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Mental Preparation: Owning a Gun isn’t Enough

It was about 4 AM when one of my fellow police officers parked his squad car in the parking lot of a strip mall.  It was one of those rare, quiet nights in a big city.  In an effort to stay awake, he decided to walk around the stores to check doors and windows, and to enjoy the warm fresh Pacific Ocean breeze that was sweeping away the Los Angeles smog.

As my uniformed friend walked around to the back of one of the stores, he came face-to-face with a burglar.  The crook had a handgun pointed at my friends head.  It was an ambush.

My friend drew his gun, and both he and his attacker fired at the same time.  They were only 15-feet apart.  Both emptied their guns.  But neither the police officer, nor the bad guy, hit their target.  Two guns emptied, and yet every shot missed.

After both guns clicked on empty, my friend rushed forward and tackled his assailant.  He had him subdued and handcuffed before he could safely use his radio to call for backup.  The time lapse from the first shot to the click of the handcuffs, was about 10-seconds. 

From start to finish, from wake-up panic to the end of the incident, this violent encounter was over in about the same time that it takes to remove a cell phone from a pocket or purse, and dial 9-1-1.

For you as a citizen, you need to telephone the police if you can, but you need to arm yourself first.  You may not have time for the phone call.  As the saying goes, “when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.”

As you might imagine, this shooting incident involving my friend was an embarrassing event for a police officer, but it’s not totally unusual.  Even highly trained law enforcement officers often miss, at least with some of their shots.

My friend took a lot of razzing for his poor shooting, but embarrassment is nothing when compared to the other potential outcome –his death.  When this incident occurred, my police officer friend was a good shot—at least when it came to shooting holes in a paper target on the gun range.  But real-world is different.  Very different.

Fortunately for my friend, the bad guy also suffered from the same adrenaline-rush brought on by fear.  Though the crook had time to prepare an ambush, he was still reacting to the fight-or-flight fear reaction that is part of any life threatening situation. 

It’s important to add emphasis to some background to this incident.  My friend maintained excellent shooting scores in his monthly firearm qualification at the range.  He was also very familiar with the handgun that he carried.  He had the ability to shoot straight and accurately.  These things weren’t the problem.  It was his reaction to the unexpected encounter that ruined his aim.  He wasn’t mentally prepared.

If this police offer had been carrying a short barreled shotgun he‘d still have been surprised by the attack, but the results might have been different.  Sure, he would have suffered the same negative effects of surprise and adrenalin, but there is a good chance that he would have hit his target.

So an even better scenario is to be mentally prepared and armed with a shotgun.  A shotgun is the great equalizer.  It doesn’t matter if your assailant is big and strong, because at this point you have the advantage.  You simply need the right weapon and ammunition, the skills needed to operate your gun effectively, and the mental preparation required for the task.  This is how you can win against the biggest, meanest, and most formidable bad guy.

Consider yourself at home, faced with a situation which is similar to the one faced by my friend.  You hear a noise, and you decide to investigate.  You encounter a burglar armed with a gun or knife and he’s waiting to attack you.  You are surprised and scared, but you have the presence of mind to point and fire your tactical shotgun.  When you pull the trigger, a wide swath of 15 bullet-size pellets is discharged with each pull of the trigger.  You keep firing until you are sure that you have stopped the threat.

If you are armed and ready as described in this e-book, it’s reasonable to assume that you can safely survive such an encounter.  You will be able to neutralize the threat.  You will have what it takes to save your family.

Importantly, if an intruder sees you with a shotgun, or hears you rack the action to load it, he may run away or surrender without you firing a shot.  A shotgun is extremely intimidating.

My story about my friend is almost comical, but it’s only amusing because my friend wasn’t killed.  If he had encountered an attacker who was better prepared mentally, the story would have a tragic ending.

As you consider this anecdote, keep in mind that this same set of circumstances can apply to you in your home.  Surprise.  Fear.  The adrenaline-rush which comes from an emergency situation.  In a similar circumstance, your aim will likely be a bit off, too.  A shotgun can help you compensate.

Think about it.  You hear a noise inside your house; and you grab your gun.  Whether you go to investigate or wait, when you are suddenly confronted by your attacker you will still experience a sense of surprise.  Adrenalin will spike, and your heart will race even faster.  Your aim will be affected.  The advantage of the shotgun is clear.

Mental preparation, and relevant real-world training, are critically important.  Both are needed.

God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

Bible, NLT