Can’t get ammo? Yeah, well, neither can the police! Recently, officers from another jurisdiction transported a prisoner from their county to ours. They said that their chief told them to, “stop at every Walmart, every sporting goods store and every Farm and Fleet in between, and buy every box of .40-caliber ammunition available.” Consumers realized […]

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend I’m a big fan of my SIG Sauer P238. I carry it more than any other firearm I own. It was my first SIG firearm, but I knew it wouldn’t be my last. Consequently, I’m also a big fan of diamond plate. As a matter of fact, I have […]

I have never been one to turn down any opportunity that comes my way, just as long as it aligns with my personal beliefs and morals. My entire life has been about taking chances and accepting challenges. I have always looked at any opportunity with the “glass-half-full” outlook. To the best of my recollection, my […]

Large financial expenditures seem small when your life depends on it I spare no expense in making sure my duty belt contains the best equipment allowed by my agency’s policy. I work in an unforgiving environment where calling a ‘time out’ isn’t an option. It’s not uncommon for policies to be out of date, or […]

Feb. 8, 2013, marked the opening day of sturgeon spearing season on Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac, Wis. It also marked the first Women on Winnebago (WOW) weekend media event. The Fond du Lac Visitor’s Bureau organized the event to bring together a variety of women to represent various media outlets with the purpose of […]

Each year at the SHOT Show, I try to take as much in as possible … too much. I’m exhausted each night trying to network with people that I may need or want to reach out to in the future. This networking has been invaluable for me, and I’d like to think it has equally […]

Thanks to a business opportunity for my good friend Britney Starr, of Starr and Bodill African Safaris, she offered me the chance to take her place next week for the opening weekend of sturgeon spearing with the Women on Winnebago in Fond Du Lac, Wis. Being from Wisconsin, I’m surprised I had never heard of this […]

Last summer, columnist Sara Ahrens invited Michael Bane, of the Outdoor Channel’s “Shooting Gallery,” to come out with her on a ride-along in the city where she works as a police officer. Usually Sara is reviewing gear or writing about her off-beat experiences. Here, she fills us in on some of the behind-the-scenes events. You might not see these on the show when it airs on Wed., Jan. 9.

The Colt 1911 Gold Cup is not a new gun design, but it is a gun I had not yet experienced and was anxious to do so. In fact, the Colt 1911 Gold Cup was first introduced in the 1950s. Its longevity in the marketplace is a testament to the success of its superior design. Although […]

Sara Ahrens reflects on a camping trip that went all wrong. Made us think of the Griswolds. Showing us that even a mom who is a former SWAT cop and all-around tough woman on the force can, uh, mess up occasionally. Read how the family will remember this night at their home-away-from-home.

Have you ever been really cold?  If you have ever been really cold, than you know the importance of good cold weather gear. When I write, “really cold,” I don’t mean the kind of cold you feel when you walk out to your car and your hands hurt or your eyes water. I am talking […]

I have never participated in any “veterans’ events,” even though I served 11 years of combined service in the US Army and US Army Reserves. I served from 1992-2003, and I would consider my time of service to be pretty peaceful. I’m a veteran who was willing to and volunteered for temporary duty assignments to […]

Should a mother be concerned when her prepubescent teen son starts wearing her clothing? This thought crossed my mind a couple of weeks ago when my son called me on the phone, happily informing me that he was wearing my clothing and he liked it. I anticipated this would someday be a problem with my […]

The whole ‘zombie’ craze has always struck me as a bit ridiculous. Really, we all know it’s just another marketing strategy, right? Well, an incident a couple months ago in Miami has me re-evaluating my position. The more I considered their existence, the more prevalent the evidence of their possible existence becomes. I know the […]

Rockford, Illinois police officer Sara Ahrens offers some commonsense crime prevention tips for women, and recounts an “interesting” experience she had on an official visit to the Ukraine. As summer and warm weather begin to arrive, there also seems to be a direct correlation with an increase in crime. I see many crime victims who […]

