To quote the Beatles, “I heard the news today, Oh boy”. The news I heard was that the LDS Church would be pulling out of Boy Scouts for good by the end of 2019. No more affiliation. If you’ve been reading these posts you will know that I saw it coming. I had wished last year that the Church would have pulled out of Scouting but now that it’s eminent I’m still heart broken. I know that seems ironic but that’s how I feel. I love the Boy Scouting program (I refuse to not use the word “Boy”). I was a Cub Scout in the 60’s, a Boy Scout in the 70’s, then in 1986 I became a Boy Scout leader. My boy’s started their scouting careers in 1990. Our youngest boy just achieved his Eagle last year. We had a boy somewhere in the scouting program for 27 straight years. I have served in every calling in Scouting and Young Men at one time or another. I’m deeply immersed in this great program. But the program has started to cave to “popular” values. I want to say that some of these changes I agree with, and some I don’t. But the fact is, Boy Scouts of America is a private organization that can choose whomever they want to be in it. I just think they caved to social baloney and in the first case, civil rights groups. In 1988 BSA allowed women to be Scoutmasters. I have nothing against women, but a woman was never a boy.
This was their policy:
"Boy Scouts of America," the group said, "believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word and deed."
Then in 2013 they caved again. Gay boys could join. I’m not sure boys have any idea about their sexuality but what do I know?
Then openly gay men wanted to become leaders. Now what? Robert Gates, who was Defense Secretary for President Obama, and who was BSA President said this about not allowing gays to be leaders.
"I truly fear that any other alternative will be the end of us as a national movement," Gates said in a 2015 speech.
So in 2015 BSA’s board sided with Gates. They caved again and allowed gay leaders in BSA. I think Mr Gates was right, that was the end of that national movement.
Do you see a pattern here? Back then I said this would be the end of the Church involved with BSA. The Church hung in there.
Then it was the trans-genders turn. In January 2017 BSA caved again. Now they were “all inclusive.”
Next up, girls. My opinion is the move to allow girls in the BSA was driven monetarily. Their membership is down and they needed a boost. They have gone too far for the Church to put all that money into a dying program. When you cave in time and time again your foundation gets weak. The LDS church was the foundation. Dropping the word “Boy” from Boy Scouting is a feeble attempt to make it all come together. I was never really impressed with Boy Scout professionals. I’m not saying they are bad, but when you are involved with Boy Scouting to get a paycheck I think it changes the way you look at the program. And then you start to get political and then changes like the ones above happen. It makes me very sad.
The church is going to pull their 33,000 boys out of the program in 2019. One in every 6 Scouts were LDS. That is going to leave a large hole. The Church sited different reasons but I feel the moral fiber of Scouting is unraveling. I hope that it survives and I wish the organization well. It had a good run.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Friday, May 11, 2018
Friday, May 4, 2018
My Rationalization
I’ve heard many different views about carrying a gun in an LDS Church. Some I agree with, others I don’t. I know the Church’s policy and I know the law in Utah. I do not live in Utah though I seem to visit there a lot. I don’t think I have ever advocated for anyone to break the law of any state. I hope that you will be serious enough about carrying a gun that you would give carrying in an LDS Church much thought and prayer. DO NOT break laws! Do not carry in an LDS Church in Utah! I know that is do what I say, not what I do. I will give you my justification for my breaking this policy. I hope you will not misconstrue this to be anything other than my personal business and opinion. I could very well be wrong.
I have been involved with guns for over 40 years. I have been an instructor since 1985. I’ve competed with guns, and have been a certified gunsmith at one time. I don’t know what an expert is, but that would have to be close to my experience. I’ve trained military, law enforcement, private citizens, and family. I feel very comfortable around firearms. I have carried concealed for over 20 years and have been in combat zones. I’m not trying to toot my own horn here but if law enforcement carry in a church, could not their firearm instructor also? Maybe that is rationalization. I don’t think it is.
Let me give you a sample of the reasons I carry at church.
“2 Shot Dead In Mormon Library”
April 16, 1999
“Woman shot to death outside church”
January 6th, 2008
“Mormon bishop fatally shot in California chapel; gunman killed”
Aug. 30 2010
“Police shoot armed man outside LDS temple”
December 26, 2010
“Police: 2 Shot In Parking Lot Of West Side Mormon Temple”
February 26, 2013
“Mormon temple parking-lot shooting: Man who killed wife dies, too”
April 12, 2013
“Son of judge killed himself in Las Vegas LDS temple courtyard”
Nov. 20 2013
“Woman shot outside of church in South Salt Lake”
October 17, 2014
EAGAR, Arizona — An Arizona man is dead and two others injured — including a pregnant woman — after he began shooting at a LDS stake center in Eagar, Arizona, and later at his residence, officials say.
“Suspect killed by police after shooting at Mormon stake center”
May 24 2015
OAKLEY, CA — Two people were shot, and another bludgeoned multiple times, during a large fight between two groups outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while Sunday service was getting out, police said.
June 28, 2015
GILBERT, Ariz. - Gilbert police are looking Wednesday morning for the three men involved in shooting a 19-year-old man at an LDS church Tuesday night.
April 20, 2016
“Police have arrested a 30-year-old Smithfield man, Jason Summers, who is accused of shooting at someone while trying to break into an LDS Church, Thursday night.”
July 8, 2016
Riverside, CA - Girl abducted from Mormon church sexually assaulted in dumpster
June 28, 2017
On November 29 a jihadist media group published an image suggesting San Diego could be in the crosshairs of terrorists this holiday season. The San Diego California Temple in University City appears to be their target of choice. An image of a terrorist holding an assault rifle was superimposed on the Mormon temple, which appears to be on fire. The two towering spires rise up on either side of the jihadist. A statement at the bottom of the image reads, “Coming Soon..#San_Diego.” The words “Coming Soon” are wrapped in Christmas decorations and splattered with red.
November 2017
As you can see these date back to 1999. These are 14 incidents in less than 20 years. The chances are slim that you or I would ever be involved in anything like these incidents. But it’s like a fire. Do we have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers because fires happen many times a week? I have never experienced a fire. So can I throw out those smoke detectors? No, but I must remain vigilant. The same goes for my, and my families, safety and security. We should be vigilant.
Also, I can’t imagine how I would feel if I survived an attack at church, and had the tools, the experience, and the training to have saved lives, and chose something else.
All of these things I use as my “reasons” to not follow policy. Maybe they’re excuses, I don’t know.
You must decide if you are an LDS member and carry, whether you will follow this policy or not. I do not encourage breaking this policy, but I do encourage finding out for yourself.
(See Security In An LDS Church 5/19/2014)
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
I have been involved with guns for over 40 years. I have been an instructor since 1985. I’ve competed with guns, and have been a certified gunsmith at one time. I don’t know what an expert is, but that would have to be close to my experience. I’ve trained military, law enforcement, private citizens, and family. I feel very comfortable around firearms. I have carried concealed for over 20 years and have been in combat zones. I’m not trying to toot my own horn here but if law enforcement carry in a church, could not their firearm instructor also? Maybe that is rationalization. I don’t think it is.
Let me give you a sample of the reasons I carry at church.
