This is always an ‘interesting’ question to ask in just about any undertaking, but I want to be a bit more specific this time.
What is good enough as a person that carries a weapon for personal protection?
I had a discussion with a friend yesterday about this. He teaches CCW classes on the east coast, and I’m an NRA instructor. We were looking at what would be the ‘basic’ competency that should be the goal.
Note- This is result of ‘our’ discussions, take this for what it is worth- e.g. nothing…
Have taken at least basic pistol classes to learn safety procedures, four rules, state laws, etc. Two recommended courses are Gunsite 250 or similar, and Mas Ayoob’s MAG 40. Attending state required concealed carry classes with certified instructors.
Actual proficiency boils down to these three things-
Being able to hit what one is aiming at; shot placement is key, regardless of caliber used. Knowing where your rounds are going, e.g. keeping them in the target… Taking a course and never going to the range will cause those limited skills to atrophy in a hurry!
Pistol drills- Reloads, malfunction drills, round counts, clearing/safing pistol. Can the person do those safely without muzzling themselves or anyone else? Again, practice is required to maintain that skill set.
Manipulation of the pistol- Safely drawing the pistol from how ever it is carried, in different environments e.g. summer, winter, with/without heavy cover garment/gloves.
- Outside the waistband holsters, or OWB.
- Inside the waistband holsters, or IWB.
- Pocket holsters.
- Shoulder holsters.
- Ankle holsters.
- Purses
- Murses
Some people change their carry pistols depending on the situation/time of year/other. If you do that, make sure you maintain proficiency with ALL of them.
Knowing when/where to use your pistol. Just because you carry one, doesn’t mean every situation calls for it. Being a ‘smart’ individual, e.g. not being where bad things are happening, in the wrong places, with the wrong people, etc.
Practical means of defusing a situation, e.g. leaving the area, getting under cover (NOT just concealment), etc.
Of note- There are a lot of ‘higher end’ courses one can take to improve your weapons handling TTPs but the bottom line is you need to go to the range and practice or dry fire routinely to maintain proficiency! Annette Evans wrote an excellent book on how to safely practice dry fire at home. I have a copy and use it!
It can be found on Amazon,
HERE, and it is aimed at all shooters-
Dry fire – practicing without live ammunition – is an essential tool for every gun owner who wants to learn how to handle his or her firearm more proficiently. It saves time and money while remaining an effective training method whether you are interested in guns for a hobby, for self-defense, or for competition. While there are many books that describe specific dry fire regimens, they don’t always give you the information you need to use them best. That’s where The Dry Fire Primer comes in. It bridges the gap between “I’ve heard of dry fire” and “I’m going to be a dry fire maniac and use it to its greatest potential.” Whether you’re brand-new to dry fire or just feel like you could be getting a bit more out of it, this book is for you.
YMMV, IANAL, and I sure as hell didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn last night… In other words, this post is supposed to make you think about where you are in your training/proficiency as you go about your daily lives and where you want to be.
