Survivor’s Notebook #4
What About Self Defense?
I’ve never been all that interested in guns, but I have owned them all of my adult life. Mostly the guns sat on the shelf
and I rarely made it to the range to shoot them. I haven’t been hunting in very long time either. I assumed that if the
need arose, the guns would be there and I would be able to use them to protect the family. Like many assumptions, it
was dead wrong.
Yes, I knew how to use the guns, but after making a trip to the firing range recently it became obvious that I had become
a little rusty. I fumbled a little bit and had to re-familiarize myself with a few things. In the event of a home break-in some
night while snoozing away, I would be much slower to respond and add to that dim lighting and emotion and it would put
me at a huge disadvantage. Shame on me for that! From now on I will go to the range at least once a month, and dry
fire them at home every week. That way it will be second nature to me if I ever I have to use them in defense.
There are other methods of self and home defense if you can’t stand the thought of a gun in your house. Frankly those
other methods fall far short of the protection afforded by a gun in the hands of a capable person, but they could at least
buy you some precious time to escape. If you are dead set against owning a gun it could be because you are not
accustomed to them and your fear is understandable. If you learned how to safely and effectively handle guns, your fear
would no doubt dissipate quickly.
I highly recommend the courses offered by the National Rifle Association as a way to become proficient and comfortable
in the use of guns. There are other sources for training of course, just be sure they are reputable and knowledgeable. I
would recommend a revolver for your first gun because of their simplicity and reliability. A .357 magnum that also fires
the 38 special, a less powerful round, is a good choice to start with. This way you can learn and practice with the less
powerful round and have the option of the more powerful .357 if you think it is more suitable in the future. A larger
caliber could be too hard to handle and it shoots right through the walls with ease. A smaller caliber will probably not
have the stopping power you need.
Before you take it out shooting, get some training on how to safely and effectively handle the gun. Go to the range with
the instructor as many times as it takes for you to be confident in using it by yourself. One time may be enough, but
maybe several times would be better.
These are NRA rules for safe gun handling: NRA Gun Safety Rules:
If you are like me and fortunate enough to have excellent police protection that can respond in a matter of a few
minutes, then you have felt pretty safe. But recent headlines have caused me to reconsider all of that. Sure the police
can be here in minutes most of the time, but what if they are overloaded with an emergency situation. What if the police
have been targeted by terrorists and their ranks have been reduced substantially. In these cases it falls on the citizen to
provide security for themselves and those they care about. The only other option is become the prey of the predators
that stalk for victims among the peaceful law abiding people.
In one recent case where a mother and daughter were murdered by two thugs, the police delayed entering the
residence while the crime was in progress as they surrounded the house and put up road blocks. Precious minutes were
lost, if whoever called 911 had also had a weapon in hand, it could have been two dead or captured thugs, instead of
two helpless victims murdered. Of course we have to remember the senseless killings at Virginia Tech and how
obviously it could have been a much lesser tragedy if just one student or professor had been armed. In our biggest
cities where the crime and murder rates are the highest, a law abiding citizen is highly restricted in providing for his own
protection. The restrictions are not just for guns, but also for stun guns, tasers, mace and pepper spray, and some
places you can’t even carry a big stick. Check your local laws before you acquire self defense weapons, but by all
means get what you legally can.
There are problems with using some of the alternatives to guns. Stun guns and tasers are often more restricted by law
than a firearm. To use a stun gun you have to be up close and personal and you don’t want to do that with a bad guy.
Of course it is better than nothing if you can’t help being that close, it may even be better than a gun sometimes.
So why not have both!
Tasers have the advantage of incapacitating the attacker from a distance and can be left activated for several seconds
while you get away. Some tasers also have a stun gun capability built in. Pepper spray is a problem inside a room
because obviously some of the gas from the discharge will mix with the air in the room and possibly cause you some
severe discomfort and impairment also. The main problem with all of these is that they are only very temporary solutions
and as soon as the bad guy(s) recover they will be coming at you again. They only provide a small window of time for
you to make your escape.
There is also the use of martial arts. If you are an accomplished martial artist that’s good, but if you are a graduate from
a suburban McDojo (AKA belt mill) then don’t try it. Martial arts training in the USA ranges from outright fraud (the
McDojo) to some very professional training that is of great value. Check them out carefully before signing a contract. I
suspect that even a Grand Master might prefer a Smith & Wesson when confronting thugs who have just broken into his
home in the middle of the night.
