Holiday Gift Guide

from American Shooting Journal - December 2022

THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET WESTERN

VLINE INDUSTRIES

vlineind.com

V-Line’s new in-wall Tactical Closet Vault is finished in a rugged flat black powder coating and is outfitted with an all-steel MOLLE board on the door. The vault has been specifically designed to conveniently store and organize tactical gear. The three-point locking system with the Simplex quick-access push-button lock provides superior security on the corners of the door. The lock does not require batteries and will always be at the ready. It provides a unique and space-conscious way to secure firearms and your tactical gear, such as magazine clips, ammo pouches, flashlights and optional mounts for your home-defense weapons and other items, with the convenience of quick access. The door and frame protrude less than 2 inches from the wall, allowing it to be concealed behind a door or in a closet. VAULT PRO USA

vaultprousa.com

Handgun Pro II standard features: • American-made handgun safe – factory direct; • American-made handgun safe – factory direct; • Superior-strength handgun safe; • Superior-strength handgun safe; • 10-, 7- or 3-gauge steel body models; • 10-, 7- or 3-gauge steel body models; • S&G D-Drive digital lock; • S&G D-Drive digital lock; • Auto easy-open system with gas shock; • Auto easy-open system with gas shock; • Military-grade PE foam insert; • Military-grade PE foam insert; • Holds two handguns plus mag-• Holds two handguns plus magazines and ammunition; azines and ammunition; • Bolt-down • Bolt-down capability. capability.

FIELD N MARSH OUTFITTERS

northwesthunting.com

Jeff Miller combines his love and knowledge of the outdoors with a passion for excellence and 20-plus years of hospitality management and over 30 years as a full-service outfitter to provide an exceptional experience for both his numerous day hunters, destination-oriented individuals and corporate groups.

FLASH SPORT FISHING

flashfishing.net

Join Captain Steve Talmadge and his crew for a safe and exhilarating time shark and deep sea fishing out on the San Francisco Bay waters. Flash Sport Fishing Charters is one of the top fishing charters in San Francisco, offering exceptional fishing trips and tours to anglers of all skill levels.

They offer several half-day and full-day guided charter and trip options. Just bring your fishing license and a meal – everything else is included!

Fully insured in California and equipped with a U.S. Coast Guard Masters License.

Check out their rates and charter availability on their website. COVERT CARRIER

covertcarrier.com

The Covert Carrier is designed for “deep” cover or “back-up” use. Suited for small-framed, singlestack semiautomatic handguns, it can be affixed to a removable grip panel or via rubber sleeve.

Carry with total handgun concealment. No holster, case or pouch required. Just “grab and go.” No cloth, elastic or leather to fail or wear out.

drop loop belt. Belt sold seperately. MSRP: $185.

ALUMAGRIPS

alumagrips.com

Our Desert Eagle grips have undergone a redesign with improvements that are second to none. First we removed almost 1/8 inch from the thickness of each grip. Then we enlarged the radius on the back edge of the grip to reduce the overall circumference. And finally, we eliminated the need for two screws as well as the plastic insert that traditionally is needed for mounting the grips. Excellence in design and function, that is the goal of AlumaGrips.

BULLARD LEATHER

bullardleather.com

Bullard Leather uses premium Hermann Oak Leather to handcraft all their leather holsters, carry belts, wallets and knife sheaths. All products are handmade, and holsters are molded and boned to the gun for a snug, firm fit. Bullard Leather has an array of products, colors and exotic skins. Pictured is the Defender Holster for a Taurus Judge Magnum with .44, .45 and .410 bullet loops. Stop by Bullard Leather’s location in Cooper, Texas, or visit their online store. TRIPLE K

triplek.com

The Space Cowboy Scoped Holster is a strong-side vertical-carry holster designed for the long-range handgun hunter. The holster can be worn on any waist belt up to 2 1/4 inches wide and features a tie-off leg strap for added stability. The holster can also be added to our popular Wyoming drop loop belt. Belt sold seperately. MSRP: $185.

