Do you control the gun or does the gun control you? | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Here is just a point of clarification on an article Ted submitted based on a conversation we had on the phone. The conversation was rambling and I was offering the devil's advocate or provocateur position on concealed carry. I am 100% in support of the individual's right to own and carry firearms. I do not support additional laws restricting gun ownership. This article was written prior to our conversation and has minor edits to reflect that phone conversation.  Here is the link to Ted's article.  Bobby Tony

    After you have reconciled your need to own or carry a gun for self-defense, it becomes just a tool. John Wayne knew the danger of hesitation in a shootout, but he was usually shooting blanks.

John Bernard Books: First of all, friend, there's no one up there shooting back at you. Second, I found most men aren't willing, they bat an eye, or draw a breath before they shoot. I won't.    John Wayne in the the Shootist

    A master carpenter or painter views the tools of his trade with a mixture of awe and reverence, right? I do not think so. Most craftsmen view their tools as just that; tools. They realize that they must keep them in good condition for use but I do not think they assign any more significance that. The talent in creation is not in the tools but in the master. Naturally, they will want the best tools they can afford to make it easier to practice their craft. A hammer is a hammer, a paintbrush is a paintbrush, and most tools are a means to the end. If you have ever tried to learn or play a guitar with a cheap pawnshop guitar, you know that the fretting and string placement make a great deal of difference in the sound. But a good guitar does not make you a Chet Atkins or Mark Knopfler. In the hands of a master, the tools are an extension of themselves. Well, if you choose to use a gun, treat it the same way. A tool used to place a projectile in a specific place at a specific time and do so repeatedly.

    "The number one misused term is 'Gun Violence'. My guns are peaceful, and sit quietly in their safe, never engaging in any acts of violence. They are incapable of any act. If somehow some depraved person got them and committed an act of violence, as he may with any weapon, they would be the responsible party". (Unknown)

    Therefore, if the gun is just a tool, we must assume that you are the master and the gun is the tool. If you watch a novice shooter at the range or just plinking cans in the backyard, you will notice that the shooter's reaction and anticipation is often based on his choice of weapon.

    You choice of a self-defense weapon is as individual as the carpenter's choice of a hammer. You would not expect a finish carpenter to use a sledgehammer for trim work. If you choice of a weapon is too heavy, you will have difficulty holding at arm's length on target for any length of time. If the recoil is too big, you will anticipate it before you shoot and probably tense up in preparation of the kick. If it is too loud, you will instinctively prepare for the noise. If you are shooting Dirty Harry's Smith & Wesson Model 29, 44-caliber revolver you can bet that there will be a flinch or recoil reaction to the kick and sound of the gun. The most common reaction to new shooters is "Flinching". No one-handgun is suitable for every person. Each will be an individual choice. If you add the additional circumstance of 'Concealed Carry' the other consideration will be size, portability and capacity.

    Like all skills, practice makes perfect. You should be prepared to spend as much money on ammunition as necessary to become familiar and competent with your weapon.

    There are many techniques to train using a weapon. Here are just a few:

1. Ball and Dummy Drill: Load your pistol's magazine or revolver's cylinder with both dummy rounds or snap caps and live ammunition randomly. Practice firing and see if you flinch in anticipation. Most novice shooters will start fairly accurately and then their accuracy and precision will deteriorate. This may be because of 'Flinching'.
2. Dry Fire: Practicing technique is different from shooting. Here the goal is to gain muscle memory and forming a habit using the basic marksmanship fundamentals. This can be practiced almost anywhere as long as you insure the weapon is not loaded.
3. Live fire: Once you have master the technique, then you should practice using live ammunition. Here is where you will need plenty of ammunition to develop you skills.
4. Fire and movement: Another practice method used by professionals is the ability to fire and move at the same time. If you weapon is ever used for self-defense, I doubt that your target will be a piece of paper hanging directly in front of you waiting for you to compose your shot.
5. Repeated Practice: I recently bought a bicycle to ride around the neighborhood. It has been about fifty years since I last rode a bike. Did you know that old people lose their balance and equilibrium as they age? I used to think it was an inner ear problem but our clubhouse fitness trainer says it is quite often the result of poor muscle tone in the legs. They even have a balance pillow that you can use to build the muscles in your leg for better balance. A skill that goes unused will deteriorate. PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE
6. Membership: Join the NRA or other Gun organization: Most are not some nut based fringe group like the media and liberals want you to believe. Many are into heavy training and education as well as guardians of the 2nd Amendment.
7. Training: A license to Conceal Carry should be similar to the driver's License required operate a vehicle on the public roads. In that, respect I would support a private firearm course Certificate of Completion before the State of Georgia issues a Concealed Carry permit. At present, Georgia does not require any weapon training. I admit that I have some serious reservations with government restrictions on firearm purchase, use and carry, but feel that some balance may be practical in this matter.

   My last bit of advice is to reconsider your commitment to actually carrying a loaded weapon for self-defense. Are you prepared to actually kill someone and under what circumstances would you use deadly force? How old are you and how long have, you been able to survive without resorting to carrying a gun? As much as I believe in the 2nd amendment right to own and carry firearms, I am also wary of untrained and novice citizens wandering around with a paranoid view of the threats behind every tree and a tendency to over react out of fear or prejudice.

I just don't want to pass more laws to limit your rights.

   Just in case anyone is interested in the Icon picture. For his movies, John Wayne wore a gun belt that centered the .45-70 long rifle cartridge in order to separate the other two similarly-looking cartridge. Historian Jim Dunham says that one side (probably the right from the buckle, around to the long case) was filled with .45 long Colt ammo that fit the Duke’s revolver. On the other side were .44-40 caliber cartridge that fit his Model 1892 Winchester carbine. The two cartridges look identical; if one got mixed up with the other, it would easily jam the firearm.

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RESEARCH SITES:

    Age and Balance
    Anticipating Recoil
    Overcoming the Flinch Response
   United States Concealed Carry Association
   Air Stability Wobble Cushion
    True West Magazine