There are many critics to open carry laws that have little to no academic study of real world tactical applications. Those of you who have legitimate study in the art of war and do not approve of open carry laws, I humbly acknowledge our disagreement. I submit this article to those who dismiss open carry out of hand without the benefit of studying modern tactical techniques or considering the political strategy surrounding open carry. Back in January I cautiously exercised my 2A right and Texas' new open carry law because it's awesome. At the grocery store, no one cared. I was expecting hippies to crawl out of the wood work to shout down my lifestyle choice, but in reality, it was more like this: And then I thought, that's how it should be. Texas is the embodiment of the 2A. And because we embrace this right, we also embrace that responsibility. It's a big one. Joking aside, the numbers of murders or even attempted murders by licensed firearm carriers nationwide is microscopically low. (Source: http://www.gunfacts.info/gun-control-myths/concealed-carry/) Open carry is almost 9 months past ratification in the state of Texas and I can’t find any instance of murder or assault as a result of it. If you’d like perspective, firearm homicide is not even close to the number of deaths caused by poor eating habits. (Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm) Now that we have that off the table, let’s move on to the tactical advantages.
The next argument I’d like to dispel is, “Open Carry is stupid because then the bad guys know you have a gun.” This is a nonstarter for me. I understand the strategic value of keeping certain secrets from an opponent. Choosing to open carry does not fall under the same need for secrecy like masking infantry insertions or hiding unit capabilities. Rather, open carry as a tactic falls under “target hardening.” Target hardening can be something as simple as placing a uniformed guard (even unarmed) to control an entry point. I love the saying, “there are no victims, only volunteers.” In the eyes of a predator, everyone has volunteered as a target and those targets are ranked in order to get the most with the least effort. You, as a potential target, can harden yourself (ie make yourself a less desirable target) in the eyes of a predator just by doing simple things like walking with your shoulders back and head up. You can also wear a firearm on your hip in a holster that balances retention and availability. By doing so, your priority as a target in the eyes of predators has just cratered. Hand in hand with the above contention is the argument for increased availability of your handgun. Should you have to bring your firearm to bear, your draw time is decreased without the need of rolling up a pant leg or lifting a shirt tail. One aspect of handgun training I teach is “economy of motion.” Performing the most rudimentary motion with the least effort can improve your reaction time. Using fine motor movement or excessive movement decreases response effectiveness. Lastly, open carry laws provide a politically driven strategy that further secures the Second Amendment. It is no secret that forces within and without our country are ceaseless in their actions to disarm the citizenry. State laws like open carry in Texas or Constitutional carry in West Virginia bolster the individual’s freedom from tyranny by creating a bureaucratic layer between the federal government and the private citizen. I will always be in favor of laws that restrict government action over the actions of the individual. In closing, I hope you will take this opportunity to broaden your horizons and consider all aspects of open carry laws and decide if it is right for you. I personally do not open carry on a daily basis, mainly because I prefer an IWB (inside the waist band) holster. But I see the value of this law and hope you do too. *Note – This was previously posted in part on January 3, 2016 on my facebook page before this website was made. I have expanded on its original content and edited it for this media platform and for grammatical and spelling errors.*
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Considering the myriad of finishing schools I attended in the Navy, I should be a lot more in-your-face, neck-vein-bulging angry when it comes to safety violations on the range. Starting with Dive School and every school along the way that had a wash out rate of 30% or more (here’s a dirty secret, almost every school in the Navy is going to have a high washout rate if any – and I mean any – objective standards are enforced), the initial safety briefs from the instructor cadre can have very similar platitudes. As it applies to this blog post, each one of those briefs had a story about some idiot squid who got himself killed during training. As a student I understood the careers of each instructor, on up the chain to the CO, was on the line if any of us died in training. Later on in my career as an instructor and division officer, I learned the true burden of this. I’ve seen guys from all branches take major detours in their career path for the stupidity of their students. For example, despite being ordered every hour to hydrate I still had class mates at jump school faint from dehydration.
“You can lead a platoon of soldiers, but you can’t make them drink…until one takes a heat casualty and you order mandatory mass hydration.” Aside from the obvious reason of keeping people from dying; NJP and removal of “big boy” rules as a means to ensure safety during high risk training exist for two reasons: 1) Backfill the ranks with qualified troops to maintain readiness, and 2) PR. As a civilian instructor I want everyone as safe as possible. But I don’t have a quota of sailors to send to the fleet and, unless I’m famous in Japan and just don’t know it, no one cares about my public profile. Therefore I have the luxury of being stoic when it comes to safety violations on the range. Before approaching the firing line in my courses, students will have had a minimum of two safety briefs. They are taught and shown the rules of gun safety and know any violations will result in immediate dismissal and tuition forfeiture. There is no excuse for not being safe when handling firearms. None. I know I’m not the only instructor out there with this mindset, so here’s some advice before investing in a CHL/LTC course. 1. Take a handgun basics course if you have never shot a gun. Seriously. Don’t show up expecting to shoot like Annie Oakley at the end. In reality, this course is more like Driver’s Ed than a course at Shaw’s. If you can’t work your piece you’re wasting your money because you’ll likely not pass the shooting test. 2. Show up with a clean and functioning firearm. Your grandpa’s 1911 with pock marks in the slide won’t pass muster. 3. Go slow, take a breath, and calm down. Being nervous is understandable for anyone new to firearms. But as sure as God’s got sandals, you will inadvertently point your muzzle at someone if you are not paying attention to what you are doing. Take your time. We do have all day. If a student can’t be safe at the range I’m not going to get angry. I’m simply going to dismiss that person from the range and keep the tuition, then laugh after I’m given a bad customer review on social media. Be safe. Be accurate. |
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December 2020
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