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Monday, February 9, 2009

Real use of guns

Recently mi blog somehow made it to Reddit, and was exposed to a lot of people that obviously aren’t into survival and preparedness, they are just the average folk exposed to what I write here.

Other than a couple insults in the comment section (something you can come to expect given the average high amount of stupidity) , one thing that makes me particular sick is the brainwashing and stupidity regarding firearms.

A couple persons were very… what’s the word I’m needing here?, girly?( no offense intended to the women out there that have more guts than many of these coward fools) … hysterical?
They didn’t have enough control of themselves to make a mature statement and ended up using too many insults, which is the only reason why I rejected their comments.

But it got me thinking, do people really get it when we talk about guns? When I constantly mention how important it is to be armed?

Other than law enforcement and military service, apparently many people out there don’t understand it and it may well be because things haven’t reached that point yet in USA. Or maybe it did in many places, but they just go into denial. I don’t know.

So if you are one of these clueless persons that thinks a normal guy arms himself because he has insecurities about his manhood, because he’s aggressive or violent, or is sick in the head and secretly fantasizes about hurting others, here are a few pointers for you.
Hopefully it will remove a bit of brainwashing induced by the media and spread by the governments that only want unarmed citizens simply because they are easier to control:

1) If you have sexual issues, visit your Doctor, ok?. I don’t know, use Viagra. A 500 S&W revolver wont make your penis any bigger.
2) Those of us that prefer big bullets with proven high rates of stopping power, choose so because, again, they have proven high rates of stopping power. No other reason.
If a small 22LR pistol was more effective I’d carry that instead, and greatly appreciate the lighter weight and lower ammo cost. There’s no other emotional insecurity behind it, just looking for the most effective round, ok?
3) Being armed does not mean you want to unnecessarily hurt anyone.
The weapon only makes you more effective, it does not change the fact that you’d do everything in your power to stop that attacker, whatever it take.
Sticking a ballpoint pen into someone’s eye would be pretty effective given the amount of damage, and nerves you’d be compromising, but I find a 357SIG JHP round to be much more civilized if things get to that point.

Now, for some facts about life and the real use the armed citizen has for firearms:

The NRA says that statistically speaking, 9 out of 10 times, the MERE PRESENCE of a gun in hands of the intended victim, is enough to DEFUSE the situation.
Please read that again: 9 out of 10.
I find this to be absolutely true and in my experience, more than likely this is just what happens. The guy or guys make their move, they close in or whatever, you pull your gun, and the situation changes completely:

I don’t know if they suddenly appreciate the beautiful things in life. If they suddenly remember how nice it is to chew food, be able to walk, or the miracle of having a functioning body. If they picture themselves in a closed coffin because the damage was beyond repair. Don’t know, you’ll have to ask a psychiatrist about that.
What I do know is that guns, when pointed at them, have some strange magical power of turning these scumbags into the nicest people.
They start “I’m sorry, man, I made a mistake” or just turn around and quickly walk the other way or look as if they pissed themselves and speed away. I tell you it achieves what years of penitentiary reeducation cant.

All kidding aside, it really works that way, at least most of the time ( 9 out of 10 according the NRA)
Rambo? No, Rambo starts blasting, shooting tons of people never going to court. You shoot one person and fail to prove a good reason for that in court, and you’ll be locked away for a long time.

You, a civilized, person, reholster and go home. Because you don’t want to hurt anyone unless there’s no other choice. You’d only shoot if a weapon of their own is already drawn, or if they keep coming at you.

The key point to this nearly perfect outcome where no one ends up with a new hole in the body and everyone goes home is awareness, to realize there’s an imminent threat.
Now careful, brandishing a gun is a crime that can land you in jail and unless you know for sure, don’t go around pulling a gun.
How do you know you’re in a dangerous situation?
A car trying to force you to stop is a clear sign, guy/guys suddenly moving towards you in a hurry for no good reason would definitely be something I consider a threat.
Sometimes they just tell, “I’m taking your car”, or “give me you wallet/your purse!”.
The possible situations are infinite, you’ll have to use good judgment.

