Things to consider when choosing a handgun...

I know there are a lot of things to consider when looking at a handgun purchase - especially your first one! I started with a Beretta 92 FS (9mm) and moved to a Glock 23 (.40). I started with the 9 mm based on it's availability and cost effectiveness, but later moved to the more expensive .40 as my skills matured. I don't think that you can over-think your purchase, though I do think you need to avoid paralysis by analysis. There's a point where you simply need to "pull the trigger" and get something, knowing that you may sell it and move to something else later on. (Handguns are like tattoos: the first one is a bit scarey, but then once you have it, you're always thinking about the next one.) :)

A friend of mine came across this .pdf at FirearmsTactical.com (which I think he said he found threw the Glock Talk Forums). I don't know anything about them (I'm loyal to my Front Sight Team), but the document is really interesting. It's an F.B.I. study called "Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness." It objectively weighs out the pros and cons of several different calibers and gives you some of the science behind them, so even if you've already settled on size, you'll still find this something for your brain to chew on.

Having given you that, even with all the great information available in that study, the bottom line is this - a bit of wisdom given from Dr. Piazza: "Any gun will do - if you will do." Whatever weapon you choose, you need to also choose training and practice. I can't give enough kudos to Front Sight and their training. I did the Four Day Defensive Handgun Class. Check out some of these Front Sight testimonies!



If you're not gonna get the training, if you can't afford to practice regularly, if you're not gonna take this seriously, I'd encourage you to go to the hardware store and get a claw hammer instead of a handgun.

At least claw hammers are cheap, they're easily replaced, they don't fire due to negligence, and they don't need to be kept locked up. In fact, you can leave a claw hammer laying on the table near your kids all day long. However, if you're gonna spend the money and purchase a weapon, please understand that with that kind of purchase comes A LOT of responsibility. If you're not up to it, don't even start it. If you're up to it, you owe it to yourself and the rest of us to get training and keep your proficiency honed!

What a difference a year makes.

Before my friend Mike took me on my Front Sight Pilgrimage in December 2006, he took me shooting. I was shooting my Beretta 92 FS (9mm), and I could hit the paper of the target, but not so much the target. Then I shot Mike's Glock 23 (.40), and I was even worse. I was so bad that I doubt that I could have even killed myself with Mike's weapon. I probably would've missed.

I put about 2000 rounds through my Beretta last year, and with my Front Sight training, I was confident I could use it in an emergency and not need to be embarrassed. Mike slowly and patiently converted me to the Glock.

A couple weeks ago, I finally got to go out and start shooting my new Glock 23 (.40 - just like Mike's). I was seriously pleased. This target was at about 7 or 8 yards. A little over a year ago, that target would have been the safest place down range with my shooting, but my constant reviewing of what I learned combined with dry practice and actual practice have finally given me some targets I can be proud of.

I still have a tendency to pull a little left (as you can see), so I probably need a little more finger in the trigger. Mike's at Front Sight this weekend, so when he gets back, I'll have him do a little more indepth training with me. I full expect him to be a Distinguished Graduate this trip. :)

Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Handgun In-Service Qualification

I am told that the following is the new minimum shooting requirement for CCW Permit qualification in Iowa.

-------------------------

Pistol, Revolver, Off-Duty Weapons, Backup/Secondary Weapons, HR218 Minimum Qualification, 80%, 50 Rounds, Target FBI "Q"

3 Yard Stage:

6 Rounds: Strong hand only. 2 strings of 3 rounds. 3 seconds per string. On command, shooter draws and fires 2 strings of 3 rounds each in 3 seconds, strong hand only, holstering after each string.
6 Rounds: 3 rounds strong hand only and 3 rounds support hand; 8 seconds total. On command, shooter draws and fires 3 rounds strong hand only and 3 rounds support hand only in 8 seconds.

5 Yard Stage:

12 Rounds: On command, shooter draws and fires 4 strings of 3 rounds in 3 seconds; holstering after each string. Two hand shooting.

7 Yard Stage:

8 Rounds: 2 strings of 4 rounds; 4 seconds per string. On command, shooter draws and fires 2 strings of 4 rounds in 4 seconds, holstering after each string. Two hand shooting.
8 Rounds: 4 rounds - reload - 4 rounds; 8 seconds total. On command, shooter draws and fires 4 rounds, combat reloads and fires four rounds in 8 seconds. Two hand shooting.

15 Yard Stage:

6 Rounds: 2 strings of 3 rounds; 6 seconds per string. On command, shooter draws and fires 2 strings of 3 rounds in 6 seconds, holstering after each string. Two hand shooting.

25 Yard Stage:

4 Rounds: 2 rounds standing and 2 rounds kneeling barricade; 15 seconds total time. Shooter starts standing away from the barricade. On command, shooter draws and moves to cover behind barricade, fires 2 rounds standing barricade and 2 rounds kneeling barricade. Two hand shooting.

Scoring: 2 points per hit; total possible - 100 points.

-------------------------

I am told that the 25 Yard Stage is not new for law enforcement, but is a new requirement for civilians wishing to qualify for CCW Permits.

