FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Why Personal Safety and Pistol Training, Inc.?
We specialize in small classes. We remember what it was like to be in school, in a big class of 20-30 people, and miss something the instructor said. No one wants to be the one person to have to raise their hand, admit they missed something important and feel embarrassed in front of the whole class. We believe that firearm safety is way too important to take the chance that a student misses something important. With our class sizes, classroom instruction is more like conversation and less like lecturing. Everything is much more informal and questions and answers tend to flow organically. When we head to the range, for safety reasons we take no more than two students and only one student shoots at a time. This allows the instructor to keep a close watch on both the shooting and observing student, and correct technique flaws so that both students benefit from the guidance.
We specialize in small classes. We remember what it was like to be in school, in a big class of 20-30 people, and miss something the instructor said. No one wants to be the one person to have to raise their hand, admit they missed something important and feel embarrassed in front of the whole class. We believe that firearm safety is way too important to take the chance that a student misses something important. With our class sizes, classroom instruction is more like conversation and less like lecturing. Everything is much more informal and questions and answers tend to flow organically. When we head to the range, for safety reasons we take no more than two students and only one student shoots at a time. This allows the instructor to keep a close watch on both the shooting and observing student, and correct technique flaws so that both students benefit from the guidance.
What kind of gun should I buy?
There is no definitive answer to this question. The best response is the largest caliber you can comfortably shoot. Guns are like cars. They all do basically the same thing, but each does it in a slightly different way. The best gun is one that fits your hand comfortably and does not overpower you when you shoot it.
I strongly recommend you go to several different guns stores – and preferably a gun show if you can get to one – to put your hands on as many different makes and models as you can. Find out what feels good in your hand. For the record, while certainly not a deal breaker by any means, looks are important too. You want to enjoy not only shooting your handgun, but looking at it also. There is nothing wrong with aesthetics being among your criteria for choosing a handgun. It’s one reason I will never buy a Glock. They are a very well made, very reliable gun, but to me they just look like the Aries K-car of firearms. I simply do not like the way they look.
It does you no good to buy a .45 pistol if you are not comfortable shooting it. If you are not comfortable shooting it, then it will not be fun to shoot. If it is not fun to shoot, you will not practice with it. If you do not practice with it, you will never become proficient with it. If you never become proficient with it, it will be useless to you when you need it most.
The best gun is the one you have when you need it!
There is no definitive answer to this question. The best response is the largest caliber you can comfortably shoot. Guns are like cars. They all do basically the same thing, but each does it in a slightly different way. The best gun is one that fits your hand comfortably and does not overpower you when you shoot it.
I strongly recommend you go to several different guns stores – and preferably a gun show if you can get to one – to put your hands on as many different makes and models as you can. Find out what feels good in your hand. For the record, while certainly not a deal breaker by any means, looks are important too. You want to enjoy not only shooting your handgun, but looking at it also. There is nothing wrong with aesthetics being among your criteria for choosing a handgun. It’s one reason I will never buy a Glock. They are a very well made, very reliable gun, but to me they just look like the Aries K-car of firearms. I simply do not like the way they look.
It does you no good to buy a .45 pistol if you are not comfortable shooting it. If you are not comfortable shooting it, then it will not be fun to shoot. If it is not fun to shoot, you will not practice with it. If you do not practice with it, you will never become proficient with it. If you never become proficient with it, it will be useless to you when you need it most.
The best gun is the one you have when you need it!
What is the best caliber?
This is the best question to ask if you wish to ignite a firestorm among firearm enthusiasts. Opinions vary widely and strongly. My personal preference is for the 9mm for several reasons: it was the caliber I was trained on in the military (and therefore I have a long familiarity with it), because it is easy for me to control, it is not too expensive, and (depending on the firearm) I often have a larger magazine capacity (i.e. extra rounds of ammunition) as compared to a larger caliber.
There are those that loudly exclaim that they will never carry anything smaller than a .45 because any smaller is "like carrying a pea shooter". They are entitled to their opinions; however, in 2014 an FBI study showed that ammunition in 9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP calibers were roughly equivalent in stopping power. I wish to be clear about one thing: there is NO SUCH THING as “one-shot stopping power”. It has been proven over and over again that is simply does not exist. There are too many variables involved for any one caliber or firearm to claim a consistent “one-shot stop”.
The aforementioned FBI study further stated that 9mm offered "higher magazine capacities, less recoil, lower cost . . ." Hmm, sound familiar?
As with guns, though, if a caliber is to big (read: strong) for you and you are incapable of shooting it accurately, then you need to step down. Far more important than the caliber size is your ability to shoot accurately with whatever caliber you choose. Five or six hits with a .22 or .380 are much better than five or six misses with a .45 or .357!
