Church Security (or lack, thereof) Can Someone Make Sense of This to Me!?

 This is a list of acts of vandalism, arson, aggression, and active killer events of the last 10 years that have happened on property of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  As the Church grows, I understand that these incidents will increase just from the number of buildings being used and built.  But one thing I have noticed is an escalation in violence.  I’m not sure it will diminish but it will continue to rise.

I know this seems to be criticism; I don’t mean it to be.  I think the Church is navigating legal and many local countries laws.  They also don’t want to alarm the general membership, which I understand.  

I am currently in a calling where I discuss and counsel with my Bishop.  We are pretty close friends.  In our discussions of security in our chapels and meetings we see a lack of almost any type of security.  The Church’s answer to this is in my opinion, “Run, Hide, Fight” and call the police.  I’m so glad that was not the policy when I was in combat.  The whole idea of an ambush is mostly surprise.  Running away is preferrable but not likely to happen.  Calling for protection is also futile.  And so, it is.

This is part of a list from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attacks_against_Latter-day_Saint_churches

·         March 25–26, 2016 – The construction site of the Meridian Idaho Temple was vandalized.^{[128][129][130]}

·         April 9, 2016 – A meetinghouse in Vancouver, Washington was vandalized.^[131]

·         July 26, 2016 – A meetinghouse in Las Vegas, Nevada was burned in an act of arson. A firefighter's union hall across the street was also targeted.^[132]

·         November 12, 2016 – The outbuilding of a meetinghouse in Rexburg, Idaho was vandalized with spray paint.^[133]

·         December 10, 2016 – A meetinghouse in Guelph, Ontario was damaged in an act of vandalism.^[134]

·         October 18–19, 2017 – A meetinghouse in Dublin, Ohio was vandalized.^[135]

·         January 9, 2018 – A meetinghouse in Twin Falls, Idaho was vandalized with graffiti.^[136]

·         May 7, 2018 – A meetinghouse in Idaho Falls, Idaho was vandalized with graffiti.^[137]

·         May 12, 2018 – A man broke into the St. George Utah Temple, broke its windows, attacked some of its temple workers, and smeared blood through an area of the temple.^[138][139]

·         July 14–15, 2018 – A meetinghouse in Millcreek, Utah was vandalized.^[140]

·         July 22, 2018 – A gunman entered a meetinghouse in Fallon, Nevada, killing one person and injuring another.^[141][142]

·         August 26–27, 2018 – The interior of a meetinghouse in Spanish Fork, Utah was vandalized, resulting in $5,000 worth of damages.^[143][144]

·         November 17, 2018 – A teenager assaulted and strangled a 70-year-old female organist who was rehearsing on the organ at a meetinghouse in Centerville, Utah; the attacker is believed to have gained entry to the meetinghouse by throwing a rock through one of its windows.^[145][146]

·         December 2, 2018 – Five people were injured in a mass knife attack at a meetinghouse in Goiânia, Brazil.^[147]

·         December 4, 2018 – A couch was set on fire in an attempt to burn down a meetinghouse in Fort Collins, Colorado.^[148]

·         January 26, 2019 – A meetinghouse in St. George, Utah was burned down in an act of arson. An Episcopal church was also targeted.^[149]

·         March 13, 2019 – Two meetinghouses in Greymouth and Christchurch, New Zealand, were burned in acts of arson.^[150][151]

·         March 29, 2019 – Two meetinghouses in Orem, Utah were burned and defaced with the words "Satan Lives".^[152]

·         March 29, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Concepción, Chile was attacked and burned via Molotov cocktail.^{[153][154][155][156]}

·         April 7, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Tejupilco de Hidalgo, México State was burned in an act of arson; a Catholic church was also burned.^[157][158]

·         May 15, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Boise, Idaho was vandalized, one of its windowpanes being damaged.^[159]

·         May 18–19, 2019 – A meetinghouse and its fence in Provo, Utah were vandalized with graffiti with hateful religious and political speech.^[160]

