Colorado Firearms Training

Innocent Until Proven Guilty: Adams County Shooting

admin — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:46:50 +0000

On April 10th I stumbled upon a story in the Denver Post about a man who is NOT being charged for shooting a man in Adams County. The full news story is here, http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_20365149
The part of the news story I found most intriguing was this paragraph:

“Based on the current evidence the District Attorney cannot disprove that Jones acted in self defense at the time of the shooting,” the DA’s office said in a media release.

Its nice to know that our system can still revolve around the concept “innocent until proven guilty.” I don’t have any knowledge about what happened beyond what I can read in the news story. I don’t have any idea why the shooting occurred and I truly hope that it was in self defense but I’m glad to see a DA who doesn’t feel the need to go any further than is required by the burden of law.

Wisconsin Now Honoring the Colorado CCW Permit

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:51:46 +0000

There have recently been a lot of changes to the Concealed Carry Permit program in Wisconsin. Among them, Wisconsin has done extensive research into the other 49 states in order to determine which states require applicants to pass a similar background check as that of Wisconsin. Based on that research Wisconsin has released an updated list of states whose permits will be honored in Wisconsin. Colorado is on the list.

Wisconsin is now the most recent addition to the Colorado reciprocity map making it the 31st state to honor the Colorado permit. For all you Colorado folk who travel there often…. its your day!

For a full list of states whose permits are honored in Wisconsin visit this page.

H.R. 4269: Protecting Lawful Transportation of Firearms

admin — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 14:28:37 +0000

The below is an article published at http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/fact-sheets/2012/hr4269firearmstransportation.aspx The original text is provided below for your convenience

An important provision of federal law, intended to protect the right of law-abiding gun owners to transport firearms throughout our nation, has been ignored by anti-gun local officials and effectively gutted by the courts. H.R. 4269, introduced by U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Bill Owens (D-N.Y.), would rewrite the law to give it the effect Congress intended when it was passed more than 25 years ago.

The provision is a section of federal law (18 U.S.C. § 926A), enacted to guarantee the right of a law-abiding person to transport an unloaded firearm between a location where he or she may legally possess it and a destination where he or she may also legally possess it, regardless of state or local laws that would otherwise apply. Under the current law, the gun must be cased or otherwise not readily accessible.

Most states have never had a problem with this law. However, both before and after enactment of FOPA, gun owners have had serious problems lawfully travelling in two states in particular: New York (especially New York City) and New Jersey. Rather than recognize the intention of Congress to protect the rights of Americans travelling with legally owned firearms, these jurisdictions have used overly restrictive state licensing laws to harass and prosecute travelers. For example:

In 2004, the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) arrested John Torraco at LaGuardia Airport for possession of a firearm. Torraco, an attorney and law professor from Florida, had stored his legally owned unloaded handgun in his checked luggage. However, when he declared the firearm to the counter agent (as required by federal law) he was arrested and charged with possession of an unlicensed handgun.

In 2005, William Winstanley, a New York state resident, was detained at John F. Kennedy International Airport when he attempted to check a handgun in his luggage, again in compliance with the requirements of § 926A. Winstanley was not arrested, but his travel was delayed for several days while he proved that he was in compliance with federal law.

In 2007, Greg Revell, a Utah resident, was flying through Newark Liberty International Airport to his final destination in Pennsylvania. However, his flight into New Jersey was late, which caused him to miss his connecting flight. Revell was forced to collect his baggage and spend the night in a Newark hotel. When he attempted to recheck his baggage the following morning, he declared the unloaded handgun to the counter agent. PAPD officers arrested Revell for illegal possession of a handgun and ammunition under New Jersey law. Revell spent three days in jail before he was able to make bail.

Each of these gun owners filed a civil rights suit in federal court. However, in each case, the courts interpreted the law in a way that allows local law enforcement officials to detain or arrest travelers who make every effort to comply with federal law, and that deprive the travelers of any effective remedy after the fact. Many other cases have resulted in guilty pleas to reduced charges, civil penalties, and delayed travel.

While cases of inappropriate arrest or detention are most common at the New York City airports, they are not limited to those locations. In Albany, N.Y., detention of gun owners and confiscation of firearms have been reported by persons traveling in full compliance with § 926A. The NRA has been forced to repeatedly warn gun owners that they should avoid using New York or New Jersey airports when traveling.

The clear intent of the law was to ensure that law-abiding persons could transport firearms between two locations where they have a legal right to possess them. However, the refusal of the authorities in some jurisdictions to recognize § 926A, and the limitations placed on its protections by the courts, makes reform of this section necessary.

The new bill would:

Expand the protections afforded travelers to include “staying in temporary lodging overnight, stopping for food, fuel, vehicle maintenance, an emergency, medical treatment; and any other activity incidental” to the trip.

Put the burden of proof clearly on the state to show that a traveler did not meet the requirements of § 926A, rather than allow travelers to be arrested and forced to raise § 926A as an affirmative defense.

Make clear that transportation of both firearms and ammunition is federally protected.

Make clear that violation of the right to transport firearms is judicially enforceable as a federal civil right, with attorney’s fees available to victorious plaintiffs in civil suits, as well as to defendants who prevail in criminal cases.

Finally, it’s important to understand that this bill is not a national right-to-carry bill intended to protect carrying of guns for self-protection. This is a much more limited reform, intended only to provide real legal protection for people transporting unloaded guns that are cased or otherwise secured against immediate access.

Source

Colorado Supreme Court Rules in Favor of CCW on Campus

admin — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 23:27:33 +0000

The state statute has never restricted concealed carry holders from carrying their weapons on the campus of college campuses but for many years individual school administrations have done their best to restrict firearms. Now, a recent decision by the Colorado Supreme court has removed some of the uncertainty.

The court has sided with those opposed to the gun ban put in place at CU. Statute continues to restrict the possession of firearms on school property K-12.

Here is some press coverage:

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_20109533

http://www.9news.com/news/article/253933/339/Court-rules-against-campus-gun-ban-

Colorado Springs Police Busy Yesterday

admin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:41:43 +0000

Yesterday was a busy day for the Colorado Springs police with two different stand offs involving the use of firearms.

First a gunman took three woman hostage at a medical facility that resulted in the man being shot and killed by police. Full story here: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_20064367

Second, a women almost refused to surrender to police after taking a few shots at her boyfriend. Full story here: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_20066473

What do I take away from this? Innocent people (not talking about the boyfriend) can get involved in these dangerous encounters. Hostage situations do happen and they happen everywhere. One of the absolute essential traits of survivors is a level head. Learn to control your emotions and think clearly when under high pressure and danger.

Adams County Deputies Shoot, Kill Man They Say Reached For Pellet Gun

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:49:37 +0000

Reading the DenverPost this morning I saw this story which of course peaked my interest. http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_20053977

There is some debate going on no doubt about how justified the law enforecement officers were in their decision to open fire on this man during the traffic stop. Their account says that the man reached for a weapon in the back seat. The other witness and family members say he didn’t. I’m not here to debate this.

The point I would like to make is that Law Enforcement can be expected to act concerned and extra cautious when they discover there is a firearm in your car. If you are armed you need to take extra care in the way you deal with the law enforcement officer who is confronting you. Here is my advice that I share with students who take my class.

Never reach for the weapon or anything near the weapon.
Keep your hands visible at all times.
Advise the officer that you are a permit holder and that you are (or are not) armed.
Advise the officer of the location of your firearm(s).
Follow all instructions given.

Peace officers are not bad guys but they are used to dealing with bad guys all the time. They have every right to do whatever they may feel is necessary to feel comfortable when they find out you are armed. I’ve always had positive experiences with law enforecement and I intend to keep it that way. Act smart and go the extra mile to make the officer comfortable!

