A few weeks ago I found myself at a local gun rights group’s monthly range session. While there I spent quite a bit of time speaking with some newer shooters about a variety of subjects. We discussed holsters, training requirements for conceal carry, pepper spray, legal considerations, optics, and much more over the course of several hours. During this conversation I recommended some articles written by myself and some others both here at Primer Peak and elsewhere.
This led me to starting thinking about my physical library, and what books I’d recommend to people. The next day I began inspecting my bookshelf, looking for entries that stood out to me. While most of my collection stands out as being valuable to me, I realize that some of my interests are outside that of the typical gun owner, or even those who might be considered more serious than most. Would a newcomer or average owner want to read books on holsters from Bianchi and Gaylord? Probably not. What about an in-depth look into pistol mounted optics from Gelhaus, Ochsner, and Custer? Doubt it. How about the defensive shotgun from people like Farnam, Awerbuck, and Ayoob? Possibly. So where do we go from here?
Most people (over)value their time, and have little desire to sit down and really think about guns, tactics, safe storage, or the law. Instead, many of us (myself sometimes included) would rather watch TV, scroll on their phone, or generally veg on the couch. That said, these topics may be more appealing than some of the more esoteric offerings on my shelf. Think of these as my “Top Five Books for the Average Gun Owner”. These cover a variety of topics, are relatively short reads, and are generally fairly easy on the brain. While there are certainly other options that get into the nitty gritty of various topics, reading these five books will give you a massive leg-up on most people, and grow your knowledge significantly.
If you can only choose one book on this list to read, choose this one. Think of this as a primer on a variety of subjects such as holster selection, situational awareness, shooting skills, gun safety, and more. Tom covers a ton of ground in a fairly short book, and fills it with high-definition photos to help illustrate the information within. Despite having trained with Tom on many occasions, and being familiar with his work, I still found great nuggets of knowledge during my read of Conceal Carry Class.
The legal side of self defense is something that most of us are all too unfamiliar with. Massad Ayoob stands head and shoulders above 99% of the firearms community for his dedication to this aspect of firearms ownership and use. I first made my way through Deadly Force as an audiobook, narrated by the man himself. This was an excellent way to consume the material, and I immediately picked up a physical copy for my own reference library. Ayoob does a stellar job of giving the facts here, while also keep the book entertaining and engaging. Do yourself a favor and yourself a copy today.
I first met Tim Kelly at the Rangemaster Master Instructor Development Course in 2022. Since then we’ve shared the range a few additional times, and I was very excited to see him release this book. Your World is Not a Gun Free Zone is primarily considered a book for those teaching young children to be safe about guns, but I think that under-sells the material. While it is absolutely useful for its stated purpose, I think this book is an excellent starting point for those new to, or interested in, firearms. I also believe that it can be a great place to help us learn to connect with the non-gun owners among us, particularly those who struggle to understand why we live the way that we do.
In my mind, Gun Curious pairs excellently with Your World is Not a Gun Free Zone, but from a very different world view. Professor Yamane comes to gun ownership as a liberal college professor, who fired his first gun after the age of 40. His work details his experience entering into gun culture, and his journey inside it. Gun Curious is a fantastic look into non-traditional gun ownership, that I think can help many traditional gun owners better understand “the other side.” Similarly, it is an incredible resource for those who find themselves outside of the firearms community, who want to get some insight into what may be foreign to them.
While I don’t fully agree with some of Professor Yamane’s conclusions at the end of Gun Curious, I have no reservations in recommending it to everyone, gun owners or not.
There are a lot of books on the market today that cover dry practice. Some focus more on the configuration of your room and equipment, others talk about the Zen state of mind you need, and more. Dryfire Reloaded touches on the former, and doesn’t bother at all with spiritual or mystic equivalencies. Ben covers some of the basics of equipment you’ll need, such as timers and reduced size targets, but this book is far more focused on the “how” rather than the “what” or “why”.
To paraphrase, this book is not for beginners. Readers will need to have the ability to diagnose and correct issues in their dry practice as they appear. I’ve seen some criticize this in the past, but considering how much damage someone can do to their skills with improper dry practice, I think the concept is sound. If you’re not there yet, maybe take this book to a coach or mentor as a template for some upcoming training sessions.
Think of this less of how to dry practice, and more of how to effectively dry practice. While the Dryfire Reloaded is heavily focused on USPSA style scenarios, the drills and stages here are widely applicable to any practical shooting application. This is one that I wish I’d picked up much earlier, as it’s easy to get caught in the rut of simplistic practice. Add it to your library, even if you’re not ready today, it may come in handy sooner than you’d expect.
There were some other books which strongly fought for a place on this list. While not everything can be a “Top Five” choice, there are some honorable mentions which I think still deserve a look.
I reviewed Toys, Tools, Guns & Rules earlier this year for Primer Peak. Think of this as an excellent companion piece to Tim Kelly’s “Your World”, but with a greater focus on the children’s perspective. I’ve been reading my copy of Toys, Tools to my oldest child over the past few months, and I can already see some of the lessons making an impact.
Jeff Cooper is one of the most impact people to have walked the face of the earth when it comes to firearms training. Many consider Principles of Personal Defense to be his seminal work, laying out several ideas which would shape his legacy over time. While Principles is somewhat dated and simplistic by today’s standards, it’s a stellar entry and the core message is just as valid today as ever. If you’re serious about gun ownership and training, Principles of Personal Defense belongs in your library.
It wasn’t easy making the decisions of what to add to this list and what to remove. Don’t take this list as all-inclusive, or that there are not many other texts which are valuable for us and the community. Rather, consider it as your starting point in the journey to be a well rounded and informed gun owner. Read these, take notes, read them again, and see how your thoughts and opinions change over time.
Are there any books you would want to see on this list? Let us know down below!
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