Justice Education Security

Category: Firearm Ownership

  • Four Helpful Tips to Consider For Your Home Firearm Storage

    I’m in the process of researching various brands and options of gun safes for my home. There is a lot to learn and I hate to admit that I don’t know a lot about the brands and different features etc. That having been said I do want to share some more tactical advise in regards to the way you store your firearms at home. These are some of the tips I share with my students in my Concealed Carry Classes.

    Here are 4 Firearm Storage Tips!

    1. When it comes to locking mechanisms I’m a big fan of digital keypad or biometric (fingerprint) options. I just have this scary image in my head of waking up in the middle of the night and trying to turn the dial on a lock in the dark… or find and insert a key. I love digital keypad safes because of the simplicity of just punching in 4 numbers and having the door spring open. Biometric safes are even better but of course you will pay more for them.
    2. Secure your gun safe to the floor or wall. Don’t put yourself in a situation where someone can pick up and carry off your gun safe. When you buy something it will most likely come with the appropriate hardware and instructions.
    3. If you own several firearms you may want to utilize more than one storage system. I don’t think you can easily justify needing fast access to all your firearms (if you own 3+). You would probably be better off to store the vast majority of your firearms in as secure and out of site an environment as possible. Then, if you feel you need to have fast/emergency access to one or more, store them differently.
    4. Everyone has a unique home situation. The way I store my firearms in my home has changed over the years as I’ve gone from single to married to married with kids. Decide on a system that is appropriate for you and re-evaluate your system periodically as your lifestyle and situation change.

  • BLM to Close Off Land to Public Shooting: Colorado & Arizona

    Gun enthusiasts are rallying opposition to a string of new federal proposals that could close off hundreds of thousands of acres in the open West to target shooting.

    The proposals from the Bureau of Land Management potentially would outlaw target shooting in swaths of public land in Arizona and Colorado as part of a broader conservation planning effort.

    Federal officials said shooters are, under the proposals, being herded to different areas because of safety concerns and because — at least in Arizona — they’ve been leaving trash in public parks and damaging the environment with their bullets.

    Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/14/gun-groups-decry-unacceptable-proposal-to-ban-target-shooting-on-western/#ixzz1j249d9St

  • NRA App for iTunes Just Released

    apple nra app

     

    It’s not long ago that I jumped from the land of Microsoft and into the world of Macs. My desktop here at work is now a Mac and my BlackBerry has turned into an iPhone. Like most of those who’ve made a similar journey, I soon found myself researching and downloading the latest apps. (For the unindoctrinated, apps are applications that run on your smartphones or tablets.) Little did I know that such research would produce an app by the NRA.

    Divided into five separate categories, the app provides the latest stories by NRANews, NRA-ILA and those of us here at NRAblog. There’s also video, the ability to find NRA related activities in your area, links to NRA social media properties and more.

    If this sounds like something you’d like to add to your arsenal, then head on over to the iTunes store and add the NRA app to your collection. But you need to act fast … the app is free free for a limited time. So head on over to the Apple Store and follow more of what the National Rifle Association has to offer.

  • USA Today Reports on National Wins at the State Level for Firearm Owners

    USA Today reports on the general loosening of Firearm regulation at the state level across the country. Here is a teaser:

    As of this summer, Wyoming residents need no permits for concealed weapons. And in Indiana, private businesses must allow employees to keep firearms in their vehicles on company property.

    Those and other recent changes on the state level represent a growing shift toward loosening state gun regulations, according to University of Chicago professor Jens Ludwig.

    “When you look across the states, they are definitely moving in the direction of allowing concealed weapons in more locations,” Ludwig says.

    Read More: USA Today: States loosen concealed carry gun laws, stir debate

  • Illegal immigrants have no right to arms – court

    Dec 16 (Reuters) – Illegal immigrants do not have a right to bear arms under the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, based in Missouri, rejected an appeal brought by Joaquin Bravo Flores, who was charged with possessing a firearm. Agreeing with the 5th Circuit, the court concluded that the protections of the Second Amendment do not extend to undocumented immigrants.

    Executing a search warrant in 2010, police uncovered a semi-automatic handgun in Bravo Flores’ Minneapolis apartment. A grand jury indicted him for being an alien in possession of a firearm in violation of federal law. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

    Bravo Flores tried to dismiss the indictment, arguing that the criminal law barring illegal immigrants from possessing guns is unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2008 recognized an individual right to possess firearms under the Second Amendment. Bravo Flores argued that the Second Amendment’s guarantee of “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” also applied to him and other illegal immigrants.

    His lawyer argued in a court filing that Bravo Flores is a member of “the people,” having come to the country as a teenager and now living with his American citizen partner and their two citizen children.

