Beware the Armchair General
Rules I go by:
My advice to people is beware of the Armchair General that passes out advice who don't know your situation. (Now keep in mind that as I give you this advice, I am playing the part of the 'Armchair General' so please beware!) If you are going to read this article, slow down, take your time, study it and think long and hard about what I am trying to say!
Do not rely on one source for your information. I don't rely on one source for information so you shouldn't either. Don't rely on me for all of the answers. Keep in mind that I don't have all the answers. I am still learning!
Trust your gut, trust your instincts, and trust the little voice in your head!
Research, research and research. Study, study and study. Ask questions, ask questions and ask questions!
Take everything that you are told with a grain of salt and a lot of doubt!
If they tell me that they know what they are talking about because they are a cop, in the military, work at a gun store, have 50 years of experience, studied really hard, own 300 weapons, are an instructor, have taught for years, or that they were told by a friend who is a cop, or read about it on the Internet... watch out! (Folks, I have some of those qualifications and it doesn't mean that I know what I am talking about!)
If the person tells you that you need to get a .45 because it has one shot stopping power... watch out, I already know that they don't have a clue. If there was such a thing as one shot stopping power - don't you think that every single police department would be using that caliber? Don't you think our Military would have our soldiers using that weapon? Don't you think that most people would be using that caliber all of the time?
Now as far as large calibers are concerned, keep in mind that back in 2008, when people were scared that tough gun laws were coming, you couldn't find or buy .380 ammo. It was hard to find a Beretta Bobcat .22 and the point I am trying to make is that there are a lot of people who will tell you one thing but in reality they have the small stuff in their collections for a reason. The reason why they have those items in their collections - because they will do the job and if you have doubts, please read the following article:
An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power
With this in mind, if a person tells you that the weapon you bought is to small that you should have bought and names some big expensive weapon or whatever... then I already know that they just don't have a clue. OK great, so they can afford to buy an ultra-premium weapon that has been customized to the hilt and makes them look good at the range. Let's see how good they are with a Beretta Bobcat in their hands. Let's see if they can hit the target with a Ruger Nano. Let's see if they can move and shoot while hitting the target. Talk is cheap and if they can't adapt to a variety of weapons, then what can they really teach you? If there was such a thing as the best weapon to own, don't you think that my wife and I would have bought it by now?
I once had a sales person at a very respected national store tell me that a .22, .380, 9mm or .40 were bad choices, that he recommended the Kimber style 1911 in .45 because it was obvious to him that I knew quality - when I saw it, that no matter where you shot a person with it, they would go down. He then went on to say that I would never know when I would meet a 300lb Crack Addict who was high on Meth. My wife immediately started elbowing me to stay silent.
Folks, the Armchair General will always cite the most stupid, ignorant, ridiculous, impossible or highly unlikely situation that justifies their belief system. Please do not make the mistake of purchasing a weapon based on a ridiculous or highly unlikely situation - chances are you will just be wasting money!
The Armchair General will base some of their advice on hearsay. It won't be based on hands on experience. Ask them if they ever owned the weapon that they are saying don't buy? If they haven't owned it, then how can they give practical advice about it? Did they hear a bad review from a friend? Did they read about it in a magazine? Don't hesitate to ask them questions about the source of their information. If they told you that they owned it but it was so bad that they got rid of it... now hang on a second and think about what they just said - think for a moment about their values, beliefs and ethics. They just told you that they sold or traded off the problem weapon to some poor unsuspecting individual. Do you really want to get advice from that kind of person?
The Armchair General will tell you to carry a backup weapon. I had one tell me that I needed to start carrying a knife along with a handgun. Folks, my CCW doesn't cover knives. That is an automatic go to jail offense. The Armchair General will be more than happy to give you advice about knives, rifles, semi-autos, revolvers, tasers and mace and not even have a clue about the 30,000 plus laws just on guns alone. What makes you think that they know anything about all of the knife laws in our country or know anything about the laws concerning Tasers or Mace? Try telling the judge about the advice the Armchair General gave you and see just how far that gets you!
