Carrying a concealed weapon is a great responsibility. It provides you with the opportunity to defend yourself, but it also places you in a situation where you must make split-second decisions. Those who want to improve their chances in a deadly encounter hit the shooting range and train with their CCW gun. But how often do we think about what not to do? The problem with self-defense incidents is that we don’t have time to process what we do. There is no time for rational thinking and determining what response will elicit the best outcome.
Other things we want to avoid stem from bad habits we’ve developed before the incident. These are things we could easily correct but don’t pay enough attention to. Everyone is different and people struggle in different areas. Because of this, a list of things not to do could run forever. Drawing from my time in law enforcement, here are the top five things I’ve seen people do with their CCW guns that should be avoided.
1. Warning Shots
I’m not sure where the idea of “warning” shots came from. The military uses them in certain cases, like warning approaching ships they are about to be fired upon. In those cases, there is a need and a reason for the warning, which I won’t get into today. In a self-defense scenario, though, warning shots typically make the situation worse.
Pulling out a gun makes the situation clear to the attacker. But firing a warning shot only complicates the situation for both parties. The idea behind a warning shot is to let the bad guy know you mean business. But it does more than that and it’s not good. When firing a warning shot, you have also proven to a court that you had time to warn someone, suggesting the situation was not as urgent as you claimed.
The next issue with firing a warning shot is the direction of the stray bullet. You never know where you will need to defend yourself. If you are standing in a concrete parking lot or in a building, that bullet is dangerous to everyone around. When you train your body to fire warning shots, you won’t have time to determine if the landscape is right for such actions.
And finally, when you fire a gun, both parties will suffer from temporary hearing loss, and at times, balance issues. I would recommend avoiding warning shots unless you are in a unique situation that warrants it.
2. Drawing a Weapon Too Soon
Why do we draw a weapon during incidents? We think the situation is getting close to being dangerous. One of the most frequent calls my agency responds to involving guns are calls where the gun made things worse. An argument or fight was in progress, and someone pulled out a gun.
The problem is, a gun is not for winning arguments or showing someone you’re tougher than they are. It is for self-defense. If you were participating in an argument, you could have easily walked away. When a gun is pulled, things escalate and go from bad to worse. If you determine you should pull your firearm, things should already be at their worst without the gun.
Getting your gun out to keep things “peaceful” does not fall under self-defense. If you draw your concealed carry gun, it should mean you or someone else was in fear of death or a serious physical injury. Every state has different laws, but most states use that threshold as justification for self-defense. Anything less would not be deemed worthy of deadly force.
Having a gun in your hand may make you feel safer, but it does not make everyone else feel safer. If the other person also has a gun, what do you think they will do? Make sure you only pull your gun when it is needed, not before you need it. If your life is in imminent danger, then draw and fire. But avoid getting it out “just in case.”
3. Carrying a Weapon You Have Not Trained With
This one can be avoided and corrected before an incident takes place. I’m amazed at how many people I have seen at the range pull out a gun and fiddle with it. They can’t get the magazine out or the safety off. Nothing happens when they pull the trigger because they don’t have a round in the chamber. Guns make people feel safe and that is a bad thing.
A gun doesn’t make you invincible or bulletproof, and it won’t protect you if you don’t know how to use it. You need to train with any gun you carry. Most handguns function the same in a general sense, but each one is made just a little different. The trigger pull, slide stop/release, magazine release, etc. are all different.
I have never had a Glock fail on me, but they are manmade machines that can break or have faulty parts. Don’t stake your life on a gun’s reputation alone; shoot it. Make sure to fire any type of defensive ammo you plan to carry in the gun as well. Some guns shoot any type of ammo fine, and others are picky.
4. Not Cleaning and Maintaining Your Firearm
Another thing to avoid is neglecting your firearm. If you want to brag to your buddies about how many rounds have been fired from your gun without cleaning it, great. But don’t carry that gun for self-defense. Some guns hold up great even when they are not cleaned or lubricated. But they were made to be cleaned and oiled.
Even if you have not fired your gun in a while, take it apart and inspect it every so often. Carrying one around daily will cause lint and dirt to work their way into the gun. Do a quick field strip, wipe it down with a rag, and reapply some oil if needed. You want to make sure your gun will function correctly when needed.
5. Don’t Listen to the Movies
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Hollywood drama distorts our reality of how effective guns work. One shot knocks bad guys off their feet, but good guys take five rounds and miraculously heal by the end of the movie. Unless you carry a gun made for hunting bears, it is likely your bullet will not “knock” someone off their feet.
When you shoot, you should not shoot to kill or wound; Shoot to stop the threat. Firing one shot and stopping to analyze the situation only gives the bad guy time to react. If someone’s adrenaline dumping, they may not even be aware they have been shot for a short time. Shoot until there is no longer a threat, but don’t get in the habit of shooting once and stopping. If someone is attacking you and self-defense is needed, shoot until the attack stops.
Get your knowledge from real-life training, watching videos, or reading, but not from Hollywood movies. They are fun to watch, and they are good at entertaining us. But they are not realistic and should not be our source of self-defense knowledge. John Wick makes it look easy, but most of us will never become Mr. Wick material.
Are you prepared?
Most of the things we need to avoid are easy to identify and correct. It just takes a little time and effort to prepare our mind and body. If something happens, you need your body to react on its own. But that also means training your body and brain to identify when that time has come. React too soon and you could use self-defense when it was not needed. Act too late and you could become a victim. Like I said in the beginning, carrying a handgun is a great responsibility. So, make sure you take that responsibility seriously.
