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Don't even know how to title this...

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Yoda

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Jul 17, 2008
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Florida, bouncing between Hurlburt Fld and MacDill
One of my CCW students from about four or five years ago called me at about 11 PM last week. She thought someone was breaking into her house.

I told her to hang up and call 911. She said she wasn't THAT sure someone was breaking in, so she was just going to get her gun.

Then she asked ME if HER gun was loaded. I said I couldn't know, but she should check. Then she said she didn't know how. Together, we ascertained that she had a revolver. Before I could tell her how to open the cylinder, she asked where the safety was.

I told her to put the gun down and call 911. And if she survived the night, she should get more training.

Lesson? HAVING a gun and knowing how to use it are two very different things.

I am going to modify my training to really, REALLY stress the importance of regular practice with whatever gun a student might eventually acquire.

Damn.

- - - Yoda
 
I think that's probably a good idea. She needed a little more than to "have" the gun.
 
take away from this would be something like --

cause in the classroom someone can give back to you the correct answer,
this in no way means that they have integrated the new knowledge with their
established life's methodology.

during class i have told the students to call me... even months later...something your in doubt about,call me. when you get your carry gun i'll do a range date with you. no charge; set you up with holster/handbag, whatever, and some specific self-training exercises.
about half do.

i also give them the book at least a week in advance and tell them -- read it for the terminology. thus they come to class ready to learn the how-to rather than what words mean.

heck of an eye opener, good luck
 
I got in a debate with a family-member's boyfriend about this kind of situation. He argued that while he didn't have a problem with me personally owning/carrying/using a gun, he had a problem with people like this owning a gun. He said training should be a requirement.

While I totally understand how it could be legislated in a way to keep track of us, and that it could limit someone's 2A rights, I can't help but think that sometimes it's a good idea...
 
I've always held the definition of a 'well regulated militia' to mean well trained. If you, as the militia, are not well trained, how can you be necessary to the security of a free state?

I don't want legislation to force people to train, that needs to be on the individual gun owner. But man, there is so much wrong with the OPs story, that I think some people shouldn't own guns. That woman would only be a danger to herself and others around her with a firearm.
 
Seems like the subject did not get a whole lot out of the OP's training.
Glad he is going to revise the approach.

Which just goes to show what the government mandated training is good for. It should be a cautionary tale to those who would agree with government mandated training.
 
Not at all surprised. I've seen episodes like this before, and it's not restricted to women.


This can't be fixed by fixing your training. This takes personal responsibility, and the gun owner needs to find some. You can't fix that. Only the gun owner can.
 
Which just goes to show what the government mandated training is good for. It should be a cautionary tale to those who would agree with government mandated training.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY!
No amount of training can fix a failure of personal training/knowledge years (hours!) later.
No amount of government-mandated training will fix anything at all.

I suspect that the caller was at roughly half-panic, and that things that should have been simple knowledge, while sitting at a table in comfort, were not functioning. Nothing fixes that (for anyone) but practice. Getting the boomstick out twice a year would have accomplished that for most people, this is a serious failure to practice or even do some dry-fire.

This takes personal responsibility, and the gun owner needs to find some. You can't fix that. Only the gun owner can.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Any level of practice between class time and last night would have helped.
Dry-fire twice a year and firing/cleaning once a year would be enough for maintaining the most basic fundamental "personal defense handgun" skills.
More would be better, obviously!
But even the best class on the planet 5 years ago can't help if there's no maintenance. and no government mandated class, even if it was required daily, could accomplish it, either.
 
she left your CCW class without knowing even the basics, but remembered your phone number?
this doesn't make sense to me. Her brain must really have been in panic mode. Definitely right to have her call 911 first and foremost, doesn't sound like she was in a good frame of mind to have to defend herself.
 
This is why I chose the CCW Trainer that I did and recommend only him to friends and family... while his classes do include a "classroom" component, the majority of the time is spent teaching hands-on at the range.

The last thing I want to see is a friend or family member get nominated for a Darwin Award.
 
silicosys4 said:
Her brain must really have been in panic mode. Definitely right to have her call 911 first and foremost, doesn't sound like she was in a good frame of mind to have to defend herself.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking. 911 was the best option for her. This lady walking around her house in a panic, with a loaded pistol, is a disaster waiting to happen.
 
Yeah... she either memorized her instructor's number (who does that?) or she takes the time (in a panic) to look up his number, "Oh please help sweet little ol' me", but doesn't call 911? Really? Me thinks sumthin's fishy with this one.;)
 
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Wow. I'm sure there are a lot of people who go and buy a gun thinking that merely having one is a talisman of self-protection, but have no idea how to actually use it.

