The Gun Box: Safe Storage. Quick Access. Biometric.

Came across this interesting alternative to traditional quick access gun boxes. Be sure to check them out at www.thegunbox.com . Once you watch the video below, watch the torture test done by Larry Vickers here : Larry Vickers vs. The Gun Box : Torture Test . They have different models available with various safety features on each one. They even contain an alarm that would warn you if the box was being tampered with [perfect for households with children]. The Gun Box can open via RF [radio frequency] , a fingerprint scanner or both.The Premier model even send you a text to your smart phone alerting you that it is being tampered with. And, if the Premier model is stolen, you can track it using your smart phone. 

Texas Pride AR Mag

Showing our Texas pride with a mag Duracoated by our good friend, Jason Armstrong, of Hammer Down Sports Gunsmith Services. It is an awesome looking mag that we can't wait to show off at the next match. We definitely need a few more of these! Thanks, Jason!

BluCore Shooting Center

I am sure many of you are already aware of a company called BluCore. They are based out of Lakewood, Co. and the company is owned and operated by Navy Seal combat veterans. This original location is a gun store, range and training facility that offers a wide range of training classes. They also have a great website, blog and an awesome online store. Be sure to check their website regularly as they run incredible specials on firearms and accessories. Their "train how you fight" motto is reinforced on the range since they allow drawing from holsters and controlled rapid fire. Sounds like just the facility we need here in the Austin, TX area.

Well, the wait is over....well half of it is, anyway. BluCore decided to expand to the Austin area and built a store in Round Rock, TX. over a year ago. We have known about this location for a while but we are a little behind in getting the word out [beyond word of mouth] on our blog. I guess we like the store so much that we were being a little selfish and trying to keep it to ourselves. In all fairness, we did post pictures of Christy and I at their official grand opening a few months back on Facebook [which we had a great time participating in]. We just haven't written a story about them until now.

The store is nestled in a small shopping center off of I-35 in Round Rock near the Sam Bass exit right next to the Animal Hospital. It is not a large store, but hey, this is just the beginning for what they have planned here. When you walk in the first thing you will notice is how well the store is layed out. Everything is easy to find and is categorized neatly on the shelves. They have the most thought out display of holsters that I have ever seen at a gun store. They are organized on the wall by the brand of gun that they fit. This display is so simple yet so brilliant. I am sure I am not the only one that has found themselves at a gun store searching hopelessly through stack upon stack of Glock holsters just to find what you need. For me, finding a right handed 1911 holster was quick and easy. The only problem I faced is what brand I wanted to select from.

They have a decent amount of pistols and long guns to choose from and they definitely do not price gouge like some small stores are known to do. If you cannot find the firearm that you have been looking for all you have to do is jump on their online store and order it and have it shipped free right to the store. With the selection they have at their store along with what they offer on their website, you are sure to find what you need. Now, if you are not sure what you want or you are shopping for your first gun, the staff at BluCore is there to assist you. The staff comes from Military, Law Enforcement and competitive shooting backgrounds and they are very knowledgeable when it comes to firearms. They take their time and actually listen to the customer and they are not quick to force an "expert opinion" on customers like we have experienced first hand when shopping for a firearm. There is nothing we hate worse than having to prove our knowledge to the guy standing on the other side of the gun counter. In most cases when this has happened we have fired thousands of rounds more than the "expert" we are talking to.

We have never had this feeling when talking to the BluCore staff. If anything, they are interested in actually hearing about our shooting experiences and are receptive to it. We have yet to find an employee there that didn't go out of their way to help us and they quickly respond when we do need help which is nice. Every time we walk into the store they recognize us and their manager always makes it a point to talk to Christy and I. He was even nice enough to let us take pictures inside the store for this article.  John, if you are reading this we apologize for the delay of this article. We will buy something to make up for it! Haha

Now, as I stated earlier, the store is just the first phase for what they are planning for the Austin area. Within the next few months they are planning on building a facility like the one they have in Colorado. When they get this new facility built they will close the temporary location in Round Rock and will have everything housed in the new building. I believe they are looking at land in Pflugerville close to Tracking Point. No matter where they put it we will definitely be regulars of the range and the store. They will also offer classes at the new location. Anything from CHL classes and private lessons to advanced firearms training. Overall, BluCore is a great addition to the area and we look forward to being customers for many years to come!

BluCore Shooting Center
2000 N Mays St. Suite 113
Round Rock TX 78664
Phone: 512-813-0503

Hours: Monday through Saturday 10am-6pm
http://www.blucoreshootingcenter.com/

Texas Tactical Carbine Match

This past weekend Christy and I decided to shoot a carbine match put on by Texas Tactical. It has been a couple of years since we had shot one of these matches and after shooting the match this weekend, we cannot imagine for the life of us why we stopped!

