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.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Why I No Longer Hate Starbucks
I am not a trendy person. I hate anything that’s trendy and that used to include Starbucks. I’ve probably been their less than five times in my life and that was when my wife or a friend would drag me there.
First, I don’t drink coffee. Second, I could never figure out why it was necessary to sit in there with your laptop forever. Don’t people have anything better to do than pretend they’re being cool drinking some trendy drink with a silly name? Apparently not.
However, now I like Starbucks a little better. In fact, since I’m the world’s most romantic guy I will now be taking my wife to Starbucks on Valentine’s Day along with giving her the box of ammo she has always wanted.
So why am I going to Starbucks on Valentine’s Day?
Well, you may remember awhile back when people were open carrying in Starbucks and the liberals thought it was horrible, and as usual complained to Starbucks and said they needed to have an establishment where no firearms were allowed.
Starbucks response was very logical and impressive. In short, Starbucks said they were not getting involved with the situation and would simply follow what state law allowed. In other words, since you can open carry and concealed carry a gun in Virginia and other states, you can carry a gun in Starbucks in these states. But if you live in a state like California, or New Jersey, or Maryland, then you won’t be carrying a gun in Starbucks.
Of course…
This logical response did not sit well with the anti-gun radicals who have now planned a boycott for Starbucks on February 14th. However, some smart gun owners have decided that they’re all going to make sure and visit Starbucks on the 14th to support them.
I plan to be one of these gun owners, and my wife and I will have our hot chocolates, which will actually be worth every penny. I hope you’ll join me, especially if you’re someone like me who almost never visited Starbucks in the past.
Also, please take a good look at how Starbucks is not caving to “bullies” or societal pressure. I hope you do the same when you hear your friends or family talk negative about gun ownership. Don’t be afraid to share your mind and certainly don’t ever let them convince you that you don’t need a gun.
After all, when the stuff hits the fan one of these days, they’ll be running to your house begging to be protected by you, and they’ll be apologizing profusely about how wrong they were to think they didn’t need a gun and that nothing bad would ever happen to them.
Now, whether you open your door to these folks is up to you… but I’ve already been informed by my wife that since they’re family, I’ve got to let them in.
First, I don’t drink coffee. Second, I could never figure out why it was necessary to sit in there with your laptop forever. Don’t people have anything better to do than pretend they’re being cool drinking some trendy drink with a silly name? Apparently not.
However, now I like Starbucks a little better. In fact, since I’m the world’s most romantic guy I will now be taking my wife to Starbucks on Valentine’s Day along with giving her the box of ammo she has always wanted.
So why am I going to Starbucks on Valentine’s Day?
Well, you may remember awhile back when people were open carrying in Starbucks and the liberals thought it was horrible, and as usual complained to Starbucks and said they needed to have an establishment where no firearms were allowed.
Starbucks response was very logical and impressive. In short, Starbucks said they were not getting involved with the situation and would simply follow what state law allowed. In other words, since you can open carry and concealed carry a gun in Virginia and other states, you can carry a gun in Starbucks in these states. But if you live in a state like California, or New Jersey, or Maryland, then you won’t be carrying a gun in Starbucks.
Of course…
This logical response did not sit well with the anti-gun radicals who have now planned a boycott for Starbucks on February 14th. However, some smart gun owners have decided that they’re all going to make sure and visit Starbucks on the 14th to support them.
I plan to be one of these gun owners, and my wife and I will have our hot chocolates, which will actually be worth every penny. I hope you’ll join me, especially if you’re someone like me who almost never visited Starbucks in the past.
Also, please take a good look at how Starbucks is not caving to “bullies” or societal pressure. I hope you do the same when you hear your friends or family talk negative about gun ownership. Don’t be afraid to share your mind and certainly don’t ever let them convince you that you don’t need a gun.
After all, when the stuff hits the fan one of these days, they’ll be running to your house begging to be protected by you, and they’ll be apologizing profusely about how wrong they were to think they didn’t need a gun and that nothing bad would ever happen to them.
Now, whether you open your door to these folks is up to you… but I’ve already been informed by my wife that since they’re family, I’ve got to let them in.
