If I was on the anti-side of this issue I’d have a field day promoting the fact that there is no real requirement or training necessary before ANY dimwit can strap a 9mm pistol on his belt.  Has he ever drawn from a holster before?  Does he know the ramifications of using deadly force?  When is he allowed to use deadly force? Has he even fired a handgun before? Can he hit the broad side of a barn? —- none of this is required.  Doesn’t matter —- just give him a permit.

Case in point——just google — concealed carry wisconsin aldi store. Here’s a story where a guy carrying a concealed handgun stops a robbery.  Great headline except for the fact that everyone is lucky this idiot didn’t kill a couple of store employees or customers. Here’s the gist of what happened.  He’s in the checkout line with two people in front of him. The person at the cash register displays a sawed off shotgun and announces a robbery.  Our hero gets the person in front of him to move so he’s not between our hero and the robber. Our hero shoots 6 or 7 times and hits the robber once in the leg.  What????? A bad guy is 3 or 4 feet in front of you and you manage to shoot him in the leg????? The robber then is able to run away so even that shot wasn’t too good.  Sure he stopped the robbery but sent 9mm bullets whizzing around the store. How different a story this would have been if our hero had shot the cashier or a mom loading groceries into her car.  Should this guy really be carrying a gun?

What’s your point Bill? In our rush to pass legislation, that was long overdue, we’ve forgotten the common sense of proper preparation. Simple training doesn’t infringe on anyone’s right to personal protection but does protect us from ourselves.  I encourage anyone considering carrying a handgun for personal protection to seek out a qualified training program where both the law and all aspects of carrying concealed are addressed.  Then there’s Illinois where only the bad guys get to carry guns because us law abiding citizens aren’t allowed to carry concealed.  I not saying we don’t carry but…..

I’ll try to catch up what’s been on the back burner.  My next post should be a personal review of three Biometric Handgun Safes that I purchased and test drove. But first I have to tell you about a cool event.

My daughter Christy and I hosted Linda’s birthday party at the local shooting range a few weeks ago.  From my handgun training brochure at the local Bass Pro Shop, Linda’s husband contacted me a month or so ago to see if I’d be interested in taking his wife and a few friends shooting. My son and I have done a couple of bachelor parties for friends but a birthday party? You betcha; we’re in.

Linda and her posse arrived and met with Christy and me in the classroom above the range. None of the four ladies had ever fired a gun before; Linda’s son-in-law came along for the ride and was very familiar with shooting. I jammed a lot of info into 45 minutes of basic safety, grip and stance. (They were there to shoot but I ain’t takin’ nobody on the range without some safety instruction) Then we hit the range.

Christy took half the group and started off with the .22 caliber Walther P22 semi-automatic pistol; her fav. I took the others and introduced them to a .22 revolver. At ten feet they all did really well; they punched holes in their targets and didn’t shoot anybody. Yeah!!! Once they were a little more comfortable we talked about lining up the front and rear sights, adjusting stances and relaxing. MAN did they come alive!!!  For their first time out they did absolutely wonderful. The .22′s are a hoot to shoot, very little recoil and comfortable in most anyones hand.

Then we transitioned them into Christy’s real favorite, her Walther PK380 semi-auto personal defense pistol, and my Glock Model 19 9mm. It’s so encouraging when novices are willing to try new things. The PK380 is a dream to shoot. It’s becoming my top recommendation for a ladies first gun. This PK380 is a natural next step after you’ve shot the P22.  The fit and feel is similar to the P22.  The ladies really fell in love with this PK380.  They kept lining up behind Christy to shoot it more.

My Glock 19 didn’t quite get the same reaction.  They all did fine, especially the son-in-law, but I could tell the ladies, for the most part, didn’t enjoy shooting it. But hey; it was their first time on the range. Everyone enjoyed themselves.

From the mind of Bill - I wanted to have something special for Linda on her birthday but just couldn’t come up with anything fun until I thought about getting her a birthday card. Wow — pretty creative Bill.  Here’s where it goes off the tracks. I pulled out my birthday card to her (homemade and printed on card stock), attached it to the target holder and sent it 10 feet down range.  Everyone shot it, signed their bullet hole (after it came back from down range) and wished Linda well.  Now she’s probably the only person in her block with a birthday card with bullet holes in it. My birthday’s in April — I’m always up for shootin’ something

Introduction to Handguns: this class meets the requirements for Wisconsin & Florida’s Concealed Carry. 4 hours of classroom instruction, 1 hour of range time, use of firearms, safety equipment and ammunition included, $100 per student.  2 evening sessions per class. (Minimum of 4 students required)

