While walking around the Walnut Creek neighborhood, the rifle-toting teenager also picks up trash and has spotted several Peeping Toms and would be robbers. When Schultz encountered those who may have been planning on committing a crime in the area, they ran away when they saw his rifle. He walks varying routes around Sunset Road to get some exercise while watching out for those who live near him.

Although some of the neighbors thank John Schultz for helping to keep the north Charlotte area safe, others are not thrilled with the teenager’s decision to exercise his Second Amendment rights. Resident Vanessa Aidara registered her calm, yet very firm opposition, to Schultz’s armed neighborhood watch habits. The woman told NBC affiliate WCNC News that the rifle scares her children and they no longer want to play out in their yard.

Vanessa Aidara also had this to say during the interview:

“It’s a problem and a concern. He could be good without the rifle. The rifle is what scares everybody because why do you need a rifle to pick up trash, get a trash bag. Let the police take care of that [crime] not you.”

The unhappy neighbor called the police department the first time she spotted John Schultz walking around the neighborhood armed. She said that she had a panic attack and did not know what was going on outside. She also told local reporters that the Charlotte teenager could be an “incident of vigilante justice” just waiting to happen. Aidara also feels that Schultz could ultimately become a target for violence himself.

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John Schultz maintains that Aidara has not ever wanted to talk to him and believes that if she did, she would feel differently about his actions. Vanessa’s plea for the armed neighborhood trash collection and safety walks to stop was denied by the civic-minded young man.

Instead of giving into her irrational fears, Aidara should simply have a chat with Schultz. Looking out the window and seeing someone carrying a rifle and wearing a bullet-proof vest would surely be a startling sight, but now that she is aware of his intentions, such fears should have long since subsided. There may very well be multiple neighbors walking around the area with a concealed firearm; Schultz is simply displaying his weapon in a manner which will obviously serve as a deterrent to others.

Fortunately for Schultz, his reception for local police officers was far better than that a veteran in Texas recently endured. Charlotte police officers stated that the teenager is not breaking any laws because he is not threatening anyone with his gun or pointing it at any individuals. North Carolina is an open carry state.

As previously reported by Off The Grid News, Army Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham was arrested for “rudely displaying” his weapon during a walk with his son. Grisham did not brandish his weapon and was merely walking along a rural road documenting his son’s Eagle Scout project. Texas is also an open carry state, but Grisham is still fighting charges stemming from the incident – none of which are gun related.

How Harmful Is The Sun

One of the most important things to remember is that sunshine is actually good for you. Yes, you must be cautious when it comes to how much you are in the sun, as well as leaving your skin unprotected; but, your body thrives on the nourishment it receives from the sun. Vitamin D, provided by the sun, seeps through your skin and offers your immune system a healthy boost. The risk of osteoporosis, certain cancers, and heart disease can all be lessened with vitamin D. Additionally, your mental and emotional health can be enhanced with sun exposure, as it protects against insomnia and depression.

However, a balance has to be struck between sun exposure and protection from the sun. The unfortunate reality is that too much sun can cause damage to the skin and to your health. Skin cancer, cataracts, and even early aging can be caused or aggravated by too much sun exposure. The general recommendation for unprotected exposure to the sun is ten to twenty minutes a day, although that varies slightly based upon the lightness or darkness of your skin.

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Protecting The Skin During Exposure

It is virtually impossible to enjoy the day or finish all of your spring tasks in that maximum recommended time frame though. Because of that, it is important to know what to protect and how to protect it so you do not damage your skin or your health.

• Keep Covered: One of the best ways to protect your skin is to keep it shaded as much as possible. Long sleeves, pants, and hats go a long way to provide the necessary shade. Tightly woven materials work better to reflect the sunlight, particularly when they are darker in color.  Fabrics that are loose fitting also help keep you cool while out in the heat. Any hat you wear should offer protection from a wide brim that goes entirely around the hat; baseball-style hats provide excellent shade for the face but do little to protect the neck.

