I was the victim of another cyber-attack and my personal information was stolen. The company responsible for allowing the attack has offered me credit monitoring services. Is this safe? I feel like it’s another company that will have my data.

-From Nicole R.

Answer: You are right that they would need very personal information about you in order to monitor your credit.

I would make sure and do some research on the credit monitoring company to make sure they are legit.

Also, I recommend that you put a credit freeze in place with the three main credit bureaus. This will prevent anyone from opening an account with your credit. The only way to access your credit is with the PIN provided by the credit bureau.

Another thing is many people don’t take the time to check their bank statements. At least once a month you should check the charges on your credit card and bank statements to monitor activity.

 

First time gun owner here. I go to the shooting range about once a week. My question is, how do I lube my gun after cleaning? Where do I put the oil?

-From Hector M.

Answer: I recommend you lubricate almost every metal part of the handgun, especially if you see signs of wear and contact spots.

Especially, lube the rails of the gun and around the barrel.

With that being said, excessive oil can attract dirt, dust, grit, unburned powder, and carbon fouling. Typically, only one drop of lube per an area smeared around is sufficient.

 

Years ago, I added gas masks to my emergency gear. Last week, I noticed the mask filters have expiration dates. Why do these have expiration dates and can I use them if they have expired?

-From Rusty R.

Answer: The older a face mask filter is, the less likely it is to perform at its full potential.

Over time, components in the filter may degrade, which can affect how well the filter does its job.

In addition, expired filters usually no longer meet certification guidelines.

To play it safe, I would update your survival gear and remember to check expiration dates so you always have filters that aren’t expired.

However, during an emergency, if the expired filters were the only thing you had, I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to wear them.

The reality is, there are many variables to take into account such as how the filters are stored (cool, dry place), which will affect their shelf life.

 

I’ve owned guns my whole life. But, I just purchased my first semi-automatic. What is the best way to take care of the springs in my magazine? Do they need to be replaced every so often?

-From Luke T.

Answer: There are a lot of opinions regarding this issue. The fact is, when using quality magazines with quality ammunition, stored and maintained properly, the spring in the magazine will last a long time.

Modern magazine springs are manufactured to maintain their function under stress.

In other words, they’re meant to be compressed when the magazine is fully loaded.

If you were to load a brand-new magazine to its capacity and let it sit in that condition for years, it would be fine. I know from experience.

When buying extra magazines for your gun, I always recommend buying them from the same manufacturer who produced your gun or buy them from top-of-the-line companies such as Magpul.

 

I’m installing a DIY security camera and alarm system in my home. It’s made by a reputable company and I believe I’m getting a quality product. But since the whole system connects to the internet it scares me. How do I prevent it from getting hacked?

-From Greg T.

Answer: These days, any electronic device that connects to the internet can be susceptible to hacking.

A hardwired security system is more expensive but worth the cost. This way you won’t have to worry about someone hacking into your internet. Or the internet going out.

However, for something that connects to the internet, make sure you have a secure router and good, strong password for your Wi-Fi.

 

My husband and I sold our home and we are going to be living in an RV full time. Can we keep our guns in the RV if we are in an unfriendly gun state and don’t have a permit?

-From Rachel L.

Answer: The laws about guns and RVs differ from state to state.

In many states if you can drive your RV, it’s considered a vehicle.  If you can start the engine and drive off it’s a vehicle and the laws are the same as a car.

Depending on the state this could mean the firearm needs to be unloaded, locked and stored in a rear compartment. It shouldn’t be anywhere that someone can easily reach it.

However, if your RV is set up such that the slides are out and you are hooked up to utilities then you can’t just drive away. In this case, many states would consider your RV a home.

This would give you the right to have your gun in your RV like you would you home. You could have a firearm readily accessible inside your home.

But again, you would have to research each states laws that you drive through.