February 20^th & 21st (6:30 to 9:00pm)

                                              February 27^th & 28th (6:30 to 9:00 pm)   LADIES ONLY CLASS

• HandgunTest Drive: Graduates from the “Intro to Handguns” class have the opportunity to “test drive” various handguns.  Available handguns: .380, .32 caliber, .327 magnum, .38, .357 magnum, .40 caliber, .45 caliber and 9mm. Each participant may choose 3 handguns to “test drive”. Each “test drive” includes 20 shots per handgun, targets, safety equipment, instruction and range fees.        ($60 per student) Monday March 5^th (6:00 to 8:00pm)

Visit www.GunsAtHome.com to register for these classes.  Drop down to Handgun Training and click on the session you’d like to attend.  Thanks!

For more information regarding upcoming classes, private instruction, parties or events please contact:

Bill Worth (847) 612-7564 (NRA Certified Instructor)

bill@GunsAtHome.com

As a result of this class, I’ve got a bunch of homework to do.

• They want me to actually put together another class where we can “test drive” various other handguns
• They’d also like to shoot some shotguns to develop a greater understanding of shotguns as a home defense weapon
• Several ladies are interested in purchasing pistols for personal protection in the home; PINK ones……..

As a result of the ideas and suggestions, I need to sit down and rethink my curriculum.  It seems that one of next classes needs to be whatever the next step after Intro to Handguns is.  I’m thinking that a “Test Drive” session may fit the bill.  We’ll offer 4 or 5 different handgun calibers for individuals to live fire “test drive” on the range (for a fee of course).  Once an individual has had the opportunity to try a couple of different calibers of handguns, they can make a more informed buying decision.  Makes sense to me.

What to do about shotguns?  I need to talk to a local outdoor shooting range to see if I could arrange to use their facility.  We don’t want to shoot flimsy clay disks thrown into the air, we want to destroy plywood targets as we evaluate shotguns as a home defense weapon.  Theoretically a shotgun is the perfect home defense weapon.  But think about the practicality; mine is under my bed, so I have to roll out of bed, reach under the bed, pull it out, then up and over the bed in order to bring it to bear on an intruder.  My pistol is within arms reach and can be put into service immediately.  But I think it would be a good exercise to take some home defense shotguns out on the range and do a little blasting.  Don’t tell my wife but I’m having a new one built for me.  It’s for a 3 Gun Shooting Competition that I’m going to at the end of the month.  So I need a new one.

What is it they say in retail?  “The customer is always right”  So I have to swallow my pride and get PINK pistols for whomever wants to buy one.  I took a drive to my buddy Jeff’s shop in Kenosha www.nortonfirarms.com to ask him about having a pistol Duracoated in PINK.  No problem says he.  So if you want it PINK think Bill??????  I’ll make it happen.

The last class idea revolves around this thought.  “I got this gun & I don’t know how to use it”  I’m not 100% certain on how to address this situation but I’ll figure it out.  Perhaps a private hour on the range?  I could plan an evening of hour or half hour sessions where individuals could bring their handguns and ammo and I’d help to introduce them to shooting their gun.  Any suggestions?

“It was a very positive experience using the .22 caliber handguns that you provide for the live fire exercises. But I have this pistol at home that I’ve only fired once.  Can you help me figure out if this is the right gun for me? If it’s not the right one for me then how do I figure out what is?”

Finally the right question.  The whole goal of starting this blog, becoming a certified NRA Pistol Instructor and starting an online gun store is captured in her question. “…how can I figure out what is the best personal protection pistol for me?”  I’m not in this to sell a million guns just 400,000 or so but to help those of you, who have Guns At Home and those of you who are thinking about having Guns At Home, figure out what’s best for your situation.

After my Ladies Only class next week, I’m going to plan a “Test Drive Night”.  Here’s the premise — If you’ve got a gun that you’re not familiar with, I’ll help you learn how to shoot it.  If you’d like to try a couple of different calibers and styles of guns then we’ll give them a test drive.  My desire is to be a resource for those of you who need encouragement and help in regards to having GunsAtHome.  If you’re going to have GunsAtHome then you darn well better be able to use yours effectively.  For those of you who’ve read some of my previous posts you’ve heard this before Alive Is Good! 