What runs through these people's minds? "If they see I have a gun, they'll probably run away?"
 
I see the same thing every year at my local sportsman's club range the month before deer season. Folks who only handle a firearm once a year on opening weekend of deer season trying to remember how to load their gun, which way the mag goes in, how to chamber a round and which way the safety button/lever needs to be to have the gun on safe. For the girl in the OP asking the questions about a firearm she probably hasn't handled in years doesn't make me wonder near as much as why she called Yoda first instead of the police. Havin' been around women who have been abused, it almost makes me wonder if the girl wanted to protect herself and scare whoever it was trying to get into her house, but at the same time didn't want to get them in trouble or involve the police. The fact that she had time to call Yoda and discuss the firearm makes me wonder if the intruder wasn't at the door, but she thought they might be on their way. Dunno. My wife always tell me I'm too suspicious of folk's ulterior motives.
 
Answers to some questions...

How did she have my phone number? She's a relation. She had my wife on speed-dial, and my wife handed her phone to me.

Why didn't I give her some range time? I routinely give EACH student as much trigger time as it takes to get good groups at 7 yards, and I have them try a variety of handguns in calibers from .22 to .45. The only exceptions have been a 90+year old lady who couldn't manage a double action trigger, a lady who refused to proceed after firing one round from a mid-size .38, and a guy and a girl who never got any groups, no matter what I did to help. BTW. both of these were only there because their spouse or girlfriend wanted them to go thru the training with them.

Why didn't I give her any refresher training. I did and I do, several times a year. When she called, though, it was like she had never seen a gun before. We train on both her .38 and her .380.

What happened? I think those who thought panic was an issue have a point.

Did I call to check the next morning? My wife and I got to her house about two hours later. She never did call the cops.

Sorry, guys, I was trying to keep the original post short to get to the main point.

- - - Yoda
 
Tons of people buy one, shoot it a few times then put it up and forget about it.
Click to expand...

Not a modern day thing either. Amazing how many "sock drawer"guns get found after some elderly gent passes on and the wife starts cleaning things out and she has no idea it was even in there. To be fair, for a lot of those elderly folks, when they were having families and things in the 40s, 50s, 60, 70s, etc., crime rates and the types of crimes were not what they are today so the thought of running several hundred rounds per week for "training" was looked at as a waste of scarce resources (money and ammo).
Some folks would be better off with wasp spray, a baseball bat, big dog, or some combo of various other things
 
LMAO. I really hope that is made up. However, if it isn't then yes, she should seek more training at the very least. IMO, she is an idiot and I really question whether she should have access to such a weapon. Yes, that puts me on the side of needed licensing and training to own such a piece of equipment. Normally I do not side with that side of the camp at all but in this case she seems more a danger to herself and others. Training or not she sounds like an idiot. I realize there is a learning curve with most things, but firearms operation is not rocket science and IMO anyone with half a brain should be able to figure out how to use a revolver. Geez.

Now, I am sure I am going to get a lot of flak for the above comment but thats how I feel. its one thing to ask about reloading, or where to get more training, or even how to properly clean said weapon but to ask its basic use and function? IMO, if they can't figure that out then they have no business owning it. And, yes I know that kind of goes against the second amendment and everyone being able to own such things but I keep hearing more and more stories like the OP posted. Then again, if she is that much of an idiot she probably should not be allowed to drive or operate anything. Again, I mean no offense to anyone but this kind of thing makes it seem like all gun owners are stupid. We know thats not the case but with more and more stories like this popping up, its getting harder to make that argument.

As far as buying one and forgetting about it? I have no problem with that either. I mean you shouldn't do that but people do and if thats what they decide to do then its not my place to tell them otherwise. I, however, believe in training consistently. You can never have too much training in anything. But even if they do quit training, to me, its like riding a bike, once you have been trained or know how, it should come back automatically no matter how long its been. If not, then you either did not get the proper training to begin with or you just have some severe intellect problems.
 
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Not only civilians

This also applies to some police officers. I received a call to meet a female officer on a car check. She had found a Remington 870 shotgun in the trunk of the vehicle.

The reason for the call was she didn't know how to unload it. Our issue shotguns was the Remington 870 with an 18" barrel. This 870 had a 26" barrel and she was baffled by it and didn't realize it was the same shotgun.
 
A guy at work and his wife both got their CWPs a few months back...they used a borrowed gun to take the test.
He went out after getting the CWP and bought a brand new pistol to carry, that they apparently share.
They have never fired it, not even once!:what:
 
I'd say 60% of the people that obtain a CCW permit never carry after a few months.There were a few in my CCW Class 2 years ago that should never handle a firearm,not because of their inexperience but because they were arrogant and thought they already knew it all.
 
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