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Friday March 8, 2013 – Friday March 8, 2013

Description:

People often ask us questions about holsters, flashlights, and other items we use for Every Day Carry (EDC).

This presentation will review the most common tools and accessories available for EDC, including:

– Handguns

– Flashlights

– Intermediate Weapons (impact weapons, pepper spray)

– Knives

– MultiTools

– Holsters and Magazine Pouches

And much more!

You’ll get a chance to ask QSI’s experts about their EDC gear, and be able to check out gear for yourself.  If you already own gear you have questions about (or want to show off), bring it!

This event is FREE – but please sign up, so we know how many people to expect.

Register

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Saturday June 17, 2017 – Saturday June 17, 2017

18832 Lake Drive East

Description:

This class satisfies all requirements for a Minnesota Permit-to-Carry a Pistol. It is guaranteed to be accepted by all Minnesota Sheriffs. This course will also be accepted by any State which accepts NRA-certified training.

What you will learn:
– Avoiding Conflict
– The Law of Use and Threat of Deadly Force
– Deadly Force and its Aftermath
– Everyday Police Encounters
– Firearm, Ammunition and Holster Selection
– Mechanics of Everyday Carry
– Legalities of Minnesota Carry
– Out of State and Airline Travel
– Firearms Safety
– Shooting Exercise
– The Permit to Carry Application and Appeal Process
– Additional Resources

What you need to bring:
– Handgun (rental handguns available)
– 10-20 rounds of ammo
– Pen & notepaper for taking notes
– Photo ID and payment

The class lasts from 0900-1730, including a lunch break and the shooting test. Sometimes we finish early, depending on the class size.

Register

We’ve been asked this question many times and the easy answer is….there is no easy answer. It depends on where you are in the state and the circumstance. I’ve been doing a lot of research and the simple truth is there is no one answer and there’s no one place to find the information.

First, let me plug a site that has some great base information for every State.  http://www.knifeup.com/knife-laws/

The guys who run the site try to keep this up to date and for the most part knife laws are not as contentious as gun laws so they’re not changed often (and when they are it’s not widely publicized). If you look at the Minnesota section they deal a lot with legal ownership, not carry length and it has a great summation of State laws.

On a federal and state level, there are NO blade length restrictions. The only restriction at the Federal level has to do with “switchblades” (that can be a different article).  Note that carrying a knife is illegal, regardless of length, in courthouses and certain state buildings (MN Statute 609.66 Subd. 1g) so make sure you know the laws when you enter state buildings and facilities.

At the county level, it’s either very specific or completely devoid of any reference. Many counties rely on the cities beneath them to write laws.

Hennepin County has NO specific knife laws on the books at all. Ramsey County only has one entry and that is in regards to county parks.

Ramsey County Park Rules states: “It shall be unlawful for any person to: 3. Possess or carry in any park, any air gun, bow and arrow, knife with a blade three (3) or more inches in length, slingshot, dart or projectile thrower, or any other dangerous or illegal weapon. “

http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/parks/administration/docs/Park_Rules_Ordinance.pdf  Page 4, Section H, Number 3.

Now let’s look at some cities. As the question of knife legality mostly comes from people from the metro area, I looked at the two biggest cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul. It should be noted that while researching this topic I talked to several Police Officers in the city I live in (Minneapolis) and out of 4, 1 ended up having the right answer but could not cite where to look up the statute (not being able to cite statues is not unusual as there are thousands).

The Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, Chapter 393.10, Subsection F states:

“Weapon” does not include (1) except when used as a weapon, a folding knife with a blade of four (4) inches or less in length, measured in a straight line from the point to the handle.…”

Interpreted from legal mumbo jumbo, this means a folding/lock blade knife with a blade length no longer than 4 inches is legal.

The Saint Paul Code of Ordinances, Chapter 225.01, defines what an illegal knife is but not what a legal one is. There are two especially pertinent sections when trying to define legal knife carry, first off:

 “Concealed manner shall mean having the object on the person in such a manner so that it is not completely visible to any other person. Having a knife in a sheath shall be considered as having the knife concealed, irrespective of position of the sheath on the person.”

So anything you can sheath is considered illegal in St. Paul (I did find an exception for utility blades fewer than 1 inch in length but that gets very specific). An argument could be made that having a folding knife in your pocket with the clip and top of handle sticking out can be considered concealed but there is no legal precedent to enforce that view.

The second entry is where they define what an illegal knife is;

“Knife shall mean dirk, dagger, stiletto, switchblade knife, spring blade knife, push button knife, a folding knife with a blade in excess of four (4) inches, a machete, a bayonet, or any fixed-blade knife, carried in a concealed manner or within reach of any person in a motor vehicle.”

So one can interpret that a folding blade less than 4 inches is legal in Saint Paul, same as in Minneapolis.