“2 Shot Dead In Mormon Library”
April 16, 1999
“Woman shot to death outside church”
January 6th, 2008
“Mormon bishop fatally shot in California chapel; gunman killed”
Aug. 30 2010
“Police shoot armed man outside LDS temple”
December 26, 2010
“Police: 2 Shot In Parking Lot Of West Side Mormon Temple”
February 26, 2013
“Mormon temple parking-lot shooting: Man who killed wife dies, too”
April 12, 2013
“Son of judge killed himself in Las Vegas LDS temple courtyard”
Nov. 20 2013
“Woman shot outside of church in South Salt Lake”
October 17, 2014
EAGAR, Arizona — An Arizona man is dead and two others injured — including a pregnant woman — after he began shooting at a LDS stake center in Eagar, Arizona, and later at his residence, officials say.
“Suspect killed by police after shooting at Mormon stake center”
May 24 2015
OAKLEY, CA — Two people were shot, and another bludgeoned multiple times, during a large fight between two groups outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while Sunday service was getting out, police said.
June 28, 2015
GILBERT, Ariz. - Gilbert police are looking Wednesday morning for the three men involved in shooting a 19-year-old man at an LDS church Tuesday night.
April 20, 2016
“Police have arrested a 30-year-old Smithfield man, Jason Summers, who is accused of shooting at someone while trying to break into an LDS Church, Thursday night.”
July 8, 2016
Riverside, CA - Girl abducted from Mormon church sexually assaulted in dumpster
June 28, 2017
On November 29 a jihadist media group published an image suggesting San Diego could be in the crosshairs of terrorists this holiday season. The San Diego California Temple in University City appears to be their target of choice. An image of a terrorist holding an assault rifle was superimposed on the Mormon temple, which appears to be on fire. The two towering spires rise up on either side of the jihadist. A statement at the bottom of the image reads, “Coming Soon..#San_Diego.” The words “Coming Soon” are wrapped in Christmas decorations and splattered with red.
November 2017
As you can see these date back to 1999. These are 14 incidents in less than 20 years. The chances are slim that you or I would ever be involved in anything like these incidents. But it’s like a fire. Do we have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers because fires happen many times a week? I have never experienced a fire. So can I throw out those smoke detectors? No, but I must remain vigilant. The same goes for my, and my families, safety and security. We should be vigilant.
Also, I can’t imagine how I would feel if I survived an attack at church, and had the tools, the experience, and the training to have saved lives, and chose something else.
All of these things I use as my “reasons” to not follow policy. Maybe they’re excuses, I don’t know.
You must decide if you are an LDS member and carry, whether you will follow this policy or not. I do not encourage breaking this policy, but I do encourage finding out for yourself.
(See Security In An LDS Church 5/19/2014)
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Following Christ and Fighting Evil
I was listening to a talk from the last LDS General Conference. It was a great talk about forgetting yourself and loving others. It got me thinking about the gun I carry and my training with that gun. It even made me think about this website and what I write about. Am I not being a follower of Christ? Am I not relying on my Father in Heaven because I feel the need to defend myself? What about those who do this for a living, military and law enforcement? Well obviously the pros have to do what they have to do.
I was a Bishop years ago and I had a counselor who worked in intel in the Border Patrol. He was exposed to the dregs of society almost constantly. As a counselor he was having a hard time separating his job from his calling. He was looking at most people as dishonest and not very well meaning, even though it just wasn’t so. He was exposed to the worst in people, so he suspected the worst every time he dealt with people. He had to turn off his skepticism and looking for the bad because it wasn’t in the best interest of the ward or himself. To his credit he was able to do this.
When I pass someone on the street I have to make a quick judgement. Now the circumstances make all the difference. Did I just pass them on a crowded street at 1 in the afternoon with traffic and people everywhere? Or was it 2 A.M. on a dark street in a not-so-good neighborhood with no one around?
Being a protector is sometimes a difficult job for a civilian. But if I could prevent someone from getting killed when I have the tool, the training, and the mindset, how could I live with that? I don’t go looking for a fight.
Being a follower of Christ does not mean you shun violence. It means you choose violence only when you must. You don’t look for revenge but to protect. Turning the other cheek does not mean if someone were to kill your child to offer them your other child to be killed also. I don’t think that was the lesson. And if it was, then how do we account for Christ asking His apostles to sell their cloak for a sword when they were going to the garden of Gethsemane? I don’t think Christ would have us give our lives just because evil wants to take it. I think under certain circumstances we should give our lives for our beliefs as many martyrs have done. As we also learn from Christs teaching it is a great honor and it is an ultimate showing of love to lay down your life for others. To me that means we should try and defend ourselves.
God has given us plenty of wonderful freedoms, including, in the United States, the right to bear arms. But there are also plenty of biblical exhortations to give up that right when love obliges us to do so.
It’s all in your attitude. Do you train to fight or train to defend? Are you “men of blood?”
Alma 44:1-23
1 And it came to pass that they did stop and withdrew a pace from them. And Moroni said unto Zerahemnah: Behold, Zerahemnah, that we do not desire to be men of blood. Ye know that ye are in our hands, yet we do not desire to slay you.
2 Behold, we have not come out to battle against you that we might shed your blood for power; neither do we desire to bring any one to the yoke of bondage. But this is the very cause for which ye have come against us; yea, and ye are angry with us because of our religion.
3 But now, ye behold that the Lord is with us; and ye behold that he has delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that this is done unto us because of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith.
4 Now ye see that this is the true faith of God; yea, ye see that God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are faithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion; and never will the Lord suffer that we shall be destroyed except we should fall into transgression and deny our faith.
5 And now, Zerahemnah, I command you, in the name of that all-powerful God, who has strengthened our arms that we have gained power over you, by our faith, by our religion, and by our rites of worship, and by our church, and by the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children, by that liberty which binds us to our lands and our country; yea, and also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness; and by all that is most dear unto us—
6 Yea, and this is not all; I command you by all the desires which ye have for life, that ye deliver up your weapons of war unto us, and we will seek not your blood, but we will spare your lives, if ye will go your way and come not again to war against us.
7 And now, if ye do not this, behold, ye are in our hands, and I will command my men that they shall fall upon you, and inflict the wounds of death in your bodies, that ye may become extinct; and then we will see who shall have power over this people; yea, we will see who shall be brought into bondage.
8 And now it came to pass that when Zerahemnah had heard these sayings he came forth and delivered up his sword and his cimeter, and his bow into the hands of Moroni, and said unto him: Behold, here are our weapons of war; we will deliver them up unto you, but we will not suffer ourselves to take an oath unto you, which we know that we shall break, and also our children; but take our weapons of war, and suffer that we may depart into the wilderness; otherwise we will retain our swords, and we will perish or conquer.
9 Behold, we are not of your faith; we do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you.
10 And now when Zerahemnah had made an end of speaking these words, Moroni returned the sword and the weapons of war, which he had received, unto Zerahemnah, saying: Behold, we will end the conflict.
11 Now I cannot recall the words which I have spoken, therefore as the Lord liveth, ye shall not depart except ye depart with an oath that ye will not return again against us to war. Now as ye are in our hands we will spill your blood upon the ground, or ye shall submit to the conditions which I have proposed.
