From: fiddler@concertina.Eng.Sun.COM (steve hix)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: AM radio DXing
Date: 2 Sep 92 20:55:25 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.

Apologies, this is somewhat long.

I usually leave work after 7 p.m. to avoid heavy traffic
on the way home.  Lately, as the days become shorter, I've
been having fun looking for out-of-area radio stations to
listen to.

One that comes in as well or better than local (big!) stations
about this time is KFI (AM 640) from Los Angeles, which seems
to have a talk show format these days.  ("What's this got to do
with guns?", you say...patience, I'm getting there.)

The talk show host at this time of day is Barbara Whitesides,
who does not appear to be a Rush Limbaugh-equivalent...her
political stance isn't to the right of Genghis Khan, anyway.

Last week she announced that she and her husband had decided
to learn how to shoot (handgun), and that they were in the
immediate market for a handgun to be kept at home and used
for self-defense. (I recovered before going off the road.)

They planned on going to a local shooting range with a
(friend/acquaintance?) who was an NRA instructor to learn
how to shoot safely, and were planning on taking their
6-year-old son at the same time to introduce him safely to
the notion of firearms.

The remainder of the show involved a number of different people
calling in, all sorts of opinions ranging from "Get the biggest
piece you can find and waste the scum before they get you" to a
lawyer who called in and blamed all the firearms violence in the
world on a plot by the evil, omnipotent arms manufacturers.

Actually, most of them were pretty reasonable.

Time passes...

Last night, she's back with a report on their experience at the
range: They had fun.  They think that they want to get into
target shooting. Positive experience.

Next issue: if they're going to have a handgun in the house,
they want to store it safely.  Looking at storing it locked up,
unloaded, with ammo, locked, in separate location.

Problem: that's fine for most situations, how do they get to it
if there is a need?

COULD SOMEONE IN THE LA AREA GIVE HER A CALL SOMETIME SOON AND
PASS ON SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO HER?  (Ahem...sorry
for shouting.)

She has a valid concern, but the only ideas that she got from
callers were either; "nothing else to do" or "don't bring the
evilbabaykillingviciousweaponsofrepression into your house".

Here's an idea: Protector Technologies, Inc.*  makes something
called StrapLock.  It looks like a rubber band on steroids,
with a molded in handle/plug at one end that goes in the
front of the barrel, the other end has a hole that fits over the
hammer spur.

It was tested in the field on kids 4-12, and none were able to
either cock the hammer or pull the trigger back with the device
installed, but an adult could remove it quickly if the gun was
needed.  The band includes a large "Loaded Gun" on the strap,
which might be useful for warning the kids who can read to stay
back.  (One can always hope.)

Another possible solution would be a whizzy electrically locked
safe that opens only when the owner inserts her hand in a front
slot to unlock it.  But that's a *lot* more expensive.

This might be just the ticket for her and her husband.  Neither
their six nor three-year-old would be able to operate the gun
with the gadget installed, and neither should be able to remove
it unaided.  (Yeah, I know, I have three kids and know how...um...
ingenious they can be if they *really* want to open something.)

It isn't going to be any help if they get a Glock, or other
hammerles gun, but...

Oh yeah, one other issue: she said that she felt it would be
important to let the parents of any kids who might play with
her kids know that there was a loaded gun in the house.

Could you (whoever calls) let her know that that is a Bad Idea(tm)?
No need to have more kids curious about getting their hands on the
nifty gun, or to have people in the neighborhood know about the
(expensive) firearm that just might be a temptation for some local
thug to break in and liberate some quick cash.

Oh, yeah: her son's desire to pick up a bunch of empty cases to
bring home and play with is not necessarily a bad thing, certainly
not abnormal.  The things are shiny, make nice clinking sounds,
and can be lined up and stacked in many interesting ways.  We
should know, some of us still do it.  :}

The two or three show segments that I've heard on the subject of
owning firearms have been on of the few positive presentations of
the subject that I've heard on radio in a long time (who knows
what goes on on TV...I don't have one?)

It would be great if she could get a positive solution to her
dilemma, and maybe LA listeners might get a positive view of
responsible (and even useful) gun ownership.

Thanks to anyone who can pass this on.

* StrapLock ($19.95)
  Protector Technologies
  P.O. Box 13348
  Dept. CH
  Jackson, MS  39236
  (601) 957-2885 or 1-800-538-8400

I have no connection with Protector Technologies, etc.

--
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Of making many books there is no end...  |  What's wrong with chasing 
                       -- Eccl. 12:12    |  nebulae till 3 am?  |-(
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[MODERATOR:  *ooooooh* Okay, so this has discussion about safe ways to
secure a firearm, so I'll post it here instead of t.p.g.....  Oh, and
someone who calls that station should also have the child not play with
those nice, bright, noisy, (empty) cartridge cases until someone has
cleaned them up, right????]