Tuesday, September 07, 2004
A call to arms--help insure the sun sets on the AWB
This is it! The final week of the ill-conceived "assault weapons" ban. Get on the phone today (Tuesday) and make your view on this issue known. It's late in the fourth quarter, and we're ahead by 28. But as any New Orleans Saints fan knows, this is no guarantee of victory. We cannot let up right now, especially considering the all-out assault that the anti-gun lobby will unleash this week.
To help ensure a steady flow throughout the day, I suggest that we stagger our calls.
If your last name begins with:
A - F: call between 9:30am - 11:00am eastern time.
G - L: call between 11:00am - 12:30pm eastern time.
M - S: call between 12:30pm - 2:00pm eastern time.
T - Z: call between 2:00pm - 3:30 eastern time.
Of course, this is merely a suggestion... don't fret if you can't call at your "designated" time. Just call at whatever time you can! Make these phone calls Tuesday, and Wednesday too if you can.
You can easily obtain your elected officials' contact info here:
http://www.capwiz.com/nra/dbq/officials/
In addition, call the White House and state your opposition to renewing the ban. 202-456-1111. Though President Bush has expressed support for the ban in the past, he has not pushed Congress to pass a renewal, largely due to US. Take this opportunity to politely remind him of how important this issue is to us.
Forward this to everyone you know, and let us leave no doubt in the minds of our elected officials as to just how unpopular this gun ban is!
http://www.awbansunset.com
http://www.awbansunset.com/forums ¶ 3:01 PM 4 comments
To help ensure a steady flow throughout the day, I suggest that we stagger our calls.
If your last name begins with:
A - F: call between 9:30am - 11:00am eastern time.
G - L: call between 11:00am - 12:30pm eastern time.
M - S: call between 12:30pm - 2:00pm eastern time.
T - Z: call between 2:00pm - 3:30 eastern time.
Of course, this is merely a suggestion... don't fret if you can't call at your "designated" time. Just call at whatever time you can! Make these phone calls Tuesday, and Wednesday too if you can.
You can easily obtain your elected officials' contact info here:
http://www.capwiz.com/nra/dbq/officials/
In addition, call the White House and state your opposition to renewing the ban. 202-456-1111. Though President Bush has expressed support for the ban in the past, he has not pushed Congress to pass a renewal, largely due to US. Take this opportunity to politely remind him of how important this issue is to us.
Forward this to everyone you know, and let us leave no doubt in the minds of our elected officials as to just how unpopular this gun ban is!
http://www.awbansunset.com
http://www.awbansunset.com/forums ¶ 3:01 PM 4 comments
Cromwell PD switching to G-22s
CROMWELL, CT. -- Police are requesting new service weapons, after a series of mechanical malfunctions that have raised concerns about officers? safety -- and the safety of the public.
The department currently uses Smith & Wesson 9 mm handguns. But Police Chief Anthony J. Salvatore said those weapons are now nearly 17 years old. "You?ve got to understand that we fire hundreds of rounds every year. And over 17 years that adds up to thousands of rounds."
In recent test firings and qualification shootings, Salvatore said, police have been experiencing some mechanical malfunctions -- including one weapon that failed to fire.
"If, God forbid, one of our officers was called upon to utilize his or her weapon in a real-life situation, we don?t want to have that weapon malfunction," the chief said.
In light of those malfunctions, "our firearms instructors made a request that we need to start looking at new weapons." Last year, Salvatore said, "I gave them the responsibility to look into the situation, and they did an outstanding job."
Not only did they prepare a 21-page report for the chief, they also compiled a nearly two-inch thick compilation of background information.
He identified the officers as Sgt. Roy Nelson, then-detective and now Sgt. Louis Tobias, and Officer Jonathan Mantel, who also serves as the department?s armourer.
As a result of an intensive review of the matter, the department proposes spending $31,549 to purchase Glock Model 22 .40-caliber pistols.
The purchase price for the guns, which use a 15-round magazine, also includes holsters, pouches for extra magazines, ammunition, and training in the use and handling of the new guns.
The department has presented its proposal to the Capital Expenditures Committee, and is awaiting additional review from the Board of Finance.
Nelson said the officers were driven to act after seven of the department?s weapons experienced malfunctions on the range, including one "that failed to fire on the first shot." Other weapons failed to extract, or eject, or to feed a new round.