12 And now when Moroni had said these words, Zerahemnah retained his sword, and he was angry with Moroni, and he rushed forward that he might slay Moroni; but as he raised his sword, behold, one of Moroni’s soldiers smote it even to the earth, and it broke by the hilt; and he also smote Zerahemnah that he took off his scalp and it fell to the earth. And Zerahemnah withdrew from before them into the midst of his soldiers.
13 And it came to pass that the soldier who stood by, who smote off the scalp of Zerahemnah, took up the scalp from off the ground by the hair, and laid it upon the point of his sword, and stretched it forth unto them, saying unto them with a loud voice:
14 Even as this scalp has fallen to the earth, which is the scalp of your chief, so shall ye fall to the earth except ye will deliver up your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace.
15 Now there were many, when they heard these words and saw the scalp which was upon the sword, that were struck with fear; and many came forth and threw down their weapons of war at the feet of Moroni, and entered into a covenant of peace. And as many as entered into a covenant they suffered to depart into the wilderness.
16 Now it came to pass that Zerahemnah was exceedingly wroth, and he did stir up the remainder of his soldiers to anger, to contend more powerfully against the Nephites.
17 And now Moroni was angry, because of the stubbornness of the Lamanites; therefore he commanded his people that they should fall upon them and slay them. And it came to pass that they began to slay them; yea, and the Lamanites did contend with their swords and their might.
18 But behold, their naked skins and their bare heads were exposed to the sharp swords of the Nephites; yea, behold they were pierced and smitten, yea, and did fall exceedingly fast before the swords of the Nephites; and they began to be swept down, even as the soldier of Moroni had prophesied.
19 Now Zerahemnah, when he saw that they were all about to be destroyed, cried mightily unto Moroni, promising that he would covenant and also his people with them, if they would spare the remainder of their lives, that they never would come to war again against them.
20 And it came to pass that Moroni caused that the work of death should cease again among the people. And he took the weapons of war from the Lamanites; and after they had entered into a covenant with him of peace they were suffered to depart into the wilderness.
21 Now the number of their dead was not numbered because of the greatness of the number; yea, the number of their dead was exceedingly great, both on the Nephites and on the Lamanites.
22 And it came to pass that they did cast their dead into the waters of Sidon, and they have gone forth and are buried in the depths of the sea.
23 And the armies of the Nephites, or of Moroni, returned and came to their houses and their lands.
I apologize for the long scriptural reference. But the story is one example of good people using violence and God is good with it. Take out the anger and the greed, and the lust for power or to enslave someone, and you probably have a justification for defense. War is not good. There is not much that can come from it, but sometimes violence is needed to rid ourselves of evil influence. This is not the teaching of Christ. He taught us to love our enemies. But if your enemies only respond with violence then theoretically, evil will take out good until only evil is left. I can remember the anxiety I had when I made my first jump from an aircraft. The fear of what was to come was so much worse than the experience itself. Violence gives me the same anxiety except the urge to run is much stronger! I also don’t like that anger is tied to violence so closely. I don’t want to be a “man of blood”. I don’t want anger to be a big part of my life. But I don’t want evil to win. As followers of Christ, we can only build up the kingdom of God on earth if we are here. So I will continue to carry a weapon and train with it. I will continue to encourage others to fight evil in every way. I will continue to defend against evil and I say as did Moroni:
“…then we will see who shall have power over this people; yea, we will see who shall be brought into bondage.”
Yes, we shall see…
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
I was a Bishop years ago and I had a counselor who worked in intel in the Border Patrol. He was exposed to the dregs of society almost constantly. As a counselor he was having a hard time separating his job from his calling. He was looking at most people as dishonest and not very well meaning, even though it just wasn’t so. He was exposed to the worst in people, so he suspected the worst every time he dealt with people. He had to turn off his skepticism and looking for the bad because it wasn’t in the best interest of the ward or himself. To his credit he was able to do this.
When I pass someone on the street I have to make a quick judgement. Now the circumstances make all the difference. Did I just pass them on a crowded street at 1 in the afternoon with traffic and people everywhere? Or was it 2 A.M. on a dark street in a not-so-good neighborhood with no one around?
Being a protector is sometimes a difficult job for a civilian. But if I could prevent someone from getting killed when I have the tool, the training, and the mindset, how could I live with that? I don’t go looking for a fight.
Being a follower of Christ does not mean you shun violence. It means you choose violence only when you must. You don’t look for revenge but to protect. Turning the other cheek does not mean if someone were to kill your child to offer them your other child to be killed also. I don’t think that was the lesson. And if it was, then how do we account for Christ asking His apostles to sell their cloak for a sword when they were going to the garden of Gethsemane? I don’t think Christ would have us give our lives just because evil wants to take it. I think under certain circumstances we should give our lives for our beliefs as many martyrs have done. As we also learn from Christs teaching it is a great honor and it is an ultimate showing of love to lay down your life for others. To me that means we should try and defend ourselves.
God has given us plenty of wonderful freedoms, including, in the United States, the right to bear arms. But there are also plenty of biblical exhortations to give up that right when love obliges us to do so.
It’s all in your attitude. Do you train to fight or train to defend? Are you “men of blood?”
Alma 44:1-23
1 And it came to pass that they did stop and withdrew a pace from them. And Moroni said unto Zerahemnah: Behold, Zerahemnah, that we do not desire to be men of blood. Ye know that ye are in our hands, yet we do not desire to slay you.
2 Behold, we have not come out to battle against you that we might shed your blood for power; neither do we desire to bring any one to the yoke of bondage. But this is the very cause for which ye have come against us; yea, and ye are angry with us because of our religion.
3 But now, ye behold that the Lord is with us; and ye behold that he has delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that this is done unto us because of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith.
4 Now ye see that this is the true faith of God; yea, ye see that God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are faithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion; and never will the Lord suffer that we shall be destroyed except we should fall into transgression and deny our faith.
5 And now, Zerahemnah, I command you, in the name of that all-powerful God, who has strengthened our arms that we have gained power over you, by our faith, by our religion, and by our rites of worship, and by our church, and by the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children, by that liberty which binds us to our lands and our country; yea, and also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness; and by all that is most dear unto us—
6 Yea, and this is not all; I command you by all the desires which ye have for life, that ye deliver up your weapons of war unto us, and we will seek not your blood, but we will spare your lives, if ye will go your way and come not again to war against us.
7 And now, if ye do not this, behold, ye are in our hands, and I will command my men that they shall fall upon you, and inflict the wounds of death in your bodies, that ye may become extinct; and then we will see who shall have power over this people; yea, we will see who shall be brought into bondage.
8 And now it came to pass that when Zerahemnah had heard these sayings he came forth and delivered up his sword and his cimeter, and his bow into the hands of Moroni, and said unto him: Behold, here are our weapons of war; we will deliver them up unto you, but we will not suffer ourselves to take an oath unto you, which we know that we shall break, and also our children; but take our weapons of war, and suffer that we may depart into the wilderness; otherwise we will retain our swords, and we will perish or conquer.
9 Behold, we are not of your faith; we do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you.
10 And now when Zerahemnah had made an end of speaking these words, Moroni returned the sword and the weapons of war, which he had received, unto Zerahemnah, saying: Behold, we will end the conflict.
11 Now I cannot recall the words which I have spoken, therefore as the Lord liveth, ye shall not depart except ye depart with an oath that ye will not return again against us to war. Now as ye are in our hands we will spill your blood upon the ground, or ye shall submit to the conditions which I have proposed.
