Situational Awareness

The more you know, the safer you and your family will be.

This does not just apply to whether or not you carry a firearm (or six.)

We are talking about your personal safety. The awareness that KEEPS you and your loved ones out of harms way. I don't know about you, but hearing reports like the rampaging mobs in London, the flash mobs in Philly, Wisconsin and other places, well- it raises a level of concern.


It isn't just flash mob situations that are a concern.

Two months back my sons and I had an encounter in our local mega-mart that had all the potential to be a disaster. Fortunately, we were safe, but I lay that all to honing my situational awareness skills and USING the information that is gathered.

We've all heard about "gut instinct". I'm sure we've all got stories about how your gut saved your hide. That highly tuned sense of SA is a valuable tool when it comes to keeping yourself, your family and home safe.

But how many of us are putting ourselves in needless jeopardy by NOT paying attention? By being distracted at very bad times?

Too many.

Too many people are wrapped up in texting, cell phone conversations, ipods and other electronic brain drains. People, please- as you wander about in the store or on the street, put those things down for a moment. You are distracted while using them, and an easy target.

Criminals look for what?

Easy.
Targets.

Don't be easy. If a Bad Guy wants to confront you, make his job really suck. Be alert- aware. Listen to your gut- if your gut tells you something is not safe or right in a given situation, then get out!


Roughly a week ago in Savannah GA, a 15 year old girl was walking on the sidewalk. Men approached her, driving a van next to her, trying to get her into the van. She used smarts- and she turned into a nearby store and took shelter for a time.


But.

This story does not have the happy ending it could, because the scum bags waited for this child to leave the store, snuck up behind her and grabbed her. They forced her into their van and raped her.


There has been a lot of that type of action going on in and around Savannah lately.


If YOU find yourself in a similar situation, please- take it one step farther. Call 911. Call family members. Call SOMEONE to meet you and escort you where you need to be. Know if there is a back door, and use it. Know alternative exits and routes. Above all else though--

Listen.
To.
Your.
Gut.

Utilize your Situational Awareness.

Stay safe out there.

Why An Action Shoot?

These days, reading the news is just plain depressing. We are bombarded with stories of home invasions, muggings, car jacking, abduction, assault- the list of the bad news is seemingly endless. As a result of this, many people are turning to the purchase of a firearm for self protection and home defense.



They are investing the time in practice. Have planned out how to handle various situations, should something happen.

There is a shortfall though. You can only practice so much on a range- any range- during normal business hours. Being limited to single lane use and having to be stationary will teach you a lot about handling your firearm and how it shoots, but you won't be able to develop your strategies for having to shoot AND move that way. And you surely do not want to shoot up your home to test theories for real world scenarios.

Range Master Matt Harrell and Assistant Manager Joe Scull put their heads together to come up with a solution for this training issue, and Saturday Night Action Shoots were born.



These shoots are not timed nor scored. The range staff study the news and come up with scenarios from real life happenings. Each shoot involves target movement, target identification, shot placement, use of cover, magazine changes and low light settings. Taking advantage of our state of the art range's abilities, the lighting is adjusted and targets are controlled from the Range Booth. This allows for "surprise attacks" by Bad Guys, which really gives you a good feel for how things may happen in real life.

As you arrive and sign in, one of our Range Safety Officers does a Safety Briefing. At which time, all participants eye and ear up, and head out to the range for the first drill. The first drill is a qualifier, involving several elements that allow RSO's to determine the skill level and safety awareness of each participant. After qualifying, each participant works through more scenarios that have been planned from recent events in the news.

The purpose of each drill- from a home invasion situation (low light) to being approached by multiple assailants coming at you from an alley way- is to allow each shooter to get a feel for what it might be like should this ever happen in their life. It provides a better look at how your body will handle situations while you are moving, shows you how to reload on the go, and allows you to expand your defensive skill set. Please Note: This is NOT a training event- range staff is on hand to over see safety and set up the scenarios, but they are NOT providing actual defensive training during the event. If you are interested in defensive training, that can be provided in a one on one setting by qualified instructors. Ask the Range Master for more information.

Sound like something you'd like to participate in? Come on and join us! Saturday, August 13- arrive at the Range by 5:45PM for sign in and briefing.

Patrick's Indoor Gun Range
Highway 80
Garden City GA
912-355-0205

New At Patrick's Indoor Gun Range!

Welcome to the Range!


Plenty of exciting changes going on at the Gun Range, starting with new classes and events.

