One of the most important things I try and teach people is when you’re justified in using a gun against another person. In my classes I get all types of questions such as “Can I shoot them in the foot, just to wound them?” Or “Can I pull out the gun and threaten them even if I don’t actually plan to use it?”
The answer to both is absolutely not. The only time the gun should leave your holster or your safe in your bedroom is when you’re in immediate fear for your life or of serious bodily injury. Pulling or using the gun at any other time will likely get you sent to jail, like the fellow I’m about to tell you about:
David Flemming is a 61-year-old grandfather who lives inNew Hampshire. Last week, Mr. Flemming came home to find that someone had burglarized his house. While in his house he noticed that the burglar was climbing out of his neighbor’s window.
“Freeze”
Mr. Flemming ran outside with a gun and told the burglar to freeze and then fired a bullet into the ground in front of him. The burglar did indeed freeze and was held at gunpoint until the police arrived.
However, when the police arrived they not only arrested the 27-year-old burglar, they also arrested Mr. Flemming, who now faces close to 7 years in jail. So what did he do wrong here? Hopefully you already know.
If you are firing a gun into the ground that obviously means you’re not in fear for your life or of serious bodily injury. After all, if someone is running at me with a knife to kill me, I’m going to try and shoot them in the chest, not at the ground. And if someone is trying to rape a woman, I hope she’ll shoot the rapist and not the ground.
Don’t get me wrong…
I realize that seeing someone who just burglarized your house crawl out of a window probably makes you pretty angry. However, unless that burglar is threatening your life at that moment, you can’t run outside and shoot him or shoot the ground. Even worse was what Mr. Flemming told Fox News in an interview. Here it is: “I didn’t think I could handle this guy physically, so I fired into the ground.”
Remember, I am not a lawyer and don’t like most lawyers. But my lawyer’s advice to me is to never talk to the police or anyone until it’s all sorted out. So the fact that this guy is making those comments before he goes to trial is not a good idea either.
I do hope Mr. Flemming gets off and that he doesn’t have to face jail. And I hope this is a reminder that before you buy a gun or before you pick up a gun, you better know when you’re allowed to use it. As those evil lawyers like to say: “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
No More Seedy Hotel Rooms For Me
Several years ago, when I was a lot younger, and had very little money, I ended up in Newark, New Jerseyfor business. If you’ve never been to Newark, it’s a lot like Baltimore City. And if you haven’t been to either, both places are pretty much dumps and you’re not missing much.
When I got to my hotel in Newark, the first thing that caught my eye was the bullet proof glass protecting the hotel clerk. When I approached the clerk, he didn’t speak much English and kept asking me “how many hours do you want?” I finally got through to him that I actually wanted to rent a room for the entire night. And yes, I did end up staying there. Like I said, I was younger and more foolish.
Recently, I was in Ohio for some training. I was in the middle of nowhere and when I got to my hotel, it wasn’t exactly a 5-star place, but it wasn’t rundown and dangerous looking either. If it had been, I obviously wouldn’t have stayed there. Now that I’m slightly wiser, I realize that being cheap and staying in a $29 hotel is certainly not worth my life.
However, I was still very glad to have my gun with me.
After all, I was in the middle of nowhere and with only a few cars in the parking lot, I didn’t want some criminals to think they had easy picking.
Also, when I was eating breakfast in the morning – completely alone in the breakfast room – the hotel clerk looked completely bored out of his mind. I was glad to know that if boredom finally sent him over the edge, I was carrying concealed and would have a way to protect myself.
Of course, I’m slightly joking, but I truly was glad to have my gun on me, and it got me thinking about all of the folks I know who have a gun for home defense, yet they never take the gun to their other “homes.”
What I mean is…
In most states (check your state law) the same rules apply to defending your home no matter where that is at the moment for you. In other words, deadly force laws apply to the hotel room you are staying in, the log cabin in the woods, the tent, and your mother-in-law’s house.
So from now on, even if you don’t carry concealed often, at least take a gun with you when you’re traveling so you can have it where you’re staying. Just remember to plan your traveling route, as I always do, so you know the state laws of where you’re headed.