12 And now when Moroni had said these words, Zerahemnah retained his sword, and he was angry with Moroni, and he rushed forward that he might slay Moroni; but as he raised his sword, behold, one of Moroni’s soldiers smote it even to the earth, and it broke by the hilt; and he also smote Zerahemnah that he took off his scalp and it fell to the earth. And Zerahemnah withdrew from before them into the midst of his soldiers.
13 And it came to pass that the soldier who stood by, who smote off the scalp of Zerahemnah, took up the scalp from off the ground by the hair, and laid it upon the point of his sword, and stretched it forth unto them, saying unto them with a loud voice:
14 Even as this scalp has fallen to the earth, which is the scalp of your chief, so shall ye fall to the earth except ye will deliver up your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace.
15 Now there were many, when they heard these words and saw the scalp which was upon the sword, that were struck with fear; and many came forth and threw down their weapons of war at the feet of Moroni, and entered into a covenant of peace. And as many as entered into a covenant they suffered to depart into the wilderness.
16 Now it came to pass that Zerahemnah was exceedingly wroth, and he did stir up the remainder of his soldiers to anger, to contend more powerfully against the Nephites.
17 And now Moroni was angry, because of the stubbornness of the Lamanites; therefore he commanded his people that they should fall upon them and slay them. And it came to pass that they began to slay them; yea, and the Lamanites did contend with their swords and their might.
18 But behold, their naked skins and their bare heads were exposed to the sharp swords of the Nephites; yea, behold they were pierced and smitten, yea, and did fall exceedingly fast before the swords of the Nephites; and they began to be swept down, even as the soldier of Moroni had prophesied.
19 Now Zerahemnah, when he saw that they were all about to be destroyed, cried mightily unto Moroni, promising that he would covenant and also his people with them, if they would spare the remainder of their lives, that they never would come to war again against them.
20 And it came to pass that Moroni caused that the work of death should cease again among the people. And he took the weapons of war from the Lamanites; and after they had entered into a covenant with him of peace they were suffered to depart into the wilderness.
21 Now the number of their dead was not numbered because of the greatness of the number; yea, the number of their dead was exceedingly great, both on the Nephites and on the Lamanites.
22 And it came to pass that they did cast their dead into the waters of Sidon, and they have gone forth and are buried in the depths of the sea.
23 And the armies of the Nephites, or of Moroni, returned and came to their houses and their lands.
I apologize for the long scriptural reference. But the story is one example of good people using violence and God is good with it. Take out the anger and the greed, and the lust for power or to enslave someone, and you probably have a justification for defense. War is not good. There is not much that can come from it, but sometimes violence is needed to rid ourselves of evil influence. This is not the teaching of Christ. He taught us to love our enemies. But if your enemies only respond with violence then theoretically, evil will take out good until only evil is left. I can remember the anxiety I had when I made my first jump from an aircraft. The fear of what was to come was so much worse than the experience itself. Violence gives me the same anxiety except the urge to run is much stronger! I also don’t like that anger is tied to violence so closely. I don’t want to be a “man of blood”. I don’t want anger to be a big part of my life. But I don’t want evil to win. As followers of Christ, we can only build up the kingdom of God on earth if we are here. So I will continue to carry a weapon and train with it. I will continue to encourage others to fight evil in every way. I will continue to defend against evil and I say as did Moroni:
“…then we will see who shall have power over this people; yea, we will see who shall be brought into bondage.”
Yes, we shall see…
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Friday, April 20, 2018
Close, Don't Be Closed Upon
Years ago I had an Army Command Sergeant teaching a combat driving course. As we were talking about combat he kept repeating “Close and engage” in different contexts. We asked about the phrase and he said “You are either doing it, or someone else is doing it to you. I prefer that it be me engaging”. The fact that he uses the word “close” tells me that distance is not your friend when you want to engage someone. If you are the one being engaged, or fired upon, distance is your friend.
Here is an e-mail sent to an instructor.
“Yesterday I was filling my vehicle with gas at my neighborhood Shell station and out of the corner of my eye I saw an unkempt person lurking around the building and heading to the gas pumps. I lost sight of him for a moment due to vehicles entering and exiting the station. Suddenly, he was on the other side of my pump, headed in my direction.
I thought about what was taught in your class about holding up my hands and issuing a verbal “back off”. I moved around the corner of my car to get an object and distance between the fellow and me. He did not even finish his opening line, he turned and looked for someone else to approach.
I’m so grateful for the training! It was probably just a pan handler, but it could have been anything!”
Note that this was a decision made in advance (to be aggressively uncooperative) and then chosen as a response in the moment. That's the best way.
Remember distance equals time. If the guy has a knife and you've shot him from a distance, you're relying on the time that it take for him to cover the distance to you for that bullet to take effect. In both cases your safety is entirely dependent in what you did effecting your attacker BEFORE he can effectively counter attack whether it is shooting back, or close the distance to injure you.
The bottom line is the closer an attacker is the less you need to be worrying about what you are going to do to him and more about keeping him from doing something to you. Don't fall for the old lie that the 'best defense is a good offense.' Because the closer you are to an attacker the more likely that attitude will turn it into a trading damage contest. Actual defense against a closing attacker is THE most overlooked aspect of self-defense. People are too fixated on what they are going to do to their attacker to make him stop attacking rather than what they need to do to keep his attack from coming in the first place. If both of you go to the hospital or the morgue, that isn’t what I call a win.
I was talking to my good friend Choirboy. We were talking about how most altercations that would involve needing a weapon are usually fast and short. He sent me this YouTube video. If violence makes you squeamish then don’t watch the video.
http://youtu.be/mVDRo7-kwGc
He said that this is a video of Darrell Lunsford, a constable in Nacogdoches, Texas. He was overpowered by three men and shot to death with his own weapon. About 8 months later Trooper Andy Lopez ran into almost the same situation but because of this video, which is still used in training today, he survived. As I watched the video I realized that Constable Lunsford made some fatal mistakes. He didn’t use distance to his advantage.
This is what we were discussing, distance. To keep from being a victim a certain amount of distance is required. I’ve talked about the 21 foot rule. It takes a man 1.5 seconds to cover 21 feet which is also about the amount of time it takes to draw a weapon. So to use distance to your advantage, keep people out of that 21 foot zone around you. Constable Lunsford should have used more distance as he searched the trunk of the suspect’s car. He should have had them sit on the curb or at the least get back in the car. He needed some separation as he put all his attention into searching the trunk. The suspects knew they had marijuana in the trunk and that it would be found, so all they did was wait for the right moment to grab the officer and grab his gun for the fatal shot. At least his death was not completely in vain because that incident happened in 1991 and the video is still being used for training, saving countless law enforcement lives. It’s a lesson you must learn. When someone tries to close on you, and you feel that prompting, then maintain or increase that distance. Don’t let them close so that if you have to engage, it will be at a distance that you control. To use most pepper sprays, batons, stun guns, or knives, one must close the distance gap. You being armed can use a little distance. I’m pretty effective with a handgun at 30 feet. My efficiency only improves if I can close. But don’t ever think a bullet will always stop someone immediately.
