TARGET DIAGNOSES The following will help you read your targets and diagnose your accuracy problems. There is a cause and solution listed for each.

SHOTS ARE GOING LOW 1. Trigger Flinch: Trigger flinch is the most common of all shooting errors. Simply put, the shooter jerks the gun in anticipation of the recoil. It is always a downward movement and sometimes to one side, usually the weak side.

Solution A) Practice dry firing at home. With an empty and cleared gun (always think safety!), balance a dime on the front sight and practice not letting it fall off as you press the trigger. Then move on to.... B) With the help of a range buddy, have them place, in random order, some empty cases or dummy rounds in your magazine or cylinder. When you are shooting, and reach an empty case or dummy round, your gun and sights should not move.

2. Breaking the wrist downward: With the gun hand pointed at the target, the wrist is pointed downward.

Solution Make sure you keep your wrist locked straight, before, during and after each shot.

3. Relaxing too soon: Relaxing too soon after the shot is fired. Most often before the trigger has been pressed or the bullet has exited the barrel. The least common reason for shots going low.

Solution Follow-through. Keep doing what you were doing just before the gun fired.

SHOTS ARE GOING TO THE WEAK SIDE 1. Trigger finger not in far enough: A trigger finger that is not inserted far enough, will actually cause you to "push" the gun slightly to your weak side.

Solution The middle of the first pad of the trigger finger, should be placed on the center of the trigger for single and Glock safe action tiggers. For double action, the first joint of the trigger finger should be used.

2. The support hand is pulling to hard: The weak/support hand is "pulling" to hard, causing your shots to go to your weak side. A very common problem when using a Weaver stance.

Solution Instructors usually teach a "push-pull" two handed grip. Try thinking of it this way, the weak hand is just there. The weak hand does not "pull", it is just a brace for the strong/gun hand, which pushes into it. Concentrate on only applying enough pressure to stablize the strong hand.

SHOTS ARE GOING LOW & TO THE WEAK SIDE 1. Relaxed Elbow : For the best possible accuracy, you need to keep your arm as steady as possible. It is very common to have the elbow too lose.

Solution Whether you shoot with your elbows bent or arms straight, you need to keep the elbows stiff/locked in place. Do this before, during, and after the shot.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT ELBOWS You must keep the elbows pointed down. It is very common to see shooters with their elbows pointed outward. This will allow the gun to recoil at different angles, forcing the sights to be re-aligned after each shot. When the elbows are pointed straight down, the gun will recoil straight back. This allows for faster follow-up shots because the sights come right back on target and don't have to be re-aligned. SHOTS ARE GOING LOW & TO THE STRONG SIDE 1. Weak grip : Your grip is loose enough that, when you squeeze the trigger, your whole hand is squeezing at the same time. When your hand compresses around the grip during firng, it pulls the gun low and to the strong side. Solution Your grip should be tight enough, that when you let go of the gun, you will see the imprint of the grip checkering on your hand for a while afterwards. The only part of your grip that should be loose or move is the trigger finger. 2. Limp wrist: Your wrist is loose; not locked; if the wrist is not tight, your shoots are going to go to the strong side, and usually low. Also, if the wrist is too limp, it can also cause a malfunction, usually a failure to feed, with a semi-auto pistol. Solution Tighten your grip, with the gun in a parallel line with your forearm, and lock your wrist there. The muscles of your forearm should be tense, if they are, your wrist is stiff.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT GRIP Your strong hand grip should apply pressure front to back. Your support hand should apply pressure side to side. This combined with the proper grip pressure, should effectively lock the gun in your hands, not allowing it to "torque" or twist. SHOTS ARE GOING HIGH 1. Pulling the gun back when firing: Another anticipating recoil reaction. Pulling the gun back when firing will make your shots go high. Solution Again, follow-through. Make sure your wrist, elbow and shoulder do not move. SHOTS ARE GOING TO THE STRONG SIDE 1. Trigger finger in too far: A trigger finger that is in too far will cause you to "pull" the gun to your strong side. But sometimes, the opposite can happen, though very rarely. Solution Place the first pad of the trigger finger on the center of the trigger for single action and Glock safe-actions. All the way to the first joint with double-actions. SHOTS ARE GOING HIGH & TO THE STRONG SIDE 1. Anticipating the gun's recoil: Don't worry about the recoil, let it surprise you, that is the proper way to shoot. If your shots are going high and to the strong side, you're getting a head start on the recoil. You're lifting your arms, or bringing the hands up, or leaning back in anticipation of the recoil. Solution Concentrate on your follow-through. Proper grip and no movement before, during or after the shot. SHOT STRINGING 1. Body movement: While shooting, any body movement will cause vertical stringing of your shots. Solution Stand as still as possible. Watch your knees and shoulders, these are usually the first to move.

