Times have changed. Many people believed American society saw some of its greatest change of the 21st century in 2019 or maybe 2020, but it seems 2021 ushered in a whole new era of reality checks. Among those changes are the after-effects of what has become a years-long pandemic. Throughout the COVID-19 scare, even those who were formerly more pro-government began admitting there seemed to be a problem with emergency powers (among other things). In this video, renowned firearms instructor Ken Hackathorn talks about the changing reality of our world and how it affects us as gun owners.
Being a Responsible Gun Owner
In the first part of the video, Hackathorn discusses how people’s trust in the government has changed. This affects gun owners in nuanced ways and is highly specific to each person.
There are many ways you can work at being a safe, prepared gun owner. As Hackathorn stated in his video, keeping up with training is important, and so is admitting times have changed. If you can’t get your hands on the ammo necessary for training, start working in some dry fire sessions. Dry fire is a great way to work on your shooting skills with no need for live ammo or a trip to the range.
Here are a few key points that Ken feels are important to being a responsible, prepared gun owner.
Avoid Conflict
If you see a problem that looks like it might require the use of force, the best measure is to avoid it. Ken says, “Break contact, and leave.”
No One is Coming to Save You
For the last century, Americans have basically operated under the assumption that if you’re in trouble, you could call the police and they’d come running. That’s no longer the case. If someone tries to kick in your door in the middle of the night, you may or may not get a rapid police response. As Ken puts it, “You are responsible for your family.”
Do you know what the new rule in law enforcement is? If you don’t get out of the car, you can’t get in trouble. So, don’t expect the police to come.
How Much Ammo Do You Need?
Ken says that’s a simple one. You need to figure out how much ammo you normally consume. So, if you go to the range once a month to practice, and you shoot 100 rounds per practice, your ammo consumption is 1200 rounds per year.
What Ammo is Most Important?
If you’re given a choice between a hundred rounds of magic bullets or a hundred rounds of ammo to use for practice each month at the range, choose the practice ammo. Ken says, “Your practice ammo is the most important because without practice you don’t maintain your competency.”
Plan Ahead
Don’t assume that you can go into the local box store and buy a bunch of ammo off the shelf, cheaper. Stock up your supply.
After covering his main points, Ken acknowledges that the topic of discussion in the video is a grim subject, but that’s the reality of where America is at today. He ends with an encouragement for all of us, saying, “Next time you see a police officer, don’t be afraid to walk up to him and say, “I appreciate what you’re doing.” Lord knows they’re not getting much positive feedback from the public.”
Watch the video below to catch all of episode 25 of Master Class with Ken Hackathorn:
What steps do you take to be a responsible gun owner? How do you prepare? Tell us in the comments below.