This is where your situational awareness and your “spidy senses” will be your ally. Violent people will always go out of their way to give the advantage to themselves. For us sheepdogs, we are not afraid of the wolf like the sheep, but we don’t look for a fight like a wolf. We rely on a strong defense and not an offense. We have to be aware of what is going on and the positioning of others.
My wife and I take care of some vending machines in a mall. My wife was out of town and I had just hurt my foot and was recovering. I had just emptied the machines and had a bag of quarters. I noticed two kids who had paid more attention to what I was doing in the mall than most. One was following me out of the mall. I knew I couldn’t out run him because of my foot. He started to close and I saw his buddy in the parking lot at my 10 o’clock. I turned to face the guy behind me when I got to a car so my back was to the car and put up my hand to stop him. We had some words and he decided I wasn’t worth the trouble I was going to give them. His buddy backed off first and then he retreated. This was in the middle of the day so there was daylight and witnesses to my advantage. Had I been oblivious to the attention they gave me and had I let the guy in back of me close, things might have been different. When someone maneuvers so that they are in a closing position, move. Always watch their hands.
I have a martial arts instructor friend who likes to say “Distance overcomes skill.” This is true in a contact self defense and sometimes applies to gun defense. Like my 21 foot rule, distance equals time.
Most so-called self-defense items have no defensive capabilities at all. By this I mean while they may stop an attacker from continuing with more attacks, they cannot protect you from an attack in progress. If a guy is charging you, a taser, spray or a bullet will not stop his forward momentum. He will still reach you and proceed to do damage to you (e.g. if you taser someone and he slams into you, there's a good chance you'll lose your triggering.) Now you have a guy up close and personal.
That's the fundamental weakness of any distance weapon. If the guy gets close enough to negate the advantage of range, they are useless to prevent damage to you. From a defensive standpoint, you cannot block an incoming attack with these items. Your only hope is to create enough pain and damage to the individual that he is overcome before the damage he does to you overwhelms you.
Distance is usually your friend.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Here is an e-mail sent to an instructor.
“Yesterday I was filling my vehicle with gas at my neighborhood Shell station and out of the corner of my eye I saw an unkempt person lurking around the building and heading to the gas pumps. I lost sight of him for a moment due to vehicles entering and exiting the station. Suddenly, he was on the other side of my pump, headed in my direction.
I thought about what was taught in your class about holding up my hands and issuing a verbal “back off”. I moved around the corner of my car to get an object and distance between the fellow and me. He did not even finish his opening line, he turned and looked for someone else to approach.
I’m so grateful for the training! It was probably just a pan handler, but it could have been anything!”
Note that this was a decision made in advance (to be aggressively uncooperative) and then chosen as a response in the moment. That's the best way.
Remember distance equals time. If the guy has a knife and you've shot him from a distance, you're relying on the time that it take for him to cover the distance to you for that bullet to take effect. In both cases your safety is entirely dependent in what you did effecting your attacker BEFORE he can effectively counter attack whether it is shooting back, or close the distance to injure you.
The bottom line is the closer an attacker is the less you need to be worrying about what you are going to do to him and more about keeping him from doing something to you. Don't fall for the old lie that the 'best defense is a good offense.' Because the closer you are to an attacker the more likely that attitude will turn it into a trading damage contest. Actual defense against a closing attacker is THE most overlooked aspect of self-defense. People are too fixated on what they are going to do to their attacker to make him stop attacking rather than what they need to do to keep his attack from coming in the first place. If both of you go to the hospital or the morgue, that isn’t what I call a win.
I was talking to my good friend Choirboy. We were talking about how most altercations that would involve needing a weapon are usually fast and short. He sent me this YouTube video. If violence makes you squeamish then don’t watch the video.
http://youtu.be/mVDRo7-kwGc
He said that this is a video of Darrell Lunsford, a constable in Nacogdoches, Texas. He was overpowered by three men and shot to death with his own weapon. About 8 months later Trooper Andy Lopez ran into almost the same situation but because of this video, which is still used in training today, he survived. As I watched the video I realized that Constable Lunsford made some fatal mistakes. He didn’t use distance to his advantage.
This is what we were discussing, distance. To keep from being a victim a certain amount of distance is required. I’ve talked about the 21 foot rule. It takes a man 1.5 seconds to cover 21 feet which is also about the amount of time it takes to draw a weapon. So to use distance to your advantage, keep people out of that 21 foot zone around you. Constable Lunsford should have used more distance as he searched the trunk of the suspect’s car. He should have had them sit on the curb or at the least get back in the car. He needed some separation as he put all his attention into searching the trunk. The suspects knew they had marijuana in the trunk and that it would be found, so all they did was wait for the right moment to grab the officer and grab his gun for the fatal shot. At least his death was not completely in vain because that incident happened in 1991 and the video is still being used for training, saving countless law enforcement lives. It’s a lesson you must learn. When someone tries to close on you, and you feel that prompting, then maintain or increase that distance. Don’t let them close so that if you have to engage, it will be at a distance that you control. To use most pepper sprays, batons, stun guns, or knives, one must close the distance gap. You being armed can use a little distance. I’m pretty effective with a handgun at 30 feet. My efficiency only improves if I can close. But don’t ever think a bullet will always stop someone immediately.
This is where your situational awareness and your “spidy senses” will be your ally. Violent people will always go out of their way to give the advantage to themselves. For us sheepdogs, we are not afraid of the wolf like the sheep, but we don’t look for a fight like a wolf. We rely on a strong defense and not an offense. We have to be aware of what is going on and the positioning of others.
My wife and I take care of some vending machines in a mall. My wife was out of town and I had just hurt my foot and was recovering. I had just emptied the machines and had a bag of quarters. I noticed two kids who had paid more attention to what I was doing in the mall than most. One was following me out of the mall. I knew I couldn’t out run him because of my foot. He started to close and I saw his buddy in the parking lot at my 10 o’clock. I turned to face the guy behind me when I got to a car so my back was to the car and put up my hand to stop him. We had some words and he decided I wasn’t worth the trouble I was going to give them. His buddy backed off first and then he retreated. This was in the middle of the day so there was daylight and witnesses to my advantage. Had I been oblivious to the attention they gave me and had I let the guy in back of me close, things might have been different. When someone maneuvers so that they are in a closing position, move. Always watch their hands.
I have a martial arts instructor friend who likes to say “Distance overcomes skill.” This is true in a contact self defense and sometimes applies to gun defense. Like my 21 foot rule, distance equals time.
Most so-called self-defense items have no defensive capabilities at all. By this I mean while they may stop an attacker from continuing with more attacks, they cannot protect you from an attack in progress. If a guy is charging you, a taser, spray or a bullet will not stop his forward momentum. He will still reach you and proceed to do damage to you (e.g. if you taser someone and he slams into you, there's a good chance you'll lose your triggering.) Now you have a guy up close and personal.
That's the fundamental weakness of any distance weapon. If the guy gets close enough to negate the advantage of range, they are useless to prevent damage to you. From a defensive standpoint, you cannot block an incoming attack with these items. Your only hope is to create enough pain and damage to the individual that he is overcome before the damage he does to you overwhelms you.
Distance is usually your friend.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Monday, April 16, 2018
Resist! Nothing Else Is Acceptable!
I've written an article like this one before. But I think it's important.
