Firearms Pros and Cons for Self Defense

A firearm is an excellent choice of a self-defense weapon for personal protection and one of the best equalizers against a criminal assault, especially for women. But realistically, remember that you require foreknowledge of an attack, similar to using any of the Quick Fix Items for self-defense. In a real attack, situations evolve quickly, making it not always a realistic option to reach the weapon.

Guns may be an excellent tool for self-defense, but what do you do if you do not have your gun when you need to protect yourself?

Guns for Personal Protection

It is essential to recognize the limitations of firearms for personal protection, just as with relying on any Weapon, Gadget, or device.

Learning how to use a firearm and possessing one in the home is a very empowering experience, especially for women. Surveys have found that gun owners primarily purchase a firearm for personal protection, and gun owners almost unanimously report feeling safer because of their guns inside their homes. Tom Smith and Robert Smith estimated that about 12% of women own a gun, and about 4.5% to 8% own handguns. These women are usually married and live outside large cities (Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 1995).  The Gallup Poll (2011) reported that 23% of women own guns inside their homes compared to 46% of men in the United States. In 2013, the PEW Research Center reported that 30% of women and 45% of men own guns.

A woman (or man) should not rely on a firearm as her only means of self-defense. Weapon ownership is one aspect of personal protection. There are many factors she should consider:

• There are different types of guns to choose from, including revolvers, automatics, rifles, and shotguns. Handguns are usually more practical for personal self-protection.
• Firearms range in price from $100 to over $1000, plus background and registration fees.
• Firearms training from qualified instructors is another associated cost. Other periodic expenses involve practice ammunition, range fees, and ammunition rotation.
• Must decide on the caliber for effectiveness and what is personally comfortable. Larger calibers cost more in ammunition but offer better effectiveness, also known as “stopping power“.
• Firearm ownership requires additional responsibility in safety precautions and training that are expected of its owners. You must also become and maintain proficient at using it, which also benefits you by being familiar with how guns operate and helps you when defending yourself against an armed assailant.
• A weapon can be stolen during a burglary, or the burglar may find it and use it against you and your family.
• A firearm may cause self-inflicting wounds if a struggle for the gun occurs. Some people have injured themselves cleaning the weapon, failing to verify it was unloaded.

Firearms must be secured and kept out of reach of children to prevent injuries and death to themselves or their friends that may involve a gun safe or trigger locks. Child safety becomes a concern wherever you go and if you put it down. Many states have passed negligent parent laws that criminally charge parents for “accidental” shootings committed by children involving unsecured firearms. These laws are the result of incidents where children have obtained their parent’s firearm and shot themselves or a friend, or worse, taken it to school and used it in a school shooting. On other occasions, gun users have shot their child, another loved one, or roommate when terrified that a burglar had invaded their home in the middle of the night.

Carrying a Gun for Personal Safety

If you are considering carrying a gun for personal safety, check with your state laws. Some states like Arizona allow citizens to carry firearms. Most states do not allow concealed firearms or concealed carry permissions. When relying on a gun to assist you in personal protection, remember that you must take your weapon everywhere you go if you plan to have it at the time of an assault. However, you must still have time to retrieve it, unholster it from your waistband or purse, and bring the sights to target. It can be bulky, awkward, uncomfortable, and many times inconvenient.  Traveling, especially by air and to foreign countries, can also make it difficult to bring your weapon with you for personal protection.

Owning a firearm requires responsibility in both securing the weapon and using it safely. Periodically practicing with it to maintain proficiency, in case you need it suddenly, is highly recommended. There are also legal parameters governing the use of a firearm in self-defense. For Model Mugging graduates, the parameters of justifying the use of their physical skills are similar and will not be discussed here.

Firearm Self Defense Mindset

The mindset to fire a gun at another person is an essential factor to consider if selecting a firearm for personal protection. A misconception that continues is shooting someone in the leg to stop them. Police are criticized for not being able to do this. In Hollywood movies, anything is possible, but reality involves many other factors in life-or-death situations. Shooting a moving assailant can be difficult to strike in the chest area, much less aiming for a thinner and moving leg. If you are justified to shoot someone in the leg, then shooting at the assailant’s chest is also justified when you believe you felt threatened enough to pick up the weapon in the first place.

A fact often misunderstood by people who decide to use guns for protection is that one or more bullets instantly stop an attacker. People who are shot may not immediately fall like in the movies, especially if under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Even if you shoot someone in a gun-to-gun confrontation or gun battle, chances are the return bullet is going to be on its way toward you before he falls and dies. Even if he is unarmed and you shoot him, you may still have to fight him physically.

Unlike movies, people who are shot may not immediately fall. Even if you shoot someone first in a gun-to-gun confrontation, chances are his bullet is going to be on its way to you before he falls and dies. After being struck with multiple bullets, an assailant could be mortally wounded and not fall to the ground. Those fatally injured may have 10 seconds or more before they collapse. The Dead Man’s Ten Seconds is a term used to describe the ability to being able to continue fighting for another ten seconds after being mortally injured. This works for you as well as the criminal. Just because you were shot does not mean the fight is over or lost.

Criminals have been known to keep fighting and, many times, were still able to reach, grab, struggle, and often disarm the shooter. Victims, too, have been shot and courageously disarmed or killed by the assailant after being shot. Assailants and victims may have far more physical power than they would normally have because the surge in strength is part of their “adrenaline state” and/or firearms training. Other times, criminals are high from drug use, in a mental state of psychosis or an intense, angry mindset. One violent criminal was shot by police officers over thirty times before he finally fell to the ground and died.

Armed and Female

Women who have successfully used guns to protect themselves had the foreknowledge of the assault. Paxton Quigley presents excellent arguments for gun ownership in her book, Armed and Female, and also describes them in an article published by New Dimensions Magazine, “A Muggers Worst Nightmare” by Jeanne A. Harris.

In another article, “Guns a Girl’s Best Friend,” published by Moxie Magazine, about “Common Sense Self Defense” by Carolyn Reuben.

Paxton Quigley describes numerous instances where women have used a gun to stop an assailant. However, there is a common theme in stories about personal firearm protection. The criminal unknowingly allowed the woman to conveniently retrieve the weapon from her hiding place and shoot or detain the assailant at gunpoint until the police arrived.

Paxton Quigley recounts a story in her book Armed & Female (pages 25-28). A woman was taking a shower at home when an assailant climbed through a closed but unlocked bedroom window. When she opened the shower curtain, he was standing in the bathroom doorway, leaning against the doorjamb holding a large knife and grinning. He came into the bathroom, making the knife very obvious. He sat down on the toilet seat cover and told me to dry off. After she dried herself off, he told her to put on some perfume and then ordered her to the bedroom. He sat on the bed, flashing his knife, and told her to put on her sexist underwear for him. She went to the underwear drawer and turned around with a pair of bikini underpants in one hand and a gun in the other hand. The assailant was so surprised that he dropped the knife and dove for cover. The woman held the assailant at gunpoint and ordered him to call the police.

Do not think that since you own a gun, you will be safe if attacked. Owning a gun can be an excellent home defense tool. It is a highly developed tool for protection that can equalize the scales against brute strength. Firearms are one of the most effective tools for defending life and freedom. But for effective firearms use, you must have the forewarning of an attack and then have the time to get to your gun. But once you have a weapon in your hands for protection, you have an effective tool when combined with proper training.

In the Model Mugging Advanced Course, students learn to protect themselves from an armed assailant. Students who have practiced firing weapons have an advantage in the Model Mugging System phase. Their firearms experience can provide enhanced effectiveness in close-quarter battles against armed assailants.

Despite recent negative political agendas, there are very positive benefits to the responsible use of firearms for personal self-protection and the protection of individual liberties.

 

Return to Choices in Self Defense for more suggestions.