If the Armchair General talks about how a revolver is so much more reliable than a semi-auto or vice-versa... I already know that they don't have a clue. Any weapon can malfunction and there is the chance that it will do so at the worst possible moment. Smith & Wesson had me try out their .44 Magnum Revolver and it misfired so much that I had their rep take a look at it; it had a broken firing pin. My Taurus .22 Magnum Revolver is finicky about the ammo it uses. My Taurus .44 Magnum Revolver started misfiring about every 20 shots; I did a trigger job on it and replaced some springs. It works fine now. My Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Revolver misfires from time to time because once in awhile you get a bad round. If you limp wrist your semi-auto, you will cause a malfunction. I know that all weapons will malfunction and not fire 100% of the time and if they haven't yet, they will sooner or later. That is why my wife and I practice dealing with malfunctions. We know it will happen!
Watch the Armchair General as they handle weapons. If the person can't keep their trigger finger off of the trigger when handling a weapon... then I already know that they don't have a clue. If they can't keep their trigger finger off of the trigger when handling a weapon, then based on my experience, that person will end up pointing their weapon at you or at somebody else. They will not keep their weapon pointed down range. Yes that is a concern, yes that person shouldn't have a weapon. Yes the Anti-Gun nuts will use that as an excuse for banning weapons. But the gun is not the problem, it is the person who is the problem.
If a person is that careless with a gun, then let's do something about the weapon they use and operate everyday - let's take away their driving privileges. These type of people don't stop for red lights, they charge yellow lights. They don't stop for stop signs. They talk and text on their phones while driving. They don't follow the speed limits. They tailgate other vehicles. They don't yield to pedestrians. They don't use their turn signals. They drink and drive. These people injure and kill more people with their 3,000 plus pound vehicle every year than guns do!
Will banning cars or passing more laws make us safer? Will it stop these people from doing what they want? Yes, I know, there are a lot of idiots out their with guns. But, for every idiot with a gun, there are 100 idiots with a knife. For every 100 idiots with a knife, there are 10,000 idiots driving a vehicle. These types of people won't be good parents. They won't be a reliable friend. Their not good co-workers. The simple truth is that they cause more injuries, carnage, death and destruction with their vehicles than guns!
If the person tells you that they write for a living and test weapons for a living... so what. It doesn't mean that they know what they are talking about. Think about this for a moment, have you ever picked up a gun magazine and read an article that said not to buy a Smith & Wesson because it was bad? Have you ever read an article in Car & Driver that said don't buy this Ford or Chevy because it is horrible and dangerous? So what, I have decided to start writing and making video's about weapons... it doesn't mean that I know what I am talking about. I teach my students to keep an open mind and to check multiple sources for information. I am also telling you to do the same... check multiple sources!
Here is a list of handgun cartridges http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_handgun_cartridges
Here is a list of rifle cartridges http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rifle_cartridges
Have that Armchair General go through those incomplete lists and tell you which rifle and handgun bullet is the absolute best and why? As they give their answer, please keep in mind that if the gun and ammo manufactures can't decide on what is the best... then you just might want to question the answers that your Armchair General is giving. I would love to have the perfect weapon that will work for every single situation real or imagined!
What do I teach? What do I believe? What do I think is the best weapon?
Well, that is a long complicated answer to some serious and important questions and I would like to present some random thoughts for your consideration!
I believe that the most important weapon that you have is your mind. If you can't use your mind in an emergency then a weapon is of no value. If you can't react in an emergency, then a weapon is of no value. It is also important to expand on this point by stating that weapons do not solve problems. They can and will create problems for you. Force or violence is not the answer. We are civilians, we are not Law Enforcement, we are not the military. Learn to use your mind for conflict. Learn to use your mind and learn how to avoid conflict. Do not put yourself or allow yourself to be placed in a bad situation. If you find yourself in a bad situation, pull the plug, step back and hit the reset button. Put an end to it and don't escalate the situation. Let the person your dealing with run off with their mouth... you will be surprised at what you learn!
