Mini rant on current events

[RJ]

I note from watching Southnarc's "Experiential Learning Lab" at Tac that a LOT of people in the gun world need to take more training on context than the how to shoot part.

Although, I did also note in Larry Lindenman's "Managing the "Don't shoot yet"" block tha way too many people go to "gunpoint" by going to center mass with the muzzle and then put their finger on the trigger.

I was pretty dissapointed that things did not work out that I could take either of these segments at TacCon '16. I got to choose, of course, but if I had to do it over again...

Anyway, The Boss has tentatively agreed to fund our attendance at TacCon '17 in Little Rock, so it is my hope that SN and Mr. Lindenman offer both these segments again. I've been to Little Rock quite a few times for work, I think it is a great choice for TacCon '17.

It really is slowly dawning on me it is much much more important to me to be physically fit and avoid death by diabetes, hypertension or too much pizza, and be psychologically aware of my surroundings and how to assess and deal with people.

Pretty much bringing up the rear in training priorities now, is having a plan to kill everyone in the room with my fohty-fahve complete with 1,000 lumen WML set to 'dazzle', pulled from my Krypton drop-leg tactical Serpa holster concealed under my 5.11 underwear.

[Wayne Dobbs]

Just to clarify, do you mean they're doing the full pressout and THEN making the decision whether to get on the trigger or not, versus starting in some sort of ready position, making the decision and then moving the gun to center mass?

I'm not Chuck, but based on our common backgrounds, I'd venture to say that there was no ready position, just a draw to a center mass index with a finger on trigger (and likely slacked out, too) simply because they were scared. Many cops think that's still OK and when I go around the country giving my safety brief and that such conduct is NOT OK and is actually an Aggravated Assault (the term for such behavior in TX), many of them look at me like I flew in from Alienland. That shit is going to start drawing indictments in the new world in which we live and conduct business with weapons.

[Randy Harris]

I'm not Chuck, but based on our common backgrounds, I'd venture to say that there was no ready position, just a draw to a center mass index with a finger on trigger (and likely slacked out, too) simply because they were scared. Many cops think that's still OK and when I go around the country giving my safety brief and that such conduct is NOT OK and is actually an Aggravated Assault (the term for such behavior in TX), many of them look at me like I flew in from Alienland. That shit is going to start drawing indictments in the new world in which we live and conduct business with weapons.

In most states it is illegal to present a weapon and threaten to kill or injure someone...which is exactly what pointing a gun at someone is.....but for some reason some people just can't grasp that. In TN self defense is an affirmative defense to Aggravated Assault ....but if you are not defending yourself...you are committing aggravated assault....you can't just point guns at people unless you can articulate why you were in reasonable fear of grave bodily injury or death at the time. A muzzle averted ready position needs to be in everyone's tool box.

[PNWTO]

1. They take an introductory course and assess they're ready for anything.

Or

2. They take a bunch of "tacti-cool" courses that have little to no relevance to the incident(s) they're likely to face out on the streets.

I'm not sure which one is worse to be quite honest.

I'm living this right now; we have a bunch of staff members who are working with this instructor and using G43s in Serpas (seriously). For most of them the G43 is their first personal gun and all have been bought within the past 60 days. This is why I love P-F.

[Wayne Dobbs]

In most states it is illegal to present a weapon and threaten to kill or injure someone...which is exactly what pointing a gun at someone is.....but for some reason some people just can't grasp that. In TN self defense is an affirmative defense to Aggravated Assault ....but if you are not defending yourself...you are committing aggravated assault....you can't just point guns at people unless you can articulate why you were in reasonable fear of grave bodily injury or death at the time. A muzzle averted ready position needs to be in everyone's tool box.

Truth, Randy.

[LittleLebowski]

<LL Rant>

This is not needed at this time but as PF grows (it actually does steadily grow), we must always remind ourselves never to become complacent. It never hurts to explain why that SERPA is frowned upon or how much better off a new shooter is with a dryfire routine and a basic (actual shooting oriented) pistol class. It never hurts to remind basic to intermediate shooters that a Southnarc or Cecil Burch class will be more beneficial than nearly any firearms training when it comes to self defense and avoiding having to defend oneself. It never hurts to remind good shooters that you can still get a lot out of a decent basic-intermediate pistol class.

I bang my head against the wall a lot explaining to new gun owners that spending that AR15 or second handgun purchase money on a class is money better spent. From pistol shooting doth all shooting skills grow in my book. With the max point blank of the .223, it's not fucking hard to "hammer" with an AR. It's a lot harder to stay on target with a pistol from 3-25 yards but...it's more rewarding.

