Safety – Page 44 – MILESFORTIS

Yes. Next question.

Are Hunting Shotguns Good For Home Defense?

If you’re like me—which I suspect you are or else you wouldn’t be reading Shooting Illustrated—you own a dedicated home-defense shotgun (or two) tailor-made for the job. But, we are the minority. Many more Americans don’t have an IWI US Tavor TS12 or a Mossberg 590A1 Tactical in a biometric rack above the headboard.

Rather, they keep a wood-stocked Winchester Model 12, an old Ithaca double, a Browning A5, a Mossberg 500 All Purpose, a Remington 1100 or the like stashed behind the clothes in the closet or in a safe. While these fowling pieces may not have been specifically made for defending castles, they can do it. Here are a half-dozen of the most popular hunting shotguns that can serve double-duty as home defenders, along with some tips for employing them as such.

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Ayoob Provides Unflinching Look At Reality Of Self-Defense

Recently, Massad Ayoob was named as President of the Second Amendment Foundation. It is the latest step in a long career of service, both to community (as a part-time police officer), to those who choose to exercise their Second Amendment rights (he is also well-known for self-defense training – including developing the Stressfire system for pistols and shotguns), and to the cause of protecting the Second Amendment (Ayoob has been a long-time supporter of the Second Amendment Foundation).

But perhaps one of the most important services Ayoob has provided for anyone exercising their Second Amendment rights or thinking about exercising those rights appears in print – and has since 1986. The bi-monthly American Handgunner runs the Ayoob Files as a regular feature. If you have ever thought about carrying a firearm for personal protection, this column ranks up there with his books In The Gravest Extreme and The Truth About Self-Protection as must-reads.

Why is the Ayoob Files feature so important? Because in this case, Second Amendment supporters can learn lessons from others – and these lessons have come at a very high price, ranging from post-shooting trauma and picking up the pieces of one’s life (the very lucky ones), to those who have lost their liberty (including their Second Amendment rights) and even their lives.

Many Second Amendment supporters want people to learn about Second Amendment issues, and that is often done through education. Well, when it comes to exercising our Second Amendment rights, education, and training matter a great deal. As constitutional carry spreads across the country, being well-educated and well-trained in self-defense will be a crucial step in protecting those laws from being overturned.

This is one aspect of responsibly exercising our Second Amendment rights that doesn’t get discussed often, and perhaps it should be. When we exercise our Second Amendment rights, we have the power of life and death in our hands. Knowing the basic rules of firearms safety, knowing how to safely operate your firearm, knowing how to clean them and secure them, knowing the laws – federal, state, and local – that govern them, and knowing when to use them are just as important as knowing what legislation is percolating in Congress and your state legislature.

Hopefully, no loyal AmmoLand News reader will ever wind up having an experience that becomes the subject of the Ayoob Files. Ayoob has a number of other books available on Amazon.com – and their Smile program allows for donations to the Second Amendment Foundation. Perhaps Ayoob’s earlier works can find their way to Kindle – with suitable updating, of course. Ayoob’s works are a great benefit in helping Second Amendment supporters responsibly exercise the rights that we are trying to defend by defeating anti-Second Amendment extremists at the federal, state, and local levels via the ballot box.

FDA adds warning to J&J COVID-19 vaccine over links to rare autoimmune disorder.

July 13 (UPI) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a new warning for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine over its association with an increased risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder where the immune system damages the nerve cells.

The FDA announced the update to the one-shot jab on Monday in a letter to the company as well as in amendments to its fact sheets on the vaccine in response to new data showing cases of people displaying symptoms of the syndrome within 42 days of receiving the shot.

The warning states: “Reports of adverse events following use of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine under emergency use authorization suggest an increased risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome during the 42 days following vaccination.”

Janssen is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

The FDA said in its fact sheet for recipients and caregivers that “[t]he chance of having this occur is very low.”

Between 3,000 and 6,000 people develop Guillain-Barre syndrome each year in the United States with only about 100 people of the 12.8 million Johnson & Johnson dose recipients having shown symptoms, the FDA said. Of those who exhibited symptoms, 95 were hospitalized and there was one death.

The agency said that while there is enough evidence to suggest an association between the vaccine and the syndrome “it is insufficient to establish a casual relationship.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare disorder of the immune system attacking nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis and often follows infection of a virus or bacteria.

The CDC said men older than 50 were at greater risk of contracting the syndrome after receiving the shot.

Johnson & Johnson released a statement Monday stating it has updated its COVID-19 vaccine factsheet to include the new warning while reiterating that evidence continues to prove its vaccine protects against the coronavirus.

“Evidence has demonstrated that Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine offers protection against COVID-19 disease and prevents hospitalization and death, including in countries where viral variants are highly prevalent,” it said.