Monday, January 30, 2012
What I Learned from Shot Show, Besides Not to Move to Australia
I’m typing this from 30,000 feet on my way home from Vegas and Shot Show 2012. If you’ve never been to Shot Show just pick your favorite thing in the entire world (golf, shoes, video games, chocolate) and imagine an almost never ending array of that item. That is what Shot Show is like. Call it heaven on earth, if you will.
Besides trying out all of the new guns and wishing I was a billionaire so I could buy them all, one of the best parts of Shot Show is all of the interesting people you meet. I had a good, long conversation with Jeff Cooper’s wife and daughter and found out why the legendary Gunsite Ranch was where it was in Arizona. (Because Jeff and his dad used to explore the area back in the day in a Model T and he fell in love with the place.)
One of the most interesting people I met at Shot Show was a fellow from Australia who was asking me to help him choose a gun. Now, I’ve traveled all over the world however, I have not made it to Australia yet, so I wasn’t very familiar with Australia’s gun laws until now.
Get this…
In Australia you cannot have a gun with a barrel shorter than 4.72 inches. In other words, this guy was trying out all of the small concealed carry guns (and loving them) but he’s not allowed to have them in his own country.
Also, in Australia there is no concealed carry. And, when your gun is stored in your house it has to be in a safe, and the ammunition and the gun must be separate. And you’re going to love this: The police actually come out to your house and inspect that you have a safe and that you’re following all the rules. The guy told me that the police had come out to his house twice in the past several years.
When we got to the topic of rifles…
He told me that in 1996 there was a huge massacre by a crazy man and right after that, the government made everyone turn in their semi-automatic rifles. These days he told me it’s virtually impossible to get a semi-auto rifle unless you’re a police officer.
Now, I don’t know about you, but it’s these types of conversations that make me count my many blessings and make me very thankful for this country. Also, the part he told me about the rifles is especially scary, because the rifle is truly the last line of defense against an unjust government. And with the way things are headed in this country I’m thankful that I have my semi-auto rifles to protect my family if “Armageddon” ever comes.
On another note, he invited me down to Australia to go Kangaroo hunting with him. Supposedly, Kangaroo tastes pretty good. So maybe one of these days I’ll be writing to
you from Australia and I’ll have one of those cliché pictures of me standing next to my dead Kangaroo. (While singing that Kangaroo song – you know which one I’m talking about.)
Besides trying out all of the new guns and wishing I was a billionaire so I could buy them all, one of the best parts of Shot Show is all of the interesting people you meet. I had a good, long conversation with Jeff Cooper’s wife and daughter and found out why the legendary Gunsite Ranch was where it was in Arizona. (Because Jeff and his dad used to explore the area back in the day in a Model T and he fell in love with the place.)
One of the most interesting people I met at Shot Show was a fellow from Australia who was asking me to help him choose a gun. Now, I’ve traveled all over the world however, I have not made it to Australia yet, so I wasn’t very familiar with Australia’s gun laws until now.
Get this…
In Australia you cannot have a gun with a barrel shorter than 4.72 inches. In other words, this guy was trying out all of the small concealed carry guns (and loving them) but he’s not allowed to have them in his own country.
Also, in Australia there is no concealed carry. And, when your gun is stored in your house it has to be in a safe, and the ammunition and the gun must be separate. And you’re going to love this: The police actually come out to your house and inspect that you have a safe and that you’re following all the rules. The guy told me that the police had come out to his house twice in the past several years.
When we got to the topic of rifles…
He told me that in 1996 there was a huge massacre by a crazy man and right after that, the government made everyone turn in their semi-automatic rifles. These days he told me it’s virtually impossible to get a semi-auto rifle unless you’re a police officer.
Now, I don’t know about you, but it’s these types of conversations that make me count my many blessings and make me very thankful for this country. Also, the part he told me about the rifles is especially scary, because the rifle is truly the last line of defense against an unjust government. And with the way things are headed in this country I’m thankful that I have my semi-auto rifles to protect my family if “Armageddon” ever comes.
On another note, he invited me down to Australia to go Kangaroo hunting with him. Supposedly, Kangaroo tastes pretty good. So maybe one of these days I’ll be writing to
you from Australia and I’ll have one of those cliché pictures of me standing next to my dead Kangaroo. (While singing that Kangaroo song – you know which one I’m talking about.)
