The Second Amendment, Concealed Carry, and Reality.
The danger that firearms can bring to your safety and security.
Owning a Firearm
The 2nd Amendment. The right to “keep and bear arms”. I love it and agree with it wholeheartedly - any kind of gun regardless of how it might be defined or classified and for any reason that you want to and assuming that you are a law-abiding and responsible person. The question is - are you responsible even if you are responsible?
Using a Firearm
Regardless of my beliefs on owning a firearm or, just possessing them, using them for defense is a completely different story. I do not believe that firearms are a safe way to protect ourselves nor do I believe they are needed to protect ourselves.
Here’s the bottom line:
There are very, very, very few people who should be carrying or using a firearm for defense.
And you are not likely one of them!
Please don’t take offense to this until you hear me out.
Why?
Because there are very, very, very few people who have the qualifications and skills necessary to carry one responsibly.
You see, we have an overabundance of “range pros” and most aren’t even that!
What is “The Range Pro”
Is This Guy Impressive?
Picture yourself at your local firearm range. A guy comes in, takes the lane right next to you, and begins to unpack his “range bag”. What does he have in it? Numerous different pistols, maybe a shotgun, and maybe even a rifle (depending on the range); he’s got some ammunition; some high-tech headphones that allow him to talk in normal voice while they block out the harmful noise; protective glasses; maybe some tactical or other type of gloves; targets, stapler/tape, etc.
Now, as he points the muzzle in a safe direction, down range (rather than down) he locks the slide of each firearm back to demonstrate his understanding of safe handling and compliance with range rules, lays them on the counter, and preloads his magazines for convenience.
He attaches his target to the automatic carrier, pushes a button, and then watches it travel away from him until it gets to the ideal distance for him at which time, he releases the button and stops the target.
Next, he picks up his firearm, inserts a magazine, gets into a comfortable position, releases the slide, disengages the safety, places his finger on the trigger and……you thought I was gonna say that he starts shooting. But no, because his target is still moving back and forth because of the moment stoppage as he moved his target, he waits for it to stop moving (because the movement will detract from his accuracy) and only then does he start to shoot. Slow…controlled breathing…line up the sights…smooth trigger pull…trigger rese…and so on. He fires 8-20 rounds (firearm dependent) out of a magazine before its empty and the slide locks back.
The result? A really small, tightly clustered 1” group. WOW. Impressive! That guy is really skilled right?
Absolutely not! Anyone can do that under these circumstances. Anyone! And it doesn’t even take much practice. The other thing that is important to understand is that if this guy doesn’t practice, very regularly, even this fairly easily achieved “skill” will quickly perish.
This is the important question that needs to be asked about this “incredible level of skill”:
Does he possess the same skills when his heart rate is 175 bpm+ due to very high-level stress; can he do it under highly dynamic, dangerous, and changing circumstances; can he do it when he’s moving; can he do it when his target is moving; can he do it when both he and his target is moving; can he do it when all of these conditions exist? The answer? Absolutely, 100%, not. The most important of these conditions, the one that impacts ability the most? The elevated heart rate. How do you train for that? The answer is, it takes a lot of work, effort, time, equipment, and the right facilities to accomplish this. In general, this means law enforcement, military, and very specific professions.
The fact is that very few have the means to acquire the physical skills but, even more importantly, the mental capacity and decision-making skills that will be necessary under the circumstances as they will be faced when they are needed. The vast majority of range pros have never been tested and have never been in a situation that could result in either physical harm or death. Even those “range pros” who can shoot fast and move, when you add the element of real danger (which cannot be simulated) you have a completely different world. That’s typically the difference between law enforcement and others – they have been in very, very high stress situations while most “range pros” have not.
And most of those who carry concealed firearms or even own them for protection within their homes, don’t even become “range pros”. They buy guns and a box of ammo, load it, and suddenly they feel safe. Reality? They are actually less safe than prior to purchasing the gun because now, they carry significantly potential for liability that is just as capable of ruining their lives as physical harm.
Here’s the lesson:
If you make a mistake in judgement, or hurt someone who you should not have hurt, the result will be as devastating to your life as if you were severely injured or maybe even killed.
If you buy and or carry a firearm and don’t have the appropriate skills to make good decisions under high stress circumstances then you are not being responsible.
If you want to carry or use a firearm as a defensive tool that’s completely fine. Just make sure that its an educated decision and you factor in all of the potential liabilities that come with it.
And, again, in most cases, you don’t need a firearm to win. Just learn exactly what I mean by this. A subject of the many past and future articles in The Real Security Journal.