Let's Talk About Firearms!

For some people, using a firearm is not a bad idea for personal self-defense. The problem is that too many people focus on the power of the weapon and not the other issues. If you're serious about owning a firearm, it's those other issues that we need to focus on to determine if a firearm is really that good of an idea for you. In this regard, it's important to recognize the responsibility of a firearm and to consider some of the other issues without getting too lost in the stats. In a weird way, this is not to convince you whether or not to obtain a firearm but to take a step back and breathe before committing.

The All-Important Basics

Before you even look at a firearm for self-defense, take a deep breath and a serious step back. You can look up the statistics and arguments yourself; it's not going to make the decision any easier. You need to answer one question before even looking into it: "Can I take a human life?" The bottom line is that when you pull the trigger of a weapon designed to kill when it's pointed at another human, you cannot predict what will happen. You need to be aware that one possible effect of you pulling that trigger is the death of another person.

You will possibly be snuffing out a life.

There is no calling the bullet back. You cannot say, "But I just meant to scare him." It does not matter how good or bad your aim is. There is a reason why people are told, "Do not aim at something you do not wish to destroy"; there is always the possibility that you will be responsible for someone else's death once you pull the trigger. The decision to purchase a firearm is yours; you're the one that needs to make that decision.

Before you make that decision, you need to do yourself a favor and do the research, pay attention to arguments pro and con, and take a look at the statistics. Try to look at the situation as emotionless as possible, no matter how hard it may be, and there's no question that divorcing the decision from emotion is going to be hard. There is no right or wrong answer, so take some comfort in that: The decision is yours and yours alone.

If you do decide to purchase a firearm, seriously debate obtaining a concealed carry weapon permit (CCW). This allows you to carry a firearm in your purse or handbag. You're also going to need to buy a lot of accessories, such as a lock box for your vehicle (firearms are not allowed everywhere and they need to be transported safely) and a firearms safe (they need to be properly stored). You should also be prepared to go to the range every so often to stay sharp.

Also, make sure that you learn the terminology, such as the difference between the clip (used to feed the magazine) and the magazine (used to feed the weapon, or the difference between a cartridge (the shell, primer, and bullet) versus the bullet itself (the little piece that is propelled out the firearm). It may sound trivia, but knowing what you're talking about makes you a far more credible threat than just saying what you think sounds right.

Picking What Works For You

When you go in for training, you will usually be given the opportunity to try firearms of different calibers. Take advantage of this to find the one that feels most comfortable for you. You don't necessarily want the biggest, baddest weapon you can get your hands on; you want something that you're going to feel comfortable pulling out and using. The more comfortable you are with the weapon, the more accurate you're going to be with it. Don't worry about its ability to do damage; even the smallest firearm is capable of hitting someone with enough force to provide a convincing argument to leave you alone.

So please take advantage of the situation to find the pistol that you're comfortable with and don't worry about its size.

[Freebie Firing Tips: Do not aim the pistol "gangsta-style" (holding the pistol parallel to the ground). Maybe do it once to get out of your system, but only after talking your trainer into it. If you fire a more traditional style and don't force the weapon back into place, it should fall back into roughly the same place, making aiming a lot easier. Firing it "gangsta style" is not only harder to aim but you're going to have to put a lot more effort into bringing it back into line. It's also going to mark you as an amateur and if you do it while defending yourself, people are more likely to laugh at you than take you seriously.]

But What About The Home?

For home defense, either a shotgun or a rifle is not a bad idea. This is not to say that you should have a golf bag for your firearms, but if you are thinking of something for home defense and you can position your firearms safe close enough to where you sleep, then something bigger may not be a bad idea. For most people, a shotgun with some non-lethal rounds (rubber bullets, bean bags, and even rock salt rounds are available). The shotgun is also better for home defense as its firepower decreases over distance; this limits its effects to a more localized area than other firearms (in other words, it may shoot up a door or a wall, but it's not likely to penetrate it).

[It's worth noting that if you want a truly non-lethal but embarrassing option, a paint gun is more than sufficient. Just remember to not aim for the eyes, and the combination of welts (it does sting a little if you're hit by it) and paint ensures that the invader will have a problem hiding that they invaded your home.]

But What About Assault Rifles?

Pretending that we're all adults, the exact definition of "assault rifle" should not be an issue as we all know what's being discussed here. An assault rifle is all wrong for personal defense: It takes too long to get into a firing position, the barrel is too long to defend in close-quarters combat, and the method of stowing itself creates potential problems (someone can just grab the weapon giving them control over your actions until you can pull away). Also, a visible creates a challenge that someone is going to feel the need to answer at some point; a weapon should not draw attention to you.

If you're using an AR-15 to protect yourself when you go shopping at the mall you're an idiot. Period.

If you're in the middle of town or renting an apartment, these are just too powerful; they can easily penetrate walls, possibly injuring someone who isn't attacking you. Their size makes them pretty bad at urban defense. Worse, there's almost no way to store an assault rifle so that it can be quickly obtained in such a situation. Also, if someone knows you have it, it becomes a temptation for thieves or those looking for a weapon. In short, in this situation, it's more of a liability than useful.

These are decent hunting rifles (although there are better options), and are excellent for large prey, such as moose or feral pigs. They are best for home defense where you can see trouble coming up on you. This means that if you're defending a homestead or a house that's far away from other homes, especially if large predators are present, these are actually pretty good weapons.

In short, if you're defending the ranch or hunting, they're not bad. But for personal defense? You can do a lot better.

The Decision Is Yours

With all of that in mind, you should now be better able to determine if a firearm is right for you or not. A firearm is not for everyone, and that's fine; intrinsic to the debate is that everyone has the right to choose what is right for them. For some people, a firearm makes perfect sense given the risks that they face while for others they just don't feel they have the right temperament for a firearm. If someone is pressuring you into purchasing a firearm, their opinion should be suspect; odds are that they just want to use the firearm themselves or have an unhealthy interest in firearms. The bottom line is that you need to decide what works best for you, and no one else can make that decision for you.