I’m in the great state of Utah right now attending my family reunion. Not only do I enjoy coming here because of the many outdoors activities, but of course, because the state is very gun friendly like my home state of Virginia.
Perhaps one of the best gun laws that Utah has is the “Firearms Confiscation Prohibition” Utah Code Ann. § 63k-4-405. In short, we all know the disgusting things that occurred during Hurricane Katrina and how the police and military went around confiscating citizen’s guns.
Well, this Utah law says that the government cannot take your guns during an emergency and that if for some reason a police chief or someone else ordered the confiscation of guns, their subordinate would not have to listen to them and could not get in trouble for disobeying an order. The law also includes fines of several thousand dollars to anyone who violates this law and tries to take your guns.
It’s scary that a law like this needed to be passed in the first place, but at least in Utah you don’t have to worry about having the police knock on your door after a natural disaster trying to take your guns leaving you without any way to protect your family.
However, what if you live in another state which doesn’t have such a law?
Well, this was a question I got asked during training I was doing a few weeks ago and here’s what I told them: I believe a person’s integrity is the most important thing in the world. I wish people could do business on a handshake and if people were more honest in this world we wouldn’t have a need for lawyers and our courts wouldn’t be all clogged up.
With that being said, one of the very few times I think it would be okay to lie and be dishonest in life is if someone knocked on your door after a natural disaster and tried to take your guns. If it happened to me there is not a chance in the world I would give up my firearms leaving my wife and I unable to defend ourselves.
After all, how could I, as a husband, say to my wife “Yes dear, the police just knocked on our door, and although we’re law abiding citizens I gave them all of our guns, so hopefully a bunch of thugs won’t break into the house and try and rape you because there’s not much I can do now.”
Those words will never come out of my mouth.
But… what words should come out of your mouth if you’re ever in the situation where the government is trying to take your guns? Tell them your guns are at your father’s house in Alabama… tell them you got rid of them all… tell them any number of things but don’t tell them you have guns in the house in case they try and force their way in.
In other words, make up anything you can thing of to get the soldiers or police away from your house thinking you don’t have any guns. But just to be ultra-safe, if you own multiple firearms as I do, it’s not a bad idea to store a gun or two somewhere else besides your house in case of an emergency and your guns did somehow get confiscated.
Let me reiterate though, I’m only talking about lying and being dishonest during extreme circumstances. I don’t believe in lying or causing problems in every day life just to prove a point. (Such as the guy who walks around with four guns on him and a bazooka just to prove a point that he can open carry.) I’m a practical guy who doesn’t need to prove points in life, I just need to make sure my family is safe, which is exactly what I’ll do if the government should ever come after my guns.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Lazy Man’s Guide to Choosing the Right Self-Defense Ammo
I’ll be the last person to claim that I’m a ballistics expert or some brilliant physics engineer who knows the ins and outs of ammunition design. However, I don’t own a TV (haven’t owned one in 10 years) and when I’m not training or shooting or spending quality time with the wife, I’m reading up on various aspects of personal protection.
And this includes ammunition information which is a deathly boring (but important) topic. And to save you the pain and suffering I’ve gone through reading boring books and articles about self-defense ammo, here’s what you need to know in a nutshell.
First off, it’s going to cost more money. Yes, you can go to Walmart and buy 9mm ammo for about 22 cents a round. But for quality ammo you’re going to pay more than $1 per round. But it’s worth it because this stuff might save your life one day, so don’t be a cheap son-of-a-gun about it.
Secondly, when it comes to ammo…
There is full metal jacket, semi-wadcutter and jacketed hollow point, to name a few. For your self-defense ammo I recommend jacketed hollow point rounds. Why? Because ideally you’ll get more expansion and less penetration versus a full metal jacket round which might only create a tiny entry point and go right through a person. (In other words, it won’t expand as much.)
Now, let’s say you agree with me and you’ve decided to go with a jacketed hollow point round. Well, that’s good, but we’re not done yet. You still have to decide on the weight of the bullet. For example, do you want a 115 grain, 124 grain or 147 grain, among others. (Grain is the weight of the bullet.)
Well… here’s how it works:
The lighter the round, the faster the bullet will go, which causes it to expand more and therefore penetrate less. And the heavier a round is, it will move slower (causing it not to expand as much) and it will penetrate more. I hope I haven’t totally lost you, but in short, a 115 grain will expand more and penetrate less than a 147 grain bullet.
