With gun ownership on the rise, training classes arrive in Southern California

Gun ownership is on the rise, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and gun sales in California and elsewhere in the United States rose before the Obama administration took over.

Are you among the newly armed?

If so, you might consider attending any of a series of "First Shots" live-fire safety and training courses being offered Saturday at  Angeles Shooting Ranges in Lake View Terrace, and Burro Canyon Shooting Park in Azusa.

The events, sponsored by the NSSF, are scheduled for 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Angeles, and at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Burro. An additional course is scheduled at 8 a.m. Sunday at the Orange County Indoor Shooting Range in Brea.

Participants will learn about proper shooting techniques, safe handling and storage, but also about gun laws and how to go about purchasing handguns.

The NSSF says there are 1.5 million active handgun target shooters and about 1.3 million rifle target shooters in California. The trade group also states that gun purchase background checks in California surged to about 73,000 in November, and to about 77,000 in December because of concerns over the new administration's stronger stance on gun control.

For registration details, click here.

--Pete Thomas

Photo courtesy of the National Shooting Sports Foundation

Comments

[DeBunkTheMyths]

"Just what we need, more guns on the streets. Pretty soon everyone will be armed and there will be shootouts at Starbucks over misunderstandings, people cutting in line, and empty threats. America deserves every single gun-related murder and tragedy that happens to Americans because they are stupid and indifferent to changing the law and enforcing stricter gun control considering there are 300 million cowards in the USA calling themselves a society. Every time a shot rings out, an innocent child is shot, drug gangs kill over money, its all part of America, a pretty sad commentary on the country that calls itself the worlds most civil, but is actually the most savage. BANG! Are you next?"

This is the same rhetoric used to avoid the most basic facts. Copied from the same people who seek to disarm America.

What ARE THE facts?

Criminal ALWAYS arrive at the scene of the crime FIRST. When you can CHANGE that FACT, then you can talk about BANNING the rights of self-preservation. Until then, cops weigh about 180 pounds more than a firearm. I will choose the lighter of the two.

It was the same rhetoric used in Florida when that state determined that it would be safer to allow citizens to exercise their constitutional rights. FACT: Very few Concealed Carry permitees have ever been arrested for misuse of a firearm.

By far, we are upstanding citizens who would prefer to walk away from trouble rather than get involved in the taking of someone's life. When faced with the ulitmate threats of gross bodily injury or death by another's hands, a cell-phone has proven usless time and time again. Ask anyone who has been mugged, attacked by an ex or a stalker, or had a home invasion to name a few. What about those at a local massacre where firearms were prohibited by law, yet the nut with a gun (not gun-nuts, we are just collectors and enthusiasts) shows up and everyone is easy prey? Virginia State...? Had ONE person been allowed to carry concealed, the outcome would have been different.

Banning all guns only affects those of us who are law-abiding citizens. We will be let defenseless. (If you want to defend yourself with a cell-phone, that is YOUR choice, don't make it mine by decree!)

Stricter gun laws do not affect those who are already banned by their felonies from posession. No criminals have gone into gun shops for a background check. The laws already in effect prevent any FFL from delivering a firearm to a prohibited person.

The black market only grows with each attempt at disarming America. The black market exists because of the porous borders with our Southern Neighbor and other reasons too long to go into.

Folks like yourself who are scared to death from the news reports of criminals using firearms in crimes worry that anyone with a firearm is a criminal. The Brady Bunch would have you belive that all firearm owners are criminals. Read the accounts of when a firearm was used to defend successfully against a threat. A real threat to life.

We are not criminals or lunatics. Get to know the truth. Here is a link to at least educate yourself on the truth..Not what someone rams down your throat through the media.
http://www.nssf.org/legal/index.cfm?AoI=LL

D. Bunk.

[Jon K.]

Jerry,

"Thousands of felons will be released soon, with very poor chances of getting a job."

That is something I had not thought about, but you've got a point.

The way California's prisons are organized is a crime in itself. The people do not come out "reformed", but scarred and less able to cope in society... often for crimes where the only person they hurt were themselves.

Sad.

[Jerry]

Gun ownership is increasing, not only because of Obama and his appointee's record on gun control, but also due to the economy.

Criminals and gangs are armed, no matter how many laws there are that prohibit it.
With the shootings in the news, many of the violent criminals involved are out with only a slap on the wrist because they are prosecuted locally, so go through the revolving door court system, where the statistics look good, and the prosecutor gets another "notch" on his belt, and looks like he is accomplishing something. Instead, the criminal should have been sent to be prosecuted in federal court, where serious time is automatically added to the sentence for using a gun in the commission of a crime.

With California's mismanagement of it's budget (even those that voted for "change" seems to have voted these same incumbents in), cutbacks in law enforcement have been announced. Services will be reduced, and to cut prison costs, many felons will be released "early".

Thousands of felons will be released soon, with very poor chances of getting a job.

Like many people, I would prefer to have a gun in the house to protect my family, especially when I am on hold with 911 (consolidated statewide in Martinez), waiting for the next available call agent, and then waiting for them to determine which city police department to dispatch an officer from. Considering traffic, traffic lights, etc, the nearest police station is 20 minutes away from my residence. What is the response time in your area under realistic conditions, and how does that compare to ideal conditions?

If you think this is a bad idea, what alternate do you suggest? Do not reply that if you just give them what they want, they will leave you alone, because in many robberies, the victim is shot AFTER the criminal gets what he wants.

[Arietta Sollini]

Just what we need, more guns on the streets. Pretty soon everyone will be armed and there will be shootouts at Starbucks over misunderstandings, people cutting in line, and empty threats. America deserves every single gun-related murder and tragedy that happens to Americans because they are stupid and indifferent to changing the law and enforcing stricter gun control considering there are 300 million cowards in the USA calling themselves a society. Every time a shot rings out, an innocent child is shot, drug gangs kill over money, its all part of America, a pretty sad commentary on the country that calls itself the worlds most civil, but is actually the most savage. BANG! Are you next?

[Jon K.]

Vernallis,

Yes, I used to play with the band, Clyde. You can ask Pete Thomas for my email address if you'd like.

[vernallis]

jon kavulic? did you once play with klyde?

[Mike Sullivan]

Some of you guys are really media fed imbeciles. If I had an inferiority complex I would NEVER have bought a revolver with a 2 inch barrel.

[Jon Kavulic]

Travis/Michael,

You guys sound like gun nuts!

I bet you sent your posts from your bunker. You prove my point.

[Travis]

You don't have to be paranoid to know Obama and the libtards are out to get you.

[michael loehrer]

It's a revolution. When it happens in California you have to know somethings up.

[Jon Kavulic]

So I was at a local watering hole recently and a person came in whom I am somewhat familiar with and I asked him how he was.

He told me that he just bought himself a case of bullets because "this Obama guy is doing a lot of things that scare me."

I said, "Oh yeah?"

And he said, "Yeah! I think there's going to be civil war within the next couple years."

I've heard this kind of lunacy from LOTS of gun owners in my lifetime.

I know a lot of gun owners are responsible intelligent individuals who just love to hunt or want to protect their home if something horrible happens, but...

There are also a sizeable number of gun nuts out there who are paranoid lunatics with massive inferiority complexes.

I'd personally estimate the number to be around 20-30% of gun owners. I know it's a minority, but it's a SIZEABLE minority.

It makes gun ownership to be really distasteful.