YOU ARE YOUR FAMILY’S FIRST RESPONDER.
Two Types of People
There are two kinds of people in this world. The first is the person who is always looking for someone else to take care of him or her. These people want the government to provide for them and the police to protect them. (Some call these people “sheep.”)
Then there’s the other kind of person. These people believe in personal responsibility. They live by the old saying ‘if it is to be, it’s up to me. They also believe that there is only ONE person responsible for their happiness, safety and security: ME! (Some call these people “sheepdogs.”)
Now, if you’re reading this, I bet you can relate to this concept of personal responsibility. Heck, you and I probably have a lot more than just that in common. So you’ll probably also understand how this wisdom revealed a huge frustration in my life.
LIKE IT OR NOT, YOU ARE YOUR FAMILY’S FIRST RESPONDER.
IS CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON REALLY NEEDED?
1,206,836 VIOLENT CRIMES REPORTED NATIONWIDE
Most law abiding any honest citizens know that when seconds count, the police are minutes away — at best.
These people take responsibility for their own safety. They choose to carry concealed weapons for the protection of their own lives and those of their loved ones.
They are not vigilantes, they are not cowboys or wanna-be cops, and they are certainly not wanna-be killers. They are people like you and me who realize that life and family are worth protecting in a dangerous world, and they want to have a fighting chance should crime come unbidden to them.
Lets look back to pre-1987. This is before Florida laws set the standard for allowing “shall-issue” carry permits. In that time citizens openly carried firearms and criminals knew it was very unlikely that their would-be victims were armed.
No more! The majority of states now are shall-issue. More citizens conceal carrying guns for protection on more American streets. Now criminals cannot know who is armed and who is not. This deters criminals and contributes to a decreasing trend in violent crimes nationwide.
The missions of the police officer and the armed citizen are different. However, guns in the hands of trained citizens can be just as effective against sudden attack as guns in the hands of trained police. The difference is that the responsibly armed citizen has the gun. He or she carries immediately at hand when danger strikes and need not wait minutes or even hours for help to arrive.
Sadly, most honest cops will tell you that most of the time, when they are called for help, they arrive after the danger has passed.
Violent crime has gone down in the United States for the last several decades. Add to this number of guns in civilian hands has gone up. However, there is still more than enough violent crime to give the prudent citizen cause for alarm. Violent crime is still a real threat that can strike anyone — anytime, anywhere.
We are the sheepdogs that have to help protect our loved ones, our friends and even complete strangers from the wolves out there. Facing the prospect of criminal attack, many citizens choose to arm themselves with handguns for the same reason police do: to protect themselves and others from deadly danger.
Facing the prospect of criminal attack, many citizens choose to arm themselves with handguns for the same reason police do: to protect themselves and others from deadly danger.
There are many options for personal protection. Things such as martial arts, knives or less-lethal devices like OC pepper spray and noise makers. Such devices are sometimes less effective at quickly and decisively stopping an aggressor, and they have the added disadvantage of needing to be used at close-contact range if they are to be effective at all.
By contrast, a gun delivers a powerful deterrent blow from a safer distance than a knife or pepper spray can. In the face of a potentially lethal attack, the No. 1 goal is the protection and survival of the innocent. That’s you, someone you love or another innocent person.
WHICH WEAPON OS BEST FOR ME?
FEW DECISIONS ARE AS PERSONAL AS SELECTING YOUR SIDEARM. WHETHER YOU GO REVOLVER OR SEMI-AUTO, REMEMBER TO FOCUS ON WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU.
As an American, you have a huge advantage when you want to carry a concealed pistol. Every law-abiding citizen and legal resident has the right to keep and bear arms. There are more firearms available to the average U.S. citizen than anywhere else on the planet.
Defensive carry handguns will typically be of two types: revolver or semi-auto pistol.
While available calibers range from .22 to .50 Action Express, the usual caliber range for serious self-defense starts at .380 ACP and goes up to .45 ACP.
The modern double-action revolver is inherently safe. It is simple to operate, easy to learn to use. However, they are difficult to shoot well. With practice they are capable of excellent accuracy. When loaded with today’s ammunition designed specifically for self-defense, gives good service to the responsibly armed citizen.
The chief drawback of the revolver is its capacity of five or six rounds, which some find to be too few.
The other choice is a semi-automatic pistol. These are commonly in calibers .380 ACP, 9mm, .40 S&W or .45 ACP.
The advantages of the semi-auto are larger ammunition capacity, faster reloads and greater ease of concealment. Since a semi-auto does not have a bulky cylinder, it is flatter and a little easier to conceal than a revolver.
The downside is it having more moving parts and thus more things to go wrong. This leads to a greater tendency to malfunction than a revolver.
However, with modern production techniques, proper training and proper maintenance on the part of the owner, semi-automatic pistols are capable of great reliability and are widely chosen for concealed carry.
The best firearm for you is the one that fits you and your carry needs. What you enjoy holding in the shop might not feel quite so good in your hands when you shoot it. Try to find a shop that allows you to rent firearms and try them out on its range before you buy.
Your choice for a self-defense sidearm should be one you can shoot comfortably and accurately and that you will carry every time you walk out your door.
After you choose one, practice with it until you can quickly and consistently hit the center of a man-sized target at ranges from 3 feet to 25 yards.
WHICH AMMO SHOULD I CARRY?
FROM HYPER-MODERN FRANGIBLES TO TRADITIONAL JACKETED HOLLOW-POINTS, THERE’S NEVER BEEN A WIDER SELECTION OF DEFENSIVE AMMUNITION.
Self-defense ammunition is the next important component of a self-defense system. It must be accurate, reliable and capable of delivering a hard hit.
Any effective defensive round must hit its target, preferably stay inside its target and deliver enough power on impact to stop that target from continuing aggressive action against the intended victim.
Your best bet for defensive ammunition includes a hollow-point bullet, which is designed to expand on impact.
You might also choose ammunition with a frangible bullet, which is designed to come apart on impact.
Both of these ammunition types dump the bulk of their energy into their target and deliver that energy with maximum force where it is needed most. Both of them put the brakes on when they hit the target, so they are less likely to go through the bad guy and hit an innocent bystander.
All these factors combine to make hollow-point and frangible rounds good choices for civilian self-defense.
Modern hollow-point and frangible rounds hit the target accurately and provide a good chance of stopping an aggressor. If you’re not sure which ammunition or bullet shape to choose, check what your local law enforcement agencies are using.
Police officers carry guns for a living, and their departments have a strong interest in ammunition that will help their officers stay safe. Whatever ammunition they adopt is likely a decent bet for you.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
Check out information, videos and training on PERSONAL DEFENSE NETWORK.