Couple years back I went with the LASIK surgery to rid myself of eyeglasses I'd worn since age 10. What prompted me was a pretty good go-around with a young ne'er-do-well who just simply insisted he didn't want to see the back seat of a police car. We'll my partner and I are kinda funny about things like that. When we invite someone to have seat in our car, we really REALLY expect them to accept our hospitality.The end result was that somewhere along the lines I lost my glasses and was feeling like I was at a real disadvantage. Thank goodness for the ECQB drills and my tag-team partner. As I heard the reassuring ratcheting sound of the partner's handcuffs I found myself thinking… I need to see without glasses. The next morning I made the call to the eye doctor and talked about what I wanted for my eyesight. I was a great candidate and when all was said and done, my vision was perfect for shooting and distance viewing. I might need reading glasses someday… but that can wait.The long and short of this is LASIK works for most healthy young shooters. It also opens up a whole new world if eyewear. Nowadays, I can pick and choose from the best, most protective sunglasses on the market. I still wear glasses every day, but now they are for protection, not vision. If you need corrective lenses, consider the surgery. It works. If your eyes are fine, look for good sunglasses and keep your eyes safe and protected. You can't hit what you can't see.
Just another day at the office. Good glasses are just as much a part of the uniform as a dependable pistol.
Author’s favorite shotgun is an old, well-worn Remington 870 set up with good sights and a 12″ length-of-pull Hogue stock that fits her perfectly.
There is another variable in shotgun selection: type of action. For defensive use, we choose between semi-automatic and manually-operated shotguns (called pump shotguns). Here's a look at both.
Pump or Autoloader?
In the sporting world, double-barreled shotguns are often favored, but their ammunition capacity is too limited for defensive use. The choice between a pump and semi-automatic shotgun is similar to choosing between a semi-automatic pistol and a single-action revolver. The semi-auto shotgun employs some of the gas created by firing the shell to automatically eject the empty case and chamber fresh ammunition after each shot; the pump requires the shooter to pull the forend back to eject the empty shell, then pump it forward to recharge the chamber.
Racking the pump gun’s action to eject the empty shell and chamber another round, the shooter manually controls the supply of ammunition. On a smoothly finished pump shotgun this operation can become as automatic as shifting a manual transmission: you learn to do it almost without thinking.
Ghost ring shotgun sights.
The great advantage of manual operation is the gun’s ability to cycle the variety of powder charges as found in different brands and kinds of ammunition. A number of semi-automatic shotguns will not cycle low-powered bird shot, an inexpensive choice students favor for training.
The pump shotguns just don’t care, since they need not harness the gases or the recoil-impulse generated when the shell is fired to operate the gun. A pump-action shotgun can be forced to cycle a greater variety of ammunition and can operate when dirty or unlubricated, since the shooter does all the work.
On the down side, the pump-action shotgun may produce more felt recoil than a semi-automatic shotgun of the same gauge. Most semi-automatic shotguns use the gases produced during the firing cycle, channeling gas through small holes in the barrel assembly to cycle the action. As a generalization, an autoloader recoils slightly less than a pump shotgun.
There are, however, two types of semi-auto shotguns, and one does not bleed off any of these gases. Typified by Benelli and Beretta brands, some semi-auto shotguns cycle the action using the recoil impulse or the energy from the rearward thrust of the burning gases. A recoil- or impulse-operated shotgun will hit just as hard as a pump shotgun.
Spending More Money
Nomenclature for common defense shotguns.
There are several modifications made by custom gunsmiths that can tame the shotgun’s recoil. A barrel modification called backboring reduces felt recoil by redistributing the gases created by the burning powder, and as a side benefit it rearranges the pellets into a tighter shot group that does not spread as widely in flight to the target.
Best in the business for this after-market modification is Hans Vang, who developed the Vang Comp System and has worked his magic on both my “working” and competition shotguns.
Major modifications aside, a competent gunsmith can do much to simply “slick up” the operation of your shotgun. On the pump gun, this means smoothing away any rough places on the action bars and related working parts. Some of the same effect can be accomplished by pumping the action thousands of times, which could be accomplished practicing dry fire.
Extensive dry fire isn’t recommended for shotguns, however, as it is feared that the long firing pin may crack from vibrations that run through the metal during dry fire. If your manual shotgun cycles roughly, however, you can do everything but pull the trigger, racking the action repeatedly until the parts wear themselves into a smoother fit. The action release lever will have to be used if the trigger is not pulled; otherwise the action will remain locked closed.