·         June 1, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Boise, Idaho was broken into, with some of its glass being broken.^[159]

·         June 1, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Farmington, New Mexico was burned in an act of arson.^[161][162]

·         June 21, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Cedar City, Utah was vandalized, causing thousands of dollars' worth of damage.^[163]

·         June 28, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Ogden, Utah was burned in an act of arson.^{[164][165][166]}

·         July 6, 2019 – The roof of a meetinghouse in Boise, Idaho was vandalized with spray paint.^[159]

·         July 6, 2019 – The exterior walls of a meetinghouse in Shoreline, Washington was vandalized with spray paint.^[167]

·         July 10, 2019 – An outside wall of a meetinghouse in Boise, Idaho was vandalized with graffiti.^[159]

·         July 14, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Cottonwood Heights, Utah was burned in an act of arson.^[168][169]

·         July 21, 2019 – An intruder attempted to set fire in a bathroom of a meetinghouse in Boise, Idaho.^[159]

·         July 21, 2019 – Two seminary buildings in Herriman, Utah were vandalized with racist graffiti.^[170]

·         July 23, 2019 – A gunman fired his weapon at a group of individuals at a meetinghouse parking lot in St. George, Utah.^[171]

·         August 12, 2019 – An intentional fire was set in a meetinghouse in Layton, Utah.^[172]

·         August 16, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Logandale, Nevada was targeted in an act of attempted arson.^[173]

·         October 11–12, 2019 – A meetinghouse in Boise, Idaho was vandalized.^[159][174]

·         December 24, 2019 – A man broke into and vandalized the Logan Utah Temple.^[175]

·         January 9, 2020 – Joshua Adams Hale pled guilty to willfully and maliciously set fire to and burned the chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cherry Creek, South Dakota.^[176]

·         February 5, 2020 – A missionary training center in São Paulo, Brazil was infiltrated by an intruder armed with a knife; the intruder was shot and killed by police.^[177]

·         May 26, 2020 – Honolulu police launched an arson investigation involving an early morning church fire in Kalaeloa, Hawaii that investigators determined was intentionally set.^[178]

·         June 2, 2020 – A meetinghouse in Plano, Texas suffered under $30,000 worth of damage on one of the exterior walls of its property.^[179]

·         August 3, 2020 – A gunman fired shots at the church's missionary training center in Provo, Utah.^[180]

·         September 7, 2020 – A meetinghouse in Eagle Mountain, Utah was vandalized and partially burned.^[181]

·         November 12, 2020 – A meetinghouse was vandalized in Moab, Utah.^[182]

2021–present

·         January 17, 2021 – Randy Louis White, 35, of Sacramento admitted to breaking the window of a meetinghouse in Willows, California, entering the building and purposely starting fire to the building.^{[183][184][185]}

·         February 25, 2021 – A meetinghouse in Provo, Utah was damaged in an act of arson.^[186]

·         April 18, 2021 – A meetinghouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri was burned down in an act of arson.^{[187][188][189][190][191]} The offender was sentenced to serve 111 months in prison and to pay $6,968,223.36 in restitution for damages.^[192]

·         April 26, 2021 – A meetinghouse in Fruita, Colorado was burned down in an act of arson.^[193][194]

·         June 15, 2021 – A meetinghouse in West Jordan, Utah was vandalized, resulting in $50,000 worth of damage.^[195]

·         August 31, 2021 – Three meetinghouses in St. George, Utah were damaged in acts of arson.^{[196][197][198][199][200][201]}

·         October 9, 2021 – A meetinghouse in Syracuse, Utah was damaged in acts of arson and vandalism.^[202][203]

·         November 12, 2021 – Two men carrying firearms entered a meetinghouse in Torreón, Coahuila during a zone conference among the missionaries of the Church in that area. There were 70 missionaries (57 elders, 13 sisters) in attendance along with the mission president and his wife. The two men demanded cell phones, tablets, and wallets, assaulting some of the missionaries in the process; the mission president and his wife were also assaulted and threatened with a knife.^{[204][205][206]}

