THE POINT OF THE GUN

First time gun buyers are surging in numbers in the United States as individual citizens take advantage of their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. The increase in the number of new gun owners is attributed to a handful of factors, such as recent terror attacks perpetrated by individuals or small groups of religiously radicalized men and women. While crimes involving firearms have gone down, an overall increase in violent crime has prompted many citizens to become their own first responders. Consequently, new gun owners have made the wise and courageous decision to arm and protect themselves and their loved ones.

Fortunately, it's not just first time buyers purchasing new guns; many long time gun owners see ominous writing on the political wall. They are apprehensive of legislative efforts that would expropriate their natural and 2nd Amendment rights.

If you are reading this firearm self defense primer, you have made the decision to arm yourself for personal and home defense and you want practical guidance on just which gun to choose. You are ready to buy a gun for everyday carry (EDC) and you want to learn how to use it correctly, safely, and responsibly.

Where do you start? How do you sift through the volumes of information and opinions on guns and calibers to make the right decision for you personally? Guns are not one-size-fit-all and choosing the right one for you is a decision that demands careful consideration.

How this book will help you

If you want a gun for self defense, or if you simply want a practical, fresh perspective (maybe you are a lifelong .45 caliber 1911 type and you are ready to try one of the "new" plastic guns) the information in this book is for you. We intend to simplify the decision-making process without skipping important details specific to your needs. We will break down the key elements of your decision-making to help you arrive at The Point of the Gun.

How this book is different than other firearm self defense books

The philosophy behind The Point of the Gun (TPOTG) offers that the best gun and caliber combo for self defense is the one you shoot accurately, consistently and with confidence- and the one you have with you when you need it. You don't need a classic 5 or 6 shot .44 Magnum revolver hand cannon to defend yourself against 2-legged threats (no offense, Inspector Callahan). Neither must you have a high capacity semi-auto, but that doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't have either one. Both are excellent options.

Our recommendations and the information we share comes from a combined 70 years of buying, owning and selling thousands of guns. This includes guns for our personal use as well as the thousands of customers we've consulted and students we've trained. Additionally, we've done tests on hundreds of guns, the vast majority of which are firearms geared toward personal defense. These tests aren't the type where a manufacturer sends a gun in for a favorable review; these are guns we've owned or shot extensively and we've given an honest assessment as to their quality, reliability, and functionality. We've received no compensation for the tests or reviews but we've been rewarded with invaluable first hand knowledge and experience.

We don't believe a self defense firearm should be complicated or unnecessarily accessorized. We view firearms as self defense tools, designed for a specific, crucial task. While we enjoy and promote sport shooting, this book is focused on practical self defense firearms so we provide information and recommendations to help you select the right tool to protect yourself.

We encourage you to always have a gun with you whenever possible-this means concealed or open carry, in a purse or hip pack, or at least with you in your vehicle, even when you are just running errands. In spite of the understandable but often irrational fear of a loaded gun in today's society, there are very few things more useless than an unloaded gun, the exception being a loaded gun at home when you are a targeted victim elsewhere. If you don't have your gun with you when you most need it, what is the point of your gun?

According to legendary American firearms expert Jeff Cooper, "The purpose of the pistol is to stop a fight that somebody else has started, almost always at very short range." The venerable Mr. Cooper knew that to defend yourself with a firearm, you need to have that firearm with you.

In the pages that follow, we'll go through the gun selection process with you, offering tips and suggestions for your consideration. We'll provide detailed descriptions of the types of handguns from which you will choose-revolvers and semi-autos. We'll go over the anatomy of each gun, the basic mechanics of how they work, the advantages and perceived disadvantages of both. We will provide a basic overview of ammunition calibers but we won't engage in a "best caliber" discussion because caliber selection is dependent upon numerous subjective factors personal to each shooter.

We'll discuss firearms for home defense. Whichever gun you choose for everyday carry (EDC) will also be an excellent choice for home defense but we'll also explore the advantages of long guns-shotguns and the often misunderstood "evil black gun," the AR carbine.

Hang around a gun shop or shooting range long enough, and you'll hear someone say, "The purpose of a handgun is to fight yourself to your long gun." This is the paraphrased wisdom of American firearms expert Clint Smith and alludes to the power and accuracy advantages of a long gun versus the handgun for home defense. We believe handguns and long guns are equally integral and wholly complementary to a home defense plan.

Since the point of the gun is to have it with you when you need it, we'll discuss methods of carry-holsters, purses or anything else that will keep your firearm close at hand at all times. A quality holster will be comfortable to wear, distribute the weight and size of your firearm, and thus encourage you to carry your firearm daily until you feel naked without it.

Part of a good holster or carry system is a good belt. A regular old belt just won't do-you need a belt built and designed to carry a gun. Beyond the belt, holsters can be worn on the chest, shoulders, and ankles. We'll concentrate on the best holster/carry options for defensive purposes, open and concealed.

For the ladies, we'll discuss purses. Yes, there are purses specifically designed to hold a firearm-in a dedicated compartment so that a gun will never get lost in the bottomless pit of a woman's...