But wait….if you live in Saint Paul and carry a 4 inch folding blade but step into a county park are you breaking the county (in this case Ramsey) law? The strict letter of the law answer is probably yes but unless city police know that specific county park law you are unlikely to have issues.

They certainly don’t make it easy. I randomly picked 4 more cities in Hennepin County (Bloomington, Edina, Maple Grove, and Minnetonka) and none had any specific laws listed on their city sites.

In Ramsey County I did the same thing (I picked New Brighton, Falcon Heights, Maplewood, and Saint Anthony) and only one (Saint Anthony) had any reference to knives at all and that was pertaining to pawnbroker sales (prohibiting “switchblades”).

There are 87 counties in Minnesota and hundreds of cities. What’s clear from the research I’ve done thus far is you’ll be hard pressed to find one solid all encompassing answer.  If you want to know the actual legal blade length you can carry where you live the best bet is to check your county and city web sites or contact your local Police and/or Sheriff’s Department, asking specifically for legal citations.  If you are looking to carry a blade that is legal “everywhere”, your best bet will be to pick the average minimum length in a folder model of your choice.

So I didn’t really answer the question of “What is the legal knife length one may carry in Minnesota?” but I left you with the tools, some advice on how to find out for yourself, as well as a good base of information.  Whatever you decide to carry make sure you know the law and accept the consequences.

If you want to post what you’ve found about your own corner of Minnesota please let us know, especially if it’s wacky, because we all love to hear how laws are clear and concise.

Some other useful links:

The Minnesota State Legislature website, in case you want to reference it. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg.aspx

This is an older doc and doesn’t have much Minnesota info but was written as a quick guide specifically for knife laws. http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USKnife.pdf

This site is similar to the one above in that it is more of an index but it is harder to understand. None the less this is a good quick reference guide. http://thefiringline.com/library/blades/knifelaws.html

Finally, here is a great link to a site that just redirects you to municipal codes. If you travel a lot or just want to dive deeper into your own area, this is a great place to start. http://www.municode.com/library/

At our recent “Drills and Skills” event, I decided to do some shooting with my Model 64 revolver and really enjoyed it. I had to ask myself, “Why don’t I carry this gun more often?”

I’ve always loved revolvers. My first guns were revolvers, most notably the Colt Python I shot as a teenager and the first gun I ever owned – a Smith & Wesson Model 29 I bought on my 21st birthday (for $340!).

I carried revolvers on the job, too. At the time, having an auto pistol was still kind of a new thing. I had a Smith & Wesson Model 28 “Highway Patrolman” that accompanied me on many hours of patrol.

Unfortunately, my financial needs at the time forced me to sell it, and most of my other guns, in 1996. Many of the guns I’ve bought over the last 10 years were purchased to rebuild that collection.

A couple of years ago, redeemed myself and filled two more holes in my collection by picking up a Smith & Wesson Model 28 and Model 64.

One thing I love about old guns is their history. Both of these turned out to have interesting pasts. The Model 28 was sold in Riverside, California in 1970 to a California Highway Patrolman. The Model 64 was bought in 1992 and served with the NYPD.

The Model 28 is a .357 built on the N-Frame. When the .357 was first marketed to police officers, it was only available in the expensive Moel 27.

The folks at Smith & Wesson came up with the idea of making a “budget” version of that gun with a matte finish and some changes to the manufacturing process to reduce costs. The end result was the Model 28 “Highway Patrolman” – a big, solid handgun that inspires confidence in anyone who picks it up.

For me, the Model 28 is more of a collector’s piece, although I carry it as a backup when deer hunting.

I do have a revolver I carry once in a while – a Smith & Wesson J-frame 442 – and I wanted to get in more revolver practice. However, as anyone who owns one knows, the J-Frame can be less than fun to shoot. I wanted a revolver I could put two or three hundred rounds through at the range without too much pain.

I scored a deal on my Model 64 through JG Sales (last time I checked, they had a few left). For less than $300 I got a heck of a nice gun. I swapped out the well-worn rubber grips for a new Hogue “Bantam” grip, and went to the range.

The trigger, in accordance with NYPD specs, has been converted to double-action only, which frankly, I really like. Being able to thumb cock the hammer has limited utility on a defensive handgun. The trigger pull is consistent on every shot, and the trigger has been polished smooth for excellent contact with the trigger finger, giving greater control.

The bull barrel keeps the muzzle from flipping too much when shooting hotter +P ammo, and the gun is frighteningly accurate.

Are they useful for self-defense? Absolutely! Both guns are great shooters, reliable, and accurate.

I am sure you are wondering – Erik, if these guns are so great, why don’t you carry them?

