Mission complete (almost)

We finally wrapped up our shooting this morning, then had time to grab a quick shower and gather up our gear to catch the Blackhawk bus back to Norfolk. Right now, I'm sitting in the lobby of the Hampton Inn, passing the time until 7:00 when we have a dinner reservation up the road. After that, I'll be staying over with someone local and heading for home first thing in the morning.

This morning, we did a few drills in a shoot house, then Todd set up a stage for us to run the house with our lasers. The winner received their choice of any Crimson Trace laser grips. I came in second, mostly due to a fumbled re-load.

After we finished, we headed off to chow, but again we had a little more time than expected, so Todd said he would reset the house and we could run a new scenario. This time they offered three prizes - Crimson Trace laser grips for 1st, a case of ammo for 2nd, and half a case for 3rd (actually Todd said only 499 rounds - he took one).

I elected to run first, and while I still botched two re-loads, my time held up to be the best of the second run. There was also a 'bad guy' who was mostly obscured by a door when passing through, and some shooters missed it, which cost them a time penalty.

Joe Huffman came in second, and since I don't really have a use for the laser (they're included on the gun I bought) I asked if he'd be interested in a trade. Since he's a re-loader, the trade was amicable for both of us and we walked away happy with our winnings. Now I just have to wait for the gun to get here so I can start burning up some of that ammo!

I hope to get some more thorough reviews up for the products I used after I get back home and things settle down just a bit.

Practicing the fundamentals - over, and over, and over

Shooting accurately is pretty easy. Use a proper grip, focus on your front sight, and squeeze (don't jerk!) the trigger. Getting these things to all come together for every shot is the challenge.

Todd Jarrett has been an excellent teacher. He's very personable and employs a hands on approach. He started the morning by illustrating a proper grip, and marking our hands with a Sharpie so we could quickly see if we were maintaining it or not. Such a simple act made an amazing difference. I never gave much thought to accurately shooting a non-competition pistol, with open sights, from 25 yards and having a meaningful grouping. Today I learned that if you manage to do things they way they should be done, you can do just that. Not perfect, but better than I expected from myself.


Then, it was time to move on to bigger and more challenging things. First, shooting on the move. Then, shooting moving targets. Got that down? Now let's combine the two...and then throw in some barricades and include enough shots that several re-loads are necessary to complete the stage. While I certainly didn't come away with any perfect scores on these set-ups, they were a blast to run.

After thoroughly crudding up our guns for the last two days, we finally got around to cleaning them at the end of the day today. I had never taken down a 1911 style pistol before. It's slightly more complicated that my Sigma, but I'm certain that after seeing it done once, I could now repeat it myself. Of course, when we were all done cleaning them, we still had just a few minutes until we were due for chow. So we promptly began to make them dirty again.

While I agree that the problem mentioned by Joe Huffman shouldn't be solved by telling users "Don't do that", my own habits have (so far) not made this an issue for me. I also agree with Sebastian's assessment of the seeming redundancy of a thumb safety on a DA gun, but hopefully proper technique will help me avoid this issue as well.

Is this the "perfect gun"? No. Do I like it, and believe that it will be both fun and reliable for the way I intend to use it? Absolutely. And since my lovely wife has given me her blessing, I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve, waiting for the day this pistol will be back in my hands, in my own home, where I expect it will remain for quite some time.

Other smaller highlights included the pimped out rides provided to us courtesy of Blackwater, and the thrill of running off rounds by the dozen, only to have more cases of ammo show up on the table.

A full first day, despite limited range time

Today was a full day, even though we only were on the range (shooting) for about an hour and a half. We started off the morning with a stop at Blackhawk USA before leaving Norfolk, where we took in presentations about their various product lines, and a very generous box full of swag.

Among the items were two Serpa holsters (to fit the gun we're shooting this weekend - one with the autolock, and one without), two mag holders, tactical belt, tactical gloves, two shirts, a canteen, a Todd Jarrett shooting tips DVD and a few other misc. items.