2. Breathing: Unusually large breaths will effect accuracy and cause vertical stringing. Solution This is more common when shooting under stress, and experiencing shortness of breath. Take several large breaths of air, then hold your breath while shooting. Under normal circumstances, your shot should break (fire) at the moment of dead air while breathing. This is the point between an exhale and an inhale. You need to time your squeezing of the trigger to fire the gun as your breathing reaches this point. But don't jerk the trigger to catch up if your timing is off, dry fire practice will help you get the proper timing down.

2. Horizontal body movement: Any kind of horizontal body movement, like pivoting or swinging the body, will cause horizontal stringing, of course. Solution Stand as still as possible. The knees and shoulders are usually the first to move, but in this case add the torso too. Horizontal stringing is usually another result of a recoil induced problem. The body and shoulders turn away and the knees bend, all in anticipation of the recoil. You must stand still, while leaning forward slightly. This will help to counteract the recoil, plus giving you a much more stable shooting platform. SHOTS ARE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE TARGET 1. Not focusing: Shifting focus from one part of the target to another from shot to shot. Also could be caused by not focusing on one specific part of the target. Solution Keep your aim at the exact part of the target you want to hit, and do this for every shot. Don't move your eyes around to different parts of the target while shooting.

Questions? click here Comments? Training Regimen

One of the first things to avoid, is to fall into what I call "range or shooters ego". What happens is, a new shooter will go to a shooting range and look around to see what they should be doing. They will see an experienced shooter practicing at 25 yards and since that shooter is doing well, start from there. Soon, almost everyone there is shooting at 25 yards, why? Nobody wants to feel inferior, and the "if they can do it, so can I" ego takes over. This may sound stupid, but I have seen it happen time and time again. It is very common with less experienced shooters. Stick to your training regimen, don't be influenced by what others are doing.

The most common results of range ego are, a shooter who blames their gun for being inaccurate and/or is ready to quit practicing because they feel they will never be able to learn to shoot well. This is simply not the case, anyone can learn to shoot and shoot well, the proper practice is all it takes.

Before you start any training regimen, assess your needs. Determine what type of situations you might encounter that would require you to need to use your handgun. For example, if the area you live in doesn't allow concealed carry, and your primary concern is home defense, then you might want to limit the target range you train at to the distance equal to the longest shooting distance of your home. An example would be, from the master bedroom doorway, down the hall to the farthest living room wall.

Training with a semi-auto should be done with five rounds per magazine, revolvers can be loaded to maximum, but I prefer to use only four rounds. The reasons for round limits are: 1) To make you concentrate on every shot, keeping you out of the "spray and pray" mind set. 2) To keep ammo usage down. 3) To get you in a habit of always having some rounds left for the unforeseen. 4) If you ever have to use your gun for self defense, only in the very rare instances will you need more than four or five rounds.

There is no time limit on how fast you should complete each stage or phase. Everyone learns at their own pace, move on when you feel comfortable with your abilities at each stage. When you start a new training session, repeat each stage, working your way up to the stage you're currently working on. The only way to completely master each stage is through repetition, by repeating each stage at the start of each training session, you will become that much better of a shooter. You also might find you haven't mastered each stage like you thought you had.