So which one should you get? You should try to find a healthy combination between how far a bullet will penetrate and how much it will expand. Of course, depending on who you talk to everyone has an opinion. But for a 9mm (such as my Glock 19) I like 124 grain rounds. You could get the 115 grain rounds but I wouldn’t go any lower than that, and on the other end of the spectrum I wouldn’t use 147 grain either.
Hopefully, the next time you’re looking to buy some self-defense ammunition you’ve got a better idea of what to look for and how much it’s going to cost you. Also, before I forget, make sure you go to the range and try out your new self-defense ammo to make sure your gun feeds it and doesn’t jam up. (By the way, you can’t go wrong with companies like Corbon, Speer Gold Dot or the Federal Premium loads when it comes to self-defense ammo.)
And this includes ammunition information which is a deathly boring (but important) topic. And to save you the pain and suffering I’ve gone through reading boring books and articles about self-defense ammo, here’s what you need to know in a nutshell.
First off, it’s going to cost more money. Yes, you can go to Walmart and buy 9mm ammo for about 22 cents a round. But for quality ammo you’re going to pay more than $1 per round. But it’s worth it because this stuff might save your life one day, so don’t be a cheap son-of-a-gun about it.
Secondly, when it comes to ammo…
There is full metal jacket, semi-wadcutter and jacketed hollow point, to name a few. For your self-defense ammo I recommend jacketed hollow point rounds. Why? Because ideally you’ll get more expansion and less penetration versus a full metal jacket round which might only create a tiny entry point and go right through a person. (In other words, it won’t expand as much.)
Now, let’s say you agree with me and you’ve decided to go with a jacketed hollow point round. Well, that’s good, but we’re not done yet. You still have to decide on the weight of the bullet. For example, do you want a 115 grain, 124 grain or 147 grain, among others. (Grain is the weight of the bullet.)
Well… here’s how it works:
The lighter the round, the faster the bullet will go, which causes it to expand more and therefore penetrate less. And the heavier a round is, it will move slower (causing it not to expand as much) and it will penetrate more. I hope I haven’t totally lost you, but in short, a 115 grain will expand more and penetrate less than a 147 grain bullet.
So which one should you get? You should try to find a healthy combination between how far a bullet will penetrate and how much it will expand. Of course, depending on who you talk to everyone has an opinion. But for a 9mm (such as my Glock 19) I like 124 grain rounds. You could get the 115 grain rounds but I wouldn’t go any lower than that, and on the other end of the spectrum I wouldn’t use 147 grain either.
Hopefully, the next time you’re looking to buy some self-defense ammunition you’ve got a better idea of what to look for and how much it’s going to cost you. Also, before I forget, make sure you go to the range and try out your new self-defense ammo to make sure your gun feeds it and doesn’t jam up. (By the way, you can’t go wrong with companies like Corbon, Speer Gold Dot or the Federal Premium loads when it comes to self-defense ammo.)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Why Gun Stores are Dangerous for New Shooters
I really admire new shooters. I admire the person who has the
courage to come out to a gun class all by themselves even though
they've never touched a gun in their life. It takes a lot of
courage to do this and I commend the people who highly value the
ability to protect themselves.
However, I am also worried for these new shooters. You see, once a
person takes a class they often want to go out and get their first
gun and they're full of enthusiasm. And I think that's a wonderful
thing, but sometimes a visit to the local gun store severely
dampens that enthusiasm.
You see, I have a theory about gun stores. I call it the "90% of
gun store employees are not nice" theory. Originally, the theory
had another name, but my loving wife convinced me that this name
was more appropriate.
So before I continue, let me explain the "90% of gun store
employees are not nice" theory. It's pretty complicated so pay
attention. In short, my theory is that 90% of gun store employees
are not happy campers. I bet they've washed out of police
academies, never achieved their dreams to join the FBI or never
made it to SEAL Team 6.
And due to these failures they are bitter and now feel the need to
be rude to others and belittle them. If you've ever been to gun
store, you've likely experienced this. When my wife and I were out
in California visiting the in-laws last Thanksgiving we went to a
local gun store/shooting range. The guy behind the counter was very
rude to my wife and deserved a kick to the face.
Just a few weeks ago we were at a gun store in Maryland...
And not surprisingly, one of the employees was rude to both of us
and treated us like second-rate citizens who didn't even know what
a gun was.