The debate for gun control rages on. I’ve heard many say that tyranny is over in this world. This is absurd, of course. Tyranny is alive and well. Some say it cannot happen here. I can’t tell you how it would happen, but I can assure you, it can happen. But I don’t worry as much about an open take- over of this country. It is the covert, the secret that I fear. Either way, disarming of the people is eminent. I do believe in conspiracy, because there has been so much of it in history. I’m not talking about Elvis and aliens colonizing the earth, I’m talking about evil men lusting for power, control, and money.
Prior to the 20th Century; 170 million civilians were murdered by their own governments. Historians tell us that during the 20th Century perhaps as many as 200 million civilians were murdered by their own governments.
Some of the Nations where the mass murder of civilians occurred during the 20th Century include Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, The Congo, Uganda, Armenia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nigeria, Laos, China, Cuba, Manchuria, Iraq, Iran, Biafra, Rwanda and many others. The slaughter of civilians by governments appears to be as common as not.
Most of these slaughters were only made possible by disarming the victims before killing them. Had these people resisted, their fate would have been no worse and perhaps better. Resistance is much more difficult after the government has already taken the means of resistance away from the people. Planned genocide has been the primary reason for weapon confiscation throughout history.
Some would call me paranoid but banning, licensing, registering, and other means of gun control would make confiscation so very easy. The government not knowing who is armed is much safer than trusting that those in government will make good choices and really be looking out for Americans. I think the chances of this are slim, but they are possible. Taking away Americans only means of defense is something the founders would have thought was a grave mistake.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
- Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
"To disarm the people...[i]s the most effectual way to enslave them."
- George Mason, referencing advice given to the British Parliament by Pennsylvania governor Sir William Keith, The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, June 14, 1788
"A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined..."
- George Washington, First Annual Address, to both House of Congress, January 8, 1790
These men knew first hand why the general public should be armed. The 2nd amendment is not about hunting or sport. It’s about killing a tyrannical take-over of our Republic. The founders were counting on revolution if necessary. Revolution is what started this country. It’s not immoral as long as real tyranny is encroaching. The problem is, tyranny doesn’t always wear red coats. Sometimes it’s hard to spot. But every time someone says anything like that they are accused of being an extremist. The naysayers tell you it can’t happen here anymore. I don’t think we’re that far away from it but it’s held at bay until some idiot thinks they can get away with it. This is why disarming the people is so important.
I had a tense moment one time in a South American country where I was with a military unit and we came upon what would be known now as “insurgents”. Neither of us were sure if we wanted to start a firefight. Suddenly the other guys just threw down their AK’s and raised their hands. I was grateful no one on either side was too excited to “get some”.
During the American Revolution 12,000 Colonists captured by the British died in captivity on prison ships, while only 8,000 died in battle. Had the 12,000 who surrendered continued to fight, many would have survived and they could have done great damage to the British and likely shortened the war.
Civil War prisoners were treated so badly that some 50,000 died in captivity. More Americans have been killed by Americans than by any foreign army in any war. Six hundred and eighteen thousand Americans died in the Civil War.
As many as 18,000 captured American and Philipino prisoners died or were murdered at the hands of the Japanese during the six days of the “Bataan Death March.” Had most of these soldiers slipped into the jungle and fought as guerrillas they could have tied up elements of the Japanese Army for months or years and perhaps more of them would have survived the war.
Of the Americans who actually reached Japanese prison camps during the war, nearly 50,000 died in captivity. That is more than 10 percent of all the American military deaths in the entire war in both the Pacific and European theaters combined.
In addition to the 50,000 captured Americans who died in Japanese prison camps an additional 20,000 were murdered before reaching a prison camp. If those 70,000 Americans had continued to fight, they could have provided time for the United States to build and maneuver its forces, perhaps shortening the war and saving even more lives. Some of them would have likely survived the war. If they had all died in battle their fate would have been no worse.
During the early stages of the “Battle of the Bulge” American soldiers were massacred by the German troops who captured them.
During the Vietnam conflict many American Prisoners Of War were tortured daily for years by the Communist North Vietnamese. Many Americans died during the process. Only Officers (Airmen) held in North Vietnam were ever repatriated. Enlisted Americans captured in South Viet Nam were routinely tortured, mutilated and murdered by the Communists.
In recent years, American troops captured by Islamic terrorists groups have virtually all been tortured and murdered in gruesome fashion. If I were fighting in the Middle East, I would make a vow and plan to fight to the death. Under no circumstances would I allow myself to be captured by our Islamic enemies.
What about surrendering to criminals?
The “Onion Field Murder” in California was a wakeup call to Law Enforcement Officers everywhere. On March 9, 1963, two LAPD Officers were taken prisoner by two criminals. The Officers submitted to capture and gave up their weapons. They were driven to an onion field outside of Bakersfield.
One Officer was murdered while the other Officer managed to escape in a hail of gunfire. The surviving Officer suffered serious psychological problems, having been unable to save his partner. As a result of this incident, the LAPD policy became, “You will fight no matter how bad things are.” “You will never ever surrender your weapons or yourself to a criminal.”
Consider the Ogden, Utah record store murders. Read the book if you do not know the story. The manner in which the criminals murdered their young victims cannot be described here. Resistance might have been futile. Compliance was definitely and absolutely futile.
The courts in this country have ruled that the police have no legal obligation to protect anyone. Why do Law Enforcement Officials always tell civilians not to resist a criminal, while they tell their Officers to always resist and never surrender? One is guns. The Police have them. Police administrators fear being sued by a civilian victim who gets hurt resisting. Furthermore, the police, like all government agencies derive their power by fostering dependence.
When General Santa Ana (also the President of Mexico at the time) ordered 180 “Texicans” to surrender the Alamo, Col. Travis answered with “a cannon shot and a rebel yell.” Eventually General Santa Ana was able to build his troop strength to ten thousand. The Mexicans then swarmed the defenders and killed them all.
The battle of the Alamo delayed the Mexican Army long enough for Sam Houston to build his Texican Army, which met and defeated the Mexican Army and captured General Santa Ana. General Santa Ana traded Texas for his life and the sacrifices of the Alamo defenders changed history.
Surrender is not an option. Resist those home invaders. Resist that robber. Fight for your freedom. Fight for your life instead of begging for it. Be prepared to resist. Have the knowledge, the training, the tools, and the preparedness to resist. As a famous ancient Chief Captain named Moroni once wrote: “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children”. This is what we fight for, our God, our religion, our freedom and our families. Never retreat, never surrender.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
The debate for gun control rages on. I’ve heard many say that tyranny is over in this world. This is absurd, of course. Tyranny is alive and well. Some say it cannot happen here. I can’t tell you how it would happen, but I can assure you, it can happen. But I don’t worry as much about an open take- over of this country. It is the covert, the secret that I fear. Either way, disarming of the people is eminent. I do believe in conspiracy, because there has been so much of it in history. I’m not talking about Elvis and aliens colonizing the earth, I’m talking about evil men lusting for power, control, and money.
Prior to the 20th Century; 170 million civilians were murdered by their own governments. Historians tell us that during the 20th Century perhaps as many as 200 million civilians were murdered by their own governments.
Some of the Nations where the mass murder of civilians occurred during the 20th Century include Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, The Congo, Uganda, Armenia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nigeria, Laos, China, Cuba, Manchuria, Iraq, Iran, Biafra, Rwanda and many others. The slaughter of civilians by governments appears to be as common as not.