After arriving in NC and touring the Blackwater grounds in the bus, we had lunch, dropped our stuff in our rooms and headed off to a safety briefing and introduction to the pistol we were using before finally getting in a bit of shooting before dinner.

After a couple hundred rounds, I'm liking this gun. It probably won't satisfy die-hard SA fanatics, but as someone who currently carries a Sigma DAO, I'd definitely choose this gun over my current daily carry piece. The addition of special lettering commemorating the weekend, fiber-optic front sight, adjustable rear sight, Crimson Trace laser grips and a total of six magazines are going to make this a tough package to pass up. There have been a couple of minor hiccups with these guns on the line, but so far, the one I'm using has performed flawlessly. I hope that continues!

I think I'm on the way to convincing the wife to let me back into the house if I make such a purchase, since I won't need to spend additional $ for accessories and add-ons. We'll see what kind of mood she's in tomorrow when I call. ;)

Tomorrow should be a much more demanding day, with many more hours spent putting bullets down-range (no lead though, we're shooting all frangibles). Here are a couple of pics from today.

Our transportation

Blackhawk USA Headquarters

An armory at Blackwater

Some swag

What I'm shooting

Words to live by

One step closer

I've arrived at the EconoLodge in Portsmouth, which is just across town from where I'm suppposed to meet everyone tomorrow. Despite only having an advertised 'hotspot' in the lobby, I'm able to get a weak signal in my room, so I don't have to run down there to get connected.

Plans for the evening: rehydrate and chill out.

Blackwater Preparation

Tonight I'm packing and making sure I'm all set for the weekend. I'll be leaving directly from work tomorrow afternoon and heading to Norfolk, VA where I'm supposed to meet up with everyone else at 9:00 am on Friday.

My hotel (tomo) has wi-fi, but only in the lobby, so I'm not sure if I'll get a quick post in before Friday night or not.

Contrary to earlier reports, we're now being told that wi-fi will be available for us at the lodge. There also telling us that other than evenings after dinner, we'll be quite busy. Keep an eye here for updates throughout the weekend, and be sure to visit the Second Amendment Blog Bash page, where a feed of many participants' blogs will be available together.

Audio from Hazle Township Supervisor's meeting (8/11/08)

Audio is now up.

Hazle Township, round two.

Last night, some fellow members from PAFOA again attended the township supervisors meeting to follow up on last month's meeting.

This month, the solicitor cited Minich v. Jefferson county to support a claim that there could be 'exceptions' to §6120, the state's preemption statute. Their solicitor also claimed that since local schools and daycares use the park on a regular basis, §912 covers the park, and any other place that school children may go. If they're in a museum, §912 extends. Carrying in a McDonald's when field trip bus stops in? You're now breaking the law.

Now clearly, we are not done with these clowns. While we didn't have access to Minich while at the meeting, a review clearly shows that this case supports our arguments, not theirs. We are now beginning to build an overwhelming rebuttal, focusing on many different modes of attack.

Only the print media was there this past meeting, but local TV got wind of it, and are now pursuing further coverage as well. We welcome ANY support and assistance from gun owners in the Hazle Twp area as well as any other organization or entity that may have an interest in helping shed the light of truth on these poor misguided souls.

Cabela's (Hamburg, PA) carry policy clarification

This afternoon, I had a very nice phone conversation with Bruce Biedenharn, store manager at the Hamburg, PA Cabela's.

I reviewed the two recent incidents that I was aware of (one from PAFOA, one from OCDO), and inquired if their carry policy had changed at all since I spoke to him last September. He stated that it has not. At my request, he will be mailing me a letter on Company letterhead stating their policy, and reviewing that policy at all daily employee meetings for the next week, which should cover the large majority, if not all, of their employees.

He apologized for the incidents, and I told him I understood that turnover and a large staff seemed to be the main culprit and that based on my previous conversation with him last year, and the impression he gave me then, his response is exactly what I expected.

