Expect your gun to be seized - and NOT returned to you

When counseling our members on how to prepare for the aftermath of self defense, we tell them to expect certain things:

Expect the police to treat you like a criminal.
Expect to be handcuffed.
Expect to be questioned at length.
Expect to have your words examined in detail.
Expect to be taken to jail.

Will you be the next Harold Fish?

If you think that law-abiding people like you can't go to jail for using a gun in self defense, consider the tragic story of Harold Fish.

Fish was a 57-year-old retired high school teacher in Arizona with a wife, seven children, a clean record, and a license to carry a concealed weapon.

While on an all-day hike on Pine Canyon Trail, Fish crossed paths with a stranger. Here's how he described it in an interview with NBC correspondent John Larson:

Gun Rights Are About More Than Guns

​by Dean Rieck

When proponents of gun control listen to the arguments made by proponents of gun rights, all they hear is "guns." That's what they think it's all about - guns, guns, and more guns. And they couldn't be more wrong.

That's the frustrating part about this particular policy debate. Gun control activists are so focused on guns, they can't see past the hardware. They're so afraid of pistols, they can't fathom why people own them. They're so confounded by rifles, they don't understand why hunters love them.

How to deter criminals by projecting an "alpha male" aura

Night is falling. Two men walk out of a grocery store into the dark parking lot.

The first man clutches a grocery bag to his chest, scurrying toward his car with eyes turned down to the ground. The second man carries a grocery bag at his side, striding confidently, head upright and eyes surveying the parked cars around him.

A criminal skulks in the shadows looking for a victim. Which one of the men is he more likely to choose?

Why you should never use the word "kill"

In many cases, what you say can get you in more trouble than what you do. This is especially true before, during, and after self defense with a firearm.

And there's one word that you should consider eliminating from your vocabulary: "kill."

4 Ethical Lessons of Bearing Arms

The bearing of arms is the essential medium through which the individual asserts both his social power and his participation in politics as a responsible moral being... (Historian J.G.A. Pocock, describing the beliefs of the founders of the U.S.)

There is nothing like having your finger on the trigger of a gun to reveal who you really are. Life or death in one twitch — ultimate decision, with the ultimate price for carelessness or bad choices.

How to deal with a traffic stop when you're carrying a gun

Getting stopped by police is nerve-racking. But it's even more stressful when you're carrying a firearm.

It's important to understand that the officer doesn't know you personally and must consider you a potential threat. So you must see the stop from his point of view and have a well-rehearsed plan to deal with the stop in a way that puts the officer at ease and avoids any misunderstanding.

The Reid Interrogation Technique

If you've ever been involved in a traffic accident with another driver, you know that responding police have one primary task: to assign blame. One way or another, either you or the other driver is going to get nailed for the accident.

Shooting investigations are similar. Once police show up, their task is to find someone who is most likely to be guilty of a crime and gather evidence to prove it.

Traveling with your gun legally

Whether for fun or business, traveling presents many challenges if you're transporting or carrying one or more firearms. The last thing you want is to have your trip interrupted by an unexpected detour to a local jail.

This is a quick guide with 5 simple tips and some reference material to help make your trip go smoothly. Remember, laws change regularly and while it doesn't seem fair, it's ultimately your responsibility to know and abide by current law.

Violate these 4 gun safety rules at your own risk

The single most important subject for every gun owner is also the subject few gun owners ever want to talk about: safety.

Why? Because to many, it's boring. It's a lot more fun to talk about the latest and greatest firearm or debate the best caliber for self defense. Right?

But let's face it. Accidents happen. And there's only ONE reason they happen. In every case, without exception, an accidental shooting results from a violation of one or more of these basic gun safety rules: