Chester Rod and Gun members have been training this winter using Airsoft Pistols and International Defensive Pistol Association rules that I recently wrote about.

I think Airsoft training is a must!!

In the coming weeks we move to the real thing and shoot with real pistols and real bullets where we are timed in our ability to safely shoot at targets that simulate a home defense situation. This is, for me, a very welcome progression in my ability to protect my family as a staunch proponent of the Second Amendment and out right to keep and bear arms.

The key here is safety and we have excellent Range Safety Officers that are qualified to lead us in this endeavor. Their job is largely Safety and Pistol Handling under “very strict rules”.

This past week we were tested on the IDPA rules and have passed to the next phase. Shooting! Even if I did not progress further than several weekly shoots. I believe the effort is important for all those that seek some serious home defense training and great fun along the way.

Ammunition is the key to this Action Shooting and favors those that can afford the Ammo, can get Ammo or reload your own ammo. Weekly shoots will consume at between 50 to 100 rounds or more of 9mm,10mm 40 cal, 45ACP. It is anticipated to include .22 pistols of approved types if ammunition remains in short supply.

This coming weekend members qualify for their Action Badge by shooting a cardboard silhouette target from 30 feet and must strike it with 7 out of 10 rounds fired. No timing will take place. This is to assure that those that wish to participate can keep bullets within the confines of the target area safely. I will be shooting my Kimber 45 ACP and my very reliable and accurate reloads. We shall see how good I shoot them!

Here are some shoots to view from You Tube. Great fun too!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=P94t2RPSx0Q&feature=endscreen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=4oCaO0B2c_M&feature=endscreen

Friends,

Send a thank you to Senator Ayotte for her recent votes against S. 649’s attack on the Second Amendment, guns and magazines and instead focuses on the real issues of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. See her voting record here; http://www.ayotte.senate.gov/voting_record/

I have searched the web for info on her position on the NRA School Shield Program and have yet to find any. If you have not seen Asa Hutchinson on this program go here. http://www.nraschoolshield.com/

NRA-ILA Alerts – Go to NRA.org for more info. Call and email your NH Judiciary Committee Below. Do it Now!!

Here is the New Hampshire NRA-ILA ALERT

On Tuesday, April 23, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear House Bill 135. Introduced by state Representative Stephen Shurtleff (D- Merrimack 11), HB 135 will render law-abiding citizens defenseless victims by removing consequences for criminal activity. The New Hampshire House of Representatives already undermined your inherent right to self-defense by passing the Shurtleff Criminal Protection Bill by a 189-184 vote on March 27.

HB 135 would repeal important self-defense provisions enacted in 2011, making the following changes to New Hampshire’s current self-defense laws:

1. Eliminates the provision that allows a person to use deadly force anywhere he or she has a legal right to be. This limits an individual’s ability to defend themselves or a third party from assault to their own place of residence.
2. Amends the definition of non-deadly force by removing the provision that specifies the act of producing or displaying a weapon is considered non-deadly force. Thus, drawing or exhibiting your firearm to intimidate a perpetrator could be considered deadly force.
3. Repeals the provision granting civil immunity for the use of force in certain circumstances. The elimination of this provision removes legal protections for law-abiding citizens acting in self-defense.

Given the alarming passage of this legislation in the state House, it is critical that you contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee TODAY and let them know that HB 135 is a big step in the wrong direction for New Hampshire, and will put you and your loved ones at risk. Ask committee members whether they plan to vote for the rights of law-abiding citizens or criminals.

Senate Judiciary Committee:

Senator Sharon Carson, Chairman (R-14)
(603)271-1403
sharon.carson@leg.state.nh.us

Senator Bette Lasky, Vice Chairman (D-13)
(603)271-4151
bette.lasky@leg.state.nh.us

Senator David Boutin (R-16)
(603)271-3092
dboutin1465@comcast.net

Senator Sam Cataldo (R-6)
(603)271-4063
casac@worldpath.net

Senator Donna Soucy (D-18)
(603)271-4151
donna.soucy@leg.state.nh.us

The International Defensive Pistol Association Competition is here in New Hampshire. So what is all the hubbub about? Well, speaking for myself, I have owned a pistol, rifle and shotgun most of my life and took them to the local range to increase my shooting skills for hunting, shooting for fun, and for self-defense. The problem was that there were few clubs that had the know-how to help me build self-defense shooting skills and have fun doing it.

Enter IDPA!

From Wikipedia:

“The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA), founded in 1996, is an organization based in Berryville, Arkansas, USA that has created a shooting sport based on defensive pistol techniques, using equipment including full-charge service ammunition to solve simulated “real world” self-defense scenarios. Shooters competing in defensive pistol events are required to use practical handguns and holsters that are deemed suitable for self-defense use.

How Cool is that!

