Surviving the Aftermath
While the disaster itself is devastating enough, the aftermath can be in and of itself another disaster. You are left without electricity, gas for cooking and heating, impassable roads and then you have looters and other criminal elements that can be a problem. There will always be those that will victimize others during a calamity. As part of your emergency preparedness, you must plan for personal self-defense and the defense of your family, property and possessions. You cannot defend yourself however, unless you prepare and learn how to handle yourself and a weapon during a survival situation.
If you are the only one prepared with ample food, water and other essentials during a crisis, you will be a target. Who will the ones not prepared look too during a crisis. You must be prepared to deal with friends, neighbors and even strangers that are desperate. People you know may turn violent and rationalize their actions in the name of providing for their family. Emotions run high, stress levels are elevated and people will act differently from what you normally expect. The rules for some people change during a survival situation.
Preparing For Confrontation
Prepare for and yet do everything you can to avoid a confrontation. You do not want to have to challenge a friend or neighbor over supplies. Criminals of course will always be ready to take advantage of darkened streets, damaged homes and stressed out citizens. A show of force can work in some cases, if the criminal or challenger realizes you are serious. Carry your firearm with you, around your home. Have your pistol holstered on your person and have any home-defense rifles or shotguns within arm’s reach during the crisis.
Your home is your only refuge during a disaster and you cannot allow others to destroy that sanctuary. Would be burglars and other criminal elements may use pretexts to make contact with you during the day to evaluate you as a victim for later on that night. If they note you are armed and show confidence they may very well seek an easier target. Your weapon is a deterrent to a confrontation. A show of force can cause others to back down without the need to draw your weapon. Otherwise, they may challenge you for your emergency supplies and your home.
Part of you preparedness should include weapons training. For various safety and legal issues, it is recommended you use an acceptable firing range and not your backyard. Use target stands and practice shooting from various positions with your pistol and long gun. Learn how to stand to make yourself less of a target because, in a real life survival situation the target shoots back.
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Gun safety is important and must be practiced at all times. Guns are a tool for a very specific purpose and everyone in the family must realize their function. The shooting stances you see in movies and on television for the most part are incorrect. The stance is for drama and camera angles. You are not concerned with how you look you want effectiveness.
Firearm Drills
Practice by dry firing only if you have dry fire cartridges called “snap caps” to prevent damage to the firing pin. This is especially important if you have a rim fire weapon. You have to know the pressure needed for trigger pull and know the feeling of pulling the trigger as you go into tactical defense. Dry fire practice is important, and you must practice these moves where contact is likely to be made. Dry fire is used where it is impracticable, and/or unsafe to use live ammunition. The greatest benefit of dry firing is trigger control.
Weapon in hands before the situation gets out of control. Do not walk into a firefight fumbling to draw or raise your weapon. Have your long gun at port arms, which is simply holding the weapon diagonally across your chest. Have one hand on the forearm and the other grasping where a simple movement puts your trigger finger on the trigger. This is one of several ready positions and all you need to do from this point is engage the target by turning your body sideways while moving your head to sight along the barrel. Pistols at the close ready means it is focused toward the aggressor but not necessarily ready to engage until you have all the facts. A lowering and turning of the body to make a smaller target brings your eyes in line with the pistol.
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