Friday, April 29, 2011

On Guns

Most people reading here own a gun or five. Everyone usually has strong opinions on them. Entire blogs and forums are dedicated to them. I got my "Cheaper Than Dirt" catalog and once again I was struck by the theme of tactical black plastic.

So here are some of my random thoughts on guns, a slow crash, and life.

1. How many people have spent any time reading what their county/state considers legitimate self defense? My guess is very little. Why is that a big deal? If you believe in a slow crash than you will have functioning law enforcement. Even back in the Wild West days you couldn't just shoot someone because they scared you. Learn your local laws. You do not want to get sucked into the gears of a failing system.

Scenario A

Times are getting hard and ugly. Property crime is up. Violence is up. There is the smell of smoke in the air. So what are you going to carry? How are you going to dress?

Do you really want to walk around looking like a Paladin Press Commando?

"Excuse me officer but why are you stopping me?"

Maybe because you look like a nutcase. A well armed nutcase. Well armed nut case types will be frowned upon by LE. It's their job to enforce the law and preserve the public peace. If you're not on active duty but try to look like it than you are a threat.

How are you going to perceived in an urban environment toting what looks like a military style automatic weapon? I don't care if you have "The Right." You don't. You will attract attention and if you don't have very good local connections a way will be found to get you off the street.Plus you are setting yourself up to be a target and get yourself put in a situation where you will have to put up or get shut down. Law enforcement used to carry "throw downs" for a reason. Here you are walking around with one hanging from a tactical sling.

Scenario B

You show up in court. What do you want the jury to see? The judge to see? Your AR-15 with the taped up double magazines? Your Kel-Tech gangster gun? Or a rifle that looks like a deer rifle. A handgun that, at the most, looks like what local LE carry.

10 comments:

  1. Very well said.

    Jim in MO.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is a danger of only owning a hammer - everything begins to look like a nail.

    I suspect most have considered where the line is - inside their home / upstairs / a threat to children.

    Even when armed you can still choose to be a victim. There is one in my area who chose not to engage and became a paraplegic because the shooter "looked so young."

    We don't get to pick the time or place. We do get to choose how we react.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Remember -- "concealed carry". There is a reason for that if you're not LE or active duty. It's for self defense -- it's not your job.

    If some measure of government is still working, I think it best to maintain a low profile -- if you're too overt and/or "tacticool", some old lady like me might just see you as a threat, and blow you away.

    Also, instead of being a poseur -- go practice.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yeah, exactly. Concealed carry was what I was thinking about. Also, should things unravel a bit where you live or in the world at large what kind of personal response?

    You have a constitutional right, in VA, a state right, to carry openly too. What I am trying to say is the more you, and everyone, smells smoke, the more careful you need to be.

    Social unrest an upheaval are gray periods. They are also times when your "rights" mean nothing.

    Patriot Act.

    Keep in mind those two words. If I was running things I would be delighted to see all the tactical cowboys come out of the woodwork. Why? It would make my life easier when I collected them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Many Junior colleges have firearms courses that are a good and less expensive alternative to the private schools like "Gunsite". The clas I took repeatedly covered use of force and deescalation strategies thoroughly. " How to own a gun in California and stay out of jail" is a popular book here,I recommend it. And carrying the same pistol and ammo local LE do is not a bad idea,if you want a light rifle that won't get people's knickers in a twist a lever action '92 or '94 is a good idea and several women I know have described M1 carbines as "Cute". LE is not your friend,or enemy,they are a separate tribe,prosecutors want convictions and most don't give a shit about anything else. Get raining,practice,don't carry unless you have thought things through and have a card from a attorney who specializes in these problems in your wallet or purse. And hopefully none of these will be needed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nove, you know where my family and I will be. Back in NM. I have scouted and located fast non-stop transport. I have no intention of drawing attention to myself by carrying anything other than a mostly empty wallet.

    If things start to get crazy, we'll hole up in place just to make sure it is going to hell. There are sufficient stores in my garage and other neccessary items close at hand.


    If it does go to hell, we are six hours from heaven, and the toughest part will be the first two and a half miles.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm an old woman (72), not as mobile as I once was. I carry simply because I can't run. Not an ideal situation, but right now, the best I can do.

    For me, being holed up in some wilderness won't work that well. Can no longer do ALL the work necessary to survive.

    The way I look at it, I have sufficient means of self defense, and the ability to use the weapons on hand. Perhaps a co-operative community of young and old working together for our mutual survival -- if that doesn't work, I'm sure I can take out a goodly number before I'm cut down.

    I know this because of the looks we get at the range when some "mall ninja" types try to show off -- and two old ladies shoot a hell of a lot better than they do.

    I don't think most folks will make it in the wilderness and alone. Hell, some have never lived without the internet, TV, cell phones, and other things I still wonder at -- and they won't even have Gardner's "bird vision".

    Watch out what you wish for -- you might just get it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dress for the location and occasion. Get the proper permits ahead of time and get friendly with local responders. Be a known "good guy".

    "Deer hunter" camo with orange hat is garb of the loose-insane on a city bus, BDU's and a "certain" smell mean a person is homeless and suspect (generally). Blend in with the people (walk with a purpose, maintain situational awareness, never show wealth or weakness) and you can carry and behave almost how you wish. Make sure your concealed carry weapon-holster combo is well-concealed and weapon secure. Weapons falling to the floor while a person adjusts shoe laces in a grocery checkout line is funny to me, but may frighten the grazing animals enough for the police to be called. "OOOOOhhh....GuuuuuNN!"

    The correct response is to scoop up weapon and abandon groceries on conveyor. Walk to nearest exit and car. Gone.

    I was discussing the current situation with a neighbor who is a fan of miss Madcow and the former Air America Collectivist Radio network. He has strong admiration of pacifism. He spoke of elections and the power of the people. Ghandi was mentioned. I agreed that these things all should be tried while there is time, and if they work we will praise them. When they don't work, then other options must be contemplated, along with reading Winston Churchill.

    I'm not giving up my city without a fight.

    I believe that there will be a fight.

    Let's win.

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  9. A good read about real world experience would be ferfal's blog. He gave a pretty good play by play of the collapse in Argentina. A buddy that I met while going through a C.E.R.T. Class was down there on vacation when it went down. Changed his entire outlook on life.

    Firearms talk, for many people, is just that, talk. You could have a room full of black rifles, but if you have never cleared a jam or done any movement drills you are not going to be much better than the guy that bought one pistol and one box of ammo ten years ago and has never fired it. For people that go to the range once a month, they feel that they are competent in the use of their tool. The problem arises when the are in a critical situation. A good shooter, under stress, only has a 15% hit ratio. That leads to another problem. What is behind your target? In a range setting, you have a backstop. In a real life situation, you have real life as your backstop. That includes kids, moms and dads, cars, buildings, and all kinds of other things that you wouldn't want a projectile to hit.

    Just some food for thought.

    BTW..... Fear the man with only one firearm. He probable knows how to use it.

    ReplyDelete