The FDA gave the Johnson & Johnson jab emergency use approval in late February.

In April, CDC issued a warning for the vaccine concerning its association with a rare blood clotting disease, ending a federal government temporary halt to the drug’s distribution.

¡Grupos de Autodefensas Para Mi!

Mexico has all the strict gun control laws the steppers would swoon over if enacted in the U.S. and also is the perfect exemplar of what those laws would do to about all that eeeeeee-vil ultra-ultra gun violence; Nothing.
So, we can make only one conclusion about their desire for gun control laws. It’s not about ‘violence’ except what might be pointed in their direction.

Avocado Farmers Take Up Arms As Mexico Violence Spikes

A convoy of vigilantes snakes along a road in western Mexico, vowing to defend their avocado orchards from gangs sowing terror in a country reeling from a new wave of bloodshed.

Armed with assault rifles and other firearms, the masked men travel between plantations and maintain checkpoints in Ario de Rosales in Michoacan state, the scene of a bloody cartel turf war.

Before they began patrolling the area, residents lived in fear of kidnapping, extortion and theft of avocados, according to a member of the self-defense group Pueblos Unidos, which says it has 700 members.

“We need to be armed to defend ourselves,” he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity, wearing a badge reading “Down with injustice, no more dead.”

Previously, criminals “came to do what they wanted to us, and that doesn’t happen anymore,” he added.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador opposes such self-defense groups — a phenomenon that dates back to 2013 — saying that some of them have become fronts for criminals.

Such comments are not well received in Ario de Rosales, where another Pueblos Unidos member says the president should “get his shoes dirty” to discover the reality of life in the area, where the Jalisco New Generation and Los Viagras cartels operate.

The police and military “feared the criminals or were paid by them to do nothing,” said another vigilante who gave his name as Martin.

It is estimated that there are around 50 such self-defense groups in Mexico, which has seen intensifying violence in recent months, notably in Michoacan and the northern states of Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.

Mexico registered 14,243 murders in the first five months of the year, and the bloodshed has shown no sign of stopping since then.

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Massad Ayoob’s ‘In The Gravest Extreme’ Still Relevant in 2021?

Most everyone in “gun land” knows who Massad Ayoob is. In the Gravest Extreme was first published in 1980. Even though it is over 40 years old, it is still available today, either new or used, for a few dollars less. It runs around $20 a copy, and I have seen it used as low as $13 a copy. Cheap enough that there really isn’t a good reason not to read it.

Basic Overview

There are 17 chapters in the almost 130-page book. A wide range of topics are covered in those 17 chapters. Ranging from car guns (what commonly gets called a “truck gun” now), carrying guns outside of the home, using guns for home defense, and using guns to defend a business, to name a few. The book’s breadth is rather large, so the chapters tend to be short, easy reads. The common thread throughout that serves to tie it all together is the legal use of force and all of the potential pitfalls of using force.

The last few chapters get into topics like selecting a handgun for concealed carry, a comprehensive overview of defensive shooting, and the like. This is perhaps where the content has not aged as well as other parts of the book. Firearms, specifically handguns and the ammunition we feed them, have moved pretty far down the road from where 1980 was.

How Has it Aged?

It doesn’t take long to realize the age of the book when reading it. Not because the information isn’t relevant. But the word choices are just starting to show their age a bit. Ayoob’s flair for writing is clear, making the book a rather easy read despite the dated language.

Because the laws have changed over the last 4 decades, some of the specific legal examples will not be useful anymore. Conceptually, for the most part, I think there is enough similarity that the value is not completely lost, though. It would be on the reader to know their local laws and what parts of the book are so outdated to no longer be completely accurate.

Even though dated, there is plenty of application left in the larger message Ayoob is trying to get across with this book. First and foremost, avoidance is preferable. Ayoob does a good job of showing both sides of the scale. The potential costs of a defensive action weighed against being able to avoid the need outright. It serves more to temper the often overly aggressive misunderstandings about the use of force to protect self and others than it does to encourage the use of force at all. If there is another way out, take the other way out. This is an idea that sometimes is lost in the bravado of the modern “gun culture.”

Wrapping it Up

Overall, I think this sums up the purpose of the book well.

“The man who wears a gun carries with it the power of life and death, and therefore the responsibility to deport himself with greater calm and wisdom than his unarmed counterpart…”

It is about being prudent and good decision-making. Do not do the things that would be expected to put you in a bad position.

For something written so long ago, I was surprised to find a significant amount of alignment with what is considered best practice currently. At least partially proving true that “what is old is new again,” I suppose. While I probably wouldn’t call In the Gravest Extreme timeless, I do think there are still plenty of lessons to be learned from it, and it is certainly thought-provoking. It’s worth the read.

