Firearms Community its time to help a brother in need...

I am reaching out to the firearms and shooting community as well as friends to help a brother in need.  Matt DeVito of Down Range Firearms Training and his family have been hit with a devastating fire that took everything they have.

Matt has been an active member of the firearms and personal defense community and provided wide range of training throughout the country.  He has worked tirelessly to  help countless people train to feel safe in their homes and community.

Matt and his family have recently moved to their new home and had not yet gotten insurance on it so they will be rebuilding from scratch and anything we can do to help will be put to great use.  They have 2 children 10 and 13 and they have literally lost everything in the house.

In Matt's take action personality, he did his best to stop the fire, entering the house multiple times until the smoke and flames were just too much.  He received minor burns but thankfully everyone is safe.

Unfortunately we hope it never happens to us but so many of us find ourselves at some point time in a very tough position. This is where I think our community shines.  Matt and his family need our support, prayers and help.  Please do what you can to help them restart.  There are 2 places that you can donate and no amount is too small.  The first is at YouCaring.com and the second is at GoFundMe.com.

Thanks for you consideration.

Why I Support Rob Pincus for NRA Board of Directors

Our 2nd Amendment rights are under attack worse than they have ever been before.  We face tremendous challenges from the opposition including the proliferation of false statements that are being presented as facts.  As with any cause, there are those that can be over zealous and emotional in its support which often can be manipulated by the opposition and labeled as fanatics or crazies.  It is with this back drop that I will look at this year's candidates for the NRA Board of Directors to attempt to choose individuals that can represent the 2nd Amendment with poise, grace and clarity while at the same time understanding the need for direct and concise communication supported by facts that have been well thought out, tested and documented.

When I look at what Rob Pincus brings to the table, its hard for me to see many that are more strongly qualified.  My experience over the years with Rob is that he is open, insightful and welcomes challenges for his position and will even change his thinking when warranted and supported with facts and data.  When I have questioned him, Rob has had a very well supported and documented reasoning for a given position.  He is excellent at communicating his point and collaborating with others for a common goal, as has been demonstrated by the success of the Personal Defense Network, which great repository of information from a wide range of contributors related to the personal defense arena.  Rob's willingness and ability to continue to reevaluate his position and assess the position of others is critical in our continued fight for the 2nd Amendment. Its my opinion that we need this roll up the sleeves approach in the representation of our interests on the Board of Directors as well as publicly.

Since Rob's announcement that he is seeking the 76th seat on the Board of Directors there have been some public challenges in the social media to his positions related to firearms training, constitutional carry and open carry.  My opinion is that some of this has been taken out of context or presented in such a fashion to try to indicate that Rob is not as strong supporter of the 2nd amendment as we would want.  To avoid confusion, all of his positions are presented directly by him in detail at this link.  I do however want paraphrase my interpretation of his positions because it is important for us to understand. 

Open Carry

Rob has presented his position on open carry in 2 manners.  The first relates to those who have chosen to be very aggressive in presenting their rights to open carry by carrying firearms in a open manner simply to make a political statement.  Often times this tactics are done with the intent to create some level of shock value in order to bring attention to and justify the right to open carry.   I think Rob would acknowledge that there is a time and place for open carry and that his feelings of when it is inappropriate has nothing to do with limiting ones right to open carry.  Further I agree with Rob that there are far more effective and appropriate methods of presenting your position for open carry that do not include such bully type tactics.

The second position related to open carry addressed by Rob was in the vain of a personal defense situation.  Again his opinion is not saying that he disagrees with open carry but instead, it is his opinion, and the opinion of a high majority of personal defense instructors, that open carry for personal defense is largely counter productive and may actual hinder you personal defense efforts.  I understand that some would say it would act as a deterrent to a would be criminal, however, the obvious counter argument is that it could also act as the catalyst to make you the first target of that would be criminal.  Unfortunately there is little to no data addressing this topic and, with such a very small percentage of individuals using open carry as their method carry, it is unlikely that a statistically relevant conclusion could be drawn.