I believe that shot placement is more important than the size of the gun or the caliber of the bullet. For every bad guy that our US Military kills, over 10,000 rounds were shot. I have watched video's of shootouts between Police and bad guys where over 100 shots were fired and nobody was hit. If you can't hit the target then I don't care how big your weapon is. I need to expand on this thought as well. Please keep in mind that behind every bullet is a lawyer waiting to sue you. Behind every bullet is an officer ready to arrest you. Behind every bullet is a Prosecutor. Behind every bullet is a jury ready to convict you. Behind every bullet is a Judge ready to sentence you. What do you think will happen if you shoot a bad guy? You will be sued! What do you think will happen if you miss the bad guy and kill an innocent bystander? You will be sued and you will go to prison!
I am not a violent person and have resigned from jobs to get away from abusive, confrontational, violent and unprofessional managers. I have walked away from violent people. I have dealt with violent people who have threatened my life. I have ended business relationships with people who do not share my values. I have dealt with burglar's. I have put people in prison. Violence is not the answer and should only be used in life or death situations and if you are the one who created the situation, you will be the one who goes to jail. I know from personal experience that violence is not the answer. I know that weapons are not always needed for all situations.
I am six feet tall and weigh 220lbs and I don't feel that a petite person who weighs less than 100 lbs is going to have the same attitude towards situations that I do. I don't feel that my advice is going to work for everyone. If you want to see what I am talking then watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogGBPVk5GQk
I feel that proper training from multiple sources is best, that practice and more practice is very important. My wife and I take a new course every year or so. We practice at least once a month, sometimes weekly. From a holstered weapon and a steel 6 inch target at 21 feet away, my draw and fire has been timed at 1.03 seconds. My instructor could do the same shot in 0.74 seconds and I know of people who can do it in 0.30 seconds. The average Police officer takes about 3 seconds. If you don't have the training and don't practice, you may not do very well in an emergency.
Training is important. Training is very important. But finding a good trainer is very hard. Finding a good trainer is even harder than finding the time to take courses or finding the time to train. I know of a trainer who became so mad at their student that he put a bullet hole through the students vehicle to teach a lesson and this happened in Tennessee. I know of a trainer in hand to hand combat who deliberately hurt the student in order to teach a person a lesson and bragged about it to his friends and colleague's. Do you really want to take advice from trainers or people like that - who have that much anger and hatred in their lives? I have watched trainers who felt it necessary to hold a women so that they could show them the proper way to hold a weapon. It had nothing to do with training, a cheap feel was on their mind. The more attractive the woman, the more likely this is going to occur. These trainers have never held me like that before. I question the advice that trainers like that would give and you just might want to question their advice as well.
I feel that staying within your budget and avoiding the latest and greatest hype is important. If all you can afford is a .22 revolver, then you should do fine. I do use a .22 for personal defense. I have a .22 magnum for personal defense. I have a .380 for personal defense. I have a .40 cal for personal defense. My wife keeps a loaded .357 magnum by the bed. Our fighting sticks are located around the house. My sword is ready for use. If you know about the perfect weapon for all situations, that won't be taken away or banned, please let me know about it.
Just keep in mind that our lives are not centered around these items. Our lives are not controlled by these weapons. The .22's are empty and locked up. The .22 magnums are empty and locked up. Our fighting sticks are around here somewhere collecting dust. My sword is on display rack. My wife would have to get out of bed, find the .357 magnum, get it out of the case before she could even use it. All of our weapons are secured - our lives do not revolve around weapons!
Now with this said, I need to expand on this thought. I do not carry a concealed weapon. I do not carry a weapon in my vehicle. My chances of being a victim of violent crime is about 16 in 1,000 now if my math is correct, that means that I have less than a 2% chance of being a victim of violent crime. Now based on my history of dealing with violent people, my odds of being a victim might be higher, but I am not going to live my life in fear or have it based on paranoia. Yes we train and train. Am I worried about anything happening? No! I can't worry about something that hasn't happened yet.
The question that I asked myself is do I want to live a life based on fear and paranoia and my answer is no, I do not!
I know people who sleep with a knife at their side. I know people who sleep with a gun at their side. I know people who sleep with a club at their side. I know people who sleep with all of that and more at their side and I asked myself, "Do I really want to live like that?"
No, I do not want to live like that!
The next question I had to consider was do I want advice from people who live their lives based on fear and paranoia?
