Sure Shots Magazine

ARCHIVE - ISSUE EIGHT - JUNE 2014 COVER - FEATURED PICTORIAL - TRAINING - LIFESTYLE - REVIEWS ARCHIVE - ISSUE EIGHT - JUNE 2014

Niki Jones
Editor-in-chief

Carrin Welch
Associate Editor
Web Designer

Nikki Raye
West Coast Correspondent

On the Cover,
Don't Mess With Texas! Our own Texas born-and-bred Sure Shot Mariesha shows us how to "Cowgirl Up"... and with some weapons to boot!
See more pics from the cover photo shoot!

How a Bad Day Turned
Into a Happy Ending
by Tricia Palmer

The happy and grateful couple

It’s 7am on April 30th, I just exited 130 onto Hwy290 and was praying that whatever came my husband Ron’s way that day that God would give him mental clarity, peace in his heart about his decisions and God’s protection over him. Not what I normally pray for him, but little did I know what the day held.

Fast-forward to 11:55am, Ron calls me and tells me he is being taken by ambulance to the emergency room (ER) because he was shot in the leg. “What?!?!? Are you kidding me? Did I hear you right? I’m on my way!”

I am driving down IH 35, call Ron to verify what hospital he was taken to, he tells me where he is and asks that I get the phone number for Guns Plus in Georgetown. “Why??” I ask. His response: “I shot back.” “What?!?! Are you kidding me? Did I hear you right? I’m on my way!”

As I walk up to the ER, I see the news media setting up cameras. As I walk into the waiting room, I notice that it seems like everyone is looking at me. Do they know my husband has been shot? At the ER, I notice about ten police officers standing outside Ron’s room. Is he getting arrested? Is this standard procedure? IS RON OKAY?!

I get to his room and he is sitting up, but it looks as if all the blood has drained from his face. I kiss him and ask what happened.

Ron explains that as he was walking down the ramp of the parking garage of his huge construction job site, he noticed a worker who had been fired two weeks before walking up the ramp. Ron tells me that it was as if his vision went from peripheral to tunnel and all his focus went to the guy. Mental clarity! After a few words, the guy pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at Ron’s chest. As the guy pulled the trigger, he flinched, and the shot went low, hitting Ron in the leg.

The guy raised the gun, pulled the trigger again and nothing happened. He pulled the trigger again—nothing happened! God’s protection! Ron, a CHL-carrier, pulled out his gun from his front jeans pocket and shot the guy in the abdomen.

So many questions are running through me… Is Ron going to jail? Is the guy okay? Do we need an attorney? Things like this don’t happen to us! I think I am going to pass out, but I know I need to stay strong for Ron.

After talking to Ron for a bit, I realize…. I AM TALKING TO RON! I am not at the job site identifying him… I AM TALKING TO HIM!!! Things could have gone from bad to worse, but God’s protection was on him. Ron knew he had to eliminate the threat that was before him, not only for his protection but for the other workers on the job site. Again, mental clarity.

My chest swells with pride and admiration for this man, this man that I love! People from the job site are calling to thank him. Owners of the companies are calling to say “thank you” to this man for protecting their employees from what could have been a worst-case scenario.

I take Ron home in his throwaway scrubs and crutches and together we watch the news. Newscasters report the shooting on west campus, but also report “this time, the foreman shot back”. Our phone is ringing off the hook, friends realize it’s MY Ron that was hurt. Friends and family come by to see Ron. My heart swells with each instance.

As tears well up in my eyes, the thought occurs to me and I ask Ron, “What could have happened?” Ron smiles at me and says, “We can’t focus on what could have happened, we can only focus on what happened! And, I am here.”

His fortitude, his actions and his calmness in this situation has made me realize that I am honored and blessed to be married to this man. We both realize that when Ron woke up that day, God knew the kind of day he was going to have and sent some extra guardian angels to protect him. And, we are confident in knowing God’s plan for Ron has not yet been fulfilled. Plus, I still have too many years of nagging Ron still in me!