The perfect outcome? That’s the one where you saw this happening before it got to a point of no return and managed to avoid the situation entirely, by running away, turning around, or speeding away in your vehicle.
You use your gun when you already failed at awareness.
You end up shooting someone when you come across a particularly insane person, or more than likely, when you failed yet again, and didn’t use your weapon to control the situation before it got completely out of hand.

I’ve failed to see it coming sometimes. No one is perfect and it can happen. Thankfully I was aware enough so as to not screw it up again after strike one and the presence of my firearm made all the difference in the world.

So wrapping it up a bit, that’s about it. Guns drawn at the right moment save lives, including the lives of the criminals if they know what’s good for them.

2) “So I can carry a 22LR single shot derringer, because I’m not going to use it, right?”
“The friend of my uncle’s neighbor stopped a bank robbery with a NAA 22LR single action revolver.
I bought a NAA 22LR single action revolver and left my Glock behind because I want to be like the friend of my uncle’s neighbor.”

I’m telling you, there’s even people out there that even consider having and carrying unloaded guns when you tell them that 9 out of 10 times you end up shooting nobody.

No of course not. And preferably your gun wont be a 5 shot 38 Special, but something high capacity in a powerful round.

Why?
Because sometimes you just have nothing but bad luck and while odds are in your favor, Murphy may be around and decide to pay you a visit.
Instead of everyone going home, the guys that suddenly show up pull guns, and that’s when you start shooting.

I’ve heard of cases where just a couple rounds were fired, and some really nasty ones where 50 or more cases where found after the shooting.

It’s just common sense. If everyone involved has high capacity autos and we are talking about 2 or 3 guys, just point shooting and pulling the trigger until the magazine is empties will leave a lot of brass in the ground, and it will still happen in a matter of seconds.

3)Expect things to be a bit different from target shooting. This silhouette will be running around and doing a bit of shooting of its own. Expect the worse, expect to miss a lot. And expect to shoot until the guy goes down. They wont fly through the air with a single hit like in the movies.

One guy that got into a nasty shooting once at point blank told me:
“I thought I was missing, but I also knew it wasn’t possible because I was grabbing the guy and shooting at him at point blank. He was grabbing me while he tried to twist his gun in my direction to shoot me.
I emptied my Sig 220 45 ACP with Hydrashock ammo into his torso. He kept fighting a bit but then collapsed.
Then I saw the exit holes in his back. I could see the white grounded fat”
You have do hit them until they go down. Shooting one or two rounds and then waiting to see what happens would be a terrible mistake.

Hope that brought a bit of light to the issue. Separated fantasy and reality for some.

Take care.


FerFAL

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have always feared one thing: Lying there, on the ground, dead, with my gun permit in my purse and my gun at home in the drawer.

I went a bit overboard where size and weight are concerned.

I loved your post so much that I'm placing a link to it on my (of all things) HUMORBLOG. Well, if you can't shoot it or eat it, make fun of it.

Anonymous said...

Hey Ferfal,

Love your blog. I just wanted to give a heads up. We just got our "Lock Popped" in our new car. We live in St. Louis MO.

My wife was at a public park with the kids and came back to find the car had been robbed. It is going to cost us $500 (our deductible) to get the damage fixed. The total damage came to about $900.00.

I am fortunate because I can conceal and carry. And I do. I have a 9mm Kel-Tec that fits quite nicely in my pocket.

I fully believe that the escalation of nonviolent crimes in my area will be followed by an escalation of violent crimes. I just wanted to put the word out because I am sure that the rise in crime is not going to get the attention that it deserves.

By the way, they made off with my daughters tap shoes and pom poms that she uses for dance. That and a bag of miscellaneous toys to amuse my children. I get endless amusement imagining them trying to pawn a pair of tap shoes. (Or better yet - Wear them.)

FerFAL said...

Hi Dana,
You are right. I always advice high capacity autos but if you are not going to carry it, then absolutely go with a smaller gun like a snub nose revolver.
The gun in the purse is much more valuable than the one left home.
You’d do nicely with one of the small snubbies made by Smith and Wesson, like an Airweight hammerless 38 special. Laser grips are easy to install and make instinctive point shooting much easier.