The point is, I hate to hear about a new shooter who is so excited
about buying their first gun and has the courage to go to the gun
store, just to be treated like dirt or intimidated by some jerk of
an employee. I can only imagine how many people decided not to buy
a gun or who decided guns were not for them after a terrible
interaction at a gun store. (Which is a huge shame, since we all
needs guns to protect ourselves, especially in our homes.)
That's why I want to give you some quick advice if you're a new
shooter getting ready to go purchase your first gun:
First, never forget the "90% of gun store employees are not nice"
theory. Remember, they probably hate their life so try not to take
it personally. Second, if you can help it, do not go to the gun
store alone to look at buying your first gun. Take someone with you
who is knowledgeable about firearms.
But if you have to go alone...
I would take everything the gun store employee says with a grain of
salt. Do not let them talk you into buying a gun that doesn't fit
your hand or that you don't feel comfortable with. Remember, you
are the one who is going to be carrying and shooting this gun, not
the store employee.
Also, do not buy a gun that you have never shot before. Almost
every gun range allows you to rent guns, so go take a "test drive"
of the gun you're thinking of buying.
I could go on and on, but it all boils down to this. You are doing
the right thing by taking responsibility for your own protection
and you know this. So don't let anyone intimidate you about this
or try and talk you out of it.
Lastly, even though I've already said it, please don't go alone if
you can help it. You need someone with you who's patient and
knowledgeable and who's going to take the time to help you find the
gun that's best for you.
Also, even if you're an experienced shooter, please pass this
advice on to the new shooters you know, so they don't think all gun
people are jerks and intimidating.
courage to come out to a gun class all by themselves even though
they've never touched a gun in their life. It takes a lot of
courage to do this and I commend the people who highly value the
ability to protect themselves.
However, I am also worried for these new shooters. You see, once a
person takes a class they often want to go out and get their first
gun and they're full of enthusiasm. And I think that's a wonderful
thing, but sometimes a visit to the local gun store severely
dampens that enthusiasm.
You see, I have a theory about gun stores. I call it the "90% of
gun store employees are not nice" theory. Originally, the theory
had another name, but my loving wife convinced me that this name
was more appropriate.
So before I continue, let me explain the "90% of gun store
employees are not nice" theory. It's pretty complicated so pay
attention. In short, my theory is that 90% of gun store employees
are not happy campers. I bet they've washed out of police
academies, never achieved their dreams to join the FBI or never
made it to SEAL Team 6.
And due to these failures they are bitter and now feel the need to
be rude to others and belittle them. If you've ever been to gun
store, you've likely experienced this. When my wife and I were out
in California visiting the in-laws last Thanksgiving we went to a
local gun store/shooting range. The guy behind the counter was very
rude to my wife and deserved a kick to the face.
Just a few weeks ago we were at a gun store in Maryland...
And not surprisingly, one of the employees was rude to both of us
and treated us like second-rate citizens who didn't even know what
a gun was.
The point is, I hate to hear about a new shooter who is so excited
about buying their first gun and has the courage to go to the gun
store, just to be treated like dirt or intimidated by some jerk of
an employee. I can only imagine how many people decided not to buy
a gun or who decided guns were not for them after a terrible
interaction at a gun store. (Which is a huge shame, since we all
needs guns to protect ourselves, especially in our homes.)
That's why I want to give you some quick advice if you're a new
shooter getting ready to go purchase your first gun:
First, never forget the "90% of gun store employees are not nice"
theory. Remember, they probably hate their life so try not to take
it personally. Second, if you can help it, do not go to the gun
store alone to look at buying your first gun. Take someone with you
who is knowledgeable about firearms.
But if you have to go alone...
I would take everything the gun store employee says with a grain of
salt. Do not let them talk you into buying a gun that doesn't fit
your hand or that you don't feel comfortable with. Remember, you
are the one who is going to be carrying and shooting this gun, not
the store employee.
Also, do not buy a gun that you have never shot before. Almost
every gun range allows you to rent guns, so go take a "test drive"
of the gun you're thinking of buying.
I could go on and on, but it all boils down to this. You are doing
the right thing by taking responsibility for your own protection
and you know this. So don't let anyone intimidate you about this
or try and talk you out of it.
Lastly, even though I've already said it, please don't go alone if
you can help it. You need someone with you who's patient and
knowledgeable and who's going to take the time to help you find the
gun that's best for you.
