ARCHIVE - ISSUE THREE - AUG 2013 FEATURE PICTORIAL - TRAINING - LIFESTYLE - REVIEWS ARCHIVE - ISSUE THREE - AUG 2013
Niki Jones
Editor-in-chief Deano Jones Art Director, Photography Nikki Raye West Coast Correspondent 
On the Cover,
Cover girl Jessa is not only an active duty United States Air Force Captain—she's been selected for promotion to Major, and travels the world as a USAF personnel officer. See more pics from the cover photo shoot! 
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Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone
by Melissa Gilliland
I was raised in the South where it seemed like everyone owned some type of firearm. Being taught from an early age about firearms has helped define who I am today. If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I would be a competitive shooter, I would probably have answered something like, "It sounds cool, but I don't think I'm competition material". It takes breaking out of your comfort zone and taking risks. I didn't want to get out there and be so nervous that I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn! I didn't want to get out there and sustain the typical stereotype that we have all heard of too well. So, I started training and I started training hard. Not only have I been training on the range by putting down some lead, but I have also been doing "classroom" type training. I am so fortunate to have a husband that not only is a well known long range shooter, but he has supplied me with an exorbitant amount of material to study to help me. For me the transition came easy because my husband was into the sport and could help me out. But not everyone has that luxury. That should not impede your decisions to get out there , it should only invigorate you more to find a way to do it. No one expects you to enter your first match fully trained, equipped and win. And no matter what your shooting experience is, you should not set yourself up for that. [Read more] 
by Andrew Tuohy I have the distinct pleasure of being friends with a good number of people in the firearm industry, male and female, from competition shooters to technical experts. While it's pretty common for our personal discussions to stray far from the subject of firearms, many of them have told me stories about rude gun store or gun range employees. After being involved with firearms for a while myself, I too have collected a number of less-than-favorable experiences. I don't think I'll ever forget the time I saw two rental range employees laughing about having talked a small woman into shooting a Glock 27 – a subcompact .40 S&W, and a handful for pretty much any shooter to control. But that was two men having fun at the expense of a woman new to shooting. Surely that doesn't happen to guys, right? Unfortunately, it does. Among other incidents, I've been ridiculed by gun store employees for liking the firearms I was issued in the military. Never mind the fact that their knowledge was nothing more than hearsay and mine came from firsthand use! The simple truth is that some gun store employees treat everyone equally – like idiots. The manner in which they talk down to a woman might be different than the manner in which they talk down to me (not a woman), but they will find a way. For some reason, these people take pleasure in exploiting what they see as ignorance – and they see pretty much everyone except themselves and their small circle of friends as ignorant. [Read more] The Real Deal to Conceal by Alex Griffeth
I woke suddenly to pounding on my door - not rhythmic knocking, but sporadic hits that sounded like someone trying to kick in my door. I rolled over, confused and alarmed, and grabbed my phone. 2am, no missed calls. It definitely wasn't anyone I knew; my friends would have called before showing up at my apartment in the early hours of the morning.
Sleep forgotten, I grabbed my shotgun and positioned myself in the hallway of my small apartment. From my vantage point, I was hidden behind the wall in the shadows, but I had a clear view of the front door. I waited, surprisingly calm, despite the adrenalin coursing through my body. I knew that if the door burst open, I'd pull the trigger to defend myself. While that night ended peacefully, that was the night I realized how much I had changed. Nine years ago, the thought of shooting someone in self defense never would've crossed my mind. I'd never even shot a gun before. [Read More] |
How Big of a Role Does Gender Play in Learning To Shoot?