For the record:
If a firearm is brought into the store for service, etc., it needs to be unloaded and 'checked' upon entry. However, lawful carry of a firearm for personal defense, open or concealed, is absolutely permitted in the store.

As soon as I receive the letter, I'll scan and post it here as well.

For all Pennsylvanians who care about their privacy rights:

There is a class-action lawsuit underway against PennDot for stealing your identity. We are currently in the beginning stages, trying to get as many plaintiffs on our list as possible before filing this lawsuit.

In the words of Rep. Sam Rohrer, from his press conference:

"Exactly two years ago, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania entered into a $45 million contract with Viisage Technology, self-described as 'the industry leader in instant issue digital driver's licenses.' Viisage, later renamed L-1 Identity Solutions, became responsible for issuing Pennsylvania driver's licenses.

Under the authority of Governor Rendell, Viisage and PennDOT launched a new program in June 2006 known as FaceEXPLORER to be used in conjunction with the issuing of driver's licenses. This program uses an upgraded, high-definition photograph taken at a driver's license center to create a facial recognition template, or 'faceprint,' similar in purpose and uniqueness to a fingerprint. This faceprint is a form of biometrics based on the measurements of a person's unique, personal facial geometry. The faceprint goes beyond such easily recognizable physical features as haircut, glasses or facial hair and into an analysis of one's unique facial structure. Once this personally unique faceprint has been created, it is stored in a database to be used to compare against the faceprint of others. By these means, PennDOT and Viisage hoped to reduce identity fraud and theft. In reality, FaceEXPLORER has been a 'back-door' means to implement the REAL ID Act of 2005 without the consent or knowledge of either the legislature or the people."

Rep. Rohrer goes on to say that

" . . Neither PennDOT nor Viisage has inherent authority nor have they been granted any exception to take biometric information from the citizens of the Commonwealth. . .The actions allowed by Governor Rendell further violates statutory law. . .Significantly, this issue constitutes a major Constitutional violation. . . "

Your biometric faceprint can be picked up by surveillance cameras to track your every move. This has to be stopped. Our biometric data must be destroyed/deleted!

We need to join together. This is a crucial moment that we cannot let slip away.

If you want to be part of this lawsuit, contact Renee' Baumgartner by email at real.idlawsuitpa@gmail.com, or call her cell (sparingly) at 717-286-8042.

She is a state co-coordinator of Pennsylvania for Restore the Republic and a member of the Campaign for Liberty in Lancaster County.

Email your: Name, Physical Address, phone number & email address

(This information will be kept strictly with her and the attorney that we retain for the lawsuit. Updates will be available as we move forward.)

YOU can help someone in need. Will you?

From Pat Gray:

Ramos/Compean fundraiser

The families of these border agents/political prisoners are struggling. Homes are in jeopardy, lives torn apart. So, we’re raising money for Monica Ramos and Patty Compean.

We’re asking that instead of one check, split your donation between the two: Make them out separately to Monica Ramos…AND…Patty Compean…and mail to:

Edd Henndee
Taste of Texas
10505 Katy Freeway
Houston, Texas 77024

Thank you SO much for whatever you can do for these families of patriots, who’ve been through so much. Whatever you can do will be greatly appreciated by the families. The Compean’s of course, have already lost their home…now the Ramos’s face the same thing.

It was amazing to hear former border agent, Gary Brugman’s tale of the 5th Circuit Court today (check it out on the podcast if you missed it…at 7:35 or so). I’ve known Gary for over a year now, and wasn’t aware of his situation until yesterday. He went through the same thing with those judges.

Judge who overturned my LTCF revocation seems bitter about his decision

On Wednesday, my local newspaper put their local spin on the current statewide topic of Constables, and whether or not they receive adequate training and operate within the scope of their authority. Of course, such an article just couldn't be written without a re-hash of what happened last November.

