David Fessenden - Gun Digests the Future of Defensive Handgun Training Skills eShort

So where is all this going? Certainly firearms ownership, CCW permits and armed citizens carrying in public is not for everyone, but gun ownership and more citizens legally carrying weapons, coupled with the proliferation of private gun schools, has decreased violent crime in the United States.

We know that gun ownership is rising at an ever-increasing rate compared to a decade ago. The National Shooting Sports Federation (NSSF) states that, as of this writing, there are now nearly 65 million gun owners in the U.S. When you contrast that with the gun control/confiscation folly happening in the U.K, Australia and Canada and the steady increase in the number of gun-related crimes committed in those countries, it should make you pause and think this issue over from a non-biased perspective.

All three of these nations have reported and will no doubt continue to report a noticeable rise in the occurrence of violent gun-related crimes. Their response to this phenomenon is to enact more draconian gun control laws. Go figure. Part of their problem is that they refuse to accept the premise that the mere presence of lawfully- and responsibly-owned firearms in any given locale does not represent any particular danger to anyone and actually reduces violent crime.

Another major ingredient in this equation is the increased availability of professional firearms training institutes. Many more gun schools have been established in the last two decades. The true reason for the drop in crime is attributable to and concurrent with the rise in the number of law-abiding, trained, legally permitted armed citizens on the streets of the United States. As stated earlier, the criminal element is not anxious to meet an armed citizen. I have said often and loudly to all who would listen or are within earshot, these cowards have no interest in being confronted by an armed citizen with a firearm.

It is my considered opinion that the concept of the armed citizen as a crime deterrent is growing in acceptance by the American public and, surprisingly, by many local governments as well. The gun-owning public is saying, in effect, that we will step up and accept the responsibility for our own safety and protection. It is an awesome and demanding responsibility, but one that will reap enormous and long-term satisfaction and peace of mind for all.

The legal side of gun ownership is a veritable snakepit of good and bad. All gun owners need to take a crash course in the particulars of legal gun ownership in the state in which they reside. These statutes can vary from state to state and sometimes from city to city and it is incumbent on the individual gun owner to be well-versed on his local requirements for owning a firearm. A gun owner who is ignorant of these rules and regulations inevitably ends up getting crosswise with them, either unintentionally or intentionally. Most of us are conscientious law-bidding gun owners and play by all the rules.

Since I am not a lawyer and therefore not qualified to offer any legal advice on the subject of gun ownership and carrying a gun in public, I can only suggest that you consult with your attorney on this subject following a purchase of your first firearm. If you also have decided to apply for a concealed carry weapons permit (CCW), most respectable CCW classes have a portion of that class devoted to the legal responsibilities of concealed carry, usually taught by a retired or active duty law enforcement officer.

A knowledge of all the local statutes that govern firearms ownership will definitely affect the decisions you will make should you decide to carry a concealed weapon or even keep a gun in your home. When you couple this responsibility with your formal professional firearms training, you have built a solid base toward responsible, safe gun ownership, one that will minimize any legal problems for you and prevent any potential courtroom visits.

I would like to recommend a school that was formerly affiliated with Massad Ayoob, the Lethal Force Institute (LFI). It is located in Exeter, New Hampshire, and offers a heavy dose of education on the legal side of gun ownership and the use of lethal force in the protection of your life. LFI offers a Level I and Level II class in hand gun training. I strongly recommend attending one of these classes, if you are concerned about gun ownership and CCW carry laws in your state. The serious and conscientious gun owner will definitely benefit from having attended LFI, and its classes will complement any or all of your previous defensive handgun training.

ACTION: The moving parts contained within the frame of a firearm that allow it to cycle and be fired.

AFTER ACTION DRILL: Movements executed by the shooter after he has fired his weapon during a gun fight that will provide for improved safety and protection against the possibility of any additional lethal attacks.

AUTOLOADER: A pistol that is capable of reloading itself with the cycling of the slide. Also called a SEMIAUTOMATIC PISTOL or simply SEMIAUTO.

CONCEALMENT: A barrier that will hide the shooter from view but not necessarily from any shots fired into that barrier.

BACKSTRAP: The rear vertical portion of the frame of a pistol or revolver that lies between the stock panels.

BARREL: The rifled metal tube through which the bullet travels when the shot breaks.

BORE: The open inside portion of the barrel.

BREAK THE SHOT: The act of firing the weapon.

CARTRIDGE: A complete, unfired round. It contains the case, primer, powder and bullet (projectile).

CENTERFIRE: A cartridge with the primer centered in the base of the case.

CHAMBER: The open rear of the barrel into which the cartridge is placed prior to being fired.

CHAMBER CHECK: The act of easing the slide back approximately to expose the presence of a cartridge, thus determining that the weapon is either empty or loaded.

CONTROLLED PAIR: Two sighted shots fired at the intended target, each with a distinct, conscious sight picture.

COVER: A barrier that will protect you from any shots fired at you.

CROSS-EYED DOMINANT: The condition that occurs when your dominant firing side eye and your firing-side hand are opposite from one another. Example; Dominant eye is your right eye, firing-side hand is your left hand.

CYCLE OF OPERATION: The total function of a pistol from shot break, ejection of empty cartridge, stripping and loading of new full cartridge into the chamber and locking of slide into battery. For a revolver, it involves breaking the shot, rotation of the cylinder and alignment of barrel and the next chamber.