Those malfunctions could be overcome by drills that could teach the officers how to handle a similar malfunction. But with a weapon that fails to fire, Nelson said, "This type of malfunction, occurring on the street, could potentially cause an officer to be severely injure or killed."
The types and number of malfunctions "are unacceptable for a front-line handgun," Nelson added.
Mantel said there is another, more basic problem: Smith & Wesson no longer manufacturers the department?s current service weapon. Consequently, it has become harder to find replacement parts.
But beyond that, the science and technology of gun-making has changed dramatically in the nearly two decades since the department first ordered the current guns, Mantel suggested.
"We are not just looking at replacing a weapon," Mantel said, explaining, "There is new technol-ogy out there, and the way they are manufactured is much more advanced. There are less parts and easier maintenance, which saves time."
Mantel said the Glock has "50 percent" fewer working parts than the current S&W weapons.
Salvatore said the three officers "identified 13 weapons, including everything from 9 millimeters to .45 caliber automatics." The officers "test-fired all the weapons, and then turned around and evaluated all of them" in seven categories, including comfort/feel, sights, trigger pull, recoil, and weight.
Nelson said all the weapons were manufactured by three makers: Glock, Sigarms, and Smith & Wesson. The guns were rated a scale of 1-5, with one the lowest and five the highest. Glocks took the first three places.
The Glock is of Austrian design and manufacture. In a testament to the thoroughness of the re-port presented by the three officers, Nelson even included a brief history of the company, which was founded the Gaston Glock in 1963. In the early 1980s, the company moved into gun manufac-turing at the behest of the Austrian government. Shortly afterwards, Glocks were offered for sale to American police departments.
Nelson said a number of area departments have acquired the Glock, including West Hartford, Rocky Hill, and Glastonbury.
In his report, Nelson spoke to a number of firearms instructors, including James Noonan, a master firearms instructor who is a full-time instructor for the state police. He called the Glock "the most reliable" of all the firearms that have come through the Municipal Police Academy.
Underscoring the seriousness of the issue, Mantel said, "If an officer goes to his firearm, it?s because it is needed." ¶ 2:29 PM 0 comments
Middletown Press (Aug 29)
CROMWELL, CT. -- Police are requesting new service weapons, after a series of mechanical malfunctions that have raised concerns about officers? safety -- and the safety of the public.
The department currently uses Smith & Wesson 9 mm handguns. But Police Chief Anthony J. Salvatore said those weapons are now nearly 17 years old. "You?ve got to understand that we fire hundreds of rounds every year. And over 17 years that adds up to thousands of rounds."
In recent test firings and qualification shootings, Salvatore said, police have been experiencing some mechanical malfunctions -- including one weapon that failed to fire.
"If, God forbid, one of our officers was called upon to utilize his or her weapon in a real-life situation, we don?t want to have that weapon malfunction," the chief said.
In light of those malfunctions, "our firearms instructors made a request that we need to start looking at new weapons." Last year, Salvatore said, "I gave them the responsibility to look into the situation, and they did an outstanding job."
Not only did they prepare a 21-page report for the chief, they also compiled a nearly two-inch thick compilation of background information.
He identified the officers as Sgt. Roy Nelson, then-detective and now Sgt. Louis Tobias, and Officer Jonathan Mantel, who also serves as the department?s armourer.
As a result of an intensive review of the matter, the department proposes spending $31,549 to purchase Glock Model 22 .40-caliber pistols.
The purchase price for the guns, which use a 15-round magazine, also includes holsters, pouches for extra magazines, ammunition, and training in the use and handling of the new guns.
The department has presented its proposal to the Capital Expenditures Committee, and is awaiting additional review from the Board of Finance.
Nelson said the officers were driven to act after seven of the department?s weapons experienced malfunctions on the range, including one "that failed to fire on the first shot." Other weapons failed to extract, or eject, or to feed a new round.
Those malfunctions could be overcome by drills that could teach the officers how to handle a similar malfunction. But with a weapon that fails to fire, Nelson said, "This type of malfunction, occurring on the street, could potentially cause an officer to be severely injure or killed."
The types and number of malfunctions "are unacceptable for a front-line handgun," Nelson added.
Mantel said there is another, more basic problem: Smith & Wesson no longer manufacturers the department?s current service weapon. Consequently, it has become harder to find replacement parts.
But beyond that, the science and technology of gun-making has changed dramatically in the nearly two decades since the department first ordered the current guns, Mantel suggested.