Constitutional Carry

Rob's position on this is pretty clear to me.  He is 100% in favor of any person who can legally own a firearm to have the right to carry for defensive purposes.  Rob further believes that it is not an unfettered right to anyone and that some exclusions such as convicted felons should be applied.  Finally relating to the licensing requirements in order to carry, I agree with Rob's opinion that having a carry permit licensing process is simply a method of taxing and inconveniencing those that have a desire to carry.

Mandatory Training

It may be a surprise to many that Rob, who has dedicated much of his life to personal defense education and training, is against government mandated training in order for an individual to purchase, own or carry a firearms for personal defense.   His rationale for his position is very simple;  The amount of training that would or should be required for person to have the appropriate skills necessary to effectively carry a firearm far exceeds the standards that any current state mandated programs require.    Other than the most serious students, many are not willing to invest the time, money or effort to that level of training and understanding.  When I speak to folks that have expressed an interest in having a firearm for personal defense, one of the first questions I ask is "How much practice do you intend to do?".  Most often the answer is presented with a blank stare and a question such as "What do you mean practice?"  The dynamics of finding yourself in an ambush type personal defense situation is beyond the scope of this blog but the complexities and ramifications are great and it is not as simple as draw, aim and shoot.

In summary I understand that we are not all going to agree on all points.  In that regard, I think it is important to have people that are willing and have demonstrated a willingness to fully evaluate the various positions, formulate a stance based on data and facts and accurately communicate that position to others.  Rob has repeatedly shown not only willingness to do just that but has demonstrated his willingness to adapt as he is continuously evolving his training curriculum as new information, methods or equipment come to light.  Its for this reason that I will fully support Rob Pincus' run for the 76th seat of the NRA Board of Directors.  More information on how to support his candidacy can be found at this link 

BUYER BEWARE!!!! Pact Inc's no "BS" warranty is all BS.

I purchased a Pact scale largely based on their "No BS Limited Lifetime" warranty. What I didn't realize is the word lifetime meant how long it would take to get a scale back from service. You see my scale was defective and weighing powder inconsistently. I sent it back to PACT and they received it on December 3rd of last year a full 5 months ago.   I have repeatedly called to check status only to be told the same line each time. The story is that they are working in a redesign of the circuit board and that must be what the techs determined the issue is. When I asked them to confirm what the issue is they said they would but each time no one ever got back to me. 

I don't know about you buy I suspect your patience would run out after 5 months of virtually no response. They say they have no other scale to send me which makes one wonder how they remain in business if they have no inventory so I find that hard to believe. 

In the meantime, I have had to go and purchase another scale (not Pact for obvious reasons) and had simply asked Pact for a refund since they couldn't repair or replace the unit. The response to m request was "I will run it up to the powers that be with your phone number and they will get back to you". "The powers that be" according to the person on the phone is Ron Colman the President of the company. Still no response or call back.   I have even left a direct message for the President Ron Colman and he has not returned my call.

I am curious as to what part of "No BS" I misunderstood. If the President of the company can't address this or direct someone to address this, one can only assume that is the character of the company. It says right on the front page of their website "We take full responsibility for your satisfaction" and if that is not enough the President in his letter on the website states "All are backed by our no BS warranty...".

At this point they can keep the scale as I intend to communicate my experience to as many folks as I can.  Hopefully I can keep others from being duped by the slick words they have on their website as I was. In retrospect, I hope the President, Ron Colman, finds his approach to handling this foolish as I hope that I can deter as many folks as possible from purchasing their products.  

If you are shooter or reloader please pass this on to your fellow shooters so they don't waste their money on a Pact Product. 

Taran Tactical Innovation's Benelli M2 product review

I just returned from shooting in the Bushmaster TarHeel 3 Gun Championship in North Carolina which was the maiden voyage for my new Benelli M2 that was fully customized at Taran Tactical Innovations by Taran Butler.  

