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Armed Self-Defense: Reality vs. Fantasy

Good article.

I'll add - carry CCW insurance. I carry US Law Shield. For under $200 a year, they offer specialized coverage for CCW holders, and up to $1M guaranteed defense expenses (it might be $10M, I'd have to look at my policy again). Comes with an ID card, with the 24/7/365 hotline number. They dispatch lawyers who are local, anywhere in the USA.

"Excuse me, officer, this is my home, that man was an uninvited guest with a gun, and I would like to make a phone call to my legal team please."

Not a representative, just a customer...
 
The article makes some good points. There’s the whole other “ Fantasy” element they really didn’t touch too much upon. Lots of guys with big mouths spend way more time on the internet than what’s healthy and fool themselves into thinking they’ll react like John Wick if they ever get the chance to go up against an armed thug.

I’ve been shot at a few times. Twice in the last year. So far my reaction has ALWAYS been to go for cover. So far my situational awareness has served me well, knock on wood. The last time I had .45s wizzing by my head so close I heard the tell tale bottle rocket sound long before I heard the report from the weapon. There was no way I could have seen it coming and I got lucky. And anyone who isn’t a LEO who returns fire at a fleeing perpetrator is asking for prison time.

One day I may be faced with a persistent armed threat. I try to train for it. That’s all you can do. Pretending you’re Billy bad ass is just a good way to end up dead.
 
Along that same line, almost all of us do most or all of our practice on a square range, inside our small stations, focusing on our perfect: square to the target stances; grips; presentations; site alignments; site pictures; trigger presses; and follow throughs. In reality, we should do some dry and live fire with not-so-perfect: footing; body angles; close quarter (not full extension) presentations; site line obstacles; rushed trigger manipulations; and really fast follow-up shots. I don't have access to a range where I can do all of that "live fire", but, I do simulate most of it in dry fire.
 
Along that same line, almost all of us do most or all of our practice on a square range, inside our small stations, focusing on our perfect: square to the target stances; grips; presentations; site alignments; site pictures; trigger presses; and follow throughs. In reality, we should do some dry and live fire with not-so-perfect: footing; body angles; close quarter (not full extension) presentations; site line obstacles; rushed trigger manipulations; and really fast follow-up shots. I don't have access to a range where I can do all of that "live fire", but, I do simulate most of it in dry fire.

Absolutely. I have talked about this before but I have a 20 yard range in my back yard and portable target stands and obstacles. I do most of my training back there. I did join a local gun club that has a primitive range last year. I haven’t tried to set anything up there yet. We have berms at 12,25,50,100 and 200 yards. Plus I have portable steel swinging targets I can put wherever I want. I mostly just shoot at the range though and drill at home. In private. I’d guess I split my time about 75/25 in favor of drills. I’m not a competitive shooter, but I do work on fundamentals and accuracy. I have a real world need to test myself in adverse conditions though unfortunately.

One of these days I can retire and spend more time leisurely plinking at swinging steel.
 
Absolutely. I have talked about this before but I have a 20 yard range in my back yard and portable target stands and obstacles. I do most of my training back there. I did join a local gun club that has a primitive range last year. I haven’t tried to set anything up there yet. We have berms at 12,25,50,100 and 200 yards. Plus I have portable steel swinging targets I can put wherever I want. I mostly just shoot at the range though and drill at home. In private. I’d guess I split my time about 75/25 in favor of drills. I’m not a competitive shooter, but I do work on fundamentals and accuracy. I have a real world need to test myself in adverse conditions though unfortunately.

One of these days I can retire and spend more time leisurely plinking at swinging steel.

As per this and DDD's comments practicing scenarios can be helpful to refine skills. The club I shoot at we practice a combination of self-defense & IPSC drills. I'm not into the IPSC game but some offer a practical usefulness, vs shooting stars.

I have put together a small set of target stands and a stop plat where I can set up various drills at another range were to can have a bay to myself all day. The club practices are often set-piece & most of the time you have to wait your turn to shoot whereas with my own set I can shoot a drill as much as I want without interruptions.

My .02
 
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As per this and DDD's comments practicing scenerios can be helpful to refine skills. The club I shoot at we practice a combination of self-defense & IPSC drills. I'm not into the IPSC game but some offer a practical usefulness, vs shooting stars.

I have put together a small set of traget stands and a stop plat where I can set up various drills at another range were to can have a bay to myself all day. The club practices are ften set-piece & most of the time you have to wait your turn to shoot whereas with my own set I can shoot a drill as much as I want without interruptions.

My .02

Luckily I’m almost always the only one on the range at the club I belong to. And in my back yard. :). I hate indoor ranges with a passion.
 
Absolutely. I have talked about this before but I have a 20 yard range in my back yard and portable target stands and obstacles. I do most of my training back there. I did join a local gun club that has a primitive range last year. I haven’t tried to set anything up there yet. We have berms at 12,25,50,100 and 200 yards. Plus I have portable steel swinging targets I can put wherever I want. I mostly just shoot at the range though and drill at home. In private. I’d guess I split my time about 75/25 in favor of drills. I’m not a competitive shooter, but I do work on fundamentals and accuracy. I have a real world need to test myself in adverse conditions though unfortunately.

One of these days I can retire and spend more time leisurely plinking at swinging steel.
Sounds very familiar. I have lived 30+ years on a few acres that used to be in the country. Put in a similar range back then when we could still live fire. Now I have 2 schools and 2 housing developments surrounding me. I still do air soft practice on the move with cover/concealment/obsticals. I also used to shoot dove from my back porch. Oh, the "good ol' days.
 
I have an outdoor range 45 min away that allows members to move and fire and they train for unusual shooting circumstances.

indoor is 2 miles away, so I train 80% indoor.
I’m open minded enough that i train non stop, but until the gun is pulled on me I dont know whether I will fire first, then crap my pants, or crap my pants while I fire
 
I have an outdoor range 45 min away that allows members to move and fire and they train for unusual shooting circumstances.

indoor is 2 miles away, so I train 80% indoor.
I’m open minded enough that i train non stop, but until the gun is pulled on me I dont know whether I will fire first, then crap my pants, or crap my pants while I fire


The first time I was shot at ( actually I was shot OVER, as I was in the line of fire during a drive by) it freaked me out. Since then I have had to dodge gunfire at least 8 or 9 times and been shot at 3 times. I'm certain I won't crap my pants, but if I will react as cool and calm as I should remains to be seen. They say the best way to train for personal defense under stress is to shoot a lot with your heart rate up. This approximates the physical aspect of stress though, not the mental aspect ( which is going to be huge). Nevertheless this is realistically the only thing we can do. So run and shoot. Run, duck behind cover and shoot while sitting down with your weak hand. run and shoot from behind multiple pieces of simulated cover, laying down, sitting down, kneeling down, strong hand, weak hand, upside down, whatever. Do all this with the guns you carry. Then pray you never have to rely on this training and pray that if you do, you trained enough for it to be instinctual.
 
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