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Gun Owner's Blog

Home Defense Against Terrorists

11/5/2023

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I recently wrote about the horrific Hamas attack on civilians in Israel and the lack of private gun ownership.  Thankfully, not everyone in Israel was unarmed or the death toll would have been much higher.  For those of you who would say that private citizens cannot stand against terrorists or military-grade weapons, please watch this  incredible account of a man who protected his family against more than 10 terrorists on October 7th armed only with a handgun.

This is a case study in home defense.  Miki kept his cool during the battle and ambushed the attackers as they entered his house.  He also never surrendered, even though Hamas used unimaginable psychologic techniques to try to get him to. 

The 2nd Amendment guarantees the right of Americans to own guns for self-defense and to help ensure an attack like that never happens here.  Let's be ready.
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Don't Mess with Winsome Sears

4/17/2023

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Here's a great article on Winsome Sears' appearance on the Bill Mahr show.  She is a strong pro-gun advocate and I love her comments in this article about women and guns.

What makes no sense, of course, is Mahr's comments:  "I mean, I do not like guns. I have guns. I do not like them. I always compare them to antibiotics. I never want to take one, but I’m glad they exist because I’m as small as some women," Maher joked.

Hopefully he's joking.  A gun is not very likely to do him any good if he doesn't like them and doesn't want to use them.  It sounds like he's hoping he can somehow rise to the occasion when his life is on the line.   Mahr isn't the only one though, I know several people who own guns for self-protection but have never been trained how to safely use them and never practice with them.   

If you own guns, please don't be like them.  Get trained on safe gun handling, marksmanship and self-defense and then practice regularly.
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Happy New Year for Gun Owners in Virginia

1/15/2022

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A great way to ring in the New Year is to see the FBI recently announced background check statistics for 2021.  There were 39 million background checks for firearm purchases in 2021, which is the second highest total of ever, surpassed only by 2020.  655,000 of those guns were sold were in Virginia.  Just like 2020, many of these purchases were made by first-time gun buyers.  As always, I recommend that new gun owners get training - especially in safe gun handling and basic marksmanship.  Shooting guns is way more fun when you can hit what you are aiming at!

More good news for Virginia gun owners in the New Year, Glenn Youngkin was sworn-in as governor today.  While Mr. Youngkin has not been an outspoken advocate for the 2nd Amendment, his Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General are.  I was impressed by Mr. Youngkin's message of unity and his desire to honor God.  I'm excited what the next four years will bring for gun rights in Virginia.
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Restraining Orders Are Not Self-Defense

9/13/2021

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In recent days, I read two stories of abusive boyfriends who killed their girlfriends:  

  • Last month, an Abusive Ex Murdered His Girlfriend in her home in New Jersey leaving behind two young children.  
  • Last week, 27-year-old Jenna Soderberg was killed by her abusive boyfriend, 39-year-old Sherrick Byrd, in a Houston Hotel Lobby.  She had recently filed for a protective order which, unfortunately, didn't protect her.  Byrd had already spent time in prison this year for previous abuse of Soderberg.  

Stories like these make me sick.  I cannot understand any "man" who would physically hurt a woman.  These kind of crimes happen all too often.  According to the National Coalition to Prevent Domestic Violence:
  • 1 in 2 female murder victims are killed by intimate partners
  • 65% of all murder-suicides are perpetrated by intimate partners
  • 96% of murder-suicide victims are female

If you are in an abusive relationship, please get help.  I would also consider your options for self-defense.  I'm not saying that carrying a gun is for everyone but, with proper training, it might give you a chance of surviving a deadly encounter like these. 
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Is the Ammo Shortage Over?

7/1/2021

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Today I got 3 different emails offering cases of 9mm ammo for sale.  This was great news.  After the huge gun demand in 2020, ammo became really hard to find and prices went through the roof.    Ammunition manufacturers didn't expect the rush of new gun owners and the corresponding ammo sales, but it seems that production is starting to catch-up.

Now that ammo is available again, all gun owners should celebrate Independence Day and our freedom by doing some shooting!  When you go out, take a new shooter with you!
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Introductory Handgun Clinics

5/8/2021

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I'm partnering with a group called "Powhatan Home Defense" to offer 3 introductory handgun clinics over the summer months.  These sessions will give beginners the steps needed to get started to owning a handgun for self-defense.  More details are available on the flyer below.
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Self-Defense Done Right

5/1/2021

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Officer Christopher Royer, a police officer in Nashville, shot and killed a man who attacked him with two butcher knives during a traffic stop on Saturday night.   If you are a private citizen who owns a gun for self-protection, do yourself a favor and read this article (and watch the video).   Officer Christopher Royer

In my opinion, this was an excellent example of using a handgun for self-defense.  Some observations:
1. Officer Royer didn't use his gun to protect property - the bad guy got into the police car without any resistance. 
2. He gave the bad guy every chance to stop the attack.  Officer Royer retreated 25 yards from the man with the knives.  In the video, you can see the bad guy to run at the cop.  At that point, it is clear the bad guy is an imminent threat - this is life or death.
3. He shot the bad guy in the chest to stop the threat.  When the adrenaline dump of the life or death situation occurs, you will fall back on your training and practice.  Officer Royer had likely practiced making shots to the torso to stop the threat.  Once the threat stopped, he stopped shooting.
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Surviving a Mass-Shooting

1/24/2021

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In my defensive shooting courses, I recommend that my students start following news on shootings and other circumstances where they might need a gun for self-protection, this is training for your mind.  An excellent way to do this is to sign-up for VCDL's VA-ALERT e-mail list.  Another way is to read good books on self-defense.  

