Invisible Swordsman
Member
From the Canton (Ohio) Repository, Sunday 1/1/06
http://cantonrep.com/printable.php?ID=261217
__________________________________________
CCW courses more than bang
By DIANA ROSSETTI
CANAL FULTON -- Recently, Warren pizza shop owner Eugene Madill drove to The Firing Line here to take an Ohio-required 12-hour “Carrying Concealed Weapon,” or CCW, training course.
A few weeks ago, he returned to the indoor pistol range to thank his instructors, Joseph M. Slish and Ed Lee, for the instruction that saved his life.
Near closing time Nov. 21, Madill got a delivery order to a high-crime area of Warren. He sent his help home, telling them he would make the delivery.
Arriving at the address, Madill knocked and was met by a person in a ski mask and a hooded sweatshirt.. As he turned to run, he was ambushed by two similarly dressed accomplices who had approached from behind. The trio dragged him into the vacant house and began beating him. Repeatedly, he tried to shield himself from the attack while reaching for his wallet.
That’s when he spotted a fourth person approaching with a knife. “It don’t matter,” he told the victim. “We’re going to kill you anyway.”
Madill then reached inside his jacket and pulled out his 9mm semiautomatic pistol. He shot the knife-wielder and one of the others who continued to beat him. The four fled and Madill called the police from his business, Mr. B’s Pizza. When he returned to the scene with officers, they found no one.
But one assailant showed up later at an emergency room.
And a 16-year-old was found dead in an adjacent yard the following morning, the knife still in his hand.
Madill told his instructors that a prosecutor and detective assured him, “Whoever taught you, taught you right.”
Indeed, he had followed protocol to the letter.
He tried to flee. He endured physical assault in what turned out to be a gang-related crime. And he did not brandish or fire his weapon until he saw his assailant’s.
So shaken was Madill, who now fears threats of a gang bounty on his life, that he plans to sells his shops and return to his New York City home.
“I took it hard knowing he was in the class and the finality of it set in,” said Slish recently. “But I also realize he probably would not have survived that attack otherwise.”
SOLID GROUNDING
The CCW class at The Firing Line is one of many available throughout the state since April 2004 when Ohio became the 46th state to allow its citizens to apply for concealed carry licenses.
Three four-hour sessions provide a grounding in the law, safe-handling instruction and some of the science surrounding gunfire. Participants must pass a written test and qualify by firing 100 rounds on the pistol range where 80 percent accuracy is a requirement.
Slish, the instructor, brought enthusiasm and solid experience to a class of varied backgrounds.
Michelle Sanor, 41, feisty but a mere 5 feet tall, was determined to learn how to safely and accurately fire the .22-caliber pistol that had belonged to her late father.
Ramon Santos, 65, a certified public accountant, had never fired a handgun and was intent on learning.
Marlington Township resident Edgardo Calibag, 51, acquired handgun knowledge in his native Philippines. And it was without rancor that he recalled an anonymous message left at his home telling him to “go back where you came from.”
Soft-spoken Custodio Fabella, 65, who lives in Jackson Township, was, like his classmates, interested in getting a CCW license for self defense.
West Virginia native Earl Beall, 55, brought a lifetime of gunmanship to the class, but sniffed not once at neophytes’ questions. He often returns to West Virginia, camping with family members including grandchildren. His concern is protection from rabid critters rather than human interlopers.
INSTRUCTION FIRST
Slish, whose full-time job is Diebold reliability engineering & product assurance lab supervisor, is a stickler for safety with a deep interest in teaching. No question was insignificant. No opportunity missed to reinforce the basic tenets of gun safety:
In his role as gun instructor, no question was insignificant. No opportunity was missed to reinforce the basic tenets of gun safety:
1. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
Taking aim correctly does not involve the television cowboy style of raising the pistol above the head, then lowering it.
“They did that in the Old West when they were riding and shooting. They had to raise the gun high to avoid shooting their horses,” Slish explained.
Single action. Double action. Semi-automatic. Loading cylinders. Loading magazines.
What’s the difference between a hangfire, a misfire and a squib load?
A hangfire and a misfire often are confused and that can be dangerous.
