“Agencies are always faced with the challenge of providing meaningful, cost effective training that can support personnel on different shifts.  We want to fill that gap and we want to do it for free.” –Morgan Ballis/Owner and Chief Firearms Instructor

Military and law enforcement are the worst firearm instructors.  That is one hell of a way to make friends in this industry!  Hurry and Google my name so you can discredit this piece and tell me what a boot I am.  As some of you take immediate offense to the title without reading the entirety of this blog let me give you my professional background.  

In the aftermath of the worst terror attack since 9/11 we are still grappling with the reality we live in.  There is evil in this world that will bring us harm where ever we are.  Whether it is a school in Beslan, a concert in Paris, or a night club in Orlando, evil will find us.  Let us not mince words here.  When we say "find" us, we mean kill us. And not just our military or law enforcement officers but our husbands and sons, mothers and daughters, our elders and our children.  We are all potential targets and as evidence in Charlestown and Sandy Hook, even our "safe places" are no longer safe.

The California legislature continues to introduce more and more increasingly restrictive gun laws in the form of Assembly Bills (ABs) or Senate Bills (SBs). Recently, three ABs have been introduced, that if passed, will drastically change gun ownership in California. The latest bills are: AB 1663 (introduced by Assembly Member Chiu [Coauthors: Assembly Members Levine and Ting]), AB 1664 (introduced by Assembly Members Levine and Ting [Coauthor: Assembly Member Chiu]), and AB1674 (introduced by Assembly Member Santiago). 

  Many people approach the range from a leisure standpoint.  Shooting firearms is just another fun outdoor activity that combines the thrill of a powerful tool with the excitement of applying skills to hit a target.  There is nothing wrong with promoting the safe use of firearms by enjoying a day in the desert shooting cans or plinking steel at the local range.  What many people fail to do is make the distinction between going to the range for entertainment and going to the range to train.

There are many mistakes I see made by those who choose to conceal carry.  Few will go to the range even once a month and others almost never at all.  For those who do step into a shooting booth, they will often only shoot at a static target from a static position.  As they comfortably stand in their shooting position they will engage their target taking care and time to stitch the tightest groups possible.

The surge in CCW applications is likely driven by the desire for personal safety. Many applicants also include those who have owned a gun for some time, but now want the ability to carry it legally on the street. The problem, however, is that people generally must meet more stringent requirements beyond what is required for the purchase of a gun. As explained below, these requirements can be frustrating and onerous, leading some to conclude they will just “carry” without getting the required permit. This article explores the consequences of such a decision. In the end, it is better not to break the law, but rather follow it. 

"There was so much blood."  These were the first words my mother said to me after she had survived the deranged rampage of a gunman.  In the midst of it all, her actions would save the life of future Congressman Ron Barber.  As a combat veteran I never imagined I would be counseling my mother on the horrors of war and PTSD.  But this is the world we live in.