First step to concealed carry and self defense

Im not a professional instructor nor claim to be the be all end all of anything related to the subject.
But I also do not speak from the what if it happens side of SD but from what has happened in my own life. And Im still here.

But with new members coming on all the time and the preoccupation of all of us to the present assualt on our rights I think maybe this should be posted. Take it for what its worth to you.
Ok youve decided to get a handgun and ccl or even open carry to have in case you need to defend yourself or your family. Thats good and you should. But you maybe missed a step.

That step is probably the most important. Before you put on a handgun for SD you need to really and I mean really sit down take a little bit and do some soul searching.

Now we fire to stop the threat, not kill, but there is a even chance by that act you will kill your assailant. Shooting a target or human shaped dummy isnt anything like shooting a moving breathing human being. Especially one that intends to do you harm or kill you.

Dont kid yourself that the mere presence of your handgun will send a BG running. It may without your firing a shot at all. If he does thank your lucky stars and go about your life.

But he may as likely not run be armed with something himself and respond a bit like Michael Myers of the Halloween movie only moving faster than a slow amble. :gah: Definitely not the time to have a mental moral debate or totally panic into inaction. In that case you will have precious few seconds to act and stop the threat.

I post this because I personally know quite a few that carry but are fully convinced pulling their firearm will send any and all boogie men running for the hills. My sister being one.

I also know personally a local lady who ran a small grocery. She was armed everyday with a handgun. She was convinced she could and would shoot the first person that tried to rob her. An armed man entered her store and demanded she drive him someplace.Though she could have shot him under her counter unseen by him she waited shocked until he actually moved to grab her. She tried to draw and was disarmed and kidnapped. Luckily the man dumped her out 40 miles away in a field and shot himself. But she closed her store and hasnt left her home alone for 10 years. Nor stayed alone at home either.

By all means I encourage anybody to excersize their right to self defense and keep and bear arms.
And get all the tactical training you can afford. I think everyone should take responsibility for their own safety from criminals.

But do so with the right mindset. Avoid trouble if you can. If you dont have to draw dont. If you do and dont have to fire dont fire.

But if you are forced into firing to protect your life or that of your loved ones you have entered a world where there are no rules or morals until the threat or threats is stopped which is either retreating or down, as fast as possible, no matter what that takes.

Just some food for thought. God bless:wave:

You make some good points. People need to realize that carrying a gun no more makes you armed than carrying a typewriter makes you a writer. I think maybe it as Col. Cooper that first said that.

Good post Ghost. Better have a plan, already formulated, prior to needing it. ACTION is always faster than REACTION.

As the tee shirt says, "Tactics are nice, but extreme violence carries the day".

Be safe.

Excellent post Ghost...You touched on just one of the items in MINDSET that folks must be aware of,come to grips with, and be prepared to execute and fight for their survival and that one item, of three, is the Gunbattle...Know that you are in control of your own destiny and act accordingly. Prepare mentally ahead of time. You can't fight back effectively if you are not willing to do whatever it takes to prevail.

Two other items that folks tend to forget until they are confronted with them is that AFTER the Gunbattle you must be prepared for the Emotional battle and the potential [I]court battle (civil and criminal)[/I]...

The bottom line, there is more to preparation than strapping on your weapon, getting a little bit of training, and thinking you are hot to trot...JMO

Before you even buy a gun, much less carry it, you have to have that little conversation with yourself.
Could you actually pull the trigger and shoot/ kill another human being? If you can't answer that question with a definite, unequivocal yes, maybe you would be better off with pepper spray.
Sometimes life's lessons are hard.
Just my .02

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ghost1958

But if you are forced into firing to protect your life or that of your loved ones you have entered a world where there are no rules or morals until the threat or threats is stopped which is either retreating or down, as fast as possible, no matter what that takes.
Just some food for thought. God bless:wave:

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Great post. I shortened it up and put the above in bold because I think there are also NO RULES after the
threat is stopped as well. Sure, there are plenty of laws, but how they will play out may from your point of view
seem very arbitrary, unfair, and an attempt to twist events to make you the bad person.

A person (and I think I am one of them) may have the mental hardness to pull the trigger but lack the intestinal fortitude, mental toughness, and financial wherewithal to withstand the legal onslaught that will too often follow.

This is a risk- benefit balancing act we all face, and one reason why it is important to have non-lethal
options available. When only a gun will do, then only a gun will do. And we all need to know which situation
is which so there is no hesitation in that .1 of a second that counts.

My sister asked me about a gun once.She was going to be on the road by herself sometimes.I took her shooting a few times,and gave her a choice of 1 of 3 guns i had,that i thought she could handle and conceal.She couldn't afford to buy one,and i knew that.After she decided,we shot some more.She took the ccw class.I don't have a boatload of money,but,i bought her a membership to an indoor range for one yr.If i couldn't be there,they have some qualified people there,who will help,if you ask them.I've often wondered if she had to use it,would she?I think so,but,if it happens,god forbid,i don't really know.So far as me,i know i could,if i had to.I have one big addiction.It's called breathing.I'm not going to bother anyone,unless i really feel my life is in danger,then,heck yea.

I carry not so much for myself, but more so to protect my wife and children if that dreadful situation arises. So if it does I will pull the trigger to protect my most valuable possession which is my family.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phaedrus

carrying a gun no more makes you armed than carrying a typewriter makes you a writer. I think maybe it as Col. Cooper that first said that.

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Here's the one I've heard attributed to Cooper:

"Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician."

This discussion exemplifies one of the reasons I love this DC community. In my case, all of you folks contributed greatly to that process of thinking things through all the way before I started carrying.

Keep bringing this up. People are joining en masse every day and I'm living proof that you are helping us with this process.

Thanks!

Im far from the expert on anything. But I hadnt seen a basic SD post in a while what with all the political wrangling going on and our attention focused on that. Which dont get me wrong it should be since if we dont have any guns we can very well carry em.
But seemed a good change of pace for a little bit maybe. :smile:

I think it is a great post.

A friend of mine recently told a mutual associate that getting a CPL should never be the first thing he should do to protect himself. Instead he should get training to become safe and comfortable with a gun, understand what it takes to own, operate, maintain, and properly store the gun, and become at least reasonably proficient with shooting the gun. He then explained that there should never be a last thing that you should do and that training and practice are ongoing never ending requirements. No matter how good you think you might be or how prepared that you think you might be, it might not be enough and you will never know it until it is too late.

Excellent post. I work at a big sporting goods store, and any time I send someone home with a gun I give them a little sheet of paper. On that sheet of paper I have the number of a trainer in the area that is really good with beginners, and this website. Too many people think that just having a gun is all they need, or that shooting once in a while means they are proficient. Thanks to all on this site who make it such a wealth of knowledge.

Great post. I am soon to be carrying concealed, and like to hear all the wisdom that comes from these posts. It shows how much knowledge the men and women who are serious about firearms can bestow upon us. When my father taught me about firearms I've always respected and feared them. I believe if you have a little fear, it shows you will exercise all safety concerns and be cautious. Respect come from knowledge, education, and training with something that is most definitely a dangerous tool.

I think its a great post. I dont currently cc because of the laws here but do have a few guns for home protection and hope to cc once things are in place. I have several friends and family members that have been discussing lately the possibility of them getting a gun for personal protection. I have discussed this greatly with my mom who lives out of state. The mindset has to already be determined. You cant wait until your in that horrible moment to decide what to do.

I have to fully agree with this post. It took me a long time to decide whether or not to CC. It was a soul searching experience for sure!