Another common after-market modification is shotgun sights. Many shotguns come from the factory with no rear sight whatsoever, just one or two beads on a ventilated rib running along the top of many sporting shotguns.
Slug guns, set up for deer hunting, are the common exception, wearing better buckhorn or pistol style sights but their rifled barrels don’t work for bird shot or buck shot, since the rifling slings the shot toward the edges of a large circle with no shot in the center.
I believe a self-defense shotgun absolutely requires a good set of sights. Variations include a rear notch and front blade that are very like pistol sights; or a ghost ring rear sight that is much like an aperture sight, commonly used with a blade front sight. In my opinion, the Express Sight designed by Ashley Emerson and marketed by XS Sights can’t be beat on the shotgun.
The latter three are excellent choices for the combat shotgun, although the beads will suffice for those who will simply pursue basic competence with their home-defense shotgun at relatively short distances.
Your skill with your defensive shotgun will be only as good as the practice and training time you put in with your equipment. Good technique is the first step in rendering the shotgun enjoyable for training and informal practice. The second step is setting up the shotgun so it is comfortable. Let’s outline some of the accessories that make a difference.
Before you set out to replace the recoil pad on your shotgun, look at your undies. Metal parts on brassiere straps are downright dangerous beneath the butt of a recoiling shotgun! My favorite cure is the PAST Hidden Comfort Recoil Shield for women, which is secured beneath the bra strap with several Velcro strips. Another cure is to wear a sports bra without any metal, but that won’t offer any recoil protection.
If the recoil really bothers you, consider having a gunsmith fit a Pachmayr Decelerator butt pad on the end of your shotgun. This incredible accessory absorbs and distributes the recoil like nobody’s business–it is well worth the price!
When a pistol remains in service for 50 years, it gets Workman's attention. In the case of the Ruger Super Blackhawk, it came as no surprise.
Legend has it that Bill Ruger or someone who worked for him had found some spent .44 Remington Magnum cartridge cases in a trash heap back in the mid-1950s and, as a result, Sturm, Ruger came up with the first single-action Blackhawk in that caliber in 1956.
That may or may not be an urban legend, but regardless how it happened, when Sturm, Ruger unveiled that big-bore Blackhawk, it was a fire-snorter that seemed to many people to be a bit on the small side for that hell-roaring cartridge. In 1959, Ruger unveiled a sixgun that has become a legend in its own right, and this year the Ruger Super Blackhawk turned 50 years old, and we almost overlooked it.
My first experience with this handgun was when I was a teenager hunting raccoons with a couple of guys, one of whom had this monster hogleg hanging from a homemade cartridge belt. I’d never seen a handgun quite that big, and when he touched off a round to bring down a treed bandit one morning, the fire that came out of the bore was simply awesome, and the muzzle blast left me momentarily deaf.
Now, years later, I’ve had the opportunity to shoot various specimens and found the revolver with its lengthened grip frame and the square-backed trigger guard — reminiscent of the old Colt Dragoon — to be one darned fine hunting handgun. Some years ago, Pachmayr did handgunners a big favor and developed a rubber replacement grip that made the recoil easier to handle and actually seemed to fit many hands better than the factory wood grips.
Designed with a couple of “wings” that came up from the rear of the frame to house the adjustable rear sight, and a ramp front sight that looked like it belonged on a rifle, the Super Blackhawk was, and remains, a serious-business single-action. It wore a polished deep blue finish and the unfluted cylinder added not only to the visual appeal but a slight bit of weight that helped to tame the recoil just a hair. After all, this sixgun weighed about 48 ounces, which is one hefty piece of steel, and as it turned out, not all that uncomfortable to shoot.
What really counts about the Super Blackhawk, and the Blackhawk for that matter, is on the inside. Ruger designed the Blackhawk family with modern coil springs and built it from modern steel. It was and remains a modern revolver that just sorta looks like it belongs in the 19th Century.
There are several good histories of the Super Blackhawk readily available on the Internet, and each has its own approach to the history of this gun. I’m going to talk about its functional value, which is proven beyond any doubt by anecdotal evidence; tales of the great gun clobbering deer, caribou, elk, bears and pretty much anything else that got in its way.