Monday, January 16, 2012
A Letter to My (Unborn) Daughter About Buying Her First Gun
PREFACE: My wife and I recently found out she’s pregnant with our first child. She’s three months along and we don’t know the sex yet, however, I’m convinced it’s a girl. The other day I sat down and wrote a letter to my unborn daughter about one of the most important topics a father could share with his daughter: How to buy her first handgun. I wanted to pass this along to every woman who’s wondered about how to buy her first gun.
Dear S.,
You’re probably wondering why I started this letter calling you “S.” The reason is because other people may see this and your mother tells me some women are “catty” and will steal your name so I have to call you S for now.
Anyway, the reason I’m writing this letter is because I just had the brilliant idea that I needed to write to you about choosing your first gun. Hopefully, this brilliant idea will go a little better than when I decided to clean the shotgun on moms couch and got oil all over it.
By the way, when you’re married and your husband does something stupid and afterwards you ask him “what were you thinking?” The truth is, he probably wasn’t thinking very much. So save yourself the time, because you will be disappointed in the answer.
But let’s get back to the topic at hand:
Since you’re about three months along in your mom’s belly, you and I have never met, so let me quickly tell you about your old man. I spent a short amount of time with a local police department in Virginia, then spent several years with the C.I.A., and I now run a firearms training company. I also enjoy writing and write for a few gun magazines such as Concealed Carry, Personal and Home Defense, and Combat Handguns.
I tell you this because I want you to know that your old man is a firearms and personal protection expert… But also because, as you’ll see later on, I don’t have expertise in much else.
Hopefully, being raised by me you’ll realize the importance of getting a gun to protect yourself and you’ll be just as excited as I am to get you your first gun. I want you to know that I’ll hopefully be around to protect you as often as I can, but I won’t always be there, so you need to learn how to protect yourself.
You see, although your mother knows that if someone breaks into our house at night I will handle it, there are many times I am out of town training people and I am thankful she knows how to use a gun and take care of herself.
In other words, you cannot solely rely on others for your safety, such as the man in your life. You need to take personal responsibility for yourself. Especially, because by the time you read this, maybe 10 or 15 or 20 years from now, who knows what the world will be like.
So when it comes to buying your first gun, I’m going to pretend like you’re doing this all by yourself or with your husband. Why? Well, hopefully I’ll be around but you never know what life has in store. So I want to make sure that if I have to leave this earth a little earlier than I anticipated, you’ll know the right way to buy a gun on your own.
First off, be very careful who you trust when buying your first gun.
You want to talk to a REAL firearms expert. Unfortunately, far too many people think they’re experts when it comes to guns. What I mean is, if you’re buying a gun with a boyfriend or a husband (who is not a gun expert) I would ignore pretty much everything he has to say.
You see honey, men like to pretend we are experts about everything. The other day your mom wanted to know why our hot water heater was making a strange noise and I told her it was no big deal and was just a valve. The fact is, I don’t know anything at all about hot water heaters. I don’t even know if they have valves.
But for some reason when a woman asks her husband about something he just spouts out a bunch of nonsense because he thinks he’s supposed to know the answer. I do the same thing when your mom asks me why the car is making a weird noise. I don’t know anything about cars, except how to change the oil, but my answer to everything is “it’s just the radiator, no big deal.”
So if you can’t trust your husband or boyfriend, who can you trust?
Well, that’s the problem. You don’t know a crooked mechanic unless you’re a mechanic yourself. After all, when I take the car to the service station I have no idea if the guy is telling me the truth until I call up your grandpa who actually knows about cars. So, what I want you to do is ask your mom to get a hold of some of my old Agency buddies. She’ll know how to contact them and they’ll take care of you.
But if for some reason you must go about this alone, the first thing you want to do is go to a gun range and rent several guns to see which one you like best. When you get to the gun range and the guy behind the counter finds out you’re in search of a new gun, do not listen to a word he says. He is even worse than your husband or boyfriend.
And if you bring your husband or boyfriend along you’ve just multiplied the stupidity. It’s like a bunch of guys staring at the engine of a car with the hood up. One guy will say it’s the fan belt and the rest of them will be like “yep,” “yep,” and “yep.”