TACTALOAD

tactaload.com

TactaLoad is a new company providing quality aftermarket accessories. The FLASH-5 is a unique shotgun stock incorporating an internal magazine that offers the shooter instant access to five additional rounds of ammunition. The FLASH-5 protects your spare ammunition and feeds them out the bottom of the stock fast!

VORTEX

vortexoptics.com

Is it even winter without flannel? The Timber Rush Flannel holds back the chill better than a campfire. Shop for the shirt at our website. SHELL SHOCK TECHNOLOGIES

shellshocktech.com

If you loved Shell Shock’s lightweight 9mm cases, try our .380 ACP cases. More calibers coming soon. Lighter than brass, more powder capacity, greater consistency between rounds, and can be picked up with a magnet. Reduces ammunition weight and increases performance. Made in the USA. Shell Shock…Shoot it, Love it!

REPTILIA

reptiliacorp.com

After more than two years of development and testing, Reptilia is proud to announce the Recc·E Stock for AR-15/ M16- and AR-10/SR-25-pattern rifles. Designed at the request of a military end user, the Recc·E Stock features a constant cheek weld, ambidextrous QD sling attachment points, rubber buttpad, and a modular design that allows usage of a standard AR-15 carbine buffer system, or A5/SR-25 carbine buffer system by replacing the receiver extension (buffer tube) and forward portion of the stock. Weighing only 12.0 ounces including the proprietary AR-15-length receiver extension, the Recc·E stock is the ideal lightweight solution for the entire spectrum of AR-pattern guns, from compact to precision.

The initial preproduction run of AR-15-length Recc·E stocks will be extremely limited and available exclusively through RSR Group for dealers, and direct to consumers at the above website. MSRP: $159.95. Evolution Gun Works

egwguns.com

The Krebs beavertail milling fixture is designed to help properly cut and shape a 1911 pistol frame for installation of a beavertail grip safety. Now manufactured and sold by EGW, the fixture solidly holds the gun’s frame in the correct position to be worked on, and clamps into common milling machine’s vise.

REDDING RELOADING EQUIPMENT

redding-reloading.com

Redding engineers have developed a unique concentricity gauge, which uses the science of ergonomic design to improve overall precision and ease of use. The single-point contact-bearing surfaces are placed at an angle and made of hardened stainless steel, creating an ergonomic positioning of the case and improving the ease of motion turning the case by making the action far more natural.

The new Slant Bed Concentricity Gauge features a large and easy-to-read dial indicator that quickly mounts in a factory-aligned base dead-on the centerline of the case.

PRESENT ARMS INC.

presentarmsinc.com

Present Arms is a veteran-owned Present Arms is a veteran-owned small business that manufactures small business that manufactures professional firearm tools and workstations. We offer quality and workstations. We offer quality and affordable products to service and build firearms.

Whether a sportsman, armor-Whether a sportsman, armorer or military, our solutions are cost-effective, armorer-approved, cost-effective, armorer-approved, field-tested and built to meet the field-tested and built to meet the needs of sportsmen and professionals needs of sportsmen and professionals everywhere.

BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION

black-hills.com

Black Hills Ammunition’s 10mm HoneyBadger has deep flutes designed for optimum terminal performance without reliance on hollow points. The bullet penetrates deeply, cutting through bone and muscle to get to vitals. This is important when relying on your handgun for protection, including the possibility of bear attack. This is a solid choice for defense!

EXQUISITEKNIVES.COM

exquisiteknives.com

Featuring the Steve Hoel Pearl Folder engraved by Steve Lindsay. This amazing piece of art is just one example of the variety of high-end custom knives offered by Dave Ellis, retired master bladesmith.

Exquisiteknives.com has been offering a very discriminating clientelle knives made by some of the most collectible makers, such as Bob Loveless, Bill Moran, Ron Lake and Michael Walker.