-Tricia Palmer

Say Wha' by Holly Gaylor

Imagine yourself with $1000 in your pocket and you want to buy a gun. Maybe this is your first. Maybe it’s your seventh. Either way, you are ready to drop some money and you need someone to show you some merchandise.

Enter the “difference maker”—the sales guy that can make this a great experience or someone that will take you back to the Stone Age. You’re shaking your head right now, right? You know where I am going. We’ve all been there. Let’s face it, we all have stories that range from mildly disparaging to completely ridiculous. This is so common we could keep adding to this list weekly with new content.

We are part of a movement. More and more women are not only buying guns, but we are doing it ourselves. We don’t need escorts to the gun store anymore. Because of our training, we are walking in the store knowing what we like and what we need. Stores can either get on board, or lose our business. Luckily, more and more shops are training employees consultative selling: Listen more. Talk less.

I asked a few Sure Shots about their previous experiences when buying a firearm: “What were some of the comments or scenarios that made you roll your eyes?” If you are a gun store owner, consider this training material, and never assume your staff won’t “go there”.

"Hey there little lady.” I kid you not. This was said.

“You don’t want to shoot that. That’s too much gun for you.”

“This is your first gun? You should get a revolver. It’s easier to manipulate.”

“This is your first gun? You should get a .380. It has less recoil.”

“Don’t Make Her Mad!” (usually accompanied by a “heh, heh”). We do not consider ourselves loose cannons whipping out our guns when some guy offends us. That’s not what we are about. The first few times we hear this, we laugh it off. About the 100th time we hear it, it gets old. Just assume the woman you are talking with has heard it already.

Salesman saunters to the counter, takes a deep reluctant breath, and exhales, “Can I help you?”

“Who taught you to hold your gun THAT way?” If you feel the need to “critique”, take a look at my target first and decide if I need the unsolicited coaching.

There might be kids in tow. Don’t be put off.

“Oh and this comes in pink and purple.” If I want it, I’ll ask for it.

“Are you shopping for your husband’s birthday present?” Assume the firearm is for me.

(On the same note, when a man and a woman walk up the counter, don’t assume they are there for him. Ask.)

Here are a few tips that will help ensure both parties end the transaction happily—meaning: you make the sale and we get what we came for.

- Non-verbal communication: Look at me while you are talking to me. Do not look around or side to side while speaking. This is dismissive, and tells me you aren’t interested in me or the sale.

- Don’t ignore. If a woman is walking up and down the counter, ask how you can help. Don’t assume she is “killing time”.

- Talk to us as you would a guy (minus bowel movement comments). Relax and be yourself. (Or, if needed, a better version of you.)

- Don’t try to sell me a .44 magnum unless I ask for it. That’s just stupid.

The bottom line: Women shooters train, and with that training comes confidence, and then even more experience with other guns. While we might not know everything about the particular gun we are inquiring about, it is important to always treat us as an equal. Especially because there will come a time (and most likely sooner than later) when we want another gun.

-Holly Gaylor

Be Your Own Best Protector
by Niki Jones

Niki working a SXSW detail.

When my partner in crime Carrin Welch and I were offered the opportunity to obtain our commissions as personal protection officers by a security company we'd been working with called BSG Security Services, we were not only excited at the idea of becoming Personal Protection Officers, but also at the idea of having the opportunity to go through a LOT of new and interesting training. What we didn't realize at the time was that we'd be able to take most of that training and apply it to our daily lives and overall defensive mindset.

To earn a Personal Protection Officer Authorization in the state of Texas, one must already have a Security Commission and then complete an additional course. This course focuses on the legal aspects of acting as a protective officer, assessing threats from as far away as possible and how “Distance is Insurance.” Time is spent learning unarmed combative tactics, use of OC (pepper spray) and overall how to effectively protect a client from harm. Additionally, all PPO’s must have a complete and extensive psychological evaluation called an MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). Yes, it’s official—I’m not crazy!

We spent a great deal of time studying the concept of the Force Continuum and how a person can learn to use the appropriate amount of force in response to any given situation. There are basically five force responses:

Command Presence: Your presence and how you carry yourself

Verbal Commands: Your voice and what you say

Empty Hand: Weaponless skills using only your body

Intermediate Tools: Techniques using tools from pepper spray to batons

Deadly Force: Any force that will likely cause serious bodily injury or death, regardless of if it is with your hands only, various tools, or with firearms.

Our instructors taught us not to consider the continuum as a ladder, requiring each step be taken in progression before moving to the next, but as a set of response options, each available at any time based on the totality of the circumstances.

We spent numerous hours learning and practicing unarmed skills. As Carrin and I had never received any formal instruction like this, it was very interesting to see which techniques and skills worked for each of us. We focused on things that were not necessarily ‘strength-dependent’ and learned skills that would eventually become instinctive to us. We learned how to read an attackers’ movements and look for indicators they were actually preparing to fight as opposed to someone who was just making noise and a scene. We fought against much stronger and much more skilled opponents, and learned the value of never hesitating once you are in a physical confrontation. We practiced focusing on a threat and never turning our backs to an attacker while simultaneously retreating with a client.

As we were going through this, we started realizing how many of the skills applied to everyday life, and were exceptionally useful in increasing our overall safety awareness. Why not take the same approach to protecting ourselves (or our loved ones) that we would take when protecting a client?

When I thought about how I carry myself as a PPO, with my head on a swivel—looking for threats in all directions—I realized that this is how each of us should carry ourselves at all times. We learned how having our head up and constantly scanning will show we are a harder target. We learned that using a commanding voice (not always the easiest things for a female to acclimate herself to) may often be enough of a deterrent to gain compliance from individuals preventing us from our task at hand.

We’ve often heard the adage, “If you look like food, you will get eaten” which reinforces the value of always being aware of your surroundings. More often than not, criminals look for an easy target for their attacks. If you at least ‘look’ as tough as possible, you may well deter the average attack. And if you yell forcefully at someone that insists on approaching you in a manner that makes you uncomfortable, you reinforce an appearance you will fight. You also may help with bringing attention to your situation and possibly creating witnesses—both potentially valuable.

Carrin and I learned how to covertly see if people in a crowd may be carrying firearms, and we learned how to look for the people that were looking for potential targets. We spent time discussing the psychology of people with malicious intent, and how we can look for the outward indicators. We spent hours practicing fighting against both armed and unarmed adversaries. We spent time learning not only how to disarm an assailant, but to draw our own tools and use them effectively – even if we were already in a fight.

We spent time learning how to use barriers to our advantage, like how to plan a path that places vehicles between a possible threat and our protectee to add obstacles to anyone trying to attack. We were taught how to properly use tools such as flashlights and pepper spray to keep threats at a distance. We did all of this while constantly being reminded by our instructors to only to use the proper amount of force from the Force Continuum to accomplish our goals. Much like a CHL holder is taught ‘Only shoot to stop the threat”, we were taught “Only use as much force as required to accomplish your goals”.

While I realize I will never be a hulking, giant man (at least I hope not!) and not suitable for all protective details, there are certainly a number of assignments that female PPOs are well-suited (or even more-suited) for, or as a member of a protective team. The one thing that is constant is that all of the skills Carrin and I learned can be applied to our daily lives, which is the best part of the entire journey.

We feature a rifle from the Sure Shots AR-15 Build Project in each issue.
Here is Sure Shot Michelle W's build, named "Ripley".

Spike’s Tactical Zombie special lower receiver

Jard LE 4lb trigger

DPMS lower parts kit

Heavy buffer

Standard M4 adjustable stock

16” Wilson Bull barrel 1x8” Twist .223

Wylde free float tube single rail gas block

Yankee Hill gas block mounted front flip-up sight with rear folding battle sight

Aimpoint Micro red dot sight