• Eat to Protect Yourself: Research indicates you can also protect yourself from the sun’s rays through diet. Both beta carotene and lycopene have shown great promise in protecting you from the inside. Beta carotene is an antioxidant found in yellow fruits such as apricots, melons, mangos, red and yellow peppers, and leafy vegetables. Lycopene is a phytonutrient and carotenoid found in grapefruits, watermelons, tomatoes, and papayas. In order to receive the best benefits from these two nutrients, they must be included in your diet through a minimum of five daily servings for at least ten weeks. Whether eaten together or separately, these natural foods internally protect your skin from sunburn.

• Use Sunscreen: Whether made from all-natural ingredients or store bought, sunscreen is vital to protecting your skin. Beginning at least thirty minutes before you go outside, slather on the sunscreen to all areas that will be touched by the sun. Once you are outside, continue reapplying at least every two hours.  Using a thin layer will rarely help protect your skin; thicker layers of sunscreen last longer and cover the skin better.

• Don’t Forget The Small Parts: Most people remember to use sunscreen or other products to protect the arms, legs, and face, but it is the smaller parts that are often forgotten. Your ears, nose, fingers, feet, and lips are just as susceptible to damage from the sun’s rays as are the larger parts of your body; they are also some of the first to burn when left unprotected. Make sure you cover your ears, nose, fingers, and feet with sunscreen before and during your outing. Additionally, using lip balm with an SPF of at least fifteen will protect your lips from damage.

• Watch the Clock: Being outside for your chores and activities in the early morning or evening hours is also one of the best ways to keep you safe from the sun’s harmful rays. The sun is considered to be the most damaging during the middle of the day, particularly from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. If you must be outside during those hours, take care to stay shaded, covered, and ensure you reapply sunscreen. Ideally, it is best to be inside during the heat of the day – for your skin as well as your own health. Taking a small break in the mid-afternoon will allow you to rehydrate, refuel, and rest.

Treating The Skin After The Sun

Unfortunately, even with the best efforts, there are times when you are in the sun too long and may suffer some damage. When that occurs, treating the skin as quickly as possible can protect against further damage.

• Drink large amounts of water to rehydrate your body and your skin.
• Liberally apply moisturizers or cream, but nothing oily—this will only intensify the burn.
• Use aloe to cool skin that has been heated from a sunburn, if necessary.

Spring and summer lead to marvelous days outside with long hours in the sun. As you enjoy those moments, ensure you are doing everything possible to protect your skin and to find your balance of healthy sun exposure.

But planting a windbreak involves more than just popping a few conifers or fast-growing poplars into the ground. Planning an effective windbreak requires three elements:

• Determine your purposes for the windbreak and choose an appropriate design.
• Determine the length and location of your windbreak.
• Select trees that are native or adaptable to your area.

Determine Your Purpose

First, determine your purposes for the windbreak. A light windbreak helps prevent soil erosion and reduces snow blow. For this purpose, you need a windbreak with one row of deciduous shrubs and one row containing a mix of deciduous shrubs and trees. A moderate windbreak is best if you want to reduce blowing wind and snow. Plant this windbreak with three to five rows. The row nearest the house should include shrubs and smaller trees. The next rows should include medium-sized evergreens, while the last row or two should include medium to tall deciduous trees.

Finally, a strong windbreak offers wind and snow protection for livestock. This windbreak is also most effective for attracting wildlife. Plant no more than ten rows, using a model similar to the one above: two rows of shrubs and smaller trees, three to four rows of medium-sized evergreens, and three to four rows of moderate to tall deciduous trees.

Determine The Length And Location Of Your Windbreak

Next, determine the most effective location to place your windbreak. If you want a privacy screen, your windbreak will be determined by the area needing screening. However, if the purpose of the windbreak is to control snow, wind, and soil erosion, consider the prevailing winter winds in your area. In most areas, prevailing winds come from the north or northwest, in which case you’d build the windbreak on the north or northwest sides of your homestead.

Depending on the layout of your property, build the windbreak in an L, U, or E shape. One long line won’t offer the same protection from the wind. On the other hand, don’t completely enclose your property. Doing so will cut off air flow, which is important during the summer months, especially if you have livestock.

