The Missouri Shooter - Online Edition - April 2000

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Pagemaster's Notes: This Online Edition of The Missouri Shooter is NOT identical to the printed edition, but will vary in both content and appearance. It is the policy of this WWWebsite to edit out all personal telephone numbers and street addresses (to reserve privacy), to keep email addresses, P.O. boxes and company street addresses when published (to preserve utility), and to replace (where possible) lists of printed information with links to websites which contain the same information (to conserve bandwidth). The print edition is ONLY mailed to MSSA Members and Affiliates; Join today!

APRIL 2000 VOLUME 00 ISSUE 2

The President's Message

By Steve McGhee

March 15 2000 - It was indeed a good day for Liberty. On that day, about 625 (we counted) pro-safety, pro-gun Missourians peaceably assembled in the Missouri Capitol Rotunda for the MPS Gun Safety Rally. There were manned information booths set up by many of the MO groups who provide practical gun safety programs in our state, and the crowd responded to a series of speakers (2 solid hours of Speakers!) with thunderous applause on a regular basis. It was extraordinary... and I am so proud to have been able to share that time and place with all of you who attended. THANK YOU!

I have asked TMS Editor to publish as much material from the Rally as he can beginning with this issue. You can view my event scrapbook (including photos and text from some of the speeches) at safewithguns.org/mssa/y2krally.htm ..., which reminds me of another important piece of news: MSSA now has a new website. We're at safewithguns.org/mssa/ (our old page at GeoCities has a link to it). Which reminds me of ANOTHER thing I want to mention: The main topic of my remarks at the rally had to do with SafeWithGuns.org, an effort to use the old Burma Shave technique of multiple panel highway signs to get truthful, pro-safety, pro-gun messages read by the Missouri motoring public. See the website at (do you see this one coming?) safewithguns.org!

The most promising words I heard spoken at the Rally came from MO Rep. Wayne Crump and Sen. Harold Caskey: each promised to pass a good CCW Bill through their respective legislative chamber and PUT IT ON THE NEXT GOVERNOR'S DESK TO SIGN! Quite a promise, so soon after the narrow loss on Prop B. The most powerful (to me) words I heard were from Kevin Jamison of WMSA, responding to VP Gore's remarks about the "sickness at the heart of the NRA"..."WE ARE THE HEART OF THE NRA!"

You can play an important role in helping make next year's Rotunda Rally even better: By reviewing what we did this year, we WILL improve for the Rally next year. Send your comments (what worked, and what didn't), along with any other info you have (photos, audio / video tapes, press reports, etc.) to:

Missourians for Personal Safety, 2000 E Broadway PMB-120, Columbia, MO 65201

So now, with this year's Rally behind us, what do we do next on the political front in Missouri? I suggest you consider efforts in three specific arenas:

1) HELP ELECT PRO-GUN PEOPLE TO OFFICE, ESPECIALLY FOR GOVERNOR. Work with campaign committees, SACMO, WMSA, or anyone you can to get / keep the best folks in office, donating whatever you can (time and money).

2) KEEP THE PRESSURE ON THOSE IN OFFICE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR POSITION. Make sure they know YOURS, and that their job is to represent it. If your main interest is CCW, the moccw.org website has info you'll need.

3) For the at home lawmaker's do-it-yourself kit to rewriting Missouri law, SEE THE VERMONTPROJECT.ORG WEBSITE, and if it looks like your cup of tea, give it all the support you can... it's the one undiluted, 200 proof effort to put the R back into RKBA, just like it was written in the U.S. and Missouri Constitutions.

That's enough for now... there's a pontoon boat just waiting for me on the St. John's River south of Jacksonville FL, I haven't had a real visit with my father in years, and I feel an unavoidable emergency fishing trip coming on.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. It's a pleasure to be able to speak to you today.

I'd like to tell you a story about my first visit to a gun shop in 1994.

I can clearly recall the day I decided to purchase my first gun. It took me 10 minutes to get my courage worked up before I got out of my car. I remember feeling much like a Southern Baptist might feel if he entered an adult bookstore: " This is a strange and sinful place. Shame on me!"

Such was the extent of my brainwashing then ... and, I think, the essence of our problem today.

Because today, many in America feel like I did in 1994.

In an increasingly urban society, firearms aren't as common as they were in our more rural past. Today, the only time city people see firearms is when they are purposefully linked to crime on TV.

The media portrays gun owners as shadowy members of a Secret Society, clannish outsiders with a threatening culture that is based upon Extremism, Racism and a fear of Black Helicopters.

We're simply not perceived as mainstream normal anymore. And over time we've been successfully marginalized and demonized by our opponents.

No wonder some believe that we are losing the war for the hearts and minds of non gun owning Americans.

We defend ourselves by appealing to the Constitution and to the words of the Founding Fathers. But this means little to Soccer Moms who have been emotionally conditioned to believe that our "precious hobby" is killing their children and that we simply don't give a damn.

Our opponents believe firearms have absolutely no positive social value.

Their bottom-line Belief System is:

If you like guns, you can�t possible care about kids.

They believe that they are morally superior to gun owners and they will stop at nothing to eradicate this evil from the face of the Earth.

But this is where we can demonstrate that our critics are dead wrong.

6,849 potential crime victims are saved, per day,

by the legal use of firearms

That�s 2.5 million lives spared per year

Guns save 60 times more lives than are lost due to criminal activity

I hope you heard that.

Guns are a positive Social Benefit and no amount of Soccer Mom whining and bad accounting on their part can change the facts!

Think about it.

What�s so "moral" or "civilized" about a group of people who support policies that would condemn 2.5 million innocent victims to certain death at the hands of vicious criminals?

Friends, our critics have no monopoly on caring. For kids. For anybody.

With all due respect, our opponents know nothing about guns and as a result they certainly don�t know a thing about real gun safety.

If fact we can make that case that gun owners care MORE about kids than they do, because for years we have not just talked gun safety, but we�ve actually done something about it.

We own firearms and we know about gun safety. We don�t push the latest gun ban and try to pass it off as "safety". Everywhere gun prohibitions have been put into effect, from Washington, DC to New York City, crime has increased and children�s safety has decreased.

The failed policies of Handgun Control, Inc. and Missourians Against Handgun Violence have no place in Missouri.

We teach real safety every year. We volunteer our time providing vital safety training for adults throughout the State of Missouri

And because of all our efforts, today, firearm accidents are at an historical low.

We train people not because a bureaucrat told us to but because we love our children and we know that education and training them in the proper and responsible use of firearms is the only proven and prudent course of action that works.

But does this training and education impress our critics? Do our demonstrated successes get Soccer Moms lining up to thank us for making our communities safer? Of course not.

Because deep down, the bigots in the anti-freedom movement don�t really care about Safety. Their agenda isn�t Safety � they won�t rest until firearms are licensed, registered, confiscated and then banished from the face of the Earth.

That�s the real agenda that most rank and file Soccer Moms may not even know about.

Being ignorant about firearms, they don�t know the real facts and their evil leaders exploit this ignorance by telling them that Guns cause Crime.

The Thought Police conveniently forget to tell their unthinking helpers that from 1965 to 1995, when firearm ownership increased by 188% (80M to 230M), firearm accidents declined 42%.

Guns cause crime? Mine don�t and neither do yours.

Yet on they march, believing like Carrie Nation that they are doing God�s work, combating the forces of Evil and making the World a better place for their kids.

They are also told half-truths by their Evil Leaders, such as:

There are more than 700 "victims" killed in Missouri each year with firearms.

Or that nationwide, each day 14 "kids" die because of firearms.

The half-truth is the implication that all these victims are "innocent victims" when in fact, the overwhelming majority of those killed were actually engaged in illegal criminal activities.

The non-thinking Soccer Moms are told that in the face of this "carnage of the innocents", gun owners continue to resist all attempts at reasonable gun control. They say we�d rather let their children die than reform our hideous hobby.

Well, I�m tired of being blamed for accidents and crime in America.

I�m tired of being a member of one of the most hated minority groups in America.

And I�m tired of being ashamed about being a gun owner.

I believe that it�s time to go on the offensive and tell these misguided Soccer Moms the Truth about their bigoted leaders and their extremist agenda.

I believe it�s time to tell the Soccer Moms that they are being played for fools, foot-soldiers for a morally corrupt, anti-freedom movement that threatens the very foundation of this Republic.

What should we call our opponents?

During the Russian Revolution, you may remember that Lenin had the equivalent of our Soccer Moms helping him "do his good work liberating the masses from the evil Czar". He, and they, then went on to enslave that Nation and set in motion a firestorm of genocide that exterminated an estimated 20 million souls.

He called his helpers "useful idiots". So will I.

Strong words? You bet. But justified.

Justified because I believe that today�s misguided Soccer Moms are helping to play a similar role aimed at the destruction of our Society and its Culture.

These non-thinking, emotion-driven people are being used as dupes by a small group of anti-freedom zealots that seek nothing less than the annihilation of our Constitutional rights. And by any means necessary, Truth and Facts be damned.

Let�s take a moment to analyze the Grand Strategy of their morally corrupt leaders:

(1) Exaggerate and misrepresent the crime problem.

(2) Stereotype Gun Owners as Evil, non-caring Demons.

(3) Blame inanimate objects for Crime.

First of all, they exaggerate and misrepresent the crime problem with the Big Lie technique:

"More than 700 innocent victims die per year in Missouri"

WRONG � WRONG � WRONG

Figures from the State of Missouri Health Department indicate that the number of children under the age of 15 that die per year from firearm accidents is approximately 4 per year (average of 1995 � 1997 data).

You heard me right, I said "4".

Please note that I�m not suggesting that 4 kids is an acceptable loss. We won�t rest until accidents are driven to zero!

However, what I am suggesting is that our agenda-driven, extremist opponents are deliberately misrepresenting the facts to gain the support of the useful idiots.

You know how they get their 700 number? It�s easy.

They add together all shootings including drug deals gone bad, robberies terminated by the police, and a host of other illegal activities. Folks, these aren�t "accidents", these aren�t "innocents", and these aren�t "children".

These figures overwhelmingly represent nothing more than deviant criminal behavior, which is then sold - lock, stock and barrel - as the "death of the innocents" to the non-questioning useful idiots.

Unfortunately, we now live in an age where Style triumphs over Substance.

Where Feelings are more important than Thinking and Facts.

Today you�ll see a pile of more than 700 shoes at their anti-freedom rally meant to represent the "innocent victims of firearms". You�ll also see children, dressed in Black, exploited for this second-rate propaganda piece.

But while this emotional display may make for good TV, distortions and half-truths make for flawed public policy.

How dare they put the shoes of the few real innocent victims of crime next to those of gang bangers and other criminal scum! Have they no shame?

How dare they wallow in the blood of innocent victims to further their sick agenda!

Shame on their evil leaders who know better. Shame on the useful idiots that carry their water. And shame on the parents that raise their little "sign carrying" children to grow up to become un-thinking bigots!

Gun prejudice is just like racial prejudice. Isn�t prejudice a hate crime?

They also stereotype gun owners as evil, non-caring demons.

Once again, the masters of the Big Lie claim:

They care about children and gun owners don�t.

That to be Pro-Gun means you are Anti-Child.

That guns cause accidents and crime.

For too long, we�ve allowed the anti-freedom crowd to claim that they have a virtual monopoly on caring for children.

No feel-good legislation or any of their other half measures has ever saved a life. Not one.

How dare these liars and deceivers claim the moral high ground!

As we�ve already mentioned, the simple truth is that gun owners are the only group that has ever done anything to successfully reduce gun-related accidents.

Period. End of story.

Our approach has been to educate kids about guns. It works.

Since 1988, over 12 million kids have been educated about firearms via the Eddie Eagle program in classrooms, summer camps and day care centers all across this Nation.

In 1996, the program was awarded the National Safety Council�s "Award of Merit" for Outstanding Community Service. In addition, it�s been publicly recognized by State Governors, Police Officials and School Administrators are being one of the most effective programs in existence.

In May 1998, HCR 10, the Eddie Eagle resolution, was passed by the Missouri General Assembly in May 1998, has not yet been implemented in Missouri schools. Why?

Why can�t we get this vital piece of safety information into our schools?

Because groups like Missourians Against Handgun Violence have continuously fought against allowing this vital safety program into our schools.

Missourians Against Handgun Violence appears to value their political agenda more than the lives of our children.

I wonder how many kids lives would have been saved if these agenda-driven extremists hadn�t prevented the implementation of this valuable and time tested educational program?

Folks, our opponents aren�t morally superior people. They are extremists that like to wallow in the blood of children they could have saved all the while proclaiming that we don�t care. What hypocrites!

By ignoring programs that work, they demonstrate that they are more than willing to let children die on an altar of Political Correctness than to admit that gun education works.

Remember, this is the same crowd that says that Sex / Drug education is the best way to prevent tragedies. They say that Knowledge is Power and that only through education can our young people make better, more informed life decisions.

So, let me get this straight. Sex and Drug education are good.

But Gun education is bad?

More agenda-driven hypocrisy!

Today, we are here to let our elected representatives know that we have had enough of their anti-safety rhetoric. We simply cannot allow this misguided group to stand in the way of getting a real safety program into our schools.

We therefore request that the legislature put a bill on the Governor�s desk, this year, requiring that this award winning program be taught in every primary, middle and secondary school in the State of Missouri.

In addition, we all know how expensive it can be to buy good quality safe storage devices for our firearms, especially for those in our poorer communities who are not as well off as others.

These folks deserve the ability to buy quality safe storage devices without having to sacrifice a week�s worth of groceries.

Therefore, we are also requesting our legislature put a bill on the governor's desk, this year, providing a tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of safe storage devices by Missouri gun owners effective immediately upon passage.

As the final part of their Grand Strategy, the Thought Police like to blame inanimate objects as the cause of Crime and Accidents.

"If only these objects of evil were banned", they whimper, "we�d be living in the Garden of Eden once again"!

Man, I�d like to smoke whatever they are smoking!

Folks, this is nearly the 21^st Century.

Isn�t it time for civilized people to start laughing at irrational, superstitious fools that blame inanimate objects for the pathological behavior of criminals?

Isn�t it a sign of mental illness to believe that Evil Spirits inhabit metal objects and that to touch one will cause you to kill somebody?

Intelligent, informed people know that guns are mere objects that are neither good nor bad in themselves. Good people do good things with firearms � and bad people do bad things with them.

Hello! - guns don�t need controlling. The evil in the hearts of criminals needs controlling.

It bears repeating: from 1965 to 1995, accidental firearm deaths declined 42% while the number of firearms in America increased by 188%.

Guns cause crime? If guns cause crime, mine must be defective!

Another sign of mental illness exhibited by our opponents is that they believe that while gun objects are full of "badness", other objects can be full of "goodness".

Case in point � trigger locks.

After the recent shooting in Michigan by a 6-year-old boy, the President chided Congress for not taking action to force citizens to use trigger locks.

Hmmmm �.. I wonder if this initiative can help us determine what the President�s true priorities are? Let�s see.

It didn�t bother him that the boy�s father was in jail. It didn�t bother him that his drug-addicted mother abandoned the kid in a crack house filled with stolen guns.

No, by emphasizing trigger locks as a solution to this incident, here�s what the First Felon was really telling America:

"Every kid deserves to grow up in a gun-free crack house!"

and

"I believe that criminals that deal crack cocaine will use trigger locks if we pass a law".

To seriously suggest that this is how criminals will respond to a trigger lock law indicates such a flawed understanding of the criminal mind that it calls into question the President�s professional competence as a crime fighter.

His politically motivated support for trigger locks and his "crocodile tears of love for children" speaks volumes about his true priorities.

Mr. President, guns don�t need locks. Criminals need to be locked up!

Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you: did you cause this problem in Michigan?

Unfortunately, the Soccer Moms think you did.

And you know, I�m getting damned tired of being called "The Problem".

The time has come for us to stand united and tell the useful idiots and their small anti-freedom leadership that we simply aren�t going to take this abuse any longer.

Want to know who is really at fault? Where the real negligence lies?

Since it�s inception, the National Instant Check System (NICS) claims to have prevented 100,000 people from getting a gun. And how many of these criminals did the government prosecute? Answer - 0.2%

In fact, Department of Justice figures show that from FY1992 � FY1998, there was a 46% decrease in federal criminal firearm prosecutions.

That�s called dereliction of duty, folks.

Government officials like to crow that the Brady Law has denied 470,000 people (72% of which were known felons!) from getting a gun. And how many of these felons have been prosecuted? � less than 100.

That�s called negligence, folks.

Meanwhile, in the same time frame, the Department of Justice�s budget rose from $10.49B to $19.88B, a 90.4% increase!

Soccer Moms - we aren�t the problem. Your Politically Correct, negligent pals in the government are.

The victim disarmament specialists in this country and their fellow travelers in the media have succeeded in focussing America�s attention away from the real problem - crime control.

While their useful idiots whine about guns, effective safety and crime reduction solutions gather dust.

You want real progress? Then help us work for real criminal control measures.

Why don�t you try attacking the problem at it source instead of blaming millions of law-abiding citizens and then feeling good about yourselves because you�ve "done something".

Law abiding gun owners are not the problem.

Our firearms are not the problem.

We don�t have a gun problem, folks. We have a culture problem.

The gun culture is based upon personal responsibility and education. It works. The society that our opponents have created doesn�t.

As syndicated columnist Charlie Reese puts it, what the liberals are really trying to do with the gun ploy is avoid facing the truth that the Violent and Brutish society that they are complaining about today is precisely the society that they have been trying to create for the last 40 years!

You reap what you sow.

Shame on them for trying to blame us for their misguided treachery and failures!

Today, I call upon all of the well intentioned yet misguided people that oppose us to recognize that they are being used by a small group of anti-freedom extremists to further an agenda that "feels good" but will, in reality, mean the destruction of a once Free and Proud Nation.

Please, join with us so that we can work together in ways that are known to work. Ways that work without destroying our Precious Freedoms. We welcome your help.

But a word of warning.

If you continue to claim that pro-firearm beliefs make us unfit parents, then you�ve made this fight personal.

When you deceive little children by telling them that firearms education and training is Death, you�ve made this fight personal.

When you ignore real experience and real data in favor of "feel good" legislation that will have the unintended consequence of getting one or more of my precious children killed, you�ve made this fight personal.

Your constant attacks have awakened a Sleeping Giant � and we�re not going to take it any more.

In summary, my friends, let me leave you with this emotional and visual "sound bite".

Later today, when you see our opponents and their pile of shoes and boots, remember the words to the Nancy Sinatra song � "These Boots Are Made For Walking":

"These boots are made for walking �. and that�s just what they�ll do; one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you"

Folks, that day of boots walking over us is TODAY.

And to prove it, here�s a pair of shoes from their pile.

And this is what their boots are walking over:

* The Truth

* The Bill Of Rights

In closing, my friends Be Proud & Be Loud. Refuse to be abused. Come out of the closet and publicly reclaim your proud firearms heritage.

Spread the Truth:

* Guns save 2.5 million lives per year

* Gun Control Kills

* Gun Safety Education has saved more lives than any law

Let people know that the anti-freedom bigots have no monopoly on caring about children. Because there's more at stake here than guns. What's at stake is literally what it means to be a Free People.

Our Rights are not what�s wrong with Missouri! Thank You.

A Great Place For Our Youth- Missouri 4H Shooting Sports

Over the Christmas holidays my family was visiting some old friends we don�t get to see very often. As we were catching each other up on our kids exploits and adventures over the past months, I mentioned that my son Robby, had won a first place medal at the state 4H shooting match. My friend�s wife stated that was easy to believe because they didn�t think anyone but me was interested in shooting as a sport. In fact, their kids, age 6, 11 & 15 had never held a gun let alone fired one. Imagine my shock at this revelation. I proceeded to tell them about Missouri 4H Shooting Sports.

The Mo. 4H Shooting Sports program is the fastest growing program in all of Mo. 4H. The state director and his staff have over the last 5 years, put together a program that includes instructor training, county co-ordination, public relations, a state wide match and most important, youth development. Shooting disciplines available to 4H members include: BB, pellet & smallbore rifle, air pistol, shotgun, muzzle loading rifle, archery, hunter skills and home safety.

The Missouri program is modeled on the National 4H Shooting Sports Program and is getting better as well as bigger each year. Mo. 4H Shooting Sports is administered at the county level by the University County Extension office and is open to all youth age 8-18. Not all disciplines are available in each county, but with enough interest from the youth and parents willing to volunteer these programs too will expand.

All shooters whether you have kids or not, need to realize that to continue enjoying our sport and our right we have get our youth educated and involved. If we don�t get more pro active in youth development it is just a matter of time before our passion for shooting becomes a faded memory. Call the extension office in your county to enroll your son or daughter and volunteer yourself. 4H is for all kids not just the farm kids.

Editor�s notes: A big thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Rod Zeller. I was unaware of this program, but it certainly sounds like a great way to start youth in shooting. If you have any spare time and an interest in youth shooting please get involved. For further information on the MO 4H Shooting Sports, county by county information is available from the university extension office in your county. Or the state coordinator is Mr.Gerry Snapp.

2000 MSSA-NRA Junior Competitive Rifle Camp

This year�s MSSA-NRA Junior Competitive Rifle Camp will be held June 22-25, 2000, at the Bucksnort Rifle Range, Marshall, MO.

Each junior shooter will improve their shooting skills and enhanced their knowledge of the shooting sports. Coaches will provided intensive individual instruction to improve and refine each junior shooter�s technique. Subjects taught at the camp will include Range and Rifle Safety, Range Commands, Fundamentals of Firing the Shot, Wind and Mirage, Visualization and Match Preparation, Care and Cleaning of Equipment, and the basics for the three positions - Prone, Standing, and Kneeling.

The cost will be a very reasonable $85.00 and include primitive lodging and meals. Attendance is limited and will be on a first come basis. Some rifles and equipment are available for attending jr. shooter use. For more information please contact Cheryl Teeters (906) 249-3301 or John Leinberger (573) 943-6632.

An Experienced Gun Collector�s Ethical Journey

Ralph is a longtime gun and militaria collector. He has an old, somewhat tired look. (Forgive me Ralph, I mean no disrespect.) He earned that look from years of hard work in furniture sales. But looks can be deceiving. Ralph has a bunch of nice guns and a very serious collection of Third Reich daggers, probably one of the best in this country. Ralph is not only an expert on Third Reich daggers and militaria, he is an expert at collecting. His years of buying and selling furniture have given him the following skills. He can size people up and read them as fast and as accurately as J. Edgar Hoover. He has the negotiating skills of Henry Kissinger. Additionally he can smell a gun deal as well as Donald Trump can find real estate. Finally, he always knows what he is buying and what it is worth.

Several years ago I got to spend an afternoon with Ralph. I wanted to liquidate my modest collection of militaria and he was buying. It was my intention to cash out and buy guns. If an item was good, Ralph wanted it. It did not matter to him if it was something he collected. He knew another collector for every appealing item, and he was planning out future trades. His mind worked like a computer. When he was interested in an item he would ask me how much I wanted for it. When I responded he would do one of three things.

