Gun mania...

[Ashton]

With all this gun crazy-ness I've had a lot of friends tell me they want to get their CCW and they want to carry a gun to protect themselves but they don't want to carry it with a round in the chamber due to it accidentally discharging and accidentally shooting something...

This makes me extremely concerned. Fact is all these people are starting to carry firearms without any training or actual thought of what happens in a gun fight. They think they will have the mental capacity when someone is shooting at them to draw a weapon, rack the slide, aim at the target (while possibly taking fire), and accurately hit the target. In the time it will take them to rack the slide I could get two or three good hits on a target.

Fact is. If you're in a gun fight, when you ready a firearm you expect it to go bang when you squeeze the trigger. If they're actually trying to shoot a bad guy and a bullet isn't in the chamber? Well they're fucked. If they actually do have a round in the chamber and shoot? Due to them not getting training and just buying because they're going to be banned soon. We're going to see dead innocents due to their lack of skills.

I think we all have a responsibility to tell all these people to GET TRAINING before actually carrying the firearm. I sure as hell don't want a bullet in me because someone decided to be an idiot and misses.

Just thought it should be said.

[Mick-Boy]

Welcome to a free society. It's not always pretty.

You don't get to dictate what someone else needs based on how you feel or what concerns you.

I also recommend people seek training. I recommend some basic pistol marksmanship (Larry Vickers is the best instructor for that subject that I've ever attended) and something like the Shivworks ECQC class to get an idea of how distance = time and fighting over a gun can go bad, no matter how strong/fit you are. All that being said, most people aren't going to drop big money on classes. That's just reality. I'd still rather have people carrying guns than not.

[centrarchidae]

I thought we'd have carnage in the street without a training requirement.

Then I found out that, with a training requirement we don't.

Then I found out what a damn joke our "training requirement" is in this state. When Rich Wyatt can advertise a no-live-fire no-test class which a sheriff will honor, we don't have a training requirement worth mentioning.

And yet, we don't have blood flowing down the sidewalks. All of that bad stuff just never materialized.

[JohnTRourke]

i just wonder WTF these people have been for the last 5 to 10 years? Really? Nothing changed in "your" life in the last week, but NOW all of a sudden we should get a CCW?

I mean good for more people carrying and owning, but damn WTF TOOK THEM SO LONG?

[Great-Kazoo]

i just wonder WTF these people have been for the last 5 to 10 years? Really? Nothing changed in "your" life in the last week, but NOW all of a sudden we should get a CCW?

I mean good for more people carrying and owning, but damn WTF TOOK THEM SO LONG?

Absolutely. I am, like other's here an instructor for 15 yrs. In 2 days i have had to recharge my phone a few times, from all the calls i've been getting. I relate this 'rush" to taking a road trip. You don't wait till you run out of gas to fill up. Acting because of the storm clouds over head and expecting a class TODAY is well, not realistic.

[Bailey Guns]

i just wonder WTF these people have been for the last 5 to 10 years? Really? Nothing changed in "your" life in the last week, but NOW all of a sudden we should get a CCW?

I mean good for more people carrying and owning, but damn WTF TOOK THEM SO LONG?

Some times it takes a while for people to "see the light". People's positions on issues evolve over time. I try not to be too harsh just because someone FINALLY comes to the realization that they are responsible for their own safety. Good for them.

[Byte Stryke]

I always... always suggest a class that has them fire several types of weapons "So you can see which kind you will like shooting" BEFORE they buy a Gun!
and then I do the "let's go rent and shoot together to find your gun" afterwards to kind of mentor.
We as a community have an obligation to kind of steer new members to the community. Not everyone had an awesome Dad.
Hopefully it will keep the negative incidents out of the news.

[alxone]

only 2 ways to people are gonna learn , trail by fire and training .

[Singlestack]

I always... always suggest a class that has them fire several types of weapons "So you can see which kind you will like shooting" BEFORE they buy a Gun!
and then I do the "let's go rent and shoot together to find your gun" afterwards to kind of mentor.
We as a community have an obligation to kind of steer new members to the community. Not everyone had an awesome Dad.
Hopefully it will keep the negative incidents out of the news.

+1 I took my family to Lead Valley near Byers a couple of summers ago for a test firing class where you fire about 5 rounds thru .22lr, .380, .38, 9mm, .40, .45, and .44 magnum - gives you a good idea what to expect before purchasing. I also like the idea of starting new shooters on .22lr first to get the basics underway and get the flinching stopped.

[ray1970]

As far as someone not wanting to carry with a round chambered, that's just a lack of knowledge on their part. I'm sure if someone explained some of the safety devices present on every newly manufactured firearm they would feel better about it. There's a reason manufacturers utilize things like transfer bars and firing pin blocks.