Due to the sensitive nature of my 'other' job (bodyguard to a seriouslly abused and assaulted teenager) I decided to upgrade my skills. SO I got me a 21" positive lock expandable baton, a PR24 side handle baton, a very slick folding 'utility' knife, and a back up weapon to keep the two Sig P220s company - a Sig P239 in 40 S&W, single stack magazine (it is really thin) It groups 2 inches at 25yrds, same as the P220s..

I have been very much involved in my 'other' job for the last couple of months, so have not been near the computer much - I had 430 emails to delete...

I just took a couple of pistol courses at the wonderful establishment of Tom Givens, RangeMaster of Memphis, so now have pistol #1, tactical edged weapons #1, tactical baton, I am in the middle of Pistol #2, with #3 and #4 coming within 5 weeks.. Today I discovered I could draw and fire 3 shots, rapid, and hit what I wanted to in 3 seconds. Tom assures me that I will be much better after tomorrow's lesson.. I personally am grateful that I found the place, as my subject's risk escalated to high recently. I now have the skills I need to keep this undersized and very sweet teen breathing. ( It amazes me that 1) sick people do things to children, and get away with it, and 2) the child in question harbors no malice to anyone, and is sweet and loving after having a bunch of people try to kill her on different occasions..)

Anyhow, times are a changing in the life of this rather unusual cleric, with more sword visible and less robes.

Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhuast,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch

 

You like those courses? I was thinking about taking them. I just upgraded my concealed carry weapon to a Glock 26 with integral laser sight. I had planned on going to a model 27 (.40 S&W), but my father found the 26 for me in like new condition at a great price. It is much smaller and lighter than the model 19 I was using. I'm used to the 9 mm, anyway. My skills are a little rusty, so a good tactical course is exactly what I need. I used to shoot a lot when I lived in Arizona, but since moving to TN three years ago I haven't found any good places to shoot.

What else do you have? I've also got two 50th Anniversary edition Ruger Mark II's -- one that I shoot for fun, and the other has never been fired and is locked away for my son, who was born in 1999, the 50th anniversary of that classic pistol. I also keep a Ruger 77/22 for plinking. It was my squirrel rifle back in Michigan, but I don't hunt these days. My home defense weapon is still a Remington 870. The nice thing about a pump shotgun is that you don't need to fire it to scare the bad guys -- the distinctive sound of a 12 gauge magnum shell getting racked into the chamber will stop most man in their tracks.

 

I most definitely recommend the courses at RangeMaster - the quality of training given is considerably better than any other I have attended. Go to Rangemaster.com and take a look at the schedule. I just completed Pistol Level 2, it was great fun, I take level 3 in 3 weeks, and level 4 sometime after that.

My main carry Sig P220 has the internal laser replacing the recoil spring guide, and is a reliable and accurate weapon - I have the .45 because should I need to fire it, I wish to leave very big holes in whatever I have to hit. As well as the Sig weapons I have the ubiquitous Remington 870, 2 FN FAL rifles, a couple of AKs and some hunting weapons. My carry arsenal is about the minimum I would recommend anyone having - primary sidearm, back up sidearm, 3 folding edged weapons, an expandable baton - positive locking 21", and 3 OC sprays of 5.3 million heating units. This is the bare minimum any serious defense system should consist of. Of interest, in Tennessee, training in the use of a Baton qualifies for carrying such. ('Gunny' Kirkus, at Range Master both supplies the baton, and instructs in it's use)

It may seem a little strange for an ordained cleric, Bishop of an Order to be a advocate of firearms, but that is a common mistake of the modern world - the Messiah recommended that those in need of defense got themselves a larger sword - the chosen self defense weapon of the time. My Order, that of St Peter's Apostolic Templars was responsible for the defense of Jerusalem in the middle ages, and has been an armed order of "Holy Soldiers" since conception. I am just carrying on the tradition. To be offended by, or object to weapons of defense is to give strength to the unlawful, and lay down, accepting whatever the criminal element will give you.

