Initial Personal Investments in Self Defense

When it comes to the reality of deadly force application, there is a lot of misinformation pushed by emotional appeals. This isn’t about “works for me” or someone’s “freedom to choose”- this is about the gravity of making good versus bad decisions. These decisions start with our investments. Investments in weapons, supporting equipment, and most importantly, investments in ourselves.

For most people, it is not an either/or investment, but a progressive investment. It isn’t buy quality firearm but no training and ammo. It is buy all of the above as funds become available. That better choice in firearms will last longer with normal use with less malfunctions/breakages than the suboptimal options and will be a dependable option for your development in training. Firearms need to survive the rigors of training as well as carry. Glock, CZ, Walther, FN, HK, Sig, S&W, Beretta all are excellent choices for an initial investment. Going lesser, ends up wasting funds that could have been applied to the better option.

Not everyone has disposable income to waste on questionable guns, gear, or training. This makes our initial decisions regarding these subjects hugely important, yet undervalued. These initial investments start our own trends. Applying critical thinking helps avoid pitfalls in poor investments. Ultimately, if you think about all of this, it is an investment in ourselves. What we spend money on dictates what we use and what establishes our frame of reference- and also importantly, it limits the options that we could have taken.

A logical and rational approach to determining what fits your needs best is to conduct research before any decisions are made. This research should help you make a decision. We do research to supplement or begin a frame of reference. Based on the information we learn through research, we can make better decisions versus blindly deciding.

The first step is to work on determining what good info is. Good info isn’t a determined through a democracy and it isn’t determined by popularity- though good info can be popular. Someone who is successful at doing what you intend on doing has the potential of being a source that can help provide a frame of reference. If you want to incorporate a fast draw into your every day carry method, seek people who have shown to be effective at drawing their weapons fast. What are they doing skillwise? What equipment do they use? What training do they take?

Use logic, reasoning, and critical thinking. Research will show carrying a weapon small of back or at 4 o’clock while concealed is noticeably slower than appendix concealed carry. If you want that fast draw, which helps you achieve this goal? This by itself helps limit holster selection.

Good reviews on Amazon or YouTube do not mean the items are good. A lot of people are paid to push the suboptimal and anonymous reviews provide little value. Find reputable sources you can use to help make your decisions. Even better is to find a mentor figure you can both follow but also communicate directly with to get needed info that helps your decision making.

Despite what some would say, “to each their own” is not a measure of legitimacy. When we gather 1000 different people, with different backgrounds and experience who take self defense seriously, patterns quickly form on what works and what does not work. You will not find people who take this seriously endorse lesser options – it is not because they are snobs or elitist. It is because knowledge and experience has helped them learn that the subpar ultimately will be a waste of their time and money.

Lastly, if you are faced with options, ask those mentors. Use information you gather through questions to determine what may fit your mission best. Remember, good info isn’t a democracy- many votes in one direction does not make it correct. This is where people’s explanations and experience help frame references to help your decision making.

Stop posting for validation. Stop seeking feedback after your decision is made. This is putting your cart before someone else’s horse.