I have no practical reason for purchasing a Smith and Wesson 500. This revolver is in reality a much too powerful a gun for me to shoot comfortably, the ammunition costs more than I can afford to shoot it with any regularity (about $3 a round), and last I checked, Illinois doesn’t have any elephants […]

Sara Ahrens on her lipstick bullet tee shirt: “As I prepared for my trip to Top Shot, the Women’s Tactical Association (of which I am a member) began selling an olive drab, lipstick bullet tee shirt. It immediately became my favorite shirt because of its style, fit and feel. The tee shirt is soft spun and similar to a burnout style (though it is not see-through) – just slightly distressed. The graphic design on the front is feminine, yet tough … kind of the way I like to think of myself.”

One of my most recent gun purchases is the Benelli Sport II shotgun. I am not a “shotgunner,” per se, but in the past year I have begun to evolve. This past year I have attempted to develop skills with a variety of weapons – the shotgun being just one of many. My shotgun experience […]

I dreaded working Christmas this year. I’ve been lucky the past few years and have been able to take the holidays off.  But alas, in my current assignment I do not have the luxury of taking holidays off that aren’t on my normal days off. There’s this silly thing called seniority… and when it comes […]

Like most people, I have a list of things that I would love to buy someday, but cannot really justify the expenditure on myself. Optics fit in this category and I have recently realized that I cannot avoid owning a pair. I have had occasions this past year where they would have been useful at […]

I have never been a big investor in any type of optics. This includes optics for my firearms, binoculars and night-vision. I have always equated the contemplated amount of money I would spend on optics in terms of how many more guns I could purchase with that money. I guess it seems silly that I […]

This year has been such a blessed year for me and my family. The blessings keep coming even after I thought one of the biggest events of my life was over, Top Shot. Several weeks ago, however, I did an article with our local newspaper, The Rockford Register Star (see article). During the interview I […]

I find it amusing that one of the most common questions I am asked in regards to the whole Top Shot experience is, “What does everyone have in their backpacks?” This question makes me laugh because people really want to know, like it’s a big secret. It’s not a secret at all, but since it […]

Let me point out the obvious, I lost in elimination to the guy who won the whole competition. I have been waiting months to be able to make that announcement. Whew! Do I feel bad about being beat in elimination by the guy that no one else could beat? Hell, no!   Truthfully … on the […]

For those of us who want to make improvements to our firearms, but may lack the knowledge, skills and abilities to do so, there exists an option of purchasing products that require very little skill to install. As a rifle owner, one of the primary improvements I wanted to make on my AR was with […]

I am constantly amazed by how quickly I forgive and forget. With few exceptions, I think human beings want to live harmoniously. Unfortunately, given the economy and political unrest, relationships are not often harmonious and the city of  Rockford, Ill., is no different. We have our challenges and at times, it feels like we have […]

The last time I tried something new was about a year ago when I decided to learn archery. It was something I discussed with my husband for a while. We love to hunt and I thought bow hunting would give me an advantage over the other hunters who surround us. One thing I have learned […]

When the opportunity to appear on Season 3 of the History Channel’s Top Shot fell in my lap, I had many reservations. I didn’t feel as if I had won the lottery, like many people might think. I spent many, many hours contemplating that decision. I completed a mental checklist of the potential outcomes stemming […]

Who knew that I would feel more stress and anxiety watching the first episode of Season 3 of the History Channel’s Top Shot, than I did participating in it? Even though I know the outcome of the competition, I had no idea how the producers would edit the footage to make a show. One week […]

Everyone is different and your learning style really dictates how you learn.  I am a kinesthetic learner and I generally learn best by doing.  Based on my experiences, I know that the best option for me to learn to work on my own firearms is to take a traditional class, at least to start off. […]

One title I never thought I would hold within my department is that of armorer. I don’t consider myself to be mechanically inclined. I am confident that with proper instruction, oversight and explanation I would quickly catch on. What I may lack in mechanical inclination I more than make up for in determination and enthusiasm. […]