New Gun Owners Guide!

The Corona virus has created over 2 million (and climbing) new gun owners in America. Most of these newbies have little to zero prior firearms experience. Some did not even truly understand what exactly they purchased from the gun shop. Many purchased a firearm purely for fear of not being able to protect themselves (or their families), if / when America finds itself in turbulent times where law enforcement will be of little to no help. Think riots, home invasions, infrastructure collapse and such. To these people I say “Welcome, well done, you have taken the first step in gun ownership, you now have the right tool for the job. Now it’s time to learn how to use that tool”.

You are now a gun “owner” but not a competent shooter and certainly not a gun fighter. By owning a gun, you are no more prepared for a gun fight, than you are a pilot by buying an airplane. Regardless to what the nice man in the gun shop said, you NEED training.

If you ARE an experienced shooter with professional training behind you and know of friends, neighbors or family that have just got their first firearm…Please PLEASE share this info with them. HELP them help themselves and in turn make it safer for ALL around them. An untrained gun owner is everyone’s problem. Bullets do not discriminate on who they hit, ignorance truly CAN get people killed!

So what to do. Well here are few things they can do from home: When handling and learning about your firearm, it is critical that there is NO AMMUNITION near you or the gun.

Step One: Learn Basic Firearm Safety Rules

TREAT ALL FIREARMS AS IF THEY ARE LOADED!

No. 1: ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. (This will change depending where you are)

No. 2: ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until the gun is pointed at something you want to destroy.

No. 3: ALWAYS keep the gun secured. This can be either on you in a holster or in a secured place (we highly recommend biometric safes)

No 4: Be aware of your target AND what’s beyond it (what will your bullets hit if you miss or they pass through the intended target.

Check out information from the NRA, USCCA and The NSSF on other safety tips.

Step Two: Learn How To Safely Handle Your Firearm

While following the gun-safety rules above, it's important to know exactly how your new firearm works. Read your firearm's owner’s manual. You can even watch some YouTube videos on the technical stuff. Just type in you exact brand and model and you should come up with dozens of videos. The owner’s manual that can with the gun should outline how the action works, where all the controls are and what safety features exists.

Buy some snap caps. Learn how to UNLOAD the gun. A simple act that most people learn last. Learn this FIRST! While cycling the action, learn exactly how the controls operate. If it has one, can you easily activate the safety? The more time you spend manually operating the gun, the more you will begin to understand its function. Again YouTube can be your friend. There is a good one. https://youtu.be/LxKT1CVsjYA

Field-stripping, or taking the gun down into its separate components for cleaning, is a good way to understand how your new firearm works, and it gives you an opportunity to thoroughly clean and lubricate the inside of your gun. This is another critical first in your journey as a new gun owner. Here is an example: https://youtu.be/PC3yOdghX94

Step Three: Training.

Regardless to how much you think you can learn from books, videos and YouTube, there are some things you should always seek out professional training for. ANYTHING that can result in death or significant injury to yourself or others is something we recommend you LEARN under direct supervision of an expert. Think flying a plane, surgery and using a firearm. With these activities there is ZERO room for error!

Look for a Basic Introduction Class. You want a class that each you the basic knowledge and attitudes necessary for selecting, owning, a firearm safely and effectively. Such as safe gun handling, firearm nomenclature and manipulation, types of ammunition and what is best for YOU. How to safely store & maintain you firearm. Correct fundamentals of pistol shooting, including grip options, stance options, sighting options and fundamentals, correct trigger and recoil control. To cover all the above information correctly and shoot 50 – 100 rounds of ammo will take about a 4 – 5 hour class. Anything short of that and you are NOT going to get your money’s worth. Invest the TIME and MONEY in training with professionals. You will save yourself hundreds if not thousands of dollars in the long run. Here is a good one: https://www.floridafirearmstraining.com/Handgun.html#Handgun_Intro_Desc.

Once you have the basics down and you have at least 500 rounds through you gun, then give us a call or look around for a good “gun fighting class” In other words a class that teaches you how to use that gun in a realistic manner, in self-defense type scenarios. In certain circumstances, it may not be possible to find a readily available training course near you. In that case, feel free to reach out to us and we will try to help you find a reputable instructor.

Step Four: Gear

Be very careful before buying more gun gear. Many new shooters get into the “buy this and I will shoot better” mode. It’s not true, it’s the INDIAN not the ARROW that makes the difference. You cannot buy shooting ability, its takes time, instruction and practice. If you are buying “gear”, do your research first or ask a good instructor for guidance. Don’t waste your money!

Step Five: Don’t do it Fast, Do it right!

Lots of slow, perfect repetition will lead to good muscle memory and eventually unconscious competency with your chosen firearm. Feel free to contact us for any information or help on becoming more proficient with your firearms. Be safe, have fun and welcome to the 2nd amendment family, you’re in good company!

Will Farrugia Director of Training

Florida Firearms Training