FerFAL

Anonymous said...

Good post.

I think too many people have a Hollywood fantasy vision of violence without having a grounding in reality of what it's really like. Those people are lucky in a way that they've never experienced anything like this first hand, and often show their immaturity and naivety on internet postings thinking they're some kind of tough guy. Sadly everyone can pretend to be a tough guy on the internet in the comfort of their own homes.

Thanks for telling us the truth.

Queen-Size funny bone said...

The problems has never been guns. It is who has access to guns. Not all are responsible gun owners and users.

Anonymous said...

I grew up in Philadephia, PA back in the 1970's and was robbed at gunpoint twice, and most people I knew were victims of some sort of crime back then. That was the armed robbery decade when the thugs targeted the middle class. After the economy recovered (sort of) the the mid 1980's, the crack epidemic hit, and then the thugs started killing each other and left the middle class alone, thank God. I never owned a gun in while living Philadelphia and I'm glad I didn't, because I think it would have encouraged me to stay and fight rather than just move away. I know it sounds cowardly to run, but who are you trying to impress with your courage? I know, not everyone can move, but if you can, and you're thinking about where to put your money--into guns and ammo versus into moving to someplace better--then I'd say invest the money on a move.

FerFAL said...

It's not cowardly to run. It's just that sometimes you dont have a choice.
As I said in the post, the perfect resolution is to just escape.

Problem is that sometimes you can't to that, and that's when a gun can save the chips.

I agree on moving too. Problem is sometimes it's not possible, or at least, requires time and money.

FerFAL

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:37 - It is not cowardly to run, but is is cowardly to run and leave someone behind.

When you are responsible for your families safety you can not always just run away. If the people threatening you have control of your loved ones, you had better be able to protect them and not just run away.

Even if you live in a nice area, there are still occasions when you can be in danger. No place is safe from home grown criminals, criminals coming from outside your area, or criminals you run into when you have to travel to locations away from your home.

You can not spend your life running away, and moving and moving and moving to somewhere else that might be safe. Sometimes you have to make a stand.

Zegon

Anonymous said...

Contrary to what a lot of anti-gun folks think, almost all people who carry a weapon are very much against violence. I am no Rambo; I do have a disabled girlfriend who cannot run or fight. That leaves me to protect someone I care for, not because I am violent, but because I don't want a loved one hurt.
Unlike a lot of people, I KNOW what happens when people get shot. I carried a lot of them in my ambulance. It isn't like on TV, believe me.
I don't want to hurt anyone. But even less, I don't want some son of a bitch to walk away after hurting or killing me. All the police and cell phones in the world are not going to help when someone walks up to you with intent to harm you.

MJ Klein said...

the irresponsible gun owners are called "criminals." they don't follow gun-control laws. i like the US state of Vermont with it's single gun control law which adds 10 years to any crime penalty if a gun was used in the commission of the crime.

things are going to get bad in the US very soon. those who live in the US should be thanking Ferfal for the advanced warning and every day practical advice on how to survive.

great blog Ferfal!

Anonymous said...

I don't want to hijack the blog but want to address the Philly anon post. I grew up in the Bronx in NYC in the 80s and I've got news for you - "thugs" didn't leave anyone alone. I've described FerFAL's life as a bad day in the Bronx, every day ;). I didn't have a gun (though I always knew where to get one) and I managed to survive. However, I live in CO now, own plenty and have a carry permit - and I still haven't needed one nor do I want to.

Courage isn't about impressing people. It's about doing the right thing, even if it means doing unpleasant things or risking everything. Sometimes that means doing nothing, sometimes running, sometimes fighting. And being armed (in addition to being intelligent, observant, conversant and fit) gives you options.

Unknown said...

