The MagLife

The August 14th ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Duncan v Becerra (the California Magazine Ban) is turning out to be a salutary lesson to retailers, California gun owners, and even the staff at GunMag Warehouse. There is far more to it than what many people might seem. In Episode 168 of The Mag Life Podcast we discuss the vagaries of that ruling, why and how it happened, what we can expect to happen next, and why California Gun Laws should be the concern of every gun owner in every state.

We also address some of the absurdities.

That said, there is a reason for the much-reviled delay that gun owners are suffering through — and it's a good reason.

You may have heard (or even said) something like this: It's unconstitutional? Well then, that law doesn't apply. I can buy magazines!

Wrong.

Counterintuitive as it might seem, it's a Good Thing that we have to wait — because if this was an issue we were against, then they would have to wait. It's about checks and balances, and that is very much in everyone's favor.

There are a couple of things you should remember when you listen to this episode:

We know what a standard magazine is. We use terms like "high capacity", "large capacity", and even "assault weapon" here because that is the language of the court. We are striving for clarity.

Many of the points brought up and discussed came directly from social media comments or questions submitted to GMW HQ by email. If you have questions that weren't addressed, hit us up in the comments below. We'll try to get 'em answered in a future episode.

https://media.blubrry.com/gunfightercast/s/content.blubrry.com/gunfightercast/168-California_Gun_Laws_Questions_Answered_The_Benefit_of_Procedural_Control_and_Delay.mp3

Host: Daniel Shaw

Guest: John Dillon

Intro/Transcription: David Reeder

California Gun Laws

California's Magazine Ban and the Benefits of Procedural Control

Timeline

00:10 Introducing John Dillon

02:00 Challenging California's assault weapon ban.

03:30 An example of current efforts: Miller v. Becerra.

05:00 Explaining how gun control legislation is so often spawned in California.

05:50  Large capacity magazines. Constitutionality, injunctions, summary judgments, and appeals. The original Benitez ruling on common use and strict scrutiny, and why it matters.

09:40 The gratifying support for Californians displayed by customers in other states.

10:30 California's response to the original injunction: the stay granted against buying, manufacturing, etc. (but not owning", "until final resolution on appeal").

When it comes to litigation, courts, and laws, you must adhere to procedures, including (perhaps especially) with regard to a "final resolution" or what is called a "final entry of judgment". That is why the ruling did not immediately make the purchase of LCMs legal. The State of California still has options.

12:00 The ruling has been handed down. Now you can buy magazines again, right? No.

22:00 Why it maybe 90 days or so until the stay is lifted and purchasing magazines becomes lawful.

Procedurally, the August 14th 9th Circuit ruling is not a 'final resolution". California can still file a motion for reconsideration, can seek to have all 11 Ninth Circuit judges review it instead of just 3, or even file a Writ of Certiori, which requests the Supreme Court to consider the case.

25:00 Reminder of why such delays are beneficial. Checks and balances work both ways, which is good for all of us. In fact, this sort of procedural control saved California residents from potential criminal action when the magazine ban first went into place.

31:00 If magazines were successfully purchased during the initial confusion, are they illegal? What are the owners' options? Keep it? Return it?

37:50 Civil action vs. "going kinetic": the excellent example set for all of us by the Founding Fathers.

40:00 Why it's important to support gun owners ...

The so-called "California high capacity magazine" prohibition (aka the LCM or Large Capacity Magazine ban) may be on its way out. But it's not gone yet.

You've been involved in a defensive shooting — ideally a shooting and not a gunfight. What comes after? What should you do post-engagement? Here's a hint: it's not just flipping your head around dramatically in a theatric scan-and-assess. In today's episode, we discuss what to do after. Though important, situational awareness is necessarily different in every situation. However, to develop the proper mindset Daniel presents his system that if used in the course of training will help you prioritize your post-defensive shooting actions. Mindset, mission, purpose, and mental-emotional preparation can help save your life and protect your loved ones. We'll talk about that.

Listen to the podcast, or feel free to jump to a specific topic in episode 166...

Defensive Shooting: what comes next?

02:00 listen to the environment

02:34 what to ask yourself

04:24 access threats

05:37 training awareness

08:40 fighting with no cues

09:45 looking at things not for things

11:23 training in a shoot-house scenario

16:52 mindset focus

18:00 context and discussion: a short story by DS

24:00 comfort in discomfort

https://media.blubrry.com/gunfightercast/s/content.blubrry.com/gunfightercast/166-The_Defensive_Shooting_What_Do_You_Do_AFTER_.mp3

Scan and Assess

Should you scan after a defensive shooting?

2:00 VF says,

"I try not to be dogmatic about (this is what you do [after] every time you pull the trigger), you do this exact procedure.

It's more about trying to find out what the environment is telling me and what the highest priority need is going to be.

The first one is going to be safety, then after that, we look at; do we need to fight more?”

2:34 DS suggests the questions you should be thinking to determine your next priority,

"This threat… does it need more bullets? Is it over? Can I stop shooting to evacuate my child? Is there anything else here that can hurt me?

There’s this idea that you can’t leave the scene and where it came from I don’t know.

It's situational…"

4:24 VF says, "If it’s important enough to shoot, it's important enough to make sure its shot. From there, the tasks are prioritized by the environment…

[Ask yourself] ...what are the highest threats to my safety and what are the avenues to deal with it?

If someone wants to train scans, I’m ok with it, I just encourage people not to do it every single time they shoot."

Mindset: Prioritization

Daniel's mindset priorities:

Does he or she need more bullets?

Is there anything else here that can hurt me?

Am I in the most survivable location?

