I didn’t even need to read the story to know what happened.FAIRFIELD, Conn. A Connecticut man said he was reaching for his wallet to pay his restaurant bill when he shot himself in the buttocks Friday night.Police said Michael Southmayd, 56, of Bridgep…

Last week Virginia Governor McAuliffe vetoed a bill designed to protect victims of domestic abuse. The democrat politician was more concerned over the danger to the abuser than the victim. This week he continues his attacks on law-abiding Virginia citi…

I escaped for a visit to the indoor range on my lunch break today. As I walked up to the door at the range, the proprietor was outside enjoying a smoke, he nodded and simply said, “Lane 14.” I headed inside and started shooting without a delay.

Doing my room scan, I saw one couple a few lanes over that seemed to be doing more talking than shooting. Interestingly a couple other folks came in after I started, but I heard very little shooting from them either.

Like the last couple visits, I started out shooting while gripping a flashlight. I’ve been trying out a few different grip methods during the past couple of range visits, and I think I have a preference now. I’ve held the flashlight while shooting in a lighted range, and I’ve done dry fire with the flashlight in a dark basement. It will will be interesting to put them together in an upcoming “in the dark” match.

Some SHO and WHO shooting was next on the agenda. A few magazines later I know I still need to give some attention to developing that skill. The afternoon practice session closed out with some 20 yard slow fire.

I’ve increased my “standard” indoor session round count from 100 to 150. Now that it’s a bit warmer outside, the range is more comfortable inside, so it’s easier to stay longer. I’m still constrained by time, but the afternoon in the office is always more pleasant after this short diversion.

The monthly IDPA match at Cavalier Rifle and Pistol Club was held this past Sunday. This month’s match kept  the “winter hours” and didn’t start until 10:00 so I even got to sleep in a bit on Sunday morning.The first stage of the match had us sitt…

With the longer days, and still cool evenings, Thursday presented an opportunity to enjoy some time around the fire pit. We enjoyed an early dinner and then decided to head outside. The fire was going strong as the sun set gave way to a starry night sk…

Plans for a full vacation day on my birthday yesterday fell through, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy the day.

I had blocked off a chunk of my calendar in an attempt to avoid anyone scheduling for me something. I used some of that freedom to visit the indoor range for an hour. I had the place to myself for most of the time, which is always an added bonus. I started out shooting a few magazines through the M&P Shield. A friend had kindly adjusted the poorly installed sights and I was anxious to try it out. Success! I might actually shoot some BUG matches later this year — though I’m now without an excuse for any poor shooting.

I next switched to the SIG P226 for more trials at shooting while holding a flashlight. I changed my method from what I used before and was quite pleased. Now I’m holding the light under the trigger between my two middle fingers. It feels much more stable, though the grip on the gun is a little odd. I will still need to practice reloads in dry fire.

For general practice I decided to do the 50 round Julie Golob drill at 15 yards. I was quite pleased with that drill, shot at a relaxed pace. Finally, I moved the target all the way out and did some slow shooting at 25 yards. No low hits this time. It was very difficult to see my beige IDPA center repair target against the beige cardboard hanger. At least I could somewhat make out the black aiming point in the center.

When I got back to the car after shooting, I noticed a text message from Colleen. She had been shopping again. I truly enjoy these messages from her.

When my work day ended, we went out for an enjoyable meal. Naturally, the meal included some tasty beers. We enjoyed a couple hours sitting at one of our favorite bars and just talking. Frankly, I feel that life’s been moving at a fast pace recently, so it was especially satisfying just to relax with Colleen for a while.

All good things must come to an end, but the birthday treats hadn’t ended yet. There was a specially labeled delivery left at the house as well.

One can’t fight getting older, but we can certainly celebrate marking another year on the calendar.

This month’s IDPA match at Rivanna Rifle and Gun Club was held on the indoor ranges due to poor ground conditions left by the past week’s snow and rain. I was actually hoping that would be the case as I haven’t shot an indoor match in quite some time a…

Last week I received an email from Peacemaker National Training Center in West Virginia with some disturbing news. A neighbor of the range, in Virginia, has filed a nuisance complaint against the range. As a result a judge has ordered Peacemaker to turn over the private information of anyone who has ever shot there. Here is an excerpt from the notice sent out.

Despite numerous motions and requests to reconsider, and numerous mediation efforts with the plaintiff, the court has ordered PNTC to produce the below documents and other private records under a “Protective Order.” Under this order, the plaintiffs and their counsel are legally permitted to access the following information: 

– All member files
– All waivers from any person who has accessed PNTC, to include all law enforcement,
federal agency personnel, military personnel and foreign military personnel names
– All shooting competition files and lists
– All training information and lists
– All customer waivers
– Identities of all persons who have used PNTC ranges
– All ATF & NFA records (to include Forms 4473 and ATF bound book information)

I’ve only shot at Peacemaker National Training Center once, and that was for the West Virginia State IDPA match held there last June. I recall I provided my full name and contact information to Peacemaker, and they may have information on the firearm I used as well. What makes this especially troublesome is that there is no reason that the complainants need the personal information of Peacemaker customers, other than for future harassment. I’ll be watching this case as it unfolds.

You can read the entire announcement from Peacemaker here. Also, there are discussions on the West Virginia Citizens Defense League and Peacemaker Facebook pages.

Spring has sprung. There’s still some cold weather ahead, but it’s not too optimistic to say we’ve turned the corner. Not a minute to soon for my tastes.Soon, there will be more late afternoons on the range, time for good beer on the porch in the eveni…

Ah, Saint Patrick’s Day. Such a confusing day. For the Irish, the day honors a beloved Saint. For many others, it’s a day dedicated simply to green beer and other debauchery. St. Patrick is our parish’s patron Saint, so we’re granted a reprieve from our Lenten penances. As such, we’ll be enjoying a quiet evening at home with some “traditional” Irish-American food and drink. There will be no green beer.

Our family has long had a devotion to St. Patrick. Our admiration was made all the more tangible when we were blessed to take a pilgrimage to the Emerald Isle in 2012. During that visit I was reminded just how much the Irish love Patrick. To honor this day, and St. Patrick’s memory, I’ll share a few depictions of St. Patrick seen during that trip.

The Black Abbey, Kilkenny

Tapestry, Knock Shrine

Ballintubber Abby

Croagh Patrick, County Mayo

St. Patrick Cathedral, Dublin

And finally, since St. Patrick is also our parish patron, one of our church window.

Bishop Patrick