There is one main reason for having GunsAtHome —- protecting yourself and your family.  How do you do that?  Shoot the bad guys.  It’s not a video game, hobby or play time —– it’s kill or be killed.  Which reminds me that I need to talk about mindset again.  Sometimes good guys are just too good and we get beaten, raped or killed.  You need to get pissed that someone is in your house.  Don’t worry about if he had a rough childhood and few opportunities — he’s made his decision; you make yours. Shoot the SOB, reload and look for his buddies.  Wolves often travel in packs.  Remember Alive is Good!

I know that there are several ladies in my upcoming class who are planning on purchasing a firearm for their personal protection.  My “Test Drive” session should be a good next step for them in their decision-making process.  I want them to make the decision about what the right firearm is for them.  I’ll make suggestions and answer their questions but ultimately each individual needs to figure it out for themselves.

From my perspective; the success of my Ladies Only classes has astounded me.  I expected to fill one class but two?  My second class that starts Monday is also filled.  I’m thankful for Bass Pro Shop in Gurnee for promoting these classes and the word of mouth recommendations from my new lady shooters.  I am truly blessed.

Shoot straight and if you think my blog or training or gun store may benefit someone you know; I’d appreciate the recommendation.  Thanks!!

Bill

John was still a student at Bradley University in Peoria; of course I woke him up.  College kids…  I had him turn Fox News and as we were talking about how in the world someone could accidentally fly into a building —— the second one hit.  Live on TV we saw it fly from the left side of the screen into the second tower and rip it apart.  I was dumb-founded.  John said it first “We’re at war dad”

I had a flashback to 6 years or so before when he and I were driving either to or from turkey hunting one spring.  We’re in the car, listening to news radio, when we heard of the bombing in Oklahoma City.  Now this…..  The rest of the day was a blur; it seemed like time stood still.  If you get a chance read “Touching History” by Lynn Spencer.  It tells the story of 9/11 through the eyes of the Air Traffic Control Centers.  Riveting..

I’ve never done this before but I’m going to cut and paste a story someone sent my wife.  We both cried when she read it to me.  I’m a sucker for patriotism.  I hope you are too.  God Bless America!

Tonight was the shooting portion of my first “Ladies Only” Introduction to Handguns class that I held at Bass Pro Shop Gurnee IL.  Bass Pro Shop is allowing me to be the only instructor that has use of their classroom facilities and special shooting range access.  Thank you Bass Pro!  Last night I walked the ladies through the basic NRA safety rules, talked about types of handguns and did some hands-on exercises to acquaint them with how to grip a handgun as well as how to position their bodies while shooting.  The computer animations I used to actually show how the action of a handgun works really helped them understand what was going on inside a handgun when it fired.

Then came show time.  Tonight they shot guns.  We took two shooting lanes; one for a .22 revolver and the other for a .22 semi-automatic pistol.  In an introductory class it’s important that students have an opportunity to shoot both common types of handguns.  My daughter took the Walther P22 semi-automatic pistol and coached the girls on how it operated.  I had the .22 revolver.  The revolver was tough for the ladies to fire “double action”.  “Double action” means that the action of pulling the trigger moves the hammer back to the point of release when it moves rapidly forward to hit the firing pin causing the handgun to fire.  This particular revolver may be tight because it’s new or just has a heavy trigger pull.  I’m going to have my gunsmith buddy Jeff at www.nortonfirearms.com take a look at it to see if it could be lightened up a little.

So I took out my second P22 pistol, added a laser sight, put a flash light on the other and had a ball shooting.  I’ve never really shot with a laser before.  Wow!!!! It was pretty cool.  Having a laser beam pin pointing where the bullet was going to go was awesome.  You have to adjust the point of impact on whatever pistol you end up putting it on but it was pretty close and very consistent.  It was fun watching these beginners safely load, shoot and unload the pistols.  I must be a great teacher.

I turned off the light in the booth and had them use the flashlight attachment.  For your personal protection firearm, I believe the flashlight is a better choice than the laser.  In pitch black conditions being able to flip on a pretty powerful beam can be a great advantage.  Did I say these girls can shoot?  Everyone of them had an excellent night.  They’re taking their targets home; some to flaunt in front of the significant male in their life and others as a souvenir of quite an accomplishment.

In the last half hour I took out my daughter’s personal defense pistol. It’s a Walther PK380 semi-automatic pistol that’s built on a similar platform as the P22 they were shooting.  My daughter and these babes (ladies) went through 100 rounds of ammunition before I knew it.  I didn’t even get a chance to shoot it.  They had a ball and I’m glad.