If I named a price he liked, he would immediately peel off $20�s from a four-inch roll of "trading cash". Other times he would tell me that I was asking too much. "The market "value" for an item in the same condition might sell for about "blank dollars". "However if I wanted to sell it today he would offer me blank dollars-minus",. Lastly if I asked him what an item was worth he was elusive and hard to pin down. However he was never dishonest. The point was-what was the item worth to me, not him. He wasn�t looking to cheat me. He was just trying to buy items at my price as long as it was below market value. This is the essence of a good collector. Since none of my militaria collection was particularly valuable, I�m sure I was not seriously taken advantage of. I was usually getting lots more than what I had paid for most of my items. Any money I may have lost that day was well spent on the education I received. It took years for the lessons of that day to really sink in.

As we concluded the trading with a handshake, we retreated upstairs for a cold drink at the kitchen table. Ralph spent the next hour continuing my education. He related 40+ years of collecting experiences in the most interesting possible way. Ralph told me about his collection, how to tell fakes from the real McCoy, and stories of good and bad buys. He was a virtual encyclopedia of gun and militaria collecting. He told me the single determining factor in making a good or bad buy was how much you new about what you were buying. In other words it didn�t matter what you thought you were buying; it was what you actually bought that mattered. When collecting, knowledge leads to success and ignorance is the road to ruin.

In my naivete I continued to question him about how to buy, and why he hesitated to come right out and tell me the value of an item and what he would pay for it. Ralph explained to me that the value of an item was what it was worth to me. What it was worth to him was secondary. As a collector he was trying to buy good items below market value. If I wanted an appraisal of the value of my collection that was a different kind of relationship. Finally to drive the point home Ralph told me the following true story.

Many years ago a "little old lady" selling her dead husband�s army medals and pins contacted him. Ralph made arrangements to meet her at her home. When he arrived at the woman�s home he was struck by the poor living conditions. It was obvious that the woman was desperate. At a rickety table under dim light, she laid out her dead husband�s military effects. The medals and pins were fairly common items and of no particular value. Ralph felt sorry for the woman and made her a modest yet fair offer. The woman grudgingly accepted the offer, feeling that her husband�s medals were much more valuable. They probably were to her for sentimental reasons.

The woman also informed Ralph she had a couple of old guns, if he were interested. Ralph indicated he was interested. The woman got up and disappeared, returning with an old oil stained pillowcase. She reached inside the sack twice; each time placing an oily rag wrapped form upon the table. Ralph unwrapped each form to discover two 1873 Colt SA Peacemakers. One gun was nickel-plated the other was case hardened and charcoal blued. Both were in excellent condition. Ralph was certain they were both about 1895-1900 vintage. The woman told Ralph that the guns had been in her husband�s family a long time, but she didn�t know much about them. She asked him if he could possibly give her $150. for the pair. While that was a lot of money in those days, Ralph figured the pair of guns to be worth at least $2000. (Remember this was many years ago)

Now Ralph had a real dilemma because he really wanted the guns. However should he buy the guns for the woman�s asking price or should he offer her a fair below market price. Due to the apparent desperation of the woman�s living conditions, Ralph�s conscience got the better of him. He told her that the pistols were worth considerably more than what she was asking. He was willing to offer her an even $1000. for the pair. Ralph waited for the joy that would soon fill the old woman�s face. He would relieve the poor old wretch�s suffering. He knew she would be so very grateful for his fair and generous offer. For his honest and good deed he would be rewarded with two fine Colt Single Actions at a great price.

The woman�s reaction was very different from Ralph�s expectations. The old woman told him that if the guns were worth that much to him, they must really be valuable. She was not going to sell him anything, not the guns, nor the medals. Her words stabbed him through his head. Furthermore she ranted on if he did not leave her house immediately she was going to call the police. With a very sick stomach Ralph got up to leave. The woman began to curse him as he left. The situation was unsalvageable. The buy of a lifetime had slipped through his fingers due to his big heart.

The lesson hard learned was if it�s a good deal to the seller, and it�s a good deal to the buyer, make the deal. If someone is happily selling a $1000. gun, for $75., does the buyer have any obligation to inform the seller of the market value of what they are selling? Ralph would say definitely not. The difference is that he is a collector not an appraiser. Buying and collecting is a different activity from appraising. We are all familiar with the old saying, "Let the buyer beware". Perhaps it is also true "Let the seller beware". While it would be dishonest to drive a seller�s fair price down by fraud and deceit, a serious collector will try to buy most acquisitions at the lowest possible price. Anyone with unlimited financial resources could amass an impressive collection quickly. The trick is to amass an impressive collection slowly with limited resources.

It has been many years since I earned my four-hour MBA, in Firearms and Militaria collecting from Ralph�s University of Hard Knocks. I frequently reflect on the lessons learned.

Develop people skills especially the ability to read people, quickly and accurately.

Develop negotiating skills, its fun to haggle.

Be able to spot the "good" buy, It may be a diamond in the ruff.

Most importantly: Always know what you are buying! "Let the buyer beware".

Let the seller determine the initial sale price, "Let the seller beware".

Remember you are a collector not an appraiser.

You might have to buy something you don�t want to get something you do.

Don�t lie, cheat or steal.(I hope I already knew this.) Tap dancing is allowed.

Always try to buy below fair market value.

Try to be personable, conclude every deal with a firm handshake and good eye to eye contact.

And last but not least:

A four-inch roll of twenty�s always beats a check or credit card. If you have such a wad of cash, it also makes collecting a lot more fun!

Gone Fishin�

What does fishing have to do with the shooting sports you may ask? It is true that a lot of shooters are hunters, and a lot of hunters also fish. However "GONE FISHIN" is a whole catalog of high quality outdoor programs, seminars, and courses sponsored by the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation. The many one to five-day fishing, hunting and outdoor subjects are offered at modest cost. The Missouri Department of Conservation, and scores of other big name organizations co-sponsor lots of the activities. "Gone Fishin" continues growing every year and has been a model for similar programs across the country.