    The Supreme Court has previously ruled that undocumented immigrants have constitutional rights in criminal cases, including a Sixth Amendment right to trial and Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

    Read More. Thomas Reuter’s News and Insight: Illegal immigrants have no right to arms – court

  • 3 Factors When Buying A Handgun for Personal Protection

    I have been teaching firearm training classes for 5 years. That is a relatively short amount of time compared to many of my mentors. Just the same there is one recurring topic that most students really want to discuss with me… What Gun To Buy. I try to avoid this topic of conversation for several reasons. First off, there are far to many opinions among gun enthusiasts to make this a safe topic of discussion. Gun people are extremely passionate and opinionated and I just assume avoid a discussion about why any certain make is the best thing since sliced bread. Also, I believe that each individual has unique needs in a handgun and that makes it difficult to give meaningful advice. All that being said, I am outlining some basic principles that I believe can lead anyone to buy the correct firearm for their situation.

    First, please understand that you need to shop based on your need. There are many different uses (even within the self-defense category) for which you may intend to use your firearm. Some of these may include: hunting, backpacking, to keep in the car, to keep in the house, to carry on my person, to carry in luggage or in a handbag/purse, etc.

    Beyond determining your need you also need to consider your body type and economic situation. I’m 5′ 8” and about 170 lbs. I don’t have a lot of upper body muscle and can’t handle some of the higher caliber weapons as effectively as I wish. Some of us have small fingers, fat fingers, etc. Your economic situation is crucial to consider not just when considering the cost of the weapon but also in considering the cost of the ammunition. Your tendancy to get out and train with your firearm may be the single most important factor in saving your life. May sure you select a firearm that you can afford to shoot often.

    The last generic consideration, before I outline the 3 factors, is your level of expertise. The more trained and proficient you become the more your needs in a firearm may change.

    With those considerations in place let me put forth three important factors when selecting a caliber of weapon.

    1. Stopping Power – Effectiveness. Without neglecting the next two factors, you want to get the most powerful weapon you can. There are some calibers that nobody would debate as to their efficiency. For example, the .22 long rifle round is not something you would want to bet your life on. The .45 ACP is something you could almost guarantee is going to stop someone. Anywhere in the middle is debatable depending on who you ask.
    2. Ammo Capacity. More ammunition is always a good thing. Some calibers of handguns, although effective, may reduce the total amount of ammunition you can carry in the firearm. Common examples are the .38 Special and the .357. Both are debatable in their effectiveness but perhaps too big of a round to be practical for concealed carry.
    3. Size. You must select a firearm that will be comfortable to carry and to use. In the concealed carry world there are as many different types of holsters and options to conceal as there are handguns to choose from. Don’t buy a Desert Eagle if you plan on carrying it on your waist. Your back will ache after a few hours and you may have an issue with sitting down and standing up. Also, consider your body type as we discussed earlier. Buy something appropriate for your strength and size.

    Its not easy to find the perfect gun for your and for your needs. This is made much less easy if you are trying to buy one firearm that will serve many needs. Handguns aren’t cheap but remember that your life may be on the line and this is the tool that could save it.

    Jacob S Paulsen

  • Salt Lake Tribune Publishes Story About Illegal Gun Sales in Utah

    Yesterday the 15th of December, 2011 the Sale Lake Tribune published a news story entitled “Group says illegal gun sales common in Utah, other states.” Like most news stories about guns this has inspired a long list of comments on either side of the issue.

    Essentially the practice of private gun sales is in question. Private, one on one gun sales are legal in Utah. The statue only requires sellers to make sure the buyer is of legal age, lives in the same state, and naturally isn’t planning to commit a crime with the weapon. The research conducted is suggesting that sellers should also inquire as to the buyers ability to pass a background check, or at very least restrict the sale from buyers who make a statement about not being able to pass the background check.

    This news story has made me think a little about private sales of firearms. Let me put forward the following recommendations to those of you who are considering selling a gun privately:

    • Be careful about your advertising. When posting a classified ad about your firearm for sale, do not include your city or neighborhood. When you receive phone calls only offer to meet potential buyers in a public place, such as the parking lot of a busy grocery store. Never give out any information that would tip the buyer as to your address or place of residence.
    • Before you meet with a potential buyer prepare a bill of sale. It doesn’t need to be complex or legally worded. Just create a document that includes a space to insert the time and date of the purchase, the names of both parties, and the serial number of the weapon. Also include the make and model of the weapon along with any other identifiable traits. Print two copies to bring with you.
    • When meeting with the buyer be discreet. If you are in a busy and public place it won’t help your situation to openly display assault rifles for passers by to see.
    • Verify that the weapon is empty and separate any ammunition from the firearm or its case.
    • Ask to see the buyers photo identification and verify that they are a resident of the state and that they are 21 years of age or older.
    • Ask them for what purpose they are buying a gun and if they feel they could pass the required background check. If they say anything that makes you feel uncomfortable ask for more details. “Why do you feel you couldn’t pass the background check?”
    • Use your best judgement about the buyer. If you make the sale ask the buyer to sign your copy of the bill of sale.