"We are not just looking at replacing a weapon," Mantel said, explaining, "There is new technol-ogy out there, and the way they are manufactured is much more advanced. There are less parts and easier maintenance, which saves time."
Mantel said the Glock has "50 percent" fewer working parts than the current S&W weapons.
Salvatore said the three officers "identified 13 weapons, including everything from 9 millimeters to .45 caliber automatics." The officers "test-fired all the weapons, and then turned around and evaluated all of them" in seven categories, including comfort/feel, sights, trigger pull, recoil, and weight.
Nelson said all the weapons were manufactured by three makers: Glock, Sigarms, and Smith & Wesson. The guns were rated a scale of 1-5, with one the lowest and five the highest. Glocks took the first three places.
The Glock is of Austrian design and manufacture. In a testament to the thoroughness of the re-port presented by the three officers, Nelson even included a brief history of the company, which was founded the Gaston Glock in 1963. In the early 1980s, the company moved into gun manufac-turing at the behest of the Austrian government. Shortly afterwards, Glocks were offered for sale to American police departments.
Nelson said a number of area departments have acquired the Glock, including West Hartford, Rocky Hill, and Glastonbury.
In his report, Nelson spoke to a number of firearms instructors, including James Noonan, a master firearms instructor who is a full-time instructor for the state police. He called the Glock "the most reliable" of all the firearms that have come through the Municipal Police Academy.
Underscoring the seriousness of the issue, Mantel said, "If an officer goes to his firearm, it?s because it is needed." ¶ 2:29 PM 0 comments
Yuma County using super FATS firearms simulator
Yuma County Probation Officer Anita Salisbury shot an enraged armed man who was threatening to kill his former manager.
With her partner Martin Mendez providing cover, Salisbury had ordered the man several times to drop the handgun but he wouldn't, so she fired her 9 mm sidearm through the glass office window. The man fell to the floor as the glass shattered and the terrified manager ran to safety.
Salisbury and Mendez did everything correctly ? by the book, so to speak ? and the good news is no one actually got hurt.
The heart-pounding, adrenaline-charged deadly confrontation was a computer-driven video projection that took place recently in a training room at the Yuma County Juvenile Court Detention facility. The 9 mm pistols she and Mendez used were real Glock semi-automatics specially rigged to a compressed air tank and a computer, simulating the recoil and snap back of the slide each time they squeezed the trigger.
"I'd rather make my mistakes here than out on the streets," Salisbury said.
In less than 15 minutes, Salisbury and Mendez were facing down a suicidal fat man with a handgun who was sitting on the loading dock of a shipping company. The distraught man put the pistol to his right temple and appeared as though he were going to kill himself, but Salisbury talked him into putting the handgun down and peacefully surrendering.
"Your heart's pumping and you've got the stress level up there. It just doesn't get any more realistic than this," said Mendez, an adult probation supervisor.
Starting this month, 17 juvenile probation officers will go through the same training using the Firearm Training System, a high-tech $60,000 unit, said George Owens, Yuma County Juvenile Court training instructor.
Purchased in July, the system known as FATS, which utilizes digital video discs, teaches more than marksmanship ? it teaches officers to be observant and how to use good judgment, and it enables them to experience the physical stress one's body feels during high-risk situations.
"When you're talking about situations, you don't know what's going to happen. You have to react," Owens said.
The scenarios vary and the instructor is able to change the outcome of each based on the officer's reactions, Owens said.
The officers are not limited to the simulated sidearms. The training system also allows them to use a can of pepper spray or a flashlight, both of which are outfitted with laser-emitters.
Use of the simulator also saves money and time when it comes to teaching marksmanship, Owens said. Instead of coordinating additional time at an outdoor shooting range and expending live ammunition, officers can polish their marksmanship skills on the virtual shooting lanes and targets on the simulator, Owens said.
The company that makes the simulators, Firearms Training Systems Inc., is based in Georgia and reported $71.9 million in sales this year, according to Hoover's Online, a business research Web site.
The company also makes simulators for military training and counts among its clients the armies of Australia, Singapore, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Marine Corps and law enforcement agencies throughout the nation and the world, according to Hoover's.
¶ 2:26 PM 0 comments
Yuma Sun, (Sept. 5)
Yuma County Probation Officer Anita Salisbury shot an enraged armed man who was threatening to kill his former manager.
