I am very happy to report that my second academic article on gun culture was published today in the journal Sociology Compass (my first was on religion and gun ownership). Thanks to a generous grant from Wake Forest University’s ZSR Library and the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs, “The Sociology of U.S. Gun Culture” …
I love whisk(e)y. My love knows almost no boundaries. American, Canadian, Indian, Irish, Japanese, Scotch, Texas. Barley, corn, rye, wheat. Neat, rocks, mixed. To fuel my love I have been reading Reid Mitenbuler’s recent book, Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America’s Whiskey. Early on, Mitenbuler introduces the first alcohol distiller among the British …
Chapter 3 of Jennifer Carlson’s book on legal gun carriers in Michigan explores the role of National Rifle Association trainers and training courses in the construction and dissemination of the ideal of armed citizenship she calls the “citizen-protector.” Put briefly, the “citizen-protector” accepts the responsibility of using lethal force in defense of innocent life as …
The problem with averages is that there is no “United States of America” when it comes to guns, violence, and crime, but many Americas. Some of these Americas – like my neighborhood in Winston-Salem – are more like our first world counterparts in the OECD, and some of them are more like the third world …
In light of several self-defense shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I am going to review some points I’ve already made in a few posts, but obviously bear repeating. Despite the concern about a rising number of civilian justifiable homicides, and criticisms of “Stand Your Ground” laws as allowing people to “shoot first and ask questions later,” …
I recently completed the Massad Ayoob Group’s MAG-40 course, “Armed Citizens’ Rules of Engagement,” co-sponsored by Derby Guns of Scottsdale (shout out to Kate and Jim Kreuger!). This is the course Ayoob used to teach under the auspices of the Lethal Force Institute in New Hampshire. (A review of the LFI course written in 1999 …
For the first 42 years of life, I had never even handled a real gun, much less shot one. My experience was limited to shooting BB guns as a teenagers. We would usually shoot at cans, but one day I took aim at a bird that was too far away to hit, pulled the trigger, …
With Gunsite in my rear view mirror, I have alot of observations to process. And I was reminded today that I still have to process observations of Tom and Lynn Givens’s Rangemaster Instructor Development Course from Memorial Day weekend. And I have made or am trying to make arrangements to observe Rob Pincus, Gabe Suarez, … Continue reading
The sun has risen on the 5th and final day of the 250 Defensive Pistol course at Gunsite Academy, the original course at Gunsite designed and taught by founder Col. Jeff Cooper. The 250 pistol course is now referred to as “The Gunsite Experience.” Perhaps it has always been that way, but today Gunsite is … Continue reading
Day 3 of the 5 day Gunsite Academy 250 Defensive Pistol course is the day on which the classroom presentation on mental conditioning or “mindset” is given. Rangemaster Bill Halvorsen delivered the mindset lecture today. The three key elements were: The Combat Triad: Mindset, Gun Handling and Practical Marksmanship The 7 principles of personal defense … Continue reading
I am only 2 days into my observation of the 5 day Gunsite Academy 250 Pistol course — “the Gunsite Experience” — and I can already tell it is going to take me some time to digest all that I am seeing. So, for now something brief (and not at all novel). The only published … Continue reading
I didn’t think I would have much free time during my week observing a Gunsite 250 Pistol course in Paulden, Arizona to get down to Prescott, so I didn’t attempt to arrange a tour of the Ruger factory there. But due to the heat, we got to the range an hour early this morning so … Continue reading
I arrived in Yavapai County, Arizona a day in advance of the Gunsite 250 Pistol class I am observing this week, so was able to spend a couple of hours at the offices of Suarez International in Prescott. Mike, a customer service rep, and Josh, the gunsmith, showed me around and talked about their work. … Continue reading
What better way to pass the time flying West to observe a 250 Pistol Course at Gunsite Academy than revisiting Principles of Personal Defense by The Colonel, Jeff Cooper? Originally published in 1972 and again in 1989, my copy is the 2006 Paladin Press edition with a foreword by the late Louis Awerbuck. In the … Continue reading
