Top Shot Chris Cheng

Boy Scouts to give Chris Cheng 2016 Distinguished Citizens award

2/8/2016

The Mt-Diablo-Silverado Council of the Boy Scouts of America is awarding me with their 2016 Distinguished Citizen Award on Saturday March 12, 2016 in Martinez, California at the Martinez Gun Club from 6-8:30PM. I'm deeply humbled by this honor and for anyone in California who is up for a fun evening of shooting, food, and celebration, you should come to have a great time.

Everyone who purchases a ticket will receive a free copy of my book "Shoot to Win" and I'll be on hand during the event for free pictures and autographs. All proceeds from the event will go to benefit Boy Scouts.

I've now been in the firearms community for 3.5 years and I can say that things have only been getting better and better as I continue promoting the outdoor lifestyle.

There are a limited amount of tickets available, and you can purchase them online at http://www.bsa-mdsc.org/funding/special-events/distinguished-citizen-dinner._

Auld Lang Syne: .22LR Edition (Happy New Year!)

12/28/2015

Well, that time of the year is right around the corner where you either stay up until midnight to watch the ball drop in Times Square, and toast with a glass of champagne humming "Auld Lang Syne" and murmuring lyrics you don't know. Or, you've had enough of staying up until midnight for New Years and you're asleep by your normal bedtime.

Either way, you can celebrate New Year's by watching my latest music video, "Auld Lang Syne," a true musical classic.

Also, if you received some Christmas moolah (cash-money, dinero, dollars, etc) from Santa and/or family+friends, my best-selling book "Shoot to Win" is available on Amazon for those who want to know how I went from self-taught amateur to Top Shot Champion. "Shoot to Win" will teach you all the fundamentals of pistol, rifle, and shotgun marksmanship. It's a book targeted toward people who know nothing about guns, but also for beginners who want to really dial in the basics.

I review a lot of concepts in "Shoot to Win" that helped me create those "ah-ha!" moments. I simplify marksmanship frameworks so you understand the what, how, and why around the technique. If you're interested in learning more, check out "Shoot to Win" on Amazon. I'm happy to answer any questions here too if you'd like to post a comment on my blog.

So without further ado, here are not only the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne" but my newest YouTube video of me shooting the song on the Musical Targets system with my Volquartsen Superlite 10/22 rifle, Leupold DeltaPoint scope, and ammo by Winchester.

"Auld Lang Syne" Lyrics
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
and surely I’ll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine†;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

San Francisco's Last Gun Shop Closes

11/13/2015

Chris Cheng poses in front of Highbridge Arms which closed its doors October 31, 2015.

San Francisco's last gun shop, Highbridge Arms, has closed after years of anti-gun pressure from local and state politicians. The final straw that broke the camel's back was proposed legislation by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors which would have required firearms and ammunition transactions and personal data be handed over to the San Francisco Police Department. The invasion of privacy and additional overhead costs became too much for the store to handle.

Highbridge Arms expected to lose customers to neighboring gun shops outside city limits where customers would retain their privacy. There was no explanation how this invasion of privacy would have helped decrease crime in our city. This is the real travesty. Anti-gun politicians pursuing an agenda that won't have any effect.

Last week I picked up my last batch of firearms from Highbridge Arms, a fantastic collection of Mossberg shotguns.

Chris Cheng poses for one final picture with Highbridge Arms employee "Russ" with a number of Mossberg shotguns for Cheng's final order. Full order of shotguns in the picture below.

I've got one of the best jobs in the world. @mossbergcorp sent me some of my favorite shotguns and I feel so fortunate to have their support. Pictured from top to bottom: 500, 590A1 Mariner, 590 Magpul, 930 JM Pro, 930 Turkey with @leupoldoptics scope. Which one's your favorite??

A photo posted by Top Shot Chris Cheng (@topshotchris) on Nov 2, 2015 at 3:51pm PST

I am thankful for all the years of support Highbridge Arms provided me and my career. While I'm generally an optimistic person, I'm pessimistic that any new gun shop will open in San Francisco any time soon. Now that Highbridge Arms has been removed as an obstacle for the Board of Supervisors, I won't be surprised when new anti-gun legislation is introduced to target individual law abiding gun owners within city limits.

San Francisco is supposed to be a city for people from all walks of life. Especially those who are considered on the fringe of society. Law abiding gun owners abhor the gun violence in our cities and communities, and it takes the gun community acting as a collective whole to make our goals clear. We want safe communities for our children, our families, and friends. This is actually a goal that both pro-gun and anti-gun people share. Let's focus on the criminals and the mentally ill as a way to prevent the next gun crime from occurring.

AllOutdoor.com Editorial "After Every Massacre, Gun Owners Must Stand Up and Fight"

10/15/2015

My friends over at AllOutdoor.com have written an editorial piece on mass shootings which I think is a good read. Here's a blurb, and if it tickles your fancy then you can click through to read the full article.

Every time we have a mass shooting, both sides of the gun debate follow the same script. The anti-gunners come out in full force, waving the latest bloody shirt and blaming the tragedy on the NRA, the second amendment, guns, and gun owners everywhere. They’re not grasping at straws or flailing about looking for targets of opportunity; they know exactly what they want. They have a list of specific enemies that they use the tragedy to smear, and they have a specific list of legislative proposals on file that they immediately begin introducing in state legislatures.

What do gun owners, and especially the NRA’s current leadership, do? First we lay low, waiting for the (self-)righteous outrage to die down a bit. Then a few brave souls poke their heads up from the foxhole and try to go on the defensive, asserting our constitutional rights, talking about how nothing could’ve been done to prevent this tragedy, and lamely pointing to various statistics that bolster our cause.

