CCW

Several weeks ago I made the decision to damn the expense and sign up for a Concealed Carry class due to the increased violence in the nearby town, mostly due to the trash Chicago has been dumping into the local area.

Well that's what I've been up to this week (along w/ a high level of stress at work).  Illinois requires 16 hrs of training along w/ the $150 license fee.  I was exempt from 8 of that due to being a veteran but did the full time because I took the class w/ the C-in-C.  We had about a dozen people in our group, half women, have men.  Mostly older folks but one younger guy and a few middle age (including me).  At least half of them said they were getting their licenses due to what's been going on in town. As for experience it was split pretty evenly between gun nuts, casual owners, and completely new to firearms.  The class is designed to cater mostly to the new and inexperienced owners, hence the exemptions for military and various safety classes.  The instructor we had was a 30yr canine officer and firearm enthusiast. 

Night 1: Firearm safety and terminology

The absolute basics.  Starting w/ the four rules and moving onto the different types of firearms and their parts.  He went over various mistakes that people commonly make,safe handling, function, caliber, terminology, and other intro topics which a lot of the newer individuals did not know.  It was interesting to watch those who didn't know these things learn about them and ask some good questions.

Night 2:  Cleaning and operation drills

The second night continued the basics.  Everyone that had one brought in their own firearms (unloaded/no ammo) and went through instruction on how to disassemble, clean, and maintain them.  Those w/o their own were able to use the instructor's.  Lots of different models were there, Ruger, Colt, Glock, etc. Some more unique pieces were a 1903 Colt .32 (which hadn't been used in decades), my Makarov, and a Ruger Mk II.  We watched a youtube video to figure out how to disassemble the Colt which turned out to be pretty easy.  It was pretty nasty inside.  The Ruger was a nightmare to deal w/ even after various videos and attempts to assemble/re-assemble.  I will not own one of those. An interesting note was that most of the women who brought firearms brought revolvers.  

Following that we did some basic drawing, loading, and firing dummy rounds.  When it was my turn, the instructor stated he didn't have any worries about me and that it should go quick.  That made me feel good and it did.  I cycled it through a few times w/o any major problems. Some went as quick as I did, others took longer for extra practice or advice.

Day 3: Legalese and Qualification

This was the full day.  We met at the instructors residence and went over all the laws and legal requirements related to CCW in Illinois. Heavy emphasis on the various gun free zones (of which there are lots in this stupid state) and use of force.  Reciprocity, actually applying for the license, and other bureaucratic particulars were also discussed.  Lots of details.

We then moved over to his range and began the qualification.  The target was a standard 'B27' silhouette at 5, 7, & 10 yrds, 10 shots each, w/ 70% accuracy total.  Not difficult but the CinC and I went out the night before and practiced at about twice the range JIC.  This was my result:

He complimented me on my grouping using a 'Commie gun' and cheap ammo (Silver Bear).  As mediocre of a shot as I am w/ handguns in general, I was pleased. Everyone did well w/ some extra instruction and attention paid to the less experienced shooters.  Following that some of us went through a simple move and shoot drill, not part of the mandatory curriculum but fun. Several rounds at a pumpking, a paper plate, and a metal plate, w/ some suggestions on how alternative training can help.  We had to leave to check on a sick spawnling but a few stayed to go through some failure drills.

Next up comes the filling out the application, uploading images of the certificate, personal pic, and CC info to the ISP.  Then we wait.

Update:.  Application filed.  Website ran pretty smoothly.  They of course jack you w/ a 'convenience fee' to pay for it so it ended up being $153.53

Why Are Anti-Gun Activists So Violent?

During one of the typical 'debates' on the book of face, (goodfacts vs realfacts, evidence vs feelings, the usual), the original poster (OP) posted a screencap of part of the discussion at the top of his page so it could be continued.  It happened to include part of a picture of his opponent, a fervent anti-gun fanatic, which she took umbrage to. 

This is how she retaliated in kind:

Since I did not see the posts directly (as the person in question had already been banned), I have removed the name and won't link, JIC.  Still, the obvious projection is there.  Instead of asking for the pic to be taken down, she immediately responds by threatening the infant child of the OP.

Imagine what she would do if she had a firearm and someone upset her. 

Gun control is a mental illness.

Where is the Outrage? @MediaDervish

After the recent spate of shootings, Laura Washington asks questions of the black leadership.  This however, is ironic as for years she's blamed 'Rural White Guys', the NRA, and legal firearm owners in general for Chicago's woes.  When I asked here where the black leadership was, my question was dismissed.

So I'll go through her latest questions w/ answers.  Ones that she's probably not going to like (or accept since I'm a RWG)

 But where is the black leadership in this town? Where are the moral voices? Where is their outrage? Where are their demands that the slaughter cease?

They're sitting in their comfortable houses, often w/ private/armed security, and reading the same articles you are.  You've already answered why: 'Black Lives' don’t matter to them.

But w/ a qualifier which we'll get to next.

 They know how to command the microphones, dominate the headlines, get up in our faces. Where are they?

See above.  Now for the qualifier.  The reason they 'know how to command the microphones and dominate the headlines' is THAT is what they care about.  Keeping the attention, the cameras, and the microphones on themselves.  They care about keeping themselves and THEIR lives comfortable, safe, and well funded.  You won't see those 'leaders' marching in the streets of Chicago unless there are hundreds of cameras on them, otherwise it's just not worth their well-paid time.  As for the political 'leaders', they're to busy getting lucrative jobs for their friends and raising taxes.

As for the 'script':

Why aren’t these war zones being flooded with cops?

Ferguson and Baltimore.  Thank BLM for that. Go watch videos of crime scenes in Chicago being mobbed by gang-banging thugs and locals trashing evidence, attacking the police, firefighters, and EMT's trying to do their jobs.  Then ask this question again. And the second the 'bangers and drug dealers start getting hauled in?  RACISM!!!!! THEN you'll see some of those 'leaders' show up, to disappear again as soon as the cameras are gone.  You'll also see the neighborhoods erupt in violence as they burn down their own city.

Why not put millions in tax dollars into crime fighting and gun control?

They have.  Most of it was completely useless and did nothing to 'fight crime'.  Instead all it did was try and restrict most of those RWG's/local citizens trying to defend their homes and end up in the pockets of those 'leaders' that are absent. 

Here's the results of what you want:

  If you favor strict gun control laws, laws that will punish people severely simply for possessing a gun or ammunition, then you will wind up throwing a lot more people in jail. And many of those people will be minorities.

  

When will black Chicago stop accepting its own self destruction?

 When the people stop voting for and enabling the ones allowing it along w/ the race politics and unsustainable handouts. When people like you stop pointing the fingers at everyone else but the people involved. When the families of the thugs, gang-bangers, and drug dealers start turning their baby boys in instead of screaming how they were 'good boys turning their lives around'. Look at the 9 yr old's family.  His 'dad' is not helping the police and is selling T-shirts.   'Mom' used the money she begged for his funeral to buy a new car. 

When will we admit that black lives don’t matter to us?

Because then too many won't be able to play the victim and race cards. They'll have to accept some level of accountability and responsibility.  Not going to happen.

When are we going to stop waiting for white people to beg us to change?

Anyone that does will be accused of racism so why should they bother? 
 
But I'm just a 'Rural White Guy', what do I know.

Anti-Gun 'Logic' & 'Common-Sense' =......

15 years and $5m tax dollars (at least) wasted w/ not a single crime... Not ONE.... solved.

This would be the Maryland 'Ballistic Fingerprint' database which is now gone the way of the dodo.

And the defense of all this waste?  "It sounded like a good idea at the time"

 "Obviously, I'm disappointed," said former Gov. Parris N. Glendening, a Democrat whose administration pushed for the database to fulfill a campaign promise. "It's a little unfortunate, in that logic and common sense suggest that it would be a good crime-fighting tool."

Except if you listened to experts in firearms who predicted all the things that wouldn't work but were shot down as 'gun nuts' and 'hating children' ad nauseum. 

Three separate attempts were made to try and repeal the bill but a politically motivated chairman killed it by not letting it be heard. 

Howabout they charge the people and organizations involved in keeping this boondoggle alive the amount it cost taxpayers?

Chicago Parenting

"Thanks for all the money to help for my murdered son's funeral (which was already paid for).  I used it to buy a car for myself.  He's dead, he didn't need it."

Cook County Ammo Tax Proposal @ToniPreckwinkle

Multiple sources, including SCC and GSL, are reporting that the Cook County Board of Commissioners will propose an ammo tax tomorrow 11/9/15 at a 'special session' meeting.  The tax is reportedly going to be .01/round rimfire and .05/rnd centerfire in order to pay for 'gun violence'.  All the while, prosecutors like States Attorney Anita Alvarez are giving violent criminals slaps on the wrists and releasing them back onto the streets.

We all know that when it passes, that not a dime of this money will go towards 'gun violence' and will effectively be dumped down the toilet like millions more tax dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse while firearm owners continue to be blamed for the incompetence of government and rampant gang-banging thugs.

Cook County Office info.

Presidents public twitter. @ToniPreckwinkle

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