He said he has heard of very few problems over the years with the work local constables do. Perhaps the highest-profile case was when a man showed up to vote last year with a holstered gun, and a constable asked him to leave the gun in his vehicle.

The man refused and was allowed to keep the gun in its holster while he voted, but Walker said a poll worker later complained to Franklin County Sheriff Robert Wollyung, who revoked the man's permit to carry the gun.

The man appealed Wollyung's decision, and Walker sided with him.

"He didn't violate a law and I wasn't going to let (his supporters) make a martyr of him," Walker said this week.

He said he asked legislators to write a law governing firearms at polling places but basically "got a (expletive) answer."

"Most lawmakers don't want to rile up the NRA," he said.

On the day of my hearing, he didn't seem the least bit reluctant to rule that way that he did, though he did take the opportunity to express his personal displeasure. It seems the uncompromising stance taken by my state representatives has upset him. I guess he (and the County Commissioners) expected their titles to carry enough weight to push their agenda through, state Constitution be damned. I'm sure their quite frustrated that the 'little guy' not only prevailed in court, but maintains the ability to exercise his liberty as he sees fit.

I wonder if Judge Walker would have ruled differently if he knew then what he knows now? Seeing as he's retiring before the end of the year, I suppose he won't be the one to hear my appeal if I'm revoked for open carry while voting again this year. Of course, given the conversations I've had with the new Sheriff, I don't expect that will be an issue.

I am a domestic terrorist.

I've actually just learned this. Good thing my tax dollars are being used wisely, or else I never would have known. I won't do them the courtesy of linking, but this assessment of my character has been provided by my own state government via the Terrorism Awareness and Protection program, which is a state funded effort. Thanks Harrisburg!!

Here are some of the reasons I qualify:

• I am part of a 'single issue group'
• I believe that gun control is the first step to enslave us, starting with the removal of our ability to either defend ourselves or forcefully change our government
• I believe that U.S. sovereignty is being surrendered to the U.N., World Court, and World Bank
• I believe that our current government has, and continues to subvert the Constitution
• I admire the Gadsden Flag

A tip of the hat to Target Rich Environment, who has a more details about this ridiculousness on his blog.

Give Ledansky the boot

Snowflakes in Hell covers the important points quite well.

Hazle Township update

Since I never received a response to the e-mail I sent to Hazle Twp on June 20th regarding their park rule prohibiting the possession of firearms in the park, fellow PAFOA members Paul Schroeder and Rich Banks (more local to the area than I am) attended a recent Township Supervisors meeting to address the issue again.

The response was typical - We support the 2nd Amendment, but......

• Supervisor Anthony Matz said he is not opposed to a citizen's right to bear arms, but feels it is neither necessary nor appropriate for anyone to carry a firearm in the community park.

• Board Chairman William Gallagher said that all three supervisors were gun owners and that no member of the board is opposed to gun ownership, but the board also expressed confidence in the appropriateness of the firearm prohibition at the park.
  

• Supervisor Matz said he would not be comfortable being at the park with people carrying firearms.

In the end, Solicitor Charles Pedri said the township will review the ordinance at Schroeder's request and will provide more information at August's meeting.

This story was also covered by WYLN, channel 35 in Hazleton and in print by both the Standard Speaker in Hazleton and the Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre.

We'll see what next month's meeting brings.

UPDATE: Apparently the Standard Speaker published an editorial on this issue, but it's not published online anywhere. Here is the text, posted on PAFOA by a local resident.

PISTOL-PACKERS GO TO EXTREMES

Two months ago, diners in a Dickson City restaurant were taken aback when a half-dozen customers showed up carrying guns.

Monday night, two pistol-packing men showed up at a Hazle Township supervisors meeting.

In both cases, the gun-carriers were members of the Pennsylvania Firearms Owners Association.

Paul Schroeder, who took the floor to address the township supervisors Monday, said he was in Hazle Township to protest a firearms ban at a Community Park. "We are not trying to do the wild west thing," he said. "We are just looking to protect our families."