Pandemic gun violence surge was not linked to rise in gun sales, study finds
Research suggests looking at role of job loss, economic change, closure of schools and community organizations and civil unrest

Gun homicides surged across the United States during the coronavirus pandemic, in the same year that Americans bought a record-breaking number of guns.

But some of America’s leading gun violence researchers have concluded that what might seem like an obvious cause-and-effect – a surge in gun buying leads to a surge in gun violence – is not supported by the data.

Through July of last year, there was no clear association between the increase in firearm purchases and the increase in most interpersonal gun violence at the state level, according to a new study published in Injury Epidemiology, a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

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Increase in Home Defense Shootings Affirms Self-Defense Right

Recent days have seen an uptick in self-defense shootings involving burglaries or home invasions, leading to the inescapable conclusion that gun-buying over the past 15 months is not working out so well for people who break into other peoples’ homes.

Down in Orlando, Fla., the police were called to a home in the Lake Como neighborhood to find a man identified as David Havens, 53, who allegedly broke into a home while a teenage girl was there alone. The homeowner arrived in time to confront the suspect and a shot was fired. The suspect was wounded but it was not life-threatening. According to a published report, the homeowner will not face criminal charges.

An incident making lots of headlines occurred in Modesto, Calif., where Rodney Lee Martin encountered an armed homeowner, and after a rapid exchange of gunfire, the 41-year-old Martin’s misadventure came to a sudden end.

According to Fox News, when deputies from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department arrived, they found Martin lying dead with a stolen firearm. The homeowner had been alerted by an alarm company and rushed home to encounter Martin, who opened fire. The unidentified homeowner returned fire.

It was the second self-defense shooting within one week in the Modesto area. The earlier incident involved a suspect identified as Pearl Fierro, 32, who reportedly smashed through a sliding glass door at the home of an elderly couple. According to a published report, Fierro threatened to kill the couple, but “a woman who lived in the home” apparently gave several warnings before shooting Fierro.

The dead suspect was found in one of the couple’s automobiles.

Down in Harris County, Texas an unidentified intruder was fatally shot when he picked the wrong house to invade. The homeowner and his wife were there when the suspect broke through their back door. As the suspect approached the husband, he grabbed his gun and fired, killing the man.

In Gig Harbor, Wash., an intoxicated intruder reportedly smashed a window to get inside a home where the homeowner first called 911 and then armed himself. A sheriff’s dispatcher was able to hear the intruder screaming, and as he advanced up a staircase and got into a scuffle, the homeowner fired. The 48-year-old intruder fell mortally wounded. The investigation revealed the suspect had a relative living nearby and theorized the man may have been trying to get to that address.

Authorities across the country are trying to deal with a spike in violent crime in recent months. Some believe crime is on the upswing because so many police agencies are apparently cutting manpower or have lost officers due to lack of support from city officials.

In reaction, private citizens have been buying guns at record levels. In that environment, some on social media have suggested that criminals find some other occupation.

But the bottom line appears to be the stark reminder that self-defense is a human right, and that fighting back is once again a popular concept, and the Second Amendment makes it possible.

Post-Shooting Procedures for the Active Killer Gunfight

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Bill Allowing Congregants to Carry for Church Defense

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed legislation Tuesday allowing worshipers with concealed permits to carry firearms on their persons for church, synagogue, and mosque defense.

WFLA reported that the bill, HB 259, applies to concealed carry permit holders and it took effect immediately upon being signed.

ABC 7 noted the HB 259 also covers churches and other places of worship that have schools. Until now, there has been a prohibition on carry at such churches and/or places of worship because of the school grounds.

State Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), who sponsored the bill, said: “There are always threats. And all we’re doing is giving them, those religious institutions, the ability and the right to be able to say ‘yes,’ if we choose.”

“We’re going to allow concealed permit holders — it’s not the wild, wild West — we’re giving one of the safest subgroups in our society the ability to carry,” he continued.

State Sen. Gary Farmer (D-Lighthouse Point) opposed HB 259, arguing it is built on the “fallacy” that a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy.

Farmer said, “There hasn’t been any Dirty Harry or John McClane or Rambo that’s come to the defense of anyone in any of these mass shootings.”

Here are a few examples of good guys with guns stopping bad guys during the past seven years alone:

Breitbart News reported that a concealed carry permit holder shot and killed an alleged Tulsa, Oklahoma, attacker on March 27, 2020, thwarting a mass shooting in the process.

On December 29, 2019, the Associated Press reported that a man opened fire on a Texas church congregation and was shot and killed seconds later by an armed congregant. Video from the incident showed congregant Jack Wilson shooting the attacker while other congregants closed in, guns drawn, to help end the attack as well. ABC News quoted Texas Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Joeff Williams saying, “The citizens who were inside that church undoubtedly saved 242 other parishioners. That might get swept aside in this whole conversation about active shooter response, and God know law enforcement has done a whole bunch of work to make our response better.”