Some of the shooting and hunting programs include: Hunter Education, Hunter Education Camp, Advanced Hunter Education Camp, Beginning Archery, Basic Pistol Marksmanship, Women�s Handgun Safety, Intro Trap Shooting, Turkey Tactics, Deer Hunting Strategies, Duck and Goose Hunting Seminar, Reloading, Mfg.�s Shotgun Field Test, Trips for Dove and Duck Hunts, Deer Processing, and Gundog First Aid.

If you are interested contact "GONE FISHIN" 2000, St. Louis County Parks, 550 Weidman Rd., Ballwin, MO 63011, 314-391-3474, or visit their website at www.stlouiscountyparks.com. They will be happy to send you a catalog.

Hog Hunting

I went to one knee and leaned forward behind the fallen tree, to get a firm rest for the S&W Model 629. I was using iron sights, and wanted to be sure of my first shot. I steadied myself as much as I could, took careful aim, and fired at the Russian boar just 17 steps away. The shot was good; the animal was broadside facing left; I found out later that the 44 cal 265 grain Hornady Interlock bullet entered the left shoulder, went through the chest, and exited the right shoulder.

But I didn�t find that out until LATER! At the shot, the hog let out a blood-curdling squeal, went down, then back up immediately and charged right at me! I was behind the fallen tree, and stood up when the hog charged. At about 12 feet the animal swerved to my right, and I snapped off a hurried shot double-action that went high. The hog jumped the log at 8 feet from me, and I fired again when the animal was in flight over the log. This one entered just behind the right ear and exited below the left eye. The hog piled up when it hit the ground from the jump and expired about 20 seconds later.

This was the most exciting and adventurous hunt I have ever experienced. My brother Dan was laughing with excitement from a "safe" distance of about 20 yards behind me, and our guide Steve, who was just a few feet behind told me, told me, "Bud, I�m glad you dropped that critter, �cause I was gettin� ready to climb a tree!" And that is typical of the exciting hunting at Cumberland Mountain Hunting Lodge in Monterey, Tennessee.

I had wanted to hunt wild boar for a long time, first getting literature mailed to me in 1986, then again in 1994, but never quite closed the arrangements, as my brothers and/or hunting friends could never work out their schedules with mine. So I didn�t go, because I didn�t want to go alone; who would be there to explain to my wife my horrible departure if things didn�t work out! Seriously, I thought this was something that was best shared with a close hunting partner, because the memories and stories would last forever; and I�m convinced of that now.

After the hunting season in Missouri had ended in late 1999, I got to thinking about it again, and I called my brother Dan in Alabama. I told him we weren�t getting any younger, and we should do this while we were still fit enough to run and climb trees, if necessary. Well, Dan could still climb trees; I wasn�t so sure about myself!

Anyway, he was up for it, so I proceeded to inquire (again) for information from several places in Tennessee. There are several places in close proximity of each other in the Cumberland Mountain area, which is approximately 115 miles east of Nashville. I decided that Cumberland Mountain Hunting Lodge (CMHL) was the place to go, after several phone calls and reviewing the literature.

CMHL is owned/operated by Jerry and Judy Pistole, and two nicer people you�re not likely to find. Jerry was very cordial on the phone, and helpful in telling me about the animals, techniques for hunting them, etc. Judy did the cooking and joined in for interesting conversation at meal times, and the meals were superb! We actually were a little concerned about stuffing ourselves, then hiking around the woods, possibly climbing a tree or having to move fast. Oh well, that was just a risk we were willing to take!

CMHL is a relatively new lodge, built just 5 years ago. The lodge has a large central room with vaulted ceiling, fireplace, and animal mounts on all the walls. The whole lodge is done in rustic rough-cut pine. Two hallways off the main room have 3 bedrooms each, which had several bunk beds in each. While each hall had one large bathroom, there were multiple private stalls and showers in each. Everything was high quality and clean as a tack through out.

The lodge sits on several thousand acres, and there is an area in the center of the property surrounded by 1.8 miles of 8-ft. fencing. This is done for several reasons; The Tenn. Fish & Game Dept requires imported Russian boars to be contained in a fenced area; and also, the animals represent a significant investment, and Jerry doesn�t want them to wander off, or have to deal with poachers.

Initially, I was somewhat concerned about hunting in a fenced area; would this be like fishing in a barrel? My concern was unfounded. Jerry keeps 50-60 boars on the area at all times, and when they are released, they�re on the property until they�re harvested. Further, after you enter the area, and start walking through the woods, you quickly lose sight of the fence; when you encounter your first "pack" of wild boar that are free roaming in the area, the fence is the last thing on your mind!

Dan and I agreed to meet on a Thursday evening for supper at a Cracker Barrel in Crossville, just off I40, at about 5:30 PM. The trip was about 450 miles for me coming from St. Louis and about 250 miles for Dan coming from northern Alabama. After supper, we drove about 12 miles north on Hwy 127 out of Crossville to the lodge and checked in.

The hunt started Friday morning after a super breakfast prepared by Judy. We had scrambled eggs, bacon, boar sausage, biscuits/gravy, and coffee/juice. The weather was cool (March 17) and a fire was crackling in the fireplace. We weren�t sure we wanted to leave the comfort of the lodge, but it was time to get serious.

Our guides for the morning were Wayne and Steve, and they took us by pickup on a gravel road about 1/2 mile from the lodge. When we pulled up to the gate and fenced area, we had no idea what was ahead for us.

Jerry had told us that usually the boar run in packs of from 15-30 animals. A word about the animals: there are 3 sizes (and corresponding prices). The "small" boar runs up to 250 pounds, and a guided hunt with 3 days lodging/2 days meals runs $595. The next size animal runs from 250-350 pounds, and this is priced at $895. The last class (known as monster class) are boars that are 500 pounds and up. The price for these is $1500. All classes/prices include guide service; the guides will take you into the area, put you within range, field dress and get your animal back to the lodge. Dan and I were hunting the smaller class boar.