Let's start with the basics: Finding your dominate eye The easiest method of finding your dominate eye is the pointing test. Point, with your index finger of your strong hand, at an object across the room. Now close your left or right eye. If your finger is on target, the eye that is open is your dominate eye. If not, try the other eye, now you should be on target. Aiming There are two parts to the aiming process, each equally important, sight alignment and sight picture. Something you should also consider is, whether you want to shoot with your weak eye closed, open or partially closed. With your weak eye closed, your field of view is limited, but all of your focus is on your sights. With your weak eye open, it takes alot more concentration to focus on the sights, but your field of view is almost normal, not really for the novice handgunner. The best compromise is to "squint" or partially close your weak eye. This gives you a greater field of view than total closure, without the high concentration needed with having your weak eye open.

1. Sight Alignment Align the front sight so that there is an equal amount of space on either side of it when placed in the " V" or notch of the rear sight. Now align the top of the front sight so that it is even with the top of the rear sight. This is the proper sight alignment. There are so many different sight configurations today, that to descibe them all would take too long. But some of the more common are: Three dot sights, just align all three dots with equal space on both sides of the center dot. Horizontal bar and dot, rest the dot on the center of the bar with no space between bar and dot. Vertical line and dot, dot the "i" or place the golfball on the tee, eiher way, no gap between dot and line and dot is "balanced" on the line. 2. Sight Picture Sight picture is basically, seeing your aligned sights superimposed on your target. Since the human eye can only focus on one thing at a time, keep your focus on the front sight. The rear sight and target should be "fuzzy". Targeting With revolvers and most semi-autos, the classic six o'clock position is used. This is where the point you want to hit on the target is "resting" on top of the front sight. Some "combat" semi-autos use "combat" sights. This is when you put the front sight directly on the point of the target you wish to hit. Glock, Sig, and the Beretta 92 series use this type of sighting. just to name a few. Stance There are two primary "combat" stances, Isosceles and Weaver. I'm only going to deal with these two "combat" stances, as they are the most used and practical for defensive handgun training. I practice both and more, I've found it to be a good idea to be able to shoot from more than one position. You never know when, where or how you may be forced to use your firearm. But if you are just starting out, use the one that is the most comfortable for you. After you've become more confident and proficient, you can try different stances and other techniques. For now though, let's keep it simple and use one style to learn to shoot properly first.

1. Isosceles Stand facing your target. Feet shoulder's width apart, slightly bend your knees, and bend slightly forward at the waist. Chin parallel to the ground, eyes looking forward. Raise your arms up, extending them in front of you, bringing your gun sights to eye level. Keep your elbows pointed down, towards the ground, whether they are bent or locked straight is up to which is more comfortable to you and allows you to see the sights better. This is the basic Isosceles stance.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 02, 1999

Answers

I thought this was in the archives but it seems to have dissappeared.A y2k glitch,I'm sure,as this seems like rational y2k related info to me(no potty words)

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 02, 1999.

Excellent primer, Zoob!

It is not possible to overemphasize that the ONLY way to become proficient with a firearm ( or ANY tool or instrument) is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

Well founded confidence in your defensive abilities will be one of your greatest assets.

Godspeed,

-- Pinkrock (Aphotonboy@aol.com), October 02, 1999.

Not being a fan of guns myself (or beer for that matter), here's my favourite troubleshooting guide:


BEER TROUBLE SHOOTING

SYMPTOM: Feet cold and wet.
FAULT: Glass being held at incorrect angle.
ACTION: Rotate glass so that open end points toward ceiling.

SYMPTOM: Feet warm and wet.
FAULT: Improper bladder control.
ACTION: Stand next to nearest dog, complain about house training.

SYMPTOM: Beer unusually pale and tasteless.
FAULT: Glass empty.
ACTION: Get someone to buy you another beer.