PROLIX LUBRICANTS

prolixlubricant.com

Even Santa would love to see a bottle of love to see a bottle of PrOlix in his stocking this holiday season! There is no product on the market to date that works like PrOlix; just see their PrOlix; just see their ad in this publication ad in this publication and learn more over and learn more over at their website! Let at their website! Let PrOlix make it a joyful holiday!

PEET SHOE DRYER

peetdryer.com

The Advantage Plus dries and deodorizes all types of footwear in one to four hours. The Advantage Plus is fan-assisted, dries two pairs of shoes at once and is compatible with all Peet DryPorts. Assembled in the USA and comes with a five-year warranty. USA and comes with a five-year warranty.

THE BUFFALO WOOL CO.

thebuffalowoolco.com

This is the big boy – these are our heaviest, most insulating, most wicking socks, and most likely the warmest sock on the planet (excepting electric).

Ultrasoft bison fiber blended with fine merino wool means there is no prickly itch from these socks.

Will keep your feet warm and dry all winter long. FREEDOM MEAT LOCKERS

freedommeatlockers.com

Skirt steak, tri-tip, chicken and more! National and state award-winning family-owned and -operated butcher shop since 1972.

Specializing in custom cutting, smoked meat and retail meat sales.

Award-winning smoked meats, including 30 varieties of sausages, all made in-house, plus bacon. We have been awarded Best Ham in the United States!

We carry only the best steaks for our customers. We offer high choice-grade beef.

We have a full deli on the premises that will make your mouth water!

We pride ourselves in unique marinades on skirt steak, tri-tip and chicken!

No order is too small or too large! ALFORD DESIGNS LIMITED, LLC

etsy.com/shop/AlfordDesignsLtd

Our beautiful, handcrafted leather embossed and leather-lined concealed carry purses and leather-lined concealed carry purses feature a special V-shaped pocket inside for your small pistol, plus a small pistol, plus a cut-resistant strap. cut-resistant strap. All our products are All our products are made in Virginia. We made in Virginia. We offer patent-pending offer patent-pending cut-resistant leather cut-resistant leather straps that can be straps that can be purchased sepa-purchased separately. Offering rately. Offering fine handcrafted leather crafted leather products since 2015. products since 2015.

FULL FORGE GEAR

fullforgegear.com

The Cat-2 Double Pistol case features a padded divider to separate the pistols and accessories. Its wrap-around zipper and lay-flat design allow for easy access. Also features a large external compartment with webbing for securing magazines and tools in the case. Available in tan and black.

TED BLOCKER HOLSTERS

tedblockerholsters.com

Our handsome suspenders are the best you will find on the market today. The quality top-grain leather used in our shop for these suspenders is sourced here in the USA, as are all the other components. With three color options you are sure to please the men in your life. Add a Derringer pouch and you have a very unique gift to give or keep! DAVIS TENT

davistent.com/product/ sleeping-bag-cover

Our sleeping bag cover is a great way to protect your sleeping bag and add a little warmth. You can even sleep under the stars on a starry night! Roll your sleeping bag, pillow and sleeping pad up and it’s a perfect bedroll to keep all your sleeping gear organized.

VERLE’S

verles.com

Verle’s has the Big Chief front- or top-load package for you. Smoking is made simple with the Big Chief, as all you have to do is plug it into a standard household outlet. Just place your food (after brining or preparation) on one of the five racks that sit over the top of the drip pan. The smoker’s capacity is a whopping 50 pounds of meat or fish! a whopping 50 pounds of meat or fish!

Includes: smoker, five easy-slide chrome-plated grills, Includes: smoker, five easy-slide chrome-plated grills, electric cord, drip pan, wood flavor pan, free bag of Smokehouse Alder Wood Chips, and recipe booklet.

MSRP: $134.99, including holiday special of four extra bags of smoking chips – a $20 value!

