When I Take my M1 Garand to the range. A lot of times there will be some guys who say how heavy they are and worry about the kick.
So I always share the story of how the inventor of the rifle John C. Garand used his children (pictured below). To demonstrate to the Military Brass on how easy the rifle was to operate and shoot. And as it went, the rifle was adopted into service and is a historical legend
A KFC incident making headlines across Kentucky reportedly began with an ordinary inconvenience before taking a dangerous turn. A Lexington woman is facing a felony charge after authorities said she pointed an AR-15-style rifle at a KFC employee during a confrontation over a delayed drive-through order.
According to WKYT, 33-year-old Nayda Roman allegedly became frustrated while waiting for food at the KFC on Richmond Road in Lexington. The reported confrontation happened on May 11, although Roman was not taken into custody until late July.
An arrest report states that Roman exchanged words with members of the restaurant staff before leaving her position in the drive-through line. Instead of leaving the property entirely, police said she drove around the building and entered the restaurant’s parking lot.
Authorities allege Roman then parked her vehicle, opened the trunk, and removed an AR-15-style rifle. The arrest citation claims she pointed the firearm at an employee in a “threatening manner.” Roman allegedly returned to her vehicle and drove away shortly afterward.
The employee was left to process a situation that allegedly escalated from a slow order to the presence of a high-powered weapon. While fast food customers regularly complain about long lines, incorrect orders and slow service, the allegations connected to this situation are far beyond a heated exchange at the window.
Investigators reportedly used multiple forms of evidence to identify Roman. Police reviewed security footage from the KFC and used the video to identify the vehicle involved in the incident. Officers then compared the footage with police body camera recordings from earlier traffic stops involving that vehicle.
Police also presented a photo lineup to the employee, who reportedly identified Roman as the person involved. The combination of the restaurant surveillance, previous body camera footage, and the employee’s identification ultimately led authorities to Roman.
Roman was taken into custody in late July and charged with one count of first-degree wanton endangerment. Jail records showed Roman was booked into the Fayette County Detention Center on Monday, July 27. LEX 18 reported that she was arrested on July 28, creating a one-day difference between the published timelines.
Under Kentucky law, first-degree wanton endangerment applies when someone allegedly displays extreme indifference to human life and creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury. The statute classifies the offense as a Class D felony. It becomes a Class C felony when a firearm is discharged during the offense. None of the reviewed reports allege that Roman fired the rifle.
The charge connected to the KFC rifle arrest remains an allegation and does not amount to a conviction. As of August 3, Law and Crime reported that Roman’s next court appearance had not been publicly confirmed. No plea, conviction, or final legal outcome was included in the latest available reporting.
Beyond the legal process, the case puts another spotlight on what restaurant workers may face while simply trying to complete a shift. Employees have no control over every delay happening inside a busy kitchen, yet the person working the window often becomes the most accessible target for a customer’s frustration.
No matter how Roman felt in the moment, the arrest now means navigating a felony case connected to what reportedly began as impatience over food. For the employee, it means being placed at the center of an encounter that allegedly became threatening without warning.
Bill Jordon applied his experience as a Marine in WWII and Korea and along the Southern Border with Mexico to help produce the concept that later became the S&W Model 19 (Photos: Richard Taylor/Guns.com)Designed with input from an early legend in the gun community, the Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnum has been a hit with wheel gun aficionados for generations.
To get the appeal of the Model 19, understand that S&W first debuted their medium-framed swing-out cylinder revolvers, known today as K-frames, back in the late 1890s with the Hand Ejector and Military & Police models.
Then came the larger N-frame hog legs in 1907 with the advent of the Triple Lock or New Century. While the “Ks” typically ran in .32 to .38 calibers, the “Ns” were offered in beefier chamberings like .44 Special and .44 Russian.
Fast forward to the 1930s and when the dream team of Elmer Keith, Phillip Sharpe, and D. B. Wesson joined forces to create the .357 Magnum cartridge, they developed an N-frame model to run it, the Model 27.
And so, it remained for decades until S&W heard from a WWII and Korean War-veteran Marine officer and U.S. Border Patrol supervisor, William “Bill” Jordan, about the what would make the perfect “combat” duty revolver.
In short, Jordon advocated a K-frame-sized double-action chambered .357. While today these seems as logical as peanut butter and jelly, it was revolutionary at the time and, after some R&D and trial and error, the K-framed Combat Magnum was created in 1955.
