Firearm Safety

Basic Preparedness – One Woman’s Journey, Part 2

~ grant.gallagher ~ 1 Comment

Author Tara Fleming is 56 years old, a 25 year resident of NJ, mother of 3 and employed in financial services. This is the second of two blog posts.

We reviewed some ideas for how to prevent and avoid emergencies in Part I. Now we will review some ideas for preparedness for disasters, small and large.

If you are comfortable, you may want to learn to safely and responsibly operate a firearm. Many ranges offer their own training courses, but there are great independent trainers, such ScotShot LLC and Compass Defense LLC, who may work better for you. If you are a woman, you may want to join an association such as Armed Women of America, which has Shooting Chapters across these United States. This really does make it much more comfortable for the beginner to learn along with others at the same level, or benefit from the wealth of knowledge of more experienced shooters.

If you do decide to explore this self-defense option, it is incumbent upon you to undertake the appropriate training for safe handling and operation of a firearm. Be prepared to spend time and money. Understand that training and practice should be continuous and consistent. It is a serious commitment, but very rewarding and worthwhile. You will need to check the laws in your state regarding required permits and licenses. The best place to start is with your local police department website, where you will be able to find the necessary forms and applications. You will also want to join an association such as US Law Shield, to protect yourself from legal events.

Pay attention and be aware of your surroundings! This is super important, especially as we age. It may seem obvious and natural but I guarantee you that it is not. We must make a conscious effort when out and about to keep our minds clear of distractions, eyes up and forward and remain aware. This is not saying to be paranoid and fearful when out and about, in fact it is the exact opposite. It is not complete relaxation, such as when we are at home, but neither is it a state of high alert, which would be very stressful. It is somewhere right in between. Just a slightly elevated state of awareness is what we should work towards. This takes practice, but it can become intuitive.

If able, you should consider learning a self-defense skill, such as Krav Maga, which does not depend solely on strength or size for effectiveness.

Learn about long term food and water storage. An organization called Outdoor Core has an excellent set of short on-line classes that covers a wide range of preparedness ideas and skill-sets, including one on preparing food storage in your home.

Form or join a preparedness group or club in your local community. Your friends and neighbors are a good place to start. It is good to have a reliable local network of like-minded individuals. Take advantage of free resources, too – the Federal Government makes a great starting point.

Prepare a “bug-out bag”. This will help you get to safety if you have to move in a hurry. You can buy them, or build one of your own, that is tailored to your specific needs. This can be as simple as a back pack with some basic supplies, or as much as you can reasonably carry.

Have a plan to get in touch with family members, understanding that cell towers may be down or overwhelmed. Agree on a meeting place out of town for extended communications disruptions or emergencies. Many towns and cities have citizen volunteer organizations, such as fire departments, police auxiliary and emergency management offices. Consider joining one of these organization as the training and knowledge you will gain is priceless.
Consider getting your HAM radio license so that you can be a communications resource for your community. This is a bit involved but if you are mechanically inclined, you may want to give it a go. Again, you may want to start with Outdoor Core and their Ham Cram course.

Take a first-aid and/or CPR course from the Red Cross. I’ve taken a few courses and really learned a lot. You would probably want to take some of the courses every year or every other year to keep your skills sharp.

Please keep the gas tank full or nearly full in all of your vehicles. Please. If you have to leave the vicinity in a hurry, chances are so will everyone else. You do not want to be stuck on a gas line or worse if the gas station is closed. I have gone from someone who drove around perpetually on “E” to now filling my tank once it is half empty.

There is a lot to learn in the world of preparedness. It is important not to become overwhelmed and discouraged. Remember, take it one step at a time and do your best within the scope of your finances, skills, ability and available space. If you are able, consider dedicating one evening per week or one day per month to preparedness activities. This can be done in an enjoyable and fun way, especially along with family and friends. It should not take away from your other regular life activities, but rather should enhance them. It is very likely that some of the things you already enjoy doing or skills and knowledge that you already have (exercising, gardening, firearms training, canning, fixing cars) are also prepping activities!