If you are not familiar with what a carbine match is, it is essentially an IDPA match that can be shot with either a pistol [traditional IDPA style minus the concealment garment] or you can shoot it with a carbine [.22, 5.56, 7.62, .308]. Basically, the idea behind the match is to use defensive type rifles or pistols and to "shoot what you have". Some of the stages are a combination of pistol and carbine similar to a 3 gun match minus the shotgun. The concept for this match was developed by our friend, "Iron Mike" Webb and he busts his butt to put these awesome matches on.

The day before the match I had the worst migraine that I have ever had. It took all the strength I could muster just to get up enough energy to clean our guns on Saturday night. I cleaned the guns while Christy got all of our gear and ammo together. I was really doubtful that I would be feeling well enough the next morning to even compete.

I was awoken [yes, its a word....Christy had me look it up] by an upset stomach around 6am and at that point I knew for sure that the match would be a no go. After sitting at the computer for about an hour watching Youtube videos of various competitions, I heard Christy's alarm go off and I knew I had to make a quick decision on whether or not I was feeling up to the challenge. Luckily, Christy did not get a lot of sleep that night so I knew it wouldn't take much to convince her we needed to stay home. Well, after about thirty minutes of contemplation, we both decided that we needed to do this match.

We arrived at Austin Rifle Club with not a lot of time to spare. As we were signing in, the decision was made to add another squad since there were so many shooters. The problem with this was they did not have enough Safety Officers to run the additional squad. As we were unpacking the truck and loading our gear onto the War Wagon III  [the name of our gun cart], our good friend Trey walked up and told us about the dilemma. He said that he was asked who he thought could run the squad, and he said, "The Ross' are great Safety Officers! They can run the squad!". Now, all he had to do was convince us to do it. Since it had been a couple of years that we had done this type of match, we were a little reluctant to say, "Yes". Trey is a pretty convincing guy though, and we just "happened" to have out trusty timer on us so it was meant to be.

We saw a lot of familiar faces as we walked up to the shooter's briefing including our newest friends, Louise and James. We had met them the weekend before at Temple Gun Club for a Steel Challenge match. Louise's warm smile and enthusiastic greeting made us feel right at home. Of course, some of the greetings we got were a little more sarcastic since we have been absent from the carbine matches for so long! After a good dose of ribbing from our friends, we got our game faces on and prepared to get to work. We were hoping to see "Iron" Mike, since we have not seen him since the IDPA Nationals, but he himself was feeling under the weather and didn't make it out. He is the match director, but he had to pass the reigns off to the very capable hands of his wife, Jennifer. She did a great job and kept us all in line.

Christy was shooting great and looked in fine form through each stage. Unfortunately, I was having issue after issue including my red dot kept failing. Thanks God for my Magpul back up sights! I was fading fast as the day wore on as I was still suffering from the aftermath of the migraine the day before. My legs felt like they weighed 100 pounds and I was aching all over. On a shoot and move stage I was doing good just keeping my sights on target and by the end of the stage I was severely winded. I owe a lot to Christy and the rest of the squad for helping me and encouraging me throughout the day. I started to feel much better as I downed about a gallon of water between each stage.

Overall we had a great time and we are glad that we decided to go. Even though I felt terrible, it was worth every minute getting to spend time shooting and getting to hang out with such awesome people. One of the guys on the squad kept commenting that Christy and I did a great job running the squad and that we made it a lot of fun for him. Hearing that made me feel a LOT better. Making sure that everyone stays safe and has a fun time is always our goal when we run a squad. No one likes to shoot with a grumpy safety officers, including us!

Here is the link for the pictures of our squad:
ARC Carbine Match

Personal Defense World's Video Of Christy at the IDPA Nationals

All Ladies' IDPA Natls Squad/Personal Defense World

This is a great article about the first all ladies' shooting squad at the IDPA Nationals. This article and Youtube videos were written by Andre' Dall'au for Personal Defense World.  He is a contributor for Harris Tactical Group and a really nice guy!  There are a few pictures and a Video of me shooting and being interviewed at the "Remember The Alamo" stage along with a few of the other girls. Check it out!
Personal Defense World Article

Flashbang Visit

Julie Routzahn "Flashbang Julie", Christy, and Lisa Looper

Flashbang holsters have become one of the most popular holster brands on the market over the past few years.  Lisa Looper came up with the idea for the original Flashbang holster to satisfy her own personal need that wasn't being addressed by other holster manufacturers. She quickly realized that she was not alone.  Let's face it, men and women are built differently and that is where the idea for the Flashbang started.

There were a lot of critics who couldn't come to terms with the idea of a holster that attached to a woman's bra.  There was a lot of skepticism in the firearm industry but Lisa didn't listen and continued to push her idea until it was finally accepted.  Since then the Flashbang has been flying off the shelves.  The company has expanded it's line to include a variety of holster options for both men and women.

