Better Late Than Never
While on one hand it is sort of annoying to see so many who may have opposed gun rights suddenly have their “come to Jesus” moment…
Far be it from me to turn my back on any new gun owners who are seeking information. As far as I’m concerned, it’s better late than never…welcome to the community of gun owners! However, gun ownership is a right which clearly carries with it a great deal of responsibility. Still, with a healthy ration of common sense and some basic knowledge, anyone can safely exercise that right and enjoy the added security which comes from armed self-defense.
With that in mind, I offer this basic introduction to gun ownership for the newer members of the gun owning community…dare I call it “Gun Culture 3.0”? For those of you embarking on this journey, I would first caution you that responsible and competent gun ownership is indeed a journey…not an end state. All of my classes end with this slide, titled “The Weight of the Gun”:
Sound a little heavy? It is. But it is necessary to appreciate the truly life and death consequences of what we are talking about. I don’t share this to frighten anyone away from gun ownership, or to turn it into some burdensome chore. In fact, it is my sincere hope that our new gun owners will indeed become a “Gun Culture 3.0,” and embrace gun ownership long after this crisis is over. Besides being a foundational bulwark against tyranny and an essential self-defense tool, guns and shooting can also provide a great deal of enjoyment and recreational opportunities once the fundamentals are mastered. So let’s get on with the information…
First and foremost…don’t break the law! As a new gun owner, you are probably unfamiliar with the complexities of the many laws surrounding guns. In fact, you may have been told that it is easier to obtain a gun than it is to obtain a book. That is simply not true. What is true is that there are many Federal and state laws on the books which restrict gun purchase and possession…way too many to try and cover here. Instead, I would point you towards three online resources which will help you decode the Federal and state legal requirements in your particular state for buying, possessing, and carrying a firearm.
First is the website of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, or BATFE…also commonly referred to in conversation simply as “ATF.” There is a lot of material here, but I would suggest that you first review the information surrounding what is known as ATF Form 4473. (Here is a PDF of the form if you want to look it over.) This is the form you will be asked to complete at your local gun store when you go to purchase your first firearm. Among other things, this form will ask you to answer several questions used to determine if you are a “prohibited person”…someone prohibited by Federal law from firearms possession. The good news is that although the form may seem a little confusing, the clerk at your local gun shop knows it well and should be able to answer your questions and help you complete it properly. Also understand that lying on a 4473 is a felony and is punishable by up to five years in prison. Don’t do it!
Next is the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, or NRA-ILA. Politics aside, what you will find here is a pretty comprehensive overview of the gun laws of all 50 states. Here, you can look up your state-specific laws covering firearms ownership.
Last is a website called Handgunlaw.us, which is a regularly updated compendium of state gun laws which is tailored more towards handguns and their carry.
So far, we’ve only talked about the law as it pertains to purchasing, possession, and transporting firearms. Next up is the law as it relates to the use of force, and in the case of firearms usage…deadly force. As I’m not a lawyer, I’m only going to get into a couple of general principles here, and leave the specifics to the experts. But if you remember only one thing, I’d ask you to consider that it is only appropriate to use a tool which can take life in order to save life. I would never use my firearm to defend property, or as an implement to intimidate or frighten. Beyond that, I would implore you to obtain a copy of Andrew Branca’s book The Law of Self Defense, and read it cover to cover. It is basically the instruction manual for your concealed carry permit, and you need to understand the concepts involved if you plan to carry a gun. The author also maintains a website with additional information, including his schedule of in-person and online training in self-defense law. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Two other books which also contain valuable information on the subject are In the Gravest Extreme and Deadly Force, both by respected trainer and legal expert Massad Ayoob.
Now let’s get into some practical matters surrounding daily gun ownership, and topping the list is SAFETY. Guns are by their very nature dangerous, and mistakes can have deadly consequences. There are two reasons people have accidents with guns, the first being a lack of knowledge, and the second being carelessness. Think of it as the difference between knowing the rules…and having the discipline to follow those rules. I am going to help you with the knowledge part, but as a responsible gun owner it will be up to you to follow them.
The four most basic and most essential gun safety rules…often simple referred to as “The Four Rules”…are as follows:
All guns are always loaded.
Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
Always be sure of your target.
Now let’s talk about them, but in reverse order (I have my reasons).
Rule 4 states that we should always be sure of our target…and I would add “and what is beyond it.” This carries some very serious implications not just for physical safety, but legal safety as well. We should never fire a gun at anything we cannot positively identify, whether as a legitimate practice target, an animal we may be hunting, or as a violent attacker we need to shoot to defend life. We also must be mindful of what our bullet will hit if we miss our intended target, or if it passes through our target completely and continues on its flight. Every round we fire will hit something, and we a responsible for that. Our practice targets and hunting quarry must have reliable backstops, and in self defense situations we must be aware of innocents who may be in our line of fire.
Indoors or outdoors, we must be sure of where our bullet will land.
Rule 3 reminds us to keep our finger off the trigger until our sights are on target. What this means is that the index finger of our shooting hand should be straight and outside of the trigger guard, along the frame of the gun until we have made the conscious decision to place it on the trigger and begin the firing sequence.
Next, Rule 2 tells us to never let the muzzle cover anything we are unwilling to destroy. For new gun owners, the term “muzzle” simply refers to the hole in the end of the gun where the bullet comes out, and “cover” means “point at.” What this means to us in the simplest terms possible is that we should never point a gun at anything…or anyone…which we do not want bullet holes in. And if you’re wondering, “even if the gun is unloaded?”…this is why I saved Rule 1 for last.