So if the gun guy behind the counter tells you that you need a new “Super Duper .45 semi-auto” your husband will probably nod in agreement because he wants to pretend he knows as much as the gun store guy, who in reality, probably doesn’t know much at all.
Also, if the gun store guy treats you rudely, please don’t let it bother you. They do it to all of us, both men and women. I’m pretty sure most gun store employees washed out of the military, got kicked out of a police academy or could never become FBI or CIA, so they are bitter about life and try to bring others down to their level. Just remember to ignore them because the majority of them don’t know much about guns.
So, when you’re at the gun range, just start renting one gun at a time and tune out the advice of your husband and gun store employee. I would rent guns made by Glock, Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer, and Ruger, to name a few.
I would also try renting both semi-autos and revolvers.
Both semi-autos and revolvers are excellent for personal protection. Yes, semi-autos hold more rounds, but revolvers are simpler to use and you don’t have to worry about malfunctions. Either way, you can’t go wrong, so find what you like best.
However, if I were you, I would not get a caliber lower than 9mm in a semi-auto and .38 Special in a revolver. In fact, the handguns your old man uses for concealed carry right now are a Glock 19, which is a 9mm semi-auto, and the revolver I use is a Smith & Wesson 642 Airweight, which is a .38 Special.
The important thing I want you to remember is that the gun should feel comfortable in your hand and your finger should easily reach the trigger. But in order to know if the gun is comfortable in your hand you need to know how to properly grip it. So let me show you how to do that right now.
Whether you’re shooting a semi-auto or revolver, you want to place the gun in the center of the web of your hand. (I included some pictures at the end to help you out.) Then, you want to grip high on the tang of the gun. This means you want to grip as high up on the gun as possible, just beneath the slide if you’re shooting a semi-auto. (The slide is the metal piece which recoils back after you shoot the gun.) This high grip makes recoil easier to manage and gives you better control over the gun.
Next, you need to add your support hand…
To do this, simply point the thumb of your support hand at an imaginary target in front of you. By pointing your thumb straight at the target your fingers should be pointed down at a 45 degree angle. You then bring the two hands together and create the “thumbs forward” shooting position (Again, see the pictures honey.) You want to make sure that you have a lot of flesh on the gun and that the palm of your support hand is firmly pressed against side of the gun.
However, the “thumbs forward” position is only for semi-automatic handguns. When shooting a revolver you want to grip high on the gun, but your thumbs will curl down on top of each other as you grip the gun.
By the way, some concealed carry guns you might be interested in (if they’re still around) are the Glock 26, Ruger SR9, and Smith and Wesson M&P compact. And in regards to a revolver, you should check out the Smith & Wesson Model 10. You can buy them used right now (the year 2012) for under $300.
But here’s the thing: If you don’t like any of those guns and they don’t feel right to you, then don’t buy one. Take as long as you need to until you find a gun that you feel comfortable shooting. In fact, even though I would get guns chambered in 9mm or .38 Special that doesn’t mean you have to, if you can’t stand shooting them. Although I wouldn’t recommend it, if the only gun you’ll carry is a .22 revolver, then it’s better than no gun at all.
Please have patience with this process.
To make it easy on you, you could go to your local shooting range every Saturday and rent two guns until you find one that’s right for you. It may take you a month or two, but your life is worth it to find the right gun you’re willing to carry.
I want to remind you again, that you will be the one carrying this gun. Not your husband or the gun store guy. So forget about what they think and do not let them intimidate you. All that matters is that you are comfortable with the gun and that it’s a good fit for your hand.
Because if you forget this part, you will end up like far too many women I see at my pistol courses. I see these poor women who are shooting a snub-nosed .357 and they tell me that they hate shooting. I then ask why in the world they are using that gun and they tell me their husband got it for them and I think to myself, “no wonder you hate shooting, that’s a terrible gun for you.”
Well, that’s enough for now honey. I love you, even though I haven’t met you yet. I really look forward to helping you buy your first gun. But if I’m not there, please re-read this before you go gun shopping. Because it may save your life one day since you’ll be carrying a gun you like, instead of having a gun sitting at home that you hate, which your husband talked you into buying.
Love,
Dad
P.S. If you marry a guy who’s into guns – and why wouldn’t you, most of them are perfect - you should encourage him to buy as many guns as he wants, and should never complain that he already owns 10 guns that look exactly like the one he just bought.