While Gene and I were in Oklahoma for IDPA Nationals last month we decided to take a day trip to Oklahoma City to visit our friends from Flashbang.  We no sooner pulled up when we were greeted by Flashbang Julie and her huge smile at the front door.  On this visit we got to meet GM of Operations Patrick Cuddeback for the first time.  We had originally met Lisa Looper in March of 2013 at the first A Girl and A Gun Conference.  She was an absolute sweetheart.  We have had the pleasure of seeing Lisa and the Flashbang crew at various firearm industry functions since our first meeting. Every time we see them they seem even nicer (if that's possible) and we have really become friends with this great group.

After we finished visiting and catching up, Patrick gave us a tour of the factory along with telling us the history of Looper Leather Goods. We own most of their products, so it was interesting to see the process of how they are turned from raw materials into the finished product.  The company was originally called Looper Leather Goods and the original sign still hung out front.  They started off making belts, purses, and handbags and then moved onto making law enforcement products which they had been doing for more than 70 years.

The production employees are process a large volume of orders. They use traditional leather making techniques, hand tools, and machines and blend them with modern components such as thermoplastics to create stylish and functional products.  We got to see an original sewing machine that is over 100 years old. Gene, being a machine guy, was drooling all over it.  The plant had been at the same location since the 1960's and was owned and run by Bart Looper's grandfather.  We were happy to see the production facility before they moved into their new location earlier this month.

While we were touring their facility, Patrick showed us the area where they process the leather hides.  He explained that they purchase an entire cow hide and that some parts of it are better for making the belts versus making the holsters.  He showed us how they stamp the leather with different logos for the various products that they make.

They have two spray booths, one for dying the leather and the other for glue.  They back their products with high quality suede with the exception of the products that are all thermoplastic. The vibrant colored suede you see in the picture is used in making the women's line.  Before Gene got his own holster from the men's Prohibition line, he did not have a problem using one of the women's holsters and the colors didn't bother him at all.  The plastic holsters all start out as a square sheet of thermoplastic. They are molded in an oven using dummy guns which they made.

Flashbang belts contain a layer of plastic between the two pieces of leather which makes them extremely sturdy and ideal for carrying a firearm.  The belts are not only functional but they are also stylish. Most recently we have used our belts during shooting competitions because the ones we had been using were not sturdy enough.

We believe in their products so much that earlier this year we became a retailer for Flashbang.  Gene and I both use their products daily and we can't possibly say enough great things about them and the people who work there.      

2014 IDPA Nationals

Gene and I had the pleasure of attending the 2014 IDPA Nationals in Tulsa, OK.  It was our first time to attend a national shooting competition so we really didn't know what to expect.  It was an eye opening experience.

We arrived at the U.S. Shooting Academy on Wednesday afternoon.  What a great range. They have a large range house with an expansive retail store which carries everything from clothing to gear and of course firearms.  The range itself is beautiful and green and much different than the ranges that we have at home.

Gene and I with Mike Seeklander

We took some time to get the lay of the land and to check out the stages.  Most of the shooters were done for the day by the time that we got there, but we were fortunate to be able to watch Mike Seeklander shoot his last stage of the day.  I have to admit I could not help myself and I just had meet him.  He was very nice and allowed me to pester him for a few minutes and get a picture with him.

We headed back to our hotel a little later and once we were settled I did some dry fire and reload practice in our room.  It was just enough practice to get the muscle strain in my right arm to start hurting.  I was really hoping that it was not going to give me problems on Thursday.

We woke up bright and early on Thursday and headed to the range for the 7:45 AM safety briefing.  I knew I needed to eat to keep my energy going since it was going to be such a long day, but I just could not force myself to finish my breakfast.  I guess it was my nerves.  I was excited and anxious at the same time.

Once it was time to get started the squad met up at the first stage in bay one.  The Safety Officer read the scenario to us and allowed us to review the stage. When it was finally my turn to shoot I stepped up to the line. As soon as I heard the timer beep, my nerves went out the window and I actually did pretty well.  I was relieved that the first stage was over with and I felt so much better.  Most of the shooters, including the safety officers, were able to shoot the stages in two days.  Our squad shot all 15 stages on Thursday, 9/11.  I must say that the entire event was rather surreal.  The stages were all great.  Some were typical of what we shoot at our monthly local matches and others were a little more complicated.  The Safety Officers were all very nice and not intimidating like I had thought they might be.  Here are a just few pictures of me shooting the match below.

I was fortunate to be a part of the first ever all female squad to compete at IDPA Nationals. The team was comprised of a bunch of wonderful and talented women who are all a part of the A Girl and A Gun Women's Shooting League. The squad was comprised of both members and facilitators from all over the country and we all have one thing in common, we are serious shooters and competitors. Despite some goofy moments and a lot of laughter and camaraderie, we were all intent on doing our best and learning as much as we can about a sport that we love.  Julianna Crowder, Founder of A Girl and A Gun, was our squad mom and Randi Rogers, National and World Champion shooter, was our coach.  For many of us on the squad it was the first time that we had met.  We only spent a few days together, but I feel a very tight bond with each of them.