With its 7 ½-inch barrel, steel grip frame and ejector rod housing, the Super Blackhawk is a handful. One of my closest pals bought one when he lived in Alaska, and on my first visit up there, it went along with us to his wilderness cabin northwest from Anchorage. He advised me at the time that there were things in the woods that could eat people, and all I had was a piddly-by-comparison Smith & Wesson Model 19 that just didn’t seem at home in those parts.
Shooters and hunters get the most out of the .44 Magnum cartridge from this revolver and barrel length. With enough time at the range, the Super Blackhawk and right loads proved to be an accurate combination for hunters and silhouette shooters.
It was no surprise that the Super Blackhawk eclipsed the original .44 Magnum Blackhawk in popularity, and in 1963, Ruger stopped building the Blackhawk in .44 Magnum (but it wasn’t long before a Blackhawk in .41 Magnum made its debut!) and from that time on, the Super Blackhawk has reigned.
The next evolutionary step came in 1973, when Ruger re-designed the internal workings of the Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk from the old three-screw design to the “two-pin” New Model (older guns were appropriately called the “Old Model”). This revision featured a transfer bar firing system that allows all six chambers to be loaded, and the loading mechanism changed a bit. The cylinder was now released by opening the loading gate instead of bringing the hammer back to half-cock, and instead of four audible clicks during cocking, there are now only two.
For hunters and even target shooters, this is a considerable improvement. The transfer bar is safer if one decides not to take a shot and lower the hammer. Simply let up on the trigger as the hammer begins to slowly drop and as the transfer bar falls, you can lower the hammer and it will not strike the firing pin.
Ruger introduced a stainless model of the Super Blackhawk, and offered shorter barrel lengths of 4 5/8- and 5 ½-inches, and a Hunter model was produced with a ribbed barrel onto which a scope could be mounted. But always it has been the Super Blackhawk, a handgun that inspired some people to experiment with different loads and wildcat cartridges.
Some people will rave about the smoothness of the action. Others talk about how crisply it lets off. They will boast about the accuracy out to 100 yards or maybe beyond with just the factory sights. A few may simply stare at the finish of a vintage gun that has been well cared for and not say a word.
Fifty is not such a ripe old age anymore, but a sixgun model that has lasted that long is a fairly rare beast. The Colt SAA, of course, has been around for more than 130 years, but a fair number of other single-action revolvers have come and gone, and so have classic double-actions.
The Ruger Super Blackhawk remains, and it would be no surprise to me if it were around for another 50 years.
Pretty hard to kill a legend.
This article appeared in the December 21, 2009 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Gun Digest is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews and practical how-to instructions. Subscriptions are the First Amendment way to stand up for your Second Amendment rights. Click here to begin your subscription to Gun Digest.
Inside This Issue
• Editor Kevin Michalowski muses on a special deer hunt in his “Editor's Shot” column. Click here to read it.
• After holding out for years, Dan Shideler finally gives the SKS a chance and finds it to be a versatile piece that was designed to shoot.
Former CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner also called for the United States to more aggressively investigate U.S. gun sellers and tighten security along its side of the border, describing the situation as “critical” to the safety of people in both countries, whether they live near the border or not.
Mexico, for its part, needs to reduce official corruption and organize its forces along the lines the U.S. does, such as a specialized border patrol and a customs agency with a broader mandate than monitoring trade, Mr. Bonner said in an exchange of e-mails.
“Border security is especially important to breaking the power and influence of the Mexican-based trafficking organizations,” Mr. Bonner said. “Despite vigorous efforts by both governments, huge volumes of illegal drugs still cross from Mexico.
“In turn, large quantities of weapons and cash generated from illegal drug sales flow south into Mexico, which makes these criminal organizations more powerful and able to corrupt government institutions,” he said.
Mr. Bonner, a former federal judge who also headed the U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under the Republican administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, said the still-raging battle “will determine who controls the legitimate institutions of government.” Read more
SAF is joined in the lawsuit by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) and four individual plaintiffs. They are represented by attorney Alan Gura, who successfully argued the landmark Heller case before the high court in 2008, leading to a ruling that the Second Amendment affirms and protects an individual right to keep and bear arms beyond the scope of serving in a militia.
The McDonald case not only challenges the Chicago ban, but also brings up the question of application of the right to keep and bear arms to the states through the 14th Amendment.