This winter my nephew invited me to shoot one of his Airsoft Pistols indoors in training for live fire IDPA competition this spring. I am having a blast!! Pun Intended!

I have been practicing for IDPA Competition using Airsoft pistols that shoot plastic BB’s in the same scenario’s that you may find yourself in trying to defend yourself and family against intruders. Safety is paramount! Training and practice are necessary to build these home defense skill sets and all the while having great fun shooting your pistols at stationary and moving targets. A YouTube Airsoft primer is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7urnK5LTQQ

Range Commands are necessary for control of the shooting sequence and are initiated by  NRA qualified Range Safety Officers(RSO). As an example: Shooter to the Line Command -The shooter walks up to the Line with the Range Safety Officer. The RSO says;

LOAD AND MAKE READY -The shooter loads his/her firearm, racks the slide or closes the cylinder, applies the safety or decocks then holsters the firearm.

COURSE OF FIRE – Course of fire is explained to the shooter and how many shots to take.

So you can see that you must be able to follow instructions and Commands in order to participate whether in Airsoft or real live fire. Again Safety is Paramount.

In this type of training the shooter will be placed in situations where the bad guys don’t shoot back but you must demonstrate the use of cover such as a wall or barrier. Use prescribed techniques for drawing your firearm, extending it, keeping your finger out of the trigger guard until ready to shoot. There is a lot to this!! But you will learn confidence over time and speed comes with practice. I am a novice at it and have yet to compete but I am having great fun with friends doing the Airsoft training. Bring the wife and Teens too. Better than the TV for sure!

IDPA shoot Video’s – http://www.ccidpa.org/videos/ccidpa-demo.html

SHOOTER READY? More on this great shooting Fun is coming!!! Ed

Spring is here, its time to go to the range but the ammunition is still not readily available. Ammunition is returning in dribs and drabs. Most obviously absent yet still is High Velocity 22 LR ammo and no one had any at all. I did find Riley’s in Hooksett with some primers and new bullet heads for reloading. Remain on the lookout my shooting friends, I expect ammo is coming soon.

Senator Ayotte’s action’s are not in keeping with New Hampshire’s Motto. Live Free or Die!  She is thus far supporting S 649 -Safe Schools Act of 2013 which would criminalize the private transfer of firearms by law-abiding citizens, requiring friends, neighbors and many family members to get government permission to exercise a fundamental right or face prosecution.   It is expected that a number of amendments will be offered to S. 649, including a ban on commonly and lawfully-owned firearms and magazines and language to criminalize the private transfer of firearms through an expansion of background checks.  This includes the misguided “compromise” proposal drafted by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Please contact Senator Ayotte today and tell her not to support this bill. http://www.ayotte.senate.gov/?p=offices

From my friends at GrasstopsUSA

We need to keep the pressure on against Obama, Feinstein Reid and all the other lefties. Go to the website below and send your Blast Fax to Congress.

http://www.grasstopsusa.com/ObamaGunGrabII.html

Make no mistake, Reid’s pushing a vote because patriotic Americans, like you, have been flooding the Senate with Blast Faxes and phone calls… and you’re rapidly changing a lot of hearts and minds.

       Fourteen Senators have publicly cally stated that they’re going to join the Paul-Lee-Cruz-Rubio filibuster and by the time you read this urgent alert, more will certainly come on board.

       Reid thinks he can bring the Gun Grab to the floor BEFORE you have the chance to change more hearts and minds… but what he fails to realize is that GrassTopsUSA members are a rapid-response force.

From NRA- ILA

http://www.nraila.org/get-involved-locally/grassroots/write-your-reps.aspx

Quote of the day!

Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth.
George Washington 

Recently I have been reloading for my Pro Crimson Carry II (4 inch barrel) which shoots my reloads exceptionally well.   The word Crimson (Red) comes from Crimson Trace Laser that is part of the Double Diamond Rosewood Handle.  I can see the red laser in bright daylight too and can switch it on and off. For home protection it is simply the best. The laser has a button built into the grip that you can barely feel. When you squeeze the grip the laser is there and on your target. I have never owned a finer 1911 Model 45 ACP than this KImber. The bottom grip and base are made of aircraft aluminum. The slide is steel and the barrel is Match Grade steel.  Yes you pay and boy do you get! http://www.kimberamerica.com/1911/crimson-carry-ii

The brass casings are big and round, they are picked up and saved  from my shooting sessions at my Club. In one of my shooting bags I drop the brass cases to be worked on later at home, some of the brass I pick up are from other shooters too. My shooting bag gathered maybe 150 casings with some mixed head stamps and a few 9 and 10 mm picked up in error. So I sort and clean my brass to remove the 9mm and 10mm odd stuff that came with the brass I picked. You know, I have shot with some mixed head stamps in the past and they worked ok but prefer to shoot only one head stamp brand at a time if at all possible for serious consistency.