SYMPTOM: Opposite wall covered with fluorescent lights.
FAULT: You have fallen over backward.
ACTION: Have yourself tied to bar.

SYMPTOM: Mouth contains cigarette butts.
FAULT: You have fallen forward.
ACTION: See above.

SYMPTOM: Beer tasteless, front of your shirt is wet.
FAULT: Mouth not open, or glass applied to wrong part of face.
ACTION: Retire to restroom, practice in mirror.

SYMPTOM: Floor blurred.
FAULT: You are looking through bottom of empty glass.
ACTION: Get someone to buy you another beer.

SYMPTOM: Floor moving.
FAULT: You are being carried out.
ACTION: Find out if you are being taken to another bar.

SYMPTOM: Room seems unusually dark.
FAULT: Bar has closed.
ACTION: Confirm home address with bartender.

SYMPTOM: Taxi suddenly takes on colorful aspect and textures.
FAULT: Beer consumption has exceeded personal limitations.
ACTION: Cover mouth.

SYMPTOM: Everyone looks up to you and smiles.
FAULT: You are dancing on the table.
ACTION: Fall on somebody cushy-looking.

SYMPTOM: Beer is crystal-clear.
FAULT: It's water. Somebody is trying to sober you up.
ACTION: Punch him.

SYMPTOM: Hands hurt, nose hurts, mind unusually clear.
FAULT: You have been in a fight.
ACTION: Apologize to everyone you see, just in case it was them.

SYMPTOM: Don't recognize anyone, don't recognise the room you're in.
FAULT: You've wandered into the wrong party.
ACTION: See if they have free beer.

SYMPTOM: Your singing sounds distorted.
FAULT: The beer is too weak.
ACTION: Have more beer until your voice improves.

SYMPTOM: Don't remember the words to the song.
FAULT: Beer is just right.
ACTION: Play air guitar.


-- Y2KGardener (gardens@bigisland.net), October 02, 1999.

Are you sure you don't live in Kona, Y2K Gardener?

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), October 02, 1999.

Y2K Gardner,

ROTFLMAO! Good practical information for all celebrants who are not celibates. ANDY, are you taking notes on this?

Zoobie,

I can see that you are very serious about this confrontation situation. What you posted is obviously good instruction, if we go through a training course, and then get to practice this. Unfortunately, when the first adrenaline hits our nervous system, all that other stuff is out the window, for most new trainees. You know what "Buck Fever" is? That hits even a lot of old time hunters.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), October 02, 1999.

Mastery of any thing is in the continous application of the basics.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 02, 1999.

Along with a little luck of the Irish........

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), October 02, 1999.

zoobie--Become the target... (Hey, where you bin?)

Let's think peace and not attract violence. While we fear the bad guys, let's remember that mostly people have been brought up and have lived the same as ourselves. I know it doesn't seem so in the movies or from crime statistics. I somehow think there are more than two choices for conflict resolution. I've never tried it though since I have led a peaceable life. But how about prayer in the midst of contention? How about considering the other as ourself? I'm not saying be a wuss, but let's try some thinking out of the box. Killing is a bad thing and a no no in the 10 Commandments. The Bible doesn't say "thou shalt survive at all costs."

Mother Theresa didn't carry a gun in the slums of India. Jesus didn't allow his disciples to defend him with violence. (On the other hand Mohammed's followers were led to take up arms against their oppressors and the Bhagavad Gita tells us to do our duty--even to the point of going to war.)

Let's think firmly on this point and make decisions that will carry us through as well as allowing for the contingencies of the moment. Make love not fear. Best to all!!

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), October 02, 1999.

Adrenaline suplemented training can be very rewarding for conditioning stress fire reactions.But only after safty procedures have been internalized to the point of being automatic.Suprisingly,(IMO)adreneline makes pulling the slide to chamber the next magazine more of a clumsy act than thumbing the slide release lever.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 02, 1999.

Zoobie,

I agree, 100%. But, what the military finds in their training is that no one actually knows how someone will behave under fire, until it happens. Still, having a solid foundation is very important, as you note.

Will Continue,

I certainly depend on a *lot* of Irish luck, along with a "gift of gab" and a couple of guardian angels thrown in for good measure. Also, never get into a serious confrontation when you're having beer problems.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), October 02, 1999.

Jesus got himself nailed to a cross, however. I say, nail 'em before they nail you.

Peace and love won't protect my kids and keep food on the table, but it sounds nice. I'll make sure they recieve that lesson in between their target practice. We are hunters and they enjoy it.

I know we've all felt the need for some 'soul-searching' that has gone on around here lately, but don't loose track of the 'reality check'.

It's *OCTOBER 1999*

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), October 02, 1999.

Mara,

I understand your idealism, I think, but sometimes you have to stand up and trade blows. We are not supposed to just let evil rule the day. The Old Testament dealt with this matter clearly. And, some of the disciples of Jesus definitely busted chops from time to time. They were not always the pacifists that you are suggesting. Sorry. :-(

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), October 02, 1999.

Walmart's got plenty of ammo at a good price.

-- ron (rrest@hotmail.com), October 02, 1999.

Mara,as an Aikidoka and a Buddhist I strongly feel that I can defend myself in the face of violence and hatred without needing to reduce myself to a mind of violence and a desire to kill.If I was forced (through a lack of options)to use a firearm in self defence I would be shooting to stop the threat,not to kill(center mass is the best target for stopping).I believe that I would be able to maintain a mind of compassion and understanding for somone who was so confused and full of suffering as to actualy attempt to be hurtful with a weapon.(such was the case when I was employed as a bouncer)In such a confrontation,I would actualy incur less karmic stain dispasionately defending my life with lethal force(dying is really not that terrible a thing for me)than someone who has become the slave of a mind with the intent to murder.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 02, 1999.

Mara,

Just to keep you digging in the Bible, I suggest the following. Get into the Old Testament and discover why it was permitted to kill "a thief in the night" but not in the daytime. (We're just talking *thief* here now, not some of the more exciting bad guy types) We aren't going to argue with God's word now, are we? *HE* said we could do these things. Now, you may find this sort of instruction distasteful, but there it is! :-(

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), October 02, 1999.

A couple of other points about guns, that never seem to be brought up here:

It's true, that guns are just tools. However, there's a problem buried in that fact.

Most people, when they get a new tool, just have to go around making as much use of it, as possible. I got a new router, for Christmas, last year. I put little groves in everything I could get my hands on, whether the piece looked good with the added scroll-work or not. This tendency does die away, after a while, but unfortunately that doesn't happen till you've left yourself with a lot of mess to clean up.

It's not the long time gun owners that worry me. They're well used to the tool, and will most likely practice proper restraint, despite some of the rhetoric you hear arond these parts (Unless they're just outright psychotic, in which case there's not much use in trying to reason with them anyway). The ones that worry me, are the ones who have just went out and bought their first firearm, in anticipation of Y2K. I hope they spend LOTS of time on the firing range, so that their fascination with their new tool has deminished by 01/01/00.

If you are "coordination challenged" (and this is no time to be in denial about the abilities you lack), you are just endangering yourself, if you have anything other than a scattershot weapon. I suspect a lot of people are going out and buying pistols, which aren't anything other than noisemakers, if you are among the people who couldn't hit the broadside of a barn at 50 paces. Also, the intimidation factor is much greater with a pump action shotgun, so it increases the chances that you won't even have to use it.

And lastly, please, please, please, don't be so quick to scoff at what Mara has said on this. Violence does beget violence. Yes, there are situations where it's unavoidable, but keep in mind that what you do for short term protection, will have long term implications. Never assume that you have permenantly solved a problem, by killing someone. All you have done is bought yourself a little time. The problem will be back, manyfold, in the form of people who want revenge, or possibly even other GIs with guns who have decided you are a little too trigger happy, and therefore just might constitute a threat to their existence as well. If you can find a way around the situation that does not require bloodshed, you will be better off, in the long run.