Jacob Paulsen

BulkAmmo.com Review: Buy Ammo Online

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:24:42 +0000

I recently placed an order through BulkAmmo.com and wanted to tell all of our readers and students about it. I think the best way to describe the website is in it’s name. BulkAmmo.com is perfect if you are looking to buy ammo in bulk. The more you order the more you save on each case. That is a deal that you can’t find in any retail stores.

As we teach our students, its important to have plenty of ammo in storage and then rotate the oldest rounds. Buying in bulk makes sense because the price of ammunition fluctuates based on various factors in the economy. Particularly its worth mentioning that last time we had a presidential election year the price of ammo went up because demand was so high.

BulkAmmo.com has handgun, rimfire, rifle, and shotgun ammo available for sale. The website has a smart inventory system that guarantees that whatever you order will be available to ship right away.

Various brands of ammunition are available. I ordered 50 Rounds of .40 S&W Ammo by Blazer and 50 Rounds of .45 ACP Ammo by Magtech. Everything shot well and these are of course reputable brands. You can also find brands such as Tula, Federal, American Eagle, Wolf, FMJ, PMC, Silver Bear, Remington, and many more.

Shipping was reasonable and everything was packed well.

You can subscribe to their newsletter, Twitter Profile, and Facebook page to stay tuned into new products and discounts etc.

Hope you have a great experience with BulkAmmo.com!

Make My Day Better Law Introduced in Colorado House Again This Year

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:56:04 +0000

Colorado already has a law in place, often dubbed the “make my day” law which allows homeowners to defend their homes with deadly force when they reasonably believe the intruder may use physical force against an occupant of the home no matter how slight.

Now a bill has been introduced to extend the same rights to business owners in Colorado. If the law passes it may afford the same legal protections to business owners and employees (agents) of the business to defend it with deadly force. This same bill has been introduced in the past and this year its back as House Bill 1088.

Also, Republicans have introduced a bill to grant the right to carry a concealed weapon without a permit to citizens with clean criminal records. Similar laws have been passed in Arizona, Wyoming, and Vermont.

Private Gun Sales in Colorado

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:37:46 +0000

A recent news story has made me think a little about private sales of firearms. Let me put forward the following recommendations to those of you who are considering selling a gun privately:

Be careful about your advertising. When posting a classified ad about your firearm for sale, do not include your city or neighborhood. When you receive phone calls only offer to meet potential buyers in a public place, such as the parking lot of a busy grocery store. Never give out any information that would tip the buyer as to your address or place of residence.
Before you meet with a potential buyer prepare a bill of sale. It doesn’t need to be complex or legally worded. Just create a document that includes a space to insert the time and date of the purchase, the names of both parties, and the serial number of the weapon. Also include the make and model of the weapon along with any other identifiable traits. Print two copies to bring with you.
When meeting with the buyer be discreet. If you are in a busy and public place it won’t help your situation to openly display assault rifles for passers by to see.
Verify that the weapon is empty and separate any ammunition from the firearm or its case.
Ask to see the buyers photo identification and verify that they are a resident of the state and that they are 21 years of age or older.
Ask them for what purpose they are buying a gun and if they feel they could pass the required background check. If they say anything that makes you feel uncomfortable ask for more details. “Why do you feel you couldn’t pass the background check?”
Use your best judgement about the buyer. If you make the sale ask the buyer to sign your copy of the bill of sale.

New Map of Colorado Firing Ranges

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:03:49 +0000

We are pleased to announce a new resource available on our website to our friends and students. After a few students made the suggestion we decided to set out to create an online directory of all Colorado gun ranges.

We don’t pretend to think that our current list is complete or even fully accurate but its a start. Next time you are looking for a firing range to practice your skills visit the resource section of our site and look for the Gun Range map.

We are counting on the community of our students and other site visitors to help us refine and complete the list. If you see an error in the current information or would like to tell us about a range that isn’t currently listed please submit the information via the form under the map!

Check it out by clicking here.

Jacob