With her partner Martin Mendez providing cover, Salisbury had ordered the man several times to drop the handgun but he wouldn't, so she fired her 9 mm sidearm through the glass office window. The man fell to the floor as the glass shattered and the terrified manager ran to safety.
Salisbury and Mendez did everything correctly ? by the book, so to speak ? and the good news is no one actually got hurt.
The heart-pounding, adrenaline-charged deadly confrontation was a computer-driven video projection that took place recently in a training room at the Yuma County Juvenile Court Detention facility. The 9 mm pistols she and Mendez used were real Glock semi-automatics specially rigged to a compressed air tank and a computer, simulating the recoil and snap back of the slide each time they squeezed the trigger.
"I'd rather make my mistakes here than out on the streets," Salisbury said.
In less than 15 minutes, Salisbury and Mendez were facing down a suicidal fat man with a handgun who was sitting on the loading dock of a shipping company. The distraught man put the pistol to his right temple and appeared as though he were going to kill himself, but Salisbury talked him into putting the handgun down and peacefully surrendering.
"Your heart's pumping and you've got the stress level up there. It just doesn't get any more realistic than this," said Mendez, an adult probation supervisor.
Starting this month, 17 juvenile probation officers will go through the same training using the Firearm Training System, a high-tech $60,000 unit, said George Owens, Yuma County Juvenile Court training instructor.
Purchased in July, the system known as FATS, which utilizes digital video discs, teaches more than marksmanship ? it teaches officers to be observant and how to use good judgment, and it enables them to experience the physical stress one's body feels during high-risk situations.
"When you're talking about situations, you don't know what's going to happen. You have to react," Owens said.
The scenarios vary and the instructor is able to change the outcome of each based on the officer's reactions, Owens said.
The officers are not limited to the simulated sidearms. The training system also allows them to use a can of pepper spray or a flashlight, both of which are outfitted with laser-emitters.
Use of the simulator also saves money and time when it comes to teaching marksmanship, Owens said. Instead of coordinating additional time at an outdoor shooting range and expending live ammunition, officers can polish their marksmanship skills on the virtual shooting lanes and targets on the simulator, Owens said.
The company that makes the simulators, Firearms Training Systems Inc., is based in Georgia and reported $71.9 million in sales this year, according to Hoover's Online, a business research Web site.
The company also makes simulators for military training and counts among its clients the armies of Australia, Singapore, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Marine Corps and law enforcement agencies throughout the nation and the world, according to Hoover's.
¶ 2:26 PM 0 comments
Monday, September 06, 2004
Missouri gun users go out of state for CHPs
When Jackson County refused to issue concealed-weapons permits this summer, Peter Blake-Ward saw an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
Since June, the Arizona gun instructor has come to Kansas City twice, teaching a $100 weekend course that can get all of his 50 students ? even those from Jackson County ? concealed-weapons permits.
The catch: The permits are from Utah.
For years, gun owners have gotten such out-of-state permits, which allow them to carry concealed weapons in other states while traveling or doing business.
But now, hundreds are using those permits to circumvent Missouri county sheriffs' offices that are not yet issuing their own. Because residents of one county cannot get licenses from another county, they get the next-best thing: a license from out of state, legally recognized in Missouri.
Linda Davis is one such Jackson County resident. Davis, who lives in the inner city but said she grew up around guns in the country, took Blake-Ward's class in late August.
Davis said that 10 years ago she didn't fear catching the bus to come home from work after dark. But lately, she said, ?these criminals have gotten a little bolder.?
?A woman out alone, she wants to be safe,? said Davis, who never thought she would own a gun, let alone have a concealed-weapons permit.
Now that she wants one, Davis said she hasn't appreciated the tack Jackson County has taken.
?I want to do it the right way,? she said. ?So why are you punishing me? Because I'm a chump who doesn't want to go to jail.?
Although the Missouri Supreme Court in February upheld the concealed-weapons law, it deemed the law created an unconstitutional ?unfunded mandate.?
When the state legislature recessed in May without fixing the problem, sheriffs were left to decide whether they wanted to wait or go ahead and process permits.
?It's a tough one because it's a Catch-22,? said Jim Vermeersch, executive director of the Missouri Sheriffs' Association. Facing potential lawsuits from both pro- and anti-gun groups, sheriffs didn't know what to do, he said.