·         November 7, 2021 – The Brigham Young Family Cemetery, a historical site owned by the Church, was damaged in acts of vandalism.^[207][208]

·         December 2, 2021 – A monument at the Mormon Battalion Historic Site in Presidio Park in San Diego, California was vandalized.^[209]

·         December 4, 2021 – A missionary was shot five times in a meetinghouse in Birmingham, Alabama.^{[210][211][212][213][214][215][216]}

·         December 28 or 29, 2021 – $30,000 in property damage occurred during a break-in at a meetinghouse in Kirtland, New Mexico.^[217]

·         January 2, 2022 – A meetinghouse's windows were damaged in an act of vandalism in Park City, Utah.^[218][219]

·         March 27, 2022 – Windows of the Brigham Young Winter Home and Office (a historic site and museum of the church) in St. George, Utah were broken in an act of vandalism, resulting in approximately $4,000 in damage.^[220]

·         April 28, 2022 – The roof of a meetinghouse in Modesto, California was intentionally but minimally damaged in an act of vandalism.^[221]

·         May 21, 2022 – A pro-abortion group vandalized a meetinghouse in Olympia, Washington as well as the buildings of three other faiths in the area.^[222]

·         June 29, 2022 – A meetinghouse in Monroe, Utah was tagged with graffiti.^[223]

·         July 20, 2022 – Fourteen meetinghouses were vandalized in St. George, Utah, in Hurricane, Utah, and in Washington, Utah by a group of three individuals.^{[224][225][226]}

·         July 25, 2022 – The Orem Utah Temple was damaged in an act of arson while it was being built.^{[227][228][229][230]}

·         August 2, 2022 – A meetinghouse was damaged in an act of arson in Boise, Idaho.^{[231][232][233]}

·         August 16, 2022 – Several meetinghouses were damaged in acts of vandalism in Sandy, Utah and in Draper, Utah.^[234]

·         October 14, 2022 – A meetinghouse in Pocatello, Idaho was damaged in an act of vandalism.^[235][236]

·         November 13, 2022 – A meetinghouse in Perry, Utah was damaged in an act of vandalism; it is estimated that thousands of dollars' worth of damage was done.^[237]

·         November 18, 2022 – The Logan Tabernacle in Logan, Utah was damaged in an act of vandalism.^[238][239]

·         November 25, 2022 – A meetinghouse in Saanich, British Columbia was damaged in an apparent act of arson.^[240]

·         January 11, 2023 – A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[241]

·         February 12, 2023 – A meetinghouse in Elko, Nevada was damaged during a break-in, wherein two fires were set.^[242]

·         May 10, 2023 – The windows and property inside of a meetinghouse in Johnstone, Scotland were vandalized.^[243]

·         July 2, 2023 – The Bountiful Utah Temple in Bountiful, Utah was vandalized with graffiti.^[244]

·         September 21, 2023 – Nearly 3 dozen meetinghouses in the southwest portion of the Salt Lake Valley, Utah were burglarized and vandalized.^{[245][246][247][248][249]}

·         September 27, 2023 – A meetinghouse in Berthoud, Colorado was vandalized with graffiti depicting obscene language, phallic images, and antagonistic statements.^{[250][251][252]}

·         October 1, 2023 – A meetinghouse in Idaho Falls, Idaho was vandalized by two juveniles.^[253]

·         December 12, 2023 – The Provo Utah Temple in Provo, Utah was vandalized by a man with a hammer.^[254][255]

·         March 27, 2024 – At least three people attacked a meetinghouse in Henderson, Nevada by throwing an explosive into the meetinghouse while it was occupied; four people inside the meetinghouse were injured.^{[256][257][258]}

·         June 6, 2024 – A meetinghouse in Brentwood, California was vandalized with politically charged claims written in graffiti and two windows broken.^[259][260]

·         July 7, 2024 – A meetinghouse in Wiggins, Mississippi was vandalized and subjected to arson by a homeless, convicted sex offender.^{[261][262][263]} The offender has been found guilty of two counts of arson, damaging of religious property, and use of fire to commit a felony; he faces up to life in prison, and will receive his sentence in January 2026.^[264][265]

·         July 28–30, 2024 – A meetinghouse in Magna, Utah was vandalized, resulting in damages totaling at least $60,000.^{[266][267][268]}

·         October 4, 2024 – A meetinghouse in Santa Clara, Utah was vandalized.^[269][270]

·         October 8, 2024 – An arsonist set a fire at a meetinghouse in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.^[271][272]

·         December 17, 2024 – The Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah was vandalized, resulting in an Oceanic tapa cloth (valued at approximately $10,000) being destroyed.^[273][274]

·         January 9, 2025 – A meetinghouse in Calgary, Alberta was damaged in an act of arson.^[275][276]

·         April 29, 2025 – A meetinghouse in Provo, Utah was vandalized, resulting in thousands of dollars' worth of damage.^[277][278]

·         September 28, 2025 – Grand Blanc Township church attack: A meetinghouse in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan was attacked by an active shooter. At least five people were killed, including the shooter.^[279] The building was also set on fire in an act of arson.^[280] The attack received significant national and international^[281] media attention, as it came during a time of heightened political and religious tensions in the United States.^[282]

·         December 8, 2025 – The windows of a meetinghouse in Idaho Falls, Idaho were shot out.^[283]

·         December 14, 2025 – At a meetinghouse in Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic, a man attempted to intimidate and assault Church members with a toy gun designed to resemble a real firearm and with a homemade caustic substance.^[284][285] No casualties were reported.

Please don’t misunderstand.  I am not encouraging breaking the law or church

policy.  But I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do.  On one hand the church insinuates having faith in God’s protection.  Then on the other they say call someone with a gun or hope law enforcement attends the meeting you are attending and that they are carrying.  Does this make any sense to anyone?

I have been a firearms and tactical training instructor for over 35 years.  I don’t see the preparedness or self-sufficiency the Church teaches in any of this!  I’m sure the reasoning is something I’m not aware of.  Liability or something!  Whatever the reason, I will defend my family.

There are those out there who think the Church’s culture is violent.  I’m not sure what religion does not have a violent past.  From the Crusade’s to the Ku Klux Klan, religion has embraced violence.  I’d like to think that most Christian religions have overcome its past and progressed.  But passiveness, in my experience, will get you killed! 

 

I know what you’re thinking. “That Burn guy is going off about Church security again!”  And you would be right.  I just wish someone would make sense of this attitude and policy to me.  How can anyone protect anyone this way?

I’ll entertain any and all answers…

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Training value 5-Paintball, Airsoft, and Simunitions

  Training value 5-Paintball, Airsoft, and Simunitions

Are paintball and airsoft valuable for live-fire training?

Short answer: Yes, airsoft helps with real gun training — for specific skills. Grip, draw-stroke, magazine reloads, target transitions, and tactical movement transfer almost perfectly from airsoft pistol to a real firearm. Recoil management, trigger feel, and ballistics don’t transfer at all. U.S. military units and law enforcement agencies have used airsoft (and the closely related Simunition) for decades because force-on-force training is nearly impossible to replicate safely with live ammunition.  

While very valuable, there are problems for the average civilian wanting to use Simunitions to train. First, foremost--and unfortunately--Simunitions are not sold to civilians. Second, even though some civilian training facilities have access to Simunition-converted weapons, they're not cheap to use. Also, their utility is restricted to "opposing force"-type training situations; nobody uses Simunitions to target-shoot at the range.

And last, according to Simunitions' own website, "Improper use of Simunition ammunition can cause injury, loss, damage or death."

