Blog Posts
Is Owning a Gun Right For Me?
As an instructor, I get a lot of new people asking me what gun they should buy. No doubt that’s an important question and one that’s dependent on many factors. But what I always try to do with potential new gun owners is have them take a step back. Before we talk about what gun to buy, new people need to asked themselves is owning a gun right for me?
Choosing how to keep you and your loved ones safe is an important decision. At first blush, it seems like a simple enough thing. However, there are many nuances to consider, especially when looking at guns. It’s not as simple as saying “well my friend does this, so I will do that too”. For that reason, here are some considerations when deciding to buy a gun for personal protection.
1. Are you willing and able to use the gun to protect yourselves and/or others?
This is the single most important question you have to ask yourself. Owning a gun is not enough. Guns are not magic talismans that will keep you safe with their mere presence. In fact, if you aren’t willing to use it, a gun can become a liability in a self defense situation.
I hear many people say “I’ll just hold the intruder at gun point until the police come”. That is a dangerous way of thinking. Bad guys aren’t like us. They don’t have the same morals and mindset. As soon as they realize you aren’t willing to pull the trigger, they may take your gun away from you.
Before deciding that owning a gun is the right decision for you and your family, spend sometime thinking about the reality of what that means. If the answer to this question is no, there are other options available to you.
2. What are the laws of your state?
While I am a big believer in the Shall Not Be Infringed part of the Second Amendment, that fact is, laws currently exist. Unless you are looking to become a criminal, it is important to know the laws of the state, county, and city you live in. The state’s Attorney General’s website is usually a good place to start.
*If you want to get involved in changing those laws, I have a great article posted on Advocacy over on Primer Peak: https://www.primerpeak.com/second-amendment-advocacy-a-how-to-guide/
3. Can you keep a gun out of the wrong hands?
Owning a gun is more than going to a store and buying one. You have to be able to be a safe and responsible gun owner. All you have to do is search the internet to find countless stories of young people finding an unsecured gun and shooting someone. Remember that you are liable for what happens with your gun so make sure you are able to keep it out of the wrong hands.
4. Can you afford owning a gun?
Owning a gun is not inexpensive. Even if you get one of the less expensive brands, there are many additional costs associated with being a gun owner. You will need a way to store your gun, cleaning supplies, ammunition, and training.
Yes, you need to plan for training. No one is born knowing how to shoot a gun. It isn’t like in the movies, video games, or even shooting bb guns. Learning things like proper grip and sighting from a professional will make you and those around you safer. Along with training, you will need to engage in regular practice. Shooting is a perishable skill and you should plan to go to the range once a month at least.
Some other expenses to consider are any state fees if you plan to get a concealed carry permit, insurance from a company like CCW Safe, and additional gear such as holsters, belts, hearing protection, and eye protection.
5. Know your why
The final thing you have to ask yourself, or maybe it should be the first, is why you are considering owning a gun. There are many reasons people buy guns. Some want a gun for hunting or personal protection. Others want to get into sport or competition shooting (I know people who shoot competitively but don’t carry a gun for personal protection). Sometimes it’s for all three.
Knowing the why behind your decision to get a gun can help drive other decisions in the process. I share a bit about why I decided to become a gun owner in the about section of my website. It can be a very personal decision and one that should not be made lightly.
Firearms Training for Beginners
I have been truly blessed to get to train with some of the most amazing instructors in the industry. Low light class with Matt Little, shooting on the move with Mickey Schuch, Close Quarters with Chuck Haggard, ECQC with Craig Douglas…this list goes on. Each class was challenging and helped me stretch and grow as both a shooter and an instructor. I love taking advanced training, but there’s also something to be said for people who offer firearms training for beginners.
Getting new shooters started down the right path is important work. A good or bad first experience can impact their outlook on practice and training for the rest of their lives. We know a large percentage of new gun owners will take the required conceal carry class and that’s it. Many won’t even practice. They will leave that first class, put their gun in a drawer, and forget about it. Even worse, some will take a conceal carry class and then assume they are good to go to carry in public without any additional practice or training.
Unfortunately, a lot of training that’s available to new shooters leaves something to be desired. Generally speaking the curriculum offered by the NRA and USCCA isn’t terrible. It covers the basics and is a good place to start. However, there are way too many instructors who lack the necessary skills and abilities to teach. Especially to do firearms training for beginners.
A Cautionary Tale
Being a great shooter or experienced in something isn’t enough to teach new people. You have to be able to break down skills to the lowest level and explain them to others in a way they can understand. You also have to be able to separate yourself from your current skill level and remember what it was like to be brand new. Otherwise it is easy to forget or overlook important steps in the learning process.
Here’s a great recent example:
I really want to hunt alligators. I don’t know why, I just do. But I have never hunted before, so figured I should probably start with something smaller and work my way up to the apex predator. A group I have done several events with was sponsoring a squirrel hunting for beginners class and I thought “this is perfect!”. The class was two parts; a Friday night classroom session and then actual hunting on Saturday.
I was nervous but also excited when I signed up. Since this group is usually great about sharing information, I just assumed that I didn’t need anything since I never got an email saying I needed things. Sadly that was not the case. I ended up not being able to hunt because I didn’t know I needed a permit and I wasn’t able to get one online Friday night because someone has to visually verify your hunters education card if you are a non-resident.
Training Beginners
It was an honest mistake on the organizer’s part but still disappointing. It’s also a great cautionary tale for anyone who offers classes marketed as being for beginners. Think about your class from the risk management lens. What are the known knowns, the known unknowns, and most importantly the unknown unknowns for your students? You always need to stop and remember what it’s like to know nothing and assume that is where the beginner is coming from.
You’ll likely have people with mixed levels of skills in a beginner class, but it’s always better to err on the side of the least informed. A little reminder or refresher won’t hurt the more experienced student. But missing an overlooked vital bit of information can be detrimental to the true newbie’s learning experience.
Separating your current skills from what you need to teach the beginner can be hard for some instructors. I know a few who get frustrated teaching beginner classes because it’s not as fun and exciting as doing something like teaching advanced marksmanship or shooting out car windows or going through a shoot house. (I also know instructors who teach those classed who definitely shouldn’t be, but that’s for another article).
The thing is, everyone in those advance classes is there because someone got them started on the right path when they were brand new. Offering high quality firearms training for beginners is one of the best ways to insure future students for your advance classes, not to mention future income.
I don’t know about you, but I get a real sense of accomplishment when I see a new shooter get “it”. The training bug can be highly contagious if you sow the seeds of success early in a the training process.