On Friday, Gene and I took a trip to Oklahoma City and visited some of our friends at Flashbang. (We will blog about that at a later time.)  We went to the range on Saturday afternoon and watched the last of the competitors finish the stages and then we attended the awards banquet Saturday night.  I didn't win any awards, but I did finish 16th out of 41 people in my division and class.  I am proud of where I ended up, especially since it was my first national match.

Gene was there with me every step of the way helping me, encouraging me, and supporting me.  The only way that this match could have been better is if he had been able to shoot with me.  I truly cherish that time that we have together.

The pictures of the entire squad can be found in our Dropbox account using the following link: 2014 IDPA AG & AG Pictures. We hope you enjoy them.

Laser Engraving / Prep for Nationals

A few days before we left for the IDPA Nationals in Tulsa, OK, and also as an early Birthday present for Christy, we headed over to a friend's house to get some of our gear laser engraved. This is the same laser engraving machine that engraved our guns, mags, and knives. I wanted Christy to look sharp at Nationals and at the same time represent our blog. We were not sure how it would turn out on plastic and kydex, but the results were great! I filled in the lettering on her Blade-Tech holster and her mag holder to really make it stand out. It really complimented her shooting jersey and vest. I decided not to fill the engraving on my holster and mag holder because I liked the coloring that the laser left behind. -Gene

Preparing for 2014 IDPA Nationals

I am very excited that I will be able to compete at IDPA Nationals next week.  I will be part of the first ever all ladies squad which will be made up of women from A Girl and A Gun Women's Shooting League.  The squad will be shooting all 15 stages in one day.  It will be a bit of a challenge since I am only used to shooting 6 stages a day at a match.  That is definitely a lot to pack into one day but I am up for it. I will be shooting with a great group of friends and Gene will be there to support me as well. He is going to be filling the role of photographer (and pack mule if I can convince him to carry my stuff for me).  That shouldn't be too hard since we will be bringing the War Wagon (gear cart) for all the gear and ammo.

I haven't been shooting as much as usual this year because Gene has been recovering from his surgery and injuries.  I know that I wasn't the one with the injuries but since we are the couple that shoots TOGETHER...well you know. When I found out that I made the team, I realized I needed to kick it up a notch or two so I have been trying to catch up on my practice.

I have been practicing a little bit of everything including basic fundamentals in addition to working on my skills that are geared more towards competitive shooting.  In addition to extra trips to the range I have also been practicing at home using other tools.  I have really enjoyed mixing up the training.

Strong Hand Only

Distance Practice

Haley Strategic targets

One of the training tools that I have been using is airsoft.  We recently blogged about the benefits of airsoft and how similar my airsoft XDm is to my XDm 5.25 Competition.  I feel that shooting my airsoft XDm is about as close as I can get to shooting the real thing. We have been practicing with IDPA targets in our backyard and we are fortunate that our neighbors don't mind.  Safety is always a priority and we never let the BBs leave our yard. We have also been using airsoft with the Haley Strategic targets. They are a great drill when it comes to sight alignment, grip, and trigger control.  They force me to slow down and breathe!

Practicing Drawing from the Holster and Reloads-Airsoft

Haley Strategic 2-2-4-2-2 Drill - Airsoft

SIRT pistol and L.A.S.R. software

Our most recent training tool purchase is L.A.S.R which stands for Laser Activated Shot Reporter.  I had bought Gene the L.A.S.R. program for his birthday and I kind of hijacked it from him.  It is software that we use along with our SIRT pistol to practice sight alignment and trigger control.  The program is designed to be used along with a computer, web cam, and anything that you want to use as a target.  Our favorite thing to do is to compete against each other.  There is one drill in which the program calls out random numbers which are assigned to particular targets.  L.A.S.R records our par times so we can see who is faster and visually we can see who is the most accurate.  We have to hit the correct target before we can move onto the next one.  The numbers are called out pretty quickly so it really keeps me on my toes.  It is a really good target transition practice.  One benefit to L.A.S.R over airsoft is that we can train in the house versus in the garage or the backyard.  (Yes, that is a mannequin in the background and no it isn't one of the targets. LOL It is used for product display.)

In addition to the training I got our logo and my name embroidered on my shooting vest.  I also purchased a team shooting jersey which arrived about a week ago.  I finally feel official!

I can't say enough about how supportive Gene has been through this experience.  He is always encouraging me to practice and giving me tips and advice.  He is my gunsmith and my cheerleader.  Gene has always been supportive of my shooting and this is just one more example of how we are there for each other.