Written by Troy A. Blades
You just sat through a class that taught or overwhelmed you with information on firearm actions (Double Action (DA) vs Single Action (SA) and DA/SA) as well as proper grip (where do you put the fatty part of your palm??) and if you have been shooting for many years, the instructor probably recommended changing that weaver marksman’s stance to a defensive isosceles stance. Let’s not even go into the part of the class that talked about the aftermath if, God forbid, you do have to deploy your firearm to protect yourself or your family. The legal, financial, and emotional elements are probably starting to sink in. Now you are sitting at home, with your new firearm on the counter (after clearing and making safe of course), finishing the cleaning process from the shooting part of your class, what do you do next?
Here are a few ideas:
- Start to put your plan together of how you are going to practice (safely) dry firing your weapon in your home on a regular basis, working on your trigger pull, grip, and target alignment. There can never be enough of this.
- Some of you already hit the “buy now” on training aids, etc. in the class, you can move on to other ideas .. IF you didn’t, that’s ok. Keep reading:
- Practice pistol– whether you get a plastic training pistol that is the replica of yours (easy for Glock 19 and Glock 17 folks) or similar to it, this is a great tool to have that you can safely work your grip and draws with.
- Laser cartridge insert that matches your caliber of firearm- this will allow that practice of dry firing with your own gun, give you more feedback and allow you to see where you are hitting when you use your sights in your practice (remember the different methods of target alignment; unsighted fire, target focus and front sight focus)
- SIRT pistol (the red laser with the resetting trigger you probably saw and shot in class)- great to show you where you are hitting when you pull the trigger and practice “break and reset” (nextleveltraining.com use code SSEI for 10% off)
- Electronic targets- another great tool to bring more value from that purchase of a SIRT pistol or the laser cartridge
- Holster search- you probably thought about this in class, as different examples of holsters were discussed and shown. Now is the time to start looking at what holster options you think will best suit you and your body type.
- GET MORE Training, you can never get enough good training
- Look for reputable training courses
- Train with friends or spouses (Range Day is a fun day, Sunday is gun day)
- GET INSURANCE– If you are going to carry your firearm outside of your home, get insurance. Research and find which insurance best fits your lifestyle and needs.
- Apply for other state Concealed Carry Permits
- Pennsylvania is a shall issue state as long as you have your own state’s permit, you are now able to apply for their permit, go online at the below link and research their rules and application process. PA CCW permit is honored in approximately 28 states as of this writing, including VA, NC, GA
- Arizona is a shall issue state and, I did confirm through email that they will accept your MD Wear and Carry as your in lieu of specific training to get their Concealed Carry Permit. Their permit, at this writing, gives you a few more states including DE.
- Find an App or website that provides you links to each state and bookmark it. You want to make sure you ALWAYS check the states you will be traveling to prior to entering every time you travel. Laws and regulations change, and it is YOUR responsibility.
As you continue your journey to be the protector/defender, remember that training is key, shooting safely and proficiently is not like riding a bike, you need to practice, prepare and repeat.
PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT, train slow, train correctly and train often.
Stay SAFE AND SECURE!
Follow us on our Facebook page for up and coming classes www.facebook.com/safeandsecureenterprises or bookmark our website.
Thanks!