But one by one, they started to issue permits, with Clay and Platte counties joining the majority in July. Now, only the city of St. Louis and four counties ? including Jackson ? still won't issue permits until the law is clarified.
In the meantime, hundreds of Jackson County gun owners have joined the nearly 1,300 Missourians with permits or pending applications in Florida and the 2,500 with Pennsylvania permits.
By comparison, 11,469 have applied for permits from Missouri.
As of early August, a little more than 300 Jackson County residents held Florida permits or had applications pending. The total was roughly 125 in Clay, Platte and Cass counties. Utah does not track permits issued to Missouri residents.
?We're not looking to subvert the Missouri statute,? Blake-Ward said. ?But the people in the counties where they are not issuing feel frustrated.?
People like Derek A. Ward, a Jackson County resident who is vice president of the Western Missouri Shooters Alliance.
Ward has been shooting since he was a Boy Scout and said he carries a gun for the same reason other people carry car insurance.
?Having it and not needing it is a lot better than needing it and not having it,? he said.
Ward has nonresident permits from Florida and Pennsylvania, which allow him to carry his Glock 27 with him everywhere in Missouri, even though he doesn't have a state license.
?Jackson County's failure to issue these permits will not stop a single person from getting a concealed weapon,? Ward said.
It hasn't stopped the dozens rushing to Sugar Creek authorities to have their fingerprints taken ? a requirement for Florida mail-in permits.
Sugar Creek Police Chief Herb Soule said that since March he has seen an average of half a dozen Jackson County gun owners a day come in to get their prints taken for the Florida permits.
Soule said he supports issuing permits, which would bring revenue to the county and some oversight for local departments.
But more than that, Soule said he believes Jackson County residents should have the same rights as other Missouri citizens and other Americans.
?Forty-seven states in this country have some form of concealed-carry, and the sky hasn't fallen? there, he said.
But Jackson County officials say the reason they are not issuing permits has to do with money, not morals.
?We have the will. We just don't have the way right now,? Jackson County Sheriff's Capt. Phil Moran said.
Moran said it would cost the county up to $150,000 to hire the employees needed to process the several thousand applications he is expecting. Under the law, departments are allowed to charge fees only for equipment and training, not for staff or processing.
But the burden on Moran's department may be diminishing by the day, Ward said.
?The longer it takes Jackson County to issue, the smaller those numbers (of applicants) are going to be,? he said.
Ward won't be one of them. Though he planned to get a Missouri permit as soon as he could, the delays have left a bad taste in his mouth. Ward said he doesn't see himself shelling out more money now that he has nearly $200 invested in his other permits.
Moran did not say how much Jackson County would charge for permits, though the law allows each county to charge up to $100.
Florida charges $117 and Pennsylvania charged only $20 before March, when it stopped issuing permits to Missouri residents without in-state permits.
It isn't just costs that vary from state to state, however. It is also training requirements.
While Missouri requires an eight-hour gun-safety course, people seeking Utah permits need only a three-hour class with no range time. Pennsylvania had no course requirements.
That inconsistency can translate into problems for law enforcement officials, Vermeersch said.
?Consistency is what you need. You need to have everybody marching to the same tune,? he said.
Blake-Ward agrees, but he said that most of his students have prior firearms instruction and only are taking his class for the license requirement.
Blake-Ward still sees a market in Missouri, and he will be back in October for another round of courses.
?I've gotten a very positive response,? he said. ?I'm very happy to do it.?
¶ 4:50 PM 0 comments
Kansas City Star (Sept. 6)
When Jackson County refused to issue concealed-weapons permits this summer, Peter Blake-Ward saw an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
Since June, the Arizona gun instructor has come to Kansas City twice, teaching a $100 weekend course that can get all of his 50 students ? even those from Jackson County ? concealed-weapons permits.
The catch: The permits are from Utah.
For years, gun owners have gotten such out-of-state permits, which allow them to carry concealed weapons in other states while traveling or doing business.
But now, hundreds are using those permits to circumvent Missouri county sheriffs' offices that are not yet issuing their own. Because residents of one county cannot get licenses from another county, they get the next-best thing: a license from out of state, legally recognized in Missouri.
Linda Davis is one such Jackson County resident. Davis, who lives in the inner city but said she grew up around guns in the country, took Blake-Ward's class in late August.
Davis said that 10 years ago she didn't fear catching the bus to come home from work after dark. But lately, she said, ?these criminals have gotten a little bolder.?
