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LIVE FREE USA Special Section.
We defend your right
to defend yourself.
See page 24.
GunNews
Second Amendment news for the State of Illinois and beyond
Published monthly by Guns Save LifeVolume 20, Number 2February 2014
Affiliated with the Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, the Civilian Marksmanship Program, the NRA, the ISRA, the Illinois Federation for Outdoor Resources, and others
Chicago gun sales and transfer ban struck down
Rahm loses
once again
PRE-SORT STD.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 51
PEORIA, IL
Photo by Oleg Volk. Used with permission.
(NRA-ILA) - Things are looking up for
gun owners in Illinois. On Monday, as
some 4,500 concealed carry applications
flooded the state’s online portal on its first
full day of operation, Obama-appointed
U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang of
the Northern District of Illinois issued a
significant opinion that invalidated Chicago’s ban on firearm sales and transfers
within the city. The suit was brought by
the Illinois Association of Firearms Retailers and three individuals, with the backing
of NRA.
Second Amendment case in the Seventh
Circuit, 2011’s Shepard v. Madigan). The
transfer ban remained, however, a symbol
of the same political denial and impudence that have ironically helped move
the Second Amendment needle in the
right direction through litigation time and
again.
The Chicago transfer ban was part of a
series of ordinances the city hastily enacted after its total ban on handgun possession was invalidated by the Seventh
Circuit Court of Appeals’ 2010 opinion in
McDonald v. Chicago.
Chicago attempted to justify the ordinance
by, among other things, pointing out that
residents could obtain firearms outside
the city’s borders. The city also insisted
that the ordinance increased the “transaction costs” of the firearms trade, making
the acquisition of firearms by criminals
more expensive, time-consuming, and
dangerous (because they would have to
travel through high-crime areas infested
by rival gangs to buy guns). Chicago additionally claimed gun stores “are dangerous in and of themselves and cannot be
safely regulated.”
Chicago’s crusade to be the nation’s most
oppressive jurisdiction for gun owners has
yielded other important victories for the
Second Amendment. These included the
Seventh Circuit’s holding in 2011’s Ezell
v. Chicago that Chicago’s ban on discharge (notwithstanding its requirement
that residents obtain live-fire training as a
condition of owning a gun in the city) was
unconstitutional.
Other aspects of the city’s wide-ranging
gun control regime have been whittled
down in response to litigation and the
broad preemption provisions of Illinois’ recently-enacted Firearm Concealed Carry
Act (the result of yet another successful
The ordinance at issue flatly stated: “no
firearm may be sold, acquired or otherwise transferred within the city, except
through inheritance of the firearm.”
The court called Chicago’s argument that
it could ban firearm sales, as long as guns
were available elsewhere, “profoundly
mistaken.” “Second Amendment rights,”
Judge Chang wrote, “must be guaranteed
within a specified geographic unit--be it
city or state.”
Continued on page 4.
John Boch, President
Guns Save Life.com
P.O. Box 51
Savoy, IL 61874
February 2014 Guns Save Life Meetings
• Rantoul: Second Tuesday of month: Tues., Feb 11th
The Linden, 224 Wheat Ave., Rantoul, IL 61866
• Pontiac: First Tuesday of month: Tuesday, Feb. 4th
Pontiac VFW Post 886, 531 W. Lincoln Ave., Pontiac, Illinois 61764
• Effingham: First Thurs. of the month: Thurs., Feb. 6th
Effingham Elk’s Club, 2102 S. Banker Street, Effingham, IL 62401
• Peoria: First Thurs. of the month: Thurs., Feb. 6th
Knights of Columbus, 7403 North Radnor Road, Peoria,IL 61615
Dinner, conversation, exhibits at 5:00 p.m. Meetings at 7 p.m.
Come on out and join us. The public is encouraged to attend!
Good food and good friends. It’s a lot of fun too!
Meeting is free and open to public. Dinner is optional.
Burma-style highway sign count:
GUNS
30 sets, 12 counties, two states.
500,000+ sightings per day, 182+ million per year
SAVE LIFE.com
The law showed up...
Guns Save Life | Rantoul
GSL President John Boch called the assembled masses of the faithful to order at
7pm and led everyone in the Pledge of
Allegiance.
As is custom, we welcomed about a halfdozen newcomers with applause and a
complimentary GSL sticker. May you all
return to become “regular” members of our
family!
Walmart has new “no guns” signage adorning their Illinois stores in the past week or
so. John advised everyone to contract
store management to have the signs removed. (Three days later, the signs started
coming down. See story on page 8.)
IGOLD.
In housekeeping issues, John mentioned
that Bushue Investigative Services inadvertently forgot to send a LiveScan fingerprinting technician to our meeting. They promise they’ll be back next month for those still
needing to get fingerprinted.
Also, on a sad note, a past guest speaker,
Mr. Tony Bilek of Rantoul passed away
in recent days. Mr. Bilek spoke in January 2004 about his experiences during the
Bataan Death March and his life as a POW
for much of World War II.
President’s Report.
In national news, a federal court struck
down the Army Corps of Engineers ban
on civilian gun possession on land it
controls, including 700 dams and their associated recreation areas. The court ruled
the sweeping ban deprived citizens of their
Heller- and McDonald-affirmed right to keep
and bear arms.
Here in Illinois, much has happened, including the Chicago gun sales ban called
unconstitutional by a federal court judge.
The judge gave the City of Chicago six
months to craft a new ordinance if they wish
to regulate gun sales. (See cover story.)
The new Illinois Gun Safety and Responsibility Act is a toothless tiger. The bill
“requires” gun sellers to contact the Illinois
State Police to verify the buyer’s FOID card
as valid. Failure to comply is specifically
enumerated as neither a criminal nor a
petty offense. (See page 4.)
The online application process for carry
licenses is up and running for the most part
and over 30,000 applications have been
initiated in the past two weeks or so. Paper
applications are coming in July for those
who don’t want to mess with the computer
application process with can be finicky.
Join thousands of your closest friends and
fellow gun owners at the Illinois Gun Owner
Lobby Day coming up on Wednesday,
March 5th.
GSL’s president reminded everyone that
IGOLD is coming up on Wednesday, March
5th this year. Take a day off work and accompany all of us to Springfield. This very
successful lobbying effort for gun owners
really does have elected officials taking
note.
John Naese announced that our “No Guns,
No Money” cards didn’t make it in time
for the meeting, but 10,000 are on the way.
Enough for every GSL member to have
about five, give or take. Come see us at
next month’s meetings in the various cities
and we’ll have some for you at no charge.
John Boch noted that Illinois Carry took
some heat from at least one business
owner that complained the person who
gave him the card with Illinois Carry’s name
on it was rude.
“Be a good ambassador,” John cautioned
everyone. “You’re representing Guns Save
Life when you contact these businesses
and professionals who have posted their
establishments.”
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is flagging
about 6% of applications for challenge,
despite the fact that every applicant has
already passed the rigorous background
investigation needed for a Firearms Owners
Identification card. (See more on page 10.)
Mr. Boch asked those in the audience to
make sure when they get their Illinoismandated concealed carry training that their
instructor meets the minimums required,
and if they don’t, to ask them to do so. If
the instructor refuses, ask for a refund of
your tuition because their training certificates may not be accepted by the Illinois
State Police and there are no refunds of the
$150 application feel. (See story page 18.)
GunNews Magazine - 2 - February 2014
Champaign County Sheriff Dan Walsh, above, addressed the audience with an inside look
at how his department will handle the new concealed carry law. He says there is going to
be a learning curve for everyone involved.
John Naese, above, addressed the audience on several points.
Mr. Naese also brought up the coming
Appleseed event in Bloomington for the
weekend after Valentine’s Day. It will be
held at the new Central Illinois Precision
Shooting range in Bloomington at Darnall’s
GunWorks and Ranges. The facility has
a heated floor and is very comfortable no
matter what the weather outside may be.
You would be smiling too
At the January 2014 GSL meeting, we gave
away a SCCY 9mm pistol. Tim Salfrank
was the lucky gent to win it, and he’s
proudly showing it off here.
There are about eight slots remaining. The
cost to register is $60 for adults and $20 for
those under 18 for the training and there’s
a $25 range fee for use of the non-profit
indoor range. Visit the Appleseed website
or contact John Naese at 217 840-0246.
Ron Scudder was our second main speaker
for the night, talking about the work Pheasants Forever does in bringing back habitat
for the popular game bird.
>> Tech time for Febuary <<
John asked everyone to bring their “BIG
GUNS” to next month’s meeting for Tech
Time. Got a large gun or a large-caliber
gun? Bring it to share with your fellow
aficionados.
Warren Drake reported that GunNews
circulation is doing well, but we need some
volunteers to get the papers from our new
printing company in Peoria to Springfield
and Champaign. “You’ll need a full-size
pickup truck or similar. There’s a lot of papers, probably 1500 pounds worth,” Drake
said.
Doesn’t have to be smokeless powder,
either. Cannons are welcome, as are pack
howitzers and really big handguns in addition to rifles.
Since the passing of GSL member and
volunteer Bill Davis, we’ve also been a little
thin up in the I-57 corridor from Gilman on
north the Kankakee into the south suburbs.
If you might be able to pick up copies of
GunNews to distribute to some of the locations in this region, contact Mr. Drake at 217
898-9602.
Remember, we will have a LiveScan
fingerprinting vendor at next month’s GSL
Rantoul meeting.
Bring your big gun for Tech
Time next month! Thanks!
We’ll see you Tuesday, February 11th!
Main Speaker #1: Champaign County Sheriff Dan Walsh
Champaign County’s highest law-enforcement official, Sheriff Dan Walsh, was
our first speaker of the evening. He tackled some of the questions on everyone’s
mind about the new concealed carry bill.
“This is a miserably written law that’s very
difficult to read,” Walsh began. He’s got
no shortage of criticisms of the law law
and its provisions - and to a lesser extent
the Illinois State Police’s re-invention of
the wheel in terms of how to implement
carry in Illinois.
“I just got my password at 4:45pm today,”
Mr. Walsh said, referring to the password needed to access the Illinois State
Police’s list of applicants.
he’s inflexible on: The law says the gun
must be unloaded before a licensee
steps out of the car to secure it in the
truck in a prohibited area. “We will not
make an arrest for this,” he explained.
“The last thing I want is people unloading
and loading guns in the passenger compartment of their cars.” From a safety
standpoint, he noted that this is a recipe
for disaster.
He reiterated his belief this new law is “a
nightmare” and then began answering
individual questions for the better part of
fifteen or twenty minutes.
Walsh’s department will need that password to peruse the list and file any objections to applicants they believe would be
unsafe or a risk to the community. “We’re
still developing the protocol we’re going
to use to evaluate the applicants,” Walsh
said. “This is all so very new.”
In terms of how area police agencies
are going to handle interactions with
licensees, Walsh said it will be up to each
to develop their own procedures and
policies.
Walsh did work with the Police Training
Institute to develop a generic Power Point
presentation for cops, distilling most encounters down to five outcomes ranging
from disarming the licensee and arresting
them for offenses like outstanding warrants to simply asking the licensee not to
reach for the gun or make any sudden
movements.
“The cop can take the gun or do nothing,”
Walsh said of what licensees should expect in minor police encounters like traffic
stops. “It’s completely up to the cop and
his or her agency.”
“Do what the officer asks though,” Walsh
cautioned - and don’t reach for it to show
the officer. “I can’t think of a more dangerous thing for you to do.”
Walsh is critical of the long list of prohibited locations. “Basically, if it’s built or
operated with taxpayer dollars, odds are
you can’t carry there.”
The sheriff intends to encourage cops
to give a great deal of latitude in their
enforcement of the prohibited locations.
“Fortunately I have a lot of influence with
the sheriff’s office,” he joked.
Main Speaker #2: Pheasants Forever’s Ron Scudder
The answer to some of those questions
included: No, you may not carry a stun
gun with an IL concealed carry license.
Yes, the sheriffs in Central Illinois think
very similarly to Sheriff Walsh. No, the Illinois State Police aren’t seeking a quota
for arrests under the new law. Yes, if
asked, you must acknowledge the presence of the gun if you’re carrying it on or
around your person in the car.
Asked how his deputies will be encouraged to handle prohibited locations, the
sheriff suggested that if a gun is noticed
or reported in a prohibited area, a deputy
would ask the individual to take the gun
out to their car. If a gun isn’t mostly
concealed, deputies will ask that it be
properly concealed.
“If a gun is well concealed, it’s not going
to be an issue,” he said. “Concealed
means concealed.”
If you acknowledge your mistake as an
oversight and make it right, you shouldn’t
be too worried about enforcement action
being taken at least initially, Walsh noted
for the audience.
In other words, don’t act like a jackwagon.
“If you tell the deputy to go pound sand
then you’re probably going to go to jail.”
He offered one example of something
that 95% of land in Illinois is privately
owned, he explained it was up to private
citizens to tackle creation of habitat.
Ron tried to explain how complex it is to not
only create and maintain good habitat for
game animals, but also how habitat is just
one part of the equation.
Ron Scudder loves to hunt.
It is his love of hunting which as spurred his
interest in wildlife habitat, as without suitable locations for wildlife to grow and thrive,
there won’t be much to hunt.
Rifles/Shotguns: Colt CAR A3 Hbar Elite
.223 cal. stainless barrel w/ Warne Scope
Mount – Shepherd 6-18 power ranging scope, JPoint red dot sight and bipod
$3000; CNRomarm WASR-10 AK 47 w/
OKO red dot sight $ 800; Briley Custom
Ruger 10/22 Stainless Fluted Barrel w/
Shepherd 3-9 power ranging scope $1400;
Ruger M77 Mark II 308 Win. w/ Trijicon
3-9x40 Accupoint scope $1500; Thompson
Center Encore 300 Win. Mag Stainless and
wood grain stock w/Shepherd 3-10 power
ranging scope $1400; Thompson Center
Encore Pro Hunter Package Stainless and
Camo stock - w/ Encore 308 Win. Stainless
Barrel w/ Leupold 1.75-6 power scope -w/
Encore 12 gauge Stainless 3” rifled barrel
w/ Nikon 3-9x scope -w/Encore 209x.50
Magnum Black Powder Stainless $2000;
New England Arms Handi Rifle SB2 223
It’s not the coyotes, but skunks and opossums that are the biggest predatory threat
to pheasants.
Scutter is a board member of Champaign
County Pheasants Forever (P.F.). He
acknowledged Guns Save Life’s support
of their local chapter of P.F., not only as a
sponsor the annual event these past few
years, but also taking out advertising in their
annual program.
In the good news for game birds, the numbers of hunters are on the decline to some
extent, but the numbers of women hunters are growing. Hunters get about 50%
of game birds in the first two weeks of the
season.
“Thank you for your support!” he said, grinning.
To create more habitat, Pheasants Forever
has all sorts of tools available for folks to
use.
The local P.F. chapter holds an annual
fundraising dinner. All of the monies stay
in Illinois to develop and maintain wildlife
habitat.
Scudder himself has 48 acres he’s devoted
to habitat and has gone from shooting one
or two birds a year on his farm ground
some years ago to scores of birds each
year more recently.
They have biologists on staff, heavy equipment and seeds to plant grasses and so
forth to create habitat. They offer instruction and information from years of experience too.
He explained how big hunting sports are in
our nation. Over twenty-one billion dollars
is spent each year on hunting - travel costs,
equipment, taxes and so forth. Hunters
spend more on hunting dogs each year
($600M) than is spent on the entirety of
snow skiing.
Scudder discussed the Pittman-Robertson
federal excise tax monies that are supposed to be spent on wildlife habitat and
hunting. It’s worked well in most states, but
less so in Illinois thanks to our governor and
General Assembly sweeping much of those
monies into the general fund.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has been gutted by massive cuts in their
budget in recent years.
Those budget cuts are costing the State
of Illinois a lot of lost matching funds for
conservation and habitat projects. It’s so
bad at DNR that they are rationing gasoline
for their vehicles, Scutter claimed.
Given the state of the DNR, and the fact
GUNS FOR SALE (Estate Sale)
“We don’t hunt predators like we used to,”
he said. Asked if he knew what the census
was on coyotes in Champaign County, he
laughed. “I have no idea, but I know there’s
three less as of this week already!” The
audience reacted with laughter.
cal. Single shot -w/ Tasco 4 x 32 scope $
275; Glenfield Marlin Model 25 .22LR bolt
action -w/ Simmons 2.8-10 x 44 scope
$250; Savage Stephens Model 24 .22-410
over and under $150; Thompson Center 50
cal. Black Powder – all camo w/ DOA 250
3-9 power scope $600; Winchester Model
1300 20 gauge pump Rifled Barrel -w/
Tasco red dot sight $500; Savage Model
210 12 gauge 3” rifled barrel -bolt action
$600; Remington 870 express 20 gauge
Why, in part, does Ron spent so much of
his time and money on habitat?
“Well, the wife was grousing over the
amount of money I was spending to go
hunting in far away places. Now, I can go
out to my land for much the same hunting experience I used to have to travel to
enjoy.”
Oh yeah, he trains hunting dogs as well.
“You know, if I want something the wife’s
not sure about, I just say it’s for the dogs
and she’s okay with it,” he grinned.
Well, until she reads this issue of GunNews,
anyway.
youth-NIB $400
Safari Rifles: Ruger M77 Hawkeye .375
Ruger - wood grain stock -w/ Trijicon 3-9
x 40 Accupoint scope $1900; Ruger M77
Hawkeye .375 Ruger Hogue stock -w/
Trijicon 1.25-4 x 24 Accupoint scope $1900;
3- CZ 550 Safari Magnum .458 Lott- wood
grain stock $1200
For more information, call Bryan at 815866-7288.
What you need to know
Illinois’ New “Gun Safety and Responsibility Act”
Illinois’ Gun Safety and Responsibility Act
(HB1189) took effect January 1st, 2014,
and among other things, requires private
Illinois residents to check on the validity of a
prospective firearm buyer’s FOID card.
We say don’t get too worked up over this
new “law” and we’ll tell you why: It’s all
bark and zero bite. Not even a sloppy lick.
Illinois Concealed Carry applicants:
If you scroll on down a little further in the
bill, under “Sentence” for violating the various provisions of the law (page 22, lines
15-17):
Computer issues?
No internet at home?
… a violation of subparagraph (1) of
paragraph (k) of subsection (A) shall
not be punishable as a crime or petty
offense.
VISIT YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY!
(Guns Save Life) - We here
at Guns Save Life have
been trying to figure out
how to organize a network
of volunteers to assist
those without internet access or those not technologically savvy in applying
for the new Illinois CCW
license.
Navigating the State of
Illinois websites necessary
for the application process
can be frustrating, to say
the least, even for those
know are on computers
regularly.
Almost all libraries today
have public computer workstations where you can
fill out the required online
application for an Illinois
Digital ID and the Illinois
Concealed Carry License.
These libraries also have
document scanners to scan
in your training certificates
as well as a photo of
yourself.
Other locations
A number of area local gun
stores are installing computer workstations to allow
customers to apply for
their carry licenses online.
Prices range from free to
$25, but if they can help
you navigate the process
without headaches, it may
be some of the best money
you’ve ever spent.
If you have difficulties using
the computer or scanner,
library staff are usually
pretty good about assisting
users in getting them up
and running so long as it’s
not terribly busy.
A handful of sheriff’s departments may soon establish terminals for applicants
to apply. Champaign and
Livingston Counties (Pontiac) have already done so.
Fees range from $31.50 to
$71.50.
We’ve hit upon a solution
that’s readily available to
most folks: the local library. It’s not a perfect solution,
but it’s a start.
Rahm loses once again
Continued from cover.
