5 things to do when using a handgun for HOME Defense

'E' Ya, Glenn 

How To Use A Handgun For Home Defense One of the primary reasons we CCW holders carry a gun when we're out is to be safe, prepared, and protected in any situation. But with the increasing number of robbery and home intrusion cases homeowners have found the need to fortify the defense and security of their homes.  Here's some quick facts that might (or might not) surprise you: 2,000,000 home burglaries are reported each year in the United States. Nearly 66 percent of all burglaries are residential (home) break-ins. 85% of break-ins are from non-professionals that are usually more desperate and dangerous. The DOJ reported the use of weapons in a majority of robberies. 41% of robberies involved firearms and 7.8% included knives or other cutting devices.  Frankly, owning a gun is one of the best home defense strategies that homeowners can employ. However, protecting the home and loved ones requires more than just purchasing the right type of guns and ammo. Regardless of your expertise, often additional skills are needed in order to properly (and safely) use a handgun for self-defense. Some of this may be fundamental to those reading this with a lot of experience, but it's always good to have a refresher. 1. Keep your finger off the trigger. It may be counter-intuitive, but practice keeping your hands off the trigger until you're sure that the gun is directed at the intruder (and not at grandma or junior). Keep in mind that the home is a place full of innocent people. When fingers are kept off the trigger the person is given enough time to think his (or her) actions through. This will prevent you from from acting based on emotions like fear. 2. Equip the handgun with a light. The majority of the home defense handguns available today have a rail that is attached to them which is designed to accept different types of accessories such as lights, red dot sights, or even lasers.  A light on the gun is quite useful as it can help you see where you're going and even blind the intruder for a moment while you fix your position. 3. Keep hollow point rounds and low grain ammo in mind. When high powered or full jacket rounds are used the bullet has a big risk in going beyond the target, through the walls, and into a room possibly injuring a bystander. In order to avoid this, the bullet can be slowed down by using a lower grain round. 4. Look at what is BEHIND the target. In addition to ensuring that rounds will not go where they shouldn't, the people holding the gun must also first determine if there is something or someone behind the target and to identify who or what it is. Bullets have a tendency to go beyond their target regardless of caliber. By knowing what may be behind the target, the risk of hurting an innocent person is reduced. Additionally, a frangible hollow point round can be used to ensure that the bullet stops in the target… not somewhere behind it. The Bottom Line Using a handgun for home defense requires more than basic handgun knowledge. It's a big responsibility and it requires you to develop situational awareness in order to ensure that no innocent people will be hurt.  This is most especially true when handguns are being used for self-defense. Firing a gun inside the home entails bigger risk and will therefore, require a bigger responsibility to the user. Stay Safe, Stay Sneaky Pete P.S. With all the pandemonium in the media demonizing guns and gun owners, I'm very proud to be serving the responsible citizens who take a moment to get trained, licensed and educated. This not only makes us safer individually, but collectively as well!