Recommended Reading
These are the books I’d hand a student who wants to keep learning after class. A good chunk of them are by Massad Ayoob, who has been writing about armed self-defense and the law since 1980 and has spent more than forty years as an expert witness in weapons and shooting cases. Pick whichever one fits what you want to work on.
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Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry
If you just got your permit, start here. Ayoob goes over castle doctrine and stand your ground laws and walks through real cases to show what people learned from them. He also gets into carry gear like holsters and defensive ammo.
See it on AmazonThe Cornered Cat: A Woman’s Guide to Concealed Carry
Kathy Jackson wrote this for women who carry or are thinking about it. It goes from cleaning a pistol to the different ways to carry one, and it takes on the serious question of using deadly force. She writes like she’s talking to a friend, so it’s an easy read.
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Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self-Defense
This is the one for the legal side. Ayoob explains self-defense law in plain language and walks through real court cases, and this 2nd edition adds a section on picking a lawyer if you ever need one after a use of force. Like the other legal books on this list, it explains the law in general, and I’m not giving you legal advice by pointing you to it.
See it on AmazonThe Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery
This one is for people who want to get better on the range. Ayoob covers training to improve your shooting and fighting at close quarters, plus how to pick a handgun and holster that fit the way you live.
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In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection
Ayoob wrote this for people who have already decided to own or carry a gun for protection. It’s short, about 130 pages, and it’s about using that gun inside the law and with a clear conscience. It doesn’t try to talk you into buying one.
See it on AmazonStraight Talk on Armed Defense: What the Experts Want You to Know
Ayoob edited this one and hand-picked the other authors, including Tom Givens and Marty Hayes, with each one writing a chapter on what they know best. A lot of it is about the aftermath, from talking with police when they show up to how a self-defense case moves through criminal court.
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The Ayoob Files: The Book
Ayoob breaks down actual gunfights one at a time and pulls out the lessons from each. If you learn better from real cases than from theory, you’ll get a lot out of this one.
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The Truth About Self-Protection
This one goes beyond guns. It’s about not becoming a victim of crime in the first place, so along with firearms it gets into home security and unarmed defense. It came out in 1983, so don’t read it for current gear advice.
See it on AmazonMassad Ayoob’s Greatest Handguns of the World
This is the fun one. Ayoob goes through the pistols and revolvers that changed firearms history, from the Colt 1911 up to Glock, with a lot of photos. It won’t make you a better shot, but if you like handguns you’ll enjoy it.
See it on AmazonCombat Shooting with Massad Ayoob
A shorter read for people working on their shooting. Ayoob starts with mindset and then gets into the shooting itself. He also looks at what you can learn from gunfighters like Wyatt Earp and Jim Cirillo, and why he thinks competition is good training.
See it on AmazonNone of these take the place of training. Reading about a draw isn’t the same as practicing one, so the Permit to Carry class and your time at the range still matter most. If you have questions about any of these books, email me at chris@mnselfdefense.com or text 507-533-5774.