Gillibrand Hits the Circuit: Senator-designate Kirsten Gillibrand started her statewide 'listening tour' Saturday in the urban heart of Harlem - far from the upstate farmlands she represented as a congresswoman. A day after Gov. David Paterson named the centrist Democrat to fill Hillary Rodham Clinton's empty Senate seat, Gillibrand began introducing herself to her new downstate constituents by appearing at a weekly rally held by the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton introduced her to the crowd by making note of their political differences; Among other things, Gillibrand has a record of opposing gun control. Her voting record in Congress earned her a 100 percent rating from the National Rifle Association... When pressed on guns, Gillibrand, who comes from a family of hunters, expressed flexibility. She said she was willing to meet with anti-violence groups and listen to what they had to say. When asked whether there might be NRA positions on gun ownership that contradict the gun-control needs of an inner-city community like Harlem, she said, 'There might well be,' adding, 'I'll look into it.' ... http://www.topix.net/content/ap/2009/01/us-senate-pick-starts-get-to-know-you-tour-in-nyc-6 --- Gun Shows Not the Problem: Recently, the state [VA] Crime Commission deadlocked over whether to recommend closing the so-called gun-show loophole. The issue has become a perennial at the General Assembly, which is considering the matter once again this year. Once again, legislators should vote no... Gun-control advocates often muddy the issue by referring to "unlicensed dealers" at gun shows, of which there are indeed many. They sell holsters, flashlights, hunting knives, T-shirts, books, gun safes -- even jewelry. But an unlicensed dealer who sold guns as a business would invite felony charges under federal law. Gun-control advocates also suggest, albeit with scant evidence, that gun shows supply a significant share of the weapons used in crime. Federal data indicate otherwise. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report, "Firearm Use by Offenders," only about 1 percent of guns used in crimes come from gun shows. In fact, most crime guns - 57 percent - come from just 1 percent of licensed dealers. Federal and state law-enforcement agencies should come down on those renegade dealers like a ton of bricks... (The fact that firearms sold by large-scale dealers are disproportionally involved in crime does not necessarily mean that those dealers are violating any law.) http://www.starexponent.com/cse/news/opinion/article/perspective_gun_show_sales_not_big_source_of_problems/28592/ --- Rule Five Reminder: A Williamson County [TX] family is in grieving after a 3-year-old boy was accidentally shot to death... Investigators say the boy was in a room with two other siblings - a toddler and a 5-year-old - when his mother, who was in another room, heard a "pop." She went to see what had happened and discovered Alfaro had somehow been shot with a 410 shotgun... About a mile away, at Stan's Shooting Range, former Army Drill Sergeant Gary Milam was saddened - but not shocked - at the news of the boy's death. Besides keeping guns unloaded, Milam strongly recommends safety locking devices be used on the trigger or a firing pin, depending on the gun. But he says even that is not always enough. "The safest weapon is an unloaded weapon," said Milam. "Regardless of the safety mechanism on the weapon, it still goes back to the adult - the gun owner - making sure that that weapon is safe, used safely (and) not accessible to small children." ... (Rule Five: Maintain control of your firearm. Trigger locks violate Rule Three, being inserted into the trigger guard. An unloaded firearm may be relatively safe, until it is need for defense. Those kept loaded are best kept holstered on the person or, if long guns, either locked in a safe or cabinet or under visual control.) http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/012309kvue-boy-shot-florence-eh.20c409e1.html --- Alternative Weapon - the Cane: John Farnam has repeatedly referred to his carry of a walking stick. A list member has shared the following article and manuals. I have carried a cane myself, on travels to Mexico and have had some training in its use. The term "martial arts" has two components, "martial" and "arts." Much of what is taught as martial arts emphasizes the "arts" at the expense of the "martial." I have not had the time to review all the linked material so I will conclude this introduction with the advice that, as in most other fields, simpler is better. In particular, I lean toward simple, oblique, two-handed swings of the cane, which typically block on upward stroke and counter on the downward stroke, without having to shift the primary grip from the one in which the cane is gripped while walking and standing. A lightweight rattan cane will attain a higher striking velocity than a heavier one. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121582129325447667.html?mod=hpp_us_pageone http://www.the-exiles.org/manual/lang/lang.htm http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/SMCT_CTT_Tasks/Skill_Level_1/1913764121-sl1-use-a-riot.shtml --- From John Farnam: 20 Jan 09 "Statistical" arguments about weapons capability: I recently got into an animated discussion about the Mini-14, and its suitability for serious purposes. We see a lot of them in our Urban Rifle Courses, because they are relatively inexpensive, and, in all fairness, run fine. We have had few difficulties with them, except for that fact that, when they get hot from a heavy volume of shooting, they still run, but become difficult to handle, particularly owing to the hot forend. Military-grade rifles are differentiated from commercial-grade rifles in two, major categories. (1) They have a military-specification manual safety that, when "on," renders the rifle mechanically drop-safe, and (2) when hot from heavy shooting, still run, and can continue to be used normally, despite the heat. Most commercial/recreational rifles fail on both counts, as they are not designed for high-volume fire, nor for other rough, challenging, military employment. For use in domestic law-enforcement, it is often argued that such military standards are irrelevant and unnecessary, because, statistically, numbers of rounds fired by police, per incident, are far reduced from what is normally associated with military, battle usage. And, opportunities to maintain weapons between usages are normally plenteous. However, following that same logic, one can persuasively argue that police should not be armed, nor trained, at all! The incontrovertible fact is, the vast majority of domestic police contacts involve no use of physical force whatever. Of the tiny minority that do, only a minuscule fraction involve deadly force. Of the incidents that do involve even brandishing of police guns, in only an even-more minuscule minority are police guns actually fired. So, why do we spend time and money training police to fire guns at all, when, statistically, on-duty shootings are so rare? The answer is, "... for the same reason we have fire-drills" "Rare" doesn't translate to "never!" All Operators, police or not, need to have wide-ranging capabilities, always on tap. We don't get to know what challenges are in store for us, nor when, nor what ones, though currently unforseen, may suddenly rear their ugly heads! For one, I want as much capability as I can get! Though a protracted gun-battle, involving me firing dozens of rounds at multiple VCAs, while rolling around in the mud, blood, and beer for a prolonged time, in a cold, muddy ditch, in the rain, at night, is, at least statistically, unlikely, those statistics will be of scant consolation when it actually happens, and I discover, to my unhappiness, that I'm neither adequately equipped, nor prepared! Yes, police (and all Operators) need robust, heavy-duty, military rifles, as well as thorough, rigorous, regular training in their use, under all conditions! Anything less, and we're dangerously unprepared, even for "one-in-a-million" events that always seem to happen at the most unlikely times, and in the most unexpected places! Here is on statistic upon which you can depend: You only get to die once! Prepare for the future. Don't try to predict it! That is: dress for the spill, not the ride! "There are thing that you cannot imagine, but there is nothing that may not happen!" /John (Even some military-grade rifles may not be reliable under prolonged use but John's point merits consideration. In the immortal words of Inspector Harry Callahan, "A good man knows his limitations." A good man should also know the limitations of his equipment. For example, while I often recommend Kahr pistols to those who prefer autoloaders, I am mindful that they will never be accepted for military use because they are not easy to field-strip and to reassemble. For a variety of reasons, including cost and legal restrictions, some people may have to make do with something other than a military-grade rifle. I am reminded of an incident in which an early Texas Ranger fought off an attack by a group of Comanche. In the heat of the moment, he jammed his lever-action rifle by feeding it a .45 Colt cartridge for his revolver instead of the .44-40 cartridge for which it was chambered. While fending off the horseback Indians with his revolver, he used his belt knife to unscrew the side plate of the rifle, clear the jam, replace the side plate and get the rifle back into the fight. He prevailed. Reliable equipment, including at least one backup gun, is highly desirable but software is usually more crucial than hardware.) -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .