NRA Prepares Phoenix Meeting: The National Rifle Association holds its annual convention in Phoenix this month, a time when gun owners fear the new presidential administration is ready to crack down on firearms. The Obama administration has sent mixed signals about how zealously it will pursue new gun laws, but the NRA expects the worst. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president, recently sent a letter to prospective members exhorting every "law abiding" American gun owner to come to the convention to "prove to the gun banners" that the NRA will take on "anybody who attacks our firearm freedoms." He said the NRA needs to be particularly vigilant now that "anti-gunners" control federal regulatory power... http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/05/03/20090503nraconvention0503.html Next week's National Rifle Association convention in Phoenix is the sort of gathering the city had in mind when it spent $600 million to expand its convention center. Phoenix is trying to move up to the big leagues of the convention business. The NRA is expected to bring 50,000 people to the city. One tourism group projects it will pump $70 million into the local economy. "It's basically the Super Bowl for the country's gun owners," said Landis Aden, president of the Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Association. The NRA Celebration of American Values Weekend runs May 15-17. Besides the latest in guns, knives and outdoor gear, there will be an NRA Cafe, auctions of expensive guns and a parade of speakers, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, author and Fox News commentator Oliver North and rock guitarist Ted Nugent... http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/05/03/20090503nrabucks0503.html --- The RKBA and the L.A. City Attorney Race: ...The Wright case was just the latest tangle between the Westside councilman and the San Pedro defense attorney over gun issues in the bitterly fought city attorney's race, which will be decided in a runoff May 19. Though Weiss says he began developing his "prohibited [gun] possessor" legislation long before he learned of Trutanich's involvement in the Wright case and a similar case in Los Angeles County, it bolstered the Trutanich campaign's argument that Weiss uses his chairmanship to advance his political goals. For Trutanich, it underscored the difficulties of jumping into the political sphere from a small boutique law firm, whose clients include the National Rifle Assn. and California Rifle and Pistol Assn. Trutanich said he has never represented the NRA "or any other gun entity like a club or CRPA," and says he disagrees with many of the organization's positions. But some of the casework of his law partner, 2nd Amendment and NRA attorney C.D. "Chuck" Michel, has provided rich targets for Weiss, whose proposed gun ordinances have been questioned by Michel on Trutanich-Michel LLP letterhead... http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-guns3-2009may03,0,1188903,full.story --- Oops, Wrong House: An estranged husband's jealousy appears to have triggered a shootout in a Gilbert dentist's home Wednesday that left the husband dead and dentist wounded. According to Gilbert police, Charles Goff III, 37, broke into the home of Dr. Patrick Calalang in the 3700 block of East Pinon Way, near Higley and Guadalupe roads, and waited for him to arrive. Calalang came home at 7 a.m. and Goff confronted him and held him at gunpoint for 4 1/2 hours... Marino said Goff was estranged from his wife, whom court records identify as Shelly Goff, and she was involved in a relationship with the homeowner. While Goff held Calalang hostage, he tried to lure Shelly Goff over by sending her text messages. Calalang managed to get a gun and shoot Goff about 11:30 a.m. The dentist was also shot in the leg and he hobbled around door to door in his neighborhood seeking help, leaving droplets of blood and bloody footprints. He was treated for his wound at a hospital... (I have to wonder how this would have played out if the homeowner had been carrying a gun instead of having to wait four hours to get to it.) http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/138562 --- NRA-ILA Alerts: List members are encouraged to read the alerts for the week, posted on the NRA-ILA website. http://www.nraila.org/GrassrootsAlerts/read.aspx --- From John Farnam: 27 Apr 09 These comments on ABC's recent anti-gun piece, "If I Only Had a Gun," from a friend who works there: "When I told the producers that I personally believe in citizens successfully fighting back against violent criminals, they instantly lost interest and declined all further discussion. As you say, producers of this Show got their conclusions mixed in with their assumptions, right from the beginning. Non-negotiable assumptions were (as always): (1) Americans are too stupid to own guns (2) When armed you'll be always be murdered during a violent incident. There is no chance an idiot like you will ever be able to successfully defend yourself with gunfire. (3) Only police (and media bodyguards) are 'good enough' bear arms (4) When you cannot escape from an active-murderer, you should meekly submit to being murdered/maimed, because 'being-a-good-victim' is your civic duty. Like other anti-gun productions by the mainstream media, the Program was twisted to fit the Marxist agenda of the anti-gun, anti-freedom crowd. Active-murderer simulations were deliberately skewed, so all participants would fail, every time. Facts from real, successful incidents were conveniently omitted. In their typical Marxist paranoia, media people regard decent, armed, and trained citizens as a direct threat to them, as they are personally none of the three. Good and decent people are never be portrayed as winning. They are only portrayed as victims. You can depend on it, and nothing else, from these people." Comment: To the left-wing media, we Americans make good slaves, but never good citizens! /John 