Several shooters requested an Action Shoot once a month-
we were happy to oblige!

What does an Action Shoot involve?
- Real World settings, including low-light situations
- Shoot and Move tactics

When is it held?
- This month the Action heats up on
SATURDAY AUGUST 13 at 6PM

The basis of the Action Shoots is to improve your skills
for Real World events.
There is no timing, no scores.
Cost is $20 per shooter.
Rentals are available at a separate charge.
Arrive by 5:45PM to sign in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Introducing New Staff!

Shannon Harrell joins the Range staff.

Shannon will be handling all emails, blog updates, Facebook as well as coordinating
events and classes. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please feel free
to email Shannon at gunrangeoffice@yahoo.com

Shannon also holds NRA certifications in Refuse To Be A Victim,
and Pistol.

She is looking forward to meeting you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New At The Rental Counter!

There is always a wide selection of hand guns available at our rental counter.
One of the best things you can do before buying a pistol is to see how you like that make and model.

Currently, our rental listing has 38 semi autos and revolvers.
We also have three long guns:
Chiappa M4 .22LR
AK 47 .22 LR
GSG 5 .22 LR

Handgun rentals are $10
Long guns are $15

There is also a full supply of range ammo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~


New In The Case:
The Springfield XDm 5.25 Competition Series

Springfield has yet to release a price on this fine pistol,
but it has been released to ranges across the country for testing.
Thus far the reviews have been nothing but fantastic.

Featuring a 5.25" match grade barrel, a forged steel slide with lightening cut,
fiber optic front sight and fully adjustable target rear sight,
this sweet shooting 9 x 19mm is turning some heads.

Our Range staff have put this gun to the test-
and thus far everyone at Patrick's has enjoyed it.
Stop in and send a few rounds through it yourself
and see how you like it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coming Events in August:

Saturday August 13,
5:45PM Action Shoot

Thursday August 18,
5PM until ??
Ladies Night


Saturday August 20,
8AM
First Shots


Saturday August 27
5PM until ??
Date Night

We look forward to seeing you on the Range!
Please call 912-355-0205 with any questions.

Patrick's Indoor Gun Range
Highway 80,
Garden City GA
912-355-0205

Or Find Us On Facebook!
First 100 Likes, and we will hold a
one day 10% off firearms accessories sale!

First Gun Review

We have all heard a friend of a friend who has a horror story about Taurus semi-automatics. That reputation in their older firearms was hard to deny. Now they have a new generation of small frame, concealed carry pistols that are a new breed. This short review is on the Taurus PT709 Slimline. Not exactly a new gun but one that I consider a sleeper in the "concealed carry size, full size power" carry pistol. At first glance it is kind of blocky and a little less that stellar in it's shape and form. Don't let the "narrowed block" design get the better of you. It has amazing ergonomics and is actually a comfortable, manageable gun to shoot. The controls are all simple and easy to manipulate. The sights are 3 dot white standard but easily visible and adjustable for windage AND elevation. The 709 has a few safety features that make it a winner as well. It has a visible and tactile loaded chamber indicator and has an *gasp* external manual safety! It also gives you multiple strike capability in case of a bad primer. The trigger pull is a bit long but is smooth with a clean break that can be improved by a good gunsmith. Break down is easy with a simple Glock type slide lock lever system. Maintenance is a breeze and a minimum is required. On the range we were able to get easy 3" groups at 21 ft. using a multitude of 115, and 124 grain range ammo. Recoil is felt but not nearly as powerful as you would expect in such a small package. Using +P ammo the recoil was easily manageable for very fast follow on defensive shots. All in all this little sleeper surprised me quite a bit. But why take my word for it..one of mu customers has run it through a real world combat scenario gauntlet. Here's his email to me about it... "Matt, It is good to hear from you! My team and I are sitting in Dubai waiting to head back to Afghanistan tomorrow morning. I threw some pics in because you wanted em. OH! by the way...that Taurus Slim 9mm I bought from you is the best compact I have ever owned. It's better than any Glock and it has a safety. John Reid". That from a private military contractor in Afghanistan that hunts terrorists for a living.

Marine's Last Wish

We were lucky enough to be able to help grant a Marine's last wish. Rather than try to paraphrase or do a summary I thought it would be better to link to this event from the actual source. I was proud to be a small part of this. Just remember to tell people that it is the pollen making your eyes water. ;)

http://www.georgiapacking.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=56752