Should I get a CCW permit?

Everyone has a right to protect themselves. Everyone should be able to choose how to protect themselves. Everyone must obey the prevailing laws regarding self-defense. With all that said, it is imperative that the individual knows the gravity and responsibility associated with carrying a concealed weapon as their form of self-defense.

First off, you must face the fact that if the unfortunate circumstance arises where you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, then pulling your concealed handgun could become an eventuality. However, if that occurs, the question you MUST ask yourself is, can you see yourself actually pulling the trigger and intentionally shooting another human being, even if it is to save your own life or someone you love. One might assume the answer is an obviously “Yes,” but you must search your own soul and verify what YOUR answer really is. Because if you have any doubt about that conviction, then a CCW permit might not be right for you. It would be useless, or even dangerous, to carry a firearm and not be willing to use it if the need arises as the last resort. You will become a liability; your gun could be taken away from you and used against you or others.

That is not to say, by any means, that you should hope you'll be able to shoot someone. On the contrary, you had better also have the internal wish to never be in a situation where you have to use your firearm. If you are the type of person who wishes to experience shooting someone, then you too are someone who should not be issued a CCW. In short, your mindset, if you become a CCW permit holder, ought to be akin to, “I pray to God I will never have to use my firearm, but if I must and only as a last resort, I will be 100% prepared to defend myself.”

Once you fully understand that, your next conviction must be to have the dedication to becoming a fully competent handler of that firearm. That does not mean that you have to train like a professional marksman and become a world class shooter, but you must commit to becoming trained to safely and competently handle the firearm to keep you and others around you safe. You should also be able to shoot your handgun and hit your intended target. If you need a quantitative measure, then hitting a 10-inch circle at 5-yards consistently would be a minimum adequate measure. Don't ask how many times would be acceptable to miss that target at that distance. Remember, studies have shown that under a stressful life-threatening situation, your grouping size doubles at least (meaning your accuracy decreases by half) compared to a calm day at the range. Because you are responsible for EVERY round you fire, you should commit yourself to practice regularly with your carry firearm to maintain an adequate level of competency, if not strive for an ever-increasing level of accuracy.

Next, you must also commit yourself to learning the applicable laws that govern self-defense within the jurisdiction you live: knowing when you can and cannot justifiably pull your firearm in public, much less when you should or should not shoot. The “Castle Doctrine,” “Stand your Ground Law”, and other legal concepts vary with jurisdictions and change over time in some cases. You must be willing to keep up to date with the laws governing self-defense with firearms.

Akin to learning firearm legal aspects, you should also commit to reviewing and mentally rehearsing various concealed carry scenarios; when you should or should not pull your gun, should or should not shoot, and formulate if there are other options that allow you to escape the situation altogether. This can be done through Internet searches of real life incidents, reading topic specific forums and periodicals, and even having discussions with fellow CCW holders. The more times you mentally rehearse life-threatening scenarios (answer the “What would I do if…” scenarios), the more prepared your mind will be to make quick, decisive, and correct decisions.

Next, even if you are fully justified in using your firearm to defend yourself, and you made the choice to follow through with your conviction to pull the trigger to save your life, you must be willing to accept what comes next; possibly having your reputation slandered in the news media, possibly being arrested, possibly being charged with a crime, and more than likely, being sued civilly by your attacker or the surviving family members. There are various options for legal defense insurance that will help you with the financial consequences, but you must realize that surviving the actual deadly force encounter is only the first part of your ordeal. The legal aftermath (both civil and possibly criminal) should not be overlooked. If you do not wish to accept that possibility, then maybe a CCW permit is not for you.

Finally, and possibly most important, you must realize that shooting your firearm in a life-threatening situation and possibly killing your attacker, imposes an extreme burden on your mental wellbeing. Many people suffer a wide variety of adverse mental and psychological symptoms after such a traumatic experience. Some people recover with time, others need professional counseling to deal with the aftermath, and some are changed for life. You must come to grips with the reality that your mental health will be affected if you have to defend yourself with deadly force.

So, if you have read all that and accept the possible consequences, then welcome to the CCW permit world.

- Bryan Lentz

Firearms Instructor

Caliber Training, LLC