Copyright 2008 Tim Thomas
What About Self Defense?
I’ve never been all that interested in guns, but I have owned them all of my adult life. Mostly the guns sat on the shelf
and I rarely made it to the range to shoot them. I haven’t been hunting in very long time either. I assumed that if the
need arose, the guns would be there and I would be able to use them to protect the family. Like many assumptions, it
was dead wrong.
Yes, I knew how to use the guns, but after making a trip to the firing range recently it became obvious that I had become
a little rusty. I fumbled a little bit and had to re-familiarize myself with a few things. In the event of a home break-in some
night while snoozing away, I would be much slower to respond and add to that dim lighting and emotion and it would put
me at a huge disadvantage. Shame on me for that! From now on I will go to the range at least once a month, and dry
fire them at home every week. That way it will be second nature to me if I ever I have to use them in defense.
There are other methods of self and home defense if you can’t stand the thought of a gun in your house. Frankly those
other methods fall far short of the protection afforded by a gun in the hands of a capable person, but they could at least
buy you some precious time to escape. If you are dead set against owning a gun it could be because you are not
accustomed to them and your fear is understandable. If you learned how to safely and effectively handle guns, your fear
would no doubt dissipate quickly.
I highly recommend the courses offered by the National Rifle Association as a way to become proficient and comfortable
in the use of guns. There are other sources for training of course, just be sure they are reputable and knowledgeable. I
would recommend a revolver for your first gun because of their simplicity and reliability. A .357 magnum that also fires
the 38 special, a less powerful round, is a good choice to start with. This way you can learn and practice with the less
powerful round and have the option of the more powerful .357 if you think it is more suitable in the future. A larger
caliber could be too hard to handle and it shoots right through the walls with ease. A smaller caliber will probably not
have the stopping power you need.
Before you take it out shooting, get some training on how to safely and effectively handle the gun. Go to the range with
the instructor as many times as it takes for you to be confident in using it by yourself. One time may be enough, but
maybe several times would be better.
These are NRA rules for safe gun handling: NRA Gun Safety Rules:
If you are like me and fortunate enough to have excellent police protection that can respond in a matter of a few
minutes, then you have felt pretty safe. But recent headlines have caused me to reconsider all of that. Sure the police
can be here in minutes most of the time, but what if they are overloaded with an emergency situation. What if the police
have been targeted by terrorists and their ranks have been reduced substantially. In these cases it falls on the citizen to
provide security for themselves and those they care about. The only other option is become the prey of the predators
that stalk for victims among the peaceful law abiding people.
In one recent case where a mother and daughter were murdered by two thugs, the police delayed entering the
residence while the crime was in progress as they surrounded the house and put up road blocks. Precious minutes were
lost, if whoever called 911 had also had a weapon in hand, it could have been two dead or captured thugs, instead of
two helpless victims murdered. Of course we have to remember the senseless killings at Virginia Tech and how
obviously it could have been a much lesser tragedy if just one student or professor had been armed. In our biggest
cities where the crime and murder rates are the highest, a law abiding citizen is highly restricted in providing for his own
protection. The restrictions are not just for guns, but also for stun guns, tasers, mace and pepper spray, and some
places you can’t even carry a big stick. Check your local laws before you acquire self defense weapons, but by all
means get what you legally can.
There are problems with using some of the alternatives to guns. Stun guns and tasers are often more restricted by law
than a firearm. To use a stun gun you have to be up close and personal and you don’t want to do that with a bad guy.
Of course it is better than nothing if you can’t help being that close, it may even be better than a gun sometimes.
So why not have both!
Tasers have the advantage of incapacitating the attacker from a distance and can be left activated for several seconds
while you get away. Some tasers also have a stun gun capability built in. Pepper spray is a problem inside a room
because obviously some of the gas from the discharge will mix with the air in the room and possibly cause you some
severe discomfort and impairment also. The main problem with all of these is that they are only very temporary solutions
and as soon as the bad guy(s) recover they will be coming at you again. They only provide a small window of time for
you to make your escape.
There is also the use of martial arts. If you are an accomplished martial artist that’s good, but if you are a graduate from
a suburban McDojo (AKA belt mill) then don’t try it. Martial arts training in the USA ranges from outright fraud (the
McDojo) to some very professional training that is of great value. Check them out carefully before signing a contract. I
suspect that even a Grand Master might prefer a Smith & Wesson when confronting thugs who have just broken into his
home in the middle of the night.
Copyright 2008 Tim Thomas
