Check out this great video package from Al Jazeera about our rising numbers:

Click here to view the embedded video.

See full post here.

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There is a lot of bad stigma out there about gun enthusiasts. Everybody seems to assume that we are egotistical rednecks with an eagerness to shoot someone. The sad part is, this stigma came from somewhere (yes, a segment of the shooting community) , and many gun enthusiasts are not helping to correct it.

It’s really no wonder that he anti-gun people think we do not value human life. When so many people wear gun themed tee shirts with distasteful slogans, it in no way helps our cause to deflect this stigma, it instead deteriorates it.

It takes 37 muscles to frown, 17 to smile and only 3 to pull the trigger” (from Cafe Press)

“Welcome to Florida Duck Mother F***er” (from mosh-pitt.com)

“Kill ‘em all, let God sort ‘em out” (from tees_and_trinkets on ebay)

“If you can read this, you’re in range” from Cafe Press

“This is my peace symbol” (from Cafe Press)

“Heavily armed and easily pissed” (from Cafe Press)

(from cafe press)

“Warning, Trespassers will beshot. Survivors will be shot again.” (from Cafe Press)

“15 reasons to kiss my ass and one in the chamber” (from Cafe Press)

“Too Many Assholes and Not Enough Bullets” (from Cafe Press)

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE: http://packingpretty.com/2012/05/04/thoughts-on-the-popular-stigma-surrounding-gun-owners/

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Niki Jones shooting with her all-women league, the Austin Sure Shots.

than two years later she would be making waves on national TV as a featured guest on the Discovery Channel show American Guns.

I spoke with Niki as well as Renee and Rich Wyatt, the proprietors of Gunsmoke, the shop around which American Guns is based, and got a little insider info on the behind the scenes story as to how the whole thing went down.

So here is how it all started: As much as Niki loved her beautiful Snow Queen (that is the name of the white AR-15 that she built herself), it was time for a change. “All of the Sure Shots share guns and several of us have AR-15s. I wanted to bring a gun back to the girls that we could have some serious fun with,” she says.

Niki, Rich and Renee

As you may have seen on previous episodes of the show, Rich loves a deal. He truly enjoys the negotiation aspect of his job and he is very very good at it. Renee is charged with keeping the books at Gunsmoke and makes sure they get the most out of every deal. According to most of the customers who have been through Gunsmoke, Rich is a pretty tough negotiator. But when Niki Jones comes to town, all bets are off.

Rich recalls the process:

“Niki came in and she had her AR-15 platform gun, The Snow Queen, and wanted to do a deal with it to upgrade to a .308 AR-10 to get to 1000 yards and to beef it up a little. We looked it over and discussed the deal. ”

How was the negotiation process for you?

“Brutal! I didn’t stand a chance out of the gate. I have my  wife who normally wants me to get a good deal and now she wants me to *make* the deal. I really should have just gone home,” Rich says with a laugh.

So what role did Renee play in this sale?

“I was stepping on riches foot behind the counter!” she says. “It was an emotional transaction for me. Niki reminds me of me. She is a huge proponent for many women in the industry. We have this girl power thing going on. Niki was an atypical Gunsmoke customer in that she came from a long distance and she is a women and she knew what she wanted. She was very committed the entire time. Her focus was right on target. I could tell that this group, the Sure Shots, is one that I would like to do more business with. Niki is an amazing chick. She is beautiful, smart, articulate and a serious badass. I knew from the beginning

Rich showing Niki the ropes on her new AR-10.

that we wanted to work with her in the future and I did not want to lose this deal.”

“So after we agreed on the deal we got the gun going and Kurt did the engraving and added a few more accessories,” Rich explained. “We built a gun for her that she could do anything with. To top it all off, we set up a huge course of fire for her. I have to say I was very impressed with Niki. A lot of guys could not have done what she did with that course. At the end there was huge finale and, though I don’t want to give away too much if you haven’t seen the episode, I can tell you the grenade launcher was involved. She was awesome.”

So what was Niki’s assessment of the Gunsmoke crew?

“They could not have been nicer. Renee and I have kept in touch. I really look forward to shooting with them again someday soon.”

Congrats to you, Niki, for making ladies in the industry look good! And kudos on those negotiating skills. We can’t wait to hear how you like the NEW version of the Snow Queen!

Tune in for American Guns Wednesdays at 9:00pm ET/PT.

Niki in action with the Sure Shots.

Niki Jones is a badass. Just sayin.

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The cast of NCIS:LA

rated and most popular shows in the *world*, will feature the creation of the lovely Mrs. Lisa Looper. I caught up with Lisa today to hear the story of the way it all went down.

“A few months ago we got a call from the props department of the show. They said that the creator of the show had seen the Flashbang and wanted to use it in an episode. From what I understand, he saw it online and said, That holster is perfect for TV!”