P.P.S. For the life of me, I cannot get the pictures to attach to this letter. If you would like to see the three pictures I am referring to in this letter please send an email to my assistant Lisa at lisa@concealedcarryacademy.com and she will send you the article with pictures.
Dear S.,
You’re probably wondering why I started this letter calling you “S.” The reason is because other people may see this and your mother tells me some women are “catty” and will steal your name so I have to call you S for now.
Anyway, the reason I’m writing this letter is because I just had the brilliant idea that I needed to write to you about choosing your first gun. Hopefully, this brilliant idea will go a little better than when I decided to clean the shotgun on moms couch and got oil all over it.
By the way, when you’re married and your husband does something stupid and afterwards you ask him “what were you thinking?” The truth is, he probably wasn’t thinking very much. So save yourself the time, because you will be disappointed in the answer.
But let’s get back to the topic at hand:
Since you’re about three months along in your mom’s belly, you and I have never met, so let me quickly tell you about your old man. I spent a short amount of time with a local police department in Virginia, then spent several years with the C.I.A., and I now run a firearms training company. I also enjoy writing and write for a few gun magazines such as Concealed Carry, Personal and Home Defense, and Combat Handguns.
I tell you this because I want you to know that your old man is a firearms and personal protection expert… But also because, as you’ll see later on, I don’t have expertise in much else.
Hopefully, being raised by me you’ll realize the importance of getting a gun to protect yourself and you’ll be just as excited as I am to get you your first gun. I want you to know that I’ll hopefully be around to protect you as often as I can, but I won’t always be there, so you need to learn how to protect yourself.
You see, although your mother knows that if someone breaks into our house at night I will handle it, there are many times I am out of town training people and I am thankful she knows how to use a gun and take care of herself.
In other words, you cannot solely rely on others for your safety, such as the man in your life. You need to take personal responsibility for yourself. Especially, because by the time you read this, maybe 10 or 15 or 20 years from now, who knows what the world will be like.
So when it comes to buying your first gun, I’m going to pretend like you’re doing this all by yourself or with your husband. Why? Well, hopefully I’ll be around but you never know what life has in store. So I want to make sure that if I have to leave this earth a little earlier than I anticipated, you’ll know the right way to buy a gun on your own.
First off, be very careful who you trust when buying your first gun.
You want to talk to a REAL firearms expert. Unfortunately, far too many people think they’re experts when it comes to guns. What I mean is, if you’re buying a gun with a boyfriend or a husband (who is not a gun expert) I would ignore pretty much everything he has to say.
You see honey, men like to pretend we are experts about everything. The other day your mom wanted to know why our hot water heater was making a strange noise and I told her it was no big deal and was just a valve. The fact is, I don’t know anything at all about hot water heaters. I don’t even know if they have valves.
But for some reason when a woman asks her husband about something he just spouts out a bunch of nonsense because he thinks he’s supposed to know the answer. I do the same thing when your mom asks me why the car is making a weird noise. I don’t know anything about cars, except how to change the oil, but my answer to everything is “it’s just the radiator, no big deal.”
So if you can’t trust your husband or boyfriend, who can you trust?
Well, that’s the problem. You don’t know a crooked mechanic unless you’re a mechanic yourself. After all, when I take the car to the service station I have no idea if the guy is telling me the truth until I call up your grandpa who actually knows about cars. So, what I want you to do is ask your mom to get a hold of some of my old Agency buddies. She’ll know how to contact them and they’ll take care of you.
But if for some reason you must go about this alone, the first thing you want to do is go to a gun range and rent several guns to see which one you like best. When you get to the gun range and the guy behind the counter finds out you’re in search of a new gun, do not listen to a word he says. He is even worse than your husband or boyfriend.
And if you bring your husband or boyfriend along you’ve just multiplied the stupidity. It’s like a bunch of guys staring at the engine of a car with the hood up. One guy will say it’s the fan belt and the rest of them will be like “yep,” “yep,” and “yep.”
So if the gun guy behind the counter tells you that you need a new “Super Duper .45 semi-auto” your husband will probably nod in agreement because he wants to pretend he knows as much as the gun store guy, who in reality, probably doesn’t know much at all.
