Episode 106 with David Cole
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Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 106 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. This podcast is for people who might want a firearm for self-defense, and for those who already have one. I’m your host, Rob Morse. Firearms instructor David Cole with us as co-host.
David- Hi, Rob. I’ve been building an 80% Glock 19, shooting USPSA, and getting ready for the NRA Annual Meeting.
Rob- Please introduce our podcast to our new listeners.
David- Each week we study three recent examples of armed defense to see what we can learn. What should we do if we were in their situation. Our first story took place last week in Raleigh, North Carolina. Here’s what happened.
Rob- First story- Are you armed at home?
Someone knocks at your front door at 430 in the morning. A few seconds later there is yelling from your front room. Two armed men are shouting orders. You grab your gun. These two strangers point a gun at you and you shoot them. You shoot them both. Your son is hurt. It isn’t clear from news reports whether he was struck by gunfire or hit by the robbers. You grab your son and drive him to the hospital.
Neighbors hear the gunshots and call 911. The police find one robber dead in your home. They arrest the second robber when he goes to the hospital.
You’re attacker has been arrested at least 8 times before. His latest arrest was only two months ago for robbery. This time he is charged with armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, first-degree burglary and firearms possession by a felon.
David- This one sounds pretty bad, but it certainly could have been much worse. The good news is that the homeowner had a gun and was able to get to it quickly enough to respond to the attack. A good rule of thumb is POGO…Pants On, Gun On. When you’re asleep, you do need some sort of secure storage such as a speed safe or similar, once you’re up the best place for your gun is on your person.
Rob- When do your students learn about where to store their firearms so they can get to them?
David- CCW classes teach that material.
Rob- If you have your concealed carry permit, do you even know how to draw a gun quickly and safely?
David- As far as the ability to quickly engage multiple targets accurately…you know where I stand on that, Rob. First of all, go get some training in defensive pistol shooting. Both the NRA and Second Amendment Foundation offer defensive pistol classes, and there are plenty of other instructors out there as well. Then to keep those skills sharp…and improve them…I’m a big fan of action pistol competition such as USPSA and IDPA.
Rob- If you had to guess, how many of your students compete?
David- Our second story happened last week, and was right next to Raleigh, North Carolina.
Rob- Second Story- Are you armed at work.
It is late at night at this convenience store. A man comes in. You watch him. Rather than select an item, the customer walks directly to the counter. The man has a gun in his hand, and it is pointed at you. You push him away and try to run to the back room. He follows you.
It isn’t clear if your gun was kept in the back room of if kept your gun on you. You shoot your attacker. He runs.
You call police..and so does your attacker. Your attacker said he was shot in a drive by shooting. The police see the surveillance video from your store and arrest your attacker in the hospital. He is charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault.
-Please carry your gun on you. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life trying to get a gun to defend yourself.
Rob- David, how does a gun owner get his permit?
David- Of course, all states are different, but most require that you take some sort of class, and then take the certificate of completion from that class to apply for your permit. One website I recommend to learn about state laws regarding permitting and other topics surrounding concealed carry is handgunlaw.us I have found them to be a reliable source for state firearms laws, as well as the NRA-ILA website.
Rob- Where would he then learn to shoot as he moves, and to shoot at very close targets?
David- Again, a good defensive pistol class such as offered by the NRA, SAF or others is the best place to start if you have never done that type of shooting before. I have shot the NRA course, but have not tried the SAF version yet. And my personal opinion is that if you have the time and money, the Gunsite Academy 250 Pistol class is the gold standard.
David- Our third story happened last week in Gaffney, South Carolina.
Listen to Gun Freedom Radio at http://gunfreedomradio.com
Rob- Third story- Do you have a way to defend yourself in the early morning?
You hear a knock at your door. It is 3:30 in the morning. Your boyfriend answers the door and ask why they are knocking at that hour. Two armed men push the door open and throw your boyfriend against the wall. He breaks the wall as he hits it. The two intruders are armed. The one in front has a shotgun, and your boyfriend grabs it. You grab your gun.
The story isn’t clear if you had your gun with you or if you had to retrieve it. You shoot the large man fighting with your boyfriend. The attacker drops to the floor. The other intruder runs away. You call the police. Your attacker was pronounced dead at the scene from a shot to the head.
David- This is an interesting one, though we are missing some details. From the news story, it sounds like the defender shot the attacker at very close range. You are right that it is a difficult problem to solve, shooting in defense of another while tangled up in physical combat. Besides concerns of making an accurate shot, you also need to consider the angle of the shot. If the shot fully penetrates the bad guy, where is it going to go? I think you would want to get close enough to be 100% confident in your shot placement. And for the record, I decline your invitation to a tickle fight!
David- Both of our home invasion stories this week featured homeowners who opened the door without knowing who was outside. Both occurred during the very early morning hours, and although we don’t know how these folks lived, I know that I would find a knock on the door at 3 or 4 AM to be very suspicious. I don’t believe I would answer that knock, and I definitely would challenge the person outside to identify themselves before I even thought about opening the door. You know for sure that if I did open it, I’d be armed.
David- Another option is something called a wide-angle peephole. We’ve all seen the standard peepholes in hotel room doors, and although they’re better than nothing, it can be hard to see very well through them. A better option is a wide-angle peephole, with a bigger lens and wider field of view which makes it much easier to see who’s out there. You can find them at places like Lowe’s and Home Depot, or on Amazon. Also, high tech options such as wireless surveillance cameras and video view doorbells are also becoming more common and less expensive.
Exit- Rob- That wraps up this episode. David, thank you for helping us today. Where can we learn more about you?
David- My training website is Aegis Solutions LLC on Facebook, and I’m also at BlackManWithAGun.com
Rob- You can share your thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.
David- If you liked this show, then you’ll like the other podcasts on the Self-defense radio network. We share this podcast with you for free. Please share it with a friend and give us a rating on I-Tunes and Stitcher. We’re also available on Google Play Music and Spotify.
Rob- I’m Rob Morse. We’ll be back next week with more Self-Defense Gun Stories.
I was passed this info and just looked at it. Funny you use my name but I must think I have a clone. I am also a NRA T/C Advanced Pistol Instr and do all the classes but I am not what you are. One of my students passed this to me.