In tonight’s episode, Kensi, one of the lead actresses on the show played by Daniela Ruah, is serving on a neighborhood watch and uses the holster to draw her Sig P238 during a confrontation.

I got a hold of one of the prop masters on the show and he told me that everyone on set loves the Flashbang.

“It is a great product and the people behind it were wonderful to deal with,” he raved. “It worked really well for us and it became the hero of the scene.” (“Hero” in movie speak refers to the object of focus. In English this means the holster got some good screen time.)

So how did Lisa feel when she got the call from CBS?

The Flashbang

“I was totally blown away. I don’t think I really believed it until they called back asking for more holsters so they could film the second episode,” she says.

The second episode Lisa refers to is coming up next week in the season finale. During that episode you can catch the Flashbang as two of the main characters walk in to a store where clerks are restocking the holsters. It seems TV land can’t seem to keep these things in stock. Isn’t it funny how art imitates reality?

Keep up the great work, Lisa! Congrats on your accomplishment.

If you miss tonight’s episode, you can always catch it online here.

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Earlier this week, I decided it was time. Time to take my curiosity and desire of shooting into my own hands. I’ve loved shooting

The lovely and talented Miss Hope.

ever since riflery class in summer camp back when I was 10. But unless it was camp, or a guy friend of mine who owned guns and
could take me out, I didn’t have a clue where to go. Or what to do. And I was scared. And felt stupid. And years passed in between shooting, so every time felt like the first time.

“Can you just go to a shooting range with no knowledge of guns?” I asked myself . “How will I know what to do?” “What if I feel like a total idiot?” “I wish I could find some guy to take me out and show me what to do.”

This has always been the situation. I’ve always wanted to rely on guys or someone else to show me how to do something that I want to know, but I’m scared about. And this time, that’s where I decided to change the story. I decided it was time to take on the
responsibility myself. I want to learn dammit…and I’m GONNA, whether you’re with me or not.

So I clicked around and did some research and found Girls With Guns (http://www.gwgsi.com/), who had a beginner’s handgun course FOR ladies, taught BY ladies. SCORE!

Amazing instructors at http://www.gwgsi.com/

Easy…right?

Well, it scared me still. “What if I sucked?” “What if I was intimidated at the range?” And all those messages replayed in my mind like a record. I woke up in a panic the day after I bought the ticket for the course, and daydreamed about how I was going to call in
sick. And this continued up until the morning, when I went to the range.

But I did it…and this is what happened after:

It was 2 pm, on a sunny but not too hot Sunday afternoon. I pull out of the range parking lot, on to a windy road, and then finally to the main road that led to the 210 freeway. Country music on. Windows down. And I could not have felt more…ALIVE.

For the past four hours, I had been at a beginner’s handgun course. Taught for women, by women. The instructors were two police officers. Nice, charming, funny, and totally badass. The rest of the girls that were there ranged from a trio of sisters who all owned their owned guns and had gone shooting with their husbands many times before, to the Australian woman who had never seen or touched a gun and was kind of scared them.

Sally getting her shoot on with Girls With Guns Shooting Industries.

By the way…this woman was the best shot of the entire day.

We shot 9mm, a .357 revolver, and a 12 gauge shotgun. We learned safety, and proper handling, and proper shooting. And I learned more that one day than I had ever learned in all my other times shooting – combined. And I felt grateful for this class, and proud of myself for going.

Leaving the range that day, all I could do was picture my future revolver sitting in my car. Shiny. Nice. In it’s case. Feeling badass. Feeling feminine. Completely competent. Unafraid.

And as I was driving along, wind in my hair, smile on my face, I realized I learned four things from this experience:
1) Guys aren’t the only ones who can teach you how to do things that guys normally do.
2) Don’t rely solely on others for your happiness. Must take matters into your own hands.
3) What you want, wants you, and there is always a way to find what you need.
4) Shooting guns, and being safe about it, is totally awesome.

What are your beginner shooting stories? What was it like the first time you went to the range alone? What life lessons have you learned from shooting? Leave a comment below and share your stories.

From one Gun Girl to another…I salute you.

Sally Hope, The Unconventional Traditionalist, is a Blogger/Love and Life Coach who loves hot-pink lipstick, guns, crosswords and cowboys. A former Rockstar (http://youtu.be/jpgCAkSHxNQ), she has taken her show from the stage to the road by traveling around the US in an RV while coaching her clients and inspiring people to live their own Rockstar Lifestyles. Her latest obsessions include traveling, country swing dancing, motorcycles, LOVE, chips and salsa, and adventuring. Whatever it is you are wanting in your life, she will help you get there faster. You can find her at her website (http://sallyhope.com) or her Facebook page (http://facebook.com/xosally) Twitter (http://twitter.com/sallyhopesays) or getting ridiculous on her YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/sallyhopesays)

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Here we go!