When I asked myself that question, then I realized that the advice these people were giving me was really bad and made no sense. It wasn't safe, sane, practical or realistic and these people will end up sucking you into their fog of fear, paranoia and insanity and all I am saying is watch out and beware!
OK, so you have decided to buy a weapon. The question you have to ask is what can you afford? What will you use it for? How often will you practice? How often will you clean it? How will you store it? What type of ammo will you use in it? What kind of holster will you have? Will you have it on your ankle? Will it be on your thigh? Will it be on your waist? Will it be inside the pants or outside of the pants? What is the situation that concerns you. Do you really need a weapon? Where do you live? What is your situation? My choice for personal defense weapons may not be appropriate for a person who lives in a place like Alaska. My choice for a personal defense weapon may not be appropriate for a person who lives in Montana. My choice of weapon will change based on the time of year and location!
I feel that you should be able to operate your weapon easily with little or no trouble. If you struggle with the slide of the semi-auto, don't buy it. If you can't operate the magazine release easily, don't buy it. If the trigger pull is really heavy for you, don't buy it. If you are not going to get regular training or train on a regular basis, don't buy it. Get yourself a dog and enjoy life!
Try before you buy. There are plenty of places that will rent weapons for their range. Their are plenty of people who will be more than happy to let you squeeze off a few rounds from their weapon. If you have a good attitude, if you approach people correctly, if you do a bit of study and research, you will find the weapon that is best for your situation!
I feel that doing something is better than doing nothing if it is done from a solid, safe, sane and informed viewpoint. But don't make the mistake of living in fear. Don't make the mistake of thinking a gun, knife or club will keep you safe or solve problems. Again, get yourself a dog and enjoy life!
I feel that your attitude and willingness to learn and keep an open mind combined with everything listed above is very important. If you think that you know it all, then it is time to sell your weapons. Now lets examine this point a bit more. Attitude, willingness to learn, keeping an open mind combined with everything listed -- Do you abuse or take illegal drugs? If you do, don't buy the weapon. Are you rude, disrespectful or abusive towards friends, family or co-workers? If you are, don't buy the weapon! Do you experience road, work or spousal rage? If you do, don't buy the weapon! If you are drinking a six pack or more each night... then you don't need a weapon. If you have been taking subscription pain medicine for longer than six weeks... then you don't need a weapon! If you are taking alcohol and subscription pain medication together and have been doing this for longer than three weeks, then you don't need a weapon!
Do you live your life in fear and paranoia? If you do, please don't get a weapon! Do you think it is OK to bend or break the rules if it benefits you? If you do, please don't buy the weapon! Are you abusive towards your students? When teaching a female, do you go for a quick cheap feel? Have you ever hurt your student deliberately? Then you don't need a weapon and you shouldn't be training anyone! Do you keep two or more types of weapons by your bed? Then you don't need a weapon! Do you think the world is going to end? Then why buy a weapon? Do you think our Government is out to get you? You don't need a weapon! Do you belong to a hate group? You don't need a weapon! Do you have more than one type of weapon hidden on your body? Then you do not need a weapon.
I would like to expand on this thought a bit more. There was a very famous Football player who was arrested because he ran a dog fighting club. A year later, many of the fighting dogs were being placed with families. Despite the cruelty and abuse, the dogs were very well adjusted and loving. Do you have a dog that dislikes a particular sex, group of people or segment of society? If you do, then you should not have any weapon. The reason for this is very simple, your pets, just like your children, are mirrors of your personality and soul.
I have trained dogs, cats including parrots and do know something about this subject. You have a mean dog? You should never have a weapon!
Speaking of children, more and more restaurants and other businesses are banning children. It isn't the kids who are the problem, it is the parents. If your children would be banned from these restaurants and businesses, then you should not have any weapons. You don't have the personality, discipline, patience, or resolve that owning weapons require!
Again, if you answered yes to any of these question... there is not a but... you can offer all the excuses that you want... you can make any rationalization that you wish... The sad reality is you should not have any weapons at all!
Do you really need a weapon? If not, don't buy the weapon!
If you do not understand why my wife and I need and want weapons - then you don't need a weapon!