The court also determined that the restriction had to pass a high level of scrutiny (although not quite “strict scrutiny”), because
the type of regulation at issue was unknown
to the framers of the Second Amendment
and because it broadly prohibited even
law-abiding Chicagoans from exercising an
essential component of the rights protected
by the Second Amendment--the acquisition
of firearms. Regarding Chicago’s purported
justification of increasing transaction costs,
the court noted that the evidence showed
few criminals actually purchase firearms
directly from legitimate dealers. Thus, “residents who seek to legally buy a gun bear
more of the share of the added transaction
costs in time, effort, and danger than gang
members or would-be criminals ….” The
city, the court wrote, “cannot justify its ban
on legitimate gun sales and transfers with
overinclusive means that impact more lawabiding citizens than criminals.”
Examining another Chicago claim that the
ban helped maintain the city’s “low household gun-ownership rate,” the court opined:
“It is … doubtful that minimizing household
gun ownership is, after Heller and McDonald, even a valid basis for gun regulation:
possession of a gun for self-defense in the
home is the core right protected by the Second Amendment, so trying to minimize the
exercise of that right cannot be a valid basis
for the sales-and-transfer ban.”
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(1) In addition to the other requirements of this paragraph (k), all persons
who are not federally licensed firearms
dealers must also have complied with
subsection (a-10) of Section 3 of the
Firearms Owners Identification Card Act
by determining the validity of a purchaser’s Firearms Owner’s Identification
Card.
In case you’re wondering, that first quote
above is subparagraph (1) of paragraph
(k) of subsection (A): the private transfer
“requirement”.
The background
The bill, HB1189, was passed in the last
session as a gift to those opposed to rightto-carry to have “something” to take back to
the gun-grabber types.
It was a bad year for advocates of strict
gun control laws in 2013, particularly with
the passage of right-to-carry and limited
pre-emption, the end of Chicago’s gun
registration scheme and the defeat of gun
and magazine ban proposals pushed relentlessly after the Sandy Hook massacre.
In the world of Illinois legislative wheeling
and dealing, Illinois House Speaker Michael
Madigan had to give the Pat Quinns, Rahm
Emanuels and Tom Darts of the world
something.
The Gun Safety and Responsibility Act
(HB1189) was the empty box with a proverbial bow on top.
The bill
The new “law” mandates, and we quote
(from page 19, lines 10-15):
In other words, if you elect to not make
that call to verify your friend’s FOID card is
really valid, it shall not be punishable as a
crime or even a petty offense (think traffic
ticket).
To distill it even further for the lowest of the
low-information voters: The bill is all bark
and no bite.
So long as you comply with the requirements of the FOID Act to retain the proper
transfer information of a firearm sale to a
private individual for a period of ten years,
you’ll be fine.
It’s also worth noting that some people are
castigating the NRA-ILA for not fighting this
bill tooth and nail.
Frankly, limited NRA-ILA resources were
spent beating back a state-wide scary gun
ban and a proposed magazine ban, among
other nasty proposals, particularly in the
weeks and months after Sandy Hook.
Good strategy says you pick your battles
to win the war and this hill just wasn’t worth
dying for, especially if it would have potentially made conditions more favorable to
passage of one of these other onerous bills
(that missed passage by as few as one or
two votes in some instances).
Cash $$$ for Gold & Silver
Coins, Bullion, Rings, Bracelets,
Chains, Earrings, Dental Gold,
Sterling Silverware,
Old Wrist & Pocket Watches
(any condition)
We Can Pay More BecauseWe Have No Store
Hughes’
Larry 217 474-0641 | Gene 217 418-9414
8:00AM - 9PM any day | Home Appointments & Appraisals
Guns Save Life | Effingham
by Kent Metzger
On an evening of very poor road conditions
due to a recent snowfall and high winds, the
meeting took place as planned on the evening after the New Year. Twenty-two ardent
2nd Amendment supporters braved the
adverse conditions to meet for an evening
of common interest.
Two in a row!
Metzger detailed the “Gun Safety and
Responsibility Act” which became effective on January 1st which requires private
sellers of firearms to confirm the validity of
the buyer’s FOID through the ISP. If you
don’t complete the check, the penalty is
essentially a slap on the hand, but Metzger
and Clark suggested sellers do as required
because it gives them some assurance they
are making a prudent transfer. Metzger
expanded on the topic by stating that private transfers are still subject to a 24 hour
waiting period for long guns, and a 72 hour
waiting period for handguns (along with
record-keeping requirements).
The Effingham meeting was called to order
by Dave Clark who led the audience in the
Pledge of Allegiance and in welcoming four
first-time attendees, who rose and introduced themselves. Welcome all.
Mr. Clark then introduced Kent Metzger to
start the business portion of the meeting.
Metzger hit upon the President’s Notes, giving an update on the implementation of Illinois’ new CCW permit application process.
Dave Clark joined in on the discussion
giving some great hands-on experiences
with the application process as he has been
assisting several of his firearm training students and gun shop customers with permit
applications.
Clark verbally “walked” the audience
through the process and highlighted areas
of special interest. Clark indicated Bushue
Human Resources, which provided Live
Scan services at the December meeting,
had apparently not yet submitted their collected data to the Illinois State Police (ISP),
but the information would be submitted
very soon. Some excellent input was also
provided by members of the audience.
their trainers are found to be circumventing
the training requirements. Be a prudent
consumer. Good training can save your life
and the lives of people around you.
Veronica Light makes it two in a row,
winning the S&W Bodyguard .380 Auto
at the January Effingham GSL meeting.
Congratulations, young lady.
Consensus indicates the process is straight
forward and relatively easy. If you make
a mistake or forget to enter the necessary
information, your previously entered data is
retained so you do not have to start all over
in the future.
Metzger talked for a while on about GSL’s
position that suggests CCW training consumers ask for their money back if their
training provider is cutting corners. Metzger
warned attendees that they risk losing
their training fees and application fees if
Metzger then introduced Shawn Light.
Light gave an enlightening presentation of
applying Duracoat finishes to firearms. He
showed everyone an example of a Duracoat kit. He also displayed a red, white
and blue version of an AR-15 rifle he had
finished. He gave helpful hints and provided
finer points about the process by detailing
the do’s and don’ts. The presentation was
well done and well received. A very interesting topic.
Door prizes were presented, and finally we
had the drawing for the gun, a S&W Bodyguard 380 . The lucky, lucky winner was
Valerie Light. She’s the lucky, lucky winner
because she also had her name drawn at
the December meeting for a Ruger 10/22.
She’s got the touch.
Shawn Light discussing Duracoat finishes at the meeting. Duracoat allows
you to customize the color of the finish of
your gun (see below).
Join us for the First Thursday Effingham
GSL Meeting.
Come see us next month!
Thursday, February 6th
Effingham Elk’s Club
2102 S. Banker Street
Effingham, IL 62401
Win a gun!
Cumberland County ranks
#1 per capita for Illinois
carry license applications
(Guns Save Life) - Cumberland County,
sandwiched between Coles County (home
of Eastern Illinois University) and Effingham
County (home of GSL’s Effingham regional
monthly meeting) sports the highest per-capita
rate of initial applications for carry licenses in
Illinois.
At 51 applications per 10,000 residents,
Cumberland County’s residents are exactly
five times more likely to apply for a carry
permit than residents of Cook County, home to
Illinois’ highest violent crime rates and lowest
legal gun ownership rates.
Cumberland County Courthouse.
BLACKDOG GUNWORKS
Custom 1911/2011 pistols
Special Order Firearms
FFL Transfer Service
Firearm Training
CCW / NRA / USPSA
217 259-9770 Gays, IL
sales @blackdoggunworks.com
www.blackdoggunworks.com
Sangamon County
Rifle Association
SANGAMON CO. RIFLE ASSOCIATION
“Right Reason on Second Amendment Rights”
www.sangamoncorifleassociation.org
SEE YOU IN FEBRUARY!
Don Gwinn, Chairman
dongwinn@thefiringline.com
(217) 502-2452
Regular monthly meetings take
place the first Monday of each
month at 6:30 p.m.
NEW MEETING LOCATION!
Supreme Buffet
2309 S. MacArthur Blvd.
Springfield, Illinois
The next meeting of the Sangamon
County Rifle Association will be on
Join Tom Shafer, Don Gwinn, Brent Harney and all the other regulars on Monday, February 3rd for a fun evening of gun
rights and good fellowship at the Sangamon County Rifle Association meeting. We’re at the Supreme Buffet on S. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield. Come out and eat around 5:30. Meeting begins at 6:30.
Missing from this space...
No, we’re not changing the format of GunNews. SCRA’s January meeting was cancelled because of a winter storm and SCRA President Don Gwinn didn’t have a Chairman’s Report. We’ll
be back with his report next month and look forward to reporting what happened at the always
fun, educational and entertaining SCRA meeting.
Mayors Against (Illegal) Guns members’ list pulled
(Examiner) - The full coalition
members roster is no longer
posted on the Mayors Against
Illegal Guns website, and the
disappearance happened
right after Gun Rights Examiner questioned why Michael
Bloomberg was still listed for
New York City and pointed out
that successor Bill de Blasio
had not yet committed to joining the group.
There’s no argument that it
could just be a coincidence,
and that the site could be
undergoing upgrades, but the
timing certainly seems open to
question. The roster was present on the site on Saturday,
when this column pointed out
hostility between the former
mayor and his replacement
(a screenshot was included
to show the segment of the
New York roster still featuring
Bloomberg), and by Monday,
the first workday after that column was published, the drop
down menu to identify members by state and city had
disappeared from the coalition
page. Four days later, at this
writing, that roster is still not
re-posted, and while it’s possible updating the website is
not a priority, it’s also possible
the removal was directed.
There is no love lost between
the two. Bloomberg had criticized de Blasio’s campaign
as “racist,” and de Blasio
“made a winning campaign
out of tarnishing Bloomberg’s
legacy.” So the new mayor’s
conspicuous absence from the
MAIG roster, along with press
accounts to show he has not
made joining a priority, leads
to fair speculation that he
might be intentionally, perhaps
permanently holding out. The
equally anti-gun de Blasio
might prefer to head up his
own efforts as opposed to following Bloomberg’s lead, and
he might even want to stick
it to a man he doesn’t like by
withdrawing the coalition’s
flagship city.
It could be, as the Brady
Campaign found out when his
hatchet man slapped them
down over who had claim to
using anti-gun celebrities, that
Bloomberg will find the biggest
impediment to his assuming
command of the “gun control”
movement is people with egos
as big as his having good
reasons to personally detest
him. Perhaps that will prove to
be his Achilles Heel.
Monday, February 3rd
Come out and join us! The public is
encouraged to attend. It’s fun.
SIDDENS
Indoor Range and Gunshop
10775 Buckhart Rd., Rochester, IL
Phone 217-498-6988
Concealed Carry classes, One on One Instruction.
Buy, Sell, Trade, Special Orders.
Call – we’ll give you directions.
Gun Rental, FOID applications, Ammo.
TARGET
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GunNews circulation is 20,000 each
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See page 23 for advertising information.
Sangamon County Rifle Association
General Members meeting: Jan. 6, 2014
Notice of Rulemaking on Background Checks
The January 2014 SCRA meeting was cancelled because of the monster winter storm
making roads unsafe and the -30 to -40 degree wind chills. We’ll see you in February.
In the meantime, visit us on Facebook.
Gov. names CCW Licensing Review Board makeup
(Guns Save Life) - Governor
Quinn is going to pay these
folks $37,571 a year to sit
on the Illinois Concealed
Carry Licensing Review
Board to evaluate concealed
carry applicants who are
challenged by a local law
enforcement officials.
We expect that will probably
come out to about minimum
wage for the time they will
spend sifting through all of
Cook County Sheriff Tom
Dart and Chicago Police
Superintendent Gary McCarthy’s challenges.
Robinzina Bryant
3047 Elaine Court
Flossmoor, IL 60422
G. Patrick Murphy
P.O. Box 220
Energy, IL 62933
Patrick Chesley
2512 Wydown
Springfield, IL 62704
John Diwik
29W090 Lakeside Dr.
Naperville, IL 60564
Sergio Acosta
428 Allison
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Virginia H. Wright
1240 W. Hampton Place
Palatine, IL 60067
Better late than never...
Illinois State Police website open for carry license applicants
Springfield, IL (AP) - Illinois residents can
officially apply for a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
The Illinois State Police began accepting
applications on its website Sunday, though
it could be months before anyone will actually be allowed to possess the firearms.
State Police have up to 90 days to approve
or deny applications, as long as the ap-
plications are complete and fingerprints are
submitted in an electronic format.
The agency will have an additional 30 days
to complete a manual background check
if applicants choose not to submit fingerprintes.
Illinois is the last state in the nation to allow
concealed carry.
(PAGunBlog) - It’s been published in the
federal register. This is the first step an
agency takes when it wants to change a
rule, according to the Administrative Procedure Act. This is a proposal. There will be
a public comment period, where the public
can provide feedback. The docket number for this proposed change is ATF 51P.
Reader Chris sent me some analysis which
I agree with, so I will reproduce it here:
Comment: The final text of the ruling here
will be critical. Does mandatory court-ordered substance abuse or anger management or marital counseling qualify as
“involuntary outpatient treatment?” S480
used different, more specific language:
”required involuntary outpatient treatment
by a psychiatric hospital based on a finding
that the person is an imminent danger to
himself or to others; or”
Big changes I saw:
- People who are not-guilty by means of
insanity will be prohibited.
Comment: Sen Begich proposed a federal
law that would have done the same thing,
S480. S480 served as a sort of “RINO and
DINO 2A Liferaft,” offering a refuge for lawmakers who need to look pro-2A but also
need to Do Something For the Children.
ATF’s ruling will take S480 off the table in
the future. It basically closes off a safety
valve that allowed lawmakers to duck a
tough vote.
- Persons are not considered to have
been ‘‘committed to a mental institution’’ as a result of a voluntary admission to a mental institution or a temporary admission for observation unless
the temporary admission for observation turns into a qualifying commitment
as a result of a formal commitment by a
court, board, commission, or other lawful authority.
Comment: ”Other lawful authority” gives
me pause… Does a nurse and cop authorizing a 72 hour hold qualify? Hopefully
no. S480 used different, more precise
language to rule out this possibility. S480
also read that it would NOT include, “a
person who is in a psychiatric hospital for
observation;”
- ATF is considering clarifying whether
the term ‘‘committed to a mental institution’’ includes a commitment that occurred when the person was under the
age of 18.
Comment: I wonder if people under age
18 receive the same due process rights as
adults when being committed to treatment.
- In addition, the Department proposes
amending the definition of ‘‘committed
to a mental institution’’ to clarify that
involuntary commitment to a mental
institution includes both inpatient and
outpatient treatment.
Finally, S480 included relief for individuals
who were no longer a danger to themselves or others.
Really, the ATF rule looks like a way to
take S480 off the table, and to run with the
most restrictive aspects of S480 without
any of the protections Begich/Graham had
written in.
Now teaching
Illinois Concealed Carry
Training at multiple locations!
Call or see our web site for details
and course registration materials.
February 15th, 2014 - NRA Basic Pistol Course
(Part 1 of Illinois Conceal and Carry)
February 16th, 2014 - Illinois Conceal and Carry
March 15th, 2014 - NRA Basic Pistol Course
March 16th, 2014 - Illinois Conceal and Carry
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Only ISP-compliant “NO GUNS” signage
carries the force of law
(Guns Save Life) - Only ISP-compliant signage announcing “no guns” carries the force
of law. All others can be ignored. Here is the description of the approved signage:
Walmart pulls down “No Guns” signage
(GunsSaveLife) - In early January, gun
owners in Illinois began noticing Walmart
stores posted with “No Guns” signage.
This caused confusion and consternation
as the sign looked similar to the official Illinois State Police “No Guns” sign, with the
addition of language noting the prohibition
applied only to on-duty Walmart associates
and vendors.
In Illinois, ISP-compliant “No Guns” signage
carries the force of law as concealed carry
licensees ignoring those signs can be arrested.
The Walmart signs were not compliant with
the ISP signage template, but there was still
no shortage of confusion among gun owners and would be legal gun carriers. Those
wishing to error on the side of caution
considered the sign as placing the stores
off-limits to all CCW holders.
Gun owners talked with Walmart corporate
officials and after about a week, the order
came down from corporate: remove the
signs.
We at Guns Save Life joined other gun
rights groups in encouraging the store to
remove the signs.
We contact
Walmart’s district manager
and made
our case that
Walmart has
the same “no
weapons”
policy among
its on-duty
employees
and vendors
nationwide,
yet when we
travel to states A photo of one of the “No
outside of Il- Guns” signs from a Walmart
linois, we don’t in Illinois.
see signs
announcing “No Guns” to on-duty Walmart
employees and vendors doing business
there.
“Why is Illinois any different?” we asked
Walmart corporate officials.
With 72 hours of that conversation, the decision striking the signs had been made.
We welcome the removal of the signs from
Walmarts throughout Illinois.
Good call, Walmart.
WASHINGTON STATE: “Doomsday Prepper” planning to shoot
you and steal your stuff goes to jail on weapons charges
(GunsSaveLife) - Back in November 2013,
Tyler Smith announced to all of America via
NatGeo’s “Doomsday Preppers” TV series
of his grand plan for emergencies: to dress
up in homemade armor and use his guns to
shoot other people and steal their stuff.
“The Illinois State Police has proposed rules which require a white background; no text
(except the reference to the Illinois Code 430 ILCS 66/1) or marking within the oneinch area surrounding the graphic design;
a depiction of a handgun in black ink with
a circle around and diagonal slash across
the firearm in red ink; and that the circle be
4 inches in diameter. The sign in its entirety
will measure 4 inches x 6 inches.
NOTE: When printing the sign, please ensure the black borders surrounding the “no
firearms” symbol measure 4 inches from top
to bottom and 6 inches from left to right.”
Birds of a feather flock together?
Rauner’s campaign chair writes $5k check to
anti-gun PAC
Chicago (Illinois Review) - Politics
makes strange bedfellows; especially
as candidates work to be all things
to all people in a diverse state like
Illinois. For example, while GOP
gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner
appeals to gun owners by publishing
photos of himself hunting, his finance
committee chairman Ron Gidwitz is
writing checks to gun control advocates.
Records show that just before the close of 2013’s last quarter, Chicago businessman
Ron Gidwitz wrote a check for $5,000 to the Chicago-based Gun Violence Prevention
PAC, a relatively new political action group that supports gun control candidates and is
led by Highland Park’s Tom Vanden Berk.
Looking for a place to shoot?
Dewitt County Sportsmen’s Club
Clinton, IL
In a story with the local Buckley, Washington News-Tribune, Tyler Smith bragged:
“We’re not in it to stockpile. We’re in it to
take what you have and there’s nothing
you can do to stop us,” Tyler Smith says.
“We are your worst nightmare, and we
are coming.”
Apex predator, and unregistered sex offender, Tyler Smith.
...Most preppers, Smith says, are concerned with marauders taking their supplies. It’s not an unfounded fear, he says.
Turns out Tyler is no stranger to taking what
doesn’t belong to him. He has a felony conviction for theft.
“We are those people,” he says. “We’ll
kick your door in and take your supplies.
… We are the marauders.”
He’s also got a thing for “communicating
with a minor for immoral purposes”.
...As part of his strategy, Smith and
Pedrini are developing a suit of armor to
wear on his foraging forays. Smith says
his homemade protection will be bulletproof, lightweight and stronger than
anything sold in a store.
“It will also make me the apex predator in
my area, and that’s all that matters,” he
says.
Translation: He’s a felon and registered sex
offender who shouldn’t have any guns.
Pierce County, Washington deputies
prepped an arrest warrant after investigating Tyler following his appearance on
“Doomsday Preppers” TV show where he
was firing guns on camera for the show.
Now seeking new members. ACT NOW!
Come join a growing club, with dual, independent
ranges, a nice clubhouse and permissive rules
which allow shooters to practice shooting from
holsters, double-taps and so forth. Centrally
located on Route 10, six miles east of Clinton,
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warm atmosphere. Facilities include a 100 yard
rifle range range, handgun range, clubhouse, and
more. An archery range is coming next year. Dues
are $50/year plus two work days.