As you may know, the famed Taurus Judge is not legal where I live in California because it qualifies as a sawed off shotgun and those are a big no-no in CA. It is, however, legal in Indiana where the Prepper Chicks and I had the pleasure of spending a little time this week. The kind folks at the Indy Trading Post let me borrow their Judge to shoot in their range. Here is what happened next:

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Get ready for new face of gun owners

By John Romano, Times Columnist

This is not a CCW class. But it is fun.

They stood side by side, staring intently at the iced tea jugs resting on the ground in front of them. The teacher. The widow. The student, the homemaker and the businesswoman.

It is a Saturday afternoon, and they are among more than two dozen people who have paid $50 to be here. To watch videos, listen to instructors and feel safer than before.

For just a few moments, it is virtually silent. And then comes an explosion of thunder as they begin raising pistols and blasting away at the doomed jugs before them.

• • •

Debra Butler, 53, was a virtual gun novice before showing up with her husband, Chuck, for the class. The Butlers own a wholesale plant nursery, and the neighborhood is suddenly seeing more transients than a few years back.

A couple of convenience stores down the street had been robbed recently, and Debra was a little uncomfortable about being in the office alone. Even though her husband has owned guns, Debra finally decided it was time for her to be able to defend herself.

“Before I got there I was pretty nervous, but I was impressed by the number of women there,” Debra said. “By the time it was done I thought, ‘I can do this.’

“It wasn’t a power trip or anything like that, it was just good knowing I had the knowledge to handle myself if anything were to happen.”

The overwhelming majority of concealed weapons permits still belong to men in Florida. In particular, middle-aged men.

But one look at the folks gathered at the Wyoming Antelope Club, and it’s probably fair to say that the demographics are changing.

So forget what you may have thought because it isn’t all rednecks and bikers. It isn’t all weekend warriors and criminals. It isn’t all machismo and ego.

The next person you run into carrying a concealed weapon may be your neighbor.

John Romano can be reached at romano@tampabay.com.

Read full article here: http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/concealed-weapons-class-reveals-the-new-face-of-gun-ownership/1227497

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Natalie & Cam Edwards at the NRA booth.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Here is my photo album from the weekend:

Me, Karen & Kim of Women’s Tactical Association. These chicks never cease to inspire me!

NRA has a Wine Club. Who knew?

Got my Marilyn - the newest holster from the creator of the Flashbang.

Caught up with the lovely Jessie Harrison-Duff at the Hornady Booth.

Checked out the Ruger SR-22. Dying to get one of these little guys.

Family simulator shooting. I loved seeing the little girls watching their mom. This was one of my favorite things to see at the show.

Got a little quality time with Kim Page at her Packing in Pink booth. Her new items are fantastic. I highly recommend picking up a few things from her.

Watched The Nuge and his family sign autographs for charity. Did you know he gives away all of the cash from signings to help kiddos and soldiers families?

Shemane Nugent is adorable! Beautiful lady inside and out.

Picked up a new hat at the Beretta booth. The always have such great merch.

Watched the lovely Lisa Looper (Mrs. Flashbang herself) take the NRA show by storm.

The Grand Finale and a night that I will never forget: meeting some of the wives of the men in SEAL Team 6. These ladies are heroes in their own right. It was an honor to spend time with them.

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Me and my brand new AR! (photos courtesy of Joe Meaux and Steve Jobs.)

The building process.

This is the amazing barrel I got from Legion Firearms. You *must* have one of these. The honeycomb/hex cut lightens the barrel significantly. Also keeps it cooler than your average barrel. It is genius.

Joe found a great stock that just happens to have enough room for a tube of lipstick. They say it is for a battery. I say beauty products. Agree to disagree.

Welding practice! Anything on this scrap metal that looks pretty was done by Flem. The rest was my doing. It was a first attempt. Don't judge

Side view. Not quite the finished product yet, but isn't it pretty?

As you may have seen on the show, I recently had a opportunity to build my first AR-15 with the guys at Red Jacket Firearms.  The whole crew was super welcoming, as usual, but this time around I got some technical help and a new gun out of it.

I have to send an enormous thank you out to Andrew at Vuurwapen Blog who did a LOT of pre-build tutoring to help me prep for assembling my first AR. Also, the wonderful team at Legion Firearms who filled my last minute rushed order to get the super cool hex barrel  to me in time for my trip to Louisiana.

There was a lot of behind the scenes fun that you didn’t get to see because of time constraints, but these photos will fill in the gaps.

Joe was a huge help to me in getting everything put together. We had a few squabbles about details including the length of the handguard, sight options, the stock and a front grip. Joe wasn’t always happy with my choices and his judgement won out on more than one piece of the firearm.

Next step: putting a little Duracoat finish on it. Not sure what color yet but I am definitely thinking glitter. This gun is gonna sparkle! I will keep you posted. For now, check out this little collection of photos.

Front view.

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