by velcro attached to the belt-facing slide of the clip combined with velcro on the inside of your belt. Of course, you’ll need to attach some velcro to the inside of your belt in the right places. With the V-Clip, nothing shows on the outside of your belt.
J-Clip – The J-Clip has a slight upward bend that hooks onto the bottom of your belt, thereby preventing upward movement of the holster. Only a small portion of the clip shows on the outside of the belt. This is the version we tested and stability is good. Heavy movement may slide your belt out of the bottom loop, but this was not a significant problem.
SnapLok – This is the standard set that comes with the SuperTuck unless you choose one of the upgrade clip options. The SnapLok completely encircles the belt and offers the most stable option. However, the clip is visible on the outside of the belt.

One last item to note is the degree of adjustment possible with the Crossbreed SuperTuck. Each clip as three possible mounting holes, arranged vertically. This allows you to adjust the overall height of the holster relative to the belt line and provide flexibility in the degree of cant, or angle forward or backward.

In summary, the SuperTuck does exactly what’s advertised. It’s not only the most concealable IWB holster we have, it is by far the most comfy.


If I continue to buy one for each gun I own, she will launch a pre-emptive buying strike of her own at the nearest mall. Although it’s designed to be tuckable, I have not had much luck with that. I guess I don’t trust people not to see the lump at my belt line and the supporting belt clips.	It looks super comfortable although I’m not sure it will work with my skinny jeans. Also impossible with most skirts as you have to wear a belt. Better for dudes!

Filed Under: Concealed Carry, Holsters, Reviews Tagged With: holsters, reviews

Action Shooting Championships Dominated by Justice League of America

October 31, 2010 By Tom Leave a Comment

Justice League of America (DC Comics, Ed Benes)

Blacktown, Australia, October 2010 – Making many renowned competitors look amateurish in comparison, the Justice League of America swept the recent Action Shooting World Championships. While a host of world-class shooters descended on The Blacktown Pistol Club in Sydney, Australia, it was clear from Match 2 (The Barricade Event) onwards that the Justice League team meant business.

Ralph Dibny, better known as The Elongated Man, commented “I think my ability to just stretch around all the barricades really helped to shave seconds off my time. I didn’t have to run anywhere. Elasticity is really an advantage in this part of the match.”

Wonder Woman (Art: Terry Dodson)

The Green Lantern, also known in civilian circles as Hal Jordan, easily took top honors in the falling plate stage. “While there is still a little controversy over legality, I just used my Green Power Ring to shatter the plates” commented Jordan. I did actually shoot at the first one, so I don’t see what people are complaining about.”

Some competitors were less than pleased with the Justice League team. Top Shot reality star Adam Benson intends to lodge a formal complaint with competition organizers. “When Wonder Woman wanted to use her invisible plane during the Moving Target stage, that was the last straw for me” wailed Benson. “I think if you have supernatural powers or come from another planet then you shouldn’t be eligible.”

While most of the Justice League team exhibited quiet humility during their unprecedented victory, some got carried away in the excitement. “When we got to Stage 8 – the Iron Man Match – I was like, REALLY?” laughed Justice League Team Captain Superman. “Give me a break. Iron man? Like that one’s not over before it starts? Please.” Superman refused to comment when asked about recent sightings of him and Wonder Woman at trendy Sydney restaurant, Outback Steakhouse.

Filed Under: Competitive Shooting, Life, News Tagged With: action pistol, action shooting championships, adam benson, competition, competitive shooting, guns, ipda, ipsc, nra, Shooting, sports, steel challenge, superman, uspsa, wonder woman

The Longest Day: First Trip To A Gun Range…

March 15, 2009 By Tom Leave a Comment

They say your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. I know this to be true because it happened to me.

The Longest Day

About eight years ago, through a cosmic turn of events, I found myself at a shooting range for the very first time. Alone. Outnumbered by the one somewhat overweight and bored looking guy behind the counter. And certainly out of my element. It was The Longest Day.

Suddenly, I understood what it felt like to be Dennis Kucinich entering the Presidential primary races – again. And I found myself completely empathizing with John Edwards – coming home from work one fateful day to find a copy of the National Enquirer sitting on the kitchen table. Doom. Armageddon. Sheer hopelessness. All was lost.

Former Presidential Candidate John Edwards

I was mildly comforted with the knowledge that I did not know a single thing about shooting, although I was pretty sure which end of my gun to point forward. As I was about to fire the shot to be heard around the parking lot, time froze – and my life flashed before my eyes.

A gang of hoodlums busted through the door into the range. You could tell they had done this before, because they made it look easy, more like gently opening than busting and breaking, but I knew what they meant. I am not sure if they were Cripps, Bloods, or maybe some of the Latin Kings, but I was pretty sure they were up to no good. I couldn’t see their tats, but they were probably just hidden under their Members Only jackets.

Members Only Gang Colors

They might have been a bunch of yahoos from an anti-government militia for all I knew. Actually, on closer examination, there was only one of them, but he seemed particularly mean. I knew he was looking for trouble and obviously intended to shoot me because… he had a gun. The fact that he was at a shooting range and wearing salmon colored slacks and a LaCoste polo shirt didn’t fool me for one minute. Uh uh.

With my remaining seconds on earth, I thought back to what had gotten me into this situation…

To be continued.