The standard Model 19 runs a 4-inch barrel with a ramp front sight and adjustable rear. Although chambered in .357 Magnum, they also accommodate .38 Special rounds as well. (Photo: Richard Taylor/Guns.com)
“Surely nothing could be more disconcerting to the accuracy of an adversary than a .357 Magnum slug applied judiciously in the region of his belt buckle! It will beat kicking dirt in his face every time!” said Jordan of the caliber in his 1965 book, No Second Place Winner.
Outfitted with a shrouded barrel with an enclosed ejector rod and an adjustable rear sight, the Combat Magnum that hit S&Ws catalog in the mid-1950s was built on a 4-screw frame with a square butt. The frame sported a larger yoke and a fluted cylinder that had been counterbored.
Unlike the Model 27 which was offered in numerous barrel lengths, the original Combat Magnum only came in a 4-inch format as standard. While a nickel finish was offered, most were in Smith’s bright blue finish of the time.
Who doesn’t like nickel when it comes to vintage wheel guns? (Photo: Richard Taylor/Guns.com)
“In this country, we are fortunate that we have available to us the finest double-action weapons made in the world: The .357 Combat Magnum,” said Jordan, who later went into a second career as a writer and exhibition shooter. “Better guns cannot be bought at any price, anywhere. You can’t go wrong with one of these hanging by your side.”
By 1957, the Combat Magnum’s name switched to the Model 19 and the rest, as they say, is history.
As later generations of the Model 19 went into production, the general concept of the .357 K-frame endured with additional barrel lengths (2.2- and 6-inch) offered while round butt designs were added to the catalog.
The popular revolver was the gold standard across legions of lawmen of the age and was issued to both the Border Patrol and the FBI before those agencies ultimately shifted to semi-autos in the 1990s.
This led the medium-framed magnum to become a staple in small-town law enforcement, period bowling pin matches, and for use as a home and personal defense gun.
In turn, a myriad of fictional lawmen portrayed on screens both big and small carried the Model 19 including Danny Glover as Det. Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon franchise, Clint Eastwood (as both Texas Ranger Chief Red Garnett in A Perfect World and Agent Frank Horrigan in In the Line of Fire) and by numerous cops on Hill Street Blues.
Contrary to the he-man grips on the N-frames, the more medium-sized Model 19 K-frame guns allowed those with slightly smaller mitts to carry and use a .357, especially if the factory grips were changed (Photo: Richard Taylor?guns.com
By the early 1990s, the nickel offerings fell out of favor as Smith had previously introduced the satin stainless version of the Model 19 under the standalone Model 66 designation. For those wanting a more “budget” Model 19, the fixed-sight heavy barrel Model 13 M&P K-frame debuted in 1974.
Here we have several 19s on hand including some earlier 1960s-70s vintage 19-3 and 19-4 models as well as both blued and nickel finishes and specimens with 2.5-, 4-, and 6-inch barrels. (Photo: Richard Taylor/Guns.com)
Sadly, after a more than 40-year run, the Model 19 went out of production in 1999, a deficit that Smith corrected last year by bringing what could best be described as the 19-9 “Classic” back to their lineup.
Got to give the people what they want.
Most gun ranges are safe and have established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure a fun and accident-free experience. Accidents at a gun range are rare, but they do occur. This is usually because a range rule was broken, or the shooter makes one of the 5 common mistakes at the gun range. These mistakes include failing to know what to do when a “Cease Fire!” or “Stop!” is called; uncasing mistakes; firing line mistakes; ready area or line mistakes; and improper clothing mistakes.
1. Cease Fire (Stop) Mistakes
What do you do if you hear “Cease Fire!” or “Stop!” called out on the firing line? Not knowing what to do is one of the most common mistakes that individuals make when shooting on a gun range. Not only do many shooters at the range not know what to do, many non-NRA-certified Range Safety Officers (RSOs) do not know what his or her customers, the shooters, are supposed to do.
Many shooters think that when they hear the command “Cease Fire!” or “Stop!” that you stop shooting, unload your firearm, clear their chamber, lock the slide to the rear or open the cylinder, and place the gun on the shooting table or in the gun rack. Additionally, many non-NRA RSOs expect their shooters to perform the mentioned steps when they call a “Cease Fire!” or “Stop!” on the range.
If the RSO on the range wants their shooters to perform the steps—stop shooting, unload their firearm, clear their chamber, lock the slide to the rear or open their cylinder, and place the gun on the table or in the gun rack, this should have been made clear to the shooters in a “range safety briefing” before they are even permitted on the firing line. This would fall under “additional range rules” that are established by that gun range, in their SOPs.