Also, even if you're an experienced shooter, please pass this
advice on to the new shooters you know, so they don't think all gun
people are jerks and intimidating.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
How to Find Out If You Carry Wisely
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know it all. One of the beauties of teaching concealed carry classes is that I’m constantly learning from other people. They’ll tell me about a new gun I haven’t heard of or a new type of flashlight or any number of new accessories.
Anyway, recently I had a fellow argue with me about carrying a 1911 “cocked and locked” and how he said he would never do it because it’s dangerous. (If you’re not familiar with what that means it means you have a round in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and the safety is on.)
If by chance…
You happen to agree with this guy let me show you why you’re nuts and if you don’t agree with this guy let me show you why it will save your life one day. First off, if you carry a firearm concealed you’re carrying it because you want to be able to protect yourself, right?
Well… when it comes to a deadly force situation it usually happens instantly. You’ll have nanoseconds to draw your gun to take care of the threat. That’s one of the main reasons I wear an inside the waistband holster. In my opinion that’ll give you the quickest draw. (Yes, I know that open carry is quicker, but I’m not a fan of open carry, to say the least.)
I don’t recommend shoulder holsters and I certainly don’t recommend an ankle holster for your primary gun (backup only) because they take way too long to draw. Again, if the stuff ever hits the fan you want to draw quickly.
Maintaining our “quickly” theme…
When you draw you want to simply be able to pull the trigger and have it go “boom.” The last thing in the world you want to do is have to rack the slide and chamber a round. Yes, there are professionals out there who can do this lighting fast, but for 99% of gun owners having to rack a round will likely be a death sentence in a deadly force situation.
I tried to explain all of this to the guy, but of course he wouldn’t listen. Then I went on and told him to get another gun besides a 1911 such as a Glock. He told me that he thought Glock’s were even worse because they don’t have any safeties at all and he would never, ever carry a round in the chamber.
I guess the good thing is, if you or I ever come against this guy (or others who think like him) we’ll have a much quicker draw while he’s trying to rack a round in the chamber. Heck, it would be nice if criminals thought like these guys, but I have a feeling criminals aren’t worried too much about safety.
The bottom line is, if you’re carrying a gun for personal protection carry it wisely. Don’t put yourself at a disadvantage by not having a round in the chamber or by wearing an ankle holster that you have to bend all the way over to draw from. In other words, don’t be foolish when your life depends on it.
Anyway, recently I had a fellow argue with me about carrying a 1911 “cocked and locked” and how he said he would never do it because it’s dangerous. (If you’re not familiar with what that means it means you have a round in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and the safety is on.)
If by chance…
You happen to agree with this guy let me show you why you’re nuts and if you don’t agree with this guy let me show you why it will save your life one day. First off, if you carry a firearm concealed you’re carrying it because you want to be able to protect yourself, right?
Well… when it comes to a deadly force situation it usually happens instantly. You’ll have nanoseconds to draw your gun to take care of the threat. That’s one of the main reasons I wear an inside the waistband holster. In my opinion that’ll give you the quickest draw. (Yes, I know that open carry is quicker, but I’m not a fan of open carry, to say the least.)
I don’t recommend shoulder holsters and I certainly don’t recommend an ankle holster for your primary gun (backup only) because they take way too long to draw. Again, if the stuff ever hits the fan you want to draw quickly.
Maintaining our “quickly” theme…
When you draw you want to simply be able to pull the trigger and have it go “boom.” The last thing in the world you want to do is have to rack the slide and chamber a round. Yes, there are professionals out there who can do this lighting fast, but for 99% of gun owners having to rack a round will likely be a death sentence in a deadly force situation.
I tried to explain all of this to the guy, but of course he wouldn’t listen. Then I went on and told him to get another gun besides a 1911 such as a Glock. He told me that he thought Glock’s were even worse because they don’t have any safeties at all and he would never, ever carry a round in the chamber.
I guess the good thing is, if you or I ever come against this guy (or others who think like him) we’ll have a much quicker draw while he’s trying to rack a round in the chamber. Heck, it would be nice if criminals thought like these guys, but I have a feeling criminals aren’t worried too much about safety.
The bottom line is, if you’re carrying a gun for personal protection carry it wisely. Don’t put yourself at a disadvantage by not having a round in the chamber or by wearing an ankle holster that you have to bend all the way over to draw from. In other words, don’t be foolish when your life depends on it.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
When to Use a Handgun vs. a Shotgun for Home Defense
If you wake up at 2:00am to the sound of a window being smashed and you hear someone entering your house, here’s what you should ideally do: Gather all of your family members together in the same room, lock the door, call the police and have your gun ready in case the intruder should try and enter that room.
