It is interesting to see how many people still believe in the myth of “stopping power”. The claims that anything less than .380 and you might as well not be carrying. Or statements about 9mm just not being enough to put someone down. A bullet when properly placed is a day changer, a behavior modifier, and possibly a life ender for the person on the wrong end. It doesn’t matter how big it is. Do you think a heart or brain cares how many grains of lead your bullet has? I’d rather take a .45 to the hand than a .22 to the ONC ( Ocular Nasal Cavity). Many people have been killed by a single .22 round and many people have taken multiple .45 rounds and kept on coming. When it comes to carrying a weapon , speed and accuracy far outweigh the size/ concealability debate. That said, if you are intent on carrying every day, you need to find a weapon that you can and will carry every day, all day long as well as one that you will shoot on a regular basis. There is one element that is far more important than caliber and it is in my opinion, the single most important element you can focus on if you are serious about self-defense. If speed and accuracy are of primary importance there is only one way to develop these skills.

TRAIN.

Going to the range to shoot at a paper target is not training, it’s practice. Training is seeking out a knowledgeable, experienced instructor who can show you the concepts and techniques that have been proven in real world applications to save lives. You must seek out realistic training which causes you to mentally and physically prepare to take the steps necessary to defend your life or someone elses in a violent encounter. Most concealed carry courses will not be sufficient to this end and no single day of training is enough to consider yourself trained. We refer to professionals all the time as “trained” but no good soldier or law enforcement officer completes his training in boot camp or at the academy and then never seeks training again. For the professional, training is ongoing and consistent. Good training will cause you to honestly evaluate your specific scenario and help you to determine the best defensive tools, techniques and weapons given your unique blend of attributes and circumstances.

If you are serious about self-defense, seek out training. If you carry a weapon for self defense, your training needs to include that element. Message us at info@graysuntactical.com if you like and we can give you more information on where to find training like this locally including an in home defense course as well as live fire training and personal self-defense training. Stay safe.