?A woman out alone, she wants to be safe,? said Davis, who never thought she would own a gun, let alone have a concealed-weapons permit.
Now that she wants one, Davis said she hasn't appreciated the tack Jackson County has taken.
?I want to do it the right way,? she said. ?So why are you punishing me? Because I'm a chump who doesn't want to go to jail.?
Although the Missouri Supreme Court in February upheld the concealed-weapons law, it deemed the law created an unconstitutional ?unfunded mandate.?
When the state legislature recessed in May without fixing the problem, sheriffs were left to decide whether they wanted to wait or go ahead and process permits.
?It's a tough one because it's a Catch-22,? said Jim Vermeersch, executive director of the Missouri Sheriffs' Association. Facing potential lawsuits from both pro- and anti-gun groups, sheriffs didn't know what to do, he said.
But one by one, they started to issue permits, with Clay and Platte counties joining the majority in July. Now, only the city of St. Louis and four counties ? including Jackson ? still won't issue permits until the law is clarified.
In the meantime, hundreds of Jackson County gun owners have joined the nearly 1,300 Missourians with permits or pending applications in Florida and the 2,500 with Pennsylvania permits.
By comparison, 11,469 have applied for permits from Missouri.
As of early August, a little more than 300 Jackson County residents held Florida permits or had applications pending. The total was roughly 125 in Clay, Platte and Cass counties. Utah does not track permits issued to Missouri residents.
?We're not looking to subvert the Missouri statute,? Blake-Ward said. ?But the people in the counties where they are not issuing feel frustrated.?
People like Derek A. Ward, a Jackson County resident who is vice president of the Western Missouri Shooters Alliance.
Ward has been shooting since he was a Boy Scout and said he carries a gun for the same reason other people carry car insurance.
?Having it and not needing it is a lot better than needing it and not having it,? he said.
Ward has nonresident permits from Florida and Pennsylvania, which allow him to carry his Glock 27 with him everywhere in Missouri, even though he doesn't have a state license.
?Jackson County's failure to issue these permits will not stop a single person from getting a concealed weapon,? Ward said.
It hasn't stopped the dozens rushing to Sugar Creek authorities to have their fingerprints taken ? a requirement for Florida mail-in permits.
Sugar Creek Police Chief Herb Soule said that since March he has seen an average of half a dozen Jackson County gun owners a day come in to get their prints taken for the Florida permits.
Soule said he supports issuing permits, which would bring revenue to the county and some oversight for local departments.
But more than that, Soule said he believes Jackson County residents should have the same rights as other Missouri citizens and other Americans.
?Forty-seven states in this country have some form of concealed-carry, and the sky hasn't fallen? there, he said.
But Jackson County officials say the reason they are not issuing permits has to do with money, not morals.
?We have the will. We just don't have the way right now,? Jackson County Sheriff's Capt. Phil Moran said.
Moran said it would cost the county up to $150,000 to hire the employees needed to process the several thousand applications he is expecting. Under the law, departments are allowed to charge fees only for equipment and training, not for staff or processing.
But the burden on Moran's department may be diminishing by the day, Ward said.
?The longer it takes Jackson County to issue, the smaller those numbers (of applicants) are going to be,? he said.
Ward won't be one of them. Though he planned to get a Missouri permit as soon as he could, the delays have left a bad taste in his mouth. Ward said he doesn't see himself shelling out more money now that he has nearly $200 invested in his other permits.
Moran did not say how much Jackson County would charge for permits, though the law allows each county to charge up to $100.
Florida charges $117 and Pennsylvania charged only $20 before March, when it stopped issuing permits to Missouri residents without in-state permits.
It isn't just costs that vary from state to state, however. It is also training requirements.
While Missouri requires an eight-hour gun-safety course, people seeking Utah permits need only a three-hour class with no range time. Pennsylvania had no course requirements.
That inconsistency can translate into problems for law enforcement officials, Vermeersch said.
?Consistency is what you need. You need to have everybody marching to the same tune,? he said.
Blake-Ward agrees, but he said that most of his students have prior firearms instruction and only are taking his class for the license requirement.
Blake-Ward still sees a market in Missouri, and he will be back in October for another round of courses.
?I've gotten a very positive response,? he said. ?I'm very happy to do it.?
¶ 4:50 PM 0 comments
