5 Key Truths About Using Lethal Force in Self Defense

The general idea of defending yourself with lethal force may seem pretty simple on the surface, but there’s a big difference between the general idea of defending yourself and the specific circumstances surrounding an act of self defense.

A lot can go wrong when you use a gun to defend yourself. It’s not about what you do as much as what you can “prove” to authorities when they show up to investigate why there’s a dead body on the ground.

The Brutal Reality of Armed Self Defense in the Real World

If you think you’re prepared for armed self defense just because you’ve seen it on TV and in the movies, you may be in for a horrible surprise.

It is almost NEVER like the movies. In the real world when your life is on the line, or your family is seconds from being killed, self defense is fast, brutal, and terrifying!

Imagine this …

Gun Control 1957: The Same Old Story

by Larry S. Moore

A local reader gave me a number of copies of the old Ohio Conservation Bulletin a few years ago. At that time I glanced through them but laid them aside. Recently, I got them out for a closer look.

I found fascinating information about the history of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the conservationists, writers and issues from sixty-years ago.

How to Avoid Negligent Discharges - Part 2

by Sean Maloney

In part 1, I shared the rules of safe gun handling and the first of three incidents demonstrating how following these rules can help you avoid negligent discharges, which can be legally perilous. In part 2, I'll go over the second two incidents.

How to Avoid Negligent Discharges - Part 1

by Sean Maloney

I recently received three phone calls from gun owners who experienced negligent discharges. This prompts me to remind us all about the importance of  fundamental rules of gun safety.

I will not get into the pending legal implications for each case. I want to focus on safety. Thankfully, there were no injuries in any of the three incidents, but that was just blind luck.

What does the Miranda warning really mean? SHUT UP!

The Miranda warning, sometimes referred to as your Miranda rights, is a warning police give to criminal suspects after they are taken into custody.

The purpose of the Miranda warning depends on whether you are the law enforcement officer or the suspect. From a suspect's point of view, it is to remind you that you have a 5th Amendment right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. From an officer's point of view, it is to help preserve the admissibility of your statements in a criminal proceeding.

7 Top Information Resources for Gun Owners

There was a time not so long ago when good information on firearms and self defense was hard to find. But today, with about a billion websites and other online resources, there is so much information, it's hard to know where to start.

To be a responsible gun owner, it's important to stay up-to-date with current events and current advice on these issues. So here are 7 top resources for information of interest to gun owners.

Hollywood gets it wrong on holster carry

This article was originally published at Buckeye Firearms Association.

by Dean Rieck

If you were to believe what you see on TV and in the movies, the only people who carry a handgun in a holster are cops. Everyone else just shoves their gun into their pants or pocket. But like so many other things, Hollywood is more wrong than right about holsters.

Are you crazy to carry a gun…or crazy not to? 

by Dean Rieck

Recently, a friend of mine said that people who want a gun for protection are just plain crazy. My friend’s argument was that you’re a lot more likely to die in a car accident or a fire. The likelihood that you’ll be killed by a burglar who breaks into your home or a hoodlum who jumps you in a dark parking lot, my friend said, are about the same as getting struck by lightning. So thinking you need a gun means you’re afraid of an unlikely event and are therefore irrational.

Learn More about Police Through Your Local “Citizen Academy”

by Dean Rieck

Like many Americans, I've been following the national discussion about policing for many years. But I question whether this “discussion” benefits anyone.