A friend of mine — a casual airsoft player for years — walked into his first live-fire IPSC match expecting to fumble through it. Instead, his draw was smooth, his reloads were faster than half the field, and his movement between positions looked practiced. His accuracy, though? That was a different story. He flinched on every shot and couldn’t keep the sights steady under recoil. He placed middle of the pack, which shocked the veterans who’d been shooting for years.

That experience perfectly captures the reality of airsoft-to-firearms crossover: some skills transfer so well it feels like cheating, while others don’t transfer at all and can actually build dangerous habits if you’re not paying attention. Military units, law enforcement agencies, and professional competitors worldwide are incorporating airsoft into their training — not as a replacement for live fire, but as a force multiplier that lets them practice the “before” and “between” of shooting at a fraction of the cost.

Paintball can be used to train for certain aspects of gun handling and combat skills, but it is not a direct substitute for training with real firearms.

In military and law enforcement contexts, paintball is often used as a supplementary, low‑cost, and safe simulation tool to practice tactical skills that are difficult or dangerous to replicate with live ammunition. 

It can help civilians:

Simulate close‑quarters combat (CQC): Practicing room clearing, flanking, cover and concealment, and movement under pressure.

Improve reaction time and situational awareness: The threat of being hit encourages faster decision‑making and better threat assessment. 

Build teamwork and communication: Success depends on coordinated movement and clear communication, mirroring real‑world combat.

Running scenarios that are hard to simulate with live fire, such as urban warfare or hostage rescue. 

However, paintball has important limitations:

Accuracy and range are far less than real guns, so it can’t fully replicate the physical and psychological demands of live‑fire training.

It doesn’t train the muscle memory, recoil control, or marksmanship that come from using actual firearms.

The “threat” is artificial, so it can’t fully replicate the stress and consequences of real combat.

(Thank you to The Gun Zone for some of these ideas about paintball. https://thegunzone.com/)

 

For realistic gun training, militaries and agencies often combine paintball with Simunition (like Tippmann or Simunition®) or other force‑on‑force systems that use less‑lethal projectiles with more realistic weight, sound, and recoil. These systems are closer to real firearms in feel and performance, while still being safe.

 

Bottom line: Paintball can train for tactical movement, communication, and CQC skills, but it does not train for the same level of marksmanship, recoil control, or real‑world combat stress as training with actual guns. It’s best used alongside, not instead of, live‑fire or Simunition training.

Yes, the military still uses paintball, though its role is more nuanced than many might think. While it’s not a primary training tool for combat situations like live-fire exercises or sophisticated simulations, paintball retains value in specific areas, particularly for basic training exercises, leadership development, and scenario-based training, offering a safe and cost-effective way to introduce recruits to tactical concepts and teamwork.

Paintball serves as an accessible and safe introduction to basic tactical concepts for civilians. It allows instructors to teach principles like fire and movement, cover and concealment, and communication in a dynamic environment. Civilians are able to grasp the concept of utilizing the terrain and engaging the enemy without fear of serious injury, allowing for a less stressful and more engaging learning experience. This initial exposure to tactical thinking can then be built upon with more advanced and realistic training methods.

Paintball and Airsoft can help with some aspects of defense.  So can competitive shooting.  Having participated in all of these methods including Simunitions, I’ve come to the conclusion that all can help.  Especially with force-on-force training.  My choice would be a shoot house with interactive targets.  This is not force-on-force, but it is my preferred method along with dynamic and varied range time.  I’ve been in combat including some CQC.  I feel that for me with my strengths and weaknesses, the drills I run coupled with a shoot house are what I need.  You must assess your needs and decide what works best in your situation to see if Paintball or Airsoft can be an advantage for you.  I enjoy Paintball and Airsoft and would participate in them for entertainment purposes, even though there are aspects of defense that can be learned from them. 

I like to reassess my training often.  I will add to, or take away, methods that will keep me sharp and effective in my defense training.  You should too!