I strongly support all of our local law enforcement agencies, yet as a law-abiding citizen, it leaves me with a conundrum: As everybody knows, when seconds count, law enforcement is only minutes away.

Iowa's state motto - "Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain" - is becoming only an empty slogan.

37 states issue concealed handgun permits on a “shall issue” basis – meaning you either qualify, or you don’t based upon objective criteria. While Iowa has a minimum standard it requires CCW Permit holders to meet, it allows the local sheriff of each county to arbitrarily tighten those restrictions should they choose to do so for any reason - real or imagined. In other words, Iowa stands alone in the Midwest in allowing Sheriffs to arbitrarily deny concealed handgun permits to law-abiding, "clean" citizens.

(See Radio Iowa article: Sheriffs across Iowa have objected to any possibility of loosening their grip on the ability to deny permits to anyone.)

I am 100% in support of some form of classes and shooting competency/proficiency test for a CCW Permit. I do not want to have someone decide to shoot a bad guy at a restaurant and accidentally kill one of my kids in the process. However, by their own law-enforcement statistics, the average gunfight takes place at a range of 10 feet or less, so the question arises in my mind: Why would a qualification include shooting at 75 feet? 75 feet would most likely place you outside of most restaurant or businesses in Iowa, or several car lengths away.

At this moment, I honestly question whether it has more to do with the power to add more restrictions than about safety or competency - though I'd be very willing to listen to a reasoned explanation with statistical evidence. Unlike the unspoken suggestion made by increasing the restrictions, many of us who love our law-enforcement friends are capable of understanding the facts when presented, and believe that the facts and our personal rights are compatible.

Quad Cities Police Citizen's Academy

My trip to Front Sight back in December 2006 exposed me to some incredible law enforcement officers. The one who stands out most in my mind was Eli, an LA cop - if I remember correctly - and one of the most patient people I've ever been around. (If I had been him working with me, I think I would have taken away my pistol and beat me with it a couple times.) :) Being around Eli and the others really moved my heart to understand more about what these guys and gals face on a daily basis.

This past Spring, when I went to our County Courthouse to visit the Sheriff's office for my Iowa permit/background check to buy and sell handguns, a brochure caught my eye. It was a simple brochure about a class that some of the local enforcement agencies had put together to give citizens a better feel for what they were dealing with in the community. The class was 27 hours long - 9 consecutive Thursdays @ 3 hours per session.

It was one of the most informative and enjoyable things I've ever participated in. I wanna take a few days and let you know what the classes each involved, and if you're in the Quad Cities on the east coast of Iowa or the northwest coast of Illinois, I hope it will encourage you to take the classes when they are offered next Fall. Today I'm just gonna do the first session:

Session #1 - The Class Overview/Introduction

This class introduced us to the purpose of the Citizens Academy and the various agencies that were sponsoring. Probably the most fascinating thing about this session was the number of agencies from either side of the River who are participating in this. It's definitely a testament to the spirit of unity within our area (with one notable exception - Davenport does not participate, but I understand they have their own version of the academy, and I plan to learn more about it, too).

The various chiefs from the area all talked briefly about their agencies, their personal role as chief, and about the community at large. I must say that I was impressed with their humility, but also their competency. These guys are good at what they do, and their hearts are in it for the good it does, not the compensation nor the kudos. They definitely take a lot of crap from people who don't understand how it all works, and I found myself feeling a deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness to them for their work and their lives!

Wow, has it been that long?

Seven months. That's how long it's been since I last wrote in this blog. I can't excuse the long gap, but I can explain it: Life, mortality, and work.

I'm on call 24/7/365, and it has been an extremely looooooong winter here with 50+ inches of snow this year, and temps that haven't been seen here in years.

Two significant things on this front of my personal life:

First, I spent several weeks developing a Crisis Response Plan for our church - a plan that covers everything from fire drills to hostile intruders. It was a tedious process to develop a plan for a 20,000 square-foot building with four exits while keeping it simple enough to limit the confusion that occurs in any crisis. We then trained over 125 of our volunteers in how it works. (We'll be doing refresher courses once a year, plus actually practicing the fire drills when our kids are here so that they know what to do, too.)

Second, I sold my Beretta 92FS (9mm) and purchased a Glock 23 (.40 cal). I've gotten to put about 150 rounds through it in the past month, and I'm in love. I really enjoyed my 9mm, but this .40 cal is seriously taking my heart. It's got a much deeper, throaty bark than the Beretta, and it's taking me a little time to get used to it, but my shots are all grouped together and about the size of a hand at 7 yards. I owe that pleasure to my training at Front Sight. (Man, I have flashbacks to the teachers there nearly everyday. They made a major impression on me.)

Before I go - I know, I know, why did I go with the 23 rather than the 22? I'm not a big guy, and someday I'd like to have my CCW permit, and after talking to several Glock owners, that's the one I decided on. The shorter length works in my favor for CCW, and at the ranges I would hafta use it, the change in accuracy is negligible.