12/10/2025
This is a great article to consider-
https://www.facebook.com/share/17kbAT18gR/?mibextid=wwXIfr
The Dunning-Kruger Epidemic in Concealed Carry and Law Enforcement
The average concealed carrier in America is, frankly, untrained.
Not under-trained. Untrained.
They carry a gun daily, yet have never once sought out formal instruction beyond a YouTube video or secondhand advice from a friend who was “in the military.” Their understanding of shooting fundamentals: grip, sight picture, recoil control, presentation efficiency, shot calling, is surface-level at best and often completely absent.
Ask them to perform under a shot timer or on a scored course of fire and the illusion falls apart.
Studies repeatedly show that untrained civilians in self-defense situations experience high miss rates, slower response times, and poor decision-making under stress. A 2014 Force Science Institute study found that even trained shooters had significant difficulty making effective hits under time constraints when forced to draw and shoot reactively. Add stress, movement, and legal ambiguity to the equation, and it becomes painfully clear: carrying a gun without training is like buying a parachute and refusing to learn how to pull the ripcord.
And let’s be honest: most of this is pride.
Many gun owners refuse to spend money on legitimate training because they’ve built their self-worth around the fantasy that they’re already prepared. Instead of investing in instruction, they deflect: “I shoot just fine at the range” translation: I hit a silhouette at 7 yards with no time pressure and no accountability. That’s not training. That’s ballistic ma********on.
But civilians aren’t alone in this.
The average patrol officer is barely more competent.
Despite having access to range time, department instructors, and annual qualifications, many officers treat fi****ms proficiency as an afterthought. They can tell you their fantasy football picks by heart but can’t consistently pass their own qualification without a warm-up.
Some departments have reduced standards so far that you can miss 15-20% of your rounds and still pass.
To be clear: law enforcement officers have a duty to train.
You are accountable not just for hitting, but for not missing, because every miss has a backstop. If your training program doesn’t include time standards, cold drills, low-light reps, shoot/no-shoot decisions, and force-on-force scenarios, then you’re not preparing for your job. You’re checking a box.
Let’s establish a baseline:
If you’ve never run a cold drill under time and scored pressure, you’re untested.
If you can’t articulate your acceptable hit standard at various distances, you’re unprepared.
If you’ve never had someone qualified break down your mechanics, you’re likely compensating for errors you’re not even aware of.
If you’ve never drawn from concealment at full speed while under performance anxiety, you’re not “good enough” you’re just armed and unaware.
Skill with a handgun isn’t innate.
It’s the product of instruction, repetition, and accountability.
It’s earned, not assumed.