-- Bokonon (bok0non@my-Deja.com), October 02, 1999.

Remenber,if the situation demands that you use lethal force,tell the cops afterwards that you were shooting to stop the threat,not shooting to kill.Some states see a legal differance,even if you were aiming at the head with a scatter gun,you were shooting to stop the threat.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 02, 1999.

Zoobie, Remenber,if the situation demands that you use lethal force,tell the cops afterwards that you were shooting to stop the threat,not shooting to kill.Some states see a legal differance,even if you were aiming at the head with a scatter gun,you were shooting to stop the threat.

WRONG!!! You don't tell the cops ANYTHING other than a)it was self-defense and b)you'll be happy to answer any other questions only in the presence of your attorney. Once you let them know you are represented by counsel they can't question you (and if they do they can't use anything you say against you). Say anything else to them and you could be opening the door to prosecution.

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), October 02, 1999.

ooooh,even better.Your civil rights,hard at work.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 02, 1999.

Mara,

Consider Luke 22:35-38

-- (Rwells 1069 @aol.com), October 02, 1999.

I am about to give up on pistol shooting for y2k (except for really close in). I have several great pistols and I am a pretty good shot most days. The problem is most of self defense shooting takes place at night. I am devoting the rest of my practice to my 12 gauge shotgun. I worked on patterning it today with 00 buckshot. I had a 1 foot group at 15 yards and a 2 foot group at 25 yards. Forget about flinching, pulling your shots, etc... Eleven .32 cal. pellets in a two foot group at 20-25 yards. The 12 gauge will be my y2k gun. I do appreciate you posting the above information on pistol shooting.

-- Bill (y2khippo@yahoo.com), October 03, 1999.

I'm not necessarily against self-defense--that's a very individual question that each person has to decide for him/herself. However, what I'm seeing is people thinking from fear, already certain that they will be attacked by others. Let's keep a little bit of an open mind. Plus, remember, even someone who might be on the verge of some "bad" action might be swayed by an approach that does not further arouse polarization. Our own input is part of the equation.

Suppose, just suppose, that what happens with the stress of Y2K failures and emergencies that what comes out is our better side... It is possible!

Best!!

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), October 03, 1999.

FWIW Mara, I'm partial to the sage advice offered in the Gita. The key for me is as Zoobie stated - minimize the karmic stain. The role of intent with regard to ALL actions requires I know my motivations at ALL times. Pretty tough goal!

I find regular meditation strengthens intuition. I hope & pray I hear that silent voice whispering instructions on how to proceed should I face a precarious situation.

I use introspection after the fact in order to dig up the reasoning, or lack thereof, behind my action(s). Why did I think, verbalize, act in such & such a way? Introspection is the tool I recommend highly. Yes it can be painful!

Question: From where does growth come most effectively?

Answer: From wisdom garnered (using introspection) through painful experience.

Bottom Line: If I cannot defend my family & myself without incurring massive amounts of bad karma, then I'll willingly give up this life. After all, this is merely one incarnation of many, IMHO. And with the progress I've made this time around, I've no intention of backsliding!!!

Best Wishes,

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), October 03, 1999.

Mara,violence,more than most anything else,has it's own irrefutable terrible logic.A logic most of us would rather not deal with or think about since it's so alien and frightening.However,many of us see the protection of our loved ones to be a responsibility that goes right along with providing and nurturing.Also it is a martial truth that in a time of crises ones skills will default to the lowest level of internalized skill,or the conjunctive reflexive arc.For most people without martial training,encountering a violent person produces an alarmed numbing kind of shock or fear,the muscles will tighten,the head will lower and the arms raise to protect the head.Through training,the childish tantrum like nature of the physicly violent becomes apparent(all strikes derive their power from downward resistance) and compassion and understanding towards the violent person can begin to be developed.You counseled that we keep a little bit of an open mind and you can practice thusly as well.Most people who learn to defend themselves do so out of a motivation to free themseles from the fear of and reality of violence.This can be illustrated by the practioners of the japanese sword art of jenjutsu.In feudal times in japan the members of the warrior caste,the samurai,often found themselves in deuels.A kenjutsu duel usualy had one of three outcomes;25% of the time swordsman A dies,25% of the time swordsman B dies,and 50% of the time both die.If a kenjutsu practicioner had attachment to his life(fear of dying) he would most likely hesitate at a crucial moment bringing about his own demise.Thus it found that those who were able through zen mahayana buddhism to remove their attachment to life and their aversion to death were paridoxicaly able to better their chance of surviving terrible violent encounters.To simply dismiss those who see the need to prepair for self-defence situations by saying that we are thinking from fear is presumtive and condescending as is trying to dismiss an uncomfortable differing viewpoint with biblical referances.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 03, 1999.

Bingo1, zoobie, I myself have studied the martial arts--tai chi, karate, and kung fu. I am not a soft-heart pacifist. However, I think the topic is open to reconsideration, especially for those of us who have a serious spiritual practice.

Bingo, I agree that this one physical self is of mere relative importance--it's not who we are. As you say, despite introspecition and meditation, the Message can be slow to come. In such a case, perhaps it would be best to refrain from harming others...for me. I don't have a family I'm responsible for, so I don't have to add that into the equation. Think peace, pray to God and we won't have to go any further. Whatever you all decide, or do, I wish you only the best.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWAyne@aol.com), October 03, 1999.

Now is no time to be namby pamby about self defence.Buy a gun now before you loose the ability to choose wether or not you allow others to make you a victim.

-- apokoloiptik (apokoliptik@larg.e), October 04, 1999.

Nobody should be allowed to use guns for anything,guns are just plain wrong.This entire thread is nothing more than a primer for murder.

-- mother of three (m.o.3@yahoo.com), October 05, 1999.

One can only pity the three.

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), October 05, 1999.

Mother,do you think that's why police carry guns?Why not responsible citizens?

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 07, 1999.

pussy-wuss "mother of three" is gonna leave 3 kids as buggered orphans.

-- A (A@AisA.com), October 07, 1999.

The Lessons Of History The Soviet Union established gun control in 1929. From 1929 to 1953, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Turkey established gun control in 1911. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Germany established gun control in 1938. From 1939 to 1945, 13 million Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, mentally ill people, and other "mongrelized peoples," unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, 1 million "educated people", unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. 56 MILLION DEAD FOR WANT OF A METHOD TO DEFEND THEMSELVES EFFECTIVELY YET THERE ARE THOSE WHO INSIST "IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE"

-- Apokoliptik (Apokoliptik@yahoo.com), October 10, 1999.

Pinkrock is exactly correct here. Shooting well requires a good deal of muscle memory, which only comes from practice. Just reading these principles and committing them to memory will make your practice time more effective, but won't come close to replacing it. Shooting well is like playing the piano well -- there is no substitute for practice.

And here are some other principles while we're at it:

A gun is always loaded, even when it isn't. Because it might be.

Never point a gun at anything you aren't willing to see destroyed.

Never put your finger on the trigger until you've sighted in on your target.

Use the gun you shoot best until you find one you shoot better. Then use that one.

A gun you don't have ready at hand when you need it is worthless.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), October 10, 1999.

Handguns should be illegal because studies have shown they are 43 times more likely to be used against your own family than a criminal.

-- mother of three (M.O.3.@YAHOO.COM), October 22, 1999.

This "fact" is simply wrong. Guns of any type, including handguns, do not make it 43 times more likely you or your family will be injured. In fact, the opposite is true. Guns make us all safer. Here's why:

This so-called study was conducted by Arthur L. Kellermann, an anti-self defense lobbyist with an axe to grind. The "study" was designed to produce a pre-determined result. The "study" is pure "junk science."