“Our filing today will help establish that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right of American citizenship no city official can violate,” Gura said.
Alan Gottlieb, SAF founder and executive vice president, added, “We brought this case because the Chicago ban has denied law-abiding citizens the exercise of a basic civil right for more than 20 years. We are delighted to bring this action with our colleagues in Illinois because this kind of onerous regulation simply cannot go unchallenged.”
“The Chicago case presents an opportunity to challenge a local law in a case that has national implications,” said ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson. “A victory in this case not only restores a fundamental right to Chicago residents, it will prevent other such outright bans all over the country.” Read more
A Melvindale man, who openly carried a gun into Fairlane Mall in Dearborn while shopping for socks, was stopped at gunpoint by police after leaving a parking space.
An Ohio man was ordered at gunpoint to lie on the ground in July after someone called 911 to report that he was walking down the street with a handgun, which was holstered. One of the responding officers told him, “You cannot just walk down the street with a weapon.”
The Constitution says otherwise.
“If one chooses to carry a weapon in Michigan, one can do so without a license,” Brian Jeffs, president of Michigan Open Carry Inc., said. “There's no law that says it's illegal.”
Livingston County Prosecutor David Morse agreed, saying, “You're granted the right through the Constitution.”
Michigan Open Carry, a nonprofit organization that promotes the lawful carrying of a handgun, recently participated in a luncheon sponsored by the Christian motorcycle club In God We Trust M/C in the hopes of educating the public about openly carrying handguns. It's a movement that has grown nationwide since 2004, Jeffs said.
However, there are numerous incidents — some of which have led to lawsuits — in which police officers and the general public misunderstand or just plain don't know about the right to carry a weapon openly.
Any law-abiding citizen of Michigan who can legally possess a firearm may openly carry that firearm in a holster in all places not explicitly exempt by law without a concealed pistol license. Those exempt places — where weapons cannot be carried — include banks, churches, courts, theaters, sports arenas, day-care centers, hospitals and establishments under the Liquor Control Act, which would include bars and stores that sell alcohol.
A person may not, however, brandish the weapon. A Michigan attorney general opinion from 2002 states that to brandish is to “waive or flourish menacingly” or “to display ostentatiously.” A person also may not openly carry a weapon in a vehicle unless that individual has a concealed pistol license. Read more
Just because you carry a gun dos not mean you have to pull it out and charge into every situation you see. Well, let me rephrase that. As a civilian, you don't need to charge in. Uniformed officers have a duty to get involved, so that becomes a whole new can of worms… but civilians not directly involved in a violent incident might be better off preparing for action, but remaining outside the fray, gathering information to be a good witness.There are a million possible scenarios and sometimes the best choice is to simply move to a position of tactical advantage and observe. Get on your cell phone and call 911… take time to roll the possibilities through your head, perhaps even maintain the element of surprise. Just remember, the best fight is one you can avoid. Sometimes it pays to play it cool.
Those changes may come via a task force which has begun reviewing the new law.
“The task force's central proposal would make it easier for gun store owners to stock their shelves while still limiting customers to buying one handgun every 30 days,” the Star-Ledger reported. “The law exempts sales between licensed gun dealers, but not purchases from distributors or manufacturers, which are classified differently under New Jersey law.”
“As it stands now, retailers would be prohibited from purchasing guns from their suppliers,” said Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi, who leads the task force. “I think that was an oversight when the legislation was passed.”
Said State Police Lt. Col. Christopher Andreychak, a task force member, “You couldn't run a used-car business if you can only buy and sell one used car a month. They have to have an exemption or we'll put them out of business.”
The task force was scheduled to make its recommendations to the governor before the end of November.
A three judge panel has declared that Ohio R.C 9.68 – which became law in 2007 with passage of HB347 to preempt local gun control and ensure statewide uniformity of gun laws – is unconstitutional.
Judges Colleen Conway-Cooney, Ann Dyke (both Democrats facing re-election in 2010), and Melody Stewart (a Democrat facing re-election in 2012) reversed a lower court's decision to uphold the law.
Dyke was elected to the appellate court in 1987, after serving 7 years as a common pleas judge in Cuyahoga County. Conway-Cooney was elected in 2000, after serving 9 years as a Cleveland Municipal Judge and 8 years as a Cuyahoga County prosecutor. Stewart was elected in 2006 after serving as assistant Law Director to Cleveland.