 

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Wolves With Table Manners

 Why is the Mormon Church less violent than the general population?  I just read an article about why.  It is “A Peaceable People: Why Latter-day Saints Are Less Violent than the General Population” By C.D. Cunningham, March 31, 2025

 

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=f1ae0d7b4299083214edca1ee7ef6bbf5cb8e2504cd4d4950f686c81ab40fc4cJmltdHM9MTc4NDA3MzYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=11f528e6-0686-6b2e-3675-3f7107846abc&psq=lds+church+violence&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9wdWJsaWNzcXVhcmVtYWcub3JnL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDI1LzAzL01vcm1vbi1DcmltZS1SYXRlXy1UaGUtVHJ1dGgucGRm

 

In this article it is purported that Mormons are less violent and have a lower crime rate because of a few things.

1.      Theological Foundations

2.      Community Structures

3.      Economic Stability & Welfare

4.      Lifestyle Norms: Sobriety, Stability, and Self-Mastery

5.      Historical Memory

I would agree with all of these factors and the author mentions there is more.  I agree with that too.  Peaceable living abounds with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But from someone who grew up in a large LDS community, and having been an active member my entire life, I have a position that a “handful” of typical members have.  With that background I also have another perspective.  One that is born out of experiencing combat and teaching self-defense for a long time.  As I meet other LDS veterans and also those LDS 1^st responders (my son is an EMT), I hear stories of tragic violence that the average Mormon community has been spared from.  You people who are LDS but acquainted with violence understand what I’m about to say.  We belong to a club.  We have a very unwanted membership in the violence club.  Unfortunately, we have experienced things that the average Church member hopefully will never experience.  I know, I’m a violence snob.  I’m not too much of a snob to understand that there are people who have not been exposed to violence who can understand it and are very much aware of it.  My concern is the average member.  One of the reasons I continue this blog is to get to the average American or average member.  It’s hard to understand evil or that crime exists when you have never had to deal with it.  One of the purposes of this blog is to inform and give tools to those who are less acquainted with violence and to add a dose of reality.  There is something called the Normalcy Bias.  It is a belief that it can’t happen here or to me.  It’s the deer in the headlights look!  Bad things DO happen to good people and it’s better to understand that and prepare.  This is why I constantly write these articles to try and help you, and I, to be more and better prepared.

Playing the “what if” game.

I prepare for the what if scenarios.  Having acute situational awareness can help in this preparation.  It’s actually part of it.  If you can see a problem before it happens then maybe it can be avoided.  When I teach tactical classes, I teach what I call ADD. Avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.  This is where your mind should be at all times when prepared for violence.  It may be inconvenient; it may take more time or resources but ADD is where we should all reside.  You can be what my wife calls me and my friends, Wolves with table manners. But what I’ve found is a trend in the Church.  Passivism.

Passivism is the enduring outlook or disposition characterized by submissiveness, a lack of personal initiative, and a tendency toward the acceptance of external control or authority without resistance or critical engagement.  Some guys were put into this state from doing all the things they were supposed to.  When they were boys they were good kids and if they were Scouts, they were Eagle Scouts.  They were Seminary class presidents and in Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Presidencies.  They served a mission and went to BYU.  They got a decent job and married a beautiful Mormon girl in the temple.  But they really never thought for themselves.  Some of them did but many just went along.  Now, I’m not saying they shouldn’t have done all those things, those were good decisions.  But many of these men just do what they do without thought or conviction.  They do it because that’s what good Mormon guys do.  When they finally come to themselves and start thinking, they leave their faith and sometimes their families.  Brethren, think!  But because they are passivists, they have never thought about violence and how it can, and in many instances, will, touch their lives.  They are not wimps, but they have never had to deal with violence so there has never been a need for preparation.

As Dylan said, “The times they are a changin’”  Men in the Church need to be peacemakers.  You can be a peacemaker and prepared for violence.  Be wolves with table manners.

Being less violent than others is a good thing. But when evil comes calling evil needs to know it will be met with wolf claws and fangs.

