“Well, I have a gun, so I think I’m ready.” Such was the response of one gentleman during a group conversation a few months ago regarding the potential for civil unrest, a la the summer of 2020 when America’s cities were burned in a “mostly peaceful” manner. And now, as we’ve seen over the last week, history seems to be repeating.
Sadly, that’s not the first time I have heard such a comment from a “reasonable” person. There seems to be a common thread flowing through reasonable and respectable people that by purchasing and then owning a gun or two will dissuade those who would come to their neighborhoods to loot and riot.
Everyone Will Have a Gun
The cold, hard fact is that whether we’re discussing a street attack, a home invasion, or a full-blown riot situation, the bad guys are going to be armed, too. They don’t fill out Form 4473’s. They steal guns, barter narcotics for them, or simply purchase them on the black market. Heck, the Mexican drug cartels were armed by the so-called US Justice Department and what senescent Joe liked to call the “AFT.” Another ugly reality is that the looters are counting on you owning guns, because one of their missions is going to be to overwhelm your neighborhood and steal them along with whatever else you may own.
Good-hearted, respectable people need to stop deluding themselves with the idea that career criminals are afraid of the sight of a gun. Kyle Rittenhouse was holding an AR-15 rifle and before he was forced to press the trigger, a mob harassed, chased, and attacked him. That mob certainly saw his gun. The bet that they lost was that he would be afraid to press the trigger.
Why would they have thought that? Simple. A large percentage of the good people of America don’t want to fire a gun at another person and criminal vermin are betting on that fact…or at least the built-in hesitation that moral people have. They don’t possess morality and can’t conceive of others being burdened by it.
It’s cliche to say, If you own a gun, you need to be mentally prepared to use it. Nonetheless that statement is the absolute truth. Far too many people of whom I have spoken seem to operate under the false premise that looters, rioters, and other criminals will see that they have a gun in their hands and run away scared while requiring a change of undergarments.
Almost every career criminal has had guns pointed at them by police innumerable times. Many have even been shot and lived to tell about it. Yes, it’s possible that a criminal will see that you have a gun and retreat. However…that can’t be your total defensive strategy. If you point a firearm at a looter, rioter, or attacker, they need to believe that you’re serious and will use it.
Mindset, Tactics, and Skill
So, if we’re all in agreement that all of the participants in an urban conflict will be armed, we need to address the topics of mindset, tactics, and skill level. During 2024, Student of the Gun University has held numerous training courses to address skill with handguns, shotguns, and rifles. In each and every class, we have had students relate how they invited a friend or relative to join them, only to be told “I think I’m pretty good” or “I know how to shoot.”
That’s the Dunning-Kruger effect in all its glory. For those uninitiated, the Dunning-Kruger Effect occurs when a person’s lack of knowledge and skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own competence.
During a recent class we had a younger man who, on the first morning of the first day, stated that he had “a great deal of shooting experience.” What he was able to come to understand on his own was that going to the shooting range with his dad is tremendously different than training to carry, draw, and operate a firearm as a fighting tool in a martial fashion. Shooting guns is not the equivalent of fighting with a gun in your hand.
Let’s go back to the fact that everyone in the fight will be armed. If such is the case, what is the “X factor” that will determine who will come out victorious and who will lose the fight? It seems pretty obvious that those who employ the best tactics and have the most skill (training leads to skill) will be the ones who win.
It might be easy to assume that the average gangbanger or rioter has never taken professional firearms training and that could be a safe bet if we didn’t know that many organized gangs do indeed have military veterans in their ranks. Platt and Matix, the killers in the FBI Miami Shootout, were both military veterans.
Let’s say for the sake of argument that none of the gangbangers and rioters headed to loot your neighborhood have had any professional training. There’s something they absolutely do have; experience with violence and no compunction about using it to get what they want. Career criminals have been attacking rivals and victimizing citizens all their lives.
Criminal gangs might be populated with troglodytes, but they are frequently organized and they know how to work as a team. How many armed citizen homeowners have ever gone out and worked with their fellow armed citizens as a team? No, going to the shooting range at the same time is not team training.
Forget criminals’ training, experience committing violence, and organization. Another hard cold reality is that the average rioter or looter is going to be younger and in better physical condition than the average suburban homeowner. They also tend to come in packs.
“That’s why I have a gun, because my attacker will be younger, faster, and stronger.” Cool story, bro. But you already told me that you don’t have training and your plan is to point your gun at them. Remember, they will have guns, too and they will have numbers on their side.
Mindset
I saved “Mindset” for last, not because it’s least important, but because it deserves its own section. Mindset is what determines every choice you make. Your mindset determines whether or not you take the time to attend training and prepare your mind and body versus just buying a gun. Your mindset determines whether or not you will try to bluff the vermin who have descended on your neighborhood by pointing a gun in their general direction.
Mindset is a intangible and critical thing that you can’t order from Amazon or pick up at the local gun shop. Mindset isn’t automatic, nor are you born with it. Mindset must be developed over time with dedicated effort and determined application.
The positive news is this; as an American citizen, you have the unique opportunity to make the decision to attend training, get realistic and practical experience, and develop the fighting mindset you need to survive in the gravest extreme. As Geddy Lee once opined in song, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”
Choose wisely. Your life and the lives of those you love may very well depend on it.
Paul G. Markel is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades.
All great points but, unfortunately, those who most need to read and follow through will be the ones who… won’t. I confess to being one of those who thought knowing what to do was almost as good as practice. Putting some stress on myself at the range took quite a bit of self-discipline but quickly showed me how much I was NOT ready.
Exactly. My father and i have had many discussions on the validity of revolvers vs autos. He is a huge revolver fan. I do not ever remember seeing him ever practice reloading under pressure. And yet he believes that skill, among others, is non important. I believe in being the best you can be, regardless of tools you have. If all i had access to, was a ruger single action, im gonna do everything i can to run it. Our brains are the most important weapon, the type of firearm isnt even close. Mindset is lacking in too many armchair commandos. That wont change until its too late.
I still contend that a legit civilian training course cannot train you hard enough to make a difference in your real world readiness status. Lawyers and liability prevent that. I had live rounds fired over me in military training. Can billy bob’s gun emporium do that to a class? Explosives. Smoke and large scale movements involving many bodies and weapons. Is there a for pay training facility that can do that?
If you have no military or law enforcement training then the best you can reasonably do is learn, learn and learn yet more how to safely handle your firearm. Do not be an accident waiting to happen.
Depends. As a reserve in a small county. The training of that particular dept, was lacking, i volunteered for every bit of additional training i could get as part of the dept. blue gun, sims. and i was definitely not at a disadvantage compared to the “professionals”. I dont think LE training is all that impressive either. Military? Tip of spear guys yes. Others? Not in a CCW context, not to impressive, and i have family in both LE and military
Too many guys think their man-card gives them everything they need.
Then they are humiliated when their girlfriends or wives start out-shooting them after a modicum of training. Yet they still go every Saturday to the tee time at the golf course instead of learning skills that could save their lives or those of their loved ones.
Darn shame for everyone except the criminals.