Most people are much better rifle shooters than pistol shooters. Why is that? Well, a rifle usually weights between 5-10 pounds with a trigger pull that is similar in weight, but usually much less. So your AR-15 might weigh 7.5 pounds but it's trigger pull is only 3.5 pounds. This allows the shooter to hold a heavier weapon steady while requiring a very small amount of force to fire it.

Pistols are a different story. You actually have the opposite problem where the gun weight is less than the trigger pull weight. So while your pistol may weight in at 2 pounds, the trigger pull weight is 5.5 pounds. This makes the gun harder to hold steady while you squeeze the trigger, which usually results in poor accuracy.

There are many variations of pistols out there. Some are all steel so they naturally weigh more. Some have custom or extremely light triggers. In any event, there are a few things you can do to counter the problem of pistol weight to trigger pull.

• Add a weapon light
• Add a magwell/weighted magazines
• Practice, Practice, Practice

Most weapon mounted lights only weigh 3-4 ounces but that's an easy way to add 8-15% more weight to the end of your gun. Adding weight at muzzle seems to be more effective for me. Others may benefit from having extra weight near the back of the gun. Which brings us to magwells and weighted magazines.

Magwells and weighted magazines come from the competition world. Their main purpose is to aid in quick magazine changes. The extra weight at the bottom of the magazine helps to ensure the magazine will fall from the gun even if it is released at a angle. The magwell makes inserting magazines easier by guiding the magazine through a slightly larger opening. They are usually made from metal so they add weight as well.

In addition to helping with accuracy, adding weight will also help tame the recoil of the weapon. Weight at the end of the gun will reduce muzzle flip and the shooter will perceive the result as having less recoil. I addition to weapon lights, compensators, suppressors and muzzle breaks are all excellent ways to add weight to the end of a pistol.

I am an obvious gun advocate, but cruising around youtube I found even more videos of people walking around video taping their open carry. Again, I am a gun supporter, but I have to agree with the officers who responded. It just creates too much negative attention. I addressed this several months ago with the article: should I open carry?

The guys shooting these videos are "trying to create awareness for open carry." What they are actually doing is giving the anti-gun advocates exactly what they want to see: crazy gun owners. Open carry simply fuels the fire and gives anti-gun advocates more ammunition (no pun intended) to plead their concerning gun control.

While certain states may have laws permitting open carry, in the end you can go to jail if the police really want to take you. How so? Open carry is legal and how could I be arrested for something that is legal. Simple: disturbing the peace. Nearly every city has a local ordnance supporting a peaceful environment. When 911 gets a call or calls concerning a man with a gun, it's easy to see how that could be viewed as disturbing the peace.

Could an attorney argue your case? Sure, but you would still be arrested and booked. At the end of the day is it really worth creating a scene, being arrested, and creating more negativity towards legal gun ownership? Not to me. This is one of the dumbest encounters I have seen yet regarding open carry:



I can understand why officer Horn and Gibson were upset. Of the 4 of them, I think officer Gibson did the best job of dealing with the situation. The bottom line here is simple: people are scared of guns.

Most gun manufacturers will warranty their guns for at least a year. Sometimes 2 years, and sometimes for life. A lifetime warranty was one of the selling points for buying a very expensive HK hand gun. However, you must consider what it will cost to use that warranty.

Unfortunately, federal law requires that hand guns being shipped by non-FFL holders must be send over-night mail. That will cost at least $25 if your destination is close. If not, you could end up paying $100 (Alaska & Hawaii) just to get it back to the manufacturer. If your LGS (local gun store) will ship it back for you they are permitted to use ground service. This is only allowable from an FFL holder to another FFL holder like a gun manufacturer. More than a few times I have bought the $8 dollar spring with $4 shipping. Sure it cost me $12 but it beats spending at least $25 to send the gun back.

However, many gun manufacturers will also send you the specific part if you explain the problem and they feel you know what you are talking about. Both solutions assumes you are mechanically inclined and can perform the repair yourself. If you have something drastic happen like a cracked frame or malfunction which can't be diagnosed, you will have no choice but to send it in.

A friend of mine purchases a used Berretta PX4 compact. Several times she had light primer strikes which would not allow the gun to fire. Sometimes on the second stike the gun would fire, other times not. I could not figure out the exact cause, neither could anyone who worked there, or the gunsmith. They sent the gun back to Berretta and surprisingly, they gave her an entirely new gun. So under some circumstances it behooves you to send it back...