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Weekly Newsletter Click Here for Membership Information! November 30th, 2007 Dear Friend, I hope you enjoyed last week's "USCCA Special Edition: Vote to Stop the Threat!". This week, I've got a high-impact, high-caffeinated 'old fashioned' newsletter that you are going to love! If you've only got time for one thing... skip to this week's feature story. It's a powerful story of how a young woman used a pistol, gifted to her by her father, to defend her life against a rapist who had broken into her home... Brace yourself! Let's get started! One Handed Disarm! USCCA Video of the Week Note: Obviously there are a million ways to disarm someone, but this is definitely a thought provoking video! I really like the instructor- very charismatic!
"Man Shot Dead While Attacking Neighbor" Candace J. Samolinski Robert J. Metz made it a point to know most everyone in his neighborhood, beeping his car horn whenever he drove by anyone who was outside. If somebody was building something, the 47-year-old construction worker was there to offer advice and often lend a hand. But his happy-go-lucky demeanor masked a mental illness that was slowly consuming Metz, relatives say. Maria Pittaras, 28, was something of an enigma in the neighborhood. She moved to the Turtle Lakes subdivision at the Pasco- Hillsborough counties line about a year ago, just around the corner from Metz and his wife, Carolyn, Pittaras' father recalls. Neighbors didn't see her outside much; she did most of her real estate-related work from home. She kept her yard immaculate and occasionally entertained friends with outdoor barbecues, neighbors say. Pittaras and Metz weren't friends, but their worlds collided early Wednesday morning. Pasco County sheriff's deputies say Metz donned a mask and crept into the woman's bedroom, awakening her with a knife to her throat. She managed to grab her gun from her nightstand and shot the intruder; he died almost instantly. Sheriff's officials later determined the shooting was in self-defense and won't bring charges. The violent episode, the first of its kind there, has divided a neighborhood already grappling with increasing property crimes. But the young woman's father feels no ambivalence. ``I gave her that gun for protection. She is a good girl,' said Spiros Pittaras of Palm Harbor. ``She feels terrible about this. That man's mental problems are finished ... hers are just beginning.' SOMETIME BEFORE 2 a.m., Metz donned a dark mask and gloves, grabbed a knife and crawled into his neighbor's home through a window, sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll said. Metz crept into the bedroom as the woman slept, jumped on top of her and held the knife to her throat. She grabbed her .38-caliber pistol and fired two shots, striking Metz in the neck, Doll said. Somewhere around that time, Carolyn Metz awoke with a start and found herself alone in bed. She looked around the house, then wandered outside, relatives say. When she saw the sheriff's patrol cars, she knew something was terribly wrong. More than an hour later, she learned her husband was dead. Those closest to Robert Metz say they witnessed his gradual slide into a nightmare of manic depression over the last few weeks. They watched helplessly as he stopped taking his medication and his personality changed. Relatives, who didn't want to be identified in the newspaper, said he likely was in the grips of his mental illness when he went into Pittaras' home. Still, many neighbors find that explanation hard to believe. ``Why would a married man with kids pick that particular house?' Maurice Sanders asked. ``There has to be more to it than anyone is saying. He was the nicest guy in the world and wouldn't hurt anyone. Maybe he was just trying to scare her.' Others say Pittaras did the right thing in shooting Metz. ``I'm shocked something like this happened in our neighborhood,' said Steve Bridges. ``It just goes to show that you never really know people. If you enter someone else's house in the middle of the night, you are definitely taking your life into your own hands.' Metz's family, which includes two grown children who live out of state, gathered at his home Wednesday to share in their grief. Pittaras also is struggling to come to terms with the shooting, her father said. ``She's a big girl and she will have to decide if she wants to go back to that house,' he said. ``This is a terrible thing to have happened. Anyone, especially women, should understand why she had to do what she did.' ------ NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed, without profit, for research or educational purposes. We do our best, as well, to give credit to the original news source who published these Guns Save Lives stories out of respect and appreciation for their willingness to spread the word that Guns Save Lives. God Bless the Americans that publish these stories - for assisting Americans in hearing the truth.
CRKT Mini My Tighe USCCA Gear Review This week, I'm reviewing the last of the Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) blades. It's a little knife called the "Mini My Tighe", and it packs a serious punch!
Blade: Length: 3.00" Thickness: 0.12" Steel: 1.4116, 55-57 HRC Closed: Handle length: 3.73" (9.5 cm) Open: Overall length: 6.5" (16.5 cm) Weight: 3.8 oz. (108 g) I'm going to tell you up front... This is my favorite of all of these knives so far. I still carry the M16-13 as my "every day carry" knife, but only because as soon as my wife spotted this Mini My Tighe, she claimed it! This was hilarious to me, because she is NOT a knife person... I asked her what she likes about it so much, and other than it looking VERY cool, she likes how easy it is to close. "All of these knives open really easy, but it hurts my fingers to close them", she told me as she flicked it open and closed... I definitely see what she means. Though the other knives don't cause me any discomfort when closing, this one is certainly the easiest one to close. The other things she likes about it, are 1) It's size, and 2) The sound it makes when it opens. This knife is a very modest 3 3/4" long when closed, and about 6 1/2" when opened. She carries it in her bag (I'm still trying to get her to carry it on her person!!), and it's very concealable. As for the sound- this thing definitely sounds menacing when opened with a flick of the thumb. It's assisted opening-design takes over immediately, and whereas the M16 has a surgical "flick" when it is deployed, this Mini My Tighe has a"ca-CHINK!". It sounds just like the switch-blades you hear in the movies, and I think the ominousness of the sound is what is so comforting about it. Kind of like the pumping of a shotgun. The thing that impressed me about this the most, is it's blade. Out of the box, I can shave arm hair off with this sucker. Touch it up a little on the steel, and it's scary-sharp. This isn't the kind of knife that you hand your son when he needs to cut something- this is like a razor, and you could really hurt yourself fast if you're not careful. Everybody who knows anything about knives that I've showed this knife to gets all googly-eyed. This got me VERY interested in the standard "My Tighe", which is larger. I think this would be more up my alley for a daily carry knife. For more information on these things, CLICK HERE to go to CRKT's website, www.crkt.com.
This is the part every week where I ask you to send this newsletter to any friends or family members who might find its content handy!! It's easy to do- Just click on the big envelope!! Forum Highlights Every Deluxe Member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over twenty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource! Walther PPS 40 Has anyone had a chance to shoot one yet? I am interested in getting one and am looking for opinions on it. Gun Nervous Wife Question for all you married guys (or gals) out there with a spouse who is not crazy about guns. A word of clarification, my wife has no problem that I have guns (heck she even didn't complain when I bought a new M1A SOCOM...what a girl!) but she has no interest in shooting or even learning how to shoot herself. I know I shouldn't push her, but I can't be there all the time and would be much more comfortable knowing she's at home and can use the 12 ga. in our room if the SHTF. Any thoughts on how I can motivate her? Also, our first child is due in a couple months (girl!) is there any chance she may want to learn to protect the kid (momma bear theory) or will she suddenly hate all my guns (liberal hysteria permeation)? Murder or self defense http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/5309288.html Check out this story very interesting! Quote of the Week Sometimes a good quote will inspire or motivate you. Sometimes, they'll just put a smile on your face! Here is the quote for this week...
Closing Thoughts Well folks, that's all for this week! I hope you've enjoyed this newsletter! Stay safe, and stay sharp! ---- Tim Schmidt Founder - U.S. Concealed Carry http://www.usconcealedcarry.com |
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