Interesting how a conversation can change directions

End of the day, talking with our spec writer over details of some documents we needed to put out the door to meet a deadline.  Thinking back, I can't remember how she steered the conversation to guns, but I found myself talking to her about handguns. She said she'd grown up shooting long guns and was comfortable with that but handguns scared her.  I said, well you learned how to properly handle a long gun and so you are comfortable with that right?  There's a proper way to safely pick up a handgun as well. You just need to learn that.
She said she had her father's pistol that he had gotten for her mother many years ago.  Said her mother used to carry it in her purse everywhere she went.  I said, you know that was illegal way back when, she just shrugged.  Oh well, says I, better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.  She'd never heard that saying..made her laugh.
I asked her if the pistol she had was a revolver. She said yes; asked what caliber but she didn't know.
I said if I had to guess it's probably a .38.  Then she wondered out loud if it kicked much.  I told her, probably not much.
Her sister is a CCW license holder and had talked to her about concealed carry. Her sister also gave her some bad information about concealed carry with respect to the law. I set her straight on that.   She said she just didn't know if she could shoot someone. She said her sister had asked her, if it came down to you or the bad guy, could you shoot him.  She admitted she might. I told her that is the only circumstance where you should pull your gun. You don't just arbitrarily pull your sidearm and plug someone.  Then I told her when seconds count, your cell phone and 911 are a poor substitute, the police are twenty minutes away, arriving just in time to draw a chalk line around your body.  I saw a light bulb of cognition flicker a few times during that conversation.

I wrote about how Belle and I had taken a young lady and her husband to the range to introduce them to pistol shooting a while back.  I didn't start this conversation today.  I think the word is starting to spread amongst the ladies in the office.
Since she broached the subject, I'll touch on it again before too long. I think she was feeling me out.


I kind of joked about this before, but it may turn out to be the BAR mission statement.

 BAR, converting new self defense shooters one range trip at a time.

*  I did not grow up shooting pistols, and I do not claim to be a gunnie. The pistol jones started for me at the first BAR blogshoot in Lockhart, TX when Borepatch's .45 whispered sweet nothings to me, and I like shooting them...a lot.

Responsibility........

I realize that I will basically be preaching to the choir with most of my readers, but I'm hoping that to at least some, I will have something to say here that will turn on a little light bulb and someone out there might have an 'aha' moment.

It has been my firm belief for years now that we are all responsible for our own actions, and for our own well being.  I believe that it is up to us to make informed, concious decisions regarding which direction we take in our lives.  Sure, many of us (including myself) make a wrong turn from time to time, but it's up to us to face the consequences of those decisions and set our feet back on the correct path.

In a few months, I will be hitting my 2nd Blogiversary and I cannot express enough how this little blog has changed me for the better.  I think that this community, the gun blogger community in particular, is absolutely without a doubt the best of the best.  We are what the USA is all about.  We love freedom, and will defend it, even if it means defending something that we disagree with (TJIC) or dislike.

With our freedom though, comes great responsibility, especially when that freedom entails owning and/or carrying a firearm.  I cannot tell you how many people out there own a gun and barely know how to operate it (safely), much less take care of it.

When I made the decision to start shooting again, it was a process for me.  I had shot a rifle and a shotgun before, but it had been a very long time.  I had also shot a pistol, a long time ago...  once.  So I knew that I needed to go about everything the right way.  I took my Tokorev SVT-40 to the gunsmith to have it cleaned and checked out to make sure that it was still safe to fire before I ever set foot on the range.  Once I started shooting her, I knew that I was hooked and I knew that guns would start following me home from the gunstore....

Naturally, my goal was to finally take responsibility for my own self defense.  The fact of the matter is that when you call 911, it takes time for help to arrive and by then, it's too late. The damage has been done (whatever that damage may be).  I refuse to be a victim.

My first step toward learning how to fire a pistol was to go and take a basic handgun class.  It was very basic, but I knew that I could operate a semi-automatic pistol safely once I left there.  After that I would go back to the range and rent various models of pistols and shoot them.  My confidence in the booth was growing and I finally knew which pistol I was going to buy.

After Kx got over the intitial shock of my wanting to go out and spend some money on a pistol, I bought my lovely Alexa and practiced shooting with her.  I even took another lesson to see what it was that I was doing wrong when I shoot as I was shooting low... and low-left.  The problem was that I was anticipating the shot along with my finger placement on the trigger.....

After a while, I decided to go ahead and get my CHL and today, I carry everywhere I go where I am allowed to carry.

One major problem with most CHL holders out there is that they get their license, they carry....  but they don't train!  Training Training Training is what MUST happen if you are going to carry a firearm.  You are responsible for every single bullet that comes from your gun.  What the hell good does it do if you carry your gun, but can't hit your target under stress?

This is one reason that I've started shooting IDPA.  To learn how to shoot under stress and to learn how to shoot while on the move, from behind cover, sitting down, and how to shoot at a moving target.  It's all a part of training.

On Tuesday night Guns Over Texas Radio held an Intro to Defensive Pistol class which I attended.  I have to say that I learned a lot about what exactly I need to work on and rest assured, when the Tactical One classes resume at my favorite range, I will be taking those classes and will spring for the occasional private lesson from time to time.

So why train?  Because it's your responsibility to be able to draw your weapon and neutralize the threat, without hitting an innocent bystander!  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY BULLET THAT EXITS YOUR FIREARM.  No ifs, no ands and no buts......  

Those of you out there who carry but do not train?  Shame on you.  There is no excuse for it.  If you don't have the time to train, you might as well leave your gun at home because really, it won't do you much good if you are ineffective with it, and you'll save yourself the hassle of a manslaughter charge should you miss and kill a non-threat.

I hope to God that I never have to use my weapon for anything other than training and IDPA or other fun stuff; however, if the worst ever does happen.....    I will be prepared.