On August 7, 2018, Fox News reported that a concealed carry permit holder was there to “save countless lives” when a gunman with bad intentions opened fire on a back to school event in Titusville, Florida. Fox 32 quoted Titusville police Sgt. William Amos saying, “Based on the information that we’ve gathered. This person stepped in and saved a lot of people’s lives.”

Breitbart News explained that an Uber driver with a concealed carry permit stopped a mass shooting in Chicago on April 17, 2015. The Chicago Tribune reported the permit holder was in his car when he saw a gunman open fire on a “group of people.” The permit holder pulled his own gun and shot multiple rounds, striking the attacker three times and ending the mass shooting in the process.

Breitbart News also noted that a concealed carry permit holder stopped a March 22, 2015, mass shooting in a Philadelphia barber shop. NBC Philadelphia reported that the gunman was shooting at “customers and barbers” when the permit holder intervened, shooting the attacker in the chest and ending the threat.

ABC News observed that Richard Plotts opened fire in a psychologist’s office July 24, 2014, and his shooting spree was stopped by an armed doctor. Plotts was convicted for opening fire in Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby Borough, Pennsylvania. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan noted that Dr. Lee Silverman, the armed psychologist who ended Plotts’ attack, helped prevent Plotts from reloading his gun to continue firing.

More recently, on May 17, 2021, Breitbart pointed to a good guy who used a hunting rifle to foil an alleged mass shooting in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

PRODUCT WARNING AND RECALL NOTICE
HERTER’S™ 9mm Luger 115 grain FMJ (manufactured by WINCHESTER®)

Herter’s is recalling the following lots of 9mm Luger 115 grain Full Metal Jacket pistol ammunition.

Symbol: HRT9A
Lot Numbers: SC13LD44, SC13LD45, SD10LD44, SD10LD45

Note: If ammunition was purchased before March 25, 2021, it is NOT subject to the recall.

Herter’s has determined the above lots of 9mm Luger 115 FMJ ammunition may contain propellant that does not properly ignite and burn when the cartridge is fired. Ammunition containing propellant that does not properly ignite and burn may result in a bullet remaining in the barrel (i.e., a bullet-in-bore obstruction). Firing a subsequent bullet into the bore obstruction could cause firearm damage, rendering the firearm inoperable and subjecting the shooter and bystanders to a risk of serious personal injury.

DO NOT USE HERTER’S™ 9mm Luger 115 FMJ SYMBOL HRT9A THAT HAS LOT NUMBER SC13LD44, SC13LD45, SD10LD44 or SD10LD45. The ammunition Lot Number is stamped on the 50-round carton as indicated here:

HRT9A

To determine if your ammunition is subject to this notice, review the Symbol and Lot Number. If it is Symbol HRT9A and Lot Number SC13LD44, SC13LD45, SD10LD44 or SD10LD45, immediately discontinue use and contact Winchester toll-free at 844-653-8358 for free UPS pick-up of the recalled ammunition. Upon receipt of your recalled ammunition, Winchester will ship replacement ammunition directly to you or issue you a reimbursement check.

This notice applies only to Symbol HRT9A with Lot Number SC13LD44, SC13LD45, SD10LD44 or SD10LD45. Other Symbols or Lot Numbers are not subject to this recall.

If you have any questions concerning this 9mm Luger 115 FMJ pistol ammunition recall please call toll-free 844-653-8358, write to Winchester (600 Powder Mill Road, East Alton, IL 62024 Attn: 9mm Luger Recall), or visit our website at www.winchester.com.

We apologize for this inconvenience.

HERTER’S

WOMEN’S HANDGUNS TODAY

Robyn Sandoval of A Girl And A Gun recently took my MAG-40 class in South Dakota, and while there, she gave me permission to share this list she put together. Though it probably understates how many LCP-size .380s and snub .38 revolvers are being carried by women today, the guns folks take to pistol class are largely indicative of what they keep for home defense, in my experience.

Massad Ayoob and Robyn Sandoval at a recent MAG40 class in South Dakota.

Courtesy of Robyn:

To know the handguns and gear that are trending for women in 2021, look at what women are choosing to train with and carry. Recently A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League (AG & AG) hosted its 9th Annual National Conference. All 450 participants were required to go through a “gear check” process where their handguns, belts, holsters, and mag pouches were all reviewed and function checked. The following lists the most popular brands and models that the women brought to training.

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If You Want to Support Women’s Rights, Then Support their Right to Defend Themselves

I remember what it felt like the first time I had my sense of newly built security ripped from me. I had just turned 19. I was so young. I was just a kid. Like most young people, I never thought that it could happen to me.