You can download an application at our website:
dewittcountysc.com
or by mailing a request to Dewitt Co. Sportsmen’s
Club; PO Box 322; Clinton, IL 61727
oppressive British rule led to the start of the
Revolutionary War.
GSL in Peoria!
GSL’s Peoria regional coordinator Steve
Schnurbusch called the January 2014 Peoria meeting to order and led the assembled
masses in the Pledge of Allegiance.
As is custom, Steve recognized the veterans present, thanking them for their service,
and new attendees for coming out and joining us. May you all become regulars!
Steve read over some news topics from
GSL’s president John Boch, including letting everyone know that the Illinois State
Police’s online application is up and ready
to go if you’ve got your training completed.
Also, Illinois Carry has introduced an
oversight committee to deal with instructors
giving sub-standard training. Guns Save
Life has a simpler solution: Ask instructors
to do it right or if that fails, to ask for your
money back (see page 18).
Main Speaker: Steve Davis
History of the 2nd Amendment
Attorney and firearm instructor Steve
Davis addressed the audience as our main
speaker by giving those present a history of
the Second Amendment.
He began by reminding us of GSL’s stated
purpose to “Defend your right to defend
yourself.
Davis noted that
the first mention
of the right to bear
arms came from
the English Bill of
Rights from 1689
which came about
by royal edict after
Catholics tried to
Steve Davis.
disarm Protestants.
It stated: “Subjects ...may have arms for
their defense suitable to their conditions
and allowed by law”.
Settlers coming over to this country brought
this idea with them as well. They became
rather attached to the benefits being armed
and able to defend yourself.
The Crown tried to seize Colonists’ arms
and ammunition. Ultimately, that and the
Wednesday
March 5, 2014
Springfield, IL
Though the drafters of the Constitution
argued over many points, all agreed that
the Second Amendment was needed. No
major changes were made in its wording
as part of the ratification negotiations of the
time.
For many decades, there was no case law
involving the amendment because, well, it
meant what it said and said what it meant.
“The right of the people” wasn’t difficult to
understand by and large.
However, through the years different
examples of case law have defined and
redefined the meaning. Finally, in 2010 with
the case of Otis McDonald v. Chicago, the
Second Amendment was declared to be a
“Fundamental right” by being “implicit in the
concept of ordered liberty.” It’s also “deeply
rooted in our nations traditions”
Join us!
Join us at the February 2014 Peoria GSL meeting.
First Thursday of the month:
Thursday, Feb. 6th
Win this Beretta Nano!
Knights of Columbus
7403 North Radnor Road
Peoria,IL 61615
Speaker: Robert Rees Local Radio Personality
Tech Time: Tueller Drill: How fast can you
defend yourself against a knife attack?
Gun: Like New Beretta Nano
The end result of all recent case law is that
the Second Amendment is meant to protect
your rights as an individual to keep and
bear arms.
Tech time: Trenton Noreen
Trenton demonstrated how a butt cuff on a
home defense shotgun can be used to store
additional rounds.
Most shotguns will hold five to eight rounds,
which in the grand scheme of things, isn’t a
lot of ammunition.
By adding a shell carrier on the stock,
a person can complement the tubular
magazine’s rounds with five or six additional
cartridges.
Noreen demonstrated how to quickly reload
from the cuff. Safety comes first, he noted,
as he advised shooters to have some
dummy round and practice loading and
reloading from top or bottom safely.
Door prizes were awarded.
The Stevens 320 12 gauge shotgun with
pistol grip was won by Scott Maves of
Mahomet.
Next meeting: Feb. 6th Speaker: Robert
Rees will be on hand. We’ll have a likenew Beretta Nano as our monthly gun and
as of now, our tech time is to be determined.
Steve Schnurbusch reminded the audience
that this year’s Illinois Gun Owner Lobby
Day is Wednesday, March 5th.
March 14th-15th-16th
Stories from the home
of the opposition to
your right to defend
yourself.
CHICAGO ISN’T SAFE:
Violent crime cover-up in Chicago isn’t working
If he spent half as much time trying to catch violent felons as he
spent trying to make felons out of gun owners...
Cook County Sheriff whines about CCW licensing
Chicago (Guns Save Life) - Cook County
Sheriff Tom Dart would be a petty, tyrannical
dictator if given the opportunity and ability.
Fortunately for the good people of Illinois,
our government doesn’t allow this – and
Tom Dart isn’t a happy lil’ would-be tin-pot.
Tom Dart wants to use the LEADS system,
a database for law enforcement (think of it
as “Google” search for law enforcement),
to search every applicant for an Illinois concealed carry license for *anything* in their
background – and we mean *anything* –
and use that information to file an objection
to them having a carry license.
To make matters worse, it’s not just anyone
currently residing in Cook County, but anyone who has lived there at any time in the
past ten years.
•
•
•
An arrest where charges were later
dismissed? He’ll protest.
A DUI or underage drinking ticket from
twenty or thirty years ago? He’ll protest your application.
You spouse file for an order of protection against you when you got divorced
at her lawyer’s request? Even if it was
denied, Dart will protest.
The Illinois State Police put a kibosh on
Dart’s plans by announcing that police
agencies cannot use LEADS to file objections. They must use their own, internal
department records and databases to
ascertain if there is an issue that might
serve as a basis to file an objection to an
applicant holding a carry license. This was
the intent of the sponsor of the legislation
(written by Michael Madigan, if you didn’t
already know that).
Dart is livid about this restriction. His whining temper-tantrum has hit the Chicago
media in recent days with headlines like:
•
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart Slams
Illinois Concealed Carry Law As A
‘Monstrosity’ – Huffington Post
As a light snow falls, Chicago police officer video records a dead body and the scene
of the fatal shooting in the 4900 block of Huron Street in Chicago on Friday, Jan. 17th.
Photo and caption courtesy Chicago Tribune.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart dressed up
for his news conference castigating the
new Illinois carry law. If Dart spent half as
much time trying to catch violent felons in
his county as he did trying to make felons
out of gun owners, Chicago and Cook
County would be a much safer place.
•
•
•
•
Sheriff: Concealed carry process
‘fraught with problems and holes’ –
Chicago Tribune
Sheriff Dart slams restrictions on
concealed-carry background checks –
Chicago Sun-Times
Sheriff Tom Dart rails against ‘horrifically unworkable’ concealed-carry law
– Chicago Sun-Times
Concealed Carry Background Check
System “Horrifically Unworkable,” Sheriff Says – Evanston Patch
In a nutshell, Dart – on his own – is trying
to turn Illinois’ “shall issue” carry law into a
“may issue” law, by burying the new Illinois
concealed carry appeals board with an tsunami of objections that the panel will never
be able to wade through, effectively denying
those applicants their permits.
He’s also threatening to go to the courts to
seek an injunction against implementation
of Illinois’ new carry law until and unless
it allows would-be dictators like himself a
chance to turn the new law into a “may issue” law where only Dart’s buddies can get
a permit.
Happy New Year, scumbag!
First person shot in 2014...
was on home monitoring for gun charges!
Chicago (Tribune) - Just past midnight,
a probationary police officer shot a man
who raised a gun toward him after he and
other officers saw him firing shots near
Marquette Road and Rhodes Avenue in
the Park Manor neighborhood, according
to police.
Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Patrick Camden said the man was celebratGunNews Magazine - 10 - February 2014
ing New Year’s Eve by firing shots even
though he was on home monitoring for a
conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.
“You gotta wonder, home monitoring for
UUW. And he’s out with a gun and police
saw him and he’s not gonna drop the gun,”
Camden said. “Typical New Year’s Eve
(stuff).”
Chicago (Guns Save Life) - We’re going to need a LOT more snow than we’ve been
recently experiencing to cover up the senseless violence plaguing Chicago for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his police superintendent Garry “Streetlight Assassin”
McCarthy.
Fudging crime stats can only do so much to fool the public. People still see dead bodies in the streets. The families who haven’t been victimized themselves still hear from
their friends and neighbors how violent crime has touched them in today’s Chicago,
home of Illinois’ strictest gun control measures – and the lowest per-capita application
rate for concealed carry licenses.
Interestingly enough, east central Illinois’ Cumberland County (just south of Coles
County, home of Eastern IL University) has the state’s highest per-capita application
rate, exactly five times that of Chicago (51/100k vs. 10.2/100k).
If guns cause crime, as Mom’s Demand Action (hint: go to a singles bar, ladies) and
Bloomberg’s Mayors Against (Illegal) Guns would suggest, then where are the photos
of all the dead bodies in Cumberland County?
If you thought, “I bet they don’t have any because they don’t have strict, Chicago-style
gun control in Cumberland County!” you would be correct.
No, in Chicago, for the most part, only bad guys have guns. Bad guys with evil in their
heart as a couple of college students found out this past week, walking home from
class a little after 4pm.
The pair found out that just “giving them what they want” isn’t necessarily the solution
to dealing with criminal thugs. The students surrendered their cell phones to a pair of
armed robbers, one of whom then shot the male half in the head.
BASIC FIRST AID FOR
OUTDOOR EMERGENCIES
A LIVE FREE USA PRESENTATION
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16th | 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
CABELA’S (2nd Floor Conference Center)
7700 Cabela Drive, Hammond IN
>> FREE EVENT <<
Taught by: Certified Medical Technicians and First Responders.
Subjects to be covered will include: How to control bleeding, basic
bandaging, Treatment of shock, Treatment of hypothermia and hyperthermia, Splinting of fractures, CPR and other medical emergency
care techniques. Hands-on practice and work with realistic simulated
injury mannequins will be used to facilitate learning. Participants
will be afforded the opportunity for further first aid and emergency
preparedness education.
Choosing a carry set-up
by Tim Giblin
(GunsSaveLife) - There is always a new and
improved tool (or toy) to make us “better”. The
reality is, no one has time for that type of constant experimentation. This article is an attempt
to present a very simple concept: consistency
trumps potential any day of the week.
Something may be better, but if you don’t practice and have experience with it, most of the time,
it’s simply not going to be better for you. Sure,
you might get under a one-second draw every
eighth try. However, without a subconscious understanding of the new holster because you got
it yesterday, you’re going to miss the grip when
you’re not in that textbook shooting stance.
So many are talking about carrying a “BUG”
(back-up gun) for every day carry, and three
spare magazines. Well, as someone that has
legally carried for years, I can tell you that such a
set up will last about three weeks.
I’m not saying that I don’t know people that are
willing to accept the discomfort of such a set up
until it becomes fairly normal, but they are few
and far between.
comfortable” Most people can handle discomfort
for short amounts of time. However being uncomfortable most of the time just leads to equipment
staying at home.
There is no “best” carry set-up for any situation.
There is the gun and set-up that is on you that
you’re familiar with, and then there is the gun and
set-up that you are not familiar with. Carrying appendix (in front of the hip) and carrying 4 o’clock
(behind the hip) require totally different social
habits in order to keep little kids from smacking
their faces on the pistol. Mixing those up can be
disastrous. Each thing that you change requires
hours of dry firing to be sure your set-up is safe,
then many rounds down range to get comfortable
with it, and finally, days to get used to moving
with it. Every change that you make, while not
exactly putting you back to square one, does indeed cost you a lot of knowledge and capability.
If you simply cannot be comfortable carrying a
small size gun outside of work but a smaller gun
is your only option in the work place. Make them
as consistent as you can. Don’t be running safeties that work in opposite directions, don’t have
pistols with vastly different firing systems. For
example, Glocks, M&Ps, and XDs all have full
size and compact pistols, get both if you feel the
need and run the same sights, if you get an aftermarket trigger get the same in both guns. If you
want to carry a J-frame much of the time, there
is nothing wrong with carrying a full size revolver
if you don’t feel comfortable with the J-frame in
certain situations. Carry the same position if at all
possible. Carry your reloads in the same location
all the time.
When people load up for the end of the world,
they start looking at their every day carry list
and go “Hmm... which item can I get by without
today ‘cause I’m only doing X, Y, and Z.” So on
Tuesday, they leave their spare mags at home.
On Thursday, they leave their primary at home
because they are wearing a suit and the J frame
is “good enough for the office”. Then Sunday
they leave the J frame at home because only
real threat at church is a mass shooter so instead
Are you going to carry a full-size gun and two
of the Glock 19 they take a 5” 1911 with target
reloads, a back-up gun and reload, two knives,
sights instead of the night sights they carry the
two tactical lights and all sorts of other gear?
rest of the week.
Probably not for too terribly long if you’re like
most folks.
Do you know what happens to these people
when yelling starts on the range? They go for
I have been advising my students for the past
the wrong gun. What happens in competition?
seven years to take a dot torture target (Google
They flip the safety of their 1911 up because they “dot torture target” to download the target), get
are used to carrying a Beretta. Changing things
a buddy, and try to dry fire from concealment,
on the fly is a disaster waiting to happen. The
wearing what you actually wore that day. Your
outcome in a self-defense shooting situation will
buddy is there to give you feedback about safety
be even more cataclysmic.
and ideas to improve.
The real result of frequently changing your set-up
is that your automatic responses are so mixed-up
that you reach for equipment that is unavailable
to you and then have to think about which mag
carrier you are actually carrying when your whole
world is falling apart amidst gunfire behind the
gas station.
As I tell all of my students—firearms and otherwise, consistency is what matters. Carry the best
gun you can comfortably carry 90% of the time
and get over yourself -- be a little uncomfortable
10% of the time.
As one of my favorite instructors, Clint Smith,
says, “A gun is supposed to be comforting not
January 2014 Pontiac Guns Save Life Meeting
January’s Pontiac GSL meeting was cancelled because of unsafe roads
following the winter storm that impacted most of Illinois in that timeframe.
We’ll see you in February. We’ve got David Pike and Frank Wright lined
up as our speakers, so it’ll be a good show!
Come join us. We’re also giving away a nice social shotgun as well!
WIN THIS GUN!
Stevens Model 320 12-ga. pump
Pontiac February GSL meeting
Tuesday, February 4th
Pontiac VFW Post 886
531 W. Lincoln Avenue
Pontiac, Illinois 61764
Dinner and conversation start around 5:30.
Meeting starts at 7pm.
You don’t have to be a helpless victim.
Empower yourself. Become a gun owner. Get training.
Terrance C. Sullivan, managing broker
Lyons-Sullivan Realty, Inc.
321 W. Madison Street, Pontiac, IL 61764
Office 815-842-1400 | Direct 815-674-6299
LyonsSullivanRealty.com
Figure out what works now and do it safely, the
same way every time. Speed will come from
comfort and consistency. If you’re in Illinois start
now, because your carry permits will be here
shortly.
About the author: Tim Giblin is a 7 year Veteran
of the USMC, a Machine gun Squad leader and
OEF veteran. He has 9 years teaching civilian
pistol classes, 7 years as a NRA concealed carry
instructor in Michigan, with over 3,000 hours of
combined military and civilian instruction both
concealed carry and carbine focused. USMC
trained combat life saver training. He’s also the
founder of Train Illinois.
For tickets, mail to
Pontiac Sportsman’s Club, PO Box 276, Pontiac, IL 61764.
“Odds are your neighbor, your person that you work with or your best friend, maybe,
has a concealed weapons permit.”
Experts speculate on why Utah has zero
school-related shootings
Salt Lake City, UT (KSL)
— The Newtown school
tragedy claimed 26 innocent lives and gave
America a somber pause.
Or did it?
to exempt a tragic event
in a school to happen in
Utah.”
There have been at least
30 more school-related
shootings around the
country since Dec. 2012.
But here in Utah, there
have been zero.
Pedersen believes the
fact the state has so many
gun-friendly laws and concealed weapons permit
holders may actually be a
deterrent to these types
of rampages. The shooter
doesn’t know what he’s up
against.
“I think we are lucky,”
said Bill Pedersen from
the Utah Shooting Sports
Council. “There’s nothing
“Odds are your neighbor,
your person that you work
with or your best friend,
maybe, has a concealed
GSL DEFENSE TRAINING, LLC:
Firearms Training for Everyone
INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT
COURSE
weapons permit,” he said.
It’s that kind of logic that
has Pedersen involved
an effort to train and arm
teachers. By law, concealed weapons permit
holders can be armed
inside Utah schools.
“What I would not like to
see is a bunch of people
overreacting, have a gun,
not really know how to use
it,” said West Jordan Police Chief Doug Diamond.
There are over 2,000
newly-certified handgun instructors in the
State of Illinois. A
vast majority are new
to teaching within the
past year.
to teach in the classroom. GSL Defense
Training’s Instructor
Development Course
will teach instructors
how to better teach on
the range.
The NRA’s pistol
instructor certification
course does a fine job
teaching the wouldbe instructors the
fundamentals of how
The course material
will be geared towards
the civilian concealed
carry carry and NRA
handgun classes,
although much of
Topics covered:
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Indoor Appleseed Shoot
February 15 & 16
Central Illinois Precision Shooters Range
at Darnall’s GunWorks and Ranges
Bloomington, IL
This Appleseed will take place at the new CIPS heated indoor range.
For more information or to register,
visit Appleseedinfo.org
or call John Naese at 217 840-0246
Adults: $60 for the weekend. 18 & under: $20 Range fees: $25 per shooter
•
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Efficient & safe range set-up
Dressing for success
Medical plans and procedures
Range commands & “rules”
Calling the line
Staffing requirements
Squirrel identification and interaction
Fundamentals of diplomatic
communication
Gun, gear and ammo selection
issues
Holsters
Marksmanship fundamentals
Trigger manipulation
Fundamentals of the draw stroke
Teaching double-action revolvers, double-action and strikerfired semi-autos
•
•
•
the material will be
beneficial to law-enforcement instructors
as well.
Cross-dominance issues
Accommodating those with disabilities (including visual disabilities)
Overcoming fears of guns and
equipment problems
We’ll also have an extensive segment
on successfully teaching women.
• Communication differences with
teaching women
• Sensory differences
• Demonstrating spatial relationships
• Verbal skills with women
• Four levels of awareness
• Modifying stances as needed
• Making sure the gun “fits”
• Positive reinforcement and gentle
correction
Course Date: Saturday, April 12 9am - 5pm
at DeWitt County Sportsmen’s Club near Clinton, IL
Tuition: $175 for instructor registrants.
$50 for 8-hour Illinois CCW class “student” registrants for this date
Includes lunch, range fees, course materials and more. Instructor registrants
will need to bring protective eyes and ears, and a blue training gun and holster would be helpful. To register, visit our website and download and submit
the registration form or call John Boch at 217 649-3702 or John Naese at 217
840-0246.
GSLDefenseTraining.com
Darwin wins: Thug brings shovel to gun fight
The
Armed American
True stories of firearms used by law-abiding Americans
to save innocent life.
East Point, GA (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) - An East Point homeowner was home alone
when he shot and killed an intruder Tuesday morning, police said.
About 9:30 a.m. the homeowner heard “a commotion, retrieved a firearm and went to
investigate,” said Lt. Cliff Chandler, spokesman for East Point police. The shooting happened in the 3600 block of Mount Vernon
Drive.
The would-be burglar was armed with a
shovel and had broken through a patio door
in an attempt to enter the home, Chandler
said. As the prowler entered the dwelling,
the homeowner fired one shot, striking the
intruder, police said.
“The perpetrator fled and collapsed in the front yard,” Chandler said.
Photo by Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Businessman thwarts burgling trio
Alabama carry license holder called good Samaritan after he
ends armed lunatic’s threats with a single shot
Orrville, AL (WSFA) - New details are
emerging in the investigation into a shooting
at a Dallas County dollar store that ended
with a gunman dead at the hands of a customer who decided to take action.
break room. At that point, Ellis pulled out
a concealed weapon and shot McLaughlin
once in the chest.
The fatal shooting happened around 12:45
p.m. Thursday at the Dollar General on
Highway 22 in Orrville.