Now to the serious stuff.  I will do everything in my power to offer more classes for ladies so they can learn to shoot.  In this day and age it’s crucial that everyone (who wants to) has an opportunity to learn to protect themselves with a firearm.  My next step is to take this group of ladies into a course of study that focuses on personal protection in the home.  These ladies include my wife, my daughter, my friends and my daughter’s friends (I hope they’re mine now too).  Everyone of these ladies is important to me and helping them learn to protect themselves is personal.  I hope I will be able to help them select the right firearm for themselves individually.  It’s not a one size fits all world when it comes to handguns.

Thank you ladies for a great night out!  Let’s do it again soon…..

Bill

A week from tomorrow, I’m hosting my first “Ladies Only” Introduction to Handguns class.  I’m really looking forward to it.  My daughter is going to assist me with the ladies and will be overseeing one of the firing lines.  So I thought it would be prudent to head over to the range and walk through what I’d like her to do.  And what’s more fun that shooting guns with your baby girl?

Our local Bass Pro Shop store here in Gurnee has a pretty nice shooting range.  Yes, a shooting range in a store attached to one of the biggest shopping malls in northern Illinois.  Go figure.  I’ve used the range on a regular basis and have gotten to know the range masters who work there.  We also hold our Hunter Safety courses on the archery range so I know these guys pretty well.  My little girl and I check in, put on our safety equipment (eye and ear protection) and head over to the last lane in the range.

The first pistol we’re looking to shoot is the Walther P22.  I know it’s been a while since she’s used this particular pistol. “It looks a lot like my pistol. Is it?”  “Nope it’s the .22 caliber baby brother of the pistol you have.”  As some of you know, I bought her a Walther PK380 when she moved out on her own.  Why? Because she handled the P22 so well and I wanted to get her a pistol which would be easy for her to transition to when she got her own.  Enough history.

We’re shooting, punching holes in paper, having a good time. She really likes to shoot.  Then a couple of lanes down someone starts in with a way louder pistol. No problem then the rapid fire starts.  Rapid fire is NOT allowed at this range.  I backed out of my lane to watch this guy 2 lanes down.  Looks like a law enforcement officer.  I’m still not overjoyed but I understand the importance of some rapid fire to practice real world situations.  My daughter’s firing away, having fun and doing really well.   Then I see this “knuckle brain” (notice how my deferential attitude toward a law enforcement officer changed) do a fast draw and rapid fire.  Now I’m pissed.  He didn’t draw from his duty holster (a holster that he would wear that has some sort of retention system like pressure springs or thumbsnap which keeps the pistol in the holster while running or during a struggle) he drew from a “fast draw rig”.  A “holster”like device that allows a competition shooter to draw his pistol really fast but which could never be used on duty.

Did I say I was pissed?  We’re in a public shooting range not a law enforcement or competition training facility with range masters behind the shooters to insure safety at all times.  I don’t know this guy.  I don’t know if he’s showing off.  What if he drops his gun while doing his “bonehead” fast draw?  He practicing “fast draw” for a shooting competition, not for his job.  At this point I don’t give a damn who he is.  He’s being unsafe, inconsiderate of others and has forgotten where he’s at.  I’m going to remind him.  So I walked out and had a conversation with the range master.  The range master entered the range after I returned to my daughter’s lane and had a conversation with this “shooter”.  I don’t know what was said but the bullshit fast drawing stopped.

The moral to this story is that there is a time and a place for everything. I don’t believe that law enforcement officers should be able to do rapid fire exercises in a range where others are not allowed to do also.  But they do.  I don’t believe fast draw exercises should EVER be done in a public range or at a closed range without expert supervision.  SAFETY IS KEY.  This guy put my daughter’s and my well-being at risk due to his “fast draw” theatrics.  If he wants to shoot himself through a careless mistake that’s one thing but putting others in jeopardy in inexcusable.  He should know better.  Perhaps this dude should come to my “Ladies Only” class to learn firearm safety and shooting range etiquette.

The “take away” from my ramblings this morning is to NEVER let others put your life at risk when dealing with firearms.  It doesn’t matter who they are.  If you’re hunting and someone is being unsafe; call them on it.  SILENCE IS NOT GOLDEN -It’s deadly!!!! If you’re at a indoor or outdoor range the same holds true.  Some of the most dangerous behavior I’ve ever seen has occurred at a gun club shooting ranges. Bad habits are bad habits…….