At the time I was in the military, living off base in Missouri with a female roommate. After about a week of noticing things were “off” in the house (the back door would be unlocked, then open physically, etc.) I brought it up at work.

Some of my co-workers said I was working too much. They even suggested I go speak to someone in mental health… but I kept listening to my gut instincts as I have done my entire life. That ultimately is what ended up keeping me safe.

Shortly after informing my work about what was happening in our house. The break-in happened. The local police got involved, the base got involved… everyone knew. As a result, my commander ordered us back on base because that was all he could do to keep us safe.

My roommate and I had been targeted and as a result, the only way to avoid us being put directly in danger was to be ordered onto a military installation with 24/7 security.

Soon after, I received orders to move down to Florida. I had gotten married and thought after moving I’d feel safer.

I was wrong. In fact, things got worse. Even at home, I didn’t feel safe. I had no way of defending myself. When it got dark outside, I’d go around making sure every door and window was locked. I couldn’t even sleep through the night. I had regressed to an almost child-like state of being afraid of the dark. I felt weak, afraid, even violated.

My husband was getting ready to deploy, so he was gone most of the time. I bought a big dog, but that didn’t help. I was suffering from a form of trauma, and it was a major problem.

But then a friend, a technical sergeant, explained to me what a concealed-carry permit was — and it changed my life forever.

In the military and law enforcement, guns are a tool that we all learn to use that allows us to defend ourselves. There is a misconception in parts of our society that label guns as “dangerous, evil weapons for destruction,” but that wasn’t my experience.

I quickly applied for my concealed carry and I was (until recently) able to sleep through the night again. I felt at that time that I could defend myself. I finally felt like myself — a young woman able to live her life to the fullest.

It was a wonderful transformation — one that I expanded on recently in an episode of my podcast, “Luna Talks with Anna Paulina.”

With my sense of security restored, I felt I had to share my story. I wanted people, especially women, to know they had an alternative way of dealing with fear and trauma. Little did I know this endeavor would cause such backlash, especially on social media.

My civilian friends didn’t understand why I needed a gun, even though I went through a traumatic experience. And these women’s clothing companies with which I was working wanted to cut ties with me after I began posting online about my story and using firearms.

The strangest response was people saying they didn’t want me to be political. I didn’t think I was being political. To me, the Second Amendment isn’t a political issue. It’s a matter of basic protection. I was simply sharing experiences to get people to realize that self-defense is an option. Was I not exhibiting the ultimate support for women by empowering them to feel safe and secure?

Yet I was being called a “terrorist” and “a baby killer.” But I didn’t care. I knew there were people out there who would benefit from my story.

This issue is especially relevant after COVID-19. According to the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice, incidents of domestic violence spiked more than 8 percent nationwide in 2020 following lockdown orders. And mind you, these were just the reported incidents; so many victims don’t come forward.

What I went through was only a fraction of what many women endure. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, one out of every six American women have been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. What a sad and horrifying statistic.

Yet self-defense for women isn’t promoted in mainstream society — especially not in our schools — and there’s often a stigma around firearms (I know firsthand from the demonization I endured).

But if we truly want to empower women to be victors, not victims, shouldn’t we teach women how to defend themselves? Shouldn’t we demonstrate for girls how to feel secure and confident in a cruel world? Isn’t that a better long-term strategy than, say, decrying the patriarchy during a college seminar?

So, let me conclude with this: Thank God for the Second Amendment.

I want to pass this message on to people everywhere — especially women and victims of domestic violence. Because if we truly want to help, we should be empowering them, not hindering their God-given right to self-defense.

Winchester 9mm 115 gr Ammunition Recall

Olin Winchester, LLC is recalling the following lots of 9mm Luger 115 grain Full Metal Jacket and 115 grain Jacketed Hollow Point pistol ammunition.

Symbols: Q4172, RED9, USA9JHP, USA9MMVP, USA9W, WW9B

Lot Numbers:
SC03LD44, SC03LD45, SC03LD46, SC03LD47
SC13LD1, SC13LD6, SC13LD18, SC13LD44, SC13LD45, SC13LD46, SC13LD47
SC52LD44, SC52LD45, SC52LD46, SC52LD47
SC62LD44, SC62LD45, SC62LD46, SC62LD47
SC72LD44, SC72LD45, SC72LD46, SC72LD47
SC92LD44, SC92LD45, SC92LD46, SC92LD47
SD10LD1, SD10LD3, SD10LD6, SC10LD12, SD10LD18, SD10LD46, SD10LD47
SD50LD1, SD50LD3, SD50LD6, SD50LD11, SD50LD12, SD50LD18, SD50LD46, SD50LD47
SD60LD1, SD60LD3, SD60LD6, SD60LD11, SD60LD12, SD60LD18
SD70LD1, SD70LD3, SD70LD6, SD70LD11, SD70LD12, SD70LD18
SD80LD1, SD80LD3, SD80LD6, SD80LD11, SD80LD12, SD80LD18

