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Top 5 Rules to Remember on Concealed Carry

Started by chip , Jun 30 2014 07:13 PM

Posted 30 June 2014 - 07:13 PM

1. It’s for SELF DEFENSE, not Stuff Defense.

As much as you might want to use a firearm to stop someone from tampering with or stealing your “stuff”, the courts look very unfavorably when someone uses deadly force to protect something that can be replaced by an insurance company. Using a firearm should be a last resort, and only to protect life.

2. If you wouldn’t do it without a gun, DON’T do it with a gun.
If there are places you wouldn’t go without a gun, don’t go there with a gun. If there are people or situations you wouldn’t approach without a gun, don’t approach with a gun. Many people needlessly get into conflict because they think their gun can get them out of it. It’s not a shield of invincibility. We often see these people on the wrong end of a court case, or being posthumously honored for their bravery.

3. Shooting and drawing from a holster are DIMINISHING skills.

Many think that taking a single class or practicing once a year, are all that’s needed for defensive handgun skills. When the time comes that you need to use a firearm for self defense, it’s like the personal Super Bowl of your life. Do you think quarterbacks only practice once a year or a couple of times a year? Plan a practice regimen, even if it’s only 15 minutes of dry fire every week, or one visit to the range every month. If you have the time and interest, get involved with shooting sports (USPSA or IDPA). A firearm is an inanimate object, it requires skill to use it effectively.

4. Be AWARE of your surroundings, listen to your gut, and AVOID conflict whenever you can.

If you carry a firearm for protection, you need to be more aware of your surroundings than ever before. Allowing someone into close proximity (your personal space) can have deadly consequences if they’re able to access your firearm before you can. Listen to your gut. Throw all the PC BS out the window. If your gut tells you someone doesn’t look right, they probably aren’t. If your “spidey sense” makes your arm hair stand up, it’s time to start looking around for a way to avoid/evade, scan for additional threats, and look for cover if you can’t avoid conflict. But YOU have to be in control of the distance. Standing in the open and waiting for a perpetrator is never a good idea.

5. Concealed Carry does NOT equate to POLICE POWERS.

You have not suddenly been given the right or responsibility to enforce any law with or without your firearm (especially with). This is why they issue a license that goes in your wallet, not a badge on your shirt. As much as we’d like to make sure that we keep the peace, a concealed handgun is for personal defense of life, defense of an innocent 3rd party’s life, and defense of life in preventing a forcible felony. Drawing your gun to chase the kid out of the store so you can stop her from stealing a candy bar is not justifiable. This is not to say that you can’t intervene, but it shouldn’t be done with deadly force. Also, see rule #2.
Thanks to RandyP for this one.

http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=50130