Firearm Training

Training with your Home Defense Firearm

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Author Glenn McDermott is the owner of the Firearms Education Center, and runs First Level Training, where he focuses on providing new shooters with the skills they need to confidently take their first shots on the live-fire range. He is an NRA Certified Pistol and rifle Instructor, and Chief Range Safety Officer. Glenn is also certified in defensive firearm instruction by the USCCA. This is the second of two blog posts.

Training with your firearm is important. As the saying goes, owning a piano doesn’t automatically make you a musician. There are several ways of training with your firearm, but the most important thing IS to train.

I like to train my students with a S.I.R.T. pistol. S.I.R.T. stands for ‘Shot Indicating Resetting Trigger’, and these pistols use a laser to indicate where your ‘shots’ are hitting. The resetting trigger simulates the feel of the trigger on your gun. These features help you developthe critical skills of sight alignment, sight picture and trigger control. Other tools are very useful when it comes to training. For example, the “iTarget Pro” uses an app on your smart phone to simulate target-shooting or air-soft guns. You could even set up a small laser ‘shooting’ range in your garage, basement, man-cave or she-shed.

It’s important to train with your surroundings. Not only do you have to train with your firearm, you must train in the place you may have to defend. What do I mean by this? Well, several considerations must be taken into account. What is ‘cover’? What is ‘concealment’? In what direction is it safe to fire?

A typical 9mm round can penetrate 6 layers of drywall easily, so you must pick directions in your house that it’s safe to fire from, and not dangerous to fire towards. For instance, in my home, looking out the front of my house, I can only shoot safely at a 10-2:00 o’clock position. The other areas in my home have houses in the line of fire, so they are not an option. Pick a safe spot inside or outside the home for family members to congregate out of harm’s way if an intruder has breached your security measures.

Make sure your home does not invite an intruder; home security starts with a secure home. Do a perimeter check, take a walk around your house and look for ways to get into your home. Think like an intruder. Do you have lawn furniture by a window that can be used as a step to enter by a window? This is just one way your home can be broken into.

Keep your house well-lit; burglars do not like to be seen. Use 3” screws on your door hinges and striker plates to make it more difficult to break in through a door, and have a code word to communicate a potentially bad situation to others in your home.

Taking all these factors into consideration, now you must ask yourself a tough question. Do you have the temperament to shoot someone? Are you able to shoot someone, knowing that your action may take another’s life? Do you know when to shoot and when not to shoot? These are hard questions that you and only you can answer. Ponder the consequences morally, ethically and mentally. If you do shoot someone, are you prepared to watch them die? If you have any problem with the outcome of a personal defense shooting, or the legal ramifications, then maybe a firearm in your home is not for you.

So then, let’s talk about some non-lethal forms of personal defense. There are some effective non-lethal defense tools on the market, one being pepper-spray guns. Kimber makes a very effective product called the “Pepper Blaster II”. It’s a compact gun that shoots an irritant-like pepper spray, at a speed of 112 MPH , with a range of 13 feet, powered by a CO2 cartridge. It’s a thick sticky substance that sticks on your attacker, and causes extreme eye and breathing discomfort, incapacitating him so that you can get away.

Another product is the “Byrna SD”. This gun shoots small paintball-like projectiles that break open on impact and expel a pepper “dust-like” substance that causes your attacker much discomfort and pain by affecting vision and breathing. If you have never seen these in action, search them on You Tube and see for yourself.

Finally, be a responsible gun owner. The gun owning community receives a lot of bad press, so be an advocate of the second amendment and your Constitutional rights. Know how to use your firearm safely, know how to fieldstrip, clean and maintain your firearm, and remember the three NRA safety rules:

  • ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
  • ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
  • ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

And treat all guns as though they are always loaded, know your target and what’s beyond, be sure your gun is safe to operate and know how to use your gun safely.

“The Firearms Education Center” – Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Educated.

Editor Note: check your local laws regarding the ownership and use of products mentioned in this post. Some States such as New Jersey are very restrictive.

Basic Preparedness – One Woman’s Journey, Part 2

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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.”