So have fun, learn new skills and share your knowledge with others. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem! To quote the great Creek Stewart, “It’s not if, but when.”

Buying a Handgun.

~ grant.gallagher

Author ScotShot Scott is an NRA and USCCA certified Instructor and Training Counselor in a range of firearms, and home and personal defense disciplines. In an Alternate Universe, he is a husband, father, grandfather, scientist, musician, educator and grumpy old professor. Just your average reactionary, short, fat old bald guy!

So you have decided to buy your first handgun. Well, as you saw previously, you’re not alone. In 2020 and 2021 in particular, the extent of handgun ownership has been increasing at an accelerating rate. At one point in 2020 people were literally buying any gun they could find, sight unseen. The reasons for this are obvious – political unrest, rioting and looting, rampant crime, “Defund the Police” and of course, COVID. More and more, we in the Silver Tiger community are taking responsibility for ourselves and with that comes the question, “Do we need a gun?”

There is a huge range of handguns to choose from and it can be difficult to make one’s way through the maze. Should I get revolver or a semi-automatic? What caliber should I choose? Do I want a big gun or a little one? Do we both need one? Is this gun too heavy? Is this gun too light? Well, let’s take an introductory look at some of these questions.

Buying a handgun legally. Every State has its own rules and regulations for buying a handgun legally, so we are not going to address these elements here. However, if you would like to get advice for your particular State, please contact us, using the “[email protected]” email address.

Revolvers are mechanically very straightforward. They have few moving parts and are very reliable. There’s little else to do apart from pointing the gun at the target or assailant and pulling the trigger to discharge the firearm. This is a huge advantage if you’ve been wakened at night, or you need to work quickly. Revolvers do have two important disadvantages however: they are difficult to reload quickly and, they often don’t hold more than five or six rounds of ammunition. Don’t disregard either of these points, because in any defensive encounter that you may be unfortunate enough to be in, you will fire more often and more quickly than you think you will.

Semi-Automatic Pistols have the main advantages that they are easy to reload and they hold more ammunition generally, so you can fire more shots before needing to reload. This may be important. However, their big disadvantage is that they have more moving parts and are mechanically more complex. While modern pistols are extremely reliable, they are still slightly less-so than revolvers. It’s up to you as individuals to decide what works best in your home-defense plan.

What Caliber do we need? A lot is written about so-called “Stopping Power” with the general theme that “bigger bullets are better”. My advice is not to think about that at all. The best caliber for you is the one that you are comfortable shooting. Yes, that can even be the humble 22LR. While 9mm is the most common and is a very effective defensive round, it’s hopeless for you if the gun hurts your hand every time you fire it, because you won’t train with it. Trust me, you won’t find anyone who is willing to walk towards you while you’re firing a 22LR or 380ACP handgun at them! So, find a caliber you like to shoot, and practice with it.

Large gun or small? Small guns are very attractive and appealing when you pick them up to try out in the shop, principally because they are light in the hand. Don’t be deceived. It’s better to choose a larger gun, for two reasons. First, it’s easier to hold and manipulate a larger gun without your fingers getting in the way of themselves. More importantly, small guns send more recoil straight back into your hand and so are more difficult to shoot. This is true regardless of caliber. It’s about the weight of the gun. Larger, heavier guns absorb more of the recoil from each shot and so are easier to shoot consistently. Larger guns also aim a little better, too.

How many guns do we need? My honest answer will always be that every adult in the home should have their own handgun for home and personal protection. If it is possible, then ideally they should be the same model handgun. If this isn’t possible, then every adult should be familiar and able to competently to access, load, unload and operate the family handgun, and practice with it at the range. If this isn’t possible, then they should take the same ammunition, or be from the same manufacturer and so on. We want to maximize using each other’s gun in an emergency.

Remember, anyone who has a gun should take basic safety training in the handling and safe-storage of their firearm. This is particularly true if your grandchildren come visiting!

Don’t hesitate to reach out with your questions or comments!