The satisfaction from being able to exercise a martial skill whether it be an Americana or say a draw from concealment to first round hit on a 3x5 card in 2 seconds is both intangible and infinitely satisfying. You had to work to attain that and it's not something you can just go out and buy unlike a multicam ensemble and tricked out AR that you post pictures of.

As my meager shooting skills have grown, my gunsafe has gotten more room in it. I don't want more guns, I want more time to shoot/dryfire/do BJJ and I want more ammo. Have that well worn gun that you know how to shoot well, that you carry properly and daily. Seek self improvement. Go work out. Learn at least the basics of a martial art. Try hunting, killing, and dressing out your own food at least once. Always be humble, always seek to better yourself, and for the sake of our rights, and our culture, take a newbie shooting, and keep the right of self preservation alive.

</LL Rant>

[Wayne Dobbs]

<LL Rant>

This is not needed at this time but as PF grows (it actually does steadily grow), we must always remind ourselves never to become complacent. It never hurts to explain why that SERPA is frowned upon or how much better off a new shooter is with a dryfire routine and a basic (actual shooting oriented) pistol class. It never hurts to remind basic to intermediate shooters that a Southnarc or Cecil Burch class will be more beneficial than nearly any firearms training when it comes to self defense and avoiding having to defend oneself. It never hurts to remind good shooters that you can still get a lot out of a decent basic-intermediate pistol class.

I bang my head against the wall a lot explaining to new gun owners that spending that AR15 or second handgun purchase money on a class is money better spent. From pistol shooting doth all shooting skills grow in my book. With the max point blank of the .223, it's not fucking hard to "hammer" with an AR. It's a lot harder to stay on target with a pistol from 3-25 yards but...it's more rewarding.

The satisfaction from being able to exercise a martial skill whether it be an Americana or say a draw from concealment to first round hit on a 3x5 card in 2 seconds is both intangible and infinitely satisfying. You had to work to attain that and it's not something you can just go out and buy unlike a multicam ensemble and tricked out AR that you post pictures of.

As my meager shooting skills have grown, my gunsafe has gotten more room in it. I don't want more guns, I want more time to shoot/dryfire/do BJJ and I want more ammo. Have that well worn gun that you know how to shoot well, that you carry properly and daily. Seek self improvement. Go work out. Learn at least the basics of a martial art. Try hunting, killing, and dressing out your own food at least once. Always be humble, always seek to better yourself, and for the sake of our rights, and our culture, take a newbie shooting, and keep the right of self preservation alive.

</LL Rant>

And boys and girls, THAT may be the best post I've ever seen here and there are a bunch of great posts. Thanks, LL.

[rob_s]

LL, I don't disagree with you, but I've also moved on from tilting at that particular windmill.

you can't force people to "get it". Few, if any, of us did right out of the gate. There are too many variables in terms of why people *really* get into this stuff vs. why they say or think they do. The guy that says he's looking for a "home defense" firearm is more often than not looking for a hobby, something to waste extra income on, and a social group to belong to. So railing on that guy to "go take a class!" (as I certainly used to do) is pointless.

What we can do is encourage them to get out and shoot, regardless of the venue, regardless of the application and (almost) regardless of with whom. it's the application of the trinket that changes hearts and minds. I know that, for myself, I got into IDPA because I was going through a breakup, which in turn led to training classes because I met people at IDPA that hosted same and because I realized how much I sucked only when measured against others, which in turn led to changing my perspective about firearms, their use, their application, etc.

of course, I've subsequently realized it's 99.9% horseshit and the remainder is horsepiss, so I may not be the best example...

[1slow]

LL has got it down cold!

[LittleLebowski]

LL, I don't disagree with you, but I've also moved on from tilting at that particular windmill.

you can't force people to "get it". Few, if any, of us did right out of the gate. There are too many variables in terms of why people *really* get into this stuff vs. why they say or think they do. The guy that says he's looking for a "home defense" firearm is more often than not looking for a hobby, something to waste extra income on, and a social group to belong to. So railing on that guy to "go take a class!" (as I certainly used to do) is pointless.

What we can do is encourage them to get out and shoot, regardless of the venue, regardless of the application and (almost) regardless of with whom. it's the application of the trinket that changes hearts and minds. I know that, for myself, I got into IDPA because I was going through a breakup, which in turn led to training classes because I met people at IDPA that hosted same and because I realized how much I sucked only when measured against others, which in turn led to changing my perspective about firearms, their use, their application, etc.

of course, I've subsequently realized it's 99.9% horseshit and the remainder is horsepiss, so I may not be the best example...

Not once did I mention nor imply "force." How do you not see the below as "encouragement?" I seriously ask as I believe we are having a communications failure somewhere.

Always be humble, always seek to better yourself, and for the sake of our rights, and our culture, take a newbie shooting, and keep the right of self preservation alive.