I beseech LDS men to be prepared.  Martial arts, weapons use, and keeping your head in chaos.  These are the things we should be engaged in along with being superior priesthood holders and operating with the Spirit.  It’s possible but like any other worthy cause it takes work and determination.  I would challenge you, both men and women, to be ready for violence while preaching the word.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn  

Shooting An Automatic Weapon

 Automatic weapons, or machine guns, have been depicted as the weapon of choice for bad guys and heroes alike.  Movies, television, and the media think full autos are all over the place on the streets.  Most of this is complete fabrication.  Even if you could find a fully automatic rifle you would need some experience to use it effectively.  I taught military and law enforcement to shoot with these weapons for years.  They are not easy to use.  Sure, you could pick one up and start shooting, but without competent instruction, and some practice, you would only succeed at giving cover fire at the very best or shooting someone or something you don’t intend to at the worst.  These guns are useful in combat, or for keeping heads down, but not much use at all.  When I was in combat, I seldom had my weapon on “auto”.  If I wanted to be effective the most, I would fire 3 round bursts.  These guns tend to “ride” or have a muzzle rise that you must control.  Also know that squeezing and going “Rambo” is not that great for the gun.  No matter if it is a sub machine gun or a machine gun you’re bound to have this rise.  And barrels get hot fast!  With our M-60 we switched barrels quite often.

In 2014 in Arizona a 9-year-old girl was legally shooting a sub machine gun at a range when she lost control of the gun and ended up shooting her instructor.  The instructor was rushed to the hospital but died from the gun shot.

What’s the difference between a machine gun and a submachine gun?  A submachine gun shoots pistol caliber ammunition. Usually, these will have a lower recoil, have reduced ranges compared to rifle caliber machine guns, and require a better grip.   

One of the most important aspects of shooting full auto is grip. Your support hand (for right-handed shooters, this will be your left hand) should grip the gun and pull it back into your body. This allows the gun to sit firmly just inside your shoulder and acts as both a steerer of the gun and controls it. This is the most important part of the grip, as your support hand is doing most of the work.  Your strong hand will rest relaxed, but firm against the gun’s grip and that’s about it (in most cases).

The two major points to shooting auto are leaning into the gun, which will help to manage the amount of recoil you feel, and making sure you are balanced.   Your foot position can vary a bit depending on the types and calibers of gun you are shooting, as well as your body type.

Just as the different types of full autos are slightly different than one another, the shooter has to make slight adjustments for the platform they are firing.   The basics are the same, but a few minor changes will set you up for safe success. Submachine guns have more muzzle rise than most other auto platforms.   This can be due to rate of fire, with some guns that have the back end being heavier than the front, or simply because the gun is lighter than most.  

I recommend taking a small step forward with your support foot.   You then want to bend that front knee and sink your weight onto that leg, which will lean your weight into the gun.  Combine this with using your support hand to pull the rifle snugly into your shoulder, and you have set up a solid foundation for most rifle systems.

Do not try to learn from video games, TV shows, or movies.  They lie and promote disinformation.  They do it so naturally and off hand.  I was just watching a series from the 90’s called The Mentalist yesterday.  It’s basically a cop show.  They were talking about someone having a registered gun.  Most non-gun people (and some gun people!) think that guns are registered in this country.  I know a lot of law enforcement would like that because it would make their work much easier.  Like many things in law enforcement, if we didn’t have rights their job would be easier.  But we do have rights. I see law enforcement often try to trick people into giving up their rights just to do their work.  I think it’s disgusting.  Many have fought and died for those rights that someone who has sworn to uphold, yet they try and get around it.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the U.S. law enforcement.  Most in law enforcement are honorable, good people.  There are some who ruin things for all of them.  It is unlawful to have a registry for guns.  In landmark cases District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) the Supreme Court has affirmed the individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense in the home. A federal firearms register can be seen as an infringement on this right in several ways:

·          Chilling Effect: Knowing their gun ownership is recorded and potentially accessible to the government can deter individuals from exercising their Second Amendment right. This self-censorship directly undermines the purpose of the amendment.