So in response to the anti-gunners’ emotionally charged rhetoric and powerful images of grieving parents, dead children, and candlelight vigils, we offer the public a few charts showing the decades-long decline in gun violence, some tired bromides, various hypotheticals about a possible future need for armed revolution, and some talk about our rights.

And how’s that working out for us? Not so well, at least from where we’re sitting here at AllOutdoor.com.

- See more at: http://www.alloutdoor.com/2015/10/07/editorial-after-every-massacre-gun-owners-must-stand-up-and-fight/#sthash.QZM7ANXi.dpuf

RECOIL Mag: "The Second Amendment is for EVERY American"

10/14/2015

RECOIL Magazine really gets it in their article titled "The Second Amendment is for EVERY American."

Here's a choice snippet:

That Second Amendment is for EVERY American. That’s a true story, regardless of your personal opinion on any LGBT issue. Pro-gun individuals come in every shape, size, background, sexual orientation, faith, creed, political affiliation…you get the point.

Our God-given (well, I consider them God-given), constitutionally guaranteed rights apply to every American, not just to the ones whose lifestyle or even perceived moral code we understand and/or approve of. This video, which features three very atypical gun-owners, reflects that truth. I particularly enjoyed listening to the self-described vegan democratic-socialist discuss firearms, unnecessary violence and how the obligation to defend his family correlates to his spiritual beliefs. Kristin Beck spent 2 decades risking her life for her country, a career that more the demands respect, and I’ve written before about my friend Chris Cheng. He likened coming out of the gun closet to coming out of the gay closet.

It’s an interesting video, and one worth watching. Hopefully we can enjoy civil discourse on the matter without seeing any of the feculent outrage that makes all gun owners look small minded or stupid (which is, of course, far different than intelligent, dissenting discourse).

The video the article refers to is a piece by The Guardian where I'm one of three gun owners featured. Check it out!

San Francisco's Last Gun Shop to Close

9/18/2015

Inside of Highbridge Arms. Photo: Highbridge Arms Facebook page.

Earlier this week, San Francisco's last gun shop, Highbridge Arms, announced that it is closing its doors in October 2015. Here's an excerpt from their Facebook page:

Dear friends and family, it's with tremendous sadness and regret that I have to announce we are closing our shop. For many reasons I cannot get into at this moment, it appears our final days will be through to the end of October of 2015. We will clearance out what ever inventory we have in the shop and offer sale prices for anything you would like us to order.

For all our true friends and followers, I would like to sincerely thank you for all your support, likes, positive feedback and best of all, your friendship. Hopefully, we'll see you soon. It has been a long and difficult ride, but a great pleasure to be you're last San Francisco Gun shop.

Our warm regards,
High Bridge Arms

It's no secret that San Francisco has many anti-gun politicians in the Mayor's office, the Board of Supervisors, and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi represents the city as well. While there has been no official comment from Highbridge Arms as to why they are closing, we can speculate that years of political pressure, an anti-gun climate in San Francisco, and anti-gun legislation and laws created a super storm making it challenging to run a gun shop in city limits.

Adding insult to injury is the incredible and dramatic increase in rent for businesses and residents over the past 6-7 years. Making ends meet for the gun shop and its employees may not have been a sustainable proposition.

As Highbridge Arms was my home gun shop, I will be very sad to see it go. There is no official word if they are relocating or simply going for good. I hope they will relocate to somewhere in the Bay Area so we can ensure that San Franciscans can exercise their Second Amendment right.

With Highbridge moving out, it will be interesting to see what will happen to legislation the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is considering which would require video taping gun and ammunition sales, and sharing ammo sales data with SFPD. My guess is that even with Highbridge closing by the time they vote on this, they will pass it in the hopes to keep any future gun shops from trying to open in the future.

It will be interesting to see if any viable lawsuits come up in the future which argue that San Francisco has a de facto gun ban since it will (soon) have zero gun shops, or something along those lines. I'm not a lawyer, but I sense potential for legal action by some organization down the line.

Anyway, thanks again to my friends at Highbridge for supporting my career and being great friends. You will truly be missed here in San Francisco, and I hope folks go visit them before the end of October when they shutter their doors.

Chris Cheng's Home Defense Weapon of Choice

9/1/2015

Pistol, rifle, or shotgun? There are many choices and considerations and what works for me, may not work for you. Urban or rural? Neighbors close by? Local laws and regulations?

I was featured in Tactical Life's article "8 Experts Pick Their Home Defense Weapon of Choice" - read more to find out my choice and the rationale.

If you want to read more on the topic, please check out Geek Prepper who does a really nice deep dive into the many considerations.

We Like Shooting Podcast + Book Giveaway (Ends Soon!)

8/28/2015

I was recently on the gun podcast "We Like Shooting" and I had a great time chatting with their team about anything and everything guns. They are an entertaining bunch, and you can hear the full episode over at http://welikeshootingpodcast.com/105/

Additionally, I had such a great time that we're giving away three free copies of "Shoot to Win"! Enter for free by submitting an entry to their form at http://welikeshooting.com/manticore - just leave some kind of message in the entry field.

Enter to win a free copy of Shoot to Win. Contest ends soon so enter today!

Speed Shooting the Can Cannon (VIDEO)

8/11/2015

There are some things that just can't be explained in words.

How much fun I had making this video is one of them. I timed how quickly I could shoot a six-pack out of the Can Cannon by X Products. What a cool product!

Check out the video here:

Too Young to Shoot? | What Would You Do? - ABC News

7/28/2015

ABC News recently set up in a San Antonio gun shop and put in some actors to create a scene where a concerned woman questions a father buying his young son a firearm.

I learned how to shoot when I was six years old, and my father taught me how to shoot. He trusted me to follow the rules and know where our firearms were stored in the house.

Here's the ABC News segment, do the results surprise you?