Most of these slaughters were only made possible by disarming the victims before killing them. Had these people resisted, their fate would have been no worse and perhaps better. Resistance is much more difficult after the government has already taken the means of resistance away from the people. Planned genocide has been the primary reason for weapon confiscation throughout history.
Some would call me paranoid but banning, licensing, registering, and other means of gun control would make confiscation so very easy. The government not knowing who is armed is much safer than trusting that those in government will make good choices and really be looking out for Americans. I think the chances of this are slim, but they are possible. Taking away Americans only means of defense is something the founders would have thought was a grave mistake.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
- Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
"To disarm the people...[i]s the most effectual way to enslave them."
- George Mason, referencing advice given to the British Parliament by Pennsylvania governor Sir William Keith, The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, June 14, 1788
"A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined..."
- George Washington, First Annual Address, to both House of Congress, January 8, 1790
These men knew first hand why the general public should be armed. The 2nd amendment is not about hunting or sport. It’s about killing a tyrannical take-over of our Republic. The founders were counting on revolution if necessary. Revolution is what started this country. It’s not immoral as long as real tyranny is encroaching. The problem is, tyranny doesn’t always wear red coats. Sometimes it’s hard to spot. But every time someone says anything like that they are accused of being an extremist. The naysayers tell you it can’t happen here anymore. I don’t think we’re that far away from it but it’s held at bay until some idiot thinks they can get away with it. This is why disarming the people is so important.
I had a tense moment one time in a South American country where I was with a military unit and we came upon what would be known now as “insurgents”. Neither of us were sure if we wanted to start a firefight. Suddenly the other guys just threw down their AK’s and raised their hands. I was grateful no one on either side was too excited to “get some”.
During the American Revolution 12,000 Colonists captured by the British died in captivity on prison ships, while only 8,000 died in battle. Had the 12,000 who surrendered continued to fight, many would have survived and they could have done great damage to the British and likely shortened the war.
Civil War prisoners were treated so badly that some 50,000 died in captivity. More Americans have been killed by Americans than by any foreign army in any war. Six hundred and eighteen thousand Americans died in the Civil War.
As many as 18,000 captured American and Philipino prisoners died or were murdered at the hands of the Japanese during the six days of the “Bataan Death March.” Had most of these soldiers slipped into the jungle and fought as guerrillas they could have tied up elements of the Japanese Army for months or years and perhaps more of them would have survived the war.
Of the Americans who actually reached Japanese prison camps during the war, nearly 50,000 died in captivity. That is more than 10 percent of all the American military deaths in the entire war in both the Pacific and European theaters combined.
In addition to the 50,000 captured Americans who died in Japanese prison camps an additional 20,000 were murdered before reaching a prison camp. If those 70,000 Americans had continued to fight, they could have provided time for the United States to build and maneuver its forces, perhaps shortening the war and saving even more lives. Some of them would have likely survived the war. If they had all died in battle their fate would have been no worse.
During the early stages of the “Battle of the Bulge” American soldiers were massacred by the German troops who captured them.
During the Vietnam conflict many American Prisoners Of War were tortured daily for years by the Communist North Vietnamese. Many Americans died during the process. Only Officers (Airmen) held in North Vietnam were ever repatriated. Enlisted Americans captured in South Viet Nam were routinely tortured, mutilated and murdered by the Communists.
In recent years, American troops captured by Islamic terrorists groups have virtually all been tortured and murdered in gruesome fashion. If I were fighting in the Middle East, I would make a vow and plan to fight to the death. Under no circumstances would I allow myself to be captured by our Islamic enemies.
What about surrendering to criminals?
The “Onion Field Murder” in California was a wakeup call to Law Enforcement Officers everywhere. On March 9, 1963, two LAPD Officers were taken prisoner by two criminals. The Officers submitted to capture and gave up their weapons. They were driven to an onion field outside of Bakersfield.
One Officer was murdered while the other Officer managed to escape in a hail of gunfire. The surviving Officer suffered serious psychological problems, having been unable to save his partner. As a result of this incident, the LAPD policy became, “You will fight no matter how bad things are.” “You will never ever surrender your weapons or yourself to a criminal.”
Consider the Ogden, Utah record store murders. Read the book if you do not know the story. The manner in which the criminals murdered their young victims cannot be described here. Resistance might have been futile. Compliance was definitely and absolutely futile.
The courts in this country have ruled that the police have no legal obligation to protect anyone. Why do Law Enforcement Officials always tell civilians not to resist a criminal, while they tell their Officers to always resist and never surrender? One is guns. The Police have them. Police administrators fear being sued by a civilian victim who gets hurt resisting. Furthermore, the police, like all government agencies derive their power by fostering dependence.
When General Santa Ana (also the President of Mexico at the time) ordered 180 “Texicans” to surrender the Alamo, Col. Travis answered with “a cannon shot and a rebel yell.” Eventually General Santa Ana was able to build his troop strength to ten thousand. The Mexicans then swarmed the defenders and killed them all.
The battle of the Alamo delayed the Mexican Army long enough for Sam Houston to build his Texican Army, which met and defeated the Mexican Army and captured General Santa Ana. General Santa Ana traded Texas for his life and the sacrifices of the Alamo defenders changed history.
Surrender is not an option. Resist those home invaders. Resist that robber. Fight for your freedom. Fight for your life instead of begging for it. Be prepared to resist. Have the knowledge, the training, the tools, and the preparedness to resist. As a famous ancient Chief Captain named Moroni once wrote: “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children”. This is what we fight for, our God, our religion, our freedom and our families. Never retreat, never surrender.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Monday, April 9, 2018
Breaking In A Gun
Finally the day has come! I open the case, and there sits my new gun! I’ve waited for a while for this moment. My wife doesn’t understand yet she does. You make it safe and then feel it a little bit. It feels good in your hand and you can’t wait to get it into action! We live on a acreage away from civilization so I go into my back “yard” or what I call the “South 40.” I first clean the gun noting the take down and reassembly of the gun. I lube it as per the manufacturer’s recommendations. Then I go outside and shoot! The exhilaration is palpable. I do love a new gun! As Humphrey Bogart says in Casablanca,
“…I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
How long should I let a gun go before it is broken in? 100 rounds? 500 rounds? 2000 rounds?
Well as I mentioned above, when you get a new gun you should first clean it. Follow the instructions in the manual. Check your owner's manual for any special instructions for the first time shooting, because the manufacturer may have some recommendations. Additionally, there are different procedures for breaking in a rifle and breaking in a handgun. For now, we will concentrate on the latter. There are a couple different schools of thought. First is you start by loading one round, and fire it. Then you clean the barrel. Load two rounds, fire them both. Clean the barrel, then load three rounds, repeat, then four, followed by five. Clean the barrel again, and commence to shooting however you want. The other school of thought is once you get it cleaned and lubricated, you shoot as many rounds as you can as soon as you can. The first shooting session with a new pistol should be used for several purposes, first of which is break-in. Second is to determine accuracy, and specifically how it shoots. Does it shoot a little low? The front sight may need to be held under the target. If hitting high, just over the target. To the right or left? You could need more dry fire practice or you may need to adjust the sights. This process also, as you've likely guessed, lets you zero the pistol, which is just as important.