LUTHAR

HIGH ADVENTURE RANCH

highadventureranch.com

High Adventure Ranch, the oldest big game hunting ranch in Missouri, was founded by Charles Puff in 1983. The ranch has over 30 big game species, with an estimated 2,000 animals. Our guides have over 70 years of experience. The ranch offers lodging, homecooked meals and full-service meat processing.

luth-ar.com

The new Wing Grip AR pistol grip by Luth-AR LLC is thick, The new Wing Grip AR pistol grip by Luth-AR LLC is thick, robust, tough and ambidextrous. Designed with ambidexrobust, tough and ambidextrous. Designed with ambidextrous ergonomics in mind, the full palm swells fill the trous ergonomics in mind, the full palm swells fill the hand, providing a consistent and rapid grip positioned to hand, providing a consistent and rapid grip positioned to promote accurate and repeatable shots on target. The promote accurate and repeatable shots on target. The thumb rests and palm shelf work together to lock the thumb rests and palm shelf work together to lock the hand in place shot after shot.

Features: Designed with wings on either side for enhanced support and handling leverage, also for enhanced support and handling leverage, also doubling as thumb rests; ambidextrous grip with full doubling as thumb rests; ambidextrous grip with full palm swell; palm shelf for additional support; robust palm swell; palm shelf for additional support; robust texture on side panels and backstrap for a non-slip texture on side panels and backstrap for a non-slip grip; and dual freedom flag panels for maximum grip; and dual freedom flag panels for maximum freedom. Made using 50 durometer Thermoplastic Vulcanizate for a tacky and slightly rubberized tic Vulcanizate for a tacky and slightly rubberized feel, the new Wing Grip AR pistol grip is designed feel, the new Wing Grip AR pistol grip is designed by Luth-AR and made in the USA.

Priced affordably, MSRP is $28.95. Dealer, quantity Priced affordably, MSRP is $28.95. Dealer, quantity and OEM pricing are available upon request.

LUTHAR

luth-ar.com

Luth-AR announces the new MCA-22 Rimfire Chassis, designed for Ruger 10/22 Luth-AR announces the new MCA-22 Rimfire Chassis, designed for Ruger 10/22 and similar actions and barrels. and similar actions and barrels.

Known for outstanding AR parts and accessories, Luth-AR is now applying its Known for outstanding AR parts and accessories, Luth-AR is now applying its design expertise to the rifle chassis market, beginning with the Modular Chassis design expertise to the rifle chassis market, beginning with the Modular Chassis Assembly for .22 rimfire. The MCA-22 has been designed and developed by Roth Performance in conjunction with Luth-AR. The MCA-22 Rimfire Chassis allows users the best possible fit for .22 LR rimfire recreational, hunting and competition shooting. Easily install your Ruger 10/22 or similar receiver, trigger group and barrel into the MCA-22 Rimfire Chassis. The chassis accepts standard or bull barrels with the use of an insert.

GENTRY CUSTOM LLC

gentrycustom.com

New quiet muzzle brakes with suppressor-length threads. Call Gentry Custom today at 406-388-4867.

RTS TACTICAL

rtstactical.com

RTS is a group of military and defense equipment experts dedicated to building better armor and tactical equipment. Each product is designed to better serve real-world military and law enforcement personnel in the field with extensive testing and innovative technological development. OCTOBER COUNTRY MUZZLELOADING

octobercountry.com

Back in 1977 when the company was in its infancy, October Country Muzzleloading was a hunting bag. One product. Today, the northern Idaho-based outfit offers a complete and thorough line of muzzleloaders and muzzleloading accessories, including ramrods, Pushing Daisies patches, Blue Thunder solvent, Bumblin’ Bear Grease, quality leather shooting bags, powder horns and handforged shooting tools. All exceptional quality goods for the hunter, shooter, collector and history reenactor enthusiast. October Country features products specifically designed and manufactured for cowboy action and black powder cartridge shooters.

