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Part two. Oh my stars. If you are still here reading, it means that you made it out of "Buying a Pistol Part One, and you maintained an open mind regarding our caliber discussion. For that, I thank and applaud you. Hopefully Part 2 will be a little more relaxed, in that, we aren't really going to focus on the common heated arguments surrounding the handguns. We will instead attempt to highlight Pistol Purpose. To discuss Pistol Purpose, first, we need to address the gun owner responsibility. Secondly, we will bring up what I like to call the "Apocalypse" factor (or commonality argument). Finally, we should definitely touch on the Objective Mentality/ Thought Process. Let's spread it on.
If you are reading this, it may be safe to assume that you have thought about owning a handgun, or already own one. Either way, I feel it is important to bring up and discuss the responsibility and, in some cases the perspective of gun ownership and use. It should be overwhelmingly obvious, especially given the current climate of gun discussion across the globe, that firearm ownership and use is a big responsibility and decision. Thankfully, as Americans, we still have the RIGHT to protect and defend ourselves and the people and things that we care about. To effectively accomplish the aforementioned objective, we have to have the right perspective. For example, we need to ask ourselves how do we plan to use the tool (pistol) we are planning on purchasing. Will we lock the firearm in a safe at home for a "just in case" scenario? Will we carry the pistol everyday (everyday carry or EDC), or are we collecting firearms, or shooting competitively? Each of these uses requires the same level of knowledge and respect for firearm ownership. However, if you are planning to carry the firearm everyday, for the express purpose of defense, I feel it is imperative to discuss the mentality that should accompany this way of life. That accurately describes Everyday Carry (EDC). In short, it is a way of life. By carrying everyday, you are essentially saying, "If a Deadly Force Encounter presents itself, I am responsible for effectively resolving the situation." What a RESPONSIBILITY!!! Hopefully a Deadly Force Encounter never occurs and love wins the day and there is no more evil in the world. However, based on the latest CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC headlines, it definitely looks like there are still bad people out there that are actively looking to do bad things to good people. Unfortunately for all of us that have made the decision to EDC, there is no set schedule for knowing when the next Deadly Force Encounter will occur. We simply cannot know when, where, how, or why someone will decide to do something terrible. How can we combat this? As a firearm owner, that has decided to EDC, and received Deadly Force Encounter training from Wilco Training Solutions :), you must carry and be prepared every moment, every day, with respects to all legal stipulations. This means that you carry during any and every available opportunity. Even if you are just running into the gas station to grab a 5 Hour Energy. You take the extra moment to remove your pistol from the glovebox, check the status of the weapon, holster it, and then grab your treat. That is how you prepare you and your loved ones for the next Deadly Force Encounter. What an amazingly awesome responsibility and school of thought.
I have decided that I am ready and willing to defend myself and my loved ones from harm. I know what is at stake and I still want to purchase a firearm. For the love of GOD Clark, tell me what I should get!!! Not so fast. I want to bring up another thing to think about when selecting your firearm. When we utilize the information from Part One, and take into account the "Apocalypse/ Commonality Factor", we should effectively narrow down the perfect firearm for you. What in the world do I mean by the Apocalypse Factor?!?! Basically I ask myself if the firearm and the caliber of rounds are in abundant supply. To expand, there are some rifles and pistols out there chambered in "unique" calibers and the rounds are very hard to come by. These types of weapons may not be the most ideal to accomplish our objectives. For example, let's say that you are in the market to buy a decent, brand new-ish, 4 wheel drive, work truck. You need this vehicle to accomplish a wide range of tasks and a truck makes the most sense. You save up your hard earned money and have done your research, then you arrive at the car dealership and buy a Lamborghini... The Lambo is a fantastic machine, but it takes Premium Unleaded and Lambo parts are extremely scarce and pricey!!!! I really like that analogy. Based on the latest and greatest research, it is widely known that the standard NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) rifle and pistol calibers are 5.56mm and 9mm respectively. Furthermore, the United States Military also uses the previously stated calibers as their standard. This means that, in the event of some kind of an emergency event, the 5.56 and 9mm calibers will still be in abundance. Sure this may be way over the top, but, in my head, nothing would be worse than having a weapon and not being able to use it because the ammo cannot be found.
Finally, I want to touch on thought processes and mentalities. In Part One, we hinted at different ways of thinking with regard to calibers and leaving old myths and assumptions behind. We must be better thinkers. What I mean is, we have to distance ourselves from the "that's the way we've always done it" mentality and begin examining the roots of our questions. Keeping an open mind and being willing to learn and think about things in different ways may be the hardest step! It is also important to keep in mind that the firearm industry is constantly changing and people are continuously coming out with newer and better ways of accomplishing things. We should default to research and practice to form the best courses of action. When we attempt to identify all the goals we want to accomplish with a new gun, and think outside the box a little bit, you will find that solutions are EVERYWHERE! Buying a Pistol Part Three WILL include some recommendations... I promise ;)