Here we are, 2020 with a new
global disaster. Everyone is freaking
out. There is no toilet paper to be
found anywhere and everyone is buying guns.
The month of March saw the largest amount of guns sold in any single
month ever. Not even the panic buying
under the Obama years matched the quantity of guns sold in the past month.
What made this different
from previous years was not the volume of firearms sold, but that approximately
70% (maybe as high as 80% in some areas) were first time gun buyers. This is unusual to see this many first time
gun owners at one time.
We the gun community,
welcome you to the wonderful world of gun ownership. But there are several things you must know
and understand now that you have chosen to own a firearm. What you see in the Hollywood movies does not
prepare you for firearm ownership.
First up, understand that a
gun is not a magic talisman that will ward off evil because you possess
it. A gun is just an inanimate object
that does nothing unless you the operator take action.
Just having a gun does not
make you safe. Just pointing a gun at
evil may or may not make evil go away.
Yes, evil does exist. And sometimes
evil comes wrapped in the package of a true psychopath who has no fear of you
or of your gun. You need to mentally,
physically and emotional prepare yourself that you may actually need to use
your gun as intended, as a deadly weapon.
Which brings me to my next
point. Because a gun is a deadly weapon,
this means the use of a gun falls under the category of a martial art. You do not become skilled at any martial art
by watching Hollywood movies or YouTube videos.
And no, shooting the .22 down on Grandpa’s farm a few times when you
were a kid does not count either.
In order for a gun to truly
be useful,
YOU MUST GET PROFESSIONAL
TRAINING!
Yes, you can self teach, but
you will be better and safer in the long run with professional training.
I know obtaining training
now is difficult as everything is shut down.
So in the mean time, do the following;
(this should include everyone age appropriate in your household)
1.
Read the
instruction manual that came with the gun you purchased. It will teach you how to correctly operate
your firearm.
a.
If you didn’t
receive an instruction manual, most manufacturers have them posted on their
websites that you can download.
2.
Learn the safety
rules and live them. Guns are not toys.
a.
Treat every
firearm as if it is loaded.
b.
Do not point
your firearm at anything you do not want to destroy.
c.
Keep your finger
off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire.
d.
Be sure of your target
and what is beyond it. (Yes, bullet do go through walls)
3.
Use the power of
the Internet and research and learn as much as you can about your specific
model of firearm and even on how to use your firearm.
a.
Yes, I know I
said YouTube is not a substitute for hands on training. But giving the current circumstances, it may
be all you get until we get past this issue.
4.
Start dry fire
practice.
a.
In short, dry
fire practice is where you practice aiming your firearm at a target and
pressing the trigger. This is done while
the gun is unloaded.
i. DO NOT USE LIVE AMMUNITION FOR DRY FIRE
PRACTICE. Don’t even have it in the same
room.
ii. The use of plastic Snap Caps is acceptable.
To wrap this section up, you
must learn how to correctly and safely use your gun. Go get professional training as soon as you
are able. Do not stop at reading books,
Internet articles or YouTube videos.
Next I want to cover some
miscellaneous topics that you may not be aware of.
1.
Do you have a
place to lock up your firearm when not in use?
A heavy safe or locking steel cabinet that is bolted to the wall?
a.
Yes, your gun
came with a simple cable lock if you purchased it new. But it can still be stolen. Go buy a safe or locking cabinet you can bolt
to the wall.
b.
There are now
biometric lock boxes you can bolt to the wall yet have rapid access to your gun
and keep the curious from accessing it.
2.
Did you buy a
cleaning kit to clean and lubricate your firearm?
a.
Guns are
mechanical objects that must be cleaned and lubricated from time to time to
work properly. Think of it as changing
the oil in your car on a regular basis. (You do change your cars oil regularly
right?)
b.
Your owners
manual will teach you how to clean and lube your firearm. Or someone has made a YouTube video about it.
3.
Did you buy
proper safety equipment?
a.
Specifically eye
and ear protection? This is important to
protect your hearing and eyesight when practicing.
4.
Have you found a
shooting range near you that you can practice at?
a.
Along with
training you need to practice the skills you learned regularly to keep your
skills sharp.
5.
If you bought
your gun to be carried concealed outside your house.
a.
Do you have the
proper permit? Many states require a
permit and there is a process for it.
Your local Sheriffs office can help with this.
b.
Did you buy a
good holster? The $20 nylon gun sock is
not adequate. Do spend the money for a
quality holster.
c.
Do you actually
know how to properly draw your gun from the holster? This is one area where professional training
is a great idea.
6.
Are you aware of
the laws of when you can lawfully shoot someone?
a.
If you purchased
your firearm for self-defense this is important to know. You cannot just shoot someone because you
felt scared. You need lawful just cause,
which can vary from state to state.
Finally, the political side
of guns. Unfortunately when you talk
about guns, you get a large barrel of politics to go with it.
I hope everyone of the first
time gun buyers have learned a little bit about why the gun community fights so
hard against more gun laws. That most of
the guns laws are stupid and unnecessary.
That no, you cannot just buy
a gun off the Internet. No, you cannot
pay extra to waive the 10 day waiting period before you take your new gun home. That background checks already exist. Yes, these are real questions asked by some
first time buyers who where shocked these laws existed.
I guess politicians and anti-gun
political activist don’t always tell the truth do they?
Remember, when you felt the
need to buy a gun for protection, politicians shut down many guns stores were
sued by the gun community to reopen them.
I hope this experience has
opened your eyes on why more gun laws are not needed. And many of the existing laws need to be
repealed. And I hope you change your
voting habits and stop voting for more gun laws and the politicians that try to
take away your rights.
I’ll wrap this up with the
following.
Again, welcome to the gun
community. I hope it is a positive
experience. That you get the training
you need. That you enjoy the shooting
sports and maybe find a competition you enjoy and participate in as part of
your practice sessions.
Welcome to a whole new
world, I think you will enjoy the gun community and gun culture.
-Gundude Mez
April 2020