The customization that was done included Taran's custom lightened bolt carrier, machining and polishing of the loading port, a new custom lifter, extended bolt release, oversized safety, a trigger job, stippling of the forearm and stock, new HiViz front sight and Nordic extended magazine tube. The picture below shows some of the modifications I have described.

Prior to heading to North Carolina I had put only 12 slug rounds through the shotgun.  Historically I have struggled with my shotgun at matches but this was surprisingly easy to shoot.  It hits at point of impact including slug shots beyond 60 yards.  Even the flying clays were easily neutralized   Through the entire match I was able to go one for one on all shotgun targets expect for one which was my fault for pulling off it too early. Not one shot failed to feed, fire or eject. The shotgun ran flawlessly.  The trigger and action was incredible smooth and the loading of the shotgun was lightyears easier with the machining and polishing that was done to the loading port.  You can see the TTI Benelli M2 in action from the TarHeel 3 Gun match in the video below. Now when you watch the video bear in mind I can't and don't have the super human shooting skills like Taran Butler but this will demonstrate the ease of shooting for even us normal shooters.  With more time behind the trigger it will only get smoother and faster.

The bottom line is the Taran Tactical Innovations Benelli M2 is a smooth, reliable and definitely a set up that is worth the investment.  Taran's customizations have been competition tested by many shooters of all levels and his workmanship and quality is top notch.  For more information on the products and services Taran Tactical Innovations offers you can visit them on their website at www.TaranTacticalInnovations.com.

My Combat Focus Shooting Training experience - Pinetucky Gun Club, Augusta, GA

Rob Pincus and I after the 2 day Training Course

I had the opportunity to train with Rob Pincus and Combat Focus Shooting instructor Robert Moore.

As I reflect back on the 2 days of training there are many thoughts that come to mind.  First off the instructors were phenomenal in providing real world practical instruction for the defensive use of firearms.  It was not a "smoke and mirrors" feel good class, but instead it was a physical and mind challenging course that provided tremendous insight in how your body and mind respond to unexpected stressful situations.  Throughout the 2 days they built skill upon skill to help us use our bodies natural reactions to our best ability to defend ourselves and others in what they define as a "Dynamic Critical Incident". 

There were regular periods of debriefing allowing us to dig deeper in to the implications and rationale of the approach, tactics and skills being taught. For someone that has spent a lot of time behind a trigger in the competition arena, this was an eye opening experience to the world of personal defense through the eyes of experts that have dedicated their lives to truly understanding what really happens when you are ambushed.  The instructors included what responses and methods have failed and what have been effective and successful.  There was nothing that was presented or taught that was not supported with detailed scientific, medical and practical evidence to show it effectiveness which was further supported through the training on the range during the course.

In my opinon anyone that is serious about the idea of personal defense, especially if that involves the potential carrying and/or use of a firearm, needs to look at learning about the Combat Focus Shooting principles.  As I described above, it is not a feel good traditional shooting program.  It deals with the very serious reality of personal defense in a very direct and thorough manner.  Not only did they teach you the skills necessary for personal defense but they also spent a lot of time learning to apply those skills.  It will challenge much of the traditional thinking that many have been brought up to believe through TV, Movies or antiquated ideologies.

The value and eye opening experience for me was a reaility check, especially when you consider the rush to purchase firearms that has been driven by our current political environment,   This is further compounded by the perception that one can intellectually understand and develop the skills necessary to defend oneself without frequent and regular practice and without understanding how your body responds to the stress of an ambush and a "Dynamic Critical Incident".

I know I will be going back for more training in the near future once I have had a chance to practice all that was learned in the course.  You can get more information on the principles of Combat Focus Shooting at www.combatfocusshooting.com.  There is also a lot of information as well as videos available at www.personaldefensenetwork.com.