We were also concerned about positively identifying the right class of animal, and that works like this: small class has no ear tag; medium class has a colored tag in the ear about the size of a quarter; and if you can�t identify the "monsters" when you see them, you shouldn�t be walking around with a loaded gun! Seriously, the guides assist in positive ID.

Since sending in our deposit in January, we debated which firearms to use for this hunt. Jerry offered the following recommendations: centerfire rifle in 30 cal or larger with 180 grain minimum bullet weight; pistol in 44 magnum with bullets of 270-300 grains; muzzleloader in 50 cal minimum; and 12 gauge slug (archery hunts also permitted).

The reason for the heavy armament is because Russian boars have a thick (1.5 to 2 inch) layer of dense fat under a tough hide surrounding the chest. This is referred to as "armor plate." Boars are tenacious, and don�t die quickly, even when hit well. In most cases, well-placed shots to the chest area do not exit.

Dan decided to use a 12-gauge slug gun, and I brought a 375 Win lever action and 44-magnum revolver. The 375 was handloaded with 220 gr. Hornady�s near max load, which is quite a bit more potent than factory loads. For the 44 magnum, I had tried 3 different loads with the following bullets: Speer 270 gr., Hornady 300 gr., and 265-gr. Hornady Interlock, which is really a rifle bullet. I decided that the 265 Hornady would most likely give the best penetration, so that is what I took on the hunt. (45-70�s are also a good choice for boar hunts).

OK, so we entered the fenced area, closed the gate behind us, and proceeded through the woods down a logging trail. The first boar we encountered was running through the woods alone. Wayne explained that while most boars run in packs, there were a few that were so ill tempered they didn�t run with the other boars. Dan immediately said he wanted one of the "solo" bad boys, so we spent the next several hours stalking through the woods trying to get close enough for a shot at one of the lone boars. Boars have poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and sense of smell. If not provoked or cornered, their natural tendency is to avoid humans. If irritated, however, they are just as likely to charge as run away.

During the several hours we stalked Dan�s solo animal, we encountered several packs of boars, one group of approximately 30, and another of 12-15. All sizes of boars were in these groups, and we moved around them cautiously. We used the sightings to size up the animals and learn how to spot the ear tag.

The literature we received from Jerry said that scopes were not recommended, "you should take your boar from 3 feet to 30 yards," and so we complied, no scopes. I suppose one could use a scoped 30-06 and fire from 50-60 yards, but this would not be as exciting. Further, there is the very real danger that your bullet MIGHT exit and strike a second boar. If that happens, guess what, you just bought another hog!

It was getting close to lunch time, and thus far we had not got as close as we wanted, caution aside. We decided we wanted to be within 20 yards to assure a good shot at a single animal. During this time, I kept the 44 holstered and was actually planning on using the lever gun. But as brothers do, Dan started giving me his opinion on HOW I should hunt MY boar. He thought I should use the revolver, move in close to the pack and single one out. He said I would be sorry later if I didn�t do it this way, and he would be there backing me up with the 12 gauge, if I got into trouble. Sounded good to me, kinda.......So that is what we did. In retrospect, as I remember Dan standing back (holding my lever gun) and laughing as I turned white playing cowboy with a charging boar, was it a good idea? YOU BET it couldn�t have been any better.

After the pictures in the field were taken, Steve field dressed the animal and Wayne went for a 4x4 ATV to get the animal out. We hung the animal in a walk-in cooler, and then we had lunch. Judy had ham sandwiches with all the trimmings, soup, and chips waiting. Boy, I could get used to this style of hunting!

During lunch, Wayne asked Dan if he was still interested in chasing a solo hog, and Dan said that he was. Near the end of lunch, Wayne got up first and said somewhat seriously, "come on guys, we got some work to do if you want to get a lone hog."

We enlisted the help of a 3rd guide, James, for the afternoon hunt, because Wayne said we would probably have to drive the woods with more people to find the solo hogs. We got back to the woods about 2 PM.

The portion of the woods we had hunted in the morning reminded me of primitive weapons hunts at Ft. Leonard Wood; fairly thick woods with moderate climbing up and down drainages. For the afternoon hunt, we went to an area farther back in the fenced property that was much more rugged and dense than the first area (referred to as the lower area).

The plan was for Dan, Steve, and I to go to a predetermined place, called the slate ridge because of an abundance of slate rocks everywhere, while Wayne and James took a long sweeping route around the woods. Then they were to walk slowly up a steep wooded drainage to us, hopefully driving a solo hog our way. There would be no standing broadside shot for Dan, probably, but I offered for him to use my 44 revolver anyway, while I "backed him up" with the 12 gauge, but he declined, can�t imagine why! We got in position and waited.

15-20 minutes later we heard sounds coming up the drainage in the distance that sounded like hogs squealing, maybe. Steve said it was Wayne and James making the noise, trying to run a hog our way. About 3 minutes later, the action started. Four hogs came running up the side of the drainage, their long black manes were standing up like razors; they do this when they are irritated, and I must say, it makes them look even more ominous, if that is possible.

Dan got in position to fire. He had a difficult situation, because the hogs were going up the side of the steep drainage like deer or elk; you have to see it to believe how well and quickly they can move over rugged terrain. Further, he and Steve would have to positively ID and fire at a fast moving target.

We were positioned about 2/3 up the hill from the bottom of the drainage, and the hogs closed the distance quickly. From where Dan was standing, they passed single file in front of him at about 30 yards. He raised his shotgun and fired at the 3rd hog, at which point the first two continued up and over the ridge while the last two peeled off and went into a thick, gnarly mess of brush suitable only for snakes, beagles, and apparently wild hogs!

We had heard a short squeal just after the shot, but nothing like what mine had done, so we weren�t sure if Dan had connected or not. What we DID know was we had one or two hogs in a thick mess of brush, one possibly injured. They had raised manes when they went by, and now they were definitely agitated. I looked at Dan and said, "Get in there and root �em out!" and laughed; it was my turn to enjoy. But Dan and Steve didn�t share my humor.