However, we don’t live in an ideal world so it’s much more likely that if you hear someone breaking into your home at 2:00am you’ll have to go confront them or at the very least, you’ll have to go to the top of your stairs and make sure the intruder doesn’t make it past you to get to your family members.
So, if the above ever happened to you, should you use a handgun or shotgun for home defense? Well, to tell you the truth, it depends on the situation. For instance, let’s say you’re a prepared homeowner and you’ve already rehearsed a “home invasion” plan with your family. So they know if they hear you shout a special code word they’re supposed to quickly run to your master bedroom.
And let’s pretend…
That one day someone did try to break into your house and since you were prepared you were able to safely get all of your family members into the designated “safe room.” For this particular situation I would want a shotgun. I would want to be able to have my family in the bathroom (out of the line of fire) and I would find a good piece of cover and just sit there with my shotgun pointed at the bedroom door. My shotgun of choice is the trusty Remington 870 and my ammo of choice is 00 buckshot. (But be very careful with 00 buck. If others are in the house – besides the intruder – you’ll want to consider birdshot.)
On the other hand, if I weren’t able to get my family in the “safe room” and I had to go confront the intruder and clear my house, I would definitely want a handgun. Here are a few of the reasons why:
First off, there are a lot of corners in a house.
And the last thing I want to do is have my long shotgun barrel sticking out around a corner so that an intruder can grab it and perhaps take my gun away. Also, if you have to enter other bedrooms on the middle floor or basement floor it’s much easier to open a door and bring a handgun to the “close contact firing position” than to clumsily open a door with the shotgun sticking out for a person to grab.
Let’s not forget, if you’re trying to be “stealth” and sneak around your house so the intruder doesn’t know you’re coming, there’s a much better chance you’re going to knock your shotgun into a wall or hit something, especially if you haven’t practiced clearing your house with a shotgun, which most people haven’t. That’s why my handgun of choice for this situation is my concealed carry gun, the Glock 19.
Of course, the gun you have at the time of a home invasion is the one you use whether it’s a shotgun, rifle, or handgun. But whatever gun you decide to go with I would practice the two scenarios above: Gathering your family in the safe room and clearing your house.
However, we don’t live in an ideal world so it’s much more likely that if you hear someone breaking into your home at 2:00am you’ll have to go confront them or at the very least, you’ll have to go to the top of your stairs and make sure the intruder doesn’t make it past you to get to your family members.
So, if the above ever happened to you, should you use a handgun or shotgun for home defense? Well, to tell you the truth, it depends on the situation. For instance, let’s say you’re a prepared homeowner and you’ve already rehearsed a “home invasion” plan with your family. So they know if they hear you shout a special code word they’re supposed to quickly run to your master bedroom.
And let’s pretend…
That one day someone did try to break into your house and since you were prepared you were able to safely get all of your family members into the designated “safe room.” For this particular situation I would want a shotgun. I would want to be able to have my family in the bathroom (out of the line of fire) and I would find a good piece of cover and just sit there with my shotgun pointed at the bedroom door. My shotgun of choice is the trusty Remington 870 and my ammo of choice is 00 buckshot. (But be very careful with 00 buck. If others are in the house – besides the intruder – you’ll want to consider birdshot.)
On the other hand, if I weren’t able to get my family in the “safe room” and I had to go confront the intruder and clear my house, I would definitely want a handgun. Here are a few of the reasons why:
First off, there are a lot of corners in a house.
And the last thing I want to do is have my long shotgun barrel sticking out around a corner so that an intruder can grab it and perhaps take my gun away. Also, if you have to enter other bedrooms on the middle floor or basement floor it’s much easier to open a door and bring a handgun to the “close contact firing position” than to clumsily open a door with the shotgun sticking out for a person to grab.
Let’s not forget, if you’re trying to be “stealth” and sneak around your house so the intruder doesn’t know you’re coming, there’s a much better chance you’re going to knock your shotgun into a wall or hit something, especially if you haven’t practiced clearing your house with a shotgun, which most people haven’t. That’s why my handgun of choice for this situation is my concealed carry gun, the Glock 19.
