opsspec1991
Active member
Lessons from the Ferguson Riots of 2014
From VCDL:
The 2014 riots in Ferguson, Missouri should serve as an important reminder to anyone who is thinking about owning a gun. When your safety is already at risk, it may be too late to buy that first gun. Why do I say that?
1. You'll be lucky to find a gun at a gun store when EVERYBODY is trying to buy one. And IF you do find a gun, it may not be the best gun or the most suitable gun and it's going to cost you a lot more money than it would have before the emergency.
2. You may not be able to find ammunition for your new gun. And IF you do find ammunition, it may not be the most suitable ammunition for self-defense, you may not find it in the quantity you want, and it is going to cost you a lot more money.
3. You may not be able to purchase important accessories for your new gun. Things like spare magazines, holsters, slings, and optics. Not having enough magazines or not having a holster could put you in a real bind. You may not have time to research which accessories you need or be able to install them quickly if you can even find them.
4. By not having bought the gun ahead of time and now being in the middle of an emergency, you won't have the time to take the gun to a range to do important things like:
a) making sure the gun actually works and is not a one-shot or even a zero-shot wonder
b) making sure that the ammunition you purchased works in the gun
c) practicing with the gun to become proficient in its use and to know how to do critical things, like reloading the gun quickly while under pressure
d) becoming comfortable and familiar with various controls such as thumb safeties, grip safeties, or de-cockers e) adjusting the sights on the gun to make sure the bullet is going to go reasonably close to where the gun is aimed
f) installing and testing any accessories, like bipods, tactical lights, laser sights, or custom grips.
The time to become a gun owner is NOW when you are NOT in the middle of a riot or some other emergency. [NOTE: That goes for your friends and neighbors, who you should help if need be, as a good friend or neighbor.]
The time to do it is when you have time. When you can purchase the gun you want. When you can purchase and store a quantity of the ammunition you want. When you can verify the gun functions properly and is sighted in properly. When you can study which accessories you want and have time to get those accessories. When you can practice and train with both the gun and the accessories so that you have confidence in your ability to protect yourself and your family. All of that can be done in a reasonable amount of time if you put enough effort into it, but it can't be done instantaneously in the middle of an emergency. If you're going to become a gun owner, and you don't live in Ferguson, MO, there is no time better than RIGHT NOW.
From VCDL:
The 2014 riots in Ferguson, Missouri should serve as an important reminder to anyone who is thinking about owning a gun. When your safety is already at risk, it may be too late to buy that first gun. Why do I say that?
1. You'll be lucky to find a gun at a gun store when EVERYBODY is trying to buy one. And IF you do find a gun, it may not be the best gun or the most suitable gun and it's going to cost you a lot more money than it would have before the emergency.
2. You may not be able to find ammunition for your new gun. And IF you do find ammunition, it may not be the most suitable ammunition for self-defense, you may not find it in the quantity you want, and it is going to cost you a lot more money.
3. You may not be able to purchase important accessories for your new gun. Things like spare magazines, holsters, slings, and optics. Not having enough magazines or not having a holster could put you in a real bind. You may not have time to research which accessories you need or be able to install them quickly if you can even find them.
4. By not having bought the gun ahead of time and now being in the middle of an emergency, you won't have the time to take the gun to a range to do important things like:
a) making sure the gun actually works and is not a one-shot or even a zero-shot wonder b) making sure that the ammunition you purchased works in the gun c) practicing with the gun to become proficient in its use and to know how to do critical things, like reloading the gun quickly while under pressure d) becoming comfortable and familiar with various controls such as thumb safeties, grip safeties, or de-cockers e) adjusting the sights on the gun to make sure the bullet is going to go reasonably close to where the gun is aimed f) installing and testing any accessories, like bipods, tactical lights, laser sights, or custom grips. The time to become a gun owner is NOW when you are NOT in the middle of a riot or some other emergency. [NOTE: That goes for your friends and neighbors, who you should help if need be, as a good friend or neighbor.]
The time to do it is when you have time. When you can purchase the gun you want. When you can purchase and store a quantity of the ammunition you want. When you can verify the gun functions properly and is sighted in properly. When you can study which accessories you want and have time to get those accessories. When you can practice and train with both the gun and the accessories so that you have confidence in your ability to protect yourself and your family. All of that can be done in a reasonable amount of time if you put enough effort into it, but it can't be done instantaneously in the middle of an emergency. If you're going to become a gun owner, and you don't live in Ferguson, MO, there is no time better than RIGHT NOW.
