Gregory Kielma • December 10, 2024
Does carrying a gun all the time increase or decrease your chance of death?
Does carrying a gun all the time increase or decrease your chance of death?
Gregg Kielma
FFL/Gunsmith/ Firearms Instructor- First Aid Instructor- AED Distributor
Behavior counts.
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve nearly been killed. The one’s I remember are:
1. Turned on a lathe with a high speed setting and didn’t see the chuck key on the underside of the chuck. Shot just past my head with enough force to stab through my eye socket.
2. Took a motorcycle off the road around 50 miles per hour, maybe a bit faster, got thrown and landed headfirst in a freshly plowed, rock free, fence free field. I was wearing a helmet but dang near broke my neck.
3. Got the flu and was self-employed with a lot of work that had to be done. I didn’t stop working until I got up walk to my front door and dang near collapsed. I had to lay on the back of a couch for thirty minutes to get just enough strength to walk back to my bed. I’m pretty sure had I continued to push it I would have either died from the flu or some accident caused by my weakened state.
4. Had 110-volt current pass one inch over my heart.
5. Had a ladder drop on me about seven feet from the bottom of my feet. Slammed the backside of my left upper arm against the side of the ladder as I landed face down and my head banged on the rung. My arm took most of the blow and had some significant internal bleeding and I have a permanent crease in the muscle over my skull. Had my head taken most of the force, well……
6. That’s not counting the multitude of near traffic accidents due to other people’s mistakes or carelessness.
That’s all over about 60 plus years. For about 45 of those years, I’ve carried a handgun at least in my vehicle or on me.
I’m a quite a bit more careful these days and wouldn’t do some of those things I did, like not wearing a full body hazmat suit or riding a motorcycle, but a firearm is one of the safest things I’ve ever handled. It’s because I expect the thing to go off and treat it as such.
There’s a common composition fallacy that people make. X% of people who do something have bad results, therefore X% of the time I will have those bad results when I do that something. A statistic that shows the percentage of people that have a negative result means very little about the result you will get. That percentage could be the percentage of people that are careless, stupid, criminal, or self-destructive. If those don’t apply to you, your odds are lower. If they do apply to you, your odds are higher. Because .013% of all drivers are in a fatal accident each year doesn’t mean that .013% of the time you’ll be in a fatal accident.
So, when you hear that a gun in the home, or carrying a gun, is most likely to injure or kill the person with the gun (Kellerman), look at the study. In the oft quoted study, Kellerman excluded all self-defense situations where no one was hurt. So, deciding that a gun would more likely hurt you rather than defend you is not a valid conclusion since he didn’t include all cases of self-defense.
He compared the likelihood of killing or injuring someone illegally in the home to someone legally in the home and found that someone legally in the home is more likely to be shot than someone illegally in the home. What exactly does this prove? Not that you’re mostly likely to be hurt rather than defend yourself as noted in the previous paragraph. What he proves is that most times someone won’t illegally enter a home if someone is there, and that you’re more likely to be killed by someone you know than a stranger. Murder usually has a motivation and that comes from a relationship. Stranger on stranger murder does occur but it’s much rarer. Something homicide detectives have known since there’s been homicide detectives.
He also noted that a person in the home who has a history of violence, meaning a person that chooses violence when non-violent means are preferable, and the use of illegal drugs are equally correlated to the presence of the gun. Meaning if you are in relationship with someone that chooses violence and impairs his judgment, you might get hurt and if there’s also a gun, he might use that gun. Well yeah, dummy. How about not being around a violent meth head?
Obviously, I hope, taking a statistic generated by a bit of selective reasoning and claiming that most guns in the home will kill someone legally in the home when a person of violence that has impaired judgement from mind-altering drugs can access that gun in that home doesn’t transfer to a sober, responsible person who avoids violence and violent people who has a gun properly stored in the home.