Also, if the gun store guy treats you rudely, please don’t let it bother you. They do it to all of us, both men and women. I’m pretty sure most gun store employees washed out of the military, got kicked out of a police academy or could never become FBI or CIA, so they are bitter about life and try to bring others down to their level. Just remember to ignore them because the majority of them don’t know much about guns.
So, when you’re at the gun range, just start renting one gun at a time and tune out the advice of your husband and gun store employee. I would rent guns made by Glock, Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer, and Ruger, to name a few.
I would also try renting both semi-autos and revolvers.
Both semi-autos and revolvers are excellent for personal protection. Yes, semi-autos hold more rounds, but revolvers are simpler to use and you don’t have to worry about malfunctions. Either way, you can’t go wrong, so find what you like best.
However, if I were you, I would not get a caliber lower than 9mm in a semi-auto and .38 Special in a revolver. In fact, the handguns your old man uses for concealed carry right now are a Glock 19, which is a 9mm semi-auto, and the revolver I use is a Smith & Wesson 642 Airweight, which is a .38 Special.
The important thing I want you to remember is that the gun should feel comfortable in your hand and your finger should easily reach the trigger. But in order to know if the gun is comfortable in your hand you need to know how to properly grip it. So let me show you how to do that right now.
Whether you’re shooting a semi-auto or revolver, you want to place the gun in the center of the web of your hand. (I included some pictures at the end to help you out.) Then, you want to grip high on the tang of the gun. This means you want to grip as high up on the gun as possible, just beneath the slide if you’re shooting a semi-auto. (The slide is the metal piece which recoils back after you shoot the gun.) This high grip makes recoil easier to manage and gives you better control over the gun.
Next, you need to add your support hand…
To do this, simply point the thumb of your support hand at an imaginary target in front of you. By pointing your thumb straight at the target your fingers should be pointed down at a 45 degree angle. You then bring the two hands together and create the “thumbs forward” shooting position (Again, see the pictures honey.) You want to make sure that you have a lot of flesh on the gun and that the palm of your support hand is firmly pressed against side of the gun.
However, the “thumbs forward” position is only for semi-automatic handguns. When shooting a revolver you want to grip high on the gun, but your thumbs will curl down on top of each other as you grip the gun.
By the way, some concealed carry guns you might be interested in (if they’re still around) are the Glock 26, Ruger SR9, and Smith and Wesson M&P compact. And in regards to a revolver, you should check out the Smith & Wesson Model 10. You can buy them used right now (the year 2012) for under $300.
But here’s the thing: If you don’t like any of those guns and they don’t feel right to you, then don’t buy one. Take as long as you need to until you find a gun that you feel comfortable shooting. In fact, even though I would get guns chambered in 9mm or .38 Special that doesn’t mean you have to, if you can’t stand shooting them. Although I wouldn’t recommend it, if the only gun you’ll carry is a .22 revolver, then it’s better than no gun at all.
Please have patience with this process.
To make it easy on you, you could go to your local shooting range every Saturday and rent two guns until you find one that’s right for you. It may take you a month or two, but your life is worth it to find the right gun you’re willing to carry.
I want to remind you again, that you will be the one carrying this gun. Not your husband or the gun store guy. So forget about what they think and do not let them intimidate you. All that matters is that you are comfortable with the gun and that it’s a good fit for your hand.
Because if you forget this part, you will end up like far too many women I see at my pistol courses. I see these poor women who are shooting a snub-nosed .357 and they tell me that they hate shooting. I then ask why in the world they are using that gun and they tell me their husband got it for them and I think to myself, “no wonder you hate shooting, that’s a terrible gun for you.”
Well, that’s enough for now honey. I love you, even though I haven’t met you yet. I really look forward to helping you buy your first gun. But if I’m not there, please re-read this before you go gun shopping. Because it may save your life one day since you’ll be carrying a gun you like, instead of having a gun sitting at home that you hate, which your husband talked you into buying.
Love,
Dad
P.S. If you marry a guy who’s into guns – and why wouldn’t you, most of them are perfect - you should encourage him to buy as many guns as he wants, and should never complain that he already owns 10 guns that look exactly like the one he just bought.