Winchester has determined the above lots of 9mm Luger 115 FMJ and JHP ammunition may contain propellant that does not properly ignite and burn when the cartridge is fired. Ammunition containing propellant that does not properly ignite and burn may result in a bullet remaining in the barrel (i.e., a bullet-in-bore obstruction). Firing a subsequent bullet into the bore obstruction could cause firearm damage, rendering the firearm inoperable and subjecting the shooter and bystanders to a risk of serious personal injury.

DO NOT USE WINCHESTER® 9MM LUGER 115 FMJ / JHP OF THE ABOVE SYMBOLS THAT HAS ANY OF THE ABOVE LOT NUMBERS.

To determine if your ammunition is subject to this notice, review the Symbol and Lot Number. If it is any of the above Symbols and Lot Numbers, immediately discontinue use and contact Winchester toll-free at 844-653-8358 for free UPS pick-up of the recalled ammunition. Upon receipt of your recalled ammunition, Winchester will ship replacement ammunition directly to you or issue you a reimbursement check.

This notice applies only to the above 9mm Luger 115 FMJ and JHP Symbols with the above Lot Numbers. Other Symbols or Lot Numbers are not subject to this recall.

If you have any questions concerning this 9mm Luger 115 FMJ / JHP pistol ammunition recall please call toll-free 844-653-8358, write to Winchester (600 Powder Mill Road, East Alton, IL 62024 Attn: 9mm Luger Recall), or visit our website at www.winchester.com.

Stanford Study: Most Mass Shooters Have Undiagnosed Psychiatric Illnesses
Over half of the perpetrators were found to have schizophrenia, with psychotic symptoms including the belief they were receiving messages from demons and seeing hallucinations ordering them to “kill, burn or destroy.”

Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine have published a study that reveals most of the perpetrators of mass shootings in America are people with undiagnosed psychiatric disorders.

The study focused on 115 assailants of shootings committed between 1982 and 2019, and then narrowed that number down to ones who survived.

“We found that most mass shooters in our study experienced undiagnosed and unmedicated psychiatric illness,” the researchers noted.

Describing the findings as “striking,” the study notes that symptoms of clinical psychiatric disorders were identified in almost all the shooters, 32 out of 35.

Over half of the perpetrators, 18, were found to have schizophrenia, with psychotic symptoms including the belief they were receiving messages from demons and seeing hallucinations ordering them to “kill, burn or destroy.”

A further 10 of the shooters were diagnosed as bipolar, delusional and suffering from personality disorders.

The study also noted that “None were medicated or received other treatment prior to the crime.”

To make the diagnoses, the study focused on the records of forensic psychiatrists and court proceedings, in addition to writings and social media posts made by the shooters.

Researchers also found that in 20 mass shooting cases where the perpetrators died, at least eight had schizophrenia, seven had other diagnoses, and five had unknown mental illnesses.

While concluding that diagnosis and treatment of mental illness could have “decreased violence,” the study notes that “Psychiatric research… on the nature and the incidence of mental illness among mass shooters, however, remains largely understudied.”

“Most of the cases of domestic mass murders possibly might have been prevented had the assailant… been more consistently assisted to receive a correct diagnosis… followed by psychiatric medication treatment… to save lives,” the study suggests.

Yeah, that ‘almost’. They’re still basically nonsensical.

Gun Control Group Almost Talks Actual Gun Sense

The phrase “gun sense” is generally nothing more than a euphemism for gun control. It’s a term that’s been corrupted from what it could have meant to be nothing more than a synonym for a term that has less and less popularity with the American public.

However, a gun-control group has decided to step away from talking about infringing on our Second Amendment rights for a moment to talk about something that almost equates to actual gun sense, more or less.

GunSense Vermont, a non-partisan group that works to keep Vermonters safe from gun violence, is looking to change the conversation around gun violence prevention by focusing on safe storage.

At a panel discussion on Thursday, the group focused their conversation on educating gun owners about their responsibility to safely secure guns in their homes to keep them out of the hands of kids, thieves, and anyone looking to cause harm.

Now, this is actually a non-controversial position we should all be able to rally behind.

Of course, the group also says some pretty ridiculous things, such as:

According to GunSense Vermont, a properly stored firearm is one that is unloaded, separate from the ammunition, and locked in a safe.

Meanwhile, one of the honchos (a deputy director) with the group also says that if you’re worried about needing your firearm in a hurry, you should get a quick-access safe.