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Don’t plant windbreaks near water sources, manure piles, or old feedlots. Consider overhead power lines as well when choosing a location. Windbreaks planted too closely to your home and other structures will reduce the windbreak’s effectiveness. Instead, plant windbreaks at least fifty feet from your house and at least 100 feet from barns and other outbuildings. Wind and snow can whip around the ends of the windbreak, so be sure to plant trees fifty feet beyond the area needing protection.

Select Trees That Are Native Or Adaptable To Your Area

Once you’ve planned the windbreak, it’s time to select trees and shrubs. Your first task will be to determine which trees are appropriate for your area. Talk with other homesteaders about the trees they’ve used in their windbreaks or consult a county extension office. Native trees and trees with a long track record of success in your area are good choices. You’ll also want to consider the trees’ resistance to disease and insect pests. Fast-growing trees such as poplars provide shelter quickly but are also more prone to branch breakage and early death. Use these trees sparingly in your windbreak and plan to replace them as they die. Common evergreen choices for windbreaks include Techny arborvitae, white spruce, Colorado spruce, Douglas fir, Jack pine, and European larch. Deciduous trees include cottonwood, bur oak, white oak, hackberry, black cherry, sugar maple, black walnut, and sycamore. Shrub choices include ninebark, lilac, hazelnut, highbush cranberry, and arrowwood.

Plant a variety of trees and shrubs in your windbreak. This practice makes an attractive, diverse planting and also ensures that if one tree species suffers disease or loss, your entire windbreak won’t be wiped out.

When it comes to spacing the trees, more space is better. Space rows of shrubs and small trees at least fifteen to twenty feet apart, while rows of larger trees need to be at least twenty-five to thirty feet apart, depending on the anticipated mature size of the trees. This increased spacing reduces the windbreak’s effectiveness during the first few years, but it ensures healthy trees and quick growth. Stagger the trees in the rows to increase wind protection. Keep in mind also that during the early years of your windbreak, small, immature trees will provide good protection near the ground. As the deciduous trees grow, though, the area near the ground will become more exposed. Rely on bushy shrubs and evergreens to fill these gaps.

Planting And Maintaining Your Windbreak

If you need a small windbreak, you can probably plant bare-root or B and B (balled and burlapped) trees and shrubs, but for larger windbreaks, seedlings are the more economical choice. These plants are available through private nurseries, as well as many university extension offices, and cost as little as $1.00 per tree. Although young seedlings take longer to grow, the trees are often healthier because they developed their early root system on site.

Plant bare-root trees as soon as you get them, if possible. If the roots dry out, the trees will die. Soak the roots in water for several hours before planting. Dig a hole wide enough for the roots to spread out and firm the soil gently around the roots after planting.

If you’re planting young potted seedlings, simply dig a hole deep enough to accommodate the roots and plant the seedling. Plant seedlings at the same level as they grew in the nursery, or perhaps one inch deeper. Planting them too deeply will kill them. Water in both bare root and potted seedlings immediately after planting and keep the soil slightly moist during the first growing season.

Use mulches to control grasses and weeds and keep the area beneath the tree bare since vegetation competes with young trees for nutrients and water. Do not apply fertilizer at planting time or during the first year. In fact, unless your soil is very poor, the trees in your windbreak will likely never require fertilizer.

It’s common for unwanted trees to grow up in your windbreak. Birds carry in seeds and you may soon find mulberries, chokecherries, or other trees amidst your planted trees. Remove these trees as soon as you spot them. Prune out dead and diseased limbs each winter and treat diseases and insect pests promptly.

Everyone should take a few key steps towards protecting their home from a home invader or burglar. Learn about the top 10 ways to protect your house against burglars and break-ins with help from a certified firefighter in this free video clip.

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Window film isn’t just a self-protection idea though; today’s films are much more useful than that.  They aren’t a new idea or a novelty either.  These films have seen use in every corner of the globe: from solar shields in Arizona and Nevada to bomb-resistant spalling shields in Nigeria or Indonesia.  Glass is essential for most normal homes; it is also brittle, dangerous and weak in its normal stage.  But high tech films have changed all this.  Instead of paying for incredibly expensive Plexiglas or acrylic protective sheets, a thin film with a ton of resiliency is available at reasonable costs.

