Do you carry a Concealed Firearm? Do you keep a firearm in your home for Home Defense? (Home Defense is a term I do not like). I prefer Personal Defense in the Home. After all, it is yourself and family you are defending. They cannot be replaced but property can.
Are you really trained and capable of defending yourself, family and others with your firearm? I teach Utah CFP classes. At the end of every class I always ask, “if they feel they are now trained and capable of using a concealed firearm in a self-defense situation”. The answer, except for a few who have had additional training or military experience is usually a “NO”. They realize that taking the class has qualified them, by Utah Law, to obtain a Concealed Firearm Permit, but also realize they are not really trained to effectively carry and use a firearm in self-defense if needed.
In this age of high speed internet and smart phones, they may do some research on YouTube to find some training and drills. There is some good advice on YouTube and there is bad. How does an inexperienced shooter know what is good or bad? Perhaps they will go home and order some books from reputable and knowledgeable experts. Either way, watching a video or reading a book still lacks one important factor in training. You don’t have that experience/knowledgeable person there coaching you, to make sure you train safely and properly. I believe the best training comes from knowledgeable and competent instructors who are there for your benefit.
We need to expect to be questioned about a shooting by the police. Have you trained to have the confidence going in, that you did everything properly in accordance with the laws of your State or jurisdiction? Do you know what you should and should not say when being questioned by the police? Will you really remember exactly what just occurred? Do you know and understand the psychological and physiological affects you may experience during and after a self-defense shooting?
Many concealed firearm carriers and gun owners think all they need to do is carry their firearm every day or have it available at home, without giving professional training a lot of thought. They many try to accomplish it on their own. I know for some, paying for that training could be an expense they are not really wanting to spend money on. There are many things we would prefer to not spend our money on. Car, home owner or renter’s insurance. Life, medical, dental, vision insurance. I believe the expense of training is similar. It is an expense we pay for that and hope we never need to use it.
Training gives us a big advantage over the criminals that mean us harm. In fact, their biggest fear is coming across a victim who is armed and knows what they are doing with their firearm.
Shooting is a perishable skill. Going to the range and firing hundreds of rounds without a clear objective for that range trip is also not training. Plan it out. Write it down. Review it before you start firing. Evaluate yourself during and after the session.
So, where and how do you get additional training? Talk to the folks at your local gun store. Check the NRA web site. https://firearmtraining.nra.org/student-courses/. Search the internet. There are companies across the states who offer training. I am always looking for training opportunities.
There is one thing I can honestly say about the training I have attend. I always learn something new. Keep an open mind anytime you attend a firearms training course. I encourage you to continue training. if you carry a firearm or keep a firearm in your home for personal defense. Never stop training. We are not ready to protect ourselves, our family members or others if we do not train properly and seek opportunities to improve our skills and knowledge. Just as guns don’t shoot people, your firearm will not save anyone if you are not properly prepared to use it.