With this said, I could be wrong!
My advice to people is beware of the Armchair General that passes out advice who don't know your situation. (Now keep in mind that as I give you this advice, I am playing the part of the 'Armchair General' so please beware!) If you are going to read this article, slow down, take your time, study it and think long and hard about what I am trying to say!
Do not rely on one source for your information. I don't rely on one source for information so you shouldn't either. Don't rely on me for all of the answers. Keep in mind that I don't have all the answers. I am still learning!
Trust your gut, trust your instincts, and trust the little voice in your head!
Research, research and research. Study, study and study. Ask questions, ask questions and ask questions!
Take everything that you are told with a grain of salt and a lot of doubt!
If they tell me that they know what they are talking about because they are a cop, in the military, work at a gun store, have 50 years of experience, studied really hard, own 300 weapons, are an instructor, have taught for years, or that they were told by a friend who is a cop, or read about it on the Internet... watch out! (Folks, I have some of those qualifications and it doesn't mean that I know what I am talking about!)
If the person tells you that you need to get a .45 because it has one shot stopping power... watch out, I already know that they don't have a clue. If there was such a thing as one shot stopping power - don't you think that every single police department would be using that caliber? Don't you think our Military would have our soldiers using that weapon? Don't you think that most people would be using that caliber all of the time?
Now as far as large calibers are concerned, keep in mind that back in 2008, when people were scared that tough gun laws were coming, you couldn't find or buy .380 ammo. It was hard to find a Beretta Bobcat .22 and the point I am trying to make is that there are a lot of people who will tell you one thing but in reality they have the small stuff in their collections for a reason. The reason why they have those items in their collections - because they will do the job and if you have doubts, please read the following article:
An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power
With this in mind, if a person tells you that the weapon you bought is to small that you should have bought and names some big expensive weapon or whatever... then I already know that they just don't have a clue. OK great, so they can afford to buy an ultra-premium weapon that has been customized to the hilt and makes them look good at the range. Let's see how good they are with a Beretta Bobcat in their hands. Let's see if they can hit the target with a Ruger Nano. Let's see if they can move and shoot while hitting the target. Talk is cheap and if they can't adapt to a variety of weapons, then what can they really teach you? If there was such a thing as the best weapon to own, don't you think that my wife and I would have bought it by now?
I once had a sales person at a very respected national store tell me that a .22, .380, 9mm or .40 were bad choices, that he recommended the Kimber style 1911 in .45 because it was obvious to him that I knew quality - when I saw it, that no matter where you shot a person with it, they would go down. He then went on to say that I would never know when I would meet a 300lb Crack Addict who was high on Meth. My wife immediately started elbowing me to stay silent.
Folks, the Armchair General will always cite the most stupid, ignorant, ridiculous, impossible or highly unlikely situation that justifies their belief system. Please do not make the mistake of purchasing a weapon based on a ridiculous or highly unlikely situation - chances are you will just be wasting money!
The Armchair General will base some of their advice on hearsay. It won't be based on hands on experience. Ask them if they ever owned the weapon that they are saying don't buy? If they haven't owned it, then how can they give practical advice about it? Did they hear a bad review from a friend? Did they read about it in a magazine? Don't hesitate to ask them questions about the source of their information. If they told you that they owned it but it was so bad that they got rid of it... now hang on a second and think about what they just said - think for a moment about their values, beliefs and ethics. They just told you that they sold or traded off the problem weapon to some poor unsuspecting individual. Do you really want to get advice from that kind of person?
The Armchair General will tell you to carry a backup weapon. I had one tell me that I needed to start carrying a knife along with a handgun. Folks, my CCW doesn't cover knives. That is an automatic go to jail offense. The Armchair General will be more than happy to give you advice about knives, rifles, semi-autos, revolvers, tasers and mace and not even have a clue about the 30,000 plus laws just on guns alone. What makes you think that they know anything about all of the knife laws in our country or know anything about the laws concerning Tasers or Mace? Try telling the judge about the advice the Armchair General gave you and see just how far that gets you!
