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.

Like many other Americans, I've followed the Kyle Rittenhouse trial with interest.  If you think the verdict was unfair, please watch the video his defense team put together, especially the video of the actual shootings and put yourself in Kyle's shoes.  He was being chased and attacked and is lucky to be alive.  

Just like we teach in our Defensive Handgun courses, the verdict came down to the tenants of justified self-defense.  You can use deadly force to protect yourself if your attacker shows the intent and ability to kill you or do you grievous bodily injury.  Kyle was justified in shooting these three people.   In each instance, he didn't pick these fights, he finished them.

Some other observations:

• Kyle showed excellent gun handling skills.  The pictures and video show that he had great trigger finger disciple.
• Kyle showed great marksmanship.  Under duress, he shot his attackers and only his attackers.  No other bystanders were wounded.

Many people in the media tried to make this case about other ancillary things: Kyle's travel from out of state, the gun he used, etc..  He's also been portrayed as a white supremacist.  None of this changes the key facts - he was under attack and defended himself.

Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming a movie in New Mexico last week.  This article says Mr. Baldwin was told that the gun he shot her with was unloaded by Assistant Director Dave Halls.

As a firearms instructor and responsible gun owner, reading about this tragedy is so infuriating!  Ms. Hutchins death was completely unnecessary.  Alec Baldwin and many of the Hollywood elite are rabidly anti-gun and yet they still make movies with guns, which seems so hypocritical.  It seems clear the actors know nothing about guns and neither do those who are paid to handle the guns, the property managers or armorers.  Some observations on this situation:

• The term "misfire" on the movie set seems to refer to a gun that fires when it isn't expected to be loaded.   This should never happen but it sounds like it happened at least four times on the set of this movie!  I would call what happened a "negligent discharge" - a "bang" when you are expecting a "click."  The real definition of the term "misfire" is the opposite of what these articles are calling it.  A misfire is what happens when the primer of a cartridge fails and there is no detonation of the powder charge.  In other words, the gun goes "click" instead of "bang."  
• Both articles call the guns used in the films "Prop Guns" - these are not props, these are real GUNS capable of firing real ammunition!   It appears that movies typically are filmed with the actors shooting blanks instead of live ammo.   

​Some possible solutions:

• Everyone on set who will be handling guns (including the actors) should be trained in the three NRA rules for safe gun handling and these rules should be enforced.  That would mean that all actors would learn to check the condition of the guns they are using - to verify if they are loaded or unloaded (rule #3 - Always Keep the Gun Unloaded Until Ready to Use).  Also, movies can no longer be filmed with one actor pointing a gun at another (that violates rule #1 - Always Keep the Gun Pointed in a Safe Direction).  
• Stop filming movies with real guns.  Hollywood has tons of money.  Why can't they develop actual prop guns that are not capable of firing live ammunition?  If these were props, then the actors wouldn't be breaking rule #1 when pointing them at other actors.  

Seems like I'm not the only one thinking this way, one of the articles says "the showrunner of ABC police drama "The Rookie" said the show will no longer use "live" weapons — instead using airsoft guns and adding the muzzle flashes with computers later. Airsoft guns fire plastic pellets."

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. 

This is an incredible article that everyone should read:
As murders surge, Democrats find a new message: Fund the Police.  

Cities across the country decided to cut police budgets last summer in the wake of riots.  The article specifically mentions Washington, DC, New York, NY, Austin, TX, Oakland, CA and Atlanta, GA.  It should come as no surprise in the wake of police cuts that murder rates in these same cities are on the rise.

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!

Last June and September, I wrote about the record setting gun sales and new gun owners in 2020.  Looks like 2021 will be another banner year for gun sales.  

According to the article linked above:
"In January, more than 4 million background checks were processed, compared with the previous January's 2.7 million. And in February 2021, 3.4 million checks were reported; in February 2020, 2.8 million were completed. 
During the entire month of March 2021, the FBI completed nearly 4.7 million background checks compared with the same month the year before when the agency reported 3.7 million checks."

Looks like Americans are buying an extra 1 million guns per month compared to last year!  I love that many of these guns are being sold to first time gun owners.  As more people exercise our 2nd Amendment rights, it will be harder for them to be taken away.

​​If you know any new guns owners:
1. take them to the shooting range
2. connect them to resources for training and information
3. encourage them to join gun rights groups  

A few weeks ago, a student took a course from me using a carry gun with a custom trigger.  This particular trigger was shorter and lighter than the factory one.  This student was a very safe and accurate shooter but I recommended that he consider changing his gun back to the factory trigger.   If you are ever involved in a shooting, you may have to defend customizations to your gun in court and you definitely don't want to be accused of having a "hair trigger."

I solve this problem by carrying stock guns.  My self-defense guns (even those for home defense), are factory originals with no modifications.     

For some expert insight into this topic, read this excellent (and short) article by Massad Ayoob, for his recommendations on what not to do on your carry guns.  

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.

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.