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There are generally five stages of “normal” window films:

• Tinted solar film
• Standard safety film
• Heavier security film
• Bullet-resistant film
• Spalling film, which aims to control explosions and multiple projectiles

Other films are prohibitively expensive and generally utilize much heavier infrastructures than standard construction and standard glass or materials.

Solar film is made to do a variety of things, including cutting energy costs by lowering inside temperatures and reducing glare and radiation of heat.  It keeps UV light out of buildings and promotes better health for those in high-exposure areas.  The tint and UV qualities can help to shield artwork, archival inks, and materials that are typically susceptible to solar rays and light.  Because it is a film, it does provide some basic protection against shattering and breakaway glass dispersion.  It is typically made to a specification covered under ISO standards and is usually made out of polyester.

Standard safety film is the basic theft-prevention technology, offering perhaps the best value for strength and cost for the average user.  The film protects against things like golf balls and baseballs in the low end, to things like crowbars in some cases.  Essentially, it adds elasticity to the glass and at the very least makes it incredibly difficult to get through the glass in a timely manner.  These window films aren’t perfect, but they do slow down criminals and help you to get to a safe place or take action.  In many cases, it will prevent breaks on the glass from low impact hits like a ball or a fist.  The films in this category are typically four to six mils thick and do an excellent job containing glass fracturing and avoiding fragmentation.

Bullet-resistant films are typically twelve mils thick or so and can be used for aggressive burglars, small arms ammunition in many cases, and to help in situations like hurricanes.  There is some minimal bomb or explosion protection at the bullet-resistant category, with a typical elasticity around 115 percent to 135 percent elasticity (or elongation) at a penetration point or break point. There is about 350 lbs./inch break strength on polyester films of this thickness, which offers some ballistic protection against projectiles.  The tensile strength at a penetration is around 30,000 psi, which makes it incredibly difficult to make sustained or quick damage to the window/film.  While it would be easy to penetrate a single window with film using a close-proximity high-powered cartridge, it would be very difficult to penetrate it at a distance and expect a hit on a target. Furthermore, multiple layers of film on multiple panes of glass could be enough to defeat a large caliber projectile.

Bomb-resistant films utilize more than just a polyester film; they are usually used in conjunction with anchors and structural improvement to contain blasts at close proximity and to help ensure a structure after a bomb blast.  The film is the same size as the bullet-resistant film, around twelve mils thick, but the combination of structural improvement and film gives the type of integrity a bomb blast hates to go up against.  Some studies show that a large percentage of deadly injuries in bomb blasts are caused by fragmented glass, with some estimates topping 85 percent of total injuries in bombings.

This is an interesting time to talk about window films—near the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, as the Oklahoma City bombing is largely credited with perpetuating the growth of the entire industry.  Window films were introduced to drop the amount of casualties as a result of flying glass, due in part at least to the Oklahoma City bombing. It has become the single-fastest growing solution to mitigate bomb blast concerns and other violent incidents. From a cost perspective, window films offer excellent value, especially since most of them include energy efficiency benefits, UV protection, and even signal blocking technologies, which allows enhanced security and comfort for buildings at risk.

From an off-the-grid perspective, it is perhaps a bit over the top to look into bomb blast protection, but it is certainly normal to consider a window film treatment to avoid burglaries and home invasions in conjunction with proper mindset and defensive and offensive tactics, both passive and active. With the low maintenance and the impressive additional benefits, window films are perhaps one of the soundest investments you can make in your home and personal safety from a construction perspective. The lifetime of the film is generally longer than you will own a home, and you will probably not even realize the film is there most of the time, with many companies guaranteeing perfect optical quality.

If you have a need to protect the loved ones inside your home, or prefer to make your home more burglar resistant, perhaps window films are for you.

©2012 Off the Grid News

So what is actually known about this particular subject? As we found out, not a whole heck of a lot.

The EMP Commission: Our Government in Action

While not specifically related to concerns over EMPs, car manufacturers have shown an awareness of the vulnerability of new vehicles to electromagnetic interference from various sources, and consequently, they have supplied the electronic systems in the cars they produce with some degree of EM shielding and protection. Apparently, some testing of various makes and models has taken place in EMP simulators, but car companies have carried out these experiments in private and haven’t revealed what they learned to anyone.

To try and fill the huge gap in knowledge that has existed with respect to this subject, the U.S. government’s EMP Commission took it upon themselves to test an assortment of vehicles in an EMP simulator. The results of these experiments were published in a special section of the Commission’s Critical National Infrastructure Report, which provided a comprehensive look at what an EMP attack might do to the electric and electronic infrastructure of our country.  Like much of what emerges from government studies, however, the information released about EMPs and automobiles appears to be of very little value.

To start with, the Commission was so underfunded that it wasn’t able to purchase any cars or trucks itself. Instead, it was forced to borrow vehicles from other government agencies, and it was required to return all the automobiles it borrowed in good working order. Only thirty-seven different types of cars and eighteen types of trucks were obtained for the tests, and the amount of EM energy used in the tests did not come close to matching the intensity of the voltage that would be generated in a high-altitude nuclear explosion. Vehicles used in these government experiments were exposed to gradually increasing levels of electromagnetic energy, up to the point where they began to show some kind of damage or anomalous functioning. In order to save the vehicles from being excessively damaged, tests were halted immediately after a car or truck began to manifest some kind of dysfunction.

Not surprisingly, this approach led the EMP Commission to issue a report downplaying the significance of EMP effects on vehicles with extensive electronic systems. In the tests the Commission carried out, a few cars and trucks experienced engine failures, while most only suffered relatively minor malfunctions in non-essential systems. But the methodology used by an underfunded and unprepared Commission made these relatively mundane findings inevitable – how could anything be learned about the real effects of massive nuclear-generated EMPs on vehicles if the electromagnetic energy feed used in the tests was cut off as soon as things started to get interesting?

Because the testing done so far has clearly been inadequate, right now all we can say for sure is that an EMP would likely cause a certain amount of vehicle malfunctioning; but how much serious, irreparable damage it would ultimately cause remains a mystery.

Protecting Your Cars and Trucks Against an EMP: Doing It Yourself

The main thing you can do to protect your vehicle from an EMP is to purchase snap-on ferrite cores. These neat items act as a shield for electronic wiring of all types, and while they don’t provide total protection from high-voltage atmospheric surges, they can reduce the damage they would cause substantially.

One surprising thing that was discovered during high-altitude nuclear EMP tests carried out by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1962 is that pulses were capable of blowing out the internal operating systems of older vehicles without any electronic circuitry inside. So while it may be a good idea to keep an older car or truck around as a hedge against future catastrophes, plenty of spare parts should still be kept on hand in preparation for an electromagnetic emergency – ignition coils, mechanical distributors, generators, starting motors, fuses, and any parts with enamel wire insulation could all be damaged in an EMP attack.

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Whether or not a particular vehicle would work after an electromagnetic pulse is not easy to determine. The one thing that we do know for sure, however, is that a massive EMP assault that destroyed the power grid would cause gasoline production and supply lines to shut down completely, and it would no doubt take a long time before fuel supplies could be returned to anything close to what they were before the EMP attack. So even if most vehicles still worked, getting gasoline for them could be the real problem. In a situation such as this, we could only hope that a Mad Max/Road Warrior scenario did not become our new collective reality.

Our ridiculous over-dependence on the automobile – it is almost impossible to walk anywhere anymore – makes us extremely vulnerable to anything that could potentially disable our personal cars and trucks. While there is not much of a place for them on our roadways right now, it might not be a bad idea for all of us to keep some horses and an old-style wagon around, just in case we need them someday.