If the Armchair General talks about how a revolver is so much more reliable than a semi-auto or vice-versa... I already know that they don't have a clue. Any weapon can malfunction and there is the chance that it will do so at the worst possible moment. Smith & Wesson had me try out their .44 Magnum Revolver and it misfired so much that I had their rep take a look at it; it had a broken firing pin. My Taurus .22 Magnum Revolver is finicky about the ammo it uses. My Taurus .44 Magnum Revolver started misfiring about every 20 shots; I did a trigger job on it and replaced some springs. It works fine now. My Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Revolver misfires from time to time because once in awhile you get a bad round. If you limp wrist your semi-auto, you will cause a malfunction. I know that all weapons will malfunction and not fire 100% of the time and if they haven't yet, they will sooner or later. That is why my wife and I practice dealing with malfunctions. We know it will happen!
Watch the Armchair General as they handle weapons. If the person can't keep their trigger finger off of the trigger when handling a weapon... then I already know that they don't have a clue. If they can't keep their trigger finger off of the trigger when handling a weapon, then based on my experience, that person will end up pointing their weapon at you or at somebody else. They will not keep their weapon pointed down range. Yes that is a concern, yes that person shouldn't have a weapon. Yes the Anti-Gun nuts will use that as an excuse for banning weapons. But the gun is not the problem, it is the person who is the problem.
If a person is that careless with a gun, then let's do something about the weapon they use and operate everyday - let's take away their driving privileges. These type of people don't stop for red lights, they charge yellow lights. They don't stop for stop signs. They talk and text on their phones while driving. They don't follow the speed limits. They tailgate other vehicles. They don't yield to pedestrians. They don't use their turn signals. They drink and drive. These people injure and kill more people with their 3,000 plus pound vehicle every year than guns do!
Will banning cars or passing more laws make us safer? Will it stop these people from doing what they want? Yes, I know, there are a lot of idiots out their with guns. But, for every idiot with a gun, there are 100 idiots with a knife. For every 100 idiots with a knife, there are 10,000 idiots driving a vehicle. These types of people won't be good parents. They won't be a reliable friend. Their not good co-workers. The simple truth is that they cause more injuries, carnage, death and destruction with their vehicles than guns!
If the person tells you that they write for a living and test weapons for a living... so what. It doesn't mean that they know what they are talking about. Think about this for a moment, have you ever picked up a gun magazine and read an article that said not to buy a Smith & Wesson because it was bad? Have you ever read an article in Car & Driver that said don't buy this Ford or Chevy because it is horrible and dangerous? So what, I have decided to start writing and making video's about weapons... it doesn't mean that I know what I am talking about. I teach my students to keep an open mind and to check multiple sources for information. I am also telling you to do the same... check multiple sources!
Here is a list of handgun cartridges http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_handgun_cartridges
Here is a list of rifle cartridges http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rifle_cartridges
Have that Armchair General go through those incomplete lists and tell you which rifle and handgun bullet is the absolute best and why? As they give their answer, please keep in mind that if the gun and ammo manufactures can't decide on what is the best... then you just might want to question the answers that your Armchair General is giving. I would love to have the perfect weapon that will work for every single situation real or imagined!
What do I teach? What do I believe? What do I think is the best weapon?
Well, that is a long complicated answer to some serious and important questions and I would like to present some random thoughts for your consideration!
I believe that the most important weapon that you have is your mind. If you can't use your mind in an emergency then a weapon is of no value. If you can't react in an emergency, then a weapon is of no value. It is also important to expand on this point by stating that weapons do not solve problems. They can and will create problems for you. Force or violence is not the answer. We are civilians, we are not Law Enforcement, we are not the military. Learn to use your mind for conflict. Learn to use your mind and learn how to avoid conflict. Do not put yourself or allow yourself to be placed in a bad situation. If you find yourself in a bad situation, pull the plug, step back and hit the reset button. Put an end to it and don't escalate the situation. Let the person your dealing with run off with their mouth... you will be surprised at what you learn!
