"I Don't Need To Shoot! I'll Just SHOW MY GUN And They Will RUN!"

 

Not what I want to see coming my way. Image from Google

Sounds like a great idea, right? You just show a potential Bad Guy that you're packin', he will quake with fear, void his bladder, and scramble off into the night, never to be seen again. 

While that might be a fantastic plot for a movie, it will by no means be effective in real life. I wish with all my heart that I could tell you this topic is a joke. That we staff in a rare moment of silence pulled this idea out of thin air, for a laugh. But we didn't- this sentiment has been heard by all of us behind the counter, on more than one occasion. 

What if the Bad Guy (or Bad Guys, since predators like to hunt in packs,) are on drugs? What if he or they are intoxicated? What if they know more about guns, how to use them, and how to take them away from people, than you do? What do you do then? 

Remember how I talk about complacency and over-confidence being killers? Believing that if you SHOW a potential threat your gun, they will run away is but another form of a false sense of confidence. I'd venture to guess in most cases, the thought might run through their mind that they are going to score big and get a decent pistol from the interaction they are planning with you.
 

Make a point- be ready to use your gun! Image from Google

Stop and think for a moment. This person, (male or female- men do not have a corner on the market and crime is an equal opportunity employer,) is not afraid of you. They are not worried about your gun. They are not worried about breaking any laws (if they were concerned about the legality of their actions, they would not be committing crimes). Their concern is you, as a soft, easy target, and what they can get from you. 

Your job? Have a plan - preferably multiple plans- in place to protect yourself. Think ahead. Understand that if you MUST draw your firearm, you must be mentally prepared to use it. Understand that your gun should not be your first line of defense. And by the love of the Gunpowder Gods above, please do not lull yourself into the false sense that simply showing an aggressor your gun will stop the incident from happening.

It might- but then again it might not. 

Are you willing to take that chance?

Y'all stay safe out there in this big, beautiful crazy world of ours. Plan, prepare, protect. Come practice. Come observe. Take another class. Never stop learning- knowledge is power that weighs nothing, and has the potential to save your life.

See you at the range-
Shannon
912-355-0205, option #1