When my Father died in 2001, he left the family a restored 1957 Ford Thunderbird. Driving that car was both exhilarating and terrifying. No seat belts, no air bags, no power steering and an engine that was all horsepower. The T-Bird represented top of the line performance for 1957, but with very little utility in 2001. Parts were expensive and just keeping it stored was costing us. Ultimately, we decided to sell it.

The car I drive every day is no T-Bird. But it’s reliable and easy to maintain – and I look for the same traits in a defensive handgun.

These two revolvers are like my Dad’s old T-Bird. They are beautiful, powerful, rich in history, and excellently designed – but not as practical as other guns.

So why don’t I carry these fine revolvers? Because there are guns out there like the M&P, Glock, and others which fulfill the role of a defensive handgun more effectively. Granted, both revolvers would be effective for self-defense in a pinch, but there are guns out there that are lighter to carry, easier to shoot, and carry more ammo.

The guns I carry are my daily drivers. I’ve got no more affinity for them than my wife’s old Toyota Camry.

But like most of us, I too own guns that, every now and then, I like to take out for a Sunday drive. And that’s pure joy.

Beware of imitators and pretenders!

A new “organization” calling itself “Minnesota Gun Owners” has popped up lately and has been co-opting the good work done by our own Minnesota Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance (GOCRA)

MGO is nothing more than an opportunist group who’s after your money.  The people behind it are a couple of political staffers from Iowa who started a similar group there.

If you want to support civil rights in Minnesota, there is only one group to support: GOCRA.  I’ve spent countless hours working with GOCRA at the Capitol.  No other organization has put forth the time and effort – and had the success – that GOCRA has.

Last Spring, anti-gun forces swung for the fences here in MN.  We saw calls for banning guns, registering guns, warrantless home inspections of gun owners, making gun owners’ personal information public, and a host of other fantastic attacks on our rights.  GOCRA packed the house, gave excellent, intelligent testimony, and in the end, we saw no further restrictions on our rights.

Without GOCRA, today Minnesota could have the same insane restrictions as New York and Colorado.

Here is some inside information about MGO.  For the record, I did a little “Googling” which backed up everything Mitch is saying.

http://www.shotinthedark.info/wp/?p=39222

Want to support our rights?  Here’s what I suggest:

Give your support to GOCRA first.  If you have anything left over, give that to the NRA.

/Erik

In case you haven’t heard, the office supply chain Staples recently refused to allow a Nebraska gun store to participate in a contest for small businesses. As a result, gun owners and supporters of the Second Amendment have been discussing a Staples boycott on social media.

http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/05/30/staples-rejects-contest-entry-of-gun-shop-73390

http://www.guns.com/2013/05/30/gun-shop-banned-from-staples-marketing-contest-for-selling-firearms/

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/staples-says-gun-store-cant-enter-contest.html

Here at QSI, we’re more than willing to “vote with our dollars.” Any student who registers for a QSI class and brings us a receipt of $10 or more from any Staples competitor will receive a 20% discount on their class.

For more information, email us info@qsitraining.net

Thanks for your support!

Whether you are starving for ammo or you are sitting on a large stockpile, you are probably wondering how to get the most out of your ammunition purchases. Most of us, once we get ammo in our hands, are afraid to use it because we’re not sure when it can be replaced.

While most ammo dealers have bare shelves, we are seeing an occasional ray of hope here and there. Just like things stabilized after the last election, this too shall likely pass.

In the meantime, just how do we get the best return on our ammo investment, and still stay proficient with our defensive firearms? Here are some suggestions:

 DRY FIRE DRILLS. Dry fire is a great way to practice your weapons manipulation skills without expending any ammo. You can practice drawing the gun, re holstering, trigger control and sight alignment in the comfort of your own home.

Safety when dry firing is just as important when live firing your gun. Gun safety rules are not suspended when a gun is “unloaded.” Check your gun before starting to make sure it’s clear, and then have someone else verify it for you. Practice your dry-firing against a safe backstop (such as a basement wall) and don’t have any live ammo in the room with you when you are practicing.

AIRSOFT/BLUE GUNS. Like dry-fire, this can be done just about anywhere. Depending on your gun, a Blue Gun replica from Ring’s Manufacturing can be had for around $40. Airsoft is a bit pricier but most replicas run around $150-$200. (We at QSI have a good friend in the Airsoft business, for his contact info send us an email).

While these guns don’t offer the exact same feel as the real thing, they are great for scenario-based practice, such as scanning, drawing/re holstering, retention and disarms. Airsoft guns have the added advantage of being able to fire a plastic pellet, and can be used for trigger control and sight alignment practice.

PLAN YOUR RANGE TIME. Never go to the shooting range without a plan. Think about what you want to practice, and what drills you can do to practice those skills.  While it’s fun to blast away at the target, in today’s market it makes sense to get the most you can out of each shot you fire.

In our next post, we’ll talk about some drills you can do at the range that will polish your skills without using a ton of ammo.