Jul 7 2010

Sheriff Jim on Taking Back America

Sheriff Jim Wilson appeared on the Taking Back America podcast to discuss the ArizonaImmigration Legislation battle with DC, the NRA, the 2nd Amendment and Chicago’s outright defiance of the landmark Supreme Court decision.

You can download the podcast here. Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.


Jun 29 2010

Summer 2010 News Update

SMITH & WESSON… The day before the 2010 SHOT Show opened in Las Vegas was a shooting day for gun writers and industry folks. One of the events that I always like to visit is put on by the good folks at Smith & Wesson. I had a good time there and, as I was about to leave, they pointed out that I hadn’t drawn for my door prize. Now I have as much luck at drawings as President Obama will in carrying Arizona the next election. But, I drew anyway.

Just to prove that a blind sow can occasionally find an acorn, I actually won an M&P auto. It was supposed to be an M&P .45 but, at my request, they swapped it for the 9mm version. Don’t get excited… I’m not switching calibers this late in the game. However, the fact was that I didn’t have a good 9mm to use in classes and ammo tests. Smith & Wesson was happy to fix me up.

JIm and Simon Kyle-Liittle With a Prized Australian Wild Ox

As you know, there are several good polymer, striker-fired pistols available today. I just happen to like the S&W M&P a little better than the others. The model that I received has the ambidextrous thumb safeties, which I like, and I really like the interchangeable backstraps for making the gun fit my hand.

This past week, this particular M&P went off to XS Sights (www.xssights.com) to have an Express rear sight and a Big Dot front sight installed. I’m looking forward to playing with this package. Don’t be surprised if you see if on AMERICAN GUARDIAN TV during the coming season.

RUGER… This past week, I spent three days with the good folks from Ruger. I was especially pleased to tour their Prescott, AZ, plant. Mark Lang and the guys are doing some really interesting new things with the way they are set up to build guns. Mark and his staff are finding ways to make the whole process faster and more dependable.

For example, just a while back, Texas governor Rick Perry used a Ruger LCP to dispatch a coyote that was after his dog (one shot, too, by the way!). The folks at Ruger heard about the episode and within a few days were turning out an LCP marked “Coyote Special” complete with the Texas star on the slide. Their new manufacturing techniques are the reason that they can get such a quick turn-around on products. You can expect more of this to occur in the future.

We also shot several Ruger guns that will be coming out later this year. Frankly, I agreed not to talk about the specifics until Ruger gives us the green light to do so. You have to understand that Ruger is a public company and, in order to avoid accusations of insider trading, they take confidentiality very seriously. Ruger is also committed to having plenty of guns on the shelves, ready to ship, before they make an announcement. This hasn’t always been the case with Ruger and they don’t want it to happen again. So, stay tuned and we’ll let you know about some very interesting new Rugers just as soon as we can.

HUNTING… In July I’ll be going to Argentina with Remington for a dove/pigeon/duck shoot. I’ve been wanting to get among the Argentine doves & pigeons for many years and this will be my first opportunity. Down there, the birds nest several times a year and there are so many that they have become a pest to local farmers. I’m told that it’s not uncommon to shoot 500-1,000 shotgun shells each day! And, not to worry, the birds are collected and provided to villagers for food.

Anyway, we’ll be testing a new Remington shotgun and new Remington shotshell. You’ll see my report later this year in the pages of American Rifleman and American Hunter magazines.

And then, in August, Il Ling New, Dr. Dean Taylor, and I will be back in Australia, hunting Asian buffalo with Simon Kyle-Little (www.australianbiggamesafaris.com). We’re heading back to the Walker River camp, in Eastern Arnhem Land, and will be doing another buffalo management hunt.

Jim and Il Ling enjoy the Outback morning.

This year, I’ll be hunting with the same Ruger #1 (.375 H&H) that I used last year. But I’ll be using the Hornady Dangerous Game 300 gr. soft-point ammo this time. As with last year, I’ll give you a blow-by-blow of the hunt and let you know how the ammo performed.

MUSIC… Jim Jones is producing a new album for me. This next week I’ll head to Albuquerque and record the last songs for it. Then we’ll be involved in mixing the completed work and getting it ready for distribution. With my hunting trips and all, I expect we’ll probably have it ready to ship some time in October. Just a guess, though. Our main goal is to get it right and have a collection of songs that you folks will enjoy.

I hope that each of you has a fun, exciting summer. Feel free to drop me a line and tell me about your latest hunt or your newest gun. I’ll get back to you in August, with a report on Argentina and Australia. In the meantime, ya’ll try to behave yourselves!!!

Jim Wilson


Jun 26 2010

VIDEO: Sheriff’s Tip – Flash Sight Equipment

Getting a quick bead on your sight picture–especially the front sight–can save your life. Here I show how optimized sights on your defensive weapons can increase your accuracy and survivability in real-life situations. Just one of my segments from the NRA’s American Guardian Television on the Outdoor Channel. Watch us on Wednesday nights at 9:30 PM ET.


Jun 14 2010

VIDEO: Sheriff’s Tip – Dry Fire Practice

Practice not only makes perfect, but it will keep you safe too. Here I show how to properly conduct dry fire practice in your very own home. Just one of my segments from the NRA’s American Guardian Television on the Outdoor Channel. Watch us on Wednesday nights at 9:30 PM ET.


May 23 2010

VIDEO: Sheriff’s Tip – Pivot Drill

Here I’m demonstrating the proper technique for turning to face a threat coming from an oblique angle. The bad guys don’t aways come at you head on, right? Just one of my segments from the NRA’s American Guardian Televisionon the Outdoor Channel. Watch us on Wednesday nights at 9:30 PM ET.


May 17 2010

VIDEO: Interior Home Wall Penetration With Assorted Loads

Gunsite Operations Manager Ed Head and I experiment to see how various defensive loads from both pistol and shotgun penetrate conventional home wall materials. One of my segments from the NRA’s American Guardian Television on the Outdoor Channel. Watch us on Wednesday nights at 9:30 PM ET.


May 6 2010

VIDEO: Sheriff Tip: Avoiding a Gun Grab

When a defensive situation occurs at close quarters, drawing your defensive weapon while avoiding a gun grab is a primary concern. Just another one of my segments from the NRA’s American Guardian Television on the Outdoor Channel. Catch us on Wednesday nights at 9:30 PM ET.


May 2 2010

NEW VIDEO: Sheriff’s Tip: Flashlight Defense

Proper technique can make a tactical flashlight a very useful tool in low-visibility defensive situations when drawing your defensive weapon is not appropriate. Just another one of my segments from the NRA’s American Guardian Television on the Outdoor Channel. Catch us on Wednesday nights at 9:30 PM ET.


Apr 25 2010

This ‘n’ That

WELCOME FRIENDS… Since I updated my web site your response has been terrific. This site is being visited by just over 1,000 people each month and we’re having some excellent response. As you might imagine, I am somewhat challenged when it comes to just about anything having to do with computers. The success of this site is due entirely to the good work of my site manager, Mr. Carlos Vazquez. If you are wanting to create your own web site, blog, or whatever, you might visit with Carlos and discuss your plans with him. I think you’ll be very pleased to have him onboard with your project.

REMINGTON 1911 With the birthday of the 1911 pistol just right around the corner, I expect you will see and hear a lot about this great old pistol in the coming months. It is still the most popular handgun in this country, and one of the most popular in the entire world. In light of that, Remington is introducing their own 1911 pistol. Back in the early 1900′s, Remington was one of the companies that was contracted to build the 1911 during WWI. Now, working out of their Ilion, NY, plant, Remington will again be offering a nice 1911 in .45 ACP. I recently put several of these pistols through their paces and did a feature article for Shooting Illustrated on the results of those tests. That article will be out shortly.

SHOOTING ILLUSTRATED… Speaking of Shooting Illustrated magazine, I write a personal defense column (Straight Talk) in each issue and do several feature stories each year. My colleagues on the magazine include Wiley Clapp, Dick Williams, Rick Hacker, Richard Mann, and others. Shooting Illustrated is an NRA publication that is not included in your NRA membership. You’ve got to buy it on the newsstand or, better yet, subscribe to it. Subscription is only $9.95 per year. You can subscribe online or call 877-223-3840. We’d love to have you as part of our shooting family.