The discussion between Schroeder and the township supervisors-who tried to explain the park policy - remained civil, but some residents in the audience were clearly uneasy.

And who can blame them ? They, and several concerned citizens who called township officials Tuesday, found the idea of gun-toting parkgoers unsettling.

Yes, it is legal to openly carry firearms in Pennsylvania without a license, but even the Firearms Owners Association cautions against pushing that right to extremes.

"There is much debate among firearm owners about whether openly carrying firearms is really a good idea," the group says on its Web site. "While we will leave that choice to the individual we will state that in many urban areas- doing so will draw unwanted attention from law enforcement."

That's exactly what happened in Dickson City, where police asked gun-toting diners for identification. Richard Banks of Fairview Township, refused to provide a driver's license and was detained. Members of the group have sued the borough for compensatory damages and to force the town's police to get training.

In Hazle Township, the supervisors have asked solicitor Charles Pedri to investigate where and when municipalities can legally ban firearms.

Sensible people, even those with NRA membership - should view attention-seeking demonstrations like those in Dickson City and Hazle Township as extreme and even counter-productive. Rather than persuading gun control advocates to their cause, stunts like these are more likely to scare people over to the other side.

If citizens want to scrutinize Community Park regulations, why stop at the gun ban? Why not protest more onerous restrictions, like the park's ban on dogs? If pet lovers follow the firearms owner's example, the next meeting of the townships supervisors might be invaded by 101 Dalmations.

A new venture

I've recently begun a new venture. A couple of members from PAFOA have created 'Poofa radio' - an online station that streams music and plans to add firearm-related content to the rotation. To that end, we've started to produce (and I use that term VERY loosely) weekly Activism Updates detailing ongoing events around PA. Stop by Poofa and give them a listen. The weekly updates are also available right here on my blog, through an embedded player or you can subscribe to the show via several different options.

Dickson City update

No surprises here. The defendants have filed for an extension. Standard legal stuff, and it's not being opposed by plaintiff's counsel. Check back after August 4. Defendants are being represented by Louis J. Isaacsohn.

New documents:
Motion to extend
Order for extension

Older documents:
Complaint (4 Plaintiffs)
Complaint (5th Plaintiff - filed seperately)

I'm on my way to Blackwater!

Thank you to everyone who voted for my blog in the ParaUSA blogger contest. I've received an e-mail notifying me that I am one of the winners. I'm sure there will be stories and photos to come while I'm there. The training weekend will take place on Aug 22-24.

Stadnitski's Fantasy

Apparently the Dickson City Police Chief has a fantasy of living in a gun-free community, even going to the extent of using department resources to encourage and document "No firearms" policies around down. On July 4th, Rich Banks (founder of paopencarry.org) and I decided to call his bluff and spent the better part of the day in Dickson City, openly carrying our firearms all the while. Here's how things shook out:

• We visited 101 businesses that were not on the list as provided by Chief Stadnitski. We found 0 signs prohibiting firearms.
• We visited 19 businesses that were on the list as provided by Chief Stadnitski. We found 0 signs prohibiting firearms.
• During the course of the day, we entered 7 Dickson City businesses (included in the above mentioned stats). Five of them were not on the list, two were, including the Viewmont Diner, where we had a delicious lunch and friendly, excellent service. We did not receive any negative comments at all, and were not asked to cover our firearms or to leave any establishment that we entered.
• As previously reported, Denny's does have a sign posted. As of this report, the sign is still in place.

I intend to note all of this info in the next week when I make my next inquire with Chief Stadnitski as to the status of his little project.

