U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “I have to admit that I find it a hoot that a Brit is reminding me of situational awareness, and how generally we should be armed 24/7,” Gun Owners of America’s Executive Director Emeritus Larry Pratt notes in the Foreword to an important book. “Well, Chris Bird is not a typical Brit, and he has a lot to teach us typical Yanks. I for one am very grateful that Chris Bird has so much to teach us.”
Concealed Handgun Manual
Pratt is referring to “The Concealed Handgun Manual,” extensively rewritten in its seventh edition. And what Bird teaches is “how to choose, carry, and shoot a gun in self-defense.”
Yes, Bird is definitely not “a typical Brit,” as his bio at Privateer Publications shows. Passionately interested in guns at an early age, his life path led him through the military, where he was weapons training officer for his unit. He emigrated first to Canada and then to the U.S. after marrying a Texan whose own defensive gun use story confirmed his commitment to training and to teaching.
This is actually the third book by Bird I’ve had the pleasure of reading and helping to spread the word about. Back in 2011, I interviewed him on a radio program about “Thank God I Had A Gun: True Accounts of Self-Defense.” Then in 2017, I wrote a review for AmmoLand Shooting Sports News for “Surviving a Mass Killer Rampage: When Seconds Count, the Police are Still Minutes Away.”
I could paraphrase the book’s contents, the topics it covers and what others have said about it, but why reinvent the wheel. You can see it all for yourself at “The Concealed Handgun Manual” page at the Privateer Publications website, including synopses of “what you will learn, personal accounts of actual incidents [and] chapter contents.” You’ll also see “reviews and kudos” for the seventh and previous editions.”
These are all instructive, and they give you a good “flavor” for the book. But nothing to me has quite the visceral reaction as actually holding a copy in my hands and leafing through the pages, noting the way Bird continually brings up items of interest, interspersed with supporting photos.
Do you want to know more about how the Sutherland Springs church killer was chased down? Would you like some expert pointers on staying out of trouble in the first place? What considerations are important in choosing a handgun? What can you do to minimize mishaps? Have you practiced clearing blockages? If you can’t avoid a gunfight, how can you improve your chances of winning one? Got federal and state legal concerns?
That’s just a random series of impressions from just a fraction of the information Bird shares with us in his thorough but easy-to-follow style. If you’re at all like me, you’ll want to keep reading and not put it down—and after you’re finished with it keep it handy as a reference to return to.
I’m not sure what else I can tell you to persuade you that this book is well worth adding to your library. I occasionally get approached by authors who want me to give their work a plug but many times don’t. I have a policy that I only give good reviews. If I can’t endorse something, I’ll decline to say anything.
I endorse “The Concealed Handgun Manual.” I don’t have a problem in the world adding my voice to those telling you that the value it offers is well worth the price.
You can order it (and Bird’s other books) directly from the Privateer Publications website.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.