Shooting Ranges in Utah

This list of shooting ranges in Utah is compiled by the NSSF, each range links to a page with more information about that particular range. Our favorites are in bold type.

 

7 Things to do when pulled over by police

What to do if pulled over by police

Recently, news media reported the story of a 32 year old man who was shot and killed by a policeman (video is graphic and tragic) who had stopped his car due to a broken tail light. The man had a legal permit to own and carry a firearm, but it seems a nervous officer shot him as the man was trying to produce to his driver’s license. We still don’t know all of the facts of the case, but there are several things you can do to avoid this type of situation.

Crockett Defense recommends these procedures should you be pulled over by a law officer:

  1. Be aware of the mindset of the officer. Approaching the driver of a vehicle he has pulled over is one of the most dangerous things he does each day. Not only is he in danger of traffic speeding by, but he never knows the intent of the persons in the vehicle. We have all heard reports of officers approaching a vehicle and getting shot.
  2. Make the officer feel as comfortable as possible. Open all of your windows so that he can see all of the vehicle occupants. At night, turn the dome lights on. Driver should keep his hands at the “10 and 2” position. Passengers should have their hands in their laps. No one should make quick moves.
  3. If there is time, have your driver’s license, auto registration and concealed firearm permit on the dashboard. If time doesn’t permit, don’t hurriedly try to locate them. The approaching officer may think you are hiding contraband and/or looking for a weapon.
  4. Comply with all of the officers requests in a calm and courteous manner. Be truthful. Obnoxious, sarcastic or confrontational remarks may cause him to have unjustified suspicions.
  5. Tell the officer if you have a concealed firearm permit and/or a weapon and its location. In Utah, permit holders are not required by law to tell the officer that they are permitted, but it is helpful and usually appreciated. Once he checks your driver’s license, he will know it anyway.
  6. If the officer asks for you to hand over your weapon, politely say you would rather not. It is very rare that this would happen, but if it does, it could turn into a dangerous situation very quickly. If he insists, ask him to call for backup. It would be best if you asked him for permission to exit your vehicle and let him take it from your holster, glove box or wherever it is stored. You will be in a tense situation and may move unnecessarily quickly which could cause him to over-react. You hands may be sweating and should you start to drop the firearm and make a sudden move to catch it, the officer may feel that he is in danger.
  7. Give the officer the benefit of the doubt. You don’t know but what your description or the description of your vehicle matches that of a criminal that is being hunted. If you remain kind and helpful, the officer will eventually determine that you are not the fugitive and will let you be going on your way.

Most law officers in Utah are fully supportive of your right to possess a firearm. If you have obtained a concealed firearm permit they know you are a background-checked, law abiding citizen. Help them to feel safe and to keep you safe by following the recommendations explained above.

In the case mentioned above, it’s quite possible that even if Castilo had done everything we just suggested, he still would have been shot. While again, we don’t know all of the facts of the case, in this instance it looks to us like a training issue rather than a race issue. Regardless of the actual fault, poor training is no excuse for what happened. That’s a topic of discussion for another day.

Nothing is Taboo…Except Gun Safety

These days, anti-gun advocates will do just about anything to push guns out of the American experience and into a dark closet (where eventually they’ll probably be found by children who’ve never learned about guns and who’s curiosity may just get the best of them). Quick example: left-leaning politicos and anti-gun groups who shot down federal funding of Project Child Safe.

While school rifle clubs—and even in-school shooting ranges—used to be the norm in schools (and mass shootings in schools were nearly non-existent), today, the only training kids get about guns is from TV, movies and video games—some of the absolute worst places they could possibly learn about the important subject of guns, gun safety, and their role in American culture.

Thankfully, Utah is leading the way in turning the hypocrisy on it’s ear. A bill sponsored by Utah State Senator Todd Weiler will grant $75,000 toward creating a pilot program that would give Utah parents the opportunity to enroll their children in gun safety courses through their child’s school.

These courses would teach students in grades 5-12 what to do if they find a firearm (namely: Stop- don’t touch it, leave the area, and tell an adult). It will also train students how to respond in other scenarios involving gun violence from an active shooter.

If you’ve never watched Colion Noir’s videos, or the NOIR show on NRA News, you should. You’ll be impressed at the way he lays out the arguments without judgement, and in a way that might give you ideas about how you might approach those opposed to individual gun ownership in your circle. Hint: Take them shooting.

Watch the video below to get a taste:

Autumn Parkin: Restoring the Balance of Power for Victims of Violent Crime

Is owning a gun about gaining power? In some cases, absolutely. A tragic story with a great perspective, this is 4 minutes well worth watching.

“Training has been tremendously healing for me,” Parkin said. “It wasn’t until I started shooting that I actually started to heal because I got some of the power back. It was very empowering. I didn’t feel so defenseless.”

You can hear Parkin’s story in the For the Record episode “Infringed.” How learning to use a gun changed the life of this victim of violent crime:

Helping Victims of Violent Crime Restore the Balance of Power

"I didn’t feel so defenseless.” How learning to use a gun changed this victim of violent crime's life:

Posted by TheBlaze on Thursday, April 7, 2016

Safe Gun Storage Options

You are responsible for your firearms at all times from the moment you own it until you no longer do. Safe gun storage is one of our primary responsibilities as gun owners. We must ensure that our firearms are always stored and used safely.

Proper storage is the #1 way to help prevent firearms accidents. Safe gun storage usually means at least a small investment in addition to the original price of the firearm, but it’s a expense that must not be overlooked, and that will certainly be worth the money. Options for safe gun storage are found in the infographic below.

If you have any questions about how to store your firearms safely while still keeping them accessible for immediate use, or if you need a lock for your firearm, please contact us at info@crockettdefense.com.

A Range of Gun Storage Options For Your Lifestyle

 

After Brutal Home Invasion, Some Scars Never Heal

 

James Dittrich and Meredith Duffy were victims of a brutal home invasion last year. Their horrific ordeal and injuries were captures by ABC’s “NYMed.” James saved both of their lives that night by resisting their attackers, and while they paid a high price, they are alive to tell the story. Not surprisingly, their views on guns have changed along with their experience.

By JUJU CHANG and CANDACE SMITH via NIGHTLINE

Target Shooting in America – Huge Economic Impact

Thanks to the National Shooting Sports Foundation for putting together this infographic that details the great impact target shooting has in our country. Millions of shooters and billions of dollars (especially at today’s ammo prices).

One of the interesting stats they list is that 30% are women. While that’s an ok number, we’re seeing closer to a 50/50 split of men and women in our classes (of course in our ladies-only concealed carry classes, the percentage is quite a bit higher)—and that’s great!

Go shooting this weekend—it’s great for your aim, and great for the economy.
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Colorado School Shooting

The Colorado student who took a shotgun to school in December 2013 and shot Claire Davis did not have the chance to kill more students as is often seen in recent active-shooter incidents. Why didn’t he shoot and injure and kill more people? Why has the media ignored the reason? Both have the same answer.

Because he was stopped by someone with a gun! What’s that? You didn’t hear that in the news? Imagine that! An armed school resource officer ran to the sounds of gun shots and confronted the shooter. At that point, the 18-year old shot himself. The total event lasted only 80 seconds. The police arrived about 10 minutes later.

That’s why the shooter didn’t kill more people. There was someone with a gun there!

There are two reasons why you didn’t hear these details.
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What is firearms training, really?

When we’re at shows or out talking to people about firearms training, we often hear a familiar phrase:

I haven’t had any formal training but I’ve been watching videos on YouTube and going to the range to practice.

Now, before we get into it, don’t misunderstand. We love Hicock45, NutnFancy, and all the rest. In fact, we feel so strongly about GunTalk’s First Person Defender that we’ve posted the series here on our website to make sure our students watch and learn from them.

However, seeing is different than doing. Say you went into a hospital for a risky surgery that your life depended on and you asked your doctor if he’d ever done the procedure before. He responds “Well no, but I’ve watched hours of footage of other doctors doing it.” What would be your response?

You’d probably find another hospital. We would.

So why would you trust something equally as serious—a true life or death situation—to a few hours of “training” on the television or computer?

When you go to the range and try to practice what you saw in a video, you don’t have the advantage of several of professional training’s most important benefits:
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Guns have changed, shouldn’t our gun control laws?

By now, many of you have probably seen the video put out by gun control group “States United to Prevent Gun Violence” which portrays a man walking into an office building and taking a shot at employees with a muzzle loader. After his first (missed) shot, he stops to reload while everyone safely exits the building with plenty of time before the man is able to fire another shot.

“Guns have changed…shouldn’t our gun laws?”

It’s a clever advertisement attempting to prove how stupid we who value the right to protect ourselves (from criminals, tyranny, etc.) really are. And it’s likely it will have some effect—I’ve already seen at least three people I respect post it to Facebook—but the effect will be limited to those who are easily swayed by smooth marketing and talking points, or who don’t really understand the issues at hand.

Here’s how you can be smarter than that:
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