​I've been wondering about the long-term impacts of inflation on gun ownership in America.  Recently, I was talking to the owner of a local gun store in Goochland and he said there are more used guns for sale than ever before.  One possible explanation for this is that people are selling their guns to help them afford the basics.   Since there are so many guns available, prices are low, so its actually a bad time to sell (good time to buy though).  

Also, this week Colonial Shooting Academy announced they are closing after 12 years.  This is a huge loss for the Richmond area.  Colonial was a fantastic facility with a large indoor shooting range and gun store.  I'm guessing the massive inflation of recent years means Richmond area gun-owners just don't have the room in their paychecks to shoot as much as they used to (or as much as they want).  I'm hopeful a new owner will buy the building and keep it as a range but if inflation doesn't ease, it seems like less people will be able to enjoy the shooting sports.  

We had some cooler weather in Richmond last week with mornings in the fifties.  Even though our summer weather is back, it was a good reminder of how nice it is outside in the Fall. 

If getting gun training is something you'd like to do, the Fall is an awesome time to take a course.  Contact me and I'll be happy to create a custom course just for you.  I only have five more course openings in 2024.

Unbelievable news.  According to the new book "Blood Money", the Chinese government is seeking to destabilize the United States by arming criminals on our streets and our government is looking the other way.  

According to the excerpts I read, China is secretly shipping auto sears (or "Glock switches") and suppressors into the US by the thousands.  An auto sear allows a semi automatic gun to fire fully automatic.  A full auto gun will continue to fire as long as the trigger is held down.  A 9mm Glock handgun in full auto mode can fire 20 rounds per second.  A normal 17 round magazine can be emptied in less than a second. 

Just to be clear, these items are NOT legally purchased or owned.  Some suppressors can be legally purchased and owned by private citizens, but fully automatic guns cannot.  While some of these shipments are caught at the border, it seems like plenty of these items are making their way to gangs and other bad guys.  According to the article the ATF reported 66 incidents of full auto gunfire in Saint Louis in 2021.  In 2022, there were 339!!!  The violence and carnage is only going to continue to grow exponentially unless our government will acknowledge what is happening and hold China accountable.  

Joe Biden and most other democrats around the country (including Virginia legislators) are sticking to the same playbook, though.  They continue to call for more and more gun control.  It doesn't matter what laws are passed, criminals don't obey the law.  They will continue to get their guns, sears and suppressors via illegal means.

Many people keep a gun to protect themselves and their family at home.  If you're in this group, you should read about Kevin Monahan who shot and killed a woman who was a passenger in a car that mistakenly drove up his driveway.   

According to the article, Mr. Monahan and his wife were awakened by the sound of vehicles in his driveway.  He told his wife to hide inside and went outside with a pump action 20 gauge shotgun.  First, he fires a warning shot into the air.  Then, after losing his balance, shoots a shot into the car that killed Kaylin Gillis.  

There are many indicators to me that Mr. Monahan was not trained in self-defense because he did a lot of things wrong:

1. If he thought he was under siege he should not have gone outside.  He lost most of his defensive capability by going outside.  If three cars of people are trying to attack you, you should barricade yourself inside your house and create an advantage with cover and concealment.  Also, call 911!
2. He said he only wanted to protect his wife.  She was safe inside.  A self-defense shooting is only legally justified if there is an imminent threat of death or grievous bodily injury.  Nothing in the article suggested Mr. Monahan should have felt that level of threat.  Also remember, you should not shoot to protect property. 
3. He fired a warning shot.   No, no, no, no.  Seriously, don't do it.
4. If he really did accidentally shoot the shot that killed Ms. Gillis (its clear the judge didn't believe him), then Mr. Monahan was not applying the rules of safe gun handling.  The only way a gun fires is if you pull the trigger.  This can happen accidentally if you rest your finger on the trigger instead of following the second rule of the NRA's rules for safe gun handling:  ALWAYS keep your finger off of the trigger until ready to shoot.

I want to encourage everyone who keeps a gun for self-protection to spend time learning about scenarios you might be put in and thinking about how you would handle them.  Getting some hands-on live fire training is also important.

I was so sad to hear about the shooting at Lakewood Church in Texas.   I'm thankful that two off-duty law enforcement officers were there to kill this crazy woman before she could commit mass murder.  I don't understand  why she would bring her son to commit her crime.  I'm praying that he will survive.  

As usual, gun laws don't stop mass shootings.  Properly trained men and women with guns do.   This lady had a long criminal and mental health history and yet still had an AR15 available to her.

Here are several previous blog entries about previous church shootings in Texas and Tennessee that were successfully stopped by law abiding gun owners.  

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.

Don't learn gun safety from someone who is unsafe.  I saw this short clip on X recently and cringed the whole time because of the unsafe gun handling.   Thankfully no one got hurt.

In the first screenshot below, notice the instructor's trigger finger and the direction the gun is pointed - he's breaking two of the NRA's three rules for safe gun handling.  The second screen shot shows the pistol after it goes off and the recoil makes it almost point at the shooter's head!  

Every course I teach starts with the three NRA rules for safe gun handling:

• ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
• ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot
• ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use

It is definitely disappointing to see a firearms instructor showing such an unsafe demonstration.  Gun training and shooting should be 100% safe.  If you feel unsafe, leave.

I'm following the horrific news of the terrorist attacks on Israel and murder of innocent citizens.   It is no surprise that many in Israel are calling for expanded gun ownership by private civilians.  This is very similar to what happened after Russia invaded Ukraine last year.  

According to the article:
"In Israel, the usual personal weapon allowed are pistols with a limit of 50 rounds of ammunition. To qualify, one must be of a certain age, depending on IDF service, live or work in an area that demands extra security, not have a criminal record, and pass a training course and background check, among other things."

The requirements are so strict only 1.5% of the population has a gun.  “Who has a gun? The terrorists, and all the criminals. Who doesn’t? Law-abiding tax-payers. The government trusts criminals with guns more than their own civilians,” Yoel Israel, CEO of a digital marketing agency, told The Times of Israel.