As firearm enthusiasts, it’s really easy for us to hyper-focus on our training and concealed carrying as the way we keep ourselves safe. While that’s great, the chances of you ever needing to save your own life with your concealed-carry gun are actually, thankfully, extremely slim. Maybe some of our energy would be better spend mitigating the risks that we are more likely to face.
For example, many self-defense gurus recommend carrying a spare magazine on your belt. Some even carry a small backup gun in a different location than their primary firearm, such as in an ankle holster. Now let’s think about this for a second. We already know that your chances of being involved in a self-defense shooting are very low. We also know that the average number of shots fired in a defensive gun use is about three. With even the smallest concealed-carry semi-automatics holding six or seven rounds and most holding 10 to 12 or more, it’s safe to say that the chances you will fire your gun in self-defense and need a second magazine to stop the threat are just barely above zero.
So if you don’t really need a second magazine, much less a backup gun, what might you carry in its place? Think about scenarios you’re more likely to face. A less-lethal self-defense tool like pepper spray is an excellent choice. After all, not every sketchy situation requires a firearm, and having a less-lethal option at your disposal can solve a lot of problems without opening you up to the myriad ramifications of a defensive gun use.
An IFAK (individual first aid kit) is another great option. You’re probably more likely to use it someday than you are your gun, and it’s almost certainly more likely to come in handy than an extra magazine might. A simple tourniquet and some wound-packing supplies could save your own life or someone else’s. If you’re the type of shooter who loves to train the high-speed, low-drag room-clearing stuff, maybe think about saving a little bit of that extreme-scenario range time and take a CPR, first aid or Stop the Bleed class instead. It’ll probably come in handy more often than your room-clearing skills will. (And by the way, you shouldn’t be clearing rooms if you don’t absolutely have to, anyway.)
And speaking of stuff we carry, I’m sorry, but a lot of self-defense bros (it’s always the bro types, isn’t it?) will give you a list a mile long of all the stuff you should have on you at all times. A knife? Sure; everyone needs to open a box or cut up an apple now and then. A tactical pen? A multitool? A seatbelt cutter, pry bar or window breaker? Paracord? Eh, maybe, but we’re getting into a lot of stuff you’re not likely to ever really, urgently need. Three knives and a multitool? Too far, and I’m sorry, but the “two is one and one is none” people can just take a hike. You are much more likely to use that IFAK or pepper spray than you are to need multiple knives. Maybe even better, replace some of that less-likely-to-need stuff with a small flashlight, which comes in handy in everyday life, can get you out of some jams in the dark, and can even serve as a safety tool.
I’ve written before about the gun as talisman fallacy, and that plays right into risk mitigation. There’s danger in strapping on a gun, thinking, “I’m safe now,” and ignoring the other risk factors in your life. For example, have you addressed the following:
- Do you consistently wear your seatbelt when you ride in a car?
- Are the smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in your home in good working order?
- Do you go to stupid places with stupid people at stupid times?
- Do you avoid drugs, cigarettes and excessive alcohol?
- Are you actively cultivating healthy relationships?
- How’s your physical fitness and nutrition?
The top non-medical cause of death in the U.S. is unintentional injury, which includes things like poisonings (mostly drug overdoses), falls, and motor vehicle accidents. And we know that around 90% of female murder victims are killed by someone they know, usually a family member, partner or former partner. Wearing your seatbelt, following safe driving practices, avoiding drugs and alcohol and avoiding toxic relationships are all important personal safety steps that are much more likely to save your life than carrying a gun every day is.
And then there’s the biggie: your health and fitness. We talk a lot about how you should run away from trouble if you can so you can avoid using your gun, and the simple fact of the matter is that the farther and faster you can run, the better. Aside from that, of course, the leading cause of death in the U.S.—heart disease—is at least partially preventable for most of us, and the risk can be mitigated by maintaining a healthy weight and generally looking after your health and fitness.
Look: We really, really like guns here at NRA Women, and we applaud any woman who wants to carry a concealed-carry firearm to take charge of her personal protection. And if you want to carry a dozen EDC items on you all the time because you just really feel better carrying three knives and a pry bar, knock yourself out. But if you’re like most of us, you have limited carrying capacity and limited time to dedicate to your personal safety. We just don’t want you to get so hyper-focused on a gun as a safety tool that you devote too much time and energy to a hypothetical future defensive gun use—a very unlikely event—and ignore the much more real risks of everyday life. A good safety plan includes more than just your firearm.