I believe that shot placement is more important than the size of the gun or the caliber of the bullet. For every bad guy that our US Military kills, over 10,000 rounds were shot. I have watched video's of shootouts between Police and bad guys where over 100 shots were fired and nobody was hit. If you can't hit the target then I don't care how big your weapon is. I need to expand on this thought as well. Please keep in mind that behind every bullet is a lawyer waiting to sue you. Behind every bullet is an officer ready to arrest you. Behind every bullet is a Prosecutor. Behind every bullet is a jury ready to convict you. Behind every bullet is a Judge ready to sentence you. What do you think will happen if you shoot a bad guy? You will be sued! What do you think will happen if you miss the bad guy and kill an innocent bystander? You will be sued and you will go to prison!
I am not a violent person and have resigned from jobs to get away from abusive, confrontational, violent and unprofessional managers. I have walked away from violent people. I have dealt with violent people who have threatened my life. I have ended business relationships with people who do not share my values. I have dealt with burglar's. I have put people in prison. Violence is not the answer and should only be used in life or death situations and if you are the one who created the situation, you will be the one who goes to jail. I know from personal experience that violence is not the answer. I know that weapons are not always needed for all situations.
I am six feet tall and weigh 220lbs and I don't feel that a petite person who weighs less than 100 lbs is going to have the same attitude towards situations that I do. I don't feel that my advice is going to work for everyone. If you want to see what I am talking then watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogGBPVk5GQk
I feel that proper training from multiple sources is best, that practice and more practice is very important. My wife and I take a new course every year or so. We practice at least once a month, sometimes weekly. From a holstered weapon and a steel 6 inch target at 21 feet away, my draw and fire has been timed at 1.03 seconds. My instructor could do the same shot in 0.74 seconds and I know of people who can do it in 0.30 seconds. The average Police officer takes about 3 seconds. If you don't have the training and don't practice, you may not do very well in an emergency.
Training is important. Training is very important. But finding a good trainer is very hard. Finding a good trainer is even harder than finding the time to take courses or finding the time to train. I know of a trainer who became so mad at their student that he put a bullet hole through the students vehicle to teach a lesson and this happened in Tennessee. I know of a trainer in hand to hand combat who deliberately hurt the student in order to teach a person a lesson and bragged about it to his friends and colleague's. Do you really want to take advice from trainers or people like that - who have that much anger and hatred in their lives? I have watched trainers who felt it necessary to hold a women so that they could show them the proper way to hold a weapon. It had nothing to do with training, a cheap feel was on their mind. The more attractive the woman, the more likely this is going to occur. These trainers have never held me like that before. I question the advice that trainers like that would give and you just might want to question their advice as well.
I feel that staying within your budget and avoiding the latest and greatest hype is important. If all you can afford is a .22 revolver, then you should do fine. I do use a .22 for personal defense. I have a .22 magnum for personal defense. I have a .380 for personal defense. I have a .40 cal for personal defense. My wife keeps a loaded .357 magnum by the bed. Our fighting sticks are located around the house. My sword is ready for use. If you know about the perfect weapon for all situations, that won't be taken away or banned, please let me know about it.
Just keep in mind that our lives are not centered around these items. Our lives are not controlled by these weapons. The .22's are empty and locked up. The .22 magnums are empty and locked up. Our fighting sticks are around here somewhere collecting dust. My sword is on display rack. My wife would have to get out of bed, find the .357 magnum, get it out of the case before she could even use it. All of our weapons are secured - our lives do not revolve around weapons!
Now with this said, I need to expand on this thought. I do not carry a concealed weapon. I do not carry a weapon in my vehicle. My chances of being a victim of violent crime is about 16 in 1,000 now if my math is correct, that means that I have less than a 2% chance of being a victim of violent crime. Now based on my history of dealing with violent people, my odds of being a victim might be higher, but I am not going to live my life in fear or have it based on paranoia. Yes we train and train. Am I worried about anything happening? No! I can't worry about something that hasn't happened yet.
The question that I asked myself is do I want to live a life based on fear and paranoia and my answer is no, I do not!
I know people who sleep with a knife at their side. I know people who sleep with a gun at their side. I know people who sleep with a club at their side. I know people who sleep with all of that and more at their side and I asked myself, "Do I really want to live like that?"
No, I do not want to live like that!
The next question I had to consider was do I want advice from people who live their lives based on fear and paranoia?