“He escorted a customer who was trying
to leave the store and a cashier toward a
break room. The cashier went in first and
the customer went in behind her, and the
individual had the gun on the customer
and the customer had a pistol concealed
in a holster,” Dallas County Sheriff Harris
Huffman said. “And when the customer got
to the door, he turned around and shot the
individual.”
Officials say McLaughlin walked into the
store waving a gun in the air and forced
a cashier and Ellis at gunpoint towards a
McLaughlin was pronounced dead at the
scene. The tense ordeal played out in less
than five minutes, police said.
Metal thief leaves with lead in
the groin after attack
Homeowner introduces violent
home intruder to hot lead
Dallas County District Attorney Michael
Jackson has identified the gunman as Kevin
McLaughlin from Orrville and the customer
as Marlo Ellis, 37, also from Orrville.
Kennamer Cove, TN (WAFF) - A homeowner shot a burglary suspect in the groin after
catching two men trying to steal scrap metal
from his property, according to authorities.
Deputies said the incident happened Dec.
20 at a home in Kennamer Cove in Marshall
County.
The homeowner told authorities that when
he asked the two men to leave, one of them
came toward him and threatened to kill him.
That’s when the victim told deputies he shot
the suspect once in the groin with his rifle.
Both suspects managed to flee the scene.
Deputies were able to locate and arrest
25-year-old Paul Curtis Reed and transported him to the Marshall County Jail. The
injured suspect, 23-year-old Aaron Michael
Lawson, was located at Huntsville Hospital
getting treatment for his wound. Lawson
was arrested after having surgery.
Both Reed and Lawson were charged with
first-degree theft and criminal trespassing.
Columbus, GA (Columbus Ledger-Inquirer) -- Shots fired during a possible attempted
burglary at a Veterans Parkway shopping center Tuesday has left one woman dead, one
in critical condition and investigators searching for a third suspect, Columbus police said.
Police said Achievia Upshaw, 21, and Deaisa Ransom, 24,
were shot at the Courtesy Shuttle at 5870 Veterans Parkway,
just before the West Britt David Road intersection during a
burglary attempt.
Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said Upshaw was fatally shot in her lower back. She was pronounced dead at 8:21
a.m. at Midtown Medical Center, almost two hours after the
6:30 a.m. shooting. An autopsy on Upshaw’s body is scheduled
for Thursday in Atlanta.
Ransom was in critical condition at the hospital. Police said she
fled on foot from the scene toward the back-end of the nearby
Brittwood Apartments.
Buy - Sell - Trade
Dave’s Firearms
Cedar Hill, TX (AP) -- Police in suburban
Dallas say a homeowner has shot and killed
an intruder who broke in late Christmas
Eve.
Located between Urbana and St. Joseph on Route 150 in Mayview.
Look for the big yellow building.
Chris Knox, an attorney for the homeowner,
told The Dallas Morning News the intruder
entered the Cedar Hill home through a bedroom window just before midnight Tuesday.
Knox says the homeowner’s deadly actions
were justified and “completely protected
under Texas law.”
1868E CR 1600N
Urbana, Illinois
(217) 469-8000
Police spokesman Corky Brown says the
intruder, identified as 31-year-old Joshua
Slaven, was the stepson of Cedar Hill
Mayor Rob Franke.
Franke lives a couple of blocks away and
Slaven had been involved in an altercation
last month at his home.
Court records show Slaven was arrested
on a misdemeanor assault charge and an
emergency protective order was issued.
Stocking factory dealer
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Beretta
Caesar Guerini
Cooper Rifles
Glock
Benelli
Kimber (Master Dealer)
Smith & Wesson
And more!
Reloading equipment & supplies
Firearms
Consignment firearms! SAVE MONEY!
Ammunition
Clay targets
Gunsmithing
Gun safes
• Reloading equipment
& supplies
• Firearms
• Consignment firearms!
SAVE MONEY!
• Ammunition
• Clay targets
• Gunsmithing
• Gun safes
Pistols, Rifles, Shotguns - We’ve Got It All!
‘13 proved quite unlucky for those seeking gun control in Illinois
President’s Report: Guns Save Life’s year in review
by John Boch
2013 was a historic year for Illinois. Guns
Save Life’s members did remarkable things
and they deserve high praise for those
many accomplishments in 2013.
•
Some good timing, good fortune and a lot
of hard work by dedicated volunteers in our
organization contributed to the best year for
Illinois gun owners in at least a generation
if not two.
First off, we
as Guns
Save Life will
preface the
list by saying we won’t
take credit for
the sun rising
in the east
or setting in
the west. No
single individual or organizaThe President’s Report
tion singlehandedly
accomplished any of the big things that
happened in Illinois or beyond. Not even
House Speaker Michael Madigan had that
sort of ability (although frankly, for some
things, he’s close). Having said that, here’s
what GSL did in 2013:
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We assisted in the legislative process –
as screwed up as it is in Illinois – to aid
in passage of the best, albeit seriously
flawed, shall-issue carry bill we could
get, and we fought off efforts to saddle
us with an onerous “may issue” bill.
We helped kill bad bills to ban semi-automatic firearms in Illinois and magazines over ten rounds – not an easy
task in the weeks after the Sandy Hook
massacre in a very left-of-center state
such as Illinois. More moderate states,
including Colorado, didn’t fare so well.
GSL promoted good training and
named names publicly of those who
were less than legal or ethical in
promotion and/or execution of training.
We weathered a hollow threat of legal
action and correspondence from one
company’s attorney as a result of this,
so obviously we were effective.
•
We donated over $10,000 to the new
Central Illinois Precision Shooters
brand-new indoor shooting facility
west of Bloomington (see the above
out-take photo). The facility has been
designated one of two Olympic Training facilities in the United States by the
U.S.A. Shooting.
We needled the Illinois State Police
into establishing some sort of reporting
process for non-compliant concealed
•
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Our new website format, started in late
2012, was refined and we had over
2 million unique visitors in 2013 and
roughly 5.5 million visitors total. That’s
more visitors than Mayor Bloomberg’s
Mayors Against Illegal Guns and we’re
on par with the NRA’s Blog. Again, not
bad for a tiny, all-volunteer organization
just getting started in that field.
Our membership grew by over 50%
and circulation of our monthly printed
journal, GunNews Magazine has grown
to 20,000 per month. Thanks to all of
you!
•
We partnered with Live Free USA to
help spread the message of personal
preparedness and self-determination.
•
We worked with Cross Trail Outfitters
to introduce the fun and excitement of
gun ownership to entire families good
people who had little or no shooting
experience.
We brought a pro-gun message to
nearly 200 million people on Interstates and highways in Illinois with our
educational and oftentimes humorous
Burma-style road signs.
Guns Save Life made Illinois’ gun owners positions noted publicly at all levels
of government, ranging from State of
Illinois rule-making down county housing authority rule-making. They didn’t
always listen, but in at least one case
we put them on notice of potential liability (that story is developing).
•
•
GSL’s online blog was the catalyst
that cost the rabidly anti-gun former
Chicago Police Superintendent Jody
Weis his new job with the training
arm of Troy Industries, and exposed
Troy’s employment of Lon Horiuchi’s
partner from Ruby Ridge. We wonder
if Massachusetts-based Troy has yet
to recover from the crippling one-two
punch of our reporting on their questionable hiring practices.
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carry training - and encouraged trainees to hold their instructors accountable.
We worked behind the scenes to boost
good gun bills – and to quietly kill
onerous proposals in the aftermath of
Sandy Hook. You didn’t read about
many of these but they were important
and significant. Bloomberg, with his
$27 billion net worth, can’t buy the kind
of work our tiny, volunteer organization
did behind the scenes for the cause of
truth and liberty.
•
We are a perennial sponsor of I-GOLD,
the Illinois Gun Owner’s Lobby Day
in Springfield. We sponsored buses
to take the anointed good guys to
Springfield and publicized the event
extensively. Afterwards, we prodded
the Springfield, IL hometown newspaper to update their captions and online
reporting of the event from “hundreds”
to “thousands”, which they did.
We made news at the national level
more than once and scored mainstream international coverage for the
second year in a row, capturing a spot
on the British Broadcasting Company’s
web site homepage for several days
with a very favorable video documentary about our organization and its
efforts. Those Brits have a hard time
fathoming how Americans can be so
passionate about their guns and their
rights. That’s probably why most
Americans are citizens, not subjects.
We publicly scorned Chicago’s Police
Superintendent Garry McCarthy, making public his past indiscretions and
ridiculing his bigoted and misguided
statements – such as the one where he
said he would train his officers to shoot
licensed civilians with guns.
We co-sponsored a tremendously successful Disaster Preparedness Expo at
the DeWitt County Sportsmen’s Club.
We expanded from three monthly
meeting locations to four with the addition of Peoria’s monthly gathering of
the faithful - all well attended. Again,
this is thanks a remarkable group of
gun owners who get involved to make
a difference in person. Bravo to all of
you!
We provided grants to a number of
organizations and events, typically in
the form of financial support, but also
including providing rare and valuable
.22 rimfire ammunition to allow one
organization to continue the shooting
components for their annual event in
2013.
We did all of this in the sea of smiling,
happy faces of our members and friends
who genuinely had a great time promoting
civil rights and freedom for ourselves, our
neighbors and our fellow Illinoisans.
Thanks, again, to all of our Guns Save
Life members and their families for helping
make our organization one of the best in
the nation at our mission. You make this
happen every year. Congratulations and
great job.
Thank you and may God bless you all.
BUY LOW COST
TERM INSURANCE
Local agent - Licensed in IL, IN, TX, FL
U of I Graduate
Veteran - U.S. Army Field Artillery
GSL MEMBER
Call:
Jimmy Howe
217 369-2112
GSL DEFENSE TRAINING, LLC: Firearms Training for Everyone
ILLINOIS C.C.W. TRAINING
Train with the people you know and trust.
Illinois State Police approved CCW training
GSL Defense Training Illinois Concealed Carry (16-hour)
This course satisfies Illinois’
16-hour training requirement
for the new CCW licenses.
This is also GSL Defense
Training’s NRA Personal Protection in the Home course.
Course goal: To develop in the
students the basic knowledge,
skills and attitude essential to
the safe and efficient use of
a handgun for protection of
self and family, and to provide
information on the law-abiding
citizen’s right to self-defense.
This class covers a review of
NRA gun safety rules and we’ll
teach you about using firearms
responsibly and ethically for
personal protection, developing
the proper mind-set for using
a firearm for personal defense
when facing a life-threatening
encounter. Also covered will
be mental awareness, how
to avoid becoming a victim,
strategies for home safety and
responding to a violent confrontation in your home. We’ll
teach you gun ownership laws
and more importantly, we offer
an in-depth instruction on the
judicious use of deadly force
- including when deadly force
is justified against “unarmed”
aggressors.
Additional topics and activities covered by GSL Defense
Training above and beyond
the NRA Personal Protec-
tion in the Home Course: We
will teach you fundamentals of
how to fight with your personal
defense handgun. Also, we’ll
include a discussion of interactions with potential assailants,
the moral and ethical considerations to decision-making
involved in using deadly force,
and post-shooting interventions
with witnesses, responding
police officers, investigating officers, media and others. We’ll
also cover the Illinois State
Police-required aspects of the
new Illinois Firearm Concealed
Carry Act.
Students will spend several
hours on the range with livefire both days and will fire 250
rounds, including the Illinois
qualification shoot.
A Firearms Owners ID Card is
recommended, but not required. Novice shooters are
welcome & encouraged.
Tuition: $350 (Save money:
Yes, we’re still offering the buy
one, get one half-price for same
course date for this course.)
Registration includes lunch,
drinks, range fees, safety
equipment (as needed) and the
NRA required student packet of
materials. AZ, FL non-resident
permit-to-carry applications are
also included, along with a long
list of bonus materials.
Illinois State Police approved CCW training
GSL Defense Training Illinois Concealed Carry (8-hour)
This Illinois-approved course
satisfies the final 8-hours of
training required for an IL concealed carry license for those
who have taken NRA Personal
Protection in the Home, NRA
Basic Pistol or other recognized
training courses, or prior military service.
You will fire approximately 150
rounds. This will include your
qualification shoot.
Tuition: $200.
Registration includes lunch,
drinks, range fees, GSL Defense Training course materials, loaner guns and safety
equipment as needed.
The BEST
training team
in Illinois
“I came into the course nervous
and a little uncomfortable. I came
out of it confident in my ability to
use my gun to protect my family
and with the knowledge of how
and when to do so.”
2014 Courses
All Illinois State Police approved.
16-hour class dates
Circle date
Mar 15/16 DeWitt Co. Sportsmen’s
Mar 29/30 Darnall’s in Bloomington
Apr 26/27 Crescent City, IL
May 17/18 Burlington, Iowa
June 21/21 Crescent City, IL
Jul 12/13 Burlington, Iowa
Jul 19/20 DeWitt Co. Sportsmen’s
Aug 2/3 DeWitt Co. Sportsmen’s
Aug 16/17 Crescent City, IL
Sep 27/28 Darnall’s in Bloomington
Tuition: $350. Buy one, get one halfprice.
8-hour class dates
Circle date
Sat., Mar 1, McLean, IL
Sun., Mar 2, McLean, IL
Fri., Mar 14 DeWitt Co. Sportsmen’s
Fri., Apr 11, DeWitt Co. Sportsmen’s
Sat., Apr 12 DeWitt Co. Sportsmen’s
Sun., Apr 13 DeWitt Co. Sportsmen’s
Fri., July 18 DeWitt Co. Sportsmen’s
Tuition: $200. No BOGO.
Check website for dates and availability.
______________________________
Legal Name
“Gun class was…
the most
liberating and
empowering
feeling in the
world. Absolute
top notch.
GREAT class.
Great guys.”
______________________________
Address
“The instructors were the best of any
I have ever encountered.”
______________________________
City, State, Zip
______________________________
home phone work/cell phone
______________________________
e-mail address
Clip and mail, along with tuition to guarantee your registration, to:
GSL Defense Training, LLC
19 Evergreen Square
Savoy, IL 61874
Questions?
Contact John Boch at 217 649-3702;
John Naese at 217 840-0246; Frank
Wright at 910-489-4768; or Jeff
Schwarm at 630-605-1898.
All American
SHO-Show
We have noticed your sign, and will respect your wishes
BY DOING BUSINESS ELSEWHERE.
No guns = No money
cards now available
Illinois’
Shooting, Hunting, & Outdoor Gun Shows
’
our
Fabulous Effingham
End of Winter (?) Show
No guns = No money cards are now available. They can be picked up at GSL meetings at no charge or you can mail $2 to Guns
Save Life, PO Box 51, Savoy, IL 61874 and
we’ll mail you back an envelope with eight
cards.
What do you do with them? When you find
a business that is posted, drop one off with
the owner or manager while politely explaining how you won’t patronize their high-risk
establishment as their signs have make
them a safe working environment for violent
criminals.
Also, you can enclose one with a receipt
from their competitors and a short note to
the owner or manager that you were going
to shop at their location until you noticed the
sign. You took your business elsewhere as
their “No Guns” sign makes them a highrisk location, one that armed criminals are
more likely to choose as law-abiding folks
inside will have abided by that sign.
Remember to be polite and courteous as
you’re representing Guns Save Life when
dropping off the card.
February 1 & 2
Great New Venue
Saturday 9—5
Sunday 9—4
No Flea
Market
Junk at
Our
Shows!
 Coming
soon to
Western
Illinois!
Unique Dealers
Thelma Keller Convention Center and Collectors
Keller Drive—Rt 32/33 @ I-57/70 Exit 160
that you normally
find only in the
Sign up for
“Big City” shows
because that’s
ILLINOIS CCW courses
where we bring
ILL CCW Course Gift Certificates available
‘em from!
NRA Shooting Sports  CCW  Vintage Military Vehicles
WWII Re-Enactors and Collectors
Activities for Kids ~ Free Rides in Military Vehicles
NRA Trained Staff
For Dealer/Exhibitor Info: (217) 821-8311 ~ www.allamerican-shoshow.com
The Safe Interactive Show with Great Family Atmosphere
Gun Shows like they used to be — EVEN BETTER
We defend your right
to defend yourself.
NEW!
Guns Save Life’s New
LIFE MEMBERSHIP!
Guns Save Life is proud to announce
our new “Life Membership” for those
who wish to show an exemplary level
of support towards Guns Save Life
and our mission defending your right
to defend yourself.
Be among our second ten individuals
to step up and help us defend your
right to defend yourself with a life
membership to Guns Save Life. The
first two are already taken, but there’s
eight more if you respond today.
The new “Life Membership” is available for $1000, and for those aged 65
and over, it’s available at half-price,
$500.
To sign up for this new Life Membership option, fill out the form on the
back page of this issue of GunNews
and send it in today.
Liberty Guns announces
remodeling open house
(GunsSaveLife) - Liberty Guns in Homer,
IL has grown and expanded. Owner Dean
Rothermel is planning on an event to celebrate the expansion on Friday, February
21 and Saturday, February 22, with special
hours of 10am to 5pm both days.
There will be food, prizes and special deals
for those who come out to see the retail
space expansion which should be complete
or nearly so.
Along with more retail space will be more
products, including lots of ammunition, gear
and supplies to fill those displays.
Also, Liberty Guns is now featuring the Dillon Precision Products, Inc. reloading line of
equipment, parts and supplies.
Jacksonville 400
GUN & KNIFE SHOW
Admission includes a
chance to win a New
Gun!
FEBRUARY 22 & 23
600+ tables Bring your friends & family.
Diamond Expo Center
803 S. Diamond, Jacksonville, IL 62650
Admission Adults $5 / 12 & under Free!
Women enter free on Sunday.
Sat. 8am-4pm Sun. 8am-3pm
BUY - SELL - TRADE - FREE APPRAISAL!
FUTURE DATES: April 26 & 27 and Nov. 15 & 16
$35 vendor tables! / “Discounts for multiple tables!”
Call 217-479-0297 for table booking
or see website for forms:
www.diamondexpocenter.com
- Guns & Ammo
- Knives & Swords
- Hunting Outfitters
- Military Gear & Apparel
- Firearms
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News briefs
Fast & Furious guns still
turning up at Mexican
crime scenes
(The Hill) - A gun from the failed
U.S. operation known as “Fast and
Furious” turned up at the scene of a
shootout between Mexican authorities and alleged cartel gunmen last
month, according to CNN.
PC Cherry-picking
Obama’s Justice Dept.
files federal charges in
“Knockout game” attack
(Breitbart) – After months of silence
regarding the black-on-white
violence common to the “knockout”
game in states like New York and
New Jersey and cities like Chicago
and DC, federal authorities have
charged a white man with a hate
crime for targeting a black victim in
the “knockout” game.
According to The Washington
Times, 27-year old Conrad Alvin
Barrett was arrested on December
26th and charged for targeting a
79-year old black man while playing
the game.
Kenneth Magidson, the U.S. Attorney for the southern district of
Texas, said: “Suspected crimes
of this nature simply will not be
tolerated. Evidence of hate crimes
will be vigorously investigate and
prosecuted with the assistance of
all our partners to the fullest extent
of the law.”
U.S. officials told CNN at least
one AK-47-style gun that could be
traced back to the failed gun-walking scheme was found at the scene.
The shootout on Dec. 18 left five
alleged cartel members dead in
Puerto Penasco, a popular tourist
site in Mexico.
Florida student’s court
win has state-wide
implications
(Bizpac Review) - The Florida appeals court ruling that the University
of North Florida was violating state
law when it prohibited a woman
from storing a gun in her vehicle
while she attended class will spill
over to cities and counties statewide, an attorney said Wednesday.
And it’s one of many nationwide
where anti-gun activists are trying
to do at the local level what they
can’t do in the statehouse – restrict
Second Amendment rights.
Corner-cutting trainers?
Ask them to do it right...
Or get your money back
Gun Save Life is recommending to Illinois residents that they help
ensure they are not being short-changed by marginal instructors
seeking to cut corners in the state-mandated concealed carry
training. You’re paying for that training, you might as well get
your money’s worth.
