Ken Jolly

Ken Jolly is a certified Texas CHL instructor, NRA range safety officer, NRA pistol instructor (reloads) and a published author. He enjoys sailing and ghost hunting.

Articles by Ken Jolly

• Open carry in Texas means the return of the barbecue gun

  Friday, January 08, 2016

  The state of Texas has always had a fondness for its guns. Since Jan 1, for the first time in nearly 150 years, properly licensed Texas citizens with a valid CHL or LTC permit have the right to open carry handguns in belt or shoulder holsters.

• Lasers help set sights on personal defense

  Friday, October 02, 2015

  Years ago, I dismissed lasers. Real men trained and used sights, I thought. But I have recently undergone a fundamental change in opinion. This comes mainly from two reasons: me getting a little older (my eyes may not be as good as they once were) and laser technology improving.

• Would life be better without the Second Amendment?

  Thursday, August 20, 2015

  ​We sometimes take our constitutional rights for granted. We forget the people who came before us and how hard they worked for these rights, which they thought were vitally important. Many of today's anti-gun people claim times have changed. They say that in our more enlightened (liberal) world, the Second Amendment is no longer required.

• What to know about carrying from your holster

  Thursday, August 06, 2015

  ​One of the first things a new Concealed Handgun License holder worries about is whether it's going to act like a snake and bite you when carrying. I advise people worried about this to carry without a round in the chamber for the first week or two. This will boost your confidence that guns do not accidentally discharge unless mishandled.

• Using a shotgun for home defense: Choosing your ammo

  Friday, July 24, 2015

  One of the interesting things about a shotgun is ​the multiple purposes for which it can be used, depending on ammo selection. Changing the ammo from birdshot to buckshot to slugs drastically changes the nature of the gun. Shotguns also come in many gauges, but the most popular for home defense are the 20- and 12-gauge calibers.

• Why our home defense plan turned out to be a failure

  Thursday, July 09, 2015

  As Murphy's law states, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. My wife and I felt secure with our home defense plan. Both of us knew our part and felt confident in executing it. Then, one night several months ago, the home intruder alarm went off around 3 a.m., dragging us both up from sound sleep.

• Using a shotgun for home defense

  Thursday, July 02, 2015

  My entry into the field of self-defense shotguns is recent and sad. My wife's brother was a friend and always crewed for me in regattas at the yacht club. We brought him to our home for hospice care so he could go pain-free with dignity and grace. This was not easy, and I cannot say enough praise about the people who work in hospice care.

• Reloading your own ammunition: Pressing the bullet

  Friday, June 05, 2015

  In our previous article, we used the die for dropping the powder, which also belled the case slightly to create an appropriate size to hand-fit the bullet to the case. When adjusting the bell of the case, you only want this diameter to be large enough. Overstretching the case can reduce the number of times a cartridge can be reused.

• Reloading your own ammunition: Dropping gunpowder

  Friday, May 29, 2015

  There is a huge difference between black powder and today's smokeless powder. I had this demonstrated to me by someone pouring the two different powders into can lids and igniting them. The smokeless powder burned over a short period of time in a rising flame. The black powder created a sudden and violent explosion.

• Reloading your own ammunition: Depriming

  Friday, May 15, 2015

  Primers are small inserts in the base of center-fire cartridges that spark the ignition of the gunpowder. Thus, when working with primers, safety is a primary concern. There is always the possibility of a small bang, and safety glasses should be worn when working with these.

• Reloading your own ammunition: Polishing the brass

  Friday, May 08, 2015

  ​Polishing the brass is my favorite step in reloading. Since I have not bought any new ammo in years, my brass casings come from range pickups and reusing my own. These are tarnished, dirty and sooty, but they will clean up into treasure.

• Reloading your own ammunition: Getting started

  Friday, April 24, 2015

  I recently explained the motivations and reasons to reload, including cost and ammunition shortages. If you've made the decision that reloading is right for you, let's take a look at the steps needed to get started. First off, there are two primary accidents you must watch for in reloading: bad cases and the wrong amount of power (loading too much or not enough).

• Tired of ammunition shortages? Reload your own

  Thursday, April 09, 2015

  ​Tired of dropping bundles of cash? Frustrated in trying to find ammunition after the latest government announcement causes many to scurry, stripping shelves and leaving you in the cold? Maybe you should think about reloading your own bullets. Plus, it is a great hobby.

• Range safety: 4 important rules to follow

  Friday, March 27, 2015

  Not being fortunate enough to have land in the country, I had to find a public range when I started shooting. I shot at several until I found the right one for me in an Internet post. The person complained that he "would never go back" to the range because the range safety officer (RSO) had shouted at him. This seemed to be the place, and it proved he was right. This range is still one of my favorites, and it features three types of shooters: those who have been corrected, those who will be corrected and the ones who learn.

• Are Texans ready for the passage of open carry?

  Friday, March 20, 2015

  Texas stands on the cusp of passing full open carry legislation. In fact, if it goes as scheduled, we should know soon. The bill, which would allow open carry for handguns, has passed the Senate and is now being reviewed by the House. Texans are already allowed to carry rifles openly.

• Don’t let your shooting skills get rusty

  Friday, March 06, 2015

  ​We all know people who buy a gun for home defense, load it and lock it away with the sure certainty that it will fire when needed most. These firearms should have been cleaned, broken in and tested with their choice of self-defense ammunition. Locked up, they collect dust and the lubrication dries up.

• Why a CHL? We all have our reasons

  Friday, February 20, 2015

  Breaking the ice in my training classes, I learn more about my students by asking a simple question: "Why do you want a CHL?" Stories range from previous close encounters to the unusual. An instructor told me of one person who looked around to make sure no one was listening, then whispered, "killer clowns." I'm not partial to clowns myself. When you stop and think about it, anyone painting their faces like a clown can't be up to any good.