I just finished reading "Surviving a Mass Killer Rampage" by Chris Bird and I highly recommend it.  The author describes in-detail many mass shootings, some that were stopped by citizens or law enforcement and some that were not.  Reading about these killings gave me a glimpse into what a situation like this might look like and some of the options when fighting back.  A majority of these shootings are over before law enforcement arrives and is able to confront the shooter.  His overall point is that allowing private citizens to carry guns and eliminating gun-free zones will significantly reduce the carnage that these killers can cause.   

In addition, the author attended several multi-day courses meant to train private citizens to stop mass shootings.  The book describes the content of these courses in detail.  This section includes lots of basic tactical information and some things concealed carriers could use to practice on the range.   For instance, one of the courses talked about the importance of scoring your first hit and had the students take their first shots each day at 50 feet.  That is well beyond the average distance of a gunfight but I see the wisdom of regular practice at longer distances and I plan to work that into my future sessions. 
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How to turn Self-Defense into Manslaughter

10/12/2019

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In August, Michael Drejka was convicted of manslaughter for the 2018 shooting of Markeis McGlockton.  Mr. Drejka was a concealed carry permit holder in Florida.  He shot and killed Mr. McGlockton after getting into a fight over a parking space.
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This is such a tragic situation for all involved.  Apparently, Mr. Drejka had words with Mr. McGlockton's girlfriend who was sitting in a car with her kids waiting for Mr. McGlockton inside a store.  Drejka was upset that she was parked in a handicapped parking space.

It appears that Mr. McGlockton showed-up when Mr. Drejka was arguing with his girlfriend and shoved him to the ground.  Drejka then drew his gun and shot McGlockton.

From the article:
"When I just say something to a person about being parked there, I don’t expect it to go where it went," Drejka told the detectives.  Moffett pressed him, asking if he was concerned about prompting a violent confrontation when he previously complained about people parking in handicap spaces.  Drejka answered, "That's why I take precautions. I'm a very careful person. I have a [concealed weapon] permit."

I definitely understand why Drejka was convicted.  In essence he picked a fight.  When it escalated, he shot the guy.  When we carry, we need to have the mindset that we want to do everything we can to avoid using our gun.  Yes, we should be confident in our ability to defend ourselves but we should not be walking around looking for a fight.   
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Home Invasion with 39 Warning Shots?

7/14/2019

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A family in Chesterfield County, VA survived a violent encounter with a naked home intruder last week.  The Lewis family describes the intruder as looking "possessed" and "having the strength of four men." 

Apparently, the man of the house encountered the home intruder first (a naked woman) and felt threatened enough to retrieve his pistol.  When she wouldn't leave he fired warning shots in her direction until he ran out of ammo - 39 warning shots!  At this point, it looks like the whole family was involved in fighting her off.  The family is covered in bites and bruises shown in the video of this article and you can see a significant amount of blood in the house.   This was a fight for life and death.  I'm glad the good guys survived.  

It would seem that this woman was high on some sort of substance that made her extremely strong and resistant to pain.  I disagree with the Mr. Lewis' decision not to shoot the woman.  I wonder if part of his decision not to shoot her was because the "bad guy" here was a girl?  By shooting warning shots, he endangered the lives of his family and neighbors and destroyed his own house in the process.   Each of those holes in the walls of his house could have hit an innocent bystander.   Additionally, if she was as strong as four men, couldn't the home invader have taken the gun away from the home owner and used it to kill his family?  Each of us gun owners needs to look at this situation and think through what we would do and what measures we are willing to take to protect ourselves and our loved ones.  

I would have retrieved my pistol, pointed it at her chest and told her to leave.   If she made any move toward me, I would have shot her twice in the upper chest.  Hopefully, that would have ended the confrontation.  If not, Plan B is a single shot to the cranial ocular cavity (head shot).   Hopped up on drugs or not, that shot would have stopped her.

Many people own guns for self defense and think they will rise to the occasion when they need it.   In an encounter such as this one, you don't have time to think.  Your body will default to your level of training and practice.  Contact me if you'd like to build your skills and confidence with a gun.  

#RVAReady #RVATrain #HandgunTraining #SelfDefense

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    Jon Woodard - NRA certified instructor.  Handgun Distinguished Expert. Passionate about responsible gun ownership.

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