JOINING US TODAY, AS WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES ON GUN SAFETY, IS KIPPY LEATHAM, OF SPRINGFIELD
ARMORY, A TROPHY-WINNING COMPETITION TARGET SHOOTER.
WELCOME BACK!
IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE, OLGA.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
YOU KNOW, I'VE LEARNED A LOT LAST TIME.
REALLY GREAT INFORMATION.
AND...REALLY AMAZING TO ME HOW MANY MORE WOMEN ARE TARGET SHOOTING AND USING GUNS FOR SPORT,
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORNING, IF YOU DON'T MIND, IS JUST HOW IMPORTANT SAFETY
IS.
REALLY PARAMOUNT.
AND I KNOW YOU BROUGHT A WAY TO SHOW THAT, SO TELL ME WHY SAFETY IS SO IMPORTANT AND
HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
ABSOLUTELY.
UH, SAFETY IS ALWAYS THE #1 PRIORITY, WHETHER YOU'RE AT THE RANGE, WHETHER YOU'RE OUT HUNTING--.
MM HMM.
--IF YOU GO PLINKING OUT IN THE DESERT.
SAFETY IS ALWAYS THE #1 PRIORITY.
SO WHY DON'T WE GO THROUGH THE BASIC UNIVERSAL FIREARM SAFETY RULES.
LET'S DO IT.
STEP ON OVER HERE.
OKAY.
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO POINT A GUN AT YOU, WHETHER IT'S LOADED OR UNLOADED.
THERE'S SAFETY #1.
(LAUGHTER).
ABSOLUTELY.
SO THIS IS A STANDARD CASE THAT COMES FROM SPRINGFIELD WHEN YOU PURCHASE A PRODUCT.
IT'S AN XDS CASE AND IT'S LOCKABLE.
OKAY.
SO THAT'S A GREAT SAFETY FEATURE.
JUST OPEN IT UP HERE, AND WE'LL IMMEDIATELY POINT THOSE IN OUR DOWN RANGE DIRECTION.
TELL ME WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
WHAT KIND OF...
WE HAVE, UH, THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XDS AND THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY COMPACT XDM 3.8.
AND THE FIRST UNIVERSAL RULE IS TO ALWAYS TREAT EVERY FIREARM AS IF IT'S LOADED.
OKAY?
SO WE'RE VERY RESPECTFUL ABOUT THAT.
I'M JUST GONNA PICK THIS ONE UP OUT OF THE BOX VERY CAREFULLY.
AND IT'S GONNA RACK THAT SLIDE BACK TO ENSURE, AGAIN, THAT IT IS ACTUALLY UNLOADED, AND IT
IS.
SECOND SAFETY RULE IS TO KEEP ALL OF OUR FINGERS OFF OF THE TRIGGER--.
OKAY.
--AND OUTSIDE OF THE ACTUAL TRIGGER GUARD.
ANY TIME WE'RE NOT POINTED AT A TARGET AND READY TO SHOOT, OKAY?
AND THIS IS THE TRIGGER GUARD.
IT GUARDS THE TRIGGER HERE AT THE BASE AND AROUND THE SIDE THERE.
SO MY FINGER, YOU CAN SEE, IS UP ALONG THE EDGE OF THE SLIDE THERE, NOT ANYWHERE NEAR
THE TRIGGER BECAUSE I'M NOT READY TO SHOOT RIGHT NOW.
OKAY.
THE THIRD SAFETY RULE IS TO ALWAYS POINT THE MUZZLE IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
AND WE ARE RIGHT HERE DOWN RANGE.
THIS IS OUR DOWN RANGE.
REASON FOR MOVING ME OUT OF THE WAY.
GETTING YOU OUT OF THE WAY.
AND WE DON'T EVER POINT THE GUN, THE MUZZLE, AT ANYTHING WE'RE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
THE FOURTH AND FINAL SAFETY RULE IS TO KNOW WHAT OUR TARGET IS, THE SURROUNDINGS BEHIND
THE TARGET, AND IF WE'RE NOT SURE, WE DON'T SHOOT.
OKAY?
THAT ONE I'VE ALWAYS HEARD.
YES.
NOT SURE...
(IN UNISON) ...DON'T SHOOT.
GREAT TIPS.
NOW LET ME ASK...WHILE...WHILE YOU PUT...