October Country has new products that include PowerBelt Bullets, Birchwood Casey, Uncle Mike’s, Ballistol, Hoppe’s, Cash Manufacturing, Hornady, Lyman and RCBS muzzleloading and black powder cartridge ball and bullet molds, as well as Lee Bullet Molds, to name a few.

SAUVIE ISLAND DUCK CLUB

siducks.com

Give the gift of duck hunting! Many options available, including day, weekend and season memberships.

TOUGH • DURABLE • LIGHT

Easy Loader, Deuce & EZ-XL Models

• Easy Loader & Deuce accommodate 2 dogs up to 65 lbs each • EZ-XL accommodates 2 dogs over 65 lbs each • Made from High Density

Polyethylene with UV protection • Easy Loader fits most full size pickups, SUVs & large UTVs • Deuce fits smaller pickups, SUVs & UTVs • EZ-XL is for larger breed dogs & full size vehicles • Vents, cold weather door covers, insulated covers & custom kennel pads available

THE DRINKING SPOT

Outdoor Gravity-Fed Pet Watering System

Introducing the EASY XL.

For large breed dogs.

EASY-LOADER

Dog Kennels

Call 800-853-2655 Check out our website for new accessories www.easyloaderkennels.com

LEGAL SPOTLIGHT

What seems reasonable in the moment may not be in the eyes of the law or a court, given potential nuances around a self-defense

incident. (SHUTTERSTOCK)

THE LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE

Exploring the concepts of ‘reasonable belief,’ ‘imminent threat’ and ‘serious bodily harm.’

STORY BY SHAWN VINCENT

The legal justification for the use of deadly force in selfdefense is deceptively simple and infinitely complicated. Don West, criminal defense attorney and national trial counsel for CCW Safe says, “The core principle of self-defense – with minor tweaks within the 50 states – is that if you have a reasonable belief that you are facing an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death, then you have the right to use deadly force to prevent yourself from being injured or killed.”

It sounds simple enough, but how soon is “imminent”? How bad does an injury need to be to qualify as “serious bodily harm”? What makes a belief “reasonable” anyway? Concealed carriers arm themselves so they are prepared to survive an attack from a violent criminal. Understanding the laws governing the use of deadly force is critical for armed defenders to survive the legal scrutiny that follows any such event. As a concealed carrier, you have a responsibility to know the laws wherever you carry, but there are certain core principles that apply no matter where you live in the United States.

Self-defense instructor Steve West teaches students to assess a potential threat’s ability, opportunity and intent to do harm.

(SHUTTERSTOCK)

Justification for the use of deadly force begins with the defender’s “reasonable belief” that an attacker poses a serious imminent threat. West says that “when a jury decides whether a defender’s conduct was reasonable, they will assess it from a subjective and objective point of view.” The subjective assessment looks at the facts from the defender’s perspective, taking into account the information they knew about the specific circumstances, and it may include factors such as the defender’s personal experiences, selfdefense training, and physical abilities. The objective assessment, West says, “is evaluated from the jury’s perspective where they, in a sense, put themselves in the shoes of the defender” and decide if the conduct was reasonable from that standpoint. “The more legal definition of ‘reasonable belief,’” he says, “means a belief that would be held by any ordinary or prudent man (person).”

IN THE SHOOTING of David Crofut by Gerald Strebendt, Crofut rear-ended Strebendt on a dark night on a remote section of highway. Crofut exited his vehicle shouting obscenities and making threats while advancing toward Strebendt. Strebendt happened to have a rifle in his vehicle, and he grabbed it along with his cell phone and dialed 911. He started commanding Crofut to stay back, but Crofut continued to advance until he was close enough to touch the barrel of Strebendt’s rifle. Strebendt fired a single shot. It proved fatal. Crofut was unarmed.