List of Dickson City businesses we visited:

• Sam's Club - A female customer asked Rich if he had a 'gun permit'. He replied that he did, but in PA one was not required for OC. She said that she carried a gun when she was at home (Georgia) and wondered if she could open carry here and if her GA permit was recognized. We answered both in the affirmative and gave her a pamphlet. She thanked us and we parted ways.
• Best Buy - Stopped by to look for a serial to USB converter. Found one, but was too high-priced.
• Viewmont Diner - Had some excellent gyros for lunch.
• Sheetz - Stopped for gas and snacks
• Petco - Stopped to get doggie drugs so Rich's dogs don't freak out over the fireworks. Asked for assistance to find them and had a few-minute conversation with a clerk about the various options.
• Circuit City - Continued my search for a serial to USB converter. Didn't find any on the shelf, so I asked an employee. They didn't have any, which explained why we couldn't find them. Two other employees told us "Have a nice day" on the way out.
• Wal-Mart - Picked up some little flags.

After we left Dickson city, we went to Wilkes-Barre, where we met up with mystery_man and walked about two miles around the downtown area, including passing by the police department twice. After the walk, as we stood on the corner chatting, an officer drove by. Rich said he almost broke his neck twisting it to see my pistol, but he did not stop, and there was no additional response (we were a block from the station). Also, on the way back home we made a quick stop and the Wilkes-Barre township K-mart.

All-in-all, just another totally uneventful OC day.

Today's "Activism Watchlist"

Here are a couple of links to some 'incidents' I'm currently working on. These blatant violations need to be taken to task - and with the growing assistance of more and more PAFOA members, they will be.

NJ man has his firearm confiscated while taking a walk in Wilkes-Barre - A bit of good news on this story today. Rich Banks (a good friend of mine and founder of PaOpenCarry.org) accompanied this gentleman to the Wilkes-Barre PD where the owner was able to retrieve his firearm. He did not provide proof of ownership to do so, which was the original demand of the department, despite the fact that there is no legal burden to do so. Legal action by the citizen is still pending in this matter.

Carrier illegally detained and falsely charged in Pittsburgh - This incident occurred at 3 am this morning. It is the third time this individual has been hassled by local LEOs, and despite previous follow-ups and attempts to make the law clear to those involved, they refuse to accept it. At the center of the issue is an illegal City of Pittsburg ordinance:

§ 607.06 CARRYING OF OPERABLE FIREARMS PROHIBITED.

No person shall carry in any vehicle or concealed or unconcealed on or about his person except when on his or her land or in his or her own abode or fixed place of business any firearm; provided that this section shall not apply to:

(a) Those persons specifically exempted under 18 P.S. Sec. 6106(b)(1-10); or

(b) Any person issued a valid license to the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act when carrying the type of weapon for which such license was issued.

(Ord. 11-1980, eff. 7-25-80; Am. Ord. 30-1993, eff. 12-9-93)

Pa.'s Preemption Statute clearly makes this ordinance null and unenforceable:

§6120. Limitation on the Regulation of Firearms and Ammunition.

(a) General rule. No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammuni­tion components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this commonwealth.

A misguided attempt at defending his actions

http://tinyurl.com/56xxop

Cash in ambiguity

Editor: The Second Amendment contains only one sentence of 27 words but is one of the most ambiguous amendments. The lawsuit about the May 9 incident with Dickson City police over the right to bear arms seems like a way to cash in on this ambiguity.

The officers were faced with serious uncertainty and are to be commended for their prudence, good judgment and professionalism in trying to defuse a potentially serious situation.

Let’s hope the court rules with common sense so that the taxpayers of Dickson City are not hit in the pocketbook.

ANTHONY J. MARIANO

DICKSON CITY

Note the name of the writer and compare it to the list of defendants in the first lawsuit. Can you say "desperate attempt to justify overreactions"? Come on - "serious uncertainty"?! Sounds like an admission of incompetence to me. It's also an interesting angle since the first lawsuit makes no mention of the 2nd Amendment whatsoever.

Mr. Mariano, if you're reading this: This is NOT a gun issue. You need to understand this to avoid repeating such blatant violations again, assuming you'll have the chance to continue your career in law enforcement.