©2011 Off the Grid News

There is an old proverb that says it is not paranoia if they really are out to get you. This saying perfectly captures the threat we all face from identity thieves, as these predators are on the prowl like never before. There are thousands of these skunks operating out there who want to steal your identity so they can steal your money, or leave you with huge bills to pay for things you did not purchase. The Internet in particular has opened up a wealth of new possibilities for these stealthy criminals; never before has it been easier to be too lazy to work and yet still be able to get rich off the labors of others.

Identity thieves are after your name, your personal information, and your credit, and they have a plethora of effective methods for gaining access to these potential goldmines. But you do not have to be a helpless victim – there are a number of proactive steps you can take to protect yourself from this type of ruthless predator.

Protecting Yourself Online

There is no question that buying things online is convenient, and it can also save you a lot of money. However, purchasing things online frequently does require you to reveal personal information such as name, address, phone number, credit card information, and bank account numbers. If you are going to make purchases of online bargains, you should only reveal your personal information on websites that are protected by security measures. Always look for sites that have the locked icon in their browser bar, along with a web address that begins with “https” instead of the normal “http.”

No matter how careful you are about revealing personal information, if you ever do so, or choose to store any important information on your computer, you are vulnerable to the attacks of hackers. These evil geniuses are amazingly clever about finding ways to penetrate flimsy defenses, which is why it is important to have a strong firewall installed on your computer to keep out any potential intruders. You also need to have up-to-date virus protection functioning at all times, to prevent your system from being compromised in potentially catastrophic ways. And, make sure that any passwords you use are complicated and not easily guessable by any other person. Click on the link for a comprehensive list of things you can do to keep your computer safe, an article that recently ran on Off the Grid News.

Protecting Your Mail

If you have a mailbox outside your home or in the entranceway to your apartment building, here is one excellent piece of advice for protecting yourself from identity theft – don’t use it! Go down to the nearest postal facility instead and rent a box from them. This will cost you a monthly or yearly fee, but it is worth it, because this is the one place you can be sure no one will be able to break into your box. Theoretically it could still happen there, but it won’t, because identity thieves will never take the chance when there are so many unprotected and unmonitored boxes out there just ripe for the picking. If identity thieves do manage to intercept your mail, they could use the information they find to do all kinds of terrible and expensive things in your name.

Protecting Yourself at Home

Do you shred your bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, or financial documents before you throw them away? If you don’t, then start doing so, immediately! Identity thieves are not the least bit fastidious when it comes to sifting through garbage to find something potentially useful, so you need to make sure you don’t put anything in your trash that could compromise your personal security in any way. Also, make sure that all of your important papers, records, and other items containing personal information are kept safe at home in a lock box, since identity thieves are certainly not above breaking and entering.

If people contact you on the phone requesting personal information, do not give it to them unless you contacted them first and are sure that you know exactly who they are. The number of phone scam artists operating out there is truly mind boggling and they have an almost unlimited number of routines they might try to use to get you to give them information they can exploit for ill-gotten gain. When anyone starts asking you for personal information over the phone, be extremely rude, and hang up immediately.

Protecting Yourself in the Streets

When you leave home, take only what you plan to use during that trip, such as credit cards, debit cards, checkbook, drivers license, and cash money. If you have to go to an ATM to withdraw money, only go during daylight hours, and never use ATMs located in relatively deserted areas. Of course, while you want there to be people around, never make transactions when anyone is close enough to see what you are doing – demand your personal space be respected. If you are carrying a checkbook out and about, make sure that you do not have your social security number or driver’s license number printed on your checks. And definitely memorize your social security number – never carry the card with you in public.

What to Do if You are a Victim

Check bank statements and credit card reports carefully, and if you see irregularities report it to the relevant bank or financial company immediately. If your wallet is stolen with credit cards or checkbook in it, do the same so that blocks can be put in place, and also file a police report. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service should be contacted if you suspect you have been the victim of mail fraud. Also, check out your credit scores frequently to make sure nothing untoward has been occurring. It’s well worth paying the fee to do so, to ensure nobody has purchased a house, car, or anything else, or in some other way falsified documents using your credit/identity.