Objectively, considering the circumstances, an “ordinary and prudent” person might find Strebendt’s belief that he faced a serious imminent threat was reasonable. Crofut was the one acting unreasonably; he was the one making the threats and advancing in the darkness toward a man with a rifle despite being warned o . Subjectively, however, the assessment changes when it is revealed that Gerald Strebendt is a veteran Marine sniper and a retired professional UFC fighter nicknamed “The Finishing Machine.” With his combat training and physical capabilities, a juror could decide subjectively that Strebendt didn’t have a genuine reason to fear an unarmed man in his 50s. Stebendt endured an aggressive prosecution for murder and ultimately pled to lesser charges, serving significant time behind bars.

Conversely, Curtis Reeveswas a frail man in his 70s when he found himself embroiled in a pitched verbal exchange with a much younger and stronger man named Chad Oulson. The altercation began when Reeves asked Oulson to put his cell phone away during previews at a movie theater. After some terse words, Oulson stood up and leaned over his seat, shouting at Reeves seated in the row behind him. After Oulson knocked a bucket of popcorn o Reeves’ lap, Reeves drew his pistol and fired a single fatal shot.

The news media dubbed the case “The Popcorn Shooting,” and public opinion was largely critical of a concealed carrier for shooting an

unarmed man during an argument in a movie theater. At trial, however, Reeves’ lawyers presented evidence about the defendant’s physical frailties and emphasized how Reeves was vulnerable in the seated position while Oulson towered over him. While Reeves’ use of deadly force might not have been objectively reasonable to an “ordinary and prudent” person, the jury’s subjective assessment of Reeves’ condition likely contributed to his surprising acquittal.

WHILE THESE TWO cases might not be particularly instructive to a concealed carrier, they help illustrate how nuanced the assessment of a defender’s “reasonable belief” can be. Steve Moses, a self-defense and firearms instructor, o ers his students some more practical advice on how to understand what constitutes a reasonable belief or “serious bodily harm” or death. He teaches students to assess a potential threat’s ability, opportunity and intent to do harm.

“Ability,” Moses says, “simply means that a potential threat has the skills or the tools to cause serious injury or death.” When an attacker wields a firearm or an edged weapon, assessing an attacker’s ability is relatively easy. It’s more di cult with unarmed attackers. But even with a clear-cut assessment of ability, it’s not enough on its own to justify the use of deadly force; Moses says an attacker must also have the intent to do harm. An armed security guard at a jewelry store has the ability to cause serious injury or death, but he almost certainly does not have the intent to harm law-abiding citizens.

Ability and intent alone are not enough to justify the use of deadly force. Moses says the potential threat must also have the opportunity to cause serious harm or death. An attacker wielding a firearm likely has the immediate opportunity to cause serious harm – as long as they’re not too far away or behind some bulletresistant barrier. However, he notes that an attacker with a baseball bat on the opposite side of a car, or an attacker armed with a knife behind a window, may have the ability and intent to cause harm, but they do not have the immediate opportunity – not unless they run around the car or they shatter the pane of glass.

WHILE ABILITY AND intent speak to the “reasonable belief” aspect of the legal justification for the use of deadly force, “opportunity” speaks to the “imminent” element. There is no firm legal definition of imminent, but CCW Safe’s West says that, in practical terms, imminent means “right now or something that can occur in a split second.” It doesn’t mean something is about to happen; it means something is happening. Some armed defenders who encounter aggressors with the ability and intent to do harm face legal consequences for using deadly force because they resort to their firearm either too early or too late – either before or after the attacker had the imminent opportunity to inflict harm.

Michael Drejka shot Markis McGlockton after being violently shoved to the ground. The incident was captured by security cameras. At first, the much larger McGlockton appears as if he is going to continue the attack, moving toward Drejka with an aggressive posture. However, when Drejka pulls his pistol and points it at McGlockton, the situation changes. The attacker steps backward, diminishing the opportunity to cause harm. Drejka shoots anyway. It proves fatal. A jury convicted Drejka of manslaughter. After the verdict, one of the jurors told reporters, “I think he had the opportunity not to kill him.” The attack was no longer imminent. Drejka shot too late.