If your instructor cuts corners in your class, seeking to end the
class (hours) early, failing to give you anything close to (the still
required as of press time) four hours of weapons handling or
deliberately skipping elements required to be taught by Illinois’
new carry law, ask him to do it right or get your money back while
you can.
The now-defunct Fast and Furious program began in 2009 and
was run by the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF). Agents allowed low-level
weapons purchasers to cross the
Mexican border in an attempt to
expose trafficking routes used by
Mexican cartels. But the agency
ultimately lost track of some
weapons, including two found at
the scene of the killing of a border
patrol agent in 2010.
From University of North Florida
student Alexandria Lainez’s Facebook page.
“This is a growing movement in a
number of cases,” said Jacksonville
attorney Eric Friday, who represents Florida Carry Inc. and UNF
student Alexandria Lainez in the
court fight.
Friday, who called the Lainez decision the biggest of its kind in Florida
in 20 years...
If the instructor is short-cutting your class, he or she is probably
doing the same to other classes, and people will report it. When
that instructor is reported to the Illinois State Police, and the allegations are substantiated, his or her credentials will be pulled.
Why does that matter to you?
Well once those credentials are invalidated, that piece of paper
you got from that instructor titled, “Illinois State Police Concealed
Carry Firearm Training Certificate” will be invalid, and furthermore, you’ll forfeit your $150 application fee to the Illinois State
Police when they reject your now-faulty certificate.
If the instructor or school refuses to reimburse you for the noncompliant class, then you should visit the Illinois State Police
CCW website and download and submit the complaint form.
Again, if the instructor’s credentials are pulled, you will have to
re-take the course from another trainer – at your own expense – if
you want that carry license. So encourage your instructor to follow the State’s requirements and everyone will win.
Ah shucks!
PeTA-copter drone idea gets shot
down by Illinois legislature
Under this “Ask for your money back” plan, ethically-challenged
instructors will be enticed to comply with the State’s requirements
(and NRA requirements) or face a number of unhappy students
demanding a refund of tuition fees and/or a raft of notarized complaints arriving at the ISP’s Post Office Box in Springfield with his
or her name on them. Given the choice, it seems the right thing
to do will be the easiest thing to do.
(WGN-TV) - The use of drones to interfere with hunters
and fishermen has been prohibited. It was passed after
the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
said it would use drones that it calls “air angels” to
monitor hunters.
DARNALL’S GUN WORKS & RANGES
Illinois State Police Approved Concealed Carry Classes Now Available
16 and 8 hour classes offered
Illinois Concealed Carry
Darnall’s Firearms Training Group
Feb. 1 – IL 8 hour CCW
Feb. 2 – IL 8 hour CCW
Feb. 8-9 – IL 16-hr CCW
Feb. 15-16 - IL 16-hr CCW
Contact us now to register.
Limited seats available.
16 hour class - $250
8 hour class - $150
ISP Approved & NRA Certified
Call or visit our website to
register for classes
6125 East 1175 North Road
Bloomington, IL 61704
309-379-4331
www.darnalls.com
Open to the public!
Directions:
West of Bloomington, Illinois,
take Route 9 West 5 miles from
I-55/74 to road marked 750E.
Turn left and go south for 2.3
miles to road marked 1175N.
Turn right and go west for 1.3
miles. Darnall’s Gun Works and
Shooting Ranges is on the right.
CO: Voters face trio of
ballot initiatives on guns
(Denver Post) - The battle over gun
control probably will move from the
state Capitol to the ballot box in
November as both sides of the issue
have filed proposed ballot measures.
One proposal would limit concealed
handguns on Colorado campuses.
Another would overturn a Democratimposed ban on ammunition magazines that fire more than 15 rounds.
And a third would repeal all gun
legislation passed in 2013 — not just
the mag ban — that “restrict or limit”
the right to bear arms.
Carolyn McCarthy retiring
Washington (GSL) — One of the
“leaders” of the anti-gun movement in
the U.S. House announced her retirement on Wednesday, January 9th.
McCarthy has served nine terms and
has been one of the most outspoken
advocates against firearm civil rights.
Magpul leaving Colorado for
Wyoming and Texas
Erie, CO (Guns Save Life) - It’s official.
Magpul is pulling up stakes in Colorado and taking 400plus jobs and nearly $100 million in economic activity
with them and moving most of it to nearby Cheyenne,
Wyoming. The company’s headquarters will be moving to
Texas.
‘Looks Like Weimar Germany’
(Blaze) - A now-viral photo showing
a long line of Connecticut residents
waiting to register their guns and
ammo is circulating across the Internet — and it’s sending chills down
the backs of some gun owners.
Connecticut gun owners are rushing to register certain firearms and
ammunition that will be considered
illegal contraband in the new year.
Under a wide-ranging gun control
law passed after the Sandy Hook
Elementary School shooting in
Newtown, they have until Tuesday
to submit the paperwork with the
Department of Emergency Services
and Public Protection.
The company’s move is in response to Colorado Democrats passage of sweeping gun control legislation in early
2013.
“Holy crap. Looks like Weimar Germany,” Twitter user @votermom said
of the photo.
Desert Tech puts troops first, turns down $15M weapons contract for Pakistan
(Newsbusters) - A Utah-based gun manufacturer turned down a $15 million contract with Pakistan in the name of keeping weapons from falling into the hands of America’s enemies. ABC, CBS and NBC, networks that routinely demonize
the firearms industry and promote gun control, ignored this positive story. Only Fox News highlighted Desert Tech’s
decision to put the troops before profit.
Advocating ‘regulating’ civil rights falls flat
Dick Metcalf repeatedly steps on his first name
(Breitbart) - In early November former
Guns & Ammo (G&A) magazine editor Dick Metcalf lost his pro-gun following – and his job – over a column
in which he expressed his support for
regulations to the 2nd Amendment.
Since his firing, the perks Metcalf
once enjoyed from gun companies
have ceased, and The New York
Times (NYT) is upset.
The NYT wonders why “moderate”
voices are silenced in the world of
gun journalism.
On November 5th Breitbart News
reported that Metcalf used his G&A
column to argue that all constitutional
rights have and need regulation,
companies... stopped flying him
around the world,” and they’ve also
stopped sending him samples of the
newest guns to review.
NYT points out that Metcalf isn’t the
only former member of gun journalism to which this has happened, but
others before him did not fall from so
high nor did they fade so fast.
including 2nd Amendment rights. The
outcry against Metcalf was immediate
and his firing swift. On November 7th
Breitbart News reported that Metcalf
had been fired by G&A.
According to NYT, Metcalf’s life
changed completely thereafter – his
television show was ended, “gun
Sitting quietly in his Illinois home,
Metcalf told NYT, “I’ve been vanished,
disappeared.” Yet he said he does
not regret writing the article in favor
of 2nd Amendment regulations. His
only regret is that the article “was too
short” to capture the full nuances of
his beliefs.
The new Glock 42
The new Glock 42 is a single-stack
.380 auto, holding 6+1 rounds. Coming in at just shy of an inch thick and
will weigh about 15 ounces loaded.
Freedom’s Forum
by Tim Giblin
A Fine Group and an example of
The Greatest Generation
Under twenty-five years of Chicago
politics, many law-abiding gun owners
have fled the oppressive regime of the
gun grabbers in Illinois. Even for truly
common-sense legislation (right-to-carry
laws that failed in 2012), we do not have
the necessary mass at the ballot box to
get stuff through. The issues were so
apparent that Illinois was court-ordered
to implement concealed carry when the
legislature couldn’t pass it.
By John Boch
(Reprinted from the February 2004 issue of
GunNews Magazine)
I’m sitting on my couch tonight typing in the
attendance from the January meeting and
the story of our speaker, Tony Bilek and I
am overwhelmed with humility.
It was standing room only as nearly 130
people crowded into our banquet room
to quietly listen to our speaker, a retired
member of our nation’s armed forces, tell
his story of sacrifice and suffering.
Doctors, lawyers, business owners, police
officers, professors, elected officials and
a myriad of professionals from all walks of
life were present. Men, women, families –
including more than a dozen school-aged
kids were there. Uncles and grandparents
brought young people to hear this man.
Those present represented a cross-section
of the best this region in Illinois has to offer.
Like our speaker, more than a few of those
in Tuesday’s audience were soldiers themselves in an earlier time of their lives, some
highly decorated.
Our speaker Tony Bilek spent nearly four
very long years held as a prisoner of war by
the Japanese. He endured and survived
the Bataan Death March and subsequent
barbaric treatment at the hands of the Japanese. He witnessed the worst of humanity – things few of us could even begin to
fathom, much less have actually seen with
our own eyes.
Bilek persevered and he survived. He represents the very best America has to offer
Bataan Death March survivor Tony Bilek,
left, with then-Guns Save Life president
Roger Dorsett at the January 13, 2004 GSL
meeting in Urbana.
– that indomitable spirit of faith, perseverance and camaraderie that exists even in
the face of the harshest adversity. He truly
is a living example of what some call “The
Greatest Generation.”
Even more remarkable is his courage to
talk about those horrific events today. It
is clearly difficult for him emotionally as
those memories are surely as vivid today
as they were fifty or sixty years ago. Yet he
knows this represents an important story
that should be told, particularly to our young
people.
Our attendees rewarded Bilek with not one,
but two standing ovations for his moving
presentation. In a roomful of good people,
Bilek was truly a great man – almost beyond measure.
Thank you, Don Huskey
by John Boch
The Guns Save Life family owes a good deal
of gratitude to Don Huskey for his yeoman’s
work bringing GSL monthly meetings to Effingham and making our inaugural year in that
city a big success.
There’s hardly anyone Don doesn’t know or
hasn’t met and he used his network of friends
and acquaintances to get the Effingham meeting up and running smoothly and efficiently.
He’s also put together some volunteers who
have done great work alongside him to make
bringing a monthly gun rights meeting to a
community seem easy.
The citizens of this potentially great state
need for people to stop leaving. We
need them to stay and I’ll tell you why:
The Firearms Community needs to be
represented by the professional, by the
educated, and by the well-spoken.
Unfortunately, for everyone involved,
individuals possessing these qualities are
the most capable of moving. When those
traits are mixed with strong pro-freedom
beliefs, they leave this state quickly once
faced with this state’s current shortcomings.
Illinois can be turned around. First, good
people must simply stop leaving. If the
population of gun owners is allowed to
decrease much further, the non-gun owners will no longer have access to people
who can speak intelligently about guns
in their work places and social circles.
Education comes from peers more than
any other source. So this brain drain is
not an issue of one person leaving, but of
losing the positive representation of the
Second Amendment in our neighborhoods
and workplaces.
It won’t take just one or two interactions
to get people asking questions, but it may
take ten or more positive interactions to
challenge (on a subconscious level) the
knee-jerk anti-gun viewpoints created by
the media.
Don Huskey: Larger than life.
We thank Don for his tremendous work, dedicating countless hours to making GSL’s entry
into the Effingham region the success it has become.
Even now, the rumbling from some of the
best instructors in the state is that some
want to depart. The number of Illinois
instructors that have chosen to move
on to greener pastures once they have
perfected their craft, while understandable, is utterly appalling for the health of
this state.
Our cause needs good representatives—
not some cheesy card with a tip at a
restaurant. If a gun owner is trying to be
an example, they must go out acting like
it, not by yelling about rights, but by being
a reasonable and normal human being.
People who interact with gun owners
should walk away thinking, “That was the
nicest person I’ve met this week, and he’s
a gun owner, so they can’t all be bad.”
Don’s a “been there - done that” kind of guy,
with his career military service along with he
and his wife’s ties to the local community.
Don is stepping down from that position in
order to devote time to some of his new endeavors, ranging from a syndicated talk radio
show, promotion of a growing series of gun
shows, and a whole lot more.
Stemming the Illinois Brain Drain
We must understand that people who
have never held a gun are going to ask
some very interesting questions. They
simply don’t know anything about it.
A good representative will remain calm
despite having media-driven buzz words
thrown at them. They will answer the
questions that they can and admit when
they don’t know the answer. They will, if
given the opportunity, happily take someone shooting with a .22 and ear muffs in a
low-stress environment. If they don’t have
the means or ability to get a new shooter
safely started, they need to admit it and
help arrange it with someone who does.
Posting on a gun forum like IllinoisCarry.
com with a “need help introducing a first
time shooter” thread or comment will garner a plethora of helpful people, usually at
no or minimal cost.
Instructors need to talk about Illinois with
optimism, educate their students about
how to get involved, and stop making
references to moving out of the state in
classes.
The Firearms Community must start acting like goodwill ambassadors. We must
choose to stay. We must charismatically
and positively represent the Second
Amendment, or soon, Illinois will become
the dead weight dragging the Second
Amendment into obscurity.
We have an opportunity with the new Firearms Concealed Carry License system to
introduce new shooters and answer questions never before asked, let us choose to
do so well.
About the author: Tim Giblin is a sevenyear veteran of the USMC and has nine
years teaching civilian pistol classes,
seven of them
as an NRA
concealed
carry instructor
in Michigan.
He’s also the
founder of
Train Illinois,
a full-time
training group dedicated to teaching new
shooters, as well as expanding the skill
set of experienced civilians, law enforcement, and military personnel.
GunNews Magazine
Published monthly by Guns Save Life
John Boch, Editor Emeritus
templar223@comcast.net
John Naese, Editor
johnnaese@comcast.net
Letters, including complaints or commendations, to the Editor are welcome. Please, limit your letter to 200
words. We reserve the right to edit or
refuse publication of any submission.
Anonymous letters are discouraged.
Guest columns of 400 words are also
welcome on timely issues, particularly
those related to firearms, self-defense
or similar topics. Letters and guest
columns may be sent electronically to:
templar223@comcast.net
Or you can mail your letter to:
Guns Save Life, Post Office Box 51,
Savoy, Illinois 61874
Commentary from across the nation
Former mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Bigoted Enlightenment or Enlighted Bigot
Reuters photo.
Bloomberg leaves office, yet still protected by guns
by Chris Cox
(Daily Caller) - When New
York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg leaves office
today he will enter civilian
life protected by firearms.
The same man who has
spent much of his career
and personal fortune trying
to render good, law-abiding
men and women defenseless, will now surround
himself with a team of
armed bodyguards.
Bloomberg’s security detail
will be comprised of former
police officers that he
purchased away from the
NYPD with the promise of
the threats he faces as a
former public official are
legitimate and should be
taken seriously. However,
they are no more legitimate
or serious than the threats
that many American men
and women face every day
– and that’s especially true
for many folks who live and
work in New York City.
Thus, the same man who
obtains special permission
for his personal security force to carry firearms
in so-called “gun free”
countries like Bermuda, is
also responsible for gun
confiscation notices like
this one being delivered to
law-abiding gun owners in
his city.
Bloomberg’s hypocrisy on
gun rights should come as
no surprise. Earlier this
year, he proclaimed: “I
do think there are certain
times we should infringe on
your freedom.” (Emphasis
mine.)
The same man who won’t
go out for a burger unless
he’s surrounded by a wall
of protection that only
firearms can provide, also
won’t allow his city’s most
vulnerable men and women to protect themselves
and their loved ones from
violent criminal attack.
Although Bloomberg is
leaving office today, his
assault on our Second
Amendment freedom is
certainly not over.
Mayor Bloomberg and part of his protective detail.
Photo by NY Times.
early retirement, six-figure
salaries, and other perks
that go along with protecting America’s most notorious anti-gun zealot.
Bloomberg’s hypocrisy validates what five million NRA
members and tens of millions of gun owners already
know: The freedom to own
and carry firearms is essential to our fundamental
right of self-defense.
If this weren’t true, then
Michael Bloomberg would
eschew his security team
and walk about town
unarmed and defenseless
like so many of his former
constituents. To be sure,
It was a rare moment
of honesty, and Michael
Bloomberg has certainly
governed as if there should
be one set of rules for him
and his fellow wealthy
political elites, and another
set of rules for the rest of
us.
To Bloomberg, most Americans are too dumb, or too
insignificant, to be afforded
much freedom at all. He
believes we have to be told
everything from what to
eat, to how much soda we
can drink. And above all,
he wants us stripped of our
constitutional right to keep
and bear arms.
He has vowed to spend
whatever amount it takes
from his $31 billion fortune
to buy Congress in this
year’s mid-term elections,
so he can hand Barack
Obama a gun ban majority in the U.S. House and
Senate. If that happens,
Obama can spend his final
years in office dismantling
the Second Amendment.
Gun owners and all
freedom-loving Americans
must be on guard in this
coming year’s campaign
season. Any candidate who
takes anti-gun money from
Michael Bloomberg will not
be working for you. That
candidate will be working
for the man who thinks his
wealth entitles him to deny
you the ability to exercise
your core freedoms.
by Miguel G.
GunFreeZone.net
If you are from South Florida and have
picked up a copy of the Miami Herald
more than once, you are familiar with the
“artistic” work of Jim Morin and can safely
assume that he has a seething hate for
the NRA. He never fails to portray NRA
members and Gun Owners as white guys
with cowboy rigs… which sort of shows Mr.
Morin has never been to a gun range in the
Palm Beach/Broward/Miami-Dade area and
seen the Rainbow Coalition sending lead
downrange.
Besides the poorly display of bigotry, Mr.
Morin brings out a detail that should be an
embarrassment for the natives here: Even if
we wanted to, we cannot hold an NRA Annual meeting down here as we don’t have
the facilities to host the loads of people who
attend them. Last year’s at Houston, over
86,000 people graced the Annual Meeting and the local businesses did loads of
moolah. Oh yes, as usual, crime was not
an issue as even the dumbest of criminals
know to stay away from locales that gather
individuals who can respond not so nicely
to their forceful request for cash, property
or body.
Mr. Morin would rather see “safer” and more
“hip” events like Urban Weekend, celebrated every year at Miami Beach. Last year’s
was a slower one according to the experts:
So far there have been around 340 arrests since Thursday, most alcohol and
drug related, which is in line with last
year; but police said that they have had
less calls for service.
Yup… We NRA members are the lawbreakers.
Mailbag...
Choosing a CCW instructor
When choosing an instructor to teach
you an Illinois concealed carry class, you
should:
First check the Illinois State Police website
to make sure they are an approved instructor.
Second, the instructor should have the most
important thing: good common sense.
Third, make sure the instructor does not
have fifty pages or more of pollice records.
Fourth, will train you in a manner to protect
yourself, not to be aggressive in militarystyle training.
Thanks, GSL
Thanks for all that you do, your passion for
the Second Amendment and gun ownership, running the site, doing all the newsgathering that you do, conducting the
monthly meetings, coordinating with Todd
Vandermyde, etc.
You guys ROCK!
Happy and healthy 2014 to all and remember, don’t pull that piece unless you intend
to use it.
Ken
via GSL website
Fifth, I don’t believe it is of any added value
to have an aggressive Greet Beret or Special Forces instructor compared to a farmer
or teacher with good common sense.
Sixth, do your due diligence and research
the company or instructor before you commit.
William Baker
Cameron, IL
The Strategies of
Low Light Engagements
By Ken J. Good
Used with permission. Reprinted.
By a substantial percentage, most law
enforcement officer-involved shootings occur during the hours from sunset to sunrise,
when ambient light is either greatly reduced
from normal daytime levels (even when
artificial lighting is available) or is virtually
nonexistent.
Such low-light shootings undoubtedly comprise the majority of non-law enforcement
shootings. The obvious reason for this fact:
perpetrators of street crime are more active
after sundown.
Because most shootings occur in lowlight conditions, it is not merely desirable
for law-enforcement officers (LEOs) [and
licensed civilians alike] to become proficient
at shooting with the aid of flashlights - it is
absolutely crucial.
Being skilled and comfortable at simultaneously operating a firearm and a flashlight
enables one to:
• focus on safely performing the job at
hand, rather than become distracted
by equipment issues and/or dangerous
tactical errors
• maintain the proper mindset -confident,
controlling, dominating any actual or
potential threat.
A good quality tool may be the difference
in an officer coming home safely. I have
noted in my 20 years of involvement with
the law enforcement community as a
trainer, that some officers are willing to put
a $1,500 prop on their ski boat, but unwilling to spend $150 on a powerful lighting
tool. I often ask officers “How much is your
arm worth, your face or your life for that
matter? How much is a tool worth that may
allow your kids to keep their parent?” As
one of my colleagues always says, “Lets
stop issuing a $600 firearm along with a
buck-fifty flashlight.”
No matter how well designed, a light can
become a serious liability when improperly
used. Horizontal and vertical placement of
the lighting tool, angle, duration and rhythm
of the pulse are all defined and dictated by
the user. Sound tactics developed through
proper training are essential.
Why carry a light?
No matter where you work, law-enforcement is a 24-hour a day operation. In most
locations criminal activity increases after
the sun goes down, darkness is their time.
They seek the anonymity that the cloak of
darkness can provide. As stated earlier,
even during the day, building interiors can
present murky, poorly lit environments that
rob an officer of his/her ability to clearly
observe suspicious activity.
Knowing this, one must understand and
explore what can be done with the light
spectrum in confrontational situations and
high-risk environments. Human beings
make decisions based on the information
that they are able to gather through their
five senses. Since most of that information
is gathered through our eyes, maintaining
the ability to observe in low-light conditions is absolutely critical. Shutting down
our opponent’s ability to observe is equally
important.
Because of the time constraints involved
in projectile based engagements the need
for threat identification is immediate. The
inherent physiological limitations of our
observation system in low-light conditions
does not give us the required visual cues
to quickly evaluate the tactical situation
and then make decisions based on our
evaluation. Hence additional illumination is
required to make this evaluation in a compressed time frame. Rapidly locating and
evaluating suspects now becomes a matter
of life and death.
Proper Employment –Tactics
Use the light intelligently and lean toward
the intermittent side of the light employment. The closest illustration for this
methodology would be the firefly. When
you see the glow you establish a direct line
to the insect, if you reached to grab in the
same location immediately after the glow,
the firefly would no longer be there.
Light/move or Light/move-shoot/
move if required.
Discharge a short burst of light, and move.
Evaluate what you just saw, in the same
way you view the speedometer of your
vehicle. Don’t stare at the speedometer,
but rather let your subconscious mind feed
you the data. Parallel this same observation methodology when trying to get useful
information in diminished lighting conditions. Additionally, try to randomize your
light on duration periods, angle of the beam,
distance of the hot spot from your location,
vertical and horizontal place of your light.
This will appear chaotic to potential threats
downrange. It does not give unknown
threats a simple firing solution, and may
provide the edge you need to successfully
locate and identify your threat first.
As you perfect this methodology, you will
be able to decrease the duration of your
light output, and obtain better information in
smaller time frames.
If the threat does fires a weapon, and it is
a low-light environment, he or she is firing blindly or randomly at the illusion you
should be creating. You may well be able to
see muzzle flash from the threat’s weapon.
You will now have excellent information in
terms of location of the threat and intention of that threat. You decide whether to
retreat, contain, or assault, based on your
mission and resources.
Light as a Control Tool / Force
Option
Once you locate your threat, you now want
to force them into a situation that is advan-
tageous to you. Do not allow them to move
or see freely. Force in our environment is
projecting our will within our sphere of influence and obtaining compliance. Officers
spend most of their confrontation time, talking to or arresting people. Rarely do they
have to discharge a firearm during these
frequent confrontations. Light is usually
not associated with the force continuum,
however light can be used as a force option to temporarily blind and overwhelm a
threatening individual, much the same way
that pepper spray temporarily disables a
threat. Intense, bright light will take away
the threat’s ability to gather useful information, thereby disrupting the ability to make
good decisions.
This blinding effect can be experienced
out to 100 yards with some handheld and
weapon mounted illumination tools in clear
conditions.
In this case, I do not want to allow the
opponent(s) to see what I or my partner(s)
are preparing to do, so I overwhelm the
threat’s visual sensors, creating useless
and confusing signals to the threat’s visual
system.
During this confusion phase, the opportunity exists to close the physical gap to a
suspect that must be forcibly constrained.
The cover officer is creating a wall of white
light (picture a vehicle stop) from which
the partner officer or other officers can
operate behind. These officers can now
deploy non-lethal options, which generally are more effective when the suspect
has no previous indication they are going
to be used. We’ve all heard and used the
term ‘blindsided.’ Blindsiding the threat is a
preferred objective.
This is especially effective and even painful
to the threat if the threat’s eyes are fully
dark-adapted. When contact is made [with
bright light], you will find the threat usually
feels unbalanced and predisposed to be
taken down, as the visual horizon has been
lost.
One of the frequent mistakes made by
officers is that the hot spot of the flashlight
is directed to the mid-torso area of the
suspect. The reason for this is that most
officers have been correctly taught that
“hands kill” and to watch a suspect’s hands.
While this is sound doctrine, the same task
can be accomplished by directing the center of the beam directly into the suspect’s
eyes, and you will still see the hands. This
significantly alters the suspect(s) ability to
access the officer’s movements or mount a
successful counter attack while simultaneously allowing you to still see the suspect(s)
hands.
Exploring the various techniques
the bright light and that the shots that are
fired towards the light will strike the officer. Knowing this, until I have located my
threats, I simply keep the flashlight away
from my body as much as possible. Yes,
most shooters will shoot targets on the
range yielding tighter groups with a flashlight assisted shooting technique, but one
must keep in mind that in actual confrontations, the suspect has specific advantages
when one does not know the suspect’s
location.
Once I’ve locked down the situation in my
mind and know where my threats are or
cannot be, I will usually revert to a more
“established” technique. The situation will
show you the best technique required at the
time.
The basic flashlight/gun techniques
The proper techniques of moving room to
room; clearing rooms; use of cover; confusing, disabling, and dominating opponents
with light; avoiding self-illumination, etc. are
outside the scope of this particular section.
They are best understood and retained
through hands-on, live instruction.
Nevertheless, the basic methods of actually
holding gun and flashlight for concerted
use can easily be grasped through the
descriptions below, aided by photographs.
We have included the primary recognized
techniques. Most were initially developed
or introduced for use with large flashlights.
The Rogers/SureFire and the shoulderfired weapon method were developed with
smaller flashlights in mind.
A well-trained shooter should be at least
familiar with all of these techniques. Depending on circumstances, each one can
have its place. The best way to grasp the
positive and negative attributes of each
technique is to try it at night or in dark conditions with both large and small flashlights,
while shooting live ammunition.
A Warning About Hands-Together
Flashlight/Gun Techniques
When a flashlight is activated in a low light
situation there is an almost irresistible urge
--made stronger under stressful conditions
--to move the brightest part of the beam so
that it shines on the perceived point of danger or into a potential assailant’s face. But
in all hands-together techniques, because
the user’s hands are locked or pressed
together, redirecting the beam also redirects the barrel of the gun. At a few yards
distance even a moderate adjustment of the
flashlight beam can turn a perfect centermass aim into a complete miss. Taking one
‘ eyes off the assailant to re-align the gun is
dangerous, and may well move the flashlight ‘ central bright spot off the target again,
starting the process over.
If you plan on going toe to toe with Mike Tyson in the ring, you may want to bring more
than a left jab to the party.
Thus, it is imperative to be aware of this
phenomenon and train accordingly. Two
ways simplify this training:
I recently read an article stating that if you
are being told by anyone to keep the flashlight away from your body (a technique),
you can immediately discount anything this
individual has to say, as they clearly do not
know what they are talking about.
(1) When directing your locked-together
flashlight and gun hands toward a potential
target, or when sweeping them during a
search, remember that the gun hand is the
master hand, the “driver,” and the flashlight
hand is along for the ride, so to speak.
Let’s face the obvious facts: suspects
automatically assume that a torso is behind
(2) Adopt the mentality that, when the
flashlight is activated, what you see is what
you get. That is, be prepared to shoot with
whatever part of the beam happens to be
on the target. Don’t get in the habit of trying
to achieve a perfect view of the target every
time you switch on the light. Instead, pay
attention to where the gun is aiming. In a
situation where a split-second could mean
the difference between life and death, gun
alignment matters most.
Neck-Index Technique
Description The flashlight is held in ice-pick
grip. Thumb
or any finger
placed on
the on-off (or
momentary)
switch. For
large flashlights, the
flashlight body is rested on the shoulder,
indexed against the base of the neck. For
small flashlights, the body of the flashlight
(or the fist holding it)is held indexed against
the jaw/neck juncture just below the ear, so
that it moves in conjunction with user ‘ head
yet blocks little peripheral vision. Weapon is
held in any position desired, out of contact
with flashlight hand or arm.
FBI Technique
Flashlight is held in sword or ice pick grip,
with arm
extended well
away from the
body (and extended upward
if desired),with
lens of
flashlight held
slightly in front of body to avoid illuminating
the user. Weapon is held in any position
desired, out of contact with flashlight hand
or arm.
Harries Technique
Flashlight is held in ice-pick grip (lens on
side opposite
the thumb).
Thumb or any
finger operates on/off (or
momentary)
switch. Wrists
nest together
and backs of
hands are firmly pressed together to create
stabilizing isometric tension. For large
flashlights, the body of flashlight may be
rested on weapon hand’s forearm.
Hargreaves Lite-Touch Technique
Flashlight held in the palm of the support hand.
Method of
deployment,
draw pistol,
and flash
light together,
punch pistol
forward,
straight line at target, weak hand pointing
flash light, as you would a fencing foil. The
two hands come together, just like a two
hand punch draw, but the weak hand is under the pistol, on/off button pressed against
the knuckles of the gun hand.
Chapman Technique
Flashlight held in sword grip, but only with
thumb and forefinger. Thumb or one finger
operates the on/off (or momentary) switch.
The other three fingers of the flashlight
hand wrap
around the
gripping
fingers of
the weapon
hand, in an
approximation of
a regular
two-hand handgun grip, and arms provide
stabilizing isometric tension.
Keller Technique
Flashlight is held in a sword grip, with
the thumb on
the on/off (or
momentary)
switch. Arms
are extended
outward, with
arm of weapon
hand below arm
of flashlight hand. Wrists nest together and
back of weapon hand presses firmly against
back of flashlight hand to create stabilizing
tension.
Note: This technique must be practiced
to create muscle memory in order to avoid
having the slide of the handgun slam into
wrist or forearm during discharge, especially when the arms aren’t fully extended.
USMC Technique
Flashlight is held in sword grip with thumb
or finger on
the sidemounted
on/off (or
momentary)
switch. The
rim of the
flashlight lens
is pressed forward against the tips of the
weapon hand ’s gripping fingers (even locking them in place if the rim is deep enough)
creating a stabilizing tension.
Ayoob Technique
Flashlight is grasped in sword grip, thumb
or any finger
on the sidemounted
on/off (or
momentary)
switch. The
thumb of the
flashlight
hand is pressed against the thumb of the
weapon hand, creating isometric tension
that steadies the weapon. The hands may
be held near the body or the arms may be
extended.
A variation on this technique calls for the
thumb of the flashlight hand to be pressed
inward just below, but still in contact with,
the weapon hand’s thumb, thus somewhat
lowering the angle of the flashlight beam.
Another variation calls for pressing the
fingers of the flashlight hand against the
fingers of the weapon hand, which significantly reduces the amount of wrist rotation
required.
Over/Under Technique
Flashlight is held in
sword grip with thumb
or a finger on the
side-mounted on/off
(or momentary) switch.
Weapon hand is pressed
down firmly on top of
flashlight hand or flashlight body, created
isometric tension to steady the weapon.
Rogers/SureFire Technique
Small SureFire light is held between forefinger and
middle finger
in a “syringe” grip,
that is, with
these fingers
gripping the
body of the
flashlight
(and in front of the integral rubber ring, if the
flashlight has one). Lens of light faces outward, and the protruding momentary switch
rests against the middle or lower part of the
thumb. Flashlight is activated by squeezing
it between fingers and thumb.
The weapon hand is brought together with
the flashlight hand, as though performing a
normal two-hand hold, and the lower fingers
of the flashlight hand are wrapped around
the gripping fingers of the weapon hand.
Isometric tension is applied with the arms to
steady the weapon.
Note: some people find that wrapping just
the bottom two fingers (ring and little) of the
flashlight hand around the gun-gripping fingers improves alignment of flashlight beam
with gun barrel. However, quickly assuming
this particular grip requires more practice.
Shoulder-Fired Weapon Technique
Flashlight is held in sword or ice pick grip,
with arm extended well away from the body
(and extended upward if desired), with lens
of flashlight held slightly in front of body to
avoid illuminating the user. (Mirroring the
FBI Technique) This technique revolves
around using a handheld flashlight in
conjunction with a lightweight shoulder fired
weapon equipped with a Weapon Mounted
Light (I.E.M4,MP5,shorter semi-auto
shotguns). With extended practice, larger
weapons can be utilized.
The handheld flashlight is employed
as a search tool.
Once the target of
interest is located,
the flashlight can
be rolled under
the forearm of the
shoulder-fired
weapon, it is held in
place with the last two fingers of the support
hand, lens now facing the shooter.
The Weapon Light can now be activated at
will with the remaining fingers. Worst case,
simply drop the handheld and use the activation pad located on the Weapon Light.
About the author: Ken Good is the President and founder of Strategos International.
He is a former Naval Special Warfare operator. His military experience included all
aspects of land, sea, and airborne special
warfare applications, including the instruction of techniques and doctrine to members
of foreign militaries. He has trained thousands of military, law enforcement, and security personnel over the last twenty years.
Mr. Good has pioneered new methodologies for maximizing human performance in
the tactical environment.
Nightshoot
Handgun Low-Light
Shooting Fundamentals
Saturday, March 8, 2014
at the DeWitt County Sportsmen’s Club
Six miles East of Clinton, IL city limit on Route 10
From 1:00pm - 9:00pm
A majority of deadly force encounters take place in low-light conditions.
Have you trained and practiced your low-light shooting skills?
Registration is limited. Enroll today.
Tuition (tentatively): $100.
DeWitt Co. Sportsmen’s Club members: $50.
Instructors:
Pre-requisite
Ed Adcock, of I.S.C.A.P.E.
Todd Mendenhall of I.S.C.A.P.E.
John Boch of GSL Defense Training
And others...
Prior training is required to attend this
class. When registering, please include
a copy of your Illinois Concealed Carry
training certificate, or NRA Basic Pistol
or Personal Protection course completion certificate. 150 rounds of ammo
required.
Brought to you by I.S.C.A.P.E.
Intelligent, Safe, Confident, Adaptable Pistol Education.
For questions, or to register, call Ed Adcock at 217 519-4145
or e-mail him at edgirls4@frontier.com.
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
Live Free USA is proud to support Guns Save Life in our combined effort to preserve the American
tradition of self-reliance and preparedness. Live Free USA supports gun rights and firearms training as an important part of a family self-reliance program. As we face the growing threats to our
safety and our freedoms together, our mission has expanded to help build prepared and self-reliant families as the best way to defend our values and freedoms in the decades to come. Survival
alone is not good enough. Together we can make a difference in our future. We offer here some
basic preparedness information and concepts and invite readers to join in our mission.
Make plans to attend LIVE FREE USA’s Camp Independence at Tippecanoe State Park in Indiana.
This day-long event features a class segments on a host of survival and personal preparednessrelated topics.
LIVE FREE USA: Freedom through self-reliance
It is the mission of Live
Free, USA to promote
and support self-reliance,
self-sufficiency, and
self-protection for all
responsible Americans.
We believe that only an
informed and prepared
people guarantee a safe,
secure, and free country.
real hands-on, person-toperson organization and
goal-oriented activities.
Every member counts.
THE SELF-RELIANCE
ALLIANCE
Live Free USA chapter organizations provides local
meetings, educational
AMERICAS FIRST AND
programs and cooperaBEST SURVIVAL SUPtive family emergency
PORT ORGANIZATION
planning and self-reliThe Live Free, USA orga- ance programs. If there
nization was created in
is no chapter near you,
the late 1960’s to prowe can help organize one
ORGANIZED TO MAKE A mote wilderness survival in your community. If
DIFFERENCE
training activities and
you have a group, it can
Live Free USA’s memexpanded its programs to become a chapter and
bers have the unique
include emergency prebenefit from Live Free
opportunity to help
paredness and general
USA’s support and coopother Americans achieve self-reliance in the 70’s.
eration.
greater preparedness
Live Free has consistently
and self-reliance through maintained a reputation PUBLICATIONS OF LIVE
participation in Live Free for common sense and
FREE USA
USA’s Action Teams and
responsibility. Today Live Live Free, USA members
chapter groups. These
Free is recognized as one receive AMERICAN SURteams advance the cause of the oldest and most
VIVOR newsletter conand administer the vari- respected survival/selftaining practical informaous operations and pro- reliance advocacy and
tion on how-to prepare
grams that support the
support organizations in for and survive natural
Live Free, USA mission.
the USA.
and man-made disasters,
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sources and book re-
LIVE FREE USA
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FOR OVER 45 YEARS
Why do I need to be personally prepared to cope with natural and manmade disasters and emergencies?
planning, and responsible preparedness will be far better able to survive
any disasters and be better off in a
changing and challenging world.
views to help readers become more self-reliant,
and warnings about new
threats to safety, survival
and personal freedom.
Members also get periodic issues of LIVE FREE
REPORT keeping them
up to date on all Live
Free, USA programs and
activities. Live Free, USA
also produces survival
and self-reliance video
programs on DVD and a
wide range of publications available through
the AmericanSurvivor.org
web site
conferences and seminars have been conducted for over 40 years
every spring in northern
Indiana. These events
include educational
classes, field activities,
instructor development
and leadership building
programs.
The Civilian Preparedness Advocacy and
Support
Live Free, USA publications and speakers
continue to define and
represent responsible
survival preparedness,
Live Free, USA is an inself-defense, and selfcorporated not-for-profit, reliance to the public and
tax deductible organiza- the media. Speakers and
tion. Our only income
instructors may be availsources are membership able for your area.
dues and contributions.
Topics include:
Camp Independence
• Wilderness survival
Survival and self-reliance • Biological, chemical
Join. Make a difference.
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to become more self-reliant. Working together
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What Is Live Free USA and why should
I support it?
We are here for you, your family and
Live Free USA is a 45-year old, not-for- America’s future.
profit, tax-deductible, all volunteer orWhile natural disasters continue unMembership
ganization with no political, or religious
abated, funding continues to be cut for
Membership comes with a subscripaffiliations.
emergency and disaster relief services.
tion to American Survivor and other
We can expect less and less help and
We believe that emergency prepared- benefits
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[ ]
ness and self-reliance is a fundamental 1-year only $20.00. disasters.
3-year membership $50.00. [ ]
responsibility of every good citizen.
Lifetime membership $250.00 [ ]
What will happen to my family and
We are dedicated to supporting this
me? In many ways, your family’s level
GUNS SAVE LIFE SPECIAL
belief through public education, supof preparedness will determine what
We will add 6-months to a 1-year
porting family, group and community
happens to you and your loved ones.
membership and 1-year to a 3-year
preparedness and self-reliance acmembership for GSL members who
tivities, promoting cooperation and
Prudent preparedness can turn a lifejoin Live Free before May 1, 2014
coordination among preparedness
threatening event for the unprepared
and self-reliance groups, suppliers
into a mere inconvenience.
Bequests: Help guarantee that Live
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Those who chose to face the chalthe future contact: survivorjj@aol.com.
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EMERGENCY SUPPLIES SHOPPING
You’re caught in an emergency with a chance to make a quick trip to a store. What to get?
Who was it that said “No plan survives first contact”?
You’re away from home or you just never got around
to getting those preparedness materials you’ve always
meant to get. The power has just gone out or will do
so shortly (for instance, the freezing rain is coming).
Never fear though: By good luck (or karma), you’re
not far from a local store to get some supplies.
Sure, you’re going to risk fighting what may be crowds
of desperate, possibly surly individuals who are all in
the same boat as you. But it is what it is and you’ve
got a chance to grab a few things which may make life
a lot easier in the coming days for your family.
While you don’t have those supplies you’ve been
meaning to get (or are away from home), you do have
a hundred dollars cash stashed in your wallet or purse
in addition to the little bit of cash you usually carry.
At the moment, for the sake of our exercise, the
crowds aren’t too bad. You think you can pull this off
in twenty or thirty minutes.
Water.
Water seems like it’s everywhere until
you’re thirsty and need some to drink.
Rule of thumb: You’ll need one gallon, per person, per day. Assuming
a traditional family of four, that’s 28
gallons for a week. Get gallon-sized
containers or if you’re strong enough,
2.5 or 5 gallon bottles or cases of water
(typically about 3 gallons per case).
What do you get?
Prioritize. You’re going to need water, first and
foremost, to sustain life, keep yourself clean and to
prepare foods.
From there, you’re on your own. Here are some items
that might be of immense help if you find yourself
caught flat-footed in the face of an emergency.
Easy, shelf-stable food.
If you don’t have power, your cooking
options may be limited. Look for:
• Pre-cooked, canned meats (tuna,
chicken, ham, spam, vienna sausages, bacon, etc.)
• Nuts (peanuts, cashews, etc.) are
rich in calories and protein. Trail
mixes are excellent as well.
• Canned beans
• Canned stews
• Poptarts (poor-man’s energy bars!) Also...
• Instant oatmeal
• Get a small transis• Instant coffee or hot chocolate as
tor radio and spare
comfort drink
• Bread
• Peanut butter & jelly
• Canned pasta (Chef Boy-R-Dee
stuff)
Liberty Guns
“WE ARE EXPANDING!”
307 East Second Street * Homer, IL
217 896-8024
e-mail: drothermel at gunssavelife.com
Tues. through Fri. 2p-5p, Sat. 10-5p.
If no answer, call: Dean: 217-377-3326
Area’s largest Pro-Shot dealer since 1987.
batteries.
• First Aid kit.
• Plasticware.
• Swiss Army knife
(opens cans, cuts
things, etc.)
• Compass
• Blanket(s)
Remodeling Open House
February 21 & 22 from 10am-5pm both days.
There will be food, prizes and special deals,
along with greatly expanded retail space.
Valentine’s Day Special
Also Feb 14th and 15th: Come in for a
sweetheart deal for your Valentine. We have
all kinds of guns of color, or not, for your
ladies pleasure, also carrying the Flash Bang
holster line.
Sanitation.
You have got to keep yourself clean.
• Baby wipes (75-150)
• Toilet paper.
• Tall kitchen trash bags.
• Bar soap.
• Got a baby? Get diapers!
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
Light & Fire.
You’ll need some light & ability to
make fire.
• Flashlight (LED hand-held and/or
hands-free “head” light).
• Spare batteries.
• Some butane lighters and/or
matches.
• Votive candles or tea lights will
work for light and heat in a pinch.
Full-line gun shop
* Reloading supplies & equipment.
* New, used, consignments welcome.
* We’ve got ammo.
* Now offering Internet sales of
your consignments.
* Did we mention guns? We’ve
got ‘em and special orders are
welcome.
In Homer on Route 49, turn east at
the Marathon station and go 1 1/2
blocks. We’re on the south side of
the road.
Next door to the American Legion.
Ten
Principles
of Survival
by James C. Jones
EMT/CHCM
These ten principles of survival apply
equally to coping with long-term situations such as a declining economy,
climate changes, shortages and threats
to basic freedoms and privacy and
sudden disasters such as storms, civil
unrest, fires, accidents and epidemics.
Once one has moved from denial,
through deliberation to the decision
and action phases of survival reaction
these are important principles that
must be applied to guide your actions.
1. ANTICIPATE: Those who assume
that things will not change or that
nothing can go wrong wind up being
victims. Those who do “what if analysis” on potential hazards and trends
are ready to survive. While those who
say “this can’t be happening!” are still
in denial, the survivor is ready or has
already acted. Survivors are people
who quickly move through the stages
of denial, deliberation to decisions and
actions. Accepting the possibility or
probability that a bad thing may happen to you is essential. The military
calls this process “OODA” for Observe,
Orient, Decide and Act. He who hesitates is often dead.
2. BE AWARE: The military calls this
“Situation Awareness” On a “big
picture” level this means being aware
of the national economic, political,
and environmental situation and the
developments in your communities
and at your employment. What are
the trends? What are the developing hazards, shortages, and threats?
On a more immediate level you must
develop the habit of observing and
analyzing things around you and ahead
of you. No texting, no cell phones
use, no daydreaming. Who are those
people coming towards me? Do I smell
smoke?
3. BE HERE NOW: This sound obvious, but think about it. When we are
on the phone, reading, texting, we are
‘there’, not ‘here’. We tune out what’s
going on around us. This is okay in a
safe environment, not so much in an
unknown environment and never in an
“at risk” situation. A survival situation requires being 100% engaged on
the here and now. Any distractions or
thoughts about how nice it would be
to not be in this place at this time will
do nothing to improve the situation
and perhaps make survival less likely.
Focus!
4. STAY CALM: Yes, it’s easier said
than done. If you have followed the
first three principles your reactions are
going to be
automatic
and appropriate. Once
you have
escaped the
immediate
threat (assault, shots,
fire, etc.),
take some
slow deep
breaths.
Gather your thoughts and follow the
next six steps. Remember your calm
demeanor (or apparent calm) will help
others follow your lead.
5. EVALUATE: Think about where the
situation is going and what your options are - dispassionately. Evaluate
the risks if you do nothing versus various actions. Consider your own level of
health, knowledge and resources. Will
you have help or are you on your own?
Prioritize risks and costs.
6. DO THE NEXT RIGHT THING: Sometime you can let the enormity of the
situation panic you into inappropriate
actions or into giving up. You eat an
elephant one bite at a time. Once you
know what must be done to survive,
focus just on how to take the next step.
Don’t think too much about the other
thousand steps ahead.
7. TAKE CONTROL: Control the situation instead of letting it control to you.
This is what we all must do now as we
face various threats, both immediate
and long-term. You need to own the
situation. We should own the future
not fear it. That’s the difference between survivors and victims.
8. HAVE WHAT YOU NEED: That
sounds simple, but it requires careful
anticipation and awareness to have
the right stuff where and when you
need it. For example: having lots of
food and firearms is not what you
need when you have a house fire. You
need good fire extinguishers now! Its
not what you have, its what you have
with you. Prioritizing and acquiring
skills, supplies and equipment based
on personal and realistic expectations
rather than popular media scenarios
is critical. The objective is to have safe
air, effective defense, adequate shelter,
clean water, sufficient food, needed
medical care when and where you
need it.
9. USE WHAT YOU HAVE: The accumulation of stuff alone will not assure
survival. You have to know how to use
it and then use it effectively. You will
also be faced with situations where
you need to improvise and scavenge.
Junk and scraps can be made into
needed items. Nature provides food,
shelter, fuel and other necessities
when we do not have other options.
Survival training greatly increases
your options and capabilities with and
without stuff. In today’s world we
have specially made products for every
aspect of survival. This gets us complacent and dependent. A good excursive
is to take every survival item you have
and say “what if I had to do without
Conclusion
this” then “what could I use in place
of this”. Know how to use it and know Having survived in the inner-city and
heavy-industrial environment while
how to do without it, then you are a
moving from labor through managesurvivor.
ment and from total poverty to reasonable security without outside help, I
can vouch that the above principles
10. DO WHAT IS NECESSARY: That
apply to every aspect of “normal” life.
may sound obvious, but it is often
Developing these life habits and values
the failure to do what was required
will establish your survivability in a
that resulted in death. Civilized living
crisis and help you succeed in everyday
has programmed us to adopt habits,
fears and reactions that are counter to life.
survival necessity. Will we plunge our
hand into an open wound to pinch off
an artery? Will we hesitate to pull the
trigger on an armed assailant? Will we
be too shy to strip off cold wet clothing? Will we trash or abandon expensive equipment in order to escape?
Pride, fear, revulsion, fatigue, pain and
false values are mental states that can
result in bad decisions. This is not to
say that the values of morality, loyalty,
and compassion are to be abandoned.
If you have abandoned those you have
not truly survived as a human being.
Several of the above principles are interpretations of concepts set fourth in
Laurence Gonzales’ book Deep Survival
published by W. W. Norton Inc. which
I highly recommend to all serious survival preppers.
About the author
James C. Jones is the president of Live
Free USA, a not-for-profit organization
devoted to advocating and supporting
emergency preparedness and family
That’s my ten, but of course there has self-reliance. Live Free USA publishes
the American Survivor newsletter, conto be one more. The 11th is NEVER
GIVE UP. Having advocated prepared- ducts seminars and supports chapters.
They can be contacted at www.Ameriness and expanded self-reliance for
canSurvivor.Org, LFINOW@AOL.COM
over 40-years, I guess I got that one.
Remember, “survival” is not about you. or at Live Free USA, Box 3295, Munster,
IN 46321
You survive for your mission and for
what you do for others.
Looking for a place to shoot?
Dewitt County Sportsmen’s Club
Clinton, IL
Storage Containers
And Trailers
For Rent or Sale
Delivered to your site
Our thanks goes out to
Oleg Volk for his continued permission to use his
creative works in our gun
rights advocacy work. You
can see more of them at his
website:
a-human-right.com
20’ or 40’ Long - 8’ Wide
MEL PRICE & CO.
1938 Bowman Ave.
Danville, IL 61832
217-442-9092
CAMP INDEPENDENCE
Safety Through Preparedness
Freedom Through Self-Reliance
Saturday, May 3rd 2014
Tippecanoe River State Park near Winamac, Indiana
Activities 8:00 AM (Eastern Time) through 6:00 PM
A wide variety of emergency preparedness, self-defense, field survival and self-reliance classes, workshops, exhibits and demonstrations will be presented throughout
the day.
Bring the whole family. Stay overnight. Enjoy the park in spring. Become safer and
more self-reliant!
Cabins are available on a first come basis. Meals are available at reasonable prices.
Advanced Registration Before April 15th: Individual $20.00, Family $25.00, Add
$20.00 for a cabin. Come Friday night and stay over Saturday night for extra activities. Group Rates Available before April 1st.
Now seeking new members.
ACT NOW!
Come join a growing club, with dual, independent ranges, a nice clubhouse and permissive rules which allow shooters to practice shooting
from holsters, double-taps and so forth. Centrally located on Route
10, six miles east of Clinton, IL (15423 State Highway 10). Great people
and a warm atmosphere. Facilities include a 100 yard rifle range range,
handgun range, clubhouse, and more. An archery range is coming next
year. Dues are $50/year plus two work days.
You can download an application at our website: dewittcountysc.com
or by mailing a request to Dewitt Co. Sportsmen’s Club; PO Box 322;
Clinton, IL 61727
Registration after April 15th: Individual $25.00, Family $35.00. Add $25.00 for a
cabin as available.
CURRENT & NEW LIVE FREE MEMBERS $5.00 OFF ALL ABOVE RATES
If cabins at the site are filled tent camping and other rentals are available from the
Indian Department of Resources at their rates. Go to: www.camp.in.gov
*Indiana DNR park vehicle entry fees not included in registration fees.
GUEST INSTRUCTORS WELCOME: Contact: survivorjj@aol.com before April 5th.
SURVIVAL STUFF RAFFLE: Lots of survival and preparedness related supplies and
equipment. Tickets on sale at the event. Contributions Welcome
Make your own...
Save money. It’s easy to make. And it works well!
Laundry soap
Large scale water filtration for less than 2 cents per gallon
Homemade Big-Berkey style water filter
Here’s what you need: 20
Mule Team Borax, Arm &
Hammer Super Washing
Soda and Fels-Naptha. A
paint stirrer makes a nice,
disposable stirring rod. Add in
an inexpensive cheese grater
and you’re set.
by John Boch
Clean, potable water is critical to survival in an emergency as we all know.
You can make potable water
most commonly by chemical
means or filtration.
Big Berkey water filters are
considered among the best,
proving themselves capable
of gravity filtering a lot of
water day in and day out for
a long time. Each element
will filter over a gallon an
hour and will last 3,000
gallons or more with proper
care.
Here’s how to make your own Big
Berkey-style filter at home for about
$100 or less.
First, you’ll need:
Step 3: Drill a three-quarter inch
hole for your spigot in the side of the
bottom bucket, about a half-inch or
more from up from the inside bottom. This will allow room for the
washer gasket. Install the spigot (use
the gasket washers on both sides of
the bucket wall).
* A pair of Black Berkey replacement
filters ($100-120 online) or Super
Sterasyl Ceramic filter elements
Step 4: Drill a small weep hole in the
(about $45 each online - similar filter- lid for the upper bucket to ensure
ing results in quality and quantity).
that the lid doesn’t seal and cause a
vacuum and stop the process when
* Berkey Light spigot (about $10)
nobody is looking.
* A minimum of two white, virgin
plastic 5-gallon buckets (food grade
HDPE) (about $5 each at Lowe’s) and
a pair of white, virgin plastic lids (also
about $5 each)
Step 1: Tape the lid for the lower
bucket to the bottom of the upper
bucket, then drill two one-half inch
holes through the lid and the bottom
of the upper bucket approximately
5-6” apart. NOTE: This plastic is
brittle and you should push very
gently on the drill bit or it will plunge
through the plastic and break it, leaving you with a ragged hole that the
washer won’t cover - or worse. My
advice, buy twice as many buckets as
you intend to use to ensure you don’t
screw up in less than ideal conditions.
Buckets are cheap. Life is precious.
Step 5: Sanitize the lower bucket
with a bleach solution and rinse
before use. 1/4 cup of bleach in
5 gallons of water for ten minutes
should be fine after you’ve washed it
out with soap and water.
Usage: If you’re filtering turbid water,
be sure to pre-filter using coffee
filters or other crude filtration to
extend the life of your filters. If you
need faster filtration, you can use
additional filters in the top bucket
(three or four). Under ideal conditions, you can get over 7 gallons per
hour with four filters.
Simply fill the top with clean, but
suspect water and clean water will
dribble into the bottom container.
Step 2: Remove the lid and install
the filter in the bottom of the upper
bucket.
by John Boch
You can make your own
laundry soap at home for
a tiny fraction of what
you would pay for brand
name soaps like Tide.
As an added bonus,
this home-made soap
doesn’t have brighteners
or fragrances (unless you
add them), so it’s ideal
especially for hunting
clothes. The price makes
it ideal for the family
budget as well.
If you buy three bars of
Fels-Naptha, along with
single boxes of 20 Mule
Team Borax and Arm and
Hammer Super Washing
Soda, you will have spent
about $15 on materials
to make five hundred
plus standard loads of
laundry.
As this homemade laundry soap gains popularity, more stores are now
carrying the ingredients,
including Wal-mart, Schnucks and Rural King.
How does it work? I’ve
been using it for years
now and am pleased.
I’ve heard back from a
couple of other Guns
Save Life members
who’ve tried it and they
are pleased as well.
Step 1: Finely grate approximately 1/3 bar of
FELS-NAPTHA bar soap
and put it in a sauce pan
with six cups of hot (not
boiling) water. Keep hot
and stir until soap melts
completely.
Step 1a (Optional): I
finely grate a half bar
of my favorite bar soap
to add a hint of scent to
the mix. Again, this is
optional.
Step 2: Add one half
cup of BORAX laundry
booster and one half
cup of WASHING SODA
to sauce pan. Stir until
dissolved.
Step 3: Add four cups
of hot water into bucket
(a five-gallon bucket is
ideal), then add soap
mixture. Stir briefly to
mix.
Step 3a (Optional): Psychologically, while I don’t
need to see a mountain
of suds, I like to see a few
bubbles to know there’s
really soap in there. So I
add about a tablespoon
(okay, two) of Dawn dish
soap.
Step 4: Add 22 additional cups (1 gal, 6 cups)
of room temperature
water. Stir to mix and
let stand for 24 hours or
so. Contents of bucket
should gel.
Use one half cup of final
product per standard
load.
If it doesn’t gel, it will still
work fine. Store product
in a closed container or
the water will evaporate
out of the mixture.
SAVE THESE DATES!
CAMP INDEPENDENCE 2014
Saturday, May 3rd: Activities from 8:00 AM (EST) - 6:00 PM
at Tippecanoe River State Park North of Winamac, Indiana
A wide variety of emergency preparedness, self-defense, field survival
and self-reliance classes, workshops, exhibits and demonstrations will be
presented throughout the day. Bring the whole family. Stay overnight in
available cabins. Enjoy the park in spring. Become more self-reliant!
LIVE FREE, USA 45th ANNUAL MEETING
Sunday March 23rd, 2013: 1:00 PM till 3:00 PM
CABELA’S Sporting Goods Store
7700 Cabela Drive, Hammond IN
Open To Members, Families and Supporters.
Videos, Exhibits, Speakers, Presentations, Awards, Elections.
State of Live Free report and special presentations.
Your vehicle will be
your “escape pod”
from most emergencies. Equip it to
handle them! Organize material into
“gear bags”. They
carry stuff to make
life easier if you have
a problem until help
arrives, until you can
reach safety or to
assist the rescue of
someone else.
Start with the basics: Tool bag.
Things happen in your car: Bad weather. Accidents.
Dead Batteries. Snow and ice. Mechanical issues.
Flat tires and fires.
Having a tool bag with some basic supplies can help
turn what would be a really bad day into a mere
inconvenience. Ironically, this is the bag you’ll probably turn to the most often, yet with all the talk of
major emergencies, tending to the minor everyday
incidents sometimes gets overlooked.
So, for your tool bag: Basic hand tools and maybe a socket set as well - Harbor
Freight has them on the cheap if you’re budget constrained. Add in a pair of
leather work gloves, a head-lamp flashlight (so you can work with your hands in
the dark), a tire repair kit, some road flares (it wouldn’t be good to get run over
while making roadside repairs!) and some Gorilla tape which is like duct tape on
steroids. Throw in an extra quart or two of oil just for giggles.
Right next to your hand-dandy tool bag should be a high-output 12v air compressor, a 5# (or better yet, 10#) fire extinguisher and a set of quality jumper
cables. In the winter, throw in a small, plastic snow shovel and a coffee can full
of sand. If you have room, a sleeping bag isn’t a bad idea - year round.
The day bag
This small pack’s main function is to carry
stuff for day hikes or short trips. Contents
should include a water bottle or two, some
band-aids and an Israeli Battle Dressing, a
compass, flashlight, disposable emergency
rain poncho or two (contractor clean-up bags
work too), a mylar emergency blanket or two,
whistle, knife, emergency food bars and/or
trail mix and some baby wipes. These packs
will often have a compartment to carry your
firearm and a reload if you don’t want to wear
the gun on your body.
The get home bag
Much bigger than a day pouch, this is a small
backpack, with room to carry much of the gear
mentioned on the right. Keep it light, ideally ten
to fifteen pounds, maximum. Remember, ounces
equal pounds and pounds equal pain.
Watch out for: Weight hogs. Substitute lighter,
higher-performance items for space or weight
hogs (MagLite flashlights, for instance). You
don’t need three knives, a three-piece suit, a
pop-up tent or spare pair of boots in your pack.
Think minimal in terms of supplies.
If your “get home bag” is an old ALICE large pack with 50 pounds of “necessities”, then you’re in trouble if you older than a teenager and haven’t been to the
gym in years. Confident you can carry your load? Put on your pack and go for
a five or ten mile walk - it doesn’t even have to be a hike - and see how you feel
afterwards.
The Gear
As you pack your gear for your escape pod,
keep in mind that three hours without shelter
and three days without water can be life-threatening. Here are basic items for your car and
your ‘get home’ bag.
Organization: Put the contents of your pack into waterproof bags in case
of heavy rain or if your pack takes a short dunk for some reason. Organize as
needed. Plan ahead to keep Murphy of Murphy’s Law fame away.
Backpack: Get yourself a small to medium-sized pack. Remember, ounces
equal pounds when you start hiking,
and pounds equal pain. Make sure it
fits you. The more weight your pack
carries on your hips, the happier your
back will be if you’re over 18-years-old.
Water: Carry a few bottles of water
in your car. Put them in a small cooler
if you’re worried about them rupturing when frozen (doesn’t happen with
most). Surface water is plentiful in Illinois. Carry water filtration - .2 micron
or less. Berkey Sport Bottles filter as
you drink. Lifestraw is a similar product. They’re not expensive. In or on your pack,
carry a liter bottle or
two for carrying some
filtered water. Water
treatment tablets are a
last-ditch option.
Medical: A basic first
Shelter: Consider bivy sacks, lined
with plastic or mylar. If you have space
for it, consider a wool blanket as it
works even when wet. Lightweight
tent stakes, 550
cord and tarp clips
can help you turn
oversize contractor cleanup bags
or plastic sheeting
into an improvised
tent/shelter for an
extra couple of ounces.
Food: One to three MREs are always
an option. Rotate every year! Survival food bars/rations are another
calorie-dense, small-space option.
Dehydrated foods don’t pack a lot
of calories but can be comfort foods
(oatmeal, Mountain House-style meals,
coffee, hot chocolate) when you’ve got
a means to boil water. If you have the
space, a JetBoil stove is outstanding.
Fire: Making fire with
aid kit. Over-the-counter two sticks sucks and reor prescription meds you quires knowledge to pull
off. Bring along better
need regularly. Spare
ways to make fire
glasses / conincluding some or
tact lenses.
all: Magnesium
An Israeli Batblock fire-starters,
tle Dressing
firesteel, Bic
or two. Also,
lighter(s), winda bar of ivory soap (it
floats), some baby wipes, proof lighter, waterproof
matches. Dryer lint
and feminine needs.
makes great, lightweight
tender.
Communications.
Don’t count on your
Navigation: Compass.
smart phone.
Maps, both local and reBuy a microgional (state). DeLorme
sized AM/
Topographical maps are
FM ear-bud
excellent.
radio so you
Don’t
can keep up
count
to speed on
on your
news and information.
phone or
Consider a handheld
two-way radio. 409shop. your TomTom GPS. Murphy loves
com has some really
to play with high-tech
decent, programmable
radios for less than $50. gadgets.
Light: Let there be light!
Modern LED flashlights
are a godsend. Get a
couple that
run on a single,
ubiquitous AA
cell, ideally
with low-light
setting to maximize battery
life while minimizing weight and bulk.
One great one: Trustfire
SA-2 from DealExtreme.
com. $12. Carry two
extra batteries.
Personal info: Have
a USB drive with your
personal information
(financial, insurance, personal photos,
license, etc.).
Have a paper
copy of your
phone’s contact list (because your iphone may
take a dump on you).
Clothing: Think synthetics, like Goretex, not cotton. Dress in layers. Make sure
you pack spare socks. Also, underwear, thermal underwear, a warm hat and
gloves. Goretex raingear is outstanding to keep you dry and it can save your life.
Footwear: Ladies, make sure you have a pair of comfortable
hiking boots in your car in case you need to hoof it. Guys,
ditto, especially if you wear glorified flip flops in public. Waterproof boots are ideal, but anything beats high heels (for
both guys and gals...)
Coming events
UPCOMING EVENTS –
February 2014
Appleseed Marksmanship
and Heritage Events
Feb. 15 & 16 – Central Illinois Precision Shooters Range, Bloomington
GUNS SAVE LIFE.com
DIRECTORY
Officers
John Boch, President
templar223 at comcast.net
217 649-3702
Frank Wright, VP
910 489-4768
Larry Shurbet, Treasurer
lshurbet at mchsi.com
217 643-7314
Tammy Williams,
Corporate Secretary
tamsalon at yahoo.com
217 714-9272
Dr. David Pike, Past Pres.
dpike at gunssavelife.com
217 352-6405
Directors
Roger Dorsett
217-384-7302
ruger1669 at aol.com
John Gahm
jgahm at mchsi.com
815 848-1252
Don Huskey
j007don at yahoo.com
217 821-8311
Lou McClellan
lou_mcclellan at hotmail.
com
217 493-5195
Kent Metzger
whitleycreek at yahoo.com
217 259-2496
John Naese
johnnaese at comcast.net
217 840-0246
Dean Rothermel
drothermel at gunssavelife.
com
217 834-3093
Steve Schnurbusch
steve_schnurbusch at
hotmail.com
573-768-2450
Peter Wheeler
Speed1 at Speednet.com
309 275-7269
Committee Chairs
Range Development
committee
Dean Rothermel
drothermel at gunssavelife.
com
(217) 834-3093
GunNews Distribution
Warren Drake
wdrake at gunssavelife.
com
217-898-9602
GunNews Editor
(Submit ideas, articles,
pictures, shoot schedules,
letters to the editor)
John Boch
217 649-3702
19 Evergreen Sq
Savoy, IL 61874
templar223 at comcast.net
Website
www.gunssavelife.com
Champaign County Rifle
Association /
Guns Save Life .com
Mailing Address
(for general
correspondence and
memberships)
GunsSaveLife.com
PO Box 51
Savoy, IL 61874
Pontiac Coordinator:
John Gahm
jgahm at mchsi.com
815 848-1252
This will be a heated, indoor Appleseed, for .22 rifles only. The CIPS
Range, located on the grounds of Darnall’s Ranges west of Bloomington, is
an Olympic rifle training center. There
is a $25 range fee, in addition to the
Appleseed fee (well worth it to shoot
indoors in the winter; the floor is even
heated!). Lunch is available on site
for $7 per person, or bring your own.
Registration is limited to 16 shooters. Gift Certificates are available at
appleseedinfo.org to make the price
only $48, plus the range fee.
For info about these Appleseed
events: www.appleseedinfo.org; or
email IL@appleseedinfo.org; or call
618-458-7745.
Foosland Sportsmens Club
Feb. 1 & 2 – Conceal Carry 16 hour
Feb. 9 – Splatterboard Shoot; breakfast 6 am, shooting starts 8 am
Feb. 14 - Friday night Trap shoot, 6
pm.
Feb. 15 – Conceal and Carry 8 hour
Feb. 16 – Conceal and Carry 8 hour
Feb. 28 - Friday night Trap shoot, 6
pm.
For info: www.
fooslandsportsmen¬sclub.com, Waylena McCulley, waystar@
gmail.com, 217-840-0972. Information on Conceal and Carry class: Jim
Quinlan, 217-202-7155.
Leroy Rifle and Pistol Club
Every Thursday Evening, 4pm to 9pm
– 50 bird Trap Derby. Dick Mill¬er,
309-962-8102 rcmillerir2001@vahoo.
com
Feb. 1 – Concealed Carry Class, 8
am, Kirk Null, 309-212-6663.
St. Joseph Sportsman’s Club
Every Wed (5-10p) & Sat. (noon-4) –
Trap and skeet shooting, open to the
public. stjosephsportsmanclub@gmail.
com; or
Call (217) 469-2768.
Westville Sportsmans Club
Every Wednesday: Trapshooting
Practice open to the public 6-10pm.
-- to add your event, email johnnaese at frontier.net
Every Saturday: Trapshooting Games
open to the public 6-10pm. Kitchen
open both nights. Rifle and Pistol
Range open to members only during
daylight hours. $55.00 single/$75.00
family yearly memberships available.
nuthinbutdust@yahoo.com / 217-2672612.
Darnall’s GunWorks and Ranges,
Bloomington, IL
Every Tuesday Evening, 5 pm to 9
pm – 50 bird Trap Derby and Games,
open to public.
Tuesday through Sunday, Trap shooting and indoor pistol range open to the
public 9 am until closing.
Every Thursday, 5 pm,, Tactical IDPA
League, indoors.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday, NRA
First Steps pistol, indoors, 6:30 pm.
Feb. 1 – Illinois 8 hour CCW class
Feb. 2 – Illinois 8 hour CCW class
Feb. 8 & 9 – Illinois 16 hour CCW
class
Feb. 15 – SASS Cowboy Action
match, indoor.
Feb. 15 & 16 - Illinois 16 hour CCW
Feb. 16 – Modern Steel match, indoor.
Feb. 23 – IDPA Pistol match, outdoor.
MEETINGS
Feb. 3 - Sangamon County Rifle Assn.
Meeting, at 6:30 p.m. at INSERT
MEETING SITE AND CONTACT INFO
HERE
Feb. 4 – GSL Pontiac Meeting, VFW,
Pontiac, IL. Conversation and Dinner,
6pm; Meeting 7pm. John Gahm, 815848-1252, jgahm@mchsi.com.
Feb. 6 – Peoria GSL Meeting, Knights
of Columbus Spalding Council, 7403
N. Radnor Road, Peoria, IL. Dinner
and conversation, 5:30 p.m.; Meeting
7 p.m. Steve Schnurbusch at steve_
schnurbusch@
hotmail.com
Feb. 6 – GSL South Meeting, Effingham Elks Club, 5:30 pm social hour, 7
pm meeting. Don Huskey, 217-8218311. Don@AllAmericanGunSite.
Space is available for advertisements in GunNews
Magazine. The current circulation is now 20,000 copies,
distributed mostly in Illinois. SIGN UP NOW.
Peoria Coordinator:
Steve Schnurbusch
steve_schnurbusch at
hotmail.com
573 768-2450
Ad rates
Once 5+ times
Full page $250 $200
Half page
$150 $125
Quarter $100 $80
Eighth
$65
$50
Sixteenth
$40
$35
Columns are 12” tall and 2.4” wide.
Gun Shows
Feb. 2 – Wheaton Gun Show, Dupage
Co. Fairgrounds, Wheaton, IL. Mike
Holan, 630-365-2808.
Feb. 8 & 9 – Peoria Gun Show, East
Peoria Convention Center, Peoria, IL.
309-274-2977.
Feb. 8 & 9 – New Berlin Gun Show,
Sangamon Co. Fairgrounds, New Berlin, IL. Rick Thrasher, 217-416-0618.
Feb. 9 – Kane County Gun Show,
Kane County Fairgrounds, St.
Charles, IL. Kathy Carlson, 815-7582773. www.kanesportshow.com
Feb. 16 – Woodstock Gun Show, 240
N. Throop St., Woodstock, IL. Clint
Zimmerman, 815-338-4826.
Feb. 22 & 23 – Arcola Gun and Knife
Show, Arcola Center, Rt. 45 and Main,
Arcola, IL. Bryan, 217-460-2387.
Other Events of Interest
Feb. 1 – ISRA Academy – AK / MosinNagant Class, Chatsworth, IL. 815635-3198
Feb. 1 – Women on Target, Chillicothe
Sportsmen’s Club, Chillicothe, IL.
815-635-3198. $55, No FOID card
necessary, No experience necessary.
Feb. 8 – ISRA U; AK47, SKS, MosinNagants, care and maintenance. The
Lion’s Club, Bonfield, IL. 815-6353198.
Concealed Carry and
NRA Basic Classes
Feb. 1, 22 – Illinois Concealed Carry,
Part 2, Oswego, IL. Tom Yackley,
630-554-8966.
Feb. 1, 15 – NRA Basic Pistol, Des
Plaines, IL. Thomas Kral, 773-9807037. www.firearmtrainingchicago.
com.
Feb. 1 & 2, 8 & 9, 22 & 23 – IL CCW
Class, Point of Impact Firearms Training, McHenry, IL. Jeremiah Cello,
815-322-2173. www.pointofimpactllc.
com.
Feb. 2, 16 – Illinois & Florida CCW,
Plaines, IL. Thomas Kral, 773-9807037. www.firearmtrainingchicago.
com.
Feb. 2, 3, 8, 9, 16, 22, 23 – Illinois
Conceal Carry Class, SAFE Gun
Permits LLC, Roselle, IL. Craig Celia,
info@safegunpermits.com
Advertising Information
Effingham Coordinator:
Don Huskey
Don at AllAmericanGunSite.com
217 821-8311
CONTACT US:
GunNews at
GunsSaveLife.com.
com.
Feb. 11 - Guns Save Life Meeting
Rantoul, 6 pm dinner, 7 pm meeting,
The Linden, Rantoul, IL. John Boch,
217 649-3702; templar223@comcast.
net.
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My first buck
didn’t see any bucks, only does. And I had explained to my
dad that I wanted my first deer to be a buck.
On Monday evening, we went to a pasture called the
Bacon Rind to hunt. Dad and I camouflaged ourselves in a
deer blind, just 24 yards from a deer feeder that is kept full
of feed throughout the year. We waited, and waited. Soon,
we spied two does, but we waited again. A spike sauntered
to the feeder, and Dad whispered, “Do you want to shoot
him?” I murmured, “No let’s wait,” wanting to shoot a bigger
buck.
We heard another deer sneaking through the woods, and
when he reached the opening, we saw that he was a fat
six-point with a broken brow tine.
(GreatHuntingStories.com) - This fall, a couple weeks before deer season, I got my first .243. “Thanks, Dad!”
Dad called friends and family to tell them about my kill!
Dad walked back to the truck so that we could load him,
and left me there with my buck. We have a trail camera
aimed at the feeder, so we have photos to document my
victory dance! Dad says that he could hear me giggling
from a quarter mile away!
I am so proud to have killed my first buck. My dad spending
time to help me is very special. My Grandpa Mike prepared
his skull and antlers for a European mount and built the
plaque with photos of my buck, my .243, my dad, and me!
And that is the time I shot my first deer.
I excitedly whispered, “I’m ready. I’m ready. Give me the
gun.”
Dad helped me set up my shot, and said, “Stick him in the
shoulder.” It took me about ten minutes to find the shot
I wanted. Finally, he turned toward us, and my dad said,
“Stick him in the neck.”
Earlier, he had explained how to shoot a whitetail in the
middle of the neck, or below the white patch on their chest.
Aiming for the middle of his neck, I tried to pull the trigger,
but my glove would not let me. So I quickly and quietly
took off my glove, looked through the scope, and pulled the
trigger.
“BANG!” I hit him just below his white patch, and he fell
dead in his tracks. I looked up and exclaimed to Dad, “He’s
dead! He’s dead!”
Dad proudly replied, “I know!”
On the first day of whitetail rifle season, Dad and I went to
town to buy my first deer tag. We had planned to go hunting, but after we returned from town, we helped a friend,
Bre Batey, look for her buck that she shot. So we didn’t
have much time to hunt. We hunted Sunday evening, but
I hugged him and cried tears of joy.
We quickly walked over to the buck, lying under the feeder.
And that’s when we really started celebrating.
URBANA AMERICAN LEGION POST 71
and
SONS OF AMERICAN LEGION
SQUADRON 71
Supporting Our Troops &
Our 2nd Amendment Rights
Urbana American Legion Post 71
107 N. Broadway Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801
(217)367-3121
Open Daily 10 am to 2 am.
THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME!
$100.00 off Banquet rental for GSL members.
A SCREAMING GOOD DEAL:
Sign up a friend for only $10 more...
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Guns Save Life (form on back
cover), and you can sign up a
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Life, including delivery of
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each month. Limited time offer. Enroll now! No limit on
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They will enjoy full membership privileges in Guns Save
JOIN THE GUNS SAVE LIFE
FAMILY TODAY.
Back through the years...
On A Wing And A Prayer
By Rick Reilly
(Sports Illustrated / Sept 22, 1999) - Now this
message for America’s most famous athletes:
Someday you may be invited to fly in the backseat of one of your country’s most powerful
fighter jets. Many of you already have- John
Elway, John Stockton, Tiger Woods to name
a few. If you get this opportunity, let me urge
you, with the greatest sincerity....
Move to Guam. Change your name. Fake
your own death. Whatever you do, do not go. I
know. The U.S. Navy invited me to try it. I was
thrilled. I was pumped. I was toast!
I should’ve known when they told me my pilot
would be Chip (Biff) King of Fighter Squadron
213 at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia
Beach. Whatever you’re thinking a Top Gun
named Chip (Biff) King looks like, triple it. He’s
about six-foot, tan, ice-blue eyes, wavy surfer
hair, finger-crippling handshake—the kind of
man who wrestles dyspeptic alligators in his
leisure time. If you see this man, run the other
way. Fast.
Biff King was born to fly. His father, Jack King,
was for years the voice of NASA missions. (“Tminus 15 seconds and counting....” Remember?) Chip would charge neighborhood kids a
quarter each to hear his dad. Jack would wake
up from naps surrounded by nine-year-olds
waiting for him to say, “We have a liftoff.”
Biff was to fly me in an F-14D Tomcat, a ridiculously powerful $60 million weapon with nearly
as much thrust as weight, not unlike Colin
Montgomerie. I was worried about getting
airsick, so the night before the flight I asked
Biff if there was something I should eat the
next morning.
“Bananas,” he said.
“For the potassium?” I asked.
“No,” Biff said, “because they taste about the
same coming up as they do going down.”
The next morning, out on the tarmac, I had
on my flight suit with my name sewn over the
left breast. (No call sign—like Crash or Sticky
or Leadfoot—but, still, very cool.) I carried
my helmet in the crook of my arm, as Biff had
instructed. If ever in my life I had a chance to
nail Nicole Kidman, that was it.
A fighter pilot named Psycho gave me a safety
briefing and then fastened me into my ejection
seat, which, when employed, would “egress”
me out of the plane at such a velocity that I
would be immediately knocked unconscious.
Just as I was thinking about aborting the flight,
the canopy closed over me, and Biff gave the
ground crew a thumbs-up. In minutes we were
firing nose up at 600 mph. We leveled out and
then canopy-rolled over another F-14. Those
20 minutes were the rush of my life. Unfortunately, the ride lasted 80.
It was like being on the roller coaster at Six
Flags Over Hell. Only without rails. We did
barrel rolls, sap rolls, loops, yanks and banks.
We dived, rose and dived again, sometimes
with a vertical velocity of 10,000 feet per minute. We chased another F-14, and it chased
us. We broke the speed of sound. Sea was
sky and sky was sea. Flying at 200 feet we
did 90-degree turns at 550 mph, creating a
G force of 6.5, which is to say I felt as if 6.5
times my body weight was smashing against
me, thereby approximating life as Mrs. Colin
Montgomerie.
And I egressed the bananas. I egressed the
pizza from the night before. And the lunch
before that. I egressed a box of Milk Duds
from the sixth grade. I made Linda Blair look
polite. Because of the G’s, I was egressing
stuff that did not even want to be egressed. I
went through not one airsick bag, but two. Biff
said I passed out. Twice.
I was coated in sweat. At one point, as we
were coming in upside down in a banked
curve on a mock bombing target and the G’s
were flattening me like a tortilla and I was in
and out of consciousness, I realized I was the
first person in history to throw down.
I used to know cool. Cool was Elway throwing a touchdown pass, or Norman making a
five-iron bite. But now I really know cool. Cool
is guys like Biff, men with cast-iron stomachs
and Freon nerves. I wouldn’t go up there
again for Derek Jeter’s black book, but I’m
glad Biff does every day, and for less a year
than a rookie reliever makes in a home stand.
A week later, when the spins finally stopped,
Biff called. He said he and the fighters had the
perfect call sign for me. Said he’d send it on a
patch for my flight suit.
What is it? I asked.
“Two Bags.”
Don’t you dare tell Nicole.
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Membership has its privileges.
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club. Visit thecmp.org to see how you
can order an M1 Garand rifle for $495
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Join the family today. Welcome
home!
SIGN UP HERE.
Clip this application and mail it along with your check to
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