What is the deal with everyone thinking law enforcement (LE) and military are the only people we can depend on to handle and carry guns? This thinking is idiotic. I have trained law enforcement and military members that have no interest in guns. The requirements for them to qualify with a weapon are annoying to them and some don’t take it seriously. Just because these professions involve arms does not automatically make those with those jobs experts! Some of them only have knowledge of their service weapon. Give them something else and they are lost. At a point in my military experience we only qualified annually. And that was only with an M-16, not a pistol! I had to seek out more training and then was offered a small arms instructor SEI (Special Experience Identifier) because of my gun disease, I mean interest. Anyway, those that know nothing about guns think that the military teaches you so much about guns. There is a familiarity with certain guns, but general gun knowledge comes from somewhere else. Without trying to be arrogant or full of myself, real gun knowledge is something that has to be sought out. I would probably be safe to say that an instructor is pretty knowledgeable. But even an instructor can be wrong. At the very least, instructors don’t always agree about how things should be done. Generally speaking though, most instructors agree about safety.
Civilians (non-military or LE) can and do have extensive knowledge of firearms. There are more experts that are civilians than military or LE. So can the media and politicians stop bringing up that lame excuse for gun possession? It is like so many things non-gun people do no research on. I guess this is turning into a rant about how irresponsible the media and politicians are. Talking to one person about guns is like talking to one economist about the economy, you only get one view! And that view may, or may not, be reality!
Seek out competent instruction. Be prepared to pay a premium because this knowledge does not come easy or cheap. I feel in many ways I was lucky because of my affiliation with the military I was given opportunities to receive training not given to the general population. I also had the opportunity to receive training at a discounted rate because of my instructor status. I’m grateful for the kindness that other instructors have given me. But as I look at some of the instruction I’ve received that I’ve paid full price for, I see that over 30 years it has been in the thousands! Sometimes it’s not worth it, other times, even though it was expensive, it was a bargain!
There is a reluctance for training in the concealed carry world with those who are not really into guns but want to defend themselves and their families. I wish we could change our “gun culture”. I’m not sure it exists but I do know there are many different cultures in one. There are competitors. There are hunters. We have self-defenders. There are tactical gurus. Most of us are a mixture of several of these. At one time I competed. At one time I hunted. I have not either of those things in over a decade! But what I do know is the quest for more knowledge continues. There are some instructors that are very desirable to me to seek out. Masaad Ayoob, Clint Smith, and others I’d love to receive training from. Perhaps one day I’ll make the opportunity. But if you just got your carry license you should be more than casually thinking about addition training. Put together a plan for your training. Find the courses you want to take and start budgeting for them and planning time to take them. It’s not that important that you go to several courses in a year, but it’s important that you are saving and planning for training. By doing this you will get see progress and be kept up to date on the latest training, laws, and techniques. There are other ways to learn than just physical courses. There are some good online or recorded courses and there is even some merit to youtube. Be careful and picky about your training. Seek out competent instruction. If you have a training plan in place and you’re working that plan you will see progress. If you have an interest in competing or hunting these can help you learn more. But be realistic and have a plan. You may not turn into a gun nut like me and many others, but you should have an up to date, well rounded knowledge that will serve you for a life time. Don’t be reluctant to train.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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