By the way, just as I was finishing writing this, I came across the story of a 70-year-old woman who was staying in a hotel in Ohio. When a gunman burst into one of the rooms her family was staying in, she drew her concealed carry gun and shot the intruder. He ended up dying, but none of her family was harmed.
When I got to my hotel in Newark, the first thing that caught my eye was the bullet proof glass protecting the hotel clerk. When I approached the clerk, he didn’t speak much English and kept asking me “how many hours do you want?” I finally got through to him that I actually wanted to rent a room for the entire night. And yes, I did end up staying there. Like I said, I was younger and more foolish.
Recently, I was in Ohio for some training. I was in the middle of nowhere and when I got to my hotel, it wasn’t exactly a 5-star place, but it wasn’t rundown and dangerous looking either. If it had been, I obviously wouldn’t have stayed there. Now that I’m slightly wiser, I realize that being cheap and staying in a $29 hotel is certainly not worth my life.
However, I was still very glad to have my gun with me.
After all, I was in the middle of nowhere and with only a few cars in the parking lot, I didn’t want some criminals to think they had easy picking.
Also, when I was eating breakfast in the morning – completely alone in the breakfast room – the hotel clerk looked completely bored out of his mind. I was glad to know that if boredom finally sent him over the edge, I was carrying concealed and would have a way to protect myself.
Of course, I’m slightly joking, but I truly was glad to have my gun on me, and it got me thinking about all of the folks I know who have a gun for home defense, yet they never take the gun to their other “homes.”
What I mean is…
In most states (check your state law) the same rules apply to defending your home no matter where that is at the moment for you. In other words, deadly force laws apply to the hotel room you are staying in, the log cabin in the woods, the tent, and your mother-in-law’s house.
So from now on, even if you don’t carry concealed often, at least take a gun with you when you’re traveling so you can have it where you’re staying. Just remember to plan your traveling route, as I always do, so you know the state laws of where you’re headed.
By the way, just as I was finishing writing this, I came across the story of a 70-year-old woman who was staying in a hotel in Ohio. When a gunman burst into one of the rooms her family was staying in, she drew her concealed carry gun and shot the intruder. He ended up dying, but none of her family was harmed.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
How to Become a Firearms Instructor
I get a lot of folks asking me how they can become a firearms instructor, so today I’m going to tell you exactly what I’d do if I were you. Obviously, it helps if you have prior experience such a police or military, but I know plenty of instructors who don’t have either. However, they have what all instructors need, which is a willingness to learn and study their new chosen “profession.”
The very first thing I’d do if I were you would be to become an NRA certified instructor. It’s very easy to do and you simply take a weekend class. The class will give you a good basic foundation of all things firearms related. Even if you’ve been around guns your entire life, taking the NRA course is a solid refresher and all of us need to be reminded of the basics.
Once you’ve become an NRA instructor then you need to go find yourself a mentor. This is without a doubt the smartest and fastest way to become a quality firearms instructor. In fact, it’s the best way to become good at whatever profession you choose. Find someone who is good at what they do and learn from them.
So how can you find a mentor?
Get on your computer and Google “concealed carry” or “firearms training” plus the state you live in. Or check out the USA Carry Firearm Instructor Directory. There will be lots of local companies that pop up. Check out their websites and find 2 or 3 people that you think are quality and then give them a call and tell them that you would like to learn from them.
Remember, you are going to them to gain knowledge so you need to be honest and show them how it will benefit them. For instance, you could say, “Mr. Smith, I checked out your website. You seem very knowledgeable and I would really love to learn from you. I’ll do whatever you need me to do and I will of course work for free.”
Yes, you read that correctly, offer to work for free. If you are going to learn from a top pro and get all his knowledge that he probably spent a fortune (monetary and in time) learning, you should not expect to get paid. Plus, offering to work for free makes it a lot easier for him to say yes to your request.
While you’re interviewing mentors make sure they know what they’re doing and that they are active in the business. The dirty little secret of most firearms instructors is that they’re not really instructors at all. They call themselves “instructors” but haven’t ever taught a class or done anything since they took the NRA class over 20 years ago.