When I asked myself that question, then I realized that the advice these people were giving me was really bad and made no sense. It wasn't safe, sane, practical or realistic and these people will end up sucking you into their fog of fear, paranoia and insanity and all I am saying is watch out and beware!
OK, so you have decided to buy a weapon. The question you have to ask is what can you afford? What will you use it for? How often will you practice? How often will you clean it? How will you store it? What type of ammo will you use in it? What kind of holster will you have? Will you have it on your ankle? Will it be on your thigh? Will it be on your waist? Will it be inside the pants or outside of the pants? What is the situation that concerns you. Do you really need a weapon? Where do you live? What is your situation? My choice for personal defense weapons may not be appropriate for a person who lives in a place like Alaska. My choice for a personal defense weapon may not be appropriate for a person who lives in Montana. My choice of weapon will change based on the time of year and location!
I feel that you should be able to operate your weapon easily with little or no trouble. If you struggle with the slide of the semi-auto, don't buy it. If you can't operate the magazine release easily, don't buy it. If the trigger pull is really heavy for you, don't buy it. If you are not going to get regular training or train on a regular basis, don't buy it. Get yourself a dog and enjoy life!
Try before you buy. There are plenty of places that will rent weapons for their range. Their are plenty of people who will be more than happy to let you squeeze off a few rounds from their weapon. If you have a good attitude, if you approach people correctly, if you do a bit of study and research, you will find the weapon that is best for your situation!
I feel that doing something is better than doing nothing if it is done from a solid, safe, sane and informed viewpoint. But don't make the mistake of living in fear. Don't make the mistake of thinking a gun, knife or club will keep you safe or solve problems. Again, get yourself a dog and enjoy life!
I feel that your attitude and willingness to learn and keep an open mind combined with everything listed above is very important. If you think that you know it all, then it is time to sell your weapons. Now lets examine this point a bit more. Attitude, willingness to learn, keeping an open mind combined with everything listed -- Do you abuse or take illegal drugs? If you do, don't buy the weapon. Are you rude, disrespectful or abusive towards friends, family or co-workers? If you are, don't buy the weapon! Do you experience road, work or spousal rage? If you do, don't buy the weapon! If you are drinking a six pack or more each night... then you don't need a weapon. If you have been taking subscription pain medicine for longer than six weeks... then you don't need a weapon! If you are taking alcohol and subscription pain medication together and have been doing this for longer than three weeks, then you don't need a weapon!
Do you live your life in fear and paranoia? If you do, please don't get a weapon! Do you think it is OK to bend or break the rules if it benefits you? If you do, please don't buy the weapon! Are you abusive towards your students? When teaching a female, do you go for a quick cheap feel? Have you ever hurt your student deliberately? Then you don't need a weapon and you shouldn't be training anyone! Do you keep two or more types of weapons by your bed? Then you don't need a weapon! Do you think the world is going to end? Then why buy a weapon? Do you think our Government is out to get you? You don't need a weapon! Do you belong to a hate group? You don't need a weapon! Do you have more than one type of weapon hidden on your body? Then you do not need a weapon.
I would like to expand on this thought a bit more. There was a very famous Football player who was arrested because he ran a dog fighting club. A year later, many of the fighting dogs were being placed with families. Despite the cruelty and abuse, the dogs were very well adjusted and loving. Do you have a dog that dislikes a particular sex, group of people or segment of society? If you do, then you should not have any weapon. The reason for this is very simple, your pets, just like your children, are mirrors of your personality and soul.
I have trained dogs, cats including parrots and do know something about this subject. You have a mean dog? You should never have a weapon!
Speaking of children, more and more restaurants and other businesses are banning children. It isn't the kids who are the problem, it is the parents. If your children would be banned from these restaurants and businesses, then you should not have any weapons. You don't have the personality, discipline, patience, or resolve that owning weapons require!
Again, if you answered yes to any of these question... there is not a but... you can offer all the excuses that you want... you can make any rationalization that you wish... The sad reality is you should not have any weapons at all!
Do you really need a weapon? If not, don't buy the weapon!
If you do not understand why my wife and I need and want weapons - then you don't need a weapon!
With this said, I could be wrong!
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