STARBUCKS… As most of you know, Starbucks has come under fire from the anti-gun crowd. It seems that Starbucks won’t ban guns in their stores. They are simply saying that all pertinent state and local laws should be respected in whatever state and city the Starbucks store happens to be located. In other words, Starbucks is their to sell coffee and service their customers, not make a political statement. So, for minding their own business and not yours, Starbucks is the target of the anti-gunners. It is very important that you take the time to stop by your local Starbucks and thank the store manager for their corporate position. Failing that, visit them online and express your thanks. Businesses, like Starbucks, needs to know that we appreciate their not caving in to the bullying tactics of the anti-gun crowd.

ARIZONA CARRY LAWS… This last week (March 16) the governor of Arizona signed into law a bill that would allow concealed carry and open carry in that state without the need for a license or permit. This makes Arizona just the third state to trust their citizens in such a manner (Alaska & Vermont are the other two). It appears that Arizona will continue to issue concealed-carry licenses for those residents who want to maintain reciprocal rights in other states. The new law will go into effect in late July, or early August. Texas also had a similar bill introduced in this year’s legislature, but I don’t know what the current status of that bill is. If the Texas bill doesn’t pass this time around, you can expect it to be re-introduced in the near future. Our thanks to Arizona for leading the way!

SINGLE-ACTION DEFENSE CLASS… The Gunsite Academy will be hosting a Single-Action Defense class May 3-5, 2010. This class is designed to help the student learn to apply the Modern Technique of the Pistol to the single-action revolver. The old thumb-buster is still mighty popular with cowboy-action shooters, woodsmen, modern-day cowboys, and handgun hunters. The class will help the shooter to better defend himself should the need arise while he is carrying a single-action. For information and to reserve your spot in the class, call Mr. Ed Head at 928-636-4565. But don’t delay… time’s a-wasting!

UPCOMING ADVENTURES… For some years now I have wanted to get in on some of the high-volume dove and pigeon shooting down Argentina way. This July, thanks to Remington, I’ll be doing just that. Remington is coming out with a new shotgun (if I told you more I’d have to kill you) and we are going to give it the field test on Argentine birds. Then, in August, Il Ling New, Dr. Dean Taylor, and I, will be heading back to Australia for another great buffalo hunt with our friend Simon Kyle-Little of Australian Big Safaris. The tribal forests and swamps of East Arnhem Land have got lots of buffalo, some of which are huge trophies. And Simon’s camp on the banks of the Walker River is just the perfect setting to enjoy the whole Australian hunting experience. And, you can do Simon’s buffalo hunt (or wild ox hunts) for a whole heckuva lot cheaper than you can do a cape buffalo in Africa. This fall I’ll be hunting whitetail deer with my amigo Joe Coogan, and the Beretta TV crew, in Texas. I’ll also join Mike Fifer (CEO of Ruger) and the Ruger executives for a West Texas aoudad hunt.

So, thanks for visiting my Web site. If you have any questions, or comments, please let me know. I’d enjoy the visit.

Buena Suerte…
Jim Wilson

Feb 15 2010

Dealing with Home Invasions

Traditionally, Americans have determined a man’s home is his castle. It is often considered the place where a person is safest.

Unfortunately, with home invasions, this is not always the case. One merely has to read the news accounts of various home attacks across the country to know a person is not safe from criminal attack simply because he is in his own home. In fact, he may be in worse shape simply because of a false sense of security.

Home invasions are generally premeditated—the criminals have scouted the neighborhood looking for signs of affluence and lack of awareness. Good indicators are new cars in the driveway, expensive-looking clothes on the victims and large, fancy-looking homes. You must understand that criminals will be operating on their definition of affluence, not yours. They are not concerned with how much your job really pays, nor how much debt you incurred in order to have a nice home and late-model car. They are concerned with what looks, to them, like an easy mark that might result in lots of cash, jewelry or other quickly fenced valuable items. I’m not saying you ought to make an effort to look poor, just be aware you might be a target even though you don’t think you qualify.

The first step in dealing with home invasions is being aware of what is going on around you. In numerous cases, criminals have often followed their intended victims on errands and shopping trips to get an idea of the victims’ habits and routines. Be alert if you see a stranger who continues to observe you from afar or for the same car following you on different days and routes. Don’t blow these situations off—contact law enforcement and report it. If you’re being followed in your car, just drive to the closest police station.

Read the rest of the article at Shooting Illustrated.