Ideally, brass should be all one brand head stamp and treated in batches but these days things are often not ideal. Just finding components such as bullets, primers and powder is a nightmare but I planned ahead.  Some of my recently purchased Blaser Brand 45 ACP ammo has small primers instead of large pistol primers. Nice brass, but in my sorting cleaning process I tossed them out with the trash so the would not be confused with large pistol primer pockets. These small pistol primer pockets can be a pain, so I recommend tossing them. By shooting in batches you can monitor the length of your brass too, so as not to exceed case length without case trimming. I clean my cases in a case cleaning machine using peanut shells mixed with liquid brass cleaner and takes a couple of hours for the machine to do the work. Cases of any kind that have not been trimmed at or below max can create variation in pressures so check them to be sure and have the correct reloading manual for the bullets you intend to load. An ounce of prevention they say is worth a pound of cure. The priming process is critical in that the primer must be flush with the case head or the round will not finish chambering.  By feeling the newly inserted case primer with your finger you can ensure that it is flush in the pocket.  It took me awhile with my single stage RCBS rock chucker press but I managed to pump out 200 finished rounds in a couple of sessions using Hornady’s new XTP hollow points that expand up to 1.5 times across a wide range of velocities. http://www.hornady.com/store/45-Cal-.451-200-gr-HP-XTP/

I cleaned and sized and flared much more than the 200 cases. I use Hodgdon TiteGroup Powder.

It works very well and meters in a volumetric powder measurer consistently and is verifiable by weight!  In 45 ACP the crimping process is called a taper crimp and does not roll a crimp in the traditional sense into a bullet cannelure but does the crimp along the body of the cartridge, snugging it to the bullet. I like the fact that you can disassemble the Kimber Pro Carry in moments and use the barrel separately to drop your finished round in, to see that it goes in easily and is flush. In the Navy during the  Vietnam era, I stood topside-watch on a Nuclear Sub with the Model 1911 45 ACP.  It was never as good as the Kimber but always worked smoothly. Have fun and be safe!

Thanks to the NRA/ILA Alert System I have been informed that New Hampshire HB 135 has passed the House and moves for a Senate vote. If this passes the Senate key provisions will be gutted that:

1. Eliminates the provision that allows a person to use deadly force anywhere he or she has a legal right to be.  This limits an individual’s ability to defend themselves or a third party from assault to their own place of residence.
2. Amends the definition of non-deadly force by removing the provision that specifies the act of producing or displaying a weapon is considered non-deadly force.  Thus, drawing or exhibiting your firearm to intimidate a perpetrator could be considered deadly force.
3. Repeals the provision granting civil immunity for the use of force in certain circumstances.  The elimination of this provision removes legal protections for law-abiding citizens acting in self-defense.

By clicking on the HB 135 above you will see the NRA-ILA alert and how to Contact your New Hampshire Senator today. Don’t wait!

American Citizens, men, women and families are in waiting lines to join a Shooting Club these days. Shooters are coming out of the woodwork like ants coming to the sugar smell of Jelly at a picnic.

Why?

Fear!  Fear of losing their ability to protect themselves and their families from federal politicians that are blind to the Constitution of the United States of America.  The Sandy Hook Tragedy has the Obama Administration exploiting the tragedy e.g., Never let a Crisis go to waste.  It is highly unfortunate that the President wishes instead to support the UN Gun Ban Treaty (The Senate has put that on the back burner for now.) The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association has an article you may read HERE.

The problem is we are in an Ammo crunch but we will get through it. There does not appear to be a sinister plot to buy all ammo. Yet! Though you’d think so! There is perhaps hoarding of ammo going on. I have seen orders that are due in May or June so take heart the ammo is coming. I am seeing restocking coming but beware of price gouging.

As an aside, at my club we had to limit the number of applications for membership to so many a month. This is repeating itself across the nation. Despite the ammo shortage there is a lot of shooting going on with semi-auto pistol and semi auto rifle in a variety of offshore calibers and with .223/5.56 ammo. More that I have seen in a long time, women are more frequent to the pistol range with husbands to use in self-defense. Schools and Shooting programs are cropping up everywhere to teach self-defense with guns so that law-abiding citizens can be authorized to carry.

It is the hunting ammo that is often still available such as 30-06, 257 Roberts, 243 Winchester and big bore 338 Win Mag, 375 calibers. What is slow coming in are 9mm,10mm/40 cal., .45 ACP Pistol, 22 ammo and the .223 for semi-auto rifles.

Even components for reloading are absent such as bullets and primers. Folks with time, I am confident that we will return closer to normal as long as the Federal Government pays attention to the Constitution and does not attempt to subjugate it.

As a follow-up check out The article on the BLAZE.com

George Washington said:

Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth.

and also

The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good.

GOD BLESS THE USA!