by Mad Duo
Does gender have anything to do with shooting? Certainly, and not just because boobs tend to get in the way of your rifle sling. We’ll explain. First however, the Mad Duo would like to thank the Sure Shots for asking if we were interested in writing a short article for their official magazine. We didn’t hesitate to agree to jump in. Unfortunately the next day when we talked about it during our daily morning minion meeting (that’s right, daily morning minion meeting) we thought, Just what did we get ourselves into this time, and can we pull it off? We have written for many different magazines and some pretty cool websites before, but we always knew our audience. If you know us or of us, you know that we are two straight shooters (that alone can be a pun in itself) and candid (devilishly handsome) guys. We talk to both proper fightin’ females (hence our ongoing “Fight Like a Girl” series of articles on BreachBangClear.com) and to single dancing moms (the latter being a favorite topic of our male, military- and contractor-audience). In any case, it took a bit to figure out what we were going to discuss, but we ultimately decided on a touchy topic. Why? Well we wouldn't be the Mad Duo if we didn't have some touchy topics. Concealed carry, open carry, the use of deadly force, stoopid shit in the military, fat chicks forbidden to wear yoga pants…we’ll engage it all. So let's kick this pig and get going. Keep in mind this is a significant topic with a lot of aspects to consider. We are only skimming the top. Maybe if we are cool enough, we might get invited back to talk about it some more. Does gender play a role in learning to shoot? Now, this could sound like a touchy subject in this day of ‘Political Correctness’, but it shouldn’t be. One thing you will learn from us is that we are FAR from being political correct (an asshat is an asshat regardless of race, color or creed, and some facts are indisputable). We have all learned things by making mistakes. We have all learned things by being taught how to perform properly. One of the first things that you learn while learning how to shoot is to make sure the gun fits: or that should be the first thing you learn. There are always various interpretations on what that ultimately means. If you have little tiny hands, there might be a chance that you will have problems shooting a Dirty Harry’s gun as your daily carry weapon. If you have huge enormous dick-skinning mitts hands, you might have issues shooting a tiny .380. You need to be able to try a few out before picking what gun you want to train on—in fact you absolutely should tray a few you out before selecting the gun you might want to carry. Anyone who chooses a gun for the purposes of self-defense solely based solely on the opinions of others, without taking more than one style/breed/caliber to a range to try them out, is a dumbass. This is a fact whether you have boobs or balls. [Read more] |
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I am the Warrior by Niki Jones
Warrior Creek Warrior Pack Review
When it comes to women, there's just something about dropped leg holsters. They're sexy. I believe this to be true, and based on the reaction to Carrin on our first Sure Shots Magazine cover wearing a corset and a Hoffner drop holster platform, many others agree! I don't know what exactly it is that makes me feel more badass, and a bit more sexy, when wearing a drop leg holster vs a traditional waist holster. Maybe it's all about silhouette—having your gear on your thigh allows you to maintain a nice waistline instead of bulking it up with a rig, or maybe it just accentuates an hourglass shape. Either way, it's sexy in a badass way. I came across the Warrior Pack by Warrior Creek completely by accident. I was cruising around the internet and just happened to see it, and it caught my eye. I had never seen a purse that strapped around a thigh before. I loved it, and ordered one immediately. When it arrived, I could see it was incredibly well-made. The leather was thick and good quality. The seams were sturdy. The hardware was solid. There were three distinctly different sections. The Warrior Pack can be worn eight different ways, not just around the thigh, which makes it extremely versatile and incredibly innovative. Being able to strap the Warrior Pack to you, whether it's around the waist or thigh, makes it virtually impossible for someone to snatch it. That in itself is a selling point. Another selling point is the bag's design allows you to be hands-free. It also contains a chained card wallet, for credit cards, cash, and ID.
While the Warrior pack isn't solely made for conceal carry, it has two pockets that can be used to hold a smaller-framed carry gun. The third pocket is a flat pocket which sits directly against your body, toward the back of the bag, and wouldn't work as well to hold a gun. I found that clipping a holster inside the front pocket is the best option for me, as it keeps my Walther PPK/S secure and "locked in" the pocket. A magnetized snap keeps the pocket flap closed and the gun secure, yet allows easy and fast access when needed. The position on my thigh is in the perfect place for a comfortable draw. The most surprising thing I found about wearing a "drop leg purse" is how comfortable it was! I didn't feel off balance, and the points where the straps secure to the bag are engineered so that nothing moves or shifts around, even when I didn't have the straps very tight. The response I received while wearing the Warrior Pack was really positive, mostly "Where can I get one?" At the retail price of $245, I think it's worth every penny, and you can get one at www.warrior-creek.com |
