GUNS AS PROTECTION

We feel the need to address the subject of carrying a firearm.  Many people, women especially, do not like guns.  This author is no different.  However, proper training and handling of guns make them one of the more effective ways of defending yourself and intimidating your attacker.

The key to having and being able to use a firearm lies in your training.  There are several different kinds of firearms training. There is basic safety and marksmanship training that everyone who has a gun needs, and there is more specialized defensive firearms training that is specifically for those who have guns for self-protection as opposed to hunting, or sports.

For basic safety and marksmanship, you can usually find good training quite locally. Regardless of what you might think of the NRA, they have created excellent introductory courses. You don't have to join the NRA to take these courses.

Two courses that are quite good in theory are Home Firearm Safety, and Basic Pistol. Whether the courses are actually good in practice depends on who teaches them. You can ask the NRA for a list of certified instructors in your area, and try to pick out a woman if that would make you more comfortable, or you can go to a couple of local gun shops and ask what instructors they recommend, or you can call local firearms stores and gun clubs to ask whether they offer instruction.

For defensive firearms training, it is wise to be very, very selective. There are a number of excellent, private gun schools around the country. Additionally, there is a list of gun schools that appears from time to time on the Internet. We cannot recommend one over another.  What we can do is recommend that you do your research and choose a school that fits your needs and comfort level.

If you are thinking of getting a gun, get training first. If that isn't possible, get training a soon as you get your gun. Owning a gun without getting the right kind of training is like owning a bathing suit without knowing how to swim -- you may look good, but you won't be able to save your own life in an emergency.

The very best way to figure out what kind of gun is right for you is to go to a club or take a course where you have the opportunity to shoot several different types and sizes of guns, so that you can learn about their differences, what they feel like to shoot, how easily you are able to handle them, and how accurate you are with them. Pinpoint accuracy isn't necessary for self-defense, but the better you can shoot in class the more confidence you will have in your ability to shoot under stress.

Most gun magazines run frequent articles on the selection of a self-defense gun and reviews of individual firearms. Note that not all articles may be completely objective, so get advice from several sources.

We should tell you that should you decide to use a gun, be very aware of the circumstances that surround your use of a firearm.  Bare fear (that is, fear alone) is not justification for using lethal force against someone. The fear must be accompanied by circumstances that a reasonable and prudent person would interpret as immediate and unavoidable danger.

If every person who was "afraid" could shoot with impunity anyone who frightened them, the world would indeed be a terrible place for us all, as timid folk would constantly gun down anybody who looked at them the wrong way.

If you are going to take the extreme option of owning and carrying a gun, it is imperative that you obtain very intensive training so you know how to shoot the gun in a variety of situations.  You should also be prepared to shoot if you have to draw the gun.  A display of confidence and know-how must be present when you are carrying a weapon.

Also, please be advised that in most states, carrying a concealed weapon is a crime.  Above everything else, be sure you have a Firearm Owner's Identification card (FOID card).  The fee for applying is small ($5 or so) and it shows that you have had a background check and are eligible to, at the very least, own a firearm.

There's a lot more to defending yourself with a gun than drawing, aiming, deciding, and, if necessary, pulling the trigger. But those steps are all that most people practice in advance. Unless you practice how to talk to someone at gun point, you could find yourself floundering when you suddenly have to do it.

Try this, right now while you are reading this: imagine yourself in a victim's position, with the assailant at the end of your gun. Now say, out loud, "Don't move!" It might feel a bit silly, and sound a little weak. Take a deeper breath, and say it again, louder and more firmly, "DON'T MOVE!" Did it come out better that time?

If you make this part of your practice sessions, you will find that it gets louder and better, and you become more confident that you'd be able to say those simple words even under the incredible stress of an armed encounter.

You can also plan in advance what to do after the encounter is over. You ought to practice turning you head to look around. This overcomes the inevitable tunnel vision that might be preventing you from seeing a second assailant, or someone who could help you. And you ought to plan to get to the nearest phone to call the police.

Just thinking about these plans isn't enough. Going through the actual physical motions every time you "practice", right down to picking up the phone, will help to embed these actions in your subconscious repertoire just as concretely as the actions involved in drawing your firearm, and will make it easier for you to carry them out if you ever need to.

Remember, you'll be running "on automatic", so you'd better be programmed to do the right thing. If you have no program, you'll flail around trying to create one.

There is a certain mental state of mind that takes over when you find yourself in a threatening situation.  Experts call this Tachypsychia.