● What "Gun Show loophole"?

Have you ever heard one of the liberal/anti-Second Amendment politicians say these words?--  "We need to close this gun show loophole!" 

After hearing about this "loophole" in the news media so many times, I actually thought it was real.  I was led to believe a person could walk into a gun show and plop down a wad of cash and walk out with any gun they could afford.   Well last weekend I went to one of these gun shows and I was dealt a huge shock!   

I stood in line for few minutes and then I paid the $5 "suggested donation" with proceeds going to a worthy cause.  I turned the corner and walked into the show room area.  There were tables setup with guns and gear as far as my eyes could see.  I walked up  to the nearest table and I was quite lucky as a gun sale taking place!   I moved in closer so that I could see the "Gun Show Loophole" in action!   I was confused because I saw the customer hand his drivers license and his Nebraska Purchase Permit to the vendor on the other side of the table.  Then the vendor pulled out a clipboard with a form on it.  The vendor handed the clipboard to the customer and said, "This is a Federal Form 4473 and I need you to complete this."   

I was thinking WTF is going on here!  Why didn't the buyer and seller use that "gun show loophole"?  

Hours later when I got home I googled,  "What is this form 4473?"  Here is what I learned:

The Form 4473 contains name, address, date of birth, government-issued photo ID, National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check transaction number, make/model/serial number of the firearm, and a short federal affidavit stating that the purchaser is eligible to purchase firearms under federal law. Lying on this form is a felony and can be punished by up to five years in prison in addition to fines, even if the transaction is simply denied by the NICS, although prosecutions are rare in the absence of another felony committed with the gun purchased.
The dealer also records all information from the Form 4473 into their "bound-book". A dealer must keep this on file at least 20 years and is required to surrender the log to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) upon retirement from the firearms business. The ATF is allowed to inspect, as well as request a copy of the Form 4473 from the dealer during the course of a criminal investigation. In addition, the sale of two or more handguns to a person in a five-day period must be reported to ATF on Form 3310.4.

Holy Moly!  Do the anti-Second Amendment news media folks know about background check and registration stuff?  I guess not. 

I also learned that that if a gun dealer sets up a table at a gun show he or she must verify the buyer's ID and complete a 4473 form for every gun sale.  

Someone call President Obama right now!  I don't think he or the other anti-Second Amendment folks know about this yet.

● How to choose a personal defense gun

You think you are ready to buy your first personal defense handgun but you're not really sure which one to choose.  

The first question to consider is, What is the intended purpose of the new gun?

1. Personal defense while you are in your home
2. Personal defense when you are away from your home

When choosing a handgun for home defense most experts will advise you to select the largest caliber which you can reasonably handle.  Guns which fire larger more powerful cartridges tend to be larger and heavier.  The most common cartridges for personal defense are:

1. Small size:  .380 or .38
2. Medium size:   9mm and .40S&W
3. Large size:  .45 ACP and 10mm

The generally accepted idea is that smaller cartridges are those which have smaller bullets and less gun powder in the case and therefor have less recoil are easier to control than the larger and more powerful cartridges.

While in your home the larger gun will offer you better stopping power against an armed and dangerous home invader.  The larger size and weight of the gun will also help reduce the felt recoil.  Portability is not a factor if the gun is to stay at home.

When selecting a gun to carry with you, portability is a factor.  You should use a different set of criteria to make your choice.  A "carry gun" needs to be of a size and weight which you can comfortably bring with you when you leave your home.  Again, larger and heavier guns such as those chambered for .45 ACP will offer very good stopping power against an armed attacker, but, the trade-off for that stopping power is the added size and weight of the gun.

Openly Carrying a handgun in your car is legal in most states.

What is stopping power?  Most experts will tell you "stopping power" is quite simply the ability of a given cartridge to stop an attacker.  There are some generally accepted ideas which define the type of wounds which will stop an attacker.  Generally speaking, larger and more powerful cartridges create larger wounds and more physical trauma than smaller cartridges.  The size of the bullet is one factor, but so is the speed and energy which carry the bullet into the attacker.

For example; a .45 ACP bullet is nearly 1/2 an inch and diameter and the bullet weighs 230 gr. When fired it leaves the muzzle at a speed of 900 feet per second.  For comparison, a 10mm cartridge has bullet with a diameter of .4 of an inch and it weighs 200 gr (slightly smaller and lighter than the .45 bullet)  However, the 10mm bullet leaves the muzzle at a speed of 1300 feet per second.   This means the 10mm bullet is smaller and lighter but it carries more destructive energy into the target and is therefor more lethal than the .45 ACP.  With that added power there is a trade-off in that the 10mm will also cause a more powerful recoil.  With training most people with average body weight and arm strength can control the recoil of the .45 ACP but during the 1990's the FBI did a study and determined the smaller FBI agents had difficulties controlling the 10mm recoil.