The reason I have such needs is that I have been involved in the protection of serious at risk children for many years, young people who, with no fault of their own, are targeted by the sick deviants who assaulted them. Some of the abuses children endure have no statute of limitations, and severe penalty, so the perpetraters choose to hunt their earlier victims, and silence them. The law cannot guard anyone on an implied risk, and will only intervene after a crime is reported - the witness protection program will not give sanctuary to an alone minor, so that leaves my organization as one of the few places able to give help. Of interest, 23 minors were killed in the US last year, by persons who earlier abused them. These are the cases that got to the statisticians, I do not doubt that there are at least another 5 or 6, who were not flagged as this. The recent interest in the child pornography rings on the internet has made some offenders realize the risk earlier assaulted children pose them, so my subject's risk has just increased 10fold. If you get me started on this topic, I will take over the post length crown from Wolf

Anyhow, I reiterate, Rangemaster at Rangemaster.com or 901 370-5600 (10:00 to 22:00) is the way to find about the services, and get the range times.. I believe anyone in the west of Tennessee should do the sensible thing, and get a firearm carry permit - remember, Shelby County is the 2nd WORST county in the US, for Index Crime. (murder, rape,kidnapping,grand theft,aggravated assault,robbery,car theft and arson.)This means you have 1 in 9 chance of being victim to such crime, every year. Last night in Memphis, there were 16 home invasions, and at least 40 criminal shootings. Do you wish to be unarmed in this mayhem????? NOTHING you can do will keep you immune from this escalating crime - you cannot avoid it forever.

OK, I will stop preaching!

Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhuast,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch
'96 Lincoln MK VIII, modified, '01 Mercury Grnad Marquis, '86 Linciln MKVII, modified, and an '89 F150.

 

Wow. Those FN FALs are some seriously bad firepower. My father has a semi-auto HK-91 that he's had for years, and my brother has a selective fire HK SL8-1 that is his SWAT weapon (he's an officer in Georgia). The FNs are almost in a class by themselves, though.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 22-Apr-02 AT 05:02 PM (EST)]My main FN is a 1000 yrd plus weapon, accurate to 1 inch grouping at that range. I have a holographic sight for it, and am in the process of getting a Gen ll nightsight.. It has the standard m16 type reciever cover so many systems will fit there. The second weapon is a standard issue military version, as issued to the Aussies in the '70's - it is accurate enough but will not take a long range sight.

SO WOLF, no comments???

Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhuast,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch

 

Well, I guess this certainly qualifies as enough new posts for me to open my own trap agin'... >=o)


It strikes me that a "Warrior Priest" is the definition of a "PALADIN".

So that is not new, but I think it's rare in the modern age - at least, in a good cause.



~Wolf

 

Err, I actually was going to post quite a bit more on that last post, but suddenly had second thoughts about posting details on the open web - even here.

I put it in an FTE-Mail to THEO instead.

I have a new toy of my own, a .45 ACP double stack from MAUSER.
It ran right around $400 as opposed to a 1911A1-based weapon from PARAORDINANCE that runs more like $900 or higher.

But that wasn't the part I was worried about...

Some things I know from dealing with the pro's, and in this day and age it only makes sense to limit how far that info spreads.

Especially with "Tango's" out there, and teenagers turning up with 9mike spray-guns....

 

I checked out the Rangemaster site. Very impressive operation. I'm gonna enroll my wife and I in some of the pistol classes, and I think I'm gonna take the tactical shotgun class, too (VERY cool).

 

Tom Givens, the senior instructor there has a way of teaching his subject that makes you remember it.. He has a few books published that are compelling reading. The Pistol courses are well thought out, with plenty of hands on, but with a good deal of theory also - there are too many "schools" with no theory and very suspect hands on lessons - I have been to a couple in TN that I would only recommend to my worst enemy. I am glad that I could point you to Rangemaster - By far the best Pistol school this side of the country.

Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhuast,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch

 

I booked myself in for the Tactical Shotgun class this weekend.. $200 for 8 hours of noise and pain!!
Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhuast,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch

 

I thought about that one, too. Let me know how it goes. I shot a lot of trap and skeet growing up, and my brother has given me some instruction (he is a police office and SWAT member), but I've never really had any formal training in using a shotgun for defense.

I', also impressed by those FN "police" shotguns Rangemaster has. They look like they'd do a lot better job as a home defense weapon than my 870 Wingmaster.

 

A valuable resource, if you can find a copy: "The Ultimate Sniper".

I don't recall the author, but you should be able to surf the title out of Avalon Books.

-Offers not only police and military sniper tactics, equipment, and basic info - but also "COUNTER SNIPER" information.

A heavy book, even in paperback. The optics section always fascinated me....

 

I will look out for that title, wolf, thank you..

The FN shotgun is a neat tool, but not much different from the Remintons of the world. The course was very much worth the effort, it gives a very comprehensive training in the use and usefulness of a 12 gauge shotgun - also available at rangemaster (just in) is a book about shotgun and carbine tactical use.. I bought that one..

There are none of the FN's left - the people on the course bought them!.

Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhuast,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch

 

I recomend a book by Chief Watkins, one of the SEAL's that was in 'Nam with Richard Marcinko.

He was a shotgun enthusiast, and developed the "Duck Bill" barrel.

It's worth a look.