Many people have thought to themselves “Why do I have to get firearms training? I just want to buy a gun to protect myself and my family. I know what to do.
At times people think that owning a gun for self defense is just a tool to do such a job. Well, in a way it is, but there is a lot more to it than just that. Owning a gun comes with a lot of responsibilities.
I hope that it never happens to you, but if you ever are in a position where you have to face an intruder in your home and you are forced to fire your weapon to protect your family, your chances of being successful are always going to depend on your training, practice and self control. The average civilian is neither a law enforcement official nor a military person that has received all the training and deals with these scenarios on a daily basis. When the moment of combat comes your brain will go through a moment of shock and confusion, adrenaline will start pumping, you will be scared, extremely nervous and the sounds of your own gun being shot in your house without hearing protection will impair your hearing and numb your thinking for a bit. These are all normal symptoms of combat for a non-combat civilian that is not used to these scenarios. Even those with training may find themselves with less control in times of stress. For example, there have been reports of police officers shooting at assailants multiple times at a relatively short distances and missing all shots for this same particular reason.
Training is crucial and a must for all gun owners, both men and women. As the saying goes, failure to prepare is preparing to fail. The key is education and practice, practice, practice. Get familiar with your weapon of choice, read about it, learn how it works, and learn common problems and how to fix them. Don’t just practice for a few months and then leave it for a brush up once a year. One must make a trip to the range weekly or at least once a month in order to maintain shooting skills. Your local gun range can be a great resource of information for training and classes. Don’t take any chances and be prepared. Good Luck and God Bless!!
By: J. Noya
