..sorry...been working on changes to SHOOTING GALLERY for Season 12 in 2012. I had originally planned to overhaul SG after Season 10, but we all got caught up in the launch of the new GUN STORIES, premiering Q3 this year. Main thing is I want to take SG to the next level in quality and on the things we cover (and, yeah, tonight's Zom episode is sort of a thank you to you guys and an exclamation point on the old format).
All in all, it's coming together pretty well...my producers and I will be presenting our ideas to the Bosses at the end of this week. Once again, actual announcements are far in the future, but I guarantee you'll like where we're going!
We're also ramping up videos on DRTV...in fact, I'll be at the 1911 Commemorative Class at GUNSITE for DRTV. Busy, busy times, which is, of course, better than the option of living in a refrigerator box under an Interstate bypass.
I am absolutely amazed (well, maybe not so much) that the ATF "Gunwalker" scandal hasn't blown up even bigger. Some props are due to CBS, whom I have occasionally flayed in the past, for their tenaciousness in following this story. There's a lot of conspiracy stuff on the Internet about how high up the Gunwalker scandal goes...CBS has documented conference calls about "Fast and Furious" between the ATF and Homeland Security, the DEA, the U.S. Marshal's Service (sorry, Raylan!) and the Justice Department attorneys.
I would be truly stunned if somebody high up in Justice, maybe even Holder himself, didn't sign off on this one...we're talking about a major operation involving a foreign nation. Civil Service functionaries don't make decisions like that. I also doubt any of the higher ups will be held responsible...I suspect the political firewalls will hold.
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MB can I suggest a show for any of the vehicles you have in the hopper? I am not criticizing any of the shooting shows or even hunting shows on OC or even History Channel these days, but there is one uniform thing missing from all. I watch A LOT of this stuff. But I have NEVER seen a show dedicated to safety. Not even once. So maybe I've missed it but I give that low odds. I think it would be a great service to cover for the viewers from the basics (the 3/4/6/10 rules of safety), to how a match handles it (including up to mega matches like Camp Perry or The Grand American), to RO training, pistol/rifle/shotgun/blackpowder, to belligerent shooter handling.
Honestly I think this would be a huge service to the audience, which probably includes folks new to shooting besides old salts that have gotten lazy. I could envison the show on this topic with even the sponsors and the OC having spots on it, reinforcing it, instead of their standard fare. Heck it would be just one show. But a VERY SPECIAL SHOW.
The origin to my thinking was the following: I just watched Top Shot last nite and they have never described how they handle it with their shooters/crew. For instance, I saw one of the shooters toss his gun on the bench last nite, spin around and just walk away. Damm. If I were on the range I would have chewed this guy's ass out for that. Sorry but I am a nut on safety. Even when I shoot alone you will find me talking out loud to myself, CLEAR, NO MAG etc...
Anyway just a suggestion and no you don't have to pay me for the idea :)
You know, Larry...the most dangerous thing I do is produce television shows, because I can't be a producer, talent AND the rangemaster at the same time. On the ZOM episode we hired a armorer, a former Special Forces firearms expert, to be the sole point in handling, manipulating, loading, etc,. the guns and to work as the Chief Safety Officer on each shot. We have used dedicated rangemasters on other episodes where I needed to focus elsewhere.
I drafted the operating standards for my shows, based on the safety standards I drew up for the NSSF Media Education Program, which drew from material we'd developed for IDPA Safety Officer training and USPSA NROI standards.
Interestingly enough, the only time any of my crews have asked for body armor was at a major police competition.
I'm a huge proponent of the 4 Rules as codified by Jeff Cooper, because we have run literally thousands of run-and-gun matches under those rules, and they WORK. Recently, I was asked to support a revision of the 4 Rules and I flatly refused, because I thought the revisions as outlined might work just nifty in a hunting or plinking context, but were insufficient, indeed dangerous, for the more muscular demands of practical shooting and training.
My question is would people watch a show on safety? My fear is that they won't. It's sort of like the meme on junior shooting...one of the biggest request we get from people is "show more kids." Whenever we show more kids the ratings nosedive big time and I get letters of complaint. That doesn't necessarily mean we won't do a show on the subject, but it gives us pause.
We do emphasize safety a lot more on THE BEST DEFENSE, because that's a show aimed at newbies.
Your point on Top Shot is well-taken...I often forget how much of a higher standard practical shooting holds their participants to, and now that all the practical shooters are gone the level of safety does indeed drop. The last time I was at The Grand American I was asked if I had a "nervous disorder;" I said that I would not allow a shotgun to be pointed at me, loaded, unloaded, whatever, and I would continue to move myself out of the path of a muzzle. They thought I was crazy.
Lemme think about this...maybe the most useful thing would be to show an Internet segment on DRTV of how we actually run the guns on the show...
mb
M.B. perhaps a safety segment could be worked into each show "for the new comers to the shooting sports". Ratings don't suffer and the message gets out. the mushroom
Hey Michael,
It was great meeting and speaking with you after the self-defense segment at the Medical Corps seminar last Saturday. I'm really liking the downrange.tv link you suggested. Also, the School Board shooting in Fla. did show the warning signs that Joe and I discussed. How incredible? We will definitely reference that. Thanks.
My wife and I are new to California so it looks like we have our work cut out for us when it comes to concealed carry. Any recommendations for newbies looking to get started in firearm defense?
Thanks so much for your time.
Take care,
Mike Smarr
PS - Oh, and keep an eye out for the BS'ers that work for a secret branch of the govt. that they can't tell you about. Ha! That was hilarious!
CBS has documented conference calls about "Fast and Furious" between the ATF and Homeland Security, the DEA, the U.S. Marshal's Service
Wouldn't the State Dept have to be involved also?
I thought they had to give the OK for anything gun, high tech, etc. to go from one country to another.
Or is Big Sis at DHS able to override common sense and fed law at her whim.
Why not I suppose, everyone else in this fustercluk did!
I suspect the political firewalls will hold.
They are BhusseinO's pals...nothing will come of it.
As for safety:
I saw one of the shooters toss his gun on the bench last nite, spin around and just walk away.
I didn't notice ANYONE clear or load the weapons. Since we aren't privy to the editing or the off camera coversations, that may have been what they were told to do.
Michael
I loved the zom show and you are indeed my guru in all matters gun. My suggestion in the future would be to work with Larry Potterfield to come up with better consistency between your advice on concealed carry (small and available gun) and tactics (caliber less important than multiple good hits) and his in the sponsor section. You can almost hear Larry's voice saying "How does an 8 inch barrel single action Ruger Blackhawk in 44 magnum work as a concealed carry handgun? Pretty good . . . .". I am not sure I would hear that out of your mouth. I love Larry BTW and very few of my brain cells were harmed in the production of this post so take it FWIW. Thanks for all the good work.
Charles in Atl
Is tenaciousness anything like tenacity. Unlike I guess everyone else, I thot the zombie show was stoopid. I don't understand the popularity of zombies at all.
Michael,
LOVED the zombie show - It's just FUN! People don't get enough FUN these days.
Previous poster obviously not a SASS shooter ~ ; - )
Hey "Flash", his name is "lonedog"!
I was going to advise: Don't quit your day job, Michael! But now I'm not. ; )
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