P.P.S. For the life of me, I cannot get the pictures to attach to this letter. If you would like to see the three pictures I am referring to in this letter please send an email to my assistant Lisa at lisa@concealedcarryacademy.com and she will send you the article with pictures.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The 18-Year-Old Almost Made this Mistake
Unless you live on another planet, you’ve no doubt heard the story of the 18-year-old Oklahoma woman who killed a home intruder with a shotgun, protecting not only herself but her baby.
Now, the most important thing going for this woman was that she had a gun for home defense purposes. Better yet, she had a shotgun, which is by far the best gun for home protection.
However, after hearing the 911 call and watching the news about this woman, something jumped out at me. If you listen to the call you, hear the woman ask “I’ve got two guns in my hand. Is it OK to shoot him if he comes in this door?”
Thankfully, she didn’t hesitate and did end up shooting the guy…
However, if you have a gun in your home you need to know the law pertaining to deadly force. You don’t want to be on the phone having to ask if you’re allowed to shoot someone, because unlike the woman, you may hesitate and it may cost you your life if you don’t know the laws.
For example, when you were 16 and got your driver’s license they didn’t just hand you the keys and say “have fun,” as much as we wished that had been the case. Instead, you had to go through driver training and learn all of the laws of the road such as speed limits, using your signals, and other laws so you didn’t get yourself or others killed.
Well, the gun is the same way.
Don’t just go to the gun shop, get a gun, and then take it home and store it in your bedroom. Before, or immediately after, you get that gun you need to know the laws regarding when you’re allowed to use it.
I do realize that deadly force law may not be the most exciting topic, but I think it’s exciting enough, because if you don’t know the law you could end up in jail like the Oklahoma pharmacist who made a huge mistake and is now spending the next 38 years behind bars.
The good news is, the law is very easy to learn and it’s mostly common sense. Of course, you can go to your state’s website or look on this site for information. However, I ended speaking with a self-defense lawyer (who used to work for the NRA) just to be 100% sure what I was and was not allowed to do. (Yes, it did cost me several hundred bucks, but for a one-time “purchase,” it’s worth it to me since not only do I have my home defense guns, but because I carry concealed too.)
So, if you happen to be one of the lucky people who got a new gun for Christmas, I’d encourage you to make sure you understand your state’s laws for when you’re allowed to use your gun if you should ever have a home intruder.
Now, the most important thing going for this woman was that she had a gun for home defense purposes. Better yet, she had a shotgun, which is by far the best gun for home protection.
However, after hearing the 911 call and watching the news about this woman, something jumped out at me. If you listen to the call you, hear the woman ask “I’ve got two guns in my hand. Is it OK to shoot him if he comes in this door?”
Thankfully, she didn’t hesitate and did end up shooting the guy…
However, if you have a gun in your home you need to know the law pertaining to deadly force. You don’t want to be on the phone having to ask if you’re allowed to shoot someone, because unlike the woman, you may hesitate and it may cost you your life if you don’t know the laws.
For example, when you were 16 and got your driver’s license they didn’t just hand you the keys and say “have fun,” as much as we wished that had been the case. Instead, you had to go through driver training and learn all of the laws of the road such as speed limits, using your signals, and other laws so you didn’t get yourself or others killed.
Well, the gun is the same way.
Don’t just go to the gun shop, get a gun, and then take it home and store it in your bedroom. Before, or immediately after, you get that gun you need to know the laws regarding when you’re allowed to use it.
I do realize that deadly force law may not be the most exciting topic, but I think it’s exciting enough, because if you don’t know the law you could end up in jail like the Oklahoma pharmacist who made a huge mistake and is now spending the next 38 years behind bars.
The good news is, the law is very easy to learn and it’s mostly common sense. Of course, you can go to your state’s website or look on this site for information. However, I ended speaking with a self-defense lawyer (who used to work for the NRA) just to be 100% sure what I was and was not allowed to do. (Yes, it did cost me several hundred bucks, but for a one-time “purchase,” it’s worth it to me since not only do I have my home defense guns, but because I carry concealed too.)
So, if you happen to be one of the lucky people who got a new gun for Christmas, I’d encourage you to make sure you understand your state’s laws for when you’re allowed to use your gun if you should ever have a home intruder.
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