Of course, the gun you have at the time of a home invasion is the one you use whether it’s a shotgun, rifle, or handgun. But whatever gun you decide to go with I would practice the two scenarios above: Gathering your family in the safe room and clearing your house.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Simplest Ways to Avoid Becoming a Victim
Let me tell you an old joke which you may have heard before. Two friends are camping in the woods. They’re relaxing in their campsite when all of the sudden a giant grizzly approaches. One of the friends grabs his tennis shoes from their tent, throws them on and quickly starts tying the laces. The other friend looks at him and says “what are you doing, there is no way you can outrun that bear.” And the one putting on his shoes says, “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you.”
The above story illustrates how simple it is to avoid becoming a victim in today’s society. You see, the next time you’re walking down the streets look at everyone who has a cell phone attached to their ear, or who is looking down toward the ground while texting. If you’re the one person who has nothing in your hands and you’re looking up and scanning your surroundings, it is not likely a criminal is going to choose you.
The same thing applies to your home defense.
Since I bet the majority of your neighbors leave their garage door open when they’re at home, the fact that you close your garage door at all times will obviously make you less of a target if some thief is looking to steal something out of a garage. (Or some 17 year old kid is looking to steal beer out of someone’s fridge.)
Also, it always amazes me how few people have home alarms. Even if you don’t want to pay for a home alarm at least spend a couple bucks on an alarm sign and stick it in your front yard. If you have an alarm sign and your next door neighbor doesn’t, whose house do you think he’s going to choose? (A fellow instructor I know told me that he has a decal on his windows and that there was a burglary of the three surrounding houses, but his house was skipped over.)
If you carry concealed…
Then you know you’re among the less than 1% of Americans who have a gun on them on a daily basis. There are too many ways to list how this will protect you, but one example is the deadbeat carjacker. When the carjacker tries to get in your car and you draw your gun and the carjacker quickly vanishes (or moves on to another car in line), at least you’re safe.
Or heaven forbid you actually have to use the gun, but again, at least you’ll hopefully be alive while the scumbag criminal won’t. My point is, unfortunately (but fortunately for you and me) society has become pretty lazy and nobody pays attention to their surroundings or seems to value their safety.
And if you and I just take a few more safety precautions than everyone else, then we’re a lot less likely to be targeted by criminals. It doesn’t take much, but if you aren’t doing it now, start paying more attention, start carrying your gun more often, remember to turn on your alarm at night, close your garage door, and never, ever answer the door for someone you don’t know.
The above story illustrates how simple it is to avoid becoming a victim in today’s society. You see, the next time you’re walking down the streets look at everyone who has a cell phone attached to their ear, or who is looking down toward the ground while texting. If you’re the one person who has nothing in your hands and you’re looking up and scanning your surroundings, it is not likely a criminal is going to choose you.
The same thing applies to your home defense.
Since I bet the majority of your neighbors leave their garage door open when they’re at home, the fact that you close your garage door at all times will obviously make you less of a target if some thief is looking to steal something out of a garage. (Or some 17 year old kid is looking to steal beer out of someone’s fridge.)
Also, it always amazes me how few people have home alarms. Even if you don’t want to pay for a home alarm at least spend a couple bucks on an alarm sign and stick it in your front yard. If you have an alarm sign and your next door neighbor doesn’t, whose house do you think he’s going to choose? (A fellow instructor I know told me that he has a decal on his windows and that there was a burglary of the three surrounding houses, but his house was skipped over.)
If you carry concealed…
Then you know you’re among the less than 1% of Americans who have a gun on them on a daily basis. There are too many ways to list how this will protect you, but one example is the deadbeat carjacker. When the carjacker tries to get in your car and you draw your gun and the carjacker quickly vanishes (or moves on to another car in line), at least you’re safe.
Or heaven forbid you actually have to use the gun, but again, at least you’ll hopefully be alive while the scumbag criminal won’t. My point is, unfortunately (but fortunately for you and me) society has become pretty lazy and nobody pays attention to their surroundings or seems to value their safety.
And if you and I just take a few more safety precautions than everyone else, then we’re a lot less likely to be targeted by criminals. It doesn’t take much, but if you aren’t doing it now, start paying more attention, start carrying your gun more often, remember to turn on your alarm at night, close your garage door, and never, ever answer the door for someone you don’t know.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Should You Get Multiple Concealed Carry Permits?
The first thing that every American (who is able to) should do is go get their concealed firearms permit. Even if you never plan to carry, or don’t carry often, at least once you get your permit you have the option to protect yourself. And, if you happen to be one of the poor souls who lives in a state that has unfriendly gun laws and you can’t get your CCW, then move. I’m very serious about that.