·         Potential for Abuse: Registration lists have historically been used for confiscation efforts. The mere existence of such a list presents the temptation for future abuse, whether through misguided policy or outright tyranny.

·         Facilitating Confiscation: A comprehensive register makes it significantly easier for the government to identify and potentially confiscate firearms, especially during emergencies or in response to perceived threats.

Understanding the historical context surrounding the Second Amendment is crucial. The Founding Fathers, deeply distrustful of centralized power and standing armies, enshrined the right to bear arms to ensure the people could resist potential government overreach. A federal firearms register, essentially providing the government with a detailed list of armed citizens, directly contradicts this foundational principle.

The fear of a standing army and the importance of an armed citizenry to prevent tyranny were paramount concerns for the framers. A registration scheme empowers the federal government with detailed knowledge of who possesses what arms, thereby diminishing the people’s ability to act as a check on potential governmental abuses of power.

So, there is no registry and it has the force of law behind it.  The closest thing is a semi-registry of guns used in crimes. 

Machine guns and sub-machine guns have been regulated since 1938.  The crime organizations of the 20’s and 30’s are what brought this law to be.  The St. Valentines Day massacre comes to mind.

Would you like to own a machine gun legally?  This is a portion of an article from The Gun Zone

https://thegunzone.com/how-to-buy-a-machine-gun-legally/

How to buy a machine gun legally

September 30, 2024, by William Taylor

 

Steps to Legal Acquisition

1.      Determine Eligibility: Federal law dictates who can own NFA firearms. You must:

·         Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.

·         Be at least 21 years of age.

·         Reside in a state where machine gun ownership is legal. (Not all states permit private ownership of machine guns.)

·         Be legally eligible to possess a firearm, meaning you cannot have any felony convictions or other disqualifying conditions as outlined in federal and state law.

·         Not be prohibited under the provisions of the NFA.

2.      Research State and Local Laws: Even if federal law allows machine gun ownership in your state, your state and local laws may impose further restrictions or outright bans. Thoroughly research your local ordinances before proceeding.

3.      Find a Transferable Machine Gun: Because of the Hughes Amendment, you can only purchase machine guns that were registered with the ATF before May 19, 1986. These firearms are significantly more expensive due to their limited availability. Reputable Class 3 dealers (dealers licensed to sell NFA firearms) are your primary source for finding such firearms.

4.      Arrange the Transfer: Once you’ve found a suitable machine gun, the transfer process begins. This typically involves working with a Class 3 dealer who will initiate the necessary paperwork with the ATF.

5.      Complete ATF Form 4 (Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of Firearm): This form is the cornerstone of the legal transfer process. You must provide detailed information about yourself, the firearm, and the seller. This form also requires your local Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) to be notified. The CLEO must sign the form; however, their signature only serves as a notification that you are seeking to acquire a regulated NFA item.

6.      Submit Fingerprint Cards and Photographs: The ATF requires fingerprint cards and passport-style photographs as part of the Form 4 application.

7.      Pay the Transfer Tax: A $200 transfer tax is levied on each transfer of a machine gun. This payment is submitted along with the Form 4 application.

8.      Wait for ATF Approval: This is the most time-consuming part of the process. The ATF conducts a background check and verifies the information provided on the Form 4. The approval process can take several months, and sometimes even longer.

9.      Receive Approved Form 4 and Take Possession: Once the ATF approves the Form 4, they will return it to the transferring dealer. The dealer can then legally transfer the machine gun to you. You must keep the approved Form 4 in your possession whenever you possess or transport the machine gun.

 

Thanks to The Gun Zone and William Taylor for giving us the steps of an NFA Firearms acquisition. 

As you can see, acquiring, owning, and even shooting an automatic weapon is not common or simple.  If you are so inclined, we wish you luck and remember:

“Happiness is a belt-fed weapon!”

 

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn