Category Archives: news

news

Why Guns Malfunction

Reliability (the gun’s ability to function correctly 100% of the time) is the #1 criteria in selecting a defensive firearm.

Most people think that means things like;

  • It has a good warranty.
  • It looks cool!
  • My friend says his works for him.
  • The gun store says people really like this model.
  • I’ve heard of that brand.

But…

  • A “lifetime warranty” won’t do you any good if you are dead.
  • There’s a pretty good chance the gun store salesman is making a better commission on some guns.
  • How much professional training has your friend had with that gun? (And no, I’m not talking about how many rounds he’s fired target practicing!)

Guns are machines, and machines have a tendency to malfunction … or break. Generally, the more complex the machine (external safeties, magazine disconnects, sear deactivation levers, chamber indicators, ambidextrous controls, etc…), the more there is to go wrong.

Anyone who has spent even a little bit of time on a range has had or at least seen a firearm malfunction. If you read news coverage and police reports, you will find countless examples where a shooter has had a malfunction.

A gun can malfunction for a myriad of reasons:

  1. Ammunition malfunction. There are cases in which the bullet itself doesn’t fire, be it because of a bad primer or that it wasn’t manufactured correctly.
  2. Mechanical Malfunction. The gun may jam because it was not properly maintained or because a piece of it was damaged (springs, levers, guide rod, take your pick), dirty, or worn out.
  3. Shooter Error. Guns often malfunction due to how the shooter is operating the gun. Something as simple as arm position or grip strength can lead to a  malfunction in a lot of guns. Touching one of those ambidextrous controls that you might need someday.
  4. Outside Interference. Guns are generally built to operate without outside interference. That is, that the base of the weapon stays stationary and all the moving parts can move freely around it. Being able to stop the slide of a handgun from moving takes very little pressure at all. Stopping a bullet from properly ejecting is even easier.

When we take all of this into account, we learn that some guns are much more reliable in real-life situations, where we need them most, and where their abilities are truly tested.

This is why we recommend the guns we recommend.

news

Airport Carry

Federal laws restrict firearms (and other weapons) in the sterile areas beyond the security checkpoints. But most states (including Michigan and 43 others) allow the carrying of firearms in the common terminal and baggage claim areas of airports.

Florida, and only five other states, make the entire airport terminal off limits even to carry license holders while armed. Of course, this didn’t stop the shooter today in Fort Lauderdale in the baggage claim area.

While the TSA has previously considered adding unsecured areas to their ban, a recent Missouri Court of Appeals decision overturned that state’s ban.

This means that you can legally conceal carry into the terminal, up until you get to the TSA checkpoint, at which point you can check an unloaded and secured (per TSA rules) firearm, then when you pick it up at the baggage claim you are usually good to go into a restroom and load back up so you can be carrying on your way out the door (which is what I usually do).

For some reason, even though there is no security check points going into or out of the airport, Florida, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Illinois, Virginia and Arkansas don’t trust you there while actually carrying.

You will need to check with each of those state if you are flying there to see what their policy is on how to transport your checked firearm in and out if you want to take it flying.

news

5 Questions Women Should Ask Before They Get a Gun

Last month an article by this name was published by a fellow firearms trainer writing for PJ Media, and some of his questions are pretty good, like this one:

Are you ready for the responsibility of owning a firearm?

However, the first, and most important question for anyone before they get a gun should be: Have you had any training? 

You won’t understand if you are ready for the responsibility of owning a firearm, or what kind of firearm is best for your needs without it.

Get competent training before you buy a gun. 90% of the people that come to me for training with a new gun leave wishing they had bought something different. They could have easily saved more than the training time cost by coming and learning what works best for them in the context of what they want it for before they buy.

His suggestion about where to find good advice about what to buy; “ask your local gun store” is the last place I would suggest you go (unless of course, the dealer is willing to tell the person to go to a defensive firearms instructor for help first). 

Uneducated, and untrained people should not be asked: “do you want to carry a revolver or a semi-automatic pistol?” – they should be trained and educated by a competent instructor that can help them figure that out – so they can pick the best gun for their specific needs and abilities.

We have lots of guns you can try, and lots of experience helping new shooters (men and women) figure out what they need.

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How long is a CPL certificate good for in Michigan?

Five Years.

As of December 1, 2015, Michigan law was amended to require that the training for a CPL application be provided within 5 years preceding the date of application.

Prior to this amendment, there was no such requirement. Every county clerk handled the issue differently. Some required the certificate to be within 6 months, some never considered it expired.

See Public Act 372 of 1927 Section 28.425j for the complete law with references.