Using Handguns for Self-Defense
I was contacted
by David Nash, who wrote Understanding
the Use of Handguns for Self-Defense and I did a little
checking around, to see what his credentials were, before deciding
to review his book.
One of the first things that caught my attention, was the Foreword
– written by SurvivalBlog’s own Editor At Large, Michael Z.
Williamson, and he gives Nash a good review for his efforts. Secondly,
and this really caught my attention was the Introduction,
written by Nash. Here’s part of what Nash humbly says about himself:
“I’m not a policeman. I wasn’t a special operations warrior,
and I don’t compete in national level shooting competitions. What
I am is a student of the art and science of firearm usage. I am
by no means a self-proclaimed or self-important gun guru. I learn
from every class I teach. I like teaching, and I particularly like
teaching firearm usage…” I like that in a teacher –
I couldn’t tell you how many firearms “instructors” I’ve
run across in my life, who were all some sort of SpecOps types –
when in reality, there were nothing more than armchair commandos
or mall ninjas, and didn’t know which end of the weapon a bullet
came out of – and they surely didn’t know anything about firearm
safety.
In the “Mindset”
chapter, Nash talks about the color code, and this is simply your
own state of mind. White means you are totally unaware of your surroundings
– and you should never be in this mindset. Yellow means you
are at least aware of your surroundings and what is going on all
around you. Orange means you have shifted into an alert state of
mind – something isn’t quite right, and you are preparing your
mind for what might come your way. Lastly, is red, and you are engaged!
Some instructors use a different color code, or add another color
or lesser colors but it is important that you have some sort of
code in your mind if you are going to carry a firearm. Nash also
talks about “it takes longer to react than to act” –
this is a simple fact, and I taught this to my martial arts students
over the years, as well as in my own firearms classes. If you have
to react, you are already behind the eight-ball.
The “Legal” chapter starts right off, where I start with
my own students. David Nash starts right out with “The average
cost of defending a justified use-of-force shootings is $40,000…”
I tell my students, that no matter how justified a self-defense
shooting might be, that they are still a suspect in a homicide –
that catches their attention. Nash also talks about different right
to carry state laws – and these laws are every changing, so
be advised of the laws in your own state. And, you need to be aware
of the consequences of buying and selling guns for a profit –
if you are in the “business” of selling guns, you’d better
get a federal firearms license – be advised!
Chapter three
talks about safety, and I constantly stress safety in my firearms
classes, and thankfully, I’ve never had a student have an negligent
discharge (ND) in one of my classes. If I see a student not performing
safe gun-handling, I ask them to remove themselves from the firing-line
and think about what they are doing wrong. If I have an assistant
instructor with me, I hand that student over to them for further
safety instruction. Nash touches on many of the common-sense safety
issues – that aren’t so common-sense to a lot of folks who
own firearms. I applaud him for bringing this up in his book.
What Happens
In a Gunfight is what Chapter four is all about. Gunfights are very
dynamic according to Nash, and they are ever-changing – starts
out this chapter. And, I couldn’t agree more with this. I’ve been
involved in a couple shootings – as a civilian – not as
a police officer. And, these things are over almost as fast as they
started. This is why your training is important – if you train
hard, and train properly, you will react as your trained! If you
believe that all gunfights are over in 2.5 seconds, as many stats
claim, you might be in for a surprise, if you are engaged in a gunfight
that lasts for minutes, or if there are multiple armed attackers
– Nash covers this, too. A lot of things happen to you mentally
as well as physically in a gunfight, and this book will help you
realize what to expect and how to overcome it – as best you
can.
In Chapter
Five, Nash talks about the use-of-force. And, to be sure, this does
vary from state-to-state, and locale-to-locale. You have to understand
what actually justifies the use of deadly force against another
human, and Nash does a great job discussing this in his book. I
used to recommend that my firearms students sit down with a criminal
defense lawyer – and you will pay them for their time –
and discuss the use of deadly force against another person. However,
if you talk to ten different lawyers, you’ll get ten different opinions
on this. And, I steer my students clear of talking to law enforcement
officers for the same reason – you’ll get ten different answers
from ten different cops on this subject. As an example, in Oregon,
you are allowed to own and use automatic knives – however,
most police officers are ignorant of this fact – this law!
And, they arrest people all the time for this “offense”
– only to have the case tossed once it goes to court. In the
meantime, the person arrested then has an arrest record because
the police officer was ignorant of the law. Nash covers the use
of force nicely in this book, and it is just good, common-sense
in most cases, where you can use deadly force.
Choosing A
Gun is Chapter six, and this is always a real subjective thing in
my book. David Nash does an excellent job in this chapter discussing
choosing the right gun for you! Don’t expect some clerk behind the
counter at the local gun shop to choose a gun for you. Sure, the
Glock 19, 9mm handgun might be right for 9 our of 10 people, but
that doesn’t mean the gun is right for you. You have to have a gun
that fits your hand, and a caliber you can handle. Choosing a 6″
.44 Magnum revolver isn’t a good choice for a woman who is 5″
tall and has petite hands. Spend some time researching various firearms
on-line, or in gun magazines before going to the local gun shop.
Don’t let the clerk sell you something that they want to sell you.
Do you need a revolver or a semiauto pistol? Nash covers the differences
in this chapter, as well as choosing the right caliber, too. Most
people don’t understand the importance of picking the right firearm
for themselves – and many just go with whatever the gun store
clerk recommends to them. Whenever possible, I bring out a variety
of different handguns for my students to test on the range –
so they have a good feel for what feels right for them. About a
year ago, I did several handgun classes, in which all of the students
shot best with the Ruger SR9, 9mm pistol. In another class, several
students picked a Glock 23, .40 SW handgun for themselves.
So, there is no one-size fits all when it comes to handguns. If
you live in an area that has an indoor shooting range, and rents
guns, test several different guns before deciding on one.
July
25, 2012
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