Celebrate Father's Day with 25% off a father and child shooting class. Learn the important safety requirements when handling firearms, increase your marksmanship, learn self defense tactics when carrying or at home, but most of all bond with your child while doing America's favorite pastime.

Looking for a great Mother's Day gift? For May Patriot Arms Gunsmithing is offering at 25% discount off of a mother/child shooting class. Get the family together and perfect your skills and America's true pastime. Also, to celebrate with the honored Veterans for Memorial Day, we are increasing our Veterans discount to 25% for May. Semper Fidelis Vets!

Take advantage of Patriot Arms Gunsmithing's March discounts for the Beginner Shooting Classes (15% off) and the other shooting classes (10% off). Increase your marksmanship and firearms self defense skills. Remember as the temperature in the weather goes up, so does crime. Do not be a victim!

We have many different responsibilities as gun owners. For those of us who have children, our kids will always be our number one priority. So as gun owners we ask ourselves when do we introduce firearms into our kids' lives and when to allow them to start shooting.

These questions are answered both in the child and the parent. There are no set rules. However, my advice as a gun owner and parent is to first instill to a very young child that
firearms can be dangerous and to always tell an adult if you see one. Yes, as a responsible gun owner your firearms should be properly stored in a safe place with locks, but if a firearm is in the house, no matter the precautions taken, firearms safety needs to be taught to everyone.

As a  parent you will have to judge your child's ability to listen to directions. This is just like the toy kitchens where you play like you cooking and you tell your child to be careful when turning on the stove. The toy kitchen is plastic, but you act it out so your kid learns not to burn themselves. There are many  examples I can use, but the point is to start that process of learning firearm safety as soon as you think they are capable of learning it.

I cannot and  will not list out a set age in which a parent can take their kid shooting. Again that is up to the parent's decision on the assessment of their child's capability. I would advise that 7 years old would be the earliest I would consider. I can however give some advice to better the experience. After all this is an American pastime. Many fathers and sons; moms and daughters have some of their fondest memories learning how to shoot. My advice is to start with a  .22. It may look cute that your little boy is holding your 12 gauge shotgun, but after  he shoots it, he may not want to shoot anymore. You do not want their first experience to be a negative one.

You should always start with thorough safety instruction first. But make it fun and simple for them. Use a light recoil rifle like a .22 rifle and let them enjoy hitting that bull’s eye. Only
let your child shoot when they are ready. There is no rush.

Shooting has  been a part of our history for a long time and it is an enjoyable experience that can produce the best memories. That being said a firearm is a tool, and a tool that can be dangerous. Safety should always be number one; especially, our children's safety. This is why Patriot Arms Gunsmithing offers a free gun safety lesson for children. With the right introduction and proper safety habits, shooting can be the best memories your child will have.

Safe Shooting,

Jonathan Davis
CEO & Founder

Picking the right ammo to carry for defensive purposes can be a hassle. There are many publications like Ammo & Ballistics, along with other defensive pistol magazines that go into extreme detail on this subject. My short answer is this:
Pick the largest round you can shoot accurately.

Shot placement is key regardless of the size of the round. Now for defensive purposes you should already consider the JHP or jacketed hollow points. This is a given due to their ability to expand and have a maximum affect on the target. Glaser Slugs are a special consideration for those who have their firearms for house protection only. Those that carry should focus on the JHP.

Now for the infamous question, what size round should you use? Anything above a .38 special. Yes, the government and many others have tested many different calibers and you will hear a lot on that data, but as someone with military service, I can tell you they just used full metal jackets. Why? Because that is the only type of ammunition we can use in the military.

The terminal ballistic performance of calibers .38 special to .45 ACP  in JHP are virtually the same in one aspect, the secondary wound channel. Yes, they all have different speeds and energy levels, but we are not talking about the Knock Out Factor or anything crazy here. Just the affect the bullet has in the human body as related to what we military people call hydrostatic shock.  These hollow points expand under perfect conditions and will have the desired affect on the target. Trust me, the target will not care if it is a 9mm or .40 S&W.

As a person who carries their firearms for defensive purposes you should know that you are fully liable for that round you let loose. So practice will always be important. You accuracy is number one on the priority scale. Second to that would be for you to test your chosen JHP in your firearm. Of course I can perform a reliability package on your firearms and you will not have to worry about feeding problems, but a lot of factory pistols will be picky on what JHPs they feed reliably. Test at least a hundred rounds of your defensive ammunition.

For those who carry a .380 ACP, the round will still do the job. However, it is designed for a back up or light concealed pistol. The .380 ACP just does not have the power to expand and cause a drastic secondary wound channel. All rounds will kill a target, but for a defensive pistol we want that target down immediately. Always prepare for the worst and expect the best. So stick with a .38 special and above.

Safe shooting

These rules should be fully memorized in both your mind and body. No matter if you are a novice or an expert, all should practice these rules all the time to prevent accidents.

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded. Even after they have been ensured that they are unloaded.

2. Never point your weapon at anything you are not willing to destroy.

3. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger guard until you are up on target with the intention to shoot.

4. Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire and be sure of your target, its background and foreground.

Safe Shooting.