Hello again Ferfal, again a nice common sense approach to why and how a person should conduct themselves while armed. I have been a CCW permit holder for about 14 years now, and I have never needed to draw. But, I would much rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

I will mention there have been a few times while driving in a large city two hours to my north, when I have been very happy to have my Glock, Sig or whatever I have at the time. One time while with my brother and my wife, we were slightly disparaged by a carload of people of slightly different skin color than us. We kept our cool and let things slide as they made comments and threw things at our car. Little did they know that Hell would have come to dinner in a second or two since my brother (a reserve police officer at the time) was sitting in the back seat with Mr. Glock at the full on ready position. Luckily, they chose to feel like the big men they were and left us alone after their outbreak of oral diarrhea.

None of us were worried, I had my .45 very close by, but was glad for the fact we were able to drive away like civilized people and leave "sleeping dogs lie" as it were.


I NEVER let people know that I am armed when I am out doing my job. Only if I happen to be having a discussion with an enthusiast, will I mention the fact that I am packing.

Another thing for people to remember, a gun is a BIG responsibility. Only use it if there is NO other outlet. The sheriff's office recognizes the fact that crime is actually lower when good people arm themselves.

I hope I never have to kill/hurt another human being, but I have obligated myself to protecting the ones I love. Even if that means I am alone, I need to make sure I get back home to them so I can provide and protect as a good husband/father does.

I look forward to reading your blog, keep up the good work and be safe.

Anonymous said...

Another great - and thought-provoking - post as usual. As far as carrying, I usually am. Folks who know me now just assume I *am* and folks who don't know me don't need to know. That goes for my wife, as well.

Personal choice? 1911 in .45 for both of us.

I fully expect crime of all kinds to increase in all areas as our economy continues to sink. I don't want my family helpless in spirit or body.

Anonymous said...

I read this a few months ago, and it makes a lot of sense to me:

"To live in a social situation where only uniformed police (and mafia/gangs) carry weapons while the rest of the populace is un-armed or without weapons, it just seems wrong to some basic instinct inside and I don't agree with it. It also seems to lead to more oppression and a loss of self-sufficiency and dependence on store-bought meat."

Norcal said...

I don't remember the name
But there was a case here where a woman was in a restaurant with her parents
A crazy man came in and shot people randomly
The lady reached for her purse and her gun
Then she recalled she had left it outside to comply with laws against carry
She had to sit and watch both her parents get blown away (killed)
Does anyone have the youtube for her testimony?

Norcal said...

Window security

Hi Ferfal,
I posted but I think it got lost in the internet somewhere

So I'll ask again, any advice on windows? Perimeter?

We in Calif have not only glass front doors, but huge glass windows in the back of our homes

In poor neighborhoods people but bars on their windows and doors.

Should we be getting that done?
It will look a little funny in this middle class neighborhood but who knows?

Also front gates, no one has a front gate.
So anyone can walk up to your (glass) front door and confront you

We have a mental patient in our neighborhood who goes into periodic rages (over noise for example)

The other day he chased my son home and threatened him
He ran right into my house even tho the alarm was going off

He's 30 and on disability, I gently told the parents and they said, we can't control him, next time call the police

then a few weeks later he raged at the next door neighbor kids over their music

I think more and more people are wigging out mentally
In his case it's not a money/job thing but more of a bipolar/anger thing

However, this does not add to one's feeling of security
Even if you call the police, it could be too late.

He has raged at almost every neighbor.

Anonymous said...

FerFal,

A huge number of American's are weak in the head as they've had the privilege of being protected from death other than death from old age. Thanks again for yet another ZERO B.S. post. Truth is often stranger than fiction, especially if one lives in a fantasy land.

Unknown said...

I liked your post very much. I thought the calm tone of your argument compared to the shrill accusations we often hear for the anti-gun folks was a nice touch.

You say these reasons do not apply to the normal gun owner: "because he has insecurities about his manhood, because he’s aggressive or violent, or is sick in the head and secretly fantasizes about hurting others,"

But those motivations must exist in some. How many, percentage-wise, would you say?

Anonymous said...

You might copy these hysterical comments and group them together with an appropriate label. Seeing and knowing the opposition to freedom can be useful. Continued speech in calm tones and telling the truth will make these peoples head eventually explode.