We are certain gun owners across the state are resting comfortably, knowing that they got a fair, unbiased hearing from these three, who all owe their livelihoods and careers to the Cleveland political machine.
Ironically, in a footnote to their ruling that the law is unconstitional, the appellate court admitted the state Supreme Court has already, by implication, ruled that the law is constitutional.
Indeed, in Ohioans For Concealed Carry, Inc. v. Clyde, the Supreme Court upheld R.C. 9.68 as it relates to handguns, albeit in dicta, when it stated, “[s]imply put, the General Assembly, by enacting R.C. 9.68(A), gave persons in Ohio the right to carry a handgun unless federal or state law prohibits them from doing so. A municipal ordinance cannot infringe on that broad statutory right.” Read more
That Congressional mandate at Section 512 of the Act immunizes Americans from the National Park Service's gun carry ban provided that the gun carry does not violate any other state or federal law.
Most states allow both open and concealed carry of loaded firearms in public places, though typically concealed carry requires a state issued license. Another wrinkle is that some states regulate gun carry inside vehicles more strictly than gun carry on foot, while other states do the reverse.
Several recent news reports note surprise by some observers that the Coburn Amendment permits both concealed and open carry of firearms, including long guns, on National Park property. However the National Park Service seems to be taking things in stride.
According to National Park Spokesperson Phil Selleck, the Park Service is not going to go through any formal rulemaking process for each park.
Instead said Selleck, the Service is going to work to “educate the public” and park employees on the gun carry rights in each park. Selleck said that federal law at 18 U.S.C. 930 continues to ban gun carry in “federal facilities,” but advised that the Park Service does not consider unattended structures such as “outhouses” to be federal facilities because “employees are not regularly present there to perform official duties.” Read more
Bob Warden, 44, announced his intentions in an e-mail Friday morning to media as well as to the city of Seattle, including the police and city attorney.
On Saturday, Warden walked into the Southwest Community Center at 2801 SW Thistle Street with a Glock-27 .40-caliber sub-compact pistol under a black jacket in a holster strap over his left shoulder. Parks Department employee Lisa Harrison asked him to leave, and he did.
“I'm not here as a Second Amendment activist,” Warden said. “I'm here as a citizen who believes in the rule of law.”
Warden, who said he's never discharged a weapon outside a firing range, added that the idea occurred to him in the past couple of days.
Media, Seattle Police and a handful of supporters were on hand. Warden sent out an e-mail Friday announcing his intentions.
“As a courtesy, this is advance notice that at noon tomorrow, Saturday, November 14, I plan to exercise my legal right to bear arms in Seattle's Southwest Community Center, 2801 SW Thistle Street,” Warden said in his e-mail. “I will be safely and securely carrying my holstered Glock pistol. I have a current valid State of Washington License to Carry Concealed.”
Bud Shasteen, 75, an NRA member member of the Second Amendment Foundation, was among Warden's supporters.
“I'm glad he is doing it,” Shasteen said. “I'm sorry I didn't think of it. I'd have done it myself.”
Alex Kaehler, 16, and his sister, Jeanmarie Kaehler, 20, were also on hand to support the move. Neither owns a weapon, but both said they want to.
“The mayor was definitely way out of line when he passed the law,” said Alex Kaehler, who lives in SeaTac. “I'm glad somebody is challenging him.”
Mayor Greg Nickels said the ban is intended to protect children. Warden objected to that reasoning.
“Nickels has never presented any evidence to suggest how responsible concealed-weapon carrying is a threat to children in a park,” Warden said.
Nickels said on Oct. 14 that guns would be banned on such city facilities as parks and community centers where children gather. Signs banning guns have been posted at city parks.