A misfire is a failure of the cartridge to fire after the gun’s firing pin strikes the primer. A hangfire can be mistaken for a misfire and that can be fatal. In a hangfire, there is a perceptible delay in the ignition of the cartridge after the firing pin strikes the primer. When a cartridge fails to fire, you must keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction and wait at least 30 seconds to see if the cartridge could still fire. If the cartridge does not fire after 30 seconds, it is presumed safe to open the gun’s action to remove the cartridge.
And a squib load? That’s when a fired cartridge issues a weak “poof” sound, indicating it didn’t develop normal pressure or velocity when struck by the firing pin. In the case of a squib load, Slish stressed, stop firing immediately and unload the gun. Use a cleaning rod to make certain the bullet exited the barrel.
FIRE POWER
Only after that instruction comes time at the firing range, where grip, stance, sight alignment, breathing, trigger control and follow-through shift from textbook memorization to real life.
Eye and ear protection are required.
Align your rear sight with your front sight, Slish reiterated. Then, keeping your eye on the front sight, gently squeeze the trigger with the soft pad of your finger.
Santos, who had never before fired a gun, hit a paper plate at 19 feet on his first attempt. Two hours later, he had gained confidence and a firing arm shaky from continuous use.
Sanor, who is right-handed but left-eye dominant, learned to tilt her head slightly as she sighted her target.
Beall, using a vintage handgun from his collection, quietly proved his marksmanship.
Paperwork
After passing the written exam and qualifying on the range, class members got a certificate of completion and a state-issued application to complete before making an appointment with the sheriff’s department. Applicants must pass a criminal background check. When the requirements are met, the sheriff then must issue a license within 45 days. The license then is good for four years.
A concealed carry license does not grant broad liberties, as some believe. Transporting loaded, concealed handguns in motor vehicles is permitted but with strict limitations. The guns are banned from most government property, and businesses also can prohibit them from their properties.
Knowledge of the law is squarely on the shoulders of concealed carry licensees.
Slish urged the class to review often the “Ohio’s Concealed Carry Law” booklet.
In his introduction to the booklet, Attorney General Jim Petro advises that carrying a concealed weapon carries with it “a responsibility to be aware, not only of the common sense rules of safe firearm handling, but the laws that affect how, when and where you can carry your firearm, and how to properly use the handgun to defend yourself or another person.”
Reach Diana Rossetti at (330) 580-8322 or e-mail: [email protected]
http://cantonrep.com/printable.php?ID=261217
__________________________________________
CCW courses more than bang
By DIANA ROSSETTI
CANAL FULTON -- Recently, Warren pizza shop owner Eugene Madill drove to The Firing Line here to take an Ohio-required 12-hour “Carrying Concealed Weapon,” or CCW, training course.
A few weeks ago, he returned to the indoor pistol range to thank his instructors, Joseph M. Slish and Ed Lee, for the instruction that saved his life.
Near closing time Nov. 21, Madill got a delivery order to a high-crime area of Warren. He sent his help home, telling them he would make the delivery.
Arriving at the address, Madill knocked and was met by a person in a ski mask and a hooded sweatshirt.. As he turned to run, he was ambushed by two similarly dressed accomplices who had approached from behind. The trio dragged him into the vacant house and began beating him. Repeatedly, he tried to shield himself from the attack while reaching for his wallet.
That’s when he spotted a fourth person approaching with a knife. “It don’t matter,” he told the victim. “We’re going to kill you anyway.”
Madill then reached inside his jacket and pulled out his 9mm semiautomatic pistol. He shot the knife-wielder and one of the others who continued to beat him. The four fled and Madill called the police from his business, Mr. B’s Pizza. When he returned to the scene with officers, they found no one.
But one assailant showed up later at an emergency room.
And a 16-year-old was found dead in an adjacent yard the following morning, the knife still in his hand.
Madill told his instructors that a prosecutor and detective assured him, “Whoever taught you, taught you right.”
Indeed, he had followed protocol to the letter.
He tried to flee. He endured physical assault in what turned out to be a gang-related crime. And he did not brandish or fire his weapon until he saw his assailant’s.
So shaken was Madill, who now fears threats of a gang bounty on his life, that he plans to sells his shops and return to his New York City home.
“I took it hard knowing he was in the class and the finality of it set in,” said Slish recently. “But I also realize he probably would not have survived that attack otherwise.”
SOLID GROUNDING
The CCW class at The Firing Line is one of many available throughout the state since April 2004 when Ohio became the 46th state to allow its citizens to apply for concealed carry licenses.