The correct actions that each shooter should do when the command “Cease Fire!” or “Stop” is called is to stop what you are doing and freeze. Take your finger off the trigger and index your trigger finger along the side of the firearm outside of the trigger guard. Nothing else. The shooters should freeze and wait for further instructions given by the RSO. This is because the shooters do not know why the “Cease Fire!” or “Stop!” command was called. For example, an individual could appear down range and someone could have an accidental discharge while trying to clear their firearm. This is why it is important for everyone, RSOs and non-RSOs, to sign up for the NRA’s Range Safety Officer Course for further understanding of overseeing safety procedures on the range.
2. Uncasing Mistakes
Uncasing mistakes usually involve sweeping someone with the muzzle of your firearm. This may occur at the check-in counter of a range, if an employee asks to see the firearm. It may also occur on the range. Sweeping someone with the muzzle of their firearm is usually an accident. For example, a shooter at the check-in counter or range opens their gun case and the firearm inside is pointed at an employee or a customer in the store, or someone next to them on the firing line.
This is a very easy problem to avoid. A simple solution would be to place a piece of tape on one end of your gun case and mark with an arrow or write “muzzle” on it. When you case your firearm always place the muzzle toward the end of the case that you marked. This way you always know the direction your muzzle is pointing.
This not only helps at the check-in counter or on the firing line, it helps in identifying the position of your muzzle when you are walking to or from the parking lot. For example, if you are walking to the building other customers are ahead of you or behind you, you could carry the gun case so that the muzzle is pointed in the safest direction.
3. Firing Line Mistakes
The most serious firing line mistakes involve picking up fallen items while the line is still hot and people are shooting. It is not uncommon to see an individual shooting at the range who accidentally drops a magazine or a live round and steps forward or bends over to retrieve the item while the range is hot. Many times, the individual retrieving the item exposes a part of their body in front of the firing line. Most often it is the individual’s head!
The only time that dropped items should be retrieved is when the firing line is cold, and permission is given from the RSO to move forward the firing line. If you are shooting a qualification course such as an NRA Firearms Training Course, your state’s concealed or open carry course, or any other course where you are moving different distances, it is not uncommon for the individual calling the course to announce, “Range is cold, you may now retrieve your magazines!”
Bending over and retrieving items when the range is hot can lead to serious bodily injury or death. When a shooter does this, it is usually a reflex of just picking something up that you have dropped. This is why it is extremely important to keep your mind focused and avoid distractions while you are shooting.
4. Ready Area or Line Mistakes
The ready area or line is located behind the firing line. In this area, there are usually tables to set your gun case, range bag, and anything else you are carrying. This means that the shooters on the firing line are between you and the target area. Ready line mistakes are common because many individuals take the name of the area too literally. It would only make sense that on the ready line, it means that you get ready to shoot.
On the ready line, you should get your hearing and eye protection on and anything else needed before getting on the firing line. This could be applying sun protection, lotion or insect repellent. The ready line or ready area is also where any range briefings take place.
The most common mistake that takes place in the ready area or line is the handling of firearms and ammunition. The only time that firearms and ammunition should be handled is on the firing line. It is not uncommon for individuals in this area to be seen uncasing and handling firearms, loading firearms, and loading magazines. Handling firearms in the ready area or line is very dangerous and should be always avoided. This mistake is also one that can get you ejected from the gun range, or even banned from some clubs. Once again, this is why it is advisable for everyone who works at a gun range take an NRA Range Safety Course!
5. Improper Clothing Mistakes
Just like any sport, when shooting, proper attire should be worn. Proper attire includes a hat, shooting glasses, hearing protection, high and tight-fitting collar around the neck, long sleeve shirts, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. Wearing improper attire at the gun range can lead to injuries and accidents.
Hot brass down the shirt, exposed feet, or bare arms can induce the “Hot Brass Dance.” Even though it sounds funny, the hot brass dance can lead to serious bodily injury or death. Someone who is jumping around with a loaded gun because they are being burned by hot brass traveling down their torso is a very dangerous situation. Strict dress codes should be enforced at all gun ranges and in all firearms training classes.
A day at the range is supposed to be fun. Avoiding these common mistakes can make a difference between a fun day at the range or a trip to the hospital, or worse. It is important that all shooters take the appropriate NRA Firearms Training Courses to ensure they are properly educated in the safe and proper use of firearms.