Gregg Kielma
FFL/Gunsmith/ Firearms Instructor- First Aid Instructor- AED Distributor
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Being Prepared for the 2026 Hurricane Season By Gregory Kielma, Tactical K Training & Firearms The 2026 Hurricane Season is shaping up to be another year where preparation isn’t optional it’s essential. Florida has seen record heat, rising insurance pressures, rapid population growth, and increasingly unpredictable storm behavior. None of that is meant to create fear. It’s meant to reinforce a simple truth: preparedness gives you control, confidence, and options when the weather turns. Whether you’re protecting a home, a business, or a family, the goal is the same build layers of readiness before the first storm forms. Start With Awareness and a Plan Storms don’t give you time to “figure it out later.” Your plan should be written, practiced, and known by everyone in the household or workplace. Key elements of a solid plan: Where will you go if evacuation becomes necessary Multiple routes out of your area A communication plan if cell networks fail A designated out‑of‑state contact A plan for pets, elderly family members, and anyone with medical needs For businesses, include: Who secures the building Who handles digital backups Who communicates closures and reopening A plan removes panic. It replaces it with action. Strengthen Your Home or Business Before the First Storm Florida structures take a beating every year. Small improvements now prevent major losses later. Exterior protection: Inspect your roof for loose shingles or soft spots Clear gutters and drainage paths Trim trees and remove dead limbs Install or test shutters Reinforce garage doors—one of the most common failure points Interior protection: Surge protection for critical electronics Elevate valuables and important documents Know how to shut off water, power, and gas If you own a business, walk your property as if you were a storm: What can break? What can blow away? What can flood? Fix those points now. Build a Realistic, Usable Supply Kit For Your Home or Business A hurricane kit isn’t about stockpiling, it’s about independence. After a major storm, help may take hours or days to reach your area. For homes and families: Water: 1 gallon per person per day (minimum 3–7 days) Non‑perishable food Medications and medical supplies Flashlights, headlamps, and batteries Battery bank for phones First aid kit Copies of important documents Cash in small bills Tools, gloves, tarps, duct tape For businesses: Backup power for essential systems Printed employee contact lists Hard copies of insurance documents A plan for securing inventory and equipment Preparedness isn’t about fear it’s about not being dependent on luck. Protect Your Digital Life In 2026, digital readiness is just as important as physical readiness. Back up important files to the cloud and an external drive Photograph your home, business, and valuables for insurance Store digital copies of IDs, insurance policies, and receipts Keep chargers, power banks, and a small solar panel if possible When the power goes out, your digital preparation keeps you moving. Understand Post‑Storm Safety Most injuries happen after the storm, not during it. Be cautious with: Downed power lines Flooded roads Carbon monoxide from generators Unstable structures Contaminated water If you evacuated, don’t rush home. Wait for official clearance. Your safety comes first. Mindset: Prepared, Not Paranoid Preparedness is a discipline, not a reaction. It’s the same mindset we teach in every Tactical K class awareness, planning, and responsible action. A hurricane is a natural event. Your response is a choice. When you prepare early, you protect: Your family Your property Your business Your peace of mind And you set an example for your community. Kielma’s Parting Shot The 2026 Hurricane Season will bring challenges, just like every season. But Floridians are resilient, and preparation is part of our way of life. Start now. Strengthen your home, your business, and your plan. Build your layers of safety before the first storm forms. If you need help building a plan, creating a checklist, or preparing your family or business, Tactical K Training is here to support you with practical, real‑world guidance.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 87 Months in Trafficking Nine Firearms, Including to Buyer Who Said He Was ‘At War’ Thursday, April 30, 2026 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia WASHINGTON - Brandon Smith, 34, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 87 months in prison for conspiring to traffic at least nine firearms to a prohibited buyer over the course of six months, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Brandon Smith was already on supervised probation for a violent felony when he chose to traffic firearms, and he continued even after being told the buyer intended to use them for violence,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Over the course of six months, he arranged the sale of at least nine guns—including one with an obliterated serial number—to a prohibited individual. This was not a momentary lapse in judgment, but a sustained and deliberate effort to arm someone who could not legally possess firearms. My office remains committed to holding accountable those who endanger our communities by trafficking illegal guns.” On Jan. 9, 2026, Smith pleaded guilty before Judge Howell to conspiracy to commit trafficking in firearms. In addition to the 87-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Smith to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 108-month prison term. According to court papers, beginning in November 2023, ATF opened an investigation after a confidential source reported that Smith, then on supervised probation for a violent felony, was actively advertising firearms for sale by texting photographs of guns to prospective buyers, including individuals with prior felony convictions. During the next six months, Smith sold or arranged the sale of nine firearms to a buyer on six separate occasions. During the transactions, Smith sold his own personal carry firearm on multiple occasions when a supplier failed to deliver, then purchased a replacement for himself afterward. In early January 2024, as Smith and the buyer discussed an upcoming transaction, the buyer told Smith he needed the firearms because he was “at war” after his cousin had been killed. Smith proceeded with the sale. The buyer had also told Smith he was serving a criminal justice sentence at the time of the transactions. Smith acknowledged that he, too, was “on papers.” Smith arranged a total of six transactions from Nov. 30, 2023, through May 30, 2024, resulting in the sale of nine firearms. At least one of the firearms had its serial number obliterated. On Oct. 26, 2024, MPD officers conducted a traffic stop on the 1600 block of 16th Street SE and found Smith in the front passenger seat of a parked vehicle. Officers observed open containers of alcohol and discovered a satchel at his feet. Inside the satchel, in plain view, was a loaded Glock Model 19X 9mm handgun with a round in the chamber and 16 additional rounds in the magazine. The bag also contained a bank card and government-issued identification in Smith’s name. Smith has prior convictions for Simple Assault (2011), Attempted Robbery (2013), and Robbery and Possession of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence (2016), for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. He was serving a term of supervised probation from the 2016 conviction at the time of the firearms trafficking conspiracy. This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan. Convicted Felon Sentenced to 87 Months in Trafficking
