A Warm Gun

Pam and I went to the Firing Line [http://www.firingline.net/huntingtonbeach/] on Sunday to practice shooting hand guns. We took our 40 cal Sig Pro 2340 and the "new" 25 cal Beretta 950. I wanted Pam to become familiar with shooting both guns but the Beretta was bought specifically for her.

The Beretta 950 has been made since 1953 first in Italy and then in the United States. It is a small simple pistol designed for personal protection. It is easy to conceal and easy to operate. It is not very effective at distance but anything you would want to shoot, is probably in the same room with you and attacking. California banned the sale of this gun recently and I bought the one for Pam used. My mother had previously bought a similar gun and gave it to my ex wife, Connie. Connie carried it in her purse for a long time. Then she got so comfortable carrying it that she forgot she had it with her when she put her purse through the airport scanner. She was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and we never saw that gun again. Word to the wise.

The Sig Pro 2340 is a much different gun. It is one of the original high tech polymer pistols made in Germany and designed by the Swiss. It was made for Police and Military use and it is very accurate with serious stopping power. Glock has all the name but SIG is the gun used by Navy Seals, DEA, and FBI. This gun will stop almost anything and at 25 feet Pam shot bull's eyes.

I bought the SIG in 2000 when I was sure gun laws would lead to a complete ban on all hand gun sales in California. That Ban has not come....YET. But with the coming elections and a Super Democratic Congress, Nancy and iRock might just ban hand guns for good.

There is no real reason to own a hand gun except to kill people. You can not cook with a hand gun or turn on the TV. They are almost useless except in self defense. Most Americans and Europeans do not know how to load, shoot, or clean a hand gun. They are very dangerous in untrained hands. Hundreds of people are killed each year by stupid hand gun accidents.

My position, as you may well expect for those who know me, is: Knowledge is Power. The last thing you want to do, when your life or the lives of your family are in danger, is to learn to shoot. I believe YOU are responsible for your own safety. To expect the Police, or someone else to protect you, is just bad planning. Mom taught me to own a gun. Dad taught me to shoot. The Police? They are only there to investigate your death. You and you alone protect yourself and your family.

Hand gun training, like learning to ride a bicycle, to swim and to drive a car is an important part of becoming a real grown up. Nobody would suggest that you should not learn to swim. Likewise, you need to know hand gun basics so you can protect yourself if and when it is necessary.