This handgun came to me from a retired police officer. He had carried it as a backup and off-duty gun for many years. At some point the gun was refinished, electroless nickel, after it was damaged. The gun had intermittently stopped firing on the first (double action) shot.

A neglected old .22 rifle in need of some TLC

No matter how we feel about firearms, it is imperative that we teach our children the basics of firearm safety. Even if there is never a gun in your home, there may be one in a friend's, neighbor’s or a relative's home. Not teaching your children the basics of firearm safety is like not teaching them how to swim, or not teaching them to avoid hazards such as hot, sharp, or pointed things. Children are curious. When it comes to firearms, uninformed children are likely to get hurt! Let us not let our politics blind us to ways to enhance the safety of our children.

Crime is not only a complete disavowal of the social contract, but also a commandeering of the victim's person and liberty. If the individual's dignity lies in the fact that he is a moral agent engaging in actions of his own will, in free exchange with others, then crime always violates the victim's dignity. It is, in fact, an act of enslavement. Your wallet, your purse, or your car may not be worth your life, but your dignity is; and if it is not worth fighting for, it can hardly be said to exist.

Here goes...off the cuff...my basic rule on how to deal with reporters (mostly TV) when they show up at the shooting scene, and later on at your door and at the courthouse. I'll try and post a more concise version later. Grab a cup of coffee. It's a very long post but subtle nuances are important here. I'm not supporting or damning the media, just giving y'all a feel for what usually happens. If you have a shooting buddy, and you feel pretty comfortable with what I'm outlining, discuss a media plan with him and your attorney in case a shooting occurs to give you some level of preparedness. You may need your buddy as a designated family spokesman. Don't identify him as a shooting sports partner...just a "friend of the family".

There are lots of people to whom you can take your guns when you need something done. Gunsmithing is one of those trades where anyone can call himself a gunsmith. There is no licensing board that tests the skill of someone who wishes to work on guns. When you choose a gunsmith, it is up to you to check his qualifications.

Over the past 30 years, I've been paid to write almost two million words, every one of which, sooner or later, came back to the issue of guns and gun-ownership. Naturally, I've thought about the issue a lot, and it has _always_ determined the way I vote.

People accuse me of being a single-issue writer, a single-issue thinker, and a single-issue voter, but it isn't true. What I've chosen, in a world where there's never enough time and energy, is to focus on the one political issue which most clearly and unmistakably demonstrates what any politician -- or political philosophy -- is made of, right down to the creamy liquid center.