Which gun for you?

For concealed carry purposes the gun should be easily carried based on your body size and weight.  A 300 lb person can comfortably conceal a larger handgun while a 95 lb person will have to consider a smaller gun.

For open carry methods the gun size is not as significant of a factor because you are not trying to conceal the gun. The gun may ride in a hip holster.

In this article I have briefly explained some of the primary factors to consider when shopping for a personal defense gun.   Regardless of what people such as salesmen will tell you, there is not any one perfect gun.  There are many trade-offs to consider.   Make a smart and educated choice when you buy your personal defense handgun.

http://glock-21.blogspot.com/

● Do "Gun Free Zones" make people safer?

Do "Gun Free Zones" make people safer?   I have often had this conversation with people who seem to believe the fallacy.   THE BAD GUYS KNOW ABOUT these PRETEND "GUN FREE ZONES.  THEY KNOW THEIR FUTURE VICTIMS WILL BE UNARMED AND THEY WILL EXPLOIT THE SITUATION.   If teachers were allowed to carry concealed weapons but not be required to tell anyone, then the bad guys could not just confidently stroll into a school and start shooting because there is a good chance that someone might shoot back!    Apply this same logic to other pretend "gun free zones" such as movie theaters, libraries, banks and post offices and now the bad guys wont feel so confident about walking in with a gun and robbing, raping and killing innocent people.

Join this discussion: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Responsible.Carry/

● “Get yourself a Glock .45 and keep it by your side everywhere you go.”

"Way back in 1994, when I made my first leap into law enforcement, I had the opportunity to select which firearm I was to carry to protect myself and the lives of those I served. I spoke to numerous “old timers” who proclaimed the value of the Dirty Harry type of .44 magnum revolvers and others who saluted the very reliable 9mm semi-autos from a variety of manufacturers. A gentleman of infinite military repute and experience gave me sage advice. His words were simple, “Get yourself a .45 and keep it by your side everywhere you go.”

He further went on to explain to me that should I have to use it there are three things I can rely on: first, if you’re in tight space, over penetration won’t be as much of an issue to people in other rooms. It is a slow, fat bullet with a lot of muscle. Second, because it is a fat bullet, almost 0.5” in diameter, it will deliver awesome impact energy, and third it’s a seriously intimidating piece of weaponry. The cave like muzzle opening will certainly command and hold a bad guy’s attention.

With this in mind, I selected the Glock 21 in .45ACP. It was a huge, clunky, black, industrial looking hunk of “plastic” and it drew more than a few scoffs from my partner and colleagues. Little did we know at the time, that the Glock would soon become the industry standard for law enforcement.

I am no small man and I have large hands. The size of the Glock 21 was not daunting and if anything it fit my hand quite well. Its 13-round, double-stacked, high capacity magazine made for a thick grip which suited me just fine. Because of the perceived power of the .45, I was concerned about recoil, but again, the size of it was an asset. Recoil was negligible and allowed for fast recovery for successive shots.

Highly accurate and highly destructive in its ability, the Glock 21 proved to be a great sidearm for my purposes. I did purchase one of the integrated laser sights, which added to its effectiveness. Since that day, I have purchased a number of other Glocks, including a newer Glock 21, but have yet to take it out of its case. I still carry that same Glock .45 that I bought 16 years ago.

It is very reliable, never had a malfunction and has successfully chambered and fired thousands of rounds on the range. It is the handgun that I will pass on to my son when he comes of age.

The size of the gun is appropriate for my hand, but it is certainly difficult to conceal as an off-duty or strictly concealed carry gun. Glock has begun manufacturing a .45 with a single-stack magazine but it is a subcompact slimline *Glock 36*. While still a very desirable handgun and caliber, it has the benefit of a subcompact firearm in a cannon-like caliber.

The .45 is used in numerous special operations units within the law enforcement community and in the military. Numerous departments allow their officers to carry this handgun, but unfortunately for those of us who prefer the .45, the standard for law enforcement is the Glock 22 .40 caliber. While a fabulous firearm in its own right, it is not a .45. Police Officers and people in combat-type situations need to be able to share ammunition and magazines if the need arises and the Glock 22 has fit that bill nicely.

I encourage you to explore the purchase and use of the .45 ACP caliber, especially in the Glock 21. It is a safe, high functioning, reliable, and well designed handgun." 

http://glock-21.blogspot.com/

● Glock Shots ~ Aug 2013

In this shot she is posing with a Russian made Saiga AK47.  The optics consist of a Barska 30mm red dot mounted on a UTG top rail.

Heather with Saiga AK-47 and Glock 21 and Glock 36