A flawed study: At the end of his report, Kellermann acknowledged his study did "not include cases in which burglars or intruders are wounded or frightened away by the use or display of a firearm." He also admitted his study did not look at situations in which intruders "purposely avoided a home known to be armed."

In other words, Kellermann ignored the vast majority of situations in which legally armed citizens frightened away intruders simply by displaying a firearm! What Kellermann did was like conducting a study on the percentage of drunk drivers on the road by counting the number of drunks locked up in jail at 2 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Obviously, you would incorrectly think that everyone on the road was drunk.

Further, Kellermann also acknowledged that of the 43 deaths for every intruder killed, 37 were suicides. This is significant since ample research, and the situation in Japan, shows that merely removing firearms from a society does not reduce the suicide rate..

The facts: By carefully examining facts and statistics from the Department of Justice, the F.B.I. and other law enforcement agencies, Prof. Gary Kleck from the School of Criminology, Florida State University, discovered Americans use firearms to prevent crimes approximately 1 to 1.5 million times per year. These are the very cases Kellermann chose to ignore. Had Kellermann considered these facts, he would have had to conclude a firearm in the home makes a family safer.

More importantly, Prof. Kleck also discovered that robbery victims who defended themselves with a gun suffered lower rates of injury than did those who resisted without a gun, or even those who did not resist at all and instead complied with the violent criminal's demands. In short, Prof. Kleck concluded the private ownership of firearms deters criminal behavior. The family gun is more likely to kill you or someone you know than to kill in self-defense.

The studies yielding such numbers never actually inquired as to whose gun was used in the killing. Instead, if a household owned a gun and if a person in that household or someone they knew was shot to death while in the home, the gun in the household was blamed. In fact, virtually all the killings in these studies were committed by guns brought in by an intruder. No more than four percent of the gun deaths can be attributed to the homeowner's gun. The very fact that most people were killed by intruders also surely raises questions about why they owned guns in the first place and whether they had sufficient protection.

How many attacks have been deterred from ever occurring by the potential victims owning a gun? My own research finds that more concealed handguns, and increased gun ownership generally, unambiguously deter murders, robbery, and aggravated assaults. This is also in line with the well-known fact that criminals prefer attacking victims that they consider weak.

These are only some of the myths about guns and crime that drive the public policy debate. We must not lose sight of the ultimate question: Will allowing law-abiding citizens to own guns save lives? The evidence strongly indicates that it does.

Answer by Prof. John R. Lott, Jr. Wouldn't We All Be Safer If There Were Fewer Guns? Department of Justice data show those areas of the country where firearms are more readily available have a lower violent crime rate than areas of minimal firearm ownership.

University of Chicago Professors John Lott and David Mustard examined the correlation between guns and crime in over 3,000 U.S. counties from 1977 to 1992 in their landmark 1996 study, "Crime, Deterrence and Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns." They discovered liberalized concealed-carry laws reduced murders by 8.5 percent, rapes by 5 percent and aggravated assaults by 7 percent.

New York City and Washington, D.C., have very restrictive laws regarding gun ownership, yet they have higher violent crime rates than neighboring areas where it is easier to obtain firearms.

Nationwide, firearm ownership increased between 1993 and 1997. According to the U.S. News & World Report [May 25, 1998, citing FBI statistics], the homicide rate decreased 29 percent during that same period. This conclusively shows firearms do not lead to higher homicide rates.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), October 22, 1999.

Mother of three... Do you read anything besides propaganda? Why do you hate guns so? I have an inalienable right to life, and a 2nd amendment to delineate the rights that come from my creator. If you have such a problem with being an American, or even understanding what that means, hey - Cuba is only 90 miles off the coast, don't let the door hit ya sweetie.

-- Patrick (pmchenry@gradall.com), October 22, 1999.