Had this conversation with a couple of hand to hand guys at the gym, so I started thinking, how does it apply to lethal force.
In the hand to hand world capability is a big one. strength, speed, endurance, defense/offense… Competence is training in different disciplines, rounds on the mat/in the cage/on the street, strategies, Knowing when and when not to do what…
So in the firearms world, can a person that is not capable be competent or the other way around, can a person that is capable be incompetent?
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Interesting concept.
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This post has me thinking! I know a person could be capable but yet be incompetent, but I am not sure about the other way.
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By definition capable person can be incompetent and incapable person cannot be competent in doing something…
But looking at this a little differently… you may not be capable of shooting at live person (with real option to kill) but you may be fully competent with your firearm handling… So you are incapable with firearm outcome but competent with firearm usage.
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I believe that both scenarios are equally possible, when faced with a critical situation in ‘the heat of the moment’. Capable and Competent on the range or in a training situation is easily measured. But you simply cannot measure it when it actually counts until it actually happens. And you can find actual stories of such events that have happened in the past.
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Exactly
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I’m of the mind that both should apply equally.
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I believe no sorry I know you can be competent but not capable. I had a friend who knew how to use a firearm and was a good shooter, so he was competent but was not capable of taking a life. that said he was not capable he found that out the hard way luckily for him 2 of us were there to stop the threat.
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Well the answer is just about anyone is capable of using (as an example) a handgun for self defense. Hell if I put a loaded J Frame in your nightstand drawer you need almost no skills to point it at an intruder in your bedroom and press the trigger.
That does not make the person competent by any definition you care to use. The old adage goes “Buying a gun doesn’t make you a shooter anymore than buying a guitar makes you a musician”.
But most folks don’t understand the difference so they take a CCW course (which is NOT a firearms training course), go to a pawn shop, buy a cheap used gun, load it once (or worse have someone else load it for them) and then bet their lives on it for the rest of their lives, many times not even knowing it the damn thing works.
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Capable vs. Competent
The premise of competent vs capable brings about a poignant factor, and that is measurements. In the context of firearms, studies have shown that people of all ages and backgrounds are capable of some abhorrent acts. A toddler is capable of depressing a 4 to 6 pound trigger and firing a handgun or rifle, yet have zero competence in safe weapons handling skills. Yet an individual can have years or decades of firearms training and still experience a negligent discharge due to complacency. Additionally, an individual with the same amount of training and experience may suffer from a catastrophic life event (Divorce, Loss of a loved one, bankruptcy, et.al.) that impairs their better reasoning and judgment.
In my opinion it boils down to training. No matter how little, each bit of training increases competency. Yet along with that training there is also a mindset to be considered. In so doing, with the building of such competence ones capability to be effective is measurably increased. From personal experience, it is the mindset that has kept me going for many years. Adversity is merely a challenge to be accepted and fought through. Many years ago, in the span of 2 months, I lost my marriage, my job and my home to foreclosure. It was the mindset and being comfortable with being in an uncomfortable position socially, economically and physically that pushed me through.
Unfortunately there is no book or class one can take to learn this other than the Life University of Hard Knocks. In the syllabus one will find learning how to look at loss and defeat as a learning opportunity and winning as a next step to greater and harder things, even more losses. If one is open to the process, you can liberate your mind and accept the unacceptable. Martial Arts is a great teacher of this philosophy, yet it is only a starting point. The same can be said for the military as well, wherein they tear you down as a civilian and rebuild you as a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or a Marine. It comes down to the mindset of being Competently Capable and most of all knowing your limits.
That is really important, knowing ones limits. That way one does not bite off more than one can chew. Yet if it comes to your front door at home, work or on the street, you will have enough competence to be capable. If it does come, you will surprise yourself in not realizing how effective you have become, because of your mindset. I have a great deal of firearms training, yet getting back to measurements, I could not be compared to someone like DJ Shipley or other professionals and operators. I have a great foundation in multi threat assessment and elimination, but I am nowhere near that level of competence. However I am still capable of defensively inflicting a great deal of damage before I am out of a fight. Again, know your limitations and seek to exceed them daily, even if you’re just going through drills in your mind, every bit of training and reflection counts in being competently capable, while building the right mindset. Be Safe,… everyone!
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I hope that worked out good for you
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Interesting. I didn’t know people did that. ( for lack of a better response)
Great write up. Here is a book you might like.
https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/501292/?refId=40886&refId=77121&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADzSbyKc5KkjX57iti0bC0-De2y6l&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi5PC4szuiwMVcdXCBB2HyAQ5EAQYAyABEgLAafD_BwE
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My sister has this one. I will borrow it from her bookshelf. Thank you!
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Yes worked out fine for me nobody hurt bad man arrested and I got a free gun out of it my friend said no sense in owning one if you can’t use it.
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That may be considered a show of competence.
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I’ve taught a ridiculous amount of CCW classes and have actually polled folks about their firearm ownership plans. Most had none and when I posed the scenario I write on the previous post as one way to go a shocking number of them found it acceptable.
Their reasoning? Their feeling that their chances of ever having to “use” the gun are very small (relatively true), and their (completely ridiculous) assumption that if they do just showing the gun was enough to send an assailant “running” were reason enough to just own the gun with no formal training.
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I would think that taking your class shows that they changed their mind and did think it was important to get firearm training.
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You’d think so but NOPE…
A CCW class is just a gun safety and state law class with some basic firearms and shooting information thrown in. The folks that teach these classes in many cases are HIGLY UNSUITED to teach anything much more than absolute basic skills/info even though some think of themselves as “capable” of doing much more than that but in reality they are absolutely not “competent” to do so.
In many states the CCW class includes a live firing certification that a blind person can pass (and has). It is NOT a firearms training class and my first slide on my presentation on what to expect in class was literally this explanation. It is a requirement by the state and most folks see it as no more than a speed bump.
To combat that with one of my ranges we used to offer an absolutely FREE 1 hour basic marksmanship and gun handling training one-on-one. This was not a sales gimmick, it was an effort to get people to be at leas basically competent with their firearm. The take-up on this offer was less than 5%.
So quite frankly my faith on average people understanding what they are taking on when they “arm” themselves is basically non existent. Which is fine if they want to go through life with their heads warmly implanted up their ass.
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For me it’s:
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Capable, showing up at the range and keeping a tight group.
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Competence, running a defensive course that requires multiple reloads and hitting your targets.
I am just fine with 1 it’s 2 is where I need the most work. The range I shoot at charges $65 to run their defensive course but you also need to buy 150 rounds of ammo to use through it, which you have to buy through them or pay $15 to use your own. Since I don’t reload their pricing comes out best but it’s still a chunk of change for something I would like to do once a week.
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