Where do you get advice?

[Absalom]

As others have said, books by people with verifiable credentials are a good basis. I started with Ayoob way back in the early 80s when legal carry wasn't really a thing yet where I lived. Still got some of those books; some of the guns he discusses are almost collectibles now , but the basics haven't changed.

When reading forums and listening to advice from other people, consider their verifiable experience.

Everybody has opinions, and many people are good at making opinions sound like expertise. But keep in mind that despite the hype and the constant state of alert, not to say fear, that the media try to scare us into, this is still a pretty safe country in most places, and the vast majority of folks out there, including most of those who lecture you on how to defend yourself, have no actual experience defending themselves. It just doesn't happen that often.

People from the law enforcement community can usually be trusted to know what they are talking about. With everybody else, keep enough salt in your pocket. They likely gathered up their "expertise" the same way you are doing it right now .

 

[norm]

My advice to you is dontt take my advice

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth. I try to employ them accordingly: observing (including reading) and listening at least twice as much as talking or writing.

I'm a consumer of information. I read volumes of helpful hints, reviews, opinions, range reports, and forum posts. I listen to the thoughts of shop owners and other customers in the shops I frequent.

This forum is loaded with thousands of years of experience and encyclopedic knowledge. Its members (and their links to outside sources) have enlightened me and significantly changed my viewpoints on several topics. I've learned which posters' opinions/thoughts to avoid and which ones offer great information without jumping on their soap box. Still in all, there are dang few posts that I agree with at the 100% level.

Life is a research project. I seek information from an array of sources and attempt to digest and interpret it to the best of my ability, focusing on how it applies to me.

 

[lrrifleman]

This is a very loaded question, and you have received a lot of good advice. First and foremost, I tend to avoid any and all advice that sounds like it has come from someone that spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express!

I feel that the instructors for my CFP class were very good, for the legal aspects of concealed carry. Fortunately, I brought about 40 years of shooting experience to my class, so I arrived with some preconceived prejudices. I decided to carry because I am now disabled and I am unable to run from a threat. I also feel, that because of my disabilities, I am walking with a neon sign over me identifying me as a victim in waiting for each and every predator along my path.

I am set in my ways as to what I will carry. I must preface this with, I can only carry when I am traveling out of state, since my state doesn't grant citizens the right to self defense. Ninety nine percent of the time, I will be carrying either a S&W revolver (36-6 or a 686+) or my Mauser HSC. If I am doing an extended trip, or the areas I have to travel through are experiencing higher levels of unrest than normal, I will carry either a 1911 or my 439.

Where I do seek advice is when it comes to tactical scenarios. I belong to 3 forums, the Colt, the 1911, and this one. I actually find the forum here to be more active/interactive. I like to read the "what ifs ..." and "what would you do ..." threads, to see how others would react. There is a nice blend of experienced LEOs willing to share their experience, and a good number of non LEOs that have found themselves in IT. I treat these threads as college seminars on self defense. I have approached this with the predisposition that no one will tell me what to do, but I listen to how they would react, since no one can anticipate exactly what will happen.

What I ultimately end up doing is the product of my contemplation and actions, because I do own any rounds that leave my gun.

 

[doublesharp]

 

[wbraswell]

JSRIII, I like almost every thing you said in your post. The one thing you said that I don't like is using the term "the old west", some would say "the wild west". These are really just fictional terms. Overall, the old west was tamer than our poorer inner cities are now. There were short periods like the cattle drive days to Dodge and Abilene, but those lasted only a few days a year, and the problem was just young men full of alcohol, looking for a good time. The gold rush areas could be wild, but then you have lots of folks with gold fever, which isn't good in any era. TV truly bloated the threats of Indian attacks and bad guys in most the west.Of course you saw Matt shoot the bad guy every week. I'd say today is the wildest it's ever been. Dime novels and TV are much wilder than reality was.

 

[pawngal]

My evil twin gives really bad good advice or
is it really good bad advice?????