Author: Buckeye Firearms Association

April 28, 2004 Cleveland Plain Dealer At 72, stroke victim Ben Doepel, a well-known outdoorsman, figures he needs the protection of a gun. He and his wife once were frightened by three…

An impressive display of media bias: Associated Press bothers only to call an authoritarian gun banner for comment on new rules implemented for Ohio’s concealed handgun license law… April 27, 2004 Associated…

A quick search of the words “Lima News” on this website’s search engine will reveal that the Lima News has been one of the few Ohio media outlets with an editorial board…

This website has often shared stories which make the point how police officers are typically unable to prevent violent crimes, and are instead often relegated to showing up later for mop-up duty….

To hear the gun ban extremists tell it, these things don’t happen (especially not in small towns), and those who make preparations to defend themselves in case they do, are “buying into…

Another reporter shops a concealed-carry class, another excellent story on the professionalism and thoroughness of Ohio CCW training.

April 25, 2004
Toledo Blade

Pulling trigger: a chilling moment of truth
“Classes miss no targets in training applicant to qualify to obtain a concealed weapons permit”

Sobering. Reality check. Practice!

I wrote those words in capital letters among many pages of notes I took during 10 hours of classroom training at the Cleland Firearms Training Academy in Swanton. I wrote them as summary reminders of the deadly seriousness of the subjects in the lectures.

The words were in the back of my mind every time I pulled the trigger of my .38 revolver during two required hours of range training at qualification. After a warm-up on a small bull’s-eye target and on paper silhouettes at 21, 40, and 50 feet, I fired 55 rounds for the official certification.

I was one of 13 students in my academy class and among 500 who have trained at Cleland’s in order to apply for an Ohio concealed-carry weapons permit. I am among thousands of Ohioans who have decided to give concealed-carry a go since an enabling law took effect April 8.

I needed to see what it was all about, down where all the political rhetoric – pro or con – is left behind. You really have to spend some time thinking: Can I, would I, really pull the trigger? If I have a shred of doubt, I should forget concealed carry, forget handguns. I only may hurt myself or others without cause.

I need to think about such things, and the myriad implications and complications, before the fact. There is no time for such niceties at the moment of truth, when I may have to instantly weigh whether to pull my pistol and shoot someone in ultimate self-defense. For that is what concealed carry is all about.

“Deadly force is the bread and butter of this course – when can you shoot,” summed Bradley Snow, one of the instructors. “A firearm is a tool of last resort … when all else fails … when you reasonably believe that you are in imminent danger of serious bodily harm and/or death.

“The first thing we have to do is avoid confrontation. Once the threat is gone, so is our ability to use [deadly] force.”

The instruction process is no walk in the park. It is likewise not rocket science – all my classmates passed the written exam; one was sent home from the firing range with the suggestion of more pistol training.