Which, of course, would require one not to have the weapon “properly” stored.

Then there’s the very real concern of not being able to access the weapon from the quick-access safe because of a loss of fine motor control during a particularly stressful event. Trust me, trying to grab a gun in the middle of the night can be hard enough if it’s in a nightstand drawer. Accessing a combination safe in the mere seconds provided may well be impossible for some.

Yet I don’t want to be too hard on GunSense Vermont.

While they’re a gun control group, they’re actually trying to reach out and talk about non-legislative solutions to firearm-related violence. This shouldn’t be mocked or dismissed, but encouraged. This is something I’m willing to sit down with them and discuss things like this.

You really can’t claim you’re not about banning guns and then not at least try to find non-legislative ways to reduce deaths by firearms. Many of us agree that weapons should be stored safely away from children and thieves. That’s some common ground we can build from. Who knows, maybe we can build from that and find all kinds of other ways to address violent crime without infringing on gun rights.

Either way, this is a good thing.

However, this shouldn’t be taken as me being remotely open to any of their anti-gun proposals. I’m not and I won’t be. See, I think much of our problems with violent crime and other firearm-related deaths can be solved without infringing on the right to keep and bear arms in the least.

My hope is that GunSense Vermont is starting to see things that way as well. I’m not holding my breath, but a guy can dream, can’t he?

It’s not just how, but also when, and if you really can that’s important.

There Is Far More to Concealed Carry Than Just Buying a Handgun
You need the proper training and mindset before you decide to concealed-carry a handgun. Here’s what you need to know

There is a lot more to carrying a concealed firearm for self-defense than snapping a holster on your waistband and walking out the door. It’s a serious commitment that will impact pretty much everything someone does outside their home, from the clothes a person wears and how they wear them, to the way they get into a car and buckle a seatbelt, to the exact mechanics of picking something up off the floor—or at least, it should.

If you conceal carry, that means you carry a gun as much as possible to protect yourself and loved ones. It means having a self-defense mindset and having that defensive firearm at the ready. Today, there are a lot of people in the U.S. who may have the necessary physical tools for self-defense, but not the skills or the mindset, which is far more important than which handgun, caliber, or holster someone chooses.

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Three weeks until Tennesseans can carry without a permit

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – In three weeks, permit less carry goes into effect in Tennessee.

And is it impacting gun sales? The folks at Royal Range in Nashville say they’re not seeing much of an impact on sales due to the Permitless carry law. But, the gun range store says recently they’ve seen a new trend with women.

“So far not a giant impact,” Bob Allen, the Director of Training at Royal Range said. “We’re kind of steady, maybe just a little bit above right now. And really about the same with ammo,” Allen said.

Gun Owner Jarrett Williams said the Permitless carry law will make him buy more guns but not for obvious reasons.

“Yes it will but only because I know there are going to be more people who maybe shouldn’t have guns,” Williams said. ‘I’m going to possibly need something to defend myself against anybody who is less qualified to have a weapon on them,” he added.

Allen at Royal Range said some people are buying up; basically hoarding lots of ammo because they don’t know what the future holds.

“Ammo prices have gone up substantially, but they’ve dropped a bit,” Allen said. “Thousand rounds of 9mm ammo was about $240 before Covid and during Covid it got to $800 and people were still buying it it has since dropped here at our place to $500 for a thousand rounds. And its kind of hard to get nowadays,” he added.

Allen who oversees training at Royal Range says he has seen one major trend; more women buying guns.

‘We’ve seen a lot of; a substantial increase in ladies coming here to buy guns,” Allen said. “We are seeing that increase quite a bit, whether its women self-defense , first time gun owners,” he added.

Allen adds that even though the law takes effect in July, it doesn’t require in- person or online course anymore. Royal Range is putting a course in place to teach people the law when the permitless carry goes into effect.

“We’re all for a person defending themselves. They need to know the law, because if you don’t know the law, you will get in so much trouble. If I pull it out at the wrong time, that’s called aggravated assault which is felony,” Allen said.

He also adds another trend they’ve noticed recently is more people coming to the gun range looking for training.

Letter To The Editor O’ The Day

As civil unrest grows, guns are essential for protection

Missing the mark

To Jimmy Dorrell: Your thesis that Christians (so-called) often use the Bible and twist scripture to justify their own selfish desires is certainly true, but Texas’ constitutional carry law is not an example of this practice [May 30 op-ed]. Actual examples could include the church’s gradual acceptance of homosexuality, defense of abortion or justification of adultery, rampant divorce, cohabitation and fornication. You chose this more politically correct topic as your hard line on Biblical malpractice but I look forward to your subsequent pieces on the rest of the issues listed above. Regardless, your piece was a mischaracterization of the argument, and the events that you cited from scripture were in no way related to the conversation of self-defense or willfully twisting the Bible for our own selfish desires.