As long as you act quickly, your liability for charges run up by identity thieves under your name will be extremely limited. The main thing here is to be proactive, and tell the relevant authorities and institutions as soon as you realize you have been victimized.

The Best Solution – Don’t be a Victim!

There is another old saying about a fool and his money soon being easily parted. The good news is you don’t have to be a fool – if you watch out for yourself and your family closely, you can protect yourself against the assaults of nefarious identity thieves. It is not paranoia – they really are out to get you, and you need to be prepared for that reality.

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It is light enough and has a small enough grip to be handled by even small statured women and kids who are learning to shoot their first handgun, and it is powerful enough to stop an intruder.  It is easy to find an affordable 9mm, and rounds are common and reasonably priced.

While the 9mm is easy to find, it is important to get a good, serviceable weapon that you can count on in the event you need to use it for more than target practice.  Buy a quality weapon, not a cheap imitation,   and, don’t hesitate to take it out to shoot.  Like we learned in the movie The Patriot, “Aim small, miss small.” Shoot a lot, and be sure everyone who is old enough to be responsible with a weapon knows how to use it.

Don’t be afraid to teach your kids how to use and handle your weapons as well, with plenty of supervision, of course. Children can learn responsible gun ownership and use, despite what our squeamish society might believe. Enroll them in a child safety course, like the NRA’s Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program. Living off grid means being prepared for the unexpected, and believe it or not, your kids can learn to be prepared for the unexpected as well as any adult. Now that I have put in my two cents worth, let’s take a look at some 9mm’s.

Beretta 92

I happen to like the Beretta 92 quite a lot, and maybe that’s because it was the first 9mm I ever shot.  Made in Italy, and service weapon of choice for many police departments and the U.S. military (who use a specialized version of the 92 called an M9), the Beretta 92 comes in several calibers. There are various Beretta models nicknamed “Beretta 92,” but they all have some things in common.  First, they are semi-automatic.  In case you’re not familiar with gun terminology, semi-automatic weapons are designed to shoot rounds one after another – one round per trigger pull.  In an emergency situation, you don’t need to do anything but keep on pulling the trigger until your attacker is rendered harmless.

Second, the Beretta is equipped with an open slide design for easy ejection of spent ammunition.  This design allows for smooth feeding and makes clearing any obstructions easier.   Finally, the barrel has a hard chrome barrel bore that helps prevent corrosion.  Beretta makes good guns for the price and they are accurate at longer ranges, which is one reason law enforcement professionals like them. Older models were heavier, but the newest are a bit lighter and more corrosion-resistant, thanks to polymer parts.  You can buy a brand new Beretta 92 9mm for a little more than $400 in sporting goods stores.

MRI Baby Eagle 9915R

The semi-automatic MRI Baby Eagle 9915R is a smaller relative of MRI’s popular Desert Eagle .44, .50AE, and .357 magnum pistols.   It is heavy for its size, and is all steel with a 4.52” barrel.  Made in Israel, the components are built to last – Magnum Research Inc. builds solid weaponry designed for combat under harsh conditions.   One thing I really like about the Baby Eagle is the adjustable palm swells that can be customized to fit the hand.  The gun feels stable and secure in the hand, and it is super accurate thanks to interchangeable front sights.  A basic Baby Eagle costs between $550-$650 new.

Sig Sauer Pro SP2022

Sig Sauer is famous for manufacturing excellent weaponry, and the SP2022 is no different from the rest of the manufacturer’s line.  This gun is extremely accurate, has light recoil and comfort grips, and weighs more than most 9mm pistols.  As 9mm pistols go, this is top of the line and is the personal weapon of choice for many seasoned police officers as well as the US Army’s Tank Automotive and Armaments Command.   Expect to pay between $800-$1000 new.

Just like every other gun, a 9mm handgun needs to be fired regularly, and breaking in a brand new weapon is important.  Most 9mm weapons need to be fired between 300-500 times for a good break in. While the Sig Sauer Pro’s specifications claim it to be accurate “right out of the box,” it’s still a good idea to familiarize yourself with your new gun and practice often – no matter what kind of handgun you choose.