In other cases, defenders have shot too soon. Markus Kaarma detected an intruder late at night using a video monitor he had set up in his garage. All he could see was the silhouette of a figure, but he knew someone was there. He grabbed a shotgun and went out to the front of his opened garage and fired into the darkness, fatally injuring the intruder. Greggory Farr was startled awake in the middle of the night by a stranger pounding on his front door trying to break through. Terrified, Farr made the mistake of firing through the door, killing the man on the other side.

The intruder in Kaarma’s garage turned out to be a teenaged foreign exchange student who was “garage hopping” (stealing beer from refrigerators in garages that had been left open). The intruder in the Farr case was a drunken neighbor who thought he had been locked out of his own townhome a few doors down. Both were unarmed, and neither had the immediate opportunity to cause serious injury. Both Kaarma and Farr faced criminal prosecution.

AS IT TURNS out, neither of the intruders in the Kaarma and Farr cases had the intent to do harm, but the law generally allows homeowners to assume uninvited intruders intend harm. For concealed carriers outside of their homes, Moses, the selfdefense instructor, says intent is the hardest of the elements to determine because “it essentially requires the defender to peer into the other person’s brain.” He says one tactic for assessing the intentions of a potential threat is to create distance between you and the aggressor if you can safely do so. Provided the threat is not wielding a firearm, creating distance removes the immediate opportunity for the aggressor to do serious harm, as they would have to draw a gun or close the distance to create an immediate threat. If an aggressor presses an attack – especially if the defender retreats and issues clear verbal warnings – it removes much of the ambiguity regarding their intentions, and if the opportunity becomes imminent and ability remains, an armed defender can resort to their firearm with some confidence that their use of deadly force will be found justified.

Despite creating distance and issuing clear verbal warnings, Gerald Strebendt faced challenges in his selfdefense claim because his attacker did not subjectively have the ability to cause serious harm, especially considering the defender’s mixed martial arts skills. This touches on the one aspect of the legal justification of deadly force we haven’t explored yet: the concept of serious bodily harm. The statutes in some states refer to this as “great bodily injury.” Whatever the terminology, deadly force is only justified to prevent an injury that would cause lasting harm, chronic pain, disability or significant disfigurement.

“Normal bodily injury is just pain,” says Moses. “It’s temporary. It’s fixable,” whereas serious bodily injury includes “things that would break a bone or create a laceration or puncture wound that would require an extended hospital stay.” He says that an attack that could render a defender unconscious or incapacitated, such as a choke hold, could also be considered “serious bodily harm.”

AS AN ARMED defender or concealed carrier, you should research and understand the specific laws in your state, but wherever you go in the United States, the core elements justifying a citizen’s use of deadly force are fundamentally the same. A defender must have a reasonable belief that they face the imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death. One of the best ways to ensure your actions are reasonable is to use the “ability, opportunity, and intent” test that Moses endorses. When you create distance between yourself and a potential threat and issue verbal warnings, if the aggressor continues to attack, you can be reasonably confident that they have the intent and opportunity to do you harm, and you’ll have more time to assess their ability to cause serious injury or death.

While these are the core principles justifying the use of deadly force, there are other factors that can a ect a self-defense claim such as who is the “initial aggressor.” There are also justifications for the use of deadly force in defense of another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony. A defender can lose some of the benefits of the self-defense laws if they are trespassing or engaging in criminal acts. All these factors, of course, add to the complexity of self-defense laws. We’ll explore these concepts in our next article.  Editor’s note: Shawn Vincent is a litigation consultant who helps select juries in self-defense cases, and he manages public interest of high-profile legal matters. Mr. Vincent is also a regular contributor to CCW Safe’s news and podcasts.