Second, you assert that Jesus’ own disciples twisted his words for their misguided desires but then you cite three seemingly random instances that have nothing to do with your premise. When James and John were arguing about who would be greatest, they were simply arguing what they wanted, not twisting anything they had heard from Jesus. Judas betrayed Jesus, but nothing more — he didn’t do so out of some misinterpretation of Jesus’ words. And Peter attacked an officer that was simply trying to arrest his teacher. There was no twisting of words, only Peter acting independently, out of anger and fear. Jesus even rebukes Peter, asking him, “Am I leading a rebellion?” He was not, and neither are your fellow constitutional carry countrymen.

Third, your arguments lack an understanding in the difference between vengeance, which is the Lord’s, and the protection of yourself and others, which is your responsibility as a man of God. A constitutional carry law simply ensures that everyone has the capacity to protect themselves against those that would do them harm.

“For greater love hath no man than this, that he would lay down his life for a friend” — John 15:3.

We need to be prepared to protect those around us, stranger or family, and we need to be willing to die for them. But throwing yourself in front of a bullet doesn’t mean much when there are 30 more behind the one that put you on the floor. You seem to be dismissive of the growing threats in this country, but as our collective conscience wanes and civil unrest grows, violence, whether perpetrated by a lone, mad gunman or a crazed mob, becomes more and more likely. Those of us who enjoy the right to constitutionally carry will peacefully stand by, and on the day when the forces of hell come crashing down, I hope that I’m nearby so that I might have the chance to protect the people that were put in your care.

Changing Times.. and the Victims of Gun Control

We assume that tomorrow will be much like today. That is how we plan our lives and our politics. If we stop to think about it, we remember that the world surprises us all the time. We ignore that bad things happen because they happen so infrequently. Needing a fire extinguisher seems so unlikely.. until we smell smoke. This week, history reminded us how governments have hurt us. Consider these events and ask if the police were there to protect honest citizens, or would these citizens have been better off if they could defend themselves?

-Almost a hundred years ago to the day, thousands of black citizens in Tulsa, Oklahoma had to depend on the police for protection while they were attacked and their homes, their shops, and their businesses were burned to the ground by white mobs. None of these honest black citizens saw the need for armed defense.. the day before they needed it so desperately.

-Violence happens around the world. It was 32 years ago when over ten thousand unarmed students and teachers were murdered by Chinese politicians and the Chinese military in Tiananmen Square. The bodies were deliberately pulverized by tanks, scooped up by bulldozers, and then dumped to hide the number of protesters who were murdered. China has strict gun control.. for civilians.

armed Korean shopkeepers during the Los Angeles riots

-It was only 29 years ago when Korean shop owners in Los Angeles tried to stop black mobs from looting and burning their homes and businesses. 25 years earlier, the shop owners had been barred under California law from carrying handguns in public. Fortunately, a few of them were armed with rifles. Today, those are the same rifles that California politicians want to ban.

-It was six years ago when several dozen students at a teacher’s college were murdered by local government officials and drug gangs in Mexico. Mexico has strict gun control laws. Honest citizens are disarmed.

-It was only a few months ago when thousands of protestors in Hong Kong were arrested and forced onto trains going to reeducation and slave labor camps. Chinese officials say the citizens of Hong Kong are disarmed for their own protection.

Our memory plays tricks on us. Bad things happen every day, but we assume those surprising events will simply happen to someone else and not to us. For most of us, our peace is interrupted by only occasional violence. We forget our unusual perspective where peace is the rule.

Our bias makes it easy to believe the politician as he sits in his air-conditioned office and slowly explains that we have no need for armed defense. That same claim is less believable when the official shouts in front of a burning building during a riot.

The police chief sounds so reasonable when he tells us to be a good witness and simply call the police. That same claim is incredible if the cop is in riot gear at a violent protest. As an unwilling participant in a number of recent natural disasters, I can attest that unexpected events can happen to anyone. In practice, the police show up later.. if at all.

We expect governments to talk to us. Sometimes it is easier for politicians and mobs to murder us. This year, we’ve had politicians in the US say we should burn down our cities and start over. Socialist elites have said their political opponents aren’t really people and need to be forcibly re-educated. While shocking and deplorable, this talk is mostly peaceful.. so far. Armed citizens keep the dialogue going because violence against armed citizens is so costly. Armed citizens deter both criminals and immoral politicians who would use violence to achieve their political ends.

I hope for peace: that’s why I am armed. Unfortunately, tens of millions of honest and hard working citizens in the United States are disarmed by their government. I fear for them, and for the rest of us if they are attacked.

Tomorrow will be pretty much like today and the day before, but not always in the way we expect.