Bill

Last weekend I had an opportunity to have a booth at Bass Pro Shops Fall Hunting Classic at their Gurnee Illinois store.  It was a blast.  They provided me a table right in the main traffic lane which I took advantage of by talking to folks about our Hunter Safety Programs, my new Handgun Training Courses and my National Wild Turkey Federation chapter’s Hunting Heritage Banquet and raffle.  If you’re interested in supporting the NWTF’s conservation and youth activities you should check out my banquet page.

Here’s my follow-up to my Girls with Guns post.  During my time at the Hunting Classic I had a bunch of conversations with ladies about Handgun Training.  In fact these ladies had the most interest in pursuing training; especially in a Ladies Only class.

One interesting topic came from a woman who said she owned a pistol that she didn’t want to use because it was too big and powerful.  She didn’t practice with it and wasn’t comfortable with a gun that large.  We talked about how I would be able to find a gun that was right for her and that I would be willing to work with her to trade in the other pistol to defray the expense of getting a new one.  We’re planning on setting up a time to meet at Bass Pro’s gun range and try out a variety of pistols to find one that suits her.   I’m figuring that these “test drive” times will be a regular part of my Training sessions.  If someone’s going to spend $350 to $500 on a “tool” then they might want to try it out first. Having someone like me to coach them through it could  be a great benefit; I think I’ll sell more guns too.

Another lass stopped by and we spoke about “finding the right gun”.  The first thing I told them was to look back at some of my earlier posts.  I’ve written about the subject in-depth several times and I’m sure I’ll continue to address it in the future.  She’s on the right track.  Don’t head off to a gun store to window shop.  If you’ve done that recently what do you think about the pink guns?  I can’t believe a gun manufacturer would make a pink gun; come on!  However my friend Tallie asked about one.  I hope she was pulling my leg.  I’d be embarrassed to order one however a buck’s a buck.

My first Ladies Only Introduction to Handguns is coming up in a couple of weeks.  It’s full!!! Yeah!!!! This week my favorite daughter (only) and I are heading off to the range to practice our training techniques.  We’ll walk through the shooting exercises for the ladies to make sure we’ve reviewed all the safety issues for the range and any possible concerns.

This Intro to Handgun is 4 hours of classroom instruction and around 1 hour of range time.  I’ll provide all the .22 caliber handguns; pistols and revolvers.  I hope to keep it simple, stress free and fun for the ladies.  I’m looking forward to it.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  I appreciate your patience as I transition into a three-prong business; my store, my training and my blog.

Thanks for playing along!

Bill

This Introduction to Handgun class will meet the requirements for Wisconsin’s new Concealed Carry law, Florida’s Concealed Carry and Chicago’s Handgun Owners registration ordinance.  So here I am in Illinois teaching classes that meet all these states rules and regulations and I can’t carry a concealed handgun.  There’s something wrong with this picture.  How does Illinois’ governor figure that he’s smarter than the legislatures of 49 other states?  A discussion for a different place and time.

Some of the ladies who’ll be attending my class have never shot any firearm.  I know a couple of them are a little nervous about the whole deal.  I’d rather have someone who’s a little unsure about handling a gun than someone who thinks they know it all.  That’s why there aren’t going to be any men in this class (except me).  Sorry guys.  It’s been my experience that women are great students.  They do well because they aren’t out to impress, show off or one up anybody.  Ladies also help each other a lot in these classes.  I find that once they learn a concept they are able to share with one of their peers very easily.

And shoot!!!  Man can they shoot.  Give me a motivated woman, a comfortable environment and a pistol and I’ll give you a target with lots of holes close together.  Why is that?  Don’t know; but it’s universal, chicks can shoot.  My daughter out shoots me on the pistol range every time.  (It used to tick me off but not anymore)

A personal update—— my blog may change overnight someday soon.  My son and I will be going LIVE with our new on-line Gun Store.  Check out our new logo below.  If everything goes according to plan….. when you go to www.GunsAtHome.com you’ll be taken to the store. On the front page of the store there will (hopefully) be a button or something that you can click and get to this blog.  The store will have firearms for sale, a description and list of training classes and my blog button.  Tell your friends and neighbors; maybe they’ll want to buy something.  I’d be grateful. The blog may even get some color or background design instead of just being black letters on a white wall.  We’ll see what my son comes up with.  I hope you like my new logo.

My goal in all of this is to be a resource for everyone who has or wants to have Guns At Home.  I can also speak to this topic for civic organizations or clubs if you want something a little out of the ordinary.  I’m sure it would generate some interesting conversations.  Thanks for playing along.  I do appreciate every one of you who checks out my little blog.  Thanks!

Bill