One of the blessings we have of living in the USA is that we’re free to live wherever we wish. Of course people make excuses like “my job’s here” or “my wife wants to live here” but at least realize you choose to live in that state and if you truly wanted to move, you could. (Those big green signs above the freeway point the way to gun friendly states, I promise you that.)
I bring this up because my wife’s family lives in California. I have let her know without a doubt we will never be living in that state. I can think of few things worse in life than not having a gun on me to defend my family because I chose to live in California or Maryland or New York.
However, once you’ve got your permit for the state you live in, many people often wonder if they should get additional permits. In short, I believe the answer is yes. Right now in my wallet I have my Virginia permit and my Utah permit, which combined allow me to carry concealed in 33 states.
Why do I have multiple permits and why do I think you should too?
Well, the first and most obvious reason is because different permits provide coverage for different states. For instance, Virginia has reciprocity with Florida and Utah does not. (They don’t have reciprocity for non-resident permits.) I used to travel to Florida often, so I definitely needed a permit which would allow me to carry in Florida. Also, Utah has reciprocity with both Alabama and Georgia and Virginia does not.
Another reason I carry multiple permits is because it’s kind of like insurance. You never know what foolish politicians are going to do even in gun friendly states like Virginia and Utah. So, if something happens where one permit loses coverage on a lot of states, or becomes much more difficult to obtain at least I have my “back up” permit.
Plus…
Not only do you have to worry about the state which issues your permit, you have to worry about all the states that grant it reciprocity. Reciprocity coverage is always changing when new politicians get elected or when states get in a “urinating” contest over something and decide to no longer recognize each other’s permits.
A friend of mine probably put it best when he told me that he carries multiple credit cards such as Visa, American Express and Mastercard to have “back up” cards and various options, which is how he feels about carrying multiple permits- he wants several options, and I couldn’t agree with him more.
So if you’ve been sitting on the fence about getting another permit, or you’ve been too cheap to spend $65 on another permit that will last you for 5 years, then as soon as you finish reading this, take action today and sign up for a local concealed carry class in your area.
(By the way, another great reason to get multiple permits is in case you accidentally let one expire, at least you have your back up and can still carry.)
One of the blessings we have of living in the USA is that we’re free to live wherever we wish. Of course people make excuses like “my job’s here” or “my wife wants to live here” but at least realize you choose to live in that state and if you truly wanted to move, you could. (Those big green signs above the freeway point the way to gun friendly states, I promise you that.)
I bring this up because my wife’s family lives in California. I have let her know without a doubt we will never be living in that state. I can think of few things worse in life than not having a gun on me to defend my family because I chose to live in California or Maryland or New York.
However, once you’ve got your permit for the state you live in, many people often wonder if they should get additional permits. In short, I believe the answer is yes. Right now in my wallet I have my Virginia permit and my Utah permit, which combined allow me to carry concealed in 33 states.
Why do I have multiple permits and why do I think you should too?
Well, the first and most obvious reason is because different permits provide coverage for different states. For instance, Virginia has reciprocity with Florida and Utah does not. (They don’t have reciprocity for non-resident permits.) I used to travel to Florida often, so I definitely needed a permit which would allow me to carry in Florida. Also, Utah has reciprocity with both Alabama and Georgia and Virginia does not.
Another reason I carry multiple permits is because it’s kind of like insurance. You never know what foolish politicians are going to do even in gun friendly states like Virginia and Utah. So, if something happens where one permit loses coverage on a lot of states, or becomes much more difficult to obtain at least I have my “back up” permit.
Plus…
Not only do you have to worry about the state which issues your permit, you have to worry about all the states that grant it reciprocity. Reciprocity coverage is always changing when new politicians get elected or when states get in a “urinating” contest over something and decide to no longer recognize each other’s permits.
A friend of mine probably put it best when he told me that he carries multiple credit cards such as Visa, American Express and Mastercard to have “back up” cards and various options, which is how he feels about carrying multiple permits- he wants several options, and I couldn’t agree with him more.
So if you’ve been sitting on the fence about getting another permit, or you’ve been too cheap to spend $65 on another permit that will last you for 5 years, then as soon as you finish reading this, take action today and sign up for a local concealed carry class in your area.
(By the way, another great reason to get multiple permits is in case you accidentally let one expire, at least you have your back up and can still carry.)
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