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duelist1954
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This channel is about shooting guns, from historical firearms up through the most modern weapons.
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duelist1954
A lot of people have been asking for a health update. I appreciate your concern.
It has been 17 days since my hip replacement surgery, and my recovery is going very well.
I’ve had some soreness, but no actual pain. I never touched the Oxy, and the doc’s have cut down my Tylenol to first thing in the morning and at bedtime, and next week it will be just at bedtime.
I had my 2-week post-op check-up on Wednesday, and everything looked great.
The incision is healing beautifully. I still have a little swelling and a bit of bruising on my thigh, but that is also much improved…the x-rays came out perfect.
I go back in two weeks to get the stitches removed. And I should be cleared to climb into the truck and drive next week.
On Friday, I had my first PT evaluation at the local re-hab center. Sarah, the physio-therapist took range of motion baselines, and timed me walking a route both with the walker and again, just on my own two legs.
She said I was cheating because I just carried the walker around the turns…oh well, what can I say, I’m competitive.
Sarah said my baseline numbers are so good that I’ll have trouble doing better when she checks them again. I should have dogged it a little.
She also had me go from sitting to standing as many times as I could in 30 seconds…I only got 10 in. I don’t know if that’s good or not…something to work on, I guess.
She says I don’t need to use the walker any longer for most of my getting around, but to keep it handy if I get tired.
She gave me a new PT routine that I started this morning. I also started working on stair climbing with my bad leg. I need to get my strength back, and I reckon that will help.
I can’t believe how easy, and painless the recovery process has been.
I have been dry-firing my handguns, both one-handed and two-handed, and it all feels good. I think I could get back on the range right now…and that’s the rub…
My biggest problem is that I feel so good, I’m bored at home, and I’m tempted to do things I shouldn’t do. My doctor pointed out that, regardless of how I feel, my hip is actually a long way from being healed. Even at the six-week point, when I’m cleared for all activities, it still won’t be fully healed.
So, despite me thinking I’m ready to get back down to my shop and office, and get out to the range for some live fire, she says that is absolutely not the case.
I’m to do my PT, walk my laps, and stay on the ground floor for another week or two.
I don’t want to mess up a good thing, so I will be following orders.
The bottom line is my recovery is going very well…easily in the top 10% of hip replacement patients. And I’ll work to keep it that way.
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duelist1954
One of the most popular questions I get is, “What is the status of Duelist’s Den?”
I have explained this in at least two videos, but it is hard to get the word out to everybody, so I’m going to post here as an easier place to refer people to.
The resolution to the Duelist’s Den fight made no one happy.
In November 2023 I had a court hearing on my petition to be able to shoot at Duelist’s Den while waiting for the final resolution of the case.
My legal team did a wonderful job at that hearing. Not only did we win, but the judge severely criticized the North Hopewell Township legal team for violating the 2nd amendment rights of a property holder on his own land. And for doing so using an ordinance that was clearly designed to regulate commercial shooting ranges.
After that, the Township saw the writing on the wall. They knew there was a very good chance that they would lose the case, and that their entire ordnance would be declared invalid.
At that point, they could have simply agreed that I could shoot on my land, and asked me to drop the suit, but, instead, they pulled a trick.
They requested a stay on the suit, to allow them to re-write their ordnance on shooting ranges.
What they did was write an ordnance to regulate “personal” shooting ranges.
That effectively terminated my suit, because I was no longer in violation of the original ordnance.
But, to shoot on my property, I would have to apply for, and meet, all the requirements to get a permit for a “Personal” shooting range.
That new ordnance was passed in 2025 while I was still in the hospital after my fall. Since then, my hip has not allowed me to shoot safely at Duelist’s Den.
But, after I recover from my up-coming hip replacement surgery, I will do the work to apply for a “Personal” range permit.
We’ll see what happens.
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duelist1954
From the messages I’m getting, I think my last post left the wrong impression.
I do not plan to stop making videos.
I just don’t think I’ll be filming at Duelist’s Den in the future. I just don’t think being there alone is going to be wise for me, at least for awhile. But, as my body heals, that may change at some point.
I hope to resume filming firearms history videos in a few weeks…right now, time is the problem…PT, doctor’s appointments, and the things I need to do to keep bills paid, and supplies on the shelf, eat up most of my time.
But, as I have time, I have been researching muzzleloading derringers, and writing the script for a video. Eventually, I’ll get it made…I promise!
When I am able to do a shooting video, it will be at one of my gun clubs, rather than at the Den.
I’ll try to get out history videos, as my time allows, whenever I think of something interesting.
So, I’m sorry, if I confused you in the last post.
In hindsight, it does read overly dramatic.
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duelist1954
I get asked often to provide an update on the status of my lawsuit with North Hopewell Township. But, until recently, there was nothing new to report.
As many of you know, In February 2023 I got a letter from the North Hopewell Township, PA Zoning Board saying I was operating a shooting range without a permit.
The township ordinance was clearly written to regulate gun clubs or commercial shooting ranges. Applying it to one guy shooting on his own property seemed like an over reach, so I filed suit.
At a November 2023 hearing a judge agreed with my lawyer, and issued a stay against the zoning board’s action…which allowed me to continue shooting on my land while the case wended through the judicial system.
The Township understood that that decision was not a good indicator for their ultimate success. So, the township got a stay on my lawsuit, so they could change their zoning ordinances.
They passed a new zoning ordinance in April 2024, requiring landowners in the borough, who wanted to target shoot on their land, to apply to the Zoning Board for a permit to have a Personal Shooting Range
The Personal Shooting Range ordinance requires specific distances from dwellings, roads, etc., as well as backstop requirements and so on.
That put an end to my lawsuit because the zoning violation I was appealing no longer was in force.
I don’t know if I’ll be applying for a Personal Range Permit or not. I have not yet sufficiently recovered from my accident in February to be able to shoot at all. Since it looks like I’ll need at least one more operation, I doubt that I’ll be in shooting shape at all much before 2025.
At that point I’ll be over 70 years old, and my days of safely roaming alone on my land may be behind me.
So, this appears to be the end of the Saga of Duelist’s Den.
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