So, if the fellow you’re talking to isn’t putting on concealed carry classes, or pistol courses, or any number of firearms classes, then choose someone else, because you won’t learn a thing from this person.
Once you find the right person…
Be very courteous and respectful and thank them for allowing you to learn from them. For instance, I have had apprentices in my business and a surefire way to have me get rid of you is to not show up on time for an event or not act professional. In other words, remember, once you are getting mentored by someone and are at one of their pistol courses you are now a reflection of their company.
Another extremely important thing to consider is if you are looking to become a firearms instructor as a hobby or as a full-time business. I can tell you from personal experience that running a firearms business is just like any other business. You have to do your marketing, your accounting, etc. etc. etc.
But also, if you do become a full-time instructor, it’s one of the most rewarding jobs out there. And that brings me to perhaps my most important point of all. You’ve really got to care about personal protection and helping people be safe. If you’re looking to become an instructor to “get rich quick” I wouldn’t quit your day job.
One final thing. If you do decide to become a full-time firearms instructor, have a mentor as long as you need to. However, there will come a day when you must get the courage to go out on your own and start teaching your own classes. But if you’re smart, you’ll ask your mentor for help and you’ll figure out a way to partner with them.
The very first thing I’d do if I were you would be to become an NRA certified instructor. It’s very easy to do and you simply take a weekend class. The class will give you a good basic foundation of all things firearms related. Even if you’ve been around guns your entire life, taking the NRA course is a solid refresher and all of us need to be reminded of the basics.
Once you’ve become an NRA instructor then you need to go find yourself a mentor. This is without a doubt the smartest and fastest way to become a quality firearms instructor. In fact, it’s the best way to become good at whatever profession you choose. Find someone who is good at what they do and learn from them.
So how can you find a mentor?
Get on your computer and Google “concealed carry” or “firearms training” plus the state you live in. Or check out the USA Carry Firearm Instructor Directory. There will be lots of local companies that pop up. Check out their websites and find 2 or 3 people that you think are quality and then give them a call and tell them that you would like to learn from them.
Remember, you are going to them to gain knowledge so you need to be honest and show them how it will benefit them. For instance, you could say, “Mr. Smith, I checked out your website. You seem very knowledgeable and I would really love to learn from you. I’ll do whatever you need me to do and I will of course work for free.”
Yes, you read that correctly, offer to work for free. If you are going to learn from a top pro and get all his knowledge that he probably spent a fortune (monetary and in time) learning, you should not expect to get paid. Plus, offering to work for free makes it a lot easier for him to say yes to your request.
While you’re interviewing mentors make sure they know what they’re doing and that they are active in the business. The dirty little secret of most firearms instructors is that they’re not really instructors at all. They call themselves “instructors” but haven’t ever taught a class or done anything since they took the NRA class over 20 years ago.
So, if the fellow you’re talking to isn’t putting on concealed carry classes, or pistol courses, or any number of firearms classes, then choose someone else, because you won’t learn a thing from this person.
Once you find the right person…
Be very courteous and respectful and thank them for allowing you to learn from them. For instance, I have had apprentices in my business and a surefire way to have me get rid of you is to not show up on time for an event or not act professional. In other words, remember, once you are getting mentored by someone and are at one of their pistol courses you are now a reflection of their company.
Another extremely important thing to consider is if you are looking to become a firearms instructor as a hobby or as a full-time business. I can tell you from personal experience that running a firearms business is just like any other business. You have to do your marketing, your accounting, etc. etc. etc.
But also, if you do become a full-time instructor, it’s one of the most rewarding jobs out there. And that brings me to perhaps my most important point of all. You’ve really got to care about personal protection and helping people be safe. If you’re looking to become an instructor to “get rich quick” I wouldn’t quit your day job.
One final thing. If you do decide to become a full-time firearms instructor, have a mentor as long as you need to. However, there will come a day when you must get the courage to go out on your own and start teaching your own classes. But if you’re smart, you’ll ask your mentor for help and you’ll figure out a way to partner with them.
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