Late last month, gun-rights advocates sued, saying the ban violates state law. Read more
You hear that a lot. And there is only one answer. The best gun to have in a gunfight is the one you have when the gunfight starts. Most exchanges of gunfire last less than five seconds. You won't have time to go get a gun and if you do go get one the authorities like to call that “premeditation.” So the short answer is to find a gun that fits your hand and your carry style, functions perfectly every time and can shoot “minute of bad guy” at a range of 15 feet. To be more specific about the accuracy requirements, I want, at the bare minimum, all the bullets to fall somewhere between the nipples and the navel at 15 feet. That s a functional fighting handgun. Yes you can do better, but you don't always need to.Remember the first rule of a gunfight: Have a gun.And remember Grandpa's corollary: Beware the man with just one gun… he very likely knows how to use it.Long and short: Shop for a gun you like and practice with it until you are confident in your abilities.For more information on great guns, check out www.gundigeststore.com
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Best 9mm Pistols for Defense, Competition & Beyond
Right now the media is trying to make a big deal that the cowardly Ft. Hood shooter used an FH FiveseveN pistol in his attack. Apparently unnamed federal law enforcement agents call this gun “The Cop Killer”… Talk about a load of BS. This pistol had nothing to do with this attack. Nothing.The basis for this attack was that the shooter was a Muslim who felt more loyalty to his religion than to his nation and his fellow soldiers. And unfortunately his religion directs him to kill those who don't believe as he does. His actions were motivated by religion and nothing more and those who deny this, deny the truth.What kind of religion advocates the murder of others as a religious requirement? Islam. That's the truth.Apply Occam's Razor to this situation and see what you get.It wasn't the FiveseveN that killed these soldiers. It was that coward's blind belief that it would be better to kill American soldiers than to stand up and proclaim that he was opposed to the war on fellow Muslims and simply would not participate…but he did participate in the war… on the wrong side and in classic Muslim fashion of attacking those who could not fight back.
Michael Bender of the Personal Protection Academy demonstrates defensive handgun technique, but stresses the legal and financial consequences of a defensive gun use (DGU).
Physical Consequences
Many of you have seen photos of gunshot wound victims. Ugly stuff. Even for those who survived those injuries, their wounds had to have been debilitating for a lifetime.
Emotional Consequences
Shooting someone — or getting shot — is likely to affect your outlook on the world, perhaps for the rest of your days.
Financial Consequences
Defending yourself from prosecution and/or civil litigation can be expensive — just a huge financial burden for the average Joe. Expect to shell out $10,000 or more in attorney retainer and legal expenses if you even draw that gun, let alone shoot someone with it. If the thing goes bang, $100,000 can disappear quickly in your legal struggle to stay out of prison.
Legal Consequences
You’ll have a very small window to get this right. Do this wrong, and you might go to prison. I’ll repeat that. Do this wrong, and you might lose your freedom.
After my clients leave my training, using lethal force or threatening to use it will be their choice. Their survival and their freedom afterward will depend not only on their skills and tactics they have or acquire during training, but also on their lawful use of deadly force.
Always keep in mind that you’re not obligated to pull your gun, and unless someone is about to be killed or seriously physically injured, leaving that weapon in its holster just might be the smartest thing to do.
Staying out of prison, means conditioning yourself to assess your risks in every instance before pulling that gun. Asking yourself, “What are my chances of successfully defending myself or others, without intolerable risks to me or them? If I draw my weapon, am I prepared to use it? Can I actually pull the trigger if I can’t find another way to get to safety or protect those I care about?”
Nothing like playing poker. No bluffing here. No false bravado. Stakes are lots higher and could very well become permanent in some fashion.
I ask my clients to keep this adage in mind: If you use a gun to defend yourself, the police and the courts are sure to take a lot longer and stronger look at you than if you swing a purse, briefcase, big stick, use pepper spray, or even watch a carjacker disappear under your front bumper. Be assured using a gun will provoke lots of face-time with law enforcement folks.
“You’ll have a very small window to get this right. Do this wrong, and you might go to prison. I’ll repeat that. Do this wrong, and you might lose your freedom.”
The conditions for legally using self-defense … lots to understand.
During this and the next three DGU Advisors, I’ll talk about four very important conditions. The four conditions I discuss in my courses are what I’ve come to understand to be nearly universal self-defense law across the country.
The foundation of my own training, and what I simply pass along in my courses and herein, comes from trainers taught by Joe Olson (Professor of Law at Hamline University, longtime political activist in 2nd Amendment issues, former Board member of the National Rifle Association, former federal prosecutor, and experienced defense counsel) and from the writings of Massad Ayoob (police chief, trainer, lecturer, educator, author, editor, and internationally recognized leading authority on lawful use of force).
Although I’ve found some states use somewhat different terminology, I believe information provided by Professor Olson and Mr. Ayoob to be foundational self-defense law across our nation.
The Four Conditions
Commit them to memory.
You must be a reluctant participant.
You must be reasonably in immediate fear of death or great bodily harm.
No lesser force will do.
Retreat is not practical.
With today’s DGU Advisor, I’ll discuss the first … You must be a reluctant participant.
This simply means you didn’t proactively cultivate the exchange that escalated to use or threat of deadly force.
It also means you took reasonable steps to avoid the conflict or tried to get out of Dodge before it erupted.
There may come a time in your life when you determine you’re about to become a victim of an act of violence, a forcible felony. Unless you act decisively, you’re going to be mugged, severely assaulted, maimed, raped, or murdered. Be a Reluctant Participant
As a reluctant participant you had no part in starting the mess. You even apologized profusely to Mr. Wolf … tried to get out of Dodge before it blew up … didn’t cause any of it.
Keep in mind that your adversary need not be a complete stranger … might be a violent ex-spouse, co-worker holding a grudge, disgruntled employee, stalker.
As a Sheepdog you can do some things to proactively establish your status as a reluctant participant. We should be rather thankful for all the public cameras out there … at gas stations, ATMs, parking lots, stores of all types. If one of those Big Brother devices records your reluctance to participate in a confrontation, that’s a very good thing. Likewise witnesses, if they see you demonstrate your reluctance to participate in a confrontation.
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I want you to keep in mind that a Sheepdog’s reasons for carrying a gun are quite a bit different than reasons required of police officers. Law enforcement folks have to make arrests, capture bad guys, intervene in family disputes, and the like. They have a primary weapon and maybe a backup, plus extra magazines, baton, pepper spray, taser, handcuffs … tools of their trade.
As Sheepdogs we have a much different purpose with a gun. Our obligation is to put distance between ourselves and trouble. It’s a tool of last resort. So it’s probably not a good idea to carry a primary gun, backup gun, six extra mags of nuclear-tipped hollow points, knife, those Chinese throwing stars you got for Christmas last year, blackjack, and a bunch of other combat gear when you go out to dinner. Wearing the Batman belt won’t look good to your peers on the jury when they’re trying to objectively decide if you’ve been a reluctant participant.
By the way, reluctant participant status applies to a third party you decide to help, too. Tough to know if the guy on the floor getting the soup kicked out of him is the good guy or the wolf resisting arrest by a rough-looking undercover cop.
My recommendation is this: Short of imminent death or great bodily harm situations, it will almost invariably be best to call the police. Let them sort it out.
The Importance of Articulation
Sheepdogs, please, please keep in mind you must be able to articulate WHY you used force. Being able to articulate to a Trier of Fact that you were a reluctant participant might keep you from going to prison.
Will you be able to articulate your claim of justifiable self-defense in court of law if an aggressive prosecutor pursues you for unlawful use of force? For example, “I tried to get away from him, Mr. Prosecutor. I apologized for any misunderstandings … did my best to calm the situation down … told Mr. Wolf I didn’t want any trouble, and my wife and I tried to leave. He followed us into the parking lot and attacked me with a club. I didn’t have a club. I was afraid that if he connected with my head, I’d be wounded severely, maybe mortally. That’s why I discharged my weapon in self-defense … the only means I had to survive without grave injury to my wife or myself.”
The best self-defense tactic will always be to avoid putting yourself in a position where you will need to shoot. The majority of violent crimes are committed in certain neighborhoods. You likely know where they are in your environment. Stay out of them. And plan how to avoid conflict or what you might do to lower the level of conflict if you see a situation developing.
Be a reluctant participant!
That’s all I have for you this time around. The next DGU Advisor topic will discuss the second condition. You must be reasonably in immediate fear of death or great bodily harm.
Be safe out there Sheepdogs.
For more information about Michael Bender and the Personal Protection Academy, call Toll-free (888) OK SHOOT or (888) 657-4668 or visit www.PPA-WI.com.
If you want to be a good shooter… shoot more. Make the time to practice and practice properly. If you intend to carry concealed then practice drawing from concealment–verbalize– and engage. If you pull your pistol and shoot someone without giving commands to “Drop the weapon!” you will have some explaining to do when the authorities arrive… Turn the bystanders into witnesses by doing everything correctly and giving them the chance to see and hear you do it. Verbalize before you shoot. Verbalize while you train.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
