LTC. Jeff Cooper's book at Paladin Press:
http://www.paladin-press.com/category/s

Thanks, Will. I was actually teasing mentioning the book and meant this book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0873646975/ref=cm_rdp_product

The book you linked to looks like something I should read though. That, and make it a point to visit the range a little more often to practice. My proficiency is not well enough ingrained to hold up well without practice.

Hmmm... It seems my sense of humor does not come through as well online. I wasn't trying to promote vigilantism like one of my friends in the next county thought.

Nope. I was just surprised and amused that a politician, a senator nonetheless, would say something like this and then hold to his position so publicly. The fact that a large number of families here are armed and pretty self-reliant in general really is accurate and made the first statements more amusing. The senator has further gone on record talking about "hot lead enemas," which seems like it's going over the top to me.

This article better represents the issue, I think.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009023958_websheldon11m.html

On the positive side, this issue has local people talking about their guns more. I've invited several of my female friends to go with me to some gun classes I'm scheduled for in a couple of months. They think having a gun in the nightstand (most of them have never fired) is going to take care of a bad situation.

Between what I've learned from a hubby in the military, family members who are police officers, and what I've learned on here, I know that's not going to happen. Good security is a multi layered approach. It's nowhere near as simple as just shooting any bad guys that come your way.

So....vigilantism = bad. Taking the steps to be educated and trained in the use of a firearm and being willing to defend yourself and your family = good. IMO

We'll have this conversation in person some time, eh?

Now, that does sound like a plan. Maybe next week.

Sorry if I missed you at training yesterday. Alex came down sick during the night, but I would have like to have been there. Tracking has been going well this week.

I was watching some documentary on gun use the other night. I didn't see the whole thing. It showed students (who were beginning some kind of training with gun use, I think maybe they were police in training).

Anyway, they showed several scenarios in which people would use guns to defend themselves. All guns were loaded with paint bullets, so you could see where people were hit. The "bad guys" were usually hit in non-lethal places if they were hit at all, and all except one (i think) of the good guys defending themselves were "killed" i.e. shot in the head or chest. The reason given was that the "good guys" were filled with defense adrenaline which significantly lowered their reaction times and accuracy as well as their ability to think.

Fully trained police officers and military people did not have this issue, because their training enabled them to react automatically without freezing in place, panicking etc. which the regular joes did.

The recommendation was that if you plan to own a gun, or ever use one to defend yourself, you need to get training. Significant training. To basically program yourself to react quickly in times of danger.

Simply owning the gun isn't enough and may actually endanger you, if you expose your body to shoot someone and then they get you first. (Such as what happened on the TV show).

I believe it might have been this show: http://www.tv.com/60-Minutes/episode/1264758/summary.html

Edited by Angela Burrell (04/14/2009 10:22 AM)
Edit reason: change link

I saw that show, and they stacked the deck to make the outcome bad ( and it was an anti-gun hit piece anyhow ... ).

That being said, I have posted the websites of various firearm training schools here more times than I can remember.
Ironically, I'm going through some medical issues right now, so my wife surprised me with a Lifetime Membership to Front Sight Firearms Training Institute, which a real morale builder for me!
http://www.frontsight.com/index.asp?

I have attended most of the big name schools ( Gunsight, etc. ) and Front Sight is by far the best.
It's worth your time to learn about them!

OODA Loop

Your best friend, or worst nightmare.

 Quote: Alyssa Myracle

OODA Loop

Your best friend, or worst nightmare.

Been there...had problems with that. Especially when stressed, I have a tendency to get a bit indecisive waiting for the perfect moment instead of the good enough moment. Then it's more of a OO-OO-OO loop.