What's my next problem to solve?

Training, mindset...is way more important than where you look around -VF

5:37 VF says,

"You go to an indoor shooting range, and you got these black ballistic walls that are eighteen inches on each side of your head… you’re essentially training yourself to look at nothing, because you know there’s nothing there, and I don’t support that type of training. I don’t think it's conducive to creating the type of awareness that allows you to prioritize the tasks when you look at the environment."

8:40 DS says,

“I see it all the time where someone doesn’t know what to do, they’re standing in a vulnerable spot, they’re not in a great location, they just had to shot somebody and they’re looking for the next thing to do, and they can’t figure it out because they’re not receiving any cues.

…Third piece of my thought process is; am I standing in the most survivable location? “

Vulnerable civilians are seen panicking to find safety after a shooting took place at this airport in Florida.

9:45 VF says,

"You need to stop looking for things and start looking at things."

Here, a teacher in Arlington, Texas is getting trained to carry a gun in their classrooms, so that if a gunman ever comes to their school they'll be ready to protect their students. The teachers are never told who will be walking through the d...

There are the 4 rules of gun safety, then there's "Advanced Safety". What's that? It's maintaining the 4 rules under stress — especially that of a gunfight.

A shooting during a Austin protest, a negligent discharge in Louisville by an NFAC member, vehicles hitting protesters...you prepared to survive a protest?

In today’s podcast, we discuss all the essentials Varg and I have with us when we're at the range. Our minimum equipment preferences allow us to be safe, prepared, and proactive. Although the contents and brands may vary, we're going to highlight some of our favorite equipment and brands. Hopefully, this will help you prepare for your next training session or range day. And as always, feel free to share your preferred kit in the comments below — and definitely sound off if you think we've missed something!

https://media.blubrry.com/gunfightercast/s/content.blubrry.com/gunfightercast/163-Range_Bag_Essentials.mp3

Podcast Host: Daniel Shaw

Co-Host: Varg Freeborn

Producer and Transcriptionist: Leah Ramsden

 

The following timestamps showcase some, but not all, of the essential topics we cover in Range Bag Essentials: Gunfighter Cast episode 163. 

Range Bag Essentials

1:40   Bag preference  

3:00  5.11 Range Ready -Daniel’s everyday bag

3:51   Trauma kit

9:25   magazine brands

11:45  Vortex impact 1000 range finder

12:00  two sets of eyes and ears (eye protection and hearing protection)

12:30  Outdoor range preparation

14:20  high dexterity and thick gloves

16:00  fix-it-sticks

17:30  cleaning kit, lube & rag

18:26  flashlight

18:47  duct tape

20:30  shot timers

23:37  sharpie

24:45  ear protection

26:40  notebook

28:57  water and protein snacks

29:00  Targets

29:49  backup gun

32:50  D-Lead wipes

35:00  staplers

3:05 For his everyday range bag, DS suggests,  

“I use the 511 Range Ready 43L. It’s got great compartments. I don’t use every compartment in it [due to] the way they’re designed, but I’ve always found it to be a very good range-bag. It’s taken a beating throughout the years and it’s held together and hasn’t fallen apart, so I’ve been really impressed with it for a very long time  

Ok so you have your favorite bag, maybe you have a more than one... next step:  

 

Your Range Bag: how to beef it up

If you’re going to the range and you don’t have a trauma kit and at least two tourniquets, I’m not so sure that you’re prepared to be on the range -VF

3:52 DS Says, “For a trauma kit, [I have] one on my gear, one on my body, one on my belt and one in my bag that comes out and stays near us wherever were doing training at that time. I usually have one on me, maybe two [at all times]. If I’m in my car I have a trauma kit, If I’m at home we have three kits placed in three different locations throughout the house… So, we do like our trauma kits in the Shaw family.”

In an emergency situation, seconds matter. You want to be prepared to help yourself and those around you with a fully equipped trauma kit. Here is an example of Varg's Emergency Bleed Compact kit equipped with a CAT7 TQ that fits into the bicycle frame bag perfectly.

6:14 DS Consensus says, “The most likely people to save lives in a mass casualty event are the on-scene responders, the people who’re right there, fumbling through the medical kits and [using the lessons] they’ve done [through] a basic stop the bleeding course… Keep your skills up and practice it, [because this is what will save lives].”  

Magazines   

9:20 DS Says, “If I’m training with myself, I am not very picky about what magazines I use… if I’m shooting a Glock for example, I’m using Glock factory mags, BUT, if I’m going to the range, I have no problem with running some KCI, some ETS, even some SGM tactical, pro mag, some magazines we know are not the highest in quality…there are some magazines that just work better than others. Encountering a problem with your gun that you didn’t create, that you didn’t know was coming, is definitely a training opportunity.”  

Range Finder: Vortex Impact 1000

I was using for a long time – a vortex impact, under $300 bucks, great little range finder, accurate up to 1000 yards, I had good success with that. -DS 

Snivel Gear

Prepare for the Weather

Functional fitness is an oft-used term, but what does it me an? And how does it apply to the self-defense minded person? That's the topic of Episode 162.

Home defense advantages: realistically, what are they? Pragmatically, what can you do to create them? Is there a "home field advantage"? Listen and learn.

Off body carry usually refers to the carry of a concealed firearm in an "off-your-person" location like a purse or a backpack. The method has pros and cons, which we'll discuss in this episode.

Episode GC-124: talking with Erik Utrecht from Michigan Defensive Firearms Institute about the aspects of a good firearms training class.No matter what role you may fill in a firearms training class, this episode is valuable to students and instructors alike.