SEAL Survival Guide (71 page)
Read SEAL Survival Guide Online
Authors: Cade Courtley
• Additional flashlight
• Fishing kit, including line and hooks
• Snare wire
• Extra cell phone with additional batteries
• Larger fixed-blade knife
• Expanded first-aid kit, to include additional dressings, tape, scissors, bandages, antiseptic
• Small monocular
• GPS
• Lock-pick kit and set of jigglers for vehicle entry
• Bear spray (extra-strength pepper spray)
• Folding shovel
• Insect head net
• Seawater desalination kit
• Illumination flares/smoke signals
• Change of clothes
• Firearm (train to get a concealed-weapon permit or check local firearm regulations)
• Last, but not least:
Always carry a copy of this book!
FIREARMS
I previously discussed this topic, but it’s such an important issue that I want to elaborate and make the facts about the handling of firearms extremely clear. If you are going to have a firearm, you must:
1. Know how to use it proficiently. You will achieve this only by taking a course given by an expert. Then you must make a commitment to practice using it, preferably at a designated firing range and in real-world environments. The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) has lists of where you can get this kind of practice. Every weapon has its own unique characteristics. You need to know the particulars of the weapon you choose to own.
2. Know how to safely store it (especially with children in the home). My recommendation is a fingerprint-recognition safe for handguns and trigger locks for rifles and shotguns.
3. Be willing to use it. Be willing to take a life. You don’t want to be the guy who was killed by his own gun.
Here’s a statistic to drive home the importance of firearm safety: In 2010, there were six hundred self-inflicted accidental deaths caused by improper use of firearms. And according to the CDC, death by firearms is a significant cause of death among youth—so keep them locked up and out of the reach of children!
What Weapon Is Best?
I am constantly asked, “What kind of gun should I get for self- and home defense?” My first question is, have you satisfied all the requirements in the list above? If so:
1. For home defense I generally recommend a pump shotgun. It is very easy to use and very easy to hit things with. And I don’t care who you are; when you hear a pump shotgun ratchet a shell into the chamber, you are going to haul ass.
2. Handguns are also a great option but require more skill to use effectively. Also understand that a bullet has the potential to travel much farther than shotgun ammunition. If you miss what you are aiming at, it may very well penetrate an internal wall and hit a family member, friend, or neighbor. I’m a big fan of the .40-cal for its stopping power and capacity.
3. Occasionally, I get the guy who lives in a residential area asking me about a .50-cal rifle, or if he should get an automatic assault weapon (in the old days called machine guns). I have just two words for him—“Watch list.”
REVOLVERS VS. SEMIAUTOMATICS
Handguns come in two varieties: revolvers and semiautomatics. A revolver has a cylinder that holds six rounds and rotates every time the trigger is pulled, causing the hammer to strike the chamber containing the cartridge. A semiautomatic’s ammunition is in a magazine that can hold in excess of fifteen rounds. It will fire each time the trigger is pulled, which is why it is called a semiautomatic. A revolver has fewer moving parts and therefore is considered to be more reliable; however, if you clean your weapons on a regular basis, you will minimize malfunctions. Take care of your gear, and it will take care of you.
Basic Firearm Operation and Safety
Each firearm is different in its specific operation, but there are some very basic and general safety rules you can
always
apply:
1. Always assume the firearm is loaded.
2. Never point the firearm at something you don’t intend to kill. When handling a firearm, treat it like there is a laser coming out of the end of the barrel. Anything that laser touches, it will slice through, which is why holding the weapon at a high port—meaning that the barrel is pointing straight up—is generally the best nonfiring position for a firearm.
3. Keep the safety on until you are ready to fire. Know how to switch the safety on and off with your eyes closed.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger, and only move it to the trigger when ready to fire.
5. Take a gun- or hunter-safety course. Bring your spouse and children. Education and respect for a firearm are a must. The seriousness with which the courses are taught will impress upon children the seriousness of this weapon.
6. Practice as much as you can, because shooting is a very perishable skill.
CASTLE LAW
The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Don’t ask a SEAL if he’s pro- or antigun—you should know that answer—but I’m definitely pro on learning how to use it and to respect its power. Every state and municipality has different regulations regarding registering weapons or obtaining concealed-weapon permits. It’s your responsibility to know the laws on firearm use where you live and wherever you travel with your weapon. If you have a gun in your house for self-defense, become familiar with what’s called “the Castle Law.” In summary, this law states that you have the right to use deadly force against any intruder who enters your house and presents a threat against your life. However, there are fine points you need to know. For example, if the intruder sees your weapon and flees, you cannot shoot him in the back or chase him down the street.