Dan and Steve moved around the brushy area cautiously looking for a better vantage point to get another shot. The hog came out to the edge of the brush and was quartering away, up the hill. Dan fired again, but just as he shot, the hog turned straight away, so the shot entered above the ham, and we found out later, traveled the length of the hog and the slug lodged under the hide on the brisket. It missed the spine, but took out both lungs and the heart. The hog moved around in the brush some (while the 2nd hog went over the hill, apparently un-injured), then laid down in a low spot, breathing hard and grunting. We moved in cautiously to check it out better, and it expired a short time later.

The guides went to work and a short time later we were back at the lodge hanging both hogs for pictures. After pictures were made, the guides skinned the animals (for shoulder mounts) and hung them in the cooler. The following morning, they fully butchered and double wrapped the meat ready for the freezer. This was over the hunt fee; for an extra $40 they will skin and quarter, or for $80 they will skin and fully process and wrap the meat (sausage is extra). This seemed like a reasonable price, and we both took advantage of it. CMHL also does taxidermy, but we opted to take the mounts to our local taxidermists.

By the way, both hogs were nearly 6 feet long, and stood close to 3 feet at the front shoulder. Mine weighed 245 pounds, and Dan�s weighed 220 pounds. We were both very pleased with our hunting experience at CMHL, and will go back there on our next boar hunt.

We thought originally that this would probably be something we would do only once, but our older brother Dave is now interested in going on a Russian boar hunt, so we�ll probably go with him. We have one piece of advice for him: do it with a revolver and move in REAL CLOSE for the shot.....We�ll both be there for back up!

For more info, contact the writer evenings at 636-227-8358, or:

Jerry & Judy Pistole

Cumberland Mountain Hunting Lodge

P.O. Box 141

Monterey, Tenn. 38574

931-456-9025

http://www.cmhl.com/

MO State Conventional Indoor Pistol Championship

The Green Valley R&P Club in Columbia, Mo. hosted the Missouri State Indoor Conventional Pistol Championship on March 19, 2000. The match, sponsored by the Missouri Sport Shooting Association, was fired in the facility�s 50 foot indoor range. 11 shooters competed against each other firing 90 rounds of .22 cal, and 90 rounds of centerfire pistol. Match winner and Missouri State Champion this year was Kent M. Finlay from Centralia. Senior Champion from St. Louis, was William Reinhold. The senior category was hotly contested as 6 of the 11 were from 60 to 70 years of age. NRA Director Dave C. Jones refereed the match. Thanks to Austin Shepard, Jeff Stock and Paul Szopa for officiating the match. Scores are as follows:

David B. Jones HM 1683-42X

Kent M. Finlay EX 1684-44X State Champ

Bill Reinhold EX 1673-34X Senior Champ

James Kaan EX 1658-29X

George Monahan EX 1648-30X

Gary Martin EX 1600-21X

Bill Warren EX 1529-14X

Edward Nelson EX 1518-14X

Charles Grassham EX 1279-15X

Richard Champagne SS 1611-30X

Elmer Becker MK 1562-18X

Abbreviated Minutes of the MSSA Board Meeting, March 4, 2000

Meeting called to order at 9:55 by President Steve McGhee. Present were directors: Steve McGhee, David Giarratano, Harold Miederhoff, Kent Finlay, Lee Koester, John Leinberger, Melissa Mata, Mitch Peters, Skip Barban, Bob Baumer, Roscoe Morris, and Steve Rebhan. A guest, Jim Meehan was also in attendance.

Motion made, seconded, and passed to accept minutes of previous meeting.

Miederhoff reported that the membership totals of MSSA continue to rise. There are about as many new memberships coming in, as there are renewals.

Koester presented the treasurers report. Motion and second made to accept. Motion passed.

McGhee reported that the "Safe With Guns" project of Burma Shave type signs has four commitments (MSSA is one) for signs and is seeking landowners with good highway frontage for placement. Note: Anyone with access to a good location should contact McGhee.

Motion made and seconded that MSSA donate a pistol safe costing about $150.00 to be given as a door prize at the March 15 gun safety rally at the capitol. Motion passed.

Report by Barban on plan for membership recruitment, promotion of MSSA, and establishment of a "Grass Roots" operation. The project will start with a questionnaire in the next newsletter.

Webmaster, McGhee, reported that MSSA has a new website: safewithguns.org/mssa.

Peters reported that the newsletter is doing well but could use a scanner to get more pictures and graphics into it. Motion made and seconded to purchase a scanner for a maximum of $255.00. Motion passed.

McGhee reported that the insurance company that mailed material to MSSA members is willing to allow the insertion of a page about MSSA into a planned mailing to holders of hunting and fishing licenses. This will cost nothing and will get exposure for MSSA. Motion made and seconded that McGhee prepare the letter and work with the insurance company to meet that end. Motion passed.

Miederhoff reported that CMP would let MSSA have another M-1 rifle this year to be used as a fundraiser for junior activities. Activity will be similar to last year�s successful raffle.

Leinberger reported that the junior camp would be the fourth weekend of June at Bucksnort Range near Marshall. Cost will be $85.00 per participant.

Motion made and seconded to hire professional photographer to take pictures at the March 15 rally, cost not to exceed $200.00. Motion passed

Finlay reported that the annual CMP report has been filed.

Meeting adjourned at 12:18.

Next MSSA Board meeting will be Saturday, June 3, 2000, at 10:00 a.m. at the MDC Headquarters Auditorium in Jefferson City, and all MSSA Members are (as always) welcome to attend.

Reminder To MSSA/NRA

I want to remind all NRA voting members that candidates for the NRA Board of Directors appear in the current issue of the official NRA magazines. PLEASE VOTE!

As I am also a member of the NRA Clubs & Associations Committee; we are looking at ways of "growing" our State Associations. A good start is for every MSSA member to sign up at least three new members this year.

Keep up the good work,

Dave Jones, Ellisville, MO

Match Schedules