Rule 1 states that all guns are always loaded, and I understand that might not make sense, since clearly a gun can be unloaded, and we can easily verify that a gun is in fact empty of ammunition. Don’t feel bad…a lot of very experienced gun owners don’t get this one, either. Following Rule 1 means that we do not have to remember two different sets of gun handling rules…one set of rules to follow with loaded guns, and a different set of rules for unloaded guns. We follow the same safety rules, the same way, ALL THE TIME. Rule 1 is really the fail-safe for the other three rules, and the reason why I covered them in reverse order.
There are a few other safety considerations worth mentioning as well. Now that you’ve made your purchase and gotten it home, some serious thought need to go into how you will store your gun when you’re not using it. Depending on your particular living arrangements and your finances, there are plenty of options available to help keep your firearm secure and inaccessible to anyone who shouldn’t have it. Large floor-type gun safes are a great way to store guns, especially as your collection grows, but they can be expensive and take up a lot of space.
As a new gun owner, you may not need this much storage…yet.
But there are plenty of less expensive and more compact options which may be more appealing to a first-time gun owner, especially if all you need to store is a handgun. There is also a variety of smaller single-gun safes and lockboxes which utilize either biometrics, keypads, or simple keyed locks for security, and any of these may be sufficient for your needs.
I use one of these to store a single handgun.
There is also the option of a simple cabled padlock, often supplied with a new gun. These are threaded through the open action of an unloaded gun and locked, rendering the gun incapable of being fired. If one of these was not included with your gun, you can get one as part of a free gun safety kit, courtesy of Project ChildSafe and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Essential accessories for a safe and enjoyable range session include proper eye and ear protection. You’ll often hear experienced shooters refer use the terms “eye and ear pro”…this is what they’re talking about. Guns can expel unburned powder and other debris when fired, and despite our best precautions, bullet fragments can sometimes bounce off of a target or backstop, so proper safety glasses should always be worn when shooting. They can take the form of these really nice ones I got from Hunters HD Gold, or they can be inexpensive safety glasses purchased at your local gun shop, or hardware store or home improvement center. Just be sure that they are impact rated to the standards of ANSI Z87.1; if a set of glasses comply with that standard, it will be marked on the packaging.
These are top of the line shooting glasses, but you don’t need to spend this much to get started.
As far as hearing protection goes, there are a lot of options. While there are basically two types of “ear pro”…in-ear (ear plugs) and over-the-ear (muffs)…within those two families there is a great deal of variety. Once you get past decibel reducing abilities, however, most of what more expensive hearing protection devices give you is greater comfort and convenience. How much that is worth to you in dollars and cents is a personal decision, and I’ll leave that up to you. But I will offer this basic advice: ALWAYS wear some sort of hearing protection when shooting. My personal preference is that when shooting outdoors on an uncovered range, I will sometimes use only in-ear protection, though I do use custom plugs which are molded to my ear canal. I only do this on ranges which are open to allow sound waves to escape easily and rapidly, rather than bouncing off of walls and ceilings. On such indoor or covered outdoor ranges, I will do what is referred to as “doubling up,” in which I will still wear my in-ear plugs, but will also wear over-ear muff on top to increase the protection. All hearing damage is permanent, and proper ear protection can help preserve your hearing through years of shooting.
Proper attire can also greatly enhance your safety and comfort during a range session. It’s a good idea to wear a baseball-style cap when shooting. It can help deflect ejected brass casings (yours or someone else’s) away from your face, and it isn’t just a convenience factor. Ejected brass is very hot, and more than one shooter has suffered burns to the eye or eyelid when a casing fell behind their shooting glasses.
It can happen…
If you do much shooting you’ll eventually discover that hot brass has a way of finding the most surprising (and painful) places to land. This is why it is also a good idea to avoid wearing open-necked shirts and to always wear closed-toe shoes (many public ranges have just such a dress code anyway). But if you do find yourself…despite all your precautions…with a piece of hot brass in a sensitive place, it is time for some courage. Do not allow yourself to flail about with a gun in your hand (the Four Rules still apply)! Keep your gun pointed downrange (towards the target), place it on the shooting bench or on the ground…and then you can do the “hot brass dance” to your heart’s content!
Another practical item you may want to consider is some sort of range bag. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it is handy to keep all of your gear in one place and in a portable package for a trip to the range. I use one of these from Midway USA…
It’s got some miles on it…but it’s held up well.
So now we’re getting down to the real nitty-gritty…I’ve got a gun and the accessories I need for the range, but how do I actually work this thing? This is where some real-world training, from a certified firearms instructor becomes really, really important. The good news is that as states have expanded concealed carry and gun ownership has become more mainstream, availability of training has increased right along with it. The National Rifle Association has over 125,000 instructors nationwide, and more and more commercial public ranges and gun shops offer good training options. There are also nationally-known and respected training programs available from organizations such as Gunsite Academy, Thunder Ranch, Shootrite Academy, Handgun Combatives, US Shooting Academy, and Sig Sauer Academy. Regardless of where you go for training, don’t be afraid to ask for references, and to check them.
So there you have my version of the gun community welcome wagon. While we might ask you, “where have you been all this time?”, and we’ll certainly hold you to some tight safety standards…we’re really glad you’re here. Hang around long enough, and you’re bound to discover that we’re a pretty friendly bunch, and happy to help you along. We hope that you’ll discover how much fun shooting can be, and how empowering it can be to know that you can defend your own life and the lives of your loved ones. And we hope that you’ll also discover just how precious the right to keep and bear arms is, and learn to share our passion for that right.
Glad you made it this far…as it truly is better late than never.
