The Concealed Handgun Manual: How to Choose, Carry, and Shoot a Gun in Self Defense
Author: Chris Bird
List Price: $17.95
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ISBN: 0965678466
Publisher: Privateer Pubns (April, 2000)
Sales Rank: 78,133
Average Customer Rating: 4.29 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Excellent one volume treatment on this subject.
This is an excellent introduction to the subject of self-defensive handguns. The author has managed to condense in one volume the information that I personally have spent years gleaning from various books and magazines. In addition, through the use of real-life illustrations of the main point of each chapter, he has managed to keep his book from becoming a dry textbook on the subject. Be sure to read it twice, as a lot of information is packed into this one volume. Along with Massad Ayoob's "In the Gravest Extreme", this is a must-read book for anyone thinking about buying a handgun for self-defense. I wish I had written this book!- jbj, NRA firearms safety instructor
Rating: 2 out of 5
Preaching to the choir
An endemic problem with instructional books is that while the information given is technically correct, it only makes sense to someone who is already expert in the issues being discussed.Aimed at the novice concealed gun carrier, it is billed as "How to choose, carry, and shoot a gun in self defense." The book starts off with a long treatese on different types of home defense pistols--far more information than can be of possible use to a novice. Weaving in and out between expert advice (advice for experts) and advice than can only be appreciated by doing, the book is neither fish nor fowl. Beginners do not need to be presented with the criterion to select between dozens of different home defense guns, but they do need to know, for example, how to clean a gun.
The problem with so many defensive handgun books is that the authors cannot make up their minds who they are writing for. Is for the experienced hunter/policeman/ex-military? That audience does not need an excess of fundamentals. Is it for the novice who is thinking about buying a gun? they need far more fundamentals than expert authors will bother with.
Nevertheless, there is some interesting information in the book. An analysis of the percentage of concealed weapons permists by state is new, and the discussion about the enormous emotional stress of getting involved in any situation in which guns are drawn for real is a much-needed antidote to the utter horse-pucky one sees on TV.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Best book for getting started. Must have.
For someone new to handguns and/or conceal carry this book is a wonderful introduction with lots of good insights, practical suggestions on everything from what gun to buy to stance, grip, self defense issues, and lots of real life, true stories of people who have had to defend themselves or loved-ones with a gun. I suspect that even those who "already know all that stuff" could learn a few things from this fine book. Thank you Chris Bird for a great learning tool for all gun owners.
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