28 Apr 09 On police/VCA interaction, from a friend in the Philippines: "Here, when an off-duty cop courageously engages armed-robbery suspects with gunfire (which he is expected to do) there is a good chance he will get a promotion, cash reward, and the obligatory fifteen minutes of fame on TV. Quite a contrast with what an American cop faces in similar circumstances. An armed bank-guard here recently successfully engaged five robbers. All five were DRT! Vice President Estrada (who later became President) presented this guard with a cash award, as well as a new Mossberg 590 Shotgun!" Comment: Can you imagine that happening here? Here, the officer would be fired, and then castigated in the liberal press for shooting members of the leftist mayor's voting base! Media reports on the event would consist most of tear-jerking interviews with the dead suspects' mothers! /John (The only problem I have with is report is that Estrada served as vice-president from 1992 to 1998 and as president from 1998 to 2001.) 29 Apr 09 School Shootings and Fire-Doors, from a LEO friend: "We made an interesting, and inadvertent, discovery during our last department-wide school-shooting drill at our local high school: When school fire-alarms go off, fire-doors close automatically and allow only one-way traffic. They allow people to exit, but not enter. Of course, we knew this, but we never thought about it critically. When the fire-alarm was accidentally set off, our arriving officers were unable to enter the building when confronted with locked fire-doors! As a solution, our beat-cars now have knock-box keys for all schools. The key can be used to access individual school knock-boxes, which contains master keys to all school doors. The master keys are on elastic bracelets that arriving officers can put around their wrists. That way, they can gain entry to virtually any door in the building as they conduct tactical operations." Comment: The foregoing is just one example of the importance of regular dress-rehearsals of police tactical operations! Many annoying, even fatal, difficulties will not make themselves known until we fully immerse ourselves in the operation. School-shootings and other acts of terrorism are on their way here. We have to prepare now, while we still have time! Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact! We neglect readiness at our peril! /John (Those who work in large buildings would be well served to learn how fire doors and similar devices will function and fail to function in emergencies and disasters.) 29 Apr 09 Uniform change, from a suburban police chief: I talked with a long-time friend at the ILEETA Conference last week. He is chief of police for a suburban police department in the Chicago area. Like many of us, he is concerned about domestic police officers waxing in the direction of an overtly "military" appearance. However, he has nonetheless been compelled to move his patrol officers away from traditional dress trousers and into BDUs (military battle-dress uniform) trousers. The reason is trauma gear! He has decided that every patrol officer should carry an IBD (Israeli Battle Dressing) and a tourniquet on their person, all the time. This life-saving gear needs to be within hand's reach of every patrol officer, so there is no delay in retrieving it during an emergency. Since there is no more spare space on the typical duty belt, not with pistols, magazines, Tasers, batons, flashlights, cuffs, et al, IBDs and tourniquets must go in the side-pockets found on BDUs. Without this gear readily at hand, along with competent training in its use, lives may well be lost needlessly. Some wounds are non-survivable to be sure, but most wounded officers can be successfully stabilized, in the field, by follow officers, or themselves, provided necessary trauma gear is always within arm's reach. Once again, with the harsh turn in world history that we are all witnessing in our lifetimes, upgrades like the foregoing are acutely necessary. This chief is leading the way. The rest of us dare not delay! /John (Over the last year my wardrobe has expanded to include a Woolrich Elite Lightweight Vest, with more pockets than I can count. It is extremely useful for me to have many of those pockets available. I recently read in one of the few forums that I frequent that a similar vest, in a different venue, is referred to as a "shoot-me-first vest." Where I live, everyone assumes it's a fishing vest. The point is that the appropriateness of our attire may vary by location.) 30 Apr 09 When "routine" becomes routine, from a friend and student on the West Coast: "Today, I woke up, showered, got dressed, brushed my teeth, et al, just like every morning. I scooped-up my pistol, performed a chamber-check, system-check, retrieved my spare magazine and put it in its belt-holder, donned my CCW Vest, and out the door I went, intent on the check-list of things I had to get done today. Two miles down the road, I casually felt with my right elbow for the butt of my holstered XD, but felt nothing. I reached for the pistol, only to discover an empty holster! While angrily turning the air blue, I turned around, went back to my house, only to discover my XD, still sitting on my bedside table, right where I left it! My mind must have been in divide-overflow!" Comment: Operators, even chiefs of police, sometimes inadvertently leave loaded pistols on top of toilet tanks in public bathrooms, on tables at ranges, and other in other public places. It is embarrassing, to say the least! The problem is "routine." All our check-lists are too long, but, when it comes to carry-guns, we have to establish an iron-clad modus operandi and execute it, from start to finish, without interruption. Women seldom leave their purses behind. Likewise, men rarely leave wallets laying around as they walk away. Guns need to hold the same, prime position in our consciousness as these other items we consider critical to our continued existence. You can't be nonchalant. Get serious about your carry-weapons, or go back to eating grass! 1 May 09 M&P Problems in CA, from a friend with the LAPD: "The few S&W M&P Pistols we currently have in the field have all been abruptly pulled from service. Since first approved for Department use at the end of last year, of fifty pistols, we had one that would not eject at all, and one with a barrel that broke into two pieces, just ahead of the chamber. Additionally, we have experienced many extraction difficulties. A contingent of S&W armorers, gunsmiths, and engineers are on their way out here to evaluate and correct these problems. In the interim, M&P Pistols are being replaced with Beretta 92Fs from an existing Department float." Comment: My faith in the M&P Pistol has not been shaken. We have seen many copies in Courses, and all have run fine. Problems like the foregoing are not uncommon when manufacturers fill big orders. Remember Glock's difficulty with the NYPD several years ago, which proved ultimately to be "much ado about nothing." The M&P is still relatively new, and its "shake-down cruise" is still in progress. But, the System is sound, and I'm confident S&W will make appropriate adjustments and drive on! /John (John has already issued a correction - the department involved is the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department not the LAPD. According to the LASD teletype, the M&P's are all "optional" privately purchased pistols. At least Smith & Wesson does not use the word "perfection" as an advertising slogan. Detroit PD, on the other hand, seems to have dropped the .40-caliber Glock in favor of the .40-caliber M&P [http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16999]. Recall that you have been advised more than once to wait at least one full year for debugging before purchasing any new model of firearm.) 2 May 09 Industry Update, from a big retailer in WA: "Military semi-auto rifles, in any caliber, are still hard to locate. I have no ARs in my store currently. Ammunition supply situation has actually managed to get worse! We have scanty inventory on hand, and our vendors all tell me there are going to be big delays in getting more. What we can get in is expensive! Ball ammunition in 9mm, 40S&W, 45CAP, 380Auto, and 38Spl, as well as 223 and 7.62X39 are in high demand. We have to limit how much individual customers can buy, lest we be cleaned out in a single day!" Comment: Some of those new AR purchasers realize they need training! I am doing a record number of Urban Rifle Courses this year, and students are all dead-serious! However, I've had to cut down the amount of ammunition consumed, because of increased costs and decreased availability. Americans have scant confidence in the personal integrity, personal morality, nor statesmanship acumen of our current gaggle of politicians. Lack of confidence manifests itself in many ways! /John (Strangely, I have received a couple of reports in the last week that there appears to be no shortage of ammo in stores in Montana and South Dakota.) 2 May 09 When children are used as hostages/shields: Statistics from the Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicate that, when children are snatched by strangers, most are murdered within four hours. Within twenty-four hours, nearly all are dead! Thus, chances of police rescuing kidnaped children alive, once they are separated from their parents, are low. The upshot of this grim reality is that we all need to train, with both our pistols and rifles, to shoot hostage-takers through the brain-stem, at relatively close range, as they are attempting to kidnap children or use them as shields in order to facilitate escape. This is a task for armed parents, teachers, and professional bodyguards, as police, no matter how responsive, will likely not be in a position to stop the abduction. I've decided to include this drill in nearly all our Courses, both Pistol and Urban Rifle, due to the foregoing sobering statistic. None of us can afford to allow a VCA to forcefully leave our presence with one of our children under his control. We need to be willing to take great risks in order to prevent that from happening. When aggressively engaging hostage-takers with gunfire, we no longer use the term "head-shot." We've substituted "brain-stem shot," because it does not suffice to merely hit any part of the suspect's cranium. The medical condition we need to instantly create in the suspect is "flaccid paralysis." A high-speed missile, passing through his brain-stem, will reliably accomplish this. Few other targets will! Flaccid paralysis describes a condition where the suspect instantly de-animates. There is no convulsion, voluntary nor otherwise. The suspect replicates a puppet whose strings have all been cut at the same instant. The definitive brain-stem shot is the most reliable way of successfully rescuing hostages and kidnap victims. In most cases, it is the only way! It needs to be a integral part of every Operator's repertoire. /John (Part of what made John's DTI one of "the Big Four" of American shooting schools was his use of innovative target systems, including various moving targets. I have to wonder if John uses moving targets to teach brainstem shots. While the context of the discussion is a bit different, it might be worth reading my article on head shots at http://www.spw-duf.info/emperor.html#head%20shots, particularly the second comment from Tom Aveni. Further, if you do wish to train to hit this hidden, thumb-size target, it is crucial to understand where it is located three-dimensionally, not just where it would appear to be if a two-dimensional target is viewed at a right angle, The brainstem is roughly at the intersection of a line between both ear canals and a line heading straight back from the lower part of the nose. You must adjust accordingly if your shot is directed from an intermediate angle between these lines.) -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .