Originally Posted By: Kingarthur
To me this just reinforces why responisble, law abiding citizens should not be denied the right to own, possess, and carry firearms for self-defense. That being said, if you do own one, don't rely on passing the qualification on the CCW or CCL courses. Compared to LEO courses they are pretty under par, and it is important to practice safety and marksmanship with your firearm. It is also important to understand and be able to effectively and quickly use the holstering system you choose that works for you.

If you own just one firearm, understand it intimately. What are it's capabilities? What type of ammunition are you using, FMJ's (Full metal jacekts) tend to have overpenetration issues in urban settings than JHP's (jacketed hollow points) for instance. Know how to load and unload it safely. Know how to disassemble and clean it for reliability.

The Second Amendment is a right for all citizens. Proper use of that firearm is a responsibility.



You said a mouthful. I wonder what percentage of CCW holders have never even fired their CCW. I go shooting all the time, at least every other weekend. I know exactly what my carry ammo (.45acp 230-grain jacketed hollowpoints) will and won't penetrate. I know exactly what kind of damage they will cause.

And I can pretty much break down my .45 with my eyes closed. Another thing that most people don't think about is this: if you've never fired it, how do you know if the sights are correctly aimed, or how much kick to expect?

A person who's never fired their gun may be expecting to follow through with an instantaneous second shot after their first shot. Not knowing how much recoil to expect can cause a big problem in that scenario.

Also, make sure to test your carry ammo when shooting. If you always practice with FMJ's, then carry JHP's every day, you might be in for a surprise if your gun chooses not to feed the particular brand of JHP's you've chosen. When you're faced with an attacker is NOT the time to find this out. My .45 will not feed Winchester Bonded PDX1 ammo, which was the first ammo I tried out. But it feeds Remington Golden Saber's flawlessly, every time. It seems to be caused by the shape of the bullet's nose and the feed ramp angle.