Rumor has it that in the last 2-3 months that approx 5 million firearms will have been sold. Freedom Armory tends to be one of the more well stocked firearms dealers in the area. And I do not think I’ve seen the shelves ever this bare.
More from NBC
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/18/16570552-gun-stores-running-low-on-weapons-as-sales-surge-owners-say?lite
Shoot a Handgun or Rifle for the First time FREE!
Freedom Armory, in affiliation with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), is offering the opportunity to experience shooting a .22cal handgun or rifle FREE of charge!
FREEDOM ARMORY MEMBERS, if you have friends and family members who may have expressed an interest in the shooting sports but who never had the chance or the time to try shooting, THIS IS THEIR OPPORTUNITY!
THIS PROGRAM IS SPECIFICALLY FOR NON-SHOOTERS TO EXPERIENCE FIRING A GUN FOR THE FIRST TIME!
The First Shots Program provides a brief introduction to shooting safety in a classroom setting, the firearm, eye and hearing protection, a small quantity of ammunition, a target and supervised indoor range time at Freedom Armory. All free of charge!
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED so that an adequate number of firearms are available for each session. The type of firearm featured each of the Saturdays will be directly related to registration requests and may vary. ALL participants must be at least 18yr of age or at least 12yr of age with a parent present and MUST sign a Liability Release form prior to the session. A valid picture ID, such as a Driver’s License or School ID for minors, will be required for registration on the day of the program.
UPCOMING DATES are Saturday, October 23rd, and November 20th at 10:00AM! And will continue each month.
Please Call Freedom Armory at 717-227-9060 or email to training@freedomarmory.com to reserve your space for a specific date and type of firearm!
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For more info on the First Shots program or to find a location near you, click on http://www.nssf.org/FirstShots
Winter Shooting League
Freedom Armory
Dates: 01/7, 01/14, 01/21, 01/28, 02/4, 02/11 (6 Weeks )
FIRST WEEK start time 6pm;
ALL OTHER WEEKS 6:30pm START TIME !
Weekly Shooting Fee: $20.00
League Participants $25.00 (One time fee)
(Eligible for League prizes)
EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:
Centerfire 5” or less, duty/carry guns, NO optics or lasers, hip holster that covers trigger, at least 2mags or speedloaders, IDPA Guidelines
Non-League participants are not required to have a hip holster.
Course of fire will be reviewed prior to going into range and prior to start of shooting cycle once in position. Six different Courses of Fire randomly assigned.
League winners determined by the best four of the six weekly scores. If time allows, League participants may choose to drop their current score and re-shoot the week’s course of fire for an additional $20.00 fee. League prizes will be cash pay out.
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Also be sure to check out the training offerings at Freedom Armory. No point in buying several firearms without learning how to use them. 😉
When I became a handgun owner I entered into a world of new responsibility. I made the determination to get proper training. Since that time, I have taken a number of NRA training classes. I found an instructor at Freedom Armory, a local range, that I found to be both competent and who’s personality I enjoy. The first is extremely important, the latter is beneficial as you will learn more if you like your instructor.
Freedom Armory was not the first place I looked into taking the NRA course at. However, the owner and instructor at the first place I inquired about taking an NRA class did not instill confidence in me. So I delayed the taking of my course and decided to take it elsewhere. Ieventually paid a few extra $$$ to take the course at Freedom Armory. I believe such was one of the best decisions I made in my training.
Just because someone is certified does not always mean they are competent nor safe. As this news article sadly shows. Where a student in a concealed weapons class was negligently shot in the face by the instructor.
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/05/07/Gun-teacher-accidentally-shot-student/UPI-71011241732079/
During the recent winter league competition at Freedom Armory we shot Kenn Blanchard’s “Zombie Targets”. These went over really well and were a lot of fun.
Here were the shoots…little “Susie” survived most of us. But a few of us (including myself) put rounds right into her skull cap.
***
This will be the fourth course in NRA Pistol designation. Looking forward to sharing with all of you. This is a pretty new course from what I understand. Only recently implemented by the NRA.
This Tuesday night was the third week in the Winter Shooting League @ Freedom Armory
Last week I had an after-work conference and was unable to participate in the league. I was really disappointed with my performance the first week, and the technical failures that ensued. I had gone in excited and expecting, not expecting a win or anything, just expecting a smooth performance and hoped to get most of my shots off.
This week, I went in just hoping for a better shoot than the last one….
SUCCESS!!!
We did a simple shoot from behind cover (cover being a wood board erected to simulate a wall/barrier). 6 shots to the right, reholster, followed by 6 shots to the left. We did this four times at different distances, I think as far out as 40 yds, shooting at Bianchi Cup targets.
I think this is the first match that I might have landed all my rounds on target. And while I didn’t place in the upper crust, I was pleased to place in the middle of the pack – as opposed to the bottom of the barrel.
It was just a joy that everything went smoothly, no technical failures, no human failures. The new holster worked far better than my old nylon one. There is definitely room for improvement, but now my focus is on procedures and shooting (draw, aim, fire, recover, reload, reholster). If I were to lay any criticism on this week’s shoot, it’d be the fact that I didn’t walk away with some dawning revelation to offer my readers as I have done in most of my previous competition nights.
Sorry, this shooting night, I simply learned that there is hope to succeed.
🙂
Recently I realized that I never posted a review of the NRA Basic Home Defense course I took a few months back. I apologize, both for my failure to post a review and for the fact that I do not remember it in as vivid detail. So I will share some of the highlights I do remember.
This was the 3rd NRA course I took at Freedom Armory, and also my favorite. We discussed a fair amount about mindsets. The fact that you need to be prepared to shot. Predators who don’t believe you will shoot will likely attempt to attack you and turn the tables.
We discussed cover versus concealment. What objects in your home can provide limited cover (bookcase) and what merely provides concealment (ie: couch).
I also noticed that my shooting had improved greatly by this class. Even though we did a lot of alternative shooting. We shot from around and behind a wooden board. We shot in the dark/low light utilizing flash lights (which was really cool and insightful). We also did some experimenting with point of aim at short ranges. Where our instructor had us mis-use the sights, angle the gun until we couldn’t see the front sight because it was too far to the side or too far up or down. And how we still hit the target and very short ranges. This was insightful. While it was clear that using the sights is far more accurate. At a mere couple of yards all of our shots were on target. We also did speed drills where we were to bring up the pistol rapidly and fire as soon as we saw the front sight on the target.
It was also the first time I had an opportunity to use my laser sight; during the low-light shooting. I must say, it enabled me to put a round right in the center of where the head of the target would be.
The Winter League will kick off Tuesday,
January 20th at 6:00PM!
The League will meet designated Tuesdays from 6:00-8PM.
1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, and 2/24
League course of fire, type of handguns allowed, scoring system, and prizes will be discussed with League Coordinator, Chuck.
FEES:
EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:
Centerfire 5” or less, duty/carry guns, NO optics or lasers, hip holster that covers trigger, at least 2mags or speedloaders, IDPA Guidelines. Non-League participants are not required to have a hip holster.
COURSE OF FIRE:
Course of fire will be reviewed prior to going into range and prior to start of shooting cycle once in position. Six different Courses of Fire randomly assigned.
***
League winners determined by the best four of the six scores weekly scores.If time allows, League participants may choose to drop their current score and re-shoot the week’s course of fire for an additional $20.00 fee.
League prizes will be cash pay out.
For More Information contact Freedom Armory
Today was to be the monumental day of my very first competitive shooting experience.
On Thursday night I left work early. Drove from Lancaster, PA down to Glen Rock, PA. I arrived at Freedom Armory at 6:30pm. I decided to pay the league fee as well as the entry fee for the given competition. So the total cost was $45 ($25 league/$20 event). The way the league works is thus; there will be six shoots. And your four highest scores will count as your league rank.
After paying it was off to the waiting area. I got a bit of an idea what to expect from chatting with the other participants and those running the event.
First off, the question must be asked… “Why compete?”
Competition is a good way to simulate a higher stress environment for testing and training one’s accuracy, action patterns, and safe handling. As well as evaluating one’s equipment and the arrangement of that equipment.
Going into this, my main purpose has been to learn. In particular, learn those areas which I need to study and train. I have never done anything like this in my life; it is a completely new experience for me. I have a decent firearm and four magazines but I am woefully lacking when it comes to additional equipment. I have a holster, but it’s a cheap $20 “Uncle Mike” clone with a slot for one extra mag.
So it was off to the competition. And truth be told, I had a pretty rocky start. My initial difficulty was in the basic concepts of readiness. I assumed “standby” meant wait at ready. I then found myself having not loaded up. The second mistake I made in the first course was I drew when the target started to move downrange instead of waiting for it to turn. Ooopss!!!!
The first course of fire required 12 rounds. I was shooting a Ruger P-345 which is a single stack .45 ACP (8+1). I was also informed that we would be shooting what people were referring to as “Virginia Rules”. You would be penalized points for any extra shots fired. I had four magazines but I only brought two onto the range with me having decided to load my first magazine to full capacity and my second magazine to 1/2 capacity (4 rounds) for a total of 12 rounds. My thought being that such would prevent me from shooting too many rounds.
I had decided to claim a DQ on myself due to this first course of fire. I figured I had 5 more shoots and only needed my best four to count. Alas, such would not be the case. The machinery on my firing lane went on the fritz on the next couple courses. The result, I was going to have to reshoot in the next group. Truthfully, this worked out very well for me. When I went in the second time, I now had a much better understanding of how the competitive system worked. Commands. What actions I was supposed to do when. Now, as soon as a course of fire was over, I was reloading and placing my firearm in the holster ready for the next course of action.
Approximately 1/2 hour later, it was all over. And I was getting my target scored. I shot a lot better than I actually expected. Scored a 196 out of 240. I had 41 out of 48 possible shots on target. If I recall correctly, I had 9X’s (or center/bullseye hits). While not likely to be competitive for the top positions, which was not my goal, it does provide me with a decent standard upon which to compete against myself . What was important is what I have learned from the experience:
***
After the competition, and the scoring of my target I chatted with to Chuck, who was running the event. Chuck also happens to be the instructor that I took the NRA courses with. He commented on a number of areas of struggle he saw. No condemnation, just encouragement, guidance and sharing of his wisdom. In particular the aspect of the safety/decocker. But he also made a comment on comfortability, and recognizing that I’m not fully comfortable with all these aspects as of yet – and that it was okay.
When he said this, I think he truly hit the bullet on the primer. As all of this is VERY new to me. I’ve been a gun owner for about 1 and 1/2 years now. I’ve had a carry permit for 6 months. And there is a certain acceptance that one must make at each level of readiness. Some will say you should this, you should that. I am of the opinion that you SHOULDN’T do anything that you’re not comfortable and prepared to do – that’s how accidents happen.
The first night after I got my carry permit and my carry sidearm. I was not yet comfortable to carry. But I really wanted too ever so much! But I was a lone. I had no formal training, I had no “Gunny” friend to show me the ropes, to ride along with…I had to work out my “defense” with “fear and trembling”. So I rode around all evening with my wife carrying an unloaded pistol. (I did keep loaded magazines in vehicle.) Part of me kept thinking, watch…of all nights you’ll get robbed – it’ll be the one night you’re carrying an empty weapon. Thank the Lord, that was not to be the case. Some would say what I did was stupid. But really, was I in any more jeopardy that I had been the rest of my unarmed life? No… and it wasn’t long until I had a magazine loaded in the grip – the very next day. All that said, I am just coming around to being comfortable with the idea of leaving a round in the chamber. We grow in stages and we grow as our experience grows.
What I am very much aware of, and what this recent competition re-affirmed; is that regardless of what I decide, I must train accordingly. And accept the risks and benefits of any given decision.
– N.U.G.U.N.
PS – I also passed out a number of my new mini-cards for the N.U.G.U.N. blog. If you got one, chime in and let me know you’re reading.
For those interested to know what our course of fire was for the evening. I have gotten permission to re-post it here. So the following is the course of fire we shot last night.
48 Round “WARM-UP” PPC MATCH
STAGE #1
7 YARDS, 12 ROUNDS, 20 SECONDS
FREESTYLE
STAGE #2
15 YARDS, 12 ROUNDS, 25 SECONDS
FREESTYLE
STAGE #3
5 YARDS, 2 ROUNDS, 4 SECONDS
FREESTYLE
Repeat 6 times for a total of 12 rounds
STAGE #4
3 YARDS, 2 ROUNDS, 4 SECONDS
STRONG HAND ONLY
Repeat 3 times for a total of 6 rounds
STAGE #5
25 YARDS, 6 ROUNDS, 12 SECONDS
FREESTYLE
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Total number of rounds = 48
Maximum points = 240
Start position = League shooters, gun in holster, all safety devices activated, hands naturally at side.
Start signal = Target turns and is visible.
Stop signal = Target turns and is not visible.
Sportsmen division shooters, gun in two handed firing position, some part of gun or hands touching the table.
Penalties = 5 point deduction for each extra hit (48 maximum) on the target.
Contact N.U.G.U.N.
info@nugun.org
Skype: "N.U.G.U.N."
Twitter: NUGUNBlog
N.U.G.U.N. - New User of GUNs Blog 