This is the best question to ask if you wish to ignite a firestorm among firearm enthusiasts. Opinions vary widely and strongly. My personal preference is for the 9mm for several reasons: it was the caliber I was trained on in the military (and therefore I have a long familiarity with it), because it is easy for me to control, it is not too expensive, and (depending on the firearm) I often have a larger magazine capacity (i.e. extra rounds of ammunition) as compared to a larger caliber.
There are those that loudly exclaim that they will never carry anything smaller than a .45 because any smaller is "like carrying a pea shooter". They are entitled to their opinions; however, in 2014 an FBI study showed that ammunition in 9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP calibers were roughly equivalent in stopping power. I wish to be clear about one thing: there is NO SUCH THING as “one-shot stopping power”. It has been proven over and over again that is simply does not exist. There are too many variables involved for any one caliber or firearm to claim a consistent “one-shot stop”.
The aforementioned FBI study further stated that 9mm offered "higher magazine capacities, less recoil, lower cost . . ." Hmm, sound familiar?
As with guns, though, if a caliber is to big (read: strong) for you and you are incapable of shooting it accurately, then you need to step down. Far more important than the caliber size is your ability to shoot accurately with whatever caliber you choose. Five or six hits with a .22 or .380 are much better than five or six misses with a .45 or .357!
What kind of holster should I buy?
This is another one of those "it depends" answers. I believe holsters, like guns, are a personal decision that can only be refined through trial and error. If you talk with anyone who has been carrying regularly for a long time, you will eventually hear about their holster box (or holster drawer). Virtually everyone has one. I tried my darndest to do my due diligence in the beginning and find the perfect holster the first time out. I came close but did not quite get (as the saying goes) the cigar. I now have several holsters which I rotate through, often depending on which gun I am carrying at the time. There are many types of holsters from which to choose: kydex hybrids, full kydex, Serpa retention, belly bands, ankle holsters, pocket holsters, and the list goes on.
My suggestion would be to first decide whether you want to carry concealed or openly. If you carry concealed, then you need to figure out where you want to carry: inside the waistband (IWB), outside the waistband (OWB), appendix, ankle or pocket.
As you can see, the “short answer” is that the best holster is going to depend on the user’s needs and comfort level – and will vary from user to user and from holster maker to holster maker.
This is another one of those "it depends" answers. I believe holsters, like guns, are a personal decision that can only be refined through trial and error. If you talk with anyone who has been carrying regularly for a long time, you will eventually hear about their holster box (or holster drawer). Virtually everyone has one. I tried my darndest to do my due diligence in the beginning and find the perfect holster the first time out. I came close but did not quite get (as the saying goes) the cigar. I now have several holsters which I rotate through, often depending on which gun I am carrying at the time. There are many types of holsters from which to choose: kydex hybrids, full kydex, Serpa retention, belly bands, ankle holsters, pocket holsters, and the list goes on.
My suggestion would be to first decide whether you want to carry concealed or openly. If you carry concealed, then you need to figure out where you want to carry: inside the waistband (IWB), outside the waistband (OWB), appendix, ankle or pocket.
As you can see, the “short answer” is that the best holster is going to depend on the user’s needs and comfort level – and will vary from user to user and from holster maker to holster maker.
Do I really need a gun belt?
In a word, yes! Early on I tried using dress belts and heavy duty casual belts. They simply did not do the job. They had a tendency to stretch and not support my firearm. I also tried several "bargain" gun belts, only to find they were not such a bargain after all. I then did some extensive research and came across several reputable manufacturers. A good gun belt needs to be able to support the weight of a full size firearm and holster. It should also be comfortable and durable. You should expect to spend anywhere from $75 to $125 on a good gun belt. On the plus side, a good belt should last you a very long time. The two belts I currently use the most, and am the happiest with, are from Zach’s Gun Belts and A Better Belt USA. Not only are these belts durable, strong and supportive, they are also very attractive as well. Both companies were very responsive with questions and both included small, personal, touches when they shipped my belt.
In a word, yes! Early on I tried using dress belts and heavy duty casual belts. They simply did not do the job. They had a tendency to stretch and not support my firearm. I also tried several "bargain" gun belts, only to find they were not such a bargain after all. I then did some extensive research and came across several reputable manufacturers. A good gun belt needs to be able to support the weight of a full size firearm and holster. It should also be comfortable and durable. You should expect to spend anywhere from $75 to $125 on a good gun belt. On the plus side, a good belt should last you a very long time. The two belts I currently use the most, and am the happiest with, are from Zach’s Gun Belts and A Better Belt USA. Not only are these belts durable, strong and supportive, they are also very attractive as well. Both companies were very responsive with questions and both included small, personal, touches when they shipped my belt.