When a gun is broken in is the subject of debate. Some people feel differently, and popular lore holds that some pistols break in very quickly and others may need a bit more. For the garden variety gun, you're mostly likely going to get there after 100 to 200 rounds, so 2 to 4 boxes of 50. After this amount of shooting, you should notice the action will get a little smoother, the trigger should break a little easier and travel a little smoother as well. Again, some guns may need a bit more "break-in" than others. A lot of people in the 1911 community insist 500 rounds are needed at least. Often enough, though, the owner's manual will tell you what the break-in period will be.
A break-in period is a vital step and should be a key focus when getting a new gun you intend to carry or serve in a self-defense role. When you get a new pistol, rifle or shotgun, you are getting a freshly finished product made of metal, wood, polymer, or some other material shaped by man to serve a purpose. These guns are mostly designed with exacting tolerances and springs designed to provide the perfect tension needed in order to make the gun work when the user calls for it to. When being made, gun manufacturers have stages of QC where they inspect a few guns from each batch, or may even inspect them all. The problem is that in some cases, not all problems that can show up will be evident from a visual inspection. The most stress you can put on these guns in order to uncover issues is to shoot them. This does not mean that the factory test fire is good enough, but rather that it is a verification of functionality, not integrity. What I am referring to is running your gun for several hundred rounds, if not a couple thousand before trusting it to function perfectly every time you call for it to.
I prefer to use a longer break-in time for all my guns than is normal. I found that this number works best, no matter the caliber, unless otherwise specified. People today want a gun that can be 100% reliable and ready to carry out of the box. This is not always a reasonable expectation for many guns, since some of their tolerances can cause failures to feed from stiff extractor springs, failures to extract/eject due to weak extractor springs, etc. Some issues like parts breakages could crop up in only 100 rounds. This has happened to me plenty of times, and I accept that as a possibility for all guns.
Guns that have early breakages are not crap, but just have manufacturer defects. If your car broke down ten miles out of the dealership parking lot, are you going to stay away from that whole brand? You can, but that isn’t good judgement unless it becomes a pattern. If you have a problem that keeps happening over and over again after sending it back to the manufacturer for warranty repairs, that may be a sign that the gun is a Lemon and should be replaced. But don’t bash the company for the pistol being a Lemon. If the next one also gives you a hard time, then I say it is up to you to decide the next course of action and I will respect your judgement of the company’s product.
My advice is to use a safe and well tested break-in period of 2000 rounds. I found this to work best because I have had issues crop up at almost every round count, even past 1200 rounds. Some components may not get molded just right or heat treated poorly. Heat treating properly and with precise timing and temperatures can make a huge difference in a spring fatigue life. Metal recipes may have gotten diluted, which can cause metals to become brittle and crack very easily under pressure. The first thing to give problems in my experience is springs. Just be mindful if you have one gun you run a lot and want it to continue to run, get extra springs and be ready to have to replace them. This is the best advice that I can give. Be ready for something to give out and remember that it is better to happen now than when you need it to work.
Breaking in a mechanical item is important for most things. A gun is no different. Take care of your gun and they will take care of you!
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
“…I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
How long should I let a gun go before it is broken in? 100 rounds? 500 rounds? 2000 rounds?
Well as I mentioned above, when you get a new gun you should first clean it. Follow the instructions in the manual. Check your owner's manual for any special instructions for the first time shooting, because the manufacturer may have some recommendations. Additionally, there are different procedures for breaking in a rifle and breaking in a handgun. For now, we will concentrate on the latter. There are a couple different schools of thought. First is you start by loading one round, and fire it. Then you clean the barrel. Load two rounds, fire them both. Clean the barrel, then load three rounds, repeat, then four, followed by five. Clean the barrel again, and commence to shooting however you want. The other school of thought is once you get it cleaned and lubricated, you shoot as many rounds as you can as soon as you can. The first shooting session with a new pistol should be used for several purposes, first of which is break-in. Second is to determine accuracy, and specifically how it shoots. Does it shoot a little low? The front sight may need to be held under the target. If hitting high, just over the target. To the right or left? You could need more dry fire practice or you may need to adjust the sights. This process also, as you've likely guessed, lets you zero the pistol, which is just as important.
When a gun is broken in is the subject of debate. Some people feel differently, and popular lore holds that some pistols break in very quickly and others may need a bit more. For the garden variety gun, you're mostly likely going to get there after 100 to 200 rounds, so 2 to 4 boxes of 50. After this amount of shooting, you should notice the action will get a little smoother, the trigger should break a little easier and travel a little smoother as well. Again, some guns may need a bit more "break-in" than others. A lot of people in the 1911 community insist 500 rounds are needed at least. Often enough, though, the owner's manual will tell you what the break-in period will be.
A break-in period is a vital step and should be a key focus when getting a new gun you intend to carry or serve in a self-defense role. When you get a new pistol, rifle or shotgun, you are getting a freshly finished product made of metal, wood, polymer, or some other material shaped by man to serve a purpose. These guns are mostly designed with exacting tolerances and springs designed to provide the perfect tension needed in order to make the gun work when the user calls for it to. When being made, gun manufacturers have stages of QC where they inspect a few guns from each batch, or may even inspect them all. The problem is that in some cases, not all problems that can show up will be evident from a visual inspection. The most stress you can put on these guns in order to uncover issues is to shoot them. This does not mean that the factory test fire is good enough, but rather that it is a verification of functionality, not integrity. What I am referring to is running your gun for several hundred rounds, if not a couple thousand before trusting it to function perfectly every time you call for it to.
I prefer to use a longer break-in time for all my guns than is normal. I found that this number works best, no matter the caliber, unless otherwise specified. People today want a gun that can be 100% reliable and ready to carry out of the box. This is not always a reasonable expectation for many guns, since some of their tolerances can cause failures to feed from stiff extractor springs, failures to extract/eject due to weak extractor springs, etc. Some issues like parts breakages could crop up in only 100 rounds. This has happened to me plenty of times, and I accept that as a possibility for all guns.
Guns that have early breakages are not crap, but just have manufacturer defects. If your car broke down ten miles out of the dealership parking lot, are you going to stay away from that whole brand? You can, but that isn’t good judgement unless it becomes a pattern. If you have a problem that keeps happening over and over again after sending it back to the manufacturer for warranty repairs, that may be a sign that the gun is a Lemon and should be replaced. But don’t bash the company for the pistol being a Lemon. If the next one also gives you a hard time, then I say it is up to you to decide the next course of action and I will respect your judgement of the company’s product.
My advice is to use a safe and well tested break-in period of 2000 rounds. I found this to work best because I have had issues crop up at almost every round count, even past 1200 rounds. Some components may not get molded just right or heat treated poorly. Heat treating properly and with precise timing and temperatures can make a huge difference in a spring fatigue life. Metal recipes may have gotten diluted, which can cause metals to become brittle and crack very easily under pressure. The first thing to give problems in my experience is springs. Just be mindful if you have one gun you run a lot and want it to continue to run, get extra springs and be ready to have to replace them. This is the best advice that I can give. Be ready for something to give out and remember that it is better to happen now than when you need it to work.
Breaking in a mechanical item is important for most things. A gun is no different. Take care of your gun and they will take care of you!
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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