Gunsmith Tip of the Week 5/15/24

If you carry a gun everyday, is that enough?

 

Here’s what our Head Gunsmith, Andrew, says about preparedness:

“In my opinion just carrying a firearm with you daily is not enough, you need training and the proper gear. And I don’t just mean your CCW license class either. Along with firearms, holster, and defensive training, I highly recommend taking some kind of medical or casualty and care training.

Taking a life in a self-defense situation is one thing, but are you prepared to save a life or render aid to the person who just attacked you or someone else?

Are you CPR trained? Statistics show that 1 in 20 people will have to perform CPR in their lifetime. I can tell you from experience I have had to do CPR more times than I have had to defend myself with my firearm.

Do you carry a tourniquet as part of your EDC (Everyday Carry) kit? Better yet, do you have a trauma kit in your vehicle and is it up to date? Are you trained on how to use the items inside of it, and can you locate them under stress?

How trained are the people around you that you spend most of your time with? Can you depend on them to react in an effective manner during a high stress situation? Do your loved ones know where the first aid or trauma kit is located? Are they CPR/tourniquet trained?

Sometimes the people around us can add stress to an already stressful situation by not remaining calm. This is usually caused by not knowing what to do in a situation, so fear takes over.

We fear the unknown, so knowledge is our best defense against any threat.

We have 4 natural responses in a trauma or high stress situation, and all come with our level of training and experience.

FIGHT or FLIGHT, which most people are familiar with but there is also the FREEZE and FAWN response.

Fight- Stand your ground, assist where needed in a calm, focused and tactical manner.

Flight- Leaving the area as quickly as possible until you feel safe again.

Freeze- The body’s inability to react to the situation they are presented with.

Fawn- Trying to please someone to avoid conflict and happens after the first 3 have failed.

This is a vast subject, but the moral of the story is that there is a lot more to think about than just what gun you’re going to wear today.

Everything is your responsibility. Stay vigilant, get training, and always be working.”

Bristlecone teaches a number of classes on these topics (S.A.F.E. and 4 Rings Tactical classes), as well as offers medical kits in our retail area,