Executive's Guide to Personal Security, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 13Carrying a Firearm for Personal Protection

ONE OF THE THEMES THAT we have stressed over and over again in this book is the idea that individuals need to take responsibility for their own safety and security. We have stressed the need for vigilance and explained the importance of maintaining a constant level of awareness whenever you are in public. We have discussed changes in personal behavior as an important component and making yourself a less attractive target to those who might wish to do you harm. The last concept to include is a discussion of enhancing your level of security not simply by learning and following some basic security guidelines and protocols but by direct action. There is always the chance that, no matter how careful you are or how diligently you plan and prepare for unforeseen dangers, danger still finds you. If that happens, you may have no choice but to defend your life and the lives of your loved ones. This chapter, therefore, focuses on self‐defense and carrying a firearm for personal protection.

Let's begin this discussion by addressing carrying a firearm for personal protection in terms of both opportunity and suitability. First let's examine whether you as an individual even have the opportunity to carry a concealed weapon in the city, state, or country in which you live. In New York City, for example, it is almost impossible for a private citizen to obtain what is known as a full carry permit or unrestricted carry permit. Absent some extraordinary ...