SO, LET ME PUT THIS AWAY.
YES--.
BEFORE YOU WALK AROUND.
--I WAS ALREADY GONNA MOVE BACK INTO MY SPOT--.
(LAUGHTER).
--AND I REALIZED, NO, THAT'S A NO NO.
DON'T GET IN FRONT OF A GUN WHETHER IT'S--.
CLOSE THAT UP.
--LOADED OR NOT.
(SNAP).
EXCELLENT.
NOW, WHAT ARE THE LEADING REASONS, KIPPY, THAT MORE AND MORE WOMEN ARE...ARE...ARE SHOOTING
TODAY?
WELL, OBVIOUSLY THEY BUY THEM FOR--.
PROTECTION?
--FOR PROTECTION--.
OKAY, OKAY.
--THAT'S THE OBVIOUS REASON.
BUT I THINK EVEN MORE COMMONLY NOW, THEY'RE BUYING THEM FOR...FOR THE RECREATION.
THERE ARE SO MANY SPORTING, HUNTING, COMPETITION ACTIVITIES THAT ARE CHALLENGING AND FUN, AND
I THINK THAT WOMEN ARE SEEING IT.
THEY'RE SEEING IT ON THE INTERNET, SOCIAL MEDIA, ON REALITY SHOWS, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN
THEY SEE OTHER WOMEN DOING IT, I THINK THEY GET CURIOUS, AND THEY'RE LIKE, "WELL, WHY
CAN'T I DO THAT?"
AND SO IT ENTICES THEM TO TRY IT.
AND OBVIOUSLY YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A CHAMP WHEN IT COMES TO TARGET SHOOTING AND YOU KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE.
YOU'VE WON SO MANY TROPHIES AS WELL.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL WOMEN OUT THERE THAT SAY, "OKAY, WELL KIPPY, I'M INTERESTED, BUT MMM,
JUST UNCOMFORTABLE."
THAT'S TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE.
THEY'RE NOT ALONE.
SINCE MOST WOMEN DON'T GROW UP AROUND FIREARMS, THEY ARE A LITTLE UNEASY AROUND THEM.
AND EVEN A WOMAN LIKE ME THAT HAS CHILDREN AT HOME.
THAT SCARES ME.
ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, WHEN YOU PURCHASE A FIREARM, SAFETY BECOMES AND SHOULD REMAIN YOUR #1 PRIORITY.
AS LAW-ABIDING FIREARM OWNERS, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ALWAYS SAFELY STORE OUR GUN AND TO TEACH
OUR LOVED ONES ABOUT FIREARM SAFETY.
MY DAUGHTER GREW UP LEARNING ABOUT FIREARM SAFETY.
SO SHE KNOWS.
SHE KNOWS.
SHE'S NOT CURIOUS, SO SHE DOESN'T GET INTO TROUBLE.
SHE UNDERSTANDS AND SHE'S BEEN TAUGHT.
BECAUSE YOU'VE EDUCATED HER VERY WELL.
LAST QUESTION.
FOR...FOR MAYBE SOMEONE THAT OWNS A GUN, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BENEFIT FOR THAT OWNER?
FOR WOMEN NOWADAYS, I WOULD SAY THEY ARE A PART OF A GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC OF PEOPLE, WOMEN,
WHO'VE STEPPED OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, OUTSIDE OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE, THEY'RE LEARNING A
GREAT SKILL THAT ALLOWS THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF FUN ACTIVITIES WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY
ALLOWING THEM TO PROTECT THEMSELVES SHOULD THAT NEED EVER ARISE.
HOW CAN YOU BEAT THAT?
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU.
I GOTTA GO ONE DAY AND SHOOT WITH YOU IN THE RANGE.
YOU HAVE TO GO OUT DEFINITELY.
I'D JUST LIKE TO WATCH YOU, THAT'S ALL.
(LAUGHTER).
THANK YOU, KIPPY, VERY MUCH.
WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT TIME TOO, RIGHT?
I'LL BE HERE.
(MUSIC) GREAT INFORMATION.
GREAT SAFETY TIPS.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GUN SAFETY OR ABOUT THE SPORT OF TARGET SHOOTING,
VISIT US AT thebalancingact.com OR JOIN THE DISCUSSION ON FACEBOOK.