Three four-hour sessions provide a grounding in the law, safe-handling instruction and some of the science surrounding gunfire. Participants must pass a written test and qualify by firing 100 rounds on the pistol range where 80 percent accuracy is a requirement.
Slish, the instructor, brought enthusiasm and solid experience to a class of varied backgrounds.
Michelle Sanor, 41, feisty but a mere 5 feet tall, was determined to learn how to safely and accurately fire the .22-caliber pistol that had belonged to her late father.
Ramon Santos, 65, a certified public accountant, had never fired a handgun and was intent on learning.
Marlington Township resident Edgardo Calibag, 51, acquired handgun knowledge in his native Philippines. And it was without rancor that he recalled an anonymous message left at his home telling him to “go back where you came from.”
Soft-spoken Custodio Fabella, 65, who lives in Jackson Township, was, like his classmates, interested in getting a CCW license for self defense.
West Virginia native Earl Beall, 55, brought a lifetime of gunmanship to the class, but sniffed not once at neophytes’ questions. He often returns to West Virginia, camping with family members including grandchildren. His concern is protection from rabid critters rather than human interlopers.
INSTRUCTION FIRST
Slish, whose full-time job is Diebold reliability engineering & product assurance lab supervisor, is a stickler for safety with a deep interest in teaching. No question was insignificant. No opportunity missed to reinforce the basic tenets of gun safety:
In his role as gun instructor, no question was insignificant. No opportunity was missed to reinforce the basic tenets of gun safety:
1. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
Taking aim correctly does not involve the television cowboy style of raising the pistol above the head, then lowering it.
“They did that in the Old West when they were riding and shooting. They had to raise the gun high to avoid shooting their horses,” Slish explained.
Single action. Double action. Semi-automatic. Loading cylinders. Loading magazines.
What’s the difference between a hangfire, a misfire and a squib load?
A hangfire and a misfire often are confused and that can be dangerous.
A misfire is a failure of the cartridge to fire after the gun’s firing pin strikes the primer. A hangfire can be mistaken for a misfire and that can be fatal. In a hangfire, there is a perceptible delay in the ignition of the cartridge after the firing pin strikes the primer. When a cartridge fails to fire, you must keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction and wait at least 30 seconds to see if the cartridge could still fire. If the cartridge does not fire after 30 seconds, it is presumed safe to open the gun’s action to remove the cartridge.
And a squib load? That’s when a fired cartridge issues a weak “poof” sound, indicating it didn’t develop normal pressure or velocity when struck by the firing pin. In the case of a squib load, Slish stressed, stop firing immediately and unload the gun. Use a cleaning rod to make certain the bullet exited the barrel.
FIRE POWER
Only after that instruction comes time at the firing range, where grip, stance, sight alignment, breathing, trigger control and follow-through shift from textbook memorization to real life.
Eye and ear protection are required.
Align your rear sight with your front sight, Slish reiterated. Then, keeping your eye on the front sight, gently squeeze the trigger with the soft pad of your finger.
Santos, who had never before fired a gun, hit a paper plate at 19 feet on his first attempt. Two hours later, he had gained confidence and a firing arm shaky from continuous use.
Sanor, who is right-handed but left-eye dominant, learned to tilt her head slightly as she sighted her target.
Beall, using a vintage handgun from his collection, quietly proved his marksmanship.
Paperwork
After passing the written exam and qualifying on the range, class members got a certificate of completion and a state-issued application to complete before making an appointment with the sheriff’s department. Applicants must pass a criminal background check. When the requirements are met, the sheriff then must issue a license within 45 days. The license then is good for four years.
A concealed carry license does not grant broad liberties, as some believe. Transporting loaded, concealed handguns in motor vehicles is permitted but with strict limitations. The guns are banned from most government property, and businesses also can prohibit them from their properties.
Knowledge of the law is squarely on the shoulders of concealed carry licensees.
Slish urged the class to review often the “Ohio’s Concealed Carry Law” booklet.
In his introduction to the booklet, Attorney General Jim Petro advises that carrying a concealed weapon carries with it “a responsibility to be aware, not only of the common sense rules of safe firearm handling, but the laws that affect how, when and where you can carry your firearm, and how to properly use the handgun to defend yourself or another person.”
Reach Diana Rossetti at (330) 580-8322 or e-mail: [email protected]
