Should there be requirements for people who want to conceal carry? This issue is left to the state governments to decide, some require training and a license before being able to carry a concealed pistol. Some states have Constitutional Carry where permitless concealed carry is allowed. It is interesting to note that the government does not administer the required class, but allows the free market to provide the class. Does this forced government training produce competent concealed carriers? The answer is NO. Continue reading “The State & Mandatory Training”
Early on in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, Daniel had the wrong motivation to learn karate and lacked an understanding of its intended purpose. That was before Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel that karate should only be used for self defense, suspiciously inline with libertarianism and more specifically the non aggression principle.
Training
Do you remember how quickly Daniel learned karate? He went from not knowing karate, to winning a tournament in two months. Do you think that would have been possible without Mr. Miyagi’s training? Daniel constantly made mistakes while learning techniques, but was corrected under Mr. Miyagi’s watchful eye. Once Daniel had the technique down, Mr. Miyagi would leave Daniel to practice for hours. If Mr. Miyagi left Daniel alone to complete the chores and never demonstrated the waxing, sanding, and painting techniques, he would have not learned the fundamentals of karate.
Training helped Daniel learn karate and you should seek training to learn pistol craft. In order to find your Mr. Miyagi, research your local shooting ranges and see what kind of training they offer. Going to a range with other students to learn and engage in a course of fire is fun! You will be surprised how much you didn’t know before taking the class. It will open a whole new world of possibilities for you. You can see big improvements in your skill in a short period of time. The best students have no prior experience and follow instructions. They can become much better shooters seemingly overnight than some “experienced” shooters. People become set in their bad habits and it is difficult to break them. Do not worry if you don’t know what you are doing, that’s to your benefit and the purpose of the class is to learn!
At a minimum, you should take a basic pistol training class. These classes are great because you meet a lot of like minded people who are learning just like you. Here are some of the basic fundamentals of pistol craft that you should learn how to perform properly:
grip and stance
holster draw
sight alignment and trigger squeeze
magazine reloads
how to clear malfunctions
situational awareness
Are you planning on taking any training courses and why? What has been your experience with taking training classes? Let us know in the comments!
How often do you practice your shooting skills? Take a moment to think about that, can you recall the exact day of your most recent range trip? If you can’t, it has been too long; get out there and practice! Shooting is a perishable skill, so regular practice is necessary to stay at the top of your game. Not only that but it’s fun, relieves stress, is a great opportunity to bring along new shooters, and meet people with similar interest. Continue reading “Wax On, Wax Off”
In a minor traffic accident, usually the parties involved will move to a safe location and discuss what happened. They should be concerned whether anyone was hurt and if any property was damaged. If a person or property was harmed, the individuals should work to get it sorted out between police, insurance companies, and the courts. Of course if someone harms you or your property, they need to provide just compensation. The guy in this Fox 2 News story serves as an example of someone who didn’t do any of those things.
If this guy was a Liberty Carrier, things would have gone much differently. He would have asked if the girl was ok and for her to pay for any damage to his vehicle. He would have left his gun concealed. Instead he ended up arrested for felonious assault, and if convicted with a felony, will not only lose his CPL, but as a felon, he would not be allowed to own firearms.
After a minor traffic accident, his response is to pull out his gun. The girls were scared and drove away from the scene of the accident. Phew! Close call right? He must have been in fear for his life, that is the only justification for presenting a gun. For this ignorant CPL holder, the story doesn’t end there. The scared girls were fleeing in their car when they hit a parked car. The guy follows them and uses his car to block them from moving. He then holds the girls at gunpoint until police arrive. He can no longer claim any sort of defense, he chased them down and threatened them. Even though the girl made contact with his car initially, he ended up becoming the aggressor and holding the girls and their property against their will.
When a CPL holder acts contrary to reason and law as in this story, it casts the CPL community and all gun owners in a negative light. The media loves to demonize gun owners and hold these anomalies out there as a reason why there needs to be more regulation or an outright ban on guns. Don’t be one of the lemmings out there that thinks this incident represents the average gun owner.
What is concealed carry? When a person possesses a firearm that is not visible, they are concealed carrying. What about when a person has a firearm visible on their hip? That is called open carrying. Those are the two ways to carry a firearm, open or concealed. Each method of carrying has their strengths and weaknesses. The chosen method of carry will depend on the individual, the situation, and laws. Much like when you operate a motor vehicle you need to have a license, the same applies when you conceal carry a handgun. There are different names for the licenses that some states issue to their citizens that permit them to legally carry concealed:
Concealed Pistol License (CPL)
Concealed Handgun License (CHL)
Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP)
Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW)
When to conceal carry? Concealed carry applies to handguns which are meant to be carried when trouble is not expected and just in case. You would not carry because you were going to a bad situation or unsafe place. If you are expecting trouble somewhere, you would not go there in the first place! You carry when you are going about your daily life, running errands, shopping, normal circumstances. You are prepared for the worst and hoping for the best, so always carry!
Anyone and Everyone!
Who would carry concealed? Anyone who wants to have a handgun as a tool at their disposal. Anyone who is prepared to defend their life and that of their family. Mostly law-abiding citizens carry concealed, there are tens of millions in American.
Where would someone conceal carry? Some people carry everywhere legally allowed and do not go to places where it is banned. Others carry in prohibited places because criminals attack these places, and no one will know that they are carrying, so what’s the harm? Others only carry when they go to “bad neighborhoods” or in certain circumstances when they think it is a good idea. People who don’t carry, often don’t understand why people choose to carry to any place and don’t see why. Here are some places where people conceal carry:
home
work
pharmacies
restaurants
shopping malls
grocery stores
gas stations
Why would someone conceal carry? Everyone has their reasons and it is a personal choice. People want to protect themselves and their families from crime or terrorism. No one wants to be a victim and a handgun is a good tool to have available to stop the worst from happening.
Some people have been, or know people that have been victims, they recognize the harsh realities of life and want to take ownership of their safety. The government and police cannot and will not provide safety and security to it’s citizens. They will come after the fact and draw the chalk outlines around the bodies. They are a reactive force and cannot be everywhere. They have no duty to protect you and that has been upheld in the courts. When seconds count and your life is on the line, police are minutes away. Intelligent people know this and choose to arm themselves and take responsibility for their own safety and security.
I conceal carry because I enjoy it and feel confident going about my life. I use situational awareness, training, and common sense to avoid unnecessary, potentially aggressive encounters. Criminals prey on people who are not paying attention and appear to be weak. I do not think criminals will target me or my family, but it is possible. It gives me personal satisfaction to exercise my freedom to own a pistol and carry it. I carry for self defense and am prepared for any life-threatening situation that might arise. I feel more responsible and alert when carrying. That is the affect concealed carry has on me. I believe an armed society is a polite society.
