Someone Finally Said It

So, Dave Spaulding has an excellent video over at Bearing Arms entitled What The Hell? Mr. Spaulding's point is that too much training for civilian gun owners and concealed carriers is of the "tacticool" variety that has no real relevance to the uses of lethal force in defense of yourself and your family. He is right. Battlefield tactics, and James Bond gadgetry really don't meet the needs of concealed carrier going about his routine tasks.

Starting at 1:40, Spaulding states, quite correctly, that the experts in pistol fighting are in fact in law enforcement, where the primary weapon of the policeman on the beat is a pistol of some sort.  But he also points out that ideally you don't shoot someone to the ground, if shooting is even called for.  Ideally, you shoot for a visual effect, then evaluate.  Remember the so called double tap, followed by evaluate whether the attacker is giving up his attack?

Spaulding also talks about the trend toward wearing 5.11 pants and other "tacticool" items.  I was taught to dress as I normally dressed, finding ways to conceal a handgun in my clothing.  In the winter months, for example, I wear a service sized handgun at the 3:30 position in an outside the waistband holster most of the time. I either wear jeans or slacks with an untucked shirt.  When I go to church, I wear a smaller pocket pistol in a pocket holster.  All the clothes I wear are off the rack stuff you can buy at WalMart, or one of the department stores.  In the summer months, Hawaiian shirts are perfect over a pair of shorts,

At 2:25 he speaks briefly about the physical, psychological, and fiscal costs of taking a life.  While I have never taken a life, and pray to God that I never have to, I have read and heard enough to believe that he is correct on this as well.  The costs of taking a life are incredibly grave, as they should be, for a life should only be taken in the gravest extreme.  God gave that life, and only God truly has the right to take it.  Even soldiers in battle must first dehumanize the enemy, or most will not kill him.  So, looking at the battlefield for your self defense solutions is looking in the wrong place.

While I share Spaulding's generally low opinion of youtube and other internet sources of training, I do think you can do worse than the training you get from the U S Concealed Carry Association. Note, I have no financial interest in the association, but I have seen their work, and they are generally pretty solid.