Armed Encounter Fallacies

May 07, 2019

Armed Encounter Fallacies from Self-Defense Advocates

by Drew Beatty

There are many fallacies pervading the culture of armed self-defense. Many of these are put forth into the marketplace of ideas by anti-gun zealots who want to motivate fear of firearms and firearms owners in the general public. This article isn’t about their fallacies, it is about ours. Proponents of armed self-defense also have pervasive cultural fallacies. Many of these will sound familiar to you.

Learning Armed Defense

April 30, 2019

Learning Armed Defense is All of These

by Rob Morse

We tend to break complex tasks into simpler pieces. The self-defense community is particularly prone to this. We teach safety, marksmanship and concealed carry. Later, you might learn self-defense. We talk about education, instruction, practice, training and testing as if everyone used these terms correctly. I’ve even heard a politician say that humans are not trained at all. We talk about one piece of armed-defense at a time and make it sound simple. That doesn’t mean it is easy.

Beyond the Waistband

February 06, 2018

Introduction to Holsters: Beyond the Waistband

by Keith Coniglio

In our last installment we looked at options for waistband holsters, both inside (IWB) and outside (OWB). While this is a very popular and practical choice, it may not be the right choice for concealment.

Learning to Teach

January 23, 2018

Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn

by Keith Coniglio

Over the last decade, the ranks of American gun owners have swelled dramatically. It would be nice to think all these new shooters have received professional instruction, but that's not very realistic. Many would have had no clue where to begin, and no one to ask. Others would have turned to the Internet – and promptly gotten overwhelmed by hundreds of pages of raging opinion, stunning them into permanent procrastination.

Waistband Carry

January 16, 2018

Introduction to Holsters: Waistband Carry

by Keith Coniglio

How we carry our defensive firearm is just as important a consideration as our choice of pistol for the task, and you should no more "buy some holster" than you should "buy some gun" for concealed carry. One size does not fit all in the realm of concealed carry, and to choose the right holster for your needs, you must first need to know what options are available.

Complacency Kills

January 09, 2018

Complacency Kills

by Keith Coniglio

Statistically speaking, the overwhelming majority of us will never need to display, much less discharge, our defensive firearms. That is a good thing – period, full stop, no question.

Before and After

January 02, 2018

The Before and After of Using a Gun

by Keith Coniglio

As concealed-carriers, we tend to spend a good deal of time thinking about the gear and mindset that would get us through a violent confrontation as it unfolds. Gear, such as our firearms, our ammunition selection, our holsters and mode of carry, are all the things that make up the "during" of a defensive shooting. This forethought and contemplation is absolutely worthwhile, but it shouldn't preclude paying equal attention to both the "before" and "after."

The Before

Defending Others

December 25, 2017

Making the Decision to Defend Others

by Keith Coniglio

On September 24th, 2017 a man bent on murder opened fire in an Antioch, Tennessee, church, killing one and wounding six before being stopped by an incredibly brave private citizen, armed with a pistol of his own.

No Warning Shots

December 19, 2017

Why Warning Shots Are Such a Bad Idea

by Rob Morse

You've heard the saying a thousand times. You will never need a gun until the moment when you need one immediately. Like a parachute or a fire extinguisher, a gun is a life saving tool and not a toy. We use a firearm to stop an immediate and lethal threat. That is why we don't fire warning shots.

You probably heard this in your concealed carry class, but here are the key factors that need to be present to justify using lethal force:

Exciting Changes

October 13, 2017

Good News! Second Call Defense Membership Just Got Better!

We told you recently that some exciting changes were coming, and now they're here.

Second Call Defense has always been about protecting the right of gun owners to defend themselves. We believe we've fulfilled our mission over the last 5 years.

However, we've been working on several ideas to make membership even better. Specifically, to increase your protection and decrease your costs, and we've done just that.