A/K/A Local area security. Firearms are used thousands of times each year by law abiding Americans to prevent and stop serious crimes. Those drafting the Bill of Rights felt so strongly from their own personal experiences of the right to bear arms that it is ranked only beneath the right to free speech. Private citizens in the United States on average utilize firearms to prevent or stop serious crimes
ten times more often than do law enforcement officers. The reason is obvious: the lawfully armed private citizen is at the scene of the crime. Here at Casa del Old Pa, we try to practice security first by being alert, then by being prepared, and finally, should it be necessary, by acting lawfully, competently, quickly, and ruthlessly (and without stoppoing to admire our work
). If we have time, we call the police. If we do not have that time, we do the best we can.
Ownership of firearms does not equate with competence with firearms. Competence with firearms must first be learned and must then be regularly practiced. Like any other athletic skill, muscle memory comes into play and abilities ramp steeply up with recent practice and steeply down with no practice. What we strive for is the correct reaction performed at the speed of thought under severe stress in miserable conditions. Perfection is not possible, but the more we practice, the luckier we tend to get. Besides my police background from thirty years ago, I currently have certifications from seven different week long courses at Gunsite and The Site (including pistol, shotgun, carbine, and precision rifle), have competed in USPSA and IDPA, and have taught the legal implications of lethal force in state accredited concealed carry training courses. I practice live fire whenever I can, but never enough. :;
All these defensive firearms are semi-automatic in operation. All long arms are equipped with The Wilderness’s excellent Giles sling which allows them to hang across the front of the operator’s body in a well retained muzzle down ready position. The two shotguns are 12 gauge M1 Benellis with short barrels and rifle sights. Both have additional ammunition carried in side saddles; their usual fodder is Brenneke slugs and #1 buckshot providing tactical selection. Shotgun loads are in standard field and not magnum loadings. Shotguns at close range are exactly what the goblins do not want to see. Shotguns mean “cease and desist” in every language imaginable. The Sure-Fire light equipped M1 also has ghost ring sights, which I really like for speed and precision.
The Colt AR M4gery is in .5.56NATO with a JP trigger group, a device that sets the grip back 0.5”, an Aimpoint Model C dot sightbacked up by folding G&G iron rear sight, a Sure Fire forend with incorporated light, a Vortex flash suppressor, and shows a MagPul on its 30rd magazine. Its fodder is a 60 grain Hornady VMax at 3000 feet per second. Carbines provide fast accurate fire over a much longer range than do shotguns or pistols.
The Kimber Gold Combat RL II (from Kimber’s Custom Shop) 1911 in .45ACP has fixed tritium night sights, extended magazine well, fine line checkering on the front- and backstraps, forend serrations to check chamber, ambidextrous extended safety, and all the usual other bells-and-whistles custom fitted. While I am not fond of the new extractor and firing pin safety, they have worked in this gun flawlessly through extended practice. It is fitted with a quickly detachable SureFire X200 high powered LED weaponlight. Defensive pistols are intended to be close to hand, powerful enough to reliably stop an adversary, and very quick within close confines.
Firearm mounted lights work well with tactical firearms in self defense applications; target identification is critical and tactical shooting situations usually have poor light. If the light is already on the firearm, it is that much harder to forget. And extremely bright focused light coming out of the dark can disorient and demoralize a goblin, taking them out of the fight without a shot being fired.
Stop by the house whenever you can, but don’t forget to call first.
