Did you know I like guns? It’s true, I swear. I like the feel of them. I like the personal protection they offer. I like that I’m exercising my rights to keep and bear them. I just wish I could buy more! My wife says I have enough guns, but that can’t be possible since there are still guns I don’t yet own. Like this one.

But, I also want to be a responsible gun owner. Lucky for me, I’ve had about 17 years of gun training and understand the fundamentals of shooting and safety. But, that’s not the case for everyone. Over the past two years, the number of firearms purchased has more than doubled. Many of those purchasing guns are doing so for the first time and never served a day in the military. Classes can be expensive, require a lot of driving or time, and may not fit into your schedule. So what do you do?

I would suggest the new Armed Response Video Training Series, the most complete set of force training available to the armed citizen from Armed Response Training. The series is now available on ten titles on DVD. I had the opportunity to review three of those titles: Fundamentals of Defensive Shooting, Tactics and Techniques for Defensive Shooting, and Dynamic Drills for Defensive Shooting.

While the series may seem a little hokey at first, I grew to enjoy the no-nonsense, overly produced training videos that are prevalent out there. To be honest with you, I struggled through the Fundamentals DVD because I’ve been around guns my whole life. However, some very good points are made about the golden rules of owning and handling firearms. The DVD also brings up some very good points about why the golden rules should be changed or not changed, point by point. For those that aren’t aware, the Golden Rules of Firearms Safety are:

1. Always treat the gun as loaded.
2. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
3. Always keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
4. Always keep the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it.
5. Never point the gun at anything you don’t intend to shoot/kill.
6. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
7. Learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of the gun you are using.
8. Always use proper Ammunition.
9. Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before loading and shooting.
10. If your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, hold your shooting position for several seconds; then with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, carefully unload the gun.
11. Don’t rely on the gun’s safety to keep it from firing.
12. Be aware of your surroundings when handling guns so you don’t trip or lose your balance and accidentally point and/or fire the gun at anyone or anything.

So getting through the first DVD was sort of a “duh” time killer for me. However, many first time gun owners will gather a LOT of information about why these rules are so important and visually learn how to apply them. As the title conveys, these are the basic fundamentals that every gun owner should know AND understand prior to firing that first round from the barrel. Heck, prior to ever LOADING that first round into the magazine.

Gun owners will also learn what the different parts of their pistol do, how to properly carry – concealed and open, different stances when shooting depending on the situation, and weak hand shooting techniques. Additionally, every gun owner at some point will need to know what to do in the case of a malfunction and how to avoid many causes for them.

The second DVD was more interesting at least to me. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t stress how important the seemingly “boring” aspects encompassing the fundamentals of defensive shooting are. It doesn’t do anyone any good to own a gun they don’t know how to use or how to use safely.

The third DVD is one that I really would like my wife to watch. It covers important topics like defense in the home, car, or in a public place. There are also a few close quarters drills in case some madman comes into your office building and are the last line of defense. Along with that are tips and techniques for protecting a 3rd party.

All that is well and good, but what if you have to use these techniques and there is the dead body of would-be rapist or robber lying on your living room floor? I’m glad you asked, because this DVD covers everything from the 911 call to what to do in the aftermath of any shooting, victim or not.

What distinguishes these programs is first the richness of the content: there is no repeated information, no time-fillers, and no rambling on; an hour of run time equals an hour or training information. Second, the material is highly organized and its full context is explored. Third, these programs are targeted at the serious armed citizen, not military or law enforcement wannbes; much of the “tacticool” material that has become the staple of so many shooting programs is either ignored, debunked, or put in its proper context.

The presenter and primary content developer is former Law Enforcement Officer Ralph Mroz, who has written hundreds of articles for the law enforcement and firearms press and was the training director of the Police Officers Safety Association where he was the developer and presenter of many video training programs for law enforcement. Videographer and co-developer of the material is David Kenik, the author of the book Armed Response – A Comprehensive Guide to Using Firearms for Self Defense, which has been highly reviewed.

Each DVD retails for between $19.95 – $34.95, depending on the subject matter. They also have DVDs for those Californians that don’t have the right to proactive self defense with firearms and are forced into the government sanctioned self-defense “option of carrying tazers or pepper spray.” I highly recommend this very beneficial manner of training that can be done on your schedule, within your budget, and to the degree of specificity that you want based on your desire to learn or current competence with firearms.

Once I get settled in Afghanistan, I’m going to order the “How to Kill the Taliban with a Beanbag” DVD. What? Oh, they haven’t made that one yet? Well, maybe it will come out with the three other titles coming out this summer: Home/Personal Defense Shotgun (in conjunction with Mossberg), Close Distance Defensive Shooting, and the Defensive Snub-Nose Revolver (in conjunction with snubby guru Michael deBethencourt).